Cortex Prime: Urchins

DISTINCTIONS

ANCESTRY | WYRD | QUIRK

Distinctions are each always set at . You will chose one distinction that hilights your Urchin's Ancestry, one that highlights their Wyrd, and one that highlights a Quirk or peculiarity unique to the character.

Ancestry Distinction

Urchins are orphans, forgotten and unseen, scraping by in the streets and sewers of the Stone City. Most come from one of the following ancestries. Others may be created with the approval of the GM.

Likewise, the SFX listed with each ancestry are common options for that ancestry, but are by no means the only SFX you might select. With the GM's approval you can swap in other thematically appropriate SFX.

Barbarian

Barbarian Horselords rule the steppeland to the north. It is rare that they find themselves in the Stone City and rarer still for them to lose one of their young ones to its streets, but some few still find themselves among the ranks of the Urchins.

Urchins of this ancestry tend to be tall of stature and uncommonly strong for their frame with little regard for the brutality of climate or weather.

SFX

Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a instead of a

Canny Survivor: Your awareness of the world around you is almost supernatural. When searching for resources such as food, water, or materials or trying to determine direction or orientation, step up or double your Tracker die. 1s and 2s count as hitches.

Durable: You are hard to knock down and even harder to keep down. When defending vs physical damage (an attack or a fall, etc), you may spend 1 PP to reroll any dice that come up 1. Dice that come up 1 on the reroll cannot be rerolled again.

Halfdwarf

In ages past, the dwarves built and excavated the warrens and towers of the Stone City, and their legacy remains. The Dwarven High Houses still rule the city and the Stone Watch still keeps order, walking the streets and standing the walls.

Halfdwarves are often stigmatized in the Stone City, and many a halfdwarven child has found themselves relegated to the ranks of the Urchins.

Halfdwarf urchins tend to be stocky and tough, often meeting the disdain hurled at them from the adults around them with brash arrogance.

SFX

Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a instead of a

Rocky Exterior: Your skin is tough as native stone. When defending vs physical damage (an attack or a fall, etc), you may spend 1 PP to reroll any dice that come up 1. Dice that come up 1 on the reroll cannot be rolled again.

Stonecunning: You have an almost transcendent connection to both worked and unworked stone and the raw earth beneath your feet. When you spend 1 PP to create an asset by revealing something about the surrounding stone or earthen terrain or structures, step that asset up to

Feykin

The elven people no longer sojourn the mortal realm, but occasionally a child with traces of their eldritch blood is born into the world. In the lands without the Stone City, this is viewed as a favorable omen and a promise that magic remains in the world, but within its walls, such children are viewed with suspicion and mistrust.

Feykin tend to be lithe and agile, willowy and quick, and surprisingly resilient considering their waifish appearance.

SFX

Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a instead of a

Eldritch Perception: Your keen eyes and sharp ears notice everything. When you spend 1 PP to create a asset based on your fey senses, step up that asset to a

Nature's Shroud: You blend into the background like lichen on stone. If you are able to remain perfectly still, you may step up or double Skulker as a defensive action to avoid notice. 1s and 2s count as hitches. Spend 1 PP to do both.

Smolfolk

SFX

Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a instead of a

Rocky Exterior: Your skin is tough as native stone. When defending vs physical damage (an attack or a fall, etc), you may spend 1 PP to reroll any dice that come up 1. Any dice that come up 1 again cannot be rerolled.

Stonecunning: You have an almost transcendent connection to both worked and unworked stone and the raw earth beneath your feet. When you spend a PP to create an asset by revealing something about the surrounding stone or earthen terrain or structures, step that asset up to

Wildling

SFX

Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a instead of a

Rocky Exterior: Your skin is tough as native stone. When defending vs physical damage (an attack or a fall, etc), you may spend 1 PP to reroll any dice that come up 1. Any dice that come up 1 again cannot be rerolled.

Scavenger: You are adept at making common objects and found scraps serve as tools or parts in a pinch. Spend 1 PP to step up or double your Fixer die for an action.

Wyrd Distinction

Changeling

SFX

Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a instead of a

Rocky Exterior: Your skin is tough as native stone. When defending vs physical damage (an attack or a fall, etc), you may spend 1 PP to reroll any dice that come up 1. Any dice that come up 1 again cannot be rerolled.

Stonecunning: You have an almost transcendent connection to both worked and unworked stone and the raw earth beneath your feet. When you spend a PP to create an asset by revealing something about the surrounding stone or earthen terrain or structures, step that asset up to

Quirk Distinction

SFX

Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a instead of a

Rocky Exterior: Your skin is tough as native stone. When defending vs physical damage (an attack or a fall, etc), you may spend 1 PP to reroll any dice that come up 1. Any dice that come up 1 again cannot be rerolled.

Stonecunning: You have an almost transcendent connection to both worked and unworked stone and the raw earth beneath your feet. When you spend a PP to create an asset by revealing something about the surrounding stone or earthen terrain or structures, step that asset up to

Approaches

INFILTRATION | INVESTIGATION | SABOTAGE

Approaches default to

Players may instead choose to step up one to by stepping back one to

Roles

FIXER | RUNNER | SCRAPPER | SKULKER | TRACKER | TRICKSTER

Assign one of the following dice to each role:

Knacks

Each Character's Role gets either one free knack or two free knacks

Each Character's Role gets one free knack

Players may purchase knacks as normal for their character's Roles.

Players may not purchase knacks for their character's Role

Each player begins the game with two points to spend on knacks. With one point you can buy a new knack at or you can step up an existing knack one place. No knack can be stepped up above the value of the role it is associated with.

Heirlooms and Keepsakes

Each Urchin begins play with one Heirloom and one Keepsake.

Heirloom This is a hidden treasure from someone important to the Urchin from before they were orphaned, a gift from a parent or sibling or other relative or a piece of family property that the urchin managed to sneak away with.

Keepsake This is a small memento, a gift from another urchin or a minor found treasure since they became an orphan.

Additional keepsakes can be created in play by spending XP on a character created asset and making it permanent. Keepsakes, in turn, can become Heirlooms by spending XP to declare the item has become more meaningful to the character, bumping its die rating up to

Lithoform

Each urchin has access to a stone exoframe carved into the form of a humanoid statue.

Acts with Scale vs regular creatures, etc

Distinctions

PURPOSE | QUIRK

All SFX cause complications/stress?

Stress

CORE | CARAPICE | CONNECTION