Very Common, Moderate: 15 Points
This Psych Limit is similar to Quiet And Withdrawn. However, while the character is quiet and tends only to speak when he has something important to say, he isn't like this because he is shy. Rather, he simply prefers not to speak and finds people who speak only to hear their own voice annoying (at best).
The character tends to keep his opinions to himself, doesn't joke around, and is content to let others find their own opinions about things. However, he can force himself to stop this behavior when necessary.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character who is Tactless has a tendency to speak before he thinks about the ramifications of what he is about to say. He doesn't necessarily mean to be cruel (though this is a possibility); he simply doesn't think before speaking. Roughly put, a character with this Psych Limit says what he thinks, regardless of who might be hurt by what he's about to say.
At Common, Moderate, the character can force himself to think about what he's saying when necessary. At Common, Strong the character must make a successful Ego roll in order to force himself to do so.
Very Common, Strong: 20 Points
A character with this Psych Limit can be counted on at all times. When he gives his word, he keeps it. And he fulfills his responsibilities to the letter (if not more). The character feels compelled to take care of everyone who depends on him. In addition, he cares about the consequences of his actions.
Should the character accidentally be the cause of someone else's misfortune, he will feel compelled to either repair the situation or make up for it. He is driven by his own moral sense to leave the word better than he found it, especially when it was he who made it worse.
The character must make an Ego roll in order to avoid acting in this manner.
Uncommon, Moderate:
5 Points
Uncommon, Strong: 10 Points
This Psych Limit is simple to understand. The character talks. About anything, everything, and nothing. The character talks without thinking about it. Whether or not the character talks about what is going on or just babbles to hear his own voice is up to the player.
At Uncommon, Moderate the character can force himself to shut up when he has to. At Uncommon, Strong the character can shut himself up when he has to, but will resume speaking in a minute or two unless he makes a successful Ego roll.
Infrequently, Slightly: 5 Points
The character is taller than is normal. Because of this, the character is uncomfortable is tight spaces (such as elevators, buildings with low-ceilings, compact cars, etc.) He has difficulty finding clothing that fits, and even when he does usually must pay higher prices for it. Shower heads are usually positioned so that, when running, they strike him right in the belly.
In addition, the character is intimidating to those around him, whether he wants to be or not. Any Persuasion roll gains a +1, but all other social skills suffer a -1 to the roll.
If the character is taller than 6' 4", use Giant instead.
Infrequently, Fully: 15 Points
A character with this Physical Limit has one of several fatal diseases or conditions. It is assumed that the disease or condition is not one immediately lethal (such as the ebola virus), but rather is one that gradually kills its victims. The character is hampered by the effects of the disease and is, of course, eventually killed by it. (The GM should decide when the disease finally catches up to the character; such events should be dramatic and used as great roleplaying material.)
The exact nature of the disease is up to the player, and the exact effects of the disease should be determined by the GM. Some examples include:
òAIDS: The character suffers the effects of multiple and recurrent opportunistic infections. AIDS does not actually kill its victims; rather, it destroy's the infected person's immune system and thus opens the door for any number of potentially dangerous diseases. The most common cause of death among AIDS sufferers is pneumocystis pneumonia (a bacteria that almost every human being carries in his lungs and is normally immune to). AIDS can take 8 to 10 years to kill the character.
òFriederich's Ataxia: With this disease, the character's brain stem is slowly disintegrating. As a result, he suffers a slow degradation of his motor control. The character slowly (over a matter of ten to thirty years, depending on how quickly the disease accelerates) and in stages loses his ability to walk steadily, then stand up straight without help, then stand at all under his own strength. His hands first become shaky, then lose the ability to manipulate objects with any sort of finesse, and then finally stop being under the character's control at all. His speech gets more and more slurry and distorted until finally the character speaks in nothing but gibberish. Eventually, the character's brain loses its ability to control and communicate with his body and the character dies of suffocation.
òTerminal Cancer: The character suffers uncontrollable and malignant tissue growth in one or more of his body's systems. A character who has some form of terminal cancer suffers irregular bouts of intense pain, dizziness, nausea, and weakness before dying. Cancer generally takes one to two years to kill the character.
Regardless of the disease, it is suggested that the GM, while keeping the Physical Limitation an active part of the character's existence, not push it too much without discussing it with the player first.
Common, Strong: 15 Points
This Psych Limit is known as the "Barney Fife Disadvantage". A character who Thinks He's A Tough Guy believes he is much more dangerous and physically capable than he really is. Note that it is possible that the character is precisely as dangerous as he thinks he is, but does not project any sense of physical danger to others. (The perfect example of this would be the telekinetic whose teke is strong enough to lift battleships, but physically looks like he'd blow over in a stiff wind.) Other people simply don't see the character as physically imposing.
The character won't back down from a physical challenge, especially one which deals with arguments, fistfights, or other tests of physical prowess. In order to force himself to do so, the character must make a successful Ego roll.
This disadvantage shouldn't be taken by any character who's concept implies physical toughness and athletic ability.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character who Thinks He's a Comedian is always cracking wise and making jokes... bad jokes. What could be a slightly irritating if sometimes endearing habit is ruined by the fact that the character's sense of humor needs a lot of work. He tells jokes that are too long to be funny. Or too convoluted. Or simply in bad taste.
Every once in a while, the character will make a joke that is honestly and truly funny. Invariably, however, these occasions only occur when humor is vastly inappropriate, like a funeral.
At Common, Moderate the character is able to curb his urge to be funny when he has to. At Common Strong he can curb his urge to be funny when he has to, but then, only moments later, will be cracking jokes again unless he makes a successful Ego roll.
Common, Strong: 15 Points
A character with this Psych Limit gets a "rush" from putting himself in dangerous situations and then getting out of them unharmed. He may do this because he secretly has a Deathwish, or he may have another, deeper reason. The character is attracted to the danger and excitement of it all.
This disadvantage is appropriate for all of the characters who go parachuting off of skyscrapers; who attempt to circle the globe in hot air balloons; who bungie jump off 400 foot high bridges just so they can stick their heads in a running river.
Treats Normal Humans As
Lab Animals
Common, Total: 20 Points
This is the classic "Mad Scientist" disadvantage. A character who Treats Normal Humans As Lab Animals believes that the pursuit of science is so important that idiotic and inconsequential concerns like "morality" and "public safety" are secondary. Thus, they see nothing wrong with experimenting on human beings, even if the human beings in question don't know they are being experimented on.
This Psych Limit works well with Megalomania, Holds "Mortals" In Contempt, and Obsessed With Succeeding With His Experiments.
Infrequently, Slightly: 5 Points
A character who is Tone Deaf cannot recognize individual qualities in sounds. The most obvious result of this is that the character cannot carry a tune in a bucket. This doesn't mean that a Tone Deaf character cannot recognize a song if he heard it, but rather he couldn't reproduce it. The character also cannot tell whether a sound if flat or sharp.
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character who Treats Normal Humans As Pawns/Cattle believes that he is somehow above the greater mass of humanity. Because of this belief, he feels that he can use, abuse, and discard normals pretty much as he wants.
The character will manipulate normals into the positions he wants, use them for his own goals, and then dispose of them at a whim. To a character with this Psych Limit, normals are replaceable resources. They exist to serve his needs.
This Psych Limit works well with Megalomania and Holds "Mortals" In Contempt.
Common, Moderate:
10 Points
Common, Strong: 15 Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character who is Triggerhappy believes in shooting first, asking questions later... if at all. He regards violence as the best way to resolve most problems. In any situation, if violence is a possible course of action, he wants to use it. At Common, Moderate, he can suppress this urge without a roll. At Common, Strong, an Ego must be rolled to avoid using violence, and at Common, Total the character will refuse to use any other course of action but violence.
A character who is Triggerhappy should not also take Code vs. Killing, Reluctant to Injure, Reluctant to Kill, Will Not Kill, Will Only Fight In Self-Defense, or Pacifist. The character is not necessarily a Casual Killer, but with his attitude toward violence, he should not be overly emotional about killing.
This Psych Limit works well with Hair-Trigger Temper.
Common, Strong: 15
Points
Common, Total: 20 Points
A character who is Trusting feels that everyone is basically honest and kind. They feel no apprehension with asking total strangers for help, or for helping out "strangers in distress", and never suspect that another person could be planning to harm them.
At Common, Strong the character must make an Ego roll in order to act in any way suspicious of outhers. At Common, Total no roll can be made except in the most dire of circumstances.
Uncommon, Strong:
10 Points
Uncommon, Total: 15 Points
A character with this Psych Limit always tells the truth, and always keeps his word. In addition, he does his best to get others to act in the same way. He assumes that those around him are honest (but will not necessarily allow those who aren't to take advantage of him... he's Truthful, not Naive.) The character isn't necessarily honest in other things: the character could be a thief, for instance, but he's a thief who never breaks his word.
If taken at Uncommon, Strong the character must make an Ego roll is he actually wishes to speak an untruth, or to break his given word. At Uncommon, Total the character wouldn't ever consider such actions except in the direst of situations.
Uncommon, Strong:
10 Points
Uncommon, Total: 15 Points
A character with this Psych Limit has some sort of connection with another character, usually a villain. This connection is a very close one, and for some reason compels the character to ignore whatever immoral or illegal activities the other character is up to. What the connection is, and the reason the character turns a blind eye, are up to the player. The character does have a limit, however. There should be some moral line across which the character will not let the other go.
A classic example of this would be a hero whose brother is a villain who robs banks. As long as the brother doesn't cross some moral line (for example, killing someone), the character will hesitate to interfere with the brother's life. If the character encounters his brother after the latter has robbed a bank, he may demand the money from him, but will let the character go rather than capture him and turn him over to the police.
The Frequency of the limitation depends on how often the character encounters the other person. At Strong the character must make an Ego roll in order to not act in this manner. At Total, the character cannot help himself from turning a blind eye except in the most extreme of circumstances.
This Psych Limit is only appropriate for heroes.