Attributes

Attributes describe the abilities and, often, the appearance of your character within the Emporium store. They are not the full-scale god-tier powers of the Entity in its homeplane; however, they will likely be a reflection of those powers – abilities which are nonetheless superhuman.

In total, they consist of a Primary Attribute and three Secondary Attributes. The Primary Attribute demonstrates a core aspect of the character's identity or power - what their “deal” is. It has one major advantage and one major disadvantage. Each Secondary Attribute provides an additional advantage, and can be used to fill out more of the details of the character, further describing their appearance and abilities. Each Attribute has a short descriptor, which can be used as a shorthand reference to it, and a longer clarifying statement about what it does. For example, you could have the Attribute of Vicious, Rending Talons which can tear destructively through almost any material. Overall, Attributes can describe a wide range of skills and special powers that can be used in both uptime and downtime. When using Attributes, it is up to you as a player to justify to the GMs how they help you to achieve your goals. This can be any justification that makes narrative sense – see Scope and Use in Play below for further details and examples.

When Entities manifest in Emporium, they typically take on one of three Manifestation types: Chimerae, Glories, and Implements. Each Manifestation type has different guidelines for its own unique set of Attributes - see the individual pages for Chimerae, Glories and Implements respectively. It is also possible to have an assortment of Attributes from different Manifestation types by taking the Mix and Match Quirk. For each Attribute, either choose one from the lists provided or define your own, following the guidelines given. Note that player-defined Attributes (especially the mechanical effects) are subject to GM approval. There is guidance on each of those pages, as well as more general guidance below, but if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Aside from what the Attributes describe, the following things are the baseline which is assumed true for every character while in the store:

• The Manifestation has a constant physical, corporeal presence. This is a store rule and cannot be overridden by Attributes.
• They are capable of simple object interactions roughly equivalent to an able-bodied adult human. This can be affected positively or negatively by Attributes (and Quirks).
• They have a set of senses roughly equivalent to those of an able-bodied adult human. This can be affected positively or negatively by Attributes (and Quirks).

As mentioned above, Attributes can be used in any way that makes narrative sense. For example, if you want to break down a wall, then useful Attributes could be: an Implement's Sledgehammer Head which gives them an aptitude for demolition work; a Chimera's Vicious, Rending Talons which can physically tear through the wood and brick; or a Glory's Eyes of Condensed Starlight which can produce destructive beams of energy. Or, if you wanted to find information on someone: a Chimera could use their Coat of Chameleonic Fungus to stay hidden while they stealthily observe their target; a Glory could use their Binding of Truth while questioning people to determine fact from fiction; or an Implement could use their Trusty Lockpicks to break into their target's personal locker.

We hope that the examples on the pages linked above (as well as on the Sample Characters page) will give you a good idea of what makes a good Attribute, and enough guidance for you to reliably customise your own. However, here is some more general guidance to bear in mind on what is (and is not) possible with Attributes.

Power level: a single character with a good plan and a set of appropriate Attributes can certainly cause disruption to a portion of the store and its operation. However, long-lasting, drastic and/or widespread change will take a group of characters working together, potentially over more than one turn. That said, this is mostly because Emporium has been designed to cater to customers fully capable of shooting lightning bolts, eating metal, or whose natural state of being is 'on fire'; meanwhile, the staff are just as powerful – being an expert in demolitions might be the bare minimum required to deal with the mold problem in the basement. And of course, any negative action will draw the attention of store security, and will carry its own consequences.

Contestability: no Attribute can be absolute. Whenever an Attribute is used in PvE or, especially, PvP situations, it will always be possible for other characters to mitigate or avoid the effects. How successful they are will be determined through conflict resolution by a GM.

Effort: Most Attributes don't have explicit usage limits, but the active use of your Attributes will always take time and effort.

Range: most Attributes will require either line-of-sight or physical contact, with a few exceptions. Notably:

• A Glory's Aura may cover an area up to the size of a small room for a limited time and does not require line-of-sight to take effect, though it will always be centred on the Glory.
• Social Attributes may be used as you might expect – for example, to write letters or record speeches which can be delivered remotely. However, these Attributes will usually still be more effective if used in person.
• Sensory Attributes may let you perceive things at a distance, for example in an adjacent room or area, without entering.

Social skills: some Attributes may reflect a character’s persuasive abilities. During uptime, it will generally be up to you to persuade other characters (PCs and NPCs) by talking to them. However, these Attributes may still be brought to bear as part of your plans during any conflict. When the target is a player character, this will be presented to them as an optional roleplaying effect, e.g. the Chimera’s spiny crest speaks of easy violence and their growled threats by no means sound hollow. This display may intimidate you, but it is up to you how you respond.

In downtime, an attempt to persuade another player character may interrupt or slow down their plans, but it will not alter their course of action as laid out in their turnsheet.

These Attributes may work more consistently with NPCs, but there will still be limits. For example, your Diplomatic Instinct and Royal Antlers will certainly let you deliver a compelling and impassioned speech with great authority, but a single speech is unlikely to make someone abandon their most deeply-held beliefs. It could, however, persuade them to compromise on a core issue.

Mind control: Some Attributes may represent a supernatural ability which could affect a character’s emotional or mental state. Forms of direct or absolute control are not possible with Attributes and there will always be the potential to resist or ignore these effects. Whenever these are used on a player character, this will take the form of an optional roleplaying effect, e.g. you feel a sense of calm when you enter this area. You are aware that it is emanating from the Glory in the corner. You may choose to feel more relaxed than normal.

In downtime, an attempt to influence another player character may interrupt or slow down their plans, but it will not alter their course of action as laid out in their turnsheet.

These Attributes may work more consistently with NPCs, but there will still be limits. If you have just attacked someone’s best friend, even your Aura of Calming Whispers is unlikely to prevent them from attacking you in response. It could, however, help to defuse a tense situation before violence starts.

See also the page on conflict resolution, as well as the Mind Bender Quirk.