Advantages & Disadvantages

[Kashell]

I'm interested in what some of you think are some good advantages and disadvantages for character design for a fantasy roleplay world.

Specifically, these work somewhat like feats from D&D, but are also key factors for roleplaying your character. I figure a good list of these are useful to any sort of game. You should compact them or reword / balance them with whatever works with your game.

Here's a few examples:

Advantages:

Accelerated Healing:
Due to natural vigor the character heals faster than other people, requiring only 75% of the required time.

Animal Kinship:
The character has the 'touch' when dealing with animals and is more adept at handling domesticated, trained and wild animals. The character gains +1 when attempting any check when dealing with animals.

Light Sleeper:
You sleeps lightly and awaken at the slightest noise. You can not be surprised when sleeping unless the attacker beats your normal perception roll to hear the attacker approach. However you may find it difficult to sleep in noisy environments.


Disadvantages:

Spectacular Failure:
When you roll all ones and fumble a roll, you not only automatically fail, but you fail spectacularly.

Criminal Background:
The character has a shady past, and has at one time (or many times) committed a criminal act. He may have done prison time, or gotten away free, but the event continues to haunt him in some way.

Curse:
The character strongly believes he is under a curse, whether it is real or imaginary is to be determined by the GM and the player, but either way it should affect the character in tangible ways. This is more akin to tragic destiny or a cruel twist of fate rather than a supernatural hex. An aspect of the character's life just refuses to 'work out'.

[epweissengruber]

How do these advantages hook into the D&D system?

Do they help with rolls?
Which rolls do they help with?

Or are they general situation modifiers w.o. specific contributions to rolls, combat, XP or other mechanics?

[joepub]

Kashell said "like d&d feats".

Um... Is this like a gritty fantasy game? pulp fantasy? pumpkin fantasy? Fantasy where you can play trolls and dragons and humans, or are players limited to races similar to those from the d&d book?

Since I know nothing of the system, I'm just going to make assumptions about it as a write you some Ads/Disads. If I am way off mark, obviously take the idea and retool its effect.

Advantages:
-Dragon Blooded. Gives bonus to power/strength/raw might/rage.
-Bloodlust. Allows for a "Cleave"-like ability, or basically the ability to gain an upperhand every time you fell a foe.
-Shamanism. Allows you to gain mana/MP/essence from local spirits you have made contact with. Will lead to "sacred grove"-esque play, most likely.
-Tracking. If there is a big skill tree/list/map, then there is probably something for Survival or such. Tracking will strengthen that, as well as give a Favoured Enemy bonus (minor), once you track the enemy down.
-Titanic Strength. Allows you to wield Gigantic weapons. Think Cloud's Daiklave (sp?) here.
-Desperation. You gain a bonus to attacks once you're at 30% or less of your total health.
-Acrobatics. You can do cool stuff like ninja flips. I'm not sure how this would work, without you sharing your system with us.

Disadvantages:
-Blind. You suck at trying to hit an opponent, obviously.
-Mental Illness. You occasionally lose control of your character in certain ways.
-Lumbering. You always go last in initiative order.
-Horrified. Against fearful enemies, suffer -2 on test to try and Stay Calm.
-Heartbroken.
-Wanted. The mafia is out to get you.
-Haunted. Spirits of your fallen foes constantly follow you.

[David Artman]

Welcome to the Forge! You will find a lot, here....

But one thing you might not find are folks who will help to compile a laundry list of advantages or disadvantages in a vacuum. As Joe points out above, it's hard to just spitball (dis)advantages without knowing a good deal about the following:

• Types of characters (e.g. roles and common abilities; classes)
• Character attributes/stats and their interrelation
• Task or conflict resolution system (e.g. how detailed, means)
• Significant setting details (e.g. races, social systems, economics)
• General scope of play (e.g. cinematic, gritty, nuanced, humorous)

For instance, your Animal Kinship might be worthless in a city-based game in the far future; while it could be nearly game-breaking, in a woodland fairytale game. The same could be said of any and all (dis)ads that aren't truly "universal" (e.g. Luck/Unluck, in a general--not systemic--sense; doubly effective/ineffective common senses).

And need I have to tell you that you could find HUGE lists for inspiration in many games: Champions/Hero, GURPS, D&D (feats), Vampire/Werewolf/Changeling (note that those last three are in the *same universe* and yet have *very, very few* dis/ads in common!).

Hope this helps you to better focus your queries, here; please take this as encouragement and not disparagement!
David

[Simon_Pettersson]

I have never played D&D, so I have no idea how you envisage these things to work. But brainstorming advantages/disadvantages shouldn't be too hard, though you'll have to discard a lot because they're not appropriate to your game, as above poster pointed out. Lessee...

Advantages (can't be bothered to name them, I'll just write some effects):
Combat bonuses when near death
Liked by a God
Charisma (or the like) increases when interacting with people who have heard you sing/play an instrument.
Has prophetic dreams
Nobility
Friends in high places
Famous
Can take a lot of punishment/pain
Has an appearance easily forgotten
Can jump very high and far
Can talk to animals
Can listen to the wind for news of faraway places
Can "read" an object and find out its history
Can visit people far away in their dreams
Does good damage with simple throwing objects, like stones
Can disguise the voice
Can form living wood into objects
Latent magic ability that only shows itself in very emotional moments (lightning bolts when angry, summon rain when crying, etc.)

Disadvantages:
Pacifist
Alcoholist
Has a hard time backing down from challanges
Chivalric (doesn't attack from behind, etc.)
Refuses to lie
Old battle wound that gives a lot of pain at inappropriate times
Disfiguring scar
Limp
Missing a limb
Phobias
Allergies
Impulsive
Sensitive to pain
Attracts malevolent spirits
Never leaves an enemy alive
Werewolf (or were-whatever)
Sensitive to "astral imprints" (feels sick at a murder scene or battlefield, etc.)
Religios commandments (Thou shalt not bear arms/use metal/talk to women, etc.)

And that's all I can be bothered to come up with. As David said, do try to be more specific. It always helps.
Afraid of magic (which is a phobia, I guess)

[Callan S.]

Hi Kashell, welcome to the forge!

Specifically, these work somewhat like feats from D&D, but are also key factors for roleplaying your character.

If you want roleplaying, perhaps instead of just choosing these, roleplaying activates them. Say if you keep roleplaying a hyper, jumpy person, you get a point in 'light sleeper'. Once you have say five, you have the light sleeper advantage. Also make these points decay over time, say one every real life hour - that way if a player has moved on from playing out the hyper part of their PC's persona, the attribute is for the time being, lost. This could be done for all advantages and disadvantages - playing out spectacular failures until you earn the disad. Although honestly, I think roleplaying the advantages will be more popular.

[Kashell]

First of all, thanks for all the incredible feedback! I wasn't expecting so much...

As Joe points out above, it's hard to just spitball (dis)advantages without knowing a good deal about the following:
    * Types of characters (e.g. roles and common abilities; classes)
    * Character attributes/stats and their interrelation
    * Task or conflict resolution system (e.g. how detailed, means)
    * Significant setting details (e.g. races, social systems, economics)
    * General scope of play (e.g. cinematic, gritty, nuanced, humorous)

In essence, the world is a fantasy world similar to D&D's Grayhawk. The big difference is in the cosmology, where instead of having 1 material plane, we have 9 material planes. Trying to travel to another material plane from a material plane is almost impossible (it's like looking at your own eye), so travel here is extremely difficult, if not impossible. One organization however, has the power to do this, by using "portal cows" and the "portal cow helmet", which is a big secret.

Five of nine planes are set in a regular Tolkien-esque fantasy world. These are the "main" planes so to speak. (One of these five however, consists of about 90% water). Beyond these five, we have:

1 plane that is one giant city-scape
1 plane consists of nothing but terrible monsters (and now, psionic halflings)
1 plane of extremes, that is ever changing (it is impossible to live, and almost impossible to survive here).
1 plane with technology / no magic that has suffered some effects of nuclear fallout (though not "apocolyptic") (WWII era)


As far as source material goes, I need to ask premission from my fellow creators first before posting it. (May take a few days because I'm in Japan, haha). (Also, how in the world do you upload things here?)

Hi Kashell, welcome to the forge!

If you want roleplaying, perhaps instead of just choosing these, roleplaying activates them. Although honestly, I think roleplaying the advantages will be more popular.

The system is designed to reward players with character points for taking disadvantages to their character. Purchasing advantages costs character points.

(as a variant rule) I love the idea that characters can actually lose their advantages by failing to roleplay them. Perhaps, for failing to roleplay disadvanges, character can receive even bigger penalties. *evil GM grin*

For instance, your Animal Kinship might be worthless in a city-based game in the far future; while it could be nearly game-breaking, in a woodland fairytale game.

Since we have a good mix of magic, woods, city, and even technology, there are good uses for these abilities (because you'll be in almost any situation at any time.) That's what I love about this setting, is that you can really do almost anything (besides, you know, pilot a giant mech or something like that).

[Kashell]

Also, one of the big things we are including is the ability for players and GMs alike to add their own content.


For example, the entire magic system is flexible. You can create any spell you want on the fly modifying distance, area of effect, range, etc.


The problem is that I want to include a system like this where players can add their own  advantages and disadvantages, while continuing to have a balanced, consistant game. I simply have no idea how to approach this.

Hmm...I'll have to think it over later. (I have Japanese finals to study for).

[Callan S.]

The system is designed to reward players with character points for taking disadvantages to their character. Purchasing advantages costs character points.

A guy here called Ralph had what is, in my opinion, a better functioning design. Every time a disad comes up, the player earns some sort of points. With that sort of system, sometimes the player will be bugging the GM to introduce his disadvantage "Dammit, my weight problem would have an effect on that rickity bridge...aww, come on!". While with buying advantages with disadvantages - the consistant results seem to be players trying to avoid the results of disads.

(as a variant rule) I love the idea that characters can actually lose their advantages by failing to roleplay them. Perhaps, for failing to roleplay disadvanges, character can receive even bigger penalties. *evil GM grin*

It sounds like roleplay is important to you - I'm going to suggest that this encourages something other than the sort of roleplay you want (if I'm estimating it right).

Basically, losing advantages is only a punishment if advantages are the most important thing to the player. If that's the most important thing to them, that means at best roleplay comes in at second in importance. Or less.

The only people it threatens are those who aren't foremost interested in roleplay to begin with.

If the threat (of losing advantages) actually works, it means your playing with the wrong people (if your interested in playing out roles).

The system I was proposing wasn't about penalising people - it was more a representation of group agreement through each point collected. More of a constructive bent.

[sean2099]

I like the idea of getting points through playing through disadvantages.  I would see it as taking the easy route through advantages or going the hard way via disadvantages and getting points for it.  However, as I am not familiar with the idea...what would happen in a situition where neither applied (a smaller reward?)  Sorry to threadcrap but there are bound to be situitions where things are "even steven".

Sean

[Kashell]

I like the idea of getting points through playing through disadvantages.  I would see it as taking the easy route through advantages or going the hard way via disadvantages and getting points for it.  However, as I am not familiar with the idea...what would happen in a situition where neither applied (a smaller reward?)  Sorry to threadcrap but there are bound to be situitions where things are "even steven".

   * Types of characters (e.g. roles and common abilities; classes)
    * Character attributes/stats and their interrelation
    * Task or conflict resolution system (e.g. how detailed, means)
    * Significant setting details (e.g. races, social systems, economics)
    * General scope of play (e.g. cinematic, gritty, nuanced, humorous)

A few things I've picked up from some of our early playtests is that almost every character wants to pick up some advantages and disadvantages. They are really great for making your character more powerful *and* they add some cool roleplay elements. Of course, advantages and disadvantages are entirely optional, so you don't have to take any if you don't want.


Since the creation of this thread our advantages & disadvantages section has gone through some great polishing.
Thanks to everyone for helping us find the right questions to ask.

[cydmab]

Just something else to think about... disadvantages can do weird things to scene time. As in, some disadvantages can actually INCREASE the corresponding player's screen time and their character's importance to the story/etc. One might argue the point of disadvantages to weaken a character to bring them into "balance" with other characters. But why do that? Perhaps to balance scene time; if all characters are "equally" powerful, maybe scene time will be more fairly balanced. But disadvantages can have direct impacts on scene time, short circuiting that logic.

There's a case to be made that disadvantages should COST "character point" style resources, not grant them.