General Perks

Acute Sense

Whether you were born this way or it developed, one of your five senses is much stronger than those of an average pony. Choose sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. You gain the following benefits:

You gain Edge on Alertness Skill Tests where your chosen sense can be applied.

You gain ↑1 on non-Alertness Skill Tests where your chosen sense can be applied.

The information you gain from a successful Skill Test relates to your chosen sense. If you choose sight, you’ll get roughly the same information the average pony gets on a success, you’re just more likely to succeed. If you choose taste, it won’t come up as often as the other senses (please don’t go around licking everything), but when it does come up, you will get a suite of information ponies looking around might miss!

You can choose this Perk up to five times; once for each Sense.

Adolescent Attitude

Finding your place in the world, you gain the following benefits:

You may reroll 1s on Skill dice used for Social Skill Tests.

Once per scene, you can roll an untrained Skill Test as if you had a d2 Rank.

Always Alert

Always aware of your surroundings, you gain the following benefits:

You gain Edge on Initiative Skill Tests.

You can’t be Surprised as long as you are conscious.

Animal Friend

You see wild animals as being just as important and social as ponies and other sentient creatures in Equestria. When dealing socially with an animal, you are always considered to have a Specialization.

Animal Pet

Prerequisite: Animal Handling d4+

Wherever you go, a loyal animal follows you. You gain an animal pet.

You can choose this Perk up to three times, each time either gaining a new pet, or improving a single pet with a new advance. See Pets for more detail on animal pets and advances.

Appraiser^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

You know the value of things. When trying to determine the monetary value of an item (or possibly a service at the GM's discretion) you gain ↑1 to the Skill Test.

Baker

When you don’t have a recipe in the oven, you have one in mind. You can use Culture or Perform Skill Tests in place of Wealth Tests when the Test is related to food.

Bowl Over

You are adept at throwing your weight around. You can use a Free action to gain Edge when attempting to shove another creature.

Compassionate

Prerequisite: Social 3

You go out of your way to help, gaining the following benefits:

You gain Edge on Diplomacy Skill Tests to suggest non-aggressive solutions.

You can heal a target 1 Damage with a successful DIF 12 Persuasion Skill Test.

You gain Edge on Skill Tests to acquire food, water, medicine, or shelter for other creatures.

Competitor^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

You are at your best when you are being challenged. If you are in a contest where there is a clear winner and looser (except combat), you gain ↑1 on the Skill you are using for the challenge.

Dabbler

You change your mind as often as you change your clothes: Once a day. Every morning, you can choose to lower a Skill by 1 Rank and increase another Skill of the same Essence Score (or your Spellcasting skill) by 1 Rank. This change reverts back to normal when you wake the next day, and so cannot be used to make permanent changes.

Dig Deep

You have a deep reserve of fighting spirit, gaining the following benefits:

Once per scene, you can ignore 1 Damage by suffering Snag on all Skill Tests until the end of your next turn.

Once per scene, you can restore 1d2 Health by forfeiting your entire turn.

Dodgy

Prerequisite: Speed 3

Fast and nimble on your hooves, you gain the following benefits:

A +2 bonus to your Evasion.

On any round where you do not move more than 5 feet you may Defend as a Free action.

Dress Maker

You always dress for the occasion. You can use Culture or Perform Skill Tests in place of Wealth Tests to buy clothing and fashion accessories.

Educated

Prerequisite: Smarts 3

You have learned a lot from being in school, gaining the following benefits:

Add an additional Friendship Point to your team’s pool each game session.

Once per day, you can act as though you have a Specialization in any Smarts Skill.

Experienced Spellcaster*

Prerequisite: Magical, and Spellcasting d2

Your magical study focuses on spells. You gain ↑1 on your Spellcasting skill when using you abilities to cast magical spells.

Expertise

You have been practicing diligently. Choose a Skill with d4 Rank or higher for this Perk to apply to. You gain the following benefits to the chosen Skill:

Ignore the first ↓1 applied to your Skill Tests.

You may reroll 1s on any Skill dice rolled.

You may take this Perk up to three times, but for different Skills.

Extra Effective Spell*

Prerequisite: Magical, and Spellcasting d4

Your spells have greater impact. When you cast a spell, you can pay double the Cost to double the effect.

Farmer

You learned at a young age how to live off the land. You can use Brawn or Survival Skill Tests in place of Wealth Tests related to buying simple, practical items.

Fast

You are incredibly quick, gaining the following benefits:

You gain a ↑2 bonus to Initiative Skill Tests.

Choose one movement type you already possess and increase it by 10 feet.

Fearsome

You make other creatures nervous. Intimidation is a Social Skill for you, in addition to being a Strength Skill. You gain a ↑1 on Intimidation Skill Tests with your hard stare.

Frenemy

Sometimes, you know your enemies as well as your friends, and might even enjoy the challenge of facing each other, even with no quarter. When you use an ability that targets 'a friend', you can instead target any creature with it, even if you don’t know them very well or you don’t get along.

Gallant

You dress for the occasion, and yet you always stand out. You gain ↑1 on Social Skill Tests in Scenes where no creatures are acting aggressively and your style might influence how other creatures act.

Good Society^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

You are naturally aware of the finer points of etiquette and correct behavior. You gain ↑1 to any Skill Test requiring formality and politeness, even if you are in a culture you do not fully understand.

Home/Healthy Cooking

Not only are your recipes delicious, they’re good for you! You can use Culture or Perform in place of Science Skill Tests to Heal damage in scenes where no creatures are acting aggressively.

Illusionist

You are not a magical pony, but don’t tell anypony that. You may appear to cast any Elementary or Superior spell, using a Deception or Science Skill Test instead of Spellcasting. On a success, onlookers believe you have actually cast the spell (using all manner of smoke and mirrors). However, the spells only appear to work, they don’t actually work. So you can’t deal damage, heal, fly, or read minds, but you can look as if you have.

Inspired

You are driven to do great things, and it shows. You may reroll one die (any die at all) once per day.

Interpose^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

If an ally in combat who is adjacent to you suffers health damage as a result of a physical attack, you can selflessly step in front of the attack and suffer the damage instead. This action requires no test and does not cost an action, but you suffer the full damage of the attack.

Iron Hooves

Prerequisite: Strength 3

Your kicks strike hard and true. Your unarmed attacks deal +1 Damage.

Long Lasting Spell*

Prerequisite:

Magical, and Spellcasting d4

Your spells linger. When you cast a spell, you can pay double its Cost to double the Duration.

Luck

You must have been born under a lucky sign, have a guardian angel, or some kind of karmic boon that keeps you from making terrible mistakes. You may re-roll any natural 1 on any Skill Die of d4 or higher you roll. You must accept the second result.

Magical

You are a magical pony and are capable of casting spells. When you invest Skill Points into the Spellcasting Skill, you also Master a spell. You can only Master a Superior spell when you have at least d6 in Spellcasting, and a Virtuoso spell when you have a d10 in Spellcasting.

Prankster

When somepony lets their guard down around you, they leave themselves open for a prank. You gain Edge on any Social Skill Tests made against Surprised creatures.

Potion Brewer*

Prerequisite: Spellcasting d4

You get more out of a cauldron than magical ponies get out of spellbooks. You can craft Magic Bauble potions out of spells you haven’t Mastered without needing to Research them first.

Quick Thinker

You’ve always been a smart cookie. On your turn, you gain a number of Free actions equal to Your Smarts Essence minus 2, instead of your Speed Essence minus 2.

Royal Griffon Defense Force^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

You are a member of the noble armored Griffon Defense Force. As such you own a suit of armor that grants +3 to Toughness but does not affect your flying ability. While you are wearing it you gain ↑1 on any social tests with griffons. However, losing the armor will cause you great shame until you can reclaim it.

Rightful Place^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

You feel a lot happier if you are in charge of everything. If the player character group agrees to put you in charge (once/game session) and carries out your instructions as you intended them to be followed, you may heal 1 Health of Essence loss suffered from Stress.

Sky Warrior^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

You are highly skilled in aerial combat. While fighting in the air, whether your opponent is on the ground or not, you get ↑1 to your attack.

Something is Off^

This Perk is best suited to Griffon characters

You are generally a little wiser, more suspicious, or less charmed by empty patter. As such you gain +1 to your Cleverness when somepony is trying to cheat you in a deal. This bonus doesn't apply to simple lies or deception, only when you are being actively conned. This Perk can be taken multiple times to increase the bonus (to a maximum of 4).

Sonic Rainboom

Prerequisite: Aerial (flying) movement of 50ft

You fly at spectacular speeds, ending in a burst of rainbow light visible for miles. It is a display that is both exciting and inspiring for those who see it. When you Sprint, you can move up to twice your air movement. If you Sprint while flying for two rounds, when you end your Sprint, all of your friends gain ↑ to their Skill Tests until the beginning of your next turn.

Super Specialized

You are exceptionally focused and while this is good for things you know well, you are not very good at things outside your main areas of study and training. Choose a Skill you have at least one Specialization in. You gain ↓1 with that Skill when your Specializations apply.

Talented

You’ve worked your hooves hard to improve your technique. Choose a Specialization; this is now considered one of your Talents. Once per scene, you can use a Standard action related to your Talents as a Move action instead, a Move action as a Free action, and a Free action related to your Talent as no action at all.

You can take this General Perk multiple times, picking a new Specialization to add to your Talents. The amount of times you have taken this Perk is the amount of times it may be used in a scene. On each use, any single Talent may be picked to benefit from it.

Wealth

Your purse runs over with bits. You gain the following benefits:

Once per game session, you may choose to automatically pass any Skill Tests whose success could be bought.

You gain Edge on Social Skill Tests where you can flaunt your wealth.

Improve your wealth status by 1 level (you may take this Perk again multiple times to improve your wealth status by 1 each time).

* denotes a Spellcasting Perk
^ denotes a Perk best suited to griffons

As your pony gains experience managing shops, interacting with important ponies, and going on quests with the fate of Equestria hanging in the balance, you gain levels. In addition to the Essence Score Increases and Perks you get from your Role, about every 4 levels you also gain a General Perk.

Other Perks show how your Influence, Origin, and Role made you who you are. General Perks aren’t as specific. Whether you’re Chatty or a Powerhouse, a Pegasus or a Unicorn, the Spirit of Honesty or Magic, you can be Always Alert, a Quick Thinker, or a Potion Brewer.

You can only take each General Perk once, unless the Perk’s description says otherwise.

Some General Perks have prerequisites that narrow down who can take them a bit, but they’re still open to a wide variety of characters. You must meet all prerequisites to take that General Perk. If you ever lose that prerequisite, like if a curse means you can’t fly, you can’t use that perk until you regain the prerequisite. When a prerequisite lists an Essence Score or a Skill Rank, that is the minimum you need to qualify. So you don’t need exactly Smarts 3 to take Educated, just 3 or higher.