Talents and Flaws

Talents are short, memorable exceptions and advantages. A starting Flaw may be accepted in exchange for one additional Talent.

Talents

Talents are exceptional capabilities that distinguish heroes. A Skill says that a character is trained; a Talent says that the character can do something unusual, decisive, or reliably heroic.

Talent Standard

A Talent normally has one sentence and one memorable effect.

A Talent grants a clear permission, exception, or strong advantage rather than a trivial numerical improvement.

When a Talent improves or impairs a roll, it normally grants a bonus die or imposes a penalty die rather than changing the numerical total.

A Talent should be visible in play. If nobody notices when it matters, it probably is not worth a Talent choice.

Talents never require other Talents; a Path, Skill rating, or Phasmic Formula may be required when the ability genuinely depends on it.

Talents should not repeat the general rules or enumerate every edge case in which they might apply.

If an ability requires a long procedure, it belongs in the general rules. If it reshapes phasm, it probably belongs among the Phasmic Formulae or Phasmic Talents.

No Talent exists merely to cancel a penalty created so that the Talent can cancel it.

Description Format

Talent Name — State one effect directly; add only the limit needed to run it.

A player should be able to read a Talent once, remember it, and use it without reopening the book.

General Talents

General Talents are available to any hero who meets a stated requirement.

Talent	Effect
Assessment	After observing someone, roll Insight against their Guile Resistance to learn whether their Combat rating is lower, equal, or higher than yours.
Beginner’s Luck	Spend 1 Nerve to use one Untrained Skill as Trained for the remainder of the scene.
Blind-Fighting	Opponents gain no bonus die merely because you cannot see them, provided you can locate them by another sense.
Canny Defense	While unarmored and neither Prone, Restrained, nor Down, use either Intellect or Spirit instead of Agility for Defense; choose when you acquire this Talent.
Connected	Once per adventure, declare a useful local contact; the Narrator decides what help they offer and what they require.
Dedicated	Attempts to coerce you into betraying a declared person, cause, or duty suffer a penalty die.
Diehard	When reduced to dying, you stabilize automatically unless you suffer further damage.
Eidetic Memory	Accurately recall anything you personally witnessed and attempt relevant Lore rolls without training.
Endurance	Gain a bonus die on Vigor rolls against fatigue, deprivation, exposure, and prolonged exertion.
Evasion	When an area attack hits you, reduce the Wounds it inflicts by 1, to a minimum of 0.
Fleet	Increase your Speed by 2 squares.
Improvised Tools	You suffer no penalty for lacking the proper tools when an improvised substitute is reasonably possible.
Keen Senses	Gain a bonus die on Awareness rolls and ignore ordinary penalties for dim light.
Master Plan	After meaningful preparation, you and participating allies gain a bonus die on each person’s first roll to execute the plan.
Poison Resistance	Gain a bonus die on Vigor rolls to resist ingested poison or venom.
Skill Mastery	Choose three Skills. Once per scene, you may reroll a failed roll using one of them.
Unshaken	Increase your maximum Nerve to 4 and begin each session with 4 Nerve.

Combat Talents

Combat Talents are available to any hero. They represent tactical specializations rather than additional or intermediate Combat ratings.

Talent	Effect
Battlefield Awareness	You cannot be surprised by an opponent you can perceive.
Close Fighter	Once per turn after you hit with a melee attack or successfully Parry one, move yourself or your opponent 1 square, provided the movement is physically possible.
Deflect Missiles	As a reaction before a physical ranged attack you perceive, gain 2 Defense against that attack.
Dodge	Gain 2 Defense while you are neither Prone, Restrained, nor Down.
Mobile Fighter	You may divide your movement before and after making an attack.
Quick Draw	You may draw or ready a weapon as part of the action used to attack with it.
Stunning Attack	On a melee hit, forgo damage and roll the weapon’s damage against the target’s Vigor Resistance; success makes the target Stunned.
Sure Shot	When you Aim, ignore either one penalty die imposed by range, cover, or poor visibility, or 1 Defense provided by cover.

Flaws

A Flaw pays for one additional starting Talent. Choose no more than one. Like a Talent, a Flaw should be short enough to remember and definite enough to matter without debate. The player chooses the Flaw; the Narrator confirms that it will recur often enough to be meaningful without dominating the hero.

Flaw Standard

A Flaw has one clear effect, usually a penalty die in a recurring situation.

A Flaw is personal. Lineages and Paths never impose mandatory Flaws.

A Flaw cannot be bought off by choosing equipment or behavior that makes it irrelevant.

A Flaw should complicate play, not prevent the hero from participating in it.

Biography alone is not a Flaw unless it carries a dependable rule.

Flaw List

Flaw	Effect
Frail	Suffer a penalty die when resisting fatigue, deprivation, exposure, or prolonged exertion.
Guileless	Suffer a penalty die when concealing your intentions or maintaining a deliberate lie.
Notorious	Suffer a penalty die when seeking trust from strangers who recognize your reputation.
Old Injury	After you take a Wound, reduce your Speed by 2 until all Wounds are removed.
Phasm-Sick	Hostile Phasmic Formulae targeting you gain a bonus die.
Unsteady	Suffer a penalty die on Agility rolls involving balance, precarious footing, or sudden changes of direction.

Seventh Sun Codex
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