Sunday, 19 June 2016

Odd Marks

Marks are just another type of Oddity, but rather than a tangible object they're a sort of transformation that happens to you. Something is changed, but you get an ability of variable usefulness out of it.

Some common ways that you might end up with a Mark:
  • Making a deal with some weirdo.
  • Killing some odd thing and eating a bit of it.
  • Stepping into the Blue Light.
  • Listening to that creepy broadcast for too long.
  • Going into that cheap tattoo place.


Maybe they cancel each other out, so if you get a bad one you really want to find some way of replacing it with something better. Or maybe they stack, whatever is more interesting at the time, just let the players know before they make any decisions based on it.

They always have some sort of negative, even if it's just making you look like a weirdo. Sometimes the cosmetic side is the most important.

If you ever read my Hellspace game, you’ll see where I’ve salvaged a lot of these from.

Mark of the Bonehead
  • You have a skull for a head.
  • You can detach your skull and throw it around.
  • When you die you can regenerate from your indestructible skull.

Mark of the Gazer
  • Your clothes always look psychedelic and you always smell weird.
  • Your hallucinations and dreams hint at the truth.
  • You can trigger hallucinations by staring at the stars for a while.

Mark of the Crusader
  • Any attempts to use a post-medieval weapon are impaired.
  • You have a small circle of 5 novices (2hp, robes, sword) at your command.
  • If you cause STR loss to an otherworldly being they are banished back to their home.

Mark of the Saint
  • Your eyes turn all-white and you glow slightly.
  • You can sense when a statement is a lie.
  • Your voice can travel as far as you want it to.

Mark of the Server
  • You have brass hands that allow you to directly interface with any machine.
  • You only really understand living creatures if you’re holding hands with them.
  • Upload yourself from your body to any machine at will, taking full control.

Mark of the Knife
  • Replace both your hands with knives.
  • You can use the knives to cut a hole in reality, annihilating anything that enters.
  • You can enter a hole in reality and leave through another.

Mark of the Pilgrim
  • Any weapon you carry turns into a walking stick (d6).
  • Instead of benefiting from Short Rests, you get the same effect from an hour of walking.
  • Instead of benefiting from Long Rests, you get the same effect for passing into a significantly different region (geographically or culturally).

Mark of the Beast
  • You have shaggy fur and long horns.
  • You have the enhanced scent and hearing of a beast.
  • Talk with any creature of animal intelligence.

Mark of the Flesher
  • Your skeleton was robotic all along, with fleshy bits attached.
  • Hold any organic part to your body and have it attach.
  • Shed your organic parts and crawl into a dead creature to take its whole body.

Mark of the Machine
  • Never feel joy, sadness, or boredom.
  • Perform a routine task tirelessly, perfectly, and inhumanly fast.
  • People can tell you’re dead inside right away.

Mark of the Severed
  • Your head flies off, immediately choose to either be the head or body, with the other part instantly annihilated.
  • While in your head/headless form you cannot die.
  • Attach a new body/head to yourself any time you like, but you become mortal again.

Mark of the Horned
  • Big evil-looking ram horns.
  • Cause intense pain in those that don’t follow your command.
  • Any holy symbol, if wielded with true faith, repells you.

Mark of the Snake
  • Get creepy snake eyes and a forked tongue.
  • If you convince someone to do something that will harm themselves (immediately or long-term), your snake-features fade away for a month.
  • You can only eat live things.

Mark of the Void
  • Your actions cause no sound.
  • You leave no footprints or trail.
  • Nobody ever remembers you.