MTH:Powers I-P
Contents
IMMOBILIZE
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Immobilize - target's Defense
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Immobilize) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: See below
Effect: The character is able to hinder his opponents' movement with layers of ice, quick-drying glue, zero-point energy fields or some other means. This power has two main uses: restricting another character's body movements and reducing her ability to perform physical tasks, or anchoring another character to a solid object and stopping her from moving around. If used to impede physical performance, the target takes a penalty to all rolls involving physical action (including attack rolls and most superpower activation rolls) equal to the number of successes gained on the character's Immobilize activation roll; if used to anchor the target, a successful activation roll reduces the target's Speed to 0, effectively pinning her in place (note that there must be a solid object present to anchor the target to, or else this technique cannot be used). In either case, the target's Defense is reduced by one for every success gained on the activation roll. If the activation roll is an exceptional success, the target suffers both effects: her Speed is reduced to 0, and she takes the penalty to physical actions (as well as to Defense). In order for the target character to escape from an Immobilize power, she must succeed on a Strength + Stamina roll, with a negative modifier equal to the number of successes gained on the activation roll; if Immobilize was used to impede the character's physical actions, that penalty does not stack with the penalty to escape the Immobilize power. Another character may attempt to aid the Immobilized character's escape, either using the rules for Teamwork as described in the World of Darkness core rulebook (with the Immobilized character as the primary actor), or by attacking the immobilizing agent directly. Each level of damage dealt to the immobilizing agent reduces the penalty to physical actions, the penalty to Defense, and the penalty to the escape roll by one; if the penalty is reduced below zero, the target is able to escape without making a roll. An immobilized character may be able to attack her own immobilizing agent, at the Storyteller's discretion.
Extras: Ephemeral (the immobilizing agent cannot be attacked to reduce its effectiveness).
IMMOLATION
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: Instant
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is capable of causing damage to anything that touches her. The source of damage dealt (fire, electricity, angry ghosts etc.) must be chosen when this power is first purchased. When the character activates this power, anything that contacts the character's body (her own gear and clothing excepted) takes an amount of lethal damage equal to the character's dots in Immolation or an amount of bashing damage equal to the character's Immolation dots + 1, as appropriate; if this contact is maintained for more than one turn, this damage is dealt each turn. Note that this damage is dealt to everything the character touches or that touches the character, including unarmed attacks or weapons that strike the character (in this case, the damage is dealt after the attack in question lands), other characters struck by the character's unarmed attacks, and even the ground under the character's feet. Once the character has paid the Verve cost for this power, she may switch it on and off at will for the duration of the scene; deactivating this power is a reflexive action, while reactivating it is an instant action, and the character may not do both in the same turn.
Extras: Variable (the character's immolation may be either of two damage sources; the character may alternate between these sources up to once per turn as a reflexive action).
INVISIBILITY
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Wits + (Survival) + Invisibility
Action: Instant
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to turn himself, his clothing, and his personal possessions invisible. If the character succeeds on the activation roll, characters who are not actively searching for him become unable to see him at all, and characters who are actively searching for the invisible character must roll Wits + Composure and score more successes than the character scored on his activation roll. If this Wits + Composure roll is successful, the opposing characters are able to discern the invisible character's location in some manner and may attack him, with a -2 penalty due to his concealment; otherwise, the opposing characters are unable to locate the invisible character and must use the rules for Fighting Blind if they wish to attack him. Note that Invisibility only renders the character imperceptible to standard vision; other methods of detection (hearing, smell, infrared vision, telepathic scanning) will detect the character as normal.
Extras: Enhanced Effect (the character may render himself undetectable to senses other than standard vision at a cost of one additional Verve per sense, up to a maximum number of senses equal to the character's dots in Invisibility).
INVULNERABILITY
Rank: 2
Cost: N/A
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: The character is highly resistant to one source of damage or form of attack, chosen when this power is purchased. A character's Invulnerability must be fairly specific: "hard radiation," "fire," and "mind control" are all viable Invulnerabilities, but "energy attacks," "physical attacks, "mental attacks," and "superpowers" are not. Each dot in Invulnerability negates one success from any appropriate attack or damage rolls that affect the character, or one level of damage if the source deals automatic damage without rolling. The effects of Invulnerability stack with (and are applied after) any penalties for armor, Defense, and powers such as Force Field.
Extras: Broad category (the character may elect to be invulnerable to "physical attacks," "mental attacks," or "energy attacks," but not "superpowers" or "damage").
LUCK
Rank: 1
Cost: N/A
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: Reflexive
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: Fortune smiles upon this character. Each dot in Luck allows the character to, once per scene, add or subtract a single die from a single roll that directly affects that character. This may be done multiple times for a single roll. For example, a character with Luck 3 may add +3 dice to one of her attack rolls, or add +2 dice to the attack roll and subtract one die from her opponent's attack roll, but she could not add any dice to an ally's attack rolls or subtract any dice from attack rolls made against that ally.
Extras: Lucky Charm (the character's Luck may be used on dice rolls that affect other characters within [Power Level + Luck] yards).
MATTER CONTROL
Rank: 3
Cost: Varies
Dice Pool: Varies
Action: Varies
Range: Varies
Area: Varies
Duration: Varies
Effect: The character is able to transmute and alter inorganic and nonliving organic matter. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Matter Control she possesses; she may attempt to use a technique that she does not specifically know (with the exception of Matter Creation), but doing so increases the Verve cost of the technique by one and imposes a –1 penalty to the activation roll. In addition, any character with at least one dot in Matter Control may, as an instant action, learn the physical and chemical composition and properties of an object within (Power Level + Matter Control) x 5 yards.
Extras: None.
ANIMATION
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Manipulation + (Persuasion) + Matter Control
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Matter Control) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Concentration
Effect: The character is able to animate inanimate objects around her, forcing them to do her bidding. The character is able to animate one object of Size 5 or less for each success she scores on the activation roll; she may animate larger objects at a cost of one additional success for every 5 points of Size (for example, a Size 9 car would require two successes to activate, and a Size 20 dump truck would require four). Animated objects are able to walk, roll, hop or otherwise ambulate at a Speed equal to the character's default Speed; at the cost of one additional Verve, the objects' Speed may be increased to twice the character's default Speed. Animated objects can be made to attack an enemy with a dice pool equal to the character's Manipulation + the damage bonus of the object, including any improvised weapon penalties.
DESTRUCTION
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Crafts) + Matter Control
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Matter Control) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character is able to undo the molecular bonds holding objects together, 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 Matter Control techniques, this technique may not be used on 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 the Matter Control power.
MATTER ALTERATION
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Crafts) + Matter Control
Action: Extended
Range: (Power Level + Matter Control) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character is able to change the size, shape, density, and even molecular makeup of an object; using this technique, the character is able to turn lead to gold, or water into wine, or to transform a length of rebar into a fully-functional machine gun. 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.
- Size: The character may increase or decrease the object's Size by one point per success, to a minimum of Size 0 (small enough to be concealed in the palm of one hand). The character may only do this if the object had a Size characteristic to begin with; thus, it cannot be performed on a volume of gas unless that gas is first transformed to another phase (see above).
- Durability: The character may increase or decrease the object's Durability by one point per success, to a minimum of Durability 0 (about the consistency of balsa wood or paper). The character may only do this if the object had a Durability characteristic to begin with; thus, it cannot be performed on a volume of liquid or gas unless that substance is first transfromed to a solid (see above).
- Shape: The character may spend a success to alter the shape of the object, without significantly altering the size. For example, a two foot long iron bar could be reshaped into a short sword, or a hole could be formed in a locked door.
- Complexity: The character may spend a success add mechanical or electronic components to an object, or increase or decrease the complexity of components already in place. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of how many successes are needed to reach a certain level of complexity; for example, it may take one success to transform a length of lead pipe into a single-shot rifle, and another success to turn it into a machine gun.
- Quality: The character may increase or decrease the damage bonus of a weapon at a cost of one point of damage per success. This ability can also be used to negate the damage penalty of an improvised weapon.
- Range: The character may spend a success to double or halve the short range of a ranged weapon, or to make an unaerodynamic throwing weapon aerodynamic (or vice-versa).
- Hazardous Material: The character may spend two successes to render a substance radioactive or corrosive, such that contact 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.
- Composition: Many of the above alterations involve altering the composition of an object; for example, an increase in Durability could represent a transformation from wood to stone, while an increase in weapon damage could represent lead bullets changing into depleted uranium rounds. However, the character may also spend a single success to simply change the composition of a substance without changing any of the above characteristics, such as turning lead into gold or water into wine. The player and Storyteller should work together to determine what these changes signify, if anything.
MATTER CREATION
Cost: N/A
Dice Pool: See below
Action: See below
Range: See below
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: Such is the character's skill with Matter Control that she can create matter from nothingness. A character who possesses this technique is able to use the Matter Alteration technique without first having a source of raw materials to work with; in this case, a single success on the activation roll provides the character with a solid chunk of Size 1, Durability 1 material to work with, or a Size 2 volume of water or other harmless liquid, or enough gas to fill about ten cubic feet of space.
MEGA-ATTRIBUTE
Rank: 3
Cost: --
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: There are nine Mega-Attributes, one for each standard Attribute. Each dot in a Mega-Attribute increases its base Attribute by 3 dots. A character mayhave no more dots in a Mega-Attribute than he does in its base attribute.
Extras: None.
MENTAL BLAST
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Expression) + Mental Blast – target’s Resolve
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Mental Blast) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character blasts his opponent’s mind with a wave of mental energy, causing psychosomatic injury and pain. Each success on the activation roll deals one level of bashing damage to the target. This power only functions on targets with a functioning central nervous system (IE people and most animals, but not plants, inanimate objects, ghosts, or nonsentient zombies).
Extras: None.
MIMIC
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: Reflexive
Range: Touch
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to copy the abilities and powers of another character. In order to use this power, the character must touch her intended target; touching an unwilling target requires a Dexterity + Brawl roll, and the target’s Defense applies. Once she has successfully touched the target, the character may spend one Verve to copy one of the target’s Attributes, Skills, Merits, or superpowers for each dot in Mimic she has. In the case of Attributes, Skills, or superpowers, the character’s rating in the ability increases to either the target’s rating in the ability or the character’s own Mimic rating, whichever is lower. In the case of Merits, the character may only copy Merits worth a number of dots equal to or less than her own Mimic rating; the character need not necessarily meet the prerequisites a copied Merit, but the Storyteller is the final arbiter of which Merits can be copied (as a general rule, “internal” Merits like Gunslinger or Eidectic Memory can be copied, while “external” merits like Resources or Allies cannot). A character may only copy a total number of abilities up to her dots in Mimic at a time. Abilities gained using Mimic disappear at the end of the scene unless the character spends another point of Verve at the start of the next scene to maintain them.
Extras: Copycat (the character need only see her target use an ability to copy it and need not touch the target).
NATURE MASTERY (in progress)
Rank: 2
Cost: Varies
Dice Pool: Varies
Action: Varies
Range: Varies
Duration: Varies
Effect: The character is able to communicate with and influence plants and animals. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Nature Mastery 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.
ANIMAL COMMUNICATION
Cost: Varies
Dice Pool: N/A, or Intelligence + (Animal Ken) + Nature Mastery [vs. target's Resolve]
Action: Varies
Range: Varies
Duration: Permanent
Effect: The character is able to understand and communicate with any animal of insect-level intelligence or greater. He gains the inherent ability to understand any form of communication used by animals (IE a dog's barking, a cricket's chirping, the blinking pattern of a firefly's light) and, assuming he is physically capable of doing so, can also communicate with the animal in question in that language. Failing that, the character may attempt to establish a telepathic link with any animal he can see and communicate directly through this link; this functions identically to the Telepathy power's Communicate technique, except that the dice pool for the activation roll is Intelligence + (Animal Ken) + Nature Mastery. Note that this power only allows communication with animals, and does not compel obedience or friendship; that is the purview of the Animal Control and Animal Companion techniques. The character may certainly attempt to befriend or command an animal, but he will have to rely on his own force of personality (Presence or Manipulation + Animal Ken) to do so.
SUMMON ANIMALS
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Presence + (Animal Ken) + Nature Mastery - targets' average Resolve
Action: Instant
Range: Varies
Duration: Instant
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 + Nature Mastery) x 100 yards (a handful of individual animals with particularly high Resolve might resist the summons, but the vast majority will be affected); each additional success doubles this distance. Affected animals move towards the character's current location as fast as reasonably possible, though they will stop to eat and sleep if necessary. Once the summoned animals reach their destination, they will revert to their normal behavior unless the character uses other Nature Mastery techniques on them.
OMNIPOTENCE
Rank: 3
Cost: Varies
Dice Pool: Power Level + Omnipotence (+/- appropriate modifiers)
Action: Varies
Range: Varies
Area: Varies
Duration: Varies
Effect: The character is one of those rare individuals whose powers are so flexible, they are effectively limited only by his imagination. The character may activate any power listed in this document whose duration is not Permanent, and, at the Storyteller's discretion, may even activate powers that are not listed in this document; in the case of powers that reference the power's rating for their effects, the character references his Omnipotence rating. However, if the power in question requires an activation roll, a character using Omnipotence to emulate it rolls Power Level + Omnipotence rather than the standard activation roll (though situational modifiers and modifiers for the target's Defense/armor/etc. apply as normal). Note that, if the character is emulating a technique from a Rank 3 power with multiple included techniques (such as Elemental Anima), he is still subject to the -1 activation roll penalty and increased Verve cost for using a technique he hasn't specifically learned.
Extras: None.
PHASING
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Stamina + (Survival) + Phasing
Action: Reflexive
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One turn
Effect: The character is able to "phase" through matter like a ghost, passing through solids and liquids as easily as through air. Essentially a highly specialized form of Density Control (decrease), a successful activation roll allows the character to become insubstantial and pass through any solid objects she encounters and to move through water and difficult terrain at full speed for a single turn. As with Density Control (decrease), a character using the Phasing power is normally unable to breathe while her head and chest are inside a solid object or a liquid, and the character may risk drowning if she is forced to spend multiple turns inside such an object. This power may also be activated as a Dodge action to defend against physical attacks; in this case, each success on the activation roll imposes a -1 penalty to any physical attack roll made against the character that turn.
Extras: None.
PLASTICITY
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: Reflexive
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to stretch and contort as though she were made of rubber. When this power is active, the character is able to stretch her arms, legs, torso, and neck a maximum of two yards for every dot in Plasticity she possesses. She is also able to squeeze her entire body through any opening large enough to accommodate her fist.
Extras: Effortless (the power’s duration is increased to Permanent, and the character may activate it without spending any Verve).
POWER VAMPIRE
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Stamina + (Survival) + Power Vampire – target’s Stamina
Action: Reflexive
Range: Touch
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to steal the abilities and powers of another character or to simply drain the life out of them (which ability the character has access to is chosen when the power is purchased). If the character is stealing an ability (an Attribute, Skill, Merit, or superpower) from the target, his target loses one dot in the chosen ability and he gains one dot in the ability for every success on the activation roll. The target character cannot have an ability reduced below zero by this power. If the character is trying to steal a multiple-dot Merit from his target, this power only works if the character gains enough successes on the activation roll to steal every dot of the Merit; as with Mimic, the Storyteller is the final arbiter of which Merits may be stolen, and as a general rule, "internal" Merits like Fighting Styles and Gunfighter are fair game while "external" Merits like Allies, Contacts or Resources are not. If the character is stealing health from the target, his target takes one point of lethal damage and the character gains one temporary health level for every success on the activation roll. Stolen powers are returned and temporary health levels are lost at the end of the scene; however, if the target took damage from Power Vampire, this damage heals at the normal rate.
Extras: Versatile (the character is able to use both the ability-stealing and life-draining versions of this power, though not at the same time, and may switch between them at will).
PREMONITION
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Wits + Composure + Premonition
Action: Reflexive
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to sense impending danger or threats to his person. To use this power, the character simply pays the appropriate Verve cost; no activation roll is required. For the rest of the scene, any time something threatens the character—someone points a gun at her, or she is about to trip a trap—she may make a reflexive Wits + Composure + Premonition roll to attempt to detect the danger. On a success, the character learns that she is in danger and has a general idea of from what location or direction the threat originates (IE “There is a threat to you on the other side of this door”); on an exceptional success, the character also learns the exact nature of the threat (IE “There is a man with a crowbar on the other side of the door, waiting to ambush you”). If the character has the Danger Sense merit, the bonus given by that feat applies to Premonition rolls as well.
Extras: My Brother's Keeper (the character’s Premonition can detect dangers to anyone within [Power Level + Premonition] yards of the character), Permanent (the power’s duration is increased to Permanent, and the character may activate it without spending any Verve).
