Numenera Character Wright Abilities

Type Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5 Tier 6
auto Pools Starting Values: Might - 9, Speed - 7, Intellect - 12

Bonus Pools Values: You get 6 additional points to divide among your stat Pools however you wish.

Effort: Your Effort is 1.

Inventor: You have an Intellect Edge of 1, a Might Edge of 0, and a Speed Edge of 0.

Cypher Use: You can bear three cyphers at a time.

Weapons: You can use light weapons without penalty. You have an inability with medium and heavy weapons; your attacks with medium and heavy weapons are hindered.

Skills: You are trained in crafting numenera. In addition, you are trained in a crafting skill in which you are not already trained. Choose one of the following: salvaging numenera, understanding numenera, engineering, woodcrafting, armoring, weaponsmithing, or another crafting skill of your choice. You have an inability in salvaging numenera and understanding numenera. Enabler. The crafting numenera skill also applies to any task to repair numenera objects or structures. Similarly, mundane crafting skills apply to the repair of associated items. In either case, if a Wright attempts to repair an object or structure they personally crafted, they gain an asset to the repair task.

Community Builder: While you are present within the community, and actively and personally working on behalf of that community, +3 is added to the community’s infrastructure. Enabler.

Artefact: You start with numenera plan of the artefact up to 1d6 level. This plan requires only half of resources to build the artefact. Chosen artefact plan is subject to GM approval.

Starting Equipment: You start with clothing, one weapon, an explorer’s pack, a book about crafting, three cyphers (chosen by the GM), one oddity (chosen by the GM), a box of crafting tools, and 5 shins (coins). If you start with a ranged weapon that requires ammunition (arrows, for example), you start with 12 of that type of ammunition. Before selecting your weapons, armor, and other gear, you might want to wait until after you’ve chosen your abilities, descriptor, and focus.

Starting Iotum: In addition to your starting equipment, you start with 4 units of io and 4 units of responsive synth. You also have 6 units of parts.

Inspired Techniques: You have a special talent for crafting and can create objects and structures that others can barely imagine. These talents are called inspired techniques. Some inspired techniques are constant, ongoing effects, and others are specific actions that usually cost points from one of your stat Pools. You gain some of your inspired techniques using special numenera tools. For instance, when you use Scan for Iotum, it’s probably from a device that you’ve either made, found, or been given.
Choose two of the inspired techniques described below. You can’t choose the same inspired technique more than once unless its description says otherwise. You can keep track of these in the Special Abilities section of your character sheet.

Wright Player Intrusions: you can spend 1 XP to use one of the following player intrusions, provided the situation is appropriate and the GM agrees.
- Device Perfection: a device or installation works even better than you expected it would, at least in this instance. Maybe the range is twice as long, the duration is 100% longer, or the effect itself is 50% stronger.
- Crafting Insight: you are inspired, and you finish crafting the object or structure earlier than was expected (maybe even halving the total time).
- Tinkering Vision: you know exactly what cypher can help with task at hand. You know that you have all right instruments and high quality parts. This cypher will be temperamental and will only work in your hands. To power it up you need at least 1 unit of iotum and/or burned-out (used) cypher. Time to make it depends on the situation, but no more than 1 hour.
 Artefact: You start with numenera plan of the artefact up to 1d6 + 1 level. This plan requires only half of resources to build the artefact. Chosen artefact plan is subject to GM approval.

Inspired Techniques: Choose one of the following inspired techniques (or an inspired technique from the first tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your first-tier inspired techniques with a different inspired technique from the first tier.
 Expert Cypher Use: You can bear four cyphers at a time.

Improved Community Builder: A community continues to gain +3 to infrastructure due to your influence. However, you do not need to be constantly present in and actively working on behalf of the community for it to gain this benefit; it gains it merely because of your past crafting work in the community. Enabler.

Artefact: You start with numenera plan of the artefact up to 1d6 + 2 level. This plan requires only half of resources to build the artefact. Chosen artefact plan is subject to GM approval.

Inspired Techniques: Choose one of the following inspired techniques (or an inspired technique from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier inspired techniques with a different inspired technique from the same lower tier.
 Artefact: You start with numenera plan of the artefact up to 1d6 + 3 level. This plan requires only half of resources to build the artefact. Chosen artefact plan is subject to GM approval.

Inspired Techniques: Choose one of the following inspired techniques (or an inspired technique from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier inspired techniques with a different inspired technique from the same lower tier.
 Master Cypher Use: You can bear five cyphers at a time.

Artefact: You start with numenera plan of the artefact up to 1d6 + 4 level. This plan requires only half of resources to build the artefact. Chosen artefact plan is subject to GM approval.

Inspired Techniques: Choose one of the following inspired techniques (or an inspired technique from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier inspired techniques with a different inspired technique from the same lower tier.
 Artefact: You start with numenera plan of the artefact up to 1d6 + 4 level. This plan requires only half of resources to build the artefact. Chosen artefact plan is subject to GM approval.

Recruit Deputy: You gain a level 4 follower. They are not restricted on their modifications. Enabler.

Inspired Techniques: Choose one of the following inspired techniques (or an inspired technique from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier inspired techniques with a different inspired technique from the same lower tier.
option Additional Numenera Plans: You gain two additional numenera plans. You can take this ability multiple times. When you advance to a higher tier and have the option of replacing one of your existing inspired techniques, you can't replace Additional Numenera Plans. Enabler.
 Additional Training: You are trained in two additional crafting skills of your choice. Enabler.
 Adept Builder: When you attempt a crafting task, you lower the assessed difficulty for creating a complex object or structure by one step. For example, if the assessed difficulty for creating a level 3 installation would normally be 6, for you the assessed difficulty is 5 (this also reduces the crafting time). If you’re trained or specialized in a relevant crafting skill (which you likely are), that could reduce the assessed crafting difficulty to 4 or 3, also reducing the time to build even more. Enabler.
 Boost Artifact (2 Intellect points): An artifact you activate with your next action functions as if it were two levels higher. Action.
 Town Pride: While you’re in a community that currently benefits from your Community Builder or Improved Community Builder special ability, your Might Edge, Speed Edge, and Intellect Edge all increase by 1. When you make a recovery roll in this community, you recover twice as many points. You can gain the benefit of this inspired technique even if you’re not in the community, as long as you have visited within the last three days. Enabler.
 Juggernaut (9 Intellect points): You call upon your connection to one installation you’ve built or repaired to become a singleuse weapon of immense destruction, though this also destroys the installation. While you are within a community that currently benefits from your Community Builder or Improved Community Builder ability, you can select an installation of level 5 or higher within very long range. The installation launches itself like a massive missile at a target you specify within very long range of the installation and then detonates, inflicting 20 points of damage on all targets within short range. This destroys the installation. Targets who successfully defend still suffer 8 points of damage. Action.
option Extra Use (3 Intellect points): You attempt to gain an extra use from an installation or artifact without triggering a depletion roll. The difficulty of the task is equal to the level of the installation or artifact. If you crafted the installation or artifact, you gain an asset to the task. On a failure, the depletion roll occurs normally. You could also try to use a cypher without burning it out, but the task is hindered. A failed attempt to gain an additional use from a cypher destroys it before it can produce the desired effect. Action.
 Boost Cypher (2 Intellect points): The cypher you activate with your next action functions as if it were 2 levels higher. Action.
 Community Awareness (4 Intellect points): While you are within a community that currently benefits from your Community Builder or Improved Community Builder ability, you can ask the GM a very simple, general question about that general area, such as “Are there enemies trying to sneak over the wall?” or “Is someone watching the flower shop?” or “Is there a Nano sensor active by my home?” If the answer you seek is not in the area, you receive no information. Action.
 Confounding Jargon (4 Intellect points): You begin to discuss the intricacies of crafting numenera, which goes completely over the heads of most creatures but is sufficient to distract a target within immediate range until your next turn. You and each of your allies gain an asset on one interaction, attack, or defense task associated with the target before your next turn. This ability doesn’t work on creatures you can’t talk with. Action.
 Boost Cypher Function (4 Intellect points): Add 3 to the functioning level of a cypher that you activate with your next action, or change one aspect of its parameters (range, duration, area, etc.) by up to double or down to one tenth. Action.
 Master Machine (8 Intellect points): You can control the functions of a machine you have bonded with, including installations, intelligent or otherwise. In addition, if you use an action to concentrate on a machine, you are aware of what is going on around it (you see and hear as if you were standing next to it, no matter how far away you are). You must touch the machine to create the bond, but afterward, there is no range limitation. This bond lasts for one week. You can bond with only one machine at a time. Action to initiate.
option Natural Crafter: All commonplace objects or structures you craft are effectively 1 level higher than an average example of that object or structure. For instance, if you craft a defensive wall that would normally be level 4, its effective level is 5. Enabler.
 Disable Machine (3+ Intellect points): With a few deft touches, you infuse a powered device of level 3 or lower with conflicting instructions. If affected, the device is destroyed or disabled for at least one minute, depending on its size and complexity. The GM may rule that the disabling effect lasts until the device is repaired. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to increase the maximum level of the target by 1 for each level applied. Thus, to overload a level 5 device (two levels above the normal limit), you must apply two levels of Effort. Action.
 Device Insight (3+ Intellect points): When examining any numenera device, you can ask the GM one question about the device to gain an idea of its capabilities or functions, how it can be activated or deactivated, what its weakness is, how it can be repaired, or any other similar query. This ability is for difficult or strange things beyond those readily identified by understanding numenera. The GM may require a roll whose difficulty is equal to the device’s level; however, you gain two assets to any such task, and training in the understanding numenera skill also applies. Each time you use this ability on the same device after the first use, you must apply one additional level of Effort. Action.
 Energy Redirection (5+ Intellect points): You take the time to closely study a bit of scrap, machine, cypher, artifact, or other numenera object or structure. When you’ve finished, you can drain the energy from it and redirect it elsewhere. Iotum are burned out. Cyphers are rendered useless. Artifacts, installations, vehicles, and automatons must make a depletion roll. You can redirect the energy from the target object to restore 1 Might point per level of the target object. Alternatively, you can redirect the energy into a depleted cypher, artifact, installation, vehicle, or automaton that has a level equal to or less than the drained object. If the device isn’t broken, it gains one additional use and then becomes depleted and broken. Each additional level of Effort you apply increases the maximum level of the object you can recharge. Action to initiate, ten minutes to complete.
 Rapid Builder: When you attempt a crafting task, you lower the assessed difficulty for creating a complex object or structure by three steps. (This replaces Adept Builder and Faster Builder, if you took either of those; you can exchange those abilities for another tier 3 and tier 5 inspired technique.) Enabler.
 Usurp Cypher: Choose one cypher that you carry. The cypher must have an effect that is not instantaneous. You destroy the cypher and gain its power, which functions for you continuously. You can choose a cypher when you gain this ability, or you can wait and make the choice later. However, once you usurp a cypher’s power, you cannot later switch to a different cypher—the ability works only once. Action to initiate.
option Right Tool for the Job (1 Intellect point + iotum): If you have at least 1 unit of iotum, you can fashion a temporary device that provides an asset to one physical, noncombat task, identified ahead of time. For example, if you need to climb a wall, you could create some sort of climbing assistance device; if you need to break out of a cell, you can tune iotum in your possession to serve as a lockpick; if you need to create a small distraction, you could trigger an iotum to make a loud bang and flash; and so on. Once fashioned, the adapted iotum lasts for about a minute or until used for the intended purpose. This use destroys the iotum. Action to prepare the iotum; action to initiate.
 Impressive Device (3 Intellect points or iotum): If you have at least 1 unit of iotum, you can fashion a temporary device that causes some kind of impressive visual or audio display, such as colored lights that form a tracery over your entire body and change according to your mood and desire. The effect lasts for one minute. During this period, all your interaction tasks gain an asset. Once fashioned, the adapted iotum lasts for about a minute or until used for the intended purpose. This does not destroy the iotum. Alternatively, you can choose to have this destroy the iotum, in which case there is no Intellect cost. Action to prepare the iotum; action to initiate.
 Follower: You gain a level 2 follower. One of their modifications must be for crafting, such as crafting numenera. You can take this ability multiple times, each time gaining another level 2 follower. The GM may require that you spend time seeking out a suitable follower as a long-term task as opposed to merely gaining one. Enabler.
Faster Builder: When you attempt a crafting task, you lower the assessed difficulty for creating a complex object or structure by two steps. (This replaces Adept Builder, if you took that; you can exchange that ability for another tier 3 inspired technique.) Enabler.
 Improved Follower: You gain a level 3 follower. They are not restricted on their modifications. You can take this ability multiple times, each time gaining another level 3 follower. Alternatively, you could choose to advance a level 2 follower you already have to level 3 and then gain a new level 2 follower. Enabler.
 Summon Sferic (8+ Intellect points): A sferic (Destiny, page 275) appears within a few days after you construct a simple beacon designed as a lure. If you apply an additional level of Effort as part of the call, the sferic is amenable to your instructions toward building an object or structure; otherwise, it acts according to its nature (which means it might still build something for you, but you risk havingyour mind plucked from your head when you make your request). The sferic remains until it finishes creating the structure you asked of it or it is attacked (in which case it defends itself and then leaves). Action to initiate, three days to construct beacon and summon sferic.
option Scramble Machine (2 Intellect points): You render one machine within short range unable to function for one round. Alternatively, you can hinder any action by the machine (or by someone attempting to use the machine) for one minute. Action.
 Interaction Skills: You are trained in two skills in which you are not already trained. Choose two of the following: deceiving, persuading, public speaking, seeing through deception, or intimidating. You can select this ability multiple times. Each time you select it, you must choose two different skills. Enabler.
 Modify Cyphers: You can take any two cyphers and quickly jury-rig a new cypher of the same level as the lowest-level cypher. You determine the function of the new cypher, but it must be that of a cypher you have used before (but not necessarily one for which you have plans). The new cypher is a temperamental cypher, like those created with your Always Tinkering ability. The original two cyphers are consumed in this process. This ability does not function if one or more of the original cyphers are temperamental. Action.
 Knowing the Weak Points: You gain +3 damage when attempting to damage a device, automaton, or other machine. Enabler.
 Modify Artifact Function (5 Intellect points): You can take an artifact and any two cyphers and quickly jury-rig a new artifact of the level of the lowest-level cypher. You determine the function of the new artifact, but it must be that of an artifact or cypher you have used before (but not necessarily one for which you have plans). The GM sets the depletion of the new artifact, if applicable (it will usually be a bit worse than the original artifact). The two cyphers and the original artifact are consumed in this process. The original cyphers cannot be temperamental cyphers. Action.
option Trigger Iotum Ray (1 Intellect point or iotum): If you have at least 1 unit of iotum, you can trigger it to release a short-range ray of force that inflicts 3 points of damage. This does not destroy the iotum. Alternatively, you can choose to have this destroy the iotum, in which case there is no Intellect cost. Action.
 Knowledge Skills: You are trained in two skills in which you are not already trained. Choose two areas of knowledge such as history, geography, archeology, and so on. You can select this ability multiple times. Each time you select it, you must choose two different skills. Enabler.
 Quick Armoring (4 Intellect points + io): You can siphon the residual energy in io (the eponymous iotum) to integrate and reinforce a layer of tightly wrapped clothing or encompassing cloaks that you wear. This requires at least one io, although it is not consumed in the process. For the next hour, you gain +2 to Armor. Action to initiate, one minute to complete.
 Machine Bond: From very long range, you can activate and control a device (including an installation, automaton, or vehicle) that you have bonded with. For example, you can detonate a cypher even when it is held by someone else, or cause an installation turret to fire where you direct. Bonding is a process that requires 28 hours of meditation in the presence of the machine. Action.
 Modify Artifact Power (6 Intellect points): You permanently add +1 to the level of an artifact of up to level 5. The difficulty of this task is equal to the modified higher level of the artifact. If the task is failed, the artifact makes a depletion roll and is not advanced in level. Once modified, the artifact can’t be similarly boosted again. Action.
option Trained in Armor: You can wear armor for long periods of time without tiring and can compensate for slowed reactions from wearing armor. You can wear any kind of armor. You reduce the Speed Effort cost for wearing armor by 1. If you choose this as one of your starting inspired techniques, you start the game with armor of your choice. Enabler.
 Make Do With Available Iotum (3+ Intellect points): Given an hour or so, you can figure out a way to substitute one kind of iotum called for in a plan with another kind of iotum, as long as the iotum you use is at least 1 level higher than the iotum originally called for. Alternatively, you can make do with 1 unit less than the number of units called for by the plan (to a minimum of 1 unit). For each additional level of Effort you apply, you can reduce the number by an additional unit, to a minimum of 1 unit. You can never substitute more than one kind of iotum per individual crafting task, though you could simultaneously substitute an iotum and decrease the number of units required by applying additional Effort. Action to initiate, one hour to complete.
 Skill with Attacks: Choose one type of attack in which you are not already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are trained in attacks using that type of weapon. You can select this ability multiple times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of attack. Enabler.
 Quick Mind Boost: You can siphon the residual energy in a single iotum to enhance your Intellect Edge by +1 for one minute. The iotum is destroyed. This ability does not allow you to enhance your Edge by more than +1. Action.