High Noon at Midnight
High Noon at MidnightYou gain a supernatural rattlesnake—a dust diamondback—as a constant companion. It is over 10 feet (3 m) long and follows your psychic commands. You'll probably make rolls for it in combat or when it takes actions (or it can ease your attacks or your defenses in combat). The companion acts on your turn. If your companion dies, you can hunt in the badlands for a few days to find a new one.
Dust diamondback: level 3, Speed defense as level 4; health 12; bite deals 3 damage plus 1 Speed damage (ignores Armor) on a failed Might defense roll
You gain a special specimen as a constant companion. It is level 4, probably the size of a small dog, and follows your telepathic commands. You and the GM must work out the details of your creature, and you'll probably make rolls for it in combat or when it takes actions. The companion acts on your turn. If your companion dies, you can hunt in the wild for 1d6 days to find a new one.
Your ride your mount into the air and fly for one minute at a rate of up to a long distance each round. For each level of Effort you apply, you can increase the duration of the effect by one minute or carry one ally of about your size with you that will also fit on your mount.
Action to initiate.
Each day, choose two different numbers from 2 to 16. One number is your lucky number, and the other is your unlucky number. Whenever you make a roll that day and get a number matching your lucky number, your next task is eased. Whenever you make a roll that day and get a number matching your unlucky number, your next task is hindered.
Any time you use Effort on an Intellect action, add one of the following enhancements to the action (your choice):
You are trained in a table game in which you are not already trained. Choose from the following: poker, twenty one, farro, craps, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or another game where gambling on the outcome is part of play.
You've played so many games that you've picked up some real knowledge. Choose any two noncombat skills. You are trained in those skills.
Pick any one style of game such as real-time strategy games, games of chance in the style of poker, roleplaying games, and so on. You can apply an asset to a task related to playing that style of game once between each recovery roll.
Sitting and playing a game for twelve hours straight is not something most people can do, but you've figured it out. Once after each ten-hour recovery roll, you can transfer up to 5 points between your Pools in any combination, at a rate of 1 point per round. For example, you could transfer 3 points of Might to Speed and 2 points of Intellect to Speed, which would take a total of five rounds.
Any time you use Effort on an Intellect action, add one of the following enhancements to the action (your choice)
When you use Enlarge, you can choose to grow up to 30 feet (9 m) in height, and you add 3 more temporary points to your Might Pool (if you also have the Bigger ability, the temporary points from Gargantuan are in addition to the points from Bigger).
Old Gus' Daft DraftsYour transformed body brings advantages and challenges:
When in a group of people (a caravan, a palace, a village, a city, etc.) you can ask around about any topic you choose and come away with useful information. You can ask a specific question, or you can simply obtain general facts. You also get a good idea of the general layout of the location involved, note the presence of all major sites, and perhaps even notice obscure details. For example, not only do you find out if anyone in the palace has seen the missing boy, but you also get a working knowledge of the layout of the palace itself, note all the entrances and which are used more often than others, and take notice that everyone seems to avoid the well in the eastern courtyard for some reason.
Action to initiate, about an hour to complete.
You create six planes of solid force (level 8), each 30 feet (9 m) to a side, which persist for one hour. The planes must be contiguous, and they retain the position that you choose when initiating this ability. For instance, you could arrange the planes linearly, creating a wall 180 feet (55 m) long, or you could create a closed cube. The planes conform to the space available. Each additional level of Effort you apply increases the level of the barrier by one (to a maximum of level 10) or increases the number of hours it remains by one
Action to initiate.
After your action on your turn, you move up to a short distance or get behind or beneath cover within immediate range.
For the next ten minutes, you gain an asset to sneaking tasks. During this time, you can move through solid barriers (but not energy barriers) at a rate of 1 foot (30 cm) per round, and you can perceive while phased within a barrier or object, which allows you to peek through walls
Action to initiate.
You create a level 3 ghostly-looking car that can carry two people and a small amount of luggage.
You or a creature you designate can drive the car as normal. For each level of Effort you apply to this ability, it can carry two additional passengers and its level increases by 1. The car lasts for an hour, after which it vanishes.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsAs an undead spirit, you gain the following benefits:
Being dead is not the same as being alive. Thier Ghostly Nature means a ghost cannot simply change clothes, feel sunshine on their face, or enjoy a light snack. The GM might decide that at time a ghost must pay an Initial cost to successfully manipulate simple objects. The GM decides what kind of equipment ghosts can use. A ghost typically only has items they had when they died, but they might discover ethereal items no one living creature could perceive.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsFor the next ten minutes, you attach yourself to an ally, taking the form of a ghostly shroud. In this state, you are invisible, although if a creature is aware of your presence, it has no difficulty attacking you. You cannot move, but can otherwise perceive and act normally in this state.
Moreover, you automatically inflict 4 points of damage to anyone who tries to touch your ally or strike them with a melee attack. All tasks your ally makes to evade the perceptions of others are eased.
Action to initiate.
Old Gus' Daft DraftsYou create a horrific and twisted visage of yourself, growing to twice your usual size. For the next minute, you gain an asset on intimidation tasks. Creatures within short range may become frightened; make a separate Intellect attack roll for each creature. You decide if the target is frozen in fear or compelled to flee. Either way, they cannot take actions other than to move away from you unless you allow it. The effects on a target end if they are attacked.
You conjure a trifle that can fit in one hand and will please a creature within immediate range. The object is impractical and inexpensive, but delightful to the creature. Examples include their favorite kind of cookie, a small crafted coffee beverage, or a paper origami of their favorite animal. You don't know what the spell will create, but you know it will please them if you give it as a gift. If the creature spends one minute appreciating the object (such as eating the cookie, drinking the coffee, or examining the origami), they gain an asset on one task of their choosing within one hour. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can use Effort to affect more creatures; each level of Effort affects one additional creature.
Action per target to initiate.
When you wish, while in combat, you can enter a state of heightened awareness of threat. While in this state, you can't use points from your Intellect Pool, but you gain +1 to your Speed Edge and gain two assets to Speed defense tasks. This effect lasts as long as you wish or until you attack a foe or no combat is taking place within range of your senses. Once the effect of this ability ends, you can't enter it again for one minute.
You move up to a long distance and attempt to hide. When you do, you gain an asset on the stealth task to blend in, disappear, or otherwise escape the senses of everyone previously aware of your presence.
You can attempt to goad a target into a belligerent—and probably foolish—reaction that requires the target to try to close the distance between you and attempt to physically strike you on its next turn. They attempt this action even if this would cause them to break formation or to give up cover or a tactically superior position. Whether the target strikes you or fails to do so, they come to their senses immediately afterward, after which further tasks attempting to goad the target again are hindered
Action to initiate.
You gain +1 to Armor, +1 to your Might Edge, and 5 additional points to your Might Pool. You do not need to eat, drink, or breathe (though you do need rest and sleep). You move more stiffly than a creature of flesh, which means you can never be trained or specialized in Speed defense rolls. Furthermore, you are practiced in using your stone fists as a medium weapon.
The skin of people with Golem Body and Golem Grip is like stone, either smooth stone like a statue with strange resilience, or cracked and craggy stone constantly breaking and reforming as the character moves.
Your attack with the stone fists from your Golem Body ability 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 make a Might-based roll 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.
Your stone form from the Golem Body ability is more difficult to repair than flesh, which means you are unable to use the first, single-action recovery roll of the day that other PCs have access to. Thus, your first recovery roll on any given day requires ten minutes of rest, the second requires an hour of rest, and the third requires ten hours.
You stomp on the ground with all of your strength, creating a shock wave that attacks all creatures in immediate range. Affected creatures take 3 points of damage and are either pushed out of immediate range or fall down (your choice).
Anyone can help an ally, easing whatever task they're attempting. However, you have the benefit of clarity and wisdom. When you help another character, they gain an additional asset.
You have an uncanny intuition when it comes to finding things. While exploring, you can extend your senses up to 1 mile (1.5 km) in any direction and ask the GM a very simple, general question— usually a yes-or-no question—about that area, such as “Is there an orc encampment nearby?” or “Is there dark matter to be found in that rusted hulk?” If the answer you seek is not in the area, you receive no information.
While you are using the Enlarge ability, you can attack by attempting to wrap your massive hands around a target the size of a normal human or smaller. While you maintain your hold as your action, you keep the target from moving or taking physical actions (other than attempts to escape). The target's escape attempt is hindered by two steps due to your size. If you wish, you can automatically inflict 3 points of damage each round on the target while you hold it, but you can also keep it protected (by taking all attacks otherwise meant for the target).
You convince an intelligent creature that can understand you and isn't hostile of something that is wildly and obviously untrue.
You create a fantastically complex scene of images that fit within a 1-mile (1.5 km) cube that you are also within. You must be able to see the images when you create them. The images can move in the cube and act in accordance with your desires. They can also act logically (such as reacting appropriately to fire or attacks) when you aren't directly observing them. The illusion includes sound and smell. For example, armies can clash in battle, with air support from machines or flying creatures, on and above terrain of your creation. The illusion lasts for one hour (or longer, if you concentrate on it after that time).
You create a level 6 granite wall within short range. The wall is 1 foot (30 cm) thick and up to 20 feet by 20 feet (6 m by 6 m) in size. It appears resting on a solid foundation and lasts for about ten hours. If you apply three levels of Effort, the wall is permanent until destroyed naturally
Action to initiate.
Roots, branches, grass, or other natural foliage in the area snags and holds a foe you designate within short range for up to one minute. A foe caught in the grasping foliage can't move from its position, and all physical tasks, attacks, and defenses are hindered, including attempts to free itself. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to deal damage with the initial attack. Each level applied inflicts 2 additional points of damage when Grasping Foliage first snags and holds your foe.
You can also use this ability to clear an area of entangling growth in the immediate radius, such as an area of tall grass, thick brush, impenetrable vines, and so on.
You can harm a target within short range by rapidly increasing gravity's pull on one portion of the target and decreasing it on another, inflicting 6 points of damage.
When you use Wooden Body, you may grow to up to 12 feet (4 m) in height. In this larger form, you add 7 points to your Might Pool and +2 to your Might Edge. If you chose to grow, when Wooden Body ends you subtract 7 points from your Might Pool (if this brings the Pool to 0, subtract the overflow first from your Speed Pool and then, if necessary, from your Intellect Pool).
When you use Wooden Body, whether or not you choose to grow, instead of looking like a wooden version of your normal self, you can take on the full appearance of a humanoid tree creature or an actual tree (including growing additional branches, extra foliage, and so on). This does not affect any of your abilities—in tree shape, you can use type abilities, other focus abilities, and so on. In tree shape, pretending to be a tree and hiding among normal trees are eased by two steps.
When using Beast Form, your beast form gains the following additional bonuses: +1 to your Might Edge, +2 to your Speed Pool, and +1 to your Speed Edge.
It's easier to change into and out of the shape granted by your Beast Form ability. Transforming either way is now a difficulty 2 Intellect task.
You can assign an innocent or guilty label to all creatures within immediate range when you use Designation. The one label applies to all affected creatures. This lasts until you use Greater Designation again.
You gain 6 points to your Intellect Pool.
You gain 6 points to your Might Pool.
You gain 6 points to divide among your Might and Speed Pools however you wish.
You gain 6 points to divide among your stat Pools however you wish.
You gain 6 points to your Speed Pool.
When you wish, while in combat, you can enter a state of frenzy. While in this state, you can't use Intellect points, but you gain +2 to your Might Edge and your Speed Edge. This effect lasts as long as you wish, but it ends if no combat is taking place within range of your senses. If you have the Frenzy ability, you can use it or this ability, but you can't use both at the same time.
You touch a creature and restore its Might Pool, Speed Pool, and Intellect Pool to their maximum values, as if it were fully rested. A single creature can benefit from this ability only once each day.
This ability works like the Necromancy ability except that it creates a level 3 creature.
Action to animate.
Choose one type of attack, even one in which you are already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are trained in attacks using that type of weapon. If you're already trained in that type of attack, you instead are specialized in that type of attack.
Choose one type of defense task, even one in which you are already trained: Might, Speed, or Intellect. You are trained in defense tasks of that type, or specialized if you are already trained. You can select this ability up to three times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task.
You convince a sentient creature to regard you (and up to ten creatures that you designate within immediate distance of you) positively, as they would a potential friend.
When you make an attack with a metallic bolt or metal-tipped arrow on a target within short range, you can improve the attack's aim and velocity, which grants an asset to the attack and inflicts an additional 2 points of damage. If you apply a level of Effort, you grant the same benefits to a ranged attack made by an ally within immediate range. In any case, you can use this ability only once per round.
Your type abilities that have durations last twice as long. Your type abilities that have short ranges reach to long range instead. Your type abilities that inflict damage deal 1 additional point of damage.
It's Only MagicYou can interfere with a firearm so the next time it is used, it jams or misfires. The weapon must be within short range and you must be able to see it. Make an Intellect-based attack against the weapon or its bearer (whichever level is higher). If you succeed, the next attack with the firearm fails, and the weapon won't fire until someone uses an action to correct the problem. If you activate this ability when it isn't your turn, your attack against the weapon is hindered. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can use Effort to affect more firearms; each level of Effort affects one additional target.
Action or enabler.
You inflict 1 additional point of damage with guns.