Zadammac: Created page with "'''Traits''' are special properties of characters that modify their existing statistics or grant them wholly new abilities, usually on the basis of a character meeting certain prerequisites to use them. The most common sort of traits are heritage traits (in settings that use heritages), which are taken during character generation. Characters continue to accumulate traits as part of landmark advancement at a set rate, usually one new trait per level. == T..."

2023-02-04T19:12:34Z

Created page with "'''Traits''' are special properties of characters that modify their existing statistics or grant them wholly new abilities, usually on the basis of a character meeting certain prerequisites to use them. The most common sort of traits are heritage traits (in settings that use heritages), which are taken during character generation. Characters continue to accumulate traits as part of landmark advancement at a set rate, usually one new trait per level. == T..."

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'''Traits''' are special properties of [[characters]] that modify their existing statistics or grant them wholly new abilities, usually on the basis of a character meeting certain prerequisites to use them. The most common sort of traits are [[heritage]] traits (in settings that use heritages), which are taken during [[character generation]]. Characters continue to accumulate traits as part of [[landmark advancement]] at a set rate, usually one new trait per level.

== Trait Prerequisites ==
Traits almost always have a prerequisite that a character must meet before they are able to take the trait. For example, the stock system trait [[Leaps of Logic (Trait)]] requires the user meet a certain minimum score for both [[Analysis]] and [[Intuition]] to qualify for the trait effects.

If a user meets the requirements for a trait ''after applying all other relevant changes during [[landmark advancement]]'', the character may take the trait. If some future change to the character drives them under the requirements for the trait, the trait is no longer active, until the necessary aptitude or skill changes recover.

== Trait Effects ==
Traits by and large have two classes of effects: passive, and active, of which the former is by far more common. Regardless of whether or not the trait is active or passive, it may also have a drawback. The drawback is never optional, but may be conditional. See the specific description of the trait you're interested in for details.

=== Passive Effects ===
Passive trait effects are those effects which are always active and which require no input from the character or offer any choice about their activation. For example, the [[Howl Basin]]-specific heritage trait '''Jack Lagos''' causes a character with this trait to [[recovery | recover]] [[Willpower]]-based [[pools]] at double the normal rate. The character does not need to decide to have this happen or pay a cost (other than the cost of having chosen it as one of their limited trait choices) for this to happen; it simply happens.

=== Active Effects (Abilities) ===
An active trait is any trait where the activation of the trait effect is optional. Using the same [[Leaps of Logic (trait)]] stock trait as an example, the character which has this trait '''may''' choose to pass an [[Intuition]] [[check]] as part of this challenge, which grants them a [[boon]] to the corresponding [[Analysis]]-based check if equally successful.

A distinction here should be made between normal traits and [[abilities]]. An Ability is effectively an Active Trait, but one which incurs a cost rather than simply having a drawback. This cost is almost always the deduction of points from a [[pool]] when activating the ability. The stock system for [[magic]] treats individual spells as individual abilities. A hypothetical "barbarian rage" ability might deplete some hypothetical "rage" pool, based on [[Strength]] or [[Hardiness]] or even [[Willpower]]. The distinction between abilities and traits is largely semantic.

== Retraining Traits ==
By default, most traits are considered [[immutable]] and cannot be changed. In long-running [[campaign]] gameplay, [[Facilitators]] are encouraged to consider allowing players to retrain a trait, perhaps replacing it during extended [[downtime]] or as part of [[landmark advancement]]

Traits - Revision history