[Types]
Vectors are action-oriented people: athletes, soldiers, firefighters, hunters, and explorers. They overcome challenges in a straightforward, physical way. When something needs doing, they do it. They are characterized as much by their motivation as their physical talents.
Vectors have great strength, stamina, and speed. It may seem that this is the sum total of the source of their abilities, but eventually they learn that in some small way, these abilities also originate with a connection to the Strange. These abilities—called moves—allow them to perform feats that normal people cannot do.
Most vectors frequently train their bodies hard, and they have a background involving intense physical activity: sports, combat, occupations that involve action and exertion as well as skill. Vectors can be mountain climbers, rescue workers, and anything else of a similar vein.
Vectors are respected and sometimes even idolized for their abilities and prowess. They are often natural leaders, because vectors are not simple brutes but CHARACTER TYPE CHAPTER 4 driven, motivated individuals who figure out what they want and go out and get it.
Vectors take challenges head on, but they also help to defend and protect their friends. They might be the first one up a hill, but they also turn around to help the rest. They are leaders.
To begin with, a vector might not even know that the Strange—or anything remotely like it— exists. Most vectors are more interested in doing things than wondering about the origins of their abilities. Vectors learn to look for cyphers and items that help them do what they do best. Items that improve combat and defense, that enhance their physical abilities, or that are outright weapons hold great value.
As vectors gain more experience, their physical talents grow, as expressed by their moves. Their strength, dexterity, and stamina improve. They jump farther and run faster. But eventually they move past such simple things. They learn combat techniques of all kinds and eventually can push the limits of reality with their physical accomplishments.
| Stat | Pool Starting Value |
|---|---|
| Might | 10 |
| Speed | 10 |
| Intellect | 8 |
You get 6 additional points to divide among your stat Pools however you wish.
First-tier vectors have the following abilities:
Effort: Your Effort is 1.
Physical Nature: You have a Might Edge of 1, a Speed Edge of 1, and an Intellect Edge of 0.
Cypher Use: You can bear two cyphers at a time.
You are trained in your choice of two of the following: balancing, climbing, jumping, running, or swimming.
You are trained in Speed defense actions when not wearing armor.
You can use any weapon.
You can participate in the process of traveling to another recursion. Each time you do, you can choose to initiate, hasten, or ease a translation. If you choose to hasten or ease the process, someone else in the group must initiate the translation. As a vector, you are most effective at easing a translation. This easing advantage allows group members to acclimate more quickly after the translation is complete. In order to translate, you must know that the recursion you are translating to exists. The GM will decide if you have enough information to confirm its existence and determine what level of difficulty is needed to reach the destination.
Action to initiate.
You take the straightforward approach and accomplish what you need to do using physical means. You can perform feats of strength and speed that others cannot. You call these moves. Some moves are constant, ongoing effects, and others are specific actions that usually cost points from one of your stat Pools.
Choose two of the moves described below. You can't choose the same move more than once unless its description says otherwise.
This is a pummeling melee attack. Your attack inflicts 1 less point of damage than normal, but dazes your target for one round, during which time the difficulty of all tasks it performs is modified by one step to its detriment.
This melee attack inflicts 1 less point of damage than normal, but regardless of whether you hit the target, you maneuver it into a position you desire within immediate range.
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.
If you succeed at a difficulty 2 Speed roll to run, you can move a short distance and take an action in the same round.
When you call on your reserves, you can move a long distance each round as your turn. If you also have the Fleet of Foot move and you use Move Like the Wind, if you succeed at a difficulty 2 Speed roll to run, you can move a long distance and take an action in the same round (in that order).
When you make an unarmed attack (such as a punch or kick), you can choose whether you make the attack as if using a medium weapon or as if using a light weapon.
You have an asset on any attack roll you make against a creature within immediate range that has been attacked at some point during the round by someone else.
This is a well-aimed, penetrating ranged attack. You make an attack and inflict 1 additional point of damage.
Vectors can wear armor for long periods of time without tiring and can compensate for slowed reactions from wearing armor. You can wear any kind of armor. You reduce the Might cost per hour for wearing armor and the Speed Pool reduction for wearing armor by 2.
Second-tier vectors have the following abilities:
Choose one skill in which you are not already trained: balancing, climbing, jumping, running, or swimming. You are trained in that skill.
Choose one type of defense task in which you are not already trained: Might, Speed, or Intellect. You are trained in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most moves, you can select this move up to three times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task.
When you use Reach Beyond, you can access training in a skill provided by a focus you have in another recursion. You must have used the skill in its proper recursion at least once before. You can use the skill once. To use it again, you must use Reach Beyond again.
Choose one of the following moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your first-tier moves with a different first-tier move.
You enter into a deathlike trance so deep that you appear to be dead for up to one day. During this time you do not need food or water, and you have +5 to Armor against the effects of cold, fire, vacuum, or other extreme effects of the environment. Against damage from attacks, this same benefit grants you +2 to Armor, though a direct attack also shocks you out of your trance. You are not aware of your surroundings while you've dropped out.
Action to initiate.
You can use the helping rules to provide a benefit to another character attempting a physical task. This requires no action on your part.
You strike two foes with a single blow. Make separate attack rolls for each foe, but both attacks count as a single action in a single round. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to both of these attacks.
Characters can't apply Effort or other moves, such as Bash, to any task they accomplish using Tough As Nails.
Your second recovery roll (usually requiring ten minutes) is only a single action, just like the first roll.
Ranges for you increase by one step. Immediate becomes short, short becomes long, long becomes 200 feet (61 m).
You have an uncanny ability to avoid ground zero for explosive attacks, such as those created by grenade detonations or similar effects. Even if you fail a Speed defense roll to avoid such an attack, you gain +2 to Armor against the damage that particular attack inflicts.
Choose one type of attack in which you are not 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 a weapon has the ability to fire rapid shots without reloading (usually called a rapid-fire weapon, such as the submachine gun), you can spray multiple shots around your target to increase the chance of hitting. Spray uses 1d6+1 rounds of ammo (or all the ammo in the weapon, if it has less than the number rolled). The difficulty of the attack roll is decreased by one step. If the attack is successful, it deals 1 less point of damage than normal.
Using two hands, you wield a weapon or a tool with a powerful swing. (If fighting unarmed, this attack is made with both fists or both feet together.) When using this as an attack, you take a -1 penalty to the attack roll, and you inflict 3 additional points of damage. When attempting to damage an object or barrier, you are trained in the task.
Third-tier vectors have the following abilities:
Expert Cypher Use: You can bear three cyphers at a time.
Choose one type of attack in which you are not 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.
Choose one of the following moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can also replace one of your lower-tier moves with a different move from a tier lower than third.
The cost reduction from your Practiced in Armor ability improves. You now reduce the Might cost per hour and the Speed Pool reduction by 3.
If you successfully attack a creature that was previously unaware of your presence, you deal 3 additional points of damage.
You do not feel the detrimental effects of being impaired, and when you are debilitated, you ignore those effects and experience the effects normally associated with being impaired instead. (Dead is still dead.)
This move requires you to extend yourself for a powerful stab or smash. The awkward lunge increases the difficulty of the attack roll by one step. If your attack is successful, it inflicts 4 additional points of damage.
If a creature you attacked on your last turn with a melee attack uses its action to move out of immediate range, you gain an action to attack the creature as a parting blow, even if you have already taken a turn in the round.
You have 1 point of Armor against any kind of physical damage, even damage that normally ignores Armor.
If you succeed on a Speed defense roll to resist an attack, you gain an action. You can use the action immediately even if you have already taken a turn in the round. You don't take an action during the next round, unless you apply a level of Effort when you use Seize the Moment.
This is a quick attack with a bladed or pointed weapon that is hard to defend against. The difficulty of the attack roll is decreased by one step. If the attack is successful, it deals 1 less point of damage than normal.
If you take down a foe, you can immediately make another attack on that same turn against a new foe within your reach. The second attack is part of the same action. You can use this move with melee attacks and ranged attacks.
Fourth-tier vectors have the following abilities:
Choose one skill in which you are trained but not specialized: balancing, climbing, jumping, running, or swimming. You are specialized in that skill.
Choose one of the following moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can also replace one of your lower-tier moves with a different move from a tier lower than fourth.
If a weapon has the ability to fire rapid shots without reloading (usually called a rapid-fire weapon, such as the automatic pistol), you can fire your weapon at up to three targets (all next to one another) as a single action. Make a separate attack roll against each target. The difficulty of each attack is increased by one step.
Your attacks deal 1 additional point of damage.
If you spend one action creating a misdirection or diversion, in the next round you can take advantage of your opponent's lowered defenses. Make a melee attack roll against that opponent. The difficulty of the roll is decreased by one step. If your attack is successful, it inflicts 4 additional points of damage.
You treat rolls of natural 19 as rolls of natural 20 for either Might actions or Speed actions (your choice when you gain this ability). This allows you to gain a major effect on a natural 19 or 20.
If you use an action to move, your next attack made using a melee weapon before the end of the next round inflicts 2 additional points of damage.
Your melee attack shreds the defenses of a target. Any energy-based defenses it has (such as a force field or mental ward) are negated for 1d6+1 rounds. If the creature has no energy-based defenses, its Armor is reduced by 2 for one minute. If it has no energy-based defenses or Armor, the difficulty of all attacks made against the creature is lowered by one step for one minute.
When you are impaired or debilitated, the difficulty of Might-based tasks and defense rolls you attempt is decreased by one step. If you also have Ignore the Pain, make a difficulty 1 Might defense roll when you reach 0 points in all three of your Pools to immediately regain 1 Might point and avoid dying. Each time you attempt to save yourself with this ability before your next ten-hour recovery roll, the difficulty increases by one step.
Your standard movement distance becomes long.
Choose one type of attack in which you are not 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.
Fifth-tier vectors have the following abilities:
Adept Cypher Use: You can bear four cyphers at a time.
Choose one skill in which you are trained but not specialized: balancing, climbing, jumping, running, or swimming. You are specialized in that skill.
Choose one of the following moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can also replace one of your lower-tier moves with a different move from a tier lower than fifth.
If you successfully attack a creature that was previously unaware of your presence, you deal 9 additional points of damage.
When you roll a 17 or higher on an attack roll that deals damage, you deal an additional point of damage. For instance, if you roll a natural 18, which normally deals 2 extra points of damage, you deal 3 extra points instead. If you roll a natural 20 and choose to deal damage instead of achieve a special major effect, you deal 5 extra points of damage.
You attempt a difficulty 4 Might action to jump high into the air as part of your melee attack. If you succeed, your attack inflicts 3 additional points of damage and knocks the foe down. If you fail, you still make your normal attack roll, but you don't inflict the extra damage or knock down the opponent.
Choose one type of defense task in which you are trained: Might, Speed, or Intellect. You are specialized in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most moves, you can select this move up to three times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task.
You can deflect incoming attacks quickly. When you activate this move, for the next ten rounds the difficulty of all Speed defense rolls is reduced by one step.
Any time you spend points from your Might Pool or Speed Pool on an action for any reason, if you roll a 1 on the associated die, you reroll the die, always taking the second result (even if it's a 1).
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 become specialized in that type of attack.
You draw upon your presence and authority as a vector to issue a specific command to an ally. On the ally's turn, if it chooses to listen to your command, the difficulty of any task or attack it attempts is reduced by one step, and it deals 3 additional points of damage.
Sixth-tier vectors have the following abilities:
Choose one skill in which you are trained but not specialized: balancing, climbing, jumping, running, or swimming. You are specialized in that skill.
Choose one of the following moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can also replace one of your lower-tier moves with a different move from a tier lower than sixth.
You can take an additional action in a round in which you have already acted.
If you make an attack or attempt a task with the immediate action you gain by using Seize the Moment, the difficulty is reduced by one step.
When you wear any armor, you reduce the armor's penalties (Might cost and Speed reduction) to 0. If you select this move and you already have the Experienced With Armor move, replace Experienced With Armor with a different third-tier move because Mastery With Armor is better.
You stand still and make melee attacks against up to five foes within reach, all as part of the same action in one round. Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all of these attacks.
You stand still and make ranged attacks against up to five foes within range, all as part of the same action in one round. Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all of these attacks.
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.
You attune with the life force of a natural creature (your size or bigger) within long range that you can see. This is a level 2 Intellect task. If you succeed, the creature is not harmed, but through resonance with its wild vitality, you gain several benefits for up to one minute: an asset to all your Might-based tasks (including attacks and defenses), +2 to your Might Edge and Speed Edge, and 2 additional points of damage on all successful melee attacks.
Action to initiate.
Roll a d20 or choose from the following list to determine a specific fact about your background that provides a connection to the rest of the world. These connections mostly assume your character begins on Earth. Adapt them if you hail from a recursion, or create your own fact.
Rob wants to play a vector. He wants to be fast more than strong or tough, so he puts 2 points into his Might Pool and 3 points into his Speed Pool, saving 1 for his Intellect Pool. His Pool totals are Might 12, Speed 13, and Intellect 9. He has a Might Edge of 1, a Speed Edge of 1, and an Intellect Edge of 0. As a first-tier character, his Effort is 1. He chooses running and jumping for his physical skills. He gains Translation and chooses Bash and Endurance as his moves.
He can bear two cyphers. The GM gives him a pill that will restore 4 points to his Might Pool and a small device that will knock a creature unconscious if touched with it.
For his descriptor, Rob chooses Brash, which adds 2 more points to his Speed Pool, making it 15. It also gives him training in initiative tasks and overcoming intimidation.
For his focus, he chooses Looks for Trouble. His character is a rough customer. This allows him to inflict 1 additional point of damage with melee attacks and gives him training in healing.
For his equipment, Rob gets a first aid kit, a utility knife, a cell phone, and a choice of two weapons. He chooses a 9mm pistol and a knife. The knife is a light weapon, so he decreases the difficulty of attack rolls with it, but it inflicts only 2 points of damage. In his hands, however, it inflicts 3 points. The 9mm pistol is a medium weapon, so it inflicts 4 points of damage. The pistol comes with a magazine of fifteen bullets. He wears a leather jacket, which is light armor.
Rob is a Brash vector who Looks for Trouble.