Talents are your character's special abilities or powers and are a core part of combat within the Mass Effect universe. Their use is limited so be sure to invest your points wisely to help turn the tide of battle when you need them most.
At Level 1, all characters gain:
'Melee Training' - Rank 1
'Pistol Training' - Rank 1
'Class Talent' - Rank 1
If starting above Level 1, simply add an additional 3 Talent Points per level above 1.
Each character gains 3 Talent Points when levelling up. These can be spent on acquiring or upgrading Talents. Each rank of a Talent costs 1 Talent Point and each Talent has up to 10 ranks. So it is up to you whether to spread your points for versatility, or to focus on making a small number of Talents very powerful.
When spending Talent Points, a Talent's rank cannot exceed your current character level.
There is no limit to the number of Talents a character can have, however your list of available talents is limited by your chosen class.
You can use Talents only a limited number of times in between rests. The number of times you can use certain Talents is directly tied to your relevant Attribute. For example, a character with a Body attribute of 3 can use Combat Talents a total of 3 times before requiring a short rest. Universal Talents and Passive Talents such as Incendiary Ammo, however, do not rely on attributes and can be used as many times as needed.
Talents are divided into 5 distinct types; Universal, Class, Combat, Tech, and Biotic.
Universal Talents are shared by all classes and all characters gain rank 1 in these during character creation, however the choice whether to continue upgrading these talents is up to the player. Universal Talents do not receive any bonuses from Attributes, however they also have no use limit.
Class Talents are exclusive to a particular class, the only way to unlock and progress these Talents is to choose the required class during character creation. Class Talents do not receive any bonuses from Attributes, and can only be used a number of times equal to the character's current level, this is reset on taking a short rest.
Class Talents cannot be upgraded using Talent Points, instead these automatically rank up to match your character's current level.
Combat Talents are typically related to training techniques and the use of stimulants and heavy weaponry. As such these Talents add the character's Body attribute to attack rolls, damage rolls, and save difficulties. Combat Talents can also only be used a number of times equal to the character's current Body attribute, this is reset on taking a short rest.
Tech Talents are typically related to hacking techniques and the use of complex programs and hazardous chemicals. As such these Talents add the character's Mind attribute to attack rolls, damage rolls, and save difficulties. Tech Talents can also only be used a number of times equal to the character's current Mind attribute, this is reset on taking a short rest.
Biotic Talents are typically related to inherent biotic potential, the ability to create and manipulate mass effect fields to create gravity distortions. As such these Talents add the character's Will attribute to attack rolls, damage rolls, and save difficulties. Biotic Talents can also only be used a number of times equal to the character's current Will attribute, this is reset on taking a short rest.