Related Themes: Command, Martial Arts, Tracking
Signature Resource Suggestions: Respect, Tactics, Position
Combat
Disarm
[ Warfare, Combat, Disarm ]
Spend a good tale to disarm someone. They drop a held item, which lands in a close space. If you have a free hand, you can catch the item instead.
Note: Anyone may attempt to disarm someone without this trait, but it’s normally a difficult task. For you, it’s no longer difficult.
Describe: Attacking in a flurry, cutting through foes, spinning in a blade tornado, releasing an explosion.
Backfire: They disarm you
Related Traits: Martial Arts.Catch Arrows
Every Scar a Lesson
[ Warfare, Combat, Defense ]
Whenever you’re defeated by a worthy threat, gain the defense “Scarred by _____ [].” Write the threat in the blank. Mark it when you suffer a Bad Tale related to that threat. Clear the defense box when you survive that particular conflict or challenge.
Each type of threat may only be represented once in your list of scars.
Describe: Jagged cut, burned skin, crooked finger, missing tooth, glowing rune-scar, dented armor.
Threats: Dragon, bug, beast, sword, trap, soldier from the Southern Kingdom, wizard, rogue, frost, fire, acid.
Guardian
[ Warfare, Combat, Tank, Reaction, Intercept ]
You can intercept physical attacks.
When a nearby ally receives a bad tale related to being attacked physically, you can immediately declare an objective to intercept it. If you get a good tale, you intervene in time and redirect the attack to yourself, thus preventing your ally’s bad tale. If you get a bad tale, you can choose from the standard options.
Describe: Interposing yourself, diving in the way, lifting your shield over someone, shoving them behind you.
Possible Upgrades: in addition to negating their bad tale, grant your ally a free bolster
Related Traits: Arcane.Counterspell, Martial Arts.Catch Arrows
Juggernaut
[ Warfare, Combat, Tank, Armor ]
You’re well trained in the art of armored combat. When you wear heavy armor, you gain two defense boxes [ ] [ ]. You may choose to mark one when you suffer a relevant bad tale.
You may choose to take a third defense box [ ], but you must then decrease all rolls related to athletics and maneuverability.
When you mark the last box, your armor is destroyed and must be repurchased or repaired.
Related Traits: Dragon.Scales Like Tenfold Shields, Undeath.Dead Nerves, Artifice.Armor Plating
King of the Castle
[ Warfare, Combat, Taunt ]
If you have bolster and you consider yourself to occupy the area’s most tactically advantageous position, enemies will do everything they can to remove you from that location. Attention will be directed at you.
When your allies get bad tales, they may be directed at you.
Your own bad tales will force you to relinquish the position.
Master of Arms
[ Warfare, Combat, Bolster ]
At specific points in combat challenges, you may spend 1 point of your signature resource to receive a bolster. Use once per challenge for each of the following situations:
- On initiation of the challenge, if you were unsurprised.
- When a challenge reaches its halfway mark, because you’ve had time to study your opponent.
- When you are down to your last remaining point of health.
Orchestrate
[ Warfare, Combat, Control, Shortcut ]
You control the flow of battle. You can maneuver your opponents as if they were sheep to be herded. As a neutral tale, spend a point of your signature resource to “discover something beneficial” related to a feature of your current location.
Useful for discovering shortcuts.
Describe: Luring your enemies onto the precipice. Pressing them forward into a precarious position. Dropping a shelf on unsuspecting foes.
Related Traits: Martial Arts.Judo, Psionics.Force Wave
Exploration
Grit
[ Warfare, Exploration, Passive (Endurance) ]
Your endurance exceeds normal limits. You may convert unspent points from your signature resource into endurance at any time as a neutral tale.
Collaborate: Describe something you can do which would break a normal person.
Describe: Setting your jaw and powering through, shrugging it off, ignoring pain and aching muscles.
Guard Duty
[ Warfare, Exploration, Passive (situational), Prevent Bad Tale ]
While you’re patrolling, guarding, or escorting, you are acutely aware of everything happening nearby. Because of your hyper-vigilance on patrol, you may negate 1 Bad Tale which would have otherwise surprised you.
Describe: Keeping an eye out, watching the shadows, establishing lookouts, guarding the area, setting patrols.
High Ground
[ Warfare, Exploration, Free Good Tale ]
When you set foot on a battlefield, tell the GM about a strategic asset on that battlefield.
When you reach an area’s most tactically advantageous position, and you’re not already in combat, immediately tell a free Good Tale related to that location.
Describe: Planning to withstand a siege, getting a better vantage point, controlling a bottle-neck, defining lines of battle, discovering a useful device. Identifying a bottleneck.
Strong Back
[ Warfare, Exploration, Passive, Encumbrance ]
Your ability to lift and carry heavy weights exceeds normal limits. You have +5 inventory slots. Collaborate on what else this entails.
Describe: Veins pulsing, strong muscles, broad shoulders, bearing the burden.
Related Traits: Artifice.Prosthesis, Pocket Plane
Interaction
Blood on the Wind
[ Warfare, Interaction, Bond, Locate, Scry ]
Give the GM a few names of individuals who are important to you. Whenever someone important to you is in danger, the GM will let you know. As a neutral tale, you may spend a point of your signature resource to know their exact location. Spend a good tale to know what sort of danger they’re in.
Describe: Feeling it in your gut, the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, getting a dark premonition.
Brothers in Arms
[ Warfare, Interaction, Gather Intel, Bond ]
Bonds are forged in battle.
After you’ve fought side by side with someone, ask them a question. If they answer honestly, they can ask you one, which you’ll answer honestly as well.
Each time, their disposition toward you improves a little bit. After three such exchanges with the same individual, if they weren’t already, you may now consider them a close friend. Collaborate to determine what that entails.
Related Traits: Arcane.Mutual Edification
Bushido
[ Warfare, Interaction, Minion ]
When you show an NPC profound mercy or respect, their disposition toward you significantly improves. Give yourself a new resource called “NPCName’s Debt. [][][]” Spend 1 point of Debt to call in a small favor. Spend all 3 to call in a large favor. Once the resource is gone, that NPC will never become indebted to you again.
Collaborate: What constitutes a “large” favor. Does this work across distances, or should the NPC be present? How does the NPC become aware of the required favor?
Describe: Earning karma, holding others to a high standard, bringing out the best in others.
Related Traits:Nature.Fey Curse, Bardic Lore.Cameo
Cold Read
[ Warfare, Interaction, Gather Information, Consider ]
You can attempt a cold read on any visible creature,
As a neutral tale, spend a point of your signature resource, then make three guesses about any of the following:
- Their capabilities
- Their disposition towards you
- Their intended very next action
The GM will tell you which of your guesses were true.
Describe: Reading their body language, getting a gut feeling, making guesses based on their equipment.
Related Traits: Psionics.Precognition, Savagery.Gut Instinct, Bardic Lore.First Impressions
Enemy of My Enemy
[ Warfare, Interaction, Diplomacy ]
After you’ve harmed or hindered someone, one of their enemies begins to like you a little more. Their disposition toward you significantly improves. Describe how they heard about the incident and how they reach out to you.
Describe: Teaming up, forging an alliance, putting petty grudges aside, using each other towards your goals.
Gladiator
[ Warfare, Interaction, Charm ]
After you win a fight, choose someone who watched you fight. Tell the GM how they henceforth feel about you.
Describe: Showboating, an incredible display of power, pleasing the crowd, flexing your muscles.
How they Feel: Don’t cross them, they’re so sexy, I need to befriend them, I never want to fight them.
Iron Sharpens Iron
[ Warfare, Interaction, Temp Trait ]
When you train with others, you can gain 1 of your training partners’ traits (max 1) as a temporary trait for about 1 day. Each of your training partners can similarly gain 1 of your traits (max 1) as a temporary trait for about 1 day.
Describe: Practicing weapon drills, trading war stories, forging spiritual bonds, swearing oaths of loyalty.
Related Traits: Arcane.Apprentice, Transformation.Mimic
No One Left Behind
[ Warfare, Interaction, Combat, Passive, Escape ]
When someone in your party has chosen the “surrender, pass out, or die” option, you are bolstered for all rolls related to getting them to safety.
Describe: Leaping to their rescue, dragging your ally to safety, grabbing them as they fall over a cliff ledge.
Smooth RPG 