Wise Turtle Publishing

When I'm quickly making NPCs on the fly, or helping players to narrow down which Abilities and Weaknesses might be most relevant to their character concept, or simply picking Abilities and Weaknesses for my own character, I've found that sometimes it's easier and faster to choose the Abilities and Weaknesses when they have been narrowed down and grouped into a few categories based on theme. Below are the groupings that I personally use:

Physical/Combat Abilities

• Agile
• Armored
• Art of Invisibility
• Attack
• Combat Expert
• Dexterous
• Evasive
• Flight
• Heightened Sense
• Invisibility
• Knowledge
• Life Support
• Passion
• Perceptive
• Quick
• Resistance
• Shape-Shifter
• Strong
• Tough
• Transformation
• Unique Ability
• Vigorous

Mental Abilities

• Healer
• Intuitive
• Inventor
• Iron-Willed
• Knowledge
• Passion
• Perceptive
• Pilot
• Sixth Sense
• Smart
• Unique Ability

Social Abilities

• Beautiful
• Charismatic
• Connected
• Cute!
• Famous
• Intimidating
• Knowledge
• Passion
• Performer
• Position of Power
• Unique Ability
• Wealthy

Magical/Psionic/Chi or Ki/Supernatural/Technological Abilities

• Attack
• Barrier
• Dimensional Pocket
• Flight
• Healer
• Illusionist
• Incorporeal Form
• Invisibility
• Life Support
• Lucky
• Magic, Arcane
• Magic, Witchcraft
• Passion
• Psychic
• Resistance
• Shape-Shifter
• Sixth Sense
• Spirit Medium
• Telekinesis
• Teleport
• Time Freeze
• Transformation
• Unique Ability

NPCs and Equipment Abilities

• Companion
• Dimensional Pocket
• Endurance Reserve
• Gear
• Inventor
• Minions
• Unique Ability
• Vehicle (Mecha)
• Walking Arsenel
• Wealthy

Physical/Combat Weaknesses

• Awkward Size
• Clumsy
• Endurance Use
• Frail
• Impaired Sense
• Ineptitude
• Languid
• Mute
• Nosebleeder
• Oblivious
• Slow
• Unique Weakness
• Vulnerability
• Weak

Mental Weaknesses

• Absent-Minded
• Airhead
• Amnesia
• Compulsion
• Coward
• Crybaby
• Dense
• Dependency
• Easily Distracted
• Emotionless
• Fear
• Fussy
• Greedy
• Hatred
• Impulsive
• Ineptitude
• Jittery
• Kind-Hearted
• Lecherous
• Loner
• Mute
• Naïve
• Nosebleeder
• Oblivious
• Obsession
• Overconfident
• Pacifist
• Room for Two
• Sensitivity
• Short-Tempered
• Shy
• Soft Spot
• Split Personality
• Stubborn
• Unique Weakness
• Weak-Willed

Social Weaknesses

• Ageism
• Arrogant
• Bizarre Appearance
• Code of Conduct
• Dull
• Emotionless
• Fussy
• Ineptitude
• Infamous
• Kind-Hearted
• Lecherous
• Loner
• Outcast
• Poor
• Quirk
• Restricted Freedom
• Room for Two
• Rude
• Secret
• Sensitivity
• Servitude
• Short-Tempered
• Shy
• Split Personality
• Stubborn
• Unique Weakness
• Wanted

Magical/Psionic/Chi or Ki/Supernatural/Technological Weaknesses

• Accidental Transformation
• Amnesia
• Endurance Use
• Focus
• Limited Uses
• Room for Two
• Split Personality
• Suppressed Power
• Trigger
• Unique Weakness
• Unlucky
• Vulnerability

NPCs and Equipment Weaknesses

• Focus
• Guardian
• Hatred
• Love Interest
• Love Magnet
• Rival
• Room for Two
• Unique Weakness
• Wanted

Neat, Reddest Mage! Grouping Abilities by type was something briefly tossed around for the revised OVA, but I ultimately decided against it. But as an optional resource I think it could be very useful!

In fact, I wonder if you could use this idea as part of a random creation system (as Aaron proffers here) to create a more structured randomness, one that’s more likely to create balanced/useful characters.