AI:L Trait List

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Traits

Ancestry Traits

All characters must take one Ancestry Trait to show where they come from. In the hierarchical world the Chosen and Zenith have created this is the most important Trait for many characters and defines who they are and what they may become.

A character can pick a second Ancestry Trait at a cost of +1 trait point as a mixed ancestry surcharge, in addition to the cost of the additional Ancestry Trait.

Jibrilite Pol (1 trait point) – Commoners gain two bonus CP whenever they are awarded CP due to striving to overcome their humble origins. As Jibrilites they get access to the Thaumatech Alpha trait for free.

Jibrilite Noble (2 trait points) - Nobles are the leaders of the Jibril Dominions and are trained from birth to be paragons of their Chosen. They gain a +1 bonus to five skills and +2 Core Aether. As Jibrilites they get access to the Thaumatech Alpha trait for free.

Jibrilite Codex (3 trait points) – Codex heritage Jibrilites are members of the trusted Hiero Houses of the Chosen, and have access to the greatest secrets of the Chosen. Codex Jibrilites gain +1 Aether and +4 Core Aether. As Jibrilites they get access to the Thaumatech Alpha trait for free.

Jibrilite Construct (1 trait point) – Jibrilite Constructs are beings created through the technomagical artifice of the Chosen. Constructs gain +1 to one stat, +5 to PS and 5 Armour DR with coverage 9 (“my one weakness”) due to their robust construction. They also suffer a -5 penalty to social conflict with all Gamma Thaumatechs, or -10 to Zeta Thaumatechs of their affiliated Chosen, and are vulnerable to “Override” vibes.

Unbound Construct (2 trait points) – Unbound Constructs are created beings that have freed themselves from their masters, or have particularly benevolent (or unwise) progenitors. They do not suffer social conflict penalties nor are they vulnerable to “Override” vibes. Unbound Constructs function as constructs in all other respects.

Zenith Commoner – Commoners gain two bonus CP whenever they are awarded CP due to striving to overcome their humble origins.

Zenith Noble

Zenith Magus

Elven Commoner (1 trait point) Commoners take the “Weirdling” trait for free. Commoners suffer a -5 edge in social conflict against Nobles and a -10 edge in social conflict against Royals. Commoners gain two bonus CP whenever they are awarded CP due to striving to overcome their humble origins. Elven Commoners Gain +1 Core Aether. No Elf can take the Sorcery trait or any Thaumatech trait.

Elven Noble (2 trait points) Nobles may take the “Ethereal Beauty” trait for free. Nobles suffer a -5 edge in social conflict against Royals. Elven Nobles the primary agents of the courts of the Alfar and some have gained tremendous skill in their chosen speciality over the centuries, and gain a +5 bonus to one skill. Elven Nobles gain +1 Aether and +3 Core Aether. No Elf can take the Sorcery trait or any Thaumatech trait.

Elven Royal (3 trait points) Royals may take the “Ethereal Beauty” and “Faceshifter” traits for free. Elven Royals gain +2 Aether and +5 Core Aether. No Elf can take the Sorcery trait or any Thaumatech trait.

Eleutherian Plebian (1 trait point) - Plebs gain one bonus CP whenever they are awarded CP due to striving to show themselves the equal of the Patricians. Due to the superior education of the Republic, Plebs gain a +1 bonus to five skills points.

Eleutherian Patrician (2 trait points) – Patricians are the old noble families of the Republic. Due to the superior education of the Republic they gain +2 bonus to five skills. If an Eleutherian Patrician picks a Jibrilite trait they do not pay the extra 1 point surcharge for mixed ancestry.

Citizen of Arth (0 trait points) – Human rebels against the established order who consider themselves freed from the old shackles. Increasingly common among Jibrilite and Mikaelan revolutionaries, but also in some Zenith communities. Citizen of Arth cannot be taken with any other Ancestry Trait. New Citizens may still optionally identify with any other human Ancestry Trait to show their heritage, or if they are descended from a long line of Citizens they may identify with none at all. Either way they take none of the bonusses or penalties. Instead they gain one additional Trait points due to their broader understanding of the possibilities of an unbound humanity.

Thaumatech Traits

Thaumatech Alpha Access (1 trait points): Thaumatech Alpha Access is the basic ability to use and program Thaumatech praxi. It is not required to operate most Thaumatech machines, but can be required to maintain them and can be used to override or control them. This ability is mostly based on genetic encoding and some basic training. Because the Alpha level Thaumatech safeties can be breached with little effort, it can also be purchased by any character, however it is free for Jibrilites. Prerequisites: Skill: Thaumatech 1

Thaumatech Gamma Access (2 trait points): Thaumatech Gamma Access allows advanced praxis programming, including the construction and modification of new spells. It has historically been the province only of the privileged elite of the Jibrilite Dominions. This trait can only be taken by Jibrilites due to the safeties involved in the praxi, however these safeties can be overcome with certain quirks. Prerequisites: Hero Level: 1, Skill: Thaumatech 5, Trait: Alpha Access, Quirk: Jibrilite Nobles, Codex, Library, Tinker, or Abomination

Thaumatech Zeta Access (3 trait points): Thaumatech Zeta Access allows Chosen level administrator access to various praxi, and its use is highly restricted to the most senior levels of the church hierarchy. This trait can only be taken by Jibrilites due to the safeties involved in the praxis. There are continual rumours that a handful of non Jibrilites have managed to crack these safeties, however since the most recent of these involves a mad Kobold thaumatek these are not considered credible. Prerequisites: Hero Level: 3, Skill: Thaumatech 10, Trait: Alpha Access, Quirk: Jibrilite Codex, or Abomination

Solinarch (2 trait points): A Solinarch is a fusion of thaumatech and flesh into an ultimate etheric warrior. Mainly used by the Empyrean Church, Solinarchs are the feared enforcers of the Codex, and the deadly rivals of the Zenith Knights. This trait allows the use of Solo Praxis. Prerequisites: Hero Level: 2, Quirk: Jibrilite Construct, Codex

Quirks

Personality Quirks

Appellomancer: You avoid calling people by their real names, using nick-names for them instead. Once per session you may gain a +2 to a one-liner rolls regarding someone you have nick-named in a previous session. Spacey: Your character spaces out occasionally, sometimes at very inconvenient times. If you choose to automatically go last in the first round of a combat this session, gain 1 CP. If you choose to skip your action entirely (this does not prevent you taking defensive actions) gain 2 CP. Cryptolingual: Your character is sometimes so confusing in their speech patterns that no one can understand what they are saying. Gain 1 CP if you force a character to ask you to "Repeat that in Jibrilese, please," or to just say, ". . .What?" at least once a session. Gain a 2 CP if you do this during a social conflict (taking a -5 communications penalty in the process) and STILL succeed in the roll, leaving characters saying "the crazy thing is it makes sense to me now!" Moral High Horse: Your character can get on their high horse sometimes and prevents them taking more expedient actions. Once per session gain 1 CP if you stop another character taking an action that would further one of your group’s goals with the words, “That’s not who we are,” or “Because otherwise we’d become like them,” or similar. Gain 3 CP if this leads to the escape of a named villain who can come back and plague the group in future. Respected: Your character is widely respected in one or more of their social circles. Other members of their circle will automatically feel the “Respect” vibe on first meeting the character in a campaign. This does not prevent them losing that vibe due to subsequent actions. Caring Commander: Your character hates to see any of their friends or followers die, and for them “zero” is the only acceptable number of (friendly) casualties. Once per session gain 1 CP if before a combat you say, “No one else dies today,” or “all of you are coming home,” and are able to end the fight without mook or character losses to your side. Callous Commander: Your character cares only about the mission. Those who die to achieve it are acceptable losses. Once per session gain 1 CP if you remark callously on the amount of casualties forces under your command are taking, saying things like, “they should be proud to die for me,” or “we have reserves.” Trustworthy: Your character has a reputation for keeping their word, and even their enemies trust their promises. Maintain a list of all significant promises made by your character. Every time you keep one of them under pressure gain +1 Social Advantage. This Advantage is cumulative and can be spent on any social action involving trust. Lose one advantage from this pool if you obviously prevaricate or dissemble, and the entire advantage pool will be lost the moment you are caught in an outright lie.

Untrustworthy: Your character has a reputation for never keeping their word. If you manage to convince some poor fool to actually trust you or accept an agreement with you, gain 3 CP if you break the agreement before they do, particularly if you do so while saying, “pray I do not alter it any further,” “only now, at the end, do you understand,” or “I lied,” or similar.

Code of Conduct: Your character follows a strict code which provides them with a source of guidance. Once per session the character can declare something to be contrary to their code of conduct reducing negative vibes related to that action by 1. Record the tenets of this code. If at any time the character acts against any of these tenets they lose this Quirk.

Unruffled: It takes a lot to ruffle your character. When everyone else is screaming and yelling and diving for cover, your character stands and calmly surveys the situation. If you spend the first round of any combat or conflict calmly assessing the situation rather than taking any offensive or defensive action you gain a +3 Advantage bonus of your choice for the next round.

Style Quirks

Dapper

Disheveled

Physical Quirks

Short: Your character is 4-5 feet tall, and suffers a -2 edge penalty to Athletics rolls for movement or close combat, but gains a +1 bonus to ranged AC.

Very Short: Your character is 3-4 feet tall, and suffers a -4 edge penalty to Athletics rolls for movement or close combat, but gains a +2 bonus to ranged AC.

Eyepatch: Your character wears an eyepatch as a prominent reminder of their status as a grizzled combat veteran. They suffer a permanent -1 penalty to their Focus pool, but once per session gain a +2 "Badass" Edge bonus to an appropriate action.