Traits are a collection of descriptions that explain aptitudes, skills, knowledges, possessions, experiences, and other qualities that are a permanent part of the character. The most commonly used traits are Ability, Culture, Archetype, and Class, but as the PCs' experiences grow more will be added to the list. Traits after character creation are developed from roleplaying and story rewards, but guidelines will be provided to make that an easy and fun task. A traits primary purpose is to grant Permissions.
Permission: Permission is a concept closely tied to traits. A permission is the ability to take an action that is given by possessing a trait. If you can’t suggest through some trait, how to take an action, even badly, you cannot attempt the check.
Ability Traits:
Ability Traits are the core traits that describe the capabilities of characters. Rather than define a specific skill or aptitude, they describe the natural abilities to go about solving problems and expressing other traits. These traits are derived from those originally given in the 1970s version of the world's most popular RPG. To that is added one more, Fortune, which is especially useful for the solo gamer.
Forceful: This replaces Strength in the classic game and is used in all situations where the Character is exerting themselves using some aggressive quality, whether combat, a stare down, intimidating another character, or standing up to bullying with a show of forceful resistance. It is also useful in athletic situations which are defined by aggressively hurling oneself into it, such as competitive sports like football, or a foot race, or a chase.
Cunning: This replaces Intelligence from the classic game and is used in situations where intellect and quick thinking rule the day. This is a combination of bringing to mind the knowledge base that is provided by background, class, culture, and character development in the most useful fashion possible, but it has other applications as well. When the ability to put together clues that are available (rather than unseen factors which is covered by intuitive), in a Holmesian way, such as a crime scene examination, a tracker, or someone looking for a secret or concealed door, Cunning is the most useful approach. When concepts like coding, or academic magic are in question, Cunning is also most useful.
Skillful: This replaces Dexterity in the classic game and is used when a combination of thinking and movement are necessary. It encompasses grace, mechanical aptitude, hand eye coordination, and the ability to do complex things under pressure. It differs from Forceful as it isn’t about drive related tasks but skill related tasks. It differs from Cunning in that it isn’t about manipulating a body of knowledge, but a body of techniques. Though it could well be used to express a graceful martial arts kata or the ability to do a precise long range shot, it would be hard to maintain this poise in the heat of battle, especially when damage begins to pile up.
Intuitive: This replaces Wisdom from the classic game, which has always been something of a nebulous term. Here we refer to the ability to glean insights subconsciously, whether from the environment, or from a character's own internal or animal instincts. The way a ranger understands the intentions of an animal, an actor, the mood of a crowd, or any adventure the danger lurking up behind them is ruled by the Intuitive trait. While some conclusions drawn by Intuitive and Cunning would be the same, they represent two different approaches. A Cunning investigator could present his chain of evidence, but an Intuitive cop would just know he is on the right path. This would be a prime skill for priests and psychics drawing power from that which cannot be understood, only accepted.
Resolve: This trait replaces and expands on Constitution from the classic game. Resolve does cover physical resilience, but not just as health, but also as a reservoir of internal strength that allows it to be used equally well resisting the charming eyes of a warlock or the poison of a snake bite. Likewise, exhaustion from sleeplessness or physical exertion. Here we see the qualities of willpower that were once given to a Wisdom ability. If your character has some power from an internal reserve his Resolve will effect that. If you resist a bully or a charging brute by planting your feet or planting your gumption Resolve will cover that as well. A monk chi’ or a dwarf hardiness and magical resistance would spring from their Resolve.
Presence: This trait replaces the classic trait of Charisma, and serves a very similar purpose. It is a combination of gripping noticeability, and the ability to manipulate the emotions and actions through that magnetism. Fast talking, slow cons, working a room, gathering followers, or inspiring the troops would all be done with the Presence trait.
Fortune: This is the only trait that is not based on a classic ability score, but it is one of the most important features of Exemplar. The Fortune trait is only possessed by Exemplars and other Exemplary characters. Fortune is a luck trait and a fate trait. By rolling against it you can determine how well or poorly things are going for a character. By draining it off, which does raise the chance of ill fortune befalling you, you can manipulate the strands of Fortune. When misfortune befalls the Exemplar the Fortune score can mitigate it or, if accepted, it will swell the Fortune Pool (which we will discuss later). The Fortune trait is how a single PC can stand, with some cleverness, against all the trials of the world.
Other Traits
A Character is more than just its aptitudes. They are also where they come from and what they have learned along the way. Your other core traits will help to define these qualities.
Culture: Everyone has a past, and for RPG characters sometimes it gives them a leg up in the world. Whether you are a young wizard from a secret wizarding subculture, or from a farm town in Iowa, where your character comes from imparts a certain character to them, and if far enough removed from their starting point it will give them a collection of advantages and disadvantages.
Define the culture of your character in the context of the game you are playing. If you are in a human centric world, but are an alien species, that is going to have a lot more importance than whether you are also from a farming community, as the two different views of farming are probably worlds apart. But if your character is playing in the same city he was born into, just like all the NPCs, then the subculture of the character will play a much bigger role.
The biggest role of your Culture trait is to grant permission to do the skills that are common to your culture, species, or training, but if they would grant an extraordinary benefit they can have a positive effect on Ability Trait Checks. On the other hand if you are a skater boy from Chicago, you won’t know how to replace a wagon wheel unless you learned that skill elsewhere. Thus the Culture trait can also close doors when appropriate.
Concept (formerly archetype): If your Culture trait is broadly where you come from, your Concept is broadly what you do. Depending on the genre of the game this could be as mundane as, cab driver, (or better yet hot tempered plucky cab driver) to as exotic Queen's Champion. A Concept describes your character's profession or lifestyle, and to some degree their outlook. It also gives you a collection of shadow traits that are implied in the phrase. These give permission and sometimes expertise. Like culture they can also offer restrictions, but mostly through the perceptions of others. Some people don’t like the Queen, so her Champion may not be welcome.
Class: A thing that separates an Exemplar from other talented persons is their professions. A class trait is a broad collection of extraordinary abilities that makes an Exemplar uniquely suited to a life of adventure. The most common classes are Warrior, Mystic, Specialist. But these are too broad of definitions to be much fun. Instead you may be a Weapons Master, a Fire Master, or an Infiltrator. A character's Class trait gives them a certain expertise and a certain generality. It shows that they can do all the basic adventure things, such as searching, jumping, hiding, and dodging, but it also grants permissions to do extraordinary things, like conjuring fire, shield disarms, and opening high tech security safes.
Shadow Traits and Overlapping Traits: While every trait listed above has some very obvious applications, all of them imply more than they say. A Weapons Master Dwarf who is the Queen's Champion has an incredible implied list of abilities that a Fighting Smith Monk Dwarf would. Though both are Warrior Class Dwarf Culture the entire feel is different. These traits that are hidden in the depth of a Descriptor or created by two crossing descriptors are Shadow and Overlapping Traits.
Hinderance Traits: This is another trait that may be implied or it could be spelled out. A hindrance is when a Trait works against a character. Some are implied, such as a person who just can’t stand Wizards and you happen to be one, then there is an implied Hindrance to Presence Ability Trait Checks. Others are explicit. If you have a wound on your right leg, and right leg actions would have a Hinderance Trait which would reduce their effectiveness.