These are the guidelines to selecting Hindrances within the sci-fi horror themes of Paragons.
The following Hindrances are prohibited either due to inconsistency with campaign themes or contradiction to setting rules.
"No one walks the Echelon System without carrying something in the dark corners of their mind. Maybe it’s a curse whispered in a forgotten language, a nightmare that follows you even when you’re awake, or the gnawing certainty that your fate is already sealed. Whatever it is, you don’t escape it—you survive in spite of it. For now."
Every character has a Reason to Fear—something that marks them, haunts them, shapes the way they see the world. The unknown in this universe isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a presence, pressing in at the edges of sanity. To reflect this, each character must take one Major Hindrance from the following list. This isn’t just a weakness—it’s a reminder that in a galaxy full of horrors, some things don’t let go.
Altered for Paragons from Horror Companion
See the sidebar.
From Fantasy and Horror Companions
Some debts can’t be repaid. Some wounds don’t heal. Somewhere, somehow, your character crossed a force beyond understanding—maybe it was a Void entity, a Mnemoscape construct that should never have noticed them, or something older, buried in the system’s forgotten history. Whatever it was, it marked them—and reality hasn’t treated them the same since.
Any beneficial arcane powers or effects meant to aid them—whether from allies, technology, or even their own abilities—suffer a −2 penalty to the arcane skill roll. Worse, if the roll Critically Fails, the caster is Stunned, as if something else reached through and interfered. This applies even if the Cursed character is simply caught in the radius of an area effect power or included as an Additional Recipient.
The curse does not interfere with hostile powers—if something wants to harm them, the universe seems content to let it happen.
From Fantasy and Horror Companions
Some people tempt fate. You already lost to it. Maybe you cheated death once, pulled back from the brink by tech, magic, or sheer luck. Maybe you were never supposed to be born, your existence a glitch in the universe’s design. Whatever the reason, something wants you gone—and it won’t stop until the debt is paid.
Your character suffers a −2 penalty to Soak rolls, as if the universe itself is leaning in, waiting for the moment to pull them under. The Void is watching. You don’t get second chances.
From Horror Companion
Sleep isn’t rest. It’s a battleground. Every night, your character plunges into fractured memories, impossible geometry, and whispering things that shouldn’t know their name. The Mnemoscape bleeds into their subconscious, warping dreams into relentless, crawling nightmares. There’s no escape—only the slow, grinding exhaustion of a mind that never stops running.
They suffer a −1 penalty to all Spirit rolls, their will eroding under the weight of exhaustion and fear. Anyone sleeping nearby shares in the misery—shadows shifting in the corners, half-heard voices from their restless thrashing, an overwhelming sense that something else is listening.
Fear is supposed to make sense. This doesn’t. It’s not about logic, not about survival—it’s an imprint, burned so deep into your character’s mind that even they don’t understand why. A sound, a color, a texture, the way the air shifts in a certain place—it hits like a knife to the spine, short-circuiting thought, turning instinct against them.
Whenever they’re in the presence of their irrational fear (GM’s discretion, but generally by sight), they suffer a −2 penalty to all Trait rolls, their mind unraveling against something that shouldn’t have power over them—but does.
Some people face the abyss and stand firm. Others flinch, hesitate, break. Your character’s nerves are frayed, stretched too thin against the violence, the horrors, the things that don’t belong in the waking world. The sight of blood, the threat of harm—it grips them tight, pressing into their chest like a vice.
They suffer a −2 penalty to Fear checks and when resisting Intimidation, their mind always one step closer to snapping.
The following is a summary of all recommended Hindrances, in addition to those listed in Reason to Fear. These were chosen because they best reflect the setting and tone of the campaign. Many Hindrances were omitted because the were too mundane, too comedic, or didn’t reinforce the themes of conspiracy, psychological horror, existential dread, and empowering identity. Those highlighted in Green carry the highest recommendation.
If a Hindrance you wish to take isn’t in this list (and isn’t Prohibited), speak to the GM about your idea.