Overview

Jacks are intrepid explorers. They are jacks of all trades—hence the name—although the word also hearkens back to fables involving a wily, resourceful hero who always seems to be named Jack. Used as a verb, “to jack” means to steal, to deceive, or to get out of a tight scrape through ingenuity or luck. Jacks don’t use one skill or tactic exclusively; they use whatever weapons, armor, esoteries, or anything else might help them. They are hunters (particularly treasure hunters), con artists, skalds, rogues, scouts, and experts in a variety of fields.

Jacks in Society

Jacks are crafters, entertainers, leaders, and thieves. They’re architects, engineers, con artists, salespeople, and teachers. This diversity doesn’t mean that the Jack is the archetypal everyman—that kind of simple categorization would diminish the character type. Jacks are remarkable in that they can do so many different things, and some do multiple things. If one Jack is an artist and another is an explorer, there’s likely a third who is both at once.
Skilled and learned Jacks who share their gifts with others are prized members of society, well respected for what they know and can do. A village might be protected by warriors, but it’s the Jack who makes everything run smoothly by repairing or building whatever is needed, handling disputes, investigating mysteries, and so on. On the other hand, Jacks who use their varied abilities to benefit only themselves are distrusted at best and reviled at worst. The murderers and thieves of a community are likely Jacks.

Jacks in the Group

Jacks fill in the space between the extremes of Nanos and Glaives. They frequently do a little of everything and know a little of everything. They can fight alongside a Glaive or have a scholarly talk with a Nano. There are no right or wrong places, actions, or roles for Jacks. They can hold their own in combat or other dangerous situations, but they excel at many assorted tasks like searching for clues, using diplomacy with the locals, or repairing a piece of broken gear. The drawback, of course, is that Jacks are rarely the best fighters in combat or the best numenera handlers. They might, however, be the best at more specialized skills. They’re the most likely characters to know how to climb, how to stand watch effectively, how to jimmy a lock, and how to jury-rig a makeshift shelter or snare trap.

Jacks and the Numenera

Jacks gravitate toward cyphers or artifacts that expand their array of options even further. An enhanced piece of armor might be fine for a Glaive, but many Jacks would rather have an object that allows them to communicate at a distance, walk through walls, or put foes to sleep.

Advanced Jacks

Jacks are the most flexible of the character types, and advanced Jacks are no different. Some learn esoteries, as Nanos do. Others hone their combat abilities. Some Jacks do both, gaining more skills and improving at, well, a little bit of everything.

Jack Tiers

FIRST-TIER JACK

First-tier Jacks have the following abilities:
Effort: Your Effort is 1.
Jack of All Trades: You have an Edge of 1 for one stat of your choice: Might, Speed, or Intellect. You have an Edge of 0 for the other two stats.
Cypher Use: You can bear two cyphers at a time.
Weapons: You can use light and medium weapons without penalty. You have an inability with heavy weapons; your attacks with heavy weapons are hindered.
Skills: Choose one skill (other than attacks or defense) in which you aren’t already trained. You are trained in this skill.
Flex Skill: At the beginning of each day, choose one task (other than attacks or defense) on which you will concentrate. For the rest of that day, you’re trained in that task. You can’t use this ability with a skill you’re already trained in to become specialized.
Starting Equipment: You start with clothing, two weapons, light armor, an explorer’s pack, a pack of light tools, two cyphers (chosen for you by the GM), one oddity (chosen by the GM), and 8 shins. Before selecting your weapons, armor, and other gear, you might want to wait until after you’ve chosen your tricks of the trade, descriptor, and focus.
Default Starting Cyphers and Oddity: Your GM may provide you with starting cyphers and an oddity. Otherwise, you begin with the following.

• Cyphers: machine control implant, visage changer
• Oddity: Small square cage that puts whatever single creature is inside it into stasis

Tricks of the Trade: You have a wide range of abilities that keep people guessing. Some of these tricks of the trade are technically esoteries, using the numenera, while others are more mundane. Some tricks are constant, ongoing effects; others are specific actions that usually cost points from one of your stat Pools.
Choose two of the tricks described below. You can’t choose the same trick more than once unless its description says otherwise.

• Trained in Armor: You can wear armor for long periods of time without tiring and can compensate for slowed reactions from wearing armor. You can wear any kind of armor. You reduce the Speed Effort cost for wearing armor by 1. Enabler.
• Create Deadly Poison (3+ Intellect points): You create one dose of a level 2 poison that inflicts 5 points of damage. You can apply this poison to a weapon, food, or drink as part of the action of creating it. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the level of the poison; each level of Effort used in this way increases the poison level by 1. If unused, the poison loses its potency after one hour. Action.
• Critter Companion: A level 1 creature accompanies you and follows your instructions. This creature is no larger than a large cat (about 20 pounds, or 9 kg) and is normally some sort of domesticated species. You and the GM must work out the details of your creature, and you’ll probably make rolls for it in combat or when it takes actions. The critter companion acts on your turn. As a level 1 creature, it has a target number of 3 and a 3 health, and it inflicts 1 point of damage. Its movement is based on its creature type (avian, swimmer, and so on). If your critter companion dies, you can search an urban or wild environment for 1d6 days to find a new companion. Enabler
• Face Morph (2+ Intellect points): You alter your features and coloration for one hour, hiding your identity or impersonating someone. This affects only your face, not the rest of your body. You can’t perfectly duplicate someone else’s face, but you can be accurate enough to fool someone who knows that person casually. You have an asset in all tasks involving disguise. You must apply a level of Effort to be able to impersonate a different species. Action.
• Fleet of Foot (1+ Speed points): You can move a short distance as part of another action. You can move a long distance as your entire action for a turn. If you apply a level of Effort to this ability, you can move a long distance and make an attack as your entire action for a turn, but the attack is hindered. Enabler.
• Late Inspiration (3 Intellect points): You retry a task you failed within the past one minute, using the same difficulty and modifiers, except this time you have an asset on the task. If this retry fails, you can’t use this ability to retry it again. Enabler.
• Link Senses (2 Intellect points): You touch a willing creature and link its senses to yours for one minute. At any time during that duration, you can concentrate to see, hear, and smell what that creature is experiencing, instead of using your own senses. If you or the creature move out of long range, the connection is broken. Action to initiate.
• Phased Pocket (2+ Intellect points): You connect yourself for one hour to a small space that is out of phase and moves with you. You can access this space as if it were a convenient pocket or bag, but nobody else can perceive or access the space unless they have the ability to interact with transdimensional areas. The space can hold up to 1 cubic foot. The space is a part of you, so you can’t use it to carry more cyphers than your limit, a detonation cypher activated inside the space harms you, and so on. When the connection ends, anything in the space falls out. For each 2 additional Intellect points you spend, the pocket lasts an additional hour. Enabler.
• Vanish (2 Intellect points): You become invisible for a short amount of time. While invisible, you have an asset on stealth and Speed defense tasks. The invisibility ends at the end of your next turn, or if you do something to reveal your presence or position—attacking, using an ability, moving a large object, and so on. Action.

SECOND-TIER JACK

Second-tier Jacks have the following abilities:
Skills: You are trained in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defense). If you choose a task you’re already trained in, you become specialized in that task. You can’t choose a task you’re already specialized in.
Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the following tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. Instead of selecting a trick, you can select a lower-tier Glaive fighting move or Nano esotery. In addition, you can replace one of your first-tier tricks with a different first-tier trick.

• Augment Cypher (2+ Intellect points): When you activate a cypher, add +1 to its level. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the level of the cypher by an additional +1 (per level of Effort applied). You can’t increase the cypher’s level above 10. Enabler.
• Create Debilitating Poison (3+ Intellect points): You create one dose of a level 2 poison that hinders the poisoned creature’s actions for ten minutes. You can apply this poison to a weapon, food, or drink as part of the action of creating it. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the level of the poison; each level of Effort used in this way increases the poison level by 1. If unused, the poison loses its potency after one hour. Action.
• Encouraging Presence (2 Intellect points): For one minute, allies within short range gain an asset on defense rolls. Action.
• Illusory Duplicate (2 Intellect points): You create a single image of yourself within immediate range. The image looks like you as you are now (including how you are dressed). The image can move (for example, you could make it walk or attack), but it can’t move more than an immediate distance from where you created it. The illusion includes sound and smell. It lasts for ten minutes and changes as you direct (no concentration is needed). If you move beyond short range of the illusion, it vanishes. Action to create.
• Intense Interaction (3 Intellect points): You gain an asset on intimidating, persuading, and influencing people for ten minutes. Action.
• Restful Presence: Creatures who make a recovery roll within short range of you add +1 to their roll. Enabler.
• Skill With Defense: Choose one type of defense task in which you are not already trained: Might, Speed, or Intellect. You are trained in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most tricks of the trade, you can select this trick up to three times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task. Enabler.

THIRD-TIER JACK

Third-tier Jacks have the following abilities:
Expert Cypher Use: You can bear three cyphers at a time.
Skills: You are trained in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defense). If you choose a task you’re already trained in, you become specialized in that task. You can’t choose a task you’re already specialized in.
Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the following tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. Instead of selecting a trick, you can select a lower-tier Glaive fighting move or Nano esotery. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier tricks with a different trick from the same lower tier.

• Far Hands (2 Intellect points): You can use your tricks of the trade from one range category farther away than normal: immediate becomes short, short becomes long, long becomes very long. Using the trick at this increased distance hinders the task. Enabler.
• Meticulous Planner: If you spend a long time planning an action, you gain an asset on performing it. The time to study and plan for the action is ten times as long as it takes to perform the action. For example, if you want to jump across a hole in the floor (one action), you can study the area for ten rounds (about a minute), and when you attempt to jump over the hole, you have an asset on the jump. This benefit applies to only one roll—if you want to perform the task again with the benefit of an asset, you need to study and plan again. Enabler.
• Obstacle Running (3 Speed points): For the next minute, you can ignore obstacles that slow your movement, allowing you to travel at normal speed through areas with rubble, fences, tables, and similar objects that you would have to climb over or move around. This movement might include sliding on a railing, briefly running along a wall, or even stepping on a creature to boost yourself over something. If an obstacle would normally require a Might or Speed task to overcome, such as swinging on a rope, balancing on a rope, or jumping over a hole, you are trained at that task. Enabler.
• Recharge Cypher (2+ Intellect points): You recharge a cypher that was used in the past ten minutes, allowing it to be used again. You must touch the cypher, spend 1 XP, and succeed at an understanding numenera roll (difficulty equal to the level of the cypher) to recharge it. Otherwise, the cypher remains spent and useless. Some cyphers (particularly pills and injections) cannot be recharged in this way. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to recharge a cypher that was used more than ten minutes ago; each level of Effort used in this way extends the time period by ten minutes. Action.
• Skill With Attacks: Choose one type of attack in which you are not already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are trained in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler.

FOURTH-TIER JACK

Fourth-tier Jacks have the following abilities:
Skills: You are trained in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defense). If you choose a task you’re already trained in, you become specialized in that task. You can’t choose a task you’re already specialized in.
Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the following tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. Instead of selecting a trick, you can select a lower-tier Glaive fighting move or Nano esotery. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier tricks with a different trick from the same lower tier.

• Bypass Barrier (6+ Intellect points): You get past a door, force field, or other barrier up to 3 feet (1 m) thick that is blocking your way. Depending on the barrier, this might involve finding a weak spot you can push through, luckily pressing the right button, or even weirder explanations like touching a thin place between dimensions or an unexpected interaction with numenera you carry. The difficulty of the task is the level of the barrier. This trick allows you alone to pass through, not anyone else, and the way through closes at the end of your turn

(which might mean you’re trapped on the far side). You have an asset in any attempts to get through it again. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the maximum thickness of the barrier, each level adding 3 feet (1 m). Action.

• Crowd Control (6+ Intellect points): You control the actions of up to five creatures in short range. This effect lasts for one minute. All targets must be level 2 or lower. Your control is limited to simple verbal commands like “stop,” “run away,” “follow that Glaive,” “look over there,” or “get out of my way.” All affected creatures respond to the command unless you specifically command them otherwise. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the maximum level of the targets or affect an additional five people. Thus, to control a group that has a level 4 target (two levels above the normal limit) or a group of fifteen people, you must apply two levels of Effort. When the Crowd Control trick ends, the creatures remember your commands but don’t remember being controlled—your commands seemed reasonable at the time. Action to initiate.
• Illusory Evasion (5 Intellect points): When you are hit by an attack, you teleport an immediate distance away, leaving behind an illusory copy of yourself to be struck by that attack instead of you. This destroys the illusion but leaves you unharmed by the attack. If the attack affects an area and the teleportation can’t get you out of that area, the attack still affects you normally. Enabler.
• Memory Becomes Action (4+ Intellect points): You can duplicate a one-action esotery, fighting move, or trick of the trade, performing it as if it were natural for you. You must have seen the ability used within the past week, it must be third tier or lower, and it must be an ability with a point cost. In addition to the point cost of Memory Becomes Action, you must pay the Might, Speed, or Intellect cost of the ability you are copying. For example, if you want to copy a Glaive friend’s Lunge attack (which normally costs 2 Might points), you’d pay 4 Intellect points to activate Memory Becomes Action and 2 Might points to use Lunge. In addition to then normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to copy an ability you saw longer than one week ago; each level of Effort used in this way extends the time period by one week. Enabler.

FIFTH-TIER JACK

Fifth-tier Jacks have the following abilities:
Adept Cypher Use: You can bear four cyphers at a time.
Skills: You are trained in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defense). If you choose a task you’re already trained in, you become specialized in that task. You can’t choose a task you’re already specialized in.
Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the following tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. Instead of selecting a trick, you can select a lower-tier Glaive fighting move or Nano esotery. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier tricks with a different trick from the same lower tier.

• Mastery in Armor: The cost reduction from your Trained in Armor ability improves. You now reduce the Speed Effort cost for wearing armor by an additional 1. Enabler.
• Effective Skill: Choose one non-combat skill when you gain this ability. You get a minor effect with that skill when you roll a natural 14 or higher (the d20 shows “14” or more). You get a major effect with that skill when you roll a natural 19 or higher (the d20 shows “19” or higher). Unlike most tricks of the trade, you can select this trick more than once. Each time you select it, you must choose a different non-combat skill. Enabler.
• Jaunt (5+ Intellect points): You instantaneously teleport yourself to any location within a long distance that you can see. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the distance you can travel; each level of Effort used in this way increases the range by another 100 feet (30 m). Action.
• Mastery With Defense: Choose one type of defense task in which you are trained: Might, Speed, or Intellect. You are specialized in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most tricks of the trade, you can select this trick up to three times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task. Enabler.
• Stun Attack (6 Speed points): You attempt a difficulty 5 Speed action to stun a creature as part of your melee or ranged attack. If you succeed, your attack inflicts its normal damage and stuns the creature for one round, causing it to lose its next turn. If you fail, you still make your normal attack roll, but you don’t stun the opponent if you hit. Action.
• Subtle Tricks: You can use your skills and tricks of the trade in ways that don’t look like you’re doing anything. If the skill or trick would normally require an obvious movement, phrase, or other action by you, it instead seems to happen on its own. Instead of using your tools to pick a lock, the lock clicks open as you stand near it. Instead of manipulating a numenera screen, the information you want appears on the screen when you look at it. Instead of bluffing your way past some guards, they step aside as you approach and let you through. This ability usually only works up to an immediate distance. You still must spend points and make rolls to use your skills and tricks with this ability. Performing a trick in a subtle way hinders the task. This ability can’t be used to conceal your attack or defense rolls. Enabler.
• Teach Trick (5+ Intellect points): You spend an hour instructing someone on how to perform a trick of the trade that you know. The trick must be no higher than fourth tier. For one hour after you teach them, the student can perform that trick of the trade as if it were natural for them. They must pay the Might, Speed, or Intellect cost (if any) to use that trick. The student must be able to understand your instructions. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase how long the student can use the trick or to teach additional students at the same time; each level of Effort used in this way increases the duration by one hour or the number of students by one. One hour to initiate.

SIXTH-TIER JACK

Sixth-tier Jacks have the following abilities:
Skills: You are trained in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defense). If you choose a task you’re already trained in, you become specialized in that task. You can’t choose a task you’re already specialized in.
Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the following tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. Instead of selecting a trick, you can select a lower-tier Glaive fighting move or Nano esotery. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier tricks with a different trick from the same lower tier.

• Blurring Speed (7 Speed points): You move so quickly that until your next turn, you look like a blur. While you are blurred, if you apply Effort to a melee attack task or Speed defense task, you get a free level of Effort on that task; you can move a short distance as part of another action or a long distance as your entire action. Enabler
• Doppeljack (7+ Might points): A perfect copy of you appears within an immediate distance. This doppeljack might be a version of you from another timeline, a parallel dimension, or the past;an instantly spawned clone; or something even stranger. The doppeljack is a level 6 NPC with 18 health. It has your mind and memories, and you control it as if it were you in another body. In effect, while this ability is active, you have two bodies. If the doppeljack uses any of your abilities that cost points, those points come from your Pools (including spending Effort). Controlling two bodies at once is difficult and distracting; while this ability is active, all tasks performed by you or the doppeljack are hindered. The doppeljack has no equipment other than simple clothing. It remains for up to one minute, but disappears if killed or if you use an action to dismiss it. If the doppeljack is killed, you take 6 points of damage that ignore Armor, and you lose your next action. If you are killed while the doppeljack is present, you live on as the doppeljack (it becomes your character instead of being an NPC that disappears). In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the duration of this ability;each level of Effort used in this way adds one minute to the doppeljack’s existence. Action.
• Impossible Walk (5+ Speed points): You can walk (or crawl or run) on steep inclines and horizontal surfaces (such as walls and cliffs) for the next minute as if they were flat ground. When using this ability, “down” for you is either the surface you are walking on or the normal orientation of gravity (your choice). If you apply one level of Effort, you can also walk on the ceiling or on a liquid or semi-liquid surface such as water, mud, quicksand, or even lava (although touching a dangerous surface like lava still harms you). If you apply two levels of Effort, you can also walk on air as if it were solid ground.
• Mastery With Attacks: Choose one type of attack in which you are trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are specialized in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler. (In place of this ability, you may instead select Skill With Attacks to become trained in one type of attack.)
• Outside Reality (6+ Intellect points): You exist outside of everything until the start of your next turn. To you, a few seconds pass while you are alone in a cool void. To everyone else, you seem to vanish for a few seconds and reappear in the same place. While in this unreal state, you can use abilities or objects on yourself, but you can’t perceive, interact with, or affect the rest of the world, and vice versa. Time-based effects already on you (like a poison that inflicts damage every round) are paused while you exist outside reality, but when this ability ends they resume as if no time had passed. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the duration; each level of Effort used in this way adds one round to how long you spend outside reality. Enabler.
• Rapid Recovery: You can make most recovery rolls faster than normal. You can make your one-action recovery roll as part of another action or when it isn’t your turn, your ten-minute recovery roll takes you only one action, and your one-hour recovery roll takes you only ten minutes (your ten-hour rest is unchanged). If you make a recovery roll when it isn’t your turn, until the end of your next turn all of your tasks are hindered. Enabler.

JACK BACKGROUND

You might hear people say that a Jack is just the typical everyman (or everyperson), but don’t believe it. You aren’t like anyone else. You can do things that no one else can do because you do so many things. You’re a warrior, you’re a thief, you’re a diplomat, you’re a sage, and you’re a spy. When you choose Jack as your character type, come up with an explanation for how you learned your wide variety of talents. Choose one of the three options described below. It will provide the foundation of your background and give you an idea of how you can improve. The GM can use this information to develop adventures and quests that are specific to your character and play a role in your advancement.

JACK CONNECTION

Roll a d20 or choose from the following list to determine a specific fact about your background that provides a connection to the rest of the world. You can also create your own fact.

JACK PLAYER INTRUSIONS

When playing a Jack, you can spend 1 XP to use one of the following player intrusions, provided the situation is appropriate and the GM agrees.
Familiar Insight: You know this person (or heard about them somewhere) well enough to give insight about their motives or intentions and how best to convince them to see things your way. You know the right words, posturing, inflection, amount of emotional manipulation, or even what sort of joke or agreeable complaint might sway them. This can convince a neutral person to take your side, or a hostile one to hear you out for a little while longer.
Inspirational Recall: You recall an important detail from a previous encounter (perhaps something you don’t even remember noticing at the time) that suggests a successful course of action for your current situation. This might be recognizing a password hidden in an innocuous code or riddle, realizing you saw a suspicious individual near a crime scene, overhearing an important conversation between two NPCs, or understanding that an NPC’s subtle glance or gesture had additional connotations indicating what you should do.
Lucky Break: Something unexpected, happens that is to your advantage. A rope your opponent is hanging from might snap, the person you’re debating in front of an
influential Aeon Priest might trip or forget what they were going to say, or something that was supposed to last only a round or two lasts a little while longer.

JACK EXAMPLE

James wants to play a Jack. He likes the idea of being crafty, sneaky, and maybe a little devious. He puts 4 of his additional points in his Intellect Pool (raising it to 14) and 2 points in his Speed Pool (raising it to 12). This leaves his Might Pool at 10. He decides to have a Speed Edge of 1, but it was a hard choice—he was tempted to put his Edge point in Intellect. As a first-tier character, his Effort is 1. James chooses a quarterstaff and a dart thrower for his weapons. The staff is a medium weapon that inflicts 4 points of damage. The dart thrower is a light weapon, so he eases attack rolls with it, but each shot inflicts only 2 points of damage. The dart thrower comes with 12 darts. He wears a leather jerkin that gives him 1 point of Armor, so James subtracts 1 from all damage he takes. This type of armor normally increases the cost of using Speed Effort by 1. To compensate, James chooses Trained in Armor as one of his tricks of the trade, which reduces that cost by 1 (meaning it becomes 0). For his other trick, he chooses Face Morph. James likes the opportunities this gives him to trick and confuse people. He also chooses a skill to be trained in. James decides to go with stealth so that whenever he tries to hide, move quietly, or slip something into his pocket unnoticed, he eases the task. In addition, his flex skill lets him choose another skill each day, so he has many options. His character can bear two cyphers. The GM decides that one item is an injector that gives James a temporary +1 bonus to his Speed Edge for one hour, and the other is a belt-mounted device that projects a force shield around him for ten minutes and grants +3 to his Armor. James still needs to choose his descriptor and focus. For his descriptor, he picks Clever to complement his “devious” theme, so he adds 2 to his Intellect Pool, raising it to 16. The Clever descriptor also means he is trained in lies and trickery (which is fitting for his character), defense rolls against mental effects, and identifying or assessing things. Basically, his Jack is good at figuring out whatever situation he lands in. Conversely, he doesn’t excel at reading books, studying, or remembering details. Finally, the descriptor gives James some extra starting money—probably from being so clever. For his focus, he makes a choice that’s devious but overt: Crafts Illusions. At first tier, he can spend 1 point from his Intellect Pool to create minor images. The focus also grants him a strange oddity that involves images in a piece of glass. James will use these abilities to create a con artist character who is careful and clever and backs up his lies with illusions.

JACK: NEW TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Jacks can add these new tricks of the trade into the mix when selecting their tricks of the trade for each tier.

FIRST-TIER JACK

Combat Ruse (1 Speed point): You feint or juke to mislead your foe and foil its defenses. Choose a creature within short range. If you succeed on a Speed roll, the next character to attack that creature before the end of your next turn has an asset to its attack roll. Action.
Decipher (1 Intellect point): If you spend one minute examining a piece of writing or code in a language you do not understand, you can make an Intellect roll of difficulty 3 (or higher, based on the complexity of the language or code). On a success, you get the gist of what the writing says. Action to initiate.
Gather Rumors (1+ Intellect point): When you spend a few hours in an inhabited urban environment about the size of a town or larger, the GM must tell you one rumor that pertains to the community. Instead of applying Effort to decrease the difficulty, you can apply Effort to learn additional rumors, with each level of Effort revealing one more rumor. Enabler.
Rope Trick: You are trained in all tasks requiring a rope. Further, you can set nonlethal traps with a rope that are one level higher than they would normally be to detect or avoid. Enabler.
Sabotage: You are particularly good at bypassing locks and dismantling devices. You are trained in lockpicking, the numenera, and any task that involves sabotaging an object. Enabler.
Tracer (1 Intellect point): You touch a creature. For the next hour, you know the creature’s direction relative to your current position, but you don’t know its distance from you. Action to initiate.
Vision: You can see clearly in dim light, very dim light, and darkness. Enabler.

SECOND-TIER JACK

Blackout (2 Intellect points): You cause all light sources within short range—numenera or otherwise—to fade to darkness for ten minutes. Action.
Contortionist (2 Speed points): You can wriggle free from bindings or squeeze through a tight spot. You are trained in escaping. When you use an action to escape or move through a tight area, you can immediately use another action. You may use this action only to move. Enabler.
Crowd Control (3 Intellect points): If you succeed at an Intellect-based deception task, you capture and hold the attention of everyone within 90 feet (27 m) for up to ten minutes. The GM sets the difficulty based on the audience’s disposition. Action to initiate.
Erase Memories (3 Intellect points): You reach into a creature’s mind to make it forget. Choose one creature within immediate range and make an Intellect roll. On a success, you erase up to the last five minutes of the creature’s memory. The creature simply forgets anything it experienced during this time. Action.
Eye for Detail (2 Intellect points): When you spend five minutes or so thoroughly exploring an area no larger than a typical room, you can ask the GM one question about the area. The GM must answer you truthfully. You cannot use this trick of the trade more than one time per area per 28 hours. Enabler.
Far Step (2 Intellect points): You leap through the air and land some distance away. You can jump up, down, or across to anywhere you choose within long range if you have a clear and unobstructed path to that location. You land safely. Action.
Hunker Down (3 Speed points): When you have cover, you have an asset on Speed defense rolls. Enabler.
Opportunist: You have an asset on any attack roll you make against a creature that has been attacked at some point during the round and is within immediate range. Enabler.
Quick Recovery: Your second recovery roll (usually requiring ten minutes) takes only a single action, just like the first roll. Enabler.
Sense Ambush: You are never treated as surprised by an attack. Enabler.
Surprise Strike (3 Speed points): When you attack a creature you have surprised, the difficulty of your attack roll is reduced by one step, and, on a success, you deal 1 additional point of damage. Enabler.
Threaten (3 Intellect points): When you reduce a creature to 0 health, you deliver a vicious threat to another creature within immediate range. Make a Might roll. On a success, the difficulty of all Speed defense rolls made to resist the creature’s attacks is reduced by one step until the end of the next round. Enabler.

THIRD-TIER JACK

Controlled Fall: When you fall while you are able to use actions and within reach of a vertical surface, you can attempt to slow your fall. Make a Speed roll. The difficulty is 1 for every 20 feet (6.1 m) you fall. On a success, you take half damage from the fall. If you reduce the difficulty to 0, you take no damage. Enabler.
Gambler: Each day, choose two different numbers from 2 to 16. One number is your lucky number, and the other is your unlucky number. Whenever you make a roll that day and get a number matching your lucky number, the difficulty of your next task is reduced by one step. Whenever you make a roll that day and get a number matching your unlucky number, the difficulty of your next task is increased by one step. Enabler.
Improvise (2 Intellect points): When you perform a task in which you are not trained, you can improvise to gain an asset for the task. The asset might be a tool you cobble together, a sudden insight into overcoming a problem, or a rush of dumb luck. Enabler.
Revelation (3 Intellect points): Choose one of your stats. When you succeed on a task using that stat and you applied at least one level of Effort, the difficulty of the next task you perform within one minute using that stat is reduced by one step. Enabler.
Shock to the System (4 Intellect points): You flood the mind of a target within short range with disturbing images and ideas. Affected targets faint and collapse to the ground, remaining unconscious for two rounds (this is instantly negated if they suffer any damage). GMs will modify the difficulty of the roll to affect a target based on logic—it’s probably easier to make a shopkeeper faint than a rampaging margr, even if they’re both the same level. Action.
Subterfuge: When you move no more than a short distance, you can move without making a sound, regardless of the surface you move across. Enabler.
Tool Mastery: When you have an asset from using a tool, you reduce the time it takes to perform the task by half (minimum one round). Enabler.

FOURTH-TIER JACK

Ambusher: When you attack a creature that has not yet acted during the first round of combat, the difficulty of your attack is reduced by one step. Enabler.
Confounding Banter (4 Intellect points): You spew a stream of nonsense to distract a foe. Make an Intellect roll against a creature within immediate range. On a success, the difficulty of the defense roll against the creature’s next attack before the end of the next round is reduced by one step. Action.
Deadly Aim (4 Speed points): For the next minute, all ranged attacks you make inflict 2 additional points of damage. Action to initiate.
Implant Suggestion (5 Intellect points): You implant a suggestion in the mind of a creature within immediate range. Describe a course of activity to the creature and the conditions under which the creature will perform it. The course of activity must be within the creature’s capabilities, and the conditions under which it would perform the activity must be something that directly affects the creature or occurs in its immediate environment. Then make an Intellect attack against that creature. If you succeed, you implant the suggestion, and if the conditions occur within the next 28 hours, the creature does as you suggest. If you attempt to implant a suggestion that would jeopardize the creature’s life, livelihood, loved ones, or property, the difficulty of the task is increased by two steps. Action.
Outwit: When you make a Speed defense roll, you can use Intellect in place of your Speed. Enabler.
Preternatural Senses: While you are conscious and able to use an action, you cannot be surprised. In addition, you are trained in initiative actions. Enabler.
Seize Opportunity (5 Speed points): If you succeed on a Speed defense roll to resist an attack, you gain an action. You can use it immediately even if you have already taken a turn in the round. If you use this action to attack, the difficulty of your attack is reduced by one step. You don’t take an action during the next round. Enabler.
Tumbling Moves (5 Speed points): When you use an action to move, the difficulty of all Speed defense rolls is reduced by one step until the end of your next turn. Enabler.

FIFTH-TIER JACK

Mask (5 Intellect points): You transform your body to become someone else. You can change any physical characteristic you wish, including coloration, height, weight, gender, and distinguishing markings. You may also change the appearance of whatever you are wearing or carrying. Your stats, as well as the stats of your items, are unchanged. You remain in this form for up to 28 hours or until you use an action to resume your normal appearance. Action to initiate.
Open (5 Intellect points): You tear apart the defenses of a creature within long range. Any energy-based defenses (such as a force field or a Ward esotery) it has are negated for 1d6 + 1 rounds. If the creature has no energy defenses, its Armor is reduced by 2 for one minute. If it has no energy-based defenses or Armor, the difficulty of all attacks made against the creature is modified by one step to its detriment for one minute. Action.
Uncanny Luck (4 Speed points): When you roll for a task and succeed, you can roll again. If the second number rolled is higher than the first, you get a minor effect. If you roll the same number again, you get a major effect. Enabler.
Vigilant (7 Might points): When you would normally be dazed or stunned, you are not dazed or stunned. Enabler.

SIXTH-TIER JACK

Exploit Advantage: Whenever you roll and you have an asset for that roll, the difficulty is also reduced by one step. Enabler.
Inspiring Success (6 Intellect points): Choose a stat. When you succeed on a roll to perform a task related to that stat and you applied at least one level of Effort, you may choose another PC within short range. That PC has an asset for the next task she attempts using that stat before the end of your next turn. Enabler.
Spring Away (6 Speed points): Whenever you succeed on a Speed defense roll, you can immediately move up to a short distance. You cannot use this ability more than once in a given round. Enabler.
Stimulate (6 Intellect points): Touch a target. The difficulty of the next action it takes is decreased by three steps. Action.
Twist of Fate: When you roll a 1 on the die, you can reroll. You must use the new result, even if it is another 1. Enabler.