Benefits

Character benefits are perks that include many areas of character development including physical traits, education, fighting styles and magical training. Some of your most powerful abilities will often be unlocked with Character Benefits.

Character Background

These benefits provide tangible advantage of what is related in your character's background and story and typically can only be taken at Character Creation (CC).

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Improved Background	1-2	CC	Begin play with Status, Fame, Income, an Heirloom, or a Language.
Artifact	1-2	CC	Begin play with a minor magical item.
Perfect Memory	2	CC	You have a perfect memory and may recall things with photographic clarity.
Giant	2	CC	You are physically larger than normal for your racial averages
Favored Source	2	CC	You gain access to a Source not traditionally associated with your race.

Fighting Styles

These benefits are trained, earned through hard work and long hours, or literally through the blood and test of combat. They are what makes the difference between someone who knows enough about a weapon to avoid hurting themselves, and a truly skilled master of the art of weaponry.

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Fighting Style: One Hand & Shield	1-5	Melee Weapons 2	Defensive style focused on preventing damage and protecting nearby companions.
Fighting Style: Dual Wield	1-5	Dexterity 3, Melee Weapons 3	Offensive style focused on dealing maximum damage to a single target.
Fighting Style: Assassination	1-5	Stealth 3	Offensive style focused on dealing a single killing blow.
Fighting Style: Two-Handed Slashing Weapons	1-5	Strength 3, Melee (Slashing) 3	Offensive style focused on dealing damage to multiple targets.
Fighting Style: Two-Handed Crushing Weapons	1-5	Strength 3, Melee (Crushing) 3	Utility style focused on attacking single targets.
Fighting Style: Spears	1-5	Strength 3, Melee (Piercing) 3	Defensive style focused on coordinated fighting and breaching enemy defenses.
Fighting Style: Archery	1-5	Ranged Weapons (Bow or Crossbow) 3	Offensive style focused on improving ranged combat.
Fighting Style: Thrown Weapons	1-5	Thrown Weapons 3	Offensive style focused on improving thrown weapons.
Fighting Style: Magitech Pistols	1-5	Ranged Weapons (Magitech) 3	Offensive style focused on one-handed Magitech weapons.
Fighting Style: Magitech Rifles	1-5	Ranged Weapons (Magitech) 3	Offensive style focused on two-handed Magitech weapons.
Fighting Style: Spellsword	1-5	Magecraft Source, Magecraft 3, Dexterity 3, Melee Weapons 3	Balanced style focused on merging magical prowess and bladework together.
Fighting Style: Poisoner	1-5	Dexterity 3, Craft: Poison of equal rank	A style for applying poisons to your weapons.
Fighting Style: Staves	1-5	Melee (Crushing) 3	A style for fighting with a staff.
Fighting Style: Natural Weapons	1-5	Unarmed Combat (Natural Weapons) 3	A style for maximizing your use of your natural weapons.
Fighting Style: Striking	1-5	Unarmed Combat (Striking) 3	A style for fighting with hands and feet.
Fighting Style: Grappling	1-5	Unarmed Combat (Grappling) 3	A style for fighting by grappling foes.

Focus

Focuses are the alternative to weapon styles, available for casters or other roles that don't leverage a weapon style in their character. These benefits modify an object, enhancing it appropriate to the Source of the character who possesses it.

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Ritual: Channeler Focus	1-5	Channelling Source	Attunes you to a magical focus which provides casting bonuses.
Ritual: Mage Focus	1-5	Magecraft Source	Attunes you to a magical focus which provides casting bonuses.
Ritual: Shaman Focus	1-5	Shamanism Source	Attunes you to a magical focus which provides casting bonuses.
Ritual: Sorcerer Focus	1-5	Sorcery Source	Attunes you to a magical focus which provides casting bonuses.

Talents

Talents are individual benefits that modify Source powers the character has, granting additional ability or flexibility.

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Magical Disruption	1-2	Channelling, Shamanism, Magecraft, or Sorcery Source	Gain the ability to dispel or counter spells
Magical Resistance	1-3	Channelling, Shamanism, Magecraft, or Sorcery Source Rank 2 or higher	Gain a spell which grants Magical Resistance.
Magical Shielding	1-3	Channelling, Shamanism, Magecraft, or Sorcery Source Rank 2 or higher	Gain a spell which grants Magical Defense.
Craft Item	3	Channelling, Shamanism, Magecraft, or Sorcery Source Rank 3 or higher	Gain the ability to craft permanent magical items.
Magical Resonance	1-2	Adept Source, Intelligence 3 OR Willpower 3	Gain the ability to detect and eventually identify magical auras.
Trance	1	Adept Source	Enter a meditative trance to restore the body's energy more efficiently.
Spirit Sight	1-2	Shamanism Source	A ritual using drugs or deep meditation to perceive the Spirit World.
Soulspeak	1	Shamanism Source	Communicate freely with nearby spirits.
Alter Pact	1	Shamanism Source	Alter the type of shaman pact a specific spirit provides.
Spirit Shrine	2	Shamanism Source, Any Rank 5 Spirit	This ritual creates a temporary opening into the spirit realm at a chosen location.
Improved Familiar	2	Sorcery Source, Seed: Summon 2	Caster's familiar gains improved stats.

Miscellaneous Training

Physical Training

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Quick Draw	1	Dexterity 2	Draw a weapon as a Fast Action.
Improved Speed	1-2		Gain increased speed
Improved Initiative	1-2		Gain an improvement in reaction time.
Armor Training	1-2		Improve maximum Dodge and reduce Speed penalties for Medium or Heavy armor
Mounted Combat	1-2	Dexterity OR Strength 3, Ride 3	Gain bonuses when fighting on a mount.
Toughness	1-3	Constitution 3	Retain consciousness when others would fall.

Combat Skill Training

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Improvised Fighter	1		Ignore penalties with improvised weaponry.
Master of Martial Arts	1	Unarmed Combat Skill 5	Apply existing unarmed combat skill to other unarmed combat skills.
Weapon Master	1	Weapon Skill 5	Apply existing weapon skill to new weapons.
Weapon Finesse	1		Allow use of Dexterity instead of Strength for Large and Two-Handed weapons’ attack rolls.

Mental Training

Benefit Name	Rank	Prerequisites	Description
Meditation	1		Recover mana through meditation even without a restful sleep.
Language	1-2	Intelligence 2	Read, Write, and Speak in a new language
Spell Mastery	Variable	Channelling, Shamanism, Magecraft, or Sorcery Source	Master casting of a spell to bypass verbal or somatic casting requirements.
Skill Specialization	1	5 ranks in Business, Craft, Perform, Knowledge, Medicine, Search, or Survival skill	Specialize in a particular skill granting a +2 bonus.
Bonus Source	4		Gain an additional Source.