Descriptors

Appealing

You’re attractive to others, but perhaps more important, you are likeable and charismatic. You’ve got that “special something” that draws others to you. You often know just the right thing to say to make someone laugh, put them at ease, or spur them to action. People like you, want to help you, and want to be your friend.

Beneficient

Helping others is your calling. It’s what you live for. Others delight in your outgoing and charitable nature, and you delight in their happiness. You’re at your best when you’re aiding people, either by explaining how they can best overcome a challenge, or by demonstrating it yourself.

Brash

You’re a self-assertive sort, confident in your abilities, energetic, and perhaps a bit irreverent toward ideas that you don’t agree with. Some people call you bold and brave, but those you’ve put in their place might call you puffed up and arrogant. Whatever. It’s not in your nature to care what other people think about you, unless those people are your friends or family. Even someone as brash as you knows that friends sometimes have to come first.

Calm

You’ve spent most of your life in sedentary pursuits—books, movies, hobbies, and so on—rather than active ones. You’re well versed in all manner of academia or other intellectual pursuits, but nothing physical. You’re not weak or feeble, necessarily, but you have no experience in more physical activities.

Chaotic

Danger doesn’t mean much to you, mainly because you don’t think much about repercussions. In fact, you enjoy sowing surprises, just to see what will happen. The more unexpected the results, the happier you are. Sometimes you are particularly manic, though for the sake of your companions, you restrain your actions that you know will lead to disaster.

Charming

You’re a smooth talker and a charmer. Whether through seemingly supernatural means or just a way with words, you can convince others to do as you wish. You make friends easily. You play up the personality facet of your Intellect stat; intelligence is not your strong suit. You’re personable, not necessarily studious or strong-willed.

Clever

You’re quick-witted, thinking well on your feet. You understand people, so you can fool them but are rarely fooled. Because you easily see things for what they are, you get the lay of the land swiftly, size up threats and allies, and assess situations with accuracy. Perhaps you’re physically attractive, or maybe you use your wit to overcome any physical or mental imperfections.

Clumsy

Graceless and awkward, you were told that you’d grow out of it, but you never did. You often drop things, trip over your own feet, or knock things over. Some people get frustrated by this quality, but most find it funny and even a little charming.

Craven

Courage fails you at every turn. You lack the willpower and resolve to stand fast in the face of danger. Fear gnaws at your heart, chewing away at your mind, driving you to distraction until you cannot bear it. Most times, you back down from confrontations. You flee from threats and vacillate when faced with difficult decisions. Yet for all that fear dogs you and possibly shames you, your cowardly nature proves to be a useful ally from time to time. Listening to your fears has helped you escape danger and avoid taking unnecessary risks. Others may have suffered in your place, and you might be the first to admit this fact, but secretly you feel intense relief from having avoided an unthinkable and terrible fate.

Creative

Maybe you have a notebook where you write down ideas so you can develop them later. Perhaps you email yourself ideas that strike you out of the blue so you can sort them in an electronic document. Or maybe you just sit down, stare at your screen and, by indomitable force of will, produce something from nothing. However your gift works, you’re creative—you code, write, compose, sculpt, design, direct, or otherwise create narratives that enthrall other people with your vision.

Cruel

Misfortune and suffering do not move you. When another endures hardship, you find it hard to care, and you may even enjoy the pain and difficulty the person experiences. Your cruel streak may derive from bitterness brought about by your own struggles and disappointments. You might be a hard pragmatist, doing what you feel you must even if others are worse for it. Or you could be a sadist, delighting in the pain you inflict. Being cruel does not necessarily make you a villain. Your cruelty may be reserved for those who cross you or other people useful to you. You might have become cruel as the result of an intensely awful experience. Abuse and torture, for example, can strip away compassion for other living beings. As well, you need not be cruel in every situation. In fact, others might see you as personable, friendly, and even helpful. But when angered or frustrated, your true nature reveals itself, and those who have earned your scorn are likely to suffer for it.

Dishonorable

There is no honor among thieves—or betrayers, backstabbers, liars, or cheats. You are all of these things, and either you don’t lose any sleep over it, or you deny the truth to others or to yourself. Regardless, you are willing to do whatever it takes to get your own way. Honor, ethics, and principles are merely words. In your estimation, they have no place in the real world.

Doomed

You are quite certain that your fate is leading you, inextricably, toward a terrible end. This fate might be yours alone, or you might be dragging along the others closest to you.

Empathic

Other people are open books to you. You may have a knack for reading a person’s tells, those subtle movements that convey an individual’s mood and disposition. Or you may receive information in a more direct way, feeling a person’s emotions as if they were tangible things, sensations that lightly brush against your mind. Your gift for empathy helps you navigate social situations and control them to avoid misunderstandings and prevent useless conflicts from erupting. The constant bombardment of emotions from those around you likely takes a toll. You might move with the prevailing mood, swinging from giddy happiness to bitter sorrow with little warning. Or you might close yourself off and remain inscrutable to others out of a sense of self-preservation or an unconscious fear that everyone else might learn how you truly feel.

Exiled

You have walked a long and lonely road, leaving your home and your life behind. You might have committed a heinous crime, something so awful that your people forced you out, and if you dare return, you face death. You might have been accused of a crime you didn’t commit and now must pay the price for someone else’s wicked deed. Your exile might be the result of a social gaffe—perhaps you shamed your family or a friend, or you embarrassed yourself in front of your peers, an authority, or someone you respect. Whatever the reason, you have left your old life behind and now strive to make a new one. You probably have a memento from your past—an old picture, a locket with a few strands of hair inside, or a lighter given to you by someone important. You keep the object close at hand and pull it out to help you remember better times.

Fast

You’re fleet of foot. Because you’re quick, you can accomplish tasks more rapidly than others can. You’re not just quick on your feet, however—you’re quick with your hands, and you think and react quickly. You even talk quickly.

Foolish

Not everyone can be brilliant. Oh, you don’t think of yourself as stupid, and you’re not. It’s just that others might have a bit more . . . wisdom. Insight. You prefer to barrel along headfirst through life and let other people worry about things. Worrying’s never helped you, so why bother? You take things at face value and don’t fret about what tomorrow might bring. People call you “idiot” or “numbskull,” but it doesn’t faze you much.

Graceful

You have a perfect sense of balance, moving and speaking with grace and beauty. You’re quick, lithe, flexible, and dexterous. Your body is perfectly suited to dance, and you use that advantage in combat to dodge blows. You might wear garments that enhance your agile movement and sense of style.

Guarded

You conceal your true nature behind a mask and are loath to let anyone see who you really are. Protecting yourself, physically and emotionally, is what you care about most, and you prefer to keep everyone else at a safe distance. You may be suspicious of everyone you meet, expecting the worst from people so you won’t be surprised when they prove you right. Or you might just be a bit reserved, careful about letting people through your gruff exterior to the person you really are. No one can be as reserved as you are and make many friends. Most likely, you have an abrasive personality and tend to be pessimistic in your outlook. You probably nurse an old hurt and find that the only way you can cope is to keep it and your personality locked down.

Hardy

Your body was built to take abuse. Whether you’re pounding down stiff drinks while holding up a bar in your favorite watering hole or trading blows with a thug in a back alley, you keep going, shrugging off hurts and injuries that might slow or incapacitate a lesser person. Neither hunger nor thirst, cut flesh nor broken bone can stop you. You just press on through the pain and continue. As fit and healthy as you are, the signs of wear show in the myriad of scars crisscrossing your body, your thrice-broken nose, your cauliflower ears, and any number of other disfigurements you wear with pride.

Hideous

You are physically repugnant by almost any human standard. You might have had a serious accident, a harmful mutation, or just poor genetic luck, but you are incontrovertibly ugly. You’ve more than made up for your appearance in other ways, however. Because you had to hide your appearance, you excel at sneaking about unnoticed or disguising yourself. But perhaps most important, being ostracized while others socialized, you took the time growing up to develop yourself as you saw fit—you grew strong or quick, or you honed your mind.

Honorable

You are trustworthy, fair, and forthright. You try to do what is right, to help others, and to treat them well. Lying and cheating are no way to get ahead—these things are for the weak, the lazy, or the despicable. You probably spend a lot of time thinking about your personal honor, how best to maintain it, and how to defend it if challenged. In combat, you are straightforward and offer quarter to any foe. You were likely instilled with this sense of honor by a parent or a mentor. Sometimes the distinction between what is and isn’t honorable varies with different schools of thought, but in broad strokes, honorable people can agree on most aspects of what honor means.

Impulsive

You have a hard time tamping down your enthusiasm. Why wait when you can just do it and get it done? You deal with problems when they arise rather than plan ahead. Putting out the small fires now prevents them from becoming one big fire later. You are the first to take risks, to jump in and lend a hand, to step into dark passages, and to find danger. Your impulsiveness likely gets you into trouble. While others might take time to study the items they discover, you use such items without hesitation. After all, the best way to learn what something can do is to use it. When a cautious explorer might look around and check for danger nearby, you have to physically stop yourself from bulling on ahead. Why fuss around when the exciting thing is just ahead?

Inquisitive

The world is vast and mysterious, with wonders and secrets to keep you amazed for several lifetimes. You feel the tugging on your heart, the call to explore the wreckage of past civilizations, to discover new peoples, new places, and whatever bizarre wonders you might find along the way. However, as strongly as you feel the pull to roam the world, you know there is danger aplenty, and you take precautions to ensure that you are prepared for any eventuality. Research, preparation, and readiness will help you live long enough to see everything you want to see and do everything you want to do.

Intelligent

You’re quite smart. Your memory is sharp, and you easily grasp concepts that others might struggle with. This aptitude doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve had years of formal education, but you have learned a great deal in your life, primarily because you pick things up quickly and retain so much.

Intuitive

You are often tickled by a sense of knowing what someone will say, how they will react, or how events might unfold. Maybe you have a mutant sense, maybe you can see just a few moments ahead through time, or maybe you’re just good at reading people and extrapolating a situation. Whatever the case, many who look into your eyes immediately glance away, as if afraid of what you might see in their expression.

Jovial

You’re cheerful, friendly, and outgoing. You put others at ease with a big smile and a joke, possibly one at your own expense, though lightly ribbing your companions who can take it is also one of your favorite pastimes. Sometimes people say you never take anything seriously. That’s not true, of course, but you have learned that to dwell on the bad too long quickly robs the world of joy. You’ve always got a new joke in your back pocket because you collect them like some people collect bottles of wine.

Kind

It’s always been easy for you to see things from the point of view of other people. That ability has made you sympathetic to what they really want or need. From your perspective, you’re just applying the old proverb that “it’s easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar,” but others simply see your behavior as kindness. Of course, being kind takes time, and yours is limited. You’ve learned that a small fraction of people don’t deserve your time or kindness—true sadists, narcissists, and similar folk will only waste your energy. So you deal with them swiftly, saving your kindness for those who deserve it and can benefit from your attention.

Learned

You have studied, either on your own or with an instructor. You know many things and are an expert on a few topics, such as history, biology, geography, mythology, nature, or any other area of study.

Lucky

You rely on chance and timely good luck to get you through many situations. When people say that someone was born under a lucky star, they mean you. When you try your hand at something new, no matter how unfamiliar the task is, as often as not you find a measure of success. Even when disaster strikes, it’s rarely as bad as it could be. More often, small things seem to go your way, you win contests, and you’re often in the right place at the right time.

Mad

You have delved too deeply into subjects people were not meant to know. You are knowledgeable in things beyond the scope of most, but this knowledge has come at a terrible price. You are likely in questionable physical shape and occasionally shake with nervous tics. You sometimes mutter to yourself without realizing it.

Mechanical

You have a special talent with machines of all kinds, and you’re adept at understanding and, if need be, repairing them. Perhaps you’re even a bit of an inventor, creating new machines from time to time. You get called “techie,” “tech,” “mech,” “gear-head,” “motor-head,” or any of a number of other nicknames.

Mysterious

The dark figure lurking silently in the corner? That’s you. No one really knows where you came from or what your motives are—you play things close to the vest. Your manner perplexes and confounds others, but that doesn’t make you a poor friend or ally. You’re just good at keeping things to yourself, moving about unseen, and concealing your presence and identity.

Mystical

You think of yourself as mystical, attuned with the mysterious and the paranormal. Your true talents lie with the supernatural. You likely have experience with ancient lore, and you can sense and wield the supernatural—though whether that means “magic,” “psychic phenomena,” or something else is up to you (and probably up to those around you as well). Mystical characters often wear jewelry, such as a ring or an amulet, or have tattoos or other marks that show their interests.

Naive

You’ve lived a sheltered life. Your childhood was safe and secure, so you didn’t get a chance to learn much about the world—and even less chance to experience it. Whether you were training for something, had your nose in a book, or just were sequestered in a secluded place, you haven’t done much, met many people, or seen many interesting things so far. That’s probably going to change soon, but as you go forward into a larger world, you do so without some of the understanding that others possess about how it all works.

Perceptive

You miss little. You pick out the small details in the world around you and are skilled at making deductions from the information you find. Your talents make you an exceptional sleuth, a formidable scientist, or a talented scout. As adept as you are at finding clues, you have no skill at picking up on social cues. You overlook an offense that your deductions give or how uncomfortable your scrutiny can make the people around you. You tend to dismiss others as being intellectual dwarfs compared to you, which avails you little when you need a favor.

Resilient

You can take a lot of punishment, both physically and mentally, and still come back for more. It takes a lot to put you down. Neither physical nor mental shocks or damage have a lasting effect. You’re tough to faze. Unflappable. Unstoppable.

Risk-Taking

It's part of your nature to question what others think can’t or shouldn’t be done. You’re not insane, of course—you wouldn’t attempt to leap across a mile-wide chasm just because you were dared. There’s impossible and then there’s the just barely possible. You like to push the latter further than others, because it gives you a rush of satisfaction and pleasure when you succeed. The more you succeed, the more you find yourself looking for that next risky challenge to try yourself against.

Rugged

You’re a nature lover accustomed to living rough, pitting your wits against the elements. Most likely, you’re a skilled hunter, gatherer, or naturalist.

Sharp-Eyed

You’re perceptive and well aware of your surroundings. You notice the little details and remember them. You can be difficult to surprise.

Skeptical

You possess a questioning attitude regarding claims that are often taken for granted by others. You’re not necessarily a “doubting Thomas”, but you’ve often benefited from questioning the statements, opinions, and received knowledge presented to you by others.

Stealthy

You’re sneaky, slippery, and fast. These talents help you hide, move quietly, and pull off tricks that require sleight of hand. However, you’re not much of a sprinter—you’re more dexterous than fleet of foot.

Strong

You’re extremely strong and physically powerful, and you use these qualities well, whether through violence or feats of prowess.

Strong-Willed

You’re tough-minded, willful, and independent. No one can talk you into anything or change your mind when you don’t want it changed. This quality doesn’t necessarily make you smart, but it does make you a bastion of willpower and resolve.

Swift

You move quickly, able to sprint in short bursts and work with your hands with dexterity. You’re great at crossing distances quickly but not always smoothly.

Tongue-Tied

You’ve never been much of a talker. When forced to interact with others, you never think of the right thing to say—words fail you entirely, or they come out all wrong. You often end up saying precisely the wrong thing and insult someone unintentionally. Most of the time, you just keep mum. This makes you a listener instead—a careful observer. It also means that you’re better at doing things than talking about them. You’re quick to take action.

Tough

You're strong and can take a lot of physical punishments. You might have a large frame and a square jaw. Tough characters frequently have visible scars.

Virtuous

Doing the right thing is a way of life. You live by a code, and that code is something you attend to every day. Whenever you slip, you reproach yourself for your weakness and then get right back on track. Your code probably includes moderation, respect for others, cleanliness, and other characteristics that most people agree are virtues, while you eschew their opposites: sloth, greed, gluttony, and so on.

Weird

You aren’t like anyone else, and that’s fine with you. People don’t seem to understand you—they even seem put off by you—but who cares? You understand the world better than they do because you’re weird, and so is the world you live in. The concept of “the weird” is well known to you. Strange devices, ancient locales, bizarre creatures, storms that can transform you, living energy fields, conspiracies, aliens, and things most people can’t even name populate the world, and you thrive on them. You have a special attachment to it all, and the more you discover about the weirdness in the world, the more you might discover about yourself.