Features of Thear
The Features below are skills anyone can develop through training, regardless of clan.
Common Features are those that any given individual should have at least one of. Uncommon Features are only found in those with a meaningful amount of training. Rare Features only occur in those with extensive training or talent, making those who developed them exceptional.
Common Features
Tough (6 FP): All damage [character name] takes is halved, rounded down. This Feature can be taken repeatedly, its effects stacking upon themselves.
Bigger Ass (4 FP): One of [character name]’s Ability Scores increases by +1. This Feature can be taken repeatedly for different or the same Ability Score. This cannot raise an Ability Score over 12.
Aim (2 FP): [character name] can hit their enemies with excellent aim. Their Attacks are increased by 1. This Feature can be taken repeatedly, it’s effects stacking upon itself.
Dodge (2 FP): [character name] can move out of the way of attacks with great skill. Their Armor increases by 1. This Feature can be taken repeatedly, it’s effects stacking upon itself.
Alert (1 FP): When rolling for Turn order, [character name] can add 1d4 to their roll. This Feature can be taken repeatedly.
Martial Artist (1 FP): [character name] has Unarmed Dice of 1d3, rather than 1d2. This Feature can be bought repeatedly. Each time it is purchased, the Unarmed Dice go up by one die type.
Ranged Attacker (1 FP): [character name] is treated as if they were 10 ft. closer for making ranged attacks. This Feature can be taken repeatedly, its effects stacking.
Recuperate (1 FP): While healing damage takes most people weeks or months, [character name] can heal quickly and easily. Whenever they finish a full rest, they gain a number of Hit Points back equal to their Bad Ass.
For 1 additional FP, they add 1d6 to the regained Hit Points every full rest.
Skilled (1 FP): [character name] is good at a particular skillset. When they make a roll to do something related to that skillset, they can add 1d4 to the result.
This Feature can be taken for multiple skills, at the same cost each time. It can also be taken repeatedly for the same skill, adding another 1d4 to that skill’s Checks. If taken for the same skill, the cost of taking it again is 1 higher each time.
For example, if they take this Feature once for Checks to observe their surroundings and once for Checks to persuade other creatures, each would cost 1 FP, for a total of 2 FP. However, if they take it twice for observing their surroundings, gaining 2d4 to such Checks, it would cost 1 FP the first time and 2 FP the second time, for a total cost of 3 FP.
Speedy (1 FP): [character name] adds +10 ft. to their speed.
Uncommon Features
Magic (6 FP): [character name] has learned the language of mana, allowing them to perform magic. They define what they want to happen and how long it will take to make it happen. The Game Master determines the DC, which they must beat with a Casting Check (1d12 + Smart Ass). The DC can be lowered by increasing the casting time or reducing the power of the effect.
Sucker Punch (2 FP): Three times per full rest, [character name] can use an action in another creature’s turn. This gives them three actions per full rest that can be used when it is not their turn at any time and in any combination.
These actions are taken away from their next turn, once it reaches their turn again in the turn order. This Feature can be taken repeatedly, providing three more actions per full rest each time it is taken.
Arcane Specialization (1 FP): The result of Casting Checks to achieve a specific variety of effects is increased by 1. An example of such a variety of effects would be healing and flesh shaping, scrying on events or magic object creation. This Feature can be taken multiple times, its effects stacking upon themselves.
Byslexia (-1 FP): [character name] has trouble reading. After reading more than 100 per Smart Ass words in one sitting, they must take a turn doing nothing but recuperating. Attempts to impress people in a way that requires reading are rolled twice, and they use the lower roll.
For -1 addition FP, they cannot read at all.
Rare Features
Necromancy (6 FP): [character name] can return souls, bringing life back to the dead. Unfortunately, they aren’t that good at it.
As twelve actions, they can touch a corpse and return it to life with 1 Hit Point. They can choose what Features the returned creature gains. However, the total FP cost of all Features gained must equal zero, and the returned always gains the Undead Feature.
For -2 additional FP, they cannot choose the Features the creature returns with. The reanimated creature gains the Undead, Walking Corpse and Will Of The Master Features (see Shade).
Will Of The Master is a Feature that cost -4 FP, and creatures immune to mental tampering cannot have it. Creatures with Will Of The Master cannot disobey orders given to them by the one who gave them Will Of The Master using this Feature.
However, nothing prevents the creature from buying back the Weakness with available FP, making it possible for creatures enslaved by this Feature to gain free will unexpectedly.
Magical Talent (3 FP): The result of Casting Checks is increased by 1. This Feature can be taken multiple times, its effects stacking upon themselves.
Arch Mage (1 FP): When [character name] makes a Casting Check, another creature within 10 ft. per Smart Ass can make a Casting Check to increase their Casting Check. For every 6 of its Check, including increases from Magical Talent or Arcane Specialization, the result of their Casting Check is increased by 1.
The creature must use the same number of actions to perform its Casting Check as them, and any number of creatures can aid a single Casting Check. The effects stack.
For 2 additional FP, aiding creatures increase the Casting Check by 1 for every 2 of the creature’s Casting Check.
For another 3 additional FP, aiding creatures increase the Casting Check by the results of their own Checks.
Mana Sight (1 FP): [character name] may make a Sight Check (1d12 + Smart Ass) to attempt to see non-physical aspects of reality.
For 1 additional FP, the results of their Sight Checks are increased by 1. This extra cost can be paid repeatedly, increasing Sight Checks by 1 each time.
Sympathetic (-4 FP): [character name] is incapable of taking a Kill Action, unless it is specifically for a goal other than the full death of the target.
For example, they couldn’t kill a creature by cutting its throat, but they could if the knife was enchanted to trap the creature’s soul so it could be transferred to a new body that lacked some debilitating disease the previous body possessed.
Pacifist (-8 FP): [character name] is incapable of taking actions to knowingly and directly harm others. This includes taking Attack Actions, but also prevents more complex actions that are clearly intended to cause harm.
For 2 additional FP, they can harm creatures that have already caused damage to them. They still cannot make Kill Checks, unless the Kill Check is for a goal other than the lasting death of the creature.
For another 2 additional FP, they can make Kill Checks against creatures that have caused them damage, even to permanently end the creature’s life.
World Rules
Soul Rules
Each month after death, a creature must make a Bad Ass Check (1d12 + Bad Ass) against the number of months they have remained an untethered soul.
If they fail, they dissipate and are cast into the Beyond before reforming in the Bleak with all base Features of the Shade clan. They can no longer be returned to life by means that require the soul.