Chapter 10: The 12 Skill Trees

Organization of the four Stat groups, the four Stat 20+ Masteries, the twelve skills with their verbs and modifiers, and the Master Modifier Reference.

Organization

Stat	Basic Tree	Learned Tree 1	Learned Tree 2
Dexterity	Move	Strike	Conceal
Constitution	Block	Exert	Shape
Intent	Focus	Channel	Surge
Spirit	Consume	Mend	Commune

Each tree has one verb and two modifiers.

Stat 20+ Mastery Unlocks

When a Stat reaches 20 or higher, the Contractor unlocks a mastery.

Stat 20+	Unlock	Effect
Constitution	Heavy Armor Mastery	Wear heavy armor effectively. Without this, heavy armor imposes -4 Dexterity and disadvantage on physical Skill Checks. With it, use the normal heavy armor values.
Dexterity	Dual Wielding	Wield a one-handed weapon in each hand. Strike attacks hit with both weapons simultaneously, combining damage before subtracting AP.
Intent	Magik Amplifier	Attune one Crystal Shard to a staff or Coiltech item as a permanent focus. When making a Channel or Surge Skill Check through that focus, you may reroll either the tens die or the ones die once. You must keep the new result. The attuned shard is consumed during attunement.
Spirit	Connection Mastery	Bond with a Paca as a permanent familiar and commune with elder natural creatures without immediate hostility.

A Stat can reach 20 through base roll, race modifier, gear, accessory, prosthetic, Coiltech, or other specific equipment sources. Once unlocked, a mastery remains unlocked even if the Stat later drops.

Move: Dexterity Basic

Move is getting somewhere or getting out of the way.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Move	Free	Traverse space. Reactively, dodge an incoming attack with Dexterity.
Speed	5 Motivation	Add a free Move to the action.
Evasion	5 Motivation	On success, avoid exposure, retaliation, or positional cost attached to the action. On a reactive dodge, the attacker cannot target you again until your next turn. Failure still has normal consequences.

Block: Constitution Basic

Block is taking the hit, standing between danger and what it wants to reach.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Block	Free	Roll Constitution to keep incoming damage from adding to the marked damage against protection.
Fortitude	5 Motivation	Make a bracing, resisting, holding, enduring, or blocking action guaranteed. No Skill Check.
Protection	5 Motivation	Redirect the action to benefit or shield an ally within reach.

Focus: Intent Basic

Focus is noticing, understanding, concentrating, and holding the mind steady.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Focus	Free	Study a target, perceive, concentrate, or mentally defend. Successful Focus grants advantage on the next relevant action.
Perception	5 Motivation	Reveal hidden information through the action.
Resolve	5 Motivation	Harden the action against interruption. A sustained effect established with Resolve can be sustained without spending an Action until the scene changes.

Focus can identify specific parts: hand, eye, armor seam, wing, mechanical joint, exposed power coupling. A follow-up hit can affect that part in addition to normal damage.

Consume: Spirit Basic

Consume is taking something in, processing it, or drawing from it.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Consume	Free	Eat, drink, channel a Crystal Shard, meditate, or absorb something into the body.
Drain	5 Motivation	Extract something from the target. Deal 1 damage ignoring AP and heal yourself for the same.
Darkness	5 Motivation	Remove light and visibility around the action.

Strike: Dexterity Learned

Strike is hitting something.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Strike	Free	Deal weapon damage to a target. Most basic attacks use Dexterity.
Precision	5 Motivation	Ignore AP. Against Contractors, exclude the ignored protection from the AP calculation for that hit.
Momentum	5 Motivation	Attack and move in one fluid action.

Conceal: Dexterity Learned

Conceal is hiding, deceiving, and controlling what others perceive.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Conceal	Free	Hide yourself or an object from detection.
Silence	5 Motivation	Make the action undetectable by sound.
Deception	5 Motivation	Create a false alternative reality for observers.

Exert: Constitution Learned

Exert is applying raw physical force.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Exert	Free	Shove, break, force, tackle, power swing, or apply brute strength.
Fury	5 Motivation	Double effect on success. On failure, attacks against you have advantage until your next turn.
Sweep	5 Motivation	Spread the effect across all valid Adjacent targets.

Shape: Constitution Learned

Shape is making, fixing, and modifying physical things.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Shape	Free	Manipulate materials, repair gear, restore quality, improvise tools, patch equipment.
Improvisation	5 Motivation	Work with whatever is available. Results are temporary.
Enhancement	5 Motivation	Add a property to gear until Town Leave.

Shape is the primary field repair verb.

Channel: Intent Learned

Channel is controlled, sustained energy through a medium.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Channel	Free	Push steady energy through hands, staff, weapon, or body.
Fire	5 Motivation	Add heat and combustion.
Frost	5 Motivation	Add cold and ice.

Surge: Intent Learned

Surge is sudden, volatile energy.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Surge	Free	Release a burst: tremor, pulse, shock, sudden force.
Lightning	5 Motivation	Add electrical force. Ignores metal armor AP.
Gale	5 Motivation	Add kinetic wind force.

Mend: Spirit Learned

Mend restores living bodies.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Mend	Free	Heal 1d5 Current HP or stabilize injuries.
Vitality	5 Motivation	Restore 2d5 Current HP or remove one non-Maimed Wound.
Purifying	5 Motivation	Remove one negative condition.

Mend can stop bleeding from Laceration or Puncture even if the Wound itself persists.

Commune: Spirit Learned

Commune connects with living beings and systems.

Skill	Cost	Rule
Commune	Free	Inspire, communicate, read nature, connect with animals or allies.
Inspiration	5 Motivation	All allies in range regain 2 Motivation on success.
Growth	5 Motivation	Use or command plant life if natural material is nearby.

Master Modifier Reference

Modifier	Home Tree	Stat	Universal Meaning
Speed	Move	Dexterity	Add a free Move to the action.
Evasion	Move	Dexterity	Avoid exposure or follow-up trouble on success.
Precision	Strike	Dexterity	Bypass defenses and protections.
Momentum	Strike	Dexterity	Fuse the action with forward motion.
Silence	Conceal	Dexterity	Make the action undetectable by sound.
Deception	Conceal	Dexterity	Create a false alternative reality.
Fortitude	Block	Constitution	Guarantee bracing, resisting, holding, enduring, or blocking.
Protection	Block	Constitution	Redirect action to shield an ally.
Fury	Exert	Constitution	Double effect on success, expose self on failure.
Sweep	Exert	Constitution	Spread action across targets in reach.
Improvisation	Shape	Constitution	Use available materials temporarily.
Enhancement	Shape	Constitution	Improve existing target with a property.
Perception	Focus	Intent	Reveal hidden information.
Resolve	Focus	Intent	Protect concentration and sustain effects.
Fire	Channel	Intent	Add heat and combustion.
Frost	Channel	Intent	Add cold and ice.
Lightning	Surge	Intent	Add electrical force.
Gale	Surge	Intent	Add kinetic wind.
Drain	Consume	Spirit	Extract something from the target.
Darkness	Consume	Spirit	Remove light and visibility.
Vitality	Mend	Spirit	Restore HP or remove a wound.
Purifying	Mend	Spirit	Remove a negative condition.
Inspiration	Commune	Spirit	Bolster allies.
Growth	Commune	Spirit	Use or command plant life.

Chapter 10: The 12 Skill Trees

On this page