Talents and Advancement

What Talents Are

Skills define what your character can do. Talents define how they do it differently from everyone else who shares those skills.

A veteran soldier and a street-trained brawler might both have Heavy Melee at rank 3. Talents are the reason those two characters fight differently, recover differently, and survive differently when things go wrong. They are purchased abilities; some passive, some triggered, some that reshape how a specific skill or situation works for you specifically. Talents build on skills; they do not replace them.

Talents are purchased with XP after play begins. At character creation, you may also buy Tier 1 and Tier 2 talents as part of your starting XP spend, and you receive one free Tier 1 talent at creation.

How Talents Work

Tiers and the Talent Pyramid

Talents are organized into five tiers of increasing power. A Tier 1 talent does something useful. A Tier 5 talent does something other people tell stories about.

Ix uses a talent pyramid that is stricter than the core default: to purchase a Tier 2 talent, you must already own at least two Tier 1 talents. To purchase a second Tier 2 talent, you need a third Tier 1. Each tier follows the same rule; the number of talents you can hold at a given tier is always one fewer than the number you hold at the tier below.

Tier	Purchase Prerequisite	XP Cost
1	None	5 XP
2	2 Tier 1 talents	10 XP
3	2 Tier 2 talents	15 XP
4	2 Tier 3 talents	20 XP
5	2 Tier 4 talents	25 XP

Ranked talents may be purchased multiple times; each purchase stacks as written and costs the same XP. "Choose One" talents may also be purchased multiple times, but each purchase must apply to a different choice.

Activation Types

Each talent operates in one of four ways. The talent entry tells you which applies.

Passive, Always active. No action required. The effect is simply part of how your character works.

Active, Requires you to spend an Action, Maneuver, or Quick Action to trigger. The entry specifies which.

Reactive, Triggers in response to a specific event, without costing your turn action.

Session / Encounter / Scene, Can be used once per the listed interval, then resets when that interval ends.

Characteristics and Talents

During character creation, characteristics may be raised with XP (see Chapter Three). After play begins, a characteristic score can only be permanently raised through the Growth and Greater Growth talents. These are both Universe-Restricted talents enabled in Ix; see the Core Talents table below. Raising a characteristic through a talent still costs the standard characteristic upgrade cost in addition to the talent's XP cost. No characteristic score may exceed 5, none may be raised above 4 at character creation, and Growth and Greater Growth cannot push a score past 5.

Augmentations (magical items described in Chapter Eight) can also add to a characteristic, but an augmentation adds a bonus, not a score increase. The distinction matters:

A score increase (via Growth/Greater Growth) is permanent, part of who the character is, and cannot be removed.
A bonus from an augmentation is conditional. The augmentation must be worn or active. It can be removed, suppressed, or dispelled. It is a property of the item, not the character.

Both the score and any bonus contribute to your effective characteristic for all purposes, pool construction, derived values, prerequisites. But your effective characteristic still cannot exceed 5, regardless of how many bonuses are stacked. A score of 4 and a +1 augmentation reaches 5. A score of 5 and a +1 augmentation is still 5, the excess is wasted.

Starting Character Limits

At character creation, no skill may begin above rank 2. Ix does not permit the core rules' optional exception for one profession skill starting at rank 3. No starting character enters play with a rank 3, 4, or 5 skill.

Talent trees at creation. Rank 1 and rank 2 of any talent tree in this chapter, Adventurer, Planar, or tradition, may be purchased at character creation, matching the Tier 1 and Tier 2 limit that applies to universal talents. Rank 3 and higher require play. Your one free Tier 1 talent may be spent on the first rank of a tree instead of a universal talent.

Core Talents

All universal talents from Exodus NDS are available in Ix except where this table explicitly marks an Ix modification. The table below lists every talent with its tier, type, and a brief summary. Full mechanical text for each unmodified talent is in the Exodus NDS Core Rules, Chapter Four.

Ranked talents may be purchased multiple times and stack. Choose One talents may be purchased multiple times with a different selection each time.

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Hardy (Ranked)	1	Passive	+2 Wound Points (first purchase); +1 each additional purchase. Max 20 + Might.
Steadfast (Ranked)	1	Passive	+2 Strain Points (first purchase); +1 each additional. Max 20 + Willpower.
Keen Eye	1	Passive	Once per scene, remove 1 Bane Die from a Perception check caused by poor visibility, distance, or concealment.
Fast Hands	1	Reactive	Once per turn, draw, stow, or retrieve one accessible item as a Quick Action.
Guarded (Ix modified)	1	Active	As a Maneuver, take a defensive posture. Upgrade one Trial Die to a Crisis Die on all attacks against you until your next turn. If an attack pools no Trial Dice (a rare case), add 1 Trial Die and immediately upgrade it. (Core Guarded adds a Bane Die; Ix uses an upgraded difficulty die so Guarded stays distinct from Defensive Guard.)
Wayfarer	1	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from Survival checks involving travel, shelter, food, water, or route-finding in natural terrain.
Skilled (Ranked)	1	Passive	Gain 1 rank in one skill (free; do not also pay skill XP). Each purchase applies to a different skill. Cannot bypass creation rank caps.
Specialist (Choose One)	1	Active	Choose a skill and one narrow use. Once per scene on that specific check, upgrade one Ability Die to a Mastery Die (or add 1 Boon if none available).
Cool Head	1	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from Readiness checks to resist panic, surprise, fear, or being caught off guard.
Helpful	1	Reactive	When you assist, your help counts as two dice instead of one (+2 Boon, or +1 Boon +1 Ability if your relevant skill is higher).
Momentum	1	Reactive	Once per turn, on a failed check with at least 1 net Boon, spend 1 Boon for a minor narrative advantage related to the attempt.
Field Medic (Ix)	1	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from Medicine checks made in adverse conditions (combat, poor lighting, missing equipment). When you use the Catch Breath Maneuver, you may direct it outward instead: an ally at Engaged range recovers Strain equal to what you would have recovered (1 normally, or 2 if you also hold the Catch Breath talent), rather than you recovering it yourself.
Fleet-Footed (Ix)	1	Passive	Difficult terrain does not impose additional Maneuver costs or Bane Dice on your movement. Remove 1 Bane Die from Athletics checks involving speed, sprinting, or movement through obstacles.
Linguist (Ix)	1	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from all Lore checks involving translation, script identification, or understanding unfamiliar dialects or languages. During a downtime period, you may learn one new language: Average Lore check for a language related to one you already know, Hard for an unrelated one. On success, the language is learned. Languages cannot be acquired by any other means. When you first encounter unknown script or an unfamiliar spoken language, you may make an immediate Lore check to identify its language family and recognize any words you would credibly know.
Catch Breath	2	Active	The Catch Breath Maneuver recovers 2 Strain instead of 1.

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Conditioned	2	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from Fortitude checks against fatigue, forced march, pain, hunger, thirst, harsh climates, or exhaustion.
Strong Arm	2	Reactive	On Athletics, Light Melee, Heavy Melee, Unarmed, or thrown Light Ranged checks involving force or movement: spend 1 Boon to move, off-balance, or create an opening on the target.
Twist of Fate	2	Active	Once per session, after rolling a check, reroll one die. Keep the second result.
Low Profile	2	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from Stealth or Subterfuge checks to avoid attention in crowds, public areas, or busy environments.
Convincing	2	Passive	When using Charm, Deception, or Negotiation with a plausible argument, credible disguise, or fair offer, add 1 Boon Die.
Danger Sense	2	Reactive	Once per scene, when danger would catch you completely unaware, make a Perception or Readiness check before it fully lands.
Unshaken	2	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die when resisting fear, intimidation, despair, coercion, or supernatural dread.
Quick Recovery	2	Passive	Recover 1 additional Strain at end of encounter or full rest. Characters treating your Wounds add 1 Boon Die to Medicine checks.
Practical Expertise (Choose One, Ix modified)	2	Passive	Choose any Intellect-linked or Agility-linked technical or operational skill: Craft, Medicine, Natural Philosophy, Operate, Riding, Piloting, Subterfuge, or Survival. Remove 1 Bane Die when using that skill under challenging conditions (poor or improvised tools, adverse environment, time pressure, or missing information). (Core version allows only Craft, Medicine, Science, or Operate. The Ix skill list expands the eligible options.)
Boon Reader	2	Reactive	When you generate 2+ Boons on a knowledge or awareness check, spend 2 Boons to ask the GM one yes/no question about the scene or subject.
Dual Wielder (Ix)	2	Active	When wielding a Light Melee weapon in each hand, after a Light Melee attack Action you may make an off-hand attack as a Maneuver. The off-hand attack uses Light Melee skill and deals Might damage, Crit 5. Using the off-hand attack spends your Maneuver for the turn; you may not also move.
Precise Strike (Ix)	2	Reactive	When you attack a target who is unaware of you, Surprised, or whose attention is engaged elsewhere (locked in melee with another character, distracted, off-guard), add 1 Boon Die to the attack and reduce the weapon's Crit rating by 1 (minimum 1). Applies once per turn.
Quick Draw (Ix)	2	Passive	Add 1 Boon Die to all initiative checks. On the first round of structured combat, draw or ready a weapon as a free action without spending a Maneuver. If you act before an enemy who has not yet taken a turn, your first attack against that enemy adds 1 Boon Die.
Well-Connected (Ix)	2	Scene	Once per scene, make a Streetwise or Negotiation check (Easy in a city you know; Average elsewhere) to establish that a contact who can provide specific help, information, or access exists and is reachable. On success, the contact can help, within reason, and at a cost the GM defines. On failure, such a contact exists but is unavailable, already paid, or needs further persuasion.
Combat Caster (Ix)	2	Passive	You no longer add the 1 Bane Die for casting a spell while Engaged with an enemy.
Reaching Caster (Ix)	2	Active	Once per turn, increase the Range of one spell you cast by one band (to a maximum of Extreme).

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Investigator (Ix)	2	Passive	When actively searching a location, scene, or body for hidden information, concealed objects, or physical evidence, add 1 Boon Die to Perception checks and remove 1 Bane Die from Lore checks made to interpret what you find. Once per scene, on a successful search, you may ask the GM one specific yes/no question about what happened here ("Was there a struggle?", "Did someone leave recently?", "Is this the actual cause of death?") and receive an honest answer. The answer is accurate but may be incomplete.
Dealmaker (Ix)	2	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from Negotiation checks in any commercial, diplomatic, or contractual context. When you generate Boons on a Negotiation check, they may be spent on outcomes beyond the standard: 1 Boon to establish a secondary favorable term alongside the primary agreement; 2 Boons to ensure the other party considers the deal genuinely fair and is disinclined to seek reversal later; 3 Boons to build a lasting relationship; this person will remember it as a good deal and is predisposed to future agreements with you.
Scroll Reader (Choose One, Ix)	2	Passive	Choose one casting tradition: Arcana, Divine, or Primal. You may use scrolls of that tradition as if you possessed the relevant casting skill. The casting roll is made normally and the scroll is consumed regardless of outcome. May be purchased up to three times, once per tradition. Existing casters may take this talent to access traditions they have not trained in; an arcane caster who takes Scroll Reader (Divine) may cast divine scrolls and combined-tradition scrolls that include Divine.
Growth (Universe-Restricted)	3	Passive	Pay the standard characteristic upgrade cost to raise one characteristic by 1. May only be purchased once.
Unbroken	3	Session	Once per session, when you would be incapacitated, remain functional until the end of your next turn.
Hardened (Choose One)	3	Passive	Choose one: physical attacks, environmental damage, poison/disease, fear/mental pressure, or social coercion. Add 1 Boon Die to resist that type; +1 effective Resistance against it on applicable damage. Fear inflicts Strain rather than damage, so if you choose fear/mental pressure, reduce the Strain suffered from a failed Fear check by 1 (minimum 0) in place of the Resistance bonus.
Rallying Words	3	Active	As an Action, make an Average (2 Trial Dice) Leadership check near one ally at Short range who can hear you. On success, they recover 1 Strain per net Success. Spend 2 Boons to affect one additional ally.
Expert Care	3	Passive	Add 1 Boon Die to Medicine checks to stabilize, treat, or speed recovery. Spend 2 Boons to reduce time, preserve supplies, or remove 1 additional Wound.
Skeptic	3	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from checks to resist deception, illusion, false evidence, or manipulation. On 2+ Boons, learn one clue about what is wrong or inconsistent.
Mental Fortress	3	Encounter	Once per encounter, when resisting a mental, fear-based, psychic, or coercive effect, remove one , or downgrade one to a if a Crisis Die is present.
Crowd Fighter	3	Passive	Reduce Bane Dice from being outnumbered by 1. Once per turn, when an engaged enemy misses and generates a Bane, spend it to reposition within Engaged range.
Reliable Skill (Choose One)	3	Passive	Choose one skill. On calm, routine, non-combat checks at Average difficulty or lower, a result with no net Successes and no net Failures may be treated as a success with a minor cost.
Augmented (Ix)	3	Passive	Your body accepts one additional augmentation beyond the normal limit of three. You may now sustain up to four augmentations simultaneously. May only be purchased once.
Resourceful	3	Session	Once per session, declare that you have a plausible small item, contact, clue, or minor advantage that fits your character and the current situation.
Mastery Spend (Choose One)	3	Session	Choose one skill. Once per session, after rolling with that skill, spend 1 Fortune Point to convert 2 net Boons into 1 Success.
Silver Tongue	3	Scene	Once per scene, downgrade one negative die on Charm, Deception, or Negotiation checks when the target has personal emotional stakes (pride, fear, loyalty, self-image). Does not help with impersonal negotiations.

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Master Infiltrator	3	Passive	Add 1 Boon Die to Stealth or Subterfuge checks to bypass security, infiltrate guarded locations, or escape captivity. Spend 2 Boons to learn a detail, leave no trace, or gain positional advantage.
Counterstrike (Ix)	3	Reactive	Once per round, when an enemy's melee attack against you fails (generates no net Successes), you may immediately make a free Light Melee or Heavy Melee attack against that enemy at no Action or Maneuver cost. You must be wielding a melee weapon. The counterattack uses your melee skill normally.
Researcher (Ix)	3	Passive	When making Lore, Secret Lore, Planar Lore, or Adventuring Lore checks through deliberate investigation (searching archives, consulting texts, interviewing knowledgeable sources): add 1 Boon Die and remove 1 Bane Die. Once per session, after at least one scene of focused preparation on a known topic, your first knowledge check on that topic generates 1 additional Boon on a success.
Efficient Casting (Ix)	3	Passive	Reduce the Strain cost of Cantrip and Journeyman spells you cast by 1 (minimum 1).
Controlled Overload (Ix)	3	Encounter	Once per encounter, apply one Overload option to a spell without adding its Trial Die.
Craftmaster (Ix)	3	Passive	When making a Craft check to create, build, or enchant something, add 1 Boon Die and remove 1 Bane Die. If you also hold Practical Expertise (Craft), this effect supersedes it; they do not stack. Spend 2 Boons on a successful Craft check to produce a masterwork: the item gains one quality upgrade (add Accurate 1 to a weapon, +1 to armor Resistance, or a minor useful property agreed with the GM). Once per session, when crafting a consumable magic item (potion, scroll, or charged object), halve the time required and reduce the material cost by one quarter.
Commanding Presence	4	Active	Leadership checks to rally or direct allies affect one additional ally in range. Spend 2 Boons to extend the effect by one round or meaningful beat.
Defensive Operator	4	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from Riding, Piloting, or Operate checks to avoid crashes, pursuit hazards, difficult maneuvers, or loss of control.
Masterful Recovery	4	Encounter	Once per encounter, when you recover Strain, clear a condition, or receive care: choose one: 2 additional Strain recovered, 2 additional Wounds recovered, or one extra step of condition relief.
Exploit Opening	4	Reactive	Once per round, when an enemy within Short range suffers a condition, generates 3+ Banes, or is hit by a Breakthrough: add 1 Boon Die to your next check against that enemy this turn.
Tactical Mind	4	Encounter	At encounter start, after initiative, make a Perception/Readiness/Leadership check (Average). On success, one ally adds 1 Boon Die to their first check. Spend 2 Boons for one additional ally.
Greater Growth (Universe-Restricted)	4	Passive	Pay the standard characteristic upgrade cost to raise one characteristic by 1. May be purchased more than once, but not for the same characteristic twice.
Signature Skill (Choose One)	4	Session	Choose one skill. Once per session, on a success with 2+ net Boons with that skill, create one additional narrative benefit stronger than a normal Boon but weaker than a Breakthrough.
Peril Turner	4	Reactive	Once per session, when the GM spends a Peril Point to upgrade difficulty against you or a nearby ally: spend 1 Fortune Point after the roll to convert 1 net Bane into 1 Boon.
Defiant Will	5	Session	Once per session, when you would be incapacitated, broken, or forced to yield by mental/emotional pressure: take one immediate Action or Maneuver. The consequence applies after.
Legendary Skill (Choose One)	5	Session	Choose one skill. Once per session, declare a legendary attempt before rolling: upgrade one positive die. On success, add one additional meaningful narrative effect.

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Signature Technique	5	Custom	Create one named character-defining move. Work with the GM to define trigger, cost, normal effect, Boon/Breakthrough benefit, and Bane/Calamity complication.
Mythic Presence	5	Session	Once per session, in a social scene where your identity matters: add 1 Boon Die to a social check, force a lesser NPC to hesitate, or establish that someone has heard of you.
Last Stand	5	Session	Once per session, when badly injured or cornered: until end of turn, add 1 Boon Die to all checks, ignore incapacitation effects, and may suffer 2 Strain to add another Boon Die to one check. Consequences apply after. Cannot be used with Defiant Will in the same encounter.
Impossible Turn	5	Session	Once per session, declare an Impossible Turn. Choose: escape a lethal position but leave something behind, convert defeat into survival at major cost, prevent an ally's defeat at personal risk, turn a failed plan into an opportunity with complication, or force the scene to continue. Does not erase consequences; changes their shape.
Fatebreaker	5	Session	Once per session, when you roll a Calamity: also trigger a Breakthrough effect directly connected to the disaster. The Calamity still occurs.

Full mechanical text and worked examples for core (non-Ix) talents are in the Exodus NDS Core Rules, Chapter Four. Talents marked (Ix) are original to this setting and are fully described in the table above.

Ix-Specific Talent Trees

The core universal talents represent capabilities any trained person might develop. The talent trees below are unique to Ix; abilities that emerge from living in a world of wild planar rifts, divine politics, flying ships, and war-beasts. These trees have their own prerequisites separate from the universal pyramid.

Tradition Talents (Magic Access)

The four tradition talents below are the gates to combined and High Magic. They are not replacements for the Arcana, Divine, and Primal casting skills; those skills remain the foundation and must meet the listed prerequisites. These talents teach a caster how to braid two or three traditions together into something stranger, narrower, and more dangerous than any single school.

Mechanically, these four talent tracks sit outside the standard talent pyramid and do not count toward pyramid prerequisites. Each rank costs 5 × the new rank in XP (Rank 1: 5 XP / Rank 2: +10 XP / Rank 3: +15 XP / Rank 4: +20 XP / Rank 5: +25 XP; 75 XP total for a fully mastered tradition talent), priced like a skill rather than constrained by tier position.

Combined Tradition Casting. Each talent entry below lists its casting pool formula. The general rule: upgrades equal the floor of the average of the two prerequisite skills (or the lowest of three for High Magic); dice count equals the highest of the characteristics paired with those skills. See Chapter Nine for the full rule, the characteristic table, and worked examples.

Theomancer

Theomancy is the combined tradition of Arcana and Divine: structured arcane technique applied to channeled divine power. This talent track is the only access to Theomancy spells and requires at least one rank in both the Arcana and Divine skills.

Tier: 1–5 (Ranked)
Activation: Varies by rank
Skill Prerequisites: Arcana 1+, Divine 1+
Talent Prerequisites: None
Tradition Unlocked: Theomancy (Arcana + Divine)
Casting Pool: Upgrades = floor((Arcana + Divine) / 2). Characteristic = highest of Intellect or Willpower.

Rank 1 (5 XP); Initiate. You may learn and cast Theomancy spells. Without this rank, Theomancy spells are not available regardless of your skill levels.
Rank 2 (+10 XP); Liturgist. Once per encounter, when casting a Theomancy spell, you may downgrade one Trial Die in the casting pool as a Quick Action.
Rank 3 (+15 XP); Reverent. Theomancy spells you cast add to the casting check.
Rank 4 (+20 XP); Devoted. Reduce the strain cost of Theomancy spells you cast by 1 (minimum 1).
Rank 5 (+25 XP); Sacred Synthesis. Once per session, when you successfully cast a Theomancy spell, you and all allies engaged with you immediately recover strain equal to your ranks in the Divine skill.

Necromancer

Necromancy is the combined tradition of Arcana and Primal, concerned with death, the dead, and what remains when life ends. This talent track is the only access to Necromancy spells and requires at least one rank in both the Arcana and Primal skills.

Tier: 1–5 (Ranked)
Activation: Varies by rank
Skill Prerequisites: Arcana 1+, Primal 1+
Talent Prerequisites: None
Tradition Unlocked: Necromancy (Arcana + Primal)
Casting Pool: Upgrades = floor((Arcana + Primal) / 2). Characteristic = highest of Intellect or Savvy.

Rank 1 (5 XP); Initiate. You may learn and cast Necromancy spells. Without this rank, Necromancy spells are not available regardless of your skill levels.
Rank 2 (+10 XP); Mortician. Once per encounter, when casting a Necromancy spell, you may downgrade one Trial Die in the casting pool as a Quick Action.
Rank 3 (+15 XP); Hollow-Touched. Necromancy spells you cast add to the casting check.
Rank 4 (+20 XP); Death-Sworn. Reduce the strain cost of Necromancy spells you cast by 1 (minimum 1).
Rank 5 (+25 XP); Death's Echo. Once per session, when an enemy dies within Short range of you during your turn, you may immediately cast a Necromancy spell of difficulty 3 or lower as a Quick Action, paying no strain.

Shaman

Shamanism is the combined tradition of Divine and Primal: spirit-work grounded in attunement to the living world rather than temple doctrine or arcane formula. This talent track is the only access to Shamanism spells and requires at least one rank in both the Divine and Primal skills.

Tier: 1–5 (Ranked)
Activation: Varies by rank
Skill Prerequisites: Divine 1+, Primal 1+
Talent Prerequisites: None
Tradition Unlocked: Shamanism (Divine + Primal)
Casting Pool: Upgrades = floor((Divine + Primal) / 2). Characteristic = highest of Willpower or Savvy.

Rank 1 (5 XP); Initiate. You may learn and cast Shamanism spells. Without this rank, Shamanism spells are not available regardless of your skill levels.
Rank 2 (+10 XP); Listener. Once per encounter, when casting a Shamanism spell, you may downgrade one Trial Die in the casting pool as a Quick Action.
Rank 3 (+15 XP); Spirit-Walker. Shamanism spells you cast add to the casting check.
Rank 4 (+20 XP); Bound to the Wild. Reduce the strain cost of Shamanism spells you cast by 1 (minimum 1).
Rank 5 (+25 XP); Spirit Ward. Once per session, when you would suffer a Critical Injury, you may instead suffer 4 Strain; a friendly spirit takes the blow on your behalf. If you cannot suffer 4 Strain, the Critical Injury applies normally.

Archmage

High Magic braids Arcana, Divine, and Primal into a single working. The Archmage talent is the only access to High Magic spells, and its prerequisites (all three casting skills and all three tradition talents, at the levels listed below) make it the rarest practice in Ix: perhaps a few dozen Archmages are alive in any given age.

Tier: 5 (Ranked)
Activation: Varies by rank
Skill Prerequisites: Arcana, Divine, and Primal each at rank 3+, at least one at rank 5
Talent Prerequisites: Theomancer, Necromancer, and Shaman each at rank 2+, at least one at rank 5
Tradition Unlocked: High Magic (Arcana + Divine + Primal)
Casting Pool: Upgrades = lowest of Arcana, Divine, or Primal. Characteristic = highest of Intellect, Willpower, or Savvy.

Rank 1 (5 XP); Magus. You may learn and cast High Magic spells. Once per session, when casting any spell, you may downgrade one Trial Die in the casting pool as a Quick Action.
Rank 2 (+10 XP); Master of Three Paths. Your "downgrade one Trial Die" benefit from rank 1 may now be used once per encounter instead of once per session.
Rank 3 (+15 XP); Effortless Working. Reduce the strain cost of any spell you cast by 1 (minimum 1). Stacks with single-tradition talent strain reductions; cost cannot drop below 1.
Rank 4 (+20 XP); Universal Conduit. All magical casting checks you make add regardless of tradition.
Rank 5 (+25 XP); Apotheosis. Once per session, when casting a High Magic spell, treat its difficulty as 1 lower (minimum Easy) and ignore its strain cost entirely. On a successful cast you may also spend to refresh one previously expended once-per-session ability from any of your magical-tradition talents.

The XP Cost of an Archmage. A character building toward Archmage needs at minimum: Arcana 1→5 (75 XP), Divine 1→3 (30 XP), Primal 1→3 (30 XP) for skills; Theomancer 1→5 (75 XP), Necromancer 1→2 (15 XP), Shaman 1→2 (15 XP) for tradition talent access; and Archmage rank 1 (5 XP). That's 245 XP beyond starting allocation before any characteristics, other talents, or career costs. A starting character has roughly 110 XP and gains 15–20 XP per session. High Magic is meant to be the work of years.

Faith Talents

A character who casts in the Divine tradition is not just a magic-user with a patron. The patron has opinions. The faith has a shape. Faith talents are the mechanical expression of that relationship; abilities that emerge not from study or training but from genuine alignment between a character's choices and their god's nature.

Alignment groups. The gods of Dort are not morally uniform, and neither are the abilities they offer. Faith talents are grouped into three alignment categories that reflect the moral orientation of the divine relationship. Every deity in the Core Pantheon is assigned to one of these groups. The assigned group determines which generic faith talent tree the character may access.

Deity-specific talents. Each major deity also offers one optional signature talent, available only to characters devoted to that god. These sit outside the standard faith talent trees and can be purchased independently; they have no pyramid prerequisites of their own, only the devotion requirement.

Prerequisite for all faith talents: Divine 1+ and an active patron deity chosen at character creation.

Generic Faith Talent Trees

Positive Alignment

Deities of community, protection, healing, truth, and generative good.

Assigned deities: Echo, Jula, Themela, Thulgard, Jusannia, Zopha, Bridhel, Hesira, Nyxollox, Kraut, Talbar, Caminus, Bronthe, Bethsia.

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Sacred Ward	1	Passive	Once per scene, when assisting or healing an ally, add 1 Boon Die to the check.
Voice of Comfort	2	Active	Once per scene, as a Maneuver, one ally within Short range who can hear you recovers 2 Strain.
Living Light	3	Reactive	When you successfully heal a Wound or remove a condition from an ally, recover 1 Strain yourself.
Divine Shelter	4	Encounter	Once per encounter, when an ally within Short range would be incapacitated, they instead remain at 1 Wound until the end of your next turn.

Neutral Alignment

Deities of balance, tested resolve, war, the sea, and powers that serve neither pure good nor pure ill.

Assigned deities: Pollaran, Fujin, Ryujin.

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Balanced Bearing	1	Passive	Remove 1 Bane Die from checks made while outnumbered, outmatched, or under adverse conditions.
Edge of the Moment	2	Reactive	Once per scene, before rolling, add 1 Boon Die or remove 1 Bane Die; choose which after you see the difficulty but before you roll.
Tested Resolve	3	Session	Once per session, when you fail a check, immediately reroll it. Keep the second result.
Weight of Consequence	4	Encounter	Once per encounter, when an enemy succeeds on a check against you, gain 1 Boon Die on your next check against that same enemy.

Negative Alignment

Deities of domination, conquest, and the ordering of the world through force or fear: whether through institutional hierarchy, vengeance, plague, or pain.

Assigned deities: Oshala. His clerics impose their god's will on others rather than building or serving.

Talent	Tier	Type	Summary
Iron Authority	1	Passive	Add 1 Boon Die to Intimidation checks.
Demanded Obedience	2	Scene	Once per scene, an NPC who fails to resist your Intimidation or Leadership may not voluntarily act against your last direct command until the start of your next turn.
Instrument of Order	3	Encounter	Once per encounter, when you identify that someone has violated a law, code, or doctrine you represent: add 1 Boon Die and remove 1 Bane Die on your next action against them.
Absolute Decree	4	Session	Once per session, issue a spoken command. All NPCs who heard and understood it must succeed on an Average Readiness check or pause for one round before acting against you.

Deity-Specific Signature Talents

Each talent below is available only to characters with the listed patron. These are Tier 1 talents and have no pyramid prerequisite beyond Divine 1+ and active devotion.

Echo — Living Archive

Patron: Echo. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

When you witness or document an agreement (in writing, before witnesses, or recorded in your notes) you carry an echo of its true terms. Once per session, you may reveal one element of a witnessed agreement that was misunderstood, omitted, or deliberately obscured. The GM must confirm whether the revelation is accurate.

Nyxollox — Threshold Walk

Patron: Nyxollox. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, when an ally within Short range of you would be reduced to 0 Wounds, you may intervene. They are instead reduced to 1 Wound and are not incapacitated this round. You suffer 3 Strain; a death-keeper's witness steadies the passage without crossing it. If you cannot suffer 3 Strain, the effect does not trigger.

Oshala — Law's Teeth

Patron: Oshala. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, when you identify that another character is about to commit an act that violates a law, code, or doctrine you recognize as legitimate authority, you may declare it aloud. If they proceed, they add 1 Bane Die to all checks for the remainder of the encounter. They must know you declared it; Law's Teeth requires witness, not secrecy.

Jula — Rose and Thorn

Patron: Jula. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

When you choose not to attack an enemy you could legally attack on your turn (and that enemy can see you make the choice) you add 1 Boon Die to all defensive checks you make until the start of your next turn.

Themela — Weight of Evidence

Patron: Themela. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per scene, when you have observed or heard testimony, evidence, or a claim, you may declare that you have identified a specific contradiction or inconsistency. The GM must confirm whether a contradiction exists (though not necessarily where it is). If one does, the speaker suffers 1 Bane Die on their next Deception or Negotiation check.

Thulgard — Wall-Keeper

Patron: Thulgard. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

When defending a fixed structure, position, chokepoint, or door (not advancing, not pursuing, holding) add 1 Boon Die and remove 1 Bane Die from all combat and Athletics checks. This benefit ends the moment you leave the position you committed to hold.

Jusannia — Life's Strength

Patron: Jusannia. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per encounter, when you successfully heal at least 1 Wound on another character, recover 1 Strain yourself.

Talbar — Sealed in Witness

Patron: Talbar. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, declare that a verbal agreement or promise made in your presence has been witnessed by Talbar. The other party knows the declaration was made. If they subsequently act in demonstrable bad faith against that agreement, they add 1 Bane Die to all checks for the scene in which the betrayal occurs. The talent does not force compliance; the agreement itself remains freely breakable.

Zopha — Revelation

Patron: Zopha. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, after failing a Lore, Secret Lore, Adventuring Lore, or Planar Lore check, you may ask the GM one specific factual question about the subject and receive an honest answer. The information is accurate but may be incomplete; you receive the fact, not all its implications.

Bridhel — True Voice

Patron: Bridhel. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, make a Charm check as a Maneuver (this does not replace your Action) targeting one person within Short range who can hear you. On success, you move them; choose tears, laughter, or righteous anger. The emotion is genuine, not magical compulsion, and it fades naturally. What they do with it is their choice.

Hesira — Hearth-Right

Patron: Hesira. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

When you are in a space you have been genuinely welcomed into (an inn that knows you, someone's home, a sanctuary, a temple that has offered hospitality) add 1 Boon Die to all Charm, Negotiation, and Deception checks. Hesira's faith holds that the covenant of welcome makes everything said beneath it truer.

Pollaran — Warrior's Clarity

Patron: Pollaran. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per encounter, before making a combat check, you may take stock of the situation as a Quick Action. Remove 1 Bane Die and add 1 Boon Die to that check.

Fujin — Storm's Edge

Patron: Fujin. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, when you commit to an action without full information (you must declare and begin the action before knowing all relevant facts or consequences) add 2 Boon Dice to the check that triggers the commitment.

Kraut — Soil's Blessing

Patron: Kraut. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

When you rest in wilderness, farmland, or cultivated earth, recover 1 additional Wound during that rest. When you share food you personally grew, gathered, or prepared with at least one other character, all who ate recover 1 Strain. The blessing does not apply to purchased provisions or food you did not personally have a hand in.

Ryujin — Tide's Call

Patron: Ryujin. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

When you are within sight or sound of open saltwater, remove 1 Bane Die from all checks. Once per session, you sense whether something dangerous is approaching from the sea or from below the surface before it is visible. The GM provides a general direction and scale, not details.

Caminus — Maker's Mark

Patron: Caminus. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, after handling a crafted object closely, ask the GM whether it was made by the hand its mark or reputation claims. The GM answers yes, no, or unmarked. If the object is a forgery, a plagiarized design, or work knowingly made unsound, add 1 Boon Die to your next check that acts on that knowledge.

Bronthe — Load Rite

Patron: Bronthe. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per scene, examine a structure, tunnel, bridge, hull, or span and state what it will bear. The GM answers sound, lapsed, or failing. If it is failing, you and every ally who heard you add 1 Boon Die to the first check each of you makes to brace, escape, or evacuate it.

Bethsia — Replication

Patron: Bethsia. Prerequisites: Divine 1+.

Once per session, after witnessing an effect, spend an hour reproducing it under controlled conditions while keeping a written record. Add 1 Boon Die to the attempt. Whether or not it succeeds, you learn one true condition the original effect depended on.

Adventurer Trees

The eight trees below cover the working disciplines of adventuring life: the line soldier, the duelist, the shooter, the shield-bearer, the thief, the guide, the negotiator, and the scholar. They are not Ix inventions; they are what competence looks like anywhere in Dort.

No tree is restricted by species, Background, or Career. Any character who meets the listed skill prerequisite may buy into any tree, and a character may hold ranks in as many trees as they can afford. A Cleric may buy the Warrior tree. A Battle Mage may buy the Rogue tree.

Ranks must be purchased in order and use the same XP ladder as the Planar trees: 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 XP, 75 XP for a complete tree. Entry does not require pyramid prerequisites. Once purchased, the first rank of a tree counts as a Tier 1 talent for pyramid purposes, and ranks 2 through 5 count as Tier 2 through Tier 5 talents respectively; a deep tree feeds the pyramid rather than bypassing it.

Warrior

For characters who fight in formation, wear real armor, and are still standing when the melee has gone long.

Prerequisite: Heavy Melee 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Set Footing	If you did not move during your turn, add to your first Heavy Melee attack that turn. You cannot be knocked Prone or pushed out of your position by an enemy's spent results; a talent, spell, or weapon quality that does so still works normally.
2	10	Weight of Arms	On a successful Heavy Melee attack, spend rather than the usual three to knock the target Prone, disarm them, or drive them back one range band.
3	15	Second Strike	Once per encounter, after a Heavy Melee attack Action that hit, suffer 2 Strain to make one additional Heavy Melee attack against the same target as a Maneuver. The second attack adds and cannot itself trigger Second Strike.
4	20	Armored Veteran	Armor you wear with a Resistance Bonus of +2 or higher grants 1 additional Resistance and imposes no Bane Dice on Athletics or Reflexes checks. Remove from Fortitude checks caused by marching, fighting, or standing watch in armor.
5	25	Storm the Line	Once per session, as an Action, suffer 3 Strain and make one Heavy Melee attack against each enemy at Engaged range, to a maximum of three targets. Each attack is resolved separately, and every target that takes damage is Staggered.

Blade

For characters who win with speed and placement rather than weight of blow.

Prerequisite: Light Melee 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Point Control	A Light Melee weapon you have readied gains Defensive 1 while you are not Prone or Restrained. The Melee Defense cap of 3 still applies.
2	10	Riposte Drill	Once per round, when an enemy's melee attack against you generates 2 or more net , deal damage equal to your Might to that enemy. This is not an attack check. If you also hold Counterstrike, choose one of the two each round; they do not both fire.
3	15	Take the Measure	While you are Engaged with exactly one enemy and no ally is Engaged with that enemy, add to your Light Melee attacks against them and they add to melee attacks against you. The benefit ends the moment a third combatant joins the Engagement.
4	20	Disarming Turn	Once per encounter, on a successful Light Melee attack, forgo all damage to disarm the target; their weapon lands at Short range in a direction you choose. A target disarmed this way is also Disoriented until the end of its next turn.
5	25	Unanswerable	Once per session, declare before rolling a Light Melee attack: ignore all Bane Dice from the target's Melee Defense, treat the weapon's Crit rating as 1 for this attack, and on a hit the target gains the Bleeding condition.

Marksman

For characters who make the shot rather than the volley.

Prerequisite: Light Ranged 1+ or Heavy Ranged 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Steady Aim	The Boon Die granted by the Aim Maneuver is not lost when you spend your second Maneuver on something other than moving. Remove imposed by intervening allies, partial cover, or a moving platform.
2	10	Practiced Reload	Reduce the Slow-Firing rating of any ranged weapon you use by 1, to a minimum of 0. Clearing the Out of Ammo condition costs you a Maneuver rather than an Action.
3	15	Ranging Shot	Spend a Maneuver to range one target at Medium range or farther. Until the end of your next turn, your ranged attacks against that target reduce the weapon's Crit rating by 1 (minimum 1), and you may execute a called shot effect for instead of three.
4	20	Long Shot	Increase the maximum range band of any ranged weapon you use by one, to a maximum of Extreme, and remove imposed for firing at Long or Extreme range. Once per encounter, ignore the Inaccurate quality on one shot.
5	25	Killing Shot	Once per session, spend your Action to line up one shot at a target at Medium range or farther that is unaware of you or that did not move since your last turn. Upgrade one Ability Die to a Mastery Die , add , and on a hit the target suffers a Critical Injury in addition to damage without spending .

Shield

For characters whose job is that the person behind them survives.

Prerequisite: None (open to any character). Ranks 1, 3, and 5 apply only while you have a shield or buckler readied.

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Shield Trained	A readied shield or buckler grants 1 additional Melee Defense, and its Melee Defense bonus also counts as Ranged Defense against attacks you can see coming. Both Defense caps of 3 still apply.
2	10	Interpose	Once per round, when an enemy at Engaged range attacks an ally who is also at Engaged range of you, add to that attack. You must be able to see the attack coming.
3	15	Covering Stance	As a Maneuver, plant yourself. Until the start of your next turn you may not move, and every ally at Engaged range of you gains 1 Melee Defense and 1 Ranged Defense, subject to the caps.
4	20	Take the Hit	Once per encounter, when an attack hits an ally at Engaged range, you may take the damage instead. Apply your own Resistance to it, and suffer 2 Strain.
5	25	Hold Fast	Once per session, spend your Action to hold a position. Until the start of your next turn, you and every ally at Engaged range cannot be moved, knocked Prone, or Immobilized, attacks against any of you add , and the first hit that would incapacitate one of them instead leaves that character at 1 Wound.

Rogue

For characters who get in, get it, and are somewhere else before the alarm.

Prerequisite: Subterfuge 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Lockwise	Remove from Subterfuge checks to open locks, disarm mechanical traps, or bypass physical security. Improvised tools add to such checks instead of the usual two.
2	10	Trapwise	Once per scene, ask the GM whether a mechanical trap, alarm, or triggered ward is present within Short range; you learn whether, not where. When an undetected trap triggers on you, make an Average Reflexes check as a reaction; on success you suffer none of its damage.
3	15	Slip the Net	Once per encounter, as a Maneuver, become Hidden even while observed, provided some cover, crowd, shadow, or distraction is available to break contact with. If you also hold Nowhere to Be, the two are separate uses and may both be spent in one scene.
4	20	Find the Seam	Against a target that is unaware of you, Prone, Restrained, Staggered, or Disoriented, your damage ignores 2 points of Resistance, and you may disarm, inflict Prone, or execute a called shot effect for instead of three.
5	25	Ghost in the House	Once per session, declare that you went in ahead of the party. Name one thing you learned (a guard rotation, the layout of one room, where an object is kept) or one preparation you made (a lock already opened, a bar lifted, a trap disarmed). The GM confirms it is true and may attach one complication of equal weight.

Trailbreaker

For characters who get the party there and get the party back.

The universal Wayfarer talent covers competent travel. This tree covers leading other people through country that does not want them.

Prerequisite: Survival 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Tracker's Eye	Add to Survival and Perception checks to find, follow, age, or identify tracks and trail sign. On a success with , also learn the number of creatures and roughly how long ago they passed.
2	10	Ground Read	While you lead a group overland, the party ignores the first imposed by terrain, weather, or the absence of a road on travel checks. Once per journey, name one hazard the GM has placed on the route and find a way around it; the detour costs time, not a check.
3	15	Set the Camp	Once per day of travel you choose the campsite. Nobody can ambush that camp without first beating your Survival check, and each character who takes a short rest there recovers 1 additional Strain. If the camp is attacked anyway, you act in the first round regardless of surprise.
4	20	Live off the Land	You can feed and shelter yourself and up to four companions in any survivable terrain; hostile or barren country requires one Average Survival check per day for the whole group. Remove from Survival and Athletics checks caused by terrain.
5	25	The Way Through	Once per session, declare a route. You lead the party to a destination they could plausibly reach on foot, bypassing one obstacle the GM has placed between them and it: a blockade, a closed pass, a patrol line, a stretch reported impassable. The journey still takes its time and the GM may attach one cost, but the route exists and you find it.

Envoy

For characters who do the talking, and are the reason the party is still welcome in this town.

Prerequisite: Charm 1+ or Negotiation 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Read the Room	Once per scene, on entering a social situation, ask the GM one of these questions about one person present: who actually holds authority here, who is afraid, or who wants something from us. You receive an honest answer about that one person.
2	10	Right Words, Right Person	Spend a Maneuver to address one named NPC directly. The next Charm, Negotiation, or Leadership check made against that NPC this scene, by you or by an ally you name when you speak, adds .
3	15	Hold the Floor	Once per scene, spend your Action to take the floor. Until the end of your next turn, NPCs present address you rather than your allies, a hostile NPC must succeed on an Average Readiness check before opening violence, and your allies add to social checks made in the scene.
4	20	Words That Move	Once per encounter, as a Maneuver, name one ally who can hear and understand you. They immediately end the Disoriented or Staggered condition and recover Strain equal to your Charisma.
5	25	The Deal on the Table	Once per session, with a named NPC who has something to gain, make one Charm or Negotiation check at the GM's stated difficulty. On success the NPC commits to one concrete, costly act within their power, short of acting against their own survival or their deepest commitment. No further check is made, and the agreement holds as long as you hold up your end.

Scholar

For characters who know the thing before the party has to find out the hard way.

Prerequisite: Lore 1+ or Natural Philosophy 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Cross-Reference	With access to your own notes, a book collection, or a library, remove from Lore, Secret Lore, Planar Lore, Adventuring Lore, and Natural Philosophy checks. You may retry one failed check of those skills after an hour of further work.
2	10	Field Identification	On first encountering a creature, make a knowledge check; the GM sets the skill and a difficulty based on how obscure the creature is. On success, learn its Resistance and either one vulnerability or one dangerous ability; spend to learn a second.
3	15	Brief the Party	As a Maneuver, give one ally who can hear you a specific instruction drawn from something you know about the subject at hand. Their next check against that subject this round adds and removes . One ally at a time, once per turn.
4	20	Identify the Work	Given an hour and the object in hand, determine what a magic item, augmentation, scroll, or enchanted object does, including one limitation or risk, with no check required. A cursed or deliberately disguised object requires a Hard Lore or Arcana check; on failure you learn only that the object is not what it appears to be.
5	25	The Right Book	Once per session, declare that you have read an account of the situation in front of you. Name one specific, useful fact about the creature, place, artifact, ritual, or faction involved. The GM confirms it, corrects it toward the truth, or names the one detail your source had wrong. The fact cannot invent an escape route or undo something that has already happened.

Planar Talents

These talent trees are unique to Ix. They represent skills that only matter in a world with wild rifts, hostile planes, organized cavalry, and flying ships; which is to say, they represent what distinguishes a seasoned adventurer in Dort from a trained professional somewhere safer.

Each tree has its own prerequisites and does not interact with the standard talent pyramid for entry. Once purchased, the first rank of any of these trees counts as a Tier 1 talent for pyramid purposes.

Rift-Walker

For characters who travel through wild planar rifts as a matter of course rather than desperation.

Prerequisite: Rifts 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Rift Sense	Once per scene, sense whether an active or dormant natural rift is present within Medium range. Remove 1 Bane Die from Rifts checks to identify a rift's destination or stability rating.
2	10	Hardened Traveler	Reduce environmental damage from uncontrolled rift transit by 1 (minimum 0). On a failed Rifts transit check, treat the result as though you generated 1 additional Boon for purposes of stabilizing your arrival location.
3	15	Read the Tear	Before committing to a rift transit, make a Rifts check (Average difficulty). On success: the GM tells you the destination plane and approximate exit condition (stable/dangerous/unknown). On failure: you learn only whether the destination is immediately lethal.
4	20	Emergency Anchor	Once per session, when a rift transit would take you somewhere catastrophically wrong, abort the transit. You are expelled to your entry point and suffer 4 Strain. Cannot be used on a deliberate high-risk transit you were warned about and chose anyway.
5	25	Rift Walker	You may enter an active rift as an Action with no additional preparation check required. You suffer no additional penalties beyond the rift's base difficulty. Once per session, declare one rift transit as controlled regardless of the rift's stability rating; you go where you intend to go.

Planar Endurance

For characters who spend meaningful time on planes hostile to mortal biology.

Prerequisite: None (open to any character)

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Acclimated	Remove 1 Bane Die from Fortitude checks against hostile planar environments, toxic atmospheres, variable gravity, and other physical hazards specific to non-Prime planes.
2	10	Planar Constitution	Once per scene, when you would take environmental damage from a hostile plane, reduce that damage by 2 (minimum 0).
3	15	Dimensional Footing	You function normally in low-gravity, variable-gravity, and zero-gravity environments. Remove 2 Bane Dice from Athletics and Reflexes checks in abnormal physical environments caused by planar properties.
4	20	Sustained Presence	The duration before passive environmental damage begins on a hostile plane is tripled for you. Once per session, remove one persistent planar condition affecting you: temporal displacement, psychic pressure, elemental saturation, or equivalent.
5	25	Plane Walker	You can survive indefinitely on any plane with a breathable atmosphere regardless of other environmental hazards. Reduce the base difficulty of any check to resist or navigate planar environmental effects by 1 (minimum Easy).

Mounted Combat

For characters who fight from horseback or war-beast as a primary combat mode.

Prerequisite: Riding 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Saddle Fighter	You do not suffer Bane Dice for making combat checks while mounted. Your trained mount does not require a separate Riding check to hold position during combat.
2	10	Warborn	Your trained mount is conditioned for battle. It will not flee from weapon-fire, magical effects, or creature intimidation without first succeeding on a Readiness check (GM sets difficulty by threat).
3	15	Charging Strike	When your mount moves at least Medium range and you make a melee attack at the end of that movement, add 1 Boon Die to the attack and reduce the attack's Crit rating by 1 for this strike, minimum 1.
4	20	Ride Through	Once per encounter, when terrain, obstacles, or a defensive formation would halt your mount's movement, push through anyway. You suffer 2 Strain; your mount suffers 2 Wounds, or 2 Strain instead if it has a Strain track. Movement is not stopped. The GM determines what damage the obstruction takes or what happens to it.
5	25	Living Weapon	In structured combat, you and your mount act on the same initiative turn. Once per encounter, when you make a mounted melee attack, your mount may simultaneously make one natural weapon attack at the same target; this does not require a separate action from either of you.

Flying Ship Crew

For characters who crew, pilot, or fight aboard flying vessels.

Prerequisite: Piloting 1+ or Operate 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Crew Sense	Once per scene, ask the GM one question about the structural or operational state of a vessel you are aboard. Remove 1 Bane Die from Piloting or Operate checks made to diagnose a ship problem or gauge its remaining capability.
2	10	Hard Turn	Once per encounter while piloting, execute an aggressive evasive maneuver as your Action. The next attack against the ship adds 1 Bane Die. Costs 1 Strain to the pilot.
3	15	Ship's Heart	As a Maneuver, make a Leadership check (Average difficulty). On success, one crew member or ally aboard recovers 2 Strain and may remove one condition caused by fear, exhaustion, or environmental pressure, Frightened included. Steadying an ally normally costs an Action (Chapter Thirteen); the advantage of this rank 3 talent is that it does the same work as a Maneuver.
4	20	Battle Helm	While at the helm in combat, add 1 Boon Die to all Piloting and Operate checks. Once per encounter, when an attack targets the ship, attempt an immediate evasive roll as a Quick Action (Average Piloting difficulty); on success, reduce the attack's damage by 2.
5	25	Master of Skies	While you are at the helm, the ship's Resistance increases by 2 and it cannot be surprised in aerial combat. Once per session, declare a maneuver that bypasses normal movement restrictions: cutting through a restricted altitude, reversing direction at combat speed, threading a gap that should be too narrow. The GM sets the difficulty.

Ship's Gunner

For characters who specialize in operating and directing shipboard weapons.

The Flying Ship Crew tree covers the helm, the command deck, and damage control. Ship's Gunner covers the gun stations: the characters who lay and fire the ship's weapons and turn a running engagement into a decisive exchange.

Prerequisite: Heavy Ranged 1+ or Operate 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Weapons Station	You can operate any shipboard weapon without the Slow-Firing penalty on the first shot of an encounter. Remove 1 Bane Die from Heavy Ranged or Operate checks made to fire ship weapons.
2	10	Gun Sense	Before firing, spend a Maneuver to read the target's movement. Add to the next ship weapon attack this turn. Once per encounter, call the arc and range before the pilot has finished positioning; if the ship reaches that arc next Maneuver, you fire immediately as a Quick Action without waiting for your turn.
3	15	Precision Load	Once per encounter, apply one weapon quality your ship weapon does not normally have (Accurate 1, Pierce 1, or Blast 1) to a single attack. Declare before rolling. This represents loading a specialist round, adjusting the sighting, or compensating for an unusual angle.
4	20	Broadside Timing	When two or more ship weapons fire in the same round at the same target and both hit, the second and subsequent hits add +2 damage each (before Resistance). You may coordinate this from any gun station aboard; you do not need to fire both yourself. Once per encounter, you may call the order-of-fire to ensure your shot lands last for maximum effect.
5	25	Dead Shot	Once per session, on an attack with a ship weapon that generates a Breakthrough, do not spend the Breakthrough for a Critical Hit; instead, choose one from: destroy one mounted weapon on the target ship (it cannot fire until repaired), reduce the target's Speed by 2 for the rest of the chase, or strip 4 points of Resistance until the target takes a full-rest repair action. Describe the hit in one sentence. It lands exactly as described.

Assassin

For characters who make killing a discipline, approach, study, and the single decisive strike.

Prerequisite: Stealth 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Killer's Approach	Your first attack against a target unaware of you adds 1 Boon Die. Remove 1 Bane Die from Stealth checks made to reach a striking position.
2	10	Study the Quarry	After observing a target for a scene, or on a successful knowledge check about its kind (Lore, Adventuring Lore, or Medicine), mark it: add 1 Boon Die to attacks against it, and to checks to track or ambush it, until the scene ends. A scene that transitions from narrative play into structured play (or vice versa) without changing location or participants is still the same scene; the mark persists.
3	15	Find the Gap	When you attack a target that is unaware of you, Surprised, or off-guard, reduce the weapon's Crit rating by 2 (minimum 1) for that strike.
4	20	Clean Kill	As an Action against a target that is incapacitated, helpless, or wholly unaware whose anatomy you credibly know (a creature of your own or a similar species, or one you have studied or made a successful Lore, Adventuring Lore, or Medicine check on): make a Stealth or Subterfuge check. On success the target dies; no damage roll. You cannot Clean Kill a creature whose biology you do not credibly know: no clean-killing a sleeping dragon without draconic anatomy.
5	25	Nowhere to Be	Once per scene, immediately after a Clean Kill or a strike from concealment, vanish: make a Stealth check to break contact even while observed. On success you are Hidden and untracked until you next act.

Sky Fighter

For characters who were born to fight at altitude.

The Mounted Combat tree develops a rider. The Sky Fighter tree develops the flier themselves: the Drakin or other flying character who wants to turn aerial capability into a genuine combat discipline. Where a ground fighter controls the horizontal, a Sky Fighter controls the vertical.

Prerequisite: A species with the Flight special ability.

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Height's Advantage	While at Medium or High elevation, attacks against targets at a lower elevation add 1 Boon Die. You may draw, stow, or ready a weapon while airborne without spending a Maneuver.
2	10	Dive Strike	When you descend at least one elevation zone and immediately make a melee attack at the end of that descent, add +2 damage and apply Knockdown to the attack. You cannot Dive Strike two consecutive rounds.
3	15	Aerial Evasion	While airborne, when an enemy's attack against you misses, you may immediately move up to Short range as a Quick Action (no Maneuver cost, no endurance cost).
4	20	Strafing Pass	Once per encounter as an Action, fly in a straight line up to Medium range and make one Light Melee or Light Ranged attack against each target in your path (maximum 3 targets). Each attack is resolved separately. You must end in a different position than you started.
5	25	Apex Predator	While airborne at Medium or High elevation, add 1 Boon Die to all combat checks. Once per session, declare a Stooping Strike before rolling: descend from High to Low elevation in one movement and make a melee attack that gains all Dive Strike benefits plus additional damage equal to your Might. The target must succeed on a Hard Fortitude check or fall Prone regardless of whether the attack hits.

Brawler

For characters who use their body as a weapon and their opponent's position against them.

The Brawler tree develops the wrestler, the pit fighter, and the bare-handed combatant who takes an opponent to the ground and keeps them there.

Prerequisite: Unarmed 1+

Rank	XP	Name	Effect
1	5	Iron Grip	When you initiate a grapple, the target adds 1 Bane Die to all escape attempts. You may maintain an existing grapple as a Maneuver instead of an Action, leaving your Action free.
2	10	Punishing Hold	While a target is Restrained by you, your Unarmed attacks against them deal +2 damage and reduce the Crit rating by 1 (minimum 1). The target is also considered off-guard for all talents that require that state.
3	15	Brawler's Instinct	Once per round, when an enemy's Unarmed attack or natural weapon attack against you fails (generates no net Successes), you may immediately make a free Unarmed counterattack at no Action or Maneuver cost.
4	20	Stunning Strike	Once per encounter, declare before rolling an Unarmed attack: on a hit, the target is Staggered in addition to taking normal damage. Spend 2 Boons to extend the Staggered condition into the start of their next turn as well.
5	25	Unfettered Force	Your Unarmed attacks count as having Pierce 2 and the Knockdown quality. Once per session, when a target you have Restrained is incapacitated or reduced to 0 Wounds by your Unarmed attack, immediately make one free Unarmed attack against a different target within Engaged range at no additional cost.

Advancement After Creation

After the first session, the GM awards XP at the end of each session; typically 15–20 XP for a session with meaningful progress, danger, and character engagement.

What XP Buys

XP earned in play may be spent on any of the following:

Skill ranks — at profession or out-of-profession costs (see Chapter Six)
Universal talents — following the tier pyramid and costs in this chapter
Talent trees — tradition talents, faith talents, Adventurer trees, and Planar trees, each with their own prerequisites and each purchased rank by rank
Characteristic increases — only through the Growth (Tier 3) or Greater Growth (Tier 4) talents, which require paying both the talent's XP cost and the characteristic's upgrade cost (see table below)

Characteristic Upgrade Costs (post-creation, via Growth/Greater Growth):

Raising TO this rating	XP Cost (per step)
2	20 XP
3	30 XP
4	40 XP
5	50 XP

Each step must be purchased individually. A characteristic at 2 raised to 4 costs 30 + 40 = 70 XP in characteristic cost, plus the Growth talent's own XP cost. The effective characteristic maximum remains 5 regardless of source.

Skill Advancement (Post-Creation)

The same cost tables apply after creation as at creation. Profession skills remain cheaper.

New Rank	Profession Cost	Out-of-Profession Cost
1	5 XP	10 XP
2	10 XP	15 XP
3	15 XP	20 XP
4	20 XP	25 XP
5	25 XP	30 XP

There is no rank cap after character creation. Ranks 3, 4, and 5 require play to access, not because they are gated by a rule, but because the XP to reach them takes time.

What Cannot Change

Almost everything can change. Skills advance, talents are purchased, characteristics grow through Growth and Greater Growth. The things that do not change are the structural choices that define who your character is: your Background determines your profession skill list permanently, and your Career does the same. These are not things you abandoned; they are who you were when you arrived, and that history does not disappear. If a character's fiction changes dramatically over play, the GM may allow a rewrite of Career at a major milestone, but this is a narrative decision, not a standard advancement option.

Patron deities may change through in-fiction reckoning. This is a GM-adjudicated narrative event, not a mechanical transaction. If revocation occurs and the relationship is rebuilt with a different deity, the faith talent access follows the new patron from that point forward.

Banked XP

Unspent XP does not expire. Characters may hold XP indefinitely and spend it when the opportunity or the need arises. There is no "use it or lose it" rule in Ix.