Many abilities in WISH have descriptive words associated with them, which collectively are called Traits. In addition to serving as convenient organizational aids to group similar abilities up, they also act as hooks for rules interaction. One ability may hinder or help other abilities of a given Trait, for instance.

Traits have specific meanings, which are described below:

Classifying Traits

Classifying Traits group certain abilities together, and allow other effects to refer to anything that falls within them collectively

• Open: indicates an ability that any character can acquire (though the ability may have specific prerequisites).
• Melee: any ability with this Trait is usable while engaged with an opponent.
• Ranged: any ability with this Trait is usable at close or longer range.
• Mental: any ability with this Trait is usable at line of site or potentially longer range, and affects characters' minds.
• Social: any ability that is oriented towards non-combat social interaction.
• Movement: any ability that allows a character to move around, which are prevented from working by effects that prevent movement.
• Protection: any ability that allows a character to protect themselves or others.
• Utility: useful abilities that help solve problems or provide options.
• Teamwork: abilities that explicitly help allies.
• Push: any ability with this Trait moves a character one step towards Offensive when it is used.
• Delay: any ability with this Trait moves a character one step towards Defensive when it is used.

Timing Traits

• Passive: indicates an ability that is assumed to always be on unless directly noted to not be. Some passive abilities are literally always on 100% of the time, others are turned on deliberately but then stay on until turned off deliberately. Passive effects work even if a character is unconscious and perhaps even if they are dead, depending on the nature of the passive ability.
• React: an important Trait that indicates an ability that can be used at any time in response to events in play and the Actions of others; Reacts invariably stipulate the conditions that can trigger them and allow them to be used. Reacts are immediate in nature and interrupt the currently resolving Action or event that triggered the React. Once a React is finished resolving, the triggering Action or event resumes where it left off possibly modified by the React. Some Reacts can be used in response to another React; in all cases the most recently played React resolves first followed by the previous, until finally all Reacts, Actions, and game events have played out in stack order.
• DoT: an acronym for "Damage Over Time", this Trait indicates an effect that deals damage or triggers an effect beyond the turn or round in which it entered play. DoT effects will stipulate the target they affect and provide both a time frame defining how frequently it triggers and what effect it has when it does trigger. DoT's will also indicate when or under what conditions they expire either in terms of recharge tokens or a statement regarding how or when it terminates.
• Rally: a Trait that indicates an ability that can be used during Rally Steps. By default an ability with this Trait can be used normally like other abilities and also in Rally Steps as a kind of free Action, but some might indicate that they can only be used during Rally steps and at no other time.
• Ongoing: an ability that has a lasting effect that is considered to be "on" while its card is recharging. Ongoing effects usually don't require any further involvement to keep them going, but if they do require an additional cost or resource investment the ability text will indicate how to resolve it.
• Extended: a Trait that indicates an ability that requires more than 1 Action to complete. If an Extended Stunt also has a Recharge listed, it is indicating that the recharge process begins when the Extended time window is elapsed; thus a Persisted Stunt with Recharge 3 is indicating that when the character stops persisting the effect 3 recharge tokens are placed on the ability. Individual ability descriptions will stipulate specific varieties of Extended from the following list:
  • Toggle: unless an individual Stunt says otherwise, a Toggle Stunt requires a Maneuver to turn on or off, and thus can usually only be activated or deactivated in a character's own Turn; though some rare abilities grant maneuvers usable in other character's Turns. A Toggle Stunt toggles off automatically if the character becomes unconscious. Many Toggle Stunts incur various costs to keep them toggled on such as stress or fatigue, and many Toggle Stunts have recharge tokens placed on them when they are toggled off, but they vary in these details. Individual Stunts will self-describe their behavior.
  • X Turns: occupies 1 or more of a character's entire Turns, preventing them from altering their stance, taking any maneuvers at all, or taking their normal Action. The effect resolves during the character's End of Turn phase at the end of the allotted time frame. If anything interrupts the character or does damage to them, the effect automatically fails and any Actions expended on it thus far are wasted. For instance "3 Turns" would indicate an ability that requires 3 full uninterrupted Turns to take affect.
  • Lingering: akin to Ongoing, this indicates an ability that takes effect immediately when used and remains in effect as long as a character spends a maneuver each Turn to keep it on; as soon as a character is no longer able or willing to expend a maneuver to maintain the effect it ends during the End of Turn phase.
  • Invested: as Lingering, but a character must spend their Action each Round to keep the effect going. The character can take maneuvers and thus can move around a little, and can still use Reacts unless the GM rules otherwise on a case by case basis.
  • Persisted: as Invested and Lingering, but a character must spend their entire Turn each Round to keep the effect going. The character cannot take maneuvers and cannot use Reacts without terminating the effect.

Effect Traits

Effect traits modify or enhance the outcome of an effect resolution.

• Burst: An effect with the Blast trait can affect an entire engagement rather than a single target. Blast effects cannot be parried or deflected, but can be dodged.
• Deflect: An effect with the Deflect trait have the potential to nullify an attack either partially or completely.
• Pierce (#): An effect with the Pierce trait reduces the Soak of it's target, to a minimum of 0. Thus Pierce (3) is synonymous with -3 Soak.
• Unreliable (#): An effect with the Unreliable trait fails to resolve if the stated number of calamities is rolled in a related check, and becomes unusable for some duration of time. If the effect does not state a means to return itself to re-usability it should remain unusable for at least an Act, or require some significant action or effort to overcome. Thus if an effect were Unreliable (2) and two calamities were rolled in a related check the effect would fail and become unusable for a significant period of time.

SFX Traits

SFX themselves are described in more detail in the SFX section; SFX Traits on the other hand generally act as a restriction that indicates a character must have the appropriate SFX to purchase or advance an ability with the corresponding Trait at the normal price of 1 creation point or advance per Stunt Rating.

For instance, if a Stunt has the Fire Trait, it corresponds to the Fire SFX and means that a character must have the Fire SFX to purchase or advance that Stunt.

A variation on this is Stunts that have both the Open Trait and one or more SFX Traits; this indicates an ability that anyone can acquire but which has one or more options or enhanced effects usable by a character with the indicated SFX. For instance, any character that meets the requirements can acquire the Break Free Stunt, but a character that has the Might SFX has a better effect option when they use the ability.

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Justifications

Stunts have Justifications that describe their source or genesis. Justifications are a special kind of Trait that have specific mechanical ramification that affect Stunts. In addition to any effects listed for a Justification, other abilities and Traits may explicitly interact with them in various ways.

By default all Stunts are assumed to be innate unless otherwise indicated. Some Archetypes specifically note that Stunts chosen from certain SFX have a particular Justification. For instance, all of a Mentalist's Stunts have the Psychic Justification, while all of an Arcanist's Stunts have the Arcane Justification.

Characters can also choose to apply a Justification to a Stunt, with GM's approval. Justifications that grant benefits also come with penalties and are considered to be self-contained and self-balanced.

Innate

Innate abilities are intrinsic to a character that has them and are usable at will (baring any other effect preventing their use, or a failure to meet prerequisites).

This is the default justification for Stunts.

Some innate abilities are powers or represent intrinsic physical attributes like Claws or enhanced vision. Others are the product of intensive training and are ingrained "skills" that a character has developed to the point that muscle memory takes over. Such abilities generally require active effort from the character, and are not usable when unconscious or incapacitated unless they have the Passive Trait.

Device

Some abilities are conferred by a device of some kind, which might be technological or magical in nature. Such a device can be taken away from a character or potentially even destroyed. Device based Stunts are more vulnerable than Innate Stunts, but are also often advantaged to compensate.

Detached Devices are separate from a character and are items or tools that are readied and used as objects. During combat Detached Devices can be temporarily lent to other characters or forcibly taken and be used by them (assuming any prerequisites are met).

Integrated Devices are worn or otherwise affixed to a character in a more secure fashion, like a helmet or a suit of armor. They may not be lent to other characters during combat.

Devices that are weapons like swords and guns are typically Detached, while Armor and most passive self-buffs are typically Integrated. However, there is very little mechanical difference between the two and a particular Device could be either as suits a given character's concept and is consistently enforced. For instance, if a character's Raygun is actually Integrated into their gauntlets rather than being a Detached "gun", that is acceptable as long as it doesn't suddenly switch back to being a "gun" when the character wants to lend it to another character.

Devices can be targeted directly and disarmed, or broken via damage. Where noted, some devices are more difficult to target than others or more durable, but the following modifiers are used by default:

• Characters targeting a Detached Device directly add to their dice pool.
• Characters targeting an Integrated Device directly add to their dice pool.

• Characters attempting to disarm a Detached Device add to their dice pool.
• Characters attempting to disarm an Integrated Device add to their dice pool.

• Detached Devices have (7 + SR) Soak and SR # of Wounds
• Integrated Devices have (5 + SR) Soak and (SR + 2) # of Wounds

• Devices do not take automatic Wounds; if they Soak all incoming damage they are unharmed.

If a single physical Device provides the justification for more than one Stunt, its Soak and Wounds is based on the highest rated Stunt in the Device, +1 Soak and +1 Wound per additional Stunt.

If a Device provides Soak to its user, it generally also provides an equal amount of additional Soak to itself.

All of the Stunts in the Gear SFX have the Device justification, as do various other Stunts in other SFX as noted.

Stunts that are not intrinsically Device based can be designated as being Devices when they are taken by a character with the Technologist, Natural, or Wielder Origins, or with the Technology, Science, or Engineering Skills trained, or with access to the Gear SFX. This is considered to be a 1 point Hindrance per Stunt

A Stunt that is intrinsically Device based can be made Innate as a 1 point Facilitator per Stunt.

If a Stunt appears to be granted by a device, but the putative device cannot actually be taken away or destroyed, then the Stunt is not truly Device based and it's merely a visual quirk of the Stunt. For instance if a character has a "magical mace" that appears to be the source of some or all of their powers, but the mace cannot actually be taken away or damaged, then its just a gimmick or cosmetic decision.

Arcane

Some abilities are the product of magical arts. Arcane abilities are undependable, but also sometimes work better than intended.

All Arcane Stunts add the following two option lines:

• !: +1 Stunt Rating; this option can be used many times
• ?: -1 Stunt Rating; this option can be used many times

If the Stunt Rating of an Arcane Stunt is reduced to 0 or less on a given check the Stunt fails to work at all that Turn and the Action is wasted; any costs are still paid and recharge tokens are still placed.

All of the non-Passive Stunts in the Magic SFX have the Arcane justification. Other Stunts can be designated as being Arcane when they are taken by a character with the Mystic Origin or the Arts Arcane Skill trained or access to the Magic SFX. This is assumed to balance and does not count as either a Hindrance or a Facilitator.

Psychic

Some abilities are the product of unusual psionic or mental powers. Psychic Stunts have the potential to causes mental feedback for good or ill.

All Psychic Stunts add the following two options:

• +: target suffers 1 stress
• -: character suffers 1 stress

All of the non-Passive Stunts in the Mind SFX have the Psychic justification. Other Stunts can be designated as being Psychic when they are taken by a character with access to the Mind SFX. This is assumed to balance and does not count as either a Hindrance or a Facilitator.

Karmic

Some abilities are driven by the character's karmic balance.

Karmic Stunts cannot be used while a character has less than 1 current fortune point.

All Karmic Stunts gain the following option lines:

• !: regain 1 fortune
• 1 fortune: add 1 success to your check result; you may use this ability more than once.
• ?: lose 1 fortune; if you have no fortune to lose suffer 1 Grit and 3 stress instead.

For the Savant Archetype, all of the non-Device, non-Passive Stunts chosen from the two offered SFX have the Karmic justification. Other Stunts can be designated as being Karmic when they are taken by a character with at least one Savant Tier, or the Cosmic or Natural Origins. This is assumed to balance and does not count as either a Hindrance or a Facilitator.

Temporary

Some abilities are not a permanent part of a character's Action Deck; they are usable for a limited time only. This Trait is typically applied by the GM to Stunts that are made available to a character but for a limited time or with a limited number of uses, as a story reward or element.

For instance, if a character is lent a special gizmo by a government agent to fight a dastardly super villain with there might by one or more Stunt cards associated with the gizmo and the usage of the gizmo is for a limited time only...or maybe it has a handful of shots before it is expended.