Character Abilities
TL;DR
Abilities define what your character can actually do - what they’ve trained in, what their bodies and mind are capable of. Abilities can be trained up to 5 levels - from Novice, to Apprentice, to Journeyman, to Artisan, and then to Master. Each level of training improves the dice that the Player rolls when their Character attempts to use their Ability.
OVERVIEW
Abilities define the actions that Characters can take when interacting with the game world. Those abilities are clumped loosely into five separate categories:
- SKILLS: Abilities which are trained and learned.
- MARTIAL: Abilities which are used specifically for physical conflict resolution.
- ANIMA: Abilities which engage the character to act heroically and plumb the depths of their resolve.
- GIFTS: Abilities which are granted naturally, like wings or claws.
- SOURCE: Abilities which allow a character to tap into magical abilities.
Training and Ability Mastery
Skilled and Martial abilities can be attempted without training, but the results are heavily dependent on the species attempting the action.
Characters can learn Abilities to one of ten levels, and with each level not only comes an increased success roll, but additional powers which help to boost the character’s use of them in practice. Those powers are:
- SPECIAL: Option to activate the Ability’s unique cooldown at a cost in Aspect Pool points.
- ADVANTAGE: Option to roll Proficiency twice and take the best result, at a cost in Aspect Pool points.
- MAX: Option to set Challenge result to the maximum for the Training Roll, at a cost in Aspect Pool points.
| Rank | MASTERY | ROLL | SPECIAL | ADVANTAGE | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Unskilled | 0 | - | - | - |
| 1 | Novice | 2d4 | 8 | - | - |
| 2 | Apprentice | 2d6 | 4 | 8 | - |
| 3 | Journeyman | 2d8 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 4 | Artisan | 2d10 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Master | 2d12 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Oldest Table
| Rank | MASTERY | ROLL | SPECIAL | ADVANTAGE | MAX | TRIUMPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Unskilled | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Neophyte | d4 | 8 | - | - | - |
| 2 | Aspirant | d4+1 | 8 | - | - | - |
| 3 | Novice | d6+1 | 8 | - | - | - |
| 4 | Apprentice | d6 + 2 | 4 | 8 | - | - |
| 5 | Associate | d8 + 2 | 4 | 8 | - | - |
| 6 | Journeyman | d8 + 3 | 4 | 8 | - | - |
| 7 | Expert | d10+3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | - |
| 8 | Artisan | d10+4 | 2 | 4 | 8 | - |
| 9 | Master | d12+4 | 2 | 4 | 8 | - |
| 10 | Grandmaster | d12+5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
L: Ability can be used once per day. S: Ability can be used once per rest. E: Ability can be used once per encounter.
Skilled Abilities
| Name | Aspect | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Artisan | Mind | Skills which produce finished goods from raw materials Architect, Brewer, Bowyer, Carpenter, Cook, Leatherworker, Jeweler, Smith, Stonemason SPECIAL: Quality of produced good is one greater than Mastery Level. |
| Artist | Spirit | Skills which present artistic expression based on performance or creation Actor, Artist, Dancer, Disguise, Musician, Magician, Storyteller |
| Athlete | Body | Skills which develop the body to excel at certain tasks Acrobat, Climber, Dancer, Juggler, Jumper, Rider, Swimmer |
| Diplomat | Spirit | Skills which promote one’s ability to influence others Debate, Etiquette, Persuasion, Intimidation SPECIAL: Reaction cannot be Hostile. |
| Officer | Spirit | Skills which increase one’s ability to command others Logistician, Strategist, Tactician |
| Professional | Mind | Skills which require the practitioner’s experience to provide a service Animal Trainer, Appraiser, Healer, Sailor, Trader |
| Scientist | Mind | Skills which provide answers to specialized questions or identify the unknown Alchemist, Astrologer, Herbalist, Historian, Linguist, Miner, Sage, Theologist, Vexillologist, Vivisectionist |
| Scoundrel | Mind | Skills which enhance one’s ability to mislead, distract, or trick a mark Blather, Forger, Gambler, Lockpicker, Magician, Observer, Sneak SPECIAL: Subterfuge cannot be detected. |
| Survivor | Body | Skills which provide for one outside of the support of civilization Dowser, Fisher, Fire-builder, Forager, Hunter, Mountaineer, Navigator, Tracker, Trapper |
Martial abilities
| Name | Quality | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Armor | Resilience | Use this to soak incoming damage using your armor SPECIAL: Armor soaks all damage. |
| Block | Power | Use this to absorb incoming damage with your shield. Requires an Action or Reaction |
| Dodge | Precision | Use this to evade an incoming blow entirely. Requires an Action or Reaction. SPECIAL: Can move from 0-15’ into an open space. |
| Parry** | Precision | Use this to deflect an incoming blow entirely. Requires an Action or Reaction. **(Subsume this into Weapon!) |
| Weapon | Precision | Use this to attack with. Requires an Action. |
Anima Abilities
| Name | Aspect | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Courage | Spirit | Provides a buffer of Spirit points when damaged by a Power that consumes them (soak) |
| Conviction | Spirit | Restores Spirit once per Encounter based on the results of the Proficiency roll. |
| Fortitude | Body | Provides a buffer of Body points when damaged by a Power that consumes them (soak) |
| Defiance | Body | Restores Body once per Encounter based on the results of the Proficiency roll. |
| Will | Mind | Provides a buffer of Mind points when damaged by a Power that consumes them (soak) |
| Resolve | Mind | Restores Mind once per Encounter based on the results of the Proficiency roll. |
Natural Abilities
| Name | Aspect | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Chameleon | Body | Enhances body, providing camouflage via. pigment shifts. Complements Stealth. |
| Climbing | Body | Enhances two manipulative limbs (suction cups, hooks, etc). Complements Climbing. |
| Direction Sense | Spirit | |
| Enhanced Senses | Body | |
| Extra Limbs | - | Required for some Gifts. Can be Ambulatory or Manipulative. |
| Flight | Body | Requires two ambulatory limbs (wings). |
| Leaping | Body | Enhances two existing ambulatory limbs. |
| Nat. Armor | Body | |
| Nat. Weaponry | Body | Enhances one existing manipulator limb. Damage is Training level. |
| Non-Corporeality | Spirit | Allows a character to fade partially or fully into the Shadow realm. |
| Rage | Body | |
| Regeneration | Body | |
| Shapeshifting | Mind | |
| Sixth Sense | Spirit | |
| Special Attack | Body | Enhances Natural Weaponry with additional damage types. |
| Swimming | Body | Enhances two ambulatory limbs. Complements Skilled Swimming |
| Water Breathing | Body |
Source Abilities
| Name | Aspect | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Divinity | Spirit | Regenerate magical power by faithfully following the ethos of your chosen Immortal. |
| Psychometry | Spirit | Regenerate magical power by sacrificing your own inner strength. |
| Sorcery | Spirit | Regenerate magical power by draining souls straight from the source. |
| Wizardry | Spirit | Regenerate magical power from meditation and absorbing the ambient energy around you. |
School Abilities
| Name | Aspect | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Elemental Air | Manipulation of the element of Air | |
| Elemental Earth | Manipulation of the element of Earth | |
| Elemental Fire | Manipulation of the element of Fire | |
| Elemental Water | Manipulation of the element of Water | |
| Energy | Manipulation of pure energy | |
| Shadow | Manipulation of the Shadow world | |
| Alteration | Altering the nature of other things or beings | |
| Kinetics | Moving things from where they are to where they should be. | |
| Body | Physical healing and sense-altering effects. | |
| Mind | Mental healing and mind-altering effects, as well as charm, ESP, domination, etc. | |
| Spirit | Spiritual healing and other effects directly related to souls. | |
| Patterning | Metamagics, providing the ability to detect, identify, and modify existing magics. | |
| Feral | Wild magics, requiring specific artifacts and words of power to wield. |
DETAIL
Skills
Artisan
Artisan skills at their core are intended to allow a Character to produce an item of a certain quality given tools and raw materials. Therefore, checks against Artisan skills tend to fall into one of three categories:
- Crafting an item given raw goods,
- Identifying the kinds of ingredients which make up an existing product, and
- Identifying the quality (and attributes) of an existing product.
A Blacksmith might know what metals went into making a specific axe; a stonesmith might know how long ago something was carved (and by whom, culturally speaking), and so forth.
Checks to Make a Product
It’s easy to make rough things, and hard to make quality things. The Target Number for the Artisan’s roll to craft an object depends on the quality of the materials used to create it, and will generally be equal to the
Challenges to Identify a Product
Artist
Athlete
Diplomat
Officer
Professional
Scientist
Scoundrel
Survivor
APPENDIX
TABLE 5: Challenge Difficulty Target Values
| Difficulty/DANGER | Success | Triumph | Botch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine / Bucolic | 4 | - | - |
| Easy / Relaxed - d2 | 6 | - | - |
| Moderate / Normal - d4 | 8 | 12 | 2 |
| Tricky / Pressured - d6 | 10 | 14 | 2 |
| Challenging / Emergency - d8 | 13 | 15 | 3 |
| Difficult / Dangerous - d10 | 16 | 21 | 6 |
| Foolhardy / Deadly - d12 | 19 | 22 | 4 |
| Absurd / Suicidal - d14 | 23 | 27 | 4 |
- Player rolls Character’s Proficiency: TALENT + TRAINING + QUALITY MOD
- If PROFICIENCY > TARGET, Character succeeds.
Second Attempt
| DIFFICULTY / QUALITY / DANGER | BOTCH | COST | COST + SUCCESS | SUCCESS | TRIUMPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy / Crude / Relaxed | - | 3 | 4 | 5+ | - |
| Moderate / Cheap/ Everyday | 3- | 4-5 | 6-7 | 8+ | 12+ |
| Tricky / Common / Pressured | 4- | 5-7 | 8-10 | 11+ | 17+ |
| Challenging / Fine / Emergency | 5- | 6-9 | 10-13 | 14+ | 22+ |
| Difficult / Superior / Dangerous | 6- | 7-11 | 12-16 | 17+ | 27+ |
| Foolhardy / Exquisite / Deadly | 7- | 8-13 | 14-19 | 20+ | 32+ |
| Absurd / Legendary / Suicidal | 8- | 9-15 | 16-22 | 23+ | 37+ |
| Impossible / Artifact / Doomed | 9- | 10-17 | 18-25 | 26+ | 42+ |
Simplified Chart: Exponential Growth
| DIFFICULTY / QUALITY / DANGER | BOTCH | COST | COST + SUCCESS | SUCCESS | TRIUMPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy / Crude / Relaxed | - | 3 | 5 | 6+ | - |
| Moderate / Cheap/ Everyday | 3n | 4 | 6 | 8+ | 12n+ |
| Tricky / Common / Pressured | 4n- | 5 | 7 | 9+ | 14n+ |
| Challenging / Fine / Emergency | 5n- | 6 | 9 | 12+ | 19n+ |
| Difficult / Superior / Dangerous | 6n- | 7 | 11 | 15+ | 24n+ |
| Foolhardy / Exquisite / Deadly | 8n- | 9 | 14 | 19+ | 31n+ |
| Absurd / Legendary / Suicidal | 10n- | 11 | 18 | 25+ | 41n+ |
| Supernatural/ Artifact / Catastrophic | 14n- | 15 | 24 | 33+ | 55n+ |
| Deific / Relic / Doomed | 18n- | 19 | 32 | 43+ | 75n+ |
| Immortal / Singular / Doomed | 25n- | 26 | 44 | 62+ | 104n+ |
Simplified Attempt
| DIFFICULTY / QUALITY / DANGER | BOTCH | COST | COST + SUCCESS | SUCCESS | TRIUMPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy / Crude / Relaxed | - | 3 | 4 | 5+ | - |
| Moderate / Cheap/ Everyday | 3n- | 4 | 6 | 8+ | 12n+ |
| Tricky / Common / Pressured | 4n- | 5 | 8 | 11+ | 17n+ |
| Challenging / Fine / Emergency | 5n- | 6 | 10 | 14+ | 22n+ |
| Difficult / Superior / Dangerous | 6n- | 7 | 12 | 17+ | 27n+ |
| Foolhardy / Exquisite / Deadly | 7n- | 8 | 14 | 20+ | 32n+ |
| Absurd / Legendary / Suicidal | 8n- | 9 | 16 | 23+ | 37n+ |
| Impossible / Artifact / Doomed | 9n- | 10 | 18 | 26+ | 42n+ |
DIFFICULTY LEVELS: usually relate to a relative difficulty or level of craftsmanship. A Lock of Legendary quality, for instance, would require an Absurd roll to pick
Relaxed - no time or performance pressure Everyday - the usual daily pressures apply Pressured - a nonlethal constraint applies (time, skill, uniqueness) Emergency - a nonlethal constraint where a successful result is critical Dangerous - Situation involves the threat of bodily harm or capture Deadly - Situation involves the likelihood of bodily harm or capture Suicidal - Situation involves the likelihood of individual death Hopeless - Situation involves the likelihood of death for the entire group. Doomed - Situation involves the likelihood of death for all involved
Neophyte ungeared character: 2d4 for Novice + 1d4 for Inept Talent, no Quality bonus. Range: 3-12 (Nat: 3-12)
CHAR SPEC TASK BOTCH COST COST + SUC SUC TRI Neophyte(1d4 + 2d4 + 0) Impossible 84.5% 15.7% - - - Absurd 68.9% 31.3% - - - Foolhardy 50.1% 50.1% - - - Difficult 31.3% 67.3% 1.6% - - Challenging 15.7% 68.8% 15.7% - - Tricky 6.3% 43.8 43.8 6.3% - Moderate 1.6% 14.1% 34.4% 48.5% 1.6% Easy - 1.6% 6.3% 92.1% -
Average ungeared character: 2d8 for Journeyman + 1d8 for Average Talent +3 for Quality alone. Range: 6-27 (Nat. 3-24)
CHAR SPEC TASK BOTCH COST COST + SUC SUC TRI Average (1d8 + 2d8 +3) Impossible 16.5% 43.0% 39.9% 0.8% - Absurd 11% 38.7% 52.6% 6.9% - Foolhardy 6.9% 22.7% 53.2% 23.5% - Difficult 4.0% 7% 46.1% 49.9% 0.2% Challenging 2.0% 2% 19.5% 74.7% 2% Tricky 0.8% - 6.1% 69.8% 23.5% Moderate 0.2% - - 30.9 68.2% Easy - - - 100% -
Powerful ungeared character: 2d12 for Master + 1d12 for Prodigal Talent +6 for Quality. Range: 9-42 (Nat. 3-36)
CHAR SPEC TASK BOT COST COST + SUC SUC TRI Heroic(1d12 + 2d12 +6) Immortal 16.6% 33.5% 48.0% 2.1% - Demigod 12.8% 24.9% 55.5% 7% - Deific 9.6% 16.6% 57.4% 16.6% - Superhuman 7.0% 9.6% 51.8% 31.8% - Impossible 4.9% 4.7% 40.5% 50.1% - Absurd 3.3% 1.6% 26.9% 68.4% - Foolhardy 2.1% - 14.5% 81.5% 2.1% Difficult 1.2% - 5.8% 80.4% 12.8% Challenging 0.6% - 1.5% 60.4% 37.7% Tricky 0.3% - - 31.5% 68.4% Moderate 0.1% - - 9.5% 90.6% Easy - - - 100% -
CALC TABLE - LINEAR DIE GROWTH
| DIFFICULTY / QUALITY / DANGER | DICE | BOTCH | COST | COST + SUCCESS | SUCCESS | TRIUMPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy / Crude / Relaxed | 3d2 | - | 3 (12.5%) | 4 (37.5%) | 5-6 (50%) | - |
| Moderate / Cheap/ Everyday | 3d4 | 3 (1.6%) | 4-5 (14.1%) | 6-7 (34.4%) | 8-11 (48.5%) | 12 (1.6%) |
| Tricky / Common / Pressured | 3d6 | 3-4 (1.9%) | 5-7 (14.3%) | 8-10 (33.8%) | 11-16 (48.1%) | 17-18 (1.9%) |
| Challenging / Fine / Emergency | 3d8 | 3-5 (2.0%) | 6-9 (14.5%) | 10-13 (33.6%) | 14-21 (48.1%) | 22-24 (2.0%) |
| Difficult / Superior / Dangerous | 3d10 | 3-6 (2.0%) | 7-11 (14.5%) | 12-16 (33.5%) | 17-26 (48.0%) | 27-30 (2.0%) |
| Foolhardy / Exquisite / Deadly | 3d12 | 3-7 (2.1%) | 8-13 (14.5%) | 14-19 (33.5%) | 20-31 (48.0%) | 32-36 (2.1%) |
| Absurd / Legendary / Suicidal | 3d14 | 3-8 (2.0%) | 9-15 (14.4%) | 16-22 (33.4%) | 23-36 (47.8%) | 37-42 (2.0%) |
| Supernatural/ Artifact / Doomed | 3d16 | 3-9 (2.0%) | 10-17 (14.5%) | 18-25 (33.4%) | 26-41 (47.9%) | 42-48 (2.0%) |
| Deific / Relic / Nope | 3d18 | 3-10 (2.2%) | 11-19 (14.5%) | 20-28 (33.4%) | 29-46 (47.9%) | 47-54 (2.2%) |
| Immortal / Singular / Doomed | 3d20 | 3-11 (2.1%) | 12-21 (14.5%) | 22-31 (33.4%) | 32-51 (47.9%) | 52-60 (2.1%) |
| X2 | 3d22 | 3-12 | 13-23 | 24-34 | 35-56 | 57-66 |
| X3 | 3d24 | 3-13 | 14-25 | 26-37 | 38-61 | 62-72 |
CALC TABLE - EXPONENTIAL DIE GROWTH
| DIFFICULTY / QUALITY / DANGER | DICE | BOTCH | COST | COST + SUCCESS | SUCCESS | TRIUMPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy / Crude / Relaxed | 3d3 | - | 3-4 (14.8%) | 5 (22.2%) | 6-9 (62.9%) | - |
| Moderate / Cheap/ Everyday | 3d4 | 3 (1.6%) | 4-5 (14.1%) | 6-7 (34.4%) | 8-11 (48.5%) | 12 (1.6%) |
| Tricky / Common / Pressured | 3d5 | 3-4 (3.2%) | 5-6 (12.8%) | 7-8 (26.4%) | 9-13 (54.0%) | 14-15 (3.2%) |
| Challenging / Fine / Emergency | 3d7 | 3-5 (2.9%) | 6-8 (13.4%) | 9-11 (28.3%) | 12-18 (52.5%) | 19-21 (2.9%) |
| Difficult / Superior / Dangerous | 3d9 | 3-6 (2.7%) | 7-10 (13.7%) | 11-14 (29.3%) | 15-23 (51.4%) | 24-27 (2.7%) |
| Foolhardy / Exquisite / Deadly | 3d12 | 3-8 (3.3%) | 9-13 (13.3%) | 14-18 (27.2%) | 19-30 (53.1%) | 31-36 (3.3%) |
| Absurd / Legendary / Suicidal | 3d16 | 3-10 (2.9%) | 11-17 (13.6%) | 18-24 (28.7%) | 25-40 (51.7%) | 41-48 (2.9%) |
| Supernatural/ Artifact / Catastrophic | 3d22 | 3-14 (3.3%) | 15-23 (13.3%) | 24-32 (26.6%) | 33-54 (53.5%) | 55-66 (3.3%) |
| Deific / Relic / Doomed | 3d30 | 3-18 (2.9%) | 19-31 (13.6%) | 32-44 (28.3%) | 43-74 (51.9%) | 75-90 (2.9%) |
| Immortal / Singular / Doomed | 3d42 | 3-25 (3.0%) | 26-43 (13.6%) | 44-61 (28.0%) | 62-103 (52.4%) | 104-126 (3.0) |
Neophyte ungeared character: 2d4 for Novice + 1d4 for Inept Talent, no Quality bonus. Range: 3-12 (Nat: 3-12)
CHAR SPEC | TASK | BOTCH | COST | COST + SUC | SUC | TRI |———————-: | :———-: | :—: | :—: | :——–: | :—: | :–: | | Neophyte(1d4 + 2d4 + 0) | Immortal | 100% | - | - | - | - | | | Deific | 100% | - | - | - | - | | | Supernatural | 100% | - | - | - | - | | | Absurd | 93.9% | 6.3% | - | - | - | | | Foolhardy | 68.9% | 31.3% | - | - | - | | | Difficult | 31.3% | 62.6% | 6.3% | - | - | | | Challenging | 15.7% | 53.2% | 29.7% | 1.6% | - | | | Tricky | 6.3% | 25.0% | 37.6% | 31.3% | - | | | Moderate | 1.6% | 14.1% | 34.4% | 48.5% | 1.6% | | | Easy | - | 6.3% | 9.4% | 94.5% | - |
Average ungeared character: 2d8 for Journeyman + 1d8 for Average Talent +3 for Quality alone. Range: 6-27 (Nat. 3-24)
CHAR SPEC TASK BOTCH COST COST + SUC SUC TRI Average (1d8 + 2d8 +3) Immortal 100% - - - - Deific 89.2% 11.0% - - - Supernatural 59.5% 36.7% 4.0% - - Absurd 23.5% 36.0% 38.7% 2.0% - Foolhardy 11.0% 12.5% 45.0% 31.7% - Difficult 4.0% 2.9% 24.8% 68.3% 0.2% Challenging 2.0% - 9.0% 82.3% 6.9% Tricky 0.8% - 1.2% 48.1% 50.1% Moderate 0.2% - 0.6% 30.9% 68.5% Easy - - - 100% -
Powerful ungeared character: 2d12 for Master + 1d12 for Prodigal Talent +6 for Quality. Range: 9-42 (Nat. 3-36)
CHAR SPEC TASK BOT COST COST + SUC SUC TRI Heroic(1d12 + 2d12 +6) Immortal 83.6% 16.6% - - - Deific 43.8% 39.8% 16.6% - - Supernatural 21.1% 16.6% 49.7% 12.8% - Absurd 7.0% 2.6% 34.2% 56.4% - Foolhardy 3.3% - 9.5% 84.1% 3.3% Difficult 1.2% - 2.1% 70.7% 26.2% Challenging 0.6% - - 43.2% 56.4% Tricky 0.3% - - 16.3% 83.6% Moderate 0.1% - - 9.5% 90.6% Easy - - - 100% -