MTH:Powers Q-Z
Contents
RAISE DEAD[edit]
Class: Gamma
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Power Level + Raise Dead + (Occult)
Action: Instant
Range: Power Level x 2
Area: N/A
Duration: One Scene
Effect: This power allows the character to bring life to the dead, to serve her in battle or other tasks. On a normal success, the reanimated body has a dice pool of 7 for all physical actions, and a dice pool of 3 for all mental actions, with a defense equal to half the character's dots in Raise Dead - if the target is the body of a meta-human, treat all superpowers as if they only had a single dot, and actions requiring verve or willpower draw from the character's own verve pool. Bodies reanimated with a single success do not retain merits or skill specialties. On an exceptional success, the reanimated target retains all of their stats from before dying, with a plus 1 to all physical actions - if the target is the body of a meta-human, their powers retain all dots from before death, and they arise with 10 verve to spend. Bodies reanimated on an exceptional success are sentient, though regardless of prior goals are now cooperative with the character (you can bring an enemy back to life with an exceptional success without being attacked by him/her). Bodies reanimated on an exceptional success also retain all merits from their former life. A body can only be reanimated once, after that it cannot be given life a third time. A character can only have a number of reanimated bodies working with her equal to her dots in Raise Dead.
Extras: None
Weaknesses:
Fresh Bodies: Each turn the target has been dead applies a cumulative -1 penalty to attempts to use Raise Dead.
Pushing Daisies: A body must be touched as an instant action to be reanimated, and once reanimated will only be cooperative with the character to the extent that they would in life.
Note: Some storytellers may find it necessary to have their characters make a reflexive morality roll when using this power at a penalty equal to half their dots in Raise Dead, depending on how they fluff the effect. Asking a body's corporeal spirit to fight alongside you one last time before passing on is not necessarily evil, while turning a mortal's corpse into a shambling meat-shield is not necessarily good.
REGENERATION[edit]
Class: Beta
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: Reflexive
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character heals much faster than ordinary humans. The character automatically heals one level of bashing damage, or downgrades one level of lethal damage, per dot in Regeneration, every turn at the start of his action. These effects may be mixed, so a character who has 2 lethal levels of damage and 4 dots in regeneration may downgrade both levels to bashing and heal them in the same turn. Aggravated damage heals at the ordinary rate. This power is reflexive, so the character heals regardless of whether he is conscious or not.
Extras:
Versatile Regeneration - Aggravated damage may be downgraded as well.
Weaknesses:
Second Wind - This power must be deliberately activated as an instant action, taking the character's action for the turn.
RESURRECTION[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: One permanent dot in this Power
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: Reflexive
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: All characters in More Than Human have an out-of-character license to return from the dead due the Asylum mechanics. This one has an in-character rational for doing so. Using this power means the character gets to lose a dot of Resurrection and take on some extra hassle instead of losing a dot of Asylum when coming back from the grave.
The exact rational for this power will vary between characters, but their Resurrection will always depend on a Contingent Activation (as the Weakness, though it does not reduce the class of the Power) The player must choose which of these is the case with their character. Enemies who know of this contingency will most-likely seek to ensure it doesn't occur. The ST should work with the player to determine the specifics this entails.
SCAN[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Investigation) + Scan - target's Resolve
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Scan) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character is able to discern the powers and capabilities of a target.
For every success on the activation roll the character may learn one of the following, with it's applicable rating:
- one Attribute
- one Skill (specialties as well)
- one Superpower
- one Enhancement Merit related to a skill or attribute
Extras: Multiple targets - The character may elect to allocate her successes among all the possible targets in range, rather than choosing only one.
SHAPESHIFT[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: 1 Verve, see below
Dice Pool: Stamina + (Survival) + Shapeshift
Action: Instant
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to alter her physical form.
Using Shapeshift is either a simple action taking one turn. A character may take multiple turns to achieve more radical changes than a single roll can produce. Additional turns of shifting cost only time, not Verve, and the character may roll a number of times up to his effective Stamina in a scene.
Once a character has stopped shifting the changes persist for one scene; the character may shapeshift again before the end of the scene (within the stamina limit above), but doing so requires another activation roll and the expenditure of another Verve. If the character wishes to stay in their assumed shape after one scene, they may continue to do so for one verve. This allows them to hold the form for the rest of the scene without a roll. Additional scenes cost one verve per.
The character may cancel their shift, reverting back to their normal form, at any time as a reflexive action. This is an all-or-nothing reversion. If the player only wants to revert part of their form, they must activate the power again.
The simplest use of this power is simply to look like another person or similar being, without making any more significant physical changes. Essentially, successes on the activation roll are added to successes on attempts at disguise or impersonation. In addition, the shapeshifter is able to shift her appearance to that of a human or humanoid of any gender, may appear biological, robotic, living or dead, making it impossible to recognize her through cursory visual examination. The character will still smell and taste the same, however, should that come up.
With out additional Shapeshift merits, this power can be used to simulate powers that aid disguise but don't actually alter the character's physical form, such as holographic projections and identity-oriented illusions.
The character may choose to take an obvious identifying feature as a Persistent Condition for this power. Such a feature might be the inability to change the character's distinctive coloration (think Beast Boy or Plastic Man), or having a distinctive odor. The Condition allows those who are familiar with the shapeshifter to identify them without a roll. This is worth a beat when it becomes a problem for the character.
Shapeshifting has an associated Power Tree.
Other then the kinds of powers detailed above, Shapeshift cannot allow the character to emulate other super powers, but it can be used as a rational for buying those powers with experience points. Weaknesses:
Single Shape - The character can only take on a single predefined shape, but does not have to roll for activation. If the shape requires multiple successes it now only requires one success, but manifests the same way every time.
Slow Activation - The shift comes on slowly, requiring some other extended action with a target number of 5 successes. Determine an appropriate pool with the Storyteller when this power is taken. Examples might include meditation (as per the core book), an arcane ritual (Intelligence + Occult), or an invocation to a deity (Presence + Expression).
Evidence - When the character shapeshifts, they leave something behind, such as a shed skin or shell, glowing green mucus, or scorch marks. Whatever it is, it's distinctive and an obvious sign of the character's presence.
Players looking to do so may want to look at the generic weaknesses Contingent Activation, Convergent Activation and Obvious.
SHROUD[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Stealth) + Shroud
Action: Reflexive
Range: (Power Level + Stealth) x 5 yards
Area: (Power Level + Stealth) yards
Duration: Concentration
Effect: The character creates a field of dark shadow, cloaking mist, nebulous energy or some other vision-obscuring medium. For each success the character gains on the activation roll, any characters (friend or foe) within the area of the shroud, or trying to see through it, receive a –1 penalty to all sight-based perception rolls. Those within count as blind for the purposes of combat if more then two successes are scored.
On an exceptional success, the shroud is so thick as to be effectively opaque; it is impossible to see through the area covered by the shroud at all, and characters caught within the area of effect are blinded. Normally Shroud only effects normal vision, but for one additional Verve the activating character may also have it obscure other types of vision (such as infrared or ultraviolet).
Extras:
Sensory Deprivation Field - The shroud may block other senses or forms of detection. This Extra can be taken multiple times, blocking three senses or forms of detection per purchase. Examples include smell, hearing, psychic detection, motion tracking, or mystic sight.
SKINCHANGER[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Stamina + Skinchanger
Action: Instant
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
The character may change their shape into a variety of stolen forms. The character may only take on the shapes which currently exist in their "library", and start with only their natural shape in their library. To add a shape the character must kill the current 'owner' of the shape in some specific and gruesome fashion taking no less then fifteen minutes to complete.
The exact way in which this happens is left for the ST and player to determine. The character may skin the person alive and crawl into the resulting skin-suit, beat them to a pulp and absorb the victim through the skin, cut their head open and study their brain, or just chop them up and dine upon a chili made from their flesh and seasoned with their tears.
Whatever the case the victim must die, must suffer, and must be a sapient organic being. While in the stolen form they may elect to use the forms physical attributes when making a roll. Secondary traits alter as usual. If the stolen form has powers with a physical and organic rational the Skinchanger may choose to purchase them immediately or purchase them later. In either case they are bought with the Contingent Activation drawback; They may only be used while in the appropriate form.
The form is set at the time of death. It's attributes and powers may not be further developed. Likewise it does not age. A Skinchanger may effectively extend their life by shifting between stolen forms and not re-entering their original if they suspect their original form has lived past its normal allotment of years.
Players should keep in mind that this power in no way offers any exemption from the Degeneration rolls it will inevitably cause. Standard use of this power requires torture in some form, though Compassionate Monster (below) may allow this to be upgraded to 'mere' premeditated murder. It is the Storyteller's call weather use of this power under the Heart's Blooded extra qualifies as being a lesser sin then general torture, if applicable.
This power operates similar to Shapeshift, players looking at one may wish to look at the other.
Extras:
Compassionate Monster - The victim need not die suffering.
Heart's Blooded - Less then sapient creatures are now valid targets (it doesn't have to qualify as a person).
Extended Duration - The power now costs a Verve a day.
SUMMON MINION[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Occult) + Summoning
Action: Instant or Extended
Range: (Power Level + Summoning) x 2 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Until banished or killed
Effect: The character is able to summon a specific type of supernatural creature. The stats of the creature are based upon a template for an animal out of the World of Darkness Animal Stats or an alternative one approved by the Storyteller. Alternatives may include templates based upon Spirits as defined in the core rules.
Every summoned entity has a Summoning Rating. The Summoning Rating is the number of successes needed on the activation roll needed to bring the being forth. If using one of the templates from the link above, the Summoning Rating is equal to the Size of the template. If using a template based upon a spirit, use the spirit's Rank. When creating templates of your own, start with one of the templates provided from either source. The ST should raise or lower the Summoning Rating relative to how much more or less powerful the custom entity is.
The player starts with one template and may learn additional templates by either studying the creature they are based upon or researching them by occult means. Mechanically this means buying additional templates at a cost of 1 per experience.
Using Summoning is either an instant or an extended action. The character may choose to continue summoning next turn, adding his successes together, up to the number of dice in his unmodified pool. Additional turns of summoning cost only time, not Verve, and the character may roll a number of times up to his effective Stamina. Each roll takes one turn.
Creatures summoned in this way are not under the control of the summoner. The summoner may want a to take some variation of the Domination power or the Banish power too deal with that.
Extras:
Group Summons – Any character with a Mystic power can choose to let the character with this power guide them through a summoning ritual for the minion. This must be an extended action, but other Mystic heroes can be involved in a teamwork effort towards the summons.
Greater Summons - The character's successes on the activation roll count double. Most of the templates used for Greater Summons should represent sentient creatures.
SUMMON ANIMALS[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Composure + (Animal Ken) + Animal Mastery - target's Resolve
Action: Simple
Range: (Power Level + Animal Mastery) x 5 yards
Duration: Until arrival
Effect: The character issues a telepathic summons (possibly in conjunction with a bird call or a wolf's howl), compelling nearby animals to converge on his current position. The character may elect which kind of animals the summons affects, such as "all predators," "only deer," or "my pet dog." One success on the activation roll is enough to call most of the viable animals within a radius equal to the character's (Power Level + Summon Animals) x 100 yards. Once the summoned animals reach their destination, they will revert to their normal behavior. Most characters who have this power will use it to tame, hunt or otherwise use the animals they summon.
SUPER SPEED[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: Reflexive
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One turn
Effect: The character is very, very fast. Super Speed must be activated each turn to gain it's benefits. Those benefits are:
- The character’s Speed is multiplied by the number of dots she has in Super Speed, plus one; IE a character with Super Speed 1 doubles her Speed, a character with Super Speed 2 triples it etc. This effects running speed and special speeds such as Flight identically.
- Outside of dramatic time, tasks the character undertakes have their time for completion divided by the number of dots in this power plus one. The Verve cost for this is equal to one for every hour of time, or portion of an hour, before reduction. Thus, an hour long task with Super Speed 3 takes 15 minutes, and costs one Verve.
Super Speed has an associated Power Tree. Please read about the Power Tree before editing this power.
TELEKINESIS[edit]
Class: Beta
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: See below
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Telekinesis) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character may lift, move, or hurl objects through the air by will. Assume the character can manipulate objects as if she were touching them, and without being harmed by doing so. If moving an object such that it would require Strength or Dexterity as part of a roll, use the dots in this merit in place of the appropriate attribute.
If Telekinesis is used to attack or grapple a target directly the target is surprised unless the ST decides the defender had reason so expect such an attack (typically any opponent will be surprised only the first time they are attacked this way by the same character). Telekinesis does not grant a character the ability to fly, though a character’s telekinetic abilities may serve as justification for her purchase of the Flight power.
God Machine Chronicles Rules Update: If using the rules update, ignore the Telekinesis Merit in favor of this power.
TELEPATHY[edit]
Class: Gamma
Cost: 0
Dice Pool: Resolve + (Empathy or Intimidation) + Telepathy
Action: Varies
Range: (Power Level + Telepathy) x 10 yards
Area: Varies
Duration: Varies
Effect: The character is also able to communicate telepathically. The character establishes a mental link with her sapient target through which the two characters can communicate, whether or not they share a common language. The target character is aware of the link being established, and if he chooses, he may attempt to contest the contact. If so, the telepathic character must gain at least one success on Wits + Empathy + Power Level minus the targets Resolve + Composure + Power Level (Normal non-rolled resistances only include one attribute + Supernatural Resistance. This power should be modified accordingly). Forcing entry into someone's mind is an invasive act, and may prompt a Breaking Point for some individuals. Having one's mind broken into is an even more traumatizing experience, and is likewise more likely to provoke a breaking point, especially in individuals who are particularly guarded and private. Characters that loose Integrity due to telepathic communication are likely to develop 'interesting' psychological states, perhaps even taking on personality traits or values of one another.
Once the link has been created, it remains in place until either the character severs it or the target tries to push them out again on subsequent turns, prompting another roll.
Ignore the Telepathy Merit in the core rules with More Than Human.
Telepathy has an associated Power Tree.
TELEPORT[edit]
Class: Beta
Cost: 0+ Verve
Dice Pool: Wits + (Investigation) + Teleport
Action: Instant
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character is able to travel instantly from one point to another, without passing through the intervening space. If the character teleports 5 yards away or less into a location they can see, there is no activation roll. To teleport up to 10 yards or into a location they cannot see requires at least one success on an activation roll. Each additional 10 yards penalizes the roll by -1. The player may choose to buy off these penalties at a cost of one verve per penalty.
Failing the roll gives the Storyteller the entertaining option of choosing the destination of the teleport. On a dramatic failure, the character not only counts as having failed his activation roll for the purposes of determining where he ends up, he also teleports into a dangerous situation, such as several hundred feet above the ground or underwater, or creates some sort of compromising medical anomaly, at the ST's option. The character cannot, intentionally or not, teleport into a space they cannot occupy.
Extras:
Combat Teleport - The character may teleport reflexively once per dot in Teleport during his turn. In addition, as a dodge, he may contest one attack with a Teleport activation roll, negating the attacker's successes with his own. If he rolls more successes than the attacker, he teleports to his intended destination after the attack is resolved.
Long Teleport - The character may teleport twice as far for the same cost.
Mass Teleport - The character may teleport up to one additional character for every dot in Teleport and Power Level he possesses.
Weaknesses:
Flash Step - The character actually does pass through the intervening space, and cannot teleport through any sort of cover, even if he can see through it.
TEMPORAL MANIPULATION[edit]
Class: Beta
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Temporal Manipulation
Action: Reflexive
Range: (Power Level + Temporal Manipulation) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: One round
Effect: The character can slow or speeds the passage of time around the target, altering their ability to act and to respond to the world around them. Each success on the activation roll reduces or improves the target’s Initiative and Defense by 1, to a minimum of 0 each; a character reduced to 0 Initiative may not act in combat at all this turn, as he is simply unable to keep up with the speed of events happening around him.
Any character with dots in Temporal Manipulation possesses an extremely accurate internal clock; she always knows exactly what time it is, and is able to mentally time events with the accuracy of a stopwatch.
Temporal Manipulation has an associated Power Tree.
TETHER[edit]
Class: Alpha
Cost: None
Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Tether
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Tether) x 5 yards
Duration: Instant or One scene
Effect: The character is able to extend a chain or web that pulls things. On a successful activation, the character anchors himself to an object. If the target is fixed and capable of supporting his weight, the character either pulls himself to it, or may swing up to 10 yards per success. If the target is loose, the character pulls it to himself instead. The character can pull a loose object of a Size up to his own Size or his dots in Tether + his successes rolled, whichever is lower. When attempting to pull another character with this power, the target's Defense applies to the activation roll.
The character can use this power to cling to a wall or ceiling, but cannot move freely across such a surface unless he has the Wallcrawler merit.
The character can choose to remain attached to the target until end of scene, until his grip is broken by force, or until he ends the effect reflexively. When attached, the character and target cannot move apart. Attempting to break the character's grip is an instant Strength roll contested reflexively by the character's Strength + Tether. If the target breaks free, it can move up to its Speed in the same action.
Clarification: This power represents an innate ability, as opposed to a piece of equipment. A player who simply wants their character to have a grappling hook should use the appropriate equipment from existing books.
VECTOR MANIPULATION[edit]
Class: Gamma
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Vector Manipulation
Action: Reflexive
Range: (Power Level + Vector Manipulation) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character is able to alter the direction of projectiles. Whenever a ranged attack passes within (Power Level + Vector Manipulation) yards of the character, he may redirect the attack at a target of his choice, using the activation roll as an attack roll.
Using this power counts as a dodge action.
VENOM[edit]
Class: Beta
Cost: Varies
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Medicine) + Venom
Action: Instant
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to synthesize deadly poisons from his body. When this power is activated, the character creates one dose of poison per success and spends 1 Verve per success. If the character has insufficient Verve or chooses to create fewer doses, the remaining successes are wasted. The poison has toxicity equal to the character's dots in Venom and one method of delivery of the character's choice. The character is immune to any poison he creates.
Once per turn as a reflexive action, he character may apply one dose of any poison he creates to his own hands or an object he can touch, but not forcefully poison another character.
Extras: None
