Traits

Traits are aspects about your character which offer no real mechanical benefit...at least, not during character creation. Each of these traits are meant to serve as personality traits, physical quirks, or spiritual quirks which determine how a character may react in certain situations or may affect how they're described.

"Why?" You might ask. "Why are traits included if they offer no mechanical benefit?"

Traits are meant to serve as aspects about your character which are to be played to often. During the end of the session, the GM is to award "Karma Points" or "KP" to players who successfully play to each trait. If it is debatable whether a trait was played to during the session or not, hash it out with the GM and try to convince them (though otherwise the final say is up to the GM).

Karma Points serve as a way to change the tide of a battle, or the tide of a scenario. Spending a Karma point allows for one of the following options. Spending a Karma Point can only be done once per round.

• • Add a +1d6 to the result of one of your d20 rolls.

  • Subtract a -1d6 to the result of the enemies' d20 rolls.

  • Reroll your damage dice and take the greater result.

  • If an attack would normally kill you, spend a KP to avoid death (being left at 1 HP).

Characters receive 3 free traits, and any additional traits must be purchased, each trait costs 1 EXP.

Do some traits look redundant? They might just be, just pick either or if that is the case. Not seeing a trait you want? Make your own! After all, they offer no mechanical benefit outside of playing to it during roleplay.

Choose a point during your campaign to stop and go over each character to determine if they're still applicable for the traits they have. If some come up more often than others, or if the characters have changed dramatically in the story. While doing this, have the players engage in discussion about what traits each character should keep or get rid of. After getting rid of traits, allow them to replace the lost traits with new ones. Each character should have a minimum of at least 3 traits at the end of this.