Benefits

Character Benefits

Character benefits are perks that include many areas of character development including physical traits, education, fighting styles and magical training. Some of your most powerful abilities will often be unlocked with Character Benefits.

Name Rank Pre-requisites Description

Character Benefit List

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Improved Background	1-2	CC	Gain 1 Rank in your choice of two benefits from the following list: Status, Fame, Income, or Language. Rank 2 increases the benefit to 2 Ranks in your choice of two benefits from the list.
Perfect Memory	2	CC	You have a perfect memory and may recall things with photographic clarity.
Giant	2	CC	+1 Health, -1 Dodge (may not be reduced below 1)
Improved Speed	1-2		+1/+2 Speed
Improved Initiative	1-2		+1/+2 Initiative
Toughness	1-3	Constitution 3	Retain consciousness until -1, -2, -3.
Armor Training	1-2	Improve maximum dodge for Medium or Heavy armor by 1 or 2 points.
Weapon Finesse	1		Allow use of Dexterity instead of Strength for Large weapons such as Longswords. Small and Light weapons gain this feature automatically, and weapons larger than Large size may not gain this feature.
Meditation	1		Recover mana through meditation even without a restful sleep. Normal fatigue penalties apply to rolls.
Language	1-2	Intelligence 3	Rank 1: Read/Speak language, Rank 2: Fluent
Quick Draw	1	Dexterity 2	Draw a weapon as a free action.
Ritual: Template Focus	1-5	Non-Adept Template	Attunes you to a magical focus which provides casting bonuses.
Ritual: Familiar	2	Sorcerer Template, Seed: Summon 1	Permanently bind a Rank 1 Outsider from your chosen plane
Ritual: Planar Gate	2	Sorcerer Template, Any Seed 4	Create a portal to your chosen plane.
Ritual: Conceal Object	1	Sorcerer Template, Conceal 2	Magically conceals an object from detection spells, and prevents it from radiating magical auras.
Ritual: Rapid Animation	2	Sorcerer Template, Slay 3, Animate Dead 1	When a target is slain by Slay, it is immediately animated as if by Animate Dead. Doing so costs the additional mana of Animate Dead for each target affected.
Fighting Style: One Hand & Shield	1-5	Melee Weapons 2	Defensive style focused on preventing damage and protecting nearby companions.
Fighting Style: Dual Wield	1-5	Dexterity 3, Melee Weapons 3	Offensive style focused on dealing maximum damage to a single target.
Fighting Style: Assassination	1-5	Stealth 3	Offensive style focused on dealing a single killing blow.
Fighting Style: Two-Handed Weapons	1-5	Strength 3	Offensive style focused on dealing damage to multiple targets.
Fighting Style: Ranged Weapons	1-5	Ranged Weapons 3	Offensive style focused on improving ranged combat.
Fighting Style: Thrown Weapons	1-5	Thrown Weapons 3	Offensive style focused on improving thrown weapons.
Fighting Style: Spellsword	1-5	Race: Elf/Faerie, Template: Mage, Dexterity 3, Melee Weapons 3	Balanced style focused on merging magical prowess and bladework together.
Favored Template	2	CC	You gain access to a Template not traditionally associated with your race.
Bonus Template	4		Gain a bonus Template with a single Rank 1 power. This template is not required to be from your race’s Favored Templates.

Character Benefit Descriptions

Bonus Template

Your character gains access to another character template. The new template gains only a single Rank 1 power.

Template Focus

Sorcerer Focus

req. Template Sorcerer

Rank 1	Planar Shielding	Your magic defense against Sorcery increases by +1. Note: This does not apply to constructs, summons, or conjured weapons created by Sorcery.
Rank 2	Basic Focus	The focus now provides a Focus bonus to all spells from this template when wielded. The bonus is +1 (Rank 2), +2 (Rank 3-4), +3 (Rank 5). The magic imbued in this device is not compatible with enhancement bonuses, so a weapon turned into a focus could not also be enchanted with an enhancement bonus.
Rank 3	Life Tap	You may voluntarily take 1 point of Mortal damage to regain Mana equal to your Magic score.
Rank 4	Planar Power	Once per day you may grant 9-again to a spell.
Rank 5	Chaos Guard	When a spell results in Backlash dice, you reduce the pool by 1.

Mage Focus

A Mage's focus is core to a mage's persona and presence for mages and wizards across endless stories and worlds. Some manifest as a staff, some as a wand, though there are other possibilities such as orbs. Not all Mages may choose to make a focus, however those that do will realize benefits to their casting. Mage staves and wands staves are unique and personal. They may take many shapes and designs, colors and carvings, metal or wood. They are anything but ordinary.

Only one Mage Focus may exist at a time for any one Mage, who is attuned to that Focus, and the abilities of that Focus are dependant on the Benefit rank obtained.

If the Mage ever loses the Focus, either separation by planar magic or by the Focus's destruction (voluntarily or otherwise), the Mage may re-create the Focus. Recreation takes 1 day for each rank previously purchased. During recreation, all mana is consumed each day and not available for any other purpose, and no break in creation is permitted. If the Mage desires, he can recreate the Focus at a lower rank than previously obtained, however future rank increases must be paid at full cost. During recreation, the Mage may change any previous choices made for the prior Focus, if applicable.