Infant's First Words
Minimum Linguistics: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero quickly learns language through immersion in it. After the hero spends 1 full day among native speakers of a single unknown language, he gains the ability to communicate basic ideas in that language. This understanding is barely enough to allow the hero to ask directions, buy goods, find food, and express the most basic of emotions. His accent is thick, and his tongue is clumsy, but at least he isn't completely lost in the language. These rudimentary language skills fade rapidly if the hero has a conversation in a language she knows, vanishing in a number of days equal to her Heroism or Linguistics, whichever is lower. This crude knowledge also fades if the hero does not hear the language spoken for one full day.
Poet's Soul
Minimum Linguistics: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
There is no limit to the number of specialties the hero may purchase in her Linguistics Ability, though she may not specialize in any single language more than three times.
Natural Code-Breaker
Minimum Linguistics: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequite Edges: None
The target number of all the hero's Linguistics checks related to breaking a secret code or translating lost languages is reduced by 1. The hero cannot botch Linguistics checks related to breaking codes or translating lost languages.
Natural Linguist
Minimum Linguistics: 5
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: Infant's First Words
The hero learns new languages readily. If she has a teacher and devotes 5 weeks to studying a language, she may learn a new language without spending Experience points to do so. There is no limit to the number of languages the hero may learn in this fashion. If the hero cannot find a professional teacher who knows the desired language, she may learn it from anyone who speaks that language (provided they share a common tongue with the hero) in twice the usual time. The hero cannot learn extra languages without the aid of a fluent speaker of the desired language.
Geography of the Tongue
Minimum Linguistics: 4
Minimum Heroism: 3
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero is attuned to nuances of dialect and can determine a speaker's native tongue after listing to her speak for only a short time. In addition, the hero can determine the speaker's childhood home on a successful Perception + Linguistics (counting any specialties for the language in question as additional dice, for this purpose) check. With more successes, the hero might even be able to determine where the speaker learned additional languages, where she has been living for the last few years, and other details of her linguistic history based entirely on dialectical evidence. A speaker who is interested in concealing her origins may make a contested Manipulation + Linguistics (counting any specialties for the language in question as additional dice, for this purpose) against the hero's Perception + Linguistics check.
Fountain of Knowledge
Minimum Lore: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero is a repository of random trivia. The target number of all the hero's Lore checks related to commanding knowledge is reduced by 1, and the hero cannot botch Lore checks related to commanding knowledge.
Mantle of Priesthood
Minimum Lore: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero is a member of a specific deity's priesthood. For purposes of making prayers or offerings to the being in question, the hero counts as a priest and cannot botch checks related to correctly honoring a spirit of whose priesthood he is a member. This Edge may be purchased more than once, to a maximum number of times equal to the hero's Heroism or Lore, whichever is lower, and each additional application causes the hero to count as a member of another deity's priesthood. Some gods are more jealous than others or consider certain gods enemies, and a mortal must be careful about splitting his loyalties between two or more gods.
Shamanic Lore
Minimum Lore: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero has had regular contact with spirits and is familiar with a wide range of gods, elementals, and possibly even demons. The target number of all the hero's Lore checks related to spirit lore is reduced by 1, and the hero cannot botch Lore checks related to spirit lore.
See Beyond the Shroud
Minimum Lore: 4
Minimum Heroism: 3
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero can sense the presence of dematerialized ghosts, spirits, and elementals within her Heroism in yards. This often makes it easier to recognize corpses belonging to hungry ghosts and war ghosts, as well as those possessed by Nemissaries. It can also prevent the hero from being surprised by the sudden materialization of a lurking spirit. This Edge does not allow the hero to see, hear, or interact with these dematerialized beings in any way.
Scavenger's Eye
Minimum Lore: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
Prerequisite Edges: Fountain of Knowledge
The hero can tell with little more than a glance whether an item was created during the First Age.
Crane Teaches Cobra Technique
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero adds her Heroism in dice to all Martial Arts parries, though the hero must have actions available with which to parry.
Crane Guards the Young Technique
Minimum Martial Arts: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero may parry attacks directed at anyone within her Heroism in yards using her Martial Arts Ability provided she could normally parry that kind of attack and has parry actions available to her.
Empty Hand Parry
Minimum Martial Arts: 3
Minimum Heroism: 3
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero may parry lethal strikes as though wearing fighting gauntlets even if unarmed. The hero's unarmed attacks still inflict bashing damage.
Crane Teases Tiger Defense
Minimum Martial Arts: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
Prerequisite Edges: None
Whenever the hero successfully parries an attack (counters all successes) with her Martial Arts Ability, that attacker subtracts the hero's Heroism in dice from his next attack roll.
Combat Medic
Minimum Medicine: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
Provided the hero has bandages (improvised or otherwise) on hand and spends one turn ministering to the wounded, he may staunch bleeding from one minor wound (1-2 health levels) automatically or staunch the bleeding of more serious wounds (3 or more health levels) by succeeding a Wits + Medicine check at a difficulty of 1.
Advanced Herbalism
Minimum Medicine: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The target number for the hero's Medicine checks to treat diseases is reduced by 1 and the hero never botches Medicine rolls related to treating disease.
Battlefield Surgery
Minimum Medicine: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: Combat Medic
The number of patients the hero may treat for infections is doubled and the hero never botches Medicine rolls related to treating infections.
Healing Presence
Minimum Medicine: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
Prerequisite Edges: Battlefield Surgery
If the hero tends only one patient and takes no other significant action while doing so, the patient heals more quickly, halving the time wound levels take to heal. This Edge is cumulative with other Edges, Heroics, and Charms.
Ambidexterity
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero suffers no penalties for wielding a weapon in his off-hand.
Shield Parry
Minimum Melee: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
Whenever the hero uses a shield to parry an incoming attack, she adds her Heroism in dice to the parry.
Paired Assault
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: Ambidexterity
If the hero is wielding one weapon in each hand, she can attack or parry once with each without suffering penalties for multiple actions. For the purposes of calculating dice penalties for multiple actions, these two Melee actions count as a single action. A hero who makes three attacks, for example, would suffer a -2 penalty on the first two attacks and a -3 on the third instead of a -3 penalty on the first action, a -4 on the second, and a -5 on the third.
Poor Soldier's Method
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
If the hero is wielding a long-hafted weapon such as a spear, staff, or poleaxe in both hands, opponents have a harder time getting close to the hero. The target number of attacks made against the hero in hand-to-hand combat is increased by 1.
Knowing the Shield's Purpose
Minimum Melee: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Prerequisite Edges: None
The hero may use a shield once a turn to make a Reflexive parry against an attack of which he is aware, though he loses the normal benefit of the shield until his next action. Bucklers may only be used to make a Reflexive parry against hand-to-hand attacks. Target and tower shields may be used to parry both hand-to-hand and missile attacks.
Simultaneous Attack
Mimimum Melee: 3
Minimum Heroism: 3
Prerequisite Edges: None
If the hero wins initiative (or waits a turn) and holds his action until the target's next attack, she may opt to attack at the exact moment her opponent, who must be within hand-to-hand range, does. The hero cannot dodge or parry the target's attacks this turn, but the target cannot parry or dodge the hero's attacks this turn except by means of Reflexive Charms or Heroics.