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Fabula Ultima: Signature Skills
🕑 Added 2019-12-02 04:00:00 +0000 UTCArtwork by Akihiko Yoshida for Final Fantasy III
Hi everyone, and welcome to yet another Fabula Ultima experiment! <cackles madly> Today we're looking at something I've been toying with in my mind for a while: Signature Skills.
Strictly speaking, these skills are an optional rule, a thematic flourish that can be added to a character. Generally speaking, you can only have one signature skill, and if you use signature skills in your campaign, each Player Character must begin play with one, and ideally no two characters should have the same.
Signature skills should not be seen as a tool for optimization, but rather a mechanical expression of your character's quirks. By design, they lend themselves better to campaigns in which characters have very unique designs behind them (such as coming from another world or having been brought back from the dead by an ancient curse).
The list below shouldn't be considered final, and remember - this is an optional rule and not part of the core book, so it might be slightly unbalanced. No refunds! :P
COMPANION
A small and loyal creature accompanies you: it might be an animal, a clockwork doll, a magitek helper or even some kind of spirit or elemental entity.
Effect: You and your companion are inseparable, and you can always count on their help. Once per scene, after you or another character roll a Check, if they didn't roll a fumble or a critical success, you may describe how your companion helps or hinders that action. If you do, choose a single die used in the Check and reroll it.
The companion might have other effects, but these are left to an agreement between you and the Game Master.
CONSTRUCT
You are a soul placed inside some sort of artificially or magically created body - such as an android, a golem or a homunculus.
Effect: You are not considered a living creature and gain Immunity to toxic damage; you are also immune to the poisoned status effect. However, you become Weak to bolt damage, fire damage or ice damage (your choice).
While you do not need to breathe, drink, eat or sleep, the rules for resting apply to you as normal.
FAMILIAR TERRAIN
You grew up in a region with very peculiar characteristics, and that knowledge may come in handy whenever you're in a similar area.
Effect: When you acquire this skill, choose a terrain type among the following: arctic, aquatic, barren, forest, magical, mechanical, molten, plain, underground, urban or wetland. While inside your terrain of choice, you gain a +1 bonus to Defense and Magic Defense and can spend Fabula Points to invoke that terrain as if it were one of your traits in order to reroll dice (the rules are the same).
FLYING
You have the ability to fly or levitate, either through wings or magical means.
Effect: You are able to fly. In addition to obviously improved mobility, creatures on the ground cannot target you with melee attacks while you are in mid-air (but you can target them with melee attacks if you want). You are forced to land if you suffer any damage you are Weak to, and your foes may spend opportunities to have you fall. During a conflict, you may resume flight anytime during your turn.
While in HP Break or suffering from an initiative penalty of -6 or greater caused by your armor, you lose the benefits of this skill (if you manage to reduce the armor penalty to -5 or less in some way, such as with the armor mastery skill, that armor will no longer impede your flight).
FROM ANOTHER WORLD
You come from a different planet or dimension. Your presence here is an anomaly, an unexpected knot in the weave of destiny: the rules of this land sometimes fail to bind you.
Effect: You begin play with two additional Fabula Points. Additionally, you can invoke traits to reroll dice even if you fumbled the Check.
HEIRLOOM
You possess a powerful item with unique properties - either something passed down in your family or a gift you received from someone important.
Effect: You begin play with a single rare item worth 1000 zenit or less, or with two rare items worth up to 500 zenit each. You may choose these items from the available lists or design them together with your Game Master.
PERSONAL TRANSPORT
You have an old, jury-rigged vehicle that you love dearly. Unfortunately, the cursed thing barely holds together and won't stop causing you trouble.
Effect: You begin play with a transport of your choice, be it a vehicle, a ship or an airship. The size of this transport is enough to accommodate you and the rest of your group, plus two or three guests. Whatever the nature of your transport, it is unfit for combat and the Game Master can spend opportunities to make its engines fail, cause an enemy cannon shot to damage its hull, or introduce similar story-based complications. Whenever the GM does so, you gain a Fabula Point (this is in addition to the Fabula Point you would obtain in case of a fumble).
PLANT
You are an intelligent plant who learned to speak and use tools and weapons.
Effect: You gain Resistance to toxic damage, but become Weak to bolt damage, fire damage or ice damage (your choice). Additionally, any travel rest you take while inside an area rife with live and vegetation (such as a lake, a verdant plain or a lush forest) will grant you the same benefits of a full rest.
UNDEAD
You were brought back after death, unable to peacefully merge with the stream of souls. Your spirit might have returned to your original body or stumbled upon a different one, but this process left you tainted.
Effect: You are not considered a living creature and gain Immunity to chaos damage and toxic damage, but become Weak to soul damage. You are also immune to the poisoned status effect, and any effect that would restore your Hit Points may instead be used to reduce your Hit Points by an equal amount (whoever controls the effect makes this choice).
While you do not need to breathe, drink, eat or sleep, the rules for resting apply to you as normal.
WEALTHY
You are very rich. You might come from a noble bloodline, or simply an affluent merchant family. Whatever the case, you can always count on a hefty purse.
Effect: When you create your character, their initial savings are increased by 1000 zenit. Remember, savings are acquired after you purchase your initial equipment, so you won't be able to spend this additional wealth on your starting gear.
Comments
Emanuele Galletto
Hi Matteo! These skills probably won't make it in the core book (due to page limits for a future printing), but you can absolutely use them already! When it comes to summoner classes, the Arcanist class in the core book is the go-to class for that kind of concept, as they collect Arcana and gain the ability to summon them. A huge issue with pet-training classes is action economy, which is why the Pathfinder in the core book can only take control of a beast until the end of the scene, and nothing more. Several people have expressed interest in a dedicated "Pokemon Trainer" class, but I have yet to find a way to make it easy to run, balanced and flexible (I'd like for it to apply to different concepts, from a golem-crafting alchemist to a demon-summoning occultist)!
Hi, I personally love the idea of Personl Skills and I would like to see them expanded and added to the next iteration of the Core Manual. Then, I was thinking, in order to start a campaign in the very near future, that I'd like to see a class that is a full summoner / pet trainer. I really like the three classes you're currently testing, but I think this concept would be a great addition. Hi.
