Perks¶
Perk
Area of Expertise
Choose one skill you already have from the crafting skill group. Whenever you obtain a tier 1 outcome on an easy or medium test using this skill, you treat it as a tier 2 outcome instead. Additionally, if you spend 1 minute inspecting an object related to the chosen skill, you can estimate its value and learn of any flaws in its construction.
Perk
Born Tracker
You and your companion gain an edge on tests made to track creatures, find your way, or search for hidden creatures.
Perk
Brawny
Whenever you fail a Might test, you can lose Stamina equal to 1d6 + your level to improve the outcome of the test by one tier. You can use this perk only once per test.
Perk
But I Know Who Does
Whenever you fail a test to recall lore using a skill from the lore skill group, you instinctively recall the nearest location where the information you seek might be found. This could be the tower of a local sage, a library in a nearby city, somewhere deep in a dungeon, or any other location of the Director's determination. The Director can decide that certain lore can't be revealed this way.
Perk
Camouflage Hunter
Whenever you are in wilderness, once you are hidden from a creature, you don't need cover or concealment to stay hidden from them.
Perk
Charming Liar
If you fail a test using the Lie skill, you don't suffer any consequences associated with the failure. Additionally, during a negotiation, you can be caught in one lie without negative consequences. When you use either benefit of this perk, you can't use this perk again until you earn 1 or more Victories.
Perk
Creature Sense
As a maneuver, choose a creature within 10 squares. If that creature is your level or lower, you learn the keywords in their stat block (Demon, Humanoid, Undead, and so forth).
Perk
Criminal Contacts
You have access to a network of criminal contacts. As a respite activity while you take a respite in a settlement, you can ask a question of your contacts by making a Presence test. On a tier 2 outcome, you learn one piece of information that would be common among criminals—the secret entrances into a building, the location of a local criminal in hiding, the name of a local thieves' guild leader, and so forth. On a tier 3 outcome, you can instead gain knowledge that would be…
Perk
Danger Sense
Whenever you are in a natural environment (but not in a settlement in that environment), you gain an edge on tests made using the Alertness skill, and you can't be surprised. Additionally, you have a connection to nature that warns you if any natural disaster is imminent within the next 72 hours, though you don't know exactly what it will entail (an earthquake, a wildfire, and so forth).
Perk
Dazzler
Whenever a creature watches you sing, dance, or perform a role (as an actor, not just in disguise) for 1 uninterrupted minute or more, you gain an edge on any test made to influence that creature for 1 hour after the performance ends.
Perk
Eidetic Memory
Your mind is an encyclopedia, though not always an easy one to organize. When you finish a respite, choose one skill from the lore skill group that you don't have. You have that skill until you finish your next respite. Additionally, if you spend 1 uninterrupted minute or more reading any page of text, you can memorize its contents, allowing you to memorize entire books with sufficient time.
Perk
Engrossing Monologue
Whenever you are not in combat, you can shout to get the attention of hearing creatures within 10 squares of you. Each such creature who is not hostile toward you listens to what you have to say for 1 uninterrupted minute or more, or until they sense danger or any form of imminent harm. While creatures are listening to you, each of your allies gains an edge on tests made to avoid being noticed by those creatures.
Perk
Expert Artisan
Whenever you make a test as part of a crafting or research project that uses a skill you already have from the crafting skill group, you can make the power roll twice and use either roll.
Perk
Expert Sage
Whenever you make a test as part of a crafting or research project using a skill from the lore skill group, you can make the power roll twice and use either roll.
Perk
Familiar
A supernatural spirit who has taken the form of a specific small animal or animated object has chosen to be your familiar—or to adopt you as their familiar.
The spirit uses the familiar stat block.
The familiar can hold small objects in their mouth or claws, but can't perform activities that would typically require hands (opening a door, unrolling a scroll, and so forth). They can't harm other creatures or objects. They can flank in combat, but only with you.
If your famil…
The spirit uses the familiar stat block.
The familiar can hold small objects in their mouth or claws, but can't perform activities that would typically require hands (opening a door, unrolling a scroll, and so forth). They can't harm other creatures or objects. They can flank in combat, but only with you.
If your famil…
Perk
Forgettable Face
If you spend 10 minutes or less interacting with a creature who hasn't met you before, you can cause them to forget your face when you part. If asked to describe you, the creature gives only a vague, blank, and unhelpful description. Additionally, if you spend 1 hour or more assembling a disguise, you automatically obtain a tier 2 outcome on any test that could make use of the Disguise skill. If you have the Disguise skill, you automatically obtain a tier 3 outcome on the tes…
Perk
Friend Catapult
As a maneuver, you grab a willing adjacent ally or object of your size or smaller, then vertical push that target up to a number of squares equal to twice your Might score. If a creature you push falls as a result of this movement, the effective distance of the fall is reduced by a number of squares equal to twice your Might score. When you use this perk, you can't use it again until you earn 1 or more Victories.
Perk
Gum Up the Works
Whenever a mundane trap activates within 3 squares, you can use a triggered action to move up to 3 squares toward it. If this movement brings you adjacent to any of the trap's mechanisms, you can jam the trap, preventing it from activating. As long as you stay adjacent to the mechanism, the trap can't go off unless an attempt to disarm it fails.
Perk
Handy
Whenever you make a test to craft something and don't have a skill that applies to the test, you gain a +1 bonus to the power roll.
Perk
Harmonizer
You can make a Presence test using the Music skill to influence creatures who don't have emotions or can't understand you. Additionally, once during a negotiation when an ally makes an argument, you can play music to give that ally an edge on their test.
Perk
Improvisation Creation
Without needing to make a test—and even without tools—you can quickly jury-rig or repair a mundane item or piece of equipment related to a skill you have from the crafting skill group. That item lasts for 1 hour or works for one use or activation (whichever comes first, as the Director determines), then breaks beyond repair. For example, if you have the Carpentry skill, you could repair a rickety wooden bridge long enough for a group of creatures to cross it, or build a simpl…
Perk
Inspired Artisan
When you make a project roll using a skill from the crafting skill group, you can spend a hero token to make another project roll for the same project as part of the same respite activity. You can't use this perk more than once per respite.
Perk
I've Got You!
Whenever a willing ally falls and would land on you or adjacent to you, you can safely catch them as a free triggered action. Neither of you takes damage from the ally's fall.
Perk
I've Read About This Place
Each time you enter a settlement you've never been to before, you can ask the Director one of the following questions:
Perk
Lie Detector
In response to another creature communicating information to you, you can spend a hero token to determine whether that information contained any knowing lies. If so, you know what the lies are, but not what the truth is.
Perk
Linguist
You automatically learn two new languages, as long as you have regularly heard those languages spoken or seen them written before. Additionally, if you spend 7 days or more in a place where you regularly hear or read a language you don't know, you can pick up enough of that language to hold a conversation or understand basic written information. Having picked up a language this way, you can subsequently learn it using the Learn New Language research project at half the usual…
Perk
Lucky Dog
Whenever you fail a test using any skill from the intrigue skill group, you can lose Stamina equal to 1d6 + your level to improve the outcome of the test by one tier. You can use this perk only once per test.
Perk
Master of Disguise
You can don or remove a disguise as part of any test you make using the Hide skill, or while using the Hide maneuver.
Perk
Monster Whisperer
You can use the Handle Animals skill to interact with nonsapient creatures who are not animals.
Perk
Open Book
Whenever you speak one-on-one with a creature, you can ask them one question about themself that might typically offend them or raise suspicion. If they choose not to answer honestly, they simply deflect or redirect the question, with no further complications. If they choose to answer honestly, the creature can immediately ask you a question about yourself in turn, which you must answer honestly.
Perk
Pardon My Friend
When an ally within 5 squares fails a Presence test, you can step in and make a Presence test that takes a bane, with your roll replacing the ally's roll. This perk can be used only once per test, even if more than one character has it.
Perk
People Sense
Whenever you or your companion makes a test to determine a creature's motives, emotions, or body language while within 5 squares of each other, your partner can make the same test as a free triggered action. You both use the higher result.
Perk
Polymath
Whenever you make a test to recall lore and don't have a skill that applies to the test, you gain a +1 bonus to the power roll.
Perk
Power Player
Whenever you make a test that uses the Brag, Flirt, or Intimidate skills, you can use Might instead of any other characteristic the test calls for.
Perk
Put Your Back Into It!
During montage tests, whenever you make a test to assist a test and obtain a tier 1 outcome, the assisted test doesn't take a bane. Additionally, once per montage test, you can turn an ally's tier 1 test outcome into a tier 2 outcome.
Perk
Ride Along
Your bond with your companion has permeated your very soul; you are just as much beast as you are beastheart. You can leave behind your mortal body and join your consciousness to that of your companion. You have the following ability.
Perk
Ritualist
You can spend 1 uninterrupted minute to perform a magic ritual of blessing, targeting yourself or one willing creature you touch. The target has a double edge on the next test they make within the next minute. A target can't use this benefit on an activity that takes longer than 1 minute.
Perk
Slipped Lead
You gain an edge on tests made to escape bonds. Given 1 uninterrupted minute, you can escape any mundane bonds without making a test. Additionally, it's not immediately obvious when you've escaped bonds until you do something that makes it clear you have done so (cast them off, use an ability that harms one or more creatures, and so forth).
Perk
So Tell Me...
Whenever you succeed on a Presence test to influence one or more creatures, you can ask one creature you influenced a follow-up question after the test resolves, which they must answer honestly. At the Director's discretion, the creature doesn't have to answer the question completely—or at all—if the response would put them or a loved one in danger.
Perk
Specialist
You are a leading expert on a particular subject. Choose one skill you have from the lore skill group. You always have a double edge on tests made to recall lore using this skill. Additionally, your specialist knowledge grants you notoriety in fields related to the chosen skill. You treat your Renown as 1 higher when negotiating with an NPC who knows your reputation, or 2 higher if they have the same skill you chose for this perk.
Perk
Spot the Tell
Whenever you make a test to read a person and obtain a tier 3 outcome, you notice several tells that give away their true feelings. Any test you make to read that person in the future gains an edge.
Perk
Team Leader
At the start of a group test or montage test, you can spend a hero token. If you do, all participants make tests as if they also had any skill you have from the exploration group.
Perk
Teamwork
When you take your first turn during any montage test, you can both make a test and assist another hero's test.
Perk
Thingspeaker
When you hold an object in your hand for 1 uninterrupted minute, you can sense whether it bears emotional resonance. Objects with emotional resonance could include treasured gifts, murder weapons, or personal keepsakes. If the Director determines that the object bears emotional resonance, you learn the most dominant emotion associated with the object, then receive a vision that answers one of the following questions:
Perk
Trained Thief
You have the Conceal Object or Pick Pocket skill. Your companion can make a test using that skill as a maneuver.
Perk
Traveling Artisan
On any day when you don't take a respite, you can spend 1 uninterrupted hour working on a crafting project using a skill you have from the crafting skill group. If you do so, you gain 1d10 project points toward that project.
Perk
Traveling Sage
On any day when you don't take a respite, you can spend 1 uninterrupted hour working on a research project using a skill you have from the lore skill group. If you do so, you gain 1d10 project points toward that project.
Perk
Wilds Explorer
You and your companion gain an edge on tests made to overcome environmental cold, heat, weather, unsteady ground, or challenging terrain. During your turn, you and your companion can ignore the first square of difficult terrain you each enter.