Old Gus' Daft DraftsYou direct your destructive resonance into the ground and trigger an earthquake centered on a spot you can see within very long range. The ground within short range of that spot heaves and shakes for five minutes, causing damage to structures and terrain in the area. Buildings and terrain features shed debris and rubble. Each round, creatures in the area take either 3 points of damage due to the general shaking, or 6 points of damage if in or adjacent to a structure or terrain feature shedding debris.
Action to initiate.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsOver the course of 1 minute, you can devour an object or a dead or otherwise incapacitated creature, which must be smaller than you. At the end of your meal, you can make a free recovery roll. You can do this one time, although the ability renews each time you make a ten-hour recovery roll.
Action to initiate.
You are especially sensitive to sound and vibration, so much so that you can sense your environment within a short distance regardless of your ability to see.
It's Only MagicYou drain the light from an immediate area within long range. Bright light (like a sunny day outdoors) becomes dim light, normal light (like inside a well-lit room) becomes very dim light, and anything darker becomes darkness. If you cast this spell on an object, the darkness moves with the object, and can be suppressed if it is enclosed in a light-proof container or wrapping.
Choose one noncombat skill when you gain this ability. You get a minor effect with that skill when you roll a natural 14 or higher (the d20 shows “14” or more). You get a major effect with that skill when you roll a natural 19 or higher (the d20 shows “19” or higher). You can select this ability more than once. Each time you select it, you must choose a different noncombat skill.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsFor the next 24 hours, gain two assets to track anything you have eaten before by scent alone to a distance of 1 mile (1.5 km). If a source is within long range of you, you know it and the general direction toward it.
Being able to tell where the nearest batch of chocolate mousse is doesn't really do much in the grand scheme of things, but if you have gotten a taste of someone or something, Eidetic Epicurean is an excellent way to track that particular meal.
Action to initiate.
Claim the SkyYour attack with your stretchy limbs or body is eased. If you hit, you can grab the target, preventing it from moving on its next turn. While you hold the target, its attacks or attempts to break free are hindered. If the target attempts to break free instead of attacking, you must succeed at a Might-based task to maintain your grip. If the target fails to break free, you can continue to hold it each round as your subsequent actions, automatically inflicting 4 points of damage each round by squeezing.
When you wish it, electricity crackles across your body for ten minutes, granting you +1 Armor. While electrified, you have an additional +2 Armor versus electrical damage specifically, and you inflict 2 points of damage on any creature that touches you or attacks you with a melee weapon that conducts electricity.
You exude an aura of crackling electricity that lets you fly a long distance each round for ten minutes. You can't carry other creatures with you.
Action to activate.
You and every target you designate within immediate range gains +5 Armor against one type of direct elemental damage (such as fire, lightning, shadow, or thorn) for one hour, or until you cast this spell again. Each level of Effort applied increases the elemental protection by +2.
Action to initiate.
When you succeed on a Speed defense action, you immediately gain an action. You can use this action only to move.
Neon RainYour chrome now has an embedded drone that you can launch and control for up to an hour. The drone is no larger than 1 foot (30 cm) on a side. It has manipulators, allowing it to attempt to accomplish physical tasks, and a built-in medium pistol that it can use to make attacks. The drone can immediately take an action on the turn that you launch it. You'll probably make rolls for your drone when it takes actions. A drone in combat usually doesn't make separate attacks but helps with your defenses. On your action, if the drone is next to you, it serves as an asset for one defense roll you make on your turn. If the drone is destroyed, you can spend 2 XP to rebuild it.
Action to initiate.
Embedded drone: level 4, long-range embedded pistol inflicts 4 damage, flies a short distance each round
You gain an embedded pistol cybernetic in one of your arms. You are trained in using this weapon. (If you replace this embedded weapon with another, you lose the training in the previous weapon and gain training in the new one.) An embedded pistol is a light, medium, or heavy firearm with a ten-round capacity. The weapon is concealed until you wish to use it.
You fashion a truly horrifying facade of a creature from swirling ribbons of dark matter and launch it at your foes within long range. Each round, you can attack a target within long range using the creation as your weapon. When you attack, the creature inserts hair-fine tendrils of shadow into the target's eyes and brain. The target takes 3 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and is stunned for one round so that it loses its next turn. Alternatively, you can cause the creature to take other actions, as long as you are able to see it and mentally control it as yourAction. The creature disperses after about a minute.
Action to initiate.
For the next hour, you take on some characteristics of a shadow thanks to a fundamental adaptation of your flesh or a device you've kept secret. Your appearance is a dark silhouette. When you apply a level of Effort to sneaking tasks, you get a free level of Effort on the task. During this time, you can move through the air at a rate of a short distance per round, and you can move through solid barriers (even those that are sealed to prevent the passage of light or shadow), but not energy barriers, at a rate of 1 foot (30 cm) per round. You can perceive while passing through a barrier or object, which allows you to peek through walls. As a shadow, you can't affect or be affected by normal matter. Likewise, you can't attack, touch, or otherwise affect anything. However, attacks and effects that rely on light can affect you, and sudden bursts of light can potentially make you lose your next turn.
Action to initiate.
It's Only MagicYou conjure an adorable animal that most people find irresistibly cute, such as a puppy, kitten, or bunny, who is outgoing and friendly and otherwise acts according to its nature. Anyone in short range who can see the animal eases their defense tasks against negative feelings (such as anger, fear, sadness, and worry) for the next hour. Anyone who pets, cuddles, or plays with this animal for at least a round or two (up to four people can do so at once) feels happier for the next hour and adds +1 to any recovery rolls they make during that time. At the end of the spell, the conjured animal curls up, falls asleep, and disappears in a puff of smoke. If the animal is harmed in any way, anyone who saw it happen eases all rolls against the creature responsible for the harm. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can conjure three additional animals for each level of Effort you apply to this ability.
Adorable animal: level 1, positive social interactions as level 3
You can use the helping rules to provide a benefit to another character attempting a physical task. Unlike the normal helping rules, this doesn't require you to use your action helping the other character with the task. This requires no action on your part.
You use your enchanted weapon to move yourself to any location within a long distance that you can see, as long as there are no obstacles or barriers in your way. The exact way this happens depends on your weapon; you might throw your magical hammer and be pulled along after it, shoot an arrow from your bow that pulls you forward like a grapple line, and so on. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the distance traveled; each level of Effort used in this way increases the range by another 100 feet (30 m). If you have another ability (such as from your type) that allows you to cross a long distance, the range of that ability and this one increases to very long.
You attune yourself to a physical weapon, such as a sword, hammer, or bow. You know exactly where it is if it is within a short distance of you, and you know its general direction and distance if farther away. All of your other focus abilities require you to be holding or wielding this weapon. You can be attuned to only one weapon at a time; attuning yourself to a second weapon loses the attunement to the first one.
Action to initiate; ten minutes to complete.
While you maintain this ability through ongoing inspiring oration, your allies within short range ease one of the following task types (your choice): defense tasks, attack tasks, or tasks related to any skill that you are trained or specialized in.
For one minute, allies within short range gain an asset on defense rolls.
Any duration dealing with physical actions is either doubled or halved, whichever is better for you. For example, if the typical person can hold their breath for thirty seconds, you can hold it for one minute. If the typical person can march for four hours without stopping, you can do so for eight hours. In terms of harmful effects, if a poison paralyzes its victims for one minute, you are paralyzed for thirty seconds. The minimum duration is always one round.
You extend your Absorb Kinetic Energy ability to one creature within immediate range so that they also can absorb energy from physical attackss and impacts for one hour. That creature, however, cannot release excess energy as a blast. For each level of Effort you apply, you can increase the number of targets you affect by one. If you have Absorb Pure Energy or Improved Absorb Kinetic Energy, those abilities are also duplicated in your target when you use Energize Creature.
Action to initiate.
You extend your Absorb Kinetic Energy ability to up to thirty creatures within short range so that they also can absorb energy from physical attacks and impacts for one hour. If you have Absorb Pure Energy or Improved Absorb Kinetic Energy, these creatures can use those abilities as well. The creatures, however, cannot release excess energy as a blast.
Action to initiate.
By focusing your Absorb Kinetic Energy ability on an object (like a weapon), you infuse it with your power. The object holds the energy until it is touched by anyone but you, so putting it into your melee weapon or the ammo of a ranged weapon allows the weapon to trigger the energy in combat. The energy inflicts 3 points of damage on the creature touched in addition to any damage the weapon itself might do. You cannot have more than one energized object on your person at a time.
Action to initiate.
Your force shield from your Force Field Shield ability now pulses with dangerous energy whenever you manifest it. Each time you use your shield as a melee or ranged weapon, it inflicts an additional 3 points of damage.
Choose a discrete type of energy that you have experience with (such as heat, sonic, electricity, and so on). You gain +10 to Armor against damage from that type of energy for ten minutes. Alternatively, you gain +1 to Armor against damage from that energy for 24 hours. You must be familiar with the type of energy; for example, if you have no experience with a certain kind of extradimensional energy, you can't protect against it. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to protect more targets; each level of Effort used in this way affects up to two additional targets. You must touch additional targets to protect them.
Action to initiate.
Choose a discrete type of energy that you have experience with (such as heat, sonic, electricity, and so on). You gain +5 to Armor against damage from that type of energy. You must be familiar with the type of energy; for example, if you have no experience with a certain kind of extradimensional energy, you can't protect against it. You can select this ability more than once. Each time you select it, you must choose a different kind of energy.
You enhance the ability of one creature to perform certain athletic sports tasks. The creature must be within long range and visible to you. For the next minute, the creature can apply one free level of Effort to any one task to catch, hit, kick, or throw an object, or to any one climbing, jumping, or running task. Once this free level of Effort is used, the magic ends.
For the next ten minutes, you gain an asset on tasks that depend on brute force, such as moving a heavy object, smashing down a door, or hitting someone with a melee weapon.
Action to initiate.
You upgrade your hardware to give you armor plating, subdermal implants, or some other material that provides physical protection. This change changes give you +1 to Armor.
When you use Beast Form, your beast form gains the following additional bonuses
+3 to your Might Pool, +2 to your Speed Pool, and +2 to Armor.
Your machine parts grant you +1 to Armor, +3 to your Might Pool, and +3 to your Speed Pool. Traditional healing skills, medicines, and techniques work only half as well for you. Each time you start at full health, the first 5 points of damage you take can never be healed in these ways or recovered normally. Instead, you must use repairing skills and abilities to restore those points. For example, if you start with a full Might Pool of 10 and take 8 points of damage, you can use recovery rolls to restore 3 points, but the remaining 5 points must be restored with repair tasks.
Using your Camera Sight ability, you can either look through two security cameras simultaneously, look through one security camera that is up to 5 miles (8 km) away, or look through one camera for up to 30 minutes.
Action to initiate.
You gain 3 points to your Intellect Pool.
You gain +1 to your Intellect Edge.
You gain 3 points to your Might Pool.
You gain +1 to your Might Edge.
This ability works like the Phased Attack ability except that your attack also disrupts the foe's vitals, dealing an additional 5 points of damage.
You gain 3 points to divide among your Might and Speed Pools however you wish.
A character with an Enhanced Physique is likely to be either a bit bulkier or somewhat leaner as a result.
You gain 3 points to divide among your stat Pools however you wish.
You gain 3 points to your Speed Pool.
You gain +1 to your Speed Edge.
You trigger an enzymatic reaction that draws additional mass from another dimension, and you (and your clothing or suit) grow larger. You achieve a height of 9 feet (3 m) and stay that way for about a minute. During that time, you add 4 points to your Might Pool, add +1 to Armor, and add +2 to your Might Edge. While you are larger than normal, your Speed defense rolls are hindered, and you are practiced in using your fists as heavy weapons.
When the effects of Enlarge end, your Armor and Might Edge return to normal, and you subtract a number of points from your Might Pool equal to the number you gained (if this brings the Pool to 0, subtract the overflow first from your Speed Pool and then, if necessary, from your Intellect Pool). Each additional time you use Enlarge before your next ten-hour recovery roll, you must apply an additional level of Effort. Thus, the second time you use Enlarge, you must apply one level of Effort; the third time you use Enlarge, two levels of Effort; and so on.
Action to initiate.
You are trained in any perception task that involves sight.
A target within short range is subject to a snare constructed of semi-tangible lines of force for one minute. The force snare is a level 2 construct. A target caught in the force snare cannot move from its position, but it can attack and defend normally. The target can also use its action attempting to break free. You can increase the level of the force snare by 1 per level of Effort applied.
Action to initiate.
While talking, you grab and keep another creature's attention, even if the creature can't understand you. For as long as you do nothing but speak (you can't even move), the other creature takes no actions other than to defend itself, even over multiple rounds. If the creature is attacked, the effect ends.
You pick up stuff listening to folks gab in the bar. You are trained in one area of knowledge of your choice.
You gain an entourage of five level 1 twenty-somethings that accompanies you wherever you go unless you purposefully disband it for a particular outing. You can ask them to deliver things for you, run messages, pick up your dry cleaning—pretty much whatever you want, within reason. They can also run interference if you're trying to avoid someone, help hide you from media attention, help you muscle through a crowd, and so on. On the other hand, if a situation becomes physically violent, they retreat to safety.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsYour hands become wreathed in a distortion of time that the next time you touch a creature, you inflict 3 points of damage. Alternatively, you can use this ability when you attack with a weapon, and for ten minutes, it inflicts 1 additional point of damage.
Action for touch; enabler for weapon.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsYou can apply a level of Effort to attacks you make with your Entropic Touch in a new way, adding one of the following properties to the attack. If you apply multiple levels of Effort, you can add multiple such properties:
If the Cardsharp fails on a task, they can change the die result to a natural 20; however, when they do so, a repercussion is also automatically triggered.
Your Force Field Shield ability produces an envelope of force that enfolds you while you are holding the shield, granting you +1 to Armor.
Path of the PlanebreakerYou erase the face of a creature within short range. The creature loses all of their recognizable facial features (eyes, mouth, and nose). They are blinded (all tasks are hindered by two steps), and they cannot speak or eat. They have two barely visible nostrils, so they are still able to breathe, but smelling-based tasks are hindered by two steps. The creature remains transformed for one minute.
In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the duration; each level of Effort used in this way adds one minute to the duration, but the creature can attempt a new defense task at the end of each minute to end the transformation early.
Other creatures can't immediately recognize a
creature with an erased face, and depending on
the situation, they may assume it's some sort of
half.finished doppelganger or other horror. Allies
of the creature who witness this transformation
understand what's happening.
A creature that can change their shape can end
this transformation as part of their action.
You reach into the mind of a creature within immediate range and make an Intellect roll. On a success, you erase up to the last five minutes of its memory.
Erasing memories can be a tricky business. On a failed attempt to erase a creature's memories, an interesting GM Intrusion might have the effect target an ally or the character.
You infiltrated the networks so completely that networked cameras can't identify you. If your face comes up on automated recording devices, vulnerabilities you've previously exploited keep you from being recognized. When security officers recognize you, upon checking their records they're told that you're not who you seem to be, but rather someone unimportant, which you can use as an asset in any related persuasion or deception interaction.
You slip your restraints, squeeze through the bars, break the grip of a creature holding you, pull free from sucking quicksand, or otherwise get loose from whatever is holding you in place.
While in any area containing ruins from before the apocalypse, you find or create a significant shortcut, secret entrance, or emergency escape route where it looked like none existed. Doing so requires that you succeed on an Intellect action whose difficulty is set by the GM based on the situation. You and the GM should work out the details.
When you kill a foe, you can attempt a stealth task to immediately hide from anyone around, assuming that a suitable hiding place is nearby.
You can move through walls and solid objects at half your usual speed. At the end of your next turn, you return to your corporeal form. If are inside a solid object when this happens, you are ejected to the nearest available space, taking 1 damage for every 3 feet (1 m) you are moved.
You might not be able to use Ethereal Jaunt move through certain "solid" obstacles, for example, energy barriers created by magic or science.
Action to initiate.
A mark who finally realizes that they've been conned by the Shyster doesn't come looking for revenge if the Shyster doesn't want them to. The Shyster may not have succeeded in their confidence game, especially if they didn't use their Shyster abilities, but at least their bones remain unbroken. The specific mechanism of how all consequences are evaded varies by game and circumstance, but somehow, the invisible hand of fate tweaks the situation so the Shyster isn't taken in or hurt.
You step into shadows or behind cover, and everyone who was observing you completely loses track of you. Although you're not invisible, you can't be seen until you reveal yourself again by moving out of the shadows or from behind cover (or by making an attack).
You're hard to affect when you don't want to be affected. You are trained in all defense tasks.
You can take any small object—a coin, a pen, a bottle, a stone, and so on—and throw it with such force and precision that it inflicts damage as a light weapon.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsYou place a hex on a creature within short range, and inflict one of the following disabilities:
This ability cannot affect creatures that are not alive, for example, robots and the undead.
Action to initiate.
You send a target that you touch hurtling into another random dimension or universe, where it remains for ten minutes. You have no idea what happens to the target while it's gone, but at the end of ten minutes, it returns to the precise spot it left.
The number of subtle cyphers you can bear at the same time increases by one.
All app cyphers and programmed cyphers function at one level higher than normal. If given a week and access to a computer, you can tinker with app and programmed cyphers, changing their function to that of another cypher you had in the past.
When wearing armor, you gain +1 to Armor.
When you are looking for something specific, such as a particular rare component, a chemical needed to complete a vaccine for a disease, a spare part required to repair a damaged device, the tracks of a specific beast, or the sword that a thief stole from you, this ability is of great use. For the next 24 hours, if you come within short range of the thing and circumstances are such that it is possible for you to perceive the thing (for example, it's not in a locked chamber for which you do not have the key), you find it. This ability assumes that you are constantly on the lookout, always looking everywhere possible, peering behind obstacles, and so on—if you're running for your life, sleeping, or otherwise occupied, this ability does not help you. You use this ability in lieu of making a roll to find the thing, but only if the difficulty for finding the object is level 6 or below. You can apply Effort to increase the maximum level of the thing you're trying to find (each level of Effort used this way increases the maximum level by 1).
Action to initiate.
The cost reduction from your Practiced in Armor ability improves. You now reduce the Speed cost by 2.
The more you practice netrunning, the more proficient you become. To flaunt your experience, roll a d6 when completing a netrunning task you have succeeded at previously. On an even result, the task you're attempting is eased by two steps. On a roll of 1, the task is hindered.
You are trained in a specific weapon attack of your choice, such as swords, axes, or bows; or in a broader category of attacks, such as light bashing weapons, light bladed weapons, light ranged weapons, medium bashing weapons, medium bladed weapons, medium ranged weapons, and so on.
At tier 2, you can choose to become specialized in the same attack method you chose at tier 1, but you must gain the skill normally.
At tier 6, you can become an expert in a specific attack method (either the one you chose at tier 1 or another weapon skill you're already specialized in), but you must gain the skill normally.
Instead of rolling, you can choose to automatically succeed on a crafting task you're trained in. The task must be difficulty 4 or lower. If you are able to reduce the assessed difficulty of a crafting task to 4 or lower, this ability also applies to each subtask, assuming something doesn't interrupt you during the ensuing time to build.
You can bear three cyphers at a time.
You are specialized in all tasks related to driving a car, truck, or motorcycle, including mechanical repair tasks.
Neon RainThe drone from your Drone Buddy ability advances to level 3. You can either gain (build) a secondary drone, or add +1 Armor to your primary drone.
Secondary drone: level 2; flies a short distance each round
You gain a level 3 follower. They are not restricted on their modifications. You can take this ability multiple times, each time gaining another level 3 follower. Alternatively, you could choose to advance a level 2 follower you already have to level 3 and then gain a new level 2 follower.
You are specialized in all tasks related to piloting a starcraft.
You are specialized in all tasks related to riding a mount, including those pertinent to the care and healing of your mount.
Instead of rolling a d20, you can choose to automatically succeed on a task you're trained in. The task must be difficulty 4 or lower, and it can't be an attack roll or a defense roll.
Through anecdotes, historical retellings, and citing knowledge that few but you have previously understood, you enlighten your friends. After spending 24 hours with you, once per day, each of your friends can ease a particular task by two steps. This benefit is ongoing while you remain in your friends' company. It ends if you leave, but it resumes if you return to your friends' company within 24 hours. If you leave your friends' company for longer than that, you must spend another 24 hours together to reactivate the benefit.
Even if you can do something well, you've learned that you can always do it even better. Whenever you have an asset for a roll, you ease the task by one additional step.
You are trained in two additional skills in which you are not already trained. Choose from the following: navigation, perception, sensing danger, initiative, peacefully opening communications with strangers, and tracking.
You can amplify the energy stored in your Siphon Pool (from your Store Energy ability) and release it in a massive blast that affects either one target within short range or everything within immediate range. If you choose a single target, it takes 2 points of damage for every point in your Siphon Pool. If you choose an area, everything in the area (except you) takes 1 point of damage per point in your Siphon Pool (or half that if your attack fails against them). This drains your Siphon Pool to 0 points.
You gain an additional one-action recovery each day.
You are trained in one skill of your choice (other than attacks or defense) in which you are not already trained. You can select this ability multiple times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different skill.
If building a focus, Extra Skill can often be granted as a secondary ability in addition to another more potent ability at the same tier.
You attempt to gain an extra use from an artifact without triggering a depletion roll. The difficulty of the task is equal to the level of the artifact. If you crafted the artifact, you gain an asset to the task. On a failure, the depletion roll occurs normally. You could also try to use a manifest cypher without burning it out, but the task is hindered. A failed attempt to gain an additional use from a manifest cypher destroys it before it can produce the desired effect.
When using your chosen weapon, you can reroll any attack roll you wish and take the better of the two results.
When you spend five minutes or so thoroughly exploring an area no larger than a short distance in diameter, you can ask the GM one question about the area. The GM must answer you truthfully. You cannot use this more than one time per area per 24 hours.
Action to initiate, five minutes to complete.
You make an attack against a creature with an eye. The attack is hindered, but if you hit, the creature has trouble seeing for the next hour. During this time, the creature's tasks that rely on sight (which is most tasks) are hindered.
You can see in extremely dim light as though it were bright light. You can see in total darkness as if it were extremely dim light.