Powers

Powers

Powers represent unique abilities that your character has learned to deploy; mechanically, they are extraordinary actions that you have mastered.

Note that powers do not represent the extent of your magical, psionic or martial skill: your skills represent your ability to manipulate magic, handle weapons and so on. Instead, think of powers more like specific "tricks" that you've drilled to wrote — some difficult or unusual use of your skills that you've practiced to the point that you can do them quickly and reliably.

Powers have requirements, like classes and some traits do. Since powers are actions, they will also list the type of action that they require.

What Makes a Good Power

Powers are probably the hardest to design and balance of all the features in this chapter!

While all the rules for designing content apply, there are two that are particularly important:

  • powers especially should not eclipse any skill or other feature, and
  • powers should not be mandatory for any given character concept.

The first rule is why Vanish still requires a Stealth check, why Fireball still requires a touch-only or Ranged Weapon attack to be used as a weapon (to touch someone with it or throw it at them, respectively), why Push still requires a Persuasion check (and is so limited), and why Join doesn't give you uncontested control of the "gestalt". This is also why several "damaging" powers do fairly modest damage — certainly compared to the amounts of damage one may see in some other games.

The second rule covers both skills that anyone with a given level of skill would have (so they're "mandatory" to unlock abilities that by rights you've already paid for by purchasing skills), and any power that's too, well, powerful, and so in practice everyone building a certain type of character would always choose to take (so they're "mandatory" if you want to keep up). This is why we don't have a "feint" power, for example, since any competent fighter — anyone with more than, say, 30 ranks in a combat skill — would know how to feint. This is also why we don't have a "power attack" power, since almost ever melee fighter would end up taking it. (You might note that both Feint and Mighty Blow are among the strikes listed in the Combat section; this is not accidental.)

Finally, there are some powers that we have very deliberately decided not to include, and that we recommend you don't add either. This includes:

  • A "hard invisibility" power, because it negates the need for the Stealth skill, trivializes the Infiltrator role, and even worse, possibly allows mages to steal that role outright.
  • A "hard mind-control" power, since it negates the need for social skills, trivializes the Socialite role, and allows mages or psions to steal the role outright.
  • An "impulse healing" power, because it eclipses the capabilites of the regrowth power, removes the need for the Medicine skill, and radically upsets the design of the game (since healing is intended to be very difficult).
  • Any powers that give a flat melee damage bonus, because they wreck up the intended game balance, and have the potential to launch an arms race (requiring the GM to start escalating enemy health and armor numbers, which requires the rest of the party to start boosting their own damage to keep up). However, powers that give "on use" damage bonuses, require reloads or impose other penalties can be acceptable.
  • Powers that represent combat maneuvers that any trained fighter would know how to do; if you have 50 ranks in Unarmed Combat, then you're a master martial artist, and you don't need to purchase powers to represent things any martial artist would know how to do. (This point is particularly tricky, and resolving some confusion around it is why the Strikes where added to the combat rules.)
Vancian Casting, and Why You Shouldn't Use It

Many of the above rules come from an attempt to "balance" Powers, especially supernatural powers, against the capabilities of other characters, on an action-by-action basis. Essentially, these powers can't be too extraordinary, in part because there's no limit to how many times you can use them.

Some other game systems use "Vancian casting:" they feature much stronger powers — usually strictly magical powers — with the limit that they can only be used a certain, limited number of times per day. The rough idea is that, in the long term, this all balances out: "martial" characters can maintain a given level of power consistently, while "vancian magical" characters can perform a smaller number of far more impressive deeds.

So, if one of your players wants to take a "Vancian" power — a far more powerful power than would normally be allowed, with the caveat that it can only be used a few times per day — is that a good idea?

Obviously, we can't control what you do at your gaming table, but our recommended answer is "no." One very good reason is that "Vancian" powers constrain the design of the adventure, and badly perturb the balance of power between the characters if that design constraint is not satisfied. In order for the "vancian-magic-versus-steady-martial" balance to work out, a certain average number of "encounters per day" must be maintained: if there are too few encounters, then the Vancian characters just get to be strictly more powerful than everyone else, because they never get run out of uses of their amazing superpowers; if there are too many, then the Vancian characters get hosed. (In practice, the first problem is far more common than the second — especially since Vancian players will often choose to spuriously halt progress mid-adventure to rest, so that their Vancian powers can recharge.)

Sacrificial Magic, and Why It Might Be Ok

Another common avenue for giving players access to more powerful magical abilities is to attach a price to their use; we'll call this "sacrificial magic." For example, characters might be required to take 1d10 DV to activate a power, or might be required to roll Control or risk a "blowback effect."

Any time you give one class of character access to more powerful abilities than others, you run the risk of upturning the balance of power between characters and letting some players dominate the game; this risk still applies to sacrificial magic schemes.

However, if carefully constructed and judiciously deployed, they can be a workable and even interesting addition to a game — and in particular, they aren't subject to the "8 hour rest mid-dungeon" phenomenon that Vancian powers are.

So, can sacrificial magic make a good addition to your game? Our answer is, "yes, but be careful with it."

Tweaking Powers

Much as you and your players should feel free to create entirely new powers, you should also feel free to tweak, adjust and modify the existing powers.

As an example, a player could easily swap fire out for some other "element" to turn the Fireball power into an iceball or ball lightening power. Some adjustments might be necessary: the iceball power can't set things on fire, but maybe it gains more AP when it explodes, representing the icy shrapnel; the ball lightening might do less damage, but have a chance to stun people, or it might bounce and surge around on its own (the way real ball lightening does).

Of course, a player who wants an ice attack power doesn't have to create it by modifying the Fireball power; with your approval, they could make their own ice blast or ice javelin power — or whatever else they want.

Acrobatic Strike

By kicking off walls, flipping over obstacles or otherwise acrobatically exploiting your environment, you can build up a lot of momentum in a short space.

  • Requires: 20 ranks in Athletics, 10 ranks in a melee combat skill.
  • Action: Varies (stunt, movement)
  • Effect: When you make an appropriate stunt move, you are considered to be charging. If you succeed on the movement check required for the stunt (this would normally be an Athletics check for a humanoid character), you deal your charge's bonus damage.
    • An "appropriate" stunt move might include kicking off a wall to strike your opponent from above, or making a running dive over an obstacle.

Blank

  • Requires: 20 Ranks in Deception
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: Though it requires some concentration, you have an uncanny ability to blank your expression, replacing it with pleasant neutral demeanor.
    • While sustaining this power, Read checks made against you suffer a -30 penalty.
    • However, because your neutral expression makes it hard to convey your emotional state — and might be a little unnerving — you suffer a -10 penalty to Persuasion checks.

Blur

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Spellcraft, 10 Ranks in Stealth
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You become translucent, making you hard to spot.
    • You gain +10 bonus to Stealth checks to avoid being seen.
  • Special: The Blur power is partially masked; a character with Mage Sight needs to make a Perception check to detect it.

Bound Fighter

Maybe you've been thrown in jail more than once, maybe this isn't the first meeting you've had with gangsters, or maybe you've been captured before; in any case, you've gotten pretty good at fighting while you're tied up.

  • Requires: 20 ranks in Unarmed Combat
  • Action: Standard Action
  • Effect: When you are bound, you can still make an unarmed attack against someone who comes within reach, using all the normal rules for an unarmed attack.
  • Special: You can't use this power if you are completely bound — such as if you are enclosed in something like an iron maiden.
  • Special: Critical hits with this attack may weaken or break weaker bindings, like ropes.

Brawler's Instinct

Through years of experience with front-line combat, tavern brawls, law enforcement — or only Great Spirits know what else — you've gained a good instinct for when someone is about to start a fight.

  • Requires: 10 ranks in Perception, 10 ranks in two combat skills.
  • Effect: You do not take the Passive Test penalty to passive Perception and Read tests made against those who are planning to attack you.

Brawler's Sense

Your fighter's instinct has been honed to the point that it's almost a sixth sense — or seventh or fifth, it depends on how many sense your race normally has...

  • Requires: 20 ranks in Perception, 20 ranks in Unarmed Combat
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: While sustaining this power, you gain Brawler's Sense as a sense.
    • This sense allows you to gain enough information about a nearby enemy that you can fight them effectively, even if you can't actually see them.
    • This sense always requires a perception check to use, and you must have some ability to perceive your opponent(s) (like being able to hear or smell them).
    • What is nearby is up to the GM. Usually, any opponent within 3m is "nearby," and enemies further away may be perceptible with an additional penalty.

Burried Alive

The stuff of nightmares in Goblinoid territories, a creature that can burrow through the ground can erupt from below and drag an opponent down, partly collapsing the tunnel behind them to trap their victim. This can either simply immobilize the target, or be rapidly fatal, based on whether or not their head has been buried (or, for non-humanoid creatures, wherever they breath through).

  • Requires: A burrow speed, 20 ranks in Unarmed Combat
  • Action: Standard Action (Maneuver)
  • Effect: Roll your Unarmed Combat, against your opponents Feat of Strength or React Quickly; you suffer a -20 modifier. If you succeed, you haul your target into your tunnel and partially collapse it. This immobilizes them.
  • Special: You must be burrowing near the surface, either adjacent to or directly beneath your opponent to use this power.
  • Special: Instead of immobilizing your opponent, you can instead attempt to completely burry them. This is more difficult, so you take an additional -10 penalty; if you succeed, though, they will soon begin to suffocate.

Center

Slow down. Take a breath, in and then out. Forget your cause, forget your opponent. Feel the wapon, move with it, strike. You have developed a kind of battle-trance, in which your combat instincts are heightened.

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Control, 10 ranks in a combat skill.
  • Action: Sustained.
  • Effect: Your Trance Bonus is your equal to your ranks in Control ÷ 10. You gain your Trance Bonus to your INIT.
  • Special: No Control test is required to activate this power, although one would likely be required to sustain it should you suffer a wound, or should some other sufficiently distracting event occur.

Centered Defence

While centered, your defence is improved.

  • Requires: the Center power, 20 ranks in Control, 10 ranks in Fray
  • Effect: While sustaining Center, you gain +10 to your defence.

Centered Strike

While centered, you strike with extra force.

  • Requires: the Center power, 20 ranks in Control
  • Effect: While sustaining Center, You gain +Trance Bonus to your DV.

Charm

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Persuasion, 10 Ranks in Spellcraft
  • Action: Task Action (5 Minutes)
  • Effect: Conversation with you is enchanting, in a very literal sense.
    • As you spend time in conversation with someone, you can exert a magical influence over them.
    • Make an opposed test, your Persuasion versus their Resist Social Manipulation (SAV + INT). If you succeed, they will regard you as a friend, and will view your words and actions in the best possible light.
    • This does not grant you magical control of their actions, it simply implies that they will trust you and regard you favorably.
  • Tags: mental influence

Collective

  • Requires: Join, Link, 30 Ranks in Control
  • Effect:
    • You can incorporate more than one mind into the Gestalt created by Join. To add a new mind, you must use Join on that mind, and you must then Link that mind.
    • To remain in the Gestalt, ever element of the collective must be within the given range of at least one other element of the collective (they can form a chain).
    • Fights for dominance among collectives are more complicated. Generally, only two participants should be rolling against each other at any given time. Minds who can co-exist peacefully can nominate the strongest among them to represent their interests, and they can even potentially assist one-another. However, being a component of a large collective that is not at peace with itself can be a traumatic experience for all involved, even the “victors” in the fight for dominance.
  • Special: To use this power, you must be sustaining Join, and you must have linked with the target.

Conjure

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Spellcraft
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You can form magic into physical forms, which can mimic simple objects.
    • While you sustain this power, you can create either three items with cost category Minor, or one object with cost category Medium.
    • You choose the objects when you first use the Power.
    • The objects cannot have complex clockwork, cannot be alchemical or otherwise magic, and cannot sustain chemical reactions; you can form cups, knives, jugs, bags, and blades, for example; but you cannot summon potions, explosives, clocks, food or living creatures.
    • The objects you form are partially translucent, and glow with a ghostly energy; though you can control their appearance up to a point, they are obviously magical creations.
    • The objects works just like their mundane versions; they don’t hover or act on their own, for example.

Denial

While in your battle-trance, your defence is nearly perfect.

  • Requires: the Centered Defence power, 20 ranks in Fray
  • Effect: If you are subject to an attack that you could defend against with Fray while sustaining Center, you may, as a reaction, have that attack fail. (Since this is a reaction, you can normally only do this once per turn.)

Diving Strike

You've perfected a diving strike, using the momentum of your fall to strengthen your attack.

  • Requires: 10 ranks in Athletics, 10 ranks in a melee combat skill.
  • Action: Quick Action (Movement)
  • Effect: When you drop down on a target from above, you are considered to be charging; you deal the bonus damage for your charge if you fall more than 1 meter. (This uses all the normal rules for falling and for charging.)

Down-Time

You can enter a deep, meditative state, in which you can nourish, refresh and repair both your mind and body.

  • Requires: Transcend, 20 Control
  • Action: 4-Hour Task Action
  • Effect:
    • After completing the use of this Sleight, you do not need to eat or sleep for 1 day.
    • After completing the Sleight, you recover 1d10÷3 Stress.
    • While sustaining this Sleight, you are very difficult to wake; other people will need to shake you violently to wake you (a Standard Action). Other similarly violent actions will wake you — if the building you are in collapses, or if you are attacked, for example. If you are roused from the Sleight before it completes, you suffer a -10 penalty from the exhaustion and disorientation for 1 day.
  • Special: If you have the Heal Sleight, you may also sustain it during Down Time.

Eidolon

  • Requires: Conjure, 10 Ranks in Control, 20 Ranks in Spellcraft
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You can form magic into the shape of a living creature, and you can fracture your mind so that you can control them.
    • You get one creature, hereafter called an Eidolon.
    • Each Eidolon is Small, has 15 DUR and 20 STR, has a movement of Walking 3/9, has Normal Senses, and has the Spirit, Humanoid and Eidolon tags. As magical apparitions, they don’t need to eat, drink, breath or sleep.
    • The Eidolon does not have a mind of its own; rather, you control its actions, as if it was an extension of your body. This means that it uses your Aptitudes and Skill Ranks; appropriate powers, classes and traits may also be used through your Eidolon, at the GM’s discretion.
    • Mechanically, the you can use your actions to either act through your Character, or to have your Eidolon act. So, for example, during your turn you could use a Quick Action to have your character move, and a Standard Action to attack with your Eidolon.
    • You may choose three bonuses for the Eidolon from the Bonuses list.
  • Bonuses:
    • Carapace: the Eidolon has a sturdy shell, thick hide, or is otherwise reinforced; it gains 4 Armor.
    • Claws: the Eidolon gains claws:
      • Attack: Unarmed Combat, 1D10+1+DB, -2 AP; Tags: Natural Weapon, Off-Hand.
    • Form: the Eidolon gains the appearance of an animal; it appears to be a normal creature of the given type. (Its stats don’t change, and it is immediately obvious to anyone with Mage Sight that it is a magical conjuration.)
    • Regen: the Eidolon has Fast Healing 2.
    • Sense: the Eidolon gains the benefit of one of your Senses. (e.g. if you have Magesight, then you may give the Eidolon Mage Sight.)
    • Size: the Eidolon is Size Medium.
    • Sturdy: the Eidolon has +10 DUR and +5 STR.
    • Wings: the Eidolon has wings; it gains the following movement mode: Fly (5/15)
  • Special: Some races have unique drawbacks — for example, the fact that Clay Men are blind.
    • These drawbacks may be an important part of how the race is designed to function — and the Eidolon power may offer an easy way for clever players to bypass these limitations. Because of this, GM's have the option of declaring a certain feature of a character to be a "major drawback"; they can then require that that character's Eidolon exibit that drawback. For example, a GM could declare that a Clay Man's blind trait is a "major drawback," and thus their eidolon is also blind.
    • We usually recommend that a player be allowed to use a bonus to negate a "major drawback." Arguably, if a Clay Man can give their eidolon the ability to grow a carapace or regenerate, it makes some sense that they could build into it the ability to see.

Eidolons

  • Requires: Eidolon
  • Effect: When you activate the Eidolon power, you can create a second Eidolon; if you do, each Eidolon only gets two Bonuses.

Enhanced Eidolon

  • Requires: Eidolon, 20 Ranks in Spellcraft
  • Effect: you have more Bonuses available. You can select from the following list, as well as the Bonus list above:
    • Ethereal: the Eidolon can become intangible for short periods of time. It gains the following Power:
      • Action: Quick Action
      • Effect: the Eidolon becomes intangible. Until its next turn, it can pass straight through solid objects, and solid objects will pass through it. This means it cannot be damaged by weapons, but it also means that it cannot (practically) attack other Creatures, or interact with objects.
    • Fire: a fire simmers within the Eidolon, and it can flare forth. The fire provides illumination like a torch. The Eidolon also gains the following Power:
      • Action: Sustained
      • Effect: the Eidolon flares forth, becoming a creature of flame. Anything in contact with it suffers 1D10 damage. Its natural attacks gain the Fire tag, and cause an additional 1D10 DV.
    • Frost: the Eidolon is suffused with frost, appearing to be made from chipped ice. The Eidolon gains +2 Armor and +5 DUR, and it gains the following Power:
      • Action: Standard
      • Effect: the Eidolon can freeze something that it touches. Treat this as a Touch-Only Attack. If it hits, the target suffers 1D10 DV.
    • Spines: the Eidolon can launch spines, giving it a potent ranged attack. It gains the following attack:
      • Attack: Projectile Weapons, 1D10+DB, AP -4. Tags: Natural Weapon. Range: 20m/30m/40m

Exploding Fireball

  • Requires: Fireball and 20 ranks in Spellcraft
  • Effect: When using the Fireball power, when your fireball expires (either because you dismissed it or because it left contact with you), you may choose to have it explode. Treat this as a Blast effect, which does your fireball’s damage. (See the rules for Blast effects in Combat)
  • Tags: explosive

Fireball

You can manifest a fireball in your hand.

  • Requires: 10 ranks in Spellcraft
  • Action: Quick Action
  • Effect: You manifest a ball of fire in your hand.
    • After it is created, treat the ball of fire as you would any other held object. The ball of fire will not burn you or any possession that you are in contact with, but it will burn other objects (or people).
    • If the ball of fire looses contact with you (as it will if it is thrown, for example), it can persist for up to 5 turns (about 15 seconds) on its own; otherwise, it can persist as long as you hold on to it.
    • You can voluntarily dismiss the ball of fire (which is handy, because sleeping with a ball of fire in your hand is ill-advised).
    • The ball of fire is, of course, fire, and effects other objects as such. (It will burn other people for 1d10 DV, plus 1 per ten ranks of Spellcraft; it may set a character on fire if an exceptional success is scored.)
    • Clarification: since the ball of fire is treated just like any other small object, it can be thrown at an opponent (using all the rules for a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, doing the listed damage, and having the Fire tag), or it can be pressed into an opponent to burn them (a touch-only attack, doing the listed damage, having the Fire tag).
  • Tags: fire

Fortify

  • Requires: 20 ranks in Control
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You can fortify your physical and mental abilities.
    • While you sustain this Sleight, you receive a +5 bonus to one of your Aptitudes, to your Strength, or to your Durability.
    • (Your derived stats would also change, as normal.)

Group Jump

  • Requires: Jump, 20 ranks in Spellcraft
  • Effect: when you teleport, you may take objects or other people with you. You may carry either one normal-sized person or 50 Kg of cargo per 10 ranks in Spellcraft.

Heal

  • Requires: 10 Control
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: Your wounds begin to heal.
    • While sustaining this power, you have Fast Healing 1.
    • While sustaining this power, you may attempt a Control check as a Quick Action; if you succeed, you instead have Fast Healing 2.
  • Special: If you have a few minutes to focus yourself (i.e., when you are out of combat, the GM may allow you to progress to Fast Healing 2 without requiring a check.
  • Tags: restoration

Hurl an Ally

You've practice an unusual tactic in which you fling an ally at an enemy; this is sometimes called "the Minotaur and the Frog," after a folk-legend about the tactic's use during a slave revolt in Shade-Elven lands.

  • Requires: The Missile-Hurler class.
  • Action: Standard Action
  • Effect: You can throw an ally.
    • They must be at least one size category smaller than you (e.g. if you are Medium, you can throw a Small creature).
    • If you don't throw them farther than your medium range, they can land safely; if you throw them further than your medium range, they take damage as if they had fallen (1d10 DV at long range, 2d10 DV at Extreme range).
    • If the hurled creature lands at a lower point than when they where thrown, they take appropriate falling damage.
    • If you throw your ally at an opponent, and if they were prepared for it, then they are considered to have charged, and can attack the targeted opponent.
    • They can prepare as a Standard Action (during their turn), and are then considered to have "prepared" until their next turn.
  • Special: This power represents throwing an ally, which is a Standard Action. Much like drawing a weapon, picking up an ally to throw them requires a separate action (normally a Quick Action).
  • Special: If the hurled ally has the Diving Strike class, they are always considered to be prepared.

Hurl an Ally

You've practice an unusual tactic in which you fling an ally at an enemy; this is sometimes called "the Minotaur and the Frog," after a folk-legend about the tactic's use during a slave revolt in Shade-Elven lands.

  • Requires: The Missile-Hurler class.
  • Action: Standard Action
  • Effect: You can throw an ally.
    • They must be at least one size category smaller than you (e.g. if you are Medium, you can throw a Small creature).
    • If you don't throw them farther than your medium range, they can land safely; if you throw them further than your medium range, they take damage as if they had fallen (1d10 DV at long range, 2d10 DV at Extreme range).
    • If the hurled creature lands at a lower point than when they where thrown, they take appropriate falling damage.
    • If you throw your ally at an opponent, and if they were prepared for it, then they are considered to have charged, and can attack the targeted opponent.
    • They can prepare as a Standard Action (during their turn), and are then considered to have "prepared" until their next turn.
  • Special: This power represents throwing an ally, which is a Standard Action. Much like drawing a weapon, picking up an ally to throw them requires a separate action (normally a Quick Action).
  • Special: If the hurled ally has the Diving Strike class, they are always considered to be prepared.

Imbue

  • Requires: Eidolon, 20 ranks in Control
  • Effect: You can fracture your mind, producing a copy of your consciousness for each Eidolon that you have.
    • While sustaining Eidolon, each Eidolon gets its own turn. They act on your initiative, after your turn.
    • It’s still your mind controlling them, so you control them, and you’re aware of what they see and do.

Intense Fire

  • Requires: 20 ranks in Spellcraft
  • Effect: Your fire spells do an additional 1d10 DV of damage and have AP -1.

Join

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Control
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You join minds with the target, creating a Gestalt. Normally, this is an equal blending; however, under some circumstances – particularly if the target is unwilling – the two minds might fight for dominance over the Gestalt. Treat this as an opposed WIL×3 check, with the winner gaining dominance, and thereafter being able to direct the actions of the gestalt.
    • The gestalt mind has access to the skills, knowledge and memories of both individuals. The gestalt mind will also express the desires of both minds – even if one mind has become dominant, the other mind in the Gestalt cannot be suppressed completely.
    • Unsurprisingly, this can be extremely traumatic – this is almost always the case when the target is unwilling.
    • Physical action is very difficult, given that one character must maintain physical contact with another – but it can be attempted. Appropriate penalties apply (usually -30).
    • For simplicity, assume that the Gestalt functions as one character, at least in so far as it has one initiative score and has the same allotment of actions that any individual character would have.
  • Special: To use this Power, you must be touching one character; this character is the target of the Power. If you loose physical contact with the target, the power ends.
  • Tags: mental influence, mental join

Journey

  • Requires: Long Jump, 30 ranks in Spellcraft
  • Action: Task Action (1 minute)
  • Effect: You teleport, moving up to 2 kilometer per 10 ranks in Spellcraft.

Jump

  • Requires: 10 ranks in Spellcraft
  • Action: Quick Action
  • Effect: You teleport, moving up to twice your Running movement.
  • Tags: teleportation, movement
  • Requires: Join, 20 Ranks in Control
  • Action: Task Action (5 minutes)
  • Effect: You link your mind with the target's.
    • While sustaining Join, you can Link your mind with the target. Thereafter, as long as you continue to sustain Join, you can break physical contact with the target and maintain the Gestalt. This makes physical action far more feasible.
    • The targets cannot get more than (Your ranks in Control) × 2 meters apart from one-another, or the effect ends.
  • Special: To use this power, you must be sustaining Join.

Long Jump

  • Requires: Jump, 20 ranks in Spellcraft
  • Action: Standard Action
  • Effect: You teleport, moving up to 10 times your Running movement.

Master

  • Requires: 10 ranks in Control
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You can use your own intrinsic magic to control (and fortify) your own life processes.
    • While sustaining this power, you receive a +20 bonus to checks to Endure Physical Hardship.
    • While sustaining this power, you gain +1 Armor.

Parry with the Sheath

Useful for more than just holding the weapon.

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Fray, 10 ranks in Melee Combat
  • Action: Reaction
  • Effect: When you are attacked in melee, as a reaction, you can add +20 to your defense check.
    • You are considered to be armed while defending in this way.
  • Clarification: You must declare the use of this power before you roll your defense. Normally, you get one reaction per "turn-cycle". This power is useful any time you defend, whether you're using fray, taking the full defense action, moving evasively, parrying, or doing something else.
  • Special: To use this power, you must name a sturdy item that you are carrying, that you could grab quickly; good candidates include sheathes, walking sticks, and cooking pans.
    • The GM must approve of this choice.
    • If you critically fail on your defense, you drop the item you picked.

Pilot

  • Requires: Journey, Group Jump
  • Action: Task Action (10 minutes)
  • Effect: You can use a Kairne to teleport; when you do so, you can teleport to any other Kairne in the network.

Protection

  • Requires: Attendant of the Mourner Class
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You gain +3 armor, and those you choose within 5m of you gain +2 armor.

Push

  • Requires: Charm, 20 Ranks in Spellcraft
  • Effect: You have the ability to “push” your will onto other people.
    • When you Charm someone, you may attempt a Persuasion check, opposed by their Resist Social Manipulation. If you win, then you may give them a single instruction, which they will carry out to the best of their ability.

Quick Break

  • Requires: Quick Counter, 20 Ranks in Unarmed Combat
  • Effect: When you counter an opponent, you may instead choose to break a joint.
    • When you Quick Counter an opponent, instead of grappling them, you may choose to inflict a single Wound.
  • Tags: precision

Quick Counter

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Unarmed Combat dunno about that
  • Action: Quick Action
  • Effect: You are very good at countering your opponents attacks with a nasty joint lock.
    • Until the beginning of your next turn, if you are attacked in melee, defend with your Unarmed Skill, win the opposed check (that is, successfully defend against an attack), and score an Exceptional Success, then you automatically grapple the person who attacked you.

Rallying Cry

You can inspire others to bravery and heroism even in the direst of circumstances.

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in a Social Skill, 10 Ranks in a Combat Skill
  • Action: Quick Action
  • Effect: Roll one of your Social Skills (the GM must approve of your choice). If you succeed, you inspire those nearby (they gain the Brave trait) for 1 turn per 10 points of MoS.
    • Normally, you would inspire every ally who can see and hear you, although this might not be the case under unusual circumstances (your GM will decide this).
    • Normally, in order for a character to be inspired, they would need to understand what you are doing — an inspiring speech is useless to someone who doesn't speak your language. However, some methods of inspiring bravery are universal: delivering a defiant roar can be inspiring without any language or culture in common at all.
  • Special: The GM may allow you to inspire those around you if you do something particularly heroic: it might be inspiring just to see you burst out of bonds or rise again in spite of grievous wounds.

Reckless Dive

Through some mix of talent, luck, bravery and foolishness, you can drop on targets from great heights, and usually hurt them a lot worse than you hurt yourself.

  • Requires: the Diving Strike power, 20 ranks in Athletics
  • Effect: When you make a Diving Strike, any fall damage that you take is also added to your attack's damage. (You still take the given fall damage.)
    • For example, if you take 1d10 damage from your fall, your attack does 1d10 extra damage.

Regrowth

  • Requires: Heal, 20 Control
  • Action: Task Action (1 Hour)
  • Effect: Roll a Control check. If you succeed, you heal one wound.
  • Tags: restoration

Rough Landing

Luckily, your opponent broke your fall!

  • Requires: the Reckless Dive power, 20 ranks in Athletics
  • Effect: When you use your Reckless Dive power, you may reduce the damage that you take by 1d10; your opponent still takes the full falling damage.
    • For example, if you would take 2d10 DV of falling damage, but you make a Diving Strike onto your opponent, then you only take 1d10 DV, but they take your weapon attack, plus 2d10 from the Reckless Dive, plus your DB because your diving strike counts as a charge (since you almost certainly fell more than 1m if you're taking falling damage).

Sacrifice

  • Requires: Transfer, 20 Control
  • Action: Task Action (1 minute)
  • Effect: You suffer one wound; if you do, the person you are transferring wounds from is healed for one wound. (Note: the wound is not bound, it is entirely healed.)
    • Using sacrifice can be stressful. A WIL×3 test can be called for to use this power; if the power is used successfully, Stress might be inflicted.
  • Special: To use this power, you must be sustaining Transfer.
  • Tags: restoration

Shield Bash

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Blunt Weapons
  • Effect: You can hurt people with a shield about as well as other people can with a weapon. You can use your shield as a weapon, using your Blunt Weapons skill and doing 1d10+2+DB DV (AP -).
  • Tags: blunt

Shieldwall

You are expert in the use of large shields, and your defence with them is extraordinary.

  • Requires: 20 ranks in Fray
  • Effect: If you are using a Heater Shield, Tower Shield or similar large shield, then, while using a Full Defense action, you are considered to be in cover from direction of your shield. (This means that you cannot be directly attacked from that side.)
    • Shieldwall cannot be used to defend against effects that would completely overwhelm you, like large explosions or seige weapons.
    • While an opponent cannot attack you directly, they might attempt to take the shield from you (by trying to grab it, for example, which might be represented by a Disarm maneuver.)

Sneak Attack

  • Requires: 10 ranks in an Attack skill.
  • Effect: You are particularly good at striking weak spots. When you attack an unaware or helpless target, you inflict an additional 1d10 DV.
  • Tags: precision

Take the Blow

If you're gonna get stabbed, you'd rather the blade turn on your ribs than pass between them.

  • Requires: 20 Ranks in Fray
  • Action: Automatic
  • Effect: While taking the full defense action, whenever you defend with fray, you gain +1 armor per 10 points of MoS.
  • Special: You do not gain this benefit if you are wearing armor with the cumbersome or heavy tags, or carrying a shield with the cumbersome or heavy tags.

Transfer

  • Requires: 10 Control
  • Action: Sustained
  • Effect: You transfer wounds from a creature that you touch to yourself.
    • For every turn that you sustain this power, you take 2 DV; if you do, the creature you are touching is either healed healed for 2 DUR, or one ongoing bleed effect is ended (you choose which).
    • This power cannot “transfer” wounds in this way, nor can it heal diseases, congenital defects or poisons.
  • Special: To use this power, you must be touching one other creature, and that creature must have a DUR rating.
  • Tags: restoration

Vanish

  • Requires: Blur, 20 Ranks in Spellcraft, 20 Ranks in Stealth
  • Effect: Your Blur improves; you become so difficult to spot that others may fail to notice you even if you are standing in plain sight.
    • You gain (another) +10 bonus to Stealth checks to avoid being seen.
    • You may use Stealth to avoid being seen even if you do not have anything to hide behind. Such a Stealth check suffers a -20 modifier.
  • Special: Vanish is more effectively masked; a character with Mage Sight needs to make an opposed perception test to notice it, the spotting character's Perception versus the vanishing character's Spellcraft.

Weave

  • Requires: 10 Ranks in Athletics, 10 Ranks in Fray
  • Action: Standard Action
  • Effect: You are particularly good at evasive movement.
    • In combat, you may take a Standard Action to move evasively. You may move up to your running rate. Until the beginning of your next turn, you may defend with your Athletics skill, and you gain +20 to your defenses.
    • You don’t have to actually move from your space to use this power. Using Weave without moving might represent focusing all your attention on parrying incoming blows, for example.
    • You get the +20 bonus to checks made to defend yourself, whether you use Athletics to defend or not. You can defend with Fray and still get the +20 bonus, for example.
    • This power is unnecessary now that we added evasive movement back.