New Talents

[Astromancer]

Talents, when they don't represent clusters of abilities often linked in the real world, are often meant to fit a stereotype suited to a campaign setting. Take the character classes from DnD. Each one of these could be a talent. To a certain extent doesn't Dungeon Fantasy already do it that way?

In any genre with stereotypical roles that verge on the archetypal you could set up similar logical to the genre Talents designed to grease the skids for players playing the PCs they really want.

[Prince Charon]

I've been thinking about a range of Talents that might be described as 'Charlatanry,' of which this is the one I'm most clear on, and the one some of the others might be expansions of. It may fit 'Talent as Training' better than 'Talent as Inborn Ability,' though:

Mentalist, 5/level

Skills: Body Language, Detect Lies, Fortune-Telling, Gambling, Psychology, and possibly Weather Sense.

Reaction bonus: Audiences, and other people you've fooled.

Alternative bonus: Uncertain, but perhaps something like '+1/level in Contests against other phony psychics' works, much like the alternative bonus from Craftiness.

You can somewhat fake mind reading with Fortune-Telling alone, but it becomes far more reliable when combined with Body Language, Detect Lies, and Psychology. Gambling, meanwhile, improves your ability to pretend to see the future, as you can estimate the odds of various things, then 'give a prophecy' about something that has a good enough chance of happening, that you're reasonably sure the mark doesn't know is that likely. This is also why Weather Sense is listed as an option, as if you're enough better at it than the mark, it's a relatively quick way of establishing your prescience (and like the Cunning Folk Talent, if you're a Soothsayer in a culture where that's a respected profession, predicting the weather is probably an important part of your job).

[Prince Charon]

Hypnotist, 5/level

Skills: Autohypnosis, Brainwashing, Hypnotism, Intimidation, and Psychology.

Reaction bonus: (Same as the Mesmerist Talent).

Alternative bonus: (Same as the Mesmerist Talent).

You might call this the nastier side of being a fake psychic, but this is not necessarily any kind of performer. It's basically a cut down Mesmerist Talent (all the cinematic skills removed), with Psychology added to balance it out, and because the other name I considered for it is something like 'Master Brainwasher.'

[Prince Charon]

Street Occultist, 5/level

Skills: Herb Lore, Hidden Lore, History, Literature, Occultism, and Research.

Reaction bonus: (Same as Occultist Talent).

Alternative bonus: (Probably same as Occultist Talent).

This is a stripped down and slightly modified (Herb Lore replaces Alchemy) version of the Occultist Talent, appropriate for an urban magician who doesn't have the professionalism or access to the resources of a high-class academic (and is more likely to be self-trained, or learned via a somewhat traditional apprenticeship).

[Prince Charon]

Psychic Soldier, 5/level

Skills: Fast Draw (as appropriate to the setting), Innate Attack, Leadership, Professional Skill (Military Psionicist), Savoir-Faire (Military), Soldier.

Reaction bonus: Soldiers you've served with or aided.

Alternative bonus: +1/level to spot psionic hazards?

Despite the name, this Talent is not limited to soldiers who have psi abilities, though it is particularly useful to them - rather, it is intended for soldiers who work with or around psionics. Fast Draw is present for settings in which taking psi drugs or the equivalent in a hurry (e.g. mid-battle) is common enough to be typical of soldiers like this; if that is not the case for your setting, it can be left out.


Thoughts?