MECHANOMANCER 7 (21)

The Strange Bestiary

Mechanomancers use their incredible mastery over Weird Science cybertechnology to transcend flesh and become one with a digitally created avatar able to physically act in the real world.

A mechanomancer called Tycho presents herself as a superhero in one of the recursions in the Shoals of Earth. Rather than caring about increasing her power and knowledge, she's interested in kicking some villain ass.

Mechanomancers are rare even under the law of Weird Science. They don't manifest in worlds operating under Standard Physics, though as technology continues to advance, telepresence-operated robots might one day have similar, if less spectacular, abilities.

Motive: Knowledge and power

Environment (Weird Science): Anywhere they can pursue their studies without interruptions

Health: 21

Damage Inflicted: Major wound (9 points)

Armor: 3

Movement: Short; up to 50 miles (80 km) if a mechanomancer chooses to decohere and travel by datawire or wireless broadcast and appear in another area of its choice, though this kind of movement requires that the mechanomancer hasn't taken dpranceamage on the previous turn

Combat: A mechanomancer's electrified touch is the least of her abilities. That same energy can be projected at a target within long range. In addition, the mechanomancer can perform several other feats of technological wizardry, usually never using the same ability twice in two rounds: Reprogram: The mechanomancer beams patterns of light and magnetic resonance in a way designed to interrupt the amygdala (nuclei in the brain) of creatures within short range. Those who fail an Intellect defense roll move toward the mechanomancer and lower their defenses for one round, meaning that the mechanomancer's subsequent attack hits automatically and inflicts 2 additional points of damage (a total of 11 points).

• Energized Exosuit: The avatar's digital form becomes briefly supercharged, allowing the mechanomancer to make a melee attack that deals 10 points of damage on a hit.
• Upload Database: The mechanomancer can scan online records and the area around it with microfine instruments to learn one secret or valuable bit of information concerning the target.
• Cage: The mechanomancer uses the same technology that allows it to create a digital body and forms a sphere of force around one target within short range that fails a Speed defense roll. The force cage is an opaque level 5 object and lasts for up to one minute unless smashed. It detonates like a grenade when it dissipates or is smashed, inflicting a moderate wound (5 points) to any creature within immediate range that fails a Speed defense roll.

Some mechanomancers wield other powers as well, as determined by the GM.

Interaction: Mechanomancers are focused and not easily distracted by concerns they don't share. Some may be slightly deranged by the process they used to create their avatar.

Use: A mechanomancer could be the PCs' ultimate foe, an information source they meet while researching another topic, or someone that needs to be rescued (if the mechanomancer's avatar has been compromised and her real body is in peril). Loot: A mechanomancer has 1d100 + 200 bits, a couple of cyphers, and possibly an artifact.

GM Intrusion: The character affected by the mechanomancer's reprogram ability stops as her brain glitches. She suffers a seizure that inflicts 1 point of Intellect damage per round until she succeeds on an Intellect defense roll to come out of it.