Snatcher

80 points

You have the power to find almost any small item you desire in an alternate world and "snatch" it across the dimensions to you. The items you snatch do not come from your own world, but from some nameless parallel; therefore, you can never intentionally take something away from a specific other person. Note that this talent does not allow you to visit alternate worlds in person – only to steal from them.

To make a snatch, you must first concentrate for 10 seconds and clearly visualize the item you want. The item must be able to fit in one hand, and cannot weigh more than 5 lbs. You should have a hand free (if your hands are tied, you roll at -3), and others can see you making "reaching" motions with that hand.

Next, make an IQ roll for the snatch attempt. If you are trying for information in any form, the GM makes this roll for you (see below). Regardless of IQ, a roll of 14 or more always fails.

On a success, the desired item appears in your hand – or sitting within arm's reach, if you prefer. On a failure, you obtain nothing. On a critical failure, you snatched the wrong item! This item is not immediately dangerous unless you were trying for something dangerous.

Regardless of success or failure, each snatch attempt costs 2 FP.

Items Available

In theory, you can get anything. In practice, some things are so hard to find that it is little use trying for them. You have a good chance of getting any item that exists, or that ever existed, in your own world – or any reasonably similar item. If the desired item is unusual, the GM may apply a penalty to the IQ roll:

Item is significantly different from anything that ever appeared in your own world: -1 or more (GM's option). You could visualize "a perfect diamond, bright green, the size of a hen's egg, carved into the shape of a typewriter," but you might be rolling at -20!

Item is unique or almost unique in any one world (e.g., the Hope Diamond): -3 or worse (GM's option).

You cannot clearly visualize what you want: -4 or worse (GM's option). Even on a "success," you might not get what you were really hoping for.

You cannot get an item that works by natural laws wholly different from those in your world. For instance, if your world is nonmagical (or has no magic that you know of), you cannot snatch a magic item, because you are unable to visualize it properly; you would get a pretty but powerless mundane item. Similarly, if you are from a low-TL world, you could not get a laser pistol; you wouldn’t be able to visualize it well, and your best effort would be a broken or toy gun. (A generous GM might bend this rule on a critical success ... and then let the poor Snatcher try to figure out how to use his amulet or laser pistol without killing himself.)

Information is not available except in the form of "ordinary" textbooks, reports, etc. You can grab a history book, but you can't ask for "The Book of What Happens Next in My Adventure." Note that the GM makes the roll if information is requested. If the roll fails by 5 or more, the information comes from an alternate world with different history, physics, etc., and is wrong – maybe subtly, maybe not subtly at all!

Repeated Attempts

If your snatch attempt is unsuccessful, you can immediately try to snatch the same or a similar object again. These "repeated attempts" are made at a cumulative -1 to the IQ roll. Each repeated attempt costs 4 FP instead of the usual 2 FP. To eliminate these penalties, wait one hour between attempts.

The GM should be strict about attempts to circumvent this. For instance, a ".45 pistol" is not very different from a ".357 pistol" for the purpose of this advantage. Furthermore, ignore critical successes on repeated attempts made in quick succession. If the snatch being attempted is very difficult, there is little choice but to wait an hour between attempts.

Duration

The objects you snatch remain until you voluntarily return them or use your Snatcher ability again. To keep objects indefinitely, take the Permanent enhancement (below).

Special Enhancements

Permanent: Objects you snatch don't vanish when you use your ability again. The GM is free to forbid this enhancement, as it allows a single Snatcher to amass boundless wealth by snatching small, valuable objects. +300%.

Special Limitations

Less Weight: Your weight limit is lower than 5 lbs.

Limit	Cost Modifier
3 lbs.	-5%
2 lbs.	-10%
1 lb.	-15%
4 oz.	-25%
1 oz.	-30%

Specialized: You can only grab a certain type of object, or cannot touch a certain class of thing. Examples: Only metal, -5%; Only money, -10%; Only weapons, -10%; Only information, -20%; No metal, -20%; Only blue things, -25%. The GM sets the limitation value using the guidelines under Accessibility.

Stunning: You are mentally stunned after a successful snatch. -10%.

Unpredictable: On a failed IQ roll, you get something, but it isn’t what you wanted. The worse the failure, the more different the item is. If you wanted a loaded pistol, failure by 1 might bring an unloaded pistol. Failure by 2 could mean a water pistol, failure by 3 a book on "How to Shoot," and so on ... with a critical failure bringing a live hand grenade. Any critical failure is dangerous, regardless of what you were looking for! -25%.