MTH:Powers Q-Z
Contents
REGENERATION
Rank: 2
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 per dot in Regeneration every
turn at the start of his action, regardless of whether he is conscious or not,
and he heals one level of lethal damage every fifteen minutes. Aggravated
damage heals at the ordinary rate.
Extras: Accelerated Regeneration (the character automatically heals one level
of either bashing or lethal damage per dot in Regeneration every turn at the
start of his action, whether he is conscious or not [starting with bashing
damage first]; the character also heals one level of Aggravated damage every
two days).
SHAPESHIFT
Rank: 3
Cost: 1 Verve, see below
Dice Pool: Stamina + (Survival) + Shapeshift
Action: Instant
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to alter her physical form. The simplest use
of this power is simply to look like another person, 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 generic human or
humanoid of any gender, 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 or scars. (The Storyteller
and player should decide ahead of time if the character has any such distinctive
features.) Shapeshift can also be used in conjunction with more mundane disguise
methods to emulate the appearance of a specific person; if used in this matter,
each success on the activation roll adds a +1 modifier to the character's contested
disguise roll. 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; a character using Shapeshift in this manner can
turn into an animal, a creature out of myth, or a hellish montrosity. 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:
- Increase or decrease her Size by one, to a minimum of zero.
- Increase a Physical Attribute by one.
- Shift any number of dots in Physical Attributes around, on a one-for-one
basis; no Attribute may be reduced below one in this manner.
- Increase her Speed's species factor (normally 5) by one.
- Trade any number of dots between her Physical Attributes and her Speed's
species factor, on a one-for-one basis; no Attribute may be reduced below
one in this manner, and her Speed's species factor may not be reduced below
zero.
- Take one dot in a physical superpower. The Storyteller is the final arbiter
of what powers can be emulated with Shapeshift; things like Claws, Armor, and
Physical Mega-Attributes are appropriate, while powers such as Mental Blast,
Force Field, and Teleport generally aren't. These powers must be activated as
normal (paying any necessary costs), but if an action is required to activate
them, they may be activated in the same turn as the Shapeshift action is taken.
- Trade any number of dots in Physical Attributes for dots in Rank 1 or Rank
2 physical superpowers, on a one-for-one basis; 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.
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.
Extras: None.
SHROUD
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Stealth) + Shroud
Action: Instant
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 chararacters (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. 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 affects 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: Semisolid (each yard moved within the area of the shroud counts as two
yards, and the shroud may be formed into a wall providing +1/+1 armor per dot
of Shroud to anyone attacked through it), Sensory Deprivation Field (the shroud
may block other senses or forms of detection, at a cost of one Verve per
additional sense, up to a maximum of the user’s dots in Shroud; examples
include smell, hearing, psychic detection, or motion tracking).
TELEKINESIS
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Dexterity + (Athletics) + 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, and may move objects outside the original range of the power if
so desired. 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 and armor apply. Attacks
made in this manner do bashing damage. 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: Size Matters Not (all objects count as Size 0 for the purposes of
lifting or determining range).
TELEPATHY
Rank: 3
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).
Extras: None.
COMMUNICATE
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Expression) + Telepathy [vs. target's Resolve + Power Level]
Action: Instant or contested; resistance is reflexive
Range: (Power Level + Telepathy) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character is able to communicate telepathically. On a successful
activation roll, 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 Telepathy activation roll with a reflexive
Resolve + Power Level roll; if the target wins this roll, the telepathic link is
not established. Once the link has been created, it remains in place for one
scene, unless one of the characters decides to sever it; the activating character
may sever a telepathic link automatically as a reflexive action, while the target
character must make roll his Resolve + Power Level in a contested action against
the original activation roll in order to sever the link.
MENTAL BLOODHOUND
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Intelligence + (Investigation) + Telepathy
Action: Instant
Range: Varies
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: The character is able to track a target from a great distance by focusing
on his mental activity. In order to locate a target with this power, the activating
character must be familiar with that target, either through previous telepathic
contact or through some other means of interaction. 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 automatically.
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 accomodate 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.
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.
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.
TELEPORT
Rank: 2
Cost: 1 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. In order to use this power, the
character must first select a target destination and determine how far away it
is. One success on the activation roll allows the character to accurately
teleport a distance of up to 10 yards; each additional success multiplies this
distance by a factor of ten (so, three successes on the activation roll would
allow the character to accurately teleport up to 1,000 yards). If the
character does not roll enough successes to reach his destination, he ends up
in a location (d10 + number of additional successes needed to reach target) x
10 yards away from his intended direction, in a location determined by the
Storyteller. If the character can see his location, or has seen it before in
person, he may elect to count his dots in Teleportation as automatic successes,
rather than adding them to the activation pool; however, if he has never
personally seen his target location, he is “teleporting blind” and suffers a –1
penalty to the activation roll for every full 100 yards he tries to 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—inside a solid object, for example, or
several hundred feet above the ground or underwater. Teleportation into the
air or underwater is covered by the rules for falling and drowning,
respectively; if the character teleports into a solid object, the character
takes one level of Lethal damage for every point of Durability the object has,
and the object takes one level of damage for every point of Stamina the
character has. The character is then ejected from the object by the shortest
route possible.
Extras: Combat Teleport (teleportation is a reflexive action, rather than an
instant action), Mass Teleport (the character may teleport up to one additional
character for every dot in Teleport he possesses), Safe Blind Teleport (the
penalty for teleporting blind is halved, rounding in favor of the character).
TEMPORAL MANIPULATION
Rank: 3
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.
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.
ACCELERATE TIME
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Temporal Manipulation
Action: Varies
Range: (Power Level + Temporal Manipulation) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: One turn
Effect: The character accelerates the passage of time for herself or for
someone else, allowing the affected character to perform long and complex tasks
in the blink of an eye or unleash a flurry of blows on a hapless opponent. A
character under the effects of Accelerate Time counts as having a number of
dots in the Hypermovement ability equal to the number of successes on the
activation roll, up to a maximum of the original character’s dots in Temporal
Manipulation. The affected character also counts as having the Hyperspeed
Attack extra, but the bonus to attack rolls is halved (rounding up).
Activating this power is a reflexive action if the character uses it on
herself; if used on another character, activating the power counts as an
instant action.
DILATE TIME
Cost: 1 Verve
Dice Pool: Wits + (Science) + Temporal Manipulation
Action: Instant
Range: (Power Level + Temporal Manipulation) x 5 yards
Area: N/A
Duration: One turn
Effect: The character slows the passage of time around the target, reducing
their ability to act and to respond to the world around them. Each success on
the activation roll reduces 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.
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, he counts as being
under the effects of Dilate Time rather than Stop Time.
VERVE RECOVERY
Rank: 2
Cost: N/A
Dice Pool: N/A
Action: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: The character recovers his energy extremely quickly. Every time this
character recovers Verve, he gains an additional number of Verve equal to his
Verve Recovery rating.
Extras: None.
