Stormbringer:Flaws

Flaws

"Every pact has a price. Every soul bears a crack. Through those cracks…something enters."

In the Young Kingdoms, no one is whole.

Flaws represent weakness, doom, obsession, or the cost of power. They are not inconveniences—they are the hooks by which fate, Law, and Chaos take hold of your life.

Most Flaws impose a Penalty Die in appropriate situations. Others grant the GM narrative leverage or the right to introduce complications.

Physical Flaws

Flaw	Effect
Delicate	−2 Lifeblood
Missing Limb	Certain physical tasks become difficult or impossible
Old Bones	1 Penalty Die when performing sustained physical exertion
Drunkard	1 Penalty Die when resisting intoxication; often impaired
Slave to the Pipe	Without your substance, suffer 1 Penalty Die on all rolls
Frail	The first time you are hit in a fight, suffer +1 step of damage	Physical
Delicate	When you become Wounded, immediately suffer +1 additional step	Physical
Glass Jaw	A Great Success against you inflicts +1 additional step	Physical
Doomed Flesh	You cannot reduce damage by more than 1 step with Hero Points	Supernatural

Tactical Flaws

Flaw	Effect	Category
Slow	You may only move 2 spaces normally (4 when running)	Movement
Lumbering	Rough ground costs +2 movement per space	Movement
Off-Balance	If you move more than 2 spaces, attackers gain +1 Bonus Die against you	Defense
Poor Footing	You suffer 1 Penalty Die on Agility tests for difficult footing	Movement
Short-Winded	You may not run more than 4 spaces	Movement
Reach Vulnerability	You suffer +1 Penalty Die when closing inside a reach weapon	Combat
Tunnel Vision	You suffer +1 Penalty Die when attacked from outside your current engagement	Combat
Cowardly	Must test to move toward a clearly dangerous enemy or hazard	Mental
Clumsy	You suffer 1 Penalty Die when moving through obstacles or tight spaces	Movement
Marked Target	Enemies gain +1 Bonus Die when attacking you at range in open terrain	Defense

Mental & Emotional Flaws

Flaw	Effect
Impulsive	1 Penalty Die when patience or planning is required
Reckless	You rush into danger without thought
Obsessive	You are driven by a fixation that distracts you
Curious	You must investigate the strange or forbidden
Greedy	You always want more than your share
Gold Fever	1 Penalty Die when treasure clouds your judgment
Naïve	1 Penalty Die when detecting lies or hidden motives
Empty Head	You forget plans, names, and key details
Ignorant	1 Penalty Die on lore or knowledge rolls
Superstitious	1 Penalty Die when omens or curses unsettle you
Fearful (Phobia)	1 Penalty Die when confronting a specific fear
Craven	1 Penalty Die resisting fear or supernatural terror
Vengeful	1 Penalty Die when confronting those who wronged you
Lustful	1 Penalty Die when resisting temptation
Cold-Hearted	1 Penalty Die when empathy, mercy, or compassion would help
Loner	1 Penalty Die when relying on others or acting as part of a group

Social & Reputation Flaws

Flaw	Effect
Arrogant	1 Penalty Die when dealing respectfully with those beneath you
Brute	1 Penalty Die in refined or polite social situations
Big Mouth	Your boasting attracts trouble and attention
Gullible	1 Penalty Die resisting deception
Plain-Spoken	1 Penalty Die when attempting deception
Shifty	1 Penalty Die when trying to appear trustworthy
Ill-Reputed	Distrusted on first meeting
Infamous	Your reputation precedes you—and it is not kind
Marked Face	Easily recognized; difficult to disguise
Unsettling Presence	Others react poorly upon meeting you
Alien Outlook	1 Penalty Die when interpreting or relating to human behavior
Out of Place	1 Penalty Die when navigating unfamiliar cultures or lands

Moral & Binding Flaws

Flaw	Effect
Code-Bound	You follow a strict code and will not break it
Vow-Bound	You are bound by an oath that constrains your actions
Soft-Hearted	You cannot ignore suffering or cruelty
Fanatical	1 Penalty Die when acting against your beliefs or doctrine

Combat Flaws

Flaw	Effect
Freezes in Battle	Lose d3 rounds before acting when combat begins

Survival & Skill Flaws

Flaw	Effect
All Thumbs	1 Penalty Die on delicate manual tasks
Landlubber	1 Penalty Die when performing tasks at sea

Fate & Doom

Flaw	Effect
Cursed	Begin with −1 Hero Point
Doom-Touched	Once per adventure, the GM may twist a success into a complication
Ill-Starred	Once per adventure, the GM may force a reroll of your success

Supernatural Flaws

Flaw	Effect
Demon-Tainted	−1 Penalty Die in polite society and with priests
Rune-Bound	Bound by supernatural obligations or restrictions
Soul-Debt	You owe a supernatural entity a service
Touched by Chaos	Strange effects surround you; reactions are unpredictable
Half-Learned Arts	1 Penalty Die on all sorcery attempts
Wary of Sorcery	1 Penalty Die when dealing with sorcery or its effects

Enemies & Trouble

Flaw	Effect
Blood Feud	A rival seeks revenge
Hunted	Enemies actively pursue you
Wanted	Authorities or factions seek your capture
Sorcerer’s Enemy	A sorcerer seeks your destruction
Enemy of a Power	A powerful figure or organization opposes you

On Doom and Weakness

Flaws are not disadvantages.

They are the shape of your fate.

Through them, the world finds you. Through them, Chaos whispers. Through them, Law judges.

Choose them not to weaken your character…

…but to make their fall inevitable.

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