Core System - Passive Talents

Because Empyrean characters have access to Empyrean Powers they have little use for active Talents, as they cannot combine their benefit with that of their powers.

So Passive Talents are more appealing to Empyrean characters. Nonetheless, passive talents can be more appealing to other characters as well. In fact, as only Champion characters benefit from active talents, passive talents are overall more interesting for most character types.

What follows is a list of passive talents that can be useful to any characters:

• Focus: You ignore the effects of a roll of '1' on any dice. A result of '1' no longer reduces the amount of successes by 1. You must choose an Aspect that will be coupled to this talent, starting with the Aspect with the highest level and moving down. You can choose this talent multiple times. Each time it applies to a new Aspect. It can never apply on the same Aspect.
• Prowess: (Requires Force Level 5, Focus (Force)) There is no match to a well-trained, forceful warrior. With sheer, uncomplicated power, you forge your path into the frey, carving your path with brutal instinct, and trained efficiency. You were born to win wars. You gain +1 dice in all melee combat rolls. You exude so much confidence while fighting, that your enemies find you intimidating and have to think twice before standing in your way. (They must roll Fortitude with at least 1 success, or lose their calm, and suffer a -1 dice penalty while fighting against you).
• Alertness: You are better prepared to face threats than average. You act in order of Initiative as if your Insight was 1 Level higher. In addition, you have a hair trigger, and are allowed to roll Insight in order to be able to act as normal during an ambush. You can only choose this talent once. 
• Resilience: You have become tougher than average. You receive an additional Health Level. In addition, any damage reduction you receive by any type of armor worn is increased by 1. You can only choose this talent once. 
• Determination: You gain 1 Willpower / Destiny. In addition, you can choose once per day to spend 2 Willpower, in order to receive double Inspiration bonus in a single action. You can only choose this talent once. 
• Finesse: (Requires Adeptness Level 4 or Level 5) You are trained to fight using light weapons with superior dexterity and deadly accuracy. You can roll Adeptness in your melee combat roll. The benefit of finesse extends only to light melee weapons. Your melee combat roll also counts as a dodge action against non-melee attacks aimed against you.
• Twin Blades: (Requires Adeptness Level 4 or Level 5, and Finesse). If you fight wielding one light weapon in each hand, your enemies must soak the damage you deal twice - once for each blade.
• Rapid Movement: You gain 1 Movement. You also receive a +1 dice bonus while dodging in order to disengage from melee combat, or while trying to avoid attacks of opportunity. You can only choose this talent once. 
• Resolve: (Requires Fortitude Level 4 or Level 5) You are trained to fight with self-control and discipline, taking full advantage of your Fortitude Aspect. You can roll Fortitude in your melee combat roll. You cannot make frenzied attacks or overly aggressive maneuvers while receiving the benefits of Resolve. Due to your cautious, guarded stance, and your efficient fighting style, the successes of your melee combat roll also reduce the damage of incoming ranged or magical attacks.
• Stalwart Guardian: (Requires Resolve, Fortitude Level 4 or Level 5) Your training allows you to intercept attacks targeted towards adjacent allies, even allowing your ally the opportunity to disengage, while you valiantly stand guard in their stead. Your enemies receive 1 less bonus dice as a bonus when outnumbering you. In addition to this you gain a bonus free defensive melee combat roll (Deflection) against an incoming attack to an adjacent ally.
• Eagle Eye: (Requires Insight Level 4 or Level 5) You can make ranged attacks using your Insight Aspect instead of your Adeptness Aspect. This ability does not extend to thrown weapons. Your keen powers of perception also grant a +1 dice bonus to all Spot Insight rolls.
• Ferocious Blows: Your attacks in combat are unusually ferocious. Your Might is increased by +1, and each critical result in your melee combat roll adds 1 extra point of damage.
• Superiority: (Requires Focus with the same Aspect, unavailable to "starting" characters) You receive +1 Dice on any roll with a specific Aspect. You must choose an Aspect that will be coupled to this talent, starting with the Aspect with the highest level and moving down. You can choose this talent multiple times. Each time it applies to a new Aspect. It can never apply on the same Aspect.
• Empathic Soul: (Requires Insight Level 5, and Empyrean character). You are inherently attuned to your spirit, having subconsciously trained your Insight to adjust to the ebb and flow of the Spirit World. This has made you a natural Empath with an improved ability of Second Sight and Soul Speech. You can use Insight instead of Spirit when rolling for Second Sight or Soul Speech. You can also spend 1 Destiny to gain an exceptional vision from the near future. If you use this during combat, you gain a number of bonus dice equal to your successes as bonus dice to any rolls made in the next round. You can actually swap the successes between bonus dice or additional rounds of duration.
• Unrelenting Spirit: (Requires Resolve, Spirit Level 4 or Level 5) You fight without hesitation or fear, naturally channeling your Inner Fire into your attacks. You gain +1 dice in your melee combat rolls and increase your Might by +1. Your lack of hesitation reduces your empathy and you suffer a -1 penalty to your Second Sight, and Soul Speech rolls, as well as other Insight or Spirit rolls relating to empathy.
• Arcane Cunning: (Requires Adeptness Level 4 or Level 5 and Occult Lore and ability to cast spells as Arcana or Sorcery) You rely on your natural cunning to use magic. When rolling to cast spells for Sorcery or Arcana, you can roll Adeptness instead of Insight. 
• Arcane Power: (Requires Occult Lore, and Empyrean character). You can apply your occult lore to channel your Empyrean energies into spell magic. You have created your own variations and adaptations of various sorcerous powers, without involving supernatural assistance from external forces, tapping into your own Inner Fire, instead. You begin play knowing 1 spell. You can purchase new Spells as if they were new lore. You can take this talent multiple times, increasing the power level of your arcane knowledge, and learning an additional spell. Arcane Power weakens your Inner Fire reducing its effectiveness: 
• You must concentrate for a full round per Arcane Level before using an action to call upon Inner Fire to heal your wounds.
• You cannot spend 1 Willpower/Destiny to heal 1 wound instantly. 
• You passively heal at a reduced rate, recovering 1 wound every 1 hour +1 hour per Arcane Level.
• You recover 1 Willpower/Destiny every 1 hour +1 hour per Arcane Level.
• You heal grievous injuries at a reduced rate, recovering 1 injury every 1 day + 1 day per Arcane Level.
• You purge corruption at a very reduced rate, purging 1 corruption per week + 1 week per Arcane Level. (at Arcane Level 5 you completely lose the ability to purge corruption).
• Your damage reduction against Fire and Radiation is reduced by 1 per Arcane Level.
• Soul Blade Combat: (Requires Empyrean character, Spirit Level 5, Soul Blade Empyrean Power). You have trained in the highly rigorous, mystical discipline of Soul Blade Combat, and can use the Soul Blade empyrean power to fight effectively in close-quarters combat. This training enables you to make melee combat rolls using your Spirit aspect while your Soul Blade power is active.
• Empyrean Invocation (Requires Mysticism, Empyrean character, Spirit Level 5 or Insight Level 5 and Spirit Level 4, Aether Weave Power). You are trained to harness the aetheric currents into formulaic spells, sigils, runes and glyphs, gaining access to Empyrean Magic. You begin play with Empyrean Invocation Level 1 and knowing 1 spell of your choice. You can take this talent multiple times. Each time it unlocks access to a new spell level and grants a spell from that level. You can purchase additional spells as if they were new lore.