Hello Jadebearers,

It's gonna be a week before backers have access to the draft version of Chapter 5, which covers Jade Powers. But that doesn't mean we can't take a peek now...

The Jadebearers of Eos possess a combination of powers, known as Edges, Sorceries, and Chains. This chapter explains each of these power categories, their requirements, and what each one does when wielded. These benefits can be as simple as granting an Enhancement to your character’s action or a Complication to an opponent’s, or as intricate as a succession of spells, dynamic moves, and destructive infernal magics. 

Edges are innate talents born of a person’s experience, training, or unique traits. They are either available for all characters to purchase or have prerequisites based on a character’s Hook Path or Attributes. Some are restricted to bloodlines, Nethers, and Disciplines, with these Edges innate to those Paths. These Edges are detailed at the end of those Paths’ write-ups (in Chapter Two: Paths into the Jadestorm) and duplicated in this chapter for clarity.

Edges are inherent abilities. They don’t require activation and are “always on” or available to use in specific situations. Edges might require a character to satisfy certain requirements in order to be selected during character creation or acquired with experience points later in game play. Edges can never be taken from their owners. 

Edges represent talents a character acquires or develops over the course of their lifetime due to their bloodline, cultural origins, and philosophical callings. What they’ve been taught, or how they’ve been raised, all play a part in defining a Jadebearer’s Edges.

Where any Edge lists multiple prerequisites, a character need only fulfil one of these prerequisites to access the Edge, i.e., Navigator can be purchased by a character from Marasalis or a character that’s corimii.

A rare few Edges are specific to bloodlines, Nethers, and Disciplines, where most have prerequisites based on the parts of your character’s Hook Path or Attributes. These Edges are described in Chapter Two: Paths into the Jadestorm and are repeated here.

Hook Path Prerequisite: Lampyr, Kir Sento, Ludensulaes, Collectors of the Sacred Cinder

You can alter the composition of matter. Once per session, you can change the elemental composition of a non-living item or effect you can sense with a simple Esoterica + Intellect action (e.g., turn a fire into mist; change a steel sword into water; transmute rain to acid, etc.). The difficulty of this action varies depending on its size. If it occupies a space smaller than a humanoid, it’s difficulty 1. If it’s larger than a humanoid but smaller than the Area, it’s difficulty 2. If it’s the size of the Area, it’s difficulty 3. After the scene ends, the alchemy does not automatically revert.

Hook Path Prerequisite: Corimii, Dracon, Lepora, Mantodea, Vulpa, Arag’dinae Vast

You have an affinity for beasts. They enthusiastically see you as their master. Choose one kind of animal (e.g., scorpions, spiders, eagles, snakes, wolves). You can communicate with them in their own chittering, howling, or snarling language. You gain +1 Enhancement when convincing the animal of your choice to do as you ask. 

Hook Path Prerequisite: Animae, Dracon, Ash-Daun, Soleos, Stalwarts of the Righteous Blade

Lesser animals scatter in your wake and wither beneath your imposing gaze. Impose a Minor Complication to all Nascent tier targets in medium range attempting hostile actions against you. If any of those targets fail to resolve the Complication, they suffer the Stunned or Terrified status effect (player’s choice). 

Nether Path Prerequisite: Jade of the Beastfather Below

You possess visual features of whichever animal you favor most, endearing those beasts to you wherever you find them. You gain +2 Enhancement on all influence actions with this animal.

You’re gifted with words and can quickly put together a good cover story that bewilders and captivates others. You impose a Minor Complication on those who try to detect your lie, if not bought off they gain the Confused status effect.  

Discipline Path Prerequisite: Duskheart

The Darkness area effect and the Blinded/Deafened status effect do not offer Complications or difficulty modifiers on your attempts to take combat actions against targets in the Area.

Edge Prerequisite: Frenzy

When you kill a character or reduce them to Taken Out as with the Frenzy Edge, your second attack automatically carries the Brutal tag. If you kill or reduce the second target to Taken Out, you recover 1 injury. 

Hook Path Prerequisite: Animae, Dracon, Vulpa, Arag’dinae Vast, Kir Ob-Tani, Ascetics of the Petal Order

It’s hard to perceive your presence. You gain +1 Enhancement on attempts to hide or avoid scrutiny.

Hook Path Prerequisite: Animae, Kir Sento, Cultivators of the Living Sublime, Smiths of the Shining Future

Your skin sparkles with mineral studs and glistens with a crystalline sheen. Gain 1 natural armor box and +1 Enhancement on attempts to draw attention to yourself. This Edge cannot be purchased if you have the Statue Edge.

Skill Prerequisite: Close Combat ••

Your combat prowess allows you to wield two weapons as a regular combat action or your crafting skill enables you to use two tools simultaneously. 

When making a Close Combat action for attacking with two weapons, roll once for each weapon. Any hits generated from a successful second weapon attack can only be used to damage a target’s armor. These hits can also be used to purchase non-damaging Combat Tricks. You can only wield two weapons with the Heavy Weapon tag if you have Might •••••. This can be stacked with the Rapid Edge.

Hook Path Prerequisite: Lepora, Arag’dinae Vast, Soleos, Stalwarts of the Righteous Blade

When you successfully kill or reduce a foe to Taken Out, you may immediately take another simple combat action against another target. 

Edge Prerequisite: Industrious

When a piece of machinery or gear is broken, you make a difficulty 0 Technology + Resolve action to fix it. This action has a Minor Complication, which if unresolved results in you breaking the item after its next use.

Hook Path Prerequisite: Mantodea, Ludensulaes, Collectors of the Sacred Cinder

You can enhance your items with the ability to steal vitality. Any item you wield, no matter how mundane, gains the Multiuse tool tag and one weapon tag from Soul Drinker or Vampiric.

Edge Prerequisite: Arcanist, Channeler, Elementalist, Lifestealer, Maker, Tormentor

You can craft an item of stunning brilliance. Any object you wield gains the Multiuse tool tag and any one weapon tag from Deadly, Deceptive, Holy, or Quick.

Discipline Path Prerequisite: Cloud Dancer

So long as there is something tangible beneath you, up to and including liquid in cloud form, you can walk on it with a reflexive difficulty 0 Athletics action. If the material wouldn’t ordinarily support your weight, the action comes with a Minor Complication, which if not bought off results in you falling from/through it.

Nether Path Prerequisite: Jade of the Hollow King

You can tap deeply into memory and existence. Once per session, you can erase the soul of a creature you kill, leaving no spirit behind and preventing resurrection or undeath.

Hook Path Prerequisite: Vulpa

None can tell by looking at you or with magic how many Jade cinders you bear, allowing you to choose to appear as not a Jadebearer, or indeed, as the most powerful Jadebearer around (with the consequences that follow). An active deception still requires an influence action, but to casual observers your Jadebearer nature is as obfuscated or as apparent as you choose for it to be.

Edge Prerequisite: Merciful

You can expend your own life to bring succor to others. On a Medicine action, you can expend 1 injury to purchase an additional hit. You can do this with as many injuries as you’re prepared to sacrifice.

Hook Path Prerequisite: Lampyr, Vulpa, Ash-Daun, Soleos, Collectors of the Sacred Cinder

Once per session, you can identify a sanctuary in the Wilds where you can take shelter overnight or during hostile weather. It’s up to the Storyguide whether it’s occupied.

You are connected to an ancient civilization or fallen realm once found in the Wilds. In ancient ruins of the Wilds, you gain +1 Enhancement to solving puzzles and +1 Enhancement to negotiating with sentient wardens of these places. This also generates a Moderate Complication when interacting in areas where being of Wildblood is seen as a drawback, which if not bought off reduces the attitude of those aware of it.

Just a small sampling of some of the Edges in this book. We'll see them all in one week!

Tomorrow: Sorceries!