Post by gamedave on Jan 15, 2020 13:19:16 GMT -5
GIFTS
SuperFATE! uses a different implementation of Aspects than FATE Core. Gifts are a special type of Aspect that is much more pre-defined and much less free-form than typical FATE Aspects.
Like any Aspect, a Gift can be Invoked or Compelled. Crucially, like any Aspect, a Gift is True. It gives narrative permission to a character. For example, if your Hero has the "Wings" Gift, they have Wings, and can therefore fly.
Some Gifts have some overlap with some Powers (for example, the Wings Gift and the Flight Power). A major difference is that Gifts don't have Scale. If your Hero has the Wings Gift, they can fly, but only about as fast as they could run. On the other hand, if they had the Flight Power, they could fly at Scale speeds.
Also, Gifts are generally innate to your Hero. This is particularly true of physical Gifts, which are generally an integral element of your Hero's physiology. So, for example, an effect which can negate Powers could prevent your Hero from using their Flight Power, but probably not from using their Wings Gift.
Many Gifts have highly cinematic aspects, but some go beyond that, and not all Gifts are appropriate for all characters and all campaigns.
Paranormal <>: These Gifts generally aren't blatantly superhuman, and include effects that might be the result of coincidence or circumstance. They're appropriate for Heroes that might have superhuman abilities.
Super {}: These Gifts are out-and-out superhuman. Heroes with Super Gifts are blatantly abnormal, and may not even look human. Super Gifts are only appropriate for Heroes are themselves clearly superhuman.
Problem ??: These Gifts can be particularly problematic in a campaign. They're often more appropriate to a Villain or other foe, rather than for a Hero. Be sure to carefully discuss such Gifts with your table before taking them. Remember, this is a cooperative game, and it should be fun for everyone. Some Gifts will fit some Heroes and fit into some campaigns with minimal impact, but be completely unbalancing for others.
Below is a list of Gifts. If none of these Gifts match your concept for your Hero, you should talk with your table and come up with a new Gift that fits.
Animal Companion
Your Hero has a companion. It's an animal. This companion is generally an exceptional example of its species, and displays a near-human level of intelligence, allowing it to more or less understand whatever your Hero says. It is completely loyal to your Hero, and will usually follow even complex and dangerous instructions to the best of its ability.
Animal Friendship <>
Your Hero has a way with animals. Domesticated and tame animals will be very friendly to your Hero. Wild animals will be either cautiously friendly, or, at worst, simply leave your Hero alone. Your Hero can also communicate with animals on a basic level, such as "I'm a friend" or "get out of here".
Artifact <>
Your Hero possesses a unique item with special properties. It might be a masterwork blade forged by a legendary smith in a past age, or an alien super-science device. Artifacts are generally nigh-indestructible. Work out the details with your Table. Since a Gift is a part of your Hero, even if an Artifact is destroyed or lost, your Hero should be able to recover or replace it in fairly short order. The Artifact Gift, in and of itself, doesn't grant your Hero any Powers, but it could certainly be part of your Hero's Origin and Power Set.
Aquatic {}
Your Hero is at home in the water. Literally. They might be an Atlantean, a mermaid, or the result of super-soldier experiments. Your Hero can breathe water and their movement and Actions aren't hindered underwater. Even in the deepest ocean depths, they can see clearly and aren't bothered by the pressure or temperature. Your Hero can also breathe air and operate normally on the land, but the may be uncomfortable and prone to dehydration.
Berserker
Your Hero is prone to fly into fits of frenzied rage. While in a Berserker rage, your Hero is generally immune to fast talk, persuasion, and other psychological manipulation. Direct emotion control, however, can still affect them. Regardless, the Berserker Gift is a pretty good option to Invoke to resist anything effects that would make you not angry.
Blind
Your Hero is Blind. Yes, this is a Gift. Your Hero has cinematically well-honed senses and spatial awareness, allowing them to undertake most Actions without any problems. However, tasks which absolutely require normal sight, such as reading normal text, are impossible. On the plus side, you are unaffected by darkness and are immune to vision-based attacks, illusions, tricks, and so on. You are also likely to be severely underestimated by any foes who know you are blind but who haven't seen you in action.
Brawny
Your Hero is big and strong. They even lift, brah. They might be a well-honed athlete or a burly strongman. They can lift and carry significantly more than anyone without this Gift (in the same Scale). As with any Gift, this doesn't give them a game-mechanical advantage, but in terms of pure muscle power, they automatically outmatch anyone without this Gift. If there's a roll involving bulk or muscle power, this is a good candidate for an Invoke.
Companion
Your Hero has an ally who acts as a loyal friend and confidant, is willing to go on adventures with you, and can give you a helping hand. This could be a family servant, a loyal shield man, or a teenage sidekick. Mechanically, this Companion is basically treated as an extension of your Hero, but narratively, they are their own person, with their own personality and motivations. They are utterly loyal to your Hero...as long as your Hero doesn't mistreat them...
Computer Brain <> or {}
Your Hero has a computer for a brain. This might be literally true for an android or a cyborg, or just an extreme mathematical talent. Your Hero can perform virtually any calculation in their head. If this is Gift is a Super {} Gift, your Hero can match a super-computer (which they are). Your Hero can also visualize complex 3D models of any environment or location for which you have sufficient information, and mentally "walk through" it. The Super {} version of this Gift also allows your Hero to interface with actual computers and other electronic devices.
Contacts
Your Hero has a wide array of Contacts in various positions and places. If you have a more or less reasonable explanation of why your Hero has a particular Contact, you have them. These Contacts are generally in low-level positions. They will provide your Hero with information and minor help, but won't risk their lives or positions for your Hero. You can also use a Stunt to establish a more senior Contact, or one who is willing to take greater risks. On the downside, the Contact relationship is mutual, so you may find your Hero's Contacts coming to them for information and help. In general, the more your Hero uses their Contacts, the more their Contacts will use them.
Empathy <>
Your Hero has an innate ability to "read" other people. This could be a paranormal ability, or simply close observation and a good instinct for applied psychology. Your Hero has a reasonably good idea of the current emotional state of any given individual, as well as whether they are being deceptive.
Extended Family
Your Hero seems to have family members just about everywhere. Generally, these family members won’t have any extraordinary abilities or resources, or in particularly useful positions. But, they will be able to offer your Hero (and their friends) food and shelter, information on the local lay of the land, and possibly mundane services and help.
Extra Limbs {}
Your Hero has Extra Limbs. This could be an extra set of arms, or a prehensile tail, or a bunch of tentacles. On the downside, you are obviously not human, even if your appearance is otherwise completely normal. On the upside, you can carry a lot more in your “hands” and multi-task a lot more effectively.
Familiar Spirit <>
Your Hero has a spiritual ally. This may be a friendly ghost, a totem animal, a spirit guide, or a hologram from the future that only your Hero can see and hear. Your Hero’s Familiar Spirit cannot affect the material world, nor can it be affected by anything material. It can freely pass through walls and other obstacles, but it cannot pick up objects or engage in combat. A Familiar Spirit is generally bound to your Hero and cannot stray far from them, so it doesn’t make a very effective scout or spy. Your Hero’s Familiar Spirit will offer them advice, share its knowledge, and watch their back. If only your Hero can perceive the Familiar Spirit and it only gives them information they might have had on their own, this is a Paranormal <> Gift. If it is perceptible to others and can act independently, this is a Super {} Gift.
Fast
Your Hero is fleet of foot (and possibly wing or flipper, as the case may be). They may not be able to out-run a car, but they can out-run anyone who doesn’t have this Gift or a relevant Power. If there’s ever any doubt as to whether your Hero can cover a distance or reach an objective in time, if they have this Gift, they can.
Fearless <> ??
Your Hero doesn’t know the meaning of fear. Well, they probably know what it means, but they don’t really get it. They may be an unwavering paragon of will, an android, or an unflappable English butler. Your Hero is immune to any sort of fear or fear-based effect. They can still feel emotions, and they know when they should be afraid - they just don’t get scared. Their extreme stability also probably marks them out as rather odd. PROBLEM? This is a potentially unbalancing Gift. Discuss it with your table before taking it (it should probably be off-limits in a horror-tinged campaign, for example).
Gargantuan {} ??
Your Hero is big. Really Big. REALLY, REALLY BIG. They are much larger than any human being. They might be a mythical giant or a giant robot. You can easily stride over many obstacles, and lift enormous weights (like their own body weight). Obviously, your Hero has a great deal of difficulty fitting in anywhere - literally. PROBLEM? This Gift isn’t necessarily unbalancing, but it can make roleplaying difficult. In any campaign where it’s expected that all of the Heroes will have secret identities or be able to blend in with normal folk, this Gift won’t work. Discuss it with your table before taking it.
Gorgeous
Your Hero is good-looking. Really, really, really good-looking. A lot. On the upside, other people are likely to do all sorts of nice things for your Hero, especially if your Hero is their type. Seducing someone should not be a problem. On the downside, your Hero is very noticeable and memorable, and likely will receive a lot of unwanted attention. It’s also kind of a genre trope that Gorgeous individuals find themselves the targets of kidnapping attempts by lovelorn villains.
Illuminated ??
Your Hero is privy to truly deep mysteries and secrets. They might be a wise old mystic, a scholar of forbidden lore, or a veteran spy who knows where all of the (literal) skeletons are buried. If there are any sorts of occult secrets in the campaign known only to a select few, your Hero is one of those select few. They are probably also known to other Illuminated individuals. Select few, remember? PROBLEM?: This Gift is only actually useful in campaigns where there are weird occult secrets only known to a few. It’s also a game-wrecker in campaigns where investigating and uncovering those secrets are major elements. Carefully discuss this Gift with your table before taking it.
Immunity {} ??
Your Hero is immune to a particular form of attack, such as fire, iron weapons, or emotion control. You may still be subject to Stress from such an attack, but you never suffer Conditions due to it. As a Stunt (True Immunity), you aren’t even subject to Stress. Monstrous Villains may have a version of this Gift which makes them Immune to everything except for a specific vulnerability. Heroes should not have this form of Immunity. PROBLEM?: This is a particularly powerful and potentially unbalancing Gift. You should discuss it very carefully with your Table before taking it, and it’s probably a good idea to define it very narrowly.
Innocent <>
Your Hero is a true Innocent. They’re generally naive, trusting, and unworldly, and probably unfamiliar with, uh, the birds-and-the-bees stuff. They tend to see the good in everyone, and will fall for blatantly false sob stories. Innocence can be a real handicap. However, it’s also a source of tremendous strength. Only the truly Evil will seriously harm the truly Innocent, and the merely Bad will be reluctant to hurt your Hero. The fact that your Hero can see the good in everyone also means that they can clearly see when someone has no good in them.. Your Hero also always realizes when they are about to do something evil or corrupting, and cannot be forced to do so. However, your Hero can, of course, choose to do so, of their own free will - and lose this Gift.
In the Know
Your Hero grew up among adventurers and is familiar with the adventuring lifestyle. They know quite a bit about monsters, common perils, and the major heroes and villains in the campaign - your Hero probably even knows a few personally. Your Hero also probably has a few retired family members or old family friends that they can turn to for advice and information. On the flip side, some major villains probably also know quite a bit about your Hero…
Just Too Cool
Your Hero is preternaturally suave, and seems to have been Scotchgarded at birth. No matter what happens, your Hero always comes out looking good. When they “stumble”, everyone assumes they meant to do that. When everyone else is soaked to the bone and looks like a drowned rat, your Hero looks alluringly damp or unaccountably dry. Your Hero never suffers from static cling or a bad hair day. They probably suffer from the jealousy of others who look bad by comparison, though…
Leadership
Your Hero is a natural Leader. Other people, especially in a crisis, will instinctively follow your Hero’s lead. Your Hero also has a tendency to attract followers and command loyalty from subordinates. On the downside, other people tend to put you on a pedestal, and to expect you to solve their problems for them.
Lucky <>
This is your Hero’s lucky day. But then, they all are. Your Hero can always find a nearby parking spot, their blind dates are always gorgeous and charming, stray bullets just seem to avoid them. There isn’t a game mechanic; things just tend to break your Hero’s way. For mundane matters, your Hero pretty much always gets the best plausible outcome. In adventuring situations, if there’s any chance misfortune befalls someone else instead of you, it does. Random fire targets other Heroes, the werewolf jumps the guy next to you, and bullies overlook you and pick on someone else.
Natural Weapons {}
Your Hero has Natural Weapons. Teeth and claws are most common, but it could be stingers, mandibles, or spines. Mechanically, they don’t give your Hero a specific bonus in combat, but they can be Invoked or used as the basis for a lot of Stunts. They also give your Hero broader narrative permission to inflict damage.
Night Vison
Your Hero has unusually acute Night Vision. Although they still lose a lot of color sensitivity under low-light conditions, otherwise they see just as well at night as the average person sees during the day. They do need at least some light, and are blind in complete darkness, but what might seem to be complete darkness to someone without this Gift might just seem unusually dim to your Hero.
Presence
Your Hero has a certain...Presence about them. No matter what situation they find themselves in, everyone around them perceives them as a noble individual, worthy of respect, if not fear. Your Hero receives what passes locally for respectful courtesy from just about everyone. Sometimes, this will mean being able to converse with aristocrats on even terms, even though your Hero is a commoner, or receiving prompt and courteous service from otherwise surly workers. Other times, though, it will mean being singled out by the most powerful foe your Hero faces as the only “worthy” opponent. Your Hero also has a hard time remaining inconspicuous or blending in.
Sanctum
Your Hero has a sanctuary, a safe place to hide, a secure base of operations. It might be a magically warded brownstone, or a cave under their mansion, or just a nondescript safehouse. Determine the details with your table, based on your Backround, Gifts, and other traits. In general, it will be safe from intrusion by ordinary criminals, animals, and passers-by, and will have all the facilities you need to use your Talents (a gym for Athletics, a conference room for Diplomacy, a lab for Science, an armory for Shooting, etc.). Your Hero’s Sanctum probably has enough room for your fellow Heroes, at least in a pinch.
Scent {}
Your Hero has a highly developed sense of smell, like a bloodhound. They can track by scent alone, and they can locate and identify anything and anyone nearby as long as they have some sort of distinctive scent. You can even engage foes in combat when you can’t see them, as long as they’re upwind of you.
Sixth Sense <>
Your Hero has an innate ability to sense the ebb and flow of magical energy around them. They usually know if they’re in the presence of magic or in a place of magical power, and will be able to roughly gauge its strength. Your Hero can also see ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural entities that are normally invisible to mere mortals (but this Gift doesn’t let you see anyone that actually has the Invisibility power).
Titled
Your Hero has a sociopolitical rank in their society. In pre-modern societies, this usually means holding an actual noble title of some sort. In modern terms, this might mean being the CEO of a major corporation or a powerful politician. Your Hero has significant social and political influence and can call upon the resouces of a powerful organization. However, using that influence usually requires deal making - the more your Hero uses the resources that comes with their Title, the more the responsibilities of that Title will come to weigh on them.
Total Recall
Your Hero can remember virtually everything they see, hear, or otherwise experience, in minute detail. Note that this Gift is not a cheap and easy way to get every Talent in the book, and doesn’t enable your Hero to know everything. It does allow your Hero to recall every small detail of everything that happens in a game session, even if you as a player don’t. And, ok, fine you can also Invoke it for ant rolls relating to acquired knowledge.
Tough
Your Hero is a tough guy, able to take a licking and keep on ticking. They can ignore most sources of fatigue, elemental exposure, and the like. While this Gift doesn’t give your Hero any inherent bonus to resist damage or recover Stress or Consequences, it’s a good go-to for Invokes for doing that.
True Faith
Your Hero has an unshakeable Faith in some higher principle. It might be patriotism, religious belief, a code of honor, or an abstract philosophical principle. Regardless, this Faith is deep and abiding, and it fulfills and sustains your Hero even in their darkest moments. So what’s the in-game benefit? That’s entirely up to the GM, who doesn’t need to share that information with you. This Gift might not even have any real effect. You have to take it on faith.
True Love <>
Your Hero has something that not one couple in a century has a chance at, no matter what the story books say - True Love. Your Hero and another character share a bond that neither man nor gods can tear asunder. Your Hero and their soulmate are likely to encounter all manner of obstacles and set-backs. True Love seems to attract villains who will seek to destroy the bond, out of jealousy, spite, or plain ol’ Love of Evil. However, ultimately nothing can keep your Hero apart from their beloved.
Turn of the World <> ??
Your Hero can feel the Turn of the World. They might be an immortal alien time-traveler, someone who grew up on top of a dimensional nexus, or just bizarrely perceptive. Your Hero always knows when something has changed or gone wrong with the fabric of reality and the time-stream. They can also sense weak points in the fabric of time and space. And your Hero has high temporal inertia. Changes in the time-stream affect them much less than others, and they keep most of their memories from previous timelines. Your Hero always retains this Gift regardless of ontological shifts. PROBLEM?? This Gift isn’t of any use in many campaigns. But when it’s useful, it’s really useful. It also tends to serve more as a plot hook for the GM than as a resource for the Hero. Discuss this Gift carefully with your table before taking it.
Unliving
Your Hero isn’t technically, y’know, alive. They might be an android, a magical construct, or undead. Your Hero isn’t affected by poisons, diseases, or anything else that specifically affects living beings. They don’t need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep. However, they generally will require some outside source of energy and occasional down-time to recharge. They also don’t heal normally, but can be repaired. Also, you’re Hero is not exactly natural, and that can cause some real social issues. A lot of folks may think of your Hero as an object or piece of property - or an unnatural abomination that must be destroyed.
Wealthy
Your Hero has access to significant financial resources. They might be the heir to a fortune, a brilliant business person, a successful treasure hunter, or just a really clever investor. Your Hero never has to worry about normal living expenses, and can probably bankroll other Heroes as well. On the downside, hanging on to the source of those funds may be difficult, and probably requires significant responsibilities to maintain. Also, your Hero’s wealth tends to give them a high profile, which makes maintaining a secret identity difficult, and may make them the target of business rivals, kidnappers, terrorists, and disgruntled former employees. Remember: money can’t buy happiness (or knives, but that’s a whole different thing…).
Wings {} ??
Your Hero has Wings! They are probably the Wings of a noble bird of prey, but they could be bat wings, or bee wings, or butterfly wings. Whatever. It’s your Hero. Your Hero’s Wings let them fly, like a bird (or a butterfly. Whatever). They can fly about as fast as they can run. PROBLEM?? In most Supers campaigns, this Gift is flatly worse than the Flight Power. In other campaigns, though, especially ones focused on “street-level” Heroes and “gritty realism”, this Gift can be unbalancing. Discuss it with your table before taking this Gift.
Zeroed
Your Hero doesn’t exist. Not officially, anyway. There are no official records of them, anywhere. This means that your Hero is able to live completely off of the grid, and they are almost impossible to track down. In most settings, though, that also means no bank accounts, no credit history, no regular job...hopefully, your Hero is good at scrounging at the margins of society.
SuperFATE! uses a different implementation of Aspects than FATE Core. Gifts are a special type of Aspect that is much more pre-defined and much less free-form than typical FATE Aspects.
Like any Aspect, a Gift can be Invoked or Compelled. Crucially, like any Aspect, a Gift is True. It gives narrative permission to a character. For example, if your Hero has the "Wings" Gift, they have Wings, and can therefore fly.
Some Gifts have some overlap with some Powers (for example, the Wings Gift and the Flight Power). A major difference is that Gifts don't have Scale. If your Hero has the Wings Gift, they can fly, but only about as fast as they could run. On the other hand, if they had the Flight Power, they could fly at Scale speeds.
Also, Gifts are generally innate to your Hero. This is particularly true of physical Gifts, which are generally an integral element of your Hero's physiology. So, for example, an effect which can negate Powers could prevent your Hero from using their Flight Power, but probably not from using their Wings Gift.
Many Gifts have highly cinematic aspects, but some go beyond that, and not all Gifts are appropriate for all characters and all campaigns.
Paranormal <>: These Gifts generally aren't blatantly superhuman, and include effects that might be the result of coincidence or circumstance. They're appropriate for Heroes that might have superhuman abilities.
Super {}: These Gifts are out-and-out superhuman. Heroes with Super Gifts are blatantly abnormal, and may not even look human. Super Gifts are only appropriate for Heroes are themselves clearly superhuman.
Problem ??: These Gifts can be particularly problematic in a campaign. They're often more appropriate to a Villain or other foe, rather than for a Hero. Be sure to carefully discuss such Gifts with your table before taking them. Remember, this is a cooperative game, and it should be fun for everyone. Some Gifts will fit some Heroes and fit into some campaigns with minimal impact, but be completely unbalancing for others.
Below is a list of Gifts. If none of these Gifts match your concept for your Hero, you should talk with your table and come up with a new Gift that fits.
Animal Companion
Your Hero has a companion. It's an animal. This companion is generally an exceptional example of its species, and displays a near-human level of intelligence, allowing it to more or less understand whatever your Hero says. It is completely loyal to your Hero, and will usually follow even complex and dangerous instructions to the best of its ability.
Animal Friendship <>
Your Hero has a way with animals. Domesticated and tame animals will be very friendly to your Hero. Wild animals will be either cautiously friendly, or, at worst, simply leave your Hero alone. Your Hero can also communicate with animals on a basic level, such as "I'm a friend" or "get out of here".
Artifact <>
Your Hero possesses a unique item with special properties. It might be a masterwork blade forged by a legendary smith in a past age, or an alien super-science device. Artifacts are generally nigh-indestructible. Work out the details with your Table. Since a Gift is a part of your Hero, even if an Artifact is destroyed or lost, your Hero should be able to recover or replace it in fairly short order. The Artifact Gift, in and of itself, doesn't grant your Hero any Powers, but it could certainly be part of your Hero's Origin and Power Set.
Aquatic {}
Your Hero is at home in the water. Literally. They might be an Atlantean, a mermaid, or the result of super-soldier experiments. Your Hero can breathe water and their movement and Actions aren't hindered underwater. Even in the deepest ocean depths, they can see clearly and aren't bothered by the pressure or temperature. Your Hero can also breathe air and operate normally on the land, but the may be uncomfortable and prone to dehydration.
Berserker
Your Hero is prone to fly into fits of frenzied rage. While in a Berserker rage, your Hero is generally immune to fast talk, persuasion, and other psychological manipulation. Direct emotion control, however, can still affect them. Regardless, the Berserker Gift is a pretty good option to Invoke to resist anything effects that would make you not angry.
Blind
Your Hero is Blind. Yes, this is a Gift. Your Hero has cinematically well-honed senses and spatial awareness, allowing them to undertake most Actions without any problems. However, tasks which absolutely require normal sight, such as reading normal text, are impossible. On the plus side, you are unaffected by darkness and are immune to vision-based attacks, illusions, tricks, and so on. You are also likely to be severely underestimated by any foes who know you are blind but who haven't seen you in action.
Brawny
Your Hero is big and strong. They even lift, brah. They might be a well-honed athlete or a burly strongman. They can lift and carry significantly more than anyone without this Gift (in the same Scale). As with any Gift, this doesn't give them a game-mechanical advantage, but in terms of pure muscle power, they automatically outmatch anyone without this Gift. If there's a roll involving bulk or muscle power, this is a good candidate for an Invoke.
Companion
Your Hero has an ally who acts as a loyal friend and confidant, is willing to go on adventures with you, and can give you a helping hand. This could be a family servant, a loyal shield man, or a teenage sidekick. Mechanically, this Companion is basically treated as an extension of your Hero, but narratively, they are their own person, with their own personality and motivations. They are utterly loyal to your Hero...as long as your Hero doesn't mistreat them...
Computer Brain <> or {}
Your Hero has a computer for a brain. This might be literally true for an android or a cyborg, or just an extreme mathematical talent. Your Hero can perform virtually any calculation in their head. If this is Gift is a Super {} Gift, your Hero can match a super-computer (which they are). Your Hero can also visualize complex 3D models of any environment or location for which you have sufficient information, and mentally "walk through" it. The Super {} version of this Gift also allows your Hero to interface with actual computers and other electronic devices.
Contacts
Your Hero has a wide array of Contacts in various positions and places. If you have a more or less reasonable explanation of why your Hero has a particular Contact, you have them. These Contacts are generally in low-level positions. They will provide your Hero with information and minor help, but won't risk their lives or positions for your Hero. You can also use a Stunt to establish a more senior Contact, or one who is willing to take greater risks. On the downside, the Contact relationship is mutual, so you may find your Hero's Contacts coming to them for information and help. In general, the more your Hero uses their Contacts, the more their Contacts will use them.
Empathy <>
Your Hero has an innate ability to "read" other people. This could be a paranormal ability, or simply close observation and a good instinct for applied psychology. Your Hero has a reasonably good idea of the current emotional state of any given individual, as well as whether they are being deceptive.
Extended Family
Your Hero seems to have family members just about everywhere. Generally, these family members won’t have any extraordinary abilities or resources, or in particularly useful positions. But, they will be able to offer your Hero (and their friends) food and shelter, information on the local lay of the land, and possibly mundane services and help.
Extra Limbs {}
Your Hero has Extra Limbs. This could be an extra set of arms, or a prehensile tail, or a bunch of tentacles. On the downside, you are obviously not human, even if your appearance is otherwise completely normal. On the upside, you can carry a lot more in your “hands” and multi-task a lot more effectively.
Familiar Spirit <>
Your Hero has a spiritual ally. This may be a friendly ghost, a totem animal, a spirit guide, or a hologram from the future that only your Hero can see and hear. Your Hero’s Familiar Spirit cannot affect the material world, nor can it be affected by anything material. It can freely pass through walls and other obstacles, but it cannot pick up objects or engage in combat. A Familiar Spirit is generally bound to your Hero and cannot stray far from them, so it doesn’t make a very effective scout or spy. Your Hero’s Familiar Spirit will offer them advice, share its knowledge, and watch their back. If only your Hero can perceive the Familiar Spirit and it only gives them information they might have had on their own, this is a Paranormal <> Gift. If it is perceptible to others and can act independently, this is a Super {} Gift.
Fast
Your Hero is fleet of foot (and possibly wing or flipper, as the case may be). They may not be able to out-run a car, but they can out-run anyone who doesn’t have this Gift or a relevant Power. If there’s ever any doubt as to whether your Hero can cover a distance or reach an objective in time, if they have this Gift, they can.
Fearless <> ??
Your Hero doesn’t know the meaning of fear. Well, they probably know what it means, but they don’t really get it. They may be an unwavering paragon of will, an android, or an unflappable English butler. Your Hero is immune to any sort of fear or fear-based effect. They can still feel emotions, and they know when they should be afraid - they just don’t get scared. Their extreme stability also probably marks them out as rather odd. PROBLEM? This is a potentially unbalancing Gift. Discuss it with your table before taking it (it should probably be off-limits in a horror-tinged campaign, for example).
Gargantuan {} ??
Your Hero is big. Really Big. REALLY, REALLY BIG. They are much larger than any human being. They might be a mythical giant or a giant robot. You can easily stride over many obstacles, and lift enormous weights (like their own body weight). Obviously, your Hero has a great deal of difficulty fitting in anywhere - literally. PROBLEM? This Gift isn’t necessarily unbalancing, but it can make roleplaying difficult. In any campaign where it’s expected that all of the Heroes will have secret identities or be able to blend in with normal folk, this Gift won’t work. Discuss it with your table before taking it.
Gorgeous
Your Hero is good-looking. Really, really, really good-looking. A lot. On the upside, other people are likely to do all sorts of nice things for your Hero, especially if your Hero is their type. Seducing someone should not be a problem. On the downside, your Hero is very noticeable and memorable, and likely will receive a lot of unwanted attention. It’s also kind of a genre trope that Gorgeous individuals find themselves the targets of kidnapping attempts by lovelorn villains.
Illuminated ??
Your Hero is privy to truly deep mysteries and secrets. They might be a wise old mystic, a scholar of forbidden lore, or a veteran spy who knows where all of the (literal) skeletons are buried. If there are any sorts of occult secrets in the campaign known only to a select few, your Hero is one of those select few. They are probably also known to other Illuminated individuals. Select few, remember? PROBLEM?: This Gift is only actually useful in campaigns where there are weird occult secrets only known to a few. It’s also a game-wrecker in campaigns where investigating and uncovering those secrets are major elements. Carefully discuss this Gift with your table before taking it.
Immunity {} ??
Your Hero is immune to a particular form of attack, such as fire, iron weapons, or emotion control. You may still be subject to Stress from such an attack, but you never suffer Conditions due to it. As a Stunt (True Immunity), you aren’t even subject to Stress. Monstrous Villains may have a version of this Gift which makes them Immune to everything except for a specific vulnerability. Heroes should not have this form of Immunity. PROBLEM?: This is a particularly powerful and potentially unbalancing Gift. You should discuss it very carefully with your Table before taking it, and it’s probably a good idea to define it very narrowly.
Innocent <>
Your Hero is a true Innocent. They’re generally naive, trusting, and unworldly, and probably unfamiliar with, uh, the birds-and-the-bees stuff. They tend to see the good in everyone, and will fall for blatantly false sob stories. Innocence can be a real handicap. However, it’s also a source of tremendous strength. Only the truly Evil will seriously harm the truly Innocent, and the merely Bad will be reluctant to hurt your Hero. The fact that your Hero can see the good in everyone also means that they can clearly see when someone has no good in them.. Your Hero also always realizes when they are about to do something evil or corrupting, and cannot be forced to do so. However, your Hero can, of course, choose to do so, of their own free will - and lose this Gift.
In the Know
Your Hero grew up among adventurers and is familiar with the adventuring lifestyle. They know quite a bit about monsters, common perils, and the major heroes and villains in the campaign - your Hero probably even knows a few personally. Your Hero also probably has a few retired family members or old family friends that they can turn to for advice and information. On the flip side, some major villains probably also know quite a bit about your Hero…
Just Too Cool
Your Hero is preternaturally suave, and seems to have been Scotchgarded at birth. No matter what happens, your Hero always comes out looking good. When they “stumble”, everyone assumes they meant to do that. When everyone else is soaked to the bone and looks like a drowned rat, your Hero looks alluringly damp or unaccountably dry. Your Hero never suffers from static cling or a bad hair day. They probably suffer from the jealousy of others who look bad by comparison, though…
Leadership
Your Hero is a natural Leader. Other people, especially in a crisis, will instinctively follow your Hero’s lead. Your Hero also has a tendency to attract followers and command loyalty from subordinates. On the downside, other people tend to put you on a pedestal, and to expect you to solve their problems for them.
Lucky <>
This is your Hero’s lucky day. But then, they all are. Your Hero can always find a nearby parking spot, their blind dates are always gorgeous and charming, stray bullets just seem to avoid them. There isn’t a game mechanic; things just tend to break your Hero’s way. For mundane matters, your Hero pretty much always gets the best plausible outcome. In adventuring situations, if there’s any chance misfortune befalls someone else instead of you, it does. Random fire targets other Heroes, the werewolf jumps the guy next to you, and bullies overlook you and pick on someone else.
Natural Weapons {}
Your Hero has Natural Weapons. Teeth and claws are most common, but it could be stingers, mandibles, or spines. Mechanically, they don’t give your Hero a specific bonus in combat, but they can be Invoked or used as the basis for a lot of Stunts. They also give your Hero broader narrative permission to inflict damage.
Night Vison
Your Hero has unusually acute Night Vision. Although they still lose a lot of color sensitivity under low-light conditions, otherwise they see just as well at night as the average person sees during the day. They do need at least some light, and are blind in complete darkness, but what might seem to be complete darkness to someone without this Gift might just seem unusually dim to your Hero.
Presence
Your Hero has a certain...Presence about them. No matter what situation they find themselves in, everyone around them perceives them as a noble individual, worthy of respect, if not fear. Your Hero receives what passes locally for respectful courtesy from just about everyone. Sometimes, this will mean being able to converse with aristocrats on even terms, even though your Hero is a commoner, or receiving prompt and courteous service from otherwise surly workers. Other times, though, it will mean being singled out by the most powerful foe your Hero faces as the only “worthy” opponent. Your Hero also has a hard time remaining inconspicuous or blending in.
Sanctum
Your Hero has a sanctuary, a safe place to hide, a secure base of operations. It might be a magically warded brownstone, or a cave under their mansion, or just a nondescript safehouse. Determine the details with your table, based on your Backround, Gifts, and other traits. In general, it will be safe from intrusion by ordinary criminals, animals, and passers-by, and will have all the facilities you need to use your Talents (a gym for Athletics, a conference room for Diplomacy, a lab for Science, an armory for Shooting, etc.). Your Hero’s Sanctum probably has enough room for your fellow Heroes, at least in a pinch.
Scent {}
Your Hero has a highly developed sense of smell, like a bloodhound. They can track by scent alone, and they can locate and identify anything and anyone nearby as long as they have some sort of distinctive scent. You can even engage foes in combat when you can’t see them, as long as they’re upwind of you.
Sixth Sense <>
Your Hero has an innate ability to sense the ebb and flow of magical energy around them. They usually know if they’re in the presence of magic or in a place of magical power, and will be able to roughly gauge its strength. Your Hero can also see ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural entities that are normally invisible to mere mortals (but this Gift doesn’t let you see anyone that actually has the Invisibility power).
Titled
Your Hero has a sociopolitical rank in their society. In pre-modern societies, this usually means holding an actual noble title of some sort. In modern terms, this might mean being the CEO of a major corporation or a powerful politician. Your Hero has significant social and political influence and can call upon the resouces of a powerful organization. However, using that influence usually requires deal making - the more your Hero uses the resources that comes with their Title, the more the responsibilities of that Title will come to weigh on them.
Total Recall
Your Hero can remember virtually everything they see, hear, or otherwise experience, in minute detail. Note that this Gift is not a cheap and easy way to get every Talent in the book, and doesn’t enable your Hero to know everything. It does allow your Hero to recall every small detail of everything that happens in a game session, even if you as a player don’t. And, ok, fine you can also Invoke it for ant rolls relating to acquired knowledge.
Tough
Your Hero is a tough guy, able to take a licking and keep on ticking. They can ignore most sources of fatigue, elemental exposure, and the like. While this Gift doesn’t give your Hero any inherent bonus to resist damage or recover Stress or Consequences, it’s a good go-to for Invokes for doing that.
True Faith
Your Hero has an unshakeable Faith in some higher principle. It might be patriotism, religious belief, a code of honor, or an abstract philosophical principle. Regardless, this Faith is deep and abiding, and it fulfills and sustains your Hero even in their darkest moments. So what’s the in-game benefit? That’s entirely up to the GM, who doesn’t need to share that information with you. This Gift might not even have any real effect. You have to take it on faith.
True Love <>
Your Hero has something that not one couple in a century has a chance at, no matter what the story books say - True Love. Your Hero and another character share a bond that neither man nor gods can tear asunder. Your Hero and their soulmate are likely to encounter all manner of obstacles and set-backs. True Love seems to attract villains who will seek to destroy the bond, out of jealousy, spite, or plain ol’ Love of Evil. However, ultimately nothing can keep your Hero apart from their beloved.
Turn of the World <> ??
Your Hero can feel the Turn of the World. They might be an immortal alien time-traveler, someone who grew up on top of a dimensional nexus, or just bizarrely perceptive. Your Hero always knows when something has changed or gone wrong with the fabric of reality and the time-stream. They can also sense weak points in the fabric of time and space. And your Hero has high temporal inertia. Changes in the time-stream affect them much less than others, and they keep most of their memories from previous timelines. Your Hero always retains this Gift regardless of ontological shifts. PROBLEM?? This Gift isn’t of any use in many campaigns. But when it’s useful, it’s really useful. It also tends to serve more as a plot hook for the GM than as a resource for the Hero. Discuss this Gift carefully with your table before taking it.
Unliving
Your Hero isn’t technically, y’know, alive. They might be an android, a magical construct, or undead. Your Hero isn’t affected by poisons, diseases, or anything else that specifically affects living beings. They don’t need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep. However, they generally will require some outside source of energy and occasional down-time to recharge. They also don’t heal normally, but can be repaired. Also, you’re Hero is not exactly natural, and that can cause some real social issues. A lot of folks may think of your Hero as an object or piece of property - or an unnatural abomination that must be destroyed.
Wealthy
Your Hero has access to significant financial resources. They might be the heir to a fortune, a brilliant business person, a successful treasure hunter, or just a really clever investor. Your Hero never has to worry about normal living expenses, and can probably bankroll other Heroes as well. On the downside, hanging on to the source of those funds may be difficult, and probably requires significant responsibilities to maintain. Also, your Hero’s wealth tends to give them a high profile, which makes maintaining a secret identity difficult, and may make them the target of business rivals, kidnappers, terrorists, and disgruntled former employees. Remember: money can’t buy happiness (or knives, but that’s a whole different thing…).
Wings {} ??
Your Hero has Wings! They are probably the Wings of a noble bird of prey, but they could be bat wings, or bee wings, or butterfly wings. Whatever. It’s your Hero. Your Hero’s Wings let them fly, like a bird (or a butterfly. Whatever). They can fly about as fast as they can run. PROBLEM?? In most Supers campaigns, this Gift is flatly worse than the Flight Power. In other campaigns, though, especially ones focused on “street-level” Heroes and “gritty realism”, this Gift can be unbalancing. Discuss it with your table before taking this Gift.
Zeroed
Your Hero doesn’t exist. Not officially, anyway. There are no official records of them, anywhere. This means that your Hero is able to live completely off of the grid, and they are almost impossible to track down. In most settings, though, that also means no bank accounts, no credit history, no regular job...hopefully, your Hero is good at scrounging at the margins of society.