Metal Powers (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Metals are common in all but the most primitive culture, and metalworkers have often been associated with mystical powers.

Metal is considered an element in some systems of thought, a mix of elements in others. It combines the resilience of earth with the flexibility and destructive potential of fire. It carries the mark of civilization, yet is used in wars of destruction. Metal, especially iron, is essential to technology and thus opposed to the fey and magic in general.

Metal attacks are blades and bullets.

Metal elementals are made up of chunks of scrap metal, other metal creatures includes metallic robots, clockwork creatures, and animated armor and weapons.

Metal Power Effects

Action	Basic No minimum 3 Stress	Advanced Minimum 2 Dice 5 Stress	Master Minimum 4 Dice 7 Stress	Apex Minimum 6 Dice 13 Stress
Attune	Alloy Awareness You can detect metal creatures and powers.	Allay Metal Force a metal creature that is native to another plane to return to that plane, or to end the operation of a metal power.	Manifest Metal Call a metal creature from a different plane.	Brass Bridge You can create a portal that allows travel to and from the plane of metal.
Command	Chromium Command You can command metal creatures even if normally couldn't. This does not make you comprehend them.	Chrome Connection You can communicate over long range with metal creatures.	Master of Metal Commands metal creatures as if you were their superior. This does not resolve loyalty conflicts.	Brass Bondage Permanently bind metal creatures to service.
Consort	Metalic Masquerade Imbue clothes and accessories with metal.	Metal Metamorphosis You assume the form of a metal creature.	Iron Infusion You can shapechange a willing or helpless creature into a metal creature.	Steel Stampede Transform many willing or non-sentient creatures and give them a simple instruction.
Finesse	Metal Mount If there is a mount or vehicle of metal, you can ride it as if it was domesticated and you have the keys.	Brass Blade Attack like a fine and potent dueling sword or pistol, or give your friends Metal Mount.	Manipulate Metal Do small and exact manipulations at range.	Metal Maelstrom Your power manifests like a storm of blades.
Hunt	Steel Steps You can track and pursue metal creatures and vehicles, or track anything across a metal surface.	Metal Marksman You can use your power to attack, similar in effect to a fine and potent rifle.	Rain of Rust Alter the environment by doing minor changes to metal over a large area.	Steel Storm Attack like a fine and potent grenade. Hurt many creatures but risk collateral damage.
Prowl	Steel Stealth You can hide in environments of metal.	Metal Maneuver You can move on and through metal.	Titanium Travel You can bring allies along when you use Steel Stealth and Metal Maneuver.	Chromium Conduit You and allies teleport from one location dominated by metal to another.
Skirmish	Metal Melee Attack similar to a melee weapon or pistol.	Honed Hammer Same as Skirmish Attack, except the weapon is fine and potent.	Brass Blockade Honed Hammer, plus obstructions that prevent scale.	Metal Mayhem Metal attacks against all enemies in a wide area.
Study	Steel Scrutiny You can identify metal objects.	Analyze Alloy You know the powers and abilities of something you analyze.	Metal Memory You can read the past events of something you analyze.	All-Knowing Alloy Analyze Alloy everything you can see, then Metal Memory three times.
Survey	Iron Insight You can sense metal.	Metal Monitor Choose a metal object; perceive as if you were at that spot.	Iron Inquisition Choose a location or creature. You gain a sensor at the nearest metal object, which is often close enough to perceive the target.	Copper Clarity You perceive from all metal objects at once over a wide area.
Sway	Iron Insight You understand metal creatures.	Iron Interpreter You and allies can communicate with metal creatures. You can make folk more precise, decisive, and confident.	Iron Intrigue Implant suggestions in the minds of metal creatures.	Metal Molding You permanently change the personality and motivations of metal creatures.
Tinker	Iron Instrumentation You can handle metal as if you had the appropriate tools.	Mold Metal You can shape metal objects as if they were of clay.	Titanium Transmutation You can conjure metal from nothing or transmute materials from metal to material of another power.	Steel Structure This is similar to Mold Metal, above, but more at a time.
Wreck	Iron Impact Jimmy metal objects much like a sledgehammer. Noisy and leaves a twisted object in place.	Shatter Steel You can shatter metal as if it was wood.	Annihilate Alloys Shatter Steel, plus the metal silently disappears or is reduced to a fine dust.	Alloy Apocalypse Shatter Steel over a large area.

Expanded Metal Powers

Expanded descriptions of effects that differ significantly from Typical Powers.

Attune

Alloy Awareness You can detect metal creatures and powers.

This is usually done to spot a disguised summoned creature. However, it can also help identify a creature's connection to powers, providing valuable insights into their nature. Limited effect suffices against a creature you can clearly see. You need greater effect against against a creature that is hidden (standard effect) or behind a wall (great effect). The position usually starts controlled, with the usual consequence that you cannot try again.

Allay Metal Force a metal creature that is native to another plane to return to that plane, or to end the operation of a metal power.

Dismissing a creature is hard, and might require the creature to be weakened, either by previous attempts to dismiss it, or by other attacks, interactions, or by being set up. The consequences of this depends entirely on what happens around you when you do it. If a powerful creature resists being dismissed, its obviously dangerous. Having helpers and bodyguards reduces the consequences, and sometimes a creature wants to be dismissed and the position is controlled. Consequence might be that it loses control of itself, or that other creatures appear to intervene.

Dispelling a metal power effect is usually easier, but not always. This can be used as a defense against others' use of a metal power, or it can be used to break the continuing effects of metal powers.

Dispelling is often used as a setup action to help another character in a situation when the opposition is using powers. The position is controlled, possibly risky if there are a lot of other dangers around. Limited effect creates an opening that makes the supported action potent. Normal effect improves the position of the supported action. Great effect improves both position and effect of the supported power.

When used directly, the effect is usually limited unless the opponent is relying on powers for their safety. Against an opponent that uses power to fly or even breathe you can have a better effect.

When dramatically appropriate that a power is hard to dispel, often because it is the crux of the situation, this will not negate the power but instead give you a clue to what you need to do to resolve the situation.

Manifest Metal Call a metal creature from a different plane.

What a "place of your power" means depends on the setting, but is always a different place that you normally cannot interact with. This is usually a parallel world or plane of existence, dominated by metal and metal powers.

Summoning can bring you a group of allies to fight, but more commonly you summon a spirit to do some specific task related to metal. Summons can use most power effects and maintain power effects you have created. They can also give advice and information related to metal. In general, you can summon generic creatures one tier lower than yourself without having to do a flashback. Such a creature is similar to a gang member.

To summon a particular creature, similar to a cohort, you need its unique identity, often called true name in the mystical power traditions. For a technomancer this would be a type id number, a blueprint, or a block of data. Learning about the right creature to summon is a task in its own right, often requiring a flashback or downtime activity to use Command, Consort, Study, or Sway to gain information. Doing this kind of preparation also counts as a set-up action for your summoning, even if you are doing it in a flashback.

It might be worth the extra effort to summon a creature of higher tier, but this is also much more demanding, using the usual rules for tiers.

Summoned metal creatures generally come in two types, elementals and creatures with powers.

A metal elemental is a simple creature totally dominated by metal. Most elementals have animal intelligence, and often take the shape of animals, tough animated chunks of matter and humanoid forms are also common. Many metal elementals like to take the forms of metal tools or machinery.

Creatures with powers resemble normal creatures, most having a biological body, metabolism, and functioning as ordinary living creatures but also some exceptional abilities related to their power. A metal dragon is impossibly large, flies, and creates metal effects. A metal turtle has a shell of steel and can grow to massive size, to the point where a city can be built on top of them. Not all creatures with powers are summonable or dismissible, many are native to this world and have no special vulnerability to Attune power effects.

Depending on your degree of effect the creature is willing to do different things. Limited effect allows you to ask questions of an intelligent creature or demand a short period of physical labor from a simple creature. The creature will not fight for you. If forced into a fight due to circumstances, it will resent it afterwards.

Standard effect allows you to ask for any service appropriate to the type of creature. A metal creature is precise, decisive, and confident and will do short and demanding tasks gladly, but resents being bored. This includes dangerous tasks such as combat if the creature has such abilities, which most of them do.

Great effect allows actions outside the creature's comfort zone, but not things it directly opposes. A metal elemental will dither or take on a dull guard job. Lengthy service also requires great effect, like summoning the creature to keep a machine in good repair.

The position is usually risky. The creature is being forced to serve and might lash out. Typical consequences include: The creature strikes out at you once. A tightwire struggle to keep the creature under control The creature breaks things around you, demands concessions from you. Overly literal interpretations of your commands. The creature deliberately does its tasks poorly.

Offering a creature gifts or services appropriate to its nature can make the position controlled, with consequences like half-heated efforts, demanding not to be summoned again until some time or event has passed, or just general sulkiness.

Desperate position usually comes from trading position for effect, but it might come from a difference in ethos. If you are a priest of plants, or if the summon is three or more tiers above you, the position will be desperate. Consequences include the spirit demanding you sell your soul, become its agent in the world, that you come to its home plane to serve it there for a time (usually three scores), that you defeat the creature in a duel or similar dramatic story events.

Brass Bridge You can create a portal that allows travel to and from the plane of metal.

This is situational, but can vital in exceptional circumstances. As outlined under Manifest Metal above metal powers in most settings are linked to a different world where metal is dominant. There are also things that are possible to do on these planes that are not allowed in the regular world, most metal effects are reduced one step in difficulty, from advanced to basic, master to advanced, and apex to master. This opens the possibility of new super-apex powers that have to be negotiated with the game master. Such effects rarely reach outside the plane of metal, but if they affect creatures or objects on that plane, the effect may remain when you return to the mundane world.

Brass Bridge can allow access to creatures too powerful to summon, so you instead ask for an audience. The creature may then use the gate to come to you, call you into its presence, or just communicate with you.

Travel using Brass Bridge is usually played out as a score, which means there is an engagement roll. Depending on how quickly the matter is resolved, the game master may require a separate use of the power to return home again. However if you do this in a scene that is dangerous, such as asking for help against an enemy too powerful for you to defeat, the position is usually much worse. Once you have established a connection to a certain place or audience with a certain creature, you can usually do so again from a controlled position.

Command

Command and intimidate metal creatures, projecting authority. Position and effect depend on the situation and your relationship with the listeners.

Chromium Command Metal creatures understand your commands even if normally couldn't. This does not let you comprehend them.

This is useful for intimidating metal creatures and commanding metal subordinates. Combined with the basic power of Sway, it allows two-way communication.

Chrome Connection: You can communicate over long range with metal creatures.

You can communicate with metal creatures over any distance as long as you know the target, and a line-of-sight even if you do not. You can communicate with the most powerful metal creature in a vehicle or installation as long as you can see the exterior. The communication is simple and direct, suitable for the Command skill.

Master of Metal Commands metal creatures as if you were their superior. This does not resolve loyalty conflicts.

Metal creatures will understand your orders. Targets will see you as an officer, professional superior, alpha, or other leader type outranking them. This does not remove existing loyalties, which can lead to conflicts. Understanding the social order of your target helps avoid conflicting with their established loyalties. Ordering city guards to ignore a disturbance is harder (needs more effect) than telling them to deal with it and move on, because their task is to protect the city.

Limited effect might result in a creature not doing what it might not have done anyway, like forgetting to report you or give you a ticket. Standard effect makes the creature do what it should, but in a way you decide, like a police officer escorting you to safety or doing you a quick favor. Great effect means targets will ignore their normal routine and go out of their way to please you, like neutral faction warriors fighting for you, or enemies ignoring or fleeing from you.

The position depends on the creatures' actual relationship to you—ordering a creature that sees itself as your superior is a desperate position. A controlled position comes from a creature that agrees you are superior, usually just making retrying harder. A risky position is typical against a creature that sees itself as your equal and not your enemy, possibly leading to heat, misunderstood orders, or small rebellions.

Brass Bondage Permanently bind metal creatures to service.

They will stay in one location and act according to your instructions, like very loyal and literal-minded goons, until something breaks the effect.

This won’t work unless you are already in a position of power. The effect is similar to Master of Metal but potentially permanent. A creature under your enemies' care may break free over time. Strong emotions can also break your control, but otherwise, it lasts until dispelled.

Consort

Consort powers changes your form and later that of other creatures. These powers might also be used as a set-up action for a later Consort roll. This will often give a bonus to effect or improved position or even allow an action that a human could not do.

Consequences might reveal your disguise, but only if the position is risky or desperate. More common consequences is that you are mistaken for someone, or that your form is somehow odd or exceptional.

Metalic Masquerade Imbue clothes and accessories with metal.

You do not physically change yourself, you change your accessorize and outfit. This can mask your identity or create fabulous outfits. The effect is usually limited and the position controlled, but some changes might require more effort.

Metal Metamorphosis You assume the form of a metal creature.

This is a true physical transmutation, turning you into a metal creature. You need not assume the form of an existing creature, as long as the table agrees your new form matches the power you use.

Metal Metamorphosis can work as a set-up action for a number of other actions but may penalize other things, as appropriate to your new form.

With limited effect you can transform into yourself like you would have been, had you grown up as the creature whose form you assume. Those familiar with you will recognize you. Standard effect can make you a generic creature, very hard to recognize as yourself. Great effect allows you to assume the shape and some of the personality of a specific creature you have studied.

Iron Infusion You can shapechange a willing or helpless creature into a metal creature.

This is Metal Metamorphosis applied to another creature. The duration depends of the effect, limited effect is very temporary. Standard effect lasts for the duration of a score. Great effect lasts a long time and potentially become permanent, depending on the the story. If you also want to make the target unrecognizable, that requires additional effect, see Metal Metamorphosis.

This is sometimes used as a kind of poetic justice, a curse that is very hard to break.

Steel Stampede Transform many willing or non-sentient creatures and give them a simple instruction.

This is where Consort becomes a combination of the Shapechange and Summon power effects. Instead of summoning a host of allies, you transform a number of existing creatures and give them a task that they will perform with gusto, turning them into single-minded minions. Targets must be willing, non-sentient like animals, or just very minor figures in the plot, likely several tiers below you.

This is usually used to create a host of goons that will fight and chase for you. Such goons are more interested in chasing and cornering targets than in actual combat. Or they can be turned into servants, like the scene with the fairy godmother from Disney's Cinderella.

Finesse

Metal Mount If there is a mount or vehicle of metal, you can ride it as if it was domesticated and you have the keys.

This allows you to use Finesse with mounts and vehicles you are not familiar with.

Brass Blade Attack like a fine and potent dueling sword or pistol, or give your friends Metal Mount.

This only substitutes for equipment, fine and potent finesse weapon is just as effective. In a fight, using this does not take any more time, activating your attack power is equivalent to drawing a weapon.

Manipulate Metal Do small and exact manipulations at range.

This allows you to open doors, trigger or hinder mechanisms, or perform other minor manipulations, as long as the target is metal.

This allows you to manipulate small amounts of metal, similar to what you could do by hand, and you can do so at short range, allowing you to push buttons, trigger devices, and perform legerdemain. This can substitute for simple Tinker actions, but nothing complicated.

Metal Maelstrom Your power manifests like a storm of blades.

As Brass Blade above, and you also create distractions. The effect is like having a number of trusty but entirely defensive allies in the fight. This negates any scale advantage an enemy gets for having allies of their own.

Hunt

Steel Steps You can track and pursue metal creatures and vehicles, or track anything across a metal surface.

This works even if the quarry does not leave any mundane trail or clues Consequences here are mainly to lose the trail, but depending on the environment and targets, it might lead you to get lost, into traps, or even into an ambush.

Metal Marksman You can use your power to attack, similar to a fine and potent rifle.

This serves as a replacement for traditional equipment; a fine and potent ranged weapon does the same.

Rain of Rust Alter the environment by doing minor changes to metal over a large area.

You can corrode or polish metal to make it dull and pitted or smooth and shiny. You can change slag and metallic pollution, gathering it up or changing its color and consistency. This does not inflict any direct damage.

Steel Storm Attack like a fine and potent grenade. Hurt many creatures but risk collateral damage.

An escalation of Metal Marksman. Less precise, this affects all creatures at a location. Targets in trenches, behind walls, or otherwise shielded are not in direct damage, but tend to keep their heads down, which gives your side the initiative.

Prowl

Sneak and move with stealth and agility.

Steel Stealth You can hide in environments of metal.

This allows you to hide in impossible places as long as the environment is metal. Tin roofs and metal construction comes to mind. It otherwise works just like any other attempt to use Prowl to avoid notice. Note that only you can use this ability, your friends and allies cannot unless you use Titanium Travel, below.

Metal Maneuver You can move on and through metal.

This allows you to climb on sheer metal walls, walk through walls of metal, and so on. Standard effect can wall through metal foil, great effect through thin metal walls or a standard metal hull.

Your friends and allies cannot use this unless you employ Travel, below

Titanium Travel You can bring allies along when you use Steel Stealth and Metal Maneuver.

Now you and your allies can Prowl in places where your power is at home. They still use their own Prowl action.

Chromium Conduit You and allies teleport from one location dominated by metal to another.

This takes you to places you are familiar with. Both effect and position is worse unless you know where you are going, which means it is great for escapes but less so for intrusion into an enemy's territory that you are likely to be much less familiar with. This is regional travel, you stay within the same city or region, but it is generally sufficient to enter or escape just about any situation or location.

Skirmish

Metal prospers in the chaos of battle.

Metal Melee Attack similar to a melee weapon or pistol.

This only substitutes for equipment, mundane weapons are just as effective

Honed Hammer Metal Melee, except the weapon is fine and potent.

Brass Blockade Honed Hammer, plus obstructions that prevent scale.

Creates a maze of walls and spikes that isolate pairs of opponents, negating the advantage of numbers.

Metal Mayhem Metal attacks against all enemies in a wide area.

Turns you into a one-man army. Not only do you negate the advantage your enemy may get from numbers, you also spread your effect to hurt all enemies in the skirmish.

Study

Study and analyze objects and creatures imbued with your power to gain insight and knowledge. The effect required depends on range, limited effect for touch, standard effect for line-of-sight, and great effect to reach a target you know of or have some link to, but which is out of line-of-sight.

Position depends on the situation. Safely in your base the position is controlled. In the middle of a fight or when pinned down the position is desperate.

Steel Scrutiny You can identify metal objects and creatures.

This gives precise mundane information, but not supernatural or exceptional abilities like those of powers.

Analyze Alloy You know the powers and abilities of something you analyze.

Now you are not restricted to mundane information, you also learn of any powers or special abilities the creature has.

Metal Memory You can read the past events of something you analyze.

This includes previous owners and how the object has been moved around as well as significant scenes from its history. The power zooms in on events of interest to you

All-Knowing Alloy Analyze Alloy everything you can see, then Metal Memory three times.

Provides a detailed view of events involving metal as far as you can see, pinpointing locations of interest like bases and power nodes. You can then use Metal Memory to learn the history of up to three such locations.

Survey

Perceive and locate metal and medal powers in use. The effect you need depends on the targets concealment. Limited effect finds targets in concealment. Standard effect finds those hiding behind cover and in far places you can only barely see. Great effect can look behind walls and into hard cover.

Iron Insight You can sense metal.

This is a basic spotting power, selectively sensing things of metal. You can look for specific metals if you want.

Metal Monitor Choose a metal object; perceive as if you were at that spot.

Shift your perception to a metal object you know about and sense as if you were physically there, while still maintaining awareness of your actual location, though dimly.

Iron Inquisition Choose a location or creature. Gain sensory perception from the nearest metal object.

Similar to Metal Monitor but allows you to focus on a specific creature or position. This is typically close enough to observe the target. Automatically directs towards the best vantage point provided by a glowing object. Fails if no suitable viewpoint is available

Copper Clarity You perceive from all metal objects at once over a wide area..

Enhances your senses impossibly, akin to being multiple individuals spread across the scene. Creates a comprehensive mental image of the area, revealing numerous details simultaneously. It's challenging for targets to hide unless they are aware of the need to conceal themselves.

Sway

Iron Insight You understand metal creatures.

You can gauge the mood and motivations of these creatures and understand what they are saying. This does not allow you to be understood. Used together with the basic Command power, this allows full communication.

Iron Interpreter You and allies can communicate with metal creatures. You can make folk more precise, decisive, and confident.

This allows you to use the Sway action with full effect, overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers as long as you are speaking to metal creatures or trying to convince people to be precise, decisive, or confident. Unless you also use Chromium Command you are persuading, not speaking with authority.

Iron Intrigue Implant suggestions in the minds of metal creatures.

This is an enhanced Sway attempt, allowing you to implant suggestions in metal creatures that will trigger under conditions you set. The power remains subtle until the suggestion is activated. The target will not remember being swayed, and if you succeed, you can give them instructions that will activate later in a specified situation.

Metal Molding You permanently change the personality and motivations of metal creatures.

This power is permanent, but blatant. The target remembers their past, but regards it as unimportant compared to their new motivations. It changes the target on a deep level, altering their priorities and loyalties. There are limits to this power, you cannot make a metal creature indecisive or deliberately clumsy. Exceptional creatures and circumstances can break this change.

Tinker

Manipulate, shape, and create metal objects. The effectiveness and durability of your constructions depend on the effect. More powerful devices are harder to sustain and will not last as long. Most creations will endure until the end of a score. Long-lasting and permanent effects require downtime projects.

Position depends on the tranquility of your workspace and if you are working on something dangerous in itself.

For long-term projects, Tinker powers can substitute for missing tools, but that is all they do until you can Fabricate.

Iron Instrumentation You can handle metal as if you had the appropriate tools.

This ability substitutes for tools and protection devices typical of a small workshop.

Mold Metal You can shape metal objects as if they were of clay.

This surpasses normal crafting, letting you manipulate elements that are not stable, like quicksilver and molten metals, making them stay in the new shape. This can substitute for pipes and containers and facilitate the construction of traps or devices, avoiding the need for extensive equipment.

You can also form parts of a larger object as if it were clay, creating openings in walls, doors, and other massive objects.

Titanium Transmutation You can conjure metal from nothing or transmute materials from metal to material of another power.

You don't need tools to build complex fine and potent metal items.

You can create metal from nothing. This is like Mold Metal, above, but needs no raw materials.

With multiple powers you can transform material linked to one of your powers into material linked to another. This allows intricate transformations where a metal sword can be transmuted into fire and still work as a sword and the like.

Steel Structure This is similar to Mold Metal, above, but more at a time.

You mass produce objects, even a set of different objects, or create large structures like ships or buildings that normally require a work force and facilities. In long-term projects involving construction or crafting, Steel Structure makes many dozens of items with the same effort as one item, but remember the stress cost.

Wreck

Destroy, dismantle, and obliterate metal or using metal as an implement of destruction.

The effect required depends on the size and structural strength of your target. Standard effect is a car-sized hole in a thin metal wall. Construction significantly weaker than this only demands limited effect. A smaller hole stil need the same effect. Something larger and/or stronger requires great effect.

The position depends on the situation. A quiet workspace is controlled, the general hustle of adventure risky, dealing with a fight, massive crowds, or dangerous construction is desperate.

Iron Impact Jimmy metal objects much like a sledgehammer. Noisy and leaves a twisted object in place.

Just as crude as it sounds. You destroy metal and strike with the force of a sledgehammer in combat. As usual, Wreck may be at an advantage or disadvantage compared to Hunt, Finesse and Skirmish, depending on the situation.

Shatter Steel You can shatter metal as if it was wood.

This bypasses the strength of metal, allowing you to break even the strongest barrier. You can also use this to smash other things or as a fine, potent sledgehammer.

Annihilate Alloys Shatter Steel, plus the metal silently disappears or is reduced to a fine dust.

The real difference here is that wrecking metal is now silent. You also leave less traces, as what you wreck disappears. Get rid of evidence, as long as that evidence is of metal.

Alloy Apocalypse Shatter Steel over a large area.

This can level a city block, raze a metal wall, destroy a mass of vehicles, and similar large-scale destruction. Metal is an ubiquitous support material in modern construction, wrecking the metal makes that construction unstable and causes it to slowly crumble.