Obsidian Reign Characters
Character Creation
You are a normal human teenager with responsibilities who can transform into a magical panther with the power to protect humanity.
Normal Human
First create your base human character. Use the standard rules except at described below.
First select a character archetype that represents the kind of character you want to play.
With your archetype in mind, select attributes and skills.
- 4 attribute points
- 10 skill points, see below for setting specific skills.
- 2 minor hinderances
- 2 advancements
Finally, fill out your character with the powers from your sapphire bond and your titan form.
Hinderances
Characters of Obsidian Reign have a sapphire bond that gives them many advantages, powers, and hinderances. To maintain balance players may select only 2 additional minor hindrances for their character. Many major hindrances can be converted to minor hindrances by taking them as a Quirk.
You may not select any hindrance that would make it too difficult to cooperate with others. All major hindrances and these minor hindrances are disallowed:
- Enemy, Illiterate, Secret
Skills
Obsidian Reign takes place in 1911, long before computers, but there are complex devices powered by Bradford Stone.
These skills are altered from the base system:
- Bradworks (replaces Electronics)
- The use and repair of devices powered by Bradford Stone.
And these skills aren't available to the teenagers of Obsidian Reign:
- Battle, Driving, Faith, Hacking, Piloting, Psionics, Science, Spellcasting, Weird Science
Edges
You may select any edges from the lists for common advancements, those for your archetype, and those listed here.
- Attractive
- Very Attractive
- Connections
- Rich
- Filthy Rich
Equipment
We won't be tracking currency; your equipment will depend on the wealth level of your family. It is "normal" unless you have the Poverty hinderance or the Rich/Filthy Rich edges.
- Laborer (poverty)
- Your family is employed by professionals and merchants to do hard labor: porters, miners, dock workers, servants, lumberjacks, factory workers, etc. You are the first of your family to attend secondary school. Your family lives in a boarding house and can barely afford food and school supplies, you wear worn, second hand clothes. When you are not in school you probably work in a factory or some other menial job to help support your family.
- Professional (default)
- Your parents are skilled professionals of a craft or service in the employ of a local merchant and you live in a small house or a "flat" near where they work. Your family has sufficient income for food and clothing with enough for an occasional celebration but they don't own any property and have very few durable goods beyond their professional tools. In addition to school you may have an apprenticeship that requires most of your time.
- Merchant (rich)
- Your family owns a factory, business, ships, or other property and make their living by managing that property. You live in a house and eat well with easy access to basic goods and clothing. You are far better off than most of the people in Eureka and have some time to for extra schooling, an apprenticeship, or other productive activities.
- Aristocrat (filthy rich)
- Your family is one of the oldest landowners in the city with great wealth and responsibility to all citizens. You live in a mansion on an estate and the only one of your siblings to go to a public secondary school. Every aristocrat is expected to follow a strict code of ethics to be polite and gracious to all citizens. Your aristocratic family doesn't care what you do, as long as you don't disgrace the family name.
Titan Form
Next, create your titan form. Titans are large panthers with softly-glowing fur. The titan form is obviously a supernatural creature designed to fight other supernatural creatures. A titan is magical creature, it does not bleed or have internal organs.
All titan forms have the following traits
- +2 Toughness.
- +2 Recover from shaken.
- Doesn't breath, eat, sleep, or age.
- Immune to mundane poison and disease.
- No extra damage from called shots; but they can still be crippled.
- Weakness to silver and moonlight (-2 toughness/resistance).
- Cannot be healed with mundane methods.
- Cannot use Smarts-based skills. (But don't dump Smarts, you will need those human skills.)
- No hands, so cannot use tools or mundane equipment.
- Natural Weapons: teeth (Str +d6) & claws (Str +d6)
And traits that affect both human and titan forms.
- Transformation: Focus roll and 1 turn to transform into a titan.
- Regeneration (heal 1 wound/day). Titan and human forms share the same wound levels.
- Secret Identity: If the bad guys knew you were a titan, your family would be in danger.
- Vow: You are sworn to protect human life, destroy evil, and encourage peace and cooperation. (This comes from your Sapphire bond, breaking this vow will break the bond.)
- +1 benny
Archetypes and Advancements
As you gain experience your titan form becomes stronger. Advancements can be use to:
- Gain one power/ability for your archetype or the common advancement table below.
- Gain one attribute increase, up to d10.
- Gain two skill increases to skills below the linked attribute.
- Gain one skill increase to a skill at or above the linked attribute.
Unless described below, all advancements are edges from the core book. Trait requirements are only suggestions.
- Skill and attribute increases apply to both human and titan forms.
- Italic powers can only be used in titan form.
- Advancements with an asterisk(*) are unique to Obsidian Reign and are described below.
- All abilities that require a focus roll also cause you to glow softly, indicating an obvious use of supernatural power to anybody paying attention. This is indicated in the power description.
Common Advancements
These advancements are applicable to every archetype.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobat | Counterattack | Indomitable(*) |
| Steady Hands | Humanoid(*) | Fearless |
| Luck | Sense Evil(*) | Tough as Nails |
| Fleet Footed | Uncanny Reflexes | |
| Quick | Toughness | |
| Champion | Nerves of Steel |
Average-Joe
The special thing about an average-joe is that they aren't all that different from everybody else. They go to school, hang out with friends, and all the other typical teenager things. These are some of the best titans because they can adapt to changing situations. They may not be as powerful as others, but they can succeed at anything.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Brave | Arcane Resistance | Alter Destiny(*) |
| Calculating | Frenzy | Kugelblitz(*) |
| Extraction | Level Headed | |
| Free Runner | Brawler | |
| Reliable | ||
| Streetwise |
Class-clown
Class-clowns enjoy bringing other people joy. Sometimes they are silly, sometimes ironic or depressive but always with the goal of making whatever situation they are in more enjoyable for the people around them. As a titan the class-clown supports their team and plays pranks on the enemy.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Bolster | Dodge | Jinx(*) |
| Common Bond | Sabotage(*) | Mic Drop(*) |
| Extraction | Killer Instinct | |
| Feint | Scavenger | |
| Provoke | ||
| Retort |
Creepy-kid
The creepy-kid is into tarot cards, astrology, and other weird occult stuff. They seem to know things that other kids find spooky and scary. They often have few, if any, friends but they don't care because they Know Things. As a titan they can manifest energy into physical things, confusing and harassing the enemy.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| After Image(*) | Entrapment(*) | Duplication(*) |
| Alertness | Illusion(*) | Divination(*) |
| Brave | Level Headed | |
| Danger Sense | No Mercy | |
| Elan | ||
| Strong Willed |
Heart-throb
Every school class has that one boy or girl more beautiful and charming than the rest. This heart-throb is charming and friendly and diplomatic, able to lead others to success and convince others to do the right thing. They are strategic and tactical, inspiring and encouraging. The heart-throb is also the only archetype that can use its powers without transforming into a titan.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Bolster | Inspire(*) | Motivate(*) |
| Charismatic | Level Headed | Rejuvenate(*) |
| Common Bond | Natural Leader | |
| Humiliate | Tactician | |
| Encourage(*) | ||
| Reliable |
Lone-wolf
Mavericks, freaks, punks, and misfits who feel like they don't fit in with the rest of the class. They have thick skin, a strong personality, and a pursuit that most of their class would consider too strange. As a titan the lone-wolf excels at creative tactics, flanking and surprising the enemy, and getting out of danger before others see it coming.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Alertness | Assassin | Obscure(*) |
| Elan | Dodge | Cat Eyes(*) |
| Extraction | Killer Instinct | |
| Specialization(*) | No Mercy | |
| Streetwise | ||
| Strong Willed |
Meat-head
A meat-head is a sports jock who succeeds through strength and athletics. Meat-heads work best as part of a team, working as a group to strengthen each other and succeed together. As a titan they bring great power to the team, shielding their friends from danger and bringing the beat-down to the enemy.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Brawny | Brawler | Charge(*) |
| Brute | Bruiser | Testudo(*) |
| Extraction | Hardy(*) | |
| Feint | Power Bite(*) | |
| Iron Jaw | ||
| Reliable |
Smarty-pants
Some people love to read and learn about the world they live in. The smarty-pants character loves to learn; they read the encyclopedia for fun, study historical events, and can tell you how Ohm's law explains light bulbs. Smarty-pants tend to be less powerful titans, but they more than make up for it with their deep understanding of physics and geometry.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Calculating | Arcane Resistance | Tool User(*) |
| Elan | Jack-of-all-trades | Genius(*) |
| Investigator | McGyver | |
| Provoke | Reliable | |
| Scholar | ||
| Strong Willed |
Tree-hugger
Teenagers often find themselves searching for meaning and purpose. Some find their purpose in the plants and animals outside the city. Tree-huggers love their pets and potted plants and have a near-psychic connection to nature. This connection to nature makes the titan form more resilient and adaptable than most and many can learn to understand other animals.
| Novice | Seasoned | Veteran |
|---|---|---|
| Alertness | Beast Bond | Stealth(*) |
| Beast Master | Extraction | Cats Grace(*) |
| Brave | Animal Voice(*) | |
| Danger Sense | Tracking(*) | |
| Free Runner | ||
| Woodsman |
Power Descriptions
- After Image (Focus)
- You can create an illusionary duplicate of a stationary object. When you move an object you can take an illusion of the object, or leave an illusion behind in place of the object. The illusion is ethereal, but otherwise indistinguishable from the original. The illusion vanishes if punctured.
- Alter Destiny (Focus)
- One person you can see gains +2 or -2 to their next action. You decide if it is a bonus or penalty and you can specify a specific kind of action (trait roll) if desired. Each raise increases the modifier by +/-1.
- Animal Voice
- You can communicate with animals. Animals do not speak human language but they can communicate in sensory and emotional impressions. Most animals will be friendly and willing to communicate.
- Cats Eyes
- You can see in the dark and hear a mouse sneeze. This does not give a bonus to Notice, but it negates all environmental penalties to sight and sound and your sight is powerful enough to read a road sign up to a mile away.
- Cats Grace (Focus)
- You can move over any surface, from soft snow to sheer cliffs, leaving behind only faintly glowing footsteps. You can walk on any surface up to an 80 degree slope and crawl on sheer walls, but ceilings and overhangs are too steep for you.
- Charge (Focus)
- You can charge into another person or object with a run action. The person or object hit is knocked back (1d6 hexes - size) and is distracted until their next turn. If they are knocked into something they both take damage (1d6 + 1 per hex). A person can dodge the charge with Athletics, and if they do then charge 1d6 hexes past them.
- Divination (Focus)
- By handling and concentrating on an object you can detect impressions from the recent past of that object. You can detect the motivations of somebody who recently used the object, how long the object has been in its current state, if the object was used for violence or stealth, etc. This information comes as sensory information: visions, smells, emotions, etc. from the perspective of the object.
- Duplication (Focus)
- You create three illusionary duplicates of yourself that act as if they were you. They are identical to you and an opponent will not know which image is the real titan. When attacking you get a gang-up bonus. You can also control your illusions to act without you, they can not cause damage but they can distract an opponent.
- Encourage (Focus)
- Support an individual in their next action, adding any successes and raises from your focus roll as successes to their roll.
- Entrapment (Focus)
- After successfully grappling an opponent you may move away and leave a duplicate of yourself behind to continue the grapple. If the opponent breaks free of the hold then your duplicate vanishes. The duplicate has the same traits as you for the purpose of maintaining the grapple.
- Genius
- Free reroll on all Smarts linked skills. Yeah, you probably know everything about everything. People hate that.
- Hardy
- A second shaken result doesn't cause a wound; the attacker must get a raise on the damage roll to cause a wound even if you are already shaken.
- Humanoid
- Your titan is able to assume the form of a bipedal cat with arms. You still have paws instead of hands and feet but you can now use tools and mundane equipment with a -2 penalty. You can transform into either panther or humanoid titan.
- Illusion (Focus)
- You can create an After Image of an object in motion, even a living creature. You can control the motion of the object but you are distracted while doing so. Otherwise the object will continue whatever it was doing until interrupted, then vanish. The original object remains, as with After Image. The focus roll is at -1 per size above 0 (human). After Image can now be used on stationary objects without transforming into a titan.
- Inspire (Focus)
- Support a group of allies in their next action, adding any successes from your focus roll to their roll.
- Jinx(Focus)
- Like Sabotage but when the object fails it will fail catastrophically, breaking apart into chunks and components. The focus roll is at -1 per size above 0 (human). Jinx can cause the failure to happen immediately, without waiting for the mechanism to be used.
- Kugelblitz (Focus)
- Your titan shoots lasers from its eyes. This is a ranged attack with a range of 10/20/40. It is most effective against supernatural evil where it does 3d6 damage; against mundane creatures and objects it does only 2d6 damage.
- Mic Drop (Focus)
- You disappear in a flash of light and puff of smoke and reappear up to 10 hexes away. If you appear next to an opponent you have The Drop on them until their next turn. You must be able to walk/run/climb to the new location.
- Motivate (Focus)
- Motivate a group of people (small blast) to be more friendly or aggressive, calm or fearful, etc. You do not control the group, only motivate them to behave in some way. More raises enhances the effect and/or the number of people affected. This power can be resisted with Spirit (-1 per raise).
- Obscure (Focus)
- A dense mist seeps out of the ground and covers the area (large blast template). The fog is thick and obscures everything more than a few feet away. Any attempt to target something in the fog is at -2 (and another -1 per raise). Sapphire titans can see each other clearly and the fog is a only a mist, they do not have any penalties.
- Power Bite
- Your titan jaws are supernaturally strong. You teeth count as a heavy weapon; it can tear through steel, and crush stones. Your bit attack ignores all mundane armor and has AP 2 vs supernatural armor.
- Rejuvenate (Focus)
- Speak encouraging words and send glowing power into another creature to heal and rejuvenate it. Heal a wound or condition for each success or raise. You must touch the individual and it must be done less than 24 hours after the wound was inflicted. This only works once per injury and can not restore lost limbs or organs.
- Sabotage (Focus)
- Touch a machine or mechanical system to cause it to fail subtly. The failure isn't obvious until the machine is used, then it will fail and won't function until repaired. If the machine is already working it malfunctions immediately.
- Sense Evil (Focus)
- When you close your eyes and concentrate you can detect supernatural evil nearby. You can detect the direction and strength of the of evil but not its source, unless it is less than a few meters away. This does not detect mundane evil intentions, only evil supernatural creatures.
- Specialization
- You are an expect at a specific activity. Choose a skill and an action related to that skill. You get +2 when performing that action. Examples: Athletics(Football), Shooting (Archery), Academics(Chess), Repair(Engines), Science(Geology), Occult(Runescript), etc. This is the skill that sets you apart from your colleagues.
- Stealth (Focus)
- You glow briefly then blend into the background, becoming nearly invisible. You can move at half pace without becoming visible. Any attack or action that changes the world around you dispels the illusion.
- Testudo (Focus)
- Assume an aggressive stance and stare down your foes. You glow with a hard light that taunts your foes into attacking you. As long as you don't break your stance all damage done to you is reduced by 1 level and you can make a free Focus role to soak the rest. While in your stance you may take no more than one action and may not move from your position.
- Tool User
- Your titan has hands and feet and can use Smarts based skills in humanoid titan form. Your claws can extend out of your hands when you create a fist but are usually fully retracted.
- Tracking (Focus)
- You have a supernatural sense of your environment, on par with Aragorn and Sherlock Holmes. You can detect if water is safe to drink by smelling it, how tall somebody was by their footsteps, how many people are on a boat by the shape of its waves, what kind of animal bled on the floor, and more. You can also use your ability to obfuscate your own movements and actions from other investigators.
