Birthsigns
Every character was born under a particular constellation, called a Birthsign. When you pick a Birthsign, you gain Proficiency in one of the three skills linked to this sign. In addition, you can choose (completely optional!) to take the sign’s related power, which grants both advantages and drawbacks. Whatever choices you make are permanent.
The lore associated with each sign depicts common social preconception rather than actual rules. There is a grain of truth to them, though deviations are frequent.
The Ritual:
Month: Morning Star (January)
Lore: Closely associated with Mara, the goddess of family and healing, the Ritual blesses its descendants with patience, humility, and a gentle heart. Natives of the Ritual have a particular gift for soothing.
Skill: Medicine, Persuasion, or Religion
Power: The Ritual pleads for harmony. As long as you act in good faith, you have Advantage on d20 checks made to convince someone to choose the peaceful option in a given situation. Conversely, you must succeed on a CHA save (DC 12 plus half your level, rounded down) in order not to choose the peaceful option.
The Lover:
Month: Sun’s Dawn (February)
Lore: A symbol of romance and lust, the Lover represents sensuality, playfulness, curiosity and hedonism. Its descendants are often viewed as charming, easy-going and somewhat air-headed.
Skill: Acrobatics, Performance, or Sleight of hand
Power: The Lover enraptures other in a dance she masters best. Whenever you cause a negative effect, you can choose to be affected yourself in order to double the duration on all other targets. On the other hand, you can never cause negative effects against whom you are immune.
The Lord:
Month: First Seed (March)
Lore: Flamboyant, charismatic and polarizing, individuals born under the Lord burn particularly bright. They excel at command and leadership, never flee from their responsibility, and embody the ideal of “serve and protect”.
Skill: Animal handling, Athletics, or Persuasion.
Power: The Lord loves fire. You have Advantage on all d20 checks linked to fire (including saving throws), but effects that grant protection, resistance or immunity to fire simply do not work on you.
The Mage:
Month: Rain’s Hand (April)
Lore: Synonym of power and wisdom, the Mage is closely associated with Julianos, god of Logic, and Magnus, god of Magic. Its descendants are thoughtful and clever, but sometimes arrogant and absent-minded, as if unable to focus on the mundane.
Skill: Arcana, Insight, or Intimidation
Power: You can choose to gain Advantage on any Intelligence or Wisdom check (including saves). If you do so, you have Disadvantage on your next saving throw. You must roll a saving throw with Disadvantage before using this power again.
The Shadow:
Month: Second Seed (May)
Lore: Discreet, gloomy and highly loyal, individuals born under the Shadow enjoy efficiency, orderliness, good manners and the satisfaction of a job well done. They are often perceived as honorable and reliable, yet somewhat rigid.
Skill: Investigation, Stealth, or Survival
Power: You know the Invisibility spell and can cast it once per day without expending a spell slot. You have Advantage on all d20 checks while invisible. When invisible, you cannot attack or cast harmful spells.
The Steed:
Month: Midyear (June)
Lore: A symbol of endurance and wanderlust, the Steed imparts its natives with a longing for new ideas, distant horizons, and progress. Natives of the Steed come across as wise and inspiring, but relentless and emotionally distant.
Skill: Athletics, Nature, or Perception.
Power: Your base land speed increases by 10’. For each day beyond the third spent in the same town or comparable location, you have a cumulative -1 penalty on all d20 checks until you spend at least a full day away from that place.
The Apprentice:
Month: Sun’s Height (July)
Lore: The Apprentice embodies organized chaos and youthful energy, and values experience over caution. Its descendants will often choose what is good over what is right, and view setbacks as valuable lessons.
Skill: Acrobatics, Gambling, or Science
Power: You can choose to gain Advantage on any d20 roll. If you do so, you automatically fail your next saving throw. You must fail a saving throw before using this power again.
The Warrior:
Month: Last Seed (August)
Lore: Strongly associated with Akatosh, the God of Time, the Warrior represents courage, determination and faith. Its natives are fearless and honorable, and usually harbor very conservative worldviews. They are prone to powerful emotions and rapid mood swings.
Skill: Athletics, Intimidation, or History.
Power: Your STR and DEX increase by 1, as do their maximum. You have very little patience and must succeed on a WIS save (DC 12 plus half your level, rounded down) to choose a diplomatic or indirect approach to an issue that could be solved in a more physical way.
The Lady:
Month: Hearthfire (September)
Lore: Noble, regal and steadfast, the Lady is the embodiment of diplomacy and reason. Natives of the Lady impress with their class, wit and humor, but often feel lonely or blue for unexplainable reasons.
Skill: Deception, History, or Persuasion
Power: Your END and CHA increase by 1, as do their maximum. You despise violence and can never gain Advantage on attack rolls.
The Tower:
Month: Frostfall (October)
Lore: Associated with mysticism and the structure of the universe, the Tower favors contemplation, riddles and aphorisms. Its natives have an extremely complex and intuitive view of the world, but sometimes experience difficulties putting their ideas into words.
Skill: Arcana, Insight, or Perception.
Power: You have Advantage on all d20 checks made to uncover secrets, decipher codes and riddles, or open locks. On the other hand, you are committed to the truth and have Disadvantage on Deception checks. Should you lie, remorse and guilt distract you, lowering your AC by 2 for the next hour.
The Atronach:
Month: Sun’s Dusk (November)
Lore: The Atronach embodies the cycle of the elements. Sturdy, slow to anger and generally friendly, natives of the Atronach instinctively feel that they know their place in the world, and as such display low anxiety. They have a strong sense of community and dislike being alone.
Skill: Animal handling, Nature, or Survival.
Power: Whenever a spell cast by someone else affects you, you heal 2 HP per level of the spell. However, your over-reliance on others afflicts you with Disadvantage on Regeneration rolls.
The Thief:
Month: Evening Star (December)
Lore: A symbol of luck and mischief, the Thief is associated with individuality, independence and egoism. Its natives value freedom and happiness, and try to enjoy life to the fullest, sometimes at the detriment of more noble purposes.
Skill: Gambling, Sleight of hand, or Stealth
Power: You are reluctant to share your blessings with others. You regain a spent Luck point at each sunrise, but can’t use the Help action nor gain any benefit from it.
The Serpent:
Month: none; the Serpent constellation appears randomly in the sky.
Lore: The rarest and most mysterious of all Signs, the Serpent is a symbol of otherworldly chaos, hidden truths, and unpredictable change. Its natives are secretive individuals who always seem to know more than they tell, valuing knowledge and favors more than material wealth, and often bordering on misanthropy.
Skill: Deception, Insight, or Religion
Power: You have Advantage on all WIS checks and WIS saves, but you have Disadvantage on CHA checks and CHA saves.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:49, Fri 07 May 2021.
