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 You can force a metal creature that is native to another plane of existence to return to that plane, or to end the operation of a metal power.	Manifest Metal You can call a metal creature from a different plane. This is generally an unwilling servant. It will obey one command from you and this can be extended. Learning who to summon may require study or be a a score in itself.	Brass Bridge You can create a portal that allows travel to and from the plane of metal for a limited time.
Command	Chromium Command You can command metal creatures even if normally couldn't. This does not make you comprehend them.	Alloy Interpretation You and allies can communicate with metal creatures.	Master of Metal You can give commands to metal creatures, as if you were their superior. This does not remove existing loyalties, which can lead to conflicts.	Brass Bondage You can permanently bind metal creatures to service. Unless affected by other powers, they will stay in one location and act according to your instructions, like very loyal and literal-minded goons.
Consort	Metal Masquerade You can change your clothes and accessories by imbuing them with metal. This can mask your identity or create fabulous outfits.	Metal Metamorphosis You assume the form of a metal creature. Add 1d to one action and subtract 1d from all actions covered by an attribute except if you just raised one of them.	Iron Infusion You can shapechange a willing or helpless creatures into a metal creature. This can be a curse, it can be broken but it is not easy. You can easily break the effect.	Steel Stampede You can transform a large number of willing or non-sentient creatures and give them a simple instruction, typically someone for them to hunt.
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 You can do fine manipulation of metal, allowing you to do small and exact manipulations at range. This allows you to open doors, trigger or hinder mechanisms, or perform other minor manipulations.	Metal Maelstrom Your power manifests like a storm of blades, suppressing the effect of multiple opponents and acting as a fine potent weapon.
Hunt	Steel Steps You can track and pursue metal creatures and vehicles, or track anything across a metal surface, even if the quarry does not leave any mundane trail or clues.	Metal Marksman You can use your power to attack, similar in effect to a fine and potent rifle.	Steel Storm You can use your power to attack similar to a fine and potent grenade. This allows you to fight many creatures in the same area very effectively, but there is a risk of collateral damage.	Iron Inferno You call down the equivalent of a fine potent artillery barrage, attacking everything and everyone in a wide area. Depending on your power, this can raze buildings and create rubble. Usually enough to provide cover for any escape.
Prowl	Steel Stealth You can hide in environments of metal. This allows you to hide in impossible places.	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.	Titanium Travel You can bring allies along when you use Steel Stealth and Metal Maneuver.	Chromium Conduit You and allies can teleport from one location dominated by metal to another. 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 Melee You can use the power as a close-range attack, similar in effect to a melee weapon or pistol.	Honed Hammer Same as Skirmish Attack, except the weapon is fine and potent.	Brass Blockade Your power creates distractions and obstructions that prevents the enemy from benefiting from numbers and otherwise works as a fine potent weapon.	Metal Mayhem Your power strikes out in all directions, attacking all enemies in a wide area.
Study	Steel Scrutiny You can identify metal objects and creatures and see the use of the abilities of the metal power.	Analyze Alloy You know the powers and abilities of something you analyze.	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.	All-Knowing Alloy You research all metal in a wide area. This is easy to do where you are, more difficult at range. You can then use Metal Memory on some of these targets.
Survey	Iron Insight You can sense creatures and manifestations of the metal power at a distance and understand their general nature. This works even when you can't see the target, but both range and information suffers.	Metal Monitor Choose a metal object that you have detected; you can perceive as if you were at that spot. You cannot use your Survey action for anything else when doing so.	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. As long as you concentrate you retain this perception and can report what you see to others.
Sway	Iron Insight You can understand metal creatures even if normally couldn't, and to sense their mood and motivations.	Iron Interpreter You and allies can communicate with metal creatures. You can make folk more precise, decisive, and confident.	Iron Intrigue You can post suggestions in the mind of a metal creature manifesting your power, which will be triggered under conditions you specify. Common suggestions are to steal something, attack someone, or ignore some event. This is a subtle power, but easier to spot once triggered.	Metal Molding You change the personality and motivations of metal creatures. This power is permanent, but blatant. The target remember their past, but regard it as unimportant compared to their new motivations.
Tinker	Iron Instrumentation You can handle metal as if you had the appropriate tools and protective devices.	Mold Metal You can shape metal objects as if they were of clay.	Titanium Transmutation You can create metal objects out of nothing, or transform an object from one material to another as long as you know the power required for both the starting and final form. This can create complex tools, such as fine and potent items appropriate to the power(s) used.	Steel Structure This is similar to Mold Metal, above, but you mass produce objects, even a set of different objects. You can also make something large, such as a vehicle or building.
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 You can force a metal creature that is native to another plane of existence 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 You can call a metal creature from a different plane. This is generally an unwilling servant. It will obey one command from you and this can be extended. Learning who to summon may require study or be a score in itself.

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 for a limited time.

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 overlong 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 You can 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 You can change your clothes and accessories by imbuing them with metal. This can mask your identity or create fabulous outfits.

You do not physically change yourself, you change your accessorize and outfit. 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.

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

Manipulate Metal You can do fine manipulation of metal, allowing you to do small and exact manipulations at range. This allows you to open doors, trigger or hinder mechanisms, or perform other minor manipulations.

Metal Maelstrom Your power manifests like a storm of blades, suppressing the effect of multiple opponents and acting as a fine potent weapon.

Hunt

Steel Steps You can track and pursue metal creatures and vehicles, or track anything across a metal surface, even if the quarry does not leave any mundane trail or clues.

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

Steel Storm You can use your power to attack similar to a fine and potent grenade. This allows you to fight many creatures in the same area very effectively, but there is a risk of collateral damage.

Iron Inferno You call down the equivalent of a fine potent artillery barrage, attacking everything and everyone in a wide area. Depending on your power, this can raze buildings and create rubble. Usually enough to provide cover for any escape.

Prowl

Steel Stealth You can hide in environments of metal. This allows you to hide in impossible places.

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.

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

Chromium Conduit You and allies can teleport from one location dominated by metal to another. 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 Melee You can use the power as a close-range attack, similar in effect to a melee weapon or pistol.

Honed Hammer Same as Skirmish Attack, except the weapon is fine and potent.

Brass Blockade Your power creates distractions and obstructions that prevent the enemy from benefiting from numbers and otherwise works as a fine potent weapon.

Metal Mayhem Your power strikes out in all directions, attacking all enemies in a wide area.

Study

Steel Scrutiny You can identify metal objects and creatures and see the use of the abilities of the metal power.

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

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.

All-Knowing Alloy You research all metal in a wide area. This is easy to do where you are, more difficult at range. You can then use Metal Memory on some of these targets.

Survey

Iron Insight You can sense creatures and manifestations of the metal power at a distance and understand their general nature. This works even when you can't see the target, but both range and information suffer.

Metal Monitor Choose a metal object that you have detected; you can perceive as if you were at that spot. You cannot use your Survey action for anything else when doing so.

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. As long as you concentrate you retain this perception and can report what you see to others.

Sway

Iron Insight You can understand metal creatures even if normally couldn't, and to sense their mood and motivations.

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

Iron Intrigue You can post suggestions in the mind of a metal creature manifesting your power, which will be triggered under conditions you specify. Common suggestions are to steal something, attack someone, or ignore some event. This is a subtle power, but easier to spot once triggered.

Metal Molding You 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.

Tinker

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

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

Titanium Transmutation You can create metal objects out of nothing, or transform an object from one material to another as long as you know the power required for both the starting and final form. This can create complex tools, such as fine and potent items appropriate to the power(s) used.

Steel Structure This is similar to Mold Metal, above, but you mass produce objects, even a set

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.