Intellect Discriptors

APPEALING
You’re attractive to others, but perhaps more important, you are likeable and charismatic. You’ve
got that “special something” that draws others to you. You often know just the right thing to say
to make someone laugh, put them at ease, or spur them to action. People like you, want to help
you, and want to be your friend.

You gain the following characteristics:

Charismatic: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Skill: You are trained in pleasant social interactions.

Resistant to Charms: You’re aware of how others can manipulate and charm people, and you
notice when those tactics are used on you. Because of this awareness, you are trained in
resisting any kind of persuasion or seduction if you wish it.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You met a total stranger (one of the other PCs) and charmed them so much that they invited
you along.

2. The PCs were looking for someone else, but you convinced them that you were perfect
instead.

3. Pure happenstance—because you just go along with the flow of things and everything usually
works out.

4. Your charismatic ways helped get one of the PCs out of a difficult spot a long time ago, and
they always ask you to join them on new adventures.

CALM
You’ve spent most of your life in sedentary pursuits—books, movies, hobbies, and so on—rather
than active ones. You’re well versed in all manner of academia or other intellectual pursuits, but
nothing physical. You’re not weak or feeble, necessarily (although this is a good descriptor for
characters who are elderly), but you have no experience in more physical activities.

You gain the following characteristics:

Bookish: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Skill: You are trained in four nonphysical skills of your choice.

Trivia: You can come up with a random fact pertinent to the current situation when you wish it.
This is always a matter of fact, not conjecture or supposition, and must be something you could
have logically read or seen in the past. You can do this one time, although the ability is renewed
each time you make a recovery roll.

Inability: You’re just not a fighter. All physical attacks are hindered.

Inability: You’re not the outdoorsy type. All climbing, running, jumping, and swimming tasks are
hindered.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You read about the current situation somewhere and decided to check it out for yourself.

2. You were in the right (wrong?) place at the right (wrong?) time.

3. While avoiding an entirely different situation, you walked into your current situation.

4. One of the other PCs dragged you into it.

CHARMING
You’re a smooth talker and a charmer. Whether through seemingly supernatural means or just a
way with words, you can convince others to do as you wish. Most likely, you’re physically
attractive or at least highly charismatic, and others enjoy listening to your voice. You probably
pay attention to your appearance, keeping yourself well groomed. You make friends easily. You
play up the personality facet of your Intellect stat; intelligence is not your strong suit. You’re
personable, but not necessarily studious or strong-willed.

You gain the following characteristics:

Personable: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Skill: You’re trained in all tasks involving positive or pleasant social interaction.

Skill: You’re trained when using special abilities that influence the minds of others.

Contact: You have an important contact who is in an influential position, such as a minor noble,
the captain of the town guard/police, or the head of a large gang of thieves. You and the GM
should work out the details together.
Inability: You were never good at studying or retaining facts. Any task involving lore,
knowledge, or understanding is hindered.

Inability: Your willpower is not one of your strong points. Defense actions to resist mental
attacks are hindered.

Additional Equipment: You’ve managed to talk your way into some decent discounts and
bonuses in recent weeks. As a result, you have enough cash jangling in your pocket to
purchase a moderately priced item.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You convinced one of the other PCs to tell you what they were doing.

2. You instigated the whole thing and convinced the others to join you.

3. One of the other PCs did a favor for you, and now you’re repaying that obligation by helping
them with the task at hand.

4. There is a reward involved, and you need the money.

CLEVER
You’re quick-witted, thinking well on your feet. You understand people, so you can fool them but
are rarely fooled. Because you easily see things for what they are, you get the lay of the land
swiftly, size up threats and allies, and assess situations with accuracy. Perhaps you’re physically
attractive, or maybe you use your wit to overcome any physical or mental imperfections.

You gain the following characteristics:

Smart: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Skill: You’re trained in all interactions involving lies or trickery.

Skill: You’re trained in defense rolls to resist mental effects.

Skill: You’re trained in all tasks involving identifying or assessing danger, lies, quality,
importance, function, or power.

Inability: You were never good at studying or retaining trivial knowledge. Any task involving
lore, knowledge, or understanding is hindered.
Additional Equipment: You see through the schemes of others and occasionally convince
them to believe you—even when, perhaps, they should not. Thanks to your clever behavior, you
have an additional expensive item.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You convinced one of the other PCs to tell you what they were doing.

2. From afar, you observed that something interesting was going on.

3. You talked your way into the situation because you thought it might earn some money.

4. You suspect that the other PCs won’t succeed without you.

CREATIVE
Maybe you have a notebook where you write down ideas so you can develop them later.
Perhaps you email yourself ideas that strike you out of the blue so you can sort them in an
electronic document. Or maybe you just sit down, stare at your screen and, by indomitable force
of will, produce something from nothing. However your gift works, you’re creative—you code,
write, compose, sculpt, design, direct, or otherwise create narratives that enthrall other people
with your vision.

You gain the following characteristics:

Inventive: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Original: You’re always coming up with something new. You’re trained in any task related to
creating a narrative (such as a story, play, or scenario). This includes deception, if the deception
involves a narrative you’re able to tell.

Skill: You are naturally inventive. You are trained in one specific creative skill of your choice:
writing, computer coding, composing music, painting, drawing, and so on.

Skill: You love solving riddles and the like. You are trained in puzzle-solving tasks.

Skill: To be creative requires that you always be learning. You are trained in any task that
involves finding out something new, such as when you’re digging through a library, data bank,
news archive, or similar collection of knowledge.

Inability: You’re inventive but not charming. All tasks related to pleasant social interaction are
hindered.
Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You were doing research for a project and convinced the PCs to bring you along.

2. You’re looking for new markets for the results of your creative output.

3. You fell in with the wrong crowd, but they grew on you.

4. A creative life is often one beset with financial hurdles. You joined the PCs because you
hoped it would be profitable.

CRUEL
Misfortune and suffering do not move you. When another endures hardship, you find it hard to
care, and you may even enjoy the pain and difficulty the person experiences if they’ve done you
wrong in the past. Your cruel streak may derive from bitterness brought about by your own
struggles and disappointments. You might be a hard pragmatist, doing what you feel you must
even if others are worse for it. Or you could be a sadist, delighting in the pain you inflict. Being
cruel does not necessarily make you a villain. Your cruelty may be reserved for those who cross
you or other people useful to you. You might have become cruel as the result of an intensely
awful experience. Abuse and torture, for example, can strip away compassion for other living
beings. As well, you need not be cruel in every situation. In fact, others might see you as
personable, friendly, and even helpful. But when angered or frustrated, your dual nature reveals
itself, and those who have earned your scorn are likely to suffer for it.

You gain the following characteristics:

Cunning: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Cruelty: When you use force, you can choose to maim or deliver painful injuries to draw out
your foe’s suffering. Whenever you inflict damage, you can choose to inflict 2 fewer points of
damage to ease your next attack against that foe.

Skill: You’re trained in tasks related to deception, intimidation, and persuasion when you
interact with characters experiencing physical or emotional pain.

Inability: You have a hard time connecting with others, understanding their motives, or sharing
their feelings. Any task to ascertain another character’s motives, feelings, or disposition is
hindered.

Additional Equipment: You have a valuable memento from the last person you destroyed. The
memento is moderately priced, and you can sell it or trade it for an item of equal or lesser value.
Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You suspect that you might gain a long-term advantage from helping the other PCs and may
be able to use that advantage against your enemies.

2. By joining the PCs, you see an opportunity to grow your personal power and status at the
expense of others.

3. You hope to make another PC’s life more difficult by joining the group.

4. Joining the PCs gives you an opportunity to escape justice for a crime you committed.

INTUITIVE
You are often tickled by a sense of knowing what someone will say, how they will react, or how
events might unfold. Maybe you have a mutant sense, maybe you can see just a few moments
ahead through time, or maybe you’re just good at reading people and extrapolating a situation.
Whatever the case, many who look into your eyes immediately glance away, as if afraid of what
you might see in their expression.

You gain the following characteristics:

Innate: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Skill: You are trained in perception tasks.

Know What to Do: You can act immediately, even if it’s not your turn. Afterward, on your next
regular turn, any action you take is hindered. You can do this one time, although the ability is
renewed each time you make a recovery roll.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You just knew you had to come along.

2. You convinced one of the other PCs that your intuition is invaluable.

3. You felt that something terrible would happen if you didn’t go.

4. You’re confident the reason you arrived at this point will soon become clear.

MECHANICAL
You have a special talent with machines of all kinds, and you’re adept at understanding and, if
need be, repairing them. Perhaps you’re a bit of an inventor, creating new machines from time
to time. You get called “techie,” “tech,” “mech,” “gear-head,” “motor-head,” or any of a number of
other nicknames. Mechanics usually wear practical work clothes and carry around a lot of tools.

You gain the following characteristics:

Smart: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Skill: You’re trained in all actions involving identifying or understanding machines.

Skill: You’re trained in all actions involving using, repairing, or crafting machines.

Additional Equipment: You start with a variety of machine tools.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. While repairing a nearby machine, you overheard the other PCs talking.

2. You need money to buy tools and parts.

3. It was clear that the mission couldn’t succeed without your skills and knowledge.

4. Another PC asked you to join them.

PERCEPTIVE
You miss little. You pick out the small details in the world around you and are skilled at making
deductions from the information you find. Your talents make you an exceptional sleuth, a
formidable scientist, or a talented scout.As adept as you are at finding clues, you have no skill at
picking up on social cues. You overlook an offense that your deductions give or how
uncomfortable your scrutiny can make the people around you. You tend to dismiss others as
being intellectual dwarfs compared to you, which avails you little when you need a favor.

You gain the following characteristics:

Smart: +2 to your Intellect Pool.

Skill: You have an eye for detail. You are trained in any task that involves finding or noticing
small details.

Skill: You know a little about everything. You are trained in any task that involves identifying
objects or calling to mind a minor detail or bit of trivia.
Skill: Your skill at making deductions can be imposing. You are trained in any task that involves
intimidating another creature.

Inability: Your confidence comes off as arrogance to people who don’t know you. Any task
involving positive social interactions is hindered.

Additional Equipment: You have a bag of light tools.

Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you
became involved in the first adventure.

1. You overheard the other PCs discussing their mission and volunteered your services.

2. One of the PCs asked you to come along, believing that your talents would be invaluable to
the mission.

3. You believe that the PCs’ mission is somehow related to one of your investigations.

4. A third party recruited you to follow the PCs and see what they were up to.