Advantages and disadvantages are things that may be chosen at character creation or may be developed over the course of game play. At character creation, a player may choose up to two advantages and any number of disadvantages. The number of disadvantages MUST be equal to or greater than the number of advantages.

When taking an advantage, you must choose three disadvantages. Your moderator will then pick one of these disadvantages and add detail, and that will become your disadvantage. This means that the character has some measure of choice in the kind of disadvantage she receives, but that there is an element of risk.

For instance, Michelle decides her character is rich, and picks Wealth. In order to balance it, she will have to pick three disadvantages, one of which the moderator will assign to her character. She chooses Bad Luck, Infamous, and Criminal. She knows that the moderator will decide which one of these three disadvantages she will get, and the circumstances the moderator will choose. In this case, her moderator decides she gained her newfound wealth illegally, so she is a Criminal and has been branded on the back of her hand for theft.

Two advantages are more powerful than the others; Negate Race Penalty and Blood of the Magi. These count as two advantage slots, which means that if one of these is chosen as an advantage, the character will be unable to have any other advantages. The player must pick SIX disadvantages for the moderator to choose from.

If you wish, you may take a disadvantage without taking any advantages. In this case, you are permitted to outline all the details of the disadvantage, within reason, and this is considered to be highly advanced roleplaying. In all other cases, such as when a disadvantage is assigned to balance an advantage, the details are determined by the Character Application overseer or the character's first Moderator.

Lastly, some races have automatic advantages. Minotauri have the Memory advantage, ss'tiss have Ambidexterity, dwarves have a natural Affinity for stone and earth, and delfae come with Blood of the Magi. These racial advantages are automatic, and they are offset by the race's natural limitations. You do not need to pick a disadvantage to balance it.

ADVANTAGES

Ambidexterous: For all skills involving the use of two hands, this enables the off hand to be used with more skill. This advantage is required to learn two-weapon fighting, and the second weapon must be a small or light weapon.

Perception: The character's senses are enhanced, ennabling him to notice things he would not have noticed before.

Affinity [[specify]]: The character shares an affinity with something or someone--fire, nature, magic, fighting, or something similar. She knows it intuitively and skills related to her affinity are easier to learn and perform.

Beauty/Charisma: The character is possessed of such beauty or charisma that even those not of her race hold her in awe. Affects NPCs only.

Memory: The character enjoys a flawless memory. He can remember anything at will and will not make the same mistake twice if he knows what he did wrong.

Wealth: The character begins with an additional 1000 gold which he may keep or spend on starting possessions.

Negate Race Penalty: Some races have penalties they usually cannot overcome. Your character, however, is unique. Your character may ignore ONE of his standard race penalties. Counts as TWO advantage slots.

Nobility: The character was born a minor member of nobility. She has a certain privilege and grace, and can move in noble circles where a peasant could not go. Note that unless the character chooses the Wealth advantage as well, she is a very poor noble with no estate of her own.

Blood of the Magi: The character is a magical powerhouse. You may choose one more magical talent than you are normally allowed, and it may advance to the same level as your highest magic talent. If it rises to expert, it counts against the restrictions on the number of Expert skills. Counts as TWO advantage slots.

DISADVANTAGES

Cursed: The character has been cursed with powerful magic. Only the greatest of magics can remove the curse.

Criminal: The character has been tattooed or branded as a criminal, rightly or wrongly. The mark is easily seen and is in a place such as a forehead or the back of a hand. Criminal marks are recognizable by everyone in that person's home Kingdom.

Unstable Magic: When the character's magic has been awakened, he will find that he can learn little control and/or that certain circumstances will provoke a complete loss of control. If the character has no magic talents, this instead means that all adverse magic will have an increased effect on the character, and all other magics will not perform their original function and will indeed become harmful.

Affliction/Weakness: The character has been afflicted with weakness, an illness, or a deformity. One or more of his physical statistics may be reduced, or the character's weakness may be related to specific conditions, for instance cold, heat, humidity, magic, or light. Any attacks directed at the character with such characteristics will have increased effect, and environmental conditions involving this weakness will have an increasingly debilitating effect on the character.

Bad luck: Your character is cursed with bad luck. Circumstances may define when your luck turns sour, or it may happen all the time. This affects both the character and sometimes the character's party.

Scarred: Perhaps if your character's magic was awakened early, or perhaps due to being the victim of another mage's surge or of a magical storm, your character has become Scarred. This ranges from a physical deformity to a magical effect such as a glow to having hair that moves without wind. This automatically marks you as involved with magic whether you are or not and may have other effects.

Unknown Enemy: Your character or your character's family has gained the attention of a powerful enemy. This has caused immense damage in your life already and will continue to do so. There are very few clues as to your enemy's identity.