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Complications



Every character faces complications based on their backstory, personality, or the campaign setting. Perhaps its an addiction? Bad attitude? Bad reputation? Allergy? Phobia? Vow or oath? Secrets? A motivation you always want to maintain, an addiction you have, a special rule, code of honor, oath, or vow you need to keep, etc. Sensitive to their reputation? Is it a compulsive motivation that drives you above other things? A secret you must keep at all costs? A reputation you must maintain? A strict code of honor you must never break?


COMPLICATION RATING
Complications have a rating of 1-10 in which it endangers or inconveniences the character and the frequency that it comes up in the campaign (as determined by the GM). All of them start with rating of 1 which adjusts based on these factors:




Major complications effectively cause a character to become completely helpless or unable to act whenever the complication is triggered or deal overwhelming amounts of damage. It also risks their life as they can barely defend themselves, if at all. Meanwhile minor complications are typically just inconveniences such as guards and gatekeepers not allowing you through to normally open venues or merchants charging you a small percentage more than is normal for gear.

List at least one limitation of each type listed below and work with your GM. Your character's limitations should be appropriately themed to the setting and team and appropriately scaled in degree and magnitude compared to other players' limitations.

If you want to lose remove a complication, it costs XP equal to the complication rating as well as a story reason to justify it.


IMPEDIMENTS
An impediment is a type of physical weakness or disability a character may have such as being blind, deaf, sickly, missing an eye, missing an arm, vulnerable to silver weapons, burned by common sunlight or holy water, and so forth. They can even be social flaws such as being a pariah to civilized society and often mistreated or persecuted or being in debt and unable to perform common transactions. Being an enemy or wanted by a common organization that continually harasses and hampers even basic transactions and movements through society can also be a form of impediment.


MOTIVATIONS
A motivation is something that you are compelled to do. It can be anything from a code of honor, a drug addiction, a religious tradition, or even be something you attempt to protect such as a family heirloom you always carry with you, a person you love who travels with you, a reputation you seek to maintain, or even a secret you wish to keep hidden.

Every player character begins with at least one motivation, though a GM may allow more.

CONFLICT
Any time your motivation is triggered, you're either trying to actively accomplish something or avoid something else from happening. Either way, when your motivation is activated, you gain an aspiration to fulfill it.

Examples:
Orcs have captured your loved one and are going to sell them into slavery. You must save them from that horrid fate before they're shipped off somewhere you'll never be able to find them again.

Your father's sword has been stolen by thieves. You must investigate the robbery through the city's underbelly and retrieve what was taken from you.

A rival has discovered your dark secret and is threatening to expose you to the public. You must find a way to discredit them, silence them, or win them over to your side before the court date.


Because these aspirations were triggered by your complication rather than a normal aspiration, they grant you double the normal rewards (but also inflicted double the normal costs and penalties if you fail or abandon them).



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