Decors and Demeanors

Changelog here!

==> Choose Your Demeanor

==> Three Act Structure

==> Decors

==> Choose Your Demeanor

“Okay but who are you?”

Every person has some activities that they excel in, whether it’s going for a run, keeping time
with a metronome, or talking their way out of a murder investigation. In RPGStuck, we represent
these talents using the Decor system.

As a first level character, you are allowed to choose a Demeanor and one Decor. Your
character’s demeanor represents something special about the way they approach a problem,
while a decor represents some field of activity your character excels in. Pick the Demeanor and
Decor that most appeals to you and fits your character’s interests and hobbies.

A demeanor has keywords. P times per long rest, whenever a player approaches a skill check in
a manner that fits a keyword, they gain special 2d8 stakes dice to that check (or all checks
during an opposed gambit round).

Passion
Passion represents emotions, confrontation, and personal power. Characters try to answer a
problem by meeting it head on, expectant that they can see anything through no matter what
gets thrown at them. Its keywords are Confrontation, Power, Emotion, and Sacrifice.

Artifice
Artifice represents ingenuity, trickery, and control. Characters try to answer a problem by
circumventing it, subverting circumstances, or otherwise meeting the challenge in an
unexpected manner. Its keywords are Finesse, Control, Evasion, and Redirection.

Erudition
Erudition represents knowledge, calculation, and opportunism. Characters try to answer a
problem by dissecting it, taking it apart to understand why the problem exists so they can strike
straight at the heart of the issue. Its keywords are Calculation, Knowledge, Reason, and
Exploitation.

Developer's Note (3/14/20): Players can handle the majority of gambits without demeanor, either
by their decors or by exceptional roleplay, and P times per long rest is a pittance for how many
gambits a player might get into. When, then, does a demeanor come into play? It is the big red
emergency button, for the cases where the RNG has not been kind, or the few cases where
neither decor nor roleplay is enough. It is a common trope that when one is facing the guns with
their backs to the wall, that one can see who they truly are.

In this way, the demeanor can be said to represent what a character is at heart, when the chips
are down and no one is coming to save them. And using it lets them show off who they are and
what they're made of; a moment worth remembering.

==> Three Act Structure

“Austin caught me in the first act, that’s all backwards, what’s up with that?”

You gain an additional decor at levels 3, 7, 9, 13, and 15. When you have two, four, or six
decors, you can grab an additional bonus called a Stage. These let you augment your skills
even further!

● Expertise: You specialize in a specific skill, becoming more proficient with it. You gain
+3 to any skill checks made with this skill.
● Polymath: You immediately gain 3 skill points that you can invest anywhere you wish.

==> Decors
“Everyone must have HOBBIES and INTERESTS.”

Knack
Knacks represent an aptitude for some physical activity.

● Knack: Legerdemain: You have an aptitude for dextrous manual control, possessing an
adroitness of the hands. Whenever you can bring this knack to bear, you add one stakes
die.
● Knack: Survivor: You have an aptitude for going the distance, able to weather the
elements and withstand prolonged duress. Whenever you can bring this knack to bear,
you add one stakes die.
● Knack: Traceur: You have an aptitude for running, parkour, and outrunning others.
Whenever you can bring this knack to bear, you add one stakes die.
 ● Knack: Star: You have an aptitude for singing and dancing. Whenever you can bring
this knack to bear, you add one stakes die.
● Knack: Concentration: You have an aptitude with keen senses, filtering out
unnecessary stimuli and sensing minute stimuli that others might miss. Whenever you
can bring this knack to bear, you add one stakes die.
● Knack: Everyman: You have an aptitude for blending in as another face in the crowd.
Whenever you bring this knack to bear, you add one stakes die.

Expertise
Expertises represent some sort of proficiency with certain tools or items, gained the
old-fashioned way through practice.

● Expertise: Computing: Through hands-on experience and practice, you understand

how to use computers and other digital interfaces. Whenever using such devices, you
add one stakes die.
● Expertise: Instrument: Through hands-on experience and practice, you understand
how to play an instrument of choice, and can pick up other instruments with minimal
effort. Whenever playing instruments, you add one stakes die.
● Expertise: Thieves' Tools: Through hands-on experience and practice, you understand
how to use lockpicks and other small tools towards that end. Whenever using such tools,
you add one stakes die.
● Expertise: Reagents: Through hands-on experience and practice, you understand how
to use occult reagents and other tools of a mystical bent. Whenever using such
materials, you add one stakes die.
● Expertise: First Aid: Through hands-on experience and practice, you understand how
to use a first aid kit. Whenever applying first aid with such a kit, you add one stakes die.
● Expertise: Disguise: Through hands-on experience and practice, you understand how
to accentuate, disguise, or otherwise alter your appearance with cosmetics, outfits, and
props. Whenever putting these alterations to the test, you add one stakes die.
● Expertise: Navigation Tools: Through hands-on experience and practice, you
understand how to use navigational tools, such as a compass, but also vehicles.
Whenever using such devices, you add one stakes die.
● Expertise: DIY Kit: Through hands-on experience and practice, you understand how to
use each and every tool found in the average home's repair box. Whenever using such
tools or piloting controls, you add one stakes die.

Persona
Personas represent a mask a character knows to wear, a way of interacting with others that
blends into the conversation.

● Persona: Martial: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms followed
by soldiers, warriors, and the militant members of society. You have one stakes die when
dealing with them. You also possess a cursory knowledge of the field such that you can
 pass as one of these individuals, but not enough to claim any skill bonuses for the
knowledge itself.
● Persona: Enforcer: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by police, inspectors, overbearing mothers, and other disciplinarians of society.
You have one stakes die when dealing with them. You also possess a cursory
knowledge of the field such that you can pass as one of these individuals, but not
enough to claim any skill bonuses for the knowledge itself.
● Persona: Sciences: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by those who study, teach, or use the natural sciences. You have one stakes
die when dealing with them. You also possess a cursory knowledge of the field such that
you can pass as one of these individuals, but not enough to claim any skill bonuses for
the knowledge itself.
● Persona: Intelligentsia: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by the academics, teachers, and scholars of a society. You have one stakes die
when dealing with them. You also possess a cursory knowledge of the field such that
you can pass as one of these individuals, but not enough to claim any skill bonuses for
the knowledge itself.
● Persona: Control: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by nobility, the privileged, and those who sit at the apex of the social and
financial hierarchies. You have one stakes die when dealing with them. You also possess
a cursory knowledge of the field such that you can pass as one of these individuals, but
not enough to claim any skill bonuses for the knowledge itself.
● Persona: Humanities: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by the artists and other cultural innovators of society. You have one stakes die
when dealing with them. You also possess a cursory knowledge of the field such that
you can pass as one of these individuals, but not enough to claim any skill bonuses for
the knowledge itself.
● Persona: Spiritual: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by the mystic, religious, and spiritual. You have one stakes die when dealing
with them. You also possess a cursory knowledge of the field such that you can pass as
one of these individuals, but not enough to claim any skill bonuses for the knowledge
itself.
● Persona: Outcasts: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by the downtrodden, rebellious, and marginalized of society. You have one
stakes die when dealing with them. You also possess a cursory knowledge of the field
such that you can pass as one of these individuals, but not enough to claim any skill
bonuses for the knowledge itself.
● Persona: Mercantile: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by traders, administrators, and those who deal with money or bureaucracy. You
have one stakes die when dealing with them. You also possess a cursory knowledge of
the field such that you can pass as one of these individuals, but not enough to claim any
skill bonuses for the knowledge itself.
 ● Persona: Labor: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms followed
by the working class of society. You have one stakes die when dealing with them. You
also possess a cursory knowledge of the field such that you can pass as one of these
individuals, but not enough to claim any skill bonuses for the knowledge itself.
● Persona: Renegades: You have a fair understanding of the social rituals and norms
followed by the criminal underworld. You have one stakes die when dealing with them.
You also possess a cursory knowledge of the field such that you can pass as one of
these individuals, but not enough to claim any skill bonuses for the knowledge itself.

Direction
Direction represents some sort of untapped potential that the character can harness when
acting in a specific manner.

● Direction: Rapport: You find you excel when you have shared interests to leverage. If
you can appeal to a common interest or goal, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Command: You find you excel when working from a position of authority or
power, perceived or authentic. If you can leverage this uneven power dynamic, you add
one stakes die.
● Direction: Conceal: You find you excel when working to cover your tracks. If you can
work towards obfuscating the truth, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Antagonize: You find you excel when playing devil's advocate. If you can
undermine the argument of another, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Create: You find you excel at building. If you can leverage something you
have created, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Survey: You find you excel when applying the knowledge you have found. If
you can leverage hidden knowledge you have found, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Dismantle: You find you excel when taking something apart. If you can act to
destroy something, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Restore: You find you excel when restoring something. If you can act to
return something to a previous condition, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Timing: You find you excel when leveraging your sense of rhythm. If you can
apply a sense of timing, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Precision: You find you excel when acting in precise, controlled manners. If
you can apply physical precision, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Surprise: You find you excel when unexpected. If you can catch someone
off-guard and exploit it, you add one stakes die.
● Direction: Force: You find you excel by letting loose. If you can act to push yourself to
your physical limits, you add one stakes die.

Vision
Vision represents an eye for particular sorts of details when making sense of a scene,
understanding it more vividly through that lens.
 ● Vision: Wallflower: You're used to sizing up the social hierarchy as soon as you walk
into a room. Who's in charge, who's the loser, who's at whose throats, where are the
cliques in this gathering? When searching for such things, you add one stakes die.
● Vision: Augur: You're used to sizing up supernatural influences at play. How a ghost
died by the influence it holds on the waking world, the training a psion has by the
structure of their psionic wards, if that uneasy feeling in your gut is really just last night's
dinner or something more malignant. When searching for such things, you add one
stakes die.
● Vision: Curtain: You're used to sizing up where something might be hidden, by
someone or by itself. Lost socks, wallets, papers, themselves, others, buttons, secret
corridors, if it might escape notice it might not escape yours. When searching for such
things, you add one stakes die.
● Vision: Gumshoe: You're used to sizing up crime scenes. Recreate a murder as if you
were there, look for details that might be relevant. It could be as innocent as taking the
last cookie, you'll still look for errant crumbs and fingerprints. When searching for such
things, you add one stakes die.
● Vision: Auditor: You're used to sizing up dense reams of information for inconsistencies
and oddities. You have a talent for picking out fine details from a bloat of data. You may
or may not have used it to find Waldo every time. When searching for such things, you
add one stakes die.
● Vision: Ruin: You're used to sizing up the weakest link in the room, whether it be a
person or a thing or even the room itself. Easily intimidated bottom tier softies, the crack
in that tank's armor, which one fuse switch will black out as much of the building as
possible. When searching for such things, you add one stakes die.
● Vision: Logos: You're used to sizing up people when they speak. What do they really
mean when they say this, or that? And what aren't they saying? When searching for
such things, you add one stakes die.

Panoply
Panoply represents past experience a character possesses that helps them mitigate failure in
some sort of challenge.

● Panoply: Fatigue: You have experience dealing with being physically outdone. If you
suffer any flaws dice when participating in physical activities, remove one flaws die (min
0). If you find yourself in a situation where you physically compete against another, inflict
one flaws die on your opponent as well.
● Panoply: Exposed: You have experience against the vigilant. If you suffer any flaws
dice when leveraging your ability to remain physically hidden, remove one flaws die (min
0). If you find yourself in a situation where another party attempts to search for you, inflict
one flaws die on your opponent.
● Panoply: Outdone: You have experience in compensating for mental deficiency. If you
suffer any flaws dice when using your intuition or knowledge, remove one flaws die (min
 0). If you find yourself in a situation where another attempts to use their intuition or
knowledge against you, inflict one flaws die on your opponent.
● Panoply: Suspicion: You have experience in maintaining social control. If you suffer
any flaws dice in a social setting, remove one flaws die (min 0). If you find yourself
opposed in a social setting, inflict one flaws die on your opponent.
● Panoply: Arcana: You have experience with the supernatural. If you suffer any flaws
dice when consorting with psionic or other supernatural forces, remove one flaws die
(min 0). If you find that the supernatural pushes back against you or an enemy attempts
to influence it against you, inflict one flaws die on your opponent.