Book III: The Current — Chapter 7

The Disciplines

Psionic Paths, Mundane Talents, and the Appendix

“You think we’re all the same? That’s like saying a scalpel is the same as a stick of dynamite. Sure, both can open a man up, but one leaves a scar, and the other leaves a crater.”
— Caleb, Dust-Born Psy-Slinger

The Current is a single, chaotic source, but the human mind cannot grasp it in its entirety. To channel it without burning out instantly, a Psionic must filter the energy through a specific framework—a philosophy, a metaphor, a way of understanding power. These frameworks are called Disciplines.

This chapter details the five Psionic Disciplines and their associated Talents, as well as Mundane Talents—special abilities available to characters who survive through skill and grit rather than supernatural power.

Section I: Understanding Talents

What Are Talents?

Talents are special abilities that set characters apart from ordinary folk. They represent either supernatural power channeled through the Current (Psionic Talents) or exceptional training and natural aptitude honed to extraordinary levels (Mundane Talents).

Psionic vs. Mundane Talents

Aspect	Psionic Talents	Mundane Talents
Source	The Current	Training and instinct
Cost	Strain, Erosion, or Memory	Mettle, or limited uses
Roll	ECHO + Channel vs. TN	Varies by talent
Risk	Backlash, Veil Bleed	None (supernatural)
Social	Feared, hunted by Redeemers	Respected

Psionic Talents and the Modifier System

Psionic Talents can provide Pool Bonuses—something normally rare in The Veil & Lead. This is intentional. Supernatural power can enhance your capabilities beyond what preparation and equipment allow.

This creates a meaningful distinction:

Mundane advantages (Aim, equipment, positioning) provide Roll Bonuses and TN modifiers.
Supernatural advantages (Talents, artifacts) can provide Pool Bonuses. A Psionic with psychic enhancement AND good equipment can achieve dice pools and bonuses that mundane characters cannot match—but they pay for it in Strain, Erosion, and their very identity.

Section II: Learning New Talents

Requirements

To purchase a new Talent using XP, you must meet:

ECHO Requirement (Psionic only): Your ECHO must be ≥ the Talent’s Rank
Prerequisite: You must know at least one Talent of the previous Rank in that Discipline (Rank 1 Talents have no prerequisite)
Source (Rank 3+): Access to a Mentor or Grimoire

XP Costs

Talent Type	XP Cost
Mundane Talent	4 XP
Psionic Talent (Rank 1–2)	4 XP
Psionic Talent (Rank 3–4)	6 XP
Psionic Talent (Rank 5)	8 XP

Finding Sources

Mentors are living practitioners who can teach you. They often demand payment: Service (a mission, a favor), Secrets (information they want), Sacrifice (something precious to you), or Scrip (rarely—knowledge this dangerous isn’t usually for sale).

Grimoires are texts containing psionic knowledge. They are found in ruins, hoarded by the Circle of Ash, or taken from the dead. First reading requires SAVVY + Lore (TN 13). Failure inflicts 1 Erosion. Each Grimoire contains 1–3 Talents from a single Discipline.

Section III: Talent Format

Each Talent uses the following format: Talent Name with evocative description, then Tempo (action speed), Effect (what the Talent does), Steps (how Margin improves the effect), Special (additional rules), Requirement (prerequisites), and Resist (how targets oppose the effect).

Standard Costs and TN by Rank

Rank	Name	Cost	TN	Tempo
1	Cantrip	1 Strain	9	4
2	Tactic	2 Strain	11	5
3	Power	1 Erosion	13	6
4	Devastation	2 Erosion	15	7
5	Miracle	1 Memory	16	9

Individual Talents may vary from these defaults.

Section IV: Calling Talents

Each Calling grants access to a unique set of Talents that define its identity. Psionic Callings channel the Current through a specific Discipline, while Mundane Callings hone mortal skill to extraordinary heights.

Psionic Disciplines

Each Psionic Discipline represents a unique way of filtering and shaping the Current. A Psionic character’s Calling determines which Discipline they can learn Talents from.

The Psy-Slinger

The Way of Lead

“I don’t aim with my eye. I aim with my regret.”

To a Psy-Slinger, a gun is not a weapon—it is a wand made of iron and ash. They channel the Current directly into the chamber of their firearm, loading bullets with memory and will. Their shots bend around corners, punch through walls, and strike true when physics says they shouldn’t.

Detail	Value
Role	Striker / Damage Dealer
Focus	A Firearm (revolver, rifle, shotgun)
Key Attribute	QUICK
Signature	Barrel glows with soul-color; shots sound like screams

Rank 1 Talents (Cantrips) — 1 Strain | TN 9

Ghost Bullet

Your bullet phases through the material world.

Tempo: Weapon Base
Effect: Your next shot becomes Ethereal. It passes through non-magical barriers up to 1 ft (30cm) thick to strike a target on the other side. You must suspect a target is there, but do not need Line of Sight. Deals full damage to Ethereal entities (Spirits, Wraiths) which normally resist physical damage.
Steps: +1 ft barrier penetration per Step

Tracer Round

The bullet leaves a glowing trail that marks your prey.

Tempo: Weapon Base
Effect: Your next shot illuminates the target with spectral light. All attacks against them gain −1 TN (easier to hit) until end of scene. Multiple Tracers don’t stack.
Steps: −1 additional TN per Step (maximum −3 total)

Steady Hand

You quiet the tremors in your soul and steel your aim.

Tempo: 2
Effect: Remove the Suppressed condition from yourself. Gain +1 Roll Bonus to your next Ballistics check this scene.
Steps: +1 Roll Bonus per Step (maximum +3)
Special: Can be used as a Reaction (Tempo 0) by spending 1 Mettle in addition to the Strain cost.

Witch-Fire

You ignite the round with cold, consuming psychic flame.

Tempo: Weapon Base
Effect: Your next shot deals normal weapon damage, and the target takes 1 Strain.
Steps: Target takes 1 Strain after 5 Ticks per Step (maximum 3 Strain total)

Rank 2 Talents (Tactics) — 2 Strain | TN 11

Ricochet

You see the angles that physics forgot.

Tempo: Weapon Base + 1
Effect: Your shot bounces off a hard surface to hit a target in Hard Cover or around a corner. The attack ignores Cover penalties to TN.
Steps: Shot may bounce one additional time per Step, allowing second target (separate Ballistics roll) or complex geometry.
Requirement: Must have a hard surface to bounce from (stone, metal).

Thunder-Clap

You compress a bubble of telekinetic force around a bullet.

Tempo: Weapon Base
Effect: Whether the attack hits or misses, the impact creates a sonic boom. Target and all enemies within Close Range must make GRIT Check (TN 11). Failure: Suppressed.
Steps: Targets who fail are also Deafened (−2 Awareness) for 5 Ticks per Step.

Quick-Draw Hex

Your gun clears leather before conscious thought.

Tempo: 3 (total, includes draw)
Effect: Draw weapon and fire in a single fluid motion. Combines Draw (normally Tempo 2) and Attack into one action.
Steps: +1 damage per Step
Special: If used as your first action in combat, add +2 to Initiative score per Step.

Rank 3 Talents (Powers) — 1 Erosion | TN 13

Seeking Round

The bullet finds its mark because you hate them enough.

Tempo: Weapon Base + 2
Effect: Your shot actively hunts the target. Do not roll Ballistics. The attack automatically hits, provided the target is within range. Deals fixed damage equal to the Weapon’s WR.
Steps: +1 damage per Step
Requirement: You must have seen the target within the last minute.

Veil-Sight

You see through the skin of reality.

Tempo: 4
Effect: For the next minute, see through solid objects (up to 1 meter thick), through magical darkness, and through illusions. Hidden and invisible beings become visible.
Steps: +1 minute duration per Step; +1 meter wall penetration per Step

Impact Driver

Your bullet carries the weight of a cannon.

Tempo: Weapon Base + 1
Effect: Next shot gains +2 WR and the Knockdown quality. If target is Knocked Prone, also pushed back 3 meters.
Steps: +1 WR per Step; +2 meters push per Step
Special: Destroys Light Cover entirely on hit.

Rank 4 Talents (Devastations) — 2 Erosion | TN 15

Fan the Spirit

Six souls. Six bullets. One heartbeat.

Tempo: Weapon Base + 2
Effect: Fire up to 6 shots at up to 6 different targets within Near range. Make one Channeling roll; use the result as the attack roll against all targets.
Steps: +1 damage to all hits per Step
Ammo: Consumes 6 rounds instantly. If you have fewer than 6, fire what you have.

The Golden Gun

Your gun exists between worlds.

Tempo: Weapon Base + 1
Effect: Next shot ignores physical Defenses: AR, Cover, and Shields. If the attack deals damage to a target with Armor or Shield, that item is Sundered (permanently loses 2 AR or is destroyed).
Steps: +2 damage per Step

Rank 5 Talent (Miracle) — 1 Memory | TN 16

The Dead-Eye Waltz

Time stops. The world turns gray. Only you and death are dancing.

Tempo: 0 (Interrupt) — may activate at any moment, interrupting any other action
Effect: Time freezes. You may take 3 full Actions immediately. No other character can move, react, or defend. All targets’ Defense drops to base 6. All your shots deal maximum damage (Margin 9+). You may move freely between shots.
Aftermath: Fall Prone and take 1d8 Strain. If Strain exceeds your Cap, excess becomes Erosion.

Psy-Slinger Synergies

The Executioner: Ghost Bullet → Tracer Round → Fan the Spirit — Phase through cover, curve around obstacles, hit everyone.

The Duelist: Quick-Draw Hex → Steady Hand → Thunder-Clap — First to draw, impossible to suppress, devastating impact.

The Phantom: Veil-Sight → The Golden Gun → Dead-Eye Waltz — See everything, shoot through everything, end everything.

Advancement Suggestions

Early Game (Ranks 1–2): Ghost Bullet provides versatility against spirits. Quick-Draw Hex improves action economy. Ricochet offers tactical flexibility against entrenched enemies.

Mid Game (Rank 3): Seeking Round is the workhorse—reliable damage that cannot be dodged. Veil-Sight provides invaluable utility outside combat. Thunder-Clap offers crowd control.

Late Game (Ranks 4–5): Fan the Spirit devastates groups. The Golden Gun offers a devastating blow. Dead-Eye Waltz is your ultimate option—save it for when everything has gone wrong.

The Mindweaver

The Whispering Gallery

“The strongest armor is useless if the man inside it wants to die.”

Mindweavers are the most reviled of the Disciplines. They deal in illusions, compulsions, and the violation of the mind’s sovereignty. No wall can stop them, no armor can protect from them, and worst of all—you might never know they touched you at all.

Detail	Value
Role	Controller / Social Infiltrator
Focus	Crystal prism, mirror, or metronome
Key Attribute	SWAY
Signature	Temperature drops, shadows stretch toward victim, no visible effect

Rank 1 Talents (Cantrips) — 1 Strain | TN 9

The Nudge

A whisper in the back of their mind that feels like their own thought.

Tempo: 3
Effect: Plant a simple, non-suicidal urge in the target’s mind. Examples: “Look left,” “Drop the coin,” “Trust this stranger.”
Resist: Target rolls ECHO + Focus vs. your result. If they win, they hesitate but don’t obey.
Steps: Target suffers −1 die (Pool Penalty) to resist per Step
Limit: Cannot compel self-harm or obviously suicidal actions.

Surface Read

Their thoughts float up like oil on water.

Tempo: 3
Effect: Sense the target’s current emotional state and surface thoughts (what they’re actively thinking about right now).
Steps: +1 specific detail per Step (a name, a fear, an intention)
Special: Target is unaware unless they have ECHO 3+, in which case they feel “watched.”

Whisper

Your voice arrives without traveling.

Tempo: 2
Effect: Send a short telepathic message (up to 10 words) to any target you can see. They hear it in your voice, inside their head.
Steps: +10 words per Step; +1 additional target per Step
Range: Line of sight, or anyone whose name and face you know (within 1 mile).

Rank 2 Talents (Tactics) — 2 Strain | TN 11

Veil of Silence

You wrap yourself in the world’s inattention.

Tempo: 5
Effect: You or one touched ally becomes invisible to casual observation. Gain +4 dice (Pool Bonus) to Stealth checks. Observers forget your face within moments.
Duration: Until the target attacks, makes loud noise, or channels a Rank 2+ power.
Steps: +1 die to Stealth per Step; +1 additional target per 2 Steps

Fearmonger

You find the thing they dread and make it real.

Tempo: 4
Effect: Target perceives their worst fear. Must make ECHO + Resilience vs. your roll or become Frightened (flee 1 round, then Suppressed for scene).
Steps: +1 round of fleeing per Step
Special: Targets immune to Fear are immune to this talent.

Empathic Echo

Their pain becomes your weapon.

Tempo: 4
Effect: When you see a creature take damage, reflect that pain to another target within Near range. Second target takes Strain damage equal to half the original damage (round down).
Steps: +1 Strain damage per Step
Special: Can target the original attacker, making them feel the wound they inflicted.

Rank 3 Talents (Powers) — 1 Erosion | TN 13

Phantom Pain

You convince their brain that they are dying.

Tempo: 5
Effect: Target believes they are burning, drowning, or being eaten alive. Deals Strain damage equal to your Margin. Target is Stunned.
Resist: ECHO + Focus negates the Stun only; Strain damage still applies.
Steps: +1 Strain damage per Step
Note: Armor provides no protection. This is a mental attack.

Implant Sensation

Reality is what I tell you it is.

Tempo: 6
Effect: Create a false sensory experience for one target: sound, smell, taste, or tactile sensation. Indistinguishable from reality without Insight check (TN = your Channeling roll result).
Duration: 1 minute
Steps: +1 minute per Step; +1 sense per Step

Mind Link

Two thoughts, one circuit.

Tempo: 5
Effect: Establish a telepathic link with a willing target for the rest of the scene. Freely communicate mentally, share sensory input, sense emotional state and general location.
Steps: +1 willing target per Step
Special: If linked target is attacked, spend 1 Mettle to grant them +2 Defense (shared awareness).

Rank 4 Talents (Devastations) — 2 Erosion | TN 15

Puppet Strings

Their body obeys me now.

Tempo: 7
Effect: Seize control of an enemy’s motor functions for 10 Ticks. Dictate their movement and actions: attack allies, drop weapon, walk into danger.
Suicide Limit: Forcing direct self-harm breaks control immediately; target takes 1d6 Strain instead.
Steps: +5 Ticks duration per Step
Resist: End of each turn, ECHO + Focus vs. your original roll to break free.

Mass Hysteria

One fear becomes everyone’s fear.

Tempo: 8
Effect: All enemies within Near range must make ECHO + Resilience vs. your roll or become Frightened. Flee 1 round, then Suppressed for scene.
Steps: +1 round of fleeing per Step
Special: On Critical, targets also drop held items as they flee.

Rank 5 Talent (Miracle) — 1 Memory | TN 16

Memory Hole

I reach into your mind and take what I want.

Tempo: 9
Effect: Permanently delete a specific memory, skill, or knowledge from the target’s mind.
Combat: Delete weapon training (skill drops to 0 for scene), ally recognition (sees ally as threat), self-preservation (loses Take Cover).
Narrative: Erase a witness’s memory, make a Sheriff forget a bounty, remove knowledge of a secret passphrase.
The Scar: Target feels a permanent, aching void. They know something is missing but can never remember what.
Resist: ECHO + Focus. If they beat your roll, talent fails—but they still know you tried.

Mindweaver Synergies

The Infiltrator: Whisper → Veil of Silence → Implant Sensation — Coordinate silently, move unseen, create distractions.

The Puppetmaster: The Nudge → Fearmonger → Puppet Strings — Suggest, terrify, control.

The Eraser: Surface Read → Mind Link → Memory Hole — Learn their secrets, then make them forget you ever existed.

Social Stigma

Being a known Mindweaver carries severe consequences: Consortium requires registration with Psi-Division or face arrest. Redeemers kill on sight. Dust Vultures respect but fear them; may press into service. Most Towns respond with suspicion, exile, or lynch mobs if exposed.

The Seer

The Silver Thread

“I don’t guess the cards. I read the ink before it was printed.”

Seers navigate the causal web of the Frontier. They see past, future, and distant present. Their power is subtle but invaluable—they know what’s coming before it arrives, and sometimes they can change it.

Detail	Value
Role	Support / Scout / Utility
Focus	Tarot cards, bone dice, tea leaves, or blindfold
Key Attribute	SAVVY
Signature	Eyes roll back to whites; voice becomes layered chord; clocks stop or run backward

Rank 1 Talents (Cantrips) — 1 Strain | TN 9

Glimpse

You see the blow a split-second before it lands.

Tempo: 0 (Reaction) — after you roll but before GM declares result
Effect: Reroll any number of dice in your pool. You must keep the second result.
Special: Can be used once per scene without paying Strain cost (the first glimpse is free).

Omen Reading

The signs are everywhere, if you know how to look.

Tempo: 1 minute (ritual)
Effect: Ask the GM one yes/no question about the immediate future (next hour). The GM answers truthfully, though the answer may be cryptic.
Steps: +1 follow-up question per Step

Danger Sense

Your spine knows before your eyes do.

Tempo: Passive (always active)
Effect: You cannot be Surprised. Always act in the first round of combat, even if you fail Initiative (start at Tick 6).
Special: When you would trigger a trap, SAVVY + Awareness check (TN 11) to freeze just before triggering it.

Rank 2 Talents (Tactics) — 2 Strain | TN 11

The Fatal Reading

You speak their death, and they believe you.

Tempo: 4
Effect: Target suffers −2 dice (Pool Penalty) to all Actions and Defense for the rest of the scene.
Resist: Fear effect; targets immune to Fear are immune.
Steps: −1 additional die per Step (maximum −4 total)

Probability Spike

You nudge fate in your favor.

Tempo: 3
Effect: Choose an ally within Near range (can be yourself). Their next roll gains +2 dice (Pool Bonus).
Steps: +1 die per Step; +1 additional ally per 2 Steps

Shared Foresight

I’ll show you what I’ve seen.

Tempo: 4
Effect: Touch an ally. For the rest of the scene, they gain the benefits of your Danger Sense (cannot be Surprised, freeze before traps).
Steps: +1 additional ally per Step (must touch each)
Special: If you don’t have Danger Sense, grant a lesser version: +2 Roll Bonus to Initiative checks.

Rank 3 Talents (Powers) — 1 Erosion | TN 13

Object Reading (Psychometry)

Everything remembers. I just ask.

Tempo: 1 minute
Effect: Touch an object and see a vision of the last intense emotion or violence associated with it. Clarity by Margin: 0–2 vague impressions, 3–5 clear images, 6–8 full scenes with audio, 9+ complete understanding.
Steps: Extend further back in time (+1 significant event per Step)

Precognitive Dodge

I’ve already seen this fight. You lose.

Tempo: 0 (Reaction) — when hit by an attack
Effect: Retroactively declare you Dove to cover before the attack. Cover must be within half your Speed. Reduce damage by ECHO rating and gain cover bonus.
Limit: Once per scene.

Thread Sight

I trace the silver threads of causality.

Tempo: 5
Effect: For 1 minute, see the “threads” connecting people, objects, and places: emotional connections, objects of significance, direction of important locations, and lies (targets suffer −4 dice to Deceit against you).
Steps: +1 minute duration per Step

Rank 4 Talents (Devastations) — 2 Erosion | TN 15

Thread-Walker

I step between seconds.

Tempo: 3
Effect: Vanish and reappear instantly at any visible location within Far range. Does not trigger Overwatch or free attacks. Can appear in Flanking position (−2 TN for allies). Ignores all terrain obstacles.
Steps: +1 additional “hop” per 2 Steps
Special: Bring one willing, touched creature with you at +1 Tempo.

Prophecy of Doom

I have seen your end. Let me show you.

Tempo: 6
Effect: Target sees a vision of their own violent death. ECHO + Resilience vs. your roll: Failure = Paralyzed for 5 Ticks, then Suppressed for scene. Success = Suppressed only.
Steps: +3 Ticks of Paralysis per Step
Special: If target actually dies in the manner you described within the scene, GM awards +1 XP.

Rank 5 Talent (Miracle) — 1 Memory | TN 16

The Rewind

No. That’s not how this ends.

Tempo: 0 (Reaction) — any moment, any trigger
Effect: Grab the thread of time and pull. Scene resets to the start of the previous Tick Cycle (~10 seconds ago). All damage undone, ammo returned, positions reset, the dead stand back up, words unspoken.
What Remains: Only you remember. Your Memory is still burned. You take 1d6 Strain immediately. Any Erosion gained remains.
Special: Touch an ally during the Rewind to share the memory. They also remember, and take 1d3 Strain.

Seer Synergies

The Oracle: Omen Reading → Object Reading → Thread Sight — Know the future, know the past, see the connections.

The Untouchable: Danger Sense → Glimpse → Precognitive Dodge — Never surprised, always rerolling, never hit.

The Doomcaller: The Fatal Reading → Prophecy of Doom → The Rewind — Curse them, show them death, and if it goes wrong, try again.

The Burden of Foresight

Seers often struggle with: Cassandra Syndrome (knowing disasters but unable to convince others), Temporal Dysphoria (difficulty distinguishing “now” from “then” or “will be”), Information Addiction (the compulsion to know more, always more), and Survivor’s Guilt (why did you see it coming if you couldn’t stop it?). Many self-medicate with laudanum or alcohol to “quiet the noise.”

The Flesh Shaper

The Red Weave

“Pain is just information. Anatomy is just a suggestion.”

Flesh Shapers manipulate living tissue—knitting wounds, accelerating healing, and reshaping flesh into new configurations. Their power is visceral, intimate, and deeply unsettling to witness. The sounds alone—wet tearing, grinding bone, the pop of resetting joints—are enough to turn strong stomachs.

Detail	Value
Role	Healer / Off-Tank / Body Horror
Focus	Surgical tools, mercury vial, gloves of human skin
Key Attribute	GRIT
Signature	Wet sounds, grinding bones, smell of copper and ozone

Rank 1 Talents (Cantrips) — 1 Strain | TN 9

Knit Flesh

Your touch stitches torn tissue with threads of will.

Tempo: 5
Effect: Touch a living creature. They heal 1d3 HP.
The Caster’s Tax: You take 1 Strain for every HP healed. You are bearing their burden.
Steps: +1 HP healed per Step
Special: Can stabilize a Downed creature automatically (no Medicine check needed).

Pain Suppression

I teach your nerves to lie.

Tempo: 3
Effect: Touch a creature. They ignore Wound penalties (−1 die Pool Penalty for below half HP) for the rest of the scene.
Steps: +1 additional target per Step (must touch each)
Special: Does not heal damage—only masks the pain. If target reaches 0 HP, they collapse immediately with no warning.

Diagnose

Your body tells me everything.

Tempo: 3
Effect: Touch a creature. Learn: current HP and Grievous Wounds, diseases/poisons/parasites, Psionic effects, and general health.
Steps: +1 piece of hidden information per Step (secret injuries, pregnancies, old wounds)

Rank 2 Talents (Tactics) — 2 Strain | TN 11

Adrenal Spike

I flood your system with the chemistry of survival.

Tempo: 4
Effect: Target gains +2 IRON and +2 QUICK (Attribute bonuses). Immune to Fear and ignores Wound penalties.
The Crash: When scene ends, target takes 1d3 Strain and is Exhausted (−2 dice Pool Penalty to all physical actions until rest).
Steps: +1 to either IRON or QUICK per Step (choose each time)

Purge

What doesn’t belong, I remove.

Tempo: 5
Effect: Touch a creature. Remove one: Poison, Disease, Bleed condition, or one Rank 1–2 Psionic effect.
Steps: +1 additional effect removed per Step

Iron Skin

I convince your cells to remember what armor feels like.

Tempo: 4
Effect: Touch a creature. They gain +1 AR for the rest of the scene. Stacks with worn armor.
Steps: +1 AR per 2 Steps (maximum +3 AR total)
Special: Target’s skin visibly thickens and darkens. Obviously unnatural.

Rank 3 Talents (Powers) — 1 Erosion | TN 13

Boil Blood

I excite the fluids in your veins until they cook you from within.

Tempo: 6 • Range: Near
Effect: Target makes GRIT + Resilience vs. your roll. Failure: 4 damage (ignores armor), Blinded. Success: 2 damage.
Steps: +1 damage per Step
Note: Creatures without blood (constructs, some Veil-born) are immune.

Fleshcraft

I reshape living tissue like clay.

Tempo: 1 minute
Effect: Reshape flesh (yours or willing target’s): alter facial features (+4 dice Pool Bonus to Disguise), seal a Grievous Wound, create/remove scars, adjust physical features (height ±6 inches, weight ±30 lbs).
Duration: Permanent until reshaped again.
Steps: More dramatic alterations per Step (voice change, apparent age, sex characteristics).
Limit: Cannot create functional new organs or extra limbs (that’s Chimera Form).

Paralytic Touch

Your muscles forget how to move.

Tempo: 5 • Requirement: Touch (melee attack roll if unwilling)
Effect: GRIT + Resilience vs. your roll or Paralyzed (no physical actions) for 5 Ticks.
Steps: +3 Ticks per Step
Special: Target can still speak, see, and use purely mental abilities.

Rank 4 Talents (Devastations) — 2 Erosion | TN 15

Chimera Form

I stop pretending to be human.

Tempo: 5
Effect: Transform yourself for the rest of the scene. Choose 2 Mutations:

Mutation	Effect
Bone Blades	Unarmed: WR 4, Bleed quality
Chitin Skin	Gain AR 3 (doesn’t stack with worn armor)
Elongated Limbs	Melee reach extends to 4 meters
Gills	Breathe underwater
Nightvision	See in complete darkness
Venom Glands	Unarmed injects poison (GRIT TN 11 or 2 damage/turn, 3 turns)
Wall-Crawler	Climb any surface at normal Speed
Regeneration	Heal 1 HP at start of each of your turns

Steps: +1 additional Mutation per Step
Social Cost: Visibly monstrous. Social interaction with non-allies impossible. Redeemers attack on sight.
Aftermath: 1d3 Strain as your body snaps back.

Life Leech

What you have, I take. What I need, I claim.

Tempo: 5 • Range: Touch (melee attack roll if unwilling)
Effect: Deal 2d6 damage (ignores armor). Heal HP equal to half damage dealt (round down).
Steps: +1d6 damage per Step
Special: If this kills the target, heal full damage dealt instead. Only works on living creatures.

Rank 5 Talent (Miracle) — 1 Memory | TN 16

Resurrection

Death is just a door. I have the key.

Tempo: Ritual (1 hour) • Target must have died within the last hour; body mostly intact.
Effect: Target returns to life at 1 HP.
The Price: Permanently loses 1 ECHO. Gains a permanent Derangement or physical mutation (GM’s choice). Forever “Cold” to the touch. Cannot be resurrected again.
The Caster’s Price: Burn a Memory and take 2d6 Strain (may convert to Erosion if it exceeds your cap).
What Comes Back: The target returns with all their memories—but something else may have noticed the door opening…

Flesh Shaper Synergies

The Battlefield Medic: Knit Flesh → Purge → Adrenal Spike — Heal, cleanse, enhance—keep your allies in the fight.

The Monster: Iron Skin → Chimera Form → Life Leech — Become unkillable, deal massive damage, sustain through combat.

The Biosculptor: Diagnose → Fleshcraft → Resurrection — See what’s wrong, reshape the living, bring back the dead.

Ethical Questions

Flesh Shapers face unique moral dilemmas: Consent (can you reshape someone without asking? Should you heal someone who wants to die?), Enhancement (if you can make someone stronger, better—should you?), Monsters (you can create loyal beasts from human tissue—is that different from slavery?), and Death (you can bring people back—but should you? And what do you tell them about what they experienced?).

The Bastion Soul

The Anchor

“I am the rock in the river. The Current breaks on me.”

Bastion Souls are living voids in the magical field. Where others channel the Current, Bastion Souls absorb and negate it. They are the shield against the supernatural—the one person in the room that the Mindweaver cannot touch, the wall that the Psy-Slinger cannot shoot through.

Detail	Value
Role	Tank / Anti-Magic / Protector
Focus	Iron shield, shackles, stone monolith
Key Attribute	IRON
Signature	Sound muffles; colors desaturate; magic fizzles to gray smoke

Rank 1 Talents (Cantrips) — 1 Strain | TN 9

Kinetic Dampener

I catch the bullet with my will.

Tempo: 0 (Reaction) — you or adjacent ally hit by physical attack
Effect: Reduce incoming damage by your ECHO rating. Can reduce damage to 0.
Steps: +1 damage reduction per Step
Special: Physical attacks only, not psionic effects.

Null Touch

The Current recoils from my hand.

Tempo: 3
Effect: Touch a creature or object. Any Rank 1 psionic effect ends immediately. Target immune to Rank 1 effects for 1 minute.
Steps: +1 minute duration per Step
Special: Unwilling targets require melee attack roll to touch.

Iron Will

My mind is a fortress with no doors.

Tempo: Passive (always active)
Effect: +2 Roll Bonus to all checks to resist psionic effects, fear, and mental intrusion. Includes Focus checks against Disruption.
Special: Mindweavers sense a “wall” when they touch your mind—they know you’re protected.

Rank 2 Talents (Tactics) — 2 Strain | TN 11

Grounding

What was built can be unbuilt.

Tempo: 4
Effect: End an ongoing psionic effect or destroy a magical construct within Near range.
Opposed: ECHO + Channel vs. their original result. Success ends the effect.
Steps: +1 additional effect per Step
Special: Automatically succeeds against effects with no living caster.

Shield of the Anchor

Stand behind me.

Tempo: 4
Effect: For the rest of the scene, allies within Close range (5m) gain +2 Roll Bonus to resist psionic effects.
Steps: +1 Roll Bonus per Step (max +4); +5m radius per Step
Special: Must remain conscious for effect to persist.

Weight of Reality

The Current cannot lift what I hold down.

Tempo: 5
Effect: Target within Near range cannot use psionic movement (teleportation, phasing, psionic flight) for 1 minute.
Resist: ECHO + Focus vs. your roll
Steps: +1 minute per Step; +1 additional target per 2 Steps
Special: Also grounds Ethereal creatures, forcing them to remain material.

Rank 3 Talents (Powers) — 1 Erosion | TN 13

The Null Zone

In this place, the Veil holds.

Tempo: 6
Effect: Create a Near range (10m) aura centered on yourself. No Rank 1–4 Talents can be activated. Active effects are suppressed. Veil-born suffer −2 dice to all actions.
Duration: Scene, or until ended. Cannot use other Psionic Talents while maintaining. Speed halved.
Steps: +5m radius per Step

Gravity Well

You will not move until I allow it.

Tempo: 5
Effect: Target makes IRON + Force vs. your roll. Failure: Immobilized (Speed 0), takes 1d3 crushing damage per turn. Success: Speed halved for 1 minute.
Duration: Concentration (spend action each turn to maintain)
Steps: +1d3 damage per Step; 5m zone instead of single target at +2 Steps
Special: Area version affects allies as well as enemies.

Siphon Power

Your strength becomes my shield.

Tempo: 5 • Trigger: creature within Near range successfully casts a Talent
Effect: Caster takes 1d6 Strain. You heal Strain equal to half the amount they took (round down).
Steps: +1d6 Strain inflicted per Step
Special: If this causes caster to exceed Strain cap, excess becomes damage.

Rank 4 Talents (Devastations) — 2 Erosion | TN 15

Reflect

Return to sender.

Tempo: 0 (Reaction) — targeted by psionic attack
Effect: Roll ECHO + Channel vs. attacker’s original result. If you win, attack affects the original caster instead, using their own Margin.
Steps: Protect adjacent ally at +1 Step; reflect Rank 5 effects at +2 Steps
Limit: Cannot reflect Rank 5 Talents without Steps invested.

Collapse the Weave

Everything you built, I tear down.

Tempo: 7
Effect: All psionic effects within Near range end immediately. All Psionics must make ECHO + Focus vs. your roll or be Stunned.
Steps: +5m radius per Step; Stunned creatures also take 1d6 Strain per Step
Special: Affects allies as well as enemies. Your own ongoing effects also end.

Rank 5 Talent (Miracle) — 1 Memory | TN 16

The Unmoving Mountain

I am the last line. I do not break.

Tempo: 3
Effect: For 30 Ticks (~3 rounds), you become Invulnerable: 0 damage from all sources, cannot be moved/knocked prone/transformed, immune to all conditions and psionic effects, cannot be targeted by Mindweaver talents.
Limitation: Cannot Move or Attack. Can only: Speak, use Kinetic Dampener on adjacent allies, end effect early (free action).
The Mountain’s Shadow: Allies within 2m behind you gain Hard Cover (+4 TN to be hit).
Aftermath: Exhausted (−2 dice to all physical actions) until you rest.

Bastion Soul Synergies

The Bodyguard: Kinetic Dampener → Shield of the Anchor → The Unmoving Mountain — Protect yourself, protect your allies, become untouchable.

The Hunter: Null Touch → Grounding → Collapse the Weave — Shut down enemy psionics, tear down their defenses, leave them helpless.

The Fortress: Iron Will → The Null Zone → Reflect — Immune to mental attack, suppress all magic nearby, turn their power against them.

The Burden of Negation

Bastion Souls are valued but isolated: other Psionics feel uncomfortable around them—the silence where the Current should be. They cannot fully participate in psionic society; they’re always slightly outside. The Redeemers view them with suspicion (still touched by the Veil) or as potential weapons. Many become bodyguards, witch-hunters, or hermits.

Section V: General Talents

Not all exceptional abilities come from the Current or a specific Calling. Some come from years of training, natural aptitude, or sheer bloody-minded determination. The following Talents are available to any character who meets the listed prerequisites.

How General Mundane Talents Work

Unlike Psionic Talents, General Mundane Talents: do not require ECHO or the Channel skill; do not cause Strain, Erosion, or risk Backlash; are powered by Mettle or have limited uses (per scene or per rest); cannot be Disrupted by salt or damage; and do not trigger the Tension Pool.

Learning Cost: 4 XP per talent. Requirements: Meet any listed prerequisites (usually a Skill at Rank 2+).

Mundane Callings

The following Talents are exclusive to their respective Mundane Calling. They represent specialized training and hard-won expertise that sets each profession apart.

Gunhand Talents

Available only to characters with the Gunhand Calling.

The Law’s Weight

Force 2

Cost: 1 Mettle • Invoke authority on Force (Intimidation) check. Targets who respect your authority suffer −2 dice to resist. No effect on outlaws or those who don’t recognize your authority.

Bounty Hunter’s Eye

Awareness 2

Cost: Passive • Perfect recall for faces, names, bounties. Automatically recognize targets regardless of disguise. +2 Roll Bonus to track a specific bounty target.

Gun Kata

Ballistics 3, QUICK 3

Cost: 2 Mettle • For the rest of the scene, use QUICK + Ballistics for Defense while wielding a firearm. You’re weaving through gunfire.

Muck-Raker Talents

Available only to characters with the Muck-Raker Calling.

Unbreakable

GRIT 3

Cost: Passive • Ignore first level of any environmental penalty. Work twice as long before requiring rest.

Prospector’s Luck

Scrounge 2

Cost: Passive • Find items one Cost Rating higher than normal. Automatically detect ghost-rock, silver, and valuable minerals within 10m.

Saboteur

Any Technical skill 2

Cost: 1 Mettle • Reduce TN by 2 and halve time for sabotage. Know structural weak points of any building or machine.

High-Roller Talents

Available only to characters with the High-Roller Calling.

Read the Room

Insight 2

Cost: 1 Mettle • Spend 1 minute observing. GM reveals each significant NPC’s primary motivation and emotional state.

Silver Tongue

Persuasion 3

Cost: 1 Mettle • On successful Persuasion or Deceit, improve cooperation by one step: Hostile → Unfriendly → Neutral → Friendly → Allied. Once per target per scene.

Lucky Break

Gamble 2

Cost: 1 Mettle • Once per scene, after seeing any roll result, “call for a recount”—the roll is made again. GM may veto for narrative logic.

Card Sharp

Finesse 2, Gamble 2

Cost: Passive • +3 Roll Bonus to card-based Gamble checks. Cheat undetected unless someone specifically watches (opposed Finesse vs. Awareness).

Shepherd Talents

Available only to characters with the Shepherd Calling.

Field Surgeon

Medicine 3

Cost: 1 Mettle • Successful Medicine heals +2 additional HP. Treat Grievous Wounds in the field without penalty.

Battlefield Triage

Medicine 2

Cost: Passive • Free action: assess HP and condition of any creature within Near range. +2 Roll Bonus to Initiative when entering combat to protect wounded allies.

Sermon of Steel

Persuasion 2 or Lore 2

Cost: 1 Mettle • Brief speech (1 minute or Tempo 6 in combat). All allies gain +2 Roll Bonus to resist Fear for scene. +4 with genuine religious conviction (GM approval).

Mercy’s Edge

Medicine 2

Cost: Passive • Choose to deal Strain damage instead of HP damage to living creatures. Targets at 0 HP are Unconscious rather than Dying.

Rail-Jack Talents

Available only to characters with the Rail-Jack Calling.

⚙ Under Construction

Rail-Jack Talents are currently being finalized. Check back soon for the complete list of Saboteur and Technician abilities.

Mundane Talents

General Combat Talents

Available to any character who meets the prerequisites.

Dead Eye

Ballistics 2

You’ve learned to make every shot count.

Cost: 1 Mettle
Effect: Before a Ballistics attack, spend 1 Mettle. If hit, add +2 damage (flat bonus). Can combine with Aim bonuses.

Quick Reload

Ballistics 2

Your hands move without thought.

Cost: Passive
Effect: Reduce Tempo of all Reload actions by 2 (minimum Tempo 2). Speed Reload becomes Tempo 2; Manual Reload becomes Tempo 4.

Fan the Hammer

Ballistics 3, Revolver

Empty the cylinder. Sort it out later.

Cost: 1 Mettle • Tempo: 5
Effect: Fire all remaining rounds at a single target with −2 Roll Penalty. Roll once; for each 2 points of Margin, one additional bullet hits. Each hit deals normal weapon damage.
Risk: Weapon empty afterward regardless of hits.

Duelist’s Instinct

Awareness 2

You’ve faced enough guns to know when one’s about to be drawn.

Cost: Passive
Effect: +2 Roll Bonus to Initiative checks. Can never be Surprised by a human opponent drawing a weapon.

Hard to Kill

GRIT 3

You’ve survived things that should have ended you.

Cost: Passive
Effect: When you would die, spend all remaining Mettle (minimum 1) to stabilize at exactly −(IRON−1) HP. Downed but not dead.
Limit: Once per session.

Second Wind

GRIT 2

You find reserves you didn’t know you had.

Cost: 2 Mettle • Tempo: 4
Effect: Recover HP equal to your GRIT. Once per scene.

Brutal Strike

Melee 2 or Brawl 2

When you connect, they feel it.

Cost: 1 Mettle
Effect: Before melee attack, spend 1 Mettle. If hit, +3 damage. Target makes GRIT + Resilience (TN 11) or is Staggered (−2 dice to next action).

Iron Guard

IRON 3

You’ve learned to take a hit without flinching.

Cost: 1 Mettle
Effect: When hit by melee attack, reduce damage by 2 (in addition to armor). Replaces Parry.

Tactical Repositioning

SAVVY 3

You see the battlefield three moves ahead.

Cost: 1 Mettle
Effect: Once per round, when an ally within Near range acts, you may immediately Shift (2m) as a free action, even outside your turn.

Covering Fire

Ballistics 2

You keep their heads down.

Cost: 1 Mettle + ammunition • Tempo: 5
Effect: Designate an area (10m radius) within weapon range. Until your next turn, any enemy who moves or attacks from within provokes an immediate attack from you.

General Non-Combat Talents

Available to any character who meets the prerequisites.

⚙ Under Construction

Non-Combat General Talents are currently being finalized. These will cover exploration, social interaction, crafting, survival, and other out-of-combat specializations. Check back soon.

Appendix: Talent Quick Reference

Psionic Talents by Rank

Rank	Cost	TN	Tempo	Risk Level
1	1 Strain	9	4	Low
2	2 Strain	11	5	Moderate
3	1 Erosion	13	6	High
4	2 Erosion	15	7	Severe
5	1 Memory	16	9	Catastrophic

XP Costs

Talent Type	Cost
Mundane Talent	4 XP
Psionic Rank 1–2	4 XP
Psionic Rank 3–4	6 XP
Psionic Rank 5	8 XP

Discipline Role Summary

Discipline	Focus	Key Stat	Primary Role	Secondary Role
Psy-Slinger	Firearm	QUICK	Damage (Ranged)	Anti-Armor
Mindweaver	Prism/Mirror	SWAY	Control / Social	Stealth
Seer	Cards/Dice	SAVVY	Scout / Support	Initiative
Flesh Shaper	Surgical Tools	GRIT	Healer	Tank (Self-Buff)
Bastion Soul	Iron/Stone	IRON	Tank (Protection)	Anti-Magic

All Psionic Talents by Discipline

Rank	Psy-Slinger	Mindweaver	Seer	Flesh Shaper	Bastion Soul
1	Ghost Bullet, Tracer Round, Steady Hand, Witch-Fire	The Nudge, Surface Read, Whisper	Glimpse, Omen Reading, Danger Sense	Knit Flesh, Pain Suppression, Diagnose	Kinetic Dampener, Null Touch, Iron Will
2	Ricochet, Thunder-Clap, Quick-Draw Hex	Veil of Silence, Fearmonger, Empathic Echo	Fatal Reading, Probability Spike, Shared Foresight	Adrenal Spike, Purge, Iron Skin	Grounding, Shield of the Anchor, Weight of Reality
3	Seeking Round, Veil-Sight, Impact Driver	Phantom Pain, Implant Sensation, Mind Link	Object Reading, Precognitive Dodge, Thread Sight	Boil Blood, Fleshcraft, Paralytic Touch	The Null Zone, Gravity Well, Siphon Power
4	Fan the Spirit, The Golden Gun	Puppet Strings, Mass Hysteria	Thread-Walker, Prophecy of Doom	Chimera Form, Life Leech	Reflect, Collapse the Weave
5	The Dead-Eye Waltz	Memory Hole	The Rewind	Resurrection	The Unmoving Mountain

All Mundane Combat Talents

Talent	Prerequisite	Cost	Key Effect
Dead Eye	Ballistics 2	1 Mettle	+2 damage on hit
Quick Reload	Ballistics 2	Passive	−2 Tempo to Reload
Fan the Hammer	Ballistics 3, Revolver	1 Mettle	Empty cylinder at one target
Duelist’s Instinct	Awareness 2	Passive	+2 Initiative; never Surprised
Hard to Kill	GRIT 3	Passive	Stabilize on death (1/session)
Second Wind	GRIT 2	2 Mettle	Heal GRIT HP (1/scene)
Brutal Strike	Melee/Brawl 2	1 Mettle	+3 damage + Stagger
Iron Guard	IRON 3	1 Mettle	−2 melee damage taken
Tactical Repositioning	SAVVY 3	1 Mettle	Free Shift when ally acts
Covering Fire	Ballistics 2	1 Mettle + ammo	Suppress an area

The Current Is Mastered. Now Face the Nightmare.

You’ve learned the Disciplines and honed your Talents. Now step behind the screen—the Marshal’s Almanac awaits.

Chapter 8: Managing the Nightmare →

← Previous Ch 6: Tearing the Veil Next → Ch 8: Managing the Nightmare