Hindrances/Edges/Perks
1/2 Giant
+2 Steps Strength min 3d10
+2 Steps Vigor min 3d10
+1 Size
-2 Steps Knowledge and Smarts
-2 to all Social rolls except Overawe
Watch Tower
+1 Step Spirit
+1 Step Vigor
Brave
5 Ranks Tough as Nails
Nerves of Steel
Thick Skinned
-Loyal and either Heroic or Honorable
Hindrances:
Aura o Death 1-5 (Harrowed)
Some Harrowed characters wear their undeath like a shroud. People around them instinctively know there’s something disturbing about these folks, though they can’t quite put their finger on exactly what it is. Still, just as animals tend to slink away from the Harrowed, people avoid those with an undead aura. This doesn’t keep them from whispering about the “creepy strangers” behind their backs, however. This uneasiness means that whenever such a Harrowed makes a roll for Mien or any Aptitude falling under that Trait, she suffers a penalty equal to her level of undead aura. The one exception is the overawe Aptitude, which actually receives a bonus equal to that level, instead of a penalty. Besides these modifiers, the Marshal should roleplay the Harrowed’s general effect on people. It’s much harder for him to form relationships, get information, and ask for help.
Damned 3/5
For whatever reason, Heaven frowns upon your hero. It may be some horrible deed you’ve done in your past, or your character may not even be aware of the source of this divine enmity. Regardless, any helpful blessing from above is denied your character. At 3 points, no beneficial miracles work on your character. Of course, the other, less desirable ones work just fine against him! The hero can’t use miracles or gifts of any sort, no matter how good his intentions. If the hero takes 5 points in this Hindrance, he’s really stepped on somebody’s toes—in fact, he’s still standing on them! In addition to miracles, beneficial shamanic favors also don’t work on him. And as if life wasn’t bad enough, all harmful effects still affect him normally. No blessed character can take this Hindrance, although any other character can. Even if a damned character takes the faith Aptitude, he’s denied any type of holy miracle or gift unless he finds some way to rid himself of this Hindrance.
Heavy Sleeper 1
Logs wake up faster than you. Subtract –2 from your hero’s Cognition rolls made to wake up in an emergency or when some critter is sneaking up on him. He usually oversleeps.
Lumberin’ 2
People say you ‘re half-ox, and it ain’t ‘cause you’re strong. You just walk like one – slow and heavy. Stealth isn’t your strong suit. You tend to put your feet down when you walk, good and solid. That’s fine when you want someone to know you’re coming, but not so good when going across snow and especially not on ice. Take a -1 to any nimbleness rolls on snow and ice, and a -2 when trying to avoid cracking through thin ice like on a lake.
“My Kung Fu is Superior!” 1-3
Your hero is easily challenged to a fight, especially if the challenger has the cojones to claim to be a better fighter than you. You’re so proud of your martial arts abilities that you turn three shades of purple when anyone dares to question your vaunted prowess. Worse yet, there’s something about the way you carry yourself that attracts other similar hotheads with boneheaded attitudes similar to your own. And wouldn’t you know it—challengers are extra likely to approach you at a moment of maximum inconvenience? Your hero’s ability to resist the urge to rise to a challenge is determined by how many points of this hindrance you select when you take this Hindrance.
Value Level
1 Onerous (7) Smarts to turn down any challenge to fight.
2 Incredible (11) Smarts to turn down a challenge.
3 Forget it—he’s got to fight each and every time he’s challenged!
Rage 1-5 (Harrowed)
Wine gets better with age. The Harrowed just get meaner. The perpetual struggle with the Manitou within, the temptation of greater power, and the frustration of being undead all push these characters toward bestiality. Get your hands off your horse. That’s not what we’re talking about. Whenever a Harrowed with this Hindrance is wounded by an opponent or gets particularly upset, she must make a Smarts check. The base difficulty of the check is Fair (5), and the undead must subtract her level in rage from her Smarts roll. If failed, the hero goes into a blood frenzy and attacks. She refuses to go into cover or seek to protect herself—she just runs straight at the foe and rampages all over his unfortunate kiester. She can fire a gun along the way, but if the enemy’s still alive when she gets to him, she drops her pistols and gets up close and personal with her bare hands (or claws if she’s got them). Once the foe’s dead (and we mean really, messily dead), the Harrowed can make another Smarts roll. If she makes it, her blood lust is sated and she can act like a normal walking corpse again—whatever that means. If she fails, she starts raging on her former enemy’s companions. She won’t attack her own comrades, but she probably won’t be reading them any bedtime stories either.
Superstitious 2
Owls never hoot “just for the Hell of it,” and black cats should be shot if they try to cross your path. You keep a rabbit’s foot in your pocket, and you rarely wonder why it didn’t seem to do the rabbit any kind of good. Your character believes in superstitions and tries to live his life by signs and omens. You should check out a book of superstitions from your local library to help you roleplay this Hindrance.
The Cup Overflows 2 (Enlightened)
Your hero’s ch’i energy is powerful. A mite too powerful, in fact. Whenever she uses any of the powers described in this book, her internal energy goes all external and wreaks high holy havoc on the surrounding terrain. For example, if she uses monkey goes to the mountain to fly down a sandy hillside, clods of earth explode beneath her as if somebody’s planted the hill with firecrackers. When she leaps into the air to kick a body, winds whip up all around her, whirling sand and leaves all over. Ever time she lands a punch, it sounds like a thunderclap going off. In short, she stands out like a circus clown at a funeral. Anyone who sees her in action knows there’s something not right about her. If they’re regular folks, they run in terror from her, as if she’s some kind of abomination. If somebody watching her knows about martial arts, he knows what she’s all about, and likely target her as the one to shoot first in a fight. And believe me, anybody with experience of the weirdness lurking behind the surface of the Maze is going to know all about martial arts.
Heroic 3
You’re a sucker for someone in trouble. Ever hear of nice guys finishing last? Heroes who go chasing down wild critters aren’t likely to finish at all. At least they’ll write something nice on your tombstone. Your character can’t turn down a plea for help. She doesn’t have to be cheery about it, and she doesn’t have to be a “nice” person, but she always helps those in need eventually.
Honorable 3
Whether your character was born into the aristocracy, worked their way into it, or is a sympathetic outsider, they live by the dictates of honor. While this scores points with others who have this Hindrance, it also complicates their lives occasionally. A hero with this Hindrance must be a paragon of virtue, hospitable to guests and charitable to those of lesser social standing (at least in public). Lying, cheating, stealing or even bad manners are unthinkable to an honorable character no matter what advantage might be derived, even when dealing with dishonorable parties. He views any position of authority or leadership as his by right, as well as the respect and obedience of all those of a lesser social standing. Honorable male characters place women on a cherished pedestal, and always rush to their aid. Any slight against his personal character, his family or a lady must be properly avenged. (See “The Code Duello” on page 15 for guidelines) Honorable female characters must yield to the authority of their husbands and fathers, and must be good hostesses, homemakers, and mothers. Only in the total absence of a father or husband (an increasingly common and unfortunate situation due to The War) can honorable women assert their independence. Any dishonorable act which is publicly disclosed results in “social death,” and the character is shunned by most of Southern society, including their family, friends and many who are themselves less than honorable. In this situation, a character is usually better off in the Weird West or some other place where reputations count for little, but most renew their commitment to the strictures of this Hindrance in hopes of regaining social respectability. Be careful about taking this Hindrance. If improperly played, it can cause a fair amount of inter-posse friction. It can also be hazardous to your hero’s health if he takes his honorable self out into the wilder parts of the country. A whole lot of folks out there care precious little for honor
Loyal 3
You may not be a hero, but your friends know they can count on you when the chips are down. Your character is extremely loyal to his friends. He willingly risks his life to defend them and protect them for danger.
Ugly As Sin 1
It’s too bad the old saying about “stopping a bullet with your face” isn’t true. If it was, you’d sure never have to worry about being shot. Subtract –2 from friendly persuasion rolls made whenever your character’s looks might intervene. On the up side, you can add +2 whenever his looks might help, such as when making overawe or hostile persuasion attempts.
Edges
Brawny 3
Some folks think a fellow as big as you is dumb as a post. They sometimes change their minds when you use your muscles to let them know what it feels like to be a post. Your character is big. Not obese, just big and chock full o’ muscles. He probably has a nickname like Hoss or Tiny. Your character must have at least a 2d8 Strength to take this Edge. If he does, you can add +1 to your hombre’s Size. Your hero can’t be brawny and a big ’un, by the way.
Don’t Get ‘Im Riled! 2
People shouldn’t get your hero mad. When they do, he fights like a cornered wildcat. Add Xd4 to your hero’s hand-to-hand damage, where X is her highest wound penalty (not counting Edges or abilities that ignore such penalties).
Martial Arts Training 3
Your character has trained for years in the martial arts, under the tutelage of a sifu, or master. Her sifu may have been the head of a renowned school of martial artists or just a wandering wise man that most mistook for a saddletramp. He taught her the secrets of fighting, both standard and mystical. He also taught her a spiritual philosophy, which she can use to achieve harmony with nature, and also to spout poetical-type proverbs that make her sound real wise and peaceful just before she goes out to crack skulls. To better enable her to crack those skulls, she deals additional damage when fighting hand to hand. She deals STR + 1d6 damage when striking with her hand or foot. This damage may be brawling type damage or lethal damage—your choice. In addition, for each level she has in the fightin’: martial arts Aptitude, she knows one special maneuver, detailed a little later in this chapter. A hero can’t take this Edge without also taking the fightin’: martial arts Aptitude, with one of the concentrations described in the sidebar. Each represents a different style of Chinese martial arts. This edge also entitles your cowpoke to pick up the arcane background: enlightened Edge.
“The Stare” 1
There’s something in your stare that makes others nervous. When your eye starts twitching, someone’s about to get carried to Boot Hill. Clint Eastwood has it, and so does your gunslinger. A character with “the stare” may add +2 to his overawe attacks as long as the intended victim is close enough to look into his steely gaze (usually less than 30 feet).
“The Voice” 1
A gunslinger with a gravely voice is much more threatening when he calls out some scoundrel from Back East than some tinhorn with a voice like a mouse. You can choose what kind of voice your character has. A soothing voice adds +2 to persuasion rolls made in calm, seductive, or otherwise peaceful situations. A threatening voice adds +2 to overawe rolls. A grating voice adds +2 to ridicule rolls. You can buy multiple voices for your hero. Each one costs 1 point.
Brave 2
Most folks aren’t really brave—they’re just too stupid to know better. Maybe you’re different, but it’s doubtful. Characters with this Edge add +2 to their guts checks.
Thick-Skinned 3
Whether he’s tough-as-nails or just plain dumb, a cowboy who can handle a little pain is a hombre who’s hard to beat. Tinhorns cry over a splinter. Thick-skinned gunslingers blaze away with both guns even when they’re up to their gun belts in their own blood. Thick-skinned characters reduce their wound penalty by 1. A character with a serious wound would normally have a wound penalty of –3. A thick skinned hombre’s modifier would only be -2. See Chapter Four for more details on wound penalties.
Tough as Nails 1–5
Some folks keel over in a stiff wind, but you chew razor blades for breakfast. A real hero’s got to persevere no matter how hard things get. Every level of tough as nails adds +2 to your character’s Wind. She can tough out losing blood and getting banged around when others are curling up like babies with thumbs in their mouths.
PERKS
Miasma Goddess Boon - Unintelligent Undead ignore unless attacked. +2 on Mien checks vs Intelligent Undead
--Curse: Followers of the Sun Goddess can detect and will attack
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:44, Fri 26 Apr.
