Celebrating 2nd Edition: Icon Talents for 13th Age

To celebrate the fresh off-the-print Second Edition of 13th Age, I would like to send a little love letter to the system. Let me showcase two of the innovations that set the 13th Age RPG apart from other d20-based tabletop RPGs, Icons and talents.

 

The Icons represent archetypes of powerful NPCs in the game world, both potential benefactors and villains. We have the Archmage, the most influential arcane spellcaster, representations of common fantasy races like the Dwarf King and the Elf Queen, shady figures like the Prince of Shadows, and threats like the Lich King and the Diabolist.

PCs start with connections to certain Icons, which represent some tie to the wider organization under that Icon. For example, a character could have befriended a mysterious old woman in the woods near their village, which ties them to the High Druid.

 

Talents are character-defining abilities from your class that each character starts with (usually 3). They ensure that each 13th Age character comes with a unique set of abilities right out of the gate, from level 1.

 

Together with the One Unique Thing and the background mechanic, talents and Icon relationships can be intertwined to really showcase who the character is, what makes them special, and create a memorable experience at the table.

 

For example, one of the pregenerated characters that I am using when running 13th Age at conventions has the One Unique Thing that they are “the only surviving sacrifice of a demon cult”. Now, the character was sacrificed, died and their soul was cast into the Abyss, so technically they did not survive — however their soul was rescued from the abyss by followers of the Great Gold Wyrm. This one Unique Thing then informed the Icon relationships (negative for the Diabolist, positive for the Great Gold Wyrm), talents (Infernal and Metallic Protector Heritage) and the backgrounds “Raised as a demon cult sacrifice” and “Acolyte of the Golden Banner monastery”.

 

In today’s article I want to give players more tools to toy with this, by introducing talents that tie a class to an Icon that you maybe wouldn’t have chosen as an Icon relationship otherwise. Note that you don’t have to take the associated Icon relationship if you have other ideas of how to flavor the talent, but it is strongly suggested (and you may be rewarded for it).

Blade of the Three Stars (Fighter / The Elf Queen)

You have trained swordwork in the traditional style of the elven court, which blends the styles of the high elves, silver elves and wood elves.

 

This talent can be used once per battle. For each use, you can choose between the Dazzling Strike, Elven Precision and Silver Sidestep powers below.

Dazzling Strike

Same as fighter basic melee attack except . . .

Attack: Strength + Level vs. MD

Natural even hit: Choose a nearby staggered enemy. That enemy is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Elven Precision

Close-quarters power; Free action when you roll the same number on both d20 while attacking with Momentum

Effect: The attack is a critical hit. (The natural roll is unchanged, so flexible attacks etc. still trigger off that roll.)

Silver Sidestep

Close-quarters power; Interrupt action

Trigger: An enemy you are engaged with misses you with an attack.

Effect: Teleport into engagement with a different nearby enemy and make a no-trigger melee attack against them.

 

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship point with the Elf Queen, you can use this talent twice in one battle per arc.

Champion feat: You can now daze with Dazzling Strike on natural even hit or miss.

Epic feat: On a natural even hit with the Silver Sidestep attack, deal 30 ongoing damage.

 

Cabalist (Wizard / The Priestess)

You believe that magical formulae are the fabric of the universe. By studying the arcane, you can gather insight on the how, and ultimately why this world was created by the gods.

 

Once per battle, you can meditate as a quick action. During that turn, you can set one d20 roll as natural 10. Declare before making the roll.

 

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship point with the Priestess, you can use this talent twice in one battle per arc.

Champion feat: Whenever you cast an arc wizard spell, you can ask the GM to reveal something hidden about the current scene or battle. This could be the true motives of your enemies or who sent them, an undetected trap, a stash of undiscovered treasures, a way to use the terrain to your advantage, lingering magic, a vision about the history of the place or a past event …

Epic feat: Once per arc, you can set a roll as natural 13 instead.

Claw of the Dragon Council (Rogue / The Three)

Dragons are slow schemers, and too involved in their age- and continent-spanning petty fights to deal with mere mortal matters. That’s where you come in.

 

This talent can be used once per battle. Each time you use it, you can choose between the Wrath of the Red, Charms of the Blue and Slickness of the Black powers below.

Wrath of the Red

Close-quarters power; Free action

Trigger: You damage an enemy with your Sneak Attack or Rush Attack.

Effect: The attack deals fire damage, and you deal extra ongoing damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (x2 at 5th level; x4 at 8th). The next ally to attack the target in this battle gains a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).

Charms of the Blue

Close-quarters power; Quick action

Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you gain a bonus to all defenses equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). In addition, while the bonus lasts, when an enemy misses you with an attack, they take lightning damage equal to your Charisma modifier (x2 at 5th level; x4 at 8th).

Slickness of the Black

Close-quarters power; Interrupt action

Trigger: You are attacked by an enemy engaged with you.

Target: The attacking enemy.

Effect: Make a no-trigger melee attack against the target before they resolve their attack. This attack deals poison damage. On a hit, the triggering attack against you is a miss, and the target takes a penalty to attack rolls equal to your Strength modifier until the end of its next turn (minimum 1).

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship point with The Three, you can use this talent twice in one battle per arc.

Champion feat:

• You can spend 1 Bravado to trigger Wrath of the Red on a miss.
• You can spend 1 Bravado to add your Strength modifier to your attack roll with Slickness of the Black.
• Once, while Charms of the Blue is active, you can spend 1 Bravado as a free action to take half damage from an attack.

Epic feat (requires champion feat): As champion feat, but you no longer have to spend Bravado.

 

Deathstalker (Ranger / The Lich King)

Adventurer tier Hunter talent

 

Some hunters kill to survive. Some kill for the thrill. You kill because death is power. It’s purpose. It’s inspiration. It has a mystical quality to it that you don’t quite understand yet, and you yearn for your master to teach you.

 

You gain the Death Mark power.

Death Mark

Close-quarters power; 1/battle; Quick action

Target: One nearby enemy, or a group of mooks

Effect: Against the target, increase your Lethal Hunter bonus damage by one level, and your attacks deal necro damage.

In addition, when the target is reduced to zero hp (from your own or someone else’s attack), you can heal using a recovery.

 

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship point with the Lich King, you can use this talent twice in one battle per arc.

Champion feat: When you heal from this power, you can choose to gain a skull. If you do, the recovery is free and you increase your recovery dice by one step (d8s or d12s).

Epic feat: Against the marked target, increase your critical range by 1 for each skull you have.

 

Dwarvenkind / Forge Domain (Cleric / The Dwarf King)

Choose a dwarven kin power you don’t have yet and gain that power. You can take the feats of that power.

 

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship point with the Dwarf King, you can use the chosen kin power twice in one battle per arc (if it can normally be used once per battle).

Invocation of the Forge

For each ally and yourself, choose either one weapon, one implement or one suit of armor. If that item is not a true magic item, it is enchanted for this battle as if a rune was used on it (HH 170). If the item is already a true magic item, increase its tier by one step for this battle. If the item is already epic tier, there is no effect. For carrying limits, the item still counts as its normal tier.

Epic feat: For epic tier items, the bonus now increases to +4 (the tier remains at epic).

 

Gold-Scaled Fury (Barbarian / The Great Gold Wyrm)

Your tribe hails from the Red Wastes, where you ally with the Great Gold Wyrm to fight back against what leaks from the Abyss.

 

While raging, golden scales cover your skin, granting you a +1 bonus to AC and resist demons and devils 16+. 

You also gain the Golden Roar power.

Golden Roar

Close-quarters power; 1/battle; Free action when you start raging

Target: All enemies you are engaged with OR one nearby enemy OR 1d4+1 nearby demons and devils

Attack: Strength + Level vs. MD

Hit: Damage equal to twice your level. Choose fire or psychic damage. If the target is now staggered, it is also dazed until the end of your next turn.

Miss: —

 

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship point with The Great Gold Wyrm, you can use this talent twice in one battle per arc.

Champion feat: Golden Roar affects one additional target for each icon relationship point with the Great Gold Wyrm you possess.

Epic feat: Increase the AC bonus to +2.

Hell-Touched Veteran (Fighter / The Diabolist)

War has no winners, only survivors. You’ve been there, in the hell holes, and you only came back because you were let go — for a price.

 

The first time you gain Momentum in a battle, roll 1d6 to gain the ability listed on the table below.

 

1 – *Burning Gaze:* This battle, whenever an enemy attack causes you to lose Momentum, deal fire damage equal to twice your level to the attacker.

 

2 – *Demonic Resilience:* This battle, while you have Momentum, gain a +2 bonus to PD.

 

3 – *Demonic Speed:* This battle, while you have momentum, you have a second move action on your turn instead of a quick action. (You can still downgrade it into a quick action if needed.)

 

4 – *Demonic Regeneration:* This battle, at the start of your turn, if you have Momentum, heal hit points equal to twice your level.

 

5 – *Warped Mind:* This battle, while you have Momentum, gain a +2 bonus to MD. In addition, if an enemy misses you with an attack against your MD, they take psychic damage equal to twice your level.

 

6 – *Soulcarver:* This battle, while you have Momentum, increase your critical range with fighter melee attacks by 2.

 

Adventurer feat: If you have at least one icon relationship point with the Diabolist, roll twice and choose one.

Champion feat (requires adv. feat): If you have at least one icon relationship point with the Diabolist, once per arc, gain two abilities that battle.

Epic feat: Increase the PD, MD and critical range bonus to +3.

 

Imperial Heritage (Sorcerer / The Emperor)

Over the Ages, Emperors sired many bastards, and at least one of them is among your ancestors. While you are too far removed to ever have a serious claim on the throne, there is something distinctly royal about your aura.

 

The protective aura of the Emperor allows you to use Charisma instead of Dexterity when calculating your Armor Class and Physical Defense.

 

You can use your Unearthly Glamour class feature (HH 164) once per arc without swapping out another spell. 

 

Adventurer feat: The spell now also grants a +3 bonus to Charisma checks nearby allies make.

Imperial Overspill Effect

royal decree; 1/arc

If one of the attack rolls of the next empowered spell you cast this battle is a natural even miss, that roll is a hit instead. If you roll no even misses, or the spell has no attack roll, you can instead heal using a recovery after casting it.

 

Champion feat: If you have an Icon relationship with the Emperor, you can use royal decree twice per arc, but not in the same battle.

Epic feat: If you roll no even miss, royal decree is not expended.

 

Leaf-Crowned Knight (Paladin / The High Druid)

Adventurer-tier talent

 

You have sworn to protect the sacred groves in the wilderness where the followers of the High Druid gather. In return, the High Druid grants you her blessings.

Wild Speech

You can speak with natural animals as if you shared a language. This doesn’t make them friendly or cooperative, but they will understand your words and you understand theirs.

Thornvine Smite

This power is the same as your Paladin Smite and expends a use of Smite, but has the following additional effect. Until the end of your next turn, the target takes a penalty to disengage checks equal to your Charisma modifier, and if it fails a check to disengage from you, it takes poison damage equal to your Smite bonus damage.

Barkskin Blessing

This power is the same as your Lay on Hands and expends a use of Lay on Hands, but has the following additional effect. The target also gains a +3 bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.

 

Adventurer feat: Once per arc, you can reroll a skill check related to natural animals or natural environments. Gain a +3 bonus to the reroll if you have at least one Icon relationship point with the High Druid

Champion feat: If you have at least one Icon relationship point with the High Druid, your Barkskin Blessing now heals additional hit points equal to twice your level.

Epic feat: Thornvine Smite now also deals damage if the enemy stops being engaged with you, regardless of whether that’s through moving away, disengaging, popping free, teleporting and so on.

 

March of the Crusade (Bard / The Crusader)

The preferred “musical instrument” of the Crusader are the tortured screams of his enemies.

 

This talent functions as one of your Bardic Instrument talents (HH 76).

 

Instrumental Adventurer Feat: You gain all benefits listed as Crusade adventurer feats for combat riff, healing, miss-effect, and keynote of this talent.

Instrumental Champion Feat: (requires adv) Ditto, but for the champion feats.

Instrumental Epic Feat: (requires champ) Ditto, but for the epic feats.

Splitting Chord (Crusade Combat Riff)

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle; Free action after hitting with a bardic melee attack

Target: The creature you hit with the melee attack.

Effect: The target takes a -1d4 penalty to all defenses until the end of your next turn.

Adventurer feat: If the target is a demon or devil, it also takes holy damage equal to your Charisma modifier (x2 at 5th level; x4 at 8th level).

Champion feat: When fighting demons or devils, you can use this power twice per battle.

Epic feat: Against demons and devils, the penalty is -1d8.

The Last Stand (Crusade Healing)

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle; Quick action

Target: One nearby ally at or below 0 hp

Effect: The target can spend a recovery to heal. The next time the target is reduced to 0 hp by an enemy attack, deal necro damage equal to your Charisma modifier (x2 at 5th level; x4 at 8th) to that attacker.

Adventurer feat: Deal damage to all enemies nearby to the ally instead.

Champion feat: Until the end of the battle, the target gains a +2 bonus to their critical range.

Epic feat: You can target a second ally at 0 hp.

Infernal Gambit (Crusade Miss effect)

Close-quarters spell; Once per battle; Interrupt action when a nearby or far-away enemy misses with an attack. Target: The creature that missed.

Effect: You give the target a choice. Either, it takes half of the damage a hit would have dealt as psychic damage. OR, it can choose to reroll the attack. A hit resolves normally, but if the reroll is a miss, the target takes the full damage of a hit as psychic damage instead of any other effects.

Adventurer feat: (no additional effect)

Champion feat: The reroll takes a penalty equal to the escalation die.

Epic feat: If the reroll is a miss, the targeted ally can heal using a recovery.

March into Hell (Crusade Keynote)

You gain a +1 bonus to all defenses against demons and devils. You also double your bardic hit point thresholds against demons and devils to determine whether you can affect them with your spells.

Adventurer feat: Gain a +1 bonus to skill checks related to demons and devils.

Champion feat: Gain a +1 bonus to your critical range against demons and devils.

Epic feat: Increase the bonuses to +2.

Crusader’s Overture (Crusade Overture)

Special: You gain this spell if you have both the Overture (HH 84) and March of the Crusade talents.

Ranged spell; At-will

Target: One nearby ally

Effect: The ally makes a no-trigger melee attack against any target they are engaged with. If the target is a demon or devil, the attack gains a +2 bonus to its critical range. You can trigger your combat riff if the attack hits. On a natural 1-5, you take psychic damage equal to your level.

 

Runemarked Berserker (Barbarian / The Archmage)

Adventurer-tier talent

 

The Archmage has many enemies, usually powerful spellcasters. While they are of course protected by powerful wards and abjurations, a swift swing with an axe to the neck can still take them out. For that purpose, the Archmage employs a strike team of wild berserkers that are enhanced by tattooed runes.

 

Choose a wizard spell that is imbued in your rune tattoo markings. You can cast that spell as a wizard, at your level, with the following limitations and changes:

• You cannot choose at-will spells.
• You can choose a spell from the utility spell list (but you only get that spell — you don’t get the flexibility of spontaneously deciding which utility spell to cast).
• You can change the spell at each full heal-up.
• If the spell can target you, you have to choose yourself as (one of the) targets.
• Replace Intelligence with your highest physical ability score.

5th level: Choose two spells instead.

 

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship with the Archmage, you can now choose three different wizard spells. Casting one of the three spells locks in your choice for the arc; you cannot cast the others.

(Starting at 5th level, you can cast two of the chosen spells per arc.)

Champion feat: Once per arc, when you score a critical hit with a melee attack,, you can regain one expended spell gained from this talent.

Epic feat (replaces adv. feat): Choose a third spell.

Cleptomancy (Wizard / The Prince of Shadows)

The deeper your mind pierced into the veil that separates the mundane from the arcane realm, the more often it heard a voice, whispering, promising, bargaining …

 

Whenever you cast a wizard arc spell that hits at least one enemy, you can choose one of the enemies you hit. Pick one effect from the list below.

• Steal attack prowess: Until the end of your next turn, the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, and you gain a +2 bonus.
• Steal resolve: Until the end of your next turn, the target takes a -2 penalty to PD and MD, and you gain a +2 bonus.
• Steal health: Use a recovery to heal and heal half the amount of the recovery roll. The target takes necro damage equal to the amount of hp healed.
• Steal an item: Pickpocket an item from the target that they are not holding and teleport it into your own pockets.
• Steal knowledge: Learn something the target knows and you don’t (chosen by the GM).

 

Adventurer feat: If you have an Icon relationship with The Prince of Shadows, they have shared stolen knowledge with you. Swap one of your wizard spells for a spell from any other class. GMs should refer to the Bard’s Jack of Spells ability (HH p. 83) for guidance and limitations on this ability.

Champion feat: …

Epic feat: Increase the attack and defense bonuses and penalties to +3.

Special thanks to Legofed3 and Superwash.