Yakk
2023-08-01, 02:38 PM
Talents
Talents are extraordinary abilities. Each Talent has a level and a skill proficiency it requires and a prime attribute.
The DC of any saving throw produced by a talent is equal to (8+prime attribute+proficiency bonus) of the character with the talent. If that character has expertise in the skill proficiency, they can either increase the DC by 1, or replace the base DC with (8+proficiency bonus*2).
Talent abilities, by default, are always on. Some Talents let you do something once per short rest or once per long rest.
An intended baseline design would be to take the 1/2 caster progression and use that as a Talent table for Rogues.
Talents should generally be utility abilities or defensive abilities moreso than offensive ones - ie, I'm actively trying to NOT increase damage. Granting advantage on an attack for a higher level talent is ok.
I'm intending on stealing from Exalted Solar Charms extensively for inspiration.
You'll be gaining these abilities:
L1: L2-4
L2: L5-8
L3: L9-12
L4: L13-16
L5: L17-20
So
L1 = Tier 1
L2 = Tier 2
L3 = Tier 2 Late/3 Early
L4 = Tier 3 Late
L5 = Tier 4
---
Athletics Talents
Great Heave: (L1, Str)
You can throw an object, a willing creature, or a creature you have grappled up to your carrying capacity 30' as an action. Your long throwing range with weapons is doubled.
Natural Swimmer: (L2, Con)
You gain a swim speed equal to your speed, and you can hold your breath twice as long.
Spider Climber: (L2, Dex)
You gain a climbing speed equal to your speed, and can move over inverted surfaces, but cannot end your turn under one.
Great Leap: (L3, Str)
Once on your turn while moving, you can jump up to your speed.
Unbreakable Grasp: (L3, Str)
Creatures have disadvantage on any check to escape your grapple. You can grapple creatures as if they are 1 size smaller. Whlie you are not incapacitated, you cannot be made to let go of anything (a weapon, a hand hold, etc) except (possibly) an unwilling creature you have grappled.
Amazing Speed: (L4, Dex)
You can dash once on your turn without spending an action. This can still tire you out.
Unending Endurance: (L4, Con)
Whenever you roll HD to regain HP, they are maximized. When you take the Dodge action, you can roll 1 HD to regain HP, and you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action once per short rest. Once per day, you can regain all of your expended HD at the end of a short rest. The first 5 levels of Exhaustion you have do not hinder you in any way, and Exhaustion beyond that is treated as 5 levels less. You recover a level of Exhaustion on a short rest.
Unstoppable Force: (L5, Str)
Terrain cannot reduce your speed. You can smash through any barrier that is less than 5' thick without slowing down, including magical ones. If the barrier is thicker, you can smash through 5' of it per round. You ignore effects that reduce your movement speed while not incapacitated.
Acrobatics Talents
Tumble (L1, Dex)
When you take the Disengage action, you also take the Dash action. In addition, once per short rest you can reroll a Dexterity saving throw with an Acrobatics check as a reaction.
Nimble: (L1, Dex)
Jump and Climb using Dexterity instead of Strength. When you fall, you can reduce your falling damage by a Dexterity(Acrobatics) check result as a reaction.
Parkour: (L2, Dex)
You can run along walls so long as you end your turn on a stable surface or otherwise support yourself.
Side Step: (L3, Dex)
As a reaction to taking damage or failing a saving throw, you can move up to half your speed. If this places you out of reach of the attack, spell or effect you reacted to, you are no longer subject to the effect, spell or attack. Once per short rest you can react to seeing a creature the same way, which can cause the triggering creature to not see you at all.
Shadow Evasion: (L4, Wis)
When an attack misses you or you pass a saving throw, you gain advantage on your next attack on the source of the attack or saving throw before the end of your next turn. If this is triggered more than once, you gain advantage on additional attacks. In addition, once per short rest you can cause an attack to miss or yourself to pass a saving throw as a reaction.
Perfect Escape: (L5, Dex)
As an bonus action you can teleport your speed. You must have line of sight or effect to your destination. Using this ability is as tiring as Dashing.
Slight of Hand Talents
Holdout: (L1, Dex)
You can keep a light weapon hidden on your body. No amount of searching of your body, including magical, will find it. This does not protect you against lie detection or spells that locate that specific object.
Improvised Tools: (L1, Int)
You can disable device and pick locks without thieves tools at no penalty. For other tools (navigators, smiths, tinkers, etc) you are proficient in, you can often improvise a solution that takes 2 to 10 times as long and imposes disadvantage on the check.
Short Change: (L2, Cha)
You routinely pay 10% less for all purchases under 100 gp; if a creature tries to catch you at it, they must make a wisdom saving throw or be unable to even attempt it; and even if they pass this check, it appears to be an innocent mistake, unless you have been caught repeatedly by the same person.
For purchases at or over 100 gp, you can choose to attempt to short change and reduce the amount paid by a Cha(Slight of Hand) check gp. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw to catch the short-changing; on success, they spot the attempt and may not presume innocence. The amount of short-changing increases to 10x the check at 1000 gp, and 100x the check at 10,000 gp. You may choose to half the amount you short change; if you do so, on a successful wisdom saving throw you can make the amount paid whole before they catch it.
Quickdraw: (L2, Dex)
You can equip or unequip items in your hands (but not shields) extremely fast. Each item can be both equipped and unequipped (to/from a sheath or equivalent storage) once per turn so long as your aren't incapacitated. You may use this to gain advantage on an attack roll with a light weapon you did not have equipped at the start of your turn, but once you have done so you cannot do it again on anyone who had line of sight on you doing it in the past week.
Lady Luck's Blessing: (L3, Cha)
You have advantage on all checks involving games of chance or hidden information. If you lose such a game, you can try to pull a fast one - the winner of the game must make a wisdom saving throw or you reroll the results of the game. People who have seen you pull a fast one in the last week have advantage on that saving throw. In addition, when you fail a saving throw, you can expend a reaction to make a slight of hand check to replace the roll: on success, you cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.
Theft in Plain Sight: (L3, Dex)
You can take an item that isn't in active use (like a weapon being wielded) from someone adjacent to you. You can do this once before completing a short rest. The lack won't be noticed for at least 1d6 rounds, unless it is attempted to be actively used, at which point the target can make a Wisdom saving throw to notice something is missing. You must be able to hold the item and have something capable of covering it on your person (a cloak etc).
Bending of Willow: (L4, Dex)
When a creature adjacent to you misses an attack or a saving throw they cause is passed, you can expend a reaction to attempt to make them drop something in their hands. They must make a strength saving throw or drop an item of your choice they are holding; it falls into a location within 10' of the creature of your choice. If you are targeted by an attack or a spell or effect requiring a saving throw, you can expend a reaction and change the target to a creature within 10' of you that would otherwise be a legal target for the effect; you can do this as most once per long rest.
Invisible Blade: (L5, Dex)
When you attack someone, only the target can notice you are attacking, and only if your attack misses. If your attack hits, the target feels the pain but cannot see that you attacked them. If you attack from hidden, you are not revealed if your attack hits.
Stealth Talents
Flit
Fade
Mask of Many Faces
Shadowstep
Arcana Talents
Arcane Eyes
Obscure Defence
Feel the Weave
Snip a Thread
History Talents
Investigation Talents
Nature Talents
Religion Talents
Animal Handling Talents
Medicine Talents
Perception Talents
Survival Talents
Deception Talents
Intimidation Talents
Performance Talents
Persuasion Talents
Talents are extraordinary abilities. Each Talent has a level and a skill proficiency it requires and a prime attribute.
The DC of any saving throw produced by a talent is equal to (8+prime attribute+proficiency bonus) of the character with the talent. If that character has expertise in the skill proficiency, they can either increase the DC by 1, or replace the base DC with (8+proficiency bonus*2).
Talent abilities, by default, are always on. Some Talents let you do something once per short rest or once per long rest.
An intended baseline design would be to take the 1/2 caster progression and use that as a Talent table for Rogues.
Talents should generally be utility abilities or defensive abilities moreso than offensive ones - ie, I'm actively trying to NOT increase damage. Granting advantage on an attack for a higher level talent is ok.
I'm intending on stealing from Exalted Solar Charms extensively for inspiration.
You'll be gaining these abilities:
L1: L2-4
L2: L5-8
L3: L9-12
L4: L13-16
L5: L17-20
So
L1 = Tier 1
L2 = Tier 2
L3 = Tier 2 Late/3 Early
L4 = Tier 3 Late
L5 = Tier 4
---
Athletics Talents
Great Heave: (L1, Str)
You can throw an object, a willing creature, or a creature you have grappled up to your carrying capacity 30' as an action. Your long throwing range with weapons is doubled.
Natural Swimmer: (L2, Con)
You gain a swim speed equal to your speed, and you can hold your breath twice as long.
Spider Climber: (L2, Dex)
You gain a climbing speed equal to your speed, and can move over inverted surfaces, but cannot end your turn under one.
Great Leap: (L3, Str)
Once on your turn while moving, you can jump up to your speed.
Unbreakable Grasp: (L3, Str)
Creatures have disadvantage on any check to escape your grapple. You can grapple creatures as if they are 1 size smaller. Whlie you are not incapacitated, you cannot be made to let go of anything (a weapon, a hand hold, etc) except (possibly) an unwilling creature you have grappled.
Amazing Speed: (L4, Dex)
You can dash once on your turn without spending an action. This can still tire you out.
Unending Endurance: (L4, Con)
Whenever you roll HD to regain HP, they are maximized. When you take the Dodge action, you can roll 1 HD to regain HP, and you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action once per short rest. Once per day, you can regain all of your expended HD at the end of a short rest. The first 5 levels of Exhaustion you have do not hinder you in any way, and Exhaustion beyond that is treated as 5 levels less. You recover a level of Exhaustion on a short rest.
Unstoppable Force: (L5, Str)
Terrain cannot reduce your speed. You can smash through any barrier that is less than 5' thick without slowing down, including magical ones. If the barrier is thicker, you can smash through 5' of it per round. You ignore effects that reduce your movement speed while not incapacitated.
Acrobatics Talents
Tumble (L1, Dex)
When you take the Disengage action, you also take the Dash action. In addition, once per short rest you can reroll a Dexterity saving throw with an Acrobatics check as a reaction.
Nimble: (L1, Dex)
Jump and Climb using Dexterity instead of Strength. When you fall, you can reduce your falling damage by a Dexterity(Acrobatics) check result as a reaction.
Parkour: (L2, Dex)
You can run along walls so long as you end your turn on a stable surface or otherwise support yourself.
Side Step: (L3, Dex)
As a reaction to taking damage or failing a saving throw, you can move up to half your speed. If this places you out of reach of the attack, spell or effect you reacted to, you are no longer subject to the effect, spell or attack. Once per short rest you can react to seeing a creature the same way, which can cause the triggering creature to not see you at all.
Shadow Evasion: (L4, Wis)
When an attack misses you or you pass a saving throw, you gain advantage on your next attack on the source of the attack or saving throw before the end of your next turn. If this is triggered more than once, you gain advantage on additional attacks. In addition, once per short rest you can cause an attack to miss or yourself to pass a saving throw as a reaction.
Perfect Escape: (L5, Dex)
As an bonus action you can teleport your speed. You must have line of sight or effect to your destination. Using this ability is as tiring as Dashing.
Slight of Hand Talents
Holdout: (L1, Dex)
You can keep a light weapon hidden on your body. No amount of searching of your body, including magical, will find it. This does not protect you against lie detection or spells that locate that specific object.
Improvised Tools: (L1, Int)
You can disable device and pick locks without thieves tools at no penalty. For other tools (navigators, smiths, tinkers, etc) you are proficient in, you can often improvise a solution that takes 2 to 10 times as long and imposes disadvantage on the check.
Short Change: (L2, Cha)
You routinely pay 10% less for all purchases under 100 gp; if a creature tries to catch you at it, they must make a wisdom saving throw or be unable to even attempt it; and even if they pass this check, it appears to be an innocent mistake, unless you have been caught repeatedly by the same person.
For purchases at or over 100 gp, you can choose to attempt to short change and reduce the amount paid by a Cha(Slight of Hand) check gp. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw to catch the short-changing; on success, they spot the attempt and may not presume innocence. The amount of short-changing increases to 10x the check at 1000 gp, and 100x the check at 10,000 gp. You may choose to half the amount you short change; if you do so, on a successful wisdom saving throw you can make the amount paid whole before they catch it.
Quickdraw: (L2, Dex)
You can equip or unequip items in your hands (but not shields) extremely fast. Each item can be both equipped and unequipped (to/from a sheath or equivalent storage) once per turn so long as your aren't incapacitated. You may use this to gain advantage on an attack roll with a light weapon you did not have equipped at the start of your turn, but once you have done so you cannot do it again on anyone who had line of sight on you doing it in the past week.
Lady Luck's Blessing: (L3, Cha)
You have advantage on all checks involving games of chance or hidden information. If you lose such a game, you can try to pull a fast one - the winner of the game must make a wisdom saving throw or you reroll the results of the game. People who have seen you pull a fast one in the last week have advantage on that saving throw. In addition, when you fail a saving throw, you can expend a reaction to make a slight of hand check to replace the roll: on success, you cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest.
Theft in Plain Sight: (L3, Dex)
You can take an item that isn't in active use (like a weapon being wielded) from someone adjacent to you. You can do this once before completing a short rest. The lack won't be noticed for at least 1d6 rounds, unless it is attempted to be actively used, at which point the target can make a Wisdom saving throw to notice something is missing. You must be able to hold the item and have something capable of covering it on your person (a cloak etc).
Bending of Willow: (L4, Dex)
When a creature adjacent to you misses an attack or a saving throw they cause is passed, you can expend a reaction to attempt to make them drop something in their hands. They must make a strength saving throw or drop an item of your choice they are holding; it falls into a location within 10' of the creature of your choice. If you are targeted by an attack or a spell or effect requiring a saving throw, you can expend a reaction and change the target to a creature within 10' of you that would otherwise be a legal target for the effect; you can do this as most once per long rest.
Invisible Blade: (L5, Dex)
When you attack someone, only the target can notice you are attacking, and only if your attack misses. If your attack hits, the target feels the pain but cannot see that you attacked them. If you attack from hidden, you are not revealed if your attack hits.
Stealth Talents
Flit
Fade
Mask of Many Faces
Shadowstep
Arcana Talents
Arcane Eyes
Obscure Defence
Feel the Weave
Snip a Thread
History Talents
Investigation Talents
Nature Talents
Religion Talents
Animal Handling Talents
Medicine Talents
Perception Talents
Survival Talents
Deception Talents
Intimidation Talents
Performance Talents
Persuasion Talents