Light Powers (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Light is both physical and spiritual light, inspiring deeds of charity and benevolence. Light is opposed to darkness.

Light is the power of ethics, inspiration, and enlightenment. It involves physical light, insight, and meaning. It gives meaning to the blind forces of order and flux, and drives away the darkness. Light powers serve to inspire, awe, and enlighten.

Light attacks are beams of coherent light, like lasers, lights words, and holy light. They are usually good against Darkness but may have problems against purely physical creatures.

Light Power Effects Table

Action	Basic No minimum 4 Stress	Advanced Minimum 2 Dice 5 Stress	Master Minimum 4 Dice 6 Stress	Apex Minimum 6 Dice 7 Stress
Attune	Light Lens Detect any power.	Light Lattice Dismiss any summon or power.	Celestial Call Call an angel from heaven.	Glorious Gate Open a path to heaven.
Command	Celestial Command Talk to angels.	Celestial Call Message angels, send messages of hope.	Angelic Authority Command angels as a superior.	Angelic Allegiance Bind angels to permanent service.
Consort	Radiant Raiment Imbue clothes and accessories with light.	Angelic Alteration Assume the form of an angel.	Celestial Conversion Turn a good creature into an angel.	Legion of Light Turn a host of good creatures into angels.
Finesse	Radiant Roam See regardless of the level of light or darkness.	Radiant Riposte Attack as a fine and potent weapon or give friends Radiant Roam.	Radiant Reach Manipulate light with precision.	Radiant Route Travel as a ray of light.
Hunt	Ethereal Eye Track strong good or bad intentions.	Radiant Ray Attack like a fine and potent laser rifle.	Dazzling Daybreak Create light as bright as a sunny day.	Celestial Cascade A fine and potent laser bomb.
Prowl	Halo Haze Become invisible in bright light.	Luminous Leap Travel as a ray of light.	Celestial Conveyance Crew Halo Haze and Luminous Leap.	Glittering Gate Crew teleport from light to light.
Skirmish	Luminous Lock Resist Harm from Light.	Luminous Lance Fine and potent melee attack.	Luminous Labyrinth Prevent scale.	Luminous Lash Attack all enemies in melee.
Study	Angelic Appraisal Name angels and powers of Light and Darkness.	Luminescent Lore Fathom angels and powers of Light and Darkness.	Radiant Recall Read the past events of Light.	Illuminated Insight Area Luminescent Lore then thrice Radiant Recall.
Survey	Angelic Awareness Sense physical and ethical Light and Darkness.	Gleaming Gaze Perceive from a light you know of.	Radiant Revelation Perceive a target from nearest light.	Illuminated Insight Gleaming Gaze from every light in an area.
Sway	Radiant Rapport You understand angels.	Luminous Lexicon Talk to angels. Sway to good deeds.	Seraphic Suggestion Suggestions to do good deeds.	Cricket Voice Create an active conscience.
Tinker	Celestial Crafting Work materials of Light.	Radiant Reshaping Shape Light like clay.	Radiant Creation Transmute light.	Radiant Replication Mass Radiant Reshaping.
Wreck	Gleaming Grasp Cut like a laser.	Radiant Ravage Burn like a laser torch.	Quiet Quench Silent Radiant Ravage to dust.	Heavenly Holocaust Radiant Ravage over an area.

Expanded Light Powers

Attune

Light is a very high-utility version of attune. You can detect, dispel, and dismiss all powers and creatures tied to all powers.

The consequences depends entirely on what happens around you when you do it. If a powerful creature resists being dispelled or dismissed, its at least risky. In a general melee against strong opponents, the situation becomes desperate. Having helpers and bodyguards improves position, and sometimes the situation is calm or a creature wants to be dismissed and the position is controlled.

Light Lens Detect living things.

Light Lens is usually used to see spirits of any kind or to spot a disguised creature, but it can also help identify a creature's connection to powers.

• Limited outcome suffices against a creature you can clearly see.
• Greater outcome against against a creature that is hidden.
• Great outcome can detect things behind a wall.

Position usually starts controlled, with the usual consequence that you cannot try again or only try again at greater risk.

If you have an additional level of outcome, you can identify what power you are detecting, and gain some insight into what kind a creature is. For more detailed information, use Survey or Study.

Light Lattice Negate any power on a living thing.

You can force a summoned creature to return to its plane of origin, force any kind of spirit to materialize, or to end the operation of an ability of any power.

You can force a creature based on this power that is native to another plane of existence to return to that plane, or to end the operation of an ability of this power.

• Limited outcome: A creature that wants to be dismissed.
• Standard Outcome: A creature that has been wounded or otherwise weakened.
• Great Outcome: A creature at full ability.

Forcing a spirit to materialize is easy, but limited in range; if the creature can get away from you it can disappear again. Limited effect only works on spirits within reach. Standard effect can reach out up to a hundred meters. Great effect reaches out kilometers.

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.

It can also be used to break the continuing results of powers. 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 may 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.

Celestial Call You can call an angel from heaven. You never truly control angels, but they will do good deeds.

Angels come in all forms, some looking light elementals made of light, sometimes forming glowing glyphs or text. Others have animal, humanoid, or even mechanical forms. All are moral, and have intellect enough to judge morality, or perhaps a supernatural sense for what is good.

Depending on your degree of outcome the creature is willing to do different things. Limited outcome 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 simply disappear.

Standard outcome allows you to ask for any service appropriate to an angel. The creature will heal, bless, carry messages of peace or challenges against evil, and give just judgement. This includes dangerous tasks such as combat if the angel has such abilities, which most of them do.

Great outcome allows lengthy service, like summoning the creature to guard against evil for as long as it can, but still does not allow morally questionable actions.

Different angels do different things and focus on different virtues. Study can find an angel that does what you want. In easy cases this can be done as a flashback, more specific angels are rarer and might require a long-term project.

The position is controlled unless the situation around you is dangerous. An angel may require you to promise future good deeds or to accept a quest or mission. It might pose moral questions that you need to answer.

Glorious Gate You can create a physical connection to heaven.

This is only useful under exceptional circumstances. Heaven may accept pilgrims or refugees for a time, but not permanently. There are also things that are possible to do on in heaven that are not allowed in the regular world. Light effects are reduced one step in difficulty, from advanced to basic, master to advanced, and apex to master, opening the possibility of new super-apex powers that have to be negotiated with the game master. Such effects rarely reach outside heaven, but if they affect creatures in heaven, some effect may remain when you return to the mundane world. This may also apply to some other effects, such as Life used to heal.

Glorious Gate can allow access to angels too powerful to summon, instead you 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.

Using Glorious Gate to adventure in heaven is played out as a score, which means there is an engagement roll.

Command

Celestial Command Talk to angels.

You can use command on angels even if you normally wouldn't be understood by them. You can admonish creatures and suggest a better path to them across language and culture barriers, but you gain no additional authority. This allows the use of the Command action restricted only by your intent, you must genuinely wish them well.

Celestial Call Message angels, send messages of hope.

You can communicate over long distances with angels or to send messages of hope. You must know the name of the creature you communicate with, or to have met them in person. A message of hope is a message to lift spirits, morals, or encourage good deeds. This has no supernatural influence over receivers, they choose their own actions.

Angelic Authority Command angels as a superior.

Command angels as if you were their superior. This does not remove existing loyalties, which can lead to conflicts if they already have a task or master. Angels won't do evil deeds. They might do neutral deeds if they seem a chance of redemption or other a positive result, which can be used to trick them.

Angelic Allegiance Bind angels to permanent service.

You can bind angels to permanent service. They will generally stay in one location and act according to your instructions, like very loyal and literal-minded stooges.

This won’t work unless the task is one that aligns with the principles of light. The effect is similar to Angelic Authority but potentially permanent. An angel will not usually break free, but might disobey part of your instruction for the greater good.

Consort

Consort powers changes your form and later that of other creatures. Often Consort rolls are not actually made when you use the power to change your appearance or form, it is rolled when in the social situation and effect and position is decided at this critical point. This may give a bonus to effect or improved position or even allow an action that an outsider could not do. These powers might also be used as a set-up action for a later Consort roll.

Consequences might reveal your disguise, but only if the position is risky or desperate.

Radiant Raiment Imbue clothes and accessories with light.

Change your clothes and accessories by imbuing them with light. This can mask your identity or create fabulous outfits. Allows the creation of effects like halos and mandorlas or even a mask of diffuse light bright enough to conceal your identity. You do not physically change yourself, you accessorize and change your outfit or add an aura. You can apply this to allies as an advanced effect.

Angelic Alteration Assume the form of an angel.

You assume the form of an angel. You need not assume the form of an existing creature, as long as the gamemaster agrees your new form matches the power you use.

Shapechange 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 powers inherently without risking stress.

• Limited outcome 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 outcome can make you a generic creature, very hard to recognize as yourself.
• Great outcome allows you to assume the shape and some of the personality of a specific creature you have studied.

Celestial Conversion Turn a good creature into an angel.

You can apply Angelic Alteration to a willing creature of good nature. A target can end the effect at any time.

Legion of Light Turn a host of good creatures into angels.

Transform a large number of good-natured creatures into a host of angels. This power mimics the effects of Angelic Alteration on many targets at once. You can transform a group of willing or non-sentient creatures into an angelic host. Targets must be willing or non-sentient, and they cannot be evil or aligned with the Darkness power, nor several tiers below your own tier.

The transformed creatures will enthusiastically carry out tasks assigned by you. They primarily excel in pursuit and containment rather than direct combat. Alternatively, they can serve as obedient servants, akin to an angelic choir or court.

Finesse

Exact control of physical light to move, fight, and control your environment. Finesse has little relation to spiritual alight, but Light attacks might still work better against creatures of the Dark.

Radiant Roam See regardless of the level of light or darkness.

You can move and see regardless of the level of light or darkness. Enables you to ignore darkness or blinding light. However, your vision remains sensitive to contrasts between light and darkness, which may allow creatures to hide from you unless the environment is uniformly dark.

This avoid penalties to effect or position in dark or blinding conditions.

Radiant Riposte Attack as a fine and potent weapon or give friends Radiant Roam.

Attack as a fine and potent weapon or give friends Radiant Roam.

The attack is similar in effect to a fine potent dueling sword or pistol. Light attacks are usually good against Darkness but may have problems against purely physical creatures. You can instead grant your crew the Radiant Roam effect.

Radiant Reach Manipulate light with precision.

Create sunspots and atmospheric light effects to set the mood. Trigger light-sensitive devices such as photocells and laser sensors. Replicate the functionality of a laser communications device you are familiar with. Usually used as a set-up. Consequences are likely partial results, really bad consequences might actually ruin the mood or create undesired an effect.

Radiant Route Travel as a ray of light.

Turn yourself, your crew, mounts, and vehicles into rays of light. In this form you can travel through clear air and vacuum almost instantly. You travel in straight lines to the extent of your line of sight and can do so repeatedly. You can do nothing else while in light form.

Hunt

Track, attack, and unleash devastating barrages with the power of Light. As you advance, the scope of your attacks becomes greater, allowing you to control significant areas and cause widespread destruction. At short range, this can be dangerous to you and yours.

Ethereal Eye Track strong good or bad intentions.

You can see and track creatures with strong good or bad intentions.

Track based on the moral disposition and emotional state of your target. Creatures displaying strong goodness or malevolence are easier to track, as are those in violent or vengeful moods. Casual strollers cannot be tracked this way.

Consequences mainly involve losing the trail, serious consequences potentially leading to getting lost, falling into traps, or walking into an ambush.

Radiant Ray Attack like a fine and potent laser rifle.

Perform precise, long-range attacks using light. Effective against creatures of Darkness but may have limitations against purely physical beings.

Dazzling Daybreak Create light as bright as a sunny day.

Dispel all forms of darkness, including those created by Darkness powers. Does not affect other Darkness effects. Control the light to diffuse it, preventing blinding and minimizing shadows for better visibility, or intensify it like sunlight, potentially causing temporary blindness.

Celestial Cascade A fine and potent laser bomb.

Similar to Radiant Ray, but massive, can both overcome scale and hurt many enemies at once. be careful with collateral damage.

Prowl

Sneak, move, and even teleport with stealth and agility. Consequences in a controlled position are often the loss of time because you have to lie low. More serious consequences might give opponents some information, possibly making them more alert or giving them clues to what you are doing, or you might stumble and take some minor injury or end up in a tricky spot.

Halo Haze Become invisible in bright light.

Allows you to hide in places you ordinarily couldn't. Functions similarly to other attempts to use Prowl to avoid notice.

Luminous Leap Travel as a ray of light.

Momentarily transform into a ray of light to teleport to a visible location. Works best in bright light; in darkness, it's quite visible. The required effect varies based on visibility: distant or murky locations require greater outcome, while limited outcome suffices for close and well-lit areas.

Celestial Conveyance Crew Halo Haze and Luminous Leap.

You can allow allies you can clearly to use Halo Haze and Luminous Leap. This uses your stress, but each ally uses their own Prowl action.

Glittering Gate Crew teleport from light to light.

You and allies can teleport from one brightly illuminated area to another. This is regional travel within the same city or region. Can be used to escape nearly any situation, though finding a suitable location in unfamiliar or hostile territory is unlikely. A fumble might leave you in a similar but different location, potentially placing you in danger.

Skirmish

Engage in close combat and create opportunities with the power of Light. This uses the normal combat rules typical to consequences.

Luminous Lock Resist harm from light.

Absorb Light energy. This allows you to ignore most harm from dangerous light and radiation, making you immune to such environmental effects and to resist such harm. Roll Skirmish when subject to Harm from Light powers, lasers, and dangerous amounts of light or radiation. This is your inherent resistance, it does not require any activity on your part. Reduce the level of harm inflicted based on the level of success. 1-3: Nothing. 4-5: Reduce level of harm by one. 6: Reduce level of harm by two. Crit: Negate all harm and recover 1 stress.

Luminous Lance Fine and potent melee attack.

An attack similar to a fine and potent laser pistol or laser sword. Light attacks are good against Darkness but may have problems against purely physical creatures.

Luminous Labyrinth Prevent scale.

Create distractions and obstructions that prevent the enemy from benefiting from numbers/scale. Otherwise as Luminous Lance.

Luminous Lash Attack all enemies in melee.

Prevents opponents from using scale and allows you to strike multiple targets. Otherwise as Luminous Lance.

Study

Study and analyze objects and creatures of Light to gain insight and knowledge. The effect required depends on range, limited outcome for touch, standard outcome for line-of-sight, and great outcome to reach a target you know of or have some link to, but cannot see.

Position varies depending on the situation. In a safe or secret location, the position is controlled. In the midst of conflict or when under pressure, the position becomes desperate.

Angelic Appraisal Name angels and powers of Light and Darkness.

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

Luminescent Lore Fathom angels and powers of Light and Darkness.

You learn the powers and abilities of something you use Angelic Appraisal on. This gives you information on powers and other obscure or occult information and the rules for them.

Radiant Recall Read the past events of Light.

Learn events related to creatures or powers of Light or Darkness. Reveals previous owners or encounters of the target and significant scenes from its history, focusing on events of interest to you.

Illuminated Insight Area Luminescent Lore then thrice Radiant Recall.

Provides a detailed view of events involving Light and Darkness in the area, pinpointing locations of interest like bases and power nodes. You can then use Radiant Recall on three targets.

Survey

Unhindered sight in any natural light condition, from blinding sun to starlight. Firelight and other artificial light is not helpful. Perceive and locate angels, devils, and power effects of Light and Darkness. The outcome you need depends on the targets concealment.

• Limited outcome finds targets the open.
• Standard outcome finds those hiding behind corners, cover, and far places you can only barely see.
• Great outcome can look behind walls and into hard cover.

Angelic Awareness Sense physical and ethical Light and Darkness.

You can sense strong good and evil intentions as well as physical light and darkness. This is a basic spotting power, selectively sensing things related to your power. You can choose to detect all such intentions, those directed towards you, or those directed at a specific creature or group you know well.

Gleaming Gaze Perceive from a light you know of.

Shift your perception to a brightly shining object you know is there and sense as if you were physically there, while still maintaining awareness of your actual location, though dimly. Anything in direct sunlight qualifies. A glowing object for this power and Radiant Revelation includes things that transfer or direct light, such as a window, lens, or mirror.

Radiant Revelation Perceive a target from nearest light.

Similar to Gleaming Gaze but allows you to focus on a specific creature or position. Choose a location or creature. Gain sensory perception from the glowing object nearest to it. Automatically directs towards the best vantage point provided by a glowing object. This is typically close enough to observe the target. Fails if no suitable viewpoint is available.

Illuminated Insight Gleaming Gaze from every light in an area.

You perceive from all glowing 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

Communicate, mesmerize, and manipulate creatures of light and later in any type of creature. Position and effect are determined normally, depending on the situation and your relation to listeners. Because light is an ethical power, Sway Light does not allow mind control, but you can influence others in more subtle ways.

Radiant Rapport You understand angels.

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

Luminous Lexicon Talk to angels. Sway to good deeds.

You and allies can communicate with angels. This allows you to use the Sway action with full effect, overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers as long as you are speaking to angels or trying to convince people to do good. Unless you also use Angelic Authority you are persuading, not speaking with authority.

You can Sway any creature to try to make them do good deeds.

Seraphic Suggestion Suggestions to do good deeds.

Implant suggestions in the minds of any type of creature to make them do good deeds. 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, and if you succeed, you can give them instructions that will activate later in a specified situation.

Suggestions cannot be absurd to the target and must have beneficial effects. Typical suggestions include avoiding harm or performing minor sacrifices for the benefit of others.

Cricket Voice Create an active conscience.

Create an active conscience that will alert the target when they are about to do evil. The Cricket Voice's morality aligns with a mix of yours and the target's, leaning towards goodness without being entirely alien. If the target follows the Cricket Voice's advice, they will gradually improve their behavior. To commit a decidedly evil action, the target must resist, which silences the Cricket Voice for the rest of that score. Repeated resistance weakens and eventually dissipates the Cricket Voice.

Tinker

Manipulate, shape, and create physical light. While the ethical aspect of light is still present, it is weak. The effectiveness and durability of your constructions depend on the outcome. 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.

Celestial Crafting Work materials of Light.

You can craft light, lamps, lasers, and holiness as if you had the appropriate tools and protective devices. This level of tinkering has little utility if your setting doesn't have these things. "Holiness" items have Light powers and possibly other powers made to fight evil and planar invaders. A common type of light items are light crystals that glow without fire or fuel.

Radiant Reshaping Shape Light like clay.

You can shape light, lasers, and holiness as if they were of clay, and they will retain their new shape for some time even if they would normally not, such as light and lasers. This surpasses normal crafting, letting you manipulate light as if it were solid or a liquid. This can substitute for mirrors and prisms and facilitate the construction of traps or devices, avoiding extensive equipment.

Radiant Creation Transmute light.

Conjure light from nothing or transmute materials light and material of a power you know. You don't need tools to build complex fine and potent items from light. You can create light from nothing. This is like Radiant Reshaping, above, but needs no raw materials. This lets you make fine and potent items from light.

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

Radiant Replication Mass Radiant Reshaping.

You can mass-produce objects made of light and create large structures like ships or buildings that normally require a workforce and facilities. In long-term projects involving construction or crafting, Radiant Replication makes many dozens of items with the same effort as one item, but with a stress cost.

Wreck

This is more about using light to wreck than about wrecking light. Use Light to destroy, dismantle, and obliterate objects and effects of the Barrier and Darkness powers.

Wreck Light can destroy physical manifestations of Barrier, Darkness, and Light. In most cases, wrecking a power effect destroys it in its entirety. This is only a small part of all effects, but Barrier in particular has many physical effects that Light can destroy. The reason Barriers are vulnerable to Light is that they are made to be transparent. It is possible to create a barrier impervious to light, but that would be a black shell impenetrable to light, thus making those inside blind.

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.

Gleaming Grasp Cut like a laser.

Cuts like a laser and chases darkness away. This power is like a laser torch, noisy and leaves a twisted object in place.

Radiant Ravage Burn like a laser torch.

Gleaming Grasp that can smash some power effects. Works as a fine potent sledgehammer in combat. This is where you can start to wreck physical manifestations of the powers of Barriers are vulnerable to Light. Such effects can be smashed as if they were wood. To do this, you must be able to visualize the effect as a material object. This works for visible effects like walls, glowing points, or spheres of darkness but not against dark moods or ephemeral barriers.

Quiet Quench Silent Radiant Ravage to dust.

Radiant Ravage, and destroyed targets silently disappear or are reduced to a fine dust. Barriers and Darkness power effects destroyed this way simply fade and leave no trace at all, and don't even alert their creators that they failed.

Heavenly Holocaust Radiant Ravage over an area.

Light causes destruction, and Heavenly Holocaust does the same over a large area, but the material destruction is limited to common vandalism, like smashing stuff with a hammer all over the area. Against physical manifestations of Barrier, Darkness, and Light this has more dramatic effects.