Guideline to Defining New Keys

Key of the Artist
You live for the passion of the art that burns in your breast, be it painting, writing, or what-have-you. Your life is often filled with chaos as you seek novel experiences, models, or substances with which to perform your craft. Gain 1 XP whenever you pursue your art to the detriment of your luxury (going without food for days, not working and so not having the money for rent, what-have-you). Gain 2 XP whenever the pursuit of your art causes you notable risk or harm; painting a Khale chieftain's daughter in the nude. Gain 5 XP whenever you risk great sacrifice or danger to pursue your art. Buyoff: Give up an element of your art you were pursuing, in favor of something/someone else. (miedvied)

Key of the Brokenhearted
Your character cannot let go of some tragic event in his or her past. It wounded the character so deeply that she refuses (consciously or unconsciously) to form new bonds of love or attachment. Gain 1 XP every time your character chooses to keep new bonds from forming in favor of ‘honoring’ their past love (or, in other words, every time the character chooses nostalgia instead of the now). Gain 3 XP every time the character rebuffs an open confession of love or camaraderie. Buyoff: Admit that you have formed a new love. (Halcyon)

Key of Coincidence
Your character strongly believes that the world is full of strange coincidences. Gain 1 XP every time you point out a weird coincidence. Gain 3 XP if that coincidence really is extremely unfathomable. Buyoff: Actively attempt to disprove a coincidence. (JMendes et al)

Key of Commander
Designate the troops for whom you are the commander. Gain 1 xp every time a significant number of your troops are in a scene (max of 3 xp per sesssion); gain 2 xp when their presence influences your decision; gain 5 xp when you are put at great risk or harmed while acting to protect the troops. Buyoff: Abandon or betray your command. (Doyce Testerman)

Key of the Competitor
You live for challenges, and never back down against a rival. Gain 1 XP whenever you enter a competition. Gain 3 XP whenever you prevail against the odds. Buyoff: Decline a challenge. (Profiles/James_Nostack)

Key of the Craftsman
Building is what you love to do the most; having some concrete representation of your efforts in life is something you strive for. Gain 1 XP every time your character successfully completes a Crafting project. Gain 3 XP every time your character completes a Crafting project that is met with great appreciation from many. Buyoff: Destroy one of your creations. (Halcyon)

Key of the Curious
Curiosity killed the cat. Gain 1 XP every time your character follows a need to dig into something. Gain 3 XP if there is a real possibility of harm coming to your character because you digged too deep. Buyoff: Ignore an opportunity to dig further. (JMendes et al)

Key of the Cursed
You have been condemned to a terrible fate and now your doom dogs your heels, affecting everything you do. It may be a hex, the evil eye, a disease, lingering poison, a wound that just won't heal, but whatever it is, it's a constant problem for you. You gain 1XP when you have to overcome your curse to do something. Gain 2XP when your affliction prevents you from doing something important to you. 5XP when being cursed puts you into a life-threatening situation. Buyoff: Find a way to have the curse removed. Alternately, succumb to your fate. (Matthew Glover)

Key of the Disciple
Your character has someone they call Master. Gain 1 XP every time you are in a scene with your Master. Gain 2 XP every time you actively do something which would grant you XP if you had one or any of your Master's keys. Gain 5 XP if you put yourself at great risk or make a great sacrifice in order to follow your Master's beliefs. Buyoff: Act against your Master's beliefs. (JMendes et al)
(Compare with Key of the Master below.)

Key of Doom
Your character is doomed to a terrible fate. Gain 1 XP every time your character acts without regard to his safety. Gain 3 XP every time your character enters battle against superior enemies (1 or more opponents with higher combat skill or several -- 3 or more -- opponents with equal skill). Buyoff: Retreat from an overwhelming battle or fight, or fight to survive so that you may be with a loved one. (Matt Snyder?)

Key of the Explorer
Your character seeks novelty and discovery at every opportunity. Gain 1 XP everytime she goes somewhere or encounters something new to her. Gain 3 XP whenever she experiences something unknown to her society. Buyoff: Settle down to a quiet life. (Colin Roald?)

Key of Extravagance
Your character seeks every opportunity to impress those around you with his means and generosity. Gain 1 XP every time he gives a gift or spends money on an unnecessary luxury. Gain 3 XP every time he blows a significant fraction of his net worth. Buyoff: Refuse a luxury you could have had. (Colin Roald?)

Key of the First Wolf
Your character has a contempt for the debased trappings of civilization. Gain 1 XP for failing to conceal your contempt for civilized ways. Gain 2 XP every time you prevail when civilized folk cannot because of your strength, savagery, or cunning. Gain 5 XP every time you lead others to reject civilized values and embrace the way of the Wolf, or topple a key icon or element of civilization. Buyoff: Save someone from the consequences of their own civilization-born weakness. (Sydney and Doyce Testerman)

Key of the Foolhardy Hero
You live for excitement. As a plaything of fortune, you go around spelunking musty dungeons, fighting corrupt police chiefs, defending impoverished farmers from bandits, and getting duped by court intrigues... simply for the hell of it. Gain 1 XP when you agree to go on a quest (or side-quest, or some other risky venture). Gain 2 XP whenever the pursuit of this quest causes hardship for you. Gain 5 XP whenever you complete a quest. Buyoff: Reject the opportunity to go on yet another harebrained mission.

(This key is meant to model all the poorly motivated heroes of bad fantasy fiction, who inevitably get tangled in one random adventure after another, and don't seem to mind because they have no goals of their own. -- James_Nostack)

Key of Glory
Who cares about power or riches? You crave fame! Gain 1 XP when your actions inspire strangers to talk about you insultingly (there's no such thing as bad publicity). Gain 3 XP when your deeds win you acclaim and adulation. Buyoff: Adopt a pseudonym or go incognito. (Profiles/James_Nostack)

Key of Grief
Your character has lost someone or something precious. Gain 1 XP every time something reminds you of the loss. Gain 2 XP whenever you have to make a decision related to the source of your grief. Gain 5 XP if you sacrifice something important out of grief. Buyoff: Do something symbolic to show you're over it. (Diurnal Lee?)

Key of the Ideal
Your character has always held some belief or ideal to be absolutely true, such as "The power of friendship", "The Knights of the realm are true, just and incorruptible", etc.

• 1 XP every time your character emphasizes or shows off their Ideal
• 2 XP every time your character keeps faith in the Ideal despite good reason to doubt it
• 5 XP every time your character holds faith in spite of contrary evidence that threatens his or her life. ("I know there's still good in you! Fight it! You don't have to do this, you're still a hero!")

Buyoff: Give up the ideal or belief. Face reality. (by Bankuei)

Key of (Metaphorical) Impotence
You ought to be able to do something just fine, but for some reason you can't. This difficulty could be sexual, social, or physical; the source of the problem may be self-doubt, overconfidence, or an evil curse. In any event the player should select a single skill when choosing this key, and may apply a penalty die to that skill at any time to reflect these mysterious difficilities. When the penalty die applies to a routine situation, gain 1 XP. When the penalty die applies to an important situation, gain 2 XP. When the penalty die applies to an urgent, life-or-death, out-of-control-story-madness situation, gain 5 XP. Buyoff: Overcome the source of this anxiety. (Profiles/James_Nostack)

Key of Integrity
You have an unusually strong determination to do what is right. Gain 1 XP whenever you are tempted by corruption. Gain 2 XP whenever you act to oppose corruption. Gain 5 XP whenever you risk great sacrifice or danger to preserve your integrity. Buyoff: Accept a bribe. (Colin Roald?)

Key of the Master
Your character views himself as a spiritual and/or moral leader. Gain 1 XP every time a named character does something that you grant you XP from another key, if you had done it. Gain 2 XP every time you have to convince them to do so. Gain 5 XP if their actions bring you great harm or inconvenience. Buyoff: Convince someone to act against another key of yours. (JMendes et al)
(Compare with Key of the Disciple above.)

Key of the Paragon
You are certain of something in life; that the ways you were raised to are the best ways, and that you exemplify them. The greatness of your home culture guides you, and you try to find a way to apply it to every situation. Gain 1 XP every time you use a cultural ability to your advantage. Gain 2 XP every time you use a cultural ability in a way that benefits the party. Gain 5 XP every time you convince someone to hold your culture in higher esteem than others. Buyoff: Disown yourself from your home culture. (Halcyon?)

The Key of the Pedagogue
Your character often acts as a mentor to others. Gain 1 XP every time your character opens the eyes of another. Gain 2 XP every time your character teaches something significant to another. Gain 5 XP everytime your character's teachings dramatically change the life of another. Buyoff: Ignore an opportunity for education. (broin?)

Key of the Precious
You take great pleasure in counting coup against others by taking from them something they value highly. The item's intrinsic worth or monetary value is meaningless to you, only it's emotional weight to your target. This does not have to be a physical item, but can be a relationship (e.g. you seduce their wife) or even their self-image (e.g. you take away their pride). You gain 1 XP anytime you take something from a person or small group that they value highly, without their knowledge. You gain 2 xp when you take something from a person or small group that they value highly and inform them that you are the responsible party for the theft. You gain 5 xp when you take something from a person or small group that they value highly in a public fashion that endangers you greatly. Buyoff: Give something of great personal value to an enemy as a sign of respect. (Adam)

Key of the Rake
Your character thrives on romantic conquests. Gain 1 XP every time they attempt to seduce someone (2 XP if this action is successful.) Gain 5 XP if they seduce someone of reknown and import, and word gets out. Buyoff: Abandon these rakish ways and settle down with someone. (Doyce Testerman)

Key of the Thoughtless Madman
You are a berzerker, a cauldron of boiling rage! You fight savagely, with no concern to yourself or those around you. Gain 1 XP when one of your Pools hits zero. Gain 2 XP when two of your Pools hit zero. Gain 5 XP if all three of your Pools hit zero. Buyoff: Kill a friend. (James_Nostack)

Key of the Master II
You are the boss, applesauce. Gain 1 XP when you give an order to someone allied with you and either as powerful or less powerful, and be obeyed. Gain 2 XP when you give an order to someone either (a) substantially more powerful than you or (b) violently antagonistic to you, and be obeyed. Gaing 5 XP when you give an order to a substantially more powerful being who hates your guts, and be obeyed. Buyoff: Let someone less powerful than you give you orders, and obey them willingly. (Tony LB?)