Agony

There are certain critical moments in a character’s life when they must push themselves past their limits to succeed or survive. The result of this is a semi-permanent scar that partially defines their approach to the world from that point forward. This scar may be physical, emotional, or both, but always affects their performance under certain conditions. Agony is not unsurmountable either in the moment or long-term, but is very difficult to shake permanently.

All starting characters will create one Agony from some event that happened sometime in their past, whether before or during their time with the Cohort. This should stem from a defining event that shapes their personality and decision-making. This is represented as an Agony trait. While the full description of the Agony could be quite detailed, for game purposes it should be very succinct, approximately a three- to seven- (3-7) word phrase. For example, “Survived a Puritan purge” or “Self-exiled from Helis”.

Mechanical Effects of Agony

Hindering

At moments that are relevant to a PC’s Agony, the GM may spend one (1) Doom to create a Hindering(-) Ranked Simple Modifier for the Cohort equal to their total Agony.

For example, if a character has three (3) Agony traits, the GM may spend one (1) Doom to create a Hindering(-) Rank 3 Modifier.

Beneficial

Living with Agony has its benefits, too. A PC with Agony has some worldly experience that fuels their growth. For each Agony a PC has, they receive a Beneficial(+) Ranked Simple Modifier for Growth tests.

Aquiring New Agony

Characters may aquire new Agony by Pushing the Limit when they are Stressed Out. This means that players are in control of when their characters take on a new Agony. New Agony may create a new trait, or could intensify an existing Agony, if appropriate.