Wildborn

Usage: Always ON. Effect: Natural scales reduce superficial injury from scrapes, thorns, rough terrain, and minor environmental exposure. Limitations: Provides no protection against weapons, fire, forged iron, magic, or other serious attacks.

Assume unlocked forms of any real-world animal species consistent with Wild Shape. Each Ability Rank unlocks one additional form: Rank 1 allows smaller or common animals such as foxes, ravens, snowshoe hares, and river otters; Rank 2 permits additional or specialized forms; Rank 3 allows larger or more formidable animals such as brown bears, moose, wolverines, and bald eagles. Animal forms provide their natural physical capabilities but do not grant automatic bonuses or additional Ability modifiers.

Heightened sight, hearing, and smell aid tracking and awareness. Strong odors, loud sounds, and bright flashes can overwhelm these senses.

Move quietly and confidently through dense woods, brush, and rough natural terrain. This Ability does not provide additional movement speed or benefits in urban environments.

Ordinary animals instinctively respond more favorably to the Wildborn. This Ability helps build trust, calm frightened wildlife, and reduce aggression, but never grants control.

Blend into forests, brush, snow, or rocky terrain. Natural Camouflage provides little or no benefit in open spaces or urban environments.

Resting in thriving natural surroundings accelerates recovery from fatigue, exertion, and injury. This Ability functions only in appropriate natural environments and does not create hit points or a separate healing system.

See clearly in dim light and natural darkness, but not in complete darkness. Night Eyes reduces or removes the relevant visual hindrance; it does not also grant an Advantage for overcoming the same darkness.

Maintain balance on slippery, uneven, or unstable natural terrain, including ice, mud, loose rock, and riverbanks. This Ability does not apply to artificial surfaces.

Remain motionless and observant for extended periods while watching prey, monitoring danger, or preparing an ambush. Movement immediately ends the effect.

Usage: Always ON. Effect: Flexible, low-centered movement improves climbing, controlled descents, and travel through cramped or uneven natural terrain. Limitations: Does not grant wall-crawling, flight, supernatural speed, or freedom from physical restrictions.

A Wildborn whose Wild Form has wings may glide safely from elevated positions. Gliding does not grant sustained flight. This restriction applies only to a winged Wild Form; an unlocked animal form that naturally flies, such as a raven or bald eagle, may fly according to that animal's natural capabilities.

A revealed Totem strengthens the Wildborn's instincts, identity, and resilience through roleplay. Totem Bond does not grant permanent Attribute bonuses, direct statistical benefits, or control over animals.

Nearby wildlife may assist in simple, natural ways, such as scouting, tracking, distracting, or warning of danger. Animals act according to their instincts and cannot be forced into suicidal actions.

Demonstrate exceptional balance, reflexes, climbing ability, and physical control when navigating obstacles or difficult terrain. This Ability does not grant supernatural speed.

Nature briefly hardens the Wildborn's body against physical harm and natural hazards. The protection is temporary and does not create Armor Class, hit points, damage reduction, or a permanent defensive modifier.

Identify shelter, food, safe routes, weather patterns, and survival opportunities in harsh natural environments. This Ability does not apply to ordinary urban situations.

Focus completely on a single target, making tracks easier to follow and distractions easier to ignore. Only one target may be marked at a time, and its Ability Rank does not stack with other tracking Abilities.

Become exceptionally difficult to shove, displace, or knock down. Mobility is greatly reduced while the stance remains active, and normal movement ends the effect.

Resist fatigue caused by prolonged travel, climbing, swimming, hunting, or environmental exposure. This Ability does not prevent injury, heal wounds, or remove the need for eventual rest.

Usage: Once per scene. Effect: The character fully displays imposing scaled features, posture, sound, and predatory instinct to intimidate or drive back a nearby threat. Limitations: This is not mind control or supernatural fear. Targets may resist, and the character cannot dictate their actions.

Draw strength from the living world to inspire courage, protect nearby companions, and hold defensive positions. This Ability is strongest in natural surroundings and does not grant permanent bonuses or automatically add its Rank to allies' rolls.

Coordinate instinctively with willing allies through shared awareness, silent communication, and practiced cooperation. This Ability requires genuine teamwork and does not automatically grant bonuses to every nearby ally.

Sense disturbances, corruption, unnatural magic, or significant changes within the natural world. These impressions are intuitive rather than precise and do not reveal exact locations or complete explanations.

Embrace primal courage, awareness, and determination during moments of immediate danger, fear, or overwhelming opposition. While active, the Wildborn becomes more instinctive than rational.

Maintain an exceptional connection to natural environments, allowing the Wildborn to navigate unfamiliar wilderness, recognize environmental disturbances, anticipate changing conditions, and respond instinctively to the living world. Its benefits diminish in industrialized or urban environments. Natural Harmony does not replace specialized Abilities or combine its Rank with another Ability applied to the same roll.

Animals and some supernatural creatures instinctively recognize the Wildborn as a dominant presence. This Ability may help calm territorial wildlife, intimidate predators, or establish leadership, but never compels obedience.

Once a target has been successfully tracked, maintain pursuit more effectively and make the target harder to lose. Apex Hunter does not reveal an exact location or combine its Rank with other tracking Abilities.

Draw strength from the land to continue acting despite pain, injury, or extreme physical hardship. This Ability does not heal wounds, and exhaustion follows once its effects end.