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Overview

Example Power Traditions

AX.C.08.04

The following folios are worked examples of how a Genre Catalog author builds a Tradition entry. They use the Fantasy Genre Catalog context, Arcane Magic, Faith Magic, and Syonics, because these are the three tradition labels with the longest AxiomRPG history. They are not default content. They are examples: the format demonstrates how a Genre Catalog should specify a tradition, what information belongs in each field, and how split-category traditions are handled.

A Genre Catalog author may use these folios directly, adapt them, or build entirely new traditions using the same format. The format itself is the deliverable.

Tradition Folio Template

TRADITION: **[Name as it appears in the Genre Catalog]**

Category: *[Force / Resonance / Form, or both if split; 
see Split-Category note below]*

Focus Terminology: [What this tradition calls its Foci]

Default Attribute: [Wit / Body / Speed, may note alternates]

Access Grant: [Which Lineages and/or Professions in this 
Genre Catalog grant access]

Genre Context: [Which Genre Catalog this belongs to; why 
this tradition exists here]

[Description: 2–4 sentences establishing the tradition's 
fictional premise and practitioner identity]

Foci Folio Template

[Repeat the following block for each Focus:]

**[Focus Name]**

Domain: *[What this Focus does, the conceptual territory 
it covers]*

Representative Effects:

 - Easy (T1–2): [Example of a minor application]
 - Moderate (T3): [Example of a meaningful application]
 - High (T4): [Example of a significant application]
 - Epic (T5+): [Example of a major or scene-defining 
   application]

Recovery: [Short / Long / Full Rest, with note on what 
magnitude triggers each]

BACKLASH

[What happens on Critical Failure for this tradition, 
the characteristic consequence of power misused or 
overextended]

DESIGN NOTES

[Notes for the Genre Catalog author or GM adapting this 
tradition, what makes it distinctive, what to watch for, 
how it interacts with other systems]

On Threshold Examples: The representative effects listed under each Focus are illustrative, not exhaustive. They show the scale of what a Focus enables at each difficulty tier. Actual Challenges are set by the GM using standard Threshold logic (AX.C.06). The examples below are a design guide, not a locked ability list.

Power Tradition Authoring

Use the following checklist when creating a new Tradition for a Genre Catalog:

  • Category assigned (Force / Resonance / Form / split, and if split, explicitly labeled)
  • Focus Terminology named and consistent with the setting's cultural register
  • Default Attribute specified; alternates noted if applicable
  • Access Grant: which Lineages/Professions in the catalog grant access
  • Genre Context: clear statement of why this tradition exists in this setting
  • Each Focus has a Domain statement and representative effects at all four Threshold tiers
  • Recovery notes present for each Focus (Short / Long / Full Rest and when each applies)
  • Backlash section addresses Critical Failure character and fits the tradition's category
  • Design Notes address at least: Attribute flexibility, common combinations, and any mechanical interactions with AxiomRPG core rules to watch for