GURPS - 4th Edition - Powers

Powering Up New Special Limitations your Aim or Evaluate maneuver if
you attack any of them. Use this to
Powers that focus on animals, Environmental (p. 110) is allowed, represent high-tech sensors and the
plants, or spirits might include the but only if it limits Enhanced Move to situational awareness of cinematic
appropriate variety of empathy – and a subset of its usual environment. For warriors. +20%.
any of these traits would suit instance, Enhanced Move (Air) could-
Telepathy. These advantages are also n’t take Environmental, Air (-5%) – but Powering Up
suitable for powers that let the user it could have Environmental, Trees or
read body language (e.g., chi powers) tall buildings (-20%) in order to bene- Like any vision ability, Enhanced
or vital signs (e.g., healing powers). fit Move with Brachiator (p. B41) but Tracking is suitable for Light power. It
Talent benefits the IQ roll to use any of not Flight. also fits a wide variety of supernatural
these abilities. powers – notably ESP and chi powers.
All-Out: Moving fast requires your Talent adds to any Sense roll required
Enhanced Move undivided attention! Using your abili- to keep track of targets.
ty is like making an All-Out Attack . . .
see p. B52 but without the attack. You have no Extra Attack
active defenses and can’t Attack,
Animals built for speed, super- Concentrate, Ready, etc. Explain what see p. B53
speedsters, robots, and vehicles are you’re doing: flapping your wings, bal-
likely to have Enhanced Move in their ancing on two wheels, diverting all The top candidates for this advan-
primary mode of locomotion. Some your power to project a flame jet or ice tage are monsters that can attack
common explanations: path, or whatever else fits. This is simultaneously with multiple body
worth less than the general All-Out parts (e.g., claws and teeth), super-
Physiological: Adaptations such as modifier (p. 110), because it doesn’t human warriors with cinematic lev-
fins, wings, or a streamlined body limit you to half your Move in a for- els of combat expertise, and
often imply such traits as ward direction. -20%. machines with advanced tactical
Amphibious, Flight (Small Wings or computers. However, the GM might
Winged), and/or No Legs (Aerial or Powering Up make one or two levels available to
Aquatic), in addition to Enhanced anyone in a cinematic martial-arts
Move. The fastest land creatures Powers that offer Flight or game.
aren’t bipeds, and tend to have Extra Amphibious usually incorporate
Legs – or possibly Extra Arms or Enhanced Move (Air) or (Water). The Alternatives
Strikers. Creatures that can only use most common explanation for
Enhanced Move for a short time Enhanced Move (Ground) is a chi- or Use Ambidexterity (p. B39) for
before they tire should add Costs psi-based body-control power. someone who can use both hands
Fatigue (-5%/level). Suitable elemental powers can justi- with equal dexterity – Extra Attack is
fy almost any form of Enhanced for those who can use both hands at
Technological: Wheels, tracks, jets, Move. Talent adds to control rolls, the same time, which isn’t the same
rockets, propellers, etc. are likely for and is cumulative with the Handling thing. To aim at multiple targets, take
robots and vehicles. Such options Bonus enhancement. Enhanced Tracking (above). Speedy
often suggest additional traits – No heroes who get multiple maneuvers
Legs (Wheeled) for wheels, Burning Enhanced Tracking per turn should buy Altered Time Rate
Attack for a rocket that doubles as a (p. 41).
weapon, and so on. Many of them see p. B53
make the user obvious while in use, New Special Enhancement
which is a Nuisance Effect (-5%). Beings with eyestalks or extra eyes
might be able to follow more than one Multi-Strike: You can strike more
Superhuman: Those with powers target at a time – as might those with than once with the same weapon or
often have more unusual justifica- “inner sight” (espers, martial-arts body part. This means you can
tions. These can be invisible (an ordi- masters, etc.) and robots with launch more attacks than you have
nary-looking man who runs very fast, advanced sensor arrays. limbs, natural weapons, and attack
speedy psychokinetic levitation, etc.) abilities. You can use your best attack
or glaringly obvious (e.g., creating and Alternatives multiple times. +20%.
gliding along a strip of ice). Costs
Fatigue and Nuisance Effect are both Enhanced Tracking has no effect New Special Limitation
appropriate. on arc of vision – it just makes it pos-
sible to track multiple targets within Single Skill: Your Extra Attacks
Alternatives that arc. Peripheral Vision (p. B74) apply only to a particular combat
and 360° Vision (p. 39) do improve arc skill. For instance, Extra Attack 2
Enhanced Move is good for long- of vision, and often accompany (Single Skill, Karate) lets you attack
distance travel and quickly covering a Enhanced Tracking. three times – but at least two of the
short distance in a straight line – but if attacks must be with the Karate skill.
the goal is tactical mobility, extra Basic New Special Enhancement To attack more than once using a
Move is a better choice. See Basic weapon skill, you need either one
Move (p. B17) and Move in Other Multiple Lock-Ons: You can track weapon per attack or the Multi-
Environments (p. B18). multiple targets even if you have only Strike enhancement. -20%.
one weapon, and gain the benefit of

BUILDING ABILITIES 49

Powering Up Levitator: Most telekinetics, wiz- airborne for at most five seconds.
ards, etc. use unmodified Flight. After that, you must push off again by
Extra Attack is a classic part of chi Those who fly using antigravity have moving close enough to a rigid surface
powers, granting multiple attacks to Planetary (-5%). Space Flight (+50%) (wall, bamboo cane, etc.) – or any sur-
martial-arts masters; both Multi- is common, but incompatible with face, even water, in a cinematic game
Strike and Single Skill are appropri- Planetary. Supers who wish to match – to touch it with part of your body.
ate. Shapeshifting powers might also aircraft speeds will need Enhanced This doesn’t require a maneuver.
include this ability, allowing the effec- Move. Otherwise, you start to fall! -20%.
tive use of extra body parts in combat.
Talent doesn’t affect rolls to hit. Plane: Fixed-wing flyers require Powering Up
both Cannot Hover (-15%) and
Flight Winged (-25%), and generally have Divine, magical, psionic, and spirit
noisy propellers or jets that qualify for powers generally let the user fly like a
see p. B56 Nuisance Effect (-5%). Enhanced levitator, while elemental powers tend
Move is common. to work more like a rocket, vertol, or
Flight is exceedingly common in hovercraft. People with animal-con-
myth and fiction, attributed to gods, Rocket: Realistic rockets have trol or shapeshifting powers might
robots, supers, wizards, and a wide Newtonian Space Flight (+25%), while sprout wings and fly like a bird or a
range of monsters . . . to name only a space-opera models have Space Flight glider. Talent adds to control rolls, and
few examples. Flying heroes typically (+50%). Add Space Flight Only (-75%) to rolls against the Aerobatics and
hew to one of these archetypes: if the rocket can only travel through Flight skills.
space. Rockets are noisy and danger-
Airship: Those who hang in the air ous enough to rate Nuisance Effect Growth
like dirigibles (“aerostats”) have the (-5%). Enhanced Move is essential.
Lighter Than Air (-10%) limitation. see p. B58
This is especially suitable for science- Vertol: A vertol flies by directing
fiction “gasbag” aliens. thrust both straight down to counter- Growth nearly always occurs in the
act gravity and behind it to move later- context of super-powers or “being a
Bird: Creatures that flap wings to ally. Its numerous control surfaces god.” Few other mythic or fictional
stay airborne – including bats, birds, qualify as Small Wings (-10%), Most explanations exist for Growth, and
insects, and many fantastic beasts vertols are extremely loud – a Nuisance there’s no realistic rationale for it.
(dragons, gryphons, etc.) – have the Effect (-5%). Enhanced Move is likely. Supers and gods can generally enlarge
Winged (-25%) limitation. Cannot their equipment as they grow, which
Hover (-15%), while common, isn’t Alternatives calls for the Can Carry Objects
required; many insects and tiny birds enhancement (p. 108).
can hover. Many traits work like limited
Flight: Catfall (p. 43), for heroes who The GM should permit those with
Glider: Hang-glider-like “flight” is can only glide downward; Super Jump Growth to buy Enhanced Move
Controlled Gliding (-45%) – which is (p. 79), for those who can defy gravity (Ground) to reflect their vast stride. A
only slightly less versatile than the for short hops; and Walk on Air reasonable limit is levels of Enhanced
combination of Cannot Hover and (p. 87), for individuals who can climb Move equal to half the level of Growth.
Winged. Movement like that of a fly- or walk skyward. For interstellar If this Enhanced Move appears gradu-
ing squirrel or flying snake “flight,” Warp (p. 88) with the ally as the character grows, it requires
(Chrysopelea) calls for Gliding (-50%). Hyperjump limitation is usually a the Size limitation, just like additional
better model. ST.
Helicopter: Rotary-wing flyers have
Winged (-25%) but not Cannot Hover. New Special Limitations Alternatives
Whirling blades are noisy and danger-
ous; add Nuisance Effect (-5%) as Planetary: Your Flight works by Growth is for entities that change
well. Enhanced Move is likely. “pushing off” against a planet’s gravi- size. Permanently huge beings don’t
tational or magnetic field. It’s useless have Growth (Always On) – they just
Hovercraft: Give those who must fly in the absence of a planet. This is have a large Size Modifier. High SM is
close to the ground Low Ceiling (-10%, incompatible with all types of Space a zero-cost feature for aliens, mon-
-20%, or -25%). Add Small Wings Flight. -5%. sters, gods, and anything else the GM
(-10%) if – like a vehicle – they feels should have it. The drawbacks of
have skirts, stabilizers, or similar Requires Surface: You fly by “push- being an easy target and paying extra
assemblies. ing off” of surfaces. You can stay for giant-sized equipment offset the
discount on the price of ST and HP
Flight is exceedingly common in (the Size limitation; see p. B15).
myth and fiction, attributed to gods,
robots, supers, wizards, and a wide Powering Up
range of monsters . . .
Growth suits any power that
changes the fundamental nature of
matter or moves mass between uni-
verses. It also fits the cosmic powers of
deities – and sometimes the divine

50 BUILDING ABILITIES

powers they grant their servants. Effect, or Symptoms would require a Powering Up
Finally, it meshes nicely with the roll at -1 and cost 2 FP. +60%.
theme of plant-related powers. Talent Healing is the core ability of the
doesn’t affect die rolls, but those with New Special Limitations Healing power, which is usually chi-
multiple levels of Growth and Talent or psi-based, and frequently an ability
may adjust their SM by up to Affliction Only: You can only neu- of “good” divine, moral, and spirit
±(Talent+1) per second instead of just tralize Afflictions, as described for powers. Talent adds to all IQ rolls
±1. Cure Affliction; you can’t heal injury made to use the advantage.
or cure disease. -40%.
Healing Hearing Advantages
Capped: You can spend only a lim-
see p. B59 ited number of FP per use. This limits Extended auditory capabilities
the severity of the diseases you can such as Parabolic Hearing (p. B72),
Use Healing for the gifts of those cure, requires multiple uses to heal Subsonic Hearing (p. B89), and
who can repair injuries and cure dis- serious injuries (taking extra time and Ultrahearing (p. B94) are appropriate
eases instantly, without any special incurring the usual -3 per previous for predators that locate or track pray
medical knowledge. Holy healers successful healing), and may prevent using sound – or for supers whose
should note that the Faith Healing you from repairing crippled limbs. abilities emulate those of such crea-
enhancement is simply a special case This is worth -25% for a cap of 2 FP, tures. These traits are especially com-
of the Xenohealing enhancement: -20% for 4 FP, -15% for 6 FP, -10% for mon among fictional heroes with Bad
“Those my god deems worthy.” Faith 8 FP, and -5% for 10 FP. More than 10 Sight or Blindness.
Healing isn’t the same as the Divine FP isn’t an appreciable limitation.
modifier on p. 26 – Healing can have Alternatives
either modifier on its own, or both. Empathic: When you heal others,
you take on the injuries, diseases, and Individuals who can “see” using
Alternatives Afflictions you remove instead of pay- sound should take Sonar (see
ing FP. These affect you even if you Scanning Sense, p. 72), or Dark Vision
Those who can only heal them- have specific immunities to them. (p. 46) with the Hypersensory
selves have Regeneration (p. 70) or They get better at the usual “natural” enhancement. A heightened ability to
Regrowth (p. 71). An Affliction (p. 39) rate unless cured via medicine or a feel vibrations rather than hear them is
with the Advantage enhancement can special ability (e.g., you might “trans- Sensitive Touch (p. 73) or Vibration
grant these traits to others, however, fer” your wounds to someone else with Sense (p. 86).
and serve the same purpose as Leech). Empathic is incompatible
Healing. with Capped. -50%. Powering Up

Cyborgs and robots with built-in Hearing-related abilities are a good
medical equipment for the First Aid, fit for the elemental Sound/Vibration
Physician, or Surgery skill should sim- power, ESP, and even Psychokinesis, if
ply buy Accessory perks (p. B100). A it includes a feedback mechanism that
first-aid kit, physician’s tools, and sur- lets the psychokinetic sense vibrations
gical instruments are three separate in the air. Talent adds to Hearing rolls
perks. when using these special senses.

New Special Enhancements Hyperspectral Vision

Healing normally involves laying see p. B60
on hands. For a “healing ray,” add
Ranged (+40%). Two other enhance- Hyperspectral imaging is poised to
ments are common: become the dominant passive sensor
technology in the late-TL8 world,
Affects Self: You can also heal your- making this advantage appropriate for
self, provided you’re conscious. Shock quasi-realistic cyborgs, robots, and
penalties apply to any Healing roll vehicles. It works equally well as a
made on the turn after you’re wound- “scientific” explanation for seemingly
ed. +50%. paranormal visual abilities, including
the sight of keen-eyed fantasy races
Cure Affliction: You can neutralize such as Elves.
ongoing Afflictions – including the
Affliction-like effects of the Side Effect Alternatives
and Symptoms enhancements. This
requires an IQ roll at -1 per full +50% Beings that can only see light below
the target effect is worth as an or above the visible spectrum have
enhancement to Affliction. FP cost is Infravision (p. B60) or Ultravision
equal to twice the penalty, minimum 1 (p. B94), respectively. Heroes who just
FP. For instance, blindness is a +50% want to see in the dark should com-
Disadvantage enhancement, so to cure pare Night Vision (p. B71) and Dark
blindness caused by Affliction, Side Vision (p. 46).

BUILDING ABILITIES 51

New Special Enhancement Independent Body Parts

Extended (Special): You can per- If you have this form of Injury Tolerance (p. 53), your limbs and
ceive and see by non-electromagnetic extremities are separate entities. When struck there, don’t apply injury
radiation. This is mainly useful in sci- to your HP. Instead, apply it to that body part’s HP score: your HP/3 for
ence-fiction settings that feature weird an extremity or HP/2 for a limb (round up).
radiation . . . or in worlds where
magic, psi, and the like emit rays of Attacks injure body parts normally with one exception: a cutting
eldritch power. +30% per added class attack that would cripple a limb or extremity costs you the use of that
of radiation. part (see p. B421) but inflicts no injury on you or it. Instead, it severs the
body part, which falls to the ground and fights as your ally! An extremi-
Powering Up ty separates from its limb, while a limb separates from your torso.

Hyperspectral Vision suits Light Body parts have your HT. Size Modifier is your own, adjusted by the
power and possibly Darkness power part’s hit location modifier. Other abilities are as follows:
(especially if it works by absorbing
light rather than blocking it). Like any Arms: An arm has your DX, a Move of your ST/4, and a Dodge of
extended sense, it could even be an DX/2 + 3. It uses your ST for striking or strangling, ST/2 for grappling
aspect of ESP. Talent adds to Vision or dragging things. If it has a hand, it can punch or grapple (but only
rolls when using this ability. the feet or legs of a standing foe), or wield a one-handed weapon at -2
damage. If it lacks a hand, it can club for punching damage.
Injury Tolerance
Leg: A leg with a foot has DX equal to your DX-2. Move is your Basic
see p. B60 Move-3, while Dodge is your DX/2 + 3. It can leap up and kick foes for
full damage. Treat a leg without a foot as an arm without a hand, but at
Injury Tolerance is meant for those -2 DX.
with fundamentally nonhuman physi-
ologies. Three forms are of particular Hand: A severed hand has your DX, Move equal to DX/2, and a
interest when creating superscience Dodge of DX/2 + 3. Its only effective attack is to crawl up someone’s
constructs and supers: body (treat this as a grapple) and strangle – see p. B370. The hand has
your full ST for this purpose only.
Diffuse: Appropriate for beings
made of a loose collection of tiny par- Foot: A foot has DX equal to your DX-2, Move 1, and Dodge 4. Its
ticles (bees, dust motes, nanites, etc.), only useful combat ability is to trip those who try to pass it. A fighter
liquid, gas, plasma, or energy. who tries to run past the foot must evade (see p. B368), and falls down
Examples include sapient swarms, if the foot wins.
living flames and tornadoes, liquid-
metal robots (“nanomorphs”), and Round all fractions up. Where combat skills would matter, apply
superscience “holograms” that can your relative skill level to the body part’s DX.
interact with the material world. In
some settings, spirits, magical illu- A severed body part suffers injury normally from every attack but the
sions, and related entities that are one that severed it. At 0 or fewer HP, it’s crippled and can’t act. Make the
tangible but not solid also have this usual HT roll to learn whether this is permanent (see p. B422).
trait.
You may reattach body parts by holding them in place for a minute.
Homogenous: Use this trait for You can reattach crippled body parts if the injury is temporary or last-
creatures made out of largely undiffer- ing, but they remain crippled. Permanently crippled body parts are
entiated solid matter – living or other- destroyed.
wise. Common examples are dancing
swords, golems, unpowered vehicles, One final perk: should you die, the severed part lives on, and con-
walking plants, and anything else tinues to attack your enemies!
made of solid ice, metal, plastic, stone,
wood, etc. Very dense supers often Special Modifiers
have this advantage, despite appear-
ing superficially human. Detachable Head: Your head uses these rules, too. A cutting attack to
the neck that inflicts full HP or more decapitates you without injury.
Unliving: Anything that has differ- Your head has your DX and HT, HP/2, and Move and Dodge 0. It can
entiated “vital” areas but isn’t made bite at full ST in close combat. If your head is your seat of conscious-
of living tissue is Unliving. Powered ness, your body fights as its ally. If it isn’t (for instance, if you have No
vehicles and robots, and most other Brain), it fights as an ally of your body. +15%.
complex machines, qualify – as do
vampires, zombies, and similar walk- Instant Reattachment: You only have to hold body parts in place for
ing corpses. A total cyborg with few a second to reattach them. +50%.
living parts might qualify, at the GM’s
option. No Reattachment: Your severed body parts are animated, but you can’t
reattach them. You can’t combine this with Instant Reattachment. -60%.
The GM may invent new forms.
Some examples of special importance: Reattachment Only: Your body parts are inert when severed. Severing
them causes you no injury, and you can reattach them, but they can’t
fight for you. You can’t combine this with No Reattachment. -50%.

52 BUILDING ABILITIES

Damage Reduction: You divide the Alternatives your normal form, you must contract
injury you suffer by 2, 3, or 4 after sub- to your usual size (at your Move score)
tracting DR from damage and apply- The line between Diffuse and such and then take a Concentrate maneu-
ing wounding modifiers. Unmodified, traits as Insubstantiality (p. 55) and ver. Swarm includes Infiltration. +80%
this trait reduces all injury – but Shadow Form (p. 73) is fine indeed. if you can’t affect the material world;
except in high-powered supers games, The deciding factor is whether the +160% if you can.
the GM should consider requiring the character can affect the material
Limited modifier; see Limited Defenses world. If he can, take Diffuse. Powering Up
(p. B46). It would be fair to restrict
heroes to “Common,” “Occasional,” or The essence of Homogenous, Elemental powers often grant
even “Rare” classes, or to damage Unliving, and Damage Reduction is Damage Reduction (limited to their
types directly related to their powers. extreme toughness. Alternatives element), or give access to elemental
50 points for a divisor of 2, 75 points include Supernatural Durability meta-traits (see p. B262) that include
for 3, 100 points for 4. (p. B89) and Unkillable (p. B95) – or Homogenous or Diffuse. Someone
just lots of Damage Resistance (p. 45) with matter-control or spirit powers
Independent Body Parts: See or Hit Points. Damage Resistance is that let him become a semi-solid
Independent Body Parts (p. 52) for this superior for those who expect never to specter could also justify Diffuse.
complex form of Injury Tolerance, face high-damage attacks.
intended for undead and fantasy mon- With the addition of Infiltration,
sters. 35 points. New Special Enhancements Diffuse suits shapeshifting powers.
The GM might allow shapeshifters
Unbreakable Bones: Your bones are Infiltration: For Diffuse only. Your with particularly outré powers to buy
nearly indestructible, or you have body is a fluid that can flow through other forms of Injury Tolerance – No
alternative structural support that’s the tiniest of holes. In addition to the Head, No Neck, etc. – with Switchable
difficult to damage (e.g., internal force usual benefits of Diffuse, you can ooze (p. 109).
fields). Damage to limbs and extremi- through porous barriers and narrow
ties still causes injury, subject to the cracks. You can’t shapeshift, stretch Talent rarely affects Injury
usual maximums, but the injury need- abnormally, or sprout new body parts Tolerance, but the GM might permit
ed to cripple these body parts is twice – just seep under doors, through those with Unliving, Homogenous, or
normal; that is, the amount usually screens, etc. +40%. Diffuse to add Talent to HT rolls for
required to dismember. This repre- structural integrity; e.g., to avoid dis-
sents damage to the covering, not the Swarm: For Diffuse only. You’re a integration or resist Afflictions that
“skeleton.” Crippling is at worst last- coordinated swarm of tiny creatures. cause Insubstantiality. Those with
ing; you never suffer permanent crip- You can scatter by taking a Independent Body Parts or
pling or dismemberment (see Concentrate maneuver. Your outer Unbreakable Bones may add Talent to
pp. B421-422). The GM may rule that perimeter travels at your best applica- HT rolls for crippling.
injury that destroys your body ble Move; maximum radius is 1/2 mile
(-10¥HP) breaks your skeleton, but (buy Area Effect to change this). While Innate Attack
since you’re dead, this is a special scattered, only area-effect, cone, and
effect. If this protection extends to explosion attacks can injure you, and see p. B61
your vitals and brain, add No Vitals only in proportion to the area they
and No Brain: your vitals and brain blanket; e.g., an attack that covers 5% If an ability causes injury and isn’t
are in their usual locations, but your of your area does 5% normal damage. a natural melee weapon (like claws),
indestructible skeleton encloses them You can focus your senses on any it’s an Innate Attack. Given the variety
and prevents severe injury effects. 10 point within your area; changing of attacks possessed by powered
points. viewpoints requires a Ready maneu- heroes in comics, movies, and so on,
ver. Otherwise, treat this state as this covers a lot of ground. The first
Insubstantiality (p. 55). To resume step when designing any Innate Attack
is to choose its damage type:

Burning: Use this for electricity,
flame, heat, and radiation. Examples
include fireballs, lasers, lightning
bolts, microwaves, and particle
beams. Enhance the attack with
Explosion (+50%/level) for a fireball,
Radiation (+100%) for a particle
beam, or Surge (+20%) for lightning.
Exotic attacks might require combi-
nations of damage modifiers:
Radiation and Surge for charged par-
ticle beams, Explosion and Surge for
ball lightning, Surge and No
Wounding (-50%) for an electromag-
netic pulse (EMP) that only harms
electrical systems, etc.

BUILDING ABILITIES 53

Corrosion: Realistic examples are Beam: Supers and energy weapons and so on; or toxic for a death spell or
strong acids and bases. Powerful oxi- frequently project damaging rays. telekinetic attack. Add Malediction 1
dizers also qualify, and tend to be Most are burning, and don’t absolute- (+100%) for spells or Malediction 2
Incendiary (+10%). Magical, super- ly require modifiers – but lasers have (+150%) for psionic abilities. See
powered, and superscience disintegra- Armor Divisor (2) (+50%) and blasters Affliction (p. 39) for additional notes.
tion effects fall into this category, too. have Armor Divisor (5) (+150%). Since there’s no physical impact, add
Disintegration beams cause corrosion No Knockback (-10%) if damage is
Crushing: This is most appropriate damage, often with Armor Divisor crushing or cutting. Malediction uses
for attacks that hurl large, blunt (10) (+200%) or Cosmic (+300%). a Will roll, not a standard attack roll.
chunks of matter, like balls of stone or Force beams are crushing, typically
ice (but not bullets – those are pierc- with Double Knockback (+20%); most Field: Most constant, injurious
ing). Superscience force beams quali- other crushing beams have No effects that surround the user – sheath
fy as well. Explosives are crushing Knockback (-10%). Stun beams inflict of flame, radiation zone, aura of with-
attacks with both Explosion fatigue damage. Only “death rays” ering, etc. – are burning or toxic, with
(+50%/level) and Fragmentation (supernatural or superscience) are Aura (+80%), Always On (-40%), and
(+15%/die); timed explosives, such as likely to deliver toxic damage. Roll Melee Attack (-30%). Those who
grenades, add Delay (variable). against Innate Attack (Beam) to hit attack by emitting an expanding ring
with any kind of beam. of fire, ice, poison, etc. from their
Cutting: Cutting attacks nearly body have Area Effect (+50%/level)
always involve blades or shards, which Curse or Mental Blast: Damaging and Emanation (-20%) instead, with
might be made of bone, glass, ice, supernatural effects that bypass DR damage type depending on the sub-
metal, or any number of other things. might do any kind of damage. Use stance or energy involved. Neither
Tiny shards that damage mainly as a burning for pyrokinetic attacks; requires a roll to hit – but to use an
result of their sharpness have No fatigue for nonlethal attacks, with Aura actively calls for an unarmed
Blunt Trauma (-20%) and No Freezing (+20%) for cryokinesis, melee attack.
Knockback (-10%). Cutting attacks are Missed Sleep (+50%) for a sleep spell,
often carriers for venomous Follow-
Up attacks. Guns as Innate Attacks

Fatigue: Tranquilizers are the obvi- To simulate a firearm, start with dice of Piercing Attack equal to its
ous real-world example, and have damage. Adjust Acc using Accurate (+5%/level) or Inaccurate
Cyclic, Onset, and Resistible (all high- (-5%/level); Range using Increased Range (+10%/level) or Reduced
ly variable). At higher TLs, sonic and Range (-10%/level); RoF using Rapid Fire (variable); Shots using
electrical stunners become possibili- Limited Use (variable), usually with Fast Reload; and Rcl using Extra
ties. Supernatural options include Recoil (-10%/level). If using Optional Rule: Malfunction (p. B279), add
sleep spells and psionic mind blasts. Unreliable (variable) to give the attack a Malf. Realistic guns almost
Fatigue is the only damage type that never have the Variable enhancement. For worked examples, see Built-
can have Hazard enhancements (see In Firearms (p. 136).
p. B104). It can’t harm inanimate
objects, but with Hazard, the GM may Ammunition
let it affect them – Freezing could cool
off a cheeseburger, Suffocation might Innate Attack can also simulate different ammunition: add Armor
deprive an engine of air, and so on. Divisor (2) (+50%) and make the attack small piercing for armor-pierc-
ing ammo; add Armor Divisor (0.5) (-30%) and change the attack to
Impaling: The notes for cutting large piercing for hollow-point; add Armor Divisor (0.5) and Incendiary
damage apply here as well, but No (+10%) for tracer. Specialized ammunition might be non-piercing; e.g.,
Knockback isn’t allowed – impaling flechettes are impaling.
attacks don’t cause knockback in the
first place. Other Details

Piercing: The most common exam- Considerations such as caliber and cartridge length are “special
ple is a bullet or bullet-sized projectile. effects” (see Special Effects, p. 113). They can matter in play – e.g., when
See below for detailed notes on projec- forced to reload from captured ammunition – but don’t alter point cost.
tiles; see Guns as Innate Attacks (box) The same is true of Shots too generous to qualify for Limited Use: the
to simulate firearms. designer should still give a number. He might not run out in 10-second
firefight . . . but he could run out on a four-day mission. The GM may
Toxic: Realistic poisons and dis- require a Shots statistic close to that for a comparable weapon in the
eases have Cyclic, Onset, and game world. This isn’t a limitation; it’s no different from the GM ruling
Resistible (all variable) – but supernat- that someone who tosses fireballs all day gets tired (see Abilities and
ural death touches, evil eyes, etc. also Exertion, p. 159).
qualify as toxic, and often lack these
modifiers. A direct, physical attack
that delivers a rad dosage instead of
injury has Radiation (+25%).

Next, define how the attack deliv-
ers its damage:

54 BUILDING ABILITIES

Gas: Lethal gases inflict toxic dam- (+50%). Roll against Innate Attack master who attacks with a deadly
age; nonlethal ones, fatigue damage. (Beam) or (Breath) to hit with liquids touch (toxic). Add Contact Agent
Fictional breath weapons have Cone that issue from the hand or mouth, (-30%) to attacks that must strike bare
(variable), but supers and wizards respectively. skin, Cosmic (+300%) to supernatural
who can create gas clouds should take attacks that completely circumvent
Area Effect (+50%/level) instead. Add Projectile: Projectiles don’t require DR, like the Deathtouch spell
one of Respiratory Agent (+50%), modifiers, but are among the few (p. B245). Make an unarmed melee
Blood Agent (+100%), or Contact attacks that are routinely Guided attack to hit.
Agent (+150%) to any gas attack. (+50%), Homing (variable), or lobbed
Drifting (+20%) and Persistent (+40%) Overhead (+30%). They can deliver Venom: Poison on Claws, Teeth,
are useful for lingering gases – and the almost any kind of damage: burning etc. should cause fatigue or toxic dam-
GM might even allow these with Cone. for fireballs, crushing for stones, age unless it’s very unusual. Such
Use Innate Attack (Breath) to hit with impaling for ice spears, and so on. attacks always have Follow-Up (+0%).
a Cone. Area Effects that depend on a Storms of fire, stones, ice, etc. are Make a melee attack to hit with the
beam, gaze, or projectile use the common magical and super attacks, carrier attack.
appropriate Innate Attack specialty to and have Area Effect (+50%/level) –
hit. with Persistent (+40%) and possibly Finally, if the attack has a chance of
Wall (+30% or +60%) if they stay in causing a baneful effect in addition to
Liquid: Liquids have Cone (vari- place for some time, and often injury if it penetrates DR, add Side
able) or Jet (+0%); fantasy breath Bombardment (variable). To emulate Effect (variable). This is common for
weapons with Cone should have firearms, see Guns as Innate Attacks beams that emulate ultra-tech stun-
Reduced Range, ¥1/5 (-20%), too. (p. 54). Use Innate Attack (Projectile) ners, paralysis guns, and so on. If the
Acids inflict corrosion damage, while to hit. attack automatically causes weakness
flaming liquids cause burning dam- or incapacity after inflicting enough
age; either might be Cyclic (variable), Touch: Most natural body weapon- injury, enhance it with Symptoms
if it sticks to the target. Water jets are ry is just Claws, Strikers, or Teeth – (variable) instead. Fatigue or toxic
crushing – often with Double but a melee attack that operates inde- attacks that represent venom or poi-
Knockback (+20%) and No Wounding pendently of the user’s ST is an Innate son gas generally have Symptoms.
(-50%). Poisons inflict either fatigue or Attack with the Melee Attack limita-
toxic damage, and have one of Blood tion (variable). Use this option for an Alternatives
Agent (-40% for Jet, +100% for Cone), angel who can summon a sword of
Contact Agent (-30% for Jet, +150% flame (burning), a robot with a built- Affliction (p. 39) is a far better
for Cone), or Respiratory Agent in force sword (cutting), or a kung fu starting point for a completely non-
lethal attack . . . and the Coma and
Heart Attack enhancements make
Affliction a superior “all-or-nothing”
lethal attack, too. To punch, kick, or
strangle opponents at a distance, buy
Telekinesis (p. 82).

Powering Up

Any power that isn’t completely
nonviolent might have an Innate
Attack. Match both damage type and
means of delivery to the power’s focus
and source; see above for many exam-
ples. In all cases, Talent gives a bonus
to hit.

Insubstantiality

see p. B62

Beings largely unaffected by the
physical world appear in myth and fic-
tion at least as often as those that can
fly. Paradoxically, most such entities
can “anchor” themselves to material
objects as needed, allowing them to
stand on floors, ride in vehicles, and so
on. This is a standard feature of
Insubstantiality. What the insubstan-
tial form looks like, and the things that
can impede it, vary with the origin of
the trait:

BUILDING ABILITIES 55

Dimensional: The traveler trans- Jumper (Time) and (World) mainly
ports himself into a dimension paral- suit powers concerned with time- or
lel to the physical world. He looks world-travel, such as Teleportation and
slightly transparent, as if he weren’t all (with Projection) Astral Projection.
there. Any place in the ordinary world
that lacks an equivalent location in the when you choose to speak. You’re super-geniuses. Supernatural guid-
other plane is completely off limits. undetectable to hearing, and need ance (e.g., ESP or divine wisdom) is
Individuals with dimension-traveling only make Stealth rolls if there’s a an equally valid interpretation.
foes often build strongholds in such chance you’ll be seen.
locales! At the GM’s option, if a skill would
New Special Limitations normally give useful information in
Divine: This represents the ability the situation at hand – e.g.,
to assume a “god form” that can roam No Vertical Move: You can’t disre- Navigation when deciding which way
the mortal world at will. The cleric gard gravity. You must move across a to steer, or Tactics in a military stand-
looks normal except for the addition horizontal surface, or along a slope off – the user can substitute his level
of something symbolic of his patron; that wouldn’t require Climbing rolls. with that skill for IQ when rolling for
e.g., a wreath of flame, for the Fire You still weigh nothing, so you don’t this ability.
God. He can’t infiltrate places of no or leave footprints and can walk on sur-
low sanctity, however; see Special faces that wouldn’t support a solid Alternatives
Rules for Divine Powers (p. 175). body, such as the surface of a body of
water. -10%. Those who can discover facts with-
Elemental: The user turns into elec- out guesswork should take Blessed
tricity or light, or vibrates at a weird Noisy: You aren’t silent. You make (p. 43) or Oracle (p. 65) instead.
frequency. He becomes a man-shaped noises equivalent to footfalls when
glow, visible shimmering, etc., as moving and breathing at all times, and New Special Enhancement
befits his element. He can’t penetrate are no harder to hear than an ordinary
barriers that are proof against his ele- human. -5%. Inspired: Your gift is so finely
ment; e.g., a grounded metal cage honed that any success while using it
would exclude an electrical “ghost.” Projection: Your body doesn’t reveals the best choice out of those
Superscience force fields often block become insubstantial. Instead, it falls confronting you. The worst possible
such Insubstantiality. unconscious and you step out of it in result on a failure, even a critical fail-
insubstantial form. Like someone ure, is that you don’t know; the GM
Magical, Psionic, or Spirit: The user using unmodified Insubstantiality, will never suggest a bad choice.
enters the ethereal, astral, or spirit you’re visible and present, making you +100%.
realm (these might be the same or subject to anything that affects insub-
quite distinct, depending on the set- stantial entities . . . while your body Powering Up
ting). His appearance is misty and remains in the physical world, vulner-
ghostly, and possibly luminous or able to material threats; see Projection Intuition is a traditional ability of
shadowy. Shamans with spirit powers (p. 44). You can’t use spells, psi abili- shamans, and might stem from spirit
often look like beasts. Spells, psi abili- ties, etc. in this form unless you also powers. It’s also appropriate for ESP
ties, and sorcerous rituals that take Affect Substantial. -50%. or any similar information-gathering
obstruct spirits also block this ability. power, and for divine and moral pow-
Powering Up ers – especially with Inspired. Finally,
Alternatives it could represent the ability to draw
This ability suits almost any kind upon the collective wisdom of others,
Both Clairsentience (Projection, of supernatural or elemental power, as making it part of Telepathy. Talent
+140%) and Insubstantiality (Affect noted above. With the Projection limi- adds to all IQ or skill rolls to use
Substantial, +100%; Projection, -50%) tation, it’s especially suitable for Astral this ability.
cost 120 points. They’re comparable, Projection. Talent adds to any roll
but there are important differences. required to “push through” a resistible Invisibility
Notably, Clairsentience gives an invis- barrier or use Insubstantiality for a
ible form with a 10-yard range limit Power Dodge (see p. 167). see p. B63
from the body, while Insubstantiality
gives a visible form with no range Intuition Tales of invisible men – but ironi-
limit. cally not The Invisible Man, which
see p. B63 inspired many of them – usually
To represent partial solidity, use assume that Invisibility has
Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) (p. 52) or As the ability to compare the cur- Switchable (+10%) and Can Carry
Shadow Form (p. 73). To be able to rent situation to past experiences Objects (at least +10%). Remember
pass through just one substance, take and make an informed guess, to choose the kind of vision affected.
Permeation (p. 66). Intuition is ideal for Digital Minds and If the GM wishes to allow “total”

Insubstantiality doesn’t include
invisibility. For that, take Invisibility
(below), too – possibly with
Substantial Only. Insubstantiality does
include total silence, though, save

56 BUILDING ABILITIES

invisibility, he may rule that +100% might even bend light and become Likewise, anything that affects spirits
worth of Extended interferes with any truly invisible (a trick called “photoki- affects you. To make the transition,
sense that Invisibility could reason- nesis”). The addition of Glamour use the standard rules for Jumper.
ably affect. Common variants include: makes Invisibility suitable for chi Each attempt costs 1 FP. Success on
powers and Telepathy, too. Talent adds the IQ roll means you shift between
Deception: A ninja or telepath who a further bonus to Stealth skill rolls to realms. Failure means you stay in
mentally compels others to believe avoid being seen. your current world; you’re at -5 to use
they can’t see him has Invisibility to this ability again in the next 10 min-
electromagnetic vision with Can Carry Jumper utes. Critical failure results are up to
Objects, Switchable, and Glamour the GM . . . you might attract evil spir-
(p. 111). Deceivers aware of unusual see p. B64 its, end up adrift between worlds, or
senses might interfere with those, too; go to the wrong world (e.g., Hell). The
add Extended (+20%/type). Use Jumper (Time) for supers and special modifiers for Jumper (World)
superscience vehicles that move are available to you, although not all
Ghost: Ghosts that are invisible to through time by traveling faster than of them are meaningful in every set-
mortals have Invisibility to electro- light, weird-science “time machines,” ting. 100 points.
magnetic vision with Usually On and so on. Jumper (World) is interdi-
(+5%) and Substantial Only (-10%). mensional travel for the purpose of Alternatives
Traditionally, ghosts can be seen in visiting alternate timelines. The GM
mirrors and photographs; they have may add other Jumper advantages. Travelers who “jump” through
Visible Reflection (-10%), and can’t For instance: space need Warp (p. 88). Seers who
take Affects Machines. receive glimpses of the past, future, or
Jumper (Spirit): You can enter and spirit world have Psychometry (p. 69),
Stealth Technology: A vehicle or leave the “spirit worlds” in body. In Precognition (p. 68), or Medium
robot that’s invisible to infrared and these realms, you’re a spirit. You can (p. 59), respectively. Neither requires
radar – but not the naked eye – has interact normally with the spirits Jumper.
Invisibility to electromagnetic vision there and use any ability that’s “stan-
with Machines Only (-50%). The best dard” for spirits in that world. Those who assume or send forth a
optical camouflage has Affects “spirit form” often have Clairsentience
Machines (+50%) instead of Machines (p. 44) or Insubstantiality (p. 55). Only
Only, but still suffers from Fringe use Jumper (Spirit), or Jumper (Time)
(-10%). Stealthy submarines have or (World) with the Projection modifi-
unmodified Invisibility to sonar; the er, for those who truly visit another
best add Extended, Magnetic realm or time.
Detection (+20%). Switchable is
uncommon, as stealth tends to be a New Special Enhancements
permanent structural feature.
Interplanar: For Jumper (World) or
Superscience Cloaking: Space- (Spirit). You can enter higher planes
opera “cloaking devices” give of existence – perhaps even the realms
Invisibility to electromagnetic vision of the gods. +100% if you can reach
with Affects Machines (+50%), these worlds as well as parallel worlds
Extended, Scanners (+20%), and (world-jumpers) or spirit worlds (spir-
Switchable (+10%). it-jumpers); +0% if you can only reach
higher planes.
Alternatives
Reliable: Your ability is unusually
Represent partial invisibility using stable. Each level of this enhancement
Chameleon (p. 43). Those who create adds +1 to both the IQ roll to use
darkness or smoke in order to hide Jumper and the automatic failure
from sight should take Obscure threshold (e.g., Reliable 2 gives +2 to
(p. 64). IQ and mean a roll of 16 or more
always fails). +5% per +1, to a maxi-
New Special Limitation mum of +10.

Fringe: Your ability leaves a faint New Special Limitations
outline or shimmering. It works nor-
mally when you’re standing still, but if Limited Access: For Jumper
you move, others can spot you with a (World) or (Spirit). You can only jump
Vision-6 roll and target you in combat between two particular worlds – your
at only -6 to hit. -10%. home world and one specific parallel,
the material world and Hell, etc. The
Powering Up size of this limitation depends on how
many worlds exist in the setting. If
Invisibility is a key ability for Light there’s only one, it’s meaningless: -0%.
and Darkness powers. Electrokinesis If there are many, it might be worth
could allow a psi to jam signals and -20% or more, at the GM’s discretion.
become invisible to machines – he

BUILDING ABILITIES 57

Projection: For Jumper (Time) or Heavy Lifting
(World). You travel in mind, not in
body. Your body remains at your Mecha and supers often lift extreme weights. Vehicles are especially
departure point, unconscious and vul- popular! The following table gives the total ST – basic ST plus Lifting
nerable, while your consciousness ST – needed to lift a few items of interest. If using Super-Effort, remem-
appears at your destination as a visible ber to add the enhanced ST bonus to basic ST.
but intangible projection. This form is
subject to anything that affects insub- Weight Total Example
stantial beings. See Projection (p. 44)
for other rules. If you have (tons) ST Small car
Insubstantiality, you can “reverse” it in 1 36 Large car
order to become solid; if you have 2 50 Ship’s anchor
Possession (Spiritual, -20%), you can 5 79 Private jet
possess a resident of the target world. 10 112 Fighter jet (loaded)
-50% if you can’t affect your destina- 25 177 Main battle tank (loaded)
tion at all without Insubstantiality or 50 250 Space shuttle
Possession; -0% if you can use spells, 354 Heavy passenger jet
mental abilities, and Maledictions to 100 791 Small freighter
affect your destination while project- 500 1,118 Frigate
ing. Sending a physical body to your 1,000 2,500 Light cruiser
destination as usual, but also leaving 5,000 3,536 Battleship
behind an unconscious body as 10,000 7,906
described here, is worth -25%. 50,000

Special Movement: You need to These weights assume a two-handed, overhead lift. For other items,
move to use your ability. Limitation total ST required equals the square root of (1,250 ¥ weight in tons).
value depends on how stringent the
requirements are. If you merely have Jumper (Spirit) is appropriate for and gets better from there. Thus, it’s
to walk a few steps and be free of any- spirit powers – as are other forms of only of value to heroes with a signifi-
thing that restricts movement (like Jumper, with Projection. With the cant investment in Lifting ST. If the
manacles), that’s -10%. If you need to Interplanar enhancement, it also suits GM sets a limit when using this modi-
enter orbit and accelerate past the divine powers. fier, it should be at Lifting ST +8 or
speed of light with expensive advan- higher.
tages like Flight (Space Flight, +50%) Talent adds to the IQ roll required
with Enhanced Move 27 (Space), to activate any Jumper advantage. Super-Effort: You can make truly
that’s -40%. heroic lifts! Your Lifting ST works as
Lifting ST usual except when you use extra
Special Portal: You need a particu- effort. Then ignore the ordinary extra
lar sort of “gateway” to use your see p. B65 effort rules. Instead, find your Lifting
advantage; e.g., a natural cave open- ST level in the Size column of the Size
ing, or a sacred stone circle on a Lifting ST is realistic for beasts of and Speed/Range Table (p. B550), read
moonlit night. Limitation value burden (e.g., horses and mules) and across to the Linear Measurement col-
depends on the rarity of the required slow-but-powerful machinery – cargo- umn, and use that number as your ST
portal. “Any reflective surface” is handling exoskeletons, tugboats, etc. bonus for the lift. For instance, Lifting
-20%, as is a relatively common geo- Comic-book supers are often capable ST +20 gives +5,000 ST. This costs 1
graphic feature. If a summoning ritual of extreme lifts; see the Super-Effort FP per lift. Once you’ve made the lift,
that specifically names you creates a enhancement (below) for a way to use Abilities and Exertion (p. 159) for
“channel” that lets you jump into the handle this. ongoing FP costs. Walking around
presence of your summoner – but with or pulling the weight counts as
nowhere else – that’s -60%. One specif- Alternatives “intensive use” (1 FP/minute); just
ic spot at a certain time of the year is holding it up is “long-term use” (1
-80%. Lifting ST only augments basic ST FP/hour). You can’t take Reduced
for lifting, pushing, etc. – and for grap- Fatigue Cost to eliminate these costs
Powering Up pling and choking in combat. To unless you also add Cosmic (+50%).
increase damage with melee weapons, Super-Effort never benefits chokes or
Jumper (Time) and (World) mainly take Striking ST (p. 78). Those who grapples. +400%.
suit powers concerned with time- or want all of these benefits and more HP
world-travel, such as Teleportation should just improve their ST. Powering Up
and (with Projection) Astral
Projection. Just about any power that New Special Enhancement Lifting ST could belong to a biolog-
grants faster-than-light levels of ical body-control power or a matter-
Enhanced Move (Space) could justify This optional enhancement is control power that affects mass or
Jumper (Time) with the Special intended for demigods and supers.
Movement limitation, though. With it, Lifting ST becomes more effi-
cient than usual after eight levels . . .

58 BUILDING ABILITIES

density. Divine and chi powers might request two rerolls for any die roll nonmagical settings. Of course, Mana
use Lifting ST – perhaps with Costs made in your presence – not just your Damper is only worthwhile if magic
Fatigue or Super-Effort – for the abili- rolls – and choose the one you prefer. exists, and Mana Enhancer is chiefly
ty to perform “heroic feats.” It isn’t enough for you, the player to of use to those who cast spells.
see the dice roll; your character must
Talent modifies Will and HT rolls witness the action you wish to influ- Those with potent magical gifts
for extra effort and to avoid self- ence. Normal usage limits still apply. might be able to adjust the mana level
inflicted injury while lifting. The Active limitation is common but either way. The GM should require
not required. +100%. those who want Mana Damper and
Luck Mana Enhancer to take the
Powering Up Switchable special enhancement
see p. B66 (+100%) on both traits – and Variable
Luck is a traditional gift from oth- (+5%), if either trait can alter the
For the fictional protagonist, Luck erworldly guardians, making it suit- ambient mana by more than one level.
is usually a “meta-advantage” – a able for divine and spirit powers. With This is expensive because it’s power-
deliberate effort by the storyteller to Active or Wishing, it might instead be ful: if the user has Magery, he can ele-
give him the benefit of the doubt at part of a probability-control power; vate the mana level when casting
every turn of the plot. It’s rarely an this could have almost any source, but spells . . . and then lower it to neutral-
active ability known to him and is commonly associated with psi in fic- ize enemy magic.
acknowledged by his companions. tion. Talent gives a bonus to any die
Still, heroes who are conscious of roll influence by Luck – but only if that Alternatives
their luck do exist in fiction, especially use of Luck is declared in advance.
in the comics. Compare Mana Damper to
Mana Damper and Neutralize (p. 97) and Static (p. 98)
Alternatives Mana Enhancer against magical powers. A high level
of Magic Resistance (p. B67) is cheap-
Use Daredevil (p. B47) for those see pp. B67-68 er than either, but also less capable.
whose “luck” depends on risk-taking,
Serendipity (p. 73) for heroes whose Neither “mana level” nor the abili- New Special Enhancement
luck takes the form of coincidence ty to alter it is a traditional concept –
rather than good odds, and Super but in game-mechanical terms, a high Discriminatory: You and any allies
Luck (p. 80) for masters of probability level of Mana Damper is superior in your area of effect enjoy the best
manipulation. to Magic Resistance for magic- mana level your ability can provide –
resistant fantasy denizens, while highest if casting spells, lowest if
New Special Enhancement Mana Enhancer can explain lone resisting them – while enemies in
wizards and dragons in prevalently the area suffer the worst level you can
Wishing: You can consciously generate. This modifier includes
manipulate probability. You may Switchable, and replaces the Selective
Area enhancement for Mana Damper
and Mana Enhancer. +150%.

Powering Up

These advantages rarely suit
powers other than magical ones.
Exceptions might be the divine
power granted by a god of magic, or
a specialized psionic power that
manipulates mana fields. Talent
applies mainly to Power Block
attempts (see p. 168).

Medium

see p. B68

Medium is the ability to sense the
presence of and speak with nearby
unbound spirits (ghosts, “wild” ele-
mentals, etc.) – not spirits of the living
or spirits bound to objects. It also
works on “spirits of place,” but only
within the spirit-inhabited area. At the
GM’s option, variant forms might
instead let the user speak with resi-
dents of the dream world, parallel uni-
verses, or cyberspace. Each form is a
separate Medium advantage.

BUILDING ABILITIES 59

Alternatives New Special Limitations (p. B50) for those who don’t bleed,
breathe, or eat at all. If all that matters
To grasp the motivations of spirits In many settings, Medium requires is a HT bonus, Resistant (p. 71) is a
and improve your odds of persuading a ritual or séance to use. If so, add better deal.
them, take Spirit Empathy (p. B88). Preparation Required (p. B114).
Use Detect (Spirits) [10] to sense the Another common limitation: New Special Enhancement
presence of spirits that are bound,
possessing someone, or too distant to Specialized: Your ability only works Mastery: You can make precise
speak with. To see spirits more than a with one specific class of spirits. adjustments to your metabolism and
yard away – even those with whom Possibilities include angels, demons, body chemistry instantly, helping you
you aren’t communicating – buy a elementals, faerie creatures, and cope with even extreme or unexpected
suitable form of See Invisible (p. 72). ghosts. -50%. stresses. As long as you’re conscious,
None of these traits lets you speak add your level of Metabolism Control
with spirits. Powering Up to any HT roll. +40%.

If you can force spirits to become Medium is appropriate for any Powering Up
visible or solid against their will, buy supernatural power, but especially
an Affliction (p. 39) that cancels spirit powers and ESP. Talent adds to This ability best suits biological,
Invisibility or Insubstantiality via all IQ or skill rolls made to perceive or chi, and psi powers – especially Body
Negated Advantage. If this only affects understand spirits. Control and Healing. Talent adds to
spirits, or certain kinds of spirits, add HT in the Quick Contest to feign death
an Accessibility limitation. Metabolism Control and for any similar feat the GM
allows.
If spirits simply possess you in see p. B68
order to speak with others, that’s Microscopic Vision
Channeling (p. 43). The ability to control involuntary
bodily functions is a classic shtick of see p. B68
New Special Enhancements kung fu masters and yogi, not to men-
tion supers and aliens modeled after Microscopic Vision is most com-
Manifestation: Your presence them. It needn’t have mystical over- mon among robots and crimefighting
makes it easier for spirits to become tones, though – genetic engineering or supers. It lets those who have it do fine
visible, if they wish. As long as they’re implants might give this advantage to work or gather microscopic evidence
within a yard of you, those with the a modified human or cyborg. without any equipment penalty for
Spirit meta-trait (p. B263) needn’t pay being without a magnifying lens.
the 1 FP per second demanded by the At the GM’s option, Metabolism
Usually On limitation on their Control lets the user feign afflictions: Supers sometimes add Ranged
Invisibility. +100%. disease, drug reactions, heart attack, (+40%), which makes it possible to
etc. To discover the ruse, witnesses distinguish minute detail on distant
Universal: You can communicate must win a Quick Contest of objects. This ability works at full
with any spirit you can sense with Diagnosis vs. the user’s HT + magnification out to 1/2D range (10
Medium, even those with whom you Metabolism Control. yards) and at 1/3 that out to Max range
don’t share a language. +50%. (100 yards). Make two Vision rolls:
Alternatives one to spot the object, one to see
Visual: You can see spirits while minute details.
communicating with them, even if Consider Injury Tolerance (No
they would normally be invisible. Blood) (p. B61), Doesn’t Breathe Use a combination of Blindness
+50%. (p. B49), or Doesn’t Eat or Drink (p. B124) and Microscopic Vision for
someone who can see tiny details at
I see dead people . . . walking point-blank range, but not distant
around like regular people. They objects or the normal-sized world.
don’t see each other. They only see
what they want to see. They don’t Powering Up
know they’re dead.
Like any vision advantage,
– Cole Sear, Microscopic Vision suits Light power
The Sixth Sense and possibly ESP. Supers with size-
control powers might have this ability
alongside Shrinking. Talent adds to all
Vision rolls for this ability.

Mimicry

see p. B68

This trait is typical of parrots, dop-
pelgangers, robot assassins, and other
beings that are physiologically or tech-
nologically adapted to emulate sounds
and voices. It’s up to the GM whether

60 BUILDING ABILITIES

it can emulate the “voiceprints” that I can kill you with my brain.
high-tech security systems use to – River Tam, Firefly
verify identity.
Agent (-40%), Independent (+70%), so incapacitating you changes noth-
Alternatives and Onset (1 minute or 1 hour) (-10% ing. Second, since your attention isn’t
or -20%). If anyone can command the divided, each contact is separate
Mimicry can imitate but not com- subject, add the Puppet limitation from all others; there’s no -1 per
municate with animals – use Speak (-40%). slave, and critical failure with one
With Animals (p. 77) for that. Mimicry victim doesn’t free the rest. +70%.
can’t produce inaudibly low- or high- Pheromones: The user exudes an
frequency sounds unless the user also invisible chemical cloud that inspires New Special Limitations
has Subsonic Speech (p. B89) or attraction in those exposed to it.
Ultrasonic Speech (p. B94). Victims must be within two yards and Emotion Control: You can’t control
breathe the gas – this ability doesn’t the subject’s actions, just his feelings.
Ordinary human mimics have work by touch or sight. The controller For some guidelines on what’s possi-
Mimicry skill (p. B210). The GM may can only command one subject per ble, see the Sway Emotions skill
permit those who have that skill to use second, at the usual -1 per subject (p. B192). Emotion Control is mutual-
the higher of it or IQ when rolling to after the first. Add Area Effect 1 ly exclusive with Conditioning Only
use this advantage. (+50%), Emanation (-20%), and and Suggestion. -50%.
Scent-Based (-20%). Accessibility
New Special Enhancement (Only on opposite sex) (-20%) and Suggestion: You can’t command the
Emotion Control (-50%) are likely but subject to take specific actions – you
Voice Library: You never forget any not required. can only suggest a general course of
sound or voice you’ve successfully action. Effects are as for Suggest skill
mimicked. It’s the player’s job to main- Vibrations: The controller emits (p. B191). Suggestion is mutually
tain this list. To recall a sample, take a vibrations that influence emotions. exclusive with Conditioning Only and
Concentrate maneuver and make an Add Emotion Control (-50%), with Emotion Control. -40%.
IQ roll. +50%. Based on HT (+20%) for inaudible
vibrations or Hearing-Based (-20%) Powering Up
Powering Up for audible sounds (common for fan-
tasy bards and mythic sirens). Mind Control is appropriate for
Mimicry fits elemental Sound/- many supernatural powers, especially
Vibration power and most body- Alternatives Telepathy. In addition, hypnotism is
alteration powers. It’s also a common for chi powers, pheromones
likely ability for powers pertaining to Extreme levels of Charisma fit biological and chemical powers,
animals or illusions. Talent adds to IQ (p. B41) can often achieve similar and vibrations suit Sound/Vibration
rolls to duplicate sounds or imitate effects. The ability to turn others into power. With Cybernetic Only (p. B70),
voices. Allies over the long term is Dominance Mind Control even allows control over
(p. B50), while that of entering the computers (“cyberpsi”) – the definitive
Mind Control subject’s mind and operating his body Machine Telepathy ability. Talent adds
directly is Possession (p. 67). to IQ rolls to use the ability in all
see p. B68 cases.
New Special Enhancement
Folklore attributes the ability to Mind Probe and
control minds to a great many super- Independent: Your Mind Control Mind Reading
natural entities, including demons, doesn’t require ongoing attention. If
nymphs, vampires, and deities. This is it works, you’re free to do other see p. B69
likely a diplomatic scrim over the real- things. You must still concentrate to
ities of insanity or criminality . . . but initiate control, but you can’t claim These closely related advantages
the tales could be true in a fantasy or the +2 or +4 for lengthy concentra- feature prominently in fantasy, horror,
horror setting. Most innate gifts use tion. If the victim fails to resist, con- and science fiction – typically as
unmodified Mind Control. Add trol persists for one minute per point psionic or magical gifts. Mind
Telepathic (-10%) if the influence is by which he lost the Quick Contest; Reading is the basic “receive” ability
psionic. A few alternatives: you can’t maintain it indefinitely by common to telepaths, regardless of
concentrating. These drawbacks are origin. Mind Probe is a deep scan or
Cinematic Hypnotism: The con- minor next to the benefits. First, only mind-meld; in many ways, it’s a high-
troller must lock eyes with his victim an attempt to force the subject to act er level of Mind Reading, and the GM
and hypnotize him in order to give against his principles can break con- might elect to make Mind Reading a
commands. This calls for Vision- trol; you’re “out of the loop” already, prerequisite.
Based (-20%). Suggestion (-40%) is
common.

Drugs: The attacker uses a drug to
make his victim suggestible. This
requires a bite, kiss, or more intimate
contact. Some time after exposure, the
subject gets a HT-based resistance roll.
Add Based on HT (+20%), Blood

BUILDING ABILITIES 61

Both traits are open to interpreta- Mind Shield magic (e.g., Telepathy or Mind Control
tion as interrogation under truth spells) is -75%.
drugs; see the notes under Mind see p. B70
Control (above) for modifiers and Powering Up
details. If the subject must vocalize Mental shields are “in genre” for
his reply, add Accessibility, Must hear psis, shamans, wizards, martial Mind Shield is a traditional part of
subject, -20%. artists, and others with training at Telepathy, extremely appropriate for
gathering inner strength to ward off chi and spirit powers, and often avail-
Alternatives psychic incursions. In worlds where able for divine, magical, and moral
mental powers are commonplace, powers, too. Active use of a mental
Use Empathy (see Empathy anyone might be able to build up a shield to block a mental attack shows
Advantages, p. 48) to “read” emotions Mind Shield (GM’s decision). up frequently in fiction. The GM
instead of thoughts. To send should consider allowing Power Block
thoughts, take Telesend (see Telecom- In settings with many different (see p. 168) for Mind Shield even if he
munication, p. 81). supernatural powers and abilities, the doesn’t permit it for other abilities.
GM should let Mind Shield add to IQ, Talent adds to all such attempts.
Mind Control can also reveal a sub- Will, and Perception for the purpose
ject’s thoughts: just command him to of resisting any paranormal influence Modular Abilities
tell you everything he knows. Of – including advantages with the
course, this is significantly less subtle. Glamour limitation (p. 11). For less see p. B71
sweeping protection, add Limited
New Special Enhancements (below). Many fictional characters can do
almost anything . . . but not everything
Invasive: Mind Probe only. Your With the Cybernetic limitation at once. This is what Modular Abilities
probe works like a mental invasion, (-50%), Mind Shield represents “hard- exist to simulate. Each type suits a
not an interrogation. If you win the ened” computer security for Digital particular class of hero:
Quick Contest, you’re inside your sub- Minds. Cybernetic is a specific exam-
ject’s mental defenses and free to pil- ple of Limited; don’t take both. Chip Slots: Use this for cyborgs
lage his memories. You’re still limited with removable hardware. This usual-
to one question per second, but each Alternatives ly means “skill chips,” but with the
answer requires an uncontested roll Physical enhancement, sockets for
against IQ, Interrogation, Psychology Magic Resistance (p. B67) and cer- standardized equipment modules –
– or Dreaming, if the subject is sleep- tain varieties of Resistant (p. 71) pro- “Gadget Slots” – are an option. Add
ing. +75%. tect against many of the same things Limited if these sockets can only
that Mind Shield does. Static (p. 98) accept a specific type of equipment.
Memory Bank: Mind Probe only. is a superior defense, but prevents
You can store a detailed “snapshot” of the user from having other psychic Computer Brain: This is for AIs and
the subject’s mind. This requires the abilities. cyborgs with implanted computers,
usual Quick Contest, but takes an who download programs instead of
hour. A later IQ roll lets you recall People who have studied “mental plugging them in. The Physical
information the subject knew when self-defense” might have the skills enhancement rarely makes sense, but
last probed (just as if you were prob- Mental Strength (p. B209) and Mind the Virtual limitation is common and
ing him) or his personality (eliminat- Block (p. B210) instead of Mind definitely allowed for those who can
ing penalties to impersonate him with Shield. only use their abilities online or in
Acting). You can delete a snapshot at “cyberspace.”
any time. +100% if you can store a New Special Limitation
number of snapshots equal to IQ; Cosmic Power: Ideal for gods and
+150% for unlimited capacity. Limited: Your Mind Shield only supers! The Physical enhancement is
works against certain mental attacks. common. Use Limited to confine gods
Multiple Contacts: Mind Reading An entire power source (e.g., divine, to a “sphere of influence” or restrict
only. You can maintain channels to magical, psionic, or spirit) is -50%; a
several minds at once. Roll at a cumu- specific focus, power, or college of
lative -1 per contact after the first. You
can switch between established con- Modular Abilities in Play
tacts without rolling, but you must
focus on one contact at a time to read Reconfiguring Modular Abilities can slow down the game. To pre-
minds. In combat, choose whose mind vent this, the GM should encourage players to work out and list favorite
you’re reading each turn. +50%. abilities before play begins. To speed things up further, the GM may rule
that some tasks require a minimum number of points in Modular
Powering Up Abilities, stipulate that the user be able to add mental, physical, or social
abilities, but stop short of naming specific traits; e.g., “This task requires
Mind Probe and Mind Reading are 40 points in physical abilities.” Anyone whose Modular Abilities are up
classic psionic abilities associated to the challenge can perform such a task – although this might still
with Telepathy (or Machine Telepathy, require a success roll.
with the Cybernetic Only limitation),
but any supernatural power might
offer them. Talent adds to IQ and skill
rolls made to use either.

62 BUILDING ABILITIES

supers to an element. If they shape Reallocating points requires at least a advantages only; +50% for any mental
existing matter or energy, and second of prayer per character point. or social ability. To add any ability,
are powerless without it, add Cost per slot: 6 points base + 4 points combine Social, +50% with Physical,
Environmental (p. 110) instead. per point of abilities. +100%; other combinations are
forbidden.
Super-Memorization: This suits Alternatives
wizards and cinematic geniuses. New Special Limitations
Physical is rarely appropriate, as few Heroes who can manipulate a par-
physical advantages are “memorized.” ticular element precisely enough to Many fictional users of Modular
Limited frequently restricts use to generate a wide variety of effects that Abilities require supreme concentra-
spells, languages, or specific classes of don’t emulate other advantages have tion and effort to rearrange their abil-
skills. Control (p. 90) and/or Create (p. 92). ities. Represent this using Costs
Those who can become anything have Fatigue, Requires (Attribute) Roll
The GM may invent other forms. Morph (p. 74). And those who simply (p. 112), and Takes Extra Time.
Set the per-slot cost to reflect the do things without acquiring abilities
scope of available traits: 4 points for a have Wild Talent (p. 89). It is acceptable to fill Modular
short list, 5 points for a lengthy cata- Abilities slots with advantages that
log, 6 points for nearly anything, and 7 Modular Abilities are expensive – have limitations. These limitations
points for anything. Cost per point in even with limitations – because they’re can only duplicate those on Modular
a slot should be 2 points if rearranging so flexible. Those with a small number Abilities if they represent a different
points is costly, slow, and subject to of related, mutually exclusive abilities set of drawbacks. For instance, if your
external interference; 3 points if just should see Alternative Abilities (p. 11) Modular Abilities have Costs Fatigue,
two of those; 4 points if only one of for a more affordable option. you can add an Innate Attack with
those; and 5 points if none of those. Costs Fatigue, because a FP cost for
For example: New Special Enhancement rearranging points isn’t the same limi-
tation as a FP cost for attacking. If
Divine Inspiration: Your abilities Social: You can add social advan- your Modular Abilities have
are minor wishes granted by a Higher tages. Work out how you do this with Environmental, though, none of the
Power. You can request nearly any the GM. If you somehow alter records, advantages they grant can claim this
ability at any time (add Physical or the GM may limit available traits limitation.
Social to have more options). to Alternate Identity, Clerical Invest-
However, your deity – as played by the ment, Independent Income, Legal One special limitation is particular-
GM – occasionally overrules you. Enforcement Powers, Legal ly important for Modular Abilities:
Immunity, Rank, Security Clearance,
Tenure, and Zeroed. +0% for social Limited: You can only acquire a
specific subset of traits. Most such
restrictions fall into one of two broad
categories.

Your Modular Abilities might be
focus-limited, meaning you can only
add traits that you could logically sim-
ulate by shaping or controlling a par-
ticular focus. For instance, Limited,
Fire would allow Burning Attacks, DR
that blocks physical projectiles (by
vaporizing them), Temperature
Control, etc. – but not Fangs or
Parabolic Hearing. Limitation value
depends on the degree of restriction:

A highly versatile focus that
amounts to a special effect; e.g., green
force fields or motion: -5%.

Any ordinary variety of matter or
energy; e.g., electricity, fire, light,
sound, or water: -10%.

Anything more specialized; e.g.,
spider webs: -15%.

Most focus-limited Modular
Abilities have Physical, +50% (“physi-
cal advantages only”). The GM can
make exceptions, but these should be
rare – few forms of matter or energy
can be shaped into mental advantages
or skills.

BUILDING ABILITIES 63

Those with Environmental (p. 110) Penalties for Obscure also apply to
can’t claim Limited for the same con- any form of Telecommunication that
ditions; this is built into the value of uses the same type of signal as the
Environmental. For example, if Green blocked senses.
Thumb’s Cosmic Power only allows
him to control vegetation – a -40% a subclass of mental traits, while those Detect: An effect that actively jams
Environmental limitation – he can’t without Physical can’t restrict them- a specialized sensor should have
also claim -15% for Limited. The fact selves to a group of physical traits. Obscure against the equivalent Detect.
that he manipulates plants automati- For instance, Obscure (Detect
cally limits him to advantages that Focus- and trait-limited aren’t Magnetic Fields) would work against
plant control can emulate. mutually exclusive. For instance, magnetic anomaly detectors. Other
super-gadgeteers often combine the forms of Obscure might affect super-
Modular Abilities can also be trait- two. They’re focus-limited to super- natural versions of Detect – imagine a
limited, meaning you can only add a science gadgets (-5%); the focus they demon with Obscure (Detect Evil)!
specific subset of traits related by manipulate is “available spare parts.”
function rather than focus: They’re also trait-limited: “Advantages Divination: Obscure (Divination) is
With Gadget Limitations Only” legitimate, and affects all attempts to
Advantages Only or Skills Only (-20%). This requires Physical, +50%, gather facts from within the area
(includes techniques): -10%. and often comes with a high level of through such means as Information
Preparation Required to reflect time spells and Psychometry. Use Obscure
A broad class of advantages (e.g., in the workshop. (Clairsentience) to disrupt remote
Attacks Only or Body Parts Only) or viewing.
skills (e.g., Spells Only or Powering Up
Technological Skills Only), or only Hearing: This might represent a
being able to add points to abilities Modular Abilities suit capable magical stealth spell, white noise, or
you already have: -20%. users of any power. Add Limited (or ultra-tech sound cancellation. Regular
Environmental) and Physical as need- hearing, Subsonic Hearing, Ultrasonic
A medium-sized class of related ed to restrict them to the types of abil- Hearing, Sonar, and Vibration Sense
abilities (e.g., Combat Skills Only or ities normally allowed for the power. are all “related” for the purpose
Social Skills Only), a subset of a broad Apply the power modifier to the of the Extended enhancement.
class (e.g., Senses Only or Fire Spells Modular Abilities themselves but not Obscure (Subsonic Hearing) and
Only), or all forms of a flexible, power- the traits they’re rearranged into (Ultrahearing) suffice to evade geo-
ful advantage (e.g., Afflictions Only or (doing both is double-counting). phones and ultrasonic motion detec-
Innate Attacks Only): -30%. Talent adds to all rolls to use any of the tors, respectively. Discriminatory
advantages granted by Modular Hearing, Parabolic Hearing, and so on
A subset of a medium-sized class Abilities. aren’t unique senses; they merely
(e.g., Unarmed Combat Techniques make hearing more useful. Those who
Only or Vision Advantages Only), or Obscure have such traits have no special ability
one specific form of a flexible, power- to ignore Obscure.
ful advantage that’s easy to customize see p. B72
with modifiers (e.g., Toxic Attacks Scanning Sense: Treat Radar and
Only, which can simulate most dis- Obscure is a flexible advantage that Imaging Radar as the same sense for
eases and poisons): -40%. can represent many fictional abilities – the purpose of Obscure. Other
some of which are unobvious by Scanning Senses require separate ver-
One specific trait that allows spe- design. When customizing Obscure, sions of Obscure. These varieties of
cialization but not modification (e.g., the first step is to specify what senses Obscure nearly always represent jam-
Languages Only, which doesn’t let you it affects, and how: ming of some kind. For the purpose of
break ciphers, read encoded data, or the Extended enhancement, Ladar is
grasp concepts simply by learning the Clairsentience: Obscure usually related to all kinds of vision, while
words for them), or one flexible blocks one sense, whether the observ- Sonar is related to Vibration Sense
advantage subject to restrictive modi- er examines the affected area in per- and all types of hearing. In most set-
fiers (e.g., Only Afflictions with Based son or remotely. A supernatural or tings, Para-Radar is related to
on Will and Malediction 1, or Only superscience “anti-power” might Clairsentience and Detect.
Allies with Minion and Summonable): specifically prevent all remote sensing
-50%. without affecting any mundane sens- Vision: This could be darkness,
es. Obscure (Clairsentience) often has blinding light, fog, smoke, or a magi-
Mental Only, Physical Only, and Extended for Detect, Divination, or cal blurring spell. Regular vision,
Social Only aren’t allowed. Modular Para-Radar (+20% each) and Limited, Infravision, Ultravision, and Ladar are
Abilities are always limited to mental Psi (-20%). all “related” for the purpose of the
traits without Physical or Social. Take
Physical, +50% if restricted to physical
advantages, or Social, +0% if restrict-
ed to social ones. The presence or
absence of Physical and Social does
affect the permissible forms of
Limited, however. For instance, those
with Physical can’t limit themselves to

64 BUILDING ABILITIES

Extended enhancement. Obscure Effect, Emanation, and Sense-Based, New Special Enhancement
(Infravision) also interferes with heat- this simulates a deafening noise,
seeking missiles and infrared motion blinding flash, etc. better than Inspired: You’re extremely gifted.
detectors. Microscopic and Telescopic Obscure. Any successful interpretation roll pro-
Vision, Peripheral Vision, etc. aren’t vides you with specific information,
unique senses; they just make vision Those who can block senses with and a critical success brings you an
more useful. Those with such advan- images – physical or mental – should unambiguous vision of the truth.
tages have no special ability to ignore take Illusion (p. 94). +100%.
Obscure.
New Special Limitation Powering Up
Penalties for Obscure also apply to
any form of Telecommunication Limited: You can only block a sense Oracle is ideal for divine, moral,
(p. 81) that uses the same type of sig- that occurs as part of a power. An and spirit powers that involve other-
nal as the blocked senses, if the sender entire power source (e.g., magical or worldly guidance. It also suits some
or receiver is inside the area of effect. psionic) is -20%; a specific power (e.g., interpretations of ESP. Talent influ-
Infrared Communication works like ESP or Telepathy) is -40%. ences both the Sense roll to spot
Infravision, Laser Communication omens and the IQ roll to gain insight
works like Ladar, Radio works like Powering Up from them.
Radar, and so on. It’s up to the GM
whether Telesend works like Para- Obscure suits nearly any power Patrons
Radar. that isn’t completely internal. Most
elemental powers can create clouds or see p. B72
By default, Obscure is a detectable fields of their element to block senses
jamming field (e.g., darkness, elec- (e.g., Heat/Fire power might produce A Patron with the Highly
tronic noise, or white noise) or cloud “hot smoke” to impede vision and Accessible enhancement might repre-
(anti-laser aerosol, radar-defeating Infravision), supernatural powers fre- sent the supernatural ability to call
chaff, smoke, etc.) around the user. quently include the capability to hide upon a deity or powerful spirit for aid.
Without special modifiers, it impedes from related powers (e.g., Obscure If so, Special Abilities and Minimal
signals crossing it in either direction. (Clairsentience), for Antipsi power), Intervention might also be appropri-
There are two common exceptions to and so on. Talent benefits Power Block ate. Limitations such as Accessibility,
these assumptions: attempts (see p. 168) and adds to rolls Costs Fatigue, and Preparation
to hit with Ranged abilities. Required are reasonable, too, if con-
Stealth Field: A subtle effect that tacting the Patron involves a spell-like
prevents detection of the user and the Oracle ritual.
field itself is standard for magic and
psionics, and common for super- see p. B72
science cloaking. This requires
Stealthy (+100%). Supernatural ver- Reading omens – be they hidden
sions rarely inconvenience the user, wisdom from the gods, signs from the
and also have Defensive (+50%). Ultra- spirit world, or “natural” phenomena
tech devices generally block the user’s in a magical world – is a practice tra-
sensors, too. ditionally associated with mysticism.
An interesting variant sometimes
Weapon: Many supers and vehi- appears in science fiction, however:
cles shoot beams or projectiles that
cause these effects at a distance; e.g., Oracle (Digital): You can analyze
flares for Obscure (Infravision) or “live” data – the Internet, news feeds,
smoke bombs for Obscure (Vision). etc. – and spot items of hidden mun-
Give such abilities Ranged (+50%). dane significance. Roll against
Don’t add Stealthy to anything that’s Research skill for discovery and
supposed to work as a decoy or Intelligence Analysis skill for interpre-
distraction. tation. To use this ability, you must
have access to prodigious quantities of
Alternatives unprocessed data. This trait is espe-
cially appropriate for AIs and other
Obscure creates an effect within Digital Minds. 15 points.
which anyone could hide. A hero who
makes only himself less detectable has Alternatives
Cameleon (p. 43), Invisibility (p. 56),
or Silence (p. 76). Oracle provides answers to
unknown questions . . . not all of
An Affliction (p. 39) with an which are about things to come. Use
enhancement such as Disadvantage Blessed (p. 43) to get direct answers to
(Deafness) or Negated Advantage specific questions, Precognition
(Infravision) can knock out someone (p. 68) to see the future. To spot hid-
else’s senses. Combined with Area den conspiratorial activity, take
Illuminated (p. B60).

BUILDING ABILITIES 65

Alternatives is irrelevant. For instance, Penetrating would buy Accessory, a super could
Vision 1 can look through six 1” walls spend a point for the ability to illumi-
The favor of a higher power might as easily one 6” wall, and these can be nate his immediate vicinity. Piling lim-
manifest indirectly as Luck (p. 59), any distance apart – but a large total itations onto full-fledged advantages is
Serendipity (p. 73), or Super Luck distance would still give a Vision overkill in such situations – imagine
(p. 80). To represent otherworldly penalty. trying to build that illumination abili-
knowledge, use Blessed (p. 43) or ty from Control (Light) or Illusion.
Oracle (p. 65). Alternatives The GM should forbid perks or uses of
perks that do duplicate full-blown
Powering Up To see inside things as opposed to advantages, of course.
through them, take Clairsentience
Only divine and spirit powers are (p. 44). For realistic X-ray or T-ray Powering Up
likely to have Patrons as abilities. vision, use Scanning Sense (p. 72) –
Talent doesn’t add to appearance rolls, not Clairsentience or Penetrating Any power might (and perhaps
but does add to Influence and reaction Vision. should) include perks, but because
rolls made to sway the Patron. This perks can’t have enhancements or lim-
can be extremely useful for Patrons Powering Up itations, they don’t receive the power
bought with Minimal Intervention. modifier. This means that there’s no
Penetrating Vision is reasonable discount for the fact that anything that
Penetrating Vision for ESP, and for elemental powers that disables the power knocks out the
deal with cinematic radiation. An ele- perk. On the other hand, powered
see p. B74 mental power that focuses on one par- heroes can justify perks unavailable to
ticular kind of matter might offer others, and get the benefit of Talent on
No realistic sense would enable the Penetrating Vision with the Specific any die rolls required.
user to receive light from behind a modifier for that substance. Talent
solid barrier, allowing him to see col- gives no Vision bonus, but adds to Permeation
ors and use his other visual capabili- comprehension rolls (against IQ or
ties. This violates the laws of physics. skills) to figure out the relative place- see p. B75
Nevertheless, espers, supers, and ment of multiple items and barriers.
superscience sensors from comics and Permeation accounts for the tradi-
space-opera tales often possess exactly Perks tional ability of otherwise-tangible
this capability. nature spirits to pass through moun-
see p. B100 tains, trees, and so on with ease.
Penetrating Vision can look Supers with elemental powers
through multiple objects with a total Perks are a good way to handle often possess similar capabilities – as
thickness no greater than its penetrat- truly trivial abilities. For instance, just do fiendish fantasy monsters that
ing power. Distance has its usual as a robot with a built-in flashlight step out of dungeon walls to eat
effects, but the spacing of the barriers adventurers!

Permeation is normally associated
with a particular class of materials. If
the GM wishes, though, he can permit
a further class – “Everything” – that
lets the user walk through any solid
substance. This costs 80 points.

Alternatives

Those who have Injury Tolerance
(Diffuse) (p. 52) modified with
Infiltration can seep through porous
obstacles. Users of Insubstantiality
(p. 55) are intangible, and can pass
through anything. To burrow through
barriers physically, take Tunneling
(p. 85).

New Special Enhancements

Extended: You can pass through
multiple, similar materials. Buy the
most expensive one at full price.
Each additional, related substance is
+20%. For instance, someone with
Permeation (Stone) could add
Extended, Earth and Metal for +40%.

66 BUILDING ABILITIES

Meld 1: You can become one with Possession countermeasures equivalent to exor-
the things you permeate, like a dryad cism. The GM may also let those with
merging with her tree. This works see p. B75 Spiritual possess inanimate objects
only on discrete objects – a tree (not a (e.g., statues), which resist with HT –
forest), a mountain (not a planet), Possession can represent any abili- although this is only useful if the pos-
etc. Once melded, you can use your ty to “take over” people or objects. A sessor has Telekinesis with Animation
senses from or step out of the object few notes to supplement those in the to animate his new vessel.
at any point along its interior or exte- Basic Set:
rior surfaces, and can breathe if any Technological Possession: There’s
part of it is touching air. Take a Magical Possession: Some unpleas- no unique type of superscience
Ready maneuver to shift viewpoints ant horror and fantasy monsters use Possession. Digital (-40%) works for
or exit the object. If the object takes magic to take over unwary victims . . . Digital Minds that can possess com-
damage, it affects you proportional- who inevitably turn on their compan- puters; Chronic (+20%) is extremely
ly; e.g., 10 HP of injury to a 100 HP ions. This calls for the Magical special common in this case, and represents
tree results in a 1 HP wound for a 10 limitation (-10%), which is identical to rewriting the target’s software.
HP man. Being part of something the Magical power modifier (p. 27). Those who can “teleoperate” others
larger than you also blunts Some of these creatures jump from through surgical implants should
Afflictions: add the difference body to body, but most stay in their take Telecontrol (+50%), Mindlink
between its SM and yours to your own body and “use” their victims Required (-40%), and No Memory
resistance roll. If you have attacks remotely via Telecontrol (+50% or Access (-10%), and must have
that affect those touching or stand- +100%). Mindlink (p. B70) with the
ing near you, like Emanations, Telecommunication limitation.
they’re “spread thin” if you merge Parasitic Possession: Body-snatch-
with a large object: scale down dam- ing aliens are a staple of science fic- Alternatives
age in proportion to HP (to 1/10 nor- tion. All such beings have the Parasitic
mal, in the above example), and add limitation (-60%); more “realistic” The ability to command the subject
the difference between the object’s ones also have Specialized. Some ter- without taking over his body is Mind
SM and your own to rolls to resist rifying creatures have Assimilation Control (p. 61) – or Dominance
your Afflictions. You can’t control the (+10%), too – possibly with Full (p. B50), if it results in permanent
items you meld with; get Possession Memory Access (+10%). With access Allies.
for that. +150%. to the skills of all previous victims,
they’re formidable foes. It’s equally New Special Enhancements
Meld 2: As Meld 1, but works creepy when the host exhibits the
even on distributed objects. With invader’s mannerisms but none of his Full Memory Access: You can freely
Permeation (Earth), you could meld own. For that, use No Memory Access access the memories of a sentient host
with the ground at your feet to cross (-10%) instead. at any time. To recall a specific fact
the entire planet in the blink of an eye; from the subject’s memories requires a
with Permeation (Wood), you could Psionic Possession: Telepaths capa- straight IQ roll, at no penalty for the
meld with a forest to traverse it ble of Possession require the time since takeover. Furthermore, if
instantly or spy on events within. Telepathic power modifier (-10%). you also have Assimilation, you can
+300%. Most fictional psis don’t move from learn the victim’s IQ-, Will-, and
body to body, but manipulate victims Perception-based skills. +10%.
New Special Limitation remotely via Telecontrol (+50% or
+100%). A few do swap bodies using Telecontrol 2: As Telecontrol, but
Finite Thickness: You can only pass Mind Swap (+10%). An adept telepath your body remains conscious and able
through a barrier of limited thickness. who can do both needs Mind Swap, to act. You can only exercise fine con-
If you try to move through anything Telecontrol, and Selectivity (+10%). trol over one body at a time, though.
thicker, you penetrate as far as your State whether you’re prioritizing your
limit and then run into a solid obsta- Spiritual Possession: Demons, loas, body or your victim’s (in combat, do
cle. Value depends on thickness: -50% and other spirits in folklore can pos- this at the start of each turn). All
for a thin membrane (like a curtain), sess mortals. This calls for Spiritual actions taken by the lower-priority
-30% for an inch, -15% for a foot, and (-20%). Spiritual isn’t the same as the body – including attack, defense, and
-5% for the distance you can sprint in Spirit power modifier (p. 28) – it’s Sense rolls – are at -4. This is incom-
a second. about being a spirit, not controlling patible with Parasitic and Spiritual,
spirits – and it’s rare for both to apply. which assume that you and your vic-
Powering Up Few spirits have any power modifier tim are merged in a single body. If you
on their Possession. Weak spirits that have Compartmentalized Mind
Permeation is a typical feature of can “ride” only a few specific subjects (p. B43), you don’t need this modifier,
elemental and nature-spirit powers. It have Puppet Only (-30%). Powerful as some compartments can possess
also suits divine powers bestowed by ones that can create new Puppets have victims while others control your
deities associated with the substances Chronic (+20%) instead. The GM may body. Without Telesend (p. B91),
it affects. Talent adds to all DX or skill let those without the Spirit meta-trait though, the “home” and “away” com-
rolls made for movement while using take Spiritual if they have partments won’t be in communica-
this ability. Insubstantiality or a trait modified tion. +100%.
with Projection, and are subject to

BUILDING ABILITIES 67

New Special Limitation through life. On the other hand, it critical success, Precognition never
might only work during encounters supplies “hard facts” like stock quotes
Specialized: You can only possess with people, places, or things of great and winning lottery numbers.
certain hosts. The default is “anything importance, such as individuals with a
alive.” All Carbon-Based Life is -10%; Destiny (p. B48), in which case the Finally, note that Precognition
All Earthly Life is -20%; Animals Only GM must determine whether pictures assumes that the GM does some
is -25%; All Mammals, All Reptiles, and second-hand accounts are enough advanced planning – if only notes on
etc., is -30%; and Dogs Only, Humans to trigger visions. scrap paper. It’s neither useful nor
Only, Martians Only, etc., is -40%. appropriate for a completely ad-lib
2. How far ahead can Precognition game where even the GM doesn’t
Powering Up see? Premonitions might foreshadow know what’s going to happen next!
momentous events weeks, months, or
Possession is appropriate for magi- years away, if it serves the purposes Alternatives
cal and psionic powers, obviously. of drama. Grittier tales portray
Nature powers, especially animal-con- Precognition as more quantified and Those granted answers to specific
trol powers, might also include it – less forgiving. If the GM prefers, he questions by a Higher Power are
nearly always with Specialized. Talent can roll whenever the user has an Blessed (p. 43), while the gift of seeing
affects all IQ rolls to use Possession, encounter that might trigger a vision random signs – not always about the
including rolls to recall the host’s . . . but at a penalty found by consult- future – is Oracle (p. 65). To experi-
skills. ing Long-Distance Modifiers (p. B241) ence visions from the past, take
and reading “miles” as “weeks.” Psychometry (p. 69).
Precognition
3. Is the future mutable? It’s more Remember that this trait includes
see p. B77 fun for most players if the future seen Danger Sense (p. 46). There’s no need
by divinatory gifts is one possible to buy both.
Prophets, soothsayers, for- future, subject to change at the heroes’
tunetellers, and others who can see hands. Still, the GM should not make New Special Enhancement
the future appear in the folklore of the future so mutable that this ability
every culture, but there’s little consen- is a waste of points. Precognition Directed: When you deliberately use
sus on how their abilities work. The should always reveal some grain of your ability, you may opt to focus on a
GM should answer the following ques- inevitable truth, particularly when a specific event involving the subject of
tions before letting PCs take Destiny is involved. your attempt (yourself or someone
Precognition: else). Name the event – e.g., “The bat-
No matter what the answers are, tle with the Dark Lord” – before you
1. How often do premonitions the visions the GM describes should roll. On a success, you discover the
occur? Precognition could work con- be somewhat vague. Except on a most likely outcome. Failure means
stantly but subtly, shepherding a hero you learn nothing, and critical failure
“blacks out” the event in all future

68 BUILDING ABILITIES

premonitions. Passive use is Sealed (p. B82), and similar physical success. If scanning a place, you see
unchanged. Directed is mutually defenses. To armor the eyes, use and hear things as if you were stand-
exclusive with One Event. +100%. Nictitating Membrane (p. B71). ing at that location during the events
of interest. If reading an object, you
New Special Limitations Powering Up witness events from the object’s point
of view. This enhancement can short-
Active Only: You can only use your Protected Senses are often part circuit mystery adventures – handle
gift deliberately – you never receive of elemental powers – Protected with care! +100%.
spontaneous visions. Your ability Vision for Darkness or Light
doesn’t include Danger Sense. This is power, Protected Hearing for Sensitive: You can read uneventful
mutually exclusive with Can’t See Sound/Vibration power, and so on. history as well as emotionally charged
Own Death. -60%. Biological and chi-based body-control events. For instance, you might learn
powers sometimes grant this advan- who made a dagger, how often it was
Passive Only: You can never use tage by letting the user adapt his body. sharpened, and where it was stored
your gift deliberately. This is mutually Any power might include Protected when it wasn’t stabbing people. +30%.
exclusive with Active Only and Power.
Directed. -20%. New Special Limitations
Talent adds to Power Block
Powering Up attempts (see p. 168). Active Only: You can only use your
ability deliberately. You never receive
Precognition is traditionally an Psi Static spontaneous visions, no matter how
ESP or magical ability. It could also strong the “vibes.” -20%.
belong to a divine or spirit power, if a see p. B78
supernatural entity mediates the pre- Hypersensory: You reconstruct past
monitions. Any power that includes This is just a special case of the events from minute pieces of evidence
Jumper (Time) might incorporate more generic Static advantage; see spotted by your mundane senses.
Precognition as a “navigational aid.” p. 98. You’re not consciously aware of these
clues, but taken together, they give you
What kinds of events trigger Psychometry a general idea of what happened here.
Precognition, and how it manifests, This gift relies on your senses, and you
depend on its source. In particular, see p. B78 roll at -3 if you can’t use one of smell,
gods and spirits tend to have agendas, touch, or vision. If you can’t use two of
and may impart knowledge in disturb- Psychometry, known also as these senses, roll at -6. If all three are
ing ways – such as voices in the head – “object reading” and “retrocognition,” blocked – or if the GM rules that there
that make the recipient look like a is the trademark ability of the psychic are no clues to be found – your ability
madman. detective. It’s like Precognition that doesn’t work. Hypersensory includes
looks in the opposite direction in time Mundane (don’t take both), and is
Talent influences all IQ rolls to use – and as with Precognition, the GM mutually exclusive with Immersive
this ability, actively or passively. should decide ahead of time what trig- and Sensitive. -50%.
gers it, and about how often.
Protected Sense Mundane: Your ability detects tem-
Alternatives poral “echoes” of the past – not the
see p. B78 emotional charge on objects or loca-
Psychometry lets the user “read” tions. You can only read uneventful
Remember that this trait protects objects and places to learn their histo- history, as described for Sensitive
against sensory overload and Sense- ry. Those who can draw upon knowl- (don’t take both). -30%.
Based attacks, not physical damage. edge from the past to answer ques-
For instance, Protected Vision helps tions about their current situation Passive Only: You possess only the
against bright light, but not a splinter have Racial Memory (p. 70). Visions capacity to notice strong impressions
in the eye. about the future of an object require on an IQ-4 roll. You can never use
Precognition (p. 68). your gift deliberately. This is mutually
The GM may permit a variant abil- exclusive with Directed, Sensitive, and
ity in campaigns that feature powers: New Special Enhancements all three of the special limitations
above. -60%.
Protected Power: Your power is pro- Directed: You can focus on specific
tected against direct attacks. It events in the past. State what you’re Powering Up
gets +5 to resist Neutralize (p. 97) searching for before you roll. Success
attempts, and you roll at +5 when you means you glean information perti- Psychometry is usually associated
use it “burn through” Static (p. 98) nent to the event of interest instead of with ESP – but with Hypersensory,
with the Resistible limitation. This receiving a general flood of emotions. any power that grants keen senses
doesn’t provide Protected Sense Failure means you learn nothing. On a could allow it. A power that offers
for the power’s sensory abilities; it critical failure, you’re permanently Jumper (Time) might include it as a
only protects the power itself. 5 blinded to that piece of history. +50%. “time-scanning” ability, with Active
points/power. Only, Directed, Mundane, and likely
Immersive: A successful use of your Immersive. Talent influences all IQ
Alternatives ability gives you an actual “replay” of rolls to use this ability, actively or
emotionally charged events, similar to passively.
For protection against chemicals in the vision that those without this
the eyes, inhaled gas, etc., take Doesn’t enhancement experience on a critical
Breathe (p. B49), Resistant (p. 71),

BUILDING ABILITIES 69

Racial Memory Damage Resistance), a force field (see modifiers for Clueless and No Sense of
Force Field, p. 108), or a basic physiol- Humor. Standard penalties apply if
see p. B78 ogy that isn’t sensitive to radiation. trying to affect a group. +100%.

The idea that some people have Alternatives Powering Up
access to the collective wisdom of
their ancestors appears in religious To reduce the macroscopic physi- Rapier Wit might represent the
beliefs and older scientific treatises cal damage from radiation beams ability to project one’s will using
(e.g., the writings of Carl Jung). (e.g., particle-beam weapons), take Telepathy or chi powers (in which
Depending on the setting, the ancient Damage Resistance (p. 45) – possibly case Mind Shield aids rolls to resist).
memories tapped by Racial Memory with Limited. In a cinematic supers game, it could
could be those of a bloodline, clan, or be part of Sound/Vibration power.
entire race. Alternatives include the New Special Enhancement Those with divine powers might also
user’s own dim memories (if he’s enjoy this gift. With Words of Power
extremely long-lived) or his recollec- Extended: Your divisor also affects and Cosmic (+300%), it suits the cos-
tions of past lives (if reincarnation is your dose of a particular variety of mic powers of the gods, and would
fact). The broader the memories’ weird radiation. It might divide char- instantly stun any mortal!
scope, the less specific they are. None acter points worth of mutations, or
of this affects point cost. multiply exposure time required Talent adds to Public Speaking skill
before you see effects. Details are up or Will rolls to use this ability.
Alternatives to the GM. +30% per type of radiation.
Regeneration
Precognition (p. 68) is a fair alter- Powering Up
native to Racial Memory (Passive); see p. B80
feelings of déjà vu could as easily orig- Radiation Tolerance is an obvious
inate from the future as from one’s choice for an elemental Radiation This could be a natural or bioengi-
ancestors. Psychometry (p. 69) is a power, but many powers that include neered advantage, or a supernatural
better alternative to Racial Memory DR could justify some level of this healing ability. Note that Regeneration
(Active), as both provide information trait. Body-control powers – biologi- affects the “healing” rate of Damage
from the past – the main difference cal, chi-based, or otherwise – might Resistance with Ablative or Semi-
being vague psychic impressions vs. grant this advantage by letting the Ablative, the speed of Regrowth, and
detailed facts. To share the memories user repair cellular damage. Talent the recovery time required by
of living members of a race, use adds to HT rolls to resist radiation Unkillable 2 and 3.
Mindshare (p. 148). effects, and to Power Block attempts
(see p. 168). Alternatives
New Special Enhancement
Rapier Wit Despite its name, Regeneration
Immersive: Successful use of your isn’t the ability to regrow lost body
ability gives you a “replay” of ancestral see p. B79 parts – that’s Regrowth (below). To
memories, similar to what those with- heal others, take Healing (p. 51).
out this enhancement experience on a As written, Rapier Wit is the larger- Alternatively, buy Affliction (p. 39) and
critical success. On Racial Memory than-life gift of knowing precisely how use the Advantage enhancement to
(Passive), this removes the need for to mortify and provoke enemies. The give Regeneration to others.
interpretation when you receive a ability to stun foes with a few words or
vision. With Racial Memory (Active), the sound of the voice doesn’t have to New Special Enhancement
you can replay your ancestors’ lives at be silly, though – it could work by
will! +50%. delivering a supernatural or vibratory Fatigue Recovery: Only for Fast or
shock to the victim’s psyche or body. better Regeneration. You regain lost
Powering Up FP at the same rate as you recover HP.
Alternatives +100%.
Racial Memory is ideal for spirit
powers that let the user speak with A sonic or mental blast that deaf- New Special Limitations
dead ancestors. The ability to read ens or injures is an Affliction (p. 39) or
their minds across time would be part Innate Attack (p. 53). Those who sim- Fatigue Only: Your ability only aids
of Telepathy, while sensitivity to per- ply yell loudly have the Penetrating FP recovery, as described for Fatigue
sistent psychic echoes from the past is Voice perk (p. B101). Recovery. It has no effect on injury,
more like ESP. Talent adds to IQ rolls and doesn’t include Rapid Healing.
to use this ability. New Special Enhancement -0%.

Radiation Tolerance Words of Power: You faze oppo- Limited: Your Regeneration acceler-
nents with the supernatural might ates an advantage, usually without
see p. B79 inherent in your words or voice. restoring HP. It doesn’t include Rapid
Perhaps you know magic words from Healing. “DR Only” speeds the recovery
Aliens, robots, supers, and vehicles the dawn of creation – or speak with of DR lost as a result of corrosion, the
in high-tech settings are often radia- the voice of the gods! Language is no Ablative limitation, etc. “Regrowth
tion-resistant. This might represent barrier, and you can affect those who Only” repairs limbs, not HP. Find the
armor (likely in conjunction with have the Unfazeable advantage. To use normal recovery time in days and
your ability, roll a Quick Contest of divide by 3 if Slow; read “days” as
Will with your opponent, ignoring “hours,” “minutes,” or “seconds” if

70 BUILDING ABILITIES

Regular, Fast, or Very Fast; or use the Regrowth can replace a severed occurs at the usual speed. +25% if this
Very Fast time divided by 10 if head, if the possessor could survive works with only one type of body part
Extreme. “Unkillable Only” does heal such a wound (due to Extra Head, (arms, legs, heads, etc.); +50% if it
HP, but only after you die – and it stops Injury Tolerance, etc.). This takes works with any missing part.
working at positive HP (Unkillable 2) 2d+2 months.
or full HP (Unkillable 3). -40%. Reattachment: You can reattach
Alternatives any severed but intact body part by
Powering Up holding it in place for a minute.
To heal HP, take Regeneration Regeneration reduces this to 30 sec-
Regeneration is usually part of a (p. 70). Those who can replace miss- onds if Slow, three seconds if Regular,
biological, chi, or psi power that ing body parts quickly need both or one second if Fast or better (but
enables rapid self-repair – or a “good” advantages. The ability to repair oth- Very Fast and Extreme typically
divine, moral, or spirit power. The ers’ limbs is Healing (p. 51). It’s possi- remove the need for this enhance-
capacity to accelerate time just for ble to use Affliction (p. 39) with the ment). +50%.
healing could justify this ability as Advantage enhancement to give some-
part of a time-travel power. Talent one else Regrowth – but this is New Special Limitations
adds to all HT rolls to recover lost HP too slow to be useful unless the
(should that matter). subject also gains (or already has) Bane: You can’t regrow a body part
Regeneration. if it’s lost to injury from a particular
Regrowth source or if the stump is exposed to a
New Special Enhancements specific substance (e.g., fire) – your
see p. B80 choice. Limitation value depends on
Doubling: When you lose a body the rarity of the attack: -10% if “Rare,”
Regrowth might represent natural part, you can sprout two replace- -30% if “Occasional,” or -50% if
healing capabilities similar to those of ments, like the Hydra of myth! You “Common” or “Very Common.”
starfish and worms (or aliens and must have enough unspent points to
monsters based on these creatures), or buy the relevant advantage (Extra Reattachment Only: You can only
be the result of superscience or para- Arm, Extra Head, etc.), and you must reattach body parts, as described for
normal powers. The modifiers below pay these points as soon as you lose Reattachment, making your ability
offer several options from myth and the body part. Otherwise, you can only useless if the part is mangled, vapor-
fiction. grow a single replacement. Regrowth ized, eaten, etc. -50%.

Powering Up

Regrowth is appropriate for biolog-
ical body-alteration powers, Healing
power, and any divine, moral, or spirit
power associated with healing. A
shapeshifting power that includes
such abilities as Morph might let the
user rearrange his mass to replace
missing parts. Talent adds to all HT
rolls to avoid or recover from crip-
pling injuries.

Resistant

see p. B80

Bioengineered, nonhuman, and
superhuman heroes often have specif-
ic resistances and immunities to haz-
ards or powers that cause afflictions.
The GM is the final judge of what lev-
els of Resistant are possible – and to
what items – in his game world.

For the purpose of Resistant, an
entire power source (biological, psion-
ic, etc.) is “Very Common,” while one
particular focus, power, or college of
magic is “Common.” If a source or
focus includes a mixture of HT- and
Will-resisted effects, Resistant benefits
both sorts of rolls and Immunity
works against either kind of threat.

BUILDING ABILITIES 71

Alternatives Infravision (but when turned on, it Scanner: Para-Radar only. You
can spot targets that don’t emit heat). receive detailed information about the
Remember that Resistant and Active IR doesn’t work underwater. 20 composition, energy output, radiation
Immunity only help against threats points. emissions, etc. of anything you scan.
that offer resistance rolls. To stop This allows detailed analysis from a
physical damage, use Damage T-Ray Vision: Your Scanning distance with scientific skills such as
Resistance (p. 45). For instance, Sense uses sub-millimeter-wave Chemistry and Physics. With
Immunity to Magic foils all resisted radar, bordering on the infrared. Penetrating, you can spot specific sys-
spells . . . but only DR can stop a Base range is 200 yards. Like tems within a complex machine and
Fireball spell. Imaging Radar, T-Ray Vision can analyze them using Engineer skill.
spot small objects and determine Sci-fi sensors typically have both
Powering Up their shape, and eliminates penalties enhancements – and often Bio-Scan,
to spot objects behind light cover. too. +50%.
Any power might allow Resistant However, T-Ray Vision is more pre-
or full Immunity against the source or cise. It gets +4 to locate concealed Powering Up
focus of an opposing power. It might weapons, and while it still requires a
provide similar protection against its Sense roll to distinguish fine relief, Scanning Senses are perfect for
own source or focus – but the GM this roll is also at +4. Only rare, spe- elemental powers: Radar, Imaging
should forbid this if the power cial-purpose sensors can detect T- Radar, and T-Ray Vision fit Electricity
requires the user to be “open” to its Ray Vision. T-Ray Vision doesn’t power; Ladar and Active IR suit Light
energies in order to direct them. This work underwater. 25 points. power; and Sonar is logical for
is often the case for magic. Sound/Vibration power. Electro-
Alternatives kinesis (usually psionic) could justify
Talent adds to Power Block any Scanning Sense except Sonar . . .
attempts (see p. 168). The primary role of a Scanning which Psychokinesis could explain.
Sense is to let the user function in the Other supernatural powers are only
Scanning Sense dark. Compare Dark Vision (p. 46), likely to offer Para-Radar, which is
Hyperspectral Vision (p. 51), appropriate for ESP and chi, divine,
see p. B81 Infravision (p. B60), and Night Vision and cosmic powers that grant height-
(p. B71), none of which emit ened awareness.
Realistic robots and vehicles often detectable radiation. Another alterna-
have Scanning Senses: Radar or tive is Vibration Sense (p. 86). Talent adds to all Sense rolls to use
Imaging Radar for use in flight, any Scanning Sense.
Sonar to navigate underwater, etc. Those who can see through walls
Supers sometimes have similar abili- using ordinary vision, as opposed to See Invisible
ties, not all of them realistic. Para- with T-rays, X-rays, etc., should take
Radar in particular can represent a Penetrating Vision (p. 66). Remote see p. B83
variety of supernatural and super- viewers have Clairsentience (p. 44).
science senses. This is a separate advantage for
New Special Enhancements each kind of invisibility. The buyer
The GM may invent new Scanning must choose either one of the descrip-
Senses. Most should cost 20 to 25 Bio-Scan: Para-Radar only. You tive categories under Invisibility
points. Here are two more from the receive vital signs and biochemical (p. 56) or a particular power source.
real world: information from anything you scan –
both the target itself and anything liv- If he chooses a descriptive catego-
Active IR: Your Scanning Sense ing on its surface. This lets you use ry, he can see anyone using Invisibility
uses an infrared (IR) beam. Base skills like Biology and Diagnosis from with the listed modifiers and special
range is 200 yards. It can distinguish a safe distance. With Penetrating, you effects, regardless of source. See
fine relief as well as the human eye; if can also examine living beings inside Invisible (Deception) makes him
someone using ordinary vision could inanimate objects (e.g., the passengers immune to invisibility through mental
identify details without a die roll, then of a car). +50%. influence, be it chi-based or psionic;
so can you. Only IR detectors and See Invisible (Ghosts) lets him see
those with Infravision (p. B60) can No Intercept: Your Scanning Sense specters, whether their invisibility
detect Active IR. You can switch off is completely undetectable. This highly stems from magical powers, spirit
your beam in order to avoid detection, unrealistic enhancement mainly suits powers, or something else; and so on.
in which case this ability functions as psis and supers. +50%.
If he selects a source, all that mat-
Para-Radar in particular can ters is the power modifier on
represent a variety of supernatural Invisibility. For instance, See Invisible
and superscience senses. (Psionic) can see through electrokinet-
ic light-bending and telepathic mind-
bending, while See Invisible (Spirit)
works on anyone using spirit powers
to become invisible . . . but not those
using magical invisibility, even if they
happen to be spirits.

72 BUILDING ABILITIES

Alternatives the vibrations they set up. Make a Alternatives
Touch roll to “hear” conversations
Against invisibility that affects elec- through walls. Deafness is no obstacle, Use Luck (p. 59) and Super Luck
tromagnetic vision, senses that detect but soundproofing gives its usual (p. 80) for quantifiable probability-
something else – e.g., Sonar (p. B81) or penalties. +50%. control abilities. Those who get what
Vibration Sense (p. 86) – can stand in they wish for through divine favor
for See Invisible. Dark Vision (p. 46) Ultra-Fine: Your sense of touch lets might instead have a deity as a Patron
with the Hypersensory enhancement you “read” print by feeling the outline (p. 65) – likely with Highly Accessible
can see through most invisibility, but of the ink. This works even in the dark and Special Abilities.
not psychic deceptions. or if blinded. You also can read com-
puter screens by feeling tiny differ- New Special Enhancement
To fight invisible foes without see- ences in heat or electric field strength;
ing them, learn the Blind Fighting skill this requires a Touch roll at -5. +30%. Wishing: You can consciously wish
(p. B180). for fortuitous coincidences. These
must be within the realm of what’s
New Special Enhancement plausible in the current situation. For
instance, if you were in prison, you
True Sight: Your vision can pene- could wish for the jailer to drop his
trate all deceptions related to the type key . . . but you couldn’t wish to be
of invisibility you can foil, including teleported home. The GM is free to
camouflage, disguises, and illusions. forbid anything that would unbalance
For instance, True Sight would allow the game. Normal usage limits apply.
See Invisible (Magical) to defeat mag- +100% if you can grant wishes for
ical illusions and the Blur spell yourself and others; +0% if you can
(p. B250) as easily as magical invisibil- aid others but not yourself.
ity. +50%.
Powering Up
Powering Up
Serendipity works well as part of a
See Invisible is a logical part of any divine or spirit power that represents
elemental power that offers sensory the blessing of supernatural
capabilities – especially Light power. It guardians. It might instead belong to a
also suits supernatural powers that probability-control power (likely
focus on knowledge, notably divine psionic) – or even a cosmic power, if
powers; these often add True Sight. It’s the wielder is a deity.
a classic ability of martial artists with
chi powers, too. As part of a cosmic Talent gives a bonus to the first die
power, See Invisible defeats all power- roll made in conjunction with a coin-
based invisibility, including cosmic cidence caused by this ability. For
invisibility. instance, in the example under
Wishing, it might give a bonus to Filch
Talent adds to the initial Vision roll skill to palm the key in plain sight.
to spot an invisible target.

Sensitive Touch Powering Up Shadow Form

see p. B83 Sensitive Touch suits Sound/ see p. B83
Vibration power best. It’s also some-
Sensitive Touch is found in nature times found among those with chi Shadow Form is ideal for such
– a prime example being the mole’s powers; the GM might let martial fantasy and horror denizens as semi-
nose – and might be available to artists with such powers use the +4 tangible undead. With the 3-D
humans through biotech implants. It’s bonus to Touch rolls to cancel dark- Movement enhancement (and per-
also a classic shtick of blind heroes, ness penalties in close combat. Talent haps Light Insensitive), it can repre-
especially detectives, martial artists, adds to Touch rolls. sent illusionary beings, while Finite
and supers. Thickness lets it model ultra-thin
Serendipity creatures. All of these possibilities
Alternatives suit supers equally well.
see p. B83
The ability to hear low-frequency Alternatives
vibrations at long distances is Most heroes benefit from the occa-
Subsonic Hearing (p. B89). Those who sional deus ex machina. Serendipity is Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) (p. 52)
can navigate using vibrations felt by for the hero who’s routinely favored by with the Infiltration enhancement is
their skin, whiskers, or antennae have coincidence. It normally works at pricier, but lets the user pass through
Vibration Sense (p. 86). “plot level,” but certain fictional char- cracks without incurring the weak-
acters can use their ability actively – in nesses of Shadow Form. A hero who
New Special Enhancements particular, those whose wishes tend to can become a true shadow, immune to
come true. physical harm, should take
Stethoscopic: You can pick up Insubstantiality (p. 55).
sounds from the other side of a barri-
er, or from within an object, by feeling

BUILDING ABILITIES 73

New Special Enhancements 90% the difference in template costs). Mythic Morphs: Gods and wizards
A similar rule applies to Morph: mod- in many tales can instantly take the
3-D Movement: You can turn 90° to ifiers affect the 100-point cost of the form of any earthly creature. This
a surface and stand up in three-dimen- basic ability but not additional points powerful capability is Morph, with a
sional space – like a two-dimensional set aside for more powerful forms. lot of extra capacity to cover strong,
“cutout” – in order to bridge gaps or The sole exception in either case is capable forms – like tigers and sharks
turn around. You can walk at your Affects Others (p. 107), which affects – while retaining IQ. No
normal ground Move. All of the other both components of the cost. Memorization Required (+50%) and
drawbacks of Shadow Form remain. Reduced Time 4 (+80%) agree
+20%. Some important archetypes: with most tales. The Unlimited
enhancement (+50%) is common but
Light Insensitive: You’re not made Doppelgangers: Alien blobs, liquid- not universal.
of actual shadow. Your body might metal robots, and horrific monsters
even look like a projected photograph that “replace” their prey can assume Transforming Machines: Robots or
of a normal human. The only game the form of almost any living being vehicles that can become other robots
effect is that you don’t suffer 50% they sample, within the limits of their or vehicles are a comic-book standby.
extra damage from light. +20%. mass. This is Morph with Mass This is a standard Alternate Form that
Conservation (-20%) and Needs switches one machine template for
New Special Limitation Sample (from -5% for a robot that another. Add Active Change (+20%)
needs a single cell to -50% for a mon- for transformers that can keep moving
Finite Thickness: You don’t quite ster that devours its victims) – often while changing. There’s no need for
become two-dimensional. You’re with many points of extra capacity. Absorptive Change if all passengers
about as thick as a sheet of paper, and Some robots and aliens can shift into and cargo are within the machine’s
can’t fit through microscopic cracks. unliving forms. A robot restricted to Payload (p. B74).
Being physical, you take full damage unliving forms is about as limited as a
from physical attacks – and because
you’re so thin, the wounding multipli- The werewolf is neither man nor
er for cutting attacks is ¥2 instead of wolf, but a Satanic creature with the
¥1.5. You aren’t a shadow, though; worst qualities of both.
light-based attacks get no bonus dam-
age (don’t buy Light Insensitive – Dr. Yogami,
separately). You still can’t physically Werewolf of London
attack, and you can only drag objects
around on your surface if you buy the living being that can only take living Were-Creatures: Werewolves and
Can Carry Objects enhancement. forms; there’s no extra cost. To assume similar beings use Alternate Form to
-50%. living and unliving forms, add assume an animal template. Weres
Unlimited (+50%). who can control their beast form
Powering Up might choose to retain IQ and do
Elemental Supers: The ability to away with bestial mental traits – but
As the supernatural ability to become flame, stone, water, and so on this significantly elevates template
assume an unusual kind of spirit often shows up in the comics. Buy this cost. Those who change involuntarily
form, Shadow Form is suitable for as Alternate Form with the appropri- during the full moon have
divine, magical, and spirit powers. ate elemental meta-trait (p. B262) as Uncontrollable Trigger (a dangerous
Shadows are associated with evil in the target “racial template.” The GM ability that triggers under occasional
many settings, making this ability may even permit players to create cus- circumstances, for -15%) and
appropriate for unsavory moral pow- tom meta-traits for new elements. Unconscious Only (-20%), and often
ers, too. Finally, it fits the theme of Most elemental supers have Minimum Duration, One Night
Darkness power, whatever its source. Absorptive Change at the “No encum- (-10%). Reciprocal Rest (+30%) is
Talent applies to all DX and skill rolls brance” level (+5%) for their costume, common . . . the were-form appears
made to squeeze through openings or plus Active Change (+20%) or rested and ready to rampage!
negotiate tricky surfaces. Reduced Time 4 (+80%).

Shapeshifting

see p. B83

Shapeshifting features prominent-
ly in folklore and fiction. Details vary
greatly from tale to tale. These notes
barely touch on the possible complex-
ity – a detailed treatment could fill its
own book.

When designing Alternate Forms,
apply enhancements and limitations
to the basic 15-point cost per form but
not to the form-specific cost (that is,

74 BUILDING ABILITIES

Alternatives No Memorization Required: Only is a real, physical form with no special
for Morph. Any shape you take restrictions on its actions. To dismiss
Shapechangers who can alter size instantly becomes part of your reper- it and awaken, it must be within 10
but not form have Growth (p. 50) or toire, unless you don’t want to memo- yards of your native form. If either
Shrinking (p. 75). Those who can rize it for some reason. +50%. form is wounded or killed, so is the
change their appearance to resemble other form; see Projection (p. 44) for
members of their own race have Non-Reciprocal Damage: Only for details. -50%
Elastic Skin (p. 48). For partial Alternate Form. Injury you suffer in
changes, see Switchable Body Parts one form doesn’t affect any of your Unliving Forms Only: Only for
(p. 81). Modular Abilities (p. 62) can other forms – although wounds only Morph. You can turn into objects but
cover all of these things, and is an heal while you’re in the form that sus- not creatures. You enjoy most of the
interesting alternative to Morph. tained them, unless you also take capabilities of the Unlimited enhance-
Reciprocal Rest. +50%. ment, but you can’t assume the tem-
To turn others into monsters, use plate of anything alive. -0%.
Affliction with Advantage, Alternate Once On, Stays On: This is identical
Form. to the general modifier of the same Powering Up
name (see p. 109), but with a special
New Special Enhancements rule for Alternate Form: it counts as a Alternate Form suits many super-
+50% modifier on the basic 15 points natural powers – especially spirit
Absorptive Change: Only for and raises the form-specific cost from powers, which might call for the
Alternate Form. You “absorb” worn 90% to 100% of the difference in tem- Projected Form limitation if they let a
and carried items into your Alternate plate costs. shaman become a totem animal.
Form. These reappear when you Morph works better for exotic body-
change back. Without this modifier, Reciprocal Rest: Only for Alternate alteration powers.
you must leave your equipment Form. Your dormant forms can rest
behind when you change, and worn while they’re out of sight. Time spent When deciding on what external
items too small for your Alternate dormant counts toward FP recovery influence can force the shapeshifter to
Form risk destruction. Cost depends and the sleep needs of that form. In resume his native form against his
on encumbrance level: +5% for None, conjunction with Non-Reciprocal will, consider the power’s source.
+10% for Light, +15% for Medium, Damage, these forms can even recover Exorcism, prayer, or sacred artifacts
+20% for Heavy, or +25% for Extra- HP and recuperate from crippling might work on divine or spirit powers;
Heavy. The GM decides what’s left injuries. This doesn’t preclude dor- the Dispel Magic spell is reasonable
behind if your encumbrance exceeds mant forms being aware of and for magical powers; and weird-science
your capacity. Apply this modifier sep- remembering the active form’s drugs and radiation are traditional for
arately to each form that can absorb actions. +30%. biological powers and super-powers.
equipment.
New Special Limitations For Morph, Talent gives a bonus to
Active Change: Your transformation any IQ or skill roll the GM requires for
takes the usual amount of time, but Cannot Memorize Forms: Only for disguise or impersonation. For
you needn’t concentrate during this Morph. You can’t memorize the forms Alternate Form, it adds to rolls to
time – you can move and act. You have you copy. To assume a form, you resist external influences that could
the abilities of the form you’re chang- must always be able to see or touch force the user out of his current form
ing from until the transition is com- the original. -50%. or into one of his other forms.
plete. (GMs who enjoy extra detail can
average the forms’ statistics, or even Flawed: Only for Morph. Every Shrinking
use a weighted average to reflect how form you take is cosmetically imper-
far along the change has come.) +20%. fect in some way, which completely see p. B85
precludes impersonation. You still
Improvised Forms: Only for Morph. gain the abilities of your new form. Shrinking, like Growth (p. 50), is
You can improvise new racial tem- Flawed is mutually incompatible with more often a goal unto itself than an
plates as you change, mixing and Cosmetic. -10%. explanation for another capability. It’s
matching the natural physical traits a completely unrealistic ability, best
you desire. Possibilities range from Needs Sample: Only for Morph. reserved for those with truly fantastic
modifying your native form with a You must physically sample anything powers – supers, gods, etc.
useful body part to creating a com- you wish to take the form of. If your
pletely new template. Improvised tem- target is living, this sample must be Supers with Shrinking often enjoy
plates can’t cost more than what you fresh – you can’t sample a rotting Full Damage (+100%), Full DR
can afford with your Morph ability, corpse. -5% if you need only touch the (+30%), Full HP (+30%), and Full
but can include physical disadvan- target; -15% if you require a drop of Move (+30%). They sometimes have
tages to reduce costs. All traits added blood, strand of hair, etc.; -50% if you Can Carry Objects, too, in order to
must exist in your game world, unless must eat the whole target. shrink their costumes; the +10% level
you also have Cosmic (+50%). You suffices for most outfits. This greatly
can’t change your composition (e.g., Projected Form: Only for Alternate inflates cost, but the ability to move
add elemental meta-traits or Form. Your Alternate Form is a sepa- and fight as if full-sized while being
Insubstantiality) without Unlimited rate entity – perhaps a physical mani- difficult to hit and see is extremely
(+50%). +100%. festation of your soul. When you use powerful (see Optional Rule: Small
your ability, your native form falls into Size and Combat, p. 76).
a trance and your Alternate Form
appears nearby (within 10 yards). This

BUILDING ABILITIES 75

Alternatives deities. Talent doesn’t affect die rolls, you move, or helps them blend in with
but those with multiple levels of ambient noise. You enjoy your full
Shrinking is strictly for those who Shrinking and Talent may adjust their Stealth bonus (+2 per level) when
change size. Permanently tiny crea- SM by up to ±(Talent+1) per second moving. +40%.
tures don’t have Shrinking (Always instead of just ±1.
On). A negative Size Modifier is a Powering Up
zero-cost feature for a race small Silence
enough to require it (GM’s decision). Silence most often belongs to an
The benefits of being a difficult target see p. B85 elemental or psionic Sound/Vibration
are offset by the inconvenience of day- power. It suits body-control powers,
to-day life around adult humans. Just When Silence occurs in fiction, it’s too – especially the chi-based powers
ask any 4-year-old . . . or an ant! typically the result of a physiological attributed to legendary ninja. It would
adaptation, like a cat’s padded feet. also be logical for an animal-control
The Affects Others special However, stealthy supers and robots or shapeshifting power that lets the
enhancement for Shrinking is com- sometimes have an active capacity to user borrow the features of stealthy
pletely identical to the general Affects dampen sound or “project” silence. predators. Talent adds a further bonus
Others enhancement on p. 107. It only to Stealth skill rolls to avoid being
affects willing subjects who remain in Alternatives heard.
physical contact with the user. An
attack that shrinks unwilling targets is To create a zone of silence, use Snatcher
an Affliction (p. 39) enhanced with Obscure (Hearing) (p. 64). Area
Advantage, Shrinking. Effect isn’t suitable for the Silence see p. B86
advantage.
Powering Up One of the miracles most often
New Special Enhancement attributed to gods and spirits is con-
Shrinking is appropriate for mat- juring items out of thin air. Snatcher
ter-control powers, cinematic biologi- Dynamic: Your ability actively can- offers an interesting explanation for
cal powers, and the cosmic powers of cels out the sounds you make when this trick: the conjured objects are
stolen from another reality. The new
Optional Rule: Creation and Recall modifiers support
Small Size and Combat alternative interpretations.

Truly diminutive combatants – for instance, those with high levels of Alternatives
Shrinking – should realistically enjoy certain benefits, despite their size.
To visit other realities, take Jumper
A tiny fighter is hard to see. Enemies attack him at a penalty equal (p. 57). To conjure bulk matter instead
to his SM. At SM -10 or smaller, when he attacks, his target must make of specific objects, use Create (p. 92).
a Vision roll. Modifiers include the attacker’s SM and the +10 to spot To stow items in another dimension,
something in plain sight (see Vision, p. B358); e.g., SM -14 requires a buy Payload (p. B74) and add Cosmic
Vision-4 roll. Failure means the defender doesn’t see the attack coming (+50%) – which means that stored
and gets no defense, as if his attacker were invisible. objects, while still subject to weight
limits, can be of any size and are
The natural weapons, Innate Attacks, and so on of a minuscule war- normally undetectable.
rior scale in proportion to his body – as do weapons reduced by
Shrinking. Being narrow, they can more easily target openings in armor. New Special Enhancements
If using Targeting Chinks in Armor (p. B400), reduce the penalty to hit
by SM, to a minimum of 0. Those with SM -10 or smaller can target Creation: You don’t take items from
gaps in armor at no penalty. Of course, if you’re 1.8” tall, attacking any- anywhere – you create them on the
thing but a foot is impossible without Flight or cunning tactics . . . spot. You can get anything you’ve seen
personally, and items sufficiently close
By making a successful grapple, a fighter with SM -13 or smaller can to these things that you can visualize
crawl inside unsealed armor, where he can ignore its DR. If he can reach them. There are never any penalties
a nostril, ear, or other orifice, a successful grapple lets him get inside his for item type. You still can’t get
foe’s body, where he can also ignore natural DR. No defense is possible “impossible” items, you can only have
against attacks from either vantage. one created item at a time unless you
also take Permanent, and normal
At SM -19 and below, it’s possible to get into the bloodstream if weight and size limits apply. +100%.
injected or able to reach an open wound. Use the rules above, except
that all attacks are effectively to the vitals (¥3 wounding modifier). To Large Items: You’re not bound by
enter the body through its pores requires SM -44 or smaller. the restriction that the items you
snatch must fit in one hand. They can
All of this assumes an SM 0 opponent. In battles between tiny com- be any size, as long as they’re within
batants, the difference in SM is what matters. For instance, if an SM -15 your weight limit. Large items too
super is fighting an SM -10 foe, he applies these rules as if he had SM heavy to lift always appear at arm’s
-5 and his enemy had SM 0. reach. +50%.

More Weight: Your weight limit is
higher than 5 lbs.

76 BUILDING ABILITIES

Limit Cost Modifier Universal, and doesn’t need Speak New Special Enhancement
7 lbs. +5% With Animals. Neither advantage
10 lbs. +10% grants the ability to understand the Sapience: The plants you converse
15 lbs. +15% motivations of animals, though – that’s with function as if they had your IQ,
20 lbs. +20% Animal Empathy (p. B40). as described for the enhancement of
30 lbs. +25% the same name under Speak With
50 lbs. +30% Speak With Animals translates the Animals (above). +40%.
speech of sapient beings to beast
Each further +30% multiplies speech and vice versa. It doesn’t let the New Special Limitation
weight by 10 (e.g., a ton is +80%). If user emulate animal sounds (that’s
your weight limit exceeds your one- Mimicry, p. 61) or converse in unusu- Specialized: You can only commu-
handed lift (2¥BL), you must also take al environments or in frequencies nicate with certain plants. “All terres-
the Large Items enhancement. inaudible to humans (see Speech trial plants” (including all trees, bush-
Advantages, p. 78). es, and herbs) and “All aquatic plants”
New Special Limitation (including algae, kelp, and seaweed)
New Special Enhancements are -40%; a large subset of either (e.g.,
Recall: You call existing objects to “Trees” or “Herbs”), -50%; a smaller
you across space or dimensions. These Sapience: The animals you con- subset (e.g., “Evergreens” or
must be personal possessions. You verse with temporarily function as if “Medicinal Herbs”), -60%.
could summon your sidearm – or even they had your IQ. They are still limit-
your battlesuit, with More Weight – ed to their natural perceptions, but Powering Up
but not someone else’s belongings, let can frame these in terms you can
alone items you’ve merely heard of. grasp. For instance, if an ant sensed 10 Speak With Plants mainly suits
This still requires 10 seconds, 2 FP, sets of footfalls and the scent of plant- and nature-control powers, and
and an IQ roll, but no penalties apply. humans when the sun was low, it divine powers bestowed by nature
Recalled items remain indefinitely, as might say, “Ten men came past here deities. Spirit powers that let the user
if you had physically retrieved them. before sundown.” +40%. converse with nature spirits rather
As usual, you can send the items back than plants themselves might grant it,
at any time. Recall is incompatible Universal: You can speak with any too – likely with the Sapience
with Creation, Permanent, and nonsapient creature, however alien, enhancement. Talent adds to all IQ
Unpredictable. -25%. supernatural, or weird. Universal is and Hearing rolls to communicate
mutually exclusive with Specialized. with plants, in either direction, when
Powering Up +20%. using this ability.

Snatcher is an ideal fit for the cos- Powering Up Special Rapport
mic powers of gods and spirits – the
most powerful of which have Creation, Speak With Animals is logical for see p. B88
More Weight, and Permanent. Supers Telepathy, all kinds of animal- and
capable of creating “force constructs” nature-control powers, and divine In worlds that feature psychic gifts,
have a similar ability, but usually lack powers granted by nature deities. a supernatural bond might exist
Permanent and have a Nuisance Effect With the Sapience enhancement, it between parent and child, siblings
(-5%) to reflect the fact that the objects also suits spirit powers that let the (especially twins), or lovers – or
are obviously “fake” and made of force. user communicate with nature spirits between strangers who had such a
Finally, Snatcher suits any power capa- rather than animals themselves. relationship in a past life. Clones,
ble of dimension travel or matter con- Talent adds to IQ and Hearing rolls to supers with shared origins, and so on
trol. Talent adds to IQ rolls to use the understand beast speech or make sometimes have similar links, but with
ability. oneself understood when using this rubber-science explanations like
ability. “quantum-entangled brainwaves.”
Speak With Animals
Speak With Plants Alternatives
see p. B87
see p. B87 Enhanced mental communication
Otherwise-ordinary heroes (often with a specific person or group of peo-
children) who can speak with animals Gods can generally speak with ple (such as a hive mind) requires
make regular appearances in fantasy, almost anything – including plants. Mindlink (p. B70). Use Puppet
fairy tales, and folklore. The usual jus- Otherwise, the ability to converse with (p. B78) for those who can possess a
tification is that the speaker knows the plants (which typically lack the means particular subject with ease.
“secret language of the beasts,” but to truly speak) is rarely seen except as Individuals who can evaluate the gen-
this advantage could as easily an obscure gift attributed to the occa- eral emotional state of just about any-
originate from supernatural forces, sional fantasy-game druid or elf. one have Empathy (p. B51).
perhaps even the gods.
Alternatives New Special Enhancements
Alternatives
Plant Empathy (p. B75) is a much One-Way: Your link lets you sense
A true “universal translator” has better fit for shamans and similar the status of your partner without him
Mind Reading (p. 61) enhanced with mystics who can “commune with having this advantage and being able
nature” to learn the current mood of to sense your condition. +20%.
trees, fields, etc.

BUILDING ABILITIES 77

Transferable: You have a link that Speak Underwater also suits water- You’re limited to your natural ST and
you can actively “attach” to anyone. related super-powers, divine powers DX, and can’t take actions that are
Your subject must be present. bestowed by sea gods, and spirit pow- impossible with a real limb (e.g.,
Attachment requires a minute and an ers that influence naiads, undines, etc. reaching through a wall). This isn’t
IQ roll. Success means you and your Talent adds to all IQ and Hearing rolls Telekinesis (p. 82), but suits any power
subject have a Special Rapport to understand speech or be understood that includes it. +50%.
until you reassign your link. To have when using speech-related abilities.
multiple links, buy more than one New Special Limitation
Special Rapport with Transferable. Stretching
Transferable often accompanies One- Limited: You can only stretch cer-
Way. +100% to affect only your own see p. B88 tain body parts. “Arms Only” and
race; +150% to affect any living being “Legs Only” are -20%, “Single Limb” is
or all Digital Minds; +250% to affect Stretching 1 or 2 is reasonable for -40%, and “Neck Only” is -50%. The
any sapient being, living or machine. octopuses and similar invertebrates GM may allow other limitations, but
Add -50% if the subject must be that can extend their limbs farther “Arms and Legs Only” isn’t a meaning-
willing or helpless for the initial than humans can, proportional to ful limitation.
attachment. body length. Higher levels aren’t real-
istic for natural creatures. No such Powering Up
Powering Up restriction applies to supers, bizarre
entities that exist partly in another Stretching is appropriate for the
Special Rapport is consistent with dimension, etc. Extreme Stretching same classes of powers that allow
powers that encompass mental com- needn’t be cinematic, though. Growth: matter-control powers, cine-
munication – notably Telepathy. With Realistic robots and vehicles often matic biological powers, and cosmic
Transferable, it also suits chi powers, have telescoping components, or a powers. Talent doesn’t affect die rolls,
spirit powers, Healing power, and any “head” or sensor cluster on a but those with multiple levels of
other power that lets the user establish retractable stalk or periscope. Stretching and Talent may adjust
mystic links with others. It even works body-part SM by up to ±(Talent+1) per
for Machine Telepathy, with Alternatives second instead of just ±1.
Transferable, Digital Minds. Talent
adds to any roll made to diagnose or Those who can stretch their skin to Striking ST
analyze the mental, physical, or spiri- change appearance have Elastic Skin
tual state of the other person. (p. 48). The ability to enlarge one’s see p. B88
entire body, not just parts of it, is
Speech Advantages Growth (p. 50). Striking ST suits creatures that
have evolved to hunt and fight, as well
Creatures that communicate via Individuals capable of extreme as battlesuits and robots designed
ground vibrations use Subsonic flexing and bending have Double- with melee combat in mind. It’s also
Speech (p. B89), while underwater Jointed (p. B56). Those who have both an important ability for supers and
dwellers often have Ultrasonic Speech that advantage and Stretching can monsters, which can often hit much
(p. B94). Remember that Subsonic squeeze through narrow openings by harder than their size and muscula-
Speech includes Subsonic Hearing reducing effective SM in one or two ture suggest.
and Ultrasonic Speech includes dimensions by their Stretching level.
Ultrahearing. Speak Underwater Alternatives
(p. B87) is fundamentally unrealistic, New Special Enhancement
but widespread among aquatic supers Striking ST only augments basic
and fantasy races (e.g., “Sea Elves”). Force Extension: You can project ST for the purpose of thrust and swing
visible, semisolid force fields that act damage, and for throwing. To increase
Alternatives as extensions of your limbs. Treat this lifting and carrying capacity, buy
like unmodified Stretching, except Lifting ST (p. 58). To gain all of these
Being able to speak in the frequen- that the extensions of your limbs past benefits and additional HP, just raise
cy range used by a particular beast their physical reach aren’t subject to ST.
doesn’t confer any special ability to injury. You must still move your limbs
mimic or communicate with it; those as if reaching, kicking, stepping, etc., There are other ways to get a pow-
abilities are Mimicry (p. 161) and and you still need a free hand to pick erful melee attack. An Innate Attack
Speak With Animals (p. 77), respec- something up or wield a weapon. (p. 53) with the Melee Attack limita-
tively. For other forms of communica- tion (p. B112) can do any amount of
tion inaudible to normal humans, see
Telecommunication (p. 81). Striking ST only augments basic
ST for the purpose of thrust and swing
Powering Up damage, and for throwing.

Any of these traits would be reason-
able for an elemental Sound/Vibration
power – or Psychokinesis, if it lets the
user create and modulate vibrations.

78 BUILDING ABILITIES

damage, of any type, but needs an Super Climbing Shapeshifting and animal-control
enhancement (p. 103) to be cumula- powers might even let the user take on
tive with ST-based damage. Natural see p. B89 ape-like features in order to climb
weapons such as Claws (p. B42), well. Talent adds to all DX, ST, and
Strikers (p. B88), and Teeth (p. B91) Many creatures – realistic and fan- Climbing rolls made to climb.
are another option, and always benefit tastic – climb as fast as they walk.
from ST. Brachiators often move faster while Super Jump
climbing. Explanations include strong
Martial artists who can temporari- hands and arms (which might explain see p. B89
ly boost ST in combat should look at Arm ST or Striking ST), built-in
the Power Blow (p. B215) and Push climbing spikes (which could double Physiology – specialized limb
(p. B216) skills. as Claws), and superhuman powers of structure, high strength-to-mass ratio,
adhesion or gravity control. etc. – can justify Super Jump for real-
New Special Limitation world creatures such as frogs and
The meaning of “+1 Move when grasshoppers. It isn’t realistic for giant
One Attack Only: Your Striking ST climbing” is clear for Clinging, with its animals and monsters modeled on
only affects one specific natural climbing speed of half Basic Move. these beasts . . . but that doesn’t stop
attack: your bite, a particular Striker, For conventional climbing, though, them from showing up in fantasy. This
etc. This limitation is intended for a the table under Climbing (p. B349) ability is also popular with mecha,
relatively weak creature with an doesn’t give Move in yards/second. robots, and supers. Some
unusually high-ST attack; e.g., a giant Assume that each level of Super simply have hydraulic jacks or unnat-
rat that can gnaw through armor and Climbing raises climbing speed by the urally powerful legs, but two other
bone. -60%. base value on the table. For instance, possibilities are common:
Super Climbing 4 gives +12 rungs/sec-
Powering Up ond to climb up a ladder in combat, Jets: Jets of energy or matter pow-
+80 ft/min to climb up a rope out of erful enough to provide Super Jump
Striking ST suits chi-based and combat, and so on. Realistically, grav- are sufficiently noisy and dangerous
biological body-control powers. When ity limits rappelling speed (“rope- to rate Nuisance Effect (-5%). A rock-
it represents an active ability to sum- down w/equipment”), which shouldn’t et with a fixed burn has Full Power
mon a burst of strength, limitations benefit from this advantage. Only (-10%) – and one of Horizontal
such as Costs Fatigue and Takes Extra Only (-25%), Projectile (-20%), or
Time are likely. Talent adds to any HT Alternatives Vertical Only (-25%), if it can’t be
roll required to avoid self-inflicted steered.
injury when striking. Super Climbing enables speedy
conventional climbing. To climb like a Levitation: Telekinetics and gravity-
spider or gecko, take Clinging (p. 45). controlling supers not gifted enough
A robot or vehicle with a built-in line to fly can still make amazing leaps.
and grapnel, or similar gear useful Most have either Lighter Than Air
with the Climbing skill, has an (-10%) or Maneuverable (+50%), and
Accessory perk (p. B100). those that use antigravity should take
Planetary (-5%), too.
New Special Limitations
Alternatives
Take Specific (p. 112) if your Move
bonus only applies when climbing cer- Anyone considering Super Jump
tain kinds of surfaces. Common mate- should read Jumping (p. B352). A few
rials, such as metal, rock, or wood, are extra points of Basic Move can give a
-40%; ferrous metals are -50%; and modest boost in jumping distance –
uncommon materials, such as adobe, and improved groundspeed in the bar-
ice, or rubber, are -60%. gain. Enhanced Move (Ground)
(p. 45) is an even better deal for those
Requires Low Gravity: Your ability who like to make their mighty leaps at
doesn’t function in gravity fields over a full run.
a certain, maximum strength. -5%
per 0.1G under 1G (-5% for 0.9G, The ability to get airborne and stay
-10% for 0.8G, and so on – down to there is Flight (p. 50). This is also the
-50% for 0G). best value for individuals whose
desired level of Super Jump – after
Powering Up modifiers – costs more than Flight
with comparable modifiers. Those
When Super Climbing involves looking only for the ability to reduce
force control, it’s appropriate for damage from a fall should consider
Psychokinesis and elemental powers Catfall (p. 43).
such as Gravity and Magnetism. If it
works by granting incredible balance Martial artists familiar with secret
or a strong grip, it’s suitable for acrobatic techniques are more likely
body-control powers – especially to have the Flying Leap skill (p. B196).
the chi powers of cinematic ninja.

BUILDING ABILITIES 79

New Special Enhancements on landing. Failure means you collide Super Luck
with your target or the ground –
Bouncing: You can rebound like a unless you intended to do so, in which see p. B89
rubber ball. Your Super Jump works case you miss and crash into some-
normally, but you also get a roll thing nearby. In either case, you suffer Super Luck is difficult to explain as
against the best of DX, Acrobatics, or full normal collision damage. -20%. anything other than a limited degree
Jumping when you experience a fall or of control over reality. This capability
collision – deliberate or otherwise. Vertical Only: You can only increase is traditional for gods and powerful
Roll at -5 per multiple of your jumping your vertical (high jump) distance and spirits. Among mortals, only the most
Move, or fraction thereof, by which reduce falling damage. Your ability gifted psis, supers, and wizards are
your velocity exceeds your jumping doesn’t benefit broad jumps. This is likely to possess it.
Move. Success means you take no mutually exclusive with Horizontal
damage and rebound with 90% of Only. -25%. The GM probably shouldn’t allow
your impact velocity. If this doesn’t this trait outside of cinematic action
exceed your jumping Move, you can Powering Up games, as it’s thoroughly unrealistic
choose to stop instead; otherwise, you and tends to short-circuit mystery and
must bounce. Failure means you take Any power that explains Flight as suspense. On the other hand, if the
normal damage and stop (“Splat!”). levitation – elemental (e.g., Gravity or PCs are demigods, the GM might per-
+50%. Magnetism) or supernatural (most mit higher levels: Super Luck 2 [200]
often Psychokinesis) – could justify works every 30 minutes, Super Luck 3
Maneuverable: You can make Super Jump as a lower level of the [300] works every 15 minutes, and so
midair course corrections. Calculate same ability. Air, Fire, and other ele- on, with each level halving the time
distance and “hang time” as usual, but mental powers might generate “jump between uses.
while airborne, treat your jumping jets.” Body-control powers are a third
Move as air Move, exactly as if you option, be they chi-based (“body light- Alternatives
had Flight. For instance, if you can ening”) or biological (an adrenaline
jump 100 yards at 20 yards per sec- burst). Talent adds to DX and Most lucky heroes should just use
ond, you can “fly” at Move 20 for five Jumping rolls to take off and land, and Luck (p. 59) – or Serendipity (p. 73), if
seconds before landing. Maneuverable to rolls to hit with jumping slams or their luck doesn’t lend itself to inter-
is mutually exclusive with all of the kicks while using this ability. pretation as “good odds.” Those who
special limitations below except can consciously load the dice in their
Planetary. +50%. favor but not guarantee success have
Visualization (p. 87).
New Special Limitations
New Special Enhancements
Full Power Only: You must always
jump your maximum distance when Alter Reality: Your Super Luck
you use Super Jump. The only way to works retroactively. You can wait until
make shorter hops is to jump without after you roll and then specify a differ-
using this advantage. -10%. ent result, altering the past. You must
declare this immediately. Once you or
Horizontal Only: You can only anyone else has made another roll, the
increase your horizontal (broad jump) flow of time becomes too complex for
distance. Your ability doesn’t benefit you to unravel. Alter Reality always
high jumps, and has no special effect produces visible effects; e.g., time
on falling damage. -25%. rewinds and replays differently, or a
glowing hand reaches down from the
Lighter Than Air: You jump by heavens and changes things. +75%.
becoming lighter than air. For each
second you’re airborne, your landing Wishing: You can specify the result
zone drifts a yard in the direction the of any die roll made in your presence.
wind is blowing per 5 mph of wind You must personally witness the
speed. For instance, if you’re in the air action you wish to influence. Normal
for three seconds in a 20 mph wind usage limits apply. +100% if you can
from the west, you’ll land 12 yards east affect your rolls and those of others;
of your intended target. -10%. +0% if you can aid others but not
yourself.
Planetary: You jump by “pushing
off” against a planet’s gravitational or Powering Up
magnetic field. Your ability is useless
in the absence of a planet. -5%. Super Luck is a perfect fit for cos-
mic and divine powers. Other options
Projectile: You can only launch are a magical power, a psionic proba-
yourself directly at your objective. bility-control power, or even a spirit
You’re an unguided missile, spinning power, if the user commands spirits
out of control! You can do nothing that have Super Luck with Wishing.
while airborne, and have no active The GM should consider restricting
defenses. Make a DX or Jumping roll Alter Reality and Wishing (and higher

80 BUILDING ABILITIES

levels of Super Luck, if allowed) to sacrilegious; e.g., the Tiger God might Neutrino Comm: You communi-
cosmic powers – although Alter grant switchable Claws and Teeth, but cate using a modulated beam of neu-
Reality might fit less-than-cosmic not permit Alternate Form (Tiger). trinos (or similar particles). Base
time-control powers. Body-alteration and animal-related range is 1,000 miles in a straight line.
powers frequently include similar The beam is impossible to jam or
Talent gives a bonus to die rolls abilities. intercept, and functions in any envi-
manipulated by this ability. Since the ronment – it can reach underwater or
user can dictate outcomes, the practi- Talent benefits HT rolls to avoid or penetrate solid objects at no penalty,
cal effect is to alter margin of success recover from crippling of the body and isn’t blocked by the horizon. You
or failure, or extend the range of pos- parts, and DX rolls tied to extending can only communicate with people
sible results (e.g., for damage rolls). or retracting them (e.g., to reach who have this advantage or a neutrino
something or escape from bonds). It communicator. 25 points.
Switchable Body Parts doesn’t affect attack rolls for added
limbs, Strikers, etc. Sonar Comm: You communicate
Many physical advantages repre- using modulated sonar. Base range is
sent body parts, including Claws, Telecommunication three miles underwater. The signal is
Extra Arms, Extra Legs, Extra Mouth, omnidirectional, and anyone with this
Nictitating Membrane, Spines, see p. B91 advantage or equivalent equipment
Striker, and Teeth. These are “always can hear you. The only way to jam this
on” by default, whether they’re due to Cyborgs, robots, and vehicles with ability continuously is with powerful,
racial makeup, genetic engineering, communicators – and supers who can specialized equipment – although
implants, or super-mutation. The GM project modulated energy – might explosions can cause transient inter-
may permit shapeshifters and those have any form of Telecommunication. ference. In air, Sonar Comm has a
with retractable implants to add Telesend is intended mostly for indi- range of 50 yards multiplied by air
Switchable (+10%), however. viduals with supernatural powers, pressure in atm. It doesn’t work at all
however. Note that there’s no “unseen in vacuum. At the GM’s option, Sonar
Not every option is immediately subject” penalty to use Telesend on Comm is equivalent to Ultrasonic
obvious. Some changes are subtle, one’s own Compartmentalized Mind Speech. 10 points.
such as being able to darken the eyes (p. B43) or to contact oneself across
to gain Protected Vision. Others time (see Time-Spanning, p. 109). Not every special modifier in the
involve body parts implied by a special Basic Set suits all of these traits.
modifier; e.g., Doesn’t Breathe (Gills, New forms of Telecommunication Broadcast and Short Wave are inap-
-50%) and Flight (Winged, -25%). A invented by the GM should cost from propriate for all four. Video is only
few even represent the absence of a 5 to 25 points. Far-fetched capabilities realistic for Gravity-Ripple Comm and
body part, like switchable Payload as similar to Telesend might cost more. Neutrino Comm. Racial, Telepathic,
the ability to create a new body cavity. Some examples: and Universal might apply to any of
Be creative! them, if the GM permits. Receive Only,
Directional Sound: You communi- Send Only, and Vague are always
Alternatives cate using a laser-thin sound beam. acceptable.
Base range is 100 yards in a direct line
For those who can transform into of sight. Jamming and eavesdropping Alternatives
almost anything, Morph (see require specialized equipment – and
Shapeshifting, p. 74) is more economi- even then, the short range and line-of- For alternative verbal communica-
cal – and flexible – than many individ- sight requirement give -5 to attempts. tion, consider Speak Underwater
ual body parts with Switchable. The Obscurants (e.g., fog and smoke) and (p. B87), Subsonic Speech (p. B89),
same is true of Modular Abilities electrical “noise” have no effect. You and Ultrasonic Speech (p. B94). Those
(p. 62) with Physical and Limited, can only communicate with those who can sense but not understand the
Body Parts Only. who have this advantage or a direc- signals used by Telecommunication
tional-sound communicator. 5 points. have Detect (p. 47). Note that Telesend
Powering Up allows one to transmit thoughts, but
Gravity-Ripple Comm: You com- unless the subject has Telesend him-
Switchable body parts suit divine municate using gravity waves. Base self, the only way to receive his
powers bestowed by beastly or mon- range is 1,000 miles. Your signal is thoughts is with Mind Reading (p. 61).
strous deities, especially if transforma- omnidirectional, and as with Radio,
tion into a full likeness of the god is eavesdroppers must roll against New Special Enhancements
Electronics Operation (Communi-
cations) to listen in. Jamming is Burst: Not available for Directional
impossible – although intense gravity Sound or Sonar Comm. You transmit
sources (neutron stars, pulsars, black a high-speed “blip” that conveys infor-
holes, etc.) can disrupt your signal. mation much faster than you could
Gravity waves reach underwater and speak or draw. +30% for 10¥ normal
penetrate solid objects at no penalty. speed, +60% for 100¥, +90% for
You can only communicate with peo- 1,000¥, and so on. Each factor of 10
ple who have this advantage or a grav- gives -1 to attempts to intercept the
ity-ripple communicator. 20 points. transmission.

BUILDING ABILITIES 81

FTL: Your signal travels faster than god, psi, spirit, and wizard. TK isn’t magnetism is that it can only affect
the speed of light, letting you commu- always supernatural, though; space- ferrous metals, which calls for
nicate with little or no “light lag.” The opera “tractor beams” and super-pow- Magnetic (-50%). Increased Range
GM decides what kinds of ered magnetism are also common (+10%/level) is common but not
Telecommunication can have this explanations. The many faces of TK required.
modifier and what it represents in include:
each case: a beam of FTL energy for Tractor Beam: Superscience devices
Radio or Gravity-Ripple Comm, a Animated Objects: A spirit that uses that project force beams capable of
stream of FTL particles for Neutrino Possession to occupy an object (like a pushing or pulling distant objects are
Comm, etc. A “hyperspace tunnel” statue) can use TK with Animation found on starships, robots, and
that carries ordinary signals might (-30%) to make it move around. If the mecha. These “tractor beams” typical-
suit any kind of Telecommunication. spirit can only use its TK in conjunc- ly have high levels of Increased Range
Recommended signal speed is 0.1 par- tion with Possession, add an (+10%/level) and either Attraction
sec/day, to a maximum range in par- Accessibility limitation (-10%). A sor- (-60%) or Attraction/Repulsion
secs equal to 1/5,000 ordinary range in cerer who makes tables gallop and (-30%), and are often Visible (-20%).
miles, but the GM can adjust this to mannequins dance has Animation,
suit the setting. Only individuals with too – with Independent (+70%), if the Telekinesis can have Area Effect,
the same ability or equivalent technol- items keep doing what they’re doing obviously. In combat, it must affect
ogy can receive the FTL signal. without his attention. Together, groups of foes in exactly the same way.
+120%. Animation and Independent can ani- Roll separately for each target, at a
mate one object per second. Total HP penalty equal to the number of targets,
Secure: Your signal employs securi- can’t exceed TK level, but homoge- less one; see Area Effect (p. 100). Out of
ty measures that make it difficult to nous objects count as having half their combat, it can aid any long task
interpret if intercepted. Eaves- HP. resolved using a single die roll (e.g., an
droppers must win a Quick Contest of Engineer roll to assemble a machine).
IQ (if using Telecommunication) or Attraction/Repulsion Field: Some The GM may let heroes use the rules
Electronics Operation (if using tech- force fields push everything nearby under Time Spent (p. B346) to hasten
nology) against your IQ to understand away from the user, or draw objects to such tasks.
the content of the transmission. If they him. Simulate this using Area Effect
lose, they get garbage. +20%. (+50%/level), Emanation (-20%), and For all collective uses, calculate
one of Attraction (-60%), Repulsion Basic Lift from TK level and compare
Sensie: You can transmit your sen- (-60%), or Attraction/Repulsion the weight of everything affected to
sory impressions in real time. This is (-30%). If the field is magnetic, add find encumbrance level. Objects in the
possible for any form of Magnetic (-50%), too. Being unable to area travel at a Move equal to TK level,
Telecommunication save Directional turn this off is genuinely limiting – reduced by encumbrance as usual.
Sound or Sonar Comm – but with Always On is worth -20%.
anything other than Telesend, the Alternatives
recipient needs a specially equipped Poltergeist Effect: Certain people
receiver to get the “full experience.” are the nexus of random acts of teleki- Flight (p. 50) with Enhanced Move
+80%. netic violence when under stress. (Air) (p. 49) costs fewer points than
Parapsychologists refer to this phe- TK for levitation at a given top speed –
Powering Up nomenon as “recurrent spontaneous although it doesn’t permit instant
psychokinesis” (RSPK) or “the polter- acceleration to full speed like TK does.
Telecommunication that uses real- geist effect.” Represent this with Area Similarly, Innate Attack (p. 53) is less
istic energy or particles is appropriate Effect (+50%/level), Emanation expensive than buying enough TK to
for elemental Electricity, Gravity, (-20%), Unconscious Only (-20%), and inflict comparable damage with a tele-
Light, Radiation, and Sound/Vibration Uncontrollable (-30%). In general, kinetic “punch.” It’s also more appro-
powers. Electromagnetic and acoustic combinations of Area Effect and priate for force beams.
forms of Telecommunication are also Uncontrollable always cause chaos
reasonable for psionic Electrokinesis over a wide area. To get a force field that can lock
and Psychokinesis, respectively. onto and prevent damage from attacks
Telesend mainly suits paranormal Psychokinesis: Classic psionic that come in too fast for TK, buy
powers – Telepathy in particular. psychokinesis is TK with the Damage Resistance (p. 45) with Force
Talent adds to all IQ rolls to establish Psychokinesis power modifier (-10%). Field. For a short-range force field
contact, to intercept or comprehend a that works a lot like Telekinesis, com-
signal, or to prevent interception or Super-Magnetism: Some supers pare Stretching (p. 78) with Force
jamming. direct magnetic forces with laser- Extension.
like precision. This isn’t realistic – all
Telekinesis it has in common with real-world Some supers explain extraordinary
strength as “zero-range telekinesis.”
see p. B92 Represent this by buying ST and sell-
ing back the associated Hit Points. At
The essence of Telekinesis (TK) is 10 points per level for ST and -2 points
moving distant objects with no more per missing HP, this comes to 8 points
effort than a stare or a gesture – a gift per +1 ST. The GM may wish to allow
seemingly possessed by every other modifiers on this ST; see Attributes as
Abilities (p. 13) for guidelines.

82 BUILDING ABILITIES

New Special Enhancement direction if the mover wins a Quick dangerous, but the effects are too
Contest of his ST or TK level against gradual to affect combat (see Cold,
Super-Effort: The GM may allow your TK level. This limitation is p. B430, and Heat, p. B434). To use
the Super-Effort enhancement from incompatible with Animation. -60% heat or cold as a weapon, take Innate
Lifting ST (p. 58) on TK, too. This for Attraction or Repulsion; -30% for Attack (p. 53). Heat is a Burning
affects extra-effort lifts – not speed, Attraction/Repulsion (it takes a Ready Attack, while cold is a Fatigue Attack
damage, skill, or anything else. The maneuver to switch between the two). with the Freezing enhancement (see
only differences from the Lifting ST Hazard, p. B104).
rules are that TK with Super-Effort Lift Only: Levels of TK with this
works at a range and that its bonus limitation don’t add to telekinetic Powering Up
adds to levels of TK that lack this mod- Move. -20%.
ifier, not to personal ST (e.g., TK 20 Temperature Control is appropri-
gives ST 5,000, or adds 5,000 to Move Only: Levels of TK with this ate for Psychokinesis power, elemental
unmodified TK, if any). limitation don’t add to telekinetic ST. Cold/Ice and Heat/Fire powers, and
-40%. divine and spirit powers associated
New Special Limitations with ice goddesses, fire elementals,
Powering Up etc. In some settings, it even suits
Specific (p. 112) is common for moral powers: cold represents life-
TK that originates from elemental Telekinesis is the definitive element stealing Evil, while heat can go either
powers. Some other limitations of of Psychokinesis power, which is tra- way . . . the flames of Hell are Evil, but
importance: ditionally psionic. However, magical the sun and life-giving warmth are
and spirit powers are equally likely to Good. Weather-control powers often
Animation: Your TK works by include TK, most gods can move include this ability, usually with high
enabling inanimate objects to flex. objects with their cosmic powers (and levels of Area Effect.
The minimum level required to ani- enable their servitors to do the same
mate something equals its HP if unliv- via divine powers), and supers with Talent adds to degrees per second
ing, half its HP if homogenous (see elemental powers often use gravity, of temperature change after all modi-
Object Hit Points Table, p. B558). An magnetism, or wind to produce simi- fiers, but has no effect on the maxi-
animated object can grab, lift, strike, lar effects. Talent adds to all DX and mum change. It also adds to Power
and throw with ST equal to the TK IQ rolls to use TK, and to TK level in Block attempts (see p. 168).
level needed to animate it. It has your Contests of ST (but not in general).
DX. It can walk and jump if it isn’t Terrain Adaptation
fixed in place; Move equals your TK Temperature Control
level minus the level needed to ani- see p. B93
mate it. You can use skills through see p. B92
animated items – but note that objects Terrain Adaptation can represent a
other than statues and mannequins Fictional Temperature Control host of exotic abilities, but the most
usually have No Fine Manipulators. takes two main forms: common forms – e.g., clawed toes,
Objects return to their rest state once crampons, or skates for ice, and snow-
you give up control. Adding Active: Psis, supers, and ultra-tech shoes or skis for snow – are downright
Independent (p. 108) lets you animate machines cause temperature changes prosaic. Such features might result
multiple objects, but you must split using force of will or weird beams. from evolution (for a creature) or
your TK level among them. Your TK Freeze rays and cryokinesis call for design (for a machine).
can’t reach inside things at all. -30% if Cold (-50%), while heat rays and
the object can’t fly; -20% if it can, pro- pyrokinesis require Heat (-50%). For Alternatives
vided it has wings, rotors, etc. (like a dramatic effects like freezing or boil-
toy dragon or model helicopter). ing water instantly, add Reduced Time Terrain Adaptation only aids move-
(+20%/level); each level doubles the ment across more-or-less level, solid
Attraction/Repulsion: Your TK can rate of cooling or heating. ground. Take Clinging (p. 45) to travel
only move things directly toward or vertically. Use Walk on Liquid (p. 88)
away from you. Take a Ready maneu- Passive: Spirits, monsters, and ele- to traverse anything less solid than
ver to move an unresisting object, or mental creatures of heat and cold sand or snow. If Terrain Adaptation
an Attack maneuver to affect an active sometimes alter the temperature in results from hard projections that dig
opponent. Your TK can’t strike blows, their immediate vicinity (a two-yard into the terrain, buy Claws (p. B42) or
manipulate objects, or hold an enemy radius) at all times. To simulate this, Striker (p. B88) separately.
in place or prevent him from attack- add Always On (-10%), Emanation
ing. Attraction simply causes objects (-20%), and either Cold (-50%) or Heat New Special Enhancement
to move until they’re in contact with (-50%). The ambient temperature
you, whereupon they’re held there changes by 2° per level per second the Active: You adapt quickly to any
with your telekinetic ST until you turn entity remains in the area, to the usual terrain. Instead of specifying a partic-
off your ability. Repulsion shoves maximum of 20° per level. ular terrain type, buy the 5-point ver-
objects away from you until they sion of Terrain Adaptation and add
reach the maximum range of your Alternatives this enhancement. This ability might
ability. In either case, objects can only be the result of “smart wheels,”
move or be moved in the opposite Temperature Control doesn’t shapeshifting, or superhuman
directly affect the temperature of peo- balance. +300%.
ple or things – only that of an area. The
extremes of ambient temperature are

BUILDING ABILITIES 83

Powering Up Active: Your Terror doesn’t affect Faith to send away angels and terror-
everyone nearby – it’s a direct mental ize cute puppies!
Terrain Adaptation is typical of ele- attack on one victim. Your target must
mental powers – especially Cold/Ice be within 10 yards (modified by It’s up to the GM whether a deity
and Earth – and powers associated Increased or Reduced Range), and shields only the genuinely faithful or
with nature, natural spirits, and able to see or hear you. You must take anyone acting as its proxy. The latter is
nature deities. Individuals with cer- a Concentrate maneuver to affect him. common in high fantasy and cinemat-
tain chi powers can cross anything, Roll a Quick Contest of Will with your ic horror, and might merit its own
even thin paper, by using the Active subject. He’s at -1 for each -1 to Fright trait:
version of this trait. Those with Checks you bought. If you win, roll 3d
shapeshifting powers might physical- for the result, as usual, but add your True Faith (Chosen): You enjoy all
ly alter their extremities to gain this margin of victory instead of his mar- the benefits of True Faith, but your
ability. Talent adds to DX rolls to gin of failure. +0%. power is due to the fact that your god
negotiate terrain, giving a bonus has chosen to act through you – possi-
where others would have a penalty. Presence: Your physical presence bly without your consent. Barring
within 10 yards is enough to cause egregious transgressions, your advan-
Terror Fright Checks, even if your victims tage functions regardless of your actu-
can neither see you nor hear you. You al faith. This comes at a cost, however:
see p. B93 could be locked in a coffin and still ter- non-supernatural servitors of rival
rify those who stray too close. Each deities can sense your special status
Certain monsters – dragons, level of Area Effect doubles your and react to you at -3 . . . and your
specters, Things Man Was Not Meant radius, but the GM should consider True Faith can’t repel these foes. 15
To Know – are just plain scary. This forbidding huge areas. +25%. points.
might be due to a disturbing visage, a
terrifying wail, or sheer size and Powering Up Alternatives
unnaturalness. Occasionally the rea-
son is less obvious . . . perhaps a tele- Terror suits many supernatural To repel any enemy, take Terror
pathic influence (see the modifiers powers, including sinister divine and (above). Bolts of holy power and simi-
below). moral powers that flow from terrify- lar attacks that only affect foes of a
ing sources, spirit powers that com- particular god are Innate Attacks
A few entities provoke strong reac- mand horrific ghosts, and chi and psi (p. 53) with suitable Accessibility limi-
tions other than fear. Gods and angels powers that let the user project his will tations (see p. B110).
induce awe, while weird extradimen- to unnerve his enemies. Explained as
sional creatures cause mind-boggling finely tuned electric fields or vibra- To cast out evil spirits possessing a
confusion. At the GM’s option, Awe tions, it also fits a few elemental pow- person or place, use the Exorcism skill
and Confusion are separate advan- ers. It needn’t be subtle, either – a (p. B193).
tages. Use the rules for Terror, but shapeshifting power could grant
Fright Checks become “Awe Checks” Terror by letting the user assume a New Special Enhancement
or “Confusion Checks.” All the rules for scary face.
Fright Checks apply to these rolls, Turning: You can aggressively
including modifiers for advantages When using Terror to bolster “turn” the entities your True Faith
and disadvantages (see p. B360). The Intimidation skill, Talent adds to skill repels. Take a Concentrate maneuver
only difference is that failures go to the rolls, on top of the +1 to +4 for super- and roll a Quick Contest of Will with
Awe and Confusion Check Table (p. 85). natural powers. Talent also gives a any such being that can see you. Roll
Will bonus when attacking with the just once for hordes of identical mon-
Alternatives Active enhancement. sters with the same Will. Any creature
you win or tie against can’t move any
An attack that causes the victim to True Faith closer to you than yards equal to your
halt in his tracks is an Affliction margin of victory (minimum one
(p. 39), often with an enhancement see p. B94 yard). If it’s inside that radius, it must
such as Daze, Ecstasy, or Hallu- flee as described for unmodified True
cinating. To exercise more subtle Traditionally, those with profound Faith. This effect endures for as long
control over a victim’s emotions, use religious faith enjoy protection from as you concentrate and for 1d seconds
Mind Control (p. 61) – possibly with harm at the hands of their deity’s after you stop. +65%.
the Emotion Control enhancement. moral enemies. Fantasy games associ-
ate this with the invested cleric, bran- Powering Up
New Special Enhancements dishing his holy symbol and intoning
solemn prayer. In folklore, though, the True Faith is exclusively the realm
Godlike beings often have the “irre- blessed individual is often a devout of divine, moral, and spirit powers. Its
sistible attack” level of Cosmic layperson. built-in code of conduct doesn’t pre-
(p. B103). Victims get no benefit from clude claiming a discount for the
advantages such as Fearlessness and The GM should list what True Faith Divine, Moral, or Spirit power modifi-
Unfazeable (unless those traits are repels in each case. A classic “good” er, even when this imposes its own
Cosmic), and suffer their tormentor’s deity might empower its servants to code. The restrictions a servitor must
choice of Awe, Confusion, or Terror if keep demons and undead at bay. An live under are often different from
they fail their Fright Check. evil priest is more likely to use his True those of simple faith, and always far
more stringent. Talent adds to Will

84 BUILDING ABILITIES

Awe and Confusion Check Table

When you fail an Awe or Confusion Check, roll 3d, (Major), Indecisive (12), or Short Attention Span
add your margin of failure on the Check, and consult (12).
the table below. Many entries give different outcomes 24, 25 – As 22, except that if you already have a -5 to
for Awe and Confusion – read carefully. If new quirks or -10-point disadvantage that could result from Awe
disadvantages result, the GM chooses these traits, or Confusion, it worsens to a -15-point trait!
which should suit the circumstances of the Check. 26, 27 – Experience 1d minutes of ecstasy or halluci-
nating, as per 17, and acquire a new -10-point disad-
4, 5 – Stunned for one second, then recover vantage, as per 22.
automatically. 28, 29 – Experience 2d minutes of ecstasy or
hallucinating, as per 19, and acquire a new -10-
6, 7 – Stunned for one second. Every second after that, point disadvantage, as per 22.
roll vs. Will to snap out of it. 30, 31 – Experience 4d minutes of ecstasy or
hallucinating, as per 20, and acquire a new -10-
8, 9 – Stunned for 1d seconds. Every second after that, point disadvantage, as per 22.
roll vs. Will to snap out of it. 32, 33 – Awe overcomes you. You immediately collapse
in a helpless, ecstatic fit that lasts 1d minutes and
10, 11 – Stunned for 2d seconds. Every second after costs 1d FP. After that time, roll vs. Will each minute
that, roll vs. Will to snap out of it. to recover. Any critical failure costs you 1 Will per-
manently. Confusion drives you completely mad.
12, 13 – Awe causes (25 - Will) seconds of ecstasy. You might do anything! The GM rolls 3d – the high-
Confusion causes (25 - IQ) seconds of daze. See er the roll, the more dangerous the action. For
Incapacitating Conditions (p. B428). After that time, instance, you might believe you can fly and leap to
roll vs. Will each second to recover. your doom. Should you survive your first reaction,
roll vs. Will to recover. If you fail, the GM rolls for
14, 15 – Acquire a new mental quirk. Awe inspires another insane action, and so on.
quirks that reflect admiration. Confusion leads to 34, 35 – As 22, but the disadvantage is worth -15
quirks that suggest bafflement or perplexity. points. Awe usually results in Fanaticism – either for
the one who awed you or his cause. Confusion
16 – Stunned for 1d seconds, as per 8, and acquire a tends to cause Confused (9), Delusion (Severe),
new quirk, as per 14. Indecisive (9), On the Edge (12), or Short Attention
Span (9).
17, 18 – Awe causes 1d minutes of ecstasy. Confusion 36 – As 22, but the disadvantage is worth -20 points.
causes 1d minutes of hallucinating. See 37 – As 22, but the disadvantage is worth -30 points. To
Incapacitating Conditions (p. B428). After that time, make up -30 points, the GM may have to select more
roll vs. Will each minute to recover. than one trait.
38 – Experience 1d minutes of ecstasy or hallucinating,
19 – As 17, but effects last 2d minutes. as per 17, and acquire a new -15-point disadvantage,
20 – As 17, but effects last 4d minutes. as per 34.
21 – Awe causes you to worship at the feet of the one 39 – Experience 2d minutes of ecstasy or hallucinating,
as per 19, and acquire a new -20-point disadvantage,
who awed you – you must obey his every command as per 36.
as if you had Slave Mentality! Confusion causes you 40+ – As 39, but Awe costs you 1 point of Will and
to hallucinate (the GM specifies the details, which Confusion robs you of 1 point of IQ. These losses
should fit the situation); you can try to act, but are permanent!
you’re out of touch with reality and at -5 on all suc-
cess rolls. Either lasts 3d minutes; then roll vs. Will
once per minute to snap out of it.
22, 23 – Acquire a -10-point mental disadvantage. Awe
might impel you to adopt one of your new idol’s
self-imposed mental disadvantages (see p. B121)
out of solidarity, turn you into his servant
(Reprogrammable), or make you feel inferior (Low
Self-Image). Confusion “blows your mind,” most
likely resulting in one of Confused (12), Delusion

rolls to resist distraction when taking monsters that can hew or chew Alternatives
the Concentrate maneuver to use this through solid rock (acid-spewing
ability, and to use the Turning special worms, giant moles, etc.), weird- Natural burrowers may take “Can
enhancement. science burrowing machines with tunnel without a shovel” as a perk (see
whirling augers, and massive real- p. B100). This is effectively Accessory
Tunneling world mining equipment. At the GM’s (Shovel). It allows the full rates under
option, diggers who travel at less than Digging (p. B350).
see p. B94 Move 1 can buy Tunneling (Slow) for
5 points and pay 1 point per two yards To pass through solid matter with-
Tunneling is too speedy to be real- per minute of progress. out digging, use Permeation (p. 66).
istic for natural creatures. It suits Add the Tunnel enhancement to leave
a passage behind.

BUILDING ABILITIES 85

Tunneling never counts as an even “digest” a live grenade to prevent sure how precise this sense is, but it
attack, regardless of how it works. Buy it from detonating! Only your diges- does exist. The aquatic version of
Claws (p. B42), Striker (p. B88), or tive system is safe from harm, though. this trait is appropriate for the
Teeth (p. B91) separately if it involves Without protective advantages, it can hydrophones (or “passive sonar”)
a digging tool that doubles as a be tricky to get nasty stuff like nerve carried by naval vessels.
weapon. Use Innate Attack (p. 53) for agents and plutonium to your mouth
acid jets, beams, and explosives that without touching it with your hands, This ability frequently shows up on
can blast foes as easily as the earth – breathing it, or being irradiated. You monsters and supers, too. It’s typically
possibly with a Link (+10%) to can’t eat antimatter. +300%. a targeting aid for fighting in the dark.
Tunneling. The Universal enhancement is com-
Powering Up mon in this context, and definitely
New Special Enhancement cinematic.
Basic Universal Digestion really
Hands-Free: You dig with a special only suits biological body-control Alternatives
body part, disintegrator ray, etc. that powers, unless the GM permits such
leaves all of your hands available to exotica as the divine power of the All- This sense lets one fight in the dark,
hold things as you tunnel. +20%. Devouring Worm God. With Matter but to see in the dark takes Dark
Eater, it fits matter-control super-pow- Vision (p. 46), Hyperspectral Vision
Powering Up ers and even cosmic powers. Talent (p. 51), Infravision (p. B60), or Night
adds to all HT rolls to avoid ill effects Vision (p. B71). Likewise, Vibration
Tunneling best suits elemental from ingested material due to causes Sense can locate invisible foes, but to
powers – particularly Earth power – other than toxicity; e.g., to avoid a split view the target requires See Invisible
but might belong to any power that gut from a huge quantity of matter. (p. 72).
includes an attack or natural weapon
that could function as a digging tool. Vampiric Bite Those with a highly developed
Talent adds to all DX or skill rolls sense of touch have Sensitive Touch
required for tunneling movement, and see p. B96 (p. 73) instead of or as well as
to the IQ, Engineer, or Prospecting roll Vibration Sense. Active sonar calls for
to dig a stable tunnel. This is just a special case of the the Sonar advantage (see Scanning
more generic Leech advantage; see Sense, p. 72). Sightless heroes often
Universal Digestion p. 96. The GM should use Vampiric have all three traits.
Bite as written only if it’s the sole form
see p. B95 of Leech in the setting. If several forms New Special Enhancements
exist, replace Vampiric Bite with
Voracious monsters, post-holo- Leech (Heals FP, +60%; Blood Agent, Sense of Perception: Your ability
caust mutants, and various forms of -40%) plus Sharp Teeth (p. B91). doesn’t depend on air or water cur-
Homo superior bioengineered for rents tickling hairs or your skin. You
survival are all good candidates for Vibration Sense detect vibrations by virtue of a “sixth
this trait. When supers possess it, it sense” (e.g., psychokinetic feedback).
usually has the new Matter Eater see p. B96 This works even when you’re in a
enhancement. sealed suit or a vacuum, and isn’t sub-
Vibration Sense is probably realis- ject to interference by environmental
Alternatives tic for animals equipped with noise. This gives all the benefits of
antennae, whiskers, or fur growing on Universal; there’s no need to take both
Use Reduced Consumption highly sensitive skin. Biologists aren’t enhancements. +100%.
(p. B80) for those who can survive on
less food rather than weird food. To Targeting: By taking an Aim
resist poison, add Resistant (p. 71). maneuver, you can “lock onto” any-
Individuals who don’t require any thing you’ve already detected and
food have Doesn’t Eat or Drink determine its precise range and speed,
(p. B50) and don’t need Universal exactly as if you had a technological
Digestion – but they can still buy it to rangefinder. This gives you +3 to hit
dispose of evidence. that target with an aimed ranged
attack. +20%.
Universal Digestion doesn’t let the
user gnaw through tough materials. Powering Up
That’s Teeth (p. B91), plus Striking ST
(p. 78) with the One Attack Only limi- Vibration Sense is an obvious
tation. Tunneling (p. 85) is another candidate for an elemental
option. Sound/Vibration power, but it’s just as
likely to be part of a chi power – an
New Special Enhancement alternative to the Blind Fighting skill
(p. B180). Those with Psychokinesis
Matter Eater: You can eat anything sometimes have this ability, too, typi-
(organic or inorganic), even if it’s cor- cally with the Sense of Perception
rosive, toxic, or radioactive. Your body enhancement. Talent adds to Sense
instantly disintegrates it or converts it rolls made to use this advantage.
to something harmless – you could

86 BUILDING ABILITIES

Vision Advantages Digital Mind might do something Powering Up
similar, planning its actions several
All of the vision-related traits not steps in advance, with access to a Visualization is a classic ability of
discussed elsewhere in this chapter vast library of “worked examples.” divine and spirit powers (the user
exist in the real world. Certain Either mental process could explain prays to the gods or spirits for help),
snakes possess Infravision (p. B60), Visualization. as well as chi and psi powers. It also
many nocturnal predators have suits probability-control powers,
Night Vision (p. B71), beasts with Visualization is also a key ability of regardless of source. With Blessing or
widely set eyes enjoy Peripheral gods whose thoughts shape reality. Cursing, Visualization is appropriate
Vision (p. B74), eagles and other rap- The modifiers below are especially for moral powers, too – and even for
tors benefit from Telescopic Vision suitable for such beings. The GM the cosmic powers of the gods. Talent
(p. B92), and some birds and insects might even permit Reduced Time 7 adds to the IQ roll to visualize, which
employ Ultravision (p. B94). Robots (+140%) to make this ability instanta- improves the likely bonus. It doesn’t
and vehicles often gain identical neous. If so, it works in combat – but add directly to the bonus, however.
capabilities from sensors. it only affects one die roll per turn, and
the chaos of battle cuts the bonus to Walk on Air
Supers and monsters can have any 1/3 usual.
combination of these traits; no partic- see p. B97
ular mix is forbidden. Individuals with Alternatives
the Blindness disadvantage can’t have In tales of the fantastic, both mod-
vision advantages, however. (Those Luck (p. 59) and Super Luck (p. 80) ern and traditional, the ability to walk
who can see only infrared or ultravio- can represent a similar capacity to on air isn’t as common as true flight.
let light don’t have Blindness – they influence the outcome of tasks However, it’s a fair way to represent
have the 0-point version of Infravision through sheer willpower. Higher the capabilities of those who haven’t
or Ultravision.) Purpose (p. B59) also grants improved quite mastered powers that will even-
odds of success through focused tually let them fly. The GM should con-
Alternatives thinking – although the bonus is both sider treating Walk on Air as a “place-
more spontaneous (for instance, it can holder” that the PCs can improve to
Be sure to consider 360° Vision apply in combat) and more modest (a Flight with earned points.
(p. 39), Dark Vision (p. 46), Hyper- fixed +1).
spectral Vision (p. 51), Microscopic Alternatives
Vision (p. 60), Penetrating Vision New Special Enhancements
(p. 66), and See Invisible (p. 72). In The obvious comparison is with
addition, Scanning Sense (p. 72) and Blessing: You can improve the odds Flight (p. 50), which is far more capa-
Vibration Sense (p. 86) are similar to – of success of any task undertaken by a ble (and twice as expensive). Those
but not the same as – vision. sapient being just by “thinking good capable of limited aerial movement
thoughts” for a minute beforehand. should compare Super Jump (p. 79).
The ability to see radiation in a fre- You must be able to see or touch the
quency range doesn’t imply the capac- beneficiary. When he rolls for his task, New Special Limitations
ity to comprehend signals in that band; he gains the Visualization bonus. You
get Telecommunication (p. 81) for can only have one bonus pending at a Take Specific (p. 112) if you can
that. For instance, a hero with time – for yourself or someone else – only walk on a particular type of gas.
Infravision could detect Infrared but you can cancel this to assist anoth- “Ordinary air” isn’t allowed, but dust,
Communication in use, but only er task. +100% if you can affect your smoke, and water vapor (clouds,
eavesdrop if he had that advantage rolls and those of others; +0% if you steam, etc.) are all legal. This is worth
himself. can aid others but not yourself. -40% for most substances, but espe-
cially uncommon or obscure gases –
Powering Up Cursing: You can project “negative like pure hydrogen – might be -60%, at
energy” to reduce others’ odds of suc- the GM’s discretion.
Vision-related abilities suit elemen- cess. You must be able to see or touch
tal Light powers and psionic your victim for a full minute while you Lighter Than Air: Your ability works
Electrokinesis. A body-control or visualize him failing at his task. by making you lighter than air or
shapeshifting power of any source Without special abilities of his own, he gaseous. Wind moves you a yard per
might let the user acquire these gifts won’t know that you’re cursing him. second in the direction it’s blowing per
by actively adapting his eyes. Talent When he carries out his task, he suf- 5 mph of wind speed. -10%.
adds to all Vision rolls when using any fers a penalty equal in size to your
of these senses. usual bonus. You can only have one Maximum Height: You can’t walk
curse active at a time, but you can can- very high off the ground. A 30-foot
Visualization cel it to curse another task. Your limit is -10%; a 10-foot limit is -20%;
advantage doesn’t affect you at all, and and a 5-foot limit is -25%.
see p. B96 you can’t combine Cursing with
Blessing. If you can also produce ben- Planetary: You push off against a
In mystical traditions that involve eficial effects, buy Visualization a sec- planet’s gravity field or walk along its
directing chi, commanding spirits, or ond time without Cursing, and possi- magnetic field lines. Your ability is
casting spells, the practitioner must bly with Blessing. +100%. useless in the absence of a planet. -5%.
form a clear mental picture of the
desired outcome to succeed. A Vertical Only: You can only climb
straight up, as if using a ladder made
of air. You can’t move laterally at all.
-25%.

BUILDING ABILITIES 87

Powering Up spirit powers associated with entities ing artifacts need Special Portal (from
that govern water. Individuals with -20% for mirrors to -80% for a tiny
Walk on Air suits almost any power highly developed chi powers might be number of sites of ancient power).
that includes Flight. Elemental pow- able to run across liquids, too – a feat
ers are especially likely, particularly attributed to ninja in legend. The most Matter Transmission (MT):
Air, Earth (with Specific, Dust), cinematic shapeshifting powers might Cyborgs, robots, and vehicles can have
Heat/Fire (with Specific, Smoke), even let a man-sized super “walk” on superscience MT devices built in.
Magnetism (with Planetary), and water like an insect. Talent adds to DX Most have orbital range and require
Water (with Specific, Vapor). and skill rolls for movement. the user to set coordinates, giving
Psychokinesis is another good fit – as Range Limit (-5%) and Blind Only
is a spirit power that lets the user sum- Warp (-50%). Some transmitters let the user
mon sylphs to bear him through the bring along anything he can carry
air. Cosmic and divine powers might see p. B97 (Extra Carrying Capacity, Extra-
let gods and their servants walk high Heavy, +50%); others, especially
above their flocks. Talent adds to all Be it a supernatural miracle or a implants, send only his body (Naked,
DX rolls for movement and to avoid or miracle of superscience, the capacity -30%). High-quality technology grants
halt a fall. to travel at the speed of thought is a No Strain (+25%), Reliable (+5% per
virtual necessity for any god, wizard, +1), or both. Experimental prototypes,
Walk on Liquid or ultra-tech space alien that wishes to on the other hand, tend to have Drift
be taken seriously. Examples from fic- (-15%).
see p. B97 tion include:
Psionic Teleportation: Psionic tele-
Walk on Liquid is famous as a Gate: Mystics and ritualists with porters can typically specify range and
Biblical miracle, but doesn’t have to Warp traditionally open swirling vor- direction, and track psychic residues
be supernatural. Insects of family tices or glowing portals that anyone left by other teleporters. These capa-
Gerridae stay afloat due to the inter- can step through. A teleporter who bilities call for Blind (+50%) and
action between surface tension and can do this requires Tunnel (+40% or Tracking (+20%). Weak psis often have
water-repelling hairs, and “walk” on +100%) – plus Extra Carrying Range Limit; for a range of less than
water by generating tiny vortices that Capacity, Extra-Heavy (+50%), if he 10 yards, take Reduced Range and
act like the oars of a rowboat. and his companions can bring along Range Limit, -50%. Stronger psis
Diminutive supers, faerie, and anything they can lift. Those who enjoy Extra Carrying Capacity and
miniature robots might enjoy similar draw magical circles should add Reliable. Astral travelers need
capabilities. Preparation Required, 1 minute Projection (-0%), and use Astral
(-20%), while those who activate exist- Projection – not Psionic Teleportation
Those who can only walk on a – as their power modifier (either is
particular type of liquid have -10%).
Specific (p. 112). Water, being
extremely common, is only -10%. Stardrive: Some vehicles and
More unusual liquids are -40% to supers vanish from one location and
-60%, at the GM’s discretion. appear at another by moving through
a realm where faster-than-light (FTL)
In cinematic games, the GM travel is possible. This calls for
should consider allowing water-walk- Hyperjump (-25% or -50%). Most FTL
ers to move at the speed of surface drives either demand precise coordi-
currents and waves if they can make a nates (Blind Only, -50%) or require a
DX or Sports (Surfing) roll to hang on. “stargate” (Special Portal, -40%).
However, the predictability of
Alternatives stardrives tends to offset these limita-
tions, giving No Strain (+25%),
Walk on Liquid only works on liq- Reliable +5 to +10 (+25% to +50%),
uid water; take Terrain Adaptation and/or Tracking (+20%).
(p. 83) to move easily across ice and
snow. Individuals who can move rap- Super-Teleportation: Supers and
idly through liquid have either gods with Warp generally use it as if it
Amphibious (p. 42) or No Legs were second nature. Most have Blink
(Aquatic) (p. B145), often with (+25%), No Strain (+25%), Reliable,
Enhanced Move (Water) (p. 49). and no limitations other than a power
modifier – although “combat tele-
New Special Enhancement ports” are sometimes short-ranged,
with Range Limit, 10 yards (-50%).
Submerged: You can walk while Adept supers often have a lot of Extra
under liquid, too. Use the rules for Carrying Capacity. They can grapple
Walk on Air, but a “fall” just means enemies and teleport with them, but
you’re swimming instead of walking. this requires an Attack followed by a
+20%. Ready to activate Warp, and the victim
may try to break free in between.
Powering Up

The most obvious options are ele-
mental Water power and divine and

88 BUILDING ABILITIES

Always spell out what goes on dur- reverse the sign, giving from +10 if he behind. See the Projection limitation
ing the extra preparation time to just left to -10 if he left eight hours under Jumper (p. 58) for details.
reduce penalties: elaborate rituals, ago. Add a further -1 per doubling of Projection is incompatible with Extra
psychic visualization, precise compu- time after that. If your quarry depart- Carrying Capacity, Naked, and Tunnel.
tation of target coordinates, etc. Also ed from the same point more than
note whether FP spent to offset penal- once, you can only follow his most Special Portal: You need a particu-
ties correspond to an expenditure of recent trip. Success means you appear lar sort of gateway to use your advan-
mana or chi, physical or psychic at his arrival point . . . even if he went tage. The value depends on the rarity
strain, or energy used to boost trans- somewhere bad due to a critical fail- of the required portal (GM’s decision).
mitter power. Such details convert ure or Drift. Failure by 1 means you “Any reflective surface” is -20%; man-
Warp from a generic advantage to an follow but suffer the effects of Drift. made “stargates” in every important
interesting ability. Greater failure works as usual for star system are -40%; and a handful of
Warp. +20%. ancient stone circles that only work a
If the GM feels that a given modifi- few nights of the year are -80%.
er makes Warp too effective – or too Tunnel: Using your ability always
cheap – he’s welcome to change its creates a portal of about your size, Powering Up
cost or forbid it altogether. This is true which lingers for 3d seconds. Anyone
for any trait, but Warp merits closer may step through it. +40% if it forms Warp best suits supernatural pow-
policing because of its tendency to after you teleport; +100% if it forms ers, particularly cosmic, magical, and
short-circuit plots. beforehand, and you must be free to psionic ones. Time- and space-warp-
move to use it but don’t have to go ing powers of almost any source are
Alternatives through at all (the GM may allow this also likely to include it.
version for Jumper and Permeation,
Warp with Hyperjump isn’t the too). Talent benefits the IQ roll to acti-
only way to handle FTL travel; Flight vate Warp, and is cumulative with the
(p. 50) with extreme levels of New Special Limitations bonus from the Reliable enhance-
Enhanced Move (p. 49) is equally ment. It also adds to Body Sense
valid. To travel to other times or Anchored: You can only teleport to (p. B181) rolls to reorient oneself after
dimensions, take Jumper (p. 57). To a specific site or item (e.g., a magical teleporting.
teleport items to you, buy either beacon). You can’t go anywhere else.
Snatcher (p. 76) or an Affliction (p. 39) This is incompatible with all special Wild Talent
with Advantage, Warp. modifiers except Extra Carrying
Capacity, Naked, No Strain, and see p. B99
New Special Enhancements Reliable. -50% if you teleport to a sin-
gle site, but can switch this by physi- In its most basic form, Wild Talent
Blink: Your ability works reflexive- cally visiting a new site for a minute; represents inspiration. This is often
ly in times of stress. Once per turn, -60% if you teleport to a specific item attributable to a god, a spirit
you can dodge an attack by making an that you can physically move from (guardian angel, genius, or muse), or
IQ roll without the -10 for lack of location to location, but that enemies personal enlightenment (“harmony
preparation. Roll randomly for direc- could steal or place in danger; -80% with the Tao”). Below are two other
tion. You appear in the first safe open for a single, fixed site. possibilities.
space in that direction. If there’s no
place like that within 10 yards, you go Blind Only: You must teleport to a Hidden Gifts: Wild Talent could be
nowhere and your dodge fails. Blink is set of coordinates exactly as if using a spontaneous manifestation of unre-
triggered by fear and adrenaline; thus, the Blind enhancement, even if you alized natural aptitude – or skills from
it generally only works in combat, can see or visualize your destination. a past life. Under stress, these gifts
although the GM may let you roll in Thus, you’re always at -5, and each +1 emerge in what’s usually a learning
other dangerous situations. Blink is costs 2 FP. Blind Only is mutually experience. Take Retention (+25%),
incompatible with Hyperjump. +25%. exclusive with Blind. -50%. Emergencies Only (-30%), and
Focused (-20%) in the area of apti-
No Strain: You ability isn’t vulnera- Drift: You never arrive right on tar- tude. A “natural spell-caster” with
ble to strain and burnout. You still go get. You appear at a random location Magery needs Focused, Magical, while
nowhere on a failure – and somewhere somewhere in a circle with a radius someone who uses Reawakened
else on a critical failure – but you can equal to 1% of the distance you tele- (p. B80) to recall past lives has
always make an immediate repeated ported (minimum one yard); e.g., if Focused, Past Lives.
attempt at no extra penalty, and your you teleported 10 miles, you’d materi-
Warp advantage never “burns out.” alize somewhere in a 0.1-mile circle Telepresence: Someone with Digital
+25%. around your target. The better your IQ Mind or the Machine meta-trait might
roll, the closer you’ll be to your target, be able to ask a “remote operator”
Tracking: You can “follow” another but it’s up to the GM exactly where with useful skills to take control of his
teleporter. Apply all the usual modi- you appear. On a critical failure, body for the duration of a task. He
fiers to your roll, plus -1 per yard you’re likely to appear high in the air remains aware of what his body is
of distance between you and his or underground. -15%. doing, but he has no access to his
departure point. The time since he operator’s knowledge. Add External
teleported also affects your roll. Use Projection: You teleport your mind (-20%), and use Focused (-20%) to
the modifiers for preparation time but as a “ghost” while your body stays limit skills to those known by the
remote operator(s).

BUILDING ABILITIES 89

Alternatives source is one specific person – “people metals), Fire, Gravity, Light, Metal,
in general” is too broad to qualify). Plastic (any manufactured structural
Wild Talent enables inspired deeds. Gods are likely to have many levels of material that’s neither Earth nor
Intuition (p. 56) better represents Wild Talent as part of a cosmic power. Metal, including oil-based plastics and
inspired choices, while Blessed (p. 43), Talent gives a bonus to the die roll to rubber), Sound, Water (including
Oracle (p. 65), and Precognition use any skill or ability granted by Wild steam and ice), or Wood (dead plant
(p. 68) are all more appropriate for Talent. matter, but not fossils, oil, etc.). 20
inspired knowledge. For a completely points/level.
different take on inspiration, consider NEW
Illuminated (p. B60). ADVANTAGES Occasional: A broad subcategory of
a Common element, such as Ceramics
Those contemplating Wild Talent The Basic Set includes hundreds of (including glass), Ferrous Metals
should also look at Modular Abilities advantages. With the general modi- (iron, nickel, and cobalt – and note
(p. 62). It, too, can grant access to a fiers on pp. B101-117 and pp. 99-112 – that steel is made of iron), Ice, Steam
wide range of skills initially unknown and each advantage’s special modi- (all hot or cold water vapor), or Stone
to the user. It’s less spontaneous, but fiers – it’s almost trivial to create vast (brick, concrete, and rock). Most
much more flexible. numbers of abilities. Still, there are a forms of energy are Common, but the
few fictional and traditional abilities GM might allow Infrared, Ultrasonics,
New Special Enhancement that these options can’t emulate. and so on at this rarity level. 15
Below are some new advantages to points/level.
Wild Ability: Only for those with cover this ground.
powers. In addition to unknown skills, Rare: Any relatively specific sub-
you can use abilities you don’t have. All of these traits are customizable stance not already given as Common
Any such ability must be part of one of by design, to make it easier to create or Occasional, such as Brick, Iron,
your powers, and can’t have modifiers interesting abilities . . . but some play- Paper, or Rubber. 10 points/level.
other than those required by the ers may be tempted to abuse this flex-
power it belongs to (for instance, its ibility. The GM should examine each The GM should price other ele-
power modifier). You get one “use” of advantage and impose whatever ments by comparison, and may allow
the ability – which means exactly what restrictions he deems necessary for his “Very Common” categories (e.g., “All
it does for Limited Use (p. B112). If campaign. In particular, it’s probably electromagnetic radiation”) for 25 or
the ability comes in dice or levels, you wise to allow them only as part of a 30 points/level. Control isn’t available
produce effects equal to one level or 30 power. for machinery or living beings; to cre-
points worth, whichever is better. ate animal-, plant-, and machine-con-
+50%. Control trol abilities, modify advantages such
as Mind Control and Possession.
New Special Limitation Variable Control over complex processes
(e.g., chemical reactions) requires an
External: Some remote party com- You can shape and move a particu- entire power – not just a single Control
municates the necessary skills to you. lar category of matter, energy, or force ability.
Specify whether they use radio, (your “element”). The higher your
telepathy, or something else (for ideas, level of Control, the larger the quanti- Limits of Control
see Telecommunication, p. B91). ty you can affect. Cost per level
Enemies might be able to jam the sig- depends on how significant your ele- The most important limit on
nal, compromise the person at the ment is likely to be on an adventure: Control is that you can only use it if
other end, etc. -20%. your element is present. Control does
Common: An extremely broad or nothing without your element, and
Powering Up prevalent category such as Earth doesn’t let you call your element into
(including asphalt, brick, ceramic, existence (for that, buy Create).
Wild Talent is traditional for chi concrete, and rock, but not purified
powers and appropriate for divine and For solids and liquids, you can
spirit powers. It might even suit affect up to 10 ¥ (level squared) lbs. of
Telepathy power, if given External matter in the form of a single object or
(and possibly Focused, but only if the amorphous mass. For example,
Control 3 (Iron) would let you affect a
90-lb. iron ingot or even 90 lbs. of iron
filings in a heap . . . but against a foe
with a 3-lb. sword, 4-lb. helmet, and
18-lb. breastplate, all iron, you could
only affect one target, even though the
total weight is much less than your
limit.

For gases, energy, and forces – and
diffuse, airborne solids, like dust
clouds – you can affect a circular area
with a radius equal to your level in
yards. Should height matter, the area

90 BUILDING ABILITIES

is four yards tall. The target item must You can also cause the target to Concentrate maneuver. Such barriers
be continuous. For instance, Control elongate or flow at a Move equal to give whatever cover the material nor-
10 (Fire) would let you control a blaze your Control level. This requires con- mally provides. For instance, Control
10 yards in radius, but not “all candle stant concentration. The target need- (Metal) might let you shape a steel
flames within 10 yards.” n’t remain in contact with you, but table into armor with the DR of steel
Control isn’t Telekinesis. You can by making an Armoury roll, while
Finally, Control over matter doesn’t make a solid or liquid ooze, roll, or Control (Earth) could stir up a sand
work on complex, manufactured arti- seep along the ground or a surface, cloud, with the usual effects on vision
facts unless they’re made almost and even reshape it in ways that defy and lasers.
entirely of your element. Control gravity, but only gas or energy can
(Metal) could affect a sword or a actually fly through the air – and you Control over energy or force is too
revolver, but not a ray gun with only a can’t “shape” a force at all. slow to stop damage, but a
few metallic parts. Concentrate maneuver lets you elimi-
nate -1 per level in combat penalties or
Control does nothing without your add +1 per level to resistance rolls –
element, and doesn’t let you call your your choice – for you and any allies in
element into existence. your area of effect, as long as you can
explain the effects in terms of your ele-
Establishing Control For energy, each level of Control ment. For instance, with Control 5
gives the effect of one two-dimensional (Light), you could focus available light
To control solids or liquids, you reflector or insulator with length and onto all foes in your area, allowing
must touch the target object or mate- width in yards no larger than your your side to ignore up to -5 in dark-
rial. This takes a second and requires Control level. For instance, Control 3 ness penalties . . . or throw up a barri-
a successful unarmed melee attack. If (Light) would let you route light er that gives everyone behind it +5 HT
someone is wearing or carrying the around obstacles as if you had three to resist blinding flashes.
target item, he may defend against mirrors up to 3 yards ¥ 3 yards in size,
your touch. If your touch succeeds, or block light completely as if you had Offensively, Control is more limit-
make an immediate IQ roll to estab- three 3 yard ¥ 3 yard screens. ed. By concentrating, you can move
lish control. an existing hazard – gas, fire, radia-
For a force, each level of Control tion, etc., as befits your element – onto
To control gases, energy, or forces, lets you adjust the force’s strength by a foe, but this is only as harmful as the
you must reach into or stand within ±10% within your radius; e.g., Control underlying substance. Nonhazardous
the desired area of effect. To establish 10 (Gravity) could make everything liquids or solids merely impede his
control, take a Concentrate maneuver weightless (-100%) or double all movement, like any object of that
and make an IQ roll. weights (+100%), with effects as weight. In all cases, your foe can
described in Different Gravity dodge.
If your target is already under (p. B350). This only affects the gross
someone else’s direct control, roll a force on entire objects. To disintegrate Getting Tricky: If a foe is standing in
Quick Contest. You roll against IQ; things by reducing internal binding an area where you control matter,
they roll against IQ if using Control forces, buy an Innate Attack. energy, or a force – or if you can move
or Telekinesis, their skill level if matter or energy onto him – you may
using a spell, and so on. You must Control includes the ability to inflict combat penalties on him. This
win to establish control. Likewise, make minor, “cosmetic” changes. For requires flexibility on the GM’s part:
others can overpower your Control instance, Control (Light) can give a Control 3 (Sound) might give -3 to
by winning a Quick Contest against colored cast to everything in the area, Hearing rolls (e.g., to detect a ninja
your IQ. and Control (Metal) can clean corro- sneaking up), Control 10 (Earth)
sion off metal and make it gleam. You might cause a mini-earthquake good
Effects of Control can produce such effects incidentally for -10 to attack rolls, and Control
when reshaping or moving your (Gravity) would simply produce the
After establishing control, you can element. usual penalties that go along with
reshape the target. Forming a simple reduced or elevated gravity. Tricks like
shape (blob, column, sphere, etc.) When you stop concentrating, you this require a Concentrate maneuver
requires a Concentrate maneuver but immediately give up control. Stable and an IQ or Tactics roll.
no die roll. If the result is meant to be forms become permanent, while
beautiful or functional, though, the unstable ones collapse instantly. Special Enhancements
GM may deem the effort a long task
(see p. B346) and require skill rolls Control in Combat Persistent (+40%) lets the effects of
against Armoury, Artist, Machinist, Control endure for 10 seconds after
and so on. You can work without Defensively, Control over matter you stop concentrating. Ranged
tools, but you must know what you’re lets you move or shape your element (+40%) allows you to use Control at a
doing. to obstruct attacks. This requires a distance. You can’t add the Area Effect
enhancement, though; to affect more
of your element, buy a higher level of
Control. Additional enhancements
include:

BUILDING ABILITIES 91

Collective: You aren’t limited to a if the attack affects the element within in a way that’s inconvenient or danger-
single object or continuous area. Your the victim’s body. Those who can hurl ous – the GM should be creative!
ability affects all instances of your ele- objects around rather than cause
ment in a circle with a radius equal to them to creep or flow have Telekinesis Creating something out of nothing
your level in yards. You still can’t (p. 82). Apply Environmental (p. 110) is hard. Each attempt, successful or
affect more than 10 ¥ (level squared) to these abilities if they depend on pre- not, requires 2 FP. There’s also a
lbs. of a solid or liquid. For instance, existent materials or conditions. To character point cost for permanent
Control 2 (Metal) with Collective lets summon the element, get Create creation (see below).
you affect up to 40 lbs. of any one (below).
metal in a two-yard circle; in the Your level of Create determines
example under Limits of Control, you Any of the above traits could have a how much of your element you can
could affect the sword, helmet, and Link (p. B106) with Control. conjure. Point cost per level is a func-
breastplate. Collective is unnecessary Individuals who can control an tion of the breadth of your ability, not
for forces, which already work this element precisely enough to produce the rarity of your element:
way – a fair trade for the fact that you several of these effects should consid-
can’t reshape them. +100%. er Modular Abilities (p. 62). Large Category: Solid, Liquid, and
Gas let you create any matter that’s
Natural Phenomena: Your element Powering Up naturally in that state in your present
is a large-scale aspect of nature. On an environment. Organic and Inorganic
earthlike world, Oceans and Weather Control is an obvious match for let you create any material of the
are Common; subcategories such as elemental powers. It’s also standard appropriate category, in the state it
Currents, Precipitation, Waves, and for divine and spirit powers associated normally takes in your environment.
Winds are Occasional; and phenome- with gods and spirits that govern ele- Important options for energy are
na like Hail and Snow are Rare. The ments, and the cosmic powers of these Electromagnetic Waves (all EM radia-
GM sets rarity elsewhere. This ability entities. Adding the Natural tion) and Physical Waves (all sound
isn’t Create; it only works if the neces- Phenomena enhancement makes and vibration). 40 points/level.
sary air, water, etc. are present. Area of Control suitable for nature-control
effect is 0.1 ¥ level miles in radius. If powers, too. Talent adds to all IQ and Medium Category: A broad subset
your roll succeeds, every three full lev- skill rolls to establish or use Control. of a single Large category, or the area
els of Control let you produce effects of overlap between two Large cate-
that give -1 or +1 to rolls your element Create gories, or a specific class of manufac-
could hinder or help, relative to the tured substances. Acid, Biochemicals,
prevailing conditions. You can apply Variable Drugs, Earth, and Metal qualify.
this modifier to Influence rolls (to Options for energy include Electricity,
impress others), Survival rolls, You can create an “element” – a Sound, Long-Wave EM (radio,
Strategy rolls, and anything else the specific category of matter or energy – microwaves, and far IR), Light (IR,
GM allows. Be sure to describe the out of nothing. To do so, take a visible, and UV), and Short-Wave EM
effects you’re producing. The GM may Concentrate maneuver and roll vs. IQ. (far UV, X-rays, and gamma rays). A
overrule you if the rules or common Success means your element appears. dramatically important category that
sense suggest that these conditions are A solid or liquid coalesces in hand or includes aspects of matter and energy
outside the range of modifiers you can within arm’s reach, while gas or ener- is Radiation (alpha and beta particles,
produce. For instance, Control 10 gy appears in the area surrounding gamma rays, etc.). 20 points/level.
(Oceans) could roughen or calm seas you or in an area you’re touching
in a 1-mile radius, for ±3 to die rolls. (your choice in both cases). Failure Small Category: A narrow subset of
In rough water that gives -4 to Boating means nothing happens. Critical fail- a Large category, or a broad subset
rolls, you could specify any modifier ure means your element appears, but of a Medium category, or one fairly
between -1 (a little foam) and -7 (huge specific material that comes in many
breakers). +100%.
Godlike Control
Special Limitation
The GM may allow Control over ubiquitous, abstract elements such
Cosmetic: You can only make as Space and Time. This should cost at least 30 points/level. Detailed
superficial changes, such as tinting rules are beyond the scope of this book, but the GM who wishes to
the color of light or putting a shine on “wing it” can apply ±1 per level to any task he feels the Control could
metal. You can’t truly move or reshape influence (see Control in Combat, p. 91), and then determine the game-
your element. -80%. world effects by interpreting this as a modifier normally associated with
the element. For instance, Control (Space) 6 might give a range modifi-
Alternatives er from -6 to +6, which corresponds to a distance distortion between
¥10 and ¥0.1 on the Size and Speed/Range Table (p. B550); Control
Binding (p. 42), Obscure (p. 64), (Time) 5 might give from -5 to +5 to time-dependent tasks, which the
and Temperature Control (p. 83) can Time Spent (p. B346) rules suggest would be a time distortion between
produce similar effects without allow- ¥0.5 and ¥30.
ing open-ended control. To do damage
with an element, use Innate Attack
(p. 53) – adding Malediction (p. B106)

92 BUILDING ABILITIES

varieties. Useful examples include can increase your Creation Pool with •Explosives appear in quantity suf-
Ferrous Metals (iron, nickel, and unspent points at any time. ficient to cause a blast that inflicts 1
cobalt), Fire (any incandescent gas), point of crushing damage per level,
Fossil Fuels (coal, natural gas, oil, If economics are unimportant to and vanish if not detonated within 10
etc.), and Wood – and, for energy, the campaign, the GM is free to waive seconds.
things like Gamma Rays, Infrared, point costs for permanent matter.
Ultrasonics, and Visible Light. 10 Alternatively, he can require those If the element would cause an
points/level. with Create to start with Wealth or effect other than damage – blindness
Independent Income – or a Vow never for bright light, deafness for loud
Specific Item: A single chemical ele- to use Create to produce wealth. sound, etc. – treat it like an Affliction
ment or compound, such as Iron, Salt, instead. The HT roll to resist is at -1
or Water, or a commonly occurring If your ability lets you create a dan- per level of Create for a single subject,
mixture, such as Air or Brine. You can gerous element, you can opt to create a -1 per three full levels for an area.
choose nasty materials such as minuscule amount in combat without
Plutonium, TNT, and VX Gas, but you worrying about long-term stability. It Energy or matter created as an
won’t necessarily be able to create a just produces its effects and vanishes, attack is by definition of a quantity and
useful amount. 5 points/level. like matter or energy projected by an potency that produces the above
Innate Attack. The following effects are effects and then vanishes. Such rapid
Limits on Quantity possible, provided your element dispersal is totally unrealistic for sub-
includes suitable materials: stances lethal in microscopic doses . . .
There are strict limits on the but no less realistic than the ability to
amount of matter or energy you can • Corrosive solids and liquids conjure your element in the first place.
create: appear in quantity and concentration
sufficient to inflict 1d corrosion dam- Other Restrictions
•Solids and liquids can weigh up to age per level, once, on a single subject.
10 ¥ (level squared) lbs. – 10 lbs. at You must immerse a victim in the sub- Create lets you conjure anything in
level 1, 40 lbs. at level 2, 90 lbs. at level stance or throw it at him to do dam- your category. This may give access to
3, and so on. age. several of the options above; e.g.,
Create (Electricity) could charge a bat-
• Gases can fill an area up to one • Poisonous solids and liquids tery or fill an area with lightning,
yard in radius per level. appear in a dosage sufficient to inflict while Create (Organic) could produce
1d toxic damage per level on one sub- corrosives, poisons, or explosives. You
• Energy appears in a quantity suf- ject. Method of delivery, delay, resist- must specify exactly what you’re creat-
ficient to do 1,000 ¥ (level squared) kJ ance rolls, cycles, and so on are as ing, and for what purpose, before you
of useful work, released too gradually usual for the poison (see Poison roll the dice. If you don’t, the GM
to inflict damage. The GM should Examples, p. B439). Damage is total decides what happens . . .
limit power output to 15 kW or so. To damage, over all cycles.
store this energy, you need a battery or If it isn’t clear which limit applies –
equivalent technology. • Noxious gases fill a circular area or if more than one limit could apply –
with a radius in yards equal to your the GM selects the one that best suits
Created matter (but not energy) is level, to a height of four yards, for 10 your intentions and the demands of
unstable. It vanishes in 10 seconds seconds. They affect everyone drama.
unless you use character points to exposed. Use the rules for noxious
“stabilize” it. Each point spent stabi- solids and liquids (poisonous or corro- Create produces bulk matter, not
lizes a quantity worth 10% of the cam- sive, as appropriate), but total damage specific shapes, much less machines.
paign’s average starting wealth. (This is 1 point per level. Convert 4 points or To create pre-shaped matter, buy both
is just the tradeoff used for Trading more of damage to dice (see p. B269). Create and Control (p. 90), and con-
Points for Money, p. B26.) The GM nect them with a Link. Such a combi-
determines the cash value per pound • Fire and hazardous energy (elec- nation can create machines; this is a
of matter – a ton of gold costs more to tricity, microwaves, intense sound, long task (see p. B346) that requires
stabilize than a ton of sand. etc.) fill an area identical to that for a skill rolls, as explained for Control.
noxious gas, and inflict 1 point of
Points spent to stabilize matter damage of a suitable type per level
come from your “Creation Pool,” a each second on anyone who stays in
number of points set aside for the pur- the area for at least a second. Convert
pose. You can’t apply any modifiers to 4+ points of damage to dice. DR pro-
these points. Points used to stabilize tects normally. Energy dissipates after
matter are unavailable until reclaimed 10 seconds, but fires it sets burn for as
– which causes the matter to vanish. If long as they have fuel, devices it over-
the matter is crafted into an object, the loads remain broken, and so on –
item is unmade when the matter van- these effects don’t vanish with the
ishes. If the matter is mixed with other energy.
materials (e.g., alloyed), you must sep-
arate it to reclaim your points; this can • Radioactive materials work as
be a tedious process. If it’s destroyed poisonous ones. Radiation fields use
or transformed (e.g., eaten), you can’t the rules for hazardous energy. All
reclaim your points – they’re gone. You “damage” is in rads.

BUILDING ABILITIES 93

The GM can bend these rules as Alternatives a position to notice your illusion. To
needed – but be warned that ignoring save time, the GM can roll just once
Limits on Quantity can unbalance a Those who just want an elemental for hordes of foes with the same Per. If
campaign. attack are better off with Innate Attack you win, the illusion seems real to that
(p. 53). To conjure complex objects individual. The GM decides how he
Special Enhancements (e.g., machines), take Snatcher (p. 76) reacts. He might attack an illusionary
with the Creation enhancement; to monster, try to sit on an illusionary
To conjure “essential” elements like create images, use Illusion (below). If chair, and so on. Otherwise, he spots a
those created by the Essential Fire and you can create your element with flaw and realizes that the illusion isn’t
Essential Water spells in GURPS enough precision to replicate all of real (although he might not know it’s
Magic, add Cosmic, +50%. Ranged these abilities and more, consider an illusion).
(+40%) lets Create work at a distance, Modular Abilities (p. 62) instead.
but never inside a foe. The GM might Illusion sometimes requires a skill
even permit attack enhancements for Several magic spells work a lot like roll instead of an IQ roll. In particular,
elements useful in combat. Area Effect Create, including Create Air, Create to make an illusion disturbing enough
and Extended Duration are off limits, Earth, Create Fire, and Create Water to cause a Fright Check, you must win
however. To blanket a wider area, buy (see pp. B242-253). GURPS Magic a Quick Contest of Artist (Illusion)
more levels of Create. To keep matter offers many other options. skill against the higher of IQ or
around indefinitely, use your Creation Perception for each victim. To trick
Pool. Additional enhancements Powering Up someone into believing in an illusion
include: of someone he knows, roll the lower of
Create is a standard part of ele- your Acting or Artist (Illusion) skill
Destruction: You can destroy your mental powers. There are many possi- against the higher of your target’s IQ or
element, subject to the same restric- ble matches. For instance, Create Perception.
tions on type and quantity described (Gas) and Create (Air) both suit Air
for creation under Limits on Quantity. power . . . and with Destruction at the Roll a new Quick Contest when
To destroy something, you must touch +0% level, either might suit a Vacuum someone you’ve already fooled sud-
it (or stand amidst it, for gas or ener- power, too. denly changes how he’s interacting
gy), take a Concentrate maneuver, and with the illusion; e.g., he attacks a
pay 2 FP. Then make an IQ roll. Divine and spirit powers associat- monster or falls through a chair that
Success means the target is gone. You ed with entities that govern elements isn’t there. If he wins or ties, you don’t
don’t have to spend character points to are also likely to offer Create. Gods simulate a believable response to his
do this. Destruction only affects inani- themselves frequently have access to action (such as the monster dodging or
mate objects. +100% if you can also many forms of Create as part of their the chair slipping) and he catches on.
create your element; +0% if you can cosmic powers. Powerful wizards
only destroy it. might even obtain Create through Modifiers: Your victim gets +4 if
magical powers. someone who knows about the illu-
Transmutation: You can convert sion warns him, or if you critically fail
existing matter or energy into another Talent adds to all IQ rolls to use in a Quick Contest against someone
form. The quantities involved depend Create. else. He gets +10 if you create the illu-
on your level. Work out the limits as sion unsubtly and in plain sight, or if
usual for the initial and final items, Illusion he examines the illusion with a sense
and use the smaller of the two. If the you can’t deceive – most often touch.
product is worth more than what you 25 points At the GM’s option, inappropriate illu-
started with, it’s unstable and will sions (e.g., a pack of rabid wolves in a
revert to its original form after 10 sec- You can create lifelike illusions. By submarine) give a further +1 to +10,
onds unless you stabilize it with your default, these are constructs of light while believable ones (e.g., you pull
Creation Pool – in which case point and sound that appear in a two-yard out an illusionary gun) give from -1 to
cost depends on the difference in value. radius around you. You can always -5. If the final modifier is a net bonus,
This might be why alchemists can’t specify a smaller area; e.g., to create halve it if the victim is aware of super-
transmute large amounts of lead into an illusionary gun in your hand. human powers but not the details of
gold! Transmutation costs 1 FP per Illusions lack mass and substance, your powers . . . for all he knows, you
use. Otherwise, it works like unmodi- and can’t affect material objects in any can summon rabid wolves!
fied Create. +50% per transmutation, way besides hiding or illuminating
which can be within your category or them. You can easily create babbling
between your category and another of crowds and menacing hordes, but it’s
the same size, in one direction. For To activate your ability, take a harder to animate a convincing sem-
instance, Create (Metal) could have Concentrate maneuver. This requires blance of an illusionary person for
Metal to Metal, Metal to Earth, or no special die roll. You can create ani- direct, personal interaction (dueling,
Earth to Metal for +50% apiece; any mated, three-dimensional images of conversation, etc.). Multiple fake peo-
two for +100%; or all three for +150%. anything you can visualize – in any ple are progressively more robotic and
Add -100% if you can only transmute, spectrum you can see – synchronized unresponsive; anyone rolling a Quick
not create; if so, you can’t also take with sounds in the frequency range Contest to spot the illusion is at +4 per
Destruction. audible to you. These persist for as construct after the first.
long as you concentrate.

Illusions serve mainly to deceive
and distract. Roll a Quick Contest of
IQ against the Perception of anyone in

94 BUILDING ABILITIES

Believable or not, illusions obstruct you – they simply react to their envi- second. If you win, you inflict actual
vision as effectively as the real thing. ronment. +100%. injury equal to your margin of victory.
They don’t block weapons, though. Specify whatever damaging effect you
Foes aware of your location can sim- Mental: Instead of creating images like – shot, eaten by tigers, fried at
ply shoot through your “cover” . . . and that everyone can see, you project illu- ground zero of a nuclear blast, etc.
nothing prevents unbelieving oppo- sions into the mind of a specific target. Suitable wounds appear on your vic-
nents from walking through your illu- You can affect anyone you can touch tim’s body. Those nearby can see the
sions to reach you. or see; the Ranged enhancement is wounds but not their cause; as far as
unnecessary. Take a Concentrate they can tell, the victim is experienc-
Special Enhancements maneuver and roll a Quick Contest: ing a stroke, heart attack, or similar
your IQ vs. the victim’s Will. You’re at distress. Should your victim fall
Add Area Effect (+50%/level) to -1 per person already affected. If you unconscious for any reason (including
increase radius and Ranged (+40%) to win, you seize control of his percep- the injury caused by this ability), you
project illusions at a distance. Many tions and can feed him artificial senso- can no longer harm him. +100%.
illusionists also have Telekinesis ry impressions, including subtle edits
(p. 82), and add a Link (p. B106) to (e.g., making a $5 bill look like a $100 Special Limitation
give the impression that their illusions bill), total fabrications (e.g., he’s stand-
can interact with the material world – ing on Mars without a spacesuit), and Auditory Only: You can create
a convincing combination good for +4 complete sensory deprivation (unless sounds but not images. This is incom-
in the Quick Contest. Additional you have Auditory Only or Visual patible with Extended and Stigmata.
options include: Only). These illusions never cause -70%.
physical harm. Area of effect is irrele-
Extended: You can fool other sens- vant – it’s all in his head. You don’t Static: Your illusions are unanimat-
es. Extending the visual or auditory control your victim’s thoughts, howev- ed “stills.” You can’t create any effect
range beyond your own costs +1% per er. If he decides that what he’s experi- that changes or responds to the envi-
point the affected hearing and vision encing makes no sense, he can order ronment. Those who perceive the illu-
advantages are worth; e.g., +10% to his body to act on the last set of sion get +4 to realize it’s fake if it
deceive Infravision. Totally new senses impressions he felt were reliable. If he depicts something that’s usually sta-
(Radar, taste/smell, touch, Vibration can’t see the real world, he acts at -10 tionary, as the reflections and shadows
Sense, etc.) cost +20% apiece. – but he can still act. +100%. aren’t right. If the illusion is of some-
Extended, Touch creates the sensation thing that normally moves, the bonus
of substance, but the illusion still can’t Stigmata: Only available in con- is +10. Static illusions are mostly use-
affect the material world; for that, link junction with Mental. Your illusions ful for concealment. Static is incom-
Illusion to Telekinesis. are so realistic that they cause the sub- patible with Auditory Only,
ject to experience harmful stress or Independent, Initiative, and Stigmata.
Independence: You don’t need to shock. To use Stigmata, you must first -30%.
concentrate to maintain your illu- successfully inflict mental illusions
sions. Once you’ve created them, you upon your victim. Then roll a Quick Visual Only: You can create images
can hand off control to your subcon- Contest of IQ vs. his Will once per but not sounds. This is incompatible
scious. Independent illusions can with Auditory Only and Stigmata.
respond in simple ways, but can’t -30%.
change unless you concentrate. For
instance, an illusionary pistol would Alternatives
make a menacing “click” as you
cocked it, and illusionary wolves To conjure material creations, take
would shy from a torch or snarl if Create (p. 92) for bulk matter,
someone came close, but to turn the Snatcher (p. 76) for complex artifacts,
gun into a sword or the wolves into and Allies (p. 41) with the
tigers would require concentration. In Summonable enhancement for crea-
particular, illusionary people can’t tures. If the goal is simply to generate
converse unless you actually concen- concealment, Obscure (p. 64) is
trate. +40%. cheaper.

Initiative: This improved form of Powering Up
Independence provides all the benefits
of that enhancement (don’t take both) Illusion enhanced with Mental is a
and gives illusionary people the sem- common Telepathy ability in fiction.
blance of free will. They can converse Elemental Light power, psionic
and move freely within your area of Electrokinesis, and other energy-relat-
effect as if they had your DX, IQ, and ed powers tend to generate purely
skills. This requires no concentration. physical illusions. The magical powers
Treat these phantasms as insubstan- of fantasy illusionists can often create
tial NPCs who are completely loyal to either kind of illusion. Even divine
you, except that they don’t have and spirit powers might include
thoughts and can’t carry out tasks for Illusion, for “sacred visions” or
impressing worshippers. Talent adds
to all rolls for any form of Illusion.

BUILDING ABILITIES 95

Leech Accelerated Healing: You heal 1 HP are mutually exclusive. An additional
per HP stolen. Your attack doesn’t limitation is specific to Leech:
25 points for level 1 + 4 harm your victim any faster than
usual, but it heals you more quickly. Only Heals FP: You can’t heal HP.
points/additional level +25%. You can only use the HP you drain to
restore missing FP, as described for
Giant leeches, striges, vampires, Hazard: You can combine Steal FP Heals FP. This is incompatible with
and many other traditional and B- with one of the modifiers under Heals FP. -20%.
movie monsters suck the life from Hazard (p. B104) to steal dreams
their victims. “Psychic vampires” and (Missed Sleep), warmth (Freezing), Alternatives
evil spirits usually dispense with the and so on. Treat the stolen FP as if
traditional bite. Creepy supers some- they were lost to that hazard. Any FP If the goal is just to reduce the vic-
times even have ranged life-stealing or HP you gain can heal your losses to tim’s HP, FP, or attributes, consider
abilities. the same hazard. Innate Attack (p. 53) with
Malediction, or Affliction (p. 39) with
To use Leech, you must maintain Heals FP: Every 3 HP you drain Attribute Penalty. If healing is what’s
ongoing contact with your victim; a restores 1 HP or 1 FP. You can’t raise important, take Regeneration (p. 70),
brief touch isn’t enough. In combat, FP above normal. +60% if you can or Healing (p. 51) with Affects Self.
you must grapple or pin him – which choose whether to heal HP or FP;
is trivial if he’s unconscious or other- +30% if you only heal FP when healed If draining others’ HP increases
wise helpless. Out of combat, options to full HP. your powers, buy Leech plus a set of
include a long handshake, hug, or abilities with Trigger, Leeched HP.
more intimate embrace. Steal (Other Score): You steal ST, Victims are “Common” and using
DX, IQ, HT, or FP instead of HP. ST Leech is illegal in most worlds, so this
While you maintain contact, each theft reduces BL and damage. IQ is a -30% limitation. Alternatively, buy
level of Leech lets you drain 1 HP per drain lowers Will and Per. ST and HT an Energy Reserve (p. 119) with
second from your victim. You heal 1 losses don’t lower HP and FP, though. Special Recharge, fill it up using
HP per full 3 HP you steal. You can’t Attribute losses affect skills based on Leech, and use it with the power-
raise your HP above normal, but you those scores. Drain occurs at the rate boosting stunts in Chapter 4. To gain
can continue the drain without heal- of 1 point per level of Leech. It ceases powers by stealing them from others,
ing yourself. The drain ends instantly if the victim’s score reaches 0. take Neutralize (p. 97) with Power
if you release your victim, or if he Regardless of what you steal, you heal Theft.
breaks free or dies. If he survives, the 1 HP (1 FP, with Heals FP or Only
stolen HP heal like any other injury. Heals FP) per 3 points drained. Your Powering Up
victim regains lost scores at the rate he
Leech 1 costs 25 points; successive recovers FP. Cost depends on what Leech fits many supernatural pow-
levels cost 4 points apiece. For exam- you drain: -25% for FP (or +50%, if ers. It’s the definitive ability of so-
ple, to drain 10 HP per second you drain HP when your victim has 0 called “psychic vampires,” who might
requires Leech 10, which costs 25 + 9 FP), +100% for ST or HT, or +300% have their own Vampirism power. It’s
¥ 4 = 61 points. At the GM’s option, for DX or IQ. If you can steal more also suitable for sinister divine and
points of drain convert to dice as than one of these, buy Leech several moral powers, and for spirit powers
described under Modifying Dice + times with different enhancements. To that command “astral vampires.” With
Adds (p. B269); e.g., 4 HP become 1d, use these simultaneously, add Link. appropriate limitations, it could
7 HP become 2d, and 10 HP become instead belong to a macabre biological
2d+3. Steal Youth: You permanently age power that lets the user derive
your victim instead of stealing HP.
Leech only affects living beings. It Each second of draining ages him by
can’t steal HP from machines or inan- months equal to your level. See Age
imate objects. However, the GM may and Aging (p. B444) for long-term
allow a variant ability – Leech effects, and note that Unaging subjects
(Mechanical) – that only affects are immune. You don’t heal, but may
machines. The point cost is identical. grow a month younger per two
With Steal HT, this could represent the months stolen, if desired. This is
ability of “gremlins” to cause incompatible with other special modi-
machines to fail and break down. fiers. +300% if victims regain their
Steal FP is off limits. youth when you die; +450% if truly
permanent.
Special Enhancements
Special Limitations
To work at a distance, Leech
requires Malediction 1 or 2 (+100% or Leeches who must touch their vic-
+150%) on top of Ranged (+40%). Roll tim’s skin have the Contact Agent lim-
the Quick Contest of Will for itation (-30%). The traditional vam-
Malediction every second (once per pire has Blood Agent (-40%), and must
turn, in combat). Each victory lets you bite his victim; Sharp Teeth (p. B91)
drain 1 HP per level. You can only are indispensable. These options and
affect one victim at a time. A few spe- the Ranged option discussed above
cial enhancements are common:

96 BUILDING ABILITIES

sustenance from blood . . . like the Neutralize and Static
classic vampire of Gothic horror. vs. Non-Powers
Talent adds to all rolls to affect the tar-
get – including attack rolls to touch In some worlds, those without powers can harness certain power
victims and Will rolls to use Leech sources. This usually requires special skills. For example, cinematic
with Malediction. martial-arts skills (e.g., Blind Fighting and Power Blow) and chi powers
both depend on the user’s inner strength, magic spells draw upon ener-
Neutralize gies identical to those tapped by magical powers, and priests channel
holy might to perform miracles whether they cast spells or wield divine
50 points powers.

The Neutralize advantage on For consistency’s sake, Neutralize and Static should affect these
p. B71 is Neutralize (Psi), and just one capabilities. For instance, Neutralize (Magic) should temporarily cancel
possible version of the more generic out a wizard’s ability to cast spells, while Static (Magic) should work a
trait below. lot like a “no mana” area. The user doesn’t forget his special skills – they
just don’t work.
This attack lets you neutralize all of
your victim’s powers of a given source. The GM decides which skills (and advantages) rely on a given source
Specify this source when you buy the in his game world. The only hard-and-fast rule is that Neutralize and
advantage. Possibilities include magic, Static shouldn’t interfere with “wild” advantages that aren’t associated
psi, spirit, and anything else the GM with any power source.
deems susceptible to neutralization. If
“super-powers” are a distinct phenom- These guidelines also apply to artifacts tied to power sources.
enon with a single source, the GM Examples include items that carry powers bought with gadget limita-
might allow Neutralize against those, tions (see p. B116), objects imbued with permanent capabilities by
too. To affect powers from more than enchantment spells (see Magic Items, p. B480) and similar special skills,
one source, buy Neutralize multiple and superscience devices related to powers (e.g., “psi-tech”). For
times. instance, Neutralize (Magic) would temporarily render a magic sword
mundane, while Static (Psi) would block artificial telepathic beacons
To use Neutralize, you must touch and natural telepaths equally.
the subject. This requires an Attack
maneuver in melee combat. On a hit, Special Enhancements their point value to boost your own
roll a Quick Contest of Will. Your vic- powers temporarily.
tim gets a bonus equal to his best Enhancements that often appear in
Talent with any of the powers affected. fiction include Based on HT (suitable Precise: You can neutralize specific
For instance, a psi with ESP Talent 4 for drugs that block biological or powers of the affected source, or even
and Telepathy Talent 2 would resist psi powers), Extended Duration, individual abilities. For instance, you
Neutralize (Psi) at +4. and Ranged. Specific options for could use Neutralize (Psi) to drain
Neutralize are: Telepathy only, or just telepathic Mind
If you win, you neutralize your vic- Probe, or everything but Mind Probe.
tim’s powers for minutes equal to your Cosmic: You can neutralize any To exclude or target a capability, you
margin of victory. Should enhance- power, regardless of source. You can must know that your victim has it, and
ments or super-tech (such as “neutral- only affect one source at a time, but you must declare your intentions
ization manacles”) generate an effect you can attack the same victim repeat- before you attack. +20%.
that continuously neutralizes the tar- edly to affect multiple sources. You
get, this is the residual duration after still can’t drain Talents, or advantages Special Limitations
shutting off the ability or removing the without power modifiers. Cosmic
item. If you lose or tie, there’s no effect doesn’t automatically overcome resist- Derange: You only neutralize your
– but critical failure on your Will roll ance. It provides incredible scope, but victim’s control over his abilities.
cripples this ability for 1d hours. your target always gets a chance to All affected abilities gain the
resist. +300%. Uncontrollable limitation (p. B116)
Once you’ve neutralized a given for the duration. Your attack counts as
subject, you can’t affect him again Power Theft: You temporarily “stressful,” and immediately causes
until his powers recover. Multiple acquire the powers you neutralize – the abilities to act in unpredictable
attackers can use Neutralize on the including all their enhancements and ways. -20%.
same target. Use only the longest limitations – for the duration. You
duration; their abilities don’t “add” in can’t use Neutralize again until the One Ability: You can only neutral-
any way. “borrowed” powers wear off or you ize one specific ability within one par-
“return” them (a free action on your ticular power; for instance, just Mind
Neutralize only deprives the sub- turn). +200%, or +300% if you don’t Probe within the Telepathy power or
ject of the abilities of the negated pow- gain the stolen powers but may use just Innate Attack within the Heat/Fire
ers. It doesn’t affect Talent, powers power. This is incompatible with
that don’t originate from the affected Precise. -80%.
source, or advantages that don’t
belong to powers (but see Neutralize
and Static vs. Non-Powers, box).

BUILDING ABILITIES 97

One Power: You can only neutralize If you had Static (Psi), a psychokinetic couldn’t
one specific power that stems from a snatch your gun away or levitate you . . . but he
source that has multiple powers asso- could take control of a nearby sword and hit you
ciated with it. The most common with it, or drop a ton of rocks on your head.
example is a single psi power (such as
ESP or Telepathy). -50%. of a yard. Each level after that doubles by it by winning a Quick Contest of
this radius. +50%/level. Will with you. If the attacking ability
Alternatives already requires a Quick Contest of
Discriminatory: Your Static only some kind, the attacker rolls only
Use Leech (p. 96) to steal attributes interferes with hostile powers. once, but the target gets +5 to resist.
instead of powers. Take Affliction Friendly abilities and artifacts func- -50%.
(p. 39) with Negated Advantage to tion totally unimpeded on you and
remove specific advantages regardless within your area of effect (although Alternatives
of their origin. To disrupt a power’s you still can’t possess powers you can
effects on you, get Static (p. 98). negate). The definitions of “friendly” Be sure to weigh the pros and cons
and “hostile” are up to you, and can of Static against those of other special-
Powering Up fluctuate from second to second. If ized defenses such as Mana Damper
you have Area Effect, Discriminatory (p. 59), Mind Shield (p. 62), Obscure
Neutralize suits anti-powers of all replaces Selective Area. +150%. (p. 64), and Resistant (p. 71). Take
kinds, regardless of source (see Anti- Neutralize (p. 97) to interfere directly
Powers, p. 20). Any power might be Switchable: You can switch your with a foe’s powers rather than their
able to neutralize “opposed” powers Static off to allow friendly abilities to effects.
(see Opposed Powers, p. 21). In gener- affect you or operate within your area
al, a power shouldn’t be able to neu- of effect. Turning Static off or on Powering Up
tralize itself – but the GM is free to requires a Ready maneuver. It’s up to
make exceptions. Talent adds to Will you whether it switches on or off Static is appropriate primarily for
in the Quick Contest to neutralize when you’re knocked out, or simply dedicated anti-powers (see Anti-
powers, but not to the roll to hit the remains in its current state; set this Powers, p. 20). There’s no “preferred”
target. when you buy the ability. If you have source, although Static is most tradi-
Discriminatory, you don’t need tional for psionic powers and super-
Static Switchable. +100%. powers. No power can have Static
with respect to itself, however. Talent
30 points Special Limitation applies mainly to Power Block
attempts (see p. 168), but also adds to
You radiate energies that complete- Resistible: Your ability isn’t Will rolls made for the Resistible
ly prevent all powers of one particular absolute. Enemies can “burn” through special limitation.
source from affecting you. This your Static and affect those protected
extends to anything you’re carrying or
wearing. Buy Static separately for
each source you can negate.
Possibilities include magic, psi,
“generic super-powers,” and anything
else the GM deems susceptible to
“jamming.”

Static only interferes with attempts
to affect you or your personal equip-
ment directly. For instance, if you had
Static (Psi), a psychokinetic couldn’t
snatch your gun away or levitate you
. . . but he could take control of a near-
by sword and hit you with it, or drop a
ton of rocks on your head.

Static affects friendly and hostile
abilities equally. For example, Static
(Magic) prevents you from using
magic items or receiving beneficial
spells, while Static (Psi) blocks the
psionic Healing power.

You can never possess the abilities
or Talent of any power you can negate.

Special Enhancements

Area Effect: Your Static extends
into an area centered on you. The first
level of Area Effect gives you a radius

98 BUILDING ABILITIES