Psionics (Action)
 |
| Heroic Action Role-Play |
This is a Metatradition; a tradition that is very wide and non-specific. Each metatradition has many orders, sects, and secret societies that see each others as rivals and believe they alone hold the key to true understanding. Some settings might include magical traditions that are this generic, but in most cases the actual traditions that player characters belong to are much more specific.
Psychic powers come from the mind; developed by ambitious individuals and orders. Somehow the mind has freed itself from the shackles of physical reality and is now able to affect the world directly trough mental discipline instead of physical interaction.
Powers
Psychic powers vary wildly, but there are some trends. Studied psychic powers often deal with the higher Forms, such as the essences. These abstract powers work well for the mind trained to manipulate reality. Wild psychics tend to be more base in nature, using powers from the elements and manifestations.
Origin
Magic or Gifts. Studies psychics use magic, wild psychics use gifts, many develop dual origins.
Methods
Attention
Your power draws attention. Your powers have side effects; they either have distinct and visible physical side effects or send shivers down the spines of people all around.
Limitation
Whenever you use your power, it is obvious to everyone within ten meters times the sum of your and their Mind attribute that something odd is happening. This does not spoil illusion or invisibility; people can tell something is happening, but not exactly what or where. It is likely to make them more wary, however. Characters of your origin can sense your power ten times as far away. For those related to you, this sense can extend all the way across the world.
Focus Condition
Trigger Action (Focus)
When others are watching you do power and their auras resonate with yours, your power increases. Whenever there are a dozen or more spectators who can see you use powers you can focus. Spectators are those who are not involved in the action - either because they were unaware of your presence before your power called their attention, or because they are bystanders.
Bane
There is something that stops you from using your powers. Whether this is psychological or an actual power drain is immaterial; in the presence of your bane, your powers fail. Some banes are common, others rare; this is balanced because the limitation and focus condition are so tightly tied. It is secret what your bane is; guard this secret well. Iron Susceptibility is similar to a bane, but well known and much less severe.
Examples:
- Holy symbols.
- Some metal (e.g. silver, gold, cold steel).
- Specific flowers or herbs (wolvesbane, garlic).
- Types of wood (ash, yew).
- Certain books (Bible, Koran, Torah, pulp novels).
- Certain weapons.
- Specific words.
- Any memento of an old love.
- The bones of a former victim.
- Direct sunlight.
- Running water.
- Dogs with angel eyes (dark circles around the iris).
Limitation
When directly exposed to your bane you cannot use your powers. It must be within ten meters and there should be no significant barriers; it it is kept in a container or behind a wall your bane does not trigger.
Focus Condition
Trigger Action (Focus)
In any scene where you encountered your bane and survived, you can focus. You cannot focus when under the effects of the bane, but if the bane is somehow taken out of the action, the stress gives you focus.
Concentration
You are the linchpin of all your power; when you cease to concentrate your power dissipates. You cannot create power effects that continue to work when you are not paying attention to them.
Limitations
If you relax, fall asleep, or become unconscious all your power effects lapse. This includes any Inherent powers you have. Power effects end when a stance would normally end, such as when you are prevented from taking actions.
Focus Condition
Trigger Action (Focus)
Whenever you are not using any powers, including stances, you can focus.
Psionics
This is very common among psychics and enhances the feel of mental powers; in some settings it is a must.
Contagion
Contagion is the magical theorem of like attracts like. By manipulating a symbol, you can affect the real thing. You use this principle in all your power. Generally, it is sufficient to have rough substitutes; a person is symbolized with a small doll, a rock with his name on it or a rough image.
Limitation
You need your props in order to work power. These props are simple and easily improvised. You must also have some kind of link to your target; you usually arrange this by putting a name or symbol on a blank prop you are carrying. This takes no extra time, but requires that you have such a prop and an exact visual description of the target.
Focus Enabler
Inherent
You can use a Limit Break on those you have you have a personal object or former body part from; others are unaffected. Any such items you have against the target are consumed in use.
Psionics
Psychics do not use effigies, but they can use traces of DNA of parts of an object to create a mental link. Their props are commonly crystals, crystal balls, incense and other imagination-enhancers.
Costume
You have a special look you wear to work your power. This is distinctive, and marks you as odd; people in the know can learn things about your Tradition from it. It need not be a specific outfit, rather it is a range of outfits with some common and identifiable characteristic. The exact details vary, but specific colors, long robes, pointy hats, or embroidered signs and glyphs are standard. Variant costumes include extensive tattoos, nudity, a certain style of jewelry or accessories, or a very funky hairdo. If your costume includes a type of armor, you must wear that type of armor to count as being in costume, If it does not, you cannot wear armor while in costume.
If your costume is damage and worn, burned or otherwise mishandled it still works and is still recognizable.
Limitation
You must be in costume to work powers. Donning your costume is a basic action. It is possible to use powers while wearing the costume under other clothes, but this counts as a Disguise stunt.
Costume Focus
Focus
You can always focus at any time when in costume, but it costs you a Fortune point to do so.
Psionics
Psionic costumes emphasize the head; it is often worn bare or even shaved, embellished with jewellry or devices and so on.
Degeneration
Your powers derive from an secret innernature shocking to common sensibilities. As you use your powers, your power origin becomes shockingly obvious, making people shun and dread you. Typical examples are necromancers and demonologists turning into the monstrosities they control, androids losing their skin to expose the machinery below, or energies bleeding out in a frightening display.
Limitation
Degeneration is measured in points; each time you take a Hit, roll a snake eyes or boxcars, use a Finisher, or use a Limit Break result when using a power, you gain one degeneration point. All Charm checks (but not defense values) suffer a penalty equal to the number of degeneration points you have. When you have degeneration points equal to your Mind, you are no longer recognizably human (or whatever creature you normally look like); sensible people will run from you. In more tolerant settings, your degeneration becomes more disgusting so that they still break the mold of "normal" sufficiently to have you ostracized.
This is a side effect of your powers; it never prevents you from using your powers, except that powers cannot hide your degeneration and Charm powers suffer the penalties mentioned.
Degeneration points reset to zero each game session. Full degeneration can be overcome/adapted to given time and care; this usually only happens between stories or when you take a time out from adventuring, not at the end of each session.
Focus Condition
Trigger Action (Focus)
You can focus at will as your current degeneration points are less than your Mind. Doing so gives you a degeneration point.
Echoes
Echoes add chance to your powers, and this does not stop at the effects you produce consciously. This can be because your powers affects the world in a very fundamental way, a form of backlash, a result of your rampant subconscious, or simply the workings of blind chance.
Your powers are subject to chance and strange effects occur around you constantly. What these side effects are can vary from time to time or have a set theme, as decided when you take the limitation. They are often origin-based. Echoes manifest spontaneously and outside your control. They are noticeable, and can give people in the know information they would not otherwise have. Technological powers cause technological side effects, such as brownouts or glitches. Mystic powers have effects similar to the ones you produce yourself. Echoes are generally funny, in a sadistic kind of way; they never obstruct the story, but can create setbacks and hindrances for you and (rarely) your friends. They are a great plot device for the GM to use when you are taking too much camera time or are using your power for tasks that should be role-played.
You can suggest echoes, or your game master can invent them. If you invent funny and annoying echoes, the game master will probably go easy on you with his own. In either case, it is the game master that has the final word on what happens.
Limitation
Echoes makes small odd things occur around you, but this is mostly flavor, tough they can sometimes provide clues to enemies or distractions to you. When you use your powers in obvious ways, they manifest more strongly; on a Snakeyes roll when using obvious powers you suffer a Setback from your echoes. This Setback often mimics the power you were using, escalating or reversing it, or changing targets. As setbacks go, this is usually pretty mild.
Focus Condition
Focus
If you invent a creative echo, you can focus. Alternatively, you can ask the GM for an echo, in which case it might be slightly more severe for making him think one up on his feet. In either case, it is an unusually mild Setback and usually manifests at the end of the round - after you've had a chance to use a Limit Break.
Gadgets are a subtype of Gimmicks that have significant cinematic effect, but that are not Powers.
Most of them would be of limited use in real life, but in a cinematic game they can be very useful.
Ancient Gadgets
Alarm Net
A net, cloth, or tarpaulin used to cover stored items. The net version allows the items to be seen, the cloth version is elegant, and the tarpaulin is somewhat weather-proof. What makes this a gadget is that there are bells or clickers attached to the net; when the net or the items it protect are disturbed, they make noise. In a quiet night this can be heard up to 50m, in a busier environment 10 meters. A successful Disable Mechanism against your Create bypasses the alarm.
Assembly Weapon
A weapon can be constructed so that it can be quickly assembled from parts, each of which is inconspicuous. It is a Basic Action to assemble or disassemble the weapon.
Athletic Pole
Inherent, Maneuver, Medium, Slick
A pole made of bamboo or other flexible materials can be used to aid in a variety of athletic stunts. It can be used to pole-vault, turning a Jump into an assisted jump. It provides Advantage on Free Running stunts involving balance. The concealment rating assumes the pole has been dissembled in sections, assembling or disassembling it is a Basic Action.
Bathtub, Collapsible
Limit Break, Create, Large, Mundane
A collapsible bathtub made of canvas supported by wooden slats. It takes a Limit Break to assemble or disassemble, this does not include filling it with water or heating the water. Useful for bathing away from the perils of a body of water, and also for water storage, as a drinking tub for animals, and you can even heat water while it is in the tub as the wet canvas will not burn. It can also serve as a short-term survival device for aquatic creatures.
Blinding Egg
A small bird's egg filled with itching and blinding powders, the blinding egg is thrown like a grenade (Close range) and bursts to fill a five meter diameter cloud. Make a Melee or Shoot vs. Dodge check against each target, on a success the target is blinded until it has completed its next basic action. On an outcome matching the target's Action the target is blinded for the rest of the scene.
If applied in melee it only affects a single target.
Bugle
Basic Action, Ride, Small, Mundane
A wind instrument also used for signalling in the wild, a bugle begins as a horn and develops into a musical instrument of brass. Signals conveyed are usually simple, such as "advance, attack, retreat, alarm". Make a check using the sum of the user's and listener's Ride. In a busy environment such as a battle or city, the range is 10 meters times the result. In a quiet setting with no wind, up to 100 meters times the result.
Disappearing Powder
This is a colored, glittering powder that can be thrown into the air. While onlookers are distracted by the pretty cloud, you quietly disappear. Variants use smoke or flash powders. Often used as a stage-magician prop, one danger is that onlookers might think you are a genuine magician.
The gadget allows you to use Sneak to disappear from plain sight, as long as you can get under some kind of cover or use some disguise.
Diving Kit
Basic Action, Maneuver, Medium, Slick
A set of primitive diving equipment. This includes a set of flippers, goggles, a simple snorkel, and a weighted "air bag". You can use the air bag to fill your lungs underwater, permitting you to stay underwater for twice as long before having to surface or drown. Allows you to move normally underwater, and to hold your breath 100% longer than normal or indefinitely while snorkeling. Several air bags can be used, but they are very bulky and difficult to swim with; each air bag after the first reduces your Move by one underwater.
Firepot
Basic Action, Create, Small, Slick, Mundane
The Doka is a small, ceramic pot, lashed shut with heat proof twine. It holds a live coal which it will keep burning for 12 hours. It is insulated so that you may carry it secreted in your clothes. It provides warmth in cold weather. The firepot allows access to fire, which will always succeed in igniting combustibles, as opposed to the vagaries of flint and steel fire making. If thrown it will break, igniting a pool of oil, dry straw, or other incendiary material or causing Body +0 Fire damage if used as a weapon.
Inflatable Flotation Device
A large airtight bag, usually made of the skin of a sheep or goat, that can be inflated and strapped to the body to aid in buoyancy. Inflating or deflating the device takes a Limit Break. Larger devices are possible and can be fitted to mounts. It makes Swim checks Routine, as long as you stay on the surface. However, you cannot both move and act in water using one of these, even of you have some other ability that would normally allow this.
Ladder, Folding
Basic Action, Maneuver, Medium, Slick
The hook, pole, and rungs of this 10-foot ladder are hinged, allowing you to fold it into a 3-foot-by-1-foot-by-1-foot bundle. Folding or unfolding it is a standard action.
Lantern
Basic Action, Recon, Small, Mundane
It takes very little light to allow vision in the dark in the immediate area around the light. Lanterns provide very little light by modern standards, but once the eyes have adapted allow rudimentary vision up to your Reflexes meters away. Work light, for activities like reading or crafting, is only within one meter of a lantern. The lantern itself can be of many designs, this describes only the most common. Each type of lantern becomes Mundane one tech level after it is introduced. A basic open flame light, like and oil-burning pot or candle, is never considered a gadget and is very sensitive to drafts. An Ancient lantern is a candle or oil lamp behind a screen of horn, paper, or parchment, shielding it from breezes and water spray. A Blacksmith lantern involves metal and glass protection around a candle or oil lamp, protecting against all but a gale or immersion in water. Such a lantern can be blinded to hide its light without dousing it. A Clockwork lantern is similar to a a Blacksmith lantern, but uses pressurized fuel to produce much stronger illumination. It provides light twice as far. A Coal lantern includes a reflector, allowing it to cast a beam of light three times as far as a basic light.
Parabolic Listening Device
Basic Action, Create, Large, Slick, Mundane
This is a large parabola, usually made of thin metal or or waxed paper. It works by concentrating sound from a certain direction, and allows you to hear as if you were one-tenth the distance from whatever you are listening on. In this way, shouted orders can be heart at five hundred meters, a normal discussion can be heard up to a hundred meters away and whispers up to fifty meters away. Halve these ranges under noisy conditions, and halve them again if there is even a light breeze. Stronger winds make this device impossible to use and might damage it.
Pebbles
Easy-rolling pebbles can be used as a simple trap on flat, hard surfaces. This is rare in nature, but common in buildings. A packet of Pebbles is about a hundred and will cover five one-meter squares. They need darkness or some concealment, such as grass, to work.
Pebbles are a Trap. Pebbles whose presence is known are less dangerous, the Create difficulty is only 5. Pebbles do Concussion damage soaked using Reflexes. If any damage is inflicted, the victim stops dead in his tracks, losing the rest of his movement for that action. Someone moving through known Pebbles can take a Basic Action to be safe.
Power Seal Amulet
Finisher, Mundane
A seal that interfere with the powers of one or more origins as specified when it is made. The target suffers Power Loss. The amulet is relatively easy to remove. If bound to the target, it can be removed as a Basic Action with a Create or Melee check against your Create or Melee, but this requires free hands and cannot be done with bound hands. Power Seal Amulets may not be available for all origins, particularly Technology.
Raft, Folding
A collapsible, 1-man raft. It has room for one person and his personal gear. In collapsed form, it may be carried slung over one shoulder or as a backpack. Assembling or disassembling it is a basic action.
Restraints
Basic Action, Melee, Medium, Mundane
Various restraints made of metal or wood can limit the actions of a prisoner. Physical restraint in Action does not completely prevent a hero from action, they impose handicaps to be overcome.
- Gagging prevents mundane speech. Stymies all Charm and Impress checks.
- Handcuffing is when your hands are tied in front of you, but not so tightly as to make them completely unusable; you can still use one hand effectively, such as using weapons or tools of Small size or smaller.
- Hobbling indicates restrained legs, but not fixed to each other. It means you cannot move as part of a normal Basic Action, and can only move your normal move when you do a Full Move action or otherwise do an action that grants extra movement..
- Immobilized, stuck to something, alternatively on a short leash which prevents movement beyond one or two meters. If you are stuck to a creature whose Body is greater than yours, you are forced along as it moves, otherwise you are both immobilized unless you two cooperate.
- Bound Legs you fall prone and cannot stand unsupported, which prevents and hinders many actions as determined by the situation and stunt description. Your Move is reduced to 1. Swimming and flying creatures are entangled, with similar effects.
- Bound Arms prevent most physical manipulation and the use of weapons and implements. You can still use tackles and head butts for (Body +0) damage or a Tiny Ranged Weapon, but limited to Close range.
- Blinded restricts your awareness, giving you only a rough estimate of objects and creatures in a diameter equal to your Mind; you are insensitive to things beyond this range. Everyone has enough concealment to Sneak on you, and against creatures beyond your perception range, you have to use Reflexes rather than Recon for defense against Recon stunts.
- (or more) Hogtie A hogtied character cannot act physically and can only move one meter as a standard action; no movement is otherwise allowed. This also prevents all Defense actions.
These restraints can be escaped with a Contortions stunt pitting Reflexes against your Melee or burst or destroyed; metal cuffs have a Body of 15 or more. Weapons larger and more unwieldy than a dagger take an attack penalty equal to their damage add when attacking bonds.
Roll Bridge
A roll bridge is a suspension bridge that has been rolled up into a cylindrical roll. Spiking one end to the ground, it can be towed by rope by someone on the other side of the span to be bridged, or it can be thrown a number of meters equal to the thrower's Body as a Feat of Strength. On a failed check the bridge falls short and must be pulled up and then rolled for another throw. The end of the bridge has hooks that attach to allows someone to cross the bridge and spike it down solidly; a successful crossing requires a Maneuver check with a difficulty of 6-15, depending on how what the hooks have to hook onto. Once spiked down, the bridge can carry up to a ton (Body 15). The following things are each a Basic Action when using the bridge: Spiking or undoing one end, attempting a throw, pulling up after a failed throw.
Rutter
A rutter is a description of a route of travel, offering concrete advice on how to travel and avoid getting lost. This was essential before the advent of Maps. Lack of a map or rutter increased the difficulty of Pathfinding stunts. You need to spend a Limit Break on reading the rutter once per day. You can also use a rutter to find out if you have been going the wrong way. This allows a re-roll on a failed Pathfinding stunt but requires a separate Limit Break. Rutters might not be written works - some are preserved orally as poems or epics. If you have traveled route twice more you are assumed to have knowledge equivalent to a rutter, but actually codifying this experience into a rutter is quite a lot of work.
Secret Compartment
There is a number of medium-sized personal items considered ubiquitous in each culture; briefcases in modern society, saddles in the old west, crucifixes and codpieces at certain other times. Such items can be fitted with secret compartments, perfect for hiding small weapons, reserve funds or other gadgets. In hi-tech or magical junctures, they can be fitted with anti-detection gear as well. A secret compartment like this will pass most searches automatically, only Examine allows a Create roll to discover the compartment.
Throwing Arm
Inherent, Melee or Shoot, Small
A stick with a cup at one end and a handle at the other. The projectile is anchored in the cup and the handle is used to throw. The length of the stick provides extra leverage, allowing a stronger throw. A throwing arm increases the range of a Thrown weapon or Fulminant to Short.
Specialized Intrusion Device
Basic Action, Create, Slick, Medium
As long as you know exactly what traps and alarms you will face during a break-in, it is always possible to create a gadget to take care of each problem. The problem with this is that it can be an adventure in itself to find out what protects your target. A skilled techie can build the perfect tool for every situation. Using this device, that particular lock, trap or alarm can be bypassed automatically, as long as no additional complications crop up. The technology rating of specialized intrusion devices is the same as the Traps or lock it is supposed to bypass. Any tech level can suffice to bypass magical locks and wards.
Stilts
Short stilts are common as toys and not equivalent to these taller stilts. The stilts described here are double your height. These are tied to the lower leg (A Basic Action), you cannot move normally with the stilts fitted. It takes no free hands to use stilts tied this way, but two hands (or an assistant) are needed to tie or untie them to your leg. Moving on stilts requires a Free Running check with each Basic Action; this check has a minimum difficulty of 5. Stilts increase your Move by one. Free Running difficulties ground that do not entangle, as long as there is a hard ground beneath. Examples include crowds, caltrops, spikes, water, tall grass, and hedgerows but not uneven ground, slick ground, gravel, mud, or vines. Fighting in stilts puts you out of the normal reach of creatures of Body up to three points higher than yours, you cannot Melee attack or be attacked by such creatures. They can still do stunts against you. Reach overcomes this limitation. Standing up from prone with stilts fitted requires a DC 15 Maneuver check unless done from an elevated position or with two assistants.
Tinderbox
Basic Action, Create or Ride, Small, Mundane
A small kit containing flint, a hard striker (preferably steel) and some tinder to catch the sparks generated and create a fire. It requires a Create or Ride check of 10 to create a fire in this way in ideal conditions. Similar results can be achieved with a sun lens (DC 8, requires bright sunlight) or fire drill (DC 15); all are difficult ways of creating fire. The fire drill is easily improvised. This takes most people serious effort and people usually prefer to keep fires burning rather than rely on tinderboxes.
Water Feet
Basic Action, Maneuver, Slick, Medium
Outsize pontoons worn on the feet, allowing you to walk on water. Each basic action requires a Maneuver check as if Swimming but you stay dry. You are Static while using Water Feet. If you fall, it is a Limit Break to stand up again - it is usually easier to just swim at this point.
Blacksmith
Caltrops
Four spikes pointing out from a core is such a way that at least one point points up when scattered on the ground. A packet of caltrops is about a hundred and will cover four one-meter squares. They need darkness or some concealment, such as grass, to work well.
Caltrops is a Trap based on your Recon. Poisoned caltrops also do either Neurotoxin or Infection damage but are Unreliable unless you have Poisoneer. Caltrops do Piercing damage, but are soaked using Reflexes. If any damage is inflicted, the victim stops dead in his tracks, losing the rest of his movement for that action. Caltrops whose presence is known are less dangerous, the Create difficulty maxes out at 8. Someone moving through known Caltrops can take a Basic Action to be safe during that move.
Combination Weapon
Inherent, Create
This is two weapons built into one. The character can change from one use of the weapon to the other. Any two weapons with similar shape can be combined. Historical examples includes the naginata-staff and pike-longbow. One use of this is to conceal a lethal weapon inside a non lethal (and legal) one. The GM is encouraged to give surprise bonuses when the peaceful staff suddenly turns into a deadly glaive.
Compass
Basic Action, Ride, Medium, Mundane, Static
A freely rotating magnet, suspended in liquid, points at magnetic north after stabilizing itself for a few seconds (a Basic Action). This makes Ride checks to avoid getting lost Routine. The compass improves as technology advances. At Clockwork technology, this is no longer a gadget. At Coal technology, it becomes Small. At Combustion technology, it becomes Tiny. At Electronic technology, it is no longer Static.
Crowbar
Basic Action, Body, Medium, Mundane
A crowbar provides a +3 bonus on Body to break open a door and other similar stunts. A crowbar can be uses as a Mace or fitted to the back of a Great Axe as a fire axe.
False Restraints
These are Restraints that can be unlocked with the flick of a hidden switch. They can only be detected for what they are with a close Examination opposed to your [[Create (Action)|Create}}.
Flare
A rocket that flies high and explodes in a bright flash and leaves a cloud of smoke. Mainly useful as a signalling device. Flares come in a variety of colors and sizes. A Small flare is visible about a kilometer, a Medium flare about 3 kilometers, and a Large flare is visible 10 km, which is way beyond the horizon as seen from the ground—this is only possible because the flare flies so high. Variant flares emit only smoke and are useful for signalling ground to sky.
Grappling Hook
Basic Action, Melee or Shoot, Mundane, Medium
A hook, usually three-pronged, attached to a hook and throw. On a successful throw, the hook catches and the line can be used to aid in Climbing. The throw itself requires a Melee or Shoot check with Close range. In most cases the difficulty depends on the number of things to catch on and is in the 6-12 range. If an opponent has taken care to make this difficult, the difficulty is the Create of that opponent.
Parasol Shield
Inherent, Dodge, Medium, Slick
This is an elegant silk parasol or umbrella that is sturdy enough to function as a shield in an emergency. Zn emergency weapon, once it has been used as a shield, it no longer looks like a high-class parasol. It takes a successful Examine stunt to recognize it for what it is. Parasol shields can be Large Shields or [Shields], as decided when they are created; either can fold up to be a Medium object.
Smoke Powder
Basic Action, Create, Tiny, Slick
A small black powder charge detonated to create obscuring smoke. It will fill an area ten meters across with tick smoke, imposing a penalty of -1 per meter of distance on most attacks and stunts and confusing scents as well. It can provide concealment to sneak in.
Clockwork
Barbed Wire
Basic Action, Create, Large, Mundane
A roll of barbed wire can be quickly spread behind you as you move, creating a barrier along the path you just moved over. A typical roll of barbed wire forms a barrier 5 meters long when uncoiled. Anchoring the barbed wire to the ground makes it a Limit Break to deploy it. It is an automatic Basic Action to move barbed wire aside unless it has been anchored - it takes a Basic Action and an opposed Create or Maneuver check to remove anchored barbed wire.
Barbed wire is a hindrance to Free Running with a difficulty equal to your Create.
Clockwork Cart
Basic Action, Create, Large, Slick
This is a self-propelled cart, concealed as a barrel or other inconspicuous object. It is capable of carrying ten kilos or so over flat floors and perhaps one kilo over rough ground. Variants can be constructed to traverse pipes and other areas humans can't go, climb, float, or even fly or jump very short distances. One use of the device is to carry a bomb into enemy territory. Another use could be to fetch some item in a high-security area or past bars or grilles impassable to humans.
Clockwork carts are built for one specific task and cannot be reprogrammed. It is similar to a Specialized Intrusion Device in that it is designed to solve a very specific problem, and the device is not capable of tacking any unexpected problems that crop up. Under these limitations the device will travel along a predetermined route (Move 3), sneaking and using security with the creator's Create skill.
Clockwork Knight
Basic Action, Create, Large, Slick
This is a suit of medieval full armor powered by a clockwork engine. It fights furiously if blindly, and can be a real danger in an enclosed space or if its nature is not realized. It takes a Create or Melee check against the creator's Create to identify a Clockwork Knight for what it is.
The device has a number of points to distribute between Body and Reflexes equal to the creators Create (minimum 5 each) and 5 points of armor. It's Melee is equal to the creator's Create, and it can use this value to defend from Melee from it's front. It is usually armed with a Greatsword, for Body +5 damage. All other skills and attributes are zero. If its nature is known, it is vulnerable to a number of stunts, the simplest of which is simply moving around to its defenseless rear side. A clockwork knight can be placed on a remote-controlled rotating dais to alleviate this problem.
Double Barreled
This is a modification applicable to a Ranged Weapon that has the Reload or Slow property. This removes the Slow property and allows the weapon to be fired twice before it needs to Reload and removes the Slow property weapons with Reload normally have as long as the weapon is loaded.
Foothold Trap
Limit break, Ride, Medium, Mundane
A mechanism that traps the foot of a creature that steps on it with iron jaws. The trap is concealed with leaves or similar and fastened by a chain to a solid object such as a pole, rock, or tree. This is a Trap. Trap operates as if set by someone with a Create equal to your Ride, doing Cutting damage. If any damage is inflicted, the target is also Grabbed. An intelligent creature can escape the Grab with a Disable Mechanism stunt with a difficulty equal to half your Ride while an animal generally can't free itself.
Grapnel Bolt
This is a bolt, rifle grenade, or (more rarely) arrow that extends grapnels on impact to function as a Grappling Hook using Shoot with Short range. If fired from a bow, or against a surface of higher tech level than the Grapnel Bolt, the check to fasten the bolt is Stymied.
Life Preserver
Basic Action, Maneuver, Medium, Mundane
A buoyant vest worn to prevent drowning Putting on or taking off a life preserver is a Basic Action. It makes Swim checks Routine, as long as you stay on the surface. However, you cannot both move and act in water using one of these, even of you have some other ability that would normally allow this.
Map
Basic Action, Ride, Small, Mundane
A map is an updated version of a Rutter and simplifies navigation; it is only a Basic Action to use a map. Drawing a map is much more complex than compiling a rutter, and requires advanced gemometry. Lack of a map or rutter increased the difficulty of Pathfinding stunts. You can use a map to find out if you have been going the wrong way. This allows a re-roll on a failed Pathfinding stunt.
Money Belt
Basic Action, Charm, Small, Slick, Mundane
A most unusual money belt developed for those whose security needs are more stringent than average, this article is constructed from high quality leather, with a large (usually U-shaped) buckle with a single spike. Twisting the spike for a few turns reveals an extremely sharp blade concealed within the spike sheath. This blade is used to force open a hairline crack in the buckle. Within the buckle is a handle for the blade. Using this tool, the agent measures off two-inch segments of the belt, starting at the buckle. Each two-inch segment contains about a dozen bills of mixed denominations in a different currency or a few gold coins. By cutting through the stitching, the agent can gain access to emergency currency for upwards of a dozen nations. At the Clockwork tech level bills are replaced by banknotes.
Pogo Stick
A pogo stick is a spring-loaded device used to hop and is normally regarded as a child's toy. It consists of a pole with hand and footholds and a spring-loaded piston inside. The user holds it with at least one hand hand stands on the foot bar. It is drawn and stowed as if it were a weapon. A pogo stick provides "cheat" for Jump stunts and makes Maneuver checks to bypass Interference Routine.
Shadow Cabinet
A shadow cabinet is a mechanical theatrical display. Setting it up or re-packing it is a Limit Break. A normal shadow cabinet works much like a puppet show, but by back-lighting, it can project shadows on a wall, giving people that see the shadows the impression the events are real. This only works in deep darkness. A Sound Box can enhance the illusion. A Shadow Cabinet can either be hand cranked or use a spring mechanism - the later continues to work until the end of the round and then ends, but can only make one specific performance decided when the Shadow Cabinet is created. Higher tech level shadow cabinets have stronger lights that allow them to work in a murk.
Skeleton Key
Many locks have similar design, determined by local availability. Such locks can be unlocked with a single key taking advantage of mechanical similarities. A set of skeleton keys are used with Disable Mechanism stunts. If the GM judges that the lock is one for which you have a Skeleton Key, you start with one Advantage. Locks at Blacksmith technology and earlier are insufficiently standardized for a skeleton key to work.
Slow Fuse
Basic Action
A slow fuse is a wide cord infused with chemicals to burn at a slow, steady rate. Once lit, it will burn for hours, even if doused in water. You can use theslow fuse to automatically light an object intended to be lit, such as a torch, lantern, candle, or burning fuse. Other items require a Create check against their Body to lit, if they are capable of burning.
Sound Box
Basic Action, Create, Medium, Mundane
A sound box is a system of bellows, pipes, membranes and other parts used to produce a specific set of sounds. This can be a melody, a siren, horn and drum signals, a simulated fight, animal sounds, and similar non-verbal sounds. A Sound Box can either be hand cranked or use a spring mechanism - the later limits the volume of sound, but the sounds continue until the end of the round. What sounds a music box makes is decided when it is created and cannot be changed except by redesign. Higher tech level sound boxes can play more complex, recorded sounds.
Spring-Heels
A pair of sturdy springs worn on the feet. The springs provide assistance to jump. Moving on spring-heels requires a Free Running check with each Basic Action; this check has a minimum difficulty of 5. By increasing the Free Running check by 5 (this can add to the normal difficulty or the minimum difficulty of 6), you can move an additional time with a Basic Action, allowing double movement (or triple movement with a Full Move. In a chase scene, your effective Move increases by 2. Moving on spring-heels is strenuous, equivalent of constantly running even when moving slowly. Taking spring heels on or off is a Basic Action.
Spyglass
Basic Action, Recon & Ride, Medium, Mundane, Slick
A spyglass magnifies the object looked at, allowing a greater distance to the target. Add 3 to the Outcome of a successful Scan and Surveillance stunts, but only when the target's approximate location is known. If looking at the wrong location, the advantage goes to the enemy.
Sword Cane
Inherent, Melee, Small, Mundane
A sword hidden inside a stout walking stick. The stick itself is a Baton but a lethal Smallsword can be pulled forth. This is mainly a way to smuggle a blade where they are not allowed, but also a way for a gentleman to be prepared without sacrificing style.
Wheelchair
Inherent, Maneuver, Large, Mundane
A wheelchair allows a practiced rider to move normally on flat ground without using the legs. A character in a wheelchair needs both hands to move and is Static. An assistant can push the wheelchair, freeing the rider's hands. You are Stymied on Free Running stunts. A wheelchair ignores ground-based hazards like caltrops.
Coal
Camouflage Net
Basic Action, Ride, Medium, Mundane
A loose net of differently colored strips matching the local environment, a camouflage net turns Camouflaging something human-sized into a Basic Action.
Garrote Watch
Pulling on the time setting stem until it clicks allows the wearer to set the time on his watch as he normally would. Pulling the stem beyond this point releases two finger grips which detach from the watch casing. Holding the watch by the reinforced watchband, the wearer pulls on the finger grips to expose a length of strong, thin wire. This wire can be used as a Garrote or as a saw wire.
Grappling Cane
Basic Action, Shoot, Medium, Slick
Concealed as a metal headed walking stick is a spring-loaded grappling hook and cable. The cable can be shot to it's full length of 20 meters, and requires heavy gloves or the winding mechanism in the stick to climb on, as it is to thin for bare hands. When using the winding mechanism, the stick is flexed back and forth, pulling the character up the line like a windlass.
Reflective Stealth Suit
Basic Action, Maneuver, Medium
Looking somewhat like a suit of plate armor made out of flat mirrored surfaces, a reflective stealth suit can be used to make you invisible by reflecting selected parts of your environment. It allows Snake stunts without cover or concealment, but this stealth only works in one direction; if there are two observers 90 degrees or more apart you can only hide from one of them. This gadget is sometimes combined with armor.
Suction Cups
Made of elastic alchemical materials, suction cups adhere well to any perfectly smooth surface. A set is worn on hands and feet to allow easy climbing on perfectly smooth surfaces which are normally impossible to climb, such as sheer ice, glass, or a wall of force. They do not help on other surfaces.
Truth Drug
An injected substance that makes the victim suggestible and easier to question. Allows the use of Know for Good Cop Routine and Bad Cop Routine stunts.
Waldo
Inherent, Create, Large, Slick
A metal tube usually worn slung over the shoulder. When the seals at end end are removed, it deploys a mechanical hand and work light at one end and a vision port and manipulator glove at the other. This allows you to operate the mechanical hand remotely, performing delicate operations at what is hopefully a safe distance. Deploying or packing the device is a Basic Action. If the arm is to reach through a small hole or otherwise into a precarious position, that requires another Basic Action and may require a Create check as well.
Combustion
Detonator Watch
Basic Action, Create, Tiny, Slick
This can be a pocket or arm watch. Pressing twice on the watch face releases the back plate, revealing two long strands (each about 4 meters) of ultra-thin fuse and two blasting caps. There is a small amount of explosive, enough to use the Demolish stunt once.
Explosive Belt
Basic Action, Create, Small, Slick
Simultaneously twisting and pulling on the belt buckle will release the catch mechanism, opening the compartment in the buckle. Inside the belt buckle are two blasting caps, and a single-charge "burst" battery to provide power to detonate the caps. The back end of the prong is sharpened to provide a minimal cutting edge. The prong is used to cut open the back of the belt, inside of which are 30 feet of very thin wire and enough plastic explosive to allow a single use of the Demolitionist schtick. The belt is made to resemble alligator hide or similar material, to help mask its rather thick appearance.
Geiger Counter Watch
Basic Action, Create, Tiny, Slick
The sweep hand of the watch gives a reading of the radioactivity, 12 o'clock representing no appreciable radioactivity, and any other hour reading indicating the damage value of exposure. The sweep hand would lock at 11 o'clock should radioactivity ever get that high, which is extraordinarily unlikely. Most nuclear materials will have radioactivity which range from 1 o'clock to 7 o'clock, depending on how they are stored. The watch is waterproof.
Basic Action, Ride, Small, Slick, Mundane
This device receives signal from satellites and uses them to calculate your location, coordinates you can then plot on a map. Larger or higher tech versions display your coordinates on an internal map. You need the codes that allows you to interpret satellite transmissions, but this is assumed to be available if you have this as a gadget.
Magnetic Watch
Basic Action, Create, Tiny, Slick
Inside this watch is a tiny, powerful electromagnet. It is activated by pressing the setting stem twice. The magnet will attract any iron within 3 meters. Small objects (100 grams or less) will fly to the watch; objects between up to a kilo in weight will be jerked in the direction of the watch; and objects greater than a kilo in weight must be able to move without friction to be drawn to the magnet. The watch's power source lasts only a single Basic Action once activated and cannot be changed in the field.
Marble Grenades
Basic Action, Create, Small, Slick
These tiny grenades, each the size of a marble and slightly mold-able like clay, are made of an experimental substance which detonate into a miniature explosion when it impacts on a surface with sufficient force. The common method of use is to scatter them on a floor where a pursuing enemy will step on them.
A packet of marble grenades is about a hundred, will cover five one-meter squares and can be spread with a Basic Action. They need darkness or some concealment, such as grass, to work well.
Marble grenades is a Trap. Marble grenades whose presence is known are less dangerous, the difficulty is only 5. Running through a field of marble grenades is dangerous even if their presence is known, forcing the runner to rely on Reflexes alone. Marble grenades do Impact damage equal to your Create.
Speedline
A line-throwing unit for emergencies such as a man overboard, or perhaps throwing a rope over the Berlin Wall. In appearance, the device is a cylinder with a carrying handle and a trigger housing at the top. Removing the front end of the cylinder reveals the rocket to which is tethered 30 meters of specially prepared rope.
Phosphorescent Powder
Basic Action, Create, Tiny, Slick
This dust looks innocuous but glows distinctively under ultraviolet light. It adheres to whatever it touches. Agents use this substance to trap thieves and trace people. For example, a bureau which suspected one of its employees of purloining files might falsely label some document "secret" and sprinkle it with this powder. Later, counterespionage agents would examine the hands of employees under a black light to see who touched the document. Alternatively, one can arrange for surveillance targets to touch this substance, and then use an ultraviolet light to find out what the suspect has touched. When spread on a section of ground, will adhere to the feet of anyone passing through the area.
Assume that a sprinkling of this powder marks all people who touch the contaminated object or document. These people then leave traces on other objects for 1d6 hours. Placed on shoes or tires, this dust marks a trail for up to 1,000 meters. Tracing dust remains on the skin for 1d6 days under normal conditions. However, thorough scrubbing can remove this powder.
Electronic
Dazzler
Basic Action, Shoot, Medium, Mundane, Slick
An array of low-powered lasers used to blind a target. It is used like an ordinary ranged attack with Short range. On a hit, the target Blind until the end of the next round. On an Outcome matching the target's Body the target becomes Blind for the rest of the session. A target wearing armor of Fusion will have eye protection that negates dazzlers, also available as ordinary glasses or contacts and incorporated in mist windshields. This makes the Dazzler ineffective at Fusion technology except against civilians. A military version of the dazzler is available that has the following changes: It is not Slick but is Large, with Long range.
Audio Compass
Basic Action, Ride, Small, Slick
This is an electronic compass which indicates north with a soft beep or discreetly flashing light. It is useful in the dark. A variant uses vibration and is silent, though more difficult to read.
Inertial Locator
Basic Action, Ride, Small, Slick, Mundane
A gyro compass connected to a computer that keeps track of movement. Whit this gimmick, you can always tell how far you have traveled from the point of origin, as well as retrace your exact steps. It is not dependent on satellites or other points of reference, but when disconnected from such the reading slowly declines over time.
Infrared Goggles
A bulky apparatus which straps over the head. It allows characters to see by the light of an infrared projector similar to a flaslight (included), negating penalties for darkness up to 30 meters away and larger ones illuminating further out. The illumination is easily spotted up to ten times as far away by infrared sensors or others wearing infrared goggles, but such are rare in this period. Ignore darkness for Scan and Keep Watch stunts in the illuminated area. Higher tech level versions are Tiny and less fragile.
Jet Pack
A backpack-mounted rocket, the jet pack allows individual flight of short duration (1-5 minutes depending on model) at Move 9. Due to the instability of the device, it requires constant effort to maintain; the user needs to take a Basic Action to fly it on each of his actions.
Laser Microphone
Basic Action, Create, Medium, Slick
A laser microphone turns any window into a bug. These devices work by reflecting an invisible laser beam off the glass, picking up vibrations caused by speech. Normal bug detectors cannot sense a laser mike. However, such precautions as playing loud music or running the faucets drown conversation. A laser microphone has a range of 50 meters.
Long Range Microphone
This device uses a parabolic dish to concentrate sound. It can pick up speech at a range of 1,500 meters. This device can intercept even whispered speech at 100 meters. Halve these ranges under noisy conditions, and halve again if there is a breeze. Stronger winds make the device impossible to use.
Night Goggles
Basic Action, Recon, Small, Slick
Night Goggles are military grade night-vision goggles. During the darkest night, the light amplifier will give the impression of twilight, extending the range of vision to 50 meters. Ignore darkness for Scan and Keep Watch stunts. In total dark interiors the device does not work. At Fusion technology this item is called Lowlite Glasses and becomes Large and Tiny.
Optic Fiber Code
Limit Break, Create, Medium, Slick
A clever device the size and shape of a jeweler's glass. The lens of the decoder consists of over 500,000 optic fibers bent in a unique fashion. Each decoder corresponds with one and only one encoder.
To encode a message, a technician selects an intense color (a bright red-orange, for example) which is to be used for the coded message. A short message of less than 100 words is written in this color. The encoder photographs the message through the fibers, thereby scrambling the message into a series of apparently random orange dots. These dots are then spaced further apart, but the relative space between the dots is retained. The dots are inserted into a photograph or printed as part of a color picture. An agent in the field merely scans the stationery with the decoder until the encoded message is found.
Rotary Saw Watch
Basic Action, Create, Small, Slick
This is a rather large pocket or wrist watch. A discrete pressure point in the watch casing releases the blade and simultaneously activates the miniature motor powering the saw. The saw can cut through steel at the rate of half an inch per minute. The power supply will be exhausted in 10 minutes.
Umbrella Radio
Basic Action, Create, Medium, Slick
The unfolded umbrella works as the antenna, while the rather heavy handle holds the electronics. The transmission microphone is located at the top of the umbrella handle. The umbrella radio has an additional component, a small ear piece which is necessary to amplify the volume of the received transmissions. The transmission range only a kilometer or so. The equipment is powered by small batteries which have sufficient charge an hour of operation.
Night Sight Lens
This is a huge lens worn as a faceplate before the eyes. It is an optic light amplification system, usually incorporated in a full helmet. During the darkest night, the Night Sight Lens will give the impression of twilight. Ignore darkness for Scan stunts, but not for other purposes.
Fusion
Automated Lockpick
Basic Action, Create, Small, Slick
A expert system on locks and security. It has a Create skill of 12 for Breaking and Entering tasks only.
Automated Medkit
Basic Action, Know, Small, Slick
A medical expert system and drug dispersal unit. Attach it to a wounded area, and it will suture the wound, inject appropriate drugs and warn if the wound becomes infected. It has a Know of 12 for First Aid tasks only.
Currency Emulator
Basic Action, Create, Medium, Slick
This is basically an advanced adaptive copier. Put any paper currency in the "in" slot, and the machine will pour wads of it out the other end. The emulated bills are of the same type, but different in terms of wear, serial numbers et al. It is impossible for a casual observer to tell an emulated bill from the real thing.
Holofield
Basic Action or Limit Break, Charm, Small, Slick
Often mounted as a belt buckle or jewelry, this device creates a holographic image around the user, totally altering his appearance. This is only a visual illusion. Senses other than sight, as well as many sensors, see right through the illusion. The holofield must be programmed with the movement patterns and mannerisms of each new user/appearance combination, this takes a Limit Break. Changing between registered patterns is just a Basic Action, as is mimicking any desired clothing for a user who's mannerisms are registered.
A cheaper variant of the holofield known as the Cinderella Holosuit only projects clothing, allowing your clothes to change over time, or the thrill of going to a party stark naked while appearing to be properly dressed. This device does not count as an item schtick.
Sensor Suite
Inherent/Basic Action, Recon, Medium
A Sensor Suit is a tablet-like device that works by a complex combination of radar, sonar and seismic sensors. Information can be fed to a HUD. It can "see" straight through smoke , mist, or darkness out to 50 meters. These abilities are inherent. As a Basic Action inside Create meters with an opposed Recon check, it can detect movements even through concrete walls.
Smoke Screen Mask
Basic Action, Create, Small, Slick
A Smoke Screen Mask is an air filter and a pair of light amplification goggles tuned to a specific frequency of light. Smoke screens can be tailored to block all light except this specific frequency, so a character using a Smoke Screen Mask can see through his own smoke screens and those designed to be compatible with his mask.
Targeting Glasses
Basic Action, Shoot, Small, Slick
Heads-Up glasses or visor visor coupled to an advanced tactical computer connected to a gun with electronics sights (included in the package) wirelessly or (more secure) by cable. By observing a target and letting the computer to analyze its movement, the device allows Aim stunts even when you and the target are moving and you retain the bonus even when you take other actions, but you must use the targeting glasses again once you have used the bonus.
Hyperspace
Freeze Shield
Trigger Action (Defense), Dodge, Small, Slick
This can have dramatic effects on a setting and should be introduced with care. The best weapon to use against a Freeze Shield is a melee weapon with many special abilities. If freeze shields are common in a particular setting, they are likely to greatly change how wars are fought, making melee the most viable attack and reducing guns to obscurity. Freeze Shields work through temporal flux; when something that moves too fast or has too much energy approaches the shield, it momentarily freezes time, rendering the user invulnerable but immobile for a split second to deflect the attack. Someone protected by this looks like a perfectly reflective mirrored statue. For the wearer, the only indication is a moment of lost time, as if seeing the world under a strobe light that blinked just once. The shield activates on any successful hit, and reduces the base damage of any attack to zero. In the case of melee weapons, damage is reduced to the Body of the wielder. You still add attack outcome to this as normal. Each shot in which this shield activates counts as a trigger action. This is not so much because the shield takes time to use as it is because of the disorientation caused by the temporal freeze. The shield still works when the user is out of shots. Freeze shields do not work along with any type of armor.
Morph Field
Basic Action or Limit Break, Charm, Small, Slick
Often mounted as a belt buckle or jewelry, this device morphs the user, alerting his physical form through the Abensteiner Biognition System (ABS). The transformation cannot be detected by touch or ordinary sensors. The morph field must be programmed with the movement patterns and mannerisms of each new user/appearance combination, this takes a Limit Break. Changing between registered patterns is just a Basic Action, as is mimicking any desired clothing and accessories for a user who's mannerisms are registered.
Phase Shield
Trigger Action (Defense), Dodge, Small, Slick
A phase shield works by shifting the user to hyperspace whenever he is threatened by an attack. This makes the user semi-transparent and intangible. Each shot in which this shield activates counts as a trigger action. This is not so much because the shield takes time to use as it is because you cannot interact with physical reality. The shield still works when the user is out of shots. The shield activates whenever the user would normally have been hit by an attack. When active, the shield improves the user's Dodge by +5. There is no certainty that this will be enough to avoid the attack, but at least it will make it less effective.
Repulsor Shield
A repulsor shield blocks incoming ranged attacks, providing a +2 bonus to Dodge.
Geas
A geas absolutely prevents you from or forces you into doing certain things. Some vampires cannot enter a dwelling unless invited inside and devils cannot go onto holy ground. A cursed oathbreaker might be geased to seek out those she harmed and take on a mission from each.
It is normally impossible for you to break this geas on your own, but if forced or fooled into breaking your geas, you lose the use of all your Powers until you have somehow atoned or the end of the adventure.
Iron Susceptibility
Iron impairs your power, possibly for one of the following reasons. The strength, versatility, and magnetic properties of iron makes it very important to technology, which is opposed to magic. Fey abhor Iron, seeing it as a manifestation of human encroachment. Alchemists claim iron is an impure element, easily corroded, the opposite of gold. Iron is highly magnetic. Encasing something in a cage of iron insulates from all electromagnetic fields, hindering many technological devices. Science offers another theory: nuclei of iron have some of the highest binding energies per nucleon. In other words, you cannot gain energy by transmuting iron into into anything else. Iron is the end of the road; no further transmutation is possible unless you put in a vast amount of energy. Whatever the reason - you probably don't even know why - iron impairs your powers.
Iron susceptibility is common among mages. Many magical creatures can be hurt by iron weapons. Part of it's function lies in that it is very common and well known; everyone knows you can stymie a mage by making them hold a naked blade or wear an iron collar.
Limitation
Your powers are impaired by iron and iron derivatives, such as steel. You cannot use powers while in direct contact with iron or encased in iron, such as when wearing steel armor or inside a car. If you wish to use iron tools or weapons you must ensure that they don't get into direct contact with your skin; gloves, elaborate hilts and handles, and coverings such as gilding or tin coating are commonly used to overcome this. You can wear steel armor as long as it has been properly gilded; the noble metal negates the influence of the base iron. Of course, gilding is expensive, attracts attention, and is quite fragile meaning it can be accidentally scraped off.
Focus Enabler
Inherent
When not wearing any iron you can use a Limit Break as if you were focused. A creature wearing metallic iron and Angels, Demons, Devils, Robots, Spectres, Undead, Virtues, and Whimsies are immune to such a limit break. In ^Blacksmith, Clockwork, Coal, Combustion, and Electronic societies, most civilized folk carry some iron object, such as a belt buckle or a tool. Wild animals and monsters very rarely do.
Loss of Control
You are channeling powers beyond your control: sometimes these powers take you over and force you to go wild. You must specify the nature of the power you are connecting to, as this will influence how you focus and what happens when you lose control. In general, this amounts to a specific vice; focusing means tickling this vice, loss of control is when you are overwhelmed.
The actions you do when you lose control can be nonsensical or even destructive. You lose sight of your normal goals and live out your vice in an immediate and direct way. Such actions can indirectly benefit your normal cause, but you pursue them beyond what is reasonable and productive.
Limitation
You risk losing control in certain situations, especially when doing things somehow relevant to the nature or source of your powers. When you roll Snakeyes on any task, the GM proposes an action your powers tries to force you to do. The GM can also make one such proposition of his own per scene. You can agree, and behave as suggested. In extreme cases, the GM might even take temporary control of your character. If you resist, you lose access to your powers for the rest of the scene.
Focus Condition
Focus
When doing the type of actions you do when you lose control, you can focus. This can either be because because you gave in to the GMs suggestion or because you came up with a course of action the GM agrees is in accordance with your vice. When you are taking the initiative and choose to skirt the danger, you have to continue to act out your vice until it plays itself out, or risk losing your powers.
Mark of Power
Your power has left its mark on you and you draw power from this monstrous nature. This can be a demonic or angelic form, sharp claws, obvious cybernetics, huge green muscles, or some other distinctive appearance of your choice. You look quite out of the ordinary and are likely to attract attention and be recognized. It is possible but difficult to disguise this, and it is always visible on close inspection.
Limitation
If you are transformed into a mundane shape, you lose your powers. Mere illusions won't do, it has to be a physical change. The most radical variant of this is if powers are used to alter your shape, but failing to maintain your supernatural form also triggers power loss. If your form depends on powers, such as Mutations or Cybernetic Implants and these are dispelled, all your powers fail. If you are constantly in disguise for long periods, your powers will gradually weaken, tough you get plenty of advance warning of this.
This kind of power loss has a duration based on the extent of the change; minor changes can cause a power loss for the round, while greater changes can cause power loss for a scene or even one or more sessions in extreme cases.
Focus Condition
When an NPCs reaction towards you changes significantly because of your appearance, you can focus. This creates the odd situation that you can often focus in less important confrontations on the street, but rarely when faced with cool villains - unless they have a particular prejudice.
Naming
Everything has a True Name, a key to its essence. Knowing this true name gives you power over the thing. Great power is given to those who know the true names of many things. If you know the true name of your enemy, you have him in your power.
Learning a true name is a difficult, often mystic experience. Visions and spirit quests play an important role, and an accomplished sorcerer can sometimes guess a true name through sheer intuition. What a true name is to you depends on your Tradition. If your origin is mystical, true names are precisely that, names. If your origin is technological, it is things like root passwords, DNA code, and the like.
Only some intelligent creatures have individual true names. Each named creature has an individual true name, but faceless dimensional hordes do not. Unnamed creatures have one True Name per type of creature; all unnamed imps share the same true Name. Essentially one true name equals one set of creature abilities. Objects also share names with others of their type. You can learn the true names of your friends with their cooperation, becoming able to focus power on them but also giving you a potentially devastating weapon against them.
True names are also used in Binding powers. These are the same true names used for this method, but you can use Binding powers without the True Name method and vice versa. The Naming and Power Secret methods are related; naming magicians often have their own true name as their secret.
Limitation
You cannot target a named creature directly unless you know his true name. Mind control, transmutation and other effects which directly and dramatically changes a person require that you know the target's true name.
Focus Enabler
Inherent
Whenever you know someone's individual True Name, you can use powers against them as if you were focused. A Limit Break used this way cannot affect a creature whose True Name you do not know.
Power Secret
Hi-Mi-Tsu! - Xellos, the Mysterious priest, Slayers
You have some secret that must not become known. A magical secret can be almost anything. A technological secret is a wavelength, passcode or other sensitive data that is easily used. It can be nonsense, such as a particular number or the name of some higher being or your own secret name. It can be some fact about you, such as that you are a woman, your exact age or that you are the descendant of Zeus. It cannot be something people would ordinarily say; people will not accidentally blurt out your secret unless the GM is using this as a plot device.
It is possible to find your secret through research or investigation, but this is always an important story development and should have its own dangers and drama. You might intuitively feel when someone is close to discovering your secret, which often leads to dramatic confrontations at the point of discovery.
Anyone who finds out your secret can use it to blackmail you and to gain dominance over you, as you cannot effectively use your powers against them. If your secret ever becomes common knowledge, you are doomed. But this should never happen if you play your cards right; the GM can invoke this as a plot device, but as long as you play along, no villain would waste the hook he has on you by publishing your secret.
The Naming and Power Secret methods are linked; naming magicians often have their own name as their secret.
Limitation
Anyone stating this secret in your presence negates your powers for the rest of the scene.
Focus Condition
Focus
Whenever your secret is in immediate danger of being discovered or used, you can focus. This means that an involving secret is much more useful than an obtuse one.
Power Signature
Your powers give hints about you. Anyone who sees or even describes your powers can recognize them, but this might not be connected to you unless you are publicly known as a power user. Maybe your fireballs have your personal rune emblazoned on them or your electronic remote-control signals are poorly shielded. This can be very dangerous in combination with methods like Astrology, Power Secret, or Naming.
The information contained in your power signature for enemies to learn must be fairly important, and the GM decides exactly what it is. If you or they use secrets or information in methods, such information is a good pick. Other possible secrets include embarrassing facts that give large bonuses on interactions stunts, blackmail material, codes that give access to your telephone, bank, or internet accounts, personal information about loved ones that can be kidnapped, or your True Name.
Limitation
Anyone who knows your style can recognize your powers by sight. Know stunts made against you by someone who has seen your powers or their results have a difficulty equal to your Mind or Know, whichever is lower. You never suffer power loss from this limitation, but might clue others in on how to give you Power Loss.
Focus Condition
Focus
You can focus anytime, but when you do all enemies get to do an immediate Analyze Weakness stunt without spending any shots.
Power Supply
You are dependent on an external supply of energy to work your powers. This could be an electric grid, the universal web of power, the stars being right, the mystic field of force that connects all life, or the attention and good will of a supernatural entity or god. This method tends to be universal; either everyone of a tradition uses it, or no-one does. This makes the method suitable for campaigns where mysterious and remote events dwarf the efforts of the heroes.
Limitations
When you are out of contact or favor with your power supply, your powers don't work. There might be means for others to disrupt this flow of power, but mostly its something between you and your supplier. Unlike similar methods, this supply is either turned on or off at a remote location; it is not something you can carry an inventory of and use as needed, though there might be ways of getting around it.
Focus Condition
Focus
Whenever you have been out of supply, your focus sharpens and you have an easier time focusing as your powers come back to you. This free focus lasts for about as long as the power interruption, measured in real-world time; if you were out of power for half a session, you can automatically focus for the remainder of the session.
Psionics
This is commonly not a machine or natural phenomenon, but instead a network of minds.
Power Words
You focus your power in exclamations, battle cries, and sharp yells. It is not enough to mumble an arcane formula; you shout the name of your power, berate your target, and otherwise make a nuisance of yourself expressing your power.
Limitation
You cannot use your powers silently. Your words of power need to be audible over your surroundings; in a noisy place your powers themselves might roar. When using Power Words but not focusing, it is not obvious what specific power you are using, only that you are using powers.
Focus Condition
Focus
You must shout out what Limit Break you intend to use at the start of the round. You can only use this specific limit break this round.
Power Reserve
You have a reserve of inner power, called mana for supernatural powers and by some technical term such as battery or capacitors for technology. You can use this reserve to fuel your power, but when you have done so you become weak and need to restore your power reserve afterward.
Limitation
When you have used your power intensely, such as in a fight, you grow tired at the end of the scene. Once the fight is over, you cannot use powers until you have replenished your power; a short ritual taking about 15 minutes. Exactly what you do to recover power reserve depends on your power tradition; eating, meditation, prayer, reading, recharging capacitors or connecting to a power outlet are all examples. If there is a condition placed on your recovery that is out of your control, such as sunlight, use of a power outlet, or high wind, your recovery varies - it becomes 5 minutes with access to this recovery aid, 1 hour without the aid.
Focus Condition
Focus
You can focus at any time. The first use is safe. Roll 1d6 when you focus this way. If the result is lower than the number of times you used this method to focus this session, the power limitation of Power Reserve kicks in immediately.
Restraint
Physical activity can hinder mystical ability; energies that could have been channeled into the mystical are used for base physical body needs. By applying restraint, the distractions of the physical body are eliminated, which frees your power. For technological origins, the same can apply; nerves and brain capacity are re-routed from body control to power control.
Restraint in an extended sense can be considered costume as well. If you are a submissive you might also want the Power Submission limitation.
Limitation
You must be physically restrained in some way or your powers become weaker. You cannot use Limit Break powers when not bound. Being bound involves at least one of the conditions below. You must be restrained in such a way that you cannot quickly free yourself; it should take at least 15 minutes for you to get free on your own, someone else can free you with a stunt. Note that it is possible, even encouraged, to use powers to overcome the handicap of restraints.
When you use your powers, there is a risk you will become further restrained; on a Snakeyes roll when using powers you must accept Power Loss or roll 1d6 for a random restraint, adding +1 for each previous restraint.Restraints last at least a scene, and often for the rest of the session. Physical restraint in Action does not completely prevent a hero from action, they impose handicaps to be overcome.
- Gagging prevents mundane speech. Stymies all Charm and Impress checks.
- Handcuffing is when your hands are tied in front of you, but not so tightly as to make them completely unusable; you can still use one hand effectively, such as using weapons or tools of Small size or smaller.
- Hobbling indicates restrained legs, but not fixed to each other. It means you cannot move as part of a normal Basic Action, and can only move your normal move when you do a Full Move action or otherwise do an action that grants extra movement..
- Immobilized, stuck to something, alternatively on a short leash which prevents movement beyond one or two meters. If you are stuck to a creature whose Body is greater than yours, you are forced along as it moves, otherwise you are both immobilized unless you two cooperate.
- Bound Legs you fall prone and cannot stand unsupported, which prevents and hinders many actions as determined by the situation and stunt description. Your Move is reduced to 1. Swimming and flying creatures are entangled, with similar effects.
- Bound Arms prevent most physical manipulation and the use of weapons and implements. You can still use tackles and head butts for (Body +0) damage or a Tiny Ranged Weapon, but limited to Close range.
- Blinded restricts your awareness, giving you only a rough estimate of objects and creatures in a diameter equal to your Mind; you are insensitive to things beyond this range. Everyone has enough concealment to Sneak on you, and against creatures beyond your perception range, you have to use Reflexes rather than Recon for defense against Recon stunts.
- (or more) Hogtie A hogtied character cannot act physically and can only move one meter as a standard action; no movement is otherwise allowed. This also prevents all Defense actions.
Focus Condition
Focus
You can focus when bound, but if you are not fully restrained, there is a chance the process will backfire. Roll 1d6 when you use this power. If you currently lack the type of restraint indicated by the roll, you are either thus restrained, or the focus fails. Which of these happens can vary depending on tradition, outlook, availability of restrains and even sometimes personal choice. If the focus fails, you cannot try again until the enxt round.
Pyrotesse has hands and legs bound uses this power. Since she lacks some kinds of restraint, she rolls 1d6, rolling a 5, adding +2 for her two current restraints for a total of 7, which indicates blindfolding, which she lacks. Since she has no blindfold and it just doesn't make sense for the scene, she is not blindfolded and focusing fails. She cannot try to use this method to focus again for the current round.
Talisman
You have some unique item you must have to work your power. Talismans are reasonably large and obvious, like a staff, diadem, dowsing pin, special hat, gizmo or whatever. Without it, you are powerless. Unlike props, this is one specific item. Your talisman is a signature item; it will not disappear unless there is some plot-driven reason for it to disappear, and customs officials and other bystanders will generally ignore it. But its function is always apparent to others of your tradition and to everyone once you start using it for obvious effects. Those in the know might try to take it away from you.
This focus can be either destructible or indestructible. If it is indestructible, it cannot be replaced; you MUST get your unique item back. If it is destructible, it is still tough and hard to destroy, but it can be damaged, and you can replace it.
It takes a Basic Action and a Know roll against your Dodge to identify a talisman for what it is, except when you use it to focus whereupon it becomes obvious.
Limitation
You suffer power loss when you are without your focus item.
Focus Condition
Trigger Action (Focus, Combo)
When your focus item is directly involved in a successful use of your power, such as if you strike with your staff or throw your power diadem, you can focus. You can even do this as a combo with your Limit Break if the Limit Break itself fulfills the condition. This involves a bit of risk; you call attention to your talisman and could potentially lose it.
Tantrism
Your power is fueled by sexuality, both your own and that of your targets.
Limitation
You must have regular sex to replenish your power. You must engage is some sexual activity each day (even if it is as modest as masturbation or sexual fantasies), and you must have a full-fleshed sexual encounter with a partner at least once a week.
Focus Condition
Focus
Whenever you manage to create sexual tension you can focus. If this is with a friend, it must be a sexual act or a noteworthy development in your relationship. If it is with an opponent, a successful sexually-themed stunt involving Charm or Presence is sufficient.
Trance
Your powers work best when you are in a trance, and you are aware even when asleep.
Limitation
When you use your powers, you enter a trance until your next shot comes up. You cannot use Trigger Actions while in this trance. You do not sleep. Instead you trance as above, and you can still act in this trance.
Focus Condition
Focus
You enter into a trance (as above) for the rest of the scene. You can break out of the trance trough conscious effort - a Basic Action.
Vow
You have taken an oath, and your power only works while you maintain this oath. Stricter vows are likely to interfere much more with your power, but also to grant many more opportunities to focus.
- Vow against killing
- Vow against violence
- Vow of abstinence (from drugs, eating meat, or similar)
- Vow of celibacy
- Vow of fasting
- Vow of forthrightness (no sneaking, approach problems head on)
- Vow of poverty (entrust your upkeep to others, handle no valuables)
- Vow of silence
- Vow of truth (no lying or deliberate deception; silence is acceptable)
You can stand by and watch others breaking the vow with no consequences for you, but in this case you cannot use your adherence to the vow to focus (see below) unless there was some personal stake or advantage you gave up.
Limitation
You must not have broken your vow recently to practice power. Willfully breaking the vow negates your power for a session, or longer for plot reasons. Breaking it because of coercion or necessity (and this might be frequent in case of such things as fasting) means you cannot use your powers for a scene.
Focus Condition
Focus
When your vow makes you behave in a way that is irrational or causes a loss in the long or short term, you can focus. This applies even if just one of these three conditions are met; taking a short-term disadvantage might well work out to a long-term advantage, but it still allows you to focus.