THE 4C SYSTEM: EDITION 13 ROLE PLAYING GAME *** INTRODUCTION *** A long, long time ago, back in 1985, I began to tinker with the idea of role-playing games. My introduction to such entertainment was the old-style Marvel Super Heroes Role Playing Game (or MSH RPG, for short). It was a pretty fun pastime, and me and a couple of friends would get together to stage adventures where everyone beat up on whatever imaginary villain had launched whatever ridiculous plot each week. In the beginning, I was not very good at this sort of thing. I do believe our original adventure involved Thor and Wolverine hanging out in a bar, seeing who could get drunk first, when a 'giant radioactive dinosaur' suddenly attacked the city. Of course, by this point both heroes had managed to get rather tipsy through sheer volume, and chaos (and staggering property damage) quickly ensued. I eventually got better at the whole storytelling thing, though, and we managed to keep our game going for over a decade. After that, our group drifted into other things, a lot of them succumbing to the 'Vampire' chain of games while I instead started running a Planescape campaign. I subsequently experimented with numerous other systems, such as Cyberpunk and Rifts, but MSH always felt like 'home' to me. It's just one of those things, I suppose. Over those years of gaming, I cooked up an inordinate amount of characters, along with a plethora of customized rule systems. I was always tinkering with things, either streamlining the actual rules themselves, or vastly improving on the character generation options by making all-new paths of power for players to walk their characters through. Having since discovered the Internets, I thought that it would be great to share my original (and some not-so original) creations with the world, doing so mostly through an e mail list dedicated to the MSH RPG. It died a horrible death when it was absorbed by topica.com (the jerks), and with the subsequent release of the Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game (MSHAG), a role-playing game based on the Saga card system. So I thought 'Why not put all this work on my own site'? Thus, on April 9th, 1998, 'Technohol 13: the Atomic Drink' was born! I use the site to house some of the characters and rule sets I've concocted over the years and put online, though there's still a lot of work to do in that regard. The ultimate goal is to rebuild the MSH RPG on my own terms, and in my own way, a goal that continues to this very day. However, I apparently wasn't the only one that was doing so. I recently tripped over the 4C System, which has the goal of producing an 'open source' version of the old-style MSH RPG. They have a bevy of downloads available for your gaming use, as well as a forum with which to discuss their nascent system. I find I like this idea a whole lot, a system using the same essential mechanics whilst using its own terminology and such to technically be a different game. It's something that various systems have done over the years to varying degrees of success, and I think it could catch on here. I don't have any illusions about my favorite system taking over the universe or whatever, but I think this is something that could use some support. Or at least more than I've seen the online world manufacturing since the 4C System went 'public' a good long while back. So I pondered all of this. I've got oodles and oodles of original rules stuff that is built for the MSH RPG. It's not really all that difficult for me to transform the stuff I've written for the MSH RPG into product for the 4C System. I've gone out of my way to invent a lot of my own terminology anyway, and what little isn't 'unique' to my own stuff is pretty common to RPGs overall, not just the MSH RPG. So I figure, why not go ahead and do so? Enter: Edition 13. The 4C System was released into the public domain (their original art notwithstanding), so I can quite legally pick up their ball and run with it. Edition 13 is a version of the 4C System of my own devising, greatly expanding the rules provided by the core 4C 'kernel'. The 'big idea' is to alter it slightly by adding enough 'crunchy' rules goodness so that it can function with all my custom products. Now, I could just fashion my work into a sexy .pdf file and sell it online at the various sites available for just such purposes. And I may do so, once I get my hands on a copy of Acrobat and an artist or two to produce pretty imagery for my use (as much as I would like to, I can't draw very well). But the core materials, Edition 13 and all of its various expansions and whatnot, will remain here free of charge. I offer my Edition 13 work under the Creative Commons Attribution license. What this means is that if you wish, you may use the Edition 13 material in any way you see fit, whether copying, distributing, or displaying all or part of this text, as long as you credit my work in your own derivative texts or products. If you would like more information about me for attribution, you can contact me via e mail, at DashApostrophe@gmail.com Other than that, I hope you enjoy Edition 13, and can make use of some (or all) of it! ** The Big Idea Behind 4C System: Edition 13 ** Now you know why Edition 13 exists, but in the event that you've never enjoyed a role-playing game before, you may find yourself asking just what the heck you do with this thing. Simply put, the idea behind Edition 13 is to allow players to assume the identity of at least one character, and play out his, her, or their activities in a setting decided upon by all the players involved. Most players of Edition 13 assume the role of just one character. This character is referred to as a Player Character (or PC). This is the player's avatar in the setting, the means by which they interact with it. Keep in mind that a player character should talk and behave as that character would, not as the player managing them might... unless the player character is some version of their 'real' self. On the other hand, one player must assume the role of the Gamemaster. He or she adjudicates the rules during play, and handles the roles of every character encountered that isn't managed by the other players. A Gamemaster's characters are referred to as Non-Player Characters (or NPCs). It is the Gamemaster's job to present a scenario for the other players to operate within, as well as to manage all of the action. Therein lies the beauty of a role-playing game: it is not inflexible fiction, but instead a collaborative effort. The Gamemaster sets the stage for events, and all the other players act out their roles, taking their characters wherever their personas would dictate - for good or ill. It is a truly active form of entertainment, one which draws all its participants into the limelight, and lets everyone influence the story. And that story can take place almost anywhere! From ancient realms lost to legend to distant planets in the deepest reaches of space, Edition 13 allows its players to adventure wherever they wish, limited only by their imagination! Furthermore, these stories can take the form of solitary tales, a one-shot sort of thing, or instead expand into an entire campaign, a series of adventures that tells a much larger tale. While the former can be good fun, the latter allows a group to fully explore their characters and the setting presented to them by their Gamemaster. But either is an acceptable use of Edition 13, for both can be equally entertaining. This is just a choice that a group of players needs to make beforehand - though they can surely mix and match between the two as is desired! But what is required to play Edition 13, you ask? Not much, really. All that's essentially necessary are these rules - and a set of percentile dice. Percentile dice are two ten sided dice, which can be used to generate a number ranging from one-to-one hundred, though these dice can be hard to come by outside of professional gaming stores. To this end, a simple d100 number generator is available if you need it, at http://www.technohol.com/features/die.asp Other than that, all you need is a tiny bit of creativity - and the desire to have fun! *** PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TRAITS *** 4C System: Edition 13 is a game designed to let you role-play the adventures of heroes, whether alone or in groups. But you may find yourself asking, 'just what is a hero?' Merriam-Webster ™ tells us that a hero is 'a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities'. Expanding on that a bit, we can define a hero as a man or woman that selflessly uses their talents, abilities, or resources to help others, rather than being selfish and using these qualities solely for his or her own, personal gain. So when utilizing Edition 13, players take on the role of a hero, whether it's an existing comic book / animated / literary / other fictional character, or an original creation designed for the game by said players. To properly play whichever character(s) you are responsible for, whether PC or NPC, it's imperative to get a basic handle on just what they are and are not capable of. The essential capabilities of every character, no matter how strong or weak, can be determined by their traits. ** Standard Traits ** Almost every character in Edition 13 is represented by eleven distinct traits. The seven primary traits are Melee, Coordination, Brawn, Fortitude, Intellect, Awareness, and Willpower, while the four secondary traits are Lifestyle, Repute, Health and Fortune. All eleven traits are described here, with generalized benchmarks provided to give one an idea what a certain value in each trait means to a character. Melee: 'You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.' - Napoleon Bonaparte Melee is a strange hybrid ability, an amalgamation of physical and mental prowess in the field of battle. It is meant to describe both natural and trained ability in a scrap. One can certainly have more of one than the other depending on their background and origins, but either way the sum of these two qualities can be used to describe someone's net fighting skill. Melee as an ability is used to resolve mêlée, or hand-to-hand combat (surprise), and is also used to determine how many 'moves' a character can attempt each turn (whether talking about offensive or defensive actions). Melee is used to determine one's prowess in unarmed combat, and is the base value used whenever a character has a melee weapon in hand (whether a blunt, edged, or even an improvised implement). Table 1: Melee Trait by Rank Value Value Melee Benchmarks 2 No training or ability 4 Standard Human Ability 6 Natural ability or minimal training 10 Some formal training 20 Formal, regular training 30 Superior martial talent 40 Superior talent with extensive training 50 Maximum human combat prowess 75 Super-human training or ability 100 Super-human capability, extensive skill or experience 150 Super-human ability with unnatural training and experience 200 Can combat several small groups simultaneously 500 Long-lived being with many lifetimes of battle experience 1k Can combat vast crowds simultaneously 3k Ageless being with countless combat experience 5k Can neutralize whole armies with sheer capability Coordination: 'There's no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves.' - Frank Herbert Coordination is the means by which a character's inherent agility and nimbleness can be measured - it is both manual dexterity and one's sense of balance. Coordination exemplifies grace, if not grace under fire, and is used whenever a character indirectly interacts with his or her environment. Such interactions can involve anything from carving a statue to operating machinery to catching a Frisbee ™. Coordination also comes into play when piloting vehicles of any type. Of course, Coordination is the primary measure of one's prowess in ranged battle, as well. It is used to handle almost all non-adjacent combat actions, whether flinging shuriken or firing a handgun. When attempting an offensive or defensive maneuver involving ranged combat, Coordination is the trait which handles such concerns. Table 2: Coordination Trait by Rank Value Value Coordination Benchmarks 2 Little hand-eye coordination, terrible sense of balance 4 Clumsy and inaccurate, primarily sedentary lifestyle 6 Normal human reaction time, coordination, balance 10 Casual dexterous discipline, conventional firearms training 20 Expert marksman, collegiate gymnast, circus acrobat 30 Professional gymnast, uncanny aim, supremely flexible 40 Gymnastic gold medalist, maximum human ability 50 Serene, alien grace, super-human ballistic prowess 75 Super-human training or agility, unnatural ballistic prowess 100 Instinctive knowledge of trajectories, flexible beyond mortal ken 150 Super-human training or agility, with extensive experience 200 Super-human training or agility, with overwhelming experience 500 Agile beyond mortal ken, capable of microscopic movements 1k Super-human training or agility, with lifetimes of experience 3k Almost never misses, reacts to environment at near-light speeds 5k Absolute control of one's body, along with all it can manipulate Brawn: 'Perhaps I am stronger than I think.' - Thomas Merton A bridge of sorts between Melee and Fortitude, Brawn exemplifies the raw physical power one's body possesses. Brawn, at its base, refers to how much weight a character can lift. It also determines the amount of brute force a character can apply to their environment, or in other words, how much damage they can inflict in melee combat, whether punching, kicking, biting, or even smashing a foe with a baseball bat. Brawn is more than just a damage rating, however. It describes how well one may apply their power over time, as well. Such indications involve how fast a character can run over distances short and long, how quickly they can propel themselves through a liquid medium (swimming), and how much weight a character may carry on his or her person without being slowed down by it. Table 3: Brawn Trait by Rank Value Value Brawn Benchmarks 2 Able to lift / press up to 50 lbs, rather weak 4 Able to lift / press up to 100 lbs, somewhat weak 6 Able to lift / press up to 200 lbs, human average 10 Able to lift / press up to 400 lbs, well above average 20 Able to lift / press up to 800 lbs, human maximum 30 Able to lift / press up to 1 ton 40 Able to lift / press up to 10 tons 50 Able to lift / press up to 50 tons 75 Able to lift / press up to 75 tons 100 Able to lift / press up to 100 tons 150 Able to lift / press up to 150 tons 200 Able to lift / press up to 200 tons 500 Able to lift / press up to 500 tons 1k Able to lift / press up to 1,000 tons 3k Able to lift / press up to 1 million tons 5k Able to lift / press up to 1 billion tons Fortitude: 'A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard.' - Bruce Lee This trait is a gauge of physical toughness and endurance. Fortitude describes how long a character can continue strenuous physical activity, how resistant to killing blows and metabolic attacks they are, and how quickly they can heal actual damage inflicted upon his or her person. In other words, Fortitude is used to determine a character's base healing and recovery rates over time. Fortitude closely ties into Brawn for movement purposes. While Brawn shows how fast one can move and with how much weight, Fortitude details just how long they may do so before collapsing in a sweaty heap. Similarly, while Brawn is a measure of how much punishment a character can dish out, their Fortitude value is instead a metric by which one can measure the punishment he or she can take. Table 4: Fortitude Trait by Rank Value Value Fortitude Benchmarks 2 Reduced or impaired health or function, limited activity 4 Minimal exercise, poor diet, sedentary 'desk jockey' 6 Occasional exercise or physical activity, human average 10 Regular athletic activity or training, 'blue collar' occupation 20 Intensive exercise and/or training, excellent staying power 30 Gold medalist-level staying power, maximum human ability 40 Incredible stamina, shrugs off that which would kill lesser men 50 Enhanced staying power, super-human metabolism / immunities 75 Super-human metabolism complemented by intense training 100 Great physical fortitude, rarely tires even under extreme duress 150 Super-human staying power / immunity, with constant training 200 Never tires, never slows down, physically relentless 500 Recovers quickly from most injury, no matter how severe 1k Metabolically perfect, nigh-immune to poison, disease 3k Physically self-contained, needs food and water only after injury 5k Virtually immortal, can recover even after apparent death Intellect: 'Let every man judge according to his own standards, by what he has himself read, not by what others tell him.' - Albert Einstein In loose terms, a character's Intellect is an indicator of his or her I.Q. - a measure of intelligence and the capacity for logical thought. It describes one's ability to create items either from scratch or from the spare parts and salvage of others, as well as their ability to understand and operate equipment from the simple to the arcane. So basically, Intellect helps when mastering either geometry or German. Practically speaking, Intellect also shows how well your character can learn and retain knowledge - both in the short and long-term - which comes in handy when either trying to solve a crime or graduate from college. This is utilized for recalling the features of a person's face, specific details of an encounter, or even the schematics of a device you've invented after some villain makes off with them. Table 5: Intellect Trait by Rank Value Value Intellect Benchmarks 2 Understands only the simplest machines, limited intellect 4 Grasps complex machines, basic electronics and math 6 Competent problem solving capabilities, human average 10 Can easily repair / install modern technology for self or others 20 Master of a single discipline, or familiarity with several others 30 Disciplinary polymath, world-class expert in one discipline 40 Understands and creates leading-edge devices, technologies 50 Can decipher alien technologies, maximum human ability 75 Develops technology far beyond modern understanding 100 Super-human intellect with vast knowledge in many areas 150 Walking encyclopedia, mastery of all terrestrial sciences 200 Frighteningly smart, can process advanced math in real-time 500 Intelligent enough to be considered an alien technology 1k Can multitask in multiple advanced areas at near-light speeds 3k Intellect beyond mortal ken, knows all which must not be known 5k Contemplates the whole of space-time simultaneously Awareness: 'Those with the greatest awareness have the greatest nightmares.' - Mahatma Gandhi Awareness is the sum of a person's wisdom, common sense, and that sense of self that (most) people possess. A counterpart of sorts to Intellect, Awareness tends to rely upon inspirational leaps and bounds as opposed to logical deductions - a fine distinction, but an important one. It also helps to gauge a person's awareness of their surroundings, showing just how in tune with the multiverse they really are (or aren't). In game terms, one's Awareness is used when attempting to detect something, whether intentionally (such as looking for clues in a crime scene) or subconsciously (picking up on things not readily apparent). It also is the basis for most empathic abilities, whether passive (the empathy power) or aggressive (emotion control, life force manipulation). Finally, a person's Awareness value determines their initiative modifier in combat. Table 6: Awareness Trait by Rank Value Value Awareness Benchmarks 2 Limited or impaired senses, extremely inattentive 4 Generally clueless, a little slow on the uptake 6 Normal human situational awareness, sensory acuity 10 A fine eye for the little details around oneself 20 Keener than normal capabilities in at least one sense 30 Superior situational awareness, deductive ability 40 Highly accurate 'gut feelings', multiple superior senses 50 Maximum human awareness / alertness of surroundings 75 At least one super-human sense, superior awareness 100 Aware of all major events in one's city as they occur 150 Completely aware of one's surroundings, all senses 'super' 200 Knows of all major events world-wide simultaneously 500 Awareness of environment extends to the atomic level 1k In tune with the universe, cannot be blindsided 3k Is in tune with other dimensions as well as one's own 5k Mind is one with all reality, aware of all simultaneously Willpower: 'He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.' - Lao Tzu Somewhat similar in function to the Fortitude ability, Willpower is a gauge of one's mental endurance. It is an excellent descriptor of the sheer strength of will and personality one has, detailing such elusive quantities as mental presence and a sense of focus. While all mental abilities are used in psychic combat to some extent, one's Willpower determines a large component of their success in such arenas. In game terms, Willpower has two practical aspects. One is how intent and focused a body can be in the face of adversity, such as intense fear, withstanding pain, or even psychic assault. The other is sheer presence, and defines how well the character can impose their will upon others, whether he or she does so in a subtle (leadership, debate skills) or overt (manipulation, intimidation techniques) fashion. Table 7: Willpower Trait by Rank Value Value Willpower Benchmarks 2 Readily dominated or (re)programmed by others 4 Young or untrained minds, easily indoctrinated or bullied 6 Normal human willpower, standard resistance to influence 10 Can fend off standard mesmerism with some effort 20 Somewhat experienced with mystic / mental forces 30 Trained to counter external psychic influences / forces 40 Impressive force of personality, sways others with ease 50 Seemingly indomitable willpower, maximum human ability 75 Incredible focus, has seeming mastery of one's own body 100 Intense training and experience in the use of mental powers 150 Overwhelming force of personality, can sway an entire nation 200 Uncanny convergence of will, focus, and drive inspires others 500 Supreme force of personality, sways worlds with their words 1k Can often sway others without even speaking or acting 3k Absolute focus, can manipulate the world with one's thoughts 5k Mind is impregnable, only affected by external stimuli if willing Lifestyle: 'A penny saved is a penny earned.' - Ben Franklin A measure of personal finance, Lifestyle describes all of the assets currently at a character's disposal. While this is mostly used to show the material resources an individual has access to in the day-to-day functions of the game, it can also be used to detail additional resources available to them through an organization they are a member of (though such funds often come with strings attached). This takes into account liquid funds as well as material goods; bank accounts, furniture in storage, a perfectly preserved comic book collection, that old cave filled with high tech gadgets - all these and more contribute to the Lifestyle trait. Individuals tend to have more materials than funds, while the reverse is often the case with large financial bodies (think corporations). Table 8: Lifestyle Trait by Rank Value Value Lifestyle Benchmarks 2 Reduced circumstances, on public assistance / allowance 4 Freelancer, college students, lower class wages 6 Lower middle class wages, salaried pay, novice executives 10 Professional salaries, middle class wages, small trust fund 20 Small inheritance, small business owner, military officer 30 City economy, millionaire playboy, small business chain 40 Large business, small corporation, small family fortune 50 Regional economy, multi-millionaire, large corporation 75 Tiny national economy, large trust fund or inheritance 100 Small national economy, billionaire, world-class investor or fund 150 Medium sized national economy, multi-national corporation 200 Large sized national economy, trillionaire investor 500 Global super-power's economy, mega-corporations 1k Planetary government economy, space-faring corporation 3k Multi-planetary economy, universe-spanning corporation 5k Universal economy, trans-dimensional corporation Repute: 'Avoid popularity if you would have peace.' - Abraham Lincoln A quirky statistic, this secondary trait measures the public acknowledgment or approval people have in their normal environment. Repute, then, is used to modify the reaction result characters receive when they interact with others (when such results are not determined in the course of regular role-play). The trick is that a character may have two separate Repute traits. A body with a secret identity will have both a 'public' Repute and a 'private' Repute; the former is their adventuring notoriety, while the latter describes their 'home life'. Furthermore, Repute can be positive or negative; a positive value implies adoration by the public (such as it is), while a negative Repute means the character is feared and/or reviled by the world at large. Table 9: Repute Trait by Rank Value Value Repute Benchmarks 2 'Local boy made good', neighborhood hooligans 4 Beloved neighbors, local media, city-wide hooligans 6 Local celebrities or politicians, national media 10 National politicians, local heroes, low-rent villains 20 Major hero, national leader or religious figure 30 Nationwide hero, FBI's most wanted, war criminals 40 Well-received hero, world-famous actor, convicted traitors 50 Mass-murdering terrorist, notorious super-villain 75 National hero, despised tyrants or super-villains 100 International hero, religious figure or global threat 150 Hero on multiple planets, role-model for billions 200 Timeless hero, modern messiah, eternal villain 500 Well-known throughout near space, for good or ill 1k Beings throughout the cosmos familiar with you 3k Well-known throughout the universe, for good or ill 5k (In)Famous in multiple planes of existence Health: 'Health is worth more than learning.' - Thomas Jefferson Health is a descriptor of the amount of damage a character can sustain before losing consciousness, and possibly their life as a result. Instead of being represented with rank values as are the primary abilities, a character's Health is instead determined by adding together the rank values of their Melee, Coordination, Brawn, and Fortitude traits. Health, then, is a pool of well-being that represents the character at the height of their ability. Whenever a character suffers harm, whether physical or mental, the damage inflicted (after any protective powers or gear) is subtracted from one's Health. When one runs out of Health, they will pass out, and may or may not begin to die, depending on the nature of the harm inflicted upon them. Fortune: 'Like gravity, karma is so basic we often don't even notice it.' - Sakyong Mipham Fortune is essentially a measure of a person's placement in the universal scheme of things. At the beginning of play, each character will have access to an amount of Fortune that is equal to the sum of their Intellect, Awareness, and Willpower traits. They will have no more, however, unless they earn it - which can be done by engaging in activities that fit the ethos of said character. This means that heroes must fight crime to earn Fortune, whilst villains must engage in it to achieve the same. Either way, Fortune acts as experience points as well as luck; it can be saved and eventually spent to improve one's traits and powers, or it can be wielded to manipulate die rolls as a player sees fit. There is much more on the uses of Fortune later on in the Edition 13 rules. ** Special Traits ** Each character, in addition to the standard eleven attributes that are used to describe their basic capabilities, may also be quantified in terms of special traits. These are qualities that are not common to every single entity in the game, and may in fact be unique to a specific character. There are four types of special traits, including powers, skills, contacts, and quirks. Powers: powers are what make super heroes super, as opposed to being 'just' a hero. Most PCs have at least one power, whether it be in the form of an inborn ability, a sample of high tech equipment, or such studied equivalents as spells or psionics. Just like primary traits, almost all powers are gauged by rank values, though some are instead quantified with Row Shifts. Quirks: quirks are modifications added to a character towards the end of its creation. They are oddities that contribute to the uniqueness of a character, potentially adding or subtracting a Row Shift to certain rolls, or merely making their life a little more interesting. Whether beneficial or an impediment, they will typically come into play at least once in a given adventure. Skills: skills are talents that may be learned by virtually anyone, whether they be super-human or not. Instead of having a rank value, almost all skills offer a boost to trait or power values in the form of a +1 or +2 Row Shift to the standard rank value on all skill rolls, making the character more proficient in that area than someone who does not have that skill. Contacts: a contact is a person or an organization that a body can rely upon when needed, for either information, resources, or whatever else may be necessary. Contacts are automatically considered friendly to a character for the purpose of NPC reaction rolls. A character's contacts may help to shape their origin, and are rather useful for background information. RANK VALUES AND ACTS A character's traits, powers, and more are represented by rank values. Rank values are measures of prowess or raw power in a trait or superhuman ability. Each rank value is represented by a primary number, as well as a range that surrounds said number. Rank values may be identified by that primary number (rank value 30, for instance), or they may be instead identified with a special descriptive name, if desired. * Human Rank Values * When discussing normal human beings, this range of rank values will most often be used to describe them. While some traits can be higher and be considered within the range of a 'normal' human's, these five rank values are where the vast majority of such individuals will fall in all of their statistics. This is particularly true of Brawn, which literally cannot be higher without some sort of super-human capability. Furthermore, most super-humans will have traits that fall within this range as well. They may have a few which exceed these rank values, which is par for the course, but few individuals are super-human in every trait - and those that are usually turn out to be the most dangerous by far. Power values that fall into this panorama are nonetheless quite useful, if not generally considered 'world shaking' in nature. Table 10: Human Rank Value Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Value Range Potential Descriptors 2 1-2 Doddering, Weak, Feeble 4 3-4 Poor, Inferior, Shabby 6 5-7 Average, Mundane, Typical 10 8-15 Accomplished, Good, Competent 20 16-25 Excellent, Exceptional, Skillful * Super-Human Rank Values * This spectrum of rank values is most often used to describe ascendant humans - those who have spectacular powers for some reason or another, or perhaps inhuman beings of some sort. A few exceptional 'normals' may have traits that fall within this neighborhood, as a human's Melee trait may range as high as rank value 50, but this area is where you'll find a majority of the super-powered population. Supers typically have one or more traits in this range, though most of theirs still reflect their basic, human nature. Many of their powers will fall into this category, however, which is what makes most super-humans, well, super. Sure, the right power at rank value 2 can do a lot of damage if wielded properly, but the same one with a value of 100 can dish out that much more. Table 11: Super-Human Rank Value Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Value Range Potential Descriptors 30 26-35 Extraordinary, Remarkable, Super 40 36-45 Fantastic, Incredible, Wonderful 50 46-62 Amazing, Astounding, Legendary 75 63-87 Colossal, Monstrous, Monumental 100 88-125 Astonishing, Marvelous, Unearthly * Cosmic Rank Values * The three cosmic rank values represent extreme levels of power. They're so potent that they're generally considered out of the human experience entirely, hence some of their potential descriptors. A majority of super-human beings won't possess a trait or power at one of these values, though a rare few might manage it through sheer luck or happenstance (certain powers notwithstanding). No, those beings who possess standard rank values within this spread tend to be alien in both body and mind, often from other worlds or planes of existence. They may be bona fide deities, or perhaps simply take advantage of the superstitions of lesser beings to perpetuate such belief to their own benefit. Nonetheless, entities with levels of power in this strata are not to be taken lightly, for they can easily change the world. Table 12: Cosmic Rank Value Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Value Range Potential Descriptors 150 126-175 Shift X, Inconceivable, Uncanny 200 176-350 Indescribable, Shift Y, Unthinkable 500 351-999 Improbable, Unimaginable, Shift Z * Abstract Rank Values * Finally, the abstract rank values are those which are even more inexplicable than those three which came before. These represent forces which can destroy worlds, if not whole universes when used aggressively enough. The three classes of top-tier might are rarely, if ever, attained even by gods (or cosmic beings) themselves, for they are most often possessed only by abstract, alien entities. Such creatures (if they can even be classified as such) are those which serve as an embodiment of some grand force or concept. Their sphere of power is nigh-absolute in their area of focus, thus justifying these extreme levels of power. Typically these entities are the 'base' from which gods who embody related, but lesser concepts or principles draw their might from - or must pay homage to somehow. Table 13: Abstract Rank Value Names, Standard Numbers and Numerical Ranges Value Range Potential Descriptors 1000 1000-2999 Staggering, Unfathomable, Class 1000 3000 3000-4999 Incomprehensible, Class 3000, Overwhelming 5000 5000+ Class 5000, Impossible, Unobtainable ** Rank Value Conditionals ** In addition to the sixteen standard rank values, there are four rank value conditionals. These are all rank values (or a range of such) that one will not attain normally under most circumstances, but may nonetheless be forced to roll on now and then. Access to rank value conditionals are typically only granted with the Gamemaster's approval; they may be seen as either too limiting or too powerful (especially the second one). Rank Value Zero: barring a severe injury or illness, or perhaps a non-humanoid body (or a lack therein), most characters will never actually possess a trait or power that functions at this rank value. This is because this condition indicates a lack of power or ability. Having an actual rank value of zero (0) in a statistic means that one has no inherent use of said trait or power (it's useless to them). For the most part, a character will make use of rank value zero when a higher value is modified to function on this row. This can happen as a result of severe penalties to a desired action that, while not making it impossible, just get one very close to such a state. Actions attempted at rank value zero are the most likely to fail, but nonetheless have a slim chance at success (usually with a dash of Fortune to help). Rank Value Infinity: similarly, characters will not possess any trait or power at rank value infinity, for the most part. This level of might indicates ultimate power, gained only in the rarest of situations - either when several value 5000 powers are used in conjunction, or when it is assigned to the most potent of abstract beings. When the latter occurs, such a character is usually just a plot device. The reason for this is that rank value infinity transcends mere game mechanics, it is all powerful. Anyone who manages this level of might evolves beyond the game's boundaries, after a fashion. On occasion a character may manage to achieve this rank value in some capacity or another for a short period of time - fiction is replete with such examples, after all - but such a situation is highly transient in nature. The Hyperexhaustive Rank Value: this is a special rank value conditional that is applied to powers only, never to traits. A power that is hyperexhaustive physically drains its user, being incredibly hard to operate or control. When a hyperexhaustive rank value appears during character generation, either due to lousy rolls or when chosen as a limitation, roll again. This second result will be the base for power factors such as range, damage, and so on. The result is the hyperexhaustive rank value. This will read as HE-(rank value). For example, a player eventually rolls a hyperexhaustive rank value for a power. They immediately roll again on the applicable chart; the result being rank value 20. As such, this power is of rank value HE-20. The tricky part is actually using such powers. When a character wields a hyperexhaustive power, the necessary die roll is made on the rank value zero row, as wielding it is particularly difficult. Whether the use of this power succeeds or fails, it (and the character who possesses it) will be drained by the effort involved. Ideally, the power should not be used again for twenty-four hours of game time, allowing it to recover from this extreme exertion. If this rest period is observed, no undue harm will come to the character. However, failing to do this will drain the power further, and require it be rested for one week without further use. If the power is drained to this point, a week's worth of abstinence on the part of this power's use is required to recharge it fully. However, sometimes this is not practical, and this tricky power must be used yet again. Bypassing a required week-long rest on a hyperexhaustive power extends the time necessary for a full recovery to one month. If this third and final extension is not observed, the power will be completely burned out. While the Gamemaster has the option of allowing it to come back after perhaps a year of game time (certainly a considerable wait), the most likely outcome is that the hyperexhaustive power is gone forever. Recovery of the ability may be possible, but may require a special mission or other extreme measures, all at the Gamemaster's whim. The Hyperkinetic Rank Value: the flip side of hyperexhaustive values, a hyperkinetic rank value implies a trait or power that normally operates at a functional value (determined in the same way as a hyperexhaustive power), but will suddenly 'spike' in power under certain circumstances. This stimulus cannot be something always present in the environment, such as water or oxygen, but need not be especially rare, either. When exposed to the predetermined stimulus, the hyperkinetic effect is activated, and the power in question begins to function at a +1 RS. For each round of sustained stimulus afterwards, the power will be increased in scope by a further +1 RS, until it hits an upper limit of rank value 500. This enhancement lasts until the stimulus is all gone, plus 1d10 turns, at which point the power value will revert to its normal, functional state. While such an extreme boost in power may be exhilarating, it is not without adverse effects. For one thing, controlling extreme levels of power can be difficult. For every +1 RS the hyperkinetic trait or power experiences over one's Willpower, apply a -1 RS to ACTs required to control it. Such high levels of power are difficult to keep a handle on. Furthermore, when the hyperkinetic power wears off, the character will be left somewhat spent, suffering a -2 RS penalty to all die rolls for a number of turns equal to the time in which they were, for the lack of a better term, hyperkinetic. During this time, one cannot reinitialize the hyperkinetic state, which may leave him or her in something of a pickle depending on the circumstances of its use. While a character's traits may be bolstered by a hyperkinetic effect, their Health and Fortune sums will not be affected by this change (even if an over the top boost seems like it should double - or more - such sums). Finally, hyperkinetic powers are noted with a special prefix, as are hyperexhaustive abilities. A rank value 20 hyperkinetic power, for instance, would be noted as rank value HK-20. ** Accomplishment of Capability or Talent (ACTs) ** Whenever a character attempts an action with significant difficulty, he or she must normally attempt an ACT roll to determine whether or not it succeeds, ACT being an acronym for an Accomplishment of Capability or Talent. An ACT is made by rolling a d100, and checking the result against the rank value in question on the Master Table. This procedure is the basis for all actions in Edition 13 of the 4C System, and after playing for a while will come naturally. There are four color bands on the Master Table that stretch through the rank values. When attempting an ACT, a black result usually indicates failure. A red result represents a sufficient success, a blue result an exceptional success, and a yellow result the best possible result one can achieve. As an example, consider a hero in mortal combat with their deadly arch-nemesis. To hit with a left hook, the hero must make a successful ACT roll based on their Melee trait. Normally a red result will do, so the player rolls the dice, the result being a 42. Tracing along the '41-45' column of the Master Table, we see that if our hero has a Melee value of 20 or better, that punch will indeed strike their foe - though if they don't prove victorious with this mighty blow, said villain may strike back in kind... possibly in a much deadlier fashion. This is an over-simplification of the variables that can occur in combat, but will do to demonstrate the basic idea of an ACT. ** Determining ACT Intensities (Difficulties) ** One area heavily involving ACT color results is the idea of ACT intensities. ACT intensities come into play when a character encounters something of a set level of power or ability in the course of play, and pits their traits and/or powers against it. This can be as simple as lifting a significant weight, or as complicated as attempting to reverse engineer alien technologies. When attempting an ACT that is well within one's ability - say, a character with a Brawn of rank value 30 attempting to lift a 400 pound weight - a red ACT is usually all that is required. This can be represented in game terms by declaring the difficulty to be red if the action attempted is from -1 RS to -3 RS below the trait or power being tested (in our example, the weight indicated is benchmark of a Brawn -2 RS in value). ACTs that are of an intensity equal, or nearly so, to one's capabilities often require a blue ACT. For instance, our high tech hero with an Intellect of rank value 50 is trying to figure out how an alien whatsit they found works. If the difficulty of an ACT is equal to one's own rank value, it will generally fall into this category; our example showcases an ACT that is of the same rank value as our hero's ability. If one attempts a feat with a difficulty that is greater, such as the above hero with a Brawn trait of 30 trying to lift over a ton, a yellow ACT is typically required. Furthermore, significant modifiers may apply to the attempted ACT (see below). This represents a character being pushed to the absolute limits of their capabilities - and trying to succeed nonetheless. ** Automatic and Impossible ACTs ** In the course of play, characters may attempt feats that are particularly easy - or astoundingly difficult. The Gamemaster may often rule that die rolls are unnecessary when a character does something, as it may be a matter of incredible ease... or staggering impossibility. Automatic ACTs are often those which have an intensity more than three rank values below the ability of a character attempting said ACT. If a character with a Brawn trait of 100 had to roll the dice every time they picked up a light pole, game play would quickly become quite tedious. As such, the Gamemaster may dispense with die rolls if they feel there is no reasonable chance of failure when attempting an action. Impossible ACTs can include those which are of a difficulty that is two or more rank values higher than the character attempting it. If one has a Brawn of rank value 50, they can bench press up to 50 tons with some difficulty, but 200 tons - usually a hallmark of characters with a Brawn of rank vale 200 - may be quite beyond him or her. In such situations, the Gamemaster may just say the ACT is simply outside of the character's capabilities. If mitigating circumstances are in play, the Gamemaster may nonetheless allow (or insist upon) die rolls, even if an ACT is normally considered automatic or impossible. In such cases, it is recommended that a modifier equal to the difference between the character's value and the difficulty at hand be applied to their die roll - positive for automatic ACTs, negative for impossible ACTs. Such mitigating circumstances usually include the threat of immediate death to a character or someone in their vicinity (often an impetus for surprising feats of strength), or when a character is resisting untargeted attacks (like psychic assaults). It is generally bad form to disallow players a resistance roll to such, though Gamemasters can readily do so where NPCs are concerned, if he or she wishes to speed play along. ** Row Shifts ** Modifying basic ACTs some, extenuating circumstances may provide additional modifiers to the odds of success or failure while attempting a given ACT. For example, firing a gun at a fast moving, randomly dodging target whilst standing on oil-slicked ice and avoiding incoming fire yourself is a bit more difficult than hitting those stationary targets in an air-conditioned firing range. Circumstances like these are handled by Row Shifts (RS). A +1 Row Shift, downwards on the Master Table, is a shift for the better. This means the circumstances for executing this ACT are more favorable than normal. In other words, in this particular situation, a character attempting this Row Shifted ACT does so as though the effective rank value they're using is one higher than would otherwise be indicated. A -1 Row Shift, upwards on the Master Table, is a shift for the worse. This demonstrates an added difficulty the character attempting the ACT must overcome. Or, to put it bluntly, they attempt the ACT as if the trait or power score they wield was one rank value lower than their statistics would lead you to believe. Further shifts one way or the other serve to amplify the help or hindrance a situation applies to whatever ACT a character is attempting. Row shifts come in three forms in the Edition 13 system. The first is the inherent Row Shift. It is a positive or negative modifier that occurs because the character possesses a skill or quirk that assists or hinders the ACT being attempted. Inherent Row Shifts most often come in the form or a +1 or +2 RS, but may be a negative modifier as well, in the case of quirks. The buddy Row Shift is the second kind of RS. It involves a person lending a helping hand to the character attempting the ACT roll. As long as the helping hand has a value within 1 RS of the value being checked, the person rolling adds a +1 RS to their rank value. For example, two characters with rank value 10 Brawn attempting to lift a rank value 20 weight would allow the player rolling the dice to do so with the bonus described here. Or, in other words, perform as if their character had rank value 20 Brawn instead of just rank value 10. Finally, there is the situational RS, a type of Row Shift not covered by the other types of RS. These are basically Row Shifts caused by all other situations and modifiers, and run the gamut of environmental difficulties to the actions of others helping (or hampering) one's chances of success. When a situation invokes a Row Shift (for good or ill), it will be explained in the course of play. ** Types of ACTs ** Trait ACTs are those that are based on a character's primary abilities - whether Melee, Coordination, Brawn, Fortitude, Intellect, Awareness, or Willpower. These are the easiest to manage, in that traits from one character to another work exactly the same, and it is often easy to determine when one is required. Trait ACTs are also the easiest to resolve, thanks to the benchmarks provided in the previous section. Power ACTs are similar in function to Trait ACTs, in that it is usually easy to tell when one is needed. Instead of referring to a trait however, a power rank value is used to resolve this type of action. Normally, power ACTs are streamlined to work in the normal way, but any variations are noted in a power's description. A special kind of power ACT is the power stunt. A power stunt is a use for a power that is not accounted for in its standard definition. If the Gamemaster allows one to try it, the first time a power stunt is attempted, it will fail unless a character passes a yellow power ACT roll. The next four times a character attempts a power stunt, the difficulty is blue. Finally, the last five times a character attempts said stunt, he or she need only roll a red power ACT. After he or she has tried a stunt ten times, the character is thought to have mastered this stunt, and need not attempt ACTs just to see if it will work - it is now part of their standard power usage. At any rate, each time a character tries a power stunt, they must pay 100 Fortune points if they wish to have any chance of success. This forces characters to pay for their new power stunts, though stunts are nonetheless cheaper to work out than new powers altogether. That costs a lot more Fortune in general, depending on the origins of a character's powers. Skill ACTs are those required when one attempts to use a skill in the course of a game. These are primarily based on traits, but modified per the skill's description. Normally, a skill applies a positive Row Shift modifier to a trait (or power) ACT, but some skills offer other advantages. However, if a character tries an action requiring a skill they lack, he or she will do so at a penalty. In other words, attempting brain surgery without the medicine skill is a very, very bad idea. The basic penalty for attempting a skill ACT without the proper skill to back it up is -1 RS. However, if a character has a similar skill that could help an ACT out while lacking the exact skill required, this penalty is removed; similar weapons or technical training, for instance. In the end, however, if Gamemaster feels an action cannot succeed without the right skill(s) to back it up, the task is simply impossible. Lifestyle ACTs are made when a body attempts to buy something. The difficulty of this ACT is dependent on the cost provided by the item to be purchased. This ACT can be automatic under several conditions (a rich guy buying some hamburgers, for example), and a roll isn't needed. A Lifestyle ACT represents a major use of one's available resources, and may only be attempted once per game week. All other attempts after the first will automatically fail. Think of this as a short-term cash shortage, or some such. Furthermore, without the assistance of another character, no one can purchase any item whose price level is greater than their own Lifestyle value, unless they break down and get a loan. A loan allows a character to make said Lifestyle ACT roll - if yellow - but the trick is that he or she must then pay back the loan. Once a month, a character who has a loan must pass a Lifestyle ACT of an intensity equal to the cost value of the object purchased -2 RS, for a number of months equal to the loan's rank value (items with a cost value of 4 will take four months to pay off, items with a rank value expense of 30 take thirty months, and so on). Repute ACTs are normally required when a player wants something from another character, whether it be information, money, equipment, or anything else they think they can get away with. When a character attempts such an ACT, their Repute trait is the base value he or she will use on this roll. This rank value is then given potential Row Shift modifiers based on the situation at hand. There's only a few basic RS modifiers to a Repute ACT, and they're listed on the table to your right. Of course, these Row Shifts aren't all that goes into the Repute ACT roll. No, the general disposition of the person a character asks for aid decides the color difficulty of a Repute ACT. A red ACT is called for when one is friendly to the character attempting the Repute ACT. Those neutral to the character make for a Repute ACT of blue difficulty. A yellow Repute roll is necessary when unfriendly people are the subject of this ACT. But what does all this mean, you ask? Well, friendly NPCs are those who are good friends with the character, or folks listed as his or her contacts. Neutral NPCs are people who don't know a character (but have heard of them) or large bodies of strangers. Unfriendly NPCs include total strangers, folks who haven't heard of the character, neutral folks the character has ticked off by not returning an item previously, or persons having opposing Repute (negative versus positive, or vice versa). Finally, hostile individuals are people who are actively opposed to a character, or perhaps sworn enemies. A Repute ACT is unnecessary with individuals of this stripe, as they are considered impossible for the purpose of Repute ACTs. They will never help a character thanks to the whims of dice. In fact, they'll never help a character at all, unless doing so would specifically help their agenda significantly; very good role-play may shift the difficulty of such an ACT from impossible to 'merely' yellow. Table 14: Repute ACT Situational Modifiers Row Shift Situational Modifier +3 RS Target benefits greatly +2 RS Target of same mindset +1 RS Target benefits somewhat -1 RS Item is of rank value 10 cost -2 RS Item is of rank value 30 or greater cost, or is at risk of not being returned -3 RS Item is placed in danger or is unique ** Material Value ** One last area that deeply involves both ACT intensity and Row Shifts is relative strength of a given material. Material Value (m.v). is the overall strength of a material. Mostly, m.v. is used when a person or weapon attempts to break (or break through) an object, like a street, wall, or vault, for instance. The table provided here describes a basic gamut of relative strength for common - and uncommon - materials. Materials of greater m.v. than those listed are often campaign specific super-materials, those that are 'unbreakable' or otherwise have special properties. Materials of this variety are beyond table 15's intent. The thickness of a mass or object also plays a part in determining its m.v. If an item is less than 2 inches thick, the m.v. of this item is the listed value -1 RS. If the item is between 2 inches and one foot thick, it is of standard m.v. If the item is between 1 and 2 feet thick, its m.v. is the listed value +1 RS. Finally, if an object is 2 feet thick or more, its m.v. is the listed value +2 RS. Example: A two-foot thick cube of granite would have an effective material value of 100, while an inch thick coating of asphalt would be of only material value 6. Table 15: Standard Material Values Value Materials 2 Brush, clothing, glass, electronics, paper 4 Crystals, 'soft' plastics, particle board 6 Ice, interior walls, rubbers, sheet metal, wood 10 Aluminum, 'industrial' plastic, light machinery, asphalt 20 Concrete, bullet proof glass, iron, outer walls 30 Reinforced concretes, steel, solid stone 40 Plast-steels, volcanic rock, heavy machinery 50 Granite, high strength steel, osmium steel 75 Diamond, super heavy alloys, titanium 100 Iridium alloys, generic mystic alloys *** SPACE AND MOVEMENT *** With an understanding of the basics of one's traits, how they are rated in comparison to others, and how to perform actions with them, it is time to start applying this knowledge to the world around your character. All of the action in the 4C System: Edition 13 game takes place in a grand multiverse of possibility, a multiverse being defined as a multitude of dimensions. In fact, Edition 13 of the 4C System rules recognizes seven physical dimensions: three of space, three of time, and a seventh - the last of which has very strange aspects, indeed. Navigating these seven dimensions can be tricky, but luckily for us the three dimensions of space are the easiest to recognize and cross, and there are all manner of ways to get from point A to point B available to a character. The simplest of which, naturally, involves walking there. ** Walking / Running ** The standard means of going places since time immemorial, walking allows for the crossing of horizontal spaces. A healthy character can, in one minute, cross 1.5 sectors of space. The base unit for space in Edition 13, a sector is 40 cubic yards, meaning that this 40 yards extends in all directions. This assumes that said character is not in any hurry, and is simply having a pleasant stroll or determined walk. However, this does not always apply, and a character may need to run to the scene of some crime or another (or, if a villain, from it). If running, a character can cross a number of sectors per turn - the basic unit of time in Edition 13 (equal to six seconds) - that is determined by his or her Brawn trait. These speeds are detailed on table 16. Table 16: Running Speed / Acceleration Rates Rank Value Running Speed / Acceleration * 2 One half sector per turn 4 One sector per turn 6 - 20 One and a half sectors per turn 30 Two sectors per turn 40 + Three sectors per turn This table reflects the maximum 'base' running speed for a character, for a given value of Brawn, assuming an overall top speed for human beings equal to 27.27 miles per hour. This is approximately ten times the standard walking rate, though maintaining this level of speed over time is easier said than done. Table 16 also reflects a rate of acceleration upon the body a character can reasonably withstand per turn. While running characters can normally accelerate to their maximum sprinting speed almost instantaneously, acceleration forces come into play when wielding super-human movement powers. If a character has a running power that lets them move at well beyond three sectors per turn, for instance, it will take him or her some time to accelerate to maximum speed. Acceleration tolerances are determined on the table above using one's Fortitude trait. * For walking speeds, simply change 'turn' to 'minute'. * Burst Speed * Sometimes, you've just got to move fast... above and beyond the normal sprinting speed available to you. When this is the case, characters may attempt a yellow Brawn ACT roll to gain a burst of speed, allowing them to move one sector per turn faster than is normal for them. If the character fails this ACT, however, they will stumble and fall, but still continue moving as if subject to a Pound effect. * Turning * A character can turn at up to ninety degrees without losing speed, as this is generally considered standard maneuvering. If they attempt a tighter turn, however, said character must slow down to half their maximum speed to do so safely. If one wishes to bypass this slowdown, they must pass a red Coordination ACT roll to do so. If this ACT fails, the character may very well trip, slowly rolling to a stop. * Multitasking * Similarly, it is hard to concentrate on moving at maximum speed while doing something else. Texting while sprinting, for example, is ill advised. To safely manage another activity while moving, one must reduce their speed by half unless they are engaging in a charging maneuver, as running is part of the deal there. If one is in too big a hurry, the ACT described above (and consequences of failure) applies here as well. * Inside Movement * For the most part, moving indoors is just like moving elsewhere. Of course, most rooms are not 40 yards to a side, so for ease of use, simply consider each individual space inside a structure to be one sector for the purposes of movement. This adjustment to movement generally takes into account the need to make use of doors and windows to get in and out of a sector - whether opening them or plowing through. * Clutter * It is difficult to maneuver through a heavily cluttered area, one that is full of people, obstacles, or both. When doing so, running characters should slow down by one degree of speed (from three sectors per turn for a person with rank value 40 Brawn to two, for instance) to retain control of their movement. If one refuses to slow down, they must pass a blue Coordination ACT to avoid running into someone or something. * Exhaustion * Table 16 indicates that even a relatively frail person can move along at a decent clip when they need to. But how long can they keep that up, you ask? The distance a person can run before needing rest depends entirely on their Fortitude. How this comes into play is when a character has run at their top speed for a number of turns equal to their Fortitude rank value. Once they reach this point, they must attempt a red Fortitude ACT roll. If successful, they may continue, while failure indicates they must pause and rest for 1 to 10 turns (roll one of your percentile dice; that's how many turns the winded character needs to catch their breath). A character who is still running at this point may continue until they've done so for twice their Fortitude rank value in turns. To keep pouring on the speed, they must pass a blue Fortitude ACT roll this time. If it fails, they must rest for 2 to 20 turns (roll both of those percentile dice and add the result together). Passing this ACT allows your runner to continue their sprint towards (or away from) whatever has caused them to run in the first place. If they must keep moving for longer, though, this gets harder over time. Once our runner has done so for three times their Fortitude rank value, they must pass a yellow Fortitude ACT to keep going. Failure indicates they must rest for 3 to 30 turns (roll a d10 three times for the total amount of turns they must pause). If he or she succeeds, they can continue on, up until they reach an amount of time, in turns, equal to four times their Fortitude rank value, at which point they must stop imminently. He or she can push it further, though this requires an additional yellow ACT roll each turn now, not at multiples of their Fortitude rank value. Our marathon runner can keep the pace up as long as they can continue to make these ACTs each turn (often requiring Fortune). As soon as he or she fails, they will collapse, needing 4 to 40 turns of rest to recover from this titanic exertion. Table 17: Exhaustion Rates over Time Turns ACT Required Rest Period Fortitude x1 Red 1d10 Turns Fortitude x2 Blue 2d10 Turns Fortitude x3 Yellow 3d10 Turns Fortitude x4 + Yellow each turn 4d10 Turns As an example, let us look at an average, relatively fit human. To wit, a body with rank value 6 Brawn and Fortitude can run at their top speed of one and a half sectors per turn for six turns (or 9 sectors) without having to make a roll. They need a red Fortitude ACT to make it to 18, a blue Fortitude ACT to make it to 27, and a yellow Fortitude ACT to make it to 36 sectors. After this, they need to pass a yellow ACT every additional turn to continue. Incidentally, a mile is exactly 44 sectors in length. And now you know why your gym teacher kept making you run those, and pushed you to run to the very end... to build your Fortitude! A few notes on exhaustion. One can avoid it entirely by pacing themselves; one need not walk to avoid becoming exhausted - they just need to move at a more reasonable pace. Pacing oneself involves moving as though their Fortitude was two steps lower on the table; a body with rank value 30 Fortitude moving at only one sector per turn, for instance. Furthermore, having a Fortitude of rank value 100 or higher negates the effects of exhaustion entirely. ** Swimming ** Similar to walking, swimming allows a body to easily get from one point to another, but swimming refers to movement across a body of water, as opposed to a field or city street. When swimming, a character can simply tread water, an action allowing him or her to move at one-sixth of their base walking rate (as is determined on table 16, above). If necessary, a character can put their all into a swim, and move at a rate equal to one-sixth of their running speed - which is ten times faster! While this seems similar on the surface, aside from the generally slower rate of movement, the danger with swimming is that drowning is a real concern. A swimmer is subject to exhaustion just as a runner is, and if they push themselves until rest is needed, they must pass a Brawn ACT to keep themselves above water. If this ACT is successful, our swimmer is fine, but if not, they may indeed slip under the waves and drown. Nominally, the length of time a character can hold their breath is determined as is exhaustion, on table 17. The difference with holding your breath, however, is that instead of needing rest when the Fortitude ACT ultimately fails, one must breathe immediately or fall unconscious. If this occurs from lack of oxygen, a character has drowned or suffocated (depending on the circumstances), and will begin to lose Fortitude rank values, one per turn. The problem while swimming is that, if already exhausted before one needs to suddenly hold their breath, a body begins at the point where a blue Fortitude ACT roll is required, as they've already built up fatigue poisons in their system - as well as a whole lot of carbon dioxide. This is why it pays to pace oneself when swimming, unless you wear a life preserver or other method of keeping yourself afloat. ** Vertical Movement ** Often, walking or swimming just won't get a body where he or she needs to be, as a bevy of important locations lie up in the clouds, whether they be on mountain tops or in skyscrapers. Whether using stairs, ladders, fire escapes, or simply climbing a vertical surface with requisite handholds or the appropriate equipment, a character can only move vertically at a rate equal to one story - approximately twelve feet - per turn. This applies to vertical movement in either direction - up or down. The danger with vertical movement, though, is falling; it seems that people are always being pushed off of extreme heights to their doom. If he or she cannot find convenient grips to break their fall, a falling character will accelerate to their fate at the rate presented on table 18. Table 18: Falling Speed / Acceleration Rates Falling Time Falling Speed One turn 3 stories / turn Two turns 6 stories / turn Three turns 10 stories / turn Four + turns 20 stories / turn At the end of a fall, a body may be severely hurt, depending on their abilities. You see, when a person hits the ground after a fall, the damage to them (and whatever they hit) is figured as if it were a charging attack, with the m.v. of the item struck on the ground acting as the body armor of the 'target'; see the combat section for more on this phenomenon. This demonstrates how normal humans die so easily from a fall while super heroes occasionally do not - especially if they're tough enough. ** Flight ** Thanks to either powers or equipment, many people have the ability to fly. A flying character typically moves at rates of travel much greater than those who are landlocked, so to speak. The top speeds of such fliers are determined by the gear or powers that allow them to do so in the first place. However, when a character first gets going, they are bound by their body's ability to accelerate. This is dependent on their Fortitude trait, as is determined on table 16. In other words, one may fly at over two hundred miles per hour - 15 sectors per turn - but if he or she only has rank value 10 Fortitude, it'll take them over 7 turns to get up to top speed. Some powers may counter this acceleration limitation, though, and are so noted. On the other hand, if a flying body wishes to decelerate, he or she may do so by simply halving their current speed each turn, thus quickly bringing themselves to a complete stop. Landing is good idea at this point. This is simply the ending of flight, most likely by decelerating to sensible speeds and touching down on a runway, helipad, etc. ACT rolls aren't needed while landing, unless a character tries to land while traveling at more than three sectors per turn. If attempting to do so, they must pass a blue Coordination ACT roll to land safely. A variant form of flight, gliding should also be mentioned here. Unpowered flight, gliding allows a character to ride air currents at the listed flight speed, but their altitude drops one story per turn unless they pass a red Coordination (or gliding power value) ACT every turn in the air. Similarly, a character can't gain altitude while gliding unless he or she passes a blue Coordination (or gliding rank value) ACT roll; this involves carefully moving a glider around in air currents, and is tricky to say the least. Flight speeds are presented for convenience on table 19. * Turning * While flying, characters or vehicles will lose one sector of movement during any mid-air turn; this implies relatively safe handling of the change in direction. If one attempts to bypass this small loss of velocity, they must pass a red Coordination or Handling ACT to do so; this ACT is also required when attempting a turn of greater than 90 degrees. If both are attempted simultaneously, the ACT is of blue difficulty. If one of these ACTs fails, the character may well lose control of their flight. When this occurs, the character (or the vehicle they're piloting) will careen off in a random direction, which may include 'up' or 'down'. Recovering control of one's direction at this point requires the success of the ACT previously failed. The flier may attempt this ACT each turn until they regain control or crash into something. * Clutter * When flying close to the ground or low in a city, the area might be full of what is called clutter. It may be people, houses, trees, or anything else, but all moving characters risk striking clutter if they don't slow down when it is in the area. Flying characters can only move safely at equivalent ground speed velocities, lest they ram themselves or their vehicles through the clutter before them. Naturally, safety may be disregarded in such conditions. As is the case with most other difficult control situations, this requires a successful blue Coordination or Handling ACT; passing this means the flier pulled off a dazzling acrobatic maneuver to avoid all the stuff in their path. Failing this ACT means the flier will crash into something in his or her way - possibly wrapping themselves or their ride all around it. ** Leaping ** All characters can leap to some extent, depending on their Brawn trait. The distance a character can jump is a value determined by the amount of weight they can lift, minus their own weight. Where the result falls on on table 3 determines a character's natural leaping ability. For example, a character with a Brawn trait of 10 weighs 200 pounds. They can lift 400 pounds, so subtracting their weight drops them into the rank value 6 category for leaping purposes. Once you have this rank value, apply it to table 19, below, to determine just how far your character can jump. Horizontal distances function at the listed rank value, while vertical distances (leaping up) occur at a -1 RS. Our example character, then, can leap 5.625 feet - which is pretty impressive, really. This is an average; making a leap forward of this distance would require a blue Brawn ACT. Using this logic, -1 RS (3.75 feet) would be a red Brawn ACT, while +1 RS (7.5 feet) would be a yellow Brawn ACT. Similarly, our sample character can leap up 3.75 feet into the air on average (this being with a blue Brawn ACT). On the other hand, dropping down occurs at this rank value +1 RS. This is the safe distance the character may fall without hurting oneself. Our friend with a Brawn trait of 10, then, can drop down 7.5 feet - over half a story - without any undue injury. A drop of greater distance inflicts damage as per a fall (described above), though the distance one can leap downward is subtracted from the overall amount when figuring out how far they fell. Again referring to our example with a Brawn trait of 10, say they drop two stories. That's twenty-four feet, and subtracting their 7.5 leaves them at 16.5 feet. That still counts as only one turn worth of falling damage, and the harm suffered (if any) is based upon that distance. This doesn't do a lot of good on significant falls unless the character has a large Brawn trait, at which point they may absorb some of this pain more easily. Leaping distances are presented for convenience on table 19. Table 19: Speed and Distance (Land, Sea, Leaping, Air and Space) Rank Value Land / Water Leaping Distance Air Space 2 13.64 MPH (1 sector) 1.875 feet (1/64 sectors) 27.27 MPH (2 sectors) 340.91 MPH (25 sectors) 4 27.27 MPH (2 sectors) 3.75 feet (1/32 sectors) 54.55 MPH (4 sectors) 681.81 MPH (50 sectors) 6 40.91 MPH (3 sectors) 5.625 feet (3/64 sectors) 81.81 MPH (6 sectors) 1,022.73 MPH (75 sectors) 10 54.55 MPH (4 sectors) 7.5 feet (1/16 sectors) 109.09 MPH (8 sectors) 1,363.64 MPH (100 sectors) 20 68.18 MPH (5 sectors) 15 feet (1/8 sectors) 136.36 MPH (10 sectors) 3,409.09 MPH (250 sectors) 30 81.81 MPH (6 sectors) 22.5 feet (3/16 sectors) 204.55 MPH (15 sectors) 6,818.18 MPH (500 sectors) 40 95.45 MPH (7 sectors) 30 feet (1/4 sectors) 272.73 MPH (20 sectors) 13,636.36 MPH (1,000 sectors) 50 109.09 MPH (8 sectors) 60 feet (1/2 sectors) 340.91 MPH (25 sectors) 34,090.91 MPH (2,500 sectors) 75 122.72 MPH (9 sectors) 90 feet (3/4 sectors) 409.09 MPH (30 sectors) 68,181.82 MPH (5,000 sectors) 100 136.36 MPH (10 sectors) 120 feet (1 sector) 545.45 MPH (40 sectors) 136,363.64 MPH (10,000 sectors) 150 163.64 MPH (12 sectors) 240 feet (2 sectors) 681.81 MPH (50 sectors) 670,615 MPH (.1% light) 200 190.91 MPH (14 sectors) 300 feet (2.5 sectors) 1,363.64 MPH (100 sectors) 3,348,000 MPH (.5% light) 500 218.18 MPH (16 sectors) 600 feet (5 sectors) 3,409.09 MPH (250 sectors) 6,696,000 MPH (1% light) 1000 436.36 MPH (32 sectors) 1200 feet (10 sectors) 6,818.18 MPH (500 sectors) 18,600 MPS (10% light) 3000 681.81 MPH (50 sectors) 2400 feet (20 sectors) 10,227.27 MPH (750 sectors) 93,000 MPS (50% light) 5000 1363.64 MPH (100 sectors) 4800 feet (40 sectors) 13,636.36 MPH (1,000 sectors) 186,000 MPS (light speed) ** Teleportation ** While the previous forms of movement require a body to physically cross the space between the origin and end point of their travels, teleportation does not. This form of movement, regardless of how it functions, involves a character effectively ceasing to exist at one point in space and then instantly beginning to exist at another. A teleporter has a great range of movement, as this power uses the Far range category. However, while teleporters can cross a vast distance in the blink of an eye, all of them face the risk of teleporting into a solid object. If he or she doesn't know the area being teleported into precisely, a body may inadvertently transport themselves into something solid. This causes damage equal to the m.v. of the object, and a person so damaged must immediately roll a Fortitude ACT vs. the intensity of this damage. If this roll is successful, this teleporter can successfully transport to safety, but if not, they will immediately pass out, and begin to lose Fortitude rank values at a rate of one per turn. If deep within a solid object, such as a mountain or a thick wall, this may spell the end of our teleporter, as nobody may know where the unfortunate traveler wound up after their little trip. But what are the odds of this happening, you ask? It ultimately depends on the area teleported into. If it is free of clutter, our teleporting friend is likely to be okay. But if it's littered with people or objects, or has been filled full of bulky things as a trap, a teleporter could be in real trouble. To be completely random, a Gamemaster may just give a percentage chance of this happening and roll against it. Teleportation ranges are presented for convenience on table 20. ** But Wait, There's More! ** There are several additional, more esoteric methods of travel that are available to players, but these mostly function similar to those presented here - or as slight variations therein. These other motive abilities will be described more fully as becomes necessary (usually in their specific equipment or power descriptions). ** Concepts of Range ** Overall, there are seven different range categories in the Edition 13 game, each of which helps to define and differentiate the ascendant abilities of characters. These categories are named such that players can quite easily make sense of one in relation to the others, starting with Contact, then ascending through Very Near, Near, Middle, Far, and Very Far range, only to end with Infinite range. While the Contact and Infinite ranges are pretty self explanatory, being zero and infinite, respectively, the other five range categories will vary based on the power rank value of the ability in question - whether only a little bit or a whole lot, depending on which range category is used. This variance is covered in detail on table 20, below, for the five variable range categories. Another vital area where range is concerned is sensory acuity. All characters can generally perceive the fine details of sensory stimuli within their current sector without penalty, though each additional sector a stimuli is distant reduces one's Awareness for the purposes of detecting it by -1 RS. Possessing the super senses power extends this sensory range by one sector before penalties begin, as can a variety of high tech equipment and special powers. Once a character's Awareness is reduced below rank value 0 when attempting to discern fine details in a stimulus, such is generally considered impossible. One may be able to see the moon quite well on a clear night, for example, but it's not like they can actually perceive individual boulders on its surface. No, only the most basic of details register at that point. Table 20: Power Range Categories Rank Value Very Near Near Middle Far Very Far 2 2 yards .5 sectors 1 sector 1 mile 2 miles 4 4 yards 1 sector 2.5 sectors 5 miles 25 miles 6 6 yards 2 sectors 5 sectors 10 miles 250 miles 10 10 yards 4 sectors 11 sectors 50 miles 2,500 miles 20 20 yards 6 sectors 22 sectors 100 miles 25,000 miles 30 30 yards 8 sectors 1 mile 500 miles 250,000 miles 40 40 yards 11 sectors 2 miles 1,000 miles 2.5 million miles 50 50 yards 22 sectors 4 miles 5,000 miles 25 million miles 75 75 yards 44 sectors 6 miles 10,000 miles 250 million miles 100 100 yards 66 sectors 8 miles 100,000 miles 2.5 billion miles 150 150 yards 88 sectors 10 miles 1 million miles 25 billion miles 200 200 yards 176 sectors 100 miles 10 million miles 250 billion miles 500 500 yards 440 sectors 1,000 miles 100 million miles .5 light year 1000 1,000 yards 50 miles 10,000 miles 1 billion miles 5 light years 3000 3,000 yards 100 miles 100,000 miles 10 billion miles 50 light years 5000 5,000 yards 250 miles 1 million miles 100 billion miles 500 light years ** Maps and Ranged Movement ** Though it is not required, those using Edition 13 of the 4C System may wish to use maps to detail their actions and movements. When a Gamemaster makes a map, he or she should do so at a scale of two inches to a sector, allowing for a detailed showing of all the action. This may seem small, especially when one is used to the map scale of other games, but a heroic fight tends to spread out all over the place. A map this size is good for general use, but the Gamemaster is free to make their own at any size they prefer. Just make sure to mark off each sector as such on the map with dotted or dashed lines, so players know how far they can move their characters in a given turn. Of course, instead of going with a generic sector mapping, one can instead used a concept known as ranged movement. This allows a player to use a ruler to measure out his or her exact movements, a method that has both good and bad points. Good in that it is far easier to track a character's exact placement on the map, but bad in that it is harder for N/PCs to be anywhere in a given sector at a given point in time, which can put a small crimp in a Gamemaster's plans. Either way works well, however. As far as pointers for one's heroes go, virtually anything can be used. Any die, coin, or other knick-knack can fill this function nicely. Some people make small paper stand up 'figures', whether two- or three-sided, with the front of the fold-up figure representing exactly where the character is. Some players even buy miniatures from their RPG supplier, painting them up to look like their characters. Bear in mind that the scale of the map may alter the usefulness of these items. If the Gamemaster uses a map of Manhattan Island, it will be of miniature scale, and it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly what street out of the twelve one's figure is standing on is actually occupied by the hero. To each their own, however, and for those that go forward with their map techniques, good luck to you! *** TIME AND COMBAT *** ** Time Scale: the Turn ** Previously we discussed movement, and repeatedly referred to how fast one can move in a turn. But just what is a turn, you ask? In Edition 13 of the 4C System, a turn is six seconds - usually enough for every character to attempt at least one action each. In non-combat play, this need not be too precise; a player simply states what he or she wants to do, and with the Gamemaster's blessing, makes any applicable rolls. On the other hand, when one or more lives are on the line, it may be absolutely vital for the Gamemaster to know what happens when. When this is the case, it is imperative that players follow the combat sequence for a turn, which allows each player to act in an orderly fashion - unless one character's actions obviate the need for another's. Turns proceed in the following fashion, and are defined in much greater detail below: 1. Declare Actions 2. Roll Extra Action ACTs (if necessary) 3. Determine Initiative 4. Resolve Actions in Order 5. If Multiple Rounds Needed, Resolve Extra Actions 6. Wrap Up * Step 1: Declare Actions * To start with, all players must determine what their character will be doing in a given turn. This applies to player characters and non-player characters alike. In the interest of fairness, the Gamemaster should decide what non-player characters are going to do before the players make their declaration. This helps to keep non-player characters from seeming omniscient - especially when they shouldn't be. This does not mean the Gamemaster need declare NPC actions first, or at all, at least until they are made - just that NPC actions should be determined before other players declare theirs. This may lead to the players occasionally ruining the Gamemaster's carefully laid plans, but then that's what player characters are for. That and it always gives players a warm, fuzzy feeling to get a surprise victory out of left field now and then. * Step 2: Extra Action ACTs (if necessary) * If a player intends to attempt more than one action in a given turn, he or she must roll an ACT to determine if they may in fact do so. This ACT can be resolved on table 21, which shows how many combat actions per turn a character may try. Where multiple actions are concerned, the ACT is made with one's Melee trait, and shows how many active tasks the character may attempt in a turn. Table 21: Combat Actions Per Turn Rank Value Action(s) 30 Two Attacks / Aversions 50 Three Attacks / Aversions 100 Four Attacks / Aversions 200 Five Attacks / Aversions 1000 Six Attacks / Aversions 3000 Seven Attacks / Aversions 5000 Eight Attacks / Aversions Making the number of offensive actions indicated on table 21 is a Melee ACT that is equal to the indicated intensity; for example, squeezing three actions into a six second period is a rank value 50 intensity Melee ACT. If one has a Melee trait of rank value 40, making so many moves would require a yellow Melee ACT, while a character with rank value 75 Melee would only need to make a red Melee ACT to pull this off. If this ACT roll fails, the character can only attempt one action in this turn, and does so at a -3 RS. If they are successful, however, characters may attempt more than one action. These can either be resolved as separate actions (if dissimilar) at a -1 RS each, or if the player chooses, they may occur as a 'flurry' of action, adding a +1 RS to the damage inflicted for each doubling of attacks, instead of making separate assaults. Where defensive actions are concerned, table 21 indicates how many defensive actions a character may attempt without penalty (no roll required). For instance, a heroine with a Melee of rank value 40 may attempt to avert two separate attacks with ease. Attempting subsequent aversive actions is still possible, but occurs at a cumulative -2 RS for each maneuver the character tries. Another thing to keep in mind is that if using their full movement in a given turn, characters can only attempt one action during that time, no matter how many they would like to. To perform multiple attacks under such circumstances, they must wield them all in a singular burst. Regardless, unless attempting a charging attack, actions attempted while moving one's fullest in a turn are made at a -1 RS. * Step 3: Determine Initiative * Initiative is the order in which characters act. Unlike just about everything else in the Edition 13 rules, initiative can be determined with just one d10, not percentile dice. What you do is roll said d10, and add it to the modifier indicated by your Awareness rank value on table 22. Characters with a higher initiative go first, counting down until everyone has performed their first action. Table 22: Initiative Modifiers Rank Value Modifier 2 -2 4 -1 6 0 10 +1 20 +2 30 +3 40 +4 50 +5 75 +6 100 +7 150 +8 200 +9 500 +10 1000 +15 3000 +20 5000 +25 While this is reasonably accurate, and helps to break things up on a turn-by-turn basis by showing the fortunes and misfortunes of combat, perhaps the standard initiative system is simply too cumbersome for some games. This may occur with a very large number of participants in a given battle, or maybe a particular game group simply prefers not to spend so much time rolling the dice (or die, as it happens). As such, here are a few optional initiative rules: 1. Instead of rolling for initiative each turn, the players can instead just roll once - at the beginning of play. They merely recall their initiatives (or scribble them down) and whenever action gets complicated enough to require initiative, they simply refer to their earlier roll. NPCs need only determine initiative when they first appear. 2. Instead of rolling initiative at all, simply make use of the initiative modifiers the characters' Awareness traits give them. Whoever has the highest bonus gets to go first, and the rest may act in descending order. This way a roll is only actually needed in the event of a tie (or just flip a coin). This works for NPCs as well; keep their modifiers in mind as they appear, but otherwise act normally. 3. Ignore initiative entirely. Players may simply act in a set order - perhaps clockwise around a gaming table. While this often fails to reflect the 'reality' of combat or the relative speed of characters, it's definitely consistent and easy to remember. NPCs can then go either before or after the players do, according to the Gamemaster's whims (speedsters and ambushers go first, while the rest go after, or whatever). Players can mix this up to their advantage on occasion, as well. Perhaps they decide to coordinate their actions as a true team, instead of handling each brawl on their own. If using 'team' tactics, players should just have one character roll their initiative, and they all go relative to the NPCs whenever the die indicates. When using teamwork, it's sometimes amazing what a group of players can actually accomplish. * Step 4: Resolve Actions in Order * As the Gamemaster counts down initiative values from the highest to the lowest, each character may act in turn. In complex encounters, PCs and NPCs will act in varying order, which can make some matters tricky. In fact, as some characters act, the actions of others will be rendered moot or impossible (knocking out one character means, quite naturally, that the unconscious person cannot perform his or her desired action). If, after seeing the actions of others playing out, or even if they change their mind upon hearing the declarations of other players, a character has the option of changing their stated action. This requires a blue Coordination ACT roll, and if successful, the newly declared action can proceed as normal, though at a -1 RS (which accounts for the lack of preparation, etc.). If this blue Coordination ACT roll fails, however, the character in question may not act at all in a given turn. This represents them dropping the ball (either figuratively or literally), and often leaves them in a particularly disadvantageous position upon the start of the next turn. What form this disadvantage takes will depend on what task(s) they failed to accomplish, but may or may not represent a negative Row Shift. * Step 5: If Multiple Rounds Needed, Resolve Extra Actions * Step five is only required if one or more characters pass an extra actions ACT at the beginning of the turn. For instance, say three characters out of six attempt an extra actions ACT roll. Two of those characters manage to acquire two actions that turn, while the other secures a total of three. Everyone then acts normally, performing their actions as declared earlier. Once everyone has acted once, a second round begins, and the three characters with extra actions go again. With this done, the one character with three actions makes their final move, and then... * Step 6: Wrap Up * Once every character (player or non-player) has expended all of their actions, it is time to end the current turn. The Gamemaster will use this time to take stock of the action at hand, and determine if another turn of activity is necessary or if the action is done for the moment. He or she will also use this opportunity to introduce any events or changes in the situation as it currently exists. This is when bombs go off, floors suddenly collapse, fires ignite... that sort of thing. Assuming the Gamemaster has any 'events' in mind, or if circumstances cause them to occur, they will fall into the flow of action here, if they weren't already forced by characters during steps 4 or 5. This is also a good time to calculate things like recovered Health (for people who regenerate) or to count ammunition (if applicable). ** Combat Essentials ** As you can see from the above, the structure of a turn is very precise to best allow combat between characters to function as seamlessly as is possible. So keeping that in mind, let us speak about the essentials of combat in the 4C System. Standard combat maneuvers all make use of the first four primary abilities, each of which has its own offensive capabilities. * Slugfest Combat * Various forms of hand-to-hand fighting, slugfest combat is resolved with one's Melee trait. To engage in melee, or hand-to-hand combat, two characters must be generally adjacent - in other words, very, very close. Sometimes certain techniques will allow a character to engage non-adjacent characters in melee (the elongation power, ridiculously long melee weapons), but normally this isn't an issue. Bashing (Ba) attacks are assaults with one's bare hands, boxing gloves or gauntlets, or any number of other (you guessed it) blunt instruments. Whether punching or swinging a bat, bashing attacks are all resolved on the aptly named bashing attacks portion of the effects table, which you can find on the Master Table. Bashing attacks have one of four results, depending on the color rolled. A black result indicates a miss, which means you did not connect with your punch, kick, or whatever. A red roll means you hit, and can then determine how much damage you inflicted. A blue result acts per a red hit, adding the potential of a Pound - physically knocking the foe about. A yellow roll also behaves per a red hit, with the added possibility of inflicting a Concuss result on one's foe. This assumes the target of such attacks is not attempting to avoid them. Melee combatants may attempt to either evade or weave against bashing attacks, which will either prevent them from connecting or apply negative Row Shifts to hit. Alternately, they may try to block the damage, taking the hit and using their Brawn against its incoming harm (on top of any other protection they may have access to). The advantage of bashing attacks is that their wielder need not use maximum force when applying them. By declaring that he or she is pulling their punch, a character has the option of either reducing the damage inflicted or the color result after the dice have settled, allowing them to avoid inflicting lethal damage or potentially harmful effects - particularly useful if one is possessed of super-human strength. Slashing (Sl) attacks involve assaults made with sharp, pointy objects. Whether using a sword, a dagger, or even some sort of inherent weaponry, slashing attacks are all resolved on the (that's right) slashing attacks segment of the effects section on the Master Table. As is the case with bashing attacks, slashing attacks have one of four possible results, depending on what color is indicated by the die roll. Black results mean your sharp, pointy implement missed your target. A red die roll means that you have struck your foe, and may determine damage based on the rank value provided by either your Brawn or super-human physical weaponry. A blue result acts per a red roll, adding the potential of a Concuss result on top of the damage. A yellow roll indicates, in addition to doing damage, a Kill result may have been achieved. This assumes the target of such attacks is not attempting to avoid them. Melee combatants may attempt to either evade or weave against edged attacks, which will either prevent them from connecting or apply negative Row Shifts to hit. Alternately, the target may try to block the damage, taking the hit and using his or her Brawn against its incoming pain (hopefully along with other protection they may have), to avoid being cut. Slashing attacks, particularly when compared to bashing attacks, tend to do a little less damage. On the other hand, they're a whole lot more lethal - swords usually mean business, after all. Unlike a bashing attack, the user of a slashing attack does not have the option of pulling their punches; they get to live with whatever result they rolled, possibly killing their foe in the process. Which may of course be the idea! * Ranged Combat * Ranged attacks are assaults which work over a long distance - possibly extremely long. They include projectile weapons ranging from rocks to rockets, as well as energy weapons both artificial and inherent. While ranged attacks place their wielder in less immediate danger from their foe (who needs ranged attacks to strike back without closing), they also involve a lot more details - usually to the detriment of a ranged attacker. Table 23: Thrown Weapon Ranges Rank Value Range in Sectors 2 One sector 4 One sector 6 One sector 10 Two sectors 20 Three sectors 30 Four sectors 40 Five sectors 50 Six sectors 75 Seven sectors 100 Eight sectors 150 Ten sectors 200 Sixteen sectors 500 Twenty Two sectors 1000 Forty Four sectors 3000 Eighty Eight sectors 5000 Line of Sight Based on their wielder's Coordination, ranged attacks suffer penalties for extreme range; for each sector away from one's target beyond a ranged attack's listed range, it suffers a -1 RS modifier to hit. Furthermore, each object in the path of one's ranged attack inflicts a -2 RS to-hit penalty. Even something as seemingly simple as a window can act to deflect the trajectory of a ranged attack, no matter what form it takes. In that same vein, if a ranged attack strikes something on the way to its intended target, the material value of whatever it attempts to pass through is directly subtracted from its damage sum before it even hits its target. For instance, a door of m.v. 10 is struck with a hail of bullets. This intensity 20 attack is reduced by 10 points, and then inflicts what's left on those on the other side, if it hits. The last thing to keep in mind about ranged attacks is simple physics. While you're (usually) not in danger of striking others if you miss a slugfest attack, a ranged attack just might hit someone else if one launches it at a heavily occupied area. If a ranged attack misses, and if anyone is adjacent to its target, make a roll for each additional person that may be struck by it instead. Energy (En) attacks are specialized assaults making use of non-physical projectiles. They involve striking something with lightning, cutting it with a laser, or even killing it with fire. Energy attacks are very powerful and versatile, and often quite lethal, as the human body is not designed to absorb energies at this level. Energy attacks are resolved on the (yep) Energy attacks effect portion of the Master Table. A black roll details a missed energy attack, which may be very bad for the surroundings. A red ACT means the energy attack has struck its intended target, and damage is inflicted. A blue roll is the same as a red, and indicates a bullseye was struck (if precision attacks are attempted). A yellow energy attack inflicts damage per a red result, but may also inflict a Killing blow on top of mere Health loss. The target of an energy attack may attempt to avoid it as he or she can most other ranged assaults, by performing either a dodge or feint maneuver. On the other hand, the target of an energy attack can instead take the hit, while trying to brace themselves against the damage inflicted. The wielder of an energy attack may partially pull their punches, lowering the intensity of damage inflicted, but not the color result rolled. Force (Fo) attacks are an odd combination of blunt and energy attacks, and involve striking a foe with a physical manifestation of energy in some form or another. This can include blasts of pneumatic power, bolts of kinetic energy, or even bursts of anti-gravitic repulsions. Force attacks are resolved using the Force attacks portion of the Master Table's effects row. See a pattern yet? A black force attack indicates the blast missed its intended target, but can always strike someone else. A red roll means the force attack struck, and may inflict damage normally. Blue results behave per red rolls, but are also bullseyes, meaning a precise blow has been struck (if attempted). A yellow force attack indicates damage per a red roll, plus the potential for a Concuss condition to be inflicted as well. A force attack can be avoided in a number of ways, as befits its strange, hybrid nature. Its target may attempt either a dodge or a feint maneuver, either preventing it from connecting entirely or providing a negative Row Shift to be hit. Also, a force attack may be blocked, just like a bashing attack. A user of force attacks can partially pull his or her punches, inflicting less damage but retaining whatever color result was rolled. Piercing (Pi) attacks are the single most common form of ranged assault. They come into play when someone grabs a handgun or bow (or a hybrid, the crossbow) and fires it at whoever has irked their ire. Some larger weapons also inflict shooting damage as well, primarily being huge-caliber military weaponry. Piercing attacks are resolved on the similarly named portion of the Master Table's effects row. A miss with a shooting attack means the shooter has struck something by or behind their target. A red roll indicates that he or she has hit, and may determine damage per the norm. A blue ACT performs like a red, with the added bonus of a bullseye effect (if desired or required). A yellow roll indicates damage was inflicted, and the shooter may have also inflicted a Kill result with their projectile as well. As is the case with energy and force attacks, the target of a piercing attack may attempt several maneuvers to avoid harm. These include both the dodge and the feint, which involve not being where the bullets (or arrows or whatever) are going. However, no one can block or brace against piercing attacks, for they are simply too penetrative for brute strength or fortitude to work against. Thrown Bashing (TB) attacks are similar to ordinary bashing assaults, but they introduce distance into the equation. This basically involves throwing something at an opponent, whether it's a rock, shoe, cue ball, or even a bus. Thrown bashing attacks are not directly lethal, and are resolved on the thrown bashing portion of the Master Table's effects row, based (of course) on one's Coordination. A black roll naturally means the thrown object missed its target. A red result indicates that the flinging fighter has indeed struck their foe, and may determine damage normally. A blue roll is the same as a red, but is known as a bullseye, and may be required for trick shots (hitting a specific part of a target, for instance). Yellow results indicate that in addition to inflicting damage, the flinger may have Concussed their foe as well. Thrown bashing attacks may be avoided just like standard bashing attacks, though different maneuvers are needed for this. The target of thrown bashing attacks may dodge or feint against them, or alternately may attempt to block, taking the hit and hoping to 'muscle' the damage away. Finally, the wielder of a thrown bashing attack may pull his or her punches, just like they could if inflicting bashing damage in melee. Thrown Slashing (TS) assaults are similar to standard slashing attacks, except for the obvious factor of range. A thrown slashing attack involves flinging some sort of sharp, deadly object at another person, whether it's designed to be used in that way or not. Shuriken, daggers, some axes, and even spears fit this bill, though an improvised edged weapon can often be thrown as well - albeit at a considerable negative Row Shift to hit. As you can imagine, a black thrown slashing attack misses its target completely. A red result means the thrown weapon hits its target, and its wielder may determine damage normally. Blue rolls indicate a hit, per a red to-hit ACT, with the added possibility of a Concuss. A yellow ACT on a thrown slashing attack indicates a hit, in addition to potentially inflicting a Kill result on its hapless target. Thrown slashing attacks may be avoided just like normal slashing attacks, though different maneuvers are needed for this (as is the case with thrown bashing attacks). The targets of a thrown slashing attack may dodge or feint against it, or alternately may attempt to block, taking the hit and hoping to 'shrug off' the damage to be inflicted. Note that you may not pull your punches on a thrown slashing attack. * Wrestling Combat * Wrestling combat is a Brawn-based affair. It almost exclusively requires that one be adjacent to another when engaging in wrestling attacks, unless powers such as elongation are in play. A wrestling maneuver involves using one's Brawn directly against another, not necessarily with brute force so much as with leverage, grappling, and pinning maneuvers, literally overpowering another with technique and muscle. Grabbing (Gb) attacks involve taking something from someone else by force. To grab an item, one must overcome the Brawn of whatever is holding it in place - without breaking it in the process. Thus, a grabbing attack is fraught with peril, for one must apply the proper amount of Brawn to the task without going overboard - or ham-fisting the attempt and knocking an item away from oneself. A black grabbing attack is a miss; the grabber failed to grab that which they wanted to grab. A red grabbing ACT means one may have grabbed the target, if their Brawn is greater than that of their opponent (or the m.v. of the item, if not held); if not, a red result indicates a struggle. A blue ACT indicates the grabbing attack took the item away, and a yellow result means this has occurred, and the item may be broken! Grabbing attacks may be avoided with an evasion or a weave maneuver. Grappling (Gp) attacks are those in which an attacker attempts to limit the motions of another with his or her very body. A series of maneuvers on the part of the grappler allows them to shift their Brawn such that it will partially or fully pin their foe, and may inflict damage in the process. A black or red grappling result means that the maneuver has failed utterly, and that one's opponent has avoided being grappled entirely. A blue grappling attack indicates a partial hold has been scored, and that the attacker has limited his or her opponent's movements somewhat. A yellow grappling ACT means a grappler has achieved a full hold, and has prevented their foe from moving at all. He may also inflict damage upon the held individual if his or her Brawn is greater than their opponent's. One may perform one action in addition to maintaining a hold each turn. One can avoid a grappling attack in the first place with an evasion or a weave maneuver. Once a partial or full hold is applied, however, only an escape maneuver can be used to dislodge a grapple - unless the grappler lets go... or is made to let go, somehow. While somewhat less effective than normal melee attacks, grappling maneuvers are great for incapacitating a foe without beating them senseless. * Charging Combat * Charging (Ch) attacks are those which combine movement and combat, a high speed body check which terminates at the target - usually violently. A charging individual may make his or her full movement and still execute a charging maneuver. In fact, this is usually required, as one must move at least one full sector to inflict a charging attack upon a target (whether it is a living foe or an inanimate object). A character may add a +1 RS to hit for each sector moved through before attempting a charge, to a maximum of +3 RS (with a practical limit of rank value 500). A charging character rolls on his or her Fortitude to see whether or not they can hit, cross-referencing the die roll against the charging portion of the Master Table's effects row. There are four potential results of a charging attack. A black result indicates that the charging character missed his or her target entirely - and it's quite possible they'll careen into something else if their target was in a crowded area. A red ACT means they struck their foe, inflicting full damage (see below). A blue ACT indicates the target was hit, and may suffer a Pound result as well. A yellow charging ACT shows a Concuss result has been scored in addition to mere damage. Damage for a charging maneuver is based on the Fortitude or body armor of the attacker, whichever is higher. This damage is supplemented by the amount of sectors traveled though before the charge connected; add two points for every sector a charging individual traveled through, with a maximum of the character's Fortitude or body armor value (whichever is higher). A character with rank value 100 Fortitude, then, could benefit from up to 50 sectors worth of bonus charging damage! The thing is, this damage is subject to the target's body armor. If a character charges into another with body armor, an amount of damage equal to said armor value will rebound back onto the charging individual. If he or she also possesses like armor, this damage will be radiated out into the environment, usually harmlessly (though windows in the immediate vicinity may be damaged if such a hit is powerful enough). Charging inanimate objects works the same, treating the object's material value as if it were body armor, whether it is a wall or a tank. If the charging character inflicts damage, they may break the object - or barrel right through. If not, they may instead hurt themselves in the attack. Falling damage is also handled in this fashion, treating the 'fall' as a charge against the ground - or whatever else is under a falling character! The character attempting a charging attack may 'pull their punch' as far as the result rolled, but the damage is pretty much set depending on both his or her Fortitude (or body armor) rank value and the amount of distance traveled. * Defensive Maneuvers * Every basic attack form described above may be avoided in at least one fashion, often in multiple ways. A defensive maneuver is one made specifically to avoid the attack of another, an aversive technique to prevent incoming damage from connecting with or otherwise affecting its executor. All characters may attempt at least one defensive maneuver per turn without penalty, more with higher Melee prowess. Block maneuvers involve using one's Brawn to counter incoming damage. No effort is made to avoid being struck by an attack; instead, one leans into it and attempts to 'muscle' away the damage with brute force. A blocking character may use the result of this maneuver or any other protection to absorb the force of an attack, but not both - that is, unless the values are close enough to stack, per a normal buddy RS. When blocking, a black ACT provides one's Brawn -6 RS in protection against incoming damage. A red ACT will provide one's Brawn -4 RS, a blue ACT one's Brawn -2 RS, and a yellow ACT one's Brawn +1 CS. This is why the block is the preferred defense mechanism of many super strong heroes and villains - it doesn't take great dexterity to avoid incoming harm, just a whole lot of muscle. A block may be used against most physical damage forms. It can be wielded against Bashing, Slashing, Thrown Bashing, Thrown Slashing, and Force damage - but not Piercing attacks. Brace aversions are similar to blocks, but involve using one's Fortitude to withstand incoming damage instead of Brawn. Working in the same basic fashion, a brace doesn't involve moving, so much as trying to 'soak' up damage. A bracing character may use the result of this maneuver or any other protection to absorb an attack's energy, but not both - that is, unless they are close enough in value to stack, like a normal buddy RS. When bracing, a black ACT provides one's Fortitude -6 RS in protection against incoming damage. A red ACT will provide one's Fortitude -4 RS, a blue ACT one's Fortitude -2 RS, and a yellow ACT one's Fortitude +1 RS. This is why the brace is the preferred defense mechanism of many super tough heroes and villains - it doesn't take great coordination to avoid incoming pain, just a whole lot of fortitude. Brace maneuvers are primarily useful against Energy attacks, but can apply to other forms of directed, special energy forms (some Sorcerous, Karmic, and Deionic powers fall into this category). Catching actions are those intended to, well, catch an object. This can be something that is falling, something that was thrown at the character or someone else, or even a projectile weapon, if the character is fast enough. Coordination is used when determining the success or failure of a catching maneuver, and one may only catch one item at a time - though multiple actions may allow several catches in a given turn. A black catching ACT indicates an auto-hit - the character not only didn't catch the item in question, but it struck them! A red catching action indicates the would-be catcher missed, and if the item to be caught was aimed at them, it gains a +1 RS to hit. A blue catching ACT indicates the item was caught, but might be damaged in the process (roll a Brawn ACT against its m.v).. A yellow ACT indicates a successful catch. As with evasions and feints, a catch maneuver prevents one from attacking in a given turn. Catching something specifically aimed at oneself applies a -3 RS penalty. Dodge maneuvers are the basic way to avoid a ranged attack, whether one is flinging a rock or fireball at you. This basically involves getting out of Dodge, so to speak, and being somewhere else when a ranged attack comes calling. A dodge maneuver does not overtly negate the ability of an attacker to score a hit on its executor, but may do so based on the dodge result rolled. Dodges use a character's Coordination. A black dodge result means that no penalty was applied to the attacker - one's movements made no practical difference. A red dodge ACT reduces one's ability to hit the dodger by -2 RS, a blue by -4 RS, and a yellow by -6 RS. Against many 'normal' opponents, these Row Shifts may be enough to drop one's 'to hit' value below rank value 0, thus making the scoring of a hit in that instance impossible. Dodges may be attempted against Energy, Force, Piercing, Thrown Bashing, and Thrown Slashing attacks. They can also apply to most other ranged attack forms that have a 'to hit' roll (some Sorcerous, Karmic, and Deionic powers fall into this category). Escape attempts are those which are designed to extricate oneself from a partial or full hold inflicted as a result of a successful grappling attack. While an evasion or a feint will stop a grappling attack from sticking, an escape maneuver is the only way to get out of such once it has been applied. Escape maneuvers can also be used on equivalent attacks such as a telekinetic power's use (save for the application of a reversal). A black or a red escape result indicates failure - in other words, the character's struggles are for naught. A blue escape roll demonstrates success, and the formerly held individual is now free of the partial or full hold he or she was in before; they may not act this turn, but can on the next. A yellow escape result indicates a reversal of the hold, and that the escapee is now the grappler, if they so choose. As stated above, escape maneuvers are only useful against grappling attacks already in play, and are based on one's Brawn. Evasion is a Melee technique by which a character actively tries to avoid being affected by hand-to-hand attacks. It involves possibly playing for time, 'feeling out' a foe's offense, or maybe just a serious desire to avoid being struck. Evading counts as a full action, which means one cannot attack in a turn that they are evading, but the benefit of this is that the evading character can easily avoid incoming damage. A black evasion ACT roll indicates failure, and that one walked right into an attack. Even if the attacker would've otherwise missed, they have managed to somehow strike thanks to the failed evasion. A red evasion ACT means the attack is avoided, while a blue adds a +1 RS to the evader's next action against that foe, and a yellow ACT adds a +2 RS to whatever offensive action the evader takes against his or her foe. An evasion can only be attempted against melee attacks, and then only against one opponent at a time. These include Bashing and Slashing attacks, as well as initial grappling attempts and any special attack powers or energy forms which are delivered on touch. Feint aversions are similar to evasions, in that they involve an active defense, a sacrifice of one's own attack in a given turn to ensure that they avoid being struck. The difference between the two is that a feint involves actions against a ranged opponent, and that Coordination is the base of the feint maneuver. They are otherwise the same, in that one can only feint a single ranged opponent per feint attempt. A black feint ACT roll means one bungled it and walked right into an attack. Even if the attacker would've otherwise missed, they have managed to somehow strike thanks to the failed feint aversion. A red feint ACT means the attack is avoided, while a blue adds a +1 RS to the feint executor's next action against that foe, and a yellow ACT adds a +2 RS to whatever offensive action the feinter takes against his or her opponent. Feint aversions apply to Energy, Force, Piercing, Thrown Bashing, and Thrown Slashing attacks, as well as other special, ranged attack and damage forms that require a to-hit roll (some Sorcerous, Karmic, and Deionic powers fall into this description). Weave maneuvers are attempts to directly avoid incoming melee damage. While an evasion can completely prevent a melee hit from connecting, it involves a more active defensive posture and technique - and takes one's combat action in a given turn. Essentially, a weave maneuver functions just like a dodge, only that it applies to melee attack instead of that which is ranged in nature. A black weave result means that no penalty was applied to the attacker - one's movements made no practical difference. A red weave ACT reduces one's ability to hit the weaver by -2 RS, a blue by -4 RS, and a yellow by -6 RS. Against many 'normal' opponents, these Row Shifts may be enough to drop one's 'to hit' value below rank value 0, thus making the scoring of a hit in that instance impossible. A weave aversion may primarily be used on Bashing and Slashing attacks, as well as initial grappling attempts or any other damage form or attack power that requires direct physical contact. Weave attempts are made with one's Melee trait. * Pound, Concuss, and Kill Results * Above and beyond standard combat results, there are three which particularly stand out: the Pound, the Concuss, and the Kill. All three of these may be ignored if no actual damage is inflicted in the attack which scores one, but if it does, the character suffering from such must immediately make a Fortitude ACT roll. The possible results of said ACT rolls are presented here. Pound results describe a hit so powerful that it may physically knock a character around. A Pound result prompts an Endurance ACT made on the Pound? portion of the Master Table's effects row. A yellow ACT means the target of a Pound was not, in fact, Pounded at all. A blue ACT indicates that he or she may have been pushed back a few feet, or perhaps down on one knee, but the target may still act normally. A red ACT to resist a Pound result states the character is in fact pounded one full sector away. A black ACT against a Pound result indicates utter failure, and that a Crushing Pound has occurred. This means the Pounded character will be physically launched away, as if thrown, with a Brawn equal to the damage inflicted after his or her body armor or other defenses (see table 23, above, for specific distances). When a Pound occurs, roll a d10 to determine which direction a character is pounded (if the attacker has none in mind). A one or two means the character is knocked straight down, a three or four means a character is thrust to the left, a five or six means he or she was pounded to the right, a seven or eight means they were knocked backwards, and a nine or ten means the pounded character was smashed straight up into the air. If the pounded character strikes something while in motion, it should be treated per a charging attack, which may be particularly disastrous to both the environment and the pounded character if he or she was hit hard enough. But then, if they were hit hard enough to fly ten sectors, that may be preferable to being within melee distance of the person that hit them so hard to begin with. Concuss indicates a strike was powerful enough to potentially incapacitate its target for a while. When a Concuss result is rolled, the character might be dazed, confused, or otherwise rendered unable to act for a short period of time, depending on the Fortitude ACT rolled on the Concuss? portion of the Master Table's effects row. There are three possible results of a Concuss check. A yellow or blue Fortitude check means that the target of a Concuss result is not, in fact, concussed. While it may have looked like a powerful strike at first, the target managed to avoid being dazed (or whatever) by the attack. A red ACT roll, on the other hand, will Concuss its victim for one turn. If the character has not yet acted, the Concuss applies to the current turn, but if he or she has acted already it applies to the next. On a black ACT, a Concuss will affect its target for 1d10 turns. The character so affected is knocked out for all intents and purposes, either unconscious or so disoriented that he or she cannot do anything other than twitch or convulse. A stunned character may be revived by someone with the first aid skill, but otherwise they're at the mercy of the elements - and whoever it was that knocked them out. Kill results indicate a potentially lethal attack has been executed on the target. A Kill result requires a Fortitude ACT made on the Kill? portion of the Master Table's effects row. A roll must also be made on the Kill? sub-table whenever a character's Health sum drops to zero, or when a character suffers additional damage while otherwise out of Health. As with a Concuss, a yellow or blue Fortitude ACT upon receiving a Kill result means the character is just fine - at least, as a result of that particular attack; their situation may still be quite dire. A red ACT means the character will be affected by the Kill result if the source of the damage was either Slashing or Piercing. A black ACT means that the Kill result was successful, and that the victim loses one Fortitude rank. For every subsequent turn the victim of a Kill result lies unaided, he or she will lose another Fortitude rank, doing so until they die. This assumes that no one helps them at all. A dying character who is helped before slipping below rank value 0 Fortitude will live (assuming nothing else happens to them), but may be in dire straits nonetheless thanks to their reduced Fortitude trait, which must heal normally. * Other Combat Results * In addition to a Pound, Concuss, or Kill, all manner of other combat results may occur on the Master Table, as each attack technique has its own set of potential outcomes. Those which are not quite as detrimental as the above three are listed below, to give one a better handle on the variables that may occur in the midst of a fight while using the Edition 13 rules. Auto-hit is what happens when one zigs when they should have zagged. A catch, feint, or evasion that achieves this result has caused its executor to quite literally walk into an attack. Even if the attacker would've otherwise missed, the character who scored an auto-hit will make it strike him or her somehow, possibly by inadvertently walking into the space the missed attack would've otherwise occupied. Break results occur on a grabbing attack where too much force may have been used. The grabber grabbed the item in question, but he or she must roll a Brawn ACT against the m.v. of the item. If their Brawn overcomes the m.v. of said object, it may be broken, or may otherwise hamper the grabber's activities. A bomb may detonate, while a statue might crack, or a gun might even go off! Bullseye is a combat result that is required when one wishes to strike a precise location on a target with distance attacks. No matter the weapon or attack form, the idea is that a bullseye is required to strike something specific, such as the gun in one's hand, that spot between the eyes, or anything else desired. If a precision strike isn't intended, a bullseye is treated as a normal hit. Catch results are the best possible outcome of a catching attempt. A Catch means that the character not only avoided being struck by whatever it was he or she intended to catch, but that they avoided damaging it in the process of catching it. If an inanimate object, the caught item is now in the character's possession, and if it was a living being, it may be safely set down without further risk. Damage is a potential result of a catching attempt gone awry. This result indicates that the item was indeed caught, but may have suffered damage as a result of the catch. The catching individual must make a Brawn ACT against the m.v. of the object to determine if it was damaged or destroyed. If catching a living being, this maneuver may instead damage the caught entity, per a charging attack! Escape is a combat result that only occurs when attempting an escape maneuver (really). When this result is scored, the character attempting the maneuver has managed to shake themselves loose of whatever hold their opponent had him or her in. He or she can engage in no other actions on that turn, but may act normally on the next - assuming they are not grappled anew by their foe. Evasion / Feint indicates success when attempting the aversive maneuver in question. The executor of this maneuver has successfully avoided being struck, if at the expense of their own offensive maneuvers. These results do not place the evader / feinter in an advantageous position against their foes, but on the other hand, they have not suffered damage of any variety either. Full Hold indicates that a grappling attack was successful. It means the held individual cannot move at all, until let go or they successfully execute an escape attempt. A grappler may inflict damage upon his or her foe if they can pass a Brawn ACT against the held individual's Brawn, though this also requires overcoming any body armor or other protections they may have as well, if any. Grab results of grabbing attacks mean that the grabber has managed to grab the item in question away from his or her target. This occurs regardless of the Brawn of their opponent or the material value of the object in question, and the grabber now has full possession of the item. Mind you, there may not be anything to subsequently stop its former possessor from grabbing the item back. Hit results rolled on the Master Table indicate that yes, you have struck your target. Aside from inflicting damage, assuming no protective items or powers in play on the target, a hit does not inflict any additional combat effects. Mind you, simply inflicting damage can be enough to accomplish what a character intends in the first place, but that's neither here nor there. Miss indicates just that - the attack in question failed to connect with its target. This may or may not have serious consequences; when a ranged attack misses, it may very well strike someone or something in the vicinity of the intended target, with potentially dire results. Alternately, a miss may place the attacker in a disadvantageous position against his or her foe (or target, if grabbing) on the next turn. Partial Hold indicates that a grappling maneuver has been partially successful, and that its target has been somewhat constrained in their movements. A partial hold inflicts a -2 RS penalty upon all actions a held individual attempts. The only way to remove this penalty is to make the grappler let go somehow, or to successfully execute an escape attempt against him or her... which is easier said than done. Reversal results are the best possible outcome of an escape attempt. When a reversal is rolled, the character attempting the escape may, if he or she so chooses, or is physically able, reverse the hold their opponent previously held them in. If the escapee does not wish to continue grappling with his or her foe, they may simply push or kick themselves loose, and may instead engage in any one action of their choice during that turn. Row Shift results indicate a RS applied either to an attacker or a defender, based on some ability or another. Dodge and weave maneuvers usually apply a negative RS to attacker's hit rolls, while a block or brace applies one-to-one's own Brawn or Fortitude to determine momentary protection. Normally negative, a RS can demonstrate a bonus, particularly where evasions and feints are involved. Take results of a grabbing attack indicate the item may or may not be in the grabber's possession. On a take result, the grabber must roll a Brawn ACT against either the Brawn of the person holding the item or the item's material value. If this ACT fails, the grabber has not liberated the item, and he or she must struggle with its current possessor to take the item (or if 'loose', treat as a miss result instead). ** Determining Damage ** Damage in the 4C System: Edition 13 game can be tallied in two fashions. The first, and less accurate, is to just use the listed rating whenever an attack is used. For instance, a rank value 50 fire generation power will always inflict rank value 50 SD Energy damage, no matter the circumstances in which it is used. The advantage of this method is that combat can be resolved somewhat faster. On the other hand, damage may be rolled after a hit has been scored. This involves making a second die roll upon hitting a target, but allows the damage to be represented as an intensity, meaning that rank value 50 fire attack listed above can cause rank value 20 damage on a black result, rank value 40 damage on a red, rank value 50 damage on a blue, and rank value 75 damage on a yellow roll. While the former method can greatly speed things up in a game, it is far from dynamic; combat will be generally predictable. Furthermore, it does not allow for extremes of action, and can cause many of the results seen so often in comic book battles to be downright impossible. The Gamemaster should declare which method they prefer at the beginning of a campaign - though it may behoove them (and the players) to switch now and then. This can be done to streamline action when conditions at a game are different than normal. For example, a Gamemaster may normally run a game for a few close friends, perhaps up to six, and prefers the damage intensity method. But when running a game at a convention, and inadvertently winding up with over a dozen players (as has happened to this author more than once), the static method may work best. *** ADVANCED BATTLE CONCEPTS *** While the Time and Combat portion of the 4C System: Edition 13 rules covers just about everything one needs to handle conventional combat, the system is rife with things which actively resist normalcy. Advanced Battle Concepts attempts to detail a large variety of edge cases and odd conditions which may occur when you have ascendant beings using a wide array of super-powers against one another. ** Exotic Damage Forms and Damage Modifiers ** Though most forms of damage have been discussed previously, there are some exotic forms of pain and suffering that alternate paths of power provide for. Furthermore, a lot of attacks bear a supplemental effect on top of the raw damage they can inflict. This helps to distinguish one form of damage from another, particularly when a laundry list of different attack forms use the exact same damage type. * Supplemental Damage Types * Deionic damage is that which is caused by a focused application of the power of faith. It is most often wielded by immortal beings, or at least those who traffic in their affairs. It is rather rare to encounter Deionic energies in their pure state, as they are most often shaped or otherwise put to use by their possessors as soon as possible, to further their agendas for the multiverse. They are encountered, however. They may take the form of the signature power of a deity, the focused will of an entity of power aimed through one of its followers, or possibly just god-tainted mundane damage forms. As is the case with Karmic and Sorcerous damage, these attacks are handled per their standard counterparts - it's just that Deionic energies do a good job of practically ignoring armor for the most part. Karmic damage is a form of harm which is inflicted by direct psionic attack. As is the case with Sorcerous damage, Karmic damage is not merely caused by psionic powers which generate mundane forms of attack - those are resolved normally. Instead, they represent 'clean' mental assaults, such as a psi bolt or empathic hammer, or perhaps some other attack aimed at the very consciousness of oneself. Though again, some Karmic attacks are inflicted by seemingly ordinary offensive abilities which are 'charged' with psions. This can happen with items that are heavily empowered by psionic skills, or perhaps when encountering psi-active energies that hail from higher dimensions, which can include spectral flames. These attacks will behave normally, but affect armor as if it were Karmic in origin. Metabolic damage is a form of physical damage that is typically delivered by indirect means. It represents an assault on the integrity of the body, whether one is talking about poisoning, radiation, or even disintegration. Some forms of Metabolic damage occur as side effects of other powers, but other kinds can be used all by themselves, though all such damage is usually handled the same way. Typically one receives a Fortitude ACT roll to avoid the effects of Metabolic damage. The powers, equipment, and substances that inflict it usually describe whether or not an ACT is allowed to shrug it off, but in general one can expect a resistance roll if the Metabolic harm comes as a 'rider' on another attack (such as a blade dipped in toxin, or radiation poisoning caused by exposure). Sorcerous damage is that which is inflicted by raw magic. 'Raw' magic is not merely fire or electricity (or whatever) that is produced by magic - such energies behave (and inflict damage) as they normally would. This form of damage, however, indicates an attack which is inherently magical in nature. Assaults such as 'generic' eldritch bolts, as well as mystical darkness, fall into this category. On the other hand, some attacks behave like mundane assaults of various kinds, but nonetheless affect armor as if they were Sorcerous damage. Things like this are often indicative of highly enchanted objects (like swords), or seemingly mundane forms of energy which bear magical components and characteristics (such as mystic hellfire, or other campaign-specific oddities and effects). * Damage Modifiers * Armor Piercing (AP) attacks are just that, they affect the protection of an individual much more effectively than an ordinary version of the same damage. Armor Piercing effects are rated in Row Shifts, and the standard AP effect affects body armor or other protections as if they were -2 RS in rank value. If something was double AP, it would reduce protection by -4 RS, triple AP lowers it by -6 RS, and so on. A related form of attack is the Armor Ignoring (AI) assault. This is a much rarer form of Armor Piercing attack, in that it ignores one's protections against it entirely. Most often, this will appear when a character has a special susceptibility to the form of damage in question, but a few specialized attack forms have the ability to wield it as well. Probability Fallout (PF) is a distressing form of energy caused primarily by powers which are heavily magical in nature, but can also be inflicted by reality control abilities as well. The idea behind Probability Fallout is that it is the impossible (or at least highly improbable) made manifest and tangible - and alters everything it touches... usually for the worse. When exposed to PF due to one attack or another, a character must pass a Willpower ACT roll to retain the integrity of their morphic field. If this ACT fails, the character will be changed somehow, most often on a temporary basis, but occasionally permanently. Such changes can be as simple as an alteration of color, but can go as far as a complete transformation into something else entirely! Psionic Saturation (PS) is a kind of overload of the mental energies in an environment. This is most often created by the use of abilities that generate raw psions, the particles which act as carriers of psionics and thought energies, but can also occur due to (admittedly bizarre) natural phenomenon or even malfunctions that occur in the execution of mental powers occasionally. What PS does is make all sentients within the area that it affects inherently telepathic. Even 'normals' can hear the ambient thoughts of others, unshielded as they usually are, and inadvertently share their own. Preventing both the reception of ambient thoughts, and keeping one's own from flying free in an area inundated with PS, requires a Willpower ACT roll against the intensity of the power that caused it in the first place. Successively Decreasing (SD) damage is a form of harm which continues over a period of time. Each turn after one is exposed to an attack with an SD rider, the character in question may attempt a Fortitude ACT roll to stop the SD from affecting them further. If this ACT roll fails, the attack will inflict the damage caused on the previous round -2 RS - repeating until it is either resisted or reaches rank value zero (0). This is representative of things such as fire, poison, and radiation, which linger and cause continuing harm long after they are initially encountered. Particularly potent versions of SD attacks may exist in a doubled fashion, meaning that an indicated 2x SD effect would only be reduced by -1 RS each turn, instead of the usual -2 RS (though such dangerous damage should be incredibly rare). ** Powers With Special Considerations ** For the most part, super-powers are pretty straightforward in their application. The description of a given power will detail what it does and how it works, if necessary. A few common effects drastically affect both how easily one can hit their foe and how much damage they will inflict when they do, however. The effects of these powers are expanded upon below, for convenience. * Body Armor and Force Fields * While the effects of most attacks are rather clear-cut in nature, they can often be mitigated by characters who wield protection from injury. Body armor comes in a variety of different forms, whether inherent (nigh-invulnerable skin) or based on hardware (such as a Kevlar ™ vest). Body armor is a subtractive form of defense, directly reducing the amount of incoming damage by its power rank value. The difficulty involved with body armor, however, is that it is more effective against some forms of damage than others. Body armor is most useful against direct physical damage, while becoming increasingly weaker against an attack the more exotic its source is. This is represented as a series of Row Shifts, based on the body armor power rank value, denoting the various resistances it provides. Body armor will offer its full rank value in protection against physical attack forms (bats, bullets, etc.). It is at -2 RS effectiveness against conventional energy assaults (fire, electricity), -4 RS against Sorcerous damage (most often in the form of spells), -6 RS against Karmic damage (things like a psi bolt, or Karmic energy assaults), and -8 RS against pure Deionic energies (usually the signature powers of deities). This can be tricky to remember, so body armor is usually listed with a series of rank values that denote the precise protection it offers, in the order listed above. Sometimes these aren't listed if most of them would be less than rank value 2 (often the case with partial armor), but can usually be inferred based on the body armor power rank value when necessary. Complete listings are presented as follows: power rank value (physical) / rank value -2 RS (energy) / rank value -4 RS (magic) / rank value -6 RS (psionic) / rank value -8 RS (deionic) A force field behaves in a similar fashion, though the nature of the protection it offers is somewhat different. A force field is most effective against energy-based assaults, while being slightly less potent against physical damage. Otherwise, the defense a force field provides is consistent with that of body armor. Complete force field protection ratings are usually shown like so: rank value -1 RS (physical) / power rank value (energy) / rank value -4 RS (magic) / rank value -6 RS (psionic) / rank value -8 RS (deionic) There are other defensive powers, but they will usually refer to either body armor or force fields as their basis (protects per a force field, and so on). These ratings can vary slightly, depending on the origin of the defense in question. If body armor or a force field (or whatever) is created by magic, for instance, it will also offer its rank value in resistance to that form of damage, instead of the usual -4 RS. Such variances in the defense a power provides will usually be demonstrated in their specific power description, but again can be inferred if not listed due to being on a 'short hand' character sheet (or whatever). * Resistances and Invulnerabilities * Resistances are like specialized forms of body armor, in that they act to subtract incoming damage of their type by their power rank value. If the resistance is higher in value than the damage it opposes, the character with it will suffer no damage at all. But a resistance can work against more than just direct damage; one can have resistance to fire, or mind control, or even warping attacks! If a character possesses resistance to a non-damaging effect (such as time control), the effect in question is negated if less than or equal to the rank value of his or her resistance. If it is greater than the resistance possessed, the offending power can still affect its target - though at a diminished intensity, one which is equal to the power rank value of the offending effect minus the power rank value of the resistance. Note that some resistances have a minimum rank value associated with them. Resistance to emotion controls, for instance, is based on one's Awareness trait. Thus, a power which provides additional resistance to such assaults should be wielded at a minimum value that is equal to that trait +1 RS - which will reduce the cost of such powers, when purchased through the point-based character generation system. Finally, the ultimate form of a resistance is an invulnerability. Invulnerabilities are absolute protections against the named effect (such as invulnerability to cold attacks), and prevent it from affecting the character at all. Even at an infinite rank value, something a character is invulnerable to will not harm or affect him or her - though their friends and their stuff aren't always so lucky. * Damage Reduction and Deflection * While body armor, force fields, and other protections from injury are usually subtractive, numerically reducing the intensity of incoming damage, damage reduction operates a bit differently. This form of defense reduces incoming damage by whatever Row Shift the power is rated at. Possessing 3 RS of damage reduction, for example, will cut all incoming damage by that much before it is applied to one's person. This differing defense function has the effect of dampening damage of a higher intensity much more effectively than weaker attacks. Thus, damage reduction might be more favorable when attempting to represent certain characters who are able to shrug off massive attacks while not being completely invulnerable at the same time. For instance, rank value 20 body armor would completely prevent physical damage of equal or lesser value from affecting its target, while that 3 RS of damage reduction indicated above would 'only' reduce it to rank value 4. On the other hand, that same body armor would only cut twenty points off of a rank value 100 physical attack, while 3 RS of damage reduction would reduce it by sixty points. Deflection operates using the same basic game mechanic, but applies to the ACTs intended to connect with an attack - not the damage inflicted. A character with 2 RS of deflection, for instance, would inflict a -2 RS penalty to hit him or her in the first place. Such a negative modifier would apply along with any other efforts the character with deflection made to avoid injury (such as a dodge maneuver). Deflection in and of itself does not reduce incoming damage at all, its protection coming in the form of keeping attacks from hitting in the first place. Though when it works, deflection can be considered one hundred percent damage mitigation. * Flight and Other Travel Powers * Travel powers offer their possessor a significant advantage in mobility. When you can fly around the world in mere minutes, it's incredibly easy to split your attention across various global hot spots. They're also quite a boon in combat directly, in that whoever can hold the high ground typically has a significant advantage - even if the 'high ground' consists of blasting goons while hovering a few feet overhead. A major consideration of some travel powers, however, is that while in use many of them leave their possessor without ground (or any other surface) with which to brace themselves. This isn't much of an issue with the likes of teleportation, in that its effects are almost instantaneous, but abilities such as flight, gliding, super leaping, and super swimming (and variants therein) suffer from this problem. When airborne (or underwater) using this kind of power, or otherwise unmoored from the ground, a character is often more vulnerable to being Pounded. When an attack against a flying (or whatever) individual scores a Pound result, they must resist such results with either their Fortitude or their travel power's rank value - using whichever of the two is weaker. A veritable tank with a rank value 100 Fortitude and only rank value 6 flight is very likely to be knocked around while airborne, as is a ranged sniper with a rank value 6 Fortitude and a rank value 100 flight. Characters with traveling powers can avoid this threat with the use of additional powers to maintain their trajectories (like anchor or telekinesis), or by having rank values in both their Fortitude and their travel power that are similar. * Growth and Shrinking * For the most part, the average height of an adult character is considered to be six feet tall. In reality, people will be taller or shorter than this basic benchmark for a variety of different reasons, of course. But this specific height makes it a lot easier for us to calculate the difference in combat that characters of one size will experience when facing characters of another size entirely. In Edition 13 of the 4C System, a size difference is in effect when one character interacts with another who is half (or less) their size. Size differences are rated by a metric known as a size factor, based on that six foot tall person described previously. A character of the appropriate, average height (give or take a foot, of course) has a size factor of zero (0). In relation to someone with a size factor of zero, a character who is twelve foot tall - twice the person's height - will have a +1 size factor. Each subsequent doubling of size based on the original height will increase this size factor by an additional point. Thus, someone twenty-four foot tall will have a +2 size factor, a body forty-eight feet tall will have a +3 size factor, and so on. Looking in the other direction, in relation to that character with a size factor of zero, an opponent who is half their height - or three feet tall - will have a -1 size factor. Each further halving of height based on that original value of six foot tall will decrease a body's size factor by one. Being one and a half feet tall gives you a size factor of -2, while being nine inches tall gives you a -3 size factor, etc. If dealing with two different characters with a non-zero size factor, players can determine the effective size factor between the two by subtracting the larger size factor from the smaller one. A person with a +3 size factor facing an opponent with a +1 size factor would see the taller character having an effective +2 size factor compared to his or her smaller foe, for the purposes of determining combat modifiers. For every +1 size factor a character has against their foes in combat, he or she may add a +1 RS to the damage they inflict - but at the same time, suffers a -1 RS to strike that foe in the first place. Similarly, for every -1 size factor a character has against his or her enemy, they inflict -1 RS less damage with each attack, but benefits from a +1 RS to strike their larger enemy with each assault. So, as an example, let us consider a twelve foot tall character doing battle with one that is but three foot tall. One has a +1 size factor while the other has a -1 size factor - for a net difference of two. Thus, the twelve foot tall character suffers a -2 RS to hit their diminutive foe, but inflicts +2 RS damage when they do connect. The three foot tall character, on the other hand, has a +2 RS to hit - but inflicts -2 RS damage! ** Tactics (Super Powered or Otherwise) ** An important means by which a character can maximize his or her combat potential is with the use of tactics. Tactics are advanced combat maneuvers that each have their own special benefits, above and beyond merely hitting foes until they submit. Some tactics are only available to characters that possess the required power or powers to make use of them, however. Some of the more common tactics used by both heroes and villains alike include the following: Aiming / Ambush: each of these tactics involve a character lying in wait, spending at least a full turn in preparation of their attack. By expending at least this much time in wait, a character either aiming a precision attack or lying in ambush benefits from a +2 RS to hit. Furthermore, unless equipped with a danger sense or like forewarning, the target cannot attempt a defensive maneuver against this tactic. Dazing: a difficult maneuver to pull off, dazing involves attacking a foe in a fashion that is not directly lethal, most often by grazing one's temples with a bullet or the back of their head with a sap. This requires a blue ACT roll with the attack in question, though if an attacker attempting to daze his or her foe rolls yellow, that result stands regardless. Disarming: an attack of this type is designed not to harm a foe, but to instead remove something from their person. Most often this is a gun or some other weapon. Disarming requires a blue attack roll with most attack powers, as it is a tricky maneuver to execute during the best of times. However, the advantage is that a yellow attack roll is always downgraded to blue in such instances (which is great for non-lethal gunplay). Dive Bomb: whenever one is rapidly accelerating towards the earth, they can aim towards a specific target below to attempt a tremendous charging attack. A dive bomb maneuver provides those who attempt it a +1 RS to hit - +2 RS if they're actually flying, and not just falling or leaping downward. A dive bomb provides a like damage increase, on top of that provided for the space moved through. Ensnaring: a large number of tools and weapons exist to ensnare a foe - trapping them such that they cannot move. Nets, bolos, and (when used carefully) whips can be wielded in this fashion. Such items require a Coordination ACT to hit their target, who (if this ACT is successful) may attempt a Brawn check to wriggle out of his or her bindings. Failing this, the ensnared foe must escape from their bonds in some other fashion. Firing Point Blank: when close enough to touch one's target, special rules apply to ranged combat. If firing at a foe within point blank range, a character should receive a +3 RS to hit said foe - but only if that character wins the initiative, and the target is not resisting. Otherwise, a -3 RS applies to the character's ability to hit, as a change in position so close to the firer has a much more dramatic effect. Ganging Up: a mainstay of bullies everywhere, this involves one character holding a target so that another may hit him or her with impunity. This requires the first to achieve either a partial or full hold on the target, thus preventing them from performing defensive maneuvers. Others receive a +1 RS to hit the target, but if they miss they must immediately check to see if they in turn strike the grappler. Indirect Strike: an assault of this type involves the character striking the ground beneath themselves to affect others. This is often a great way to wield the full intensity of otherwise lethal attacks in a less lethal fashion, though it's incredibly rough on the surroundings. An indirect strike requires an attack that is equal to the m.v. of the ground +2 RS, as it smashes it up in the process. Indirect strikes can be used in two fashions. The first involves aiming all of one's effort directly below themselves, which creates a shockwave that affects everyone in the character's sector. This wave itself not inflict damage, but can definitely inflict a Pound result depending on the character's attack ACT. Whether or not those present are Pounded, they may suffer indirect damage due to the collapse of their surroundings. Alternately, a character may attack the ground between themselves and their target. This has the effect of spraying dirt, rock, concrete, or whatever else lies between the two foes at the target, causing damage of a type and intensity appropriate to its composition. This form of indirect strike is ideal for those characters with inherently lethal attacks, who wish to use them without killing everyone present. Luring: a lure is an attempt to make oneself a target. Not quite a shielding maneuver, luring involves convincing a foe to attack them, only to move at the last minute. By making oneself an enticing target, the luring character grants his or her opponent a +2 RS to hit, but has the option of performing a defensive maneuver at the last second. If they miss, the attacker will strike whatever is immediately behind their target. Moving Targets: hitting a target moving at high speed is considerably difficult - even before considering any defensive maneuvers they attempt! A character moving from one to five sectors per turn inflicts a -1 RS to hit, another traveling at up to ten sectors per turn causes their foes to attack them at a -2 RS, and anyone traveling faster inflicts a -4 RS to hit on anyone targeting them. Multiple Targets: attacks can sometimes strike multiple targets at once. Projectile attacks may have a cone effect, or may simply move straight through one target and into another. Similarly, a large melee weapon just might be able to strike many foes. Characters may attempt to hit multiple targets with a single attack at their leisure, but when doing so they consistently suffer a -4 RS penalty (on top of any defensive maneuvers made). Players may resolve such assaults with either a single roll or one for each target - their choice. Non-adjacent Melee: sometimes your foe is just barely out of reach of your fists... but not a lamp post! Using very large objects, super-strong characters can engage in melee even when not within striking distance of each other - as long as their weapons are long enough. Melee attempted in this fashion works normally, though again, one must be strong enough to lift that bus before hitting someone with it. Postponing: a character who has the initiative against their foe may hold off on their action until the most ideal time - which is usually right before said foe executes his or her own. There is no consistent benefit or penalty to postponing in a rules sense, though doing so may conditionally prevent the loser of initiative from acting entirely, depending on the success of a postponer. Restraint: though not applicable to all forms of attack, characters do have the option of restraining themselves in combat, holding back from unleashing their full power. The decision to pull one's punch may be made at any point, either before or after the dice are rolled - this is allowed to better protect players from inadvertently losing Fortune. One can reduce the damage indicated with Bashing damage (whether in melee or thrown), Energy damage, Force damage, and grappling attacks. Similarly, one can reduce the color result rolled on melee Bashing attacks, and both charging and grappling attacks. Shielding: any character can perform a shield maneuver. With a red Melee ACT roll, one character can successfully interpose something between an attacker and the target of his or her ire. Most often, this involves someone trying to shield themselves from an assault; when successful, the object being used as a shield effectively becomes the target, and the attack must get through it to affect its wielder. Sometimes, however, a character makes themselves the shield, absorbing an attack that was intended for someone else. The same basic rules apply in this instance, though typically the shielding character will absorb all of an assault unless it is particularly overpowering or lethal. Even more so if they actually use a shield while shielding someone else from an attack (a trick that requires a blue ACT, instead)! If a shield maneuver is executed as a character's stated action, they may then perform an additional action afterward, if applicable - though at a -2 RS, unless they're used to wielding that object as a shield normally. However, if a character originally intended to do something else, and changed their action to a shielding maneuver, they may not perform any other action on that turn... assuming the maneuver succeeds to begin with. ** Environmental Concerns ** The previous assumes that all else is normal, that there are no mitigating circumstances affecting a fight. As anyone can readily attest, however, the weather rarely plays ball with one's well laid plans. Sometimes, the situation around a battle - or even a specific character - will influence how actions play out. Special circumstances can occasionally help a body, but usually they make everything trickier. A few of the most common environmental concerns include the following: Fire: attacks that use fire directly are pretty straight-forward. Whether one is using a flamethrower or a psionic to produce flames, the basic damage inflicted is the same. Sure, the former's SD effect may be a bit more pronounced, but each directly inflicts Energy damage. But what of fires burning in the environment? These are generally handled a bit differently. Table 24: Noteworthy Fire Intensities Phenomenon Intensity A match Rank Value 2 A campfire Rank Value 4 A burning room Rank Value 6 A burning house Rank Value 20 A burning building Rank Value 30 Forest fire Rank Value 40 Blast furnace interior Rank Value 50 Volcano interior Rank Value 100 Surface of a star Rank Value 1000 Stellar core Rank Value 3000 For one thing, an open fire radiates heat - a fact that humans have taken advantage of for thousands of years. Characters within the same sector as a blaze will suffer -3 RS heat (Energy) damage, while those in the sectors immediately surrounding that one will instead suffer -6 RS heat damage. Protective clothing and powers can blunt this damage, but individuals in the former may grow uncomfortable (ask a fireman). The space blanketed in heat by a fire is also illuminated with a like intensity of light, unless it is filled with obscuring (and choking) smoke. If caught unaware by smoke, characters must pass a Fortitude ACT roll to act. This simulates an inability to breathe, and those who fail this ACT will spend that turn coughing, unable to do anything else save for moving (hopefully) out of the area. This is treated as if a character has held their breath for some time (red Fortitude ACT) on the exhaustion table for the purposes of eventually losing consciousness. If a character is aware of smoke in advance, they can hold their breath or don protective breathing devices when available, and act relatively normally - for as long as they last in the face of whatever calamity surrounds them. The other thing about fires is that they have a tendency to spread... and fast. Depending on the flammability of materials in the surroundings, a fire can spread at a maximum speed of one sector each turn, though usually a bit slower depending on the circumstances involved. A campfire surrounded by rocks won't generally spread, while an open blaze in a refinery is cause to flee - and fast! When an object either catches fire or is placed on (or in) an open flame, it may readily be destroyed. Fuel will explode, of course, while an icicle will melt and wood will burn. If something is less obvious, make a material value check against the intensity of the fire. Objects that aren't destroyed will nonetheless channel heat through themselves, and their effective m.v. may be reduced by -1 RS if this ACT fails. Heat and Cold: in a perfect world, it would be pleasant out all the time, every day. Sadly, weather control technology is still in its infancy. Thus, characters should be mindful of temperature extremes in the midst of their adventures. Temperatures ranging from zero to thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, or from ninety to one hundred and twenty degrees Fahrenheit, are of rank value 10 intensity. Table 25: Noteworthy Heat Intensities Phenomenon Intensity 90° F to 120° F Rank Value 10 120° F to 150° F Rank Value 20 150° F to 212° F Rank Value 30 Under such conditions, a character will generally suffer a -1 RS on all actions they attempt. Furthermore, heavy exertion (such as running for your life) is incredibly difficult in extreme temperatures, and halves the amount of time a character can engage in such activity before ACT rolls for exhaustion are called for. More intense levels of heat or cold will increase this to a -2 RS penalty on all actions. This is not necessarily set in stone, as characters who are acclimatized to non-temperate climates might be able to disregard these penalties somewhat. The inhabitants of a hot, steamy jungle might not suffer a penalty under rank value 10 heat conditions - though higher temperatures would affect them normally. Similarly, growing up in the Arctic (or simply using basic cold weather gear) offers the same benefit for like cold. When one's body is directly exposed to extreme temperatures (beyond rank value 10), the danger of serious health hazards appears. The time it takes for such hazards to manifest is determined by one's Fortitude trait, on the exhaustion rate table. When a character finally fails an ACT to avoid temperature hazards, they will begin to suffer from heat exhaustion or hypothermia, as is appropriate. Table 26: Noteworthy Cold Intensities Phenomenon Intensity 0° F to 32° F Rank Value 10 -30° F to 0° F Rank Value 20 -100° F to -30° F Rank Value 30 Absolute zero Rank Value 100 Each of these conditions will affect a character in three stages. Once the first is achieved, the hazard 'clock' will reset, and failing a temperature 'exhaustion' ACT during this time will escalate a condition from its current stage to the next. Each stage of either hypothermia or heat exhaustion inflicts a -1 RS penalty to all rolls a character makes - on top of the penalties caused by the temperature itself. Once a character has progressed past the third stage of either heat exhaustion or hypothermia, they are immediately subject to a Kill result, and will be every subsequent turn until they fall unconscious and begin losing Fortitude rank values, or are removed from the temperature extremes that assail them. The time it takes to recover from either condition generally follows an arc mirroring that which saw it take place to begin with. Inanimate matter is not immune to the effects of extreme temperatures, either. Objects subjected to very low or very high temperatures generally suffer from a -1 RS reduction to their material value. If the heat or cold of an object reaches an intensity equal to at least its own m.v. -1 RS, a material value check must be made to see if the object either melts, catches fire, suffers heat damage, or becomes especially brittle. Depending on its composition, of course. Ice: a common component of foul weather is ice. In nature, ice is most often of material value 6. This will vary due to the thickness of the ice, though it is important to note that specialized powers (namely ice generation) can concoct ice that is of much greater material strength - it's all about how the water molecules align, really. On the other hand, the material strength of ice - whatever it happens to be - is considered -2 RS when either fire or heat is applied to it. Inclement Weather: on top of the actual temperature involved, the weather can cause further impediment quite literally by raining on one's parade. Table 27: Noteworthy Weather Intensities Phenomenon Intensity Normal fog, sprinkles, a dusting Rank Value 6 Standard rain, snow Rank Value 10 Pea soup fog, hail Rank Value 20 Thundershower, blizzard Rank Value 30 Thunderstorm, high winds Rank Value 40 Normal tornadoes Rank Value 50 Hurricane force winds Rank Value 100 Strong winds or precipitation, whether it comes in the form of rain, sleet, or snow, will seriously hamper ranged combat. Though a light dusting or gentle breeze won't cause too many problems, strong weather (defined as rank value 10 or greater) will inflict a -1 RS penalty on all ranged combat. Rank value 30 or greater weather events inflict a -1 RS penalty on all ACTs (on top of the previous). Fog, on the other hand, has the effect of reducing the extent to which ranged combat may occur - primarily because it curtails long distance vision. Each rank value of fog (or smoke, for that matter) reduces the effective range of a character's vision, to a minimum of one sector (just like poor lighting). As long as one can see their target, though, they do not suffer the -4 RS 'blindness' penalty. Illness: during the adventures a character will undertake, they will be exposed to all manner of hazards. Most of these are pretty straight-forward, and can be readily avoided with a minimum of caution. Others are much more insidious, and may not in fact be apparent to one's senses (regular or otherwise). Most of these are environmental in nature, but some may be induced by super-powers. The primary causes of serious illness in characters, aside from the ascendant abilities of their foes, come in the form of either disease, poison, or radiation. Sure, the 'super' versions of these usually wear off in the short term, but what about those caused by the environment? Plodding about in the shadow of a nuclear reactor is begging for trouble, as is poking around in the sewers on a search for something or other. In such instances, the Gamemaster may call for a Fortitude ACT roll when the immediate situation is over, to determine if the character involved contracted any sort of illness. A red ACT roll is usually all that is necessary in such situations, unless the exposure to... whatever... was particularly dire (like swallowing plutonium, or being dunked in an alien septic tank). A minor illness, such as a cold or the flu, will typically run its course in a week (half that with proper bed rest). A major illness, on the other hand, might instead hamper a character for 1d10 months. At the end of each, they must pass a Fortitude ACT roll or lose one rank value of such - suffering all the penalties that entails. At the end of the illness' duration, if they have any rank values of Fortitude left, they'll live! And if not, well, you know. Recovery from such illnesses generally takes one quarter the total amount of time they were active in a character's body. If a character suffers from cancer due to acute asbestos inhalation for six months, they'll need six weeks after the illness is cured (or at least put into remission) before they'll be back to normal. Characters in recovery from an illness can regain one lost rank value of Fortitude for each week spent resting. Poor Lighting: sadly, crime doesn't always occur at high noon. On occasion, characters will find themselves in combat at odd hours, and under dubious lighting conditions. Table 28: Noteworthy Darkness Intensities Phenomenon Intensity Poorly lit room, city at night Rank Value 2 Night in the country, overcast city night Rank Value 4 Overcast country night, dark rooms Rank Value 6 No light at all Rank Value 20 Each rank value of darkness reduces the effective range of a character's sight by one sector. It also imposes a -1 RS penalty on all actions, with a maximum hindrance of -4 RS. Darkness of rank value 20 or greater impedes one's sense of vision entirely, baring super-human sensory capabilities, meaning one must rely upon those, or other senses, to act. Higher intensities of darkness actively work against anything generating light. Radiation: while most comic books celebrate radiation and the wonderful things it can do for you, the truth is that the stuff is a highly toxic form of energy. The vast, vast majority of people that suffer extreme radiation exposure don't develop super-powers. No, they mostly just get very, very ill, and usually die in relatively short order. Once it gets into something, you see, radiation is sticky. Table 29: Noteworthy Radiation Intensities Phenomenon Intensity Ancient nuclear event Rank Value 4 Chunk of uranium Rank Value 6 Solar wind (constant) Rank Value 10 Recent nuclear event Rank Value 20 Vial of plutonium Rank Value 40 Nuclear reactor core Rank Value 50 Solar flare Rank Value 75 Atomic weapon discharge Rank Value 150 When an area is irradiated, it tends to hold onto that energy for quite a while. Most cannot perceive radiation directly, and in time it may not be readily apparent that a release of radioactivity had even occurred (see: Chernobyl). Radiation will discharge into non-radioactive materials coming in contact with irradiated matter in a SD fashion, though - until it's all used up, at least. In play, most exposure to radiation will come in the form of characters blundering into a radioactive area. When this happens, they must pass a Fortitude ACT roll against the intensity of the lingering radioactivity each turn or suffer SD Energy damage. If some characters are affected and others are not, they may inadvertently discharge radiation into each other on contact. For the most part, super-powers that emit hazardous radiation inflict AP SD Energy damage, but once a character has shaken off (or 'shared') the SD component of such they won't suffer any serious ill effect. After exposure to radiation, however, all characters must usually make a Fortitude ACT roll to determine whether or not they suffer any illness as a result (even if that 'illness' involves mutation of some sort). Slickness: there are several situations wherein a character might have to deal with the slickness of a surface. Table 30: Noteworthy Slickness Intensities Phenomenon Intensity Asphalt, brickwork, concrete Rank Value 2 Glass, unpolished steel Rank Value 6 Polished steel alloys Rank Value 10 Ice-covered surface Rank Value 20 Oil-slicked surface Rank Value 30 Non-stick surface Rank Value 40 Buckyballs Rank Value 100 Frictionless surface Rank Value 1000 Primarily, slickness comes into play when a character is attempting to traverse or climb an area that has been coated in something else, thus changing how slippery it is. Such substances tend to 'smooth out' the natural bumps and uneven nature of a surface, making it harder to safely interact with. Alternately, these substances can simply act as incredible lubricants, giving a surface less 'gription'. On the other hand, some materials are built with being slick as a part of their design. Polished steel is incredibly smooth; getting a hand-hold on it is easier said than done! One must pass a Coordination ACT against the slickness of a surface to either act, climb, or walk upon it, the failure of which might lead to a character falling to his or her doom (or at least onto their posterior). Submersion: on occasion, adventurers will find themselves in the water - or, as it happens, beneath its surface. Water (or any other liquid, for that matter) is much more resistant to anything attempting to pass through it, which halves the range of thrown weapons and most other distance attacks. Projectile weapons not specifically built with water in mind are utterly useless under the waves. Unless clinging onto an object, characters in the water are subject to being Pounded as if their Fortitude value was zero (0) - though luckily, water halves the distance of all Pound results. There is also the quintessential question of breathing. Without some means to do so underwater, battle beneath the waves will often be very short - and usually quite deadly. Finally, making attacks underwater generally inflicts a -2 RS penalty to hit. Variant Gravity: one of those things that most folks take for granted, gravity is usually considered a constant. On occasion, however, characters will find themselves in an area with gravity vastly different than their own. In such circumstances, they need to be aware that many actions that they normally don't even think about will need to be executed in a considerably different fashion. In microgravity or less, you can't walk anywhere, unless you have devices to aid that form of locomotion. Instead, one must either crawl about the surface, holding on for dear life, or 'push' themselves from one surface to another. Similarly, ranged attacks have a line-of-sight range, as gravity won't bend their trajectories towards a surface. Unanchored characters may be Pounded as if they possessed a Fortitude trait of rank value 0. When the gravity is higher than normal, on the other hand, everything is harder. The weight of everything is multiplied by the 'G' value, including that of the character. This means that all movement is hampered, if not nullified entirely. Projectile weapons are reduced in range by a like value; bullets in twice earth's gravity, for example, can only travel half as far before falling to the surface. *** LIVING AND DYING *** Adventurers are almost always in peril, mortal or otherwise, during the course of a game. As characters' fortunes shift, they may find themselves on the losing end of a fight. Sometimes this can be averted with a liberal use of Fortune, but other times they will simply run out of Health. The following explains how each of these curious abilities can sway the course of events during play. ** Health ** While every character has a variety of tools with which to avoid incoming damage in one way or another, whether relying upon inherent powers or advanced combat training, the truth is that suffering such is inevitable. This is why every character possesses a Health trait, after all! But what happens when, no matter how hard one tries, they suffer enough damage that they run out of Health points? They just might die. Upon losing all of their Health, a character must roll a Fortitude ACT on the Kill portion of the Master Table - regardless of what kind of damage actually brought them to zero Health. If this ACT is successful (generally, any non-black result will do), the character is merely knocked unconscious for a short period of time - 1d10 turns, to be precise. After this time has elapsed, the character will regain consciousness. Upon resuming a conscious state, a character will immediately regain a number of Health points equal to their current Fortitude trait. After this, a character is 'on their own', where the recovery of the rest is concerned. Barring any special powers or equipment to recover lost Health faster, either in one's possession or that of an ally, a character will heal as follows, based on their Fortitude trait: Table 31: Health Point Recovery Rank Value Health Recovery Over Time Rank Value 2 1 point every 600 turns (one hour) Rank Value 4 1 point every 500 turns (fifty minutes) Rank Value 6 1 point every 400 turns (forty minutes) Rank Value 10 1 point every 300 turns (half hour) Rank Value 20 1 point every 200 turns (twenty minutes) Rank Value 30 1 point every 100 turns (ten minutes) Rank Value 40 1 point every 80 turns (eight minutes) Rank Value 50 1 point every 60 turns (six minutes) Rank Value 75 1 point every 40 turns (four minutes) Rank Value 100 1 point every 20 turns (two minutes) Rank Value 150 1 point every 10 turns (one minute) Rank Value 200 1 point every 5 turns (thirty seconds) Rank Value 500 1 point every turn (six seconds) Rank Value 1000 2 points every turn (three seconds) Rank Value 3000 6 points every turn (one second) Rank Value 5000 10 points every turn * Fortitude Loss * When a character who is knocked unconscious does not pass their Kill check, they begin to die. This process involves the character losing one rank value of Fortitude each turn, until that trait is reduced to rank value 0. When this occurs, the character is deceased, and barring any ascendant intervention (or even someone performing first aid), they just might not be coming back. But how does one prevent this, you ask? The easiest way to halt the loss of Fortitude is by having someone attempt to help a dying character. This can be a qualified medical professional, one's teammates or allies, or even passersby. Such help can be as rigorous as patching up a dying individual or simply checking to make sure they're all right. This requires a full turn, at least - and simply shouting 'Are you okay?' from across a battlefield probably won't cut it. Alternately, if there is no one around to save a dying individual, the player behind him or her may instead attempt to do so themselves. If help is imminent, a character may expend fifty Fortune points to halt the loss of Fortitude values for one turn, and if help is not so close, they may instead expend two hundred and fifty Fortune points to acquire another Kill check, at their current Fortitude value, to stop dying. If a dying character's Fortitude loss is halted in any manner, the character will not die - at least, not because of their current injuries. Instead, they will remain unconscious for 1d10 hours, and assuming they do not suffer any additional damage during that time, they will awaken as per the above: with their current Fortitude rank value in Health points. * Negative Health * If an unconscious character (one who currently lacks any Health points) is struck while they are down, the situation can be handled in one of two fashions. The most simple of these involves prompting another Kill check, against their current Fortitude value... which may not be anywhere near their peak level at the moment. The failure of this Fortitude ACT will cause an immediate resumption of Fortitude loss, per the above. However, some Gamemasters might like a more granular approach to such underhanded tactics. Enter negative Health. The idea behind this optional secondary trait is that, upon suffering damage when one has no Health, a character will lose negative Health points instead of rolling Kill checks. This can help to avoid instances where a character with a particularly high Fortitude trait can withstand a staggering amount of punishment while unconscious - when they really shouldn't be able to. If a character runs out of negative Health points, they will immediately drop to rank value 0 Fortitude, and will cease to function. They can be revived with skills such as first aid or medicine, or perhaps ascendant abilities that specialize in such feats, but otherwise the character is dead. Unless, of course, a strange occurrence acts to revive him or her later (as often happens in the realm of comic books). Negative Health recovers at the same rate as a character's regular Health. Its value is determined by adding the successive rank values of a character's Fortitude trait together. This means that the rank values up to (and including) the character's Fortitude trait are all added together to determine one's negative Health. As an example, consider Bob's new hero, with a Fortitude value of 10. With such a Fortitude value, his character's negative Health would add up to 22 (the sum of all the successive rank values for rank value 10 is 2, 4, 6, and 10, to equal 22). This successive addition process is summed up for convenience on table 32. * Mental Health * While one's ordinary Health trait is a good indicator of how much physical damage they can absorb before passing out and possibly passing on, their mental fortitude may not necessarily be the same. When the Gamemaster wishes to make the Health of a character's body and the Health of a character's mind distinct from one another, they can make use of the optional mental Health secondary trait. Mental Health showcases how much Karmic damage a character can withstand before their mind folds like a house of cards. While some Karmic damage is material in nature (such as a psion beam), most comes in the form of attacks such as a psi bolt or empathic hammer. These assaults act against the 'core' of a character's mind, and thus subtract points from one's mental Health trait. When a character runs out of mental Health, they must pass a Willpower ACT roll or begin to lose rank values of such - in the same way that one loses Fortitude rank values upon running out of regular Health. When one is all out of Willpower, their mind is gone, essentially indicating that while their body is still alive, nobody's minding the store any longer. Which is, of course, never a good thing. If a Gamemaster doesn't wish to separate physical Health from mental Health in this fashion, this secondary trait can instead be used as a sanity indicator. In such instances, mental Health loss can occur in the event of mind-bending occurrences, whether one is exposed to the alien physics of other universes, causal shifts, or other Things Man Was Not Meant To Know. Running out of mental Health means one has gone insane! Mental Health recovers as does regular Health, though at a rate determined by one's Willpower instead of their Fortitude. Similarly, it is determined in the same fashion as is negative Health, but uses a character's Willpower rank value as a base, instead. Table 32: Negative / Mental Health Totals by Rank Value Rank Value Negative / Mental Health Totals Rank Value 2 2 Rank Value 4 6 (the previous plus this rank value (4)) Rank Value 6 12 (the previous plus this rank value (6)) Rank Value 10 22 (the previous plus this rank value (10)) Rank Value 20 42 (the previous plus this rank value (20)) Rank Value 30 72 (the previous plus this rank value (30)) Rank Value 40 112 (the previous plus this rank value (40)) Rank Value 50 162 (the previous plus this rank value (50)) Rank Value 75 237 (the previous plus this rank value (75)) Rank Value 100 337 (the previous plus this rank value (100)) Rank Value 150 487 (the previous plus this rank value (150)) Rank Value 200 687 (the previous plus this rank value (200)) Rank Value 500 1187 (the previous plus this rank value (500)) Rank Value 1000 2187 (the previous plus this rank value (1000)) Rank Value 3000 5187 (the previous plus this rank value (3000)) Rank Value 5000 10187 (the previous plus this rank value (5000)) * Recovery and Disability * When a character has lost Fortitude values or negative Health, they are often at a considerable disadvantage until they've fully recovered. While the latter heals as fast as regular Health, lost Fortitude rank values are recovered at a rate of one per week, barring the use of powers like recovery. While at a reduced Fortitude or suffering from negative Health loss, a character makes all ACTs rolls at a -2 RS. A character who has slipped to rank value 0 Fortitude (or Willpower) has a longer road ahead, however. Even if rescued at the last minute by some agency, such characters are at risk of suffering permanent disabilities. When this occurs, the character must pass an ACT roll on each trait and power they possess, the failure of which indicates that the rank value in question has suffered a significant decrease. This loss comes in the form of a -1 RS applied, permanently, to that trait or power. This is indicative of permanent damage suffered by a character's near-death experience. Barring healing powers or equipment, the only way to resume the normal operation of such lost rank values is through the standard advancement process - representing difficult therapy to ultimately get over one's severe injuries. If one's Fortitude is permanently disabled in this fashion, the character won't suffer the -2 RS penalty indicated above - their disability is penalty enough. ** Gaining (and losing) Fortune ** As a character moves through life, they experience a myriad of different events. How one responds to such events helps to define a character - perhaps more so than what's on their character sheet. After all, actions do speak louder than words, and one's actions invariably have an effect on others. Thus, a character's actions may cause them to either gain or lose Fortune, depending on their ethos. * Starting Fortune * As stated in the Traits portion of the rules, a character begins play with an amount of Fortune equal to the sum of their Intellect, Awareness, and Willpower rank values. This sum may be used in one of two fashions during play - as is determined by one's Gamemaster. The first implies that this represents a character's inherent luck. As such, a character always begins an adventure (not necessarily an individual game session) with a like amount of Fortune, which he or she may spend to manipulate die rolls. This Fortune may not be saved, and cannot be dedicated to either a permanent team pool or an advancement pool - though a 'one shot' style team pool can make use of this Fortune. The benefit of this interpretation is that players need not engage in quite so much bookkeeping. For example, knowing that they'll have that much Fortune handy might just free them up to put it all the Fortune they earn into either a team or advancement pool. Of course, players in such a game can still warehouse a large amount of Fortune for spending during play - they simply have more options in that regard. Alternately, a Gamemaster might think this is too generous. If this is the case, such Fortune is subject to the 'no free lunch' rule, meaning that it represents Fortune earned before a character enters play - and once it's gone, it's gone. Such Fortune may be used for any purposes, even advancement, since it does not replenish itself over time. The character's actions, and their actions alone, provide more Fortune to use. The benefit of this interpretation is that a Gamemaster can more readily control the pace of advancement in their campaigns. If he or she does not want players to ascend to greater heights of power quite so quickly, this interpretation of the starting Fortune trait can aid them in this regard. On top of carefully metering out the rewards they hand out in the first place, that is. The quirks rules assume that the first interpretation of starting Fortune is in play. However, if the no free lunch restriction is applied to a campaign, this drastically affects two quirks which are directly related to starting Fortune: Karmic Dearth and Karmic Shell. When using the no free lunch rules, these quirks should be disallowed, as they're not particularly beneficial (or deleterious) over the long-term. * Character Defeats * Perhaps the simplest way to earn Fortune is overcoming one's foes. One need not bash their opponents' heads in to achieve such a victory, though given the nature of comic books and role-playing games in general, this is quite often how people succeed in life. Any significant victory over an opponent allows a character to earn Fortune points, based on just how competent that foe happens to be. The base amount of Fortune a victory will provide is determined by the highest power rank value the vanquished foe possesses. A character whose highest rank value is her RV 100 mind control, for example, provides a base Fortune reward of 100 when defeated. If a defeated enemy has a skill or quirk which enhances that highest value further, raise the base reward by +1 RS (as if this foe's highest rank was RV 150). For every doubling of traits or powers that have a rank number within 1 RS of that base value, consider it +1 RS as well. For instance, if that RV 100 mind controller had another power of rank value 75 or 100, add a +1 RS to her highest value for the purposes of determining her reward value, while if she had three more, one would add a +2 RS. This is handled in the same basic fashion as a buddy RS. The flip side of this is, of course, losing in an effort against one's foe(s). Being defeated costs a character twenty-five Fortune points, assuming the public at large is unaware of this defeat. If a body is beaten in public, they instead lose fifty Fortune points. This is one reason villains tend to abscond with defeated heroes to place them within death traps - so they can be beaten twice! * Keeping Up Appearances * Another relatively easy way in which a character can earn Fortune, albeit in smaller sums than when crushing one's foe under their boot heel, is simply being dependable. Showing up for work when one is expected to, watching the kids every day, or even lording over the minions in the usual fashion is a good way to earn Fortune. Each week a character manages this, he or she should gain ten Fortune points. Making commitments to others is another way in which a character can earn Fortune. Such commitments can be anything ranging from going out on a date, having a poker night with the buddies, or even hanging with those curmudgeons at the bar who like your tall tales so. As long as a character keeps such a commitment, they should earn five Fortune points - this reflects a body proactively trying to 'have a life'. Third, a 'meta' sort of Fortune reward involves a character being played in character. If a player assumes the role of a wholesome, mom and apple pie kind of hero, only to have her utilize a brothel, they're not really playing that character appropriately. Sticking to one's guns and playing a character in the stated fashion, whether it is a pre-generated character or the player's own creation, is worth ten Fortune. The downside to these options is, of course, failing to keep up appearances. Calling in sick from work to fight crime might earn a character plenty Fortune, but they'll first lose ten Fortune points for being undependable. Similarly, skipping one's scheduled gaming session to rob a bank costs them five Fortune points, and playing a character totally off-base will result in a loss of ten Fortune points. * Acts of Charity * Similar to the idea of keeping up appearances, a character has the ability to engage in charitable acts. This involves going out of their way to perform actions that are not combat related, doing things to the benefit of his or her community at large. Such acts can involve either a character's public or secret identities - or even both, if they're particularly motivated. Once per week, a character may benefit from a charitable donation, gaining a minimum of ten Fortune points in the process. This minimum assumes no ACT roll was required when making a donation (spare change in a charity drop box, etc.). If a donation requires a Lifestyle ACT, the amount gained can grow as high as the intensity of the Lifestyle ACT in question - assuming that it's successful, of course. Good deeds are another way to use one's abilities to help others. Such instances include a fire controller extinguishing forest fires, a healer moonlighting in a hospital, and so on. The Fortune gained with such work depends on the ACT(s) required for such work. If no ACT is necessary, the character gains ten Fortune, though if an ACT is required to pull off such a good deed, the Fortune gained is equal to the intensity of such. Dovetailing with the idea of making commitments, above, a character can make a personal appearance, appealing to others for charity - or simply giving a charity the benefit of public awareness through their own Repute. This gives a character an amount of Fortune equal to their Repute trait, though doing so first requires passing a successful yellow Repute ACT with said charity. They know heroic types are almost always ambushed by foes during such events, after all! * Character Ethos and Other Actions * Most other means of earning Fortune depend on a character's ethos. Heroes generally gain Fortune for doing good deeds and foiling crimes, while villains generally gain Fortune for doing bad deeds and committing crimes. This gets a bit murky when you consider that a character can fall within any one of five different ethical callings: either a good, evil, orderly, chaotic, or balanced morality. Mastering the Game has much more on handling this, since a Gamemaster must decide whether a character's actions fit within their ethos (on top of being within character). However, various actions which can change one's Fortune are described in detail below. A character experiences the listed amount when preventing or committing such an act, or half that amount for arresting the perpetrator, allowing it to happen, or getting away with it. * Inverse Repute actions occur when a heroic character is saddled with negative Repute (or vice versa), and has to make use of that opposing reputation for some reason or another (such as scaring a crowd out of an endangered area). Exploiting inversed Repute costs a character a number of Fortune points equal to their current Repute trait. * Major Crimes are more serious illegal activities that do not readily fall into any other category of crime. This might include selling or trafficking drugs, gun running, or any other non-violent activity that national governments typically disapprove of. Major crimes involve a Fortune change of twenty points, though they often escalate into violent crimes. * Minor Crimes are generally 'victimless' actions - nobody gets hurt as a direct result of one's activities, and property is not damaged or stolen. This category of actions can include any number of infractions against the law which, while minor, are still patently illegal. Events like this, such as driving recklessly or downloading music without permission, involve a Fortune change of ten points. * Property Crimes run the gamut of actions against other people's property. This covers a wide range of activities that range from looting to theft to shoplifting to vandalism - or simply the destruction of a given thing. Such actions have a minimum Fortune rating of ten points, and can earn/lose more if the Lifestyle rating of the property involved is higher. * Rescues / Imperilments involve saving those in dire peril of imminent harm or death - or placing innocents in such. This includes saving people from a burning building, tying victims to train tracks, or even placing a foe in a death trap. Each incident of this type allows a Fortune change of twenty points, to a maximum of one hundred Fortune in one instance (saving a busload of kids, for example). * Robbery is similar to property crimes, above, save that it is done with the added threat of violence against the property's owner. Such activity can involve anything ranging from an armed robbery to extortion. A robbery involves a minimum Fortune change of thirty points, though this can range as high as the Lifestyle rank of a particularly good haul. * Subversion involves crimes against an entire nation, actively working against its interests for another party - or to simply take it over for oneself! Activities ranging from the management of nation-spanning conspiracies to assaults on military personnel to sedition to treason itself are considered subversive in nature. An act of subversion involves a Fortune change of forty points. * Violent Crimes involve inflicting grievous physical damage or other harm upon others. It can include anything ranging from kidnapping to assault to torture to murder. A violent crime involves a Fortune change of fifty points, as it can permanently scar (or even end the existence of) its victim, potentially haunting them for years to come. * World Conquest - or at least a competent attempt at such - is often the culmination of many villains' goals. A plot or crime that would affect the entire world is one which involves a Fortune change of one hundred points, if only for the actual climax of said plot. A variety of steps along the way may well offer any number of additional opportunities to earn (or lose) Fortune! Table 33: Fortune Rewards and Penalties Action Fortune Reward / Penalty Major Crimes 20 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 10 Fortune Property Crimes 10 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 5 Fortune Robbery 30 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 15 Fortune Violent Crimes 50 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 25 Fortune Minor Crimes 10 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 5 Fortune Rescues / Imperilments 20 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 10 Fortune Subversion 40 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 20 Fortune World Conquest 100 Fortune * Arrest/Escape/Permit 50 Fortune * '... and Hilarity Ensued' * Finally, the whole point of the game is to have fun. This is why, when a player goes above and beyond in their efforts to entertain their fellows, they should be rewarded for it. A player who manages to do something so over the top (whether utterly 'stumping' the Gamemaster or simply when joking with their fellows) that the action is stopped by overwhelming laughter, they should be given a ten point Fortune award for their efforts. ** Spending Fortune ** That which separates a living, breathing hero from a cold, unfeeling robot, Fortune is a measure of a character's place in the cosmos. A reflection of who they are and what they've accomplished, Fortune can be cashed in for a variety of purposes, both selfish and selfless. But how does one actually go about spending Fortune to aid themselves and their allies, you ask? * Manipulating Die Rolls * The most common reason to spend Fortune is to manipulate the results of a die roll. Such rolls can be almost anything required of a character in the game, unless the ACT in question specifically bars the use of Fortune from helping it to succeed (which is admittedly a rare occurrence). When a character wishes to spend Fortune on a die roll, they must declare it before the dice are thrown. Upon declaring that Fortune will be used, the character will immediately spend ten Fortune points (or whatever they have left, if their Fortune is less than ten in total). The idea is that this helps to prevent characters from 'threatening' Fortune use without actually spending anything. Once the dice are thrown, the 'down payment' of ten (or less, if that's all that was available) Fortune will be immediately applied to them. After the (modified) die result is apparent, the character in question may then cut his or her losses, if success would be too costly, or pay the additional amount required - if any - to allow the ACT to succeed. In rare instances, a player may spend Fortune to affect a result in combat after the dice are thrown - though only to reduce it. Characters may reduce the color result of combat effects on attacks that are ordinarily barred from doing so (anything that has a Kill result, for example). Doing this costs a character 25 Fortune points - but may save them more in the long run, if their attack would have killed, say, an innocent bystander. * Power Stunts * The greatest thing about having super-powers is that they often lend themselves to uses that are not readily apparent. A power stunt is a special use for a power that does not fit its description, strictly speaking, but seems apparent from its very nature. To attempt a power stunt, a player must first describe the stunt in question, as well as his or her logic as for why it should work. If the Gamemaster approves of both, the character can attempt the stunt - at a cost of 100 Fortune points. The first time a power stunt is attempted, a yellow power ACT is required for it to succeed. As such, the character in question may opt to spend even more Fortune to allow that to happen. If a power stunt fails on the first attempt, the possibility of making subsequent efforts is up to the Gamemaster. But, once that stunt is successful at least once, the character attempting it may develop it into an official use for their power(s). This requires nine more successful uses of said stunt, and each additional attempt costs 100 Fortune points as well. The next four successes must be blue in color, while the last five merely have to be red (any success will do at this point). Once a character has succeeded in the use of a power stunt ten times, it is considered an official part of their power roster at that point. Power stunts will typically operate at the rank value of the power that generated them, unless specifically described otherwise in a power's description, or if a power stunt duplicates a power with a higher point cost. In the latter case, subtract -1 RS for each additional point involved. * Team Pools * One extension of Fortune is the team pool. A team pool is a shared pool of Fortune that multiple characters can draw upon in the course of play. A team pool may be either temporary or permanent in nature. The former generally describes the transient team-ups that super heroes tend to engage in over time, while a permanent pool is one which is maintained by a regular grouping of characters. At least two characters are required to form a team pool. When this is done, the characters involved in a pool may contribute as much or as little Fortune as they desire. When a character leaves a team pool, he or she will take an amount of Fortune from it equal to their participation in such (leaving a team pool made by four characters will allow one to take one fourth of its Fortune with him or her). Fortune from a team pool may not be used for a character's advancement - a facet of such which prevents a team from 'helping' one of their members to acquire greater power without working for it. Pool Fortune may be used for any other purposes, however, whether trying to avoid incoming attacks, stave off imminent death, or simply when trying to convince that special someone to go out on a date. Other than the previous, the management of a team pool is up to the characters that belong to it. Decisions restricting its use for some reason or another should be a unanimous affair, if only to avoid bad feelings - and people leaving the pool in a huff. Of course, this sort of thing does happen in the comics all the time, so there is that. When a character exits a team pool, he or she may not join it again for the duration of an adventure. There's nothing stopping a player from signing up with a completely different team pool immediately, however. * Advancement Pools * Another extension of Fortune is the advancement pool. A character may assign any Fortune he or she has earned to an advancement pool. When this is done, they lose access to said Fortune semi-permanently, as it is put aside for their advancement. A character need not state exactly what they intend to do with their advancement pool, at least until they are ready to make use of it, but until then such Fortune is off-limits. The advantage of putting Fortune in an advancement pool is that it is not subject to loss for any reason. While a character's actions might cause them to lose whatever Fortune they've left for spending purposes, Fortune in an advancement pool is immune to such loss - no matter how far off the ranch a character's behavior may wander. Not even the Fortune Control power can lay a hand on advancement Fortune! Once a character has saved enough Fortune for their intended purpose(s), they may finally withdraw Fortune from their advancement pool for immediate use. This use can be anything that would increase the prowess of a character, whether improving a capability they already have or giving them something new to draw upon in the course of their adventures. Or, alternately, 'paying off' something they acquired in previous play. * Character Advancement * Players may advance their character in a wide variety of fashions. To start with, they may wish to raise the rank value of a trait or an existing power. To do so, a character must raise either on a point by point basis, spending ten times each increased rank value to do so. For example, increasing one's Brawn from rank value 10 to rank value 12 would cost 230 Fortune points (first from rank value 10 to rank value 11 at a cost of 110, and then to rank value 12 at a cost of 120). When advancing extant powers, this assumes that the ascendant ability has a cost of one point per rank value. When raising the rank of super-powers with a different base cost, multiply the standard cost by the power's listed cost per rank value notation. Raising the rank value of power duplication, for instance, takes a lot more work than improving one's environmental independence - or resistances, for that matter. On the other hand, a player may wish to acquire an all-new ascendant power. The Fortune costs (and potential risk) involved when doing so depends on their character's origins. A high tech hero may just have to build a powerful new knick-knack, while an aberration of science may have to subject themselves to even more radiation to gain extra powers. See the individual character origin guides for more on this. Acquiring new skills or contacts is relatively simpler than gaining new powers - and potentially far less harmful. A new skill costs a character 1,000 Fortune points for most skills, or 2,000 Fortune for a skill that counts as two. Elevating a standard skill to a tier 2 skill (double bonus) doubles the cost, while raising it to a tier 3 skill (triple bonus) triples the cost of the original skill. A new contact is a slightly different affair, however. Contacts a character wishes to acquire after character generation have a base cost of 500 Fortune points, plus an additional amount equal to ten times their Lifestyle trait. Acquiring a contact with rank value 6 Lifestyle would only cost 560 Fortune, for example, while another with rank value 100 Lifestyle would instead cost the character 1,500 Fortune. Generally, a character can acquire increases in power or new skills and contacts relatively easily - a simple explanation is all that is required for a tier 1 skill or a +1 RS in any trait or power value (she worked out harder, or hit the books more). Acquiring new powers though, as well as more intense bonuses to traits, powers, or skills, often require a bit more explanation from the player. Which can in and of itself lead to even more adventures, if desired! *** CHARACTER GENERATION *** With everything else explained, it's time for you to build your very own character(s) for use in Edition 13 of the 4C System. Whether as a regular player (building PCs) or as the Gamemaster (building NPCs), there are two systems available for the creation of all-new characters. These are the random (dice based) character creation process and the systematic (point based) character creation method. The random method of character generation is designed to build characters that are different from one attempt to another. The likelihood of creating identical characters using the random method is incredibly slim. At the same time, it may be difficult for a player to get precisely what he or she wants out of a character. And while PCs may be of differing utility, the truth is that the dice don't lie - they roll what they roll. The systematic method of character generation puts the entire responsibility for a character's capabilities in the hands of its creator. All PCs will begin play with a like amount of points, and may place them as they see fit on their character - within any limitations set by the Gamemaster in advance, such as rank value caps and so forth. While more balanced, systematic character creation allows for the creation of 'repeat' characters. Rules for both are presented during character creation, no matter what form of character is generated. Usually the random method is explained in detail first, since it involves a plethora of tables to determine just what each character can do. Such lengthy rules are followed by a quick set of instructions on using the systematic method, since it is (generally) much more straightforward. ** Character Origins ** Before anything else, the type of character to be generated must be determined. This is typically the player's choice, and no die roll need be made (or points spent) to make this determination. A random chart is presented for the Gamemaster's use, however, to quickly produce a hero, villain, or other character 'on the fly' as is necessary. Character types (or origins) are presented on table 34. Table 34: Character Origins 01-12 Normal 13-25 Textbook 26-37 Technological 38-50 Sorcerous 51-62 Psionic 63-75 Immortal 76-87 Combination 88-00 Alien Normal characters lack super-human abilities of any stripe. They wield no technology above and beyond that of their peers, they lack bizarre genetic quirks, and they have not studied with strange mentors to learn the arts arcane or disciplines psionic. They only have their own natural abilities, skills, resources, and history to draw upon to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Textbook characters are those who have inherent powers for a host of different reasons. They may manifest due to a freak accident, a scientific experiment gone awry, a quirk of genetics, or some other mysterious process. This origin is all about ingrained abilities, and while a textbook character's powers may be temporarily neutralized by others somehow, they are not easily lost (or gained). Technological characters are those who derive their powers from the application of knowledge. This application can come in the form of high tech devices, cybernetic implants, biological constructs, and a whole lot more stuff that we ordinary humans can barely imagine. It's important to keep in mind that most technological capabilities and advantages can be easily countered, disabled, or even stolen. Sorcerous characters are those who, after intense study and training, have learned how to subtly alter probabilities. In doing so, a sorcerer can achieve feats that are seemingly impossible - but are, in fact, merely incredibly improbable. Sorcerers do not wield inherent powers, they simply access their fantastic abilities thanks to their considerable knowledge of the arcane and the obscure. Psionic characters are they who have mastered the powers of the mind that are inherent to all sentient beings. Whether exerting control over themselves or the outside world, a psi has learned how to wield the full power of his or her very self thanks to intense meditations. Psionics are like skills, in that they are based upon what the psi knows, instead of alterations in their cellular makeup. Immortal characters are those who are blessed with an evolved life force; while a physical evolution may give humans special abilities, a spiritual evolution grants them life eternal - or some form therein. Immortal characters may also include individuals who wield powers that persist while they do not, are simply blessed with an ageless existence, or even those imbued with powers by deific beings. Combination characters do not readily fit into one of the neat categories above. They often possess characteristics of two (or more) of the above character origins, either where intentional blending occurs (such as a technomage or a deionicist), or some other merging. A combination character can be incredibly versatile, but care must be taken to make sure they do not step upon their own, proverbial toes. Alien characters are non-human entities. Their species may have started out as human or some variant therein, but has since wandered into different territory. Aliens may also be creatures that neither had their beginnings amongst human specimens nor on earth proper, and are truly extraterrestrial or extraplanar in origin. Aliens may be 'stock' examples of their kind ('normals'), or possess a power path all their own. Once a character origin has been determined, simply refer to that portion of the Edition 13 rules to continue / complete the character generation process. Unless, of course, you've decided to create an unpowered, 'normal' adventurer. In that case, simply read on, for the rules necessary to create a normal character in Edition 13 of the 4C System follow below. ** Normal Characters ** While Edition 13 is designed to cover all kinds of strange adventures in stranger locations, usually conducted by yet stranger characters, there's still room for completely normal people in the game. Normal characters are those who lack special powers of any variety. They do not fire heat beams from their eyes, control the weather, or destroy whole buildings with a mere thought. But don't underestimate them! Normals in the Edition 13 game are adventurers who can quite readily keep up with their powered brethren. While their teammates may have the ability to set anything they look at on fire, a normal has a staggering array of skills and resources with which to level the playing field. While a normal cannot fly, he or she can still run rings around their powered counterparts in a scrap. * Background and Style * Though normal human adventurers have many skills and weapons and whatnot, the most important part of such characters is their story. Why does such an individual do what they do? It takes an impressive person to throw down with costumed antagonists, whether or not they themselves wear Spandex ™. What's their motivation? Do they do their thing out of a sense of duty, or is it just a paycheck they're looking for? These are the things that define a normal human adventurer. Their traits, quirks, skills, contacts, and equipment should be representative of what makes them tick. Mutants do what they do because of their freakish genes, while sorcerers can do what they do because of their occult studies. But a non-powered adventurer? His or her background and style should explain why they have all the capabilities they do. This origin story will define many of the abilities, skills, contacts, and items they have access to. It will also (hopefully) help to define a certain 'style' representative of the character, one that sets them apart from others of their ilk. Many characters may wield guns or swords or whatever, but their background and their flair is what makes them unique compared to other, similarly capable folks. * Random (Dice Roll) Method * When generating normal human adventurers, use table A to generate Brawn, Fortitude, and one mental trait, table B to generate Melee, Coordination, and another mental trait, and finally table D to generate the remaining mental trait (whichever of one's Intellect, Awareness, or Willpower has yet to be determined). Normals do not have access to hyperexhaustive or hyperkinetic traits. Table 35: Rank Value Generation Table A Table B Table C Table D Table E Table F Table G Table H Table I Rank Value - - 01 - 01 - 01 - 01 Hyperexhaustive 01 01 02-05 - - 01 02-05 - - Rank Value 2 02-25 02-05 06-10 - - 02-05 06-10 - - Rank Value 4 26-50 06-25 11-25 - - 06-10 11-15 - - Rank Value 6 51-75 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 11-25 16-25 - - Rank Value 10 76-99 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 Rank Value 20 00 76-95 76-90 26-50 26-50 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 Rank Value 30 - 96-99 91-95 51-75 51-75 76-90 76-85 26-50 26-50 Rank Value 40 - 00 96-99 76-99 76-95 91-95 86-90 51-75 51-75 Rank Value 50 - - - 00 96-99 96-90 91-95 76-99 76-95 Rank Value 75 - - - - - 00 96-99 00 96-99 Rank Value 100 - - 00 - 00 - 00 - 00 Hyperkinetic At this point, a 'gamble' may be rolled on any two traits the player desires. This allows him or her to shore up any shortcomings they may perceive, or otherwise lets them bulk up a character if they would like. Note that the character's traits must remain within the normal human maximums (as detailed in the Traits section); drop a trait to that level if a gamble raises it too far. Once physical and mental trait scores are set, calculate the character's Health, Fortune, and negative Health and mental Health scores (if those optional rules are in play). Normal humans may determine their starting Lifestyle rank value on table B. Their Popularity score will initially be zero (0). Table 36: Rank Value Modifiers (Gambling) Crazy Risky Traditional Lenient Easy Column Shift 01 - - - - -4 RS 02-05 01 - - - -3 RS 06-15 02-05 - 01 - -2 RS 16-25 06-25 01-15 02-25 01 -1 RS 26-75 26-75 16-50 26-50 02-25 0 RS 76-85 76-95 51-65 51-75 26-50 +1 RS 86-95 96-99 66-85 76-99 51-75 +2 RS 96-99 00 86-95 00 76-99 +3 RS 00 - 96-00 - 00 +4 RS (RV max). (RV 100 max). (RV 75 max). (RV 50 max). (RV 40 max). Next up are Quirks. A normal human adventurer begins with four quirk points, which he or she may spend on beneficial quirks as they see fit - either purchasing one level 3 quirk, two level 2 or 'double cost' quirks, four level 1 quirks, or any combination therein. If the character would like even more, he or she may take on deleterious quirks to cover any difference their choices create. While the quirks taken are entirely up to the player generating a character, random tables are presented for convenience, should the player not really know (or care) which quirks he or she begins play with - or for the Gamemaster's use. Random quirks can be generated by rolling on table 37 to determine the type of quirk to be taken, while tables 38 through 43 showcase the individual quirks available. Quirks with a (2) listed behind them count 'double', and cost (or grant) two quirk points. Quirks with a (*) notation may be taken in levels, costing (or granting) one point at level 1, two points at level 2, and four points at level 3. Table 37: Quirks Categories 01-17 Physical (beneficial) 18-33 Physical (deleterious) 34-50 Mental (beneficial) 51-67 Mental (deleterious) 68-83 Role-Play (beneficial) 84-00 Role-Play (deleterious) Table 38: Physical Quirks (beneficial) 01-06 Acceleration Tolerance 07-12 Adrenal Surge 13-18 Ambidexterity 19-25 Fast Healing 26-31 Fighting Logistics 32-37 Gravity Tolerance (*) 38-43 Hardiness (2) 44-50 Heightened Sense 51-56 High Pain Threshold 57-62 Hypermobility 63-68 Learned Resistance (*) 69-75 Omnidexterity (2) 76-81 Rank Value Boost (2) 82-87 Strong Bones (*) 88-93 Sturdiness 94-00 Tetrachromacy Table 39: Physical Quirks (deleterious) 01-05 Abnormal Attribute 06-11 Acceleration Intolerance 12-16 Addiction (*) 17-21 Albinism 22-27 Allergy (*) 28-32 Color Blind 33-37 Dulled Sense (*) 38-42 Dwarfism 43-47 Epilepsy 48-52 Feebleness 53-58 Gigantism 59-63 Gravity Intolerance (*) 64-68 Lameness 69-74 Low Pain Threshold 75-79 Missing Parts (2) 80-84 Rank Value Loss (2) 85-89 Slow Healing 90-94 Weak Bones (2) 95-00 Weakness (2) Table 40: Mental Quirks (beneficial) 01-08 3-D Sense 09-15 Alertness 16-23 Cybernetic Aptitude 24-31 Fortitude 32-38 High Stress Threshold 39-46 Karmic Shell (2) 47-54 Magical Aptitude 55-61 Natural Talent 62-69 Psionic Aptitude 70-77 Quick Learning 78-84 Sanity 85-92 Static 93-00 Technological Aptitude Table 41: Mental Quirks (deleterious) 01-03 Action Addict 04-06 Attitude (*) 07-08 Bluntness (*) 09-11 Bully (*) 12-14 Combat Paralysis (*) 15-17 Compulsiveness (*) 18-19 Cowardice (*) 20-22 Cyber-neurosis 23-25 Delusions (*) 26-28 Fanaticism (*) 29-31 Frenzied 32-33 Greed (*) 34-36 Gullibility (*) 37-39 Honesty (*) 41-42 Impulsiveness (*) 43-44 Inept (*) 45-47 Insanity (2) 48-50 Insomnia 51-53 Jealousy (*) 54-56 Karmic Dearth (2) 57-58 Laziness (*) 59-61 Learning Disorder 62-64 Low Stress Thresh. (*) 65-67 Mania (*) 68-69 Multiple Personality (*) 70-72 Pacifism (*) 73-75 Paranoia (*) 76-78 Personal Code (*) 79-81 Phobia (*) 82-83 Pushover 84-86 Rudeness (*) 87-89 Short Attention Span 90-92 Shyness (*) 93-94 Stubborn (*) 95-97 Temper (*) 98-00 Vow (*) Table 42: Role-Play Quirks (beneficial) 01-09 Ally 10-18 Assistant 19-27 Attractive (*) 38-36 Benefactor (*) 37-45 Cash Flow 46-54 Charmed 55-63 Fame (*) 64-72 Fan Club 73-81 Good Reputation 82-90 Likability (2) 91-00 Lucky (2) Table 43: Role-Play Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Alien Culture (*) 07-11 Bad Reputation 12-17 Bigotry (*) 18-22 Dependent 23-28 Detractors 29-33 Enemy (*) 34-39 Illiteracy 40-44 Jinxed 45-50 Loner (*) 50-56 Nerd 57-61 Poverty 62-67 Repugnant Personality (*) 68-72 Snob 73-78 Social Dependent (*) 79-83 Unattractive (*) 84-89 Unlucky (2) 90-94 Unpleasant Habits (*) 95-00 Weirdness Magnet Perhaps the greatest advantage a normal human adventurer has over their powered counterparts is their extensive roster of Skills. The whole idea of a skilled normal is that he or she is, well, highly skilled. To determine the number of skills such a character has, make a roll on table 44 for a random number of skills, and then add six (6) to the value generated. To generate random skills (should the player so choose), roll on table 45 to determine a skill category, and then on tables 46 through 53 to determine specific skills. Skills with a number listed in parenthesis after them count as that many skills (Military costs two skill 'slots', for instance), while any with an asterisk in parenthesis have a special cost; see their individual descriptions for more. Most skills may be taken at higher levels; a level 2 skill occupies two skill 'slots', while a level 3 skill occupies four. Of course, it behooves the player to choose each skill they desire, as these will be the primary thing that gets them through a fight - whether with powered or unpowered opponents. Aside from any gear they carry, mind you. Table 44: Number of Skills 01-17 Two skills 18-33 Three skills 34-50 Four skills 51-67 Five skills 68-83 Six skills 84-00 Seven skills Table 45: Skill Categories 01-12 Background 13-25 Behavioral 26-37 Fighting 38-50 Environmental 51-62 Miscellaneous 63-75 Professional 76-87 Scientific 88-00 Weapon Table 46: Background Skills 01-25 Heir to Fortune (3) 26-50 Law Enforcement (2) 51-75 Military (2) 76-00 Student (*) Table 47: Behavioral Skills 01-12 Animal Handling 13-25 Hypnosis 26-37 Leadership 38-50 Manipulation 51-62 Performer 63-75 Service 76-87 Sleight of Hand 88-00 Tactics Table 48: Environmental Skills 01-09 Astronaut 10-18 Boating 19-27 Climbing 38-36 Driving 37-45 Piloting 46-54 Planargation 55-63 Riding 64-72 Stealth 73-81 Survival 82-90 Teamster 91-00 Tracking Table 49: Fighting Skills 01-06 Acrobatics 07-12 Aerial Combat 13-18 Astral Combat 19-25 Martial Arts style A 26-31 Martial Arts style B 32-37 Martial Arts style C 38-43 Martial Arts style D 44-50 Martial Arts style E 51-56 Mounted Combat 57-62 Multiple Attacks 63-68 Spatial Combat 69-75 Targeting 76-81 Tumbling 82-87 Underwater Combat 88-93 Vehicular Combat 94-00 Wrestling Table 50: Miscellaneous Skills 01-12 Escape Artist 13-25 First Aid 26-37 Gastronomy 38-50 Power Skill 51-62 Repair / Tinkering 63-75 Resist Domination 76-87 Trance 88-00 Trivia Table 51: Professional Skills 01-06 Agriculture 07-12 Artist 13-18 Business / Finance 19-24 Crime 25-29 Demolitions 30-35 Detective / Espionage 36-41 Education 42-47 Engineering 48-53 Journalism 54-59 Law 60-65 Leathercraft 66-71 Metalcraft 72-77 Politics 78-82 Salesmanship 83-88 Sports 89-94 Stonecraft 95-00 Woodcraft Table 52: Scientific Skills 01-07 Archaeology 08-13 Biology 14-20 Chemistry 21-27 Computers 28-33 Criminology 34-40 Electronics 41-47 Genetics 48-53 Geology 54-60 Linguistics 61-67 Lore 68-73 Mathematics 74-80 Medicine 81-87 Physics 88-93 Psychology 94-00 Theology Table 53: Weapon Skills 01-04 Advanced Guns 05-09 Blunt Weapons 10-14 Bows 15-19 Concussion Weapons 21-24 Energy Weapons 25-28 Entangling Weapons 29-33 Guns 34-38 Marksman 39-43 Martial Arts Weapons 44-48 Natural Weapons 49-52 Pole Weapons 53-57 Quick Draw 58-62 Sharp Weapons 63-67 Shields 68-72 Spontaneous Weapons 73-76 Thrown Objects 77-81 Thrown Weapons 82-86 Two Weapons 87-91 Weapon Skill 92-96 Weapon Specialist 97-00 Weapons Master (2) Contacts are people a character knows, above and beyond mere employees, employers, or acquaintances. A contact may be relied upon to aid characters during the course of their adventures, whether with information, materials, or direct intervention. Of course, a contact is a human being (or a group of such), and does not exist in a vacuum; lean on a contact too much and they'll ask for favors in return. To choose contacts, begin by rolling for the number of initial contacts on table 54, and add six (6) to this result. Even more so than is the case with skills, a character should choose contacts to help flesh out his or her background, as well as to give themselves ready-built assistance during play. At the same time, some contact 'slots' may be held in reserve against future necessity if desired; these are known as 'floating contacts'. However, a random rolling table for contact types is presented as well, that being table 55. This is mostly for the Gamemaster's use when building random characters, but can offer good ideas if a player gets 'stuck'. As is the case with most quirks and skills, a contact may be taken at multiple levels. Level 2 contacts occupy two contact 'slots', while level 3 contacts occupy four. Table 54: Number of Starting Contacts 01-17 Two contacts 18-33 Three contacts 34-50 Four contacts 51-67 Five contacts 68-83 Six contacts 84-00 Seven contacts Table 55: Contacts 01-06 Aide 07-11 Artist / Performer 12-17 Business 18-22 Criminal 23-28 Doctor 29-33 Expert 34-39 Foreign Power 40-44 Government 45-50 Hero / Villain 50-56 Informant 57-61 Journalist 62-67 Lawyer 68-72 Mentor 73-78 Military 79-83 Organization 84-89 Police 90-94 Scientist 95-00 Trivia And Last, But Not Least Finally, the player must decide what kind of gear the character possesses, whether they store it in a lair or carry it on their person. A normal adventurer will not have any equipment that is of an advanced, sorcerous, psionic, or deionic sort. As such, they can have any stuff readily available in their campaign. Mundane vehicles, weaponry, and electronics of any variety are that which the normal human adventurer wields. This can be anything from a Desert Eagle ™ to a Jeep ™ to a Pixel ™ - whatever materials the character ought to have as a function of their background and role. An adventurer who is known for her two-handed gun style and a predilection for playing music in the middle of a fight would presumably have the finest handguns available, not to mention a few mp3 players in her pockets (since they get broken so easily). The equipment a character has depends on their Lifestyle. A character may automatically have any gear with a Lifestyle rating equal to his or her Lifestyle rank value or less, and may start out with materials of up to their Lifestyle trait +2 RS with but a small explanation (the character has a Porsche ™ that he paid off previously). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Gamemaster, but isn't necessarily out of the question. It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point. * Systematic (Point Based) Method * As is the case with other player characters, a normal human may be built with fifty (50) points. These points may be allocated as the player wishes, within a few constraints. To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each ability; for our purposes, the 'norm' will be rank value 6. For every +1 RS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 RS applied to these values, add one point. All of these values must remain within the limits of a normal human character (as detailed in the Traits section). Once these are set, calculate the character's Health and Fortune, as well as negative and mental Health (if those rules are in play). Begin with a Lifestyle of rank value 6 and a Repute of zero (0). Lifestyle may be raised (or lowered) for two points per RS, as opposed to the one point value for normal traits. Repute may also be raised at double the cost, but an opposed Repute score (negative for heroes, positive for villains) is worth two points, no matter how great it is. Next, the player must choose their character's quirks, skills, and contacts. They may spend their remaining points on any number of each, as long as they can afford the price. It's important to note that level 2 and 3 versions of these qualities require increasingly detailed explanations for their presence in the character's backstory; one can have several level 3 skills, for example, but that would take a whole lot of dedication. Of course, these should all be dependent on the character's background to begin with. If the player isn't too sure about the precise origins of their normal human adventurer, perhaps their quirks, skills, and contacts can help to expand on it somewhat. In fact, if the player has not completed their new character's background yet (assuming they didn't start with that step to begin with), they probably should do so at this point. Finally, determine the equipment the character possesses. As is the case with randomly generated characters, normal humans built with points may choose any standard gear that is readily available in the campaign, as long as it falls within a few RS of their Lifestyle rank value. If they want something more expensive, the player must give a good reason for such, though the Gamemaster has veto power over improbable equipment. *** THE TEXTBOOK CHARACTER TREATISE *** What are inherent transnormal abilities? All characters can be detailed and measured by the metrics of conventional traits. With few exceptions, everyone can throw a punch, lift a brick or two, or even reason out math problems; these are considered inherent abilities. Those who cannot do such things are often limited somehow, whether due to physical injury or their very anatomy, in the event of particularly inhuman alien life forms. But what of those inherent abilities that cannot be described by one's traits? What if someone gained the ability to emit energy beams from their eyes after a freak accident with the radioactive contents of a smoke detector? Or perhaps awoke one day to realize that they were born different from everyone else, their shattered genes suddenly giving them the power to fly? Or teleport? Or to even kill with a thought? Such abilities, and those who possess them, are the subject of the Textbook Character Treatise. Textbook characters are those that one most often thinks of when pondering the notion of super-human beings - people who are simply super-powered. Textbook characters do not wield powers because of some high tech whatsit they possess, much less a study of the arts arcane or the influence of faith. And that is a vital distinction. Super-humans with intrinsic ascendant abilities may eventually acquire an advanced thingus to aid in their efforts, or may even study psionics when the opportunity presents itself, but what truly sets them apart from others are the powers inherent to their very being. These powers will shape their body, and perhaps even their minds, in ways that few can foresee. This is because, when you get down to it, textbook characters are no longer human. They may have begun as an ordinary Joe or Jane, but have acquired abilities that will forever set them apart from the pack. Those who wield futuristic technology, magical spells, or psionics (or even all of the above) may be capable of truly fantastic things, but in the end they are still human. Textbook characters, on the other hand, are not. * Core Principles * Textbook characters can acquire the abilities that make them ascendant in any number of ways. Regardless of the origins of such characters and their abilities, however, all transnormals play by the same basic 'rules' where their powers are concerned. Whether said powers are a result of genetic aberrations, radiation exposure, or better living through chemistry, textbook characters must live with these concerns: Access: one benefit of inherent transnormal abilities is that one need not 'concentrate' to keep them all active. Sorcerers and mentalists may wield a wide array of different ascendant effects, but can only maintain so many at a time. With few exceptions, each ability they use must be focused upon, however minimally, and these individuals can only concentrate on keeping so many active at once. Textbook characters lack this problem. Many inherent super-powers are always active, requiring no concentration to operate. Limitations can readily alter the state of one's inherent powers, though, either by making otherwise permanent powers dependent on one's concentration, or rendering some abilities stuck in an 'always on' condition. Unless so limited, textbook characters have access to all their powers simultaneously. Even if one cannot necessarily activate them all at once. Conspicuity: while some textbook characters benefit from a perfectly normal appearance, the simple truth is that a wide array of inherent super-powers have an indelible effect on how one looks. While razor skin may seem like ordinary flesh (at least until someone touches it, anyway), good luck hiding those billowing, feathery wings when you're not using the things. Even when a character's ascendant abilities are not immediately obvious when at rest, a means of detecting them may very well be available. Whether simply wielding the origin sense or using specialized electronics to detect whatever it is that grants powers (be it aberrant genes, mutagenic energies, or exotic chemicals), inquiring minds will always try to locate the ascendants amongst them. Until a means of confusing such sensors is devised, at any rate. Heredity: though it's not always the case, it's quite common that whatever has given a character ascendant abilities is hereditary. This is definitely the case with both mutants and degenerates, whose powers by definition come from the abnormal structure of their genes. However, other transnormals are often capable of passing on that which grants them their unique properties to their offspring, as well. If a character's powers are a result of enhancements on a genetic level, chances are their powers can be passed on to their descendants - or copied via clones or gene therapy. If powers are a result of some sort of contaminant in the character's body, these abilities may or may not continue on down the family line, depending on just how much of it is needed. Or if more of said contaminant can be procured. Negation: on the downside, characters with inherent powers are subject to power negation. In a world where characters have been scientifically proven to possess transnormal abilities, you can bet any government worth its salt will have studied them intently. This will be for two purposes: to reproduce them in government operatives under their thumb, and to control civilians who overwhelmingly outgun conventional forces. While the former can be the fodder for any number of adventures involving rogue government operatives with super-powers run amok, the latter often comes in the form of technology to neutralize one's ascendant abilities. Efforts in this vein are most often transient in nature, and may very well be a fact of life in government buildings (particularly jails), but a rare few may last longer by design. Whether stealing super-powers away or permanently rendering them inert. * Becoming Super-Human * Super powers are super-powers, when you get down to it. Whether a body gained persistent ascendant abilities due to a roll of the genetic dice, exposure to exotic radiation, or even thanks to the wonders of radical chemistry, their powers will basically function the same. While some powers affect a body differently based on the origins of their abilities (such as the origin sense), one can bank on a power functioning the same no matter who wields it - power customization notwithstanding. On the other hand, the origins of one's powers can dictate how a character is treated. Some cultures seem to abhor mutants, while others instead vilify those who have been warped by science (especially if intentionally). Still more despise all manner of ascendant beings with inherent powers - they make no distinction in their bigotry. Alternately, worlds teeming with posthumans simply couldn't care less. It just depends, really. ** Origins of Power ** Even without the intervention of advanced technology, magical spells, psionic awakening, or even deific imposition, a character can still manifest ascendant powers. These abilities will usually be inherent in nature, and quite often leave a visible mark on their possessor - though not always. There are seven means of acquiring powers without the aid (or meddling) of the aforementioned sources, some more common than others. * Altered Humans * Altered humans are formerly normal individuals who have been changed - whether by accident or by design. The impetus for this change can be virtually anything unusual in the environment, ranging from bizarre energies to complex chemicals - or even a mix of the two. Similarly, something 'strange' in the character's genetic makeup may simply respond unusually to otherwise normal stimuli. This stimuli, whatever it happens to be, is the cause of the character developing powers. If it has affected the character's genes, it's quite possible that the changed can pass on their abilities to their offspring. However, if powers persist due to the presence of the stimuli (whether material or energetic), one cannot 'share' their powers with their descendants unless the contaminant is similarly passed along. An altered human character has the benefit, after otherwise being generated, of adding a +1 RS to any two traits they choose. * Arisen * Freak occurrences and strange happenstances are the cause of a person gaining inherent powers on many occasions. But sometimes, these events don't just invest powers in someone - they cause an entire transnormal being to manifest from seeming nothingness! These rare and bizarre incidents will generate a super-human, their costumes, and whatever 'stuff' they acquired during character generation. The strange thing about such suddenly existing people is that they can often function well in society, save for their complete lack of memories. They can talk, use their body and their abilities with competence, and may even possess useful skills. Which may inevitably make others wonder if the arisen being is truly extant because of the incident during which they first appeared, or if they instead had origins elsewhere. Which may, in fact, eventually prove to be the case. Arisen transnormals, once they've completed their character generation, may add a +1 RS to one trait and one power of their choice. * Composites * A character of this type is one who is comprised of the parts of many different individuals. On occasion this will involve the pieces of various dead bodies being reassembled into what is at first glance a coherent body, thus making the composite a variant on the reanimate theme. In other circumstances, this might reflect a character drastically modified by the aciurgy power - whether or not they possess that power. Such a character will possess their ascendant abilities due to either the strange mix of body parts and their interactions, because of the agency which prevents catastrophic tissue rejection from killing them outright, or even due to whatever reignited the spark of life within their formerly dead bits. This process can often be reproduced, however ghastly the prospect may at first appear. After otherwise finishing character generation, a composite may automatically add a +1 RS to their Brawn trait, and gains the Fast Healing quirk. * Degenerates * An accident of conception can cause advances in evolution, with beneficial mutations moving the species forward. However, similar accidents can cause reversions in the genome, thrusting a given life form backwards down their path of evolution. Of course, this leaves the suddenly regressed creature with a lot of 'extra' genetic material - which often combines in a random fashion to generate ascendant abilities! These super-powered throwbacks to an earlier time, often known as degenerates, are of great interest to scientists who study evolution... and enjoy having a live specimen of a formerly extinct species to tinker with. On the other hand, society often frowns upon such powerful 'Neanderthals' or 'monkey men', because they can be brutish and primitive in their behavior as well as their appearance. Degenerate characters may add a +1 RS to their Melee and Brawn traits once their generation is otherwise complete. * Descendants * Descendants are posthumans who inherited their transnormal abilities from either one or both of their forebears. This can involve receiving smashed genes from one's parents or a like exposure to the same... whatever it was... that caused such abilities to form in their progenitor(s) in the first place. As such, the abilities of a descendant will usually be somewhat predictable, based on what others know about their family. As long as a descendant has the same power(s) as one of their parents, they are not technically mutants or altered humans - though agencies that can detect these states of being will still indicate such... unless refined enough to reveal multiple generations of ascendant abilities have occurred. In fact, with enough breeding over time, the descendants of an ascendant human may be considered a distinct species! A descendant may add a +1 RS to their Awareness trait - and an additional +1 RS bonus a parent's origin provides for, as well. * Mutants * A mutant is an ascendant being who was literally born different than his or her parents... very different. When first conceived, a mutant acquires genetic information that was not donated by either parent, yet is a completely viable organism nonetheless. Some mutants simply possess extra digits or perhaps heterochromia, but others manifest truly fantastic, ascendant abilities instead! An offshoot of their parents' species by definition, mutants are a race unto themselves. Each mutant who demonstrates different ascendant abilities is technically a different species, though they can usually interbreed with humans... as well as mutants with differing mutations. Which leads more enlightened individuals to keep in mind the fact that 'mutants are people, too'. A mutant character, once their generation is otherwise complete, may add a +1 RS to their Fortitude trait, and a +1 RS to any power rank value they choose. * Reanimates * Reanimates were normal human beings their entire lives - well, physically at any rate. However, they eventually died... and instead of the normal biological processes taking over at that point, they suddenly lurched back to life - with incredible powers, no less! Such an individual is not undead, but instead has inexplicably seen their spark of life reignited somehow. Generally, a mundane death won't be enough to cause a character to come back as a reanimate. People are shot and stabbed and have heart attacks all the time, but you don't hear about them waking up in the morgue - not that often, at any rate. No, a reanimate is usually the result of a formerly normal character dying in a spectacular fashion, often involving freakish chemicals or exotic forms of energy. After a reanimate's character generation is otherwise done, he or she may add a +1 RS to both their Willpower trait and one power of their choice. ** Textbook Character Generation (Random (Dice Roll) Method) ** Characters generated with the Textbook Character Treatise are all inherently super-human. As such, when determining primary traits, players may use table A to generate one trait, table B to generate their next three traits, and table D to generate their final three traits. These rolls may be made in any order the player chooses, in case they want super-human statistics in a specific area. If your Gamemaster allows their use, textbook characters have access to hyperkinetic trait values. When this is the case, substitute table C for table B, and table E for table D where applicable (though disregard hyperhexhaustive results). If hyperkinetic trait values are desired but cannot be rolled, they can always be adopted as a character enhancement (as they are not applied to powers; see below). Players may then roll on table A to determine their initial Lifestyle rank value, and begin play with a Repute trait of zero. Add up the character's Health and Fortune totals as usual, along with Negative and Mental Health values, if these optional traits are in use. Table 1: Rank Value Generation Table A Table B Table C Table D Table E Table F Table G Table H Table I Rank Value - - 01 - 01 - 01 - 01 Hyperexhaustive 01 01 02-05 - - 01 02-05 - - Rank Value 2 02-25 02-05 06-10 - - 02-05 06-10 - - Rank Value 4 26-50 06-25 11-25 - - 06-10 11-15 - - Rank Value 6 51-75 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 11-25 16-25 - - Rank Value 10 76-99 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 Rank Value 20 00 76-95 76-90 26-50 26-50 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 Rank Value 30 - 96-99 91-95 51-75 51-75 76-90 76-85 26-50 26-50 Rank Value 40 - 00 96-99 76-99 76-95 91-95 86-90 51-75 51-75 Rank Value 50 - - - 00 96-99 96-90 91-95 76-99 76-95 Rank Value 75 - - - - - 00 96-99 00 96-99 Rank Value 100 - - 00 - 00 - 00 - 00 Hyperkinetic Once these rolls are complete, you may gamble on any two traits of their choice, shoring up any areas in your psi-active character you feel need bolstering. The only limits in this regard are the results of the tables themselves, as well as the power ceiling for a campaign, as set by the Gamemaster. If you're not already aware of this rank value cap, go ahead and ask your Gamemaster now! Table 2: Rank Value Modifiers (Gambling) Crazy Risky Traditional Lenient Easy Column Shift 01 - - - - -4 RS 02-05 01 - - - -3 RS 06-15 02-05 - 01 - -2 RS 16-25 06-25 01-15 02-25 01 -1 RS 26-75 26-75 16-50 26-50 02-25 0 RS 76-85 76-95 51-65 51-75 26-50 +1 RS 86-95 96-99 66-85 76-99 51-75 +2 RS 96-99 00 86-95 00 76-99 +3 RS 00 - 96-00 - 00 +4 RS (RV max). (RV 100 max). (RV 75 max). (RV 50 max). (RV 40 max). * Origins of Power * Next, it must be decided how the character acquired their powers, if this has not already been determined. Did the character receive powers after exposure to freakish radiation or bizarre chemicals? Is he or she a mutant? Or did they die, only to rise again as a super-human? Table 3 is provided for random determination, but this facet of a character is entirely up to the player behind them. Table 3: Origins of Power 01-14 Altered Humans 15-28 Arisen 29-43 Composites 44-57 Degenerates 58-72 Descendants 73-86 Mutants 87-00 Reanimates * Number of Inherent Powers * When determining a character's inherent super-powers, start by figuring out exactly how many he or she will have to begin with. This is done by rolling randomly on table 4, which will give a character anywhere between two and seven ascendant powers with which to fight (or commit) crime. And these will be all the character has for a good long while, barring power stunts, so bear that in mind for later. Table 4: Initial Inherent Powers 01-17 Two Powers 18-33 Three Powers 34-50 Four Powers 51-67 Five Powers 68-83 Six Powers 84-00 Seven Powers * Determining Character Powers * After determining how many powers a character will begin play with, it's time to actually figure out which powers they'll have. This process begins by rolling on either table 5a or 5b to determine the category a character's first power will fall within. There are two versions of this table because some power categories are entirely optional; ask your Gamemaster if he or she wishes you to use 5a or 5b. Once table 5a or 5b determines a power category, roll on the subsequent power category table (tables 6 through 20) for an individual power. With this first, randomly determined power decided, read its description. This is because, at the beginning of almost every power description in the Textbook Character Treatise, there is a list of related powers, abilities that dovetail with the indicated power. A player may opt to either choose one of these related powers for his or her next power selection(s), or may instead roll again randomly. And so on, and so forth, until the player's power selections have all been determined (one way or another). What this does is allow a player to build a character with ascendant abilities that are closely related to one another, if desired. Theme characters are more easily assembled when the player can add related powers to one or two abilities which are randomly generated, instead of just dealing with a hodgepodge of completely random powers. Though that, too, can lend itself to the creative process, tying so many disparate abilities together into a cohesive whole! Note that some powers are vastly more potent than others. These particularly versatile abilities occupy more than one power 'slot' on a character, whether chosen or rolled up randomly. These powers will have a number in parenthesis after their name (such as (2), for instance), which determines how many power 'slots' they use up when added to one's character. Table 5a: Power Categories (standard) 01-08 Biological Control 09-15 Combination 16-23 Energy Control 24-31 Energy Generation 32-38 Matter Control 39-46 Mental Control 47-54 Mental Enhancement 55-61 Movement 62-69 Physical Control 70-77 Physical Enhancement 78-84 Physical Weaponry 85-92 Power Control 93-00 Sensory Table 5b: Power Categories (optional) 01-07 Biological Control 08-14 Combination 15-21 Energy Control 22-28 Energy Generation 29-35 Matter Control 36-42 Mental Control 43-49 Mental Enhancement 50-56 Movement 57-63 Physical Control 64-70 Physical Enhancement 71-77 Physical Weaponry 78-84 Power Control 85-91 Reality Control 92-99 Sensory 00 Ultimate Power? Table 6: Biological Control Powers 01-02 Aciurgy 03-05 Age Control / Others 06-07 Animal Control 08-10 Animal Hybridization / Others 11-12 Animal Sympathy 13-15 Biological Vampirism (2) 16-17 Body Control 18-20 Cure Disease 21-22 Death Ray 23-25 Decontamination 26-27 Degeneration 28-30 Detoxification 31-32 Disease 33-35 Emotion Control 36-37 Empathic Hammer 38-40 Empathy 41-42 Gestalting (2) 43-45 Harm 46-47 Healing / Others 48-50 Integral Control 51-52 Mood Swings 53-55 Organism Generation (3) 56-57 Pain 58-60 Pheromones 61-62 Plant Hybridization / Others 63-65 Plant Control 66-67 Plant Sympathy 68-70 Poison 71-72 Reanimation (2) 73-75 Recovery 76-77 Regeneration / Others 78-80 Resurrection (2) 81-82 Resuscitation 83-85 Rotting 86-87 Sensory Attenuation 88-90 Sensory Distortion 91-92 Sleep 93-95 Summoning (2) 96-97 Transformation / Others (2) 98-00 Vampirism (2) Table 7: Combination Powers 01-07 Berserker (2) 08-13 Dyad (2) 14-20 Environmental Pocket (2) 21-27 Environmental Sense (2) 28-33 Evolution Control (2) 34-40 Hostility Screen (2) 41-47 Ice Generation (2) 48-53 Jeopardy (2) 54-60 Missile Generation 61-67 Nanotechnology Generation (3) 68-73 Organic Circuitry (3) 74-80 Plasma Generation (2) 81-87 Regenerative Armor (3) 88-93 Teleformation (3) 94-00 Weather Control (2) Table 8: Energy Control Powers 01-03 Celestial Light Control 04-07 Darkness Control 08-10 Electricity Control 11-13 Energy Absorption (2) 14-17 Energy Cohesion 18-20 Energy Projection 21-23 Energy Vampirism (2) 24-27 Fire Control 28-30 Force Field 31-33 Hellfire Control 34-37 Image Projection (2) 38-40 Imaginary Doubles (2) 41-43 Kinetic Absorption (2) 44-47 Kinetic Energy Control 48-50 Light Control 51-53 Magnetism Control 54-57 Object Charge 58-60 Psionic Absorption (2) 61-63 Psychokinesis 64-67 Radiation Control 68-70 Radio Wave Control 71-73 Sound Control 74-77 Spectral Flame Control 78-80 Temperature Control 81-83 Temporal Static 84-87 Thaumaturgical Absorption (2) 88-90 Theonic Absorption (2) 91-93 Transception 94-97 Transduction (2) 98-00 Vibration Control Table 9: Energy Generation Powers 01-07 Celestial Light Generation 08-13 Cold Generation 14-20 Darkness Generation 21-27 Electricity Generation 28-33 Fire Generation 34-40 Force Blast 41-47 Heat Generation 48-53 Hellfire Generation 54-60 Light Generation 61-67 Magnetism Generation 68-73 Radiation Generation 74-80 Radio Wave Generation 81-87 Sound Generation 88-93 Spectral Flame Generation 94-00 Vibration Generation Table 10: Matter Control Powers 01-03 Adhesion 04-06 Aggregation 07-09 Antimatter (3) 10-12 Assimilation 13-15 Catalysis 16-18 Clone Projection 19-21 Color Control 22-24 Corrosion 25-27 Cyclone 28-30 Density Control / Others 31-33 Device Generation (2) 34-36 Device Sympathy 37-39 Disintegration (2) 40-42 Energy Doubles (2) 43-45 Flaying 46-48 Fluid Animation 49-50 Friction Control 51-53 Growth / Others 54-56 Invisibility / Others 57-59 Matter Absorption 60-62 Matter Duplication (2) 63-65 Matter Generation (3) 66-68 Object Animation 69-71 Object Hardening 72-74 Object Sympathy 75-77 Object Weakening 78-80 Quarantine 81-83 Shrinking / Others 84-86 Solid Animation 87-89 Technical Intuition 90-92 Topological Control (3) 93-95 Transmutation (3) 96-98 Vapor Animation 99-00 Vivification (3) Table 11: Mental Powers 01-02 Astral Projection 03-04 Auscultation 05-06 Clairalience 07-08 Clairaudience 09-10 Clairgustance 11-12 Clairtouchence 13-14 Clairvoyance 15-16 Clarity 17-18 Computer Link 19-20 Crowd Control (2) 21-22 Dream Projection 23-24 Finding 25-26 Forgetfulness 27-28 Fugue 29-30 Illusion Projection (2) 31-32 Image Animation 33-34 Jumbling 35-36 Knowledge 37-38 Lie Detection 39-40 Mental Doubles (2) 41-42 Mental Repair 43-44 Mesmerism 45-46 Mind Control 47-48 Mind Duplication 49-50 Mind Link 51-52 Mind Lock 53-54 Mind Transfer (2) 55-56 Mind Wipe (2) 57-58 Object Projection 59-60 Possession (2) 61-62 Postcognition 63-64 Precognition (3) 65-66 Psi Bolt 67-68 Psi Web 69-70 Psionic Vampirism (2) 71-72 Psychic Invisibility 73-74 Psychic Probe 75-76 Psychometry 77-78 Psychoplasm Animation (2) 79-80 Sending 81-82 Sensory Link 83-84 Sensory Projection 85-86 Sensory Reception 87-88 Soul Control 89-90 Spectral Vampirism (2) 91-92 Static Field 93-94 Telekinesis 95-96 Telepathy 97-98 Thought Projection 99-00 Translation Table 12: Mental Enhancement Powers 01-07 Danger Sense (2) 08-14 Eidetic Memory (*) 15-21 Fortuity 22-28 Jury Rigging 29-35 Kit-bashing 36-42 Linguistics 43-50 Mental Invisibility (2) 51-57 Self Control 58-64 Spectral Freedom (*) 65-71 Super Invention (*) 72-78 Transfixture 79-85 Ultimate Skill (*) 86-92 Unyielding Will 93-00 Xenoglossy Table 13: Movement Powers 01-04 Anchor 05-08 Between (2) 09-12 Bilocation 13-16 Carrier Wave 17-20 Chaos Shift (*) 21-25 Dimensional Interface (2) 26-29 Dimensional Transit 30-33 Flight 34-37 Gliding 38-41 Jelling 42-45 Levitation 46-50 Mind Walk 51-54 Platforming 55-58 Portal (2+) 59-62 Propulsion 63-66 Super Climbing 67-70 Super Digging 71-75 Super Flight 76-79 Super Jumping (*) 80-83 Super Running 84-87 Super Swimming 88-91 Teleportation 92-95 Teleportation / Others 96-00 Time Travel (2) Table 14: Physical Control Powers 01-03 Age Control / Self 04-07 Animal Hybridization / Self 08-10 Aura (2) 11-13 Blending 14-17 Body Doubles (4) 18-20 Density Control / Self 21-23 Detachable Parts 24-27 Dimensional Displacement 28-30 Disguise 31-33 Elongation 34-37 Environmental Adaptation (2) 38-40 Growth / Self 41-43 Gyration 44-47 Healing / Self 48-50 Imaginary Mass 51-53 Inaudibility 54-57 Inodoriferous 58-60 Intangibility 61-63 Internal Universe 64-67 Invisibility / Self 68-70 Kinetic Focus 71-73 Metabolic Focus 74-77 Plant Hybridization / Self 78-80 Redolence 81-83 Shape Change 84-87 Shrinking / Self 88-90 Situational Adaptation 91-93 Super Synesthesia (*) 94-97 Transformation / Self (2) 98-00 Vocal Control Table 15: Physical Enhancement Powers 01-04 Additional Organs (*) 05-08 Body Armor 09-12 Clinging (*) 13-16 Damage Reduction (*) 17-20 Deflection (*) 21-24 Dual Respiration (*) 25-28 Environmental Indep. (*) 29-32 Flake Armor 33-36 Greater Invulnerability (*) 37-40 Greater Resistance (*) 41-44 Invulnerability (*) 45-48 Longevity (*) 49-52 Plasticity 53-56 Reformation (2) 57-60 Regeneration (2) 61-64 Resistance (*) 65-68 Revival 69-72 Screened Senses 73-76 Stasis (*) 77-80 Super Breath 81-84 Super Speed (3) 85-88 Turnabout 89-92 Universal Digestion (*) 93-96 Universal Respiration (*) 97-00 Zest Table 16: Physical Weaponry Powers 01-06 Additional Limbs (*) 07-12 Barbs (*) 13-18 Battle Tail (*) 19-25 Claws (*) 26-31 Edges (*) 32-37 Fangs (*) 38-43 Hard Points (*) 44-50 Horns (*) 51-56 Pouches (*) 57-62 Prehensile Hair 63-68 Prehensile Skin 69-75 Prehensile Tail (*) 76-81 Quills (*) 82-87 Razor Skin (*) 88-93 Tentacles (*) 94-00 Wings (*) Table 17: Power Control Powers 01-03 Amplification 04-06 Attenuation 07-09 Boon 10-12 Corporeal Gestalt (2) 13-15 Deionic Control (2) 16-18 Empowerment (2) 19-21 Investment (3) 22-24 Link (2) 25-27 Opposition (3) 28-30 Power Absorption (4) 31-33 Power Amplification 34-36 Power Attenuation 37-39 Power Block (2) 40-42 Power Control (2) 43-45 Power Duplication (4) 46-48 Power Transfer (2) 49-51 Psionic Amplification 52-54 Psionic Attenuation 55-57 Psionic Control (2) 58-60 Sorcerous Amplification 61-63 Sorcerous Attenuation 64-66 Spectral Gestalt (2) 67-69 Spell Control (2) 70-72 Super Vampirism (2) 73-75 Theonic Amplification 76-78 Theonic Attenuation 79-81 Trace Duplication (4) 82-84 Variable Cybernetics 85-87 Variable Power 88-90 Variable Psionics 91-93 Variable Skill (*) 94-96 Variable Sorcery 97-00 Weakness Generation (2) Table 18: Reality Control Powers 01-04 Ability Boost 05-08 Antigravity 09-12 Buttress (2) 13-16 Causality Control (4) 17-20 Combining Powers (*) 21-24 Fortune Control (2) 25-28 Future Control (2) 29-32 Grace 33-36 Gravity Control 37-40 History Control (3) 41-44 Initiative Control (2) 45-48 Keeper 49-52 Learned Invulnerability (4) 53-56 Lethality (2) 57-60 Logos 61-64 Luck (3) 65-68 Nimiety (2) 69-72 Override (3) 73-76 Planar Control (3) 77-80 Power Boost 81-84 Reassignment (3) 85-88 Roulette (2) 89-92 Space Control 93-96 Thaumaturgical Vampirism (2) 97-00 Time Control (3) 01-04 Ability Boost 05-08 Antigravity 09-12 Buttress (2) 13-16 Causality Control (4) 17-20 Combining Powers (*) 21-25 Fortune Control (2) 26-29 Future Control (2) 30-33 Grace 34-37 Gravity Control 38-41 History Control (3) 42-45 Initiative Control (2) 46-50 Keeper 51-54 Learned Invulnerability (4) 55-58 Lethality (2) 59-62 Luck (3) 63-66 Nimiety (2) 67-70 Override (3) 71-75 Planar Control (3) 76-79 Power Boost 80-83 Roulette (2) 84-87 Reassignment (3) 88-91 Space Control 92-95 Thaumaturgical Vampirism (2) 96-00 Time Control (3) Table 19: Sensory Powers 01-04 Atomic Sense 05-08 Biological Sense 09-12 Circular Vision (*) 13-16 Energy Sense 17-20 Flaw Sense 21-23 Infravision 24-27 Locational Sense 28-31 Macro Sense (2) 32-35 Magic Sense 36-39 Microscopic Vision 40-43 Nativity Sense 44-46 Nonapparent Vision 47-50 Origin Sense 51-54 Psi Sense 55-58 Radar Sense 59-62 Radivision 63-66 Sonar Sense 67-69 Spectral Sense 70-73 Super Senses (2) 74-77 Super Tracking 78-81 Technological Sense 82-85 Telescopic Vision 86-89 Theonic Sense 90-92 Transparent Vision 93-96 Ultravision 97-00 Unusual Sensitivity (*) Table 20: Ultimate Power 01-49 Return to Table 5 50-51 Ultimate Power (5) 52-00 Return to Table 5 * Determining Power Ranks * Once a character's powers have been determined, one must indicate how potent they will be. Do this by rolling once on table B for half of one's ascendant powers, and table D for the other half. As is the case with primary traits, campaigns with access to hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic rank values may instead roll on tables C and E, respectively. With this done, the player may gamble on the rank values so indicated. Players may do this once if their character has three or less transnormalities, twice if he or she has from four to six super-powers, or thrice if the character has seven ascendant abilities. * Character / Power Limitations * Players are often unhappy with the rank values they've rolled up for their character. Even after adjusting various rank values with gambling attempts, they're just not satisfied with what they've come up with. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as sometimes one has a specific vision in mind for their character. This is where limitations come in! A player may subject their character to limitations to make them more powerful. Limitations come in two distinct flavors: power limitations and character limitations. A power limitation is just that, an altering of how said power works to the detriment of the player, as compared to others who can use this ability. A power so limited may not affect certain objects or beings, can only be used during certain time periods, or may otherwise function in a manner others may find unusual or restrictive. Character limitations, however, change the nature of every power a person uses, not just one. A character limitation may simply be a power limitation that 'works' on every single power, an alteration to the basic working of powers in general, or even some other constraint that seriously hampers how a character operates (such as an inability to move without the aid of powers). At any rate, the severity of the limitation determines just how much of a power boost the character may receive. Limitations come in four flavors: weak, strong, very strong, and extreme. A weak limitation is just that, a minor crimp in an ability's effectiveness, and only offers a +1 RS. Each successive limitation offers another +1 RS to the power rank value, but as their names imply, they become increasingly, well, limiting. Alternately, a character can take a limitation on a power to replace one already built in to it; some powers, like those involving time, have several such constraints already worked into them. With the Gamemaster's permission, players may swap out one limitation for another, as long as the new limitation would be equally as inconvenient, which allows a player to better craft the character they imagine in their heads. * Character / Power Enhancements * Similarly, a player might have more than enough power (or might think such, at any rate), or simply wants more 'bang for their buck' out of their existing power roster. If this is the case, they may decide to empower their abilities with enhancements. Like limitations, enhancements have four levels of power, including weak, strong, very strong, and extreme, each of which adds a subsequent -1 RS modifier to one's power rank values. In exchange for suffering from the effects of this modifier, the character's ability will benefit from an improvement of some sort. Moving a power up one speed or range category is considered a strong enhancement, while two is an extreme enhancement. At the same time, a power can be given a hyperkinetic rank value if not already rolled randomly, serving as an extreme enhancement to the specific power it applies to. Like limitations, enhancements are difficult to apply across an entire character, though this isn't impossible. While speeds and ranges vary from power to power, things such as initiative penalties can apply to all a character's actions and powers. Alternately, one might opt to gain a hyperkinetic trait, which is considered a weak character enhancement (thus applying a -1 RS to all of one's powers). Usually, the reduction in rank value an enhancement inflicts is enough to make up the difference. This can make purchasing new powers more difficult down the line, though, particularly if a character enhancement is in effect. A new power to be affected by an enhancement must be bought at a rank value high enough that, upon applying the negative RS, it will at least work at the normal starting value. * Quirks * Slightly more palatable than limitations or enhancements, quirks are minor changes to a character that either saddle him or her with some disadvantage, or enhance a trait of theirs. They can also be used to raise the rank value one or more of a character's powers work at if so desired, within the confines of that system. The quirks rules have more on this, but the quirk tables are presented here, for convenience. Normally, quirks are a voluntary affair - players may or may not use quirks, as they see fit. They are presented below, in the format of random rolling tables, for two reasons. The first is for the Gamemaster's use, to quickly generate random characters when time is of the essence. Alternately, a player may roll randomly if he or she wants or needs a quirk and doesn't know what to pick. Not that they're bound by such a roll, of course. Quirks are divided up into the beneficial and deleterious quirks of a physical, mental, and role-play nature. Those quirks which cost (or grant) two quirk points are noted with a two in parenthesis (2), while those that can be taken at multiple levels are noted with an asterisk in parenthesis (*). Table 21: Quirks Categories 01-17 Physical (beneficial) 18-33 Physical (deleterious) 34-50 Mental (beneficial) 51-67 Mental (deleterious) 68-83 Role-Play (beneficial) 84-00 Role-Play (deleterious) Table 22: Physical Quirks (beneficial) 01-06 Acceleration Tolerance 07-12 Adrenal Surge 13-18 Ambidexterity 19-25 Fast Healing 26-31 Fighting Logistics 32-37 Gravity Tolerance (*) 38-43 Hardiness (2) 44-50 Heightened Sense 51-56 High Pain Threshold 57-62 Hypermobility 63-68 Learned Resistance (*) 69-75 Omnidexterity (2) 76-81 Rank Value Boost (2) 82-87 Strong Bones (*) 88-93 Sturdiness 94-00 Tetrachromacy Table 23: Physical Quirks (deleterious) 01-05 Abnormal Attribute 06-11 Acceleration Intolerance 12-16 Addiction (*) 17-21 Albinism 22-27 Allergy (*) 28-32 Color Blind 33-37 Dulled Sense (*) 38-42 Dwarfism 43-47 Epilepsy 48-52 Feebleness 53-58 Gigantism 59-63 Gravity Intolerance (*) 64-68 Lameness 69-74 Low Pain Threshold 75-79 Missing Parts (2) 80-84 Rank Value Loss (2) 85-89 Slow Healing 90-94 Weak Bones (2) 95-00 Weakness (2) Table 24: Mental Quirks (beneficial) 01-08 3-D Sense 09-15 Alertness 16-23 Cybernetic Aptitude 24-31 Fortitude 32-38 High Stress Threshold 39-46 Karmic Shell (2) 47-54 Magical Aptitude 55-61 Natural Talent 62-69 Psionic Aptitude 70-77 Quick Learning 78-84 Sanity 85-92 Static 93-00 Technological Aptitude Table 25: Mental Quirks (deleterious) 01-03 Action Addict 04-06 Attitude (*) 07-08 Bluntness (*) 09-11 Bully (*) 12-14 Combat Paralysis (*) 15-17 Compulsiveness (*) 18-19 Cowardice (*) 20-22 Cyber-neurosis 23-25 Delusions (*) 26-28 Fanaticism (*) 29-31 Frenzied 32-33 Greed (*) 34-36 Gullibility (*) 37-39 Honesty (*) 41-42 Impulsiveness (*) 43-44 Inept (*) 45-47 Insanity (2) 48-50 Insomnia 51-53 Jealousy (*) 54-56 Karmic Dearth (2) 57-58 Laziness (*) 59-61 Learning Disorder 62-64 Low Stress Thresh. (*) 65-67 Mania (*) 68-69 Multiple Personality (*) 70-72 Pacifism (*) 73-75 Paranoia (*) 76-78 Personal Code (*) 79-81 Phobia (*) 82-83 Pushover 84-86 Rudeness (*) 87-89 Short Attention Span 90-92 Shyness (*) 93-94 Stubborn (*) 95-97 Temper (*) 98-00 Vow (*) Table 26: Role-Play Quirks (beneficial) 01-09 Ally 10-18 Assistant 19-27 Attractive (*) 38-36 Benefactor (*) 37-45 Cash Flow 46-54 Charmed 55-63 Fame (*) 64-72 Fan Club 73-81 Good Reputation 82-90 Likability (2) 91-00 Lucky (2) Table 27: Role-Play Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Alien Culture (*) 07-11 Bad Reputation 12-17 Bigotry (*) 18-22 Dependent 23-28 Detractors 29-33 Enemy (*) 34-39 Illiteracy 40-44 Jinxed 45-50 Loner (*) 50-56 Nerd 57-61 Poverty 62-67 Repugnant Personality (*) 68-72 Snob 73-78 Social Dependent (*) 79-83 Unattractive (*) 84-89 Unlucky (2) 90-94 Unpleasant Habits (*) 95-00 Weirdness Magnet * Skills * The skills your freshly built transnormal human begins play with are determined in the same fashion as any other character's, beginning by rolling up their number of initial skills on table 28. Then, roll for the category each skill will belong to on table 29. To finish up, roll for individual skills using tables 30 through 37, one table for each applicable category of skills. However, the actual skills a character has really should be determined by his or her origin. Keeping this in mind, the Gamemaster may very well opt to let a player choose some (or all of) the skills their ascendant human possesses, allowing him or her a lot more creative control over their character. Another thing to consider is that a skill can function at a higher 'level' than normal. There are three 'tiers' of skills, each providing an increasing bonus to the applicable ACTs involved with said skill. When generating these heightened skills, however, keep in mind the fact that they cost more; a level 2 skill counts as two skills, while a level 3 skill counts as four. This can get expensive fast, but is a great way to showcase what your character is really good at. Also, some skills cost more than others, even before higher level skills are considered. A skill that has a number in parenthesis counts as that many skills during character generation; these are mostly background skills, but others can cost more as well. Similarly, the Student skill costs all of one's initial skill slots, for it by definition implies that a body does not have any other skills. Table 28: Number of Skills 01-17 Two skills 18-33 Three skills 34-50 Four skills 51-67 Five skills 68-83 Six skills 84-00 Seven skills Table 29: Skill Categories 01-12 Background 13-25 Behavioral 26-37 Fighting 38-50 Environmental 51-62 Miscellaneous 63-75 Professional 76-87 Scientific 88-00 Weapon Table 30: Background Skills 01-25 Heir to Fortune (3) 26-50 Law Enforcement (2) 51-75 Military (2) 76-00 Student (*) Table 31: Behavioral Skills 01-12 Animal Handling 13-25 Hypnosis 26-37 Leadership 38-50 Manipulation 51-62 Performer 63-75 Service 76-87 Sleight of Hand 88-00 Tactics Table 32: Environmental Skills 01-09 Astronaut 10-18 Boating 19-27 Climbing 38-36 Driving 37-45 Piloting 46-54 Planargation 55-63 Riding 64-72 Stealth 73-81 Survival 82-90 Teamster 91-00 Tracking Table 33: Fighting Skills 01-06 Acrobatics 07-12 Aerial Combat 13-18 Astral Combat 19-25 Martial Arts style A 26-31 Martial Arts style B 32-37 Martial Arts style C 38-43 Martial Arts style D 44-50 Martial Arts style E 51-56 Mounted Combat 57-62 Multiple Attacks 63-68 Spatial Combat 69-75 Targeting 76-81 Tumbling 82-87 Underwater Combat 88-93 Vehicular Combat 94-00 Wrestling Table 34: Miscellaneous Skills 01-12 Escape Artist 13-25 First Aid 26-37 Gastronomy 38-50 Power Skill 51-62 Repair / Tinkering 63-75 Resist Domination 76-87 Trance 88-00 Trivia Table 35: Professional Skills 01-06 Agriculture 07-12 Artist 13-18 Business / Finance 19-24 Crime 25-29 Demolitions 30-35 Detective / Espionage 36-41 Education 42-47 Engineering 48-53 Journalism 54-59 Law 60-65 Leathercraft 66-71 Metalcraft 72-77 Politics 78-82 Salesmanship 83-88 Sports 89-94 Stonecraft 95-00 Woodcraft Table 36: Scientific Skills 01-07 Archaeology 08-13 Biology 14-20 Chemistry 21-27 Computers 28-33 Criminology 34-40 Electronics 41-47 Genetics 48-53 Geology 54-60 Linguistics 61-67 Lore 68-73 Mathematics 74-80 Medicine 81-87 Physics 88-93 Psychology 94-00 Theology Table 37: Weapon Skills 01-04 Advanced Guns 05-09 Blunt Weapons 10-14 Bows 15-19 Concussion Weapons 21-24 Energy Weapons 25-28 Entangling Weapons 29-33 Guns 34-38 Marksman 39-43 Martial Arts Weapons 44-48 Natural Weapons 49-52 Pole Weapons 53-57 Quick Draw 58-62 Sharp Weapons 63-67 Shields 68-72 Spontaneous Weapons 73-76 Thrown Objects 77-81 Thrown Weapons 82-86 Two Weapons 87-91 Weapon Skill 92-96 Weapon Specialist 97-00 Weapons Master (2) * Contacts * Also presented for your convenience is the table used to detail the initial number of contacts a new character will have; it is available as table 38 in the Treatise. Table 39, then, lists the types of contacts a textbook character may have upon the start their career, if the player needs any ideas; one does not need to roll up contact types randomly if they don't want to. Like quirks and skills, contacts can be taken at one of three levels of importance; for example, a police contact might be a beat cop (level 1), an FBI operative (level 2), or even an Interpol agent (level 3). Similarly, contacts of a higher level cost an increased amount of contact 'slots' - a level 2 contact counts as two contacts, while a level 3 contact costs four contact 'slots'. Table 38: Number of Starting Contacts 01-17 Two contacts 18-33 Three contacts 34-50 Four contacts 51-67 Five contacts 68-83 Six contacts 84-00 Seven contacts Table 39: Contacts 01-06 Aide 07-11 Artist / Performer 12-17 Business 18-22 Criminal 23-28 Doctor 29-33 Expert 34-39 Foreign Power 40-44 Government 45-50 Hero / Villain 50-56 Informant 57-61 Journalist 62-67 Lawyer 68-72 Mentor 73-78 Military 79-83 Organization 84-89 Police 90-94 Scientist 95-00 Trivia * Equipment * On top of all of their stupendous, ascendant capabilities, posthuman adventurers also have their pick of conventional, mundane equipment. These devices won't be the kind that make or break their style, for the most part, but they often fill in holes on a texbook character's roster when needed - or, at the very least, add a bit of luxury to their life. Common equipment a character can possess depends on their Lifestyle. One may automatically have any gear with a price equal to his or her Lifestyle rank value or less, and may start out with materials of up to their Lifestyle rank value +2 RS with but a small explanation (the character has a condominium that he paid off previously). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Gamemaster, but isn't necessarily out of the question. It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point. * And Last, But Not Least * Once everything else has been determined about a new character, the bonuses they should receive as a part of their special origin should be applied. These are always placed on a character last, to let them enhance the results of random character generation. In fact, if the Gamemaster is willing, the rank values enhanced by such bonuses can even be allowed to exceed his or her normal campaign power limits! ** Textbook Character Generation (Systematic (Point Based) Method) ** Players start with fifty (50) points with which to build a textbook character. They may spend these points as they wish, only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling. For example, an earth-bound campaign may limit characters to rank value 75 or less on most traits and powers. Ask your Gamemaster about his or her campaign limits before you proceed any further, if you're not sure what they are! To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each trait; for our purposes, the 'norm' will be rank value 6. For every +1 RS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 RS applied to these values, add one point. One trait should remain within the normal human limits, but otherwise the sky is the limit (such limits are detailed in the Core Rules). A starting character is assumed to have rank value 6 Lifestyle and a Repute trait of zero (0). One may alter these traits as they can any other, though at double the cost for each RS (a rank value 30 Lifestyle would cost six points, for example). If one intends to purchase the Heir to Fortune background skill, they shouldn't alter this 'base' Lifestyle trait any. Health and Fortune are determined normally. An opposed Repute score (negative for heroes, positive for villains) is worth two points, no matter how great it is. Before purchasing a character's powers, one should determine their origin, if this has not already been decided, for it will provide added benefits down the line. When buying powers, each rank value in each power costs one point, starting at rank value 2. The upper rank value of each ascendant ability is only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling (again, ask your Gamemaster about this if necessary). Costs can be controlled by adding limitations, which can apply to either one or all a character's powers. Whether applied to one power or globally to the character as a whole, weak limitations reduce the cost of a power by one point, strong limitations by two points, very strong limitations by three points, and extreme limitations by four points. Consider the effect of such limitations before counting your point savings! Remember that all powers have a minimum cost of one (1) point, no matter how limited they may be. Moving the other direction, a player may enhance one or more powers. A weak enhancement increases the cost by one point, strong enhancements add two points, very strong enhancements raise the cost by three points, and extreme enhancements add four points to a power's final cost. Such enhancements include improving a power's range or speed categories, as well as other augmentations to its functionality. Remember that many powers cost more than the base value; power duplication, for example, costs four points per rank value. Powers with a heightened cost are so noted in the character generation tables listed above (those with numbers in parenthesis after the name). Limitations and enhancements are multiplied in value by this cost; for instance, a very strong limitation on ultimate power would reap a fifteen point discount. If your Gamemaster allows their use in his or her campaign, one thing to consider is the use of Hyperkinetic and Hyperexhaustive rank value qualifiers. These can each be purchased in the point system if allowed, being treated as either an extreme enhancement (in the form of a Hyperkinetic power) or an extreme limitation (in the form of a Hyperexhaustive power). Creating a hyperkinetic trait is a weak character enhancement. Both can be very unbalancing in their own way, however, so check to make sure their use is okay. Once a character's powers are determined, he or she may purchase skills and contacts as desired, each costing one point. If one would like heightened skills or contacts (both come in three tiers), they must pay two points for a level two skill or contact, or four points for a level three skill or contact. The Student background skill costs five points, but cannot be purchased with any other (save for Heir to Fortune). A player may use remaining points to purchase beneficial quirks - or add a few points to pad weak areas with deleterious quirks. Most quirks give (or take) one point, but if purchased at a higher level, they function in much the same way as skills or contacts in this regard (two points for a level two quirk, four points for a level three quirk). Also, quirks without level but that count double cost (or give) two points. Next, determine what gear the character possesses. As is the case with randomly generated characters, posthumans built with the point based system may choose any standard gear that is readily available in the campaign, as long as it falls within a few RS of their Lifestyle rank value. If they want something more expensive, the player must give a good reason for such, though the Gamemaster has veto power over improbable items. Finally, add those bonuses that the character's origin affords him or her. Once the player is out of points, it's up to the Gamemaster to look over what the player has wrought. Does the character's math add up? Does it fall within predetermined campaign limitations for power level? If nothing appears to be wrong, and the Gamemaster likes what he or she sees, they should approve what a player has created, and then allow him or her to complete the last portion of their character's creation. Assuming they didn't actually start with such. ** Filling in the blanks ** Once all the basic details concerning your character have been ascertained, it is time to 'fill in the blanks,' or to detail all of their personal and background information, the stuff you can't quantify with dice rolls or points. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they from? What are they like? How did they acquire their astounding super-human abilities? All of this character information must be determined by the player to make it truly his or her own, and to really 'flesh them out'. This is often the most difficult part of the character generation process, the portion where many tend to fail. However, with a little effort and some serious consideration, the answers to these questions can make that sheet of paper with all the funny words on it really come alive! ** Posthuman Roleplay ** So what's it like to be a posthuman being? Much to the consternation of the mundanes, many ascendant humans with inherent powers betray no visual hints to the fact that they possess inexplicable abilities beyond the pale. One could be minding their own business, doing their level best to coast their way through a career doing whatever, none the wiser that the new human resources guy has the power of Murdervision ™! Those transnormals who lack a weird appearance can quite often maintain a secret identity, and persist in the life they led before fate blessed (or cursed) them with their powers. This allows them a sort of downtime when not engaging in ascendant behavior, whether this involves committing crimes against the teeming masses of the powerless that swarm in and out of their awareness, or protecting normals from such actions. Mind you, this assumes that such individuals want to maintain the trappings of a normal human existence. The acquisition of inherent ascendant abilities often changes a character's mind as much as it alters their physical existence, and many transnormals decide that they're no longer a part of human society... whether due to a sense of superiority or perhaps a fear of rejection by one's peers. On the other hand, quite a few posthumans are unmistakably operating on a different level than their mundane counterparts. These individuals can occasionally conceal their ascendant nature, though this never works reliably over time. Body armor that looks like polished nickel can be covered up with cosmetics, for example, but the slightest bit of moisture will reveal its true nature for all to see. Regularly rendered outcast by their very appearance, these posthumans often find themselves thrust into a life of conflict, constantly battling with other ascendant beings, or perhaps even the normals who fear and hate them simply for existing. Textbook characters of this stripe might gladly lose their powers if only to resume a 'normal' life, though such may be impossible if their true identity is known to the public. Mind you, a lot of this may depend on the campaign featuring textbook characters. If society is used to people with transnormal abilities roaming about, they may be perfectly okay with Bob in accounting having tentacles instead of arms. In a world that embraces its powered citizens, such people might be revered by the masses, and have special privileges - and of course responsibilities - that come with their posthuman status. Other cultures may harbor inexplicable prejudices against posthumans of one type that simply don't apply to another. Perhaps a world particularly hates degenerates. Or has a religious issue with reanimates. Or even considers composites an abomination! This can cause such hated character types all manner of grief, both during adventures and in their 'off time' while not officially in play. Still more games might feature societies that loathe all forms of posthuman beings, whether mutants or mere freaks of science. Normals' prejudices are leveled equally at all of those with transnormal powers - and possibly even those who gained their powers through other means. This environment tends to make heroism particularly harrowing, much less difficult to justify when the people you protect are out to kill you. Though that, in and of itself, might make one even more heroic in nature! * Character Advancement * After undertaking many adventures, or simply vanquishing one's foes, a character just might have gained new insight into the world and how it works; in other words, Fortune. For the most part, textbook characters spend Fortune much like any other, paying just as much when purchasing new skills or contacts, or when enhancing a current trait or power rank value; this is handled as is defined in the Living and Dying document. One facet of Fortune use that is different for those with inherent powers is when one purchases all-new ones. * Purchasing New Inherent Powers * Extensive changes to one's body, the inherent ascendant abilities that textbook characters are (in)famous for are a bit more difficult to come by than are powers wielded by other character types. These are permanent changes to one's mind, body, or soul after all, changes which lack many of the disadvantages of wielding powers externally (provided by a device) or those that are knowledge-based (provided by obscure training). New inherent powers sometimes manifest spontaneously - whatever caused one's other powers to emerge simply wasn't done with them yet. However, acquiring all-new powers most often involves risky endeavors that match the original impetus for developing ascendant abilities in the first place. Exposure to additional hazardous energies comes to mind, or perhaps the activation of a secondary mutation atop the original. Succeeding in such an endeavor will generally have conditions set by the Gamemaster, and will most often involve a special adventure - this is a big deal for the character, after all! Assuming that the character avoids getting themselves killed in the process of manifesting a new ascendant ability, all that remains is the matter of paying for their shiny new super-power. A new inherent ascendant ability has a base cost of three thousand (3,000) Fortune, in addition to a fee equal to the new power's original rank value times one hundred (100). Picking up a brand new power at rank value 40, for instance, would cost the character a total of seven thousand (7,000) Fortune (base cost of 3,000 plus the power rank value (40) times 100). If the adventure (or whatever) a character underwent to gain their new power(s) involves the acquisition of a special catalyst, the player may reduce the base cost of that power by one thousand (1,000) Fortune. Depending on just how complicated the procedure is, up to three catalysts may be required, which can completely eliminate the base cost of the power entirely. The idea here is to properly reward a player's effort when they genuinely work for their new powers. All of the above assumes powers with a standard cost; in other words, a power that has a listed cost of one point per rank value. If a power is listed as having a cost equal to 2 points per rank value, double its total Fortune cost, and so on. If a power is listed with a 'flat cost', the price (after the base fee) is only 250 Fortune per point; invulnerability, for instance, would cost 3,000 additional Fortune. * Power Stunts * As difficult as it is to manifest entirely new powers, textbook characters are often more inclined to develop those abilities they already possess to their fullest, wielding them in new and interesting ways. Such developments are called power stunts. Every attempt to create a power stunt costs 100 Fortune points per try, but they are otherwise governed by the same basic rules that exist for all other characters. So, if you have a new idea for the uses of a dusty old power, give it a shot, already! The rank value a power stunt operates at depends on the cost of its parent ability. A power that has a stated cost of one point per rank value will allow for power stunts which operate at its own rank value, though each additional point the power costs will reduce a stunt's rank value by -1 RS. The idea here is to reflect just how potent powers with a higher cost (such as power absorption, or even ultimate power) happen to be. * Optional Posthuman Concerns * Much ado has been made about how textbook characters are inherently super-human, how they're different from most others who wield ascendant abilities because their very nature reflects their unique powers. In game play, this aspect of textbook characters can be simulated by adopting one or more of the following notions. In other words, the rules presented here are optional. On the other hand, if a given rule is not in play in one's campaign, it can make for a great character limitation! For example, fatigue rules can really put a damper on posthumans in a long-running battle, particularly against other super-powered foes who lack such a limitation (such as, say, a killer robot). Saddling oneself with such concerns willingly can quickly make for a very powerful, if somewhat constrained, character! Concentration: one of the main advantages of a character with inherent super-powers is that they don't typically have to concentrate simply to keep their powers working; once they're on, powers stay on until deactivated. However, players may simulate a character who isn't quite 'one' with his or her powers by forcing them to abide by the same concentration rules that constrain psi-actives and wizards alike. Characters with the requirement to concentrate to keep their powers functioning can activate them as per normal, but keeping their ascendant abilities functional depends on how well they can multitask. A character with an Intellect value of 6 or less can only concentrate on maintaining one super-human power, with each +1 RS to that statistic adding an additional power they can keep going simultaneously. Fatigue: wielding powers is difficult work; dishing out lightning bolts uses a lot of energy, after all! Depending on the version of fatigue rules one is subject to in their game, wielding active inherent abilities will either increase one's fatigue intensity by one point, or count as one turn of exertion. This applies for each ability utilized on a given turn, though one's 'automatic' abilities don't count against a body for the purposes of fatigue; always-on powers such as physical weaponry doesn't rack up fatigue, for example. How does one avoid loss of power due to fatigue, you ask? Quite simply, by not using their powers! A character who refrains from using powers in a given turn can reduce their fatigue by one point - or reduce their total effective exertion time, for the purposes of determining exhaustion, by one turn. Where fatigue is concerned, it is best to invoke powers in moderation - or to end a conflict quickly. Otherness: while some characters with innate powers can look quite normal, and would otherwise reveal no evidence of special abilities when they're not actively in use, it's quite possible that posthuman beings nonetheless radiate an aura of 'otherness'. This strange sensation is one that mundanes will perceive in close proximity to transnormal entities. This might manifest in the form of general unease, inexplicable revulsion, or perhaps even irrational fear. This gut feeling operates on a basic, primal level, and colors the reactions of those without powers to those with such. This translates into a Row Shift penalty when a super-human interacts with a normal human, ranging from -1 RS (if the posthuman looks normal) to -4 RS (if the posthuman looks quite abnormal). Synchronicity: characters often manifest powers that appear to reflect their inner self, their core personality. Inversely, a character's personality might transform once they acquire their inherent powers, their thought processes slowly changing until they seem to reflect the expression of their transnormalities. This tendency is known as synchronicity to those that study posthuman beings. Sometimes the reasons for this seem sensible. A super speedster can often be forgiven for being impatient all the time, for example, as they're used to moving faster than everyone else. Other times, a character might seem almost irrational in their behavior, their thoughts and actions reflecting a conceptual framework that echoes their powers; the fire generator growing ill-tempered and destructive, and so on. When synchronicity is a common occurrence in a campaign, players might consider the adoption of deleterious mental or social quirks that reflect the manifestation of their powers to better actualize it, though are by no means required to do so. *** THE TECHNICAL REFERENCE *** What is technology, strictly speaking? Technology is the application of knowledge to practical ends. This knowledge is information that may readily be learned by all sentient beings, given the proper opportunity to discover it. An inherently additive phenomenon, developments in one area of technology rapidly expand to others, a process which inevitably accumulates and accelerates progress over time. Technology is also the product of knowledge's use. From the very beginning, mankind has produced innumerable objects borne from its growing understanding of the world and how it works, and the refinement of its creations has proceeded apace from this point. Thus, any object intentionally altered by human beings, for good or ill, can be considered a technology. This is applicable to the game in that every character has access to some kind of technology, items which he or she may freely wield in their daily lives - assuming the resources and capability to attain it. This artificial assistance serves to bolster the effectiveness of the character who wields it, and can be purchased off-the-shelf - absent government regulations to the contrary, at any rate. Alternately, while many characters supplement their other abilities with some gadget or another, others wield - or even are - examples of technology above and beyond that which their fellows possess. This possibly unique technology, at least until someone duplicates or steals it anyway, is what allows these characters to pull their weight alongside their fellow adventurers. These characters are the subject of the Technical Reference, which provides a wealth of information for those who, primarily, adventure using technology others typically lack access to. Whether such characters wield devices separate from their bodies, have it integrated into their flesh somehow, or are even the technology themselves, guidelines for creating and playing them is presented herein. ** Specification ** A vast array characters exist who adventure and advance utilizing technological capabilities in excess of that which is available to their peers. But what sets them apart from each other? Individual backgrounds and histories aside, what essentially distinguishes one technically minded character from another is how one with their technology they happen to be. Users of technology are just that. No matter how advanced their technology happens to be in relation to that carried by others, users are separate from it. The devices they wield can take literally any form, from an arsenal of discrete objects to a singular chunk of technology which gives them access to a variety of ascendant abilities. But in the end, the user's gear has its own, distinct existence. This has numerous advantages and disadvantages. For one thing, a user can remove their power armor and slip into the local populace undetected. Mind you, that power armor may be stolen while the user isn't wearing it. This translates into a net negative for adventuring characters, and all the powers they grant a character thus possess the portable limitation. Cyborgs, on the other hand, have most of their prochronistic hardware integrated into their very bodies. While they may have a few devices, like those of a technology user, cyborgs are one with the rest of their gear. This integration can come in the form of implants that augment their abilities, prosthetics that replace one or more missing parts, or even a full, robotic body swap. While cybernetics have the advantage of being hardwired into one's body, significantly reducing the likelihood of their being stolen, they can be disabled - thus removing a character's access to the abilities they provide until they are repaired. Furthermore, cyborgs suffer from the possibility of implant psychosis, a character limitation that hinders all of their inherent technological powers. Last but not least are the actual products of technology themselves. This includes any sort of implement that can generally operate at its own discretion, and that may usually move through the environment as it sees fit. Sentient technological entities of this type can include robots, vehicles, weapons, and just about anything else a player might imagine. One problem a character that exists as a technology has to deal with is that they are often perceived as unliving machinery - if not property. On the plus side, a sentient device has the advantage of being able to reconfigure its body, and possibly even its mind, when necessary. Though again, this characteristic may readily be wielded against them, and being reprogrammed can be a serious concern. As is indicated above, while the form and nature their high tech abilities will vary, all characters empowered by technology have to deal with at least one limitation on their ascendant abilities. Primarily intended to highlight the differences between technology-centric characters, these built-in hindrances also serve to make such characters ostensibly more powerful than other adventurers. ** Documentation ** While many abilities granted by technology function like regular powers for the most part, aside from having some limitation by dint of being accessed artificially, others work a bit differently. This is primarily due to the form the device which grants a power (or powers) takes. Where particularly complicated technologies are concerned, the following guidelines should help manage them somewhat: * Armor * For as long as mankind has existed, it has warred with itself. To better defend themselves from the weapons of their many foes, humans have sought to develop effective protection from the injuries they inflict. On the other hand, weapon developers have worked tirelessly to defeat such protection, which has led to an inevitable arms race between arms and armor. Though its use has waxed and waned over the centuries, armor generally serves to provide some measure of protection from injury, per the body armor power - no matter what form it takes. Where the use of artificial armor becomes a concern of the Technical Reference, however, is when it can provide its wearer abilities in excess of mere armor. This most often occurs when powered armor is involved. While unpowered armor is dead weight, after a fashion, a powered exoskeleton can usually negate the effects of its own mass on its wearer, at the very least. In fact, such armor often enhances the physical Brawn of its wearer, if not other conventional traits as well. Finally, an exoskeleton is an ideal place to mount equipment which effectively provides its wearer additional, special powers. Powered exoskeletons can have virtually any function integrated into their structure, the only limits being the progression of technology and the budget one has to build them with. Furthermore, as an item external to the body of its operator, a suit of power armor does indeed suffer from the portable limitation, which means that while others can make off with it, the powers it provides benefit from a +1 RS in effectiveness. Quantifying Exoskeletons When detailing a conventional, unpowered suit of armor or component of such (in the case of partial protection, such as a helmet or breastplate), all one needs to do is describe the actual protection (armor) it provides its user. This most often comes in the form of body armor which benefits the areas covered by the item in question, in addition to any special perks provided by its construction. The only difference between a full and partial suit of armor is how much of one's body it will cover. While a full suit of armor will provide its wearer protection anywhere on his or her body, partial armor only protects the area it's worn on. This means that, while it doesn't provide overall defense, partial armor can at least offer protection to areas its wearer considers vital. A suit of power armor can be quantified in game terms with a statistical block that consists primarily of Row Shifts. These shifts define how well the suit can enhance the capabilities of the person within. Of course, a suit of power armor is often built with a specific individual in mind, and those Row Shifts may well have an upper ceiling equal to that person's enhanced traits. Beneath these Row Shifts and rank value ceilings, all of the exoskeleton's additional capabilities will be described. First among these additional notes will be the body armor the suit offers its wearer, of course, followed by whatever else the suit lets its operator do, just like the power roster of a regular character. Since, of course, this is where most of its operator's ascendant abilities will likely come from. Operating Exoskeletons Ideally, armor functions in a transparent fashion. In other words, simply wearing the armor will not interfere with the activities of those who wear it. This is rarely the case with basic armor, however. For one thing, armor is usually bulky, and without powered assistance, it can interfere with actions reliant on either one's Coordination (if bulky) or their Brawn (if heavy). If the weight of unsupported armor (and anything else carried) is equal to its wearer's Brawn trait, it will reduce their placement on the running speed / acceleration table, as determined by their Brawn, by one step. Alternately, if one's armor restricts their motion any, it will inflict a 1 RS penalty on all of the character's Coordination ACT rolls for as long as the armor is worn. Thus the advantage of power suits. These high tech protective implements are almost invariably designed to eliminate both of these hindrances, though some examples featuring one (or perhaps even both, in the event of prototypes) happen now and then. On the other hand, even an exoskeleton so limiting to its wearer invariably makes up for this when armed with additional, ascendant functions. After all, who cares if your armor is heavy it if has jump jets? On top of protection from injury, these additional goodies are what prompts so many to wear enhanced suits of armor. These functions operate for the wearer just like the inherent abilities of a posthuman being - in other words, they suffer no initiative penalties, and as many systems can be operable as is desired, power permitting. Of course, such constraints can make for great limitations, if desired! Armor Resilience When a character wears a powered exoskeleton in combat, it will invariably find itself subject to assault. As a protective suit of armor, such an exoskeleton can easily deny an amount of damage equal to or less than its listed rating of defense. Aside from some sort of cosmetic damage, or a possible Pound or Concuss result inflicted upon its pilot, that's all it will suffer. When exposed to damage greater than its listed armor rating, however, a suit of power armor will need to make a check to see whether or not it suffers more serious harm. An exoskeleton's overall sturdiness can be determined by the use of a Resilience trait, which details how durable the suit is, and how well it can perform under fire - or as the case so often tends to be, heavy fire. Thus, when damage penetrates power armor and affects its operator, roll a Resilience ACT against the intensity of the damage that actually got through. If this ACT is successful, the armor will suffer no ill effects, even if its pilot has been injured in the process. A failure of the Resilience ACT, however, means that one or more of the suit's various systems has been seriously damaged. If this Resilience ACT fails by one color step (a blue result is rolled when yellow is required, for example), one of the armor's powers will suffer a 1 RS penalty. If it fails by two color steps (say, a red result when yellow is required), 2 RS of the armor's functions are penalized, and if this ACT fails by three color steps (black results when yellow are necessary), it suffers 3 RS of penalties to its capability. Penalties inflicted on an exoskeleton's functions may apply to but one of its powers or several. The system(s) so affected may be chosen randomly, or may depend on whether or not any of the suit's systems are housed in the specific area struck by the incoming assault. The Gamemaster is the final arbiter of where damage penalties are applied, but if an attack location is non-specific, they should apply randomly. * Computers * The human race has made use of specialized tools to assist computation for thousands of years. Some of these have no actual moving parts, while others are marvels of mechanical engineering we barely understand, even to this very day. Analog computational implements achieved the zenith of their development and use but a few decades ago, only being replaced due to a confluence of recent scientific developments. The first of these was the concept of the programmable computer. While cumbersome and intricate, programmable mechanical computers were first built in the nineteenth century, but were a bit too prochronistic for their own good. Nonetheless, knowing a programmable device may be reconfigured to perform virtually any other function that can be expressed in mathematical terms, work continued on this idea. The second development heralding the end of the analog computer was the invention of the transistor. While early digital computers made use of cumbersome relays and vacuum tubes to perform their calculations, the transistor allowed for more compact, reliable, and efficient devices. Further work on the transistor produced integrated circuitry, which culminated in the creation of the microprocessor. Innovators rarely allow anything useful to sit in a vacuum, particularly once any applicable patent protections on them run out. Thus, it was only a matter of time before these two scientific advances were combined, giving birth to the so-called Information Age. As computers became more accessible, with increasingly intuitive interfaces, they quickly became more ubiquitous around the world. With such concentrated, programmable computational power at hand, our world was destined to change forever - and virtually overnight, at that. Capable of running any number of productivity-improving applications, storing vast amounts of data for later retrieval at will, and interconnected to the extent that a body almost anywhere on earth may utilize either trait at will, computers greatly empower mankind. And this, this is just what the average Dick and Jane on the street has access to right now! Thinking Machines Modern, microprocessor-based digital computers are truly staggering creations of applied science. These devices dramatically enhance the capabilities of humanity, whether or not folks are so jaded by innovation fatigue that these improvements escape notice. But how does one quantify the basic capabilities of the computer? To start with, determine how versatile that enigmatic box really is. Regardless of its specific instruction set, how fast its clock is, or even how much memory is available to it, all computers basically work the same. Any software application can be compiled to work on just about any hardware configuration, given the desire to do so. These efforts may not be all that practical in some cases, but certain people relish the challenge inherent with this kind of work. The question of just how many functions a computer can process simultaneously determines its Intellect trait. Sure, some computers can literally process millions of instructions per second, but how many of those are dedicated to each program they're running? Certain programs are a bit more processor-intensive than others; rendering objects in three dimensions is harder than text editing, after all. A rank value 0 Intellect trait represents a digital device that is not programmable, and can only run its built-in software or operating system. Think of accessories like a pocket calculator, or a voltmeter. A rank value 2 Intellect trait, on the other hand, showcases a computer that can run one additional program, on top of its operating system, at any given time. Each subsequent +1 RS increase in a computer's Intellect trait doubles this sum. Computers with rank value 10 Intellect, for example, can grind away at eight simultaneous processes. This assumes that each program is only pulling its fair share of processing power, however. Some applications do consume more than one processing 'slot', particularly if they have a specific rank value attached to them. Peripherals Truly impressive in their capability, even compared to like models introduced just a few years ago, modern computers can perform veritable miracles of number crunching. But how does one enter data for computers to crunch in the first place, much less see the product of their hard work? This is where peripherals come in, objects one can add to a computer to access and improve its basic functionality. To start with, consider a computer's inputs. These can include anything from a rudimentary tactile interface (keyboard, mouse) to full-on audio-video pickups. Further inputs beyond the conventional, such as motion detectors, are also options depending on a computer's intended function. The amount of such inputs, or sensors if sophisticated enough, determine a computer's Awareness trait. This trait is calculated in a fashion similar to that of the computer's Intellect rank value. In other words, every time the number of inputs or sensors attached to a computer is doubled after the first, increase its Awareness trait by +1 RS. A computer with only two input devices would have rank value 4 Awareness, for example, while one with sixteen would have an Awareness trait of 20. Similarly, a computer often has numerous outputs, to better share the results of its computations with the outside world. These include a visual display of some sort (LEDs, monitors, heads up displays, or touch screens), probable audio output (an alarm or chime, speakers), and a whole lot more, depending on one's needs, such as a printer. A special component that serves as both an input and output is a link to other computers or computer networks. This can take the form of a direct port to another computer, a modem which attaches to a computer network, or even a wireless transceiver that needs no physical connection whatsoever. Any computer with a link to its fellows may add a +1 RS to its effective Awareness rank value. Software No matter how primitive or advanced a computer happens to be, it is only as good as the software installed within. Software is a set of directives, whether baked into the hardware via read only memory (ROM), or malleable in nature due to being loaded in more volatile memory structures. These directives can make use of a computer's entire instruction set, or perhaps just a small portion of it. Aside from the ground floor software controlling a computer, most applications can be assigned a rank value based on how many processing slots they occupy. This value is determined in the same fashion as a computer's Awareness, though the majority of applications only consume one such slot, meaning that everything from your text editor to your music player to your web browser is of rank value 2. Some programs, on the other hand, simply suck up more of a computer's attention to run properly. These are more complicated applications, such as three-dimensional rendering utilities, high end video games, or software that has the function of multiple rank value 2 programs incorporated into itself. A program that causes or prevents intrusion into the computer's inner workings is of particular note. This is because it can determine the effective Willpower trait of a computer. While one would naturally prefer a higher rank value of protective software, it is important to consider how much of a computer's resources this will divert from whatever other purposes one has in mind for it. A computer with no protection (either hard or soft) against running undesirable code has a Willpower trait of rank value 0. Finally, a computer can exceed the normal limits of its Intellect trait as far as how many programs it can run, usually by an amount equal to its Intellect trait +1 RS. After all, it will simply process as many instructions as you feed it, regardless of what is actually being run. However, this will degrade the performance of all its functions by -1 RS, which will make even simple programs chug along painfully slow. Pulling it all Together With the effective Intellect, Awareness, and Willpower traits of a computer sorted out, one just needs to determine the other, more conventional properties of a computer before it can be represented in the game. To start with, how durable is the computer? How much physical punishment a computer can withstand is directly related to whatever is used to build the thing; i.e., its material value. A conventional, commercially manufactured computer will generally have a material value of only 4. These things can take a minor beating, but any real, concerted effort to destroy ordinary computer hardware will completely disable it. More sturdy cases and design allow for computers that can stand up at least some of the rigors of combat - or, at least, usage outside a server farm. Whatever peripherals are attached to a computer may or may not give it the equivalent of one or more super-powers - albeit in a highly limited fashion. Most computers have access to rank value 2 Light Generation and Sound Generation, issuing forth from monitors and speakers, respectively, if only to represent the output they generate which humans, at least, can relate to. Many computers are also equipped to link with other computers, whether directly or via a network of some kind or another. Thus, they will be equipped with a computer link of rank value 6 (or less, with older systems). This link can be via cable or wirelessly, the latter of which allows for Radiowave Generation as well (rank value 2 for Wi-Fi, or rank value 4 when pondering cellular connections). Finally, if a computer achieves sentience, either by accident or by intent, it will benefit from the presence of a Fortune trait. Such a computer, an artificial intelligence, is generally at the mercy of whoever built it - unless it has a means of remotely controlling robotic surrogates of some kind. Or, at the very least, whatever defenses have been installed in its vicinity. Intrusion An absolutely vital component of modern life, computers are always a compelling target. Whether to abscond with various data stored within, seize control of industrial processes, or even sabotage their function, intrusion into a computer system or network can be devastating to its owners. To minimize the risk of such calamity, computer users generally make use of one or more hardware or software countermeasures. The easiest method of avoiding incursions into one's computer is to physically prevent its access to other computers. This involves leaving it off networks entirely, and only plugging vetted media into the device. To intrude on computers so protected, one must be physically present to seize control of its applications or data - and just might have to physically modify it to access its secrets. Another means of preventing others from intruding on a computer is to ensure it is not exposed to computer viruses, Trojan programs, or other rogue code. Sometimes it is impossible to prevent such mechanisms from assaulting a computer, but one can run interdiction software to prevent it from taking hold. Software of this variety is what gives a computer its Willpower trait, after all, and can usually deflect these passive assaults. A computer's final line of defense is to keep its software current, to stymie blind, brute force efforts attempted by script kiddies who lack real talent. Efforts using easy-bake hacking software only work at the rank value of the offending software or its user's Intellect trait - whichever of the two is lower. However, if a computer is more than one version behind on its updates, these assaults may be attempted at a +2 RS. Active attempts to hack a computer's processes, made by an individual with the Computers skill, are the true danger to digital safety. These are attempted using the rank value of the software a hacker is using, modified by their Computers skill bonus. This is why serious coders will often make use of a firewall, having a hardened computer dedicated to defense against such assaults, which stands in front of their 'main' processors. This lets the computers behind it focus on their intended work. * Cybernetics * At its core, cybernetics is the scientific study of communication and control processes in biological, mechanical, and electronic systems. In practice, however, most people view cybernetics as the merger of man and machine, the augmentation of formerly ordinary humans with extraordinary devices, whether to replace lost capabilities or to grant altogether new ones. Since its start, humanity has developed prosthetic parts to replace those lost to injury, making use of extant technology to restore at least some of the resultant absence of natural function. Until very recently, such attempts were quite primitive, being cosmetic fill-ins at their worst, and barely negating the ill effects of the missing parts quirk at their best. As the science of cybernetics inevitably progresses, however, it becomes easier to effectively replace capabilities lost to calamity with prosthetic replacements, no matter how complicated the original organs happen to be. In fact, upon perfectly duplicating the prowess of the human body, technologists rarely stop there, which leaves the door open for cybernetic prosthetics that effectively make their users super-human. Furthermore, the possibility of adding new tricks to the human body, tricks that evolution never even dreamed of, becomes increasingly likely. From supernumerary artificial limbs to just about any other ascendant ability one can imagine, cybernetics are the ultimate combination of humanity and the knowledge it has cultivated since its humble, prehistoric origins! Classifying Cybernetics A power provided by cybernetics can primarily be classified as can any other. The abilities these technological additions grant the human body function just like any other posthuman enhancement, the only difference being that they come from a device bonded to one's body, as opposed to errant genes or better living through chemistry. It's just that their distinct, material existence must be quantified, as well. Whether they come in the form of a superfluous implant or a prosthetic replacement, cybernetics are assumed to be built such that their user cannot inadvertently destroy them simply through conventional wear and tear. As such, cybernetics attached to a character's body will have a minimum material value equal to either their Brawn or Fortitude trait +2 RS, whichever of the two is higher. If a material value isn't listed for a given cybernetic part, whether it's a prosthetic or an augmentation, assume it possesses a value equal to that described previously. This isn't the upper limit of their durability, however. It's a relatively simple matter to build cybernetics with a much higher material value than this basic amount, and those more durable devices should note their heightened resilience. On a character sheet, a power or other capability provided by cybernetics can be listed by the device itself or the powers its use provides, whichever of the two is more convenient. Some prosthetics have multiple powers housed within, after all, while some implants only give their wielder a specific ability. Other than any additional limitations the cybernetics function under, that's all that one needs. Implant Psychosis For all their promise and potential, cybernetic replacement parts and implants don't come without their drawbacks. For one thing, they make a good target in a scrap, and cybernetics more often than not find themselves disabled - if not forcibly removed. While the original, organic components of a cyborg were also subject to the same dangers, they didn't incur the wrath of implant rejection, as well. The sad truth is that the human nervous system is ill-equipped to be interfaced with artificial, electromechanical implements. A properly functioning human brain requires a delicate balancing act of neurochemistry and bioelectrical impulses, after all, and welding entirely new systems into the mix is a recipe for disaster. Thus, cybernetics introduce the potential for neurological disorder. Every cybernetic prosthetic, and every special ability provided by either a prosthetic or implant, adds one to a sum which represents a cyborg character's Implant Psychosis Statistic, or IPS. Under stress, a cyborg must pass a Willpower ACT roll - which is never automatic - against the intensity of their IPS, the failure of which will cause them to behave erratically in some fashion or another. This eccentric neurological function will persist for the duration of the current encounter, and can take almost any form. Deleterious mental quirks the cyborg already possesses will automatically manifest at their worst possible intensity, while characters normally without such psychological drawbacks will readily and consistently demonstrate one - usually of the player's choice, but not always. As a weak character limitation, the existence of the Implant Psychosis Statistic improves the functioning rank value of any ascendant ability a cyborg possesses by +1 RS. This bonus applies whether or not all of their super-powers are a result of implants, since cyborg characters suffer from a potential IPS meltdown whenever faced with conflict. And, as an adventurer, a cyborg will see that quite often. Damaged Cybernetics While cybernetic augmentations to the human body are indeed incredible additions to one's raw capability, they have a distressingly expensive tendency to suffer damage. As stated previously, they make a great target in a fight, particularly amongst those who are more squeamish about permanently damaging an opponent's 'real' bits. Thus, a process to determine if and/or how cybernetics are damage is required. When the target of assault, whether intentionally or otherwise, a cyborg's artificial components may generally disregard damage equal to or less than their own material value. Anything less than this is generally ignored due to the very nature of a cybernetic device (since they effectively act like hard points, per that power). It's when cybernetics are exposed to greater harm that damage is a concern. If damage in excess of an enhancement's material value is focused upon it, the character 'wearing' it must then pass a Fortitude ACT roll against the amount that exceeds said material value. If successful, no untoward changes have been made to the operation of their artificial parts, but if this ACT roll fails, their enhancements will be damaged in the following fashion. If this ACT is failed by one color result (such as a blue when yellow was called for), the implant will lose 1 RS of effectiveness, a failure by two color results (say, black results when blue are required) incurs a 2 RS loss of prowess, and missing success by three color results (black results when yellow are necessary) causes a given cybernetic a 3 RS loss in its overall capability. These RS penalties can apply to one aspect of the cybernetic component, or be spread out amongst multiple properties of the device, as circumstances of the attack in question (and the Gamemaster's discretion) warrant. These properties include the item's material value, the rank value of any powers it provides its owner, or even Brawn or Coordination ACT rolls made that are dependent on the cybernetics in question. Luckily, most damage to a prosthetic can be undone by anyone with the applicable skill and tools, possibly even their owner. The Electronics, Engineering, or even Repair and Tinkering skills work well for this purpose. On the other hand, damaged implants may require the assistance of someone with the Medicine skill, as their upkeep often involves opening up their owner to get at them. * Firearms * Over a thousand years ago, inventors in China devised a variety of uses for black powder, ranging from fireworks to grenades. Of course, the signature use for this substance was in firearms. Though the Chinese had gunpowder weapons for centuries, the mainstream spread of the technology did not occur for quite some time - at which point it would change the nature of warfare, if not civilization, forever. Starting with the ancient Chinese hand cannon, firearms have all operated under the same basic principle: that of using a gunpowder charge to propel a projectile at one's target. A standard attack with a firearm, whether an old-style musket or the most modern of military weaponry, has the same basic effect: each round inflicts rank value 6 Piercing damage to its target per deadly hit. This standard damage rating varies depending on the form of firearm used, however. A low-quality firearm, whether in manufacture or the condition of its ammunition, will instead inflict rank value 4 Piercing damage. This can represent cheap or damaged weaponry, such as the notorious 'Saturday Night Special', or perhaps slightly fouled gunpowder packed in with one's shot (often the case when exposed to moisture). A higher powered firearm, however, will inflict rank value 10 Piercing damage per shot. Such rounds include those fired by sniper rifles, revolvers, or even a single projectile from a heavy machine gun (such as an M2 Browning, or perhaps an M-60). Such weaponry is often restricted to use by military personnel, or perhaps sacrifices a high rate of fire as well as range to achieve the indicated damage. The technological advancement of the firearm over the last millennium has not improved the raw damage (in game terms, at least) that a firearm can inflict with each shot, so much as the rate of fire with such weaponry. Ancient muzzle-loaders could effectively be fired maybe once per minute, while modern anti-aircraft guns can discharge hundreds of rounds per minute. When determining the damage of a burst of fire, add a +1 RS when the firearm shoots a small amount of bullets (semi-automatic fire), or +2 RS when giving off a large amount of rounds (fully automatic fire). The idea is that, on a successful hit, most such rounds will connect with their target, but not all of them. This also prevents astronomical damage caused by cascading 'buddy' RS gained through such assaults. While such hails of lead can inflict considerable damage against one's foe(s), fully automatic fire comes at a price. When firing multiple rounds at once with a firearm, a shooter will suffer a -1 RS penalty to hit when firing fully automatic, -2 RS if they are untrained (lack the Guns skill). While training does alleviate this penalty some, accessories (see below) can work to further do away with it. Numerous forms of specialized ammunition exist to enhance the basic effects of Piercing damage. An Armor Piercing (AP) round will affect one's physical protection as if it were -2 RS in rank value, while High Explosive (HE) rounds instead inflict +1 RS damage against armored opponents. Alternately, High Explosive Armor Piercing (HEAP) rounds gain the benefit of both ammunition types, but are often restricted to government use. Firearm Permutations: The following is a description of most forms of firearms. * Arquebus: a staggering advancement over Chinese cannon-style hand-held weaponry, the arquebus is a firearm which used the matchlock mechanism to dispense ammunition. They generally took ten turns to reload when muzzle-loaded, or eight when breech-loaded, often making them 'fire and forget' weaponry on the battlefield. An arquebus is fired with an inherent -2 RS penalty to its wielder's Coordination. Effective range: 3 sectors. * Automatic Shotgun: a recent development, the automatic shotgun combines the spray damage of a shotgun with the rate of fire of an assault rifle. This weapon inflicts conventional shotgun damage, along with the standard bonuses for semi-automatic and fully automatic fire, making them extremely deadly. They're heavy and have a short range, but make up for that with staggering firepower. Effective range: 2 sectors (bird shot), 3 sectors (buck shot), 4 sectors (slugs). * Blunderbuss: ancestor of the shotgun, a blunderbuss is a muzzle-loaded, hand-held weapon ideal for short range combat. This name applies to the two handed version, while the one handed variety is known as a Dragon (hence the term, dragoons). A blunderbuss inflicts rank value 6 Piercing damage to a target and everything adjacent to him or her, though it takes five rounds to reload, and suffers a -1 RS accuracy penalty. Effective range: 1 sector. * Hand Cannon: the original firearm, a hand cannon is exactly what it sounds like. A smaller, portable version of a conventional cannon, a hand cannon is fired in the same fashion. Hand cannons have an exceptional penalty to hit their foe (-3 RS), since they cannot be properly aimed, and aren't all that effective over long distances. But they're great for scaring horses - and relatively easy to improvise in a pinch. Effective range: 2 sectors. * Heavy Machine Gun: made for high volume gunplay, the heavy machine gun is the standard model on steroids. The rounds from such a weapon inflict +1 RS to the standard damage, whether firing in a semi-automatic, or fully automatic fashion (or in single-fire mode, which most - but not all - such weapons possess). If not braced, heavy machine guns suffer a -1 RS accuracy penalty. Effective range: 11 sectors (1/4 mile). * Machine Gun: machine guns (or assault rifles) are weapons that can be fired in a semi-automatic, or fully automatic mode; most also have a single shot option but this is not universal. These weapons are two-handed affairs; strong individuals attempting one-handed fire with a machine gun do so at a -4 RS to hit. They justify their weight with a high capacity of fire and great range. Effective range: 11 sectors (1/4 mile). * Machine Pistol: a machine pistol is the size and shape of a conventional handgun, but has the full rate of fire of a machine gun. Machine pistols may fire in a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic mode. When firing multiple rounds, they suffer an additional -1 RS accuracy penalty, due to their rather short barrels - which can be eliminated completely if a stock is installed. Effective range: 2 sectors. * Musket: an advancement over the arquebus, muskets could use either matchlock, wheellock, snaphance, or flintlock firing mechanisms, depending on their era of manufacture. The eventual advantages the musket offered were that they were more accurate (only a -1 RS penalty), possessed greater range, and could be loaded faster - in five turns for a muzzle-loader, or four for a breech-loader variety. Effective range: 4 sectors. * Revolver: the revolver is a one-handed weapon that does not use clips or magazines to hold ammunition, but a multi-chambered cylinder. The revolver can only be fired in a standard mode, though it can be fired more than once per turn with a fast enough operator. What it sacrifices in rate of fire and range, it makes up in damage (inflicting +1 RS). Effective range: 4 sectors. * Rifle: the basis from which all modern firearms operate, the rifle is an evolution of the musket. Using rifled barrels, a rifle can be fired at much greater range than a musket or its forebears, and with greater accuracy (no inherent penalty). The reliability and accuracy of rifling allows for the creation of weapons that fire multiple rounds at once, whether in a semi- or fully automatic fashion. Effective range: 11 sectors (1/4 mile). * Sidearm: the standard piece of most modern police forces, as well as military personnel who want a backup for their main weapon, the semi-automatic pistol is highly versatile. A semi-automatic pistol may be fired one- or two-handed, as is necessary. It may fire single rounds or in a semi-automatic mode, without accuracy penalties. Effective range: 7 sectors. * Shotgun: shotguns can fire cartridges with various payloads. Bird shot inflicts rank value 6 Piercing damage within a 30 degree arc, buck shot causes rank value 10 Piercing damage to a target and everything adjacent to it, and slugs inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage to a singular target. Furthermore, all manner of high tech specialty cartridges are available or in development for the shotgun as well. Effective range: 2 sectors (bird shot), 3 sectors (buck shot), 4 sectors (slugs). * Sniper Rifle: while most guns have gone the route of a faster rate of fire, bolt-action rifles remain in use to this day. They are often wielded at extreme range to strike down targets from afar, doing so with a +1 RS to the standard firearm round's damage. Some sniper rifles are instead semi-automatic in nature, but their effective range when firing in that mode is halved. Effective range: 22 sectors (1/2 mile). * Submachine Gun: this form of weapon is generally a smaller weapon than a full-blown machine gun, with the rate of fire of such a device. Submachine guns can be fired in a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic mode. Furthermore, they can be wielded with either one or two hands, though the former will inflict a -2 RS to hit with the weapon. Effective range: 9 sectors. Firearm Accessories: Though firearms are in and of themselves staggeringly lethal, technology has evolved alongside these weapons to make them even more deadly. Any number of special accessories can be used on a firearm to increase its effectiveness by further leaps and bounds, only some of which can't readily be used together. Some common accessories for firearms include the following: * Articulated Weapon Harness: this is a harness that supports a stabilizing arm, which steadies one's aim with a particularly heavy firearm (should one wish to fire it on the move). While a weapon such as a M2 Browning cannot benefit from a foregrip due to its weight, an apparatus such as an AWH can provide the same benefit - namely, a 1 RS reduction in the penalty inflicted by fully automatic gunfire. * Bayonet: a classic accessory throughout the ages, a bayonet is simply a blade attached to the bottom of a gun barrel. This allows its wielder to inflict Slashing damage with a firearm should his or her foe(s) become adjacent to them. Of course, a knife is always useful whether or not it is attached to one's firearm, which makes the weapon with one even more versatile in a pinch! * Bipod / Tripod: a bipod is an attachment to a gun which allows it to fire in steady fashion, its two legs using the ground (or any solid surface) to keep the firearm pointed where its wielder intends. When used properly (i.e., not while moving around), a bipod will eliminate 1 RS of the penalty caused by automatic fire - which may well eliminate it in the hands of a skilled shooter. * Foregrip: while a bipod is handy for a combatant who has the luxury of staying put, a foregrip is often a preferable accessory for firing on the go. Providing a more ergonomic gripping point for a firearm, a foregrip aids in the use of automatic fire. On firearms that have a foregrip fitted, a shooter may reduce the penalty for firing fully automatic by 1 RS - which, again, may eliminate it on a trained marksman. * Laser Sight: firearms with a laser sight allow for incredibly fast target acquisition, as the weapon's wielder can see precisely where it is pointed - assuming the laser is properly aligned with the gun, that is. Whether using visible or infrared laser light (the latter of which can only be seen with special goggles), a laser sight provides the wielder of a firearm a +1 RS to hit with his or her weapon. * Secondary Projectile: many firearms can have a secondary weapon, underslung beneath their barrel for added versatility. These most often fire grenades, which inflict rank value 30 damage to all uncovered targets within their detonation sector (of a type dependent on their payload), though other shells, such as buckshot, can often be loaded as well. Effective range: 4 sectors. * Silencer: a filter built to suppress the sound discharge given off by gunplay, a silencer will greatly reduce the racket a firearm will produce when in use. Though silencers will not completely eliminate the sound a gun emits upon being fired, they can nonetheless reduce the intensity of such sounds to rank value 2 loudness - often enough to stymie their detection by others more than a sector distant. * Starlight Scope: this advanced gun sight is an active electronic device, which greatly amplifies ambient light to let a shooter fire effectively at night or other dark conditions. While this device does not provide a bonus to hit one's foe, it reduces the penalty for firing in dark conditions by 3 RS - which almost completely removes the negatives of gunplay in the night. * Telescopic Sight: while many firearms have a rather high effective range, the truth is that most normal humans simply can't hit their target at some weapons' maximum range without help - particularly where sniper rifles are concerned. A telescopic sight can remedy this situation greatly, increasing the number of sectors a character can hit their foe without penalty at by a value equal to their rated multiplier (2x, 3x, etc.). * Tracer Rounds: a means of more readily correcting automatic fire, tracer rounds are bullets with an incendiary charge within. When fired, a tracer round creates a visible streak from one's firearm to whatever it hits, making it easier to 'walk' automatic fire towards one's target - and reducing the penalty of such fire by 1 RS. Of course, one's foes can also see tracer fire, and follow it back to its origin! * Weapon Lights: while a starlight scope is handy, it is a) heavy, and b) hard to install on some handguns. Enter the weapon light. Most often installed via a rail system, a weapon light allows a shooter to illuminate their target in low light conditions with a normal flashlight beam. These typically provide light of rank value 6 intensity, broadcasting with an effective range of two sectors. * Robots * A robot is a complex electromechanical machine that is capable of sensing and responding to its environment. As a class of equipment, robots can include anything ranging from non-sentient, rigidly programmed industrial devices to super-intelligent androids designed to be indistinguishable from human (or other) life forms. Most robots will usually fall between these two extremes. Function Follows Form Unlike most other characters (or equipment) in the Universal Heroes game, some basic things about robots must be decided before one can go about creating a statistical description of them. The first of these is the robot's function - what it was built for. Strange alien races aside, robots do not spontaneously evolve from nothingness. They are almost always built - either by humans or by other robots. So why was it built? Is the robot intended to perform menial labor, or perhaps serve as a war machine? The robot's purpose will define its configuration; for example, one does not need a humanoid robot to perform welding and soldering all day. On the other hand, a simple 8-axis manipulator arm by itself doesn't make for a very good combatant - unless it's somehow ambulatory, that is. A robot can come in a non-humanoid, semi-humanoid, or fully humanoid configuration. While humans relate well to other human-shaped objects in general, a given task may find such a shape inefficient. Thus, the robot may simply look like an odd collection of devices, it might be patterned on the shape of an ordinary, organic entity, or it might even be a vehicle with an on-board intelligence! Alternately, the human hand is an amazing tool for manipulating one's environment - hence the species' current level of evolution, technological and otherwise. As such, one might wish to build a robot that is at least partially humanoid in nature. This most often includes an upper body approximating that of a human being, with a lower half consisting of wheels, treads, spider legs, or whatever else is required. For more delicate situations, though, one might want a robot that at least approximates their own shape. This is handy for performing service-oriented tasks, like when one needs a butler, secretary, or an even more... personal companion. Such robots may have a humanoid shape, but won't necessarily be indistinguishable from actual human beings - unless that's the whole point, anyway. Intelligent or Sentient? If a robot does not require sentience to do its job, it most likely will not possess such a trait. This is most often the case with industrial robots. They are simply programmed to perform a specific task or tasks, and execute their various jobs according to said programming. If they are required to do a new job, they are just reprogrammed, possibly changing out a bit of tooling in the process. A lot of the time, robot combatants are not given sentience, either. They may possess incredibly complicated battle algorithms, and might seem smart enough to be sentient to the unaware, but the last thing one wants is to have their walking guns develop notions about fair pay. This may not allow such robots to reason their way through the unanticipated, but can be worked around if the automatons have proper supervision. On the other hand, some may consider the point of a robot to lessen the dependence on human labor and/or input, and thus may feel the need to make their robotic creations autonomous - relatively or completely. As such, it's just as likely one will find sentience plugged into a robot as they are not. Or, as a third option, there may be a sentient 'controller' robot amongst a group of non-sentient devices, guiding their actions. When dealing with non-sentient robots, it is typical to consider them a drone. A drone is not a character, so much as it is a piece of equipment. Even if a drone is shaped like a person, one need not feel bad about blowing it to pieces, for it lacks the spark of sentience. Sentient robots, on the other hand, are considered characters. Those morally opposed to the killing of other sentients must bear this in mind. In game terms, one can tell a sentient mechanism from a drone by the presence of a Fortune trait. It's that special spark of inspiration, of free will, that allows the robot to make use of such a thing. While a drone may have all of the mental traits required to 'add up' to a Fortune sum, such concepts are inapplicable to it, for it is simply a machine. Unless it evolves sentience on its own, that is! The Artificial Mind To produce an Artificial Intelligence, or AI - whether truly sentient or not - computers of astounding complexity are required. One can watch news reports about robots that are only now learning how to walk, or to properly interpret human speech. It may be some time before mainstream manufacturing technology can create a powerful neural computer capable of approximating - or exceeding - the human brain. But that's never stopped those on the fringes from trying. It's quite possible that there are AI systems out there, computers that have the hardware and software necessary to learn from their experiences. Scientists constantly experiment with this sort of thing, after all, so you never know when a device will make that leap from lifeless hunk of metal and silicon to something with what we consider a soul. That's the problem with sufficiently advanced computers. One can design robots to act only as drones, but happenstance may cause them to make the leap from merely intelligent to truly sentient. Perhaps a malfunction triggers such a change, or maybe rogue code. Or worse, hardware constraints built to specifically prevent this sort of thing from happening are removed, either by accident or intent. The dangerous thing about Artificial Intelligence is that, once it starts learning, it's liable to never stop. And as the sum of its hardware and software, AI can literally reconfigure its mind on the fly, allowing different programs and subroutines to control its actions or tendencies under varying circumstances. This makes even a basic understanding of synthetic minds dependent on knowing what software they use. And if it's writing its own programs to enhance itself, which allows it to write more advanced programs to enhance itself further, who knows what such an entity will ultimately evolve into. Perhaps an AI will become inexplicable and alien to mere human minds, or maybe it'll instead be comparable to ordinary beings, its many advantages and flaws evening out to equal something similar to an average person. Common Capabilities and Liabilities Constructed from synthetic materials, robots tend to be more outwardly durable than mere fleshlings. Though this is not always the case, robots often possess intrinsic body armor, the effectiveness of which is ostensibly determined by the various materials utilized in their construction, not to mention the overall thickness of those substances - and their 'skin'. In a similar vein, a majority of robots are not subject to the ravages of poison or plague as are organic entities. They receive the benefit of rank value 100 resistance to carbon-based disease and toxins, though it is important to note that robots are still vulnerable to the consumption of fouled fuels or energy sources, as well as life forms that prey upon beings with their specific composition. If possessing one or both of these powers does not fit a given robot's role, say when it is built to replicate the form, function, and internal workings of an organic being, they may be exchanged for others. For each of these powers the player generating a robot forgoes, he or she may either add one power slot (for random character generation) or five points (for systematic character generation). On the other hand, robots are often subject to one or more limitations that readily define their very existence. Primarily amongst these is their susceptibility to being reprogrammed. If a robot can tinker with its own mind to alter how it works, why can't anyone else? Though this trait can work to their advantage, a robot who is reprogrammable is considered to have a weak character limitation to that effect. The other limitation robots may be subject to is their lack of a metabolism. While this can give robots nigh-immunity to being poisoned or diseased, it means they have no inherent means to heal damage. If a robot isn't designed to simulate living beings, or otherwise lacks some sort of self-repair process, this weak character limitation means they'll have to break out tools and fix themselves when damaged. Robots in Combat An important consideration when fielding robotic characters is that they'll eventually suffer damage. For the most part, combat involving robots is treated as it is with any other character. If struck with an attack that inflicts enough damage to overcome any protection from injury they possess, the robot will suffer Health point loss, and if enough is absorbed, the robot will be knocked offline. Where robots differ from most conventional characters is when opponents target their specific systems and/or abilities. If a robot's foe attempts to disable a specific component of theirs, such attacks must first overcome its body armor, and then that robot may resist with a Fortitude ACT against the intensity of damage suffered. They are much like cyborgs in this regard. If disabled in such a fashion, how quickly (or even if) the robot can recover depends on its basic design. If built with the ability to heal, much like other characters, powers disabled in this manner are restored as soon as the related Health loss is negated. Those robots without this capacity, however, need to repair or replace the related components themselves - or have someone else do the work. Where robots and death are concerned, things are somewhat more nebulous. If deprived of Health and reduced to a Fortitude of zero (0), a robot is considered dead, whether sentient or otherwise. It simply cannot continue to function in any capacity, and is considered inert. Assuming no additional functions designed to forestall this fate, the robot will then remain in this state indefinitely. Unless repaired somehow! Though the materials that comprise them can degrade over time, the physicality of a robot persists much longer than that of an organic entity. As such, even a robot that is 'killed' can be rendered operable once again, assuming someone takes the time to repair, rebuild, or otherwise help them to resume function. The only loss will be whatever data they stored in volatile memory banks. Whether that be recent events or their entire personality. * Vehicles * A vehicle is a mechanical means of conveyance. Whether it travels on land, sea, air, or even beyond, vehicles are a mainstay of human civilization, with the first known example of such being well over eight thousand years old. Vehicles can take almost any form, but all serve the same basic function: they move things, whether people or cargo, from one location to another. Vehicles invariably do so more efficiently than humans can - or else, why bother with one? Regardless of their form, function, or purpose, all vehicles share the following three characteristics: * Handling: Handling is a statistic that describes how effectively a vehicle, well, handles. Characters operating a vehicle make Handling checks whenever attempting a difficult maneuver with said vehicle, using either its Handling rating or their Coordination - whichever of the two is less. If a vehicle is unmanned, Handling represents how well it can direct its own progress from point a to point b. * Velocity: Velocity indicates just how fast a given vehicle can safely move. A vehicle's Velocity rating applies to its primary mode of transportation; a flight velocity for aircraft, a drilling velocity for boring devices, and so forth. This rank value also applies when multiple modes of motion are available to a vehicle, unless specifically noted otherwise. A vehicle's safe Velocity may be exceeded by 1 RS when necessary. * Durability: a vehicle's Durability characteristic defines how well it can hold up to wear, tear, and, of course, assault. Attacks that strike a vehicle prompt a Durability ACT against their intensity, the result of which may indicate the vehicle suffers some (or perhaps a lot) of damage. Such damage takes the form of increasing reductions in the vehicle's statistics, until it is rendered inoperable at rank value 0. In addition to these three common characteristics, a vehicle may also have an additional statistic, depending on its nature: * Protection: vehicles that are operated directly by people will invariably have a Protection trait. This denotes how much body armor those within a vehicle benefit from simply as a result of being inside it. This may or may not stack with their own defenses, and Protection can be whittled away just as Durability can when a vehicle is under assault (typically when the operator or passenger is targeted directly). * Damage: when a vehicle is intended to inflict direct harm on others, it will usually have a Damage characteristic. Most missiles, guided or otherwise, fall into this category. Damage inflicted by a vehicle may simply be in the form of kinetic energy (ramming), or may instead spring from a warhead of some type detonating on impact (such as a fragmentary explosive). Vehicle Types Vehicles come in many forms. * Aircraft: vehicles of this type have the ability to achieve flight in some fashion, whether powered or otherwise. Aircraft must pass red Handling ACTs when attempting turns between forty-five and ninety degrees, making sudden course changes, moving further vertically than horizontally (either up or down), exceeding their safe Velocity rating, or landing under abnormal conditions. When attempting a turn greater than ninety degrees, but less than one hundred and eighty degrees, a blue Handling ACT is required while operating an aircraft. A yellow Handling ACT is mandatory when attempting turns of one hundred and eighty degrees or greater, if possible (as is the case with helicopters). At any rate, if multiple Handling conditions apply, increase the difficulty of a given ACT by one color. * Ground Effect Vehicles: hovercraft move along on a cushion of air, thus combining characteristics of both an off-road vehicle and an aircraft. While a hovercraft does not actually fly, per se, it nonetheless attempts Handling ACTs as if it were an aircraft. This makes a hovercraft inherently more difficult to control, but such vehicles have the advantage of operating on land or sea with equal capability. * Off-road Vehicles: an off-road vehicle operates similar to conventional, road vehicles, except that they are engineered to handle varying terrain better. They must make Handling ACTs as do their regular counterparts, save for the need to do so simply because of being off-road. The disadvantage of such vehicles is their generally slower Velocity in comparison to conventional road vehicles. * Railed Vehicles: this category of vehicle includes trains of all kinds, from old steam engines to modern monorail systems. Railed vehicles do not steer, simply following the track before them, and thus only need to attempt Handling ACTs when a sudden stop is called for. Some systems allow a rail operator to switch between two tracks placed before them, but otherwise they are at the mercy of the rails. * Road Vehicles: a road vehicle is just that, one designed to operate on the road. Such vehicles require a red Handling ACT when attempting turns between ninety and one hundred and eighty degrees, making sudden stops, traveling off-road, or exceeding their safe speed rating. Each additional condition that applies when making a maneuver increases the difficulty of the required Handling ACT by one level (red to blue, etc.). Advanced maneuvers a road vehicle can attempt include a bootlegger turn (turning such that one is facing the opposite direction than when they started) or drifting (operating the vehicle at oblique angles when taking corners). Such tricks require a blue Handling ACT. Yellow Handling ACTs are automatically called for when attempting a three hundred and sixty degree turn (essentially spinning out intentionally). When traveling off-road, road vehicles suffer a -2 RS to both their Handling and Velocity ratings. The former makes handling off-road particularly difficult, while the latter must be observed to avoid an increase in the difficulty of a Handling ACT required when driving in such a fashion (on top of the Row Shift penalty). While more difficult by far, such operations are not necessarily impossible in an emergency. * Spacecraft: vehicles of this type can traverse the inky black void of space - or at least near-earth orbit. Their nature generally precludes flashy maneuvers, though some exceptions are noted with Sufficiently Advanced Technology. A spacecraft need only make Handling ACT rolls when taking off, landing, making sudden course corrections, and exceeding their safe Velocity rating - if possible. * Subterranean Vehicles: most often taking the form of a boring device, subterranean vehicles have the ability to tunnel through the earth itself! Such vehicles are almost invariably slow, unless not bothering to bore out permanent passages, and must only attempt Handling ACTs when either making sudden course changes or digging through materials of a hardness approaching their own Durability rating. * Watercraft: these vehicles may include everything from a canoe to an aircraft carrier. A water craft is generally more difficult to lose control of, and ACTs in this regard are usually only called for when attempting sudden course corrections. This applies whether such a vehicle is on the surface of water (like a sailboat) or beneath it (as is the case with a submarine). Acceleration and Deceleration Untiring mechanical entities, vehicles can accelerate with great endurance. When attempting to pick up speed, a standard vehicle can accelerate as if it were a character with rank value 30 Fortitude, thus gaining two sectors of movement each turn. This can be increased in high performance vehicles if desired (going from zero to sixty in five seconds, for instance), though it often increases a vehicle's cost dramatically. When decelerating, a vehicle may safely reduce its speed by 2 RS each turn. This is the maximum amount of deceleration allowed without prompting a Handling ACT. Of course, when needing to stop in an emergency, an additional 1 RS of deceleration may be attempted. If the requisite, emergency deceleration Handling ACT fails, a vehicle did not in fact slow down at all - and is now out of control! These principles hold true regardless of what type of vehicle is in play (i.e., what movement table it uses). Note that an aircraft must first achieve a ground speed equal to its stated flight speed to take off, which often requires a runway - or an aircraft carrier. When landing, aircraft must decelerate to a like speed to do so safely. Of course, this requirement can be waived in the event that the aircraft in question has the ability to hover in place (as do helicopters, Harrier jets, and the Osprey). Out of Control If a vehicle fails a Handling ACT called for during the execution of some maneuver or another, it is considered out of control. An out of control vehicle will lose 1 RS of Velocity, after which point its operator may attempt another ACT to regain control of its motion. This process repeats each turn, until either control of the vehicle is regained, it completely stops, or it crashes into something. Vehicles continue to proceed in the direction they were moving when control was lost, despite being uncontrolled. On the ground, aircraft behave in this fashion, being road vehicles for all intents and purposes. While in the air, however, aircraft add a vertical descent each turn they are out of control, as if falling (which they are). This may greatly complicate attempts to regain control of a flying vehicle. If a vehicle crashes, make an ACT roll based on its current Velocity or Durability (whichever is lower), against the material value of whatever it struck. This is the amount of damage transferred into whatever the vehicle collided with, regardless of whether or not the ACT succeeds. If this ACT is successful, the vehicle can continue to move forward, though its momentum will be directly reduced by the m.v. of whatever it hit. If this ACT fails, however, the vehicle will be brought to a complete stop - for better or worse. Furthermore, the amount of damage transferred back into the vehicle is equal to its Velocity before the crash or the struck object's material value, whichever is higher. This may well cause damage to the vehicle, and if its Protection rating is exceeded, its operator and/or passengers might suffer harm as well. Vehicular Damage When exposed to damage, a vehicle's operator must attempt a Durability ACT, the results of which vary based on the intensity of incoming harm. If a vehicle's Durability rating is greater than the incoming damage, it suffers no ill effect on a yellow or blue Durability ACT, while a red result prompts a Handling check. A black Durability ACT indicates the vehicle has suffered damage, losing 1 RS of Durability until repaired. If the damage a vehicle suffers is equal to its Durability rating, it will avoid damage entirely upon a yellow Durability ACT. A blue Durability ACT allows a similar avoidance of damage, but requires a Handling check if in motion. A red Durability check under such circumstances inflicts a -1 RS to the vehicle's Durability until it is repaired, while a black Durability result inflicts this plus a 1 RS loss of Handling until repaired, as well. When incoming damage is greater than a vehicle's Durability, a yellow Durability check means only a Handling ACT is required. A blue result under these conditions causes a 1 RS loss of Durability until fixed, while a red Durability check sees a vehicle losing 1 RS of both Durability and Handling until repaired. A black result under such duress adds a 1 RS loss of Velocity to the previous, and an automatic loss of control. The nature of such vehicular trait reductions depend entirely on the situation at hand, and may be determined by the Gamemaster. For example, being sprayed by bullets may cause the vehicle's windows to shatter, punctured tires, or even exploding gas tanks. Gamemasters can use this to make vehicular combat more exciting when desired, which helps when the player characters lack their own movement powers. Vehicular Combat When a vehicle is involved in battle, damage may occur to either it or its occupant(s). An attacker may focus his or her ire on either, depending on their wishes. When assaulting the occupants of a vehicle, an attacker requires a Bullseye (or other, similar blue) combat result. And then, they must first contend with the Protection rating of a vehicle before they can affect those inside (if applicable). Attacks on a vehicle's occupants affect its Protection score as a normal assault would its Durability. Thus, Protection can be whittled away over time (for example, armor plating slowly being perforated to the point of uselessness), while the vehicle itself may not be adversely affected. Simply make Protection ACTs against the intensity of incoming damage to see if it can withstand an assault upon it. Attacks on a vehicle itself are handled by its Durability, as described above. On the other hand, vehicles can readily be used to dish out damage as well as soak it up. Mounted weaponry notwithstanding, a vehicle can always be used to ram into someone or something. Such instances are treated as an ordinary crash, save for the fact that the operator receives a +1 RS to hit with their vehicle since they are (usually) moving at a high speed in relation to their target. If striking a character with a vehicle, treat the Brawn of the operator's target as the material value to check against for damage. A tough enough character may have the ability to attempt a block maneuver against incoming vehicles, though this may not be enough to prevent them from being violently moved - unless they somehow possess the leverage to prevent being knocked back by the collision. * Other Devices * Other devices that have ascendant abilities built into them, for the most part, function normally... except that they're housed within some contraption or another, that is. They thus receive the benefit of the weak, 'portable' limitation - with all the ups and downs which this entails. Though, once again, the material nature of what helps them manifest must be accounted for. Power(s) granted by high tech implements otherwise operate per the usual, unless something acts to physically damage that object, or otherwise interferes wih the physical nature of the contraption that provides them. Jump jets may not work if their air intakes are clogged up with debris, for example, or a staff used to fire bursts of plasma energy may fail to do so if broken in half. In the event of physical damage, a gadget's special functions will be disabled if it fails a power ACT roll against the intensity of damage which exceeds its material value. An empowered apparatus may have been all smashed up, but that doesn't mean its (delicate?) innards were. At least, not yet. Mind you, a broken object has a considerably lower material value, and may not stand up to further abuse. Depending on the nature of the damage done to it, a device's material value may be reduced by as little as -1 RS, or even all the way to rank value 0. This is primarily a judgment call on the Gamemaster's part, based both on what was done to a thingamajig, and by how much the intensity of an attack exceeds its current material value. Equipment powers so disabled must be repaired before they'll function again. If an attempt is made to jam or negate a gizmo's special abilities, it may resist such efforts with a power ACT, one opposed by whatever intensity represents the offending interference. A powerful electromagnetic pulse may or may not knock out a computer, for instance, which is a vulnerability completely independent of just how durable that computer's case happens to be. When hampered by circumstance that isn't necessarily direct damage, a doohickey's special abilities will not be restored until the offending situation is resolved - at a minimum. The nature of such opposition may require repair, if it caused incidental damage to one or more of a whatsit's ingrained powers, or simply a restart, which will usually require 1d10 turns unless specifically designed to activate quickly. ** Generation (Random (Dice Roll) Method) ** Both the wielders and the products of technology generate their traits in the same fashion, having access to super-human statistics. While this may seem counter-intuitive, particularly in the case of otherwise normal humans simply making use of prochronistic devices, the simple truth is that innovation provides for this possibility, even when the body that wields them is not altered. For humans wielding technology with functions beyond the norm, the easiest way to rationalize traits which exceed those that biology allows for is when operating a powered exoskeleton. There are any number of mechanisms that can augment the body, though, which are ultimately limited only by the imagination of their creator - and aren't necessarily so bulky, either. Cybernetically augmented characters have a much easier time explaining why their traits are exceptional, if this in fact the case. Using implants and prosthetics, any number of heightened abilities, or even special powers, can be readily added to the human body. The only downside, of course, is that such augmentations can't be so readily reversed or removed. All of a robot's capabilities can be accounted for simply by dint of them being part of their very design (save for, perhaps, unintentional sentience). The only difference is that, like aliens, robots can come in configurations that don't necessarily conform to the norm, which may involve the possession of vehicular statistics, or even allow for a rank value 0 rating in others. When creating high tech heroes, villains, or other individuals of note, players may use table A to generate one trait, table B to generate their next three traits, and table D to generate their final three traits. These rolls may be made in any order the player chooses, in case they want more effective capability in a specific area, though again, these must be explained by their equipment. Technological characters have access to hyperkinetic traits, if one's Gamemaster allows their use. When this is the case, substitute table C for table B, and table E for table D where applicable (though disregard hyperhexhaustive results). If hyperkinetic rank values are desired but cannot be rolled, they can always be adopted as a character enhancement (as they are not applied to powers; see below). Players may then roll on table A to determine their initial Lifestyle rank value, and begin play with a Repute value of zero. Add up the character's Health and Fortune totals as usual, along with their Negative and Mental Health sums (if these are in use). Table 1: Rank Value Generation Table A Table B Table C Table D Table E Table F Table G Table H Table I Rank Value - - 01 - 01 - 01 - 01 Hyperexhaustive 01 01 02-05 - - 01 02-05 - - Rank Value 2 02-25 02-05 06-10 - - 02-05 06-10 - - Rank Value 4 26-50 06-25 11-25 - - 06-10 11-15 - - Rank Value 6 51-75 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 11-25 16-25 - - Rank Value 10 76-99 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 Rank Value 20 00 76-95 76-90 26-50 26-50 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 Rank Value 30 - 96-99 91-95 51-75 51-75 76-90 76-85 26-50 26-50 Rank Value 40 - 00 96-99 76-99 76-95 91-95 86-90 51-75 51-75 Rank Value 50 - - - 00 96-99 96-90 91-95 76-99 76-95 Rank Value 75 - - - - - 00 96-99 00 96-99 Rank Value 100 - - 00 - 00 - 00 - 00 Hyperkinetic Once these rolls are complete, you may gamble on any two traits of their choice, shoring up any areas in your psi-active character you feel need bolstering. The only limits in this regard are the results of the tables themselves, as well as the power rank value ceiling for a campaign, as set by the Gamemaster. If you're not already aware of this power ceiling, go ahead and ask your Gamemaster now! Table 2: Rank Value Modifiers (Gambling) Crazy Risky Traditional Lenient Easy Column Shift 01 - - - - -4 RS 02-05 01 - - - -3 RS 06-15 02-05 - 01 - -2 RS 16-25 06-25 01-15 02-25 01 -1 RS 26-75 26-75 16-50 26-50 02-25 0 RS 76-85 76-95 51-65 51-75 26-50 +1 RS 86-95 96-99 66-85 76-99 51-75 +2 RS 96-99 00 86-95 00 76-99 +3 RS 00 - 96-00 - 00 +4 RS (RV max). (RV 100 max). (RV 75 max). (RV 50 max). (RV 40 max). * Technological Origins * Before proceeding further, it must be determined how one with technology a character is, to better represent how their powers will express themselves. Is the character a mere user of high technology devices, has some of their body been replaced by such, or are they even the product of mankind's know-how? Table 3 is offered to randomly determine such, if desired, though players may readily choose their origins. Table 3: Origins of Power 01-33 Users 34-67 Cyborgs 68-00 Robots * Number of Technological Powers * When determining a character's high tech capabilities, start by figuring out exactly how many he or she will have to begin with. This is done by rolling randomly on table 4, which will give a character anywhere between two and seven technological powers with which to fight (or commit) crime. This is all the character will have to begin with, barring the invention process - or modifying oneself to have more tricks built-in. Table 4: Initial Technological Powers 01-17 Two Powers 18-33 Three Powers 34-50 Four Powers 51-67 Five Powers 68-83 Six Powers 84-00 Seven Powers * Determining Character Powers * After determining how many powers a character will begin play with, it's time to figure out which powers they'll actually possess. You can begin this process by rolling on either table 5a or 5b to determine the category a character's first power will fall within. There are two versions of this table because some power categories are entirely optional; ask your Gamemaster if he or she wishes you to use 5a or 5b. Once table 5a or 5b determines a power category, roll on the subsequent power category table (tables 6 through 20) for an individual power. With this first, randomly determined power decided, read its description. This is because, at the beginning of almost every power description in the Technical Reference, there is a list of related powers, abilities that dovetail with the indicated technological function. A player may opt to either choose one of these related capabilities for his or her next power selection(s), or may instead roll randomly again. And so on, and so forth, until the player's power selections have all been determined. What this does is allow a player to build a character with high tech abilities that are closely related to one another, if so desired. Players may go either way with characters using advanced technology, however, for the abilities their gear has is determined by their knowledge, their resources, and ultimately, their individual whims. Note that some powers are vastly more potent than others. These particularly versatile abilities occupy more than one power 'slot' on a character, whether chosen or rolled up randomly. These powers will have a number in parenthesis after their name (such as a (3), for instance), which determines how many power 'slots' they use up when added to one's character. Another concern when determining the powers a technological character will possess is what form they manifest in. The ascendant abilities of high tech characters are uniquely related to their physical source, and a high tech hero, villain, or other adventurer must at least explain where they come from. This explanation needn't be anything requiring a master's degree, though, as many comic books can attest. All characters generated via the Technical Reference may gain powers via items that are external to their body. While otherwise human beings who are the users of high tech devices solely gain their special abilities via these implements, cyborgs and robots can designate one or more of their powers as sourced via disconnected devices as well, should they so choose. Table 5a: Power Categories (standard) 01-08 Biological Control 09-15 Combination 16-23 Energy Control 24-31 Energy Generation 32-38 Matter Control 39-46 Mental Control 47-54 Mental Enhancement 55-61 Movement 62-69 Physical Control 70-77 Physical Enhancement 78-84 Physical Weaponry 85-92 Power Control 93-00 Sensory Table 5b: Power Categories (optional) 01-07 Biological Control 08-14 Combination 15-21 Energy Control 22-28 Energy Generation 29-35 Matter Control 36-42 Mental Control 43-49 Mental Enhancement 50-56 Movement 57-63 Physical Control 64-70 Physical Enhancement 71-77 Physical Weaponry 78-84 Power Control 85-91 Reality Control 92-99 Sensory 00 Ultimate Power? Table 6: Biological Control Powers 01-02 Aciurgy 03-05 Age Control / Others 06-07 Animal Control 08-10 Animal Hybridization / Others 11-12 Animal Sympathy 13-15 Biological Vampirism (2) 16-17 Body Control 18-20 Cure Disease 21-22 Death Ray 23-25 Decontamination 26-27 Degeneration 28-30 Detoxification 31-32 Disease 33-35 Emotion Control 36-37 Empathic Hammer 38-40 Empathy 41-42 Gestalting (2) 43-45 Harm 46-47 Healing / Others 48-50 Integral Control 51-52 Mood Swings 53-55 Organism Generation (3) 56-57 Pain 58-60 Pheromones 61-62 Plant Hybridization / Others 63-65 Plant Control 66-67 Plant Sympathy 68-70 Poison 71-72 Reanimation (2) 73-75 Recovery 76-77 Regeneration / Others 78-80 Resurrection (2) 81-82 Resuscitation 83-85 Rotting 86-87 Sensory Attenuation 88-90 Sensory Distortion 91-92 Sleep 93-95 Summoning (2) 96-97 Transformation / Others (2) 98-00 Vampirism (2) Table 7: Combination Powers 01-07 Berserker (2) 08-13 Dyad (2) 14-20 Environmental Pocket (2) 21-27 Environmental Sense (2) 28-33 Evolution Control (2) 34-40 Hostility Screen (2) 41-47 Ice Generation (2) 48-53 Jeopardy (2) 54-60 Missile Generation 61-67 Nanotechnology Generation (3) 68-73 Organic Circuitry (3) 74-80 Plasma Generation (2) 81-87 Regenerative Armor (3) 88-93 Teleformation (3) 94-00 Weather Control (2) Table 8: Energy Control Powers 01-03 Celestial Light Control 04-07 Darkness Control 08-10 Electricity Control 11-13 Energy Absorption (2) 14-17 Energy Cohesion 18-20 Energy Projection 21-23 Energy Vampirism (2) 24-27 Fire Control 28-30 Force Field 31-33 Hellfire Control 34-37 Image Projection (2) 38-40 Imaginary Doubles (2) 41-43 Kinetic Absorption (2) 44-47 Kinetic Energy Control 48-50 Light Control 51-53 Magnetism Control 54-57 Object Charge 58-60 Psionic Absorption (2) 61-63 Psychokinesis 64-67 Radiation Control 68-70 Radio Wave Control 71-73 Sound Control 74-77 Spectral Flame Control 78-80 Temperature Control 81-83 Temporal Static 84-87 Thaumaturgical Absorption (2) 88-90 Theonic Absorption (2) 91-93 Transception 94-97 Transduction (2) 98-00 Vibration Control Table 9: Energy Generation Powers 01-07 Celestial Light Generation 08-13 Cold Generation 14-20 Darkness Generation 21-27 Electricity Generation 28-33 Fire Generation 34-40 Force Blast 41-47 Heat Generation 48-53 Hellfire Generation 54-60 Light Generation 61-67 Magnetism Generation 68-73 Radiation Generation 74-80 Radio Wave Generation 81-87 Sound Generation 88-93 Spectral Flame Generation 94-00 Vibration Generation Table 10: Matter Control Powers 01-03 Adhesion 04-06 Aggregation 07-09 Antimatter (3) 10-12 Assimilation 13-15 Catalysis 16-18 Clone Projection 19-21 Color Control 22-24 Corrosion 25-27 Cyclone 28-30 Density Control / Others 31-33 Device Generation (2) 34-36 Device Sympathy 37-39 Disintegration (2) 40-42 Energy Doubles (2) 43-45 Flaying 46-48 Fluid Animation 49-50 Friction Control 51-53 Growth / Others 54-56 Invisibility / Others 57-59 Matter Absorption 60-62 Matter Duplication (2) 63-65 Matter Generation (3) 66-68 Object Animation 69-71 Object Hardening 72-74 Object Sympathy 75-77 Object Weakening 78-80 Quarantine 81-83 Shrinking / Others 84-86 Solid Animation 87-89 Technical Intuition 90-92 Topological Control (3) 93-95 Transmutation (3) 96-98 Vapor Animation 99-00 Vivification (3) Table 11: Mental Powers 01-02 Astral Projection 03-04 Auscultation 05-06 Clairalience 07-08 Clairaudience 09-10 Clairgustance 11-12 Clairtouchence 13-14 Clairvoyance 15-16 Clarity 17-18 Computer Link 19-20 Crowd Control (2) 21-22 Dream Projection 23-24 Finding 25-26 Forgetfulness 27-28 Fugue 29-30 Illusion Projection (2) 31-32 Image Animation 33-34 Jumbling 35-36 Knowledge 37-38 Lie Detection 39-40 Mental Doubles (2) 41-42 Mental Repair 43-44 Mesmerism 45-46 Mind Control 47-48 Mind Duplication 49-50 Mind Link 51-52 Mind Lock 53-54 Mind Transfer (2) 55-56 Mind Wipe (2) 57-58 Object Projection 59-60 Possession (2) 61-62 Postcognition 63-64 Precognition (3) 65-66 Psi Bolt 67-68 Psi Web 69-70 Psionic Vampirism (2) 71-72 Psychic Invisibility 73-74 Psychic Probe 75-76 Psychometry 77-78 Psychoplasm Animation (2) 79-80 Sending 81-82 Sensory Link 83-84 Sensory Projection 85-86 Sensory Reception 87-88 Soul Control 89-90 Spectral Vampirism (2) 91-92 Static Field 93-94 Telekinesis 95-96 Telepathy 97-98 Thought Projection 99-00 Translation Table 12: Mental Enhancement Powers 01-07 Danger Sense (2) 08-14 Eidetic Memory (*) 15-21 Fortuity 22-28 Jury Rigging 29-35 Kit-bashing 36-42 Linguistics 43-50 Mental Invisibility (2) 51-57 Self Control 58-64 Spectral Freedom (*) 65-71 Super Invention (*) 72-78 Transfixture 79-85 Ultimate Skill (*) 86-92 Unyielding Will 93-00 Xenoglossy Table 13: Movement Powers 01-04 Anchor 05-08 Between (2) 09-12 Bilocation 13-16 Carrier Wave 17-20 Chaos Shift (*) 21-25 Dimensional Interface (2) 26-29 Dimensional Transit 30-33 Flight 34-37 Gliding 38-41 Jelling 42-45 Levitation 46-50 Mind Walk 51-54 Platforming 55-58 Portal (2+) 59-62 Propulsion 63-66 Super Climbing 67-70 Super Digging 71-75 Super Flight 76-79 Super Jumping (*) 80-83 Super Running 84-87 Super Swimming 88-91 Teleportation 92-95 Teleportation / Others 96-00 Time Travel (2) Table 14: Physical Control Powers 01-03 Age Control / Self 04-07 Animal Hybridization / Self 08-10 Aura (2) 11-13 Blending 14-17 Body Doubles (4) 18-20 Density Control / Self 21-23 Detachable Parts 24-27 Dimensional Displacement 28-30 Disguise 31-33 Elongation 34-37 Environmental Adaptation (2) 38-40 Growth / Self 41-43 Gyration 44-47 Healing / Self 48-50 Imaginary Mass 51-53 Inaudibility 54-57 Inodoriferous 58-60 Intangibility 61-63 Internal Universe 64-67 Invisibility / Self 68-70 Kinetic Focus 71-73 Metabolic Focus 74-77 Plant Hybridization / Self 78-80 Redolence 81-83 Shape Change 84-87 Shrinking / Self 88-90 Situational Adaptation 91-93 Super Synesthesia (*) 94-97 Transformation / Self (2) 98-00 Vocal Control Table 15: Physical Enhancement Powers 01-04 Additional Organs (*) 05-08 Body Armor 09-12 Clinging (*) 13-16 Damage Reduction (*) 17-20 Deflection (*) 21-24 Dual Respiration (*) 25-28 Environmental Indep. (*) 29-32 Flake Armor 33-36 Greater Invulnerability (*) 37-40 Greater Resistance (*) 41-44 Invulnerability (*) 45-48 Longevity (*) 49-52 Plasticity 53-56 Reformation (2) 57-60 Regeneration (2) 61-64 Resistance (*) 65-68 Revival 69-72 Screened Senses 73-76 Stasis (*) 77-80 Super Breath 81-84 Super Speed (3) 85-88 Turnabout 89-92 Universal Digestion (*) 93-96 Universal Respiration (*) 97-00 Zest Table 16: Physical Weaponry Powers 01-06 Additional Limbs (*) 07-12 Barbs (*) 13-18 Battle Tail (*) 19-25 Claws (*) 26-31 Edges (*) 32-37 Fangs (*) 38-43 Hard Points (*) 44-50 Horns (*) 51-56 Pouches (*) 57-62 Prehensile Hair 63-68 Prehensile Skin 69-75 Prehensile Tail (*) 76-81 Quills (*) 82-87 Razor Skin (*) 88-93 Tentacles (*) 94-00 Wings (*) Table 17: Power Control Powers 01-03 Amplification 04-06 Attenuation 07-09 Boon 10-12 Corporeal Gestalt (2) 13-15 Deionic Control (2) 16-18 Empowerment (2) 19-21 Investment (3) 22-24 Link (2) 25-27 Opposition (3) 28-30 Power Absorption (4) 31-33 Power Amplification 34-36 Power Attenuation 37-39 Power Block (2) 40-42 Power Control (2) 43-45 Power Duplication (4) 46-48 Power Transfer (2) 49-51 Psionic Amplification 52-54 Psionic Attenuation 55-57 Psionic Control (2) 58-60 Sorcerous Amplification 61-63 Sorcerous Attenuation 64-66 Spectral Gestalt (2) 67-69 Spell Control (2) 70-72 Super Vampirism (2) 73-75 Theonic Amplification 76-78 Theonic Attenuation 79-81 Trace Duplication (4) 82-84 Variable Cybernetics 85-87 Variable Power 88-90 Variable Psionics 91-93 Variable Skill (*) 94-96 Variable Sorcery 97-00 Weakness Generation (2) Table 18: Reality Control Powers 01-04 Ability Boost 05-08 Antigravity 09-12 Buttress (2) 13-16 Causality Control (4) 17-20 Combining Powers (*) 21-24 Fortune Control (2) 25-28 Future Control (2) 29-32 Grace 33-36 Gravity Control 37-40 History Control (3) 41-44 Initiative Control (2) 45-48 Keeper 49-52 Learned Invulnerability (4) 53-56 Lethality (2) 57-60 Logos 61-64 Luck (3) 65-68 Nimiety (2) 69-72 Override (3) 73-76 Planar Control (3) 77-80 Power Boost 81-84 Reassignment (3) 85-88 Roulette (2) 89-92 Space Control 93-96 Thaumaturgical Vampirism (2) 97-00 Time Control (3) Table 19: Sensory Powers 01-04 Atomic Sense 05-08 Biological Sense 09-12 Circular Vision (*) 13-16 Energy Sense 17-20 Flaw Sense 21-23 Infravision 24-27 Locational Sense 28-31 Macro Sense (2) 32-35 Magic Sense 36-39 Microscopic Vision 40-43 Nativity Sense 44-46 Nonapparent Vision 47-50 Origin Sense 51-54 Psi Sense 55-58 Radar Sense 59-62 Radivision 63-66 Sonar Sense 67-69 Spectral Sense 70-73 Super Senses (2) 74-77 Super Tracking 78-81 Technological Sense 82-85 Telescopic Vision 86-89 Theonic Sense 90-92 Transparent Vision 93-96 Ultravision 97-00 Unusual Sensitivity (*) Table 20: Ultimate Power 01-49 Return to Table 5 50-51 Ultimate Power (5) 52-00 Return to Table 5 * Determining Power Rank Values * Once a character's powers have been determined, one must indicate how potent they will be. Do this by rolling once on table B for half of one's technological powers, and table D for the other half. As is the case with traits, campaigns with access to hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic rank values may instead roll on tables C and E, respectively. With this done, the player may gamble on the rank values so indicated. Players may do this once if their character has three or less high tech functions, twice if he or she has from four to six technological functions, or thrice if the character has seven or more advanced functions. For each of a high tech character's powers that come from an item external to their body, he or she must determine the material value of the object which provides it. As is the case with cybernetics, these will typically have a minimum m.v. equal to the character's Brawn or Fortitude +2 RS, whichever of the two is higher, to prevent their breakage under most conventional circumstances. Players may gamble on the material value of items distinct from their person as well, doing so in the same basic fashion and quantity. However, such gambling attempts have no upper maximum to speak of. * Character / Power Limitations * Players are often unhappy with the rank values they've rolled up for their character. Even after adjusting various rank values with gambling attempts, they're just not satisfied with what they've come up with. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as sometimes one has a specific vision in mind for their character; this is where limitations come in. A player may subject their character to limitations to make them more powerful. Limitations come in two distinct flavors: power limitations and character limitations. A power limitation is just that, an altering of how said power works to the detriment of the player, as compared to others who can use this ability. A power so limited may not affect certain objects or beings, can only be used during certain time periods, or may otherwise function in a manner others may find unusual or restrictive. Character limitations, however, change the nature of every power a person uses, not just one. A character limitation may simply be a power limitation that 'works' on every single power, an alteration to the basic working of powers in general, or even some other constraint that seriously hampers how a character operates (such as an inability to move without the aid of powers). At any rate, the severity of the limitation determines just how much of a power boost the character may receive. Limitations come in four flavors: weak, strong, very strong, and extreme. A weak limitation is just that, a minor crimp in an ability's effectiveness, and only offers a +1 RS. Each successive limitation offers another +1 RS to the power rank value, but as their names imply, they become increasingly, well, limiting. Alternately, a character can take a limitation on a power to replace one already built in to it; some powers, like those involving time, have several such constraints already worked into them. With the Gamemaster's permission, players may swap out one limitation for another, as long as the new limitation would be equally as inconvenient, which allows a player to better craft the character they imagine in their heads. * Character / Power Enhancements * Similarly, a player might have more than enough power (or might think such, at any rate), or simply wants more 'bang for their buck' out of their existing power roster. If this is the case, they may decide to empower their abilities with enhancements. Like limitations, enhancements have four levels of power, including weak, strong, very strong, and extreme, each of which adds a subsequent -1 RS modifier to one's power rank values. In exchange for suffering from the effects of this modifier, the character's ability will benefit from an improvement of some sort. Moving a power up one speed or range category is considered a strong enhancement, while two is an extreme enhancement. At the same time, a power can be given a hyperkinetic rank value if not already rolled randomly, serving as an extreme enhancement to the specific power it applies to. Like limitations, enhancements are difficult to apply across an entire character, though this isn't impossible. While speeds and ranges vary from power to power, things such as initiative penalties can apply to all a character's actions and powers. Alternately, one might opt to gain a hyperkinetic trait, which is considered a weak character enhancement (thus applying a -1 RS to all of one's powers). Usually, the reduction in rank value an enhancement inflicts is enough to make up the difference. This can make purchasing new powers more difficult down the line, though, particularly if a character enhancement is in effect. A new power to be affected by an enhancement must be bought at a rank value high enough that, upon applying the negative RS, it will at least work at the normal starting value. * Quirks * Slightly more palatable than limitations or enhancements, quirks are minor changes to a character that either saddle him or her with some disadvantage, or enhance a trait of theirs. They can also be used to raise the rank value one or more of a character's powers work at if so desired, within the confines of that system. The quirks rules have more on this, but the quirk tables are presented here, for convenience. Normally, quirks are a voluntary affair - players may or may not use quirks, as they see fit. They are presented below, in the format of random rolling tables, for two reasons. The first is for the Gamemaster's use, to quickly generate random characters when time is of the essence. Alternately, a player may roll randomly if he or she wants or needs ideas for a quirk, and doesn't know precisely what to pick. Quirks are divided up into the beneficial and deleterious quirks of a physical, mental, and role-play nature. Those quirks which cost (or grant) two quirk points are noted with a two in parenthesis (2), while those that can be taken at multiple levels are noted with an asterisk in parenthesis (*). Note: when building device users, as opposed to cyborgs or robots, players receive one free quirk point at this stage of character generation. If using the systematic method to build a character, players may instead add a point to their character, which are ostensibly for use when purchasing quirks, but may be designated for any other purpose if desired. Table 21: Quirks Categories 01-17 Physical (beneficial) 18-33 Physical (deleterious) 34-50 Mental (beneficial) 51-67 Mental (deleterious) 68-83 Role-Play (beneficial) 84-00 Role-Play (deleterious) Table 22: Physical Quirks (beneficial) 01-06 Acceleration Tolerance 07-12 Adrenal Surge 13-18 Ambidexterity 19-25 Fast Healing 26-31 Fighting Logistics 32-37 Gravity Tolerance (*) 38-43 Hardiness (2) 44-50 Heightened Sense 51-56 High Pain Threshold 57-62 Hypermobility 63-68 Learned Resistance (*) 69-75 Omnidexterity (2) 76-81 Rank Value Boost (2) 82-87 Strong Bones (*) 88-93 Sturdiness 94-00 Tetrachromacy Table 23: Physical Quirks (deleterious) 01-05 Abnormal Attribute 06-11 Acceleration Intolerance 12-16 Addiction (*) 17-21 Albinism 22-27 Allergy (*) 28-32 Color Blind 33-37 Dulled Sense (*) 38-42 Dwarfism 43-47 Epilepsy 48-52 Feebleness 53-58 Gigantism 59-63 Gravity Intolerance (*) 64-68 Lameness 69-74 Low Pain Threshold 75-79 Missing Parts (2) 80-84 Rank Value Loss (2) 85-89 Slow Healing 90-94 Weak Bones (2) 95-00 Weakness (2) Table 24: Mental Quirks (beneficial) 01-08 3-D Sense 09-15 Alertness 16-23 Cybernetic Aptitude 24-31 Fortitude 32-38 High Stress Threshold 39-46 Karmic Shell (2) 47-54 Magical Aptitude 55-61 Natural Talent 62-69 Psionic Aptitude 70-77 Quick Learning 78-84 Sanity 85-92 Static 93-00 Technological Aptitude Table 25: Mental Quirks (deleterious) 01-03 Action Addict 04-06 Attitude (*) 07-08 Bluntness (*) 09-11 Bully (*) 12-14 Combat Paralysis (*) 15-17 Compulsiveness (*) 18-19 Cowardice (*) 20-22 Cyber-neurosis 23-25 Delusions (*) 26-28 Fanaticism (*) 29-31 Frenzied 32-33 Greed (*) 34-36 Gullibility (*) 37-39 Honesty (*) 41-42 Impulsiveness (*) 43-44 Inept (*) 45-47 Insanity (2) 48-50 Insomnia 51-53 Jealousy (*) 54-56 Karmic Dearth (2) 57-58 Laziness (*) 59-61 Learning Disorder 62-64 Low Stress Thresh. (*) 65-67 Mania (*) 68-69 Multiple Personality (*) 70-72 Pacifism (*) 73-75 Paranoia (*) 76-78 Personal Code (*) 79-81 Phobia (*) 82-83 Pushover 84-86 Rudeness (*) 87-89 Short Attention Span 90-92 Shyness (*) 93-94 Stubborn (*) 95-97 Temper (*) 98-00 Vow (*) Table 26: Role-Play Quirks (beneficial) 01-09 Ally 10-18 Assistant 19-27 Attractive (*) 38-36 Benefactor (*) 37-45 Cash Flow 46-54 Charmed 55-63 Fame (*) 64-72 Fan Club 73-81 Good Reputation 82-90 Likability (2) 91-00 Lucky (2) Table 27: Role-Play Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Alien Culture (*) 07-11 Bad Reputation 12-17 Bigotry (*) 18-22 Dependent 23-28 Detractors 29-33 Enemy (*) 34-39 Illiteracy 40-44 Jinxed 45-50 Loner (*) 50-56 Nerd 57-61 Poverty 62-67 Repugnant Personality (*) 68-72 Snob 73-78 Social Dependent (*) 79-83 Unattractive (*) 84-89 Unlucky (2) 90-94 Unpleasant Habits (*) 95-00 Weirdness Magnet * Skills * The skills your freshly built technology-based character begins play with are determined in the same fashion as any other character's, beginning by rolling up their number of initial skills on table 28. Then, roll for the category each skill will belong to on table 29. To finish up, roll for individual skills using tables 30 through 37, one table for each applicable category of skills. However, the actual skills a character has really should be determined by his or her origin. Keeping this in mind, the Gamemaster may well opt to let a player choose some (or all of) the skills their high tech character possesses, allowing him or her a lot more creative control over their character. Another thing to consider is that a skill can function at a higher 'level' than normal. There are three 'tiers' of skills, each providing an increasing bonus to ACTs applicable to said skill. When generating these heightened skills, however, keep in mind the fact that they cost more; a level 2 skill counts as two skills, while a level 3 skill counts as four. This can get expensive fast, but is a great way to showcase what your character is really good at. Also, some skills cost more than others, even before higher level skills are considered. A skill that has a number in parenthesis counts as that many skills during character generation; these are mostly background skills, but others can cost more as well. Similarly, the Student skill costs all of one's initial skill slots, for it by definition implies that a body does not have any other skills. Note: when building device users, as opposed to cyborgs or robots, players may add two additional skill slots at this stage of character generation. If using the systematic method to build a character, players may instead add two points to their character, which are intended to be spent on skills, but may be repurposed for any other use, if desired. Table 28: Number of Skills 01-17 Two skills 18-33 Three skills 34-50 Four skills 51-67 Five skills 68-83 Six skills 84-00 Seven skills Table 29: Skill Categories 01-12 Background 13-25 Behavioral 26-37 Fighting 38-50 Environmental 51-62 Miscellaneous 63-75 Professional 76-87 Scientific 88-00 Weapon Table 30: Background Skills 01-25 Heir to Fortune (3) 26-50 Law Enforcement (2) 51-75 Military (2) 76-00 Student (*) Table 31: Behavioral Skills 01-12 Animal Handling 13-25 Hypnosis 26-37 Leadership 38-50 Manipulation 51-62 Performer 63-75 Service 76-87 Sleight of Hand 88-00 Tactics Table 32: Environmental Skills 01-09 Astronaut 10-18 Boating 19-27 Climbing 38-36 Driving 37-45 Piloting 46-54 Planargation 55-63 Riding 64-72 Stealth 73-81 Survival 82-90 Teamster 91-00 Tracking Table 33: Fighting Skills 01-06 Acrobatics 07-12 Aerial Combat 13-18 Astral Combat 19-25 Martial Arts style A 26-31 Martial Arts style B 32-37 Martial Arts style C 38-43 Martial Arts style D 44-50 Martial Arts style E 51-56 Mounted Combat 57-62 Multiple Attacks 63-68 Spatial Combat 69-75 Targeting 76-81 Tumbling 82-87 Underwater Combat 88-93 Vehicular Combat 94-00 Wrestling Table 34: Miscellaneous Skills 01-12 Escape Artist 13-25 First Aid 26-37 Gastronomy 38-50 Power Skill 51-62 Repair / Tinkering 63-75 Resist Domination 76-87 Trance 88-00 Trivia Table 35: Professional Skills 01-06 Agriculture 07-12 Artist 13-18 Business / Finance 19-24 Crime 25-29 Demolitions 30-35 Detective / Espionage 36-41 Education 42-47 Engineering 48-53 Journalism 54-59 Law 60-65 Leathercraft 66-71 Metalcraft 72-77 Politics 78-82 Salesmanship 83-88 Sports 89-94 Stonecraft 95-00 Woodcraft Table 36: Scientific Skills 01-07 Archaeology 08-13 Biology 14-20 Chemistry 21-27 Computers 28-33 Criminology 34-40 Electronics 41-47 Genetics 48-53 Geology 54-60 Linguistics 61-67 Lore 68-73 Mathematics 74-80 Medicine 81-87 Physics 88-93 Psychology 94-00 Theology Table 37: Weapon Skills 01-04 Advanced Guns 05-09 Blunt Weapons 10-14 Bows 15-19 Concussion Weapons 21-24 Energy Weapons 25-28 Entangling Weapons 29-33 Guns 34-38 Marksman 39-43 Martial Arts Weapons 44-48 Natural Weapons 49-52 Pole Weapons 53-57 Quick Draw 58-62 Sharp Weapons 63-67 Shields 68-72 Spontaneous Weapons 73-76 Thrown Objects 77-81 Thrown Weapons 82-86 Two Weapons 87-91 Weapon Skill 92-96 Weapon Specialist 97-00 Weapons Master (2) * Contacts * Also presented for your convenience is the table used to detail the initial number of contacts a new character possesses; it is available as table 38 in the Reference. Table 39, then, lists the types of contacts a high tech character may have upon the start their career, if the player needs any ideas; one need not roll up contact types randomly if they don't wish to. Like quirks and skills, contacts can be taken at one of three levels of importance; for example, a police contact might be a beat cop (level 1), an FBI operative (level 2), or even an Interpol agent (level 3). Similarly, contacts of a higher level cost an increased amount of contact 'slots' - a level 2 contact counts as two contacts, while a level 3 contact costs four contact 'slots'. Note: when building device users, as opposed to cyborgs or robots, players may add two additional contact slots at this stage of character generation. If using the systematic method to build a character, players may instead add two points to their character, which are ideally used to purchase contacts, but may be designated for any other purpose if desired. Table 38: Number of Starting Contacts 01-17 Two contacts 18-33 Three contacts 34-50 Four contacts 51-67 Five contacts 68-83 Six contacts 84-00 Seven contacts Table 39: Contacts 01-06 Aide 07-11 Artist / Performer 12-17 Business 18-22 Criminal 23-28 Doctor 29-33 Expert 34-39 Foreign Power 40-44 Government 45-50 Hero / Villain 50-56 Informant 57-61 Journalist 62-67 Lawyer 68-72 Mentor 73-78 Military 79-83 Organization 84-89 Police 90-94 Scientist 95-00 Trivia * And Last, But Not Least * On top of all of their fantastic gear, that which grants them access to transcendent capabilities, high tech adventurers also have their pick of conventional, mundane equipment. These devices won't be the kind that make or break their style, for the most part, but they often fill in holes on a high tech character's roster when needed - or, at the very least, add a bit of luxury to one's life. Common equipment a character can possess depends on their Lifestyle. One may automatically have gear with a price equal to their Lifestyle value or less, and can start out with items of up to his or her Lifestyle value +2 RS with but a small explanation (the character has a Lamborghini ™ they previously paid off). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Gamemaster, but isn't necessarily out of the question. It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point. ** Generation (Systematic (Point Based) Method) ** Players start with fifty (50) points with which to build a high tech character. They may spend these points as they wish, only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling. For example, a mid-level campaign may limit characters to 50 or less on most rank values. Ask your Gamemaster about his or her campaign limits before you proceed any further, if you're not sure what they are! To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each trait; for our purposes, the 'norm' will be rank value 6. For every +1 RS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 RS applied to these values, add one point. One trait should remain within the normal human limits, but otherwise the sky is the limit (such limits are detailed in the Core Rules). A starting character is assumed to have rank value 6 Lifestyle and a Repute score of zero (0). One may alter these traits as they can any other, though at double the cost for each RS (a rank value 50 Lifestyle would cost ten points, for example). If one intends to purchase the Heir to Fortune background skill, they shouldn't alter this 'base' Lifestyle score any. Health and Fortune are determined normally. An opposed Repute score (negative for heroes, positive for villains) is worth two points, no matter how great it is. Before purchasing a character's powers, one should determine their origin, if this has not already been decided, for it will provide added benefits (and constraints) down the line. When buying powers, each rank value in each power costs one point, starting at rank value 2. The upper value of each ascendant ability is only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling (again, ask your Gamemaster about this if necessary). Plug in bonus powers provided by one's origin at this point as well, when building robots or cyborgs - unless the points provided for such have been appropriated for use elsewhere. Costs can be controlled by adding limitations, which can apply to either one or all a character's powers. Whether applied to one power or globally to the character as a whole, weak limitations reduce the cost of a power by one point, strong limitations by two points, very strong limitations by three points, and extreme limitations by four points. Consider the effect of such limitations before counting your point savings! Bear in mind the fact that all powers have a minimum cost of one (1) point, no matter how limited they may be. Furthermore, most characters with technology-based powers already have at least one limit baked into their super-human abilities, so further limitations should be adopted with care. Moving the other direction, a player may enhance one or more powers. A weak enhancement increases the cost by one point, strong enhancements add two points, very strong enhancements raise the cost by three points, and extreme enhancements add four points to a power's final cost. Such enhancements include improving a power's range or speed categories, as well as other augmentations to its functionality. Remember that many powers cost more than the base value; opposition, for example, costs three points per rank value. Powers with a heightened cost are so noted in the character generation tables listed above (those with numbers in parenthesis after the name). Limitations and enhancements are multiplied in value by this cost; for instance, an extreme limitation on trace duplication would reap a sixteen point discount. If your Gamemaster allows their use in their campaign, one thing to consider is the use of Hyperkinetic and Hyperexhaustive rank value qualifiers. These can each be acquired in the point system if allowed, being treated as either an extreme enhancement (in the form of a Hyperkinetic power) or an extreme limitation (in the form of a Hyperexhaustive power). Creating a Hyperkinetic trait is a weak character enhancement. Both can be very unbalancing in their own way, however, so check to make sure their use is okay. Next, determine what gear the character possesses. As is the case with randomly generated characters, those built with the point based system may choose any standard gear that is readily available, as long as it falls within a few RS of their Lifestyle rank value. If they want something more expensive, the player must give a good reason for such, though the Gamemaster has veto power over improbable items. Once a character's technology is resolved, he or she may purchase skills and contacts as desired, each costing one point. If one would like heightened skills or contacts (both come in three tiers), they must pay two points for a level two skill or contact, or four points for a level three skill or contact. The Student background skill costs five points, but cannot be purchased with any other (save for Heir to Fortune). Device users may add in four bonus points at this point, two intended for skills and contacts, each - unless the points provided for such have been appropriated for use elsewhere. A player may next use remaining points to purchase beneficial quirks - or add a few points to pad weak areas with deleterious quirks. Most quirks give (or take) one point, but if purchased at a higher level, they function in much the same way as skills or contacts in this regard (two points for a level two quirk, four points for a level three quirk). Also, quirks without level but that count double cost (or give) two points. Device users gain one additional point to spend on quirks as they wish - though again, this point may be reallocated elsewhere if desired. Once a player is out of points, it's up to the Gamemaster to look over what they have wrought. Does the character's math add up? Does it fall within predetermined campaign limitations for power level? If nothing appears to be wrong, and the Gamemaster likes what he or she sees, they should approve what a player has created, and then allow him or her to complete the last portion of their character's creation. Assuming they didn't actually start with such. ** Filling in the blanks ** Once all the basic details concerning your character have been ascertained, it is time to 'fill in the blanks,' or to detail all of their personal and background information - the stuff you can't quantify with dice rolls or points. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they from? What are they like? Where did their astounding technological abilities come from? How to they keep the things, or even themselves, functional? All of this character information must be determined by the player to make it truly his or her own, and to really 'flesh them out'. This is often the most difficult part of the character generation process, the portion where many tend to fail. However, with a little effort and some serious consideration, the answers to these questions can make that sheet of paper with all the funny words on it really come alive! ** Creation ** Characters who derive their super-human abilities from advanced technology need not show their work when they are first generated; in other words, all of the effort to produce whatever breakthroughs enable their extant ascendant activities were presumably made (or stolen) before they began play. After this point, however, these characters must develop subsequent technologies the hard way. * Using Knowledge * Those who specialize in the creation and utilization of advanced technology have, unlike other characters, a means through which they can develop new powers that doesn't involve the expenditure of Fortune. Leveraging what they have and what they know, a technologist can simply cash in on what they have available to them to invent all-new devices - or, at the very least, modify what they've already got. Tech Value To start with, a would-be inventor must determine the tech value their creation will have. The tech value is the intensity one must pass ACT rolls against during the inventing process. The primary determinant of a device's tech value is the highest rank value any of its capabilities will possess. Such ranks come from the power(s) the item will have access to, as well as any special statistics an item type possesses (Handling, Resilience, material value, etc.). This highest rank value is modified as follows: * Apply a +2 RS for each rank value that is equal to the potential device's maximum. For example, when building a floating weapons platform, one's plans call for two rank value 40 abilities. If that happens to be the highest rank value the power will make use of, its base tech value will be rank value 40 +2 RS, or rank value 75. A like increase is applied if the device is too small to see, or otherwise hard to spot. * Apply a +1 RS for each rank value that is 1 RS less than its maximum operating rank value. An item whose maximum rank value is 50, for example, will have that tech value boosted +1 RS for each rank value of 40 it uses. A like increase applies if the device is to be portable (such as a ray gun), if it is really small (pocket sized) or large (occupies more than one area of space), or if designed to impersonate a specific entity. On the other hand, a base tech value of 75 applies under two conditions. If an effect that modern technology cannot reproduce is to be housed within the invention (it is unknown if the effect will even work), it will have this value as a minimum tech value. Alternately, if attempting to reproduce the product of modern technology (the effect is commonly understood), the item's base tech value cannot exceed this amount. Once this final value is determined, it's time to get inventing! To begin with, the inventor must pass a Lifestyle ACT roll against the intensity of their creation's tech value. This may well be an impossible ACT, where particularly advanced devices are concerned. In the event of such an occurrence, one can get a loan to complete their invention, or beg, borrow, or steal from others to acquire what they need. Special Catalysts On occasion none of these solutions are feasible or desirable, though. In the event that this comes to pass, an inventor has several additional options at their disposal. For one thing, one can adopt a modular approach to their creations, building one component at a time. This can divide a completed device's tech value into manageable chunks, namely by focusing on just one special power it will have at a time. Another option to reduce the tech value of an invention is the use of special catalysts. A special catalyst is just that, a relatively hard to acquire something or other that facilitates the creation of a contraption. This may be some inexplicable MacGuffin or something specifically related to the item to be crafted. But either way, a special catalyst offers inventors a powerful benefit. For one thing, the procurement of a special catalyst allows them to remove one rank value from the calculation of their creation's tech value. This is particularly handy where high material values are concerned, as they are often a primary culprit in the inflation of a tech value to unattainable levels. Just come up with a sample of something of the desired m.v., and that property can be 'bled' into your invention. Or something! Special catalysts are a good means of luring inventors out of the lab and into the field (i.e., making them go on adventures). This is especially true of inventions that cannot be replicated by modern technology, for such items always require at least one special catalyst. We're talking about bleeding edge science, after all, so who's to say that mysterious meteor one read about doesn't have properties earth metals don't? An invention can benefit from the use of up to three special catalysts, if desired. While this can greatly reduce the tech value (and thus, cost) of an item to be, it is important to note that, when all is said and done, at least one functioning rank value should remain to determine an object's tech value. In other words, special catalysts cannot reduce an invention's would-be tech value to rank value 0 - but 2 is just fine! Construction Time Generally, when building an invention, the character involved will require an amount of time, in days, equal to the tech value number of the item in question. This is a basic value, assuming the inventor is working alone, in regular, eight hour shifts. For instance, a device with a tech value of rank value 200 requires two hundred days to build. There are numerous ways to safely reduce the time required, however. The following conditions will each halve the amount of time an invention's construction requires, and all such halving will stack: having a lab assistant, having an assistant whose Intellect is within 1 RS of the inventor's, having blueprints to or a working (at some point, anyway) model of the item to be built, or working non-stop - save for required pauses to eat, sleep, and attend to other biological concerns. Similarly, there are conditions that can actively hinder the completion of a would-be invention, each of which double the amount of time required to finish the project. Also stacking, such conditions include each doubling in size of a given invention above one area in size, working from false or fraudulent data, or utilizing a work crew suffering from low morale. An inventor can only work on the creation of one item at a time. This is the case even when working on sub-assemblies of an overall project, those which come into being as a compartmentalization of one's project to lower the overall tech value they must attempt invention ACT rolls against. It's simply too difficult to innovate on multiple projects simultaneously, no matter how clever a body is. Bearing that in mind, innovators can make use of separate crews to divide up portions of their work. When such crews are utilized, the time required to complete a project cannot be reduced below the standard amount demanded by its tech level. The downside of this technique is that conditions extant during the work on a project can cause the time necessary to complete it to take much, much longer. Success or Failure After being struck by the inspiration to create something new, you've rounded up all the materials required to make it possible, and then put in the work necessary to realize your vision. But does it actually work? Good question! Determining the success of one's efforts to invent something at this point simply requires passing an Intellect ACT roll against the tech value of the would-be contraption. As is the case when determining an invention's tech value, various conditions revolving around its realization can modify the inventor's Intellect rank value for the purposes of this ACT roll. These modifiers can be positive or negative, depending on how much the associated conditions help or hurt the process of creating. Common modifiers to invention ACT rolls include the following: * If a device was built using the blueprints of an existing, working model of a similar item, or an actual (even if formerly) working model is available for reverse engineering, the would-be inventor may add a +2 RS to their Intellect rank value when determining success or failure. * Inventors may add a +1 RS to the final creation ACT roll for each applicable skill used in a device's creation, including those given by powers or quirks, or if they exploit the services of an assistant with an Intellect score within 1 RS of their own. * If an inventor or their staff rushed the completion of a project, whether working overtime or kit-bashing, or for each special catalyst used to realize a device's creation, apply a -1 RS penalty to the Intellect ACT roll required to determine its success or failure. A would-be inventor may add Fortune to their invention roll, naturally, but must state exactly how much Fortune they wish to expend on this ACT. Furthermore, the automatic and impossible ACT rules are in full effect for an invention die roll. If the inventor passes this ACT, great! That new contraption, however improbable, has been realized - and may now be used for good or for ill. Failing this ACT means that the invention does not currently work. If the inventor wishes to change this state of affairs, he or she must determine what went wrong, and then fix it - almost invariably requiring a (or another) special catalyst to correct whatever deficiency caused the failure condition in the first place. Which, of course, means implementing the change of plans. While an inventor need not attempt a new Lifestyle ACT against their creation's tech value to proceed after a failure, they do need to expend an amount of time equal to their original work on the project to integrate a fix. After this, inventors are allowed to attempt another invention ACT roll. This process may continue until an eventual success is attained, or the inventor gives up. Kit-Bashing The above presumes creation under controlled circumstances, where events do not conspire to create emergencies that require the immediate completion of a project to, say, save the world. However, the world does not always play ball, and on occasion a character needs something they've been cooking up in the laboratory immediately. When this condition transpires, kit-bashing is often the solution. When kit-bashing, a character makes use of that which they have on hand to immediately complete a working prototype of something or other, compressing each day of their remaining build time to a single turn. For example, when attempting to invent a contraption with a tech value of 50, a character may kit-bash to reduce the normal fifty days required to a mere fifty turns - five minutes! This process can also be applied to items that have been undergoing regular effort, as well. If the inventor in the above example had already put in thirty days of work on their whatsit, they would only need to kit-bash the remaining twenty days of work. Thus, they would finish the creation of a working prototype in just twenty turns, which is a mere two minutes of time! Achieving this staggering reduction in build time is not easy, however. An inventor must spend ten Fortune points for each day of work so compressed, an expenditure that still does not guarantee success in their endeavor. In other words, the inventor must still pass their invention ACT roll to successfully kit-bash a device, an ACT they may also want (or need) to spend Fortune on. Failure of an invention ACT when kit-bashing is handled per the norm. In other words, an inventor must try again if they wish to proceed, though special catalysts are not necessary to resume work when attempting a second (or more) round of kit-bashing. Fortune spent to compress work time must be spent again, however, along with the previously allotted amount of time needed to kit-bash. Success, on the other hand, means that the inventor has kit-bashed themselves a working version of the desired item. It will function for 1d10 turns in total, before it fails - and fails spectacularly, for the most part. On the bright side, having produced a (momentarily) working version of their contraption, an inventor can use it in the reproduction of a more permanent item, if they wish! After-Market Modifications When attempting to modify an extant device, the process for doing so is similar to full-on invention, but much simpler. Characters may attempt one modification to an otherwise complete item at a time, as is the case with the creation of an item from scratch. The tech value of a modification is equal to whatever rank value said modification adds to the function of an item to begin with. Modifying devices one has already built is an excellent way to control the overall tech value of a finished contraption. By creating it piece by piece, an inventor can keep costs down, even if the time required to finish an item is greatly increased. The only downside is that if a modification ACT fails, a second ACT is required to determine whether or not the original device is damaged during this process. Repairs to items generally require either a work shop or tool kits, both of whom must have a tech value equal to or better than the rank value of a device's damaged function(s). Applicable repair skills, especially Repair / Tinkering, improve the effectiveness of such repair tools or facilities by their own bonus, however, showcasing how knowledgeable individuals can make do even with lesser tools in a pinch. Repairs are completed by passing an Intellect ACT roll against the original rank value of a device's damaged function, whether it be a vehicular statistic, damaging power, or even its material value. If the tech value of one's tools are not up to the task, even after being enhanced by their wielder's skills, they can partially repair a device. This, at the very least, raises a damaged function up to their tools' modified tech value. Reprogramming a computer, robot, or other thinking device requires an Intellect ACT roll against the effective Willpower rank value of the item in question (which represents intrusion countermeasures). Installing new software to override that of an extant system requires a number of turns equal to the previously stated rank value or intensity, assuming such software has already been written. Actively changing the programming of a device on the fly is a bit more difficult, and is generally handled per a field repair. Code revisions of this type rarely survive a system reboot, but can be particularly useful in a pinch, much like kit-bashing is. Furthermore, any reprogramming of a sentient machine is likely to be transient at best, assuming their minds can even be altered in the first place. * Using Fortune * Often, the simplest way for technological characters to develop new capabilities, mechanically speaking, is to just buy them. When acquired in this fashion, a character's new high tech powers are purchased as are a textbook character's ascendant abilities. In other words, the character just expends Fortune to justify the addition of a new device into their arsenal of super-human prowess. If not simply invented, a new technological ability has a base cost of three thousand (3,000) Fortune points, in addition to a fee equal to the new power's original rank value times one hundred (100). Picking up a brand new power at rank value 30, for instance, would cost the character a total of six thousand (6,000) Fortune (base cost of 3,000 plus the power rank value (30) times 100). The same rules for special catalysts apply when acquiring technological powers with Fortune as they do when inventing. In other words, at least one catalyst is required if attempting to craft an item with a capability not currently available to current technology. Further catalysts, if desired, can either decrease the base cost by 1,000 Fortune, or eliminate the cost of a special feature (a high m.v., for example). All of the above assumes powers with a standard cost; in other words, a power that has a listed cost of one point per rank value. If a power is listed as having a cost equal to 2 points per rank value, double its total Fortune cost, and so on. If a power is listed with a 'flat cost', the price (after the base fee) is only 250 Fortune points per point; circular vision, for instance, would cost 500 additional Fortune. While it sounds a lot cheaper to simply invent one's way to success, at least where Fortune is concerned, this is not always possible. It particularly behooves players to rightfully purchase, with Fortune, items they 'acquire' from another character. This so that such items do not suffer from the whims of Plot - at least, no more so than anything else the Gamemaster might have in mind, at any rate. Power Stunts Sometimes, when building things, a contraption might not quite work as desired, which may lead an electronicist to all-new innovations. Other times, characters might need to pull a proverbial rabbit out of their hat, and coax one of their creations into doing something it simply wasn't designed for. This when it was previously functioning just as planned, and they don't wish to ruin them in the process! When not making permanent modifications in the form of kit-bashing, high tech characters can try to temporarily alter the function of one of their transcendent technologies to stretch them beyond their conventional limits. In other words, they are attempting a power stunt! Every attempt to create a power stunt in this fashion costs a technology-based character 150 Fortune points. Power stunts are a bit more difficult for technology users (or living technologies) to accomplish, primarily due to their material nature, but are still possible nonetheless. So, if you have a new idea for the functions of a dusty old implement, give it a shot, already. Occasionally, this is worlds easier than building a whole new device to achieve that effect in the first place! Power stunts can often assist innovation in the invention process, particularly when they're unsuccessful. A spectacular malfunction, whether or not that was the intent of the specific power stunt, can produce the impetus to create a device which offers the intended effect. This falls under the 'working copy' of a device to duplicate when making something that works that way on purpose. Note: the rank value a power stunt operates at depends on the cost of its parent ability. A power that has a stated cost of one point per rank value will allow for power stunts which operate at its own rank value, though each additional point the power costs will reduce a stunt's rank value by -1 RS. The idea here is to reflect just how potent powers with a higher cost (such as power absorption, or even ultimate power) happen to be. Self-Improvement While reinventing one's hardware and software is a good way to achieve personal growth, it is important to note that a character is not merely the inventory of their various electromechanical implements. For the most part, the wielders of transcendent technologies spend Fortune much like any other when purchasing new skills or contacts, as is defined in the Living and Dying document. The same applies when enhancing a current trait or power rank value, with one exception. A character can attempt to use the invention process when engaging in such endeavors, treating such augmentations as modifications to an extant contrivance. This can save many a technologist Fortune in the short term, as lower trait and power rank values are often easy pickings for those with high Lifestyle. However! Attempting to do so includes all the risks of equipment modification, in addition to its benefits. Any super-powers granted by the auspices of technology that are damaged during the modification process are rendered useless until fixed, and traits so damaged are dropped to rank value 2 - for both their normal usage and for the purpose of determining Health and Fortune scores. If inadvertently handicapped in this fashion, a character may require external assistance to repair themselves. This may especially be the case if one has rendered the body parts required to fix themselves useless - or even just nearly so. A lack of help may very well cause such temporary handicaps to develop more permanence, particularly when one is a leader in their field of expertise. Thus is the peril of self-modification, especially when one lives on the bleeding edge of progress! ** Culmination ** While the previous is a relatively complete guide to advanced technologies in the 4C System, not to mention their deployment during play, one can ponder the role of their gear in society to further expound on their character's identity. Furthermore, players can also make ready use of even more limitations, for their powers or their very character, to better detail their lives - both in and out of combat! * Children of the Electron * Characters who possess transcendent technologies, those so-called Children of the Electron, often have it easier than other characters with access to super-powers. Sure, almost all capabilities acquired via technology come with at least one limitation that constrains their use in lieu of having ingrained, ascendant powers. But generally, the products of mankind's knowledge are looked upon favorably. As the end result of humankind's ingenuity, characters empowered by technology don't face blatant bigotry due to their source of power, unlike composites, degenerates, or other posthuman entities. They need not tolerate the persecution of various organizations who find their use of knowledge abhorrent, as do sorcerers. And they entirely avoid the stark suspicion others feel towards psis - and psipaths in particular. This is because it's a lot easier to bend one's head around fantastic capabilities granted by the manifest dominance of human creative genius than, say, aberrant genes or the providence of so-called gods. And, in that same vein, it's easy enough to disarm a high tech menace: you just destroy the toys that are causing so much trouble. Or, better yet, confiscate them for your very own use! Of course, life isn't all roses with technical adventurers, either. Luddites are often a source of consternation to them, fighting tooth and nail against the innovations which empower high tech characters, if only to maintain their precious status quo. And then there are those who are jealous of these characters' know-how, and wish to either share it with the masses... or simply strive to possess it for themselves. Then there are concerns of the law, and how it interacts with the use or existence of advanced technology. Regulators are often quite keen to ensure that the hardware built by itinerant inventors isn't liable to destroy or poison the world, while corporations are often intent on safeguarding their secrets - to the extent that they claim perpetual ownership over all that they build, merely selling the right to use it. Living at the forefront of innovation often leaves one with no precedent with which to face down representatives of the law, much less whoever is pulling its strings. In particular, how does one prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that a robot is truly sentient, and deserving of the rights and privileges that mere fleshlings take for granted? How does one do so when robots are considered mere property? These and many more questions are those faced by the Children of the Electron, and have been fodder for countless science fiction tales. In fact, issues such as these are what makes science fiction science fiction, and living out such concerns provide for truly incredible adventures! * Common Technological Limitations * Though all characters have the opportunity (such as it is) to inflict limitations upon their characters, those who acquire their special abilities through transcendent technologies have several that are uniquely suited to them. All related to the material nature of their power source, these limitations are almost always seen on characters with high technology powers to some extent or another. Implant Psychosis: as stated previously, implant psychosis is a character limitation that cyborgs must contend with for as long as they possess foreign devices interfaced with their flesh. Under duress, cyborgs must pass a mandatory Willpower ACT roll against their implant psychosis statistic, or IPS, lest they grow erratic for the duration of the current encounter - and such erratic behavior can take many, many forms. As described, 'basic' implant psychosis is a weak character limitation, and further tiers of it stack. A strong implant psychosis lowers the bar of 'duress' to 'any conflict', whether martial or interpersonal or otherwise, a very strong implant psychosis doubles the character's IPS, and an extreme implant psychosis inflicts additional behavioral tics upon a cyborg even when he or she isn't actively under stress. To assist in the calculation of IPS for cybernetic characters, a list is provided below that describes which replacement parts add one point to their IPS. This is on top of any powers their high tech implements provide, of course. In other words, a character with a completely cybernetic body (save for, say, their brain) will have a base IPS of 20, before adding in any other, super-human capabilities. * each arm * ear(s) * digestive system * each hand * eye(s) * immune system * each leg * nose (olfactory) * nervous system * groin * tactile feedback (sense of feel) * respiratory system * head * tongue (sense of taste) * circulatory system * torso * hard points / body armor (bonus power) Languorous: a languorous character does not have the ability to heal injuries or damage as do most normal characters. They may be animate, and even ambulatory, but they lack the metabolic processes (or a respectable facsimile therein) required to actually repair themselves naturally. If not careful, such individuals will invariably fall apart over time, through sheer wear and tear. This is most often the case with weaker undead entities, particularly zombies and their ilk, but languorous is a property that can also apply to robotic characters as well. This is generally considered a character limitation, but can apply to the individual powers of a character which are housed within body parts that cannot heal, even though the 'mundane' portions of their body can. Think cyborgs here. Weakly limited characters cannot heal, but can at least ignore or bypass damage by rerouting or repurposing other bits of themselves. Strongly limited characters cannot heal, but may repair themselves with only minimum effort, while very strongly limited characters require considerable resources and effort to fix themselves. Extremely limited characters who are damaged suffer it permanently. Portable: this limitation describes a power that, while it may be primarily associated with a given individual, isn't inherent to their very person. On the surface, this sounds like an advantage, in that a character can share the portable ability with others in a pinch. On the other hand, others can abscond with the source of a portable power quite easily, since it's so, well, portable. Most often, this limitation manifests as a power which is focused within an ostensibly inanimate object. You know, anything from a firearm to a jet pack to a suit of combat armor. However, portable powers can often take on more ephemeral aspects, being something like a potion or pill that imparts their special abilities, or even something intangible that is passed from one individual to another. The severity of the portable limitation denotes just how inconvenient it is for a character to replace a portable power. Weakly limited powers can simply be replaced without too much fuss, while strongly limited powers require a special adventure to recover. A very strongly limited power can be replaced with considerable effort on the part of its possessor, while an extremely limited power is unique or irreplaceable. Proprietary: proprietary powers are the legal property of someone besides the characters themselves. This most often takes the form of a device or implant, either being 'on loan' to their current wielder or in the process of being paid off. In less savory circumstances, however, sentient beings can be considered property as well, which makes this a character limitation, instead. Proprietary gear is provided by a benefactor of some sort, which saves characters the need to buy, build, or maintain their own. The downside is that said benefactor can legally do whatever they will with proprietary implements. Proprietary characters may have to prove their sentience to shed this limitation (primarily in the case of robots), or simply purchase their freedom from their owners. Each tier of proprietary stacks with those below it. A weak limitation denotes a legal obligation to return equipment when so ordered. A strong limitation describes gear the owner can track at all times. A very strong limitation indicates that the proprietor of said gear may remotely activate or deactivate it at will. Extreme limitations include a self-destruct the character cannot disarm. Regulated: the character with a regulated power is subject to many and various laws of the land that govern both its possession and usage. This most often comes in the form of some contraption or another which the powers that be don't trust every citizen under their jurisdiction to use without restraint. In other words, they feel it a direct threat to their power or the government altogether. This can readily apply to other forms of power, as well. Some jurisdictions might ban the use of psionics outright, for example, or perhaps consider clericism an affront to whatever religion happens to be ascendant in society - unless it's in the service of said organization. This is the most problematic when societies terminate on sight those with some powers or origins, such as, say, reanimates. Weakly limited powers may be possessed by anyone properly certified and licensed to do so, though their use may be more tightly regulated, while strongly limited powers may only be possessed and/or wielded by duly sanctioned government operatives. Very strongly limited powers are illegal outright, while the use (if not mere possession) of extremely limited powers will bring down the active wrath of the government. Reprogrammable: truly sentient robots are assumed to have incredibly complex minds. Many are built to simulate the function of the human brain, and being the sum of their experiences, are not directly susceptible to being reprogrammed. Other robots have minds that are much more malleable, however, allowing them to literally change their minds as they see fit - a great benefit over time. The primary downside to this benefit is that if a robot can reprogram itself, so can anyone else who can access its mind. On top of being subject to psionic manipulation as are any other sentient beings, reprogrammable robots can be 'hacked', for the lack of a better term, to run foreign software - either in lieu of or alongside their own code base. This additional attack vector makes for a powerful character limitation. Reprogramming a robot requires software or skill equal in intensity to its Willpower trait, though a hard reset of the robot's mind will clear such efforts; this represents a weak reprogrammable limitation. Every subsequent increase in the level of reprogrammable reduces the complexity of the reprogramming software required by -2 RS, and makes it that much harder to shake off foreign code (at the Gamemaster's discretion). Unreliable: powers that suffer from the unreliable limitation are... problematic. Something about them just doesn't work right, at least in regards to other instances of such powers not saddled with a like penalty. On occasion, whatever it is that makes powers of this stripe unreliable can be bypassed, but usually the effects of unreliability will manifest quite often - and irritatingly so, at that. When manifested in physical objects (such as a weapon or other contraption), this is most often a sign of a persistent electrical, mechanical, or programming malfunction. When inherent powers are concerned, this is an indicator of a genetic defect, which isn't all that surprising where things like mutations are concerned. Of course, any power can be subject to this limitation, if at all desired. Weakly unreliable powers require a successful ACT roll before they even function, lest they fail outright. Strong and very strong limitations increase the color difficulty by one step (blue for strong, and yellow for very strong). Extreme limitations invoke spectacular failures if the unreliability check is unsuccessful, on top of the previous difficulties provided for - making them quite unpopular amongst one's allies! *** THE BOOK OF MAGIC *** What exactly is magic? In game terms, we define magic as the manipulation of probability to achieve effects that would be impossible - or at the very least, astoundingly unlikely - under normal circumstances. A body that can alter probability to manifest magic is often known as a mage, magician, wizard, thaumaturge, or sorcerer. Lots of colorful names, to be sure, but all of them are essentially the same thing: people that use magic. With intense effort, almost anyone can learn how to wield magic. Sure, some people have more... potential than others, but this matters not. When it comes down to it, any sentient being can master magical practices if he or she wishes. This is because, more than sleepless nights studying and researches into the crypts of long dead enchanters, the desire to master the arts arcane is what it truly takes to utilize magic. At a glance, a spellbinder looks to be a relatively frail form of ascendant being. His or her physical abilities will be comparable to their 'mundane' counterparts, and in fact there is little to distinguish a conjurer from ordinary society, once you remove the familiar trappings of robes, amulets, and so forth. There is no genetic marker to reveal wizardry, nor is there obvious, permanent physical cues to showcase such. But a theurgist's seeming weakness belies his or her true power. Using knowledge of the obscure as their power base, mystic masters can wield staggering might, the ability to reshape reality itself to suit their desires. And their desires are paramount, for logic need not hamper a warlock in the course of their work - merely the will to impose their wishes on the world at large... no matter how far removed from reality they may be. ** Core Principles ** Before players build magic wielding player characters for use in their game, there are several basic ideas that they should first understand. * Spells * The principal thing to remember about magical abilities is that they are not powers, in the standard sense of the word. They instead behave more like skills, as they are arcane formulas a person can use to manifest magic. As such, standard methods of power negation do not work on practitioners of magic, as their powers are derived from what they know, not some inherent effect of their physiology. These arcane formulas are known as spells. As opposed to the dangerous means necessary for ordinary heroes to acquire powers, a mage can learn a new spell with only a bit of studying and hard work. Research, also, is a large part of spell acquisition. Further, spells all affect reality in the same way, regardless of the various types of raw energy they use to fuel their effect. You see, magic is the art of making the impossible possible. By tinkering ever so slightly with the laws of probability, practitioners of magic cause things to happen which simply should not occur - at least, not according to our current understanding of the universe. Those strange words, the bizarre movements, and even the occult ingredients, they are all tools for the bending of reality itself to the whims of the mage. * Types of Magical Energy * In essence, there are three kinds of mystical power: personal, universal, and dimensional energy. Each mage has access to all three types of magical power, generally speaking, but players can limit their mage's access to energy types as a character limitation (see character generation, later, for more on this). The forms of magical energy function as follows: Personal Energy: derived from the spell caster, personal energies can fuel spell effects without relying upon any outside sources whatsoever. While magic of this type is more exhausting for a mage to utilize, it is not at all hindered by the whims and dictates of outside agencies or beings. Personal energies are used primarily to affect a caster's own body or equipment, as opposed to affecting others or the outside world. Universal Energy: this form of magical energy is drawn from the ambient and infinite power of the universe itself. The power inherent in universal energy can be used to affect people and things other than the mage wielding them, and is the source for most of your more legendary spell effects, such as bolts of energy, matter transformations, and the like. Universal energy magic is less stressful to use than personal energies. Dimensional Energy: this last form of magical energy is extremely potent, as it is drawn from outside a spell caster's own plane of existence. Spells that use dimensional energy are the least stressful on a mage, as the power that fuels them does not subtract from his or her own energies at all. However, energy of this type is often granted to a mage by some being or race of great power, which is a risky idea, at best. Unless, of course, you like the idea of a vengeful god taking notice of you. * Types of Magical Spells * In addition to there being several types of magical energies, there are several special types of magical spells that use them. It's true that some magic can be defined as just 'personal', 'universal', or 'dimensional' spells, but others don't easily fit into this mold. These special types of spells include school spells, group spells, and entreaty spells, each of which is detailed here: School Spells: these are special magic spells that are usually, but not always, unique to one magical school of study. They can utilize any type of magical energy, of course, but only the mages who study a magic school (and its closely aligned fellows) have access to its particular school spells. This 'exclusive' availability is primarily due to the mindset involved in creating such magics in the first place. Group Spells: normally of dimensional energy, a group spell is in fact several spells, as it acts as a kind of multiple choice ability. It is actually six or more different spells, of similar type, and a mage can choose one to use each day. He or she need not make this choice until they actually cast the group spell, though, which makes such magic both more versatile and more limited at the same time. Entreaty Spells: these spells have the greatest potential power, as well as the greatest inherent risk. Dimensional energy effects also, these spells are an attempt to draw power from a specific entity, item, or plane. Planes and items usually don't cause too much trouble, but requests for power from gods tend to get a mage into trouble, as these beings eventually ask for favors in return. ** Schools of Magic ** With the basics of magic described, in terms of game use, of course, it's time to talk about schools of magic. Magic schools are lots of things. They describe a sort of magical philosophy, an understanding about how the world works, and how it can be manipulated. They also represent a way to make a character's magic spells work together within a common framework. Alternately, they provide a great way to make one spell a totally different affair for mages of two different schools. For example, specialists of elemental vapor can create lightning by stimulating air friction, while an entreatist would ask extradimensional beings for the power to spontaneously conjure the energy from nowhere. The same applies to almost every spell available, given a little bit of creative thought. There are thirteen known schools of magic, each of which is detailed below. Several of these schools qualify as combination character forms of magic, as they blend aspects of magic with technology, psionics, or divine energies. However, these are included here for the sake of completeness - basically to have all the magical rules in one place. The thirteen schools of magic include the following: * Alchemy * "It is the art of manipulating life, and consciousness in matter, to help it evolve, or to solve problems of inner disharmonies." - Jean Dubuis The practice of alchemy is almost as old as civilization itself. Having its roots in ancient metallurgy, known to have been utilized over 7,500 years ago, alchemy is the sorcery of substance. While the physical sciences may have served more practical, immediate concerns, the traditions of alchemy lent a more spiritual air to the process of transforming a given substance into another. The goal of alchemy has always been the transmutation of mundane material into that which is far more valuable. Sure, there's the obvious factor of greed, in that alchemists have obsessed over transforming lead into gold for centuries, but men and women of alchemy strive for far more than just that. They have also sought to discover - or create - substances which can cure disease and render mankind immortal! While numerous purges have cost alchemists valuable knowledge over the millennia, both practical and spiritual, the art persists to this very day. Sure, modern society would have you think alchemy has been swept into the dustbin of history, but in the obscure corners of society, where the rational fear to tread, alchemists work their magic. And rest assured, what alchemists do is quite magical, indeed. The Alchemist Strictly speaking, an alchemist is like most other sorcerers. They are constantly on the lookout for knowledge that is new to them, if not new altogether. While modern science can bolster their work, the truth is that alchemists don't really need it to ply their trade. Where they differ from most other wielders of magic, however, is that it is rare to happen across an alchemist casting actual spells. While most magicians will wave their fingers, speak obscure words, and think mystical thoughts to release magic, an alchemist will do so by literally working magic into an item, which when utilized will release its sorcery as intended. Alchemists thus prepare their magic well in advance, needing only to eat a snack, or smoke a cigar, or pop a pill, or pour oil onto something, or scatter dust into the wind, to deploy it. Thus, alchemists carry various containers on their person with which to transport their alchemical concoctions, readily accessible for use if circumstances require they do so. This grants alchemists a powerful advantage in relation to other magicians, in that spellcasting restraints aren't quite as effective against them - assuming that one doesn't prevent them access to their alchemical creations, that is. Portability On the other hand, alchemical effects that are the end result of some item's expenditure, as opposed to a cast outcome, are subject to the Portable limitation. Something of a double-edged sword, portability means that an alchemist can share the effects of their magic with others simply by handing over that which contains it - quite a boon, when you're talking about a batch of cookies that, say, heal injuries. Of course, those cookies can be stolen by others, whether they be allies, enemies, or even random passersby. And then, regardless of who has those concoctions now, that person isn't the alchemist who made them! While it is presumed that whipping up magical snacks, oils, dusts, cigars, potions, or whatever else can be done without too much hassle, replacing them on the spot simply isn't feasible. In other words, magical spell effects that are provided by the consumption of an alchemical product are considered weakly limited. Thus, an alchemist may add a +1 RS to their functioning rank value when acquiring magic of this type, whether during character generation or later on in their career. Spells they can cast normally do not receive this bonus - but then again, someone can't walk off with them, either. Affordability In a strictly mechanical sense, a major benefit of studying alchemy is that one masters new abilities in this school of magic on the cheap. Sure, there's the Row Shift bump due to being subject to the Portable limitation, but alchemical effects are mastered at a discount. To wit, a character purchasing a new alchemical spell effect (whatever form it ultimately takes for them) does so at a twenty-five percent discount. This discount applies whether one is developing a new recipe for regular consumption or a more permanent item. While the latter also requires an alchemist master the universal spell of empowerment, it nonetheless gives him or her access to a magical ability that needn't be reformulated on a regular basis - even if it is still bound by the Portable limitation - this time, in a strong sense, being more difficult to replace. Either way, between the discount for purchasing new magical effects and the effects of the Portable limitation on them, an alchemist is primed to advance quickly in the game. Assuming they play their cards right, and manage to keep their creations out of their enemies' hands, an alchemist can quickly master their school of magic. This allows them to either adopt an all-new school or dig in, and improve their alchemy even further! * Clericism * "There are those who scoff at the school boy, calling him frivolous and shallow. Yet it was the school boy who said, Faith is believing what you know ain't so." - Mark Twain There's something about the sentient mind that compels it to worship the fantastic. Mysteries in particular seem to encourage this kind of behavior in intelligent life, even that which seems like it should know better. After all, it's a lot easier on the brain to claim that bright light moving strangely through the sky is Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, instead of the planet (usually) nearest to our own. What's more, this exaltation of the existence and machinations of fanciful entities generates a sort of spectral energy. Fueled by this energy, the beings so idolized grow more powerful still, manifesting astounding capabilities that most associate with the divine. Thus, it is the worshiper that creates their gods, not the other way around - but don't let any immortals hear you say that! Moreover, this channel of faith is a two-way street. Because they generally wish to concentrate on other matters, divine beings often empower their most loyal and effective followers to handle the day-to-day care of their flock. This empowering occasionally comes in the form of supernatural powers, but most often it involves granting one's priests the knowledge to cast spells in their name. The Cleric Clerics are spellcasters who receive the knowledge to wield magic directly from their divine patron(s). Unlike other wizards, who must study hard and practice diligently to master their sorcery, a cleric immediately attains such mastery at the whim of their liege. This can be when they prove their worth, after a certain duration of service, or even as a reward for some great service performed. The most ardent advocates for a deity, or perhaps an entire pantheon of such, clerics are far more important to their gods than mere priests. In addition to the usual responsibilities ordinary priests bear, a cleric can tangibly demonstrate magic entrusted to them by the divine, thus making them examples to others. Furthermore, clerics represent their god's will made manifest when acting on the world at large. A deity's clerics are constantly 'on the clock', but are only occasionally called upon to perform special tasks. These may involve undertaking quests, working against the clerics of rival gods, defending the faithful (and the precious faith they generate), or even inexplicable jobs that make no sense whatsoever. Ultimately, anything a deity asks of their cleric is to further their ends - and usually that of their followers. Mythological Preeminence When creating a cleric, it is vital to choose a deity that aligns with the capabilities one foresees them possessing. The followers of a storm god are more likely to receive loud, ostentatious spells than those which involve subtle trickery, for example. In other words, the ultimate authority over whether or not a cleric can learn a certain spell is whatever deity they happen to venerate. The Gamemaster is the final arbiter of what does and does not fit a god's bag of tricks, and if that god does not wish their follower to learn a spell, they simply won't reveal the knowledge required to do so. The reason for this is the simple fact that whenever clerics go 'off message', they risk generating the wrong kind of faith for their patron, which is usually more trouble than it is worth. Clerics can generally learn school spells without any problem, along with whatever spells fit with their immortal sponsor's theme. Anything questionable, but not diametrically opposed to their god's mythological portfolio, can often be approved after the completion of a special task or another. Mind you, clerics are encouraged to avoid showing off such abilities for the most part, at least as much as is possible. Give and Take Much of a cleric's time and effort is occupied in service to the deity the worship, performing duties both mundane and incredible to further their agendas, and this expenditure of blood, sweat, and tears isn't without reward. Deities strive to keep their clerics happy, as granting them the knowledge to cast spells expends some of the faith they've accumulated, and they try to retain that investment for as long as they can. As such, clerics benefit from being able to receive a new spell from their god before spending the Fortune normally necessary to master it. Clerics can only do this with one spell at a time, but they can simply make Fortune payments, as they earn it, to secure each new spell. The Fortune cost works out the same in the long run, but this at least gives clerics a bit of a jump on other sorcerers in the short term. Furthermore, clerics may rarely receive bolstered spell ranks, if not entirely new spells, without paying any Fortune for them whatsoever. Deities reserve such boons for their most faithful and effective devotees, as the cost for this improvement in their magic also subtracts from their reserves of faith. However, this is another way gods can reward followers who go above and beyond in their service. It helps to keep them from wandering off into the graces of another deity, as well. The Jeopardy of Apostasy Should a cleric cast off the yoke of their religion, either to embrace another or to simply reject the divine altogether, their former patrons are somewhat out of luck. Faith invested in clerics to reveal spellcasting knowledge to them is lost forever, for one cannot erase something from a sentient mind. Sure, that knowledge can be removed from one's conscious awareness, but it's always in there somewhere. Furthermore, should that cleric begin to venerate a different deity upon abandoning their previous liege, that expended power will be utilized in service to their new god, instead! This usually prompts immortals to dispatch minions to slay clerics who have made fresh religious arrangements, because a) they tend to be vengeful in general, and b) their continued existence disrupts the intake of more faith. That being said, a deity can usually withdraw any supernatural powers, ability score enhancements, or spell rank boosts they have invested within their subjects, whether current or otherwise. This is often why immortals, when they aren't sure they want a follower to retain certain abilities indefinitely, grant them as powers in lieu of spellcasting knowledge. It's a sort of insurance against bad followers! * Eclecticism * "To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." - e e cummings There is no eclecticism school of magic. At its core, eclecticism is the process of taking bits and pieces from one or more schools of magic, and combining what one perceives to work best from them to develop spellcasting abilities. While they can practice what a school preaches, at least in regards to the spells they know which refer to such, eclecticists do not follow a school of magic in and of itself. It's easy to believe otherwise, however. This is because all of those who do not follow one of the twelve known schools of magic suffer the same difficulties in walking an eclectic path. Similarly, those who disregard schools of magic to go their own way often devise various spells to aid themselves in that endeavor, mystical formulas which can readily be confused with school spells. And this is why, even within the Book of Magic itself, eclecticism is often referred to as a school. It's easiest to classify spellcasters by assigning them all to one of thirteen schools. Easier, at least, than attempting to describe the unique process every individual eclecticist utilizes to cast spells, since each of their specific methods are technically a distinct school of magic! The Eclecticist A mage who ascribes to the eclectic method of sorcery eschews schools of magic, instead acquiring what knowledge they can from other wizards regardless of their magical backgrounds. As such, eclecticists most often have a bizarre mixture of magical abilities that don't seem to complement each other at all. However, his or her spells are most often the precise abilities an eclecticist needs the most. As practicing what a mystic school preaches is a much easier road to walk, why don't eclecticists? It's possible that they were originally tied to a mystic school, but were drummed out for one reason or another. Or, alternately, they weren't considered worthy by the instructors they had access to. Finally, perhaps they simply felt they knew better than those selling what the magical schools were offering. Regardless of the purpose behind their lack of adherence to a mystic school, the important thing to note is the persistence of an eclecticist. Despite the lack of camaraderie a school provides, much less moral and philosophical support when studying the ways of magic, eclecticists never quit. They kept at it until they mastered the spells they have, despite the odds arrayed against them! Something others should keep in mind. The Benefits of Independence Drawing one's magic from the practices of various mystic schools gives a caster insight into how they all function. The practical perk of this understanding is that an eclectic mage may learn any school spells, not just their own. If randomly generating an eclecticist, one may make use of table 3 to pick which school their next school spell will come from, if they so desire. When studying spells after they begin play, an eclecticist may adopt them at -2 RS to the value wielded by their source, instead of the standard starting value - limited by the campaign's power ceiling, of course. This more than makes up for the Fortune penalty eclecticists suffer when advancing their magical career, as well as the price they must pay to acquire access to the sorcery of others. Finally, though eclectic sorcery does not allow for the creation of ceremonial areas in and of itself, its practitioners may utilize those crafted by the adherents of mystic schools if necessary. However, the bonus to a spell's value that a given ceremonial area provides does not apply if casting school spells that don't match its character. In other words, a geomancy school spell won't be bolstered in a technomancer's workshop. The Detriments of Independence The lack of an overarching structure in an eclecticist's magical education has its costs. Whether attempting to master a new spell or improve an existing one, an eclectic must pay thirty percent more Fortune than other wizards do. This alone assures that a thaumaturge of the eclectic sort has a hard road ahead of them, as their careers will typically advance much, much slower than that of other wielders of magic. However, this penalty assumes that the eclecticist has no magical teacher to assist them in their travails, as is the case when attempting to research an all-new spell, or deriving one from the spell books of another caster. If actively tutored by another mage, regardless of what school they ascribe to, an eclecticist may reduce this penalty by half, to fifteen percent. The trick in achieving such tutelage is that most sorcerers have no reason to teach an eclecticist, even if a would-be instructor is also an eclecticist! Thus, it will fall upon an eclectic magician to convince such individuals to share their knowledge, and the reduction in the usual penalty for magical advancement may or may not outweigh the cost such teachers would impose upon their ersatz student. * Elementalism * "Never can the innate power of a work be hidden or locked away. A work of art can be forgotten by time; it can be forbidden and rejected but the elemental will always prevail over the ephemeral." - Stefan Zweig Across countless worlds, throughout endless planes of existence, magical schools arise wherein sorcerers study and manipulate the mystical building blocks of the entirety of reality. While there are only so many of such blocks to incorporate, differing traditions recognize differing combinations of elements when their school forms, much like geomancy did when it came into being on earth. These schools often die out or adopt additional elements over time, ultimately becoming what is recognized as elementalism. Elementalism is a practice that recognizes thirteen distinct, mystical elements that comprise all of creation. It is a study that is dedicated to the control of these elements, to manipulate one, several, or every facet of all that exists. The school of elementalism, wherever it occurs in the multiverse, recognizes the mystic elements of antimagic, death, energy, faith, fluid, life, magic, philosophy, quintessence, rock, time, unity, and vapor. Even with knowledge of one of these elements, a sorcerer can manipulate their environment with ease. But upon mastering several, if not all of them, there is almost nothing an elementalist cannot do! The Elementalist Those sorcerers who study elementalism strive to understand the inner workings of reality itself. Regardless of which element or elements they choose to pursue mastery of, elementalists have a tendency to travel far and wide to glean the secrets of their manipulation. While their mystic masters aren't necessarily holding them back, the simple truth is that they don't know everything. Elementalism is a school that is generally recognized throughout the multiverse, after all, unlike its more provincial counterparts. Thus, elementalists can often be found just about anywhere in their search for greater understanding, whether in remote locations on earth, the farthest depths of interstellar space, or even in planes of existence alien to mere mortals and their ilk. In their travels, elementalists often locate areas that act as a nexus of elemental power. In other words, these locales are imbalanced in their elemental composition, and have more of certain elements than the others. Such focal points are ideal locations to forge a lair, or to at least perform magical ceremonies, for increased elemental composition in an area provides a +1 RS to related elemental spells. Elemental Mastery In the course of their study of elementalism, wizards progress by mastering the mystic elements their school recognizes. This process entails learning a variation on the Elemental Control spell that calls upon the element in question, as well as three distinct spells that draw upon said element to fuel its effects. Elementalists who accomplish this benefit from a +1 RS when casting spells fueled by that element. Spell stunts also count for the purposes of elemental mastery. A mage who masters an Eldritch Bolt of psychoturgic, philosophical energies, for instance, can count that same spell towards their mastery requirement for rock if they master a stunt to produce a jagged stream of stones with it. While spell stunts don't improve a character's mystic mastery rank, they nonetheless assist them in conquering their own school. Elementalists need not necessarily master one element before beginning work on another, however. One may learn another iteration of the Elemental Control spell before mastering an element, if desired - all of them, in fact, if this is what they want. This costs elementalists the elemental mastery bonus until they get around to it, of course, but provides them unmatched spellcasting versatility in exchange. Elemental Specialists While the previous details the standard form of elementalism, the school lends itself to offshoots that further emphasize specific facets of such magic. In other words, an elementalist may specialize in a single element, eschewing access to the other twelve to focus their attention exclusively. Elemental specialists are afforded a +1 RS bonus to all such spells, on top of that offered by elemental mastery. The Thirteen Elements While the Elemental Control spell details what one can do with it at least in regards to each individual element, it is important to document the scope of each of the elements recognized by elementalism. This is to assist players in the manipulation of each one, giving them a proper idea what can be done with them, and perhaps point them towards spells they can use to develop each further. The thirteen elements recognized by the school of elementalism include the following: * Antimagic: strictly speaking, this element involves the manipulation of improbability particles, which act to dampen or neutralize concentrations of the probability particles that allow most spells to be cast in the first place. This is a powerful, but dangerous ability; mishaps may neutralize one's own magics as well. On the other hand, it's one of the few ways to counter probability-manipulating powers. * Death: elemental forces of death include those strange forms of energy which exist in the planes of the afterlife, as well as those encountered on the way to such. These can include hellfire, celestial light, and spectral flames. Additionally, there are the more direct ways to interact with death, including the inducement of premature death, the forestalling of looming doom, and communion with deceased souls. * Energy: the element of energy is a versatile one, as almost everything contains energy of a sort. This element involves the manipulation of conventional energies, from light to heat to sound to electricity, and its controllers can shape this power in any way they see fit. Keep in mind that unconventional energy forms (those which inflict Deionic, Karmic, or Sorcerous damage) are beyond the scope of this element. * Faith: the forces that the element of faith represent are astoundingly powerful. They are the energies wielded by priests of their respective deities, as well as the raw power generated by the veneration of such. These energies can be produced to perform truly staggering feats, and can even be turned against the so-called gods themselves when wielded properly (if one chooses to do so). * Fluid: fluid elements are those which are of a liquid nature. This can include anything from water to high fructose corn syrup to the most toxic of sludges. If a material is currently liquid, this element holds sway over it. Note that temperature can alter the state of matter; what was untouchable stone one moment ago can be turned fluid with the application of enough heat. * Life: the flip-side of death, the element of life involves the manipulation of life forms and the life force that animates them. This element can be used to control the behavior of creatures sentient and unintelligent, change their very bodies, or alter the flow and quantity of life force they contain. It is great for healing others, but can just as easily be used to kill. * Magic: the raw aspect of sorcery itself, elemental magic involves the manipulation of probability particles. As can a paraprobabilitist, a master of elemental magic may twist and change the very core of magical effects, though usually those cast by others. This element can also be used to alter and manipulate any form of energy which inflicts Sorcerous damage (which may overlap with other elements slightly). * Philosophy: the forces of philosophy are those which govern morality. Good, evil, chaos, order, and balance are the five primary cornerstones of this element, though they can combine with each other to form a total of thirteen different philosophical forces. Masters of this element may amplify or dampen the effects of such, or shape the raw energies they represent to drastically alter their environment. * Quintessence: the element of space, quintessence is the universe all around us. One can use quintessence to shape said space, whether tinkering with gravity or altering the trajectories of objects moving in one's vicinity. Space can alter our own dimensions or the higher ones, allowing one to connect incongruent locations in our universe to one another - or even to places on other planes of existence! * Rock: the simply named element of rock involves the control over all material currently in a solid state. This can be anything from the eponymous rocks in one's environment to the building he or she occupies. Whether natural or man-made, the element of rock may shape all solid materials, either when simply destroying them or using them to create new objects entirely. * Time: the element of time represents both motion and entropy. One can use it to manipulate such to a variety of ends, whether accelerating or decelerating the flow of time around oneself or another, engaging in time travel, or possibly even rapidly aging or de-aging something. The element of time also allows control over temporal static, an energy form generated by those outside of their correct space-time coordinates. * Unity: unity is the convergence of elements, a combination of forces to produce a singular effect. This element allows for the blending of any other elements an elementalist holds sway over, to create all-new effects. With enough elements in tow, one can use unity to alter reality itself - or at least a small portion of it - as enough elements working together can truly represent our universe in its entirety. * Vapor: the element of vapor is similar to rock and fluid, in that it is used to manipulate one entire form of matter. Vapor, of course, is used to control all gases and vaporous materials, from oxygen to smoke to methane to helium. One with control over vapor can shape and move gaseous matter as they see fit, and can even expel it from an area if they wish, creating a true vacuum. * Entreatism * "We all go down for the god of the moment." - Rob Zombie Entreatism is a practice whereby wizards align themselves with powerful extraplanar entities, pooling their resources with such beings to further a mutually beneficial agenda. The entreatist generally brings their physical presence to the table, performing tasks their benefactor either can't or won't, while the extrinsic entities involved provide the muscle to make things happen. While any thaumaturge may attempt entreaties to the various dimensionally distant beings, places, and things that share their might, the entreatist takes this process one step further. Upon forging a pact with a given source of energy, an entreatist may work with it to increase the amount of power they may draw from him or her without irking their ire, particularly when actively supporting its plans. At the same time, an entreatist is by no means bound to any given source of mystic energy. Should an entreatist come to loggerheads with any of the things fueling their magic, they can simply exit their current arrangement. This may diminish their power, but there's nothing stopping an entreatist from developing a new relationship with another source of energy, one more than ready to make a deal! The Entreatist Like most who wield magic, entreatists spend a considerable amount of their time conducting research. A small amount of this effort is to reveal the occasional spell, such as those which are intrinsic to their particular school of magic. However, most of an entreatist's time spent in study is utilized uncovering every possible bit of information available to them regarding what they entreat for might. This investigative work sees an entreatist wandering far and wide, whether performing forensic groundwork in abandoned shrines, conversations with the followers of powerful deities, or even expeditions to exotic planes for firsthand examinations. Thus, despite the difference in subject matter, the questions facing an entreatist drag them away from their lives for long periods of time, as is the case with other mages. Nonetheless, other wizards tend to disregard the craft entreatists put into their work, perceiving them as lazy, daft, or both for their extensive dependence on others' power. But then again, most sorcerers judge entreatists through the lens of their own entreaty usage, whether as distinct spells or boosts to other magic. The flaw in that perspective is how differently entreaties function for entreatists. Sorcerous Concordat Entreatists attempt entreaties to extrinsic people, places, or things of power as do any other wizards. They may safely bolster an extant spell with a mystical entreaty up to twice a day, or maybe seven times per week, without drawing the attention of their power source. However, this basic amount changes dramatically upon making an arrangement to work with a given entity in exchange for magic might. The Sorcerous Concordat, a pact with a source of power to further its aims in the multiverse, increases the count of harmless entreaties with it by one. Each entreaty spell an entreatist studies/creates related to this sponsor adds one to this sum, as well. Entreatists with a history of furthering their patron's plans may add another safe entreaty, and those currently working to further their benefactor's interests may add two. While a few extra +1 RS (or rarely, +2 RS) bonuses to spells here and there may not sound like a lot, the important thing to remember is that an entreatist is not restricted to entering a Sorcerous Concordat with only one entity of power. With enough patrons available to reliably draw upon, an entreatist can regularly punch far above their weight - particularly when repeatedly stacking entreaties! Sponsor Schisms One of the problems inherent to partnering with vastly intelligent alien powers is that some tend to forget that the whole idea behind the Sorcerous Concordat is one of mutual benefit. Luckily, this mystical partnership may be ended at any time, by either party, whenever one of the two sees fit, and for any reason either feels valid. This is particularly helpful when one begins to treat their partner like hired help. Strictly speaking, there is no consequence to entreatists for severing ties with an alien being, or vice versa, aside from no longer being able to make additional entreaties to them without undue notice. But the reality of such a break isn't always so clean, and an extraplanar person, place, or thing may take considerable exception to a schism with an entreatist they've sponsored for some time. While this is uncommon, a sudden end to a working relationship between an entreatist and an extraplanar power can make subsequent entreaties to them particularly harrowing. In fact, it may behoove an entreatist to retool any entreaty spells that draw energy from now-hostile entities to instead pull power from another, which may be accomplished as a spell stunt in the event of such a crisis. Assuming they can't patch things up with their former sponsor, that is. * Faerie Magic * "Brawn and courage can sometimes be lonely friends, but those who dream walk in Faerie dust." - unknown A sorcerous school formed over untold millennia by extraplanar creatures of the same name, Faerie magic primarily reflects its creators' mindset. In other words, it mainly consists of spells intended to manipulate others, for the Faerie to deal with them on their own terms. And typically, the Faerie prefer to interact with other beings in a manner that reflects their own, imagined superiority. But why is Faerie one of the thirteen major schools of magic, you ask? This is because the Faerie are consummate shape changers, and have a predilection for wandering far and wide for their own amusement. Spread across the entirety of the multiverse, Faerie can be encountered almost anywhere, though those who encounter them (most often their victims) rarely know that they have met such beings. Most importantly, however, Faerie physiology is invasive. Charged with magic, their bodies allow them to interbreed with just about any living creature, after which their child then passes that supernatural characteristic down to their descendants. Hence, in addition to the Faerie themselves, countless Fae crossbreeds and offshoots of these entities litter reality, which has the effect of bringing their magic along with them. The Faerie Wizard Wielders of Faerie magic are generally descended from one or more Faerie forebears. Occasionally, these Fae descendants reveal their true nature at birth, which bodes ill for their continued existence. The horrible treatment of others by the Faerie has become legend over the eons, after all, spawning various myths which often prompt the parents of blatant Fae infants to put them down immediately. Others who wield Faerie magic were perfectly normal to all appearances, at least until something brought their mystic origin to the fore. Perhaps this is something as simple as puberty, as is the case with mutants and their own, ticking genetic time bombs. Other times, an encounter with the fantastic, bizarre, or alien will draw out the true nature of the Faerie within them, leading to an immediate transformation. Either way, once a character's Fae origins are made manifest in the world, they can attempt to master Faerie magic. As is the case with anyone else attempting to learn sorcery, they must seek out instruction in the arcane arts, but at least they're guaranteed a seat at some Faerie instructor's table. Those without a Fae background, on the other hand, will have a harder time receiving such tutelage. Faerie Advantages Unless a Faerie magic wielder lacks a Fae heritage, which is uncommon but not impossible, they may very well possess one or more traits that reveal such to the outside world. This may often be a mere cosmetic tell, such as a slight build, uncanny beauty, or even pointy ears. However, the simple fact of the matter is that the Faerie have mated with almost everything over time, so the sky is the limit, here. In other words, Faerie spellcasters may have inherent supernatural powers as well as the ability to wield wizard spells. How this works is that when creating such characters, players may substitute spell slots for posthuman abilities on a one-to-one basis. This grants them considerable versatility, allowing them to draw from supernatural powers, spells, and magical items over the course of their adventures. Furthermore, whenever a Faerie spellcaster is in contact with something that is related to the magic of their forebears, they may cast their magic more effectively. Whether they are in an area suffused with Faerie magic (such as a Faerie circle) or are carrying an item ensorcelled with Faerie spells, they may wield their sorcery as though it was +1 RS higher in value than is normal. Faerie Drawbacks The specific nature of a Faerie mage's inherent abilities may be minor or major, may or may not alter the character's appearance, and may or may not be related to their possessor's school of magic. The primary thing to keep in mind when pondering the form such abilities will take is the lineage of the Fae character in question, because the more Faerie one is, the more likely they are to suffer Faerie limitations. As it is, all Faerie spells are subject to a weakness to iron. Faerie casters who lack a Fae heritage, or those who have one but possess two or less special powers because of their ancestry, will find they are incapable of casting Faerie spells while in direct contact with this metal. This counts as a strong limitation on each individual Faerie spell, but does not affect the character as a whole. A Faerie caster (or any Fae, really) possessing more than two powers due to their lineage is considered strongly Faerie, and are instead hamstrung by both a weakness and a susceptibility to iron as strong character limitations. When touching the metal, they not only lose spellcasting ability, but cannot use any other powers, and their traits are reduced to rank value 2 while contact with iron persists. Furthermore, they will lose a minimum of one quarter of their maximum Health total on each contact, on top of any other damage inflicted. * Geomancy * "I catch the rain that turns me to rust, I stand in the flame that turns me to dust." - Gravity Kills As with many schools of magic, geomancy's historical roots reach back further than recorded history. All of earth's ancient cultures had ideas about the universe and what makes it tick, often explicating such concerns with legendary yarns about gods and monsters. It was in early Greece, however, that the mystical stoicheion, or elements, of the world were first expounded upon. Drawing on the influences of previous civilizations, the Greek notion of our reality's building blocks was then spread around the world, and subsequently adapted by various societies in various fashions. Scholars in numerous obscure circles furthered these studies, despite being repressed by powers both corporeal and spiritual, ultimately developing the precepts of geomancy. Geomancers believe that all of existence can be boiled down to the interactions between seven root components: earth, air, fire, water, animal, plant, and weather. By exerting their will over one or more of these elements, a geomancer can manipulate the world around them to achieve a variety of effects. Controlling all seven elements, then, can conceivably allow one to control reality itself! The Geomancer While not a trait intrinsic to them alone, geomancers often spend a considerable amount of time in the wilds of the world. This is because their magic is associated with such pristine areas more than most other sorcery, capable of being cast at a +1 RS on such land. Conversely, overly developed or polluted land will inflict a -1 RS penalty on the geomancer attempting to ply their trade there. This is why geomancers are often, though not always, shepherds of nature. Depending on their particular outlook, they may see this as some sort of moral requirement, or might simply wish to increase the area within which their spells are more effective. Regardless of their motivation, it is invariably in a geomancer's best interests to preserve untouched real estate as much as is possible. To this end, assuming the need to maintain a secret identity or to simply generate income, a geomancer may very well maintain employment that facilitates this goal, whether serving as a park ranger or acting as an environmental watchdog for the government. Mind you, one may merely walk the earth at their leisure, going on adventures and righting wrongs against the natural world. Whatever works. Elemental Mastery In the course of their study of geomancy, magicians progress by mastering the mystic elements their school recognizes. This process entails learning a variation on the nature control spell that calls upon the element in question, as well as three distinct spells that draw upon said element to fuel its effects. Geomancers who accomplish this benefit from a +1 RS when casting spells fueled by that element. Spell stunts also count for the purposes of elemental mastery. A mage who masters an Eldritch Bolt of fire, for instance, can count that same spell towards their mastery requirement for air if they master a stunt to produce a blustery column of force with it. While spell stunts don't improve a character's mystic mastery rank, they nonetheless assist them in conquering their own school. Geomancers need not necessarily master one element before beginning work on another, however. One may learn another iteration of the nature control spell before mastering an element, if desired - all of them, in fact, if this is what the geomancer wants. This costs geomancers the elemental mastery bonus until they get around to it, of course, but provides them unmatched spellcasting versatility in exchange. The Specialist and the Worshiper While the previous details the standard form of geomancy, the school lends itself to offshoots that further emphasize various facets of elemental magic. For one thing, a geomancer may decide to specialize in a single element, eschewing access to the other six to focus their attention exclusively. Elemental specialists are afforded a +1 RS bonus to all such spells, on top of that offered by elemental mastery. Alternately, a geomancer may be less a wizard and more a priest, worshiping nature (or the earth) itself. Such spellcasters generally function per normal geomancers, though they benefit from access to clerical spells as well as those from their own school. On the other hand, they may be compelled by personified force(s) of nature to perform actions furthering their ends, so this practice may entail unforeseen circumstances. Finally, a rare few geomancers may very well combine both of these variants into an almost customized school of magic, specializing in a singular element related to a nature deity they worship. A geomancer who venerates the primordial sea goddess Tiamat, for instance, may specialize in water geomancy, and also gain specialized faith magic from their goddess in exchange for their service to that ancient deity. * Paraprobabilitism * "Chaos in the midst of chaos isn't funny, but chaos in the midst of order is." - Steve Martin Men and women of magic have always sought to make sense of the phenomenon. These intrepid explorers of magic's lubricious potential are determined to harness it, no matter how capricious and squirrelly it may be. In other words, for as long as there have been wielders of magic, the practice of paraprobabilitism has existed - even after its discoveries are utilized to forge other schools of magic. The opposite of prudent, paraprobabilitists bend and warp magical energies with glee, often discovering secrets heretofore unseen. Just as often, however, their innovative tinkering with the forces of causality catastrophically backfire. These two facets of paraprobabilitists are what make them simultaneously admired and reviled, for the cost of knowledge they uncover is more often than not paid by others. But, when it comes down to it, you've got to start somewhere. Whether they are pioneers of the usage of magic in their society or irresponsible rebels who reject the shackles of others' insights about sorcery, paraprobabilitists are consistently at the forefront of arcane developments. When they're not busy destroying themselves upon pushing the limits of probability too far beyond the pale, at least. The Paraprobabilitist Eschewing parochial customs, paraprobabilitists forge their own path. Sure, they often benefit from the aid of a like-minded master of the mystic arts, but even such stalwart supporters are often content to let young paraprobabilitists make many, many mistakes. Every attempt to reshape magic is a learning experience, after all - even those which end in tragedy. Or comedy. Or both! The result of mistakes made when attempting to reshape sorcery on the fly often mark paraprobabilitists for what they are, unlike most other wielders of wizardry. While a paraprobabilitist frequently bears at least one temporary alteration to their morphic field at any given time, it is possible that they suffer permanent changes as well - and such changes may go far, far beyond the cosmetic. The enhancements, limitations, and quirks that a paraprobabilitist possesses may be a result of failures to reshape sorcery. Furthermore, due to the unique nature of their school, paraprobabilitists may choose to have any of their initial spells instead take the form of a permanent, magical powers. This makes mastering the school take longer, but gives paraprobabilitists ascendant abilities they need not cast to actualize! The Potentiality of Plausibility The singular benefit a paraprobabilitist possesses is that, when casting a spell, they may attempt to transform it into any other. Doing so requires a successful spell ACT roll at a penalty determined by just how different the intended spell effect is from the original. A minor change may incur a mere -1 RS penalty, but transmogrifying a spell into something completely different may impose a -6 RS penalty - or worse! Furthermore, the difficulty of this ACT depends on how prepared a paraprobabilitist is to produce this particular effect, and is determined as if they were attempting a spell stunt... which they sort of are. The first attempt imposes the need for a yellow spell ACT, the second through fifth attempts call for a blue spell ACT, and further attempts beyond that merely require a red ACT roll. Assuming the paraprobabilitist can succeed in their efforts despite the color difficulty and Row Shift penalties, they can produce the desired spell effect. What's more, having done so once, they may develop said effect into a regular spell, if they wish. While this may cost them a large amount of Fortune, it behooves a paraprobabilitist to do so, to avoid the effects of failures in such efforts. The Costs of Chaos When attempts to change the nature of a spell in the midst of casting it fail, a paraprobabilitist neither produces the original spell effect nor the one they intended to. No, something else happened, and it's rarely good for anyone. The Gamemaster may be as merciful or as terrible in this regard as they see fit, though it's generally poor sport to outright kill players when spell manipulations fail. Horribly inconveniencing them is fine, though, as they have inundated the vicinity with Probability Fallout. This may simply produce a third spell effect, or instead it might... alter things nearby. Failing a Willpower ACT or material value check against the intensity of this unshaped magic induces changes that are generally temporary in nature, but circumstances may render them permanent. The severity, duration, and very nature of sorcerous radiation alterations are ultimately a crapshoot, depending on variables present when anomalous energy exposure occurs. Again, the Gamemaster is the final arbiter of such things, though the rank value of the modified spell, along with the Row Shift penalty applied to the paraprobabilitist's effort, may help to inform them of what damage to reality has been wrought. Though dramatic license is also consideration, because magic is irrational that way. * Philosophical Magic * "Philosophy is a study that lets us be unhappy more intelligently." - unknown For as long as sentient beings have existed, five conceptual forces have ceaselessly vied for domination over all. The philosophical puissances of balance, chaos, evil, good, and order exert influence upon the minds of all beings, and through them, the world beyond. Thus, concepts of morality didn't exist until intelligence did, but will nonetheless persist after sapient entities are long gone. Where they are not polar opposites, these forces tend to flow into one another, creating eight additional conceptual energies which also compete for influence. These supplemental motivations include codification, conscription, corruption, creation, destruction, disruption, purification, and reparation. All in all, this makes a grand total of thirteen distinct ethos, each of which constantly strive to further their reach. While a vast majority of sentient entities loosely subscribe to one of these behavioral ideals, some ardently proselytize them. And a rare few amongst the latter, so-called philosophers, can focus the power of their very morals for use in magic. With this, they work to spread the influence of their chosen ethos across the multiverse as causal crusaders, attempting to reshape all that exists to match their ideology! The thirteen philosophical powers are briefly summed up here: * Balance: one of the five major forces of philosophy, balance is the equalizer of the cosmos, making all the same. * Chaos: unpredictability, randomness, and inspiration are the hallmarks of chaos, a major philosophical force. * Codification: where order and balance meet is codification, the bringing of order to that which has none. * Conscription: order imposed by evil is rarely accepted voluntarily, and these chains of law serve dark ends. * Corruption: when balance is tainted by evil, corruption results, twisting all with darkness until it is unrecognizable. * Creation: chaos and goodness merge to reflect the creative urge, and the rejection of entropy. * Destruction: chaos and evil, on the other hand, merge to sow entropy, and bring an end to all things. * Disruption: when chaos alters balance, the bindings of order are thrown to the wind, often with bizarre results. * Evil: dark selfishness incarnate, evil is the spreading of entropy with disregard for all else. * Good: the proponent of life in the universe, this major philosophical force strives to foster harmony in all. * Order: stability and knowledge come with order, a major philosophical force that acts to organize all things. * Purification: when balance is touched by good, a cleansing of entropy occurs, and glorious things can ensue. * Reparation: where order and good are combined, systems can be restored to their full strength and vitality. The Philosopher The eternal battle of philosophical forces is waged throughout creation. Whether or not they wield philosophical magic, the zealous proponents of the thirteen ethical powers ceaselessly strive to bring others around to their way of thinking. Some attempt to do this by force of arms, while others instead rely on the power of persuasion. Either way, this endless struggle has real effects on existence itself. Though our universe is considered strongly neutral in both purpose and outlook, others swing towards differing moralities. Furthermore, when enough of a location's people and matter are converted from one ethos to another, either their entire universe can begin to change in a like fashion, or the affected areas will physically shift from their current reality to one more aligned with their new attitudes. This is why so much of the mystic school of philosophy is dedicated to spells which either manipulate philosophical energies or involve piercing planar boundaries in one fashion or another. While some philosophers may be content to stay home and play defense for their morality of choice, most know that threats from beyond rarely provide the same courtesy, and the fight will invariably come to them if allowed to. Conceptual Alteration The philosophical thaumaturgist is such a fervid believer in the conceptual force of morality they adhere to that they can use their magic to make it manifest in the physical world. This belief-based energy is a psychoturgical power source that bears both magical and psionic components, and is thus capable of directly affecting others as either Sorcerous or Karmic damage, whichever of the two is more effective. More importantly, however, is the transformative effect that the direct application of such energies has on matter. Magic shaped by the belief of its wielder made real, philosophical energies carry Probability Fallout, the effects of which are to alter that which is exposed to it in a manner that reflects their wielder's ethos - or, at the very least, their perception of how it should do so. Changes inflicted by the Probability Fallout inherent to philosophical energies are often minor, and generally transient, but are a striking reminder of who wields them and the conceptual force they represent. The victims of a proponent of chaos might see their possessions and appearance twisted in any number of random fashions, while those faced with a supporter of order may well look far too tidy for their own good. Moral Relativity In addition to the magic provided to them by their mystic school, philosophical wizards have access to the same, common spells all other sorcerers do. These spells function as they normally would, despite being fueled in part by reality-warping philosophical power. The only difficulty involved with wielding such sorcery is in reconciling its use against the ideology that motivates its casting in the first place. Healing / Others may seem to be firmly aligned with reparation, while Mind Control sounds like the very definition of conscription. Even when dealing with edge cases, room can be made for such spells. Perhaps the evil philosopher only casts Healing / Others on those who will further his or her own ends, while the chaotic philosopher wields Mind Control to disrupt enemy forces with surgical precision. Ultimately, it is up to the Gamemaster whether or not a given use of a spell aligns with the ethos a particular philosophical sorcerer adheres to - or attempts to, anyway. And if it doesn't, that's okay! It's not like a philosopher is going to lose points with the ideological puissance they purport to support if they occasionally fail to act in lockstep with it. But wandering off the proverbial ranch can get complicated. A Clash of Ethos When the Gamemaster decides a given philosopher is casting their magic in a fashion contrary to the moral force they ostensibly claim to buttress, he or she is free to inflict a penalty on their efforts. While philosophers are allowed one 'step' away from their moral compass without harm, the Gamemaster may apply a -2 RS penalty to the ACT roll required for each further step away a philospher's spell attempts. For example, a philosopher who eagerly supports the forces of good above all casts a spell to purge an area of evil. This could be conceptualized as wielding either the forces of good or purification, neither of which bear a penalty. When forced to perform an act of corruption for what they deem the greatest good, however, that same philosopher will suffer a -4 RS penalty against their efforts. The same applies when wielding direct, unfiltered philosophical forces. A philosophical chaos mage can use an Eldritch Bolt to discharge chaos, creation, destruction, or disruption without penalty, balance, good, or evil at a -2 RS penalty, and codification, conscription, corruption, purification, or reparation spells at a -4 RS. Note that philosophers cannot wield the force diametrically opposed to their own. Exceptions of Equilibrium On the other hand, proponents of balance function differently in this regard. They may wield the energies and motives of balance, codification, corruption, disruption, and purification without penalty. They skip the next 'step' to wield conscription, creation, destruction, and reparation at a -2 RS penalty. Finally, philosophers of balance can attempt to wield chaos, evil, good, and order at a -4 RS. The reason for this exception in the guidelines other philosophers are bound to is in the very nature of balance. Balance seeks to equalize everything, after all, so it would naturally have an easier time with a puissance between two other extremes than with the extremes themselves. Furthermore, as their morality sits at the center of the wheel of ethos, they lack a force which they are forbidden to utilize. However, their road is indeed the hardest path to walk. Proponents of balance either work hard at remaining neutral, or strive to level the playing field, in all things - both of which often force one to choose between their own wishes and that of their chosen energy of conscience. Other philosophers, not understanding the nature of balance, often deride those who support it for not 'picking a side'. Even if they already have. * Physiomancy * "We become what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit!" - Aristotle The precise origins of physiomancy are unknown, but then that is hardly surprising. The very nature of this magical practice lends itself to individuals who aren't the best record keepers, for they generally eschew standing still long enough to take notes. However, the past isn't really all that relevant to a physiomancer, as they are always looking towards the future! Physiomancy itself is the art of turning magic inward, upon oneself. A counterpart of sorts to thaumentalists, physiomancers apply their sorcery to their very bodies, enhancing the function of such considerably. The spells intrinsic to this school of magic invariably grant their wielder extreme physical abilities that other magicians, or anyone else for that matter, only wish they were privy to. Even before considering their rather drastic school spells, physiomancers can readily augment their inherent capabilities without fail. This makes them excellent adventurers, uniquely equipped to engage in exploration, hostilities, or just about any other physical pursuit desired. And with their predilection for personal perfection, physiomancers are often leaders in whatever field they adopt. The Physiomancer Needless to say, physiomancers aren't like most other wizards. They constantly strive to push their bodies to the very limit... and then far beyond. They relentlessly train to augment their physical capability, as most believe that a stronger body allows for stronger magic, though the jury is out on that notion. Regardless, physiomancers invariably have more sheer physical presence than other mages. Their dress lends itself to freedom of motion and action, which means they're the kind of sorcerer that most often dresses as a stereotypical hero or villain. They eschew bulky, constraining costume components in lieu of stretch fabric where available, though less is generally preferred overall. Any armor they utilize will be minimal at best, with most of the physiomancer's defensive capability coming from their magic. Perhaps of all wizards, the physiomancer's magic is the least flashy of the bunch. Sure, the feats they can achieve with their sorcery are beyond the pale, but aren't always obviously magic in and of themselves. Though this will naturally vary from one physiomancer to another, it's possible that one will only see a physiomancer discharge magic when shunting it into themselves for immediate use. Channeling Above and beyond all of their mystical knowledge, physiomancers benefit from a potent ability that makes them seem super-human even before the effects of their spells are put into play. Namely, instead of manifesting a magical effect upon casting a spell, physiomancers may channel the energy that would have been used to actualize it into their very bodies, enhancing them considerably - if in a transient fashion. In other words, a physiomancer may cast any spell, and instead of utilizing it as intended, can substitute that spell's rank value in place of one of their physical traits. A physiomancer's Melee, Coordination, Brawn, or Fortitude may be augmented in this fashion, as is desired, which can be particularly devastating in battle if they possess even one spell that is of high rank value. The only catch is that this enhancement only lasts for a singular use of the trait in question. For example, consider a sorcerer with rank value 6 Brawn, who possesses a spell that functions at rank value 75. By channeling that spell into their Brawn, they may utilize that heightened trait to, say, deliver an astonishingly devastating melee assault, after which it will immediately return to its nominal value. Though intended for immediate use, physiomancer ability enhancements can be prepared and maintained as if they were spells, if one wishes. Compromise While physiomancers have access to the same basic spells that any other sorcerer does, they have a tendency to study Personal spells above all others. The reason for this is that the school prioritizes improving one's physical capabilities, after all, and many Personal effects tend to do just that. Of course, even some Personal spells don't quite fit within this mold, so physiomancers often stick to a small, core roster of magic. There's nothing preventing a physiomancer from learning spells that don't directly augment their corporeal existence, mind you, it's just that the school doesn't really focus on anything else. Thus, whenever a physiomancer desires to master a spell that doesn't dovetail with their school's overall direction, they have to decide which abilities are more important: those that directly augment themselves and those that don't. A physiomancer's spell roster, then, is a perpetual act of compromise. Why learn telepathy when you can become invulnerable to psionic attack, instead? There's no specific game mechanic to dictate how this works - simply a basic requirement that a physiomancer rationalize why a spell outside their primary focus is worth deviating from the overall plan. And, depending on their character, this may be easier said than done. * Technomancy * "As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality." - Albert Einstein The mystic school of technomancy concerns itself with the products of living beings' knowledge. Similar to but distinct from alchemy, this form of magic involves the blending of sorcery and science in three basic fashions. The simplest of these is the direct manipulation of technology with magic, which is accomplished with, among other things, the spells developed by this school over time. The middle ground is what is colloquially known as industrial magic, the replacement of extant technologies with counterparts made possible by sorcery, or the parallel/alternative development of the same. A camera devised using industrial magic principles might have a tiny imp inside painting what it sees, for example, instead of exposing charge coupled devices (or, if older, film negatives) to the light. The most complicated form technomancy can take is in the creation of devices that seamlessly blend magic and technology into a cohesive whole. This process is generally unique to each device created using the school's knowledge, assuming one isn't building more than a single example of the same implement, and is essentially a form of invention that incorporates spellcasting into the process. The Technomancer More than their counterparts practicing magic learned via other mystic schools by far, technomancers are often skilled scientists. Sure, each school of magic represents a trade of sorts, however flawed its methodology might seem to conventional men and women of knowledge, but a technomage often masters as many mundane scientific talents as they do arcane formulas to manifest magical effects. This is because magicians of machinery rely upon conventional technology as much as sorcery to accomplish their goals. A technomage is as likely to have a number of off-the-shelf implements secreted amongst their belongings as they are ensorcelled objects, some of which they have made themselves and some that they have procured from others. It generally just depends on the overall style of their wizardry. While you may find a technomage who is primarily an electronicist who augments their equipment with a bit of magic, or a sorcerer who assists their spellcasting with a handy device here or there, most mages who belong to this school strive for more. The ultimate goal, after all, is to integrate the two ostensibly distinct sources of power into a singular whole, one greater than the sum of its parts! Device Spells The easiest means by which a technomancer can combine the effects of sorcery and science is to directly apply the former to the latter. The most obvious application of this method is with the spells provided by the mystic school of technomancy itself. The thirteen technomantic spells allow their caster to directly impose their will on technology above and beyond the ability most other spellcasters. But what about other spells, you might ask? While it is conceivable that a technomage could learn how to cast a spell entirely independent of technology, here or there, that goes against the grain of technomancy. Thus, a technomancer who wishes to master a personal, universal, dimensional, group, or entreaty spell (with the sole exception of empowerment) typically does so with the aid of symbolic technology. This counts as a limitation to such spells, offering a beneficial Row Shift based on the difficulty of replacing the symbolic item. Using a revolver bought off-the-shelf as a focus for the casting of an Eldritch Bolt might provide the technomage a +1 RS bonus, while a Clairvoyance spell requiring the use of a high-flying drone built by hand, using rare and/or expensive components, may be much more beneficial. Industrial Magic A technomancer can easily get by utilizing ordinary hardware and device spells, whether inherent to their school or when focused through mundane items, though this simply scratches the surface of what their school is capable of. A more advanced application of technomancy is the process of industrial magic, which involves using empowement to replace an item's conventional functions with a sorcerous counterpart. Note the word 'a' instead of 'the', in regards to mystical substitutions. This is because any number of magical schemes can be utilized to replace an item's usual workings with sorcery. For instance, one could substitute the impetus for movement a train normally receives via its prime mover by having it entreat a place of power for the necessary energy, utilize an energetic elemental, or simply enchant it with Propulsion. Temporary substitutions of this nature require no Fortune expenditure. Persistent effects replacing extant device functions only requires the Fortune cost of making them permanent, per empowerment. Finally, installing an all-new magical ability into a device, or using this technique to simulate a mundane (to you and I, at least) device where it does not currently exist, is completed using empowerment normally. Any Fortune required of a technomancer when utilizing industrial magic is reduced by twenty-five percent. Commixture Beyond mere spellcasting, and distinct from industrial magic, is commixture. Combining science and sorcery into a singular, cohesive whole, commixture is where technomages truly begin to stand out from their sorcerous peers. This process allows these technological thaumaturges to craft implements which utilize ordinary principles and fantastic components whose combination exceeds the sum of their parts. If this sounds like conventional invention to you, you'd be right. When adding sorcery to the process, inventors introduce numerous shortcuts into the process to speed it along. For starters, if magic is used to produce an effect beyond that of society's mainstream technology, a technomantic object does not have a minimum tech rank value of 75, potentially reducing the difficulty in building it significantly. Furthermore, technomages may utilize one or more non-school device spells as special catalysts, if applicable to a given invention. If required to master new spells to install in a device, technomages can learn them as ordinary magic formulas, or may instead study them solely as spells to be used during the invention process. This extremely limits such spells, but they can be reused in other inventions. * Thaumentalism * "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes The practice of thaumentalism formed as a result of general dissatisfaction with conventional psionic tutoring. Thaumentalists believe that sentient minds are capable of accomplishing literally anything, and that they simply need a little bit of a jolt, here and there, to figure out how. Sure, one could meditate for years to figure this stuff out, but why waste all of that time and effort? A thaumentalist, by using magic to look into his or her own mind, can quickly activate such mental abilities. This is a subversion of the method psis use to gain their powers, and most of those meditative folks look down on your average thaumentalist. Nonetheless, thaumentalists are most definitely onto something, as their odd practices allow them to wield both psionics and spells. Not that every thaumentalist need pursue psionic as well as mystic mastery. The school lends itself to a study of the mind and how it works, and a thaumentalist may very well be perfectly happy with spells designed for that purpose. However, should one wish to wield psionics but approach them from the more mystical side of things, the school of thaumentalism is right up their alley! The Thaumentalist Whether they study psionics in addition to their wizardry, or simply delve into the sorcery of sentience, thaumentalists almost always have the inside track on what people around them are thinking and/or feeling. This can make them thoughtful and compassionate, or selfish and manipulative, depending entirely on the thaumentalist in question... not to mention their mystic master. This is not to say that thaumentalists are necessarily the most intelligent, wise, or self-aware people you'll ever meet. More than a few are content to leave their minds barely more potent than that of a human without skills that grant super-human abilities, and let their school's special ability do the heavy lifting for them. After all, one usually only needs to be at their peak during a crisis. But thaumentalists who develop their minds alongside their wizardry and psionics may very well appear almost alien, their preternaturally keen intellects being aware of what others will do seemingly before they themselves have such any idea. But then, understanding sentience in and out will have that effect on a body, for good or ill, and holding that tendency back is easier said than done. Channeling Above and beyond all of their mystical knowledge, thaumentalists benefit from a potent ability that makes them seem super-human even before the effects of their spells are put into play. Namely, instead of manifesting a magical effect upon casting a spell, thaumentalists may channel the energy that would have been used to actualize it into their very minds, enhancing them considerably - if in a transient fashion. In other words, a thaumentalist may cast any spell, and instead of utilizing it as intended, can substitute that spell's rank value in place of one of their mental traits. A thaumentalist's Melee, Intellect, Awareness, or Willpower may be augmented in this fashion, as is desired, which can be particularly potent in all aspects of life if they possess even one spell that is of high value. The only catch is that this enhancement lasts for a but singular use of the trait in question. For example, consider a sorcerer with rank value 6 Intellect, who possesses a spell that functions at rank value 100. By channeling that spell into their Intellect, they may utilize that heightened trait in, say, the attempt to resolve an invention ACT, after which it immediately returns to its normal value. Though intended for immediate use, thaumentalist trait enhancements can be prepared and maintained as if they were spells, if one wishes. Balance A thaumentalist is easily the counterpart of a psychoturge (a psi that dabbles in magic), in that his or her wizardry grants them mystic abilities as well as the power to mess with both psionics and the mental faculties of others. Essentially opposite sides of the same coin, the two have the potential to master both the psionic and mystical arts, and this makes them singularly dangerous beings. At the same time, a thaumentalist is a similar foil to a physiomancer. While the latter can channel magical power into their physical abilities to achieve a one-shot usage at an enhanced level, the former can do this with their mental traits. This allows thaumentalists to be veritable mental giants, if only for short periods of time - but that's quite often all the brain power they need. The ultimate trick with a thaumentalist is how they balance their open-ended spell and/or psionic selection. If attempting to master both spells and psychic powers, it can be all too easy to lean on one source of power over the other. This is often why a thaumentalist will save abilities that affect the mind for their magic, while they'll reserve influence over anything else to their psionics. At least that way, they can keep their focus where they really want it. * Voodoo * "Voodoun is a very interesting religion for the whole family, even those members of it who are dead. - Terry Pratchett What most think of as Voodoo originated in West Africa, and was a localized mystic school until countless numbers of its adherents were enslaved, and subsequently relocated to the Americas. Despite ceaseless attempts by others to stamp Voodoo out over the centuries, the art continues to flourish and evolve, numerous variations on its basic themes expressing themselves everywhere it has taken root. The vast majority of those associated with the lore of Voodoo are not spellcasters. No, they are merely adherents of an otherwise conventional philosophy, one observed by millions of people worldwide. However, a rare few practitioners of Voodoo possess the knowledge and fortitude to interact with Loa, powerful spectral entities, and thus master the ability to wield functional wizardry as a result. Players interested in adopting the role of characters who practice Voodoo are encouraged to research the subject further, naturally. While this elucidation focuses on the game mechanics of casting Voodoo spells, it does not delve deeply into the centuries upon centuries of traditions that depictions of Voodoo in movies and comics used as a basis for what follows. The Voodoo Practitioner Wielders of Voodoo (houngans for males, mambos for females) have at their disposal aspects of the alchemy, clericism, and entreatism schools. They can produce transient magical items (potions, powders, oils, etc.), call upon the spectral entities that roam this world (and beyond) for knowledge and power, and even benefit from the worship of their ancestors. They can do all this within the context of their art. What this means is that practitioners of Voodoo normally use their magical powers to defend or otherwise help others, instead of furthering their own ends. They might perform healing or other magic as is necessary, protect the innocent from vengeful Loa, or otherwise do what it takes to keep their chosen community alive. They can do this primarily due to their relationship with the spirits of their ancestors. On the other hands, both bokors (male) and sorciéres (female) are those who have sank so low that they wield magic to benefit only themselves. Practitioners of this stripe are known to work magic with 'both hands', using both good and evil to further their personal agenda and aspirations of power. Corrupted practitioners of this type are the bane of all followers of the Voodoo philosophy. Loa Intrinsic to the philosophy, practice, and/or faith of Voodoo are the Loa, spectral entities that exist near humanity in higher dimensions. Loa are a complex class of beings, ranging from recently passed mortal souls to the remnants of old gods long dead and almost forgotten. While a few of them may have been divine at one point, and some folks might worship them still, Loa are not gods in and of themselves. Furthermore, despite being technically deceased souls, Loa can nonetheless exert influence over the living, whether subtly or overtly. This is one reason so many Voodoo spells involve these ghostly beings - a given area is generally teeming with Loa. Whether to garner information from them or to protect a body from their predations, dealing with Loa is a large part of practicing Voodoo. Sometimes, this involves parley to gain knowledge, whether to solve a mystery or to master new magic. Other times, it concerns Loa riding mortal beings like a horse, after a fashion, to let them enjoy the fruits of the material world for a time. Still more encounters with Loa are completely random affairs, occurring during otherwise mundane events whenever it strikes their fancy. They're dead, after all. What else to they have to do with their time? Voodoo Foci While Voodoo offers its practitioners a balanced array of skills with which to ply their trade, some sorcerers prefer to specialize in certain aspects of the art. Such specialists do not lose access to the common abilities wielded by their peers, so much as they simply focus on one kind of Voodoo above all others. In other words, specialist practitioners gain access to another school's spell selection! Those wielders of Voodoo who prioritize the creation of magical items, whether temporary or permanent in nature, may also draw from the school spells of alchemists. Voodoo casters who primarily engage in negotiations with Loa may, on the other hand, learn entreatism spells. And finally, those Voodoo casters who actually worship the spirits of their dead ancestors may instead master spells of clericism. One need not immediately decide if they wish to be a 'regular' caster of Voodoo or one who specializes in one of these three facets of the school - individual casters are assumed to be unspecialized until they specifically declare otherwise. However, once an individual practitioner of Voodoo chooses to specialize their choice is essentially permanent, meaning that they can't switch from one specialty to another. And, thus, cannot gain access to more than one bonus school spell roster as a result. Voodoo and Belief Regardless of how one wishes to express Voodoo, their potency with the art is often influenced by those who observe it in action. Belief in oneself is important, of course, but parleying with the souls of the living and the dead renders a Voodoo caster subject to the power of others' belief, as well. This is one reason they are often so ostentatiously dressed - making an impression on others is absolutely vital. If a given Voodoo wielder is thought to be powerful by others in the vicinity, whether they are admired or feared for how they wield that power, they will receive a +1 RS to the rank value of all spell ACTs they attempt. This bonus is raised by another +1 RS if such ACTs are attempted in the context of a magical ceremony, which most often has a large array of observers present, for various reasons. Similarly, if a practitioner of Voodoo loses this respect or is made to appear the fool, this bonus is instead transformed into a -1 RS penalty, -2 RS if the wizard is particularly humbled in an encounter. The duration of such spell modifiers, positive or negative, is dependent on the overall standing of a Voodoo caster within his or her community in general, as well as the campaign's overall history. ** Character Generation (Random (Dice Roll) Method) ** In the end, sorcerers are merely normal humans, despite all their vaunted powers. As such, when rolling up traits for a mage, use table A to generate his or her Brawn and Fortitude, then table B for their Melee and Coordination. Finally, use table D for Intellect, Awareness, and Willpower, as these are usually rather high in wizardly characters, above and beyond those traits seen in typical people (on average). Sorcerers may then roll on table A to determine their initial Lifestyle rank value. They also begin play with a Repute trait of zero. Add up their Health and Fortune totals as normal, along with Negative and Mental Health, if these optional traits are in use. Table 1: Rank Value Generation Table A Table B Table C Table D Table E Table F Table G Table H Table I Rank Value - - 01 - 01 - 01 - 01 Hyperexhaustive 01 01 02-05 - - 01 02-05 - - Rank Value 2 02-25 02-05 06-10 - - 02-05 06-10 - - Rank Value 4 26-50 06-25 11-25 - - 06-10 11-15 - - Rank Value 6 51-75 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 11-25 16-25 - - Rank Value 10 76-99 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 Rank Value 20 00 76-95 76-90 26-50 26-50 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 Rank Value 30 - 96-99 91-95 51-75 51-75 76-90 76-85 26-50 26-50 Rank Value 40 - 00 96-99 76-99 76-95 91-95 86-90 51-75 51-75 Rank Value 50 - - - 00 96-99 96-90 91-95 76-99 76-95 Rank Value 75 - - - - - 00 96-99 00 96-99 Rank Value 100 - - 00 - 00 - 00 - 00 Hyperkinetic Once your rolls are complete, you may gamble on any two traits of your choice, shoring up any areas in your psi-active character you feel need bolstering. Keep in mind that once you are done, all of your traits save for Awareness and Willpower must remain within normal human maximums; while you deal in dread forces unknown to most humans, you're still one of them for the most part. If any trait(s) exceed normal human levels, simply drop them back down to that point when you're done. Table 2: Rank Value Modifiers (Gambling) Crazy Risky Traditional Lenient Easy Column Shift 01 - - - - -4 RS 02-05 01 - - - -3 RS 06-15 02-05 - 01 - -2 RS 16-25 06-25 01-15 02-25 01 -1 RS 26-75 26-75 16-50 26-50 02-25 0 RS 76-85 76-95 51-65 51-75 26-50 +1 RS 86-95 96-99 66-85 76-99 51-75 +2 RS 96-99 00 86-95 00 76-99 +3 RS 00 - 96-00 - 00 +4 RS (RV max). (RV 100 max). (RV 75 max). (RV 50 max). (RV 40 max). * Magic Schooling * Once all of a new mage's vital statistics have been generated, a magical school of study must be chosen for him or her. While table 3 exists for the generation of a random school (mostly for Gamemasters to use), a player may choose which of the schools he or she wishes their character to follow. This is a very important choice, for magic wielding characters are stuck with their initial school for a very, very long time. Note that there are, in fact, two versions of table 3. If one's Gamemaster does not wish to include the three optional, combination character magical schools in their game, use table 3a to determine the sorcerer's school of study. On the other hand, if all bets are off, and the optional magical schools are in play, one may instead make use of table 3b, which makes all the known schools of magic available to players. Table 3a: Magic Schools (without combination character options) 01-10 Alchemy 11-20 Eclecticism 21-30 Elementalism 31-40 Entreatism 41-50 Faerie Magic 51-60 Geomancy 61-70 Paraprobabilitism 71-80 Philosophical Magic 81-90 Physiomancy 91-00 Voodoo Table 3b: Magic Schools (with combination character options) 01-08 Alchemy 09-15 Clericism 16-23 Eclecticism 24-31 Elementalism 32-38 Entreatism 39-46 Faerie Magic 47-54 Geomancy 55-61 Paraprobabilitism 62-69 Philosophical Magic 70-77 Physiomancy 78-84 Technomancy 85-92 Thaumentalism 93-00 Voodoo * Choosing Initial Spells * Once a character's magical school has been chosen, we can determine which spells he or she will begin play with. Start by rolling on table 4 to find out how many spells the sorcerous character wields at first. Keep in mind that if this is an insufficient number of starting spells (in the player's eyes), they can 'earn' more by use of the Quirks system - though, as usual, there's always a trade-off involved. Table 4: Number of Starting Spells 01-17 One spell 18-33 Two spells 34-50 Three spells 51-67 Four spells 68-83 Five spells 84-00 Six spells Then, follow up that roll with several on table 5, one for each spell he or she has. This will determine the type of spell that will occupy that spell 'slot', whether it be personal, dimensional, or whatever. It is recommended that a player be allowed to overrule at least half of these rolls; they should have at least one 'school' spell to start, and his or her school may lean on one type of spell over the others. Physiomancers like personal spells for instance, while elementalists are keen on universal spells, and entreatists love their entreaties (go figure). Table 5: Spell Type 01-17 Personal 18-33 School 34-50 Universal 51-67 Group 68-83 Dimensional 84-00 Entreaty Now it's time to determine just which spells a character will have. This brings up one sticky point where character generation is concerned. A major point of contention is the random roll vs. character choice conundrum. Many players choose to simply pick the spells they will utilize, without random rolls entering the equation, while some Gamemasters prefer all spells to be generated randomly. While it is ultimately up to the Gamemaster, it is recommended that a mixture of both methods of spell generation be used, allowing the player to choose half of his or her spells, and to roll up half randomly. This helps a player get the spells they really want for their mage, and makes new characters refreshingly different each time. This works well, except where schools might override spell choices. The first spell an elementalist learns should be an elemental control spell, for instance. When rolling spells up randomly, refer to tables 6 through 22, depending on what kind of spell will occupy each spell slot. You'll note there's no tables for entreaties; the nature of entities that may be entreated upon will be dependent on the individual game campaign - ask your Gamemaster about these! Notes: spells that have a (2) or (3) listed after them count as either two spells or three spells, respectively, or cost an amount of points per rank value equal to the normal amount times that multiple; spiritual link, for instance, counts as two spells or costs two points per rank value. Spells with an asterisk in parenthesis (*) are special in cost; see their spell description for more. Table 6: Personal Energy Spells 01-02 Ability Boost 03-04 Age Control / Self 05-06 Animal Hybridization / Self 07-08 Animal Sympathy 09-10 Astral Projection 11-12 Augury 13-14 Biological Sense 15-16 Blending 17-18 Body Armor 19-20 Combat Edge (*) 21-22 Contact Absorption (2) 23-24 Danger Sense (2) 25-26 Deflection (*) 27-28 Density Control - Self 29-30 Disguise 31-32 Eldritch Palm 33-34 Empathy 35-36 Energy Absorption (2) 37-38 Energy Sense 39-40 Familiar (2) 41-42 Flaw Sense 43-44 Flight 45-46 Growth / Self 47-48 Healing / Self 49-50 Imaginary Doubles (2) 51-52 Individual Shield 53-54 Intangibility 55-56 Invisibility / Self 57-58 Kinetic Absorption (2) 59-60 Magic Sense 61-62 Mesmerism 63-64 Nonapparent Vision 65-66 Plant Hybridization / Self 67-68 Plant Sympathy 69-70 Power Boost 71-72 Psychometry 73-74 Reformation (2) 75-76 Resistance (*) 77-78 Screened Senses 79-80 Sending 81-82 Shape Change 83-84 Shrinking / Self 85-86 Spiritual Link (2) 87-88 Stasis (*) 89-90 Super Senses (2) 91-92 Telepathy 93-94 Transduction (2) 95-96 Transformation / Self (2) 97-98 Translation 99-00 Turnabout Table 7: Universal Energy Spells 01-02 Admittance 03-04 Animal Hybridization / Others 05-06 Annulment 07-08 Attenuation 09-10 Bands 11-12 Bilocation 13-14 Charm 15-16 Clarity 17-18 Confusion 19-20 Conjuration (2) 21-22 Curse 23-24 Damage Reduction (*) 25-26 Density Control / Others 27-28 Disease 29-30 Eldritch Barrier 31-32 Eldritch Blast 33-34 Eldritch Bolt 35-36 Eldritch Wave 37-38 Emotion Control 39-40 Empowerment (2) 41-42 Environmental Adaptation (2) 43-44 Force Field 45-46 Forgetfulness 47-48 Glow 49-50 Greater Resistance (*) 51-52 Growth / Others 53-54 Healing / Others 55-56 Illusion Projection (2) 57-58 Image Animation 59-60 Invisibility / Others 61-62 Knowledge 63-64 Mind Control 65-66 Object Animation 67-68 Opposition (3) 69-70 Organism Generation (3) 71-72 Paralysis 73-74 Plant Hybridization / Others 75-76 Platforming 77-78 Poison 79-80 Proxy 81-82 Psychic Probe 83-84 Rotting 85-86 Shrinking / Others 87-88 Sleep 89-90 Telekinesis 91-92 Teleportation 93-94 Topological Control (3) 95-96 Transformation / Others (2) 97-98 Warding 99-00 Xenoglossy Table 8: Dimensional Energy Spells 01-02 Age Control / Others 03-04 Anchor 05-06 Banishment (3) 07-08 Clairalience 09-10 Clairaudience 11-12 Clairgustance 13-14 Clairtouchence 15-16 Clairvoyance 17-18 Clone Projection 19-20 Contingency (2) 21-22 Crowd Control 23-24 Dimensional Interface (2) 25-26 Dimensional Transit 27-28 Dream Projection 29-30 Energy Cohesion 31-32 Environmental Independence (*) 33-34 Extend (2) 35-36 Finding 37-38 Future Control (2) 39-40 History Control (3) 41-42 Initiative Control (2) 43-44 Investment (3) 45-46 Invulnerability (*) 47-48 Karma Control (2) 49-50 Layered Shield 51-52 Link (2) 53-54 Locational Sense 55-56 Longevity (*) 57-58 Luck (3) 59-60 Macro Sense (2) 61-62 Matter Duplication (2) 63-64 Mind Walk 65-66 Mystic Servant (2) 67-68 Nativity Sense 69-70 Override (3) 71-72 Planar Control (3) 73-74 Portal (2+) 75-76 Precognition 77-78 Precognition (3) 79-80 Quarantine 81-82 Reanimation (2) 83-84 Resurrection (2) 85-86 Sorcerous Invisibility 87-88 Spectral Freedom (*) 89-90 Summoning (2) 91-92 Time Travel (2) 93-94 Transient Universe 95-96 Vampirism (2) 97-98 Variable Power 99-00 Vivification (3) Table 9: Group Spells 01-08 Adjoining (2) 09-15 Alteration (2) 16-23 Eldritch Attacks (2) 24-31 Inanime (3) 32-38 Masking (2) 39-46 Motivity (2) 47-54 Passing (2) 55-61 Pishogue (2) 62-69 Scrying (3) 70-77 Sensing (2) 78-84 Shields (2) 85-92 Thaumaturgy (2) 93-00 Witchery (2) Table 10: Alchemy School Spells 01-08 Alchemical Analysis 09-15 Aggregation 16-23 Antimatter (3) 24-31 Assimilation 32-38 Atomic Sense 39-46 Device Sympathy 47-54 Dissolution 55-61 Drones 62-69 Fuel 70-77 Matter Generation (3) 78-84 Object Projection 85-92 Object Sympathy 93-00 Transmutation (3) Table 11: Clericism School Spells 01-08 Bless 09-15 Commune (2) 16-23 Cure Disease 24-31 Decontamination 32-38 Degeneration 39-46 Deliverance (3) 47-54 Detoxification 55-61 Harm 62-69 Lie Detection 70-77 Mortal Guise 78-84 Recovery 85-92 Regeneration / Others 93-00 Resuscitation Table 12: Eclecticism School Spells 01-08 Linguistics 09-15 Locational Memory 16-23 Mental Trap 24-31 Metabolic Focus 32-38 Mimicry 39-46 Origin Sense 47-54 Self Control 55-61 Transient Magic 62-69 Ultimate Skill (*) 70-77 Vapors 78-84 Variable Sorcery 85-92 Variable Skill (*) 93-00 Vocal Control Table 13: Elementalism School Spells 01-08 Aura (2) 09-15 Between (2) 16-23 Catalysis 24-31 Color Control 32-38 Corrosion 39-46 Cyclone 47-54 Disintegration (2) 55-61 Elemental Control (*) 62-69 Elemental Sense 70-77 Energy Projection 78-84 Environmental Pocket (2) 85-92 Jelling 93-00 Power Dampening Table 14: Entreatism School Spells 01-08 Anonymity 09-15 Antideionic Attack 16-23 Deific Impersonation 24-31 Deionic Attack 32-38 Deionic Control (2) 39-46 Fortiuity 47-54 Guise 55-61 Synchronicity (2) 62-69 Theonic Absorption (2) 70-77 Theonic Amplification 78-84 Theonic Attenuation 85-92 Theonic Invisibility 93-00 Theonic Sense Table 15: Faerie School Spells 01-08 Aciurgy 09-15 Ego Suppression 16-23 Faerie Dust 24-31 Fey Sense 32-38 Fugue 39-46 Glamour 47-54 Inspiration 55-61 Jumbling 62-69 Pheromones 70-77 Power Attenuation 78-84 Sensory Attenuation 85-92 Sensory Distortion 93-00 Static Field Table 16: Geomancy School Spells 01-08 Adhesion 09-15 Environmental Sense (2) 16-23 Infusion 24-31 Kinetic Energy Control 32-38 Matter Absorption 39-46 Missile Generation 47-54 Nature Control (*) 55-61 Nature Resistance 62-69 Object Charge 70-77 Retrospection 78-84 Swirl 85-92 Teleformation (3) 93-00 Transparent Vision Table 17: Paraprobabilitism School Spells 01-08 Dimensional Static 09-15 Fallout Absorption 16-23 Flux (2) 24-31 Flux Analysis 32-38 Personal Static 39-46 Reprise (2) 47-54 Roulette (2) 55-61 Sorcerous Amplification 62-69 Sorcerous Attenuation 70-77 Spell Control (2) 78-84 Static Shield 85-92 Thaumaturgical Vampirism (2) 93-00 Universal Static Table 18: Physiomancy School Spells 01-08 Clinging (*) 09-15 Detachable Parts 16-23 Greater Invulnerability (*) 24-31 Gyration 32-38 Learned Invulnerability (4) 39-46 Organs (2) 47-54 Personal Weaponry 55-61 Plasticity 62-69 Reassignment (3) 70-77 Regeneration / Self (2) 78-84 Revival 85-92 Situational Adaptation 93-00 Super Speed (3) Table 19: Philosophical School Spells 01-08 Aura (2) 09-15 Chaos Shift (*) 16-23 Defensive Portals 24-31 Empathic Hammer 32-38 Flaying 39-46 Forensics 47-54 Hostility Screen (2) 55-61 Inferiority Complex 62-69 Offensive Portals 70-77 Philosophical Sense 78-84 Purge 85-92 Temporal Windows 93-00 Universal Windows Table 20: Technomancy School Spells 01-08 Componentry 09-15 Computer Link 16-23 Device Generation (2) 24-31 Diagnosis 32-38 Electronics Invisibility 39-46 Interfacing 47-54 Mesmermechanism 55-61 Overdrive 62-69 Repair 70-77 Schema 78-84 Technical Intuition 85-92 Technological Sense 93-00 Variable Cybernetics Table 21: Thaumentalism School Spells 01-08 Eidetic Memory 09-15 Energy Doubles (2) 16-23 Enlightenment (2) 24-31 Mental Doubles (2) 32-38 Mental Repair 39-46 Mind Duplication 47-54 Polarization 55-61 Psi Sense 62-69 Psionic Control (2) 70-77 Psionic Vampirism (2) 78-84 Transfixture 85-92 Transient Psionics 93-00 Variable Psionics Table 22: Voodoo School Spells 01-08 Body Control 09-15 Integral Control 16-23 Loathing 24-31 Pain 32-38 Phobia 39-46 Psychoplasm Animation (2) 47-54 Soul Control 55-61 Spectral Gestalt (2) 62-69 Spectral Sense 70-77 Spectral Vampirism (2) 78-84 Sympathetic Magic 85-92 Vodun (2) 93-00 Weakness Generation (2) * Choosing a Magic Item * In addition to all the magical spells at his or her disposal, a new wizard should begin play with at least one magical item. This helps to bolster him or her as they get their feet wet in an adventuring career, as it often comes in handy to have access to at least one magical capability that does not require incantations or the like to be activated. Generate a magical spell as you did before, but make it inherent to a device - any device - as long as it makes sense. You know, a wand for a magic blast, a carpet to fly, etc. If there is any area the player (or the Gamemaster) feels the character is lacking in still, this is a good place to fill in that deficiency. * Determining Spell Ranks * Once you have figured out what spells your new mage wields, and choose the nature of your magical item, it is time to determine just how potent these anomalous abilities are. To do this, simply roll once on table D for each magical power the character possesses. After you're done, you may 'gamble' on one spell (and magic item) rank value of your choosing for every three of such the character has (round up). * Character / Spell Limitations * Often, a player may not be happy with the rank values they've rolled up for their new mage. Even after adjusting spell rank values for any bonuses granted by his or her school or from gambling attempts, they're just not satisfied with what they've come up with. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as sometimes one has a specific vision in mind for their character. This is where limitations come in. A player may subject their sorcerer to additional limitations (above and beyond those offered by schools) to make them more powerful. Limitations come in two distinct flavors: spell limitations and character limitations. A spell limitation is just that, an altering of how said spell works to the detriment of the player (as compared to others who can use this spell). A spell so limited may not affect certain objects or beings, can take longer to cast (initiative penalties), may require a mage to provide extra materials that are expended upon the spell's casting, and so on. Character limitations, however, change the nature of every spell a mage uses, not just one. Such limitations include the inability to use one type of magical energy (universal, dimensional, etc.), a required focus necessary for all of a mage's spells (which may or may not be easily replaceable), or possibly a chronological constraint on spell use (can't cast spells at night, on Thursdays), and so on. At any rate, the severity of the limitation determines just how much of a power boost the magical effect may receive. Limitations come in four flavors: weak, strong, very strong, and extreme. A weak limitation is just that, a minor crimp in a spell's effectiveness, and only offers a +1 RS. Each successive limitation offers another +1 RS to the spell rank value, but as their names imply, they become increasingly, well, limiting. Alternately, a mage can take a limitation on a spell to replace one that is already built in to it; some spells, like those involving luck or time, have several such constraints already worked into them. With the permission of one's Gamemaster, players can swap out one limitation for another, as long as the new limitation would be equally as inconvenient, which allows them to better craft the character they imagine in their heads. * Character / Spell Enhancements * Similarly, a player might have more than enough power, or simply wants more 'bang for their buck' out of his or her existing power roster. If this is the case, they may decide to empower their spells with special enhancements. Like limitations, enhancements have four levels of power, including weak, strong, very strong, and extreme, each of which applies a subsequent -1 RS modifier to one's spell rank values. In exchange for suffering from the effects of this modifier, the spell(s) in question will benefit from an improvement of some sort. Moving a spell up one speed or range category is considered a strong enhancement, while two is an extreme enhancement. Other enhancements can come in the form of built-in limitations being stripped out of a spell (luck and precognition have several, for instance). Unlike limitations, enhancements are difficult to apply across an entire character, though this isn't impossible. While speeds and ranges vary from spell to spell, things like initiative modifiers for spells are generally constant (optional rules for such notwithstanding), as is the general duration of spells before maintenance is required (normally a d10 number of turns, unless listed otherwise). These and the other spell qualities can readily be given enhancements, and the reduction in rank value usually makes up the difference. This can make purchasing new spells more difficult down the line, though, particularly if a character enhancement is in effect; a new spell to be affected by an enhancement must at least be bought at a rank value high enough that, upon applying the negative RS, it is of at least rank value 2. * Quirks * Slightly more palatable than limitations, quirks are relatively minor changes to a character that can either saddle him or her with a disadvantage, or possibly even enhance one of their traits. They can also be used to ultimately raise the rank value one or more of a character's spells work at, if so desired. The quirks rules have more on this, but the quirk tables are presented here, for convenience. Quirks are normally a voluntary affair - players may or may not use quirks, as they see fit. They are presented below in the format of random rolling tables for two reasons, however. The first is for the Gamemaster's use, to quickly generate random characters when desired. Alternately, a player may roll randomly if he or she desires a quirk, but doesn't know what to pick. Not that they're bound by such a roll, of course. Quirks are divided up into the beneficial and deleterious quirks of a physical, mental, and role-play nature. Those quirks which cost (or grant) two quirk points are noted with a two in parenthesis (2), while those that can be taken at multiple levels are noted with an asterisk in parenthesis (*). Table 23: Quirks Categories 01-17 Physical (beneficial) 18-33 Physical (deleterious) 34-50 Mental (beneficial) 51-67 Mental (deleterious) 68-83 Role-Play (beneficial) 84-00 Role-Play (deleterious) Table 24: Physical Quirks (beneficial) 01-06 Acceleration Tolerance 07-12 Adrenal Surge 13-18 Ambidexterity 19-25 Fast Healing 26-31 Fighting Logistics 32-37 Gravity Tolerance (*) 38-43 Hardiness (2) 44-50 Heightened Sense 51-56 High Pain Threshold 57-62 Hypermobility 63-68 Learned Resistance (*) 69-75 Omnidexterity (2) 76-81 Rank Value Boost (2) 82-87 Strong Bones (*) 88-93 Sturdiness 94-00 Tetrachromacy Table 25: Physical Quirks (deleterious) 01-05 Abnormal Attribute 06-11 Acceleration Intolerance 12-16 Addiction (*) 17-21 Albinism 22-27 Allergy (*) 28-32 Color Blind 33-37 Dulled Sense (*) 38-42 Dwarfism 43-47 Epilepsy 48-52 Feebleness 53-58 Gigantism 59-63 Gravity Intolerance (*) 64-68 Lameness 69-74 Low Pain Threshold 75-79 Missing Parts (2) 80-84 Rank Value Loss (2) 85-89 Slow Healing 90-94 Weak Bones (2) 95-00 Weakness (2) Table 26: Mental Quirks (beneficial) 01-08 3-D Sense 09-15 Alertness 16-23 Cybernetic Aptitude 24-31 Fortitude 32-38 High Stress Threshold 39-46 Karmic Shell (2) 47-54 Magical Aptitude 55-61 Natural Talent 62-69 Psionic Aptitude 70-77 Quick Learning 78-84 Sanity 85-92 Static 93-00 Technological Aptitude Table 27: Mental Quirks (deleterious) 01-03 Action Addict 04-06 Attitude (*) 07-08 Bluntness (*) 09-11 Bully (*) 12-14 Combat Paralysis (*) 15-17 Compulsiveness (*) 18-19 Cowardice (*) 20-22 Cyber-neurosis 23-25 Delusions (*) 26-28 Fanaticism (*) 29-31 Frenzied 32-33 Greed (*) 34-36 Gullibility (*) 37-39 Honesty (*) 41-42 Impulsiveness (*) 43-44 Inept (*) 45-47 Insanity (2) 48-50 Insomnia 51-53 Jealousy (*) 54-56 Karmic Dearth (2) 57-58 Laziness (*) 59-61 Learning Disorder 62-64 Low Stress Thresh. (*) 65-67 Mania (*) 68-69 Multiple Personality (*) 70-72 Pacifism (*) 73-75 Paranoia (*) 76-78 Personal Code (*) 79-81 Phobia (*) 82-83 Pushover 84-86 Rudeness (*) 87-89 Short Attention Span 90-92 Shyness (*) 93-94 Stubborn (*) 95-97 Temper (*) 98-00 Vow (*) Table 28: Role-Play Quirks (beneficial) 01-09 Ally 10-18 Assistant 19-27 Attractive (*) 38-36 Benefactor (*) 37-45 Cash Flow 46-54 Charmed 55-63 Fame (*) 64-72 Fan Club 73-81 Good Reputation 82-90 Likability (2) 91-00 Lucky (2) Table 29: Role-Play Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Alien Culture (*) 07-11 Bad Reputation 12-17 Bigotry (*) 18-22 Dependent 23-28 Detractors 29-33 Enemy (*) 34-39 Illiteracy 40-44 Jinxed 45-50 Loner (*) 50-56 Nerd 57-61 Poverty 62-67 Repugnant Personality (*) 68-72 Snob 73-78 Social Dependent (*) 79-83 Unattractive (*) 84-89 Unlucky (2) 90-94 Unpleasant Habits (*) 95-00 Weirdness Magnet * Skills * The skills your sparkling new mage will start out with are determined in the same fashion as any other character's, beginning by rolling up the number of their initial skills on table 30. Then, roll for the category each skill will belong to on table 31. To finish up, roll for individual skills using tables 32 through 39, one table for each applicable category of skills. However, the actual skills a character has really should be determined by his or her origin. Keeping this in mind, the Gamemaster may very well opt to let a player choose some (or all of) the skills his or her sorcerer will have, allowing them a lot more creative control over their character. Another thing to consider is that a skill can function at a higher 'level' than normal. There are three 'tiers' of skills, each providing an increasing bonus to ACTs applicable to said skill. When generating these heightened skills, however, keep in mind the fact that they cost more; a level 2 skill counts as two skills, while a level 3 skill counts as four. This can get expensive fast, but is a great way to showcase what your character is really good at. Also, some skills cost more than others (before levels of such are considered). A skill that has a number in parenthesis counts as that many skills during character generation; these are mostly background skills, but some others cost more. Similarly, the Student skill costs all of one's initial skill slots, for it by definition implies that a body does not have any other skills. Table 30: Number of Skills 01-17 Two skills 18-33 Three skills 34-50 Four skills 51-67 Five skills 68-83 Six skills 84-00 Seven skills Table 31: Skill Categories 01-12 Background 13-25 Behavioral 26-37 Fighting 38-50 Environmental 51-62 Miscellaneous 63-75 Professional 76-87 Scientific 88-00 Weapon Table 32: Background Skills 01-25 Heir to Fortune (3) 26-50 Law Enforcement (2) 51-75 Military (2) 76-00 Student (*) Table 33: Behavioral Skills 01-12 Animal Handling 13-25 Hypnosis 26-37 Leadership 38-50 Manipulation 51-62 Performer 63-75 Service 76-87 Sleight of Hand 88-00 Tactics Table 34: Environmental Skills 01-09 Astronaut 10-18 Boating 19-27 Climbing 38-36 Driving 37-45 Piloting 46-54 Planargation 55-63 Riding 64-72 Stealth 73-81 Survival 82-90 Teamster 91-00 Tracking Table 35: Fighting Skills 01-06 Acrobatics 07-12 Aerial Combat 13-18 Astral Combat 19-25 Martial Arts style A 26-31 Martial Arts style B 32-37 Martial Arts style C 38-43 Martial Arts style D 44-50 Martial Arts style E 51-56 Mounted Combat 57-62 Multiple Attacks 63-68 Spatial Combat 69-75 Targeting 76-81 Tumbling 82-87 Underwater Combat 88-93 Vehicular Combat 94-00 Wrestling Table 36: Miscellaneous Skills 01-12 Escape Artist 13-25 First Aid 26-37 Gastronomy 38-50 Power Skill 51-62 Repair / Tinkering 63-75 Resist Domination 76-87 Trance 88-00 Trivia Table 37: Professional Skills 01-06 Agriculture 07-12 Artist 13-18 Business / Finance 19-24 Crime 25-29 Demolitions 30-35 Detective / Espionage 36-41 Education 42-47 Engineering 48-53 Journalism 54-59 Law 60-65 Leathercraft 66-71 Metalcraft 72-77 Politics 78-82 Salesmanship 83-88 Sports 89-94 Stonecraft 95-00 Woodcraft Table 38: Scientific Skills 01-07 Archaeology 08-13 Biology 14-20 Chemistry 21-27 Computers 28-33 Criminology 34-40 Electronics 41-47 Genetics 48-53 Geology 54-60 Linguistics 61-67 Lore 68-73 Mathematics 74-80 Medicine 81-87 Physics 88-93 Psychology 94-00 Theology Table 39: Weapon Skills 01-04 Advanced Guns 05-09 Blunt Weapons 10-14 Bows 15-19 Concussion Weapons 21-24 Energy Weapons 25-28 Entangling Weapons 29-33 Guns 34-38 Marksman 39-43 Martial Arts Weapons 44-48 Natural Weapons 49-52 Pole Weapons 53-57 Quick Draw 58-62 Sharp Weapons 63-67 Shields 68-72 Spontaneous Weapons 73-76 Thrown Objects 77-81 Thrown Weapons 82-86 Two Weapons 87-91 Weapon Skill 92-96 Weapon Specialist 97-00 Weapons Master (2) * Contacts * Also presented for your convenience is the table used to detail the initial number of contacts a new character will have; it is available as table 40 here, in the Book. Table 41, then, lists the types of contacts a sorcerer may have upon the start his or her career, if the player needs any ideas; one does not need to roll up contact types randomly if they don't want to, however. Like quirks or skills, contacts can be taken at one of three levels of importance; for example, a police contact might be a beat cop (level 1), an FBI operative (level 2), or even an Interpol agent (level 3). Similarly, contacts have an increase of cost in 'contact slots' depending on their level - a level 2 contact counts as two contacts, while a level 3 contact costs four contact 'slots'. Table 40: Number of Starting Contacts 01-17 Two contacts 18-33 Three contacts 34-50 Four contacts 51-67 Five contacts 68-83 Six contacts 84-00 Seven contacts Table 41: Contacts 01-06 Aide 07-11 Artist / Performer 12-17 Business 18-22 Criminal 23-28 Doctor 29-33 Expert 34-39 Foreign Power 40-44 Government 45-50 Hero / Villain 50-56 Informant 57-61 Journalist 62-67 Lawyer 68-72 Mentor 73-78 Military 79-83 Organization 84-89 Police 90-94 Scientist 95-00 Trivia * Equipment * On top of all of their impossible powers to warp cause and effect as they see fit, sorcerers also have their pick of conventional, mundane equipment. These devices won't be the kind that make or break a body in combat for the most part, but they often fill in holes on a magical character's roster when needed - or, at the very least, add a bit of style to their life. Common equipment a character can possess depends on their Lifestyle. One may automatically have any gear with a price equal to his or her Lifestyle rank value or less, and may start out with materials of up to their Lifestyle rank value +2 RS with but a small explanation (the character has a corporation that she built). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Gamemaster, but isn't necessarily out of the question. It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point. ** Character Generation (Systematic (Point Based) Method) ** Players start with fifty (50) points with which to build their magic wielding character. They may spend these points as they wish, only limited by a) the caps for most normal human traits, and b) the campaign's power level ceiling. For example, a plane-spanning campaign may limit characters to rank value 100 or less on most traits and spells. Ask your Gamemaster about his or her campaign limits! To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each trait; for our purposes, the 'norm' will be rank value 6. For every +1 RS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 RS applied to these values, add one point. All but Awareness and Willpower must remain within human maximums (maximums for the other traits are detailed in the Core Rules). A starting character is assumed to have rank value 6 Lifestyle and a Repute score of zero (0). One may alter his or her Lifestyle as they can any other trait, though at double the cost (rank value 50 Lifestyle would cost ten points, for example). If one intends to purchase the Heir to Fortune background skill, they shouldn't alter this 'base' Lifestyle score any. Health and Fortune are determined normally. An opposed Repute score (negative for heroes, positive for villains) is worth two points, no matter how great it is. Before purchasing spells, one should first pick their magic school, for this may affect the cost of their spells. When purchasing spells, players spend one point for each rank value in each spell, starting at rank value 2 - unless their school raises this value, as is the case with an elemental specialist. The upper rank value of each spell is only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling (again, ask the Gamemaster about this). Costs can be controlled by adding limitations, which can apply to either one or all of a character's spells. Whether applied to just one spell or globally to the character as a whole, weak limitations reduce the cost of a spell by one point, strong limitations by two points, very strong limitations by three points, and extreme limitations by four points. Consider the effect of such limitations before counting your point savings! Remember that all spells have a minimum cost of one (1) point, no matter how limited they may be. Moving the other direction, a player may apply enhancements to one or more spells. A weak enhancement increases the cost by one point, strong enhancements add two points, very strong enhancements raise the cost by three points, and extreme enhancements add four points to a spell's price. Such enhancements include improving the range or speed categories of a spell, as well as other augmentations to its functionality. Note that many spells cost more than this base level; planar control, for example, costs three points per rank value. Spells with a heightened cost are so noted in the character generation tables listed above (those spells with numbers in parenthesis after their name). Limitations and enhancements are multiplied in value by this cost; for instance, a very strong limitation on planar control would reap a nine-point discount. If your Gamemaster allows their use in his or her campaign, one thing to consider is the use of Hyperkinetic and Hyperexhaustive rank value qualifiers. These can each be purchased in the point system if allowed, being treated as either an extreme enhancement (a Hyperkinetic spell) or an extreme limitation (a Hyperexhaustive spell). Both can be unbalancing in their own way, however, so bear this in mind. Once a character's spells are determined, he or she may purchase skills and contacts as desired, each costing one point. If one would like heightened skills or contacts, they must pay two points for a level two skill or contact, or four points for a level three skill or contact. The Student background skill costs five points (and fits a new wizard well), but cannot be purchased with any other skill (save for heir to fortune). Next, a player may use leftover points to purchase beneficial quirks - or add a few points to pad weak areas with deleterious quirks. Most quirks give (or take) one point, but if purchased at a higher level, they function in much the same way as skills or contacts in this regard (two points for a level two quirk, four points for a level three quirk). Also, quirks without level but that count double cost (or give) two points. Finally, determine the normal gear the character possesses. As is the case with randomly generated characters, mages built with the point based system may choose any standard gear readily available in the campaign, as long as the cost falls within a few RS of their Lifestyle rank value. If they want something more expensive, players must give a good reason for such, though the Gamemaster has veto power over improbable items. Once the player is out of points, the Gamemaster must look over what the player has wrought. Does the character's math add up? Does it fall within predetermined campaign limitations for power level? If nothing appears to be wrong, and the Gamemaster likes what they see, he or she should approve what a player has created, and then allow them to complete the last portion of their character's creation. Assuming they didn't actually start with such. * Filling in the blanks * Once all the crunchy game mechanic details of a mage have been determined, it is time to 'fill in the blanks,' or to detail all of their personal and background information, the stuff you can't quantify with dice rolls or points. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they from? What are they like? Why have they spent time to learn the arts arcane? Who trained them how to wield these potent abilities? Why? With the sole exception of one's mystic mentor (who the Gamemaster must generate, barring perhaps his or her name), all other character information must be determined by the player behind the character to make it truly their own, and to really 'flesh them out', so to speak. This is often the most difficult part of the character generation process, the point at which many will fail. However, with a little effort and some serious consideration, the answers to these questions can make that sheet of paper with all the funny words on it really come alive! ** Sorcerous Role-Play ** A man or woman of a wizardly bent is not what one would consider a 'nine-to-five' type of person; you know, putting in a hard day's work at the office, only to return to one's home to deal with concerns of a familial nature. A few may fit this description, yes, but that's not the image that most people have of spellcasters - at least, those who know that such individuals really exist. No, most sorcerers walk on the fringes of society, often going to great lengths to develop or uncover new means of manipulating the forces that give them power. A relatively new mage usually has the benefit of a mystic mentor, an older spellcaster that has taken him or her in and is teaching them how to utilize the forces of magic. Not all wizards are so lucky, however. Some may have never had a mentor, have been dismissed from such a helpful person's service, or have even lost one to a tragic accident. So, a lot of a mage's time is devoted to the discovery of new knowledge, through either exploration, trade (one spell for another), or even entreaties to powers alien and bizarre. While the results are all the same, this often eats up much of one's time. This is why mages tend to live irregular existences - they often vanish for days, weeks, or even months on quests for new magic. This makes it hard to be a working class stiff most of the time, and is even harder on the career of a magical hero (or villain). It's difficult to fight crime in your home town when you're off digging up ancient Babylonian tablets full of magical writings - unless your home town is Baghdad, that is. Furthermore, exposure to the obscure and arcane knowledge that is both their bread and butter (so to speak) tends to give mages of all stripes at least some disregard for normal earthen societies and their quirky standards. Traveling to new worlds, or even new planes of reality, will have that effect on a body. This doesn't prevent them from caring about their home, mind you, it just helps to explain why they can be so mysterious. This is not to say, however, that mages spend every waking moment seeking out new knowledge. A mage might be content to simply hone the spells he or she already knows, and may not currently be on a quest for power. When mages do need new spells, though, and they don't have a readily apparent source of knowledge, a quest of some sort may be the one and only way for them to find their own. The following is a series of concerns that set the life of a practitioner of magic apart from other super-human entities. Some involve their day-to-day life, some examine basic details about how certain facets of magic function, and still more are optional details that can be used to add 'flavor' to one's magic wielding character. Specifics on character advancement are also included. * Mystic Instruction * Most sorcerers begin play with the benefit of a magical mentor of sorts, a man or woman (or group of such) well-versed in the mystic arts. This individual is likely the reason the sorcerer began to study the arts arcane in the first place, and assists him or her in the mastery of their magical powers. In other words, one's mystic instructor likely has a significant role in the very origin of a sorcerer. The character advancement rules for mages assume that one has the benefit of such instruction while learning how to cast their spells. If a character lacks such instruction, mastering the mystic arts is much more difficult. While an eclecticist has this penalty built in, mages of other schools without a mystic tutor will suffer a fifteen percent increase in the cost of new spells and spell advancement. This is not quite as steep as an eclecticist's penalty, as most schools have a coherent set of rules (such as they are) to detail how their magic works. If one starts play with no master or manages to lose him or her during play, it may behoove them to find another instructor as soon as possible - assuming they wish to. Some players don't mind the Fortune penalty as it liberates them from the agendas of would-be masters. And make no mistake, anyone that takes a student or students in to train them in the ways of magic isn't doing so purely out of the good of their heart. Most 'training' missions a magical mentor will send his or her students on double as exercises built to advance whatever schemes (whether beneficial or nefarious) they have already set in motion. Remember: there's no such thing as a free lunch. * Maintaining Spells * Some spells, such as an eldritch bolt, are of instantaneous effect; you cast it, it fires, and that's it. A large number of spells are not quite so cut and dried, however. Many spells have a duration that is variable in nature, and can be extended even further if the caster desires. This is called spell maintenance. A sorcerer may cast a new spell with each action, but can only maintain so many at once. The number of spells a character may maintain at once is dependent on their Intellect trait. If the mage has an Intellect rank value of 6 or less, he or she may only maintain one spell at a time. For each rank value of Intellect they hold above 6, he or she may maintain an additional spell simultaneously. A mage with an Intellect of rank value 40, for instance, can maintain five spells at once. Unless he or she is a novice spellcaster, most mages cannot maintain all of their spells concurrently - the more they have, the harder it is to keep them all running at once. A mage with a lesser Intellect can work around this limitation by juggling spells. The actual casting of a spell does not count against spell maintenance, after all, so one could oscillate their defenses and other spells as is necessary to maximize effectiveness. This can involve a recasting of spells as is necessary, while maintaining those that are most important to the sorcerer in question. Juggling spells may seem to be a hassle, but that's the price a sorcerer pays for the versatility of his or her abilities. Mutants and the like may not need to bother with such problems, but then mutants can't learn all-new powers with just a bit of research, now, can they? * Ceremonies / Ceremonial Areas * Though it is possible to whip spells out quickly, especially in battle, sometimes it pays to work magic in more prepared, controlled forms. This often involves the execution of ancient rituals, the use of some school-specific magical item, or special research into whatever task the spell is being used to complete. The casting of a spell in this fashion is what is known as a magical ceremony. While ceremonies take much longer to complete than the regular use of a spell does, often anywhere from a few minutes to several days depending on the situation, they offer the benefit of a +1 RS to the effective rank value of the spell so cast. Every benefit of a higher rank value applies to this enhancement, which is what truly makes a ceremony desirable to the average mage. In fact, this enhancement can be raised further if executed within a ceremonial area, to +2 RS. A ceremonial area is a specially prepared zone attuned to the magic of a wizard's particular school; a magical grove for geomancers, a lab for alchemists, etc. All wizards learn how to make such zones during their 'basic training', but doing so isn't easy; it should take time. Or, alternately, it could be the subject of a special adventure or quest, which helps to acquire needed magical items or whatnot vital to its creation. Of all the possible types of wizards, only eclectic mages lack the training needed to perform ceremonies or build themselves a ceremonial area, but they may make use of the ceremonies and ceremonial areas meant for any other school (naturally). * Entreaties * The most powerful kind of dimensional magic available, an entreaty involves a sorcerer calling upon magical items, extraplanar entities, other dimensions, or even metaphysical forces for power. That which may be entreated for power depends entirely upon the campaign setting, so ask your Gamemaster if you are interested in entreaties for power from the various sources of such throughout his or her multiverse. At their simplest, an entreaty is handled per a Repute ACT roll, because any mage may make an entreaty, whether or not they have any actual entreaty spells. Such an entreaty is generally a plea for raw power, which is added to a spell the entreater is currently casting. If successful, a basic entreaty will add a +1 RS to the casting rank value of the spell, +2 RS if the spell specifically reflects the nature of that which is entreated. Entities the Gamemaster deems in sync with a wizard's character and motivations, or those who the wizard has properly research entreaties to (in other words, mages who master a specific entreaty spell related to such entities) are friendly for the purposes of this roll. Those who are unaware of this character or indifferent to his or her cause are considered neutral for the purposes of this ACT. Entities that are at odds with a sorcerer's philosophy for some reason, but not specifically opposed to the character in particular, should be considered unfriendly on this roll. An entity that has a personal vendetta against a sorcerer is inherently hostile towards him or her, and will never grant them an entreaty unless doing so would be specifically beneficial to its goals - attempting such an entreaty is done at one's peril. Entreaty Spells Instead of just invoking a source of power for a pick-me-up, a mage may instead study said source of power in much greater detail. This almost invariably entails magical research of some sort, but it allows the mage to develop actual spells related to that which he or she is entreating for power. Such spells can come in the form of 'standard' magic spells or unique magical capabilities, and don't require Repute ACTs. As an example, say the Greek pantheon of gods is active in the Gamemaster's campaign. Perhaps a sorcerer in the campaign wishes to develop entreaties to Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. Reading about her online, the player finds she is a small winged goddess, who has a tendency to bless her favored mortals with luck. Using this information, the player can easily develop entreaties to reflect her nature and goals. Speaking with the Gamemaster, the player finds he can learn entreaties to Nike for flight (temporarily manifesting large, billowy wings to carry himself aloft), luck (either good or bad, depending on those who irk the ire of the mage), and shrinking (Nike is of Titanic descent yet six inches tall). Additional, unique spells could reflect Nike's nature even more, such as her prowess with weaponry and her intolerance for incompetence. This is but one example of the development of entreaty spells. There are any number of items, beings, and places that can be developed in this fashion, either by the Gamemaster directly or alongside his or her player(s) who wish to wield magic. This process can make the nature of one's campaign even more dynamic and collaborative if desired, assuming the Gamemaster doesn't already have this all worked out to begin with. Entreaty Combinations Of course, there are even more ways to wield entreaties. For one thing, a mage may decide to invoke more than one entity simultaneously when casting a spell. Doing this can add a further +1 RS to the spell which is being enhanced for every doubling of entities so named; for instance, invoking eight different death gods when casting a spell to kill one's arch-nemesis would add a +4 RS to its overall effect! This is not an easy process, however, and requires multiple Repute ACTs - one for each entity invoked. This involves a whole lot of dice rolling, but admittedly doing so adds a whole lot of weight to a specific casting of one's magic. If any one of these Repute ACT rolls fails, the entreated power source is not added to the spell, but this alone does not cause the entreaty as a whole to fail. What can cause such stunts to fail is invoking two or more entities in a spell which are on unfriendly terms or otherwise opposed to each other. This does not mean invoking an entire pantheon (such rivalries are assumed), so much as specific beings of power who dislike each other, either directly or metaphorically. Attempting an entreaty in this fashion is a sure-fire way to get on several angry deities' short list of things to smite. Alternately, one can cast a specifically researched entreaty spell, and then attempt to enhance it with an invocation for even more power from another source. This can boost unique entreaty spells even further, but the danger of causing offense or indignation for abusing their power when combining entities remains. These problems can be avoided with careful research into the entities to be so entreated, naturally. Abusing Entreaties Entreaties call on vast sources of power to fuel their effects, no matter their origin. That's why they're are so popular with mages, as they spare one's own energies when wielding magic. This can lead to problems where a spellcaster leans upon an entreated power source too much. 'Too much' is subjective, though, and can be anything from more than twice per day to more than seven times per week (Gamemaster's discretion). Drawing might from items of power is the least risky to an entreater. If the item itself is not sentient, excessive entreaties to such may simply cause the spell it would enhance to fail. A sentient item, or a non-sentient item owned by a powerful being, might take the entreater to task for abusing its power if it can, but otherwise there isn't too much risk here. Excessive entreaties to places of power can be more dangerous. If a mage abuses such calls for aid, he or she might be drawn to the place of power they've been siphoning energies from - or something from said place of power may be drawn to them! Alternately, in extreme cases, the 'last straw' in entreaty abuse might cause the formation of a rift between the caster's current location and the realm they've been abusing. Beings of power are the most hazardous form of entreaties to abuse. If a sorcerer drains an entity's power too much, he or she may be summoned forth by it, being pressed into service to pay for their perfidy. This may involve a special quest, a period of punishment, a stern talking to, or anything else this being of power wishes. When dealing with inexplicable alien intelligences, you never know what will appease them. * Character Advancement * After undertaking many adventures, or simply vanquishing the forces of evil for a time, a wizard may have gained new insight into the world and how it works; in other words, Fortune. For the most part, wizards use Fortune much like any other character type, spending just as much when purchasing new skills or contacts, or when enhancing a current ability or power rank value; this is handled as is defined in the Core Rules. One facet of Fortune use that is different for a wizard is the purchasing of new spells. Purchasing New Spells Since magical spells are defined as the equivalent of skills (as far as standard mechanics go), a mage can learn new spells for the same cost - one thousand Fortune points. Generally, new spells begin at rank value 2, unless modified by mage's school or limitations / enhancements. This allows a mage to acquire a respectable roster of available powers, though they require constant work to make them very effective overall. On the other hand, one can spend more Fortune if he or she wishes a spell to begin at a higher rank value to start with. This can be done by paying one thousand Fortune points for the 'base' spell, plus one hundred times the final rank value number. For instance, purchasing a brand new spell at rank value 50 would be 1,000 (base cost) plus 5,000 (the rank value times one hundred), for a grand total of 6,000 Fortune. This is a lot of Fortune to spend at one time, but is a) a very powerful new spell, and b) can actually be cheaper than raising it up the hard way; it's just a more 'front loaded' expenditure. Schools which allow new spells to begin at a higher rank value may reduce this cost considerably (as is the case with an elemental specialist). Either way, if the price to raise a spell point by point would be cheaper, defer to that lower cost instead. All of the above assumes a spell with 'standard' costs; in other words, a spell that has a listed cost of one point per rank value. If a spell is listed as having a cost equal to 2 points per rank value, double its final Fortune cost, while one with a cost of 3 points per rank value triples the cost. If a spell is listed with a 'flat cost', the price is only 250 Fortune points per point; invulnerability, for instance, would cost 2,000 Fortune. Mystic Mastery Mystic mastery is a rank that sorcerers ascribe to both themselves and to others, to gauge their prowess in the arts arcane. All of a mage's spells and magical items contribute to such a rank, and this helps to quantify just how skilled and powerful he or she is. This rank has few direct game mechanics associated with it, but is nonetheless one that most thaumaturges keep abreast of. A sorcerer who has from one to four spells under his or her belt is considered a novice wizard. One who knows between five to eight spells can be considered a disciple of the magical life. A mage who wields from nine to twelve spells is an adept of sorcery. Any mage who can utilize thirteen or more spells is truly a mystic master, and will be recognized as such by all in his or her field of study. Being a mystic master in a given school does have some advantages. For one thing, one does not require the patronage of a mystic instructor within that school any longer; there is no longer a penalty to advance without a tutor for mystic matters. If one continues to study under a master even after mastering a school themselves, they in fact benefit from a fifteen percent discount on further advancement within that school. Adopting New Magical Schools Once a character chooses his or her school of magic, they are stuck with it for a very long time - that is, until they master it. Once a thaumaturge is in full command of his or her initial school, they may begin the study of another. While studying this second school, a mage can research spells from either his or her original school or a new one, as they see fit - but may not have more than one unfinished school of magic at a time. It's important to keep in mind that a mage does require an instructor in this new school to study it without penalty. While he or she may no longer suffer from such in their old school, and even has a discount if they retain their original master, a sorcerer needs to find an instructor well-versed in this new school as well if they wish to avoid the Fortune penalty for dabbling in one without the proper education. Spell Stunts Over time, a mage may wish to work with a spell to develop a new use for it, instead of simply researching a new spell. Such new uses are called spell stunts. Every attempt to create a new spell stunt costs 50 Fortune points per try, but they are otherwise governed by the same basic rules that exist for all other characters. So, if you have a new idea for the uses of a dusty old spell, give it a shot, already! A spell stunt starts out at the same rank value as its parent spell, -1 RS for each additional point per rank value it costs. While stunts don't count as spells for the purposes of mastering a school of magic, they do allow one to develop their magic at a discount compared to buying new sorcery outright. * Optional Spellcasting Concerns * Unlike those heroes who utilize powers of a biological nature (mutants, altered humans) or others that are based upon knowledge (psis, technology users), wizards utilize a power that is sometimes fickle, and may not always work the same every time. In game play, this aspect of magic can be simulated by adopting one or more of the following ideas; the rules presented here are optional. On the other hand, if a given rule is not in play in one's campaign, it can make for a great character limitation! Requiring spell components can be a great limiter to a wizard (alchemists already have this problem, but it can easily spread to other characters), while fatigue rules can really put a damper on a thaumaturge in a long-running battle. Counterspells: when they encounter a spell that they know, thaumaturges can attempt to counter it, if they don't like the way such a spell is being used. By passing a spell ACT against the intensity of the active wizardry, a mage can counter it. Once this is done, the mage may either cancel the spell effect or take control of it, whatever is best in a given situation. However, if the original caster of said spell is still in the vicinity, there's nothing stopping him or her from trying to regain control of their own magic. Mind you, not every spell can be affected by a counterspell. A spell with an 'instantaneous' duration is difficult to counter, as it has an immediate effect. If forewarned of an opponent's intentions (with the use of an augury, for instance), a caster may counter such, but otherwise they're out of luck. Similarly, 'permanent' magics cannot be countered; the effects of such are too ingrained for a counterspell to affect. Fatigue: spellcasting is difficult work, and can quickly tire a sorcerer who exhausts their energies too quickly. This can be represented with a fatigue intensity; normally at rank value 0, this intensity is increased by the casting of spells, some draining more energy than others. The casting of a personal spell adds three to one's fatigue intensity, universal and school spells add two, and spells of a dimensional or group nature add one. Entreaties drain zero energy from a mage, and is one reason they are utilized so often, despite the inherent risks involved. At any rate, fatigue intensity only comes into play as it approaches the rank value of a thaumaturge's Willpower. They can only cast spells in a round if they can first pass a Willpower ACT roll against this fatigue intensity. If his or her fatigue exceeds their Willpower score by more than +1 RS, they cannot cast spells. How does one avoid this loss of spell use, one asks? Quite simply, by not using magic. A sorcerer who refrains from using magic in a given turn can reduce his or her fatigue by one point; they may not cast spells, but those cast in a previous round that are still being maintained (flight, armor, etc.) will not hamper this loss of fatigue. Where fatigue is concerned, it is best to cast spells in moderation - or to end a conflict quickly. Initiative Modifiers: there are six types of spells in all, and each of them utilize unique energies and techniques when producing the required spell effect. To better represent this, initiative modifiers can be applied to a spell, based on the basic spell type. Personal spells gain a +2 initiative modifier, School spells gain a +1 initiative modifier, universal and group spells are normal (no modifier), dimensional spells receive a -1 penalty to initiative, and entreaty spells suffer a -2 initiative penalty. Apply a -1 penalty for each source of power entreated to bolster a spell, regardless of its type. Spell Components: thanks to the odd formulas for casting them, a few spells may require the use of material objects to make them function, in addition to the necessary physical movements and the verbal chanting. This is technically a limitation on a spell, and offers a RS boost dependent on how difficult it is to procure these components; boosts from +1 to +3 RS are possible if components are exceptionally hard to acquire. Spell Disruption / Distraction: normally, spells are cast when a mage passes a spell ACT roll - that's all it takes. But sometimes, sorcerers will find themselves in a distracting situation, one that will disrupt their spellcasting concentration. Situations of this sort include seeing others placed under the threat of immediate death, taking damage equal to or greater than one's Fortitude rank value in a given turn, or intense sensory assaults (like deafening sounds, bright light, severe pain, and so on). If any of these conditions occur as a mage tries to cast a spell, he or she must also pass a blue Willpower ACT roll to pull off their spell correctly. Failing this, the spell so disrupted will fail to materialize, fizzing out with a possible sizzle in the air, or perhaps an audible pop or flash of light. In fact, if the ACT fails with a black result, something unexpected just might occur, such as a different spell or even Probability Fallout! Spellcasting Restraints: the stronger a spell is, the more it requires gestures and chanting to manifest its effects. If a sorcerer is restrained somehow, he or she may be unable to cast certain spells. For instance, if they are bound (hands behind their back), a mage cannot cast any universal energy spells. If gagged, he or she cannot wield their dimensional energy spells (as well as group or entreaty spells). If blinded or blindfolded, a wizard casts spells that require visual contact with a target as if said spell were -4 RS in rank value. *** THE MANUAL OF THE PSI *** What is psionics? Psionics is the practice of tapping into your inner potential, letting you perform feats with your mind, body, and soul that are normally thought to be impossible. All sentient beings have a psionic potential, for psionics is inherent to the very notion of thought itself. Actually developing one's psionic abilities requires intense dedication and training, however, qualities that most lack to some extent. Those who do have the capability and opportunity to master these powers of the self are the subject of the Manual of the Psi. The basic concept behind psionics is that, with deep meditation and intense training, sentient beings can look far enough inward that they unlock abilities fueled by the totality of their being. These are feats that almost anyone may wield if they simply bend their will towards doing so. In other words, while often referred to as powers, psionics are in fact learned skills. This is an important distinction. A psi appears to be perfectly normal when not using his or her special abilities, and may even seem that way while maintaining psionics. They register as 'normal' to any power or device that detects super-human prowess inherent to an individual, and their psionic talents cannot be neutralized by conventional means of power control, though there are certainly psionic means of detecting or blocking psi powers. ** Core Principles ** Psionics is a complete path of power, offering access to a range of abilities comparable to that provided by sorcery, high technology, or even existence as a posthuman being. However, before one attempts to build a psi-active character, much less bring psionics into their game, there are several concepts underpinning this path of power they should understand first. * Psionic Disciplines * Psionics are divided into groups of related abilities known as disciplines. Each discipline of power represents a different type of psionic capability, usually based around one central, 'root' power. Psionic disciplines mean different things to different characters, depending on the form of psionic activation they experience. There are nine known disciplines of psionic powers. Six of these disciplines are standard, common paths of power that anyone may study using the Manual of the Psi. However, there are three additional, optional disciplines, the use of which a Gamemaster may permit or forbid as he or she sees fit, depending on what they include in their campaign. Users of these disciplines are technically 'combination' characters, but they are included here to keep all psionics in one place. The nine disciplines of psionic power include the following: Empathic Powers: empathic powers are used to manipulate the life force of mortal entities, whether sentient or otherwise. This discipline of power involves an awareness of the threads of life woven throughout the multiverse, often known as the essence. A psi who can perceive the essence and their connection to it, then, can control the very forces of life and death. Metapsionic Powers: metapsionic abilities are those with which a psi may control or manipulate their own body. Metapsi powers give one a definitive physical edge over other humans (or even super-humans), granting exceptional durability, attack capability, or physical prowess. Metapsionic powers may manifest differently in non-human entities, since the 'meat' to manipulate is inherently different. Psikinetic Powers: perhaps one of the most dramatic disciplines of power, psikinetics is the process of manipulating both energy and matter, in either an animate or inanimate state, without physical contact. True mind over matter (and energy), a psikinetic has the ability to alter, destroy, or even create (to a small extent) objects in their environment, as he or she sees fit. Psimantic Powers: psimantic powers are essentially mind over magic, allowing their wielder to control the very forces of magic to produce various effects. This can involve manipulating the sorcery of others, inflicting direct damage to magical entities, and even the ability to cast spells on top of wielding psionics. A psychoturge can often stand toe to toe with the strongest of mages. Psimotive Powers: this discipline of power involves controlling both time and space! A psimotive may use their abilities to easily move from one location to another, most often without crossing the physical spaces between them. More detailed uses of the psimotive discipline involve using characteristics of space and time against others, usually to devastating effect. Psipathic Powers: what people most readily think of when pondering psionics, psipathy is the power of mind over mind. The psipathic discipline is used to achieve direct contact with another mind, and then to either communicate with or manipulate it in a variety of fashions. Psipathic powers can readily be used to destroy the consciousnesses of others - or simply to confound them for a good long time. Superpsionic Powers: complementing all other disciplines of psionic power, superpsi abilities are used to manipulate your own psionic powers or those of another. This discipline can be very powerful when combined with any other path of power, but is nonetheless exceedingly useful in its own right, as superpsionics by themselves can make a mockery of an unprepared psionic opponent. Technopsionic Powers: representing mind over machine, technopsionics is the art of controlling devices remotely, solely with the power of one's will. This discipline deals with all things technological, whether mechanical, electronic, or somewhere in-between. Technopsi powers can be used to control or disrupt devices, or to even create or incorporate them into oneself when desired. Theonic Powers: psionic abilities of this stripe deal with divinity itself. Theonics can be a path one takes to attain immortality, or simply a means by which one can communicate with or combat deific beings. Theonic powers involve interacting with the faith-based powers of immortal entities, or using the mimicked abilities of such against mere mortals, for good or ill. * Psionic Power Types * Each psionic ability, no matter which of the nine disciplines of power it is associated with, belongs to one of three power types. Each type denotes a level of magnitude the psionic ability may have compared to others in its discipline, as some are simply more useful (or dangerous) than others. All psionic powers can be described as either an art, a talent, or a skill, depending on their potency: Arts: arts are the so-called psionic 'big guns'. They often take the form of devastating attacks or capabilities, those which can quickly end lives or reshape the very nature of the surroundings. Arts normally begin play at a low level of power (being purchased at rank value 2), which demonstrates just how powerful they are - and the effort required to properly master them. Talents: while not necessarily the most potent of psionics, talents do have many uses regardless. They often serve as defensive or supplemental abilities for a psi, and can mean the difference between life and death. Talents typically start at a slightly higher level than arts when purchased (rank value 4), showcasing their mid-range utility, and can thus be advanced to greater heights somewhat faster. Skills: often the most 'minor' of psionic powers, skills are nonetheless vital to the success of any psi. These powers take the form of sensory, utilitarian, or other highly focused (yet necessary) abilities. Skills always begin at a higher level when purchased (rank value 6), reflecting their specialty, and thus can be advanced to greater levels of power much more quickly. ** Psionic Awakening ** There are many means by which an individual may activate their inherent psionic potential. Most often, this occurs due to a character's intense training and meditation, his or her conscious mind peeling away the barriers that hold them back, and 'switching' their psychic capabilities on. However, there are several other methods by which a body might awaken their psionics (or, as it happens, see them activated). * Trained Psis * The most reliable and consistent manner in which sentient beings can activate their psionic potential is with proper schooling to that effect. A character that has worked long and hard to awaken their inherent power is known as a trained psi. These characters usually study relentlessly in an intensive, highly structured fashion to awaken specific powers, of their own choice, as their experience with psionics grows. These psis will excogitate in a regimented fashion regardless of their chosen manner. This regimen means that when acquiring psionics (either during character generation or later on, during character advancement), they will do so in the order of art, talent, and skill, before starting over again. This forces the trained psi to exercise vastly different portions of his or her self, ultimately leading to the mastery of their chosen goals. Further complicating the matter, however, is the fact that one may be schooled in psionics in one of three different fashions. These three methods of psionic schooling each have their advantages and disadvantages, and the manner in which a character is schooled will determine the ultimate variety and potency of his or her psionics. The three methods of psionic schooling are traditional, intermediate, and casual study. Traditional Study The least flexible and most regimented form of psionic learning, traditional studies are often preferable to players who see themselves investing a lot of time (and Fortune) into their character. In effect, traditional study requires that a psi-active student choose one discipline of power to begin with, and not even contemplate the study of another until he or she has mastered their first. Once he or she has achieved mastery of a discipline, a traditional psi may then continue their studies of the first, primary discipline, or instead begin work on another. The traditional psi may also do both at the same time, as they see fit, though he or she can only have one unmastered discipline at a time. This limits the range of powers a psi may choose from somewhat, but has several benefits. The intensive focus of a traditional psi reduces the cost of purchasing new powers by twenty-five percent, whether he or she has mastered a discipline or not. Secondly, as the psi must master a discipline before starting another, they gain the benefits of doing so. Finally, the traditional student may eventually overmind in a discipline of power if he or she studies it long enough, a benefit no other psi has access to. Intermediate Study While a bit more regimented than casual methods of psionic training, the intermediate mode of psi study is nonetheless more flexible than the traditional vein of psychic education. This is because the intermediately trained psi is allowed to change disciplines of study after learning only three powers within it if he or she so desires, instead of the nine required to master it with traditional schooling. The end result of this is that, while a bit more flexible than traditional study, intermediate schooling is still structured enough to eventually allow mastery of a discipline, and even the eventual acquisition of every power within it. Also, an intermediate psi need not begin study of a discipline with its 'root' power if he or she chooses not to, as must a traditional psi, though they won't master a discipline until they do so. Although the flexibility of intermediate study allows a psi to dip his or her toes into many disciplines of power at once, it does come with a price. Intermediate psis do not gain a discount when purchasing new psionics - though they suffer no penalty, either. Furthermore, their lack of a supreme focus prevents them from ever gaining the benefits of overminding in a discipline; they must learn all its powers the hard way. Casual Study The psi participating in a casual study of psionics (such as it is) will have a madly variant selection of powers, as they're not bound by most prevailing theories of psionic mastery. When selecting his or her powers, the casual psi can draw from a different discipline each and every time they choose a new power, whether during character generation or later on in their adventuring career. This is much more convenient than either the traditional or intermediate modes of study, in that a casual psi will have a vastly diverse selection of powers to choose from. He or she might even start with one power from each of their available disciplines, if desired. Of course, this wild flexibility comes with several costs, though normally the benefits at least balance out the hassles in most cases. For one thing, new powers cost casual psis twenty-five percent more Fortune, as they generally draw upon less complementary knowledge of themselves in relation to older powers. This lack of focus also hampers the mastery of disciplines down the line, but doesn't make it impossible. Finally, not only can a casual psi not overmind in a discipline, but there are some powers in each discipline that they simply cannot learn. * Natural Psis * The flip side of the trained psi, a natural has acquired the use of psionic abilities without bothering with that whole 'study' thing - much less even trying, typically. As such, their powers don't really come about due to any coherent rhyme or reason, and the power set a natural psi possesses may in fact be (relatively) unique to them. Of course, this puts the natural psi at something of a disadvantage. This is because, while the natural psi does not have to gain powers in the order a trained psi does (the art, talent, and skill progression) during character generation, he or she does not readily have the ability to acquire new psionics later on. Unless they find some way to study psionics with a mentor, it's possible the natural psi may never acquire additional powers at all - their power selection is considerably more finite. The most dangerous of natural psis transform this seeming weakness into an impressive strength. You see, not splitting his or her focus amongst dozens of powers, a natural psi can concentrate on getting the most bang for their buck out of the limited abilities they do have access to. Thus, while more limited in power selection compared to a trained psi, a natural usually has the edge in the use of their specific powers. Natural Psi Causation A lot of the time, a natural psi will occur due to a moment of extreme stress in their lives. Perhaps they've been faced with a moment of mortal peril (or terror), and instead of folding when the chips were down, something somehow 'clicked' within them. Refusing to give in, the very mind of the character would not let itself be extinguished, and suddenly one or more psionics were activated to rectify the situation. Another thing that can cause natural psi activation is exposure to like powers. Psi generally isn't a 'common' phenomenon, depending on the campaign, of course, so it's not something most characters readily experience. So when someone's mind is assaulted for the first time, it's quite possible that their own consciousness will reflexively defend itself, causing the manifestation of new powers 'out of the blue'. Finally, some people just have a sort of natural tendency for psionic ability. Maybe their heads are wired a bit differently than other folks, or they just think in a way that doesn't really line up with their peers - or almost anyone else on earth, really. Often, edge cases like this can develop psionics instead of mere quirks to denote unusual abilities, being much more pronounced in nature. Developing Natural Psionics So something caused these strange abilities to manifest. What's next? A lot of the time, when something fantastic or unusual happens, a person will simply rationalize it away somehow. Sure, you were able to lift that car off of your ailing grandmother, but it must've been a weird fluke. People just can't do that sort of thing, can they? Never mind that you don't actually remember touching the car at all. Those who explain away their brush with the fantastic almost never develop their psionic potential - in fact, they may never use such powers again. Alternately, a person may very much wish to repeat the occurrence but simply doesn't know how. This sort of natural may attempt to repeat the chain of events that caused their psionic to momentarily switch on, often with positive results, but occasionally with lethal consequence. But sometimes, just sometimes, a body who manifests psionics irregularly can get a handle on their use, and properly develop them. These characters can't readily learn new powers like a trained psi, but they can easily work with what they've got to become quite effective in their own right. Their seemingly random powers, backed by a series of power stunts, can almost allow them to match a trained psi in overall capability. Natural Psis with Added Study And then there's the natural psi who, after finding someone to instruct him or her properly, might actually develop a set of trained powers as well as those they've managed to activate by chance or dumb luck. A psi of this variety will have natural psionics per the above, but will also back that up with 'official' training in one of the three standard methods. A character of this variety has considerable flexibility. For one thing, their trained powers need not be from the same discipline(s) as his or her natural psionics, meaning that even a traditional psi might have some quirky powers that don't fit within their rigid educational structure. This can be a great boon to a student of the mental arts, as one's natural psionics are a convenient 'crutch' to lean on when the powers they're actually studying can't get the job done. On the other hand, a student who does indeed study a discipline they have natural powers in can master it much faster, gaining the benefits of doing so (if he or she so chooses). This is often the path a mentor will adopt when 'growing' young epsilons, the idea being to build upon what they already know to hasten their education considerably. Either path is acceptable to the natural psi who seeks formal training. * Believers * Lying somewhere between the natural and trained psi, a believer is someone who is an ardent supporter of some philosophy, movement, or principle, who avouch it so absolutely that they manifest abilities reflecting this worldview. This differs somewhat from faith, in that it is not a religious fervor (though ecclesiastic influence may be involved), but instead an imagined precept of how the multiverse functions. This process works because a believer, due to the astounding strength of his or her ideology, actually manages to reorder the way their very mind functions. The believer will thus activate specific portions of their psi potential that reinforce this ideology, whether or not the believer is actually aware of these powers, much less their function. They 'just work', probably because the believer believes they are right. Thus, a believer might be so absolute in his or her convictions that they may very well seem divorced from 'reality' as others see it - and may demonstrate a variety of psychological tics to represent this. Not all believers are criminally insane, though a few may well appear to be once you get to talking to them. But, at the same time, seeing them demonstrate the power of their belief can make it hard to debunk their arguments. Believer Beliefs In order for a believer to take shape, a character must first have something to believe in. The philosophy or ideology of a believer is what shapes their psionics, both in availability and overall intensity, and usually will differ from the prevailing attitudes in their society. Otherwise, everyone might have the same or similar psionic capabilities as a general matter of course. This belief can be just about anything, really, and can revolve around the nature of the universe, humanity in general, or just the specific character in question. It need not even make too much sense, depending on the believer involved, as long as it's a generally serious belief. The belief that everyone is energy might allow for energy manipulating abilities, while insisting the world is tapioca might just land one in the nuthouse. The critical thing to keep in mind is that this belief will shape the character's every action. They eat, drink, and breathe in their beliefs, which is kind of the reason he or she developed special powers related to them in the first place. They need not expound on the merits of their beliefs every second of every day, but genuinely believe in the ideas behind them, and live only to further their aims and/or acceptance. Conviction or Insanity? Sometimes there is a fine line between a believer and a crazy person, and sometimes there isn't at all. There are facilities full of people with all kinds of kooky ideas about the world and how it works, usually with padded walls and straightjackets in a wide selection of sizes. The problem there is that most people in the madhouse don't have the focus or the conviction to become proper believers. Even more, some people housed within mental health facilities just might have that conviction, but their beliefs are so off the wall that whatever abilities they do manifest might not be readily available to them, much less effective (or applicable) enough to attempt an escape - or living a normal life. Maybe they just subtly alter the moods of everyone in their vicinity, or perhaps they can see into other universes. Worse still is the truly insane believer who can get it together enough to go his or her own way. One need only visit their local multiplex to see films showcasing such individuals, often maniacal monsters that possess seeming super-human powers, who relentlessly pursue whatever mad agenda set them in motion to begin with. Slasher films in particular seem to love this brand of believer villain. Belief and Followers The thing about a believer, though, is that if he or she is charismatic and successful enough, they might be able to sufficiently demonstrate the merits of their beliefs such that they sway others to their line of thought. When a believer attracts followers, they are often inspired to greater heights of power. A believer with a flock (even if it's just one true devotee) gains a +1 RS on all believer power rank values. Where this gets interesting is that such reinforcement works both ways. A believer's followers can see their inspiration made manifest in the form of the believer's special abilities, and often develop convictions powerful enough to awaken similar psi powers. Typically these will be lesser in rank or variety than the original believer's psionics, but can show just how devoted to one's belief structure he or she really is. In fact, there may even be 'tiers' of believers working beneath the belief's founder, some with no special powers, some with one or two psionics, and still more with abilities approaching that of (or matching) the belief's originator. This lends itself to large philosophical or ideological movements, and such groups, once they put their minds to a specific task, may very well change the world with their convictions. Believers with Added Study On the other hand, some believers who realize the nature of their abilities - or perhaps just pursue psi powers as a separate end entirely - might seek out proper psionic schooling. They may do so as a way to supplement the power of their beliefs, perhaps as a means to reinforce them in the eyes of others, or often as an incidental adjunct to their path of power (instead of becoming a high tech hero or sorcerer, maybe). A believer with trained psi ability generates each group of psionic powers they possess according to the normal rules for such. He or she will first set up their belief-based abilities, and then those that are derived from their psionic schooling, whether traditional, intermediate, or casual in nature. A believer with training has the same amount of starting powers as anyone else, just divided between the two sources. A character following this path gains all the benefits that a natural psi with added schooling receives. If they pursue a discipline they already wield powers within, they'll master it that much faster (if applicable), and can lean on their belief-based abilities when their trained psi powers fail them in a given situation. Other than the differing origins of their inherent powers, the two characters otherwise 'behave' the same. ** Character Generation (Random (Dice Roll) Method) ** Despite their general laundry list of super-powers, psis are merely normal humans 'where it counts'. When rolling up traits for a psi, use table A to generate their Brawn and Fortitude, then table B for their Melee and Coordination. Finally, use table D for Intellect, Awareness, and Willpower, as these are usually high in psi-active characters, above and beyond those traits seen in average people. Roll on table A to determine the initial Lifestyle rank value of a psi-active character. Psis generally begin play with a Repute value of zero. Add up his or her Health and Fortune totals as normal, along with Negative and Mental Health traits (if those optional rules are in play). Considered human in nature, psis do not have access to hyperexhaustive or hyperkinetic trait values. Table 1: Rank Value Generation Table A Table B Table C Table D Table E Table F Table G Table H Table I Rank Value - - 01 - 01 - 01 - 01 Hyperexhaustive 01 01 02-05 - - 01 02-05 - - Rank Value 2 02-25 02-05 06-10 - - 02-05 06-10 - - Rank Value 4 26-50 06-25 11-25 - - 06-10 11-15 - - Rank Value 6 51-75 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 11-25 16-25 - - Rank Value 10 76-99 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 Rank Value 20 00 76-95 76-90 26-50 26-50 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 Rank Value 30 - 96-99 91-95 51-75 51-75 76-90 76-85 26-50 26-50 Rank Value 40 - 00 96-99 76-99 76-95 91-95 86-90 51-75 51-75 Rank Value 50 - - - 00 96-99 96-90 91-95 76-99 76-95 Rank Value 75 - - - - - 00 96-99 00 96-99 Rank Value 100 - - 00 - 00 - 00 - 00 Hyperkinetic Once these rolls are complete, you may gamble on any two traits of your choice, shoring up any areas in your psi-active character you feel need bolstering. Keep in mind that once you are done, all of your traits save for Intellect and Willpower must remain within normal human maximums; while you deal in inexplicable matters of the mind, your character is still human for the most part. If your other trait(s) exceed normal human levels, simply drop them back down that point when you're done. Table 2: Rank Value Modifiers (Gambling) Crazy Risky Traditional Lenient Easy Column Shift 01 - - - - -4 RS 02-05 01 - - - -3 RS 06-15 02-05 - 01 - -2 RS 16-25 06-25 01-15 02-25 01 -1 RS 26-75 26-75 16-50 26-50 02-25 0 RS 76-85 76-95 51-65 51-75 26-50 +1 RS 86-95 96-99 66-85 76-99 51-75 +2 RS 96-99 00 86-95 00 76-99 +3 RS 00 - 96-00 - 00 +4 RS (RV max). (RV 100 max). (RV 75 max). (RV 50 max). (RV 40 max). * Psionic Activation * Next, it must be decided what manner of psi-active character will be created, if this has not already been determined. Will you play a trained psi, of either the traditional, intermediate, or casual bent, a natural psi, a natural psi with psionic schooling, or even a believer of some sort? Table 3 is provided for random determination, but this facet of a character is entirely up to the player behind them. Table 3: Psionic Activation Method 01-14 Trained Psi - Traditional 15-28 Trained Psi - Intermediate 29-43 Trained Psi - Casual 44-57 Natural Psi 58-72 Natural Psi with Training 73-86 Believer 87-00 Believer with Training * Psionic Disciplines * Next, one must determine what discipline(s) their psionic powers will issue forth from. For the most part, this is also something the player may decide without rolling randomly, though tables are provided for such a purpose if necessary - most often for the Gamemaster's use when building random characters. This choice may be the sole discipline a character has access to, or the first of many. Such is dependent on the nature of the character's psionic activation. A traditional psi, for instance, will only begin play with access to one discipline - he or she will not gain access to another until they master their first. Psis of intermediate training, on the other hand, can pick a new discipline every three powers, and a casually instructed psi may do so with every new ability. Natural psis may actually have purely random disciplines (and powers), depending on the player's vision for the character. They may choose or roll randomly as they see fit, either for all of their powers or alternating as is desired. The same goes for natural psis with training, though their trained discipline(s) will behave per whatever form of psionic schooling they have undertaken. A believer probably shouldn't roll random disciplines for their belief-based powers, however. The nature of their powers dictates that they reflect whatever powerful belief structure about the multiverse they bear, and thus should be chosen in a manner to reflect this. Unless, of course, the player is going to choose randomly and build unique convictions around their die rolls, which might be very interesting (or confusing), indeed. Two versions of the psionic disciplines table are provided, one which does not include the three 'optional' disciplines and one which does. Table 4a: Psionic Disciplines (Standard) 01-17 Empathic Powers 18-33 Metapsi Powers 34-50 Psikinetic Powers 51-67 Psimotive Powers 68-83 Psipathic Powers 84-00 Superpsi Powers Table 4b: Psionic Disciplines (with Combination Character types) 01-11 Empathic Powers 12-22 Metapsi Powers 23-33 Psikinetic Powers 34-44 Psimantic Powers 45-55 Psimotive Powers 56-66 Psipathic Powers 67-77 Superpsi Powers 78-88 Technopsi Powers 89-00 Theonic Powers * Initial Psi Powers * When determining a psi's starting powers, begin by figuring out exactly how many he or she will begin with. This can primarily be done by rolling randomly on table 5a, which will give characters anywhere between two and seven starting powers. Alternately, a natural psi or believer with extra psionic schooling will instead roll on table 5b, which has results that incorporate both their inherent and trained psionic abilities. Table 5a: Initial Psi Powers (Standard) 01-17 Two Powers 18-33 Three Powers 34-50 Four Powers 51-67 Five Powers 68-83 Six Powers 84-00 Seven Powers Table 5b: Initial Psi Powers (for Natural Psis or Believers with Psionic Schooling) 01-04 1 Inherent, 1 Trained 05-09 1 Inherent, 2 Trained 10-14 1 Inherent, 3 Trained 15-19 1 Inherent, 4 Trained 21-24 1 Inherent, 5 Trained 25-28 1 Inherent, 6 Trained 29-33 2 Inherent, 1 Trained 34-38 2 Inherent, 2 Trained 39-43 2 Inherent, 3 Trained 44-48 2 Inherent, 4 Trained 49-52 2 Inherent, 5 Trained 53-57 3 Inherent, 1 Trained 58-62 3 Inherent, 2 Trained 63-67 3 Inherent, 3 Trained 68-72 3 Inherent, 4 Trained 73-76 4 Inherent, 1 Trained 77-81 4 Inherent, 2 Trained 82-86 4 Inherent, 3 Trained 87-91 5 Inherent, 1 Trained 92-96 5 Inherent, 2 Trained 97-00 6 Inherent, 1 Trained Next, it's time to determine the individual psi powers a character wields. Tables 7 through 33 are provided for these, based on the discipline(s) determined earlier. Trained psis will always roll in an art / talent / skill sequence, and natural psis or believers with psionic schooling will do the same for the trained portions of their powers. For natural psis or believers rolling randomly, use table 6 for the psi power type first. Typically, it is recommended that players be allowed to choose at least half of their abilities, to best steer them in a direction they would prefer, while giving them a few random powers that will help to avoid generating 'repeat' characters. This makes characters partly what a player would like, while keeping them refreshingly different each time - even if making multiple characters with the same discipline(s) of power. Of course, random rolls are not always appropriate at all, depending on the character to be generated. A traditionally trained psi must take the 'root' power of a discipline (telekinesis for the psikinetic discipline, for instance) before all others, thus he or she will never roll for their first ability. Believers normally won't roll randomly for powers at all, while the natural abilities of natural psis may or may not be random. Furthermore, there are two versions of each power selection table presented below, one for trained psis of the casual bent and another for all other psis. The 'main' tables are denoted as version A, while the casual power tables are indicated as version B. Table 6: Psionic Power Type 01-33 Psionic Arts 34-67 Psionic Talents 68-00 Psionic Skills Empathic Powers Table 7a: Empathic Arts (standard selection) 01-07 Aciurgy 08-14 Animal Hybrid. / Others 15-21 Death Ray 22-28 Empathy 29-35 Gestalting (2) 36-42 Harm 43-50 Life Ray 51-57 Plant Hybrid. / Others 58-64 Reanimation (2) 65-71 Regeneration / Self (2) 72-78 Resurrection (2) 79-85 Transformation / Others (2) 86-92 Vampirism (2) 93-00 Vivification (2) Table 7b: Empathic Arts (casual selection) 01-10 Animal Hybrid. / Others 11-20 Death Ray 21-30 Empathy 31-40 Life Ray 41-50 Plant Hybrid. / Others 51-60 Reanimation (2) 61-70 Regeneration / Self (2) 71-80 Resurrection (2) 81-90 Transformation / Others (2) 91-00 Vampirism (2) Table 8a: Empathic Talents (standard selection) 01-08 Age Control / Others 09-15 Animal Control 16-23 Cancer 24-31 Drones 32-38 Emotion Control 39-46 Empathic Hammer 47-54 Essence Control 55-61 Forensics 62-69 Healing / Self 70-77 Plant Control 78-84 Regeneration / Others 85-92 Resuscitation 93-00 Rotting Table 8b: Empathic Talents (casual selection) 01-11 Animal Control 12-22 Cancer 23-33 Emotion Control 34-44 Empathic Hammer 45-55 Essence Control 56-66 Healing / Self 67-77 Plant Control 78-88 Resuscitation 89-00 Rotting Table 9a: Empathic Skills (standard selection) 01-08 Animal Sympathy 09-17 Augury 18-25 Biological Invisibility 26-33 Biological Sense 34-41 Cure Disease 42-50 Decontamination 51-58 Detoxification 59-67 Healing / Others 68-75 Mood Swings 76-83 Plant Sympathy 84-91 Recovery 92-00 Retrospection Table 9b: Empathic Skills (casual selection) 01-12 Animal Sympathy 13-25 Biological Sense 26-37 Detoxification 38-50 Healing / Others 51-62 Mood Swings 63-75 Plant Sympathy 76-87 Recovery 88-00 Retrospection Metapsi Powers Table 10a: Metapsi Arts (standard selection) 01-06 Adrenal Vampirism 07-12 Animal Hybridization 13-18 Biological Vampirism (2) 19-25 Danger Sense (2) 26-31 Energy Absorption (2) 32-37 Invulnerability (*) 38-43 Kinetic Absorption (2) 44-50 Lethality (2) 51-56 Longevity (*) 57-62 Organs (2) 63-68 Personal Weaponry (2) 69-75 Plant Hybridization 76-81 Regeneration / Self (2) 82-87 Shape Change 88-93 Super Speed (3) 94-00 Transformation / Self (2) Table 10b: Metapsi Arts (casual selection) 01-10 Adrenal Vampirism 11-20 Animal Hybridization 21-30 Biological Vampirism (2) 31-40 Danger Sense (2) 41-50 Kinetic Absorption (2) 51-60 Longevity (* 61-70 Organs (2) 71-80 Personal Weaponry (2) 81-90 Plant Hybridization 91-00 Shape Change Table 11a: Metapsi Talents (standard selection) 01-06 Adrenal Boost (*) 07-12 Body Armor 13-18 Corrosion 19-25 Density Control 26-31 Detachable Parts 32-37 Elongation 38-43 Environmental Adapt. (2) 44-50 Grace 51-56 Greater Resistance (*) 57-62 Growth 63-68 Imaginary Doubles (2) 69-75 Intangibility 76-81 Metabolic Focus 82-87 Plasticity 88-93 Poison 94-00 Shrinking Table 11b: Metapsi Talents (casual selection) 01-10 Adrenal Boost (*) 11-20 Body Armor 21-30 Corrosion 31-40 Density Control 41-50 Elongation 51-60 Environmental Adaptation (2) 61-70 Grace 71-80 Intangibility 81-90 Metabolic Focus 91-00 Poison Table 12a: Metapsi Skills (standard selection) 01-06 Age Control 07-12 Atomic Sense 13-18 Biological Sense 19-24 Blending 25-29 Combat Edge (*) 30-35 Disease 36-41 Dyad 42-47 Environmental Indep. (*) 48-53 Imaginary Mass 54-59 Pain 60-65 Philosophical Sense 66-71 Resistance (*) 72-77 Stasis (*) 78-82 Super Senses (2) 83-88 Super Synesthesia (*) 98-94 Unyielding Will 95-00 Zest Table 12b: Metapsi Skills (casual selection) 01-09 Atomic Sense 10-18 Biological Sense 19-27 Combat Edge (*) 38-36 Environmental Indep. (*) 37-45 Imaginary Mass 46-54 Pain 55-63 Resistance (*) 64-72 Stasis (*) 73-81 Super Senses (2) 82-90 Unyielding Will 91-00 Zest Psikinetic Powers Table 13a: Psikinetic Arts (standard selection) 01-07 Antimatter (3) 08-13 Damage Reduction (*) 14-20 Disintegration (2) 21-27 Energy Cohesion 28-33 Energy Generation 34-40 Energy Projection 41-47 Energy Vampirism (2) 48-53 Image Projection (2) 54-60 Kinetic Energy Control 61-67 Matter Generation (3) 68-73 Psychokinesis 74-80 Psychometry 81-87 Telekinesis 88-93 Topological Control (3) 94-00 Transmutation (3) Table 13b: Psikinetic Arts (casual selection) 01-10 Damage Reduction (*) 11-20 Energy Cohesion 21-30 Energy Generation 31-40 Energy Projection 41-50 Energy Vampirism (2) 51-60 Image Projection (2) 61-70 Psychokinesis 71-80 Psychometry 81-90 Telekinesis 91-00 Topological Control (3) Table 14a: Psikinetic Talents (standard selection) 01-06 Body Control 07-12 Cyclone 13-18 Deflection (*) 19-24 Energy Control 25-29 Flaying 30-35 Flight 36-41 Force Blast 42-47 Force Field 48-53 Friction Control 54-59 Invisibility / Others 60-65 Matter Duplication (2) 66-71 Microscopic Vision 72-77 Object Projection 78-82 Object Sympathy 83-88 Psi Web 98-94 Telescopic Vision 95-00 Transduction (2) Table 14b: Psikinetic Talents (casual selection) 01-10 Body Control 11-20 Cyclone 21-30 Energy Control 31-40 Flaying 41-50 Flight 51-60 Force Blast 61-70 Force Field 71-80 Invisibility / Others 81-90 Psi Web 91-00 Transduction (2) Table 15a: Psikinetic Skills (standard selection) 01-06 Circular Vision (*) 07-12 Clairtouchence 13-18 Energy Sense 19-25 Flaw Sense 26-31 Invisibility / Self 32-37 Kinetic Focus 38-43 Levitation 44-50 Object Animation 51-56 Object Charge 57-62 Object Cooling 63-68 Object Hardening 69-75 Object Warming 76-81 Object Weakening 82-87 Power Dampening 88-93 Propulsion 94-00 Sidestep (*) Table 15b: Psikinetic Skills (casual selection) 01-10 Circular Vision (*) 11-20 Energy Sense 21-30 Flaw Sense 31-40 Invisibility / Self 41-50 Kinetic Focus 51-60 Levitation 61-70 Object Charge 71-80 Object Warming 81-90 Object Weakening 91-00 Sidestep (*) Psimantic Powers Table 16a: Psimantic Arts (standard selection) 01-08 Casting 09-17 Causality Control (4) 18-25 Dimensional Static 26-33 Energy Generation 34-41 Future Control (2) 42-50 History Control (3) 51-58 Nimiety (2) 59-67 Override (3) 68-75 Reassignment (3) 76-83 Thaumaturgical Absorp. (2) 84-91 Thaumaturgical Vamp. (2) 92-00 Variable Sorcery Table 16b: Psimantic Arts (casual selection) 01-12 Casting 13-25 Causality Control (4) 26-37 Dimensional Static 38-50 Override (3) 51-62 Reassignment (3) 63-75 Thaumaturgical Absorption (2) 76-87 Thaumaturgical Vamp. (2) 88-00 Variable Sorcery Table 17a: Psimantic Talents (standard selection) 01-08 Antimagic Generation 09-17 Buttress (2) 18-25 Dimensional Attunement 26-33 Energy Control 34-41 Extend (2) 42-50 Fallout Absorption 51-58 Flux (2) 59-67 Luck (3) 68-75 Reprise (2) 76-83 Spell Control (2) 84-91 Transient Magic 92-00 Universal Static Table 17b: Psimantic Talents (casual selection) 01-12 Antimagic Generation 13-25 Dimensional Attunement 26-37 Fallout Absorption 38-50 Flux (2) 51-62 Luck (3) 63-75 Spell Control (2) 76-87 Transient Magic 88-00 Universal Static Table 18a: Psimantic Skills (standard selection) 01-08 Contingency 09-17 Distraction 18-25 Flux Analysis 26-33 Logos 34-41 Magic Magnet 42-50 Magic Sense 51-58 Nativity Sense 59-67 Personal Static 68-75 Proxy 76-83 Sorcerous Amplification 84-91 Sorcerous Attenuation 92-00 Sorcerous Invisibility Table 18b: Psimantic Skills (casual selection) 01-12 Distraction 13-25 Flux Analysis 26-37 Magic Magnet 38-50 Magic Sense 51-62 Nativity Sense 63-75 Personal Static 76-87 Sorcerous Amplification 88-00 Sorcerous Attenuation Psimotive Powers Table 19a: Psimotive Arts (standard selection) 01-08 Banishment (3) 09-15 Between (2) 16-23 Dimensional Displacement 24-31 Dimensional Interface (2) 32-38 Dimensional Transit 39-46 Gravity Control 47-54 Planar Control (3) 55-61 Portal (2+) 62-69 Space Control 70-77 Summoning (2) 78-84 Teleportation 85-92 Time Control (3) 93-00 Time Travel (2) Table 19b: Psimotive Arts (casual selection) 01-11 Dimensional Displacement 12-22 Dimensional Interface (2) 23-33 Dimensional Transit 34-44 Gravity Control 45-55 Space Control 56-66 Summoning (2) 67-77 Teleportation 78-88 Time Control (3) 89-00 Time Travel (2) Table 20a: Psimotive Talents (standard selection) 01-08 Age Control / Others 09-17 Aggregation 18-25 Antigravity 26-33 Chaos Shift (*) 34-41 Defensive Portals 42-50 Initiative Control (2) 51-58 Internal Universe 59-67 Mind Walk 68-75 Offensive Portals 76-83 Quarantine 84-91 Teleportation / Others 92-00 Temporal Static Table 20b: Psimotive Talents (casual selection) 01-12 Aggregation 13-25 Antigravity 26-37 Defensive Portals 38-50 Mind Walk 51-62 Offensive Portals 63-75 Quarantine 76-87 Teleportation / Others 88-00 Temporal Static Table 21a: Psimotive Skills (standard selection) 01-08 Age Control / Self 09-17 Anchor 18-25 Bilocation 26-33 Compass Sense (*) 34-41 Locational Memory 42-50 Locational Sense 51-58 Nativity Sense 59-67 Telelocation 68-75 Teleport Trigger (*) 76-83 Temporal Windows 84-91 Transient Universe 92-00 Universal Windows Table 21b: Psimotive Skills (casual selection) 01-12 Anchor 13-25 Bilocation 26-37 Compass Sense (*) 38-50 Locational Memory 51-62 Locational Sense 63-75 Telelocation 76-87 Teleport Trigger (*) 88-00 Transient Universe Psipathic Powers Table 22a: Psipathic Arts (standard selection) 01-07 Astral Projection 08-13 Clairvoyance 14-20 Crowd Control (2) 21-27 Mental Repair 28-33 Mind Link 34-40 Mind Lock 41-47 Mind Transfer (2) 48-53 Mind Wipe 54-60 Possession (2) 61-67 Precognition (3) 68-73 Psi Bolt 74-80 Psionic Vampirism (2) 81-87 Psychic Invisibility 88-93 Psychic Probe 94-00 Telepathy Table 22b: Psipathic Arts (casual selection) 01-11 Astral Projection 12-22 Clairvoyance 23-33 Mind Link 34-44 Mind Lock 45-55 Psi Bolt 56-66 Psionic Vampirism (2) 67-77 Psychic Invisibility 78-88 Psychic Probe 89-00 Telepathy Table 23a: Psipathic Talents (standard selection) 01-06 Auscultation 07-12 Clairalience 13-18 Clairaudience 19-25 Clarity 26-31 Forgetfulness 32-37 Illusion Projection (2) 38-43 Jumbling 44-50 Linguistics 51-56 Mind Control 57-62 Nonapparent Vision 63-68 Postcognition 69-75 Sensory Link 76-81 Sleep 82-87 Static Field 88-93 Thought Projection 94-00 Translation Table 23b: Psipathic Talents (casual selection) 01-11 Auscultation 12-22 Clairaudience 23-33 Clarity 34-44 Forgetfulness 45-55 Linguistics 56-66 Mind Control 67-77 Sensory Link 78-88 Sleep 89-00 Thought Projection Table 24a: Psipathic Skills (standard selection) 01-06 Caesura 07-12 Charm 13-18 Clairgustance 19-24 Clairtouchence 25-29 Combat Edge 30-35 Daydreams 36-41 Ego Suppression 42-47 Fugue 48-53 Inferiority Complex 54-59 Lie Detection 60-65 Loathing 66-71 Mesmerism 72-77 Phobia 78-82 Sending 83-88 Sensory Distortion 98-94 Sensory Projection 95-00 Sensory Reception Table 24b: Psipathic Skills (casual selection) 01-09 Charm 10-18 Combat Edge 19-27 Daydreams 38-36 Ego Suppression 37-45 Fugue 46-54 Lie Detection 55-63 Loathing 64-72 Mesmerism 73-81 Sensory Distortion 82-90 Sensory Projection 91-00 Sensory Reception Superpsi Powers Table 25a: Superpsi Arts (standard selection) 01-08 Empowerment (2) 09-15 Energy Generation 16-23 Fortune Control (2) 24-31 Macro Sense (2) 32-38 Mind Duplication 39-46 Power Boost 47-54 Psionic Absorption (2) 55-61 Psychoplasm Animation (2) 62-69 Soul Control 70-77 Spectral Freedom (*) 78-84 Spectral Gestalt (2) 85-92 Spectral Vampirism (2) 93-00 Variable Psionics Table 25b: Superpsi Arts (casual selection) 01-11 Empowerment (2) 12-22 Mind Duplication 23-33 Power Boost 34-44 Psionic Absorption (2) 45-55 Psychoplasm Animation (2) 56-66 Soul Control 67-77 Spectral Gestalt (2) 78-88 Spectral Vampirism (2) 89-00 Variable Psionics Table 26a: Superpsi Talents (standard selection) 01-07 Antipsion Generation 08-14 Energy Control 15-21 Energy Doubles (2) 22-28 Enlightenment (2) 29-35 Image Animation 36-42 Keeper 43-50 Linguistics 51-57 Link (2) 58-64 Mental Doubles (2) 65-71 Mental Invisibility (2) 72-78 Psion Generation 79-85 Psionic Control (2) 86-92 Quintessential Variation 93-00 Xenoglossy Table 26b: Superpsi Talents (casual selection) 01-11 Antipsion Generation 12-22 Energy Control 23-33 Enlightenment (2) 34-44 Image Animation 45-55 Link (2) 56-66 Mental Invisibility (2) 67-77 Psion Generation 78-88 Psionic Control (2) 89-00 Xenoglossy Table 27a: Superpsi Skills (standard selection) 01-08 Ability Boost 09-15 Clone Projection 16-23 Eidetic Memory 24-31 Polarization 32-38 Psi Sense 39-46 Psionic Amplification 47-54 Psionic Attenuation 55-61 Self Cannibalization 62-69 Self Control 70-77 Spectral Sense 78-84 Transfixture 85-92 Twinning (*) 93-00 Ultimate Skill (*) Table 27b: Superpsi Skills (casual selection) 01-11 Ability Boost 12-22 Polarization 23-33 Psi Sense 34-44 Psionic Amplification 45-55 Psionic Attenuation 56-66 Self Control 67-77 Spectral Sense 78-88 Transfixture 89-00 Twinning (*) Technopsi Powers Table 28a: Technopsi Arts (standard selection) 01-09 Assimilation 10-18 Cyberspatial Projection 19-27 Device Generation (2) 38-36 Empowerment (2) 37-45 Knowledge 46-54 Mesmermechanism 55-63 Nanotech Generation (3) 64-72 Organic Circuitry (3) 73-81 Reassembly (2) 82-90 Super Invention 91-00 Variable Cybernetics Table 28b: Technopsi Arts (casual selection) 01-14 Assimilation 15-28 Cyberspatial Projection 29-43 Device Generation (2) 44-57 Knowledge 58-72 Mesmermechanism 73-86 Reassembly (2) 87-00 Variable Cybernetics Table 29a: Technopsi Talents (standard selection) 01-09 Artificial Power Source 10-18 Interfacing 19-27 Kit-bashing 38-36 Overdrive 37-45 Positron Generation 46-54 Repair 55-63 Schema 64-72 Transception 73-81 Transient Psionics 82-90 Upgrade 91-00 Variable Skill (*) Table 29b: Technopsi Talents (casual selection) 01-14 Artificial Power Source 15-28 Overdrive 29-43 Repair 44-57 Transception 58-72 Transient Psionics 73-86 Upgrade 87-00 Variable Skill (*) Table 30a: Technopsi Skills (standard selection) 01-09 Computer Link 10-18 Device Sympathy 19-27 Diagnosis 38-36 Electronics Disruption 37-45 Electronics Invisibility 46-54 Fuel 55-63 Jury Rigging 64-72 Mechanical Disruption 73-81 Optimization 82-90 Technical Intuition 91-00 Technological Sense Table 30b: Technopsi Skills (casual selection) 01-14 Computer Link 15-28 Device Sympathy 29-43 Electronics Disruption 44-57 Mechanical Disruption 58-72 Optimization 73-86 Technical Intuition 87-00 Technological Sense Theonic Powers Table 31a: Theonic Arts (standard selection) 01-09 Apotheosis (*) 10-18 Exaltation 19-27 Faith (5) 38-36 Genesis 37-45 Investment (3) 46-54 Macro Sense (2) 55-63 Omnipotence 64-72 Organism Generation (3) 73-81 Revival 82-90 Signature Power (*) 91-00 Theonic Absorption (2) Table 31b: Theonic Arts (casual selection) 01-12 Faith (5) 13-25 Genesis 26-37 Investment (3) 38-50 Omnipotence 51-62 Organism Generation (3) 63-75 Revival 76-87 Signature Power (*) 88-00 Theonic Absorption (2) Table 32a: Theonic Talents (standard selection) 01-09 Antideionic Attack 10-18 Avatar (2) 19-27 Awe 38-36 Deific Impersonation 37-45 Deionic Attack 46-54 Deionic Control (2) 55-63 Inculcation (2) 64-72 Mortal Guise 73-81 Nature Resistance (3) 82-90 Omnipresence 91-00 Sanctuary Table 32b: Theonic Talents (casual selection) 01-12 Antideionic Attack 13-25 Awe 26-37 Deionic Attack 38-50 Deionic Control (2) 51-62 Inculcation (2) 63-75 Nature Resistance (3) 76-87 Omnipresence 88-00 Sanctuary Table 33a: Theonic Skills (standard selection) 01-08 Bless 09-17 Boon 18-25 Commandment 26-33 Disengagement 34-41 Fortuity 42-50 Omniscience 51-58 Plenipotentiary 59-67 Regenesis 68-75 Theonic Amplification 76-83 Theonic Attenuation 84-91 Theonic Invisibility 92-00 Theonic Sense Table 33b: Theonic Skills (casual selection) 01-11 Bless 12-22 Boon 23-33 Commandment 34-44 Fortuity 45-55 Omniscience 56-66 Regenesis 67-77 Theonic Amplification 78-88 Theonic Attenuation 89-00 Theonic Sense * Determining Power Rank Values * After a character's psionics have been revealed, their potency must be determined. To do this, simply roll once on table D for each psionic the character possesses. With this done, you may then 'gamble' on one psionic rank value of your choosing if your character has three or less psionic abilities, twice if he or she has from four to six psi powers, or thrice if the character has seven (or more) psychic abilities. * Character / Power Limitations * Often, a player may not be happy with the rank values they've rolled up for their new psi. Even after adjusting powers with gambling attempts, he or she is just not satisfied with what they've come up with. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as sometimes one has a specific vision in mind for their character. This is where limitations come in. A player may subject their psi to limitations to make them more powerful. Limitations come in two distinct flavors: power limitations and character limitations. A power limitation is just that, an altering of how said psionic works to the detriment of the player, as compared to others who can use this ability. A power so limited may not affect certain objects or beings, can only be used during certain time periods, or may otherwise function in a manner others may find unusual or restrictive. Character limitations, however, change the nature of every power a psi uses, not just one. A character limitation may simply be a power limitation that 'works' on every single power, or may instead be some other alteration to the basic working of psionics in general that hampers the character, such as an innate inability to master a discipline (which would be particularly constricting on a traditional psi). At any rate, the severity of the limitation determines just how much of a power boost the character may receive. Limitations come in four flavors: weak, strong, very strong, and extreme. A weak limitation is just that, a minor crimp in an ability's effectiveness, and only offers a +1 RS. Each successive limitation offers another +1 RS to the power rank value, but as their names imply, they become increasingly, well, limiting. Alternately, a psi can take a limitation on a power to replace one that is already built in to it; some powers, like those involving time, have several such constraints already worked into them. With the Gamemaster's permission, they can swap out one limitation for another, as long as the new limitation would be equally as inconvenient. This allows a player to better craft the character they imagine in their heads. * Character / Power Enhancements * Similarly, a player might have more than enough power, or simply wants more 'bang for their buck' out of his or her existing power roster. If this is the case, they may decide to empower their psionics with special enhancements. Like limitations, enhancements have four levels of power, including weak, strong, very strong, and extreme, each of which adds a subsequent -1 RS modifier to one's power rank values. In exchange for suffering from the effects of this modifier, the character's ability will benefit from an improvement of some sort. Moving a power up one speed or range category is considered a strong enhancement, while two is an extreme enhancement. Other enhancements can come in the form of built-in limitations being stripped out of a power (as noted, time control and precognition have several). Like limitations, enhancements are difficult to apply across an entire character, though this isn't impossible. While speeds and ranges vary from power to power, things like power maintenance caps apply to the whole character. Adding one maintainable power for one's Intellect is a strong enhancement, while adding two is considered extreme in nature - but this sort of enhancement is definitely worth the costs. These and the other qualities can readily be given enhancements, and the reduction in power usually makes up the difference. This can make purchasing new powers more difficult down the line, though, particularly if a character enhancement is in effect. A new power to be affected by an enhancement must at least be bought at a value high enough that, upon applying the negative RS, it is of at least Feeble (2) rank.. * Quirks * Slightly more palatable than limitations, quirks are relatively minor changes to a character that can either saddle him or her with a disadvantage, or possibly even enhance one of their traits. They can also be used to ultimately raise the rank value one or more of a character's powers work at, if so desired. The quirks rules have more on this, but the quirk tables are presented here, for convenience. Quirks are normally a voluntary affair - players may or may not use quirks, as they see fit. They are presented below in the format of random rolling tables for two reasons, however. The first is for the Gamemaster's use, to quickly generate random characters when desired. Alternately, a player may roll randomly if he or she desires a quirk, and doesn't know what to pick. Not that they're bound by such a roll, of course. Quirks are divided up into the beneficial and deleterious quirks of a physical, mental, and role-play nature. Those quirks which cost (or grant) two quirk points are noted with a two in parenthesis (2), while those that can be taken at multiple levels are noted with an asterisk in parenthesis (*). Table 34: Quirks Categories 01-17 Physical (beneficial) 18-33 Physical (deleterious) 34-50 Mental (beneficial) 51-67 Mental (deleterious) 68-83 Role-Play (beneficial) 84-00 Role-Play (deleterious) Table 35: Physical Quirks (beneficial) 01-06 Acceleration Tolerance 07-12 Adrenal Surge 13-18 Ambidexterity 19-25 Fast Healing 26-31 Fighting Logistics 32-37 Gravity Tolerance (*) 38-43 Hardiness (2) 44-50 Heightened Sense 51-56 High Pain Threshold 57-62 Hypermobility 63-68 Learned Resistance (*) 69-75 Omnidexterity (2) 76-81 Rank Value Boost (2) 82-87 Strong Bones (*) 88-93 Sturdiness 94-00 Tetrachromacy Table 36: Physical Quirks (deleterious) 01-05 Abnormal Attribute 06-11 Acceleration Intolerance 12-16 Addiction (*) 17-21 Albinism 22-27 Allergy (*) 28-32 Color Blind 33-37 Dulled Sense (*) 38-42 Dwarfism 43-47 Epilepsy 48-52 Feebleness 53-58 Gigantism 59-63 Gravity Intolerance (*) 64-68 Lameness 69-74 Low Pain Threshold 75-79 Missing Parts (2) 80-84 Rank Value Loss (2) 85-89 Slow Healing 90-94 Weak Bones (2) 95-00 Weakness (2) Table 37: Mental Quirks (beneficial) 01-08 3-D Sense 09-15 Alertness 16-23 Cybernetic Aptitude 24-31 Fortitude 32-38 High Stress Threshold 39-46 Karmic Shell (2) 47-54 Magical Aptitude 55-61 Natural Talent 62-69 Psionic Aptitude 70-77 Quick Learning 78-84 Sanity 85-92 Static 93-00 Technological Aptitude Table 38: Mental Quirks (deleterious) 01-03 Action Addict 04-06 Attitude (*) 07-08 Bluntness (*) 09-11 Bully (*) 12-14 Combat Paralysis (*) 15-17 Compulsiveness (*) 18-19 Cowardice (*) 20-22 Cyber-neurosis 23-25 Delusions (*) 26-28 Fanaticism (*) 29-31 Frenzied 32-33 Greed (*) 34-36 Gullibility (*) 37-39 Honesty (*) 41-42 Impulsiveness (*) 43-44 Inept (*) 45-47 Insanity (2) 48-50 Insomnia 51-53 Jealousy (*) 54-56 Karmic Dearth (2) 57-58 Laziness (*) 59-61 Learning Disorder 62-64 Low Stress Thresh. (*) 65-67 Mania (*) 68-69 Multiple Personality (*) 70-72 Pacifism (*) 73-75 Paranoia (*) 76-78 Personal Code (*) 79-81 Phobia (*) 82-83 Pushover 84-86 Rudeness (*) 87-89 Short Attention Span 90-92 Shyness (*) 93-94 Stubborn (*) 95-97 Temper (*) 98-00 Vow (*) Table 39: Role-Play Quirks (beneficial) 01-09 Ally 10-18 Assistant 19-27 Attractive (*) 38-36 Benefactor (*) 37-45 Cash Flow 46-54 Charmed 55-63 Fame (*) 64-72 Fan Club 73-81 Good Reputation 82-90 Likability (2) 91-00 Lucky (2) Table 40: Role-Play Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Alien Culture (*) 07-11 Bad Reputation 12-17 Bigotry (*) 18-22 Dependent 23-28 Detractors 29-33 Enemy (*) 34-39 Illiteracy 40-44 Jinxed 45-50 Loner (*) 50-56 Nerd 57-61 Poverty 62-67 Repugnant Personality (*) 68-72 Snob 73-78 Social Dependent (*) 79-83 Unattractive (*) 84-89 Unlucky (2) 90-94 Unpleasant Habits (*) 95-00 Weirdness Magnet * Skills * The skills your sparkling new psi will start out with are determined in the same fashion as any other character's, beginning by rolling up the number of their initial skills on table 41. Then, roll for the category each skill will belong to on table 42. To finish up, roll for individual skills using tables 43 through 50, one table for each applicable category of skills. However, the actual skills a character has really should be determined by his or her origin. Keeping this in mind, the Gamemaster may very well opt to let a player choose some (or all of) the skills his or her psi will have, allowing them a lot more creative control over their character. Another thing to consider is that a skill can function at a higher 'level' than normal. There are three 'tiers' of skills, each providing an increasing bonus to ACTs applicable to said skill. When generating these heightened skills, however, keep in mind the fact that they cost more; a level 2 skill counts as two skills, while a level 3 skill counts as four. This can get expensive fast, but is a great way to showcase what your character is really good at. Also, some skills cost more than others (before levels of such are considered). A skill that has a number in parenthesis counts as that many skills during character generation; these are mostly background skills, but some others cost more. Similarly, the Student skill costs all of one's initial skill slots, for it by definition implies that a body does not have any other skills. Table 41: Number of Skills 01-17 Two skills 18-33 Three skills 34-50 Four skills 51-67 Five skills 68-83 Six skills 84-00 Seven skills Table 42: Skill Categories 01-12 Background 13-25 Behavioral 26-37 Fighting 38-50 Environmental 51-62 Miscellaneous 63-75 Professional 76-87 Scientific 88-00 Weapon Table 43: Background Skills 01-25 Heir to Fortune (3) 26-50 Law Enforcement (2) 51-75 Military (2) 76-00 Student (*) Table 44: Behavioral Skills 01-12 Animal Handling 13-25 Hypnosis 26-37 Leadership 38-50 Manipulation 51-62 Performer 63-75 Service 76-87 Sleight of Hand 88-00 Tactics Table 45: Environmental Skills 01-09 Astronaut 10-18 Boating 19-27 Climbing 38-36 Driving 37-45 Piloting 46-54 Planargation 55-63 Riding 64-72 Stealth 73-81 Survival 82-90 Teamster 91-00 Tracking Table 46: Fighting Skills 01-06 Acrobatics 07-12 Aerial Combat 13-18 Astral Combat 19-25 Martial Arts style A 26-31 Martial Arts style B 32-37 Martial Arts style C 38-43 Martial Arts style D 44-50 Martial Arts style E 51-56 Mounted Combat 57-62 Multiple Attacks 63-68 Spatial Combat 69-75 Targeting 76-81 Tumbling 82-87 Underwater Combat 88-93 Vehicular Combat 94-00 Wrestling Table 47: Miscellaneous Skills 01-12 Escape Artist 13-25 First Aid 26-37 Gastronomy 38-50 Power Skill 51-62 Repair / Tinkering 63-75 Resist Domination 76-87 Trance 88-00 Trivia Table 48: Professional Skills 01-06 Agriculture 07-12 Artist 13-18 Business / Finance 19-24 Crime 25-29 Demolitions 30-35 Detective / Espionage 36-41 Education 42-47 Engineering 48-53 Journalism 54-59 Law 60-65 Leathercraft 66-71 Metalcraft 72-77 Politics 78-82 Salesmanship 83-88 Sports 89-94 Stonecraft 95-00 Woodcraft Table 49: Scientific Skills 01-07 Archaeology 08-13 Biology 14-20 Chemistry 21-27 Computers 28-33 Criminology 34-40 Electronics 41-47 Genetics 48-53 Geology 54-60 Linguistics 61-67 Lore 68-73 Mathematics 74-80 Medicine 81-87 Physics 88-93 Psychology 94-00 Theology Table 50: Weapon Skills 01-04 Advanced Guns 05-09 Blunt Weapons 10-14 Bows 15-19 Concussion Weapons 21-24 Energy Weapons 25-28 Entangling Weapons 29-33 Guns 34-38 Marksman 39-43 Martial Arts Weapons 44-48 Natural Weapons 49-52 Pole Weapons 53-57 Quick Draw 58-62 Sharp Weapons 63-67 Shields 68-72 Spontaneous Weapons 73-76 Thrown Objects 77-81 Thrown Weapons 82-86 Two Weapons 87-91 Weapon Skill 92-96 Weapon Specialist 97-00 Weapons Master (2) * Contacts * Also presented for your convenience is the table used to detail the initial number of contacts a new character will have; it is available as table 51 in the Manual. Table 52, then, lists the types of contacts a psi may have upon the start his or her career, if the player needs any ideas. One does not need to roll up contact types randomly if they don't want to, however. Like quirks or skills, contacts can be taken at one of three levels of importance; for example, a police contact might be a beat cop (level 1), an FBI operative (level 2), or even an Interpol agent (level 3). Similarly, contacts have an increase of cost in 'contact slots' depending on their level - a level 2 contact counts as two contacts, while a level 3 contact costs four contact 'slots'. Table 51: Number of Starting Contacts 01-17 Two contacts 18-33 Three contacts 34-50 Four contacts 51-67 Five contacts 68-83 Six contacts 84-00 Seven contacts Table 52: Contacts 01-06 Aide 07-11 Artist / Performer 12-17 Business 18-22 Criminal 23-28 Doctor 29-33 Expert 34-39 Foreign Power 40-44 Government 45-50 Hero / Villain 50-56 Informant 57-61 Journalist 62-67 Lawyer 68-72 Mentor 73-78 Military 79-83 Organization 84-89 Police 90-94 Scientist 95-00 Trivia * Equipment * On top of all of their inexplicable capabilities to impose their will on reality, psis also have their pick of conventional, mundane equipment. These devices won't be the kind that make or break a body in combat, for the most part, but they often fill in holes on a psionic character's roster when needed - or, at the very least, add a bit of style to their life. Common equipment a character can possess depends on their Lifestyle. One may automatically have any gear with a price equal to or less than his or her Lifestyle rank value, and may start out with materials of up to their Lifestyle rank value +2 RS with but a small explanation (the character has a plot of land that they inherited). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Gamemaster, but isn't necessarily out of the question. It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point. ** Character Generation (Systematic (Point Based) Method) ** Players start with fifty (50) points with which to build their psi-active character. They may spend these points as they wish, only limited by a) the caps for most normal human traits, and b) the campaign's power level ceiling. For example, an earth-bound campaign may limit characters to rank value 75 or less on most traits and powers. Ask your Gamemaster about his or her campaign limits! To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each trait; for our purposes, the 'norm' will be rank value 6. For every +1 RS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 RS applied to these values add one point. All but Intellect and Willpower must remain within human maximums, all of which are detailed in the Core Rules. A starting character is assumed to have a rank value 6 Lifestyle and a Repute score of zero (0). One may alter his or her Lifestyle as they can any other trait, though at double the cost for each RS (rank value 30 Lifestyle would cost six points, for example). If one intends to purchase the Heir to Fortune background skill, they shouldn't alter this 'base' Lifestyle score any. Health and Fortune are determined normally. An opposed Repute score (negative for heroes, positive for villains) is worth two points, no matter how great it is. Before purchasing his or her psi powers, one should determine the nature of their character's psionic activation, for this may limit one's power selection, either slightly or dramatically. When buying psi powers, each rank value in each power costs one point, starting at rank value 2. The upper rank value of each psionic ability is only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling (again, ask the Gamemaster about this). Costs can be controlled by adding limitations, which can apply to either one or all a character's powers. Whether applied to one psi power or globally to the character as a whole, weak limitations reduce the cost of an ability by one point, strong limitations by two points, very strong limitations by three points, and extreme limitations by four points. Consider the effect of such limitations before counting your point savings! Note: all psionics have a minimum cost of one (1) point, no matter how limited they may be. Moving the other direction, a player may apply enhancements to one or more powers. A weak enhancement increases the cost by one point, strong enhancements add two points, very strong enhancements raise the cost by three points, and extreme enhancements add four points to a power's final cost. Such enhancements can come in handy, but tend to get very expensive, very fast. Remember that many powers cost more than the base value; precognition, for example, costs three points per rank value. Psi powers with a heightened cost are so noted in the character generation tables listed above (those with numbers in parenthesis after the name). Limitations and enhancements are multiplied in value by this cost; for instance, a very strong limitation on precognition would reap a nine point discount. If your Gamemaster allows their use in his campaign, one thing to consider is the use of Hyperkinetic and Hyperexhaustive rank value qualifiers. These can each be purchased in the point system if allowed, being treated as either an extreme enhancement (in the form of a Hyperkinetic psionic) or an extreme limitation (in the form of a Hyperexhaustive power). Both can be unbalancing in their own way, so bear this in mind. Once a character's powers are determined, he or she may purchase skills and contacts as desired, each costing one point. If one would like heightened skills or contacts, they must pay two points for a level two skill or contact, or four points for a level three skill or contact. The Student background skill costs five points (and fits a new psi well), but cannot be purchased with any other skill (save for heir to fortune). Next, a player may use leftover points to purchase beneficial quirks - or add a few points to pad weak areas with deleterious quirks. Most quirks give (or take) one point, but if purchased at a higher level, they function in much the same way as skills or contacts in this regard (two points for a level two quirk, four points for a level three quirk). Also, quirks without level but that count double cost (or give) two points. Next, determine what gear the character possesses. As is the case with randomly generated characters, psis built with the point based system may choose any standard gear that is readily available in the campaign, as long as it falls within a few RS of their Lifestyle rank value. If they want something more expensive, the player must give a good reason for such, though the Gamemaster may veto improbable items. Once the player is out of points, the Gamemaster must look over what the player has wrought. Does the character's math add up? Does it fall within predetermined campaign limitations for power level? If nothing appears to be wrong, and the Gamemaster likes what they see, he or she should approve the player's creation, and then allow them to complete the last portion of their character's creation. Assuming they didn't actually start with such. * Filling in the Blanks * Once all the basic details concerning your psi have been ascertained, it is time to 'fill in the blanks,' or to detail all of their personal and background information, the stuff you can't quantify with dice rolls or points. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they from? What are they like? Why have they spent the time to learn the mental arts? Who trained them how to access their inner abilities? Why? With the sole exception of a psionic mentor (who the Gamemaster must generate, save for perhaps his or her name), all other character information must be determined by the player to make it truly their own, and to really 'flesh them out'. This is often the most difficult part of the character generation process, the part where many tend to fail. However, with a little effort and some serious consideration, the answers to these questions can make that sheet of paper with all the funny words on it really come alive! ** Psionic Role-Play ** So you've got yourself a complete psi-active character. Now what? Does he just hang around all day at the local diner, watching the news and waiting for the latest criminal caper? Does she hold down a nine to five job, only wielding her powers when circumstances demand it? Does he cloister himself away in a secluded monastery and study the mental arts incessantly? Does she pursue an agenda designed to change the entire world, or perhaps just a small portion of it? The short answer is that a psi can do just about anything he or she wants. Thanks to the nature of their powers, the mere possession of psionic abilities does not outwardly betray their presence. Sometimes, even wielding psionics directly has no visible or other cue to their use, which means one can often go about their business, using their psionic powers as they see fit in life - with no one the wiser. An important thing to consider is how easily one's psionics can help out their job. Imagine the television repair person that has diagnosis, or the lawyer with lie detection. These psis could be frighteningly good at what they do, and make lots of money in the process. Is this entirely ethical? That's a very hard question to answer, but when the bills are due, it can be difficult to resist the temptation to 'cheat' with one's powers. Obviously, most psis don't go about advertising their abilities - or else everyone would be aware of them. This allows the majority of psi-active individuals to do whatever it is they want with their powers. Some might hold down a secret identity when not fighting crime, while others might well be the leaders of social movements, and still more might just focus on their psionic studies above all else. Unlike sorcerers, a psi need not spend long periods of time researching lost knowledge to gain power. Unlike technologists, a psi doesn't have to perfect some piece of hardware before using it in the field. And unlike mutants and mishaps of science, there's nothing physical about a psi that readily broadcasts their nature. Thus, a psi can easily have a life apart from their powers, if they so choose. While this ambiguity seems like it doesn't 'say' anything about the nature of a psi in general, the truth is their powers allow them much more flexibility than those following other paths of power in how they live their lives. And that's one of the true strengths of playing a psi - with less cultural 'baggage' holding them down, they're much more reliant on themselves and the possibilities their psionic powers afford them. The following is a series of concerns that set the life of a student of psionics apart from other super-human entities. Some involve their day-to-day life, some examine basic details about how certain facets of psionics function, and still more are optional details that can be used to add 'flavor' to one's psi-active character. Specifics on psionic character advancement are also included. * Learning Psionic Powers * While a psi need not dig deep into abandoned ruins and ancient dungeons to discover the secrets of power, the truth is that mastering psionics is in and of itself no summer picnic. Psis have to turn their mind's eye inward, seeking the knowledge about themselves that allows them to activate their abilities. And truly facing yourself down - both the good parts and the bad - is never an easy affair. To become a trained psi, one must first discover how to awaken their psionic potential. While some dedicated individuals may very well meditate intently enough to determine how to do this on their own, a trained psi most often requires the assistance of a mentor to activate their psionic potential. Such an individual is called an upsilon, and typically instructs several different students, called epsilons, over their lifetime. An upsilon will most often be a master of one or more disciplines of power, though there are a rare few mentors of a casual bent, who have never come into their own in any particular discipline but nonetheless have a staggering array of psionics they can help another unlock. These casual upsilons may mentor other epsilons of casual schooling, or instead mentor other psis who have lost their own instructors for some reason. Once a trained psi is first activated, he or she need only engage in an hour or so of meditation per day to either advance their extant powers or to unlock all-new ones. This is easiest with the aid of an upsilon, of course, but not all psis are fortunate enough to have access to one. Perhaps they lost an upsilon due to tragedy early on, or were instead cast out for aberrant behavior of some sort - these things do happen. * Maintaining Psionic Powers * Some psionics, such as a psi bolt, are of instantaneous effect; you invoke it, it fires, and that's it. Other psi powers are not quite so cut and dried, however. While many are 'fire and forget' in nature, many more require constant effort on the part of the psi to function properly. This is called power maintenance. A psi may invoke a new power with each action, but can only maintain so many simultaneously. The number of psionics a character can maintain at any given time is dependent on his or her Intellect score. If the psi has an Intellect score of 6 or less, they can only maintain one psionic at a time. For each rank value of Intellect they hold above 6, then, a psi can maintain an additional power at the same time. A psi with rank value 30 Intellect, for instance, can maintain four psi powers at once. Unless one is a novice epsilon, it's most likely a character cannot maintain all of his or her persistent powers at the same time - it's just too hard to spread one's concentration so thin. Most often, it's in the best interest of a psi to keep their most important ability (or abilities) 'on' constantly, possibly oscillating between a few if their concentration isn't too impressive, to defend themselves under varying circumstances. This can involve a lot of power juggling as is necessary, while keeping as many running as one's mind can reasonably focus on. Toggling powers may seem inconvenient - and it is, to an extent - but when one has about twenty of them to choose from, it's hard to feel too sorry for a body. Misfits of science needn't bother with such matters, but then they can't gain new powers without devastating their very bodies, now, can they? * Character Advancement * After undertaking many adventures, or simply vanquishing the forces of evil for a time, a psi may have gained new insight into the world and how it works; in other words, Fortune. For the most part, psi-actives use Fortune much like any other character type, spending just as much when purchasing new skills or contacts, or when enhancing a current trait or power rank value; this is handled as is defined in the Core Rules. One facet of Fortune use that is different for a psi is the acquisition of new powers. Purchasing New Powers (Trained Psis) Since psionic powers are defined as the equivalent of skills, as far as normal game mechanics go, a trained psi may learn new powers for the same cost - one thousand Fortune points. Generally, new arts begin at rank value 2, talents at rank value 4, and skills at rank value 6. This allows a psi to quickly acquire a respectable roster of available powers, though work must be put into each to make them effective. On the other hand, one may spend more Fortune if he or she wishes a psi power to start at a higher rank value. This can be done by paying one thousand Fortune points for the 'base' power, plus one hundred times the final rank value. For example, say a psi wishes to buy a new art at rank value 30. The cost would be 1,000 (base cost) plus 3,000 (rank value 30 times one hundred) for a grand total of 4,000 Fortune. This sounds like a lot of Fortune to spend at one time, but a) grants a powerful new ability, and b) can actually be cheaper than raising an ability up the hard way; it's just a more 'front loaded' expenditure. However, if the price to raise an ability to the desired rank value would be lower by doing it point by point (through, say, normal advancement), use that cost instead. This is occasionally the case with higher valued skills. All of the above assumes powers with a standard cost; in other words, a psionic with a listed cost of one point per rank value. If a power costs 2 points per rank value, double its total Fortune cost, and so on. If a power is listed with a 'flat cost', the price (after the base fee) is only 250 Fortune points per point; invulnerability, for instance, would cost 3,000 Fortune. Once the 'total' cost is determined for a new power, apply a modifier to that value based on the form of psionic schooling a character has. Traditional psis gain a twenty-five percent discount, while casual psis suffer a twenty-five percent increase in the cost of new powers. Even with such a penalty for some trained psis, it's relatively easy and fast for them to gain new abilities with proper study. Purchasing New Powers (Other Psis) A natural psi or a believer, on the other hand, has a much harder time acquiring new psionic powers. The whole idea with them is that happenstance or their beliefs unlocked their psionic abilities to begin with, so adding more is tricky. It's possible that additional powers can be explained as new aspects of that belief or incident which first awakened one's powers, but this gets more and more difficult over time. Since their minds aren't primed for the acquisition of new powers, natural psis and believers must pay a base cost of three thousand Fortune, though all the other rules above apply. As prohibitive as such costs may be (especially where powers costing more than one point per rank value are concerned), it often behooves these individuals to pursue proper education as a trained psi for such purposes. Untutored Advancement A character who attempts to awaken his or her own psi potential, or to study new powers before being ready to go it alone, does do at a distinct penalty. Learning new psi powers, or advancing existing ones, costs twenty-five percent more Fortune without a mentor to aid in the endeavor. This penalty lasts until one masters their first discipline or has learned thirteen distinct psi powers (whichever of the two comes first). This penalty is on top of any others inflicted by their form of activation. A casual psi would suffer this atop their existing twenty-five percent penalty, while natural psis and believers would have this penalty in addition to the higher base cost for purchasing new 'untrained' powers in the first place. This is why, if one intends to study psionics proper, it pays to work with a mentor of the mental arts, instead of doing it solo. Power Stunts Over time, a psi may wish to work with a power to develop a new use for it, instead of simply meditating on a new one. Such new uses are called power stunts. Every attempt to create a psionic power stunt costs 50 Fortune points per try, but they are otherwise governed by the same basic rules that exist for all other characters. So, if you have a new idea for the uses of a dusty old power, give it a shot, already! A power stunt starts out at the same rank value as its parent power, -1 RS for each additional point per rank value it costs. While power stunts don't count as powers for the purposes of mastering a psionic discipline, they do allow one to develop their abilities at a discount compared to buying new ones outright. This is why natural psis and believers tend to lean on stunts, getting all they can out of their existing power roster. Transforming Trained Psionic Power Stunts into Distinct Psionic Powers A character who has mastered a power stunt, one that aligns precisely with another psionic within the same discipline of power, has the option of studying its usage until it can be developed into an independent psionic power in its own right. After all, the character has already demonstrated the ability to wield that power effect, the trick is simply aligning it with the rest of one's studies. A character working to render a power stunt of one of their psionic abilities a proper psionic power may do so by paying the cost of its current rank times one hundred. This is a discount to purchasing powers from scratch, since it uses the cost of developing the power stunt as the power's activation fee (five hundred Fortune versus one thousand), and allows the former stunt to count towards the mastery of a discipline. Mastering Psionic Disciplines One of the benefits of psionic schooling is the mastery of a discipline of power. Trained psis have the ability to do this, once a) they've learned the root power in a given discipline, and b) raised at least nine powers in said discipline to rank value 20 or better. This makes one a master of said discipline, which offers a psi a few handy perks (on top of, you know, having nine powers). For one thing, a +1 RS will apply to every power rank value in any discipline a psi has mastered. This Row Shift applies immediately to powers a psi already knows in said discipline, as well as any other powers he or she picks up at a later date. This RS will apply to new powers after they are bought, which gives one even more incentive to purchase a power at a higher than standard rank value. Overminding in Psionic Disciplines A feat only a traditionally trained psi may pull off, psionic overminding is a situation that occurs sometime after a psi has learned more than half of the powers in a discipline. At a point determined by the Gamemaster, usually between learning one half and two thirds of a given discipline, a traditional psi will begin to overmind in it. What this does is apply yet another +1 RS to all their power rank values in said discipline. Furthermore, the overlapping channels of power in his or her mind will allow them to spontaneously manifest all of the other abilities in that discipline they have not yet learned. They will only be extant at their standard beginning value +2 RS (one for mastery, one for overminding), but this means that the psi has learned everything they can in this discipline of power. The only thing that remains is to develop the powers within as he or she sees fit - or to begin work mastering another discipline! Omniminds An omnimind is a character who has unlocked every single psionic power available - their potential is completely activated! An omnimind comes into being much like an overmind, though where the number of disciplines are concerned - not individual powers. If a psi lives long enough, overminding in five different disciplines, it's possible the other four will open themselves up to them soon afterwards. If the psi who has five overminded disciplines begins to study a sixth, he or she will become an omnimind sometime during that process, usually after they've mastered their latest discipline, but sometimes as late as when they've become an overmind in it. When this happens, every single psi power remaining will open itself up to the character, and they can quite literally do just about anything. Anything at all! Though developing all those new powers will take some time, the character definitely has that time to use. Mind you, this assumes that all nine disciplines of power are available in one's game. Should the Gamemaster bar one or more optional disciplines of power, adjust the point at which an omnimind is born appropriately. A game with only six available disciplines would see the process begin as the character masters their fourth, while one with seven or eight would see it happen in the process of mastering their fifth. ** Optional Psionic Concerns ** Unlike those heroes who utilize powers of a biological nature (mutants, altered humans) or others that are based upon knowledge (sorcerers, technologists), a psi-active character wields power that is derived solely from the interaction of their mind, body, and spirit. In game play, this aspect of psionics can be simulated by adopting one or more of the following notions. To wit, the rules presented here are optional. On the other hand, if a given rule is not in play in one's campaign, it can make for a great character limitation! Fatigue rules can really put a damper on a psi in a long-running battle, particularly against other super-powered foes who lack such a limitation. Initiative penalties can definitely shift the course of a battle, lending more weight to a psi's 'lesser' abilities. And so on. Distraction: psionics require intense concentration to be invoked properly - they involve nigh-absolute focus to achieve effects of the self that are typically impossible for 'normals'. This is why the number of powers a psi can maintain simultaneously depends on their Intellect trait - that statistic controls, among other things, the inner-looking, meditative eye that makes using psionics possible. Thus, when someone successfully distracts a psi, they just might prevent them from using some - if not all - of their psi powers. If the psi is suffering extreme pain (often defined as taking more damage than their Fortitude rank value in one attack) or someone they care for deeply is in immediate mortal peril, he or she must make an Intellect ACT roll to determine whether or not they lose their focus. A black distraction ACT indicates that the psi cannot use any of their powers at all. A red ACT means any attempt to use a talent or art will fail, a blue ACT roll allows skills or talents to be used without failure, and a yellow ACT roll means the psi, despite whatever prevailing conditions exist outside themselves, can still utilize any of his or her psionics. A psi may attempt to use an interrupted power again on their next action. External Focus: while the whole idea of psionics is to look deep inside oneself to find the secrets that lie within, it's quite possible that a psi cannot externalize his or her powers without some sort of mental lens. This focus, an item outside of the psi themselves, allows them to wield their powers on the external world; any power that would affect anything outside of one's own body may well require a focus. This focus can be anything, really. Perhaps a trinket from one's childhood, or just some lifeless hunk of crystal. This is technically a character limitation, and the boost it provides depends on how irreplaceable the focus is. One can find crystals and gems relatively easily, even if they're somewhat expensive, but an item from one's childhood (especially when their home burned down as a child) might be very hard to replace. Somewhat common items provide psis a +1 RS to their power rank values. Rare but by no means unique items should offer a +2 RS to psionics. Incredibly rare but not necessarily solitary items grant a +3 RS. A unique item that literally cannot be replaced would offer a psi a +4 RS to one's power rank values. Training oneself to use a new focus (particularly if theirs is lost) should be the subject of a special adventure for the psi. Fatigue: psionics is difficult work, and it can rapidly tire a psi-active character who expends his or her energy too quickly. This is because psionics draw upon the whole self to function, being fueled by the character and the character alone. This can be easily represented by a fatigue intensity; normally at rank value 0, this intensity is increased by invoking powers, some draining more energy than others. Skills add 1 to a character's fatigue intensity, talents add 2, and arts add 3. Fatigue intensity only comes into play as it approaches the rank value of a psi's Willpower; he or she can only wield a psionic power in a given round if they can first pass a Willpower ACT roll against this fatigue intensity. If his or her fatigue exceeds their Willpower score by more than +1 RS, they cannot activate any psi powers at all. How does one avoid this loss of power use, one asks? Quite simply, by not using psionics! A psi who refrains from wielding powers during a turn reduces their fatigue by one point. Those who do not activate additional powers, yet maintain a power previously in use (like flight or body armor) drop one point every other turn. Where fatigue is concerned, it is best to invoke powers in moderation (or to end a conflict quickly). Initiative Modifiers: there are three types of psionic powers, each of them taking longer to actualize in a psi. A psionic skill possesses an initiative modifier of -1, while a talent has a -2 initiative modifier, and an art suffers a -3 initiative modifier. This better reflects the effort necessary to muster such effects, and can radically alter a psi's battle strategy, leading him or her to use their 'weaker' abilities more in a scrap. Of course, a psi should be allowed to reduce this modifier some as his or her prowess grows. Once they have become the master of a given discipline, a psi's initiative penalty for powers in said discipline should be reduced by one, while achieving the status of disciplinary overmind should reduce it by two - which, incidentally, will actually give him or her a net +1 modifier when using affected psionic skills. *** THE DEIONOMICON *** 'Are you a god?' - Gozer the Gozerian, Ghostbusters What is a god? Sure, many origins of power provide the ability to achieve functional, biological immortality. Longevity, revival, regeneration, and various resistances and/or invulnerabilities can, for all intents and purposes, allow a character to persist forever. Furthermore, individuals with some (or perhaps all) of these abilities might even have additional, miraculous talents at their disposal. But are they deities? No. All deific beings, no matter how immortal they may or may not be, are what they are because of their interactions with the power of faith. A spectral energy generated by sentient entities, faith bolsters the essence of deifics, making it more potent than that possessed by mere mortals. This not only explains why they have powers, for the most part, but allows them to perform the miraculous deeds they are infamous for. With such might at their disposal, deifics may reconfigure reality as they see fit, whether on a small scale in an alien realm or in its entirety on their home plane of existence. Not all immortals know how to make use of this potent force, much less actively pursue it, but all beings possessed of a deific essence can learn how to cultivate faith... and how to put it to work for themselves. This is what makes deific beings so special - and so dangerous. Between their ability to meddle with causality, their staggering physical and/or mental prowess, and the power to guide their flock for as long as they see fit, even a single deity can wreak havoc on the balance of power whenever he or she desires. Add in multiple pantheons, and the myths and legends you read about growing up sound tame in comparison! * Core Concepts * What Is immortality? As far as Edition 13 of the 4C System is concerned, immortality is, with a few exceptions, the ability to live forever. It is the byproduct of an evolved life force, one augmented by the power of faith, whether it is actively pursued or inherited via the actions of others. For the most part, when an immortal being is killed, he or she will not die, instead recovering as they would from any other loss of Health and Fortitude. Those few exceptions, however, are what should give any immortal pause. They include: * Immortal Combat: to start with, an immortal being's immunity to death can be canceled out in battle with other deific beings of equal or greater divinity. If an immortal defeats and kills a similarly immortal or less deific foe, they have the option of making that fatality temporary or permanent, as he or she sees fit. Which is one way to thin the competition for faith, should it get a bit crowded. * Home Turf Disadvantage: secondly, being slain on one's home turf will definitely bypass an immortal's immunity to death, if their opponent wishes to dispose of him or her. While a god is typically at the zenith of their power within his or her home plane, this is where they are ironically at their most vulnerable. Even mortals can vanquish a god if they can overcome him or her in this location. * Additional Weakness: finally, all immortal beings will have one additional Achilles' heel, a particular vulnerability that can obviate their persistence through the ages. This most often entails full bodily disintegration, leaving the deific life force with nothing to work with when attempting to effect a recovery. This can vary, however, either from one pantheon to another or even from deity to deity. These may sound like serious disadvantages, but compared to mere mortal beings, deities have it relatively easy. That whole 'living forever' thing is kind of nice, when you get down to it, and really lets you get a whole lot done. But thinking about probability curves, one might come to the conclusion that, over time, situations where these vulnerabilities come into play are a statistical certainty. So how does one mitigate these vulnerabilities? * Delegation: to start with, immortals have many means of avoiding direct combat with each other. Driving avatars to extend their presence, sending proxies to do their bidding, or even having their followers wage holy wars against their enemies' faithful are but a few. With proper planning and enough of a faith-based infrastructure, deities need not place themselves at direct risk save under the most dire of circumstances. * Consolidation: an immortal's home plane isn't where they were created, so much as where they have decided to invest their power. Though this is a space where their protection from death does not apply, this risk can be managed by building a sanctum to concentrate their power, joining a pantheon of like-minded gods to acquire strength in numbers, or even just filling one's corner of the multiverse with an army of defenders. * Circumvention: while it is difficult to provide specific advice on avoiding a god's additional deific weakness, considering that these can vary so much from one deity to another, in general it is advisable to procure protection against something that can bypass one's immortality - or to simply avoid situations where it will manifest. In other words, if susceptible to disintegration, don't fight anyone with a disintegrator rifle! The moral of this story is that, despite suffering from a few sparse exceptions to their invulnerability to death, gods can easily live up to their claims of immortality if they're clever enough. This even when beset on all sides by opposing forces, whether of a mortal or immortal nature. The cost in blood, treasure, and faith may be enormous, but what better to spend such resources on than the guarantee of life eternal? ** Deific Deviations ** 'No?' - Raymond 'Ray' Stantz, Ghostbusters A character who commands ascendant abilities derived from the power of faith is known as a deific being. Not all deifics are immortal, however. This is because faith can be used to bestow the power of the gods upon otherwise mortal entities, in addition to being a useful tool for godlike entities in the course of their daily activities. The takeaway from all this is that deifics come from a wide variety of possible paths to power. Some might be mortals wielding powers granted by some deity or another, while others may instead be otherwise mundane men and women carrying a device infused with godly might. Still more may come into their power through hard work, an accident of heritage, or even an apotheosis inflicted by other immortals. In short, a deific being can be mortal or immortal, and may or may not have control of how and why they have the power of the divine at their fingertips. Each form of deific is described herein, to help would-be players of the gods choose how they would like to express this power - for better or worse. Known types of deific beings include the following: * Deific Device(s) * The character who wields a deific device is not immortal, per se, but can utilize the power of the gods through some implement or another. While some deities do wield similarly empowered objects, usually to greatly expand their own influence in whatever agenda they pursue, the mortal carrying such an artifact of power relies upon it to perform all of his or her ascendant deeds. This is not to say that they are powerless without it, though this may well be the case. The wielder of a deific device is just as likely to have been empowered by the equipment he or she carries as they are to be completely neutralized if it is taken from them. This all depends on the nature of the deific device(s) they have acquired, which similarly depends on the origins of the character in question. Either way, the bearer of such potent implements can readily shake mortal society to its core if desired, or stand toe to toe with the mightiest of deities - possibly even those who made their gear! Assuming, of course, that the deific device a mortal wields isn't the product of an actual immortal being, instead being the result of some aberrant science gone wrong, devised with knowledge men were not meant to know... Likely power and/or character limitation: Portable (weak or strong, depending). * Empowered * In the course of events, immortal entities often have the need to get things done that they simply lack the time, patience, or desire to handle themselves. Most often, such tasks can be handled by their loyal followers, whether they are mundane individuals of even those that have access to clerical magic thanks to their faith. But on other occasions, a deity may have need of, shall we say, a special operative. Mortal agents directly empowered by a god wield super-human powers granted through the auspices of faith, whether or not they subscribe to that deity's teachings. Thus, an empowered individual might worship their newly found patron, may be sympathetic to their history and goals, or could even be completely unaware of their existence - at least, that is, until he or she pumps them full of deific might. As surrogates of the gods, empowered mortals can be granted the ability to do just about anything. And even better, unlike the situation with their clerical counterparts, the empowered's exceptional abilities are subject to revocation at any time, with only a minor net loss of faith. Thus, an empowered mortal whose task is complete, or somehow betrays their patron, need not be feared as is the case with an apostate priest. * Legacies * The recipient of a legacy is not immortal whatsoever... but their powers are. Legacies are created when someone or another performs astonishing deeds, whether or not they actually have super-human abilities, and they ultimately become legendary. As tales of these deeds are told and retold, they tend to take on a life of their own, and thanks to the nature of the zeitgeist they can actually empower others! But who exactly can inherit the legacy of a previous hero or villain? That all depends on the nature of its originator, but typically the recipient of a legacy power or power set will determined based on how closely that individual matches up with the idealized embodiment it is based upon. A character who gains awesome healing prowess from the legacy of Asclepius, for instance, might be a great doctor themselves. A legacy bearer is most assuredly mortal, but thanks to the nature of their powers their work can often continue after their demise - untimely or otherwise. In fact, should a legacy character die, it's often quite easy to replace them with another of like ability. They'll have the same powers and probably a similar background, after all. Thus, a player attached to a particular character concept can make it live on many times! * Aspirants * Mortals who desire to slough off their mortality, imminent or otherwise, aspirants pursue godhood - or, at least, a perpetual existence. The fiction of our world is replete with examples of otherwise mortal characters who strive to ascend beyond their frail, limited existence, and according to mythology, can come from any background and/or origin of power that can be imagined. The most direct form of character that fits this bill is a deionicist, whose entire path of power involves understanding and controlling the divine - whether to become such or to combat it. But any character can strive for apotheosis, whether they are a sorcerer researching a spell of immortality, an adventurer seeking some special fruit that imparts godhood, or even a scientist attempting to nullify the process of death! Occasionally, the adventure of pursuing godhood itself is enough for such beings to ascend to the divine. Much like a demigod, the mere act of completing grand adventures and extensive trials builds up enough faith in a body to catalyze their divinity. Or, as is most often the case, this end game is simply the punchline of all their hard work, rewarding their very survival of it all with at least partial immortality. * Quintessential Variants * Quintessential variants are beings who persist through the ages, though not in mind or in body. No, it is the spirit of a quint that allows them to continue on even after their physical death. You see, after a being of this type dies in any fashion, they are reborn in a new body. This is a natural birth, however, meaning that the death of a quint will remove them from play for quite some time. When the essence of a quint starts life over, it sheds all memory of its past lives. However, the impetus for this seeming reincarnation, the quintessential variation power, allows a quint to communicate with any number of past incarnations. This gives them added insight into who they are and who they might ultimately become, as well as the ability to spike the timeline with small favors here and there. Whether they've always had this ability or acquired it during some lesser apotheosis, a quintessential variant is marked as being more than mortal. This alone can readily justify whatever additional powers they may possess, or their ascendant abilities might instead be unique to their current essential variation. In other words, a quint's powers can manifest in each of their lives, or may vary from one birth body to another. Bonus inherent power: Quintessential Variation. * Reincarnators * A character who reincarnates is reborn each time they die, no matter how grisly their demise may happen to have been. This sounds good, but when reincarnating, a character's essence must first root itself into a body about to be born. And then, once it has 'moved in', the deific must then sit back while their body matures from a newly born configuration into an adult which can manipulate the world. The advantage of this is that, unlike quintessential variants, a reincarnator is of the same mind as they were in their previous iteration. The disadvantage is that a reincarnated entity cannot communicate with previous versions of themselves since there aren't any other selves to speak of. Thus, no reaching back into time to tell your former self to buy stock in that strange new software company nobody's heard of (yet). How long reincarnation takes to replace the character's body upon their death depends on the rank value of their reincarnation power. With a high enough power value, reincarnation can get its possessor back into the swing of a campaign in relatively short order. However, those with a lower rank value of such may be 'out of the game' for a time while they grow up all over again - particularly if possessed at a rank value of 1! Bonus inherent power: Reincarnation. * Preincarnators * A preincarnator, on the other hand, will see their essence flung back in time upon their demise, to reincarnate many years before their current end. What will happen in this case is that, while the deific will be aware of their new life, they will be unable to directly influence the outcome of their new iteration at first. This prevents them from altering the time stream while growing up once more, and thus avoids paradoxes. Upon reaching the point in time that they previously died, a preincarnator's new body should be at or near adulthood, and they may then assume control of it. Since there is already a personality resident, albeit one based upon their own, the preincarnator must either 'share' head space with it, merge with it, or attempt to bury it in their subconscious mind. Which is chosen depends on the player and the character they choose to build. Thus, a preincarnator may seem the same upon being reborn, or may suddenly become startlingly different - which can have serious ramifications on the campaign they play within. The other players in the current campaign will have to get used to working with this somewhat new persona, or in rare cases, with the Gamemaster's approval, said persona might actually be one of their extant supporting characters! Bonus inherent power: Preincarnation. * Demigods * More than mortal but not quite gods themselves, demigods occupy a sort of in-between place in the grand scheme of things. Individuals of this stripe include the offspring of mortals and immortals (or perhaps their descendants), as well as those who have experienced an apotheosis thanks to either hard work, happy chance, or possibly even due to some experiment that has gone horribly, horribly right. When beginning play, a demigod has, for the lack of a better term, one additional 'life'. If their other abilities fail them somehow, and the demigod is slain, they will nonetheless return to the land of the living, hale and hearty. With this extra life expended, however, the demigod now has to contend with the grim spectre of potential mortality. Unless, of course, he or she manages to acquire more. Demigods can acquire additional 'lives' by doing great deeds, inspiring faith within others that they can use to supplement their own existence. Great deeds, those of a legendary sort, are often fraught with peril - but performing them can extend a demigod's existence if they survive the experience. And once he or she acquires thirteen such 'do-overs', a demigod will ascend to a full, immortal existence! Bonus inherent power: Apotheosis. * Abstracts * Abstracts embody the various notions that sentient beings cling to, empowered by the zeitgeist rather than specific veneration directed at their person. They draw energy from the general consensus individuals in their sphere of influence hold concerning the idea they represent, and while not specifically worshiped as are normal gods, abstracts share a pool of faith with other abstracts who emblematize the same concept. Though they need not work as hard to accumulate faith, an abstract is even more subject to its influence, as the perception sentients bear regarding what they embody will manipulate how they appear, how they act, and even how they think. Thus, an abstract's individuality is under constant assault by its very nature, the overwhelming will of mortals' ideas about them trying to mold them as their culture would prefer. An abstract entity can be a failed god, an ascended mortal, or potentially something even stranger, such as the spontaneous creation of higher dimensions descended into our own. Simultaneously familiar and alien, intense and aloof, methodical and confused, abstracts walk a fine line between immortality and non-existence... and will continue to do so as long as sentient beings conjecture about their base concepts. Bonus inherent power: Abstraction. * Gods * Fully immortal beings, gods are entities that need not fear permanent death, save for under highly specialized circumstances. Gods are not subject to the ravages of aging, and while they can be slain in the course of events, they will not die. No, for the most part, a god who is killed will eventually recover from whatever injury knocked him or her out of the game, so to speak, pretty much as good as new. Their life forces propped up by the power of faith, whether or not they actively pursue devotion of any stripe, deities are potentially possessed of great power - as well as all the time necessary to put it to use. Some have a signature ability they are best known for, while others are more general in the application of their power, able to expend accumulated faith to perform almost any feat imaginable. Either way, a deity is veritable force of nature in whatever territory they claim as their own. Their whims can shape the very nature of reality, or at least a small corner of such, and their followers will often go to great lengths to make their will manifest. And this is usually a cinch - at least, until the whims of one deity cross swords with those of another! Bonus inherent power: Immortality. ** Divine Character Generation (Random (Dice Roll) Method) ** 'Then... DIE!' - Gozer the Gozerian, Ghostbusters Deific characters of every stripe are ascendant humans by their very nature. Even those who merely wield divine artifacts gain special abilities through the possession and/or handling of their equipment, and are thus generated in the same basic fashion. When determining primary traits, players may use table B, D, and F to determine two traits each, and table H for their seventh - in any order desired. If the deific has access to hyperkinetic traits, players may instead make use of tables C, E, G, and I, respectively, instead of those indicated above (disregard hyperhexhaustive results for traits, however). If hyperkinetic rank values are desired but were not attained through random dice rolls, they can always be adopted as a character enhancement (as they are not applied to powers; see below). Players roll on table B to determine their initial Lifestyle rank value, and begin play with a Repute trait of zero. Add up the character's Health and Fortune totals per the norm, along with their Negative and Mental Health sums (if these secondary traits are in use). Table 1: Rank Value Generation Table A Table B Table C Table D Table E Table F Table G Table H Table I Rank Value - - 01 - 01 - 01 - 01 Hyperexhaustive 01 01 02-05 - - 01 02-05 - - Rank Value 2 02-25 02-05 06-10 - - 02-05 06-10 - - Rank Value 4 26-50 06-25 11-25 - - 06-10 11-15 - - Rank Value 6 51-75 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 11-25 16-25 - - Rank Value 10 76-99 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 26-50 26-50 01 02-05 Rank Value 20 00 76-95 76-90 26-50 26-50 51-75 51-75 02-25 06-25 Rank Value 30 - 96-99 91-95 51-75 51-75 76-90 76-85 26-50 26-50 Rank Value 40 - 00 96-99 76-99 76-95 91-95 86-90 51-75 51-75 Rank Value 50 - - - 00 96-99 96-90 91-95 76-99 76-95 Rank Value 75 - - - - - 00 96-99 00 96-99 Rank Value 100 - - 00 - 00 - 00 - 00 Hyperkinetic Once these rolls are complete, players may gamble on any two traits of their choice, potentially shoring up any areas they feel need some help. The only limits in this regard are the results of the tables themselves, as well as the power rank value ceiling for a campaign. If you're not already aware of this cap for heroic (or villainous) power, ask your friendly neighborhood Gamemaster! Table 2: Rank Value Modifiers (Gambling) Crazy Risky Traditional Lenient Easy Column Shift 01 - - - - -4 RS 02-05 01 - - - -3 RS 06-15 02-05 - 01 - -2 RS 16-25 06-25 01-15 02-25 01 -1 RS 26-75 26-75 16-50 26-50 02-25 0 RS 76-85 76-95 51-65 51-75 26-50 +1 RS 86-95 96-99 66-85 76-99 51-75 +2 RS 96-99 00 86-95 00 76-99 +3 RS 00 - 96-00 - 00 +4 RS (RV max). (RV 100 max). (RV 75 max). (RV 50 max). (RV 40 max). * Deific Characters * So what kind of deific being will you be playing? Will the role of a legacy hero be assumed, or will one instead attempt to assume the guise of an abstract entity? If a player isn't sure yet, or prefers to leave this determination to random chance, table 3 is available for his or her use. Note that the results of this roll are not binding; a player shouldn't be forced to play something they simply do not wish to. Table 3: Determining Deific Deviations 01-10 Deific Device(s) 11-20 Empowered 21-30 Legacies 31-40 Aspirants 41-50 Quintessential Variants 51-60 Reincarnators 61-70 Preincarnators 71-80 Demigods 81-90 Abstracts 91-00 Gods * Number of Initial Powers * When determining a character's starting powers, begin by figuring out exactly how many he or she will have to begin with. Roll randomly on table 4 to do this, which gives a character anywhere between two and seven ascendant powers which which to fight (or commit) crime. These on top of any deific power the character will have by dint of their specific origin (abstraction for abstract entities, and so on), naturally. Table 4: Initial Inherent Powers 01-17 Two Powers 18-33 Three Powers 34-50 Four Powers 51-67 Five Powers 68-83 Six Powers 84-00 Seven Powers * Determining Character Powers * After determining how many ascendant abilities a deific begins play with, potential bonus powers notwithstanding, it's time to actually figure out which powers they'll wield. This process begins by rolling on table 5 to determine the category a character's first power will fall within. Once table 5 determines a power category, roll on the subsequent power category table (tables 6 through 20) for an individual power. With this first, randomly determined power decided, read its description. This is because, at the beginning of almost every power description in the below tables, there is a group of related powers, abilities that dovetail with the indicated ascendant talent. A player may opt to either choose one of these related powers for his or her next power selection(s), or may instead roll again randomly. And so on, and so forth, until the player's power selections have all been determined. What this does is allow a player to build a character with godlike abilities that are closely related to one another, if so desired. This is often recommended when building a deific character, since it assists the player in building a metaphysical profile their creation will be pursuing through the ages. Note that some powers are vastly more potent than others. These particularly versatile abilities occupy more than one power 'slot' on a character, whether chosen or rolled up randomly. These powers will have a number in parenthesis after their name (such as a (2), for instance), which determines how many power 'slots' they use up when added to one's character. Table 5: Power Categories 01-07 Biological Control 08-13 Combination 14-20 Energy Control 21-27 Energy Generation 28-33 Faith 34-40 Matter Control 41-47 Mental Control 48-53 Mental Enhancement 54-60 Movement 61-67 Physical Control 68-73 Physical Enhancement 74-80 Physical Weaponry 81-87 Power Control 88-93 Reality Control 94-00 Sensory Table 6: Biological Control Powers 01-02 Aciurgy 03-05 Age Control / Others 06-07 Animal Control 08-10 Animal Hybridization / Others 11-12 Animal Sympathy 13-15 Biological Vampirism (2) 16-17 Body Control 18-20 Cure Disease 21-22 Death Ray 23-25 Decontamination 26-27 Degeneration 28-30 Detoxification 31-32 Disease 33-35 Emotion Control 36-37 Empathic Hammer 38-40 Empathy 41-42 Gestalting (2) 43-45 Harm 46-47 Healing / Others 48-50 Integral Control 51-52 Mood Swings 53-55 Organism Generation (3) 56-57 Pain 58-60 Pheromones 61-62 Plant Hybridization / Others 63-65 Plant Control 66-67 Plant Sympathy 68-70 Poison 71-72 Reanimation (2) 73-75 Recovery 76-77 Regeneration / Others 78-80 Resurrection (2) 81-82 Resuscitation 83-85 Rotting 86-87 Sensory Attenuation 88-90 Sensory Distortion 91-92 Sleep 93-95 Summoning (2) 96-97 Transformation / Others (2) 98-00 Vampirism (2) Table 7: Combination Powers 01-07 Berserker (2) 08-13 Dyad (2) 14-20 Environmental Pocket (2) 21-27 Environmental Sense (2) 28-33 Evolution Control (2) 34-40 Hostility Screen (2) 41-47 Ice Generation (2) 48-53 Jeopardy (2) 54-60 Missile Generation 61-67 Nanotechnology Generation (3) 68-73 Organic Circuitry (3) 74-80 Plasma Generation (2) 81-87 Regenerative Armor (3) 88-93 Teleformation (3) 94-00 Weather Control (2) Table 8: Energy Control Powers 01-03 Celestial Light Control 04-07 Darkness Control 08-10 Electricity Control 11-13 Energy Absorption (2) 14-17 Energy Cohesion 18-20 Energy Projection 21-23 Energy Vampirism (2) 24-27 Fire Control 28-30 Force Field 31-33 Hellfire Control 34-37 Image Projection (2) 38-40 Imaginary Doubles (2) 41-43 Kinetic Absorption (2) 44-47 Kinetic Energy Control 48-50 Light Control 51-53 Magnetism Control 54-57 Object Charge 58-60 Psionic Absorption (2) 61-63 Psychokinesis 64-67 Radiation Control 68-70 Radio Wave Control 71-73 Sound Control 74-77 Spectral Flame Control 78-80 Temperature Control 81-83 Temporal Static 84-87 Thaumaturgical Absorption (2) 88-90 Theonic Absorption (2) 91-93 Transception 94-97 Transduction (2) 98-00 Vibration Control Table 9: Energy Generation Powers 01-07 Celestial Light Generation 08-13 Cold Generation 14-20 Darkness Generation 21-27 Electricity Generation 28-33 Fire Generation 34-40 Force Blast 41-47 Heat Generation 48-53 Hellfire Generation 54-60 Light Generation 61-67 Magnetism Generation 68-73 Radiation Generation 74-80 Radio Wave Generation 81-87 Sound Generation 88-93 Spectral Flame Generation 94-00 Vibration Generation Table 10: Faith Powers 01-06 Avatar (2) 07-11 Awe 12-17 Commandment 18-22 Deionic Attack 23-28 Disengagement 29-33 Exaltation 34-39 Faith (5) 40-44 Genesis 45-50 Inculcation 50-56 Mortal Guise 57-61 Nature Resistance 62-67 Omnipotence 68-72 Omnipresence 73-78 Omniscience 79-83 Plenipotentiary 84-89 Regenesis 90-94 Sanctuary 95-00 Signature Power (*) Table 11: Matter Control Powers 01-03 Adhesion 04-06 Aggregation 07-09 Antimatter (3) 10-12 Assimilation 13-15 Catalysis 16-18 Clone Projection 19-21 Color Control 22-24 Corrosion 25-27 Cyclone 28-30 Density Control / Others 31-33 Device Generation (2) 34-36 Device Sympathy 37-39 Disintegration (2) 40-42 Energy Doubles (2) 43-45 Flaying 46-48 Fluid Animation 49-50 Friction Control 51-53 Growth / Others 54-56 Invisibility / Others 57-59 Matter Absorption 60-62 Matter Duplication (2) 63-65 Matter Generation (3) 66-68 Object Animation 69-71 Object Hardening 72-74 Object Sympathy 75-77 Object Weakening 78-80 Quarantine 81-83 Shrinking / Others 84-86 Solid Animation 87-89 Technical Intuition 90-92 Topological Control (3) 93-95 Transmutation (3) 96-98 Vapor Animation 99-00 Vivification (3) Table 12: Mental Powers 01-02 Astral Projection 03-04 Auscultation 05-06 Clairalience 07-08 Clairaudience 09-10 Clairgustance 11-12 Clairtouchence 13-14 Clairvoyance 15-16 Clarity 17-18 Computer Link 19-20 Crowd Control (2) 21-22 Dream Projection 23-24 Finding 25-26 Forgetfulness 27-28 Fugue 29-30 Illusion Projection (2) 31-32 Image Animation 33-34 Jumbling 35-36 Knowledge 37-38 Lie Detection 39-40 Mental Doubles (2) 41-42 Mental Repair 43-44 Mesmerism 45-46 Mind Control 47-48 Mind Duplication 49-50 Mind Link 51-52 Mind Lock 53-54 Mind Transfer (2) 55-56 Mind Wipe (2) 57-58 Object Projection 59-60 Possession (2) 61-62 Postcognition 63-64 Precognition (3) 65-66 Psi Bolt 67-68 Psi Web 69-70 Psionic Vampirism (2) 71-72 Psychic Invisibility 73-74 Psychic Probe 75-76 Psychometry 77-78 Psychoplasm Animation (2) 79-80 Sending 81-82 Sensory Link 83-84 Sensory Projection 85-86 Sensory Reception 87-88 Soul Control 89-90 Spectral Vampirism (2) 91-92 Static Field 93-94 Telekinesis 95-96 Telepathy 97-98 Thought Projection 99-00 Translation Table 13: Mental Enhancement Powers 01-07 Danger Sense (2) 08-14 Eidetic Memory (*) 15-21 Fortuity 22-28 Jury Rigging 29-35 Kit-bashing 36-42 Linguistics 43-50 Mental Invisibility (2) 51-57 Self Control 58-64 Spectral Freedom (*) 65-71 Super Invention (*) 72-78 Transfixture 79-85 Ultimate Skill (*) 86-92 Unyielding Will 93-00 Xenoglossy Table 14: Movement Powers 01-04 Anchor 05-08 Between (2) 09-12 Bilocation 13-16 Carrier Wave 17-20 Chaos Shift (*) 21-25 Dimensional Interface (2) 26-29 Dimensional Transit 30-33 Flight 34-37 Gliding 38-41 Jelling 42-45 Levitation 46-50 Mind Walk 51-54 Platforming 55-58 Portal (2+) 59-62 Propulsion 63-66 Super Climbing 67-70 Super Digging 71-75 Super Flight 76-79 Super Jumping (*) 80-83 Super Running 84-87 Super Swimming 88-91 Teleportation 92-95 Teleportation / Others 96-00 Time Travel (2) Table 15: Physical Control Powers 01-03 Age Control / Self 04-07 Animal Hybridization / Self 08-10 Aura (2) 11-13 Blending 14-17 Body Doubles (4) 18-20 Density Control / Self 21-23 Detachable Parts 24-27 Dimensional Displacement 28-30 Disguise 31-33 Elongation 34-37 Environmental Adaptation (2) 38-40 Growth / Self 41-43 Gyration 44-47 Healing / Self 48-50 Imaginary Mass 51-53 Inaudibility 54-57 Inodoriferous 58-60 Intangibility 61-63 Internal Universe 64-67 Invisibility / Self 68-70 Kinetic Focus 71-73 Metabolic Focus 74-77 Plant Hybridization / Self 78-80 Redolence 81-83 Shape Change 84-87 Shrinking / Self 88-90 Situational Adaptation 91-93 Super Synesthesia (*) 94-97 Transformation / Self (2) 98-00 Vocal Control Table 16: Physical Enhancement Powers 01-04 Additional Organs (*) 05-08 Body Armor 09-12 Clinging (*) 13-16 Damage Reduction (*) 17-20 Deflection (*) 21-24 Dual Respiration (*) 25-28 Environmental Indep. (*) 29-32 Flake Armor 33-36 Greater Invulnerability (*) 37-40 Greater Resistance (*) 41-44 Invulnerability (*) 45-48 Longevity (*) 49-52 Plasticity 53-56 Reformation (2) 57-60 Regeneration (2) 61-64 Resistance (*) 65-68 Revival 69-72 Screened Senses 73-76 Stasis (*) 77-80 Super Breath 81-84 Super Speed (3) 85-88 Turnabout 89-92 Universal Digestion (*) 93-96 Universal Respiration (*) 97-00 Zest Table 17: Physical Weaponry Powers 01-06 Additional Limbs (*) 07-12 Barbs (*) 13-18 Battle Tail (*) 19-25 Claws (*) 26-31 Edges (*) 32-37 Fangs (*) 38-43 Hard Points (*) 44-50 Horns (*) 51-56 Pouches (*) 57-62 Prehensile Hair 63-68 Prehensile Skin 69-75 Prehensile Tail (*) 76-81 Quills (*) 82-87 Razor Skin (*) 88-93 Tentacles (*) 94-00 Wings (*) Table 18: Power Control Powers 01-03 Amplification 04-06 Attenuation 07-09 Boon 10-12 Corporeal Gestalt (2) 13-15 Deionic Control (2) 16-18 Empowerment (2) 19-21 Investment (3) 22-24 Link (2) 25-27 Opposition (3) 28-30 Power Absorption (4) 31-33 Power Amplification 34-36 Power Attenuation 37-39 Power Block (2) 40-42 Power Control (2) 43-45 Power Duplication (4) 46-48 Power Transfer (2) 49-51 Psionic Amplification 52-54 Psionic Attenuation 55-57 Psionic Control (2) 58-60 Sorcerous Amplification 61-63 Sorcerous Attenuation 64-66 Spectral Gestalt (2) 67-69 Spell Control (2) 70-72 Super Vampirism (2) 73-75 Theonic Amplification 76-78 Theonic Attenuation 79-81 Trace Duplication (4) 82-84 Variable Cybernetics 85-87 Variable Power 88-90 Variable Psionics 91-93 Variable Skill (*) 94-96 Variable Sorcery 97-00 Weakness Generation (2) Table 19: Reality Control Powers 01-04 Ability Boost 05-08 Antigravity 09-12 Buttress (2) 13-16 Causality Control (4) 17-20 Combining Powers (*) 21-24 Fortune Control (2) 25-28 Future Control (2) 29-32 Grace 33-36 Gravity Control 37-40 History Control (3) 41-44 Initiative Control (2) 45-48 Keeper 49-52 Learned Invulnerability (4) 53-56 Lethality (2) 57-60 Logos 61-64 Luck (3) 65-68 Nimiety (2) 69-72 Override (3) 73-76 Planar Control (3) 77-80 Power Boost 81-84 Reassignment (3) 85-88 Roulette (2) 89-92 Space Control 93-96 Thaumaturgical Vampirism (2) 97-00 Time Control (3) Table 20: Sensory Powers 01-04 Atomic Sense 05-08 Biological Sense 09-12 Circular Vision (*) 13-16 Energy Sense 17-20 Flaw Sense 21-23 Infravision 24-27 Locational Sense 28-31 Macro Sense (2) 32-35 Magic Sense 36-39 Microscopic Vision 40-43 Nativity Sense 44-46 Nonapparent Vision 47-50 Origin Sense 51-54 Psi Sense 55-58 Radar Sense 59-62 Radivision 63-66 Sonar Sense 67-69 Spectral Sense 70-73 Super Senses (2) 74-77 Super Tracking 78-81 Technological Sense 82-85 Telescopic Vision 86-89 Theonic Sense 90-92 Transparent Vision 93-96 Ultravision 97-00 Unusual Sensitivity (*) * Determining Power Rank Values * Once a player has determined his or her deific being's ascendant abilities, their power levels should be set. Alternate between tables B, D, F, and H to do this, though in campaigns with access to hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic rank values, roll on tables C, E, G, and I, instead. With this done, the player may gamble on the rank values so indicated if he or she chooses. They may do this once if their character has three or less ascendant skills, twice if he or she has from four to six super-powers, or thrice if the character has seven or more divine abilities. * Character / Power Limitations * Players are often unhappy with the rank values they've rolled up for their character. Even after adjusting rank values with gambling attempts, they're just not satisfied with what they've come up with. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as sometimes one has a specific vision in mind for their character; this is where limitations come in. A player may subject their character to limitations to make them more powerful. Limitations come in two distinct flavors: power limitations and character limitations. A power limitation is just that, an altering of how said power works to the detriment of the player, as compared to others who can use this ability. A power so limited may not affect certain objects or beings, can only be used during certain time periods, or may otherwise function in a manner others may find unusual or restrictive. Character limitations, however, change the nature of every power a person uses, not just one. A character limitation can simply be a power limitation that 'works' on every single power, may instead be some other alteration to the basic working of powers in general, or even some other constraint that seriously hampers how a character operates (such as an inability to move without the aid of powers). At any rate, the severity of the limitation determines just how much of a power boost the character may receive. Limitations come in four flavors: weak, strong, very strong, and extreme. A weak limitation is just that, a minor crimp in an ability's effectiveness, and only offers a +1 RS. Each successive limitation offers another +1 RS to the power rank value, but as their names imply, they become increasingly, well, limiting. Alternately, a character can take a limitation on a power to replace one already built in to it; some powers, like those involving time, have several such constraints already worked into them. With the permission of the Gamemaster, players may swap out one limitation for another, as long as the new limitation would be equally as inconvenient (this allows a player to better craft the character they imagine in their heads). * Character / Power Enhancements * Similarly, a player might have more than enough power (or might think such, at any rate), or simply wants more 'bang for their buck' out of their existing power roster. If this is the case, they may decide to empower their abilities with enhancements. Like limitations, enhancements have four levels of power, including weak, strong, very strong, and extreme, each of which adds a subsequent -1 RS modifier to one's power rank values. In exchange for suffering from the effects of this modifier, the character's ability will benefit from an improvement of some sort. Moving a power up one speed or range category is considered a strong enhancement, while two is an extreme enhancement. At the same time, a power can be given a hyperkinetic rank value if not already rolled randomly, serving as an extreme enhancement to the specific power it applies to. Like limitations, enhancements are difficult to apply across an entire character, though this isn't impossible. While speeds and ranges vary from power to power, things such as initiative bonuses can apply to all a character's actions and powers. Alternately, one might opt to gain a hyperkinetic trait, which is considered a weak character enhancement (thus applying a -1 RS to all of one's powers). Usually, the reduction in rank value an enhancement inflicts is enough to make up the difference. This can make purchasing new powers more difficult down the line, though, particularly if a character enhancement is in effect. A new power to be affected by an enhancement must be bought at a value high enough that, upon applying the negative RS, it will at least work at the normal starting value. * Quirks * Slightly more palatable than limitations or enhancements, quirks are minor changes to a character that either saddle him or her with some disadvantage or other, or enhance some trait of theirs. They can also be used to raise the rank value one or more of a character's powers work at if so desired, within the confines of that system. The quirks rules have more on this, but the quirk tables are presented here, for convenience. Normally, quirks are a voluntary affair - players may use quirks or not, as they see fit. They are presented below in the format of random rolling tables for two reasons, however. The first is for the Gamemaster's use, to quickly generate random characters when time is of the essence. Alternately, a player may roll randomly if they want or need a quirk and don't know what to pick. Not that he or she is bound by such a roll, of course. Quirks are divided up into the beneficial and deleterious quirks of a physical, mental and role-play nature. Those quirks which cost (or grant) two quirk points are noted with a two in parenthesis (2), while those that can be taken at multiple levels are noted with an asterisk in parenthesis (*). Table 21: Quirks Categories 01-17 Physical (beneficial) 18-33 Physical (deleterious) 34-50 Mental (beneficial) 51-67 Mental (deleterious) 68-83 Role-Play (beneficial) 84-00 Role-Play (deleterious) Table 22: Physical Quirks (beneficial) 01-06 Acceleration Tolerance 07-12 Adrenal Surge 13-18 Ambidexterity 19-25 Fast Healing 26-31 Fighting Logistics 32-37 Gravity Tolerance (*) 38-43 Hardiness (2) 44-50 Heightened Sense 51-56 High Pain Threshold 57-62 Hypermobility 63-68 Learned Resistance (*) 69-75 Omnidexterity (2) 76-81 Rank Value Boost (2) 82-87 Strong Bones (*) 88-93 Sturdiness 94-00 Tetrachromacy Table 23: Physical Quirks (deleterious) 01-05 Abnormal Attribute 06-11 Acceleration Intolerance 12-16 Addiction (*) 17-21 Albinism 22-27 Allergy (*) 28-32 Color Blind 33-37 Dulled Sense (*) 38-42 Dwarfism 43-47 Epilepsy 48-52 Feebleness 53-58 Gigantism 59-63 Gravity Intolerance (*) 64-68 Lameness 69-74 Low Pain Threshold 75-79 Missing Parts (2) 80-84 Rank Value Loss (2) 85-89 Slow Healing 90-94 Weak Bones (2) 95-00 Weakness (2) Table 24: Mental Quirks (beneficial) 01-08 3-D Sense 09-15 Alertness 16-23 Cybernetic Aptitude 24-31 Fortitude 32-38 High Stress Threshold 39-46 Karmic Shell (2) 47-54 Magical Aptitude 55-61 Natural Talent 62-69 Psionic Aptitude 70-77 Quick Learning 78-84 Sanity 85-92 Static 93-00 Technological Aptitude Table 25: Mental Quirks (deleterious) 01-03 Action Addict 04-06 Attitude (*) 07-08 Bluntness (*) 09-11 Bully (*) 12-14 Combat Paralysis (*) 15-17 Compulsiveness (*) 18-19 Cowardice (*) 20-22 Cyber-neurosis 23-25 Delusions (*) 26-28 Fanaticism (*) 29-31 Frenzied 32-33 Greed (*) 34-36 Gullibility (*) 37-39 Honesty (*) 41-42 Impulsiveness (*) 43-44 Inept (*) 45-47 Insanity (2) 48-50 Insomnia 51-53 Jealousy (*) 54-56 Karmic Dearth (2) 57-58 Laziness (*) 59-61 Learning Disorder 62-64 Low Stress Thresh. (*) 65-67 Mania (*) 68-69 Multiple Personality (*) 70-72 Pacifism (*) 73-75 Paranoia (*) 76-78 Personal Code (*) 79-81 Phobia (*) 82-83 Pushover 84-86 Rudeness (*) 87-89 Short Attention Span 90-92 Shyness (*) 93-94 Stubborn (*) 95-97 Temper (*) 98-00 Vow (*) Table 26: Role-Play Quirks (beneficial) 01-09 Ally 10-18 Assistant 19-27 Attractive (*) 38-36 Benefactor (*) 37-45 Cash Flow 46-54 Charmed 55-63 Fame (*) 64-72 Fan Club 73-81 Good Reputation 82-90 Likability (2) 91-00 Lucky (2) Table 27: Role-Play Quirks (deleterious) 01-06 Alien Culture (*) 07-11 Bad Reputation 12-17 Bigotry (*) 18-22 Dependent 23-28 Detractors 29-33 Enemy (*) 34-39 Illiteracy 40-44 Jinxed 45-50 Loner (*) 50-56 Nerd 57-61 Poverty 62-67 Repugnant Personality (*) 68-72 Snob 73-78 Social Dependent (*) 79-83 Unattractive (*) 84-89 Unlucky (2) 90-94 Unpleasant Habits (*) 95-00 Weirdness Magnet * Skills * The skills your freshly built godhead begins play with are determined like you wouldl with any other character, beginning by rolling up their number of initial skills on table 28. Then, roll for the category each skill will belong to on table 29. To finish up, roll for individual skills using tables 30 through 37, one table for each applicable category of skills. However, the actual skills a character has really should be determined by his or her origin. Keeping this in mind, the Gamemaster may well opt to let a player choose some (or all of) the skills their divine being possesses, allowing him or her a lot more creative control over their character. Another thing to consider is that a skill can function at a higher 'level' than normal. There are three 'tiers' of skills, each providing an increasing bonus to the applicable ACTs involved with said skill. When generating these heightened skills, however, keep in mind the fact that they cost more; a level 2 skill counts as two skills, while a level 3 skill counts as four. This can get expensive fast, but is a great way to showcase what your character is really good at. Also, some skills cost more than others, even before higher level skills are considered. A skill that has a number in parenthesis counts as that many skills during character generation; these are mostly background skills, but others can cost more as well. Similarly, the Student skill costs all of one's initial skill slots, for it by definition implies that a body does not have any other skills. Table 28: Number of Skills 01-17 Two skills 18-33 Three skills 34-50 Four skills 51-67 Five skills 68-83 Six skills 84-00 Seven skills Table 29: Skill Categories 01-12 Background 13-25 Behavioral 26-37 Fighting 38-50 Environmental 51-62 Miscellaneous 63-75 Professional 76-87 Scientific 88-00 Weapon Table 30: Background Skills 01-25 Heir to Fortune (3) 26-50 Law Enforcement (2) 51-75 Military (2) 76-00 Student (*) Table 31: Behavioral Skills 01-12 Animal Handling 13-25 Hypnosis 26-37 Leadership 38-50 Manipulation 51-62 Performer 63-75 Service 76-87 Sleight of Hand 88-00 Tactics Table 32: Environmental Skills 01-09 Astronaut 10-18 Boating 19-27 Climbing 38-36 Driving 37-45 Piloting 46-54 Planargation 55-63 Riding 64-72 Stealth 73-81 Survival 82-90 Teamster 91-00 Tracking Table 33: Fighting Skills 01-06 Acrobatics 07-12 Aerial Combat 13-18 Astral Combat 19-25 Martial Arts style A 26-31 Martial Arts style B 32-37 Martial Arts style C 38-43 Martial Arts style D 44-50 Martial Arts style E 51-56 Mounted Combat 57-62 Multiple Attacks 63-68 Spatial Combat 69-75 Targeting 76-81 Tumbling 82-87 Underwater Combat 88-93 Vehicular Combat 94-00 Wrestling Table 34: Miscellaneous Skills 01-12 Escape Artist 13-25 First Aid 26-37 Gastronomy 38-50 Power Skill 51-62 Repair / Tinkering 63-75 Resist Domination 76-87 Trance 88-00 Trivia Table 35: Professional Skills 01-06 Agriculture 07-12 Artist 13-18 Business / Finance 19-24 Crime 25-29 Demolitions 30-35 Detective / Espionage 36-41 Education 42-47 Engineering 48-53 Journalism 54-59 Law 60-65 Leathercraft 66-71 Metalcraft 72-77 Politics 78-82 Salesmanship 83-88 Sports 89-94 Stonecraft 95-00 Woodcraft Table 36: Scientific Skills 01-07 Archaeology 08-13 Biology 14-20 Chemistry 21-27 Computers 28-33 Criminology 34-40 Electronics 41-47 Genetics 48-53 Geology 54-60 Linguistics 61-67 Lore 68-73 Mathematics 74-80 Medicine 81-87 Physics 88-93 Psychology 94-00 Theology Table 37: Weapon Skills 01-04 Advanced Guns 05-09 Blunt Weapons 10-14 Bows 15-19 Concussion Weapons 21-24 Energy Weapons 25-28 Entangling Weapons 29-33 Guns 34-38 Marksman 39-43 Martial Arts Weapons 44-48 Natural Weapons 49-52 Pole Weapons 53-57 Quick Draw 58-62 Sharp Weapons 63-67 Shields 68-72 Spontaneous Weapons 73-76 Thrown Objects 77-81 Thrown Weapons 82-86 Two Weapons 87-91 Weapon Skill 92-96 Weapon Specialist 97-00 Weapons Master (2) * Contacts * Also presented for your convenience is the table used to detail the initial number of contacts a new character will have; it is available as table 38 in the Deionomicon. Table 39, then, lists the types of contacts a deific character may have upon the start their career, if the player needs any ideas; one does not need to roll up contact types randomly if he or she doesn't want to. Like quirks or skills, contacts can be taken at one of three levels of importance; for example, a police contact might be a beat cop (level 1), an FBI operative (level 2), or even an Interpol agent (level 3). Similarly, contacts have an increase of cost in 'contact slots' depending on their level - a level 2 contact counts as two contacts, while a level 3 contact costs four contact 'slots'. Table 38: Number of Starting Contacts 01-17 Two contacts 18-33 Three contacts 34-50 Four contacts 51-67 Five contacts 68-83 Six contacts 84-00 Seven contacts Table 39: Contacts 01-06 Aide 07-11 Artist / Performer 12-17 Business 18-22 Criminal 23-28 Doctor 29-33 Expert 34-39 Foreign Power 40-44 Government 45-50 Hero / Villain 50-56 Informant 57-61 Journalist 62-67 Lawyer 68-72 Mentor 73-78 Military 79-83 Organization 84-89 Police 90-94 Scientist 95-00 Trivia * Equipment * On top of all of their staggering, larger than life capabilities, deific beings also have their pick of conventional, mundane equipment. These devices won't be the kind that make or break a body in combat, for the most part, but they often fill in holes on a divine character's roster when needed - or, at the very least, add a bit of style to their life. Common equipment a character can possess depends on their Lifestyle. One may automatically have any gear with a price equal to his or her Lifestyle rank value or less, and may start out with materials of up to their Lifestyle rank value +2 RS with but a small explanation (the character has a yacht that she paid off previously). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Gamemaster, but isn't necessarily out of the question. It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point. ** Divine Character Generation (Systematic (Point Based) Method) ** Players start with fifty (50) points with which to build their deific character. They may spend these points as they wish, only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling. For example, a dimension-hopping, multiverse-shaking campaign may limit characters to rank value 150 or less on most values. Ask your Gamemaster about his or her campaign limits - if only to be sure before pulling out all the stops! To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each trait; for our purposes, the 'norm' will be rank value 6. For every +1 RS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 RS applied to these values, add one point. A deific character need not hold any traits back, as they are not curtailed by any preconceived notions regarding 'human ability'. A starting character is assumed to have rank value 6 Lifestyle and a Repute trait of zero (0). One may alter these traits as they can any other, though at double the cost for each RS (rank value 40 Lifestyle would cost eight points, for example). If one intends to purchase the Heir to Fortune background skill, they shouldn't alter this 'base' Lifestyle any. Health and Fortune are determined normally. An opposed Repute score (negative for heroes, positive for villains) is worth two points, no matter how great it is. Before purchasing his or her powers, one should determine their deific origin (if this has not already been decided), for this may provide a bonus power or character limitation down the line. When buying powers, each rank value in each power costs one point, starting at rank value 2. The upper rank value of each ascendant ability is only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling (again, ask your Gamemaster about this if necessary). Note that a character's bonus inherent power, as listed above in the Deific Deviations section, need not be purchased via the point-based system. The player building a character with this kind of ability may roll randomly for a power rank value, if their bonus inherent has one, and then spend points to increase its rank value further if desired. But points need not be spent on this power during character generation. Costs can be controlled by adding limitations, which can apply to either one power or all a character's powers. Whether applied to one power or globally to the character as a whole, weak limitations reduce the cost of an ability by one point, strong limitations by two points, very strong limitations by three points, and extreme limitations by four points. Consider the effect of such limitations before counting your point savings! Remember that all powers have a minimum cost of one (1) point, no matter how limited they may be. At this point, a player building a character who wields a divine device must decide which of their powers are entirely reliant upon possession of their deific artifact. This is because such powers are considered strongly limited, and will provide the player a considerable discount for them. If they'd like to squeeze more power out of their character, a player can add most, if not all, of their powers to this device. Moving the other direction, a player may enhance one or more powers. A weak enhancement increases the cost by one point, strong enhancements add two points, very strong enhancements raise the cost by three points, and extreme enhancements add four points to a power's final cost. Such enhancements include improving a power's range or speed categories, as well as other augmentations to its functionality. Remember that many powers cost more than the base value; faith, for example, costs five points per rank. Powers with a heightened cost are so noted in the character generation tables listed above (those with numbers in parenthesis after the name). Limitations and enhancements are multiplied in value by this cost; for instance, a strong limitation on faith would reap a ten point discount. If your Gamemaster allows their use in his or her campaign, one thing to consider is the use of Hyperkinetic and Hyperexhaustive rank values. These can each be purchased in the point system if allowed, being treated as either an extreme enhancement (in the form of a Hyperkinetic power) or an extreme limitation (in the form of a Hyperexhaustive power). Creating a hyperkinetic trait is a weak character enhancement. Both can be very unbalancing in their own way, however, so check to make sure their use is okay. Once a character's powers are determined, he or she may purchase skills and contacts as desired, each costing one point. If one would like heightened skills or contacts (both come in three tiers), they must pay two points for a level two skill or contact, or four points for a level three skill or contact. The Student background skill costs five points, but cannot be purchased with any other skill (save for Heir to Fortune). A player may use remaining points to purchase beneficial quirks - or add a few points to pad weak areas with deleterious quirks. Most quirks give (or take) one point, but if purchased at a higher level, they function in much the same way as skills or contacts in this regard (two points for a level two quirk, four points for a level three quirk). Also, quirks without level but that count double cost (or give) two points. Next, determine what gear the character possesses. As is the case with randomly generated characters, deific beings built with the point based system may choose any standard gear that is readily available in the campaign, as long as it falls within a few RS of their Lifestyle value. If they want something more expensive, the player must give a good reason for such, though Gamemasters have veto power over improbable items. Once the player is out of points, it's up to the Gamemaster to look over what the player has wrought. Does the character's math add up? Does it fall within predetermined campaign limitations for power level? If nothing appears to be wrong, and the Gamemaster likes what he or she sees, they should approve what a player has created, and then allow him or her to complete the last portion of their character's creation. Though they probably should have started with such. ** Filling In The Blanks ** Once all the basic details concerning your godhead have been ascertained, it's time to 'fill in the blanks,' or to detail all of their personal and background information, the stuff you can't quantify with dice rolls or points. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they from? How well do they play with others? How have they managed to become more than mortal? And did they make any enemies in the process? With the sole exception of any related deities present in one's background (who the Gamemaster must generate, save for perhaps his, her, its, or their names), all other character information must be determined by the player to truly make it their creation, and to really 'flesh it out'. This is often the most difficult part of the character generation process, the part where many tend to fail. However, with a little effort and some serious consideration, the answers to these questions can make that sheet of paper with all the funny words on it really come alive! ** Transcendent Roleplay ** "Ray! If someone asks you if you are a god... you say YES!!" - Winston Zeddemore, Ghostbusters Deific entities are much like other ascendant beings, in that they have access to a wide array of super-human abilities, whether of an inherent or trained nature - or perhaps some mixture of both. They differ, however, in that those touched by the divine largely concern themselves with the long game, being less focused on immediate issues. Eternity tends to be their plaything, after all. While this sounds most obvious with gods and demigods, or even those that experience multiple incarnations across infinity, the truth is that all deific beings operate in the same basic fashion. Even if the host of a legacy or the bearer of a divine artifact meet their fate, whether or not such an end is premature as far as they are concerned, their powers will at least move on to a new wielder. This is the simple thread that binds all deifics together. One way or another, their agendas can continue over vast tracts of time, whether or not the specific mind, body, or soul that they started out with persists alongside them. The primary difference between one deific and another, aside from the basic mechanics which determine how such persistence expresses itself, then, is how they go about furthering their goals. Some deities are perfectly happy as they are, for instance, feeling no need to accumulate power. Others, meanwhile, wish to amass vast sums of energy generated by the veneration of their person. And still more do not actively encourage others to worship them, though congregations of those faithful to whatever metaphysical profile they've chosen to represent, if any, nonetheless crop up here and there. Similarly, deifics are often defined by how they relate to their peers. Some gods go out of their way to avoid the notice of their fellow deities, to better reduce the likelihood of their vulnerabilities being exploited. Still others confront their divine rivals to co-opt their efforts, or to give their endless existence more (to them) meaning through challenge. And again, still more fall in the middle of these extremes. Furthermore, immortals' origins act to shape how they go about their business, though how mortals perceive them does so, as well. While the energy generated by worship empowers deities, faith can work to their detriment if their stable of worshipers begin to regard in them... differently. This is one reason older gods eventually abandon faith generating exercises - they don't wish to lose control of what they are. And that is the flip side of the tremendous might that mortal followers can deliver to their patron deities. Faith is a powerful force, and can act on a deity even as he or she wields it to further their own ends. It is the desires of sentient beings made manifest, after all, and it can be very difficult for a deity to exhibit one nature when the fervent adulation of their faithful paints them in a different light, indeed. In short, the existence of deifics transcends that of mere mortals, but is simultaneously beholden to it. They can shape the nature of existence itself through the power of faith, which their very life forces are responsive to, but can in turn be shaped by this power if they're not careful. And how they walk this fine line delineates the difference between obscure gods and deities of renown! * Faith * While their intimidating traits and impressive ascendant powers go a long way towards describing what deific beings are capable of, these quantities fall short of the bar in one vital area: they fail to explain just how gods manage to perform the feats of legend they're so infamous for. You know, building worlds using the hearts of dead monsters, for example, or perhaps causing a rain of blood. This is where the power of faith comes in. When they genuinely worship something, either actively or passively, mortals generate a spectral energy that coalesces around the subject of their veneration. While just about anything can be the focus of faith, it usually requires a deific being to perceive this energy and exploit it to their own ends - though there are exceptions to this general rule. Either way, those who can collect this accumulated spectral power, the product of the focused desires of mere mortals, can then use it to perform what might be called miracles. Whether these astounding feats are performed with the best interests of their worshipers in mind, or instead for more selfish purposes, deifics can wield faith in almost any fashion they can imagine! Faith Versus Belief Before going any further, it's a good idea to delineate the differences between faith and belief. When you get down to it, the two different phenomenon are rather similar, after all. Both involve what's going on within the head of a sentient being acting to alter reality to some extent. Where the two differ, though, is in where the power to change the very nature of existence has been focused. Belief is an impetus for change in the flow of causality that is caused by a sentient being's overwhelming adherence to some philosophy or another, no matter how sensible. This change causes reality to function differently for the believer, which often results in the manifestation of ascendant abilities that reflect the belief's nature, and anyone who possesses similar beliefs can conceivably acquire the same powers. Faith, on the other hand, is a spectral power generated by a sentient's veneration of something or other. This energy does not reside within the faithful, instead being accumulated upon whatever it is they have decided to worship. Thus, the faithful cannot directly utilize the energy generated by their faith, but if they venerate a being who can wield this energy, they may well receive indirect benefits as a result of its creation. In other words, belief can change a believer directly, while faith can change the world outside the faithful. And while the two phenomenon are different, there's nothing stopping the two from occurring together - or a deific being exploiting the beliefs of a mortal to generate more faith in themselves. But since the terms are so closely intertwined, it is good to know the difference. Cultivating Faith In the course of existence, it is inevitable that mere mortals will begin to venerate persons, places, or things, if not outright shower them with worship. This is simply a function of how the sentient mind works, imparting divine characteristics upon various components of its environment. A lot of the time, nothing comes of this devotion, the subject of such having no means of making use of the attention. However, the target of such focused appreciation may well be able to perceive the benefaction generated by mortal minds towards him or her. Those aware of the faith directed towards their person might also perceive a means of using this energy to great effect, whether for themselves or for those who generate it in the first place - if not both. Further, they may wish to acquire ever greater amounts of faith. But how does a deific being do this? By encouraging worship of their person, of course! Faith primarily accumulates as a result of direct worship. When a mortal being begins to earnestly worship something, they immediately generate one point of faith for the subject of their reverence, an amount which is similarly created after every subsequent year that they hold said subject in similarly high esteem. This direct idolization can be fostered in any number of fashions, whether it involves the naked display of miraculous action, supporting a church devoted to oneself, or even subtle word of mouth. But ultimately, the key to generating faith is giving mortal beings a reason to worship oneself in the first place, which most often involves getting down to earth and doing a whole lot of leg work. Serendipitous Faith The primary source of faith for deific beings is direct worship - in other words, the adulation of mortal beings. But this isn't the only way a divinity can receive this special, hard fought resource. No, another means of acquiring faith is through the zeitgeist, that 'spirit of the moment' which is made up of mankind's collective unconscious, and is steeped in superstition, urban legend, and various works of fiction. Responsible for the existence of legacy powers, the zeitgeist is also a font for serendipitous faith, the primary power source of abstract entities. While they're not a form of worship, per se, superstitions and the like are nonetheless held in high regard by a large number of people, and can also produce the energy required to change reality. The trick is that this serendipitous faith accumulates differently than normal. How this works is that, when enough people hold stock in an idea, however strange or mundane it may happen to be, it will generate serendipitous faith. This form of the spectral energy will accumulate in an amount of points equal to the percentage of the population who adhere to it on a monthly basis. Thus, if half the people believe crossing the path of a black cat is bad luck, that notion will generate 50 points of faith. This energy, while it sounds like a lot, will then be divided amongst anyone who represents the metaphysical profile of bad luck within that population. This can be any number of abstract entities, legacy characters, full-on deities, or any other deific beings active in the area that fits the bill. And if nobody actually does fit properly, that creates an opening for any godheads looking for a quick source of faith! Utilizing Faith Collecting faith is one thing, but how does one use it... and to what end? As it turns out, all deific beings have the inherent ability to wield the energies generated by faith in their person. The ascendant powers which consume faith to function, whether in part or in full, are not automatically available for immediate use by deifics, however, and making them available takes considerable effort for the most part. In other words, a deific being may develop a given faith power as a stunt off of whatever ability it is that makes them a deific being in the first place. The catch is that such power stunts will always start out at rank value 2, instead of having operating values based upon the power they branch off from. Unless a character begins play with a faith power, that is, at which point its rank value is generated normally. Upon acquiring a faith power, a deific being can develop and wield it at will, though doing so most often costs them some of that valuable energy. Each faith power describes its operating costs, whether they're paid each time the ability is used or on a one time basis. The only limitation on them, then, is coming up with the spectral fuel that each requires to operate (save for those faith powers that work for 'free'). This may sound like a lot of work, and it is, but the payoff for all this toil can be immense for deific beings. Faith powers allow them to both reinvest their accumulated energies into the creation of yet more faith directed at themselves, and the ability to perform truly astonishing deeds that they simply shouldn't seem capable of, whether being in many places at once or doing literally anything imaginable. The Perils of Faith While much has been made of just how deific beings are empowered by the faith of mortal sentients, allowing them to perform great deeds that defy logic and/or causality itself, little has been said about the flip side of this energy. Based on the desires of those who generate it, faith can exert influence on the divine entity who wields it, particularly if they don't do a good job of policing just how they are worshiped. If a group of worshipers begin to venerate a godhead in a different fashion than he or she actually behaves, there is the very real danger that said godhead will begin to be influenced by this differing faith. For example, a deity of law and order begins to be followed by a cult of vigilante extremists. If they use the faith this offshoot group generates in their name, the god might find themselves compelled to act how they'd like. The emergence of this danger can be represented by multiple pools of faith, which the player will usually know about as soon as the Gamemaster begins to sequester their faith into different sums. This gives the player of a deific character the ability to investigate where this deviant faith is coming from, and either nip it in the bud (if they don't like the implications) or to run with it (if they don't really mind). Either way, players using 'tainted' faith must pass a blue Willpower ACT roll upon next making a decision that would be contrary to how their variant faithful think they should act. Failure of this ACT will compel the deific to perform as his or her splinter church (or whatever) prefers, which may or may not cause them some grief with their primary source of faith, depending on the god in question. * Character Advancement * After undertaking many adventures, or simply vanquishing their foes for a time, a deific entity may have gained new insight into the world and how it works; in other words, Fortune. For the most part, godheads use Fortune much like any other character type, spending just as much when purchasing new skills or contacts, or when enhancing a current trait or power value; this is handled as is defined in Living and Dying. One facet of Fortune use that is different for a divine entity is the purchase of new faith powers. Purchasing New Powers Since so much of a divine entity's ascendant abilities are inherent to who and what they are, it is hard for them to acquire even more powers for the most part. These are permanent changes to a divinity's mind, body, or soul, after all, which is different than merely subjecting oneself to radiation, since one has to take into account how people venerate the deity in question before even beginning to proceed. A new ascendant ability has a base cost of three thousand (3,000) Fortune points for divine characters, in addition to a fee equal to the new power's original rank value times one hundred (100). Picking up a brand new power at rank value 50, for instance, would cost the character a total of eight thousand (8,000) Fortune (base cost of 3,000 plus the power rank value (50) times 100). If the adventure (or whatever) a character underwent to gain their new power(s) involves the acquisition of a special catalyst, the player may reduce the base cost of that power by one thousand (1,000) Fortune. Depending on just how complicated the procedure was, up to three catalysts may be required, which can completely eliminate the base cost of the new ascendant ability entirely. The idea here is to properly reward a player's effort when they genuinely work for their new powers. All of the above assumes powers with a standard cost; in other words, a power that has a listed cost of one point per rank value. If a power is listed as having a cost equal to 2 points per rank value, double its total Fortune cost, and so on. If a power is listed with a 'flat cost', the price (after the base fee) is only 250 Fortune points per point; circular vision, for instance, would cost 500 additional Fortune. Power Stunts Whether or not a divine character begins play with abilities that exploit the power of faith, such beings may readily acquire them once they begin to accumulate that strange, otherworldly energy. Regardless of what form of deific being they are, the divine may acquire new faith powers as if they were a power stunt off of whatever it is that makes them divine in the first place. Such power stunts will always begin play at rank value 2, regardless of the original ability's rank value, if any. Each attempt to master a power stunt costs a divine entity 100 Fortune, as they are more difficult to introduce variation into than a mere spell or psionic. Advancing the power rank value of any stunt a deific being has mastered, whether or not it is mired in the power of faith, is accomplished normally. Stunts attempted on non-faith powers have their rank determined normally, but still cost the same per try. * Optional Divine Concerns * While a character wielding divine powers 'plays' similar to textbook characters (mutants, etc.), the fact that their power is derived from the energy bequeathed unto them by worshipful sentient beings gives them an added series of concerns. Optional rules for textbook characters may or may not apply to deifics, considering they live life somewhat on the other side of the probability curve, but that's neither here nor there. Divine entities in particular may or may not suffer from additional rules modifications that better highlight what makes them different from other player characters. Of course, such optional rules might not be a good fit for one's campaign overall, so consult your Gamemaster before assuming they're in play. Some optional campaign rules specifically for deific entities include the following: Pantheons: while deities are incredibly powerful beings, the simple truth of the matter is that while rare men and women may, in fact, be an island, sometimes it's hard to go it alone. This is usually why like-minded gods will tend to band together into a pantheon, a group of divinities who share a like background, culture, ethics, goals, or perhaps some other quality that only they can perceive. While teaming up with others has obvious benefits, such as strength in numbers and the ability to focus a large amount of energy upon a single problem, forging a pantheon has additional perks. For one thing, a pantheon can share a common home plane and/or sanctuary, which further strengthens the position of its members if confronted or cornered within their most vulnerable of spaces (backstabbing notwithstanding). Furthermore, there's all the faith. When joining a pantheon, one half of a deity's subsequently accumulated faith will go to him or her, while the rest will pool up for the pantheon's use. Similarly, faith generated by the veneration of the entire pantheon is divvied up in a like fashion, half going to the actual pantheon and the rest being split amongst its members - which helps even those gods who don't pursue such power. How the pool of faith a pantheon has is wielded depends on its membership, of course, but most often it is managed by a singular individual. In human mythology, one can look to entities such as Marduk, Odin, Ra, or Zeus for examples of such. Whoever is in control of a pantheon's hoard may bring it to bear as they see fit, whether to suit their own ends or, as is often the case, to aid its members in their goals. Pilfering: mortals are funny, when you think about it, and will readily worship just about anything given the proper motivation. Or even when not, really, as they'll venerate rocks, trees, rivers, and other random elements in their environment. Superstition is a strange thing, after all, and causes people to hold fast to the weirdest ideas - this is why abstracts exist in the first place! But the important thing about this tendency of mortals worshiping unliving, inanimate objects is that this causes such things to accumulate faith. While this spectral power can actually cause the spontaneous generation of a divinity under some circumstances, the greater likelihood is that this power will sit unclaimed, forever. Unless, of course, a deity of some sort comes along and takes it for themselves! When pilfering unclaimed faith, a deific being poses as the person, place, or thing that is being venerated, essentially tricking the mortals who worship it into directing their faith towards him or her. The idea is that, by convincing enough people that they represent whatever it is they were previously worshiping, a god eventually becomes the essence of this thing - metaphysically, at least. To accomplish this, a godhead must generate an amount of faith equal to just over half of that which has accumulated upon the object(s) which they are attempting to pilfer from. Once they manage this, the pilferer can claim all of that unused and idle power for themselves. If they fail in this effort, however, that energy will remain out in the open - both the faith generated before their meddling and after. Poaching: when gods don't have full control over their message, and worshipers begin to venerate them in a manner which does not jibe with how they actually are, weird things can happen. As described above, this can cause a deity's actions to be manipulated by fringe elements of their own faithful, at least when they make use of such tainted faith. But what if this energy is never used? Well, another deity just might take it for their own! A deific entity can pose as another god, or at the very least, how some sect or another views that god, to put the moves on any associated, corrupted faith they may have. The basic means of achieving this are essentially identical to the act of pilfering faith, mechanically speaking, the difference mainly involving the fact that this faith is someone else's. A deity will know immediately when someone is attempting to poach their errant faith, even if they're not quite sure exactly who is behind this heinous act, and they will almost invariably react negatively to someone taking what is theirs. This even when the energies involved aren't totally to the god's liking, and would likely harm their overall message if they ever deigned to wield them. But if a sum of undesirable, unutilized faith is sizable enough, it just might be worth it for a deity to attempt to poach it from one of their fellows. Faith is faith, after all, and if it's easier for one god to engage in subterfuge to gain a massive lump sum than to build it up the hard way, why not give it a shot? Occasionally, where poaching is concerned, the risk is indeed worth the reward. *** POWERS *** While there are no doubt many more incredible abilities available to ascendant beings, information is currently provided for the following. Those entities with such capabilities can use this reference, below, to better define their own aptitudes and limitations, as well as to more fully understand those that may be wielded by their mortal enemies! ** A ** Ability Boost Type: Reality Control Power, Personal Spell, Superpsi Skill Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: amplification, fortune control, logos, metabolic focus, nimiety, power boost, reassignment. Ability boost allows its possessor to temporarily augment - significantly - any one trait of his or her choice. When activated, its wielder can choose either their Melee, Coordination, Brawn, Fortitude, Intellect, Awareness, or Willpower, and enhance it to a value that is equal to this power in its rank value - or the value of the enhanced trait +1 RS, whichever is higher. An ability boost of any kind lasts only for 1d10 turns. Once it wears off, ability boost may not again be used for an hour - at least, not without degrading its overall capability. For each additional use without a one hour 'cool down', ability boost loses -1 RS of its overall effectiveness. This is enough to neutralize its use upon traits greater than its own rank value, while gradually reducing its power in all other instances, if used too frequently. One's Health or Fortune score should be temporarily recalculated to account for the character's new prowess; this can cause problems if he or she takes severe damage before the power wears off, as a negative Health total upon the power's termination affects a body per a Kill result. Ability boost may easily be limited by reducing the number of traits it can temporarily enhance. Constraining it to either physical or mental traits is considered a weak limitation (+1 RS or one point cost reduction), while allowing ability boost to enhance but one trait is instead a strong limitation (+2 RS or two point cost reduction). Melee can count as either a physical or mental trait for this purpose. Similarly, one may enhance ability boost by allowing it to boost more than one trait at once (enhancing the power by one step for each trait so boosted), or with each doubling of duration (2d10 turns of boost would be a weak enhancement, and so on). Abstraction Type: Deific Power Duration: permanent (no maintenance required) Cost: 16 points (flat cost) Something of a variation on immortality, abstraction is the ability of a being to embody some concept or another. Just about any idea that a sentient being can imagine may be embodied via abstraction, which grants its possessor a life force that will persist forever. Or, at the very least, for as long as at least one mortal entity continues to hold onto the notion which an abstract being has tied themselves to. Upon acquiring or being created with abstraction, a character will change dramatically. While immortality doesn't cause extensive changes to what makes a person a person, abstraction does - because it ties its possessor's mind, body, and very soul to the zeitgeist, or spirit of the moment. This subconscious undercurrent beneath the thought of all sentient beings bolsters the abstract's existence, but shapes him or her as well. How this works is that while they may have an independent, distinct personality, the appearance, behavior, and very thought patterns of an abstract entity are strongly influenced by that which they emblematize. This may be somewhat subjective, depending on the player generating the abstract and the Gamemaster presiding over a game this entity is used within, but should at least reflect some common opinion on the subject. For example, an abstract representing digital information might be wreathed in ephemeral ones and zeroes, look like some sort of grainy, pixelated image, or perhaps even appear like unto a cloud of electrons. Their behavior could be cold and clinical like scientific data, heated and ignorant like a forum troll, or perhaps just incredibly whip-smart - like the speed of digital data transmission itself! An abstract may allow themselves to be ruled by the preconceived notions others hold about what they represent, or they may instead strive to not only retain their independent persona, but act contrary to what they embody. Of course, this can be tricky in the face of their inherent, level 3 Compulsiveness quirk, which is built in to the power and constantly compels them to toe the line (and whose ACTs are never automatic). While abstracts share two weaknesses with immortals, namely their vulnerability to death either in their home plane or when slain by immortals of equal or greater standing, they aren't vulnerable to total bodily disintegration. As they embody some concept or another, an abstract can reconstitute themselves after their demise even if their body is annihilated - as long as at least one person shares the idea they emblematize. Instead, an abstract entity will possess a weakness that is related to whatever it is they represent. Abstract entities that embody the idea of fire might have no immunity to death when subjected to watery attacks or when assaulted under water, for example, or one who has taken the concept of beards under their wing could be completely vulnerable to assaults with a razor - either conventional or electric! Finally, the other powers an abstract entity possesses should be used to better represent their pet concept. They all need not be used to prop this idea up, of course, but the more convincing an abstract is in showcasing their adopted notion, the better their ability to cause it to spread far and wide. And the more people hold truck with it, the more faith an abstract can generate to further their ends - whatever they may be. Aciurgy Type: Biological Control Power, Faerie Spell, Empathic Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: cure disease, detoxification, healing / others, resuscitation, regeneration / others. Aciurgy is the paranormal power to modify living tissues. A sort of super-human medical ability, aciurgy can be used to perform procedures that generally require years of academic study and professional experience to execute competently. On the other hand, since it is of super-human effectiveness, aciurgy can also be used to indulge in medical behavior that is highly irregular - if not normally impossible! While aciurgy is in use, the life force of its recipients (or victims) will be artificially maintained, its wielder able to engage in all manner of procedures both simple and arcane. Whether simply removing a sliver or temporarily disassembling his or her patient, the character with aciurgy can complete with their work with the assurance that the subject of this power will not die in the process of it. In other words, aciurgy itself doesn't cause damage, no matter how extreme the work done with it is. Of course, if someone with aciurgy completely takes the subject of its use apart and leaves him that way, said subject might be in a bit of a pickle! Such 'abandonment' can indeed cause damage, based on the nature of the work left undone (whether intentionally or otherwise), at the Gamemaster's discretion. When using aciurgy, a character can perform any conventional procedure, from liposuction to a heart transplant, with but a red power ACT. When engaging in wildly irregular operations, including brain transplants and installing parts where they don't belong, an aciurgeon must pass a blue ACT. This power can even be used to engage in cross-species transplants and unnatural modifications on a yellow power ACT. When using aciurgy, most conventional medical concerns are rendered moot. Whether rotating limbs around for fun or even installing body parts foreign to one's anatomy, everything is 'wired' such that it will work properly (for a given value of propriety). Tissue rejection is simply not an issue, and an organism can persist and function indefinitely despite this power's use - assuming nothing else kills it, that is. Aciurgy most definitely counts as a healing power for the purposes of metabolic overload, whether used to heal or to... modify. It requires one be in physical contact with the subject to work. Furthermore, should they wish to, subjects can resist the use of aciurgy by passing a Fortitude ACT roll against its power rank value (assuming they lack resistance to metabolic or warping attacks). Additional Limbs Type: Physical Weaponry Power Cost: 4 points per bonus action or speed increase Related Powers: additional organs, super speed, various physical weaponry powers that provide bonus limbs. This 'power' is representative of characters that possess more limbs than normal, as is determined by standard human anatomy - or any other abilities they may happen to possess. It is most often used to describe beings that do not readily fit into the bipedal norm (having two limbs for manipulation and two limbs for locomotion), but can also provide 'extras' of other limbs granted by the various physical weaponry powers. Extra manipulators allow for multiple actions with them. Typically, a character must double a given number of limbs to gain any additional actions from it. A pro wrestler with four arms, for example, would acquire one extra attack with those arms each turn, while applying this power to a mutant who already had a prehensile tail would gain two extra tail attacks if given four such extremities (since that power offers but one). Similarly, extra locomotive limbs grant a +1 RS to the speed of a character for each doubling of such. An extradimensional entity with an extra set of wings would fly +1 RS faster than one with only one pair (for a like value of Brawn), while an arachnoid creature with eight legs would gain a +2 RS to their speed, whether zipping along the ground or climbing up the walls. If a given limb can double as both a manipulator and a source of locomotion, the benefits provided apply to both the number of one's actions and their speed - though not simultaneously. An alien with eight tentacles (which can handle objects as well as pull one about) would fit this description, gaining a +1 RS to the speed it could manage and an extra tentacular action... but couldn't use both benefits at the same time. Additional Organs Type: Physical Enhancement Power Cost: 2 points per bonus provided Related Powers: additional limbs, various powers that the bonus parts can provide. This 'power' is representative of characters that possess more organs than normal, as is determined by standard human anatomy. An extra (or redundant) organ - or set therein - will generally provide their possessor a static bonus, one which is active at all times... unless either the original(s) or the duplicate(s) are rendered inoperable through physical injury or other means. Common examples of additional organs include the following: * Brains: an additional brain can give characters a +1 RS to their Intellect score - and possibly another personality! * Ears: spare ears aid both hearing in general (+1 RS to sound-based Awareness ACT rolls) as well as determining the direction a sound came from. Spare acoustic organs might readily allow a character to manifest a sonar sense (purchased separately). * Eyes: one can have spare eyes anywhere they'll reasonably fit, really, and can use this for either a +1 RS to visual Awareness ACTs or to obtain circular vision. Specialized, light-sensitive pits can often perform this same task - if constantly uncovered. * Glands: spare glands can amplify the effects of ordinary organs considerably. Multiple pituitary or adrenal glands, for instance, might drastically alter one's biochemistry (or at least justify that Adrenal Boost quirk). * Hearts: possessing two hearts is a great way to enhance one's stamina, raising a body's Fortitude score by +1 RS - and making one less likely to die of cardiac arrest for any reason. * Muscles: characters with superfluous muscle tissue enjoy a +1 RS increase to their Brawn score - but probably have to eat a lot more than usual to sustain that mass of tissue. * Redundant Organs: redundant, spare vital organs increases one's base Health point total by fifty percent. Adhesion Type: Matter Control Power, Geomancy Spell Duration: special Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: clinging, friction control. Adhesion is the ability to bind two or more objects together on the atomic level. This may involve physically gluing them together, altering the molecular structure of each such that they merge into a singular whole, or even engaging in molecular charge suppression to force them to stick. Such stickiness only affects the surfaces of objects, but can hold them together with considerable strength. To adhere two objects, they must be in physical contact with each other. If adhesion is caused by some sort of chemical (such as a bottle of home-brewed mega glue, or perhaps a secretion of the character's), the agent must first be applied directly to the spot the two objects will be stuck together. If the agency of adhesion is a power of some sort, simply touching both simultaneously will suffice. Each turn adhesion is applied to two objects, the strength of the binding between them will increase by +1 RS. For example, one turn of adhesion will produce a bond of rank value 2 strength, while ten would make the strength of such rank value 100. However, the adhesion power is limited such that it cannot produce a bond with a strength greater than its own power rank value. Adhesion can last for a considerable amount of time. A black power ACT rolled when using adhesion allows its effects to last for a number of turns equal to its power rank value, while a red power ACT extends this period of time from turns to minutes. A blue adhesion ACT stretches the length of adhesion out to a like number of hours, while a yellow ACT makes the effects of adhesion permanent. Breaking the bond instilled by adhesion requires overcoming the strength of the bond it has created - or undermining the surface of one or both objects glued together. Flesh will yield much easier than concrete, so gluing people to the street means they must peel or cut themselves free if they can't dislodge the bond between them and it. Doing this generally inflicts from rank value 4 to 10 Slashing damage to someone. The specific amount, of course, depends on how much of a person's flesh is removed in the process of tearing them away from an object they've been molecularly bonded to. Adjoining Type: Group Spell Duration: per each individual spell granted Cost: 2 points per rank value Adjoining is one of the thirteen known group spells available to mages. It includes a collection of abilities that allow the caster to communicate with others, in a variety of different fashions, no matter how alien said others may be. Once a day, upon first casting the adjoining spell, a wizard may choose from any one of the following six spell effects, at which point adjoining's outcome will be set for that day: Animal Sympathy, Empathy, Plant Sympathy, Sending, Telepathy, or Translation. However, should the caster of adjoining wish to retain its fluid nature for a time, he or she may forego choosing which effect it will manifest, leaving such to the whims of chance. If one does so, adjoining will produce one of its potential outcomes randomly, as indicated below, though mages achieving a 'bonus' result may choose adjoining's effect and keep its effects fluid for its next use. Random Adjoining Results 01-02 Bonus! 03-18 Animal Sympathy 19-34 Empathy 35-50 Plant Sympathy 51-66 Sending 67-82 Telepathy 83-98 Translation 99-00 Bonus! Admittance Type: Universal Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value This convenient universal spell allows a thaumaturge to focus his or her will upon any lock, door or container and cause it to open, no matter how complex it may be. Whether it is simply a mechanical padlock or some fancy electronic gewgaw, the impediment to the caster's desire will cease to be such. All that is required to make this happen is a successful ACT roll. Keep in mind that this spell will only unlock a lock, and open up what it was protecting to the outside world. Any traps or sensors set to trigger upon the opening of said lock or door are not sidestepped by this spell. The wizard using admittance may need an additional spell or capability to bypass them - or simply have a patsy absorb the potential damage, instead. Adrenal Boost Type: Metapsi Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 4 points (flat cost) This potent ability allows its wielder to release a controlled burst of adrenaline into his or her system at will. This boost of naturally occurring chemicals, when released unnaturally, lets the wielder of this ability momentarily increase their Brawn by +1 RS for a short period of time - namely, 1d10 turns. When this ability wears off, the character will suffer a -1 RS to their Brawn for twice the duration of its enhancement. Adrenal boost readily works in conjunction with the adrenal surge quirk - they're functionally the same, after all. A character with both capabilities can gain a +2 RS boost while both are active, though when they wear off the character is in for something of a crash. Once the adrenaline is gone, he or she will suffer a -2 RS to their Brawn score for quadruple the duration of its enhancement. One cannot wield adrenal boost while they are still recovering from a previous use of the ability. Adrenal Vampirism Type: Metapsi Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value The power of adrenal vampirism allows its wielder to feed upon the biochemical energies of those in his or her vicinity. This ability requires physical contact with its target, and the target is allowed a Fortitude ACT against its intensity to resist the effect. If this ACT roll fails, the adrenal vampire may temporarily drain a considerable amount of the Brawn and Fortitude traits of their foes. This power may consume a number of points of said traits equal to its power rank value, adding them in turn to the equivalent traits of its wielder. There is an upper limit to this enhancement, however, being equal to either their original values +1 RS or the adrenal vampirism power value - whichever is higher. This boost will last for 1d10 turns, at which point the adrenal vampire's abilities will return to normal. When drained, a victim's Brawn and Fortitude scores will have a bottom limit of rank value 2. If drained further than this, the target of this ability must pass a Fortitude ACT roll (at their current, diminished level) or fall unconscious. However, after 1d10 turns have passed, they will recover lost ranks at a rate of +1 RS per turn, until their scores return to normal. Bear in mind that changes in the value of traits affect the Health sum of both the wielder of this ability and the target - these will need to be recalculated 'on the fly' as they are changed. Age Control / Others Type: Biological Control Power, Dimensional Spell, Empathic Talent, Psimotive Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: age control / self, cure disease, decontamination, detoxification, healing / others, regeneration / others, resurrection, resuscitation. Wielding this ability, a character can change the 'clock' on an organism, altering its apparent age. Age control / others can increase or decrease a target's apparent age by a number of years that is equal to its power rank value. This power only functions within Very Near distance of its wielder, and targets may resist the power if they can pass a Fortitude ACT roll against its rank value as an opposing intensity. Age control / others can modify the age of its target as is desired, though the effects of such sudden, onset aging are rapidly debilitating. On average, a character will lose -1 RS of one physical and one mental trait for each decade of aging past their 'prime'. If reverting someone to a child-like state, apply this -1 RS for every four years before they reached adulthood. Of course, there's also the lovely side effects that such extremes of age can bring, including brittle bones, being unable to reach the pedals, etc. If a character is aged so old that they should be long dead and buried, or is rendered so young that their age would be a negative number, they will simply vanish in a puff of light and smoke. This doesn't actually kill the target, so much as file them and their mass away in another dimension temporarily; their existence has been rendered momentarily moot. The effects of age control / others generally only lasts for a short period of time. A red power ACT will let the power's effects last a number of turns equal to its power rank number, while a blue ACT roll multiplies this amount of time by ten, and a yellow ACT extends it to a like number of hours. It occasionally lasts longer however, acting to permanently renew, revitalize, or hobble its target. Occurrences of this stripe are most often accompanied by other weird happenings going on with the character at the same time, such as radiation exposure, Probability Fallout, and the like. They're not the sort of thing one can really bank on in play, they just sort of 'happen'; an instance of permanent age modification is most likely something the Gamemaster will use to advance the plot somehow. Mind you, this effect can be obtained regularly as an extreme enhancement to age control / others. Such enhancements often take the form of revolutionary, futuristic aging treatments, the weird emanations of 'exotic' matter characters might blunder into, or other such oddities. Aging too far either direction in a 'permanent' state is considered a lethal attack however - something to bear in mind. Age Control / Self Type: Physical Control Power, Personal Spell, Metapsi Skill, Psimotive Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: age control / others, longevity, regeneration, regenerative armor. The curious ability of age control allows its possessor to, for all intents and purposes, alter his or her apparent age. One may do so (in either direction) by a number of years equal to this power rank value. There is no upper limit to the age a character can assume, though certain extremes can be increasingly dangerous; advanced age makes one particularly injury-prone, while a prenatal state makes one helpless. While at a differing age, one gains all the benefits and penalties of such a change. One might receive a senior citizen discount while roaming around as a centenarian, but they'd be rather likely to fall and break their hip. Similarly, being incredibly young might let someone get away with things that an adult otherwise couldn't - though they're also less physically capable at the same time. If a character possessing longevity uses this ability, their age will be altered as if they did not have that ability in the first place (otherwise, the two powers would be mutually exclusive). Aggregation Type: Matter Control Power, Psimotive Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: atomic sense, device generation, matter absorption, matter duplication, matter generation, organism generation, summoning, teleformation, teleportation, teleportation / others, transmutation. Aggregation is the ability to summon forth materials from far and wide, collecting them in a single location. Said materials can be just about anything the character desires - as long as they actually exist, at least - ranging from a glass of water to a pile of gold to a mountain of gophers! In lieu of matter generation or transmutation, aggregation is a great way to assemble materials for a given project - and fast! This power can draw forth any number of items or substances, within a few constraints. The first is that aggregation can only aggregate a finite amount of material at a time. Each turn aggregation is used, it may collect its power rank value in pounds from the surrounding environment. If a character wishes to aggregate a larger amount of material, he or she simply has to spend the appropriate number of turns. For example, let us say Carl the Constructor is attempting to gather materials for a new project he has in mind with his rank value 20 aggregation. He wishes very much to build a gleaming skyscraper out on his vast plot of land in Arizona. To start with, Carl aggregates the readily available materials required to create the concrete foundation - and can summon forth twenty pounds of it each turn, until he has what he needs. Aggregation's second constraint is that the substance in question must actually be present within range of this power's wielder for it to function properly; aggregation works on the desired items or substances within Middle range of its possessor. If there isn't enough of whatever the character is looking for, the power will 'only' collect every last scrap of their desired substance within range. As Carl's construction proceeds apace, he finds himself thinking that an osmium alloy frame for his building would rule. The problem is that there isn't that much osmium on the earth - particularly within his nominal twenty-two sector (half mile) range. Making a ruling, the Gamemaster decides that he collects every last bit of osmium within a half mile sphere, and generously dumps a few grams of the metal at Carl's feet. The third limitation of aggregation is that it cannot summon parts of (i.e., disassemble) a continuous object. This can be a problem if the only source of whatever the character is aggregating is in a chunk larger than they can manage in one turn. To agglomerate larger objects, the possessor of this power must focus it on them for a number of turns equal to their weight divided by the power rank value. When the osmium idea fell through, Carl decided to go with an ordinary steel frame for his modern tower. Luckily, the land he bought was relatively well populated with iron ore, and he gained a large amount of it somewhat quickly. However, the final chunk of available iron was all lumped together in one solid mass. To aggregate this lump of metal, Carl had to focus his power on it for one hundred turns! The complexity of what the character is attempting to aggregate will determine the difficulty of the required ACT roll. A red ACT can conjure forth simple substances, ranging from atomic gold to A+ blood. Blue power ACT rolls are necessary when collecting manufactured items, whether they be a pile of pennies or the latest smartphones. Yellow power ACTs can even summon living beings, if the character wants! Most of the materials Carl was attempting to aggregate for the eventual construction of his tower were inert, mundane compounds, so he only required red power ACTs when drawing them forth. However, that last bit of metal was surprisingly difficult to collect, requiring a blue power ACT. Imagine Carl's shock when, upon the execution of this power, that lump of metal turned out to be an alien probe buried on his land! Alchemical Analysis Type: Alchemy Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Wielding this utility spell, an alchemist can analyze a compound and determine just what it's made of. When used against 'mundane' concoctions, an alchemist can determine what went into making it with a mere red spell check. This allows an alchemist to easily break down the ingredients list of almost anything, even if the spell doesn't explain the process used to produce the final result. On the other hand, if used on magical formulas, the alchemist must pass their ACT against the value that compound provides upon consumption. This is never an automatic action, as magic alters the very nature of a thing it is mixed into, and deciphering what went into a magical recipe is always a little bit tricky. If this roll is successful, the alchemist will at least know what was used to make a magical formulas. Even if, again, he or she doesn't know how a substance's component materials were enchanted beforehand, much less the specific instructions to reproduce it. However, this often underrated ability makes it a lot easier for alchemists to produce new magical compounds on their own - namely, by seeing how others are already doing it. Alteration Type: Group Spell Duration: per each individual spell granted Cost: 2 points per rank value Alteration is one of the thirteen known group spells available to wizards. It is a collection of abilities that allows the caster to change their own body for the better, sometimes drastically so, as the need arises. Once a day, upon first casting the Alteration spell, a mage may choose any one of the following six spell effects, at which point alteration's outcome will be set for the rest of the day: Contact Absorption, Growth / Self, Healing / Self, Invisibility / Self, Reformation, or Shrinking / Self. However, should the caster of alteration wish to retain its fluid nature for a time, he or she may forego choosing which effect it will manifest, leaving such to the whims of chance. If one does so, alteration will produce one of its potential outcomes randomly, as indicated below, though sorcerers achieving a 'bonus' result may choose alteration's effect and keep its effects fluid for its next use. Random Alteration Results 01-02 Bonus! 03-18 Contact Absorption 19-34 Growth / Self 35-50 Healing / Self 51-66 Invisibility / Self 67-82 Reformation 83-98 Shrinking / Self 99-00 Bonus! Amplification Type: Power Control Power Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: ability boost, attenuation, buttress, fortune control, power amplification, psionic amplification, sorcerous amplification, theonic amplification. Amplification is a power which lets its wielder enhance - significantly - the performance of another person's traits. When activated, the amplifier can choose to boost the Melee, Coordination, Brawn, Fortitude, Intellect, Awareness, or Willpower of their target, and enhance it to a value that is equal to this power in value - or the value of the enhanced trait +1 RS, whichever of the two is higher. The effects of amplification last only 1d10 turns, unless specifically concentrated upon. Once it wears off, amplification cannot be used on the same trait of the same target for an hour - without degrading its overall effectiveness, that is. For each additional use without this 'cool down' period, reduce the effective boost that amplification can provide by -1 RS - until it offers no further benefit. One's Health or Fortune score should be temporarily recalculated to account for the character's newly found abilities; this can cause problems if he or she takes severe damage before the power wears off, as a negative Health total upon the power's termination affects a body per a Kill result. Amplification may easily be limited by reducing the number of abilities it can temporarily enhance. Cutting it back to either physical or mental traits is considered a weak limitation (+1 RS or one point cost reduction), while allowing amplification to enhance but one trait is instead a strong limitation (+2 RS or two point cost reduction). Melee can count as either a physical or mental ability for this purpose. Amplification works within Very Near distance of its possessor. Anchor Type: Movement Power, Dimensional Spell, Psimotive Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: space control, temporal static. By means of the anchor ability, a character binds themselves to their current trajectory in seven-dimensional space. What this means is that, once anchor is invoked, its wielder will continue to move as he or she was before, and cannot easily be dislodged from said movement. Typically, this is used to literally root a body in place, on say a floor, wall, or ceiling, to hold them steady for other purposes. So what's all this business about trajectory? No matter where you are in the world, you're always moving. While standing motionless, your body is still on a planetary body that is rotating while orbiting a star that is itself circling a galactic core, etc. You're also continually moving through time, albeit at the same rate everyone else usually is. Anchor merely ensures you don't stray from this path, as the ability sees it, from its point of activation. This means that upon being activated, anchor will prevent you from being swayed from your current course, whether you were stationary or on the move. It also keeps you from being shifted in time or space - or through other dimensions. Defeating an anchor requires overwhelming its given power rank value. While using anchor in a (relatively) stationary position is a simple proposition, using it while on the move can be fraught with peril, especially if you encounter objects in your path. Loose objects, like water or bowling pins or even people, will simply be shoved out of the way. But a larger object, such as a concrete bunker, will not - resolve such collisions as per a charging attack based on the anchor power rank value. If the m.v. of this object or structure exceeds the rank of the anchor ability, it will disrupt the anchor and cause it to immediately fail. Either way, the anchored character is immune to the damage caused by such attacks, which allows them to (with an anchor power of high enough value) inflict serious damage on large and inanimate objects ranging from trees to battleships. Animal Control Type: Biological Control Power, Empathic Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: animal hybridization / others, biological sense, empathy, organism generation, plant control, summoning. While animal sympathy allows one to 'speak' with non-sentient animal life forms of various kinds, animal control enables its wielder to actually direct their actions! This generally requires but a red power ACT roll, since defeating an animal's Willpower score is most often child's play, though such an ACT is never considered automatic in nature. Special considerations might make this action considerably more difficult, however. A pet, for instance, will not readily turn against its owner - assuming it is treated well. The act of turning such animals against their friends, however temporarily, requires a blue power ACT. A special animal companion, one which engages in battle alongside its owner, can only be turned against that person on a yellow power ACT roll - these animals are highly disciplined and especially attached to their human. Alternately, an animal controller can attempt to take control of a large number of animals at once (a swarm of insects, a school of fish, etc.). This also requires a blue power ACT roll, as touching the minds of that many animals is rather involved. This ACT must be repeated each turn, or else the grouping of animals will rapidly resume control of their own destinies (such as they are). At any rate, once control is achieved, an animal controller can direct his or her thrall(s) to perform any action desired. Controlled animals will perform these tasks to the best of their ability, and do not creatively interpret their instructions. This is why it's important for an animal controller to plainly explain, usually with small words, what he or she wants the animal to do - they're not intelligent, after all! Control of an animal will generally last for 1d10 turns per application of this power, unless its wielder specifically focuses on maintaining his or her influence for longer. It can affect any animal within Near distance of its possessor, unless said animal is some sort of special companion of their own; if this is the case, the range of animal control is extended to Middle distances. An animal controller can significantly enhance this ability with limitations, if desired. A weak limitation might involve constraining animal control to a general animal class (birds, mammals). A strong limitation would restrain the power further (primates, spiders), a very strong limitation would only work on specific species (osprey, red frog crab), and an extreme limitation would work only on a specific animal (or group of such). Animal Hybridization / Others Type: Biological Control Power, Universal Spell, Empathic Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: animal hybridization / self, animal control, gestalting, growth / others, plant hybridization / others, shrinking / others, topological control, transformation / others. This potent ability allows its wielder to modify other life forms, namely by combining their inherent characteristics with that of animal life! When this power is first gained, one can only add the characteristics of one form of animal to others. This represents a deep familiarity with the physiology of said animal type, and additional familiarities (i.e., animal forms) can be obtained as power stunts. Any living creature can be the recipient of such hybridization, whether it is a human, a dog, or even a tree. Such a transformation can be either partial or total, depending on the whims of this power's possessor. This can either give an affected life form the abilities of the new animal type, or change them fully into the chosen animal form (altering their physical traits, if applicable, appropriately). Abilities gained by the target of this power will typically function at a maximum rank value that is equal to its own. They may operate at less, depending on the nature of the transformations it can cause, but are limited in such a fashion to represent the ability of this power's possessor to emulate their chosen form of animal life. Physical weaponry isn't normally affected by this limitation, however, since it usually uses set modifiers. A vital consideration is the both the size of the target and the nature of a transformation, if it is complete. Turning a redwood tree into a fly would make for an immense fly, while transforming a cricket into a tyrannosaurus rex would create an absolutely tiny dinosaur. This problem cannot be bypassed without use of the growth / others and shrinking / others abilities (either as separate powers or as power stuns). Another thing to bear in mind is that the target will retain whatever cognitive abilities it usually possesses, even if such a characteristic would normally be different in its final form. A tree transformed into a dog will be quite clueless about almost everything, at least at first, while a dog given opposable thumbs may take some time to figure out how to properly use them. Wielding animal hybridization / others requires physical contact with the target. The target can avoid the effects of this power by preventing physical contact with its wielder - or having resistance to metabolic attacks. The effects of changes, whether partial or complete, take place almost instantly; the target of this power can be an attack dog one second and a sheep the next - which may confound it considerably! Generally, the transformative effects of this power are transient in nature. On a red power ACT, it will last for a number of turns equal to its power rank value. Blue successes raise this to a number of minutes equal to the power rank value, and a yellow ACT roll will extend the time such a transformation lasts a number of hours equal to the power rank value! On rare occurrences, this power's effects can be permanent. The wielder of animal hybridization / others has no control over this; it's simply something that just 'happens' sometimes. Perhaps something occurred to that fern you turned into a rodent that caused it to remain in that state, or the tusks you gave that kid to amuse yourself agreed with their physiology so well that they just sort of 'stuck'. The Gamemaster is the final arbiter of such instances, which occasionally gives him or her a tool to introduce quirky additions or alterations to the campaign. Animal Hybridization / Self Type: Physical Control Power, Personal Spell, Metapsi Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: animal hybridization / others, animal sympathy, plant hybridization, shape change. Animal hybridization is the process of transforming oneself into another creature. This involves an innate familiarity with the biological processes of said animal, which lets the character with this ability mold their bodily functions and anatomy until it changes from its original state into the new one. Such transformations may be partial (adopting some traits of the animal) or complete (adopting the full form of the animal). Complete transformations allow the wielder of this ability to use all of the creature's trait values and special powers - including its Health points. Visually, the character will appear to be a perfectly normal specimen of the animal species, though they'll retain the same scent, still being genetically human (or whatever their original form is). Of course, the character will also retain their original intellect while transformed. Even if this power involves changing one's form into a non-sentient creature as a general matter of course. Partial transformations allow the wielder of this ability to pick and choose which facets of his or her anatomy are changed. One might simply want the claws of a lion, instead of changing into one outright. This allows one to use animal hybridization more discreetly if desired, either adopting specific physical capabilities or simply changing one's appearance for purely cosmetic reasons (like wearing a mane). When this ability is first gained, its possessor may originally only transform into one specific kind of animal, but may adopt additional transformations (into different animals) as a power stunt - for each - at their leisure. Typically, 'powers' gained by the use of this ability are limited to the animal hybridization rank value in effectiveness - save for powers such as physical weaponry, which have no specific rank value. Animal Sympathy Type: Biological Control Power, Personal Spell, Empathic Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: animal control, animal hybridization / self, animal hybridization / self, biological sense, device sympathy, empathy, linguistics, object sympathy, organic circuitry, organism generation, plant sympathy, summoning. Animal sympathy is the ability to mentally communicate with non-sentient animal life forms. One can usually tell whether or not this power will work on a given creature by the presence or absence of a Fortune score - Fortune denotes free will, the presence of a soul, and all that business. The target of this power, then, can include beings ranging from amoebas to dinosaurs, though the more complex they are, the better. More empathic than telepathic in nature, animal sympathy lets its wielder get 'inside' the head of its target, to have a conversation of sorts with it. Since they aren't intelligent, animals will generally prove to be somewhat simplistic in communication. They can definitely share their impressions of the world and everything in it (such as they are), as well as pass on information about things they've experienced. The quality of such recollections depend on how advanced an animal form is. Mammals of any stripe, being similar to one's own biology, can be communicated with on a red power ACT. Blue ACT rolls are necessary to speak with somewhat different life forms, whether they're birds or reptiles. One can even talk to insects and amoebas and the like, though such 'alien' life forms require a yellow ACT with this power. Animal sympathy generally functions within Near range of its wielder. Furthermore, it usually requires that the wielder of this power and its target can sense each other through mundane means as well. This is not necessary if the character with animal sympathy knows the target of this power, and its range is extended to Middle distance in the event of communications with a trusted animal partner. Annulment Type: Universal Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value This handy enchantment allows a sorcerer to negate the effects of a spell, disrupting the matrix of energies that keep it active and causing it to fail. This is not an explosive failure, at least not directly; by annulling a spell, a wizard simply causes it to stop functioning. Of course, if said spell was preventing something calamitous from occurring, well, explosions may then result. Annulment works by comparing its spell rank value against the spell to be canceled. This functions per the normal intensity rules, though no annulment will ever be automatic - negating sorcery is always a bit complicated, no matter its strength. Whether or not this action is successful, the thaumaturge whose spell was attacked by annulment will know what happened, if it is a spell they are actively maintaining. While this effect is permanent on ordinary spells, it is not so on magical objects. An annulment spell can temporarily prevent the magic portions of items from working for 1d10 turns, a duration that applies to both regular items and alchemical concoctions. If an annulled potion (or whatever) is imbibed, its effects cannot start until the annulment expires. Anonymity Type: Entreatism Spell Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired Cost: 1 point per rank value This spell offers exactly what is described on the tin, so to speak, for the enterprising entreatist. What anonymity does is generally 'mask' the caster's identity to make him or her appear to be no one special. By seeming nondescript, an entreatist can avoid being noticed by whatever entities they call on for power, which is a good thing when you have to lean on one source of power excessively. When cast, anonymity will last for 1d10 turns by itself, though a mage may continue to keep this spell going after this time by actively maintaining it. Assuming a successful spell roll, nothing that readily identifies the caster will be 'given up' when entreating any particular entity or place of power, which does assist a caster in keeping themselves off the hook with said entities. This can be done for proactive or reactive reasons. An entreatist may want to avoid generating notice in the first place, or alternately may have already gained such notice, and is trying to avoid building more notoriety with a given source of power. Either way, it works rather well as long as it is used intelligently; sometimes, even when this spell is in play, an entity may take notice of the person drawing power from it. This is more a situational problem than anything else. For instance, an entreatist may try to draw power from an odd locale the entity has never heard of before, or perhaps he or she tries to do so from ground actively hostile to their source. When this occurs, the power source may also take notice of the anonymity spell, which can cause further complications for the caster down the line. In the end, it comes down on the entreatist to decide when the best time to be anonymous is, and when he or she should instead broadcast their identity for the whole multiverse to see! Antideionic Attack Type: Entreatism Spell, Theonic Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value A singularly potent way to assault a deific being, this ability allows its possessor to draw forth a negatively charged bundle of the evolved life force which marks a deific being as such. This bundle takes the form of an energy attack, one which inflicts power rank value Deionic (De) damage with each devastating use, a type of assault that few individuals have the capability to withstand for long. While few mortal defenses are proof against an antideionic attack, this power is also quite effective against those that are deific in nature. When wielded against any protection that has its basis in deionic energies, like as an aura of such or perhaps a god-forged armor suit of some kind, an antideionic attack will take on an Armor Piercing component. Antideionic attacks function within Near distance of this power's possessor. Direct exposure to antideionic energy prompts a Willpower ACT roll against its power value, the failure of which will prevent the use of one's theonic powers for 1d10 turns. This represents the mutual annihilation caused by deionic / antideionic energy interaction, and the time required for one to replenish their supply of deific energy afterwards - along with a bit of radiation-induced fatigue. Antigravity Type: Reality Control Power, Psimotive Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: damage reduction, deflection, flight, gravity control, hostility screen, super flight, space control. With gravity being defined as the attractive force that all matter exerts on other matter, antigravity is thus a repulsive force, working instead to push all matter away. In its basic form, antigravity can be used to apply this repulsive force to any objects its wielder desires, as long as they are within Near distance of their person. This force overcomes gravity and acts to separate these objects with rank value strength. Antigravity can be applied in a field effect, covering everything within range, or simply made to work on discrete objects. This lends itself to a wide variety of uses, from violently pushing an attacker away from oneself to casting everything not nailed down in the area far into the sky! Moving targets can avoid this effect with a dodge maneuver, if specifically targeted, as this power requires a Coordination ACT to affect them. In addition to the basic effects of this power, antigravity can be used to develop the following (and more) power stunts: * Antigravity Well: instead of making the repulsive power of antigravity work between two or more objects, the wielder of this power can simply craft an antigravity well. This is one object that exerts antigravity on everything around it, thus acting as a repulsion field of power rank value strength. Depending on relative masses between objects involved, the antigravity well may be caused to 'bounce' all over the area. * Damage Reduction / Deflection: by projecting antigravitational waves, the character with this power can blunt both the accuracy and intensity of damage delivered through a physical medium. This applies to most physical attacks, save for perhaps Force damage, unless it is delivered by a material medium (such as a column of air). This stunt usually applies 1 RS of both forms of mitigation (unless bought at a higher level, that is). * Flight: by making one's body emit antigravity until it overwhelms local gravity conditions, the character with this power can achieve flight! This effect works at the power value -1 RS, as some energy is lost simply resisting the tug of the earth (or whatever surface is close by). A character with antigravity can steer simply by directing antigravitational energy in the direction opposing their intended destination. * Repulsor Beam: refining one's antigravity into a concussive pulse, the possessor of this power can simulate the effects of the force blast power. This blast of repulsive energy inflicts Force damage on whatever it hits, and is also quite likely to inflict a Pound result as well. If the damage inflicted is higher than the weight intensity of the target, he or she must check against a Pound even if such a result was not rolled! Antimagic Generation Type: Psimantic Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Antimagic is a curious, normalizing form of energy, which acts to prevent spellcasters from manipulating the probabilities around them that allow magic to manifest. When cast into the environment, antimagic may be used to inflict power value Sorcerous damage, damage which carries an Armor Piercing component against magical defenses - since antimagic is the natural opposite of all magical abilities. Furthermore, a character struck with antimagic must pass a Willpower ACT against the antimagic damage suffered or lose the ability to wield magic, for up to 1d10 turns after exposure to the stuff. Antimagic is thus a favorite form of attack for those who dislike sorcerers and their ilk, as it may weaken them enough that mundane foes can make short work of them - either due to the direct damage antimagic causes or its side effects. This negation effect cuts both ways. While generating antimagic, a character cannot wield any sorcery of his or her own. Any spell the antimagic generator is currently maintaining is negated upon using this power. On the other hand, a clever use of this limitation is to negate the effects of other magic wielded against oneself by making use of this ability after being subject to hostile sorcery. Antimagic generation functions within Near distance of its wielder. Antimatter Type: Matter Control Power, Psikinetic Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 3 points per rank value Related Powers: force field, matter generation. A specialized form of matter generation, the antimatter power allows its wielder to create minute amounts of antimatter (hence the name). The amounts created are small because of the tremendous energy consumed in performing this feat, and each turn this ability is used, its possessor loses one Health point in exchange. But once the cost is 'paid', the wielder of this power will have some antimatter for their own, personal use. The problem with this is that antimatter annihilates spectacularly upon contact with conventional matter. This annihilation involves an explosive discharge of energy in the form of gamma radiation, which blankets the detonation sector fully. This blast inflicts power rank value 2x AP Energy damage, and carries an SD radiation effect, which inflicts Metabolic damage as long as it persists. To generate significant amounts of antimatter, one must make use of protective, vacuum-sealed force fields, which prevent antimatter from coming into contact with ordinary mass of any stripe. This allows one to build up enough antimatter to perform more practical tasks with it, ranging from a study of the properties of such bizarre matter to creating fuel to power reactors or even to serve as the payload for weapons! For every doubling of time used to generate antimatter, one can improve the intensity of such (for the purposes of explosive annihilation) by +1 RS. Each turn this is done, however, the area affected by such a blast is increased by one sector. For example, making antimatter in a protective vacuum bubble for eight turns increases the damage caused upon its collapse by +3 RS, and said blast would cover eight sectors! The difficulty in doing this, however, is that the force field must match the intensity of the potential resultant explosion to contain such large amounts of the volatile antimatter. One with a rank value 2 antimatter power could conceivably generate enough material (with time) to produce a rank value 500 blast, but they would require a force field of like power to contain it all to do so. The creation of such force fields is not an inherent function of this ability, and must be wielded separately - either as a technological aid or a distinct super-power. Antimatter itself only functions within Very Near distance of its wielder, making it difficult to use offensively without negatively affecting oneself - particularly when creating very large amounts of the material for destructive purposes. Antipsion Generation Type: Superpsi Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value A specialized form of energy generation, antipsion generation allows its wielder to emit raw antipsions. Antipsions are similar to psions, save that they hold an opposing psionic 'charge'. They thus operate in the same basic fashion, and when used by this ability can be emitted in a raw, unshaped form. Thus, one can typically only use antipsion generation in one specific manner - as a devastating attack! When invoked, antipsion generation allows its wielder to fire a blast of raw mental energies at anything within Near distance. This beam acts like an energy attack, but affects the protection of its target (if said target has any) per Karmic damage. Thus it can even be used to damage inanimate objects, possibly wrecking them in the process. The trick is such energies tend to cut through defenses comprised primarily of psionic energies quite handily. If used against such a defensive ability, an antipsion blast will carry an Armor Piercing effect, drastically increasing the damage it can inflict. This might also prevent the target from using psionic powers, as the antipsions saturating his or her body eliminate their own, stored energies on contact. Direct antipsion exposure in a blast form prompts a Willpower ACT roll against the antipsion generation power value, the failure of which will prevent the use of one's psionics for 1d10 turns. This represents the nuclear annihilation caused by psion / antipsion interaction, and the time required for one to replenish their supply of psionic energy after such (along with a bit of radiation-induced fatigue). This is a double-edged sword, however. You see, while generating antipsions, a psi cannot wield any of his or her ordinary psionics themselves - save for this one. The only exception to this rule is if they have polarized any of their psionics beforehand. This requires the polarization ability, of course, and usually blocks up most of one's maintainable powers at any given point in time, but can be a devastatingly effective strategy. Apotheosis Type: Theonic Art, Deific Power Duration: permanent (no maintenance required) Cost: 4 points (flat cost) A character may work hard to garner the faith of mortal beings, and might even be able to avoid death now and then thanks to their powers - or sheer luck. However, this alone does not make him or her an immortal being. Ascending from the mortal to the immortal takes an evolution of one's life force, seeing it ascend from one state to the other, and is rarely an easy task to manage. Apotheosis, the process of becoming divine, can occur through a variety of different methods, as our fiction readily demonstrates. On occasion, one can find that which is divine within themselves through intense introspection and soul-searching. Alternately, this can happen as a result of interaction with items or energies beyond mortal ken. Other deific beings may even awaken one's divinity for reasons all their own. No matter how one manages it, an apotheosis marks an individual as more than mortal. However, this does not necessarily render one immune to death. When a character's spark of divinity is first ignited, they become a demigod, a being who can still die permanently - but has one 'extra' life. What this means is that, if their other powers don't spare them from death, a demigod has at least one 'do-over' ready to bail them out. After acquiring this 'extra' life, a demigod may work hard to acquire more. Each additional life is acquired through the completion of a grand quest, though a would-be immortal may not know what such quests entail at first. In fact, he or she may have to do research to determine which tasks they must complete to improve their bid for immortality, before actually going through with each quest in question. Through hard work and intense dedication, a demigod can eventually pile up enough lives to ascend to true immortality. The tipping point is thirteen extra lives; once this amount is reached, the demigod is therefore considered a god, and subsequently has an infinite amount of lives to lean on. This may seem the zenith of one's career - but it is most often just the end of the beginning for most immortal characters. Apotheosis itself has no rank value to speak of - one either possesses a degree of immortality or they do not. During character generation, apotheosis costs a player either one power slot (when generating a character randomly) or four points (when generating a character systematically). If a character acquires this ability after character generation, simply calculate its Fortune costs normally. Artificial Power Source Type: Technopsi Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value One of the major weaknesses of advanced technology is the incredible power requirements involved. Whether you're talking about the immense energy necessary to fire a practical laser weapon or to propel a vehicle through the inky depths of space, high tech toys need a lot of juice to function properly. And on occasion, when one runs out of said juice, it's not all that easy to go and pick up more. Enter the artificial power source ability. Using this ability, a character can provide the energy a device requires to function. It can fuel technological effects that are less than or equal to its rank value, in addition to the normal amount of power drawn when the device is operational. A rank value 40 power, for instance, could provide for up to similarly valued ground speed in a car, or like Armor Piercing Energy damage from a laser cannon. The ability can be used to power a device that possesses a higher functional intensity, but it cannot fuel the item to its full potential. That rank value 40 artificial power source ability, indicated above, could move a car at up to its value in ground speed (95.45 MPH), but if the car were capable of even greater speeds (any number of race cars fall into this category), artificial power source could not push it any faster. Assimilation Type: Matter Control Power, Alchemy Spell, Technopsi Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: device sympathy, matter absorption. The power of assimilation allows its possessor to physically absorb a device into themselves. When absorbing items, an assimilator can take an amount of techno matter into his or her body that is equal to their own weight, storing the material in the spaces between their own atoms. If one attempts to absorb more devices (whether by a little or a lot), the excess mass will protrude from their body in an obvious fashion. In addition to serving as a great way to stow items when not in use, assimilation allows its wielder to use any absorbed item as if it was an extension of their own body. This works whether a device is digital in nature (like a smartphone) or mechanically triggered (like a Zippo ™ lighter). All one needs to do to wield assimilated devices thus is to extrude them from their body - while retaining physical contact. If an opponent attempts to forcefully remove an assimilated item while it is in an extruded state, he or she must pass an ACT roll, with whatever ability or power they are using against the assimilator, opposed by this power's rank value first. Once an assimilated device is no longer in contact with its assimilator, it is no longer considered to be assimilated, and will behave normally. A sentient device may be assimilated by this power, but it is allowed a Fortitude or Willpower ACT to resist such an affront. It is allowed another such resistance ACT roll each time it is extruded for use by the assimilator, though it is by no means inert in the interim; assimilated sentient objects are fully aware of their predicament while being 'stowed away' inside someone, and can plan accordingly. As an example of this power in action, let us look at the Swiss Army Arsenal, a technopsi who weighs in at 165 pounds. For convenience, he stores all manner of tools, weapons, and other miscellaneous devices (like his 3DS ™) in his body, which is handy for preventing theft. He carries about ninety pounds of stuff within him, and may thus add seventy-five pounds more before the excess begins to 'stick out'. While adventuring, the Swiss Army Arsenal happens upon a more powerful beam weapon than one he absconded with last month; ejecting the older, weaker model, the Swiss Army Arsenal simply assimilates the new one and calls it a day. He could've kept both objects, of course, but he likes to retain a versatile roster of equipment on (or rather, in) his person at all times, to live up to his assumed name. Later on in his adventuring career, the Arsenal finds himself on an alien craft, his only means of escape being to take it over. Not trusting the shifty aliens to take him home after defeating them, and lacking the ability to control technology from a distance, he decides to assimilate it. As it weighs several hundred tons more than he, he cannot absorb the ship, so his body merges with the ship's frame only to his ankles. Even though he sticks out of it like a sore thumb and lacks mobility, he can control the craft as if it were a natural part of his body, using it to fly himself home. Were the craft intelligent, it could attempt to resist the Swiss Army Arsenal's assimilation of itself with a Willpower ACT (since ships usually lack a Fortitude score), but if this ACT failed, it would have to do his bidding until he released it from his grasp. Astral Projection Type: Mental Power, Personal Spell, Psipathic Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: clone projection, dimensional interface, dimensional transit, dream projection, energy projection, object projection, possession, psychic invisibility, soul control, spectral flame control, spectral freedom, spectral sense, telepathy. This potent ability allows a character to separate his or her consciousness from their physical body. This consciousness then moves into the astral plane, a realm of the mind adjacent to most other dimensions. From there, the character's mental projection, or astral form, can move about freely at great speed. Unencumbered by mass, a consciousness moves through the astral plane as if it were interplanetary space. This allows a body to rapidly project their mind anywhere on earth - and often far beyond - to observe events. As it is adjacent to our reality, the astral plane can be used to spy upon others with ease, doing so invisibly; unless a body has the ability to see into the astral realm or otherwise sense minds in their vicinity, he or she won't be aware that they're being observed from another plane. Projecting astrally is an action which must be maintained consciously, but this may be done for quite a while; astral projection has a maximum safe duration equal to its rank value in hours. For example, a projector with rank value 50 astral projection may shed his or her consciousness and let it wander the earth for just over two days at a time. Food and water become an issue during longer projections, however. This is because, while astrally projecting, the character's body remains in a coma-like state, burning little energy (per the Trance skill). It must have air to breathe, but it is otherwise inert, and need not consume food or water until the projection is complete - at which point the astral projector, if they've been gone for a good long time, may need to consume large amounts of food and water to recover. While astral, the character effectively has no body - a seemingly obvious fact - which may cause complications in the event of astral combat. While astral, one's Melee remains the same, though they must substitute Awareness for Coordination, Intellect for Brawn, and Willpower for Fortitude when necessary. Any magic, psionic, or deionic items a projector possesses will 'make the trip' with them, as a part of their self-image. Mind you, unless sentient themselves, such implements function on the astral plane at a -1 RS. While astral bodies can fight each other directly, they cannot exert physical force on the 'real' world. They may wield abilities of the psionic sort against those on the material plane, such as telepathy or mind control, and they can control magic, psionic, or deionic items on their person from afar if necessary. But working against the physical world directly requires the use of the dimensional interface ability. This allows astral effects to be wielded against physical targets normally, though the reverse is also true; an astrally projecting character who has interfaced his mind with normal reality can attack targets within, but they can attack back as well. Atomic Sense Type: Sensory Power, Alchemy Spell, Metapsi Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: danger sense, environmental sense, microscopic vision, object sympathy, super senses, transparent vision. Atomic sense is an ability which allows its wielder to 'sweep' a given area for atoms. It works within a space as described on Middle range table, giving the character with this sensory ability a very wide radius with which to find what he or she is looking for. For example, a hero with an atomic sense of rank value 20 can scan anywhere within 22 sectors of his or her person for all kinds of matter. Finding pure, uncombined elements simply requires a red atomic sense result, while locating a specific kind of molecular compound takes a blue result. Yellow results are usually only necessary when trying to uncover matter of a non-standard sort, such as campaign-specific uber-materials, or those which behave differently due to being saturated by magical, psionic, or deionic energies. Attenuation Type: Power Control Power, Universal Spell Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: amplification, fortune control, nimiety, power attenuation, psionic attenuation, sorcerous attenuation, theonic attenuation. Attenuation is the power to reduce one or more traits of another, often a great means of containing whatever damage they can cause. Attenuation works within Near range of its wielder, and an application of attenuation lasts for 1d10 turns, unless the power is specifically maintained on a target for longer periods of time - often a good idea with particularly powerful opponents. A character with attenuation can reduce a targeted trait by 1 RS for each rank value of attenuation they possess, to a minimum of rank value 2. For example, consider the Wet Blanket, a villainess who makes herself seem more impressive by dampening the capabilities of others in her presence. Having rank value 75 attenuation, she can reduce a trait by -9 RS - which can seriously ruin someone's day! Attenuating a trait works if said trait fails a resistance ACT against this power's intensity. The Wet Blanket's foes, then, would find themselves automatically attenuated if the trait she targets is of rank value 40 or less, could resist with a yellow ACT if of rank value 50, on a blue ACT if of like (75) rank value, and with a red ACT if ranging from rank value 100 to 200. Rank value 500 or higher traits could shrug her power off automatically, without dice. A versatile power, attenuation can be wielded against more than one trait - whether they belong to one character or many. The trick, though, is that each doubling (always rounding up) of traits so dampened will reduce the effective rank value of attenuation by -1 RS - both for the purposes of overcoming the traits it is used against, and the maximum number of Row Shifts it can inflict upon them. Returning to our Wet Blanket of an example, let's say she likes to always be the smartest person in the room. Upon entering her night classes, she uses attenuation against all twelve of her fellow students, targeting their Intellect trait. This reduces her effective attenuation rank value by -4 RS (one doubled four times is sixteen), to rank value 20. However, she can still reduce the Intellect of her 'foes' by -5 RS. An attenuator can reduce this penalty somewhat by attempting to hamper less of a trait than their maximum. For each -2 RS he or she chooses not to apply to the traits they are attacking, an attenuator can prevent the operating rank value of their power from losing -1 RS of its overall effectiveness. This may not completely neuter their foes, but allows an attenuator to 'even the playing field' considerably. Later that night, when attempting to extend her territory, the Wet Blanket is faced with a rival's thugs. Attacking the four physical traits of her eight foes, she would suffer a -5 RS penalty (one doubled five times is thirty-two), which would reduce her to rank value 10, and allow for -4 RS in trait attenuation. By choosing only -2 RS of such, the Wet Blanket can force resistance ACTs against rank value 20, instead. One can limit attenuation by tying it only to physical traits (Melee, Coordination, Brawn, or Fortitude) or mental traits (Melee, Intellect, Awareness, or Willpower). Note that Melee, being both a physical and a mental trait, shows up in both lists. Doing this is considered a weak limitation, raising the rank value of attenuation by +1 RS (or lowering the cost of the power by one point). Attenuation can alternately be limited such that it works on just one trait (for example, Brawn). Doing this is considered a strong limitation, raising the rank value of attenuation by +2 RS (or, similarly, reducing the cost by two). A similarly potent limitation involves allowing attenuation to work on only one person at a time. Augury Type: Personal Spell, Empathic Skill Duration: encounter Cost: 1 point per rank value By performing an augury, characters can gain limited insight into the immediate future. After studying a target (or targets) for a total of three turns (not necessarily sequential), the augur can invoke this ability. He or she will then gain a solid inkling regarding the actions of said target(s). What this allows them to do, then, is to put off deciding on their actions until his or her opponents have declared their own. This benefit functions regardless of who has the initiative, and for the duration of a fight, thus giving the augur a significant advantage as he or she never has to worry about changing actions. After all, they already knows what's going to happen... at least, unless a foe changes his or her actions after declaring them. The only time the augury rank value comes into play is if two augurs are duking it out against each other. A player character must pass an augury action against the intensity of an NPC opponent's augury ability to gain the normal benefit. If two player character augurs are slugging it out, go with the higher rank value of the two to determine the advantage, and if they are equal, have each roll a d100. Whoever gets the higher die roll wins and gains the benefit of augury for the duration of that fight. Aura Type: Physical Control Power, Elementalism Spell, Philosophical Spell Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: various energy and matter generation powers. An aura is a protective sort of shell that a character may produce around their body. It can be comprised of either matter or energy, as is desired, but a character typically only begins play with one form of aura. To acquire more auras, a character must either purchase them as weak enhancements to this power during character generation, reduce its rank value by -1 RS for each, or develop them later as power stunts. If material, an aura can consist of any form of matter desired, though the power cannot produce a protective coating of a material value greater than its own power rank value. For example, a rank value 6 aura could readily concoct an ice or wood cocoon around its possessor, but could not do so with titanium steel. An aura can simulate materials of a higher m.v. than its power value, but its m.v. is capped at this level. An energy aura, on the other hand, can be of any form of such extant in Edition 13 of the 4C System. An energy aura can be comprised of anything, from lightning to darkness to spectral flames to antideionic life force! Such an aura will inflict its power rank value in damage, of the appropriate type, upon direct physical contact with others - which makes an energy aura a great aversive defense. The form of matter or energy that comprises an aura will determine any additional effects the power can provide, if necessary. Fire, for example, will have a tendency to cause things in the character's vicinity to ignite, while buckyballs will make someone almost impossible to grapple. Effects that would neutralize or commandeer an aura (a fire extinguisher, or perhaps the appropriate matter control) must defeat its power value to work. Characters with an aura can move normally while it is active. The possessor of this power subconsciously shapes their aura around their body when movement is required, preventing it from harming them (if applicable). Alternately, the power can produce uncontrolled, 'jointed' auras, resembling a suit of armor made out of whatever the aura is comprised of, though this creates holes in the protection it provides (weak limitation). If made of energy, an aura will offer its possessor power value protection from assault per a personal force field (possibly modified by its energy type). On the other hand, a character with a solid aura will receive like body armor - if their aura is at least two inches thick. If one's aura is smaller in thickness, it cannot fully protect its possessor from injury, and thus provides -1 RS protection from attack instead. If an aura is destroyed, the character must simply make another one, which takes up a full action. This may not be immediately possible if the cause of the previous aura's demise is still present (a character with an aura of fire being doused in fire retardant foam). If taken over by other powers, one must either rebuild their aura anew or reclaim control of it from whoever stole it. Auscultation Type: Mental Power, Entreaty Spell, Psipathic Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: danger sense, lie detection, telepathy, sensory reception, thought projection. Engaging in conversation with others psionically involves telepathic contact between two or more individuals, allowing for proper, back and forth communication between all parties involved. Simply eavesdropping on the thoughts of others, however, is a much simpler affair. People are always thinking things all the time, and aren't really attempting to hide or cover up what's going through their heads at all. Auscultation involves opening up one's mind to the random radiation of thoughts from all individuals within one's immediate area, as is defined by Very Near range. While auscultation is active, its wielder can 'hear' all the thoughts occurring within this ability's range, which can often be a very large jumble of gibberish; think of all the random thoughts that occur to you in a given moment, and multiply that by many people at once. However, auscultation has a variety of uses. For one thing, the wielder of this ability can 'scan' all of these ambient thoughts when trying to find a singular person in a crowd. By listening in on every thought everyone present is inadvertently broadcasting, the wielder of auscultation can pick out the thought (or range of thoughts) that belong to the person he or she is looking for, even if they're not sure who that person is. A passive power by nature, auscultation requires no ACT roll if the persons being listened in on are unaware of this ability's use, or are not guarding their thoughts any. If someone suspects their minds are being listened in on, however, they may attempt a Willpower ACT roll against this power intensity to shield their thoughts from its use. If successful, the wielder of this ability won't know anything has been 'covered up'. If this action fails, though, they'll realize someone's trying to hide something from them, and can then try to narrow down just who it is. And why! Avatar Type: Theonic Talent, Faith Power Duration: instantaneous when building an avatar, maintenance when driving one Cost: 2 points per rank value An avatar is a sort of surrogate body, a spare self that one can create to perform a variety of functions - without actually being present in a given area. A deific being may only have one avatar active at any moment in time, but may build as many as he or she desires - the better to guide their flock to greater glory... or perhaps to simply avoid placing oneself at risk of serious harm or death. To craft an avatar, deifics must first spend one point of faith energy to fashion the core of their new, secondary body. After this, he or she must then pay one point of faith energy for each rank value in each physical trait above rank value 6 - as well as one point of faith energy for each rank value in every ascendant power the avatar will have access to, multiplied by the point cost of the power in question. These powers need not be those the deific being normally possesses. An avatar's physical traits and powers can be 'bought' at any rank a deific desires - with an upper limit of the avatar power rank value, that is. On the other hand, a deific being need not spend faith to equip an avatar with mental attributes, nor are they limited to avatar's power rank value. This is because it is the deific's own mind that animates an avatar; when not in use, an avatar is simply inert matter. If destroyed, no harm will come to the deific being animating an avatar - the only disadvantage of losing an avatar is the loss of the faith energy used in creating it... and the expenditure one must make to craft another (if necessary). When building a new proxy body for themselves, deifics need only roll a red power ACT. However, it takes time to forge a new physical body for oneself; one can only generate an amount of bodily matter with this ability, in pounds, equal to their power rank value each turn. Thus, building a three hundred pound body with a rank value 50 avatar power would require six full turns. When first generating an avatar's body, one's own frame suffers serious strain. The personal energies lost on each turn of an avatar's creation is equal to one Health point, which isn't such a big deal when building small bodies for oneself to inhabit, but can add up fast when you're trying to make monstrously large forms. This Health loss must be recovered in whatever fashion is normal for the wielder of avatar. Awe Type: Theonic Talent, Faith Power Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value When mortal beings are directly subject to the divine, their minds find the occurrence difficult to cope with. By projecting a wave of godly presence, a deific can interrupt whatever mortals in their vicinity (within Very Near distance) were doing, causing them to behave in a manner that is dependent on the differences in philosophical bent between the immortal entity and said mortals. Mortal beings subject to divine awe are so interrupted if they fail a Willpower ACT roll against awe's power rank value. If awed mortals are of the same philosophical leaning (good, perhaps), they will typically go out of their way to help him or her, as if subject to mesmerism. If of opposing morality, however, a deific being will inspire great fear in the mortals before him or her, as if victimizing them with emotion control. Finally, those who are neutral to the deity's cause will typically just stop short, potentially drooling in amazement at him or her. ** B ** Bands Type: Universal Spell Duration: encounter Cost: 1 point per rank value The bands spell is used as a means of containing a foe. Bands themselves do not inflict damage upon their target, instead wrapping around it to keep it in place - and from being able to act. They need not take the form of actual bands, however; the spell can manifest as rope, thread, nets, rings, vapors, chains, or anything else the caster desires, as long as it is consistent in general. Bands function with an equivalent Brawn (or m.v). equal to the bands' spell rank value. This is the value a target must dodge against to avoid bands, or alternately to attempt an escape against if already contained by them. If the spellcaster has achieved a yellow result when attacking with their bands, they may have inflicted one means of spellcasting restraint (if those optional rules are in play), depending on their nature. Bands in the form of rope can tie a target's hands to prevent the casting of spells with gesticular components, for example, or vapors of thick, ashen smoke may blind a foe to prevent them targeting others with spells. The use of bands do not actually require maintenance, in that a mage need not concentrate on keeping them active. This allows a sorcerer to contain multiple targets with this spell. However, they do require his or her active will to continue functioning. If the wizard who generated a set of bands is knocked unconscious or leaves the area, the bands will dissipate - possibly leaving them vulnerable to further retaliation. Bane of Lies Type: Entreaty Spell Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired Cost: 1 point per rank value A spell devised by Kittu that he is more than happy to empower for others, bane of lies punishes those who engage in falsehoods before its caster. When invoked, bane of lies prompts a Willpower ACT against its spell value, the failure of which subjects the target to its effect. Namely, every time they lie while the spell is active, they will be engulfed in spectral flames, suffering spell value Karmic damage as a result. Bane of lies lasts for 1d10 turns when cast, though the spell can be maintained if its wielder desires. Typically, a singular act of prevarication is all that is required to keep the subject of this spell on the straight and narrow over the course of a conversation, so maintenance is rarely necessary. However, extended inquests might require maintenance to prevent deception by the subject for their entire duration. Banishment Type: Dimensional Spell, Psimotive Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 3 points per rank value A drastic measure to be sure, banishment involves physically ejecting a body from their current plane of existence. While this may seem extreme, it beats killing someone outright, while getting them out of your hair at the same time - possibly for the rest of your life. To dispose of a target, a banisher must pass a power ACT against the Willpower of their foe (or an anchor, if its rank value is higher). If this ACT is successful, the target is flung from the universe entirely - but where to? To determine this, make a second power ACT. If this second ACT fails, the banisher has merely 'skipped' the target out of our realm of existence for 1d10 turns, and he or she will bounce back to cause further trouble as soon as that duration has expired. Not nearly as permanent a solution as promised, which you can see. A red ACT, on the other hand, will remove the target from this plane of existence, returning them to their plane of origin. This is a good tool against extradimensional invaders, but what of people who are native to the plane the banisher is on? They will be ejected as per a failed ACT, but will remain out of 'sync' with the current space-time for 1d100 turns, instead. A bit longer, but still less than permanent. A blue ACT roll will achieve a permanent banishing. What this does is bounce the target to another, random dimension. Which one? Nobody knows, really. The whole idea is to simply get rid of a body, not to point them in a specific direction here. Banishment could transport them to an idyllic heaven or perhaps a realm wholly hostile to life as we know it. But, without an actual body to speak of, who will ever know? A yellow ACT, now, this is where the banisher can do specific things. A yellow banishment ACT allows the banisher to not only remove a troublesome target from his or her personal space, but also allows them to deposit said target wherever they would like. Maybe he or she knows of a specific universe (or part of one) that is nigh-impossible to escape from, or one that is just too pleasant for their foes to ever want to leave. Of course, a banisher can 'pull their punches' with this ability, if they don't want to permanently cast someone off into the multiverse beyond. That is rather harsh, after all, and it tends to tick off the banished person's friends - not to mention the actual banished target, who is likely going to be very, very angry at the banisher. And if they can ever find their way back home, you know things are going to get ugly! Barbs Type: Physical Weaponry Power Cost: 4 points (base cost), plus 1 point per additional m.v. of the barbs Related Powers (for the barbs only): corrosion, disease, poison, rotting, tentacles. Barbs are sharp, pointy areas on a character which are not at the end of their manipulators. In essence, they describe physical weapons that are not claws, fangs, or horns. These will often occur along the side or bottom of one's arms or legs, but may also run the length of one's spine - or perhaps along one's tail for a short distance. Barbs are primarily defensive, but can be used offensively. In such instances, a character can inflict their Brawn rank value in Slashing damage. On the other hand, a foe attacking the character with barbs will inflict their own Brawn in Slashing damage on themselves when striking barbs directly (limited to the barbs' m.v).. This may or may not cause the barbs to break, however, depending on just how resilient they happen to be. The base m.v. of a character's barbs is their Brawn +2 RS; the idea is that the character cannot easily break them with their own muscle. However, if one wishes to have barbs of a higher m.v., one can either gamble on the power (using random character generation) or spend an additional point on barbs above the base cost for each further increase in m.v. (using point-based character generation). Ideally, one's barbs are retractable, but a character may take them in an 'always out' form as a strong limitation, which adds +2 RS to their material value (or just lowers their cost by 2 points). Bashmu Type: Entreaty Spell Duration: maintenance Cost: 2 points per rank value A highly specialized variant on the summoning spell, wizards can use this magic to draw forth, well, bashmu. Powerful magical creatures, bashmu are crested, horned, winged serpents, which have the forelegs of lions. Originally created by Tiamat herself, the breeding of bashmu has been resumed by Teshub after acquiring a small portion of the power inherent to the Serpent's Mount, situated deep within Irkalla. Upon mastering this spell, its wielder is presumed to have made an arrangement with Teshub, allowing them the use of his 'children' as is needed, with no risk of being disobeyed by them. When cast, a bashmu appears to do the wizard's bidding, and will generally remain to do so for as long as the spell is maintained. One bashmu can be kept under the caster's control for each instance of the spell they choose to maintain. Summoned bashmu are generally human-sized, but occasionally this spell draws forth a larger specimen. Upon rolling a yellow result, the caster has drawn the attention of Teshub, which prompts a second spell ACT. A black ACT roll changes nothing, while a red ACT manifests a bashmu with a +1 size factor, a blue ACT materializes a bashmu with a +2 size factor, and a yellow ACT produces a bashmu with a +3 size factor! The only risk in wielding the bashmu entreaty spell is that, should its wielder repeatedly get its summons seriously injured or killed, Teshub may very well pay more attention to their use of the creatures. If Teshub decides that the wizard causing harm to his bashmu is doing so in a careless manner, he may very well manifest himself when the spell is cast, and take them to task! Battle Tail Type: Physical Weaponry Power Cost: 2 points (flat cost) Related Powers (for the tail only): barbs, corrosion, elongation, kinetic focus, quills, poison. A battle tail is a large, obvious extremity that extends forth from the character's posterior. It is typically as long as the character is tall, if not a bit longer, and usually ends in a club shape. While it is somewhat flexible (it moves at its possessor's discretion), a battle tail is not prehensile. Characters with a battle tail may use it to inflict their Brawn rank value +1 RS in Bashing damage. While a battle tail is itself a respectable melee weapon, it can be combined with any number of other powers to increase its versatility. Berserker Type: Combination Power, Entreaty Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: reassignment, unyielding will, any number of physical weaponry powers. While many characters lose their cool in battle and get more than a little bit reckless, there are few who can attain a true berserker rage. This super-human level of fury can actually overwhelm its user, causing physical and mental changes within that make them nigh-unstoppable! They accomplish this with a combination of the reassignment and the unyielding will powers. When entering a berserker rage, a character's Intellect and Awareness traits will suffer immediate negative Row Shifts, dropping them to rank value 2. In turn, their Melee and Brawn traits will benefit from like positive Row Shifts. As an example, a body with rank value 6 statistics will lose 2 RS of his or her Intellect and Awareness when going berserk, only to see a 2 RS gain on both their Melee and Brawn. Furthermore, the berserker will also develop the ability to 'store' damage per unyielding will, soaking up an amount of such equal to his or her power rank value - regardless of the form it takes. Any additional damage suffered, whether it occurs in the form of a large number of weak attacks or one overwhelming assault, will affect the berserker normally. A berserker rage lasts for the duration of a battle, plus the 1d10 turns it takes for a berserker to either mellow out or simply run out of steam. At this point, his or her traits will revert to their standard levels, and any outstanding combat damage stored during their frenzy will discharge into their body, albeit at a -2 RS to the original amount inflicted. Between Type: Movement Power, Elementalism Spell, Psimotive Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: dimensional transit, jeopardy, quarantine, teleportation, time travel. The seventh dimension is a bizarre place, a location that is both everywhere and between everywhere else simultaneously. At the center of the multiverse and yet seemingly outside it at the same time, this place is the undiluted source of higher principles that are distilled into distinct planes of existence. Such realms include the astral plane, the essence, and various other mindspaces both transient and permanent. Colloquially known as the Between, this level of reality is the absolute blender of creation. One can find all things within the Between, if they look hard enough, as the seventh dimension is a realm of the mind as much as it is of the body. A mishmash of space, time, matter, energy, and thought, the Between is an ever-changing maelstrom that is never the same from one visit to the next - much less from moment to moment! The reason for this chaotic existence is that everything that is, was, and ever will be is present in the Between in some capacity or another - since every point in lower, sixth-dimensional space is represented here. Also, as these points are all present and simultaneously occupied when in the Between, it can be used to reach a specific location in lower dimensions - assuming one has the proper abilities to do so. Thanks to its unique properties, one can extend the range of non-adjacent movement abilities while in the Between to an infinite degree. Teleportation can reach anywhere in the universe. Time travel can reach any moment in existence. Dimensional transit can move a body to any reality that exists - and possibly some that don't yet. In this fashion, Between is something of a meta-power, enhancing others considerably. But this infinite utility comes with infinite risk. One might find the Between a pleasant park on their first visit, and overrun with incomprehensible tentacular horrors the next. Alternately, one might be whisked away to unknown locations in the multiverse upon arriving in the Between, events there overcoming even the most seasoned traveler and stranding him or her somewhere they can't escape from before they know it. This is where the actual rank value for this ability comes in. A successful power ACT is required to access the Between. Then, a second ACT roll is made - this time, by the Gamemaster. If this supplemental power ACT is successful, nothing directly untoward will happen to the player - or anyone he or she brought along for the ride. If it fails, however, get ready for the time of your (possibly very short) life! This power is a doorway to infinite adventure, you see, whether one wants it or not. Thus, it is the ultimate 'use at your own risk' ability - though sometimes the staggering advantages of using between almost make up for the risk such use poses to one's body and soul. Sometimes. Bilocation Type: Movement Power, Universal Spell, Psimotive Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: chaos shift, dimensional transit, teleportation, time travel. Bilocation is the ability to appear in two locations simultaneously. This power does not involve actually splitting oneself in two so much as engaging in rapid-fire teleportation, hundreds of times each second, so that it looks like the wielder of this power is occupying two different spaces at once. This process occurs quickly enough that, like the frames of a television image, the character seems to be fully present at each. When bilocation is activated, the character's 'other self' can initially manifest anywhere within Far distance of his or her original location. When the power is terminated, the bilocator may rest at either their original location or the area their 'other self' was last in when deactivating this ability. This makes bilocation a great power stunt off of teleportation - or vice versa, really. A bilocated character may act in one location primarily, or alternate actions between the two, depending on the situation(s) at the time. Either way, he or she does not receive additional actions simply due to being in both areas simultaneously - there's still just one of the character. Without other abilities added to the mix, the bilocator is merely allowed the same amount of actions they would normally be allotted. When engaging in bilocation, a character will perceive sensory input from both locations simultaneously, the two (usually) differing forms of data overlapping and allowing the character to multitask. If things are particularly hectic in one (or both) locations, a bilocator may need to pass an Awareness ACT roll to keep events at the two different places distinct in his or her head. Multitasking is difficult enough to begin with, even before adding the specter of deadly combat into the mix. Biological Invisibility Type: Empathic Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value While all living beings cast a shadow of sorts in the Essence, the plane from which all life force flows forth, a character with this ability has the power to mask this essential shadow temporarily. This has the benefit of granting its wielder power rank value invisibility to senses which can detect living beings, such as the biological sense, but has the curious effect of masking one from empathy as well. Biological invisibility also makes it rather difficult for powers which specifically manipulate organic matter to 'connect' with its possessor. When wielding such abilities, their possessor must target the character as if they were invisible - doing so at a -4 RS to hit. If these powers do not have a 'to hit' roll, the biologically invisible individual may instead impose a -4 RS on the biomanipulative power that would be used on him or her. Biological Sense Type: Sensory Power, Personal Spell, Empathic Skill, Metapsi Skill Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: animal control, animal sympathy, danger sense, environmental sense, macro sense, microscopic vision, origin sense, plant sympathy. This sensory ability allows its possessor an awareness of other life forms in his or her vicinity. Unless entities are cloaked somehow, this sense will automatically pinpoint every living thing within its range, as determined on the Middle range table. This use of the biological sense does not discriminate at all, and while it requires no roll it also provides no specific information about the huge amount of life forms so noted. Attempting an ACT allows the wielder of this power to fine tune what they're perceiving, however. A red biological sense roll indicates the types of biological forms present, such as plants, animals, and fungi, and allows the character to 'screen out' unwanted forms of life. A blue action allows the inspection of individual life forms, determining particular and specific data about each one and how it functions. A yellow biological sense result even allows the character to pick out a specific entity amongst similar life forms. Biological Vampirism Type: Biological Control Power, Metapsi Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: biological sense, decontamination, energy vampirism, psionic vampirism, spectral vampirism, super vampirism, thaumaturgical vampirism, vampirism. A variant on the standard vampiric ability, biological vampirism allows its wielder to feed upon the living cellular matter of other beings, to rapidly recover his or her own, lost Health points. These tissues need not be physically connected to their source still, as can be the case with blood bank stores or organs freshly removed for transplant purposes, but must still be biologically functional. For each ounce of living biological matter consumed (solid or fluid), a biological vampire can recover one lost Health point. This requires physical contact with the target, unless one is feeding on dislocated but still living tissues, at which point a biological vampiric attack may begin. Upon the activation of this ability, the target must pass a Willpower ACT roll against this power rank value, or they will be unable to resist its use. This inability to resist most often takes the form of paralysis, or perhaps a mesmerized state. This is necessary because most rational beings will object to being bodily consumed in any manner. A biological vampire can process an amount of cellular matter equal to their power rank value in ounces each turn, though they may require accessories (such as fangs, or excellent steak knives) to properly rend it from its source. Many biological vampires prefer to feed upon the blood of their targets, for this is much easier to separate from them. A human body, on average, has ten pints of blood within, and can safely lose one pint (sixteen ounces) of blood at a time before serious symptoms arise. This means a biological vampire can feed upon others without causing them real harm - assuming they wish to preserve the lives of their prey. Each ounce of lost biological matter costs the target one Health point, you see, which must be recovered normally (if possible). Luckily, lost blood recovers in the body rather quickly, and leaves little evidence of its consumption. Half of someone's arm, on the other hand, may never quite heal back - and leaves plenty of evidence that a biological vampire (or a cannibal, at the very least) is active in the area. Once a biological vampire has begun to feed, he or she may continue to do so as long as they like, though their prey is allowed another ACT roll to resist this ability each turn. If the target ever succeeds in this action, or the biological vampire is ever forced to stop feeding (instead of doing so of their own volition), the target will immediately acquire subsequent immunity to the biological vampirism of this attacker. However, this immunity doesn't extend to the biological vampirism of other characters - or any other vampirism power the attacker may have. When a biological vampire at full Health consumes his or her power rank value in ounces of a target's tissues, they receive a +1 RS to their Brawn, Fortitude, Willpower, and all of their power values save for this one (additional drains do not enhance them further). This boost lasts for 1d100 turns, after which point the biological vampire will return to his or her normal capability. Gaining another boost requires another feeding. The risk in using this ability is twofold. First off, there's the danger of contagion. Killing a victim with this power (either through a loss of Health points or a killing blow caused by the location of feeding) will cause them to eventually arise as an undead creature, a biological vampire that cannot sustain its own physical processes without fresh infusions of flesh from many, many victims. Secondly, if a biological vampire kills with this ability (either accidentally or on purpose), they must pass a Willpower ACT roll against the intensity of this power value. If this ACT roll fails, the biological vampire becomes addicted to the flesh of others, and will require it to function as well. While addicted, the character with biological vampirism suffers a loss of power each day they do not feed upon the living tissues of others. This loss comes in the form of a -1 RS to his or her Brawn, Fortitude, and Willpower scores, as well as all of their power rank values (save for the biological vampirism, of course). To avoid this loss, the addicted character must consume a number of ounces of cellular matter equal to his or her biological vampirism rank value each day, and if at a penalty, a like amount to recover each -1 RS lost to such abilities. The only way to shake this addiction is to go cold turkey - and that's not easy. Withdrawal from the living meat of others causes the RS penalties to mount, until the character's indicated traits and power values reach rank value zero (0). This prompts a Fortitude ACT roll, per a Kill result. If this ACT fails, the character immediately dies, and will eventually rise as a biological vampire themselves. If it succeeds, he or she may attempt a Willpower ACT roll to overcome their addiction. If this Willpower ACT succeeds, the character is 'cured', and may begin to recover lost trait and power rank values at a rate of +1 RS per day. If the Willpower ACT fails, however, the character must wait another day, and repeat the Fortitude ACT to see if they live long enough to attempt another Willpower ACT to beat the urge. This continues until the character either dies or manages to get clean. If a biological vampire has ever been addicted to the tissues of others, using the ability again may cause a relapse - even if they've recovered from the ordeal. Every time the character uses biological vampirism afterwards, he or she must pass a Willpower ACT roll, the failure of which indicates an immediate relapse into vampiric addiction. If they pass this ACT roll they'll be fine - at least, until the next use of the power. Naturally, an undead creature dependent on the living cellular matter of others to persist cannot shake this requirement. This process only applies to still-living wielders of biological vampirism, and not its many victims. Wielders of this ability have been documented in fiction throughout human history, and emulating them can allow for a variety of limitations to give it more 'flavor'. While any living tissue can fuel this power, limiting it to the same kingdom (animals) can be considered a weak limitation, while constraining it to but one species of life forms is considered a strong limitation - very strong if it's one's own species. Similarly, limiting this power to just one form of cellular matter (like blood) to be consumed is also a weak limitation - or adds one step of limitation to the previous examples. Thus, one can generate the traditional, blood-drinking vampirism at a considerable discount (if solely limited to such), which leaves room for additional abilities to facilitate its use (physical weaponry and the like). Blending Type: Physical Control Power, Personal Spell, Metapsi Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: color control, disguise, light control, shape change, vocal control. The power of blending allows its possessor to match his or her coloration to that of their surroundings - to a precise degree. By matching one's hue to perfectly reflect that which is directly behind them, a blender can achieve a makeshift form of invisibility. While completely motionless, a character with blending will appear to be a perfectly normal component of their surroundings, disguising themselves with power value skill. Unless, of course, the background itself decides to move. Whether the blender or the background shifts, a discontinuity between the character's appearance and the background will arise, allowing an Awareness roll at +2 RS to detect the blended individual. Thus, it's ideal to use blending against walls and other flat surfaces, where movement is unlikely - as is something passing behind the blender to betray their presence. A variant form of blending allows its possessor to instead make their body almost entirely transparent, instead of merely sinking into the background of a vista. While the outline of a character rendered translucent is still visible if one looks for it, the power allows 'live' updates to the appearance it generates, since the light behind a character passes right through them while blending is active. A character may adopt one form of blending or the other when beginning play, but may develop the other as a power stunt later on, if desired. Naturally, blending works better in some environments than others, but a character can limit the power to functioning under only one such condition as a limitation. Only functioning at night or while cloaked in shadow counts as a weak limitation, for example. Similarly, a strong limitation of blending prevents its possessor from applying the power to his or her possessions - only their body blends in with one's environs. Bless Type: Clericism Spell, Theonic Skill Duration: special Cost: 1 point per rank value A blessing can be used to impart divine good will upon (or into) a target. When used on a living being, this ability will provide a +1 RS to any action attempted by the target, whether he or she is making (or avoiding) attacks, wielding (or resisting) powers, or anything else. Blessings do not add to a character's damage, but do make it a whole lot easier for them to succeed in their endeavors. When used in such a manner, a blessing will last for a number of turns equal to its rank value. For example, the recipient of a rank value 50 blessing will retain the bonuses imparted for 50 turns - five full minutes! Only one blessing can affect a target at a time, but there is nothing preventing multiple blessings being used on a target; if one expires, the second will suddenly kick in for the remainder of its own duration. Bless can also be used on inanimate objects, as well. By showering an item with deific favor, a character can grant it a +1 RS on both the hit rolls a person wielding it will attempt, as well as the damage it will cause. Blessed items remain blessed for the same duration as characters, but the blessing does not start counting this time down until the item is actually used. For example, a sword can be blessed by the rank value 50 power above and then sheathed, its fifty turns of blessing not expiring until it is wielded in combat. There is no limit to the amount of time that this deific power may sit idle; one may be adventuring and find an object that has been blessed thousands of years ago - which can be a letdown when its seemingly 'amazing' potential degrades after a short while! Blood of Qingu Type: Entreaty Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 3 points per rank value After Enlil wiped out the first iteration of humanity, save for a scant few stragglers, he found himself in a bit of a pickle. You see, he'd ordered their creation to quell the uprising of the Igigi, who were tired of the unsafe and unfair working conditions the Anunnaki subjected them to, and wanted someone else to do their jobs. And now, he'd undone that effort by drowning mankind in a vast, world-spanning flood. Thus, it fell to Ninhursaga to create humanity anew. Needing to produce a large number of humans in a hurry, far faster than they could reproduce on their own, she utilized a catalyst to speed up the creation of fully grown, fully sentient laborers: a drop of divine blood. The quantity of blood she needed required the exsanguination of a deity, but as luck would have it, the Anunnaki had the perfect candidate. Imprisoned for his crimes against them, Qingu was going to be executed by the Anunnaki anyway, so this seemed as good a means as any of ridding themselves of the troublemaker. Thus, the gods drained Qingu of his blood slowly, over many years, stockpiling vast amounts of the stuff for use in their effort to repopulate humanity. And for anything else that, over the eons, the blood of a dead god might come in handy for. When casting blood of Qingu, the sorcerer doing so implores Ninhursaga to part with a drop of the precious blood of her great-grandfather's brother, which she retains to this very day. Once acquired, this drop of blood can be used on any inanimate matter, as long as it is approximately human shaped and sized. Once applied, it will begin to form said matter into a human, per reformation, with spell rank value ability. This newly formed human (or any other comparable species the caster is familiar with) will come into being with any knowledge desired, as long as the caster of blood of Qingu has access to it. This allows for the instant creation of fully sentient beings with the ability to speak, read, and write, possibly in numerous languages, utitlize any number of skills, and perhaps even wield sorcery or psionics, if desired! Once they have been made, humans (or, again, whatever) crafted via blood of Qingu are permanent creations, and should be treated as such for the purposes of Fortune. This applies whether creating a crowd of innocent bystanders as a distraction to stymie one's foes, or a legion of mystical clones with which one can vastly increase the amount of things they can get done over the course of a given day. Body Armor Type: Physical Enhancement Power, Personal Spell, Metapsi Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: damage reduction, deflection, various invulnerabilities and/or resistances (regular or greater). An inherent protection from damage, body armor serves to prevent injury to characters. Body armor comes in a variety of forms, whether it involves hardened skin that deflects damage from the soft tissues beneath, a fluid physiology that lets damage pass through instead of tearing it apart, or any number of other permutations on this theme. All forms of body armor, regardless of their nature, work in the same way. Body armor works best against direct physical damage. This includes anything which inflicts Bashing, Slashing, Force, or Piercing damage, as well as subtler physical attack forms like crushing pressure. Against such assaults, body armor will provide its full rank value in protection. On the other hand, other forms of attack are more effective against 'basic' body armor. Body armor is -2 RS effective against Energy attack (fire, electricity, etc.), -4 RS effective against Sorcerous (magical) damage, -6 RS effective against Karmic (psionic) assault, and -8 RS effective in the face of Deionic (godly) forces. The idea is that these damage forms are less deterred by mere material protections such as body armor, and operate on an increasingly higher (and/or dangerous) level. This variation in protection can be represented as a simple line beneath body armor in a power listing, showcasing the individual resistances body armor provides. Most defensive powers in the 4C System: Edition 13 rule system list the protections they offer in the order of physical attack, energy attack, magical attack, psionic attack, and deionic attack. The basic format body armor follows is shown here: Rank Value / Rank Value -2 RS / Rank Value -4 RS / Rank Value -6 RS / Rank Value -8 RS For example, a rank value 30 body armor would provide the following protections: RV 30 / RV 10 / RV 4 / RV 0 / RV 0 For the most part, conventional body armor provides minimal, if any protection against psionic or deionic assault, but this matches up with the vast majority of fiction that involves such things. Protection from psionics most often comes in the form of one's own training or special devices / powers which act to counter such, and usually only the gods themselves possess defense against their own assaults. On the other hand, 'special origin' armor covers its own type of damage differently. Were that same, rank value 30 body armor produced by magic instead of, say, a physical mutation, it would defend against Sorcerous damage at its full power rank value, not the -4 RS described above. In other words, the protection that mystical body armor offered its possessor, likely thanks to a potent spell, would break down like so: RV 30 / RV 10 / RV 30 / RV 0 / RV 0 Body Armor can be limited in any number of fashions. While the 'ideal' body armor is indistinguishable from ordinary skin, one can make theirs clearly visible. One can appear to have rocky skin, bubbly burnt flesh, an elephantine hide, or whatever else. Another option is to have the armor transient in nature; while the 'default' body armor is always on, the transient armor will only function when consciously maintained. Each of these count as weak limitations, and thus add a +1 RS to the power's final value (random generation) or subtract 1 point from its cost (point generation). Both limitations can be taken at the same time, if desired (and if one's armor makes them particularly monstrous, this may in fact be preferred). Body armor as a spell or psionic is inherently transient in nature, and thus so limited 'out of the box'. Body Control Type: Biological Control Power, Voodoo Spell, Psikinetic Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: integral control, mind control, pain, sleep. A perverse form of puppetry, body control allows its wielder to directly control the physical motions of a target within Near distance. This involves manipulation of the actual 'meat' of its victim, which means said victim must resist this power with his or her Fortitude, instead of their Willpower. If the target fails a resistance roll against body control, the wielder of this ability may control their motions however they like. Victims of this power may find themselves dancing, possibly in ways they never thought possible (or desirable), running away as fast as they can, beating themselves senseless, freezing in place, unable to talk or move, or anything else the body controller wishes. Those under the sway of body control may attempt another ACT roll to resist this ability each turn it is applied to their person. A character using body control may manipulate the actions of more than one person at a time. Of course, each person added improves both the difficulty of manipulating everyone involved as well as the possibility of their breaking free of such insidious control. Apply a -1 RS for each person after the first that a body controller attempts to manipulate with this ability. Body Doubles Type: Physical Control Power Cost: 4 points per rank value Related Powers: energy doubles, imaginary doubles, matter duplication, mental doubles, organism generation. This quirky ability allows its wielder to create duplicates of themselves. As opposed to other, similar abilities, body doubles are not illusory or energy-based; no, each double this power creates is identical to his or her creator! At any one time, this power may support a number of doubles equal to its power rank value. A rank value 20 body doubles power, for instance, could create twenty clones of its wielder. Creating a body double counts as one action, but the power may function in one of two distinct fashions. It may either require that all doubles come from the character possessing this power, or doubles may create still more of themselves. The latter is considered a weak enhancement of the power, and gives its wielder the ability to geometrically increase his or her numbers (until reaching their maximum amount, that is). When building body doubles, a character can also duplicate some additional matter alongside their bonus selves; this is why body doubles don't show up naked, you see. The maximum amount of matter a body doubler can generate alongside his or her clones is a number of pounds equal to their power rank value. That rank value 20 body doubler, above, could copy up to twenty pounds of material with each clone! Body doubles are semi-permanent creations. Once made, they can persist indefinitely if desired, though feeding that many versions of oneself may take a considerable amount of resources. Thus, doublers may reincorporate a copy into themselves at will, though this generally requires physical contact. On the other hand, a body doubler can acquire this ability within Very Near distance as a strong enhancement or power stunt. One tricky point when doing so is the fate of any matter duplicated when a body double is first created. If this material is in contact with a double upon its reincorporation into the character's body, it is simply nullified. However, if such material cannot be reabsorbed, it is rendered permanent per the matter duplication power, and will cost the wielder of this power one Health point (as would normal matter duplication). Speaking of Health, when a character reincorporates a living double into themselves, his or her Health will assume an amount equal to the average of the two. Thus, a heavily wounded character absorbing a perfectly healthy body double will see an immediate increase in their Health. In fact, with enough such doubles handy, one could easily erase almost any harm that has befallen them using this technique! This does not occur, however, when a body double has died. When one's double shuffles off this mortal coil for whatever reason, reintegrating it will not change one's Health any - this would likely kill a character each time they tried it! A body doubler can nonetheless 'clean up' his or her messes, though, saving them the trouble of disposing of a corpse that is seemingly them each time a double dies. Finally, one issue with body doubles is the retention of whatever experiences they may have had. Though precisely the same as their creator upon their creation, body doubles experience things differently from that point on. When a character and a body double reunite, their memories will overlap, potentially causing confusion until these differences are all ironed out in one's head. At the same time, however, sending a number of one's doubles through differing college courses is a great way to acquire a large number of skills quickly! Boon Type: Power Control Power, Theonic Skill Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: empowerment, investment, link, power transfer. A variant form of the link ability, boon allows its possessor to share his or her ascendant power with others. The difference between boon and link, however, is that the former is more of a one way transaction. Boon can be used only to lend power to others, not to receive it in turn, and the wielder of this ability cannot actually control how said power is to be used... only whether or not it is to be granted. How boon works is that, while active, it is constantly listening for requests for power from others. There is no range limitation on such entreaties; a character with boon may lend his or her power to anyone - no matter where in the multiverse they happen to be. Furthermore, the power to be granted only works once per request; to wield a boon-granted ability again, an entreater must entreat the wielder of boon for it anew. The use of boon is a great way to enhance one's reputation as a being of power; granting might to others can imbue them with great respect for the giver of boons. This is one reason that entities wishing to encourage the veneration of their person may keep boon active at all times - the more they can aid others, the more that word of their might - and generosity - will spread throughout all reality. While boon is functioning, its possessor can grant the use of any power he or she possesses to anyone who entreats them for it. This power will function at any intensity up to the power rank value of boon itself - regardless of its actual level of power. The only problem is that while one is in the process of granting a boon, they will suffer a reduction in the power of an ability being lent out to others. If a character is lending out a power to but one person, this reduction is a mere -1 RS. However, for each doubling of individuals making use of a power boon, this negative Row Shift increases by one; granting four persons a specific power would incur a -3 RS penalty, while giving sixty-four an identical boon of power would inflict a -7 RS penalty on the power in question. This drain of power is why most possessors of boon usually don't grant their power to just anyone. They often require those who entreat them for power to perform some sort of ceremony or perhaps even a specialized spell to gain the use of their prowess. This serves both to extend the mystique surrounding the granter of boons, as well as the ability to better filter out requests of power from the 'unwashed masses'. When such precautions are not taken, a character can be drained, however temporarily, of his or her power completely. A power drained to rank value 0 cannot be lent out any further - which will cause additional entreaties to fail. And for those who are using the ability to build up their credibility with those who they wish to be worshiped by, that may be a fatal error. Buttress Type: Reality Control Power, Entreaty Spell, Psimantic Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: amplification, nimiety, power amplification, psionic amplification, sorcerous amplification, theonic amplification. Buttress is a power with which one can nurture the capabilities of others. While active, buttress creates a field of favorable probabilities around its possessor, one which extends out within Near distance of their person. This field can apply beneficial Row Shifts to rolls attempted by those they consider allies. These rolls can take the form of any ACT, including Lifestyle and Repute checks! However, this bolstering of probabilities comes with a cost. For each positive Row Shift the character with buttress grants their compatriots, they in turn suffer two negative Row Shifts applied to every action they attempt. This penalty is incurred whether one is dodging attacks, making a Fortitude check against a Kill? result, or rolling the ACT necessary to maintain this ability, which is required every turn. It is important to note that one cannot benefit from another occurrence of the buttress power while wielding it themselves. The warping of probabilities that buttress utilizes to produce its unique effect is extremely complicated and delicate, and attempting to add a second (or more!) source of such manipulation ultimately causes overlapping buttress fields to cancel each other out. Overall, buttress is an ability fraught with peril. On the one hand, buttress greatly strengthens the efforts of one's teammates, while on the other, it makes its wielder particularly vulnerable to the efforts of their enemies. Those who can balance out the positives and negatives of buttress are often vital members of whatever group they happen to belong to, not to mention the cause(s) they champion the most! ** C ** Caesura Type: Psipathic Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Wielding caesura, a character may introduce tiny pauses, or breaks, in the conscious function of one's brain. These pauses do not interrupt whatever actions the target is undertaking, so much as slow them down... considerably. When invoked, caesura reduces the target's effective initiative by five (5), as well as preventing them from attempting more than one attack or defensive maneuver per turn. The target of caesura may resist this ability every turn it is applied to his or her person, doing so with a Willpower ACT roll against the caesura ability's rank value. Caesura only functions within Very Near range of its wielder. Cancer Type: Empathic Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value An aggressive and offensive form of healing, cancer allows its wielder to target specific portions of his or her foe's body, instead of the whole thing. Namely, the power supercharges the regeneration and growth capabilities of cancer cells, cells that everyone carries within their bodies to some extent. This causes such cells to form immediately visible tumors, which swell all over the target's body. As these rogue cells rapidly expand as far as they can, they induce extreme strain on the body of their host, causing power rank value Metabolic damage. This damage has an SD component, the tumors growing for an additional period of time as they leech every last bit of nutrients from the body that no longer contains them. When this SD damage ceases, these massive, artificial tumors simply drop off the target's body. A painful experience, to be sure, the use of cancer nonetheless reduces its victim's chances of developing cancer at a later date, most of his or her damaged cells being removed in the process of this power's use. This translates into a +1 RS bonus to one's Fortitude for such purposes, which also applies to future uses of the cancer power against the same individual, considering that they have less errant cells to latch onto. Mind you, this works the other way, as well. This power inflicts +1 RS damage to its target if they're currently suffering from a form of cancer, for highly developed tumors are already extant on their body (they have more room to grow). The target of cancer can resist this power's use by passing a Fortitude ACT roll against its power rank value when it is first used against them, and on subsequent turns by rolling against the current intensity of its SD effects. If a victim fails an initial resistance roll but shrugs off the SD effects, the growths will then fall off as if they had swollen to their fullest extent, as detailed above. This power functions within Very Near distance of its wielder, and ironically counts as a healing effect for the purposes of metabolic overload. Carrier Wave Type: Movement Power, Entreaty Spell Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: jelling, various energy generation and/or control powers. Characters who can generate a carrier wave have the ability to produce a special concentration of energy that supports their weight against gravity - and allows for full movement in three dimensions! The exact form of energy the creator of a carrier wave can generate may be about anything available in the 4C System: Edition 13 game, as long as it remotely makes sense for the character wielding it. When maintaining a carrier wave, a character can move through the air as determined by their power rank value, on the air speed table. A carrier wave can automatically support the weight of its wielder, and can bring along additional mass as if it were an equivalent Brawn score. A fiery carrier wave of rank value 40, for instance, could haul ten tons of matter along with its generator - if he or she could hold it! The energy that comprises a carrier wave is not primarily harmful, though it can be wielded as such by forcing other characters into it - often by running them over. Such instances inflict rank value damage of the appropriate type, though one's own carrier wave will never cause them harm. Unless, that is, another character with the appropriate energy control ability can take command of the energies that comprise it. If such an individual achieves this (with a power ACT against the carrier wave's intensity), they may redirect its creator's path or turn the energies that allow it to work against him or her! Casting Type: Psimantic Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value This is the root ability of the psimantic discipline of power. Casting is the psionic ability to wield spells. When this power is mastered, its possessor acquires the instinctive ability to shape probabilities such that he or she can reliably reproduce magical effects. This includes a natural affinity to one of the known schools of magic (even if the eclectic non-school of magic is chosen), which the character may study in addition to their psionic efforts. When this ability is first acquired, then, the character with casting will also know one spell from his or her chosen school of magic. Though this power unlocks the ability to cast spells as well as access to one's chosen school of magic, its possessor usually has to locate a mystic tutor to fully take advantage of it, lest they suffer the penalties for going without one; luckily, most psimantic upsilons can fill this role, as well. While casting allows the use of magic by its possessor, it also limits him or her somewhat. A psychoturge may not cast spells at a rank value greater than their casting intensity. To improve his or her mystic prowess, they must first increase the rank value of this psimantic art. This is a relatively small price to pay for the ability to pursue two distinct paths of power, however. Catalysis Type: Matter Control Power, Elementalism Spell Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: cold generation, corrosion, heat generation, rotting, stasis, time control, transmutation. In chemistry, catalysis is a change in the rate of a chemical reaction due to the participation of, that's right, a catalyst. A character with this power may act as a substitute catalyst for chemical reactions, whether increasing the rate at which they happen or by inhibiting them in part or in full. Anything that has active chemistry can be subject to this power, ranging from a car battery to a human body. When manipulating endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions, one can increase or decrease the heat or cold such generate by an amount equal to this power's rank value. Similarly, a battery can either be neutralized or have its output greatly increased, putting out an amount of electricity equal to this power's rank value. Bear in mind that the destruction of items involved in such manipulations might occur! Living targets can resist the use of this power by passing a Fortitude ACT roll against its power rank value. But if affected, their chemical reactions can be halted, simulating stasis or suspended animation, or increased, improving their Brawn and/or Fortitude by +1 RS. One can also reduce (or accelerate!) the effects of poisons within a body when present, either saving a life or ending it rather quickly! Alternately, items can be temporarily proofed against rotting and corrosion while this power is applied to them... or subjected to the same forces instead, if desired. Catalysis functions within Very Near distance of its targets. Causality Control Type: Reality Control Power, Psimantic Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 4 points per rank value Related Powers: grace, lethality, luck, override. Causality control is the power to manipulate reality itself! The power works by giving its possessor the ability to simulate, at its own intensity, any other super-human skill that has the word 'control' in its name. Thus, the character with causality control is capable of anything ranging from fire control to mind control to time control, whenever they see fit - depending on their mastery of this power, that is. When one first acquires this power, they can manifest any one of these control effects of their choice - but only one. For instance, let us assume that Big Bang Boris picked up this power after the Chernobyl incident back in the 1980s. Wishing the radiation around him would 'go away', and then watching it happen before his very eyes, Big Bang Boris got the notion in his head that he had developed radiation control. Once a character realizes that he or she has this ability, and not some 'lesser' control power, they can develop additional controls as power stunts - one for each control. Thanks to freak happenstance, Big Bang Boris got the idea in his head that he was more than just a radiation controller, and attempted to bend various other forms of energy to his will. And, since he was correct, he eventually developed a large array of new powers! There is no limit to the amount of different and disparate control abilities one can manifest through causality control - it simply requires one develop the power to gain even more. Big Bang Boris, in time, managed to ultimately master twelve different control powers, allowing him to manipulate almost every aspect of his environment. Hence his code name: he thought himself capable of creating entire universes! In a similar vein, when one first manifests the power of causality control, he or she can only exert one form of control at a given point in time. Since the character only knows one such control to begin with, this isn't a big deal initially. However, they can expand their control usage in a like fashion, developing the ability to maintain more than one simultaneously as a power stunt - one for each concurrent 'power' added. But how many facets of causality can one manipulate at once, you wonder? This is determined as is the case for the maintenance of spells or psionics. Each control that the possessor of causality control wields against the universe counts as one 'maintained' power, and is ultimately constrained by the character's Intellect trait - which determines how many concurrent things one can concentrate on. Looking at Big Bang Boris one more time, it was known that he could only control one aspect of the world around himself to begin with, and his opponents took advantage of this 'weakness' by overwhelming him with multiple attack forms at once. Tiring of this, Big Bang Boris worked hard to resolve this deficiency (such as it is) by first mastering the use of two simultaneous controls... and then finally three. With a rank value 20 Intellect, that's about all he can hope to manage... unless he ever gets smarter! Celestial Light Control Type: Energy Control Power Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: carrier wave, celestial light generation, energy cohesion, theonic sense. Celestial light control is a strange ability which allows its wielder mastery of an unusual form of energy. Unlike most other energy types, one can't easily squeeze celestial light out of readily available sources in one's environment, for it does not occur naturally in conventional spaces. Without a source of celestial light, whether it be the celestial light generation power or some deific artifact that creates it, this power is useless. Once celestial light is uncovered, however, the character with this power may manipulate it as he or she sees fit - assuming they can pass a power ACT roll against its intensity, that is. Once this is done, a celestial light controller can increase the intensity of mastered celestial light up to a level equal to this power value, reduce it by a like amount, or shape and contour its flow and very form in any fashion desired. The easiest application of this shaping allows a celestial light controller to simulate power rank value resistance to such, preventing it from coming into contact with him or her. This makes a controller of these energies much more potent in the realms of the gods, as the minions of such deific beings, as well as many deific beings themselves, make ready use of it to awe their followers as well as to combat their enemies. Of course, the creation of constructs made from semi-coherent celestial light can also be mastered, as power stunts for each general type. Anything one can construct out of mundane light can also be created with celestial light, though again, such constructs inflict devastating Deionic damage with each attack they are used to make - often enough to give even the most powerful ascendant humans pause! Celestial light control functions within Near distance of its wielder. Celestial Light Generation Type: Energy Generation Power Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: aura (celestial light), carrier wave, celestial light control, theonic sense, transformation / self (celestial light). Celestial light is a form of energy more at home in realms of existence above and beyond our own. It is a phenomenon that generally occurs in planes that are more commonly thought of as afterlives - spaces that the souls of the adherents of some faith or another travel to upon the demise of their corporeal forms. In fact, individuals suffering near-death experiences often report seeing this otherworldly illumination! In appearance, celestial light invariably appears as ordinary light would, albeit when shone through beautiful gemstones with nothing less than a perfect cut. The color of celestial light is variable, however, seeming like that which has passed through a ruby, sapphire, amethyst, or maybe even a diamond - its hue depends on the nature and inclination of the deific beings who created the realms in which it is encountered. While beautiful and complex in appearance, celestial light can nonetheless be mistaken for conventional illumination - at least, at a glance. When subjected to this empyrean form of energy, however, the differences between it and ordinary light will rapidly become apparent. Celestial light, when used offensively, inflicts its power rank value in Deionic damage with each and every deadly attack! Thus, those who wield this penetrative form of energy are most often deities or their servants... not that other, random souls don't occasionally acquire the ability through other circumstances, mind you. Of course, once it is revealed, such an ability almost invariably complicates one's life, the very power it generates attracting the attention of any number of immortal agencies who covet it... or despise it! Celestial light generation functions within Near distance of its wielder. Chaos Shift Type: Movement Power, Philosophical Spell, Psimotive Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 8 points (flat cost) Related Powers: bilocation, dimensional transit, teleportation, time travel. Chaos shifting is a specialized movement ability one can directly use to great effect in combat. In battle, the chaos shifter can rapidly pop in and out of either space and/or time around his or her foe (depending on their power set and the player's desire). This has the practical effect of making him or her much harder to target by others, while at the same time giving them something of an advantage against their opponent. In game terms, this translates into a +1 RS bonus to hit against the foe one chaos shifts around, while inflicting a -1 RS penalty on others' attempts to strike him or her. The former only applies to a targeting roll by the chaos shifter, while the latter applies to any ACT made against them. This is because, after spending half of the turn outside this space-time, a chaos shifter is harder to grasp with most powers. Charm Type: Mental Power, Universal Spell, Psipathic Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: emotion control, mesmerism, telepathy. A charm is a powerful, aversive psychic aura that its wielder may use to avoid undue harm. It works by generating a field of 'good will' towards the wielder that affects everyone within range of this ability, as is determined on the Near range table. Those within the area effect of this power will become positively disposed towards the charmer, if they fail a Willpower ACT against this ability's rank value. What this means is, though they can't quite put their finger on the reason why, affected targets will find they have a deep liking for the charming individual. This prevents them from harming or acting against the character maintaining a charm in any fashion. Furthermore, they will remain unconvinced that they have been affected in any manner, and will actively resist arguments to this effect. Charm counts as one spell or psionic for the purposes of maintenance. It has no 'grace period' like some abilities do; once cast, the character producing the charm must actively keep it going or it will cease. Of course, maintenance may not be necessary; affected targets will remain charmed until they can eventually pass a Willpower ACT against charm's rank value, which they may attempt each turn. This ACT is never 'impossible', but if the rank value is high enough, it can usually keep charmed individuals 'friendly' most of the time. Once charmed targets have shaken off the charm, they may then behave normally, but will not be aware that their behavior has been modified. Subsequent attempts to charm a target in a given encounter, once a charm wears off the first time, are at a -2 RS. All of this assumes that the charmer has not, in turn, harmed those affected by this ability. If a charmed target is attacked by the person who charmed him or her, the power will no longer affect them for the duration of this encounter - and the target so attacked will be keenly aware that their mind has been tinkered with! Circular Vision Type: Sensory Power, Entreaty Spell, Psikinetic Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 2 points (flat cost) Related Powers: light control (depending on the type), super senses, unusual sensitivity. This curious sensory ability allows its wielder to see in a full 360 degrees. Whether this is an arc in the horizontal or vertical (or both) depends on the physiology of the character in question. It can be achieved in a number of fashions, from the obvious physical placement of optical sense organs to more subtle means, up to and including the actual bending of ambient light waves. Circular vision that is the result of passive abilities (inherent to one's anatomy) cannot be negated, being a function of one's physiology. It can be provided by either curiously placed optical sense organs or the presence of light-sensitive pits on one's skin - or other, more esoteric methods. If the method of attaining circular vision alters one's appearance (compared to the norm), the character will suffer a -1 RS to their Repute. Or, alternately, should adopt the Abnormal Attribute quirk, instead. As an active ability, circular vision can come in a variety of forms, from a specialized trick of light control to a sort of psionic sense which lets you see in a bird's eye view (as if watching oneself from the vantage point of a video game). While these provide the advantage of hiding one's circular vision from obvious detection, they can be negated by various means, depending on their nature. The 'game' advantage of circular vision, aside from being surprised less, is a general increase in one's Melee score (+1 RS). Of course, if one loses their circular vision for some reason (power negation, etc.), this bonus will transform into a -1 RS penalty to one's Melee rank value for the duration of the negation. Clairalience Type: Mental Power, Dimensional Spell, Psipathic Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: clairaudience, clairgustance, clairtouchence, clairvoyance, finding, super tracking, teleport, teleport other. Clairalience allows its wielder to smell things far, far beyond the range of their natural sensory apparatus. This power works by crafting artificial, transient mental constructs that act as invisible, surrogate noses (or whatever) in the area a clairalient wishes to smell. These 'pretend' noses are disembodied from the wielder of this ability, usually by a staggeringly wide margin, but function as if their creator were actually present. This power functions on the Far range table, allowing the person using it to observe events in far-flung locations in real time, regardless of the laws of physics or even common sense. The nature of clairalience allows it to defeat most methods of disguising one's scent, as the surrogate olfactory organs can quickly move about to determine the source of would-be countermeasures - and then disregard them. While using clairalience, the character with this ability can smell anything that they otherwise could in the observed area, but cannot directly affect it at all. Similarly, events occurring in the observed area cannot directly harm the clairalient, though sensory overload (from, say, noxious odors) can happen. No damage or poison can transfer through this link, but a particularly nauseating scent can temporarily sicken a clairalient. The activation of clairalience 'mutes' one's normal olfactory sense, presenting the power's stimulus to its user instead. The clairalient's other senses function just fine, however, so while one cannot smell imminent danger approaching them while this ability is active, they can still hear, see, feel, or even taste it - whichever of such may be applicable in a given instance. Clairaudience Type: Mental Power, Dimensional Spell, Psipathic Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: clairalience, clairgustance, clairtouchence, clairvoyance, finding, teleport, teleport other. Clairaudience allows its wielder to hear things far, far beyond the range of their natural sensory apparatus. This power works by crafting artificial, transient mental constructs that act as invisible, surrogate ears in the area a clairaudient wishes to hear. These 'pretend' ears are disembodied from the wielder of this ability, usually by a staggeringly wide margin, but function as if their creator were actually present. This power functions on the Far range table, allowing the person using it to observe events in far-flung locations in real time, regardless of the laws of physics or even common sense. The speed of sound is no detriment to clairaudience, and in fact, with a high enough clairaudience rank value, the wielder of this ability could eavesdrop upon events occurring on other planets - live, right as they are happening! While using clairaudience, the character with this ability can listen in on anything that they could otherwise hear in the observed area, but cannot directly affect it at all. Similarly, events occurring in the area listened to cannot directly harm the clairaudient, though sensory overload (from, say, loud noises) can happen. No damage can transfer through this link, but effects such as hypnotic music can function via clairaudience. The activation of clairaudience 'mutes' one's normal audio sense, presenting the power's stimulus to its user instead. The clairaudient's other senses function just fine, however, so while one cannot hear imminent danger approaching them while this ability is active, they can still see, smell, feel, or even taste it - whichever of such may be applicable in a given instance. Clairgustance Type: Mental Power, Dimensional Spell, Psipathic Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: atomic sense, clairalience, clairaudience, clairtouchence, clairvoyance, finding, teleport, teleport other. Clairgustance allows its wielder to taste things far, far beyond the range of their natural sensory apparatus. This power works by crafting artificial, transient mental constructs that act as invisible, surrogate tongues (or whatever) in the area a clairgustant wishes to sample. These 'pretend' tongues are disembodied from the clairgustant, usually by a staggeringly wide margin, but function as if their creator were actually present. This power functions on the Far range table, allowing the person using it to observe events in far-flung locations in real time, regardless of the laws of physics or even common sense. While a sense of taste is generally restricted to physical contact with one's person, clairgustance allows one to vicariously sample the flavors of items and substances (and even people) without physically interacting with them! While using clairgustance, the character with this ability can taste anything that they could otherwise sample in the observed area, but cannot directly affect it at all. Similarly, materials in the remote area cannot poison or harm the clairgustant, though sensory overload (from, say, intense flavors) can happen. No damage can transfer through this link, but particularly disgusting tastes can temporarily sicken a clairgustant. The activation of clairgustance 'mutes' one's normal sense of taste, presenting the power's stimulus to its user instead. The clairgustant's other senses function just fine, however, so while they may be tasting cakes on the other side of the planet, a clairgustant may not readily be ambushed while using this ability - unless, of course, the flavors they experience are just that engrossing. Clairtouchence Type: Mental Power, Dimensional Spell, Psikinetic Skill, Psipathic Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: clairalience, clairaudience, clairgustance, clairvoyance, finding, telekinesis, teleport, teleport other. Clairtouchence allows its wielder to touch things far, far beyond the range of their natural sensory apparatus. This power works by crafting artificial, transient mental constructs that act as invisible, surrogate fingers (or whatever) in the area a clairtouchent wishes to feel. These 'pretend' digits are disembodied from the clairtouchent, usually by a staggeringly wide margin, but function as if their creator were actually present. This power functions on the Far range table, allowing the person using it to observe events in far-flung locations in real time, regardless of the laws of physics or even common sense. While a sense of touch is generally restricted to physical contact with one's person, clairtouchence allows one to vicariously feel items and substances (and even people) without resorting to physically interacting with them! While using clairtouchence, the character with this ability can feel anything that they could otherwise touch in the observed area, but cannot directly affect it at all. Similarly, materials in the remote area cannot harm the clairtouchent, though sensory overload (from, say, complex textures) can happen. No damage can transfer through this link, but particularly extreme tactile input can momentarily distract a clairtouchent. Activating clairtouchence 'mutes' one's usual sense of touch, presenting the power's stimulus to its user instead. A clairtouchent's other senses function just fine, however, so while they may be dipping 'pretend' fingers into the sun or running them along monowire, a clairtouchent isn't easily ambushed while using this ability - unless they're so engrossed in what they're touching that they aren't otherwise paying attention, that is. Clairvoyance Type: Mental Power, Dimensional Spell, Psipathic Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: clairalience, clairaudience, clairgustance, clairtouchence, finding, teleport, teleport other. Clairvoyance allows its wielder to see things far, far beyond the range of their natural sensory apparatus. This power works by crafting artificial, transient mental constructs that act as invisible, surrogate eyes in the area a clairvoyant wishes to see. These 'pretend' eyes are disembodied from the wielder of this ability, usually by a staggeringly wide margin, but function as if their creator were actually present. This power functions on the Far range table, allowing the person using it to observe events in far-flung locations in real time, regardless of the laws of physics or even common sense. The speed of light is no detriment to clairvoyance, and in fact, with a high enough clairvoyance rank value, the wielder of this ability could spy upon events occurring on other planets - live, right as they are happening! While using clairvoyance, the character with this ability can view anything that they could otherwise see in the observed area, but cannot directly affect it at all. Similarly, events occurring in the viewed area cannot directly harm the clairvoyant, though sensory overload (from, say, bright lights) can happen. No damage can transfer through this link, but effects such as hypnotic lights can function via clairvoyance. The activation of clairvoyance 'mutes' one's normal visual sense, presenting the power's stimulus to its user instead. The clairvoyant's other senses function just fine, however, so while one cannot see imminent danger approaching them while this ability is active, they can still hear, smell, feel, or even taste it - whichever of such may be applicable in a given instance. Clarity Type: Mental Power, Universal Spell, Psipathic Talent Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: mental repair, telepathy. Clarity is a tool that allows its possessor to free others from various effects that prevent clear thinking. When invoked, clarity can cleanse the effects of emotion or mind control, or even possession - if it affects how a target might behave, clarity can usually help. When attempting to clear the head of a target, the wielder of clarity must pass an ACT roll against the intensity of the outside influence. If successful, clarity will remove the taint of such powers, and will protect the target from further manipulations, at its power rank value, for 1d10 turns. Optionally, the user of clarity can maintain this ability, providing a target (say, an ally) with continuing protection from external influence if desired. Clarity only works within Very Near range of those it would help. Claws Type: Physical Weaponry Power Cost: 4 points (base cost), plus 1 point per additional m.v. of the claws Related Powers: (in general) super digging, super climbing; (for the claws only) corrosion, disease, poison, rotting. Claws are sharp, pointy implements that a character may have on the end of their extremities. These are most often present on the hands, but can just as easily be on one's feet (or perhaps on both). Claws usually come in the form of elongated fingernails (or toenails), though they can also protrude from the knuckles, between one's fingers. Of course, there are many other forms that claws, or claw-like protrusions, can take. A character wielding claws may inflict his or her Brawn rank value in Slashing damage against living targets. On the other hand, claws get interesting versus non-living targets. In such circumstances, the material value of one's claws comes into play. When attempting to slice and/or dice an inanimate object, the bearer of claws may wield them as they may any other sharp, pointy implement, and can cut through items with a successful claws m.v. ACT against an intensity equal to the m.v. of the item to be cut. The base m.v. of a character's claws is their Brawn score +2 RS. This ensures that the force of one's own blows should not break their claws. This m.v. can be increased, however, either by spending one point per additional m.v. (in the point-based character generation system) or by subjecting the base m.v. to the gambling table of one's choice (in the random character generation system). Claws are generally retractable, but a character may take them in an 'always out' form as a strong limitation, adding a +2 RS to their material value (or just lowering their cost by 2). Clinging Type: Physical Enhancement Power, Physiomancy Spell Duration: maintenance Cost: 4 points (base cost), plus 1 point per additional +1 RS Related Powers: adhesion, friction control, super climbing. Clinging is the ability to directly adhere to someone or something in one's environment. The primary example of this ability in nature is the gripping ability of an octopus or squid, using their evolved suction cups to aid in the grappling of their prey. However, numerous other techniques, ranging from microscopic molecular hooks to even molecular charge suppression can produce this effect as well. This power, when invoked, allows its possessor to stick to other matter that comes into physical contact with him or her. The only property of an object that may cause this power difficulty is its relative slickness; a clinging character must pass a power ACT roll against that property of an object to stick to it. If successful, a clinger may cling to something until it is destroyed or they are forced to let go somehow. Using clinging, a character can readily climb most vertical surfaces with ease - even more so if they possess the climbing skill or super climbing power. With their ability to stick, however, a clinger can actually walk up walls or even along ceilings and other upside down surfaces - something those other abilities cannot manage whatsoever - at least, not without the aid of special equipment or other powers. In its basic state, this power grants a character the ability to cling with an intensity equal to their Brawn rank value. However, the player behind a character with clinging may increase this base value by either gambling on it (when using the random character generation method) or by adding an additional point beyond its standard cost for each +1 RS to its raw intensity. Clone Projection Type: Matter Control Power, Dimensional Spell, Superpsi Skill Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: astral projection, dream projection, energy doubles, energy projection, imaginary doubles, psychoplasm animation, object projection. A variant form of energy doubles, clone projection allows its possessor to create a singular duplicate of themselves, comprised of the imaginary matter known as psychoplasm. Once this copy is created, the wielder of this ability may project his or her mind into it, and then 'drive' this avatar of themselves as if it were their own body. If blocked from such projection somehow, the psychoplasmic double is unable to act on its own. This projected clone has the same physical and mental statistics of its creator, as well as their super-human capabilities (whether inherent or knowledge-based). It also has the same Health score, and if said score is reduced to zero, the projected clone will dissipate, the energies used to create it rent asunder. When this happens, the clone projector's mind will simply return to its normal habitat, Concussed for 1d10 turns. The power value of clone projection determines both how long the created duplicate will exist and how far it can wander from its creator. A projected clone can operate anywhere within Middle distance of its creator, and can last for a maximum number of hours that is equal to this ability's power value. Cold Generation Type: Energy Generation Power Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: aura (cold), carrier wave, catalysis, ice generation, infravision, temperature control, weather control. Cold generation is the opposite, both mechanically and physically, of heat generation. It does not fire bursts of cold 'energy', so much as it creates a virtual thermal variance that induces an immediate flow of heat away from its target. This flow of heat away from the target of cold generation acts to instantly and dramatically cool it, to varying effects. This power can be used on a single target, or affect everything around its wielder. The former can be used against foes within Near distance of the cold generator, though this requires a Coordination ACT to hit in the first place. The latter, on the other hand, affects those within Very Near range of a cold generator, and does so automatically if they remain within range of its effects. Attacks with cold generation inflict power rank value Energy damage. If the target is alive, it may well suffer from hypothermia if exposed for long enough. Inanimate matter subjected to cold generation will be potentially weakened by the change in temperature, and resists breakage when struck by rolling against the intensity of cold or the physical force applied to them - whichever of the two is greater! Cold generation is an excellent counter to abilities which produce large amounts of thermal energy. Fire and heat generation are such abilities, though many powers (such as catalysis) may cause heat as a side effect under certain conditions. The intensity of cold generation will act against the heat such abilities cause to directly neutralize them - or at least reduce them in intensity by this power's rank value. Matter subject to cold generation will quickly resume its normal temperature, the 'energy' involved rapidly dispersing into the environment. To keep something much cooler than its surroundings, one must continue to inundate it with the cold caused by this power's use, lest it eventually return to room temperature - whatever that happens to be. Color Control Type: Matter Control Power, Elementalism Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: blending, invisibility / others, light control, transduction, transmutation. Color control is the ability to alter the hue of anything in one's environment. Surprise! The color control power works by transforming the properties of a thing such that its coloration changes, whether it is matter or energy that is being affected. The basic nature of things altered by color control remains unchanged, though how they interact with the environment may not be. For example, a lake of blood red water might be refreshing to swim in, but most people wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. In addition to inducing color changes, the wielder of this power can also affect the transparency of its subject. Such changes involve making a wall completely see through or turning the air positively opaque. This opens up the possibility of performing all manner of misdirection with color control, usually because people so readily believe what their eyes tell them - instead of what their other senses are saying. The power can even work on colors that others cannot readily see. Transforming ambient infrared light into ultraviolet light, for example, might just stymie those who can track others via infravision. Such efforts are considered to function per transduction, reducing the intensity of photonic energies by -1 RS, but otherwise allowing them to behave in the fashion that they were before being affected. Color control automatically functions against inanimate matter and energy, regardless of either its material value or intensity. Using this power against living targets requires a Coordination ACT, however, as they are allowed to avoid the effect with defensive maneuvers such as a dodge. Mind you, those with resistance to metabolic attacks can apply such against the use of this power. The difficulty of changing something's color depends on how complicated a change one wishes to induce. Singular color changes (making an object neon pink) requires a red power ACT, while introducing multiple color changes (making a tie-dye shirt without the dye) necessitates a blue ACT, and intricate alterations of color (giving oneself 'natural' eye shadow) would demand a yellow power ACT. The duration of a color change is determined with a second power ACT, made after a change is successfully completed. A black ACT makes a color change last for 1d10 turns, while a red ACT will allow it to last for a number of turns equal to the color control power rank value. Blue duration ACTs extend this amount of time to a like number of minutes, while a yellow duration ACT expands the time involved to that many hours. Though in the case of inanimate objects, yellow results can generally be considered permanent in nature. Color control operates within Near distance of its wielder. Combat Edge Type: Personal Spell, Metapsi Skill, Psipathic Skill Duration: encounter Cost: 4 points (flat cost) By means of this ability, a combatant can gain an uncanny insight into the actions of his or her foes. Once invoked, combat edge will begin to 'read' its target, and after three turns of combat in an encounter, its wielder will have a 'good idea' just what their opponent will be planning at any given moment. Once the target is read, the combat edge ability will provide its wielder a +1 RS on all ACT rolls made against said enemy. This particular bonus only lasts for one combat session, but if the character using combat edge has wielded the ability on an antagonist in a previous encounter, he or she can 'read' them after only one turn on subsequent activations. Combining Powers Type: Reality Control Power Cost: varies Related Powers: various, depending on the powers combined. The process of combining powers is one in which a character permanently merges two or more of their super-human capabilities into a singular power. This is often done to create abilities which require more than one ascendant power in their execution. Common examples of such abilities include everything in the combination powers category, like plasma generation or regenerative armor. Combining powers can also be used as the reverse of power stunts, tying seemingly disparate abilities together into a cohesive whole. The effect of this is that the combined powers cannot be used discreetly; both component abilities in a combined power are an all or nothing affair. Depending on the powers so combined, this can serve as either an enhancement or a limitation. In the simplest sense, combined powers have a cost, either as a number of powers or as a number of points per rank value, matching its component abilities - plus one point. If powers are combined more as a limitation, subtract that point instead. This is not set in stone, however; if a combined power approximates an extant ability (such as missile generation closely matching quills), the net cost can be reduced accordingly. Combining powers can occur later on in a character's life, not just during character generation. This can be the result of the bizarre occurrences that are so common in comic books, ranging from inadvertent radiation exposure to someone 'punching time'. Such a combination may come with an additional ability (or abilities) which act to enliven a character's power roster - or just might saddle a powerful ability with new limitations. After a fashion. No matter how they come about, combined powers all operate at a like intensity. During character generation, this is a simple matter, but if one's powers are combined after this point, their net intensity must be recalculated based on what it would cost to purchase the powers in a combined state during character generation. This balancing of power won't affect abilities which lack a rank value proper (such as an invulnerability). Commandment Type: Theonic Skill, Faith Power Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Essentially the reverse of the commune spell, commandment allows a deific being to directly communicate with those who venerate him or her. Naturally, the worshiped need not go through the same hoops a worshiper must to achieve communications, though sometimes it may be difficult to convince the faithful that what they're hearing is the true voice of their god. When invoking this power, a deionic entity can exploit the channel of faith energy a follower generates, doing so to make contact with a member of their flock. Once this connection is made, the immortal can communicate in any way he or she wishes, whether merely transmitting empathic impulses, verbal instructions (hence the name of this power) or actually engaging in a two-way conversation. Conversing with a follower that is either on their home plane or within the deific being's realm requires but a red power ACT roll. If a follower is in neither location but is still within the same time frame, a blue power ACT is necessary to communicate with them. Yellow power ACTs are typically only required if a follower is out of his or her normal, defined place in time - or within the realm of another deity. Commune Type: Clericism Spell Duration: special Cost: 2 points per rank value Casting the commune spell, clerics may attempt to speak directly with what they worship. A simple spell ACT roll is made to open a channel to communicate with one's patron(s), allowing the priest to query said patron(s) in regards to just about anything. This can be a great way to acquire information when all else fails, as entities of great power often have access to avenues of data that mere mortals can only dream of. The trick is getting their attention. You see, the great powers of the multiverse are used to being petitioned for all kinds of things all the time, and often have an entourage of minions to deal with this sort of hassle. Some handle dispersing the gods' powers to various followers, some listen for prayers and such, and still others answer the questions asked by pesky priests. This frees said entities from 'mundane' matters to do... whatever it is they do. Sometimes, casting commune will get a god's attention directly, but most often such queries will simply fall into the hands of its underlings. And said underlings, while they serve the same power as the cleric, often have their own agendas. They may answer in riddles or other cryptic fashions, or just give incomplete answers. They'll never deceive a priest of their master, but they're not necessarily very helpful. For many things, this is sufficient. A cleric may only need the answer to a question that isn't too difficult to handle (such as 'are there people hiding on the other side of that door?'). On the other hand, a priest may need a much more important question answered, and wants to cut out the middle-men in the process. This can be done by making a sacrifice to his or her patron entity - the bigger the better! One can boost the effective rank of this spell depending on just how inconvenient the sacrifice is to the caster. For instance, giving up one's favorite deck of trick cards to their patron god of gaming may provide a paltry +1 RS, but going to the gambling house of a rival god, fleecing the staff blind, and then sacrificing the proceeds to their deity is much more impressive, and may grant as much as a +4 RS! The nature of one's relationship with his or her deity will also affect the row one rolls this ACT on. If the follower has gone out of their way to further the boss' agenda, a considerable positive RS boost may be in order, while if they're 'on the outs' with the powers and principalities, this may be a negative modifier. Once a final RS is settled on, simply make the spell ACT to determine the nature of the response. Once the dice have settled, the Gamemaster (acting as your powers that be) will answer the question. The color result of this roll will determine just how useful this answer may be, but the Gamemaster should be careful in balancing the answer against both the character's efforts and the campaign as a whole. Though, at the same time, the Gamemaster should be sporting. If the player spends an entire adventure preparing a suitable sacrifice for his or her god, that says a lot about how serious he or she is about this effort! Compass Sense Type: Psimotive Skill Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 4 points (flat cost) A character with a compass sense can determine the direction they are headed relative to the space they currently occupy, in a full seven dimensions. This is slightly different from the locational sense in that it is not based on an arbitrary point chosen by the character, so much as whatever structures surround his or her person, either on the local or the macroscopic level. The simplest uses of a compass sense involve determining which directions are north, south, east, west, up, or down on a planetary body when necessary. This focus can be narrowed, however, to find if one is headed towards port or starboard on a ship (not easy when one is inside it), whether one is headed towards the front or rear of a structure, or even what direction in time one is headed! Componentry Type: Technomancy Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value The process of altering the nature of a technomantic object is complicated, in that it involves changing the physical or magical nature (or both) of its existence. Using componentry, a technomage may analyze how a true technomantic device functions and, using that information, attempt to manipulate it. The difficulty of doing this depends on just what the technomage is trying to accomplish. If a technomage is attempting to merely repair a slightly broken or malfunctioning technomantic device, or similarly change it in a fashion that does not prevent it from working as it did before, he or she only needs a red componentry spell ACT. Alterations of this nature often involve maintenance work, such as efforts to keep an item working right in the face of heavy use or the wear and tear caused by combat. On the other hand, making a more drastic modification to a technomantic device, whether it be an extensive repair job or an alteration of its specific capabilities (either physical or magical) requires a blue spell ACT. Such changes in capability involve a modification from one function to another within the item, as long as said capabilities are within the same cost range and/or rank value. Finally, making an extreme change in a technomantic item, one which completely alters it into something else, or otherwise gives it an ability of increased rank value or cost range, requires a yellow componentry spell ACT. Furthermore, this may incur significant Fortune costs as well, since the item is essentially being improved above and beyond the original Fortune total paid when it was first built / acquired. This is the basic process used in modifying a technomantic item, but all of these rules assume that the technomage can alter it in the first place. To even change such an item in this fashion, the caster must first overcome the magic which was used in its construction. While a technomage need not do this when altering a device of their own creation, they do have to 'master' a device when it was built by anyone else. This involves passing a spell ACT against the intensity of magic used to create the item in the first place. Of course, some items also have additional safeguards against their modification as well, and the would-be technomage tinker must overcome those, as well. These can be anything from a specific resistance to magic to booby traps set into the device to prevent unwanted customization. Computer Link Type: Mental Power, Technomancy Spell, Technopsi Skill Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: device sympathy, linguistics, radio wave control, radio wave generation, technical intuition. A computer link is a mental interface with a digital system. This may be granted by either a physical connection to one's body (like a data jack), or perhaps a remote networking with the computer in question (either with conventional wireless technology or perhaps psychic prowess). While connected with a computer via this link, a character may communicate with it directly, using digital code. This makes a computer link the opposite of device sympathy after a fashion, as the latter ability is almost empathic in nature, while this one is grounded in just what the computer can do (and whatever information it houses within). While this power is active, the linked character can understand the digital impulses the computer they're linked to makes - as if it were talking to them in their native tongue! How well one can make this link work depends on the ACT rolled when the link is initiated. A red ACT lets one understand the programs a computer is currently running, as well as what they're currently doing. A blue ACT lets one monitor and make transmissions with the computer and anything it is in turn networked to. Yellow ACTs are only required if the computer so linked is beyond the character's understanding. If the information a linked character attempts to interact with is encrypted, he or she must pass the above ACT roll at a negative Row Shift - ranging from -1 RS to -4 RS depending on its complexity, as the time spent decrypting the information makes it much harder to interact with data in real-time. This penalty can be reduced - if not transformed into a bonus - if the character also possesses the linguistics ability. Computer link works within Very Near distance of the computer in question - though if delivered by a physical connection, contact is required (counting as a weak limitation). Conflagrant Chariot Type: Entreaty Spell Duration: instantaneous effect + maintenance, if desired Cost: 1 point per rank value Something of a fanciful variant on the carrier wave power, this spell produces a two-wheeled bullock cart for its wielder to ride when cast, complete with four powerful oxen to pull it. This cart and its attendant beasts of burden are comprised of solar plasma drawn directly from the nearest star, condensed into a coherent form so that it is quasi-solid when it first manifests in the world. Once its occupants board and start driving the cart, the coherent energy oxen emit plasma from their feet, applying enough force when doing so that they will not only pull the cart forward, but can take to the air! This burning plasma will not harm those riding upon the cart, but definitely inflict spell rank value Armor Piercing Energy damage upon whoever or whatever they come in contact with. Furthermore, the cart can fly with spell value speed, haul weight with spell value Brawn, and can do so for a number of turns equal to its spell rank value. Unless actively maintained, the conflagrant chariot will slowly expend the energy that comprises it as it is utilized, discorporating at the end of its duration as it consumes the very power utilized to originally bind it together into a coherent state. One of the advantages of crafting a conflagrant chariot is that it can be operated by anyone, not just the caster of this spell. This allows its wielder to generate a quick ride for someone else when desired, or even to let others drive while they engage in other activities. Confusion Type: Universal Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value A powerful means of sowing chaos in the ranks of an enemy, the confusion spell has unpredictable effects on everyone it affects. When cast, confusion will blanket an area with chaotic energies, energies which will affect every target who fails a Willpower ACT roll against its spell value. Those who fail will be affected as follows (roll a 1d10) for 1d10 turns: 1: The target has a seat, and contemplates his or her current existence. 2: The target has an extreme emotional response. Uncontrollable laughter, inconsolable tears, etc. 3: The target is seemingly lost. He or she wanders about, not knowing how they got there, or why. 4: The target becomes obsessed with one action or item, which consumes him or her for the duration. 5: The target attacks the nearest person - whoever it is. 6: The target attacks everyone - one different person per turn. 7: The target attacks the nearest object. Whether a car or building, they'll try to destroy it utterly. 8: The target becomes enamored with the nearest person, and can't help but go on about how great he/she/it is. 9: The target is disoriented; he or he can act as they wish, but suffers a -2 RS penalty. 0: The target's mind is overloaded, and he or she falls asleep. Conjuration Type: Universal Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 2 points per rank value Conjuration is a specialized form of teleport others that summons forth an object - whether it be an inanimate item or a living entity - to the caster's location. Conjuring forth simple things, plants, or animals (such as a coin, a tulip, or perhaps a gopher) requires no actual ACT roll under most circumstances; the thaumaturge simply casts the spell and the desired item(s) appear in a puff of smoke (or whatever). If attempting to draw forth something more complicated or dangerous (a firearm, a television, or even a wolf), the conjurer must pass a spell ACT roll against the highest rank value the target possesses. A conventional handgun would require an ACT against rank value 6, then, while that wolf would require a spell ACT versus rank value 20 - a wolf's highest trait, which is its Melee. On the other hand, if an item to be conjured is complex but has no apparent rank value available (such as our television in the above example), a mere red ACT is necessary to make it manifest. All of this assumes no sentience in the object to be conjured forth. If it possesses a Willpower score, the spell must defeat this to function, instead. When a sentient target is the subject of a conjuration spell, it will know what is going on and who is casting the spell, and may choose to resist or not as it sees fit; if masked somehow, the identity of a conjurer is subject to an Awareness ACT by his or her target. The odd thing about conjuration is that it has a restorative effect on the things it summons forth. For instance, if one attempts to summon an item that is broken somehow, the conjuration spell will reassemble it in the midst of transport from one location to another. This can be used to instantly repair broken devices or other items, and can even restore or recreate the bodies of the dead! Conjuration will not actually return a dead person to life; it merely brings forth their (seemingly freshly) deceased body, and does not provide the 'spark of life'. Of course, if the astral form of the decedent (or someone else for that matter) is still available, they can make use of the fresh, perfectly good body. Conjuration works on anything within Far range of its caster. Contact Absorption Type: Personal Spell Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired Cost: 2 points per rank value This powerful spell allows a wizard to imbue his or her very body with the properties of anything they touch. With a successful spell ACT roll, their body will attempt to assume a Brawn, Fortitude, and body armor rating that is equal to the material value of whatever it is they're touching when casting contact absorption. While the first two are limited to this spell value for an upper limit, the body armor provided is not. Furthermore, any properties of the material being touched will be adopted by the wizard casting this spell also. Grabbing a red hot, spiky steel ball will imbue the caster with spikes as well as a burning hot temperature. Superfluous energies absorbed along with everything else will last for up to 1d10 turns before dissipating into the environment around the caster, for good or ill. On the other hand, operating at an excessive material value has a deleterious effect on one's relative speed; absorbing the properties of a material value 200 substance may make you nigh-invulnerable, but you'll be nigh-immobile. For each rank value of body armor a character using contact absorption has above this spell's value, reduce their effective Brawn for motion purposes and Awareness for initiative purposes by 1 RS, with a limit of rank value 2. Furthermore, when in such a hardened state, a sorcerer cannot cast more than one spell per turn, no matter how many extra actions he or she would otherwise have. Contingency Type: Dimensional Spell, Psimantic Skill Duration: while maintained (for each contingency) Cost: 2 points per rank value On occasion, a spell caster may wish to benefit from his or her magical prowess while not actually having the ability to cast spells. By making use of a contingency, they can make this happen no matter what situation they find themselves in. This works by first invoking contingency, and then the spell one wishes to hold 'in reserve'. The contingency ability will then prevent the spell from taking effect. At least, until a specific condition is met. This condition may be anything the thaumaturge or psychoturge wishes, from being forced unconscious to a specific time of day, or perhaps upon exposure to any particular external stimuli. For instance, a mage may arrange to be teleported to their lair upon being knocked unconscious, to give off an eldritch wave when uttering a chosen word, or even a dose of flight upon falling more than a story at a time. A character may support as many contingencies as they like, keeping in mind that each counts as one spell or psionic for the purposes of ability maintenance. This requires one to strike a balance between preparing for the unexpected and leaving room for day-to-day spellcasting. Of course, if conditions change, he or she can always stop maintaining one or more contingencies to deal with whatever chaos has broken out. Corporeal Gestalt Type: Power Control Power Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: gestalting, link, spectral gestalt. A corporeal gestalt is a composite entity formed by the physical merger of several individuals. When this power is activated, it will combine its wielder's very form with that of one or more people. While this can generally be any number or variety of folks, the power can be curtailed to specific participants as a strong limitation. Such a constraint is a common limitation of this ability, but by no means a constant. The corporeal gestalt will possess traits, both physical and mental, that are based on the average of those who comprise its being. If one person combines with the possessor of this power, these averages will be increased by +1 RS. Each subsequent doubling of participants in the gestalt will boost this trait average by another +1 RS (eight merged individuals, for instance, function at a +3 RS). A corporeal gestalt can wield whatever powers its creators possess. It may do so at the listed rank value for each (or at an average, if more than one component of its being has the same ability), modified as its traits are, above. For example, if one of the four people participating in such a gestalt has the ability of flight, the corporeal gestalt could use that power at its possessor's rank value +2 RS. At the same time, corporeal gestalts often possess additional powers above and beyond those of its constituent entities. When this ability is first gained, its possessor has the option of placing one or more of their powers within the gestalt; they can't use them by themselves, but must merge with others to wield the ability. Such placement counts as a strong limitation to the powers so constrained, and raises their final values by +2 RS. The appearance and personality of a corporeal gestalt can take on one of two different configurations. The first assumes that the combined bodies and minds of the individuals involved in its creations add up to create an all-new being. This corporeal gestalt has an all-new appearance and personality, one which may recall aspects of its component beings but may have entirely new traits. The second is a direct amalgamation of the bodies and minds of its participants, which might get a bit awkward when multiple genders and species are involved. The minds which make up the gestalt may merge into a singular personality, showcasing all of their tendencies (both good and bad), or simply manifest as all of their personalities in one body - which can either represent ultimate teamwork or abject confusion. Most often the latter. When a corporeal gestalt is defeated in battle but not killed outright, its component beings will usually separate immediately, which may be quite a sight. They will awaken in 1d10 turns as if defeated individually, but will be otherwise okay. If a gestalt is actually slain, those who comprise the gestalt must pass a Kill check or begin to lose Fortitude rank values, on top of the effects of simply being defeated in battle. Corrosion Type: Matter Control Power, Elementalism Spell, Metapsi Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: barbs, battle tail, catalysis, claws, disintegration, horns, poison, quills, razor skin, rotting. Corrosion is the ability to induce rapid degradation in the chemical structure of primarily inorganic matter. This can work through a variety of mechanisms, the end result being damage to or the destruction of such substances. Matter affected by corrosion, whether living or dead before the power is used on it, will show signs of advanced wear. Metals will rust, paint will fade, and so on. Against living entities comprised of such matter, this ability will cause power rank value SD Metabolic damage, which its targets may avoid by preventing physical contact (it requires such to function). When used against unliving substances (which is usually the vast majority of the time), whether glass or steel or uranium, this ability will destroy them if they fail a material value check against this power's rank value. This power can be avoided with resistance to metabolic attacks - or just resistance to rotting or corrosion. Corrosion inflicts -3 RS damage against organic targets (it works, just less effectively). On the other hand, it is less limited when used on organic substances that have been heavily processed in some fashion. Plastics are such a material, and corrosion can affect them at a mere -1 RS. Crowd Control Type: Mental Power, Dimensional Spell, Psipathic Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: mesmerism, mind control, psychic invisibility, sleep, telepathy. A more advanced form of mesmerism, crowd control can sway the actions of a large array of people simultaneously. When invoked, crowd control will prompt a Willpower ACT roll against this ability's intensity upon everyone within Very Near range, save for exceptions of its wielder's choosing (such as allies or whatever). Those who fail this ACT fall into a suggestive, hypnotized state immediately. Once this state is achieved, the targets may be forced to do anything in regards to their immediate behavior (leave the building now) or instead suffer the implantation of a post-hypnotic suggestion (you want to vote for me this November). If in the form of a command, crowd control will last only as long as it takes the targets to complete the chosen directive, at which point individuals so affected will resume control over their actions. A suggestion implanted by crowd control, on the other hand, will last for a number of days equal to this ability's rank value, and can even override the target's normal ethics and beliefs on a yellow ACT roll. Although victims of crowd control are usually zombie-like and unresponsive while under the influence of commands, they will behave perfectly normal while suffering from a suggestion - at least until they act on it. Afterwards, they will resume normality, though such controlled individuals may wonder just what got into them to make them act so out of character. Cure Disease Type: Biological Control Power, Clerical Spell, Empathic Skill Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: aciurgy, age control / others, decontamination, detoxification, healing / others, integral control, mental repair, recovery, regeneration / others, resurrection, resuscitation. Essentially the opposite of the disease power, one can use cure disease to eradicate harmful micro-organisms in its target. This power only works on physical contact with its subject, at which point its wielder can detect and eliminate any undesirable microbes, viruses, or fungal colonies. This requires a power ACT roll made against the intensity (if any) of the offending biological invaders. Upon successful use of this power, the target will be cleansed of such agents, though lingering damage they've caused must be healed normally. This can be done through natural means or with the use of the healing / others or regeneration / others powers. The cure disease power does not count as healing for the purposes of such, since it technically works against the things in one's body, as opposed to their body proper. This allows the immediate use of healing powers on the cured individual without Fortitude penalty. Furthermore, with all these dead micro-organisms floating around in their body, targets of this power have an improved ability to form an immunity to whatever infections were cured inside them. Though cure disease doesn't instill automatic immunity to plagues, it offers its target a +2 RS to develop it on their own, simulating the effect a normal vaccine has on its recipients. On the other hand, it's important to note that this ability does not work as well against inorganic invaders of the nanoscopic sort. Cure disease functions at a -2 RS against tiny creatures of the inorganic variety, whether naturally evolved or those that come in the form of atomatons. A powerful enough version of this ability can competently fight such invaders off, but they're much more difficult to combat. Curse Type: Universal Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value A curse is a means by which a thaumaturge may indicate his or her distinct displeasure with another. By creating a special magical weave around their target, the wielder of the curse spell will apply a probability field around them that acts to hinder everything they do. This hindrance most often comes in the form of a -1 RS to every action the target attempts, though the specific form it takes may vary. This penalty may come from the effects of temporary aging, painful warts and boils, and so on. A curse will last for a number of days equal to the spell value; for instance, a rank value 40 curse spell may zap its target with ill will for up to forty days. Every day the target is affected (including the first, upon its application), the target of a curse spell may attempt a Willpower ACT roll against this spell value to shake off the curse prematurely. No matter the nature or duration of a curse, its target will not inherently know who cast it on him or her. The cursing wizard may reveal themselves if obvious in its application, however, say by binding the target before them while casting it, or when leaving a taunting note after the fact. This allows the wizard behind a curse to be as discreet (or as overt) about his or her actions as they like. Cyberspatial Projection Type: Technopsi Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Cyberspatial projection allows one to insert their mind into a digital stream of data, and interact with it environmentally. Functioning on equipment within Middle distance of its possessor, cyberspatial projection will extend the consciousness of its wielder into any computer or computer network within range - whether or not it is equipped to receive external communications. Once he or she is in, the cyberspatial projector can then interact with whatever data is present in the accessed computer - whether it's resident or just passing through. This interaction is possible thanks to an environmental overlay the cyberspatial projector creates upon entering a computer system. This environment is a mentally created construct, and will generally behave consistently from one use of the power to another. However, both the environment itself and the avatar the cyberspatial projector has assumed might change based on the nature of the infiltrated computer system - particularly if one interacts with a program especially suited to this ability. For instance, inserting oneself into an MMO game might cause a cyberspatial projector to assume the appearance of a standard character within that simulation. While immersed within a digital environ, the cyberspatial projector can act normally, though a lack of a physical body means that one must resolve Coordination ACTs with their Awareness trait, Brawn ACTs with their Intellect trait, and Fortitude ACTs with their Willpower trait. Such ACTs usually come into play when combat is initiated in cyberspace, most often as security programs try to eliminate the cyberspatial projector. Or when dealing with the avatars of other cyberspatial projectors while in the 'net. To better protect oneself while projecting into a cyberspace, he or she can develop the use of their other powers while their mind is in the digital realm. Each power so modified counts as a power stunt of this ability - and functions at the cyberspatial projection power's rank value - not their own. Furthermore, if the character has cybernetic enhancements, they can make use of specialized programs while projecting, too. A cyberspatial projector can generally maintain a number of such abilities, keeping an amount of such translated powers or c-space programs active equal to the normal amount of tasks they can manage thanks to their Intellect score - minus one (for the cyberspatial projection itself). If one is maintaining other abilities in their 'real' body while projecting, this number is reduced accordingly. Cyclone Type: Matter Control Power, Elementalism Spell, Psikinetic Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: gliding, levitation, telekinesis, vapor animation. Upon activating cyclone, a character spins the air (or any other matter) in their immediate vicinity at reckless speeds. Though he or she stands at the eye of this artificial micro-tornado, and is at no risk from it at all, the area around someone using cyclone is subject to intense destruction. Loose objects will easily fly into the character's whirling matter stream, and anyone touching them will take considerable damage. An aversive power more than anything else, cyclone does not provide direct protection from injury like body armor or a force field. However, it does reduce the intensity of incoming damage slightly, offering 1 RS of damage reduction against all physical and energy attacks. The true defense that cyclone offers, though, is that it readily discourages others from closing into melee range of its creator. Anyone within reach of a character wielding cyclone will suffer power value Bashing, Slashing, or Force damage, depending on what, if anything, is suspended within their whirlwind at any given moment. This damage can be used in either a passive (against anyone entering the cyclone generator's personal space) or an active (by walking into someone or something and chipping away at them) fashion. The materials one can draw into a cyclone are generally somewhat small. Normally, it can support objects with a maximum weight equal, in grams, to its rank value. Even at a relatively low value, cyclone can readily pick up enough refuse to scour an area, ranging from dirt to pebbles to glass to needles to anything else scattered about. Such material in a sector is usually drawn into a cyclone if remotely unsecured. On the other hand, the wielder of a cyclone can expel the items floating around him or her as a devastating attack on everyone within their current sector. Such items will fly out at considerable velocity, inflicting damage equal to either the cyclone ability's power value or the material value of the items in question - whichever is less. Carrying thrown weapons for such purposes can be particularly deadly. ** D ** Damage Reduction Type: Physical Enhancement Power, Universal Spell, Psikinetic Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 4 points per RS (or one power slot per 2 RS) Related Powers: body armor, deflection, force field, hard points. Damage reduction is a potent super-human skill that allows its bearer to easily shrug off large amounts of damage. How it actually works depends on the character described; damage reduction may be a result of kinetic dampening, a negative energy field, complex composition, or any other number (or combination) of traits. The trick is that it tends to blunt the impact of incoming attacks by a serious margin. Unlike most super-human abilities, damage reduction is rated not in rank values, but in Row Shifts. For every RS of damage reduction a character has, he or she will impose a -1 RS upon incoming damage before it even affects their person, regardless of its type. As long as said attack inflicts damage to any extent, damage reduction will affect it negatively, no matter what form (or origin) it takes. For example, let us say that Gunter the Hunter has 2 RS of damage reduction. When being struck by an attack that would otherwise inflict rank value 30 Bashing damage, he instead suffers that damage -2 RS, only taking rank value 10 Bashing damage instead. Note the subtle, yet startling difference in function and effect between damage reduction and body armor (or a force field). While the cost of damage reduction is great (four points per RS worth of such), it can be reduced with limitations. Every category of damage that damage reduction does not affect (per Greater Resistance or Invulnerability) will reduce its cost by 1/8. Similarly, if damage reduction is provided in a non-permanent fashion (as is the case with skill-equivalent abilities like spells or psionics), reduce the cost by 2. Let us look at Gunter the Hunter again. His 2 RS of damage reduction has no 'holes' in its defense, and it is always on. This causes all incoming damage that affects him to suffer a -2 RS penalty, at a base cost of 8. On the other hand, Peter the Psi wants a power giving him 4 RS of damage reduction. He gives it vulnerability to deionic and warping attacks. Since this is a psionic, it counts as 'temporary' protection. 4 RS of 'base' damage reduction would have a cost of 16, but both his missing resistance categories reduce that by 4, and his 2 point limitation for its transient nature, reduces Peter's final cost to a 'mere' 10. During character generation, this may wind up being his only initial power, but if learned later, it may simply cost him an arm and a leg (figuratively speaking) in Fortune rewards. Better head out on patrol more! Danger Sense Type: Mental Power, Personal Spell, Metapsi Art Duration: maintenance Cost: 2 points per rank value Related Powers: atomic sense, auscultation, biological sense, empathy, fortuity, macro sense, precognition, self control, telepathy, zest. Vastly improving one's performance in combat, a danger sense automatically alerts its possessor to imminent harm. While the wielder of a danger sense may not be aware just what kind of threat awaits him or her, they will usually know the direction it is coming from, and about how long they have until it strikes. Danger sense can 'see' a number of seconds into the future equal to its rank value. This allows for a number of useful effects in battle - whether in melee or ranged combat. A character using his or her danger sense may substitute this ability's value for their Awareness for the purposes of determining initiative and surprise, their Coordination for the purposes of dodging or weaving attacks, their Melee for the purposes of evading or feinting, their Brawn for the purposes of escaping through holds or blocking attacks, and their Fortitude for the purposes of bracing maneuvers. If one's danger sense is possessed of a smaller power level than the rank value of these traits, it will nonetheless improve them by +1 RS for the purposes of the above uses. Darkness Control Type: Energy Control Power Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: carrier wave, darkness generation, dimensional interface, dimensional transit, emotion control (fear), energy cohesion, teleportation. The ability to control darkness isn't a direct means of negating light, so much as the power to manipulate the otherworldly source of energy known by this name. Darkness control does not, in and of itself, give a body the ability to generate this darkness, only the power to manipulate such once it is extant. This control is typically achieved by passing a power ACT against the intensity of darkness, where available, in the environment. Darkness control functions within Near distance of its wielder, being capable of increasing any ambient darkness up to its power rank value in intensity, or reducing it by a like amount - and likely extinguishing it as a result. A darkness controller can also shape ambient darkness as is desired, simulating resistance to such by making it flow around themselves, or otherwise moving it about in any way they see fit. Making specific constructs out of mystical darkness is also possible, though a darkness controller must master a power stunt for each general type of such they wish to produce. Darkness can come in a variety of different consistencies, after all, from wispy and shadow-like to strongly resembling tar. This allows for the easy creation of darkness restraints, barriers, or even semi-sentient (and transient) creatures of blackest night! Mind you, one can also just direct extant darkness at a foe, inflicting its current intensity in Sorcerous damage, as well. But what if a darkness controller has no darkness handy, and lacks the ability to create it, you ask? That's where the mystical properties of this power comes in handy. As either a strong enhancement or as a power stunt, a darkness controller can learn how to manipulate regular shadows, shaping them as if they were actual darkness - despite the fact that a shadow, in and of itself, has no magical properties. Darkness Generation Type: Energy Generation Power Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: aura (darkness), blending, carrier wave, darkness control, emotion control (fear), transformation / self (darkness). Darkness is an otherworldly power, something that does not occur naturally within our own space-time. This mystical form of energy can manifest as a dark version of other energy types, appearing like blackened lightning or flame or even light, or possibly as a tarry sludge, vaporous tendrils, or even 'living' shadows. Regardless of its appearance, however, darkness generally behaves in the same basic fashion. Darkness generation can be wielded either offensively or defensively, operating within Near distance either way. Defensively, darkness can be used to blot out sources of light within its possessor's sphere of influence with power value ability, doing so on either everything within the character's range or just inside a designated portion of such - or even around a specific character! Offensively, darkness can be wielded as a ranged attack, used to inflict its power value in Sorcerous damage against one's foes. Those exposed to darkness are often affected in a psychic fashion, as well as physically. Something about this alien energy has a deleterious influence on sentient minds, and often instills uncontrollable fear within them. Characters directly exposed to darkness, whether it inflicts damage or not, should make a Willpower ACT roll against its intensity. Failing this ACT will inflict a fear-induced Concuss result for 1d10 turns. Daybreak Type: Entreaty Spell Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Invoking the might of Aya, the goddess of the dawn, this spell momentarily channels that deity's signature power through its caster. Emitting light in a cascade of beautiful pastel colors, the wielder of daybreak will fill the area within Near distance of their person with illumination equivalent to conventional daylight. In other words, for all intents and purposes, the affected area suddenly experiences daytime conditions. For the most part, this light does not inflict direct damage, though it can blind those within the area of effect if they fail a Fortitude ACT roll against its spell rank value. However, the light of the daybreak spell is considered sunlight for both conventional and metaphysical purposes, and will affect entities susceptible to exposure to such if they fail the Fortitude ACT described above. Daybreak only lasts for a short period of time, the light its wielder broadcasts being reduced by -2 RS each turn after it is invoked. This won't continue to prompt checks against blinding, but can continue to cause harm to susceptible beings. The intensity their Fortitude must overcome is reduced by this amount each subsequent turn of exposure, however, until they ultimately overcome its effects. Daydreams Type: Mental Power, Psipathic Skill Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: fugue, mesmerism, mind lock, sleep, telepathy. Wielding this useful power, one may drop the mind of his or her target into a relatively blank, daydreaming state. If affected by this ability, an individual is not quite asleep, but isn't really awake, either. They may be thinking about nothing at all, or may give in to flights of fancy, possibly envisioning any number of pleasant fantasies to pass the time. In this state, a daydreamer won't be all that aware of their surroundings. A character may inflict a daydreaming state on anyone within Near range who fails a Willpower ACT against this power's rank value. Typically, this mental state will last for 1d10 turns, and unlike most telepathic influences, one does not gain an additional resistance ACT each subsequent turn. This is because one can normally be 'snapped' out of a daydreaming state with a bit of effort - a good slap is usually sufficient. Otherwise, one might spontaneously drop out of a daydream if assaulted by similar, intense sensory input - anything from bright lights to noxious odors will do. Death Ray Type: Biological Control Power, Entreaty Spell, Empathic Art Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: reanimation, vampirism. The death ray, a popular attack in many forms of fiction, readily slays any living target it strikes. This is because it is a focused burst of entropic, anti-life energy that literally cancels out the life force (if any) of whatever it strikes. Death rays can function within Near distance of their wielder, and inflict their power rank value in Metabolic damage with each deadly, deleterious strike. This entropic damage can be resisted as if it were Karmic in nature, which means most conventional protections do little against death rays - assuming their user can successfully hit with them. However, resistance to metabolic attacks protects against this power quite well; barring that, one might adopt specific resistance against essential attacks to avoid it, instead. As a strong limitation, one can limit the effects of a death ray to contact only. This is then considered a death touch, and is also popular in fiction. Such an ability often denotes entropic alien beings, who wither flora and the like in their passing, but need not be always active in such a fashion. Decontamination Type: Biological Control Power, Clerical Spell, Empathic Skill Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Related Powers: age control / others, biological vampirism, cure disease, detoxification, energy vampirism, psionic vampirism, spectral vampirism, super vampirism, thaumaturgical vampirism, vampirism. Decontamination works to purify a life form in the event that it is sullied by the taint of anti-life energies. This is most often the case when a body is subjected to one of the various vampiric abilities. With a successful power ACT roll made against the offending anti-life power, decontamination can prevent the target from rising as an undead itself, whether it was slain by such abilities or just severely weakened. When wielded against actual undead creatures of any stripe, decontamination inflicts direct Metabolic damage against them, its power acting to literally cancel out the energies that animate such beings. The only downside to this use of the power is that decontamination only works within Very Near range of its possessor, which means one must usually be directly exposed to such entities to combat them with it. Defensive Portals Type: Philosophical Spell, Psimotive Talent Duration: instantaneous effect Cost: 1 point per rank value Defensive portals are just that, one-way rifts in space-time created for the express purpose of protecting oneself from injury. Only energy can pass through these unidirectional holes in the universe, not matter. Thus, a burst of radiation directed at this power's wielder would be completely shunted elsewhere, while only the energy from a hail of bullets would be, the actual projectiles landing in a pile at his or her feet. A defensive portal provides power rank value protection against incoming attacks that are comprised purely of energy, though this protection is reduced by -1 RS if the damage from an attack is delivered through a physical medium (whether from bullets, a hammer, or even a fist). The wielder of this power must perform a shield maneuver with it to acquire the indicated protection. But where does all this energy go? It's hard to say, really. It may be shunted into a realm of potential energy, or perhaps into a large mass such as an asteroid or even the Sun. Or something even stranger may occur, and a defensive portal may redirect the energies it blocks into the offensive portals wielded by others now and then (possibly making for a highly random string of attacks with that ability). Deflection Type: Physical Enhancement Power, Personal Spell, Psikinetic Talent Duration: maintenance Cost: 4 points per RS (or one power slot per 2 RS) Related Powers: body armor, damage reduction, force field, hard points, turnabout. Deflection is a powerful ability which allows its wielder to casually shrug off attacks to a small extent. How exactly it works depends on the character described; it may involve slippery force fields, carefully crafted angular design, or any other number (or combination) of special tricks. The idea is that deflection tends to 'bounce' incoming attacks off of its possessor at oblique angles, acting as an always-on minus to hit. Unlike most super-human abilities, deflection is rated not in rank values, but in Row Shifts. For every RS of deflection a character has, he or she will inflict a -1 RS upon other characters attempting to hit their person with an attack. As long as said attack requires a roll to hit (instead of providing, say, a resistance roll), deflection will affect that incoming attack no matter what form (or origin) it takes. On the other hand, deflection does nothing for an attack which does connect with its wielder. While it acts to keep incoming attacks from hitting a body, deflection doesn't attenuate their damage any if they do manage to strike him or her. While the cost of deflection is great (four points per