Talents
Bought Info
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
When making any knowledge skill check, your character can instead use this talent to spend an amount of currency equal to fifty times the difficulty of the check and automatically succeed on the knowledge check with one uncanceled s (instead of rolling). At your GM's discretion, your character may not be able to use Bought Info if the information is particularly sensitive or difficult to find, or buying it doesn't make narrative sense.
Bullrush
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character makes a Brawl or Melee combat check after using a maneuver to engage a target, you may spend aaa or t to use this talent to knock the target prone and move them up to one range band away from your character.
Challenge!
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: Yes
Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to choose a number of adversaries within short range no greater than your character's ranks in Challenge! (a minion group counts as a single adversary for this purpose). Until the encounter ends or your character is incapacitated, these adversaries add b to combat checks targeting your character and bb to combat checks targeting other characters.
Clever Retort
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to add automatic hh to another character's social skill check.
Close Combatant
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When you purchase this talent, your character gains Brawl or Melee (your choice) as a career skill. In addition, once per session your character may use this talent to remove b from a melee combat check they make.
Corporate Drone
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character gains Knowledge (Society) or Negotiation as a career skill. In addition, once per session, your character may collect a small favor from any other member of a single corporation (chosen when you take this talent), even if they do not owe your character a favor.
Criminal Contact
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When you take this talent, your character gains Melee or Skulduggery (your choice) as a career skill. In addition, once per session your character may collect a small favor from a member of a single organised crime group (chosen when you take this talent), even if they do not owe your character a favor.
Customer Service Experience
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
After your character makes a Charm check, they may suffer 1 strain to use this talent to cancel h equal to your character's ranks in Customer Service Experience.
Deep Pockets
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may use this talent to produce a small but narratively useful item from their pockets, backpack, or similar receptacle (it turns out the item had been there the whole time).
Your GM has final say as to what items can be produced with Deep Pockets, but generally it them should cost less than 100 credits and have an encumbrance of 0 or 1.
Defensive Sysops
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When attempting to defend a computer system against intrusion (or when someone attempts to hack a computer owned or programmed by your character) your character adds bb to their opponent's checks. If your character has access to the computer system when the intrusion takes place, they are automatically aware of the intrusion.
Desperate Recovery
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Before your character heals strain at the end of an encounter, if their strain is more than half of their strain threshold, they heal two additional strain.
Disenfranchised
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When you take this talent, your character gains Streetwise or Survival (your choice) as a career skill. In addition, once per session your character may collect a small favor from any other disenfranchised character, even if they do not owe your character a favor.
Duelist
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character adds b to their melee combat checks while engaged with a single opponent. Your character adds b to their melee combat checks while engaged with three or more opponents.
Durable
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Your character reduces any Table Critical Injury result they suffer by 10 per rank of Durable, to a minimum of 01.
Fearsome
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
When an opponent becomes engaged with your character during a combat encounter, the opponent must make a fear check. The difficulty of the fear check is equal to your character's ranks in Fearsome. At the GM's discretion, some adversaries may be immune to this talent.
Finesse
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When making a Brawl or Melee check, your character may use Agility instead of Brawn.
Forager
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character removes up to bb from any skill checks they make to find food, water, or shelter. Checks to forage or search the area that your character makes take half the time they would normally.
Former Professor
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When you take this talent, your character gains one Knowledge skill (of your choice) as a career skill. In addition, once per session your character may collect a small favor from a member of an institute of higher learning, even if they do not owe your character a favor.
Grit
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Each rank of Grit increases your character's strain threshold by one.
Hamstring Shot
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Once per round, your character may use this talent to perform a ranged combat check against one non-vehicle target within range of the weapon used. If the check is successful, halve the damage inflicted by the attack (before reducing damage by the target's soak). The target is immobilized until the end of its next turn.
Hand on the Throttle
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per round while driving or piloting a vehicle, your character may use this talent to increase or decrease its speed by 1, to a minimum of 0 or a maximum of the vehicle's max speed.
Hard Headed
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: Yes
If your character is staggered, they may use this talent, even though a character is normally unable to perform any actions when they are staggered. Your character makes a Daunting (dddd) Resilience check . If they succeed, they are no longer staggered. The difficulty of this check decreases by one per additional rank of Hard Headed, to a minimum of Easy (d).
Iaijutsu Training
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
The first time during an encounter that your character draws a Melee weapon, increase the weapon's damage by 2 for the remainder of the turn.
Jump Up
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per round during your character's turn, your character may use this talent to stand from a prone or seated position as an incidental.
Knack for It
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
When you purchase this talent for your character, select one skill. Your character removes bb from any checks they make using this skill. Each additional time you purchase this talent for your character, select two additional skills. Your character also removes bb from any checks they make using these skills. You cannot select combat skills when choosing skills for this talent.
Knockout Punch
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character adds the Stun quality to their Brawl combat checks with a rating equal to two plus your character's ranks in Coordination (this does not stack with other instances of the Stun quality).
Know Somebody
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Once per session, when attempting to purchase a legally available item, your character may use this talent to reduce its rarity by one per rank of Know Somebody.
Let's Ride
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per round during your character's turn, your character can use this talent to mount or dismount from a vehicle or animal, or move from one position in a vehicle to another (such as from the cockpit to a gun turret) as an incidental. In addition, if your character suffers a short-range fall from a vehicle or animal, they suffer no damage and land on their feet.
Need for Speed
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When your character spends a to heal strain as part of a Piloting or Driving check while their vehicles' current speed is 3 or higher, they heal one strain for each speed above 2.
One with Nature
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When in the wilderness, your character may make a Simple (-) Survival check, instead of Discipline or Cool, to recover strain at the end of an encounter.
Painful Blow
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character makes a combat check, you may voluntarily increase the difficulty by one to use this talent. If the target suffers one or more wounds from the combat check, the target suffers 2 strain each time they perform a maneuver until the end of the encounter.
Parry
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: Yes
When your character suffers a hit from a melee combat check, after damage is calculated but before soak is applied, your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent to reduce the damage of the hit by two plus their ranks in Parry. This talent can only be used once per hit, and your character needs to be wielding a Melee weapon.
Precision
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When making a Brawl or Ranged (Light) check, your character may use Cunning instead of Brawn or Agility.
Proper Upbringing
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
When your character makes a social skill check in polite company (as determined by your GM), they may suffer a number of strain to use this talent to add an equal number of a to the check. The number may not exceed your character's ranks in Proper Upbringing.
Quick Draw
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per round on your character's turn, they may use this talent to draw or holster an easily accessible weapon or item as an incidental. Quick Draw also reduces a weapon's Prepare rating by one, to a minimum of one.
Quick Strike
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Your character adds b for each rank of Quick Strike to any combat checks they make against any targets that have not yet taken their turn in the current encounter.
Rapid Reaction
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: Yes
Your character may suffer a number of strain to use this talent to add an equal number of s to a Vigilance or Cool check they make to determine Initiative order. The number may not exceed your character's ranks in Rapid Reaction.
Resourceful Mechanic
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
When your character makes a Mechanics check to repair system strain or hull trauma on a vehicle, they repair one additional system strain or hull trauma per rank of Resourceful Mechanic.
Second Wind
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to heal an amount of strain equal to their ranks in Second Wind.
Shield Slam
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character uses a shield to attack a minion or rival, you may spend aaaa or t to stagger the target until the end of the target's next turn.
Silent Communication
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Your character can soundlessly communicate messages to allies within short range. Allies cannot reply in turn (unless they also possess this talent). The complexity and length of a message may be limited by your GM during structured gameplay, as it is with spoken communication, or based on the current situation of environmental conditions.
Increase the range of this talent by one range band for each additional rank of Silent Communication. This talent may be accomplished through sign language, strobing lights, or some other method that your character has established as a way for their allies to understand them.
Street Fighter
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character disorients or knocks their target prone when making a Brawl combat check, they may use this talent to cause the target to suffer wounds equal to your character's ranks in Skulduggery.
Street Habits
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When you purchase this talent, your character gains Streetwise or Stealth (your choice) as a career skill.
In addition, once per session while in an urban environment (usually when they aren't being watched closely), your character may freely acquire one small useful item that was not previously documented. The GM has final say as to what items can be acquired with Street Habits, but general the item should cost fewer than 100 credits and have an encumbrance of 0 or 1.
Surgeon
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
When your character makes a Medicine check to heal wounds, the target heals one additional wound per rank of Surgeon.
Swift
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character does not suffer the penalties for moving through difficult terrain (they move through difficult terrain at normal speed without spending additional maneuvers).
Talk Shop
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent when making a Charm check targeting an engineer, mechanic, scientist, or similar individual to count their ranks of Charm as equal to their ranks in Knowledge (Science) or Mechanics.
Torment
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
If their target is disoriented, staggered, or prone, your character may add b to social skill checks they make to inflict strain and combat checks.
Toughened
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Each rank of Toughened increases your character's wound threshold by two.
Tumble
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Once per round on your character's turn, they may suffer 2 strain to disengage from all engaged adversaries.
Union Member
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character gains Athletics, Mechanics, or Operating (your choice) as a career skill. In addition, once per session, your character may collect a small favor from a member of a trade union, even if they do not owe your character a favor.
Unremarkable
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Other characters add f to any checks made to find or identify your character in a crowd.
Veteran
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When you take this talent, your character gains Ranged (Heavy) or Resilience as a career skill. In addition, once per session, your character may collect a small favor from a current or former member of a single country's or corporation's military (chosen when you take this talent), even if they do not owe your character's a favor.
Web Search
Tier: 1Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
When your character has access to the internet, they can use this talent to upgrade the ability of the next Knowledge check they make that turn twice, and the difficulty of the check once. d means that they learn some seemingly relevant and believable information that turns out to be completely (and possibly maliciously) false.
Well Organized
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Your character increase their encumbrance threshold by two per rank of Well Organized.
Years on the Force
Tier: 1Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When you take this talent, your character gains Perception or Ranged (Light) as a career skill. In addition, once per session your character may collect a small favor from a current or former member of a single security service (chosen when you take this talent), even if they do no owe your character a favor.
Bad Cop
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Your character may spend aa from a Coercion or Deception check to use this talent to upgrade the ability of a single ally's subsequent social skill check a number of times equal to your character's ranks in Bad Cop. The check must target the same character as your character's initial check, and it must take place during the same encounter.
Only one character may affect a check with this talent.
Basic Military Training
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Athletics, Ranged (Heavy), and Resilience are now career skills for your character.
Big Guns
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character's encumbrance threshold is 10 plus their Brawn, instead of 5 plus their Brawn. Your character reduces the Cumbersome rating of any weapon she carries by 1, to a minimum of 3.
Block
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Parry talent to benefit from this talent. While wielding a ballistic shield, your character may use the Parry talent to reduce damage from ranged attacks as well as melee attacks targeting your character.
Bulwark
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Parry talent to benefit from this talent. While wielding a weapon with the Defensive quality, your character may use Parry to reduce the damage of an attack targeting an engaged ally.
Combat Medicine
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Before making a Medicine check, your character may use this talent to add s equal to their ranks in Combat Medicine to the results. After the check is resolved, the target suffers 2 strain for each rank your character has in Combat Medicine.
Coordinated Assault
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: Yes
Once per turn, your character may use this talent to have a number of allies engaged with your character equal to your ranks in Leadership add a to all combat checks they make until the end of your character's next turn. The range of this talent increases by one band per rank of Coordinated Assault beyond the first.
Counteroffer
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may use this talent to choose one non-nemesis adversary within medium range and make an opposed Negotiation versus Discipline check. If successful, the target becomes staggered until the end of their next turn. At your GM's discretion, you may spend t on this check to have the adversary become an ally until the end of the encounter. However, the duration of this may be shortened or extended depending on whether your GM feels your offer is appealing to the adversary and whether your character follows through on their offer!
Daring Aviator
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Before your character makes a Driving or Piloting check, they may add a number of h to the results to use this talent to add an equal number of s. The number may not exceed your character's ranks in Daring Aviator.
Defensive Stance
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
Once per round, your character may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Defensive Stance to use this talent. Then, until the end of your character's next turn, upgrade the difficulty of all melee combat checks targeting your character a number of times equal to the strain suffered.
Defensive Sysops (Improved)
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Defensive Sysops talent to benefit from this talent. Before adding bb from Defensive Sysops to a check, use this talent to add fh to the results of the check instead.
Determined Driver
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
You may spend a Story Point to use this talent to have your character heal system strain on a vehicle they are currently driving, piloting, or operating equal to their ranks in Driving, Piloting, or Operating (choose the skill used to direct the vehicle).
Dirty Tricks
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
After your character inflicts a Critical Injury on an adversary, they may use this talent to upgrade the difficulty of that adversary's next check.
Distraction!
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent to make an Average (dd) Coordination, Deception, or Skulduggery check . For each s the check generates, one adversary of your choice within short range becomes disoriented. Your character may spend a from the check to inflict 1 strain on an affected adversary and may spend t from the check to stagger a minion or rival within short range.
Dual Wielder
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
Once per round, your character may use this talent to decrease the difficulty of the next combined combat check they make during the same turn by one.
Fan the Hammer
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per encounter before making a combat check with a pistol (your GM has the final say on whether a weapon is a pistol or not), your character may use this talent to add the Auto-fire quality to the pistol when resolving the check. If your character does, the weapon runs out of ammo exactly as with an Out of Ammo result.
Flash of Insight
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When your character generates t on a knowledge skill check, roll bb and add the results to the check, in addition to spending the t as usual.
Good Cop
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Your character may spend aa from a Charm or Negotiation check to use this talent to upgrade the ability of a single ally's subsequent social skill check a number of times equal to your character's ranks in Good Cop. The check must target the same character as your character's initial check, and it must take place during the same encounter.
Only one character may affect a check with this talent.
Haughty Demeanor
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Other characters add h to social skill checks targeting your character.
Heightened Awareness
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Allies within short range of your character add b to their Perception and Vigilance checks. Allies engaged with your character add bb instead.
Implacable
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
When another character targets your character with a social skill check, your character reduces any strain they suffer as a result of that check by 1 per rank of Implacable. Your character's ranks in Implacable cannot exceed their Presence.
Inspiring Rhetoric
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent to make an Average (dd) Leadership check . For each s the check generates, one ally within short range heals one strain. For each a, one ally benefiting from Inspiring Rhetoric heals one additional strain.
Inventor
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
When your character makes a check to construct new items or modify existing ones, use this talent to add a number of b to the check equal to ranks of Inventor. In addition, your character may attempt to reconstruct devices that they have heard described but have not seen and do not have any kinds of plans or schematics for.
Know-It-All
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Before making a Knowledge skill check, your character may use this talent to add a number of b no greater than their Intellect. PCs and nemesis-level allies witnessing the check suffer strain equal to the number b added.
Lucky Strike
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character purchases this talent, choose one characteristic. After your character makes a successful combat check, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent to add damage equal to your character's ranks in that characteristic to one hit of the combat check.
Loot First
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may use this talent to spend any number of a from a check they make to gain 100 credits for each a spent this way. You must explain how the check gave your character the opportunity to "find" this money.
Parkour!
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
Once per round, your character may suffer 1 strain to use this talent and move to any location within Short range.
This includes locations that are vertically distant or have no easy access route, but there must be an object to move across or path to move along. Your GM may rule some locations cannot be reached (such as ones behind locked doors or walls).
Patch Up
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character fails a check made to heal wounds, they may instead heal a number of wounds equal to their Intellect. Once before the end of the session, d may be spent from a check the healed character makes to have them suffer a number of wounds equal to your character's Intellect. Your character may only use this talent on a particular target once per game session.
Probing Question
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
If your character knows an opponent's Flaw or Fear motivation, when your character inflicts strain on that opponent using a social skill, the opponent suffers 3 additional strain.
Pyromania
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When your character makes a combat check using a weapon with the Burn item quality, the attack inflicts additional damage equal to the weapon's Burn rating. (This does not increase the weapon's base damage).
Quick Fix
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
You may spend a Story Point to allow your character to use this talent to temporarily repair one damaged item they are engaged with. For a number of rounds equal to your character's ranks in Mechanics, the item may be used without penalty, even if it is unusable. When the effect ends, the item is damaged one additional step; if it was already suffering from major damage, it is destroyed and cannot be repaired.
Scathing Tirade
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent to make an Average (dd) Coercion check . For each s the check generates, one enemy within short range suffers 1 strain. For each a, one enemy affected by Scathing Tirade suffers 1 additional strain.
Sharp Tongue
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Your character reduces the number of a they must spend to inflict a critical remark in a social encounter by their ranks in Sharp Tongue, to a minimum of one a.
Side Step
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: Yes
Once per round, your character may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Side Step to use this talent. Until the end of your character's next turn, upgrade the difficulty of all ranged combat checks targeting your character a number of times equal to the strain suffered.
Sucker Punch
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent to spend t from a check they make to determine Initiative to make a Brawl combat check against a valid target before the first round of combat begins. If this combat check is successful, your character may activate the Disorient item quality without spending a.
Tactical Focus
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When performing a combat check with a Ranged (Heavy) weapon, if your character did not perform a maneuver to ready or stow a weapon or item during this turn, they add a to the results.
Threaten
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: Yes
After an adversary within short range of your character resolves a combat check that deals damage to one of your character's allies, your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent to inflict a number of strain on the adversary equal to your character's ranks in Coercion. The range of this talent increases by one band per rank of Threaten beyond the first.
Tickets to the Gun Show
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When making a Coercion check, your character may use this talent to use Brawn instead of Willpower.
Two-Handed Stance
Tier: 2Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When performing a combat check with a Ranged (Light) weapon, if your character has nothing in their other hand, they add a to the results.
Underworld Contacts
Tier: 2Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per session, you may spend one Story Point use this talent to let your character learn if a character of your choice is in the same country as you, and if so, what city.
At your GM's discretion, the information may take up to an hour to come back to your character.
Animal Companion
Tier: 3Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Your character creates a bond with a single animal approved by your GM. This animal must be silhouette 0 (no larger than a mid-sized dog). The bond persists as long as your character chooses, although at your GM's discretion, the bond may also be broken due to abusive treatment or other extenuating circumstances.
As long as the bond persists, the animal follows your character, and you dictate the animal's overall behavior (although, since the animal is only bonded with the character, not dominated, it may still perform inconvenient actions such as scratching furniture, consuming rations, and marking territory). Once per round in structured encounters, your character may spend one maneuver to direct their animal in performing one action and one maneuver during your character's turn. The animal must be within hearing and visual range of your character (generally medium range) to do this. Otherwise, the animal does not contribute to the encounter. The specifics of its behavior are up to you and your GM.
For every additional rank of Animal Companion your character has, increase the allowed silhouette of the companion by one (this may mean your character gets a new companion, or their companion grows in size).
This talent can also change in flavor depending on the nature of your game setting. While an animal companion may make sense in many settings, in a futuristic setting it may make more sense for the "animal" to be a robot or drone, for example.
Applied Research
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: Yes
Your character may use this talent before making a check to use any knowledge skill and Intellect instead of the skill and characteristic the check would normally require. Your character may use this talent a number of times per session equal to their ranks in Applied Research.
When your character uses this talent, you should explain how their mastery of knowledge lets them accomplish this task. In addition, your GM may rule that a particular knowledge skill makes the most sense in a given situation, and require your character to use that specific knowledge skill.
Bad Habit
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent to become disoriented for the remainder of the encounter. At the beginning of each of your character's turns, if they are still disoriented due to this talent, they heal 2 strain.
Barrel Roll
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character can only use this talent while piloting an airplane of Silhouette 3 or less. When your vehicle suffers a hit from a ranged combat check, after damage is calculated but before armor is applied, your character may have their vehicle suffer 3 system strain to use this talent. Then, reduce the damage suffered by a number equal to their ranks in Piloting.
Bloodhound
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character makes a check to follow another character's trail (whether their physical tracks or a trail of information), you may use this talent to add s no greater than your character's ranks in Streetwise or Survival, as appropriate for the environment, to the check results.
Body Guard
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: Yes
Once per round, your character may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Body Guard to use this talent. Choose one ally engaged with your character; until the end of your character's next turn, upgrade the difficulty of all combat checks targeting that ally a number of times equal to the strain suffered.
Contingency Plan
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per session, after you spend a Story Point as part of a check your character makes, if that check was unsuccessful then you may use this talent to move a Story Point from the GM pool to the player pool.
Counterattack
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Improved Parry talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses the Improved Parry talent to hit an attacker, they may also activate an item quality of the weapon they used as if they had generated aa on a combat check using that weapon.
Daredevil
Tier: 3Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When your character generates d on an Athletics, Coordination, Piloting, or Driving check, roll c and add the results to the check, in additional to the d being spent as normal.
Distinctive Style
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When making a Computers check to hack a system or break into a secured network, before rolling, your character may use this talent to add sshh to the results. If your check generates hh, your GM should spend it on the I Know You! option.
Dodge
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: Yes
When your character is targeted by a combat check (ranged or melee), they may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Dodge to use this talent. Then, upgrade the difficulty of the combat check targeting your character a number of times equal to the strain suffered.
Dramatic Entrance
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point to use this talent to enter a scene or encounter they are not currently participating in at an opportune time, no matter how unlikely their arrival. If the scene is a combat encounter or otherwise uses Initiative order, your character adds a new PC Initiative slot at the top of the Initiative order.
Dumb Luck
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per session, you may spend a Story Point to use this talent after your character suffers a Table Critical Injury but before the result is rolled. Their opponent must roll two results, and you select which applies to your character.
Eagle Eyes
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per encounter before making a ranged combat check, you may use this talent to increase your weapon's range by one range band (to a maximum of extreme range). This lasts for the duration of the combat check.
Easy Prey
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: No
Your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent. Until the start of your character's next turn, your character and allies within short range add bb to combat checks against immobilized targets.
Elusive
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
When another character makes a check to follow your character's trail (whether physical tracks or a trail of information), your character may use this talent to add f no greater than their ranks in Streetwise or Survival, as appropriate to the environment, to the check results.
Field Commander
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent to make an Average (dd) Leadership check . If successful, a number of allies equal to your character's Presence may immediately suffer 1 strain to perform one maneuver (out of turn). If there are any questions as to which allies take their maneuvers first, your character is the final arbiter.
Forgot to Count?
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
When an opponent makes a ranged combat check, you can spend hh from that check to use this talent to cause their weapon to run out of ammo, as long as the weapon can normally run out of ammunition.
Full Throttle
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
While driving or flying, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (ddd) Piloting or Driving check . If successful, the top speed of the vehicle increases by one (to a maximum of 5) for a number of rounds equal to your character's Cunning.
Grenadier
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character makes a ranged combat check with a weapon that has the Blast item quality, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent to trigger the weapon's Blast quality, instead of spending a (even if the attack misses). In addition, your character treats grenades as having a range of medium.
Hard Boiled
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character makes a check to recover strain at the end of an encounter, your character may make a Simple (-) Resilience check instead of Discipline or Cool. If your character does so, they heal 1 strain per s and 1 wound per a.
Hard Headed (Improved)
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Hard Headed talent to benefit from this talent. Your character may use the Hard Headed talent to recover from being incapacitated due to exceeding their strain threshold. On their next turn after having become incapacitated, they may make a Formidable (ddddd) Resilience check , even though an incapacitated character is normally unable to perform actions. If they succeed, they decrease their strain to one less that their strain threshold. The difficulty of this check decreases by per additional rank of Hard Headed, to a minimum of Easy (d).
Heroic Will
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
When you purchase this talent for your character, choose two characteristics. You may spend a Story Point to use this talent to have your character ignore the effects of all Table Critical Injuries on any skill checks using those two characteristics until the end of the current encounter. (Your character still suffers the Table Critical Injuries; they just ignore the effects.)
Hold it Steady
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Before performing a combat check using a weapon with the Auto-fire quality, your character may use this talent to use the Auto-fire quality without increasing the difficulty of the combat check. If they do so, each time they trigger an additional hit during the attack, they suffer 2 strain.
Inspiring Rhetoric (Improved)
Tier: 3Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Inspiring Rhetoric talent to benefit from this talent. Allies affected by your character's Inspiring Rhetoric add b to all skill checks they make for a number of rounds equal to your character's ranks in Leadership.
Laugh it Off
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
When your character is targeted by a social check that they may use this talent to spend hhh or d to reduce any strain the check inflicts by a number equal to their ranks in Charm. If they do, the character who targeted them suffers an amount of strain equal to the amount of strain reduced.
Martial Weapons Master
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
While armed with a Melee weapon, your character may use this talent to make an Average (dd) Melee check . If successful, your character may force one engaged target to either drop one weapon they are holding or move one range band in a direction of your choosing.
If your character forces a named rival or nemesis into dangerous terrain (or off a ledge or cliff) using this talent, your GM can spend a Story Point to allow them to catch themselves at the edge and fall prone instead.
Natural
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character purchases this talent, choose two skills. Once per session, your character may use this talent to reroll one skill check that uses one of those two skills.
Nimble
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
At the start of your character's turn, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent to allow your character to perform a move maneuver as an incidental. (This does not count against the limit of two maneuvers per turn.) If you use this talent, your character can only perform one additional move maneuver during this turn.
Parry (Improved)
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Parry talent to benefit from this talent. When your character suffers a hit from a melee combat check and uses Parry to reduce the damage from that hit, after the attack is resolved, you may spend d or hhh from the attacker's check to use this talent. Then, your character automatically hits the attacker once with a Brawl or Melee weapon your character is wielding. The hit deals the weapon's base damage, plus any damage from applicable talents or abilities. Your character can't use this talent if the original attack incapacitates them.
Precise Shooting
Tier: 3Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When making a Ranged combat check targeting a character engaged with one of your character's allies, downgrade the difficulty of the check once (thus negating the penalty for shooting at engaged targets).
Pressure Point
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character makes an unarmed Brawl check targeting a living opponent, they may use this talent to deal strain damage instead of wound damage, and inflict additional strain damage equal to their ranks in Medicine.
Scathing Tirade (Improved)
Tier: 3Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Scathing Tirade talent to benefit from this talent. Enemies affected by your character's Scathing Tirade add b to all skill checks they make for a number of rounds equal to your character's ranks in Coercion.
Shameless
Tier: 3Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
When your character fails a social skill check to inflict strain during a social encounter, they do not suffer 2 strain.
Stimpack Specialization
Tier: 3Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
When your character uses stimpacks, the target heals one additional wound per rank of Stimpack Specialization. The sixth stimpack and beyond each day still has no effect.
Suppressing Fire
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Maneuver)
Ranked: Yes
If your character does not make a combat check during their turn, they may use this talent to target one character (or minion group) within long range. That character must upgrade the difficulty of any ranged combat checks they make once until the end of your character's next turn. Your character may choose to affect one additional character for each additional rank of Suppressing Fire.
Your character must be holding a ranged weapon to use this talent.
Your GM can also rule that your character can't use this talent if they have no line of fire or range to the target.
Takedown
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character may use this talent to make an opposed Brawl vs. Resilience check targeting one engaged opponent. If the check succeeds, the target is knocked prone and immobilized until the end of your character's next turn. If the target is a minion or rival, your character may spend t to incapacitate (but not kill) the target instead.
Underworld Contacts (Improved)
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Underworld Contacts talent to benefit from this talent. When you use Underworld Contacts, you may choose to spend two Story Points instead of one. If you do, your character learns the target's specific location.
You Owe Me One
Tier: 3Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per session, you may spend two Story Points to use this talent to have one NPC in the current encounter owe your character a favor. If the favor is not resolved by the end of the encounter, it is forgotten.
It's up to you and your GM to determine exactly why the NPC owes your character a favor.
Back-to-Back
Tier: 4Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
While engaged with one or more allies, your character and allies they are engaged with add b to combat checks. If one or more allies engaged with your character also have Back-to-Back, the effects are cumulative to a maximum of bb.
Can't We Talk About This?
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character can use this talent to make an opposed Charm or Deception versus Discipline check targeting a single non-nemesis adversary within medium range. If the check succeeds, the target cannot attack your character (or perform hostile actions against your character) until the end of their next turn. You may spend aa to increase the length of the effect by one additional turn, and spend t to extend the benefits to all of their identified allies within short range. The effect ends immediately if your character or a known ally attacks the target. In addition, your GM may rule that some targets are immune to this ability. An automated sentry turret, for example, has no interest in resolving a conflict through talking, nor would someone consumed by rage and the desire for revenge against your character.
Deadeye
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
After your character inflicts a Table Critical Injury with a ranged weapon and rolls the result, your character may suffer 2 strain to use this talent. Then, you may select any Table Critical Injury of the same severity to apply to the target instead.
Defensive
Tier: 4Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Each rank of Defensive increases your character's melee defense and ranged defense by one.
Defensive Driving
Tier: 4Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Increase the defense of any vehicle your character pilots by one per rank of Defensive Driving.
Dramatic Entrance (Improved)
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Dramatic Entrance talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses Dramatic Entrance, they may choose to have all allies in the encounter heal 2 strain or to have all enemies in the encounter suffer 2 strain.
Dramatic Escape
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point to use this talent to escape from a dangerous, unpleasant, or awkward situation. The means by which they accomplish this, and where they escape to, should depend on the narrative, but your character takes no further part in the encounter or scene. After the encounter is complete or the situation is safe (as defined based on the situation), your character rejoins their companions via appropriate, if not necessarily plausible, means.
Elementary
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (ddd) Perception check while present at a crime scene. If they succeed, they identify all prominent physical characteristics of one person who was at the crime scene when the crime was committed (as long as the crime was committed in the past 48 hours). This could include a person's height, weight, body type, clothing, and if they are human or not. Your character may identify all the physical characteristics of one additional person present at the crime scene per additional s.
Enduring
Tier: 4Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Each rank of Enduring increases your character's soak value by one.
Field Commander (Improved)
Tier: 4Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Field Commander talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses the Field Commander talent, your character affects a number of allies equal to twice the character's Presence. In addition, you may spend t to allow one ally to suffer 1 strain to perform an action, instead of a maneuver.
Hard Headed (Supreme)
Tier: 4Activation: Active (action)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Hard Headed talent to benefit from this talent. Once per encounter, your character may use Hard Headed to recover from being incapacitated due to exceeding their wound threshold. On their next turn after having become incapacitated, they may make a Formidable (ddddd) Resilience check , even though an incapacitated character is normally unable to perform actions. If they succeed, decrease their wounds to one less that their wound threshold. The difficulty of this check decreases by one per additional rank of Hard Headed, to a minimum of Easy (d).
How Convenient!
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (ddd) Mechanics check . If successful, one device involved in the current encounter (subject to your GM's approval) spontaneously fails. This can be because of your character's actions, or it can simply be incredibly convenient timing!
Ingenious Solution
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Once per session, before making a check your character may use this talent to substitute a Knowledge skill of their choice instead of the skill the check would normally require. You should explain how your character's ingenious solution made this possible-in laypeople's terms, anyway.
Inspiring Rhetoric (Supreme)
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Inspiring Rhetoric talent to benefit from this talent. Your character may choose to suffer 1 strain to use the Inspiring Rhetoric talent as a maneuver, instead of as an action.
It's Not That Bad
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per game session, when an ally is about to suffer a critical injury, the character can take an It's Not That Bad incidental to make a Hard (ddd) Medicine check. If successful, the ally does not gain the Critical Injury and does not suffer any of its normal effects (although the attack that caused the Critical Injury still deals its damage as normal).
Mad Inventor
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may use this talent to make a Mechanics check to attempt to cobble together the functional equivalent of any item using spare parts or salvage. The difficulty of the check is based on the item's rarity. Your GM will modify the check based on the circumstances and might decide that some items simply can't be created with what's available (if you are being held in a prison cell, for instance). Your GM may spend d on the check to indicate the item ends up being dangerous to the user and anyone around them in some way. For instance, a pistol might explode instead of running out of ammo, or a breathing mask might make the user light-headed.
Offensive Driving
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
While driving or piloting a vehicle, your character may use this talent to select one other vehicle within medium range and make an opposed Driving or Piloting verus Driving or Piloting check (depending on whether your character and their opponent are using Driving or Piloting to control their vehicle) targeting the other vehicle's driver or pilot. If successful, roll twice on the Vehicle Critical Hit Result table. Choose one Critical Hit result to apply to your character's vehicle, and the other to apply to the other vehicle. You may spend t to add +20 to one Critical Hit result. Your GM may spend d to add +20 to both Critical Hit results.
Parkour! (Improved)
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Parkour! talent to benefit from this talent. Once per round, when using the Parkour! talent, your character may suffer 4 strain instead of 1 strain to move to any location within medium range instead of short range. All other restrictions of Parkour! apply to this movement.
Quick Witted
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per encounter, after another character makes a social skill check, your character may use this talent to make an Average (dd) Vigilance check . If successful, you may add a number of s or a (your choice) equal to your character's ranks in Charm to the other character's check. If your character fails, your character suffers 3 strain.
Scathing Tirade (Supreme)
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Scathing Tirade talent to benefit from this talent. Your character may choose to suffer 1 strain to use the Scathing Tirade talent as a maneuver, instead of as an action.
Stunned Silence
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When your character makes a social skill check to inflict strain during a social encounter, they may use this talent to spend aaa or t to stagger the target for one round.
Urban Combatant
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
When your character is targeted by a combat check while in an urban environment, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent before the dice pool is rolled. If you do so, your character's opponent removes all b added to the check, and instead adds an equal number of f to the results.
You Owe Me One (Improved)
Tier: 4Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the You Owe Me One talent to benefit from this talent. Once per session, you may spend two Story Points to use You Owe Me One to have one NPC in the current encounter owe your character a big favor instead of a favor. If the big favor is not resolved by the end of the encounter, it is forgotten.
Dedication
Tier: 5Activation: Passive
Ranked: Yes
Each rank of Dedication increases one of your character's characteristics by one. This talent cannot increase a characteristic above 5. You cannot increase the same characteristic with Dedication twice.
Dramatic Entrance (Supreme)
Tier: 5Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased Dramatic Entrance talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses Dramatic Entrance, they may immediately perform one action. If this interrupts another character's turn or activity, that character resumes their turn or activity after the action is resolved
Indomitable
Tier: 5Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per encounter, when your character would be incapacitated due to exceeding their wound or strain threshold, you may spend a Story Point to use this talent. Then, your character is not incapacitated until the end of their next turn. If your character reduces their strain or wounds to below their threshold before the end of their next turn, they are not incapacitated.
Let's Talk This Over
Tier: 5Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per game session, when a combat encounter against one or more sentient beings is about to begin, the character make a Daunting (dddd) Charm check . If successful, the combat encounter instead becomes a social encounter, with the PCs attempting to convince their opposition to back down, come around to their viewpoint, or accept a compromise. The GM is the final arbiter of how the situation resolves without violence (or how the combat encounter continues if the character's check is unsuccessful).
Master
Tier: 5Activation: Active (Incidental)
Ranked: No
When you purchase this talent for your character, choose one skill. Once per round, your character may suffer 2 strain to use this talent to reduce the difficulty of the next check they make using that skill by two, to a minimum of Easy (d).
Master Plan
Tier: 5Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Once per session, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (ddd) Discipline check . If they succeed, they reveal that whatever terrible circumstances they currently find themselves in are all part of a brilliant plan that they established at an earlier point. They then choose one non-nemesis adversary in the encounter and reveal them to be a close friend or ally who has positioned themselves to help your character at this exact moment.
The details of which character turns out to be an ally depend on the type of encounter and your GM's approval. However, the ally could also have done their work beforehand, such as loading a squadron of drones with blank ammunition, shutting down power to a security system, or planting a tracer in an opponent's vehicle.
Retribution
Tier: 5Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
Ranked: No
Once per round when an adversary attacks an ally within medium range, your character may spend one Story Point to use this talent to automatically hit that enemy once with a weapon your character is wielding, if the enemy is within the weapon's range. The hit deals the weapon's base damage, plus any damage from applicable talents or abilities.
Ruinous Repartee
Tier: 5Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to make an opposed Charm or Coercion versus Discipline check targeting one character within medium range (or within earshot). If successful, the target suffers strain equal to twice your character's Presence, plus one additional strain per s. Your character heals strain equal to the strain inflicted. If incapacitated due to this talent, the target could flee the scene in shame, collapse in a dejected heap, or throw themself at your character in fury, depending on your GM and the nature of your character's witty barbs.
Sharp Tongue (Improved)
Tier: 5Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Your character must have purchased the Sharp Tongue talent to benefit from this talent. When your character inflicts a critical remark in a social encounter, they may for the target to capitulate.
Whirlwind
Tier: 5Activation: Active (Action)
Ranked: No
Your character may suffer 4 strain to use this talent to make a Brawl or Melee attack against the engaged adversary who is hardest to hit (as determined by the GM), increasing the difficulty by one. If the combat check succeeds, each adversary engaged with the character suffers one hit from the attack, that deals base damage plus damage equal to the total s scored on the check.
Zealous Fire
Tier: 5Activation: Passive
Ranked: No
Each time your Game Master spends a Story Point, your character heals 2 strain.
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