Merits & Flaws

No matter how unobtrusive you try to be, you remain re­ markably memorable to anyone who encounters you. You’re the very opposite of “arcane,” which is why this Flaw was originally described as an adversarial Background for the Trait of that name; rather than moving through life with near-invisibility, you stand out like a HIT Mark at a Verbena barbeque.

Why are you memorable, exactly? Is it an inhuman glow behind your eyes? An unsettling tone in your voice? A meta­ physical miasma that hangs about you despite your apparently mundane appearance? Does grass grow or die in your shadow? Maybe dogs cower when they sense your approach. There could be a low buzzing in your presence, like a chorus of flies, or a disconcerting crackle of electricity that radiates from your skin, disrupting electrical systems in small but noticeable ways. Whatever it is that causes people to remember you, that facet of your presence is a constant reminder that you are not like other folk.

Once again, the point-value of this Flaw depends upon the extent to which it interferes with your life:

• (1 point) You stand out in a crowd.

• (2 points) It’s pretty hard to conceal your oddities.

• (3 points) People remember you long after you’re gone.

• (4 points) You creep people out simply by existing.

• (5 points) You scare people simply by existing.

By its nature, this Flaw represents an unmistakable impres­ sion. Each point in this Flaw adds one die to the dice pool of anyone who’s trying to notice you, recognize you, or penetrate your attempts at stealth or concealment. (You didn’t really think those wailing damned souls were gonna shut up just because you were trying to get past the guards, now did you?) You may, however, attempt to cover up your uncanny presence with a roll of Intelligence + Subterfuge, assuming you have a method of doing so – it’s easier to conceal your glowing red eyes with sunglasses than to get those wailing damned souls to piss off for a few minutes! The difficulty of such attempts is generally 5 + the value of your Uncanny Flaw; if, for instance, the clever bioconstruct Victoria Carliotti gets two points in Uncanny for her too-perfect skin, rippling muscles, and impossibly green eyes, her concealment difficulty would be 7. That said, this Flaw does not increase the difficulty of social rolls and may, depending on what you’re trying to do, decrease such difficulties instead (Storyteller’s option).

Despite the potentially grotesque nature of this Flaw, your uncanniness doesn’t necessarily have to mean that your physical features are fearsome in themselves. An inhumanly

gorgeous or disturbingly ordinary person can be Uncanny in their own ways. This Flaw makes an excellent companion to a variety of Physical Merits and Flaws – Enchanting Feature, Hyperflexible, Hideous, and so forth – and fits in with Back­ grounds like Legend, Past Life or Totem quite well too. (See the appropriate entries for details.)

Although the Flaw: Echoes can manifest similar odd phenomena, this Flaw reflects a constant and recognizable distinction. While it probably embodies certain elements of your metaphysical practices, it’s not tied to your Resonance or activities – it’s an innate part of who you are. Your uncanniness could represent physical features (hulking physique, metallic skin, eyes that reflect eternity, and so forth); metaphysical quirks (an unearthly aura, echoing disembodied voices, a chilling radius around you, etc.); weird companions (a parade of pink-winged kittens, smoldering butterflies, howling coyote spirits, or similar inexplicable critters). Essentially, any sort of localized kink in normalcy’s tail could be considered a sign of your Uncanny nature. By “uncanny,” incidentally, we don’t necessarily mean “supernatural.” The unnatural stillness of a Black Suit, the flawless skin of a Victor, the predatory charisma of a Syndicate “magic man” – they’re all examples of uncannily Enlightened technology.