Drawbacks are traits in reverse. Instead of granting you a boon, they grant you a negative effect, typically in particular circumstances. If you choose to take a drawback, you can take a third trait that you have access to, ignoring the restriction that you may only have one trait from a given category. You don’t have to take a drawback, but it makes for a more interesting character.

5 Minutes of Infamy: You are unlucky enough to have been caught in the spotlight of one of the most popular shows while living through one of the unluckiest moments of your life. Whether it was saying something extremely offensive, dumb, or racist, you have gotten five minutes of global infamy as a meme. You incur a –2 penalty on Charisma-based skill checks against other characters, at the GM’s discretion.

Attached: You have a strong emotional attachment to a person or object that you’re terrified of losing. The GM chooses the object of your attachment. Whenever the object of your attachment is either threatened, in danger, or in someone else’s possession, you take a –1 penalty on Will defense and an additional –2 penalty on Will defense when targeted by a fear effects. If the person or object to which you’re attached is ever lost, killed, or destroyed, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.

Avarice: Deep, compulsive greed gnaws at you. Whenever monetary treasure is divided, you must end up with a greater share of that treasure than your companions or you’re wracked with feelings of jealousy and ill will. When treasure is divided, if you do not end up with at least 10% more treasure than any other individual companion does, you have a hard time being helpful to your allies. You become irritable, and can’t take the aid another action for the next week.

Condescending: Raised with the assurance that only those like you are truly worthy of respect, you have an off-putting way of demonstrating that you look down on those not of your race and ethnicity or nationality. You take a –5 penalty on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to improve other creatures’ attitudes toward you.

Cowardly: You might face dangerous situations with bravado, but you are constantly afraid. Your base speed when frightened and fleeing increases by 1 square, and if you are moved down on the condition track due to a mind-affecting effect the number of steps you move is increased by 1. If you would normally be immune to fear, you do not take these penalties but instead lose your immunity to fear (regardless of its source).

Dependent: You are dependent upon the acceptance of others. Whenever you fail a Persuasion check, you move -1 on the condition track for 1 hour.

Doubt: You lack confidence in your abilities or confidence in the universe at large. Whenever you fail a skill or ability check, you take a –4 penalty on that type of skill or ability check for the next hour.

Empty Mask: You have spent so long hiding your true identity to escape political enemies that you have lost much of your sense of self. You take a -1 penalty on Will defense against mind-affecting effects. This penalty increases to -2 against foes who know your true identity.

Entomophobe: A harrowing experience with insects when you were young instilled in you a deep-seated fear of insects of all description, especially when they swarm together. You take a –2 penalty on attacks against insects and insectoid creature, and you take a any penalties caused by insectoid creatures swarming you is increased by 2.

Family Ties: Your family is extremely important to you, and you feel disheartened when you can’t do what they ask. When a family member makes a request of you, you must fulfill that request or take a –2 penalty on all Wisdom- and Charisma-based ability checks and skill checks (except Magery and Psionics) until you either do what was requested or succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom check, which you can attempt once per day at the start of each day. You can’t take this drawback if you have no family. If you ever lose your family or lose contact with your family, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.

Geek Physique: As a result of spending as much time as possible on the net and the constant playing of VRPGs, your physical body has suffered somewhat. Let’s just say that it would do you well to come outside from time to time. You treat your Strength as 2 lower for the purpose of determining your carrying capacity. If you take any feats or cybernetics that increase your Strength, the new carrying capacity is still affected by this drawback.

Guilty Fraud: You received something through trickery that you did not deserve, and your guilt for the misdeed distracts you from dangers around you. You take a -4 penalty on Deception checks against creatures with an attitude toward you of indifferent or better.

Headstrong: You feel compelled to correct every action and argument that contradicts your worldview.  Whenever you witness an action or hear an argument that contradicts your worldview, you must attempt to stop or correct that action or argument. If you either don’t try to stop it or fail in your attempt to stop it (as adjudicated by the GM), you move -1 on the condition track for 1 hour.

Hedonistic: You are a creature of pleasure and comfort. Whenever you spend a day without gaining reward or treasure (at least 100 or more credits) or spending an hour on entertainment or pleasure, attempt a DC 10 Constitution check at the end of that day. If you fail, you begin the next day fatigued. This fatigue lasts 4 hours, or until you receive a reward or sufficient entertainment or pleasure.

Helpless: You once stood helpless as great harm befell a loved one, and that paralysis sometimes returns when an ally is in a dire position. The frst time per combat encounter that an ally within 6 squares falls unconscious or dies as the result of an attack, you are unable to act on your next turn.

Impatient: You love leaping into battle at the earliest opportunity, and it frustrates you to wait for others to act. You can’t delay or ready actions, and if you are the last of your allies to act in a round of combat, you take a –1 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, defenses, and skill checks until you act again.

Infamous: You were publicly linked, truthfully or not, to a crime of significant infamy. You draw attention wherever you go and risk imprisonment or worse in the jurisdiction where the crime was committed. You and your apparent allies take a -4 penalty on Persuasion checks to interact with law-abiding citizens (except enemies of the authority that accused you).

Insatiable: You have become so accustomed to binging on the finer things in life that you find going without such excess particularly strenuous. Goods and services cost you 10% more (and can’t be paid for by allies), and you need twice as much food and liquid as normal for the purposes of preventing starvation and thirst

Lovesick:  Your love for another occupies your every thought, and you become despondent when you are away from that person. The person is chosen by your GM (with consideration to your roll on Table 1–56: Romantic Relationships if you used the background generator). At the start of each day, if you are away from this person you take a –2 penalty on Initiative checks and Perception checks. If you ever lose or fall out of love with this person, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.

Meticulous: You plan and prepare everything in detail, and aren’t good at improvising when things don’t go as planned. You take a –2 penalty on skill checks for skills with which you’re untrained.

Paranoid: You believe that someone or something is always out to get you, so you have a hard time truly trusting anyone. Anyone who attempts an aid another action of any type to assist you must succeed at a DC 15 check instead of the normal DC 10 check.

Power-Hungry: You’re addicted to power. You take a –2 penalty on Will defense against mind-effecting effects.

Pride:  You can’t abide challenges to your dignity, authority, or honor. When someone threatens, accuses, or challenges you, you take a –2 penalty on Persuasion checks and Perception checks involving that creature until the creature apologizes to you.

Scarred: An injury left you horribly, visibly scarred, making it more difficult for you to hide your true face, and also making most people distrustful of you merely due to your appearance. You take a –5 penalty on Stealth checks made to disguise yourself, and a –2 penalty on Deception checks.

Secret Shame: You have a terrible fear of the public at large, a group, or an important person learning a shameful truth about you. You take a -1 penalty on your defenses against fear effects, and the DC of any Persuasion check to intimidate you is reduced by 1. If you would normally be immune to fear, you do not take these penalties, but instead lose your immunity to fear (regardless of its source).

Sentimental: You are sentimental, and your thoughts often stray to the past at inappropriate times. You take a –2 penalty on Perception checks to avoid being surprised and on Reflex defense to avoid traps or hazards.

Stigmatized: You were kept at the periphery of society for a long period of time, so that even when you are among strangers in a new place, you feel the weight of your missing socialization. You take a –3 penalty on Persuasion checks made to improve a target’s attitude and Gather Information checks.

Vain: You are sensitive about the way others perceive you. Whenever you fail an opposed Charisma-based check (except for Psionics), you take a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks (except for Psionics) for the next 24 hours.

Xenophobic: You have a hard time understanding and trusting those with unfamiliar ways and appearances. You take a –2 penalty on Persuasion and Perception checks made against creatures of a different species.