Electricity Powers (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Electricity is something that accompanies technology. Primitives recognize the power of lightning and perhaps static electricity, but little more.

Electricity powers deal with electric current, tension, and potential. It also masters magnetism. Most commonly viewed in technological terms, this also represents the lightning bolts of Zeus and the thundering hammer of Thor. Electricity is in a dominant position towards much technology - even if electric powers are not subtle enough to control technology and electronics, they can usually detect or destroy such devices.

Electric attacks are made of lightning. It is extra effective against electronics and less effective against grounded metal. Metal armor works normally against electricity unless it is grounded, in which case it grants immunity.

Electric creatures are electric elementals and monsters with electric powers, such as Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, the goats of Thor. This includes creatures with electronic brains like AIs and robots. The few natural animals that use electricity, mainly electric eels and sharks with electrosense, can be affected by both electric and Animal powers.

The plane of electricity in a magical setting is made up of ball-lightning-like nodes of electric powers, with arcs to other similar clusters nearby. These nodes are habitats where electric creatures thrive. Random bolts of lightning connect to more distant nodes.

Electricity 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	Spark Sense Detect Electric creatures and powers.	Spark Suppression Dismiss Electric creatures, end Electric powers.	Spark Summon Summon an Electric creature from another plane.	Spark Zone Create a portal to a plane of Electricity.
Command	Electric Edict Command Electric creatures. You do not understand them.	Electric Express Crew can communicate with electric creatures.	Electric Elite Command Electric creatures, as if you were their superior.	Electric Enslave Permanently bind electric creatures to service.
Consort	Arcing Attire Mask yourself in electricity.	Shocking Shape Assume the form of an Electric creature.	Transformator Shocking Shape a willing or helpless creature.	Wild Watts Shape and instruct willing or non-sentient creatures.
Finesse	Jolted Journey Ride an Electric mount or vehicle.	Lightning Lunge Fine and potent electric melee.	Current Control Small and precise electric manipulation.	Lightning Labyrinth A storm of electricity, suppressing scale.
Hunt	Spark Seeker Track electric creatures and vehicles.	Lightning Longshot Electric attack similar to a fine and potent rifle.	Glow Glimmer Control electric devices, create coronas.	Volt Volley Electric attack similar to a fine and potent grenade.
Prowl	Lightning Lurker Hide from electric sensors.	Surge Surfer Ride electric power cables.	Shock Squadron Crew use of Lightning Lurker or Surge Surfer.	Watt Warp Crew teleport along electric lines.
Skirmish	Spark Stab Electric close-range attack, similar to a melee weapon or pistol.	Lightning Lunge Skirmish Attack, except the weapon is fine and potent.	Lightning Labyrinth Create distractions an that prevents scale.	Electro-Explosion Electric attack on all nearby enemies.
Study	Electric Eye Identify electric creatures and items. See radio waves.	Current Clarity Analyze electric powers and abilities. Listen to radio.	Ampere Analysis See past events around electric phenomena.	Joule Judge Current Clarity in a wide area, Ampere Analysis on three targets.
Survey	Volt Vision Sense Electric creatures, current, electromagnetic radiation.	Voltage View Perceive the surroundings of a known electric device as if you were there.	Power Probe Choose a location or creature. Gain Voltage View at the nearest electric device.	Power Panorama Perceive from all electric devices at once over a wide area.
Sway	Current Clarity Understand electric creatures and gauge their motivations.	Electric Eloquence Crew can communicate with electric creatures. Make folk quick and decisive.	Watt Whispers Post suggestions in the mind of an electric creature.	Charge Compulsion Permanently change the personality of an electric creature.
Tinker	Current Control Handle electric devices as if you had the appropriate tools and protective devices.	Current Crafting Shape electric currents and elctro-magnetic radiation directly, will retain their shape.	Spawn Sparks Create electric objects, currents, and radiation out of nothing.	Lightning Lattice Current Crafting on industrial scale or build something large.
Wreck	Static Smash Noisily crash like an electric sledgehammer. Jam radio waves.	Short Circuit Smash electric machines as if they were wood. Fine potent sledgehammer in combat.	Silent Surge Destroyed targets silently disappear. Blank out radar and radio waves.	EMP Short Circuit over a large area. Blackout, jam all radio and radar.

Expanded Electricity Powers

Attune

Harness the power of Attune Electricity to perceive and manipulate supernatural energies, allowing you to detect and interact with beings and phenomena from other planes of existence.

The consequences usually depends on what happens around you when you do it. Having helpers and bodyguards reduces the consequences, and sometimes a creature wants to be dismissed and the consequence might be that it loses control of itself, or that other creatures appear to intervene.

Spark Sense Detect Electric 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).

Spark Suppression Dismiss Electric creatures, end Electric powers.

Dismissing a creature is hard and usually requires great effect. A creature that has been wounded or otherwise weakened only needs standard effect. A creature that wants to be dismissed requires only limited effect.

You can dispel any Electricity power and powers affecting Electricity creatures. It can be used as a defense against others' use of power, or it can be used to break the continuing effects of powers. Dispelling is often used as a setup action to help another character in a situation when the opposition is using powers. This improves the position of the supported action.

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 travel a power line 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.

Spark Summon Summon an Electric creature from another plane.

Summoning can bring you allies to fight or labor for you, giving you scale. They can also give advice and information related to their power. Summons can use simple effects of their power and maintain power effects you have created.

You can summon generic creatures without having to do a flashback. Such a creature is similar to a gang member in ability and are often summoned in groups to add scale. 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 or 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.

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

Elementals only exist for powers that have a direct physical manifestation, like the four classic elements of air, earth, fire, and water, but also the other forms that have a physical manifestation, electricity, ice, metal, and plant. An elemental is a simple creature totally dominated by its power. Most elementals have animal intelligence, and often take the shape of animals as well, tough animated chunks of matter and humanoid forms are also common.

Creatures with powers resemble normal creatures, having a biological body, metabolism, and functioning as ordinary living creatures but also have some exceptional abilities related to their power. A thunderbird is an oversize eagle that can cause lightning bolts. 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.

Standard effect allows you to ask for any service appropriate to the type of creature. A devil will do evil, a fire elemental will burn stuff, and so on. 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 devil will do most things except those associated with Light, a fire elemental will heat your forge or power your steam engine. Lengthy service also requires great effect, like summoning the creature to guard a treasure for as long as it can.

Typical consequences include:

• A bargain of payment in things the creature prizes such as amber or precious metal.
• The creature strikes out at you once.
• A tightwire struggle to keep the creature under control.
• You need to concentrate to keep the creature under control.
• The creature breaks things around you.
• Overly literal interpretations of your commands.

Offering a creature gifts or services appropriate to its nature can help. This is essentially a devil's bargain, accepting a price in advance. Desperate position usually comes from trading position for effect, but it might come from a difference in ethos. If you are a druid and summon a creature focused on electronics, 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.

Spark Zone Create a portal to a plane of Electricity.

Many settings will have a plane of electricity where electric powers come from. There are things that are possible to do on such a plane that are not allowed in the regular world. Most 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 where you perform them, but if they affect creatures on that plane, the effect may remain when you return to the mundane world.

A gate lasts for a while, enough for a quick score. If things take a lot of time it might require a separate use of the power to return home again. Gating 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.

The first-time you gate to a certain place the position is at least risky and becomes desperate if there is any kind of disturbance.

Command

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

Electric Edict Command Electric creatures. You do not understand them.

This is useful for intimidating Electricity creatures and commanding foreign or alien subordinates. Combined with Sway: Current Clarity, it allows two-way communication.

Electric Express You can communicate with Electricity creatures over long distances.

You can communicate with Electricity 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 creature related to your power along an electric conductor or in a vehicle or installation as long as you can see the exterior. The communication is simple and direct, suitable for the Command skill.

You can use any electric loudspeaker as a two way communication device.

Electric Elite Command Electric creatures, as if you were their superior.

Electricity creatures see you as a regulator outranking them. This does not remove existing loyalties, which can lead to conflicts. Understanding the social order of your targets 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.

Electric Enslave Permanently bind electric creatures to service.

This won’t work unless you are already in a position of power. The effect is similar to Authority but permanent. Strong emotions can 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.

A common consequences is that you are mistaken for someone, or that your assumed form is somehow a hindrance. You might attract small objects through static electricity, trigger prejudices, or have unexpected handicaps.

Arcing Attire Mask yourself in electricity. You do not physically change yourself, you change your accessorize and outfit. You can create and maintain decorative electric arcs, coronas, and lights to make a fantastic outfit or conceal your identity. As an advanced ability, you can do this for another.

Shocking Shape Assume the form of an Electric creature.

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

Shocking Shape can work as a set-up action for a number of other actions but may penalize other things, as appropriate to your new form. When appropriate, your new form can use Basic and Advanced Electricity powers inherently without risking stress.

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.

Transformator Shocking Shape a willing or helpless creature.

This is Shocking Shape 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 Shapechange.

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

Wild Watts Shape and instruct willing or non-sentient creatures.

This is where Consort becomes a combination of the Transformator and Attune: Spark Summon powers. 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, many 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 given bit parts, acting as servants and laborers.

Finesse

Exercise finesse with your power, manipulating and attacking with precision

Jolted Journey Ride an Electric mount or vehicle.

This allows you to use Finesse with mounts and vehicles you are not familiar with. You can ride any electric vehicle. You can bypass simple locks on vehicles, but not more serious security. You can ride electric beasts even if they are not trained to carry a rider. They must still be physically able to carry you.

Lightning Lunge Fine and potent electric melee.

Certain targets may be more or less vulnerable to certain attacks, but this is the exception. A 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.

Current Control Small and precise electric manipulation.

This allows you to manipulate small amounts of Electricity at short range, allowing you to trigger devices, and perform legerdemain. This can substitute for simple Tinker actions, but nothing complicated. You can open doors, trigger or hinder mechanisms, or perform other minor manipulations, as long as there is an electric device to manipulate.

Lightning Labyrinth A storm of electricity, suppressing scale.

As Lightning Lunge, 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

Track, attack, and unleash devastating barrages with the power of Hunt Electricity. At short range, this can be dangerous to you and yours.

Spark Seeker Track electric creatures and vehicles.

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.

Lightning Longshot Electric attack similar to a fine and potent rifle.

Essentially, this serves as a replacement for traditional equipment; a fine and potent ranged weapon would be equally effective in combat. While some targets may exhibit more or less vulnerability to specific types of attacks, this is the exception rather than the rule.

Glow Glimmer Control electric devices, create coronas.

Command electricity in the environment over a wide area. Jam devices and lights, hider radio and telegraphy, increase any lightning storm present. This is usually used as a setup. This does not inflict any direct damage.

Volt Volley Electric attack similar to a fine and potent grenade.

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

Prowl

Sneak and move with stealth and agility.

Lightning Lurker Hide from electric sensors.

This does not aid general stealth, but does conceal you from electric sensors, which includes most technological alarms and surveillance devices. Note that only you can become invisible to sensors, your crew cannot unless you use Shock Squadron, below

Surge Surfer Ride electric power cables.

This allows you to momentarily transform into electricity and travel along electric conductors. Circuit breakers, weak power lines, and electric security hinders such movement. Your friends and allies cannot use this unless you employ Shock Squadron.

Shock Squadron Crew use of Lightning Lurker or Surge Surfer.

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

Watt Warp Crew teleport along electric lines.

You and allies can teleport along electric conductors, much like Surge Surfer but much more far ranging. You are less limited by circuit breakers, weak power lines, and electric security than Surge Surfer is. This is regional travel, you stay within the same city or region, but it is generally sufficient to escape just about any situation or location.

This takes you to places you are familiar with. Both effect and position is worse unless you know where and along which conductors you are going to travel, 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.

Skirmish

Prosper in the chaos of battle.

Spark Stab Electric close-range attack, similar to a melee weapon or pistol.

Besides variety, this only substitutes for equipment, mundane weapons are just as effective. Certain targets may be more or less vulnerable to certain attacks, but this is the exception.

Lightning Lunge Skirmish Attack, except the weapon is fine and potent.

Lightning Labyrinth Create distractions an that prevents scale.

This creates sparkling electric barriers. The effect is to deny the advantage of numbers.

Electro-Explosion Electric attack on all nearby enemies.

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 potentially hurt all your enemies in the skirmish.

Study

Study and analyze objects and creatures imbued with Electricity 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. Sometimes thing you are researching it dangerous in itself, worsening position. Consequences may give you knowledge that lacks crucial details.

Electric Eye Identify electric creatures and items. See radio waves.

This gives the name and very basic information in narrative terms, but not details or actual rules. You can identify but not read radio and radar waves.

Current Clarity Analyze electric powers and abilities. Listen to radio.

You learn of any powers or special abilities the creature has. This includes actual rules and game effects. You can listen in on radio, but coding makes this more difficult and might require Tinker to overcome.

Ampere Analysis See past events around electric phenomena.

Electric phenomena include machines, power lines, batteries, and Electricity powers. You learn about previous electric setups and what is connected to what as well as significant scenes from its history. The power zooms in on events of interest to you.

Joule Judge Current Clarity in a wide area, Ampere Analysis on three targets.

Provides a detailed view of events involving Electricity as far as you can see, pinpointing locations of interest like electric lines and power nodes. You can then use Ampere Analysis to learn the history of up to three such locations.

Survey

Perceive and locate manifestations of your power. The effect you need depends on the target's 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.

Volt Vision Sense Electric creatures, current, electromagnetic radiation.

This is a basic spotting power, selectively sensing things related to your power.

Voltage View Perceive the surroundings of a known electric device as if you were there.

You move your perception to an electric conductor or device and sense as if you were at that spot as long as you maintain concentration. You still sense things at your actual location, but only very dimly.

Power Probe Choose a location or creature. Gain Voltage View at the nearest electric device.

Similar to Voltage View but allows you to focus on a specific creature or position. Automatically directs your senses to the best vantage point provided by a an electric device, typically close enough to observe the target. Fails if no suitable viewpoint is available.

Power Panorama Perceive from all electric devices 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 how your perception works.

Sway

Communicate, mesmerize, and manipulate creatures imbued with Electricity. Position and effect are determined normally, depending on the situation and your relation to listeners.

Limited effect works if it follows the target's existing impulses, just overcoming fragile self-restraint. Standard effect can convince a target with no particular stake in the matter. Great effect will convince a reluctant target, but not a passionate one.

Current Clarity Understand electric creatures and gauge their motivations.

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

Electric Eloquence Crew can communicate with electric creatures. Make folk quick and decisive.

This allows you and your crew to use the Sway action with full effect on Electricity creatures, overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers.

In addition you can inspire anyone to be quick, decisive, and hasty in making decisions.

Watt Whispers Post suggestions in the mind of an electric creature.

This is an enhanced Sway attempt, allowing you to implant suggestions that will trigger under conditions you set. The power remains subtle until the suggestion is activated. The target will not remember being swayed.

Suggestions cannot be absurd to the target. A typical use would be to sway a servant to leave a window open or a guard to forget to load their weapon. Suggestions fade over time depending on the level of effect achieved: limited effect lasts for the immediate situation, normal effect lasts for the duration of the score, and great effect can extend beyond the score if it fits the story.

Charge Compulsion Permanently change the personality of an electric creature.

This power is permanent but blatant. It changes the target on a deep level, altering their priorities and loyalties. Target remember their past but considers it unimportant compared to their new motivations. There are limits to this power, especially for creatures linked to a power—you cannot make an Electricity creature stand still and remain impassive. Exceptional creatures and circumstances can break this change.

Tinker

Manipulate, shape, and create objects imbued with your power to suit your needs. 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.

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 use Lightning Lattice.

Current Control Handle electric devices as if you had the appropriate tools and protective devices.

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

Current Crafting Shape electric currents and electro-magnetic radiation directly, will retain their shape.

This surpasses normal crafting, letting you manipulate electric charge and currents without using conductors. This can substitute for power lines and batteries and facilitates the construction of traps or devices, avoiding the need for extensive equipment.

Spawn Sparks Create electric objects, currents, and radiation out of nothing.

You don't need tools to build complex fine and potent items appropriate to your powers.

You can create electric energy from nothing. This is like Shaping, above, but needs no raw materials.

With multiple powers you can transform Electricity into material linked to another power. This allows intricate transformations where a metal sword can be transmuted into electricity and still work as a sword, or a wooden door can be changed to a magnetic field so you can walk through and the door then returns to normal.

Lightning Lattice Current Crafting on industrial scale or build something large.

You can mass produce electric devices or create large structures like power plants that normally require a work force and facilities. In long-term projects involving construction or crafting, Lightning Lattice makes hundreds of items with the same effort as one item, but with a stress cost.

Wreck

Destroy, dismantle, and obliterate electricity and electric machines.

Most Wreck Electricity use will still affect objects and walls. The effect required depends on the size and structural strength of your target. Standard effect is a car-sized hole in a brick or mortar 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.

Each level of Wreck Electricity can also wreck power lines and storage as indicated.

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.

Static Smash Noisily crash like an electric sledgehammer. Jam radio waves.

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

Short Circuit Smash electric machines as if they were wood. Fine potent sledgehammer in combat.

This bypasses the strength of materials, allowing you to break even the strongest electrical device as if it was made of wood. You can safely shortcut industrial power. You can use this to smash things or as a fine, potent sledgehammer. You can jam radio and electronic sensors in your immediate surroundings.

Silent Surge Destroyed targets silently disappear. Blank out radar and radio waves.

Short Circuit with the improvement that wrecking things is now silent. Leave no traces, as what you wreck disappears. Get rid of evidence of electrical operations. Deaden electromagnetic radiation in the local area.

EMP Short Circuit over a large area. Create widespread blackouts.

Rather straightforward, this just scales things up to an entire city or battlefield.