A character is more than the sum of its parts, and a characters Attributes, Skills, and Specialties alone do not give a full picture of what they are truly capable of. Player Characters are the protagonists of their own stories, and it is Talents that help set these individuals apart from the rest. These characters have a way of interacting with the world that lets them overcome impossible odds and triumph when others may falter. These tricks and knacks are Talents.
Talents are additional benefits that a character possesses, that define areas of specialty, the advantages of their personal approach to circumstances, and other decisive and definitive abilities. These normally take the form of a bonus – extra d20s, re-rolls, bonus Momentum, the ability to use a different Skill in a situation, and so forth – that applies when the character is performing certain activities or taking a specific approach to a situation.
Many Talents have one or more specific Requirements. These are conditions that must be fulfilled before the Talent can be selected, such as having a Skill at a specific rating or above.
Beyond that, each Talent has a condition and a benefit. The condition is the circumstance under which the Talent can be used, and the benefit is what the character gains from meeting that condition.
As already noted, each Talent has a condition, and a benefit. These can be broken down into several common tendencies, though these are not hard-and-fast rules, but rather rough guidelines.
Conditions are the circumstances in which the Talent's effect applies. This might be mechanical in nature – using a specific game option, such as buying dice, using a certain Attribute or Skill, etc. – or they may be more narrative in nature, such as performing an activity that relates to a specific field, or during a specific kind of situation. Common mechanical conditions are listed below; narrative conditions are harder to summarize so succinctly, but largely follow the same pattern as below, replacing “specific Attribute or Skill” with some fiction-driven state.
Benefits are what the character gains when meeting the listed condition. Some benefits are greater than others, however, and should be used sparingly and with care, by narrowing the conditions (so that the more powerful benefit can be used less-frequently, such as changing the condition from “specific Attribute or Skill” to “specific Attribute and Skill”), or by adding some caveat or negative consequence (so that using the benefit is a choice rather than a default effect). Common benefits are below:
If a more powerful effect is used, the following are common caveats or consequences that can be used to provide balance.
Instead of these, some Talents may provide a flat benefit to some derived ability, such as an increased amount of maximum Stress, or extra damage dice or a damage effect on a particular type of attack.
These talents are common to characters of all types.
Whenever you or an ally fail a task (so long as you are present in the scene), you may add 1 point to the group’s Momentum pool.
Choose a skill when you select this talent. Whenever you attempt a task from that skill, and you buy one or more d20s by adding Threat, you may re-roll a single d20. You may select this talent multiple times, once for each skill. You may not select this talent for any skill for which you have the Cautious talent.
When you gain a trait which represents a mood or emotional state, you may suppress that trait (ignoring its effect) for the duration of a single task or a single turn in combat by suffering 1 Stress.
Choose a skill when you select this talent. Whenever you attempt a task with that skill, and you buy one or more d20s by spending Momentum, you may re-roll a single d20. You may select this talent multiple times, once for each skill. You may not select this talent for any skill for which you have the Bold talent.
When a scene begins, if there are fewer points of Momentum in the group pool than there are characters in the scene who have this talent, immediately add 1 Momentum to the group pool.
Choose a single skill when you select this talent. Whenever an ally attempts a task using that skill, you may spend 1 Momentum (Immediate) to allow them to use your rating for that skill and one of your relevant specialties.
You’re a regular fixture of away missions and other important work, relied upon by the senior staff for your expertise and judgment. Introducing this supporting character in subsequent adventures no longer costs Crew Support, and the supporting character gains 1 Determination the first time they are used in an season.
At the start of an action scene, the gamemaster must spend an additional 2 Threat to have an NPC take the first turn. You may also re-roll 1d20 on any task attempted to locate a hidden enemy or danger.
Whenever another character attempts to intimidate or threaten you, you may suffer 2 Stress to ignore their attempt.
You may spend a Fortune point before attempting a task where you have an applicable focus. If you do so, you score two successes for each die that rolls equal to or less than twice the character’s skill, instead of the skill’s normal rating.
The first time you spend one or more Momentum on the Obtain Information spend in a scene, you may ask one additional question of the gamemaster.
On your turn during combat, you may use your major action to make an Cunning + Combat test with a difficulty of 2. If successful, the next attack against you is increased in difficulty by 1.
Whenever you attempt a test to persuade someone not to resort to violence, you may add a bonus d20 to your dice pool.
When using Cunning to determine the intentions or feelings of another character, you gain a bonus d20 on the test.
When you select this talent, choose a single skill. When you attempt a task using that skill, you may spend a Fortune point to succeed automatically (but generating no Momentum).
When you attempt an attack against an unaware enemy, someone unable to defend themselves, or someone suffering from a truth that represents a weakness or vulnerability, the attack gains the Piercing 2 damage effect.
When you attempt a task, you may reduce the Difficulty of the task by 1, to a minimum of 0. However, once the task is completed, you immediately take Stress equal to the original Difficulty of the task.
Whenever you attempt a task to resist being intimidated or threatened, the cost to buy the first bonus d20 on that task is reduced to 0.
Wherever you are, once per episode, you can always contact the criminal underworld or black market (as long as there is one in that area). This doesn’t mean they will be well disposed toward you, just that you can find a contact.
You gain the 'Untrained Focus User' trait, and a Willpower pool equal to their Will Attribute.
Gain 2 Focus Talents.
When you attempt to remain hidden or for your actions to remain unnoticed, you may add 1 Threat to add 1 to the Difficulty of any task to detect you or reveal the nature of your actions.
When the gamemaster spends Threat to introduce reinforcements or to cause a Reversal, they must spend 2 additional Threat to do so. This is 2 extra Threat in total, not per reinforcement.
When making tests to recall history on a subject you may reasonably have studied, you may re-roll a single d20.
When using an improvised weapon you may re-roll a single d20 in your dice pool.
When you fail a task, and attempt that task again during the same scene, reduce the Difficulty of the second attempt (and any subsequent attempts if you still fail) by 1.
You gain the 'Untrained Focus User' trait, and a Willpower pool equal to their Will Attribute.
Gain 1 Focus Talent, and ignore the 'Trained' requirement. (You must respect all other requirements.) You may not gain any other Focus Talents until after your first episode and you take the 'Focus Training' talent.
When you attempt a task that relates to information you’ve received from Obtain Information questions in the current scene, you may re-roll 1d20.
When an ally attempts a task which benefits from a trait you created which represents your plan or strategy, then you may Assist that ally’s task even if you are not present. In combat, this assistance does not require you to use your task to Assist that ally.
Whenever you assist an ally using Leadership, the ally you assist may re-roll a single d20 in their dice pool.
At the start of any round in an action scene, you may add 1 Threat to take the first turn, regardless of who would otherwise have acted first.
When you fail a task (but not an opposed task) which used your Agility, you may always choose to Succeed at Cost.
You possess some significant and uncommon item or device which is not standard issue, but which is nevertheless useful for missions. You may select this talent multiple times, gaining a different item each time.
At the start of a scene, you may immediately ask one question, as if you had spent 1 Momentum on the Obtain Information Momentum Spend. The answer can only provide information that you could obtain with your own senses; you cannot gain information from equipment in such a short time.
When you succeed at a task using your Presence, you may spend Momentum to reassure your allies, so long as they are able to hear you. You may spend 1 Momentum (Repeatable) to allow one ally who can see and hear you to recover 1 Stress. That ally may not recover more than 3 Stress from one use of this talent.
Your character’s armor rating increases by 1, which stacks with any armor they are wearing.
Choose a single skill when you select this talent. Whenever attempting a task with that skill during an extended task, your Impact is increased by 1.
You may spend Fortune at the start of your turn to remove the Defeated state, and to recover up to half of your maximum Stress. The normal requirements for spending a point of Dortune still apply.
Whenever you succeed at a task where you did not purchase additional dice by spending Momentum or adding to Threat, you generate bonus Momentum equal to the task’s Difficulty. Bonus Momentum cannot be saved.
Whenever you spend 1 or more Momentum to Obtain Information, you may ask one additional question (in total, not per Momentum spent on Obtain Information).
Whenever you attempt a task assisted by the ship’s Computers or Sensors, you may re-roll one d20 in your pool, or you may allow the ship to re-roll its d20.
When you use Systems as part of a successful test to understand an unfamiliar system or technology, you may ask the gamemaster one free question relating to your assessment, as per the Obtain Information Momentum spend.
Your maximum Stress is increased by 2.
Whenever you attempt a task to detect danger or hidden enemies, reduce the difficulty by 1.
When you Assist someone, and use your Presence to do so, you may add 2 Threat to treat your assistance die as if it had rolled a 1 instead of rolling it.
When you attempt a task to detect an enemy or hazard, you may re-roll one d20.
You have contacts everywhere and you listen to news and rumors from far and wide. At the start of a scene, you may add 1 Threat to ask the gamemaster two questions about the situation or location, as if you had spent Momentum on the Obtain Information spend. The answers you receive will be knowledge you’ve gained from your contacts and the news and rumors you’ve heard.
Species and Culture Talents cover abilities, techniques, and tendencies common to specific species and their cultures. They are typically only available to members of a specific species but can sometimes be gained by characters of other species.
TODO: Add more for terrans, russians, League, other groups, blah, blah..
Your species has been gifted with enhanced senses, and you have honed yours to the point that they are able to detect things even those of your own species miss. When attempting a task to detect something which is hidden from conventional senses, or which would normally be difficult to perceive, you may re-roll 1d20.
You have been trained in the arts of subtle seduction and are capable of render most targets suggestible. When dealing with individuals that find females attractive, you gain 2 bonus Momentum on all tasks to persuade or command them. However, not everyone is attracted to women (in general) or Lyndri (specifically), increasing the complication range of tasks to interact with them by 1. GikDaa are known to be unaffected, while older NorAellians might find your actions more amusing than seductive. The gamemaster’s discretion applies as to who is affected, who is immune, but most individuals are affected well enough.
When a character enters a scene, you may spend 1 Momentum (Immediate) to immediately ask the gamemaster one question about that character’s current emotional state. You cannot do this if you cannot see, hear, or smell the character. (The Gamemaster may increase the momentum cost if your senses are impaired in some way, or they are attempting to conceal themselves.)
When engaged in negotiations—including in social conflict—that have the potential for you to profit personally, you may add 1 Threat to re-roll your dice pool.
When you succeed at a task using Reason or Cunning, you may ask one question, as if you had spent Momentum to Obtain Information.
You have constructed or invented a new piece of equipment. This may take the form of a brand new invention, or be a modified version of existing equipment. Each time you select this talent, determine the device and the function it performs. When used appropriately, the device functions as an advantage, but its experimental nature means that the complication range of tests to use the device is increased by 2.
When you spend Momentum to Obtain Information, you may reduce the Difficulty of one task later in the same scene by 1, so long as that task relates to the information gained.
Your Maximum Stress increases by an amount equal to your Leadership rating.
When you assist someone else (including using the Direct action), and one or more complications occur, you may add 1 Threat to avoid suffering any ill-effect from that complication (other characters involved are affected normally).
When you Assist someone, and use your Presence to do so, you may add 2 Threat to treat your assistance die as if it had rolled a 1 instead of rolling it.
You have contacts everywhere and you listen to news and rumors from far and wide. At the start of a scene, you may add 1 Threat to ask the gamemaster two questions about the situation or location, as if you had spent Momentum on the Obtain Information spend. The answers you receive will be knowledge you’ve gained from your contacts and the news and rumors you’ve heard.
These talents are common to characters who have been genetically altered or who have been given artificial implants to overcome an injury or disability.
Choose a single attribute when this talent is selected. You gain the Extraordinary Attribute 1 special rule, granting one automatic success on all tasks using that attribute. When you use this ability, increase the complication range by 2 for that task. This talent may be selected multiple times, choosing a different attribute each time.
Whether through genetic engineering or cybernetic implants, you’re more durable than most people. You gain Protection 2.
You have a cybernetic device that replaces one of your senses—most commonly sight or hearing. You gain the Artificial Sense trait, which represents the ways that your senses differ from those of other members of your species. Further, when you attempt a task to locate something hidden or concealed, or to detect details not normally perceptible to that sense, you may re-roll a single d20.
Combat talents typically relate to characters with a high Combat rating.
When you succeed at an Attack against an enemy who is unaware of your presence, or who is suffering from a trait or complication which represents a weakness or vulnerability, increase the Severity of the Attack by 2.
When you make a Melee Attack, you may use Fitness instead of Cunning. In addition, you add 1 to the Severity of your Unarmed Attacks.
When you make a successful Attack, you may spend 1 Momentum to protect a single ally within Close range. The next Attack against that ally before the start of your next turn increases in Difficulty by 1.
The Momentum cost to use the Direct major action is removed.
Select either Melee Attacks or Ranged Attacks when you acquire this talent. Attacks against you of the chosen type increase in Difficulty by 1.
If you make an Attack, you may use the Swift Action Momentum spend for 1 Momentum rather than 2, but the second major action you take must also be an Attack.
You and any allies within Close range gain +1 Protection while in Cover.
When you succeed at a task to coerce someone to reveal information in a social conflict, you may ask one question for free, as per the Obtain Information Momentum spend.
So familiar are you with the intent to kill that you can even see it in others when you look them in the eyes. When you make a Deadly Attack, reduce the amount you add to Threat to 0. In addition, when an enemy attempts to make a Deadly Attack against you, you may add 1 Threat to increase the Difficulty of their Attack by 1, as you react to their intent.
Your Unarmed Strike Attack may be used to inflict Deadly Injuries as well as Stun Injuries.
Your Unarmed Strike Attack gains the Intense quality.
The character’s unarmed attacks gain the Vicious damage effect.
Whenever you Assist another character during combat, the character you assisted gains 1 bonus Momentum if they succeed.
When you make a Missile Attack, you may spend 2 Momentum (Immediate) to add the Piercing quality.
You can more easily pick out and target specific systems when making an Attack against an enemy vessel. When you make an Attack with ship weapons that targets a specific ship system, you may re-roll a d20.
When an ally within Close range is targeted by an attack, you can make an Agility + Combat test with a difficulty of 2. The difficulty of this test can be increased or decreased by the gamemaster to account for any relevant truths. On a success, you move to protect that ally and become the target of the attack against them.
During the first round of any combat, you and your allies may ignore the normal cost to Keep the Initiative.
When you take the Aim minor action before a Ranged Attack, you add 1 to the Attack's Severity, in addition to the other effects of aiming.
When you make a Melee Attack, or are targeted by a Melee Attack, and you buy one or more d20s by adding Threat, you may re-roll the dice pool for your task roll.
Further, you own either a rapier, a katana, or some other bladed weapon at your discretion, which counts as standard equipment for you.
Influence talents typically relate to characters with a high Influence rating.
TODO: Add some.
Investigation talents typically relate to characters with a high Investigation rating.
TODO: Add some.
Whenever you attempt a task to retrieve or analyze evidence of a crime, you may re-roll 1d20. When you spend one or more Momentum to Obtain Information to ask questions about a crime scene or evidence, you may ask one additional question.
Once per session, when you attempt a test, you may spend 2 Momentum to gain a temporary specialty of your choice for the rest of the session. However, any test that uses this specialty (specify before rolling) increases its complication range by 1.
You may always use Investigation instead of Leadership to persuade, convince, or deceive as long as your past experience or knowledge can be used to create a plausible argument.
Leadership talents typically relate to characters with a high Leadership rating.
The first time you introduce a supporting character in a mission, that supporting character may take one additional option to improve the supporting character.
Whenever you Assist another character using your Leadership, the assisted character may re-roll one d20.
When you use Negotiation to make an offer to someone during social conflict, you may re-roll a single d20 on your next Persuade task to convince that person. If the social conflict with that person involves an extended task, your Impact is increased by 1.
When you succeed at any task using your Leadership during an action scene, you may spend Momentum to recover Stress suffered by your allies. When you spend 1 Momentum (Repeatable), one ally who can see and hear you recovers 1 Stress. You may affect multiple allies, but each ally affected may only recover 1 Stress in this way each time this talent is used.
When you Assist a character in an Attack, the assisted character generates 2 bonus Momentum if their Attack succeeds. Bonus Momentum cannot be saved.
In a conflict, you may use the Prepare minor action to grant one ally who you can communicate with a minor action of their choice, which they perform immediately.
When you succeed at a task during social conflict, you generate 1 bonus Momentum which must be used for the Obtain Information Momentum spend to gain knowledge about one of the people you’re interacting with. If the social conflict with that person involves an extended task, you may ignore any Resistance the extended task has.
When you Assist another character during an extended task, the character you Assist increases their Impact by 1.
In a conflict, once per round, you or your allies may Keep the Initiative for free.
Whenever you attempt a task to persuade someone not to resort to violence, the first d20 you purchase for that task is free.
When you succeed at a task during combat or another perilous situation, you may spend Determination. If you do, choose a single ally who can hear you. The next task that ally attempts counts as having assistance from you, using your Presence + Leadership. On this task, do not roll your assistance die: it counts as having already rolled a 1.
Whenever an ally succeeds at a task that was made possible, or had a reduced Difficulty, because of a trait you created, and that trait represented a plan, strategy, or course of action, they generate 2 bonus Momentum. Bonus Momentum cannot be saved.
Once per scene, when an ally suffers an Injury or the ship suffers a Breach, prevent that Injury or Breach; describe what precaution you took to prevent the issue.
The ship’s Crew Support increases by 1. This increase is cumulative if multiple main characters select it.
When you create a trait for an ally that represents your guidance or advice, that ally may re-roll one d20 on a single task they attempt which benefits from that trait.
Piloting talents typically relate to characters with a high Piloting rating.
Whenever you succeed at the Attack Pattern major action, enemy Attacks against you do not reduce in Difficulty due to that action.
You may always use Piloting instead of Systems when attempting to assess a problem or repair damage to a ship.
When you succeed at a task to maneuver your ship, you may spend 2 Momentum to provide cover for allied ships. When an enemy vessel next makes an Attack, before the beginning of your next turn, if you are the closest ship to that attacker but they do not target you, the Difficulty of their Attack is equal to your ship’s Scale.
When you attempt an Evasive Action major action for the second or subsequent time in a row during a scene, you add 1 Momentum to the group pool.
Whenever you use the Swift Action Momentum spend, you do not increase the Difficulty of the second task if one of the tasks you attempt is to pilot a vessel.
Whenever you succeed at the Evasive Action major action, increase the Resistance of the ship you are piloting by 2; this bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
When you perform the Dive, Evasive Action, or Attack Pattern major actions, the ship may count its specialty range as double the relevant skill rating (i.e., if the ship has a Piloting of 3, it will score a critical success on any roll of 6 or less). However, when anyone else pilots the ship, increase the complication range by 1.
When you use the Impulse minor action, you may spend 1 Momentum to move one additional zone so long as you used the Impulse minor action or Warp major action in your previous turn.
When you attempt the Override major action while at a bridge station that includes one or both helm or navigator positions, you may use your Piloting skill instead of the skill usually required for that task.
Whenever you attempt a task to plot a course through unknown territory, reduce the Difficulty of the task by 1, 2, or 3, to a minimum of 1. For each point by which you reduce the Difficulty, increase the complication range of that task.
Whenever you use the Evasive Action major action, the ship does not suffer the increased Difficulty for Attacks normally caused by Evasive Action.
Whenever you attempt a task that requires precise or careful maneuvering, or where there is a risk of colliding with another object, you may re-roll 1d20.
When you attempt a Piloting task that has increased in Difficulty due to environmental conditions or damage to the engines, you may add 1 Threat to ignore the Difficulty increase.
Whenever the Difficulty of a task would be increased due to low- or zero-gravity, ignore that Difficulty increase. If a task that was normally possible would be made impossible because of low- or zero-gravity, you may attempt the task at +1 Difficulty instead.
Whenever you succeed at a Piloting task to identify a type of ship, or to try to understand an unknown form of ship, you gain 1 bonus Momentum, which may only be used on the Obtain Information Momentum spend, or to pay part of the cost of the Create Trait Momentum spend (where the trait must represent some form of known or observed weakness in the ship being studied).
Whenever you succeed at the Attack Pattern task and then Keep the Initiative, the cost to Keep the Initiative is reduced to 0. If the character taking the next turn makes an Attack, they may re-roll one d20.
When you perform the Impulse minor action or Dive major action when piloting a starship, enemy Attacks from ships with a greater Scale than yours increase in Difficulty by +1. If attacked by a ship with a Scale that is double or more the Scale of your ship, then you increase the Difficulty by 2 instead.
You gain an additional specialty, and one of your specialties (either the one gained from this talent, or an existing one) must relate to Astronavigation, Stellar Cartography, or a similar field of space science. Further, when you succeed at a navigation-related task, you gain 1 bonus Momentum due to your knowledge and familiarity. Bonus Momentum cannot be saved.
In combat, when you make an Attack while in a zero-gravity or micro-gravity environment, you may use the higher of your Piloting or Combat skills for the task, and you ignore any difficulty increases caused by the lack of gravity. In addition, enemies who lack similar training increase the Difficulty of Attacks against you by 1.
Science talents typically relate to characters with a high Science rating.
Once per scene, when you attempt a task which relates to information you received earlier that scene from an Obtain Information question, the first bonus die you purchase is free.
When you engage in a social conflict using deception, you may use Science in place of Leadership so long as their technical knowledge is used to mislead their opponent.
When you succeed at a Science task to heal an Injury, you may immediately remove a negative trait from the patient, even if that trait was unrelated to the Injury being treated. In addition, when you attempt a Renown Check, add one additional d20.
When you Assist another character attempting a Science task, each assisting character may re-roll their assistance die.
When attempting a Science task during combat related to medicine, you may pick one trait which increases the Difficulty of the task and ignore it.
Whenever you attempt a Science task with a Difficulty of 3 or higher, you may spend up to 3 Momentum (Immediate) to reduce the Difficulty by the number of Momentum spent, to a minimum Difficulty of 1. However, as these latest advances are often experimental, the complication range of the task increases by 1 for each Momentum spent.
When you attempt a task to work on, install, or remove a cybernetic device from a patient, the first bonus d20 you purchase is free.
Whenever you attempt a task that involves the programming or study of a computer system, the first bonus die you purchase is free.
When you succeed at a Science task to identify and diagnose the nature of a medical problem, you may ask one question—as per Obtain Information—for every additional d20 you bought by spending Momentum.
When this talent is taken, choose one of your specialties. When attempting a task where that specialty applies, you score a critical success for any die which rolls equal to or under twice the relevant skill.
When you attempt a task, you may spend 1 Momentum (Immediate) to use Science on that task instead of the skill you would normally use. In addition, you count as having an applicable focus for that task. Each time after the first in a single scene that you use this ability, the Momentum cost increases by 1; this is cumulative.
When a character is killed, you may spend Fortune to make one attempt to revive them. If they were killed instantly by an Attack, then this may only be attempted within that scene. If the character suffered an Injury and died because they didn’t receive medical treatment in time, this may be attempted before the end of the subsequent scene. This requires a Will + Science task, with a Difficulty of 3. If successful, the character is brought back from the brink of death, though they will remain Defeated for the remainder of the adventure. Failure means that your efforts were unsuccessful and the character dies.
Prior to participating in an away team mission, you may make additional preparations by spending 2 Momentum (Immediate). During the expedition, any member of the away team may re-roll a single d20 on any task to navigate the terrain or circumvent a hazard or obstacle. The away team may re-roll a total number of dice in this way equal to your Science rating.
When you attempt a task to coordinate others, or to coerce someone into taking or refraining from a specific course of action, you may use your Science skill instead of Leadership.
When attempting a Science task related to medicine, you may ignore any increase in Difficulty or complication range for working without the proper tools or equipment.
When attempting a Science task related to research, you may ignore any increase in Difficulty or complication range for working without the proper tools or equipment.
Whenever you succeed at a task using Reason or Cunning as part of an extended task, you ignore any Resistance on that extended task.
When attempting an extended task while using a laboratory, increase your Impact by 1.
When you fail at a Science task, you may add 3 Threat to create a trait which represents knowledge or insights gained from the failure. The cost of this is reduced by 1 for each success you scored on the failed task.
Using extensive mental conditioning, you have access to memories with unprecedented clarity and accuracy. You may treat Obtain Information as if it were an Immediate Momentum spend, but the answers to these questions can only come from information you would already know and remember.
When you attempt the First Aid task during combat, the first die you purchase is free. Further, you may always Succeed at Cost, with each complication you suffer adding 1 to the Difficulty of healing the patient’s Injury subsequently.
When attempting a task that will involve an unfamiliar practice, technique, or medical procedure, ignore any Difficulty or complication range increase stemming from your unfamiliarity.
When you succeed at a Science task, the cost of the Reduce Time Momentum option is reduced to 1.
Once per scene, when you ask two or more questions using Obtain Information, you may immediately create a trait representing your theoretical understanding of the subject of those questions.
You have conducted extensive research into numerous kinds of conflict and have devoted your academic career to the study of war. While this knowledge may be purely theoretical, such information, when placed into the hands of more capable combatants, can be truly devastating. When you Assist a character making an Attack or taking the Guard action in combat, they may re-roll one d20.
When you attempt a task using Systems or Science, the first bonus d20 you purchase is free, so long as you succeeded at a previous task covering the same scientific or technological field earlier in the same adventure. If you created a trait that represents a hypothesis about an unknown phenomenon, you may also re-roll one d20 on tasks related to that hypothesis.
When you succeed at a task using Systems or Science where you gain the additional d20 from the Testing a Theory talent, or which benefits from a trait that represents a hypothesis you’ve made, you generate 2 bonus Momentum. Bonus Momentum may not be saved.
Once per session, when you attempt a task, you may spend 2 Momentum (Immediate) to gain an additional specialty for the remainder of the session, due to your breadth of knowledge. However, any task using that specialty increases its complication range by 1, as you are not a true expert on that subject.
Security talents typically relate to characters with a high Security rating.
TODO: Add some.
Survival talents typically relate to characters with a high Survival rating.
TODO: Add some more.
You may reduce the difficulty of tests to navigate and overcome dangerous terrain or environmental conditions—such as difficult climbs, unstable flooring, or maneuvering in zero gravity—by 1, to a minimum of 0.
Systems talents typically relate to characters with a high Systems rating.
When attempting a Systems task, you may ignore any increase in Difficulty or complication range for working without the proper tools or equipment.
Whenever you attempt a task to determine the source of a technical problem with your ship, the first bonus d20 you purchase is free.
Once per scene, when the ship has no Reserve Power remaining at the start of your turn, you may add 2 Threat to gain Reserve Power.
Whenever you succeed at a Systems or Science task as part of an extended task, you increase your Impact by 1.
Whenever you attempt a Systems task to perform repairs, you may reduce the Difficulty by 2, to a minimum of 0. If you do this, however, then the repairs are only temporary and will last only a single scene before they fail again; you may increase this duration by one scene by spending 1 Momentum (Repeatable). Jury-rigged repairs can only be applied once, and the Difficulty to repair a device that has been Jury-rigged increases by 1.
You may ignore the first complication rolled on any Systems task. Furthermore, when you create any equipment trait, any character who uses that piece of equipment in a task may ignore the first complication rolled.
During a timed challenge or extended task, before rolling, you may take one die and treat it as if it had already rolled a 1, but if you do, the task will take one additional interval.
Whenever you succeed at a Systems task to overcome an extended task, you may increase your Impact by 1 by spending 1 Momentum instead of 2.
Whenever you use the Reroute Power major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to give Reserve Power to two systems, rather than one.
When you use advanced technology, including attempting a task assisted by the ship, you may choose to increase the complication range by 1, 2, or 3. If you succeed, then you gain bonus Momentum equal to the amount by which the complication range was increased. Bonus Momentum cannot be saved.
When you attempt a Agility + Systems task, you may add 1 Threat to use your Will instead of your Agility. If you do this, and the task succeeds, then you may reduce the time taken by 1 interval without spending Momentum.
When you attempt a Systems task, you may remove one d20 from your dice pool before rolling. If you do so, you gain one automatic success on your task.
You are trained to direct and lead damage repair teams during emergencies, giving them your guidance and expert knowledge of the ship’s systems. If you succeed at the Damage Control major action, you may spend 2 Momentum (Repeatable) to repair one additional Breach.
Whenever you acquire a systems tool with an Credit Rating 1+, that equipment trait of that tool gains +1 Potency (typically this will result in Potency 2). If the tool is used in an extended task, whoever is using that tool increases their Impact by 1.
When you make an Attack against a structure, machine, or stationary vehicle while in personal combat (i.e., you aren’t using a ship’s weapons to make the Attack), you may use your Systems instead of your Combat skill to resolve the Attack.
When you select this talent, select a single system from the ship attributes. When making a test to mitigate the effect of a breach to that system, you may re-roll one d20. This talent may only be selected once.
When you take this talent, select a single ship system. When you make tests that use this system, you may re-roll one d20. This talent may only be selected once.
Select one of your attributes when you receive this talent. You’re inexperienced, but talented and with a bright future. You may not have or increase any attribute to above 11, or any skill to above 4 while you have this talent (and may have to adjust attributes and skills accordingly at the end of character creation).
Whenever you succeed at a task for which you bought one or more additional dice (by any means), roll a d20 after the roll. If you roll equal to or less than the chosen attribute, gain 1 bonus Momentum; if you roll higher, add 1 Threat instead. While you possess this talent, you cannot gain any higher ranks in military than O-2/OF-2 if an officer, or E-5/OR-3 if enlisted. (Basically, Lieutenant Junior Grade or Petty Officer.)
You’re wise and experienced, and draw upon inner reserves of willpower and determination in a measured and considered way. Whenever you spend Fortune, roll a d20. If you roll equal to or less than your Will rating, you immediately regain that point of Fortune. While you possess this talent, you cannot hold any ranks in military lower than O-3/OF-3 if an officer, or E-6/OR-4 if enlisted. (Basically, Lieutenant or Petty Officer First Class.)
These are special talents related to the use of Focus. They all require you to have a 'Focus User trait. Some may be more specific and require (or forbid) either the 'Trained Focus User' or 'Untrained Focus User' trait. (If it doesn't specify, and version of the 'Focus User' trait counts.
Spend 3 Willpower, Choose a single attribute when this talent is selected. You gain the Extraordinary Attribute 1 special rule for the chosen attribute, granting one automatic success on all tasks using that attribute.
This lasts for the duration of the scene.
Spend 2 Willpower and gain the 'Augmented Senses' trait, which represents the ways that your senses are enhanced compared to those around you. Further, when you attempt a task to locate something hidden or concealed, or to detect details not normally perceptible to that sense, you may re-roll a single d20.
This lasts the duration of the scene.
Spend up to 3 Willpower. you gain the Fast Recovery special rule. Additionally, for each willpower point you spend over the first, gain the Natural Protection X special.
This lasts the duration of the scene.
Pick a weapon your character knows better than the back of their hand. Not just a type of weapon, but a very specific weapon. Every scratch, every worn corner, everything about it. (The Gamemaster must approve your weapon choice, and your character should have a long history with this particular weapon.)
That weapon has —either through the normal ritual, or by shear accident— been destroyed. However, the character always seems to find it in their hand whenever they need it.
This weapon now gains the quality 'Velyki'. The 'Velyki' quality reads as follows:
This talent may be selected multiple times, choosing a different weapon each time.
You gain the 'Trained Focus User' trait (replacing any other 'Focus User' trait) and a Willpower pool equal to their Will Attribute plus your Influence skill. You may generate a Threat to regain a Willpower, up to twice per turn.
Gain 1 additional Focus Talent for free, respecting it's requirements.