Disadvantages and Quirks

Secret Disadvantages

You may give your character a disadvantage unknown both to him and to you. 

Choose a point value and tell the GM. The GM will select a disadvantage and give you its value plus an additional -5 points (e.g., Unluckiness, normally worth -10 points, gives -15 points as a secret disadvantage). The GM will not give you any hints as to what it is! When your disadvantage finally becomes obvious in the course of play (GM’s decision), you must buy off the extra -5 points as soon as possible. 

The GM must pick a secret disadvantage carefully. It should be something that you could believably not know about. If it is a mental disadvantage, the conditions that trigger it should never have arisen (Berserk, Bloodlust, Combat Paralysis, the less-common Phobias, and Split Personality all work well here). Most physical disadvantages are too obvious – although something like Hemophilia might go unnoticed. 

You can only list one secret disadvantage on your character sheet, but this might represent more than one trait. The GM is free to select multiple, related disadvantages worth the appropriate number of points.

Clueless

-10 points

• You totally miss the point of any wit aimed at you, and are oblivious to attempts to seduce you (+4 to resist  Sex Appeal). 

• The meanings of colloquial expressions escape you. 

• Sophisticated manners are also beyond you, giving -4 to Savoir-Faire skill. 

• You have many minor habits that annoy others (e.g., leaving the turn signal on while driving from Chicago to Albuquerque), and may take one or two of these as quirks. Most people will react to you at -2. 

• Unlike No Sense of Humor, you may make jokes – albeit lame ones – and you can appreciate slapstick and written humor. However, you rarely “get” verbal humor, especially if you are the target (roll vs. IQ-4 roll to realize you’re the butt of the joke). 

• And unlike Gullibility, you normally realize when someone is trying to take advantage of you, except in social situations. You are no more susceptible to Fast-Talk than normal, save when someone is trying to convince you that an attractive member of the appropriate sex is interested in you . . .

This disadvantage is most appropriate for ivory-tower geniuses, aliens from Mars, (Also Clive) etc.

Code of Honor

-5 to -15 points

You take pride in a set of principles that you follow at all times. The specifics can vary, but they always involve “honorable” behavior. You will do nearly anything – perhaps even risk death – to avoid the label “dishonorable” (whatever that means).

You must do more than pay lip service to a set of principles to get points for a Code of Honor. You must be a true follower of the Code! This is a disadvantage because it often requires dangerous – if not reckless – behavior. Furthermore, you can often be forced into unfair situations, because your foes know you are honorable. 

Code of Honor is not the same as Duty or Sense of Duty. A samurai or British grenadier marches into battle against fearful odds out of duty, not for his personal honor (though of course he would lose honor by fleeing). The risks you take for your honor are solely on your own account. 

The point value of a particular Code of Honor depends on how much trouble it is liable to get you into and how arbitrary and irrational its requirements are: 

• -5 points.    An informal Code that applies only among your peers.

• -10 points.  A formal Code that applies only among peers, or an informal one that applies all the time.

• -15 points.  A formal Code that applies all the time, or that requires suicide if broken.

Some examples:

• Code of Honor (Pirate’s):
  Always avenge an insult, regardless of the danger; your buddy’s foe is your own; never attack a fellow crewman or buddy except in a fair, open duel. Anything else goes. This is also suitable for brigands, bikers, etc. -5 points.

• Code of Honor (Professional):
  Adhere to the ethics of your profession; always do your job to the best of your ability; support your guild, union, or professional association. This is most suitable for lawyers and physicians (Hippocratic Oath), but dedicated tradesmen, merchants, and so forth may have a similar Code. -5 points.

• Code of Honor (Gentleman’s):
  Never break your word. Never ignore an insult to yourself, a lady, or your flag; insults may only be wiped out by an apology or a duel (not necessarily to the death!). Never take advantage of an opponent in any way; weapons and circumstances must be equal (except in open war). This only applies between gentlemen. A discourtesy from anyone of Status 0 or less calls for a whipping, not a duel! -10 points.

• Code of Honor (Soldier’s):
  An officer should be tough but fair, lead from the front, and look out for his men; an enlisted man should look out for his buddies and take care of his kit. Every soldier should be willing to fight and die for the honor of his unit, service, and country; follow orders; obey the “rules of war”; treat an honorable enemy with respect (a dishonorable enemy deserves a bullet); and wear the uniform with pride. -10 points.

• Code of Honor (Chivalry):
  As Code of Honor (Gentleman’s), except that flags haven’t been invented. Respond to any insult to your liege-lord or to your faith. Protect any lady, and anyone weaker than yourself. Accept any challenge to arms from anyone of greater or equal rank. Even in open war, sides and weapons must be equal if the foe is also noble and chivalrous. -15 points.

Cold-Blooded

-5 or -10 points

Your body temperature fluctuates with the temperature of the environment. You are less susceptible to damage from high or low body temperature (+2 HT to resist the effects of temperature), and require only 1/3 the food needed by a warm-blooded being of equal mass, but you tend to “stiffen up” in cold weather.

After 30 minutes in cold conditions (or one hour if you have any level of Temperature Tolerance), you get -1 to Basic Speed and DX per 10° below your “threshold temperature” (see below). At temperatures below 32°, you must roll vs. HT or take 1 HP of damage. Warm clothing gives +2 to this roll. You regain lost Basic Speed and DX at the rate of one point of each per hour once you return to a warm climate. Double this rate in an exceptionally warm environment. 

Point value depends on your “threshold temperature”:

• You “stiffen up” below 50°: -5 points.

• You “stiffen up” below 65°: -10 points.

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Colorblindness

-10 points

You cannot see any colors at all (this is total colorblindness). In any situation requiring color identification (e.g., gem buying, livery identification, or pushing the red button to start the motor), the GM should give you appropriate difficulties. Certain skills are always harder for you. In particular, you are at -1 on most Artist, Chemistry, Driving, Merchant, Piloting, and Tracking rolls.

Combat Paralysis

-15 points

You tend to “freeze up” in combat situations, and receive -2 to all Fright Checks. This has nothing to do with Cowardice – you may be brave, but your body betrays you. 

In any situation in which personal harm seems imminent, make a HT roll. Do not roll until the instant you need to fight, run, pull the trigger, or whatever. Any roll over 13 is a failure, even if you have HT 14+. 

• On a success, you can act normally. 

• On a failure, you are mentally stunned. 

Make another HT roll every second, at a cumulative +1 per turn after the first, to break the freeze. A quick slap from a friend gives +1 to your cumulative roll. Once you unfreeze, you will not freeze again until the immediate danger is over. Then, in the next dangerous situation, you may freeze once again. 

This trait is the opposite of Combat Reflexes. You cannot have both.

Cowardice*

-10 points

You are extremely careful about your physical well-being. Make a self-control roll any time you are called on to risk physical danger. Roll at -5 if you must risk death. If you fail, you must refuse to endanger yourself unless threatened with greater danger! 

Cowardice gives a penalty to Fright Checks whenever physical danger is involved:

In some times and places  soldiers, police, etc., react to you at a similar penalty if they know you are a coward.

Curious*

-5 points

You are naturally very inquisitive. 

This is not the curiosity that affects all PCs (“What’s in that cave? Where did the flying saucer come from?”), but the real thing (“What happens if I push this button?”).

Make a self-control roll when presented with an interesting item or situation. 

If you fail, you examine it – push buttons, pull levers, open doors,unwrap presents, etc. – even if you know it could be dangerous. Good roleplayers won’t try to make this roll very often.

In general, you do everything in your power to investigate any situation with which you aren’t 100% familiar.

When faced with a real mystery, you simply cannot turn your back on it. You try to rationalize your curiosity to others who try to talk you out of it. Common Sense doesn’t help – you know you are taking a risk, but you’re curious anyway!

Disturbing Voice

-10 points

Your voice is naturally unpleasant or obviously artificial. Details can vary. You might be a robot, or use a technological aid to mitigate the Mute disadvantage. Your voice might be raspy, hollow, or squeaky, or your speech might be monotonous and without inflection. This gives -2 on any reaction roll where conversation is required, and -2 to Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Performance, Public Speaking, Sex Appeal, and Singing.

This trait is the opposite of the Voice advantage; you cannot have both.

Dread

Variable

You suffer from a supernatural aversion that compels you to keep a certain, minimum distance from a particular item or substance. If out-side forces bring you and the item you dread closer together than that, you must move away as fast as you can, by the most direct route possible. 

You may do nothing else until you are beyond the range of your Dread. 

If you cannot put at least that much distance between yourself and the object of your Dread, your Dread will render you helpless!

You can instantly sense the presence of the dreaded substance as soon as you enter the forbidden radius. You do not know exactly where it is, but you know what direction it lies in and are compelled to go exactly the other way.

Base value of Dread is -10 points, which prohibits you from coming within one yard of the dreaded substance. A larger radius gives an additional -1 point per yard, to a maximum of -20 points at 11 yards. 

Find the final disadvantage value by multiplying the point value for your range to reflect the rarity of the substance:

• Rare (e.g., exotic radiation or minerals): x 1/2.

• Occasional (e.g., microwave radiation, intense normal cold, air-borne pollen): x 1.

• Common (e.g., smoke, nearby magic, horses, loud noises): x 2. 

• Very Common (e.g., sunlight, living plants): x 3.

Ex. Antinium would have a Dread worth -20 points (common: Bodies of Water)

Special Enhancements

• Cannot Be Trapped: You cannot enter the forbidden zone of your own volition, but if carried there by an out-side force, you no longer feel your Dread. You can act normally in the forbidden zone until you leave the substance’s presence, at which time the prohibition reactivates. -50%.

Dyslexia

-10 points

You have a crippling reading disability. Even simple maps and road signs are beyond you. You start with a written comprehension level of “None” in your native language. This is included in Dyslexia; you get no extra points for it. Furthermore, you may never improve your written comprehension level beyond “None” in any language. For more on language comprehension, see Language (p. 23). You can learn “book-learned” skills at normal speed if you have a teacher to substitute for your inability to use texts. Attempts to learn such a skill without a teacher progress at ¼ speed – if the skill is one you can teach yourself without books. The GM’s word is final in all cases. In traditional fantasy settings, magic is a book-learned skill, and Dyslexia prevents you from ever becoming a wizard. 

Note that this is a severe case. Mild dyslexia is not significant in game terms, except possibly as a quirk.

Easy to Read

-10 points

Your body language betrays your true intentions. 

This is not the same as Truthfulness. You have no moral problem with lying, and may even possess Fast-Talk at a high level, but your face or stance gives the game away. 

• Easy to Read gives others +4 on all Empathy, Body Language, and Psychology rolls to discern your intentions or the truth of your words. 

• As well, they get +4 to their IQ, Detect Lies, and Gambling rolls in any Quick Contest with your Acting, Fast-Talk, or Gambling skill when you try to lie or bluff. (If you also have Truthfulness, your Fast-Talk skill is at

• -5 on top of this.) This is a crippling disadvantage for a would-be spy, conman, or gambler!

This is a mental disadvantage, despite its physical manifestations; with enough practice, you can “buy it off.”

Extra Sleep

-2 points / level (max 2 levels)

You need more sleep than most people. A normal human requires 8 hours of sleep per night. Each level means you need one additional hour of sleep. Thus, you must go to bed early or sleep in for a few hours each day. This gives you less time each day in which to study or work on other projects.

Fearfulness

-2 points / level

You are nervous and timid.
Subtract your Fearfulness from your Will whenever you make a Fright Check, and whenever you must resist the Intimidation skill or a supernatural power that causes fear. As well, add your Fearfulness level to all Intimidation rolls made against you.

You may not reduce your Will roll below 3. For instance, if you have Will 11, you are limited to Fearfulness 8. This trait is the opposite of Fearlessness; you cannot have both.

Frightens Animals

-10 points

Animals react to you with fear and aggression. Horses do not permit you to ride them, dogs shy away from you or attack savagely, and your mere scent is enough to panic most creatures. You get -4 on all reaction rolls made by animals.
Anyone who sees how animals react to you – and those with Animal Empathy – reacts to you at -1. 

Guards with guard animals, “sniffer” dogs, etc. decide how to deal with you based on the animal’s reaction roll, not their own!

Gluttony*

-5 points

You are overly fond of good food and drink. Given the chance, you must always burden yourself with extra provisions. You should never willingly miss a meal. Make a self-control roll when presented with a tempting morsel or good wine that, for some reason, you should resist. If you fail, you partake – regardless of the consequences.

Greed*

-15 points

You lust for wealth. Make a self-control roll any time riches are offered – as payment for fair work, gains from adventure, spoils of crime, or just bait. 

If you fail, you do whatever it takes to get the payoff. 

The GM may modify this roll if the money involved is small relative to your own wealth. Small sums do not tempt you much if you are rich, but if you are poor, you get -5 or more on your self-control roll if a rich prize is in the offing. If you have Honesty, your self-control roll is at +5 for a shady deal and +10 for outright crime. However, it is almost a foregone conclusion that you will eventually do something illegal.

Gullibility*

-10 points

There’s one born every minute, and you’re it. You believe everything you hear. You’ll swallow even the most ridiculous story, if it’s told with conviction. 

Make a self-control roll, modified by the plausibility of the story, whenever you are confronted with a lie – or an improbable truth, for that matter. 

If you fail, you believe what you were told!

• -6 penalty: A lie well told, or involving something you have no familiarity with (“My father is the chief of police in this town, and he won’t stand for this!”).

• -3 penalty: A lie concerning a topic you are familiar with (“Didn’t you know they bred ducks in your village, Torg?”)

• -0 penalty: You believe even a totally outlandish tale (“Of course the Eskimos are descended from Spanish conquistadors; everyone knows that!”)

You also suffer a -3 penalty on any Merchant skill roll, or in any situation in which your credulity might be exploited. 

You can never learn the Detect Lies skill.

Ham-Fisted

-5 or -10 points

You have unusually poor motor skills. You suffer a penalty to any DX-based roll to do fine work, This includes all DX-based rolls against Artist, Jeweler, Knot-Tying, Leatherworking, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Sewing, Sleight of Hand, and Surgery, as well as DX-based rolls to do fine work with Machinist or Mechanic (e.g., on clock- work) and to the Fast-Draw skill. 

• the penalty is -3:  -5 points

• the penalty is -6:  -10 points

This does not affect IQ-based tasks or large-scale DX-based tasks, nor does it modify combat-related die rolls other than Fast-Draw.

You are also a messy eater, can’t tie a necktie properly, and so on. 

At the GM’s option, you get -1 per level of this trait on any Influence or reaction roll where being tidy or well-groomed would matter. 

This disadvantage is mutually exclusive with High Manual Dexterity.

Hidebound

-5 points

You find it difficult to come up with an original thought. You have a -2 penalty on any task that requires creativity or invention, including most rolls against Artist skill, all Engineer rolls for new inventions, and all skill rolls made to use the Gadgeteer advantage.

Honesty*

-10 points

You must obey the law, and do your best to get others to do so as well. 

This is a disadvantage, because it often limits your options! Make a self-control roll when faced with the “need” to break unreasonable laws; if you fail, you must obey the law, whatever the consequences. If you manage to resist your urges and break the law, make a second self-control roll afterward. If you fail, you must turn yourself in to the authorities!

• In an area with little or no law, you do not “go wild” – you act as though the laws of your own home were in force.

• You also assume that others are honest unless you know otherwise (make an IQ roll to realize someone might be dishonest if you haven’t seen proof). 

• You may fight (or even start a fight, if you do it in a legal way). You may even kill in a legal duel or in self-defense – but you may never murder.

• You may steal if there is great need, but only as a last resort, and you must attempt to pay your victims back later.

• If you are jailed for a crime you did not commit, but treated fairly and assured of a trial, you will not try to escape. 

• You always keep your word. (In a war, you may act “dishonestly” against the enemy, but you will not be happy about it!) 

• However, you are allowed to lie if it does not involve breaking the law. Truthfulness is a separate disadvantage. 

Honesty has its rewards, of course. If you stay alive and in one place long enough for your honesty to become known, the GM should give you +1 on any non-combat reaction roll – or +3 if a question of trust or honor is involved. This is essentially a free Reputation.

Impulsiveness*

-10 points

You hate discussion and debate. You prefer action! 

When you are alone, you act first and think later. In a group, when your friends want to stop and discuss something, you should put in your two cents’ worth quickly – if at all – and then do something. Roleplay it! 

• Make a self-control roll whenever it would be wise to wait and ponder. If you fail, you must act.

Increased Consumption

-10 points/level

One “meal” keeps you going for a much shorter period of time than it would a normal human. 

This is suitable for small creatures that must eat often, or for machines that rapidly exhaust their fuel or energy supply. 

• Increased Consumption 1: You must eat six meals a day. If you have the Machine meta-trait (p. 263), you have a 4-hour endurance.

• Increased Consumption 2: You must eat 12 meals a day. If you have the Machine meta-trait, you have a 2-hour endurance.

A single level of this trait is appropriate for normal humans who have a build of Overweight or heavier, or the Gluttony disadvantage.

Incurious*

-5 points

You hardly ever notice things unrelated to the business at hand. 

Make a self-control roll when confronted with something strange.   

• If you fail, you ignore it!   

• You react at -1 to new things.

Indecisive*

-10 points

You find it difficult to make up your mind. As long as there is a single path before you, you are fine, but as soon as there is a choice, you begin to dither. 

Make a self-control roll whenever a choice confronts you, modified downward by the number of alternatives you can see:   -2 if there are two choices, -3 if there are three choices, -4 if there are four choices, ect.

If you fail, you do nothing. Roll again every minute (or every second in combat or a similar high-stress situation) until you make up your mind, after which you may act normally until the next time you face a decision. 

Innumerate

-5 points

You have little or no grasp of mathematics. 

You cannot learn – and get no default with – Economics, or any of the skills that benefit from Mathematical Ability. This has many frustrating side effects: 

• You must use your fingers to count or perform arithmetic.

• You have no idea if the results computed by calculating machines are correct.

• You are easily cheated by dishonest merchants (-4 to rolls to notice you’ve been had).

In “innumerate” cultures, including many cultures at TL4 or below, this disadvantage is widespread, and the GM should not count it against the campaign disadvantage limit (if any). 

In societies that prize technological or mercantile ability, Innumerate individuals are liable to have a Social Stigma as well. This is worth an additional -5 points and gives -1 to reaction rolls.

You are inept at Mathematics.

• You cannot learn any skill that depends on an understanding of math

• Your default is at an extra -4.

Insomniac

-10 or -15 points

You go through periods where falling asleep is very difficult. During such an episode, you must make a HT-1 roll once per night. 

• On a success, you fall asleep easily, ending that episode of insomnia. 

• On a failure, you lose two hours of sleep that night and the episode continues for another night. 

• On a critical failure, you get no sleep that night. 

Point value depends on severity:

• Mild: The GM secretly rolls 3d for the number of days between episodes. -10 points.

• Severe: The GM rolls 2d-1 for the number of days between episodes. -15 points.

Regardless of severity, whenever you suffer prolonged stress, the GM can require a HT roll. Failure means an episode starts immediately.

Jealousy

-10 points

You react poorly toward those who seem smarter, more attractive, or better off than you!
You resist any plan proposed by a “rival,” and hate it if someone else is in the limelight. 

Kleptomania*

-15 points

You are compelled to steal – not necessarily things of value, but anything you can get away with.
Make a self-control roll whenever you are presented with a chance to steal, at up to -3 if the item is especially interesting to you (not necessarily valuable, unless you are poor or have Greed). 

If you fail, you must try to steal it.
You may keep or sell stolen items, but you may not return or discard them.

Klutz

-5 or -15 points

You have an uncanny affinity for gross physical blunders. You do not necessarily have a low DX (you may have up to DX 13 and still select this trait) but you are more awkward than your DX would suggest. 

This disadvantage comes in two levels:

• Klutz (-5 points): Make a DX roll to get through the day without doing a pratfall, dropping books, or knocking over shelves filled with fragile items. This is rarely life-threatening, but it is inconvenient and often expensive. The GM should be creative in inventing minor torments. You should especially avoid laboratories, explosives, china shops, etc.

• Total Klutz (-15 points): As above, but in addition, any failure on a DX roll or DX-based skill roll is considered a critical failure for you! 

This trait might seem silly, but it need not be. Most realistic TL7-8 robots have this disadvantage!

Light Sleeper

-5 points

You do not sleep as soundly or as easily as most people. 

Whenever you must sleep in an uncomfortable place, or whenever there is more than the slightest noise, you must make a HT roll in order to fall asleep. 

On a failure, you can try again after one hour, but you will suffer all the usual effects of one hour of missed sleep. 

You usually wake up if there is activity going on around you but you are stunned unless you have Combat Reflexes. 

If you wish to continue sleeping, you must fail a Sense roll. 

If you wake up, you must make HT rolls to get back to sleep, as above. 

This can occasionally be to your advantage, but the most likely effect is that you miss sleep whenever inconsiderate companions trade watches or return from a night on the town.

Loner*

-5 points

You require a great deal of “personal space.” Make a self-control roll whenever anyone lingers nearby, watches over your shoulder, etc. If you fail, you lash out at that person just as if you had Bad Temper: You lose your temper and must insult, attack, or otherwise act against the cause of the stress.

Low Empathy

-20 points

You cannot understand emotions at all.
This doesn’t prevent you from having and showing emotions of your own (unless you have something like No Sense of Humor) – your problem is that you don’t really understand them. As a result, you have difficulty interacting socially.

You may not take the Empathy advantage, and suffer a -3 penalty on all skills that rely in whole or in part on understanding someone’s emotional motivation, including Acting, Carousing, Criminology, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Enthrallment, Fast-Talk, Interrogation, Leadership, Merchant, Politics, Psychology, Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal, Sociology, and Streetwise. 

You can still have these skills – you just aren’t as good at them as someone without this disadvantage.

Low Empathy is common in androids, demons, golems, the undead, and some aliens. It is also appropriate for certain humans! 

This trait is mutually exclusive with the somewhat similar disadvantages: Callous and Oblivious.

Low Self-Image

-10 points

You lack self-confidence and underrate your abilities to such a degree that it interferes with your performance.

You are at -3 to all skill rolls whenever you believe that the odds are against you or others expect you to fail (GM’s judgment). 

For instance, if you’re a mechanic, you have no penalty to repair an engine in your shop, but you are at -3 to make the same repairs on the road, in the rain, with only a portable tool kit, and an enemy hot on your trail – on top of the usual modifiers that would apply in that situation!

Miserliness*

-10 points

You are preoccupied with conserving your wealth. You must always hunt for the best deal possible. Make a self-control roll any time you are called on to spend money. If the expenditure is large, this roll may be at -5 or worse (GM’s decision). If you fail, you refuse to spend the money. If you absolutely must spend the money, you should haggle and complain interminably. 

You may have both Greed and Miserliness!

Motion Sickness

-10 points

You are miserable whenever you are in a moving vehicle, be it an automobile, train, airplane, balloon, ship, or spacecraft. You may never learn any vehicle-operation skill. 

You must roll vs. HT as soon as you are aboard a moving vehicle.
On a failure, you vomit and are at -5 on all DX, IQ, and skill rolls for the rest of the journey.
On a success, you are merely miserably queasy and at -2 on DX, IQ, and skill rolls. 

Roll daily on long journeys.

Night Blindness

-10 points

You have poor night vision. 

If the vision or combat penalty for poor lighting is between -1 and -4 for most people, your penalty is the worse of double the usual penalty (minimum penalty -3). If the usual penalty is -5 or worse, you function as though you were completely blind. 

You cannot see at all. In unfamiliar territory, you must travel slowly and carefully, or have a companion or guide animal lead you. Many actions are impossible for you; the GM should use common sense. 

• You are at -10 to all combat skills. 

• You can use hand weapons, but you cannot target a particular hit location. 

• If using a ranged weapon, you can only attack randomly, or engage targets so close that you can hear them. 

If you have Acute Vision, it only applies in situations with no darkness penalty.

This trait is mutually exclusive with both Night Vision and Dark Vision.

Nightmares*

-5 points

You are tormented each night by horrible nightmares. Sometimes they’re so harrowing that they affect your efficiency during waking hours. 

Make a self-control roll each morning upon awakening.
If you fail, you suffered nightmares; this costs you 1 FP that you can only recover through sleep.
On a roll of 17 or 18, you are left shaking, and are at -1 to all skill and Perception rolls for the entire day.

These nightmares can be so vivid that they’re indistinguishable from reality. 

The GM might choose to play them out in the game, starting out like a normal scenario and steadily becoming more horrible. The victim should only gradually come to suspect that he is dreaming. Such dreams can have a dramatic effect on the dreamer’s waking life, such as temporary Obsessions or Phobias, or even a psychosomatic loss of HP or attribute levels.

If other PCs are involved in the nightmare, they’re completely unaffected by anything that occurs there (but if the nightmare takes a long time to play out, the GM might wish to reward the players with a bonus character point as a token of appreciation for their time – maybe two points if they roleplayed the dream-situation particularly well). It’s the GM’s option whether to let the other players know in advance that the scenario is a dream. Either way can lead to unique and fascinating roleplaying.

No Depth Perception

-15 points

You have two eyes, but you lack effective binocular vision and cannot visually judge distances. This might be due to a vision disorder or a quirk of your racial neurology. 

• You suffer -1 to DX in combat and on any task involving hand-eye coordination

• You have a -3 on ranged attacks (unless you Aim first) and on rolls to operate any vehicle faster than a horse and buggy.

You may not take both No Depth Perception and One Eye disadvantages, they are too similar.

No Sense of Humor

-10 points

You never get any jokes; you think everyone is earnestly serious at all times.
Likewise, you never joke, and you are earnestly serious at all times.

• Others react at -2 to you in any situation where this disadvantage becomes evident.

No Sense of Smell/Taste

-5 points

This affliction – known as anosmia – prevents you from smelling or tasting anything. Thus, you are unable to detect certain hazards that ordinary people spot quickly. However, the disability has its advantages, you need never worry about skunks, and can always eat what is set before you.

Nocturnal

-20 points

You can only be active when the sun is below the horizon. 

This represents more than a preference for night over day! As soon as dawn starts to break, you become lethargic – and when the sun clears the horizon, you fall paralyzed and comatose until the sun goes down again. 

This is not the same as the biological term “nocturnal.” 

Special Enhancements

• Permanent Paralysis: You turn to stone or suffer some other permanent incapacitation if struck by the sun’s rays. Only one specific power or item – most often a powerful magic spell – can reverse this effect. Details are up to the GM. +100%.

Noisy

-2 points / level

You make a lot of noise!
Perhaps you’re a ghost with clanking chains, a cyborg with a rasping ventilator, or a machine with a loud engine, or perhaps you’re absurdly inept at stealth.
You make noise constantly – even when standing still – unless you are comatose or powered down. 

• Each level gives +2 to Sense rolls to hear you or -2 to your Stealth rolls, as the situation warrants. In some circumstances (e.g., at the opera), each level might also give -1 to reactions! 

You may not take more than five levels of Noisy without the GM’s permission.

Numb

-20 points

You have no sense of touch.
You have a limited degree of pressure sense – enough to feel your weight and stand up and walk without falling over – but you cannot distinguish textures by touch at all. 

Feats that depend on touch alone (e.g., touch-typing, or untying your hands behind your back) are impossible for you. When performing a task that requires hand-eye coordination, you suffer all the effects of one level of Ham-Fisted unless you take twice as long to perform the action and can clearly see what you’re doing.

You suffer a -3 penalty to any DX-based roll to do fine work. This includes all DX-based rolls against Artist, Jeweler, Knot-Tying, Leatherworking, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Sewing, Sleight of Hand, and Surgery, as well as DX-based rolls to do fine work with Machinist or Mechanic (e.g., on clock- work) and to the Fast-Draw skill. 

If you also have Ham-Fisted, add its effects.

You experience pain, temperature, and shock as acutely as anyone else, unless you also have High Pain Threshold, but you won’t know where you were injured without looking. Instead, you feel pain as generalized shock throughout your entire body. As a result, you cannot perform First Aid on yourself if you can’t see the injury.

Oblivious

-5 points

You understand others’ emotions but not their motivations.
This makes you awkward in situations involving social manipulation. 

• You have -1 to use or resist Influence skills: Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Intimidation, Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal, and Streetwise.

• 
  

One Arm

-20 points

You have only one arm. 

• You cannot use two-handed weapons, wield two weapons at once, or a weapon and a shield, or perform any task that requires two arms. 

• You get -4 on tasks that are possible with one arm but that are usually executed with two (e.g., most Climbing and Wrestling rolls).

• You have no penalty on tasks that require only one arm. 

In all cases, the GM’s ruling is final. When in doubt, try a quick reality check if possible!

If you originally had two arms, assume that you lost the left arm if you were right-handed, or vice versa. 

If you are a nonhuman who only had one arm to begin with, your “arm” need not be an arm at all – it can be any appendage capable of fine manipulation.
For instance, a parrot that used its beak and tongue would have One Arm (and not No Fine Manipulators). 

If you have a magical prosthetic or an advanced prosthetics that cancel One Arm while worn, apply a Mitigator limitation. 

If you ever eliminate the 'One Arm' disadvantage completely by any means (surgery, magical regeneration, a magical replacement, or an ultra-tech replacement limb) you must pay back the points you received for it.

One Eye

-15 points

You have only one eye. 

Either you are missing an eye (in which case you may wear a glass eye or cover the missing eye with a patch) or you have only a single, cyclopean eye. 

• You suffer -1 to DX in combat and on any task involving hand-eye coordination

• You suffer -3 on ranged attacks (unless you Aim first) and on rolls to operate any vehicle faster than a horse and buggy.

Some cultures regard those who are missing an eye as unattractive. If this is generally true in your game world, losing an eye will also reduce your appearance by one level. 

If you start with this trait, assume that it is already factored into your appearance – do not apply an additional reaction modifier.

One Hand

-15 points

You have only one hand. 

• You cannot use two-handed weapons

• You may unarmed parry with your handless arm, wield two weapons at once by strapping a weapon to the handless arm, or a weapon and a shield by strapping a shield to the handless arm.

• You get -4 on tasks that are possible with one arm but that are usually executed with two (e.g., most Climbing and Wrestling rolls).

• You have no penalty on tasks that require only one arm. 

In all cases, the GM’s ruling is final. When in doubt, try a quick reality check if possible!
If you originally had two hands, assume that you lost the left hand if you were right-handed, or vice versa. 

If you have a good-quality magical prosthetic or an advanced prosthetics that cancel One Hand while worn, apply a Mitigator limitation. Not all prosthetics are good enough to count as Mitigators, though. A low-tech mechanical replacement gives you -2 (for a grabber) or -4 (for a hook or claw) on tasks involving that hand. 

A hook or claw also counts as an un-droppable large knife in combat (use Knife skill), and gives +1 to Intimidation skill if waved at your foes. 

In some societies, those who are missing a hand are considered unattractive. If this is generally true in your game world, losing a hand will also reduce your appearance by one level. 

If you start with this trait, assume that it is already factored into your appearance – do not apply an additional reaction modifier.

If you ever eliminate One Hand completely through surgery, magical regeneration, a magical replacement, or an ultra-tech replacement limb, you must pay back the points you received for it.

Overconfidence*

-5 points

You believe that you are far more powerful, intelligent, or competent than you really are.
You may be proud and boastful or just quietly determined, but you must roleplay this trait. 

You must make a self-control roll any time the GM feels you show an unreasonable degree of caution. If you fail, you must go ahead as though you were able to handle the situation! 

Caution is not an option. 

You receive +2 on all reaction rolls from young or naive individuals (who believe you are as good as you say you are), but -2 on reactions from experienced NPCs.

Overconfidence is like Megalomania on a smaller scale.

Robin Hood was overconfident – he challenged strangers to quarterstaff duels.
Hitler was a megalomaniac – he invaded Russia!
Heroes are rarely megalomaniacal but often overconfident.

Pacifism

Variable

You are opposed to violence. This can take several forms.
Choose one of the following:

Reluctant Killer (-5 points):
You are psychologically unprepared to kill people.
Whenever you make a deadly attack (e.g., with a knife or a bow) against an obvious person whose face is visible to you, you are at -4 to hit and may not Aim. If you cannot see the foe’s face (due to a mask, darkness, or distance, or because you attacked from behind), the penalty is only -2, save in close combat. You have no penalty to attack a vehicle (even an occupied one), an opponent you do not believe is a person (including things with Horrific or Monstrous appearance), or a target you can’t actually see (e.g., a set of map coordinates or a blip on a radar screen).
If you kill a recognizable person (or feel responsible for the death of a recognizable person), you immediately suffer a nervous breakdown. Roll 3d and be totally morose and useless for that many days. 

• Nervous Breakdown - During this time, you must make a Will roll to offer any sort of violence toward anyone, for any reason. 

You have no problem with your allies killing; you may even supply ammo, loaded weapons, and encouragement! You just can’t do the killing yourself.

Cannot Harm Innocents (-10 points):
You may fight – you may even start fights – but you may only use deadly force on a foe that is attempting to do you serious harm. Capture is not “serious harm” unless you are already under penalty of death or have a Code of Honor that would require suicide if captured.
You never intentionally do anything that causes, or even threatens to cause injury to the uninvolved – particularly if they are “ordinary folks.”
This trait is especially appropriate for crime-fighters, supers, heroes, etc. 

Cannot Kill (-15 points):
You may fight – you may even start fights – but you may never do anything that seems likely to kill another. This includes abandoning a wounded foe to die “on his own”! You must do your best to keep your companions from killing, too.
If you do kill someone (or feel responsible for a death), you immediately suffer a nervous breakdown. Roll 3d and be totally morose and useless for that many days.
During this time, you must make a Will roll to offer any sort of violence toward anyone, for any reason.

Self-Defense Only (-15 points):
You only fight to defend yourself or those in your care, using only as much force as necessary (no pre-emptive strikes allowed!). You must do your best to discourage others from starting fights. 

Total Nonviolence (-30 points):
You will not lift a hand against another intelligent creature, for any reason. You must do your nonviolent best to discourage violent behavior in others, too. You are free to defend yourself against attacks by animals, mosquitoes, etc.

*In a high-realism campaign, the GM might require all PCs to start out with Reluctant Killer or even Cannot Kill, giving them extra points but putting them at a disadvantage when facing hardened foes.

Phantom Voices

-5 to -15 points

You are plagued by whispered phrases that only you can hear.
These voices might be unintelligible, or they might repeat the same words over and over. Eventually, your sanity (such as it is) will start to erode.

In any situation that the GM feels is stressful, he may roll 3d6. On a 6 or less, you hear voices. The GM will always roll whenever you miss a Fright Check or make the roll exactly, and whenever you fail a self-control roll for another stress-related disadvantage. The voices occur in addition to any other results! 

Point value depends on the nature of the voices:

• Annoying (-5 points): You hear voices, but you are reasonably sure that they are not real, and they do not harm you directly. Still, most people who see you responding to unheard noises will react at -2. 

• Disturbing (-10 points): As above, but in addition, the voices can drown out normal sounds, and may even startle and frighten you (possibly requiring a Fright Check). 

• Diabolical (-15 points): The voices tell you to kill yourself or others, or perform other terrible deeds. If you are already under stress, or under the influence of drugs, you might need to make a Will roll to avoid carrying out the “orders” (GM’s discretion). 

Phantom Voices are usually due to mental problems, but they may also be symptomatic of some form of supernatural possession. If so, psychotherapy cannot reveal the cause, much less cure the problem. If you manage to exorcise the evil spirits, you are cured and must buy off this disadvantage.

Phobias*

Variable

You are afraid of a specific item, creature, or circumstance. 

Many fears are reasonable, but a Phobia is an unreasonable, unreasoning, morbid fear. 

The point value depends on how common the object of your fear is – fear of darkness is far more troublesome than fear of left-handed plumbers.

Make a self-control roll whenever you are exposed to the object of your Phobia. 

• If you fail, roll 3d, add the amount by which you failed your self control roll, and look up the result on the Fright Check Table. 

For instance, if your self-control number is 9 but you rolled a 13, roll 3d+4 on the table. 

The result from the table affects you immediately!

If you succeed, you have successfully mastered your Phobia (for now), but you are still shaken, and have a penalty (the penalty depends on your self-control number below) to all DX, IQ, and skill rolls while the cause of your fear persists.

You must roll again every 10 minutes to see if the fear overcomes you.

Even the mere threat of the feared object requires a self-control roll, although this is at +4. 

If your enemies actually inflict the feared object on you, you must make an unmodified self-control roll, as described above. 

If you fail, you might break down, depending on the Fright Check results, but you won’t necessarily talk.

Some people can panic and fall apart, but still refuse to talk – just as some people do not talk under torture.

A phobic situation is by definition stressful. If you have other mental disadvantages that are triggered by  stress, you are likely to have these reactions if you fail to resist a Phobia. 

Some common phobias: 

• Being Alone (Autophobia): You can-not stand to be alone, and do anything in your power to avoid it. -15 points.*

• Blood (Hemophobia): The sight of blood gives you the screaming willies! You need to make a self-control roll during most combats. -10 points.*

• Cats (Ailurophobia): -5 points.*

• Crowds (Demophobia): Any group of over a dozen people sets off this fear unless they are all well known to you. The self-control roll is at -1 for over 25 people, -2 for a crowd of 100 or more, -3 for 1,000, -4 for 10,000, and so on. -15 points.*

• Darkness (Scotophobia): A common fear, but crippling. You should avoid being underground if possible; if something happens to your flashlight or torch, you might well lose your mind before you can relight it. -15 points.*

• Death and the Dead (Necrophobia): You are terrified by the idea of death. Make a self-control roll in the presence of any dead body (animals don’t count, but portions of human bodies do). Roll at -4 if the body is that of someone you know, or -6 if the body is unnaturally animated in some way. A ghost (or apparent ghost) also requires a roll at -6. -10 points.*

• Dirt (Mysophobia): You are deathly afraid of infection, or just of dirt and filth. Make a self-control roll when you must do something that might get you dirty. Roll at -5 to eat any unaccustomed food. You should act as “finicky” as possible. -10 points.*

• Dogs (Cynophobia): This includes all canines: foxes, wolves, coyotes, wild dogs, etc. -5 points.*

• Enclosed Spaces (Claustrophobia): A common, crippling fear. You are uncomfortable any time you can’t see the sky – or at least a very high ceiling. In a small room or vehicle, you feel the walls closing in on you… You need air! This is a dangerous fear for someone who plans to go underground. -15 points.*

• Fire (Pyrophobia): Even a burning cigarette bothers you if it comes within five yards. -5 points.*

• Heights (Acrophobia): You may not voluntarily go more than 15 feet above ground, unless you are inside a building and away from windows. If there is some chance of an actual fall, selfcontrol rolls are at -5. -10 points.*

• Insects (Entomophobia): You are afraid of all “bugs.” Large or poisonous ones give -3 to self-control rolls. Very large ones, or large numbers, give -6. Avoid hills of giant ants. -10 points.*

• Loud Noises (Brontophobia): You avoid any situation where loud noises are likely. A sudden loud noise requires an immediate self-control roll. A thunderstorm is a traumatic experience for you! -10 points.*

• Machinery (Technophobia): You can never learn to repair any sort of machine and refuse to learn to use anything more complicated than a crossbow or bicycle. Any highly technological environment calls for a self-control roll; dealings with robots or computers require a roll at -3, and hostility from intelligent machines requires a roll at -6. -5 points at TL4 or below, -15 points at TL5 or above.* 

• Magic (Arcanophobia): You can never learn to use magic, and you react badly to any user of magic. Make a self-control roll whenever you are in the presence of magic. This roll is at -3 if you are to be the target of friendly magic, and -6 if you are the target of hostile magic. (The magic does not have to be real, if you believe in it!) -15 points in a setting where magic is common, -10 if it is known but uncommon, -5 if “real” magic is essentially unknown.*

• Monsters (Teratophobia): Any “unnatural” creature sets off this fear. You have -1 to -4 on the self-control roll if the monster seems very large or dangerous, or if there are a lot of them. Note that the definition of “monster” depends on experience. An American Indian would consider an elephant monstrous, while an African pygmy would not! -15 points.*

• Number 13 (Triskaidekaphobia): You must make a self-control roll whenever you have to deal with the number 13 – visit the 13th floor, buy something for $13.00, etc. Roll at -5 if Friday the 13th is involved! -5 points.*

• Oceans (Thalassophobia): You are afraid of any large body of water. Ocean travel, or even air travel over the ocean, is basically impossible for you, and encounters with aquatic monsters are also upsetting. -10 points.*

• Open Spaces (Agoraphobia): You are uncomfortable whenever you are outside, and actually become frightened when there are no walls within 50 feet. -10 points.*

• Psionic Powers (Psionophobia): You are afraid of those with known psionic powers. An actual exhibition of power in your presence requires a self-control roll. You do not voluntarily allow anyone to use a psionic power on you. The power does not have to be real – all that matters is that you believe it is! -15 points if psi powers are common, -10 if they are uncommon, -5 if they are essentially unknown.*

• Reptiles (Herpetophobia): You come unglued at the thought of reptiles, amphibians, and similar scaly slimies. A very large reptile, or a poisonous one, gives -2 to self-control rolls; a horde of reptiles (such as a snake pit) gives -4. -10 points.*

• Sex (Coitophobia): You are terrified by the idea of sexual relations or the loss of your virginity. -10 points*

• Sharp Things (Aichmophobia): You are afraid of anything pointed. Swords, spears, knives, and hypodermic needles all give you fits. Trying to use a sharp weapon, or being threatened with one, requires a self-control roll at -2. -15 points at TL5 or below, -10 at TL6 or above.*

• Spiders (Arachnophobia): -5 points.*

• Strange and Unknown Things (Xenophobia): You are upset by any sort of strange circumstances, and in particular by strange people. Make a self-control roll when surrounded by people of another race or nationality; roll at -3 if the people are not human. If you lose control, you might well attack strangers out of fear. -15 points.*

• Sun (Heliophobia): -15 points.* 

• Weapons (Hoplophobia): The presence of any sort of weaponry is stressful. Trying to use a weapon, or being threatened with one, requires a self-control roll at -2. -20 points.*

Post-Combat Shakes*

-5 points

You are shaken and sickened by combat, but only after it’s over.
Make a self-control roll at the end of any battle.
It is up to the GM to determine when a battle has truly ended, and they may apply a penalty if the combat was particularly dangerous or gruesome. 

• If you fail, roll 3d6, add the amount by which you failed your self-control roll, and look up the result on the Fright Check Table. 

The result from the table affects you immediately!
For instance, if your self-control number is 12 but you rolled a 14, roll 3d+2 on the table. 

Pyromania*

-5 points

You like fires!
You like to set fires, too. For good roleplaying, you must never miss a chance to set a fire, or to appreciate one you encounter.

Make a self-control roll whenever you have an opportunity to set a fire.

Restricted Diet

-10 to -40 points

You require a specialized food or fuel that is hard to come by.
If you go without you can’t eat or refuel, which will eventually incapacitate you. 

Point value depends on the rarity of the item you consume:

• Rare: Dragon’s blood, exotic nutrient mixture, weapons-grade uranium. -40 points.

• Occasional: Virgin’s blood, rocket fuel, babies, radioactives. -30 points.

• Common: Human flesh, gasoline, liquid hydrogen. -20 points.

• Very Common: Fresh meat, Vegetarianism, any hydrocarbon fuel (gasoline, diesel, etc.), electric batteries, fresh blood.-10 points.

Restricted Diet is appropriate for normal humans with chronic gastrointestinal disorders.
It would make a lot of sense to pair this with Reduced Consumption for more uncommon dietary needs.

Special Limitations

• Substitution: You can try to consume a food or fuel similar to the one you require. For instance, a cyborg that requires exotic nutrients could try ordinary human food, or a machine that requires gasoline could try diesel.
  This sustains you, but you must make a HT roll after each meal or refueling.
  Failure means your HT attribute drops by 1 until you receive appropriate medical or mechanical attention.
  Critical failure means an incapacitating reaction (GM’s decision): severe immune response, engine failure, etc. Those who lack this limitation but for some reason attempt substitution derive no sustenance at all and must still make the HT roll above; treat success as failure and failure as critical failure. -50%.

A human needs three meals per day. For each meal you miss, take 1 FP. You can only recover “starvation” fatigue with a day of rest: no fighting or travel, and three full meals. Each day of rest makes up for up to three skipped meals. 

Restricted  Vision

-15 or -30 points

You have an unusually narrow field of vision. A normal character can see a 120° arc in front of him without turning their head, and has 30° of peripheral vision to either side, giving them a 180° “arc of vision” for observation and ranged attacks. On a battle map, this means they have three “front” hexes, two “side” hexes (“left” and “right”), and a single “back” hex. 

Your vision is considerably more restricted. This comes in two levels:

• No Peripheral Vision (-15 points): Your arc of vision is a 120° wedge to the front. On a map, your “left” and “right” hexes become “back” hexes – that is, you have three “back” hexes, and get no defense against attacks originating from these hexes! 

• Tunnel Vision (-30 points): Your arc of vision is a 60° wedge to the front. On a map, your only “front” hex is the one directly ahead of you. The hexes to either side of this are “side” hexes: you are at -2 to defend against attacks from these hexes, and can only attack into those hexes with a Wild Swing. Everything else is a “back” hex, as above. 

Revulsion

-5 to -15 points

You have an incapacitating supernatural reaction to an ordinarily innocuous substance.
If you touch or breathe the substance, you must immediately make a HT roll:

• On a failure, you are at -5 to all skills and attributes for the next 10 minutes. 

If you ingest the substance, you must immediately make a HT roll:

• You are at -5 to attributes and -10 to all skills and Sense rolls for 10 minutes. 

Point value depends on the rarity of the substance:

• Occasional (-5 points): leather, fur, soap 

• Common (-10 points): smoke, wood, alcohol

• Very Common (-15 points): grass, metal, mud

This reaction is physical in nature. For mental aversions, see Dread.

Selfish*

-5 points

You are self-important and status conscious, and spend much of your time striving for social dominance. 

Make a self-control roll whenever you experience a clear social slight or “snub.” 

On a failure, you lash out at the offending party just as if you had Bad Temper likely resulting in a bad reaction (-3 to the target’s reactions toward you) and putting you in an awkward social situation. 

Bad Temper
If you fail, you lose your temper and must insult, attack, or otherwise act against the cause of the stress.

Selfless*

-5 points

You are altruistic and self-sacrificing, and put little importance on personal fame and wealth.
You must make a self-control roll to put your needs – even survival – before those of someone else.
A Selfless race will have a “hive mentality.”

Semi-Upright

-5 points

You have a semi-upright posture, like a chimpanzee. 

• You can stand up more-or-less comfortably, allowing you to use your forelimbs to bash enemies, hold babies, or even manipulate objects. 

• You can manage a clumsy gait while upright (-40% to Move).

• You must use all of your limbs to run at full Move.   

• If you have DX 12 or more, you can carry a small object or two while walking.

Sense of Duty

-2 to -20 points

You feel a strong sense of commitment toward a particular class of people. 

You will never betray them, abandon them when they’re in trouble, or let them suffer or go hungry if you can help. 

A Sense of Duty always comes from within.

If you are known to have a Sense of Duty, the GM will adjust the reactions of others by +2 when rolling to see whether they trust you in a dangerous situation. However, if you go against your Sense of Duty by acting against the interests of those you are supposed to be looking out for, the GM will penalize you for bad roleplaying. 

The GM will assign a point value to your Sense of Duty based on the size of the group you feel compelled to aid:

• Individual (the President, your wingman, etc.): -2 points.

• Small Group (e.g., your close friends, adventuring companions, or squad): -5 points.

• Large Group (e.g., a nation or religion, or everyone you know personally): -10 points.

• Entire Race (all humanity, all elves, etc.): -15 points.

• Every Living Being: -20 points. 

You cannot claim points for a Sense of Duty toward Allies, Dependents, or Patrons. The point costs of these traits already take such a bond into account. 

You can take a Sense of Duty toward adventuring companions. If you do, you must share equipment with and render aid to the other members of your adventuring party, and go along with majority decisions. The GM might make this mandatory in games where the party needs to get along. This gives everyone a “free” 5 points to spend, but if you start backstabbing, running off on your own, etc., the GM is free to overrule your actions and point to these bonus points as the reason why.

Short Attention Span*

-10 points

You find it difficult to concentrate on a single task for longer than a few minutes. Make a self-control roll whenever you must maintain interest in something for an extended period of time, or whenever a distraction is offered. 

If you fail, you automatically fail at the task at hand. 

The GM might give you a small bonus to the self-control roll in situations where concentration is crucial, such as when your survival is at stake.

Short Lifespan

-10 points / level 

Your lifespan is much shorter than the human norm. Each level of this disadvantage halves your lifespan (round down). This affects the age at which you reach maturity, the ages at which aging rolls begin and increase in frequency, and the interval between aging rolls. No more than four levels are possible.
More information on Aging can be found here.

Shyness

-5, -10, or -20 points

You are uncomfortable around strangers. Roleplay it!
Here’s a list of social skills that require you to deal with people, including Acting, Carousing, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Intimidation, Leadership, Merchant, Panhandling, Performance, Politics, Public Speaking, Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal, Streetwise, and Teaching

This disadvantage comes in three levels; you can buy it off one level at a time. 

• Mild (-5 points): You are uneasy with strangers, especially assertive or attractive ones.
  You have -1 on the skills listed above. 

• Severe (-10 points): You are very uncomfortable around strangers, and tend to be quiet even among friends.
  You have -2 the skills listed above. 

• Crippling (-20 points): You avoid strangers whenever possible.
  You may not learn the skills listed above at all.
  You are at -4 on default rolls to all such skills. 

Sleepwalker*

-5 points

You walk in your sleep (“somnambulate”).
This is merely annoying or embarrassing under most circumstances (unless you fall down the stairs), but it can be very dangerous to sleepwalk while encamped in hostile territory!

If sleepwalking would matter during an adventure, the GM will make a self-control roll for you whenever you go to sleep. 

• If you fail, you sleepwalk sometime during the night. 

• You wake up after walking for 1d6 minutes, or if someone awakens you. 

• The GM will make DX rolls to see if you trip while going down stairs or walking over rough ground – if this happens, you wake up suddenly and are mentally stunned.

You are considered to be in a hypnagogic state while sleepwalking, and thus are very susceptible to telepathic influences.

If you possess supernatural abilities, you might use these while sleepwalking.

Slow Eater

-10 points

You spend a lot of your time eating.
Each meal takes about two hours, as opposed to about 1/2 hour for most humans. This reduces the time available for study, long tasks, and travel on foot by 4 1/2 hours per day.

Slow Healing

-5 points / level

Your body heals very slowly. Each level (maximum three levels) doubles the interval between HT rolls to regain lost HP: 

• Roll every two days for Slow Healing 1  

• Roll every four days for Slow Healing 2 

• Roll every eight days for Slow Healing 3 

• Each level also doubles the time allowed between Physician rolls when under the care of a competent physician. 

Normal humans may take no more than one level of Slow Healing.

Take Unhealing if you heal even more slowly. 

Slow Riser

-5 points

You are not a “morning person.”
For one hour after you awaken from any sleep longer than a one-hour nap, you have -2 on all self-control rolls and -1 to IQ and IQ-based skills.
Furthermore, whenever the GM assesses attribute penalties for missed sleep, you suffer an extra -1.

Squeamish*

-10 points

You dislike “yucky stuff”: little bugs and crawly things, blood and dead bodies, slime, etc. It's not that you suffer from the standard fears of insects, reptiles, dirt, and the dead.  What actually bothers you isn’t huge bugs or reptiles, ordinary “clean”  dirt, and ghosts; it’s nasty creepy things, filth, and bits of grue.

Make a self-control roll whenever you are exposed to the “yucky stuff”. 

• If you fail, roll 3d, add the amount by which you failed your self control roll, and look up the result on the Fright Check Table.
  For instance, if your self-control number is 9 but you rolled a 13, roll 3d+4 on the table.
  The result from the table affects you immediately!

• If you succeed, you have successfully mastered your aversion (for now), but you are still shaken, and have a penalty (the penalty depends on your self-control number below) to all DX, IQ, and skill rolls while the cause of your fear persists.

You must roll again every 10 minutes to see if the fear overcomes you.

Even the mere threat of the feared object requires a self-control roll, although this is at +4.
If your enemies actually inflict the feared object on you, you must make an unmodified self-control roll, as described above. 

If you fail, you might break down, depending on the Fright Check results, but you won’t necessarily talk. Some people can panic and fall apart, but still refuse to talk – just as some people do not talk under torture.

A phobic situation is by definition stressful. If you have other mental disadvantages that are triggered by stress, you are likely to have these reactions if you fail to resist your aversion. 

Stress Atavism*

-10, -15, or -20 points

This disadvantage is normally available only to characters who are members of races “uplifted” from an animal state.
You temporarily “regress” when frightened, angered, fatigued, or injured.
Make a self-control roll in those situations.
On a success, you behave normally.
On a failure, you behave like an animal, acting on impulse and instinct. 

If you succumb to your Atavism, once the stressful situation has passed, make a self-control roll every minute.
On a success, the attack ends and you return to normal or if you pass out from fatigue or injury before you succeed, you recover automatically when you wake up.

Aftercare Modifiers:

• If friends comfort you, roll at +2. 

• If one of these people has Animal Empathy or Empathy, apply an additional +2. 

Point value depends on the severity of the attacks:

• Mild (-10 points): You have trouble speaking, and must roll vs. IQ to utter a sentence. You cannot operate complicated machinery, although you may attack wildly with weapons (-4 to hit). 

• Moderate (-15 points): You suffer from all of the above problems, and have trouble understanding commands from others as well: roll vs. IQ to understand a sentence spoken by someone else. If you are attacked or challenged, you must make a self-control roll to avoid acting “on instinct.” 

• Severe (-20 points): You cannot speak or understand others, or use tools (except possibly as clubs), and automatically act on instinct at all times. You behave like your primitive ancestors! 

Special Modifier:

Stress Atavism may result in additional troublesome behavior.
Pick a suitable mental disadvantage, halve its value (drop all fractions), and add this point cost to the above costs before applying the self-control multiplier.
For Example: If Jerry hears diabolical phantom voices whenever he fail to control his mild Stress Atavism he would have a Disadvantage worth -17 points. 
Mild Stress Atavism (-10 points), Plus Diabolical Phantom Voices (-15/2 = -7), with a Self Control roll of 12 (*1) = (-10 + -7) * 1 = -17 points

Stubbornness

-5 points

You always want your own way.
Make yourself generally hard to get along with – roleplay it! Your friends may have to make a lot of Fast-Talk rolls to get you to go along with perfectly reasonable plans.
Others react to you at -1.

Stuttering

-10 points

You suffer from a stammer or other speech impediment.
This gives -2 on any reaction roll where conversation is required, and -2 to Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Performance, Public Speaking, Sex Appeal, and Singing.
Certain occupations (interpreter, newsreader, etc.) are always closed to you.

Super Sensitive

-15 points

You are telepathically sensitive to the presence of others all the time.
You experience a constant, irritating buzz of low-level psychic noise. This does not imply any kind of useful telepathic ability – the thoughts and emotions you receive remain just below the threshold of conscious understanding.

If there are any sapient beings (IQ 6+) with 20 yards, you suffer a penalty to to DX and IQ based on the number of people close to you: 

-1 for 1 person
-2 for 10 or more people,
-3 for 100 or more,
-4 for 1,000 or more,
-5 for 10,000 or more
… and so on. 

If DX or IQ drops below half its original score because of this penalty, you collapse and can take no action until the “noise” goes away. 

Machine intelligences and individuals behind telepathic shielding (psionic, technological, or otherwise) do not bother you. 

There is one beneficial side effect to Super Sensitive: the psychic noise you receive warns you if there are people within 20 yards, and the noise level tells you roughly how many. The noise is too diffuse to let you read their thoughts or determine their locations, however.

Susceptible

Variable

You are extremely sensitive to a particular class of noxious items or substances; e.g., disease or poison.

• You have a penalty to all HT rolls to resist the negative effects of these things. 

You do not suffer extra damage, however; for that, see Vulnerability.

If you are exposed to trace quantities of an item to which you are Susceptible – a dose so tiny that it would not affect most people – you

must roll against HT+1, modified by your usual penalty for this disadvantage. If you fail, you suffer half the effects (fatigue, injury, attribute loss, period of incapacitation, etc.) you would suffer from a full dose. 

For instance, Susceptible to Poison would require a roll if you ingested highly diluted industrial waste in drinking water, while Susceptible to Disease would require a roll if you received a “live” vaccine (one that contains weakened microbes). 

Should there be any doubt as to exposure or effects, the GM’s decision is final.

Point cost depends on the item’s rarity in the environment:

• Very Common (-4 points/-1 to HT rolls): Disease, Poison

• Common (-2 points/-1 to HT rolls): Bacteria, Gases.

• Occasional (-1 point/-1 to HT rolls): Intestinal Disease, Ingested Poison.

You may not take more than five levels of Susceptible to a given item, or more than two separate Susceptible disadvantages, without the GM’s permission. You cannot take more levels of Susceptible than would reduce your effective HT to 3. 

For instance, if your HT is 7, you are limited to four levels of Susceptible. 

If you have any form of Resistant that protects against a given item, you cannot also be Susceptible to that item.

This trait can simulate many common health problems. Use Susceptible to Disease for a weak immune system, Susceptible to Ingested Poison for a tendency not to vomit up noxious substances (a “weak vomit reflex”), etc.

Trickster*

-15 points

You crave the excitement of outwitting dangerous foes.
This is not ordinary practical joking. Playing simple tricks on innocent or harmless folk is no fun at all – it has to be perilous!
There may be no need for this at all (in fact, there probably isn’t), but you need the thrill of a battle of wits and dexterity.
Make a self-control roll each day. If you fail, you must try to trick a dangerous subject: a skilled warrior, a dangerous monster, a whole group of reasonably competent opponents, etc.

If you resist, you get a cumulative -1 per day to your self-control roll until you finally fail a roll!

Truthfulness*

-5 points

You hate to tell a lie – or you are just very bad at it. Make a self-control roll whenever you must keep silent about an uncomfortable truth (lying by omission). Roll at -5 if you actually have to tell a falsehood! 

• If you fail, you blurt out the truth, or stumble so much that your lie is obvious. 

• You have a permanent -5 to Fast Talk skill, and your Acting skill is at -5 when your purpose is to deceive.

Unfit

-5 or -15 points

You have worse cardiovascular health than your HT alone would indicate. This comes in two levels:

• Unfit (-5 points): You get -1 to all HT rolls to remain conscious, avoid death, resist disease or poison, etc. This does not reduce your HT attribute or HT-based skills! As well, you lose FP at twice the normal rate. -5 points

• Very Unfit (-15 points): As above, but the penalty to HT rolls is -2. In addition, you recover FP at only half the normal rate.You may not purchase any level of Resistant.

In both cases, this disadvantage applies only to FP lost to exertion, heat, etc. It has no effect on FP “spent” to power psi or magic spells.

Unluckiness

-10 points

You have rotten luck. 

Things go wrong for you – and usually at the worst possible time. Once per play session, the GM will arbitrarily and maliciously make something go wrong for you. You miss a vital die roll, or the enemy (against all odds) shows up at the worst possible time. If the plot of the adventure calls for something bad to happen to someone, it’s you. The GM may not kill you outright with “bad luck,” but anything less than that is fine.

If you wish, you may specify a recurring “theme” for your Unluckiness – for instance, your weapons tend to break, you’re always 5 minutes late, or objects have a nasty habit of falling on your head. The GM should do his best to make your Unluckiness work this way. However, this is a characterization tool and not a hard-and-fast game mechanic. Bad luck can always manifest in other ways if the GM wants to keep you on your toes!

Vulnerability

Variable

You take extra damage from a particular attack form. 

Whenever this type of attack hits you, the GM applies a special wounding multiplier to damage that penetrates your DR. Regular wounding multipliers (for cutting, impaling, etc.) further multiply the damage.

Example: A werewolf with Vulnerability (Silver x4) is nicked with a silver knife for 1 point of cutting damage. The GM multiplies this by 4 for Vulnerability, giving 4 points of damage, and then multiplied by 1.5 for a cutting attack. The final injury is 6 HP. 

Point value depends on the wounding multiplier and the rarity of the attack:

• Very Common: An extremely broad category of damage that you are likely to encounter in almost any setting.
  Examples: ranged attacks, melee attacks, physical attacks (from any material substance), energy attacks (e.g., beam weapons, electricity, fire, heat and cold, and sound), or all damage with a specified advantage origin (chi, magic, psionics, etc.). 

• Common: A broad category of damage.
  Examples: a standard damage type (one of burning, corrosion, crushing, cutting, impaling, piercing, or toxic), a commonly encountered class of substances (e.g., metal, stone, water, wood, or flesh), a threat encountered in nature and produced by exotic powers or technology (e.g., acid, cold, electricity, or heat/fire), or a refinement of a “Very Common” category (e.g., magical energy). 

• Occasional: A fairly specific category of damage.
  Examples: a common substance (e.g., steel or lead), any one specific class of damage that is usually produced only by exotic abilities or technology (e.g., particle beams, lasers, disintegrators, or shaped charges), or a refinement of a “Common” category (e.g., magical electricity, piercing metal). 

• Rare: An extremely narrow category of damage.
  Examples: charged particle beams, dragon’s fire, piercing lead, ultraviolet lasers, or an uncommon substance (e.g., silver or blessed weapons). 

The GM has the final say on the rarity of a given attack form. You may not take more than two types of Vulnerability without GM permission. You cannot have Vulnerability to anything against which you have a specific defense: Resistant, Damage Resistance limited to work only against that attack form, etc. You can have both Vulnerability and Supernatural Durability, but this reduces the utility of Supernatural Durability. 

Special Limitations 

Fatigue Only: You are vulnerable to an attack that drains FP instead of HP, or to some form of mundane fatigue loss (e.g., *2 FP from hot weather). -50%.

Weakness

Variable

You suffer injury merely by being in the presence of a particular substance or condition (which cannot be a food item or something equally easy to avoid). This injury comes off your HP directly, regardless of your DR or defensive advantages. 

The more quickly you take damage, the higher the base point cost of your Weakness: 

• Fast Frequency (-20 points): 1d6 per minute 

• Moderate Frequency (-10 points): 1d6 per 5 minutes

• Slow Frequency (-5 points): 1d6 per 30 minutes

Then select the rarity and multiply the base value to reflect the rarity of the damaging substance or condition:

• Rare (x1/2): exotic radiation or minerals

• Occasional (x1): microwave radiation, intense normal cold, air-borne pollen

• Common (x2):smoke, nearby magic, horses, loud noises

• Very Common (x3): sunlight, living plants 

Example: An anaerobic organism takes 1d per minute from oxygen. The base value of a Weakness that inflicts 1d per minute is -20 points. Since oxygen is “Very Common,” the final cost is -60 points.

You may take more than one type of Weakness

Special Limitations

• Fatigue Only: Your Weakness drains FP instead of HP. -50%.

• Variable: Your Weakness is sensitive to received intensity. You may specify one relatively common class of barriers that halves the rate at which you take damage (e.g., heavy clothing or sunscreen, for sunlight). On the other hand, intense sources (GM’s decision) double the rate at which you suffer harm! -40%.

Xenophilia*

-10 points

You are instinctively fascinated and attracted by strangers and aliens, no matter how dangerous or frightening they appear to be. 

Make a self-control roll whenever you meet someone (or something) like this. If you fail, you assume that this person is interested in interacting with you socially. A xenophile finds himself offering drinks to glaring foreign soldiers, making passes at cute vampires, and shaking tentacles with Things Man Was Not Meant To Know while his companions are pointing weapons or running the other way . . . 

As partial compensation, you get a bonus to Fright Checks when meeting strange creatures:

NPCs with this trait will react to exotic PCs at a similar bonus.

Mitigator Limitation

Variable

You may only apply this limitation to a disadvantage. 

A particular item or substance – the mitigator – temporarily negates your disadvantage. The more effective the mitigator, the fewer points you get for the disadvantage.

Use the following guidelines:

• Mitigator is vulnerable, and easily stolen, broken, or misplaced (e.g., a pair of glasses). -60%.

• Mitigator is a drug or other treatment that you must take daily. -60%.

• Mitigator is a weekly treatment. -65%.

• Mitigator is a monthly treatment. -70%.

This assumes your treatments are available at pharmacies.
If you require a special (and possibly expensive) prescription, add +5% to the values above. e.g., -70% becomes -65%.
If you can only get your treatments from one specific source, such as an experimental drug program, add +10%.  e.g., -70% becomes -60%.

Example 1: Bad Sight is worth -25 points. Glasses cure Bad Sight while worn, but are breakable, for a -60%  Mitigator limitation. This reduces Bad Sight to -10 points.

Example 2: Jan has AIDS, and would die in a month without treatment. This level of Terminally Ill is normally worth -100 points. Fortunately, Jan is on an experimental drug plan that is holding him in remission. The treatments are weekly (-65%) but impossible to find outside his program (+10%), for a -55% Mitigator limitation.  This reduces Terminally Ill to -45 points. As long as Jan stays with the program, his countdown to death is halted.

Quirks

A “quirk” is a minor feature that sets you aside from others. It has a negative point value, but it is not necessarily a disadvantage. 

For instance, a major trait like Greed is a disadvantage. But if you insist on being paid in gold, that’s a quirk. 

You may take up to five quirks at -1 point apiece . . . and if you do, you will have five more points to spend. You can also “buy off” a quirk later on by paying 1 point, but as a rule, you shouldn’t do that. Quirks might have a small cost, but they are a big part of what makes a character seem “real”!

Quirks can be either mental or physical. This distinction implies for quirks exactly what it implies for advantages and disadvantages.