The Fortune System is a variant of the Talent System that tracks and measures the luck of the characters - essentially, players roll a set of dice for their characters in advance, giving each character an individual resource of die rolls which can be applied to skill checks. In order to play around with this special resource, talents work differently in games that use the fortune system - they modify your fortune dice, instead of the CoS.
Characters, as normal, select three talents at first level and an additional talent every five levels, until they have selected their twelfth at level 45. They also have a number of fortune slots, as determined by the GM for the campaign. - Typically four, but in parties that have four characters or fewer, they might have five, and in parties that have more than six, they might have three. When they begin their first session, the player rolls one die for each slot they have, and writes the result into that slot. Alternately, they may write down the values 60, 80, 40, 90, 30, 100, 20 until all their slots are filled. (You can "take a mulligan" and opt for the second option after rolling your slots at the start of the game.)
When a character attempts a skill roll, instead of making a result check, they select one fortune die and apply the result of that slot to the check, automatically passing the task if the die's result is lower than the check's CoS. They then reroll the die and write that as the result for that slot. A fortune slot can also be "damaged" or "blown" - underline the number in the slot when the slot is damaged, and erase the space (or cross it out) when it's blown. (You can put a star next to it for damage, too, if you're using a document as opposed to a paper sheet.) If a damaged slot is damaged again, it's blown.
A damaged slot is bad luck - whenever you use a damaged slot, you roll two dice for the new result, and take the worse of the two as the new value. A blown slot is worthless to you - it's not rerolled, and is unusable until it's recovered. If all your fortune slots are blown, skill checks may only be attempted by rolling a single d100, with talents inapplicable. Damaged and blown slots are completely recovered when the party is capable of resting and relaxing at length: not just a stay at the inn, slot recovery is declared by the GM when the party has resolved all current pressures and is either resting or preparing for the next real expedition. When a blown slot is recovered, only then can you roll a d100 and write a new value into its slot. If the party is ever defeated in battle, their damaged and blown slots are also fully recovered at this time. (It doesn't count if you throw the fight.)
The Fortune System uses the same Skill List as the Talent system.
Fortune Damage
A blown or damaged slot essentially represents some exhaustion on the part of the character who suffers it - their luck's run out a little and they shine a little less bright. In game, slots can be blown either by using certain talents which guarantee success, or when a character suffers misfortune. When a character suffers some hardship outside of battle - physical harm, stressful revelations, a stinging rejection or a stinging blast of magic, whatever feels appropriate, the GM can declare that one of that character's slots is damaged or blown. They may either say "select one", or "select your lowest" - the first is more applicable for pain that's only felt in the long run, the second is applicable to something that immediately stops a character in their tracks.
Fortune Damage can also be the consequence of a failed skill check. If so, it should be declared along with the CoS. Generally speaking, this declaration means that the players won't use this skill check as an opportunity to discard a bad roll.
Talents
Talents either apply to a specific skill (such as "Swindle" or "Determination") or to a larger skill group (such as "Physical" or "Mental".), as specified by the talent type. The application of a talent is chosen when it is selected, and there is no limit to how many different talents you can take applying to one skill. Some talents gain increasing benefits from multiple ranks - these talents may be taken multiple times, corresponding to the same skill or skill group, with increasing benefits. Characters don't gain benefits from more than four ranks in a talent.
Characters select three talents at first level and an additional talent every five levels, until they have selected their twelfth at level 45.
Characters also receive a "free slot" which they may reassign whenever resting or between sessions. It indicates what the character has currently prepared themselves for - if they've been planning for a bombing raid on a reactor, it might be Infiltration, if they've equipped an ability which lets them turn into a toad, it might be Swimming, if they know that they're about to meet the villain that wronged them so many years ago, it might be Determination. It's free - it can be whatever you want, modeling preparation, mental state, specific study, and the obtaining of special equipment.
Talents in the Fortune System present new options for passing (and failing) skill checks, manipulating fortune dice in strange fashions. They might also modify the value of fortune dice for the purpose of certain checks.
TALENT LIST:
APTITUDE
Aptitude applies to a skill group. When you make a skill check in that group, use Aptitude to reduce the value of one die used for that roll by 5 per rank.
EXPERTISE
Expertise applies to a skill. When you make a skill check for that particular skill, use Expertise to reduce the value of one die used for that roll by 10 per rank.
FOCUS
Focus applies to a skill group. You can use Focus for an extra push on a skill check in that group - reduce the value of that die by 20 as you apply it. The slot is now damaged.
SCRAPE BY
Scrape By applies to a skill group. You can use Scrape By to succeed a skill check at a cost - select two dice, damaging both of them, and apply them to the check. You accomplish your goal, but you do it in some way that will cause you and your party trouble - things don't go smoothly. It's still a success, and it still accomplishes the intent of the action, it'll just be back to bite you later.
EXEMPLAR
Exemplar applies to a skill group. When you pass a skill check in that field, others may use the same value you used to pass the check instead of one of their own, as long as they've witnessed you do it or you've offered some advice upon doing it in advance. In the Physical group, this generally means that if you can climb up through the wreckage, your party can, too, so you won't get separated from your party. In other groups, this might mean that if you all make a plan and you pull your section of the job off, everyone else probably will too.
EXTREME EFFORT
Extreme Effort applies to a skill group. You can use Extreme Effort to pass any skill check at a cost - Select one die; it's now blown, but you pass the check regardless of the result on it.
SMOOTH
Smooth applies to a skill group. You can use Smooth to succeed with style - select two dice that sum to a value lower than the CoS, and apply them to the check. Your success is greatly increased in magnitude - you move quicker, accomplish more, win the heart of your target, establish a flawless alibi, or whatever applies. If the skill check was a trigger action that inflicted damage, a success with Smooth doubles the damage. When you use Smooth to succeed a check, select a Blown slot - it's now only damaged.
SLICK
Slick applies to a skill group - you can use Slick to succeed with professional grace - select a die that's no more than 5 less than the CoS, and apply it to the check. Your success serves as a form of relief to the party - no complications arise, unwelcome attention is averted, suspicion is lifted, dangers are kept away. When you use Slick to succeed a check, your allies may each select a damaged slot - these slots are damaged no longer.
WINGMAN
Wingman applies to a skill group - you're a dependable assistant to your allies. Whenever you make a check that aids one of your allies - pulling them out of danger, getting them past a security checkpoint after they've raised attention, apologizing to their sweetheart on their behalf - that ally can select one of their slots and re-roll it, discarding the value. You then take that value instead of re-rolling for the slot you used to pass the check. If you have two or more ranks in this, reduce the discarded value as you take it: -10 for two ranks, -20 for three ranks, and -30 for four.
LUCKY
Lucky applies to a skill group. You have an additional slot for each rank in Lucky for a fortune die that may be only used for that skill group. Lucky can't be placed in the changeable slot.
FLAIR
Flair applies to a skill group. When you use a die to pass a skill check in that group, you can roll a new value for it twice, putting the preferred of the two values in its slot. If you use multiple dice on a check, Flair only allows one re-roll. Flair doesn't benefit rolls made with damaged slots.
STEADY
Steady applies to a skill group. Whenever you re-roll a die after a skill check made in that group, and you dislike the result, you can damage the slot and replace it with a 60. For each rank of Steady, reduce the replaced value by 10. (2: 50, 3: 40, 4: 30.)
COULDN'T SLEEP
Rare among talents, Couldn't Sleep doesn't apply to any skill or skill group. Instead, a character may opt to use it when they rest - something keeps them up all night. They may reroll as many of their dice as they wish. After doing so, they select one of those dice - it's damaged. (They still recover HP and MP normally from that rest.)