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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Few characters are identical - though you can take two Human Knights with identical races and jobs, they will still be different people. One could be a noble and loyal warrior of the King, while the other may be a disgraced ex-soldier who works as a thug and mercenary. A major aspect of this difference are advantages and disadvantages - aspects of the character's personality and background that are unique. Some of these aspects - advantages - are positive and help the character achieve things. Others - disadvantages - impede the character, and are things that are to be overcome.
Social Advantages and Disadvantages

Many advantages and disadvantages are exemplified in how the character acts and what he's learned. These traits embody the character's knowledge and social power with other people, and while they might not be much help when it comes to swinging a sword, they can avoid worse trouble by rescuing the character from sticky situations. Or, in the case of disadvantages, put the character into a few.

There is no restriction on how many social advantages or disadvantages a character may have. The only limitation is GM discretion on what is and isn't plausible for the character's background and concept. Neither the advantages or the disadvantages are in constant operation - when and how they activate are left to the choice of the player and the GM. For an advantage to have an effect, an Advantage Point must be used. Each character starts each game session off with one Advantage Point which can be used to activate an advantage. Extra points can be gained by the player using a disadvantage and having it affect the character - one Advantage Point is gained per disadvantage use. Gained points do not carry over from one game session to another. If the GM feels the use of the disadvantage does not substantially affect the character, the GM may decline to give the Advantage Point award. Similarly, if the GM feels a player is in a situation where a disadvantage would come into effect and is avoiding using it, the GM may opt to bring that disadvantage into play, and give no award to the character at all.

Example: Jean has the advantage Charismatic, and the disadvantage Stigma. To try and get the party a discount on their purchases at the item shop, Jean uses his starting Advantage Point with his Charismatic advantage to smooth-talk the shopkeeper down a little bit. Later on in the session, Jean is confronted with a harsh situation, as his Stigma kicks in and a small mob decides that he needs to be taught a lesson, after Jean gets identified as being a member of the Black Lions, one of the most infamous and hated mercenary forces ever. If he hadn't used his starting Advantage Point with the shopkeeper, or if he had decided to cause the event by using his disadvantage (and thereby was given an award for it), Jean could use the Advantage Point to again invoke his Charismatic and talk his way out of the situation. But since the GM decided to spring this on him, he does not gain anything, and still has to deal with the consequences...
Advantages

Ally
The character knows someone who is in a position to be of great assistance, and who will do the character a favor. It could be a close friend, or merely someone who owes the character a number of favors - and the ally can be anything from an old teacher who can help the character learn more, to a childhood buddy who's in the army and will relay supposedly secret information. The exact nature of the ally must be specified at character creation. The use of an Advantage Point will gain the temporary assistance of the ally, who will provide information, access to otherwise unavailable resources, or perhaps just words of encouragement. The exact nature of this assistance is up to the GM's discretion on what the ally would have available and would be willing to do for the character.

Charismatic
With the power of words, the character is capable of swaying people to his side of an argument. Though not as good as mind control, this charisma can accomplish many things, from calming a mob to running a con game. When engaged in a negotiation, debate or similar activities, the character may use an Advantage Point to gain a +25 bonus to the related skill check, or automatically succeed at the GM's discretion.

Easily Forgettable
Some people are simply hard to place. How they act and how they look allow them to simply disappear from people's minds - the character is one of those people. Even if his name is famous and his deeds legend, nobody will recognize the character's face. Though both a blessing and a curse, the use of an Advantage Point allows the character to escape recognition and detection when trying to avoid being recognized or when in disguise.

Eidetic Memory
Each memory is captured like a photograph, for the character. Past events are filed away, and the character can't help but remember even small details from what has come before. With the expense of an Advantage Point, the character can recall any bit of knowledge that was personally observed in the past, even if it was minute, and even if the player has forgotten it as well.

Imaginative
Imbued with great creativity and many ideas, the character is hard to keep down and always has another way to get things done. If the character fails (but does not botch) an Artistic or Technical skill check out of combat, expending an Advantage Point will automatically provide the character a second roll for success with the same penalties and bonuses of the original check.

Intuitive
The character has an uncanny knack to know how to do things. Even without actual training and knowledge, the character can sometimes do a better job than even trained professionals. When making a skill check while not having the skill, the character may use an Advantage Point to use a default skill rating of double normal - 4 times the default attribute, instead of 2 times.

Reputation
The word on the street is important - and having it in your favor can be massively powerful. In the character's case, that word is good. For deeds of the past, the character is well-known in their home region and can use that weight to gain the assistance of others. This might be out of fear of the character, or out of an urge to help a local hero, but either way the help is there to be had. If the character uses an Advantage Point to swing that weight, the locals may provide extra information, shelter, food, and possibly even more, depending on the GM's discretion about what they have available and what is reasonable.

Status
It is not always a character's reputation that gains people's help. Sometimes it is merely the character's rank and employment. Certain jobs carry weight enough to garner favors within the groups that know - military rank within the army, noble standing at court, and so forth. If the character uses an Advantage Point to attempt and use this rank to his benefit, it is the GM's discretion about exactly how much is gained through these means. A sergeant or minor lord will have less access than a general or a king, and even then, rank can not get everything.

Unreal
The character possesses knowledge which is far outside the keen of normal people. This knowledge is obscure and useless in everyday life, but can be invaluable when dealing with the unusual. If the character is confronted with information or a situation that is related to anything which could be described as 'lost knowledge' - from obscure cults to ancient civilizations, dead languages to forgotten gods - he may spend an Advantage Point to gain significant insights to it. It is up to the GM's discretion about exactly what this knowledge is, but it should be related to the character's current situation and be helpful.
Disadvantages

Amnesia
Through trauma or magic, the character has little if any memory of his own past. People and places of his past will go unrecognized, and sometimes he won't even know his own name. The character can qualify for an Advantage Point by forgetting a piece of immediately critical information from their past (such as that his home town is defended by a fierce dragon as the party approaches the town, or that he is actually a werewolf just before a full moon), or by automatically failing a skill check by 'forgetting' how to do something.

Bounty
The character has a price on his head. There could be any number of reasons for this, but the end result is that, dead or alive, he is a wanted man, and people know this. The character can qualify for an Advantage Point by having this come into play - usually by someone who wants to collect that reward showing up to get it and making the character's life very difficult.

Compulsion
For some, it is drink. For others, useless trivia. For still others, it is a collection of items. But such a person - like this character - has an obsession that must be served. The character may be able to avoid it for a time, but each exposure to the object of desire will spur him to act and try and fulfil his needs - whether it be to drink the drink, learn the information, or acquire the item - no matter the risk or cost. An Advantage Point can be earned by the character indulging in his compulsion in a way which is harmful to his goals. For example, a character with a compulsion for booze stopping to have a drink in an inn at the end of the day is worth nothing - but stopping in the middle of battle, losing a turn and becoming a vulnerable target, is worth an Advantage Point.

Distinctive Features
The character has been inflicted with a physical feature that is at once both striking and highly unusual. It is something that can be used to very easily identify him, and can not be hidden without extreme effort. Good examples of this include such things as a moogle with blue fur, brightly glowing eyes, full body tattoos, weapons being grafted to their limbs or having extra fingers. Things which can be easily disguised or removed do not count (wearing an unusual outfit, for example), nor does anything which isn't remarkably distinctive - having gray hair isn't distinct at all, since while it isn't common, there are still a very large number of people who do have it. An Advantage Point can be earned by having this come into play at a poor time - such as making sure the character is recognized, or ruining a disguise attempt.

Gullible
There's a sucker born every minute - and the character is one of them. Having just fallen off the turnip truck, he's far too trusting and will buy any even somewhat reasonable story. While he won't be suckered by completely outlandish tales (stories of his shoes being evil demons trying to consume his feet, for example, are a bit too much), but he won't spot anything but the most obvious lies. This character can earn an Advantage Point each time he buys into a lie that causes him trouble - such as being talked into donating all his money to a fake charity, or that he should really help that old lady retrieve her spell book from the Caverns Of Death - it couldn't possibly be used to summon a demon.

Notoriety
Being a bad boy isn't always good. The character has, through whatever means, garnered quite a reputation - a bad one. People might not recognize him on sight, but they sure know his name. An Advantage Point can be earned each time this comes back to haunt the character. People who recognize his name will definitely not want to be helpful, so the character may be thrown out of inns, get arrested by the local police, have contacts refuse to pass along information, and might even be run out of town. Being famous can come back to haunt you.

Phobia
Fear is a very powerful motivator. While everyone fears something, for some people that fear is paralyzing. The character is one such person, with a phobia so intense that it can't be worked around. This fear is centered around a specific thing, such as spiders, water or blood. Whenever the character encounters the object of his fears, he can earn an Advantage Point by properly playing up this fear. When confronted by such a thing, the character will recoil from it, trying to stay as far away from the feared object as possible and flee from its presence if able. If unable to escape it, the character will usually lash out to try and remove the object if possible.

Stigma
The character is of a particular group that has some form of prejudice leveled against it. This particular stereotype or ancient racial crime may not actually be true for the character himself, but the effects of it are applied to him none the less. Bystanders will expect the character to be unintelligent, rude, uncultured and generally bad news. Good examples of this would be male mithra, members of stereotypical 'barbarian' groups, and members of a nation the locals are at war with. The character may earn an Advantage Point by bringing this prejudice into play. Shopkeepers will drive the character away or try to cheat him. The locals will shun him at best, possibly even throwing rotten fruit and rocks. Life will generally be unkind.

Travelling Sickness
Some people should stick to going places on foot. The character suffers from being easily motion-sick. When the character is on a form of transportation other than his own feet, he will tend to feel ill - the faster and bigger the ride, the worse it gets. Riding a chocobo or in a cart will just make him slightly queasy. Being in a sea-going boat or an airship will nearly incapacitate him with sickness, rendering him barely able to hold an effective conversation, let alone anything else. Advantage Points can be gained by the character being unable to perform important actions, such as fight or use skills, because of this illness.
Combat Advantages and Disadvantages

Traits do not merely apply to the peaceful side of events, however. Many also are key in combat, giving small boosts to warriors and mages alike, allowing them to do what others can not. Whether it be training with a unique weapon or a greater magical reserve, these traits can change the course of battle easily, tilting the balance of power. But no strength comes without sacrificing something, so while a character may gain a boost in one area, he will be inevitably brought down in another.

Each advantage and disadvantage has a specific point cost assigned to it. Advantages have a positive cost, while disadvantages have a negative cost. At creation, a character must have a total which is equal to or less than zero, and can have no more than ten points worth of advantages. These advantages and disadvantages are considered always on and require no special means to activate their effects - there is no need for Advantage Points to bring combat advantages into play, and there is no award for being affected by a combat disadvantage.
Advantages

Adroit (2-5)
Not every character fights using force - it is sometimes where and how the weapon hits that is more important than the raw power behind it. The character has trained with a specific weapon to be able to accomplish this sort of attack. When wielding a weapon of the chosen type, all damage is calculated using the AGI stat instead of STR. Adroit can only be used to alter the damage calculation stat to AGI - it can not change it to any other stat. If the character wishes to use this with more than one weapon, the Adroit advantage must be taken once for each weapon. The cost of Adroit varies according to the size of the die used in calculating the weapon's damage, according to this table.

d6: 2 points
d8: 3 points
d10: 4 points
d12: 5 points

Ambidexterous (3)
The character is equally skilled with both hands, instead of being dominantly right or left handed. As a result, he receives no penalty for using the weaker hand, and may purchase the Two Weapons skill at normal price, rather than paying double for it.

Animal Companion (5)
With a close friend, anything is possible. The character is aided in battle by a faithful assistant - such as a trained dog or a mount. When in combat, the animal fights alongside the character, helping to defend and attack. Whenever the character is struck by an Attack Action, there is a 30% chance that the companion will leap to assist. It will help block the blow, so the character only takes 50% normal damage. Additionally, the companion will launch a counter-attack at the opponent who struck the character. This is an Attack Action made with the character's Attack% to calculate the to-hit. Damage is calculated with a DS equal to (Level / 4) times the character's STR, plus (Level / 10) d6. Thus, if the character is Level 24, the companion's attack inflicts 6xSTR+2d6 damage. This damage ignores Armor. Both of these numbers have a minimum of 1. This is considered a Reaction ability, and thus can be disabled by the Immobilize status condition.

Combat Reflexes (2)
Through intensive training and a good bit of paranoia, the character is adept at being able to react and being ready for combat at a moment's notice. The character can never be surprised in battle - if the enemy acts on the pre-emptive round, the character does as well. Additionally, the character is immune to the Unaware status.

Goddess' Mark (4)
Blessed with a wellspring of life within himself, the character is capable of regaining vitality at an amazing rate. When a healing item, spell or effect is used on the character, an extra 25% HP is regained. This does not affect Drain effects, nor does it affect MP recovery.

Good Fortune (2-4)
Some force from beyond looks out for the character, and sometimes tweaks fate to act in the character's favor. The character starts with a limited pool of re-rolls - either one (worth 2 points), two (worth 3 points) or three (worth four points). These re-rolls may be used for anything which involves the player rolling dice, be it a skill check, a damage roll or a roll for status. Rolls may not be re-rolled if a different character is making the roll - a re-roll may not be used to try and force a monster to try and miss the character, for example. Each time the character levels up, this pool of re-rolls is set back to the original number, so saving the re-rolls does not carry over from level to level. The last roll is the one used, so a re-roll can not be made and then the original result used.

Hardened (1-2)
The character is hella tough, by virtue of simply being physically capable of taking more damage than normal. Each time the character gains a level, he gains an additional number of bonus Hit Points - either one point (for the 1 point Hardened advantage) or two points (for the 2 point Hardened advantage).

Heirloom (3)
An item of strength passed down through the character's family for generations, this heirloom is able to be used by the character for his own benefit. This item is an Accessory, worth up to 2500 gil and of any Availability. The character may not sell this Accessory under any circumstances, nor otherwise dispose of it. This Accessory also can not be unequipped by the character until he reaches level 11.

Immortal (4)
There is a supernatural force within the character that transcends life and death - and it will not allow the character to die. Whenever the character ends a battle at 0 HP or below, he is raised to 1 HP and becomes conscious as soon as the battle is over. This effect does not happen in battle - the character must be brought back using a Phoenix Down, a Life spell or similar effect. It also does not remove statuses that last outside of battle with similar effects to death, such as Stone.

Monster Killer (1-2)
Through intense training, the character has developed finely-honed abilities for taking down a specific type of monster. The 1 point version of Monster Killer applies to a specific monster race (such as wolves, goblins or bombs), and the 2 point version applies to an entire category of monsters, as classified by the MCS (such as Machina, Dragons or Undead - the Abnormal category can not be taken, however). When fighting this type of monster, the character is considered to always have the appropriate Monster Killer attribute, and will do double damage with an Attack action.

Personal Element (3-5)
The character has a deep, personal connection and familiarity with one of the world's elements, and is capable of wielding it with fierce power. The character must select one of the elements at creation (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Water, Wind, Earth, Holy, Shadow or Bio). For 3 points, the character does an extra 10% damage with any effect that causes that element of damage. For 4 points, an extra 25% damage is done. This advantage costs an extra 1 point if the character is a Paladin and chooses the Holy element, or is a Dark Knight and chooses the Shadow element. The effects of this advantage do not stack with the Enhance Element ability.

Pure Soul (1-2)
The character has an inner reserve of mystical power that normal people simply don't have, and can be drawn upon in times of need. Each time the character gains a level, he gains an additional number of bonus Magic Points - either one point (for the 1 point Pure Soul advantage) or two points (for the 2 point Pure Soul advantage).

Strong Spirit (3-5)
Through mystical means, the character has built up a resistance to a specific set of status conditions, and is capable of resisting them better than most. When being targeted for one of those status conditions, the CoS is halved after calculating for Defense or Magic Defense. One specific status condition group must be chosen at the character's creation for this advantage's effect. The cost of this advantage varies according to what category of status it is.

Mystify: 5
Poison: 3
Seal: 4
Time: 5
Transform: 4
Weak: 5
Death: Can not be chosen.

Signature Weapon (3 or 5)
By specializing in one specific weapon, the character has honed his skills to a fine edge. When performing an Attack action with that weapon, the character will strike a critical hit on a roll of 1 through 15 (with the 3 point Signature Weapon advantage) or 1 through 20 (with the 5 point Signature Weapon advantage). This advantage does not stack with the Critical+ and Critical++ abilities.

Special Training (3 or 5)
Training outside the norm, the character is capable of using a weapon that is unusual for his job. At creation, he can select one weapon type not normally allowed by his job that he may use without penalty, though points need to be taken in the appropriate skill for it to be used effectively. This advantage is worth 3 points, but if the weapon taken is of a higher die than any which is otherwise available to the character's job, or uses a different stat than STR for determining damage (such as Instruments, which use MAG), the advantage costs 5 points.

Sponsorship (2-5)
The character has extra means of money-making, besides looting the bodies of fallen monsters. Because of this, the character gains more gil than usual from each encounter - he gains an additional 5% for each point in this advantage beyond the first point (2 points in this advantage equates to a 5% gain, 5 points are equal to 20% extra). This applies only to the character's specific share, not the gil gained by the entire party. This advantage does not stack with the Gil+ ability.
Disadvantages

Coward (4)
Some people can't stand the heat. The character fears death more than anything else, and avoids it. If the character is wounded to 25% HP or below, when his action comes up in the initiative sequence, he will immediately attempt to retreat from battle. If the Escape action fails, the character will continue to do so on every following action he has, until he either successfully retreats from battle, or is healed to above 25% HP.

Devil's Brand (4)
Cursed, the character's own spark of life glows a bit dimmer than most. Because of this, whenever the character is healed, whether by item, spell or effect, 25% of the damage healed is lost and not regained. This does not apply to Drain effects or MP restoration.

Elemental Deficiency (3)
Something within the character has left him vulnerable to the elements, in a way that causes him great harm. The character must select one of the elements at creation (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Water, Wind, Earth, Holy, Shadow or Bio). Any damage of that element done to the character is increased by 50%. Becoming Resistant to that element merely reduces the damage to normal (100%). Becoming Immune reduces it to 50%, and becoming Absorbant merely negates the damage (0%).

Fury (2-3)
Deep inside the character is a raving, rabid beast that's just waiting to get out. In battle, as the character is wounded, it slowly rises - until, finally, the bubble bursts. Whenever the character goes below 25% HP, he is automatically inflicted with the Berserk status condition, bypassing any status immunities. This lasts for as long as the character's current HP are below 25% of the maximum and may not be dispelled, prevented or bypassed by any other means. This disadvantage is worth 2 points to Warriors and Adepts, and 3 points to Experts and Mages.

Hunted (1-2)
For some reason, the character is the favored prey of a type of monster. At creation, a type is chosen - for 1 point, monsters of a certain family (wolves, goblins, bombs, etc), for 2 points, an entire category as defined by the MCS (Undead, Plants, Demons, etc - however, Abnormal may not be taken). Any monsters of this category that deal damage to the character do double damage automatically.

Honor (2)
A sense of honor - it has downsides at times. Sworn to not attack a helpless opponent, the character never uses the advantage of surprise. The character will never attack an opponent who is suffering from the status conditions Unaware, Sleep or Stop, and will never act in the pre-emptive round.

Jinx (2-4)
Fate just plain hates the character. At certain intervals, the character is bit by the jinx and suffers an automatic failure to a die roll of some sort - including failing a skill check or the chance to inflict a status, or getting the lowest possible roll on a random damage check. It is up to the GM's choice when this failure takes place. For 2 points of this disadvantage, the character's jinx activates once per level. For 3 points, it activates once per game play session. For 4 points, it activates once per encounter.

Klutz (3)
Due to an intense lack of coordination, the character is completely inept at avoiding incoming attacks. The character's effective natural Defense and Magic Defense is zero, and can only be increased by bonuses from equipped items or spells.

Malady (1-5)
The character suffers from a crippling defect - a sickly body, lost eyesight or a lame leg. No matter what it is, it slows the character down and hampers his capabilities. This malady is effectively an Auto negative status, who's worth is based on how much it cripples the character. This status can not be cured, postponed or prevented by any means (spell, item or ability), unless explicitly stated in the following description.
Unaware - The character begins every battle with the Unaware status. It is removed as soon as the character is struck, or their first action is used to pay attention to the battle. This disadvantage is worth 1 point to all characters.
Poison - At the beginning of each turn, the character has a 10% chance of being affected as if he were suffering from the Poison status for that turn, losing 10% of his current HP. Being affected by this malady does not in any way alter how the character is affected by the Poison status condition. This disadvantage is worth 2 points to all characters.
Blind - The character is Auto-Blind and can not see. This disadvantage is worth 4 points to Warriors and Experts, 3 to Adepts and 1 to Mages.
Silence - The character is Auto-Silence, and can not speak in any form. This disadvantage is worth 4 points to Adepts, 3 points to Experts and 1 point to Warriors. Mages may not take this disadvantage.
Curse - The character is Auto-Curse, and is incapable of using active abilities. This disadvantage is worth 4 points to Warriors, Adepts and Experts, and 1 point to Mages.
Sleep - The character begins every battle with the Sleep status. It is removed when the character suffers any amount of physical damage. This disadvantage is worth 1 point to all characters.
Immobilize - The character is crippled, unable to run and impaired from having Reaction abilities activate, as he is Auto-Immobilize. This disadvantage is worth 2 points for Warriors, Experts and Adepts, and 1 for Mages.
Slow - Slow to act and slow to react, the character is Auto-Slow and constantly is behind others in acting. This disadvantage is worth 3 points for Warriors and Experts, and 1 point for Adepts and Mages.
Time Slip - At the beginning of each turn, the character has at 10% chance of being affected as if he were suffering from the Time Slip status for that turn, taking 5 points of non-elemental damage for each 1 point of initiative that round. Being affected by this malady does not in any way alter how the character is affected by the Time Slip status condition. This disadvantage is worth 4 points to all characters.
Mini - Tiny and short beyond measure, the character has Auto-Mini. This disadvantage is worth 5 points for Warriors, 3 points for Adepts, 2 points for Mages, and 3 points for Experts except the Bard, who only gets 2 points.
Zombie - A creature from beyond the grave, the character suffers from the Auto-Zombie status. This disadvantage is worth 4 points to all characters.
Meltdown - With the character having Auto-Meltdown, nothing can protect the character from harm. This disadvantage is worth 5 points to all characters.

Obligation (1-5)
The character doesn't get to keep all the money he makes - it gets lost to debts, being sent home to the family, or simply gets blown on frivolous things like the character's vast collection of designer shoes. For every point in this disadvantage that is taken, the character earns 5% less Gil from each encounter. This applies only to that specific character's earnings, not those of the entire party.

Pacifist (2)
While the character can fight in battle, he has sworn not to kill. Incapable of delivering the killing blow, whenever the character would reduce a target to 0 HP, either through damage or an instant death effect, the target does not die, and instead remains at 1 HP. Under no circumstances can the character kill anything.

Random Target (1)
Fate may not have it in for the character, but Murphy's Law does. Any random targeting effect's chance to hit the character is doubled.

Sealed Ability (1-5)
The character lags behind his allies in growth, and his abilities show it. Depending on the point value of this disadvantage, the character gains abilities several levels behind what is normal for his job. For example, a character with Sealed Ability 1 would gain his first ability at level 3 instead of level 1. For 1 point, the character's abilities are delayed by 2 levels. For 2 points, they are delayed by 4 levels. For 3 points, they are delayed by 7 levels. For 4 points, they are delayed by 11 levels. For 5 points, they are delayed by 16 levels. This disadvantage does not affect any aspect of leveling up aside from when the character's job abilities are gained.

Sickly (1-2)
Physically feeble, the character's body is fragile and frail, no matter what he tries to do to toughen it. Each time the character gains a level, he loses a number of Hit Points from those he would gain for that level - either one point (for the 1 point Sickly disadvantage) or two points (for the 2 point Sickly disadvantage). This can not reduce the character's gained HP for that level below 1.

Weak Spirit (3-5)
Inherently, the character is extra vulnerable to certain forms of statuses, and is extremely bad at avoiding their effects. When targeted by such a status, the effect's CoS is doubled after calculating for Defense or Magic Defense. If the character is made Immune to that status, the CoS is merely reduced back to normal.

Mystify: 5
Poison: 3
Seal: 4
Time: 5
Transform: 4
Weak: 3
Death: Can not be taken.

Weapon Inability (3)
Out and out, the character simply is bad with weapons. He simply has no talent when it comes to them. All weapon skills purchased cost double their normal costs, and any affinity for the Weapon skill group is lost. Additionally, the character may never cause a critical hit with an Attack action, and his chance to critically hit can never be raised beyond zero.