MTH:Powers Q-Z

RAISE DEAD

Class: Gamma

Type: Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Power Level + Raise Dead + (Occult)

Action: Instant

Range: Power Level x 2

Area: N/A

Duration: One Scene

Effect: This power allows the character to bring life to the dead, to serve her in battle or other tasks. On a normal success, the reanimated body has a dice pool of 7 for all physical actions, and a dice pool of 3 for all mental actions, with a defense equal to half the character's dots in Raise Dead - if the target is the body of a meta-human, treat all superpowers as if they only had a single dot, and actions requiring verve or willpower draw from the character's own verve pool. Bodies reanimated with a single success do not retain merits or skill specialties. On an exceptional success, the reanimated target retains all of their stats from before dying, with a plus 1 to all physical actions - if the target is the body of a meta-human, their powers retain all dots from before death, and they arise with 10 verve to spend. Bodies reanimated on an exceptional success are sentient, though regardless of prior goals are now cooperative with the character (you can bring an enemy back to life with an exceptional success without being attacked by him/her). Bodies reanimated on an exceptional success also retain all merits from their former life. A body can only be reanimated once, after that it cannot be given life a third time. A character can only have a number of reanimated bodies working with her equal to her dots in Raise Dead.

Extras: None

Weaknesses:

Fresh Bodies: Each turn the target has been dead applies a cumulative -1 penalty to attempts to use Raise Dead.

Pushing Daisies: A body must be touched as an instant action to be reanimated, and once reanimated will only be cooperative with the character to the extent that they would in life.

Note: Some storytellers may find it necessary to have their characters make a reflexive morality roll when using this power at a penalty equal to half their dots in Raise Dead, depending on how they fluff the effect. Asking a body's corporeal spirit to fight alongside you one last time before passing on is not necessarily evil, while turning a mortal's corpse into a shambling meat-shield is not necessarily good.

REGENERATION

Class: Gamma

Type: Tech or Bio

Cost: --

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character heals much faster than ordinary humans. The character automatically heals one level of bashing damage, or downgrades one level of lethal damage, per dot in Regeneration, every turn at the start of his action. These effects may be mixed, so a character who has 2 lethal levels of damage and 4 dots in regeneration may downgrade both levels to bashing and heal them in the same turn. Aggravated damage heals at the ordinary rate. This power is reflexive, so the character heals regardless of whether he is conscious or not.

Extras:

Versatile Regeneration - Aggravated damage may be downgraded as well.

Weaknesses:

Second Wind - This power must be deliberately activated as an instant action, taking the character's action for the turn.

RESURRECTION

Class: Gamma

Type: Mystic

Cost: One permanent dot in this Power

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: No matter the hardship, no matter how many pieces he may have been blown into, a character with this power always stands a chance of coming back. This power only goes up to 5 dots.

The exact rational for this power will vary between characters, but their Resurrection will always depend on a Contingent Activation (as the Weakness, though it does not reduce the class of the Power) The player must choose which of these is the case with their character. Enemies who know of this contingency will most-likely seek to ensure it doesn't occur. The ST should work with the player to determine the specifics this entails.

Dots in this power effect the process in two ways. First, they allow for a faster resurrection, with the minimum waiting time being (5 - Resurrection) days. If all 5 dots in this power are taken, the character will resurrect at the end of the scene provided the conditions allow it. The second benefit is that one month per dot can pass before resurrection is no longer an option. Should conditions not allow the character to resurrect, their allies have more time to change the situation.

Coming back from the dead is a harrowing experience. Characters who do so will need to roll for degeneration. If the death was particularly disturbing, the ST may impose a penalty.

If the character with this power does not have the Ageless Merit, they will still die of old age if the Chronicle lasts long enough for this to matter.

Extras: None

Weaknesses:

Death's Toll - The character doesn't come back whole. Perhaps they resurrect with crippling amnesia (penalty to skills and some merits) or the body of a baby (penalty to attributes and size). Whatever it is, it's a hassle, but the Storyteller always provides a way to restore the character even if it isn't convenient or obvious.

God Machine Chronicle Rules Update: If using the update, Resurrection should qualify as a Breaking Point each time it is used, until the character rolls an exceptional success on the degeneration roll. Coming back to life is almost certainly a reason to take on a Condition.

SCAN

Class: Alpha

Type: Tech, Mystic, or Bio

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Investigation) + Scan - target's Resolve

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Scan) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to discern the powers and capabilities of a target. Each success on the activation roll allows the character to learn her target's rating in any one Attribute, Skill, or superpower. Depending on how this power functions, the Storyteller may elect to describe this rating in qualitative ("He is extremely skilled with all melee weaponry and is a master of swords" = Weaponry [Swords] 4) or quantitative ("His augmented strength is 120% of the human maximum" = Strength [including Mega Strength] 6) terms.

Extras:

Multiple targets - The character may elect to allocate her successes amongst all the possible targets in range, rather than choosing only one.

SHAPESHIFT (Alpha, Beta, Gamma or Omega)

Class: Alpha, Beta, Gamma or Omega

Type: Tech, Bio or Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve, see below

Dice Pool: Stamina + (Survival) + Shapeshift

Action: Instant or Extended

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to alter her physical form. There are three versions of this power, with each of the later versions including the earlier. Thus if you have Shapeshifting Gamma you also possess Shapeshifting Beta and Alpha.

Using Shapeshift is either an instant or an extended action. The character may pay the cost once and shift for the scene, or they may pay the cost, look at the result, and choose to continue shifting next turn. Additional turns of shifting cost only time, not Verve, and the character may roll a number of times up to his effective Stamina. Each roll takes one turn.

Once a character has shapeshifted, the changes persist for one scene; the character may shapeshift again before the end of the scene, but doing so requires another activation roll and the expenditure of another Verve. If the character wishes to stay in their assumed shape after one scene, they may continue to do so for one verve. This allows them to hold the form for the rest of the scene without a roll. Additional scenes cost one verve per.

The character may cancel their shift, reverting back to their normal form, at any time as a reflexive action. This is an all-or-nothing reversion. If the player only wants to revert part of their form, they must activate the power again.

Other then the kinds of powers detailed in the Gamma version of the power, Shapeshift cannot allow the character to emulate other super powers, but it can be used as a rational for buying those powers with experience points.

Alpha Version

The simplest use of this power is simply to look like another person or similar being, without making any more significant physical changes. If the character succeeds on the activation roll, she is able to shift her appearance to that of a human or humanoid of any gender, biological, robotic, living or dead, making it impossible to recognize her through cursory visual examination. The character will still smell the same, however, and may still be recognizable through distinctive birthmarks, scars or other esoteric means of identification. Essentially, successes on the activation roll are added to successes on attempts at disguise or impersonation.

Shapeshift Alpha can be used to simulate powers that aid disguise but don't actually alter the character's physical form, such as holographic projections and identity-oriented illusions.

Extras: The character may also shift thier scent, as well as all other means of identification that does not rely on the character's mental state (such as telepathy) or spiritual state (such as a character identifying another soul through magic).

If the character can alter the appearance of another person (requiring touch and a second activation roll), this would also count as an extra. Should the target resist treat this as a touch-based attack using the die pool of the activation roll (thus defense would apply).

Beta Version

The most complex (and most flamboyant) use of Shapeshift is to alter the character's body size and shape, increasing or redistributing muscle mass and growing claws or armor. The new form must still be very vaguely humanoid. A character using Shapeshift in this manner is able to make two of the following changes for every success she gains on the activation roll, and these may stack:

• Increase or decrease her Size or species Speed factor by one, to a (functional) minimum of zero.

• Increase or decrease a Physical Attribute by one.

• Make the form appear to have two dots less or more Strength or Stamina.

• Shift any one dot in Physical Attributes around; no Attribute may be reduced below one in this manner.

• Hide up to three health levels of wounds.

• Stop bleeding or hemorrhaging other bodily fluids.

• Negate one point of wound-penalties.

• Add two dots in a physical merit or enhancement merit.

• Reattach a severed limb or organ. Not that this does not heal the damage that severed it for the purposes of health levels.

• Temporarily regain the function of a lost limb or other organ, other then the brain (because you would be dead before you got to activate the power). If the character chooses to retain the shifted form while retaining a replacement limb or organ, they must pay an additional verve when they pay to sustain the power at the beginning of a scene. For simplicity's sake, assume the entire torso of a human being counts as two organs, and the abdomen counts as three.

Yes, this does mean that a very, very lucky shape-shifter might have a chance at surviving decapitation.

The character may choose to take an obvious identifying feature as a weakness for this power. Such a feature might be the inability to change the character's distinctive coloration (think Beast Boy or Plastic Man), or having a distinctive odor. Treat this flaw as if the character does not have Shapeshift Alpha for mechanical purposes, unless the character's very distinctive mark just happens to resemble what they are trying to impersonate (like if Beast Boy tried to pass as a green lizard).

Gamma Version

Using this power, a character can turn almost anything, provided it is entirely one piece. A character using Shapeshift in this manner is able to make one of the following changes for every success she gains on the activation roll, plus one for every dot in Shapeshift she possesses:

• Take one dot in a purely biological Alpha or Beta superpower. This power must be taken from a premade list of one power per dot in Shapeshift. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what powers can be emulated with Shapeshift; things like Claws and Armor are appropriate, while powers such as Mental Blast, Force Field, and Teleport aren't. These powers must be activated as normal, but if an action is required to activate them, they may be activated in the same turn as the Shapeshift action is taken. The character pays for them as normal, with verve, and uses the default listed die pool. They do not substitute their rating in Shapeshift for their rating in the appropriate power.

• Trade any two dots in Physical Attributes or Size for dots in Alpha or Beta biological superpowers; no Attribute may be reduced below one in this manner. Again, superpowers acquired in this manner must be activated as normal, though they can be activated simultaneously to the Shapeshift power.

The distinctive feature option for the Beta version of this power is also an option for the Gamma version.

If the shapeshifter is mechanical in nature (usually a rational for the distinctive feature drawback), they may copy Alpha and Beta powers with a plausible mechanical rational as an extra.

Omega Version

This version functions as the Gamma version, except the player does not make a list of powers to acquire this way, and can choose any biological power spontaneously.

Extras: None.

Weaknesses: Single Shape - The character can only take on a single predefined shape, but does not have to roll for activation. The activation always receives one success per die in the pool. The character may not spend more successes on any one thing than his dots in Shapeshift. This can be used to create were-creatures or power-up forms. Players looking to do so may want to look at the generic weaknesses Contingent Activation and Convergent Activation.

One Class - This flaw is viable for either Beta or Gamma level shape shifting only. The character can only make changes to their form as described in that class's description. Essentially, Beta shape shifting does not include Alpha and Gamma does not include Alpha or Beta.

Size Change - This is a weakness for the Beta level power. The only options the character can shift are their Size trait and Physical traits, and they do not have the Alpha options.

Shrink - This is a weakness for the Beta level power. The only options the character can shift is their Size and Physical traits (downward or back to normal), and they do not have the Alpha options. They are treated as having a minimum number of successes on the activation roll equal to their Power Level, and can choose not to roll at all if they wish to take the minimum. Ending the power is automatic and reflexive.

Grow - This is a weakness for the Beta level power. The only options the character can shift is their Size and Physical traits (upward or back to normal), and they do not have the Alpha options. They are treated as having a minimum number of successes on the activation roll equal to their Power Level, and can choose not to roll at all if they wish to take the minimum. Ending the power is automatic and reflexive.

SHROUD

Class: Alpha

Type: Tech, Bio or Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Stealth) + Shroud

Action: Reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Stealth) x 5 yards

Area: (Power Level + Stealth) yards

Duration: Concentration

Effect: The character creates a field of dark shadow, cloaking mist, nebulous energy or some other vision-obscuring medium. For each success the character gains on the activation roll, any characters (friend or foe) within the area of the shroud, or trying to see through it, receive a –1 penalty to all sight-based perception rolls. Those within count as blind for the purposes of combat if more then two successes are scored.

On an exceptional success, the shroud is so thick as to be effectively opaque; it is impossible to see through the area covered by the shroud at all, and characters caught within the area of effect are blinded. Normally Shroud only effects normal vision, but for one additional Verve the activating character may also have it obscure other types of vision (such as infrared or ultraviolet).

Extras:

Sensory Deprivation Field - The shroud may block other senses or forms of detection. This Extra can be taken multiple times, blocking three senses or forms of detection per purchase. Examples include smell, hearing, psychic detection, motion tracking, or mystic sight.

SKINCHANGER

Class: Alpha

Type: Mystic or Bio

Cost: 0 Verve, unless extending duration (as per Shapeshifter)

Dice Pool: Manipulation + Survival + Skinchanger

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

This power, except for the changes noted here, operates exactly like Shapeshift Beta.

The character may only take on the shapes which currently exist in their "Library", and start with only their natural shape in their library. To add a shape the character must kill the current 'owner' of the shape in some specific and gruesome fashion taking no less then fifteen minutes to complete. They must then assimilate the new shape in a process also taking no less then fifteen minutes.

The exact way in which this happens is left for the ST and player to determine. The character may skin the person alive and crawl into the resulting skin-suit, beat them to a pulp and absorb the victim through the skin, cut their head open and study their brain, or just chop them up and dine upon a chili made from their flesh and seasoned with their tears.

Whatever the case the victim must die, must suffer, and must be a sapient organic being. Modifications made to the character's stats by this power must be associated with the taken form.

Players should keep in mind that this power in no way offers any exemption from the Degeneration rolls it will inevitably cause. Standard use of this power requires torture in some form, though Compassionate Monster (below) may allow this to be upgraded to 'mere' premeditated murder. It is the Storyteller's call weather use of this power under the Heart's Blooded extra qualifies as being a lesser sin then general torture, if applicable.

Extras:

Compassionate Monster - The victim need not die suffering.

Heart's Blooded - Less then sapient creatures are now valid targets (it doesn't have to qualify as a person).

SUMMONING

Class: Gamma

Type: Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Manipulation + (Occult) + Summoning

Action: Instant or Extended

Range: (Power Level + Summoning) x 2 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to summon a specific type of supernatural minion. A single success on the activation roll allows the character to summon a Size 3 minion, while each additional success increases the maximum possible Size by 2. The character may spend one, two or three successes to grant the minion a single dot in an Alpha, Beta or Gamma power respectively. Multiple powers may be granted this way, but only 1 dot each. Powers granted to minions come from a premade list of one power per dot in Summoning. For example, an angel summoner with 4 dots could have access to Flight, Healing, Immolation (fire) and Judgement Brand. Powers granted to minions expend the character's Verve when used.

Minions created by Summoning each have a number of Health levels equal to their Size, and are destroyed if their Health is full of any type of damage. Minions have a dice pool of the character's Power Level + Summoning for any physical actions they attempt to perform, plus any dice that would logically be added by powers if they were characters. If a minion's attribute is needed for some reason (such as holding a grapple), use half its default dice pool rounded down. Minions have a Defense of 2 and Speed of 10. Minions act on their creator's initiative and have an effective Power Level equal to their creator's Power Level.

Minions 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.

Using Summoning is either an instant or an extended action. The character may choose to continue summoning next turn, adding his successes together, up to the number of dice in his unmodified pool. Additional turns of summoning cost only time, not Verve, and the character may roll a number of times up to his effective Stamina. Each roll takes one turn.

The character can dismiss his minions as a reflexive action. The character cannot have more minions at a time than his dots in Summoning.

Variants:

Companion (not an Extra or Weakness) - The character does not roll to activate this power, gaining one success for each die in his unmodified pool. However, he can only have one minion at a time, and it is always the same one, with consistent Size and powers unless his pool permanently increases. Damage taken by the minion lasts until the end of the scene, and if the minion is destroyed, this power is suppressed until the character takes a full night's rest.

Extras:

Improved Minions - The character's minions have a +1 bonus to their dice pools. This bonus increases by 1 for each success spent on Size.

Inherent Power - Choose one power the character's minions can have. They always have that power at no extra cost.

Weaknesses:

No Powers - The character does not have a list of powers to grant to his minions. This weakness does not conflict with the Inherent Power extra; a character with both simply chooses one power.

Pain Bond - Whenever a minion takes damage, the character takes that much bashing damage, which cannot be reduced. The character may dismiss the minion to avoid taking damage.

Tethered - Minions outside this power's range cannot take actions and will instinctively move toward the character.

Upkeep - The character must spend 1 Verve each time one of his minions takes an action.

SUPER SPEED

Class: Gamma

Type: Tech, Bio, or Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One turn

Effect: The character is very, very fast. Super Speed must be activated each turn to gain it's benefits. Those benefits are:

• The character gains +1 Defense and Initiative per dot.

• The character’s Speed is multiplied by the number of dots she has in Super Speed, plus one; IE a character with Super Speed 1 doubles her Speed, a character with Super Speed 2 triples it etc. This effects running speed and special speeds such as Flight identically.

• Outside of dramatic time, tasks the character undertakes have their time for completion divided by the number of dots in this power plus one. The Verve cost for this is equal to one for every hour of time, or portion of an hour, before reduction. Thus, an hour long task with Super Speed three takes 15 minutes, and costs one Verve.

• The character is able to take a number of additional rolled actions equal to their dots in Super Speed. Each action added this way costs one Verve and takes a cumulative -1 penalty. Actions involving multiple dice pools such as Gunslinger cannot be added this way.

• Additional rolled actions from the above benefit may be sacrificed for up to twice as many unrolled actions. Each two unrolled actions added this way cost one Verve. However, the character cannot move further than twice their multiplied Speed in one turn this way (otherwise their potential movement would increase quadratically).

• The character can make a special dash 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 move at least 10 yards in a straight line, then make a single melee attack as an instant action. This attack has a +1 bonus for each 5 yards moved or for each dot in Super Speed, whichever is lower.

Rolled and Unrolled actions can be mixed, so a character with three dots of Super Speed could move across a warehouse floor, punch out two goons, pick up a hostage and run out the door in one turn.

Characters can activate Super Speed at any point in a turn, including during someone else’s turn (which can be useful for defense) and before rolling initiative (unless they are surprised).

Extras:

Momentum - Due to the added force of moving at high speeds, a character should be able to strike harder simply by striking faster. The rules above ignore this in favor of not adding more power to an already very useful power. With the Momentum extra the character can substitute their Strength score for their Super Speed score if they activate it in the same round. This switch is only applicable if the action could benefit from speed. Attacks generally can if they use the Strength attribute, but lifting usually won't if the character isn't in motion at the time.

Weaknesses:

Specialized - The character looses two of the bulletted uses of the power to drop it to a Beta class power. Dropping an additional two renders Superspeed into an Alpha class power.

TELEKINESIS

Class: Beta

Type: Tech, Bio or Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + Composure + Telekinesis

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Telekinesis) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character may telekinetically lift, move, or hurl objects through the air. The character may move objects of a Size up to her Telekinesis without difficulty; to move objects larger than this, the character must make an activation roll, with each success allowing her to move an object one Size larger. A character may move any object she can lift up to ten yards per dot in Telekinesis plus five yards per additional success, and may move objects outside the original range of the power if so desired. Moving an object straight up counts as double the distance. When attempting to move another character as an object, the target's Defense applies to the activation roll. A character may also use Telekinesis to hurl an object she is capable of lifting; the range of such a projectile is (character’s Dexterity + Athletics + Telekinesis – object’s Size) yards, doubled for aerodynamic projectiles as normal. Telekinesis may also be used to attack or grapple a target directly; in such a situation, the activation roll counts as the character’s attack roll, and the target’s Defense applies. Attacks made in this manner do bashing damage. The character uses her Wits in place of Strength for the purpose of holding a grapple this way. Telekinesis does not grant a character the ability to fly, though a character’s telekinetic abilities may serve as justification for her purchase of the Flight power.

Extras:

Fling Sky High - Moving an object straight up counts as normal distance.

Size Matters Not - All objects count as Size 0 for the purposes of lifting or determining range.

Unavoidable - The activation roll ignores Defense.

God Machine Chronicles Rules Update: If using the rules update, ignore the Telekinesis Merit in favor of this power.

TELEPATHY

Class: Gamma

Type: Tech, Mystic or Bio

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Varies

Action: Varies

Range: Varies

Area: Varies

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to project her consciousness into the minds of others. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Telepathy 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).

The character is also able to communicate telepathically. The character establishes a mental link with her target through which the two characters can communicate, whether or not they share a common language. The target character is aware of the link being established, and if he chooses, he may attempt to contest the contact. If so, the character must gain at least one success on Wits + Empathy + Power Level minus the targets Resolve + Power Level.

Once the link has been created, it remains in place until either the character severs it or the target tries to push them out again on subsequent turns, prompting another roll. Both parties must be within (Power Level + Telepathy) x 10 yards.

Forcing telepathic contact on a person is highly invasive, and may count as a breaking point for the target or the character, or both. Characters that loose Integrity due to telepathic communication are likely to develop 'interesting' psychological states, perhaps even taking on personality traits or values of one another.

God Machine Chronicle Rules Updates: Ignore the Telepathy Merit in the rules update if using it with More Than Human.

If using the GMC Rules Update the Telepathy Power grants one technique when purchased, but does not grant additional techniques per dot. Instead, the player may purchase new techniques for two experiences each.

Extra:

Farthing - The range on telepathic effects is doubled.

MEMORY ALTERATION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Expression) + Telepathy vs. target's Resolve + Power Level

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Telepathy) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: An extension of the Mind Probe technique, this power allows the character to alter the memories of another. In order to use this technique, the character must first find and learn the information she wishes to change using the Mind Probe technique; once this is done, the character may make a contested activation roll to alter the memory. If the character wins the activation roll with an ordinary success, she is able to alter any single memory or piece of information in the target's mind; however, any related thoughts or memories (such as mnemonic devices for remembering passwords) will be left intact, which may end up confusing the target or alerting him to the memory alteration. If the character wins with an exceptional success, not only is the chosen memory or piece of information altered, but any related memories will also shift and alter to accommodate the changed information, rendering the target unable to detect the memory alteration without outside help. The memory changes caused by use of this technique are permanent, although the target may eventually realize that his memories are incorrect through interaction with other characters.

God Machine Chronicle Rules Update: Invasive entering a subject's mind is bound to be disturbing, and on a subconscious level the victim may understand they have been undermined. Player's who's characters are effected by this power may wish to take a Condition to reflect this.

MIND HAZE

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Subterfuge) + Telepathy vs. target's Resolve + Power Level

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Telepathy) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: One round

Effect: The character is able to flood the target's mind with noise, preventing action. Each success on the activation roll causes the target to lose one of the following for the duration: his next action, his defense, or his ability to move.

MIND PROBE

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Investigation) + Telepathy (vs. target's Resolve + Power Level)

Action: Extended, or extended and contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Telepathy) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to read the thoughts and memories of her target. In order to use this power, the character must make an extended activation roll and score a number of successes based on the target's Resolve and the nature of the thoughts or memories being sought. Accessing a target's surface thoughts or short-term memory requires only a number of successes equal to the target's Resolve. Accessing non-confidential information stored in the character's long-term memory (such as family birthdays or basic job information) requires a number of successes equal to the target's (Resolve x 3). Intimate or personal thoughts, or confidential memories (blackmail information, criminal activities, security codes) require a number of successes equal to the target's (Resolve x 5) to uncover, and learning the deepest-hidden thoughts and most-repressed memories require a number of successes equal to the target's (Resolve x 7). It's also possible to learn a target's basic personality traits (in game terms, his Virtue and Vice) in this manner; the Storyteller should determine how many successes are necessary to learn this information based on the above guidelines and how honest or dissembling the target is. The character using the Mind Probe technique may make a maximum number of rolls equal to the character's Resolve, and each roll takes one turn. A character targeted by Mind Probe may make a reflexive (Wits + Composure - activating character's Telepathy rating) roll to become aware of the psychic intrusion, and if successful, may contest the activation roll with a reflexive Resolve + Power Level roll each turn; if the target wins, the activating character does not gain any successes towards learning the desired information that turn.

God Machine Chronicle Rules Update: Invasive entering a subject's mind is bound to be disturbing, and on a subconscious level the victim may understand they have been undermined. Player's who's characters are effected by this power may wish to take a Condition to reflect this.

SKILL ASSIMILATION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Investigation) + Telepathy (vs. target's Resolve + Power Level)

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Telepathy) x 5 yards

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to copy the skills of others. Each success on the activation roll allows the character to effectively raise one of her skills to match the target's skill for the duration. Any specialties linked to copied skills are also copied. If the target has a Mega-Skill power, that too can be copied at the cost of one additional success per dot.

THOUGHT DETECTION

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Investigation) + Telepathy

Action: Instant

Range: Varies

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to expand her awareness and detect nearby mental activity. A single success on the activation roll makes the character aware of every entity with at least the intelligence of an insect within (Power Level + Telepathy) x 5 yards of her. Each additional success on the activation roll doubles this distance. The character is aware of both the location and the nature of each detected intelligence; for example, she would be able to recognize that the primitive minds in the floorboards belong to cockroaches and that the more advanced, familiar intelligences on the other side of the wall are humans. When faced with an unfamiliar intelligence, such as an A.I. or an extradimensional being, the character will learn the qualities of the intelligence ("highly advanced and extremely logical," or "similar in strength to a human but completely unfamiliar") but will not recognize the manner of entity to which they belong.

Once the character is familiar with a subject's mental signature, the character is able to track a target from a great distance by focusing on his mental activity. A single success on the activation roll allows the character to detect her target if he is anywhere within (Power Level + Telepathy) miles; each additional success on the activation roll doubles this range. If the target character is in range and his brain is functional, the activating character is immediately aware of his exact location in relation to her. If the target is not in range, or if his brain is no longer functioning, this power fails.

TELEPORT

Class: Beta

Type: Mystic, Tech or Bio

Cost: 0+ Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Investigation) + Teleport

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to travel instantly from one point to another, without passing through the intervening space. If the character teleports 5 yards away or less into a location they can see, there is no activation roll. To teleport up to 10 yards or into a location they cannot see requires at least one success on an activation roll. Each additional 10 yards penalizes the roll by -1. The player may choose to buy off these penalties at a cost of one verve per penalty.

Failing the roll gives the Storyteller the entertaining option of choosing the destination of the teleport. On a dramatic failure, the character not only counts as having failed his activation roll for the purposes of determining where he ends up, he also teleports into a dangerous situation, such as several hundred feet above the ground or underwater, or creates some sort of compromising medical anomaly, at the ST's option. The character cannot, intentionally or not, teleport into a space they cannot occupy.

Extras:

Combat Teleport - The character may teleport reflexively once per dot in Teleport during his turn. In addition, as a dodge, he may contest one attack with a Teleport activation roll, negating the attacker's successes with his own. If he rolls more successes than the attacker, he teleports to his intended destination after the attack is resolved.

Long Teleport - The character may teleport twice as far for the same cost.

Mass Teleport - The character may teleport up to one additional character for every dot in Teleport and Power Level he possesses.

Weaknesses:

Flash Step - The character actually does pass through the intervening space, and cannot teleport through any sort of cover, even if he can see through it.

TEMPORAL MANIPULATION

Class: Gamma

Type: Tech or Mystic

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Varies

Action: Varies

Range: Varies

Area: Varies

Duration: Varies

Effect: The character is able to manipulate the flow of time. The character knows one of the following techniques for each dot in Temporal 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). In addition to any other techniques she may have, any character with dots in Temporal Manipulation possesses an extremely accurate internal clock; she always knows exactly what time it is, and is able to mentally time events with the accuracy of a stopwatch.

God Machine Variant: If using the GMC Rules Update the Temporal Manipulation grants one technique when purchased, but does not grant additional techniques per dot. Instead, the player may purchase new techniques for two experiences each.

Extras: None.

AGE ALTERATION

Cost: 2 Verve

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Medicine) + Temporal Manipulation – target’s Stamina

Action: Extended

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: Each success on the activation roll increases or decreases the target’s physical age by one year; the Storyteller is the final arbiter of what effects, if any, this has on the target. Note that only the target’s physical body is changed, while his mental maturity, his knowledge level, and his superpowers remain intact; however, the immature brain of a child or the aged brain of a geriatric may not function as effectively as that of an adult, meaning the target may not be able to use that knowledge or those skills to full effect. Using Age Alteration is an extended action, and the character may roll and gain successes a number of times per scene up to her Stamina (including any bonus for Mega-Stamina). Each roll takes one turn.

Extensive use of this power on the same target may cause the character or the target to take degeneration rolls, at the STs option.

DILATE TIME

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Temporal Manipulation

Action: Reflexive

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

Area: N/A

Duration: One round

Effect: The character slows or speeds the passage of time around the target, altering their ability to act and to respond to the world around them. Each success on the activation roll reduces or improves the target’s Initiative and Defense by 1, to a minimum of 0 each; a character reduced to 0 Initiative may not act in combat at all this turn, as he is simply unable to keep up with the speed of events happening around him. Dilate Time can also inflict penalties to actions involving reaction time or quick action, both inside and outside of combat; the Storyteller is the final arbiter of how such penalties are applied.

DIVERGE SELF

Cost: 2 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Temporal Manipulation

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One turn

Effect: The character can briefly tap into the infinite potential of alternate timelines. This power can only be activated at the start of the character's turn. On a successful activation, the character splits into two people as with the Duplicate power. On an exceptional success, she splits into three people. At the end of her turn, all but one of her bodies disappear. While this power is active, the character cannot use any power that grants extra actions or creates sub-characters.

A character using this power is out of phase with reality; any roll she makes counts one less number (usually 8s) as successes.

HOP

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Resolve + (Drive) + Temporal Manipulation

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character jumps through time, forward or backward, a few moments, or occasionally as much as an hour. For each success on the activation roll, the character can choose to move up to one turn into the future or past. On an exceptional success the character may jump up to an hour or scene in either direction.

Time travel, even small-scale time travel, comes with certain rules. One is that the character must attempt not to alter the already established events (so sometimes it's easier not to know). Another is that they must avoid paradoxes in general.

If a character violates one of these rules they begin to diverge from the 'trajectory' of time, and gain a 'Divergence' point. Mark this point by putting an X through the character's top-most Morality circle. Each additional point marks another circle below that one. If the circle that would be marked is a filled in dot, the character automatically looses a dot of Morality and checks for degeneration. That character cannot regain this point of Morality while that level is still marked with Divergence. A time traveler particularly prone to paradox will simply vanish if their entire morality track is filled with Divergence.

The character may remove a point of Divergence by fixing any violation of the above rules. For instance, if the character gained the point by removing an object that someone later picked up, they can fix the situation by replacing the object without being seen by their earlier self.

Situations may arise that a character cannot fix, so a time traveler must be careful, lest time travel break their mind and eventually eject them from reality all together.

A character can also use this power in a 'playing it forward' manor. A character can choose to take a point of Divergence to assign a future use of time travel they plan on, and benefit from it at the moment. When they actually take the action, the point of Divergence is removed. For example, the player may declare that their character finds a tool they need in a drawer they have never looked in, because they will put it there later. They will find the tool there when they look, and they will have the point of Divergence until they go back in time and put that same tool in that same drawer. The Storyteller may declare any 'play it forward' use of this power void without explanation. This simply indicates that the character's attempt to set up events failed for some reason. The verve is still spent and the Divergence is still gained though, as the character must still make the attempt later (The attempt will then remove the Divergence, once the character has failed).

If the Storyteller uses the "Matter of Resolve" optional rules for downtime actions, they may allow a 'played forward' action to take up a downtime action.

God Machine Chronicle Rules Update: Assume that this power works in an identical fashion, except that references to Morality should become references to Integrity.

STOP TIME

Cost: 1 Verve, 1 Willpower

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Science) + Temporal Manipulation vs. target’s

Resolve + Power Level

Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive

Range: (Power Level + Temporal Manipulation) yards

Area: N/A

Duration: Varies

Effect: A more potent version of Dilate Time, Stop Time does just that—stops the passage of time around a target. Each success on the activation roll freezes a target in time for one turn; on an exceptional success, the target is frozen for an entire scene. While frozen in time, the target cannot act or be acted upon in any way; he may not use any powers or abilities, and he is unaffected by and unaware of outside phenomena (attacks, superpowers, etc.). An unwilling target may attempt to resist this power with a reflexive Resolve + Power Level roll; if the target wins the contested roll, the effect does not take hold and the character looses their action.

TIMELESS STEP

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Temporal Manipulation

Action: Reflexive

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One turn

Effect: The character can move great distances in no time at all. When this power is activated, the character's speed increases by 10 yards per success, and no one can perceive the character moving. This power may be activated only once per turn.

TETHER

Class: Alpha

Cost: None

Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + Tether

Action: Instant

Range: (Power Level + Tether) x 5 yards

Duration: Instant or One scene

Effect: The character is able to extend a chain or web that pulls things. On a successful activation, the character anchors himself to an object. If the target is fixed and capable of supporting his weight, the character either pulls himself to it, or may swing up to 10 yards per success. If the target is loose, the character pulls it to himself instead. The character can pull a loose object of a Size up to his own Size or his dots in Tether + his successes rolled, whichever is lower. When attempting to pull another character with this power, the target's Defense applies to the activation roll.

The character can use this power to cling to a wall or ceiling, but cannot move freely across such a surface unless he has the Wallcrawler merit.

The character can choose to remain attached to the target until end of scene, until his grip is broken by force, or until he ends the effect reflexively. When attached, the character and target cannot move apart. Attempting to break the character's grip is an instant Strength roll contested reflexively by the character's Strength + Tether. If the target breaks free, it can move up to its Speed in the same action.

Clarification: This power represents an innate ability, as opposed to a piece of equipment. A player who simply wants their character to have a grappling hook should use the appropriate equipment from existing books.

TRANSMUTATION

Class: Gamma

Type: Mystic

Cost: 1+ Verve

Dice Pool: Resolve + (Occult) + Transmutation - (target's Defense + Resolve)

Action: Instant

Range: Touch

Area: N/A

Duration: One turn per Verve spent (unwilling) or one scene (willing)

Effect: The character is able to forcibly change the shape of living things. The more dots the character has in this power, the greater the change can be. For example (ignoring size limits), transmuting a human into a different human takes one dot, a human into an ape takes two, a human into a pig takes three, a human into a bird takes four, a human into a bug takes five, and a human into a tree takes six. It is impossible to transmute anyone into a supernatural or imaginary creature.

This change is only corporeal, affecting attributes, Size and Speed but not skills, merits or powers. The target retains its mind, if any. The transmuted shape can be no more than twice the target's original Size and no less than half rounded down, unless the character has enough excess dots to push this limit: one more dot for 3x or 1/3, two for 4x or 1/4, and so on. The transmuted shape's attributes are average for its species. At the Storyteller's discretion, the target might gain or lose abilities that depend on its shape, such as wings or gills.

Extras: None

VARIABLE ARRAY

Class: Gamma

Type: Tech, Bio or Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: N/A

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: Permanent

Effect: The character has the option to trade one power of the same Type for another. The player chooses two Beta powers or three Alpha powers. The character has those powers with the same number of dots as Variable Array, but only one of them can have any effect at any given time. The character can switch between these powers at the cost of 1 Verve once per turn.

Extras: None; the nature of this power forbids changes to its class.

VECTOR MANIPULATION

Class: Gamma

Type: Tech, Bio, or Mystic

Cost: 1 Verve

Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Vector Manipulation

Action: Reflexive

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

Area: N/A

Duration: Instant

Effect: The character is able to alter the direction of projectiles. Whenever a ranged attack passes within (Power Level + Vector Manipulation) yards of the character, he may redirect the attack at a target of his choice, using the activation roll as an attack roll.

Using this power counts as a dodge action.

Extras:

Redirect Anything - In addition to the normal effect, whenever an opponent within (Power Level + Vector Manipulation) yards of the character makes a melee attack or moves too quickly, the character may use this power to move that opponent up to 3 yards per success on the activation roll. That opponent's turn ends immediately.

VENOM

Class: Beta

Type: Bio

Cost: Varies

Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Medicine) + Venom

Action: Instant

Range: Self

Area: N/A

Duration: One scene

Effect: The character is able to synthesize deadly poisons from his body. When this power is activated, the character creates one dose of poison per success and spends 1 Verve per success. If the character has insufficient Verve or chooses to create fewer doses, the remaining successes are wasted. The poison has toxicity equal to the character's dots in Venom and one method of delivery of the character's choice. The character is immune to any poison he creates.

Once per turn as a reflexive action, he character may apply one dose of any poison he creates to his own hands or an object he can touch, but not forcefully poison another character.

Extras: None

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