Basic Traits of Dragon-Blooded More Than Human Precious Few Less Than Sane Character Creation Attributes Aspect House Virtues Education Powers Magic Supernatural Martial Arts Items and Creatures Holdings and Manses Rank and Allies Limit Break

Basic Traits of Dragon-Blooded

 

More Than Human

 

When it comes to physiology, Dragon-Blooded are simply better than mere mortals. They are stronger, more resilient and heal exponentially faster even without magical intervention. While mortals operate within what one might call "real world limits," Dragon-Blooded function under anime physics. They are capable of enormous leaps, acrobatic stunts and other superhuman feats. 

 

According to the Immaculate Order, the official church of the Scarlet Empire, the Dragon Blooded are capable of this because they are more spiritually advanced. Which means they get to be in charge. 

 

Precious Few

 

In all of Creation, there are estimated to be about 10,000 Dragon-Blooded, with the densest population residing on the Blessed Isle and the Lookshy Shogunate. The Imperial City, by contrast, has a population of two million mortals. It is rare for a Dragon-Blooded to stoop to menial work. They rely on summoned demons, mortals and the remnants of First Age technology. 

 

Less Than Sane

 

Dragon-Blooded are prone to emotional extremes. Under duress, such as resisting mental compulsions or acting against their Virtue, they may become prone to snapping and having an extreme emotional outburst. These outbursts tend to fall in line with their Aspect and their Virtue. (See Limit Break below.) 

 

Character Creation

Step 1: Choose an Aspect (Air, Earth, Fire, Water or Wood)

Step 2: Choose which House, if any, you are a member of.

Step 3: Choose a virtue

Step 4: Choose educational background, if any, you received.

Step 5: Decide on what your character does for a living.

Step 6: Spend points on attributes, powers, items, etc.

 

Attributes

 

Even though I list attributes last, I figure I’d cover them first.

 

For the most part, attributes are handled in a similar fashion to Amber, though the attributes for this game are different from the standard four from ADRPG.

All attributes start at 0 points, which is considered “Celestial Rank.” This is the best among the best of mortals. Players can sell down to Terrestrial Rank (-10) or Mortal Rank (-25). These are cosmetic names, and do not have any cosmological significance. 

 

For each attribute, players may choose a specialty that falls under the province of that attribute. When your specialty comes into play, your attribute is considered to be 20 points higher than normal. Please do not choose overly broad specialties. The Aspect you choose will also provide bonuses to your attributes for different situations.

You can also gain bonuses to your attribute by performing “stunts.” Particularly evocative descriptions of actions will earn a player 5-15 more points in their attribute for purposes of their action.

 

Most base attributes (not including specialties or stunts) cap out at 25 or your Essence attribute, whichever is higher. Those who have mastered a Celestial Martial Art (described farther down) can buy up to 50.

 

Any use of an attribute that is above Celestial Rank (not including stunt bonuses) involves the use of supernatural powers. This means two things. The first is that your abilities are not limited by the physically possible. Sneaking around involves becoming partially invisible, weapons become wreathed in elemental energies, and spying on someone can involve seeing through walls. The second impact is that the more you use your powers, the more obvious it is. Both Dragon-Blooded and Anathema will be surrounded by an aura of power called their “anima banner.” At the extreme end, the character appears to be surrounded by a bonfire with a totemic image pertaining to the character within it.

For Dragon-Blooded this anima banner is also a swirling vortex of elemental energy.

 

• Battle: This attribute covers most combat abilities. Those with 1 or more points in this attribute can charge their attacks with the element of their Aspect, causing an additional elemental effect. A Water Aspect might fill a target’s lungs with water while an Earth Aspect might knock an enemy down with a localized earthquake. Each type of combat is also covered by an element, which influences the potential as well. Air governs thrown weapons, Fire governs melee weapons (and dodging out of the way), Water rules over martial arts (unarmed attacks and attacks with martial arts weapons) and Wood covers archery.
  
  Those who have above Celestial Rank or higher may also briefly change their body into their element in order to let attacks pass through them. This does not make you more or less effective than yourattribute would indicate, it’s just a neat effect to describe how you dodge things.
  
  Possible specialties for this could include dirty fighting, archery, sneak attack, Five Dragon Style, fighting from horseback, etc.



• War: This attribute defines your ability to lead troops. It is the specialty of Earth Aspected Dragon-Blooded. Those who have 1 or more points in this attribute can extend their anima powers to the troops that they lead and produce the effects on a larger scale than normal. In addition, Dragon-Blooded with this attribute can sculpt earth and stone around them to form ramparts, ditches and other terrain. They can also lend the tirelessness and resistance to injury associated with Earth.
  
  Specialties for this attribute include, but are not limited to, small unit tactics, naval battles, covert strike teams, legion-scale combat.



• Debate: This is your way to sway the masses through your persuasive talents. Above Celestial rank, this attribute primarily involves mental compulsions, resisted either through deflecting it through counter-arguments (Debate attribute) or resisting it through force of will (Resistance). PCs (and some NPCs) can always veto a mental compulsion. Doing so leads to Limit Break. (See below.)
  
  Each Aspect is better at Debate in certain avenues. Air Aspects are best at the written missives that compel from a distance. Fire excels at blending into social situations (social stealth) or force of personality in one-on-one situations. Water is best at interrogation. Wood is excellent at swaying crowds.
  
  Specialties might include vicious letter campaigns, two-fisted interrogation, rousing speeches or peer pressure.



• Investigation: This attribute covers noticing details, perception, interacting with bureaucracy, research. This is used to thwart ambush attempts and find clues at the scene of a crime. Water Aspects excels at this attribute, though Earth Aspects are good at noticing things (especially things that move across stone or earth) and Air Aspects excel at research. Use of this attribute at 1 or more points involves sensing things through the earth, seeing through other people’s eyes, perceiving immaterial things, detecting observation.
  
  Specialties for this attribute could include crime scene investigation, spotting ambushes, tracking or cutting through red tape.



• Larceny: Sneaking around, breaking into places, picking pockets, creating forgeries and most other sorts of illicit activity. This attribute is opposed by Investigation. Those above Celestial rank can hush sounds and become almost as clear as air, create tools to break in from raw elemental energy, etc. Air Aspected characters excel at stealth, suppressing sounds passing through the air and take on the translucent nature of air. Water, on the other hand, is best at breaking and entering.
  
  Possible specialties include picking pockets, forging documents, picking locks.



• Resistance: This is the ability to resist physical and mental influence, fight off fatigue, resist harsh environments. It also covers raw physical strength. Those above Celestial rank can turn their skin into jade in order to deflect blows, go without food or sleep for days, go without breathing for several minutes, push back the chaotic energy of the Wyld, or lift superhuman weight. This attribute is one that Earth Aspects excel at, though outdoor survival is something that Wood Aspects are good at as well.Specialties could include resisting temptation, foraging, untiring or mighty strength.



• Essence: This attribute covers the strength of magical abilities, how long a character can continue using magic and is a catch-all for anything that doesn’t fall under one of the attributes. Those with 1 or more points in this attribute can channel elemental energy into bolts of energy, affect immaterial spirits, detect magical energies and materials, have messages carried by the wind to distant allies.  and absorb power and health from being immersed in their element. Those with at least Terrestrial rank in this can perform simple rituals and enchantments called thaumaturgy.
  
  Potential specialties for this include sorcery, thaumaturgy, sculpting, etc.



• Fortune: This functions the same as “Stuff” but has a more intuitive name. You can take up to 10 points of Good Fortune, or get up to 10 points from taking Bad Fortune.

Aspect

 

Not all members of the Great Houses become Dragon-Blooded. If they do, it will typically be during early adolescence and will determine whether they will have a significant future in the Realm or if they will simply be another mortal that no one cares about.

 

The Aspect that they manifest embodies one of the five elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water or Wood. Their physical appearance and personality will shift slightly to represent their element, and this will become more pronounced as the Dragon-Blooded grows in age and power.

 

When Dragon-Blooded channel great amounts of magical energy, their element swirls about them in a destructive nimbus of energy. Each Dragon-Bloooded will have an ability they can activate, which will make their nature more pronounced and grant them special abilities. These powers automatically activate when they are surrounded by their elemental storm.

 

All Dragon-Blooded also receive bonuses to their attributes for skills associated with their Aspect. Some receive a bonus only in specific uses of the attribute, others for the attribute in general.

 

• Air:
• Stereotype: Creative, intellectual, idealistic.
• Aspect Power: Air Aspects can surround themselves with a small personal whirlwind which greatly enhances their jumping distance, allows them to fall from any distance and add their Essence to their Battle attribute for purposes of dodging arrows and thrown weapons.
• Aspect Specialties: +10 to sneaking with the Larceny attribute, written correspondence with the Debate attribute, paper research with the thrown weapon attacks with the Battle attribute and all uses of the Essence attribute.
• Earth:
• Stereotype: Stable, organized, stubborn.
• Aspect Power: When activated, Earth Aspects become more like stone. They are more resistant to damage and may add their Essence to their Battle attribute for purposes of resisting being grappled or knocked down. So long as they stand on earth or stone, they may add their Essence to their Resistance for anything that envolves endurance.
• Aspect Specialties: +10 to noticing their surroundings with the Investigation attribute, +10 to any attribute use that involves crafting or destroying inanimate objects, and +10 to all uses of Resistance and War.
• Fire:
• Stereotype: Passionate, charming, energetic.
• Aspect Power: Fire Aspects can activate this in order to become immune to fire and surround themselves with flames.
• Aspect Specialties: +10 to their Battle attribute for purposes of dodging and armed combat, +10 to uses of the Debate attribute that involve one-on-one interactions or mingling.
• Water:
• Stereotype: Adaptable, curious, problem solvers.
• Aspect Power: Use of their power allows them to function underwater just as they would on land. With some effort, they can also walk on water.
• Aspect Specialties: +10 bonus to criminal activities with the Larceny attribute (opening locks, picking pockets, working with the criminal underworld), +10 to martial arts attacks with the Battle attribute, +10 to interrogation with the Debate attribute, +10 to all use of the Investigation attribute and +10 to any attribute use that involves sailing.
• Wood:
• Stereotype: Hedonistic, mystic, nurturing.
• Aspect Power: The activation of this power grants immunity to plant based toxins, makes the Dragon-Blooded able to poison targets by touch and they may add their Essence to their Battle attribute for purposes of defending against wooden weapons.  
• Aspect Specialties: +10 to swaying large crowds with Debate, +10 to archery attacks with the Battle attribute, and +10 to any attribute use that involves medical knowledge, riding a mount or dealing with the wilderness.

 

House

 

The eleven Great Houses are populated by the descendants of the Scarlet Empress or those who have married into them. Each house has an element associated with it, which summarizes their House’s personality and describes the most common Aspect to appear in their House. However, characters are not required to fit into that role.

• Cathak (Fire): Pious militant house.
• Cynis (Wood): Hedonists who deal in drugs, slaves and anything else illicit.
• Iselsi (Water): A disgraced house that plotted to scheme against the Scarlet Empress. It is rumored that they were turned into the Empress’s spies, but no one can prove anything.
• Ledaal (Air): Historians and scholars.
• Mnemon (Earth): Ambitious militant house, headed by the Empress’s powerful sorceress daughter.
• Nellens (None): Primarily a patrician house with few Dragon-Blooded. Generally looked down upon.
• Peleps (Water): Politicians and primary influence in the Imperial Navy.
• Ragara (Earth): The wealthiest of the Houses.
• Sesus (Fire): Politically ambitious militant House.
• Tepet (Air): A martial House that lost significant numbers after an unfortunate run-in with an Anathema.
• V’neef (Wood): Youngest and smallest House, focusing primarily on trade.
• Lost Eggs: This category covers anyone not born into a Great House, usually an oops baby conceived on some unsuspecting mortal. Without the sponsorship of a Great House, they have to work harder than others.

 

Virtues

 

Each Dragon-Blooded has a primary virtue that they are associated with, a standard they are loathe to violate. Each PC has one of the four Virtues. They are:

 

• Compassion: You care about people and cannot turn your back on those on needs. 
• Conviction: You are self assured when you think you are right. 
• Temperance: You resist the base temptation of vice and expect others to do the same. 
• Valor: You are brave in the face of overwhelming odds.  

 

The benefit of these is that your Virtue acts like a floating specialty, adding 10 to an attribute when it is used to support the virtue. You might add 10 to your Battle attribute when defending the weak if your Virtue is Compassion. A character with Temperance might add 10 to her Resistance when fighting off a magically powered seduction. 

 

The downside is that acting against your Virtue has consequences. See Limit Break below. 

 

Education

 

Most Dragon-Blooded spend their pre-adolescence in private schools far from their families. Once it is determined whether they will Exalt, they go on to a secondary school. The most prestigious of these schools are reserved for the Dragon-Blooded. Many, but not all, seek out a career associated with the school they attend.

 

• Cloister of Wisdom: The religious education available to the Dragon-Blooded. Religious education in this instance refers to physical and mental discipline, medical training and martial arts. This school is in corner of the Blessed Isle near city of Sion.
• The Heptagram: This is the most prestigious magic academy in Creation, located Off the northern coast, on the Isle of Voices.
• The House of Bells: The premier military academy, located in the southern end of the Blessed Isle near Arjuf.
• The Spiral Academy: Training students in the arts of accounting, poetry, rhetoric, calligraphy and political science in order to prepare them to become politicians and bureacrats. It is in the Imperial City in the Thousand Scales District.
• The House of Ancient Stone: A school for problem students, it teaches agriculture, history and geomancy. It is located in the center of the island, near Lord’s Crossing.
• The Palace of the Tamed Storm:  Another school for problem students, this school in the worst neighborhood of the Imperial City teaches students more larcenous skills.
• Pasiap's Stair: A military school geared towards Found Eggs, it is a brutal school that prepares them for the military.

 

Powers

 

Magic

 

• [0] Thaumaturgy (Requires: Terrestrial Rank or higher in Essence.): These are the rituals that any properly trained mortal can learn to practice. The smallest rituals can take several minutes to perform, the largest can take days. It lacks the raw power of Sorcery, but can accomplish more subtle feats of magic.

 

• [15] Terrestrial Circle Sorcery (Requires: Celestial Rank or higher in Essence.): There are three tiers of Sorcery, but only the lowest tier is available to the Dragon-Blooded and some mortals. Two Dragon-Blooded have known to reach the second tier (the Scarlet Empress and her daughter Mnemon) but they do not share the secret of how they accomplished it. Otherwise, only Anathema are able to reach the higher degrees of magic.
  
  Sorcery can create a wide range of effects, from death strikes against mortals, damage against a wide area of effect, flying up to 200 mph or summoning and binding demons. Casting a spell takes at least several seconds during which the spellcaster cannot defend himself. More elaborate spells may take more time and may have strictures. For example, it’s possible to summon a flying horsedrawn chariot that travels 200 mph, but it will only run during the daytime.
  
  A Sorcerer may have one demon or elemental bound to him for free, which can be built off of 15 points like a creature. Additional demons or elementals may be purchased for 5 points each.



• [15] Shadowland Circle Necromancy (Requires Celestial Rank or higher in Essence, plus an Essence specialty in Necromancy): Dragon-Blooded cannot normally learn Necromancy. Their elemental nature is too closely tied to Creation to be able to manipulate the Underworld. It is rumored that some are touched more by death than life, and are able to learn Necromancy instead of Sorcery. Necromancy, in general, lacks the versatility of sorcery. But it can accomplish much in terms of the dead that is beyond the scope of Sorcery.
  
  As with Sorcery, there are three tiers of Necromancy, but the upper tiers are only practiced by Anathema, Deathlords and deathknights.
  
  A Necromancer may have an undead entity bound to him for free, built off of 15 item/creature points. Additional undead may be purchased for 5 points each.
  
  

  Only one player, if any, will be allowed to have a character that knows Necromancy. This will be awarded on a first-come, first serve basis.

Supernatural Martial Arts

 

The path to Enlightenment involves perfecting your flows of Essence. This involves becoming a master of supernatural martial arts. There are two tiers of martial arts: Terrestrial and Celestial. Terrestrial martial arts can be learned by any Dragon-Blooded and a rare few mortals.

 

Any character that has at least 1 point in the Battle can say they know a Terrestrial martial art of some sort. They primarily enhance basic fighting ability, so there's little value in breaking them out.

 

Celestial martial arts are primarily the province of the Anathema, but with great discipline a Dragon-Blooded can also learn these superior martial arts. The Immaculate Order only teaches the Five Elemental Dragon Styles, which are broken out below. These styles enhance the elemental powers of the Dragon-Blooded and allow them to police the spirits that may violate the edicts of the Immaculate Order. All other martial arts are heretical.

 

There are rumors of a third tier of martial arts. It's probably nothing. Move along.

 

Each martial art has two levels of mastery. The Form level allows you to adopt the fighting stance of the martial art and gain its benefits. The Mastery level allows you to fully control the power it provides. A celestial martial art must be activated to gain the benefit. All Celestial martial arts are almost always obvious in their execution and they greatly drain Essence reserves. Each martial art has a weapon associated with it, allowing you to use the powers of the martial art either armed (if using the right weapon) or unarmed.

 

• [5] Bulb of the Perfected Lotus (Requires Immaculate Training): See and physically interact with immaterial creatures. This power is required to learn any Celestial martial art.
• [5] Cross-Elemental Surcharge: A Dragon-Blooded who wishes to learn an Elemental Dragon Style different from his own element must pay this amount. You do not need to pay this if you've mastered your native style.
• [10] Air Dragon Style (Form): This conveys fine control over the air. You can sense movement through the air around you, turn invisible, suck air from a person’s lungs and move more quickly. Ranged attacks can reach farther. This style uses the chakram. +10 to Investigation (noticing movement), +10 to Larceny (sneaking) and +10 to Battle for dodging when using this martial art.
• [10] Air Dragon Style (Mastery): You channel the power of storms, buffeting enemies with the wind, riding currents of air, deafening thunderclaps, bolts of lightning. +10 to the Battle attribute while using this martial art in addition to other bonuses from the Form level.
• [10] Earth Dragon Style (Form): You become stronger and more resistant to damage. +10 to the Battle and Resistance attributes while this is active. This style uses the tetsubo.
• [10] Earth Dragon Style (Mastery): You become even stronger and tougher with this as you gain mastery. Additionally you can shatter objects more easily, slow and freeze enemies by either filling them with the spiritual essence of earth or engulfing them in earth, and force spirits to materialize. +10 to Battle and Resistance in addition to the +10 gained from the Earth Dragon Form.
• [10] Fire Dragon Style (Form): Speed and pain are the emphasis for this style. Your blows can cause crippling pain and the air burns around you. +10 to the Battle attribute while using this martial art. This style uses paired short swords.
• [10] Fire Dragon Style (Mastery): The power of your flames burn even bright. You can set flesh afire, ignite the magical energy in a person and cause fear. You gain an additional +10 to your Battle attribute as well as a +10 to Debate for purposes of intimidation. And your nimbus of fire grows even more.
• [10] Water Dragon Style (Form): This style allows you to cause attacks to ripple out around you, affecting multiple targets, fill a person’s lungs with blood, and escape from any restraint. +10 to the Battle attribute and Resistance attributes while this is active. The preferred weapon for this style are the tiger claws.
• [10] Water Dragon Style (Mastery): At this level you can reverse the flow of a person's blood, sap magical energy, trap spirits in whirlpools of energy, suppress and magical abilities. You gain an additional +10 to Battle and Resistance.
• [10] Wood Dragon Style (Form): The Wood Dragon style is the most esoteric and uses the bow for its attacks. At this level, you can perceive weaknesses, brand souls and regenerate damage. +10 to Battle and Resistance while using this style.
• [10] Wood Dragon Style (Mastery): At this level you can daze and hypnotize opponents, ravage spirits and punch people so hard their soul falls off. +10 to Battle attribute for purposes of dodging.

 

Items and Creatures

This game will use the standard ADRPG rules for items with some notable exceptions.

 

Any item power that refers to an aspect of the Amber cosmology is unavailable: Shapeshifting, Trump, spell racks and shadow travel. Mold Shadow only works on a very small scope. Quantity multipliers will be severely limited.  

 

In general, the most powerful weapons and armor are made from one of the Five Magical Materials. Which means that they are attuned to a specific owner and are almost always oversized. For Dragon-Blooded it is assumed that the item is made out of jade. If you want a weapon or armor made from a different magical material, it costs double the normal cost.

 

The more damage or armor an item provides also indicates the item is bigger. 1 point of damage might imply a small weapon or a chain shirt. 4 points leans towards the truly massive weapons or superheavy plate armor.

 

Artifact versions of weapons tend to have some name to distinguish it from their smaller mundane counterparts. Here is a partial list of the names:

 

• Sword = Daiklaive (which features short daiklaives, grand daiklaives, reaver daiklaives, hook daiklaives, etc)
• Axe = Grimcleaver
• Heavy Axe = Grand Grimcleaver
• Armored Gauntlet = Smashfist
• Armored Boot = God-Kicking Boot
• Tiger Claws = Razor Claws
• Hammer or Tetsubo = Goremaul
• Chain = Dire Chain
• Seven Section Staff = Serpent-Sting Staff
• Bow = Powerbow (which features both long and short powerbows)
• Chakram = Infinite Jade Chakram
• Spear = Dire Lance

 

Holdings and Manses

 

 

Instead of buying Shadows, you may buy personal property such as an estate or manse. For free you have an apartment in the one of your House’s holdings near to the Imperial City. Like the rules for Shadows in ADRPG, you can buy qualities for this holding in much the same way you would a Shadow.

 

Two qualities that require a bit of explanation are Manses and Hearthstones. A Manse is a structure on top of a naturally occurring source of essence, which focuses the energy. While in a Manse you can recover your magical power more quickly. Manses can be designed to crystalize this power into a “Hearthstone” which allows you to draw upon the energy remotely and also gain some special quality out of it. If you buy a Hearthstone but not a Manse, it means that your family controls the Manse and you share it with others, but you have been given the Hearthstone produced.

 

All of the following items have values in the usual 1, 2 or 4 point cost except for Hearthstones, which cost 2, 4 or 8 points.

• Location: The closer a private residence is to the Imperial City, the more expensive it is. 4 points represents something within the Imperial City itself.
• Size:  This can vary by location. The closer you are to the Imperial City, the smaller it likely is. 4 points is a mansion in the Imperial City or a sprawling palace in the middle of nowhere.
• Guards: The quality of your armed guards protecting the place, if any. 4 points represent elite troops that are supernatural in some way (Dragon-Blooded, God-Blooded , or something else.) The number of guards you can have increases in relation to distance from the Imperial City. You can have dozen or so in the city, hundreds if you are in the middle of nowhere.
• Security: This is an indicator of security systems in place. 4 points means you have First Age technomagical systems in place with advanced biometric scanners in place.
• Manse: The point cost for this represents a multiplier for how quickly you regain power while in the Manse. Take the point value and multiply it by four to find your multiplier.
• Hearthstone: There are two aspects to the Hearthstone quality. One is the power transferal and the other is the item quality. So a 2 point Hearthstone has a 1 point of an Item quality or power and 1 point of essence charge. The two values have to match. A Hearthstone must touch your skin or be mounted into a special artifact for you to draw energy off of it. In order to access the item quality, it must be mounted into a special artifact.

 

Rank and Allies

 

If you want a personal guard or servants, those are best handled through item creation rules. Buying a rank means that you are part of the governmental structure and have resources in addition to people at your command as well connections that tie into that. For the point values below I will use military ranks, but you could have a comparable role in the intelligence wing or the bureaucracy if you so choose. All military units have cute dragony names.

• 0: Scalelord (Lieutenant). You command about 25 troops (1 scale/5 fangs).
• 1: Talonlord (Captain or Commander): You command about 125 troops (1 talon/5 scales)
• 2: Winglord (Major/Commander): You command 250 troops (1 wing/2 talons)
• 4: Dragonlord (Colonel/Admiral): You command 500 troops (1 dragon/2 wings)
• 8: Strategos (General/Admiral of the Fleet): You command 5000 troops (1 legion) or one of the four fleets.

 

 

If you do not want to have a rank in an organization but want to have contacts, it costs half as much as it would to have the rank yourself. So to be friends with one of the Admirals of the Fleet would cost 4 points.

 

Limit Break 

 

Dragon-Blooded are creatures of extreme virtue and passion. On occasion, these combine explosively. There are cosmological reasons for this, but as far as the Dragon-Blooded themselves know the explanations tend to be along the lines of "elements breed strong reactions" or "absolute power drives people nuts." The mechanical term for Dragon-Blooded having a meltdown is a "Limit Break." 

 

Two things help feed the risk of a Limit Break. 

 

• Vetoing a supernatural mental compulsion.
• Acting against their Virtue.

 

As a GM I will not be keeping a tally that will explode when it reaches a certain level. Instead, I will be using this in the event that such actions become frequent in the game. A Valor oriented character who runs away from every conflict or a Temperance character that sells his values short risks having a melt down in game.

 

The meltdown is represented by a combination of the Aspect and the Virtue for the character.

 

• Air Aspects tend to be idealists, and their Limit Break represents an inability to accept reality's cruelty in face of their idealism. They become cold and cerebral in their cruelty.
• Earth Aspects react as though their traditions and institutions are being spat upon, reacting with angry stubborness and violence.  
• Fire Aspects become overwhelmed by their passions, outraged by injustice and unrighteousness. They leave a trail of pain and suffering in their wake.
• Water Aspects smother and overwhelm threats to their Virtues, obsessed and solving problems through overwhelming them.
• Wood Aspects tend towards debauchery or extreme self loathing, becoming either cold and punishing or helpless in their grief.

 

• Compassionate characters tend to protect the thing their Aspect values (Air: ideals, Earth: institutions, etc), smothering their protected and punishing those who threaten it.
• Convicted characters rigorously punish those who get in the way of their goals.
• Temperate characters punish themselves and others for not living up to their high standards.
• Valorous characters become hostile (either verbally or physically) and take extreme risks to get their way.

 

The Limit Break typically lasts for a scene.