Edges

Edges are ways in which a Hero can bend the rules under specific circumstances. These are not metaphysics, those are covered by Boons, often as Talents exploiting metaphysics facts which are intrinsic to the campaign world.

An edge has three parts: Name, Description and Mechanics. Name and description are descriptions of the Edge and will imply when it can apply. The description should limit an edge in some way, it should not be able to be used in all situations.

Some of the Edge Blueprints will require that the Edge be limited to Strategies where a particular Boon is being used. Even those Edges that don’t have such a requirement should be limited to a particular kind of challenge; physical, mental, spiritual, social, athletic, etc.

Mechanics is the Edge Blueprint adjusted or with specifics filled in to fit the description. All Edges should be made in consultation with the group and GM and everyone should agree that it is appropriately limited in scope.

The Hero starts with one free edge and can purchase additional Edges for 25xp each.

Using an Edge

All Edges require the expenditure of one or more Favor to activate them. There may be particular situations that exactly match an Edge’s description and the GM may allow them to be activated for free.

The GM can always award arbitrary Favor, and this is just a case of them awarding Favor conditioned on the Hero activating their Edge.

Edges generally can be used at any time that its conditions are met. Many Edges need an Attribute Roll to actually act on, but they can be used before or after that roll, and if it makes sense for the Edge they may be used during other Heroes rolls, or if an Edge doesn’t need an Attribute Roll, it can be used whenever.

Edge Blueprints

There are a finite number of Edge Blueprints that can be adjusted or completed into an infinite number of possible edges, each applicable to different situations and in different Strategies.

Attribute Blueprints

These Blueprints typically influence Attribute Rolls under certain circumstances.

• During a particular kind of challenge, if a Hero pays a Favor, the Hero adds one level of advantage to each attribute, even if there is no appropriate Boon.

• During a particular kind of challenge, if a Hero pays a Favor, an attribute, chosen when the Edge is bought, can’t roll less than 2x the level of advantage.

• During a particular kind of complex challenge, if the Hero rolls a failure or worse on their Attribute Roll, they may spend a Favor and add a level of advantage to all their attributes. Each subsequent roll they fail, they add an additional level of advantage to each attribute until they succeed, or choose not to engage with the challenge. If the Hero chooses not to engage, or succeeds at an attribute roll, their advantage levels return to normal.

Boon Blueprints

These Blueprint often require a specific Boon be used in a Strategy to be able to use them or influences Attribute Rolls using a particular Boon.

• The Hero pays a Favor when making an Attribute Roll that includes a particular Boon in a specific circumstance or situation, and gains x2 level of advantage from that Boon.

• When using a specific Boon in a particular circumstance, and a Hero rolls at least a tie, they may increase the level of success by one level (tie to success or success to critical success).

• When using a specific Boon in a particular circumstance, and a Hero rolls a failure or worse, they may increase the level of success by one level (critical failure to failure, failure to tie).

• When making an Attribute Roll that includes a specific Boon, a Hero may spend a Favor and reduce the Blood or Stress by one.

• When making an Attribute Roll that includes a specific Boon, a Hero may spend a Favor and ignore the effect of Wounds or Trauma (chosen when the Edge is purchased) for the remainder of the scene. At the end of the scene the Hero receives an additional Wound or Trauma (chosen when the Edge is purchased) that can’t be recovered by First Aid.

Resource Blueprints

These Blueprints let a Hero get more out of their resources, but tend to constrain what the Hero can do with those resources. These Blueprints may not be used in any way by themselves or in combination with other Edges or other Heroes that can be said to generate infinite resources.

• Spend a Favor, and get two Favor to spend in a specific way. The Favor must be spent by the end of the scene, or it is lost. This Favor may not be used in any way that generates any further Favor.

• Spend a Favor, and gain two dice that can added to pools under constrained circumstances, such as having to be given to other Heroes or something similarly limited. If the dice are not used by the end of the challenge, they are lost. Each die increases the level of advantage for a single attribute during an Attribute Roll. No more than two dice may be added per attribute roll in this way.

• The Hero can spend a Favor and be able to perform a Wound or Trauma recovery roll (specified at purchase). The recover roll could be used by the Hero or granted to another depending on the Edge description. No Hero can benefit from this more than once per scene.

Pain Blueprints

These Blueprints influence the Pain Pool, usually reducing it by either dice or a set number.

• During a particular type of challenge, a Hero may spend a Favor and reduce the pain pool by 1 die. This persists for the remainder of the challenge. This may only be done once per challenge and cannot reduce the pain pool below 3 dice.

• During a particular type of challenge, a Hero may spend a one or more Favor and reduce the pain pool by 1 for each Favor spent for the pain pool’s next (or current) roll.

Custom Edges

If a Player wants an Edge for their Hero that they don’t feel can be built by the existing Blueprints, and is approximately of the same impact level of the existing Blueprints, they are invited to propose new mechanics for blueprints for the group’s and the GM’s consideration.

The GM is under no obligation to make something for them, only to consider their proposals and hopefully work with them to find something that works.

Sample Edges

These are just some sample Edges using the Blueprints listed above. They are not an exhaustive list, just some ideas to help set the limits normally associated with their use.

Sample Edges

• Ancestral Crafting

  • Description: The Hero can channel the Ancestral knowledge of their craft masters and all those that came before them to create masterwork craftings.

  • Mechanics: The Hero can spend a Favor while attempting an attribute roll to craft something and add an additional level of advantage to all their attributes.

• Hellfire Burn

  • Description: The Hero can infuse their flames with the power of Hell which clings to any touched by it.

  • Mechanics: When the Hero rolls a success on a Strategy that includes their Fire Blast Talent, they can spend a Favor and turn it into a Critical Success.

• Quick Draw

  • Description: The Hero is the fastest gun in the West. Few can draw and shoot with their speed and accuracy.

  • Mechanics: When the hero draws and fires they can spend a favor and double the advantage level from their Favorite Peacemaker Talent.

• Stony Resilience

  • Description: The Hero’s flesh is literally made of stone, physical damage that would lay out other Heroes only makes them mad.

  • Mechanics: When the Hero is using their Stone Skin Talent in their Strategy and they would take Blood, they can spend a Favor instead.

• Distracting Banter

  • Description: The Hero’s witty banter and one-liners are next level material.

  • Mechanics: The Hero can spend a Favor and reduce the Pain Pool by 1d (min 3) if the Challenge is vulnerable to social attacks and the Hero can banter and taunt.

• Troll’s Regeneration

  • Description: The Hero’s body heals at a mythical rate, healing almost instantly after each blow.

  • Mechanics: Once per scene, the Hero can spend a Favor and make a wound recovery roll.

• Unassailable self-image

  • Description: The Hero shrugs off social and psychic attacks as if they were a child’s taunts.

  • Mechanics: Once per scene, the Hero can spend a Favor and make a trauma recovery roll.

• Vengeful Strike

  • Description: Pain focuses the Hero’s heart and skill. They will have their vengeance.

  • Mechanics: After the Hero takes damage, they can spend a Favor and gain an additional level of advantage on each attribute during each exchange until they are successful. Each subsequent failure stacks, adding an additional level of advantage. Once they are successful, their Attribute Roll returns to normal.

• Clumsy Curse

  • Description: The Hero’s curse will turn even the most graceful dancer into a complete klutz.

  • Mechanics: The Hero spends a Favor and the pain pool receives a -1d penalty during physical challenges, assuming it can be klutzy (mountains don’t trip).

• Song of Inspiration

  • Description: The Hero sings or plays a stirring anthem that their comrades feel in their hearts.

  • Mechanics: The Hero spends a Favor and gains 2 Favor that can only be spent on the behalf of other Heroes. The Favor must be spent by the end of the challenge, or it is lost. The other player can use this gifted Favor for anything they might use Favor for.

• Divine Blessing of Loki

  • Description: The Hero calls upon Loki and asks them to bless the deceptions of one of their comrades.

  • Mechanics: The Hero spends a Favor and the Blessed Hero gains two additional levels of advantage to add to a Strategy that involves deception or misdirection. These dice don’t have to be used immediately, but do have to be used by the end of the Challenge, or they are lost.

• Foresight

  • Description: The Hero always takes the time to prepare.

  • Mechanics: During a scene when the Hero spends a Favor to do a flashback, they get two flashbacks. They can use the second one later during the scene or gift it to another Hero. Any flashbacks not used by the end of the scene are lost.

• Aptitude for Insult

  • Description: The Hero’s cutting remarks naturally find home.

  • Mechanics: During a social challenge in which a Hero is throwing insults they may spend a favor and double the level of advantage on their Precision attribute.

• Mental Competency

  • Description: The Hero’s intense mental training grants at least basic mental competency even on their most off days.

  • Mechanics: If the Hero spends a Favor, they can’t roll less than twice the level of advantage on their precision die for their precision die roll in mental challenges.

• Acrobatic Recovery

  • Description: The Hero is adept in minimizing how badly they fall on their face.

  • Mechanics: The Hero can spend a Favor during a physical Strategy that failed, the Hero can spend a Favor and reduce it by one level. From a critical failure to a failure or from a failure to a tie.

• Backstab

  • Description: When striking from shadows, the Hero’s blows are incredibly deadly.

  • Mechanics: When attacking from concealment and achieving at least a tie, the Hero can spend a Favor and increase it by one level. From a tie to a success or from a success to a critical success.

• Weakness

  • Description: The Hero’s magic aura saps the strength from their enemies.

  • Mechanics: The Hero may spend a Favor and the Pain Pool suffers a -1 penalty on its roll.