- 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 Skin (Included with Tier 1)
This ability grants the character 1 point of Vigor, which is always-on. Vigor is damage mitigation that can absorb a number of points of damage equal to the amount of Vigor. Vigor can be healed at a rate of 1 point of Vigor for 2 Points of Heal Wound, or 1 point of Vigor for 1 Point of Heal Vigor, but does not automatically reset on its own. All Vigor stacks with all other forms of Vigor, Some Vigor like the Alchemy “Ox Hide” does not stack with itself but does stack with other forms of Vigor. Any vigor that does not stack will say so.
Tagline: N/A
Per Combat Ability: Reduce Poison or Disease
Allows the character to Reduce a Poison or Disease effect to 1 point of damage, taken to the location struck.
Tagline: “Reduce”
Per Reset Ability Set: Hardened Skin
Allows the character to use a Natural Shell 2 effect upon themselves 3 times per Reset, after 1 minute of concentration. A Shell effect provides for damage absorption up to a certain value. The Shell is reduced in value by one point for every point of damage taken. This lasts until sunrise or until all points from the shell are exhausted. Players may not have more than one Shell active at a time. Shell does not work against Missile or Barrage. See the Effects list for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Shell 2”
Passive Advantage: No Time to Bleed (Included with Tier 2)
This ability grants the character an always-active Triggered Rapid Recovery. This effect will trigger when the character receives a Stabilize, Heal Wound, or Heal Vigor effect, or when the character has been Bleeding Out for 2 minutes. Rapid Recovery immediately stabilizes the recipient, if they are not already stable. The target will, if no other treatment is administered, become Walking Wounded 1 minute after treatment has ended and will be fully healed of all Wounds in 15 minutes. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Triggered Rapid Recovery”
Per Combat Ability: Reduce Mental
Allows the character to Reduce a Mental effect to 1 point of damage, taken to the location struck.
Tagline: “Reduce”
Per Reset Ability Set: Hard Target
Allows the character to use a Natural Resist Natural effect upon themselves 3 times per Reset, after 1 minute of concentration. This effect provides a protection from a single Natural effect the target would otherwise receive. Characters can have an unlimited number of Resists of different types. Characters may stack up to 3 Resists of the same type. The character may choose whether or not it triggers on a specific effect. They must however be conscious to use this ability. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Resist Natural”
Passive Advantage: Just a Scratch (Included with Tier 3)
This ability grants the character 1 point of Vigor, which is always-on, and stacks with the Vigor granted by the Tier 1 Passive Advantage, Thickened Skin for a total of 2 Vigor. In addition, the character may use any one use of any Resilience Per Combat Reduce ability to instead use a Shift Wound effect. This effect allows the character to change the location of a single Wound to another valid location. Wounds cannot be moved to a location that is already wounded. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Shift Wound”
Per Combat Ability: Instant Heal Vigor 2
The character may use a Natural Instant Heal Vigor 2 effect, that may only target the character.. Heals 2 Vigor on the character, instantly, but does not affect any other Wounds or Stabilize the target. See the Effects List for additional information
Tagline: “Natural Instant Heal Vigor 2”
Per Reset Ability Set: Second Wind
Allows the character to use a Natural Rapid Shell 5 effect on themselves 3 times per Reset, after 30 seconds of concentration. A Shell effect provides for damage absorption up to a certain value. The Shell is reduced in value by one point for every point of damage taken. This lasts until sunrise or until all points from the shell are exhausted. Players may not have more than one Shell active at a time. Shell does not work against Missile or Barrage. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Rapid Shell 5”
Passive Advantage: Armor Mastery
This ability grants the character 1 point of Vigor, which is always-on, and stacks with the Vigor granted by the Tier 1 Passive Advantage, Thickened Skin and the Tier 3 Passive Advantage Just A Scratch for a total of 3 Vigor. In addition, any armor worn gains +1 armor value.
Tagline: N/A
Per Combat Ability: Reduce Natural
Allows the character to Reduce a Natural effect to 1 point of damage, taken to the location struck.
Tagline: “Reduce”
Per Reset Ability Set: No Time to Die
Allows the character to, 2 times per Reset, use a Natural Fated Renew protective effect on themselves, after 1 minute of concentration. The Renew effect, when activated, instantly heals the character of all Disease, all Poison, all Drain effects and all Wounds. As a Fated effect it becomes active when the player (not the character) wishes to activate it. A character may have as many Fated effects active as desired so long as they are all different Fated effects. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Natural Fated Renew”
Passive Advantage: Callused Hide
This ability grants the character 1 point of Vigor, which is always-on, and stacks with the Vigor granted by the Tier 1 Passive Advantage, Thickened Skin, the Tier 3 Passive Advantage Just A Scratch, and the Tier 4 Passive Advantage Armor Mastery for a total of 4 Vigor. In addition, all Shell effects the character receives gain +1 value.
Tagline: N/A
Per Combat Ability: Quicken Absorb Natural
The character may use a Natural Quicken Absorb Natural effect, after 10 seconds of concentration. This effect allows the character to negate a Natural effect that strikes the character and then use an Natural Instant Heal Vigor 1 effect within 10 seconds of using the Absorb effect. A character may only have one Absorb effect active per Absorb type, but may have as many different Absorb effects active as they wish. The character may choose whether or not it triggers on a specific effect.
Tagline: “Natural Quickened Absorb Natural”, “Absorb”, “Natural Instant Heal Vigor 1”
Per Reset Ability Set: Fortress of Sinew
Allows the character to, 1 time per Reset, enter a stance after 10 seconds of concentration that lasts for five minutes. While in this stance, the character has an active Withstand effect. For the duration of this ability (5 minutes, or the character goes unconscious), the character takes all Maiming, Mortal, and Killing Strikes, Missile, Barrage, Death and Obliterate effects as 5 points of damage that interact normally with other defenses. See the Effects List for more information.
Tagline: “Withstand”
Resilience Trait Costs
| Tier | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier Cost | 8XP | 8XP | 8XP | 8XP | 8XP |
| Tier Cost, Difficult* | 10XP | 10XP | 10XP | 10XP | 10XP |
| Per Combat Ability Cost | 5/5/5XP | 6/6/6XP | 7/7/7XP | 8/8/8XP | 10/10/10XP |
| Per Reset Ability Set Cost** | 3XP | 4XP | 5XP | 6XP | 8XP |
* 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.