Drawbacks
Drawbacks are Traits in reverse. Instead of granting you a boon, they grant you a negative effect, typically in particular circumstances. If you choose to take a drawback, you can take a third trait that you have access to. You are not required to take a drawback.
You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and must speak slowly due to the concentration required. Unless stated otherwise, you are assumed to not be speaking at a volume above a whisper.
The GM chooses the object of your attachment. Whenever the object of your attachment is either threatened, in danger, or in someone else’s possession, you take a –1 penalty on Will saves and a –2 penalty on saves against Fear effects. If the person or object to which you’re attached is ever lost, killed, or destroyed, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.
Whenever monetary treasure is divided, you must end up with a greater share of that treasure than your companions or you’re wracked with feelings of jealousy and ill will. When treasure is divided, if you do not end up with at least 10% more treasure than any other individual companion does, you have a hard time being helpful to your allies. You become irritable, and can’t take the Aid Another action for the next week.
You can roll twice and take the lower result on Sense Motive checks to get hunches. You cannot reroll this result, even if you have another ability that would normally allow you to do so.
When you receive Healing from an ally’s class feature, spell, or spell-like ability, reduce the amount of that healing by 1 hit point.
You take a –1 penalty on Saving Throws against fire effects. In addition, whenever you are adjacent to open flames or are on fire, you take a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, Saving Throws, and skill checks until you spend an entire round away from fire. These penalties are not cumulative. (An instantaneous fire effect adjacent to you or affecting you causes this penalty to apply until 1 round after it is gone.)
You take a –5 penalty on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to improve other creatures’ attitudes toward you.
Your base speed when Frightened and fleeing increases by 5 feet, and the penalties you take from having the Cowering, Frightened, Panicked, or Shaken conditions increase by 1. If you would normally be immune to Fear, you do not take these penalties but instead lose your immunity to Fear (regardless of its source).
Whenever you are engaged in combat and there are or Helpless foes within 30 feet, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls against foes who are neither nor Helpless.
Whenever you fail a Diplomacy check, you become Shaken for 1 hour.
Whenever you fail a skill or ability check, you take a –4 penalty on that type of skill or ability check for the next hour.
You take a –1 penalty on Will Saving Throws against compulsions. This penalty increases to –2 against foes who know your true identity.
You take a –2 penalty on attacks against Vermin, and you take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against the Nauseated condition of a swarm’s distraction ability.
For each day you spend without stealing at least 10 gp worth of valuables or other wealth, attempt a DC 20 Will Save. If you fail, you take a cumulative –1 penalty on Will and Reflex Saving Throws and Concentration checks (up to a –5 penalty). If you succeed, the penalty is reset to 0.
When a family member makes a request of you, you must fulfill that request or take a –2 penalty on all Wisdom– and Charisma-based ability checks and skill checks until you either do what was requested or succeed at a DC 20 Will Save, which you can attempt once per day at the start of each day. You can’t take this drawback if you have no family. If you ever lose your family or lose contact with your family, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.
You take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against disease, illusions, and Poison of all kinds, as well as against the spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of Fey.
Whenever you leave a location you have been at for longer than 1 hour, you must attempt a DC 10 Wisdom check. If you fail, you leave behind one random mundane item (a purse of money counts as an item).
You have the symbol of an evil deity burned into your flesh. If the symbol is on your hand, you take a –1 penalty on Disable Device, Disguise, and Sleight of Hand checks. If the symbol is on your face, you take a –2 penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Disguise checks. This does not count as a holy symbol for the purposes of a divine focus for spellcasting.
You take a –4 penalty on Bluff checks against creatures with an attitude toward you of indifferent or better.
You take a –2 penalty on saves against spells with the evil descriptor.
You take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against the distraction ability of swarms and mind-affecting effects and on Concentration checks.
Whenever you witness an action or hear an argument that contradicts your Alignment, you must attempt to stop or correct that action or argument. If you either don’t try to stop it or fail in your attempt to stop it (as adjudicated by the GM), you are Shaken for 1 hour.
Whenever you spend a day without gaining reward or treasure (at least 10 or more gold pieces) or spending an hour on entertainment or pleasure, attempt a DC 20 Fortitude Save at the end of that day. If you fail, you begin the next day Fatigued. This fatigue lasts 4 hours, or until you receive a reward or sufficient entertainment or pleasure.
The first time per combat encounter that an ally within 30 feet falls Unconscious or dies as the result of an attack, you are Dazed until the end of your next turn.
You can’t delay or ready actions, and if you are the last of your allies to act in a round of combat, you take a –1 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, Saving Throws, and skill checks.
You and your apparent allies take a –4 penalty on Diplomacy checks to interact with law-abiding citizens (except enemies of the authority that accused you).
You take a –2 penalty on all Knowledge checks, and if you fail a Knowledge check by 5 or more, you can recall information that is diametrically opposed to the truth.
Goods and services cost you 10% more (this additional cost applies to allies buying items for you as well), and you need twice as much food and liquid as normal for the purposes of preventing Starvation and Thirst.
You take a –2 penalty on Sense Motive checks and on Perception checks to see through disguises, and on Saving Throws against Charm spells and spell-like abilities.
You take a –1 penalty to AC and on attack rolls while adjacent to allies or when taking the Aid Another action.
The person is chosen by your GM (with consideration to your roll on Table: Romantic Relationships if you used the background generator). At the start of each day, if you are away from this person you take a –2 penalty on Initiative checks and Perception checks. If you ever lose or fall out of love with this person, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.
You roll twice and take the lower result on Use Magic Device checks to activate items blindly and on Reflex Saving Throws against effects produced by Magic Items.
Whenever you fail a skill check, you take a –2 penalty on any skill check or attack roll you attempt before the end of your next turn unless it is a part of retrying the failed skill check.
You take a –2 penalty on skill checks for skills with which you’re untrained.
You take a –2 penalty on all Dexterity-based skill checks.
You take a –2 penalty to AC against attacks with improvised weapons and a –2 penalty to CMD against Dirty Trick Combat Maneuvers.
Whenever you take 10 on an ability check or skill check that imparts any penalty for failure (aside from wasted time), you treat your check as if you had rolled an 8 instead of a 10, even if you are able to take your time.
You take a –2 penalty on Sense Motive and sight-based Perception checks.
You take a –1 penalty on Concentration checks, and you must invoke the entity’s name by word or text each day or be unable to regain spell slots that day. You must be able to cast 0-level and 1st-level spells as a class feature to select this drawback.
When you fail at a skill check, you take a –2 penalty on checks with that skill until you succeed or until you fail at a different skill check, whichever comes first.
If one of your allies should fall Unconscious from hit point damage, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls and skill checks as long as you are farther than 10 feet away from your fallen ally.
Anyone who attempts an Aid Another action of any type to assist you must succeed at a DC 15 check instead of the normal DC 10 check.
You take a –2 penalty on Will Saving Throws against Charm and Compulsion effects if the creature creating the effect promises wealth or power.
When someone threatens, accuses, or challenges you, you take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Sense Motive checks involving that creature until the creature apologizes to you.
You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Sense Motive checks made against all creatures whose religion or Alignment differs from your own.
Whenever a foe provokes an Attack of Opportunity from you, you must take it unless you succeed at a Will Save against a DC equal to 10 + your level. You take a –1 penalty on Will Saving Throws against spells with the emotion descriptor that do not also have the Fear descriptor.
You take a –5 penalty on Disguise checks and a –2 penalty on Bluff checks.
You take a –1 penalty on Saving Throws against Fear effects, and the DC of any Intimidate check to demoralize you is reduced by 1. If you would normally be immune to Fear, you do not take these penalties, but instead lose your immunity to Fear (regardless of its source).
The first time each day that you fail a Will Save or skill check, you take a –2 penalty on the next Will Save or skill check of that kind.
You take a –2 penalty on Perception checks to avoid being surprised and on Reflex Saving Throws to avoid Traps or hazards.
Whenever you are in an area of dim light or Darkness, you take a –1 penalty on Saving Throws.
Whenever you have less than half your maximum hit points, you are Shaken.
You must sleep or rest for at least 12 hours each night to get the benefits of a full night’s rest. You take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against sleep effects.
Whenever you perceive a Fey, Outsider, or Undead from within 60 feet, you become Shaken for 1d4 rounds unless you succeed at a Will Save with a DC equal to 15 + the creature’s Charisma modifier. Immunity to Fear effects does not allow you to forgo this saving throw; even if you are immune to Fear, you must roll the Will saving throw for this drawback when applicable, albeit with a +4 bonus.
You take a –3 penalty on Diplomacy checks to gather information or improve a creature’s attitude.
Whenever you are affected with a harmless spell, there is a 50% chance that you must roll a saving throw to prevent that effect, even if it would benefit you. This does not apply to harmless spells cast by you upon yourself.
At the end of any combat, you must attempt a Fortitude saving throw. The DC is 10 + the number of rounds you acted in combat. If you fail this save, you become Fatigued for 10 minutes per round you acted during that encounter.
You take a –2 penalty on Bluff checks and Saving Throws against illusions.
You cast no shadow whatsoever, or the shadow you do have is monstrous. Under normal lighted conditions, this is not hard to observe—but uncommon to notice. Creatures that succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom check notice it plainly (an additional Perception check may be required based on environmental conditions). This telltale sign of wickedness cannot be concealed by Misdirection, Nondetection, or illusions, except those that also affect shadows (such as Invisibility).
Choose one Knowledge skill. You cannot attempt untrained Knowledge checks with any other Knowledge skills, even if the check’s DC is 10 or lower. If you have access to a library that covers a specific Knowledge skill, you may attempt an untrained Knowledge check with a –2 penalty.
Whenever you fail an opposed Charisma-based check, you take a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks for the next 24 hours.
You take a –1 penalty on Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth checks, and the save DC of any illusion you create is 1 lower than normal.
Animals do not willingly approach within 30 feet of you, unless you or the animal’s master succeeds at a DC 20 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. Animal companions, familiars, and mounts granted by your class abilities are immune to this effect.
You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks made against creatures of a different race or from a different culture.
When you attack a creature that you know worships a different religion than you do, you take a –5 penalty on the attack roll and a +2 trait bonus on the damage roll with your first attack.
Anxious
After suffering terribly for not being tight-lipped enough as a child, such as when you accidentally exposed your family to enemy inquisitors, you developed a habit of being overly cautious with your words. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and must speak slowly due to the concentration required. Unless stated otherwise, you are assumed to not be speaking at a volume above a whisper.
Attached
You have a strong emotional attachment to a person or Object that you’re terrified of losing. Effect:The GM chooses the object of your attachment. Whenever the object of your attachment is either threatened, in danger, or in someone else’s possession, you take a –1 penalty on Will saves and a –2 penalty on saves against Fear effects. If the person or object to which you’re attached is ever lost, killed, or destroyed, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.
Avarice
Deep, compulsive greed gnaws at you. Effect:Whenever monetary treasure is divided, you must end up with a greater share of that treasure than your companions or you’re wracked with feelings of jealousy and ill will. When treasure is divided, if you do not end up with at least 10% more treasure than any other individual companion does, you have a hard time being helpful to your allies. You become irritable, and can’t take the Aid Another action for the next week.
Betrayed
You were reported to a dangerous authority and narrowly escaped death. You second-guess your instincts constantly, leaving you never sure whether or not to trust someone and endangered if you encounter that group’s agents again. Effect(s):You can roll twice and take the lower result on Sense Motive checks to get hunches. You cannot reroll this result, even if you have another ability that would normally allow you to do so.
Bitter
You have been hurt repeatedly by those you trusted, and it has become difficult for you to accept help. Effect:When you receive Healing from an ally’s class feature, spell, or spell-like ability, reduce the amount of that healing by 1 hit point.
Burned
You were badly burned once by volcanic ash, torch-wielding mobs, or some fiery accident, and the scars pain you terribly you whenever you are too near to fire. Effect:You take a –1 penalty on Saving Throws against fire effects. In addition, whenever you are adjacent to open flames or are on fire, you take a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, Saving Throws, and skill checks until you spend an entire round away from fire. These penalties are not cumulative. (An instantaneous fire effect adjacent to you or affecting you causes this penalty to apply until 1 round after it is gone.)
Condescending
Raised with the assurance that only those like you are truly worthy of respect, you have an off-putting way of demonstrating that you look down on those not of your race and ethnicity or nationality. Effect:You take a –5 penalty on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to improve other creatures’ attitudes toward you.
Cowardly
You might face dangerous situations with bravado, but you are constantly afraid. Effect:Your base speed when Frightened and fleeing increases by 5 feet, and the penalties you take from having the Cowering, Frightened, Panicked, or Shaken conditions increase by 1. If you would normally be immune to Fear, you do not take these penalties but instead lose your immunity to Fear (regardless of its source).
Cruelty
You were rewarded as a child for flaunting your victory over others as completely as possible, and you discovered you enjoyed the feeling of rubbing your foes’ faces in the dirt. Effect:Whenever you are engaged in combat and there are or Helpless foes within 30 feet, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls against foes who are neither nor Helpless.
Dependent
You are dependent upon the acceptance of others. Effect:Whenever you fail a Diplomacy check, you become Shaken for 1 hour.
Doubt
You lack confidence in your abilities or confidence in the universe at large. Effect:Whenever you fail a skill or ability check, you take a –4 penalty on that type of skill or ability check for the next hour.
Empty Mask
You have spent so long hiding your true identity to escape political enemies that you have lost much of your sense of self. Effect(s):You take a –1 penalty on Will Saving Throws against compulsions. This penalty increases to –2 against foes who know your true identity.
Entomophobe
A harrowing experience with insects when you were young instilled in you a deep-seated fear of vermin of all description, especially when they swarm together. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on attacks against Vermin, and you take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against the Nauseated condition of a swarm’s distraction ability.
Envy
You grew up in or near an opulent, decadent culture that valued nothing more than showing up the material wealth or accomplishments of others, causing the seed of envy to be planted in your heart. Effect:For each day you spend without stealing at least 10 gp worth of valuables or other wealth, attempt a DC 20 Will Save. If you fail, you take a cumulative –1 penalty on Will and Reflex Saving Throws and Concentration checks (up to a –5 penalty). If you succeed, the penalty is reset to 0.
Family Ties
Your family is extremely important to you, and you feel disheartened when you can’t do what they ask. Effect(s):When a family member makes a request of you, you must fulfill that request or take a –2 penalty on all Wisdom– and Charisma-based ability checks and skill checks until you either do what was requested or succeed at a DC 20 Will Save, which you can attempt once per day at the start of each day. You can’t take this drawback if you have no family. If you ever lose your family or lose contact with your family, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.
Fey-Taken
As a child, you were whisked away by mischievous fey for a time. When you returned, you were ever after considered odd and distant. You long to return there, and find the mortal world dull and at times revolting, so you do not eat as you should and do not question strange visions. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against disease, illusions, and Poison of all kinds, as well as against the spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of Fey.
Forgetful
You are easily distracted and prone to forgetting important things. Effect:Whenever you leave a location you have been at for longer than 1 hour, you must attempt a DC 10 Wisdom check. If you fail, you leave behind one random mundane item (a purse of money counts as an item).
Foul Brand
Effect:You have the symbol of an evil deity burned into your flesh. If the symbol is on your hand, you take a –1 penalty on Disable Device, Disguise, and Sleight of Hand checks. If the symbol is on your face, you take a –2 penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Disguise checks. This does not count as a holy symbol for the purposes of a divine focus for spellcasting.
Guilty Fraud
You received something through trickery that you did not deserve, and your guilt for the misdeed distracts you from dangers around you. Effect(s):You take a –4 penalty on Bluff checks against creatures with an attitude toward you of indifferent or better.
Haunted
Something from your past—or a dark secret you presently hold—makes it difficult for you to ever be at peace, and your chronic worry that you might fall to evil influence has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on saves against spells with the evil descriptor.
Haunting Regret
When you were young, a relative with whom you had frequently quarreled passed away where his or her soul could not rest. Now, the unquiet spirit appears around you at inconvenient times, distracting you with regret for being unable to help. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against the distraction ability of swarms and mind-affecting effects and on Concentration checks.
Headstrong
You feel compelled to correct every action and argument that contradicts your worldview. Effect(s):Whenever you witness an action or hear an argument that contradicts your Alignment, you must attempt to stop or correct that action or argument. If you either don’t try to stop it or fail in your attempt to stop it (as adjudicated by the GM), you are Shaken for 1 hour.
Hedonistic
You are a creature of pleasure and comfort. Effect(s):Whenever you spend a day without gaining reward or treasure (at least 10 or more gold pieces) or spending an hour on entertainment or pleasure, attempt a DC 20 Fortitude Save at the end of that day. If you fail, you begin the next day Fatigued. This fatigue lasts 4 hours, or until you receive a reward or sufficient entertainment or pleasure.
Helpless
You once stood helpless as great harm befell a loved one, and that paralysis sometimes returns when an ally is in a dire position. Effect:The first time per combat encounter that an ally within 30 feet falls Unconscious or dies as the result of an attack, you are Dazed until the end of your next turn.
Impatient
You love leaping into battle at the earliest opportunity, and it frustrates you to wait for others to act. Effect:You can’t delay or ready actions, and if you are the last of your allies to act in a round of combat, you take a –1 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, Saving Throws, and skill checks.
Infamous
You were publicly linked, truthfully or not, to a crime of significant infamy. You draw attention wherever you go and risk imprisonment or worse in the jurisdiction where the crime was committed. Effect(s):You and your apparent allies take a –4 penalty on Diplomacy checks to interact with law-abiding citizens (except enemies of the authority that accused you).
Information Overload
You have had access to thousands of spy reports, many of which turned out to be based on faulty deductions or even intentionally false stories spread by opposed spy groups. At this point, you have been exposed to false knowledge as much as accurate information, and you can’t always remember which is which. Effect(s):You take a –2 penalty on all Knowledge checks, and if you fail a Knowledge check by 5 or more, you can recall information that is diametrically opposed to the truth.
Insatiable
You have become so accustomed to binging on the finer things in life that you find going without such excess particularly strenuous. Effect:Goods and services cost you 10% more (this additional cost applies to allies buying items for you as well), and you need twice as much food and liquid as normal for the purposes of preventing Starvation and Thirst.
Lonely
You are far too easily convinced of the friendly intentions of others. Effect(s):You take a –2 penalty on Sense Motive checks and on Perception checks to see through disguises, and on Saving Throws against Charm spells and spell-like abilities.
Loner
Raised by pirates, bandits, or other troublemakers unwilling to stick out their necks for you, you are accustomed to operating on your own. The presence of allies can easily become a distraction to you, and you do your best to keep them out of your space. Effect:You take a –1 penalty to AC and on attack rolls while adjacent to allies or when taking the Aid Another action.
Lovesick
Your love for another occupies your every thought, and you become despondent when you are away from that person. Effect(s):The person is chosen by your GM (with consideration to your roll on Table: Romantic Relationships if you used the background generator). At the start of each day, if you are away from this person you take a –2 penalty on Initiative checks and Perception checks. If you ever lose or fall out of love with this person, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.
Magical Klutz
You were born in a place with a plethora of strangely interacting magic and magic is dangerously eager to surge into action around you. Effect(s):You roll twice and take the lower result on Use Magic Device checks to activate items blindly and on Reflex Saving Throws against effects produced by Magic Items.
Mark of Slavery
You were enslaved for part or all of your youth, and marked as such with a brand or tattoo that still reminds you of how you were punished whenever you failed to do what you should. Effect:Whenever you fail a skill check, you take a –2 penalty on any skill check or attack roll you attempt before the end of your next turn unless it is a part of retrying the failed skill check.
Meticulous
You plan and prepare everything in detail, and aren’t good at improvising when things don’t go as planned. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on skill checks for skills with which you’re untrained.
Misbegotten
Whether due to the influence of malign magic, disease, or the scorn of the gods, you were born with a troublesome deformity that interferes with your movement. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on all Dexterity-based skill checks.
Naive
Your perception that everyone is innately good does not bode well in the heat of battle, when less scrupulous foes might take advantage of your misguided optimism. Effect:You take a –2 penalty to AC against attacks with improvised weapons and a –2 penalty to CMD against Dirty Trick Combat Maneuvers.
Nervous
Living under constant threat of death or worse from your oppressive government, your nerves have frayed terribly. Effect:Whenever you take 10 on an ability check or skill check that imparts any penalty for failure (aside from wasted time), you treat your check as if you had rolled an 8 instead of a 10, even if you are able to take your time.
Oblivious
Whether because you are an avid daydreamer or you are accustomed to everything being handed to you and spelled out for your benefit, you pay little attention to your surroundings and other people. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on Sense Motive and sight-based Perception checks.
Occult Bargain
You draw magical power from a source who insists that its identity remains secret. Effect(s):You take a –1 penalty on Concentration checks, and you must invoke the entity’s name by word or text each day or be unable to regain spell slots that day. You must be able to cast 0-level and 1st-level spells as a class feature to select this drawback.
Oppressive Expectations
You were raised with the belief that your family was special, and that those of your status always succeed at whatever they do. Due to your concern about upholding the family name and your memories of the consequences for disappointing them (such as violence or unsettling disapproval), you are easily frustrated. Effect:When you fail at a skill check, you take a –2 penalty on checks with that skill until you succeed or until you fail at a different skill check, whichever comes first.
Overprotective
In your youth, you saw a younger friend or loved one suffer a grievous injury or die, and you blamed yourself for not having been there to help, even if there was nothing you could have done. Effect:If one of your allies should fall Unconscious from hit point damage, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls and skill checks as long as you are farther than 10 feet away from your fallen ally.
Paranoid
You believe that someone or something is always out to get you, so you have a hard time truly trusting anyone. Effect:Anyone who attempts an Aid Another action of any type to assist you must succeed at a DC 15 check instead of the normal DC 10 check.
Power-Hungry
You’re addicted to power. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on Will Saving Throws against Charm and Compulsion effects if the creature creating the effect promises wealth or power.
Pride
You can’t abide challenges to your dignity, authority, or honor. Effect:When someone threatens, accuses, or challenges you, you take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Sense Motive checks involving that creature until the creature apologizes to you.
Provincial
You have only one way of looking at things: the right way. Effect(s):You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Sense Motive checks made against all creatures whose religion or Alignment differs from your own.
Righteous Indignation
You have difficulty controlling your temper after living in inhuman conditions. Effect(s):Whenever a foe provokes an Attack of Opportunity from you, you must take it unless you succeed at a Will Save against a DC equal to 10 + your level. You take a –1 penalty on Will Saving Throws against spells with the emotion descriptor that do not also have the Fear descriptor.
Scarred
An injury left you horribly, visibly scarred, making it more difficult for you to hide your true face, and also making most people distrustful of you merely due to your appearance. Effect:You take a –5 penalty on Disguise checks and a –2 penalty on Bluff checks.
Secret Shame
You have a terrible Fear of the public at large, a group, or an important person (such as your order of knights, your liege lord, your family, or your lover) learning a shameful truth about you. Effect(s):You take a –1 penalty on Saving Throws against Fear effects, and the DC of any Intimidate check to demoralize you is reduced by 1. If you would normally be immune to Fear, you do not take these penalties, but instead lose your immunity to Fear (regardless of its source).
Self-Doubting
Your ever-present fear of failure causes a downward spiral. Effect:The first time each day that you fail a Will Save or skill check, you take a –2 penalty on the next Will Save or skill check of that kind.
Sentimental
You are sentimental, and your thoughts often stray to the past at inappropriate times. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on Perception checks to avoid being surprised and on Reflex Saving Throws to avoid Traps or hazards.
Shadow-Scarred
You were touched by terrible horrors that live in the darkness just outside the human sphere and feel your life-force ebb away ever so slightly whenever you return to the shadows. Effect:Whenever you are in an area of dim light or Darkness, you take a –1 penalty on Saving Throws.
Sheltered
Brought up in courtly environments and knowing little of violence, you have trouble getting accustomed to it. Effect:Whenever you have less than half your maximum hit points, you are Shaken.
Sleepy
You require more sleep than normal to feel rested. Effect:You must sleep or rest for at least 12 hours each night to get the benefits of a full night’s rest. You take a –2 penalty on Saving Throws against sleep effects.
Spooked
You had a traumatic experience with a spirit at a young age that colors your reactions to such creatures even to this day. Effect:Whenever you perceive a Fey, Outsider, or Undead from within 60 feet, you become Shaken for 1d4 rounds unless you succeed at a Will Save with a DC equal to 15 + the creature’s Charisma modifier. Immunity to Fear effects does not allow you to forgo this saving throw; even if you are immune to Fear, you must roll the Will saving throw for this drawback when applicable, albeit with a +4 bonus.
Stigmatized
You were kept at the periphery of society for a long period of time, so that even when you are among strangers in a new place, you feel the weight of your missing socialization. Effect:You take a –3 penalty on Diplomacy checks to gather information or improve a creature’s attitude.
Superstitious
Raised around those who regarded most magic as innately dangerous, no matter the source, you cannot bring yourself to submit to magic willingly even for your own good. Effect:Whenever you are affected with a harmless spell, there is a 50% chance that you must roll a saving throw to prevent that effect, even if it would benefit you. This does not apply to harmless spells cast by you upon yourself.
Tainted Spirit
When you were a child, a parent or other person with authority over you made a minor pact with a fiend on your behalf, stealing some of your vitality in exchange for a minor boon. Effect:At the end of any combat, you must attempt a Fortitude saving throw. The DC is 10 + the number of rounds you acted in combat. If you fail this save, you become Fatigued for 10 minutes per round you acted during that encounter.
Too Many Secrets
You’ve told too many lies, and made up too many cover stories, and now even you can’t keep it all straight. The lies have become reality to you, which makes it difficult to think of a new convincing lie. You hesitate at crucial moments when trying to fool those around you, and likely shouldn’t be in the field at all anymore. Effect(s):You take a –2 penalty on Bluff checks and Saving Throws against illusions.
Umbral Unmasking
Effect:You cast no shadow whatsoever, or the shadow you do have is monstrous. Under normal lighted conditions, this is not hard to observe—but uncommon to notice. Creatures that succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom check notice it plainly (an additional Perception check may be required based on environmental conditions). This telltale sign of wickedness cannot be concealed by Misdirection, Nondetection, or illusions, except those that also affect shadows (such as Invisibility).
Unlearned
You have always had difficulty learning and retaining information, and know very little about the world beyond the obvious and what pertains to your profession. Effect:Choose one Knowledge skill. You cannot attempt untrained Knowledge checks with any other Knowledge skills, even if the check’s DC is 10 or lower. If you have access to a library that covers a specific Knowledge skill, you may attempt an untrained Knowledge check with a –2 penalty.
Vain
You are sensitive about the way others perceive you. Effect:Whenever you fail an opposed Charisma-based check, you take a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks for the next 24 hours.
Vainglory
You compulsively seek recognition for your deeds, making it hard to act with subtlety. Effect(s):You take a –1 penalty on Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth checks, and the save DC of any illusion you create is 1 lower than normal.
Warded Against Nature
Effect:Animals do not willingly approach within 30 feet of you, unless you or the animal’s master succeeds at a DC 20 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. Animal companions, familiars, and mounts granted by your class abilities are immune to this effect.
Xenophobic
You have a hard time understanding and trusting those with unfamiliar ways and appearances. Effect:You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks made against creatures of a different race or from a different culture.
Zealous
You are fanatical in your beliefs, ruled by emotion over reason. Effect:When you attack a creature that you know worships a different religion than you do, you take a –5 penalty on the attack roll and a +2 trait bonus on the damage roll with your first attack.
This website is a conglomeration of material from various sources and has been created for players in my campaign world and not for the purposes of monetization.
Comments