Builder's Manual · Chapter 6

Techniques Reference

A grab-and-go catalogue of pre-built techniques organised by genre and tier. Pull techniques directly, rename them, combine elements, or use them as inspiration. The tiers and costs are the only constraints.

How to Use This Reference

Each technique has a name, tier (1–5), cost (equals tier), and a short description. When you create a technique for a player, write it on their character sheet with name, tier, and description. The player spends tech points to activate it.

You do not need to use these exactly. Reskin, rename, combine, or invent your own. This reference exists to save you time at the table.

Fantasy

Tier 1 (Cost 1)

Spark — Create a small flame or spark. Light a torch, ignite flammable material, or dazzle an opponent for one round.
Light — Produce a ball of light that illuminates a 10 m radius for one hour.
Ward — Place a minor protective ward on an object or doorway. Lasts until triggered or dismissed.
Mend — Repair a small broken object (a lock, a cracked lens, a torn page).
Whisper — Send a short message to a creature you can see. They hear it in their mind.

Tier 2 (Cost 2)

Fireball — Launch a ball of fire at a target or area. Deals 2d10 fire damage in a 5 m radius.
Heal — Restore 2d10 hit points to a creature you touch.
Invisibility — Turn invisible for one minute. Attacking or casting breaks the effect.
Shield — Project a barrier that grants +20 to dodge for one round.
Tongues — Understand and speak any spoken language for one hour.

Tier 3 (Cost 3)

Wall of Force — Create an invisible, impassable wall up to 10 m long and 3 m tall. Lasts 10 minutes.
Mind Reading — Read the surface thoughts of a creature you can see for one minute. WIL opposed roll to resist.
Lightning Bolt — A bolt of lightning deals 4d10 damage in a line. DEX 15+ save for half.
Animate Object — Bring a non-living object to life. It follows your commands for one hour.
Restoration — Cure disease, neutralise poison, or end one magical effect on a creature.

Tier 4 (Cost 4)

Storm of Blades — Summon a whirlwind of spectral blades in a 10 m radius. Deals 3d10 to all creatures inside, each round for 3 rounds.
Zone of Silence — Create a 15 m radius zone where no sound escapes. Lasts one hour.
Polymorph — Transform a willing creature into a different form for one hour. They retain their stats but gain new physical abilities.
Telekinesis — Move objects or creatures (up to 500 kg) with your mind. Can be used to throw, lift, or restrain.
Mass Suggestion — Suggest a course of action to up to 12 creatures. WIL save to resist. Effect lasts 8 hours.

Tier 5 (Cost 5)

Resurrection — Bring a dead creature back to life. The creature must have been dead for no more than 7 days.
Teleport — Instantly transport yourself and up to 5 willing creatures to a location you have visited or can clearly visualise.
Time Stop — Stop time for everyone except yourself for one round. You can act freely while time is frozen.
Wish — Alter the fabric of reality to grant a single wish. The GM decides the exact effect and any consequences.
Meteor Swarm — Call down a swarm of meteors on a 20 m radius. Deals 10d10 fire damage. DEX 20+ save for half.

Sci-Fi

Tier 1 (Cost 1)

Scan — Detect life forms, energy sources, or structural weaknesses within 50 m.
EMP Ping — Disable electronic devices within 5 m for one round.
Holo-Mirror — Project a perfect holographic disguise of yourself or another creature for 10 minutes.
Data Spike — Interface with a computer or network. Make a free INT check to extract or insert data.
Nano-Mend — Release nanites that heal 1d10 hit points over one minute.

Tier 2 (Cost 2)

Shield — Project an energy barrier that absorbs up to 30 damage before failing.
Hack — Override a single electronic system (a door, a turret, a vehicle) for one hour.
Telekinetic Push — Shove a creature or object up to 100 kg up to 10 m away.
Conceal — Bend light around yourself or a 3 m area, granting +20 to stealth for one hour.
Overclock — Enhance a willing creature's next action. They add +20 to one roll.

Tier 3 (Cost 3)

Cloak — Become invisible to sensors and naked eye for 10 minutes. Movement does not break the effect.
Gravity Well — Create a zone of intense gravity in a 10 m radius. Creatures inside move at half speed and take 2d10 damage per round.
Mindjack — Take partial control of a creature's motor functions. WIL opposed roll to resist. On success, you choose their next action.
Phase Shift — Become intangible for one round. Pass through solid matter. Cannot attack or be attacked.
Chain Lightning — A bolt of lightning arcs between up to 4 targets. Each takes 3d10 damage.

Tier 4 (Cost 4)

Orbital Strike — Call down a precision energy beam from orbit. 6d10 damage to a single target, 3d10 to adjacent creatures.
Singularity — Create a small black hole that pulls all objects within 15 m toward its centre. Deals 4d10 damage per round.
Neural Override — Temporarily shut down a creature's conscious mind. They are unconscious for 1d10 minutes. WIL save to resist.
Hard Light Constructs — Create solid-light weapons, barriers, or tools that last for one hour.
System Purge — Completely reboot and cleanse an electronic system of all foreign influence, viruses, and modifications.

Tier 5 (Cost 5)

Time Loop — Trap a 100 m radius area in a 30-second time loop. Only you are aware. Lasts until you dismiss it.
Singularity Bomb — Create an unstable singularity that detonates after one round. 10d10 damage in a 20 m radius. Everything is pulled in first.
Mind Transference — Swap consciousnesses with another creature. Both bodies are stunned for one round. WIL opposed roll to resist.
Planar Shift — Transport yourself and up to 5 willing creatures to another plane of existence.
Omega Beam — A devastating energy beam that ignores armor. 8d10 damage to a single target.

Horror

Tier 1 (Cost 1)

Sense Aura — Detect supernatural presences, emotional states, or hidden auras within 20 m.
Ghost Touch — Touch a spectral or incorporeal creature as if it were solid.
Whisper — Send a psychic message to a creature within 1 km. They hear it as a voice in their mind.
Chill — Lower the temperature around a single target. They feel uneasy and take –5 to their next roll.
Blood Read — Touch a drop of blood and see the last moments of the creature it came from.

Tier 2 (Cost 2)

Fear — Project a wave of terror. All creatures within 10 m must roll WIL or flee for 1d10 rounds.
Possess — Inhabit an unconscious or willing creature for up to 1 hour. You control their body.
Blood Hex — Curse a creature you can see. They take 1d10 damage per round until the hex is broken.
Incorporeal Form — Become ghost-like for one minute. Pass through solid matter. Cannot interact with the physical world.
Shadow Step — Teleport to any shadow within 50 m.

Tier 3 (Cost 3)

Spirit Walk — Project your consciousness outside your body. You can observe, listen, and communicate, but cannot interact physically. Lasts 1 hour.
Curse — Place a powerful curse on a creature. Choose an effect: constant pain (–10 to all rolls), wasting (lose 1 CON per day), or madness (random behaviour). Only removable by specific conditions.
Nightmare — Trap a sleeping creature in a nightmare. They take 2d10 psychic damage per hour and cannot benefit from rest.
Animate Dead — Reanimate a corpse as a zombie or skeleton under your control. Lasts until destroyed or dismissed.
Dominate — Take control of a creature's mind. WIL opposed roll to resist. On success, they obey you for one hour.

Tier 4 (Cost 4)

Mass Suggestion — Plant a thought in the minds of up to 12 creatures. They believe the suggestion is their own idea. WIL save to resist.
Terror — Become a focal point of absolute terror. All creatures within 20 m must roll WIL or be paralysed with fear for 1d10 rounds.
Soul Drain — Drain the life force of a creature. You heal to full HP; they take 4d10 damage and are exhausted for 24 hours.
Astral Projection — Project your spirit to any location you have visited. Your body is comatose and vulnerable.
Veil of Shadows — Blanket a 30 m radius in supernatural darkness. No light source can penetrate it. Lasts one hour.

Tier 5 (Cost 5)

Plane Shift — Transport yourself and up to 5 willing creatures to another plane of existence.
Resurrection — Bring a dead creature back to life. The soul must be willing and available.
Unmake — Erase a creature from existence. They do not die — they simply stop having ever existed. WIL save to resist. This is a permanent effect.
Eternal Night — Plunge a 1 km radius into permanent darkness and cold. No magical light or heat can penetrate it. Lasts until dispelled.
Mass Domination — Take control of the minds of every creature within 100 m. WIL save to resist. Lasts one hour.

Wuxia

Tier 1 (Cost 1)

Palm Strike — A ranged melee attack. Strike a target up to 5 m away with a blast of qi. Deals 1d10 damage.
Feather Step — Move across any surface — water, walls, rooftops — as if it were solid ground. Lasts 10 minutes.
Iron Skin — Harden your skin with qi. Gain +5 to DR for one minute.
Pressure Point — Strike a specific nerve cluster. Target is stunned for one round. WIL save to resist.
Qi Sight — See the flow of qi in living things. Detect hidden creatures, illusions, and magical effects.

Tier 2 (Cost 2)

Qi Blast — Channel a concentrated blast of qi at a target. Deals 3d10 damage in a 5 m cone.
Drunken Fist — Enter a state of controlled chaos. Gain +20 to Brawling for one minute, but –10 to all other rolls.
Leap — Jump up to 30 m in any direction. You land safely.
Stone Skin — Your body becomes as hard as stone. Gain +15 to DR for one minute.
Mirror Image — Create 1d4 illusory copies of yourself. Each copy absorbs one hit before vanishing.

Tier 3 (Cost 3)

Hundred Strikes — Unleash a rapid flurry of 100 strikes in one round. Each strike deals 1d10 damage. All strikes target the same creature.
Stone Skin (Greater) — Your body becomes as hard as mountain stone. Gain +30 to DR for one minute.
Iron Fist — Your fists become as hard as steel. Unarmed attacks deal 3d10 damage and ignore armor.
Qi Shield — Project a barrier of qi that absorbs up to 50 damage before failing.
Dragon Step — Move through the air as if walking on ground. Flight speed equals your ground speed. Lasts 10 minutes.

Tier 4 (Cost 4)

Mountain Throw — Lift and throw a massive object (boulder, vehicle, building section) up to 30 m. Deals 6d10 damage in a 5 m radius.
Heavenly Strike — A single, perfect strike that channels all your qi. Deals 8d10 damage to one target. Can only be used once per day.
Iron Body — Your entire body becomes invulnerable. Gain +50 to DR and immunity to critical hits for one round.
Qi Clone — Create a perfect duplicate of yourself with half your HP. It can fight independently for one minute.
Shadow Dance — Enter a state of pure movement. You cannot be hit by any attack for one round.

Tier 5 (Cost 5)

Dragon's Breath — Exhale a torrent of qi fire in a 20 m cone. Deals 10d10 damage. Creatures at 0 HP are incinerated.
Immortal Body — Your body becomes immortal. You are immune to all damage for one minute.
Heavenly Ascension — Ascend to a higher state of being. For one hour, all your rolls gain +20, you can fly, and you regenerate 1d10 HP per round.
Palm of the Mountain — Strike the ground with such force that a 30 m radius is shaken. All creatures take 8d10 damage and are knocked prone.
Void Palm — A single strike that severs the target's connection to their own qi. They cannot use techniques for 24 hours.

Modern / Contemporary

Tier 1 (Cost 1)

Silver Tongue — Your next persuasive statement is treated as if you rolled a critical success.
Sharp Eye — Perfect recall of everything you've seen in the last hour. Play back details as if watching a recording.
Jury Rig — Repair any non-electronic device with whatever is at hand. Takes one minute.
Read Body Language — Detect lies, hidden emotions, or concealed intent in a creature you can see.
Street Smart — Intuit the nearest safe house, black market contact, or escape route in any urban environment.

Tier 2 (Cost 2)

Hijack — Override any electronic system — car, security, communication — for one hour.
Silver Tongue (Mass) — All creatures within 5 m must roll WIL or be convinced of your next statement.
Dead Drop — Mark a location that only you can find. Store up to 10 kg of items there for up to 24 hours.
Combat Focus — Enter a state of heightened awareness. Gain +10 to all combat rolls for one minute.
Ghost — Erase all traces of your presence — digital, physical, forensic — in a 10 m radius.

Tier 3 (Cost 3)

Deep Cover — Create a flawless false identity. It holds up to any scrutiny except magical or technological analysis.
Network — Access any closed network, database, or surveillance system within 1 km for one hour.
Manipulate — Plant a false memory in a creature's mind. They believe something happened that did not. WIL save to resist.
Sniper's Focus — Your next ranged attack has +30 to hit and ignores all cover.
Body Double — Create an exact physical duplicate of yourself. It can act independently for one hour.

Tier 4 (Cost 4)

Mass Suggestion — Suggest a course of action to up to 12 creatures. They believe the suggestion is their own idea. WIL save to resist.
Network Crash — Disable all electronic systems within 1 km for one hour.
Phantom — Become undetectable by any electronic or physical means for one hour.
Blackout — Create a zone of total electronic silence in a 100 m radius. No signals, no surveillance, no communication.
Reputation — Call in a favour from any organisation, faction, or powerful individual within the city. They provide one significant service.

Tier 5 (Cost 5)

System Override — Take control of every electronic system in a city for one hour. Cameras, vehicles, communications, power grid.
Deep Memory — Erase or alter the memories of every creature within 1 km. They remember only what you want them to.
Ghost Protocol — Become a ghost in the system. All records of your existence are erased. You cannot be tracked, found, or identified by any means.
Omega Lockdown — Seal a building, block, or city district. Nothing enters or leaves without your permission.
Puppet Master — Control the actions of up to 5 creatures simultaneously. WIL save to resist. Lasts one hour.

Designing Your Own

Use these examples as a starting point. When designing techniques for your setting:

Tier 1 should be useful but minor. A cantrip, a trick, a small edge.
Tier 2 should be reliable in combat or social encounters. A bread-and-butter ability.
Tier 3 should change the shape of an encounter. A big play.
Tier 4 should be rare and decisive. A moment the table remembers.
Tier 5 should be legendary. A story-altering event. Most characters never reach this.

The tiers and costs are the only constraints. The fiction is yours to build.

Manual updated Sep 17, 2026.