[FOCI]

Emerged From the Obelisk

Cypher System Rulebook 1e

Your body, hard as crystal, gives you a suite of unique abilities, gained after an interaction with a floating crystalline obelisk.

Weird creatures are something that explorers might expect to see on a regular basis, and someone who has emerged from an obelisk qualifies. However, normal people are likely to be highly suspicious and perhaps even afraid of such a character, at least initially.

Tier 1

Crystalline Body Enabler

You are composed of animate, translucent crystal the color of amber. Work with your GM to decide your exact form, though it is likely about the shape and size of a humanoid. Your crystal body grants you +2 to Armor and +4 to your Might Pool. However, you're not quick and your Speed defense tasks are hindered. Certain conditions, like mundane diseases and poisons, do not affect you. Your crystalline body repairs itself more slowly than a body of living flesh would. You have only the one-round, one-hour, and ten-hour recovery rolls available each day; you do not have a ten-minute recovery roll available. Any ability you have that requires a ten-minute recovery roll instead requires a one-hour recovery roll.

Tier 2

Hover (2 Intellect points) Action

You float slowly into the air. If you concentrate, you can control your movement to remain motionless in the air or float up to a short distance as your action; otherwise, you drift with the wind or with any momentum you have gained. This effect lasts for up to ten minutes.

Tier 3

Inhabit Crystal (4 Intellect points) Action

You transfer your body and whatever you are carrying into a crystal at least the size of your index finger. While in the crystal, you are aware of what is going on around it, seeing and hearing through the crystal. You can even speak through the crystal and carry on conversations. You cannot take actions other than to exit the crystal. You remain within as long as you wish, but you are not in stasis and should exit to eat, drink, sleep, and so on as normal (breathing is not an issue). If the crystal is destroyed or takes major damage while you are within it, you immediately exit, cannot act for three rounds, and move two steps down the damage track.

A character should specify where they place the crystal for the Inhabit Crystal ability before using it, even if it’s just on the ground at their feet.

Action to enter and exit.

Immovable Enabler

You gain +3 to your Might Pool. You can attempt a Might task to avoid being knocked down, pushed back, or moved against your will even if the effect attempting to move you doesn't allow it. If you apply Effort to this task, you can apply two free levels of Effort.

Tier 4

Crystal Lens Action

You can focus the inherent energy surging through you from your Crystalline Body ability. This allows you to fire a blast of energy that inflicts a moderate wound (5 points) on a target within very long range.

Tier 5

Resonant Frequency Action

You can infuse an item of up to level 7 that you can hold in one hand with a special vibration generated from your core. The object then functions as if two levels higher for one minute. At the end of that minute, the resonant frequency ramps up exponentially until the object finally shatters from the energy buildup. Anything within immediate range of the detonation suffers 5 points of damage.

Action to initiate.

Tier 6

Resonant Quake (7 Intellect points) Action

You can infuse the ground beneath you with a special vibration generated from your core. This creates a small quake whose epicenter you can select within a very long distance. Everyone within short range of the epicenter is subject to 8 points of damage (from shaking and being struck by toppling objects, crumbling walls, and so on). However, you are dazed for a round afterward yourself, during which time all your tasks are hindered. If you have the Move Mountains ability, both abilities cost 3 fewer Intellect points to use.

Return to the Obelisk (7+ Intellect points) Action

You transfer your body and personal possessions into a crystal of any size that you can touch, and you exit from another crystal of any size, including any crystal obelisks that you are aware of. You must know of the crystal you are going to use as an exit before you enter the first crystal. You can take one additional creature with you for each level of Effort applied.

GM Intrusions: Cyphers and artifacts react unexpectedly in the character's hands.