Limits
Ability Sets may include one or more "Limits" which restrict a character's capabilities in some way.
Each Limit lowers the Advances cost of the Ability Set they are in by 1 (no matter how severe the Limit is), to a minimum of 0 Advances.
For instance, if a character with an Ability Set that costs 10 Advances took a Limit in that Ability Set,
it would reduce the cost to 9 Advances.
A Limit must actually diminish, restrict, or reduce the capability of a character in some way to be valid.
But no matter how strict a Limit is, it is still only worth -1 Advance; this is purposeful to discourage players from
min-maxing with highly leveraged and complicated character builds.
Players should instead use Limits as a character building tool that helps properly represent a strong character concept.
Players and GM's are encouraged to come up with interesting and appropriate Limits for their characters, but
some are provided below to illustrate the concept.
Limit: Activated: Shut down [placeholder] if stressed out, asleep, or unconscious. Recover [placeholder] when stress is recovered or you awake. If Ego Trauma is taken, shut down [placeholder] until Ego Trauma is recovered.
Limit: Aggressive: When using any Aptitude other than Violence, a failed action is considered to be an opportunity.
Limit: Alter Ego: The GM may spend 1d12 from the doom pool to take control of your character until either the Scene ends or your character is stressed out, at which point control of the character returns to you. If this occurs all player characters sharing the Scene gain one (1) Advance at the end of the Scene.
Limit: Animal: You can't speak human languages and you lack opposable thumbs. Gain one (1) Plot Point when your animal form becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Bad Karma: You suffer d6 Ego Stress whenever you spend your last Plot Point.
Limit: Barbarous: You must step down all of this Ability Set's traits while in a city or stronghold.
Limit: Destabilizing: To use one of this Ability Set's traits or SFX on an action or reaction you must either spend one (1) Plot Point, or take a die from the doom pool and include it in your dice pool. If you take a die from the doom pool, after the action or reaction is resolved step up that die and return it to the doom pool.
Limit: Exclusive: To activate this Ability Set you must spend an action and shut down all of your other Ability Sets. Once activated, you must spend an action to shut down this Ability Set and reactivate your other Ability Sets.
Limit: Feral Personality: When dealing with normal people in social situations you must choose the two lowest rolling dice for your total, unless you are using Violence in your dice pool.
Limit: Gear: This Ability Set's traits are shut down if one or more items of gear are unavailable or rendered inoperable; gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you. You may recover traits shut down in this way when it is appropriate to the narrative; this may require you to activate an opportunity or take an action against the doom pool at the GM's discretion.
Limit: Graceless: When using this Ability Set's traits and SFX, both 1 and 2 on your dice count as opportunities (but only 1's are excluded from the results).
Limit: Honorable Brawler: If an intelligent opponent is fighting you using Unarmed, you must fight them using Unarmed. Gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Huge: Gain one (1) Plot Point when your huge size becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Impulsive: You speak and act impulsively, without thought for consequences or consideration of strategy. Gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Inhuman Monster: You can't speak human languages and your manual dexterity is limited. Also, you are a monster which tends to dampen social interactions. Gain one (1) Plot Point when your monstrous form becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Peaceful: You suffer d4 Ego Stress at the end of each Panel of a physical conflict you are in.
Limit: Restrainable: You cannot use traits or SFX from this Ability Set if you are physically restrained and / or lack access to necessary materials. Gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Terrifying Monstrosity: All living creatures that share the Scene with you (allies included) who have a Psyche Aptitude trait of less than d8 take d4 Ego Stress each turn they share the Scene with you. Living things that lack Psyche tend to just flee the Scene outright. Unnatural things are unaffected by this effect.
Limit: Tiny: Gain one (1) Plot Point when your tiny size becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Tiring: You suffer d8 Ego Stress when this Ability Set is shut down for any reason.
Limit: Unstable: While you have no Plot Points remaining, all of this Ability Set's traits are stepped down.