Themes

Themes are loose groupings of traits. You can mix and match themes however you want to build your character.

Themes serve two purposes. The first is to inspire you. Themes group together similar traits to give you an idea of what a cohesive character might look like. The second purpose is organization. Themes provide a fairly reliable way to find certain traits. For example, suppose you want to play a wizard who specializes in lightning magic. You might want to check out the Arcane and Elements themes because they will probably have traits that fit your character.

Traits

For a list of all traits available, see article List of All Traits

Traits are your PC’s special qualities or capabilities. They are arguably the most important part of your character because they set you apart from everyone else.

Each trait has a grey box beneath it, which offers descriptions and examples. These boxes have no mechanical bearing on the game whatsoever, so you’re free to ignore them. However, Tavern Tales relies heavily on descriptions. You are encouraged to describe your character and actions in interesting ways. Using the boxes for inspiration can help you paint a vivid and exciting picture with your descriptions.

Spending Tales on Traits

The situation determines whether or not players need to roll to use a trait. If it’s risky, you need a Good Tale. If it’s not risky, you only need a Neutral Tale. For example, the Arcane trait Teleport reads “You can teleport.” If you perform a risky or significant action, such as teleporting from a dungeon back to town, then you need to spend a Good Tale. If you’re hanging out at a tavern and teleport to the bar, then you can do that as a Neutral Tale.

In general, traits that begin with the phrase “You can...” might require a roll.

Changing Traits for the GM

Traits are worded for the players’ convenience, which means that the wording might not work for the GM. The GM should change the wording of certain traits to make them usable for NPCs. For example, if a trait says, “You can immediately tell a Good Tale,” the GM should change it to “You can immediately tell a Bad Tale.”

How to Read a Trait

Each trait has 3 components: The trait name, the effect, and the lore. Trait Name The title is the large, bold phrase at the top of the trait. You can and should change the trait’s name to fit your unique character. Effect The effect is in the middle of the trait. The effect describes what the trait does, and how you can use it. Underlined words are keywords (refer to Chapter 8). Many traits, such as Teleport, are intentionally ambiguous so that the players and the GM can work together to determine how the trait should work in your game. Lore The lore is contained within a grey box beneath the trait. The lore has no mechanical bearing on the game whatsoever — it’s there to inspire you, give examples, and remind you to be descriptive with your traits.

Teleport Theme Arcane Category Exploration Effect You can teleport. Collaborate on what that entails. Lore Describe Vanishing in a puff, rearranging spacetime, opening a wormhole, stepping across dimensions. Extra How it works: You must have been there before, requires line of sight, requires intense concentration.

General Traits

See main article, General Traits

Building Your Own Traits

Homebrewing is an intrinsic part of RPGs. Inevitably, players will come to the GM with custom trait ideas. It’s up to your gaming group to decide if custom traits are allowed. Consider using this section as a rough guideline when you design your own traits.

First, look through the themes for similar traits. Tavern Tales has a very extensive list of options, so there’s a good chance there’s already a similar trait. In the interest of efficiency and balance, you’re probably better off modifying an existing trait rather than building a new one from scratch. At the very least, this process will familiarize yourself with trait mechanics and balance.

Balance

The most important factors to consider when balancing a trait are effect and frequency. The more potent the effect, the more powerful the trait is. Also, the more frequently players can use the trait, the more powerful it is.

This highlights the differences between passive and active traits. Passive traits are “always on,” so they typically have less powerful effects to compensate. In contrast, active traits can only be used in certain situations, so their effects can be more powerful.

There are a few tricks you can use to control trait power. If your custom trait feels too strong, consider applying one of these modifications:

• Collaborate on how you charge this trait. Spend the charge to...
• Collaborate on 3 feats, each with 2 boxes. When you complete a feat, mark its box. Clear 3 boxes to...

  ☐☐ Absorb magical energy from a powerful font

  ☐☐ Write spells in your spellbook.

  ☐☐ Discover something magical.

• When you fulfill [specific conditions], you can...

Remember that balance is an ongoing process. Don’t expect to create a perfectly balanced trait on your very first try. Ask your group for advice on how you can create balanced effects. Also, consider periodically revisiting a trait. Sometimes, you have to play a few sessions before you can fully grasp a trait’s power.

Principles

Follow these guidelines when you design your trait:

• Focus on cinematics rather than mathematics. Imagine what it looks like when you use the trait. If it’s flashy and obvious, then you probably did a good job of making your trait cinematic. If your trait overly focuses on numbers (such as dice rolls and Challenge boxes), then it’s probably too mechanical.
• Don’t go overboard with effects. In general, each trait should just do 1 thing.
• Do cool stuff!

List of Themes

General Traits	Alchemy	Arcane	Artifice	Bardic Lore
Beast	Command	Dragon	Elements	Faith
Martial Arts	Nature	Occultism	Psionics	Savagery
Thievery	Tracking	Transformation	Undeath	Warfare

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