Ok, I've not read the setting chapter in complete depth, I'll admit. I've read a lot of the history and that sort of thing, but in my exploration, I've not noticed/found an answer to this. So, maybe I've got stuff way wrong.

Mechanically, all PCs are capable of, if not immediately then eventually, performing supernatural feats. They can all learn to be Wuxia and punch holes in mountains, etc, etc. According to the new Ki book, if their attack skill gets too high, they will start moving so fast that mundanes cannot even follow their actions visually.

So...wtf are PCs, exactly? Is this trait (the ability to develop Ki abilities) something that everyone possesses, or is it only a special few? If it is only a special few, then what makes them special?

Furthermore, the Church hunts people who are obviously supernatural or wield supernatural powers. Mages, psychics and even Martial artists (I think?) have to keep their heads down and not behave too obviously. So... since the book implies they need to be trained, how do they get that training? I kind of imagine the PCs as a bit like Jedi's being hunted by the Empire, and yet I'm also getting the feeling with the copious amount of powers available to pcs, that they don't really have that hard of a time finding mentors (or else it really sucks to play characters with supernatural abilities since they can't spend their DP upon leveling).

Do I have the world wrong? Can anyone with the right amount of training perform these amazing abilities or are the PCs 'special'?

First the PC's are special, but not unique. Chapert 24, page 276 under "Gnosis in Player Characters" - to explain why characters are able to learn things better than most, always seem to find teachers, and for that matter things that have a million to one chance of happening any ordinary day in any ordinary town happen almost daily with PC's. In game terms this can be explained with them having high Gnosis for humans.

Beings with high Gnosis effect their world by just being there (if you have ever read The Wheel of Time a perfect example is "ta'veren", the higher the Gnosis the stronger ta'veren),most humans have 0 - one in a million chances are one in a million. Some get up to 5 if they are extremely exceptional, like professional athletes, and one in a million chances increase to one in a hundred thousand. Then there are people like the PC's, people who will be rememberd for centuries after they die (if they live long enough) who have aproximatly 10, a one in a million chance is closer to one in ten for them. Now remember, they are special, not unique, Lucanor and Elisabetta (along with many others, I just can't think of them) probably have 20+, and while PC's may get that high they do not start that high. So things like having The Gift (a chance of 1/10000) is fairly common amoung PC's

I believe Ki is the only supernatural ability that anyone can train. All they have to do is train their bodies and they will have access to Ki, but that does not mean they will know they have access to it or how to use it. Ki is a natural force of life that can be focused-as long as you know it's there. Finding a Ki master is the easiest of the different disciplines. Psychics and Mages have it harder, but as PC's they have higher Gnosis and probably are able to find a teacher before the game starts, if they can keep learning with them in campaign is up to the GM. In short anyone can train Ki, anyone with The Gift can train magic, and anyone can train psychic abilities (possibly with the need of an advantage but that has never been proven form me) but they normally don't.

I also think supernatural abilities are a little more common than you think. There are secret organizations, like the Magus Order is always looking at the universities for people who display The Gift, all over looking for new members, The Inquisition has it's own supernatural subgroup, and Tol Rauko has many of the finest supernatural items it only makes sense they have Wizards, Mentalists, and...Ki users within their order. Samuel is a large organization made of supernatural beings to protect supernatural beings, and the empress has her own groups of supernaturals working for her. That isn't even mentioning all the evil groups, lone supernaturals, "saints", etc. that exist. and the new continent was just starting to be controlled by the church and other organizations (I think) so it's an untapped gold mine of supernatural people. For all these organizations to exist, and still have ransom supernaturals popping up, it seems unlikely the Inquisition is very good at the whole finding supernaturals thing, just the killing them once found. Also the campaign is supposed to start in a time the supernatural is returning and The Barriers are weakening, so they are becoming more common each year.

Also once begun it's a lot easier to train further. Teachers only grant a +1 (masters +2) on the table to learn abilities, as long as the characters start with abilities they should be able to continue training in what they know (Mages in the books they have some levels in, Ki(Nemesis) as long as you have Use of Ki(Nemesis), and psychics in the disciplines they have open) although they may need to find a teacher to start something new (mages a new book, psychics in a new discipline). Finding a teacher after the game starts should probably still be a quest unless they are in contact with their first one or are in a secret society that could help out, but it's not like it's an impossible task. If they are in contact with their old teacher and have time in game to train with them they should be able to gain abilities quicker, and you could make a 1CP advantage to give them a trainer who will continue helping them as the game progresses.

Every organization needs people with special powers, even the Inquisition, they knows that other organizations have their special agents and they are recruiting new talents without rest.

At level one, you are just only one of thousand candidates, even if you are a mage.

At level seven (hey, Elisabetta is a 7 level Paladin!) you are a hero, with many fans, and more enemies!

The supernatural is not well accepted in many regions, but there are many places where it's impossible ignoring the existence of supernatural (yes, Sam and Dean, I'm talking to you!) and other places where the use of psychic and magic is more tolerated.

Ok, cool, thank you for responding and helping me with that.

So, as far as Ki goes, any high level Ki master could, potentially, grab 100 people from a village and, over time, teach them Ki mastery and the ability to potentially punch a hole in a mountain because human beings have that potential in Gaia.

Of course, I suppose, one could argue that they'd be at least Gnosis 5 (coincidentilly) and possibly higher (the random folk he picked would just happen to be PC potential characters...well, the ones who succeed anyway).

So is Gnosis a force of 'Fate'? It refers to PCs as 'chosen' or 'cursed'. Is this by a specific force, or is this simply part of how the universe works (it occasionally spits out these people)?

All right, metaphysical law of the universe...I can deal with that.

Tywyll said:

Yep, the universe just pretty much spits them out. ^^
This has got to be one of the biggest reasons I love this system. It gives a actual reason as to why the PCs are so special.