Introduction of Masteries
Masteries are now being introduced for Sith Lords within Perfidious.
These are designed to further specialise Lords, allowing each to carve out a more distinct identity within the powerbase. The intention is not to create a new layer of raw power, but to give Lords meaningful differentiation in what they bring to the Dominion, both mechanically and through roleplay.
A conscious decision has been made to avoid Masteries that only increase combat strength. We do not want to widen the gap between Lords who are heavily combat-focused and those who take a broader approach. Instead, most Masteries will offer benefits that give utility, access to new powers or traits we feel do not make a significant impact to individual combat prowess.
Our overarching goal is simple: no two Lords should feel interchangeable. While multiple Lords may select the same Masteries, we feel that there should be enough options that everyone can feel distinct. Certainly in conjunction with their characterisation, powers and traits, everyone has enough scope to be entirely unique.
Once chosen, Masteries are considered a significant commitment. Changes will only be considered through an Officer Inbox requests, so selections should be made with care. We'll not lightly consider changes, because we feel that a mastery should express the core of your characters identity and not change on a whim.
It is also worth noting that the current list of Masteries is not exhaustive. Additional options are already in development and are expected to be released in the coming weeks or months. If you prefer to wait and see a broader range before committing, that is entirely reasonable.
From an in-character perspective, any new Force powers gained through a Mastery must be discovered through roleplay. You should not immediately begin using new capabilities without context. We are not prescribing a strict timeframe, but the expectation is that this progression feels earned and authentic within the narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is there nothing new for Sith?
A1. No new systems are planned, but we might be making some tweaks to allow a bit more personalisation.
Q2. Is there nothing new for Operatives?
A2. Not at this time, but there are ideas on the back burner, some of which have been discussed previously.
Q3. Why isn't there a trait for {insert power}?
A3. As was noted above, we have further masteries to release. That said, not every power will have a mastery because it is difficult to make a compelling mastery for each power.
Q4. You made a typo.
A4. Lol, amazing, haha, so witty of you to point that out.
Q5. Why did this take so long?
A5. Multiple iterations, lots of balancing, lack of priority.
Q6. But I can't change Masteries?
A6. Not easily, no. If we change a masteries rules, we will likely allow you to choose again.
Q7. How do I apply for a mastery?
A7. Just stick a ticket in the inbox telling us which mastery you want and why.
Q8. How many masteries does a Lord get?
A8. I have every faith you'll find the right answer.
Q9. I have other questions.
A9. And I have other answers.
Q10. Is it true the other officers bully you despite how good you are to them?
A10. Yes.
Q11. Will there be changes to the masteries?
A11. Probably.
Q12. How many more masteries will be released and when?
A12. The total number will likely double by the end of June.
Masteries are now being introduced for Sith Lords within Perfidious.
These are designed to further specialise Lords, allowing each to carve out a more distinct identity within the powerbase. The intention is not to create a new layer of raw power, but to give Lords meaningful differentiation in what they bring to the Dominion, both mechanically and through roleplay.
A conscious decision has been made to avoid Masteries that only increase combat strength. We do not want to widen the gap between Lords who are heavily combat-focused and those who take a broader approach. Instead, most Masteries will offer benefits that give utility, access to new powers or traits we feel do not make a significant impact to individual combat prowess.
Our overarching goal is simple: no two Lords should feel interchangeable. While multiple Lords may select the same Masteries, we feel that there should be enough options that everyone can feel distinct. Certainly in conjunction with their characterisation, powers and traits, everyone has enough scope to be entirely unique.
Once chosen, Masteries are considered a significant commitment. Changes will only be considered through an Officer Inbox requests, so selections should be made with care. We'll not lightly consider changes, because we feel that a mastery should express the core of your characters identity and not change on a whim.
It is also worth noting that the current list of Masteries is not exhaustive. Additional options are already in development and are expected to be released in the coming weeks or months. If you prefer to wait and see a broader range before committing, that is entirely reasonable.
From an in-character perspective, any new Force powers gained through a Mastery must be discovered through roleplay. You should not immediately begin using new capabilities without context. We are not prescribing a strict timeframe, but the expectation is that this progression feels earned and authentic within the narrative.
| Name | Description | Requirements | Effect 1 | Effect 2 | Effect 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agony Incarnate | You have bent the art of Inflict Pain to the point that suffering itself bends to your will. You may drive it to catastrophic extremes, overwhelming the body until it fails, or strip it away entirely, forcing injured allies to endure beyond their natural limits and continue the fight. | Inflict Pain 5 | Gain access to the Agonising Death power. Your ability to inflict pain upon a target is now so great you can cause such agony that the target is overwhelmed and dies screaming in pain. | Gain access to the Control Injury power. This power allows the user to, once per encounter, grant an injured target Force Body 5 until the end of the encounter. Once the encounter ends, the target suffers Lethal Injuries. | You gain the Knowledge of Life trait for free. |
Arch Ritualist | You have become a master of Sith rituals and are now able to conduct more powerful rituals with ease. When you contribute to rituals conducted by others, your presence more easily bends the Dark Side to the will of those you assist. | You are permitted a maximum of 25 points in Control based powers. | You gain +2 successes to your ritual rolls. | You also grant +1 success to others’ rituals when you participate. | You gain the Knowledge of Mysteries trait for free. |
Beholder | Your command of the Dark Side has deepened to the point that a single glance is enough to wound or paralyse an opponent, imposing your will without the need for motion. | Mind Trick 5 | Gain access to the Deadly Gaze power. Sustaining eye contact with a target allows you to cause physical injury - skin blisters and flesh burns as long as you hold contact. | Gain access to the Hypnotic Gaze power. By locking eyes with a single target, you can impose a paralysing influence, holding them in place for as long as your focus and eye contact are maintained. | You gain the Manipulator trait for free. |
Corporate Overlord | You have devoted yourself to the mastery of wealth and industry, and are now recognised as an authority in both. Your insight into markets, production, and opportunity ensures your coffers swell with profit, while your corporate holdings grow in both scale and profits. | Wealth Rank 12 | Once per month you can re-roll a failed Wealth roll. | Your acquisition bonus for wealth rolls is +10 rather than the standard +5. | You automatically gain one Wealth Rank per twelve months. |
Devouring Mind | Your mind does not simply learn, it consumes. Knowledge, techniques, and patterns are broken down and internalised with ruthless efficiency, allowing you to adapt, refine, and master new disciplines far faster than those around you. | The lesson requirements for rank increases are reduced by one lesson per rank to a minimum of one. Time requirements for practice are also reduced by one month per rank to a minimum of one. | You may take one additional Rank 4 and one additional Rank 5 power against your cap. | You may take 2 Knowledge traits for free. | |
Duellist | You are recognised as a master duellist, excelling in a specific saber form when facing a single opponent. Your reputation as a saber duellist leads to greater levels of fame, or infamy. | You must have a minimum of rank 5 in at least one Saber Form. | Duel of Fates trait for free. Once per encounter, during combat, your target may not disengage from combat with you until one of you is defeated. | Duels fought against peer opponents count more significantly towards your Influence. You must record victories and defeats in your Influence requests. | You gain an Active trait for free of your choice. |
Eye of the Storm | You control the chaos that rages around you, creating a bunker of defiance in the centre of chaos and destruction. Your defensive capabilities are so great that you can not only stop attacks and enemies in their tracks, but also reflect attacks back to those who would dare to try and strike you. | Force Barrier 5 | Gain access to the Stasis Field power. You can impose a field of absolute control around yourself, halting all movement within it and trapping individuals, objects or even energy in suspended stillness for as long as the barrier is maintained. | Gain access to the Reflective Barrier trait for free. Once per encounter, if you roll a successful defence check, this roll becomes your next attack roll. | Your barriers can now reflect attacks. This is regardless of whether the Reflective Barrier trait is active. |
Force Supremacy | You favour the direct application of the Force, wielding it as an instrument of control and domination. Your command is such that you can impose these disciplines upon others, shaping them into capable wielders under your guidance. | Gain access to the Force Unleashed trait for free. For each round you channel a Force Power, you may reduce your target dice roll by one. | Any Force Power lesson you provide counts as providing two lessons. | You gain one free re-roll. | |
Imperial Favourite | You have devoted yourself to the mastery of politics and influence, becoming a recognised force within the Empire’s power structure. Your understanding of leverage, reputation, and persuasion allows you to shape decisions, guide outcomes, and extend your influence across both allies and rivals alike. | Influence Rank 12 | Can re-roll one failed Influence Roll per month. | Your acquisition bonus for influence rolls is +10 rather than the standard +5. | You automatically gain one Influence Rank per twelve months. |
Manipulate Vitae | You have devoted yourself to the study of life at its most fragile and most malleable. Through your understanding of disease, decay, and biological processes, you are able to manipulate the very essence of vitality, accelerating or suppressing it as you see fit. | Detoxify Poison Rank 5 | Gain access to the Flesh Rot power. This power allows the user to reach within a target’s body and violently accelerate the growth of any diseases or viruses already present, overwhelming the target with sudden decay. | Gain access to the Drain Vitality trait for free. Once per encounter you may detoxify all allies within 10m, gaining 1 die in your next roll for each ally cleansed. At the end of the encounter you increase your injury level by one rank to a minimum of Critical. | You gain the Knowledge of Life trait for free. |
Omniscient Instinct | Your awareness through the Force borders on the unnatural. You perceive presences, intentions, and disturbances with unsettling clarity, often sensing what others miss entirely, and at times, what they would rather remain hidden. | Force Sense 5 | Gain access to the Powerful Insight trait for free. Once per encounter you may ask the DM to give you an insight into whether there are any ambushes or traps in your proximity. | Your skill with Force Sense now allows you to pierce the veil of chaos and attempt to locate a named individual or object. | You gain the Sensor trait for free. |
Saber Mastery | You have mastered the art of lightsaber combat and can now not only leverage that experience to enhance your own combat effectiveness, but also teach others. | You must have a minimum of 20 points in Saber Forms. | At the start of combat you may use any stance trait for free where you have a minimum Rank 3 in the corresponding saber form. | Any Saber Forms lesson you provide counts as providing two lessons. | You gain a Passive trait for free of your choice. |
Thaumaturge | Your mastery of the esoteric Sith arts is such that you can now learn both its major branches and gain absolute control. | You are permitted a maximum of 25 points in Control based powers. | You can now learn both Alchemy and Sorcery. | The lesson requirements for the second power are reduced by one lesson per rank to a minimum of one. Time requirements for practice are also reduced by one month per rank to a minimum of one. | You gain the Knowledge of Mysteries trait for free. |
Unstoppable Force | You have become a force of pure momentum, where restraint gives way to relentless advance. Empowered by rage and an unyielding will, you crash through opposition, resisting control and breaking those who attempt to halt your path. | You must have a minimum of rank 5 in Force Body. | Gain access to the Dark Rage trait for free. Once per encounter you become immune to mental manipulation (e.g. Mind Trick, Neural Storm, Mental Domination, Force Fear/Horror, Illusions, Suppress Thought) until the end of the encounter. At the end of the encounter you increase your injury level by one rank to a minimum of Major Injuries. | Gain access to the Juggernaut trait for free. Once per encounter you may charge up to 40m without having to make a defence check. | You gain the Furious Rage trait for free. |
Warmaster | You are acknowledged as a master of the battlefield and are now able to enhance the strength of the forces you lead in combat, or gain tactical insights which others might miss. | Gain access to the Marked for Death trait for free. Once per encounter you may specify an individual target and everyone attacking your target will have their target roll lowered by two. | Gain access to the Last Stand trait for free. Once per encounter you may grant all players within 10m additional dice for their next defence roll. | Gain access to the Tactical Insight trait for free. Once per encounter you may pause the event for up to five minutes to issue commands and ask the DM questions. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is there nothing new for Sith?
A1. No new systems are planned, but we might be making some tweaks to allow a bit more personalisation.
Q2. Is there nothing new for Operatives?
A2. Not at this time, but there are ideas on the back burner, some of which have been discussed previously.
Q3. Why isn't there a trait for {insert power}?
A3. As was noted above, we have further masteries to release. That said, not every power will have a mastery because it is difficult to make a compelling mastery for each power.
Q4. You made a typo.
A4. Lol, amazing, haha, so witty of you to point that out.
Q5. Why did this take so long?
A5. Multiple iterations, lots of balancing, lack of priority.
Q6. But I can't change Masteries?
A6. Not easily, no. If we change a masteries rules, we will likely allow you to choose again.
Q7. How do I apply for a mastery?
A7. Just stick a ticket in the inbox telling us which mastery you want and why.
Q8. How many masteries does a Lord get?
A8. I have every faith you'll find the right answer.
Q9. I have other questions.
A9. And I have other answers.
Q10. Is it true the other officers bully you despite how good you are to them?
A10. Yes.
Q11. Will there be changes to the masteries?
A11. Probably.
Q12. How many more masteries will be released and when?
A12. The total number will likely double by the end of June.
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