Difference between revisions of "Book:Special Powers"

Revision as of 00:39, 25 June 2010

Bedtime tales tell of the mysterious abilities held by legendary heroes and villains. The power of sorcery at the hands of the wizened old wizard, the strength in the fists of justice belonging to the humble martial artist, and the spirit of rage in the berserk soldier who coldly cuts through lines of his enemies are all examples of Special Powers.

A Special Power is a supernatural ability possessed of a character: Spellcasting for example. Special Powers have 5 ranks and each rank is more costly than the previous. If a Special Power lists that its ranks cost 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Expoints, you end up spending 15 to attain all 5 ranks.

It is strongly recommended that a character not be allowed to buy more than one rank at once. For instance, a starting character cannot have more than one rank in a Special Power, nor can a player stockpile Expoints to purchase more than one rank at once. Like all rules, this can be waived at your GM's discretion, but it seems to help balance starting characters.

Berserker

When an enemy attacks you and deals damage, you must make a Virtue check at a DL of 15 or fly into an adrenaline-induced violent frenzy. You may spend a Fate point to avoid the frenzy and the Virtue check, you may also voluntarily fail the check. You remain Berserk for a number of rounds equal to your (temporarily enhanced) Endurance score, or until all combatants are disabled, whichever comes first. You may spend a Fate point to exit the Berserk frenzy.

In your rage, you must engage in combat; you may not use an item unless it has a direct offensive capability, you will always seek to advance to melee range, and may not use ranged attacks while there are melee opponents to fight. You may under no circumstances back down, surrender, or flee. You take a −4 to any Skill checks that are not combat-oriented with the exception of those augmented by your frenzy (anything under Muscle, Endurance, or Courage).

You will attack combatants hostile to you first, followed by whomever is at hand. Once you engage an enemy, you must attack it exclusively until it is dead (unless the enemy puts itself out of your reach). If there are no combatants left besides allies, you may make a second Virtue check. Allies can attempt to placate you using either a Leadership or Negotiate check against a DL of 18.

Each time you end a Berserk frenzy, you move one place down the Knockout Track as the process has exhausted your body. As is normal for impaired condition, the penalties go away once the character has rested.

Many other Trumps and Faults put a great strain on the Berserker character — in particular, Peacemaker/Pacifist and Called. Such a character may have to go to great lengths to atone for his actions while gripped by rage.

The bonuses listed below can exceed your normal racial limits.

Incompatible with: Perspective

Ranks

1. Bloodlust

5 points

You gain a +2 bonus to your Muscle (and thus Damage rolls), Endurance (and thus Guard rolls), and Courage.

2. Bloodbath

5 points

Your bonuses while frenzied are: +4 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage.

3. Carnage

5 points

Most think allies with Carnage are a liability. While going Berserk your bonuses are: +6 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage. You are unable to speak in your Berserk state, except for guttural screams and growls.

4. Slaughter

5 points

+8 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage.

5. Massacre

5 points

A Berserker who can Massacre is a whispered nightmare among soldiers; a ruthless killing machine that stands on a mountain of corpses. You gain +10 to Muscle, Endurance, and Courage. You can keep attacking even if reduced to 0 Health Points with the expenditure of a Fate point. Nothing short of the disintegration of your body or severing of all of your limbs can cease your rage (even without a head, your body will still wildly flail at the nearest target).

Hands of Fate

After intense study of the workings of your own hands and the force that you can exert through them, you have learned how to manipulate parts of the world around you with the expulsion of ki through your hands.

Incompatible with: Combat Shy, Coward, Frail, Straight-Shooter, and Unarmed.

Requires: Harness Spirit

Ranks

1. Breaking Touch

1 point

You have realized a Bakusai Tenketsu, a single striking point on any object that causes it to fall apart. Boulders, shields, doors, barrels, crates, chests, and the like crumble after your strike. (add an additional +4 to damage breaking objects)

Requires: 2 ranks in Hand-to-hand

2. Sleeping Touch

2 points

You have realized parts on the humanoid body that when struck cause the body to fatigue. Make a Called Shot attack against an opponent. If the opponent fails the defense roll, he or she immediately falls asleep for as many rounds as you have spent Spirit Points (e.g. 4 Spirit Points will cause your opponent to fall asleep for 4 rounds). This attack deals no damage. If any damage is done to the opponent while he or she is asleep, the effect ends and the opponent awakes immediately. This technique only works on living, humanoid creatures.

Requires: 4 ranks in Hand-to-hand

3. Paralyzing Touch

3 points

The flows of ki through the nerves and muscles of a body are now known to you. You have realized the Chin Na and can strike a part of a humanoid body and cause it to be paralyzed. Make a Called Shot against a part of an opponent's body. If the opponent fails the defense roll, that body part is paralyzed and unusable for as many rounds as you have spent Spirit Points (e.g. 4 Spirit Points will cause paralyzation for 4 rounds). This attack deals no damage. To paralyze an entire body, a Called Shot must be made for the base of the neck. This technique only works on living, humanoid creatures.

Requires: 6 ranks in Hand-to-hand

4. Healing Touch

4 points

You have learned Tui Na: how the flows of ki through the pressure points of the body strengthen and weaken it. You can spend Spirit Points to restore damage done to yourself or an ally you can touch. You restore 5 Health Points per Spirit Point spent.

Requires: 8 ranks in Hand-to-hand

5. Killing Touch

5 points

You have studied long and hard to realize the Dim Mak, the ability to strike an opponent and instantly kill. Spend a Spirit Point and make a called shot to a specific part of the head. If the opponent fails the Guard Roll, he or she must make a Mettle check against 5 plus any damage dealt. Even if the technique fails, this move still inflicts damage as normal. This technique only works on living, humanoid creatures.

Requires: 10 ranks in Hand-to-hand

Ki Shot

1. REDIRECT Blast

Teleport

Your intense study of the flows of spirit energy has brought you a powerful technique. Rather, that technique brings you places. Riding the flows of qi, a spirit artist can instantly convey her very soul to a distant place, dragging her body and worn equipment along behind it. One can travel great distances instantaneously, reach higher or lower ground without climbing, as well as circumvent walls, floors, ceilings, or other obstacles.

The spirit artist can choose to appear in any location within the allowed range, whether this is a balcony she can see with the naked eye, a city on a map she's never visited, or alongside a far-off ally in need of reinforcements. The more familiar the spirit artist is with the destination, the more accurate her position when she teleports. For instance, teleporting to one of her get-aways is a snap: her hometown, base of operations, cherished vacation spot, or local bar. However, teleporting to a town she's never seen might place her a mile outside the gates if none of her close friends are there to guide her spirit.

Concentration Effects

The higher the Concentration, the further one can teleport.

1. 1 mile
2. 10 miles
3. 100 miles
4. 1,000 miles
5. 10,000 miles

Third Eye

You are possessed of a supernatural resistance or immunity to Illusions and deceptions of all kinds. Effectively, you automatically pass all Lucidity checks. Surely you must be blessed of higher powers, for this is a rare gift indeed. You can be Blind and have the Third Eye, for not all illusions are visual. Against deceptions which are not magical or supernatural in nature (e.g. a prosthetic disguise) you receive a +1 to your Discern check for each rank of Third Eye you purchase.

Ranks

1. Closed Eye

3 points

Simple tricks and prestidigitations are foiled by you. You are immune to all Intensity 1 Illusion Spells and similar effects.

2. Bleary Eye

4 points

You can peer straight through cunning enchantments. You are immune to all Intensity 2 Illusion Spells and similar effects.

3. Open Eye

5 points

Powerful illusions are easily thrown aside by your piercing vision. You are immune to all Intensity 3 Illusion Spells and similar effects.

4. Lidless Eye

6 points

You can see through all but the most powerful magics. You are immune to all Intensity 4 Illusion Spells and similar effects.

5. Shining Eye

7 points

Some call you "The Seer", others "The Veil Lifter", or even "One Rooted in the Real". You are unaffected by Illusions of any kind, up to and including Intensity 5 Illusion Spells and similar effects.

Weapon Savant

You and your weapon are like an artist and his brush. A weapon savant knows how to use her weapon-of-choice better than any other, and even the act of watching a master practicing her art in combat is enough to awe onlookers. For details on the bonuses listed here, consult the Combat chapter.

Incompatible with: Combat Shy, Clumsy, Coward

Ranks

1. Weapon Discipline

Expoint Cost: 2 points

You have trained many hours with your chosen weapon type. All that practice has paid off and you gain a +1 to the Harm score of the weapon.

Requires: A minimum of 6 ranks in the weapon

2. Weapon Dedication

Expoint Cost: 3 points

Even those who are very familiar with your chosen weapon type regard you as more skilled than they will ever be. You gain an additional +1 to the Harm score of the weapon, to a total of +2. You also gain +1 to the Parry score.

Requires: A minimum of 7 ranks in the weapon

3. Weapon Specialist

Expoint Cost: 4 points

You are nearly unrivaled in your region in regards to skill with your chosen weapon. Spectators gather whenever you're in combat. You gain an additional +1 to the Harm score of the weapon, to a total of +3. You also gain +1 against being disarmed, and +1 to Accuracy.

Requires: A minimum of 8 ranks in the weapon

4. Weapon Master

Expoint Cost: 5 points

You can count on two hands the number of people as good as you in the world with your chosen weapon. Students beseech you to instruct them and damsels beg for you to fight in their honor. You gain an additional +1 to the Harm score of the weapon, to a total of +4. You also gain +1 to disarm someone with your weapon.

Requires: A minimum of 9 ranks in the weapon

5. Weapon Wizard

Expoint Cost: 6 points

Minstrels will tell tales of you long after you die. You have met two or three people in the entire world who can meet or best you with the weapon you have chosen. People name fighting styles after you. You gain an additional +1 to the Harm score of the weapon, to a total of +5. You also gain an additional +1 to Accuracy, to a total of +2.

Requires: A minimum of 10 ranks in the weapon