| Defect | Bonus Points | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Awkward | 1-2 |
Characters with the Awkward Defect are considered more prone to being clumsy. This Defect has the tendency to hinder the character at crucial moments. 1: The character has a 10% chance of gaining a +1 penalty to rolls having to do with physical actions (GM rolls a 1d100) 2: The character has a 20% chance of gaining a +1 penalty to rolls having to do with physical actions. (GM rolls a 1d100) |
| Dampened Spirit | 1-2 |
The character, for whatever reason, has less energy than most people. 1: Energy Points reduced by 5. 2: Energy Points reduced by 10. |
| Easily Distracted | 1-2 |
A character with this Defect is Easily Distracted by events, objects, people, or ideas (called triggers). Examples include attractive men/women, parties, drugs, booze, flashy cars, money, etc. A character with this defect will become obsessed and enthralled with the trigger until it can no longer influence them (once it is out of sight, for example). Many characters have interests in a variety of triggers, but do not have this Defect as it is moderated by a sense of judgement. The specific trigger(s) a character has have to be discussed with staff. 1: The character is distracted by one specific trigger, or a broad one that is encountered infrequently. 2: The character is distracted by a number of triggers, or by one trigger that is encountered frequently. |
| Inept Attack | 1-2 |
This Defect reflects a character’s poor 1: Attack Combat Value lowered by 1. 2: Attack Combat Value lowered by 2. |
| Inept Defense | 1-2 |
This Defect reflects a character’s poor judgement in defensive combat situations, which can often place him or her in precarious positions. A character with the Inept Defense Defect suffers a Defense Combat Value penalty. The Defect cannot be taken if it would lower the Value below 0. 1: Defense Combat Value lowered by 1. 2: Defense Combat Value lowered by 2. |
| Marked | 1-2 |
A character is considered Marked if his or her body hosts a permanent and distinguishing design, feature or blemish that may be difficult to conceal. The design may be a family symbol, an identifying birthmark, a permanent scar, a unique tattoo, or something else that sets your character apart and has people take notice, like an odd hair color, a bad smell, or just being plain ugly in a noticable way. If the mark is not considered out of the ordinary (such as freckles or a common tattoo) this Defect does not apply. Example: Traditional Japanese gangsters (Yakuza) wear identifiable tattoos which would count as a Marked Defect. 1: The mark is is easily concealable because it is small or in an inconspicuous location. 2: The mark is difficult to conceal because |
| Nemesis | 1-2 |
The character has someone in his or her life that actively interferes with goal achievement on a regular basis. This Nemesis can take several forms. For example, he or she could be a professional rival, a criminal that was angered by the character, or a police officer who's made it their goal to try and arrest the character, or even a nose mother who constantly interferes with a character's life. The Nemesis should be someone who makes the character's life difficult frequently (and can not be easily removed) but the Nemesis does not need to be a mortal enemy. The nemesis can be another player, or with staff discussion, a NPC that might show up in TinyPlots and the like. 1: The Nemesis is not trying to actively harm the character or only interferes infrequently. 2: The Nemesis is actively trying to harm the character and/or interferes frequently. |
| Not So Tough | 1-2 |
The character is less durable than his or her Body and Soul Stats would otherwise suggest. This Defect is appropriate for characters with a "glass jaw," or those who succumb to physical trauma easily. 1: The character’s Health Points are decreased by 5 Points. 2: The character’s Health Points are decreased by 10 Points. |
| On Parole | 1-2 |
This Defect is mainly for criminal characters, but is also appropriate for ex-felons who are trying to "go straight". A character On Parole has been released from some kind of incarceration and is free to try to live in society as long as he or she meets certain conditions. These conditions usually indicate that the character can not travel outside the immediate area without permission, must show evidence of a regular job, and is not allowed to associate with any known felons. Additionally, he or she will not be able to purchase a gun legally. Depending on the character's crime, parole conditions might vary. Paroled characters have often committed a crime against property or a minor crime of violence. Convicted murderers rarely receive parole until decades after their crime, and a character's background should reflect this. 1: The character is on Parole for a relatively minor crime, or the Parole is not extremely restrictive, or the Parole Officer is lenient when keeping track of the character. 2: The character is on Parole for a major offense, or the Parole is extremely restrictive, or the Parole Officer is diligent when keeping track of the character, or a combination of all of these. |
| Owned | 1-2 |
Free will has little meaning for a character who is Owned by a corporation, government, crime ring, or other organisation or individual. Control over the character can be exerted through a variety of methods including blackmail, brainwashing, legal contract, technology, or just highly effective propaganda. Dire consequences await a character whose actions conflict with the mandate of the owning body. Example would be a character who is in debt to a loanshark and is forced to do 'favors' for them. 1: The owning body has partial control over the character. 2: The owning body has near total control over the character. |
| Phobia | 1-2 |
A Phobia is a fear (often irrational) of an event, object, or person that can limit a character’s choice of actions. Avoiding situations that could trigger the phobia may take a high priority in the character’s life. Note that a Phobia that effectively cripples the character with fear usually does not add constructively to the role-playing experience. 1: The character has a slight phobia or one that is encountered infrequently. 2: The character has a strong phobia or one that is encountered frequently. |
| Physical/Mental Impairment | 1-2 |
The character has a physical or mental impairment that makes aspects of daily life more challenging. Possible impairments include: one or more missing (or unusable) legs, amnesia, constant sickness, nagging injury, severe headaches, muteism, psychotic episodes, recurring nightmares, etc. The player and staff should discuss the problems and limitations associated with the impairment beforehand. 1: The impairment is a slight inconvenience to the character. 2: The impairment is a big inconvenience to the character. |
| Red Tape | 1-2 |
The character has to negotiate his or her way through a complicated bureaucracy in order to accomplish tasks. This Defect is generally associated with characters who are members of law-enforcement organizations that require paperwork, but large criminal organizations may also require a character to receive permission from several levels of bosses before undertaking certain high-profile jobs, such as a "hit". Red Tape also includes whatever measures the character must take "after the fact" to appease the organization to which he or she belongs. For example, a cop may need to fill out a report every time his or her weapon is fired, or may have to follow a complicated series of steps to obtain a search warrant. A criminal may be required to pay a percentage of his take to the local crime boss or face some very strict penalties. 1:The Red Tape only impedes the character before or after a major action (but not both) or the Red Tape is easy to manage most of the time. 2: The Red Tape impedes a character both before and after a major action, and/or is very difficult to manage most of the time. |
| Reduced Damage | 1-2 |
The character inflicts reduced damage in combat, possibly due to feebleness, lack of combat experience, youth, etc. 1: Damage done reduced by 3. 2: Damage done reduced by 6. |
| Servitude/Obligation | 1-2 |
A character with this Defect has acquired an obligation to another character, NPC, or organization. This can take the form of a vow, a special promise, or even a code of conduct that a character adheres to rigidly. This is more than a simple debt, and indicates a serious commitment in which the character may be required to give their life. 1: Fulfilling the obligation is a small part of the character's life, allowing them a large amount of free will. 2: Fulfilling the obligation is a large part of the character's life, allowing him or her to retain only a small amount of free will. |
| Skeleton in the Closet | 1-2 |
The character has a dark secret. Exposure of this secret could cause harm to the character in the form of public humiliation, loss of a job, arrest, or even physical harm. The number of bonus points gained from this Defect is based on how severe the consequences of having the secret revealed would be. The secret must be important enough that the character will take active steps to keep others from learning of it. If the Skeleton is ever revealed, the character will suffer the associated consequences. Additionally, the GM will replace it with an appropriate Defect or Defects worth at least as many BP as the Skeleton in the Closet Defect, such as the Nemesis or Wanted defect. 1: The Skeleton is very difficult to discover, the consequences of discovery are minor, or the character's reputation will be impacted minimally. 2: The Skeleton is relatively easy to discover and/or the consequences of discovery are major and/or the character's reputation will be seriously impacted. |
| Unique Defect | 1-2 | Any defect that one can make up that isn't covered in this list. Details need to be discussed with staff beforehand. |
| Unskilled | 1-2 |
The character has less training or experience than the average starting character. For each BP the character gains from this Defect, he or she loses 10 Skill Points. Characters who have the Highly Skilled Attribute may not take the Unskilled Defect. 1: The character has 10 fewer starting Skill Points. 2: The character has 20 fewer starting Skill Points. |
| Wanted | 1-2 |
The character is a marked man or woman, with either the law or a powerful organization such as a criminal syndicate having placed a price on his or her head. Any criminal character whose face can be found "on the post office wall" would certainly be considered to have 2 Levels of Wanted. Being Wanted is different from having a Nemesis. There is no single person devoting his or her life to annoying or hunting down the character, but the character will have to conceal his or her identity or move around regularly to avoid having complete strangers calling the police or hunting the character, depending on the circumstances. 1: The incentive offered for hunting the character is minor. For example, he or she may be wanted on outstanding warrants, but there may be no actual reward posted, or a fairly small reward. 2: The reward or other incentive offered to hunt the character is significant. |
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