Modes and Means are character creation options designed to be fiction agnostic and usable across any setting or genre.
Modes offer a Critical Benefit and represent a core attitude or outlook that serves as an anchor to the character's personality. They define how a character fundamentally approaches the world and their place in it.
Means are sets of features that represent how the character has adapted during their life and how they prefer to solve problems. They reflect learned behaviors, skills, and methodologies the character has developed over time.