Dragon: The Embers Core Book - MrGone's Character Sheets

72
72
Aspects
Aspects
Dragons are definitively biologically
separate from mankind. Myth and fiction
piece together traits both natural and alien to
construct the visage of these creatures, and a
rich treasury of illustrations old and new
create a dizzying array of meanings for the
word ‘Dragon’. Aspects are these traits.
Members of the Oroboroi define for
themselves what it means to be a Dragon,
both spiritually and physically. The
combined complement of Aspects they
manifest is both an arsenal at their disposal
and a means of self-expression. Wearing
them is always a road toward suspicion by
the masses, but the might of a draconic body
is a hard power to resist.
Aspects are associated with
individual cards from a six-suit playing deck,
not out of some mystical link but out of
tradition. Members of the Oroboroi can
freely learn Aspects from the common suit
and the suit of their method, but Aspects of
other methods must be taught or at least
witnessed several times, and they are always
more difficult to incorporate.
When making a Dragon character,
that character gets to choose ten Aspects.
Partly their preconceptions about Dragons
from fiction, partly a conversion of their
personality into physical characteristics,
these first Aspects give the new Dragon
some defense mechanisms for her new
Furnace. Five Aspects are chosen from the
Heart suit, those common to all dragon kind.
Three Aspects come from the Dragon’s
method suit, which is determined by the
means through which their Heart was
acquired. Finally, two Aspects can be
chosen from any suit, including those not
associated with the Dragon’s method.
Though not possible at character
creation, it is important to note that Aspects
from other methods are limited in number.
Their total dots cannot exceed the sum total
of method and common Aspect dots. For
example, a Challenger chooses to take two
Trickster Aspect dots at character creation,
which means she has eight dots between
common genetics and her method, and two
dots from other sources. Suppose she uses
her experience to continue purchasing
Aspects from other methods. As the tally
grows, she will eventually acquire eight dots
in non-method Aspects. At that point, this
Challenger will be unable to acquire more
Aspects in those suits, she must first expand
her common genetics or those focused to her
method.
As implied above, it is possible and
indeed encouraged to build more complex
draconic biology, and indeed as the Furnace
grows in temperature the Oroboroi becomes
more divine. For each dot of Furnace
acquired, a Dragon receives two free dots of
Aspects to place where she pleases,
provided she does not exceed her limits (as
explained above). It is important to note
that, just as in character creation, getting a
‘free’ fifth dot in an Aspect costs double.
For example, a Dragon with Natural
Weaponry 4 gains a dot of Furnace, and
with it two free dots of Aspects. To get
Natural Weaponry 5, however, she must
spend both of those free dots.
Besides Furnace stoking, the only
way to get new Aspects is with the
expenditure of experience. The Dragon
finds and practices a trait she likes,
eventually incorporating it into her divine
form. The experience chart shows the cost
of purchasing Aspects in this manner.
(Aspects must be acquired sequentially.)
Having a complex True Form means
more power at your disposal, but it also
means a longer trek to True Form. Aspects
must be manifest, so simply owning them
does not grant all of their benefits
simultaneously. The rules for manifesting
Aspects are explained in detail in Chapter 3
(p. XX).