Scaling Defects

"I was gonna be a tactical officer once, but then i took a phaser to the knee!"

The character loses twice as many Hit Points as normal from a particular attack form, which must fit with the character concept. It might be something with appropriate mystic resonance, such as wooden stakes for vampires or silver for werewolves. It could also reflect the character’s nature such as a robot taking extra damage from water (as it causes short circuits), or an alien’s weakness to weapons from his or her home planet. 

The GM must approve any Achilles Heel Defects.

A character may have an Achilles Heel to either a common, uncommon, or rare attack form (in the context of the campaign).

Alga - 3 SP The attack form is rare.

Belta - 5 SP The attack form is uncommon.

Tseza - 7 SP The attack form is common.

A character with the Bane Defect is vulnerable to an otherwise non-damaging substance such as water, sunlight, or a specific element, material, or object. The Bane should relate to the character’s background or powers in some way. For example, a fire demon’s bane might be water, while myths indicate that a vampire suffers damage when touched by a crucifix.

The character suffers damage if his or her skin is physically touched by the Bane. If the Bane does not require direct physical contact (such as sunlight, seeing one’s reflection, hearing the noise of a church or temple bell, or having the Bane in close proximity), the damage is halved. Alternatively, if the Bane only affects the character when ingested, the damage is doubled. Finally, the damage rating assumes that the Bane is common, such as water, sunlight, steel, or wood. If it is less common such as a holy symbol, Buddhist scripture, or rare element, the damage is also doubled. If it is even more rare, such as one particular artefact, the damage may be tripled or quadrupled.

Alga - 3 SP The Bane causes minor damage 

• (1d6/round of exposure).

Belta - 5 SP The Bane causes moderate damage 

• (2d6/round of exposure).

Tseza - 7 SP The Bane causes severe damage 

• (3d6/round of exposure).

It's hard to be good when you're tainted by evil.

Roleplaying Ideas: The most obvious application of this flaw would be to a tiefling meeting up with a devil or demon. Maybe the evil creature in question is slowly perverting the character to evil for their own ends and uses their fiendish heritage to manipulate them. Expect the character to either be a tortured soul trying desperately to resist their darker impulses or all too willing to go over to the dark side because it's "easier that way".

Effect: You take a -X penalty on saves against the spells and spell-like abilities of the Yin subtype.

Alga - 2 SP - Bad Seed - 2 penalty

Belta - 4 SP - Monster Child - 4 Penalty

Tseza - 6 SP - Demon Spawn - 6 Penalty

A Cursed character has likely offended a great being of power in his or her past, or is the direct descendent of someone who did (Curses often pass through bloodlines). 

The Curse can take a near limitless number of forms, but should not provide a character with an obvious advantage (remember, it’s a curse!). The exact nature, background, and limitations of the Curse should be discussed with the GM.

Alga - 2 SP 

• The character suffers from a slight disadvantage.

Belta - 4 SP 

• The character suffers from a moderate disadvantage.

Tseza - 6 SP 

• The character suffers from a severe disadvantage.

Some characters are Easily Distracted by events, objects, people, or ideas, which are collectively known as triggers.

Notable examples of triggers include attractive members of the opposite (or same) sex, wealth, food, movie stars, hobbies, gossip, hot cars, music, one’s own looks, books or scrolls of ancient lore, and magical items. A character with this Defect will become enthralled with the trigger until it can no longer influence him or her. Many characters have interests in a variety of triggers but do not possess this Defect because their interest is moderated by their sense of judgement.

Alga - 1 SP The character is distracted by a trigger that is encountered infrequently. 

Belta - 3 SP The character is distracted by a few infrequent triggers, or by one trigger that is encountered frequently.

Tseza - 5 SP The character is distracted by several infrequent triggers, or by one trigger that is encountered constantly.

When the Recurring Nightmare Defect haunts a character, he or she has trouble sleeping at nights and functions at less-than-optimum performance during the day. The nightmare can be a memory of a tragic event or traumatic experience, or it might be something else such as a prophetic vision or warning.

The nightmare may not occur every night but it will haunt the character on a regular basis. Additionally, the nightmares do not need to portray the exact same events repeatedly, but the visions should be related in some way. The details concerning the subject matter of the nightmares and why they occur is the responsibility of the GM and the player to create.

Alga - 2 SP The nightmares occur infrequently and have a slight effect on the character’s lifestyle.

Belta - 4 SP The nightmares occur frequently and have a moderate effect on the character’s lifestyle.

Tseza - 6 SP The nightmares occur constantly and have a severe effect on the character’s lifestyle.

You have a hard time getting around, on anything else but your feet

Roleplaying Ideas: You will most likely try avoiding any form of transportation, that doesn't involve you using your feet. You are also weary of dungeon features (or traps) involving conveyor belts, teeter-totters, rotating rooms and the like.

Effect: Whenever on a moving object or animal you become sickened, taking a -X penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks

Alga - [3 SP] -2 Penalty

Belta - [5 SP] -4 Penalty

Tseza - [7 SP] -6 Penalty

On the D7 Battlecruiser - [Tseza] can sense the ship moving without nauseating effects, the others will not sense movement.

On Freeport Alpha

- [Belta] can sense the station's rotation without nausation,

- [Tseza] will be slightly nausated by it and take a -2 (instead of the standard -6) as long as they remain on board

A Phobia is a fear (often irrational) of an event, object, or person that can limit a character’s choice of actions. Avoiding situations that could trigger the phobia may take a high priority in the character’s life. Note that a Phobia that effectively cripples the character with fear does not add constructively to the role-playing experience.

Alga - 2 SP The character has a slight phobia or one that is encountered infrequently.

Belta - 4 SP The character has a moderate phobia or one that is encountered frequently.

Tseza - 6 SP The character has a severe phobia or one that is encountered constantly.

Effect: You are afraid of a particular kind of object, creature or environment. You are shaken if you are aware of the presence of something that would trigger your phobia within 30 ft. The condition lasts until the triggering situation is overcome, or 1d6 rounds if the trigger is an instantaneous event. If the trigger is an object or creature, you become frightened if you touch (or are touched by) the object; or if the creature speaks or makes a cry directly to you.

Known Phobia's with additional properties:

Alchluophobia (Nyctophobia)
Trigger: Darkness
Effect : When in shadowy illumination or darkness, all spells with the shadow descriptor interact with you as if they were 20% more real.

Acrophobia
Trigger: Heights of 15' or greater
Effect : You climb at half normal climb speed.

Haemophobia
Trigger: Blood.
Effect : You may assume that critical hits on warm-bodied creatures draw blood.

Additional Phobia List

Afflicted with a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing.

Effect: Asthmatic characters lack endurance and can never take the feat Endurance nor any feat requiring Endurance as a prerequisite.

These characters take -X to skills using physical attributes [STR, DEX, CON]. Whenever an asthmatic character commits to strenuous activity for more than 1d4 hours, they become shaken and take -1 to CON for every 5 minutes they continue. 

If the character continues with the strenuous activities after losing 1d4+1 CON, the character collapses and remains unconscious for 1d6 hours. After this, the character is fatigued until the effect is dispelled or the character rests for at least 8 continuous hours.

SP 3 - Mild Asthmatic - Minus 1 to Skills

SP 5 - Moderate Asthmatic - Minus 2 to Skills

SP 7 - Severe Asthmatic - Minus 3 to Skills

The character is less durable than his character Level would otherwise suggest. 

This Defect is appropriate for characters with a “glass jaw,” or those who succumb to physical trauma easily. 

A character may not take this Defect or improve it, if it would reduce his or her Hit Points below 1.

Alga - 4 SP 

• The character’s Hit Points are decreased by 5 Points.

Belta - 8 SP 

• The character’s Hit Points are decreased by 10 Points.

Tseza -12 SP 

• The character’s Hit Points are decreased by 15 Points.

This Defect reflects a character’s poor judgment in offensive combat situations, which makes it much more difficult to strike an opponent successfully. 

A character with the Inept Attack Defect suffers a penalty to his or her base attack bonus.

Alga -2 SP 

• The character’s Base Attack Bonus is decreased by 1.

Belta - 4 SP 

• The character’s Base Attack Bonus is decreased by 2.

Tseza - 6 SP 

• The character’s Base Attack Bonus is decreased by 3.

This Defect reflects a character’s poor judgment in defensive combat situations, which can often place him or her in precarious positions. 

A character with the Inept Defence Defect suffers a penalty to his or her Armour Class.

Alga - 2 SP 

• The character’s Defence is decreased by 1.

Belta - 4 SP 

• The character’s Defence is decreased by 2.

Tseza - 6 SP 

• The character’s Defence is decreased by 3.

The character’s magic is either difficult to perform or occasionally ceases to function. 

Magical restrictions can be minor or major.

Magical Restrictions of this sort are a good way to establish the nature of a particular form or school of magic. 

Alga - 3 SP 

• The character’s magic suffers from one or a few minor restrictions.

Belta - 6 SP 

• The character’s magic suffers from a major restriction.

Tseza - 9 SP 

• The character’s magic suffers from several minor and 1-2 major restrictions.

Some examples of minor restrictions are:

• The character must always dress in a peculiar set of ritual clothing (or body paint, or whatever) to use magic.

• The character must transform into a special costume in order to use his or magic. This is very common for “magical girl” type characters.

• The character’s magic works at the pleasure of a patron spirit, god, goddess, or demon and may cease to function if the character disobeys the patron’s commands or violates particular religious or other strictures.

• The character’s magic is limited if the character violates certain minor taboos.

• About half of the character’s magic powers are dependent on possession of a particular item, which may or may not also be an Item of Power. Should the character ever lose or misplace the item, he or she cannot access these powers.

Some examples of major restrictions are:

• The character’s magic ceases to function if he or she is in contact with metal, carrying it, or wearing it on his or her body.

• The character must perform blood sacrifices for his or her magic to work.

• The character’s magic only functions half or less of the time; for example, it may not work during daylight or only work when the moon is visible.

• Nearly all the character’s magic (except possibly a minor power or two) is dependent on possession of a particular item, which may or may not also be an Item of Power. Should the character ever lose or misplace the item, he or she cannot access the item-dependent powers.

One of the primary elements you have affinity with is unstable and often uncontrollable. When under duress the element tends to activate on its own as a defense mechanism to protect the character, but without the characters will. This means that the ability can go off at inopportune times and may harm allies inadvertently.

When under stress the character must make a will save (DC 10+arts rank+stress modifier) or a randomly known arts of the affected element will activate to defends the character not distinguishing between friend and foe. This defect has varying levels of intensity.

Stress Modifier

• +0 for light stress

• +5 for moderate stress

• +10 for heavy stress

• +15 for catastrophic stress

SP Gained
Alga - 4 SP if only Catastrophic and heavy stress triggers activation

Belta - 8 SP if catastrophic, heavy, and moderate stress triggers activation

Tseza - 12 SP if triggered for any amount of stress

This Defect prevents the character from leaving a narrowly defined area.

This may represent, for example, an undead villain that is cursed to haunt a particular place, an android that is programmed to follow a specific guard route, or a government-licensed magical girl that is only registered for travel in a specific region.

The EMH from Star trek voyager had this Defect at 8 SP in season 1, when it was revealed he could transfer himself to holodecks its value dropped to 6, when he gained the mobile emitter the Defect disappeared completely and replaced with another( Mobile emitter needed to be constantly recharged, therefore the EMH became dependant)

2 SP Restricted to planetary system area, such as the Sol System.

4 SP Restricted to a large area (100-mile radius), such as a single county or large city.

6 SP Restricted to a small area (1-mile radius), such as a small town or large, multi-structure complex.

8 SP Restricted to a tiny area (300-foot radius), such as a small village or single building.

Prerequisite: Your race must have functional ears.

Your hearing is much worse than normal.

Effect: You suffer a -X penalty on Initiative and Listen checks.

You have a X% spell failure chance when casting spells with a verbal component.

Slightly Impaired: 3 SP: 

• - 1 to Perception skill & Initiative, 5% Spell Failure

Partial Deafness: 6 SP: 

• - 2 to Perception skill & Initiative, 10% Spell Failure

Full Deafness: 9 SP: 

• - 3 to Perception skill & Initiative, 15% Spell Failure

(DM permission/assigned Only)

The character is recognizable by many people, and thus it is difficult for him or her to keep secrets or maintain a private life. Journalists and photographers may hound the character regularly, and report his or her actions on television, in newspapers, and on websites. 

While being Famous may have some privileges (preferred seating at restaurants, daily special treatment, etc.), it is a significant disadvantage for a character, especially one that maintains a secret identity.

1 SP - Local Fame

4 SP  - Regional fame.

7 SP - National fame.

10 SP - International fame

13 SP - Interplanetary fame.

You're as blind as a bat.

Prerequisite: Your race must have functional eyes.

Effect: -X to perception skill

Benefit: Varies

Roleplaying Ideas: Simply put, if a character with this flaw is looking right at something, they still won't be able to find it. This is also known as "snake bite syndrome", as in "If it were a snake, it would've bit you by now".

Slightly Impaired: 3 SP: - 3 to Perception skill

Partial Blindness: 6 SP: - 6 to Perception skill

Full Blindness: 9 SP: - 9 to Perception skill, cannot use perception to 'spot'

Under specific conditions selected by the player (and approved by the GM), the character will enter a state of unbridled anger. While enraged, the character will furiously attack the closest person, whether that individual is a friend or foe. Once that person is defeated or flees, the berserk character will attack the next closest “threat.” Examples of conditions that might initiate Blind Fury include: receiving a certain amount of damage, sight of blood, a specific sound or smell, being outnumbered in combat, seeing a friend in mortal danger, confrontation with a specific opponent, etc.

The character can only return to a normal emotional state under another specific condition. This return could involve a Willpower save, or could be an automatic reversion. Examples of return conditions include: no opponents in the vicinity, a specific calming technique performed by an ally, solitude, injection of a particular drug, being knocked unconscious, etc.

Activation:

• 1 SP Initiating the Blind Fury is difficult; 

• 2 SP Initiating the Blind Fur is moderately difficult. 

• 3 SP Initiating the Blind Fury is easy; 

Deactivation:

• 1 SP reverting to a normal emotional state is easy.

• 2 SP reverting to a normal is moderately difficult. 

• 3 SP reverting to a normal emotional state is difficult.

You're quick, unusually so, but you're so easily — HEY LOOK A NICKEL.

Benefit: You gain an increase in your Initiative.

Drawback: you get a penalty on perception, concentration and any other skill requiring a high degree of concentration respectively (higher or lower at DM's discretion). You are also required to make a concentration check when attempting to do anything (outside of battle) that requires patience, long periods of inactivity, long periods of paying attention, or similar. If you fail, your character becomes disinterested and goes off to find something more fun to do. They also may be distracted by something particularly interesting, the character must make a Will save (determined by DM) to see if they go off and investigate or stay on task.

Alga (Gain 2SP)
+2 Initiative
-2 Penalty Drawback

Belta (Gain 4SP)
+4 Initiative
-4 Penalty Drawback

Tseza (Gain 6SP)
+6 Initiative
-6 Penalty Drawback