Path of the Tactician

The Path of the Tactician teaches you to move your allies like pawns on the chess field of battle. This Path is recommended for INT-focused support characters who want to lead their team through careful strategy.

**Requirements:** Ridiculous Plan (Scholar)

**Path Completion Bonus**: +1 Intelligence

## Core Abilities

**The Endgame**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Passive

For every 6 abilities purchased in the Path of the Tactician, all checks in your Ridiculous Plans (Scholar) are reduced by 1 DL. If you have completed the Path of the Tactician, you may use Ridiculous Plan twice per Rest.

**Keikaku**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Passive

Until the start of your next turn, you know where each visible enemy intends to move and who they intend to attack. (You may ask the GM for this information at any time until the start of your next turn.)

**Battlefield Awareness**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind, Alertness

**Activation**: Passive

Add your INT to Perception checks during Tactical Scenes.

**Virtues of a Tactician**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind, Alertness

**Activation**: Passive

Gain a +2 bonus to checks made involving any of these virtues: command, composure, or awareness. You may spend 2 Vim to double this bonus for a given check.

**Move Command**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind, Charm

**Activation:** 1 Action

Choose an ally who you can communicate with and suggest a location they can reach within one Move action. They may Move there as a Free Reaction.

**Attack Command**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind, Charm

**Activation:** 2 Actions

Choose an ally who you can communicate with and suggest an enemy they declare an Attack against. They may declare an Attack against that target as a Free Reaction.

**Checkmate**

**Prerequisites**: Move Command, Attack Command

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** 2 Actions, 1 MP

Gain INT Actions this turn which can be spent only to use **Move Command** or **Attack Command**.

**Striker Strategy**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: 1 Action

*You command your allies to attack in rapid succession.*

Choose an enemy within sight. They gain the debuff *Striker Target*: all attacks on this target add a Striker Strategy mark to the target, and all attacks on this target deal +2 damage for each Striker Strategy mark on the target, including the mark placed by that attack, up to INT marks. When an enemy gains *Striker Target*, all other enemies lose *Striker Target*. When *Striker Target* is lost, all Striker Strategy marks are removed.

**Target Weak Spot**

**Prerequisite**: **Striker Strategy**

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: 2\* Actions

Choose an enemy within sight. They gain 3 Striker Strategy marks and *Striker Target.* If they already had *Striker Target*, they lose *Striker Target* at the start of your next turn. You may spend 1 MP to reduce the cost of this ability by 1 Action.

**Advantage of Higher Ground**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Passive

When you attack an enemy from above them, gain 10 \* INT Accuracy.

**Advantage of Cover**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Passive

When you or an ally breaks line of sight from all enemies, they gain 1 Alert. This can occur at most once per turn.

**Advantage of Flanking**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Passive

While an enemy is adjacent to two or more of your allies (including yourself), they cannot use Alerts to reduce incoming attack damage. While an enemy is adjacent to three or more of your allies (including yourself), they additionally cannot Evade attacks.

**Guerilla Command**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** 2 Actions, 1 MP

All allies including yourself gain the buff *Guerilla*: once per turn when you declare an Attack you may Move as a Free Action after resolving the attack.

**Opening Gambit: Charge**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** Free Reaction, 1 MP

You may use this ability when rolling Initiative. All allies may Move twice as a Free Action. You may only declare one Opening Gambit per Encounter.

**Opening Gambit: Take Cover**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** Free Reaction, 1 MP

You may use this ability when rolling Initiative. All allies gain INT Alerts; these Alerts are lost if not used in the first Round. You may only declare one Opening Gambit per Encounter.

**Opening Gambit: Rally**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** Free Reaction, 1 MP

You may use this ability when rolling Initiative. All allies gain 1 Action at the start of their next turn. You may only declare one Opening Gambit per Encounter.

**Phalanx Formation**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** 1 Action, 1 MP

Choose an ally within sight. Until the start of your next turn, add that ally's Armor to all adjacent allies and vice versa.

**Strategy of Wargames**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** 2 Actions, X MP

X nearby allies immediate gain 1 Action each, in an order you choose, though you cannot control what they do with that Action. For each ally targeted by this ability, you may pay an extra 2 MP to grant them 1 additional Action.

**Intelligent Maneuvers**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Action**: Passive

*Your tactical knowledge gives your team better movement on the battlefield.*

You and your allies within 30 meters gain Speed equal to half of your Intelligence, rounded down.

**Assess Opponents**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation:** 1 Action, 1 MP

You identify the strengths and weaknesses of visible enemies. This ability provides knowledge of visible weak spots or other noticeable weaknesses. Moreover, pick one of the following statistics: Armor, Speed, HP, MP, Vim, Bluespace, or any Attribute. You learn an approximation of that statistic for each visible enemy as considered by the GM in one of three categories, “weak,” “competent,” or “strong.”

**Gaze of the Mastermind**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Action**: Passive

*Your visage holds a commanding aura.*

Add your Intelligence to checks made to intimidate or persuade.

**Critical Analysis**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: 1 Action, 1 MP

*You assess your opponent with a sharp eye.*

You learn one enemy’s remaining HP, MP, Vim, and Armor rounded to the nearest multiples of 5. Until the start of your next turn, gain 2 Alert whenever they attack you.

**Mastermind's Intel**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Action**: Passive

*Your team benefits from your tactical command.*

You and allies within 30 meters add half your Intelligence to checks made to be stealthy or gather intelligence.

**Quick Thinking**

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Free Reaction, 1 MP

Gain 3 Reactions.

**Three Steps Ahead**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Path Completion of Path of the Tactician

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: 1 Reaction, 2 MP

*You think through the possibility of taking certain actions, mentally calculating probability analyses and determining the best course of action.*

You may take the remainder of your turn up to three times, resolving the outcomes of your actions. After each turn, your outcomes are undone after they are resolved, having only occurred as a hypothetical thought. Actions other than spells which you attempted during your hypothetical analyses gain a +2 bonus to related rolls, stacking up to three times (once per attempt). This ability cannot provide new information, such as looking around a corner or using an "Assess" ability to gain information. However, this ability can bring awareness to overlooked information; for example, if a trap would be triggered in a hypothetical turn, the Tactician learns where the trigger is, assuming that information is able to be perceived from where they are.

## Gift Exclusives

**Tactician's Instruction**

 *This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Cost**: 300 XP

**Prerequisite**: Gift of Mind

**Activation**: 1 Action, X Vim up to INT

Choose an ally within 30 meters. They gain +X Speed, +10X Accuracy, and +X to all damage rolls until the start of your next turn.

## Course of Heroism

**Support by Supervision**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Heroism

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Mind

**Activation**: Passive

Whenever an ally takes advantage of a **Move Command** or **Attack Command**, they are Supported.

**Time Stops to Think**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Heroism

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Mind

**Activation**: Passive

Whenever you gain Supported, gain a Reaction at the start of your next turn. When this happens, you may choose to pay 3 Vim to instead gain 1 Action at the start of your next turn.

## Course of Combat

**Surrounding Tactics**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Combat

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited** **for:** Mind

**Activation**: Passive

You and your allies gain +10 Accuracy and +3 damage against targets you are flanking.

## Course of Damages

**Beat Down Tactics**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Damages

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: 1 Action, 2 MP

You command your allies to wear down their opponents. Allies within 12 meters gain the buff *Beat Down Tactics*: Vim damage you deal is doubled, or tripled against non-unique Cogs.

**Locked in Combat**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisites**: Course of Damages, **Surrounding Tactics**

**Cost**: 500 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Passive

Your direct hits deal 1 stun damage and 1 paralysis damage to flanked enemies.

## Course of Surroundings

**Flame Tactics**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Surroundings

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: 1 Reaction

You set an adjacent hex on fire. This fire lasts until the end of the Encounter, and will not spread unless adjacent to oil, gas, or other extremely flammable surface. Creatures who end their turn on this fire take 1d6 burn damage. The fire provides Low Cover unless the attacker knows **Flame Tactics**. If desired, the ignition of this fire can be delayed by up to 3 rounds.

**Environmental Tactics**

*This ability is not required for the Path Completion Bonus.*

**Prerequisite**: Course of Surroundings

**Cost**: 400 XP

**Expedited for**: Mind

**Activation**: Free Action, 3 Vim

You take advantage of a nearby Environmental Object. For you this turn, one Environmental Object has double Pushing strength, double Swing distance, or double Explosive damage (when you explode it, deal double damage to its targets). Additionally, for you this turn, automatically succeed checks to avoid slipping on a Slippery surface; instead, you may move 2 hexes for every 1 hex of movement if at least one of the 2 hexes you move across is Slippery.