Brutality

Combat Traits are the main source of combat-related advantages and combat abilities. Anyone can learn to use a weapon without hurting themselves. Anyone can learn to block an attack to learn to duck an arrow. Learning to deal devastating damage, break weapons, or knock someone to their knees takes not only training but a certain degree of sheer physical or mental conditioning that exceeds what most people can do. Each Trait represents the instinctive way that each individual approaches combat and how those basic tendencies are represented in the game world.
  • Each Trait Tier has a Passive Advantage that is gained when the Trait Tier is purchased.
  • Each Trait Tier has a Per Combat ability that can be purchased up to three times each. These abilities refresh after 15 minutes of rest, during which time no Trait-based abilities can be used, nor can the character participate in combat in any fashion.
  • Finally, each Trait Tier has a Per Reset Ability Set that is purchased one time. These sets offer three uses of an ability at Tiers 1, 2, and 3, two uses of an ability at Tier 4, and one use of an ability at Tier 5. These uses refresh at Sunrise, and Sunset.

Any Combat Trait ability that does not deal damage such as Natural Torment, Natural Betrayal, Natural Snare Arms, etc bypass all Shells, worn armor and Vigor. As a general rule of thumb if the Protective wouldn’t be taken down by the ability they don’t interact. They are still negated by missing the delivery swing/packet, being physically blocked by a hand-held shield or weapon, Dodge, Parry (if melee), Side Step (if ranged), Wyrding, Resist and other appropriate defenses.

Passive Advantage: Thickened Blood (Included with Tier 1)

This ability grants an always on Fortitude effect. A Fortitude effect doubles the amount of time a character has for their Bleed Out count. Does not stack with other abilities that increase bleed out time. See the Effects List for more information.

Tagline: N/A

Per Combat Ability: Critical Hit +2

The character may call +2 damage on a single weapon attack, melee or ranged.

Tagline: “Natural Crit 3” when used with a 1 damage weapon.

Per Reset Ability Set: Surge of Strength

Allows the character to use a Strength effect 3 times per Reset. When used to deal additional damage, the additional damage is equal to the highest Brutality Tier the character possesses. At Tiers 3 and 5, the other uses for this Strength effect also increase.  See the Effects List for more information.

Tagline: “Natural Strength X” where X = Highest Brutality Tier possessed + the damage of the weapon used.

Passive Advantage: Grit (Included with Tier 2)

This ability grants an always on Fortified Body effect. A Fortified Body effect allows the character to remain awake while Bleeding Out; they may communicate, yell for help, use any uninjured limb as normal, walk at a normal speed (no running or quick actions) if the legs are uninjured, use a potion if they have an uninjured arm and can reach it, or identify to anyone where they are wounded. Fortified Body does not allow other skills or abilities to be used. See the Effects List for more information.

Tagline: N/A

Per Combat Ability: Critical Hit +3

The character may call +3 damage on a single weapon attack, melee or ranged.

Tagline: “Natural Crit 4” when used with a 1 damage weapon.

Per Reset Ability Set: Shattering Blow

Allows the character to use a Break Weapon effect 3 times per Reset. If delivered with a melee weapon, the swing must hit the targeted weapon to take effect. If delivered with a ranged weapon, the blow must land in a valid hit location. For bows, crossbows, and other weapons with fragile phys-reps, the nearest valid hit location, usually the arm, should be struck instead. See the Effects List for more information.

Tagline: “Natural Break Weapon”

Passive Advantage: Feats of Strength (Included with Tier 3)

Allows the character to use a Strength effect, at-will, but only in the following ways: hold a door closed against any number of opponents for three minutes, run at full speed with up to two unconscious bodies, or carry up to two stable characters at a fast walk for one minute without causing their wounds to be reopened. This Strength effect cannot be used in any other fashion.

Tagline: “Natural Strength”

Per Combat Ability: Critical Hit +4

The character may call +4 damage on a single weapon attack, melee or ranged.

Tagline: “Natural Crit 5” when used with a 1 damage weapon.

Per Reset Ability Set: Forceful Block

Allows the character to use a Natural Parry effect 3 times per Reset. This Parry is not considered a Lesser Defense, and thus may be called in addition to any other Lesser Defenses without counting against the limit of 3, and the Dexterity Tier 3 Passive Advantage Flexible Defense would not apply. See the Effects List for more information.

Tagline: “Natural Parry”

Passive Advantage: Ferocious Blows

Allows the character to, at-will, add +1 damage to any melee or ranged attack with any weapon, including claws if the character has the ability to use them.

Tagline: N/A, but damage above 1 should be indicated with a number.

Per Combat Ability: Maiming Strike

The character may use a Maiming Strike with a weapon attack, melee or ranged. A Maiming Strike is a weapon attack that causes a Wound to the location struck. Note that this effect directly causes a Wound, it does not deal damage, and so bypasses armor, Shells , and Vigor. Strikes are presumed to be Natural attacks. They can be defended by mundanely blocking with a weapon or shield, and are also subject to Parry, Dodge, Reduce and Withstand. See the Effects list for more information.

Tagline: “Maiming Strike”

Per Reset Ability Set: Follow Through

Allows the character to use, 2 times per Reset, a Brutality Per Combat ability as a Flurry 2, provided each use targets a different target. See the Effects List for more information..

Tagline: “Flurry 2, [Brutality Per Combat Ability], [Brutality Per Combat Ability]”

Passive Advantage: Berserker’s Roar

Allows the character to use any one use of any Brutality Per Combat Ability to instead Reduce a Snare effect, or a Mental effect, to a Torment effect that may not otherwise be defended against. In addition, the character may call “No Effect” to all Disarm effects. See the Effects List for more information.

Tagline: “Reduce”, “No Effect”

Per Combat Ability: Killing Strike

The character may use a Killing Strike with a weapon attack, melee or ranged. This ability is a weapon attack that causes automatic Death. This bypasses armor, Shells, and Vigor. Strikes are presumed to be Natural attacks.  They can be defended by mundanely blocking with a weapon or shield, and are also subject to Parry, Dodge, Reduce and Withstand. See the Effects list for more information.

Tagline: “Killing Strike”

Per Reset Ability Set: Wellspring of Ferocity

Allows the character to use, 1 time per Reset, a Refresh effect upon themselves to refresh all expended Brutality Per Combat abilities.  See the Effects List for more details on Refresh..

Tagline: “Refresh Brutality Per Combat All”

Brutality Trait Costs

Tier12345
Tier Cost8XP8XP8XP8XP8XP
Tier Cost, Difficult*10XP10XP10XP10XP10XP
Per Combat Ability Cost5/5/5XP6/6/6XP7/7/7XP8/8/8XP10/10/10XP
Per Reset Ability Set Cost**3XP4XP5XP6XP8XP

* Characters who possess any supernatural racial heritage may experience Difficulty learning one or more Traits and must pay increased XP costs to learn Tiers. Players must pay the increased difference in cost for any Difficult Traits that were purchased before manifesting a supernatural racial heritage.

** This is a one time cost, regardless of the number of uses granted by the Per Reset Ability Set.

Each Trait has 5 Tiers and these Tiers must be bought in progression. Humans can buy any Trait at base cost at any point and at any time. Altera intentionally does not have any “Character Creation Only” abilities. Once a human embraces any of the mythological legacies they will begin to gain access to unique Passive advantages, Per Combat abilities, and Per Day abilities however, the trade-off is that the newly awakened races make two Traits Difficult to learn. The first tier of any Trait is 8 XP. If a Trait is considered Difficult this cost is 10 XP instead.

To advance from one Tier to the next a character must have all three Per Combat abilities and the Per Reset Ability Set before the next Tier can be purchased. When advancing to Tier 5, an additional in-game requirement is necessary before the character may purchase this Tier. This requirement is something that must be discovered in-play.