Foils
Everyone has their weaknesses. Their blind spots. The hang-ups they just can't seem to get over. These are not necessarily character flaws (though they can be); they may be physical or mental limitations that simply foil the hero from time to time. The arc of an interesting hero isn't necessarily one of glorious triumph to glorious triumph, but of struggle, not only against impossible odds, but against oneself. A hero is not compelling because they are perfect or because they win all the time. A hero is compelling because they fail, fall, and get up again.
Foils are a way to represent a Character's shortcomings in terms of game mechanics. In many ways, they are the reverse of Features. Where Features can offer a bonus to rolls they could conceivably apply to, Foils impose a penalty on a roll when you voluntarily choose to apply one. Putting a Foil on a roll is always a choice you can make. Yes, the Foil will make the roll more difficult - but overcoming the odds and succeeding in spite of themselves causes your Character to acquire a point of ExP, which will advance them closer to their next Level. You can earn ExP from your Foils a total of three times per session.
You may take up to three Foils when creating a Character.
Foils are a way to represent a Character's shortcomings in terms of game mechanics. In many ways, they are the reverse of Features. Where Features can offer a bonus to rolls they could conceivably apply to, Foils impose a penalty on a roll when you voluntarily choose to apply one. Putting a Foil on a roll is always a choice you can make. Yes, the Foil will make the roll more difficult - but overcoming the odds and succeeding in spite of themselves causes your Character to acquire a point of ExP, which will advance them closer to their next Level. You can earn ExP from your Foils a total of three times per session.
You may take up to three Foils when creating a Character.
Custom Foils
What you'll find here is not an exhaustive list of every Foil a character could possibly have. Instead, these are some of the more common ones which can apply to a variety of situations. If there is a particular weakness or personality flaw you'd like your Character to have, discuss the idea with your GM and see if you'll have ample opportunity to emply this Foil throughout the game (and if its inclusion will make the story sufficiently interesting). Keep the following in mind as you design a custom Foil for your character:
- Like Features, a Foil should answer the statement "he/she is..." or "he/she has a..." For example, "No Filter" is better than "Says What's On Her Mind" because it answers the statement "he/she has..."
- A good Foil should be broadly applicable across a variety of situations. "Bad Temper" is a good Foil because it can be applied to many social or adventuring situations where the hero's patience is tested.
- Don't be too vague, however - you don't want the Foil to apply to nearly every situation you encounter. For example, "Unlucky" is not a good Foil because it could be applied to nearly every situation (you could just be unlucky and fail).
Foils List
PhysicalAbnormally Short
Allergies Amputee Anosmia Arthritis Asthma Bad Back Bad Knees Carpal Tunnel Chronic Fatigue Chronic Pain Clumsy Crippled Deformed Feeble Frail Constitution Frightening Appearance Halitosis Hard of Hearing Inflexible Insomniac Migraines Narcolepsy Obese Poor Eyesight Sensory Issues Sickly Ugly Walks With a Limp Weak Stomach |
MentalAddiction
Analysis Paralysis Bad Temper Control Freak Cowardly Crippling Anxiety Curiosity Killed the Cat Delusional Ditz Easily Distra- Fear of Failure Fear of Success Forgetful Greedy Hypochondriac Impulsive Just Plain Stupid Kleptomaniac Manic Depressive Masochist Mean As Hell Neurotic Nobody Calls Me Chicken Obsessive Compulsive Paranoid Perfectionist Phobia PTSD Sadistic Self-Doubt |
Social-EmotionalArrogant
Attention Seeker Autistic Awkward Bad Reputation Big Fish Stories Boundary Crosser Chronic Flirt Compulsive Liar Fear of Rejection Gossip Gullible Inferiority Complex Insensitive Interrupting Cow Judgemental Loose Lips Sink Ships Naíve Narcissist No Filter One-Upper Painfully Shy Prude Social Anxiety Spoiled Brat Stammer Tactless Trust Issues Uptight Victim Mentality |