Powers (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Powers turn Blades in the Dark-style games into power fantasy.

Introducing Powers

Rather than the fantastical being rare and poorly understood, adding powers to your gives characters entirely new abilities they can use. Introducing these into a game changes the game world, making it more fantastical. Your game will change from the typical grim blades in the dark into something different and higher powered, though possibly just as grim. Powers consist of two elements—a playbook, and powers. Playbooks are frameworks for which powers you can use and how you use them. Powers describe what effects you can create.

Power Playbooks

Playbooks are the frames for acquiring powers. The playbooks are the power traditions of your world, roles such as wizard, sorcerer, saint, mutant, or technophile. Each playbook gives you access to certain powers, which are chosen in the same manner as special abilities. This is in addition to all the normal features of a playbook.

Finally, each tradition gives you a trauma condition, chosen from a list of conditions available to that playbook. This means you can't survive as much new trauma as characters who have not meddled with the powers. The actual trauma condition generally affects how you use powers, imposing conditions you must fulfil.

You cannot pick special abilities from a power playbook unless you start with that playbook. It is possible to incorporate a power playbook into your character's pool of available abilities by selecting this as a special ability. Doing so gives you access to the special abilities and items of the power playbook, but also forces you to select a trauma condition. You can even gain access to multiple power playbooks this way, giving you a wider range of powers at the price of more trauma conditions and thus more restrictions on the use of all of your powers.

Animism

You gain your power from a host of spirits, each less in power than the patrons of other power playbooks but versatile in their breadth. You may see these spirits as allies, servants you bully, slaves to capture, or mischievous friends that act as they like. An animist might be known as a medicine woman, miku, shaman, or druid.

Trauma Condition (Animism) Spirit Realm Your powers work best in a place where you have had time to get to know the local spirits, reducing the danger of the position. In strange places your powers work normally. In the home base of others spirits tend to be loyal to the locals, making your powers weaker in effect.
Spirit Symbols To use powers you must show symbols of all the pacts you have with various spirits. This is usually small tokens, but can be tattoos, scents, holograms, piercings, or spirits visibly floating around you. Observers can tell your power playbook and those in the know learn your powers from your symbols. The stronger you are, the more you look like a flea market.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐ A bribe for your spirits that gives +1d on a single use of a power.
2. ☐,☐ A temporary pact that allows you a single use a power you do not know.
3. ☐☐ A disguise that hides your spirit symbols until you use a power except free powers.
4. ☐ Armor that works against any type of attack.
5. ☐ A blessed weapon that is potent.

Powers There are myriad spirits, giving you access to oh so many powers. Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Special Abilities

Chi

The inner power of a living creature that can be channeled into amazing feats. Associated with martial arts, meditation, chacras, and oriental medicine. Chi can create effects in the world around you, but this is harder to do. Chi users often use flashbacks to their training to gain the ability to resolve a specific situation.

Trauma Condition You must be free to move to use chi. Using powers that affect you or a target you touch gains +1d. Powers used at a range of more than a meter out of reach suffer -1d.

Clever Friends, Rivals

• Reflexes When there’s a question about who acts first, the answer is you.

Items

1. ☐, ☐ A potion that substitutes for the cost of a willpower power.
2. ☐☐ Scroll that allows one use of a power on the list of chi powers that you do not know for the duration of the score.

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Special Ability Options

Miracles

Gods and spirits share their powers with select servants. It is possible for folk to learn these powers in a way similar to wizardry, which is called astral magic and has its own trauma condition.

Trauma Condition (Miracles) As a miracle-worker need to love and serve your patron saint, spirit, or god. This does not mean that all disciples of the same patron agree on much of anything, religious dissent is as old as religion. Creatures you summon are servants of your patron. This makes them less hostile, but strict in matters of faith. You cannot use powers with the the consort, hunt, and skirmish actions unless you choose that as your domain, see special actions. Picking up another power playbook that does allow these actions negates this limitation.

Trauma Condition (Astral Magic) You are seen as a blasphemer and possibly an apostate by religious people. You can learn both the dark and light powers and the order/chaos powers but must pick an action for your domain power. You cannot use a holy symbol or blessed melee weapon. You cannot use powers with the the consort, hunt, and skirmish actions unless you choose that as your domain, see special actions. Picking up another power playbook that does allow these actions negates this limitation.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐, ☐, ☐ Holy symbol that gives +1d on an action roll used against supernatural enemies of the faith.
2. ☐, ☐, ☐ Armor that works against any type of attack.
3. ☐ A blessed melee weapon that is potent.

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness or Light (not both), Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux or Order (not both), Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Metal, Mind, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Special Ability Options
Domain Power Any one power outside of this list, or an action normally forbidden, representing the patron's sphere of divine influence. This even allows the prohibited combinations light + dark and flux + order.

Mutant

Mutants are born with power or gain innate powers from exceptional circumstances. This also covers superheroes and monsters.

Trauma Condition A mutant manifests one power (see powers below), this makes them sensitive to attune powers.

Items

1. ☐, ☐, ☐ Drug that allows you to use an equipment or willpower ability, but inflicts light harm: mutating. This consequence cannot be resisted. Others taking the drug suffers the consequence without the benefit.
2. ☐ A focus item such as a mask or body implant that helps you control your powers.

Powers A mutant is born with a link to one power, this must be the first power selected for this playbook. Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

• Power Focus You can use one willpower to push an ability from your linked power. This also gives your power an individual signature, making it easy to recognize you used it.

Orphic

Orphic magic is worked through music and song. Mostly used to charm and influence, a masterful orphic can calm the waves through song and even enchant death itself.

Trauma Condition You must make music to use your powers, which can attract attention. It is easy to guess what power you are invoking. As an orphic you must take either the animal, flux, illusion, life, mind, or time power as your first power selection. Thereafter you can select any available power you wish.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐☐☐ An instrument that allows the oprhic to push any resolve action (not just powers) at the cost of only one willpower.
2. ☐ Notes and lyrics that allows one use of a power on the list of orphic powers that you do not know.
3. ☐ A memento that can substitute for the item cost of powers for times. ☐, ☐, ☐

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Special Abilities

• By performing for 5 minutes with an audience (other player characters suffice) you can ignore the item cost of a power.

Notes Many have a hard time with relationships. Most orphics can easily charm others, but such relationships are troubled; jealousy, infidelity, broken friendships, overzealous fans and similar over-emotional events conspire to make many orphics lonely.

Psi

Psionics is futuristic magic. The list of powers varies greatly depending on setting.

Trauma Condition A psyker is vulnerable to powers and suffer -1 position against others who use powers. If the enemy is also a psyker, you also gain +1 effect. It is not uncommon for a psychic duel to end with both blowing out their brains.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐☐☐ Ferronnière, headband, or tattoo on the hands, forehead, or temples that allows you to push powers at a cost of one willpower.
2. ☐, ☐, ☐ Crystal that allows one use of a power on the list of psi powers that you do not know. Counts as an item to power than effect.

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Sorcery

One of the most powerful power users, both competent and flexible. Wizards study magic powers with a philosophical, sometimes even scientific mindset and record their lore in tomes and libraries.

Trauma Condition A wizard must speak out loud and gesture to use powers. Their powers are recoded in tomes called spellbooks, and a wizard gradually loses their powers if they can't access this book.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐☐ Staff (or similar large item like a tome or big crustal ball) that allows pushing action rolls for powers at a cost of one willpower.
2. ☐, ☐, ☐ Scroll that allows one use of a power on the list of sorcerer powers that you do not know. Counts as an item to power than effect.
3. ☐ A familiar, a small intelligent animal that serves you as a spy and confidante.

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Soulsworn

Some people sell their soul to a monstrous patron to gain power. Devils and fey are common patrons.

Trauma Condition You must invoke the name of your patron to use powers. Ordinary people who don't know you well find you scary, and are reluctant to offer you services or hang out around you. Your patron puts demands on you, if you don't follow it will mess with you, but can't remove your powers.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐ A Familiar Spirit, a monster in the form of a small animal that acts as an agent of your patron and serves you as a spy and confidante. If this familiar helps you use your powers, you can use of equipment powers for free and to push action rolls for powers using only 1 willpower. Using the familiar this way reveals its true nature.
2. ☐☐ Drug that restores 4 willpower to you but inflicts medium harm: disoriented. This consequence cannot be resisted. Others taking the drug suffers the consequence without the benefit.
3. ☐☐ a fine potent melee weapon, usually a sword or dagger. If you kill another creature with this weapon, you can use an equipment or willpower ability for free in the current score.

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Technomancy

These "powers" are actually just high tech.

Trauma Condition As technomancer you have some trait that distinguishes you; a peculiar jargon, a technological gadget or prosthetic, or some such that makes you easy to recognize as a technomancer. You need gadgets for all your powers and some kind of technobabble explanation for how they work. You can only use free and equipment abilities from the attune, command, and sway actions unless you create a gadget that allows you to do so, see equipment.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐, ☐, ☐, ☐ Battery or power cell that can power two equipment or willpower powers.
2. ☐☐ A gadget you build in a flashback that allows you to use a power you do not have for the rest of the score. This costs willpower like any other flashback. Such a gadget can also be made as a long-term project.

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Wizardry

One of the most powerful power users, both competent and flexible. Wizards study magic powers with a philosophical, sometimes even scientific mindset and record their lore in tomes and libraries.

Trauma Condition A wizard must speak out loud and gesture to use powers. Their powers are recoded in tomes called spellbooks, and a wizard gradually loses their powers if they can't access this book.

Clever Friends, Rivals

Items

1. ☐,☐ Staff (or similar large item like a tome or big crustal ball) that reduces the willpower cost to push the action roll for powers to 1.
2. ☐ Pouch containing materials that allow three uses of equipment powers
3. ☐, ☐, ☐, ☐ Scroll that allows one use of a power on the list of wizard powers that you do not know. Counts as an item to power than effect. Can be selected several times.

Powers Air, Animal, Barriers, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, Water.

Powers

Powers are what actually gives you exceptional abilities. A power playbook doesn't give you any power abilities unless you select a power from that playbook's special abilities. Once you select a power, you gain abilities appropriate to the power. So if you select the electricity pool, you can shoot lightning, power electric engines, cause shortcuts, summon electric creatures, and so forth. In many cases, powers work as equipment does, empowering your normal actions.

You use your normal actions to activate powers, but there is often an associated cost. Free powers are always available. Equipment powers work require willpower or components to use, components are consumed when used. You have to cross of an item or willpower each time you make a roll for the power. Willpower powers require you to spend willpower each time you roll for the power. Trauma powers are all-consuming. You spend all your remaining willpower to activate the power, causing you to go into trauma. These effects are over-the-top and often has extensive collateral damage. They can sometimes be duplicated as long-term projects.

Avoid The Trap of Powers Just because a power allows something does not mean that you can't do it without that power. Attacks with weapons do not lose any effectiveness just because there are power that do the same. Items can be more effective than powers because once you select an item of equipment, you usually have it for the rest of the score. Attune allows the identification of supernatural creatures even without a power.

Powers are Inflexible Unlike normal actions, which are flexible, powers are specific. If you want to make a ranged attack using your power, that is done with Hunt action unless the particular power description says otherwise, you cannot fudge this with another action as you normally can.

Standard Power Effects Below is a standard list of effects that most powers have. These effects vary in appearance and detail depending on the exact power you use, but the general effect is the same. For example, hunt can make a ranged attack with most powers. If you do it with electricity this is a jolt of lightning, if you do it with fire it is a bolt of fire, if you do it with mind it is a mental blast, and if you do it with plant you fling poisonous thorns. All are ranged attacks, but depending on circumstances some are likely to be more or less effective.

In the description of each power, only the differences from this standard list will be noted, as well as a description of how that power is used to attack. For example, hunt used with equipment is a ranged attack. For most powers this works in a similar way. In the description of most powers, there will be no special note on use with hunt. For the mind power hunt works differently in that it attacks the mind rather than the body, requiring special rules.

Combining Powers If you know several powers, you can combine all of them with a single action, as long as this makes sense. So if you know both the fire and plant powers, you can dismiss, infiltrate, or infiltrate using both at once, but using barrage or research using both powers at once makes less sense. It is also possible to combine powers with another power-user as a part of assisting them. Combination powers are often more effective but become more vulnerable to the banish effect of the attunement action. Negating any of the component powers of a combined power negates the entire power.

Power Duration There are no specific rules for the duration of powers. Most powers last for a single use of an action: you use the power, the effect happens, and then the power ends but the effects of the power remains. The typical example of this is attacks, you wield your fire blade for the duration of the fight, and then it dissipates. Powers that last usually last for an entire score, but this depends on the degree of success. A possible consequence of power use is that the power suddenly ends at an inappropriate moment.

Power Area The target of powers can be described in plural or singular, but uses the normal effects of multiple targets, increasing position and reducing effect as appropriate. If the power explicitly says it has an area this does no apply.

Powers Gated by Dice Power effects can be gated by the number of dice rolled for an action. This means that pushing, assists, and devils' bargain enhances the effect of your powers. No dice, no power. One die gives access to free abilities. two dice gives access to item abilities, three dice gives access to willpower abilities, four dice allows access to all powers.

Optional Rule: Powers Gated by Tier If powers seem to powerful for low-tier adventures, you can tier-lock powers. At tier zero, you can only use free powers. At tiers 1-2 you can only use free and item powers. At tier 3-4 you can use free, item, and willpower powers abilities. At tier 5, you can use all powers. This makes powers almost useless at tier zero and weak until tier 3. Long-term projects allows use of powers as if you were two tiers higher. Make sure to limit exceptional equipment like bombs and grenades in a similar manner.

Common Power Effects

Action	Free	Equipment	Willpower	Trauma
Attune	Perceive You can detect creatures and power use tied to your power.	Dismiss You can force a creature based on this power that is native to another plane of existence to return to that plane, or to end the operation of an ability of the power you use.	Summon You can call a creature from a place of your power. This is generally an unwilling servant. It will obey one command from you and this can be extended. Learning who to summon may require study or be a a score in itself.	Gate You can create a portal that allows travel to and from the plane of your power for a limited time.
Command	Communicate You can communicate with creatures based on your power even if normally couldn't, allowing you to use the command action normally on them.	Translate You and allies can communicate with creatures based on your power.	Authority You can give commands to creatures based on your power, as if you were their superior. This does not remove existing loyalties, which can lead to conflicts.	Enslave You can permanently bind creatures to service. Unless affected by other powers, they will stay in one location and act according to your instructions, like very loyal and literal-minded goons.
Consort	Mask You can change your clothes and accessories by imbuing them with your power. This can mask your identity or create fabulous outfits.	Shapechange You assume the form of another creature that manifests your power. Add 1d to one action and subtract 1d from all actions covered by an attribute except if you just raised one of them.	Transform You can shapechange a willing or helpless creature into a form imbued by your power. This can be a curse, it can be broken but it is not easy. You can easily break the effect.	Wild Hunt You can transform a large number of willing or non-sentient creatures and give them a simple instruction, typically someone for them to hunt.
Finesse	Ride If there is a mount or vehicle of the appropriate power, you can ride it as if it was domesticated and you have the keys. You can move and breathe in conditions manifesting your power without damage or hindrance.	Fine Local Control You can use the power as a fine and potent close-range attack, similar in effect to a fine potent dueling sword or pistol, or you can give your friends the Ride ability for the duration of a score.	Manipulate You can do fine manipulation of the power, allowing you to do small and exact manipulations at range. This allows you to open doors, trigger or hinder mechanisms, or perform other minor manipulations, as long as the target is appropriate to your power.	Surge Your power manifests like a storm of blades, suppressing the effect of multiple opponents and acting as a fine potent weapon. You can choose to affect multiple targets.
Hunt	Track You can track and pursue based on your power, even if the target does not leave any mundane trail or clues. You can hide in areas where your power is manifest in the environment.	Fine Ranged Attack You can use your power to attack, similar in effect to a fine and potent rifle.	Area attack You can use your power to attack similar to a fine and potent grenade. This allows you to fight many creatures in the same area very effectively, but there is a risk of collateral damage.	Barrage You call down the equivalent of a fine potent artillery barrage, attacking everything and everyone in a wide area. Depending on your power, this can raze buildings and create rubble. Usually enough to provide cover for any escape.
Prowl	Reconnaissance You can hide in environments linked to your power. This allows you to hide in impossible places as long as the environment manifests your power. You gain advantage when sneaking on creatures linked to your power.	Maneuver You can move on and through environments composed of your environment. This allows you to climb on air, swim unhindered, walk through walls of the appropriate material and so on, depending on your exact power.	Travel You can bring allies along when you use Reconnaissance and Maneuver.	Transport You and allies can teleport from one location where your power is present to another. This is regional travel, you stay within the same city or region, but it is generally sufficient to enter or escape just about any situation or location.
Skirmish	Skirmish Attack You can use the power as a close-range attack, similar in effect to a melee weapon or pistol.	Fine Skirmish Attack Same as Skirmish Attack, except the weapon is fine and potent.	Obstruction Your power creates distractions and obstructions that prevents the enemy from benefiting from numbers and otherwise works as a fine potent weapon.	Flurry Your power strikes out in all directions, attacking all enemies in a wide area.
Study	Analyze You can identify objects and creatures that manifest your power and see the use of the abilities of your power.	Research You know the powers and abilities of something you analyze.	Hindsight You can read the past events of something you analyze. This includes previous owners and how the object has been moved around as well as significant scenes.	Omniscience You research everything in a wide area. This is easy to do where you are, more difficult at range. You can then use hindsight on some of these targets.
Survey	Detect You can sense manifestations of your power at a distance and understand their general nature. This works even when you can't see the target, but both range and information suffers.	Sensor Choose an object manifesting your power that you have detected; you can perceive as if you were at that spot. You cannot use your Survey action for anything else when doing so.	Scry Choose a location or creature. You gain a sensor at the nearest suitable object, which is often close enough to perceive the target.	Omnipresence You perceive from all objects manifesting your power at once over a wide area. As long as you concentrate you retain this perception and can report what you see to others.
Sway	Communicate You can communicate with creatures linked to your power even if normally couldn't, allowing you to use the sway action normally on them.	Translate You and allies can communicate with creatures based on your power.	Mesmerize You can post suggestions in the mind of a creature manifesting your power, which will be triggered under conditions you specify. Common suggestions are to steal something, attack someone, or ignore some event. This is a subtle power, but easier to spot once triggered.	Inculcate You change the personality and motivations of creatures that manifest your power. This power is permanent, but blatant. The target remember their past, but regard it as unimportant compared to their new motivations.
Tinker	Handle You can handle materials that manifest your power as if you had the appropriate tools and protective devices.	Shape You can shape materials that manifest your power as if they were of clay, and they will retain their new shape for some time even if they would normally not, such as water, sand or smoke.	Create You can create objects manifesting your power out of nothing, or transform an object from one material to another as long as you know the power required for both the starting and final form. This can create complex tools, such as fine and potent items appropriate to the power(s) used.	Fabricate This is similar to create, above, but you mass produce objects, even a set of different objects. You can also make something large, such as a vehicle or building.
Wreck	Jimmy You can jimmy objects manifesting your power much like a sledgehammer. Noisy and leaves a twisted object in place.	Smash Similar to jimmy. When smashing objects from your power, such as metallic objects for the metal power, you to affect hard objects as if they were wood. Works as a fine potent sledgehammer in combat.	Disintegrate Similar to smash, but destroyed targets silently disappear or are reduced to a fine dust.	Obliterate Similar to smash, but over a large area. This can level a city block, empty a canal system of water, raze a city wall, and similar massive destruction.

Power Specifications

List of powers and how they differ from the generic power table.

1. Air Power. Air is an elemental power that affects gasses, and to a limited extent vacuum.
2. Animal Power. Animals are an important part of mystic experience.
3. Barriers Power. Barriers is the ability to create walls and circles of protection.
4. Darkness Power. Darkness is linked to both physical and spiritual darkness.
5. Death Power. Death and disease are powerful forces.
6. Earth Power. Earth is the base of all, the solid ground we walk on and dig into.
7. Electricity Power. Electricity is something that accompanies technology.
8. Fire Power. Fire is an element of transformation, it can destroy but also forge.
9. Ice Power. The power of frozen water, arctic cold, and creatures of cold.
10. Flux Power. Flux is the power of luck, chaos, decay, and randomness, but also of freedom, inspiration, and art.
11. Illusion Power. Illusion powers create images, sound, and other sensory impressions to confuse and delude.
12. Kinesis Power. The ability move things, including simple thoughts.
13. Life Power. Life power is about life energy used to heal and improve living things.
14. Light Power. Light is both physical and spiritual light, inspiring deeds of charity and benevolence.
15. Metal Power. Metalworkers have often been associated with mystical powers.
16. Mind Power. Mind delves into sentience and intelligence.
17. Order Power. Order is the power the status quo that restores normality.
18. Plant Power. Governs plants and dead plant matter, including fungi.
19. Space Power. Governs location and distance, the power to teleport and create extradimensional spaces.
20. Time Power. Time allows looking into the past and possible futures, but can create deadly paradoxes.
21. Water Power. Water is the element of life, spirituality, and endless flowing cycles.