Impress Schticks (Action)
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| Heroic Action Role-Play |
Aura
Stance
There is something special about you. You are very ugly, majestic, holy, crazed, or otherwise special, and people tend to leave you alone because of it.
As long as you remain passive (neither attacking nor running away, though using Impress or Charm is OK), you will not get attacked. This works as long as the situation warrants it; if your goons have been defeated and your Master Plan revealed, you may have to follow the gentleman escorting you to prison. But he will be polite as long as your Aura holds.
In dramatically appropriate situations it is possible to try and penetrate your Aura, the opponent must make an opposed Impress rolls as a 3-shot action. You may defend against this.
Blue Blood
Inherent
Your family is old and recognized for its nobility, one of the most prestigious in the land, a cut above everyone who does not have this schtick. In a campaign where most everyone is a noble (a chivalry campaign, for example) you may even be of royal blood.
Those who care about such things will see you as a born leader, and your career often benefits. It is easy for you to be invited to parties ad social functions, and you have relatives in high places. Your word is given due consideration, you are a valuable and reliable witness, and you will mostly be assumed to have a good reason to be wherever you are doing whatever it is you are doing, even if it might seem fishy. Even those who don't respect nobility find it hard to ignore your manners and bearing.
You always score at least a minimal success on all Impress Stunts. A minimal success may not have much effect, but at least you have made it clear that you are a person not to be trifled with.
You're not automatically wealthy, some nobles are dirt poor. If you get caught with your hands dirty, Blue Blood may backfire; everyone loves a good scandal.
Challenge
Stance
Challenge compels one named character to attack you; if their last action was to attack any of your friends get a +2 bonus on any action directed at them. The effect is negated if they are themselves interfered with by others. The GM is the final judge on what is an attack.
If several people challenge the same target, that target can attack any of them without giving either of them any advantage.
Cold Fish
Inherent
You are not easily impressed by charm and whiles. You can use your Impress skill as a defense against the Charm skill.
Heroic Identity
Inherent
You have a costumed identity that is a well-established hero. Few people will question your right to investigate things, bear arms or ask pointed questions. You can also gain access to places and people unavailable to the general public. Police and other law enforcement figures will often cooperate with you, but not always. People will not question who you are and why you are in costume.
Over time, your costumed identity has built an identity and reputation of its own. You can make two contacts checks for a skill, one for your mundane identity and one for your costumed identity. People will also turn to your costumed identity for help.
You need not purchase this schtick to gain access to places your job ought to give you access to. Cops usually get access to crime scenes, military officers can get into military bases. But with Heroic Identity, you can usually get into either.
Inspiration
Trigger Action
You are an inspiration to others. Whenever someone else performs an action, you can use Inspiration to give them an additional bonus die, and this is cumulative with any Fortune points they may spend themselves.
For each person to whom you have a strong emotional tie (loved ones or comrades in arms, most commonly) you can use this for free once per day. Otherwise, each use costs one Fortune point.
Legal Eagle
Inherent
You are a licensed practitioner of law and have courtroom manners worthy of your own TV show. You can browbeat witnesses into confessing, you can make the judge appear like a fool, and you can make the jury cry or laugh as you dictate. In short, you may use the full range of the Impress skill in court. You may often be in contempt of court, but you are never punished for it. You have a reputation to go with your cohunes; clients line up to pay you great wads of money.
Silver Spoon
Inherent
You were born with the proverbial silver spoon; you have never lacked for wealth. Whenever you are in a culture with normal commerce with your home, you have access to lots of money, and can easily buy or hire most things you could ever want.
You are richer than someone who is Self Made, but he is more versatile; he can make money anywhere. If you have both Silver Spoon and a Self Made, your wealth multiplies and your heirs for several generations will be rich as well.
Make sure you have some motivation to adventure other than money, or you might retire from adventuring before you know it.
Taunt
Stance
A taunt compels all unnamed enemies in an area with a diameter equal to your Impress skill in meter to attack you; if their last action was to attack any of your friends get a +2 bonus on any action directed at them. The effect is negated if they are themselves interfered with by others. The GM is the final judge on what is an attack.
If several people taunt the same target, that target can attack any of the taunters without giving either of them any advantage.