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Trait Lists

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 11 months ago

Trait Lists


 

Basic Categories

 

Favorable Traits generally give you character more options/possibilities or potential within gameplay or at character generation.

Unfavorable Traits reduce a character's options, possibilities, potential or cause plot problems and complications for the character or during character generation.

 

Taking Traits

For each favorable trait from the above categories you take you must take one from the same level of unfavorablely rated traits. They do not necessarily have to be related to each other, that's not how the balance mechanism is designed.

 

Special Categories

 

A Trait with this symbol is Limited to one character in a player character group having, if any at all. It is a 'Secured Trait'. Your GM's campaign handout will tell you which of these are available in the game. See Also : Secured Traits

 

A Trait with this symbol is a 'Story Trait' or 'Plot Trait' and you should have usually 2 such traits as part of your character at most, unless your GM designates otherwise in the campaign handout. It can be used by your GM for producing specific plot elements and story around your character in what will occur over the game's chronicle. See Also : Story Traits

 

A Trait with this symbol is a Mystic Trait and your character must have the trait Mystic Sense in order to take this trait.

 

A Trait with this symbol is exclusive, in that it cannot be taken with certain other traits. These are either traits that are considered too similar to the trait, overlaps the trait or is contradictory to the trait. You cannot, for example, take more than one Racial/Species trait. Some races/species are neither favorable nor unfavorable, such as playing a human. See Sentient Inhabitants

 

A Trait with this symbol can be acquired in the game thru the expenditure of growth points if it is appropriate to the ongoing storylines of the campaign. Any limitations of pre-requisite traits or skills described in the trait must still be applied in consideration of it's purchase. Minor Traits Cost 20 Growth Points, Major Traits Cost 40 Growth Points and Severe Traits Cost 80 Growth Points. There is also a quick reference list of Growth Purchased Traits.

 

A Trait with this symbol is one that can be acquired in game thru the expenditure of money and some period of time. This is referred to as an 'Asset Trait' and is always a Favorable one. Generally Asset traits cost more than the maximum amount of starting funds that a character would have from Resources, and will take some effort to find a source for to purchase from as well.

 

It is highly recommended you actually pick your traits FIRST before assigning your stat points or skill points to a character.

 

Remember that experience growth cannot be used to buy up Attributes or New Traits most of the time, only skills. Developing new traits in game requires large amounts of plot justifications, except for an Asset Trait or a Growth Trait. So if you really want a trait then take it at the start of character creation.

 

Creating New Traits

 

Because of the nature of Zamani it is perfectly reasonable to create a new trait for your character idea. This will generally require GM permission, and traits should be balanced to some extent against similar traits.

 

How often the trait's effects will come into use or effect, how powerful the trait is compared to others (or how limiting), and how wide a range of things it affects generally will determine it's cost. Also whether it restricts what other traits can be taken, or whether it is to be an exclusive trait is also important.

 

This is true of both favorable and unfavorable traits. It takes a lot to think of every possibility, or every single trait and possible effects on character background, mechanics or play, and by allowing you the player to work with the GM to add those things that might make your character more interesting or fun to play it adds to your power as a player in general. Zamani is cooperative and to some extent expands the power of players, within reason, to expand, define or improve the mechanics and the setting beyond it's basics.

 

Zamani is NOT a superhero campaign, so extreme powers and abilities that are always available and do lots of things or cover a wide spectrum should be avoided as traits. If you need something in this vein consider making it a spell or one of the Item of Power traits Item Of Minor Power, Item Of Major Power, Item Of Severe Power instead.

 

Additional Race/Species may be added with GM permission, but should be able to blend in or hide as if a member of one of the major population species or be from one of the less defined worlds in the system.

 

See Also : Mental Traits, Mystic Paths, Mystic Traits, Physical Traits, Secured Traits, Social Traits, Story Traits

Comments (1)

Anonymous said

at 9:45 am on Mar 16, 2006

The trait section, being the essential root of character creation, remains in a certain amount of flux and redesign at present as new ideas are introduced.

I'm looking for good ideas to be added in here by folks to make the lists more extensive, but it's important no to make any one trait overbalancing from the rest in it's category.

The graphics designators (Secured, Exclusive, Story and Mystic) help with this balance since they limit traits in combination with other traits and in importance to character design.

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