Talents

Tier 1

Basic Combat Training

Tier 1 Passive

When you take this talent, your character gains Brawl, Melee, Ranged (Heavy), or Ranged (Light) as a career skill.

Bullrush

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

When your character makes a Brawl, or Melee combat check after using a maneuver to engage a target, you may spend aaa or t to use this talent to knock the target prone and move them up to one range band away from your character.

Challenge!

Tier 1 Active (Maneuver) Ranked

Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to choose a number of adversaries within short range no greater than your character's ranks in Challenge! (a minion group counts as a single adversary for this purpose). Until the encounter ends or your character is incapacitated, these adversaries add j to combat checks targeting your character and jj to combat checks targeting other characters.

Clever Retort

Tier 1 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to add automatic hh to another character's social skill check.

Customer Service Experience

Tier 1 Active (Incidental) Ranked

After your character makes a Charm check, they may suffer 1 strain to use this talent to cancel h equal to your character's ranks in Customer Service Experience.

Data Miner

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

Once per session before making a knowledge skill check, your character may use this talent to use the Computers skill to make the check instead of a knowledge skill.

Deep Pockets

Tier 1 Active (Maneuver)

Once per session, your character may use this talent to produce a small but narratively useful item from their pockets, backpack, or similar receptacle (it turns out the item had been there the whole time).

Your GM has final say as to what items can be produced with Deep Pockets, but generally it them should have a fab cost of 0 or 1 and have an encumbrance of 0 or 1.

Defensive Sysops

Tier 1 Passive

When attempting to defend a computer system or enhancement against intrusion your character adds jj to their opponent's checks. If your character has access to the computer system or enhancement when the intrusion takes place, they are automatically aware of the intrusion.

Desperate Recovery

Tier 1 Passive

Before your character heals strain at the end of an encounter, if their strain is more than half of their strain threshold, they heal two additional strain.

Diplomatic Instruction

Tier 1 Passive

When you take this talent, your character gains Leadership or Negotiation as a career skill. In addition, when using one of these skills to convince their allies to undertake a particular task in a social encounter, your character may spend aa to heal 3 strain.

Duelist

Tier 1 Passive

Your character adds j to their melee combat checks while engaged with a single opponent. Your character adds j to their melee combat checks while engaged with three or more opponents.

Durable

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

Your character reduces any Critical Injury result they suffer by 10 per rank of Durable, to a minimum of 01.

Emergency Thruster Burn

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

Once per round while controlling a spaceship that requires the Operating skill to direct, your character may use this talent to increase or decrease its speed by 1, to a minimum of 0 or a maximum of the spaceship’s max speed. The spaceship suffers 2 system strain.

Emergency Vacuum Training

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

Your character does not count zero-gravity environments as difficult terrain. When your character is exposed to vacuum without protective gear, they may hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to twice their Brawn and only suffer 2 wounds for each round they are exposed to vacuum.

Finesse

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

When making a Brawl or Melee check, your character may use Agility instead of Brawn.

Fires of Conviction

Tier 1 Passive

Your character rerolls failed fear checks.

Grit

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

Each rank of Grit increases your character's strain threshold by one.

Hamstring Shot

Tier 1 Active (Action)

Once per round, your character may use this talent to perform a ranged combat check against one non-vehicle target within range of the weapon used. If the check is successful, halve the damage inflicted by the attack (before reducing damage by the target's soak). The target is immobilized until the end of its next turn.

Hand on the Throttle

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

Once per round while controlling a vehicle that requires the Piloting skill to direct, your character may use this talent to increase or decrease its speed by 1, to a minimum of 0 or a maximum of the vehicle's max speed.

Hard Headed

Tier 1 Active (Action) Ranked

If your character is staggered, they may use this talent, even though a character is normally unable to perform any actions when they are staggered. Your character makes a Daunting (kkkk) Resilience check. If they succeed, they are no longer staggered. The difficulty of this check decreases by one per additional rank of Hard Headed, to a minimum of Easy (k) .

Iaijutsu Training

Tier 1 Passive

The first time during an encounter that your character draws a Melee weapon, increase the weapon's damage by 2 for the remainder of the turn.

Jump Up

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

Once per round during your character's turn, your character may use this talent to stand from a prone or seated position as an incidental.

Knack for It

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

When you purchase this talent for your character, select one skill. Your character removes jj from any checks they make using this skill. Each additional time you purchase this talent for your character, select two additional skills. Your character also removes jj from any checks they make using these skills. You cannot select combat skills when choosing skills for this talent.

Knockout Punch

Tier 1 Passive

Your character adds the Stun quality to their Brawl combat checks with a rating equal to two plus your character's ranks in Coordination (this does not stack with other instances of the Stun quality).

Life on the Streets

Tier 1 Passive

When you take this talent, your character gains Skulduggery or Deception as a career skill. In addition, when using one of these skills to obtain wealth (whether by stealing something, lying about the worth of an item, or other duplicitous means), your character may spend aa to heal 3 strain.

Nocturnal Upbringing

Tier 1 Passive

When you take this talent, your character gains Perception or Stealth as a career skill. In addition, your character may remove j added to their checks due to darkness.

Null Gravity Adept

Tier 1 Passive

When you take this talent, your character gains Athletics or Coordination as a career skill. In addition, when making a check using one of these skills in a zero-gravity environment, your character may spend aa to heal 3 strain.

One with the Cosmos

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

When in space, your character may make a Simple (-) Survival check, instead of Discipline or Cool, to recover strain at the end of an encounter.

Painful Blow

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

When your character makes a combat check, you may voluntarily increase the difficulty by one to use this talent. If the target suffers one or more wounds from the combat check, the target suffers 2 strain each time they perform a maneuver until the end of the encounter.

Parry

Tier 1 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn) Ranked

When your character suffers a hit from a melee combat check, after damage is calculated but before soak is applied, your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent to reduce the damage of the hit by two plus their ranks in Parry. This talent can only be used once per hit, and your character needs to be wielding a Melee weapon.

Precision

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

When making a Brawl or Ranged Light check, your character may use Cunning instead of Brawn and Agility.

Proper Upbringing

Tier 1 Active (Incidental) Ranked

When your character makes a social skill check in polite company (as determined by your GM), they may suffer a number of strain to use this talent to add an equal number of a to the check. The number may not exceed your character's ranks in Proper Upbringing.

Quick Draw

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

Once per round on your character's turn, they may use this talent to draw or holster an easily accessible weapon or item as an incidental. Quick Draw also reduces a weapon's Prepare rating by one, to a minimum of one.

Quick Strike

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

Your character adds j for each rank of Quick Strike to any combat checks they make against any targets that have not yet taken their turn in the current encounter.

Rapid Reaction

Tier 1 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn) Ranked

Your character may suffer a number of strain to use this talent to add an equal number of s to a Vigilance or Cool check they make to determine Initiative order. The number may not exceed your character's ranks in Rapid Reaction.

Second Wind

Tier 1 Active (Incidental) Ranked

Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to heal an amount of strain equal to their ranks in Second Wind.

Skilled Mechanic

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

When your character makes a check to repair hull trauma or system strain, they repair 1 additional hull trauma or system strain per rank of Skilled Mechanic.

Street Fighter

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

When your character disorients or knocks their target prone when making a Brawl combat check, they may use this talent to cause the target to suffer wounds equal to your character's ranks in Skulduggery.

Subtle

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

When making a social skill check, your character can use this talent to spend a to convey to one other character a simple message that has nothing to do with what your character is actually saying. The means by which you convey this message is up to you and your GM, but could include body language, subtle gestures, double entendres, or references to shared experiences.

Surgeon

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

When your character makes a Medicine check to heal wounds, the target heals one additional wound per rank of Surgeon.

Talk Shop

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

Your character may use this talent when making a Charm check targeting an engineer, mechanic, scientist, or similar individual to count their ranks of Charm as equal to their ranks in Knowledge (Science) or Mechanics.

Tavern Brawler

Tier 1 Passive

Your character adds a to Brawl checks and combat checks using improvised weapons.

Torment

Tier 1 Passive

If their target is disoriented, staggered, or prone, your character may add j to social skill checks they make to inflict strain and combat checks.

Toughened

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

Each rank of Toughened increases your character's wound threshold by two.

Tumble

Tier 1 Active (Incidental)

Once per round on your character's turn, they may suffer 2 strain to disengage from all engaged adversaries.

Unremarkable

Tier 1 Passive

Other characters add f to any checks made to find or identify your character in a crowd.

War Veteran

Tier 1 Passive

When you take this talent, your character gains Athletics or Resilience as a career skill. In addition, when healing strain after a combat encounter, your character may spend aa to heal 3 strain.

Well Organized

Tier 1 Passive Ranked

Your character increase their encumbrance threshold by two per rank of Well Organized.

Tier 2

Aethersprite

Tier 2 Active (Action)

Once per encounter, if your character has access to a computer network, they may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Computers check. If successful, they reduce the difficulty of all further Computers and Skulduggery checks to use or manipulate the system or linked subsystems (such as electronic locks on doors) by 1 for the remainder of the encounter. If this would reduce a check's difficulty to Simple (-) , the character can choose instead to succeed without making the check.

Any d from this or subsequent checks that involve the system must be spent to alert the system's controllers to your character's intrusion.

Anthem

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver)

Your character may use this talent to begin or continue playing an inspiring anthem. While your character is playing the anthem, allies within short range who can hear it add j to checks they make. The anthem and its effects end immediately if your character does not use this talent during their turn. Once the anthem has ended, your character cannot use the talent again for the rest of the encounter.

Bad Cop

Tier 2 Active (Incidental) Ranked

Your character may spend aa from a Coercion or Deception check to use this talent to upgrade the ability of a single ally's subsequent social skill check a number of times equal to your character's ranks in Bad Cop. The check must target the same character as your character's initial check, and it must take place during the same encounter.

Only one character may affect a check with this talent.

Block

Tier 2 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Your character must have purchased the Parry talent to benefit from this talent. While wielding a shield, your character may use the Parry talent to reduce damage from ranged attacks as well as melee attacks targeting your character.

Bowl Over

Tier 2 Passive

When your character makes a melee attack after engaging a target, your weapon gains the Knockdown item quality. If they weapon already has Knockdown, your may activate the quality without spending a.

Bulwark

Tier 2 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Your character must have purchased the Parry talent to benefit from this talent. While wielding a weapon with the Defensive quality, your character may use Parry to reduce the damage of an attack targeting an engaged ally.

Called Shot

Tier 2 Passive

When your character uses the aim maneuver to target a specific item carried by an opponent or a specific part of an opponent, they do not add any j to the check as a part of performing the maneuver.

Basic Military Training

Tier 2 Passive

Athletics, Ranged (Heavy), and Resilience are now career skills for your character.

Berserk

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver)

Once per encounter, your character may use this talent. Until the end of the encounter or until they are incapacitated, your character adds saa to all melee combat checks they make. However, opponents add s to all combat checks targeting your character. While berserk, your character cannot make ranged combat checks. At the end of the encounter (or when they are incapacitated), your character suffers 6 strain.

Big Guns

Tier 2 Passive

Your character's encumbrance threshold is 10 plus their Brawn, instead of 5 plus their Brawn. Your character reduces the Cumbersome rating of any weapon she carries by 1, to a minimum of 3.

Combat Medicine

Tier 2 Active (Incidental) Ranked

Before making a Medicine check, your character may use this talent to add s equal to their ranks in Combat Medicine to the results. After the check is resolved, the target suffers 2 strain for each rank your character has in Combat Medicine.

Combined Arms

Tier 2 Passive

While your character is engaged with an enemy, your GM or fellow players may not spend d to cause your character to be hit by an ally's ranged attack.

Coordinated Assault

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver) Ranked

Once per turn, your character may use this talent to have a number of allies engaged with your character equal to your ranks in Leadership add a to all combat checks they make until the end of your character's next turn. The range of this talent increases by one band per rank of Coordinated Assault beyond the first.

Counteroffer

Tier 2 Active (Action)

Once per session, your character may use this talent to choose one non-nemesis adversary within medium range and make an opposed Negotiation versus Discipline check. If successful, the target becomes staggered until the end of their next turn. At your GM's discretion, you may spend t on this check to have the adversary become an ally until the end of the encounter. However, the duration of this may be shortened or extended depending on whether your GM feels your offer is appealing to the adversary and whether your character follows through on their offer!

Defensive Stance

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver) Ranked

Once per round, your character may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Defensive Stance to use this talent. Then, until the end of your character's next turn, upgrade the difficulty of all melee combat checks targeting your character a number of times equal to the strain suffered.

Defensive Sysops (Improved)

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

Your character must have purchased the Defensive Sysops talent to benefit from this talent. Before adding jj from Defensive Sysops to a check, use this talent to add fh to the results of the check instead.

Dirty Tricks

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

After your character inflicts a Critical Injury on an adversary, they may use this talent to upgrade the difficulty of that adversary's next check.

Distraction!

Tier 2 Active (Action)

Your character may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Coordination, Deception, or Skulduggery check. For each s the check generates, one adversary of your choice within short range becomes disoriented. Your character may spend a from the check to inflict 1 strain on an affected adversary and may spend t from the check to stagger a minion or rival within short range.

Dual Wielder

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver)

Once per round, your character may use this talent to decrease the difficulty of the next combined combat check they make during the same turn by one.

Exploit

Tier 2 Active (Incidental) Ranked

When your character makes a combat check with a Ranged or Melee weapon, they may suffer 2 strain to use this talent to add the Ensnare quality to the attack. The rating of the Ensnare quality is equal to your character's ranks in Exploit.

Fan the Hammer

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

Once per encounter before making a combat check with a pistol (your GM has the final say on whether a weapon is a pistol or not), your character may use this talent to add the Auto-fire quality to the pistol when resolving the check. If your character does, the weapon runs out of ammo exactly as with an Out of Ammo result (see Spending Threat and Despair in Combat on page 104).

Flash of Insight

Tier 2 Passive

When your character generates t on a knowledge skill check, roll jj and add the results to the check, in addition to spending the t as usual.

Good Cop

Tier 2 Active (Incidental) Ranked

Your character may spend aa from a Charm or Negotiation check to use this talent to upgrade the ability of a single ally's subsequent social skill check a number of times equal to your character's ranks in Good Cop. The check must target the same character as your character's initial check, and it must take place during the same encounter.

Only one character may affect a check with this talent.

Grapple

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

Your character may suffer 2 strain to use this talent. Until the start of your character's next turn, enemies must spend two maneuvers to disengage from your character.

Gunslinger Diplomacy

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver)

If your character is armed, they may use this talent to conspicuously display their weapon and add ssh to the results of the next social skill check they make this turn. This may have additional narrative repercussions at your GM's discretion.

Haughty Demeanor

Tier 2 Passive

Other characters add h to social skill checks targeting your character.

Heightened Awareness

Tier 2 Passive

Allies within short range of your character add j to their Perception and Vigilance checks. Allies engaged with your character add jj instead.

Impaling Strike

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

When your character inflicts a Critical Injury with a melee weapon, until the end of the target's next turn they may use this talent to immobilize the target (in addition to the other effects of the Critical Injury).

Inspiration

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver)

Once per encounter, you may spend a Story Point to have your character use this talent to target another character within hearing range, and tell them to perform a specific task. If your character knows the target’s Strength or Desire Motivation, the target may reroll up to three dice of their choice during the next check they make to perform that task during the current encounter. This talent does not force the target to perform the designated task (it simply benefits them if they do so). In addition, the target becomes less hostile toward your character in the future.

Inspiring Rhetoric

Tier 2 Active (Action)

Your character may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Leadership check. For each s the check generates, one ally within short range heals one strain. For each a, one ally benefiting from Inspiring Rhetoric heals one additional strain.

Lucky Strike

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

When your character purchases this talent, choose one characteristic. After your character makes a successful combat check, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent to add damage equal to your character's ranks in that characteristic to one hit of the combat check.

Parkour!

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver)

Once per round, your character may suffer 1 strain to use this talent and move to any location within Short range.

This includes locations that are vertically distant or have no easy access route, but there must be an object to move across or path to move along. Your GM may rule some locations cannot be reached (such as ones behind locked doors or walls).

Precision Strike

Tier 2 Active (Incidental) Ranked

When making a Brawl or Melee combat check, your character may use this talent to remove a number of j from the dice pool no greater than their ranks in Precision Strike and suffer 1 strain per j removed, then add an equal number of s to the results of the check.

Pyromania

Tier 2 Passive

When your character makes a combat check using a weapon with the Burn item quality, the attack inflicts additional damage equal to the weapon's Burn rating. (This does not increase the weapon's base damage).

Quick Fix

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver)

You may spend a Story Point to allow your character to use this talent to temporarily repair one damaged item they are engaged with. For a number of rounds equal to your character's ranks in Mechanics, the item may be used without penalty, even if it is unusable. When the effect ends, the item is damaged one additional step; if it was already suffering from major damage, it is destroyed and cannot be repaired.

Reckless Charge

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

After using a maneuver to move engage an adversary, your character may suffer 2 strain to use this talent. They then add sshh to the results of the next Brawl, or Melee combat check they make this turn.

Scathing Tirade

Tier 2 Active (Action)

Your character may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Coercion check. For each s the check generates, one enemy within short range suffers 1 strain. For each a, one enemy affected by Scathing Tirade suffers 1 additional strain.

Side Step

Tier 2 Active (Maneuver) Ranked

Once per round, your character may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Side Step to use this talent. Until the end of your character's next turn, upgrade the difficulty of all ranged combat checks targeting your character a number of times equal to the strain suffered.

Sneak Attack

Tier 2 Passive

When your character makes a Melee check, they use Cunning instead of Brawn. If they add their Brawn rating to a weapon's base damage, they add their Cunning rating instead.

Sucker Punch

Tier 2 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Your character may use this talent to spend t from a check they make to determine Initiative to make a Brawl combat check against a valid target before the first round of combat begins. If this combat check is successful, your character may activate the Disorient item quality without spending a.

Sustained Fire

Tier 2 Active (Incidental) Ranked

After making a Ranged (Light), Ranged (Heavy), or Gunnery check, your character may use this talent to spend aaa or t to add a equal to their ranks in Sustained Fire to the results of all Ranged (Light), Ranged (Heavy), or Gunnery checks they make against the same target until the end of the current encounter.

The check does not have to be successful to use this talent.

Tactical Focus

Tier 2 Passive

When performing a combat check with a Ranged (Heavy) weapon, if your character did not perform a maneuver to ready or stow a weapon or item during this turn, they add a to the results.

Tickets to the Gun Show

Tier 2 Active (Incidental)

When making a Coercion check, your character may use this talent to use Brawn instead of Willpower.

Two-Handed Stance

Tier 2 Passive

When performing a combat check with a Ranged (Light) weapon, if your character has nothing in their other hand, they add a to the results.

Tier 3

Aethersprite (Improved)

Tier 3 Active (Maneuver)

Your character must have purchased the Aethersprite talent to benefit from this talent. If your character made a successful check to use the Aethersprite talent during the current encounter, you may spend a Story Point to have your character use this talent to make themselves and up to five allies invisible to any electronic sensors for a number of rounds equal to your character's ranks in Computers.

This works on any electronic monitoring or surveillance systems, such as cameras, heat and motion sensors, and even microradar pulses. It also affects any nonsentient drones or robots that are linked with the network affected by Aethersprite.

Anthem (Improved)

Tier 3 Passive

Your character must have purchased the Anthem talent to benefit from this talent. While your character is playing their anthem, enemies within range of its effect who can hear it add j to their checks.

Applied Research

Tier 3 Active (Incidental) Ranked

Your character may use this talent before making a check to use any knowledge skill and Intellect instead of the skill and characteristic the check would normally require. Your character may use this talent a number of times per session equal to their ranks in Applied Research.

When your character uses this talent, you should explain how their mastery of knowledge lets them accomplish this task. In addition, your GM may rule that a particular knowledge skill makes the most sense in a given situation, and require your character to use that specific knowledge skill.

Backstab

Tier 3 Active (Action)

Your character may use this talent to attack an unaware adversary using a Melee weapon. A Backstab is a melee attack, and follows the normal rules for performing a combat check, using the character's Skulduggery skill instead of Melee. If the check succeeds, each uncanceled s adds +2 damage (instead of the normal +1).

Bad Habit

Tier 3 Active (Maneuver)

Your character may use this talent to become disoriented for the remainder of the encounter. At the beginning of each of your character's turns, if they are still disoriented due to this talent, they heal 2 strain.

Bloodhound

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

When your character makes a check to follow another character's trail (whether their physical tracks or a trail of information), you may use this talent to add s no greater than your character's ranks in Streetwise or Survival, as appropriate for the environment, to the check results.

Body Guard

Tier 3 Active (Maneuver) Ranked

Once per round, your character may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Body Guard to use this talent. Choose one ally engaged with your character; until the end of your character's next turn, upgrade the difficulty of all combat checks targeting that ally a number of times equal to the strain suffered.

Breaking Bread

Tier 3 Active (Action)

During a social encounter (or in preparation for one), your character may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Knowledge (Culture) check to prepare a meal. If they succeed, all character who share in the meal reduce their strain threshold by two for the duration of the encounter (thereby making them more likely to compromise or agree as describe on page 122 of the Genesys Core Rulebook). This effect end immediately if the social encounter changes to a combat encounter.

Bullseye!

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

When your character inflicts a Critical Injury with a severity of Average (kk) or higher, or incapacitates a target with their attack, they may use this talent to inflict 3 strain on all characters within short range of the target.

Companion

Tier 3 Passive Ranked

Your character creates a bond with a single animal, robot, drone or other approved by your GM. This companion must be silhouette 0 (no larger than a mid-sized dog). The bond persists as long as your character chooses, although at your GM's discretion, the bond may also be broken due to abusive treatment or other extenuating circumstances.

As long as the bond persists, the companion follows your character, and you dictate the companions's overall behavior (although, since the companion is only bonded with the character, not dominated, it may still perform inconvenient actions such as scratching furniture, consuming rations, and marking territory). Once per round in structured encounters, your character may spend one maneuver to direct their companion in performing one action and one maneuver during your character's turn. The companion must be within hearing and visual range of your character (generally medium range) to do this. Otherwise, the companion does not contribute to the encounter. The specifics of its behavior are up to you and your GM.

For every additional rank of Companion your character has, increase the allowed silhouette of the companion by one (this may mean your character gets a new companion, or their companion grows in size).

Contingency Plan

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

Once per session, after you spend a Story Point as part of a check your character makes, if that check was unsuccessful then you may use this talent to move a Story Point from the GM pool to the player pool.

Counterattack

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Your character must have purchased the Improved Parry talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses the Improved Parry talent to hit an attacker, they may also activate an item quality of the weapon they used as if they had generated aa on a combat check using that weapon.

Dodge

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn) Ranked

When your character is targeted by a combat check (ranged or melee), they may suffer a number of strain no greater than their ranks in Dodge to use this talent. Then, upgrade the difficulty of the combat check targeting your character a number of times equal to the strain suffered.

Dramatic Entrance

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point to use this talent to enter a scene or encounter they are not currently participating in at an opportune time, no matter how unlikely their arrival. If the scene is a combat encounter or otherwise uses Initiative order, your character adds a new PC Initiative slot at the top of the Initiative order.

Dual Blow

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

When resolving a combined check to attack with two weapons in melee or ranged combat, your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent to hit with the secondary weapon (instead of spending aa).

Dumb Luck

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

Once per session, you may spend a Story Point to use this talent after your character suffers a Critical Injury but before the result is rolled. Their opponent must roll two results, and you select which applies to your character.

Eagle Eyes

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

Once per encounter before making a ranged combat check, you may use this talent to increase your weapon's range by one range band (to a maximum of extreme range). This lasts for the duration of the combat check.

Easy Prey

Tier 3 Active (Maneuver)

Your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent. Until the start of your character's next turn, your character and allies within short range add jj to combat checks against immobilized targets.

Elusive

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

When another character makes a check to follow your character's trail (whether physical tracks or a trail of information), your character may use this talent to add f no greater than their ranks in Streetwise or Survival, as appropriate to the environment, to the check results.

Expert Gunner

Tier 3 Active (Incidental) Ranked

When your character makes a Gunnery check, they may suffer 3 strain to use this talent to reduce the number of a needed to activate any of their weapon's item qualities by 1, to a minimum of 1, until the end of the turn.

Field Commander

Tier 3 Active (Action)

Your character may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Leadership check. If successful, a number of allies equal to your character's Presence may immediately suffer 1 strain to perform one maneuver (out of turn). If there are any questions as to which allies take their maneuvers first, your character is the final arbiter.

Forgot to Count?

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

When an opponent makes a ranged combat check, you can spend hh from that check to use this talent to cause their weapon to run out of ammo (see Spending Threat and Despair in Combat on page 104), as long as the weapon can normally run out of ammunition.

Full Throttle

Tier 3 Active (Action)

While piloting, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (kkk) Piloting check. If successful, the top speed of the vehicle increases by one (to a maximum of 5) for a number of rounds equal to your character's Cunning.

Grenadier

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

When your character makes a ranged combat check with a weapon that has the Blast item quality, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent to trigger the weapon's Blast quality, instead of spending a (even if the attack misses). In addition, your character treats grenades as having a range of medium.

Hard Boiled

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

When your character makes a check to recover strain at the end of an encounter, your character may make a Simple (-) Resilience check instead of Discipline or Cool. If your character does so, they heal 1 strain per s and 1 wound per a.

Hard Headed (Improved)

Tier 3 Active (Action)

Your character must have purchased the Hard Headed talent to benefit from this talent. Your character may use the Hard Headed talent to recover from being incapacitated due to exceeding their strain threshold. On their next turn after having become incapacitated, they may make a Formidable (kkkkk) Resilience check, even though an incapacitated character is normally unable to perform actions. If they succeed, they decrease their strain to one less that their strain threshold. The difficulty of this check decreases by per additional rank of Hard Headed, to a minimum of Easy (k) .

Heroic Will

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

When you purchase this talent for your character, choose two characteristics. You may spend a Story Point to use this talent to have your character ignore the effects of all Critical Injuries on any skill checks using those two characteristics until the end of the current encounter. (Your character still suffers the Critical Injuries; they just ignore the effects.)

Hold it Steady

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Before performing a combat check using a weapon with the Auto-fire quality, your character may use this talent to use the Auto-fire quality without increasing the difficulty of the combat check. If they do so, each time they trigger an additional hit during the attack, they suffer 2 strain.

Inspiring Cry

Tier 3 Active (Maneuver)

Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to allow allies within medium range to reroll any number of j when they make a check until the end of the following round.

Inspiring Rhetoric (Improved)

Tier 3 Passive

Your character must have purchased the Inspiring Rhetoric talent to benefit from this talent. Allies affected by your character's Inspiring Rhetoric add j to all skill checks they make for a number of rounds equal to your character's ranks in Leadership.

Justice of the Citadel

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

Once per round on your character's turn, your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent to add damage equal to their ranks in Discipline to one hit of a successful melee attack.

Martial Weapons Master

Tier 3 Active (Action)

While armed with a Melee weapon, your character may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Melee check. If successful, your character may force one engaged target to either drop one weapon they are holding or move one range band in a direction of your choosing.

If your character forces a named rival or nemesis into dangerous terrain (or off a ledge or cliff) using this talent, your GM can spend a Story Point to allow them to catch themselves at the edge and fall prone instead.

Natural

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

When your character purchases this talent, choose two skills. Once per session, your character may use this talent to reroll one skill check that uses one of those two skills.

Nimble

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

At the start of your character's turn, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent to allow your character to perform a move maneuver as an incidental. (This does not count against the limit of two maneuvers per turn.) If you use this talent, your character can only perform one additional move maneuver during this turn.

Parry (Improved)

Tier 3 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Your character must have purchased the Parry talent to benefit from this talent. When your character suffers a hit from a melee combat check and uses Parry to reduce the damage from that hit, after the attack is resolved, you may spend d or hhh from the attacker's check to use this talent. Then, your character automatically hits the attacker once with a Brawl or Melee weapon your character is wielding. The hit deals the weapon's base damage, plus any damage from applicable talents or abilities. Your character can't use this talent if the original attack incapacitates them.

Pressure Point

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

When your character makes an unarmed Brawl check targeting a living opponent, they may use this talent to deal strain damage instead of wound damage, and inflict additional strain damage equal to their ranks in Medicine.

Scathing Tirade (Improved)

Tier 3 Passive

Your character must have purchased the Scathing Tirade talent to benefit from this talent. Enemies affected by your character's Scathing Tirade add j to all skill checks they make for a number of rounds equal to your character's ranks in Coercion.

Shameless

Tier 3 Passive

When your character fails a social skill check to inflict strain during a social encounter, they do no suffer 2 strain.

Shockwave

Tier 3 Passive

Your character treats Melee weapons as possessing the Blast item quality with a rating equal to your character's ranks in Melee. Your character does not suffer damage from their weapon's Blast quality (but allies do!).

Solo Flight

Tier 3 Active (Incidental)

Before making an Operating check, your character may use this talent to increase the difficulty of the check by 1 and use the Piloting skill to make the check, instead of the Operating skill. In addition, if the vehicle requires multiple pilots, your character may operate the vehicle alone when they use this talent.

Suppressing Fire

Tier 3 Active (Maneuver) Ranked

If your character does not make a combat check during their turn, they may use this talent to target one character (or minion group) within long range. That character must upgrade the difficulty of any ranged combat checks they make once until the end of your character's next turn. Your character may choose to affect one additional character for each additional rank of Suppressing Fire.

Your character must be holding a ranged weapon to use this talent.

Your GM can also rule that your character can't use this talent if they have no line of fire or range to the target.

Tag and Release

Tier 3 Passive

When your character makes a combat check that inflicts strain on the target, the attack inflicts additional strain equal to your character's ranks in Knowledge (Science).

Takedown

Tier 3 Active (Action)

Your character may use this talent to make an opposed Brawl vs. Resilience check targeting one engaged opponent. If the check succeeds, the target is knocked prone and immobilized until the end of your character's next turn. If the target is a minion or rival, your character may spend t to incapacitate (but not kill) the target instead.

Tier 4

Aethersprite (Supreme)

Tier 4 Active (Action)

Your character must have purchased the Aethersprite talent to benefit from this talent. If your character made a successful Aethersprite check during the current encounter, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (kkk) Computers check. If they succeed, they falsify a major distraction in the system. The particulars of the distraction are up to you and your GM, but they should be significant enough that any opponents ignore your characters and leave key installations unguarded or unlocked as they work furiously to deal with the distraction or flee for their lives. (Examples might include a major reactor meltdown, an enemy battlefleet entering local space, or poisonous nerve gas being leaked into the facility.)

At your GM's discretion, certain actions that your character undertakes may cause opponents to attempt to deal with them, such as actively attacking an opponent or shouting that your character is the one who initiated the distraction.

Back-to-Back

Tier 4 Passive

While engaged with one or more allies, your character and allies they are engaged with add j to combat checks. If one or more allies engaged with your character also have Back-to-Back, the effects are cumulative to a maximum of jj.

Can't We Talk About This?

Tier 4 Active (Action)

Your character can use this talent to make an opposed Charm or Deception versus Discipline check targeting a single non-nemesis adversary within medium range. If the check succeeds, the target cannot attack your character (or perform hostile actions against your character) until the end of their next turn. You may spend aa to increase the length of the effect by one additional turn, and spend t to extend the benefits to all of their identified allies within short range. The effect ends immediately if your character or a known ally attacks the target. In addition, your GM may rule that some targets are immune to this ability. An automated sentry turret, for example, has no interest in resolving a conflict through talking, nor would someone consumed by rage and the desire for revenge against your character.

Combat Command

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

When your character makes a check to determine Initiative order (as described on page 95 of the Genesys Core Rulebook), they may make a Simple (-) Leadership check instead of using Cool or Vigilance. If your character does so, they may spend t from the check to add s to the results of all allies' checks made during the first round of the combat encounter.

Your GM may determine that you cannot use this talent if your character is in no logical position to give orders, such as if they have no means of communicating with allies or are working with individuals who have no interest in listening to your character.

Deadeye

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

After your character inflicts a Critical Injury with a ranged weapon and rolls the result, your character may suffer 2 strain to use this talent. Then, you may select any Critical Injury of the same severity to apply to the target instead.

Death Rage

Tier 4 Passive

Your character adds +2 damage to melee attacks for each Critical Injury they are currently suffering. (Your GM may also impose additional penalties on social skill checks your character makes if they are suffering Critical Injury due to their frenzied behavior.)

Defensive

Tier 4 Passive Ranked

Each rank of Defensive increases your character's melee defense and ranged defense by one.

Dormant Personality Overlay

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

When your character purchases this talent, select three skills that your character has one or no ranks in. Once per session, you may spend a Story Point to have your character use this talent. Until the end of the current encounter, they count as having four ranks in each of the selected skills and one fewer rank in all other skills. They also suffer 1 strain at the beginning of each of their turns. If they are incapacitated, the effects of this talent end.

At your discretion, your character may also undergo some narrative personality shifts, such as not recognizing friends and family, behaving coldly and logically instead of in a friendly and relaxed manner, or constantly muttering a coded phrase under their breath.

Dramatic Entrance (Improved)

Tier 4 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Your character must have purchased the Dramatic Entrance talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses Dramatic Entrance, they may choose to have all allies in the encounter heal 2 strain or to have all enemies in the encounter suffer 2 strain.

Dramatic Escape

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point to use this talent to escape from a dangerous, unpleasant, or awkward situation. The means by which they accomplish this, and where they escape to, should depend on the narrative, but your character takes no further part in the encounter or scene. After the encounter is complete or the situation is safe (as defined based on the situation), your character rejoins their companions via appropriate, if not necessarily plausible, means.

Elementary

Tier 4 Active (Action)

Once per session, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (kkk) Perception check while present at a crime scene. If they succeed, they identify all prominent physical characteristics of one person who was at the crime scene when the crime was committed (as long as the crime was committed in the past 48 hours). This could include a person's height, weight, body type, clothing, and if they are human or not. Your character may identify all the physical characteristics of one additional person present at the crime scene per additional s.

Enduring

Tier 4 Passive Ranked

Each rank of Enduring increases your character's soak value by one.

Field Commander (Improved)

Tier 4 Passive

Your character must have purchased the Field Commander talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses the Field Commander talent, your character affects a number of allies equal to twice the character's Presence. In addition, you may spend t to allow one ally to suffer 1 strain to perform an action, instead of a maneuver.

Hard Headed (Supreme)

Tier 4 Active (Action)

Your character must have purchased the Hard Headed talent to benefit from this talent. Once per encounter, your character may use Hard Headed to recover from being incapacitated due to exceeding their wound threshold. On their next turn after having become incapacitated, they may make a Formidable (kkkkk) Resilience check, even though an incapacitated character is normally unable to perform actions. If they succeed, decrease their wounds to one less that their wound threshold. The difficulty of this check decreases by one per additional rank of Hard Headed, to a minimum of Easy (k) .

How Convenient!

Tier 4 Active (Action)

Once per session, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (kkk) Mechanics check. If successful, one device involved in the current encounter (subject to your GM's approval) spontaneously fails. This can be because of your character's actions, or it can simply be incredibly convenient timing!

Ingenious Solution

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

Once per session, before making a check your character may use this talent to substitute a Knowledge skill of their choice instead of the skill the check would normally require. You should explain how your character's ingenious solution made this possible-in laypeople's terms, anyway.

Inspiring Rhetoric (Supreme)

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

Your character must have purchased the Inspiring Rhetoric talent to benefit from this talent. Your character may choose to suffer 1 strain to use the Inspiring Rhetoric talent as a maneuver, instead of as an action.

Parkour! (Improved)

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

Your character must have purchased the Parkour! talent to benefit from this talent. Once per round, when using the Parkour! talent, your character may suffer 4 strain instead of 1 strain to move to any location within medium range instead of short range. All other restrictions of Parkour! apply to this movement.

Pommel Smash

Tier 4 Active (Maneuver)

After making a Melee combat check with a weapon that requires two hands to wield, your character may suffer 3 strain to use this talent to cause one engaged opponent of silhouette 2 or less to become staggered (unable to perform actions) until the end of your character's next turn.

Quick Witted

Tier 4 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Once per encounter, after another character makes a social skill check, your character may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Vigilance check. If successful, you may add a number of s or a (your choice) equal to your character's ranks in Charm to the other character's check. If your character fails, your character suffers 3 strain.

Scathing Tirade (Supreme)

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

Your character must have purchased the Scathing Tirade talent to benefit from this talent. Your character may choose to suffer 1 strain to use the Scathing Tirade talent as a maneuver, instead of as an action.

Unrelenting

Tier 4 Active (Incidental)

Once per round after resolving a successful Brawl or Melee combat check, your character may suffer 4 strain to use this talent to make an additional melee attack as an incidental against the same target. Increase the difficulty of the combat check by one if this attack uses a second weapon, or by two if the attack uses the same weapon.

Urban Combatant

Tier 4 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

When your character is targeted by a combat check while in an urban environment, you may spend one Story Point to use this talent before the dice pool is rolled. If you do so, your character's opponent removes all j added to the check, and instead adds an equal number of f to the results.

Tier 5

Against All Odds

Tier 5 Active (Incidental)

Once per session, after your character makes a check, they may use this talent to select one of the following types of results: f, h, or d. If they select f, they then remove all f and add an equal number of s to the results. If they select h, they then remove all h and add an equal number of a to the results. If they select d, they then remove all d and add an equal number of t to the results.

As part of using this talent, you must describe the awe-inspiring way in which your character overcomes any obstacles present in order to perform this feat.

Beastmaster

Tier 5 Passive

Your character must have purchased the Companion talent to benefit from this talent. Your character may have two companions with a combined silhouette no greater than your character's ranks in Companion. Your character spends on maneuver to allow both to perform an action and a maneuver and resolves each companion's turn individually, choosing the order in which they activate.

One or both of your character's companions can instead be a minion group of animals with a combined silhouette no greater than your character's ranks in Companion. For this purpose, treat every two silhouette 0 companions as silhouette 1.

Crushing Blow

Tier 5 Active (Incidental)

Once per session after rolling a melee attack but before resolving the check, your character may suffer 4 strain to use this talent. While resolving the check, the weapon gains the Breach and Knockdown item qualities, and destroys one item the target is wielding that does not have the Reinforced quality.

Dedication

Tier 5 Passive Ranked

Each rank of Dedication increases one of your character's characteristics by one. This talent cannot increase a characteristic above 5. You cannot increase the same characteristic with Dedication twice.

Dire Companion

Tier 5 Passive

Your character must have purchased the Companion talent to benefit from this talent. Your characters companion they have bonded with through the Companion talent increases its Brawn by one, to a maximum of 5, and its wound threshold by four. If it is a nemesis, it increases its strain threshold by four. If it is a minion or rival, it becomes a nemesis and gains a strain threshold of 6. If it is silhouette 0, it becomes silhouette 1. Your character also chooses to increase either its Agility or its Willpower by one, to a maximum of 5, and its Brawl, Discipline, Perception, or Survival by one, to a maximum of 5.

Dramatic Entrance (Supreme)

Tier 5 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Your character must have purchased Dramatic Entrance talent to benefit from this talent. When your character uses Dramatic Entrance, they may immediately perform one action. If this interrupts another character's turn or activity, that character resumes their turn or activity after the action is resolved

Indomitable

Tier 5 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Once per encounter, when your character would be incapacitated due to exceeding their wound or strain threshold, you may spend a Story Point to use this talent. Then, your character is not incapacitated until the end of their next turn. If your character reduces their strain or wounds to below their threshold before the end of their next turn, they are not incapacitated.

Master

Tier 5 Active (Incidental)

When you purchase this talent for your character, choose one skill. Once per round, your character may suffer 2 strain to use this talent to reduce the difficulty of the next check they make using that skill by two, to a minimum of Easy (k) .

Master Plan

Tier 5 Active (Action)

Once per session, your character may use this talent to make a Hard (kkk) Discipline check. If they succeed, they reveal that whatever terrible circumstances they currently find themselves in are all part of a brilliant plan that they established at an earlier point. They then choose one non-nemesis adversary in the encounter and reveal them to be a close friend or ally who has positioned themselves to help your character at this exact moment.

The details of which character turns out to be an ally depend on the type of encounter and your GM's approval. However, the ally could also have done their work beforehand, such as loading a squadron of drones with blank ammunition, shutting down power to a security system, or planting a tracer in an opponent's vehicle.

Retribution

Tier 5 Active (Incidental, Out Of Turn)

Once per round when an adversary attacks an ally within medium range, your character may spend one Story Point to use this talent to automatically hit that enemy once with a weapon your character is wielding, if the enemy is within the weapon's range. The hit deals the weapon's base damage, plus any damage from applicable talents or abilities.

Ruinous Repartee

Tier 5 Active (Action)

Once per encounter, your character may use this talent to make an opposed Charm or Coercion versus Discipline check targeting one character within medium range (or within earshot). If successful, the target suffers strain equal to twice your character's Presence, plus one additional strain per s. Your character heals strain equal to the strain inflicted. If incapacitated due to this talent, the target could flee the scene in shame, collapse in a dejected heap, or throw themself at your character in fury, depending on your GM and the nature of your character's witty barbs.

Void Baron

Tier 5 Active (Incidental)

After making a Piloting check, your character may spend aa or t from the results to use this talent to make a combat check as a maneuver.

Whirlwind

Tier 5 Active (Action)

Your character may suffer 4 strain to use this talent to make a Brawl or Melee attack against the engaged adversary who is hardest to hit (as determined by the GM), increasing the difficulty by one. If the combat check succeeds, each adversary engaged with the character suffers one hit from the attack, that deals base damage plus damage equal to the total s scored on the check.

Zealous Fire

Tier 5 Passive

Each time your Game Master spends a Story Point, your character heals 2 strain.