d20 Adamant Entertainment Character Drawbacks.pdf

Character

Drawbacks

By Walt Ciechanowski

Introduction

One of the more interesting innovations in the d20

system is the concept of Feats. While any two ﬁght-

ers or wizards will look more or less the same in class

abilities and skills, it is their Feats that differentiate

them. One ﬁghter might use his Feat slots to become

more skilled in mounted combat, while another might

strive to be an excellent archer. Even at low levels,

these two ﬁghters will look and act very differently in

combat.

In literature and popular culture, characters are often

just as, if not more, deﬁned by their faults than their

abilities. Othello was gullible, and this enabled Iago

to manipulate him. Han Solo was notable for his mer-

cenary attitude. Captain Hook is remembered for...

well, his hook. These faults, or drawbacks, lend color

to the characters that have them. This d20 MasterKit

product is designed to add these drawbacks to player

characters.

return for taking a drawback, making starting player

characters a bit more powerful. This can seriously

unbalance a campaign. Character Drawbacks resolves

this problem by granting skill points for each draw-

back instead of an extra Feat.

Some Dungeon Masters may balk at the idea of draw-

backs because of their perception as negative Feats.

Such systems tend to grant the player an extra Feat in

Drawbacks

It is a common complaint among players that they

never have enough skill points to accurately reﬂect

what their characters know. Since the skill level caps

are still in place (4 ranks for class skills and 2 ranks

for cross-class skills at ﬁrst level), player characters

will not be seriously overpowered by taking Draw-

backs. Indeed, Drawbacks are intended to add a little

spice to a character concept and offer the player appro-

priate and signiﬁcant compensation for taking them,

not to create headaches for the Dungeon Master.

ABRASIVE ATTITUDE

You have a way of rubbing people the wrong way

when you speak. This could be due to your natural

belligerence, boastfulness, uncouthness, or other per-

sonality ﬂaw.

Detriment: When using Diplomacy to change at-

titudes, you must add an extra 5 to the DC.

Each drawback below is worth 4 skill ranks. Some

drawbacks have prerequisites, including other draw-

backs. Players may spend these points on their char-

acter sheet however they wish, but they must still

abide by the usual skill rank limitations. Note that

a PC rogue with the Clumsy drawback may not put

6 ranks into his Balance skill in order to negate his

drawback penalty.

ALBINISM

You lack pigmentation in your skin, giving you a dis-

tinctively pale appearance. Your skin is very sensitive

to sunlight.

Detriment: You must make a Fortitude saving

throw for every hour that your skin is exposed to

direct sunlight. The DC is 15 +1 for every hour that

youʼve been exposed. A failure causes 1d4 hit points

of sunburn damage.

Unlike feats, players may only select drawbacks at

ﬁrst level, although the Dungeon Master may grant a

new drawback to an existing character if he wishes.

Any drawbacks gained during play will grant the ap-

propriate amount of skill points to the character upon

reaching next level (DMs may waive this and grant

the skill points immediately if desired or if the PC has

a particularly long wait until he reaches next level).

There is no set amount of drawbacks that a PC can

take, although DMs should probably limit the number

of drawbacks to two or three.

ALL THumbs

You arenʼt very coordinated when it comes to ﬁne

manipulation.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty on all Disable

Device and Open Lock checks.

ANIMAL ANTIPATHY

Perhaps you have a bad smell. Maybe they can detect

the way you truly feel about them. Maybe they just

donʼt like you. For whatever reason, you have trouble

dealing with animals.

Sample drawbacks are listed below. DMs should

feel free to create new drawbacks. A good drawback

should give penalties equivalent to the bonuses of-

fered to feats in order to maintain game balance.

Good drawbacks also have concrete penalties rather

than relying on the player to “roleplay” his drawback.

Roleplaying a drawback is always a good thing, but

penalties should be easily measured and applied.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty on all Handle

Animal and Ride checks.

AWKWARD GESTURES

Maybe you have stiff joints. Maybe your arms are

just a little too long. Whatever the reason, you have

trouble making the elegant gestures necessary to cast

arcane spells.

Prerequisite: You must be a bard, sorcerer or wizard

to select this drawback.

Detriment: You have a natural 5% arcane spell fail-

ure chance. This stacks with armor penalties.

BAD LUCK

Whenever you need luck most, you can count on it not

being there.

COWARDICE

You are a coward. You usually choose the safest posi-

tion in a marching order and rely on others to protect

you.

Detriment: Once per session, the DM can negate

any success, even if it was a critical hit. This will

usually be when you desperately need to succeed.

Detriment: Cowards never initiate combat, even

when it is to their advantage. You will always main-

tain a defensive position until attacked. If you defeat

your foe, you will attempt to hide or ﬂee rather than

engage another foe.

BAD SHOT

You are unpracticed or inept at making ranged attacks.

Special: PC rogues should consider this drawback

carefully before selecting it, as it negates their Sneak

Attack ability in most circumstances.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty on all ranged at-

tacks.

BLEEDER

Your body has trouble stabilizing. When dying, you

continue to bleed until you are dead.

Detriment: You cannot stabilize while dy-

ing. Unless you are treated or healed, you will

continue to lose one hit point every round until

you are dead.

CLUMSY

You are exceptionally uncoordinated and tend to

slip at the most inopportune times.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty on all Bal-

ance and Tumble checks.

COLD AVERSION

Your body has a hard time adjusting to the rigors

of very cold climates.

Detriment: You suffer a -2 circumstance

penalty to all saving throws and skill checks in

temperatures at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

You also suffer an inherent -1 penalty to saving

throws made against cold-based spells, damage,

and area effects. Cold-weather clothing alone

will not remove this penalty.

DEAF

You canʼt hear at all.

Prerequisite: You must have the Hard of Hearing

drawback to select this drawback.

Detriment: You cannot learn the Listen or Speak

Language skills. In addition, you have a 20% chance

of spell failure when casting a spell with a verbal

component.

Special: You can learn Speak Language if the cam-

paign has a sign language or other non-verbal lan-

guage.

DEITY ’ S WRATH

You have angered a particular god or goddess.

Detriment: You add 1 to the DC of any save you

must make against any spells invoked in the name of

a particular deity. Healing spells and other aid from

that deity will not work on you. The DM should

restrict this drawback to common deities in his cam-

paign.

Special: At the DMʼs option, you may drop this

drawback by using a free feat slot. You must also

perform some penance in the name of the affected

deity.

DROW APPEARANCE

You have a Drow ancestor. Unfortunately, some of

the genetic heritage was passed onto you, making your

skin jet black.

DIMINISHED TURNING

You have a lessened ability to turn undead.

Prerequisite: You must be an elf or half-elf to take

this drawback.

Prerequisite: You must be a paladin or a cleric ca-

pable of undead turning to select this drawback.

Detriment: Although you possess no Drow traits,

everyone reacts to you as if you were a Drow.

Detriment: You turn undead as if one level lower

than your cleric level.

Special: DMs can customize this drawback with any

racial ancestor that would offend others of that race,

such as the duergar. This could also be an ethnic

drawback in campaigns that make ethnic distinctions

within a race.

EASILY READ

You wear your heart on your sleeve. Others can al-

most read your thoughts.

Detriment: Your opponents get a +4 to their Sense

Motive checks when using it against you.

FANATIC

You are so committed to one philosophy or religion

that it blinds you to others.

where the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahren-

heit. He also suffers an inherent -1 penalty to saving

throws made against heat-based spells, damage, and

area effects.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty to any Knowledge

checks when researching histories, religions, or even

arcane lore at odds with your own faith. In addition,

you will refuse personal aid from any cleric or druid

that is contrary to your faith.

HONEST

You have trouble telling lies or concealing the truth.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty on Bluff and In-

timidate checks.

Special: If you are a spell caster, you will refuse aid

to anyone that doesnʼt adhere to your faith.

IMPATIENT

Your character is notoriously incapable of focusing his

attention long and hard enough to accomplish tasks

requiring great dedication.

FRAIL

You are weaker than normal, either due to illness or

genetics.

Detriment: Your character may never ʻtake 10ʼ or

ʻtake 20ʼ on any skill check, no matter how much

time he has.

Detriment: You have 3 less hit points than normal.

Special: This drawback may be taken multiple

times. Its detriments stack. A character may only

take this feat if doing so will still leave him with at

least one hit point. For example, a character with 8

hit points may take this drawback twice, but a char-

acter with 6 hit points may only take it once.

INEFFECTIVE RACIAL TRAIT

You lack one of your positive racial traits, either due

to mixed lineage in your characterʼs past or a simple

genetic anomaly. A gnome might not have keen ears,

while an elf may be lacking low-light vision (“unfortu-

nately, you have your human grandfatherʼs eyes”).

GULLIBLE

You are easily persuaded and manipulated by others.

Detriment: You do not receive the beneﬁt of one of

the positive racial traits for your character (including

the extra feat for human characters). The DM is the

ﬁnal authority on what traits may be eliminated.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy

and Sense Motive checks.

HARD OF HEARING

You have lost part of your hearing, making it difﬁcult

for you to be aware of all sounds surrounding you.

You also have a problem being stealthy.

ILLITERACY

You have not learned to read and write. (Appropriate

only in campaign settings where literacy is common)

Restriction: Barbarians have an equivalent class fea-

ture and may not take this drawback.

Detriment: You take a –2 penalty on Listen and

Move Silently checks.

Detriment: You cannot read or write in any language.

In addition, you take a –2 circumstance penalty in any

situation where literacy would be valuable (negotiat-

ing a contract, impressing a noble, etc).

HEAT AVERSION

Your body has a hard time adjusting to the rigors of

very hot climates.

Detriment: You suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to

all saving throws and skill checks in tropical or

desert conditions (or in artiﬁcial conditions of ex-

treme heat, such as steam baths). At the DMʼs dis-

cretion, you may suffer these penalties in any area

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