Power Modifiers

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Below are examples of power modifiers appropriate to broad categories of powers. They attempt to stay true to the way novels and movies depict those powers. Each lists its individual subcomponents to make it easier to customize and to demonstrate the principles of design. The overall modifier is the sum of these parts – don't apply the component modifiers a second time! Be sure to change the generic names to suit specific powers.

Biological

-10%

Your power is a physical capability of your body. It's fatiguing to use because your metabolism must supply all of the energy: pay an extra 1 FP whenever you use an active ability (Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5%). Anything that upsets your unique metabolism might deprive you of your power – including targeted pathogens, drugs, and nanotech designed by your enemies (technological countermeasures, -5%).

Chi

-10%

Your power emanates from your life force – a mysterious energy often called chi or ki. To strengthen your chi to the point where you can channel it for superhuman feats, you must engage in exercises and meditation for a few hours each day. This requirement is a -10-point disadvantage (-10%), most often Disciplines of Faith (Monasticism or Mysticism) or a comparable major Vow. Should you neglect this, your power fails you the first time you call upon it under stress (+0%). To restore it, you must take 1d days to rebalance your chi (+0%). Until you do, you feel ill; the GM should choose one of these afflictions from Irritating Conditions: Coughing/Sneezing, Drowsy, Nauseated, or Pain.

Cosmic

+50%

Your power originates from the energy of creation! Your abilities ignore the ordinary countermeasures that work against wild advantages, and you always have access to them – nothing can neutralize your power or cut off its energy source. This is identical to the +50% level of the Cosmic enhancement. If you have individual abilities with more expensive versions of Cosmic, your power modifier only covers the first +50% of their value; after that, you must pay for Cosmic normally.

Divine

-10%

A deity grants you your power. Nothing can prevent your god's power from reaching you...but your patron expects certain behavior in return. The precise details depend on your god.

A good god expects you to lead a virtuous life. The required moral code is a -10-point disadvantage (-10%), typically Honesty (12), Sense of Duty (Coreligionists), or a major Vow. Should you transgress, your god will suspend your power – but since he's benevolent, he won't cut you off if this would endanger you (+5%), save for the most egregious of sins. To make amends, you must offer significant penance: up to a month of fasting, questing, or equivalent (-5%).

An evil god lets you do as you wish, provided you make suitable sacrifices, corrupt the innocent, etc. These requirements are worth -10 points (-10%), most often in the form of Intolerance or a heinous major Vow such as "Kill someone on the night of the full moon." If you forget, your deity will revoke your power instantly (+0%). It will turn on you in horrible ways until you make amends (-5%). A single killing or desecration will get you back in favor – since you’ve already sold your soul, this should be easy for you (+5%).

An ineffable force of nature only rarely concerns itself with mortal affairs, leaving you free to act in its name as you see fit. But it has princi- ples – often strange, confusing ones – that constitute a -10-point disadvan- tage (-10%), perhaps a Code of Honor such as “Respect nature, and violently oppose those who do not” or a com- plex Trademark that few can under- stand. It will immediately cut you off for any perceived improbity (+0%). To get back in good standing, you must complete a minor quest (+0%) sug- gested to you through omens.

Elemental

-10%

Your power lets you manipulate an “element”: one particular kind of natu- ral matter or energy, or its absence. Examples include Air, Cold/Ice, Darkness, Earth, Electricity, Heat/Fire, Light, Radiation, Sound/Vibration, and Water. This power isn’t psionic or channeled from an elemental god; powers like that are Psionic or Divine, respectively. Instead, you’re cosmically attuned to your element; in effect, you are an elemental spirit.

The GM should choose a mun- dane countermeasure or insulator that can interfere with your elemen- tal energy. Either way, this is worth -10%. If your element would not log- ically merit the full -10% for counter- measures or channeled energies, the GM may rule that this limitation is a little of both. It’s fairest if every ele- mental power is more or less equally limited.

Magical

-10%

Your power channels ambient magical energy (mana). This is diffi- cult to block and found almost every- where. “No-mana zones” – areas where your power doesn’t work at all – occur only rarely in nature. However, low-mana zones are more common, and all rolls to use your abilities are at -5 in such regions. This aspect of the limitation is worth -5%.

In addition, a variety of anti-pow- ers can thwart your abilities. The Mana Damper advantage simulates the effect of a low- or no-mana zone, while Magic Resistance shields others from your attacks. Moreover, spells that dispel or protect against magic affect your abilities exactly as if they were spells. This is worth another -5%. This modifier is identical to the Mana Sensitive limitation on p. B34.

Moral

-20%

Your power comes from some cos- mic moral principle – Chaos, Evil, Good, Order, etc. – that transcends the mortal and even the divine. This isn’t a true cosmic power . . . it’s more like half a cosmic power, because it has an opposing anti-power (-5%): Chaos vs. Order, Evil vs. Good, and so on. This anti-power offers its wielders Neutralize and Static abilities (and perhaps other gifts) that they can use against you. Your power gives you similar weapons, of course.

Your ability to tap this power stems from your dedication to a moral code, to which you must adhere at all times. This is a -15-point disadvantage (-15%), usually Fanaticism – although Honesty (9) or Sense of Duty (Humanity) is just as likely for Good. If you falter, even for a moment, you lose your power instantly (+0%). To get it back requires an extreme demonstration of commitment that costs at least 2d days of lost time or earnings (+0%). Details are up to the GM, who should pick something appropriate to your power; e.g., a large donation to charity, for Good. This modifier only exists in settings with absolute morality, where moral forces battle openly in the world and are both tangible and detectable.

Nature

-20%

Your power channels the vital ener- gy that surrounds all living things. This exists even in the driest deserts and on the most barren peaks, but the ravages of civilization interfere with it, acting as a mundane insulator against your power (-10%). You’re at -1 to use your abilities in a despoiled wild place such as a clear-cut forest, -3 in a city, -5 amidst ordinary pollution, and -10 in a poisoned wasteland.

Technology – not technological countermeasures, but any technology – also impairs your power. In effect, it’s a mundane countermeasure (-10%). You’re at a penalty equal to half the TL (round up) of the most advanced manufactured item you’re carrying, wearing, or riding in or on. Use the full TL of implants. Thus, a TL3 sword gives -2, while a TL8 pace- maker gives -8.

An ability that requires no die roll loses 10% of its effectiveness (bonus to reactions or skills, DR, etc.) per -1 instead. If the penalties total -10 or worse, you’re powerless.

This modifier best suits Animal Control, Plant Control, and Weather Control powers.

Psionic

-10%

Your power is an innate capability of your mind. The energy comes from within, but a large number of counter- measures exist, including anti-powers in the form of Antipsi power (-5%) and technological countermeasures in the form of “psychotronic” or “psi-tech” defenses (-5%).

The Basic Set includes several specific examples of psionic powers: ESP, Psychic Healing, Psychokinesis, Telepathy, and Teleportation.

Spirit

-25%

Your power comes through com- manding spirits: you give orders and the spirits do the work. Since only those with powers of their own are likely to realize this, it’s often hard to distinguish your abilities from chi, psi, etc. But there are some important differences.

Spirits are fickle (-20%), and whether they answer your summons at all depends on an unmodified reac- tion roll. You can command them, but you must show basic respect. This imposes a -5-point disadvantage (-5%) – typically Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism), Sense of Duty (Servitor Spirits), or a simple Trademark in the form of a small offering or token. If you fail to live up to this, the spirits turn against you, depriving you of your power at the worst possible moment (-5%). Since they ultimately want you to turn them loose on the world, though, it’s easy to make amends – a minor sacrifice, such as a food offering, is usually enough (+5%).

The spirits associated with an indi- vidual ability might be more or less friendly, giving from -4 to +4 on reac- tion rolls. If so, that one ability has an extra -5% modifier per -1, or +5% per +1, on top of the basic power modifier that applies to all abilities.

In some settings, spirits aren’t this capricious and the GM might dispense with the reaction roll. This reduces Spirit to -5%.

Super

-10%

Your power is a "generic superpower." Details depend on the game world. What's common to all such powers is that they face Neutralize and Static – as wild advantages and as part of various anti-powers (-5%) – and that weird-science devices built by gadgeteers can block them or even steal them (-5%). In effect, this is just a special form of the Psionic limitation. In many settings, the two are one and the same.

Certain super-powers are subject to mundane insulators or countermeasures that limit their ability to affect the world. For instance, being underwater might be as effective as Static or a power-suppressing serum for negating a fire-related power. If your power is like this, you may give it both the Super and Elemental modifiers. This is an exception to the restriction against "stacking" power modifiers.