System:Drawbacks
From DevilshireWiki
Every character on the grid is required to have drawbacks. Every Character Type has drawback points that the character is permitted. Each type may have up to 10 Drawback Points.
Addiction
You are addicted to something and you might as well face it. It's probably not love, though. Some substance or other has a hold over you, anything from caffeine to hard drugs. If you do not get your addiction of choice daily, you suffer from withdrawal. When you don't get your "fix" you take a negative modifier to all rolls that day. You can not take an addiction to chocolate.
Value:
1 - Regular drinking, smoking, gambling. These are things that can just be RPed.
2 - Heavy drinking, chain smoking, marijuana use. If you do not get your hit that day you suffer a -1 to all rolls.
3 - Severe drinking, heavy use of marijuana, or hard to come by illegal substance. If you do not get your hit that day you suffer a -2 to all rolls.
You can check to see if you are suffering from this drawback by typing +addiction.
Adversary
Sing it with me, kids. Everybody hates somebody sometime. And someone(s) out there has a mad on for you! The more power your enemy has, the more this drawback is worth. The value of the drawback is based on the power of your enemy and on how much they want you, personally, dead. An enemy that wants to kill you because you poked out his eye with a stick is worth more than an enemy that wants to kill you just because you wear a badge.
Value:
1 - One person/demon/vampire is after you, and while they may show up someday, it's unlikely it will be a long lasting rivalry when that happens.
2 - A group of people/demons/vampires are after you. These are usually thugs that are in the same state as you though maybe not the same town and while they aren't too likely to venture off their turf, they'll definitely have it out for you if you venture into theirs.
3 - A group of powerful people/demons/vampires are after you. These are usually people who will go out of their way to track you down to get what they want, whether it be your untimely death or something else. They are a national or international organization who will show up more than once a year to make your life miserable. If you have Adversary this high, you should expect staff to bring this up in plots.
Note: An Adversary can never be another PC, it needs to be an NPC. If you want someone to play this part, don't take adversary!
Attractiveness
Your character is so ugly his mother can't stand to look at him. This quality is -1 point per level. This drawback goes from 1 to 5. Characters with a 5 level are painfully ugly, 3-4 means this person is rather unfortunate looking, 1-2 means that they are plain, tending towards unpleasant looking. Depending on RP, this is a quality that will likely remain constant from the outset.
Value:
For being ugly
1/level
Bad Luck
Rather self explanatory. You're a proof of Murphy's Law, really. Bad things, if they can happen, have a higher likelihood of happening to you. Bad Luck provides a -1 penalty per level that staffers or PGMs can use against the character once per session. Staff or a PGM can use bad luck during a scene at different times, such as using one point on one action and one point on another. You can't have more than 5 points of bad luck.
Value: 1/level
Clown
Your character must do that thing, make that remark, or be That Guy in every situation. He was the class clown in high school, the one who does not always recognize the line that should not be crossed. This is a drawback that is to be role played out in social situations, it is not one that is rolled out.
Value: 1
Covetous
This character wants something pretty badly. Perhaps not something but more of a genre of things. There are lots of possibilities for their desires in this category: Greed (Wealth), Lechery (anyone the character is attracted to), Conspicuousness (the desire for fame), Ambition (power), etc. There are, however, differing levels of this desire for whatever it is that they want. Mild is a 1 pt drawback, and indicates that while the character wants this thing, the desire can be tempered by reason and better judgment with some effort. Severe is a 2 point drawback, and the character will need a powerful reason or effort to stop going after what they want. In fact, a double Willpower roll must be made, with a penalty of -1 to -3, to resist their desire. The third level is Desperate (3 point drawback) and the Willpower roll is now a single roll, but with a penalty of -1 to -5. If these Willpower rolls fail, then the character will go after what they want regardless of the consequences of their actions.
Value:
1 (mild)
2 (severe)
3 (desperate)
Dependent
Your character looks after someone, who is dependent on them in some way, whether that be financially or physically or whathaveyou. This is a vulnerability that can be used against a character by an enemy.
Value:
2 (one dependent)
3 (multiple dependents)
Note: A Dependent can never be another PC, it needs to be an NPC. If you want someone to play this part, don't take dependent!
Emotional Problems
Your character has, as they say, stunted emotional growth. Emotional problems come in six flavors.
Depression
This isn't just the blues. This is a partial inability to function.
Often it results in sleep problems, apathy, and at times frustration and anger.
Value:
1 (if seeking treatment regularly)
2 (if untreated)
Emotional Dependency
Your character needs people, desperately. When you have a friend you want to be with that friend all the time and feel anxious when you're away.
Value: 1
Fear of Commitment
When your character gets close to someone, she panics. She might just pull away or she might try to sabotage the relationship (often unconsciously).
Value: 1
Fear of Rejection
People with fear of commitment pull away when they begin to get close. People with fear of rejection don't get close in the first place. They are too worried about being rejected and hurt to allow people inside their
shell.
Value: 1
Insecurity
Your character just don't feel good about herself. She has no confidence and might very well be paralyzed when she's in the spotlight. This gives her a -2 to initiative because she hesitates before acting.
Value: 1
Loner
Your character doesn't need other people. Not only does she not want friends but she doesn't even want help figuring out how to get to Route 2A! At best she is gruff to others. At worst, downright insulting.
Value: 1
Honorable
This isn't just about you being a good guy. You have an actual, thought out code of honor that is so psychologically engrained that you have to make a Willpower (doubled) check to break it even in life or death situations. Honorable comes in three levels.
Minimal
Your character doesn't lie or betray friends, family, or people she respects. Anybody else is fair game.
Value: 1
Serious
Whether it be friend or foe, your character doesn't betray the trust of others and keeps her promises. Because of this, she takes giving her word seriously.
Value: 2
Rigid
We're talking stereotypical samurai honor here. Your character abides by the code laid out under serious but also will not ambush an enemy (that's cowardly), hit a helpless enemy (unfair) or cheat at poker (disgusting). She will only lie in the most extreme of cases and even then takes a penalty of between -2 and -6 on the roll.
Value: 3
Humorless
You don't have a sense of humor. No. Really. When other people laugh in movie theaters you think their idiots. You don't get jokes. You totally miss sarcasm. You dislike it when other people fool around. You always want to get right to the point. Note, this is different from having a dry wit. Some people's senses of humor are very subtle but still there. We're talking Mister Spock here.
Value: 1
Impaired Sense
Blind as a bat? Deaf as a mule? Cat got your tongue? You've got a sense that just don't work right. This isn't the same as being totally deficient in a sense. Instead, you suffer a -3 penalty to use it. You can't take this drawback for a sense you bought Acute Sense for. If your impaired sense is easily correctable, through the use of glasses or a hearing aid for example, the value is reduced. You can apply this drawback to sight, hearing, touch, and taste/smell.
Value:
1 (if the problem is correctable through a device)
2 (if the problem isn't correctable)
Mental Problems
This ain't about having trouble getting close to someone. This is full out psychological drama. Mental problems come in the following forms. All mental problems can be taken up to 3 levels and you can always come up with your own and run them by staff.
Cowardice
This isn't about being afraid of getting hurt. This is about being afraid to even get into a confrontation. Whenever your character gets into a situation which could be violent (verbally or physically) she has to make a Willpower (doubled) check with a penalty equal to the level of her cowardice.
Value: 1/level
Cruelty
Oh, how you like the sweet sound of suffering. You enjoy inflicting pain for the sake of pain. This probably isn't a good trait for heroes to have. At level 1, you reserve this for your enemies. At level 3 you don't need reservations. Walk-ins are welcome.
Value: 1/level
Delusions
Your character sees things that aren't there or believes things that aren't true. She could think the purpose of aglets is sinister or you might think all 'damn mexicans' are lazy.
Value: 1/level
Obsession
Some people have a guiding passion. You have an all-consuming one. Something or someone is the focus of your life. Good examples from the real world include collectors who never stop talking about their collections, stalkers who keep shrines to their stalkee in their home, and fans of television shows who pretend to be characters on the show as a pastime.
Value: 1/level
Paranoia
You know that guy down the street? The one everyone respects? The one who has all the civic awards and saved that baby last week? He's really an alien reptile secretly planning world domination and he's bugging my phone because I know! You get the idea. You could believe they're out to get you and see conspiracies everywhere, or you could just always like to sit with your back to a wall and sweep the room for invisible ninja assassins. You're hyper-alert all the time but it doesn't mean you have to wear a tinfoil hat. Unless you know about the aliens. Then you probably should.
Value: 1/level
Phobia
Something gives you the wigs major. Tight spaced, open spaces, heights, crowds, dogs, snakes, squirmy bugs, blood... it could be anything. Whenever you're faced with your fear you must make a Fear check with a penalty equal to the level of this drawback. Click here for a list of Phobias.
Value: 1/level
Recklessness
Your character leaps before she looks. She takes stupid risks. She does the insane. At low levels this is manageable and results in people jumping off bridges with elastics tied to them. At high levels? We'll book the funeral home for you. Note this is expected to be played--reckless characters don't sit back and make plans, they run in without thinking. So if you're playing a tactical mastermind, don't take this.
Value: 1/level
Zealot
You believe in something utterly, and totally. You are completely devoted to that belief. Often this belief is religious but it could also be political, social, or even corporate. At low levels you will sacrifice yourself for your cause. At high levels? You'll sacrifice others - be they willing or unwilling.
Value: 1/level
Minority
Your character belongs to a group that is not the dominant power in the area and often faces either mild or severe persecution. Your minority could be racial (African-American, Latin-American), sexual (lesbian, transgender), or religious (neo-pagan, Satanist). In some cases you can hide what you are. In others you can't. But when some people find out they will treat you differently.
Value: 1
Misfit
Misfits was a good movie. Some people liked Misfits of Science. Real misfits, however, tend to attract scorn and ridicule. Your character's one of those people. She could be a classic nerd or from a totally foreign culture. For whatever reason, your character suffers a -2 to social actions.
Value: 2
Obligation
Technically all American citizens above the age of eighteen have the obligation to vote and serve on jury duty but we're talking real obligation here. You owe loyalty to an organization or cause or person and that can cause some discomfort, pain, or death. Obligation comes in three levels.
Minor
You are expected risk your life for cause. This is the sort of obligation most beat cops and EMTs have.
Value: 1/level
Moderate
The welfare of the group is more important than your own. You're always on call and your personal life takes second place. This is the sort of obligation that soldiers, doctors, and professional firefighters have.
Value: 1/level
Major
Every day you could die for the cause. It always comes first. Always. This is the level of obligation that soldiers in wartime, CIA operatives, and Slayers have.
Value: 1/level
Note: An Obligation can never be another PC, it needs to be an NPC. If you want someone to play this part, don't take obligation!
Outcast
Compared to Outcasts, Misfits have it easy. Outcasts are misfits who have been so whipped by the bullies of society that they go out of their way to avoid gaining attention and, as a result, have stopped paying attention to the world. They're that strange guy who lives in the trailer park and that woman who sleeps in her car and that poor man who wanders the streets muttering to himself. Outcasts suffer a -2 penalty on all social rolls and a -1 penalty on all notice checks.
Value: 3
Physical Disability
There's a serious problem with your physical functioning due to birth, accident, or disease.
Blind
Just what it says. You can't see. Period. You need a Perception + Notice check just to find someone in combat and even then you take a -5 to all attack and defense rolls.
Value: 8
Missing/Crippled Arm/Hand
Either your hand is gone or you can't use the hand to grab things. Any task requiring two hands is either at a -3 penalty or impossible.
Value:
1 (if a prosthetic can help)
2 (with no prosthetic)
Missing/Crippled Leg/Foot
You can't walk or run normally. With a cane, you can move at 1/3rd normal speed. Up close combat is done at a -2 penalty to all rolls. With an artificial leg you can move at half speed and only take a -1 penalty to close combat rolls.
Value:
2 (with an artificial leg or foot)
3 (without an artificial leg or foot)
Missing/Crippled Arms
Neither arm works or they are both missing. Your character can't use tools, though some tasks might be performed with the feet after years of practice. This is the suck.
Value: 4
Missing/Crippled Legs
Without a wheelchair, you can't do more than drag or roll yourself along on the ground or pull yourself along a railing or similar object.
Value: 4
Recurring Nightmares
You suffer from dreams. Horrible dreams. It could be because of visions or because of childhood trauma or post-war trauma or any number of other reasons. On days when you have nightmares you take a -1 penalty on all actions due to lack of sleep. Every 24 hours upon logging in, the code will check you for nightmares and automagically add the penalty to your rolls for that day if you suffer from them.
Value: 2
Resources
Money. You either have it or you don't. In this case, you don't! Your income is Below Average (if it even exists at all), giving you a beat up car and maybe a crappy apartment at the most.
Value: 2
Screwed-Up Adolescent
Oh, sure, teenagers have it bad just because but someone really messed you up. Abuse? Maybe. Neglect? Possibly. Being forced to watch the Sound of Music every day for five years? We feel for you. Screwed-up adolescents suffer from the normal teen flaws but also receive Emotional Problem 1 (teen rage) and one Level 1 Mental Problem of your choosing. This must be bought off when the character turns 18, so obviously you have to be under 18 to have it in the first place.
Value: 4
Secret
There's something you don't want other people to know. It will cause harm to you, or maybe them, if they find out. The value of this drawback is related directly to the level of harm blowing the secret could cause. PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT IF YOU ARE TAKING SECRET YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO NOT TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT. This is especially critical for secrets above 1. If you're on grid for a two weeks and suddenly everyone knows you're wanted in three different states and your name isn't real and by the way you have super awesome mind powers, you WILL be expected to buy it off or buy it down. It is a SECRET for a reason.
If you want to have secrets in your background that you go around actively RPing about? Just don't take this drawback. It bears repeating that if you do take this at higher levels and it starts becoming common knowledge through RP, you will be expected to buy it off.
Value:
1 - This secret is something you are uncomfortable with people knowing as they might cause you harm/not like you as much. This is something you might admit only to your closest friends after a very, very long time knowing them. Normally if this secret gets out, the only person who could possibly be harmed (physically or otherwise) is you.
2 - This is something you would only tell people about under extreme duress. You will lie to keep this secret. You will lose friendships to keep this secret. It inhibits you in some way, keeps you from being the person you really are. If this secret gets out, you and anyone who knows about it would be in danger of being seriously harmed (killed, absolutely ruined, etc.) in some way.
3 - You would die to keep this secret. This includes situations like not using your powers when other people are around except when faced with absolute certain death of you or a loved one. A really loved one. Not just some guy you happen to think is cute. Whatever this secret is it haunts you and nags at you and you will be damned (perhaps literally) if you ever willingly told someone about it as you know you'd be putting them in danger. Think of it as Limited Use: RP - Only To Be RPed About Once In A Blue Moon. In the course of years of RP you might tell one person about it. Maybe two. If this secret gets out, everyone is fucked!
Talentless
Your character lacks in artistic/creative ability. Give her a lump of clay and she'll make... a differently shaped lump of clay. Talentless characters suffer a -3 penalty when doing anything creative. This includes creatively lying or coming up with a good seduction routine. In addition, talentless characters can never get more than one success on checks involving creativity.
Value: 2
Teenager
Being a teenager means no one listens to you but everyone expects you to act grown up. You can't drink (legally) or smoke (legally) or vote (legally). Worse still, you very likely have guardians who might look askance at you sneaking out in the middle of the night to go fight off a horde of vampires. Being a teenage sucks. You will be required to buy off this flaw when you turn eighteen.
Value: 2
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| New Player Information | Application Procedure • Census • Character Types • Playing Villains • Restricted Concepts • Sample Character Background | |
| Game System | Attributes • Combat • Drama Points • Drawbacks • Fear • Global Commands • Experience Points • Human Qualities • Human Drawbacks • LP & Healing • Magic • Magic Spells A • Magic Spells B • Note • Package Qualities • Rolling • Skills • Supernatural Qualities • Supernatural Drawbacks • Superscience | |
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| Characters | Casting • NPC Casting • The Devlin Family • The Harget Family • The Moore Family • The Swann Family | |
