You claim to have mastered our Discipline, but remember, there’s more than one way to skin a dyre. Watch. Listen. I will explain how talents may be extended to work in many different situations.
— Arnestien, elven Nethermancer
The number of talents available to adepts in the Earthdawn game provides players with many options for customizing their characters. But, even with that variety, some adepts developed and focused their magic to allow specialized uses for their talents. These are called talent knacks (sometimes just knacks) and provide more options for character flavor and customization.
Knacks with the Standard Effects keyword provide the standard effect(s) of the associated talent in addition to the effect(s) of the knack.
Without the Standard Effects keyword, only the knack’s effect(s) apply.
The adept can use one knack per use of a talent, unless stated otherwise.
They can learn total knacks up to their unaugmented talent rank. This isn't the required talent rank, but the discrete number of knacks.
Deste has Danger Sense rank 8, meaning they can currently learn up to eight Danger Sense knacks total. If they increase their Danger Sense to rank 9, they can learn another Danger Sense knack.
If a knack can be applied to multiple talents, the adept chooses which one applies at the time they learn it. The knack must be learned separately for each talent.
All knacks are still considered to be the governing talent when used.
A Destructive Shout test is considered a Battle Shout test.
If a knack can be learned through multiple talents, it is always used with the talent it was learned through.
Knacks cost the same as a Novice talent of the required Rank. This is found in the Talent Cost Table (Player’s Guide, p. 450).
The adept must meet all requirements to learn the knack.
Skills cannot meet requirements unless specifically noted or the required ability is realistically only available as a skill (e.g., Artisan and Knowledge skills).
The adept must meet one of the knack’s restrictions to learn it.
These can include (but are not limited to) a minimum Circle in a Discipline, a Namegiver or Namegiver ability, membership in an organization, minimum Attribute Value, etc.
Skills cannot meet restrictions unless specifically noted or the required ability is realistically only available as a skill (e.g., Artisan and Knowledge skills).
The Step used when using the knack. This uses the associated talent's rank, but may not use the same attribute. Verify this before making the test.
Not all knacks types contain this information — See Special Knack Types.
The action type associated with the knack.
This may not be the same as the associated talent and some knacks may specifically change the associated talent's action type. Verify this when considering how to use the knack.
Not all knacks types contain this information — See Special Knack Types.
The Strain cost of using the knack.
This cost is cumulative if using multiple knacks at once (assuming the knacks allow this stacking).
There may be additional rules regarding Strain in the text or if one of the knacks requires Blood Magic Damage.
Not all knacks types contain this information — See Special Knack Types.
This notes if the knack can be learned as a skill.
If yes, only the effects of the knack are learned as a skill of the same name. The effect may be modified as described at the end of the knack entry.
The skill cannot be used in the same round as other skills derived from knacks of the same governing talent; i.e., no using skills to get around restrictions knacks face.
The skill rank is used to determine the Step as indicated in the knack description.
The character doesn't need to know the associated talent — though may be limited by the associated skill rank.
They have ranks and are learned and advanced like other skills (Player’s Guide, p. 450).
The cost for improving the skill is listed — this uses the Skill Training Table. If the skill uses a tier higher than listed on the table (Warden or Master), extrapolate the costs appropriately (e.g., Warden costs start at 500 Legend Points and Master costs start at 800 Legend Points).
Some knacks are explicitly allowed to be combined with other knacks.
In this case, use the lowest Action Step of the associated knacks, use the greatest action time (Sustained > Standard > Simple > Free), and the total Strain cost of all knacks must be paid.
Most knacks are learned from a tutor who knows the knack. It's possible for an adept to develop a knack on their own, but it takes more time and many adepts prefer to focus their efforts in other areas.
Most adepts choose to learn knacks as part of their training for a new Discipline Circle, often seeking out a mentor who knows the knack they wish to learn.
However, knacks can be learned at any time, the adept just needs to find a suitable mentor, who will require payment (often silver, but some mentors may request other services in place of, or in addition to, cash).
Each talent knack is associated with a particular talent and, like talents, is learned through meditation and study. Unlike talents, knacks aren't improved. Once learned, a knack may be used whenever appropriate, and usually uses the associated talent for any required tests.
The adept must know the indicated talent at the specified rank or higher. Only the adept’s actual talent rank matters. Like qualifying for Circle advancement, bonuses from threads or other magical effects don't count.
Adepts may only learn knacks for talents they know through their Discipline.
Talents learned through Versatility or another ability not tied to a Discipline (for example, a windling learning Astral Sight through their racial ability rather than through a Discipline) may not be used to qualify for a knack.
To learn a talent knack, the adept must:
Training lasts for the rank requirement days and the adept can only learn one knack at a time. Adepts typically charge 50 sp a day, but this can vary widely and more powerful adepts may not be interested in money at all.
Some knacks are based on the Thread Weaving talent. Because each Discipline has its own unique version of this talent, some special rules apply.
Not all thread weaving knacks are available to all Disciplines. If the description indicates specific Thread Weaving talents (for example, Elementalism, or Thread Smithing), the knack is only available through those talents. If it says “magician only,” the knack is available to any Discipline that casts spells and uses Thread Weaving to attune matrices.
Unless otherwise noted, Thread Weaving knacks available to multiple Disciplines only need to be learned once.
There are different special knack types which have different limitations and usage. They use specific formats to conserve space and only present the relevant information.
These knacks improve either the originating talent or another knack. If a different knack isn’t specified, it improves the talent and knacks with “Standard Effects.”
An augment knack is always used as a Free action as part of the associated ability and doesn’t count against usage limitations unless noted otherwise.
Multiple augment knacks can be applied to the same ability use — all costs must be paid. If one of the abilities requires the Strain to be taken as Blood Magic Damage, all Strain from augments must also be taken as Blood Magic Damage.
The effect provided by an augment requires the associated ability to be successful unless noted otherwise.
These knacks include the following headings:
Enchanting knacks may be freely combined with other enchanting knacks.
These knacks include the following headings:
Improved spell knacks are Patterncraft knacks with differences from typical knacks.
They're learned as other knacks, but their Legend Point cost is the same as the associated spell; it's based on the spell’s Circle, not the Patterncraft rank requirement.
Using these knacks isn't considered using Patterncraft for the purposes of limitations on how many times the talent can be used and usage of these knacks is a Free action.
These knacks change a spell’s effects as indicated in the description by taking the listed Strain.
The adept must have the Learn Improved Spells knack, allowing them to learn up to their Pattercraft rank in improved spell knacks. If the adept wants to acquire more, they can purchase Learn Improved Spells again to learn additional improved spell knacks up to their Patterncraft rank. Improved spell knacks cannot be learned for spells the adept doesn't know.
If the adept meets the restriction for an improved spell knack through a Path or similar group, it doesn't count towards the Patterncraft rank limitation. However, if they're severed from the group, the adept loses all improved spell knacks learned through that restriction, even if they meet other restrictions.
Spirits know many tricks with their native powers and can be persuaded to teach them to Namegivers, though there's always a steep price for giving away such knowledge. If a spirit encounters an improved spell knack for a spell they possess, they learn them on their own with little practice as the magic comes quite naturally.
Horrors don’t develop improved spell knacks as naturally as spirits, but intelligent Horrors may possess them and know the secrets of many more. Particularly those for spells based on their powers. They're almost always willing to teach these to Namegivers and their terms often seem reasonable.
Improved spell knacks are listed on the associated spell's page.
These knacks include the following headings:
Karma knacks allow the adept to spend Karma in different ways and can be used in addition to the Karma abilities adepts learn through their Discipline(s), unless otherwise specified in the description.
Using these knacks is a Free action and there is no limit to the number of times they can be used, paying all costs, unless otherwise specified. However, they can still only be used once per test.
These knacks aren't considered to be using the associated talent for limitations on knack or talent usage.
These knacks include the following headings:
These Thread Weaving knacks detail the requirements for joining a specific Path.
They're required to join the associated Path and purchased as part of the initiation process.
Path knacks don't have the same costs as other knacks. The cost for learning the knack is detailed in the knack entry.
These knacks include the following headings:
Special maneuvers can be used freely with the appropriate test (listed in the description).
The adept must pay the indicated extra successes and other listed costs — some special maneuvers have a fixed cost in successes, while others allow the adept to pay a variable number with the effect increasing proportionally — the other costs (e.g., Strain) may be included as a flat cost or per success spent.
Special maneuvers cannot be used on unsuccessful tests, thus the test must always have at least one success which cannot be used for special maneuvers.
Successes spent don't decrease the result, but a success can only be spent once.
Special maneuvers also don't count towards limits on how many knacks can be used.
These knacks include the following headings: