Gifts in Psi-punk

Gifts

A Gift is a positive trait that doesn’t seem to fit the Trait Ladder used for attributes and skills. Gifts allow characters the flexibility to add personality quirks and traits that don’t require them to be “activated” (in most cases) and tend to be passive traits. In general, if a Gift isn’t written on the character sheet, the character doesn’t have it.

Most Gifts do not require a roll to use. A character simply has a Gift or he doesn’t, and they simply work at any logical time. For example, the “Always keeps his cool” Gift implies that the character never loses control, no matter how stressful the situation. When other characters may have to make a check to avoid being frightened, enraged, or otherwise emotionally charged, a character with this Gift simply hand-waives the roll and calls it a success.

Some Gifts may provide a bonus to applicable rolls. Generally speaking, a Gift grants a +2 bonus (since one Gift is equal to several skill levels, the bonus must be greater than an equivalent skill bonus) unless it would provide a bonus to an overly broad range of checks, in which case it would add only a +1 bonus but would enter play more often.

A Gift that might add a +2 bonus would be “Beautiful speaking voice” which may grant a +2 bonus on any Social (Formal) skill check. A Gift that may only give a +1 bonus would be “Single-minded” which grants a bonus on “any lengthy task”. The GM reserves the right to decide how long a task would take before it is considered “lengthy”, but a good rule of thumb is any task that would take one or more hours of concentration.

Characters may choose up to two free Gifts. To gain additional Gifts, they must take Faults or otherwise trade off another trait (see Faultsand Trade-Offs).

Example Gifts

Absolute Direction; Always keeps his cool; Ambidextrous; Animal Empathy; Beautiful speaking voice; Combat Reflexes; Contacts in police force; Danger Sense; Guns Akimbo, Lucky (+2 Luck Points); Many people owe him favors; Never forgets a name/face/whatever; Night Vision; Patron; Perfect Timing; Peripheral Vision; Quick Reflexes; Rapid Healing; Reputation as Hero; Sense of empathy; Single-minded (+1 to any lengthy task); Tireless, Tolerant; Tough Hide (-1 to damage taken)