You must be able to adapt if you hope to survive in the Broken World. Talents are abilities, tricks, and quirks that Survivors pick up as they grow in experience. You gain one Talent during Survivor Creation (see page 30) and additional Talents at Levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18. Some Talents can be taken multiple times for increased effects. This is noted in the Talent description.

REQUIREMENTS

Some Talents have Requirements, such as being of a particular Class, having Proficiency in a Skill, or having a minimum Attribute Score. You must meet the Talent’s Requirements to take that Talent. If it is appropriate for the story and the GM agrees, you may ignore a Talent’s Requirements.

ARMOUR MASTER

You can get the most out of your armour and know just how to move to turn away blows. You gain +1 AC while wearing armour.

ARMOUR TRAINING

You’ve spent time acclimatising to wearing heavier forms of protection. You gain Proficiency in Medium Armour. If you take this Talent again or are already Proficient in Medium Armour, you gain Proficiency in Heavy Armour.

ARTEFACT ADEPT
Requirements: Proficiency in Forgotten Lore

Over the years, you’ve encountered more than your share of relics from pre-Breaking civilisations — from baroque vault doors to unusual arcane constructs. You have Advantage on Forgotten Lore Tests to identify the purpose and workings of pre-Breaking artefacts.

BACKSTAB
Requirements: Proficiency in Stealth

You know how to strike from the shadows with deadly precision. Once per turn, when you attack a creature that is unaware of you, you deal +1d6 Damage.

BEACON

You ground people in the world, reminding them what they are fighting for. Allies within 10 feet of you add your Charisma Bonus to Decay Saving Throws.

BLEND IN

You are adept at going unnoticed, becoming just another face in the crowd. You have Advantage on Stealth Tests to move through crowds and hide in plain sight when hiding in a Haven.

BLOODY DETERMINATION
Requirements: Proficiency in Constitution Saving Throws

You refuse to die and are almost always the last to fall. Once per day, when you fail a Death Saving Throw, you can choose to succeed instead. If you take this Talent a second time, you gain Proficiency in Death Saves.

BRAWLER

You don’t need steel in your hand; your whole body is a weapon. Your Unarmed Attacks deal 1d6 Damage.

BULWARK

You have mastered the art of using your shield. While wielding a shield, you can use your Reaction to target a creature within 5 feet. The target has Disadvantage on their next attack against you.

BUILT TO LAST
Requirements: Proficiency with Seeker’s Tools

You know how to build Waymarkers to last, allowing them to resist the corrosive effects of Decay for a time. When the GM rolls to see if any Waymarkers you have built succumb to Decay, they must roll twice and take the higher result.

CREATURE COMPANION
Requirements: Proficiency in Animal Handling

You have gained the affection, loyalty, or at least begrudging obedience of an otherwise wild creature. Choose one of the following: Armole, Clingray, Chichit, Deadwing, Parline, or Strongback. This is your Creature Companion. The statblocks for these creatures can be found from page 224 onwards. Your companion has the same features and abilities listed in its statblock, with the following exceptions:

• Your Creature Companion uses your Proficiency Bonus for Attack Tests and Skills it is Proficient in.
• Your Creature Companion gains additional HP equal to 2 × your Level.
• Your Creature Companion makes Death Saving Throws when reduced to 0 HP and can make a Last Stand (see page 125).
• Once per turn, you can issue a command to your Creature Companion as a Free Action.

Your Creature Companion can follow basic instructions, such as ‘wait here’, ‘attack’, or ‘hide’; otherwise, it follows its own instincts. If you command a Creature Companion to take a more complex action or one that goes against its instincts, the GM may call for an Animal Handling Test to see if the creature complies.  True domestication is rare in the Broken World, and some animals are barely-obedient wild animals that just happen to bond with a Survivor. When you take the Creature Companion Talent, discuss with your GM whether you would like to directly control your Creature Companion, roleplaying it, taking Actions, and making Tests for it, or if you would like the GM to take control instead.

DANGER SENSE

You are always aware of danger and are ready to fight at a moment’s notice. You gain a bonus to Initiative equal to your Wisdom Bonus + your Proficiency Bonus.

DARK SECRET

You learn one truth about the Broken World that nobody else does. It may be the location of an ancient city, the secret to activating a powerful artefact, or the true nature of a Monster. Work with the GM to determine what this is. If other people learn that you hold a secret, they may treat you with curiosity or even fear.

DEADEYE

You have a keen eye and are deadly with a ranged weapon. You gain +1 to Attack Tests with ranged weapons.

DECAYED
Requirements: This Talent can only be taken during Survivor Creation

At some point, you were exposed to abundant Decay. Maybe you were lost in the wilds, used an Arcane Artefact, or suffered a grievous wound from a Decayed Monster. Either way, Decay has left its mark for all to see. You start with 3 Decay.

DECAY RESISTANCE

You were either born with a natural resistance to Decay, a rare and enviable trait, or a brush with Decay has had the unexpected effect of hardening your body against its touch.

You gain Proficiency in Decay Saving Throws (see page 126). If you were already Proficient in Decay Saves, or later would gain Proficiency in them, you double your Proficiency Bonus for any Decay Saves you make.

DECAY SENSE

Your senses have sharpened to signs of Decay. You have Advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Wisdom (Survival) Tests to gauge the Decay of a creature, location, or object and to identify and locate a source of Decay.

EIDETIC MEMORY

You remember moments from the past with nearperfect clarity. You can recall the major elements, including landmarks, number of people, and so on, but must make a Test to remember minutiae, such as people’s faces, glyphs on a Waymarker, words on a scroll, and so on. The DC and Skill for the Test is determined by the GM. In addition, you have Advantage on Tests to resist memory loss caused by Decay.

FAST FRIENDS

You find it easy to make new friends and learn local customs. During a Long Rest in a Haven or large community, you can forego your recovery to make some friends. If you do so, you have Advantage on Intelligence (Local Lore) Tests within that community and Charisma (Persuasion) Tests to learn rumours.

FAST HEALER

You recover from injury quicker than most other people. When you roll a Hit Die to recover Hit Points, you can roll twice and take the higher result.

Many Survivors boast that they laugh in the face of death and danger, but few follow through. Whenever you become Frightened, you can immediately make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw as a Reaction. On a success, you are no longer Frightened.

FRUGAL

You are able to make your resources stretch a little further. Any time you take a Downtime or Seasonal Activity that requires Resources, the cost is reduced by 1 to a minimum of 1.

GUARDIAN

You are willing to absorb injuries for your allies selflessly. Once per day, when an ally within 5 feet of you is damaged, you can use your Reaction to take the Damage instead.

GENIAL

You have some unique methods of endearing yourself to people. When you spend 1 minute conversing with someone who can understand you, you can make a Charisma (Persuasion) Test opposed by the person’s Wisdom (Insight).

If you have harmed or caused trouble for this person or their allies in the past, the Test automatically fails. On success, the person is Charmed by you for the following day or until you or your allies cause them harm or trouble.

HAGGLER
Requirements: Proficiency in Deception or Persuasion

You drive a hard bargain, and know the value of what you have. When bartering (see page 104), choose one item you are trading as part of the deal. The item’s Resource Cost is considered one higher for the purposes of making the trade.

HARD WORKER

You rise early and work late into the night, getting the most out of every day, but at a personal cost. Between Crises, you can take an additional Downtime Activity (see Downtime thread). If you do so, you begin your next adventure with 1 Level of Exhaustion.

HEAVY SHOT
Requirements: Proficiency with Martial Weapons, Strength 14

You have learned a unique way of firing a longbow, utilising your natural physicality for maximum effect. When you make an attack with a longbow, you can add your Strength Bonus to the Damage dealt instead of your Dexterity Bonus. You still use your Dexterity Bonus for the Attack Test.

HELPFUL

You are an enthusiastic assistant, and keen to help however you can. When you take the Help Action, you and the person you are helping both roll an additional 1d4 and add it to the result.

HIDDEN PATHS

You’re good at finding shortcuts through the unpredictable wilderness of the Broken World. When undertaking a Journey (see Journey thread), if your party chooses to take a Short Rest, it does not increase the number of Encounters. You can only use this Talent once per Journey.

HIT AND RUN

You have learned to strike an enemy and retreat before your foe retaliates. If you successfully deal Damage to an enemy with a melee attack, you can use your Reaction to move 10 feet away. This movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks.

HOME COMFORTS
Requirements: Proficiency with Cook’s Tools

You’re a great cook and welcoming host — always able to lift people’s spirits and make them feel better. During a Long Rest, you can forgo your recovery to put on a spread, using 1 Ration or equivalent food per guest. If you do so, anyone who partakes gains a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Level.

HOPEFUL

You maintain your optimism, even in the face of the horrors the Broken World throws at you. Whenever you spend Hope (see page 130), roll 1d20. On a natural 20, your Haven regains the Hope that you spent.

HURLER

Whether it’s a well-balanced knife, a sky-arcing spear, or simply an opportunistic rock, you are able to cast thrown objects far and true.

When you throw a weapon with the Thrown Property, you can increase the weapon’s Normal and Long Range by 15 feet. This bonus applies to throwing the Maker’s Alchemical Concoctions and other objects that are not strictly weapons.

IRON GRIP

You have an iron grip and refuse to release something you are holding. You have Advantage on Tests and Saving Throws to resist being disarmed, such as from a Called Shot (see page 124). Additionally, creatures have Disadvantage to escape when you are grappling them.

IMPROVISED WEAPONS

You have a knack for cobbling together weapons from almost anything. Once per day, you can spend 1 hour creating Ammunition or a Makeshift Weapon. These objects hold together for one day, after which they fall apart.

• Ammunition: You craft ammunition for a ranged weapon. You can create 10 arrows, crossbow bolts, blowgun needles, or sling bullets. Each piece of ammunition is destroyed upon use.
• Makeshift Weapon: You create a weapon from whatever you can get your hands on. The weapon is a Simple Weapon and deals 1d8 Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing Damage (your choice). If it is a Ranged Weapon, it also gains Range 30/60. If the wielder rolls a 1 when attacking with the weapon, it breaks and falls apart.

LEADER’S FAVOURITE

You’ve given your Haven’s leaders good advice in the past, and they are more likely to listen to you in the future. You have Advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) Tests when interacting with the leaders of your Haven. If the leaders are ousted, killed, or otherwise removed from power, you lose this benefit until you can spend a Downtime Activity (see Downtime thread) to ingratiate yourself with the new leaders.

LIGHT STEP

Your feet are well used to traversing dangerous or unstable lands. You ignore the effects of Difficult Terrain and your Speed is not reduced while moving stealthily.

METICULOUS

When you do a job, you make sure to do it right. When you take a Downtime or Seasonal Activity that requires an Extended Test, you can reroll one of the Tests involved. You can choose which Test to reroll at the end of the Extended Test.

MIMIC
Requirements: Proficiency in Performance

You can mimic another person’s speech or the sound a creature makes. You must have heard the person or creature for at least one minute to do so. If you are trying to deceive someone or lure a creature using this Talent, you must make a Charisma (Performance) Test opposed by the target’s Wisdom (Insight).

MONSTER HUNTER

You have spent your days hunting Monsters and have a keen eye for how to expose their weaknesses. If you take the Observe Downtime Activity (see Downtime thread) to watch a Monster, you gain the following benefits against Monsters of that type until the the next period of downtime:

• Your attacks ignore one type of Damage Resistance the Monster has.
• You have Advantage on Initiative Tests.
• If you Damage the Monster during the first round of combat, you can roll for Damage twice and take the higher result.

NATURALLY GIFTED
Requirements: This Talent can only be taken during Survivor Creation

You have a natural affinity or gift for a certain task. Choose any Skill or Tool, regardless of whether you are Proficient with it. You have Advantage on Tests with that Skill or Tool.

NIGHT VISION

You have grown accustomed to finding your way in the dark, and your eyes quickly adapt to the shadows. You ignore the negative effects of Dim Light and treat areas of Darkness as if they were Dimly Lit. Your Night Vision extends up to 30 feet.

POINT BLANK SHOT

You are unphased when fighting with a ranged weapon in close combat. You do not suffer Disadvantage on ranged attacks when an enemy is within 5 feet.

PROVIDER

You are meticulous when harvesting or foraging and can often find resources others might miss. Whenever you Harvest Resources from a dead creature, you gain an extra 1d4 Resources.

QUICK CONSTRUCTION
Requirements: Proficiency with Builder’s Tools

You know how to get things built quickly. When you take the Build Defences Downtime Activity (see Downtime thread) you can choose to build two Defences instead of one. The DC for each Test increases to 15, and you must pay 12 Resources instead of 6.

QUICK RELOAD

You can quickly reload any weapon. You ignore the Loading Trait on ranged weapons.

REFINED SENSE

One of your senses is almost supernaturally acute. Choose one of your senses from sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. You have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) Tests when using this particular sense.

SAFE PATH

You know how to find relatively safe spots to rest in the wilds, and keep a keen eye on the road ahead. When your party takes a Long Rest in the wild, you can take the Scout Ahead Campcraft Activity (see Downtime thread) in addition to any other Campcraft Activities you take.

SCAVENGER

You are meticulous when searching and scavenging for equipment and resources. Any time you take a Downtime or Seasonal Activity that grants Resources, you gain an additional 1 Resource.

SEASONED TRAVELLER

You have spent much time on the road and know what is required to survive. Choose either Leader, Outrider, Quartermaster, or Sentry. If you take that Role while on a Journey (see Journey thread), you have Advantage on Tests made as part of that Role.

SECRET LANGUAGE

You understand the benefits of being able to communicate secretly with your allies. Choose either a written cipher or hand signals to be your secret language. Anyone attempting to decode your secret language must make an Intelligence Test with a DC equal to 8 + your Intelligence Bonus + your Proficiency Bonus. When you take this Talent, you can choose up to four people who understand and can decrypt your secret language. These may be other party members, the leaders of your Haven, or trusted allies. You can teach one additional person the secret language between Crises and during Seasons in addition to other Activities you undertake.

SHARPSHOOTER

You have honed your skill with ranged weapons to the point that you can hit smaller and smaller targets, even in the heat of battle. Your ranged attacks ignore the effects of half-cover and three-quarters cover.

SHIELD SLAM
Requirements: Proficiency with shields

With a shield in hand, you are both an unstoppable force and an immovable object. If you take the Shove Action or are targeted by a Shove while wearing a shield, you have Advantage on the Test.

SPRING UP
Requirements: Proficiency in Acrobatics or Athletics

You know falling can mean death, so don’t stay down for long. If you are knocked Prone, you can immediately make a DC 12 Dexterity Saving Throw. On a success, you immediately stand back up as a Free Action. If you fall from a height and are knocked Prone, you take falling Damage as normal and then make the Saving Throw to stand back up after hitting the ground.

TRICK SHOT

You can pull off impressive shots from great distances. You can make Called Shots (page 124) against targets within your weapon’s Long Range, instead of just its Normal Range.

TRIVIA HOARDER

You have amassed a vast collection of anecdotes from other survivors which sometimes come in handy. Once per day, you can make a DC 15 Intelligence (Forgotten Lore, Local Lore, or Natural Lore) to try and remember a fact about a specific object, event, or creature you encounter. On a success, the GM must tell you one piece of truthful and helpful information about the subject.

TWO WEAPON FIGHTER

You are adept at fighting with two weapons, making you a deadly foe in combat. When dual wielding, you add your Attribute Bonus to the Damage dealt by your second Attack. Additionally, you can draw or sheathe two weapons in the time it takes to draw or sheathe one.

If you take this Talent a second time, you can dual wield one-handed weapons even if they don’t have the Light Property.

If you take this Talent a third time, you gain +1 AC when dual wielding.

UNDERDOG

You are deadly when backed into a corner. If two or more enemies and no allies are within 30 feet of you, you have Advantage on Attack Tests.

UNTOUCHED BY DECAY
Requirements: This Talent can only be taken during Survivor Creation

Whether from a secluded upbringing or sheer luck, you have somehow remained free from the influence of Decay. Some see you as a lucky charm, while others assume you are simply a Harrowed in the making. Whatever the case, you show no signs of Decay — for now. You start with 0 Decay.

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

You make sure to get the most out of every beast. After Harvesting from a dead creature, you can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) Test to harvest an additional Component. The GM decides what Component you gain.

WEAPON OF CHOICE

You have mastered the use of a single type of weapon. Choose a weapon you are Proficient with. You deal +1 Damage with weapons of that type. You can take this Talent multiple times, choosing a new weapon each time.

WEAPON TRAINING

You have dedicated your time to learning to use various weapons to protect yourself and your loved ones better. You gain Proficiency in three weapons of your choice. You can take this Talent multiple times, choosing new weapons each time.

WELL PREPARED

Preparation is key, and you are always ready for the challenges ahead. While preparing for a Journey, you can make two Preparations instead of one. See the Journey thread for a list of Preparations.