Example Player Characters #

Layla Abernathy #

Excellent Liar ; Kleptomanic Tendencies

Skills: Fight 4, Move 6, Study 5, Survive 4, Talk 6, Operate 5
Styles: Boldly 5, Carefully 5, Cleverly 4, Forcefully 4, Quietly 6, Swiftly 6
Focuses: Discourse 3, Firearms 2, Observation 5, Stealth 5

Stress: 9
Armor: 1
Max Determination: 3

Talents #

Sweet Words
The difficulty and Momentum cost for the Create Trait action are reduced by -1 when using the Talk skill.

From the Shadows
When you attack an enemy that doesn’t see you, the difficulty of the attack is reduced by -1.

Make it Happen
After you perform a skill test with extra successes, you may create a Trait by adding 1 Chaos.

Equipment #

Lever-action Rifle: 3 damage, Distant Range.
Thermal Lens: Ignore Traits that hinder sight.
Silencer: -1 damage, Subtle 2 (Study at difficulty 2 to notice attacks).
Dual Blades: 2 damage, Melee, Follow Up (First use in turn is a minor action).
Tattoo of Transparency: 2 times per scene, you may gain the Trait Invisible until the end of the next round.
Leather Jacket: Armor 1.

Spy, scoundrel, fun-times guaranteer, Layla is as sweet as a cherry and as trustworthy as a poisoned apple. The gal-for-hire was a mercenary for the longest time, until she crossed paths with a Marduk operator on the southern colonies. Even during missions, Layla never misses out on an opportunity to live a little. She has a habit of “borrowing” little souvenirs from every place she visits.

Captain Matthew Cordon #

Military Man ; Natural Leader

Skills: Fight 6, Move 4, Study 4, Survive 5, Talk 5, Operate 6
Styles: Boldly 6, Carefully 5, Cleverly 4, Forcefully 6, Quietly 4, Swiftly 5
Focuses: Discourse 3, Melee 5, Tactics 4, Resilience 3

Stress: 11
Armor: 2
Max Determination: 3

Talents #

Just as Planned
After an ally rolls a skill test, you may spend a Determination token to declare that their action is part of your plan. You automatically assist the ally’s action, even if you aren’t actually present, and your assistance die is considered to have automatically rolled a 1.

Contingency Plan
Once per scene, when you or an ally are injured, you can claim that the injury is something you planned for. Gain one Determination token immediately.

Undeterred
You laugh in the face of adversity, it can only strengthen you. Whenever you fail a skill test of difficulty 2 or higher, add 1 token to the group’s Momentum pool to represent your infatigable spirit.

Equipment #

Officer’s Sword: 4 damage, Melee, Block (Reroll 1d20 on defense).
Revolver: 3 damage, Range.
Fog Grenade: Consumable 1. Applies the Trait Fog to a zone
Viscoelastic Vest: Armor 2.

Captain Matthew Cordon is a tough-as-nails, rules-as-written soldier who rarely thinks twice before following orders. The captain has been deployed to many missions, climbing up the ranks until landing his current position in section Marduk as the leader of an elite force.

Dr. Jacqueline (Jacky) Haidt #

We all have vast potential ; Morbid curiosity

Skills: Fight 5, Move 5, Study 6, Survive 6, Talk 4, Operate 4
Styles: Boldly 5, Carefully 6, Cleverly 6, Forcefully 4, Quietly 4, Swiftly 5
Focuses: Biology 5, Resilience 4, Society 2, Wilderness 4

Stress: 11
Natural Armor: 2
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Freak
You can learn Biotech powers and talents with XP, and gain one 5XP power or talent when you take this talent.

The Doctor will See You Now
When you Study with the Biology focus, you may spend Momentum to reduce the difficulty of the test by 1 for each Momentum spent, to a minimum of 1.

Powers #

Alter Ego [Survive, Free Action, 3 Mana]
Your skin becomes gray and your limbs lengthen as your alter ego takes over. Reduce by -1 the difficulty of Fight and Survive tests until the end of the next round.

Bloodthirsty [+2 Mana]: Upon a successful melee attack, recover 2 stress. In addition, your attacks gain the Intense quality.
Tenacious [+X Mana]: The duration of Alter Ego is increased by X rounds.

Equipment #

Claws: 2 damage, Melee, Follow Up (First use in turn is a minor action), Concealed (Requires a skill test to detect).
Adrenaline Booster: Consumable 1. Target recovers 2 stress.
Hardened Skin: Natural Armor 2.

Jacky is a monster of science. Experimenting on herself due to lack of funding, the doctor gained an enhanced body at the cost of her soul. Jacqueline now shares her mind with Ms. Heidi - her melodramatic, murderous alter ego.

Clayton Moss #

Hard to Read ; Cool-headed

Skills: Fight 6, Move 5, Study 4, Survive 6, Talk 4, Operate 5
Styles: Boldly 5, Carefully 6, Cleverly 4, Forcefully 6, Quietly 4, Swiftly 5
Focuses: Melee 5, Athletics 4, Resilience 2, Matter Alteration 4

Stress: 12
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Matter Alteration
You can use Matter Alteration powers, and gain one 5XP power when you take this talent. Requires having the Matter Alteration focus.

Cover Fire
After attacking a target, you may spend 1 Momentum to delay their turn. When their side gets the initiative, they cannot take a turn (unless they are the last character left in the initiative order).

Come and Have a Go If You Think You’re Hard Enough
When adding d20s to a defense roll via Chaos, gain a bonus 1d20 for the roll.

Powers #

Harden [Operate, Minor Action, 2 Mana]
Gain temporary Natural Armor equal to your Matter Alteration focus. The armor ablates by 1 at the end of each round.

Target [+1 Mana]: The affect is applied to a nearby target instead.

Equipment #

Battle Axe: 4 damage, Melee, Intense (+X damage when rolling X extra successes).

It was never about duty for Clayton. He’s not in it for the money either. He has just become tired of all the useless bloodshed. Clayton likes to think of his philosophy as the final form of pacifism - help the winning side win faster so that fewer people die.

Yoshio #

Eye for an Eye ; I don’t need help from anyone

Skills: Fight 6, Move 5, Study 4, Survive 6, Talk 4, Operate 5
Styles: Boldly 6, Carefully 4, Cleverly 4, Forcefully 5, Quietly 5, Swiftly 6
Focuses: Reality Distortion 2, Athletics 4, Firearms 5, Streetwise 4

Stress: 12
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Reality Distortion
You can use Reality Distortion powers, and gain one 5XP power when you take this talent. Requires having the Reality Distortion focus.

Powers #

Enhanced Gravity [Study, Major Action, 1 Mana]
You exert your will on nature itself, amplifying the force of gravity. A nearby target falls Prone and suffers 2 damage.

Area [+2 Mana]: The power takes effect on all characters within a nearby zone.
Intensify [+1 Mana]: Targets suffer 3 damage instead.

Teleport [Study, Minor Action, 2 Mana]
Space bends and shifts around you as your form vanishes and reappears somewhere nearby. You can teleport to any nearby, available, visible space.

Farther [+X Mana]: Increase the range of Teleport by 1 zone per Mana spent.
Hitchhike [+X Mana]: Take with you additional characters that are within reach, 1 character per Mana spent.
Nostalgic [+1 Mana]: You don’t have to see the destination of your teleport, as long as it’s within range and you’ve been there before.

Equipment #

Shotgun: 4 damage, Range, Knockdown (When rolling X extra successes, targets must Survive at difficulty X or be Prone).

Most Syters are elegant, calculated, cautious. Not Yoshio. Ever since his parents were killed he is fueled by revenge. Self-taught, his distortion technique is rough and dangerous. Coupled with his combat experience and sheer willpower, he is a fearsome opponent in the battlefield.

Shoshana Kolsov #

No secret stays hidden forever ; Steel Nerves

Stress: 11
Natural Armor: 2
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Freak
You can learn Biotech powers and talents with XP, and gain one 5XP power or talent when you take this talent.

Death Wish
You can spend stress instead of Momentum to buy additional d20s.

Powers #

Bio-Whip [Survive, Major Action, 1 Mana]
You extend your veins, vines, tongue, hair or tentacles, grabbing some poor soul or protruding edge. You may get anywhere nearby that the Bio-Whip can access.

Hitchhike [+1 Mana]: You may latch onto a character and pull them to you, with enemies requiring a contest test.
Wrap it Up [+1 Mana]: The target has to pass a skill test at a difficulty equal to your Resilience score or get Bound 2.

Equipment #

Claws: 2 damage, Melee, Follow Up (First use in turn is a minor action), Concealed (Requires a skill test to detect).
Adrenaline Booster: Consumable 3. Target recovers 2 stress.
Hardened Skin: Natural Armor 2.

Shoshana used to like nature before she became part of it. As a researcher, she became fascinated with the native flora of Ka’athys, letting a specific genus consume more than her curiosity. The parasitic Clila Dama plant has taken root in her veins, and Shoshana perfected the symbiosis to ensure the survival of both.

Remiro Dolch #

Mathematician ; A Pyromancer in Denial

Skills: Fight 4, Move 5, Study 6, Survive 4, Talk 5, Operate 6
Styles: Boldly 4, Carefully 6, Cleverly 6, Forcefully 4, Quietly 5, Swiftly 5
Focuses: Engineering 4, Lore 3, Observation 4, Matter Alteration 4

Stress: 8
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Matter Alteration
You can use Matter Alteration powers, and gain one 5XP power when you take this talent. Requires having the Matter Alteration focus.

Powers #

Alter Flammability [Operate, Major Action, 1 Mana]
A nearby target or object gains or loses the Trait Flammable until the end of the next round (Flammable targets start Burning after a successful attack, suffering 2 damage at the end of each round).

Immediate [+1 Mana]: The target is set ablaze immediately, and starts burning right away.

Densify Atmosphere [Operate, Major Action, 2 Mana]
You create a wall of solid air across a nearby zone. The wall blocks ranged attacks and requires a major action to move through. It lasts until the end of the scene, and can be dispelled at will.

Artificial Silence [Operate, Major Action, 1 Mana]
A nearby target gains the Trait Silent (-1 difficulty for all skill tests made Quietly) for a number of rounds equal to your Matter Alteration focus.

Area [+1 Mana]: The effect applies to a nearby zone, granting the Trait Silent to all targets and objects within it while active.

Equipment #

Pistol: 2 damage, Range.
Grappling Gun: 1 damage, Nearby, Cooldown 1 (Skip 1 rounds between uses). One click is all it takes to get from here - to there. Get anywhere nearby with a minor action. You may also use this as a ranged attack: hit enemies are hooked and brought to you.

Being an elite operative was not the first career choice for Remiro. The talented introvert was once a mathematician, researching the field of matter alteration. His work on flammability did not gather much attention until an accident in the lab set a faculty building on fire. Section Marduk caught wind of the affair, and let him pick between a lifetime in prison and a lifetime in service.

Abigail Husk #

Every person is capable of redemption ; Insufferably Stubborn

Skills: Fight 6, Move 6, Study 4, Survive 5, Talk 4, Operate 5
Styles: Boldly 5, Carefully 4, Cleverly 5, Forcefully 6, Quietly 4, Swiftly 6
Focuses: Acrobatics 4, Melee 4, Lore 3, Firearms 4

Stress: 11
Max Determination: 3

Talents #

Army of One
When you succeed in an attack, you may spend 1 Momentum to add the Intense or Piercing quality to the attack. Only one weapon quality may be added to an attack in this way.

Lend a Hand
At any time, you may spend a Determination token in order for a single nearby ally to immediately gain a Determination token.

Trusty Companion
Ezekiella is your most loyal friend. She’s also a goat. Ezekiella has a character profile and is treated as an allied NPC under your command. She acts during your turn in combat and can take minor actions independently, but requires a Command from you (major action) to take a major action. If the last command still applies (e.g. attaking the same enemy, or protecting the same NPC), she will continue to take it without requiring a new command.

Equipment #

Wristbow: 2 damage, Range, Subtle 2 (Study at difficulty 2 to notice attacks), Concealed (Requires a skill test to detect).
Sleep Darts: Consumable 3. Targets must Survive at difficulty 2 or receive the Trait Asleep.
Sword: 3 damage, Melee.
Revolver: 3 damage, Range.

Hailing from the distant isles of the archipelago, Abigail is a force to be reckoned with. A convert of the Church of the Spirit, she believes that the human heart is capable of good and evil in equal measure. She likes to think of her job as beating the living shit out of the wicked, so that they may see the light of faith like she has.

Ezekiella, her heavy-duty, fluffy, horned friend, has stuck with her through thick and thin since childhood, including section Marduk’s tiresome bureaucracy.

Jino Sukiri, Sahar Agent #

The answers are yours if you know where to look ; Pushes the Envelop

Skills: Fight 4, Move 6, Study 6, Survive 5, Talk 4, Operate 5
Styles: Boldly 5, Carefully 4, Cleverly 6, Forcefully 4, Quietly 6, Swiftly 5
Focuses: Athletics 4, Stealth 4, Observation 4, Reality Distortion 3

Stress: 10
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Reality Distortion
You can use Reality Distortion powers, and gain one 5XP power when you take this talent. Requires having the Reality Distortion focus.

Powers #

Cancel Gravity [Study, Major Action, 2 Mana]
Exclude yourself or an item that you hold from the force of gravity until the end of the next round. The target gains the Trait Weightless for the duration of the power. Gravity fields have no effect on the target while the cancellation is active. That said, the target still has mass, and targets of considerable mass require some effort to move. You may dispel the power at will.

Area [+1 Mana]: The gravity cancellation affects a nearby zone. Any item or character within the zone are Weightless while in it as long as the power is active.
Size Matters Not [+X Mana]: Additional Mana is required for large targets. Up to GM discretion.
Staying Afloat [+1 Mana]: The power remains active one additional round.
Target [+1 Mana]: The power may be used on a character within reach.

Spare Time [Study, Minor Action, 2 Mana]
You tweak the flow of time for yourself or a nearby character, bargaining with the hands of the clock. The target gains the Trait Accelerated for a number of rounds equal to your Reality Distortion focus, granting -1 difficulty to skill tests made Swiftly. This effect does not stack.

Quickened [+1 Mana]: Targets gain the Quickened condition.
Blurry Movement [+1 Mana]: Targets gain the Trait Blurry as well, adding +1 difficulty to ranged attacks against it.
Multiple Targets [+X Mana]: The power affects one additional target for each Mana spent.

Rejection Field [Study, Minor Action, 1 Mana]
With a mental note, you reflect the force of gravity around you, causing the earth itself to push you away. This power may be used to soften landings or fling yourself to high places.

Catch a Ride [+X Mana]: You may carry with you additional characters as long physical touch is maintained, +1 Mana per character.

Equipment #

Dagger: 2 damage, Melee, Concealed (Requires a skill test to detect).
Pen and Notebook
Binoculars: Reduces by 2 the difficulty of Study checks on distant targets, to a minimum of 1.
Portable Camera
Silvergraph Sheets: Consumable 5.

Jino is an agent of the Sahar society.

Odelia Hilcai #

Motivation is All You Need ; Never Knows When to Stop

Skills: Fight 5, Move 6, Study 6, Survive 5, Talk 4, Operate 4
Styles: Boldly 6, Carefully 4, Cleverly 5, Forcefully 4, Quietly 5, Swiftly 6
Focuses: Discourse 3, Lore 5, Stealth 3, Society 4

Stress: 11
Armor: 1
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Freak
You can learn Biotech powers and talents with XP, and gain one 5XP power or talent when you take this talent.

Double Down
Once per scene on a success, before you roll a skill test of difficulty 1 or higher, you may increase the difficulty by +1. If the test succeeds, gain one Determination token.

Powers #

Hitchhike [+1 Mana]: You may latch onto a character and pull them to you, with enemies requiring a contest test.
Wrap it Up [+1 Mana]: The target has to pass a skill test at a difficulty equal to your Resilience score or get Bound 2.

Fast Reflexes [Survive, Free Action, 1 Mana]
You are quicker than most, and damn hard to hit. After a defense roll, you may spend 1 Mana to reroll 1d20. This may be repeated as long as you have Mana available.

Neuro-Hack [Survive, Major Action, 5 Mana]
Your microscopic spores find their way to the enemy’s nervous system. You control the next major action of a target within reach. They cannot harm themselves due to this power.

You are mine [+2 Mana]: At the end of the round, the target rolls a contest test against you. If they fail, the power stays in effect for one additional round.
Total Control [+1 Mana]: You also control the target’s next minor action.

Equipment #

High-quality Sword: 4 damage, Melee.
Leather Jacket: Armor 1.

Odelia is a cultist who is a little too eager to dig up some tombs. She’s a sucker for archeology and a practicing worshipper of the nephilim, and no wonder - her aunt is no other than Morgana Hilcai herself, a leading aristocrat who has a considerable following in both academic and occult circles. Though aunty tries to protect her from the old ways and their dangers, Odelia can be surprisingly stubborn - some would say stupid - when something has piqued her interest.

Emmanuel Escoffier #

The World is a Canvas ; Pretentious? Me? Never.

Skills: Fight 4, Move 5, Study 5, Survive 4, Talk 6, Operate 6
Styles: Boldly 4, Carefully 6, Cleverly 5, Forcefully 5, Quietly 6, Swiftly 4
Focuses: Matter Alteration 4, Thievery 5, Discourse 3, Observation 3

Stress: 9
Max Determination: 3
Mana: 6

Talents #

Matter Alteration
You can use Matter Alteration powers, and gain one 5XP power when you take this talent. Requires having the Matter Alteration focus.

Powers #

Area [+1 Mana]: The effect applies to a nearby zone, granting the Trait Silent to all targets and objects within it while active.

Darken [Operate, Major Action, 2 Mana]
The pattern is activated, and darkness follows. This geometric shape blackens the air, gifting a nearby zone the Trait Darkness for a number of rounds equal to your Matter Alteration focus.

Continuous [+2 Mana]: The power remains in effect until the end of the scene.

Equipment #

Dagger: 2 damage, Melee, Concealed (Requires a skill test to detect).
Lockpick Kit: This array of intricate tools brings the art of lockpicking closer to the layperson. The difficulty of lockpicking skill tests is lowered by -1, to a minimum of 1.

Fashionable, talkative, and with an eye for style, Emmanuel is a fake, the best fake there is. This luxurious tattooist has become so good at understanding patterns intuitively, that he is able to replicate matter alteration symbols perfectly, with zero knowledge about their underlying mathematics.

Hacksaw #

Order is Beauty ; Always so Serious

Skills: Fight 4, Move 4, Study 5, Survive 6, Talk 5, Operate 6
Styles: Boldly 4, Carefully 6, Cleverly 5, Forcefully 6, Quietly 5, Swiftly 4
Focuses: Engineering 4, Discourse 3, Tactics 4, Melee 4

Stress: 12
Max Determination: 3

Talents #

Well-Prepared
When you attempt a skill test, and there is a Trait which affects the test positively, you may reroll 1d20.

The Blade Cuts Both Ways
Once per scene, you may nullify a GM use of Chaos as a reaction. Receive an equal amount of stress to the Chaos negated this way.

Not So Fast
When an enemy leaves your reach, you may attempt a melee attack against them as a reaction.

Equipment #

Knuckle Dusters: 2 damage, Melee, Stun (When rolling X extra successes, targets must Survive at difficulty X or be Stunned), Unsafe 2 (+2 for complication range).
Resin Grenade: Consumable 1, Range. Applies Bound 3 to a target upon a successful attack.

Calm, cautious and collected, Hacksaw makes his fortune out of the misfortune of others. This mountain-of-a-man may have been a mighty menace back in his military days, but nowadays, he spends his early retirement in more meticulous matters. The main expertise of Mr. ‘Saw is extraction, a skill well-respected in certain underground circles.