| Strength | Extreme effort ✓, ignore hardness ✓, melee smash ✓ |
|---|---|
| Dexterity | Defensive ✓, increased speed ✓ |
| Constitution | Damage reduction ✓, energy resistance ✓, unbreakable ✓ |
| Intelligence | Research ✓ (needs work), strategy ✓ |
| Wisdom | Empathic ✓, healing ✓ (needs work), insightful ✓ |
| Charisma | Charm ✓, fast-talk ✓, leadership ✓ |
The talent trees of MSRD are versatile and inspired by SRD core classes. They are reproduced here converted to feat format for convenience. All references to "action points" are changed to uses per day. References to MSRD skills or feats are struck out or converted to SRD.
Score-based Special Ability System: Your class may restrict which special abilities you can choose e.g. by saying "choose any Wisdom or Charisma special ability from this list" or "you must have a Constitution score of at least 11 to choose the corresponding special ability". You must still meet all listed prerequisites to gain the ability.
Alternatively the class feature may simply say "choose any special ability from this list" in which case you need only abide by the prerequisite(s) listed for that special ability.
Class Level: For the purposes of the following descriptions, "class level" refers to the class in which you gained the special ability. Multiclass characters have fewer class levels than total character levels for the purposes of the following descriptions.
Revisions: Athough based on MSRD, this abilities list is part of a flexible class system and subject to change for balance and flavor purposes.
You can push yourself to make an extreme effort. The effort must relate either to a Strength check or a Strength-based skill check. You must decide to use this ability before making the check.
Benefit: The effort requires a full-round action and provides a +2 bonus on the check.
Alternate Name: Mighty Force.
You can push yourself to make an extreme effort. The effort must relate either to a Strength check or a Strength-based skill check. You must decide to use this ability before making the check.
Prerequisite: Extreme Effort.
Benefit: The effort requires a full-round action and provides a +2 bonus that stacks with the bonus provided by extreme effort (+4 total).
Alternate Name: Improved Mighty Force.
You can push yourself to make an extreme effort. The effort must relate either to a Strength check or a Strength-based skill check. You must decide to use this ability before making the check.
Prerequisites: Extreme Effort, Improved Extreme Effort.
Benefit: The effort requires a full-round action and provides a +2 bonus that stacks with the bonuses provided by extreme effort and improved extreme effort (+6 total).
Alternate Name: Advanced Mighty Force.
You have an innate talent for finding weaknesses in objects. This allows you to ignore some of an object’s hardness when making a melee attack to break it.
Benefit: You ignore 2 points of an object’s hardness.
You have an innate talent for finding weaknesses in objects. This allows you to ignore some of an object’s hardness when making a melee attack to break it.
Prerequisite: Ignore hardness.
Benefit: You ignore 2 additional points of an object’s hardness (for a total of 4).
You have an innate talent for finding weaknesses in objects. This allows you to ignore some of an object’s hardness when making a melee attack to break it.
Prerequisites: Ignore Hardness, Improved Ignore Hardness.
Benefit: You ignore 2 additional points of an object’s hardness (for a total of 6).
You have an innate talent that increases melee damage.
Benefit: You receive a +1 bonus on melee damage.
Alternate Name: Mighty Blow.
You have an innate talent that increases melee damage.
Prerequisite: Melee Smash.
Benefit: You receive an additional +1 bonus on melee damage (+2 total).
Alternate Name: Improved Mighty Blow.
You have an innate talent that increases melee damage.
Prerequisites: Melee Smash, Improved Melee Smash.
Benefit: You receive an additional +1 bonus on melee damage (+3 total).
Alternate Name: Advanced Mighty Blow.
You gain the ability to improve your innate defensive talents.
Benefit: If you are exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, you suffer no damage if you make a successful saving throw. Evasion can only be used when wearing light armor or no armor.
You gain the ability to improve your innate defensive talents.
Prerequisite: Evasion.
Benefit: You retain your Dexterity bonus to Defense regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by a hidden attacker. (You still lose your Dexterity bonus to Defense if you are immobilized.)
You gain the ability to improve your innate defensive talents.
Prerequisites: Evasion, Uncanny Dodge.
Benefit: You can no longer be flanked; you can react to opponents on opposite sides of yourself as easily as you can react to a single attacker.
You gain the ability to improve your innate defensive talents.
Prerequisites: Evasion, Uncanny Dodge.
Benefit: You can roll with a potentially lethal attack to take less damage from it. Once per day, when you would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a ranged or melee attack), you can attempt to roll with the damage.
To use this ability, you must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt). If the save succeeds, you take only half damage. You must be able to react to the attack to execute a defensive roll—if you are immobilized, you can’t use this talent.
Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, your evasion talent doesn’t apply to the defensive roll.
You gain the ability to improve your innate defensive talents.
Prerequisite: Evasion.
Benefit: Once per round, you can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as your attack of opportunity for that round. Even with with the Combat Reflexes feat you can't use this talent more than once per round.
You can increase your natural base speed.
Benefit: Your base speed increases by 5 feet.
Alternate Name: Fast Movement.
You can increase your natural base speed.
Prerequisite: Increased Speed.
Benefit: Your base speed increases by 5 feet. This talent stacks with increased speed (10 feet total).
Alternate Name: Improved Fast Movement.
You can increase your natural base speed.
Prerequisites: Increased Speed, Improved Increased Speed.
Benefit: Your base speed increases by 5 feet. This talent stacks with increased speed and improved increased speed (15 feet total).
Alternate Name: Advanced Fast Movement.
You have an innate talent to ignore a set amount of damage from most weapons, but not from energy.
Prerequisite: Any energy Resistance ability or Remain Conscious, Robust, or Second Wind.
Benefit: You ignore 1 point of damage from melee and ranged weapons (DR 1/—).
Prerequisites: Damage Reduction and either one energy Resistance ability or Remain Conscious, Robust, or Second Wind.
Benefit: You ignore an additional 1 point of damage from melee and ranged weapons (DR 2/— total).
Prerequisites: Damage Reduction, Improved Damage Reduction, and either one energy Resistance ability or Remain Conscious, Robust, or Second Wind.
Benefit: You ignore an additional 1 point of damage from melee and ranged weapons (DR 3/— total).
You are particularly resistant to acid energy effects.
Benefit: You ignore an amount of acid damage equal to your Constitution modifier.
You are particularly resistant to cold energy effects.
Benefit: You ignore an amount of cold damage equal to your Constitution modifier.
You are particularly resistant to electricity energy effects.
Benefit: You ignore an amount of electricity damage equal to your Constitution modifier.
You are particularly resistant to fire energy effects.
Benefit: You ignore an amount of fire damage equal to your Constitution modifier.
You are particularly resistant to sonic energy effects.
Benefit: You ignore an amount of sonic or concussion damage equal to your Constitution modifier.
You are particularly resilient.
Benefit: You gain the ability to continue to perform actions when you would otherwise be considered unconscious and dying. When your hit points reach −1, you can perform as though you were disabled, making either an attack action or a move action every round until you reache −10 hit points (and dies) or your hit points return to 1 or higher. You can choose to succumb to unconsciousness if you thinks that doing so might prevent you from taking more damage.
You are particularly resilient.
Benefit: You become especially robust, gaining a number of hit points equal to your class level as soon as you selects this talent. Thereafter, you gain +1 hit point with each class level you gain.
You are particularly resilient.
Benfit: Once per day you can gain a second wind. When you do this, you recover a number of hit points equal to your Constitution modifier. This does not increase your hit points beyond the character's full normal total.
You are particularly resilient.
Prerequisite: Robust.
Benefit: You recover twice as fast as normal. So, you recover 2 hit points per class level per evening of rest, 2 points of temporary ability damage per evening of rest, and awaken in half the normal time after being knocked unconscious.
You have a natural aptitude for study and fact-finding.
Benefit: Select one of the skills listed in the following paragraph. You must have ranks in the skill if it is Trained Only. You get to add a bonus equal to your class level when making checks with that skill. You can take this talent multiple times; each time it applies to a different skill.
Computer Use, Craft (any single skill), Decipher Script,
Demolitions, Disable Device, Forgery, Investigate,
Knowledge (any single skill), Navigate, Repair,
Research, Search.
You have a natural aptitude for study and fact-finding.
Prerequisite: At least 1 rank in either Read/Write Language or Speak Language for each of three different languages.
Benefit: With this talent, you become a master linguist. Whenever you encounters a new language, either spoken or written, that you do not know you can make an Intelligence check to determine if you can understand it. The check is made with a bonus equal to your class level. For a written language, the bonus applies to a Decipher Script check instead.
The DC for the check depends on the situation: DC 15 if the language is in the same group as a language you have as a Read/Write Language or Speak Language skill; DC 20 if the language is unrelated to any other languages you know; and DC 25 if the language is ancient or unique. With this special ability, you can glean enough meaning from a conversation or document to ascertain the basic message, but this ability in no way simulates actually being able to converse or fluently read and write in a given language.
A single check covers roughly one minute of a spoken language or one page of a written language.
You have the brainpower to see solutions in most situations.
Prerequisite: Savant or Linguist.
Benefit: After 1 round of combat, you can designate one opponent and try to find ways to gain an advantage by using brains over brawn. You use a move action and make an Intelligence check (DC 15) with a bonus equal to your class level. If the check succeeds, for the rest of the combat you use your Intelligence bonus instead of either Strength or Dexterity bonus on attack rolls as you find ways to outthink your opponent and notice weaknesses in their fighting style.
You have the brainpower to see solutions in most situations.
Prerequisite: Savant or Linguist.
Benefit: Prior to an encounter you can develop a plan of action to handle the situation. Using this talent requires preparation; you can’t use this talent when surprised or otherwise unprepared for a particular situation. Creating a plan requires 1 minute.
After creating the plan you make an Intelligence check (DC 10) with a bonus equal to your class level. The result of the check provides you and allies with a circumstance bonus. You can’t take 10 or 20 when making this check.
You innate talents give you a great capacity for empathy.
Benefit: You have a knack for being sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of others without having those feelings and thoughts communicated in any objectively explicit manner. This innate talent provides a bonus on checks involving interaction skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Sense Motive), provided you spend at least 1 minute observing your target prior to making the skill check. The bonus is equal to your class level.
You innate talents give you a great capacity for empathy.
Prerequisite: Empathy.
Benefit: Your bonus on attempts to aid another increases by +1 on a successful aid another check. This ability can be selected multiple times, each time increasing the bonus by +1.
You innate talents give you a great capacity for empathy.
Prerequisite: Empathy.
Benefit: You have an innate ability to sense trouble in the air. You can make a Will saving throw (DC 15). On a successful save, You gets a hunch that everything is all right, or you get a bad feeling about a specific situation, based on the GM’s best guess relating to the circumstances. This ability is usable a number of times per day equal to your class level.
You have a talent for healing.
Benefit: You have a knack for the healing arts. You receive a +2 bonus on all Heal skill checks.
You have a talent for healing.
Prerequisite: Healing Knack.
Benefit: You ability to restore damage with a medical kit or perform surgery with a surgery kit increases by +2 hit points.
You have a talent for healing.
Prerequisites: Healing Knack, Healing Touch.
Benefit: Your ability to restore damage with a medical kit or perform surgery with a surgery kit increases by +2 hit points, which stacks with healing touch for a total of +4 hit points.
Your innate insightfulness serves you well.
Benefit: You choose a single skill and receive a +3 bonus on all checks with that skill. This bonus does not allow you to make checks for a trained-only skill if you have no ranks in the skill.
Alternate Name: Skill Focus.
Your innate insightfulness serves you well.
Prerequisite: Skill Emphasis.
Benefit: You are intuitively aware of his or her surroundings. You add your base Will saving throw bonus to Listen or Spot checks to avoid surprise.
Your innate insightfulness serves you well.
Prerequisite: Skill Emphasis.
Benefit: You have a great deal of faith in your self, in a higher power, or in both. This unswerving belief allows you to add your Wisdom modifier to the die roll once per day to improve the result of an attack roll, skill check, saving throw, or ability check.
Your innate insightfulness serves you well.
Prerequisite: Skill Emphasis plus either Faith or Aware.
Benefit: You select a number of skills equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. When making a check with one of these skills, you can take 10 even when distracted or under duress.
Alternate Name: Skill Mastery.
You have an innate talent for being charming and captivating.
Benefit: You get a competence bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks made to influence members of your chosen gender. (Some characters are charming to members of the opposite gender, others to members of the same gender.) The bonus is equal to your class level.
You can only charm NPCs with attitudes of indifferent or better. The charm bonus can’t be used against characters who are unfriendly or hostile.
This ability can be taken more than once (for another gender).
You have an innate talent for being charming and captivating.
Prerequisite: Charm.
Benefits: You have the ability to acquire minor aid from anyone you meet. By making a favor check, you can gain important information without going through the time and trouble of doing a lot of research. Favors can also be used to acquire the loan of equipment or documents, or to receive other minor assistance in the course of an adventure.
Once per day, to make a favor check, roll a d20 and add the character’s favor bonus, equal to your class level. The GM sets the DC based on the scope of the favor being requested. The DC ranges from 10 for a simple favor to as high as 30 for formidable and highly dangerous, expensive, or illegal favors. You can’t take 10 or 20 on this check, nor can you retry the check for the same (or virtually the same) favor. Favors should help advance the plot of an adventure. A favor that would enable a character to avoid an adventure altogether should always be unavailable to the character, regardless of the result of a favor check.
The DM should carefully monitor your use of favors to ensure that this ability isn’t abused. The success or failure of a mission shouldn’t hinge on the use of a favor, and getting a favor shouldn’t replace good roleplaying or the use of other skills. The DM may disallow any favor deemed to be disruptive to the game.
You have an innate talent for being charming and captivating.
Prerequisites: Charm, Favor.
Benefits: You have the ability to temporarily beguile a target through the use of words and bearing. The target must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a captivate attempt, must be within 30 feet of you, must be flat-footed or not in combat, and must be able to see, hear, and understand you.
To captivate a target, you must use an attack action and make a Charisma check (DC 15), adding your class level as a bonus. If the Charisma check succeeds, the target can try to resist.
The target resists the captivation attempt by making a Will saving throw (DC 10 + your class level + your Cha bonus). If the saving throw fails, you become the target’s sole focus. The target pays no attention to anyone else for 1 round and remains flat-footed. This focusing of the target’s attention allows other characters to take actions of which the captivated target is unaware. The effect ends immediately if the target is attacked or threatened.
You can concentrate to keep a target captivated for additional rounds. You concentrate all your effort on the task, and the target gets to make a new Will save each round. The effect ends when you stop concentrating, or when the target succeeds on the save. This is a Mind-Affecting ability.
You have an innate talent for bending the truth and dazzling others with a combination of words, mannerisms, and charm.
Benefit: You have a way with words when attempting to con and deceive. With this talent, you applies your class level as a competence bonus on any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Gamble checks you make while attempting to lie, cheat, or otherwise bend the truth.
You have an innate talent for bending the truth and dazzling others with a combination of words, mannerisms, and charm.
Prerequisite: Fast-talk.
Benefit: You have the ability to dazzle a target through sheer force of personality, a winning smile, and fast-talking. The target must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a dazzle attempt, must be within 30 feet of you, and must be able to see, hear, and understand you.
To dazzle a target, you must use an attack action and make a Charisma check (DC 15), adding your class level as a bonus. If the Charisma check succeeds, the target can try to resist.
The target resists the dazzle attempt by making a Will saving throw (DC 10 + your class level + your Cha bonus). If the save fails, the target receives a –1 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws for a number of rounds equal to you class level.
This talent can be selected multiple times, each time worsening the dazzled penalty by –1. This is a Mind-Affecting ability.
You have an innate talent for bending the truth and dazzling others with a combination of words, mannerisms, and charm.
Prerequisites: Fast-Talk, Dazzle.
Benefit: You have the ability to temporarily rattle a target through the use of insults and goading. The target must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a taunt, must be within 30 feet of you, and must be able to hear and understand you.
To taunt a target, you must use an attack action and make a Charisma check (DC 15), adding your class level as a bonus. If the Charisma check succeeds, the target can try to resist.
The target resists the taunt by making a Will saving throw (DC 10 + your class level + your Cha bonus). If the save fails, the target becomes dazed (unable to act, but can defend normally) for 1 round.
A taunt can be played on an opponent any number of times. This is a Mind-Affecting ability.
You have a talent for leadership.
Benefit: You have a knack for getting people to work together. When you can spend a full round directing your allies and make a Charisma check (DC 10), you provides any of your allies within 30 feet a +1 bonus on their attack rolls and skill checks. The bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier.
You can coordinate a number of allies equal to one-half your class level, rounded down (to a minimum of one ally).
You have a talent for inspiring morale and competence in your allies.
Prerequisite: Coordinate.
Benefit: You can inspire your allies, bolstering them and improving their chances of success. An ally must listen to and observe you for a full round for the inspiration to take hold, and you must make a Charisma check (DC 10). The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier.
An inspired ally gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls.
You can't inspire yourself. You can inspire a number of allies equal to one-half your class level, rounded down (to a minimum of one ally).
You are an expert at inspiring morale and competence in your allies.
Prerequisites: Coordinate, Inspiration.
Benefit: You can inspire your allies to even greater heights, bolstering them and improving their chances of success. An ally must listen to and observe you for a full round for the greater inspiration to take hold, and you must make a Charisma check (DC 10). The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier.
An inspired ally gains an additional +1 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls, which stacks with the bonus from inspiration for a total of a +3 morale bonus.
You can't inspire yourself. You can inspire a number of allies equal to one-half your class level, rounded down (to a minimum of one ally).