Talents define a being. Do you, or do you not have the talent? If you don't, do you have the time to develop the talent?
Not many of us do, so we seek help. Talent in the MDS is designed to encourage teamwork.

Well? Do you got it?
Talent in the MDS ranges from negative to positive in level. Sometimes we are just too bad at something for us to engage in that activity safely.
Does it reflect on our character? Only if we let it define us. Shape us. Defeat us.
When we lack talent, we make things harder for ourselves. We don't mean to, but if we work really hard we can develop through skill building to overcome our limitations.
It is how character is developed and it is how we move forwards in life.

The Mods
Talent changes the Mod Factor that the character has to deal with during a situation. The Mods are a set of modifications that make things easier or harder for the character to perform.
A negative talent will make the situation worse. A positive talent will make the situation better.
The big idea is that when we have built talent in a field, actions become easier, because we naturally simplify the process through experience and knowledge.

Skill Point development.

Talent can be developed through practice and experience. The more we do something, the better we get at it. This is determined in game by the distribution of Skill Points when talents are employed. Skill points are delivered to the talent and used to purchase abilities from that talent’s ability trees.

There are requirements to purchase abilities and having a negative talent will prevent your character from accessing any abilities governed by that talent.

In this way, characters are paid in respect to their actions during the Scenes of a Story. The more they apply efforts the more they are rewarded. The effect is maximized at a few points per Scene to avoid power leveling, such as purchasing enough locks to fill a room and theoretically maxing out the Crime skill by picking every lock over and over while choosing to play through downtime.

Talent List

There are 8 talents per trait. The talents may change as play testing commences, but the idea is to cover a wide range of actions per talent.
Talents are meant to be broad in application, so that a player may be creative in their approach to a Situation.
Players are not restricted from attempting any actions, even if they have a negative talent, so they may choose to simulate a concept they have simply dreamt of, or they may very well know that a specific power exists and just have never received training in that ability, yet.
Try it out—you may be surprised by the results. The challenge will be created by the Mods. Committing to an action will incur negative modification against your roll. If you also don't have the talent, the negative rate will also apply against the Mods.
But it is all about the story and the experience. The MDS is designed to facilitate that experience and enable imagination to run wild.

Brawn Talents

Athletics

Running, jumping, swimming and throwing. General physical feats and many sports skills fall under this talent.

Brawling

Fighting unarmed, including grappling, wrestling and throwing. You know how to throw a punch—and take one.

Might

Extraordinary feats of brute strength, like lifting massive weights or smashing obstacles.

Prowess

Projecting a physically intimidating presence or hunting others with feral precision. You are a predator.

Juggernaut

Handling and controlling massive tools or weapons, from jackhammers to miniguns.

Craft

Physically intensive crafting, forging, or repairing. You can build or fix things with your hands.

Endurance

Resisting fatigue, hardship, and prolonged strain.

Survival

Withstanding the challenges of the wilderness or megaplex and using nature of the environment to survive in any locale.

Nimbleness

Dueling

All forms of armed melee combat comprise this talent.

Marksmanship

All forms of ranged combat, from bows to blasters, are covered by this talent.

Pilot/Ride

Handling all manner of vehicles or riding mounted creatures.

Acrobatics

Dynamic movement, feats of balance, aerial stunts, and controlled leaps and falls.

Crime

Picking locks, disabling security, and many other illicit activities are contained within this talent.

Sneak

Moving unseen and unheard.

Trickery

Distracting or misdirecting others, from feints to playful cons and legerdemain.

Reflexes

Purely reactive dodging and swift responses to danger.

Toughness

Resolution

Mental fortitude, unwavering focus, and concentration.

Rooting

Absorbing impacts without being moved or knocked down.

Recovery

Healing from injuries and restoring physical form.

Hardening

Conditioning the body to take repeated punishment.

Fasting

Surviving without food or water for extended periods.

Guts

Resisting poisons, toxins, and consuming questionable substances.

Daunt

Exuding an aura of danger even if one is physically unimposing.

Weathering

Enduring environmental extremes such as heat, cold, and storms.

Ki

Third Eye

Opening the mind’s eye to see spirits, souls, and energies.

Kinesics

Infusing Ki into balance and movement—running on wires, impossible leaps.

Physique

Mystically altering one’s own body, including shapeshifting.

Ken

Spiritual connection to animals and other beings, often linked to shape changing.

Fortify

Fusing Ki to the body to resist physical harm.

Mimicry

Projecting a psychic impression to appear or sound like another.

Imbue

Imprinting personal energies into objects, vital for enchanting and alchemy.

Vitality

Controlling body temperature, heart rate, and internal processes to maintain life force.

Smarts

Technology

Using, repairing, or modifying modern technology.

Engineering

Building, designing, or modifying structures and machinery.

Academics

Knowledge of science, history, and other scholarly subjects.

Negotiation

Haggling, mediating disputes, and resolving high-stakes conflicts.

Instruction

Effectively teaching and sharing knowledge. Just because you know a lot doesn’t mean you can teach it.

Linguistics

Mastery of languages, dialects, and codes.

Logic

Applying pure reasoning to puzzles and problems.

Lore

Cultural knowledge, folklore and spiritual beliefs not usually found in text books.

Vibes

Performance

Artistic expression and stagecraft.

Observation

Reading subtle details about the environment and people.

Empathy

Feeling and understanding the emotions of others.

Threat

Projecting and detecting the sense of menace and danger.

Streetwise

Knowing how to navigate locales and understanding local customs, from rural regions to megacities.

Behavior

Understanding others’ social motives, etiquette and intentions.

Sensory

Heightened senses and gut-level environmental awareness.

Attunement

A deep, almost subconscious connection to the environment and its energies.

Charm

Influence

The ability to persuade, seduce, or negotiate by altering another creature’s behavior, emotions, or decisions.

Guile

The art of clever manipulation, including deception, intimidation, trickery, and social subversion.

Acting

Adopting new roles and characters believably.

Comedy

Humor as a means of connection and social lubricant.

Magnetism

A natural aura that draws others in.

Banter

Quick-witted dialogue and verbal sparring.

Miasma

A talent that projects confusion or disorientation through charm; may obscure presence or create illusions through sheer personality.

Authority

Naturally taking charge or being recognized as a leader through commanding presence and self-assurance.

Aura

Psionics

Influencing the minds of living beings, divination, and psychic awareness.

Magic

Manipulating mana and Shikai energies.

Kinetics

Controlling environmental forces through mental manipulation of elemental forces.

Presence

Knowing how to manipulate spiritual force that subdues or dominates.

Transmutation

Altering, creating, or destroying matter and energy.

Summoning

Calling forth or banishing spirits and entities.

Binding

Attaching or releasing entities or energies to places or objects.

Domaine

Command of a personal or environmental territory, shielding from external influences.