FAQ (2026)

Q: Can a character change facing when performing a Recover from Stun action?

A: Yes. As explained in Section 6.1.2, a character designated to activate may freely change his facing at the beginning of his Activation but before moving (no matter what Action he chooses).

Q: Why is a “Lasting Illusion Animated” vulnerable to “Dispel Magic,” when most Strong Magic effects are not?

A: Depending upon the circumstances, It could be virtually impossible to get an animated illusion to stay still long enough to perform a “Disenchant” Ritual. Thus, the vulnerability to “Dispel Magic” provides a necessary method for disposing of animated illusions.

Q: If I’m designing a “normal” dog, why do Peculiarities like “Runner” count as “mutations”? And, if the dog isn’t actually a mutant, can it take the Disadvantage “No Mutations”?

A: As explained in the rules, “Mutations represent Advantages and Disadvantages a ‘normal’ human would never possess. As a result, any character with any such Peculiarity is either a member of a non-human race or species or a ‘mutant.’” So, while the dog’s various Peculiarities may count as “mutations,” the dog will not actually be considered a “mutant” by other characters; it will be considered a normal dog and face whatever prejudices apply to dogs (e.g., it may be barred from certain establishments, etc.) Adding the free Peculiarity “Race” will make this distinction even more clear. Nonetheless, because the character (dog) has Peculiarities that are technically designated as “mutations,” it cannot have the Disadvantage “No Mutations.” The same would be true for members of any non-human race or species that possess “mutation” Peculiarities. Such characters will only be considered “mutants” if their mutation Peculiarities differ from those of other members of their race/species (e.g., all Morlocks have “Night Vision”; but a Morlock with “Night Vision” and “Regeneration” would be considered a mutant Morlock).

Q: If a creature has “Beast (2)” (which includes “Cannot Grab or Wrestle”) can it also have “Special Grab”?

A: Yes. The creature would be unable to attempt normal Wrestling maneuvers but could attempt the “free” Wrestling maneuvers afforded by Special Grab. This would be a good way to design an attack dog or something similar.

Q: Why are Peculiarities such as “Runner” and “Swimmer” considered “mutations”?

A: The difference in normal human running and swimming speeds is reflected by the Athletics attribute. For example: A character with Athletics 5 could run a 40-meter dash in approximately 6.5 seconds (which is fairly slow), while a character with Athletics 8 could run a 40-meter dash in approximately 4.16 seconds (which is amazingly fast). With “Runner” at Level 1, the Athletics 5 character would improve his time to 4.44 seconds (remarkably fast) and the Athletics 8 character would improve his time to 2.77 seconds (inhumanly fast). Thus, the “Runner” Peculiarity only applies to characters that are specially designed to run at inhuman speeds (e.g., a dog, a horse, an ostrich, etc.) and whose legs are configured very differently from those of a normal human (barring “Deceptive Appearance”). The same is true of “Swimmer.”

Q: Can a character with “Object-Based Mutations” or “Non-Mutant Augmentation” have the Disadvantage “No Mutations”?

A: No. As explained above, regardless of whether a character is actually considered a “mutant,” he cannot have the “No Mutations” Disadvantage if any of his Peculiarities are technically designated as “mutations.” The “Object-Based Mutations” or “Non-Mutant Augmentation” Peculiarities will simply mitigate the prejudice the character may face as a result of his “mutation” Peculiarities.

Q: If a character has both a “Damage Vulnerability” and a “Lethal Reaction” to the same thing (e.g., “Damage Vulnerability (Holy)” and “Lethal Reaction (Holy Things)”), will the character suffer both effects if he is struck with an object that satisfies the Vulnerability/Reaction?

A: No. The attacker must choose whether he is using the object (e.g., a Holy Symbol) as a weapon (in which case “Damage Vulnerability” applies) or as a Lethal Reaction object (in which case “Lethal Reaction” applies).

Q: What are the limitations of Olfactory Targeting and Sonar (other than those described in the rules)?

A: This has been largely clarified in the 2026 Edition. Like normal vision, Olfactory Targeting and Sonar cannot “see” through objects or barriers (walls, forests, ruins, etc.) that would block “line of sight” to the target. Thus, while a character’s enhanced smell or hearing may allow him to generally detect the presence of a target beyond such an obstruction, he will not be able to “see” the target (for combat purposes) or determine its exact location or movements. So, while high level Sonar or Olfactory Targeting may have a very long range, this is only true in open spaces where nothing obstructs the target’s sound or scent from directly reaching the character. Additionally, unlike normal vision, Olfactory Targeting and Sonar will be blocked by any solid or liquid surface (such as a window, the surface of a pond, etc.), which can provide significant impediments to characters dependent upon such senses.

Q: When a victim is required to make more than one successful attempt to resist poison, venom, toxin, etc., do the successful attempts need to be consecutive?

A: No. The victim may add up his successful resistance attempts, regardless of how far apart they are spaced.

Q: Do various “magic resistance” bonuses “stack”?

A: Yes. For example, if a character has “Magic Resistance (3)” and “Hard to Harm,” he will enjoy a +10 bonus to resist Harm spells (in addition to whatever attribute score he chooses to use for the resistance attempt).

Q: The “Resistance to Fear” Peculiarity (formerly called “Courage”) says it does not apply to “Fear” Peculiarities. If a character gains the “Resistance to Fear” Peculiarity from a spell, chemical, or potion, does this limitation still apply?

A: No. If a character effectively gains the “Resistance to Fear” Peculiarity from a chemical, potion, spell, or other non-permanent effect, the temporary Resistance to Fear will allow the character to better resist (or even ignore) “Fear” Peculiarities. For example: Emer has “Fear: Subterranean Places” and “Resistance to Fear (2)” as Peculiarities. While this means Emer isn’t afraid of much, her Resistance to Fear will not provide any benefit when she finds herself in a subterranean place. On the other hand, if Emer were to take a dose of the chemical “Madman” (which grants “Resistance to Fear (2)”), Emer could ignore the effects of her Fear Peculiarity for the duration of the Madman.