Mouth Difference

July 21, 2022
Limitless Heroics Cover: As our heroes fight the hydra, we see just some of the variety of symptoms represented in this book. The paladin has a prosthetic arm to assist with their amputation. The barbarian rages from their wheelchair, providing mobility for their paralyzed legs. The ranger, whose body is more accustomed to an aquatic environment just as someone in the real world may be more comfortable in a quieter or darker sensory environment, finds ways to compensate and keep fighting. The wizard’s vitiligo may not be thought of as a disability, nor should it be, yet many in the real world experience severe discrimination due to unusual skin pigment — how many celebrities, corporate executives, or politicians do you know with visibly irregular skin?

Your mouth does not have the shape of mouths typical of your ancestry. Choose or roll on the following table.

d100 Mouth Difference
1–15 Chin Shape Difference
16–27 Jaw Dislocation
28–37 Lip Absence
38–42 Minimal Opening
43–48 Mouth Location Difference
49–63 Misaligned Jaw
64–78 Oversized Mouth
79–100 Tooth Difference
  • Chin Shape Difference. Your chin is not a typical shape for the range expected for your ancestry. Choose or roll on the following table. All of these give a −(IE) penalty on disguise attempts.
    d20 Chin Shape
    1–4 Bulbous
    5–6 Curled
    7–8 Forked
    9–13 Missing
    14–18 Oversized
    19–20 Pointed
    • Bulbous. Your chin is spherical, (IE) × 2 inches in diameter.
    • Curled. Your chin sticks out and curls 2 inches per IE. (Player and GM decide on direction and shape.) It’s nearly impossible to shave, so if you have facial hair, it won’t likely be shaved off your chin. This gives you +(IE) to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but −(IE) to Charisma (Persuasion) checks with people who don’t know you due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances.
    • Forked. Your chin forks into (IE) + 1 branches. This gives you advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who don’t know you due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances.
    • Missing. You have no chin — just under your lower teeth, your jaw curves sharply into your neck, This difference has no IE. This gives you advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who don’t know you due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances.
    • Oversized. Your lower jaw around your chin area is oversized, sticking out (IE) inches farther than normal. This gives you +(IE) to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but −(IE) to Charisma (Persuasion) checks with people who don’t know you due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances.
    • Pointed. You have a straight horn on the end of your chin. This allows you to make an unarmed attack and cause (IE) piercing damage. With those who don’t know you, you have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks but advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks due to suspicion of fiendish origin.
  • Jaw Dislocation: You can dislocate your jaw when eating and have a flexible esophagus and neck, allowing you to swallow large objects whole. When eating around others, you need to succeed on a DC 8 Strength saving throw to keep the dislocation from happening unintentionally, which is disconcerting for those who see it. This difference has no IE. If you fail this check, you have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who don’t know you and who saw it due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances or performing unexpected behaviors.
  • Lip Absence: You have no skin covering your teeth and gums. This difference has no IE. This gives you advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who don’t know you due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances. You must also find a way to manage drooling, and you may choose Moisture Imbalance as an additional trait. Because you lack lips, you must modify spells with verbal components to work within your verbal range, so you cannot use spell scrolls, and when learning a new spell with a verbal component, it takes twice as long to copy it into your spellbook as usual. You also have disadvantage in disguise attempts.
  • Minimal Opening. Your mouth opening is small, less than an inch diameter, requiring you to cut your food small, requiring twice as long to eat a meal, and making it difficult to speak loudly. Drinking a potion takes 2 rounds. This difference has no IE. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who don’t know you due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances. It also gives disadvantage on disguise attempts.
  • Mouth Location Difference. Your mouth is not in the usual place on your face as would be expected for your ancestry, either location (80 percent) or angle (20 percent). For location, roll 1d12 and use it as a clock face to determine the direction of the mouth from its typical location, (IE) inches distant. If the difference is angle, the resulting angle is (IE) × 20 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise (player and GM decide). This gives you +(IE) to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but −(IE) to Charisma (Persuasion) checks with people who don’t know you due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances. It also gives a −(IE) penalty on disguise attempts.
  • Misaligned Jaw. You have a “faulty jaw,” overbite, or underbite such that your upper and lower jaw don’t match up. This causes difficulty eating, drinking, speaking, and breathing. This gives you a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who don’t know you, and every time you cast a spell with a verbal component, you have to succeed on a DC 5 + (IE) check using your spellcasting ability. On a failed check, the spell fails, but the spell slot is not used. You also have to succeed on a DC 5 + (IE) check every time you eat or drink to avoid some of it falling out of your mouth, which can give you a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks.
  • Oversized Mouth. Your mouth extends (IE) inches farther in each direction than usually expected for your ancestry. This causes difficulty eating and drinking. This gives you a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks with those who don’t know you. You also have to succeed on a DC 5 + (IE) check every time you eat or drink to avoid some of it falling out of your mouth, which can give you a −(IE) penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks.
Real-world Examples

Malocclusion, Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, Facial Asymmetry, Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Assistive Options

A bandana, scarf, or other loose mask can typically cover the mouth but will look suspicious depending on climate and culture. Strategic facial hair can, in some cases, make differences slightly less obvious.



Tinnitus

July 21, 2022

You have a persistent sound (ringing, buzzing, roaring, clicking, hissing) in your ears that makes it difficult to understand talking, especially in the presence of background noise. This sound is audible even in magical silence. This gives a −(IE) on all hearing-related Wisdom (Perception) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks when background noise is present.

Real-world Examples

Tinnitus, Ménière’s Disease, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, Temporomandibular Joint Disorders, Acoustic Neuroma

Assistive Options

While certain factors cause tinnitus to get worse, such as fatigue, alcohol, and reducing stress, reducing them doesn’t have enough effect to change game mechanics.