Perk Descriptions
Mythmaster has 88 different perks that can grant your character a range of special abilities. Every member of a given species will start with at least one and sometimes two perks that are natural to that species. Other perks are distributed throughout the Skill and Spell Fields, and can be purchased using Experience Points (not Skill Points) once they are unlocked after you reach the required level of mastery in the field. Some perks are may not be available to player characters but are included here because they are used in the Bestiary.
Using Perks
Unlike skills or spells, you do not need to roll to use perks. Some perks are 'always on' capabilities, such as Night Vision which always helps you see in the dark. Some perks must be actively used, such as the Calculator perk which allows you to calculate things instantly in your head. Other perks need to be activated by expending a Derivative point, such as Stamina, Composure or Resolve. In some cases, perks may provide you with new sensitivities and may still require you to roll a Challenge; for example, the Magic Sense perk allows you to sense magic, but will typically require a 21C of Alertness, just as would detecting a subtle stimuli with any other sense.
Perks Table
Following is a list of all the perks in Mythmaster, along with their cost in earned experience points. If the cost is listed as n/a, this means that the perk is only available to individuals of a given species.
Perk Descriptions
Following are descriptions of all of the perks in Mythmaster.
360 Vision
Having this perk allows you to see in 360 degrees. You have no 'blind spot', and cannot be suprised by someone who would take advantage of a blindspot (such as by sneaking up behind you). You can still be surprised by ranged attacks, enemies attacking from darkness, etc. All avians have this perk due to the positioning of their eyes on the sides of the their heads.
Alternate Identity
You have a second completely established alternate identity, with documentation to support it. This is more than just forged papers; it means that many people legitimately and unquestioningly believe you to be someone else, and would even testify to that fact.
Amphibious
Those with this perk can breathe underwater as well as in air. Lizari and merfolk all have this perk. Merfolk can swim to great depths, while lizari can only safely swim to a depth of about 20-30 meters before they risk damage to their swim bladder. Additionally, Lizari are not well adapted to salt water, and will lose a pont of Stamina to dehydration every hour they spend in salt water. Lizari and Merfolk are also excellent natural swimmers, and do not need to take the Swimming skill.
Amplify
This perk allows you to focus your own energy to Amplify the effects of your spells. If you choose to spend a point of Resolve before casting a spell, you can choose to increase a single spell parameter (range, duration, radius, damage, etc) by +25% instead of receiving the usual +1d4 Resolve bonus to their skill roll. Allocating one or more points of Resolve to Amplify a spell does not prevent you from also spending one or more points of Resolve to give a bonus to cast the spell.
Anchor
The Anchor perk allows you to control the flow of movement in melee and mounted combat denying opponents the ability to move safely. Once per turn, if an oppenent attempts to move out of an adjacent hex, you can spend a point of Stamina and declare your intent to anchor them. If the opponent still chooses to move out of the adjacent hex, you gain a single free melee attack against them. If confronting a mounted enemy, you may choose to apply you anchor to either the mount or the rider. Uniquely, when weilding a two-handed weapon, you anchor opponents moving out of a hex that is two hexes away, instead of those moving out of adjacent hexes. If an anchor attack is used successfully to perform an effect attack, such as a trip, entangle or slam, the effect is imposed on the target in the hex they were attempting to leave, not the hex they were attempting to enter. Anchor attacks are performed instantly and do not require a Combat Action. You may not perform any additional attacks or any other actions as part of your anchor, and you may not move. You may not anchor an opponent who is performing a Retreat, and you may not perform an anchor while in the down state.
Area Denial
When using a Ranged or Thrown Weapon, this perk allows you to establish a line of fire that your opponents cannot safely cross. To establish Area Denial, you must spend an entire turn stationary with your weapon equipped (you can ready or even fire the weapon during this time). At the beginning of your next turn, you may define a single line emanating directly from you and extending to your maximum range. Thereafter, provided you remain stationary, if anyone attempts to cross the line, you gain a single, free Ready attack against them. If the target did not previously have line of sight on you while your Area Denial was established, this attack is treated as a suprise attack. The attack is instant and does not require an Action, but it ends your Area Denial, requiring you to re-establish it the next turn.
Atavistic
When unarmed, unarmoured and unequipped in the wilderness any Challenges to skills in the Outdoors Field are rolled as though you have spent a point of Resolve (add +1d4 to the roll). You also gain +1 to all skills in the Combat - Unarmed Field.
Bane
After delivering a killing blow to a specific type of creature, you can choose to expend a point of Concentration to become a bane for that specific creature type (such as 'ghoul' or 'hill giant', but not 'undead' or 'giant'). You may increase your level of bane by expending 2, then 3, then 5, then 8 Concentration, each subsequent time you deliver a killing blow to a creature of the same type. Each level of bane grants you a bonus of +1 to attack, +1 to damage, and imposes -1 to resist any spells you cast for creatures of that type. The maximum level of bane achievable is +5. You may only be a bane to single type of creature at a time.
Barkskin
Spriggan have a skin of tough, dense bark, granting them +1 Protection for every full 90 years of life.
Berserk
You are dangerous when angry, and may choose to become berserk if you are already in the enraged state, or you may spend a Combat Action and a point of Composure to enter the enraged state and go berserk at will. While enraged, you may not retreat or surrender, and must fight to the death. While berserk you gain +100% more attacks, and all attacks do damage as Strong Attacks. You must also always attempt active defenses such as Counterstrike, Deflect or Reverse if you are able. You must use such defenses at the first possible opportunity, unless the Director confirms there are certainly more attacks coming your way. You are never required to change what you have equipped in order to use active defenses. Berserk lasts until you are no longer aware of the presence of any opponents, until you fall in battle, or until something causes the enraged state to end, such as the Calm skill or the Reassure spell.
Bilingual
This perk cannot be purchased. It can only be granted by the Director in the event that a character is born in an environment or culture where having two first languages is the norm. In this case, you speak a second language at a level equal a Social Stat of your choice. (Confidence, Cunning or Conviction). Bilingualism will be more common in regions of constant, lasting conflict, or in more peaceful regions, will be more common in port cities or major trade centers, where a trade language is frequently used.
Blade Hands
Your bare hands are lethal weapons, able to deliver punishing blows without risk to breaking your own bones. Your damage when striking with your bare hands using the Unarmed or Off-Hand Unarmed skills is increased to a minimum 1d6+1 for Fast Attacks, and 1d8 for Strong Attacks (note that for creatures with this perk, their natural attacks likely already exceed these values). Note also that your Blade Hands are considered Small Weapons for purposes of using the Shadow Strike perk or the Vicious Strike skill.
Bless
This perk allows you to bestow the blessings of a deity you worship upon any subject deemed worthy. The blessing of a specific deity typically permits the auotmatic recovery of one point of Resolve each day if it was spent rolling against a skill in a Skill Field the deity presides over. Additionally, if the deity in question is not opposed to the application of violence, weapons may also be blessed and (just as silvered weapons) these act as magical for the purpose of damaging undead or infernals (or celestials if blessed by infernal worshippers), and also do +25% damage to them. In the case of ammunition such as arrows or bolts, these are blessed by the dozen as opposed to blessing the weapons that launch them. Performing a blessing takes one minute and costs a point of Composure.
Blind Fighting
You have honed your senses to be able to hear your enemies' movements and to feel the flow of air caused by their motion. You never have to be concerned about fighting blind, and fight with no penalties to attack or defend, even when unable to see at all - such as in pitch blackness, in smoke or fog, when blindfolded, or even when rendered blind.
Bloodlust
You revel in the kill. Whenever you deliver a killing blow to an enemy who is able to defend themselves, you immediately regain 2 Health and 4 Stamina. This cannot raise your Derivatives above their maximum values. Despite the name, this perk works as well on the undead, or the bloodless, as it does on the living.
Brace
When using a shield, you are able to steady yourself in order to mitigate the damage you take. When you fail a Block Defense using the Shield Skill, you gain +1, +2 or +3 Protection from small, medium or large shields respectively. This Protection does not apply to attacks you did not (or could not) attempt to block with your sheild (such as suprise attacks, or attacks you chose to defend against using a different defense).
Calculator
You can perform any mathematical operations in your head instantly and accurately. This does not permit you to measure or time things accurately (see Perfect Timing, Direction Sense, and Eyeballing.
Catalyst
When called on to spend Concentration to activate a spell or effect from an enchanted item, the Concentration cost is reduced as though the spell or effect were one Power Level lower (minimum of 1). All gnomes have this Perk naturally.
Charge
When Charging, you move your full sprint move in a straight line. Any enemy whose hex you enter must roll a 21C using their Adaptability at -3 or be subjected to the slam effect. If they succeed, they sidestep you and you continue to the next hex.
At any point in your Charge you may choose to attempt a melee attack on an enemy as you enter their hex instead of slamming them. The enemy is at +3 to Dodge but -3 to Block against your first attack. If this attack hits, apply the slam effect and also do your damage. This ends your move, and you may now perform any remaining attacks as normal. If the first attack misses, you must continue moving past your opponents, passing through their hexes without applying the slam effect until you finish your sprint move - even if this would injure you (such as sending you off a cliff).
If you collide with a wall or large object, you must roll a 21C using Physical or be put into the stunned state. If there is no unoccupied hex for you to end your turn in, you are also subjected to the slam effect. To execute this maneuver you must move in a straight line, without having to turn corners. While Charging, opponents you pass can Anchor you, and you cannot prevent it. You cannot perform a Charge while in the down state yourself.
Counterspell
This perk allows you to attempt to counter and nullify the casting of any spell being cast by another caster, provided you have the spell being countered, the target caster is within your range for the spell being countered, and you are aware the spell is being cast (ie: the spell is not discreet or being cast covertly). To counter a spell, roll a Versus Challenge of your skill in the spell against the caster's roll to cast the spell. If the caster wins, the spell is cast normally. If you win, the spell is nullified. The caster does not pay the casting cost for a spell that is countered, but their action is wasted. When using this perk, you are not casting the spell yourself, so it costs you no Concentration. This perk can only be used once per turn, but it does not cost an action, and it can be used instantly and can counter instant spells.
Counterstrike
A counterstrike is a high risk offensive maneuver performed in lieu of a defense, when you are being attacked by an opponent in melee. A counterstrike is performed by rolling your Block defense with your equipped weapon at a penalty of -4. You must use a Small Weapon, Off-Hand Weapon, Weapon, or Two-Handed Weapon, and may not perform a counterstrike if Unarmed, or with a Shield. If successful, you do Fast Attack damage to your attacker, but if unsuccessful, you take the full maximum damage from your attacker's strike. Performing a counterstrike does not cost an action, though you may only perform one counterstrike per turn.
Danger Sense
Experienced adventurers know when something isn't right. This perk gives you a sixth sense for impending danger. Any time you are subjected to a suprise attack, you can roll a 21C using your alertness. If successful your attacker still gets their bonus to attack, but you can defend as normal instead of the attack being treated as a 21C. You may also cast instant spells or use the Equip skill.
Dash
The Dash perk enables exceptional bursts of movement speed. Anyone with this perk can spend a point of Stamina each turn to double their movement speeds. This means that by expending one point of Stamina, someone with this perk can move double their Base Move using a Basic Action, or by spending two points of Stamina, can move double their Sprint Move using their Basic Action and their Combat Action.
Deflect
Deflect is a high risk active defense, similar to a Counterstrike, in which a shield is used to bounce or otherwise deflect an opponent's melee or ranged attack back at them. A deflection is performed by rolling your Block defense with your equipped shield at a penalty of -4. If successful you cause your attacker to do their intended fast, strong, snap or ready damage to themselves. If the attacker was attempting an effect attack, a successful deflection still does damage and does not apply the effect. If unsuccessful, you take the full maximum damage from your attacker's strike. You may attemt to deflect an attack intended for an adjacent ally if using the Bulwark skill. If unsuccessful, it is you who takes the damage, not the person you are protecting. Performing a deflection does not cost an action, though you may only perform one deflection per turn.
Direction Sense
You can always identify the cardinal directions, and always know your exact bearing. This does not allow you to know distance or times, only direction, so while you always know where you are relative to some absolute, it does not necessarily allow you to retrace your steps through a complex environment (see Mental Mapping).
Disease Immunity
This perk completely protects you from the adverse effects of all diseases, known and unknown. You must still roll Resistance any time you are exposed to a disease, and if you fail your resistance roll, you will still contract and carry the disease, and you may transmit it as well. You must continue to make all the rolls you would make as if you had the disease in order to determine if or when you overcome the disease and are no longer carrying or able to spread it, but regardless of your rolls, you will never display symptoms, and you will never suffer any of the diseases effects. If you do contract and overcome a disease, you will make all future rolls to resist that disease at +5. This perk does not protect you from poisons, infections or parasites. Note that some diseases listed in the Bestiary are in fact parasitic or fungal infections and you are still susceptible to these. All rodians and spriggan have this perk naturally.
Double Jointed
You are extremely flexible and hard to pin down. You get +3 on all rolls to evade or escape grappling or entanglement, including +3 to resist the Entangle spell. You also get +3 to the Escape skill to avoid being tied up or shackled or to escape from such bonds. In any case where extreme flexibility would be a benefit, you can a have a bonus of +3 to any Challenge you roll.
Dual Wield
You can fight using a one-handed Weapon in your off hand, allowing you use use two one-handed Weapons in combat, instead of a one-handed Weapon and an Off-Hand Weapon.
Early Riser
If you get a full night's sleep and awake at the crack of dawn, you gain an additional point of Resolve that you can spend on any Challenge you make before the arrival of mid-day. If you do not use this additional point of Resolve, it fades at noon.
Echolocation
A character or creature with echolocation creates sounds and visualizes the environment by hearing the echoes of those sounds. All merfolk have this perk. Characters or creatures with echolocation are unaffected by darkness and have a very accurate 'image' of everything around them within a number of hexes equal to 2x their Alertness. Outside this radius they maintain a sense of the static physical environment, but to detect anything moving, they must roll a 21C using Alertness at a penalty of -1 per hex of additional range. Echolocation prevents all surprise attacks.
Because sound bounces, echolocation does not require line of sight, but it does make it harder to distinguish immobile targets from the environment. A 21C using Alertness is needed to detect someone pressed flat against an object or surface and completely motionless. This can be a Challenge versus sneaking if the character or creature attempting to hide has the skill.
While evading detection by echolocation is hard, the sounds made by characters or creatures using this perk are distinctive and easily heard. Sneaking is impossible while using echolocation, and anyone that can hear may always attempt to locate someone who is using this perk while fighting blind.
Eyeballing
You can very accurately measure physical dimensions including weight, length, height, width and speed of motion just by looking at them. All gnomes have this perk naturally.
Fast Healer
You are exceptionally rapid healer. When rolling to recover lost Health or Stamina, maximum recovery for Health is 1 point for each 4 full hours of rest (instead of 8) and maximum recovery for Stamina is 1 point for each 5 minutes of rest (instead of 10).
Flurry
You are trained to deliver multiple, rapid strikes when fighting Unarmed. This grants you an additional Unarmed attack, and an additional Off-Hand Unarmed attack when fighting without weapons.
Focused
Whenever you would make a roll to avoid entering the confused state due to negative Concentration, you are considered to automatically succeed the roll if it is possible to do so. In other words, you will not become confused until Concentration reaches the negative value of your Mental Attribute. You can still be confused by other means (such as via a spell), and you still die if Concentration reaches -2x Mental. When at or below 0 Concentration, you may continue to perform normal actions that use Concentration (such as prolonged study), but may not perform any actions which require actively spending Concentration to attempt them (such as casting spells).
Fortunate
When rolling for loot, you always roll at one tier or range higher than indicated. If the indication is to roll at the highest tier or range, roll twice and choose the roll you prefer.
Gendermorphic
Lizari can choose to switch gender presentation between andromorphic and gynomorphic forms. To initiate this process, roll a 21C using Stability, and if sucessful, the transformation will take place over the course of 5d4 days minus the amount you succeed your challenge by. If triggered in sync with the egg production cycle, and if transformation lasts 8 or fewer days, it can be used to auto-reproduce - allowing the eggs to be formed while in the gynomorphic state, and fertilized once transformation to the andromorphic state is complete. In this case, the offspring will effectively be clones of the lone parent. This process can also be triggered involuntarily by environmental stress such as may be caused by a sudden change in biome from tropical to boreal or temperate to polar, or from wilderness to urban. When experiencing such a shift, roll a 21C using Stability to resist the initiation of transformation.
Gifted
You are a naturally talented artist. Any Challenges made using skills in the Arts Field are rolled as though you have spent a point of Resolve (add +1d4 to the roll).
Healing Touch
You are a gifted healer. Anytime you use a Skill or cast a Spell that restores a Derivative to anyone, add +20% to the amount restored.
Healing Waters
This perk enables you to cast the spells Font of Life, Heal, Reassure, Regenerate or Rejuvenate into ordinary liquids, such as water or wine. This liquid can then be imbided by anyone injured, enabling them to take only the exact amount of healing they might need, and thus allowing it to be shared among the wounded without wasting any. With the Regenerate spell, the sustained regenerating effects are simply added to the die roll. With the Font of Life spell, all dice in the healing pool are immediately rolled and imbued into the waters. The caster must be holding the vessel in which the healing waters are contained while each individual drinks, or cup the waters in their own hands if the liquid is flowing from a natural source such as a stream. These waters only last for 60 seconds before the spell dissipates from them - long enough for twelve people to imbibe.
Indefatigable
Whenever you would make a roll to avoid entering the exhausted state due to negative stamina, you are considered to automatically succeed the roll if it is possible to do so. In other words, you will not become exhausted until Stamina reaches the negative value of your Physical Attribute. You can still be exhausted by other means (such as via a spell), and you still die if Stamina reaches -2x Physical. When at or below 0 Stamina, you may continue to perform normal actions that use Stamina (such as travelling, climbing or swimming), but may not perform any actions which require actively spending Stamina to attempt them (such as using the Acrobatics skill).
Indomitable
Whenever you would make a roll to avoid entering the unconscious state due to negative health, you are considered to automatically succeed the roll if it is possible to do so. In other words, you will not become unconscious until Health reaches the negative value of your Stability Attribute. You can still be rendered unconscious by other means (such as via a spell), and you still die if Health reaches -2x Stability.
Iron Hands
You have trained your limbs to be able to withstand intense impact. Consequently, you do not suffer the -4 penalty to the Block defense when fighting armed opponents using your Unarmed or Off-Hand Unarmed Skill (or claws or fists for certain creatures).
Lightfall
Khat are extremely light on their feet, and can manage falls from a high distance. If you are conscious when you fall or jump from great height, if your Challenge to mitigate damage caused by falling is successful it will result in no damage, instead of half damage.
Magic Reflux
Your metabolism is sensitive to the basic reagents found in all potions, and you have trained your body to extract maximum benefit from any magical elixer that you drink. Whenever consuming a potion, you may increase a chosen fixed or rolled parameter of the potion by 50%. In the case of restoration potions, this always means simply adding 50% to the roll when you drink the potion. In the case of spell potions or other alchemical beverages ( but not balms or oils, etc) you can choose which parameter of the effect is increased by 50%.
Magic Sense
You have developed the ability to sense the presence of magic within a number of hexes equal to your Alertness. This is not an enhancement of vision or some other sense, but is a unique sense unto itself. Magic is, at best, faint and fleeting, and as with detecting any other faint sensory stimuli, you need to roll a 21C of Alertness. Sensing magic typically requires an intentional effort; the Director should not normally ask players to roll to see if their characters sense magic in passing.
A successful 21C allows you to detect magical items, to determine if someone is affected by a spell, or to sense the local action of a magic effect, such as the radius of an active spell. It will not help you locate a concealed spell caster, or determine the source of a spell. If being used to detect the action of a discreet spell or a spell cast covertly, this roll requires a basic action and is made at a penalty equal to the Power of the spell (or equivalent penalty for an equivalent magic that is not explicitly a spell).
Magic Sense will not enable you to identify the nature of a magical effect, which requires use of the Identify spell.
Mental Mapping
Dwarves, goblins and sectiles are all innately capable of navigating while underground. This perk provides an uncanny spatial sense that allows you to keep an accurate mental map of any underground or interior space you have moved through. You cannot get lost in interiors or underground. This offers no benefit to you when outdoors.
Mobile Armour
You are trained to move effectively, even when wearing armour. The Bulk of any armour you wear or of any shield you have equipped is not counted in the calculation of your Bulk Factor.
Mobility
You are exceptionally coordinated in your movements, meaning the split movement rules do not apply to you. This perk allows you to split or 'suspend' your base move, enabling you to move part of your base move as a basic action, perform a combat action, and then move the rest of your base move. Note that flying attackers do not need this perk to attack during their movement, but if they have this perk, they can attack without decelerating if they wish. This perk does not protect you from being Anchored, or from Counterstrikes or similar active defense maneuvers. Instant Spells can also be used against you; for example, the Doubt spell could be used to prevent you from moving the second portion of your base move, effectively leaving you with no other possible action.
Moving Fire
When using a Ranged or Thrown Weapon you can always move your Base Move, even if you are using a Ready Attack, or firing two Snap Attacks. This does not enable you to do additional attacks in lieu of using that move, nor does it allow you to launch attacks in the middle of a movement action, or to move between attacks, as per the combat movement rules.
Night Vision
Canis, khat, dwarves, goblins, and rodians all benefit from exceptional night vision, and the ability to see light in the near infrared spectrum. This allows them to see almost as normal when outdoors at night, and even to see well enough to navigate when in the pitch blackness of an underground cave or tunnel. Magical darkness, such as invoked by the Light spell impairs Night Vision just as it does normal vision.
Olfactory Sense
Canis and porcine benefit from an exceptional sense of smell. They gain a benefit of +3 to any Challenge in which their powerful olfactory sense can help, including Tracking, Hunting, Foraging, or any skills related to food preperation. Additionally, when fighting blind, they make Alertness rolls to detect opponents they cannot see at -2 (instead of -5), and if successful, can attack opponents they can smell at -3 (instead of -6). This perk allows you to detect (but not 'read') pheromones emitted using the Pheromone Sense perk.
Overconfident
Humans are unreasonably confident in their ability to do all kinds of things they don't have any skill or knowledge in. By spending a point of Resolve a human can use their Confidence stat in place of the reference attribute when making an untrained attempt at any skill (not including spells) that they have the prerequisites for, but no training in. This means rolling the Challenge at half their Confidence stat minus the difficulty level of the skill. If the human succeeds in this Challenge, they immediately regain 1d3 points of Composure.
Perfect Memory
You have a perfect memory of everything you have ever seen, every conversation you have ever had, and of anything else you have ever witnessed. Similar to the Memorize Spell, but without the need to specify you are remembering a specific thing, and without the need to roll to successfully memorize it.
Perfect Timing
You keep perfect time in your head and always know what time it is and have a precise sense of how long something took. This only allows you to measure the passage of time, not to predict how long something may take in the future (unless it is a repeat of an action that you have already measured).
Pheromone Sense
Sectiles can 'read' and 'write' messages in pheromones. These can be detected by anyone with the Olfactory Sense perk, but can only be 'read' by other sectiles. These messages can communicate simple concepts (such as danger, food, home) and a direction. You do not need to roll to leave or to sense these messages. They can also be used to create trails or to 'paint' environments enabling you (or other Sectiles) to effecitvely navigate in the pitch darkness. These pheromones can also be used to mark any enemy you touch, allowing you to detect it even if you can't see it, meaning once you hit or are hit by an enemy in combat, you can 'see' it, even if it is invisible or if you are in pitch darkness.
Plant Armour
You are trained to take full advantage of any cover or protection provided by natural foliage. When you are in light, medium or dense foliage, you gain +1, +2 or +3 Protection, respectively. Light foliage at a minimum would be waist high scrub, brush, grasses or shubbery. Medium foliage would require additional intermittent tall grasses, reeds or saplings, or large broad-leaf plants. Dense foliage would light jungle, thick brush, dense woodland, or densely planted, tall rigid grasses, such as corn rows or bamboo forest.
Point Blank
When fighting with Ranged or Thrown Weapons, you are unaffected by enemies being within your minimum range, leaving you free to attack them or other targets normally.
Poison Immunity
This Perk grants you complete immunity to all poisons, venoms and toxins, known or unknown. You never need to roll Resistance against a poison, you can never suffer damage or other ill effect from poison, and you cannot enter the intoxicated state. This does not protect you from disease, infections or parasites. As a consequence of this immunity, you cannot become intoxicated through the use of alcohol or narcotic substances.
Prodigy
Prodigies are exceptionally talented learners, able to aquire knowledge at an accelerated rate and to display wisdom that far exceeds their years. Those who choose the prodigy perk can disregard the age prerequisites in any of the skill fields, enabling them to achieve Companion, Master or even Grandmaster levels of mastery earlier in life. As the Basic Skill Field progression is not related to mastery, but simply to passing through various stages of life, the age prerequisites for the Basic Skill Field still apply even if you have the prodigy perk. This perk may not be taken after the (human equivalent) age of 36.
Profiteering
Your understanding of the value and accessibility of industrial goods and materiel is critical during times of conflict or war. In a region at war, or in active preparation or mobilization for war, any Challenges you make using skills from the Industry Field are rolled as though you have spent a point of Resolve (add +1d4 to the roll).
Public Speaking
This perk allows you to employ a range of communication skills when giving speeches to a large group, allowing you to apply the effects of your skills to everyone in the crowd simultaneously. Public Speaking allows you to apply the Confuse, Fast Talk, Intimidation, Leadership, Mock, Patsy, Persuasion, and Provoke skills to anyone listening to your speech.
Raining Fire
This perk allows you to launch a volley of ranged attacks that rain down on an area, attacking all targets within a 2 hex radius with a single attack provided you have enough ammunition (arrows, hand-axes, spears) to strike the targets in question (there could theoretically be 19 targets in a 2 hex radius). Raining Fire costs a point of Concentration, and is launched as a Ready Attack. All targets in the radius must defend against your single attack roll or take damage. Raining Fire uses all of your attacks for a turn regardless of how many you have.
Ranged Parry
This skill allows you to defend against ranged attacks using your bare hands as though they are melee attacks. Just as when defending unarmed against other weapons, your block defense is at -4, though if you have the Iron Hands perk, these penalties are eliminated. Ranged attacks against you count as melee attacks, and you may defend against two with your Unarmed skill and two with your Off-Hand Unarmed skill before incurring penalties for each subsequent attack. Ranged Parry requires extreme fluidity of movement, and may not be performed while in the down state.
Rapid Fire
You are highly trained in cycling your Ranged or Thrown weapons, enabling you to make more attacks. This perk grants you an additional Ready Attack (two per turn after you are set-up), or two additional Snap Attacks (up to four per turn).
Retreat
Retreat allows you to create space between yourself and your attacker while they are attacking in melee. In order to retreat, you must spend a point of Stamina and Dodge at -3. If you fail, you take damage normally. If successful, you may immediately move your base move, regardless of whether or not you have already moved or performed other combat actions this turn. You may not perform a Retreat while in the down state, and you may only Retreat once per turn.
Reverse
Reverse is a high risk active defense, similar to Deflect, in which you attempt to turn your attacker's strike back at them. A reversal is performed by rolling your Block defense with your Unarmed or Off-Hand Unarmed skill at a penalty of -4. If attempting to reverse an attack with a weapon, this roll is at -8 unless you have the Iron Hands perk. If successful, you may choose to have the attacker do their intended damage to themselves, or you may choose to apply the stun, disarm, trip, or grapple effect. If you fail, you take the full maximum damage from your attacker's strike. Performing a reversal does not cost an action, though you may only perform one reversal per turn.
Run Down
If any opponent you can see, and who is within a number of hexes equal to your Alertness attempts to flee, this perk allows you to stay on top of them. As they move, on their turn, you automatically maintain your relative distance to them without expending any moves or actions yourself, as though you are attached to them. You must maintain line of sight, and you may only sustain this as far as your Sprint Move would take you. Using Run Down costs a point of Stamina, and you may only use it on one opponent per turn. You may not perform a Run Down while in the down state.
Sensory Acuity
Elves benefit from highly refined senses. By spending three turns concentrating, an elf can focus their senses to gain +5 to a 21C using Alertness in an attempt to detect something specific with a specific sense (such as to discern the ingredients of a dish, to hear the marching of a distant army).
Seven Squares
If a halfling takes the time to ensure they eat seven square meals a day (not counting snacks) they may roll all Recovery rolls as though they have invested a point of Resolve (+1d4 to rolls). At least four of these meals need to be proper sit-down meals, though the others may be lighter (but still not simple mere snacks). This bonus lasts until they skip a meal, at which point they must wait for a new day in order to 'reset' by eating their seven squares, enabling them to regain the bonus the following day.
Shadow Armour
You are trained to take full advantage of the shadows in order to fight more effectively in darkness. When in half light, dim light, or darkness, you automatically gain +1, +2 or +3 Protection, respectively, due to your ability to conceal your weaknesses and draw opponents' attacks to where you are best protected.
Shadow Strike
When attacking with suprise using a Small Weapon, you gain an additional +3 to hit (on top of +10 for attacking with surprise). If you hit, you can add your maximum damage to your total damage. This is cumulative with any critical damage, so a normal hit using Shadow Strike does maximum damage plus your damage, but protection is still applied. A minor critical using Shadow Strike will bypass all protection and do 2x maximum damage, and a major critical will bypass all protection and do 3x maximum damage. If you also have the Blade Hands perk, your Unarmed attacks are treated as small weapons for the purposes of using this perk.
Shrewd
You are a shrewd business person, able to drive hard negotiations and put pressure on your business competitors. Any Challenges made using skills in the Business skill field are rolled as though you have spent a point of Resolve (add +1d4 to the roll).
Silver Tongued
You have trained your voice to harmonize with the music of the magical spheres. When casting a spell from a scroll, the Concetration cost is reduced as though the spell were one Power Level lower (minimum of 1).
Socializer
You are extremely comfortable at public events such as concerts, performances or ceremonies, as well as in other social or familial gatherings such as parties, dinners, weddings or funerals. For the purposes of recovering derivatives, you are essentially considered to be resting whenever you are in such a context, even if you are engaged in potentially stressful social situations.
Whenever you are in a social group of more than a dozen or so persons, you recover your Health and Resolve and Stamina at 4x the normal rate, and your Concentration and Composure at 6x the rate. This means Health and Resolve can be recovered at a maximum rate of 1 point for each 2 hours, and Stamina can be recoved at a maximum rate of 1 point for each 2.5 minutes. For Concentration and Composure (which are probably most important for these types of characters) these are recovered at a maximum rate of 1 point for 10 minutes. Additionally, when in such a social context, those with this perk roll to resist entering the afraid, charmed, depressed, dominated, enraged or humiliated states as though they have spent a point of Resolve.
Steelskin
You are trained to use speed and evasion to take full advantage of the chaos caused by crowds of enemies. When unarmoured, you gain a bonus of +1 to your Protection for every adjacent enemy.
Strong Back
This perk allows you to carry extra heavy loads. The bulk of any backpack, satchel or similar container you are carrying is halved for the purpose of calculating your Bulk Factor. Obviously, this does not apply to anything you need ready access to, such as your weapons or armour, or to potions, scrolls or cash that you keep in belts, or to arrows, bolts or other projectiles kept in quivers. For pack animals such as mules or camels, this also applies to panniers, and for animals trained as mounts, this also applies to the riding gear, saddlebags and to the rider themself.
Superconnector
You never forget a name or a face, and you are extremely pro-social. As a general rule, anywhere you go, you will be able to find someone you know, or at very least, someone with whom you share an acquaintance. Anyone you meet, who you do not engage with a Challenge, will by default become a new acquaintance. If you start with this perk, you should work with the Director to define 1d3+2 trusted contacts who you know well and associate with frequently.
Sure Footed
You have +3 when defending against Effect attacks to Trip or Knockdown or against any Challenge caused by being on unsteady, uneven, or shifting ground, including +3 to resist the Slip spell. This perk also grants you 'sea legs', making you immune to seasickness and motion sickness.
Swinging
When on the deck of a sailing ship, this perk allows you to use a Basic Action to use ropes, pulleys, masts, shrouds and rigging to hoist yourself up off the deck and swing from any spot on deck, to any other spot on deck that is within your Sprint Move range without concern for the position of enemies or obstacles. For two ships that are line abreast, as during a boarding action, you can freely travel between them as though they are one. You must have your hands free to do this, but a successful 21C using Equip will allow you to free your hands, use this perk, and re-equip your weapons all in one motion. Additionally, used in a jungle or a forest that is dense enough, this perk allows you to swing at your base move through the trees on vines and branches, without touching the ground. When you are in any location where you could use this perk, you cannot be Anchored. This ability cannot be used while in the down state.
Tank
This perk allows you to take hits for allies who otherwise might suffer much more serious consequences than you. Once per turn, if an adjacent ally takes damage from an attack that is not a suprise attack, you can choose to take half the damage (which is reduced by your Protection) leaving only half for your ally to take (reduced by their Protection). You may not Tank while in the down state.
Technical Shot
As with the Technical Strike perk, Technical Shot allows you to impose effects on targets regardless of whether your weapon normally enables those Effects. Any time you successfully hit an opponent with a thrown or ranged weapon, you can choose to apply either the bleeding, stun, disarm, or trip effect in lieu of doing damage. Alternately, you may choose instead to apply half the damage done to either the target's Stamina, Concentration or Composure with armour providing no protection against this damage. Criticals allow you to apply damage in addition to the effect. You may not perform a Technical Shot while in the down state.
Technical Strike
As with the Technical Shot perk, Technical Strike allows you to impose effects on targets regardless of whether your weapon normally enables those effects. Any time you successfully hit an opponent with a melee weapon, you can choose to apply either the bleeding, stun, disarm or trip effect in lieu of doing damage. Alternately, you may choose instead to apply half the damage done to either the target's Stamina, Concentration or Composure with armour providing no protection against this damage. Criticals allow you to apply damage in addition to the effect. If you have the Traps skill, your traps do not need to trade damage for effects, and each point you succeed your roll by allows your traps to do more damage as well as apply additional effects. You may not perform a Technical Strike while in the down state.
Terrain Sense
You know how to read the land and how to take advantage of it at scale. This can be applied to the transport of goods, to the movement of armies and to the placement of command and control centers, distribution centers, and artillery. In mass combat on land, Terrain Sense is considered an advantage even if you are the weaker side overall. This grants all units on your side an additonal +1 to all rolls in the mass combat and the engagements, as well as an additional Support call.
Unfazeable
You are extremely emotionally stable and whenever you would make a roll to avoid entering the afraid, charmed, depressed, enraged or humiliated states due to negative Composure, you are considered to automatically succeed the roll if it is possible to do so. In other words, you will not enter any of those states until Composure reaches the negative value of your Social Attribute. You can still be be forced into one of these states by other means (such as via a spell), and you still die if Composure reaches -2x Social. When at or below 0 Composure, you may continue to perform normal actions that use Composure (such as socializing at a party), but may not perform any actions which require actively spending Composure to attempt them (such as using the Persuasion Skill). In order for a mount to engage in mounted combat, they must have this perk.
Vibration Sense
Creatures with vibration sense detect their prey by feeling vibrations through the ground to a range equal to 2x Alertness. Line of sight is not a factor, but detecting targets that are immobile requires a 21C using Alertness. This can be a Challenge versus sneaking if the character or creature attempting to remain still has the skill.
Creatures with this sense are unaffected by darkness and cannot be surprised provided they and their prey are both touching the ground. However, unless they can also see, creatures with this sense are completely blind to airborne enemies and Ranged and Thrown attacks against them are always surprise attacks.
Weapon Mastery
Orcs live for battle. As an orc, you do not need to specialize your different weapon skills. Having a skill in a given weapon type (Small, Two-Handed, Off-Hand, Ranged, Thrown, etc) allows you to use any weapon of the same type with that one skill. Weapon mastery does not apply to shields, armour or artillery because defence, complicated machines, indirect fire and teamwork do not count as 'battle' for proud orc warriors.
Weave
This perk allows you to weave the flow of magical energy into your normal actions and movements. Once per turn, if you successfully cast a spell as a Combat Action, you can choose to spend an additional point of Concentration in order to perform another Combat Action, such as an attack or even casting another spell.
Whirlwind
This perk allows you to attack every adjacent opponent with a single attack to either do damage or apply an effect if your weapon has one. Whirlwind costs a point of Stamina, and is launched as a single Strong or Fast attack that uses all of your attacks and actions for a turn regardless of how many you have. All adjacent targets must defend against your single attack roll or take damage or suffer the chosen effect. You may not perform a Whirlwind while in the down state.