Chapter 5: Talents

Talents represent special abilities that allow characters to bend or break the rules of standard skill use, gaining bonuses in specific situations, or performing actions that would otherwise be impossible.

Talent Prerequisites: To pick a talent from a higher tier, you must have at least 1 talent from each of that group’s lower tiers. Some talents may have additional prerequisites, as detailed in their descriptions. Talents with a Roman numeral in their name, such as ‘II’, cannot be picked unless you have a lower-tier talent of the same name.

·         Example: You want to pick the Danger Sense talent (Combat Instincts, Tier 2). To be eligible, you must first pick a talent from Combat Instincts, Tier 1, such as Alertness. Later, you want to select Evasion Mastery (Combat Instincts, Tier 3), but although you do have a Tier 2 talent from this group, you lack the prerequisite talent, Instinctive Defense.

·         Example: To pick Combat Reflexes III, you need Combat Reflexes II; to have Combat Reflexes II, you need Combat Reflexes I.

You must also ensure that you have an in-character reason for having a talent. For example, if you’re playing a scholar, why would you start with Combat Reflexes? Maybe because you were called up and served a couple of years.

Group 1 Combat Instincts

Specializes in detecting threats, reacting quickly to danger, and gaining the upper hand in combat through superior awareness and reflexes.

Tier 1

Alertness

You have heightened awareness and are rarely surprised.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Perception checks (usually the Vigilance skill) to avoid Surprise. Has no effect on other types of Perception checks, including checks made during combat.

·         Notes: This talent applies regardless of whether you are actively on the lookout for danger or merely using passive Perception. The difficulty of the Perception check will depend on the type of action you use, so going passive might cause you to fail.

Combat Reflexes I

Your reflexes, honed through battlefield experience, give you an edge in combat.

·         Effect: When rolling for Initiative, roll an additional d6, then remove the lowest die from the result.

Instinctive Reaction

You can act without thinking when caught off guard.

·         Effect: Gain a bonus Reaction during the first round of combat. You may use this Reaction even if you are Surprised. If you are not Surprised, you’ll have 2 Reactions during the first round of combat.

Tier 2

Combat Reflexes II

Your reflexes, honed through battlefield experience, give you an edge in combat.

·         Effect: When rolling for Initiative, roll an additional d6.

Danger Sense

You have developed an instinctual ability to sense danger.

·         Effect: At the start of the first round of combat, after rolling initiative, you may spend 1 Reaction and 3 Stamina to take 1 Minor action. You may do this whether you are Surprised or not. If multiple combatants have this ability, resolve their actions in initiative order.

·         Example: You could use this to draw a weapon using Fast Hands. Then, if you had a second Reaction (through Instinctive Reaction, for example), you could do a Snapshot against an oncoming enemy.

Instinctive Defense

You instinctively move to avoid incoming attacks.

·         Effect: When you use Reactive Defense, you may spend 5 Stamina to gain Advantage on Dodge or Parry defense vs. one attack. You must decide to use this talent before the attacker makes the roll.

·         Notes: This talent obviously does not work well with spending Edge, as both give Advantage. You are essentially spending 5 Stamina instead of 1 Edge.

Quick Eyes

You constantly scan your surroundings, taking in minute details with little effort.

·         Effect: You can make Active Perception checks as Minor actions (instead of Major actions) without incurring an increase in TN. It does not apply to social perception (Insight).

Tier 3

Combat Reflexes III

Your reflexes, honed through battlefield experience, give you an edge in combat.

·         Effect: When rolling for Initiative, roll an additional d6.

·         Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes II

Evasion Mastery

You have mastered the art of evading attacks, allowing you to avoid danger more effectively.

·         Effect: Reduce the Stamina cost of Instinctive Defense to 3.

·         Prerequisite: Instinctive Defense

Killer Instincts

You can react swiftly and capitalize on surprise, dealing more damage to unsuspecting foes.

·         Effect: You have Advantage on attacks against Surprised opponents, and your attacks against surprised foes deal +1d6 damage.

Tactical Move

You have trained to strike back swiftly when attacked unexpectedly.

·         Effect: When using Danger Sense, you can take 1 Move action instead of 1 Minor action.

·         Prerequisite: Danger Sense

·         Example: At the start of combat, you could use this to move into cover before anything else happens, even if you are surprised.

Tier 4

Combat Reflexes IV

Your reflexes, honed through battlefield experience, give you an edge in combat.

·         Effect: When rolling for Initiative, roll an additional d6.

·         Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes III

Ever Ready

Your instincts are so honed that you cannot be surprised.

·         Effect: You cannot be surprised.

·         Example: Even if shot by an unseen sniper, you’d still get to apply your full Dodge score and act normally during the surprise round. You would not, however, automatically act before the sniper, as that is the action that triggers combat.

Lightning Reflexes

Your reflexes are so quick you can react to changes around you with hardly a thought.

·         Effect: Gain 1 additional Reaction each round.

·         Example: If combined with Instinctive Action, you’d have 3 Reactions during the first round of combat.

Reactionary Attack

You are trained to strike back swiftly when attacked unexpectedly.

·         Effect: When using Danger Sense, if you spend 5 Stamina (instead of 3), you can take 1 Major action instead of Move or Minor. This effectively lets you attack even if you’re surprised (if you aren’t, you can still do this attack and then attack again during your normal first turn).

·         Prerequisite: Tactical Move

Tier 5

Combat Reflexes V

Your reflexes, honed through battlefield experience, give you an edge in combat.

·         Effect: When rolling for Initiative, roll an additional d6.

·         Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes IV

Temporal Awareness

Your heightened perception of time allows you to act multiple times in quick succession.

·         Effect: Spend 5 Stamina to temporarily increase your initiative by 10 for one round.

·         Notes: This ability can be combined with other action-granting talents, such as Reactionary Attack or Flurry of Blows.

Ultimate Predator

Your reflexes and instincts have reached supernatural levels.

·         Effect: You always surprise your opponents unless they have Ever Ready or similar abilities.

Group 2 Tactical Insight

Talents in this group provide advantages through superior planning, positioning, and battlefield command.

Tier 1

Battlefield Awareness

You constantly monitor the battlefield, gaining insights into enemy tactics.

·         Effect: During combat, you gain Advantage on Active Perception checks. This talent has no effect outside of combat.

·         Notes: Alertness (Combat Instincts, Tier 1) helps you not get Surprised. This talent lets you stay on top of the situation during combat.

Combat Insight

Your combat experience lets you anticipate enemy actions.

·         Effect: The first attack against you each round has Disadvantage. This does not apply if you are surprised or unaware of the attacker.

·         Notes: Since you need to be aware of the attack, this talent works well with talents that help you avoid surprise and keep track of opponents.

Mobile Defense

You have embraced defense through mobility.

·         Effect: If you move at least 6m during your turn, you gain a +2 bonus to Dodge and Parry Defense until your next turn.

·         Notes: Don’t forget that cover is your friend during firefights. Think of this talent as something that’ll keep you alive of/when you have to move.

Tier 2

Cover Mastery

You have mastered the use of cover, gaining enhanced protection from enemy fire.

·         Effect: Half cover counts as Full cover for you (Full cover is still Full cover).

Focused Combatant

You can maintain focus even in chaotic situations.

·         Effect: When you make a Reaction that would normally incur Disadvantage, ignore that Disadvantage.

·         Example: If you make a Snapshot, you’d normally have Disadvantage, but with this talent, the Disadvantage is canceled.

Overwatch Expert

You can expertly cover a wide area of the battlefield.

·         Effect: When entering Overwatch, you cover a wider area than you otherwise would. For example, instead of covering a single doorway or a couple of windows, you might be able to cover a larger section of a building. You obviously still can’t shoot at targets you can’t see.

Tier 3

Elusive Target

You have mastered the art of avoiding incoming attacks through precise positioning.

·         Effect: If you spent a Move action to move at least 6 meters this round, any area attack or BF/AF attack has Disadvantage against you until your next turn.

·         Prerequisite: Mobile Defense

Field Commander

You can issue commands to allies, boosting their combat effectiveness.

·         Effect: As a Minor action, grant 1 ally within 30 meters Advantage on their next attack.

Tactical Acumen

You have a deep understanding of enemy tactics.

·         Effect: Each round, you gain 1 bonus Minor action that can only be used for Active Perception.

·         Prerequisite: Battlefield Awareness

Tier 4

Command Authority

Your ability to command is second to none.

·         Effect: When using Field Commander, you may instead use a Major action to give all allies Advantage on their next attack, provided they are all working towards the same objective (not necessarily the same target, but it has to be the same fight).

Flawless Defense

Your defensive game is on point.

·         Effect: Increase all your Defense scores by 1. If you spend a Reaction on an Active Defense check and succeed, you regain that Reaction.

Master Tactician

You have developed a near-supernatural ability to anticipate enemy movements.

·         Effect: All ranged attacks against you have Disadvantage. This applies even if you are surprised or unaware of the attacker, as you constantly evaluate your surroundings for potential threats.

Tier 5

Disrupting Counter

You time your attacks perfectly to put your opponents off balance.

·         Effect: Before an enemy you're aware of is about to attack you, you may spend a Reaction to either make an Overwatch attack (ranged) or an Attack of Opportunity (melee) against them. You can do this only once per opponent per fight.

Impenetrable Defense

Your defensive abilities are so advanced that no enemy can touch you.

·         Effect: Spend 5 Stamina and 1 Major action. Until your next turn, you gain +10 Dodge defense against ranged attacks and +20 Dodge/Parry defense against melee attacks.

Group 3 Weapon Mastery

Specializes in mastering weapon techniques to improve accuracy, damage, and critical-hit potential. Characters in this group excel in using their chosen weapons to maximum effect, both defensively and offensively.

Tier 1

Armor Piercer

You strike with pinpoint accuracy, aiming for your target’s weak spots.

·         Effect: Reduce the target’s PT by 2.

Fast Hands

You can swiftly draw a weapon or other piece of equipment in one fluid motion.

·         Effect: You may reload or ready (draw) a weapon (or other piece of easily accessible kit) as a Minor action (instead of a Major action). This includes readying a grenade for throwing and switching firing modes for weapons with underslung grenade launchers and the like.

Weapon Specialist

You have dedicated your training to a specific weapon type.

·         Effect: Choose a specific weapon type (such as katana, heavy pistol, SMG, or assault cannon). You gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to your skill specialization bonus when using the chosen weapon type.

·         Prerequisite: Skill specialization in the chosen weapon type.

Tier 2

Focused Attack

You are adept at spotting any weaknesses in your enemy’s defense.

·         Effect: When making an attack, you may spend 1 Minor action to reduce the target’s Dodge or Parry defense by 2.

Vital Strike

You are trained to aim for vital spots, increasing the chances of landing a fatal blow.

·         Effect: When attacking, if you have Advantage, cancel that Advantage. If you hit, add +1d6 damage.

·         Notes: Using this talent doesn’t prevent you from using other attack options, such as making an Aimed Shot. For example, if you have Advantage and make an Aimed Shot, you now have Disadvantage, but if you hit, you do +2d6 damage. And if you land a Solid or Perfect hit, you’ll of course add even more dice.

Weapon Expert

You’re a certified expert with a specific type of weapon.

·         Effect: You may reroll one damage die when using the weapon type chosen in Weapon Specialist. If you have multiple instances of the Weapon Specialist talent, this talent applies to all your Specialist weapons.

·         Prerequisite: Weapon Specialist (Tier 1)

Tier 3

Critical Chain

You can deliver devastating strikes one after another.

·         Effect: After you attack, if you scored a Solid or Perfect hit, your next attack has Advantage.

Critical Strike

You are trained to aim for vital spots, increasing the chances of landing a fatal blow.

·         Effect: When attacking using Vital Strike and an Aimed Shot, you do +1d6 damage.

·         Prerequisite: Vital Strike

Power Throw

You can throw weapons or objects with great force.

·         Effect: When attacking with a Thrown weapon, spend 1 Minor action to deal +1d6 damage. If you accept Disadvantage on the attack, deal +2d6 damage instead.

Signature Weapon

You focus your combat training on mastering one specific weapon.

·         Effect: Select one specific weapon model (not just a weapon type) with the exception of unarmed or natural attacks. While attacking with your signature weapon, you may spend 3 Stamina to remove one instance of Disadvantage from the attack.

Tier 4

Lethal Precision

Your attacks hit with lethal precision.

·         Effect: Your Solid and Perfect hits deal +1d6 damage (in addition to ordinary damage bonuses).

Living Armory

You are a master of all kinds of weapons and switch between weapons effortlessly.

·         Effect: Your Signature Weapon talent extends to either all melee weapons or all ranged weapons, and once per turn, you may switch weapons as a Free action.

·         Requires: Signature Weapon (Tier 3)

Weapon Mastery

You have perfected your form with your chosen weapon.

·         Effect: You always have Advantage with the weapon type chosen in Weapon Specialist. If you have multiple Specialist weapons, this talent applies to all of them.

·         Prerequisite: Weapon Expert (Tier 2)

Tier 5

Paragon of Battle

You are a true master of melee combat.

·         Effect: While making a melee attack, you may count normal hits as Solid hits and Solid hits as Perfect hits. There is no effect if you miss.

True Strike

Your strikes are so precise that they cannot miss.

·         Effect: Spend 1 Minor Action and 5 Stamina to automatically score a Perfect hit with your next attack, regardless of the target’s Defense. Armor and other abilities still apply normally.

Group 4 Close Quarters Combat

This group specializes in melee combat, grappling, and defending in close quarters.

Tier 1

Close Combat Specialist

You excel in close combat, delivering swift and precise strikes.

·         Effect: You gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to your skill specialization bonus when using the Brawl skill.

Disarming Strike

You are skilled at removing weapons from the hands of your opponents.

·         Effect: You gain Advantage on all Disarm attempts.

Duellist

You are adept at using deceptive moves to trick opponents into leaving themselves open for an attack.

·         Effect: Spend 1 Minor action (instead of a Major action) to gain Advantage on your next melee attack if you succeed at a Deception vs. Composure check.

Master Grappler

You have honed your grappling skills.

·         Effect: You gain Advantage on all Grapple checks (including counter-grapples).

Tier 2

Focused Combatant

You are trained to resist attempts to disarm or overpower you in combat.

·         Effect: Opponents have Disadvantage when targeting you with melee attack options such as Disarm, Feint, or Grapple.

Knockback Strike

Your powerful strikes can send enemies flying backward.

·         Effect: If you hit with a Smash attack, you may knock an opponent back 2 meters. Add +2 meters for a Solid hit and +4 meters for a Perfect hit.

Power Smash

You can deliver powerful melee attacks quickly and efficiently.

·         Effect: When you make a Smash attack, you do not suffer Disadvantage.

Sweeping Attack

You can perform sweeping attacks that are capable of hitting multiple opponents simultaneously.

·         Effect: When you use the Flurry attack option, you do not suffer the -1d6 damage reduction.

Swift Assault

Your speed and precision allow you to strike quickly and effectively.

·         Effect: Your Rush attack requires 1 Major and 1 Move action (instead of 1 Full action), freeing up your Minor action for additional options.

Tier 3

Counterattack

You can counterstrike after successfully defending against an attack.

·         Effect: After defending against a melee attack that missed by at least 5 points, you may spend 1 Reaction to make an immediate counterattack.

Crushing Grip

Your grappling technique allows you to deal significant damage.

·         Effect: While grappling, you deal +2d6 damage to restrained targets.

Fluid Movements

You move fluidly, preventing multiple enemies from effectively ganging up on you.

·         Effect: Your enemies gain no bonuses from outnumbering you in close combat. This talent only affects the default effect of being outnumbered, not specific enemy talents.

Master Duelist

You excel in one-on-one combat, gaining bonuses when fighting a single opponent.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on melee attacks when engaged with only one enemy. That enemy has Disadvantage on melee attacks against you. If you both have this talent, it cancels out.

Stunning Blows

You can deliver a devastating strike that temporarily incapacitates or disorients their opponent.

·         Effect: On a successful Smash attack, if the target suffers any damage, the target must make a Resilience check or become Stunned (cannot take Major actions) for one round.

Tier 4

Combat Mastery

You have reached the pinnacle of melee combat skill.

·         Effect: You gain Advantage on all melee attacks.

Impossible Reach

You use a combination of mobility, tactics, and weapon skill to outmaneuver your opponent.

·         Effect: You count as having Reach against all enemies, except enemies with a Reach advantage against you, in which case neither side has Reach.

Tier 5

Flurry of Blows

Your prowess in combat is so great you can engage multiple opponents with ease.

·         Effect: Gain an extra Major action during each round of combat, which can only be used for melee attacks.

·         Note: You can still get additional Major actions from other sources, such as high initiative. So a Tier 5 Street Samurai with maxed Wired Reflexes could get 3 (or more) attacks with his mono-katana each round!

Unstoppable Blows

Your melee attacks are so powerful that they are nearly impossible to resist.

·         Effect: Your melee attacks reduce the target’s PT by 8 and DR by 20. On a Solid hit, reduce DR by 30 instead, and on a Perfect hit by 40.

Group 5 Ranged Combat Expertise

This group specializes in ranged combat.

Tier 1

Double Tap

You fire two successive shots with pinpoint accuracy.

·         Effect: When making a regular attack with a weapon in SA mode (but not SS), you may spend 1 Minor action to do +1d6 damage. You do not expend additional ammo.

·         Notes: Ammunition is somewhat abstracted, so semi-automatic (SA) fire doesn’t comprise one shot only, but rather approximately three rounds fired.

Fire Discipline

You’ve learned to conserve ammunition, only firing for effect rather than spraying and praying.

·         Effect: When using automatic weapons, your attacks consume less ammunition (2 points for BF and 4 for AF, instead of 3 and 6 respectively).

Sharpshooter

You are an accomplished sharpshooter.

·         Effect: When using the Aimed Shot attack option with a weapon in SA mode, if you spend 1 additional Minor action, you gain Advantage.

·         Notes: The gained Advantage effectively negates the Disadvantage from Aimed Shot. Since you need 1 Major + 2 Minor actions to use Sharpshooter, you must be stationary to swap your Move for a second Minor action unless you have high Initiative. Combining Sharpshooter with talents like Double Tap is also possible, but you’d need 3 Minor Actions for this (remaining stationary combined with Initiative 20+ would do the trick, for example).

Spray and Pray

You think the maximum number of bullets is the way to go.

·         Effect: When using BF or AF modes, you gain Advantage on your attacks, but you use more ammo than usual (4 for BF, 8 for AF). This cannot be mitigated by Fire Discipline or other effects that conserve ammo—the whole point is to empty your clip ASAP.

·         Notes: This talent lets you get Advantage and extra damage when using automatic weapons, which is a neat feature. But since you can’t double down on Advantage, this becomes less potent if you already have Advantage.

Tier 2

Hammer the Gap

Your shots are highly effective against heavily armored foes.

·         Effect: When making a ranged attack, if you have Advantage, reduce the target’s PT by 3.

Gunslinger

You can draw and shoot in one lightning quick motion.

·         Effect: At the start of combat, if you are not holding a weapon, you may declare a Quick Draw. If you do, you may roll +1d6 for initiative, but you must use your actions to draw and fire a pistol-type weapon on your first turn. If you do not, you must skip your turn and reduce your initiative by 6. On later turns, if you switch weapons, reduce your initiative by 6 at the start of the next round.

Smooth Action

You are intimately familiar with your weapons and work them with confidence.

·         When attacking with a ranged weapon, your Significant failures count as Marginal (so no adverse effects), and your Catastrophic failures count as Significant (so much less harmful for you). This talent will significantly decrease the number of jams or other gun-related mishaps you suffer (no shooting yourself in the foot, for example).

Sniper’s Patience

Your icy calm lets you line up the perfect shot.

·         Effect: If you did not move during your turn, your next SA or BF ranged attack (including Reaction attacks) has Advantage. If your shot already has Advantage, the target’s DR is reduced by 10 (reduce it by 20 instead if it was a SA attack).

·         Note: Remember that popping over to cover to take a shot—and then covering again—counts as movement, so to use this talent, you have to be exposed for a whole round. But if you’re a good sniper, you’re positioned so that this isn’t a problem.

Tier 3

Bullseye

You can target weak points with incredible precision, bypassing defenses.

·         Effect: When making an Aimed Shot attack, on a Solid hit, ignore 5 PT; on a Perfect hit, ignore 10 PT.

Fire for Effect

You’re used to working with automatic weapons, using their rapid-fire capabilities to devastating effect.

·         Effect: Your ranged BF/AF attacks do +1d6 damage (in addition to the normal bonuses), but use more ammo than usual (4 for BF, 8 for AF). If you have the Fire Discipline talent, you use the normal amount of ammo for that attack instead (3 and 6, respectively).

o    You can combine this with the effects of Spray and Pray, but you use even more ammo (8/16), and Fire Discipline does nothing for you. Furthermore, not all weapons have enough ammo to even attempt this combo. The FAM-90, for example, has Ammo 12.

Piercing Shots

You aim for the weak spots—and know the value of some good AP ammo.

·         Effect: Your ranged attacks ignore 10 points of DR.

·         Note: Remember you need to get through PT before DR becomes relevant, so the value of this talent is making penetrating hits hurt more.

Tier 4

Kill Zone

You turn an area of the battlefield into a death trap.

·         Effect: If you use AF mode against multiple targets, you do not incur the normal Disadvantage and gain the +2d6 damage modifier against each target.

·         Requires: Fire for Effect (Tier 3)

Perfect Accuracy

Your accuracy is so refined that you hardly ever miss your target, no matter how difficult the shot.

·         Effect: Your ranged SA and BF attacks ignore cover and obstacles (but not Defenses or special abilities).

Tier 5

Heart of the Sniper

Your understanding of anatomy and shot placement allows you to cripple or kill with ease.

·         Effect: When making ranged SA or BF attacks, any injuries you cause are increased by 1 level of severity.

Storm of Fire

You fire a massive barrage of projectiles, overwhelming their enemies with sheer firepower.

·         Effect: When attacking with a weapon in BF or AF modes, you do +1d6 damage per hit.

·         Requires: Kill Zone of Fire (Tier 4)

Group 6 Physical Resilience

This group encompasses toughness and resistance to damage and environmental effects.

Tier 1

Healthy

You are rarely sick.

·         Effect: You have Advantage on active Resilience checks to avoid or limit the effects of disease (but not other harmful effects such as poison).

Resilient I

Your body has become hardened, reducing damage from physical sources.

·         Effect: Gain +2 to Resilience defense

Toughness I

Your body has adapted to absorb more punishment, increasing survivability in combat.

·         Effect: Gain +3 to maximum Health.

Tier 2

Adrenaline Surge

You can tap into an adrenaline rush, ignoring pain and fatigue for a short while.

·         Effect: Once per Short Rest, ignore all Fatigue as well as Initiative reductions and action restrictions due to injuries for 1 round.

Resilient II

Your body has become hardened, reducing damage from non-magical physical sources.

·         Effect: Gain +2 to Resilience defense

Robust

You are remarkably resistant to the harmful effects.

·         Effect: You have Advantage on all active Grit defense checks.

·         Prerequisite: Healthy

Toughness II

Your body has adapted to absorb more punishment, increasing survivability in combat.

·         Effect: Gain +3 to maximum Health.

Tier 3

Iron Jaw

Your physical resilience allows you to shrug off knockout effects and stunning blows.

·         Effect: Whenever an attack would cause you to become Unconscious or Stunned, reduce the duration of the effect by 1, to a minimum of 0.

Resilient III

Your body has become hardened, reducing damage from non-magical physical sources.

·         Effect: Gain +2 to Resilience defense

Toughness III

Your body has adapted to absorb more punishment, increasing survivability in combat.

·         Effect: Gain +3 to maximum Health.

Tier 4

Tough as Nails

You’re not invulnerable—just very difficult to kill.

·         Effect: You gain DR 20. This counts as armor for DR stacking purposes, but not against the maximum number of armors you can layer. Maximum DR is still capped at 80.

Tier 5

True Grit

You can be taken down—but you can’t be kept down.

·         Effect: Reduce the severity of each injury you suffer by 1 step. If reduced to less than Light, you are not injured (but still suffer damage from that attack).

Group 7 Mental Discipline

This group encompasses mental fortitude, willpower, and determination.

Tier 1

Adroit

You have a sharp and disciplined mind.

·         Effect: You may use Intellect instead of Cunning to determine Initiative.

Bilingual

You speak a second native language, often because your family is multicultural.

·         Effect: You speak a second native language. You gain IN ranks in this language.

Disciplined I

You have mastered your mental faculties, making them difficult to manipulate.

·         Effect: Gain +2 Discipline defense.

Educated I

You are well educated.

·         Effect: Select a number of Knowledge skills equal to your IN. You must have at least 2 ranks in the chosen skills. Gain 1 rank in each of these skills. You may do this even if it would raise the rank above the maximum allowed for your Tier.

Endurance I

You can carry on where others would falter.

·         Effect: Gain +4 to maximum Stamina.

Tier 2

Disciplined II

You have mastered your mental faculties, making them difficult to manipulate.

·         Effect: Gain +2 Discipline defense.

Dogmatic

You have a closed mind. You have a hard time accepting knowledge that conflicts with your biases or interacting with people who disagree with your worldview.

·         Effect: You have Advantage on all active Will defense checks. You suffer a -1 penalty to all Knowledge checks where the information contradicts your viewpoints, and a -1 penalty to Social checks when interacting with people who do not share your worldview.

Educated II

You are well educated.

·         Effect: Select a number of Knowledge skills equal to your IN. You must have at least 4 ranks in the chosen skills. Gain 1 rank in each of these skills. You may do this even if it would raise the rank above the maximum allowed for your Tier.

Endurance II

You can carry on where others would falter.

·         Effect: Gain +4 to maximum Stamina.

Inquisitive Mind

Your mind is always searching for clues and connections.

·         Effect: You have Advantage on Investigation checks.

Polygot

You are well-versed in a variety of languages.

·         Effect: You have Advantage on all Language checks.

·         Prerequisite: At least 3 languages at rank 5+

Second Wind

You can recover lost stamina in the midst of battle.

·         Effect: Once per Short Rest, when in combat, recover 3 Stamina as a Minor action or 5 Stamina as a Major action.

Tier 3

Disciplined III

You have mastered your mental faculties, making them difficult to manipulate.

·         Effect: Gain +2 Discipline defense.

Educated III

You are well educated.

·         Effect: Select a number of Knowledge skills equal to your IN. You must have at least 6 ranks in the chosen skills. Gain 1 rank in each of these skills. You may do this even if it would raise the rank above the maximum allowed for your Tier.

Endurance III

You can carry on where others would falter.

·         Effect: Gain +4 to maximum Stamina.

Steadfast

You fight harder when the odds are against you.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on all checks when facing overwhelming odds (more than 2 to 1 or just hopelessly outclassed in some other way).

Tier 4

Fearless

You are utterly immune to fear.

·         Effect: Gain immunity to all fear-based effects.

·         Notes: Being fearless is mostly a good thing—until it makes you overconfident and gets you killed.

Tier 5

Terrifying

Your mere presence makes your enemies cover in fear or run away.

·         Effect: You cause fear in creatures that oppose you.

Group 8 Social Composure

Specializes in social interaction, leadership, and sense of self.

Tier 1

Attractive I

You are physically attractive.

·         Effect: Reduce the TN of Charm checks by 2 if the other party is attracted to your type.

·         Note: This talent can only be purchased during character creation.

Composed I

You have mastered your emotions, making you difficult to manipulate.

·         Effect: Gain +2 Composure defense.

Brute

You can send street scum scurrying with but a glance.

·         Effect: You may substitute ST for PR when making Coercion checks.

Diplomat

You are able to see both sides of the argument—and use logic to sway others to your point of view.

·         Effect: You may substitute IN for PR when making Negotiation checks.

Drill Instructor

You’re a natural at teaching military proficiencies.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Instruction checks in a military context.

Empathic

You have a keen ability to read emotions but your emotions are also easy to read.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Insight checks, but others have Advantage on their Insight checks against you.

Social Status I

You have a degree of social privilege, often from belonging to the upper class, but it could also be things like fame or military rank.

At Tier 1, you belong to the upper class, but only barely so. You might be the younger child of a noble family or someone otherwise highly placed in society. Tier 2 and Tier 3 represent correspondingly higher degrees of social status. At Tier 3, for example, you might be directly related to the King or other hereditary ruler (or dictator) of a nation.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Charm and Negotiation checks when interacting with members of your own and lower social classes.

Tier 2

Attractive II

You are physically attractive.

·         Effect: Reduce the TN of Charm checks by 2 if the other party is attracted to your type.

·         Note: This talent can only be purchased during character creation.

Charismatic

You are unusually charismatic.

·         Effect: Gain a +1 bonus on all Social skill checks.

Composed II

You have mastered your emotions, making you difficult to manipulate.

·         Effect: Gain +2 Composure defense.

Jaded

You are not easily impressed or moved, and may come across as aloof or disinterested in social settings.

·         Effect: You have Advantage on all active Poise defense checks, but suffer a -1 penalty to all Social checks.

Manipulator

You lie and manipulate without second thought.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Deception checks but Disadvantage on Leadership checks. You also tend to get in trouble when interacting with the same persons over time, as they get tired of your toxic behavior.

Natural Leader

You can easily inspire or influence allies.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Leadership checks.

Social Status II

You have a degree of social privilege, often from belonging to the upper class, but it could also be things like fame or military rank.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Charm and Negotiation checks when interacting with members of your own and lower social classes.

Stage Presence

You belong on a stage.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Performance checks.

Tier 3

Attractive III

You are physically attractive.

·         Effect: Reduce the TN of Charm checks by 2 if the other party is attracted to your type.

·         Note: This talent can only be purchased during character creation. Since you normally cannot purchase Tier 3 talents during character creation, this talent requires special permission from the GM to acquire.

Commanding Presence

You can easily command or influence groups of people.

·         Effect: While performing a Social check, if you have Advantage, you may affect a number of targets equal to your Presence (without any increase in TN).

·         Enables: Master Orator (Tier 4)

Composed III

You have mastered your emotions, making you difficult to manipulate.

·         Effect: Gain +2 Composure defense.

One With Self

You know who and what you are.

·         Effect: Anyone trying to use a Social skill on you has Disadvantage.

Social Status III

You have a degree of social privilege, often from belonging to the upper class, but it could also be things like fame or military rank.

·         Effect: Gain Advantage on Charm and Negotiation checks when interacting with members of your own and lower social classes.

Tier 4

Master Orator

Your presence can sway public opinion or influence large crowds.

·         Effect: When using Commanding Presence, you can affect up to 5 times your Presence targets (without any increase in TN).

·         Requires: Commanding Presence (Tier 3)

Tier 5

Indomitable

You cannot be swayed.

·         Effect: You are immune to the effects of Social skills. You can still choose to go along with whatever, but you are never tricked, charmed, intimidated, or otherwise affected.