TalentsChapter the Fifth

Talent rules

Each talent is a unique ability, taken once, costing 1 to 5 points by breadth and power. Master talents cost 8. Every talent must be bought with experience. The one exception is the two species talents a new character gets free; see chapter 2, Species and peoples.

One talent per roll. Only one talent can modify a single roll, and only one a single damage total; the player chooses. Attack and damage count separately, This covers damage taken as well as damage dealt, so Robust and Shield Block cannot both reduce the same hit.

Fixed values always apply. Talents that permanently change a value on your sheet, such as Wounds, Movement, Initiative or a Defence, are not rolls. They always apply and never count against the one-talent limit. Defence talents still follow the Defence cap, in Combat talents.

Above the roll limit. Characteristic + skill rank can total 9 at most. Only a cap talent raises that to 10, for its characteristic's skills. A talent that gives +1 in a narrow situation, such as Rover's +1 Stealth in wilderness, still adds on top of the limit when that situation applies.

No roll on easy tasks. If a talent applies to a skill roll and you have at least Familiar rank in that skill, tasks of Easy difficulty (9) or lower succeed without rolling. This never applies to attack rolls or Resist rolls. A success without rolling has a margin of 0; you may always choose to roll instead, taking the risk of failure for the chance of a better margin. A spell cast without rolling is still a successful casting. Fatigue counts against the limit: a spell can be cast without rolling only if its difficulty plus the caster's Fatigue is 9 or less.

Prerequisites. A talent's prerequisite is shown in its table. It must be met before the talent can be bought.

• For grouped skills, a rank prerequisite must be met in the group being used.
• A species or a people named as a prerequisite means only that species or people can take the talent.

Cap talents

A cap talent costs 5 and needs its characteristic at the species maximum: 6 for a human, and 5 or 7 where the species rolls d3 or d3+2 for it. It gives no bonus itself: it raises that characteristic's maximum by 1, and the roll limit to 10 for that characteristic's skills.

The extra points are then bought as normal advances.

Talent	Characteristic	What it means
Coolheaded	Resolve	Nerves of iron. Raises Wounds and Resist rolls against coercion, enchantment, fear, pain and temptation, and Soul Magic casting and spell damage.
Lightning Reflexes	Agility	Uncannily quick. Raises Ranged Defence, Melee Defence (by half), Initiative and Movement, and Acrobatics, Stealth and Deftness.
Marksman	Ranged Skill	A born shot. Raises every ranged attack roll, with any weapon group.
Savvy	Intellect	A sharp, well-stocked mind. Raises Knowledge, Deduction, Treat Wounds and Rune Magic.
Sharp	Wits	Misses nothing. Raises Perception, Insight and Survival.
Striking	Appearance	Unforgettable looks. Raises first reaction rolls, though it also makes the character harder to disguise.
Suave	Presence	A commanding presence. Raises Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation, Performance and Animal Handling, and Hearth Magic casting and spell damage.
Very Resilient	Endurance	Hard as old leather. Soaks more damage from every hit, raises Wounds, and raises Resist rolls against disease, hardship and poison.
Very Strong	Might	Exceptional strength. Raises melee damage and Athletics, and damage with weapons marked Might.
Warrior Born	Melee Skill	A natural fighter. Raises every melee attack roll and Melee Defence.

Without a cap talent the best total is +9, reached by a human as a characteristic of 6 with Master rank. With a cap talent the best human total is +10, reached as a characteristic of 7 with Master rank.

Combat talents

Talents for landing blows and shots, avoiding hits, surviving the ones that land, and shrugging off the Fatigue of a fight.

Talent	Cost	Effect	Prerequisite
Ambidextrous	2	With two weapons, the off-hand attack in a Swift Attack is at -1 instead of -2.	Agility 4
Battle-Hardened	3	The first fight each day in which you make an attack, melee or ranged, adds no Fatigue.	Melee or Ranged at Trained
Combat Reflexes	3	+1 to initiative.	Agility 4
Disarm	2	Disarm attempts take no penalty.	Melee at Trained
Dodge Blow	5	Once per round, when a melee attack hits you, you may dodge or parry it. To dodge, roll Acrobatics (Agility). To parry, roll your own melee attack with the weapon or shield in your hand (Melee Skill). If your roll equals or beats the attacker's total, the attack misses. It takes no action.	Agility 5 or Melee Skill 5
Dodge Ranged	4	+1 Ranged Defence.	Agility 5
Dual Wielder	3	With two weapons, the main-hand attack in a Swift Attack takes no penalty.	Ambidextrous; Melee at Trained
Elusive	3	+1 to Melee and Ranged Defence.	Small or Tiny size
Fluent Casting	4	The second fight each day in which you cast a spell also adds no Fatigue.	Practised Casting; a magic skill at Expert
Frenzy	2	+1 melee damage and -1 Melee Defence until the fight ends.	None
Hard to Kill	3	Your critical wound rolls are 1 lower.	Endurance 4
Hardy	3	Extra Wounds equal to your Endurance or your Resolve, your choice. The bonus rises as that characteristic does. Costs dwarves 2.	Endurance 4 or Resolve 4
Lightning Parry	5	+1 Melee Defence while holding a weapon.	Melee at Master
Mighty Shot	3	+1 damage with ranged attacks.	Ranged at Trained
Practised Casting	3	The first fight each day in which you cast a spell adds no Fatigue.	A magic skill at Trained

Combat talents (continued)

Talent	Cost	Effect	Prerequisite
Pugilist	3	Your unarmed blows have Damage 3 instead of 1. This changes the weapon's Damage and is not a damage bonus, so Street Fighting still adds to it.	Melee (Brawling) at Trained
Rapid Reload	1	Subtract 1 round from the reload time for crossbows and firearms. Reloading always takes at least a half action, so a light crossbow reloads as a half action.	None
Resolute	1	+1 to a melee attack on a turn you charge.	None
Robust	5	Take 1 less damage from every hit. Costs dwarves 4.	Endurance 6
Sharpshooter	2	Ignore 1 point of penalty for range or cover.	Ranged at Trained
Shield Block	3	Once per round, when a hit lands on you while you carry a shield, take 2 less damage from it. No effect against firearms or artillery.	Shieldsman
Shieldsman	3	+1 Melee Defence while carrying a shield; no two-handed weapons.	None
Street Fighting	1	+1 damage with Brawling attacks. It does not give the skill: Melee (Brawling) must still be learned as a skill to avoid the -1 for lacking the group.	None
Strike Mighty Blow	3	+1 damage with melee attacks.	Might 4
Strike to Injure	2	After a melee hit, shift the location die by 1 either way.	Melee at Trained
Sturdy	1	Reduce armour penalties to Stealth, Acrobatics and Movement by 1.	None
Sure Shot	2	Ranged attacks ignore 1 point of armour; adds to Piercing.	Ranged at Trained
Tireless	4	The second fight each day in which you make an attack, melee or ranged, also adds no Fatigue.	Battle-Hardened; Melee or Ranged at Expert
Tower Shield	5	With a large shield, a further +1 Melee Defence (+2 in total) and +1 Ranged Defence.	Shieldsman
Wrestling	1	+1 to grapple or break free.	None

Defence cap. Talents can add at most +1 to any one Defence, so Elusive does not stack with Lightning Parry or Dodge Ranged. Tower Shield is the exception, giving +2 Melee Defence in total. Shield bonuses do not stack with any other Defence talent: use the highest: All Defence bonuses together, from talents, shields, All Out Defence, Parrying Stance and cover, are limited to +2; see the Defence bonus limit in Combat modifiers, in chapter 8.

Fatigue talents. Battle-Hardened and Tireless cancel the Fatigue of a fight for those who attack, and Practised Casting and Fluent Casting for those who cast. In each pair, the second needs the first. A day runs from one night's rest to the next. These talents do not reduce ritual Fatigue, and Fatigue the character already has still counts against attack and casting rolls. A fight adds only 1 Fatigue, so a character who both casts and attacks needs only one of these talents to cancel it, and each talent is used up by the fight it cancels.

Master talents

Each career has one capstone talent that only its members can take. Each costs 8 points and needs Master rank in two of the career's skills. Master talents are the one exception to the rule that talents are flat modifiers or situational bonuses. The rules for buying them are in Career master talents, in chapter 3, Careers.

Talent	Effect
Master Acrobat	Once per round, when any attack hits you, ranged ones included, roll Acrobatics against the attacker's total. If you succeed, it misses. This is separate from Dodge Blow, so with both you may try to dodge two attacks a round.
Master Antiquarian	When you examine an old object, inscription or ruin, the GM tells you truthfully what it is, who made it and whether it is dangerous. No roll.
Master Barber-Surgeon	With a successful Treat Wounds roll made within a minute of the injury, you cancel a critical wound entirely.
Master Bowman	With a bow, you choose the hit location and do not roll the location die.
Master Charlatan	Once per scene, one lie you tell is believed without a roll, unless the listener has proof it is false.
Master Duellist	Once per round, when a melee attack misses you, make a free melee attack against that attacker.
Master Envoy	Reaction rolls toward you are never worse than Neutral, and anyone able to understand you will hear you out before a fight begins.

Master talents (continued)

Talent	Effect
Master Hearthwarden	Your Hearth Magic spells with a range of Touch can be cast at Near on anyone who has shared a meal with you that day. Your Hearth Magic spells that restore Wounds restore 1 more.
Master Highwayman	When you start a fight, each opponent must pass Resist (Coercion) against your Intimidation total or lose their first turn.
Master Housebreaker	A failed roll on a lock or trap never jams or triggers it, and you never need tools. You can simply try again.
Master Keeper	When you pass a Resist (Enchantment) roll, the effect turns back on whoever cast it.
Master Lancer	You pass every Resist (Fear) roll automatically, and allies who can see you use your Resolve for theirs.
Master Minstrel	After you perform for them, each ally may reroll one failed roll during the next scene.
Master Pilgrim	Once per day, when a hit would take you to 0 Wounds, you stay at 1 Wound and suffer no critical wound.
Master Powderman	Given an hour and tools, you can open or bring down any door, gate or section of wall without a roll.
Master Privateer	When you take an opponent to 0 Wounds in melee, make another melee attack at once against a different opponent in reach.
Master Prizefighter	When you score a critical hit in melee, you also knock the target down or disarm them, your choice.

Master talents (continued)

Talent	Effect
Master Raider	The first critical wound you suffer that does not kill you has no mechanical effect on you until the fight ends.
Master Rifleman	If you spend a full round aiming, your next shot ignores the target's armour completely.
Master Runewright	You make a rune device in the making time of the tier below its own, and a Very easy device in 3 days. The materials cost is unchanged. A failed making roll never ruins the materials: it means half as long again and another roll.
Master Soldier	An opponent who tries to move past you or leave your reach takes a free melee attack from you first.
Master Surveyor	While you lead the way, the group cannot get lost and makes no Resist (Hardship) rolls for travel.
Master Sworn Guard	Once per round, when someone next to you is hit, you may take the hit yourself, using your own armour and Endurance.
Master Thief-Taker	Name one person as your quarry. You need no roll to follow their trail, and you can take them to 0 Wounds without causing a critical wound, capturing them alive.
Master Trapper	Your first ranged attack against a target unaware of you is a critical hit if it hits, whatever the dice show.
Master Witchfinder	You know without a roll when magic, an enchantment or a spellcaster is within your sight.
Master Woods Runner	You cannot be surprised, and you act first in the first round of any fight, whatever your Agility.

Skill talents

Each of these gives +1 to one skill in one kind of situation. Where a talent says "+1 on rolls to" without naming a skill, it adds to whichever skill the task calls for. Soul-Born is the one exception to the one-situation rule: it adds to every Soul Magic roll.

Talent	Cost	Effect	Prerequisite
Acute Sense	1	+1 Perception with one chosen sense.	None
Alley Cat	1	+1 Stealth in towns.	None
Among the Nations	1	+1 Persuasion with elves and dwarves on their own ground.	Human, river traders
Bookish	1	+1 Knowledge when you can consult books or records.	None
Break and Enter	1	+1 Deftness to pick locks, and +1 Athletics to force doors.	None
Charter-Wise	1	+1 on rolls about deeds, charters and land claims.	Human, charter colonies
Clan Silence	1	+1 Deception when hiding something or denying what you know.	River elf
Contortionist	1	+1 Acrobatics to slip bonds or squeeze through gaps.	None
Copper-Wise	1	+1 on rolls to judge, value or work metal.	Shore dwarf
Creed-Bound	1	+1 to Resist (Temptation).	Human, southern crown
Dealmaker	1	+1 Persuasion when bargaining.	None
Dry-Country	1	+1 to Resist (Hardship) against heat and thirst.	Canyon dwarf
Etiquette	1	+1 Persuasion in formal or noble company.	None
Field Dressing	1	+1 Treat Wounds during or just after a fight.	None
Free Trader	1	+1 Deception to smuggle goods, hide cargo or pass false papers.	Human, merchant company
Homestead-Raised	1	+1 on rolls to raise crops, tend livestock or forage.	Halfling
Hunter's Eye	1	+1 Survival to track and hunt.	None
Lake-Hardened	1	+1 to Resist (Hardship) against cold and wet.	Shore dwarf
Looking for Love	1	+1 Persuasion to seduce someone.	None
Mimic	1	+1 Deception or Performance when imitating a voice or accent.	None
Nimble Fingered	1	+1 Deftness to pick pockets, palm objects or plant something on someone.	Deftness at Familiar
Open-Sky Eyes	1	+1 Perception by sight in open country.	Plains elf
Orientation	1	+1 to navigate or find your way back.	None
Overlooked	1	+1 Stealth to go unnoticed among people: in a crowd, a household or a camp.	Halfling

Skill talents (continued)

Talent	Cost	Effect	Prerequisite
Play the Fool	1	+1 Performance or Deception when playing the fool: clowning to amuse a crowd, to draw eyes away from something, or to seem harmless.	None
Public Speaking	1	+1 Persuasion or Performance before a crowd.	None
River-Born	1	+1 to Boating, and to Athletics rolls to swim.	River elf
Rover	1	+1 Stealth in wilderness.	None
Saddle-Born	1	+1 Animal Handling with horses, including riding rolls.	Plains elf
Scale Sheer Surface	1	+1 Athletics to climb.	None
Sixth Sense	2	+1 to notice ambushes, pursuit or being watched.	Wits 4
Soul-Born	3	+1 Soul Magic.	Elf
Strong Swimmer	1	+1 to Athletics rolls to swim, and you can hold your breath twice as long as anyone else.	None
Stubborn	1	+1 to Resist (Coercion) when someone tries to argue, bully or order you into something you believe is wrong.	Halfling
Surgery	1	+1 Treat Wounds on serious injuries.	Treat Wounds at Familiar
Tale-Wise	1	+1 on rolls to recognise a spell, a rune device or a creature of the Worldsoul.	Human, seekers
Trapfinder	1	+1 to find and disarm traps.	None
Tunnel Rat	1	+1 Stealth underground.	None
Willing Pupil	1	+1 Persuasion when asking someone to teach you.	Human, seekers

Traits

Traits describe what a character is rather than something they do well. None of them adds to a skill roll.

Talent	Cost	Effect	Prerequisite
Adaptable	1	When the character is made, start at Familiar in one basic skill, or one basic group of a grouped skill, that is not on your first career's lists. It is still a skill outside your career, so further ranks in it cost triple.	Human
Attractive	1	+1 to first reaction rolls; no effect on being remembered.	None
Flee!	1	+1 Movement when running from danger.	None
Fleet Footed	3	+1 Movement.	Agility 4
Lucky	3	+1 Luck. Costs dwarves and elves 1 more (4).	None
Night Vision	1	Ignore penalties for dim light.	Elf or dwarf