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. In science, iron is the most stable material and changing it takes vast amounts of energy, making it hard to play around with.

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	Advanced	Master	Apex
Dice	—	Minimum 2d	Minimum 4d	Minimum 6d
Stress	Avoid fumble (2+).	Succeed (4+).	Full success (6).	Critical (2 sixes).
Attune	Alloy Awareness Detect Metal creatures and powers.	Allay Metal Dismiss Metal creatures and powers.	Manifest Metal Summon Metal creatures.	Brass Bridge Portal to a plane of Metal.
Command	Chromium Command Intimidate with Metal.	Chrome Connection Talk to faraway Metal creatures.	Master of Metal Command Metal creatures as a superior.	Brass Bondage Enslave Metal creatures.
Consort	Metal Masquerade Imbue clothes and accessories with metal.	Metalize Assume the form of a metal creature.	Iron Infusion Metalize a willing or helpless creature.	Steel Stampede Turn minions into Metal.
Finesse	Metal Mount Ride a metal mount or vehicle.	Brass Blade Metal melee attack.	Manipulate Metal Small and exact manipulations at range.	Metal March Create metal steeds.
Hunt	Steel Steps Track Metal and across Metal.	Metal Marksman Attack like a fine and potent rifle.	Rain of Rust Minor changes to metal over an area.	Steel Storm Attack like a fine and potent grenade.
Prowl	Steel Stealth Hide in environments of metal.	Metal Maneuver Move on and through metal.	Titanium Travel Crew Steel Stealth and Metal Maneuver.	Chromium Conduit Crew teleport between Metal rooms.
Skirmish	Metal Mitigation Attack similar to a melee weapon or pistol.	Honed Hammer Attack like a fine, potent melee weapon or pistol.	Brass Blockade Honed Hammer, plus obstructions that prevent scale.	Metal Mayhem Metal attacks against all enemies in a wide area.
Study	Steel Scrutiny Identify metal objects and creatures.	Analyze Alloy Learn of powers and abilities.	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 Perceive from a Metal object.	Iron Inquisition Metal Monitor to see target.	Copper Clarity Perceive from all Metal in area.
Sway	Iron Insight Understand metal creatures.	Iron Interpreter Crew talk to metal creatures.	Iron Intrigue Suggestions to Metal creatures.	Metal Molding Inculcate Metal creatures.
Tinker	Iron Instrumentation Emulate metalworking tools.	Mold Metal Emulate metalworking workshop.	Titanium Transmutation Emulate metalworking lab.	Steel Structure Emulate metalworking factory.
Wreck	Iron Impact Emulate Metal sledgehammer.	Shatter Steel Shatter metal as if it was wood.	Annihilate Alloys Transmute Metal.	Alloy Apocalypse Shatter Steel over a large area.

Expanded Metal Powers

Attune

Harness the power of Attune to perceive and manipulate supernatural energies relating to metal, allowing you to detect and interact with metal-aligned beings and phenomena, whether native to this world or to other planes.

Consequences usually depend on what happens around you when you do this. In a safe and controlled environment, the Position is Controlled. When you lack control of the situation or face active opposition, the Position becomes Desperate.

Mercurial Meridian

Detect Metal creatures and powers.

You can see Metal Spirits and detect Metal creatures and Metal-aligned powers. This is usually done to spot a spirit or a disguised creature. It can also help identify a creature's connection to powers, providing valuable insights into their nature. If you know several different powers, you can scan for all of them at the same time. Limited outcome suffices against a nearby creature you can clearly see. You need greater outcome against against a creature that is hidden or far away (standard outcome) or behind a wall (great outcome). The position usually starts controlled, with the usual consequence that you missed the opportunity and cannot try again until the situation changes.

Mercurial Medium

Dismiss Metal creatures and powers.

You can force a Metal creature that is native to another plane to return to that plane, force a Metal spirit to materialize, or end the operation of a Metal power, including powers affecting a Metal item or creature.

Dispelling can be used as a defense against others' use of powers, or it can be used to break continuing effects. Dispelling is often used as a setup action to help another character in a situation when the opposition is using powers. This usually improves the position of the supported action and can work in addition to other setup actions. When used directly, the effect is usually limited unless the opponent is relying on powers for their safety. Against an opponent that uses Animal wings to fly or turned into a fish to breathe underwater you have a better base 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.

Forcing a spirit to materialize or de-materialize is easy, but limited in range. The spirit cannot return under its own power for a while, usually after the score.

• Limited Outcome only works on spirits within reach.
• Standard Outcome covers an area based on your tier (p 220).
• Great Outcome reaches out to a range covered by tier (p 220).

Dismissing a creature back to its home plane and usually requires a high Outcome.

• Limited Outcome: Dismissing a creature that wants to return.
• Standard Outcome: Dismissing a weakened or damaged creature.
• Great Outcome: This is the norm, most dismissing requires this Outcome.

Mercurial Merge

Summon Metal creatures.

Metal creatures generally fall into two broad categories: elementals and creatures with powers.

A Metal elemental is a simple creature wholly dominated by metal. Most elementals possess animal-level intelligence and often take the shape of animals, though animated chunks of matter and crude humanoid forms are also common. Many Metal elementals favor forms resembling tools, weapons, or machinery.

Creatures with powers resemble ordinary creatures and typically possess a biological body and metabolism, functioning much like mundane life but with exceptional abilities tied to Metal. A Metal dragon may be impossibly large, capable of flight, and able to generate powerful metal effects. A Metal turtle may possess a shell of steel and grow to such massive size that entire settlements can be built upon it.

Not all creatures with powers are summonable or dismissible. Many are native to this world and have no special vulnerability to Attune effects.

Summons are Cohorts: Creatures you summon function as temporary cohorts (p. 96) — either an Expert or a Gang — with added Powers from their Form. An Expert is a skilled individual who can offer advice, Assist, or act independently. A Gang is a group (numbers based on your Tier, p. 221) that primarily provides Scale in combat and labor.

You can always summon a Gang of creatures one Tier below yours. Summoning a specific Gang or Expert requires knowing its unique identity — called a true name in mystical traditions. For a technomancer, this might be a type ID, blueprint, or genetic code. Learning a creature’s true name may require a flashback, or in complex cases, the research downtime activity or a reward from a score.

Summoning a Creature

The summoning itself is quick but dangerous. When you have time and resources, it is wise to use wards and Barriers, but in action this is usually impossible and you must face the risks. Having allies present for safety is advisable. Offering a creature gifts or services appropriate to its nature and power can be a literal Devil’s Bargain — accepting an additional consequence to gain an advantage.

Depending on your degree of outcome, a creature is willing to do different things:

• Limited Outcome allows you to ask questions of an Expert or demand a short period of physical labor from a Gang. They will not fight for you.
• Standard Outcome allows any service appropriate to the creature’s type, having it act in its typical role. Most creatures don’t mind fighting, but may have preferences about how they do it and what they do outside a fight.
• Great Outcome allows service outside the creature’s comfort zone, though not against its nature. Lengthy service — even within its comfort zone — also requires a Great Outcome, such as guarding treasure until it is stolen.

The position usually starts at Risky — the creature is compelled and may resist. Typical consequences, in ascending order of severity:

• Half-hearted efforts
• Demanding not to be summoned again
• Breaking things or demanding concessions
• A short fight to assert dominance
• Deliberate sabotage
• A constant struggle to maintain control

Mercurial Messenger

Open a portal to a plane of Metal.

You can create a portal that allows travel to and from a plane of Metal. This plane is an iron-framed world covered in sheets of tin and copper, with fittings and structures of precious metals.

There are things that are possible to do here that are not allowed in the regular world. Appropriate 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 origin, but if they affect creatures there the effect may remain when you return to the mundane world.

This can also be used to contact creatures too powerful to summon. This allows you to ignore tier when creating the gate, but gives you no power over the target. The creature may then use the gate to come to you, call you into its presence, send minions, or communicate with you at a distance.

Command

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

Chrome Command

Intimidate with Metal.

You can create Metal effects, such as making nearby metal gleam or hover, to heighten your authority, gaining leverage similar to what could be achieved by a threat such as displaying a weapon. This can provide the leverage needed to use Command to intimidate without an actual threat of violence. Metal creatures may recognize you as a figure of authority.

Chrome Communication

Talk to faraway Metal creatures.

You can communicate with Metal creatures over any distance as long as you know the target, even without line of sight. You can communicate with the most powerful Metal creature in a vehicle or installation as long as you can see the exterior. You can use a Metal item to communicate with its wearer. The communication is simple and direct, suitable for the Command Action.

Chrome Control

Command Metal creatures as a superior.

Metal creatures will understand your orders and are likely to obey. Targets will perceive 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 clashing with their established loyalties.

• Limited Effect might result in a creature doing something it might plausibly have done anyway, such as forgetting to report you or letting you pass without comment.
• Standard Effect makes the creature do what it should, but in a way you decide, such as a police officer escorting you to safety or performing a quick favor.
• Great Effect causes targets to ignore their normal routines and go out of their way to please you, such as neutral faction warriors fighting on your behalf or enemies choosing to ignore or flee from you.

Ordering city guard drones to ignore a disturbance usually requires more Effect than ordering them to resolve it and move on, as their default role is to protect the city.

Position depends on the creature’s actual relationship to you:

• Ordering a creature that sees itself as your superior is usually Desperate.
• A creature that agrees you outrank it is usually Controlled, with consequences focused on limiting retries.
• A creature that sees itself as your equal is usually Risky, potentially leading to Heat, misunderstood orders, or small rebellions.

Chrome Crush

Enslave Metal creatures.

You bind Metal creatures into obedient service. They remain in one location and act according to your instructions, like loyal and literal-minded enforcers, until the effect is broken.

This will not work unless you are already in a position of power. The effect is similar to Chrome Control, but potentially permanent. A creature under your enemies’ care may break free over time. Strong emotions, conflicting authority, or external interference can also break your control; otherwise, the effect lasts until dispelled.

Consort

Consort powers change your form and later that of other creatures. These powers may also be used as a Set-Up action for a later Consort roll. This will often grant improved Effect, improved Position, or allow actions a human body could not normally perform.

Consequences may reveal your disguise, but only if the Position is Risky or Desperate. More common consequences are being mistaken for someone else, or attracting attention because your form is unnaturally glorious.

Golden Gloss

Imbue clothes and accessories with metal.

You do not physically change your body; instead, you alter your clothing and accessories. This can mask your identity or create extravagant, symbolic outfits. The Effect is usually Limited and the Position Controlled, though especially elaborate or conspicuous changes may require greater Effect.

Golden Grace

Assume the form of a metal creature.

This is a true physical transmutation, transforming you into a metal creature. You need not assume the form of an existing being, as long as the table agrees that your new form fits the power being used.

Golden Grace may function as a Set-Up action for social interactions, but may penalize other actions depending on the nature of your new form.

• Limited Effect — You resemble how you might have been had you grown up as the metal creature you assume; those familiar with you may still recognize you.
• Standard Effect — You become a generic metal creature, very difficult to recognize as yourself.
• Great Effect — You assume the form and some of the mannerisms or presence of a specific metal creature you have studied.

Golden Glamour

Golden Grace on others.

You transform a willing or helpless creature into a metal creature. This is Golden Grace applied to another target.

The duration depends on Effect:

• Limited Effect — Very brief.
• Standard Effect — Lasts for the duration of a score.
• Great Effect — Lasts longer and may become permanent, depending on the fiction.

This is often used as poetic justice, a curse that is difficult to reverse. Making the target unrecognizable requires additional Effect, as per Golden Grace.

Golden Garland

Turn minions into Metal.

This is where Consort becomes similar to an Attune ability to summon. 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 creates a gang cohort (p 96) that they can be given bit parts as servants or laborers or fight and chase for you. Such goons are more useful for chasing and cornering targets than in actual combat.

Finesse

Steel Steering

Ride a metal mount or vehicle.

If a metal mount or vehicle is present, you can ride it as if it were domesticated and you had the keys. This allows you to use Finesse with mounts and vehicles you are not familiar with. You can overcome simple locks, but not locks that require Tinker.

You can grant this ability to your crew as an Advanced effect.

Steel Sting

Metal melee attack.

Attack in a manner similar in effect to a Fine and Potent dueling sword or pistol. This only substitutes for equipment; a fine and potent finesse weapon is just as effective. In combat, using this does not take additional time — activating the power is equivalent to drawing a weapon.

Steel Spiral

Small and exact manipulations at range.

You can precisely manipulate small amounts of metal at short range, similar to what you could do by hand. This allows you to push buttons, trigger devices, and perform acts of legerdemain.

Such minor manipulation takes almost no time and can be used as a Set-Up for yourself or slipped in between other actions. If metal fencing or sheet metal is available, you can shape it into simple obstacles.

This can substitute for simple Tinker actions, but not for complex or delicate work.

Steel Streak

Create metal steeds.

You create metal mounts or vehicles for your crew. These are untiring and durable, but otherwise function like mundane means of transportation.

Hunt

Lead Leash

Track metal and movement across metal.

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 are usually losing the trail, but depending on the environment and the target, they may include getting lost, losing traction and skidding, or colliding with an obstacle at speed.

Lead Longshot

Attack like a Fine and Potent rifle.

You can use your power to attack at range, similar in effect to a Fine and Potent rifle. This serves as a replacement for traditional equipment; a Fine and Potent ranged weapon provides the same Effect.

Lead Landscape

Minor changes to metal over an Area.

Alter the environment by making minor changes to metal over a wide area. You can corrode or polish metal to make it dull and pitted or smooth and reflective. You can gather, disperse, or alter slag and metallic pollution, changing its color and consistency. This does not inflict direct damage, but can significantly reshape the battleground and is often useful as a Set Up action, as long as the terrain or opponents’ gear includes metal.

Lead Lethality

Attack like a Fine and Potent grenade.

Attack in a manner similar to a Fine and Potent grenade, harming many creatures at once while risking collateral damage. This is an escalation of Lead Longshot. Less precise, it affects all creatures at a location. Targets in trenches, behind walls, or otherwise shielded are not directly damaged, but are forced to keep their heads down, giving your side the initiative.

Prowl

Sneak and move with stealth and agility.

Steel Stealth

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 like ships and airframes 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

Move on and through metal.

This allows you to climb on sheer metal walls, walk through walls of metal, and so on.

• Limited effect can pass a metal grille or net.
• Standard effect can walk through metal foil.
• Great effect through metal walls or a metal hull but not structural metal or armor plate.

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

Titanium Travel

Crew Steel Stealth and Metal Maneuver.

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. If they have to roll, they use their own Prowl action.

Chromium Conduit

Crew teleport between Metal rooms.

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 good for intrusion into an enemy's territory that you are unfamiliar with. 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.

Skirmish

Metal Mitigation

Resist Harm from metal.

Absorb harm from Metal, including Metal powers, weapons, and bullets. You increase the effect of Skirmish rolls for endurance in such environments. Roll Skirmish to resist such Harm. 1-3: No reduction. 4-6: Reduce Harm by 1 level. Critical: Reduce Harm by 2 levels.

As a Master power, you can protect an ally for a score; as an Apex Power, you can protect your crew. Allies roll their own Skirmish dice.

Honed Hammer

Attack like a fine, potent melee weapon or pistol.

This only substitutes for equipment, a fine and potent mundane weapon is just as effective.

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.
• 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

Identify metal objects and creatures.

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

Analyze Alloy

Learn of powers and abilities.

You know the powers and abilities of something. You are not restricted to mundane information, you also learn of any powers or special abilities and relevant rules.

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 objects and creatures and Metal powers in use. The outcome you need depends on the target's concealment.

• Limited outcome finds those hiding behind cover and in far places you can only barely see.
• Standard outcome can look behind walls and into hard cover.
• Great outcome can look into far-away places and spots you had no idea existed.

Iron Insight

You can sense metal.

This is a basic spotting power, selectively sensing things of metal. You can look for specific metals or types of metal objects if you want. The more detailed your information is, the more precise the result.

Metal Monitor

Perceive from a Metal object.

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

Metal Monitor to see target.

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

Perceive from all Metal in area.

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

Understand Metal creatures.

You can gauge the mood and motivations of metal creatures and understand what they are saying. This does not allow you to be understood. You can also sense if a creature of any kind of is confident, precise, or decisive.

Iron Interpreter

Talk to Metal creatures.

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. You are persuading, not speaking with authority. You can instead influence creatures of any kind to be precise, decisive, or confident.

Iron Intrigue

Suggestions to Metal creatures.

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

Inculcate Metal creatures.

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. This 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.

• Limited Outcome solves an immediate problem, then ends. Any effect achieved will last, such as a repair made with temporary tools.
• Standard Outcome construction, repair, or item lasts for the duration of a score.
• Great Outcome is semi-permanent. This does not make permanent kit, but it can make permanent effects to the setting, such as repairing a large construction like a bridge or wall.

Something larger than you are, very complex, or of higher Quality Level than your Tier increases the needed Outcome.

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

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

Iron Instrumentation

Emulate metalworking tools.

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

Emulate metalworking workshop.

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

Emulate metalworking lab.

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.

Steel Structure

Emulate metalworking factory.

This is similar to Mold Metal, above, but on a larger scale. 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.

• Limited outcome is a car-sized hole in a flimsy metal barrier, like foil or netting.
• Standard outcome is a car-sized hole in a thin metal wall. A smaller hole still need the same effect.
• Great outcome can affect something larger and/or stronger.

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

Iron Impulse

Emulate a Metal sledgehammer.

Just as crude as it sounds. You destroy metal and strike with the force of a sledgehammer in combat. This relies on brute force, it does not bypass the inherent strength of a metal target. As usual, Wreck may be at an advantage or disadvantage compared to Hunt, Finesse and Skirmish, depending on the situation.

Iron Impact

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 people and things as a fine, potent sledgehammer.

Iron Implosion

Pulverize Metal.

Like Iron Impact, but silent and reduces remains to fine metal filings, destroying most clues to what it was. Gets rid of evidence, as long as that evidence is of metal.

Iron Invasion

Iron Implosion 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 a ubiquitous support material in modern construction, wrecking the metal makes that construction unstable and causes it to slowly crumble.