I have received a number of inquires concerning the new skills, ads and disads and dark secrets which I have listed. They are from the Player's Companion which is apparently not available in most areas of the world. To help out I am copying this specific new material from the Companion to here.
Amnesia-(5/15)You cannot remember details of your past. For 5 points only portions of your memory are blocked. You'll know your name and much of your background; only partial episodes will be missing from your memory. Your Gamemaster will be able to fill in the missing details. For 15 points, you cannot remember most of your past, including your identity. Your Gamemaster will create a past for you, and may also choose a few advantages or disadvantages, as well as skills, that you won't know about.
Anxiety-(5/10/15)You are assaulted by occasional anxiety attacks. It doesn't matter what you are worried about or what precipitated the attack- almost anything will do. While in this state of anxiety, panic may often set in and you will freeze, unable to accomplish anything. For 5 points, the attacks are mild and infrequent, no more than once a week. For 10 points, the attacks may be more frequent, or stronger, requiring an Ego throw to overcome them. For 15 points, the attacks are both frequent and severe. Try to resolve thjis using roleplaying more than die throws.
Black Sheep-(5)You are, in some manner or another, distinctlt different from other members of your family (or other close social group). You might be a conservative in a family of liberals, you might be gay, a convert to another religion, etc. Not only are you uncomfortable around your family members, but you may even be treated poorly.
Brash-(5/15)You prefer action, not words! You like to move, to do something quickly, not to sit and deliberate. In situations where you have to wait for others to talk, you get impatient and antsy. You tend to rush in where you can do something, even if it is foolish. For 5 points, you just get easily agitated, but can still refrain from unnecessary actions, although you will get impatient with others. For 15 points, you will rush into action no matter what the consequnces.
Compulsively Healthy/Hygenic-(5)This is not the same as compulsive hand-washers ("those people are very troubled" you think), but you are very concerned with what you eat, with exercise, with cleanliness. You must perform your usual exercise routine every day, you have to have your usual vitamin doses, and you rigorously monitor your diet. You might be a strict vegetarian or even a vegan. At the first sniffle, you start popping the vitamin C mega-doses. You also may have very rigid grooming standards: you must use certain shampoos, soaps, etc., and use them on a regular basis or you feel 'dirty' and when you feel dirty, you are distracted. There are some activities you might be very reluctant to engage in, or places you won't want to go (e.g., you're not going in the sewers willingly). You don't necessarily require your companions to follow your regimen, but you may take on a subtle air of superiority. ("If you took better care of yourself, you wouldn't have colds so often. Your body is a temple.") Note: The player and the GM may wish to discuss the ramifications of this disadvantage, if followed with conviction, the GM may wish to grant an additional Con bonus.
Cynic-(5)You tend to see the worst in anything, and rarely expect a positive outcome. This does not always mean that you are depressed; just that you always expect the negative to occur. Some people find this an unbearable trait.
Debt-(10)You are deeply in debt from college loans, revolving credit, etc. This debt weighs heavily upon you and gnaws away at your happiness. No matter which Living Standard you are entitled to or pay for during character creation, you are reduced to the next Standard lower: you are always paying off your debts, you credit rating has worsened, etc.
Dependent-(5/10/15)You have someone under your protection; it may be a friend, relative, or anyone else of your choosing. you do as much as you can to help them when in need. Should they be put in any danger, you will go out of your way, even risk your own life, to save them. The GM gets to decide the point value of this disadvantage; it varies, depending upon how often the De[pendent comes into play or how much help is needed. Help can vary from financial assistance to having to save their life. Your GM will create your Dependent.
Domineering-(5)You are insufferably domineering. You always have to tell other people what to do. You expect everyone to listen to you and your opinions, and you can't stand it when someone doesn't take your good advice.
Ecomaniac-(5)You are obsessed with the environment. Maybe this is a recent conversion, or maybe you have been environmentally sensitive for years, but now you are a radical: GreenPeace is a bunch of wimps and Captain Planet needs to bang some heads. You recycle compulsively, spurn wasteful autos, and take every opportunity to make a nuisance of yourself to polluters and wasters. You can't go near a fast-food restaurant- or if you do, you can't keep yourself from lecturing the poor ignorant high-school kids behind the counter about cattle-grazing and styrofoam. You wear natural-fibre second-hand clothes, are vegetarian, use only environmentally friendly products, and constantly hassle others about how they are raping the planet.
Guilt-(5)You deserve whatever has happened to you. You're a bad person. You don't have to have actually done anything in particular; you don't even have to really be guilty of something. What is important is that you truly believe that you deserve whatever bad luck you may have. Perpetual feelings of guilt can be brought on by...
Hatred-(10)You have a strong, even irrational, hatred of someone or something; so strong that you can be unreasoning at times. You find confrontations (even physical ones) difficult to avoid when you are in the presence of the object of your hate. You might hate your government, a certain religion or religious group, or particular minorities.
Health/Hygiene Negligent-(5/10)You are totally unconcerned with your diet, with your health and with your appearance. You forget to shower, wash your hair, or use deoderant; this is either because you have other things on your mind, or you are just a slob. As a result, your hair is greasy, your clothes grubby, and you smell bad. Most people are not likely to want to associate with you unless they have to. Regarding what you eat, either you are one of those people who can vacuum up burritos and big macs and still remain rail thin, or you are seriously overweight. In either case, your body is a wreak on the inside. Note: The player and the GM may wish to discuss the ramifications of this disadvantage. It might affect the character's Con and Com bonuses.
Low Self-Esteem-(10)You see yourself much worse than everyone else views you. You think you are ugly, stupid, unliked, and generally despicaple. You are so convinced that you will fail, at anything that you do that you probably won't even attempt it. You take any criticism, even well-meant constructive criticism, as a personal attack.
Low Pain Threshold-(15)You do not endure pain well. On situations where you have to make a Con throw to avoid fainting from injuries, your Con rating is effectively halved.
Martyr-(5/10)You are the suffering servant; you bear the weight of the world on your tired shoulders - at least this is what you may tell yourself. Other people may simply find you insufferable. Never let the opportunity to remind someone what you have done for them (or others) pass by. For 5 points, you are a martyr in name only. For 10 points, you cannot resist the urge to take someone's problems as your own, especially if you get some extra sacrifice and suffering out of it.
Narcoleptic/Epileptic-(5/10)These are two very different conditions, but similar enough in game effect to be described together. A narcoleptic is subject to suddenly falling asleep - often at inopportune times (see the movie "My own Private Idaho"). An epileptic has seizures, which are usually designated minor or major (petit mal or grand mal) by their symptoms. In a petit mal, the subject is merely transfixed/immobilized for a short period. In a grand mal, the subject has convulsions and collapses. Neither are life-threatening in themselves, but they can be unnerving to observers, and suffering a seizure at the wrong time can be dangerous. Seizures are often triggered by outside stimuli, such as a red light blinking at a certain frequency. See/read the film/book "The Andromeda Strain" by Micheal Chrichton for a great example character.
Poltergeist-(5/10/15)You have an uncontrollable psychokenetic ability. In times of stress or frustration, minor kenetic incidents occur: objects are knocked over, fragile itms shatter, miscellaneous articles are moved about, etc. Note that you, and not some supernatural agent, are the cause of this effect. If another agency were the cause, then you would be suffering from the "Haunted" disadvantage. You can choose a "Haunted/Poltergeist" option, and let the GM and his story determine what is the origin of this effect. This is a more enigmatic and involving appraoch to the phenomena. Regardless of the cause of this effect - uncontrolled psychokenesis or haunting spirit - sometimes the effect will be useful to you, other times it will be (at least) a nuisance or (at worst) a threat. The extent of the effect, from overturned mugs to exploding windows, is determined by the point value of this disadvantage.
Rage-(15)You are seething with rage and full of hostility. Perhaps you had a particularily difficult life, or perhaps there is simply no reason for your rage. You find your temper very difficult to control, and other people seem to notice this - they tend to be edgy around you. In times of stress, an Ego throw is required to avoid breaking into a fit of rage and becoming violent toward anyone around you - friends included.
Reactionary-(10)You do not take the idea of change (particularily social, cultural, or religious) well. You're not simply "conservative" about things; you respond negatively towards change. Your responses are characteristically extreme, and may even be violent.
Rival-(5/10/15)You have earned a rival, someone who is in constant competition with you. This is not a healthy rivalry, one that could motivate you to improve. Your rival will go out of their way, even act illegally, to interfere with your performance. They might steal something of yours, spread lies about you, or even try to cause you physical harm. The GM should determine the point value of your rival, depending upon how strong their hostility is and how often they appear to trouble you. For even 5 points, the enemy should prove troublesome, at the very least slandering your name or stealing something from you. Your GM will create your rival.
Sexually Repressed-(5/10/15)You are sexually repressed. Perhaps you simply fear sex in general, or you might be a closeted homosexual, or have some fetish you dare not indulge in. Some might consider you frigid, or a prude, or just confused. The depth of your repression, along with its repercussions, establish the point value of this disadvantage. This disadvantage, combined with the disadvantage Sexual Neurosis (which Sexual Repression is a variet of), can create some very unusual situations or personality traits.
Socially Inept-(5)Basically, you are a geek. And chances are, you don't care (alternatively, you are defensively proud of your geekdom). In a social situation, you are a real liability. You can't dress (all you pants are high-water; you wear clashing colours, checks and plaids, t-shirts with goofy slogans...), you have no manners (not that you are intentionally rude, it's just that noone ever told you not to chew ice at a formal dinner; and you have one of those loud-guffaw laughs...). You wear a pocket protector because it's practical, and your horn-rimmed glasses have duct tape across the nose. You have a tendency to ask impertinent questions at embarrassing times, and you have an adolescent fascination with/fear of the opposite sex.
Submissive-(10)You let other people control you; you might even secretly like it. Maybe you just prefer authority in your life. It doesn't matter how bright you are or how much willpower you personally have - you are ruled by others. You tend to listen to anyone with a higher Ego than you, and you may have to make a successful Ego throw in order to do something contrary. Of course, if someone is telling you to do something that is utterly against your nature, you won't necessarily listen.
Vain-(5)You are incredibly vain. You are always concerned with your physical appearance: fixing your hair, wearing the nicest clothes (or being very upset when your appearel is not up to par, or gets soiled), perhaps exercising only to keep in the best shape, etc. Being vain does not necessarily mean that you are good-looking, just that you are concerneed about your looks. Alternately, "Vain" could apply not to your appearance, but your intellect. Instead of being overly concerneed with your physical looks, you can be overly concerned with how others perceive you intellectually.
Advantages:
Alertness-(10)You have a keen sense of awareness for your surroundings. You may notice details someone else will miss, be better able to describe the features of someone you've just met once, etc. This does not give you a bonus in a Per throw, but you have a +5 to the effect. Surprise attacks only have a +2 bonus against you.
Artifact-(5/10/15)You have an occult artifact in your possession. You might have found it, been bequeathed it by a relative or friend, or had it entrusted to your possession by a mentor. You may make suggestions for your artifact, including its history and abilities, but your GM will create it. Most likely, you will not know exactly what your artifact is capable of doing. The relative strength of an artifact - its abilities, powers, etc. - is determined by the artifact's value. Just remember that an artifact may be a disadvantage as well - if you have it, others may want it.
Bete-Noir Ally-(5/10/15)You have an ally who is one of the Children of the Night. While you can determine who this is, how you met him, and what your relationship with the bete-noir is (to a degree), your GM will create your ally. You will not alwasys be able to call upon your ally, and he may sometimes call upon you for help. If you are always looking for help but are frequently unwilling to provide any assistance in return, you may not have an ally for long. Another player character cannot be this ally. Children of the Night cannot take this advantage, although they can take the opposite, 'Mortal Ally'. The capabilities or accessability of your ally are determined by their value.
Driving Goal-(5)Your entire life is oriented around successfully accomplishing some particular goal or following a dream. This goal inspires you in all that you do, and you may even be a source of inspiration to others. Some people, after meeting their goals, simply find a new goal: what is important to them is to always have something to strive for. Other people may actually become a little depressed once their goal is met and a major componet of their life has disappeared. Some goals are all-consuming, and can become a source of obsession; obsessions are treated under the disadvantage "Mental Compulsion".
Faith-(5)You have faith in something higher than yourself; it may be a cause, a philosophical ideal, an ideological conviction, or a religion. Thhis faith gives you something to believe in, and provides strength that gets you through hard times. Your faith is a personal thing, and not necessarily something you try to push upon others, which is considered under the disadvantage "Fanaticism".
Fast Healer-(15)You heal more quickly than most people. Your body requires only half the normal length of time it takes to heal from injuries. You are still susceptable to infection, though, and all other effects of wounds. This advantage cannot be taken in conjunction with the Power "Regeneration". It can be upgraded to the Ki-force of the same name, however, for martial artists.
Fearless-(10)You are especially bold in the face of fear. In situations where most others might cower in fright, you are confident and courageous. You have a +5 bonus on all Terror throws.
Iron Will-(10)You are particularily strong-willed; little can dissuade you from a chosen goal or dream. You are not easily influenced by others who would try to impose their will upon yours. This gives you a +5 bonus on any will-power related Ego throws, including throws in resisting or casting magic that requires an Ego throw.
Mechanically Inclined-(5/10)Some people just have a knack with mechanical devices. Not just computers, but everyday appliances, electronics and office machines respond to you. Of course, you probably have some rudimentary skill with such things, but this is more than that. You are one of those people who can smack the racalcitrant hard drive, finesse the car ignition, wiggle the wires on the stereo, and suddenly everything works. The GM may wish to treat this as a special roll if it gets out of control - or the player tries to abuse it.
Mentor-(5/10/15)You have a mentor, who might be a teacher, older relative, or simply someone you met in the course of your life. Your mentor is a wise individual, and often seems to know much more than they are willing to let on. Your mentor's availability will vary from game to game. Regardless of his availability, don't depend upon your mentor to pull you out of trouble. Also remember that your mentor may call upon you for tasks and errands, and how willingly and how well you perform may determine your mentors future attitude toward assissting you. While you can determine your relationship with your mentor, your GM will create her. Your mentor's point value will determine how powerful the mentor is and/or how available she is.
Optimist-(5)You always have positive hopes for the future. This does not mean that you don't see anything bad in a situation; it means that you see past the negative factors. This optimism helps you get through hard times, although some others might find it occasionally annoying.
Status-(5/10/15)You have an important status in society. You might be a prominant politician, a respected buisnessman, or someone else of significance. The higher your status, the more likely you are to get corporate and political favours, bank loans, assistance, etc. This can also serve as a disadvantage if you are too easily recognized in times that you would rather remain incognito.
Dark Secrets:
Chosen-"My nightmares have always been peculiar crammed with full moons and people dancing naked around a stone alter. I stand at the head of the alter, a sharp dagger in my hands: the young child lying tied to the alter. the dancing paople chant out a name I have never heard, yet sounds familiar: Baqnarat, Baqnarat the Black. The psychologists would explain it as a neurosis caused by my repressive Catholic upbringing, full of sexual symbolism. But then I started to receive the letters signed in blood. One moonlit night, I glimpsed figures dancing in my yard: I raced out to confront them, but they werre gone. At first I thought I had imagined them, but then I saw their footprints, and a familiar dagger, half-buried in the grass..."
You have been chosen to be a leader or a victim (or eventually, perhaps both) by either the gods or a cult. They will fetch you when the time is right. Perhaps you have been chosen at random. Maybe your parents were members of the cult, and you were bred for this purpose.
Disadvantages:Phobia (blood/ animals/ death/ crowds/ sacred sites/ darkness/ the full moon) Curse, Mental Constriction, Haunted, Persecuted, Nightmares, Drug Addiction, Schizophrenia, Sexual Neurosis, Depression
Gaurdian-"At last my curiosity was stilled. Father took me up to the attic and showed me what was hidden in the large wardrobe. To my delight it was a long, beutiful broadsword that glittered faintly in the weak light. Then he made me swear to protect this sword with my life; I would release the sword from my custody only if the Black Raven returned, anmd I was to give him the sword. I asked how I would recognize this person; Father only smiled and said that I would know him. Those were my father's last words to me. The following day he was killed by two burglars trying to get into the attic. Aided by a strength and skill I never would have thought possible, I used the sword to kill the two...things. I can't describe them any more accuratly than that. After the burglary, I quit my job and fled to San Francisco, taking the sword with me."
You have been appointed the guardian of an important object until an indeterminate time in the future. Either the lawful owner will demand the return of the object, or else you will use it to fulfill some task. The task of being gaurdian may have passed on to you through generations, and you may have to choose a successor one day.
Disadvantages:Fanaticism, Phobia (strangers), Curse, Mental Constriction, Paranoia, Persecuted, Wanted, Nightmares, Drug Addiction, Sexual Neurosis
Inheritor-"The letter from France revealed that I apparently had a distant relative. Neither I nor my parents had ever heard of him, but after checking the parish register we found someone who might have been a link to this previously unknown kinsman. This relation had died and left something behind, and for inexplicable reasons this 'something' was willed to me. We were even more surprised when the inheritance arrived from France - a small, ebony figurine carved into the form of an enormously muscled man with fangs and claws. We started to feel uneasy from the moment we first held it, and it was soon after the figurine arrived that we started having nightmares. And burglaries. Then we received visits from men, dressed in dark suits, who wanted to buy the figurine. We wanted to be rid of this damned thing; but somehow, we could not bring ourselves to part with it, so we refused. They threatened us, saying that we would regret our stubborness."
You have inherited a mysterious object from a remote and unknown relative. You are fascinated by the object and refuse to give it up. Representatives of unknown agencies are out to get the object, and will try to buy or steal it from you. The object is of occult origin, and is charged with magical energy. Its sideeffects may affect you adversely; on the other hand, its very presence may be somehow protecting you...
Disadvantages:Curse, Paranoia, Greed, Haunted, Persecuted, Nightmares, Phobia (strangers), Drug Addiction, Rationalist
Survivor Friend-"It all began the day Scott died. He had been working day and night at his gigantic 'scoop', a story that would earn him the Pulitzer Prize. The only thing he had been talking about when we met were the clues and the fantastic news he had come across. Of course, he could not tell me anything specific; he had to protect his sources. Then he was found dead in his photo lab, drowned in some sort of developer. His news had apparently been too hot. Soon after his death, the phone calls began: whispering voices demandeed that I reveal what I knew. Threatening letters arrived post marks from across the globe - but no return address - letters suggesting that htere would be 'trouble' if I told anyone what I'd learned. Mysterious people shadowed me at night; I began to feel that my house was being watched. I don't know what to do; I haven't the faintest clue what Scott was up to, but I feel like my life is threatened as well."
Someone close to you has been doing research into the obscure or the occult. When he came too close to the truth he dissappeared into hiding, or perhaps was kidnapped. After your friend died (or disappeared), mysterious strangers began harassing you demanding that you tell them what you learned but otherwise keep quiet about it. The problem is, you don't know what the mysterious voices seek. Perhaps there is more than one faction among those who pursue you and you must play a dangerous game just to stay alive.
Disadvantages:Depressed, Oath of Revenge, Phobia (being alone/ crowds/ strangers), Mental Constriction, Persecuted, Habitual Liar, Nightmares, Drug Addiction, Bad Luck, Rationalist, Mental Compulsion, Paranoia
Uprooted-"As far back as I can remember, we've been on the move, never stopping anywhere for more than a month. Everybody we met looked at us suspiciously or treated us like criminals. I asked father several times why this was so, but he was hesitant to answer. Then something else would happen that would force us to ove on. Perhaps it had something to do with father's nocturnal expeditions. Once some men in dark suits stopped us, and took father away with them. Mother cried a lot after that and we never saw father again. Afterwards things calmed down a bit, but soon we were on the move again."
Something in your familiy's past has forced your family to live an itinerant life, always on the run. Maybe it is a curse or a punishment for outrageous crimes. Perhaps you belong to a religious minority.
Disadvantages:Bad Reputation, Mortal Enemy, Oath of Revenge, Fanaticism, Phobia (crowds/ being alone/ strangers/ occult incidents), Curse, Persecuted, Mental Constriction, Paranoia, Wanted, Nightmares, Drug Addiction, Bad Luck, Sexual Neurosis
Skills:
Alternative Medicine-(Ego)You are silled in alternative healing techniques. This skill covers the spectrum of non-standard ("standard" meaning contemporary scientific) medical skills, which vary in efficacy of treating illnesses or wounds. Possible forms of medicine include acupuncture, ayurveda (an ancient Hindu healing method), homeopathy (a system based on the application of small doses of drugs that ion larger doses cause symptoms of the disease being treated), qigong (a Chinese method of controlling the flow of natural energy throughout the body), shiatsu (traditional Japanese massage therapy), etc. The skill should be taken for each form of treatment known. GMs should determine the medical efficacy of each form of medicine on a case-by-case basis, if alternative medicine is being used for long-term treatment of wounds. Suggesteed effects include lowering the healing time by one-third to one-half: healing from a light wound, which normally takes one week, would take three to five days. Some forms of treatment may be fruitless, or even counter-productive; this, again, is for the GM to decide.
Administration-(Ego)You know the theories, techniques, and principles of business administration. You can manage employees, increase efficiency, and otherwise handle the various facets of running a business. This can apply to businesses of varying sizes or natures. Alternatively, this can be chosen for Public Adminisration, which deals with leadership in public society.
Agronomy-(Ego)You know the principles of farming and agriculture. You know the best time to plant, what soil is good for planting, how to cultilvate budding plants, treat ill or malnourished plants, etc. This skill can apply to backyard gardens or large farms (including the use of farm equipment).
Animal Training-(Cha)You can handle and train animals. You can soothe agitated animals, guide or direct animals and train them to do various tasks or tricks. Wild animals are more difficult to train than are domesticated animals, and animals that are unfamiliar with the trainer are also more difficult. Gms should determine difficulties or bonuses, but they should be in the -5 to +5 range.
Architecture-(Ego)You have some education in architecture. You can design and analyze buildings and building plans, incorporating artistic value and functional design. You can locate electrical conduits, plumbing, air vents, etc. You also have some knowledge of architectural history. You are also capable of noticing architectural anomalies - where hidden rooms might be, what appears to be newer construction, etc. You must have a minimum skill of 13 in order to be a professional architect.
City/Area Knowledge-(Ego)You know about the history, geography, and important features of any particular city or large regional area: Washington D.C., Chicago, Toronto, the Raleigh-Durham area, etc. At lower skill ratings, you know about as much as a well-read tourist; at 10 or above, you know as much as a native. You can indentify the best places to eat, find the local landmarks, and you know a bit of important local history.
City/Area Secrets-(Ego)You know the dark secrets of any particular city or city-area. You know who bribes the city officials, where the secret entrances to the sewers are, the best places for drug deals, who might be good contacts, and where to leave the body so no one will find it for at least a decade. If need be, you could probably go into hiding for a long time and not be found.