Claim the Sky
Shift can induce sensory confusion in others, causing blindness, nausea, or hallucinations. She has some control over how her ability manifests in the criminals she targets, but her power isn't direct psychic manipulation like that of Free Reign. She can't make a criminal forget their name or believe a specifically suggested idea. However, she can effectively cripple baddies by inducing the spins, or disorient them to the point where their vivid hallucinations can pose a danger to their allies.
In her secret identity as graduate student Magdalene Carmichael, Shift is part of her university's chemistry department. Her main job (she grumps) is grading undergraduate papers. Her goal is to finish her dissertation, which explores how some superhumans obtain their abilities. Despite it having as bland a title as she could imagine, lately her thesis is drawing attention she'd rather avoid.
Motive: Fight crime
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 25
Damage Inflicted: Major wound (8 points)
Armor: 3
Movement: Short
Modifications: Defense tasks as level 8 due to sensory confusion induced in foes
Combat: Shift breathes out an aerosol of biochemicals that immediately diffuse through the air to a short distance. Within that range, she can induce random sensory confusion in all targets in the area who fail a Might defense roll, hindering their tasks by three steps.
Affected targets get another Might defense roll each round to eliminate the confusion.
However, unless she's working alone, Shift prefers to direct her ability against a single target with a touch that transfuses the chemicals, usually even through clothing or armor. The confusion effects of this attack are far more concentrated, and the touched target's Might defense roll to resist is hindered by three steps. If the target is affected, they are effectively helpless until they succeed on a Might defense roll (hindered by three steps) to eliminate the confusion, or until about ten minutes have passed.
Interaction: The quickest way to engage Magdalene (or "Maddie," as her friends call her) is with pizza and/or some promising new data relating to her thesis. Part of the reason she is so interested is the unexpected development of her own ability after a lab accident.
Use: PCs fighting a villain receive unexpected aid from Shift.
In the Boundless setting, Shift is a member of the New York-based Society of Seven.
GM Intrusion: Instead of being hindered, the character confused by Shift attacks an ally.