Static
Static
30 points
You radiate energies that completely prevent all powers of one particular source from affecting you. This extends to anything you're carrying or wearing. Buy Static separately for each source you can negate. Possibilities include magic, psi, "generic super-powers," and anything else the GM deems susceptible to "jamming."
Static only interferes with attempts to affect you or your personal equipment directly. For instance, if you had tatic (Psi), a psychokinetic couldn't snatch your gun away or levitate you ...but he could take control of a nearby sword and hit you with it, or drop a ton of rocks on your head.
Static affects friendly and hostile abilities equally. For example, Static (Magic) prevents you from using magic items or receiving beneficial spells, while Static (Psi) blocks the psionic Healing power.
You can never possess the abilities or Talent of any power you can negate.
Special Enhancements
- Area Effect: Your Static extends into an area centered on you. The first level of Area Effect gives you a radius of a yard. Each level after that doubles this radius. +50%/level.
- Discriminatory: Your Static only interferes with hostile powers. Friendly abilities and artifacts function totally unimpeded on you and within your area of effect (although you still can't possess powers you can negate). The definitions of "friendly" and "hostile" are up to you, and can fluctuate from second to second. If you have Area Effect, Discriminatory replaces Selective Area. +150%.
- Switchable: You can switch your Static off to allow friendly abilities to affect you or operate within your area of effect. Turning Static off or on requires a Ready maneuver. It's up to you whether it switches on or off when you’re knocked out, or simply remains in its current state; set this when you buy the ability. If you have Discriminatory, you don't need Switchable. +100%.
Special Limitation
- Resistible: Your ability isn't absolute. Enemies can "burn" through your Static and affect those protected by it by winning a Quick Contest of Will with you. If the attacking ability already requires a Quick Contest of some kind, the attacker rolls only once, but the target gets +5 to resist. -50%.
Alternatives
Be sure to weigh the pros and cons of Static against those of other specialized defenses such as Mana Damper, Mind Shield, Obscure, and Resistant. Take Neutralize to interfere directly with a foe's powers rather than their effects.
Powering Up
Static is appropriate primarily for dedicated anti-powers (see Anti-Powers). There’s no "preferred" source, although Static is most tradiional for psionic powers and superpowers. No power can have Static with respect to itself, however. Talent applies mainly to Power Block attempts, but also adds to Will rolls made for the Resistible special limitation.