MERITS/FLAW Alternate Advancement.

Merit List  // Concept Package List

A character may purchase merits points by selecting an equivalent amount of points of flaws up to 10 points.  The Merits and Flaws system as written are essentially a loan shark type of rules revision, ie, take a penalty gain a reward. Presumably, when your character gains sufficient advancement or gathers enough player support - those flaws which are represented by external penalties (like enemies and such) will be eliminated, effectively allowing a character to mitigate their Flaws. This mechanic is useful - it grants real reason for why characters will ‘buddy up’ or even continue to RP together after an adventure ends.

External flaws rely on the GM to enforce, while internal flaws demand roleplay commitment from the player to ensure point value
…I’m sure that each player can be honorably relied upon to play their character to the hilt. Never thinking to ‘game the system’ for some meager additional game benefit. [ READ: The more effort each player invests into their character into the game and the party the more Game Master investment I will put into the game surrounding your character. ]

Should a player decide to choose a Concept Package List (removing some time to a character creation process) the GM will choose your flaws for you.
  This will do two things,
A) it will establish a firmer game hooks
and B) the player gets a better 'bang' for their buck.

The downside is the player will have no means to limit the scope of these flaws by themselves.  Of course, if you sell me on a flaw that is more playable for your character I will work with you and your concept.  The flaws assigned to a concept package will depend on the type of background story previously submitted by the player. Although a player will be included into ongoing plots by various established NPCs... that player will still need to rock the charm with the other PCs in game.
It’s probably occurred to you that certain flaws, in combination, have a debilitating effect greater than the sum of their parts - just as alcohol and some drugs multiply their effects when mingled. This effect is called Flaw Synergy.

Merits equate to flaws on a one to one basis.  BUT Flaws used to acquire character points work on a 2 Flaw points to ever 1 character point basis.  It is thus possible to increase your initial point by from 22 to 27.

Flaws may be acquired throughout the game as can the Merits they will summarily purchase. Obviously, character points (attributes) may never be increased using this method beyond this initial step. For example, should a character in gameplay use a grace or fate point to avoid death, he may acquire a debilitating physical attribute like ...
  • [Impaired Hand(s)] Not just the loss of a couple of fingers but the whole hand. (explaining the hook of some infamous pirates)
  • [OLD INJURY (v1)] Your character suffers a wound that to flare up again when aggravated by additional injuries.
  • [OLD INJURY (v2)] An alternate version of the same nebulous wound condition.
  • [Impaired Vision(s)] Maybe you lost an eye?
  • The Flaw List goes on and on...

I don't run a random critical wound type of game but being an epic story there are acceptable levels of loss that any villain or hero may accept prior to death.

Contrarywise a player may accept responsibilities that are legitimate flaws during gameplay and should be acknowledged in a mechanical way (when possible). For example, should a player resolve a situation by taking on a long-term commitment?  (Adoption, Marriage, Economic dependence?, or Noble duties...) there are flaw mechanics that could govern those choices. These 'flaws' should not be seen as limitations, they should be seen in the manner with which the story is tied to our intrepid heroes over the course of their adventures.