Powers

Powers describe a character's extraordinary genetic traits, supernatural forces, magic, biological mutations, augmentations, or special moves.

Powers are an inherent part of most tabletop roleplaying settings and adventures. Groups should discuss what kinds of powers are available within the campaign setting and type of story before character creation.

Power Systems

The following list is of common types of power systems. Within each power system, there are dozens of variations of how to implement them to meet the specific needs of a particular setting, campaign, or group preferences.

• AUGMENTATIONS: Augmentations are technological enhancements that grant a character superior abilities beyond their natural limits. These can include cybernetic implants, robotic limbs, or advanced weapon systems integrated into the body, providing mechanical and digital advantages.

• MAGIC: Magic represents a character's ability to manipulate supernatural forces through incantations. Casting magic spells requires specific knowledge, tools, and energy to produce magical effects.

• MOVES: Moves represent specialized techniques or maneuvers that demonstrate a character's mastery of a particular skill, often through intense training, natural talent, or supernatural abilities.

• MUTATIONS: Mutations are biological changes or genetic traits that provide extraordinary physical or mental abilities. These can be naturally occurring or induced by external factors, allowing for enhanced strength, durability, or even unique bodily transformations.

• PSIONICS: Psionics are mental abilities that allow a character to tap into their mind's full potential, enabling feats like telekinesis, telepathy, or psychic manipulation. These powers are often fueled by concentration and mental discipline.

Groups are encouraged to use, customize, or create new power systems to meet their needs.

Power Scopes

In general, powers in the game system are divided into two categories based on the scope of the effect that power can exert on the game world.

• AT-WILL: Powers that can be invoked during a character's normal turn during an encounter. These powers are defined using character assets, features, resources, and conditions like any other character ability. The effect they can produce is constrained by the normal limits of the action economy, and the scale and scope of impact permitted are limited to the scope and effects available to all character abilities in general.

• RITUAL: Ritual powers allow the effects of special powers to scale beyond normal limits but require additional resources and narrative constraints. Resources can include unique materials, time spent in preparation, a specific location or environment, and/or the participation of multiple individuals. In some cases, ritual powers may require the assistance of advanced technology, equipment, or unique artifacts.

Defining Powers

At-will powers are defined using the standard character elements.

• ASSETS: Assets encompass a character's ability to act, typically representing knowledge, skill, experience, tools, or influence. Dice rate assets and an increase in the dice rating of an asset mean an investment in improving the quality of the asset in some way that increases a character's chance of success. Ranks can be used to define custom and specific rules for increasing the asset rating for a particular power.

• FEATURES: Features can be used to boost the scope of a specific power. Features always have a limit, such as a constraint or a cost, that narrows when and what a power can accomplish, but they allow players to break the rules of the standard turn.

• RESOURCES: A custom resource can provide the energy needed to use powers. Casting a spell might require magical energy like mana or chi. A cybernetic enhancement might require the use of a battery. A resource could be used to track the number of allowed uses for something like magic potions.

• CONDITIONS: Conditions can also provide the physical or mental energy needed to use powers. Casting a spell or invoking a feature linked to power might impose a bane on a character's performance or control conditions representing physical or mental fatigue.

POWER TRAPPINGS

Trappings represent characteristics of special powers that don't have a mechanical significance within the game system. The game system doesn't distinguish between a mage casting a fire bolt or a lightning bolt, although the narrative consequences may be significant. When defining powers, players can define trappings to match their character concept.

Enhancing Powers

Features are the ideal way to make a power feel special and allow the scope and effect of a power to exceed the constraints of a player's standard action. The following are some ways that powers are enhanced with a feature.

• DURATION: How long can the power be maintained?

• RANGE: How far can the power extend?

• AREA OF EFFECT: What is the size and shape of the area that can be targeted?

• MULTIPLE TARGETS: How many individuals can be targeted in a single turn?

• CONDITION TYPE: What kind of condition is applied to the target?

For something like a conjuring spell, the feature might define the size of the conjured item or how many items can be conjured at once.

CONCENTRATION

The character must concentrate to maintain the effect if a feature specifies a duration. Suffering harm or taking another action breaks concentration, and the effect provided by the feature is terminated.

Performing Rituals

Rituals provide the opportunity to significantly increase the scope and scale of invoking powers well beyond the constraints of an at-will power. Ritual magic might be able to conjure a massive tsunami or level a village with a gigantic earthquake. A cybernetic enhancement on overload or self-destruct might generate an explosive force that can destroy a city block. A group of superheroes working to combine and channel their superpowers might be able to channel a massive energy beam that can sink a battleship.

For rituals to be dramatic and challenging, they should be crafted with a combination of various constraints and conditions that define success.

• MATERIALS: The ritual requires scarce and expensive materials that are difficult to acquire and costly.

• ENVIRONMENT: Performing the ritual can require a specific environment, such as the hallowed ground inside a temple or the presence of a magic circle.

• TIME: The ritual may be constrained by when it can be performed. A special summoning special ritual may require a full moon or a specific alignment of celestial bodies.

• EQUIPMENT: Completing a ritual might be beyond the ability of individuals and require the assistance of machines or advanced technology.

• PREPARATION: Completing the ritual may require several preparation activities before the ritual can begin. Preparation may require a combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities that a group must complete.

• COORDINATION: Completing the ritual requires coordination across multiple individuals and multiple rounds. The ritual can only succeed if all of the necessary actions are coordinated and executed correctly to be successful.

Once the conditions and constraints for a ritual have been defined, the game system provides two tools to help perform rituals during gameplay.

• TASKS: Tasks are the recommended way to run rituals. Tasks allow multiple constraints to be combined and can help add tension and drama to the success or failure of the ritual activity.

• QUICK ENCOUNTERS: To perform a ritual during downtime or under circumstances where the group wants to resolve the ritual without having to roleplay it in a typical scene, it can be performed as a quick encounter.