FATE’S EDGE · SYSTEM REFERENCE DOCUMENT
Talent reference
Consult this chapter when choosing or using a talent. Keep the character-creation and advancement procedures open alongside it: this catalogue supplies options, while those procedures explain how a character acquires them. A reference being on a separate page does not make its requirements optional.
Talents
Talents are the building blocks of character specialization. Each costs XP. Passive talents are always on; active talents require an action or reaction and cannot be used simultaneously unless noted.
Talent Costs
| Cost | Category |
|---|---|
| 2–3 XP | Minor edge (small bonus, once per scene). |
| 4–6 XP | Major edge (permanent +1 die in a niche, access to magic). |
| 7–10 XP | Prestige (campaign-defining). |
| 11+ XP | Epic (legendary, story-shaping). |
Creation-Only Talents
A few talents represent something a character was rather than something they learned. They can only be taken at creation, and they cannot be taken later at any price.
Prodigy 8 XP Creation only
“Some are born with a gift others spend years cultivating. You are one of them — and you have already made a choice you cannot unmake.”
- Effect: One attribute begins at 4, above the normal starting maximum of 3.
- The gift does not grow. That attribute cannot be raised again until you reach Tier II. Everyone else catches up before you improve.
- It cannot be given back. Prodigy is the one talent that can never be retrained. Every other talent may be replaced once per downtime; this one is who you are.
- The world notices. Until you reach Tier II, scenes start with +1 banked SB for the GM, exactly as an unresolved Complication does. Being conspicuously good, conspicuously early, attracts attention you did not ask for.
Why it costs what it costs. Raising an attribute from 3 to 4 is 12 XP by the build table, and is not permitted at creation at any price. Prodigy sells that for 8 — a quarter of a 32 XP build spent on a single number — and takes back roughly a Complication's worth of trouble for as long as the gift lasts. The result is a character who is genuinely better at one thing than anyone should be that early, and correspondingly thinner everywhere else. That is the whole idea; a Prodigy who is also well-rounded has not bought this talent, they have been given a bigger budget.
GM guidance. Offer this to a player who wants to play a specialist and understands they are trading breadth for it, not to a player looking for a larger character. The +1 SB per scene is not a punishment — it is the story the talent is for. Spend it on people noticing: a recruiter, a rival, a master who wants to see for themselves, an enemy who decides you are the dangerous one.
Magic Access Talents
These talents grant access to magic systems.
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Spellcraft 6 XP | Enables freeform casting (Weave + Cast). |
| Familiar 2 XP | Required for Patron’s Gift; binds a Thiasos. |
| Codex 4 XP | Required for Runekeeper Rites and Obligation tracking. |
| Patron’s Symbol 4 XP | Allows Invoker rituals (one per Patron). |
| Cantor’s Path 8 XP | Allows Songs; tracks Corruption instead of Obligation. |
| Pact-Whisperer 2 XP | Base summoning access. |
Striker Talents (Melee/Ranged Damage)
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Weapon Master 5 XP | +2 dice with a chosen weapon; once/scene +1 Effect with that weapon. |
| Flurry Strike 6 XP | Make two attacks as one action (each –1 die). Once/scene. |
| Duelist’s Edge 6 XP | +1 die when engaged with a single opponent; ignore first Harm 1 or 2 from that opponent once/scene. |
| Backstab 6 XP | When attacking from stealth, deal +1 Harm and ignore 1 point of Armor. Once/scene. |
| Shadow Dance 10 XP | After a successful Backstab, test Stealth to re-enter stealth; on success, clear 1 Fatigue or improve Position by 1. Once/scene. |
| Effortless Charge 4 XP | Ignore the Fatigue cost of Charge once/scene. |
| Effortless Skirmish 4 XP | Ignore the Fatigue cost of Skirmish once/scene. |
| Relentless 6 XP | May Charge or Skirmish over difficult terrain (Fatigue cost still applies). |
Defender Talents (Tank, Protection)
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Defensive Survival 3 XP | +1 die to Defend rolls while engaged in melee; once/scene convert Harm 1 from melee to Fatigue. |
| Conditioning 4 XP | Body counts as +1 for Fatigue track; +1 die to resist Fatigue overflow effects. |
| Tactical Movement 4 XP | May move within engagement range as a Move action (instead of full action); once/scene disengage from Close as a Move action. |
| Stubborn Pursuer 6 XP | When an opponent within Close range Disengages, you may use your reaction to move with them, staying in Close range. |
Note: Any character may use the Protect action (see Action Economy); no talent required.
Controller Talents (Area, Debuff, Terrain)
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Battlefield Mastery 6 XP | When engaged with 3+ opponents for 3 exchanges: melee attacks gain +1 Effect, enemies act at –1 die, your Position improves by one step, and you may convert one Harm 1 per exchange to Fatigue. Once/scene. |
| Spellcraft 6 XP | Enables freeform spellcasting. |
| Ritual Mastery 4 XP | Reduce casting time for major rituals by half; GM banks 1 SB on any ritual backlash. |
Support Talents (Healing, Buffs, Teamwork)
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Field Dressing 2 XP | When an ally would take Harm that would incapacitate them, you may use your reaction to stabilize them; they remain at Harm 2 instead of 3 for the scene. Once/scene. |
| Medic’s Hand 3 XP | When you stabilize an ally, also clear 1 Fatigue or downgrade Harm 2 → 1. Spend 1 Boon to do both. |
| Inspire 3 XP | Once/scene, spend 1 Boon and choose: a bonded ally gains +1 Boon and +1 die on their next roll; or all allies in Near gain +1 die on their next roll. |
| Command Presence 4 XP | +1 die on leadership and intimidation rolls. |
| Tactical Relay 3 XP | Once/scene, spend 1 Boon; all allies currently acting in Near gain +1 Position on their next action. |
Scout Talents (Stealth, Infiltration, Awareness)
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Keen Senses 2 XP | +1 die on perception checks to spot danger or hidden details. |
| Trackless Step 2 XP | Once/scene, leave no trail for the remainder of the scene. |
| Urban Navigation 2 XP | Never get lost in cities. |
| Silk Palms 2 XP | When you bribe or gift a minor official, gain a temporary String: Bought Silence. Activate it to reduce DV by 1 on a Petition or Broker action involving that official (consumed). |
| Camouflage 4 XP | In natural terrain, spend an action to blend in; gain +2 dice to Stealth while remaining still; pursuers suffer –1 die to detect you. Once/scene. |
Monk Talents (Unarmed Specialist)
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Disciplined Body 3 XP | +1 die to unarmed attacks; once/scene convert Harm 1 → Fatigue; once/scene improve Position by one step. |
| Open Hand Technique 2 XP | On a successful unarmed attack, choose one: knock target prone, push them back one band, or force them to drop a held item. Once/scene. |
| Iron Fist Way 6 XP | +1 die to unarmed attacks; strikes count as enchanted for harming supernatural creatures. |
| Flowing Spirit Way 8 XP | Convert 1 Harm per attack to Fatigue; +1 die against fear or charm effects. |
| Perfect Timing Way 7 XP | Twice per scene, improve Position by +1; +1 die to reaction rolls. |
Summoning Talents
The source table for this section was column-flattened by text extraction (talent names and effects were separated into two blocks); the pairing below has been reconstructed in escalating-cost order and should be checked against the original layout.
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Lesser Pactwright 2 XP | Call spirits of TL 1. |
| Greater Pactwright 4 XP | Call spirits of TL 3. |
| Dual Pactwright 6 XP | May maintain one spirit of each TL simultaneously. |
| Spirit Synergy 4 XP | When maintaining two spirits simultaneously, reduce each spirit’s Leash ticking by 1 (min 1). |
| Bonded Summoner 3 XP | Favored spirits (Spirit Bond Timer completed) gain an additional –1 tick per command (stacks with other reductions). |
| Spirit Link 10 XP | Commands are free actions; spirits act on your turn; reduce Leash ticking for natural behaviors by 1. |
| True Name Keeper 15 XP | Call any previously met spirit by its true name; reduce Leash Capacity by 2 (min equal to Spirit) for that summoning. |
| Legion Master 18 XP | May maintain a number of spirits simultaneously equal to your Presence (minimum 2). Each spirit tracked separately. |
Cantor Talents
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Cantor’s Path 8 XP | Required to sing Songs; grants Corruption timer (segments = Spirit). |
| Resonant Rite 3 XP | Once per session, designate a Low Rite as Resonant for your Patron. Performing it in front of witnesses may found a Chorus. |
| Inspire Chorus 2 XP | While actively singing a Song, all allies within Near shift Position +1 for one exchange (cannot exceed Controlled). |
| Repertoire 4 XP | Track a Repertoire Timer [6]. At 2 segments, reduce base DV of all Songs by 1 (min 2). At 4 segments, +1 die to Performance rolls. At 6 segments, learn one Standard Rite as a Song. |
Cooperative Talents
| Talent | Effect |
|---|---|
| Shield Wall 4 XP | If you and at least one ally each wield a shield and are adjacent: as a Defend action, grant +1 die to all in the Wall and convert the first incoming Harm (any one) to Fatigue. Ends if formation breaks. |
| Spotter’s Mark 3 XP | Aim a target (1 action). Until end of scene or until target breaks line of sight, each PC in Near may claim +1 die or +1 Effect once vs that target. Once/scene you may spend 1 Boon to refresh the mark. |
| Battle Cant 2 XP | Once/scene, establish silent signals. On the next coordinated action where at least two PCs act on the same beat, those PCs gain +1 Position. Spend 1 Boon to include a third PC. |
| Anchor Sigil (Runekeeper) 4 XP | Bank 1 Boon on a prepared sigil. Once this scene, when an ally Casts or Invokes a Rite, discharge: –1 DV for that action or redirect minor backlash to you as Fatigue +1. |
| Exceptional Coordination+ 8 XP | Your follower assist cap increases to +4d. If Bonded with that follower, you may split as +2d to two different allies on the same exchange. |
Acquiring New Talents
- Talents are purchased with XP during downtime.
- Training time: minor talents require 3–10 days; major talents require 1–2 weeks.
- Prestige and epic talents require narrative justification (finding a master, completing a quest, Patron bargain).
- A character may retrain one talent per downtime (replace with another of equal or lesser cost). The replaced talent is lost.
Continue: Magic: choosing and using a path