Flux Powers (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Flux is the power of luck, chaos, decay, and randomness, but also of freedom, inspiration, and art.

Flux is the power of unrealized potential; it is free energy and tension, infinite detail and variation without inherent meaning. Flux revels in randomness, and can produce spectacular but unpredictable results. This gives it an affinity for drunkenness and other inhibition-reducing states. Anything can be created using flux, but in its raw form it is uncontrollable and disruptive. Always chancy and dangerous, when it works flux manipulates events in your favor. This makes flux subtle, when it works, the effects are seemingly random events. Flux is opposed to order.

Flux attacks are natural events, like roof tiles falling on enemies or them tripping on a random passing turtle. Often not fatal unless the environment is particularly lethal. You can also use flux with weapons to improve your chances.

Flux creatures are strange spirits of whimsy, sometimes known as muses, sometimes as demons. They inspire arts and cause chaos. They may possess other creatures. If they take physical form they are often a chimera of different parts.

Flux Power Effects Table

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	Chaos Eye Detect supernatural creatures and powers.	Chaos Rebuke Dismiss any any summon or dispel any power.	Chaos Call Summon a chaos creature	Chaos Gate Create a portal to a plane of chaos.
Command	Call to Chaos Incite independence in any creature.	Call to Companions Infinite range personal messages.	Call to Freedom Inspire independence in new friends.	Call to Madness Break a mind.
Consort	Chaos Mask Clothe yourself with chaos.	Shapechange Shapechange into anything.	Transform Shapechange the willing or helpless.	Chaotic Chase Transform and incite crowds.
Finesse	Ride Ride any mount or vehicle.	Fine Local Control A fine and potent melee attack.	Manipulate Small random manipulations.	Surge Suppress scale in melee.
Hunt	Lucky Trail Track by blind luck.	Lucky Shot Attack like a fine and potent rifle.	Random Ruckus Cause random events.	Starfall Attack like a fine and potent grenade.
Prowl	Chaotic Cover You can hide anywhere.	Fortune's Flow Avoid random dangers.	Serendipitous Saunter Crew Chaotic Cover and Fortune's Flow.	Out of the Fire Teleport to a random location.
Skirmish	Pratfall Dodge chaos.	Anarchic Assault Fine and potent melee attack.	Chaos Shroud Negate scale in melee.	Anarchic Avalanche Attack all enemies in a melee.
Study	Analyze Anomaly Identify powers and oddities.	Serendipity Seer Learn abilities of powers and oddities.	Anomaly Archive Learn history of powers and oddities.	Serendipity Sweep Analyze lots of powers and oddities.
Survey	Fortune's Find Find random things.	Flux Farsight Vision from an object of randomness	Serendipitous Scan Vision of people in Flux.	Omniscient Opportunist Perceive all Flux over a wide area.
Sway	Intuitive Awareness See likely actions of others.	Chance Concord Crew can communicate with anyone.	Chance Compulsion Post-hypnotic randomness.	Liberation Permanently break social bonds.
Tinker	Serendipity's Gift Find just the thing you need.	Chance Crafting Inspired crafting.	Capricious Crafting Random transmutation.	Wish Create items on a whim.
Wreck	Chaotic Clutter Objects unexpectedly break.	Anarchic Impact Objects succumb to entropy.	Hushed Havoc Silent disintegration.	Chaos Cataclysm Anarchic Impact a large area.

Expanded Powers

Harness the power of Attune to perceive and manipulate unnatural energies. Flux is flexible in this and can detect and dispel other powers.

Attune

Chaos Eye Detect supernatural creatures and powers.

Your senses become attuned to the chaotic energies that permeate the world, allowing you to perceive entities and phenomena that are beyond the ordinary senses of mortals. A drawback to this is that you cannot tell what power you have detected.

This is usually done to identify powers you can dismiss or dispel. However, it can also help to spot a disguised creature and provide valuable insights into the abilities of creatures.

• Limited outcome: Something you can clearly see.
• Standard Outcome: Something that is hidden
• Great Outcome: Behind a wall.

Chaos Rebuke Dismiss any summon or dispel any power.

Through sheer force of will, you can compel any creature native to another plane of existence to return to that plane, or to cease the operation of any power. By disrupting the connection between the target and their plane of origin, you can banish them from the mortal realm or neutralize their abilities.

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

Dispelling is usually easier. Flux can dispel any power.

Dispelling is often used as a setup action to help another character in a situation when the opposition is using powers. This improves the position of the supported action.

It can also be used to break the continuing results of powers. When used directly, the effect is usually limited unless the opponent is relying on powers for their safety. Against an opponent that uses power to fly or even breathe you may have a better effect.

When dramatically appropriate that a power is hard to dispel, often because it is the crux of the situation, this will not negate the power but instead give you a clue to what you need to do to resolve the situation.

Chaos Call Summon a chaos creature.

By tapping into the chaotic forces of other planes, you can call forth creatures from realms of pure chaos.

Summoning can bring you allies to fight or labor for you, giving you scale. They can also give advice and information related to their power. Summons can use simple powers and maintain powers you have created.

You can summon generic creatures without having to do a flashback. Such a creature is similar to a gang member in ability and are often summoned in groups to add scale. 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 an id number or 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.

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.

Flux creatures generally come in two types, spirits, and creatures with powers.

Spirits are naturally immaterial, but some can take physical form. They manifest the emotional and mental manifestations of their power. Spirits are of roughly human intellect, but can seem monomaniacal in their focus on their particular power. They can use sophisticated powers and usually have an agenda of their own that might well be irrelevant to humans.

Creatures with powers resemble normal creatures, having a biological body, metabolism, and functioning as ordinary living creatures but also have some exceptional abilities related to their power. Flux creatures often lack a distinct form, like amoebas, but some are regular creatures with Flux powers. Not all creatures with powers are summonable or dismissible, many are native to this world and have no special vulnerability to Attune powers.

Depending on your outcome the creature is willing to do different things.

• Limited outcome allows you to ask questions of an intelligent creature or demand a short period of physical labor from a simple creature. The creature will not fight for you. If forced into a fight due to circumstances, it will resent it.
• Standard outcome allows you to ask for any service appropriate to the type of creature. Flux creatures love whimsy and despise consistency. This includes dangerous tasks such as combat if the creature has such abilities, which most of them do.
• Great outcome allows actions outside the creature's comfort zone, but not things it directly opposes. Lengthy service also requires great outcome, like summoning the creature to guard a treasure for as long as it can.

Typical consequences include:

• A bargain of payment in things the creature prizes.
• The creature strikes out at you once.
• You need to concentrate to keep the creature under control.
• The creature breaks things around you.
• Overly literal interpretations of your commands.
• The creature deliberately does its tasks poorly.
• General sulkiness.

Offering a creature gifts or services appropriate to its nature can help. This is essentially a devil's bargain, accepting a price in advance. Desperate position usually comes from trading position for outcome (called trading position for effect in the rulebook), but it might come from a difference in ethos. If you are a priest of light and summon a demon, or if the summon is three or more tiers above you the position will be desperate. Desperate consequences include a tightwire struggle to keep the creature under control, a demand that 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.

Chaos Gate Create a portal to a plane of chaos.

These portals are unpredictable in nature, and the destination may vary each time they are opened. Exercise caution when using this power, as it can lead to encounters with beings of immense power and unpredictability.

A gate lasts for a while, enough for a quick score. If things take a lot of time it might require a separate use of the power to return home again. The first time you gate to a certain place the position is at least risky and becomes desperate if there is any kind of disturbance.

Gating 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.

There are things that are possible to do on these planes that are not allowed in the regular world, most power abilities 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 power rarely reach outside the plane where you perform them, but if they affect creatures on that plane, they may remain when you return to the mundane world.

Command

Command the forces of chaos with unparalleled authority, compelling obedience and inciting independence among those who would heed your call. Position and effect depend on the situation and your relationship with listeners.

Call to Chaos Incite independence in any creature.

This is useful for intimidating and commanding foreign or alien Flux creatures. Combined with Sway: Intuitive Awareness, it allows two-way communication.

Call to Companions Infinite range personal messages.

You can communicate with Flux 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 creature related to your power in a vehicle or installation as long as you can see the exterior. The communication is simple and direct, suitable for the Command skill.

You can communicate with any creature, but the communication manifests randomly, as an omen or sign in nature. These messages are hard to interpret and cannot be replied to.

Call to Freedom Inspire independence in new friends.

Use this power to liberate allies or disrupt the plans of your adversaries. By inspiring independence and chaos in those around you, you can influence individuals as if you were their trusted friend. However, be mindful that encouraging independence may lead to actions that are not necessarily advantageous to your goals.

This is essentially a fine attempt at communication, increasing your outcome compared to a normal attempt at Command. It works on any creature, but the only command you can give is for them to take independent action.

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.

Call to Madness Break a mind.

You permanently alter a creature's mind by adding chaos. This can remove existing loyalties and free the creature from societal pressure, but just a little too much and the creature becomes eccentric, then mad, then raving insane.

Consort

Embrace the chaotic nature of flux to forge connections and shape reality itself, transforming both yourself and the world around you with boundless creativity.

Chaos Mask Clothe yourself with chaos.

Through manipulation of chaotic energies, you can imbue your clothes and accessories with an ever-shifting appearance. This ability allows you to conceal your identity or create dazzling outfits that reflect the unpredictability of flux.

Shapechange Shapechange into anything.

Shapechange grants you the ability to transform into any form you desire. However, this transformation is unstable and may have unforeseen consequences. While transformed, your actions may be affected by random fluctuations, making each transformation a gamble with uncertain outcomes.

Transform Shapechange the willing or helpless.

With Transform, you can shapechange willing or helpless creatures at will. This transformative effect can be a boon or a curse, depending on the circumstances. Breaking the transformation is possible but not easy, requiring careful intervention to reverse its effects.

Chaotic Chase Transform and incite crowds.

This power allows you to transform a large number of creatures, whether willing or non-sentient, and give them a simple instruction. However, the chaotic nature of flux ensures that these creatures may not adhere to your commands, leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Finesse

Master the art of finesse and manipulation, wielding luck as a potent weapon to achieve precision strikes and subtle control over your surroundings.

Ride Ride any mount or vehicle.

With the ability to ride any mount or vehicle as if it were domesticated, you gain unparalleled control over your means of transportation. Whether it be a steed or a vehicle, you can navigate with finesse and ease, unlocking new avenues of mobility.

Fine Local Control A fine and potent melee attack.

Harnessing luck as a potent weapon, you can execute precise close-range attacks with remarkable accuracy. This power grants you the finesse and precision of a seasoned duelist, enabling you to strike with deadly precision at your adversaries.

Manipulate Small random manipulations.

Through precise manipulation of luck, you can exert control over the environment from a distance. Whether it's opening doors, triggering mechanisms, or hindering your enemies, this power allows for subtle and precise actions as long as your luck holds.

Surge Suppress scale in melee.

By invoking a rain of random chaos, you can suppress the abilities of multiple opponents and unleash havoc upon your enemies. This power acts as both a defensive shield and an offensive weapon, providing you with a potent tool for controlling the battlefield.

Hunt

Embark on a journey guided by blind luck and uncanny intuition, tracking prey and evading pursuit with the unpredictable grace of flux.

Lucky Trail Track by blind luck.

Lucky Shot Attack like a fine and potent rifle.

Random Ruckus Cause random events.

Starfall Attack like a fine and potent grenade.

Prowl

Chaotic Cover You can hide anywhere.

Fortune's Flow Avoid random dangers.

Serendipitous Saunter Crew Chaotic Cover and Fortune's Flow.

Out of the Fire Teleport to a random location.

Skirmish

Pratfall Dodge chaos.

Anarchic Assault Fine and potent melee attack.

Chaos Shroud Negate scale in melee.

Anarchic Avalanche Attack all enemies in a melee.

Study

Analyze Anomaly Identify powers and oddities.

Serendipity Seer Learn abilities of powers and oddities.

Anomaly Archive Learn history of powers and oddities.

Serendipity Sweep Analyze lots of powers and oddities.

Survey

Fortune's Find Find random things.

Flux Farsight Vision from an object of randomness.

Serendipitous Scan Vision of people in Flux.

Omniscient Opportunist Perceive all Flux over a wide area.

Sway

Intuitive Awareness See likely actions of others.

Chance Concord Crew can communicate with anyone.

Chance Compulsion Post-hypnotic randomness.

Liberation Permanently break social bonds.

Tinker

Serendipity's Gift Find just the thing you need.

Chance Crafting Inspired crafting.

Capricious Crafting Random transmutation.

Wish Create items on a whim.

Wreck

Chaotic Clutter Objects unexpectedly break.

Anarchic Impact Objects succumb to entropy.

Hushed Havoc Silent disintegration.

Chaos Cataclysm Anarchic Impact on a large area.

Old Expanded Powers

Attune

Harness the power of Attune to perceive and manipulate supernatural energies, allowing you to detect and interact with beings and phenomena from other planes of existence.

Perceive: You gain the ability to detect supernatural creatures and powers. Your senses become attuned to the chaotic energies that permeate the world, allowing you to perceive entities and phenomena that are beyond the ordinary senses of mortals.

Dismiss: Through sheer force of will, you can compel any creature native to another plane of existence to return to that plane, or to cease the operation of any power. By disrupting the connection between the target and their plane of origin, you can banish them from the mortal realm or neutralize their abilities.

Summon: By tapping into the chaotic forces of other planes, you can call forth creatures from realms of pure chaos. However, these summoned beings are generally unwilling servants, and their obedience may be tenuous at best. You can issue them a single command, which they must obey, but maintaining control over them beyond that initial command may require further study or even a separate score.

Gate: With the power of Gate, you can create temporary portals that allow travel to and from chaotic planes of existence. These portals are unpredictable in nature, and the destination may vary each time they are opened. Exercise caution when using this power, as it can lead to encounters with beings of immense power and unpredictability.

Command

Command the forces of chaos with unparalleled authority, compelling obedience and inciting independence among those who would heed your call.

Call to Chaos: Through your commanding presence and the incitement of independence and chaos, you can compel obedience from anyone within your vicinity. Those affected by your command understand your intentions, but you may not comprehend their responses. Use this power to rally allies or sow discord among your enemies.

Translate: With the ability to translate languages, you and your allies can communicate effectively with any kind of creature, regardless of their native tongue or form of communication. This power breaks down barriers to understanding and fosters cooperation in diverse situations.

Call to Freedom: By inspiring independence and chaos in those around you, you can influence individuals as if you were their trusted friend. However, be mindful that encouraging independence may lead to actions that are not necessarily advantageous to your goals. Use this power to liberate allies or disrupt the plans of your adversaries.

Emancipate: With Emancipate, you have the power to permanently free creatures from the shackles of command and control. This liberation grants them complete autonomy and resistance to external influences, allowing them to embrace their wild and unbridled nature.

Consort

Embrace the chaotic nature of flux to forge connections and shape reality itself, transforming both yourself and the world around you with boundless creativity.

Chaos Mask: Through manipulation of chaotic energies, you can imbue your clothes and accessories with an ever-shifting appearance. This ability allows you to conceal your identity or create dazzling outfits that reflect the unpredictability of flux.

Shapechange: Shapechange grants you the ability to transform into any form you desire. However, this transformation is unstable and may have unforeseen consequences. While transformed, your actions may be affected by random fluctuations, making each transformation a gamble with uncertain outcomes.

Transform: With Transform, you can shapechange willing or helpless creatures at will. This transformative effect can be a boon or a curse, depending on the circumstances. Breaking the transformation is possible but not easy, requiring careful intervention to reverse its effects.

Chaotic Chase: This power allows you to transform a large number of creatures, whether willing or non-sentient, and give them a simple instruction. However, the chaotic nature of flux ensures that these creatures may not adhere to your commands, leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Finesse

Master the art of finesse and manipulation, wielding luck as a potent weapon to achieve precision strikes and subtle control over your surroundings.

Ride: With the ability to ride any mount or vehicle as if it were domesticated, you gain unparalleled control over your means of transportation. Whether it be a steed or a vehicle, you can navigate with finesse and ease, unlocking new avenues of mobility.

Fine Local Control: Harnessing luck as a potent weapon, you can execute precise close-range attacks with remarkable accuracy. This power grants you the finesse and precision of a seasoned duelist, enabling you to strike with deadly precision at your adversaries.

Manipulate: Through precise manipulation of luck, you can exert control over the environment from a distance. Whether it's opening doors, triggering mechanisms, or hindering your enemies, this power allows for subtle and precise actions as long as your luck holds.

Surge: By invoking a rain of random chaos, you can suppress the abilities of multiple opponents and unleash havoc upon your enemies. This power acts as both a defensive shield and an offensive weapon, providing you with a potent tool for controlling the battlefield.

Hunt

Embark on a journey guided by blind luck and uncanny intuition, tracking prey and evading pursuit with the unpredictable grace of flux.

Lucky Trail: With the aid of blind luck, you can track, pursue, and hide from your adversaries with uncanny efficiency. Events seem to conspire in your favor, guiding you toward your quarry while confounding your pursuers.

Lucky Shot: Channeling your power into a focused attack, you can unleash devastating strikes akin to a fine and potent rifle. This precision allows you to target foes with lethal accuracy, turning the tide of battle in your favor.

Random Ruckus You can cause a random accident. You cannot control what will happen, but it will usually be a good distraction.

Random Carnage: Utilizing your power to its fullest extent, you can unleash chaos upon the battlefield, striking down multiple enemies with devastating force. However, be wary of collateral damage, as the indiscriminate nature of this power may harm allies as well as foes.

Prowl

Move through the shadows with effortless grace, navigating treacherous terrain and eluding detection with the serendipitous blessings of chaos.

Chaotic Cover: Blend into your surroundings with ease, protected by random distractions that confound the senses of those who seek to find you. While this cover may not last long, it provides a valuable advantage in stealth and evasion.

Fortune's Flow: Move through environments with the grace and ease of one blessed by fortune. Events seem to conspire in your favor, clearing obstacles and opening paths to freedom.

Serendipitous Saunter: Bring your allies along on your adventures, sharing the benefits of Chaotic Cover and Fortune's Flow. Together, you can navigate treacherous terrain and evade pursuit with uncanny efficiency.

Out of the Fire: When danger looms, escape to safety with the power of teleportation. Teleport to a random location within the same city or region, evading danger and gaining a chance to regroup and plan your next move.

Skirmish

Engage in combat with reckless abandon, unleashing chaos upon your foes and wielding the unpredictable power of flux to devastating effect.

Pratfall: Utilizing flux in combat is a high-risk endeavor, with each successive use raising the stakes of failure. Engaging multiple enemies in skirmish after skirmish increases the likelihood of dire consequences.

Anarchic Assault: Unleash devastating attacks upon your foes with the power of flux. Similar to a standard skirmish attack, but with the added potency of fine and potent weaponry.

Chaos Shroud: Create distractions and obstructions that hinder your enemies and level the playing field. This power disrupts enemy formations and prevents them from overwhelming you with sheer numbers.

Anarchic Avalanche: Unleash chaos in all directions, striking out at multiple enemies simultaneously. This wide-ranging attack can turn the tide of battle in your favor, but be prepared for the unpredictable consequences of wielding such power.

Study

Delve into the mysteries of flux and uncover its secrets, gaining insights into the nature of chaos and unlocking its potential to reshape reality.

Analyze Anomaly: Unlock the secrets of flux powers and creatures by studying their abilities and weaknesses. This power grants you insights into the nature of chaos and allows you to exploit its vulnerabilities.

Serendipity Seer: Peer into the future and gain glimpses of events yet to come. By focusing on a particular creature, you can gain insights into their fate and the role they may play in future events.

Anomaly Archive: Delve into the past and uncover the hidden history of objects and creatures affected by flux. This power allows you to trace the origins of artifacts and beings, shedding light on their past and potential future.

Serendipity Sweep: Extend your analysis to a wider area, scanning for flux and its effects across a broad swath of territory. While more challenging at greater distances, this power provides valuable information for planning and strategizing.

Survey

Peer through the veil of chaos to glimpse the future and perceive the world with newfound clarity, guided by the serendipitous whims of flux.

Fortune's Find: Stumble upon valuable information, people, and paths through sheer chance. While these encounters may prove fortuitous, be wary of the dangers that lurk beneath the surface.

Flux Farsight: Peer through the veil of chaos and perceive distant objects behaving erratically. This power grants you insight into the nature of flux, allowing you to observe its effects from afar.

Serendipitous Scan: Receive visions of future encounters with random entities or objects. These glimpses into the future may provide valuable insights or warnings of impending danger.

Omniscient Opportunist: Attune your senses to the chaotic energies around you, perceiving all random coincidences within your vicinity. This heightened awareness allows you to anticipate events and react accordingly, providing valuable information to yourself and your allies.

Sway

Influence the minds of others with the subtle art of persuasion, tapping into the chaotic undercurrents of flux to sway hearts and minds alike.

Intuitive Awareness: Understand the motivations and intentions of any creature, regardless of their nature or origin. While you can gauge their thoughts and emotions, they may not comprehend your own intentions.

Chance Concord: Establish communication with any being, transcending language barriers and fostering understanding and cooperation. This power promotes unity and collaboration among diverse groups and individuals.

Chance Compulsion: Implant random impulses in the minds of creatures, compelling them to act under specific conditions. These impulses may manifest as drastic actions or violent outbursts, depending on the circumstances.

Liberation: Free creatures from the constraints of domestication and control, granting them the freedom to act according to their own will. This power liberates beings from oppression and empowers them to embrace their wild and untamed nature.

Tinker

Craft reality itself with the capricious touch of flux, shaping objects and forging connections with the serendipitous creativity of chaos.

Serendipity's Gift: Discover tools and components through sheer luck, finding exactly what you need at the most opportune moments. This power facilitates innovation and creativity, enabling you to overcome obstacles with ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Chance Crafting: Shape objects at random, molding them like clay to suit your needs. While you may not have full control over the outcome, this power often yields surprising and unexpected results.

Capricious Crafting: Transform objects into new forms, reshaping them into complex tools and items of value. This power allows for the creation of fine and potent artifacts, limited only by your imagination and the chaotic nature of flux.

Wish: Manifest objects through the power of sheer will, bringing forth items of great significance or utility. Whether it's a vehicle or a building, this power allows you to materialize your desires into reality.

Wreck

Unleash devastation upon the world with the unstoppable force of chaos, tearing down obstacles and reshaping the very fabric of reality with reckless abandon.

Chaotic Clutter: Leave a trail of destruction in your wake, twisting and deforming objects as you move through the environment. This power disrupts and disorients your adversaries, creating chaos and confusion on the battlefield.

Anarchic Impact: Channel chaos into objects, causing them to bend and crack under the strain. With a well-placed strike, you can shatter obstacles and incapacitate foes, turning the tide of battle in your favor.

Hushed Havoc: Destroy targets silently and efficiently, reducing them to dust with a single blow. This power allows for covert operations and stealthy takedowns, leaving no trace of your presence behind.

Chaos Cataclysm: Unleash chaos on a massive scale, leveling entire city blocks and reshaping the landscape with devastating force. This power is the pinnacle of destruction, capable of laying waste to vast areas with a single act of chaos.