Difference between revisions of "MTH:Powers A-H"

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(EMBODY)
(ELEMENTAL ANIMA)
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Weakness:
 
Weakness:
  
Narrow Purview - The character can only effect a subset of one of the typical elements (gold or glass instead of earth, saltwater or blood instead of water, etc)
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Narrow Purview - The character can only effect a subset of one of the typical elements (gold or glass instead of earth, saltwater or blood instead of water, etc.) and cannot have Elemental Mastery (because otherwise this isn't much of a weakness).
 
   
 
   
 
===ALTER TEMPERATURE===
 
===ALTER TEMPERATURE===

Revision as of 19:06, 20 April 2014

ACID BLOOD

Class: Alpha

Cost: --

Dice Pool: N/A

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character's blood is a highly corrosive substance, and opponents who strike the character in melee risk being burned by his blood. Whenever a target character comes in contact with this character's blood (such as by dealing at least one level of lethal or aggravated damage to the character with a melee or point-blank ranged attack, or by attempting to perform surgery on this character), this character must make an immediate Stamina + Acid Blood roll, with each success dealing one level of lethal damage to the target. It is up to the Storyteller to determine whether or not the target's Defense applies to a given Acid Blood attack. The Stamina + Acid Blood roll should also be made for objects that pierce or cut the character's flesh, and at the Storyteller's discretion, other nearby objects or characters may also be affected.

AFFLICT

Class: Beta

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Brawl) + Afflict – (target’s armor + defense)

Action: Instant

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: (5 + Afflict - target's Stamina) turns, minimum 1

Effect: The character is able to fundamentally weaken living things. Each success on the activation roll incurs a -1 penalty to the target's physical actions and Speed for the duration. These penalties can be removed by any effect that removes bashing damage on a 1:1 basis. Multiple uses of Afflict do not fully stack, but increase the previous affliction by 1 and reset the duration. Non-living targets are unaffected.

Extras: None

ARMOR

Class: Alpha

Cost: N/A

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character is covered in layers of chitin or scales, or his flesh is simply incredibly resistant to damage. When damaged, each dot in Armor downgrades one level of damage one category.

If the player wishes to be able to switch Armor on or off at the start of the character's turn, this can be arranged, but he always starts a scene with Armor off, making him vulnerable to surprise attacks.

Extras:

Bulletproof - The character's armor reduces damage levels as opposed to downgrading them.

Alternate Rule: In more lethal chronicles, the Storyteller may decide the Bulletproof extra adds the character's dots in Armor to his armor stat, in addition to downgrading damage but instead of reducing damage. If the player wants this power to reduce damage, that's an extra named Impervious and counts as two extras.

Weaknesses:

Bypass - This power does not apply to one category of damage (physical, mental, energy or magic) which must be relatively common.

BITE

Class: Beta

Cost: N/A

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character possesses sharp fangs and strong jaws. Each dot in this power grants the character a +2 bonus to biting attacks, which can usually only be made in a grapple. In addition, whenever the character makes a biting attack, he can choose to deal lethal damage.

Extras:

Quick Bite - The character can spend 1 Verve to make a biting attack as a reflexive action, but only on his turn and once per turn.

Venomous - The character can spend 1 Verve to create and deliver a dose of poison with a biting attack. The poison's toxicity equals the number of successes rolled.

BOOST

Class: Beta

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to temporarily increase one of his Attributes, selected when the power is bought. When this power is activated, the character gains one dot in the selected Attribute for every dot he has in Boost. This is a direct increase to the Attribute in question, and as such may affect the character’s derived stats (such as Speed or Willpower). A character is allowed to benefit from only one use of Boost for a given Attribute at a time; for example, a character with Boost (Strength) 3 would not be able to activate it twice per scene to gain +6 Strength.

Extras:

Extra Attribute - Power increases two Attributes simultaneously instead of one.

Mega-Boost - The effect stacks up to once per Power Level.

Boost Other - The character may use this power on other people they are currently touching. One activation covers one person. Alternatively, the character can take this ability in place of being able to boost themselves. This alternative does not count as an Extra.

Weaknesses:

Specific - The effect increases a Skill instead of an Attribute.

BOUNDING LEAP

Class: Alpha

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to leap a far greater distance than would normally be expected. All of the character's final jumping distances are multiplied by the character's (Power Level + Bounding Leap); EG, a Size 5 character with Power Level 2 and Bounding Leap 2, who makes a running broad jump and scores three successes on the Strength + Athletics roll, would travel a grand total of [5 + (4 x 3)] x (4) = 68 feet.

Extras: None.

CLAWS

Class: Alpha

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character can extrude sharp claws from her fingertips, turn her fists to sharp-edged stone, summon a nimbus of deadly energy around her hands, or else enhance her unarmed attacks in some way. Each dot in Claws adds +1 damage to a character’s Brawl attacks while the claws are active; Brawl attacks made with claws deal lethal damage. Claws also give a +2 bonus per dot to all climbing-related checks while they are active. The Verve cost is for the scene; once it has been paid, the character may extend and retract her claws at will.

God Machine Rules Variant: The Claws have a damage rating and an Initiative modifier that are set when the power is bought and can be changed when the power is upgraded. Split the character's (Claws + Power Level) up between the these two stats.

Extras:

Armor Piercing - The Armor Piercing quality is applied to the character's Brawl attacks when using Claws.

Extended Reach - While the character's Claws are active, she may make melee attacks at a range equal to her (Power Level + Claws) yards.

Kinetic Discharge - The character's Claws rating also adds to Weaponry attacks, and upgrades bashing weapon damage to lethal; by spending one additional Verve per attack, the character may also add her Claws rating to thrown or Firearms attack.

Natural Body - The Claws do not cost verve to activate.

CLONE

Class: Gamma

Cost: 1+ Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Clone) yards

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character creates multiple copies of herself within range, up to her dots in Clone + 1 at once, at a cost of at least one Verve per clone, and taking one turn. Each clone is an almost-identical copy of the originating character, with the same Attributes, Skills, powers, clothing and equipment, etc. (The player may opt to give her clones a distinct appearance to suit the rationale for this power, but gains no mechanical benefit in exchange.) However, the clones are not as powerful as the original character; each clone suffers a -2 penalty to all dice pools, each clone has only half as many Health levels as the original, and clones do not possess the Clone power themselves. Clones share no mental link with each other or the originating character, and must communicate normally. A clone lasts until the end of the scene or until the originating character wills it out of existence. Clones have the amount of Verve their creator spent to activate this power - 1.

Clones act on the same initiative. The character may only have a number of clones at a time equal to twice her dots in Clone.

This power is similar to the Duplicate power. Players considering Clone for their character may wish to look over the Duplicate power as well.

Extras:

Haste - The clones may act on the turn they are created.

Hive Mind - The clones share thoughts and senses with the originating character.

Weaknesses:

Degradation - Clones have one less dot in all powers than the originating character. If this would cause them to lose a technique, it's always the same one.

Fragile - Clones have no Health, and disappear if they take any damage.

CYBERKINESIS

Class: Gamma

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Varies

Action: Varies

Range: Varies

Area: Varies

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to manipulate computers and technology. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Cyberkinesis she possesses; she may attempt to use a technique that she does not specifically know, but doing so increases the Verve cost of the technique by one and imposes a –1 penalty to the activation roll (if any).

Extras: None.

ALTER DATA

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Computer) + Cyberkinesis

Action: Extended

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to alter, insert, or delete data on a computer disk. As a rule of thumb, each success on the activation roll allows the character to alter one gigabyte of data. Deletion of data takes only one turn per gigabyte, insertion and alteration may take considerably longer. The Storyteller should the amount and specificity of the data to determine the number of successes necessary to complete any given task, and assign penalties to the activation roll depending on how well-protected the files are (for example, a typical home computer with no firewall would impose no penalty, while a corporate mainframe protected by multiple layers of encryption and intrusion countermeasures would impose a –5 penalty).

Assume one gig of data can be worked on at a time, and making alterations to that data, while it uses Intelligence + Computer + Cyberkinesis, is not an activation roll (it does not require further Verve). Copying data from an available source, without alteration, takes one turn per gig. Altering data specifically, such as going line by line changing addresses in a contact listing, takes as long as it would entering the data manually, divided by the character's Power Level.

If a more detailed frame of reference is needed, assume a character with a Dexterity + Computers pool of 1 can compose a page of typed information in about 20 turns. For pools higher then one (meaning just about anyone's) divide that time by the number of dice in the pool. This may mean that higher die pools can type exceedingly fast, but remember, this is a game about people who are More Than Human.

CONTROL

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Manipulation + (Computer) + Cyberkinesis

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Cyberkinesis) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Concentration

Effect: The character can take control of any device with mechanical, hydraulic, or electronic parts. A single success is all that’s required for the character to control a given piece of technology; if another character wishes to take control away from the cyberkineticist, the opponent must make an appropriate contested roll (such as Strength + Drive, Dexterity + Drive, or Intelligence + Computer) and score more successes than the character scored on her initial activation roll.

FOOL

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Manipulation + (Computer) + Cyberkinesis

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Cyberkinesis) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Concentration

Effect: The character can plant false images and readings in surveillance equipment or communications devices. In order to use this technique, the character must succeed on an activation roll, with a negative modifier based on the complexity and reliability of the device in question: a typical security camera would probably not impose any modifier, while a multi-spectrum surveillance system and motion tracker powered by its own AI might impose a penalty of –4 or –5. Success on this roll allows the character to control the information recorded or transmitted by the device. For example, a security camera might be made to transmit a false image, a tape recorder could record a conversation that never happened, or either of these machines could be made to record nothing but static. Another character examining such altered information may attempt to see through this illusion; to do so, the opposing character must roll Wits + Resolve and score more successes on the roll than the cyberkinetic scored on the activation roll.

OVERLOAD

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Computer) + Cyberkinesis

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Cyberkinesis) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to shut down mechanical and electronic devices. On a successful activation roll, the target device is rendered inoperable for the duration of the scene; on an exceptional success, the device breaks permanently and will not work until it is repaired. Well-made or highly reliable devices may impose a penalty on the activation roll, at the Storyteller’s discretion.

REPROGRAM

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Computer) + Cyberkinesis

Action: Extended

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to rewrite the code of a computer’s operating system or software, changing the way the software functions. The Storyteller should determine how many successes are needed to effect any given change on a computer’s software, and impose a difficulty penalty based on the complexity of the software being rewritten; altering the OS of a typical desktop or laptop would impose no penalty, while attempting to reprogram a complex supercomputer or AI would impose a -5 penalty. Using Reprogram is an extended action; the character may make a maximum number of rolls equal to her Computer + Cyberkinesis. Each roll takes one turn.

WEBRIDER

Cost: See below

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: See below

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character is able to project her consciousness into a computer network or the Internet, allowing her to exercise her other Cyberkinesis techniques on any computer or device she can reach through a network connection. Using a Cyberkinesis technique in this manner increases the technique’s activation cost by one Verve. The Storyteller may impose penalties on the character’s activation rolls based on the distance to the target device and the strength of the connection; for example, reprogramming a computer on the other side of a college campus through the university’s T1 network would probably impose no penalty at all, while trying to do the same to a computer on the other side of the world through a spotty 56k connection would impose a penalty of –5.

DEATH TOUCH

Class: Gamma

Cost: 2 Verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Brawl) + Death Touch – (target’s armor + defense + Power Level)

Action: Instant

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to destroy living things with little effort. The activation roll is an attack that deals aggravated damage. If the target takes any damage, it takes 1 aggravated continuous damage until it succeeds on a reflexive Stamina roll. Non-living targets take bashing damage from the initial attack and no continuous damage.

This is a very, very mean power to use regularly and will usually warrant a Degeneration roll unless justified.

Extras: None

DENSITY CONTROL

Class: Beta

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Stamina + (Survival) + Density Control

Action: Extended

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character may either increase OR decrease his density (chosen when the power is purchased). If the character is increasing his density, each success gained on the activation roll doubles the character’s weight and grants the character +1/+1 armor and +1 effective Strength for the purposes of lifting objects and close combat attacks (note that this bonus Strength does not affect the character’s Speed and has no effect on the character’s ability to jump, climb, swim, or anything else where his increased weight would be a problem). If the character is decreasing his density, the number of successes gained on the activation roll is compared to the chart below to determine the effects.

  • One success: the character gains +1 Defense. He may ooze through cracks or tiny openings at a rate of one inch per turn.
  • Two successes: the character gains +2 Defense, but his Health decreases by one (treat this as though the character had lost a single temporary Health level). The damage dealt to the character by physical attacks, as well as the damage dealt by the character’s own close combat and thrown physical attacks, is halved, with fractional successes rounding up (IE if a gunshot deals five points of damage to the character, he only takes three levels of lethal damage). The character may flow through cracks or tiny openings at a rate of one yard per turn.
  • Three successes: the character gains +3 Defense, but his Health decreases by two. The character is completely intangible; physical attacks deal no damage to him (energy and attacks affecting the mind or senses function as normal), and he is unable to physically interact with his environment at all. The character may move in all three dimensions unaffected by gravity and pass through physical barriers (walls, ceilings, floors) at his normal movement rate. Note that the character is normally not able to breathe if his head or chest is passing through any substance other than air, so the length of time he can spend passing through a substance is limited by how long he is able to hold his breath.
  • Four successes: as three successes, except that the character only takes half damage from energy-based sources (such as force blasts or fire).
  • Five or more successes: as three successes, except that the character also takes no damage from energy-based sources. By spending a point of Verve, the character may solidify part or all of his body for one turn; such a body part may be used for physical interaction (using tools, attacking etc.), but may also be targeted as per the normal rules for targeting body parts, taking damage as normal.

Using Density Control is an extended action, and the character may roll and gain successes a number of times per scene up to his effective Stamina. Each roll takes one turn. Returning to normal density is a reflexive action and does not require a Verve expenditure.

Alternate Version of Density Control (note: I amalagated 1 & 2 successes in to level 1, to bring this power more in line with other Class 2 powers)

Density Increase: If the character is increasing his density, each level in this power doubles the character’s weight and grants the character +1/+1 armor and +1 effective Strength for the purposes of lifting objects and close combat attacks (note that this bonus Strength does not affect the character’s Speed and has no effect on the character’s ability to jump, climb, swim, or anything else where his increased weight would be a problem).

Density Decrease: If the character is decreasing his density, consult the following power descriptions:

  • 1 Level: Purchasing 1 level in Density Control gives the character +2 Defense, but his Health decreases by one (treat this as though the character had lost a single temporary Health level). The damage dealt to the character by physical attacks, as well as the damage dealt by the character’s own close combat and thrown physical attacks, is halved, with fractional successes rounding up (IE if a gunshot deals five points of damage to the character, he only takes three levels of lethal damage). The character may flow through cracks or tiny openings at a rate of one yard per turn.
  • 2 Levels: Purchasing 2 levels in Density Control gives the character +3 Defense, but his Health decreases by two. The character is completely intangible; physical attacks deal no damage to him (energy and attacks affecting the mind or senses function as normal), and he is unable to physically interact with his environment at all. The character may move in all three dimensions unaffected by gravity and pass through physical barriers (walls, ceilings, floors) at his normal movement rate. Note that the character is normally not able to breathe if his head or chest is passing through any substance other than air, so the length of time he can spend passing through a substance is limited by how long he is able to hold his breath.
  • 3 Levels: Purchasing 3 level in Density Control gives the character the same abilities as 2 levels, except that the character now only takes half damage from energy-based sources (such as force blasts or fire).
  • 4 Levels: as 3 Levels, except that the character now takes no damage from energy-based sources.
  • 5 Levels: as 4 levels, except that by spending a point of Verve, the character may solidify part or all of his body for one turn; such a body part may be used for physical interaction (using tools, attacking etc.), but may also be targeted as per the normal rules for targeting body parts, taking damage as normal.

Extras (for both versions): Full Control - (Character may both increase and decrease density).

DISRUPT

Class: Alpha

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Science) + Disrupt - target's Resolve, Stamina, or Composure

Action: Instant

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to disrupt other characters' superpowers. Each success on the activation roll creates one point of disruption which rests on one superpower the target has. Each time the target rolls to activate that power they have one success negated for each point of disruption on that power, and one point of disruption is removed from the pool. Powers that do not need to roll to activate are unaffected. The pool of disruption fades at the end of the scene.

The resistance trait applied is whichever one is appropriate for the activation roll for the power (Stamina for physical attributed powers for example).

Extras:

Disable - Instead of the normal effect, each success on the activation roll removes one dot from one power for the duration. It takes 2 successes to remove the last dot. Any effect that removes bashing damage can restore dots lost this way on a 1:1 basis.

Ranged - Range becomes (Power Level + Disrupt) x 5 yards.

DOMINATION

Class: Beta

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Persuasion) + Domination vs. target's Resolve + Power Level

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Domination) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: See below

Effect: The character is able to control the minds of others. In order to use this power, the character must be able to communicate effectively with her victim, either vocally or through some other means (Telepathy, sign language etc.). Mind control works in stages. For each success on the activation roll over the resistance roll, the target may be sujected to one stage of the character's mind control, or freed from one stage of an opposing mind control, but sujecting a target to multiple stages at once costs 1 additional Verve per additional stage.

  • Stage 1: The character may issue a single negative command (and don't even think about using double negatives!), such as "don't attack me" or "don't make eye contact with anyone", that the target must not defy, but the target is otherwise free to choose his actions.
  • Stage 2: The character may issue a single negative or positive command, such as "purchase a rifle at the local sporting goods store" or "stand perfectly still for one minute", that the target must follow to the best of his ability.

Commands given at stages 1 and 2 cannot be longer than 10 words, cannot be blatantly impossible ("count all the grains of sand on this beach"), cannot pose any apparent danger to the target or his allies ("walk off this cliff"), and cannot end a conflict instantly ("go to the police station and turn yourself in").

  • Stage 3: As stage 2, except conflict-ending commands are allowed.
  • Stage 4: As stage 3, except impossible or dangerous commands are allowed.
  • Stage 5: As stage 4, except the command can be as long and complex as the character wants.

A target can be subjected to any number of stages of mind control beyond 5 to increase the effect's duration. If the command takes longer than 10 minutes to perform, the target may make a reflexive Resolve roll each 10 minutes to free himself from one stage of mind control, possibly invalidating the command. If the command takes longer than one minute to perform and is physically or mentally taxing (such as the aforementioned sand-counting command), he may make this roll each minute instead. If following the command would result in direct harm to the target character or his allies, he may make this roll each turn at the end of his turn instead. So long as the character remains dominated, however, he will resist any attempts to prevent him from following his commands. A dominated character remains dominated until his task is complete, until he successfully breaks all stages of mind control, or until the source of his domination issues a different command.

Extras:

Mind Blank - The target does not realize it was dominated even after the effect ends.

Telepathic Domination - The character need not be able to communicate effectively with her target in order to use Domination.

DREAM MANIPULATION

Class: Beta

Cost: Varies

Action: Varies

Range: Varies

Area: Varies

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to manipulate, suppress, fabricate, influence, manifest, sense, and observe Dreams and the Astral Plane. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Dream Manipulation she possesses; she may attempt to use a technique that she does not specifically know, but doing so increases the Verve cost of the technique by one and imposes a –1 penalty to the activation roll (if any).

Extras: None

ASTRAL PROJECTION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + Dream Manipulation

Action: Extended

Range: (Power Level + Dream Manipulation) x 10 miles

Area: N/A

Duration: 1 Scene

Effect: The character is able to sense distant events through the Astral Plane. While this power is active, the character enters a defenseless, dreamlike state, and her mind is projected to any location within range. She is limited to passive observation, and cannot act on anything except through the use of other Dream Manipulation techniques. She may return to her body at any time. Only characters with the Dream Manipulation or Telepathy powers can see or hear her projection.

FABRICATE DREAM

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + Dream Manipulation

Action: Extended

Range: (Power Level + Dream Manipulation) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: 1 Scene

Effect: This skill allows the character to manipulate and control down to every minute detail the target’s dream as if they were the dream itself. The character is simply the atmosphere, creating the world out of independently harmless illusions. (ie. An Architect in Inception) With this skill alone, the character cannot harm, or physically affect the target beyond their fabricated dream world, however the way the character uses the dream to directly influence the target is greatly flexible. One can deeply traumatize an enemy by accurately creating a gruesome situation of torture, or bolster the confidence of an ally by temporarily bringing back a lost love one to give a motivational speech.

DREAM MANIFESTATION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Manipulation + Dream Manipulation

Action: Extended

Range: (Power Level + Dream Manipulation) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: 1 Scene

Effect: Similar to Fabricate Dream, with this power the character is able to enter the targets dream, however with this particular skill, instead of becoming, and controlling the dream you become a participant, physically manifesting in the Targets currently existing Dream World, and affecting the Target as if they were in the real world. Important to note that while in the Dream World they are as susceptible to the environment as the target of the dream. Although a player can fabricate a dream and then manifest in it they lose all control and are now as susceptible to the environment as if it were their own dream. If the dream that the user enters ends up killing them, they would wake up as if it were their own dream. However if the target of the dream ends up killing or injuring you personally you would take damage as normal.

SENSE DREAM

Cost: None

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Passive

Range: (Power Level + Dream Manipulation) x 10 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character is able to detect a dreaming target in her set radius. She is able to determine the exact mood of the dream within (Example: Nightmare, Night Terror, Good Dream, Passionate Dream, etc.) The character is able to discern the duration of the dream, how long of the dream is left or if the target is near to waking. The physical representation of this skill is up to the player, and storyteller’s discretion whether it be a mental connection felt by the character, or several blips of color visible to the character.

This technique does not normally require an activation roll. If the character does not know Sense Dream and attempts to use it at the cost of 1 Verve, she must roll Wits + Dream Manipulation, and its duration becomes one scene.

SLEEPWALK

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Persuasion) + Dream Manipulation vs. target's Resolve + Power Level

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Dream Manipulation) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: See below

Effect: This technique is identical in effect to the Domination power, except it only affects a dreaming target.

DUPLICATE

Class: Omega

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent (Until merged, see below)

Effect: The character splits themselves into two identical people, at a cost of 1 Verve, and taking one turn. Each is an identical copy of the originating character, with the same Attributes, Skills, powers (meaning the duplicates can duplicate), and clothing. Equipment important enough to have game traits will not be duplicated in this manner. Duplicates share a Verve pool. Multiple uses of or replenishment of Verve in the same turn do not stack. Willpower is shared in the same fashion, and likewise does not stack for the purposes of replenishment or expenditure. Essentially, the group is treated as one individual for the purposes of gaining or using Verve or Willpower. Duplicates remain until reabsorbed, which also takes a turn and body contact. Duplicates merging together take the average wounds of both, rounded up. Duplicates share no mental link with each other or with the originating character, and must communicate as normal (unless they possess additional powers which would allow otherwise). Knowledge gained by one is shared by both upon merging. This power has the side effect of allowing the character to train multiple traits at once. One or more duplicates can train while one or more are otherwise active. Duplicates share an experience pool, but spend the points individually. Thus if one remains at home while the other travels, either may spend points on a trait increase while the other doesn’t, but only one would get the trait increase until the two merge again. Should the more learned duplicate die before merging, the experience points are lost.

Duplicates act on the same initiative. The character may have a number of bodies at a time equal to his dots in Duplicate + 1.

Note that this power is very similar to the power Clone. Players considering this power for their character may also want to consider that power.

Extras: None

Weaknesses:

Shared Health - The group is treated as one individual for the purpose of taking damage.

DURABILITY

Class: Alpha

Cost: --

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character is incredibly resilient, able to take massive amounts of damage before showing signs of injury. Every dot in Durability grants the character one additional health level.

God Machine Chronicle Rules Update: If using the rules update treat this power as a beta power, due to the static nature of exp costs in the update.

Extras: None.

ELEMENTAL ANIMA

Class: Gamma

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Varies

Action: Varies

Range: Varies

Area: Varies

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to control one specific “element,” chosen when this power is purchased. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what constitutes a viable “element” for this power; possible examples include the classical Aristotelian and Feng Shui elements (Fire, Air, Water, Wood, and Earth and Metal respectively), ice, electricity, light, darkness, and sound.

In order to use this power, the character must have a significant source of the element nearby, unless she has acquired the Elemental Mastery technique; it is up to the player and Storyteller to determine what constitutes "a significant source" and "nearby" for the character (some characters might require nothing more than a candle or a puddle somewhere in the character's line of sight, while others might require a lake or a roaring bonfire within a few dozen feet).

The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Elemental Anima she possesses; she may attempt to use a technique that she does not specifically know (with the exception of Elemental Companion, Elemental Immunity and Elemental Mastery), but doing so increases the Verve cost of the technique by one and imposes a –1 penalty to the activation roll.

If the Single Technique weakness is applied to this power, depending on which technique that is, the Storyteller may include Elemental Mastery for free.

Extras:

Element Sense - The character does not need to see the element, it merely needs to be nearby, and they can sense its presence and begin manipulating it.

Additional Element - The character can influence an additional element with this power.

Vital Force - The techniques of this power may be used on living creatures if the elemental type is appropriate (bone for earth, water for blood). Any resistance granted adds Stamina and Power Level to the resistance pool.

Weakness:

Narrow Purview - The character can only effect a subset of one of the typical elements (gold or glass instead of earth, saltwater or blood instead of water, etc.) and cannot have Elemental Mastery (because otherwise this isn't much of a weakness).

ALTER TEMPERATURE

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Science) + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) yards

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to change the ambient temperature of an area. Each success on the activation roll allows the character to increase or decrease the temperature of an affected area by 10 degrees Celsius.

ALTERATION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Crafts) + Elemental Anima - object's Durability (if any)

Action: Extended

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: Successes gained on the activation roll for this technique can be put towards the following alterations:

  • Phase Change: The character may spend a single success to shift a material's physical state by one phase. For example, a chunk of ice could be changed into a puddle of water, which could then be changed into a cloud of steam.
  • Quality: The character may increase or decrease the equipment bonus or rating of a piece of equipment (including a weapon or piece of armor) at a cost of one point per success. This is subject to the limits of the character's knowledge.
  • Range: The character may spend a success to double or halve the short range of a ranged weapon, or to make an non-aerodynamic throwing weapon aerodynamic (or vice-versa).

The starting and ending element must be within the purview(s) of the character's power.

ANIMATION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Manipulation + (Persuasion) + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to animate a portion of her chosen element, turning it into an automaton. A single success on the activation roll allows the character to animate up to Size 3 worth of her chosen material, while each additional success increases the maximum possible Size by 2. The character may split this control up in whatever manner she pleases: for example, a character who scored four successes on the activation roll could control three Size 3 servitors, four Size 2 servitors, a single Size 9 servitor, 9 Size 1 servitors, etc. The automata created by this technique each have a number of health levels equal to their Size, and capped by the character's dots Power Level, and have a dice pool of the character's Power Level + Elemental Anima for any physical actions they attempt to perform, and their defense is the character's dots in elemental anima or power level, whichever is lower. Automata created by the Animation technique are effectively mindless; they require orders from the character before they will do anything, and once they have begun a task, they will not stop until either the task is completed or they have been destroyed. Automata move at the natural (non-augmented) speed of their creator.

BLAST

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to lash out at her enemies with her elemental anima: smothering them in darkness, blasting them with fire, hammering them with sonic shockwaves etc. This power is identical in effect to the Force Blast power, except that the dice pool for the activation roll is the character's Dexterity + (Athletics) + Elemental Anima.

CONE

Cost: 0 or 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Stamina + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: 0 yards

Area: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) yards

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to create a damaging cone of her chosen element, which can be approximated as a quarter-disc. She must make a separate activation roll for each target within the area. Each roll is an attack that deals bashing damage and is considered a firearm for purposes of whether or not the target's Defense is applied.

By spending a point of Verve, the character can make the cone deal lethal damage.

This is not a selective effect. Characters cannot choose to single out targets for damage and leave others immune.

DESTRUCTION/REINFORCEMENT

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Crafts) + Elemental Anima - object's Durability

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to undo the molecular bonds holding structured objects together of their chosen element, causing them to disintegrate. Each success on the activation roll deals one level of aggravated damage to an object. The normal rules for targeting an object apply, and as with all Elemental Anima techniques, this technique may not be used on sentient living creatures. Sentient undead (such as vampires and revenants) are also immune to this technique; the magic empowering them is too strong to be overcome by this power.

Alternatively, if the element is in the form of an object with Durability, the character can negate one level of durability or add to it per success.

If the element is part of a live form, and the power has the Vital Force extra, this techniques can harm or help a living being. The destructive side of this power is resisted by the target's Stamina + Power Level (at the target's option), and can be used to lower the target's Stamina (effectively reducing health levels as well). Reinforcing the target grants them temporary natural armor. Both effects occur with a one to one ratio with successes on the activation roll, cost one additional verve per success, and fade at a rate of one per scene. If the character spends less verve than they roll in successes the extra successes are lost.

(DIS)ENHAZARD

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Crafts) + Elemental Anima - object's Durability (if any)

Action: Extended

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect:

The starting and ending element must be within the purview(s) of the character's power.

Successes gained on the activation roll for this technique can be put towards the following alterations:

  • Irradiate/Cleanse: The character may spend two successes to render a substance radioactive or corrosive, such that proxsimity with the substance deals a level of lethal damage each turn. The character may also increase or decrease the lethality of an already hazardous substance at the rate of one level of lethal damage per success, and may also increase or decrease the distance at which the substance is harmful by one yard per success.
  • Toxicity: The character may increase or decrease the Toxicity of a substance at a rate of one point of Toxicity per success.

ELEMENTAL COMPANION

Cost: N/A

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: N/A

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character has the loyalty of a minor elemental spirit. This companion is functionally identical to an automaton created by the Animation technique, except in the following ways:

  • It is permanent and does not need to be created each scene. Should the companion be destroyed, the character need only take a full night's rest to restore it.
  • Its Size always equals the character's dots in Elemental Anima, and its Health is not capped.
  • It has one dot in one Beta power appropriate for its element, which uses the character's Verve. For example, fire elementals have Immolation, water elementals have Regeneration, air elementals have Flight with Discrete, and earth elementals have Armor with Bulletproof.

ELEMENTAL IMMUNITY

Cost: N/A

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character is so in tune with her chosen element that it hurts her less. Whenever the character takes damage from an instance of her chosen element, each dot she has in Elemental Anima downgrades one level of that damage one category. If the damage is less than her dots in Elemental Anima, any remaining dots are applied again, so lethal or aggravated damage may be downgraded to nothing in extreme cases.

ELEMENTAL MASTERY

Cost: N/A

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: N/A

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character is not only able to command her chosen element; she can also conjure it from thin air. A character with this technique no longer requires a significant amount of her chosen element nearby in order to use her Elemental Anima power.

If for some reason this is the character's only technique, she can only create a small amount of her element at a time, like a candle flame or a glass of water.

EMBODY

Cost: 2 Verve

Dice Pool: Stamina + (Athletics) + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: NA

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character transmutes their body into a humanoid-shaped instance of her element. While in this shape the character automatically passes any roll involving Composure which does not relate to the activation of a power. The character also reduces any damage dealt by an instance of her element by an amount equal to her Power Level + Elemental Anima.

In addition, each success on the activation roll grants a +1 bonus to Armor for solid elements or to Defense for nonsolid elements.

While in this shape, the character fights like a force of nature. She may use her dots in Elemental Anima in place of either Strength or Brawl when making unarmed attacks, and these attacks deal damage of the same type as her elemental attacks.

ENHANCE/DIMINISH

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Science) + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) yards

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to increase or decrease the effect of her chosen element in a given area. This manifests differently for different elements; energetic "elements" such as light, sound, or fire increase and decrease in intensity, while material elements such as earth, water, and air increase or decrease their density or pressure (though the volume of the element in question does not change accordingly). Each success on the activation roll increases or decreases the element's presence in the affected area by 25%, or by two dice or damage levels in the case of damaging phenomena such as fire. A character cannot use this power to enhance the effect of another character's elemental powers, but she can diminish those powers; at the Storyteller's discretion, the character whose powers are being diminished may be allowed a Resolve + Power Level roll to resist.

If the element in question is part of a living being, and the power has the Vital Force extra, it can be used to damage the life form. The player may roll the activation as an attack, which uses the target's Stamina as their Defense (weather or not they are aware of the attack or intending to resist) and applying Power Level as Armor.

If the character has the Elemental Mastery technique and her chosen element is a damaging one, she can use this technique to create a damaging area from nothing.

PROPEL

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to "ride" her chosen element, allowing her to move at considerable speed. When using this method of movement, the character's Speed is (Elemental Anima x 10). The Storyteller may require Dexterity + (Athletics) + Elemental Anima rolls in order to successfully perform aerial acrobatics or other stunts. Naturally, the exact nature of this movement will vary from element to element; a character whose element is darkness might teleport from shadow to shadow, a character whose element is earth might ride waves of rock or levitating boulders, and a character whose element is fire might soar through the air on flaming wings.

This technique does not normally require an activation roll. If the character does not know Propel and attempts to use it at the cost of 1 Verve, she must roll Dexterity + (Athletics) + Elemental Anima each turn, and her movement is capped at 10 yards per success.

SHAPING

Cost: 0 or 1 verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Crafts) + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: None or (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to give shape and form to her chosen element. A single success on the activation roll allows the character to form an amount of her element up to Size 5 into simple shapes, such as geometric forms or a rough humanoid effigy. A weapon or tool can only be created at the cost of 1 additional Verve, and it grants a +1 equipment bonus, except lethal weapons which start at 0. Additional successes on the roll allow the character to either affect more of her chosen element (each additional success on the activation roll increases the maximum Size that can be shaped by 5), or to add an increasing amount of detail or aesthetic appeal to her "sculptures" (note: in situations where the construct is intended solely as an artistic piece, the Storyteller may want to call for Dexterity + (Expression) + Elemental Anima as the activation roll instead), or to increase a weapon or tool's equipment bonus by 1 per additional success. Sculptures formed with the Shaping ability have the same Durability that the element normally possesses. Once crafted, the sculpture will stand immobile (or as immobile as possible, in the case of fire- or shadow-sculptures) for a scene unless given movement by the Animation technique. If appropriate to the substance, it may maintain it's new shape permanently.

The cost listed above applies to ranged shaping only.

Only simple objects can be created with this ability, normally. At the ST's discretion the character can create more complicated objects, provided the character's Skills, Merits or background suggests the character would have sufficient knowledge of how to create such an object.

SHIELD/WALL

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Survival) + Elemental Anima

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self for Shield; (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 2 yards for Wall

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character calls her chosen element to her, forming it into a protective shield or wall. Each success on the activation roll increases the character's armor by +1/+1 if creating a shield.

Alternatively, a single success on the activation roll allows the character to form a barrier with an area of one square yard; each additional success doubles the size of the barrier. Any attacks made through the wall suffer a -1 penalty for each dot the activating character possesses in Elemental Anima. The wall can be solid or damaging depending on the element: a solid wall blocks movement and has an effective Durability equal to the character's dots in Elemental Anima for the purpose of resisting attacks directed against it, while a damaging wall is indestructible and deals bashing damage equal to the character's dots in Elemental Anima to anyone moving through it.

God Machine Chronicle Variant: The power, when used as a Shield adds to the character's dodge attempts for the scene, adding their rating in Elemental Anima to the pool.

STORM

Cost: 1+ Verve

Dice Pool: Stamina + Elemental Anima

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) x 5 yards

Area: (Power Level + Elemental Anima) yards

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character creates a localized storm of her chosen element, such as a tornado, a firestorm, or a localized earthquake. She must make a separate activation roll for each target within the area. Each roll is an attack that deals bashing damage and ignores all Defense but not armor. For each additional point of Verve spent, the storm continues for one turn, repeating the attack at the start of the character's turn. These repeated attacks are automatic; their pools cannot be modified by any conscious means such as Willpower or an all-out attack. In addition, until the effect ends, the area of effect imposes a -1 penalty per dot in Elemental Anima to all actions involving physical movement or concentration.

If the character spends an additional point of Verve, the storm deals lethal damage instead of bashing.

This is not a selective effect. Characters cannot choose to single out targets for damage and leave others immune.

EMPATHIC MANIPULATION

Class: Beta

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Manipulation + (Empathy) + Empathic Manipulation vs. target's Composure + Power Level

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Empathic Manipulation) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to manipulate the emotions of a target. If the character wins the contested activation roll, he is able to increase or decrease the intensity of an emotion that the target is already feeling, or instill a mild version of an emotion that the current is not currently feeling: for example, on a successful activation roll, the character could turn passing interest into infatuation or burning anger into mild irritation, or instill a feeling of anxiety into a target who would otherwise have no reason to feel afraid. On an exceptional success, the character is able to drastically alter the target's emotional state or instill a strong emotion where there was none previously: mild anxiety can turn to paralyzing terror or true love to apathy, or a previously calm and placid individual can suddenly explode into a furious rage. Note that the character has no control over the target's behavior, only her emotional state, and it is up to the Storyteller to determine how Storyteller characters affected by this power would behave. The emotional changes wrought by Empathic Manipulation fade at the end of the scene.

God Machine Chronicle variant: The character may spend a point of verve to add their Empathic Manipulation + Power Rating rating to a First Impressions roll or the rolls to open a Door.

Extras:

Multiple Emotions - The character is able to affect multiple emotions at a time, one for every dot in Empathic Manipulation he has.

Weaknesses:

Single Emotion - The character can only ever affect one emotion, chosen when this power is first purchased.

ENERGY ABSORPTION

Class: Alpha

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to draw energy from one specific source of damage, such as "electricity" or "poison", chosen when this power is first purchased. When this power is activated, the character ignores 1 success per dot in Energy Absorption from the chosen source, then adds 3 dice per success ignored this way to a bonus pool. This pool can be added in whole or in part to the character's rolls in a specific way, most often boosting another power, and is expended after use as well as at the end of the scene.

Extras:

Broad Category - (The character may draw energy from "physical attacks," "mental attacks," "magic," or "energy attacks," but not "superpowers" or "damage").

ENERGY LEECH

Class: Beta

Cost: N/A

Dice Pool: Stamina + (Survival) + Energy Leech - target's Stamina

Action: Instant

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to draw energy from other characters in order to fuel her own abilities. Each success on the activation roll reduces the target's Verve* total by one, and increases the character's Verve total by one; the character may not increase her Verve total above its allowed maximum in this manner. If the target character has no Verve remaining, each success on the activation roll instead reduces the character's Willpower point total by one; if the character has no Verve and no Willpower points remaining, each success on the activation roll deals one level of lethal damage to the target.

Variant: The character may be able to drain a different fuel stat, such as Mana or Essence, either converting it to Verve or holding it in the same state.

Extras: None

ENTROPY CONTROL

Class: Gamma

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Varies

Action: Varies

Range: Varies

Area: Varies

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to manipulate entropy and probability. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Entropy Control he possesses; he may attempt to use a technique that he does not specifically know, but doing so increases the Verve cost of the technique by one and imposes a –1 penalty to the activation roll.

Extras: None.

BIOENTROPY STORM

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Medicine) + Entropy Control vs. targets’ Stamina + Power Level

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Entropy Control) x 5 yards

Area: (Power Level + Entropy Control) yards

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character inflicts entropic effects on all biological matter within a given area; when this power manifests, plants wilt and creatures age or develop spontaneous injuries. By spending one Verve, the character can inflict one level of bashing damage on any living organic creature in the affected area for each success achieved on the activation roll; by spending one additional Verve, the character may instead deal lethal damage with this power. Any creature affected by this power may roll its Stamina + Power Level as a reflexive action; each success reduces the damage by one. Treat levels of armor as automatic successes on this roll.

BREAKDOWN

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Crafts) + Entropy Control

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Entropy Control) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character inflicts entropic effects on a mechanical or technological device, causing it to cease functioning as its parts spontaneously wear out or lose power. In order to be affected by this power, a device must have at least one moving, electric, or electronic part; the Storyteller may impose penalties on the activation roll against particularly simple devices, as it is far easier for something to suddenly go wrong in a computer than it is in a door hinge. Success on the activation roll causes the targeted device to stop functioning properly for the duration of the scene; on an exceptional success, the device breaks permanently, and will not function properly until it is fixed.

ENTROPIC BLAST

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Entropy Control - target's armor

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Entropy Control) x 5 yards

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character directs the full force of his power against a single target, breaking it down with a wave of entropic force. Essentially a more concentrated form of Bioentropy Storm, each success on the activation roll deals one level of damage to any target. An Entropic Blast that deals bashing damage may be fired at no cost, while one that deals lethal damage costs one Verve.

ENTROPIC SHIELD

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Stamina + (Science) + Entropy Control

Action: Simple

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character projects a field of increased entropy that protects him from harm; bullets develop faults in mid-flight that affect their trajectory, melee attackers stumble or misjudge the distance to him, etc. Each success gained on the activation roll effectively grants the character one point of defense against any physical or energy-based attack that targets the character.

If the character's rational for this power is that it comes from a magical source, it will defend against magic and energy-based attacks, as opposed to physical attacks.

PROBABILITY CORRUPTION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Entropy Control

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Entropy Control) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: See below

Effect: The character manipulates the forces of entropy relating to his target, either increasing or decreasing the target’s chances of success. Each success on the activation roll gives either a +1 bonus or a –1 penalty to the target’s next dice action in the scene, whenever that action may be; this power remains in effect until it is triggered or until the end of the scene, whichever comes first. Also, if the character gains an exceptional success on the activation roll, he may force the target to roll for an action that otherwise would require no roll; he could, for example, force a target walking down the street to make a Dexterity + Athletics roll to avoid tripping and falling over. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what Attributes or Skills to roll in such a case, and the target’s Power Level may be added as a bonus to the roll.

EXTRA ARMS

Class: Alpha

Cost: N/A

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: N/A

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character possesses more than the standard human complement of dexterous appendages: two added for every dot he has in this power. Whenever this character attempts to grapple an opponent, he may add a number of dice to his dice pool equal to the number of dots he possesses in Extra Arms.

He may also attempt to grapple multiple opponents at once, to a maximum of one opponent for every dot in Extra Arms the character possesses; the character suffers a cumulative -1 penalty to all grappling rolls for each additional opponent grappled after the first. The character may still only make one attack per turn in combat (unless Merits such as Fighting Style: Boxing or Fighting Style: Kung Fu are purchased).

Furthermore, if the character is able to hold multiple automatic weapons and elects to fire a burst as his attack, he may elect to fire all of the guns at once and allocate the bullets fired between each weapon.

Out of combat, of course, there are a great many benefits to having more than the standard number of hands; the Storyteller is the final arbiter as to what effect this has in-game, but as a general rule, the character should not be able to perform more tasks at once than his Wits or Intelligence (whichever is lower), and only if the tasks are not particularly mentally taxing.

Note: In this game, there are many ways to increase your chance of escaping a grapple or bypass a grapple entirely, while the grappler relies on Strength alone to prevent escape. Storytellers should consider giving characters with this power higher effective Strength for the purpose of holding a grapple.

Extras:

Coordinated - As part of an all-out attack using Brawl, the character may add his Extra Arms dots to his dice pool.

Discrete - The appendages may be hidden or unmade when not in use. They may be retractable, dissipate into smoke or whatever else is appropriate for the rational supporting the power.

FEAR AURA

Class: Alpha

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Presence + (Intimidation) + Fear Aura

Action: Instant

Range: 0 yards

Area: (Power Level + Fear Aura) yards

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to instill great fear in all who approach him. When this power is activated, the character creates an area centered on himself, that moves with him, that makes anyone inside it become intensely afraid of the character until end of scene. Targets must be aware of the character to feel anything. Exactly how each target reacts to this fear is uncertain; it might make things worse.

Targets with more actual dots in Composure than successes rolled are unaffected.

The character may activate this power multiple times, taking the highest result.

Extras:

Paralyzing - Each affected target inside the aura takes a -1 penalty to Defense per dot in Fear Aura.

Selective - Only enemies are affected.

Weaknesses:

Damage First - Targets with 5 or more empty Health boxes are unaffected.

Empty Threat - Targets use the higher of their Resolve or Composure to determine whether this power affects them.

FLIGHT

Class: Alpha

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to soar through the air. She gains a flying Speed equal to her (Flight x 10). Flight normally requires no dice rolls; however, the Storyteller may require Dexterity + Athletics + Flight rolls in order to successfully perform aerial acrobatics or other stunts.

When flying, strength isn't useful for lifting. In general, strength requires something to push against. When attempting to lift something while flying, us Flight + Athletics as opposed to Strength + Athletics. The same applies to attacks that would usually use Strength but are being done from the air. Flight + Weaponry or Brawl becomes the appropriate pool.

The character can make a aerial attack provided they can get up to full speed before doing so, slamming their target with their body, or striking them with a limb or weapon. To get up to this speed, the character must spend one or more turns doing nothing but accelerating. This effectively works like an aiming, except that the character does not need to have a target until the turn in which they attack, and they may 'aim' this kind of attack for a number of turns up to their power's rating plus Power Level. The aerial attack isn't limited to the three bonus dice limit that aiming is, and it does not benefit from rules that further benefit aiming.

The character's flight apparatus is visible, bulky and inconvenient, especially when not in flight. He may sport large wings, an integrated biomechanical jet-pack or be constantly wreathed in a cracking miasma of energy. This can cause difficulties in flight, requiring extra space, somewhere to run for a launch, or other conditions to be met. To avoid these issues see the Discrete extra below.

Extras:

Gravitic Grounding - The character's flight method circumvents physics to some degree. They can use Strength in place of Flight for lifting or attacking.

Discrete - The character's flight apparatus is much more convenient, possibly even invisible. The wings may disappear or retract, or the character may simply move through the air without them. The power carries no particular difficulties for use.

FORCE BOLT

Class: Alpha

Cost: 0 or 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Force Bolt – (target’s armor) or (target's armor + defense)

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Force Bolt) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character blasts a target with a ranged attack; common examples include plasma blasts, mystic fireballs, lightning bolts, laser beams, telekinetic waves, or simply generic "energy blasts" with no other defining characteristics. The Bolt deals bashing damage. Spending a verve raises this to lethal.

The power’s activation roll counts as the attack roll, and the target’s armor (if any) and other appropriate ranged-attack penalties apply to the activation roll. As usual, the character can use the aiming rules for the attack if they wish. While aiming, it becomes obvious that the character is aiming, as visible force begins to build up in whatever way is appropriate to the form of the power.

Players must choose one of the following categories for the Bolt to fall into for the purposes of power interactions: Energy, physical, mental or magical/mystical.

The Bolt is considered a firearm for purposes of whether or not the target's Defense is applied.

The player should consider how the attack manifests for purposes of description or circumvention (laser beams from the eyes, a force wave thrown from a punch, a sonic blast from the mouth, a mystic life-bolt from the heart chakra, etc).

Variation: Different rationals may allow for a different form of defense to be applicable. For example, if the bolt is a discharge of psychic energy, it may use the lower of Resolve or Composure for the applicable defense. If, as in the case of this example, the Bolt manifests in such a way as to effect targets minds, it would ignore armor, and be unable to target anything without a mind.

Extras:
Lethal - The Bolt does lethal damage. Spending additional Verve does not make this damage aggravated (that's a different extra), but adds 1 damage on a hit.
Armor Piercing - The Armor Piercing quality is applied to the Bolt.
Charged - When taking time to aim a Bolt, add the character's dots in this power to the bonus gained.
Double Bolt - The character can fire bolts from two hands at once, allowing the use of the Gunslinger merit if Firearms is part of the pool.
Rapid Fire - The character can use the rules for autofire (WoD pg160) when attacking with this power. Medium bursts take and additional point of verve, and long bursts take an additional two.
Ricochet - The Bolt may bounce once per turn. This is usable in two ways: either to go around cover, or to attack two targets. In the latter case, the second roll counts one less number as successes. In both cases, the Bolt cannot travel further than its normal range.
Improved Range - the "x 5 yards" part of the range calculation becomes "x 10 yards".
Homing Bolt - The projectile created by the power is able to home in on a particular kind of target. The player chooses the type when the power is purchased. Example types include 'heat', 'metal', 'ice', 'humans' and anything else the ST will allow. If a bolt aimed at the correct type misses it's target, it will turn to try to strike the target on the following turn, with two fewer dice then the original die pool, rounded down. Should it miss again, the same will happen the following turn, cutting the die pool down further. This process repeats until the die pool becomes zero or less, after penalties are applied. At any point, the character may spend a point of verve to refresh the penalties on the roll. A target with access to the Stylish Execution ability can cut short these rebounds with an appropriately cinematic dodge, such as deflecting the bolt with an object. Alternately, the Bolt may be modified to home in on anything the character sees, but only once and with a -3 penalty.
Force Burst - The effect activates as a sphere rather than a Bolt. The power gains an area of 3 yards. All of those caught in the effect are subject to the attack, and each target requires a separate roll. This extra may be taken twice to make the effect selective.

FORCE FIELD

Class: Alpha

Cost: One Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to absorb the damage from physical, mental, magic or energy-based attacks (choose two when the power is purchased). Whenever the character takes damage from the appropriate source, she may activate this power to reduces that damage by one per dot in Force Field.

God Machine Chronicle Rules Variant: Treat the rating in this power as general armor against the appropriate attack type.

Extras:

Versatile - The character's Force Field may absorb damage from an additional damage category.

Barrier - (cannot be taken with the Set Extra, below) The character may activate Force Field to protect someone else within Power Level + Force Field yards.

Boosting - Each level of damage absorbed by this power grants a +1 bonus to some future roll involving one chosen Attribute in the following turn.

Charging - If at least 3 damage is absorbed by this power at once, the next Verve cost paid by the character in the same scene is reduced by 1.

Set - The Duration for the effect becomes One Scene.

Weaknesses:

Ablative - (may only be taken with Set Extra, above) Each level of damage absorbed by this power reduces the field's effectiveness by one until it is activated again.

Rolled - The character must roll Stamina + (Survival) + Force Field to activate this power, and the field's effectiveness equals the number of successes instead of dots.

Specialized - The character's Force Field may absorb damage from only one damage category.

GADGETEER'S FORESIGHT

Class: Beta

Cost: None

Dice Pool: Wits + Gadgeteer's Foresight + Power Level

Action: Simple (or Instant, if the character has the Quickdraw Merit)

Range: Self

Duration: Scene

Effect: The character notices they just happened to have or was able to quickly craft an obscure item that would be useful in the given situation on their person, or, alternatively, if they are in their home or somewhere they frequent, the item is hidden nearby. It was, despite all likelihood, hidden well enough to be missed in any searches and undamaged in any wreckage of the character's effects. Some situations may take some rationalization.

If the item is reasonably likely to be possessed by the character and on hand, one success is all that is necessary to confirm it's presence. If the object is rare, expensive, unusual or if circumstances otherwise make it unlikely to be on hand, the Storyteller can apply a penalty to the roll.

This power cannot produce unique and specific items, such as the specific key needed for a specific door. The item also cannot require any new game mechanics to function, so it must be relatively simple, conceptually. Likewise the item cannot be larger than the level of this power in Size. Lastly the item cannot be a weapon or armor, and thus cannot be used to cause damage directly.

Dice bonuses granted for Stylish Execution count as double when using this power if the character comes up with a particularly creative way of hiding/revealing/crafting the item in question. Items produced with this power break, are consumed, or otherwise become unusable after Power Level turns, at most.

Possible (Cumulative) Penalty Guidelines
A tool used only for a specific job, but which definitely exists (lock picks). -1
A tool which may or may not exist, but physically could (Horse Attracting Whistle). -2
A tool only makes sense in the loose physics of comic books (Bat Shark Repellent). -3
The area/character has already been searched. -1
The area/character has sustained significant damage. -1
If doesn't seem like there is enough room for the item. -2
The item requires exotic materials (Gold, Argon). -1
The item requires established fictional materials (Kryptonite, Adamantium). -2
The item requires unestablished fictional materials (the soul of a ginger). -4

Typical Flaw: Object Dependent (Example= utility belt)

GRAPPLING HOOK

Class: Alpha

Cost: None

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Grappling Hook

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Grappling Hook) 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 Grappling Hook + 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 + Grappling Hook. If the target breaks free, it can move up to its Speed in the same action.

Extras: None

GRAVITY CONTROL

Class: Gamma

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Varies

Action: Varies

Range: Varies

Area: Varies

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to manipulate gravitational forces. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Gravity Control she possesses; she may attempt to use a technique that she does not specifically know, but doing so increases the Verve cost of the technique by one and imposes a –1 penalty to the activation roll (if any).

Extras: None.

GRAVITATIONAL FIELD

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Science) + Gravity Control

Action: Extended

Range: (Power Level + Gravity Control) x 5 yards

Area: (Power Level + Gravity Control) yards

Duration: Concentration

Effect: Each success on the activation roll allows the character to either increase the gravity of the affected area by 2g or decrease it by 0.5g. As a general rule, characters in a Gravitational Field of 0.5g or less gain +1 Strength, while those in a field of 3g or greater suffer –2 Strength. A Gravitational Field of sufficient strength (gs in excess of the character's effective strength) may also be capable of pinning opponents to the ground, or inflicting a bashing level each turn (9g) or even one lethal damage per turn (15+g) through crushing, and objects can be made so heavy that they collapse under their own weight (one bashing level per turn for each g in excess of the objects Durability).

On the other hand, characters and objects in a 0g field will become completely weightless, and characters or objects in a negative gravity field will actually fall away from the center of the field until they leave it.

A character that impacts on an object or surface falling through -1g gravity field takes damage exactly as if they had fallen downwards an equivalent distance (WoD corebook, p179). A character that takes falls through a Gravitational Field multiplies the number of yards fallen through the field by the strength of the field for the purposes of taking falling damage, rounding fractions up; for example, a character that falls 3 yards through a 1.5g field counts as falling 5 yards, while a character that falls 10 yards, 8 of which were through a 0g field, counts as having fallen only 2 yards.

Using Gravitational Field is an extended action, and the character may roll and gain successes a number of times per scene up to his effective Stamina. Each roll takes one turn.

GRAVITIC BLAST

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Gravity Control

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Gravity Control) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character creates vortices of intense, rapidly changing gravity around the target, crushing it or tearing it apart. Every success gained on the activation roll deals one level of damage; note that the target's armor does NOT apply as a penalty to the activation roll. It costs one Verve to activate a Gravitic Blast that deals bashing damage; a lethal blast costs two Verve to activate.

GRAVITIC FLIGHT

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Two turns per success

Effect: The character is able to reduce her own gravity, allowing her to fly. She gains a flying Speed of (Gravity Control x 10). The Storyteller may require Dexterity + (Athletics) + Gravity Control rolls in order to successfully perform aerial acrobatics or other stunts.

This technique does not normally require an activation roll. If the character does not know Gravitic Flight and attempts to use it at the cost of 1 Verve, she must roll Dexterity + (Athletics) + Gravity Control each turn, and her movement is capped at 10 yards per success.

If the player wishes they may purchase the Flight power, representing the character having mastered a more skilled degree of flight control. Doing so allows the character to exchange this technique for another Gravity Control technique.

GRAVITIC GRASP

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Science) + Gravity Control - target's Defense

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Gravity Control) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to use gravity to hold a single opponent in place. The activation roll counts as a grapple roll, except it is ranged. The character uses her Intelligence in place of Strength for the purpose of holding a grapple this way. A flying target grappled this way immediately falls.

GRAVITOKINESIS

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Gravity Control

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Gravity Control) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character manipulates the force of gravity of an object, allowing her to levitate and move it. This power functions identically to the Telekinesis power. However, Gravitokinesis may not be used to attack other characters directly; this is the purview of the Gravitic Blast and Gravitational Field techniques.

REVERSE GRAVITY

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Gravity Control - target's Defense

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Gravity Control) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character manipulates an object or other character's gravitational field to make it fall upward. Each success on the activation roll moves the target 3 yards straight up, at which point the character may either let the target fall back down and take damage normally, or spend 1 additional Verve to keep it weightless at the apex for one turn. Use of this technique on a willing target as a means of locomotion is not recommended.

GROWTH

Class: Beta

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to temporarily increase his size. While this power is active, the character gains 2 sizes (and therefore 2 Health levels) per dot in Growth. His attributes do not change.

Extras:

Giant Strength - While grown, the character gains 1 dot in Strength per dot in Growth.

Titan Growth - The character gains 3 sizes per dot in Growth instead of 2.

Weaknesses:

Easy To Hit - While grown, the character takes a -1 penalty to Defense per dot in Growth.

HEALING

Class: Beta

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Medicine) + Healing

Action: Extended

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: This power has three main uses: to treat injury, to treat disease, and to purge poisons or toxins. In each case, the character must spend one Verve per success in order to gain these effects; if the character has insufficient Verve or chooses not to spend it, any excess successes are wasted.

If used to treat injury, each success on the activation roll allows the character or her patient to heal one level of bashing damage, or downgrade one level of higher damage.

This power may also be used to regenerate ruined organs or severed limbs, but doing so requires 5 successes per body part and a week of rest for the patient.

If used to treat disease, the character or her patient may immediately make an additional Stamina + Resolve roll to try and fight off the disease, with a number of bonus dice equal to the number of successes gained on the Healing activation roll.

If used to purge poisons or toxins, the poison or toxin is successfully neutralized if a number of successes are gained on the Healing activation roll in excess of the substance’s toxicity rating.

Using Healing is an extended action. The character may choose to continue healing next turn, adding her successes together, up to the number of dice in her unmodified pool. This power only takes effect and costs Verve when the character decides to stop rolling, and the character may roll a number of times up to her effective Stamina. Each roll takes one turn.

By spending 1 Verve before rolling, the character can extend the range of this power to (Power Level + Healing) x 5 yards, taking a -1 penalty to the activation roll per 5 yards.

Extras:

Efficient - The character need only spend one Verve per roll before rolling to gain the full benefit from Healing, not one Verve per success after rolling. Healing organs does not require the week long rest period.