FUDGE Farscape: Talents and Defects

TALENTS
Absolute Direction	Can always find 'north' and retrace steps back to a starting point. Good for not getting lost and solving mazes.
Allies #	These are people who will in some way directly help the character, either through exerting their influence or in person. One level gives one Fair Ally (or two Mediocre Allies) with either Mediocre scope (area of influence) or Mediocre resources. Each extra level will either: increase the quality of the Ally/Allies; increase the number of Allies; increase the scope; or increase the resources.
Ambidextrous	Can use either hand with equal dexterity, but this does not convey any other advantage.
Animal Empathy	Animals always take a liking to the character and rarely attack them without real provocation. Gives a +1 bonus to all rolls involving interacting with all non-sentient creatures.
Appearance #	This makes the character more attractive than others of his or her race, though other races may not find them so appealing. Each level gives a +1 bonus to all appropriate social rolls.
Aptitude	An aptitude gives a character a +1 bonus to a single skill, and extends to all aspects of that skill. For example, an aptitude in Starship Piloting gives a bonus to skills rolls and for recognising other starships and their capabilities.
Authority #	This confers legal enforcement powers upon the character. One level gives the powers of a local law enforcer (can arrest with warrants and bear arms for defence) or the license of a bounty hunter (can seek and capture wanted criminals and bear arms for that purpose). Each extra level (max 3) either increases the area they are permitted to operate in or the powers they can employ (up arrest with no cause or license to kill).
Berserk If Wounded	If the character is wounded they must make a Great Willpower result (unless they do not want to resist) or fly into a berserk rage. In this state they are not effected by their wounds and can keep on fighting, preferring unarmed or melee combat. However, in some cases they can find it difficult to tell friend from foe, and only snap out of the rage when they believe they are no longer surrounded by enemies.
Contacts #	Contacts can provide the character with information of all kinds, limited to the scope of their knowledge or ability. One level gives one Fair Contact (or two Mediocre Contacts) who can only provide information from their area (e.g. business, underworld, politics, Peacekeepers). Each extra level will either increase the quality of the Contact/Contacts or increase the number of Contacts.
Cool Head	Even when jumped in an ambush or surprised at a birthday party, the character retains the presence of mind to act appropriately instead of freezing, leaping for cover or whatever is appropriate.
Danger Sense	The character sometimes feels a tingling sensation whenever there is danger around, whether it be an ambush or a trap.
Deep Sleeper	The character always gets a good night's sleep, whether they sleep for four arns or ten, but is hard to wake when they are asleep.
Diplomatic Immunity	The character acts as part of a diplomatic team and as such is protected from being subjected to legal proceedings in the place the team is based in. However, outside that area they are not protected, and neither can they do entirely as they please; being involved with extreme crimes means being deported (or worse).
Disease Resistance #	The character is more resistant to disease than others of their race. Each level gives a +1 bonus.
Double-Jointed	The character is more flexible than most, giving a +1 bonus to situations like escaping restraints and being tied up, as well as escaping grapples in unarmed combat.
Good Memory	With a Good Intellect result the character can remember anything they saw or heard almost perfectly.
Good Reputation #	This gives a +1 bonus in appropriate social situations with all members of a specific group (businessmen, Peacekeepers, Luxans). Each extra level can either increase the bonus or the size of the group effected.
Good Voice	The character has an excellent voice which gives a +1 bonus to all situations where their voice can be of use (singing, leadership, persuasion, etc).
Income #	Characters with an Income receive an amount of currency at periodic intervals. Higher levels either increase the amount or decrease the length of the interval.
Intuition	The character has a feeling for situations and rarely guesses wrong, but they are not infallible.
Keen Sense	Gives a +1 bonus to all situations involving that sense.
Light Sleeper	The character can be easily disturbed when sleeping, but this means they do not always get a good night's rest.
Lucky	The player can, once an hour, alter the result of any roll by 1 either way. Additionally, little things always go right for the character.
Mathematical Ability	The character has a good head for figures and can do simple maths in their head. This also gives a +1 bonus to all maths related rolls.
Mental Resistance #	The character is more resistant to mental domination than others of their race. Each level gives a +1 bonus.
Night Vision	The character can see very well in low lighting. Wherever there is at least a minimum amount of light they can still see almost as well as if it were daylight, reducing the penalty to -1.
Pain Tolerance	The character is not as affected by pain and injuries as others, reducing the penalties by 1.
Patron #	This represents an individual or organisation that specifically provides support and resources for a character, allowing them freedom to act as they please but occasionally calling on them for aid. Examples include a spy's support network or the scattered offices of wandering law enforcement agents. One level means a Mediocre patron with limited scope and resources; the trait governs the patron's ability to provide assistance. Each extra level increases the level of the patron, the extent of their presence or the scale of resources they can offer.
Perfect Balance	Confers a +1 bonus where athleticism and balance is important. The character finds it easy to keep their feet (or at least their balance) in all but the most difficult circumstances.
Perfect Timing	Even when asleep, the character keeps track of the passing of time and always knows how much time has passed, acting like a crude alarm clock. Being drugged or hit by a stun weapon can disrupt this sense, however.
Peripheral Vision	The character has a slightly wider field of vision than most, making it harder to be flanked or surprised by an attack from the side.
Poison Resistance #	The character is more resistant to toxins than others of their race. Each level gives a +1 bonus.
Rank #	This indicates rank in a organisation, which rarely extends to authority outside that organisation. It confers both privileges and responsibilities. The first level indicates a non-commissioned officer (Sergeant, Officer); the second a low level officer (Lieutenant); the third a higher level officer (Commander, Captain). Higher levels would indicate higher ranks, but would also take the character far from where adventure is to be found.
Rapid Healing	The character heals a little faster than most of his race, dividing the time to naturally heal one wound level by 1.5 and reduce the difficulty when receiving medical attention by one level.
Sense of Empathy	The character is has a knack of knowing what other people are feeling, just from experience. This confers a +1 bonus to all social interaction rolls.
Single-Minded	The character is very good at concentrating on a task, ignoring everything else. This gives a +1 bonus to performing that task, but while doing so it is difficult to distract them, whether it be the doorbell or a battle.
Status #	This confers public standing upon a character, whether it be as a public official, member of a noble house or an important corporate figure. Each level increases the prominence of the character or the extent of their fame.
Toughness	This increases the character's Damage Resistance by one level.
Wealth #	Each level increases the amount of wealth available to the character.
DEFECTS
Absent-Minded	The character's memory is not what it could be. They have a tendency to forget things, whether it be their bank code or where they parked their ship.
Addiction #	This is an addiction to some sort of substance, usually a drug. At the basic level this is a legal drug of medium cost, with withdrawal that causes some pain and discomfort. Each extra level either increases the cost, makes the substance more illegal, or makes withdrawal much worse.
Ambitious	The character is ruthless in matters of personal advancement, sometimes acting against common sense.
Amnesia	The character can not remember his own past. He usually knows he can do certain things but does not know how they came to learn to do them. This usually brings with it all sorts of horrible and unknown complications.
Animal Antipathy	Animals always take an instant dislike to the character and frequently attack them without provocation. Gives a -1 bonus to all rolls involving interacting with all non-sentient creatures.
Bad Luck	The GM can, once an hour, alter the result of any roll by 1 either way, usually to the character's detriment. Additionally, little things always go wrong for the character.
Bad Reputation #	This gives a -1 penalty in appropriate social situations with all members of a specific group (businessmen, Peacekeepers, Luxans). Each extra level can either increase the penalty or the size of the group effected.
Bad Voice	The character has a terrible voice, something like a stutter or bad dialect, which gives a -1 penalty to all situations where their voice would otherwise be of use (singing, leadership, persuasion, etc).
Bloodlust	In combat, the character always strikes to kill rather than injure, and must be forced to take prisoners.
Blustering	The character is loud and boastful, always bragging about his abilities irrespective of his actual ability.
Bully	A bully likes to push people around, especially those weaker than himself, in order to be the centre of attention and control everyone.
Callous	Such an individual is not really interested in the troubles of others. They will walk right past beggars and the injured without taking any notice of them, unless they actually know them well.
Code of Ethics	Characters with a code of ethics must act according to this code. This covers both a priest's articles of faith and the oath of a healer, and typically restricts several aspects of their behaviour, imposing such things as charity, a vow to help others, and so forth.
Code of Honour	Characters with a code of honour must act as their honour demands. This covers such things as not attacking an unarmed foe, giving an opponent quarter, accepting a surrender, and holding one's word sacrosanct.
Combat Paralysis	The character is unsuited to combat, as they freeze up and are unable to act whether they want to or not. A successful surprise attack means the character can not act for twice as long, and even then can not do anything other than run to cover and hide. Otherwise they just run for cover. In either case, they can only act (shoot, run away) under the most extreme, life or death circumstances.
Compulsive Behaviour	The character is compelled to do a certain thing, like gambling, going to parties, or seeking out brawls.
Cowardly	The character fears personal injury and will not go out of their way to endanger themselves unduly.
Curious	The character is overly interested in new things, going out their way to explore the new and unusual, whether it be a planet, a hidden tomb or a strange artefact or device.
Debt #	Characters with a Debt must pay up an amount of currency at periodic intervals, either from actual debts or an outgoing like rental fees. Higher levels either increase the amount or decrease the length of the interval.
Dedicated	The character is dedicated to a cause, such as galactic peace, the defeat of an enemy, or the extending the reach of a religion or other, similar organisation. Everything they do is in some way related to the furtherance of this cause.
Delusions	The character believes in things that are not real, such as "I hear dead people" or "all comms are bugged".
Dependant	The character has a family member of friend they must support, like a young child or an infirm person. Not only does this take up their time and resources, the dependant can also come under threat from foes.
Dependency #	Much like an Addiction, except that they character relies on the substance to survive or function. This covers such things as a drug the character is engineered to require or something medicinal in nature, like a drug to stop the symptoms of a disease. The basic level means the character must take the weekly daily or they will either take one +1 wound every week after the first missed dose (which can not be healed save by taking the required substance), or suffer a -1 penalty to all actions due to the pain, or maybe even both. Each extra level either reduces the time between doses (and also the period over which the character takes damage) by one day; adds one to the damage taken; or increases the pain penalty by one.
Disease Weakness #	The character is less resistant to pathogens than others of their race. Each level gives a -1 penalty.
Easily Distracted	The character finds it difficult to remain focused on a task, as their attention is too easily diverted by other things.
Finicky	The character likes things to be clean and tidy, most especially personal hygiene, and does not like people or places that do not match their standards.
Flashbacks	The character is plagued by painful and/or horrible memories that manifest as startling visions in times of stress.
Foolhardy	The character takes foolish risks, either through choice or disposition.
Garrulous	Such characters are overly talkative and sometimes very difficult to keep quiet.
Glory Hound	The character aggressively seeks the limelight, going out of their way to draw attention to themselves through their actions.
Glutton	Gluttonous characters always have and eat more than the average member of their race, demanding more provisions and better food.
Gossip	A Gossip always listens for and spreads rumours and stories, irrespective of their veracity and sometimes the harm it might cause.
Greedy	The character seeks wealth, taking dangerous jobs or assignments and maybe even being open to bribery or offers of payment for betrayal...
Gullible	Such a simple soul is easily convinced of the truth of what others tell them, no matter how big the lie, unless the lie is really obvious.
Heartbreaker	The character has a partner in every port... But rarely gives them the respect they deserve, dumping them as they move on to new pastures, an attitude that can cause resentment from others.
Honesty	The character does his best to be lawful and legal and operate within the law, and tried to make others do the same. But they can be swayed by a very good argument to break minor laws in the furtherance of fighting lawbreakers.
Humanitarian	The character is compassionate and feels for others' troubles, helping those in need whenever they can. They are easily swayed by a good sob story and are easy with what money and/or time they have to give.
Idealist	The character has strong views about the social or political situation of the world around them, wanting to take part in making the universe a better place.
Impaired Movement #	Each level of this Defect decreases a character's Move trait. It indicates damaged or lost limbs, going as far as to having no legs with four levels.
Indecisive	The character finds it difficult to make decisions in most situations.
Ineptitude	An Ineptitude gives a character a -1 penalty to a single skill, and extends to all aspects of that skill. For example, an Ineptitude in Technician gives a penalty to all skill rolls and means the character always has problem with using technology.
Infamous #	At the basic level, the character is well known for specific acts of wrongdoing or heroism (or both!) in a certain area, giving a modifier of 2 in social situations either as a bonus for like-minded individuals or as a penalty for those opposed to his actions. Extra levels increase the size of the area and can also make the character begin to take on almost legendary status...
Insomnia	The character finds it difficult to get a good night's rest, tending to make them irritable and tired during the day.
Intolerant /	The first level means the character reacts badly (worse than normal) to members of a specific group, such as Charrids, Peacekeepers, or soldiers generally, giving a -1 social penalty. The second level increases this to a -2 social penalty against all beings not of the group the character belongs to, much like religious intolerance.
Jealous	The character is jealous of anyone who gets more attention than them, speaking out against them and even going as far as to sabotage them though lies or action in some cases.
Large	The character bulks larger than average for their race, making them taller, boarder and heavier. This can reduce their Move and even their Speed, but generally does not increase Strength. It also makes it harder to find clothing and fit inside normal structures.
Lazy	Such a character is very adverse to physical work and will never volunteer for it, and always complains loudly when forced to do it.
Lecherous	The character actively pursues members of whatever race or gender interests them and always pushes their suit further than is usually wanted. This can frequently cause a lot of problems.
Liar /	The first level means the character always tells little lies to make themselves seem more interesting or exciting, or to cover up wrongdoing; they must often think fast to keep their stories straight. The second level means the character is truly living a lie: almost everything they say about themselves is fabrication, which can cause great difficulty at times.
Lost Sense	The character is missing one sense; in other words, they could be blind or deaf.
Loyal	Such individuals are very reliable; their friends can always rely on them for help in times of need, and they often go out of their way to assist them, sticking by them in thick and thin.
Manic-Depressive	The character suffers from a disorder that means their mood swings between being happy or sad with little real pattern. When they are happy they are confident and determined, a real live wire. When they are sad, they mope around and can rarely be convinced to lift a finger, let alone offer assistance.
Melancholy	Something in the character's past or current situation causes them to be constantly depressed and pessimistic.
Mental Weakness #	The character is more susceptible to mental domination than others of their race. Each level gives a -1 penalty.
Mute	The character is unable to speak, for a variety of possible reasons.
Nemesis #	The character has an enemy, a foe that stalks the character and wishes their downfall, or even death. It can be an individual, a group, or an organisation. The first level indicates a Fair Nemesis (or Mediocre group or organisation) with Mediocre resources. Each extra level increases the quality of the Nemesis or their resources.
Obligation #	The character has some kind of debt to someone or something that goes beyond mere money. It can be either self-imposed or imposed by an outside force, in which case it can be enforced by blackmail or the use of hostages. The more terrible the result of non-compliance, the higher the level.
Obsession	The character has a passion for a particular thing or quest, whether it be collecting the skulls of enemies, finding a lost son or trying to find a way home...
Odious Habit	Others are repulsed by something this character does, either an actual habit or a physical complaint. It could be spitting, picking ones teeth with a knife, humming out of tune, bad breath or body odour.
One-Armed	The character has only one functional manipulator, or arm. This has major repercussions on a lot of activities.
Overconfident	The character perceives his ability at something as being greater than it actually is, which can often have disastrous results.
Pain Intolerance	The character is more affected by pain and injuries than others, increasing the penalties by 1.
Paranoid	The character sees the wheels and cogs of conspiracy everywhere they look, and distrusts almost everyone, fearing they are at risk of injury or even death.
Phobia /	The character has an irrational fear about something. The first level means they can act in the presence of the thing they are phobic about, but usually only to escape it. The second level means they usually just freeze and can not act at all.
Poison Weakness #	The character is more susceptible to toxins than others of their race. Each level gives a -1 penalty.
Poor #	Each level decreases the amount of wealth available to the character.
Practical Joker	The character like to play jokes, usually physical, on others. This is sometimes amusing, sometimes not, and sometimes can get the character and his friends into serious trouble.
Primitive #	The character is from a sub-group within his race, a minority or separate culture, with a lower level of technology than is usual for their race. Each level basically confers a -1 penalty to the use and understanding of the 'standard' level of technology for the race as a whole.
Quick-Tempered	Such a character is easy to annoy and quick to anger, which can cause problems in some social situations.
Secret	The character has some sort of secret in their life, past or present, that they have to keep quiet about or suffer the consequences. They may have a child that could be used against them; a crime they committed and need to keep hushed up; they may even be some kind of undercover agent who would be put in grave danger should anyone find out their true nature.
Self-Defence Pacifist	A Pacifist character will only fight in their defence, never to attack, to protect themselves or friends. They always try to encourage others to do the same.
Slow Healing	The character heals a little slower than most of his race does, increasing the time to naturally heal one wound level by fifty percent and increase the difficulty when receiving medical attention by one level.
Slow Learner	The character finds it difficult to learn new things, doubling the Experience cost for increasing skills or learning new ones.
Small #	The character is smaller than average for his race; this is more than just being a little shorter, it means the character is exceptionally small for his species. One level reduces Move by one; two levels also puts the character's Scale to -1 and gives a -1 to their Damage Resistance. Level three reduces all three by two.
Social Stigma /	The character belongs to a social strata that is deemed to be inferior, giving a -1 penalty to all social situations. One level means only the character's race has this opinion, much like the way Peacekeepers treat techs. Two levels means most beings will consider the character their inferior; this applies to people who are quite obviously indentured criminals or slaves.
Socially Awkward	The character is not very good in social situations, due either to shyness or lack of experience in such social interaction. They receive a -1 penalty to all appropriate rolls, and rarely put themselves forward as the centre of attention, preferring to linger out of view.
Split Personality	This disorder means the character appears to have more than one personality, which are usually the result of mental trauma and exist as a way for the character to come to terms with the trauma. The change of 'personality' is usually triggered by stress related to the original trauma, or even when they wake up in the morning. Each 'personality' is distinct from the others and they typically are not aware of each other. They can even have their own mental Talents and Defects.
Straight-Talking	The character pretty much always says what he thinks all the time, only concealing his opinions when it is obvious speaking his mind would be dangerous (such as when acting undercover or in disguise). They do not find it easy to do so, however.
Stubborn	The character always wants his own way and is difficult to turn away from a decision once it has been made, unless he can be convinced he is very wrong.
Truthful	The character finds it very difficult to lie. They are not against performing illegal acts, they just find it difficult not to tell the truth when asked, and they usually give away that they are lying through nervousness and looking guilty.
Vain	The character is very concerned about the way they look and their reputation. They do their best to ensure they always look their best and act accordingly, and are always against doing things that would ruin their appearance or reputation, like crawling through mud or dressing badly.
Vow	Such a character has taken a vow to do (or not do) something. This includes vows of vengeance, chastity, poverty, or vegetarianism (or, for that matter, carnivorism).
Wanted #	The character is wanted for some crime or crimes; it is unimportant whether they actually committed them or not. At the basic level they are wanted for fairly minor crimes and are hunted by a Mediocre group of law enforcers and/or bounty hunters. Each level increases the severity of the crimes and thus the quality of the group or groups after them, as well as the bounty on their head. The greater the quality, the larger the area the group covers, making escaping them that much harder.
Weak Sense	Gives a -1 penalty to all situations involving that sense.
Worrier	The character sees the bad in all situations, and tends to be pessimistic about the chances of any plan.