What Talents Are
Talents represent a character’s special abilities.
These abilities, unlike Skills, do not require rolls. Their effects always apply.
Talents might be the result of a character’s upbringing, inborn abilities, or dedicated practice.
Talent Descriptions
Animal Ken
Your character treats all results of 2 on any Skill roll made concerning natural animals as successes.
Assassin
When your character ambushes a target within 10 yards distance, he or she may make a single Melee or Ranged Skill roll as a Full Action.
If your character does this, the roll treats all results of 2 on the dice rolled for the Melee or Ranged Skill roll as successes.
Beauty
Your character treats all results of 2 as successes on any Charisma Skill Group rolls when interacting with someone that has the potential to be physically attracted to your character.
This bonus persists until your character either fails to influence the person he or she interacts with by using a Charisma Skill Group roll or until the person he or she interacts with has reason to distrust or dislike your character.
Restriction: Your character may not attain this ability outside of character creation.
Bravery
When your character uses one or more Action Points to enhance the result of a Physique Skill Group roll, add an additional +1D to that roll.
Breathless
Your character can hold his or her breath for up to five minutes without negative effects. After this period, he or she must have access to clean air to breathe for at least five minutes before he or she can use this ability again.
Brutality
When your character scores two or more results of a 6 on the dice rolled for a Melee Skill roll, the attack deals +1 point of damage.
Calm Shooting
When your character makes a Ranged Skill roll with a bow or crossbow, he or she does not apply any penalties from lost Wounds or Fatigue to that roll.
Cant
Once per scene, you may hide a hidden message within your normal dialogue.
When you use this ability, choose one target within 5 yards of you that can understand a language you speak. Your hidden message is only intelligible to the chosen target.
The hidden message cannot be longer than 20 words (or 30 words if your Languages Skill is Level 4 or higher). The hidden message must be disguised within your normal speech consisting of at least three times as many words (e.g. if your hidden message is 15 words, the actual words you speak must be at least 45 words).
The recipient must make a Languages Skill roll with an Easy (1) target number; if the recipient’s roll succeeds, the message is conveyed to the chosen target precisely as you intend it.; if the roll fails, the message is either not understood or is confused for a different meaning.
Charm
When your character uses one or more Action Points to enhance the result of a Charisma Skill Group roll, add an additional +1D to that roll.
Courtesan
When engaging with people of higher social standing than your character— high priests, members of the nobility, monarchs—your character may treat up to one result of a 2 on the dice rolled for his or her Charisma Group Skills as a success.
Crossbow Expert
Your character can load a crossbow as a Partial Action (instead of a Full Action).
Curiosity
When your character uses one or more Action Points to enhance the result of an Intellect Skill Group roll, add an additional +1D to that roll.
Darkvision
Your character can see in conditions of low light (candlelight, moonlight, etc.) as though it was full light and conditions of total darkness as if it was lowlight up to 10 yards away. Beyond this range, low-light or darkness affect your character as normal.
Restriction: Your character may not attain this ability outside of character creation.
Duelist
When bearing an arming sword, club, or mace in one hand (and keeping the other hand free) your character may choose one of two fighting methods:
- Bear the weapon in two hands; add an additional +1D Weapon Dice to any Melee Skill rolls made with the weapon.
- Bear the weapon in one hand (and keep the other hand open); add +1 Parry.
The choice to use either method must be made at the start of your character’s turn in the Combat Round and can be changed once per round, at the start of his or her turn.
Empower
When your character casts a Spell, you may decide to “empower” it by increasing its Level by 1.
An empowered Spell has the following benefits:
- Any damage dealt by the Spell is increased by 1D (even beyond any limits imposed by the Spell’s description).
- Any Stamina or Willpower Skill roll made to resist the Spell has its Target Number increased by 1.
- The range of the Spell—if the range isn’t “self” or “touch”—is increased by 50%.
- The duration of the Spell—if it has a duration longer than one Combat Round—is increased by 50% or extended one additional sunrise (whichever duration is shorter).
Expert
Your character may have up to three professions (list all these professions on your character sheet).
Your character’s professions may be as similar or dissimilar as you decide.
Restriction: Your character may not attain this ability outside of character creation.
Falconer/Accipiter
Your character has a falcon (and is a falconer) or a hawk (an accipiter) that he or she has tamed.
If your character attains this ability at the time of character creation, he or she begins the game with the animal. If your character attains this ability during the adventure, he or she finds and tames a hawk between Chapters of the adventure.
At your character’s command, the animal can do the following:
- Carry message: the animal may bear a small note, object, or parcel tied to its foot (weighing ½ pound or less) and carry it to a place or person it has met with your character before; after delivering the message, the animal will return to your character.
- Hunt prey: the animal may be sent to hunt for small game (rabbits, rats, snakes, squirrels, etc.) and if successful, will bring the quarry back to your character.
- Spot kill: the animal may be sent to locate a downed victim your character or his or her companions have felled; if the animal locates the downed victim, it will fly overhead in circles, allowing your character to track it down.
Any of your character’s efforts in controlling the animal require the use of the Survival Skill.
The animal has Perception 4 and Survival 3.
The animal has a maximum range (the distance it will fly out) of 1 mile per your character’s Survival Skill Level (minimum range ½ mile).
If the animal dies, the gamemaster may allow your character time between Chapters in the adventure to tame a new animal. This process also costs 2 Action Points.
False Persona
Your character has a totally different identity that he or she has fabricated.
If your character attains this ability at the time of character creation, he or she begins the game with this false identify. If your character attains this ability during the adventure, he or she creates a false identify between Chapters in the adventure with sufficient time.
The false persona should be written down in detail, including the false persona’s name, background, personality traits, profession, and relationship to others.
Your character may take 1 hour to totally change into this false persona: changing clothes, demeanor, and “getting into character. Changing back into his or her true persona also takes 1 hour of time.
While acting as the false persona, no one can see through the deception. Your character’s appearance, voice, and mannerisms are so thoroughly changed that your character is in truth and effect the false persona.
Special: If your character’s false persona is ever discovered, he or she loses the ability to use this Talent.
A new false persona can be created between Chapters of the adventure with sufficient time.
A new false persona can also be created voluntarily. This erases the old false persona and replaces it with the new one.
The process of creating a new false persona costs 2 Experience Points.
Favored Environment
When your character attains this ability, choose a single environment: coast, desert, forest, marshlands, mountains, plains, swamp, or tundra.
While your character resides in this chosen environment, you receive a +1D bonus to all rolls made to resist the effects of that environment’s unique weather or natural hazards, forage or hunt for food and water, and navigate the land.
Special: Your character may attain this ability multiple times, each time applying to a new environment.
Favored Weapon
Choose a single Melee or Ranged weapon. (Write this Talent down on the character sheet with the name of the weapon; e.g. Favored Weapon (Longsword)).
While using the chosen weapon, your character gains the following benefits:
- You may treat one result of a 2 on the dice for rolls made with that weapon as a success.
- When making a Melee or Ranged Skill roll with that weapon, your character’s Melee or Ranged Skill cannot be lower than 2D (even if penalties would reduce his or her roll to 1D or less).
Special: You may attain this ability multiple times, each time applying to a new weapon.
Flurry of Arrows
Your character may use a Full Action to make three Ranged Skill rolls while shooting a short bow or longbow.
Flurry of Blows
Your character may use a Full Action to make three Melee Skill rolls with a Light or Medium melee weapon.
Fortune
Up to three times per game session, your character may choose to convert any result of 1 on a die for a Skill roll he or she made to any other numerical result (your choice).
This ability may only be used once per Skill roll.
Special: Your character may attain this ability more than once. Each time you select this Talent, your character may convert two additional dice per game session.
Furtive
Once per round, as a free action, your character may make a Stealth Skill roll as free action.
This free action may be used to grab an object, conceal and object, or hide behind cover within 1 yard of your character’s current position.
Guardian
Once per Combat Round, you may choose (as a free action) to “guard” another creature within your character’s reach. The option to “guard” can be made at any time before Melee or Ranged Skill dice against the creature are rolled.
When your character “guards” another, your character becomes the target of all attacks against that creature. Your Parry and Armor apply and you gain a +1 Armor against all attacks that would have been made against the intended target (the “guarded” creature).
A creature may only be “guarded” by one character at a time and your character may only “guard” one creature at a time.
You may choose to end the option to “guard” at any time, before a Melee or Ranged Skill roll would be made against the “guarded” creature.
Gymnast
When climbing or jumping, increase the total distance your character moves by 25% (as measured by yards moved per Partial Action or Full Action).
Hale
Reduce the penalties your character receives from Fatigue by 1D (to a minimum of 0D).
High Impulse
When determining Initiative, your side adds +1 to its numerical roll.
Horsemanship
Once per Combat Round, your character may make a Ride/Team Skill roll as a Free Action.
Hunter’s Mark
Your character may “mark” a living creature.
To mark a creature, your character must have personally met the creature and have spent at least 10 uninterrupted minutes watching the creature while it was awake.
Once your character has a mark, that mark cannot change until it is killed or brought to justice (turned in to the authorities, taken for ransom, etc.).
Your character counts all results of 2 on the dice he or she makes with Skill rolls that are directly opposed to the mark as successes. (This applies to Melee and Ranged Skill rolls, too.)
Directly opposed Skill rolls include attacks, attempts to track, or investigate the mark’s whereabouts, etc.
The gamemaster has the final say on what Skill rolls count for this ability.
Intrepid
When your character is the first to act in a Combat Encounter (if his or her side wins the roll for Initiative and he or she takes the very first turn in the scene), add +2D to each Melee or Ranged Skill roll made and increase your Movement by +4 yards during that turn only.
Iron Stomach
Your character adds +2 successes to any roll made to resist poisons, toxins, alcohol, or bad food or drink.
Jack of All Trades
When you make a Luck Roll with a Skill that you have no Levels in, treat a result of a 5, or 6 as a success (instead of just a result of 6). This ability does not apply to Melee or Ranged Skill rolls.
Restriction: Your character may not attain this ability outside of character creation.
Marksman
When making a Ranged Skill roll against a target that benefits from 1D or more Cover Dice, that target loses up to 1D Cover Dice when calculating your roll (to a minimum of 0D Cover Dice).
Perfect Memory
Once per game session, you may ask for the gamemaster to describe for you in perfect detail everything about an event from your own past.
The gamemaster will give all the details—pertaining to all five senses—for any single event to their fullest.
The remembered event cannot have lasted (or your memory of it cannot exceed) more than 1 full minute. You remember names, faces, written and spoken words, signs, symbols, tastes, smells, sensations, and all other sensory data, as well as your own emotional states and thoughts during the recalled event.
Pierce Armor
When your character makes a Melee Skill roll against a living target that benefits from Armor 1 or higher, reduce that target’s Armor by 1 (to a minimum of 0) for your attack.
Poison Master
When dealing with poisons, your character gains the following benefits:
- If he or she takes 1 minute to investigate a substance, object, or surface closely, he or she may automatically detect the presence of any poison and its type and potency.
- When making a Medicine Skill roll to make or apply poisons, he or she treats all results of 2 on the dice as success.
- To apply an effective dose of poison, he or she needs to use ¼ ounce less poison than normal for the target’s weight (minimum dose of ¼ ounce of poison per target).
Pugilist
Your character’s unarmed attacks add -1D Weapon Dice (normally, unarmed attacks have -2D Weapon Dice). Additionally, you may use a Full Action to make three Melee Skill rolls with unarmed attacks.
Quick Hand
Once per Combat Round, your character may unsheathe/unpack or sheathe/stow one readily available weapon or piece of equipment as a Free Action.
The weapon or piece of equipment must be stored in a scabbard, pouch, satchel, on the belt, or some other easily accessible storage place on your character’s person.
Radiance
Your character’s Personal Spell Range is increased by 50%.
Read Lips
Your character can read other people’s lips if he or she can see their faces clearly and can understand the language they speak. This ability works up to 5 yards away.
The gamemaster may require you to make a Perception Skill roll if the person’s lips are obscured, at an odd angle from your current position, or there are distractions nearby.
A failed roll may mean that your character simply cannot make out what the person says, or he or she may interpret what the person says incorrectly.
Resolute
Reduce the penalties your character receives from Fear by 1D (to a minimum of 0D).
Savant
The cost to advance Skill Levels costs your character -1 Experience Point.
Restriction: Your character may not attain this ability outside of character creation.
Serene Mind
When your character meditates to recover Spell Burn at sunrise or sunset, he or she recovers 1 additional point of Spell Burn.
Size Up
Your character may take 1 minute to watch a living creature and inspect its behavior.
After the 1 minute, your character can immediately and accurately determine the following about the creature:
- Current Wound, Fatigue, and Fear Levels
- Parry and Armor
- Movement
- Current Action Points
- Melee and Ranged Skill Levels
For this ability to work, the creature must be awake and conscious and moving about for your character to watch.
Your character must spend the entire 1 minute watching the target creature and nothing else and your character cannot be further than 100 yards away from the creature.
Slippery
When your character makes a Willpower Skill roll to resist the effects of a Spell, you may choose not to make the Willpower roll and instead your character achieves 1 automatic success per his or her Willpower Skill Level -1 (minimum result of 0).
You may still use Action Points to enhance the results of these Willpower Skill rolls.
Soldier
While wearing manufactured armor that provides 1D Armor Dice or more, your character benefits from the following effects:
- Any penalties to your character’s Movement score from worn armor are reduced by 1 yard (to a minimum penalty of 0 yards).
- You can don or doff armor in half the normal time required.
- Any penalties you receive to Physique Skill rolls due to wearing armor or bearing shields are reduced by 1D (to a minimum penalty of 0D).
Sprinter
When your character runs, he or she may run at up to five times his or her Movement score. (Normally, running allows your character to move up to four times his or her Movement score.)
Additionally, while running, any Stamina Skill rolls your character makes to resist Fatigue receive a +1D bonus.
Toughness
Reduce the Skill roll penalties your character receives from Wounds by 1D (to a minimum of 0D).
Valor
When you spend 2 or more Action Points to enhance the result of a Skill roll, add an additional +1 success to that enhanced roll.
Vegetable Ken
Your character treats all results of 2 on the dice as successes on all Skill rolls made concerning natural forms of vegetation.