Perks
Collector (1–5)
The character has an exceptional eye for valuable, unusual, historical, or collectible objects. They instinctively notice details that others overlook and are skilled at recognizing authenticity, rarity, craftsmanship, and market value.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to Scholar or Investigation tests involving the identification or appraisal of collectibles, antiques, artifacts, or valuable objects. |
| 2 | +2 to such tests. |
| 3 | +3 to such tests. |
| 4 | +1D to such tests. The character can often recognize fakes, reproductions, or hidden value with only a brief examination. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to such tests. The character is considered an expert collector and appraiser within their chosen field of interest. |
When this Talent is selected, choose a field of specialization, such as: Ancient Artifacts, Artwork, Coins and Currency, Historical Documents, Jewelry and Gems, Rare Books, Relics, Stamps, Vintage Weapons, Xenological Artifacts.
This Talent may be selected multiple times, each time applying to a different field of specialization.
Common Sense (1)
The character possesses exceptional practical judgment and an instinct for avoiding obvious mistakes. They are quick to recognize flawed plans, dangerous situations, and solutions that might otherwise be overlooked.
Once per game session, the player may ask the Game Master: “What would my character reasonably know, notice, or realize in this situation?”
The Game Master should provide advice or information appropriate to the character’s knowledge, experience, and current circumstances. This may include pointing out an obvious danger, reminding the player of previously learned information, suggesting a practical course of action, or warning against a clearly poor decision.
Common Sense does not reveal hidden information, solve mysteries, or replace successful skill tests. It simply represents the character exercising sound judgment and practical reasoning.
Eidetic Memory (1–5)
The character possesses an exceptional ability to recall information, experiences, and sensory details with remarkable accuracy.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to Scholar, Languages, and Investigation tests involving memory or recall. |
| 2 | +2 to Scholar, Languages, and Investigation tests involving memory or recall. |
| 3 | +3 to Scholar, Languages, and Investigation tests involving memory or recall. |
| 4 | +1D to Scholar, Languages, and Investigation tests involving memory or recall. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to Scholar, Languages, and Investigation tests involving memory or recall. The character can accurately remember conversations, documents, maps, faces, and other details after only brief exposure. |
Eidetic Memory does not grant knowledge the character has never learned or perceived. It only improves the ability to accurately recall previously acquired information.
Healthy Paranoia (1–5)
The character is naturally suspicious, alert, and constantly aware that things may not be as they seem. While not truly paranoid, they are difficult to deceive, ambush, or catch off guard.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to resist Stealth, Deception, Persuasion, and surprise. |
| 2 | +2 to resist Stealth, Deception, Persuasion, and surprise. |
| 3 | +3 to resist Stealth, Deception, Persuasion, and surprise. |
| 4 | +1D to Perception tests to detect ambushes, hidden threats, and suspicious activity. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to Perception tests to detect ambushes, hidden threats, and suspicious activity. The character is rarely completely surprised. |
The character’s cautious habits, attention to detail, and constant awareness make them difficult targets for manipulation or covert action.
Fortuitous Discovery (1–3)
The character has an uncanny knack for finding useful objects in unexpected places. Whether through sharp observation, experience, or simple good fortune, they often notice equipment, supplies, or opportunities that others overlook.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | Once per session, the character may declare that they find a common, inexpensive item that could reasonably be present in the current location, subject to Game Master approval. |
| 2 | Once per session, the character may instead locate an uncommon or particularly useful item that could plausibly exist in the area. |
| 3 | Once per session, the character may discover a valuable clue, hidden compartment, forgotten cache, or piece of equipment that logically fits the circumstances, subject to Game Master approval. |
This Talent never creates items from nothing, nor does it reveal objects that could not reasonably exist in the current environment. It represents exceptional resourcefulness and fortunate timing rather than supernatural luck.
Light Sleeper (1–3)
The character sleeps lightly and is easily awakened by unusual sounds, movement, or disturbances. Years of hardship, military training, or natural instinct have made the character unusually alert, even while asleep.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to Perception tests to awaken from unusual noises, movement, or disturbances. |
| 2 | +2 to such Perception tests. The character is rarely caught completely unaware while sleeping. |
| 3 | +1D to such Perception tests. If awakened by danger, the character may act normally during the first round without penalties for being asleep. |
Light Sleeper applies only while the character is asleep. It does not affect attempts to surprise the character while awake.
Iron Stomach (1–5)
The character possesses an unusually resilient digestive system and remarkable tolerance for spoiled food, contaminated water, alcohol, mild poisons, and other substances that would make most people sick.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to Stamina tests to resist food poisoning, alcohol, motion sickness, and similar ailments. |
| 2 | +2 to such Stamina tests. |
| 3 | +3 to such Stamina tests. |
| 4 | +1D to such Stamina tests and reduce the duration of any resulting effects by half. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to such Stamina tests. The character rarely suffers ill effects from spoiled food, contaminated water, excessive alcohol, or naturally occurring toxins. |
Iron Stomach does not provide immunity to diseases, powerful poisons, chemical weapons, or other hazards. Such protections are represented by the Immunity Talent or other Special Talents.
Luck (1–5)
Some individuals seem destined to be in the right place at the right time. Whether through fate, divine favor, uncanny instinct, or sheer coincidence, luck often bends events in their favor. At the beginning of each game session, the character gains a number of Luck Points equal to their Luck Level.
A Luck Point may be spent to perform one of the following:
- Reroll a Test: Reroll one Test after the result is known. The new result must be accepted.
- Twist Fate: Force another character to reroll a completed Test. The new result must be accepted.
- Lucky Break: Reroll the Wild Die from a completed Test. The new Wild Die replaces the original and any explosions are resolved normally.
- Burst of Action: Immediately gain one additional Action this Turn without suffering Multi-Action penalties.
- Fortunate Circumstance: With the Game Master’s approval, introduce a minor fortunate circumstance that does not significantly alter the story.
Unused Luck Points are lost at the end of the session. Only one Luck Talent may be possessed by a character.
Perfect Timing (1–3)
The character possesses an uncanny sense for acting at precisely the right moment. Whether through instinct, experience, or extraordinary intuition, they often seem to know exactly when to move, speak, or act.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | Once per session, after making any skill roll, the character may reroll one failed die before the result is determined. The second result must be used. |
| 2 | Once per session, the character may interrupt another character’s declared action, provided they have an available action remaining this round. |
| 3 | Once per session, the character may either reroll one failed die or immediately move to the top of the Initiative Order for the current round. |
Perfect Timing represents exceptional instinct rather than supernatural foresight. It does not allow the character to predict future events or gain information they could not reasonably perceive.
Presence (1–5)
The character possesses an unusual personal presence that naturally draws attention and commands notice. Whether through appearance, confidence, bearing, charisma, reputation, or sheer force of personality, people tend to pay attention when the character enters a room.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to Persuasion when bargaining, commanding, performing, seducing, or otherwise interacting directly with others. |
| 2 | +2 to Persuasion in such situations. |
| 3 | +3 to Persuasion in such situations. |
| 4 | +1D to Persuasion and Command when interacting face-to-face. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to Persuasion and Command when interacting face-to-face. |
The exact nature of the character’s presence should be defined when this Talent is selected. Presence may represent beauty, confidence, authority, charm, mystery, intimidation, or another distinctive quality.
Push Through
You have an exceptional ability to draw upon hidden reserves of strength and endurance when the situation demands it. By pushing yourself beyond your normal limits, you can perform feats that would otherwise be impossible—but doing so comes at a cost.
After making a Strength, Athletics, Initiative, or Movement Test, you may immediately make a Willpower Test. If successful, add the Result Points from the Willpower Test to the original Test. Using Push Through immediately causes 1 level of Fatigue, regardless of whether the Willpower Test succeeds.
Push Through may be used only once per scene unless the Game Master determines extraordinary circumstances exist.
Quick Draw
You have mastered the art of drawing and readying weapons with incredible speed, allowing you to transition seamlessly between offense and defense.
Once per Turn, you may Ready one eligible weapon as a free action instead of spending an Action.
In addition, during the first round of combat, you gain +2 to your Initiative Test if you begin the encounter with your weapon unready and declare that you are using Quick Draw. If there is a Tie, you go first.
Quickness (1-3)
The character possesses exceptional speed, coordination, and the ability to perform multiple tasks in rapid succession. Each Rank increases the character’s Multi-Action Limit by one.
| Rank | Benefit |
| 1 | Increase your Multi-Action Limit by +1. |
| 2 | Increase your Multi-Action Limit by +2. |
| 3 | Increase your Multi-Action Limit by +3. |
Quickness may be selected multiple times, up to a maximum of Rank 3.
Additionally, Characters with Quickness always win Initiative ties against characters who do not possess this Talent. If both have Quickness, compare Agility, then reroll if still tied.
Sense of Direction (1–5)
The character possesses an exceptional natural sense of direction and spatial awareness. They rarely become lost and instinctively maintain their bearings, even in unfamiliar environments.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to Navigation and Search (Tracking) tests involving orientation or determining direction. |
| 2 | +2 to such tests. |
| 3 | +3 to such tests. |
| 4 | +1D to such tests. The character can usually determine the cardinal directions without external references. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to such tests. The character almost never becomes lost under natural conditions and can often retrace previously traveled routes from memory. |
This Talent does not negate magical, psionic, technological, or supernatural effects specifically designed to confuse direction or navigation, though it may assist in resisting or overcoming them at the Game Master’s discretion.
Skeptic (1–5)
The character rarely accepts claims, appearances, or explanations without evidence. They habitually question assumptions, examine details, and look for flaws in logic or deception.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to resist Deception, Persuasion, confidence schemes, and similar attempts at manipulation. |
| 2 | +2 to resist Deception, Persuasion, confidence schemes, and similar attempts at manipulation. |
| 3 | +3 to resist Deception, Persuasion, confidence schemes, and similar attempts at manipulation. |
| 4 | +1D to identify lies, inconsistencies, forged evidence, or flawed reasoning. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to identify lies, inconsistencies, forged evidence, or flawed reasoning. |
The character’s questioning nature often makes them difficult to fool, but may also make them slow to trust unfamiliar people, organizations, or extraordinary claims.
Unflappable (1–5)
The character remains calm under pressure and rarely allows fear, intimidation, shock, or emotional turmoil to affect their judgment. Strange sights, dangerous situations, and unexpected events are met with steady nerves and practical thinking.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | +1 to resist Fear, Intimidation, and emotional manipulation. |
| 2 | +2 to resist Fear, Intimidation, and emotional manipulation. |
| 3 | +3 to resist Fear, Intimidation, and emotional manipulation. |
| 4 | +1D to resist Fear, Intimidation, and emotional manipulation. |
| 5 | +1D+1 to resist Fear, Intimidation, and emotional manipulation. |
The character remains composed in situations that would unsettle most people. This Talent is incompatible with Phobias and similar Drawbacks.