Character Flaws [Archive] - Wizards Community

Character Flaws [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
lordyuri24
02-22-04, 12:33 PM I am looking at introducing character flaws into my games, because (while I don't own the book) I have read the section and they look like quite a good idea. The only problem is it looks like there are too few of them, and the ones that are there look like they could make things a bit uber. I was just wondering if anyone had made any extra flaws to get a wider option pool, and if you have fixed a few of the flaws that could make things a bit too powerful.
Crazy_DM
02-22-04, 02:28 PM There has been a good book back in the 2nd Edition called Skills and Powers.

There you had flaws like Phobies (light and heavy) against spiders, snakes, etc. The character had to make a will save or becomes shaken, runs away whatever.

Or Bad Tempered. (quite good for Barbarians.. ;-) )

Or Powerful enemy. (If I have to deal with the bad guys then gimme a feat for that...).

Greetings, your Crazy_DM.
stone_dog
02-22-04, 03:05 PM The only thing you need to keep flaws in line is to make certain that if someone takes a flaw that it actually hinders the character.

They really are self balancing in the long run. Take Weak Will. -3 to all will saves. The best the character can do is take Iron Will sometime down the line and they still had to burn a feat to have a net -1 to the save.

You may want to make some house rulings though. Murky eyed and blindfight don't go well together, nor do point plank shot or anything that has to do with accuracy. Even weapon focus ray spell might be a bit much for a nearsighted sorcerer.
Nick Soapdish
02-22-04, 04:36 PM Phobias ...:twitch:

We had a player in 2nd edition take Major Phobia - Undead. Whenever the party faced undead (which was normally rare), he just got to run away while the rest of the party had to suck up and face the level drainers. It really ticked the rest of the party off.

Just before the campaign self-destructed (a lot of which was my fault since I let everything in from the Options books willy-nilly and discovered i couldn't handle it), I had the party facing lots of undead like ghouls (due to the stereotypical nutcase necromancer) and he practically didn't get to fight.

Those weren't exactly balanced well. They gave the character a ton of points at no cost most of the time, but a significant cost to the party in certain circumstances.

If you want to introduce phobias, I'd recommend not having "run away" be one of the results. Make it so that the character is just shaken or something.
Joyrock
10-23-04, 03:24 PM The Swashbuckling guide is filled with flaws for character traits like hedonistic or brute.

We got a cleric whos hedonistic and constatnly distracts the others from doing their job by going to parties and getting drunk and finding women. Our Elf is a brute who always uses brawn in a situation that requires brain which can screw the team over at times if we dont find a way to keep him back. I'm stubborn and our orc is merciful.

If we go against our flaws, we get a -4 to ALL d20 rolls for 24 hous
Sucineri
10-23-04, 03:43 PM In my previous group the ONLY cleric in the party was afraid of fire and had a fear of blood. Kinda sucked when a temple of her faith was on fire and a barghest ate her best friend inside the temple (my fighter killed it and got an arm out) then when I delivered the severed arm to her for bringing him back she fainted at the sight of blood.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lordyuri24 02-22-04, 12:33 PM	I am looking at introducing character flaws into my games, because (while I don't own the book) I have read the section and they look like quite a good idea. The only problem is it looks like there are too few of them, and the ones that are there look like they could make things a bit uber. I was just wondering if anyone had made any extra flaws to get a wider option pool, and if you have fixed a few of the flaws that could make things a bit too powerful.
Crazy_DM 02-22-04, 02:28 PM	There has been a good book back in the 2nd Edition called Skills and Powers. There you had flaws like Phobies (light and heavy) against spiders, snakes, etc. The character had to make a will save or becomes shaken, runs away whatever. Or Bad Tempered. (quite good for Barbarians.. ;-) ) Or Powerful enemy. (If I have to deal with the bad guys then gimme a feat for that...). Greetings, your Crazy_DM.
stone_dog 02-22-04, 03:05 PM	The only thing you need to keep flaws in line is to make certain that if someone takes a flaw that it actually hinders the character. They really are self balancing in the long run. Take Weak Will. -3 to all will saves. The best the character can do is take Iron Will sometime down the line and they still had to burn a feat to have a net -1 to the save. You may want to make some house rulings though. Murky eyed and blindfight don't go well together, nor do point plank shot or anything that has to do with accuracy. Even weapon focus ray spell might be a bit much for a nearsighted sorcerer.
Nick Soapdish 02-22-04, 04:36 PM	Phobias ...:twitch: We had a player in 2nd edition take Major Phobia - Undead. Whenever the party faced undead (which was normally rare), he just got to run away while the rest of the party had to suck up and face the level drainers. It really ticked the rest of the party off. Just before the campaign self-destructed (a lot of which was my fault since I let everything in from the Options books willy-nilly and discovered i couldn't handle it), I had the party facing lots of undead like ghouls (due to the stereotypical nutcase necromancer) and he practically didn't get to fight. Those weren't exactly balanced well. They gave the character a ton of points at no cost most of the time, but a significant cost to the party in certain circumstances. If you want to introduce phobias, I'd recommend not having "run away" be one of the results. Make it so that the character is just shaken or something.
Joyrock 10-23-04, 03:24 PM	The Swashbuckling guide is filled with flaws for character traits like hedonistic or brute. We got a cleric whos hedonistic and constatnly distracts the others from doing their job by going to parties and getting drunk and finding women. Our Elf is a brute who always uses brawn in a situation that requires brain which can screw the team over at times if we dont find a way to keep him back. I'm stubborn and our orc is merciful. If we go against our flaws, we get a -4 to ALL d20 rolls for 24 hous
Sucineri 10-23-04, 03:43 PM	In my previous group the ONLY cleric in the party was afraid of fire and had a fear of blood. Kinda sucked when a temple of her faith was on fire and a barghest ate her best friend inside the temple (my fighter killed it and got an arm out) then when I delivered the severed arm to her for bringing him back she fainted at the sight of blood.