The Gifts of the Ancestors

Kinden Ancestor Art
   Common Ancestor Art
   Ant Ancestor Art
   Bee Ancestor Art
   Beetle Ancestor Art
   Dragonfly Ancestor Art
   Fly Ancestor Art
   Grasshopper Ancestor Art
   Mantis Ancestor Art
   Mole Cricket Ancestor Art
   Moth Ancestor Art
   Roach Ancestor Art
   Soldier Beetle Ancestor Art
   Scorpion Ancestor Art
   Spider Ancestor Art
   Wasp Ancestor Art

Kinden Aptitude and Artifice

Kinden Magic

True People Stepping

True People Shamanism

Champions and Weaponsmasters

Kinden Ancestor Art

All kinden have an intrinsic spiritual relationship with their animal Ancestor. Some, like Beetles, try to distance themselves from a more primal interpretation, finding that a bit too close to the worship of gods. They cloak the Ancestor in notions of an ideal form, finding it more intellectually palatable. Nevertheless, all kinden can develop Ancestor Art. Meditation is the most common technique that opens kinden to the Art; pre-adolescent children start training to develop their Art. Some Art powers manifest during periods of intense stress or as the result of events of great personal importance.

Art powers corresponding to characteristics of the Ancestor's animal are common; more esoteric Art powers may be accessed by studying, meditation, or being exposed to Magic.

For the most part, it is always possible to invoke Ancestor Art that one possesses. However, the strength or power varies by individual.

Common Ancestor Art

All kinden have the potential for Climbing and Ancestor Speech. Climbing is universal. Some individuals have Ancestor Speech innately, but most must spend significant time in meditation to unlock this Art.

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Climbing	N/A	1 point/5 meters	N/A	Climb sheer surfaces	100%
Ancestor Speech	Variable	Variable	N/A	Communicate with and control Ancestor kin	10%; can train through meditation

Ant Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Acid Hand	Touch	2 points/use	1d3	Corrosive acid produced from hands	70%
Enhanced Strength¹	N/A	4 points	N/A	Brawn rolls 1 Difficulty Grade easier	99%
Mindlink	Variable	N/A	N/A	Telepathy; generally only works with other members of the same city	99%
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	+2 punch	Bony protrusions on knuckles	99%

Stackable up to twice per roll.

Other Ant Ancestor Art Powers

Ants naturally have the Formation Fighting Combat Style Trait if they are fighting while Mindlinked with other Ants. See also the Ant Mindlinked Combat Style.

Bee Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Acid Hand	Touch	2 points/use	1d3	Corrosive acid produced from hands	70%
Flight	N/A	1 point/mile	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	99%
Mindlink	Variable	N/A	N/A	Telepathy; generally only works with other members of the same city	15%
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	1d4	Fist blades	99%
Sting	5 meters	5 points/use	1d4	Energy bolt from hands	99%

Flight

Bee flight starts at DEX x 4.

Beetle Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Enhanced Endurance²	N/A	4 points	N/A	Endurance rolls 1 Difficulty Grade easier	99%
Enhanced Willpower²	N/A	4 points	N/A	Willpower rolls 1 Difficulty Grade easier	99%
Flight	N/A	3 points/mile	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	15%; can train through meditation
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	+2 punch	Bony protrusions on knuckles	99%

Flight

Beetle flight starts at DEX x 2.

Stackable up to twice per roll.

Dragonfly Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Darksight	N/A	N/A	N/A	Sight in near darkness	99%
Enhanced Athletics³	N/A	4 points	N/A	Athletics rolls 1 Difficulty Grade easier	99%
Flight	N/A	1 point/mile	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	99%
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	1d4	Thumb blades	99%

Flight

Dragonfly flight starts at DEX x 4.

Stackable up to twice per roll.

Other Dragonfly Ancestor Art Powers

Dragonflies naturally have the Do or Die Combat Style Trait regardless of weapons used. If one or no weapons are held, a Dragonfly can use thumb blades as the second (or both) weapon.

Fly Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Danger Sense	10 meters	3 points/use	N/A	75% chance to sense imminent attack	99%
Flight	N/A	1 point/2 miles	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	99%
Quick Reactions	N/A	10 points/use	N/A	Extra Action Point	99%

Danger Sense

Flies have an uncanny way of knowing when they're about to be the target of something bad. The Danger Sense Art and the 3 ANC point associated cost may be initiated by a player or by the Games Master. If the character has less than 3 ANC, Danger Sense can't be initiated.

Flight

Fly flight starts at DEX x 5.

Quick Reactions

Flies can not only sense danger, Great Fly has given them the Art to react more quickly than others. This shows up in the form of granting extra Action Points in a combat round for 5 points of ANC each. A Fly can use this Art at the start of their Turn in any Cycle in a combat round, even if they would otherwise have no more Action Points.

Other Fly Ancestor Art Powers

Flies naturally have the Daredevil Combat Style Trait regardless of Combat Style being used, allowing them to Evade without ending up prone.

Grasshopper Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Darksight	N/A	N/A	N/A	Sight in near darkness	99%
Flight	N/A	3 points/mile	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	35%; can train through meditation
Jump	N/A	3 points/jump	N/A	Superhero style jumping	99%

Flight

Grasshoppers are clumsy fliers but a bit better than Beetles; base chance is DEX x 3.

Grasshopper Jump

Grasshoppers may jump vertically ANC meters, and horizontally roughly ANC * 5 meters. When jumping both vertically and horizontally, those limits are halved.

Jump allows Grasshoppers to fall a similar distance without injury.

Mantis Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Camouflage	N/A	4 points/minute	N/A	Chameleon-like blending in w/background	35%
Danger Sense	10 meters	4 points/use	N/A	75% chance to sense imminent attack	99%
Darksight	N/A	N/A	N/A	Sight in near darkness	99%
Flight	N/A	3 points/mile	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	50%
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	1d6	Forearm spikes	99%

Camouflage

Some Mantids have the ability to blend in with their backgrounds, causing those attempting to spot them to have a penalty of 2 Difficulty Grades.

Danger Sense

Mantids have an uncanny way of knowing when they're about to be the target of something bad. The Danger Sense Art and the 4 ANC point associated cost may be initiated by a player or by the Games Master. If the character has less than 4 ANC, Danger Sense can't be initiated.

Flight

Mantid flight starts at DEX x 3.

Other Mantis Ancestor Art Powers

Mantids naturally have the Daredevil Combat Style Trait regardless of Combat Style being used, allowing them to Evade without ending up prone.

Mole Cricket Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Earth Shaping	Touch	1 point/100 pounds shaped	N/A	Shaping, moving, digging, etc. with and through earth and rock	100%
Enhanced Brawn⁴	N/A	2 points	N/A	Brawn rolls 1 Difficulty Grade Easier	99%

⁴

Stackable up to twice per roll.

Moth Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Darksight	N/A	N/A	N/A	Sight in near darkness	99%
Enhanced Insight⁵	N/A	3 points	N/A	Insight rolls 1 Difficulty Grade Easier	99%
Flight	N/A	1 point/2 miles	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	99%

Flight

Moth flight starts at DEX x 4.

⁵

Stackable up to twice per roll.

Roach Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Camouflage	N/A	1 point/minute	N/A	Chameleon-like blending in w/background	99%
Danger Sense	10 meters	4 points/use	N/A	75% chance to sense imminent attack	99%
Decompose Wood	Touch	3 points/use	N/A	Destroy or decompose 1 pound or 1/2 yard of wood (1 inch thick)	99%
Darksight	N/A	N/A	N/A	Sight in near darkness	99%
Enhanced Insight⁶	N/A	3 points	N/A	Insight rolls 1 Difficulty Grade Easier	99%
Flight	N/A	3 points/mile	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	50%

Camouflage

Roaches have the ability to blend in with their backgrounds, causing those attempting to spot them to have a penalty of 2 Difficulty Grades.

Danger Sense

Roaches have an uncanny way of knowing when they're about to be the target of something bad. The Danger Sense Art and the 4 ANC point associated cost may be initiated by a player or by the Games Master. If the character has less than 4 ANC, Danger Sense can't be initiated.

Flight

Like Beetles, Roaches are clumsy fliers; base chance is DEX x 2.

⁶

Stackable up to twice per roll.

Soldier Beetle Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Acid Hand	Touch	2 points/use	1d3	Corrosive acid produced from hands	30%
Mindlink	Variable	N/A	N/A	Telepathy; generally only works with other members of the same city	5%
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	+2 punch	Bony protrusions on knuckles	95%

Scorpion Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	1d6	Claws	99%

Other Scorpion Ancestor Art Powers

Scorpions have received naturally tough skin from Great Scorpion. They have 1 point of natural armor in every location.

Spider Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Darksight	N/A	N/A	N/A	Sight in near darkness	99%
Enhanced Influence⁷	N/A	4 points	N/A	Influence rolls 1 Difficulty Grade Easier	99%
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	+2 punch	Knuckle spines	99%
Poison	Touch	5 points/Condition	See notes	Poison of potency ANC via touch on skin	99%
Web	Touch	4 points	N/A	See notes	99%

Spider Poison

Potency: Current ANC
Resistance: Current ANC vs. target's current ANC
Onset Time: Current ANC / 3 in minutes, round up
Duration: Current ANC in minutes
Conditions: Choose from the Mythras Disease and Poison Conditions table, except Bleeding, Death, or Maiming.
Note that if chosen, the Asphyxiation Condition is shortness of breath rather than total respiratory collapse.

Spider Web

The Spider Web Art allows Spiders to generate sticky clumps or strings of web from their palms. This may be used in a variety of ways, including stopping up locks or doors, bundling or tying things together (including hands or wrists), etc.

⁷

Stackable up to twice per roll.

Wasp Ancestor Art

Art	Range	ANC Cost	Damage	Description	Occurrence
Flight	N/A	1 point/mile	N/A	Art wings that allow flying	99%
Mindlink	Variable	N/A	N/A	Telepathy; generally only works with other members of the same city	5%
Natural Weaponry	Touch	N/A	+2 punch	Knuckle spines	30%
Sting	7 meters	4 points/use	1d6	Energy bolt from hands	99%

Flight

Wasps are facile fliers; base chance is DEX x 4.

Ancestor Art Points

WIP

Kinden Aptitude and Artifice

See Artifice.

Kinden Magic

See Magic.

True People Stepping

True People Shamanism

Champions and Weaponsmasters

The Champions of the True People and the Weaponsmasters of the kinden are both reflections of an individual's connection with their Ancestor. This connection is deep and meaningful with Champions and Weaponsmasters, and grants those so chosen special status and abilities.

The Mythras Cults & Brotherhood rules are used as a framework for Champions and Weaponsmasters.

Champions

Weaponsmasters

The Mythras game system, rules, etc. are copyright The Design Mechanism.

All of Adrian Tchaikovsky's literature, stories, etc. are copyright Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The Shadows and Echoes Mythras Setting