Hmm

A starting player's tier sum may not exceed 4 or be below 2. As soon as the rp begins, tiers can be prone to lowering or increase. Tiers go from 0 to 5, with 6 being only accessible as temporary states of power. (There are however, exceptions to even this)

Barring the supernatural powers or those that can be quantitatively measured in some way, these are in no way actual statistics to be used in the roleplay, and only serve to provide a gauge of the overall potency of a perk at a certain tier, and give players an idea of what to aim for or what they will be facing. One need not be constrained to the tier descriptions, as long as the overall effective potency of their perk is at the described level.

For natural traits (Genius, Phantom-blooded etc) levels 1-3 determine natural ability, that cannot be otherwise adjusted. Increase in tier comes with 'honing' the perk in question (Training in their field of choice, strengthening their Phantom abilities etc). Tiers 4 and 5 are exclusively for honed abilities.

That said, this is merely a measure of what makes someone a Traveler, and in no way limits a player. It exists only to overall gauge the players' level at the beginning.

--------------------------------------


Chosen by the Lightning:
The Lightning is a poorly understood force or energy that permeates the universe, and a select few lightning beings. It gets it's name from it's appearance as a white almost electrical aura. It's basic domain is warping space.

Tier 1: The user is chosen by the lightning and can travel between Lands. By stepping into the void, the user can almost instantly flash at a nearby visible Land.

Tier 2: An aura of lightning can be manifested. It is hot and painful to touch, for anyone barring the user and equal or higher tier Lightning users. Enhances speed primarily, as well as strength and endurance.

Tier 3: User can quicken himself immensely in brief bursts. Something like Lightning powered jet-propulsion. Can enhance body and weapons to deliver lightning imbued strikes.

--------------------------------------

Magic

The power of "deception". The ability to alter reality by "lying" to it convincingly enough that it believes something is true. Magic is equivalent to an art (and requires an artistic touch), for the universe only accepts beautiful lies.

Tier 1: Minor illusions can be formed. They are temporary and can be dispelled by strong willed or sharp minded individuals, however weaker individuals perceive them as real and can suffer (mental) damage under the wrong circumstances.

Tier 2: The mage becomes specialized in a field of their choosing. Alternatively they become an apprentice to a more experienced mage and gain the mage's field. The illusions and deceptions pertaining to their field of choice become stronger, and creation of small objects/feats may be possible.

Tier 3: User is fully specialized in their field and can cast proper spells, having moved away from mere illusions for most part. Can now be called a Wizard or Mage.

--------------------------------------

Enlightenment

User has attained a heightened mental state, unperturbed by the world around them and highly perceptive of it. Some feats can appear supernatural. Enlightenment cancels out magic of the same tier.

Tier 1: User cannot be startled or scared, nor stunned by particularly shocking displays. The possibility of retaining consciousness after trauma increases. Reflexes are heightened.

Tier 2: User can better see through lies and deceptions of almost any sort. Better reflexes, and awareness. In most activities where the user can keep a clear mind, actions will be taken on instinct and will seem almost predictive.

Tier 3 : User gains a rather weak ability to witness the future for a second, gaining true "prediction" of a sort. Useful when they are endangered. User can understand their obstacles better just by being presented to them, and can judge if something will be or won't be effective.

--------------------------------------

Visionary

An innovator (of a specific field, the player must select) that possesses great natural talent and resourcefulness. The visionary serves in a way as a way to allow the user to transcend the normal bounds of their chosen field. A Lightning-Visionary may invent new techniques, a Transport Visionary might invent new means of transport etc.

Tier 1: User can make improvements or alterations to an existing, widely used process/feature/technique/invention. These are not groundbreaking but provide an edge over the standard design in one way or another.

Tier 2: User can design a non-key portion of the existing process/feature/technique/invention or provide a significant divergence to it's final/standard design, that makes it either a small overall improvement, or a significant improvement but only towards specialized tasks.

Tier 3: User can revolutionize a process/feature/technique/invention in a clearly overall better way, and with enough work, further their improvements. Alternatively, significant modification that excels at specialized tasks is not unheard of.

--------------------------------------

Genius

A natural talent or authority at the chosen field, who with enough effort, can rise to great renown. Unlike the Visionary, it does not create a 'new' way of dealing in their field, but instead possesses extraordinary ability to excel at what is already available.

Tier 1: Clearly talented, requires less time to learn new concepts, and has less difficulty grasping difficult ones, reaching levels of skill earlier than the expected average.

Tier 2: Understanding of the chosen field is natural and instinctive. Given the right push some times, can largely advance through being self-taught. Alternatively, reaches this tier through a lot of hard work and persistence.

Tier 3:  Capable of grasping at concepts most professionals or their equivalent do not think of. Understanding and skill is at the level of being able to somewhat handle unprecedented or unexplored issues pertaining to their field of choice.

--------------------------------------

Ethrest Butterflies

User is followed by a number of Ethrest Butterflies, a species of butterfly, with glowing white wings, dominating the fauna of the land of Ethrest. What exactly makes one attractive to the butterflies is unknown,  and even then they are largely fickle, leaving and flocking to people as they wish. Those accompanied by them however, have an instinctive understanding of what would bring each. They seem to be adverse to Lightning. Impossible to kill.

Tier 1: User is followed by a single butterfly. It flutters around when there is an impending use of Lightning, intend to harm the user. In a dangerous situation, they tend to approach the person with the most powerful Lightning based abilities.

Tier 2: A dozen butterflies follow the user. They can intercept Lightning based attacks or techniques and weaken (but not negate them), as well as disorient, slow and weaken hostile Lightning users.

Tier 3: A small Kaleidoscope (the actual term for 'a lot of butterflies' apparently) follows the user. They can negate a single Lightning attack once in a while (depending on it's strength), and briefly incapacitate hostile Lightning users. Alternatively, they can prevent a hostile from using Lightning, without hindering their other abilities, briefly.

--------------------------------------

Phantom Blooded

User is an ancestor of a Phantom, close or distant, or perhaps are a Phantom themselves. Depending on the type of Phantom, the user can possess varying abilities. For more information, check the Phantom paste.

Tier 1: User is a distant relative of a Phantom, possessing slight but mostly-remarkable features of their phantom descendant, and a weaker version of their main ability/a full version of one of the Phantom species side ability/abilities (alternatively, swap abilities for natural traits).

Tier 2: User is half-Phantom. They possess clear marks of their Phantom ancestry, easily identifiable. Passive traits are mostly carried over (but can be weakened), primary abilities are inherited in full, or partially, with a dash of side abilities.

Tier 3: User is a Phantom, and possesses the standard Phantom abilities associated with their species  as well as weakness to Lightning.


--------------------------------------

Artifact

User is in possession of an Artifact or enchanted item. Something with a potent or unique quality, that also provides useful. The tier in this case, refers to the potency/rarity/quality of the artifact.

Tier 1: Artifact is of local fame, possesses slight superiority to the standard item and mostly serves as a symbol than an actual tool for use. Might be worn or damaged as well.

Tier 2: Artifact definitely has an edge over the standard item, or alternatively an enchantment/supernatural effect/greater quality. It is probable to be recognized by ones of average/standard knowledge of the field/s related to the artifact.

Tier 3: Overall famous, and possesses a clearly superior quality, or enchantment to the average item. Likely to be known by people outside of the usual field/s related to the artifact.


--------------------------------------

Shadow-Possessed

Another trait based around the Luna Cluster, the user is possessed or connected to a Shadow. They gain some of the Shadow's traits, depending on tier (connection with the Shadow), as well as some of the Shadow's abilities. These are all stronger in moonlit/dark/shadow-covered/specific (related to the Shadow in question) environments.

Tier 1: User may take on hair or eye color of the shadow. Slight adjustment to attire. User may gain a very minor variation or a completely altered version of the Shadow's power that is inconspicuous, or often, passive.

Tier 2: User may take on some facial features, speaking patterns, and most of the attire of the Shadow. User gains access to secondary or passive abilities exhibited by their Shadow.

Tier 3: User takes on gender or age of their Shadow, as well as the Shadow's complete attire, or their complete behavior. User gains access to the name of their Shadow, and it's primary ability.

--------------------------------------

Wealthy

A measure of one's wealth, and capacity to travel through their own expenses. Keep in mind that taking a train in the Steel Network grants you not the status of Traveler. Having made the train and then boarded it would. Thus, the wealthy refer to those who obtained money and THEN used it to wholly create their means of travel.

Tier 1: User is wealthy and renown within a region of their Land. They are of significant importance to said portion.

Tier 2: User is wealthy to be able to affect the whole of a Land's region and further, possessing significant pull and influence over it, on top of their wealth.

Tier 3: User is wealthy and known to be so Land-wide. They are spoken of in their capacity as an important and influential public figure, of the whole Land. Reminder, that a Tier 3 refers to an average Land. A Land-wide known merchant of Sho-Dun would likely go up to tier 2 at best, in the wider world. A wealthy man in Dhlak, would on the opposite, be the equivalent of a tier 4.

--------------------------------------

Leader

One's capacity as a leader/one that is followed by others. Generally it comes in play when a player has followers and needs to manage them somehow. Leader tiers tend to be exponential. Overall power, reach and effectiveness are important factors. Example: leading a group of highly elite knights/warriors of great renown, gives a high leader rank, despite the followers being few in number.

Tier 1: User possesses few, distinct followers. Considerable individuality, although low power. Makes management easy, however influence may suffer. Local scale, the whole group is easily portable.

Tier 2: A relatively medium/large group. Bandit clans and the like of renown in regions of a Land fit into this degree. Generally individual ability may suffer, but sheer numbers make up for it. Most often not entirely portable.

Tier 3: Land-tier renown. A mayor or a leader of a militia/town guard would likely be this, as well as a famous politician or spirital leader contained to a single land. Largely not portable, however influence is considerable.


--------------------------------------

Attendant of the Void Mother

A term referring to followers of the Balthean Void Mother (although similar existences are in fact, present throughout the world as a whole) and in general those somehow touched by the void. This...does something. Nobody is quite sure what that is. Even King Mim himself was unsure, which is why he set on his journey about the vast darkness, trying to understand the nature of the Void.

Tier 1: ???

Tier 2: ???

Tier 3: ???

(If you pick this, communicate with GM about specifics)


--------------------------------------

Necromancer

One's ability to communicate with the undead, and somewhat control them. Necromancers are beings who posses a natural ability to speak to and understand undead. Stronger and more experienced ones, can bend them to their will, however it is not a magically provided power, but rather, understanding gained from experience, at that point.

Tier 1: Can understand what the undead want. Basic communication, where one can convey the will of the undead, and but otherwise, unable to speak back.

Tier 2: Two-way communication available. The intent of the user can be transmitted. Furthermore, with some experience, the user can be 'forceful' and impose upon the undead. If it goes against their wishes, they will briefly be stopped, but will become hostile afterwards.

Tier 3: Two-way communication is available, once more. Furthermore, more complex nuances can be gleamed from the undead in question, beyond simple desires. Generally 'state' (mental, emotional, perhaps physical) can be assumed with overall correctness. Conversation can be entered, in which the user can make requests of the undead.


--------------------------------------


Other

A separate field, for specific perks one may want for their character, that are not included here. Tiering will be handled by the GM, however input/discussion is always welcome.

Tier 1:

Tier 2:

Tier 3:


--------------------------------------