You have an exceptionally good memory. Anyone may attempt an IQ roll to recall the general sense of past events – the better the roll, the truer the memory, but the details are sketchy. With this talent, you automatically succeed at these “memory rolls,” and you often recall precise details. You automatically remember the general sense of everything you concentrate on, and can recall specific details by making an IQ roll. It is possible to “learn” this advantage in play (bards and skalds often acquire it to recall poems and songs).
This trait affects recall, not comprehension, and so does not benefit skills. However, it gives a +2 bonus when you roll for Practice.
Where would a witch be without her trusty black cat? Probably more rested and less covered in fur . . . but this is fantasy! Not only are familiars useful spies and scouts (not to mention great kidnapping victims for the GM to mount a plot hook on), but they empower their master with cool, useful abilities, making familiars a very versatile power-up.
Any spellcaster who does not already have a familiar (or whose familiar has died) may summon one – the ritual to do so is known to bards, clerics, druids, and wizards alike. Those who are not spellcasters may justify finding a familiar in their backstory, subject to GM approval. When this advantage is bought, there is no roll to acquire the familiar. The caster ventures out into the wilderness for 1d weeks and returns with a companion. If you are starting play with a familiar, you may assume this has already happened.
Here is a link to the PDF that has your options for familiars. If you scroll past the animals, you'll find some magical creatures.
Each familiar stat block lists the cost to the master in the top right of its entry.
You can reduce the cost of the familiar by removing some of the granted traits, but you cannot remove Ally or Special Rapport.
Click here to browse through Advantages. When you have found one you like, come back to this page and click "Add Ability" above.
You can choose as many as you like, provided you can afford them. If the advantage you choose has a variable point cost or features to select, please specify by clicking "Update" on the top right corner of the card.
You have a knack for languages. When you learn a language at a comprehension level above None, you automatically function at the next higher level. You also add +2 to Practice rolls with Languages.
You are magically sensitive. This is basic “magical awareness,” a prerequisite for learning magic. The GM makes a Sense roll when you first see a magic item, and again when you first touch it. On a success, you intuitively know that the item is magical. A roll of 3 or 4 also tells you whether the magic is helpful or dangerous, and about how strong it is. Those without Magery do not get this roll!
Unlike Magery 1+, you can't put any enhancements or limitations on Magery 0.
Higher levels of Magery make it much easier to learn and use magic. Add your Magery to IQ when you learn spells. For instance, if you have IQ 14, Magery 3 lets you learn spells as if you had IQ 17. Add your Magery level to Perception when you roll to sense magic items, and to IQ when you learn Thaumatology skill.
Powerful spells require a minimum level of Magery as a prerequisite, so be sure to skim the Spell Lists when deciding how much Magery you need. Note that high Magery lets you produce powerful results with even the most basic spells; see Magery and Effect (Magic).
Double your encumbrance level applies to all spellcasting and Symbol Drawing rolls, regardless of whether your skill level is high enough to avoid the symbol-drawing component of the spell. Metals and bulky material simply interfere with the flow of mana.
You can never spend more than 50 points on Magery levels, and you cannot spend more than 25 points at character creation. Magery can have a variety of enhancements and limitations on it (view full text: Magery 1+). Each college of magic also has a list of controlling skills, which means you can't cast spells at a higher skill level than your best controlling skill. See Spell Colleges & Links. Your Symbol Drawing skill also controls all spell skill levels.
Spellcasting Rituals
Critical Spell Failure
You can really concentrate! You get
+3 to success rolls for any lengthy
mental task you concentrate on to the
exclusion of other activities, if the GM
feels such focus would be beneficial.
You tend to ignore everything else
while obsessed (roll vs. Will to avoid
this), and have -5 to all rolls to notice
interruptions.
The GM may rule that certain complex tasks (e.g., inventing, magic, and
social activities) require you to divide
your attention. This trait has no effect
in such situations.
You have a natural aptitude for a set of closely related skills. “Talents” come in levels, and give the following benefits:
You may never have more than four levels of a particular Talent. However, overlapping Talents can give skill bonuses (only) in excess of +4.
To see example talents and guidelines for creating your own, see the full text here: Talent
You are assumed to be able to read and write in the common language. In order to know any more languages, spend points as follows:
Broken: You can recognize important words and understand simple sentences if they are spoken slowly. You have -3 when using skills that depend on language, such as Fast-Talk, Public Speaking, Research, Speed-Reading, Teaching, and Writing. This doubles to -6 for artistic skills that rely on the beauty of the language (Poetry, Singing, etc.). In stressful situations – e.g., encounters involving combat or reaction rolls – you must roll against IQ to understand or make yourself understood in the language. On a failure, you convey no information, but you may try again. Critical failure means you convey the wrong information! For hurried speech, bad phone connections, etc., this roll is at -2 to -8! 2 points/language.
Accented: You can communicate clearly, even under stress. However, your speech and writing are idiosyncratic, and it is obvious that this is not your native language. You have -1when using skills that depend on language, doubled to -2 for artistic skills. You receive no reaction penalty from native speakers, but you will be unable to pass for a native (this can be a major problem for would-be spies!). 4points/language.
Native: You have full mastery of the language, including idioms. You can think in the language. You have no penalty to use skills that depend on language. You start with one language at this level for free. If you buy Native comprehension in a foreign tongue, you can pass for a native speaker. 6points/language.
You have a Wealth stat. It starts at 6. This number represents your ability to buy "cool" things, but other than that, you can have any items that make sense. For more information, see Wealth.
Most characters will leave these values alone, but if you'd like to spend any points here, please use a "note" to indicate how many.
“Secondary characteristics” are quantities that depend directly on your attributes. You can raise or lower these scores by adjusting your attributes. You can modify some of them directly: start with the value calculated from your attributes and spend the required points to adjust it away from that base level. This does not affect the related attribute scores. Your character sheet will handle this for you, but if you want to learn how they are calculated, it's detailed below.
Fatigue Points represent your body’s “energy supply.” By default, you have FP equal to your HT. For instance, HT 10 gives 10 FP. You can increase FP at the cost of 3 points per FP, or reduce FP for -3 points per FP, up to three times, excluding FP you gain from templates. Also, while HT is usually limited to 20, there is no such limit on FP.
You burn FP gradually during strenuous activity. Disease, heat, hunger, missed sleep, and the like can also sap FP. You can deliberately “spend” FP to fuel extra effort (seep. 356) and supernatural powers (e.g., magic spells). As well, some attacks cause FP damage instead of or in addition to HP damage. If you lose enough FP, you will slow down or fall unconscious – and if you lose too many, you risk death from overexertion! Lost FP do not reduce HT, despite being based on HT. Fatigue is often compared to some multiple of your FP; e.g., “2xFP” or “FP/2.” Where this is the case, use your basic FP score in the formula, not your current FP total.
The following mechanic is a houserule; it's different from what you would find in the sourcebooks.
Many mental disadvantages do not affect you constantly – you may attempt to control your urges. The “default” self-control number is 12: you must roll 12 or less on 3d to avoid giving in to your problem. You can increase or decrease it for 4 or -4 points, respectively. Note that high Will helps you make Fright Checks and resist supernatural emotion control, but it does not improve self-control rolls – not even for disadvantages with effects identical to these things. Mental disadvantages represent an aspect of your personality that you cannot simply will(or reason) away. This is part of what makes them disadvantages!
In circumstances that are likely to trigger your problems, you may opt to roll 3d against your self-control number to see whether your disadvantage actually affects you. If you roll less than or equal to this number, you resist your disadvantage – this time. Otherwise, you suffer the listed effects. This is called a self-control roll. Like all success rolls, self-control rolls are subject to modifiers. You may also roll for self-control any time you feel it makes sense for your situation, and rolling is never required; you can opt to give in if you feel it's what your character would do. The purpose of the roll is to help you when you aren't sure how you want to play it.
Please use a "note" to tell us how many points you would like to spend on some or all of these items. Even if you're leaving them all at 10, please leave a note so that we know you didn't miss a step.
A score of 10 in any attribute is free, and represents the human average. Higher scores cost points: 10 points to raise ST or HT by one level, 20 points to raise DX or IQ by one level. Similarly, scores lower than 10 have a negative cost: -10 points per level for ST or HT, -20 points per level for DX or IQ. (Remember – negative point values mean you get those points back to spend on something else!
Most characters have attributes in the 1-20 range, and most normal humans have scores in the 8-12 range. Scores above 20 are possible but typically reserved for godlike beings – ask the GM before buying such a value. The exception is ST, which can range significantly beyond 20 even for nor-mal humans. At the other end of the scale, a score of 0 is defined in special cases, but 1 is the minimum score for a human. No one may have a negative score.
For those new to GURPS, a "level" in something typically means to increase it by 1. For instance, for 20 points, you can buy 2 levels of Strength, which gives you a Strength score of 12.
Please use a "note" to tell us how many points you would like to spend on each of the four basic attributes. Even if you're leaving them all at 10, please leave a note so that we know you didn't miss a step.
Default DX-5
Any long, balanced pole without a striking head. This skill makes good use of the staff’s extensive parrying surface when defending, giving +2 to your Parry score.
See also: Buying Weapons and ArmorYou understand others’ emotions but not their motivations. This makes you awkward in situations involving social manipulation. You are the classic “nerd”! You have -1 to use or resist Influence skills: Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Intimidation, Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal, and Streetwise.
Your entire life revolves around a single goal, an overpowering fixation that motivates all of your actions.
Make a self-control roll whenever it would be wise to deviate from your goal. If you fail, you continue to pursue your Obsession, regardless of the consequences.
Point cost depends on the time needed to realize your goal. A short-term goal (e.g., assassinating someone) is worth -5 points, while a long-term goal (e.g., becoming President) is worth -10 points.
You are shaken and sickened by combat, but only after it’s over. Make a self-control roll at the end of any battle. It is up to the GM to determine when a battle has truly ended, and he may apply a penalty if the combat was particularly dangerous or gruesome. If you fail, roll 3d, add the amount by which you failed your self-control roll, and look up the result on the Fright Check Table. For instance, if your self-control number is 12 but you rolled a 14, roll 3d+2 on the table. The result from the table affects you immediately!
A “quirk” is a minor feature that sets you aside from others. It has a negative point value, but it is not necessarily a disadvantage. Sometimes, we don't have a feel for a character's personality until we do a scene or two with them. As such, feel free to leave up to 3 of your quirks blank, but be sure to fill them in very soon once you get started.
You may take up to five quirks at -1 point apiece . . . and if you do, you will have five more points to spend. These do not count against your disadvantage limit! Quirks are just personality traits; the player is promising to add a bit of personality to the character, and in exchange, the character gets a few points.
Use the "update" button to list what your (up to) 5 quirks are. View the full text for more information. Quirk
You are instinctively fascinated and attracted by strangers and aliens, no matter how dangerous or frightening they appear to be. Make a self-control roll whenever you meet someone (or something) like this. If you fail, you assume that this person is interested in interacting with you socially. A xenophile finds himself offering drinks to glaring foreign soldiers, making passes at cute vampires, and shaking tentacles with Things Man Was Not Meant To Know while his companions are pointing weapons or running the other way . . . As partial compensation, you get a +2 bonus to Fright Checks when meeting strange creatures.
Click here to browse Disadvantages. When you have found one you like, come back to this page and click "Add Ability" above.
Your character can start with up to -50 of negative points, including Disadvantages and any negative adjustments you want to make to your stats. If a Disadvantage you choose has a variable point cost or features to select, please specify by clicking "Update" on the top right corner of the card.
Every time a backstory connection is made between you and someone else, you gain a character point. You can initiate two connections, but there is no limit to how many people can initiate connections with you.
Use the "Note" of this ability to specify who initiated Backstory connections with you.
Note: - Liam just joined the Slingers; Livia is his mentor and friend.
Every time a backstory connection is made between you and someone else, you gain a character point. You can initiate two connections, but there is no limit to how many people can initiate connections with you.
Use the "Note" of this ability to specify who you initiated Backstory connections with. If someone you've connected with leaves the game, you can make a new one with someone else, in which case, you gain another point.
Note: 1. Livia really wants to impress Kasey. She gives him 2 Leverage.
Defaults: None.
This is the study of magical transformations and transmutations. In a magical game world, an alchemist would be able to identify concoctions with magical effects (“elixirs”), such as love potions and healing unguents, and prepare them from suitable ingredients. This is a mechanical process, using the mana inherent in certain things; therefore, those without Magery can learn and use Alchemy, and Magery confers no benefit.
Default: Perception-6.
This is the skill of treating illness and injury with techniques grounded in esoteric theory rather than analytical science. It is usually associated with a magical or spiritual tradition. The particulars vary by tradition, but might include acupuncture, massage, alchemical or herbal preparations, or such exercises as breath control and meditation.
This skill might represent Ayurvedic medicine, chi treatment, Hermetic medicine, yin/yang healing, or any other historical or fictional healing discipline. In settings where multiple forms of treatment exist, healers must specialize in one specific tradition.
Restoring HP:
This skill represents knowledge that is lost, deliberately hidden, or simply neglected. Whatever the reason, the general public is unaware of it. It is only available to those who study it specifically. You must specialize in a particular body of secret knowledge. If you wish to enter play with Hidden Lore skills, you must account for this specific knowledge in your character story. To acquire Hidden Lore in play, you must find a reliable source of relevant information. Also keep in mind that if you're found to be spreading hidden information about powerful creatures, they may not be happy with you...
If you have Cultural Familiarity (Faeries), Savoire-Faire (Faeries), or Hidden Lore (Faeries), let us know so we can reveal the information hidden on this page.
Default: IQ-6.
For each skill chosen, please use the "Update" button to indicate how many points you would like to spend. This will be 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, etc. points.
Default: IQ-5.
This is the study of the mysterious and the supernatural. An occultist is an expert on ancient rituals, hauntings, mysticism, primitive magical beliefs, psychic phenomena, etc.
Default: None.
This skill represents the art of drawing magical symbols, which involve Celtic Oghams with Sylvan symbols drawn through them. This is part of the ritual for casting spells, but no roll for it is required in order to cast spells. However, your skill level in any spell can never be higher than your skill level in Symbol Drawing.
In order to use Symbol Drawing to cast spells, you need a way to draw them. You can always draw them with charcoal/chalk/ink/etc. but that may not be practical on the go. Instead, you can roll with this skill to create an Implement, a tool that allows the symbols to be drawn in the air. The process takes one hour and can only be attempted once per day. Common Implements include wands, staves, rods, little magic rocks, and daggers, but you could use anything you could draw precisely with. On a success, you can use the Implement to draw symbols in the air and cast spells. On a critical success, you have a +1 bonus to Symbol Drawing and all spells for the next 24 hours. On a failure, you fail to attune to the object. On a critical failure, the object is also destroyed. Your Implement can only work for you, and you can only have one attuned at a time.
If you speak Sylvan natively you get +1 to this skill (only if it's your first language or if you spent the 6 points it at Native level as a second language). Most people pick up Sylvan as they study Symbol Drawing.
For more information about communicating in languages you're not quite fluent in, see Social Characteristics.
Default: IQ-5.
This is the ability to instruct others. If you have Teaching at level 12+, you may act as a teacher for game purposes. For more on teaching and learning, see Improvement Through Study (p. 292).
Modifiers: -3 for Callous (p. 125); -1 to -4 for Shyness (p. 142). Apply both the teacher’s and the student’s Language penalties (p. 24) in the language of instruction.
Default: IQ-6.
This template is for members of The Slingers. It costs 2 points.
Prerequisites: At least one level in a spell-casting ability, Symbol Drawing 12+, IQ 11+
| Object | QTY | |
|---|---|---|
| Backpack | ||
| Equipped |
Bandages
|
6 |
| Equipped |
Small Knife
|
1 |
| Equipped |
Cat toy
A little fishy on a string! |
1 |
| Equipped |
Shepherd's Sling
Tied in a neat knot hanging off her backpack. Surely someone who used it frequently wouldn't tie it so neatly. |
1 |
| Held/Worn | ||
| Equipped |
Fancy Staff
As pictured on her character page. This is her Implement. |
1 |
| Equipped |
Talisman of Healing
Heals 1d hits of injury – or, if HP is normal, restores 1d lost FP. Repeated doses have full effect. |
1 |
| Her locked chest in her room | ||
|
Balance and Weights
|
1 | |
|
A bunch of books and writing materials
|
1 | |
|
Miscellaneous Stuff
Various alchemical ingredients and equipment, including crystals used for esoteric healing |
1 | |
|
Alchemy Supply
|
400 | |
|
Enchanting Supply
|
435 | |
| In her room | ||
|
2 bowls for her kitty
|
1 | |
|
Litterbox
It's just filled with sand. It gets stinky pretty quickly. |
1 | |
| The Tower | ||
|
+1 Tool (Alchemy)
Alchemy lab! |
1 | |
| Unsorted | ||
|
Livia Clara
|
1 | |
| Role | Entry | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | Sage Kasey | |||
| Acquaintance | Iona Dahl | |||
| Friend | Sun Yat-sen | |||
