Circles

A roleplaying system by Steve Hatherley

Characters - Permanent Abilities

• Artistic Leanings: You sculpt, paint and draw with enviable talent. (1 point.)
• Awesome Strength: You are generally very strong and do an additional one wound with any hand weapon. (2 points)
• Beastmanship: Animals react well to you and you can ride any animal. (1 point - but you automatically get the "Get Somewhere Real Quick" Temporary.)
• Boating: You are familiar with all forms of water-craft, and are skilled at reading tides and the weather. (1 point.)
• Cooking: You are an excellent cook and can make wonderful meals from ordinary ingredients. (1 point.)
• Danger Sense: You have an uncanny knack of knowing when danger is about to strike - you usually get a moment or two's warning. (1 point)
• Drive Vehicle: (Choose type) You know how to get the best out of this vehicle in any situation. (1 point.)
• Evaluation: You automatically know the price of any ordinary item - although you might need to succeed in a challenge for the truly extraordinary. (1 point.)
• Gambling: You are a fine gambler, able to judge odds and fleece the yokels. (1 point.)
• Gift of the Gab: You get along with everyone and make friends easily. (1 point.)
• Jack of all Trades, Master of None: You cannot take any other Permanent ability, but you can buy Temporary abilities on a 2 for 1 Reward basis, regardless of their requirements. (3 points.)
• Keen Eyes: You are generally observant and have very good eyesight. (1 point.)
• Light-Fingered: You are skilled in the art of dipping, cut-pursing and pickpocketting. (1 point.)
• Live off the Land: You are proficient at finding food, fishing, hunting and living off the land. (1 point.)
• Mechanic: You know how mechanical items work - and with the right tools you can build or fix them. (1 point.)
• Medical Training: You know a little about first aid - enough to heal one wound on a Simple challenge. You can also buy "First Aid" Temporarys on a 3 for one Reward basis. (1 point.)
• Singing: You have a beautiful singing voice that you can use to soothe nerves and impress folk. (1 point.)
• Spin a Good Yarn: You are a quick-witted storyteller, able to make those long winter evenings pass in a trice. (1 point.)
• Surgeon: You know medicine and surgery. With the right equipment you can heal anyone. You heal two wounds on a Simple challenge and even if you fail you heal one wound. You may buy "First Aid" Temporarys on a three for one basis. (2 points.)
• Suss: You are good at reading people. (1 point.)
• True Love: You have given your heart to someone else (specify who) and are immune to all © abilities. (1 point.)
• Unnoticed Search: You have mastered the knack of bumping into and searching someone without them realising. (1 point.)

Combat Permanents

• Battle-Trained: You are well-trained in the arts of war. You can take any M Temporary at half price. (1 point.) M
• Both guns blazing: You are adept at shooting pistols with both hands at once. You may make a challenge with each at normal difficulty. (1 point) M
• Martial Arts: You inflict two wounds with your bare hands in combat. You may also buy the "Disarm" Temporary on a 2 for one Reward basis. (1 point.) M
• Marksmanship: You are a crack shot with either a bow or a gun (you choose). You can place your shots to make them do an additional one wound - or you can make a ranged combat challenge one level easier. (2 points.) M
• Parrying: Your opponents do not damage you when you tie in melee combat. (1 point.) M
• Two-Weapon Training: You are trained in the art of using two melee weapons. If you tie in combat you do full damage instead of half -- providing you are using two weapons. (1 point.) M

Note that a character with any Combat Permanent ability may take the "Hard as Nails" temporary at half price.

This list is not exhaustive. As I think of extra permanent abilities, I'll add them here.

Copyright (c) 2001 Steve Hatherley

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