Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
This character can't stand the thought of looking weak in front of others. This is not the same thing as Cannot Turn Down A Challenge. A character who Cannot Look Weak can refuse a challenge from someone he knows to be less powerful than himself. But the character will not turn down a challenge from someone of roughly the same or greater power -- unless it is obviously suicide, in which case the character will have to find some other way to defeat his opponent and redeem himself.
A character with this Psych Limit will not complain about fatigue, pain, or injury, and will never surrender without a fight. He is also particularly easy to needle or taunt about being afraid.
Common, Strong: 15 Points
This character loves mocking his opponents in combat. This Psych Limit is always taken at the strong level; the Moderate level is Likes To Taunt Opponents In Combat, which means that the character can stop taunting people whenever he feels like it. There is no Total commitment version of this disadvantage because a character who taunts all of his opponents all of the time will very shortly be a dead character.
In order to stop taunting his opponent, a character with this disadvantage will have to make an Ego Roll, but is not required to make one if he knows that not stopping will most likely get him killed.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
The classic "Gadgeteer" disadvantage. A character with this Psych Limit simply cannot keep his hands off of anything mechanical. He wants to check out any device or machine he encounters to see how it works and how it was put together.
Taking this limitation with a Moderate commitment means that the character naturally gravitates towards any machines or gadgets that happen to be about, but can force himself to stay focused on something else, or to keep his hands off if he has to. The Strong commitment means that the character has to make an Ego Roll to stay away from anything mechanical, unless doing so violates a stronger Psych Limit. (For instance, Gadgetman, with a total commitment Protective of Normals is not going to tinker with a rocket sled if his teammates are busy coming up with a plan to rescue a bunch of hostages.) A character with this disadvantage at the Total commitment level can't keep his hands off machinery unless one of his other Total commitment Psych Limits is in violation.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character with this Psych Limit feels compelled to act to resist what he sees as evil whenever confronted with it. The character may have other Psych Limits which more clearly define what the character sees as "evil" (as opposed to what the character sees as merely "wrong"). For example, while the character might see torture and murder as "evil", he may see theft as being merely "wrong".
The character will always act to oppose the evil, heedless of the consequences. If doing so means violating laws, he will break them without hesitation. If doing so means endangering his own life, the character sees this potential sacrifice as only fitting.
At Common, Strong the character can force himself to not act in the face of evil if he makes a successful Ego roll. At Common, Total he cannot do so except in the most dire of circumstances.
This Psych Limit works well with Devoted To Justice and Incorruptible.
Common, Total: 20 Points
This is the classic "Doctor Doom" Psych Limit. The character's face is somehow horribly disfigured and the character can't stand the sight of it. Such a character will always have his face covered by some sort of hood or mask.
The GM (or player, in the unlikely event his disadvantage is taken by a player character) should decide ahead of time what the character's reaction will be if he is somehow forced to view his own face. He could be stunned (in the game mechanics sense of the word), he could go berserk, or something else entirely could happen.
In most cases, this disadvantage will be taken in conjunction with Distinctive Features. It could be just as interesting to have a character with this disadvantage, without the character's face actually being messed up. In this case, its "all in his head".
Uncommon, Strong:
10 Points
Uncommon, Total: 15 Points
This disadvantage can obviously only be taken by a male character. With this Psych Limit, the character simply cannot bring himself to strike a woman. It is listed as Uncommon because for the most part, female opponents are outnumbered by male opponents 3:1. If female villains are more common than that, change the frequency to Common and add 5 points.
Infrequent, Slightly: 5 Points
The character flounders (and then sinks and drowns) when in water deeper than he is tall. The character doesn't know how to tread water, float, or even dog paddle. His Swimming rate is reduced to 0", and when in deep water is almost helpless.
This Physical Limit is different from Sinks Like A Stone. A character with that limitation cannot float at all, while one who simply Cannot Swim has at least a small chance to keep afloat.
It is also advisable that the character take a Psychological Limitation Panics When In Deep Water, or something similar, to simulate his inability to keep his head when in water.
Uncommon, Total: 20 Points
This Psych Limit means that the character simply cannot bring himself to say anything he believes to be untrue, and is not going to lie by omission, either. The only circumstances under which he would consider telling a lie is when another of his Total commitment Psych Limits is in violation (Protective of Normals is a classic example), and even then he must make an Ego Roll.
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character who Cannot Think For Himself isn't literally unable to think for himself, but rather has trouble making important decisions without the advice of others. In the case of extremely important decisions, the character may need to have another person make it for him. Basic decisions (such as "what to wear", "what to eat", etc.) can be made by the character with no problem. Anything more complicated than that (such as "which restaurant to go to" or "which movie to see") and the character begins to have problems.
In order to make a decision on his own, the character must make an Ego roll.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character who Cannot Turn Down A Challenge will always accept any contest, wager, or open challenge of competition, especially if there are stakes involved. However, the stakes don't really matter... its the thrill of competing that the character loves.
The character will be even quicker to accept the challenge if the opponent taunts him while doing so.
At Common Strong, the character can make an Ego Roll to refuse the challenge. At Common Total, the character cannot refuse the challenge unless one of his other Total commitment Psych Limits is in violation, and even then he must make a successful Ego Roll.
Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points
A Capricious character changes his mind, and his actions, on a whim. He begins projects, then drops them for no reason. They make plans, then change them without warning. They are horrible at keeping appointments, meeting deadlines, or actually holding up to any sort of responsibility at all.
In order to act in a consistent of responsible way, the character must make an Ego roll.
Frequent, Greatly: 15 Points
A character with this disadvantage carries some communicable disease in his system. The disease is harmful (or at least annoying), but need not necessarily be deadly. If the character is a carrier of the disease, he himself is not affected or harmed by it. If the character is infected, however, the disease harms the character himself as well as those around him.
To be an appropriate disadvantage, the disease must be one that either cannot be cured or, upon being cured, renders the patient a carrier of the disease. (For example, a person who contracts hepatitis and is then cured carries hepatitis microbes in his bloodstream for the rest of his life and is capable of infecting others later on.)
The exact nature of the disease is up to the player. Possible examples of appropriate diseases include herpes, malaria, hepatitis, the HIV virus and most other sexually transmitted diseases, and typhoid.
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points
A Casual Killer has no compunctions about killing. He will kill quickly and without hesitation or a second thought. It is part of his nature. While his choice of targets might be dictated by other Psych Limits, he feels no remorse for those who do kill.
It is strongly recommended that only villains be allowed to take this disadvantage, as it makes for a cold blooded and brutal character. PC's who insist on taking it should take Vigilante Mentality instead.
Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points
A character who is Charitable feels compelled to help his fellow man when his fellow man is in trouble. He will do what he can to make others comfortable, safe, and healthy. This usually means things like donating money to charity's, working in a soup kitchen, paying the medical bills of the poor, and other charitable acts.
This disadvantage is not the same as Sucker For A Sob Story . The latter is a person who cannot help himself, and can easily be taken advantage of. A person who is Charitable won't help a person if the "sob story" is false or can be proven to be so.
Common, Moderate: 10 Points
This character simply hates to spend money unless it is absolutely necessary. He may not necessarily live in a hovel or dress like a bum, but its unlikely that he will eat at a fancy restaurant if a Denny's is available. It is also unlikely that he would ever lend anyone any money, even a friend. And of course, the character will see no reason to spend money on name brands if a generic is available.
Common, Moderate: 10 Points
A Cheerful Charlie is a person who never has an ill word about anyone, greets everyone with a cheerful "Good morning/afternoon/evening". He always has a pleasant comment or amusing anecdote. The character isn't necessarily an Optimist (although most are), and they aren't necessarily Naive (although that is common as well). They just have a brighter view of the world than most.
Common, Total: 20 Points
This character tends to be too trusting, and has a simplistic view of reality. The character is also prone to throwing temper tantrums when things don't work out quite the way they want.
The character sees everything in terms of black and white: this is good, that is bad. Good is rewarded, bad is punished. I want this, I don't want that. Things I want are all good, things I don't want are all bad. Unforunately, the world is rarely every black and white, and the character is more than disappointed when he finds this out: he is angry.
This Psych Limit is probably too annoying for other characters to be taken by a player character. It might be an interesting disadvantage for a powerful NPC hero (or villain) who was raised in a sheltered environment.
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A Chronic Complainer finds something about everything to complain about. He is never really happy with anything. If he wins a million dollars in the lottery, his first thought isn't "I'm rich!" but "Great... I'm going to have to pay a ton of taxes...". When he's recognized for some achievement, his first thought is "God, I hate standing in front of people and having to make a thank-you speech". He's not necessarily a pessimist; a Chronic Complainer doesn't always expect the worst possible outcome to occur. Rather, he always finds the cloud to go with every silver lining.
When the character is in a situation that is "worth complaining about" (meaning an actual unpleasant circumstance), this disadvantage turns more into Chronic Whiner.
The character can only force himself to stop complaining if he makes a successful Ego roll.
Frequent, Greatly: 15 Points
A character with this Physical Limitation has hands that are not made for fine manipulation. The reasons why depend on the character's concept and the player's choice. For example, the character may be a "beast man", whose hands are closer to paws than real hands. Or the character may be a large and imposing brick, whose fingers are thick and stubby.
Whatever the reason, the character is unable to do any task which requires the ability to finely manipulate or dextrously wield objects. Such tasks as pushing the buttons on a telephone, writing a note in a precise script, detailed painting, operating most electronic devices, etc. are either beyond the character or suffer a -4 penalty to the roll.
Note that this disadvantage does not affect the character's overall dexterity; rather, only his manual dexterity is affected.
Common, Total: 20 Points
This disadvantage is perhaps the superhero Psych Limit. If your character doesn't have it, you should be thinking long and hard as to why not. While technically a Code of Honor, this one is so important that it gets its own entry.
The classic rationale for this Psych Limit is (say it with me, brothers and sisters) "With great power comes great responsibility". Superheroes attempt to stop and apprehend those criminals who are too powerful to be handled by conventional authorities. In the happy, old days (the pre-Wolverine, pre-Punisher days), superheroes did not kill. After all, it is wrong for one person to arbitrarily decide to terminate the life of another person.
The idea was that superheroes captured the bad guys and then hauled them off to jail. The villains were tried, convicted, and then sent to some form of prison. (And yes, they always managed to escape, but so what...) If a villain were a cold-blooded killer, it is possible that the criminal could be tried, convicted, and then executed. This happens all the time in the real world, but so far only once that I know of in a comic book (in The Incredible Hulk #380, written by Peter David; this story is a very powerful argument against capital punishment, but I forgive Mr. David because he's a great writer).
While it is possible that a superhero could find himself in a situation where his only recourse truly is to take another person's life, this should be an incredibly momumental, once-in-a-campaign event. If the only choice is to either kill and save everyone, or not kill and let innocent people die, a true hero finds a third option and both saves everyone and does not kill. A good GM will find an option that allows the hero to do so. Superheroes shouldn't kill. With all the powers, skills, and abilities the player characters have, heroes who have to kill to win just aren't very heroic.
End of rant.
A character with this disadvantage not only does not kill himself, but will actively (and if necessary, physically) prevent others from doing so. They dislike people who insist that lethal force is a valid option. If the choice comes down to using lethal force to stop an opponent and letting him escape, a character with this Psych Limit would let the opponent escape.
This does not necessarily mean that the character is a coward or a weak fighter. Against a foe noted for his resistance to harm, you will use your attacks to the best of your ability. Versus unknown opponents you will pull punches, use lower power attacks, or start out with entangles and similar non-damaging powers. Note that a lethal attack does not have to be a Killing Attack.
Code vs. Killing should always be taken as Common Total. A player who wants his character to have it at Common Strong should take it as Reluctant to Kill. A player who wants his character to have personal convictions against lethal force, but doesn't really care if others don't, should take Will Not Kill instead. Also, some Codes of Honor may cover the use of lethal force.
Taking this Psych Limit as anything less than Common Strong is no disadvantage at all.
With this Psych Limit, the character is sworn or otherwise dedicated to a set of beliefs which his native culture considers to be good and just. The specific tenets of the Code of Honor should be clearly defined by the player and accepted by the GM before the character is played (or, in the case of NPCs or villains, the GM should have a clear definition of the code before he brings that character into play).
Not all Codes of Honor are going to be the same, because what is considered noble and honorable differs from culture to culture.
Some examples of various Codes of Honor would include:
The Bushido Code: This is the code by which the samurai of the medieval period lived under. The tenets of this code included Treat Those Deserving of Honor With Honor, Treat a Dishonorable Foe With Scorn, Avenge All Insults, Death Before Dishonor, Utter Obedience to One's Superiors (Even Unto Death), and Never Show Fear. [Common, Total 20 points]
Vengeance is essential- if you (or your clan, religion etc.) are insulted, you must demand an apology. If none is given, you must issue a challenge. If you lose you must try again, as soon as you are able. If a truce is called, it must be observed (only the English violate truces). You must try to be the first into combat. You cannot lie to an ally. You cannot take advantage of an unsuspecting enemy, you must issue the correct challenges before killing him. In open war, you can skip this last part. [Very Common, Total 25 points]
You must right any wrongs you see; correct any social injustices; keep any oath of loyalty that you take and must meet all obligations you accept; you must always honor good people; and must spend all your money on good deeds and good times. [Very Common, Total 25 points]
This code means that you can never refuse a challenge from another fighter. You can, if you choose, answer a challenge by sending a student to meet the challenger. [Common, Strong 15 points]
Never break your word. Never ignore an insult to yourself, to a lady, to your liege lord, or to your faith; insults may only be wiped out by an apology or a duel (not always to the death!). You must protect any lady and any one weaker than yourself. You must accept any challenge of arms from anyone of equal or greater rank. Never take advantage of an opponent in any way; weapons and circumstances must be equal (even in open war, if the foe is also noble and chivalric). [Common, Total 20 points]
You must exact revenge on anyone who insults any of the listed groups. This usually means a good beating. Maiming, an attempted assassination, or other vicious insult would require that the insulter be killed. [Very Common, Total 25 points]
As above but it only applies to the character himself. This can also apply to Self and Lord for samurai characters. Common, Total 20 points This Psych lim. is also known as "Vengeful" or "Revenge Minded". [Uncommon Total 15 points]
This naturally requires that the killer himself be killed and whoever collaborated with him or ordered the murder also be killed. [Uncommon, Total 15 points]
Gentlemen's Code: Never break your word. Never ignore an insult to yourself, to a lady, or to your flag; insults may only be wiped out by an apology or a duel (not always to the death!). Never take advantage of an opponent in any way; weapons and circumstances must be equal (except in open war). [Common, Strong 15 points]
Like Honesty, (see) but more so. You must work to your utmost to uphold the law at all times. Not only will you intervene to stop any criminal actions you notice, you will also go out of your way to find crime to stop! You must protect any one weaker than yourself. [Common, Strong 15 points]
Always be polite if not resisted, always return enough money for the traveler to get home, always be gracious to any ladies (flirt with them if possible), never refuse a request for money from a poor person and you will never rob the poor. [Common, Moderate 10 points]
Always avenge an insult, regardless of the danger; your friend's foe is your own; never attack a fellow-crewman or friend except in a fair, open duel (you can be a little vague on this last part). Also good for biker gangs. [Uncommon, Strong 10 points]
This is the code that most police forces are supposed to operate under. The tenets include Must Defend Public Safety, Must Protect The Innocent, Will Only Reply With Equal Force In Combat (meaning, if the opponent isn't using lethal force, neither will the person with this code), Follow the law in all things. [Common, Strong 15 points]
This is a "criminal but not evil" code. You will not use your powers to cause harm, unless attacked first. You also will not steal from the poor or helpless. [Uncommon, Strong 10 points]
You cannot initiate violence (though you can defend yourself); you must remain celibate; and you cannot eat red meat. [Common, Strong 15 points]
As can be expected, there are several other possible codes.
As one can see, this Psych Limit ends up giving the character several restrictions that would, ordinarily, be considered separate Psych Limits. The character may not take both Code of Honor and those other Psych Limits, even though the point total for all of the individual Psych Limits is higher if they are combined. A Code of Honor, while actually encompassing several lesser Psych Limits, is worth less points because it also carries a measure of distinction and respect. For example, while villains may taunt a character who has a Code of Honor, others will admire and look up to such a character for his solid principles.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character who is Cold And Aloof keeps himself apart from others. He is not necessarily grim or overly private, but he never shows concern for others (even if he is actually feeling it) and never gets too involved in others. The character tends to work alone; although he will certainly cooperate with a team of heroes, he will never actually join.
At Common, Moderate the character can force himself to not act in this manner when necessary. At Common, Strong he must make an Ego roll in order to do so.
This Psych Limit works well with Loner and Grim.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character with this Psych Limit has no concern for others with regards to the execution of his own schemes. He treats others like pawns, and if necessary is ready to sacrifice them. He uses whatever means he deems necessary to get ahead, The character treats everyone he meets as a potential cog in his machine. He does what is necessary.
At Common, Moderate the character can force himself to not act in this manner when necessary. At Common, Strong he must make an Ego roll in order to do so.
The character may have other Psych Limits which determine what lengths he is willing to go to. It is suggested that the character not also have a Code Vs. Killing.
Uncommon, Total: 15 Points
This limitation means exactly what it says: the character has no tolerance for inflicted pain or torture, and will immediately surrender if faced with it. The character may, at first, try to bluff his way out about what he does or does not know, but if it looks like torture is actually going to be applied, he'll tell his captors everything they want to know, and some things they don't.
This Psych Limit is not the same as Coward In The Face of Pain. With this limitation, the character can and will pursue courses of action that may turn out to be painful. Rather, Collapses In The Face Of Torture means that the character cannot stand the thought of someone intentionally causing him pain.
Infrequent, Slightly: 5 Points
A Colorblind character cannot see any colors at all. In everyday life, this is mostly merely a nuisance. However, in any situation requiring color identification (such as buying gems, uniform identification, cutting the yellow wire and not the blue wire to disable the bomb) there will be minuses.
Certain skills will always be harder. When using Criminology, Electronics, Forgery, Science Skill: Chemistry (and related fields), Tracking, and Trading the character will suffer a -1 penalty to his roll.
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character with this Psych Limit tends to "freeze" in combat situations. This is not the same as being a Coward; the mind is willing, but the body is week. In any situation in which personal harm seems imminent, the character must make an Ego roll to avoid losing his action for that phase. If a character freezes, a separate roll must be made at each of the character's other phases (with a cumulative +1 bonus to the roll per new phase rolled for). Having friends present adds another +1 to the roll.
Uncommon, Total: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
Very Common, Total: 25 Points
A character with this Psych Limit has an unreasonable urge to perform some specific action that could be considered unusual. The list of possible actions is infinite, but some examples would include Compelled To Attack Polluters, Compelled To Steal Gems And Jewelry, Compelled To Bring His Own Silverware To A Restaurant. The reasons behind this compulsion, as well as the exact details of the compulsion, are up to the player.
The Frequency of the compulsion depends on how often the compulsion would come up. If the GM's campaign deals with environmental issues and the players are a team of environmentally conscious heroes, Compelled To Attack Polluters may well be a Very Common disadvantage, for example.
The character can resist the compulsion only in the most extreme of circumstances.
Very Common,
Strong: 20 Points
Very Common, Total: 25 Points
This is the stronger version of Feels Loyalty to His Superiors, and should only be taken by characters who are a part of a military or paramilitary organization.
This Psych Limit is very similar to Fervent Patriot, except that the character is not necessarily overly loyal to his home nation (though the two Psych Limits can easily be used on the same character). A character with this Psych Limit feels that the object of his devotion (be it a person or an agency) can do no wrong. He will never question orders that come from them, and he would be willing to die fulfilling those orders or protecting his superior.
In addition, a character with this limitation will not put up with another person bad-mouthing the object of his devotion, and has little patience for those who are not as devoted as he is.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character who is a compulsive carouser cannot resist the urge to party. He or she will drink as much alchohol as they can, will try almost any mind-altering substance without a thought, and isn't paticularly picky about about their choice of romantic partners. A character with this disadvantage likes the music loud and the woman (or men) hot and easy.
At Common, Moderate the character can avoid acting in this manner if necessary. At Common, Strong he must make an Ego roll in order to do so.
Uncommon, Moderate:
5 Points
Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points
Uncommon, Total: 15
Points
Common, Moderate: 10 Points
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
Very Common, Moderate: 15
Points
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points
Very Common, Total: 25
Points
A character who is a Compulsive Collector of (Class Of Object) cannot resist owning and acquiring a certain type of object. The specific type of object the character collects is up to the player, but can be nearly anything (from diamond necklaces to swords to beer cans).
The frequency of the disadvantage is determined by how rare or difficult to acquire the type of object is. Items which can be found almost anywhere and cost virtually nothing would be Very Common or Common, while items which can only be found at certain specific locations and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars would be Uncommon. For example, diamond necklaces aren't that rare, but they are expensive; thus they'd be Uncommon. Beer cans are neither rare nor expensive, so they'd be Very Common. Baseball cards aren't always expensive, but they can be rare; depending on the card they'd either be Very Common, Common, or Uncommon. Swords tend to be both rare and expensive; they'd be Uncommon. The GM must decide what frequency a particular type of object warrants.
Regardless of the frequency, the strength of the disadvantage determines how difficult it is for the character to control his urge to collect. At Moderate, the character is an enthusiastic but still casual collector, and when necessary can turn down an opportunity to expand his collection. At Strong, the character will always take an opportunity to expand his collection, and must make an Ego roll in order to control this urge. At Total the urge to collect cannot be controlled except in the most dire of circimstances.
Common, Total: 20 Points
This Psych Limit can also be called "Pathological Liar". A character with this limitation does not lie about everything, but he does lie frequently. He lies about just about anything, for no real reason at all. Its not that the character is devious or cunning, he just, for whatever reason, lies about almost everything, oftentimes seemingly at random, in the same way that a kleptomaniac takes things without thinking about it.
The lies themselves need not be obvious or outrageous. In fact, they are usually completely plausible, and as often as not they will be based on some kernel of truth. The danger of compulsive lying is that the character begins to believe some of his own lies after a while.
A player or GM can focus this limitation somewhat by specifying what it is that the character lies about. For instance, a character could be a Compulsive Liar About His Own Past Exploits. In this case, the character wouldn't necessary lie at all in his everyday life, but when talking about his past, he will lie without even thinking about it. He may even believe that what he is saying is how it really happened, if there is noone present to contradict him.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character with this Psych Limit has a cutting remark for every situation. He is sarcastic on a whim, regardless of the situation. His remarks are not intentionally cruel, but they are always stinging. The level of wit involved in the characters sarcasm is up to the player, but the wittier the better.
At Common, Moderate the character can control his urge to be sarcastic when necessary. At Common, Strong he can only do so if he makes a successful Ego roll.
This Psych Limit works well with Cynical, Loner, and Pessimist.
Common, Moderate: 10 Points
A character with this Psych Limit not only has an inflated vision of himself, he also believed that others aren't as talented. This is different from Arrogant, in that Arrogant is an attidue of "I am just so good!", while Conceited is "I am just so much better than you are!"
A person who is Conceited believes that he is of a special class, and there are others who just aren't in that class.
Common, Total: 20 Points
This Psych Limit is only appropriate for a character whose powers or appearance permanently separate the character from normal humanity (a character who was permanently on fire, for instance, or a character who was permanently 9 feet tall with green warty skin). A character who Considers Himself To Be A Monster wallows in self-pity over his "exile" from the greater mass of humanity. He holds himself apart, doesn't go out in public if he can help it, and generally is aloof with others.
However, the truth is that the character longs to take part in normal life. However, he feels that he cannot due to his condition. The character will only do so after long sessions of roleplaying and with counseling and help from his friends. The character can force himself to go out when its necessary (to buy food, for example, or to fight a supervillain), but mostly he stays by himself at home.
Other than this, the character will only do so on casual occasions (meaning when its not necessary) in the most extreme of circumstances.
This Psych Limit works well with Loner and Antisocial.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
This Psych Limit is really only appropriate for villains. It assumes that the character in question has some form of mental powers, most likely related to mind control. A character with this Psych Limit doesn't consider other people's minds to be sacred or deserving of privacy and couldn't care less about the pain, degredation, or embarassment that invading their minds might cause.
This Psych Limit shouldn't be taken at less than Common, Strong. A telepath who considers other people's psyche's to be toys at a Common, Moderate level is merely an asshole.
Common, Moderate: 10 Points
A character who Constantly Fishes For Complements is looking to hear proof of approval from other people. This usually comes about out of some feeling of superiority, insecurity, or from a feeling that the character's efforts go unnoticed. Whatever the reason, the character is always trying to lead others into situations where they complement him or praise him.
The character can avoid acting in this manner when necessary.
This Psych Limit works well with both Overconfident and Unsure of Himself, as well as Arrogant, Conceited, Feels Underappreciated, and Young.
Common, Total: 20 Points
A Control Freak feels that he must be in control of everything at all times. They have no confidence in anyone else's abilities or decisions, and because of this believes that they must either do everything themselves or use hands-on, step-by-step supervision to get things done. Characters with this Psych Limit tend to try to direct the lives of those around them.
A character with this Psych Limit will never allow someone else to take control of things except in the most extreme circumstances.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
Very Common, Strong: 20
Points
Very Common, Total: 25 Points
A character with this unusual Psych Limit has a Phobia; he is intensely and unreasonably afraid of something. However, unlike most phobics, the character with a Counter-Phobia intentionally places himself in circumstances in which he encounters the object of his phobia because he prefers to feel scared than otherwise.
The Frequency is determined as normal for Phobias. The character will take any opportunity to provoke his phobia when such opportunities are offered. At Strong, the character must make an Ego roll in order to force himself away from scaring himself. At Total, the character can only do so under the most dire of circumstances.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character with this Psych Limit is an old-fashioned, standard-issue fraidy cat.
Someone who is a Coward In The Face Of Pain can still engage in dangerous or scary actions as long as he has been convinced that, despite the thrilling nature of his actions, he won't get hurt. A Coward In The Face of Physical Violence won't run out and fight Dr. Destroyer, but he still will work with other characters behind the scenes to oppose the villain (perhaps to help them sneak into his hidden base, or by hacking the villain's computers).
However, a person who is simply a Coward would be hesitant to do even that much, fearing he might be injured, or that Dr. Destroyer would find out and come looking for him. Depending on the character's committment to the disadvantage and a certain amount of common sense, a Coward will find it difficult (if not impossible) to do anything which might conceivably have a negative impact on the character's life.
A Common Strong committment might not be too bad for a player character (in a non-superhero game), but a Common, Total commitment would probably be far too annoying to the other player characters.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
This Psych Limit is mostly straightforward. A character who is a Coward In The Face of Pain is afraid of getting hurt. He can easily take risks that don't involve getting injured (playing the stock market, for instance, or bungee jumping). However, when it comes to the possibility of injury, the character starts to worry and becomes hesitant.
A character with this Psych Limit at Common, Strong can pursue a course of action he knows will result in his getting hurt if he makes an Ego Roll.
Player characters in a superhero setting should not take the Common, Total form of this disadvantage, as it would be too annoying for other players.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
Another straightforward Psych Limit. A character with this disadvantage will, when he finds himself in a situation which could get him beaten up or killed, will leave as soon as possible. The character will not freely and of his own will enter such a situation.
This character will avoid getting into a fight for as long and as hard as he possibly can, even to the point of accepting non-violent abuse from someone in order to avoid having to fight.
A character with this Psych Limit at Common, Strong could make himself fight if he needed to (and he made an Ego Roll). A character with Common, Total would never be able to make himself fight.
Player characters in a superhero setting should not take the Common, Total form of this disadvantage, as it would be too annoying for other players.
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character with this Psych Limit wants others to pay attention to him. The reasons for this desire are up to the player. The character may have other Psych Limits which determines to what lengths he will go in order to get this attention; however, the character is willing to go to great lengths in order to garner the attention to others.
The character can avoid acting in this manner if he makes a successful Ego roll.
This Psych Limit works well with Gloryhound, Lonely and Constantly Fishes For Complements.
Uncommon, Strong:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Very Common, Strong: 20
Points
This Psych Limit represents a character who comes from a culture which has some strong, ingrained cultural prohibition. Examples would include the Hebrew restrictions on diet and activity (no eating pork, no working on the sabbath, etc.), the Islamic restrictions on diet and activity (no eating pork, no drinking alcohol, etc.), and so on. (While the examples given are for a real-world campaign, fantasy campaigns could have other taboos).
The character accepts the taboo as normal, and under most circumstances would never dream of violating it. In order to force himself to willingly break the taboo, he must make an Ego roll.
Common, Strong: 15 Points
This is another fairly self-explanatory disadvantage. A character who is Curious cannot resist checking out anything that is mysterious or unusual. He will stop and take a moment to examine the item or occurrence, and can sometimes even forget what he was otherwise doing.
There is no Common, Moderate form of this disadvantage because any adventurer worthy of the name is at least moderately curious in any given situation. A character with Common, Total quickly becomes annoying.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
The old joke is that when a Cynic smells flowers, he immediately looks around for the funeral. A character with this Psych Limit has a hard time believing in virtue and altruism in others. He believes that when you boil things down to their basics, people only do things that are in their best interests, and everyone has an ulterior motive for everything. A Cynic mistrusts "random acts of kindness", as they make him wonder what the other person wants from him.
Cynic's tend to be sneering sarcastics who have a hard time taking earnest endeavors seriously. They can also be rather self-righteous, especially when their cynicism is proven right.
At Common, Strong the character must make an Ego roll in order to avoid acting in this manner. At Common, Total the character cannot do so except under the most extreme of circumstances.