Perks

Perks are special bonuses that Characters gain only once every three levels, or in other words, every 12 Skill Points spent, since a level is gained for every 4 Skill Points spent on a Character. Each Perk offers unique benefits, many of which cannot be gained any other way. Unlike Skill unlocks which occur every Character Level, Perks can only be upgraded by selecting the same Perk multiple times at three-level intervals. This makes Perks the single most restricted type of bonus in Horizon: out of the ashes; so make them count!

Perks are categorized by which Skill Tree they fall under. In order to select a given Perk, the Skill Tree it belongs to must first be unlocked. This requires the Root Skill from that Skill Tree to be acquired, either by selecting it as one of the two Root Skills granted at Character creation or by spending a Perk. To see a list of Skills themselves, see the Skills List page.

Index of Perks

Focus Perks

General Perks

Instinct Perks

Physique Perks

Vigor Perks

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Communication - Skill Tree

• Presence
  • The Presence Perk imbues a Character with a distictly biased aura, enhancing one Social Skill at the cost of others. Options are:
    • Ominous Presence - Gain +5AP to Coerce, suffer -5AP to all Social Skills without the Presence Perk.
    • Charming Presence - Gain +5AP to Convince, suffer -5AP to all Social Skills without the Presence Perk.
    • Rational Presence - Gain +5AP to Reason, suffer -5AP to all Social Skills without the Presence Perk.
    • Deceptive presence - Gain +5AP to Disguise, suffer -5AP to all Social Skills without the Presence Perk.
    • Calulating Presence - Gain +5AP to Scrutinize, suffer -5AP to all Social Skills without the Presence Perk.

Bio Lore - Skill Tree

• Body Language
  • Gain +5AP to Social Skills when discussing Biology.
• Bio Specialist
  • Gain +5AP when using any Bio Lore Skill, suffer -5AP when using any Lore Skill which lacks the Specialist Perk. This includes Common Lore.

Chem Lore - Skill Tree

• Bonding
  • Gain +5AP to Social Skills when discussing Chemistry.
• Chem Specialist
  • Gain +5AP when using any Chem Lore Skill, suffer -5AP when using any Lore Skill which lacks the Specialist Perk. This includes Common Lore.

Mech Lore - Skill Tree

• Forging Relations
  • Gain +5AP to Social Skills when discussing Mechanics.
• Mech Specialist
  • Gain +5AP when using any Mech Lore Skill, suffer -5AP when using any Lore Skill which lacks the Specialist Perk. This includes Common Lore.

Tech Lore - Skill Tree

• Proper Syntax
  • Gain +5AP to Social Skills when discussing Technology.
• Tech Specialist
  • Gain +5AP when using any Tech Lore Skill, suffer -5AP when using any Lore Skill which lacks the Specialist Perk. This includes Common Lore.

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• Understanding
  • Permanently unlock any new Root Skill, gaining access to all Skills in that Tree. All Branch Skills in the Tree must still be unlocked individually, one per Character Level. Refunds may be achieved only by the mercy and benevolence of the Director.

• Expertise
  • Reduce requirements for one specific piece of Equipment, such as a specific Weapon, specific Armor suit or specific Aug. All of its requirments are reduced by 2 ranks. A single Expertise Perk can be reallocated to a different piece of equipment by assigning a new Expertise Perk to the desired item.
    • For example, the Character may spend an Expertise Perk on Heavy Pistols to reduce Heavy Pistol requirements by 2 ranks.
    • If the Character then assigns a new Expertise Perk to Intelli-Gel armor, the old Expertise Perk may also be moved from Heavy Pistols to Intelli-Gel armor at that time.
    • The outcome is two ranks of Expertise and a total of -4 in all requirements for Intelli-Gel armor, while Heavy Pistols no longer have any Expertise Perks applied, returning their requirments to normal.
    • Only one Expertise Perk may be moved at a time. If an item has 2 ranks of Expertise on it, then two new Expertise Perks would need to be spent elsewhere in order to move both ranks.
    • At no other time may Expertise Perks be reassigned.

• Common Lore Specialist
  • The Common Lore Specialist Perk offers +5AP when making any test on Common Lore or any General Test (a test made without use of Skills). Suffer -5AP on any other Lore which lacks the Specialist Perk.

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Stealth - Skill Tree

• Hitman
  • Gain +5AP to Conceal and Obscure when concealing or obscuring weapons and armor. The bonus is not applied to any other items under any circumstances.

• Ninja
  • Gain +5AP to Sneak and Conceal while carrying exactly half of the Character's maximum mass or less. Multiple ranks in this Perk increas the bonus to Sneak and Conceal only. The mass limitations remain the same.

• Ghost
  • Gain +5AP to all Stealth tests while having no weapons or armor equipped. Any weapon or piece of armor which can be accessed in under 30AP, for example being held but not technically equipped still violates this bonus. Placing weapons or armor in cases with a 30AP timelock to which the Character knows the key is acceptable. Any accessed equipment still needs to be equipped, requiring 5AP per weapon and 20AP for an armor suit.

Awareness - Skill Tree

• Sixth Sense
  • Gain the ability to test one additional time each scene. Each test after the first suffers a cumulative -10AP penalty. Cannot be combined with Sustained Action tests.

• Sensitivity
  • Gain +5AP to Perception tests on a specific sense, suffer -5AP on Perception tests on senses that lack the Sensitivity Perk. Options include:
    • Visual Sensitivity - Enhances the Character's sense of sight.
    • Aural Sensitivity - Enhances the Character's sense of sound.
    • Olfactory Sensitivity - Enhances the Character's sense of smell.
    • Tactile Sensitivity - Enhances the Character's sense of touch.
    • Gustatory Sensitivity - Enhances the Character's sense of taste.

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Proficiency

When making any test with a specific weapon type, gain +5AP. Suffer -5AP with all weapon types lacking the Proficiency Perk. The penalties are cumulative, but are removed from any weapon type with the Perk.

• Assault Rifle Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with an Assault Rifle, suffer -5AP when making any test with weapons lacking this Perk.

• Machine Gun Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with an LMG, HMG, or Auto Cannon, suffer -5AP when making any test with weapons lacking this Perk.

• Melee Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with a Light, Medium or Heavy Melee weapon, even when throwing them. Note that throwing a held Melee weapon only counts as a single attack, though it incurs no penalties for being thrown. Suffer -5AP when making any test with weapons lacking this Perk.

• Minigun Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with a Minigun or Vulcan. Suffer -5AP when making any test with weapons lacking this Perk.

• Pistol Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with a Pistol, or set of dual Pistols. The bonus is applied once per test, not once per weapon, in the case of dual wielding. Suffer -5AP when making any test with weapons lacking this Perk.

• Railgun Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test wiht a Railgun. Suffer -5AP when making any test with a weapon lacking this Perk.

• Shotgun Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with a Shotgun or Flak Cannon. Suffer -5AP when making any test with a weapon lacking this Perk.

• SMG Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with an SMG or set of dual SMGs. The bonus is applied once per test, not once per weapon in the case of dual wielding. Suffer -5AP when making any test with a weapon lacking this Perk.

• Sniper Rifle Proficiency
  • Gain +5AP when making any test with a Sniper Rifle. Suffer -5AP when making any test with a weapon lacking this Perk.

Performer Through the Performer Perk, a Character specializes in their Talent of choice, musician, dancer, artist, etc. When taking the Performer Perk, the selected Talent gains +5AP on any test, but all Talents lacking this Perk suffer -5AP.

• Artiste
  • Gain +5AP when testing on the Artist Skill, suffer -5AP when testing on any Talent Skill lacking this Perk.

• Michelin
  • Gain +5AP when testing on the Chef Skill, suffer -5AP when testing on any Talent Skill lacking this Perk.

• Swan
  • Gain +5AP when testing on the Dancer Skill, suffer -5AP when testing on any Talent Skill lacking this Perk.

• Virtuoso
  • Gain +5AP when testing on the Musician Skill, suffer -5AP when testing on any Talent Skill lacking this Perk.

• Illusionist
  • Gain +5AP when testing on the Magician Skill, suffer -5AP when testing on any Talent Skill lacking this Perk.

• Phantom
  • Gain +5AP when testing on the Vocalist Skill, suffer -5AP when testing on any Talent Skill lacking this Perk.