Thorns

Each thorn has a level. Once a thorn gains enough experience, it will level up and receive a skill point which can be spent to unlock skills. Each thorn has three skill trees.

Vivian Toussaint

Vivian's parents were both career military officers for the Acacian army. Years ago, however, when Vivian was growing up, her father self-inflicted an injury to get out of combat. Her mother, Gloria, never forgave his weakness - they split up. Gloria also never thought Vivian was "enough." She always saw the father's weakness in Vivian and discouraged her from going into the military. She grew up doubting herself, until she became a scientist working for Dr. Selena Faber.

Vivian's self-esteem came from working at Faber Labs. As her mentor, Selena became a kind of mother figure to her. Just before the Rifters arrived, the lab facility, at the old abandoned island prison, was blown up by artillery strikes. She assumed that the Terragonian army was responsible.

Injured in the attack, Vivian awoke in a local field hospital after the Rifter Dome went up. She still feels the pain from her wounds from time to time. After discovering that a new war was underway, Vivian quickly banded together with some Thorns and joined the fight against the Rifters.

Kill Assist

Kill Assist When Vivian witnesses another Thorn bring an enemy to near-death, she can finish them off with her Kill Assist Reflex. Trigger the action to switch to Vivian's view, so she can do the rest.
Shocking Demise When Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, any Rifters within 4m of the enemy are inflicted with the Electrified status effect.		Burning Witness When Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, the closest Rifter within line of sight is inflicted with the Ignited status effect.
Assistant Manager When Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, she is awarded an additional 5 AP on her next turn.		Life is Life When Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, her health is restored by 50 HP.
Shockwave When Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, a 5m radius of the ground beneath its feet is covered with an Electrified surface.		Oil Spillage When Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, a 4m radius of the ground beneath its feet is covered with an Ignitable oil surface.
Assisted Boost When Vivian kills an enemy with Kill Assist, the damage output of her weapons increases by 25% for 2 turns. Anything that inflicts the Weapon Damage status effect can stack it until +150%. Every time a stack is applied (or reapplied at max stacks), this effect's duration resets to 2 more turns.	Refiller Killer When Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, she immediately reloads her equipped weapon at no AP cost.		Trigger Happy Vivian's awareness of an enemy's health intensifies, stimulating her Kill Assist Reflex when an ally brings a Rifter within 50% of its max health.
Return on Investment After Vivian kills a Rifter with Kill Assist, she retains the ability to trigger another Reflex Action within the same turn cycle.

Hologram

Hologram Vivian tosses a Hologram to distract enemies for as long as it lasts.
Sparks Between When Vivian kills an enemy that has the Electrified status effect, the closest Rifter within line of sight is inflicted with the same status effect.		Decoys A-Plenty The cooldown period for Vivian's Hologram ability is reduced by 1 turn.
Retaliation Shock Then a deployed Hologram takes damage, the attacking enemy is inflicted with the Electrified status effect.		Combustive Decoy When a Hologram is deployed, it generates an Ignitable oil surface around it that is set on fire when the Hologram is destroyed.
Shocking Embrace When Vivian damages an enemy that has the Electrified status effect, her shield strength is replenished by 25 HP.		Soothing Warmth When Vivian generates an Ignited surface, the health of her allies is restored by 25 HP.
Virtual Motivation For every Rifter that attacks one of Vivian's Holograms, she is awarded an additional 3 AP on her next turn.	Delusional Fear When a Hologram is deployed, in inflicts Rifters within a 4m radius with the Suppressed status effect.		Virtual Benefits When Vivian's Hologram inflicts the Suppressed status effect on a Rifter, the damage output of her weapons increases by 25% for 2 turns. Anything that inflicts the Weapon Damage status effect can stack it until +150%. Every time a stack is applied (or reapplied at max stacks), this effect's duration resets to 2 more turns.
Sympathy Pain When a Rifter attacks Vivian's Holograms, it reflects 25% of the damage received back at them.

Utility

The Utility skill tree is common to all Thorns and includes the following skills:

Health Insurance Vivian's max health is increased by 50 HP.
Shocking Propagation When Vivian Punches an enemy that has the Electrified status effect, the closest Rifter within line of sight is inflicted with the same status effect.		Switcheroo When throwing the Teleporter device at the feet of an enemy or an ally, Vivian swaps places with them.
Sparked Impact When Vivian performs a Punch, the targeted Rifter is inflicted with the Electrified status effect.		Early Departure Vivian's technical knowledge reduces her Teleporter's cooldown period by 1 turn.
Shocking Benefits When Vivian Punches an enemy that has the Electrified status effect, the damage output of her weapons increases by 25% for 2 turns. Anything that inflicts the Weapon Damage status effect can stack it until +150%. Every time a stack is applied (or reapplied at max stacks), this effect's duration resets to 2 more turns.		Shock Drop When Vivial uses the Teleport device, she leaves an Electrified surface where she used to be.
Re-Coverage The regeneration cooldown period for Vivian's shields is reduced by 1 turn, resulting in her shield gaining some strength on every turn, regardless of it taking damage.	Protective Layer Vivian's technical knowledge enables her to be protected by a personal Rifter shield generator with a strength of 100 HP. Her shields regenerate after 2 turns if they do not take any damage during that time, even if they've been destroyed.		Shattered Benefits When Vivian's shields are broken through, the damage output from her weapons increases by 25% for 2 turns. Anything that inflicts the Weapon Damage status effect can stack it until +150% weapon damage. Every time a stack is applied/reapplied at max stacks, the effect duration resets for 2 new turns.

Leopold Hader

Leopold (Leo) is an ex-school teacher and hardcore conspiracy theorist whose wife found him unreliable and flaky. She left him, taking their son and daughter with her, cutting off all contact. Leo entertained conspiracy theories to account for why they weren't able to contact him. For a long time, he couldn't let himself believe that his wife just didn't want to ever speak to him again. He is slowly coming around to this reality, but won't admit it to the others.

The arrival of the Rifters only fueled Leo's conspiracy theories, proving that he was right all along. He often wonders what else he could be right about. Whenever possible, he spouts out his latest and greatest thoughts on why things are the way they are, taking pride in his creative deductions.

After witnessing countless innocent civilians being gunned down by the invading Rifters, Leo wondered why he was spared. Spared from the effects of the Dome and spared from the relentless attacks of the Rifters. It didn't take long for Leo to join the Thorns, so he can deliver the enemy some payback.

Dylan Fortis

Before the Rifters came, Dylan was a soldier in the Terragonian army. But his heart wasn't in it - he'd been drafted before he could take his first sip of a cold drink at his favorite bar. Sometimes, he wonders if that very drink is still waiting for him back in his home country.

Dylan didn't want to be involved in the conflict, but despite being a pacifist, he was forced into committing an act he's deeply ashamed of. And now, it's clear to him that the story he sold the other Thorns of him being a refugee is not holding as strong as he would like.

Vivian and Leo are beginning to suspect that Dylan was a Terragonian soldier. Leo strongly believes that he had something to do with a massacre that happened before the Dome went up. Dylan may have to find the courage to tell them the truth, if he hopes to regain their trust.