DARK AGES ABERRANT (AVATAR)

Varying Power Levels..............................................................................................................................2 Abilities................................................................................................................................................2 Talents..............................................................................................................................................2 Alertness.........................................................................................................................................2 Athletics..........................................................................................................................................3 Brawl..............................................................................................................................................3 Dodge.............................................................................................................................................3 Empathy.........................................................................................................................................3 Endurance.......................................................................................................................................4 Intimidation.....................................................................................................................................4 Legerdemain....................................................................................................................................4 Might..............................................................................................................................................4 Resistance.......................................................................................................................................4 Subterfuge......................................................................................................................................5 Skills.................................................................................................................................................5 Animal Ken......................................................................................................................................5 Archery...........................................................................................................................................5 Arts ...............................................................................................................................................5 Command........................................................................................................................................6 Commerce.......................................................................................................................................6 Etiquette.........................................................................................................................................6 Melee..............................................................................................................................................6 Performance....................................................................................................................................7 Ride................................................................................................................................................7 Stealth............................................................................................................................................7 Survival..........................................................................................................................................7 Knowledges........................................................................................................................................8 Academics.......................................................................................................................................8 Crafts.............................................................................................................................................8 Hearth Wisdom................................................................................................................................9 Investigation....................................................................................................................................9 Law................................................................................................................................................9 Linguistics.......................................................................................................................................9 Medicine........................................................................................................................................10 Occult...........................................................................................................................................10 Politics..........................................................................................................................................10 Seneschal......................................................................................................................................11 Theology.......................................................................................................................................11 Available Backgrounds..........................................................................................................................11 Allies...............................................................................................................................................11 Arcane (Cipher).................................................................................................................................12 Aura (Attunement)............................................................................................................................12 Avatar (Node)...................................................................................................................................12 Contacts...........................................................................................................................................13 Influence..........................................................................................................................................13 Mask (Dormancy)..............................................................................................................................13 Mentor.............................................................................................................................................14 Resources.........................................................................................................................................14 Retainers..........................................................................................................................................14 Weapons.............................................................................................................................................15 Merits and Flaws..................................................................................................................................16 Merits and Enhancements...................................................................................................................16 Flaws and Mask.................................................................................................................................16 Physical............................................................................................................................................16 Mental.............................................................................................................................................17 Social...............................................................................................................................................19 Quantum..........................................................................................................................................20 Names Conventions..............................................................................................................................20 Possible Aberrations..............................................................................................................................20 Aberrations and Flaws........................................................................................................................20 Low-level Aberrations.........................................................................................................................21 1

Medium-Level Aberrations..................................................................................................................22 High-Level Aberrations.......................................................................................................................24 Wheres the Juice? Modifications Used.....................................................................................................26 Dying for Power.................................................................................................................................26 Recovery Times.................................................................................................................................26

Varying Power Levels

30 nova points is a good default for most games. It tends to give a good range of power types, while leaving room for advancement. Still, it doesnt cover every possible level of play, from the low-powered street novas to fat, cracklin cosmic power o the gods. A change in starting nova points may or may not reflect a change in the worlds overall power level. Mean Streets (10-20): Characters at this level arent necessarily going to be obvious candidates for huge movers and shakers (unless theyre typical for the series power level). On the other hand, they may tend toward a more locally oriented stance. Its somewhat easier to focus a low-powered series in one city. It could be akin to Daredevil or Hitman. Look also to James Ellroys LA quartet for a sense of mood. Average Paragons (20-30): Aberrants default power level. Novas of this power level tend to have enough power to make a difference but only stand out from other novas because of their actions. This is not an indication that theyre mediocre or weak. Only slightly more than one person per million is a nova at the end of 2015, so they are quite rare. Every nova, therefore, stands out in some way. A popular, charismatic nova can, if she applies herself intelligently, make a much bigger difference than Caestus Pax ever will, despite the difference in degree of raw power. Characters at this level are equivalent to Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four at the beginning of their respective careers. Also look to novels like the Wild Cards series or Julian Mays Galactic Milieu trilogy. First Among Equals (30-50): Novas at this level are real powerhouses. Most have one or two powers at five dots and several Mega-Attributes. Characters can lay down some serious power here. The characters in Planetary or X-Force tend to be a t this level. Novas with this much power get noticed, to say the very least, and everyone (Utopia, the Teragen, etc.) wants novas with this kind of raw power working for them. Theyre perceived as more important in the scheme of things and a valuable, irreplaceable resource. Jane M. Lindskolds Athanor novels provide good inspiration for characters of this level. Movers and Shakers (50-75): Novas at this power level are few and far between and vitally important to anyone with an agenda (who doesnt mind working with novas). Project Utopia tries to grab as many for Team Tomorrow (or Proteus) assignments as they can manage simply to keep the raw power under their guidance and control. Unfortunately, even Tomorrowites have minds of their own (look at Corbin and Slider). Of course, not all are necessarily suited for membership in some factions. Its not really viable to coerce novas this powerful, but persuasion methods (like Mega-Manipulation) exist. The Uncanny X-Men and The Avengers are good comic resources for this level. Julian Mays Saga of the Pliocene Exile series and S.M. Stirlings Drakon serve as useful inspiration. Fat, Cracklin Cosmic Power 0 The Gods (75-100+): A nova with this much power is a literal god. She strides the world like a titan. She is not invulnerable, nor all-powerful, but as far as most of the rest of the world is concerned, she may as well be. Its important when starting at this power level (or any other, but it needs to be stressed here) to give a character good hooks - enemies, friends and support networks are vital. Also consider personality what its like to have this kind of power. Does the nova consider herself above petty concerns? Does she see it as her duty to use her powers to aid humanity? Does she want to take The Null Manifesto that extra step? Every action she takes has the potential to cause deep ripples or messy splashes. National governments may compose contingency plans just in case she decides to go on a rampage. The Authority and /LA offer excellent portrayals of characters at this power level and do an excellent job of conveying their importance to the world. Good books include Dan Simmons Carrion Comfort and his Hyperiod Endymion quartet. lain Banks Culture novels also serve as good inspirational material.

Abilities
TALENTS
Talents are matters of innate aptitude, requiring no training to develop, and they improve primarily or exclusively through experience. Characters get better at them only by doing them regularly. Its possible to attempt actions related to Talents that a character doesnt possess. The player simply rolls the characters Attribute dice pool without the benefit of Talent-based dice, but also without penalty. Everyone (or nearly everyone) possesses a rudimentary grasp of each Talent, even without the minimal competence required for one dots worth. Resistance, Subterfuge Alertness Alertness is the ability to notice things that are going on in ones vicinity, with or without actively searching for them. Most Alertness rolls pair this Ability with Perception, and it generally applies to physical stimuli rather than matters of mood, the soul and so on. Novice: Youre seldom taken completely by surprise. 2

 Practiced: Whispers do not go unheard in your vicinity. Competent: You maintain a constant vigil. Expert: Few hidden things are safe around you. Master: Your senses push the boundaries of human potential and rival those of the beasts of the field. Possessed By: Burglars, Hunters, Messengers, Sentries, Tramps Specialties: Ambushes, Angelic/Demonic Manifestations, Crowds, Forests, Noises, Paranoia, Traps

Athletics Athletics is aptitude for physical exertion, be it during relatively formal sports or simply in the course of an active life. Athletic feats that are directly related to combat are covered by Brawl, Melee and the other combat Abilities, except in the case of thrown weapons. These require Athletics. Novice: You lead a moderately active existence. Practiced: You can compete effectively in local sporting competitions. Competent: You can support yourself, at least in large measure, with the prizes you win in challenges of physical excellence. Expert: Stories of your prowess circulate widely. Master: Your reputation precedes you, and would-be rivals feel awe at your ability. Possessed By: Barbarians, Entertainers, Spearmen, Squires, Warriors, Youths Specialties: Dancing, Dodging, Juggling, Running, Swimming, Thrown Objects, Tumbling Brawl Brawl is the ability to fight unarmed, whether with a specific system of techniques or simply flailing away and relying on ones experience of where and how to strike. Brawling well requires coordination, speed, the ability to withstand pain and the willingness to deal out unfair assaults, particularly against strong or quick opponents. Novice: You dont immediately fold in the face of a fight. Practiced: Youve had your share of tussles with neighbors and other local brawlers. Competent: You fight with confidence and competence, and you can count on winning or at least coming through a fight and remaining standing. Expert: You can take on most opponents and expect to win. Master: You do as much with your fists as many soldiers and knights do with their weapons. Possessed By: Brigands, Bullies, Soldiers Specialties: Arm-locks, Boxing, Drunken Fighting, Grappling, Showing Off, Throws, Wrestling Dodge Dodge is the ability to get out of harms way, whether in combat or in the face of other sorts of danger. It encompasses the use of cover and agile maneuvering, and it comes from the systematic training of a knight or the rough-and-ready experience and instincts of a thief or brawler. Dodge plays a crucial role in the survival of any character who fights often, greatly increasing his chances of escaping damage. Novice: You reflexively avoid most minor sources of injury and show a measure of grace in your movements. Practiced: Youre hard to hurt unless someone or something catches you by surprise. Competent: It takes serious effort for an opponent to hit you; you get out of the way of most thrown objects as well as immediate dangers. Expert: Only skilled warriors can expect to hurt you very much. Master: Wherever a threat is, youre almost inevitably somewhere else. Possessed By: Animal Trainers, Brawlers, Criminals, Hunters, Scouts, Soldiers Specialties: Backstep, Dive, Duck, Find Cover, Horseback, Leap, Sidestep Empathy Empathy is the ability to understand others emotional states and to present a suitable response whether the character genuinely sympathizes with others or simply wishes to use them. Its crucial in unraveling motives and helpful in detecting dishonesty. Novice: You seem sympathetic to people with whom you share something in common. Practiced: You share others joys and sorrows, even when you havent made any particular effort at it. Competent: You display keen insights into others souls and enjoy a measure of respect or fear depending on how you use your wisdom. Expert: Few people can deceive you. Enemies mutter that you deal with dark powers, and friends believe that God has given you a special perception. Master: Nothing human is mysterious to you. Possessed By: Commanders, Diviners, Gossips, Merchants, Parents, Priests, Tricksters Specialties: Background Emotions, Emotions, Family Problems, Long-Term Concerns, Personalities, Truths 3

Endurance This talent describes the capability to endure long-term exposure to severe conditions. This Ability differs From Resistance in that Endurance sustains your characters energy level over long periods of time. All novas start with at least three (free) dots in Endurance. Novice Practiced Competent (Baseline Nova) Expert Master Specialties: Fasting, Holding Breath, Long-Distance Exertion, Sleep Loss Intimidation Intimidation is the ability to make others do what you want, not out of respect or conviction but out of fear of the consequences if they disobey. It may include the use of threats, physical force or purely psychological tactics, depending on the individual. Novice: You can reliably get your way with much weaker targets. Practiced: People around you know that when you make threats, you mean them, and they try not to cross you. Competent: You exert the commanding presence of an authority figure, regardless of your actual status. Expert: Even those who like you feel some nervousness in your presence, and the masses fear your wrath. Master: You are well on your way to becoming one of the legendary tyrants of the age. Possessed By: Bullies, Commanders, Lords, Thugs, Torturers Specialties: Blackmail, Overt Threats, Physical Coercion, Politics, Pulling Rank, Staredowns, Veiled Threats Legerdemain Legerdemain is ability to perform feats of manual dexterity, ranging from picking a purse from a belt, to juggling and feats of trickery such as palming objects. It encompasses the stealth and concealment involved in using that dexterity without being noticed, such as when palming an object or performing a conjuring trick. Novice: Youve sometimes taken very small items when nobody was looking and gotten away with it. Practiced: You can rob alms boxes and steal from blind beggars with impunity, and you are good enough at sleight-of-hand to entertain local gatherings. Competent: You can gracefully make off with nearly anything that isnt nailed down, and you have the polished manner of a professional entertainer, even if thats not your chosen livelihood. Expert: When you perform your tricks, they seem genuinely supernatural to most observers. Master: People wonder if perhaps supernatural powers are performing the thefts you commit, thanks to your audacity and the lack of any clues left behind. Possessed By: Beggars, Jesters, Minstrels, Robbers Specialties: Concealment, Conjuring Tricks, Juggling, Picking Purses Might This Ability encompasses physical fitness and feats of focused muscle power. It rates lifting, climbing, jumping and throwing competence. While such tasks can be accomplished with brute force, Might helps your character use his physical power to maximum effect. Novice: You lead a moderately active existence. Practiced: You can compete effectively in local sporting competitions. Competent: You can support yourself, at least in large measure, with the prizes you win in challenges of physical excellence. Expert: Stories of your prowess circulate widely. Master: Your reputation precedes you, and would-be rivals feel awe at your ability. Possessed By: Barbarians, Entertainers, Spearmen, Squires, Warriors, Youths Specialties: Climb, Dead Lift, Leap, Throw Resistance Resistance allows your character to temporarily combat the effects of physical pain or chemicals. This Ability can be used to restore dice lost due to injury and resist interrogation. All novas start with at least three (free) dots in Resistance. Novice Practiced Competent (Baseline Nova) Expert Master Specialties: Ignore Pain, Resist Disease, Resist Drugs, Resist Interrogation 4

Subterfuge Subterfuge is the ability to lie convincingly and to conceal ones own motives and feelings. It serves legitimate as well as criminal purposes: Diplomats and even confessors sometimes use it to draw out information from others. Novice: You get away with small lies most of the time. Practiced: Youre seldom questioned about your chosen explanations. Competent: You maintain the trustworthy demeanor of a professional thief and liar. Expert: Even wise and noble souls are pawns in your schemes. Master: Whenever the accusations fly, youre the last one anyone doubts. Possessed By: Courtiers, Charlatans, Heretics, Minstrels, Spies, Wooers Specialties: Changing the Subject, Finding Weaknesses, Flattery, Patter, Seduction, Selective Omission

SKILLS
Skills are all arts that people learn through apprenticeship or other disciplined instruction. Its possible to attempt actions covered by Skills without having enough training for one dots worth of the Skill in question, but the roll suffers a +1 difficulty penalty. Stealth, Survival Animal Ken Animal Ken is an understanding of beasts actions and desires. It allows one to predict their behavior, control them in difficult situations and train them. Novice: You work well with domesticated animals. Practiced: You understand the ways of all the animals that are common in your vicinity, and you can train those species most susceptible to it, such as horses and dogs. Competent: Youre a skilled hunter and tracker, and you work well even with difficult animals. Everyone in the area knows youre the one to come to when theres animal trouble. Expert: No domesticated animal resists your will, and most wild beasts regard you with at least some good will. Master: People compare your spiritual harmony with animals to Saint Franciss. Possessed By: Cavalry, Falconers, Grooms, Hermits, Kennel Masters, Lords Specialties: Bears, Birds of Prey, Dogs, Farm Animals, Fish, Horses, Rodents, Snakes Archery Archery is the ability to use bows, the most common ranged weapon of the era. Experienced archers also know how to maintain and repair their weapons, and even how to make them. Archery covers crossbows and other related weapons. It does not cover spears or other thrown weapons. Using those weapons requires Athletics. Novice: You can shoot adequately as long as the situation isnt too distracting. You can maintain a bow, but not repair it. Practiced: You can hunt and fight competently with the bow. You can maintain and repair a bow, but not craft a new one. Competent: You use a bow with grace and style, and you can make weapons that are respected for their craftsmanship. Expert: Warlords and others who need superior archers seek you out. Master: Neither distance, darkness nor anything else seems capable of stopping your arrows from going precisely where you want them to. Possessed By: Bandits, Foresters, Guards, Poachers, Tournament-Circuit Competitors Specialties: Ambush, Fields, Forests, Horseback, Hunting, Moving Targets, Quick Shot, Target Arts Arts rates level of talent in the visual or creative arts, from drawing to writing to sculpture. This Ability also imparts knowledge of the culture and society of a particular art form. Characters with high Arts argue persuasively, regardless of the extent to which the truth may support them. They can bring out subtle truths or convey subtle deceptions, depending on how they use their ability. Expression, although used when composing written texts, does not cover the ability to actually read and write (thats Academics). Novice: Sometimes you find just the right words. Practiced: You routinely speak well, and (if you are literate) you can correspond reasonably clearly. Competent: You can make a living with the spoken and written word, and you can count on winning arguments. Expert: Your sermons, proclamations or other acts of expression garner widespread respect, and others copy your style. Master: Your fame runs far and wide among devotees of good style, and others find it nearly impossible to argue against you. Possessed By: Minstrels, Poets, Preachers, Rabble-Rousers, Teachers Specialties: Acting, Conversation, Drawing, Improvisation, Painting, Poetry, Preaching, Sculpture, Storytelling 5

Command Command is the ability to make others carry out orders. It doesnt change their underlying outlook or convictions; it lets the would-be leader seem credible and worthy of respect based on whatever their standards are. Its usually rolled with Charisma rather than Manipulation to reflect this distinction. Novice: Youve organized small ventures in your hometown with moderate success. Practiced: You routinely direct small groups of your neighbors and peers. Competent: Your duties include the exercise of authority, such as serving as captain of the guard or abbot of a monastery, and you discharge them well. Expert: You act capably as a leader of people throughout your region. Master: You are, or can be if you choose, a great warlord, pillar of the Church or other famous leader of your time. Possessed By: Commanders, Constables, Ecclesiastical Authorities, Family Patriarchs, Nobles Specialties: Commands, Compelling, Friendly, Noble, Oratory, Pious, Stern Commerce Commerce is the ability to successfully bring goods to market, with all that entails. It includes the ability to evaluate goods and to identify who would want them, a knowledge of trade routes and fairs and skill at negotiating prices. Commerce is a catch-all Ability, and you should choose one class of goods as a field of expertise when you first purchase it. You can buy additional fields of expertise with experience or bonus points within standard limits. You can use Commerce outside your field of expertise to identify potential markets and experts in the field and to negotiate and haggle over just about anything. Evaluating an item or a trade route with which you have no experience is beyond you, and it counts as acting without the required Ability. In the Dark Medieval, the line between legitimate and illegitimate trade is blurry to non-existent, and Commerce comes into play just as much when buying cheese as when hiring a mercenary, soliciting a prostitute or selling stolen goods. As such, Commerce conveys a general sense of the shadier side of life what modern folk might call being streetwise. Novice: You can get a fair price when you bring the harvest to market. Practiced: You can broker exchanges in your field of expertise and know who in the vicinity deals in what trades, legitimate or otherwise. Competent: You can make a good living as a merchant or moneylender. You can draw on the expertise of those in other trades without difficulty. Expert: You are one of the preeminent experts in your field, and you are rarely (if ever) taken advantage of. No market is closed to you. Master: You are a master merchant, expert in commerce spanning the continent. Possessed By: Artisans, Farmers, Mercenaries, Neer-do-wells, Prostitutes, Traders Specialties: Evaluation, Negotiation, Swindling, Trade Routes Fields of Expertise: Clothing, Foodstuffs, Livestock, Mercenaries, Relics, Silks, Slaves, Spices, Stolen Goods, Wine, etc. Etiquette Etiquette is the understanding of social customs in one or more cultures and the ability to behave as becomes one of their members. Characters begin with this knowledge as it applies to the land and class into which they were born. Mastery of Etiquette encompasses speech, movement, dress, furnishings and the like. Novice: You avoid most social gaffes and seem reasonably well behaved in the culture you know best. Practiced: You can conduct yourself without embarrassment in your cultures version of high society. Competent: You understand principles of social organization well enough to respond calmly to unexpected and unfamiliar circumstances. Expert: Lords and bishops admire your conduct. Master: You set the standard to which others try to hew. Possessed By: Children, Courtiers, Envoys, Guild Masters, Handmaidens, Heralds, Nobles Specialties: Courtly Manners, Family Traditions, Foreign Customs, Peasants, Professional Conduct, Street Culture Melee Melee is the ability to fight with hand-to-hand weapons, from sticks and clubs to swords and more exotic weapons, depending on the details of the characters training. Like Archery, Melee includes the ability to maintain ones weapons (and even to make them), but manufacturing metal weapons requires Crafts. Novice: You can handle simple weapons and any weapons that are particularly popular in the area where you grew up. You can maintain but not repair a weapon. Practiced: You can fight moderately well with common weapons. You can do basic repairs on an axe or other simple melee weapon. Competent: You know how to use a variety of weapons well, and you can make a living as a professional soldier if you choose. You can do basic repairs on a sword or more complex melee weapon. You can manufacture simple melee weapons. Expert: You routinely distinguish yourself in battles, tournaments and other martial displays. 6

 Master: Everyone who uses your favored weapons knows your deeds which may breed challenges as well as respect. Possessed By: Barbarians, Guards, Lords, Soldiers, Thieves Specialties: Axes, Clubs, Disarms, Knives, Multiple Opponents, Rapid Draws, Swords, Team Tactics Performance Performance is the ability to perform artistic feats. It covers both the technical aspects of the chosen form of expression and the social knowledge of what audiences like. Performance is a catch-all Ability, and you should choose a field of expertise when you first purchase it. You can buy additional fields of expertise with experience or bonus points. Performance is useful outside your field of expertise to evaluate anothers skill. Novice: You can entertain friends and family when more skillful alternatives arent available. Practiced: You take part in local entertainments on a regular basis, and you do fairly well at them. Competent: You can make a living as an entertainer, and you enjoy a reputation as a good one to call upon. Expert: Your fellow performers study your work carefully. The masses flock to see you in your specialty. Master: You can pick and choose your audiences, and you are always in demand almost everywhere you go. Possessed By: Musicians, Troubadours, Actors, Ladies, Spinsters, Monks and Nuns Specialties: Bawdy, Composition, Courtly Fields of Expertise: Acting, Dance, Percussion, Singing, Stringed Instruments, Wind Instruments Ride Ride is the ability to travel astride a horse or other riding animal, keeping it under control in varying circumstances. Experienced riders can fight from horseback, tend horses common ailments and evaluate the quality of their mounts and related gear. Novice: You can get around on a good mount as long as things dont get complicated. Practiced: You can hunt, chase and sustain long rides safely, if not always comfortably. Competent: Horses hold very few surprises for you, and you can fight from horseback without penalty. Expert: You can engage in fancy stunts and keep your horse calm and healthy in the midst of dangerous, rapidly changing situations. Youre the one who gets called on when most people fall and fail. Master: Alexander the Great and his Bucephelas were no closer than you are with your favored steeds, as troubadours routinely remind their audiences. Possessed By: Circuit Officials, Crusaders, Huntsmen, Knights, Merchants, Messengers, Nobles, Travelers Specialties: Combat, Forest, Jumping, Speed, Stealth, Stunts Stealth Stealth is the ability to move without alerting others to enter without permission, remain undetected while about ones self-appointed business and to leave without creating a stir. You generally roll this Skill in combination with Dexterity against observers Perception + Alertness. It does not cover sleight-of-hand, which is the domain of Legerdemain. Novice: You can make your way through familiar places without attracting attention as long as no ones searching very actively for you. Practiced: You can hide yourself fairly well in familiar places, and you can hide reasonably well in unfamiliar places that are related to something you know, such as any church following the standard orientation. Competent: You move in mysterious ways, and it takes dedicated effort to keep you out of most places youd like to go. Expert: You enjoy the reputation of being able to bypass almost all barriers which makes you a frequent target of suspicion, as well as valuable to those who have need of stealthy allies. Master: You feature in ballads of master thieves, questing knights who make their way into the Grail Castle and others who triumph over all obstacles. Your gift seems holy or wicked depending on how you apply it. Possessed By: Burglars, Hunters, Scouts, Shy People, Spies Specialties: Crawling, Crowds, Prowl, Shadows, Wilderness, Tracking Survival This is the ability to cope with the challenges of harsh environments: shelter, navigating to civilization, foraging for food and water, hunting and so on. It includes knowledge of the common threats posed by a particular sort of wilderness, such as forest or swamp. Stealth rolls in wilderness cannot include more dice from Stealth than the character has dots in Survival. Novice: You can cope with the routine challenges of whatever sort of wilderness was closest to your home.

 Practiced: You wont starve in most environments, though it wont be comfortable until you get to the next settlement. Competent: You can get yourself and others to safety in most circumstances, and you can make an effective living off the fruits of hunting, trapping and the like. Expert: You can blaze new paths through unbroken wilderness and cope with almost any challenge that the natural world can throw at you. Master: The dark powers of the night (and day) in the lands beyond civilization hold no terror for you. Possessed By: Bandits, Barbarians, Crusaders, Penitents, Pilgrims, Refugees Specialties: Coasts and Shallows, Deep Sea, Deserts, Foraging, Forests, Hunting, Marshes and Swamps, Mountains, Tracking, Trailblazing

KNOWLEDGES
Knowledges are Abilities that require intellectual mastery of information. They almost always require rolls with Mental Traits, though some other sort of Attribute may prove useful occasionally. Apart from the most general popular lore, characters who lack dots in a particular Knowledge cant even attempt an action requiring it. Note that although the descriptions of what characters with various scores in a Knowledge can do refer to formal academic instruction, this isnt the only way to develop a Knowledge. Individual teaching and institutional tutoring in non-academic contexts also let people learn these Abilities. Academics, Crafts, Hearth Wisdom, Investigation, Law, Linguistics, Medicine, Occult, Politics, Seneschal, Theology Academics Academics covers the standard curriculum of the Middle Ages: the trivium of grammar, rhetoric and dialectic and the quadrivium of arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy. Anyone who attends university learns the lore of the world divided into these two categories. Any character who acquired Academics within the last 300 years must choose the trivium or quadrivium as an initial field of expertise (and can acquire the other one later). Only truly exceptional characters can escape this requirement. Any other categories seem strange at best (and actively suspicious at worst) to conventionally educated people. Your character must know Latin, requiring Linguistics 1, to acquire the second dot in Academics. Dabbler: You know rudimentary Latin and the most fundamental authorities in your field of expertise. Student: You can construct solid arguments, and you know some of the important commentaries in each area your expertise covers. Learned: You can make a living instructing others. You know some Greek and possibly other languages in addition to Latin, and your own commentaries and glosses earn the respect of your peers. Scholar: Lay people admire your mind, but they may feel that youve neglected the rest of life for the sake of learning. You can confidently advise potentates on important matters. Master: Any library on the subjects in which you specialize seems inadequate without your works. Possessed By: Court Officials, Monks, Priests, Scribes, Tutors Specialties: Instruction, Quoting Text, Research Fields of Expertise: Trivium, Quadrivium Crafts Crafts is a catch-all Ability covering skill at making and fixing things with your hands and evaluating such work by others. Skilled craftsmen produce works known for their beauty as well as their utility. You must choose a field of expertise when you first purchase Crafts and buy additional ones with experience or bonus points within standard limits. You can use Crafts outside your field(s) of expertise to undertake basic repairs and evaluate the craftsmanship and condition of an object, but not to build anything new. Doing so is considered acting without the required Ability. In the Dark Medieval, the Crafts Skill covers what will in later centuries become applied sciences such as engineering. Architecture, metallurgy and so on are all fields of expertise under Crafts. Novice: You can repair broken goods and make gear that more or less does what its supposed to. Practiced: You can attend to the needs of people in your immediate vicinity for the craft you know. Competent: You can make a good living as an artisan or craftsman, and you enjoy the respect of all who call on your services. Expert: You routinely make excellent goods that are treasured widely for their elegance and durability. Master: Youre one of the leading craftsmen in your field, and you can pick and choose from clients across several countries. Possessed By: Artisans, Farmers, Ladies, Pilgrims, Soldiers, Townsfolk Specialties: Detail, Evaluation, Fast Work, Invention, Metalworking, Organization, Sanitation Fields of Expertise: Architecture, Armory, Blacksmithing, Boat-Building, Jewelry, Masonry, Sewing & Embroidery, Woodworking, etc.

Hearth Wisdom This is the lore of the people, as opposed to the academy. Its unsystematic, but in its haphazard way, it covers the body of knowledge accumulated by peasants, traders and other people who do not benefit from servants or live in isolation. It includes mundane matters such as which plants and animals are safe to eat in the area, which herbs are good for cooking and for medicinal purposes, signs of impending bad (or good) weather, rules of thumb for resolving domestic disputes and the folk wisdom regarding the dangers (supernatural and otherwise) of the night. Unlike other Knowledges, those characters without Hearth Wisdom can attempt feats that require it, but they do so at a +2 difficulty. Despite its diversity of topics, Hearth Wisdom is not a catch-all Ability with fields of expertise. Dabbler: You know all the common fireside tales of your home and you can recall them at need. Student: You know the obscure and traditional lore of your region, and very little even if its strange and dangerous takes you by surprise within the fields you know. Learned: You quickly acquire the lore of any area you pass through, and others know that when the unseen world makes itself visible, youre the one who most likely knows what to do about it. Scholar: You are famous for your knowledge of mysterious affairs, and some fear you because of the potential for pacts with dark forces that your explorations afford. Master: Your supreme insights into strange matters make you the target of pleas from individuals both high and low who suffer mysterious depredations. Possessed By: Farmers, Herbalists, Hermits, Magicians, Matrons, Village Elders, Witches Specialties: By county or region (southern France, northern France, England, Bavaria, etc.), and Arabic, Cures, Jewish, Omens, Wards Investigation Investigation is the ability to systematically examine ones environment and analyze the results. Its the central tool for judicial inquiries, religious searches for heresy and the like. It includes a grasp of the principles of research as well as an eye for detail. Dabbler: You regularly see things that others miss, and its hard for the people of your home to keep secrets if you choose to seek them out. Student: You know how to extract information from others without alarming them, and you can unravel many mysteries. Learned: You can make a living as a professional investigator for religious or secular purposes, and even if you practice some other trade, your acuity is widely respected. Scholar: The most complex and best-concealed matters unravel themselves when you confront them. Master: When all other means fail and the holy saints do not choose to intervene directly with supernatural revelations, people who are bedeviled by mysteries turn to you. Possessed By: Bounty Hunters, Confessors, Constables, Judges, Parents, Spies, Tax Collectors Specialties: Accounting, Locate Informant, Record-Keeping, Search, Stalking Law Law is the body of knowledge about justice and its applications to practical affairs. In the Dark Medieval world, Law covers two wildly different subjects: the organic (not to mention chaotic and contradictory) accumulation of common law based on case-by-case rulings, and the rigorous, academic tradition grounded in Roman law and guided by logic and theology. The higher a characters social rank is, the more the latter dominates. Canon law, the religious law of the Church, draws primarily on Roman law for its assumptions and principles of development, and scholars in canon law have a significant advantage in familiarity when issues of Roman-based secular law arise. The same applies to secular legalists trying to deal with canon law. Dabbler: You know all the important laws of your home and a good sample of the less important or less frequently invoked ones. Student: You can defend yourself and your comrades against most charges, and you know the grounds on which to accuse others, as long as youve had a while to study the laws of the area. Learned: You can make a living as a lawyer or advisor to a court, secular or religious depending on your specialization. People in your vicinity seek you out for legal advice. Scholar: Your views on the proper application of law shape practice in wide-ranging areas. Master: Youre revered as one of the great legal theorists of the age. Possessed By: Constables, Criminals, Judges, Kings, Lords Specialties: Canon Law, Diplomacy, Feudal Obligations, Laws of Ownership and Inheritance, Local Law, Sentencing Linguistics Linguistics is the knowledge of languages other than the one most common in a characters childhood. Every character begins with one language for free. Growing mastery of Linguistics covers the principles underlying languages, their relations and evolution as well as the contents of specific tongues. Dark Medieval Europe is a warren of dialects and regional tongues, but (at the Storytellers discretion) you can assume that skill in one major language comes with understanding of its major variants and dialects. Major languages include 9

Latin, Occitan, French (or Francien), English (Middle English), Castilian, the various Italian dialects, the various Germanic dialects, Greek and many more. Dabbler: One extra language. Student: Two extra languages. Learned: Four extra languages. Scholar: Eight extra languages. Master: 16 extra languages. Possessed By: Diplomats, Dock Workers, Interpreters, Merchants, Priests, Scholars, Travelers Specialties: Diplomacy, Politics, Profanity, Technical Terms, Theology Medicine Medicine is the lore of the human body (and, to a lesser degree, the body as transformed by vampirism, lycanthropy and other exotic conditions). Depending on a characters particular inclination, it may cover both practical relief of trauma and injury, as well as the academic tradition based in Greek and Roman scholarship, which is often greatly mistaken about the realities of anatomy and physiology. Medicine also covers the knowledge of which herbs and plants are useful for remedying ills. Dabbler: You can fix minor wounds and help people recover from fevers, minor infections and the like. Student: You can deal with most common problems, not providing luxury or instant relief from misery but at least keeping people alive long enough for normal healing to run its course. Learned: You can make a living as a surgeon or other medical professional. If you do something else for a living, such as mercenary soldiering, you nonetheless regularly get requests for aid. Scholar: If you devote yourself to treating others, the area in which you live enjoys a particular reputation for health and prosperity. You often achieve new insights into pressing medical problems. Master: Popular accounts describe how you and the spirit of Hippocrates work together to cheat the imps of Hell from the dying souls theyd otherwise claim. Possessed By: Apothecaries, Barbers, Field Surgeons, Ladies, Midwives, Squires Specialties: Battle Wounds, Childbirth, Diagnosis, Disease, First Aid, Herbs, Minor Surgery, Poison Treatment Occult Occult encompasses all the lores of supernatural power, most especially those that derive from formal studies, experimentation and treaties (and hence beyond Hearth Wisdom). Occult generally provides a more focused body of knowledge, with a somewhat higher ratio of truth to error and distortion, but inevitably one field bleeds into the next. Occultists can and do acquire smatterings of information about a great many subjects. The higher a characters Occult score is, the more generally reliable the results of his Occult rolls are. There is a certain overlap between Occult and Theology when it comes to a knowledge of the powers of saints or recognizing the miraculous. Dabbler: You know the general framework of the good and evil (and neutral) powers at work in your area. Student: You understand many things about the supernatural world. You may have had some direct experience with supernatural beings, though you likely misunderstood at least some of what happened to you. Learned: Youre known as a scholar of the mysterious, regarded with a hopelessly tangled mixture of fear and respect by those who need you to explain the supernatural to them. You may have regular contact with some sort of supernatural being. Scholar: The mysteries of the night society lie open before you. If you possess any significant social rank, some secular or religious authority probably wants you as an advisor. Master: The demon named Legion may seek you out for a second try at defeating the ages holiest man, but it wont win. Possessed By: Heretics, Inquisitors, Judges, Magicians, Pagans, Priests, Satanists, Witch-Hunters Specialties: Ancient Secrets, Paganism, Qabbala, Sufism, Vampires, Witches Politics Politics is the theory and practice of governance: what ancient and modern governors have written and how people respond to authority of various sorts. It includes insights into how people gain power, how they maintain it and how they lose it. High levels of Politics include more theory and more information about the practices of realms far from home. Dabbler: You know how things work in your home community, and you can usually use the local system to get what you want. Student: You deal confidently with the authorities if youre outside the hierarchy, or confidently with the governed populace if you hold some local office. Learned: You know how to make use of the hierarchy at every level that touches your existence, and you can conduct yourself effectively whenever you need to deal with political matters. Scholar: Youre known widely as a competent governor or advisor, and your comments garner widespread respect. Master: People look to you as a modern Plato or Cicero. 10

Possessed By: Counselors, Courtiers, Heralds, Jesters, Lords Specialties: City, Feudal Obligations, Heraldry, Historical, Religious Seneschal Seneschal is the ability to administer holdings, from households to kingdoms. It covers the knowledge of physical assets and their needs, from crop harvesting to the maintenance of buildings, and the social skills to coordinate others labor, resolve disputes, keep those who must be paid satisfied and so on. A skilled seneschal can evaluate the state of others holdings based on personal experience and theoretical knowledge, too. Dabbler: You can keep your familys household going smoothly and manage a few other resources as long as theres no intense pressure or stress. Student: You can manage a business or manor and keep almost everyone involved reasonably happy. Learned: You successfully oversee multiple properties over an extended area, even in times of war, famine and other calamity. Scholar: Rulers know that they can give you custody of their lands and goods and get them back in better condition than you received them. Master: Preachers illustrate the contemporary significance of the parable of the talents with stories of your accomplishments. Possessed By: Innkeepers, Knights, Lords, Seneschals, Stewards, Wives Specialties: Common Households, Farms, Feudal Estates, Inheritance, Noble Households, Religious Orders, Urban Holdings Theology Theology is the lore of the queen of the sciences, the study of Gods will in all things. It combines historical scholarship with logic and a measure of artistic expression. Theology by itself does not make a character articulate, but it can provide the information necessary for effective persuasion, and its crucial in evaluating many social matters. Nothing human or physical lies outside the scope of Gods commandments, as heretics and the orthodox agree, and there is a theological dimension to political, economic and other disagreements. Keep in mind that, for medieval people, this is not a matter of unfounded supposition and personal conviction, but of knowable truths susceptible to reasoned analysis. It is as rigorous a matter as medicine or ballistics. Dabbler: You know the major tenets of whatever faith prevails in your home, and you grasp the essential spirit of common doctrines even when youre unclear on details. Student: You know holy writ and important teachings, past and present. Learned: You can debate the technical points of right belief, as you understand it, and readily understand the beliefs of others even when you disagree with them. Scholar: Heretics and infidels fear to contest with you, and youre a pillar of the community of faith wherever you are. Master: You are a latter-day Saint Paul or Saint Peter, depending on whether you turn your attention primarily to winning unbelievers hearts or ministering to the needs of those who already believe. Possessed By: Devout Laymen, Heretics, Magicians, Monks, Priests, Troubadours Specialties: Confession, Debate, Exposition, Heresy, Orthodoxy

Available Backgrounds
ALLIES
Allies are mortal men and women who support the character. They may be members of his family, friends (from before or after his entry into the supernatural world), fellow members of an organization to which he gives allegiance, or related to him in some other way. Whatever the case, they provide him with aid willingly and without coercion. Theyre not always available in crucial moments the Storyteller may limit their availability in varying degrees and theyre not bound to provide aid to the point of suicide. The details of your characters allies depend on your imagination and your Storytellers approval. Temporal and religious authorities, people prominent in commerce or a professional, family figures and the like are all possibilities. Describe your characters allies before play begins, so that you and your Storyteller both know what youre talking about. Storytellers Option: With your Storytellers approval, your characters allies can be Novas. Your Storyteller may wish to require one more dot than usual for an ally of this type. If you try this approach and your Storyteller agrees, remember that unusual allies may mark your character for attention from powerful forces who regard the alliance as a threat or as something to exploit for the examiners own ends. Benefit and hazard go hand-in-hand. One ally of moderate influence and power in the immediate community. Two allies, both of moderate power locally and some influence in the county or region. Three allies, one of whom wields significant power, official or otherwise. Four allies, one of whom is extremely influential. Five allies, one of whom is a major force in an important institution and can provide aid from far away. 11

ARCANE (CIPHER)

Many novas wish to maintain private lives away from the bustle of fame. The Arcane background can represent a number of things - an aptitude for hiding secrets, lack of interaction with kingdoms, possibly even one or more alternate identities. For each dot you possess in Arcane, the Storyteller adds an additional level of difficulty to any investigations into your character. This Background may fluctuate if you dont maintain a certain level of secrecy. The Storyteller should determine if theres a risk that new information develops in the wake of your characters activities. A couple of your secrets are well hidden. Records of your existence are well hidden. You project the identity you wish to project. Even you have trouble remembering. Your secrets are completely safe.

AURA (ATTUNEMENT)

Generally speaking, a novas quantum powers affect only her own body. Novas with this Background have learned the trick of charging objects with their own quantum signatures, thereby permitting the objects to survive the rigors of the novas powers so long as they remain in contact with the novas body. Aura is most commonly used to prevent a novas clothing and small personal effects from being damaged or destroyed by her transformations. For example, a nova with Aura 1 could charge her clothing, allowing it to remain undamaged even if she activates powers like Immolate, Growth, Density Decrease, Bodymorph or Shapeshifting. Aura costs one quantum point per scene and confers absolutely no protection against other novas quantum powers. Charged objects may be organic or inorganic. Dots in Aura govern the maximum amount of weight affected by Aura. 4 lbs (a set of clothes) 10 lbs (a travel bag or trunk) 20 lbs 55 lbs (a piece of light furniture) 200 lbs (another person)

AVATAR (NODE)
The Avatar is the measure of power that a nova exhibits. It is their connection to the cosmos. It is also the secret to channeling the gifts they have been given. But at the same time it can affect their psyches and their bodies in strange, often deadly, ways. A character with this Background has a developed Avatar. Note the word developed. All novas, even those without this Trait, have an Avatar. Most novas dont take the Avatar Background; they get by with the basic Avatar that all novas have. Avatar as a Background signifies that the novas Avatar is better developed, or channels quantum energies better, than the typical Avatar. Thus, a nova with Avatar tends to be more powerful than others of his kind. He can use more quantum points per turn, can recover them quicker and possesses certain other powers. In general terms, he is more efficient at processing quantum energies than other novas. However, he is also more likely to suffer from Taint. For example, a character with Avatar 4 gains two points of Taint. Aberrations associated with the Avatar Background are typically mental or psychological ones. In some cases, a high Avatar rating may manifest as a bulge in the characters forehead near the mystical Third Eye. The larger the Avatar, the more likely that mental problems will occur, and the more extensive those problems are likely to be. By the time the Avatar reaches the third level, a problem of some sort is guaranteed. The human body and brain, even when augmented by quantum powers, are simply too fragile to handle the awesome energies coursing through them without being changed in some way. Other effects of having a highly developed Avatar include: Quantum Recovery: A nova with Avatar recovers spent quantum points more quickly than one without, adding her Avatar rating to her normal rate of quantum-point recovery. Many novas think of the Avatar as a recharger that juices up their quantum batteries quickly. Quantum Detection: As a receptacle for quantum energies, a Avatar also enables a nova to detect sources or conduits of quantum energies. To detect a quantum source, the nova takes a full turn to concentrate, then the player rolls her Avatar rating as a dice pool. Range of the attempt is 10 meters per dot in Avatar. Difficulty is typically standard, though the Storyteller can increase it in the case of trace amounts of quantum energies. Success indicates the nova detects a source of quantum energy in the area. Succeeding on this roll does not let a nova pinpoint an invisible or hidden character, but it does enable her to detect a shape shifted or dormed down nova for what it is. The player of a nova with the Mask Background may roll his Background rating in a resisted roll against any attempt at quantum detection; successes on this roll cancel out the scanning novas successes on a one-forone basis. X Nova can spend 6 quantum per turn. Nova can spend 8 quantum per turn. Nova can spend 10 quantum per turn. Nova can spend 12 quantum per turn, automatically has one point of Taint. Nova can spend 15 quantum per turn, automatically has two points of Taint. 12

 Nova can spend 20 quantum per turn, automatically has three points of Taint.

CONTACTS
Contacts are people who are willing to provide the character with information, though they are unlikely to offer any service beyond that. Each level of Contacts includes a specific individual, for whom you should work out a description, and a surrounding halo of lower-grade connections throughout a social stratum. If you have a specific contact in the local cathedral, for instance, you can also get at least rudimentary information out of some vicars, deacons and altar boys in the area. If your contact is the harbormaster, you can count on getting some information from sailors, longshoremen and tavern-keepers nearby. The difficulty of rolls to extract information from these secondary contacts is always greater than ones involving the individuals with whom your character deals most often, however at least 7, and perhaps higher, depending upon how rapidly you want the information or how esoteric the information is. When your character needs information in the utmost hurry, roll Wits + Contacts against a difficulty of 7. Each success produces a distinct piece of information relevant to the topic. Your character needs potentially useful people in the area for this to work, though. (Even the best roll is unlikely to turn up anything if your character is searching for advice on conditions in the Mediterranean Sea among Scottish peasants, for instance.) To gather information over time, your character can put out queries and wait for the results to trickle back in. Roll Charisma + Contacts against difficulty 7. Each success produces one specific piece of information and takes a week to come in. You can shorten this time to three days per piece by raising the difficulty to 8, or one day per piece by raising the difficulty to 9. One major contact and two or three secondary contacts. Two major contacts and about five secondary contacts. Three major contacts and eight to 10 secondary contacts. Four major contacts and 10 to 15 secondary contacts. Five major contacts and a great many secondary contacts (almost anyone in the general field of experience in the area may share some information).

INFLUENCE
Influence measures the degree to which your character can make her wishes count in mortal society. In most cases, shes acquired influence through multiple means, including persuasion, bribery, intimidation, direct manipulation of minds and emotions and passing herself off as mortal when necessary. It takes time to accumulate more than a dot or two of Influence in a community of any size, and high Influence ratings are ordinarily the realm of those who are prepared to spend years or even decades cultivating their position. Nor is Influence license to do whatever strikes your characters fancy. Its always easiest to get institutions to do what theyre already inclined to. Constables need little prodding to arrest suspicious strangers or break up illicit operations whose owners havent been paying bribes lately, for instance, but they require more incentive to go out killing apparently innocent bystanders or trying to arrest the most important civic leaders. Roleplaying therefore supports straightforward declarations of Influence use, and more so as the character twists the institutions purpose and outlook. The exercise of the Influence Background contributes a great deal to the inevitable tainting of institutions in the Dark Medieval world. It takes time to discredit or undermine believers in a cause and to replace them with susceptible pawns and leaders who are willing to abandon moral restraint in their sundry pursuits. Each level of Influence reduces the difficulty of relevant social rolls by one. Keep in mind that this applies to the field and area in which your character has influence: Influence among the clergy of Provence matters not at all when dealing with the beer brewers of Vienna. Moderately influential: Significant in the affairs of a city or parish. Well-connected: Significant in the affairs of a county or diocese. Position of influence: A force to be reckoned with throughout several counties or an archdiocese. Great personal power: A force in the life of a nation or transnational order. Vastly influential: A power behind the throne of the Church, or behind more than one national throne.

MASK (DORMANCY)
Generally speaking, most novas are readily identifiable as such. Not only are their physiques too perfect, their bodies tailored to handle energies beyond human comprehension, but many bleed trace amounts of quantum energies into the environment. This effect is relatively harmless (except in the cases of novas with high amounts of Taint), but it makes the nova stand out. Even shapeshifters and novas with Mega-Appearance enhancements such as Copycat harbor large amounts of internal quantum energy; while their powers enable them to avoid casual detection, concentrated scans by novas looking for traces of quantum might reveal their true nature. Novas with the Mask Background, though, are able to power down and avoid detection as novas. Dorming down takes a turn of concentration, after which all quantum energies are completely internalized and shut down. While dormant, the nova has no access to any of her nova characteristics, Mega-Attributes or quantum powers until she takes a turn of concentration to power up once more. Her appetite also reduces to something 13

like a normal human level. Although she retains her basic nova characteristics (increased Endurance and Resistance, extended lifespan, etc.), she recovers quantum points at the reduced rate of one point per day. However, each dot of Mask allows the player to roll one die in a resisted roll against any attempts to detect the dormant nova for what she is. Additionally, each dot of Mask allows a nova to suppress one dot of Taint, along with any accompanying aberrations, for as long as the character is dormant. Novas with Mask ratings of 4 or 5 may choose to have a human form and nova form, transforming between one and the other. At Mask 4, the nova form looks different, but it has certain basic features in common with the human form (fingerprints, retinas, blood type); at 5, the human and nova forms are completely different. However, novas who choose to switch forms have no access to any of their nova characteristics while in human form. One die to resist detection attempts Two dice to resist detection attempts Three dice to resist detection attempts Four dice to resist detection attempts Five dice to resist detection attempts

MENTOR
Mentor reflects the continuing presence of a more experienced individual who takes an interest in the character, providing advice, aid and resources (depending on the mentors interests). The mentor is not a magic cure for all the characters problems a sufficiently determined fool convinces the mentor to take his support elsewhere. Nor is the mentor at the characters beck and call, since he presumably has matters of his own to attend to. He is a good source for letters of introduction, historical perspectives on current problems and other relatively discrete, specific assistance. A mentor only slightly older than the character, with little influence, though good wisdom. A respected elder. An influential and well-connected person (Cainite, Garou, or otherwise) of the area. An elder with significant power in surrounding mortal society and strong connections to other communities (Cainite, Garou, or otherwise). One of the significant personages of the age (whose full importance you likely dont yet realize).

RESOURCES

Resources are valuable goods whose disposition your character controls. In the currency-scarce Dark Medieval world, these assets may be actual money, but theyre more likely to be property of some sort land, grazing rights, animals, tax claims in kind as well as money and so on. A character with no dots in Resources has enough clothing and supplies to get by, but little margin for luxuries. Sufficient. You can maintain a typical residence in the style of the social class you choose and seem unmiserly, even if fits of largesse come seldom. You can maintain a servant or hire specific help as necessary. Moderate. You can display yourself as a member in good standing of your chosen community, with the occasional gift and indulgence seemly for a person of quality. You can maintain a small staff of servants. A fraction of your resources are available in letters of credit, readily portable jewelry and other forms that let you maintain a standard of living at the one-dot level wherever you happen to be, for up to six months. Comfortable. You are a prominent and established member of your community, with land and property, and the reputation which lets you draw on credit at very generous terms. Trust is as much a key resource as any particular valuable commodity at this level. You can maintain a one-dot quality of existence wherever you are without difficulty, for as long as you choose. Wealthy. Troubadours spin tales about the richness of your clothes, the health of your livestock and the beauty of your home. You hold more wealth than many of the local authorities (and need to deal with their jealousy from time to time). When you travel, you can maintain a three-dot existence for up to a year, and a two-dot existence indefinitely. Extremely Wealthy. Midas, Croesus and you, at least in the popular mind. You have vast and widely distributed assets, with huge staffs and connections to every level of society through a region. You travel with a minimum of three-dot comforts, more with a little effort. Kings and cardinals sometimes come to you for loans.

RETAINERS
Retainers are servants and companions with personal bonds of loyalty to your character. Depending on the character, they may be actual servants, fellow veterans of a crusade, fellow members of a monastic sect, childhood friends and the like. Work out a description of these retainers and the nature of their commitment to your character so that you and your Storyteller know what to expect in play (and what might make interesting surprises). Keep in mind when designing retainers that feudalism evolved in large measure to limit the power of those in authority. Feudal lords do not have absolute authority: They take oaths committing them to defend their vassals and to attend to their vassals needs. Retainers ought to matter to the characters, and if characters abuse their retainers, the Storyteller can and should make this a matter for scandal or even legal action by the characters own lords. Untrammeled power is a nightmare of the medieval past, something feared as the source 14

of both physical and spiritual suffering, and it would be greatly out of character for most medieval masters to feel at liberty to treat their retainers any way they might want. Most retainers are of average ability and competence: In game terms, they have two dots in most Attributes, perhaps three in one or two and relevant Abilities at no more than three dots. If you want to acquire one or more particularly competent retainers, you can do so by merging dots. One retainer. Two retainers, or one of unusual competence (three Attributes at three dots, most professional Abilities at three dots and one at four). Three retainers, or two above-average retainers, or one remarkable retainer (built to the same total as a starting character). Four retainers or two above-average and one typical or one remarkable and two typical. Five retainers or three above-average or two remarkable.

Weapons
Melee Weapon Bastard Sword Battle-Ax Broadsword Carriage Chain Club Column Cudgel Dagger Great Sword Hand Ax Hatchet Javelin Knife Lance Lance, Compound Lance, Light Mace Morning Star Pitchfork Pole-Ax Saber Spear (1H) Spear (2H) Staff Tree Warhammer Ranged Weapon Bow, Long Bow, Short Crossbow Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow, Light Hatchet Javelin Knife Rock Sling Spear Staff-Sling Damage +6L +7L +5L +6/10B +5B +2B +6/10B +2L +2L +7L +4L +2L +1L +2L Spc Spc Spc +4L +5L +4L +7L +4L +5L +5L +4B +6/10B +7L Damage 8L 6L 8L 9L 6L +2L +4L +1L +1B 5B +2L 6B Conceal N N N N P C N C C N L C N P N N N L L N N L N N N N N Range 120 60 100 150 120 20 50 15 40 50 40 75 Min Str 3 (4-1H) 3 2 Lg 1 1 1 Lg 1 1 1 4 3 2 2 1 3 4 2 1 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 Lg 1 3 Conceal N L N N L C N C P C N N Max Str 5 5 5 Lg 2 Lg 1 5 Lg 2 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Lg 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Lg 3 5 Min Str 3 2 3 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Notes 2H

Fragile Difficulty +1, may strike user 2H Difficulty +1, 2H Difficulty +1 2H

Difficulty +1, 2H Max Str 5 5 5 Lg 1 5 5 5 5 Lg 1 5 5 5 Notes 1 turn to reload 1 turn to reload 3 turns to reload 4 turns to reload 2 turns to reload Difficulty +1 Difficulty +1 1 turn to reload 1 turn to reload 15

Merits and Flaws

MERITS
AND

ENHANCEMENTS

A few Merits, such a Lightning Calculator and Photographic Memory, duplicate the effects of certain Mega-Attribute enhancements. These Merits are only available to characters that do not have the appropriate Mega-Attribute(s). They do not stack with existing enhancements. 1f a nova takes one of these Merits and later acquires the Mega-Attribute with the similar enhancement, convert the Merit into the enhancement at no cost. For example, Andys character has Photographic Memory. He later uses experience to give his character Mega- Intelligence 1. He loses the Merit and gets the Eidetic Memory enhancement for free (in addition to the usual free enhancement).

FLAWS

AND

MASK

A nova with Four or five dots in the Mask background has the option of having separate nova and baseline forms. A Flaw that applies to only one of the novas forms, such as the baseline form being Lame or Blind, has only half its normal value (rounded up to the nearest point), since the nova has the option of switching forms and not dealing with the Flaw. Merits retain their normal cost whether they are usable by one form or both, although only the nova form can make use of Quantum Merits.

PHYSICAL
Acute Sense [1 point Merit]: One of your senses is unusually sharp, giving you an extra die for Perception rolls involving that sense. Note this extra die does not affect other Perception rolls (particularly power rolls). This Merit is compatible with Mega-Perception. Ambidextrous [1 point Merit]: Youre equally able to use either hand. You suffer no off-hand penalty and no penalty for using two weapons at once. In fact, you roll an extra die when attacking with two weapons. This Merit does not affect your ability to perform multiple actions. You must have a minimum Dexterity and Wits of 3 (or eitherof Mega-Dexterity or Mega-Wits) to have this Merit. Huge Size [4 point Merit]: Youre a big one, over two meters tall with a build to match. You have one extra Bruised health level and +1 Stamina for soaking bashing damage. The drawback is your size may make it difficult for you to fit into enclosed places and to use some equipment designed for normal-sized people. You must have a minimum Strength and Stamina of 3 (or 1 dot in either Mega-Strength or Mega-Stamina) to take this Merit. Short [1 point Flaw]: Youre noticeably smaller than average, less than 1.5 meters. Your running speed is half normal, and you may encounter problems using certain equipment designed for people with average builds, as well as jokes and prejudice regarding your smaller stature. Speech Impediment [1 point Flaw]: You are unable to speak clearly, especially under stress. You may stutter, stammer or lisp. Listeners must make a Perception + Willpower roll to understand what youre saying under stressful circumstances. You can spend a Willpower point to overcome this Flaw and speak clearly for one scene. Weak Sense [1 point Flaw]: One of your senses is poor or compromised in some way (perhaps related to your powers or taint), imposing +2 difficulty penalty to all Perception rolls involving that sense. When affecting vision or hearing, this Flaw can be corrected by wearing a suitable prosthesis, such as glasses or a hearing aid. Novas with extrasensory abilities can apply this Flaw to them as well. Dependence [1-7 point Flaw]: You require a particular substance in order to live. If you go without, you begin to suffer damage. The value of this Flaw depends on the rarity of the substance and how quickly you suffer from being deprived of it. A fairly common substance (like water) is worth 1 point. An uncommon substance (like chlorophyll or silver) is worth 2 points. A rare or illegal substance (like plutonium or soma) is worth 3 points. You suffer one level of bashing damage for every 24 hours your go without a dose of whatever you need. If you suffer damage every 8 hours, increase the Flaws rating by one. 1f you suffer damage every 4 hours, increase by two. If you suffer damage every hour, increase by 3. If you suffer lethal rather than bashing damage, increase by 1. This Flaw can simulate characters dependant on a particular environment (such as amphibians) as well as characters dependant on certain medications to keep them alive. Mute [2 point Flaw]: You cannot speak, either due to damage to your vocal cords or some psychological or neurological trauma. You automatically fail rolls dependent on speaking and cannot use powers based on it (such as many Mega-Social enhancements). One Eye [2 point Flaw]: You have only one functional eye, giving you no depth perception. You suffer +1 difficulty to all ranged attack and dodge rolls, and +2 difficulty to Perception rolls. You can have the Acute Sense Merit, meaning your remaining eye is exceptionally sharp, but the penalties here still apply. Addiction/Compulsion [2-4 point Flaw]: You are driven to use some substance (addiction) or engage in some action (compulsion). For each 24 hours after the first 24 where you fail to satisfy your craving, you suffer +1 to all of your difficulties. This continues until you satisfy your addiction (so going cold turkey for four days imposes a +3 difficulty penalty). This Flaw is worth 2 points if the addiction is something legal, like cigarettes, alcohol, sex or the like. Its worth 4 points if the character is addicted to something illegal or hard to get, like Amp Wells, soma or murder. Note that novas are generally immune to most addictive drugs used by baselines, like cocaine and heroin. Soma is one of the few substances a nova can get high on. Nova characters can also be 16

addicted to using their powers. This is a legal addiction for most powers, the nova is simply addicted to the high of being able to fly, shapeshift or whatever, though this makes the nova poorly suited for covert missions. Illegal power addictions include abilities that affect other people, like Domination, Hypnosis, Quantum Leech and Telepathy. Lame [2-4 point Flaw]: Your legs and lower body dont function as well as they should. for two points, your movement rate is one-quarter normal and you suffer a +2 difficulty penalty for all actions involving lower body movement (including dodging). You walk with a noticeable limp. for four points, you require a cane, crutches or braces to move more than a short distance on your own. Your movement rate is one quarter normal, and you suffer a +4 difficulty penalty for actions involving lower body movement. Dodging may not even be an option for you under some circumstances. Deaf [3 point Flaw]: You cannot hear and automatically fail rolls requiring hearing. You cannot have the Hyperenhanced Hearing enhancement of Mega-Perception or any power that requires hearing. On the upside, youre immune to the effects of powers based on hearing, like many uses of Mega-Social Attributes. You can use powers like Telepathy normally. You can use one dot in Linguistics to learn to read lips with a Perception + Linguistics roll and one dot to learn sign language. Disability [3 point Flaw]: Some part of your body is defective in a way that inhibits your abilities, causing you to suffer a +2 difficulty penalty for certain actions involving a single Attribute - for example, severe arthritis, imposing a +2 difficulty on all Dexterity rolls. The disability may be the result of a birth defect, an illness or an injury. Disfigured [3 point Flaw]: Your Appearance is 0 and cannot be raised (either during character creation or later using experience). This may be due to a birth defect, injury, disease or another cause you and your Storyteller agree on. You automatically fail Appearance rolls and any Social rolls based on Appearance (except Intimidation). Blind [6 point Flaw]: You are unable to see at all and automatically fail rolls requiring sight. You cannot have the Electromagnetic Vision, High-End Electromagnetic Scan and Ultraperipheral Perception enhancements of Mega-Perception, although you can have any of the others. You can use sensory powers like Mega-Perception and ESP to partially compensate for your blindness. Make a roll for the sensory power, then perform the task normally at +5 difficulty. For every success over the sensory powers required difficulty, subtract one from the +5 penalty. Paraplegic [6 point Flaw]: You are permanently paralyzed from the waist down. You require a wheelchair (or some similar conveyance) to move any real distance on your own. You cannot perform actions involving lower body movements (including dodging) and opponents get +2 dice to hit you in combat, since you are basically a nonmoving target. Some powers, notably Flight, can compensate for this flaw, but it still limits ground movement and retains its full value.

MENTAL

Concentration [1 point Merit]: Your powers of concentration are greater than normal, allowing you to ignore difficulty penalties for distractions other than wounds and giving you an extra die for Meditation rolls. 1f youre involved with an extended task, the Storyteller may require a Perception roll for you to even notice certain distractions. Internal Compass [1 point Merit]: You have an excellent sense of direction. You can always find north (even indoors or underground) by making an Alertness roll. You can retrace your steps with an Alertness at +1 difficulty. This Merit is very useful for novas with movement powers such as Flight or Teleportation. Time Sense [1 point Merit]: Your internal clock is extremely accurate. You can estimate what time it is down to a minute or two. 1f you were sleeping or knocked out, you know roughly how long youve been out. You can also execute very accurate countdowns. This Merit is similar to the Temporal Manipulation technique Internal Clock (although not quite as accurate). Characters with Temporal Manipulation cannot take (and do not need) this Merit. Devotion [2 point Merit]: You have a particular devotion to a cause, ideal, code of honor, organization or even an individual. Attempts to sway you from the object of your devotion are at +3 difficulty. However, you must remain true to your devotion in order to retain this benefit. If you deliberately and knowingly betray the object of your devotion, you lose the inner strength it gives you until you make amends (in the Storytellers opinion). Lightning Calculator [2 point Merit]: You have a remarkable ability for doing complex mathematics in your head. You can keep a calculator with you during the game and use it any time you want. When performing a task involving any type of mathematics, make an Intelligence roll. Each success adds one die to the Ability roll. This Merit is essentially the same as the Mathematical Savant enhancement of Mega-Intelligence. Characters cannot have both. Speed Reading [2 point Merit]: You can read text at four times the normal rate with no loss of comprehension. While reading, make an Intelligence roll. Each success increases the speed multiplier by one, so two successes allow you to read at six times the normal rate. This Merit is the same as the Speed Reading enhancement of Mega-Intelligence, and characters cannot have both.

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High Pain Tolerance [3 point Merit]: Youre able to shrug off the effects of injury more easily. Reduce all of your wound penalties by 1, so you function as if you were unhurt when Hurt or lnjured and lnjured when youre Wounded and so forth. You still suffer damage like anyone else and still drop when youre Incapacitated. Photographic Memory [3 point Merit]: You can perfectly recall anything youve experienced. This Merit is the same as the Eidetic Memory enhancement of Mega-Intelligence, and characters cannot have both. Iron Will [6 point Merit]: You have an iron core of determination and willpower. You can spend a Willpower point to shake off any attempt to control you through the use of Social Abilities or powers such as Domination or Hypnosis. Costume Fetish [1 point Flaw]: You have a penchant (some might say obsession) for wearing a certain type of clothing. It can be skintight eufiber, leather and spikes, liquid latex, a mask or full Renaissance Faire garb. The important point is that its odd, and you tend to wear it even under the most inappropriate circumstances. This can impose a +1 or greater difficulty on your Social rolls and may be a serious faux pas in some situations. It also makes you stand out in a crowd and makes you a less than ideal candidate for subtle and covert activities. You can spend a Willpower point to dress normally for a scene, but you dont like it (as youre likely to tell just about everyone). Intolerance [1 point Flaw]: Youre extremely narrow minded, and there are just some people you dont like based solely on their race, sex, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality or some other quality. You suffer a +2 difficulty on all Social rolls involving this class of people and prefer not to associate with them unless absolutely necessary (and youre not likely to be too popular with them, either). You can spend a Willpower point to overcome your prejudice for one scene. Lusty [1 point Flaw]: You have an insatiable libido coupled with a regrettable inability to control your desires. Any attempt to seduce you gains three extra dice, provided the advances come from someone you consider even vaguely attractive, and you are at +1 difficulty to resist such attempts. You can spend a Willpower point to ignore the effects of this Flaw for one scene, alternatively a very cold shower will have the same effect. Overconfidence [1 point Flaw]: You tend to overestimate your abilities (a common failing among novas). In any situation where an assessment of your abilities is a factor, the Storyteller will tend to exaggerate them (He doesnt look so tough to you, or Youve seen this kind of security system before, and theyre easy, for example). You must also make a Willpower roll at +1 difficulty to back down from a direct challenge to your abilities. You can spend a Willpower point to ignore this Flaw for one scene. Trademark [1 point Flaw]: You have a particular signature and feel compelled to use it to sign your work. It may be leaving a particular poem or a rose at the feet of a defeated opponent, carving your logo or initials into the nearest wall (or enemy ...) or leaving your vanquished foes without clothes. The key is that the trademark clearly shows you were there and requires some small risk on your part, both the distraction of leaving the trademark and the possibility of it being traced back to you. Storytellers may permit higher values for especially involved or nasty trademarks. You can spend a Willpower point to avoid leaving your trademark when you absolutely have to. Pacifist [1 or 4 point Flaw]: You are against violence and prefer to avoid it whenever possible. You must spend a Willpower point in order to initiate combat, although you can fight to defend yourself and others. You must also spend a Willpower point in order to use a lethal attack, although you can use bashing attacks freely. For four points, you must spend a Willpower point to be able fight at all, and you cannot use lethal attacks. Obsession [2 point Flaw]: You are fascinated with a particular person, place or behavior and do everything you can to satisfy your interest. If youre obsessed with a person, you spend all your available time with them and learn all you can about them (youre basically a stalker, whether or not you mean any harm). If youre obsessed with a place, you spend all your time there, and youre very reluctant to leave. Characters may also be obsessed with a particular behavior, such as lying, curiosity, crime-fighting and so forth. You have to make a Willpower roll to resist the lure of your obsession whenever it beckons, even if now isnt the best time for you to indulge yourself. The Storyteller may adjust the difficulty if the circumstances are particularly tempting, such as an obsessive crime-fighter confronted with a mugging in progress or an obsessively cuious character confronted with a file marked TOP SECRET: EYES ONLY. You may spend a Willpower point to overcome your obsession for me scene. Overwhelmed [2 point Flaw]: You dont deal well with chaotic or confusing situations. They tend to overwhelm you. You suffer a difficulty modifier of +1 to +3 in such conditions, determined by the Storyteller. This is the opposite of the Concentration Merit, and you cannot have both. This Flaw is most common among novas with Mega- Perception, whose enhanced senses are more easily overloaded by chaotic conditions. Phobia [2 point Flaw]: There is something you are morbidly and irrationally afraid of, from darkness, to spiders, to circus clowns. Whenever you are confronted with the object of your fear, you must make a Willpower roll at +1 difficulty to avoid retreating from it as quickly as you can. If you botch the roll, you collapse from fear and become virtually catatonic for the scene or until the object of your terror is removed, whichever comes first. Some phobias can be particularly troublesome for novas, such as acrophobia (a fear of heights) for a nova gifted with Flight. Novas may also suffer from phobias baselines do not, such as a nova teleporter with a fear of teleporting blind. Vengeful [2 point Flaw]: You dont forgive or forget. In fact, you tend to get mad and then get even - in the nastiest way possible. You have to make a Willpower roll at +1 dif- Ficulty to avoid repaying any slight, insult or offense against you in equal, if not greater, measure. This can range from getting in the last jibe to 18

killing someone who tried to kill you (or have you killed). You can spend a Willpower point to ia nore a particular ofiense (although youre still likely to carry a grudge about it). Combat Paralysis [3 point Flaw]: You tend to freeze up in combat situations, either due to inexperience, previous trauma or simple Fear. Roll two dice for Initiative and take the lowest result. Enhancements to your Initiative still apply. Flashbacks [3 point Flaw]: You have some traumatic experience in your past that you sometimes recall with terrifying clarity. Whenever you are in a situation similar to that experience, you must make a Willpower roll at +1 difficulty to avoid being overwhelmed by memories of it. You tend to mistake people, places and things for similar things in your memory and may act on those erroneous conclusions. 1f you botch the Willpower roll, you become almost catatonic, entirely lost in your recollections. You can spend a point of Willpower to ignore the effects of this Flaw for one scene. Low Pain Threshold [3 point Flaw]: You have very little tolerance for pain. You suffer wound penalties as if your injuries were one level more severe than they really are, so you are at -2 when Hurt or Injured and so forth. You are at -5 when Crippled and knocked unconscious at Incapacitated. You are also at +1 difficulty to resist pain, such as torture or the symptoms of a painful disease. Amnesia [3-4 point Flaw]: Youve lost some or all of your memory, either due to some sort of trauma, or from deliberate brainwashing using drugs, hypnosis or nova powers like Telepathy. For three points, you dont recall anything about your past, including your own name. You begin the game as a blank slate. The Storyteller gets to decide who your character really is (with input from you). This makes for an excellent story hook, particularly in series dealing with nova cults. For five points, you not only dont know who you are, you dont even know what you can do. The Storyteller keeps your character sheet secret, and you dont know the levels of your various Traits or even what Traits you have. The Storyteller comes up with your Traits (possibly based on input from you). This requires some effort on the Storytellers part and considerable trust on yours. Uneducated [5 point Flaw]: Although Project Utopia has improved the level of education worldwide, there are still people in many nations lacking even a basic education. You are one of them. It costs you two Ability dots or three bonus points to gain one dot in any Intelligence-based Ability at character creation, and you may not raise those abilities higher than two dots. Once the game starts, you must pay six experience points for a new Intelligence-based Ability and [current level x 51 to raise one. Linguistics is the exception to this rule; you pay normal prices for it.

SOCIAL
Natural Leader [1 point Merit]: You have a way of getting people to do what you tell them. You gain an additional die for Leadership rolls and two if you are leading by example in some way that puts you at risk or otherwise makes people empathize with you. Sexy [1 point Merit]: Theres just something about you that attracts people. Maybe you have pretty eyes, or maybe its just pheromones, but in any case, you get two extra dice for seduction rolls or to otherwise influence people using your sexuality. However, some people may be jealous of you and consider you a rival. Debt [1-3 point Merit or Flaw]: Sometimes, its not who you know, its who you owe. If you take this as a Merit, somebody owes you, but as a Flaw, you owe someone a favor. For one point, the debt is a socially or emotionally significant one (you offered some friendly advice or a shoulder to cry on). For two points, its financially significant (you loaned out money or provided some professional help free of charge). For three points, the debt is a matter of life or death (you saved someones life or one of her loved ones). You can call in a debt any time, at which point you lose this Merit. Likewise, the Storyteller can decide to call in a debt you owe, getting rid of your Flaw. Refusing to honor a debt may have serious consequences, not the least of which may be ruining your reputation and turning a friend into an enemy. Minority [1 point Flaw]: You belong to a group outside of mainstream society. You have to deal with prejudice, stereotyping and incorrect assumptions about you. You may suffer increases on the difficulty of Social rolls, at the Storytellers discretion, when dealing with people who are not accepting of your kind. This may range from +1 difficulty for someone whos merely uncomfortable or doesnt quite know how to deal with you to +3 or more when dealing with true bigots. On the upside, you get to roll an extra die when making Social rolls dealing with your own kind (a sort of free Etiquette specialty). Storytellers should note that this Flaw is very subjective; nearly everyone is a minority somewhere! Whether or not a particular minority status is legitimate as a Flaw is up to the standards of the series and the types of stories (and people) the characters are likely to be involved with. Also note that, despite being one of the smallest groups in the world, novas are not considered a minority for the purposes of this Flaw. Secret [1/3/5 point Flaw]: Youre hiding something that, if known, would compromise you in the eyes of others. For one point, your secret would seriously change your life if it got out. This might be your true identity (as opposed to your masked nova identity), past political affiliations, your sexual orientation, elements of your background and so forth. For three points, your secret would result in your arrest and imprisonment if it were revealed, such as a crime you committed. For five points, your secret is so dreadful it would result in your death if it were revealed, such as being an undercover agent infiltrating Project Proteus. Generally, the Storyteller should threaten your secret at least every other story, and it should come up in almost every story. If you dont take adequate precautions to protect it, the Storyteller should feel free to expose your secret and let you deal with the consequences. 19

Bad Vibe [1-3 point Flaw]: Theres just something not right about you. It may be a lack of personal hygiene, a personality quirk or just a strange vibe, but something about you makes people uncomfortable. You suffer a +1 difficulty on all Social rolls for every point in this Flaw, and people are increasingly uncomfortable around you. Enemy [1-7 point Flaw]: Theres somebody out there who dislikes you. A lot. The value of this Flaw is based on two things: how much that person hates you and what he is capable of doing about it. The default is an unfriendly rivalry. For one point, your enemy would like to see you seriously humiliated, professionally ruined or perhaps imprisoned. For two points, hed like to see you dead. For one point, the enemy is less powerful than you are. For two points, he is roughly as powerful. For three points, he is more powerful. For four points, your enemy is roughly twice as powerful as you are, and for five points, he is truly godlike (one of the most powerful novas in the world). Needless to say, characters with more than four points in this Flaw are walking targets, just waiting for their powerful adversary to kill them off. Players should take high levels in this Flaw with caution. Dependant [4 point Flaw]: You have someone - a family member or loved one - who depends on you for support. Your dependant relies completely on you and often requires your attention and sometimes your protection. Unlike an ally or contact, a dependant has nothing to offer you but love and moral support. Otherwise, they are hooks for the Storyteller to use.

QUANTUM

Quantum Merits and Flaws are available only to nova characters; neither baselines nor psiads can purchase them. Quantum Recovery [1-3 point Merit]: You recover expended quantum energy more quickly than most novas. Each point in this Merit increases the amount of quantum points you recover by one per hour. So a nova with three points in this Merit recovers 5 quantum points per hour (7 if shes sleeping or meditating). Taint Resistant [5 point Merit]: Your body channels quantum energy particularly efficiently, and you are therefore unusually resistant to the effects of taint. When you botch a roll while maxing a quantum power, you gain temporary Taint only if you roll two or more 1s. Rolling a single 1 on a power roll without getting any successes still counts as a botch, but it does not give the character Taint. When rolling for the rapid recovery of quantum, a simple failure accrues no Taint and even a botch accrues only a single point of temporary Taint.

Names Conventions
Aberrant Mega-Attribute Nova Quantum Dark Ages Legendary Attribute Hero Hierarchy Aberrant Quantum Pool Taint Dark Ages Quintessence Stigmata

Possible Aberrations
The higher a novas permanent Taint score, the more obviously inhuman she is. A list of suggested aberrations a Storyteller may inflict upon a nova Follows, organized into low-, medium- and high-level aberrations (though even the low- and medium-level aberrations typically become more extreme at higher levels of Taint). Of course, players and Storytellers are always free to make up their own aberrations if none of the ones listed here is suitable. In that case, use the listed aberrations as guidelines for the possible effects and levels of power involved. One important thing to remember when creating aberrations is that they should never be completely beneficial to a nova. Some of them may offer an advantage here or there, or provide some other benefit, but by and large, they should be disadvantageous. An aberration doesnt necessarily have to be disadvantageous in combat - an aberration that makes everyday life difficult for a nova is often as effective as (or more so than) one that inhibits his combat abilities.

ABERRATIONS

AND

Some aberrations (particularly mental aberrations) resemble various Flaws. This is not surprising; novas hardly invented things like paranoia or obsession. However, there are a few key differences between Flaws and aberrations. The most notable is the fact that increasing Taint makes the effects of many aberrations more difficulty to resist, while Taint has no effect on Flaws. Flaws are also only available at character creation, while novas may develop new aberrations during the course of play due to increasing levels of Taint. At the Storytellers discretion, players may use some of the Flaws in this book as the basis for new (mostly low- and medium-level) aberrations. The Storyteller should compare the Flaw to existing aberrations to determine what level it falls under, and keep in mind that Taint penalizes Willpower rolls to overcome aberrations. Likewise, if the Storyteller wishes, characters may opt to take aberrations as Flaws. These Flaws do not count against the novas required number of aberrations based on Taint, but they are also not affected by the

FLAWS

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novas Taint rating. As a general guideline, low-level aberrations are 1-2 point Flaws, medium-level are 3 points, and high-level aberrations are 5 point Flaws. The Storyteller should feel free to adjust the Flaw level as needed.

LOW-LEVEL ABERRATIONS

These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to five points of permanent Taint. Aberrant Eyes: Somethings strange about the Novas eyes. They may be a very weird color glowing red, pure white, jet black - or they may display some sort of picture or pattern. In general, the more Taint a nova has, the more inhuman his eyes become. At lower levels they may simply be an unusual color or have an odd pattern - perhaps they appear to be covered with blood-red spider webs, have a matrix pattern overlaid on them, or are reflective or translucent (windows to the soul, indeed). At medium levels they may appear inhuman, looking instead like cats eyes or something of the sort. At higher levels they may actually change physical form. Absent-Minded: The nova has difficulty remembering things. The Storyteller can require an Intelligence roll at any time to see if a nova remembers a particular fact, appointment, duty or such. The Storyteller can also spring surprise events on the nova from time to time, which the nova knew but forgot about. Albinism: The novas body is leeched of all pigment, leaving him with white hair and skin and pink eyes. The nova is sensitive to daylight (+1 difficulty to all actions when in direct sunlight or equivalent) and may need to wear sunscreen or heavy clothing for protection. Androgynous: The novas appearance becomes increasingly androgynous, equally masculine and feminine. The nova is exotically attractive to some (androgynous novas are particularly popular in Japan) disturbing and unnatural to others. The nova may also have to deal with unwanted sexual attention From people of the wrong gender. Anima Banner: The novas anima visibly manifests around her when she uses her powers, or even when she doesnt. This anima is a holographic, audible or telepathic manifestation of some object or symbol important to the characters subconscious; for example, a character that identified with a certain card in the Tarot might visibly manifest that symbol when she activates her quantum abilities. The anima has no tangible effect; it is merely a display of quantum energies. Bad Temper: The nova has problems controlling her temper and tends to react violently in most situations. The nova must make a Willpower roll to reject violence or threats as the first solution to a problem. If the roll fails, the nova must resort to intimidation or outright violence to achieve her goals, although she doesnt necessarily have to use lethal force. Black Thumb: The nova radiates a low level of taint at all times, inimical to normal life. Simple plants like grasses and flowers die and shrivel up when the nova touches them, along with simple animal life like insects and other small creatures. If the nova spends a long period of time in a particular area (no more than a 100 or so square meters), it may become completely sterile and blighted. Bulging Muscles: The novas muscles bulge inhumanly, making him appear like a bodybuilder on steroids. He isnt necessarily any stronger than he is normally, he just looks like Hercules. Observers may wonder how he can keep his balance with such huge arms and chest and relatively tiny legs. This aberration may inhibit his ability to fit into cramped spaces. Colored Skin: The novas skin turns an unusual, not necessarily unattractive, color - golden, bright cobalt blue, green, scarlet, silver or whatever else the Storyteller can think of. A particularly wicked Storyteller may even have the nova become splotched with different colors, or striped like a zebra or tiger. Whether the novas hair or eyes also change color is up to the player Storyteller. Disturbing Voice: The novas voice takes on an unusual quality. It might sound tinny or metallic, especially deep and resonant or hollow and whispery. It might even have a perfect tone, like the voice of an angel. This aberration is common for novas with Mega-Charisma or certain body modifications (especially those affecting the mouth and throat). Feeding Requirement: The nova develops a dependence or addiction to some food, substance or form of energy, which she must ingest to fuel her powers. At low levels of Taint, this dependence should apply to some relatively ordinary food or substance, such as silver. At medium and higher levels, the demands become more extreme. The nova either requires enormous amounts of the substance, or her desire mutates. A high-Taint nova, for example, might need to consume blood, plutonium, or human flesh. Fur/Feathers: The novas skin is covered in a fine layer of fur (or feathers). These may be the same as the novas normal hair color or nearly any shade, as well as varying in texture and length. The nova is better able to handle cold conditions (+1 die to Stamina rolls) but not as good at handling heat (-1 die to Stamina rolls). The novas appearance is also quite distinctive. Some people may find the aberration attractive, but most will find it strange and may even consider the nova more of an animal than a person. Glow: This Taint is similar to Energy Emission. The nova is so filled with quantum energies that he cant completely hold them in. He intermittently emits them in a soft glow of some kind, or perhaps crackling sparks or some similar phenomenon. The color and nature of this effect usually depend on the type of powers the nova has manifested, as well as the Storytellers fiendish imagination; it may or may not be attractive. In the dark, the difficulty to hit the nova with an attack is reduced by one. Hairless: The nova loses all body hair, including head hair and eyebrows. The novas appearance is slightly odd, and people may find the novas condition attractive or repulsive. 21

Obsession: The nova becomes obsessed with a particular thing, like the Flaw of the same name, only the Willpower roll to resist it is penalized by the novas Taint. Phobia: The nova develops an irrational fear of something, like the Flaw of the same name, only the Willpower roll to resist it is penalized by the novas Taint. Ravenous: Novas already must consume far more food than a normal human to maintain metabolic function. If it wasn't for efforts such as the Adis Ababba terraforming project, they would have put a severe strain on world food supplies. However, some novas exacerbate the problem, requiring more food than midsized American family each year. The sheer volume they must consume daily boggles the mind, churns the stomach, and almost defies the laws of physics. Kikjak, the most famous nova to suffer from this, gets a 20% bulk discount at Burger King, provided he calls in an at least an hour in advance. This isn't simple gluttony, but an actual NEED for more food, and going without fulfilling this need to feed can come with severe consequences. Simply missing an hourly meal can cause increasingly worse die pool penalties from hunger pains, up to -5 dice. Prolonged malnutrition can reduce permanent Willpower until a healthier diet is restored, and starvation causes unsoakable health levels of lethal damage that can only begin to heal once you get enough to eat. This might seem harsh, but it's not THAT bad until you get to higher levels of taint. Scales: The novas skin is covered in fine scales, like those of a snake. They may be rough or smooth, with nearly any color (or pattern). The scales are not tough enough to provide any Soak bonus, although they are slightly more resistant to minor scratches than human skin. Although some people may find them exotic, most are likely to find scaly novas repulsive. Strange Visitor: A specific, but mild delusion, Strange Visitor is the blanket grouping of numerous delusions that afflict novas. Put simply, the nova doesn't think he's a nova. He is utterly convinced that his powers come from a source other than manipulating quantum energy. Even pointing out the obvious won't dissuade him, since his powers will take on a form that fits his delusion. Some victims think that they are government-created super-soldiers, others that their DNA was spliced with insects, and a minority (for whom the disease was unfortunately named) might believe they're a strange visitor from another planet (with powers far beyond mortal men, natch). This can often progress into worse derangements, such as Dumbo Syndrome, Paranoia (they want me back so they can find out why the process worked this time...), or megalomania (par for the course if you believe you're a god, demon, angel, or similar divine being). As previously mentioned, their powers will also take a form that fits their skewed worldview, and this can make developing powers that don't fit that paradigm difficult indeed (how do you explain controlling plants if your powers come from the long-lost martial arts secrets you learned on Wudan Mountain?) Unearthly Beauty: The nova is the paragon of handsomeness (or beauty, as the case may be). His hair is always perfect, his muscles show just the right amount of definition, his teeth are straight and white, his eyes a fascinating color, his build perfect, and it seems as if theres not an ounce of fat on him. In fact, hes just too perfect - its eerie and disturbing. Even other beautiful people seem uneasy around him, sometimes expressing their unease through vicious jealousy, envy, barbed humor or the like. Poor Sense: One of the novas senses becomes weaker than normal, like the Weak Sense Flaw.

MEDIUM-LEVEL ABERRATIONS
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to seven points of permanent Taint. Allergic Reaction: The nova loses dice from dice pools, or possibly even takes damage, from exposure to a particular substance or phenomenon harmless to baselines. Examples include specific elements or substances, sunlight (or its absence) or certain types of energy fields. The Storyteller determines how much damage the nova takes (and what type of damage it is) based upon the amount, purity and/ or power of the substance. Amnesia: The novas memory seriously deteriorates, leaving him with no conscious recollection of his life or identity, like the Flaw of the same name (p. 75). High-level amnesia includes no memory of the novas abilities, like the 5-point version of the Flaw. Some novas have been known to suffer amnesia as a result of a particularly traumatic eruption, giving them the sensation of being reborn as a nova, with their memories and experience a blank slate. Bad Luck: The novas taint warps quantum fields, bending probability and causing misfortune to seek him out with alarming frequency. The nova botches rolls whenever he rolls no successes and a 1 or a 2 comes up on any die. Bipolar Disorder: Also known as Manic-Depressive Disorder. The nova goes from periods of extreme lethargy, apathy and depression to manic bursts of energy and frantic activity. The Storyteller determines when an episode of mania or depression comes on, and the nova can roll Willpower to resist its onset, modified by her Taint. Delusions: The nova has hallucinations, or comes to incorrect conclusions about things with no basis in fact. For example, a nova might see images of spiritual figures, hear the voices of guides and come to the conclusion that his powers are spiritual in nature (either as a curse or a blessing). A nova might come to believe her powers are magical or supernatural, that she is a reincarnation of some historical or mythic figure, that she is a character in a comic book or television show or just about anything else. Delusions usually start out small and become increasingly irrational (as the novas Taint increases), but they may spring full-blown from the novas twisted mind. Storytellers are encouraged to come up with interesting delusions, and players are encouraged to roleplay them accordingly. 22

Dumbo Syndrome: Named for the Disney cartoon elephant who used a magic feather to fly, the Dumbo Syndrome causes the novas powers to become tied up in some sort of physical object. With the object, the nova can function normally, but without it, none of her nova abilities (including Mega-Attributes) function. She is, in effect, a baseline. This effect is completely psychosomatic but no less real because of it. The nova is completely dependent on her magic talisman for the use of her abilities. The permanent loss or destruction of the object eliminates this aberration but causes the nova to automatically gain another point of permanent Taint and a new aberration. Energy Emission: The novas ability to control the awesome energies coursing through his body has been compromised. He constantly gives off small sparks of energy, which may pose a danger to people and objects around him. The nature of the emissions depends upon the novas powers. For example, a nova with flame powers might emit tiny sparks of fire from his pores, or lava-like blood may drip down his body. Flashbacks: The nova has vivid hallucinations revolving around a particular incident or experience (often their eruption), similar to the Flashbacks Flaw (p. 74) but more intense as the novas Taint increases. Fragile: The novas body systems become more delicate or vulnerable in some way. This might be a loss of bone or muscle tissue, thin skin, more complex (and more fragile) organs, a more sensitive nervous system or similar modifications. The nova loses her Bruised health level. Any damage takes her directly to Hurt. Hermaphrodite: The nova acquires the sexual characteristics of the opposite gender, becoming a true hermaphrodite. Although some may find it attractive, most people will find the novas condition disturbing and have difficulty dealing with it, especially romantically. The nova may also have some social and sexual hang-ups about its new condition. Hormonal Imbalance (Lust): Members of the preferred sex, especially those who are in any way attractive, tend to inspire uncontrollable desire in the nova. More honorable novas will do their best to resist this unnatural attraction, but those of darker or more evil bent are perfectly capable of engaging in acts up to and including rape to get what they want. Hormonal Imbalance (Rage): The nova becomes prone to fits of blinding, destructive rage. When angered, she tends to attack without regard for her own defense, her surroundings or the situation; she simply lashes out at whatever has infuriated or annoyed her. Unless the player succeeds in a Willpower roll, the nova will use any and all power at her command in this sort of attack - usually with fatal results for the target. Once she is berserk, the novas player must make a Willpower roll at difficulty +1 to snap out of it; at the Storytellers option, the difficulty may be reduced if a friend talks to her soothingly, splashes water on her or uses a mental power to try to calm her down. Masochism: The nova derives pleasure from feeling pain and humiliation. The nova still suffers penalties for injuries, but often because hes too busy enjoying them. The nova tends to seek out opportunities to feel pain, whether dangerous assignments or dangerous liaisons with a willing partner. This aberration most often shows up among novas with protective powers like Mega-Stamina and Armor. Sometimes pain is the only sensation the nova can really feel enough to enjoy. Multiple Personality Disorder: More properly called Disassociative Identity Disorder, this aberration causes the novas personality to break into distinct parts, each with its own Nature, personality and identity. A nova may be a classical split personality with two identities, or there may be dozens of personalities. Usually, the personality with the most appropriate Nature to deal with a situation is dominant at any given time, but personalities can sometimes switch for no apparent reason. The nova can make a Willpower roll to avoid such a change. Novas often develop splits between their nova and human natures, having a nova and human identity that know nothing of each other. Novas with the Clone power may find their clones taking on individual identities, with personalities (and agendas) of their own. Novas with Quantum Construct sometimes find their creatures taking on a life of their own, while novas with Homunculus may manifest a war between their personalities as a true separation into individual beings. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The nova suffers from the Addiction Compulsion Flaw (p. 71), with a penalty to the Willpower roll equal to her permanent Taint. Paranoia: The nova becomes increasingly convinced that others are out to get her and sees plots and conspiracies everywhere. The nova has to make a Willpower roll to avoid overreacting to any suspicious things she notices. She tends to keep secrets and doesnt trust anyone completely. lronically, paranoid novas often find themselves involved in just the sort of conspiracies they imagine. In the world of Aberrant, just because youre paranoid doesnt mean theyre not out to get you! Sadism: The nova derives pleasure from inflicting pain and degradation on others. This may start out with willing partners, but the nova must also make Willpower rolls to avoid giving in to the need to inflict pain even in inappropriate circumstances. The nova tortures people to get information from them (and eventually, for simple amusement) and is generally cruel and sadistic. This aberration will almost certainly ruin a novas reputation if it becomes publicly known and will earn the nova few allies, except those of a similar inclination. Seizure: The nova is prone to seizures similar to epilepsy under stressful conditions. The seizure effectively renders the nova helpless for 10 turns, minus one turn for each success rolled using Willpower (modified by Taint). A botch on the Willpower roll also does a health level of bashing damage to the nova from his convulsions (which can also do considerable damage, if the nova happens to have Mega-Strength). The nova can spend a Willpower point to gain an automatic success on the Willpower roll. 23

Sensitive: One of the novas senses becomes abnormally sensitive to over-stimulation. The nova suffers a +l or greater difficulty modifier in circumstances where that sense is overloaded, such as a nova with sensitive hearing dealing with a crowded city street at rush hour or a nova with sensitive smell in a landfill. In some cases, the nova may have to make a Willpower roll in order to overcome the sensory overload and act at all, such as the nova with sensitive hearing at a rock concert or a nova with sensitive taste sampling a particularly exquisite chocolate. Alternately, the nova might become sensitive to pain, similar to the Low Pain Threshold Flaw. Note that although this aberration is most common in novas with Mega-Perception, it is not a prerequisite, and the nova gains no benefit to Perception rolls for being sensitive. Novas with psychic abilities can also have this aberration, to reflect the effects of overwhelming psychic input, like a telepathic nova overwhelmed by crowds or hostile emotions. Sexless: The nova loses all sexual characteristics, becoming completely androgynous and sexless. In addition to being unable to enjoy sexual relations, the novas condition is likely to disturb others and make them uncomfortable. On the upside, the nova is immune to seduction attempts. Sexual Aberrations: A nova may develop any number of sexual aberrations. In addition to sadism and masochism (above), a nova may pick up a particular sexual fetish, often relating to clothing such as costumes, leather, latex, or similar materials. True changes in sexual orientation tend to be rare, but novas may develop kinks like an appetite for rough sex, orgies, sex games, sex toys, multiple partners and the like. At the extreme end are things like rape, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia and snuff sex, wherein the nova derives pleasure from the death of a sexual partner. The nova has to make a Willpower roll (modified by Taint) to avoid opportunities to indulge a sexual aberration. Sexual aberrations are sensitive topics, and the players and the Storyteller should discuss how (or if) they wish to deal with them before they are introduced into the story. Players should be respectful of each others limits in this and other areas. Twisted Limbs: The novas arms and/ or legs are bent, twisted and warped. They may be unnaturally long, oddly slender (yet lacking nothing in strength), have joints which bend at disturbing angles or even an extra joint or two. Uncontrollable Power: The nova has a power that is not entirely under control. The nova can use the power normally, but it also seems to have a mind of its own, activating under conditions of stress or any other trigger deemed appropriate by the Storyteller. The power uses the novas normal dice pool but adds his permanent Taint in bonus dice to determine its effect. The exact effect of the power depends on the circumstances and the power itself. Uncontrolled Elemental Mastery might cause the nova to raise a devastating storm when angered, while uncontrolled Telepathy might cause the nova to read (or alter) peoples thoughts at random. Uncontrolled shapeshifting may cause the nova to change form at random or based on certain stimuli (like the feelings of people around him). Powers with no dice pool cannot be uncontrollable. Uncontrolled Transformation: You have two forms, a human and a nova form, just like a character with five dots in Dormancy may possess, but you are unable to control when you switch from one form to the other. Instead, a particular stimulus causes you to switch forms, such as anger, darkness, moonlight, immersion in water, a particular song and so forth. When you are affected by the stimulus, you change form automatically, unless you spend a Willpower point to avoid it. You must do so each turn or until the stimulus goes away (whichever comes first). Additionally, if your nova forms quantum pool ever reaches 0, you automatically revert back to your human form. Vulnerability: The nova takes extra damage from a particular type of attack. This differs from Allergy in that it affects things that are already harmful to others. The Storyteller and the player choose the form of attack, from fire, electricity or another form of energy, to a particular power or substance (such as weapons made from silver). The attack inflicts three extra dice of damage against the nova. High-level vulnerabilities either expand the type of attack (to common attacks like blunt weapons, sharp weapons or energy attacks) or an existing vulnerability does five extra dice of damage rather than three. Weakness: A particular condition or substance causes the novas powers (including Mega-Attributes) to cease working altogether, such as a nova whose powers only work at night or in shadow. In the daylight, the nova is no more powerful than any other baseline. The trigger for the weakness can be virtually anything: light (or lack thereof), music, scents, water, weather and so forth. The Storyteller decides if a particular trigger condition is appropriate.

HIGH-LEVEL ABERRATIONS
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight or more points of permanent Taint. Contagious: The novas altered physiology gives off a virus or toxin harmful to baselines. In effect, the nova has an uncontrollable version of the Poison power with a power rating equal to half her permanent Taint (round up) and costing no quantum points. The contagion is harmless to other novas, but baselines may consider the nova a true Typhoid Mary. Hardened Skin: The novas skin can no longer really be described as skin. Instead, its hardened into chitin, metal, horn, wood, scales, shell, shark-like sandpaper skin or something similar. Its obviously not normal to the touch or the eye. Unless the Storyteller decides otherwise, this Taint does not provide any sort of armor or protection. It may interfere with the novas sense of touch or ability to manipulate fine objects. At the Storytellers option, it may be covered with horns, spikes, barbs, ridges or similar features.

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Hyde Syndrome: You have two forms, a human and a nova form, just like a character with five dots in Dormancy. However, your forms have totally different personalities (and Natures), and neither remembers what the other experiences - youre like two separate people. In effect, you suffer from a very specific type of Multiple Personality Disorder (above). Moreover, you have no real control over when you change from one form to the other, just like the Uncontrolled Transformation aberration (above). Novas with Shapeshift and this aberration may have many different forms and personalities! Jinx: This aberration is similar to Bad Luck (above), only worse. In this case, the novas quantum perturbations cause misfortune for him andhis allies. In effect, the nova has the Luck power (Aberrant p. 206) at a rating equal to half his permanent Taint (round up). However, the Storyteller rolls makes the Luck roll and applies the result against the nova and his allies, either improving the oppositions rolls or subtracting successes from the rolls of the nova and his allies. About the only good thing about this aberration is that it doesnt cost the nova quantum points. Megalomania: The nova develops a god complex. She truly believes herself to be the loftiest, mightiest, most power being in the world - of course, with a nova, this belief isnt so far-fetched. She requires absolute obedience (perhaps even worship) from her lessers. Megalomania is a particularly dangerous aberration, because the nova will wish to acquire more power as quickly as possible, which often means acquiring tainted quantum powers. Oozing Skin: The novas skin is covered with slime, mucus or a similar loathsome substance. It may ooze out of his pores at a constant slow rate, or maybe it just somehow remains on him all the time - but regardless, its disgusting to look at and worse to touch. At the Storytellers option, the slime may be mildly poisonous or acidic. Permanent Power: One of the novas powers with a range of Self gains a duration of Permanent. The power is always active and does not cost the nova any quantum points to use. The drawback IS the permanent power may make it difficult for the nova to interact with other people and the environment. The Storyteller is the final judge of whether or not a power sufficiently inconveniences a nova to qualify for this aberration. For example, a permanent version of Absorption is actually more of an Extra. Powers well suited for this aberration include: Bodymorph, Density Control, Force Field, Immolate and Sizemorph. Other powers may be better suited for the Uncontrollable Power aberration (above). Radioactive: The nova cannot fully control her quantum emissions. She emits soft, or possibly even hard, radiation. The amount of radiation she emits increases as she spends additional quantum points. Schizophrenia: Extreme levels of mental aberration can result in total disassociation from reality. A schizophrenic nova may be completely delusional, no longer interacting with the real world at all. The nova is lost in an (often incoherent) fantasy world of her own making and must succeed on a Willpower roll in order to overcome her delusions and act normally, even for a short period of time. A schizophrenic nova might become catatonic, completely lost in the world within her own mind (although still able to influence things using certain powers), or she might continue to function physically but behave very erratically. The details of the novas delusions are left up the Storyteller and the player. Second Self: One or more other bodies begin to sprout from the novas body. Often the extra bodies are limited to just a face on the side of the novas head, in his chest, in his stomach or on his thigh. But in some cases more body parts, such as shoulders or limbs, emerge. This aberration seems to be more common among novas with powers such as Telepathy, though no one has offered a convincing explanation as to why. Sensory Dysfunction: The nova loses his sight or hearing, exactly like the Blind and Deaf Flaws. This may be due to neurological damage, changes in the sensory organs or alterations in the novas physiology (such as armor plates growing over the eyes and/or ears). Sheer Hideousness: The nova is too horrifying for description. He is somehow warped, twisted, deformed or otherwise looks like he was broken and then put back together by someone who didnt know what a person should look like. He resembles something youd see in your worst nightmare. His Appearance Attribute drops to zero and he gains a permanent version of the Face of Terror Mega-Appearance enhancement. Sloughed Flesh: The novas skin and flesh no longer sit right on his bones. He looks as if he were made of wax and left too close to the fire - he seems slightly melted or askew, with skin and flesh bunched up where it should be thin and paper-thin where it should rest thick on the skeleton. Taint Bleed: The novas body gives off taint energies. This affects most living creatures like exposure to radiation (Aberrant, p. 257) and can also cause areas where the nova spends considerable time to become permanently blighted and sterile. The Taint energies can also cause strange mutations and aberrations to appear in lower-life forms exposed to it, giving the Storyteller an excuse for including weird mutant creatures in a story. A nova with this aberration is likely to become a pariah, exiled from contact with civilization (and most living things). Vestigial Limbs: The nova has some extra, but functionally useless, limbs. These may be tiny withered arms, flightless wings (leathery or feathered) growing out of his back, a lifeless tail, or a set of tentacles below his arms or sprouting from his chest. The most any of these limbs can do is weakly hold on to very light objects, such as empty plastic cups.

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Wheres the Juice? Modifications Used

DYING
FOR

POWER

The player may burn one health level to gain five quantum points, but these dissipate after three turns. Injuries inflicted through this method manifest in a manner appropriate to the novas powers or anima (i.e. lightning burns for a weather controller). All such wounds are aggravated injuries, except that they cost five points to heal with the Healing power or the Regeneration enhancement.

RECOVERY TIMES

A novas development also governs how often he can recover quantum points. Use the follwing table to judge how quickly novas recover. Quantum 1-3 4 5 Recovers Once per hour Once per 30 minutes Once per 15 minutes Quantum 6-7 8-9 10 Recovers Once per 10 minutes Once per 5 minutes Once per minute

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