Detect Tech (Action Powers)

Templates for Action

Main article: Powers (Action)

Amplify Light

Inherent

You can amplify trace amounts of light. This lets you see normally in anything but complete darkness. It is still possible to sneak on you; there are still shadows and darker areas, but you are not impaired by lack of ambient light.

Analyze Technology

Basic Action

You can sense the presence of powers at a distance. Make a skill roll and multiply the result by 10; this is the range in meters. Normally, you detect any type of power, but by concentrating on a particular type (name, form, or general description) you can eliminate all others.

You can analyze the properties of any power within reach, even if it is inside a container or otherwise separated from you. You learn what power it is, who used it, when, to what effect, and an approximate power level. Even powers that have ended leave a signature that can be analyzed, though the impressions fade; after the end of the scene, it is no longer possible to determine who used the power and its exact effect. The signature fades completely in a matter of days or weeks, stronger and more dramatic uses leaving stronger impressions.

In some campaign worlds there is a strong divide among certain origins. Check with your GM for what applies in your campaign. This is especially common when different world-views collide. This is specific to each campaign world and has to do with how powers work. Divided powers are completely different and incompatible; philosophy, mechanics, physics; everything works differently to opposed powers.

Note that not all worlds have a power divide. In many campaigns all powers are one on an essential level, and all power origins are in compatible. Nor do all origins need to be available in every world; most worlds actually only have one to three different origins.

Example of Origin Divides

Here are some examples how a power divide can be set up in different worlds.

• All origins can be divided against each other, creating a very labile situation. It is every origin for itself and no collaboration between different power groups is likely. It might even be a general war between origins.

• An origin can be divided against itself. For example, two Religions of incompatible origins might exist in the same world and be divided against each other. This is not the same as dualism, when religions are hostile to each other but have the same basic idea about how divinity works, this is two entirely incompatible explanations of the world.

• Technology can stand apart from all the other origins, science and physics against mystical powers.

• Magic and Religion might be opposed. In this situation magic is seen as a heresy, and magicians and priests often war openly. The same can be true of religion versus the other origins. Again, be careful to separate schisms (that hate each other but are not power divided) from real power divides that require entirely separate world-views.

• Psi and everything else. Sometimes psi is seen as a hive-mind, a communal organism that infects sentient creatures, at odds with all individual achievement and liberty.

• Gifts is often tied to one or more of the other origins. In some worlds Gifts is tied to Magic and then has the same opposed origins as Magic. In effect, the two origins are the same, and many creatures might have been created by magic.

• The power divide between other origins might run trough the middle of the Gift origin. In this case, some creatures are tied to one origin, others to another, and the two kinds are completely different and their powers are incompatible.

Effects of Power Divide

Origins that are opposed like this cannot affect each other; they cannot dispel or otherwise modify each other with Meta Powers. It is as if powers of an opposing origin was a schtick and completely mundane.

In some cases it is still possible to affect powers of a divided origin that uses the same form. Analyze powers tied to forms, for example, tend to permit such cross-divide analysis. In this case, it is understanding of the form and of objects of the form that gives insights into the effects such an object are under. The other form is still incomprehensible to you.

Characters and Divided Origins

Characters generally cannot learn multiple divided origins. Using powers of one origin precludes the use of powers of a divided origin. It might be allowed with special GM dispension, but works quite poorly. Each origin needs a completely separate Tradition, with its own Methods. All Powers and Forms need to be learnt separately for each origin. In sort, mixing divided powers in one character is not recommended.

Camera Capture

Basic Action or Limit Break

You can see trough any tv camera. You must either know the camera is there, or focus on a location to see trough the closest camera. Scrying at one specific location is a Basic Action; looking around to find something takes a Limit Break. Range is irrelevant, but such things as border security and isolated systems are a limit.

To gain information this way you make an opposed check against the targets' Recon. You gain valuable information based on the outcome of this roll; if the outcome matches the target's Mind you gain clear and important insights into the target's activities. On a failed roll, you learn obvious details and trivia; if the negative Outcome matches your Mind you learn misleading information or the target notices your spying. If the Create skill used to maintain camera security is higher that the target's Spot, use this value as the scrying difficulty.

Tactical Overlay

Stance

This power helps you to keep track of the relative position of friends and enemies in combat. As long as you occasionally let your vision sweep across the area, or get information from external sensors or other characters equipped with a tactical overlay, you have an innate spatial awareness of the location of everything and everyone in the vicinity, even when out of your line of sight. You also know your map position.

Two or more friendly characters with Tactical Overlay can link their tactical data for maximum benefit.

• You need never be afraid of hitting one another, this is particularly useful with area attacks.
• All of you can attack a target anyone of you can see regardless of visual obstructions, as long as any physical barriers can be penetrated.
• If anyone connected to your Tactical Overlay is aware of something that is about to surprise you, you are not surprised.

The risk with Tactical Overlay is that an opponent that can read your transmissions and feed them to his own Tactical Overlay; this gives him a +3 bonus on Dodge and Shoot against you.