Legacy WOA30AE EN:Characters

Legacy: War Of Ages 30th Anniversary Edition / Contents

(NOTE: This is a work in progress.)

Chapter Three: Character Mechanics

Once the player has her character's Abstract worked out, she can fill in all those blanks on her character sheet with numbers. (You may make as many copies of the Legacy character sheet as you like, but only for personal use. This means you can make copies for all the people who play Legacy with you, but you cannot sell them or whip up hundreds of them and give them out on street corners.) The "mechanical" part of the game is concerned with translating your character's Abstract into Statistics, Abilities, and Accents. If the terminology confuses you, don't worry: you'll pick up on it in no time. New or unusual terms are normally defined the first time they are used. If you should see a term that doesn't look familiar, take a look at the Lexicon at the back of the book. There is a reason for this odd vocabulary: it gives all the players a defined frame of reference to describe their characters.

Having two characters both described as "very strong" is a start, but if these characters arm-wrestle, who wins? Assigning numbers to various character attributes helps decide who is how good at what. "Statistics" or "Stats" are those attributes that everyone has in some measure, even if they aren't very good at it. Strength and Intellect, for example, are Statistics. "Abilities" are those attributes that not everyone has, and most people have to learn how to do. Medicine, Driving, and Teaching are examples of Abilities.

Statistics and Abilities are measured by their "Rank." The higher the Rank of a Statistic or Ability, the better the character is at it. Generally speaking, Rank 2 describes someone who commonly uses the Statistic or Ability in their day-to-day life, but is not an expert. A Rank lower than 2 indicates the character is a beginner (or simply not very good), while having a Rank higher than 2 indicates that the character is particularly proficient using that Statistic or Ability. An Olympic athlete, for example, might have Strength or Agility as high as Rank 4.

An "Accent" is one of those unusual attributes that a character either has or does not. Accents do not usually have a Rank. Always knowing the correct time, being able to wake up at the sound of a pin drop, and having severe asthma are all Accents.

Any attempt a character makes to do something is called a "Task." The die roll the player makes to see if the character succeeds is call the "Task Roll." Rolling a low number on the Task Roll is better than rolling a large number. Circumstances that make the Task easier or harder modify the Task Roll, and these are called "Task Modifiers" or "TMods." Positive TMods (like "+2" or "+4") make it easier to succeed at a Task, while negative TMods (like "-2" or "-4") make it more difficult.

The simplest way to create a character is to choose Primary and Secondary Statistics and Abilities based upon the character's Abstract. With this method, called Quick-Start Role-Playing, the "feel" of the character is more important than the numbers on the character sheet. However, if the player wishes and the GM allows, the character's Statistics and Abilities may be determined using the more involved Customized Character Design rules. If you are in a hurry, just use the Quick-Start rules now, but you may want to read through and experiment with the Customized Character Design rules later.

Quick-Start Role-Playing

Primary and Secondary Statistics

Before creating a character, each player writes a few lines describing the history and personality of the character she has in mind: the character's Abstract. If the GM thinks the idea is appropriate to the campaign, then the player may choose a Primary Statistic and a Secondary Statistic from the standard Statistics (Intellect, Agility, Strength, Presence). Psyche and Psychic Reserve may not normally be chosen as Primary or Secondary Statistics, unless the GM specifically allows it. The character's Primary Statistic begins at Rank 5, and her Secondary Statistic begins at Rank 3. The other three Statistics begin at Rank 2, except for Psychic Reserve, which begins at its normal Rank of Psyche x 10.

Primary and Secondary Abilities

After selecting Primary and Secondary Statistics, the player may choose four Abilities related to the character's Primary Statistic and two Abilities related to her Secondary Statistic. The character's four Primary Abilities begin at Rank 3 and her two Secondary Abilities begin at Rank 2. The character may also have five additional Abilities of the player's choice at Rank 1. If the player should choose Strength as the character's Primary (or Secondary) Statistic, the character's Primary (or Secondary) Abilities are chosen from the Agility Abilities.

Statistic-Related Abilities Table Intellect Agility/Strength Presence Psyche Computer Athletics Acting Auspice Disguise Dodge Animal Training Clairvoyance Finance Drive Aircraft Bureaucracy Domination Heavy Weapons Drive Landcraft Etiquette Farfetching Linguist Drive Watercraft Interrogation Foreboding Medicine Equestrian Leadership Illusion Perception Firearms Negotiation Mask Science Fisticuffs Persuasion Overload Security Mechanics Politics Psychokinesis Survival Melee Weapons Resistance Psychic Shield (PDef) Tactics Sleight of Hand Seduction Pyrokinesis Technical Operations Stealth Streetwise Telepathy Tracking Weaponsmith Teaching Trance  Note that Psyche cannot normally be chosen as either a Primary or Secondary Statistic.

Example:

Phill decides, with the GM's blessing, to write up Devon using the Quick-Start character generation rules. Phill envisions Devon as a combat-oriented character, with little in the way of social graces. Accordingly, he chooses Agility for Devon's Primary Statistic, and Strength for Devon's Secondary Statistic.

Devon now gets four Abilities at Rank 3. These four Abilities must be related to Devon's Primary Statistic, Agility. Phill chooses Athletics, Fisticuffs, Melee Weapons, and Stealth. Devon gets two Abilities related to his Secondary Statistic, Strength, at Rank 2. Phill chooses Dodge and Sleight of Hand for Devon's Secondary Abilities. Now Phill gets to choose any five Abilities at Rank 1 to round Devon out. For these Abilities, Phill chooses Disguise, Perception, Security, Survival, and Foreboding. Because Devon is an Immortal, he may buy the Foreboding Ability even though Phill has decided not to make Devon Psychic. So far, Devon looks like this:

Devon Post-Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 2 Disguise 1 Agility 5 Perception 1 Strength 3 Security 1 Presence 2 Survival 1 Psyche 2 Athletics 3 Psychic Reserve 20 Dodge 2 Fisticuffs 3 Melee Weapons 3 Sleight of Hand 2 Stealth 3 Foreboding 1

Customized Character Design

Unlike old-fashioned games, which often rely upon dice, auctions, or some other random method to determine a character's abilities, a Legacy character may be completely customized by the player. This is possible by using a point-based system in which the player "buys" a character's Statistics and Abilities. This not only allows the player to build a character to her exact specifications, it also ensures that each player's character will have abilities approximately equal to those of the other players. As the game progresses, the players will be awarded "Karma" points, which may be used to increase a character's proficiency in her Statistics and Abilities (a full discussion of Karma and its uses is covered later).

Customized Statistics

Before creating a character, each player writes a few lines describing the history and personality of the character she has in mind: this is the character's Abstract. If the GM thinks the idea is appropriate to the campaign, then the player may buy Statistics that reflect the character's Abstract. Each character begins with 160 points to spend among her Statistics. All standard Statistics begin at Rank 1, and may each be increased one Rank for a number of points equal to the Statistic's current Rank multiplied by ten. The initial maximum for any standard Statistic is 5, but this may be increased through spending Karma after the game starts. The Psychic Reserve total begins equal to the Psyche Stat multiplied by ten, and it may be increased by one for each point spent. Psychic Reserve has no initial maximum, and it may also be increased through spending Karma. Any points which are left over after the player has finished designing the character are lost, so it is a good idea to use them all, if possible.

Statistic Table Statistic Base Rank Starting Max Cost per Rank Intellect (INT) 1 5 Current x 10 Agility (AGL) 1 5 Current x 10 Strength (STR) 1 5 Current x 10 Presence (PRE) 1 5 Current x 10 Psyche (PSY) 1 5 Current x 10 Psychic Reserve (PR) Psyche x 10 None 1 Point

Jacqueline Post-Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 3 Linguist 1 Agility 3 Perception 1 Strength 3 Dodge 1 Presence 4 Firearms 2 Psyche 2 Fisticuffs 2 Psychic Reserve 20 Melee Weapons 2 Etiquette 3 Persuasion 3 Seduction 3 Domination 2 Telepathy 2

Customized Abilities

The Abilities a player chooses for her character should reflect the character's Abstract. At least half of the character's Abilities should directly pertain to her Abstract, and the GM may veto certain Abilities or require the character to possess other Abilities. Each character is given 50 points to apportion among her Abilities. To buy an Ability at Rank 1 costs 2 points. To increase an Ability by one costs the Ability's current rank multiplied by two. The initial maximum for any Ability is 3, but this may be increased through experience (spending Karma). Any points which are left over after the player has finished designing the character are lost, so it is a good idea to use them all, if possible.

Example:

Susan would like to try out the Customized Character Design rules, and the GM gives her permission. Susan pictures her character, Jacqueline, as an outgoing person with a lot of athletic ability. Susan has 160 points to spend on Jacqueline's Statistics. Susan wants to buy Jacqueline Rank 4 Presence and Agility, but that would leave only 40 points to spend on the rest of Jacqueline's Stats. Susan decides to compromise, and spends 60 points on Jacqueline's Presence, buying it at Rank 4. Susan then spends 30 points each on Jacqueline's Intellect, Agility, and Strength, brining them all up to Rank 3. This leaves 10 points, which Susan uses to buy Jacqueline's Psyche at Rank 2.

Now Susan has 50 points to buy Jacqueline's Abilities. Half of Jacqueline's Abilities must directly pertain to her Abstract, but Susan doesn't think this will be a problem. Since an average level of competence in an Ability is Rank 2, Susan buys Jacqueline Rank 2 Melee Weapons, Firearms, and Fisticuffs for 4 points each. This is in keeping with her tutelage under Ian McAllister; she knows how to fight, but she's not an expert. She now has 38 points left. Since Jacqueline is a "people" person, Susan buys Jacqueline Etiquette, Persuasion, and Seduction at Rank 3 for 8 points each, leaving Jacqueline 14 points. Looking over the Psychic Abilities, Susan decides she would like Jacqueline to have the Psychic Abilities Domination and Telepathy. She buys them each at Rank 2 for 4 points each. Jacqueline has 6 points left. Susan picks Linguist, Perception, and Dodge at Rank 1 to finish off Jacqueline's Abilities.

Playing Elders

The players might not want to play "newbie" Immortals, preferring to make up experienced characters from ages past. With the GM's permission, one or all of the characters can be given extra points to spend on their Stats and Abilities. The characters would be given Karma, as well, to reflect this extra experience. The added Karma would be "spent" Karma, since the character is given more points when she is created to reflect the Karma spent during her life.

This is different from the normal method of creating a Player Character, since normal Player Characters all begin with zero Karma. Normal Player Characters are assumed to begin the game inexperienced, no matter how old they are. Only if the GM wants a character to begin the game with added Abilities or higher Stats should the player write up her character using the rules for creating experienced elder Immortals.

To make up an experienced elder Immortal, the player must use the Customized Character Creation rules, but substitute the points shown in the table for the amounts normally used. The maximum starting value for an experienced Immortal character is dependent upon her age. The highest Rank Statistic a Post-Modern Immortal may possess is Rank 5, while the highest Rank Statistic an Antediluvian Immortal may possess is Rank 7. These maxima only apply when the character is created: the Statistics may be increased later through the expenditure of Karma (Karma and its uses are covered thoroughly later). Likewise, the maximum initial Rank of a character's Abilities is limited by her age. A Post-Modern Immortal may only have Abilities up to Rank 3 when she is created, while an experienced Imperial Immortal may have Abilities up to Rank 5 when she is created. Once a character is created, there is no set limit on how high her Statistics and Abilities may be bought with Karma, as long as the GM approves.

Example:

Since Lloyd is making up Ian McAllister as an experienced Immortal, he uses the Customized Character Design rules, but Ian starts out with more points with which to buy Statistics and Abilities. Lloyd has 210 points to distribute among Ian's Statistics, rather than the normal 160 points, because Ian is a Modern Immortal. However, the highest starting Rank Ian can have in a Statistic is still 5. Since Lloyd sees Ian as the contemplative sort, he starts by buying Ian Rank 5 Intellect for 100 points. Ian has been around for a while and he knows how to handle himself, so Lloyd spends 60 points to purchase Ian Agility at Rank 4. Lloyd also sees Ian as being strong-willed, so he buys Ian a Psyche Rank of 3 for 30 points. The remaining 20 points Lloyd splits between Ian's Strength and Presence, buying each at Rank 2.

Lloyd now has 100 points to split among Ian's chosen Abilities, half of which must directly pertain to Ian's Abstract. The maximum Rank Ian may possess in any Ability is 4. Lloyd decides that Ian's highest Ranked Abilities would be Linguist, Tactics, and Melee Weapons, so he spends 14 points on each to buy Rank 4 in each Ability. At Rank 3, Lloyd buys Ian Medicine, Science, Dodge, Firearms, Leadership, and Streetwise. To round Ian off, Lloyd buys Ian Equestrian and Fisticuffs at Rank 2 and Teaching at Rank 1.

Elder Immortal Creation Table Age Statistics Abilities Max Accents Total Karma Post-Modern 160 pts 50 pts 5 / 3 30 pts 0 Karma Modern 210 pts 100 pts 5 / 4 30 pts 100 Karma Medieval 260 pts 150 pts 5 / 4 30 pts 200 Karma Imperial 310 pts 200 pts 6 / 5 30 pts 300 Karma Antediluvian 360 pts 250 pts 7 / 6 30 pts 400 Karma

Ian Modern Immortal Statistics Abilities Intellect 5 Linguist 4 Agility 4 Medicine 3 Strength 2 Science 3 Presence 2 Tactics 4 Psyche 3 Dodge 3 Psychic Reserve 30 Equestrian 2 Firearms 3 Fisticuffs 2 Melee Weapons 4 Leadership 3 Streetwise 3 Teaching 1

Statistics

Whether chosen as Primary and Secondary Statistics, or determined point by point using the Customized Character Design rules, Statistics are numerical representations of a character's physical capabilities. The higher the character's Rank in the Statistic, the better the character is.

Statistic Cost

To increase a Statistic (other than Psychic Reserve) by one costs the Statistic's current rank multiplied by ten.

Intellect (INT)

Intellect is a measure of the character's ability to reason and solve problems. Intellect is used in any situation or Task requiring problem solving ability or quick thinking. Intellect is vital to any technical Ability, and it also makes the character more aware of her surroundings, since the Perception Ability is based upon Intellect. Intellect starts at Rank 1, and may be increased for a number of points equal to its current Rank multiplied by 10.

Agility (AGL)

Agility is a measure of a character's manual dexterity, reflexes, and reaction time. The outcome of most combat is directly affected by the character's Agility: how good she is with any weapon, and how difficult a target she is for others to hit, as well. Agility starts at Rank 1, and may be increased for a number of points equal to its current Rank multiplied by 10.

Presence (PRE)

Presence is a measure of the personality and charisma of the character. Presence also reflects how seriously a character will be taken by others: a character with a high Presence will rarely have to give her troops an order twice. Presence does not reflect the physical appearance of a character; a character may be as beautiful or as grotesque as the player desires and the GM will permit. Presence starts at Rank 1, and may be increased for a number of points equal to its current Rank multiplied by 10.

Strength (STR)

Strength is a measure of the physical prowess of the character, including lifting power and stamina. A character with Strength Rank 2 can lift one hundred kilograms over her head, although she would not be able to walk more than a step or two with it. For each two Ranks over Rank 2, she can lift twice as much, while her lifting ability is halved for each two Ranks below Rank 2. In hand-to-hand combat, Strength increases the damage a character can do (each point of Strength adds a point of damage), while in ranged combat, the distance a character can accurately throw a grenade, football, or knife is dependent upon her Strength. Strength also reflects how tough a character is, and how much damage she can shrug off without it hurting her. Strength starts at Rank 1, and may be increased for a number of Karma points equal to its current Rank multiplied by 10.

Psyche (PSY)

Psyche is a measure of the force and power of a character's will. The strength of a Psychic character's Psychic Abilities is in direct proportion to her Psyche. Psyche also determines how vulnerable a character is to Psychic Abilities, truth serums, or brain-washing. Psyche starts at Rank 1, and may be increased for a number of points equal its current Rank multiplied by 10.

Psyche also influences how sensitive an Immortal is to the presence of another of their kind. Immortals with greater Psyche will notice other Immortals from farther away, and will be able to estimate their power with better accuracy. This sense is called the Foreboding, and it is covered fully under Psychic Abilities.

Psychic Reserve (PR)

Using a Psychic Ability requires the expenditure of a character's Psychic Reserve. A Psychic with a high Psychic Reserve Rank will be able to use her powers for longer periods without resting. The base Psychic Reserve Rank is the character's Psyche multiplied by 10, but this may be increased at the cost of an additional point per point of Psychic Reserve. If Psyche should increase or decrease, Psychic Reserve will also be affected at 10 points of Psychic Reserve for every point of Psyche.

Statistic Cost Table Rank Increment Cost Total 1 0 0 2 10 10 3 20 30 4 30 60 5 40 100 6 50 150 7 60 210 8 70 280 9 80 360 10 90 450

Maximum Lift Table Strength Kilograms 1 70 2 100 3 140 4 200 5 280

Thrown Range Table Range Meters TMod Short 2xSTR -0 Medium 4xSTR -1 Long 8xSTR -3 Extreme 16xSTR -5

Abilities

Abilities are Statistic-based capabilities that are acquired by training or study. Each Ability is associated with a Statistic. Under normal circumstances, this Statistic is the one used for any Task Rolls with that Ability. Under unusual circumstances, the GM may require that the character use an alternate Statistic with an Ability for a specific Task Roll.

Example:

Ian is attempting to perform surgery while on a moving troop transport. Normally, this would require an INT + Medical Task Roll. However, the GM determines that Ian's manual dexterity must be sufficient to compensate for the jarring and bouncing of the vehicle. Ian must roll his AGL + Medical, with a Task Modifier of -5 for the difficulty of the surgical technique. Ian's Agility Statistic is 4 and his Medical Ability is 3, giving him a total of 7. Adjusting for the -5 TMod, Ian must roll a (7 - 5 = 2) 2 or less on a d10 to successfully perform the operation.

Ability Cost

The Abilities a player initially chooses for her character should reflect the character's Abstract. At least half of the character's starting Abilities should directly pertain to her Abstract, and the GM may veto certain Abilities or require the character to possess other Abilities. To buy an Ability at Rank 1 costs 2 points. To increase an Ability by one costs the Ability's current rank multiplied by two. The initial maximum for any Ability is 3, but this may be increased through experience.

Intellectual Abilities

Intellectual Abilities are dependent upon the character's capability to reason and solve problems, as well as the character's ability to think quickly and make decisions under pressure. In a dangerous and uncertain world, Intellect is the Statistic that not only determines who will survive, but who will thrive.

Computer

Computer allows the character to write new programs and take apart old ones. It also allows a character to create or circumvent computer security programs and protocols. If a character is extremely familiar with the program in question, the GM may assign a positive Task Modifier of +1 or +2. If the character is unfamiliar with the program in question, the Task Modifier may be from -2 to -3. If the character is attempting to break into a computer system, the GM may assign a Task Modifier of -3 or lower, since these programs are designed to prevent interference.

The equipment the character uses to interface with the computer system will affect the Task Modifier incurred. If the programmer is using a standard interface board (or "deck") with a neuroelectronic interface socket (usually at the base of the skull, the temple, or the wrist) the equipment incurs a +0 TMod. Unfortunately, Immortals are not able to have cybernetic devices implanted in them, since their bodies will invariably reject the foreign material within a matter of days. This is one area where mortals have an advantage over Immortals: Immortals are not normally able to use these neural interfaces without extensive nanotherapy to suppress their healing abilities.

Using an obsolete model deck, or some non-intrusive neural interface (using pasted-on electrodes, perhaps) will incur a -1 to -3 TMod, depending on the condition of the equipment and the connection. Indirect access to the network, using a holographic terminal or VR equipment, will incur a -2 to -4 Task Modifier, depending on the quality of the equipment.

Use of non-intrusive interfaces, while less efficient than a direct neural interface, has the advantage of isolating the programmer from potentially lethal electronic intrusion countermeasures, or EIC (pronounced "ice"). The worst damage that an indirectly interfaced programmer can take from EIC is Casual Damage, while it is possible for a neurally-interfaced wiretapper to take Severe Damage from accessing high-security systems without proper authorization. It is, of course, illegal to have lethal EIC installed on any civilian computer system in the United States (thus its nickname, "black EIC").

Failing a Computer Task Roll might mean that an attempt to circumvent a computer security system is simply unsuccessful, or it may mean that the character has set off an alarm or left a "trail" which may be followed back to her location.

(See also: Virtual Combat)

Disguise

Disguise is the Ability to alter someone, or something, so that they appear to be other than what they are. A man could be disguised as a woman, a car could be disguised as a shrub, or a pistol could be disguised as a cigarette case. The Task Modifier is dependent on the change in appearance to be made and the materials at hand with which to affect this change. Disguising a car to resemble a shrub would have a TMod of +2 (or more) in the deep woods, but would incur a TMod of -5 in the center of a basketball court. Disguising a pistol as an umbrella could be fairly straightforward (TMod of 0) with the proper tools and equipment, but would be nearly impossible (TMod -5) on the spur of the moment in an automobile.

The Disguise Ability also allows a character to hide something where it will not be seen and/or found. In an elevator, for example, there are several places to hide a pistol, but they require time and/or tools to reach (TMod of -2). Hiding in a tree, in a forest full of trees, would be fairly simple (TMod of +4) unless it was the middle of winter and the person hiding was wearing fluorescent colors (TMod of -4).

Each point the Task Roll is made by is an additional negative Task Modifier to anyone attempting to find or see through the Disguise, while failing the Task Roll indicates that the person or item can easily be seen for what it is.

Example:

Devon is attempting to disguise himself as Alhred Akbar, the infamous gun smuggler. The GM decides that with Devon's handy disguise kit, this is fairly simple: a TMod of +2. Devon rolls his INT + Disguise + TMod (2 + 1 + 2 = 5), and gets a 4. He succeeds at the Disguise Task Roll, making the roll by 1 (5 - 4 = 1). Anyone who suspects that Alhred Akbar is not who he seems to be may make a Perception Task Roll, at a Task Modifier of -1, to spot the deception.

(See also: Perception, Stealth)

Finance

The Finance Ability gives the character expertise in the complex and sometimes arcane subject of math, interest, and bureaucracy. The Task Modifier to make sense of any financial transaction may range from +2 to -4, depending on how many lawyers are involved in the deal.

Heavy Weapons

Heavy Weapons include any weapon fired or controlled from a console. Some larger weapons systems require two, three, or even more operators, but such devices are rarely portable. There are a wide variety of heavy weapons systems, incurring Task Modifiers from +1 all the way to -3. Success on a Heavy Weapons Task Roll indicates a hit.

Linguist

The Linguist Ability allows a character to speak and read languages other than her native language. Each point a character has in the Linguist Ability adds one language with which the character is fluent.

Example:

Devon has a Rank of 1 in the Linguist Ability. He is fluent with one language of his choosing (Mexican Spanish), along with his native language (American English).

Medicine

A knowledge of Medicine can be very useful in the violent world of Legacy. Any medical procedure, from taking a person's temperature and splinting broken limbs, to performing open-heart surgery and administering nanotherapy, is covered by the Medicine Ability. Knowledge of Medicine also gives the character an expertise with various drugs and toxins, and a thorough knowledge of their effects on human physiology. Simple procedures, such as diagnosing and treating mild infections, have a positive Task Modifier from +1 to +3. Extensive and difficult medical procedures, such as re-attaching a severed limb or performing brain surgery, incur Task Modifiers from -3 to -5.

Perception

Vision Task Modifiers Condition Short Med. Long Ext. Clear 10 100 500 1000 Light Fog, Rain 10 50 250 500 Twilight 10 25 100 200 Moonlit 7 15 30 60 Dark Night 5 10 20 40 Heavy Fog 1 2 4 8

Hearing Task Modifiers Condition Short Med. Long Ext. Silence 10 20 40 80 Party 5 10 20 30 Rock Concert 1 2 5 10

The Perception Ability increases a character's awareness of her surroundings. A Perception Task Roll is only necessary when the GM determines that the character might not notice something (i.e., a smell, a sound, a small or inconspicuous clue). There are thousands of variables that could affect the Perception Task Modifier, but the two most common are context and distance.

A strong aroma would not stand out in a smelly stable, but a soft whisper might be quite noticeable during a solemn church service. Similarly, seeing anything at night typically incurs an additional -3 to -4 Task Modifier, but if the object is illuminated it will be more noticeable at night. The GM will have to be the final arbiter on what the situational Task Modifiers for a Perception Task Roll will be.

Making a Perception Task Roll to notice a sight or sound originating from far away is more difficult than making a Task Roll to notice something nearby. At Short Range (S) there is a +0 Task Modifier for Perception Rolls. At Medium Range (M) the TMod is -1, and at Long Range (L) there is a -3 Task Modifier. At Extreme Range the Task Modifier is -5.

Perception also makes it more difficult to fool the character. Disguise, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand are more difficult to use effectively on characters with a high Rank in Perception.

Science

The Science Ability can cover a variety of fields, depending on the character's interests. Each point a character has in the Science Ability adds one science with which the character is familiar. Each field of endeavor in which the character has experience is rated at the Rank the character has in the Science Ability. Science Task Rolls outside a scientist's field may be made at some lower Rank, as the GM decides.

Example:

Ian has a Rank of 3 in the Science Ability. He is knowledgeable in three fields of science (physics, chemistry, and astronomy). Any Science Task Roll he attempts within these fields is made with his Science Ability of 3. Ian is investigating a strange plant (the field of botany); the GM determines that Ian may make a Science Task Roll with a Science Ability Rank of 2.

Security

The Security Ability allows a character to install, recognize, remove, or evade security systems of various types. These include simple traps, locks, electronic locks, electric eyes, retinal scanners, and other kinds of security systems, but it does not include software-based computer security systems (these require the Computer Ability). Most security systems are designed to prevent tampering, so a Task Modifier of -3 or lower is quite common.

Failing a Security Task Roll might mean that an attempt to circumvent a security system is simply unsuccessful, or it may mean that the character has set off an alarm.

Survival

Survival is the Ability to live off the land and cope with adverse environments. The GM should have the character make a Survival Task Roll each day the character is in an adverse environment. The Task Modifier required is dependent upon the terrain, temperature, and availability of food and shelter, and how well equipped the character is for the particular area. Harsh, hostile environments (the Gobi Desert, the Antarctic) would have a very low Task Modifier (-3 to -5) depending on how prepared the character is, while very mild environments (Central Park, or the woods just outside town) would have a higher Task Modifier (+0 to +3).

Failing the Survival Task Roll one day might mean that the character has caught a cold or eaten a plant that has made her sick. Failing the Survival Task Roll several days in a row could be lethal.

Tactics

Tactics includes the ability to predict an opponent's action and respond effectively and efficiently. A character with Tactics is capable of making the most of a bad situation, and can direct her forces to minimize losses. The GM should only require a character to make a Tactics roll when the player is having trouble analyzing a situation that the character might be able to handle. On a successful Tactics Task Roll, the GM should give the player a hint on what the enemy is likely to do next, or perhaps a way to more effectively counter the enemy's tactics.

Technical Operations

Technical Operations is a catch-all Ability, allowing the character to operate everything from radar equipment to videocassette recorders. Technical Operations would be used to operate any equipment not covered by Computer, Heavy Weapons, Science, or Security. The complexity of the equipment will determine the Task Modifier Applied, but the TMod is rarely lower than -2.

Tracking

The Tracking Ability allows a character to follow another person (or creature) from marks they have made on the ground or from subtle cues in the landscape. A successful Tracking Task Roll may tell the character how long ago the target passed by, how many people were in the tracked party, how heavy they were, or anything else the GM decides. If the person being tracked does something to throw off pursuit (doubling back, going through water or over rocks), the GM may have the tracker make a Task Roll to see if she successfully follows the trail. If the party being tracked has many people, or if they do not realize that they are being followed, the GM may give the tracker a positive Task Modifier from +1 to +4. If the circumstances are particularly unsuitable for tracking (i.e., a parking lot, a blizzard), the GM may impose a negative Task Modifier of -2 or lower.

Agility Abilities

Agility Abilities are dependent upon a character's manual dexterity, reflexes, and reaction time. Agility is paramount in combat, and only the swift will survive.

Athletics

The Athletics Ability describes the character's physical fitness and athletic prowess. The GM may require an Athletics Task Roll to see if the character successfully climbs a building, jumps from tree limb to tree limb, or swims without drowning in rough waters. Athletics does not replace any other Ability, such as Dodge, Firearms, or Fisticuffs.

Dodge

Dodge is an unusual Ability, because it rarely requires a Task Roll to use. If a character is aware of an attack, the character's Dodge Rank is applied as a negative Task Modifier to the attacker's Task Roll. No roll is required by the person Dodging for this use of the Dodge Ability.

Example:

Devon, who has a Dodge Ability of 2, is being shot at by the bounty hunter Nicholas Schaeffer. Schaeffer's AGL is 4, his Firearms Ability is 3, and the gun he is using incurs a -1 Task Modifier. Schaeffer's required Task Roll to hit Devon would ordinarily be 6 (AGL 4 + Firearms 3 + TMod -1 = 6). However, Devon's Dodge of 2 is applied as a negative Task Modifier (-2), making Nicholas Schaeffer's required Task Roll a 4 (6 - 2 = 4). If Nicholas Schaeffer rolls a 4 or less on a d10, Devon will be hit.

Another use of the Dodge Ability is to avoid falling objects or non-targeting projectiles. If the character has a chance to be hit by a random falling object (rock, meteor, piano, etc.), the GM may require a Dodge Task Roll to see if the character avoids being hit. If the character has a zero Rank in Dodge, she may still make a Task Roll using just her Agility.

Example:

Jacqueline's friend Shawna is hiking through the mountains when an unexpected rockslide threatens her. She wants to Dodge the falling debris, but she has a zero Rank in her Dodge Ability. Shawna has an Agility of 2, so she must roll a 2 (plus any Task Modifiers imposed by the GM) or less to avoid being hit by the falling rocks.

Drive Aircraft

The Drive Aircraft Ability allows a character to operate a vehicle designed for airborne travel. It also gives the character a familiarity with a broad range of airborne vehicles (i.e., helicopters, airplanes, gliders, zeppelins). A Drive Aircraft Task Roll is generally only required when something unusual happens such as when the aircraft is damaged, the pilot is attempting to lose pursuit, or the vehicle is caught in a storm.

Drive Landcraft

The Drive Landcraft Ability allows a character to operate a vehicle designed for land travel. It also gives the character a familiarity with a broad range of land vehicles (i.e., automobiles, motorcycles, 18-wheelers, construction vehicles). A Drive Landcraft Task Roll is generally only required when something unusual happens such as when the vehicle is damaged, the driver is attempting to lose pursuit, or the vehicle is maneuvering through a crowded city sidewalk at 100 KPH.

Drive Watercraft

The Drive Watercraft Ability allows a character to operate a vehicle designed for water travel. It also gives the character a familiarity with a broad range of water vehicles (i.e., boats, hovercraft, submarines, JIM diving suits). A Drive Watercraft Task Roll is generally only required when something unusual happens such as when the vehicle is damaged, the driver is attempting to lose pursuit, or the vehicle is maneuvering through a crowded marina at 100 knots.

Equestrian

The Equestrian Ability allows a character to ride and control a riding animal. It also gives the character a familiarity with a broad range of mounts (i.e., horses, mules, camels, elephants). An Equestrian Task Roll is generally only required when something unusual happens such as when the animal is injured, the rider is attempting to lose pursuit, or the rider is maneuvering through a crowded mall at full gallop. The Equestrian Ability may only be used on an animal that has been properly trained by someone with the Animal Training Ability.

Firearms

The Firearms Ability allows a character to fire and perform maintenance on hand-held ranged weapons. It also gives the character a familiarity with a broad range of small arms (bows, crossbows, pistols, rifles, machine-guns). The Firearms Ability does not allow the character to build or design weapons: this requires the Weaponsmith Ability.

Fisticuffs

Fisticuffs is the use of the hands (or other extremities) as weapons. A wide variety of unarmed combat styles are represented by the Fisticuffs Ability, from boxing and street brawling to karate and aikido. It is up to the player to determine what style (or styles) her character uses. The various Melee Combat Maneuvers are covered in the Combat Maneuvers section.

Mechanics

Mechanics is the relevant Ability whenever a character attempts to build or repair a mechanical device. A Mechanics Task Roll might be required to repair a damaged airplane, modify a refrigeration unit to be a dehumidifier, or install a high-performance engine into a VW Beetle. Failing the Mechanics Roll might indicate that the device simply does not work, or that it will fail catastrophically during use.

Melee Weapons

The Melee Weapons Ability represents the character's proficiency in the use of hand-held weapons. A wide variety of combat styles are represented by the Melee Weapons Ability, from brute force to artistic finesse. It is up to the player to determine what style (or styles) her character uses. The various Melee Combat Maneuvers are covered in the Combat Maneuvers section.

Sleight of Hand

Sleight of Hand is used to fool the eye or misdirect attention from what the character is doing with her hands (or other extremities). A Sleight of Hand Task Roll might be required to slip a dagger to an ally, to pick someone's pocket, or to pull coins out of a child's ear. The size or complexity of the deception will affect the Task Modifier of the Sleight of Hand roll.

Each point the Task Roll is made by is an additional negative Task Modifier to anyone attempting to notice the Sleight of Hand, while failing the Sleight of Hand Task Roll indicates that the deception is easily spotted by the casual observer.

Example:

Devon is attempting to slip a key to Jacqueline, who is in a Mexican jail. The GM decides that with the guards admiring Devon's new Nissan Headhunter, this is fairly simple: a TMod of +2. Devon rolls against his AGL + Sleight of Hand + TMod (5 + 2 + 2 = 9), and gets a 6. He succeeds at the Sleight of Hand Task Roll, making the roll by 3 (9 - 6 = 3). Any guards watching Jacqueline may make a Perception Task Roll at a Task Modifier of -3 to see Devon slip her the key.

Stealth

Stealth is the art of sneaking around. A Stealth Task Roll might be required to slip into a college dorm after curfew, to sneak up on a sentry, or to shadow a suspect back to the criminal's hideout. Terrain, available cover, camouflage, and background noise will all affect the Task Modifier of the Stealth roll.

Each point the Task Roll is made by is an additional negative Task Modifier to anyone attempting to notice the person trying to be stealthy, while failing the Stealth Task Roll indicates that the furtive prowler is easily spotted by the casual observer.

Example:

Devon, who has a Stealth Ability of 3 and an Agility of 5, is trying to sneak away from the Mexican prison where the bounty hunter Nicholas Schaeffer left Jacqueline. Since the guards have noticed Jacqueline's absence and turned on the floodlights, the GM decides that the TMod is -3. Devon rolls his AGL + Stealth + TMod (5 + 3 - 3 = 5), and gets a 1. He succeeds at the Stealth Task Roll, making the roll by 4 (5 - 1 = 4). Any guards searching for Devon may make a Perception Task Roll, at a Task Modifier of -4 to see Devon skulking in the shadows by the palm trees.

(See also: Disguise, Perception)

Weaponsmith

The Weaponsmith Ability allows a character to design, build, and repair weapons. A Weaponsmith Task Roll might be required to repair a damaged carbine, modify a surveying laser to be a laser pistol, or design a more deadly hand grenade. Failing the Weaponsmith Roll might indicate that the weapon simply does not work, or that it will fail catastrophically during use, probably injuring the person holding it. Generally speaking, the weaponsmith must have some familiarity with the type of weapon she is working on; if not, the GM may choose to impose negative TMods as appropriate.

Presence Abilities

Presence Abilities rely upon the personality and charisma of the character. In any interaction with others, Presence Abilities will be what separates the leaders from the followers.

Acting

Acting is the Ability that allows a character to modify her behavior, accent, and even mannerisms to seem other than who she is. A character can mask her moods by using Acting, hide her identity, or impersonate someone else. Simply feigning emotions is relatively easy, incurring a TMod of +1 or even more. Impersonating a specific person is more difficult, incurring a TMod from +0 to -3, depending on how familiar the impersonator is with the subject. Impersonating someone with which the character is extremely familiar might even incur a TMod of +1 or +2.

Carrying on an impersonation over a period of time increases the character's chance of making a tell-tale mistake; the character must make a new Acting Task Roll each day the impersonator is exposed to someone she is trying to fool, or during any occasion which the GM thinks will challenge the character's acting abilities. During an event such as a family reunion, the GM may even require the character to make an Acting roll every few minutes, but this is an extreme case.

Each point the Task Roll is made by is an additional negative Task Modifier to anyone attempting to find or see through the charade, while failing the Task Roll indicates that the impersonator has made an obvious gaffe, revealing herself to be a fraud.

Animal Training

This Ability allows a character to train an animal to do as she wishes. By using this Ability to train an animal over an extended time, the animal trainer may condition the animal to the point where it will accept commands from nearly anyone, even those who do not themselves have the Animal Training Ability. Training an animal normally takes many weeks, depending on the intelligence and temperament of the animal and the skill of the trainer.

Animal Training is the Ability used to train an animal to accept a rider and follow her commands. The Equestrian Ability is required by the rider to successfully give those commands and stay mounted while the animal obeys them.

Bureaucracy

The Bureaucracy Ability is used to cut through (or create) red tape, to find the proper line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, to wade through the paperwork at tax time, and to deal effectively with snide civil servants. A Bureaucracy roll must be made any time the character wants to interact with a bureaucracy when time is of the essence.

Etiquette

Etiquette is the skill of using the proper manners for a given environment. This includes the appropriate grammar (or lack of it), suitable attire, and how to blend in with any cultural group. An Etiquette Task Roll may be required whenever the character is trying to socialize with a group without offending them. A failed Etiquette roll would result in the character being snubbed by polite society, or possibly in her being maimed by a coarser crowd.

Interrogation

Getting information from someone by using threats of violence or death is accomplished by using the Interrogation Ability. A skillful Interrogator can gauge how close the subject is to breaking, can inflict the maximum amount of pain with the least amount of physical damage, and can usually tell when the subject is close to death. The Interrogation Ability may, at the GM's discretion, include a familiarity with mind-control drugs, truth serums, or other esoteric means of extracting information. The Psyche Rank of the victim is usually applied as a negative modifier to the Interrogation Task Roll. Failure of the Task Roll may result in the subject convincingly giving false information or possibly in the subject's accidental death.

Leadership

Leadership is the Ability that allows one to give orders and have them followed. Leadership is as much a matter of how to say something as it is what to say. Use of the Leadership Ability assumes that the supposed leader is already an ally of those to be led, although not necessarily the person nominally in charge. A Leadership Task Roll is only necessary when the character's "troops" are in the losing end of a fight (incurring a TMod of -1 or -2), or when the character gives an order that the troops consider suicidal (TMod -5). A failed Leadership Task Roll could result in some of the leader's troops disobeying the order or deserting, or possibly even a mutiny resulting in the death or dismemberment of the erstwhile leader.

Negotiation

Negotiation is the art of the deal. There isn't enough of everything to go around in this life, and Negotiation is the way a character makes sure she gets her share. A Negotiation roll might be necessary any time the character is trying to exchange goods or services with someone else. Normally, each side would make their Negotiation Task Rolls, and whoever made the roll by a greater amount would get the better deal. A failed Task Roll could indicate that the character has gleefully paid far too much for far too little.

Persuasion

Persuasion is used to convince someone of the truth of a given statement or situation, usually with the aim of getting them to act on it. Persuasion could be used to convert someone to a religion, sell someone a car, or simply win an argument. It is not necessary for the persuader to actually believe her own argument, but if she does her side is more convincing (TMod of +1). If the person being persuaded is inclined to believe the persuader's arguments, the GM could grant a TMod of +2 or more to the persuader's Task Roll. If the character is trying to persuade someone to believe a patent absurdity (from the target's point of view), the GM might impose a TMod of -3 or less to the Task Roll. A failed Persuasion Task Roll usually means that the subject simply does not believe the arguments of the persuader, but it could mean that the attempt at persuasion has backfired, firmly convincing the subject of the opposite of what the persuader was trying to get across.

Politics

Politics is a mixture of the Persuasion and Seduction Abilities, but it is used mainly on large numbers of people. Often a successful politician will seem distasteful when met one-on-one, yet be able to sway large crowds to her point of view when she addresses them as a whole. Politics also has an element of Negotiation in it, as the politician will ask for certain favors now in return for her promise to grant certain favors later. More often than not, the return favors never materialize, yet the politician's reputation remains unsullied. A failed Politics Task Roll could result in the politician's corrupt lifestyle being exposed (and believed by the populace), or it could simply mean that she is unable to catch the attention of a fickle and inattentive crowd.

Resistance

Resistance is the Ability of a character to withstand severe pain, interrogation, or mind-control drugs, usually by using self-hypnosis or some other esoteric training. Resistance is an unusual Ability, because it rarely requires a Task Roll to use. If a character wishes to Resist an attempt at Interrogation, the character's Resistance Rank is applied as a negative Task Modifier (in addition to the character's Psyche Rank) to the interrogator's Task Roll. No roll is required by the person Resisting for this use of the Resistance Ability.

The GM may also allow the character to make a Resistance Task Roll to endure some other debilitating pain without passing out or becoming incapacitated. The TMod incurred is dependent upon the situation, usually from -2 to -4, at the GM's discretion.

Resistance is distinct from the Iron Will Accent, since it has no effect on Psychic Abilities.

Seduction

Seduction is the art of convincing someone that you care about them, and getting them to like you. Often the goal of a seduction is a favor of some sort, not necessarily sexual in nature. Seduction is as much a matter of style as it is appearance, and can sometimes be successful even if the target is aware she is being seduced. A failed Seduction Task Roll can mean that the attempt was simply unsuccessful, or that the target finds the would-be seducer offensive or pathetic.

Streetwise

The Streetwise Ability gives a character a thorough knowledge of the dark side of civilization. The character knows where to find illegal substances or devices, knows who to pump for information, and knows where to find bars that have cheap beer and attractive bartenders. A Streetwise roll might be required to track down the bolt-hole of a certain drug dealer, or to get the word to the Mafia that the shipment of guns at midnight is a set-up. A failed Streetwise roll can be particularly dangerous, since folks who make their living in the shadows often don't like busybodies.

Teaching

Historically, Teaching has been a tragically undervalued Ability. Teaching is not merely coercing a student to memorize tables and quotations, but the ability to spark an awareness and an understanding in the student's mind. Any time the character is trying to impart a new idea or technique to someone, the GM may require her to make a Teaching Task Roll. Teaching can be used to role-play out the spending of another character's Karma points, or as a way of increasing an NPC's Abilities. A failed Teaching Task Roll usually means that the student is confused, and understands less than she did before the teacher began explaining.

Psychic Abilities

Psychic Abilities are those strange powers stemming from the subconscious, the darker side of the mind that lies beneath the surface of the rational veneer. With Psychic Abilities, the character may peer into another's mind, change the information found there, or erase it altogether. Unlike other Abilities, the use of Psychic Abilities is only possible by characters with the Accent "Psychic" or "Latent Psychic." Characters with the Accent "Psychic" may use their Psychic Ability at any level, but those with the Accent "Latent Psychic" may not attempt any Psychic Task Roll with a negative Task Modifier. In addition, a Psychic may only attempt to use those Psychic Abilities in which she has a Rank of at least 1.

Using a Psychic Ability requires the expenditure of a character's Psychic Reserve. The base Psychic Reserve Rank is the character's Psyche multiplied by 10, but this may be increased at the cost of an additional point per point of Psychic Reserve.

When using any Psychic Ability, the Task Modifier for that Task is applied to the character's Psychic Reserve, "spending" the Reserve. Under typical conditions, Psychic Reserve points are recovered at the rate of the character's Psyche every hour. If the Psychic Reserve is drained below zero, the character's Psyche begins to be affected. Every ten points below zero that the Psychic Reserve drops, the character's Psyche drops one rank (at the end of the Turn in which the Psychic Reserve was expended). Should the character's Psyche drop to zero, the character's mind dies, leaving the body a vegetable (which will expire shortly thereafter).

Example:

A Psychic member of the Woodland Warriors, an ecological fringe terrorist group, has a Psyche of 3 and a Psychic Reserve of 32, and she is attempting to cause a Psychic Overload on Devon. The Warrior is attempting to cause 5 points of Severe Damage each Turn, which incurs a -10 TMod. Every Turn the terrorist attempts the Overload, 10 points are subtracted from her Psychic Reserve. Three attempts leaves her with 2 points of PR. Her next attempt to Overload Devon reduces her Psychic Reserve to -8 and reduces her Psyche to 2 (at the end of the Turn). If the Woodland Warrior should continue until her Psychic Reserve is reduced to -28, her Psyche will be reduced to zero and her brain will die.

The use of Psychic Abilities does not put the Psychic into a "trance" or catatonic state (except for the Trance Ability), but it is distracting, and will prevent the character from paying serious attention to anything else. A Psychic could walk around while using a Psychic Ability, but she would not be able to pay much attention to where she was going. Any normal Perception Task Rolls attempted while using a Psychic Ability are usually at a -2 TMod.

The use of Psychic Abilities is not visible or otherwise detectable to normal people. Only those who are Sensitive, Latent Psychics, or Psychics may perceive the use of Psychic Abilities. The effects of Psychic Abilities such as Psychokinesis and Pyrokinesis (i.e., objects floating or spontaneously combusting) may be quite visible, but a non-Psychic observer would not be able to determine the source of such effects.

Psychic Abilities are necessarily "fuzzy," and require the GM to carefully monitor their use. Many factors may affect the TMod of a Psychic Ability Task Roll, including the number of distractions around the Psychic and her emotional state. It is up to the GM to assign appropriate TMods for a given situation, but the GM must walk a fine line between regulating Psychic Abilities and rendering them useless.

Psychic Abilities that effect another person's mind or body are more difficult if the Psychic cannot see or otherwise perceive the target. Using a Psychic Ability upon someone whom the Psychic cannot directly perceive, through her normal senses or Clairvoyance, incurs an additional -2 TMod, in addition to any other Task Modifiers (this includes using a remote camera or some other electronic imaging system, but not a reflective/refractive device such as binoculars or a simple periscope). If the Psychic cannot perceive the target at all, it is not possible to affect the target's mind or body at all, although pre-existing effects may remain once the target leaves the Psychic's presence.

Auspice

Auspice allows a Psychic to recover her expended Psychic Reserve points more rapidly than normal. Under typical circumstances, once each hour a Psychic will recover a number of Psychic Reserve points equal to her Psyche. If a Psychic has Auspice, however, she will recover her Psychic Reserve points much more rapidly. Each point the Psychic has in Auspice will add the Psyche Rank of the Psychic to the amount of Psychic Reserve she recovers each hour. If the Psychic has Rank 1 Auspice, she will recover twice her Psyche each hour in Psychic Reserve. If the Psychic has an Auspice of Rank 3, she will recover an amount of Psychic Reserve each hour equal to four times her Psyche. Auspice does not require an action or Task Roll to use; it is automatic and unconscious.

Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance Task Modifiers Time (+/-) TMod 1 hour -0 6 hours -1 1 day -2 1 week -3 1 month -4 6 months -5 1 year -6 5 years -7

Clairvoyance operates much like the Perception Ability, but it allows a character to use her senses to perceive things at a distance. The Task Modifier for the Clairvoyance Task Roll is not dependent upon how far away the target area or object is from the clairvoyant, but upon how familiar the clairvoyant is with the object or area. Finding her own car in a crowded parking lot would be quite easy, for example (TMod +2). A Task Modifier of +0 is sufficient to find a recently lost item, if the owner of the item is touching the Psychic while the Psychic is looking for the item, while finding an object the clairvoyant has never seen that belongs to someone the clairvoyant has never met would have a TMod of -3 or lower. A successful Task Roll will result in the clairvoyant perceiving the object from somewhere close by, and will give her a general idea of its location. A failed Task Roll will result in the clairvoyant seeing false images or nothing at all, and will prevent the clairvoyant from ever finding the object using Clairvoyance.

Finding people is generally more difficult than finding inanimate objects, unless the clairvoyant has in her possession an item which the subject holds dear. Without such an item, finding a person (or other living thing) incurs an additional -3 TMod.

Clairvoyance may also be used to see (or smell, hear, etc.) through time. Perceiving through time incurs TMods dependent upon how far away, temporally speaking, the clairvoyant wishes to perceive.

Each use of Clairvoyance lasts up to ten minutes. Using it longer to observe a given object or person does not require an additional Task Roll, but it does require the expenditure of additional Psychic Reserve points for each additional ten minutes. If the Psychic wishes to view a different place or person, she must make a new Task Roll and spend the additional Psychic Reserve points.

Domination

Domination Task Modifiers Delay TMod 1 hour -0 6 hours -1 1 day -2 1 week -3 1 month -4 6 months -5 1 year -6 5 years -7

The Domination Ability allows a character to override another person's will with her own. This makes possible a wide variety of effects, from short-term single commands to long-term conditioning. Domination may also be used to alter a person's memories, by ordering the subject to forget certain events or to remember them differently. Domination does not allow the Psychic to read the subject's mind, however; this is the domain of the Telepathy Ability. It is not necessary to speak to Dominate the subject, but it does make the Domination easier (+1 TMod). The Task Modifier for the Domination is also dependent upon the reasonableness of the command: if the command is reasonable, the TMod is +0 or +1. If the command is unusual or would seem strange to the subject, the TMod is -1 or -2. If the command is bizarre or self-destructive, or is something the subject would be violently against doing, the TMod would be -3 or -4 (most alterations to the subject's memory would fall into this range). If the command is blatantly stupid or suicidal, the TMod may be -5 or lower.

The Psychic may plant commands or "suggestions" for the subject to carry out at a later date. The TMod incurred for such a command is dependent upon how far into the future the command is to be obeyed. Also, the subject may attempt a Psyche Task Roll at the time the command is to take effect; if the roll is successful, the subject will shrug off the suggestion.

Each use of the Domination Ability lasts up to ten minutes. Using it longer to command a given animal or person does not require an additional Task Roll, but it does require the expenditure of additional Psychic Reserve points for each additional ten minutes. If the Psychic wishes to command a different person, she must make a new Task Roll and spend the additional Psychic Reserve points. If the Psychic wishes to implant a delayed Domination suggestion that would take longer than ten minutes to accomplish, the Psychic must expend sufficient Psychic Reserve points at the time of the initial Domination to cover the entire duration of the action to be taken. If the victim of the delayed Domination takes longer than anticipated to perform as ordered, the Domination will end and the action will be incomplete.

Normally, the subject of the Domination will clearly remember her actions after the Domination ceases, and she will realize that her will was not her own. If the subject was ordered to forget something, she will indeed forget it, but she will recall being Dominated. If the Psychic wants the subject to be unaware of the Domination after its effects have passed, the Task will have an additional -1 TMod. If the roll is successful, the subject will either think they were of her own volition, or (if the subject would be violently opposed to doing as she was Dominated to do) she will not remember having performed the actions she took while Dominated. If the Psychic fails her Task Roll, the subject will realize that something strange has taken place, but she might not realize that someone has been tampering with her mind unless the subject has experienced the effect before.

Farfetching

Farfetching is the least definable but potentially the most useful Psychic Ability. Farfetching is equal parts Clairvoyance, Telepathy, and good old-fashioned intuition. By Farfetching, the Psychic can tell if a person is lying, hiding something, or simply misguided. A person's general character could be discerned by the attentive Farfetcher, as well as their motivations or basic personality traits. However, Farfetching rarely reveals these insights in concrete terms. The Psychic is allowing her inner awareness to examine her surroundings; the information gleaned in such a manner cannot be directly communicated to the conscious mind. The Psychic will have a sense for the "rightness" or "wrongness" of a situation, or she will have an intuitive understanding of a person's motives, but she will have difficulty expressing these things in terms others, or even she, can understand.

The Task Modifier for Farfetching is dependent completely upon the situation. Strong feelings or powerful forces will make Farfetching easier, with a Task Modifier of only -1 or -2. Obscure motivations, or conflicting feelings, will make Farfetching more difficult, incurring a TMod of -3 or more. In all cases, Farfetching is nearly impossible when another Psychic is involved, imposing a TMod of -5. A failed Farfetching Task Roll usually results in conflicting impressions, or no impressions at all.

Foreboding

Foreboding Task Modifiers Radius (meters) TMod 0 to 5 -0 6 to 10 -1 11 to 20 -2 21 to 40 -3 41 to 80 -4

Foreboding allows a mortal Psychic or an Immortal to sense the presence, and possibly the approximate location and strength, of Immortals in the immediate vicinity. Unlike Clairvoyance, the Foreboding Task Roll is rolled individually for each Immortal in the vicinity of the Psychic. Immortals do not need to use a Turn to use the Foreboding; it is innate and automatic. Mortals may make one Task Roll per Turn for each Immortal in their area; if there are four Immortals in proximity to the mortal Psychic, for example, the Psychic may make four Task Rolls (one for each Immortal) in the Turn that she uses the Foreboding. There is no penalty for making such multiple Foreboding Task Rolls in a single Turn.

The Task Modifier for the Foreboding Task Roll is dependent upon the Karma of the Immortal to be sensed and her nearness to the person doing the sensing. For each ten points of total earned Karma (fractions rounded up) possessed by the Immortal to be sensed, the individual using the Foreboding is granted a +1 TMod to her Foreboding Task Roll to sense that Immortal. Thus, an attempting to sense an Immortal with 32 total earned Karma would grant the Psychic a +4 Task Modifier. Distance from the Immortal to be perceived also affects the Task Roll, as indicated in the Foreboding Task Modifier Table.

If the Foreboding Task Roll is successfully made by more than three, the Immortal's direction and approximate Karma may be deduced. The direction indicated will be very general ("Behind you," for example, or "somewhere ahead of you"), and the Karma of the Immortal will be given as a range of possibilities (between 20 and 40, for example). Thus, if an Immortal who needed to roll a 5 to successfully sense the presence of another Immortal rolled a 2, the Immortal would be able to discern the approximate direction and strength of the Immortal she perceived. If the player rolls a 1, then the Immortal or mortal Psychic knows the precise location and Karma of the sensed Immortal.

Example:

Devon is sneaking up on Major d'Estaigne, an old enemy of Ian McAllister. As Devon comes within eighty meters of d'Estaigne, both Devon and the Major may make Foreboding Task Rolls to sense each other. Devon has a Psyche of 2 and a Rank of 1 in Foreboding, while Major d'Estaigne has a total accrued Karma of 65, so Devon must roll:

2 + 1 + 7 (65 / 10 = 7) - 4 (for 80 meters) = 6

six or less to sense d'Estaigne. The Major has a Psyche of 4 and Devon has a total accrued Karma of 3, so the Major must roll:

4 + 1 (3 / 10 = 1) - 4 (for 80 meters) = 1

one or less to sense Devon's advance. Devon rolls a three, which is enough to let Devon know that d'Estaigne is in the area, but not enough for him to know the Major's direction. Major d'Estaigne rolls a two, which means she is unaware of Devon's stealthy approach. When Devon comes within forty meters, both Devon and the Major may roll again.

Foreboding is an unusual Ability because, although it acts much as any other Psychic Ability, an Immortal does not have to be Psychic to possess it (also, Immortals are not considered "Psychic" simply because they have the power to sense each other's life forces). All Immortals automatically have Rank 0 in Foreboding, and they may increase this Rank with Karma as with other Abilities. However, Immortals do not need to have the Psychic Accent to use the Foreboding, nor do most of the usual Psychic-related penalties apply to the use of Foreboding by Immortals. Immortals who do not have the Psychic Accent are at no penalty to use the Foreboding, and it requires no conscious action on the part of the Immortal to activate it. It costs no Psychic Reserve to use, the Immortal does not have to be able to see another Immortal to sense her, and physical barriers do not impede the sense of Foreboding. The normal penalties for attempting Psychic Task Rolls while distracted do apply to both mortal Psychics and Immortals.

Mortal Psychics may buy the Foreboding Ability, but it functions normally when possessed by mortals. It takes a conscious action to activate, and mortals without the full Psychic Accent are at penalties to use it, just as they are for normal Psychic Attributes. However, the Psychic does not have to be able to see an Immortal to sense her, and physical barriers do not impede the sense of Foreboding. Each use of Foreboding by mortals lasts up to ten minutes. Using it longer to sense the presence of Immortals requires the expenditure of additional Psychic Reserve points for each additional ten minutes.

Example:

Coincidentally, Major d'Estaigne has employed a mercenary with the Psychic Ability Foreboding. Once an hour, the mercenary spends a Turn and two points of Psychic Reserve to sense if any Immortals are within ten meters. The mercenary could spend up to four points of Psychic Reserve, if she wanted to stretch her Foreboding sense out to eighty meters. She has a Psyche of 3, so to sense Devon at ten meters she needs to roll:

3 + 1 (3 / 10 = 1) - 2 (for 10 meters) = 2

two or less to detect Devon as he creeps up on the Major's yacht. The mercenary rolls a two, allowing her to give the Major a few seconds notice before Devon comes crashing through the door.

Illusion

Illusion Task Modifiers Delay TMod 1 hour -0 6 hours -1 1 day -2 1 week -3 1 month -4 6 months -5 1 year -6 5 years -7

A Psychic may use Illusion to make objects, people, or a setting appear to be other than they are to a single target individual. The Psychic must choose a single target to affect with the Illusion for each Illusion Task Roll, and the TMod is determined by the degree of change the target perceives.

A mild or cosmetic change, like changing the model of an automobile or the style of someone's clothes, is fairly simple: a TMod of +0. A moderate change, such as making an enemy look and sound like a friend, or making a lump of coal look and taste like a piece of cake, would incur a TMod of -2. Severe changes to the target's perceptions, so that what the target perceives has little or no basis in reality, would incur a TMod of -5. The Psychic must have some familiarity with the objects or situations she creates in the mind of the target; if not, the GM may impose additional negative TMods.

Once the Psychic has successfully made her Illusion Task Roll, the Illusion will continue until the target successfully makes a Psyche Task Roll, with the Psyche Rank of the Psychic as a negative TMod to the target's Psyche Task Roll. The target of the Illusion may attempt to make a Psyche Task Roll once each hour until the target succeeds, at which time the target's perceptions are no longer distorted by the Illusion. If the Psychic wants to make it more difficult for the subject to break free of the Illusion, she may attempt the Illusion Task Roll with the negative TMods based on how long the subject must wait between Psyche Task Rolls.

Normally, the Psychic only needs to make one Task Roll to initiate the Illusion, after which it will continue until the target breaks free of its effects. If the Psychic wants to control the Illusion as the target reacts to it, such as making Illusionary people speak intelligently (other than meaningless small-talk), or if the Psychic wants to change the Illusion or create a new one, the Psychic must make another Task Roll and spend additional Psychic Reserve. The Psychic may end the Illusion voluntarily at any time.

A character may take damage from an Illusion, but the character may subtract her defenses from the attack as if it were a "real" attack. Any damage caused by Illusionary objects or events will vanish once the Illusion ends. If a character takes enough Illusionary damage to die, she will go into a coma. Once in the coma, the target of the Illusion may normally only attempt a Psyche Task Roll once per day to break out of the Illusion and come out of the coma.

If others are trying to break the grip of the Illusion on the character, and the victim of the Illusion can perceive them, the victim may get an additional +1 or +2 to her Psyche roll to break free of the Illusion, or she may be able to attempt a Psyche Task Roll more often than normal, at the GM's discretion.

Mask

Mask Task Modifiers Radius (meters) TMod 0 to 5 -0 6 to 10 -1 11 to 20 -2 21 to 40 -3 41 to 80 -4

The Psychic may mask herself, others, or even an object, making them effectively invisible to anyone looking for them. The Psychic Mask affects all normal senses: sight, hearing, smell, etc. Anyone who touches the Psychic using a Mask will not notice the fact she has done so, as long as the Psychic makes no effort to draw attention to herself. If the Psychic undertakes any particularly violent sensory activity (i.e., punching someone, firing a gun, using a bullhorn, opening a bottle of ammonia), those who would most notice the sensory stimulation may attempt a Perception Task Roll to perceive the Psychic, with appropriate TMods as the GM dictates. Punching someone would only allow the person punched to attempt a Perception Task Roll, while firing a pistol would give everyone near the Psychic the opportunity to make a Perception roll.

The Task Modifier for the Psychic Mask Task Roll is dependent upon the size of the area to be affected around the Psychic. Anyone entering the area affected will immediately be under the influence of the Psychic Mask, while anyone leaving the area will immediately be able perceive the Psychic.

For an additional Task Modifier, the Psychic may alter her appearance and/or mannerisms, appearing to be other than who she is. Impersonating a specific person is generally more difficult, incurring a TMod from +0 to -3, depending on how familiar the impersonator is with the subject. Impersonating someone with which the character is extremely familiar might even incur a TMod of +1 or +2.

Each use of the Mask Ability lasts up to ten minutes. Using it longer to obscure herself or others does not require an additional Task Roll, but it does require the expenditure of additional Psychic Reserve points for each additional ten minutes. If the Psychic wishes to change the area Masked or the area affected by the Mask, or she uses the Mask change her appearance, she must make a new Task Roll and spend the additional Psychic Reserve points.

A Psychic Mask will not affect anyone whose Rank in the Clairvoyance Ability is higher than the Masked Psychic's Rank in the Mask Ability. A character who possesses a Clairvoyance Rank greater than the Psychic's Mask Rank will perceive the Psychic normally, but will be aware that the Psychic is using a Psychic Mask.

For an additional Task Modifier, the Psychic may attempt to Mask other people or objects. The Mask normally will obscure up to one hex (normally the Psychic's hex, but it may be any hex within sight of the Psychic). The radius of the area hidden by the Mask may be increased by one hex for each additional -1 TMod. Any masked person or object which leaves the range specified by the Psychic will seem to suddenly appear. If one person Masked by the psychic performs actions which void the Mask, the person doing so will no longer be protected by the Mask but the Psychic and any others Masked will not be adversely affected.

This Psychic Mask will not affect electronics, cameras, or other devices, but it will affect anyone currently using those devices within the area of the Psychic. The Psychic does not need to be aware of the viewer for the viewer to be affected by the Mask; the viewer must simply be in the area around the Psychic. A failed Task Roll indicates that the Psychic is just as noticeable as anyone else would be in the same place and time.

Overload

A Psychic Overload is an attempt to damage or destroy someone's nervous system by flooding it with information. To accomplish this, the Psychic must roll (Psyche + Overload + Task Modifier) or less on a d10. The Task Modifier for a Psychic Overload is -1 for every point of Casual Damage the Psychic is attempting to cause. A Task Modifier of +0 is sufficient to cause the target to have a severe headache, if the Task Roll is successful. Attempting to cause the target Severe Damage incurs an additional -5 Task Modifier. The target's Psyche is applied as Casual Defense against the damage caused by Psychic Overload, while a Psychic Shield acts as Severe Defense against the damage caused by a Psychic Overload.

Psychokinesis

The Psychokinesis Ability allows a Psychic to move objects with her willpower alone. The Psychic can pick up or move objects as if she were picking them up and manipulating them herself. Thus, she could dial a phone, throw a baseball, or punch someone, but she could not do microsurgery or pick locks without the appropriate tools. The Psychic may use her Psychokinesis on as many different targets as she wants, but each target requires a separate Task Roll to pick up (on separate Turns), and Psychic Reserve points must be spent separately to maintain the Psychokinesis on each target. At the GM's option, a homogenous mass of small objects may be treated as a single object (i.e., a bushel of apples, a pile of gravel, a bucket load of nuts and bolts), but the Psychic must pick up and manipulate the objects as a unit.

The Task Modifier of the Psychokinesis Task Roll is dependent upon the force brought to bear by the Psychokinetic field. For every point of Strength the Psychic attempts to use, there is a cumulative -1 TMod. A TMod of +0 is sufficient to lift a negligible amount of weight, similar in Strength to a small baby. Note that the Psychic's Psychokinetic Strength is not limited to her Rank in the Psychokinesis Ability. If the Psychic wishes to use her Psychokinesis to attack someone, she must still make an applicable combat Task Roll (Firearms, Fisticuffs, or Melee).

Physical barriers, such as windows, will not impede the Psychokinetic force, but they may make it more difficult for the Psychic to directly perceiver her target. It is not possible, even if the Psychic somehow was granted x-ray vision, to use Psychokinesis to reach inside living beings or plants due to the aura of life surrounding them. Thus, it is not possible to reach inside someone and grab their heart. There are other energy fields that impede Psychokinesis as well, but these are extremely rare and usually not 100% effective. Also, Psychokinesis is non-reactive: no energy or motion held by the manipulated object is translated to the body of the Psychic. It is thus possible for the Psychic to pick herself up with Psychokinesis and "fly" using it, although Psychokinesis requires that the Psychic spend Psychic Reserve points every Turn to maintain the effect. If the Psychic should stop spending Psychic Reserve points for any reason, any items held will begin falling.

A failed Psychokinesis Task Roll may mean that the Psychic cannot focus the Psychokinetic force enough to use it, or perhaps that the Psychokinesis goes wild for a few moments, throwing random objects around the room.

Psychic Shield (PDef)

A Psychic Shield protects a character from Psychic Overload and Pyrokinesis attacks. The character's Rank in her Psychic Shield Ability is subtracted from any damage caused by a Psychic Overload or Pyrokinesis. A Psychic Shield is considered Severe Defense versus Psychic Overload and Pyrokinesis attacks, but it is not effective against Illusionary attacks unless the Illusion is of a Psychic Overload or Pyrokinesis. Psychic Shield does not generally require a Task Roll or the expenditure of Psychic Reserve points to use.

Pyrokinesis

Pyrokinesis is a specialized form of Psychokinesis. By using Pyrokinesis a Psychic is attempting to heat up an object by increasing its molecular motion. To accomplish this, the Psychic must roll (Psyche + Pyrokinesis + Task Modifier) or less on a d10. The Task Modifier for a Pyrokinesis is -1 for every point of Casual Damage the Psychic is attempting to cause. A Task Modifier of +0 is sufficient to cause a human target to be uncomfortably warm, if the Task Roll is successful. Attempting to actually ignite a target, causing Severe Damage, incurs an additional -5 Task Modifier. The Pyrokinetic force thus applied may cover an area as large as a hand with the fingers spread, or as small as the tip of a finger. The target's Psyche is applied as Casual Defense against the damage caused by Pyrokinesis, while a Psychic Shield acts as Severe Defense against the damage caused by Pyrokinesis. Non-living objects normally have little or no defense against Pyrokinesis (even materials usually considered non-flammable), but they are not usually permanently harmed by the Casual Damage Pyrokinesis causes.

Physical barriers, such as windows, will not impede the Pyrokinetic force, but they may make it more difficult for the Psychic to directly perceive her target. It is not possible, even if the Psychic somehow was granted x-ray vision, for Pyrokinesis to penetrate inside living beings or plants due to the aura of life surrounding them. Thus, it is not possible to reach inside someone's head with Pyrokinesis and incinerate their brain. There are other energy fields that impede Pyrokinesis as well, but these are extremely rare and usually not 100% effective.

Once the Pyrokinetic force has been interrupted, targets whose temperatures have been increased through the use of Pyrokinesis will begin to cool at a rate typical for the material. Ignited flammable materials will continue to burn after the Psychic has stopped using Pyrokinesis unless some attempt is made to douse the flame, while ignited non-flammable materials will be quenched and begin to cool off.

A failed Pyrokinesis Task Roll may mean that the Psychic cannot focus the Pyrokinetic force enough to use it, or perhaps that the Pyrokinesis goes wild for a few moments, igniting random objects around the room.

Telepathy

Telepathy allows a Psychic to read another person's thoughts, emotions, and memories, and allows a Psychic to "speak" directly to a person's mind. Telepathy cannot be used to force a person to obey commands, nor can it be used to alter a person's thoughts or memories: this is the province of the Domination Ability. When attempting a Telepathy Task Roll, the Psyche of the subject whose mind is to be read or communicated with is applied as a negative Task Modifier to the Psychic's roll, unless the subject is completely willing.

For a +0 TMod, the Psychic may "read" inanimate objects, sensing who owns the object, or perhaps picturing traumatic events in the object's history. Also for a +0 TMod, two Psychics who both have the Telepathy Ability may set up a "communication only" mind-to-mind link. This link requires no Psychic Reserve expenditure or concentration to maintain, but the actual communication is distracting as is the use of any Psychic Ability. If either Psychic goes unconscious or wishes to end the communication, the link is severed. No Psychic attacks may be launched through such a link, unless the victim specifically and deliberately allows it.

Each use of the Telepathy Ability lasts up to ten minutes. Using it longer to communicate or sift through the victim's mind does not require an additional Task Roll, but it does require the expenditure of additional Psychic Reserve points for each additional ten minutes. If the Psychic wishes to change the target of the Telepathy, she must make a new Task Roll and spend the additional Psychic Reserve points.

If the person whose mind is to be read is asleep or unconscious, the Psychic will only be able to perceive dim flickers of thought, but she will still be able to sift through the person's memories. If the Psychic fails the Telepathy Task Roll, or attempts to "read" an object with no significant emotional attachments, the Psychic will not be able to perceive anything using Telepathy.

Trance

Trance Task Modifiers Duration TMod 1 hour -0 6 hours -1 1 day -2 1 week -3 1 month -4 6 months -5 1 year -6 5 years -7

A Psychic may enter a Trance to control her metabolism, enhance her powers of concentration, or focus her will. Both entering and exiting the Trance require a Task Roll and the expenditure of Psychic Reserve points. The TMod for entering a Trance is generally +0, but the Psychic must be in a quiet place with no distractions. If the Psychic attempts to enter a Trance amid noise and confusion, or under stress or duress, the GM may impose a TMod of -1 to -3, or even lower. At the time the Psychic enters the Trance she must declare how long it will last, and the TMod incurred when coming out of a Trance is dependent upon the amount of time the Psychic has been under. While in a Trance, Psychic Reserve points are recovered at the rate of the character's Psyche every hour. If the Psychic Reserve is drained below zero through the use of other Psychic Abilities, the character will be unable to come out of the Trance until she has regained sufficient Psychic Reserve points to do so.

While in a Trance, the Psychic may slow her metabolism, even to the point where she appears dead to someone performing a medical examination, or she may increase her metabolism to the point where she heals at three times the normal rate (her Strength in Casual Damage points every eight hours, and her Strength in Severe Damage points every ten days). She may also double her Intellect Rank or Psyche Rank, but not both.

The Psychic has no awareness of her surroundings while in a Trance, and may use only Clairvoyance (if she possesses it) to perceive the world outside of her own consciousness. Even if the Psychic is on fire, she will remain in the Trance until the allotted time has passed, unless she has some way of determining what is going on outside of her mind (Clairvoyance, Telepathy, etc.).

Ability Cost Table Rank Increment Cost Total 1 2 2 2 2 4 3 4 8 4 6 14 5 8 22 6 10 32 7 12 44 8 14 58 9 16 74 10 18 92

Accents

Accents are distinctive character traits. Immortal characters begin with 30 points with which to buy Positive Accents, but this may be increased up to 40 points by taking Negative Accents. Positive Accents may only be purchased during character creation. Mortals start with 0 points, but they may take up to 10 points in Negative Accents to purchase Positive Accents. Negative Accents may be taken at any time, but are only worth points if taken during character creation.

Positive Accents

Positive Accents are those distinctive traits that set a character above her fellow Immortals, usually requiring no Task Roll or knowledge by the character possessing them. Mortals who posses Positive Accents are rare, but they do exist. Each Positive Accent may only be taken once.

Ambidextrous (10 points)

Attempting to perform a Task with the character's off hand normally incurs a Task Modifier of -1. An Ambidextrous character incurs no penalty when attempting to perform a Task with her off hand.

Calculator Mind (20 points)

The character can perform complex mathematical calculations in her head in the same amount of time that a skilled mathematician could perform the same calculations on a powerful scientific calculator. Also, the character has an intuitive understanding of higher mathematics, and is able to comprehend and remember intricate formulae and equations after examining them briefly.

Combat Awareness (30 points)

The character has an intuitive understanding of the art and science of hand-to-hand combat, such that she can predict with remarkable accuracy the actions of anyone with which she is in hand-to-hand combat. Even if blinded and deaf, the character may attack and defend at no penalties as long as her opponent remains within hand-to-hand range, and as long as either she or her opponent has scored a hit upon the other within the last three Turns.

Extreme Patience (10 points)

The character has inhuman amounts of patience, and can wait motionless for hours or even days. This does not mean that the character is spared the necessities of eating or excreting, but it does mean that the character with Extreme Patience can tolerate the hunger and/or soiled clothing without anxiety.

Iron Will (20 points)

When the character is attacked Psychically with the Domination or Telepathy Ability, the attacker has an additional -2 Task Modifier to her Domination or Telepathy Task Roll. The character with Iron Will also adds two to her Psyche for purposes of Psyche Task Rolls to break out of delayed Domination commands, but this in no way affects any other Psychic Ability, or any other use of the Psyche Statistic.

Latent Psychic (20 points)

A Latent Psychic may buy Psychic Abilities, but a Latent Psychic may only attempt to perform Tasks with a Task Modifier of zero or higher. A character who is a Latent Psychic may buy up the Accent to that of full Psychic with an additional 20 points of Karma and the GM's permission.

Light Sleeper (10 points)

The character is easily awakened from even the deepest sleep, coming fully awake and aware immediately. To wake up in response to any external stimulus, the character may attempt a Perception Task Roll as if she were awake. If the roll is successful, the character wakes up alert and ready.

Money (varies)

If the GM allows, a player may trade a character's Accent points for money, with which the character may buy weapons, armor, or other equipment. Each point may be traded for five hundred credits (500 Cr). If the GM wants the characters to start with more or less equipment, she may allow each point to be worth as much as 1,000 Cr or as little as 100 Cr. Accent points may only be traded for money during character creation, and only with the GM's permission.

For the most part, characters are assumed to be well off, with investments that provide a healthy income. Houses, cars, clothes, and other necessities of life do not need to be "bought" using the Money Accent; this is only for players who want their characters to start with an unusual amount or quality of equipment.

Night Vision (20 points)

The character may see in dim light without incurring a negative TMod to her Perception Task Roll. Although Night Vision will not help the character see through fog or rain, the character may see even on the darkest night as if it were merely twilight (see Perception Ability). If no light is available at all, then the character can not see.

Perfect Timing (30 points)

The character has an acute sense for the passage of time. She only needs to check the time once per day, and she will know the correct time to within a tenth of a second until she goes to sleep. She may also keep track of the duration of as many intervals of time as her Rank in Intellect. If she has an Intellect Rank of 3, she may keep up to three "internal stopwatches" going simultaneously, with an accuracy of up to a tenth of a second.

Eidetic Memory (30 points)

The character may remember explicitly any document, recording, picture, etc., which the character has taken time to study and memorize. The character does not need to understand the items to be memorized, she only needs to study them for approximately one minute per page to memorize the image. The subject to be memorized is not memorized as text; it is stored in the character's memory as a picture. As such, the information is not subject to instantaneous retrieval, but the character may mentally "turn pages" looking for a specific bit of data. For each point of Intellect the character possesses, she may memorize an amount of information equivalent to three novels, one volume of an encyclopedia, three hours of conversation, or the blueprints to one high-rise office building.

Psychic (40 points)

The character may buy and use the Psychic Abilities. To use any Psychic Ability, the Psychic must have a Rank of at least 1 in that Ability.

Quick Draw (20 points)

When comparing Agility for purposes of initiative, or to determine which character will react first in any given situation, the character's effective Agility is +1. The character may also draw and ready any one-handed weapon without expending her Turn. This in no way affects any of the character's other Task Rolls, or any other use of the Agility Statistic, except with the GM's permission.

Sensitive (10 points)

The character is capable of perceiving Psychic Abilities when they are used, but is unable to use them. A character who is a Sensitive may buy up the Accent to that of Latent Psychic with an additional 10 points of Karma and the GM's permission.

Total Concentration (10 points)

The character is capable of focusing her concentration under the most adverse and distracting circumstances without incurring a negative Task Modifier. The character can work on complex puzzles or problems while hanging upside down in the middle of a mine field and being pelted with fruit, without any negative TMods for distractions.

Negative Accents

Negative Accents are those distinctive traits that limit or hinder a character. A character may take any number of Negative Accents, but she may only gain a maximum of 10 points for them. The GM is final arbiter on what Negative Accents are allowable, and on how many points each is worth.

(Note: The examples in the following sections are meant as guidelines for game play only, and are not meant to be taken as a commentary or judgment on the seriousness of a particular illness or disadvantage.)

Mental Impairment (10 points)

The character has one or two slight mental aberrations which sometimes prevent her from functioning at her full potential.

Sample Mental Impairments:

• Claustrophobia
• Code of Honor
• Kleptomania
• Mild addiction (nicotine, alcohol, etc.)
• Mild bipolar disorder (noticeable mood swings)

Physical Impairment (10 points)

The character has one or two mild physical impairments which sometimes prevent her from functioning at her full potential. Immortal characters very rarely have physical impairments, since they are immune to most illnesses and quickly recover from almost any injury.

Sample Physical Impairments:

• Asthma
• Deafness
• Diabetes
• Prosthetic limb (if inferior to original)

Social Impairment (10 points)

The character is subject to discrimination or animosity by one or more groups, or the character is a person who practices such discrimination or animosity.

Sample Social Impairments:

• Active Communist (or other unpopular political minority)
• American Indian (or other ethnic minority, depending on the geographic location)
• Animal rights activist (or other fringe group)

Example:

Susan wants Jacqueline to be Psychic, but since Immortals start with 30 points and the Psychic Accent costs 40 points, Jacqueline must have 10 points in Negative Accents to be fully Psychic. Susan really would rather that Jacqueline not have any Negative Accents, so she instead buys Jacqueline the Accent Latent Psychic for 20 points. With the GM's permission, Susan holds Jacqueline's other 10 points until Jacqueline earns 10 points of Karma, at which time Jacqueline will be able to buy Latent Psychic up to the full Psychic Accent.

Trivia

Once you have the basic character, complete with all of her Stats, Abilities, and Accents, think about the little details and finishing touches that complete the character. It is not necessary to work out everything in minute detail, but give it some thought and jot down a note or two. Let the GM know what you have in mind for your character's everyday existence: it will make her job easier when she is crafting the story if she has an idea of what kind of life your character leads.

People

If you haven't already, think about the people in your Immortal's life. Who are her loved ones and friends, and what is her relationship with them? We are known by the company we keep: what company does your character keep? Is she part of a large family, or an orphan? Does she keep in touch with her siblings, or their descendants? Do they know her secret? How does she keep the secret of her Immortality from them?

Immortals, like mortals, are social beings. How does your character satisfy her needs for companionship? Does she have very few, close friends, or does she have a wide variety of brief affairs? Is she monogamous, in a solid relationship? How does her companion feel about the fact that they literally will not grow old together?

Does she know any other Immortals; a mentor or old enemy, perhaps? Does she have any old enemies who may be hunting her? Sometimes old friends can be old rivals, as well. Who are her business associates? Is she well known among a certain small professional group? Give thought to the relationships which bind your character into the web of life.

Goods

Now is a good time to look at the equipment lists toward the back of this book. What kind of weapons, if any, does your character possess? Are they special or esoteric, or are they "off the shelf" weapons? Unless your character bought the Money Accent, she is restricted to a modest selection of mundane weapons, but the GM might allow the character to have one special heirloom of exceptional price or quality. Does your character have armor, special cars, fortified buildings? Anything is possible. Where does your character live? Your character might own an antique book store, be a reclusive writer in a cabin in the woods, or be a globe-trotting mercenary. Try to paint a picture of the character's life, and what you might find in it.

Services

Does your character have any employees or retainers? Servants, secretaries, and bodyguards are often taken for granted, but they can make a big difference when trouble comes knocking at your door. How loyal are they? Are they close associates, or simply hired help? Do they owe you a favor? Years of affiliation can form a strong bond between a fair employer and a trusted employee; how much does the employee suspect about the Immortal's true nature? What sets your character's employees apart from other mortals? Do they have special skills or abilities? Making employees three-dimensional characters adds to the realism of the game, and can help the GM create a more interesting story.

Peculiarities

Nearly everyone has character quirks, those little idiosyncrasies that annoy or amuse other people and add diversity to our character. Adding a peculiarity or two to your character will give her style and a sense of uniqueness. Peculiarities could include a particular catchphrase the character uses frequently ("Not a problem."), an odd hobby, or a keen interest in a bizarre subject. The character could have a strange but passionate like or dislike of a certain food, subject, or mechanical device. You do not have to go overboard to make a peculiarity interesting, and you don't have to give a character any peculiarities at all (although that could also be considered peculiar).

Stereotypes

Stereotypes exist for a reason. An ethnic or professional stereotype is the result of a noticeable tendency for certain groups of people to exhibit certain types of behavior. Of course, not all brilliant scientists are absent-minded, nor are all teen-agers poor drivers. Still, a player should not be criticized for having a stereotypical character, because absent-minded professors do exist, and many teen-agers are terrible drivers.