Zero-Point Powers

This page describes zero-point powers as they are used in House of Cards.

Each character in House of Cards has a unique minor ability, power, or signature item as a freebie. This is the "zero-point power", because it costs no points in character creation.

The zero-point power can be any one-point Everway power, which means it can be frequent, major, or variable. You cannot combine a zero-point power with an existing power to get a two-point power for one point.

The purpose of the zero-point power is to give each character a unique power or ability. The zero-point power rounds out the character and should not have a major effect on play.

Examples of zero-point powers include:

• Speaking with birds.
• Ability to find perfect lighting (for a Trump Artist).
• Panache.

The utility of zero-point powers varies a lot. You can choose something extremely useful or something that will round out your character. You cannot change your character's zero-point power after entering play.