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 prior to character creation.

Power Systems

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

MAGIC: Magic represents a character’s ability to manipulate supernatural forces through incantations. Casting magic spells often requires specific knowledge, tools, and magical 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.

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.

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.

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.

Groups are encouraged to use, customize or create entirely 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 types of 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 effects 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 the investment of additional resources and narrative constraints. Resources can include special 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 special artifacts.

Defining Powers

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

ASSETS: Assets encompass a character's ability to perform an action typically representing knowledge, skill, experience, tools or influence. Assets are rated by dice, and an increase in the dice rating of an asset represents 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 how the increase the asset rating for a specific power.

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

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

CONDITIONS: Conditions can also be used to provide the physical or mental energy needed to use powers. Casting a spell or invoking a feature linked to a 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 have the freedom to 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 can be enhanced with a feature.

DURATION: How long the power can 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.

ARCANE OVERCHARGE For the cost of a point of a related resource, or by adding a level to a related condition, you can channel additional magical energy when casting a spell. Increase one of the following spell effects: range, area of effect, duration (requires concentration), or the number of targets up to 3.

CONCENTRATION

If a feature specifies a duration, the character is deemed to be concentrating for the duration on maintaining the effect of the power. Concentration is broken if the character suffers harm or takes another action on their subsequent turn. The effect provided by the feature is terminated.

Performing Rituals

Rituals provide the opportunity to significantly increase the scope and scale of invoking powers that are 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.

To make performing rituals dramatic and challenging, rituals should be designed to combine multiple constraints and conditions for success.

MATERIALS: The ritual requires scarce and expensive materials that are difficult to acquire and have a high cost.

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 a number of preparation activities before the ritual can begin. Preparation may require a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities requiring a group to complete.

COORDINATION: Completing the ritual requires coordination across multiple individuals and multiple rounds. The ritual can only succeed with all of the necessary actions are coordinated and executed properly 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 game play.

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 periods of downtime or under circumstances where the group wants to resolve the ritual without having to roleplay it using a normal scene, it can be performed as a quick encounter.