Glossary

This page defines all the basic terms of Ironclaw in alphabetical order. Use this when a particular idea or term isn't clear.

Terms
Action - something done in a fight situation

Battle (refresh) - A Gift that can be renewed in combat with an action

Bonus - An extra die to roll, increasing the chance of success!

Career - your character's job

Chapter (refresh) - Refresh this gift at the start of every new Chapter.

Choice - Declare this for your Gift's benefit to apply. For example, when picking the Gift "Artist (of choice)", you have to tell the GM what kind of artist you are.

Dice - within the realm of skills, Species, Career, Marks, and Gifts give you extra dice to roll on any particular check

Diet - what a character prefers to eat (herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore)

Descriptor - key words that describe gifts and may apply special rules.

Equipment - what your character carries around

Exhaust - After using some gifts, they are exhausted and must be refreshed to use again.

Favor - When you get to re-roll a 1.

Favorite Use - If a Skill has at least one Mark, you can claim a Favorite Use with that Skill. That Favorite Use, from now on, allows you to claim Favor on related rolls.

Gift - a special advantage or talent that most others don't have. Every species has three gifts that give them special advantages over others.

Goal - a minor objective your character wants to accomplish

Habitat - characters get a species bonus when in their preferred habitat (forest, mountains, plains, or shore)

Includes - Skills that allow for bonus dice. For example, armadillos can include their Species die on a Digging check.

Influence (refresh) - Refresh this gift when your influence returns, as per the GM's discretion.

Keystone - gifts that are a requirement for many other gifts. Literacy is a keystone gift, particularly important for mages.

Limit - Caps on Skill dice. Typically happens when a character is overburdened or in a weird environment, like swimming or riding a lizardbeast.

Manifold - gifts that can be taken multiple times for different benefits

Mark - a measure of skill training

Motto - the slogan your character lives by

Multiple - gifts that can be taken multiple times for the SAME benefit -- compare Manifold

Name - what your character is called by others

Penalty - An extra die rolled against you, increasing your chances of failure. :(

Personality - a Gift that grants a bonus d12 to in-character behavior

Plot - gifts that are extra sensitive to the needs of the story

Reaction - something done to respond in a fight situation

Refresh - Un-exhausts a gift so you can use it again!

Requires - conditions that must be met before a Gift can be taken

Respite (refresh) - Refresh this gift after a good sleep and a nice meal.

Senses - Species bonuses to spot, listen, and/or smell

Skill - key abilities in the game, rated with Marks. They are trained abilities to do things.

Specialty - gifts that grant a bonus d12 for particular situations.

Species - your character's race

Traits - Body, Speed, Mind, and Will: the four key measures of ability. They're often combined with Skills.

Trappings - gifts that grant special equipment

Trigger - when this happens, a Gift's abilities come into play!

Weapons - Different species get natural weapons (like claws and teeth) they can use for fighting. Most characters with paws just have claws and teeth as natural weapons.

X - short for eXhaust