Overview
Extra-Normal Perks
AX.C.08.03 (Odd Talent-based)
Extra-Normal Perks govern access to Odd Talents, the supernatural, super-human, syonic, technological or any otherwise unexplained power systems that exist beyond the normal Talent library. Extra-Normal Perks essentially operate as gateways. They define whether a character has access to and can improve a specific category of power.
The Odd Talent itself, its mechanics, dice pool, and application, is governed by AX.C.04.
A Genre Catalog creates a fiction specific application of the Universal Categories e.g. the Andrus Elemental Traditions, the Hidden World's Power Traditions and the Iron Lattice's Harmonic Traditions. These details will be found in the 08.xx section(s) of each catalog.
This section defines the essential access mechanism and the Universal Category framework.
Extra-Normal Quick Reference
Access Rules Summary
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Duplicate access from two sources | Receive the Odd Talent at 1D, no Talent budget cost |
| No access granted | Cannot purchase or use Odd Talent traditions (see note) |
| Genre Catalog downtime access grant | Setting-specific; defined in Genre Catalog |
No Access Caveat
Genre Catalogs may provide methods by which characters can gain access to Odd Talents. Training, rituals, exposure to energies or some other genre specific criteria.
Three Universal Categories
In planning a genre neutral core-rule system we surveyed a large number of extra-normal abilities present in the TTRPG space. As we reviewed the systems, common themes became apparent leading to the adoption of our broad universal category framework. It allows creators to build new systems or adapt existing systems to AxiomRPG with a clear grounding for how the powers apply mechanically.
| Category | Domain | Default Attribute | Backlash Tendency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Force | Energy, information, physical causation | Wit | Energetic, force turns back on practitioner or environment |
| Resonance | Probability, time, consciousness, hidden information | Wit or Speed | Perceptual, overwhelm, confusion, perception trap |
| Form | Physical transformation of biological, material, or constructed subjects | Body or Wit | Structural, lasting physical traces, failed or locked transformations |
Fully Defined Special Abilities
| Ability | Category | Key Mechanic | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danger Sense | Resonance Adjacent | Never surprised; +1D Initiative and Speed Saves | Passive |
| True Seeing | Resonance Adjacent | See through active concealment; sincerity detection | Passive / 1×/scene |
| Shapeshifting (Tier 1) | Form | Alter superficial features; Threshold 2 | Short Rest |
| Shapeshifting (Tier 2) | Form | Alter significant structure; Threshold 3 | Long Rest |
| Shapeshifting (Tier 3) | Form | Full form replication; Threshold 4 | Full Rest |
| Shapeshifting (Tier 4) | Form | Mass/state shift; Threshold 5+ | Full Rest |
| Luck | Resonance Adjacent | Reroll entire Challenge once/session | Session |
Access
When a Lineage or Profession grants access to an Odd Talent:
- The character can train the granted Odd Talent like any other Talent.
- The character may improve the Odd Talent through normal Advancement (AX.C.12) at the standard cost: current value × 2 XP per die.
- The character may purchase a Focus within the Odd Talent at Focus cost (current Talent value in XP per Focus die, max 3D), following standard Focus rules.
Without Access: A character who has not been granted access to an Odd Talent tradition may not train or use a Tradition, regardless of available XP or training time. Access must be granted by a Lineage, Profession or a specific Progression Track unlock; it cannot be purchased independently.
Multiple Access Grants
At generation, if a character receives access to the same Odd Talent from both their Lineage and their Profession, the duplicate access grants 1D in the tradition (the character begins with 1D at no Talent budget cost).
If a character receives access to two different Odd Talents (one from Lineage, one from Profession, or a Progression Track unlock), they manage both Talents independently. Each is purchased and improved separately.
Progression Track Access
A Profession's Progression Track may grant access to a specialized Odd Talent or Special Ability in place of a standard Earned Perk. The details of the Stage Perk provides details on how the Odd Talent or Special Ability applies in play.
Universal Tradition Categories
Odd Talents in AxiomRPG fall into one of three universal categories. These categories define the domain of reality the Talent manipulates, its default Attribute tendency and its design scope.
The three categories are Force, Resonance, and Form.
Genre Catalog Odd Talents are defined by one of these three categories. The category does not restrict mechanics; it provides a familiar reference point and ensures cross-catalog compatibility if characters from different settings interact.
Genre Catalog Special Ability Reference List
The following abilities require setting-specific fiction or mechanics to be fully defined. Genre Catalogs should specify the full mechanical entry using the format established in 07.1 and 07.2 when implementing these. Brief descriptions are provided for reference.
| Ability | Category | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|
| Astral Projection | Resonance | Separate consciousness from body; interact with a non-physical layer of reality. Mechanics depend on what that layer is in the setting (astral plane, Silicon Demi-Plane, etc.) |
| Time Dilation | Force/Resonance | Alter personal temporal experience relative to environment. Requires setting definition of how time manipulation works and its limits |
| Phasing | Form | Pass through solid matter. Requires definition of what "solid" means, energy cost, and interaction with solid-matter combat |
| Energy Conversion | Force | Absorb one energy type and re-emit it as another. Requires setting definition of available energy types and conversion limits |
| Perfect Memory | Resonance | Total recall of experienced events. Primarily a narrative ability; mechanical application depends on how information works in the setting |
| Aura Reading | Resonance | Perceive the Odd Talent activity, emotional state, or alignment of a creature. Requires setting definition of what "aura" contains |
| Immortal | Form | Cannot die of age; may be immune to some or all lethal damage types. Requires setting definition of what kills an Immortal and what the social/narrative cost is |
| Clone Network | Form | Maintain multiple simultaneous physical bodies. Requires setting definition of consciousness distribution and what happens when a clone is destroyed |
| Quantum Existence | Form/Resonance | Exist in multiple probability states simultaneously. Requires setting definition of how quantum states interact with standard physical reality |
| Void Walking | Force/Form | Move through dimensional space between locations. Requires setting definition of what "void" or dimensional space is |
| Beast/Spirit/Machine Speech | Resonance | Communicate with non-sapient category of entity. Mechanic is simple (Wit + Attunement vs variable Threshold); what entities are available depends entirely on setting |
| Hive Mind | Resonance | Share consciousness with a networked group. Requires setting definition of network size, privacy, and what shared perception means mechanically |
| Curse/Blessing Immunity | Resonance | Cannot be targeted by specific power type. Requires setting definition of what constitutes a Curse or Blessing in that genre |
| Wild Shape | Form | Transform into a specific category of creature (animals, machines, constructs). Sub-type of Shapeshifting, use Shapeshifting tiers with Genre Catalog creature list |
Design Notes
Special Abilities vs Traditions: A Tradition (like Temporal Harmonics or Arcane) generates many effects from a small set of Disciplines. A Special Ability does one specific thing. If a power system is generating more than five or six distinct named abilities, it is probably a Tradition and should be defined as such. If it does one specific, powerful, narrow thing, it is a Special Ability.
Balancing Special Abilities: Every Special Ability assigned to a player character should carry a meaningful limit: usage frequency (once/session, once/rest), scope restriction (self only, Near range maximum), activation cost (Primary Action, Full Round), or setting/social consequence. The Genre Catalog is responsible for defining this balance for setting-specific Special Abilities. The four Fully Defined abilities above have their limits built in, do not remove them when implementing.
The Genre Catalog's responsibility: This section defines the framework. Genre Catalogs define the content within it. A Fantasy Genre Catalog fills in Force Traditions with Arcane Philosophies, defines Celestial/Infernal as sub-types, and implements Wild Shape as a Form Tradition Special Ability. A Sci-Fi Genre Catalog fills in Force Traditions with energy-type manipulation and psitech, defines Clone Network mechanically, and may have no Faith-labeled traditions at all. Both are using the same three-category scaffold correctly.