Editing Numenera (section)

==Descriptors==
Are like a [[5e]] background, and, in fact, very likely where that mechanic originated.

Your descriptor essentially explains your character's origin story, what race they might be, or which region they grew up in. They are a bundle of skills, benefits, extra items, points, etc. Things that give your character flavor. Some of the more powerful ones also have negative stat penalties to your character pools or impose "inabilities, " making certain tests one step ''harder'' for you.

Notably, a few of the more-alien aliens, or "visitants," since they've technically been around for generations too, have harsher penalties to offset stronger abilities. Verjellen, for instance, can literally rework their bodies and adjust their stat pools, but they have fewer points to spend, while a lattimor is a symbiotic collection of a brutish bursk and a clever neem who can switch personalities to gain different abilities and penalties depending on who is in control of the body or if they're cooperating.

However, a number of non-human descriptors that are less harsh also exist, such as the plant-like purpose-seeking golthiar and the water-crafting fish-like rayskel. There are also playing a mutant, which involves [[Gamma World| rolling on a series of tables and seeing what you get]].