Tome of Flaws: Descriptions of Addictions, Flaws and Phobias A (3.5e Sourcebook)
Achievemephobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Rolling a natural 20.
Effect: When the character rolls a natural 20, they must make a Will Save with a DC of 10+their level. If they are not successful, treat the result as a failure.
Achondroplasiaphobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Dwarves
Effect: When encountering dwarves and other similar folk of similaur size (not Halflings), the character must make a Will Save equal to 10+ their level.
Each round the character is in the presence of their Phobia they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each round.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer in the presence of their Phobia can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Addiction (Flaw)
Description: You are physically dependent on some kind of addictive substance.
Effect: You are addicted to a substance or which, if not indulged in regularly, prevents you from functioning properly on a day-to-day basis. Consult the addiction table to determine what the specific substance is. As your level increases, so does your dependency on the substance and the amount you need to consume. You need to consume 5 gp x Character Level (or a predetermined amount determined by your DM) worth of the substance daily. If you do not get your daily fix, you are Shaken. After two days without your fix, you are both Shaken and fatigued.
Acrophobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Heights of 15' or greater
Effect: You climb at half normal climb speed.
Each turn that the character is more than 15 feet above the ground they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each turn.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no 15 ft. or more from a flat surface can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Agony (Substance Addiction)
Description: This thick, reddish liquid is the distilled from the blood of a Succubus.
Initial Effect: User is stunned for 1d4+1 rounds and can take only partial actions for 1d6 minutes after that.
Secondary Effect: 1d4+1 enhancement bonus to Charisma for 1d10+50 minutes.
Side Effects: Feelings of intense pleasure that last for 1d4 hours.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 24-hour period, the user immediately falls unconscious for 1d4 Rounds (Fort DC 18 negates).
Delivery: Drank.
Addiction Rating: Low
Price: 25 Gold per dose.
Resistance DC: 18
Alchemy DC: 22
Aichmophobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Sharp weapon(s).
Effect: When encountering sharp weapons the character must make a Will Save equal to 10 or suffer the following effects.
Each round the character is in the presence of sharp weapons they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each round.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer in the presence of sharp weapons can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Ailurophobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Cats or cat-like animals or magical beasts such as tigers or displacer beasts.
Effect: When encountering cats, cat-like animals or magical beasts the character must make a Will Save equal to 10+ the cats HD or suffer the following effects.
Each round the character is in the presence of different Cats or cat-like animals they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each round.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer in the presence of a Cats or cat-like animals can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Airhead (Flaw)
Description: No matter your level of Intelligence you are always a bit of a airhead. You are always distracted by trivial matters and you tend not to think too much.
Effect: You roll twice whenever you make an Intelligence or Wisdom-based ability or skill check. You must take the lower of the two results.
Additionally you take a -4 penalty on Will Save made to avoid being fascinated.
A fascinated creature is entranced by a supernatural or spell effect. The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature’s ally may shake it free of the spell as a standard action.
Alchluophobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Darkness
Effect: When in shadowy illumination or darkness, all spells with the shadow descriptor interact with you as if they were more real. You have a -4 to all rolls based on shadow spells, skills interacting with shadows and shadow based beings.
When a character is interacting with their Phobia they must roll a Will Saved with a DC of 10+their level.
Each round the character is in the presence of Phobia (animals, spells, natural effects and the like) they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each round.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer in the presence of their Phobia can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Alcoholic (FLAW)
Description: You need to drink to get through the day.
Effect: The character must drink during the time they are awake. Each hour they do not have a drink, they must make a Will Save with a DC rating of 10+ their level check to not become Fatigued. Each hour the difficulty rating is increased by 2, until they have a drink.
If the character continues to deny themselves a drink and fails their Will Save, they then become Exhausted.
To remove the Exhausted or Fatigued state, the character must have two drinks per failed Will Save.
Aligned Devotion (FLAW)
Prerequisite: Ability to spontaneously cast cure spells.
Description: Your healing powers are only as effective for those whose alignment closely matches yours.
Effect: Healing spells have reduced effect on those who don’t share your alignment. Those that match your alignment exactly receive full benefit, those that are one step away are cured half the normal and all others gain no benefit from your healing at all. Your cure spell still does full damage to undead.
Almost Dead (Flaw)
Description: You keep dying. Seriously, why are you so sickly? Stop dying.
Effect: At the start of each day, you are affected by a random disease. You can have the ability damage cured, but it will come back after 1 hour. At the start of the next day, the damage from the disease is removed, and a new disease is applied.
Roll a D10 to determine the disease you’re affected by:
1: Blinding Sickness: 1d4 Str damage.
2: Cackle Fever: 1d6 Wis damage.
3: Demon Fever: 1d6 Con damage.
4: Devil Chills: 1d4 Str damage.
5: Filth Fever: 1d3 Dex & 1d3 Con damage.
6: Mindfire: 1d4 Int damage.
7: Mummy Rot: 1d6 Con damage.
8: Red Ache: 1d6 Str damage.
9: The Shakes: 1d8 Dex damage.
10: Slimy Doom: 1d4 Con damage.
Amnesia (Flaw)
Prerequisite: An Intelligence score.
Description: Who am I…
Effect: You start the game reduced down to 1 hit point, a critical head wound, no equipment, a permanent -1 to your Int and broke.
Due to the critical head wound, you are unaware of who you are, your name, family, friends and what you were doing.
Special: If you get your memory back, you lose the bonus Feat or Talent you gained.
Amputee (Flaw)
Prerequisite: Your race must have a functional version of the selected limb.
Description: You are missing a limb.
Effect: The character takes a -2 on all charisma-based skill checks as most individuals are uncomfortable with or disgusted by the appearance of the deformity. Additionally, you also suffer the following penalties depending on the type of missing limb:
Arm: The character cannot use ranged weapons that require two hands or two-handed weapons. All checks and activities that rely on using two hands (such as use rope, handle animal or similar) take a -6.
Leg: The character cannot gain the benefits of special boots or leggings. All checks and activities that rely on using two legs (such as balance, climb) take a -6.
Roll a D6 to determine what limb was lost:
1: Left leg at hip.
2: Left leg at the knee.
3: Left arm.
4: Right arm.
5: Right leg at the knee.
6: Right leg at hip.
Anchored Object (Flaw)
Description: Your life force is tied to an object. If you get out of range of it, you suffer.
Effect: Select a non-consumable item. The item becomes masterwork if it wasn't already, and your life force is tied to the item. If the item ever leaves more than 10 ft. from your position, you take 2 negative levels (ignoring immunities). If it is further than 100 ft., you take 4 negative levels. If 1000 ft., you take 8 negative levels (and so on and so forth and so on). These negative levels can never kill you, and never go beyond your HD. Even if the object is brought in range, the spell slots and hp loss remain lost until healed naturally. You always know the direction to your anchored object. If it is not on the same plane you take half your HD in negative levels, and you know which plane it is on.
The item can be enhanced as normal, if it held it can be any weapon you are proficient with and if it occupy the body slot it can be any armor you are proficient with.
Special: If the item is lost or destroyed a 1 hour ritual can be performed once per day at the cost of your class level squared x 10 in gold pieces, doing so restore the item. This qualified as Power Focus for the purpose of pre-requisites.
Androphobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Male humanoids
Effect: When encountering a male humanoid, the character must make a Will Save equal to 10+ the male humanoids HD or suffer from their Phobia.
When a character is interacting with their Phobia they must roll a Will Saved with a DC of 10+the male humanoids HD.
Each round the character is in the presence of their Phobia (animals, spells, natural effects and the like) they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each round.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer in the presence of their Phobia can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Anger Issues (Flaw)
Description: U mad? Yeah, u mad bro.
Effect: You are easy to anger, and find it difficult to let go. Whenever you enter combat, or whenever you fail a skill or ability check in a stressful situation, you grow irate and take the penalties (but none of the benefits) of being in a barbarian rage (thus −2 AC). Unlike rage you can still perform tasks which require concentration, but you must succeed on a DC 15 Concentration check to perform it and it comes with a -4 penalty to any ability checks, skill checks, or spell DCs involved.
The penalties stack with actual rage. On a natural 1 (including with skill checks) that results in failure, you get really irate and the penalty increases by another −2. This penalty stacks. Penalties last until the end of the encounter, or 1 minute.
In addition, your anger makes you generally gruff and unlikable. You take a —2 penalty on Bluff and Diplomacy, and nonhostile creatures start out one step less friendly to you (to a minimum of unfriendly). This is only the starting mood, and may change over time.
Special: Anger Issues helps in one situation, the Intimidation skill. You gain a +3 bonus to Intimidate checks.
Animal Attraction (Flaw)
Description: You attract animal attention, which can be good or ill. But it pretty much always annoying.
Effect: You are constantly bothered by animals squirrel sized and smaller. They constantly will attempt to get your attention or harass you for food. You may shoo them as a full-round action, granting you peace and suppress the effect of this flaw for 10 minutes. This flaw does not affect overland speed, instead after travelling through animal heavy area you become Fatigued at twice the normal rate from constant harassment.
Special: The effect of this flaw is not a [Fear]-effect, it derived from constant annoyance.
Animal Enemy (Flaw)
Description: Your character doesn't handle animals well.
Effect: Characters with this flaw suffer a -6 penalty to handle animal and ride skill checks. Additionally, they suffer a -2 competence penalty to AC when being attacked by wild animals and a -4 AC competence penalty to AC when being attacked by trained animals.
Animal Head (Flaw)
Prerequisite: Must be able to talk.
Description: You've got the head of an animal. And the vocal cords of one too. That's going to put a damper on speaking.
Effect: Perhaps because of a curse, your head is that of an animal and you can only make animal noises. You can understand, but cannot speak intelligibly. You may still make verbal components for spells and abilities. Speak with animals functions as if you were an animal of the appropriate type.
Your unusual head tends to draw attention. You take a −4 penalty on Disguise and Hide checks.
Roll on the Animal Head Chart to determine the type of head the character has.
| Roll | Animal |
| 01-02: | Alligator/Crocodile |
| 03-04: | Ape |
| 05-06: | Baboon |
| 07-08: | Badger |
| 09-10: | Bat |
| 11-12: | Bear |
| 13-14: | Bird |
| 15-16: | Bison |
| 17-18: | Boar |
| 19-20: | Camel |
| 21-22: | Cat |
| 23-24: | Cheetah |
| 25-26: | Cow |
| 27-28: | Coyote |
| 29-30: | Deer |
| 31-32: | Dog |
| 33-34: | Donkey |
| 35-36: | Eagle |
| 37-38: | Elephant |
| 39-40: | Fish |
| 41-42: | Fox |
| 43-44: | Hawk |
| 45-46: | Horse |
| 47-48: | Hyena |
| 49-50: | Leopard |
| 51-52: | Lion |
| 53-54: | Lizard |
| 55-56: | Mandrill |
| 57-58: | Mongoose |
| 59-60: | Monkey |
| 61-62: | Mouse/Rat |
| 63-64: | Mule/Pony |
| 65-66: | Opossum |
| 67-68: | Owl |
| 69-70: | Porpoise |
| 71-72: | Rabbit |
| 73-74: | Raven |
| 75-76: | Rhinoceros |
| 77-78: | Shark |
| 79-80: | Sheep |
| 81-82: | Snail |
| 83-84: | Snake |
| 85-86: | Squirrel |
| 87-88: | Tiger |
| 89-90: | Toad |
| 91-92: | Turtle |
| 93-94: | Warthog |
| 95-96: | Weasel |
| 97-98: | Wolf |
| 99-100: | Wolverine |
Animal Magnetism (Flaw)
Description: How does Snow White manage it? You don't even have to sing, and the critters still come running. OW! GET AWAY!!
Effect: Animals REALLY love you. Any creature with the animal type that comes within 60 feet of you will move adjacent to you and remain there, moving with you if you move. Affected animals stare at you, make noises to attract your attention, and try to nuzzle up against you until you manage to shoo them away. Shooing an animal away is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. A shooed animal retreats to a 30 foot distance and stares longingly at you, making pitiful noises for 1 minute before wandering off, dejected and heartbroken. Shooed animals are not attracted to you again for 24 hours. Needless to say, a character with this flaw takes a cumulative -1 circumstance penalty to all skill checks; attack rolls and saves (to a maximum of -10) for every animal adjacent to him, as the animals are extremely distracting.
Below is a chart for determining how many animals are attracted to the character, to be rolled once every 4 hours or once per scene by the DM. Depending on the current environment, DMs are free to adjust the results as they see fit. Animals should be environment appropriate (for the most part).
| D100 | Animals Attracted |
| 1-15 | 1d4 tiny animals or 1 small animal |
| 16-30 | 1d8 tiny animals or 1d4 small animals |
| 31-45 | 1d8 small animals |
| 46-60 | 1d4 small animals or 1 medium animal |
| 61-75 | 1d8 small animals or 1d4 medium animals |
| 75-85 | 1d8 medium animals or 1-2 large animals |
| 85-95 | 1d8 dire animals or 1d4 huge or larger animals |
| 96-99 | Any lower result, but the animals will attack any party members who get to close. |
| 00 | roll twice, combine results, ignore further rolls of 100 |
Antisocial (Flaw)
Description: You have some sort of social awkwardness or hostility which makes it hard to work with you. You can still function in a team, but less so than most.
Effect: You take a —6 penalty on Bluff and Diplomacy and may not place ranks in either skills and nonhostile creatures start out one step less friendly to you (to a minimum of unfriendly). This is only the starting mood, and may change over time. Additionally you may not take the Leadership or teamwork based feats.
Anxious (Flaw)
Description: You have learned to speak quietly or been shown that speaking louder will get you into trouble.
Effect: Characters with this flaw suffer a -2 penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
Aquaphobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Water 1 ft. deep or greater, of area 5 ft. x 5 ft. or greater.
Effect: The presence of large enough body of liquid (anything larger than a bathtub) is unnerving.
When a character is interacting with their Phobia they must roll a Will Saved with a DC of 10+their level.
Each round the character is in the presence of Phobia (animals, spells, natural effects and the like) they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each round.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer in the presence of their Phobia can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Arachnaphobic (phobia)
Trigger: Spiders are creepy little things, and you're deathly afraid of them.
Effect: When encountering a spider, scorpion, or any other arachnid, an arachnaphobic character must make a Will Save equal to 10+ the monster's HD or suffer the following effects. As this is a cause of duress for the character, they may not take 10 on this check. Arachnids like creatures cause an arachnaphobic character to suffer the same effects as a normal spider. Each round the character is in the presence of their Phobia (animals, spells, natural effects and the like) they must make a Will Save and it is increased by one each round.
If they fail their save, they suffer from the following effects:
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer in the presence of their Phobia can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
Arcane Conundrum (FLAW)
Prerequisite: Gnome, Charisma 10 or more.
Description: You are unable to use your inborn magical abilities.
Effect: You may never use any spell-like abilities under any circumstances. -2 on saving throws versus spells from the illusion school.
Arcane Performer (Flaw)
Prerequisite: Ability to cast arcane spells without preparation and Perform 1 rank.
Description: You rely on your performance abilities to cast spells.
Effect: Perform check (DC 10 + spell level) to cast any spell. If you fail, you lose the spell.
Asthmatic (Flaw)
Description: Afflicted with a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing.
Effect: Asthmatic characters cannot take the feat Endurance, nor any feat requiring Endurance as a prerequisite. You take -2 to Climb, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump and Swim.
Whenever an asthmatic character does strenuous activity for more than a number of hours equal to half your Constitution score, they become Shaken and take receive 1 Constitution ability damage for every 5 minutes they continue. If the character continues with the strenuous activities after 1d4 × 5 minutes, the character collapses and remains unconscious for 1d6 hours. After this, the character is fatigued until the character rests for at least 8 continuous hours, or the effect is otherwise dispelled.
Autophobia (Phobia)
Trigger: Being alone.
Effect: The character must make a DC10 check every hour. The difficulty of the check increases by +1 per level of the character for each hour that passes that they are alone.
The first time they fail their check they become Shaken.
The second time they fail their check, they become Frightened.
The third time they fail their check, they become Panicked.
A character that is no longer alone can make a DC check based off their last failed roll to remove the effects of the Phobia. They can only make this roll once every ten minutes.
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