Selecting Character Disadvantages When a character is created, the ability scores of that PC include inherent advantages and disadvantages. A character will be strong or weak, fast or slow, brilliant or stupid, handsome or ugly. These categories are general, and players have a great deal of freedom in interpreting the numbers for their characters.

Some disadvantages are more specific than these character abilities, and they provide background for players who like to role-play. A player whose character passionately fears spiders, or becomes tongue-tied in social situations, has specific suggestions about role-playing.

At the time of character creation, a player can select one or two disadvantages. The choice is purely optional—no character must have a disadvantage. Unlike traits and proficiencies, disadvantages do not cost character points—instead, each disadvantage awards a certain number of points that the player can use to provide a character with other traits, proficiencies, and racial or class abilities, or can save for later use.

Some disadvantages can be chosen at one of two levels—the disadvantage of allergies, for example, can be taken at a moderate or a severe rating. Characters who choose the severe disadvantage will have lower chances of resisting the effects of the disadvantage during play.

A character can never gain more than 15 character points by acquiring disadvantages.

Certain disadvantages will contradict traits, and these cannot be selected—a character with keen eyesight cannot choose the colorblind disadvantage, for example. These conflicts should be judged with common sense.

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