Traits and Passives

Trait Index:

Overview

Building Traits

Using Traits

Trait Map

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Traits are the defining attributes of a Character and express the degree of natural talent they have when using their abilities. The number of ranks a Character has in a given Trait dictates how many dice a Character rolls when making tests related to that Trait. More dice means better odds for bonuses, more bonuses means better performance.

Passives represent the Character's specific attributes, such as how fast they are or how much weight they can carry. The number of ranks a Character has in each Passive will determine their ability in that area: more ranks in Speed lets them move further; more ranks in Strength lets them carry more. Not only do Passives contribute heavily to a Character's playstyle, but they are especially important to get right because they are very difficult to change after Character creation.

Traits and Passives are arranged in groups of three; one Trait, with two Passives beneath it:

• The Focus Trait increases the number of dice rolled for mental tests.
  • The Focus Passive, Acuity allows the Character to use more advanced technology.
  • The Focus Passive, Will increases the Character's Stamina, allowing them to use Augs, such as Grit, more frequently for super-human feats.

• The Instinct Trait increases the number of dice rolled for awareness, stealth and social tests.
  • The Instinct Passive, Grit increases the Action Points, or AP, gained when activating the Grit Aug. Bonus AP improve the Character's performance in any Skill test.
  • The Instinct Passive, Initiative grants bonuses to the Character's Initiative tests, which determine the order in which Characters take their turns in combat. A higher score means the Character can act sooner. Additionally, Inititive grants bonus Action Points during the Character's first round of combat, so not only can the Character act sooner, but also with greater potency when combat begins.

• The Physique Trait increases the number of dice rolled for Physical tests, such as making attacks.
  • The Physique Passive, Strength increases the maximum mass a Character can carry and allows them to wield more potent Gear, such as heavier weapons and armor.
  • The Physique Passive, Speed increases the distance a Character can move each round during combat and grants bonuses to Speed tests, which are made when attempting to outrun something.

• The Vigor Trait increases the number of dice rolled for resistance and talent tests.
  • The Vigor Passive, Health increases the number of Hit Points, or HP, the Character has, allowing them to endure more damage before they die.
  • The Vigor Passive, Toughness increases the number of Natural Armor points the Character has, increasing the amount of damage they can absorb each turn of combat before losing any Health.

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Each Trait is assigned a fixed number of ranks; 5, 7, 9 or 11, at the Player's discretion. Each value may only be used for one Trait and all values must be used. No others are valid. Remember that a Character's strengths and weaknesses depend on the ranks in their Traits; make sure they have the highest ranks in Traits most important to their role.

• For example, a Character could have:
  • Focus 7
  • Instinct 11
  • Physique 5
  • Vigor 9

• A Character could also have:
  • Focus 5
  • Instinct 9
  • Physique 11
  • Vigor 7

• A Character could NOT have:
  • Focus 11
  • Instinct 9
  • Physique 11
  • Vigor 7

• A Character also could NOT have:
  • Focus 12
  • Instinct 9
  • Physique 7
  • Vigor 4

The rank in a Trait also determines the number of ranks available to its Passives. If a Trait has 7 ranks, then its two Passives must share a total of 7 ranks between them.

• For example, look at the Vigor Trait listed above. If a Character has 7 ranks in Vigor, then its Passives, Health and Toughness, will share 7 ranks between them.

• This means the Character could have:
  • Health 0 with Toughness 7
  • Health 4 with Toughness 3
  • Any other combination that totals 7 ranks.

The only rule is that the total number of ranks between them cannot exceed the rank of their Trait. This means that the higher the rank of the Trait, the more ranks will be available to its Passives as well.

• For example, if the Character had 11 ranks in Vigor, they could have:
  • Health 5 with Toughness 6
  • Health 1 with Toughness 10
  • Any other combination that totals 11 ranks.

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When using their abilities, the Player rolls dice for a chance to improve the results. The number of dice rolled is always equal to the Character's rank in the related Trait. This means that if a Character has 9 ranks in Focus, the Player may roll 9 dice for any Focus test.

• Focus dice are used for Mental tests, such as medicine or hacking.

• Instinct dice are used for Perception, Social and Stealth tests.

• Physique dice are used for Physical tests, such as making attacks.

• Vigor dice are used for Survival and Talent tests.

The number of dice rolled is important, because each die has a chance to “score” by giving an odd-numbered result. Every scoring die grants a +2 Action Point (AP) bonus for the test, so the more dice rolled, the bigger the possible bonuses.

• For example, when making an attack -a physical test- the Character rolls a number of dice equal to their rank in Physique. If the Character has Physique 7, then the Player would roll 7 dice. Since each die scores on odd numbers, there is a 50/50 chance for each to score, making a result of 3 fairly average. With 3 scoring dice, the Character gains +6AP on their attack; 2AP per scoring die.
• By comparison, a Character with Physique 11 would roll 11 dice on the same attack, making 5 scoring dice fairly average, rather than just 3. With 5 scoring dice, the Character gains +10AP rather than +6AP, which could be enough AP for an additional hit on the enemy.
• In other words, Characters with high ranks in Physique have better odds in combat, since they roll more dice and can get bigger bonuses for their attacks. The more dice rolled, the better the chances of bonus AP and this is true in every area of a Character's performance, not just combat. Rank your Trait carefully!

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FOCUS The character's intelligence and determination

INSTINCT The character's alertness and intuition

PHYSIQUE A character's physical strength and agility.

VIGOR The measure of a Character's resiliance