Chimeric Stigmata

Chimera, MERA, Grell

Image by Nicco Salonga

The Chimeras of the World Beyond the Fall are humans possessed of animalistic features, allowing them senses, speed and strength beyond the human norm. Some folk see them as mutants of a strange new science or dark magic. Others see them as the bearers of a wild power, like the werewolves, werepanthers and other were-creatures of the old stories.

Choose this Stigmata if:

  • You want to play a character with animalistic features and quirks.

  • You want to play a Stigmata that supports physically strong or quick characters

  • You want to play against type, e.g. a brave mouse, a cowardly dog, a feeble ox, etc

  • The same energies that grant Chimera their vitality and agility can also grant them talent in the Sorcery. Chimera are able to learn the Etheric Arcana skill or start out as Arcanists.

    Chimera Arcanists are seen in a plethora of roles, befitting the diversity inherent in humanity. Many are Animancers that serve as guardians or guides of their communities or social groups -- at one with the spellcraft they wield. A few take a more analytical approach to magic, using it with the same measure and care as a scholar or an academic. Chimera Diabolists have their forms touched and strengthened by the sorecery within them, reflected in their tendency toward canny Detection magics, mysterious Obfuscation magics, or the primal wrath of Projection magics.

  • Character Creation: You may gain this Stigmata by starting your character with it and choosing the “Marked” Background Perk.

    Milestone: You may choose the “Awakened Heritage” milestone to gain this Stigmata after character creation. The total bonuses to damage that one can get from Traits may not exceed +2.

  • You must have one of the options below:

    — Option 1: Head: Face paint as patterns of fur, feathers or scales -- patterns are sometimes shared among related individuals. The minimum is as follows: around the eyes and the forehead.

    Players may opt to fully paint their faces but this is not required.

    — Option 2: Arms/hands: Body paint or clothing that represents fur, scales, feathers along the body. The minimum is the back of the hands and along the forearms (if visible).

    Painting all exposed flesh is recommended but not required.

    — Option 3: Snout/beak: Prosthetic snouts, beaks, or animalistic masks are allowed instead of or in addition to face paint.

  • Choose at least one per Subtype you possess.

    — Fur Mane/Mantle (Bestial Subtype)

    — Winged Subtype: Wings (bird-like or bat-like), either on your back or along your arms.

    After a minute of role-play, wings may be “folded” into one’s frame, allowing removal their Wing phys-reps. However, this prevents the use of Winged Agility or Scurry and Hide (if from Winged Subtype). A similar process “unfolds” the wings.

    — Quick Subtype: Large animal ears

    — Horned Subtype: Horns or antlers

    — Scaled Subtype: Hood, Crest or Neck frill

  • There are five different kinds of Chimeric Subtypes, each representing a facet of vertebral animals that were found in the Pre-Fall World.

    You are allowed to start with one Chimeric Subtype. This choice is made during the creation of your character.

    Expend a Milestone and get the “Unique Subtype Milestone” to get a new Subtype, representing spontaneous and often painful adaptation that may grant new feathers, fur, or even appendages.

    — Bestial (Vorid): Passionate, primal and voracious, this Subtype is associated with wolves, bears and jaguars. Those that have this Subtype are known for a wild mane of fur or feathers (regardless of sex) mantling their neck and/or shoulders.

    — Horned (Cornid): Known primarily for their toughness, their social nature, and their stubborness, this Subtype is associated with oxen, deer, goats and other mammals that are antlered, horned or tusked.

    — Quick (Tachid): Nimble, perceptive and nervous, this Subtype is associated with small animals such as mice and rabbits, but also small carnivores, such as weasels and mongooses. They are known for their large ears and/or long tails.

    — Scaled (Saurid): Tough, venomous and cunning, this Subtype is associated with serpents, crocodiles and other reptilian creatures. Scales are their main characteristic, although they may also have fangs, reptilian eyes and/or even crests or hoods.

    Winged (Pterid): Swift, agile and insightful, this Subtype is associated with birds such as hawks, owls and robins. Wings or feathered arms are showcased by these individuals. However, there are some with this Subtype that share characteristics with bats instead.

  • Traits are a special type of Skill that is more costly than most Skills and more powerful. As opposed to being tied to a Class, Skills are tied to one’s Stigmata and cannot be gained unless one is of the correct Stigmata. Below are the ways to gain more Traits from the Chimeric Stigmata. Unless otherwise stated, you cannot pick a Trait more than once.

    -- Background Perk: Use a Background Perk to choose the Chimeric Stigmata to be granted one Chimera Trait at character creation

    — Experience Points: Expend 30 XP and three Rare CMP (Water, Earth, or Herbal) to gain a Chimeric Trait, which appears and is usable immediately if you have the necessary props or prosthetics. The components represent remedies required for the recovery process after the Trait painfully manifests.

    — Milestone: You may expend a Milestone to gain another Chimeric Trait. This has no other costs.

  • Bestial: Passionate, primal and voracious, this Subtype is associated with wolves, bears and jaguars.

    • Feral Predator: Your shadowy attacks can savage a distracted or unwary target. 

    • Killer Frenzy: Your brutish strikes make angering you a bad idea.

    • Wild Senses: You can notice things that most would miss.  

    Horned: Known primarily for their toughness, their social nature, and their stubborness, this Subtype is associated with oxen, deer, goats and other mammals that are antlered, horned or tusked.

    • Behemoth Rush: Rush at a foe, heedless of bullets and arrows. 

    • Herd Mentality: Draw strength from the social bonds around you. 

    • Thick Hide: Thick hide or scales which makes you harder to strike down. 

    Quick: Nimble, perceptive and nervous, this Subtype is associated with small animals such as mice and rabbits, but also small carnivores, such as weasels and mongooses.

    • Herd Mentality: Draw strength from the social bonds you have formed. 

    • Scurry and Hide: Flee from enemies and hide immediately afterward.

    • Twitchy Reflexes: You jump at the slightest sound, your reflexes honed with fear.

    Scaled: Tough, vitriolic and cunning, this Subtype is associated with serpents, crocodiles and other reptilian creatures

    • Scaled Recovery: Regenerate your limbs and cure your wounds.

    • Thick Hide: Thick hide or scales protect against attacks or the elements.

    • Venomous Blood: Deadly toxins in your body can be launched at foes.

    Winged: Swift, agile and insightful, this Subtype is associated with birds such as hawks, owls and robins

    • Scurry and Hide: Flee from enemies and hide immediately afterward.

    • Wild Senses: You can notice things that most individuals would miss.  

    • Winged Agility:  Your wings grant you a flying leap to the skies.

Chimeric Trait Description

Behemoth Rush

Rush at a foe, heedless of bullets and arrows. 

  • Subtype: Horned

  • Effect 1: You gain the Armored Rush skill, allowing you to temporarily ignore the step-and-grunt rule for ranged attacks.

  • Effect 2: Invoke and augment this Skill as “Behemoth Rush”. This expends 1 Focus instead of Aegis and no longer requires that you be armored.

    • Also, you may perform one melee attack that inflicts “Piercing, 3 damage” or your melee Smite damage when Behemoth Rush or Armored Rush ends.

  • Drawback: Poor Senses -- Due to distractions or dulled vision, you are unable to augment your Examine or Sense skills. Furthermore, you are unable to negate Ambush attacks (hits your back torso from behind).

Feral Predator

Your shadowy attacks can savage a distracted or unwary target. 

Subtype: Bestial

  • Effect 1: You gain the Know thy Enemy skill, allowing you to inflict more damage upon an enemy’s back after studying your prey. 

  • Effect 2: The damage you inflict with Smite or Assassinate is increased by +1, adhering to the damage cap.

  • Effect 3: When you inflict damage via Assassinate, you only need a qConc-5 to study that target again with that skill. This effect persists until Scene End or until you choose a different target. 

  • Drawback: Carnivore Mindset - Battle and bloodshed excites your spirit or quickens your heart. You may not imbue more than “Heal 1” to others.

Herd Mentality

Draw strength from the social bonds you have formed. 

  • Subtype: Horned or Quick

  • Effect 1: You gain the Bond of Oaths skill allowing you to form a socially bonded cadre of allies that can Guard each other.

  • Effect 2: You may self-inflict 2 damage and augment the Iron Defiance skill as “United Defiance” to Cure Strikes from yourself without expending Focus or even learning the Skill.

    • This also requires that you be touching at least two Bonded allies with your hands and/or your weapons so you can draw emotional strength from them.

  • Drawback: choose one -- Poor Senses (Horned) or Furtive Mind (Quick) 

Killer Frenzy

Your brutish strikes make angering you a bad idea.

  • Subtype: Bestial

  • Effect 1: You gain the Melee Fighter skill, allowing you to perform melee Smite attacks that inflict high amounts of damage.

  • Effect 2: You will not be governed. When a Dominate Strike is inflicted upon you, invoke "Killer Frenzy" to negate it for 0 Focus and turn it into a Frenzy Strike instead for the same duration.

    • Furthermore, you can choose to gain and use one 0 Focus use of a melee Smite as an Aftereffect to receiving a Frenzy or negating it. Augment and invoke this as “Frenzied Smite”, which must be used within 10 seconds of receiving/negating the Frenzy.

  • Drawback: Carnivore Mindset - Battle and bloodshed excites your spirit or quickens your heart. You may not imbue more than “Heal 1” to others.

Scaled Recovery

You are able to regenerate your limbs and cure your wounds.

  • Subtype: Scaled

  • Effect 1: You gain the Grim Recovery skill, which allows you to concentrate your body’s functions toward shaking off Wound and Strike effects.

  • Effect 2: When you successfully receive a “Cure Wounds” or a Heal effect, you may regrow any severed limbs or also receive a “Cure Strike” as an Aftereffect. 

  • Drawback: Cold Blooded -- You have problems with heat regulation. Frost and Shadow damage are considered to be Bane damage to you. Also, receiving them inflicts “Hobble” on you, which slows your movement.

Scurry and Hide

You are difficult to pin down, hiding from pursuers even after you run away.

  • Subtype: Quick or Winged

  • Effect 1: You gain your choice of the Obfuscate Exodus spell or Flee the Scene skill. Both allow you to go out of game, representing an elusive exit from danger.  If the spell is chosen, this Trait renders a person vulnerable to Eldritch Corruption as though they were an Arcanist.

  • Effect 2: After you use the above skills and return from being “Out of Game”, you can opt to become Concealed for no Focus cost as if you used Camouflage/Obfuscate Presence. You must fulfill the cover and gesture requirements of the Concealment state.

  • Drawback: choose one -- Furtive Mind (Quick) or Brittle Boned (Winged)

Thick Hide

Thick hide or scales make you hardier against attacks or even the elements.

  • Subtype: Horned or Scaled

  • Effect 1: You gain Elemental Endurance, which allows you to spend Focus or Aegis to negate Flame, Frost, and Lightning attacks.

  • Effect 2: Your maximum HP is increased by +1. Furthermore, this Stigmata makes it so that you are considered to be wearing Ultraheavy armor for the purposes of using its other functions.

  • Drawback: choose one -- Poor Senses (Horned) or Cold Blooded (Scaled)

Twitchy Reflexes

You jump at the slightest sound, your reflexes honed with your fear.

  • Subtype: Quick

  • Effect 1: You gain your choice of the Artful Dodger or Trap Springer skill. The former allows you to evade attacks while the latter allows you to avoid the effects of traps or similar hazards.

  • Effect 2: You may augment the Dodge defense or the Trap Springer skill with “Uncanny”, as though you had Uncanny Defenses.

    • “Uncanny Trap Springer” can be used vs. stronger traps.

    • “Uncanny Dodge” can defend against Ambush-type attacks.

  • Drawback: Furtive Mind -- You are vulnerable to fear and panic. Psychic and Shadow damage are considered to be Bane damage to you. Also, receiving them inflicts “Hobble” on you, which slows your movement.

Venomous Blood

Deadly toxins course through your body, ready to be used in your defense. 

Subtype: Scaled

  • Effect 1: You gain one ability from the choices below. Choosing either spell allows you to use it even without its required skills but opens you up to Eldritch Corruption:

    • Project Agony spell  - additional option: “2 Corrosive”

    • Obfuscate Senses spell - additional option: “2 Corrosive”

    • Blood Venom: You can shoot poison at enemies. After Targ-7, invoke “Venom” and throw a packet at a target. This attack inflicts your choice of “2 Corrosive” or “Mangle”. Bonuses to spell damage can improve Venom.

  • Effect 2: While you are Downed or at Critical, invoke “Backlash; Master, 7 Corrosive” as a Reaction to inflict that effect on a creature when they complete their Scavenge or melee Death Blow count upon you. If this brings them to 0 HP, their action is negated. “Superior Disarm” will render this function unusable for 1 minute.

  • Drawback: Cold Blooded - You have problems with heat regulation. Frost and Shadow damage are considered to be Bane damage to you. Also, receiving them inflicts “Hobble” on you, which slows your movement.

Wild Senses

You can notice things that most individuals would miss.  

  • Subtype: Bestial or Winged

  • Effect 1: You gain one ability from the choices below, allowing you to find Concealed creatures. Choosing the spell allows you to use it even without its required skills but opens you up to Eldritch Corruption:

  • Effect 2: After sunrise but before sunset or while you are holding an in-game light source, you may augment any Sense, Examine, or Inquiry skill and prefacing it with “Chimeric”. This enhances the effect as per below:

    • Perceiving: You may inflict two more “Unveiling” effects

    • Sense/Examine/Inquiry: As an Aftereffect, ask a 2nd question from this Skill’s list.

  • Drawback: choose one -- Brittle Boned (Winged) or Carnivore Mindset (Bestial) 

Winged Agility

Your wings grant you a flying leap above the spears and claws of your foes.

  • Subtype: Winged

  • Effect 1: While you are not wearing Heavy or UltraHeavy armor or performing the Carry skill, you may expend 1 Focus to perform a “Flying Leap” for 10 Flying counts or 10 seconds (whichever comes first).

  • Effect 2: You can invoke one of the two options below at the end of Flying Leap or to end “Flying” early:

    • “Diving Dodge” to gain the effects of a Dodge against an attack.

    • “Safe Landing, Resolve 3” to gain “Resolve 3”

  • Effect 3: As a Reaction to falling, expend 1 Focus and invoke “Safe Landing” to reduce fall damage by 3 points and prevent it from being a Death Blow if it was one. This can be used even while your wings are folded.

  • Drawback: Brittle Boned -- you may not have more than 7 HP. 

  • Phys-rep requirement: You must be wearing wing props to use this Trait