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Achievement-Based Talents for Knave
🕑 Added 2021-01-06 15:08:37 +0000 UTCMuch like my previous experiment with Demon Contracts, here's my take on achievement-based progression for Questing Beast's Knave, which I'm currently playing (my PC, Amelia, might actually make it to level 2!)
How do these work?
Simply put, when you level up you may gain one of the Talents below, assuming you meet the Requirement. Each Talent can be taken only once, although some can be lost and then acquired again.
BOUND SPELLBOOK
Requirement: Must own at least three spellbooks.
Effect: You choose one spellbook you own. From now on, you can cast the spell inside it an additional time per day, and if that spellbook is ever stolen or lost, you can feel its general direction as long as you are within one mile of it.
If the spellbook is destroyed, you immediately reduce your maximum HP by 1d3; then, you may select a different spellbook for this talent. This can happen any number of times, but your HP will keep dropping with every destroyed spellbook.
DEADEYE
Requirement: Must have succeeded on at least five stunts involving the use of a ranged weapon.
Effect: When you hit an opponent with a ranged weapon during the first round of combat, after rolling for damage, you may choose to have the attack deal half damage (rounded down, minimum 1) and name one of your allies. If you do, that ally receives advantage for their next action against that opponent during this combat.
DEVIL'S LUCK
Requirement: Must have been reduced to 1 or 0 Hit Points and lived to tell the tale.
Effect: Whenever you would be reduced to 0 Hit Points or less, you must make a CON save.
On a roll of 1-10, nothing happens.
On a roll of 11-19, you are instead reduced to exactly 1 Hit Point and cannot rely on this talent until you have a meal and a good night of sleep.
On a roll of 20+, you are instead reduced to exactly 1 Hit Point and can still rely on this talent (at least until next time).
DUNGEON CUISINE
Requirement: Must have successfully cooked a meal using one or more weird ingredients found in the dungeon, without that meal having ill effects.
Effect: If you have a fire and cooking tools, you can spend 10 minutes to cook a number of rations equal to the number of characters (PCs and NPCs) in the group and mix them with one or more unconventional ingredients (slime jelly, basilisk loin, terror moss and more).
You name the dish and state its (supposed) beneficial properties; then, the GM states a proportionally risky consequence of eating it (you can negotiate, but you can't back down from cooking and eating the dish - the whole group will be affected).
Finally, make an INT or WIS save (your choice):
On a roll of 1-10, the risky consequences apply. Ouch.
On a roll of 11-15, it's safe to eat but doesn't have any special effect.
On a roll of 16+, you cook it right and receive the beneficial properties!
Record the recipe (including name, benefits, risks): when you cook this same dish again, you receive advantage on the d20 roll.
KEEN EYE
Requirement: Must have encountered at least ten different non-human creatures and survived.
Effect: At the end of each combat round, you may choose another creature you can see and ask the GM to give you one of the following pieces of information:
- the creature's number of Hit Dice;
- the creature's Armor Class;
- one of the creature's unique defensive abilities (immunities, regeneration...);
- one of the creature's unique offensive abilities (petrification, fire breathing...);
- the current main goal of the creature in this combat.
If you ask a question with no answer (for instance, if the creature has no unique defensive abilities), that still counts as your answer for that round.
LOYALTY
Requirement: Must have faced danger in place of a follower.
Effect: That follower is now loyal to you, and will remain loyal as long as you treat them fairly (the GM has final say; if you treat them unfairly, you lose this talent and can take it again but never for that same follower).
The loyal follower may use your CHA bonus / CHA defense in place of their ability bonus / defense when directly following your commands or advice while in your presence.
The loyal follower also increases their morale by an amount equal to your CHA bonus while in your presence.
Note that the follower in question might also be a beast, monster, or any kind of follower accompanying your group.
POISON RESISTANCE
Requirement: Must have suffered damage from poison, venom and/or toxins at least twice without falling to zero Hit Points because of it.
Effect: When you suffer damage from poison, venom or toxins, you halve that damage (rounded down, minimum of 1). If an effect would instantly kill you, it still does.
REPUTATION
Requirement: Must have significantly improved the quality of life of a settlement, or saved the settlement from great danger.
Effect: The inhabitants of that settlement greatly respect you, and will never refuse you some food and a roof to sleep under. If making purchases in the settlement, you may receive a 25% discount on a single item once per day.
If you ever bring trouble or disorder to the settlement, you lose this talent and can take it again but never for the same settlement.
SLAYER
Requirement: Must have dealt the final blow to a foe with at least twice as many Hit Dice as you, using a melee weapon.
Effect: When you strike with a melee weapon, you treat its damage die as one size higher (d4 > d6 > d8 > d10 > d12). The maximum size is d12.
Thank you for reading - I'll make sure to add new talents if I come up with them in the future. Meanwhile, make sure to check out Knave and discuss this content on our Discord Server!
