Defining Your Race

Crossover does not have pre-defined skill or characteristic packages for the various races in the game world. Instead, players are encouraged to choose a racial type for their character, and model it using racial abilities and traits.

All characters have their race name as a trait. In addition, they will have one or more of the broader traits from the list below.

Animal

Characters with this trait may be talking animals, shapeshifters, or other Folk with animal features. Player characters never have the Beast trait, which is reserved for unintelligent, non-speaking beasts.

Aquatic

Characters with this trait may be mer-Folk, merrows, or other underwater dwellers.

Augmented

Augmented characters are members of other races that have been augmented with Kudarr bio- and nano-technology.

Caramahz

As a race of visitors to Ariath, Caramahz are distinct enough from the natives to have their own racial Trait, even though they have lived there for generations.

Construct

Construct characters may be animate objects, golems, or robots.

Elemental

Folk with this trait may be elemental beings, or may be creatures with an elemental affinity like phoenixes or ifrit.

Fae

Fae are beings like elves, satyrs, or other such Folk.

Formless

Characters with the Formless trait have mutable bodies, like that of a water elemental, spectral undead, or nanotech construct.

Human

Most characters from Earth will be humans, discounting those that transform in some way as they cross over. Some humans are born on Ariath as well. Note that humans, like all other characters, can purchase racial abilities from the list below, and use them to model natural talent or cultural affinities.

Kudarr

As with Humans and Caramahz, Kudarr are distinct enough from the natives of Ariath to have their own racial Trait.

Plant

Characters with the plant trait may be dryads, treants, or being with plant affinities.

Subterranean

Subterranean characters are creatures have an affinity for the deep places and caves of Ariath, such as dwarves, goblins, and some talking animals such as badgers and moles.

Sylvan

Characters with the Sylvan trait have an affinity for the woodlands and wild places of the world. Dryads, wood elves, and talking animals like deer or wolves are examples.

Undead

Undead characters are members of other races that have been touched by undeath or corrupted by dark spirits. Player characters are not full undead, as death and total corruption would make a character Wicked, but they may be under a curse or have some undead features or abilities.

Using Racial Traits

Many characters will have more than one trait from the list above. For instance, wood elves might be both Fae and Sylvan, a phoenix might be Animal and Elemental, and a goblin might be Fae and Subterranean.

The list above should cover most characters you might wish to play, even if the categories match only approximately. However, if you want to play something that doesn’t fit any of the categories above, contact plot with your idea and we’ll see how we can work it into the game. Characters with the Beast, Demon, or Phantasm traits are unlikely to work; in Ariath, such creatures have characteristics that make them unsuitable as player characters.

Racial Abilities

All characters may spend up to ten of their CP on the abilities below. To spend more than ten CP on racial abilities, or to gain access to other, more powerful abilities, you will need to take one of the three racial Themes: Augmented, Mythic Race, or Undead.

Many racial abilities need some training or knack to use properly, even if they are innate. As a result, you may learn Racial abilities or Themes during play; you are not restricted to taking them only at character creation.

Racial Signature 2 CP

You gain one Attack Trait and one Flavor Trait of your choice from any Theme or Themes to represent the nature of your race. (You may not choose the Weapon trait.)

Alternate Appearance 1 CP

You have the ability to alter your appearance. Each time you buy this skill, you gain an additional form, represented by a change of makeup and/or prosthetics. You may change forms at any time, so long as you are unobserved and have time and means to do so.

You may buy this skill as many times as you wish.

Claw and Blade 1 CP

You may treat natural weapons as long one-handed weapons for the purposes of weapon styles you know. If you have the Firearms skill, you may use a pistol in one hand and a natural weapon in the other, treating the pistol as though it were a long combat prop.

Lesser Claws 2 CP

You have claws or other natural weapons that you can use in combat, represented by red natural weapons props. You may fight with one long claw, and one short claw.

Greater Claws 2 CP

(Requires Lesser Claws)

You may use two long claws in combat.

Heroic Resilience 2 CP (Once per event, 1 endurance)

Role play for three seconds to call “With [heroic quality,] Heal 4 to Self.”

Racial Attack 2 CP (Once per event)

Choose melee, missile, firearms, or packet. Once per event, you gain an attack of that type for “4 damage by [attack trait.]”

You may buy this skill twice.

Racial Melee Defense 3 CP (Once per event)

You are fast or tough enough to shrug off weapon blows. Once per event, you may negate a melee attack by calling “With [Heroic Quality] Resist” or “With [Heroic Quality] Avoid” as appropriate to your race.

You may buy this skill twice.

Racial Ranged Defense 3 CP (Once per event)

You are fast or tough enough to shrug off ranged attacks. Once per event, you may negate a missile, packet, or firearms attack by calling “With [Heroic Quality] Resist” or “With [Heroic Quality] Avoid” as appropriate to your race.

You may buy this skill twice.

Resistance 3 CP (Once per event)

When you take this skill, choose Elemental, Mental, Metabolic, or Physical. Once per event, you may negate an attack from that category by calling “With [Heroic Quality], Resist.”

You may buy this skill up to three times.

Special Diet 1 CP

When you take this skill, choose Plant, Metal, Gem, or Vapour components. You may consume this type of component instead of normal food. Treat any combination of three red, blue, or green components, or one white or black component, as equal to one food item for the purposes of paying maintenance.

Specific Resistance 3 CP (Once per battle, 1 endurance)

When you take this skill, choose one trait from the Elemental, Mental, Metabolic, or Physical categories. (You cannot choose the Weapon trait.) Once per battle, you may spend a point of endurance to negate an attack with that trait by calling “Resist.”

You may buy this skill as many times as you wish.

Stabilize 3 CP (Once per event, 1 endurance)

You have some means of averting death when you have a close call, whether through racial toughness, minor regeneration, or just good luck. When you are about to bleed out, you may spend a point of endurance become stable. No effect call is needed for this skill, and it can be used while Stricken.

True Transformation 1 CP

(Requires: Alternate Appearance)

When you take on an Alternate Appearance, your transformation is a fundamental change in your nature. You may have different Racial Traits in each form you can take on.