List of your favourite custom talents

[johndallman]

I've been designing a lot of NPCs recently, some of them historical people. I've found custom talents rather useful for getting them right. Here are a few:

Mental Manipulator
5 points/level
Brainwashing, Dreaming, Fast-Talk, Hypnotism, and Psychology.
Reaction Bonus: When observed by hypnotists and psychologists.
Alternative Benefit: +1/level to resist the talent's skills being used on you.
Alternative Cost: 5 points/level.
Notes: This was created for a character with a strong theoretical understanding of human minds, rather the intuitive grasp of them that comes from Empathy or the Empath talent.

Burglar
5 points/level
SK:Climbing, Search, Observation, Forced Entry, Lockpicking, and Stealth.
Reaction Bonus: When observed by other thieves.
Alternative Benefit: +1/level to Influence skills when you're trying to explain why you were there, with equipment and/or loot.
Alternative Cost: 6 points/level.

Gentleman's Gentleman
5 points/level
Cooking, Connoisseur, Diplomacy, Housekeeping, Savoir-Faire, and Sewing.
Reaction Bonus: People for whom you keep house, prospective employers and other servants.
Alternative Benefit: If you have two or more levels of this talent, and complete control of your employer's dress, you can give them +1 to reactions in social situations, as if you had Fashion Sense.
Alternative Cost: 6 points/level.