Starrage

Traits

Traits, alongside a character’s Stats and Equipment, are the defining characteristics that make a character who and what they are. The Trait system is flexible and functions as a catchall category of things a character knows, things a character can do, things a character belongs to, and relationships the character may have with others. Traits are named and self-contained characteristics categorized by what the Trait is and how it interacts with characters and the game’s systems. A Trait will typically either be part of a structured category that defines how the Trait is used, or it will contain a description that describes how the Trait manifests itself.

Traits are almost always additive, conveying some additional capability or capacity that a character has, though a rare few can convey negative attributes or restrictions. Trait effects are wide-ranging, from bonuses to certain skill checks to combat buffs to new abilities. They can describe a character's relationships to a society, such as memberships in exclusive organizations or even a wanted status for a criminal on the run. Traits can be temporary conditions, such as describing the ramifications of a character's broken leg. Because Traits are so varied, they will typically be organized on a character’s sheet by their theme or by how they are used.

Characters start with a series of Traits based on their background packages. A character’s Species, Origin, Profession, and Past all grant a starting package of Traits that will help to inform who and what a character is. From there a character gains additional feats through accruing experience and leveling up or through in-game circumstances.

There are three primary ways permanent Traits are gained:

• They are granted by a background package when the character is created.
• They are granted automatically every time a character levels up.
• They are gained through in-game actions or occurrences.

Temporary Traits can be granted through equipment or can be based on temporary circumstances, such as an injury sustained or short-term fame gained from a notorious act. Temporary Traits should have the time or circumstance of their ending in their description.

• Traits are self-contained pieces of information assigned to a character or object with specific requirements and effects.
• Traits will typically list their name, category, type, and effect in a single place of reference. Traits can be listed by their name on character sheets and in descriptions, with the Trait's effects referenced only when needed.
• Universal Traits or background Traits are given at every level, alternating between Universal (odd-numbered levels) or background (even-numbered levels).
• If, when a character levels, they do not wish to gain a new Trait they can "bank" that Trait, until an in-game RP circumstance presents them with the opportunity to gain a Trait that they want. This is a good way for a player to gain Conveyed Traits without it feeling forced.
• Backgrounds can give additional Traits, and typically provide several when adopted that provide a baseline of Traits that inform a character's background and circumstances.
• Traits can have an Outer Ring skill level requirement.
• Traits can be gained outside of leveling and can be lost.
• Traits can be temporary.
• Traits always have a category, like Knowledge or Condition, that determines how the Trait is used in the game.
• Traits can have a type like (Supernatural), (Injury), or (Cybernetic). These will typically be used in concert with in-game effects that target specific types of Traits, such as a doctor healing Injury Traits. These types have no effect on their own.
• Traits that would require training can only be gained if the character has received training relevant to that Trait or has been performing a related action for long enough. This is at the GM's discretion.
• Some Traits will require a character to already possess a prerequisite Trait in order to be gained (Such as a Pilot Trait being a prerequisite for the Expert Pilot Trait).
• Some Traits have specific, listed, role-playing requirements.
• Unless it is a Ranked Trait, a Trait's effect does not stack. Multiple instances of the same Trait will only have the effect of a single instance of that Trait.

Trait Ranks

Some Traits, such as all Knowledges, can be Ranked up. These are different from Traits with successive requirements, such as Marksman being a requisite for Master Marksman. Ranked Traits do not change when Ranked Up, but provide a multiple to their bonuses equal to their rank level. As an example, Pilot: Small Boat (3) has been ranked up 3 times and provides a Roll Modifier to a piloting skill check of +30, representing the Trait's bonus of 10 multiplied by the three times it has been ranked up.

A Trait can only be Ranked up beyond Rank (1) if the character has each required Stat for that Trait greater than or equal to 3 times the new Rank level. As an example, a character wishing to Rank Pilot: Small Boat to Rank 3 would need Grace and Memory stats of at least 9.

Universal and Background Traits

When a character is selecting Traits while leveling up they will pick either Universal or Background Traits depending on their level. Unless a Trait is specified as Background, then it is assumed to be Universal. Background Traits are typically skills, areas of knowledge, or abilities that are related to a character’s Past or identity. A character selects Background Traits from a list generated by their background package. Some Background Traits will have RP requirements; these will be listed in that Trait's requirements. As an example, a human can't just grow longer teeth, but an aged Orc's fangs can continue to grow as their power or prestige advances, conferring social benefits to them. This would be represented by the Longfanged Trait, and in its description it will describe bonuses to social situations between Orcs.

Many Traits in the list generated by a character's background package are Universal Traits that are thematically related to that background package. These give a character an opportunity to take or advance these Traits rapidly, especially if they are Ranked Traits. A character with a Profession of pilot will be able to take or Rank up pilot-related Traits at double the speed of a character that does not have those Traits in their background list.

Starter-only Traits

These are background Traits that can only be taken during character creation, representing some unique skill, nest egg, or heirloom the character possesses that they gained at some point during their lives. Many starter Traits will have specific requirements, such as the Pirate Scion Profession being required for the Starter Trait Inherited ship.

Conveyed Traits

These are Traits that cannot be taken when a character levels up unless the GM allows it. These will often represent tangible improvements to a character that would be difficult to justify without a relevant roleplaying rationale. As an example, the Eagle Eye Trait implies a tangible and significant improvement to a character's long-distance vision. This could come about as a result of mystical training, mutation, a latent ability of a Species or Origin, or some other rationale. Conveyed Traits will often not have a minimum stat requirement.

Trait Categories

Example Traits

Armor and Effects

Resistances are used to reduce incoming damage by a specified amount. Resistances begin at zero. Incoming damage will always have a type, and some forms of attacks will do multiple types of damage at once. A fiery explosion will do both blunt damage through the explosion itself, as well as heat damage through the heat of the fireball. Resistances are predominantly conveyed through equipment, but some Traits may provide additional resistances. A character's resistances are cumulative; if a character has both leather armor and scaly skin, their resistance to slashing will be higher than if they had either alone.

Some resistances will have coverage areas specified, such as a helmet providing significant protection, but only on the head. How and where a character is hit is covered in the section on combat. Resistances can, in rare cases, be a negative value. In these cases they add to the damage inflicted a value equal to that negative number.

Damage Types

Blunt

Blunt attacks are those that impact evenly across a wide area, such as a strike from a club or the wide blast front of an explosion. Any sudden change in pressure, such as being thrown out an airlock, would also be tracked as blunt damage. Blunt attacks can often cause the Concussed Temporary Condition Trait.

Slashing

Slashing attacks are those that cut across a wide area, such as a swing from a sword or a slash from animal claws. Slashing attacks can often cause the Bleeding Temporary Condition Trait.

Piercing

Piercing attacks are those that impact sharply in a small area and pierce deep, such as a thrust from a spear or the impact of a bullet. Piercing attacks can often cause the Bleeding Temporary Condition Trait.

Heat

Heat represents the damage caused by very high thermal energy/temps being applied to an area, be it from fire, a laser, or any other source. Fire is a common form of elemental damage that can be encountered easily both in and out of combat. Heat damage can often cause the Burning Temporary Condition Trait.

Cold

Cold represents the damage caused by thermal energy being removed from an object or character, be it from contact with ice, exposure to the elements, or any other source. Cold damage will most commonly be a result of exposure to extremely cold climates, and the ways this damage manifests itself will often be outside of combat. Cold damage can sometimes cause the Frozen Temporary Condition Trait.

Electrical

Electrical represents the application of electricity to a system that isn't built to handle it, be it from lightning, a downed power line, or an electric eel. The threat of electric shock is far more common in a modern electrically powered society, but it's a classic element of magic. Electrical attacks can often cause the Concussed Temporary Condition Trait.

EMP

EMP or Electromagnetic Pulse is a catchall term for electromagnetic damage that is specifically harmful to machines or computer systems that rely on electricity or magnetic attributes to function. EMP damage's most common interaction will be to disable or destroy mechanical or electronic systems, either intentionally or accidentally. EMPs can be caused by natural or manmade phenomena, from solar flares to nuclear explosions. EMP damage can only harm characters or objects with the Mechanical Trait.

Metaphysical

Metaphysical damage represents the damage inflicted by any higher plane source and does not interact with normal matter in a scientifically understood manner. Metaphysical attacks or effects will contain a description for if and when they do extra damage or possess other effects. Metaphysical effects will often be associated with other traits or keywords that further define their interactions in the game.

Ex. A paladin's sword that bypasses the armor of the Demonic or an enchantment that only harms the Undead.

Death

Death damage represents a loss of vitality or the sudden rotting of flesh that would be otherwise considered scientifically impossible. Attacks or effects with the death attribute will often describe debilitating secondary effects they inflict beyond the HP damage they cause; successful (Physical) checks can often resist these effects. Death damage or attacks cannot typically harm those with the Mechanical Trait.

Psychic

Psychic damage represents harm inflicted directly upon one's brain, ego, consciousness, or other mental capacity. Psychic attacks or damage will typically bypass all defenses and will inflict various Condition Traits, with Concussed being the most common. Successful (Mental) or (Social) checks can often resist the effects of Psychic attacks/damage.

Radiation

Radiation is an element in nature that can cause the Irradiated(1) Condition Trait. Levels of radiation exposure can cause different and increasingly severe effects, and certain effects or resistances in the game will make a user resistant or immune to radiation. Much like in real life, radiation can spread, and a character or object with a high level of the Irradiated trait can, in turn, inflict that trait on others.

Acidic/Corrosive

Acidic or Corrosive effects will often cause damage to items or equipment in addition to any character wielding them. This will most commonly be represented by the Corroded(1) ranked trait to be inflicted on an object that has been affected.

Items

An item can be any physical object that a character can be in possession of. This can range from weapons to armor to currency to pets. Some items have considerable complexities of their own, such as a ship or a warhorse. Other items are as simple as a gold coin. All fall under the category of "items." Within the category of "items," there are several subcategories explained below. Items possess their own descriptions, functions, weight, and size and may confer abilities or be used by a character in a unique way. Items will typically be described somewhere external to a character's character sheet, but in cases where the item is truly unique (such as a fancy rock the character found), then the GM can describe the physical characteristics of the item in question. Items are recorded in the "items" section of the character sheet. There is no limit to the number of items a character can possess, though there are reasonable limits on what they can carry. A character may possess a house on their character sheet, but they aren't taking it around with them.

Some items have exclusive functionalities that cannot be duplicated, whether because you can’t easily wear two pairs of shoes, only have one set of eyes to be cyberized, or a magic amulet gets… jealous. These items will typically label themselves as exclusive and will list one or more items or categories of item. If a character has an item equipped, it cannot then have another equipped that shares a type with the listed exclusion. It is at the GM's discretion whether or not an item is exclusive with another, and exceptions can sometimes occur.

Ex. (exclusive: Footwear)

Many items have a limited number of uses before becoming defunct or literally ceasing to exist. If an item has a limited number of uses, the number and nature of that limitation will be in its description.

Ex. (candy bar: uses 1: when consumed)

Most items can be damaged or destroyed. When an item has various stages of degradation that can occur, it may be in its description, though often it will be at the GM's discretion, and additional descriptions may be added to an item relating to its condition. Larger or more complex and important items may have their own hit points or armor values. If no such values are present, then the GM can assign such values, or an item can simply be assumed to either be pristine or broken with no in-between. A destroyed item does not vanish except when circumstances say otherwise. A destroyed glass could still exist as glass shards waiting to be stepped on. The tracking or importance of a destroyed item is up to the player or GM.

Most items should not have their condition tracked unless it is important or relevant to the game (ex. A shield needn’t have its hit points tracked unless another character is explicitly trying to chip or destroy it with a weapon capable of doing so).

It should be noted that while these categories are used in-game to sort and describe items, these categories are not absolute and many items will have uses or effects that could place them into multiple categories.

This category comprises any passively worn object or garment that is used without intention or effort. Hats, rings, and chainmail would fall under this category, as would more complex items like powered armor or even a magical force field. What separates wearables from equipment is that wearables are passive; they convey their benefits or effects without the character having to take action.

Mundane or generic wearable items like everyday clothing do not necessarily need to be recorded on a character sheet and can be assumed to be possessed unless otherwise stated.

This catchall category comprises a wide variety of concepts. But the unifying feature is that equipment is useful and will typically have some sort of effect or feature in its description, often granting some sort of ability or benefit to a character when utilized. Watches, grappling hooks, jet packs, cell phones, or magic wands could all be considered equipment. Vehicles, weapons, wearables, and other categories of item could be considered equipment, and when they have equipment-like functionalities or natures, they will often be listed as equipment in addition to their other categories.

Weapons are a special form of equipment meant to cause damage or harm. Not every item capable of doing damage is a weapon, but most weapons exist specifically for that purpose. Weapons will convey abilities related to their use but often have a related trait or skill requirement to be used effectively. Anyone can pull a trigger, but hitting a target is a different matter. Weapons are often relatively complex forms of equipment and will need care, maintenance, or correct setup to be used correctly. Sometimes a weapon will need to be paired with another form of equipment, such as a bow requiring an arrow, but just as often they will not. Most weapons will be considered exclusive, though traits or GM discretion may allow for multiple weapons to be used simultaneously.

"Structures" is a catchall term for any item that exists, is unmoving, and can be occupied. Structures will typically be large and solid constructs built to be occupied or to accomplish some sort of task, but just like buildings in real life, they can have innumerable forms and purposes. Structures are not equipped; instead, characters will occupy a structure. The maximum total occupancy of a structure will always be defined in its description and will often feature not just total characters but other values such as the weight or size of what it can accommodate. In situations where these numbers are unset or so large that tracking them isn’t useful, a “-” will be listed, and these values are at the GM's discretion.

Structures are large and complex items and will often have hit points, armor values, and levels of destruction. When a character is occupying a structure, they are typically considered to be inside of and protected by it (presuming the threat isn’t inside the structure with them or they aren’t exposed in some other way).

Vehicles are a special form of item that is used to move or protect characters. Like weapons, vehicles will often have a related skill requirement for their use. Unlike weapons, vehicles are not equipped; rather, characters (or other things) will occupy a vehicle like they do structures. Vehicles will always list a maximum number or nature of occupants (though in some instances that value will be listed as a “-”, similar to structures). In these instances the maximum occupancy is at the GM's discretion.

A vehicle is typically ridden/piloted/driven by one or more characters, though sometimes the vehicles will either control themselves or be at the mercy of other forces (ex. A boat adrift in the tide or a runaway train). Vehicles are a relatively wide category of item that can encompass animals or structures and will typically have a list of their properties in their description.

Vehicles often require routine maintenance and upkeep, though if that is important or tracked within a game is at the GM's discretion. Similarly, vehicles will often have hit points or conditions listed, though it is at the GM's discretion if they want to add additional complexities to the maintenance or handling of a vehicle. (Ex.: It is at the GM's discretion if a car's gas tank explodes or if the players had to fill that gas tank or even pay attention to the concept of fuel.)

Animals are, in many ways, like characters. They can typically move, have hit points and defensive values, can equip and use items, and often can think and act independently. The most important distinction between an animal and a character is that the animal doesn’t warrant the creation of a character sheet and will typically have its traits listed in a compressed fashion. An animal will usually have its characteristics be derived from a baseline template that is then modified via traits.

Animals and animal-like NPCs have behaviors and will take actions on their own, though they are typically animalistic or robotic in nature. A trained animal or well-programmed robot will have a trait conveying that they can be interacted with and given commands. Often only specific listed characters will be able to command an animal or robot, though it is at the GM's discretion when and why this can occur.

Animals and animal-like NPCs can equip and use items, though the items they can use will typically be listed or at the GM's discretion.

• Animals and animal-like NPCs will always have hit points and armor values.
• Animals and animal-like NPCs will have their characteristics defined by a template and are then modified via traits.

Misc. items are items that do not neatly fall into another category or which are unimportant or generic objects that could have a multitude of uses. A brick would be a misc item; it could be thrown as a weapon or used to build a structure, but by itself it's just a… brick. Most items in an environment can be considered miscellaneous.