Post by gamedave on Jan 27, 2020 12:16:08 GMT -5
COMPLICATIONS
Design Note: I'm still working on this section of the rules. Eventually, I want to integrate Complications into the Hero's Journey, but for right now, they're sort of a stand-alone area of character creation.
Complications are an element of your Hero's background, personality, or story which make their life more complicated. They are not necessarily flaws or bad things, just stuff that can interfere with adventuring. Have the responsibility to care for a younger sibling, for example, isn't a Disadvantage - it's an interesting part of a Hero's story which can sometimes make their life more complicated, but also richer and more fulfilling.
In any scene where a Complication makes a Hero's life more complicated, they gain 1 Fate Point.
Complications are similar to Fate Core's Trouble Aspect. However, as in a lot of other areas, SuperFATE! uses a more pre-defined list rather than Fate Core's free-form design. Essentially, a Complication is specific form of Aspect that can be Compelled (or Self-Compelled).
There is no particular minimum or maximum to the number of Complications your Hero can have. A good rule of thumb is one Complication per step on the Hero's Journey, give or take. At a minimum, your Hero should at least have a Motivation.
Below is a list of suggested Complications. If none of these match the idea you have for your Hero, work with your table to create a new one.
Motivation
Your Hero's Motivation is the force in their past or personality that drove them to become a Hero, and still drives them to perform Heroic Deeds. At your Hero's core, what is it that motivates them? Is it duty, glory, idealism, love, power, wealth, or something else? What would your Hero risk - or sacrifice - everything else for?
Following is a list of possible Motivations. You can pick one, or make up your own. Note that Motivations marked with a * aren't really appropriate for Heroes - these are typical Motivations for Villains.
Adventurer: Pure love of adventure!
Almost Human: Your Hero isn’t human - but they want to be.
*Animalistic: Pure animal instinct.
*Demolisher: Smash!
Ego: Anything you can do, I can do better.
Duty: Your Hero does what they are supposed to.
Exemplar: Living symbol of a group or idea.
Explorer: Discovery of new peoples, places, and ideas.
Glory-Hound: Fame and adulation.
*Greed: Money, money, money.
Guardian: Protect particular people or places.
Idealist: Your Hero has a dream.
Investigator: Solving mysteries.
Majesty: Your Hero is the leader of their people.
Mentor: Help others reach their full potential.
Outcast: Find a way to fit in.
Peace of Mind: Self-perfection, defeating inner demons.
*Power: Power! Absolute Power!
*Pure Evil: The love of Evil for its own sake.
Protector: Protect the innocent, lend a helping hand.
Repentant: Redemption for past sins.
Responsibility: With great power….
Thrills: Danger! Risk! Adrenaline highs!
*Vengeance: You’ve been wronged.
Bane
Your Hero has a Bane - a substance the very presence of which weakens them. It could be a radioactive space rock that affects their alien physiology, or a mystical plant that affects their supernatural physiology, or simply a severe allergen. Work out the details with your table, but in general when your Hero is exposed to their Bane, their Power Set is suppressed. They might also, or instead, suffer Stress or Consequences.
Bestial
Your Hero acts more like an animal than a civilized human being. They might be a primitive savage, an alien, or they might actually be an animal (presumably an intelligent mutant animal, but not necessarily a teenage ninja). Your Hero doesn’t really understand normal social niceties, such as politeness, eating utensils, money, or personal property. Your Hero can be perfectly peaceful, kind, and helpful, and they can choose to follow the advice, instructions, and examples of their friends. However, they don’t actually understand what they’re doing if it involves “civilized” behavior, and they will inevitably make mistakes.
Clueless
Your Hero is Clueless about normal, mundane, everyday life. They might be an absent-minded professor, a sheltered royal, or Not From Around Here. In any event, they lack a lot of the basic knowledge common to characters in the campaign. They may be great at typical adventuring tasks, but they have real problems dealing with ordinary matters in everyday life.
Code of Honor
Your Hero has a strict Code of HOnor that governs their every action. This could be the Code of Chivalry, the Bushido code of the samurai, or the 3 Laws of Robotics. If your Hero’s code is a just a personal standard of behavior, it’s really a Quirek. If your Hero has the Code of Honor Complication, their Code is actively enforced by an outside agent. Violating it can have dramatic repercussions, from a reprimand from a superior, to being outlawed and hunted down by former comrades. Your Hero can ignore their Code of Honor if they wish, but they should be prepared for the consequences….
Dark Secret
Your Hero is concealing a Dark Secret, from the world at large, and likely from their adventuring companions as well. They may have committed a serious crime, belong to a secret society at cross purposes with the other Heroes, or be a member of a feared and despised race in disguise. In any event, the Dark secret will cause serious problems for your Hero if it is ever revealed, but keeping it secret also often creates serious problems….
Delusions
Your Hero has some decidedly odd beliefs. They might think cats to them in their dreams, that the moon landing was a hoax, or that their rusty sword is really a magical artifact. Whatever their delusion is, your Hero is still mostly functional in normal society. Their behavior is probably fairly normal as long as the object of their delusions doesn’t come up. Even then, their behavior won’t usually be obviously self-destructive or endanger innocents - it will just seem weird. Note that it is a common trope in the source material that once in a while, a Hero’s Delusions will actually be true….
Dependency
Your Hero is Dependent on some substance. This Dependency could be an addiction, or fuel for a Power, or a facet of an alien physiology. Obtaining or using the substance might be illegal, difficult, socially unacceptable, or just a bit odd. Discuss the details with your table. Most commonly, your Hero’s Power Set will be suppressed if they go without. They might instead, or also, suffer Stress or Consequences from deprivation.
Destiny
Your Hero has a Destiny. This might seem like it would be a Gift, but having a Desitingy means that a large part of your Hero’s life is beyond their control, they carry a heavy burden, and others will have enormous expectations of them. Work out what your Hero’s Destiny is with your table, but it should be rather cryptic at least as to how and when they will accomplish it. Because of your Hero’s Destiny, trouble has a habit of finding them, as do those who want to thwart your Hero’s Destiny - or set your Hero back on a path they don’t really want to follow.
Disability
Your Hero has a significant Disability, such as being deaf or unable to walk. This doesn’t inflict any specific game mechanic penalties, but it does make certain activities difficult if not impossible. For example, if your Hero is deaf, they can’t make a Perception roll to notice a noise. Similarly, if your Hero can’t walk, they can still attempt many Adventure and Combat rolls just fine, unless the action necessarily requires being able to walk, in which case they can’t do it at all.
Flasbacks
Your Hero suffers from Flashbacks. These probably from a particularly traumatic incident in your Hero’s past. Discuss the content and triggers for your Hero’s Flashbacks with your table. Your Hero has a hard time getting a good night’s sleep, and often appears haggard and exhausted. Even worse, your Hero can sometimes become overwhelmed by Flashbacks when they are triggered while they’re awake.
Fragile
Your Hero is unusually Fragile. They might be a prototype robot, a dainty faerie, or just have a delicate constitution. They tire easily and are susceptible to illnesses or breakdowns. They also appear to be weak, and often attract the attention of bullies and are targeted by foes looking for the “weak link.”
Illiterate
Your Hero cannot read or write, at least any commonly encountered languages. They might be perfectly literate in their own, obscure native tongue, or completely unlettered. This has no direct effect on Talents - your Hero could have gained relevant knowledge through oral communication, observation, hands-on experience, or written material in their own obscure tongue. However, any task that requires the ability to read and write, like most actions related to Computers, are impossible for your Hero.
Mysterious Past
Your Hero’s Past is Mysterious - to them as much as to anyone else. They may have significant missing time, or they may even total amnesia about anything that happened before their First Appearance. If they have any Powers or exotic Gifts, they probably don’t know where they came from. For GMs, a Hero with this Complication is especially fun, since it gives them permission to come up with all sorts of nasty surprises hiding in the Hero’s past….
Obligation
Your Hero has a significant Obligation to an organization or individual, which places significant demands on their time and freedom of action. This could be a job, a committed relationship, or membership in a secret society. In any case, your Hero’s Obligation will often create Complications as they seek to juggle the demands of the Obligation and their adventuring life. Even without a Secret Identity, their boss will still expect them to do their job, and their spouse will still expect them to pick up the groceries - their life doesn’t stop just because a super-villain is wreaking havoc.
Oddity
Your Hero is an Oddity in the campaign world. They might be an elf in a world where they are only known from myth, an extraterrestrial in the modern world, or the only sapient android in a star fleet. They might also just a have a particularly exotic appearance that makes them stand out. An Oddity has a hard time remaining inconspicuous, and they tend to provoke unusual and extreme reactions from the people that they meet. They may attract hunters, or simply the curious. They also have a hard time fitting into the normal social order.
Outsider
Your Hero is an Outsider. They might be from an unpopular minority, a man in a matriarchal society, and outcast with a scandalous past, or simply a non-conformist. They are socially isolated, and are viewed with fear, derision, or pity by members of the dominant culture. On the plus side, they have a common bond with similar Outsiders, and may have access to sub-cultures closed to members of the dominant culture.
Oversized
Your Hero is a big’un. They may just be unusually hefty, or they might be a super-sized inhuman being. Either way, they really stand out in a crowd. In addition, they have a lot of trouble finding clothing that fits, a bed that’s comfortable (or that won’t break), and a taxi that they can squeeze into. In general, if anything would be a tight fit for other Heroes, it’s a no-go for your Hero.
Phobia
Your Hero has an extreme, irrational, and debilitating fear of something. It could be open flames, heights, or snakes (Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?!). Your Hero will go to almost any lengths to avoid or flee from the object of their Phobia. There’s no specific game mechanic for this - it’s just a matter of roleplaying. As a player, you can decide to ignore your Hero’s Phobia in a critical situation (the RPG Police won’t come and get you for poor role-playing), but you also won’t get any Fate Points for this Complication if you ignore it at any point in a scene.
Public Identity
Everyone knows your Hero’s name. Which can be a problem. They’re recognized when they’re out in public, just trying to buy groceries. They may get mobbed by fans, or shunned by hostile members of the public. Even worse, their enemies Know Where They Live.
Quirk
Your Hero has a Quirk of personality that causes them significant Complications. They could have a quick temper, an odd sense of humor, a big mouth, or a cowardly disposition. A Quirk is really just a handy note on your Hero’s character sheet to remind you about significant aspects of your Hero’s personality. But, as with any Complication, if your Hero’s Quirk makes their life more complicated, you get a Fate Point.
Relationship
Your Hero has a significant relationship that places similarly significant demands on their time and attention. This might be a child, a spouse, an elderly aunt, or an overbearing boss. This Relationship is likely to be a source of strength for your Hero, and may give you the equivalent of a Contact, but it also comes with significant Obligations. A Relationship should be more than a simple Obligation, though. It’s about more than just being certain places at certain times; it’s also about maintaining a strong emotional bond. Moreover, it’s a two-way street - the other party in the Relationship will not just place burdens on your Hero, but will also be someone they can rely on.
Rookie
Your Hero is a newcomer to this whole adventuring business. They don’t know the lingo, and they don’t have a lot of the basic common knowledge of the lifestyle and profession. This Complication is only really applicable in campaigns where the Heroes are assumed to be members of an organization or tradition with a shared bpool of common knowledge not readily available to ordinary folks. And it should probably only be taken by a single Hero in a group - if everyone’s a Rookie, that’s not so much a Complication as a basic campaign element.
Secret Identity
Your Hero has a Secret Identity, which they try to protect. This usually means that they have a mundane “real” identity and a separate adventuring persona, and they try to keep them separate. Typically, your Hero will attempt to conceal their mundane persona from the public (and their enemies!) and conceal their adventuring persona from loved ones, co-workers, and other “mundanes”.
Strange Attractor
For some reason, your Hero seems to attract all the weird stuff. The used care they just bought is an alien robot in disguise, their new house in a multidimensional nexus, their blind date is a magical alien princess, their new client is a vampire, talking cats drop by for chats, and the last unicorn comes to them for help. If anything weird happens in the campaign, it happens to them. All this weirdness doesn’t necessarily make your Hero’s life worse, just...Complicated.
Uncontrolled Power
Your Hero has a Power that they can barely control. This is usually a newly manifested mutation or the result of a flawed experiment, but it could also reflect drawing upon the power of Chaos, summoning fickle spirits, or a glitchy control system. As with other Complications, there’s not a specific game mechanic for this, but your Hero lacks fine control over their Powers and can’t use them subtly or with finesse. You should also expect Compels at the worst possible time….
Undersized
Your Hero is small. They might be a small robot, a dwarf, or just really petite. Your Hero is pretty distinctive - but they can also be hard to see in a crowd. They can fit into a lot of tight spaces - but they can’t reach the pedals. Your Hero may be unable to operate a vehicle or piece of machinery because they can’t reach the controls, and they simply aren’t big enough to even hold a lot of larger weapons and pieces of equipment. Also, your Hero often has a hard time finding clothing and gear that fits, unless it’s made for children - and they don’t make a whole lot of body armor for kids.
Unlucky
If it weren’t for bad luck, your Hero would have no luck at all. Anything that can go wrong for them, does. Random attacks always seem to target them, their car always seems to break down when they’re already late, their blind dates are always disasters, and they always seem to finish their laundry with an odd number of socks. In general, mundane problems crop up a lot in your Hero’s “normal life”, and if there’s any doubt about who gets targeted by the bad guys, it’s always your Unlucky Hero.
Vulnerability
Your Hero is particularly vulnerable to a particular substance or form of energy. It may be that your Hero’s Invulnerability doesn’t work against magical attacks, or their hard light constructs may not be able to affect objects of a specific color. Work out the details with your table, but in general your Hero’s Vulnerability will bypass any defensive Gifts or Powers they may have. It may also, or instead, be immune to your Hero’s Powers and Gifts.
Young
Your Hero is Young, maybe a teenager, possibly a child. This doesn’t have a specific game effect, but you may want to concentrate on your Hero’s “potential”, like Abilities, Gifts, and Powers, rather than “accomplishments”, like Talents and Stunts. Narratively, your Hero is legally and socially a minor, without the rights and responsibilities of an adult. They often aren’t taken seriously by adults, may not be able to legally obtain restricted items and services, and likely aren’t financially independent. On the other hand, it’s probably easier for your Hero to go unnoticed and appear non-threatening than it is for adult Heroes, and other youngsters are probably more likely to trust them.
Design Note: I'm still working on this section of the rules. Eventually, I want to integrate Complications into the Hero's Journey, but for right now, they're sort of a stand-alone area of character creation.
Complications are an element of your Hero's background, personality, or story which make their life more complicated. They are not necessarily flaws or bad things, just stuff that can interfere with adventuring. Have the responsibility to care for a younger sibling, for example, isn't a Disadvantage - it's an interesting part of a Hero's story which can sometimes make their life more complicated, but also richer and more fulfilling.
In any scene where a Complication makes a Hero's life more complicated, they gain 1 Fate Point.
Complications are similar to Fate Core's Trouble Aspect. However, as in a lot of other areas, SuperFATE! uses a more pre-defined list rather than Fate Core's free-form design. Essentially, a Complication is specific form of Aspect that can be Compelled (or Self-Compelled).
There is no particular minimum or maximum to the number of Complications your Hero can have. A good rule of thumb is one Complication per step on the Hero's Journey, give or take. At a minimum, your Hero should at least have a Motivation.
Below is a list of suggested Complications. If none of these match the idea you have for your Hero, work with your table to create a new one.
Motivation
Your Hero's Motivation is the force in their past or personality that drove them to become a Hero, and still drives them to perform Heroic Deeds. At your Hero's core, what is it that motivates them? Is it duty, glory, idealism, love, power, wealth, or something else? What would your Hero risk - or sacrifice - everything else for?
Following is a list of possible Motivations. You can pick one, or make up your own. Note that Motivations marked with a * aren't really appropriate for Heroes - these are typical Motivations for Villains.
Adventurer: Pure love of adventure!
Almost Human: Your Hero isn’t human - but they want to be.
*Animalistic: Pure animal instinct.
*Demolisher: Smash!
Ego: Anything you can do, I can do better.
Duty: Your Hero does what they are supposed to.
Exemplar: Living symbol of a group or idea.
Explorer: Discovery of new peoples, places, and ideas.
Glory-Hound: Fame and adulation.
*Greed: Money, money, money.
Guardian: Protect particular people or places.
Idealist: Your Hero has a dream.
Investigator: Solving mysteries.
Majesty: Your Hero is the leader of their people.
Mentor: Help others reach their full potential.
Outcast: Find a way to fit in.
Peace of Mind: Self-perfection, defeating inner demons.
*Power: Power! Absolute Power!
*Pure Evil: The love of Evil for its own sake.
Protector: Protect the innocent, lend a helping hand.
Repentant: Redemption for past sins.
Responsibility: With great power….
Thrills: Danger! Risk! Adrenaline highs!
*Vengeance: You’ve been wronged.
Bane
Your Hero has a Bane - a substance the very presence of which weakens them. It could be a radioactive space rock that affects their alien physiology, or a mystical plant that affects their supernatural physiology, or simply a severe allergen. Work out the details with your table, but in general when your Hero is exposed to their Bane, their Power Set is suppressed. They might also, or instead, suffer Stress or Consequences.
Bestial
Your Hero acts more like an animal than a civilized human being. They might be a primitive savage, an alien, or they might actually be an animal (presumably an intelligent mutant animal, but not necessarily a teenage ninja). Your Hero doesn’t really understand normal social niceties, such as politeness, eating utensils, money, or personal property. Your Hero can be perfectly peaceful, kind, and helpful, and they can choose to follow the advice, instructions, and examples of their friends. However, they don’t actually understand what they’re doing if it involves “civilized” behavior, and they will inevitably make mistakes.
Clueless
Your Hero is Clueless about normal, mundane, everyday life. They might be an absent-minded professor, a sheltered royal, or Not From Around Here. In any event, they lack a lot of the basic knowledge common to characters in the campaign. They may be great at typical adventuring tasks, but they have real problems dealing with ordinary matters in everyday life.
Code of Honor
Your Hero has a strict Code of HOnor that governs their every action. This could be the Code of Chivalry, the Bushido code of the samurai, or the 3 Laws of Robotics. If your Hero’s code is a just a personal standard of behavior, it’s really a Quirek. If your Hero has the Code of Honor Complication, their Code is actively enforced by an outside agent. Violating it can have dramatic repercussions, from a reprimand from a superior, to being outlawed and hunted down by former comrades. Your Hero can ignore their Code of Honor if they wish, but they should be prepared for the consequences….
Dark Secret
Your Hero is concealing a Dark Secret, from the world at large, and likely from their adventuring companions as well. They may have committed a serious crime, belong to a secret society at cross purposes with the other Heroes, or be a member of a feared and despised race in disguise. In any event, the Dark secret will cause serious problems for your Hero if it is ever revealed, but keeping it secret also often creates serious problems….
Delusions
Your Hero has some decidedly odd beliefs. They might think cats to them in their dreams, that the moon landing was a hoax, or that their rusty sword is really a magical artifact. Whatever their delusion is, your Hero is still mostly functional in normal society. Their behavior is probably fairly normal as long as the object of their delusions doesn’t come up. Even then, their behavior won’t usually be obviously self-destructive or endanger innocents - it will just seem weird. Note that it is a common trope in the source material that once in a while, a Hero’s Delusions will actually be true….
Dependency
Your Hero is Dependent on some substance. This Dependency could be an addiction, or fuel for a Power, or a facet of an alien physiology. Obtaining or using the substance might be illegal, difficult, socially unacceptable, or just a bit odd. Discuss the details with your table. Most commonly, your Hero’s Power Set will be suppressed if they go without. They might instead, or also, suffer Stress or Consequences from deprivation.
Destiny
Your Hero has a Destiny. This might seem like it would be a Gift, but having a Desitingy means that a large part of your Hero’s life is beyond their control, they carry a heavy burden, and others will have enormous expectations of them. Work out what your Hero’s Destiny is with your table, but it should be rather cryptic at least as to how and when they will accomplish it. Because of your Hero’s Destiny, trouble has a habit of finding them, as do those who want to thwart your Hero’s Destiny - or set your Hero back on a path they don’t really want to follow.
Disability
Your Hero has a significant Disability, such as being deaf or unable to walk. This doesn’t inflict any specific game mechanic penalties, but it does make certain activities difficult if not impossible. For example, if your Hero is deaf, they can’t make a Perception roll to notice a noise. Similarly, if your Hero can’t walk, they can still attempt many Adventure and Combat rolls just fine, unless the action necessarily requires being able to walk, in which case they can’t do it at all.
Flasbacks
Your Hero suffers from Flashbacks. These probably from a particularly traumatic incident in your Hero’s past. Discuss the content and triggers for your Hero’s Flashbacks with your table. Your Hero has a hard time getting a good night’s sleep, and often appears haggard and exhausted. Even worse, your Hero can sometimes become overwhelmed by Flashbacks when they are triggered while they’re awake.
Fragile
Your Hero is unusually Fragile. They might be a prototype robot, a dainty faerie, or just have a delicate constitution. They tire easily and are susceptible to illnesses or breakdowns. They also appear to be weak, and often attract the attention of bullies and are targeted by foes looking for the “weak link.”
Illiterate
Your Hero cannot read or write, at least any commonly encountered languages. They might be perfectly literate in their own, obscure native tongue, or completely unlettered. This has no direct effect on Talents - your Hero could have gained relevant knowledge through oral communication, observation, hands-on experience, or written material in their own obscure tongue. However, any task that requires the ability to read and write, like most actions related to Computers, are impossible for your Hero.
Mysterious Past
Your Hero’s Past is Mysterious - to them as much as to anyone else. They may have significant missing time, or they may even total amnesia about anything that happened before their First Appearance. If they have any Powers or exotic Gifts, they probably don’t know where they came from. For GMs, a Hero with this Complication is especially fun, since it gives them permission to come up with all sorts of nasty surprises hiding in the Hero’s past….
Obligation
Your Hero has a significant Obligation to an organization or individual, which places significant demands on their time and freedom of action. This could be a job, a committed relationship, or membership in a secret society. In any case, your Hero’s Obligation will often create Complications as they seek to juggle the demands of the Obligation and their adventuring life. Even without a Secret Identity, their boss will still expect them to do their job, and their spouse will still expect them to pick up the groceries - their life doesn’t stop just because a super-villain is wreaking havoc.
Oddity
Your Hero is an Oddity in the campaign world. They might be an elf in a world where they are only known from myth, an extraterrestrial in the modern world, or the only sapient android in a star fleet. They might also just a have a particularly exotic appearance that makes them stand out. An Oddity has a hard time remaining inconspicuous, and they tend to provoke unusual and extreme reactions from the people that they meet. They may attract hunters, or simply the curious. They also have a hard time fitting into the normal social order.
Outsider
Your Hero is an Outsider. They might be from an unpopular minority, a man in a matriarchal society, and outcast with a scandalous past, or simply a non-conformist. They are socially isolated, and are viewed with fear, derision, or pity by members of the dominant culture. On the plus side, they have a common bond with similar Outsiders, and may have access to sub-cultures closed to members of the dominant culture.
Oversized
Your Hero is a big’un. They may just be unusually hefty, or they might be a super-sized inhuman being. Either way, they really stand out in a crowd. In addition, they have a lot of trouble finding clothing that fits, a bed that’s comfortable (or that won’t break), and a taxi that they can squeeze into. In general, if anything would be a tight fit for other Heroes, it’s a no-go for your Hero.
Phobia
Your Hero has an extreme, irrational, and debilitating fear of something. It could be open flames, heights, or snakes (Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?!). Your Hero will go to almost any lengths to avoid or flee from the object of their Phobia. There’s no specific game mechanic for this - it’s just a matter of roleplaying. As a player, you can decide to ignore your Hero’s Phobia in a critical situation (the RPG Police won’t come and get you for poor role-playing), but you also won’t get any Fate Points for this Complication if you ignore it at any point in a scene.
Public Identity
Everyone knows your Hero’s name. Which can be a problem. They’re recognized when they’re out in public, just trying to buy groceries. They may get mobbed by fans, or shunned by hostile members of the public. Even worse, their enemies Know Where They Live.
Quirk
Your Hero has a Quirk of personality that causes them significant Complications. They could have a quick temper, an odd sense of humor, a big mouth, or a cowardly disposition. A Quirk is really just a handy note on your Hero’s character sheet to remind you about significant aspects of your Hero’s personality. But, as with any Complication, if your Hero’s Quirk makes their life more complicated, you get a Fate Point.
Relationship
Your Hero has a significant relationship that places similarly significant demands on their time and attention. This might be a child, a spouse, an elderly aunt, or an overbearing boss. This Relationship is likely to be a source of strength for your Hero, and may give you the equivalent of a Contact, but it also comes with significant Obligations. A Relationship should be more than a simple Obligation, though. It’s about more than just being certain places at certain times; it’s also about maintaining a strong emotional bond. Moreover, it’s a two-way street - the other party in the Relationship will not just place burdens on your Hero, but will also be someone they can rely on.
Rookie
Your Hero is a newcomer to this whole adventuring business. They don’t know the lingo, and they don’t have a lot of the basic common knowledge of the lifestyle and profession. This Complication is only really applicable in campaigns where the Heroes are assumed to be members of an organization or tradition with a shared bpool of common knowledge not readily available to ordinary folks. And it should probably only be taken by a single Hero in a group - if everyone’s a Rookie, that’s not so much a Complication as a basic campaign element.
Secret Identity
Your Hero has a Secret Identity, which they try to protect. This usually means that they have a mundane “real” identity and a separate adventuring persona, and they try to keep them separate. Typically, your Hero will attempt to conceal their mundane persona from the public (and their enemies!) and conceal their adventuring persona from loved ones, co-workers, and other “mundanes”.
Identity: Public or Secret?
For some tables, in some campaigns, it makes sense to require all Heroes to pick one of these two Complications. It's not strictly necessary, though. Some Heroes have private lives, but don't have much in the way of demands. Other Heroes are full-time professional adventurers, so there isn't any real separation between their public and private lives, but they wear masks so they can go incognito when they want to.
For some tables, in some campaigns, it makes sense to require all Heroes to pick one of these two Complications. It's not strictly necessary, though. Some Heroes have private lives, but don't have much in the way of demands. Other Heroes are full-time professional adventurers, so there isn't any real separation between their public and private lives, but they wear masks so they can go incognito when they want to.
Strange Attractor
For some reason, your Hero seems to attract all the weird stuff. The used care they just bought is an alien robot in disguise, their new house in a multidimensional nexus, their blind date is a magical alien princess, their new client is a vampire, talking cats drop by for chats, and the last unicorn comes to them for help. If anything weird happens in the campaign, it happens to them. All this weirdness doesn’t necessarily make your Hero’s life worse, just...Complicated.
Uncontrolled Power
Your Hero has a Power that they can barely control. This is usually a newly manifested mutation or the result of a flawed experiment, but it could also reflect drawing upon the power of Chaos, summoning fickle spirits, or a glitchy control system. As with other Complications, there’s not a specific game mechanic for this, but your Hero lacks fine control over their Powers and can’t use them subtly or with finesse. You should also expect Compels at the worst possible time….
Undersized
Your Hero is small. They might be a small robot, a dwarf, or just really petite. Your Hero is pretty distinctive - but they can also be hard to see in a crowd. They can fit into a lot of tight spaces - but they can’t reach the pedals. Your Hero may be unable to operate a vehicle or piece of machinery because they can’t reach the controls, and they simply aren’t big enough to even hold a lot of larger weapons and pieces of equipment. Also, your Hero often has a hard time finding clothing and gear that fits, unless it’s made for children - and they don’t make a whole lot of body armor for kids.
Unlucky
If it weren’t for bad luck, your Hero would have no luck at all. Anything that can go wrong for them, does. Random attacks always seem to target them, their car always seems to break down when they’re already late, their blind dates are always disasters, and they always seem to finish their laundry with an odd number of socks. In general, mundane problems crop up a lot in your Hero’s “normal life”, and if there’s any doubt about who gets targeted by the bad guys, it’s always your Unlucky Hero.
Vulnerability
Your Hero is particularly vulnerable to a particular substance or form of energy. It may be that your Hero’s Invulnerability doesn’t work against magical attacks, or their hard light constructs may not be able to affect objects of a specific color. Work out the details with your table, but in general your Hero’s Vulnerability will bypass any defensive Gifts or Powers they may have. It may also, or instead, be immune to your Hero’s Powers and Gifts.
Young
Your Hero is Young, maybe a teenager, possibly a child. This doesn’t have a specific game effect, but you may want to concentrate on your Hero’s “potential”, like Abilities, Gifts, and Powers, rather than “accomplishments”, like Talents and Stunts. Narratively, your Hero is legally and socially a minor, without the rights and responsibilities of an adult. They often aren’t taken seriously by adults, may not be able to legally obtain restricted items and services, and likely aren’t financially independent. On the other hand, it’s probably easier for your Hero to go unnoticed and appear non-threatening than it is for adult Heroes, and other youngsters are probably more likely to trust them.