Aberrant 2.0 Power Errata

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General Power Errata

  • Extras and Power Costs: Each level of Extra adds +1Q to the power's final cost unless otherwise stated, if used. If a power uses three Extras simultaneously, for example, it costs +3Q over and above normal cost. Powers normally cost a number of quantum points equal to their level.
  • Maximum Number of Extras: A power may have up to (Power Rating/2 + 1) extras at normal cost, rounding up. A power may therefore have 2 extras at power rating 1, 3 at power rating 2, 4 at power rating 3, and so on. Extras purchased beyond this amount cost an additional +50% (so 15 XP/extra), which can be refunded if the power rating is increased enough to support an additional Extra.
  • Buying Extras: An Extra can be purchased for a power for the flat cost of 10 XP per Extra. A power may use as many or as few Extras as desired when activated.
  • Extras and Power Level: Extras and Strengths do not increase the level of the power. A power of level 2 is still level 2 even with 3 or more extras.
  • Strengths: A power may also have Strengths (as per the Player's Guide) equal to its rating. Each Strength costs 4 XP or 1 NP at chargen. Strengths increase the effectiveness of a power in a straight numbers sense, rather than adding additional features.

New Stuff

Single Techniques

In some cases, a Nova may wish to purchase a single technique of a suite power and not have access to any other techniques. In this event, the Quantum minimum is 1 if the technique had a Quantum minimum of 1-4, 3 if the technique had a Quantum minimum of 5, and unchanged if the technique had a Quantum minimum of 6+. The technique is also purchased as if it was 1 level lower than the suite power (so buying just Animation, for example, would require a minimum Quantum of 1 and be bought as a Level 2 power)

Upgrading Powers

A Nova may occasionally upgrade powers to an improved or broader form (i.e. going from Teleport to Spatial Manipulation, Hypnosis to Dominate, Healing to Biomanipulation, Quantum Bolt (fire) to Elemental Mastery (fire), etcetera. In this event, the Nova may cash in their previous power to upgrade it, transforming the previous power into XP that is usable to raise the new power in question only.

This requires the Nova to possess all valid prerequisites, it only lowers the XP cost. In the event it matters (say, for Mentor discounts or whatever), the power is considered to have cost as much as its (normal cost - refunded experience), minimum 0.

Duration: Action

Some powers now have a duration of "Action" instead of "Instant" (mainly offensive powers). A duration of "Action" means that the power cost must only be paid once every turn, rather than once every use in a turn.

Mastery

At high Quantum, Novas can boost their powers to incredible levels, becoming literally world-shaking in scope and power. Mastery gives multiple improvements to a power as listed below. Mastery 1 requires a minimum power rating of 6, Mastery 2 requires a power rating of 8, and Mastery 3 a power rating of 10. Each level of mastery requires the previous level of mastery and the bonuses do not stack. To achieve a level of Mastery in a power costs (10 * power level) XP.

  • Mastery provides additional accuracy, adding +1/3/5 to a power's dice pool for attacking.
  • Powers with a RoF score multiply their RoF by 2/3/4.
  • Mastery provides additional area of effect, multiplying a power's area of effect rating by 2/6/10.
  • Mastery adds to a power's damage, soak, or the health levels of combat powers, multiplying those by 1.5/2/3 dependent on Mastery level. Round fractional points up. Note that defensive powers that increase the difficulty to be hit are not affected.
  • Mastery enhances noncombat powers, multiplying the effective number of successes rolled by 1.5/2/3. Round fractional successes up.
  • Mastery adds to power range. A power multiplies its range by 25/100/500 with Mastery effect.
  • Mastered powers are cheaper, reducing their base cost by 1/2/3 Quantum.
  • Mastered powers may be improved further as well. Mastery 1 doubles the number of Extras and Strengths a power supports, Mastery 2 triples it, and Mastery 3 allows a power to support five times the number of Extras and Strengths it could normally support. Note that Strengths that increase damage, AP, or soak are applied after Mastery bonuses and not multiplied by Mastery.
  • Some Mastered powers may gain additional benefits, which are specifically listed along the power itself on this page.

Altered Extras

  • Aggravated: An offensive power with the Aggravated Extra deals half (round down) its normal damage and has half (round down) its range, but is aggravated. Claws given the Aggravated Extra deal (Quantum + Claws) dice of Aggravated damage instead, soaked separately from the rest of the attack damage, which is lethal. A power with the Aggravated Extra becomes more difficult to maintain. Powers with the duration of [Action] become [Instant], and powers with the duration of [Maintenance] or [Concentration] become [Action]. If the power was already [Instant] in duration, the power's cost is doubled.


  • Area: A power with Area may have its Area reduced down to a minimum of 1 meter radius whenever used. The Area extra gives the power an Area rating equal to (Quantum + Power Rating). I.e. a nova with Quantum 3 and Quantum Bolt 4 with the Area extra gains the Area:7 tag and a 70 meter area of effect.


  • Armor Piercing: No longer a exists due to the Armor Piercing strength replacing its role.


  • Burning: Burning does halved pre-soak damage (round up) for (power rating) turns. Burning may be bought twice, so it does halved post-soak damage (round up) instead.


  • Cloud: Cloud adds +(power rating) accuracy to the attack.


  • Homing: Homing powers subtract (power rating) successes from any enemy dodge roll and reduce penalties from distance and/or cover by (power rating). A Nova may buy Homing twice to render the power "fire and forget", allowing it to attack targets the Nova cannot perceive due to cover, lack of line of sight, or other similar factors (as long as the Nova could in theory see the target, i.e. the target isn't there and invisible). A fire-and-forget power must be aimed with a general target criterion (valid criteria would be "any human male", "anyone wearing this uniform, "any armored vehicle"). If there is any doubt about whether the power can acquire a target, roll the power's effective Intelligence of (power rating). Success means it successfully acquires a target if one exists, failure means it dissipates harmlessly, and a botch means it rockets off and blows up an orphanage or something.


  • Impervious: Impervious no longer ignores armor piercing and turns aggravated damage to lethal. An Impervious defensive power allows the power to add its lethal soak to aggravated soak, and reduces the effectiveness of armor piercing munitions and powers, subtracting (Power Rating * 2) from the armor-piercing effects of attack or power (reducing AP to a minimum of 0). Impervious may be bought up to twice, stacking the effectiveness reduction to armor piercing effects.


  • Increased Duration: The Increased Duration Extra increases durations as listed below. Certain increases in duration require two purchases of Increased Duration, and are labeled with a (2). Note that Increased Duration does increase the power cost by 1 quantum per Extra.
Instant -> Action (2)
Action -> Concentration (2)
Concentration -> Maintenance
Maintenance -> Scene (cost is paid once/scene)
Scene -> Daily (cost is paid once/day)
Daily -> Permanent


  • Increased Range: The Increased Range Extra doubles the range increment, and changes long range to (infinite). Note that a Nova must be capable of perceiving the target to attack the target.


  • MIRV: A power with MIRV must deal at least 1 die of damage to every target. However, MIRV may be purchased multiple times to increase the number of targets it can engage with one use-Double the damage of the power (for splitting between targets) if MIRV is purchased twice, triple it if MIRV is purchased 3 times, so on and so forth. No target may be assigned more damage dice than the power's base damage rating, the damage increase only allows the nova to deal more damage to multiple targets.


  • Precision: A power with precision allows the user to choose exactly how many post-soak levels of damage it does if the power deals damage. If the power creates an effect, the character may choose exactly how many successes to apply.


  • Reduced Quantum Cost: Reduced Quantum Cost reduces the final cost of the power after applying Extras by 1 Quantum point per purchase. Reduced Quantum Cost does not add a +1Q surcharge to the power's cost, unlike all other Extras.


  • Spray/Jet: A power with the Spray/Jet extra fires a continuous stream, which adds (+Power Rating) to accuracy with no penalties and subtracts 1 dodge success from any attempts to evade it. Furthermore, it may engage multiple targets as if firing in a burst, with a -1d accuracy penalty for each target engaged after the first. More importantly, if it successfully hits a single target, it can "track" that target, adding a cumulative +1 accuracy and damage to strike that target for every turn the Nova engages the same target, up to (Power Rating).

New Extras

  • Alternate Attribute: This Extra allows a character to apply (with ST permission) a different attribute to the power than what is normally used. Having Disintegrate deal damage via (Strength + Disintegrate), for example, or using (Wits + Quantum Bolt) to aim a quantum bolt, or so on.
  • Linked: This Extra links a power to another power, allowing it to be activated alongside the other power with no multiple action penalties. One purchase of the Extra requires both powers to be activated at the same time, another purchase makes it optional.
  • Supercharge: The Supercharge Extra allows a Nova to supercharge a power beyond what he or she is normally capable of. The Nova pays as much Quantum as she wishes in addition to the normal activation cost. For every multiple of the power's cost, add a temporary +1 to Quantum and +1 to the power for purposes of resolving effects only for one roll.
Example: A Nova with Quantum 3, Dexterity 4, and Quantum Bolt 4 supercharges it, paying an additional 10 Quantum. The Nova resolves his Quantum Bolt as if he had Quantum 7 and Quantum Bolt 9, rolling 13d for his attack and dealing 36L [21] damage. The target is advised to use last-ditch defenses if at all possible, even burning life for additional power to fuel said defenses.

Strengths

No power can have more more total strengths than twice its rating, and no specific strength can be stacked more than (power rating) times. Purchasing a strength costs 3 XP, or 1 NP for 2 levels of strength at chargen. Strengths are only applicable to powers which already have the traits in question-so a power that does not have an attack roll cannot gain strength levels in accuracy, and a power that does not have separate techniques (a power like [Element] Control is an example of such a power) cannot take any levels in the "Extra Technique" strength. Strengths for suite powers such as Elemental Control/etc apply to all powers which they should be capable of affecting.

  • Area: Add 1 to the power's rating when calculating area, or add an area of effect with a radius of (Power Rating) meters if the power lacks an area of effect normally.
  • Armor Penetration: Add +3 to the power's AP rating. This counts as two levels of strength.
  • Damage: Add +1 to a power's damage.
  • Damage Adds: Add +[1] to a power's damage. This counts as two levels of strength.
  • Effect: Add 1d to the power's activation roll or accuracy dice pool.
  • Extra Technique: A suite power with this Strength has an additional technique. This counts as two levels of strength.
  • Extra HLs: Any constructs this power makes (like say, forcefields) have an additional health level per level of this sstrength.
  • Multiple Actions: 2 levels of this strength allows a power which normally cannot be used more than once a turn to be used more than once a turn.
  • Range: Add 1 to the power's rating when calculating range.
  • Rate of Fire: Add 1 to the power's rating when calculating Rate of Fire, for powers with a Rate of Fire.
  • Soak: Add 1B/1L/(1A) soak if a power grants soak. This grants aggravated soak only if the power would normally soak aggravated damage.
  • Speed: Add +1 to the power's rating for movement speed. Use for movement powers only.

Specific Power Errata

Attack Powers

Disimmunize

Disimmunize rolls (Intelligence + Disimmunize), adding a number of automatic successes equal to the opponent's (Quantum), which is resisted by the opponent's (Stamina + Node). Each net success causes 1 automatic level of feedback damage the next time the Nova uses an offensive power. When this happens, the victim takes an additional level of damage for every dot in the power used. This damage is of the type of damage the attack inflicts, so a Mental Blast would inflict bashing feedback damage, while Quantum Bolt would inflict lethal, and Disintegrate or Quantum Inferno would inflict aggravated damage to the user. Disimmunize may never deal more damage than the victim's attack has damage dice + damage adds.

  • Example: The Mathematician, with Disimmunize 3, Intelligence 8, and Mega-Intelligence 5, is attacked by Blitx, with Stamina 4, Mega-Stamina 2, Node 3, Quantum 5 and Quantum Bolt 5. Using Disimmunize, the Mathematician rolls 11d [5] base, adding an additional [5] automatic successes against a total of 7d [2]. The Mathematician gets 14 successes total to Blitx's 3, so any offensive power Blitx uses will deal 11 + Power Rating levels of lethal feedback damage to himself. Next turn, Blitx uses Quantum Bolt, and suffers 16 levels of lethal feedback damage.

Disintegrate

Disintegrate has an attack roll now, (Dexterity + Disintegrate), and does a base damage of (Stamina + [Disintegrate * 2]) dice + [Quantum + Mega-Stamina] in damage adds. In this case Mega-Stamina does not add +2 to Stamina per dot, as it would normally do for a static value based on Stamina.

Disrupt

Disrupt may be targeted at quantum-based constructs such as force fields, quantum constructs, and even self-guided quantum powers such as homing quantum bolts (when the attacker is out of line of sight) or the like. Similarly, it may be used to power block against offensive quantum powers.

In this case, each net success on the (Intelligence + Disrupt) roll against the (Quantum + Node) of the nova who generated the construct becomes (Power Rating) levels of unsoakable aggravated damage to the construct. Disrupt does not work against gadgets.

Claws

Claws has special interaction with the Aggravated extra-instead of turning all melee damage aggravated, Aggravated Claws deal an additional (Quantum + Claws) dice of aggravated damage which is soaked separately from the attack.

Immolate

Immolate now deals (Quantum + (Immolate * 3)) dice of bashing or (Quantum + (Immolate * 2)) dice of lethal damage to everyone in contact with the Nova with a damage add equal to [Quantum]. Successfully hitting another character with a hand to hand attack deals Immolate damage as well as normal attack damage, but the Immolate damage in this case is always soaked separately from the attack.

Mental Blast

Mental Blast deals 2 levels of bashing damage per net success rather than 1 because of the increased number of health levels available to all Novas.

  • New Extra: Lethal-Mental Blast deals lethal, rather than bashing, damage, causing severe neurological trauma.
  • New Extra: Disruptive-after being successfully attacked by Mental Blast (i.e. at least 1 level of damage inflicted), the victim suffers an additional (Mental Blast/2) difficulty penalty to all actions, rounded up. This penalty does not stack and lasts for one turn.

Quantum Bolt

Quantum Bolt is now Duration [Action] rather than [Instant] and can switch between lethal and bashing damage as desired. Quantum Bolt has a RoF of (Quantum + Power Rating) * 2.

  • Bashing Damage: (Quantum Bolt * 6) + [Quantum * 2], AP: (Quantum Bolt)
  • Lethal Damage: (Quantum Bolt * 5) + [Quantum * 2], AP: (Quantum Bolt)

Quantum Conversion

As an offensive power, Quantum Conversion deals (3*Quantum Conversion) dice of bashing damage for 1 Quantum, or the same amount of lethal damage for 2 Quantum. The utility function of Quantum Conversion remains unchanged but allows a character to power much heavier machinery. The first dot of Quantum Conversion allows the character to power computers or other electronic devices massing up to 10 kg, and each subsequent dot multiples the total mass of the systems that the Nova can power by 10 (so 100 kg of machinery at Quantum Conversion 2, 1000 at 3, 10,000 at 4, and so on).

Items with high power draw (cars, tanks, heaters, industrial machinery) require 1 more dot than their mass would suggest to power (so a Nova with Quantum Conversion 4 can power roughly 500kg of industrial machinery), while items with extremely high power draw (railguns, lasers, other weapons systems, fighter aircraft) require 2 more dots than their mass would suggest. Items with low power draw (printers, laptops, etc.) require 1 less than their mass would suggest. A Nova may not power more than 1 item at a time, but the system itself may transfer power to other items.

  • Mastered Power: Mastered Quantum Conversion allows a character to power more systems simultaneously. Instead of being able to support 1 object of the given power draw, the Nova can support 10/100/1,000 objects of that power draw.

Quantum Imprint

The powers stolen by Quantum Imprint manifest identically to those of the original nova's. However, the nova whose powers were copied is not to the copied powers, despite them being nearly identical. Stolen powers use only (Attribute) instead of (Attribute + Power Rating) for their dice pool, but if their effect varies by their power rating (for example, Quantum Bolt's damage), the power rating is used normally.

Quantum Inferno

Quantum Inferno deals damage like a nuclear weapon-that is to say, it deals both lethal and aggravated damage. A successful attack via Quantum Inferno deals (Quantum + [Power Rating * 5]) dice and [Quantum * 2] automatic levels of aggravated damage, and an additional ([Quantum * 2] + [Power Rating * 10]) dice and [Quantum * 4] automatic levels of lethal damage, and has an AP rating of (Quantum + Power Level).

Quantum Inferno has a range of ([Quantum + Power Rating] * 100) meters and uses the dice pool of (Dexterity + Quantum Inferno). It automatically has the Area trait, with Area (Quantum + Power Rating). A Nova with Quantum Inferno and some Mastery can scour entire cities and gives the Nova the firepower of a tactical nuclear weapon. Even at low power levels it can give the Nova the firepower needed to wipe out main battle tanks in a single hit. However, Quantum Inferno is slow to fire. The RoF of Quantum Inferno is 1/2 at levels 1-5, and 1 at levels 6-10.

Quantum Inferno, due to its drastic weakening from being comparable to crazy Level 6 powers such as Planck Scaling and Universe Creation, is now a Level 4 power with Quantum Minimum 6.

Quantum Vampire

Quantum Vampire no longer needs to define which specific power, ability, or attribute it steals from the other target, instead defining the category stolen. However, there are some rules changes due to this. No attribute or ability may be reduced below 0. Quantum Vampire may not be used multiple times in a single turn. In addition, Quantum Vampire is resisted by (Stamina + Resistance) or (Willpower), whichever is higher, rather than just Willpower.

  • Attributes: Quantum Vampire now steals an entire category of attributes, physical, mental, or social. It requires 2 net successes on the Quantum Vampire roll to steal a single dot of an attribute, or 4 net successes to steal a single dot of a Mega-Attribute. Either way, this grants a single dot of the corresponding regular attribute for every attribute or Mega-Attribute dot stolen. Quantum Vampire cannot grant Mega-Attributes but may increase attributes above 5. The victim chooses in what order he loses his attribute dots.
  • Abilities: Quantum Vampire steals all abilities under a single attribute. Each success on the Quantum Vampire roll steals a single ability dot. The Quantum Vampire chooses what abilities are stolen first.
  • Powers: Quantum Vampire steals the power which the opponent has at the highest dot rating, and requires a number of successes equal to the level of the power to steal a single dot of the power itself. However, the victim of the theft is still immune to his own powers, even if they are stolen. Stolen powers work the same way as they do if copied via Quantum Imprint.
  • Health: Each success on the Quantum Vampire roll deals 1 level of unsoakable bashing damage to the target. The nova heals 1 level of bashing damage or converts 1 level of lethal damage to bashing damage per success. If the nova has no damage to heal, she gains 1 temporary -0 health level for every success instead. Damage inflicted to those levels cannot be healed by any means, but disappears once the power ends. All damage is inflicted on these levels first. If the nova still retains damage (i.e. aggravated damage, which cannot be healed by Quantum Vampire), the damage does not move 'up' to the temporary health levels.

Stun Attack

Stun Attack now has an attack roll of (Dexterity + Stun Attack) and does (Strength + [Stun Attack * 2]) dice of stun damage with a damage add of [Mega-Strength + Quantum]. Like Disintegrate, levels of Mega-Strength do not add +2 to the dice pool, as they add to the damage add instead. Stun Attack is also Duration [Action] rather than [Instant]. Stun attack ignores all non-natural soak.

Defensive Powers

Absorption

Absorption can increase a character's strength by up to (Quantum + [Absorption * 2]) dots (rather than just Absorption), but Absorption no longer gives Mega-Strength. Absorption costs the initial 2 Quantum to activate, plus an additional Quantum for every level of damage absorbed.

  • Mastered Power: Absorption divides the cost to absorb damage by 2/4/6, rounding final expenditures up. So a Nova with Mastery 1 pays 1 Quantum per 2 HLs absorbed, while one with 3 pays 1 Quantum per 6 HLs absorbed.

Armor

Armor gives 4B/4L soak per dot to keep up with increased weapons damage and mundane armor effectiveness.

Forcefield

Forcefield no longer gives soak. Rather, it gives temporary external health levels equal to (Quantum + Stamina + [2*Forcefield]) which regenerate at [power rating] levels/turn on the character's action. An attack which penetrates the field has to be soaked normally by the character, but loses as many dice and levels of damage (automatic damage levels are absorbed first) as were necessary to penetrate the field. So a character with Quantum 3, Forcefield 3, and Stamina 5 with Mega-Stamina 2 has a forcefield with 18 health levels that regenerates 3 of these levels a turn. If she was hit by an attack that did [15] + 20L damage that penetrated her field on the first hit, she subtracts the 18 health levels from the damage dealt (negating all 15 automatic damage levels and 3 damage dice), which means that she only has to soak 17L damage. If all health levels are filled by damage, a forcefield shuts down and may not be reactivated until the character's next action.

A forcefield typically has 0B/0L/0A soak, and Aggravated damage ignores a forcefield outright unless said forcefield is Impervious. A Forcefield may also be directly attacked by powers such as Disrupt, with the same damage rules as apply to quantum constructs.

If Forcefield's duration is increased to permanent, it still costs Quantum to reactivate in combat, but automatically regenerates all damage and reactivates at the end of the scene.

  • New Extra: Feedback. A forcefield with Feedback deals damage to the attacker if attacked in close combat. For every level of damage the field withstands, the attacker suffers one die of bashing damage, soaked normally. Stun damage is too weak to cause significant feedback.
  • New Extra: Volatile. A Volatile forcefield damages everything around the user when breached. When breached, the character emits a Sphere, using her Forcefield rating for its power rating to calculate its damage and radius. By default the use of this Extra is chosen upon field activation and the damage does not distinguish between friend or foe. If purchased twice, though, the character may selectively target enemies and only enemies with the volatile field.
  • New Extra: Ablative. An Ablative forcefield negates all damage from the attack that pierces the forcefield.
  • New Extra: Hardened. A Hardened forcefield has bashing, lethal, and aggravated soak equal to (Forcefield + 1).
  • Mastered Power: Each level of Mastery increases forcefield's regeneration rate by 2/5/10 HLs/round.

Healing

Healing is now a Level 2 power with Quantum Minimum 2, which rolls (Stamina + Healing) to heal targets. Each net success on this roll allows the Nova to heal 1 health level. Each level of Aggravated damage healed in this way adds a 4 Quantum surcharge to the use of the power, so if Healing is used to heal 3 Aggravated health levels, it costs (2 base + 12 [3 aggravated HLs healed at 4Q each]) = 14 Quantum. A Nova may heal even a dying character but that merely stabilizes them at Incapacitated.

Healing may only be used once per character per scene, but the cost for one use of Healing can be split across multiple turns, in the event the Nova wishes to heal large amounts of Aggravated damage, for example.

  • Mastered Power: Each level of Mastery adds +1 to the number of times healing can be used on a character in a scene.

Invulnerability

Invulnerability no longer provides soak. Instead, against an attack which the Invulnerability is applicable to, each dot of invulnerability subtracts 4 levels of damage after soak is factored in. Invulnerability still adds 6 successes per dot to the resistance rolls against powers which are resisted rather than soaked.

Quantum Forgery

Each success on the (Intelligence + Quantum Forgery) roll adds +3B/3L/3A soak against any powers used by the Nova who the character is forging the signature of. This soak applies to any active use of powers but not to collateral damage or indirect power effects. It would apply to Quantum Bolt or Immolate or Disintegrate, but would fail to matter against a gas main explosion touched off by a Quantum Bolt, or a Mega-Strength punch to the face.

Movement Powers

Bounce

When active, Bounce multiples all jump distances and heights by (1 + Bounce) as long as the environment has walls and other props to rebound off of, representing the nova's improved ability to rebound off objects without losing momentum. In a particularly cluttered environment, a nova may have to succeed on a Dexterity + Athletics or Perception + Science (Physics or Mathematics) roll to gain this benefit. Bounce allows a nova to tackle opponents with great force as well. When used to enhance an unarmed attack, Bounce adds up to +2 damage per dot to the attack, but increases its difficulty by +1 for every +2 increase to damage, and the nova rebounds from the target, preventing consecutive attacks on the same target. The Nova may, however, bounce back and forth between a pair of targets, or bounce, strike a target, jump off an object, strike the same target again, and so on.

Flight

If a character has Wings, add +1 to the effective rating of the Flight power for purposes of speed and maneuverability for each purchase of Wings that the character has. Gliding Wings add +1 to maneuverability, but do not affect speed. To fully synchronize tactical and strategic flight speeds, flight now allows the character to move (Quantum + Flight) * 40 meters a round at maximum speed. However, doing so is the equivalent of sprinting and prevents any other actions. Tactical flight is limited to (Quantum + Flight) * 10 meters/round.

A flying nova may make a charging attack at her maximum flight speed, adding +1 damage per dot of Flight to a striking smackdown or melee attack at the cost of adding +1 difficulty to the attack roll.

  • Mastered Power: Multiply flight speeds by an additional 2/5/20.

Hypermovement

Hypermovement multiplies the final movement distance by 6 per level (so x6 for the first dot, x12 for the second dot, and so on) for both tactical and strategic movement. When active, Hypermovement increases the difficulty of all attacks made by and against the nova by 1 per dot as long as the Nova is in motion. If making a close combat attack when Hypermovement is active, the character adds +2 to the attack's damage per dot.

  • Mastered Power: Multiply movement speeds by an additional 2/5/20 after hypermovement is factored in. Add +3/4/6 to close combat damage per dot of Hypermovement.

Suite Powers

Animal/Plant Mastery

Animal/Plant Mastery gives the ability to talk to both plants and animals without an Extra.

Biomanipulation

Biomanipulation has Quantum Minimum 5.

  • Health Manipulation: Due to Health Manipulation combining an offensive and healing power in one, Health Manipulation has been split into two techniques: Cure and Inflict.
  • Inflict: Inflict rolls (Stamina + Biomanipulation) against a target's Stamina + Resistance. Each net success deals 2 lethal health levels of damage from cellular and tissue breakdown. Inflict cannot be soaked-however, Hardbody adds an additional (+Mega-Stamina) dice to the resistance roll.
  • Cure: Cure rolls (Stamina + Biomanipulation), healing 1 bashing, lethal, or aggravated health level of damage per success rolled. Like Healing, Cure may heal Aggravated damage as lethal damage, but adds an additional surcharge of 4 Quantum Points per level. Cure can only be used on a character once per scene, and is essentially identical to Healing-you cannot use Healing then use Cure on a character.
  • Form Manipulation: replace system with: Form Manipulation rolls Manipulation + Biomanipulation on a subject. Against an unwilling baseline subject, use of the power is at a difficulty of (Willpower + Psi), or (Willpower + 1) if not playing Trinity or a setting with Psi, while Form Manipulation cannot be successfully used against any form of Inspired. Each net success rolled on a use of Form Manipulation may either grant or remove 4 XP of body modifications from a character, or raise/lower one of the character's physical attributes (or the character's Appearance) by 1. Form Manipulation requires (# of successes) in minutes to perform on a character, and if the character is not sedated or restrained, automatically botches, leaving an insane wreck or useless husk. Form manipulation can also make cosmetic alterations to the character (height, weight, race, hair/eye color, build, fix congenital flaws, or even alter gender. It takes (flaw's cost) successes to remove a physical flaw or a mental/social flaw with an obvious physical cause, 1 success to alter build, coloration, or facial features, and 2 successes to alter gender (4 for fully functional gender alteration). Using Form Manipulation to alter appearance in this fashion allows it to replace Disguise rolls.
  • Body Manipulation: Body Manipulation only marginally increases Nova fertility, from somewhere around 1/10,000th as fertile as the average baseline human to somewhere closer to 1/1,000th. Use of Body Manipulation automatically fails against Psions or Latents.
  • Growth: Growth requires 1 minute per success, rather than having a duration of Instant.

Mastered Power: Each level of Mastery adds +1 to the number of times Cure can be used on a character, and each level of Mastery reduces the time it takes to use Form Manipulation from (# of successes in minutes) to (1/2 # of successes in minutes) for Mastery 1 (round final times up), (# of successes in rounds) for Mastery 2, and (1 round) for Mastery 3.

Bodymorph

The powers granted by Bodymorph cost no Quantum to use while transformed. More importantly, Bodymorph gains additional points for its characteristics, equal to (Bodymorph + Quantum) total dots of Level 1 or Level 2 powers, rounded up-although no power granted by Bodymorph may have a rating higher than (Bodymorph). However, the power is now costed at level 3 because of its increased power.

Mastered Power: The normal bonuses to Mastery do not apply to individual powers emulated by Bodymorph. Instead, Mastery doubles/triples/quadruples the number of powers that the bodymorph can emulate.

(Element) Anima/Mastery

(Element) Mastery (i.e. Elemental Mastery) is now a generic unified power, with power effects appropriate to the chosen element or weakened L1/L2 powers. This power now covers not just the original powers of Elemental Mastery and Elemental Anima, but powers such as Molecular, Gravity, and Magnetic Manipulation. A character may possess more than 1 (Element) Mastery at once if the player wishes.

(Element) Anima generally has Quantum Minimum 3, while (Element) Mastery has Quantum Minimum 4.

  • Blast/Lethal Blast are one power, and have a duration of "Action" rather than "Instant" with a RoF of (Quantum + Power Rating) * 2. Blast deals (Power Rating * 4) dice of lethal damage or (Power Rating * 5) dice of bashing damage with a damage add of [Quantum * 2] and an AP value equal to Power Rating.
  • Storm deals (Wits + Elemental Mastery) dice of lethal damage and reduces enemy dice pools by (power rating) if they fail an opposed roll (often Stamina + Resistance, although certain storms may be defined with more esoteric resistance attributes if the element is obscure enough).
  • Sphere uses the rules for Spatial Shockwave, with a radius of [Quantum + Power rating] x 10 meters, and deals (Power Rating * 3) dice of damage with a damage add of [Quantum]. Sphere cannot be blocked without a power or dodged without the ability to move outside of the radius of effect and is considered to have Area (Power Rating + 2).
  • Shield can use one of several rules, with the player choosing the mode on purchase.
Deflection: The Shield power can add +1 difficulty per dot to hit the character with most attacks. This is common for powers that involve altering space or probability.
Soak: The shield adds +2B/2L to soak per power level. This is commonly used for "shields" which emulate armor, such as Molecular Control.
Ablation: Acts identically to forcefield, save it has [Quantum + Stamina + Power Rating] external health levels. Shields which ablate against enemy attacks (magical sci-fi energy shields) are represented in this fashion.
Offensive Option: The shield halves its given protection (choose another option to show how its protection works) but a hand to hand attack that hits it deals 3d of bashing or 2d of lethal damage per dot in the power. Things like fire shields or shields made out of blades would work as this option.
Specialized: The shield works only against a fairly narrow set of attacks (as non-broad Invulnerability). Combine two options to set how the shield protects against that set of attacks. Against all other attacks, choose one of those options and halve its effect, rounding up.

Animation

The "Animation" power in Molecular Manipulation and Elemental Mastery has range equal to (Quantum + power rating) kilometers. The nova may only animate objects within (Quantum + power rating) meters of herself.

  • The nova may simply order the material to move around. Normally immobile objects (water, solids) move at the Nova's running speed, while objects with the ability to move (light, electricity, etc.) move at their normal speed.
  • The nova may reshape the element freely, although it cannot form tools for fine manipulation, only rudimentary appendages.
  • The nova may make mindless "golems" out of the material. These golems look however the Nova wants (with the above restriction in mind) and the Nova creates 1 per success on the activation roll. Elemental golems of this form use the base stat block below, calculating their attributes off of the Nova's. (Wits), for example, means that attribute uses the Nova's Wits. In this case, each dot of a mega-attribute counts as +2 to the score rather than giving the golem a Mega-Attribute:

Elemental Golem

Strength (Intelligence)/Dexterity (Wits)/Stamina (Intelligence)
Charisma 0, Manipulation 0, Appearance (0-5, Nova's choice)
Perception 1, Intelligence 0, Wits 1
Health Levels -0 x (Quantum + [Elemental Control * 2])/Destroyed
Abilities: Brawl 1, Might 3, Athletics 1, Awareness 1
Automaton: As a non-self-willed golem with no intelligence or initiative, elemental golems have an Initiative score of (Dexterity + Wits + 1) rather than (Dexterity + Wits + 1d10).
Mindless: Elemental golems will only act in response to mental commands issued by the nova, they are otherwise completely mindless. If given no orders, they will attempt to accomplish their last order, then stand there inert until new ones are given.
Unliving: Elemental golems have a lethal soak equal to their Stamina instead of half of their Stamina, are immune to stun, and take no wound penalties.
Clumsy: Elemental golems are extremely limited in their agility and reaction time no matter how fast they move and may not take multiple actions.

Golems attack in unarmed combat, and their natural weapons have the same stats as unarmed (light) and unarmed (heavy) attacks.

The element a golem is built out of also alters its stats: Use the guidelines below for examples. The ST may approve specific golem stat blocks.

  • Stone/Metal/Hard Solid: The golem gains +3 armor, an additional 5 health levels, +2 to strength and stamina, and deals lethal damage with its unarmed attacks, but halve its dexterity (round up).
  • Energy: +1 difficulty to hit the golem with attacks. The golem deals lethal damage with its unarmed attacks and may make ranged attacks, with the stat block below. Golem ranged attacks use Dexterity + Athletics to aim.
Accuracy +0, Damage (Strength + 0L), Range 40, RoF 1, Magazine (inf)
  • Liquid/Gas: The golem halves all damage inflicted against it by physical attacks and may fly at normal running speed, flow through cracks, or use the asphyxiation maneuver. Unfortunately the golem's own physical attack damage is halved.
  • New Extra: Self-Willed. The character creates Elemental Golems with an Intelligence score equal to the Nova's power rating, and all the abilities the Nova possesses. These golems lose the "Mindless" trait. Although intelligent, these golems may not intentionally act against the Nova's wishes.

Elemental Authority

Elemental Authority has a handful of new techniques, listed below, and is Quantum Minimum 6. As a reminder, 1 dot of Elemental Authority allows the purchase of 2 Elemental Mastery techniques.

Armageddon

Dice Pool: Charisma + Elemental Authority
Range: (Quantum + Elemental Authority) km
Area: (Quantum + Elemental Authority) * 100m
Duration: 1 hour

The Nova calls down a devastating maelstrom of her chosen element to eradicate whatever she wants destroyed. Unlike the Storm power, this power is not designed to create harsh environmental conditions that penalize foes and deal minor damage. Instead, the storm is intended to deal widespread devastation. The Nova rolls (Charisma + Elemental Authority), adding a number of automatic successes equal to Quantum, with each success dealing one die of bashing damage to humans or vehicles caught in the storm's duration without shelter. However, the storm is much more devastating to structures and other very large and relatively fragile objects, dealing 3 unsoakable health levels of damage per success to structures in the area of effect. A powerful Nova can often cripple a small city with this power, which can easily have effects equivalent to a nuclear strike if properly deployed, but should beware that although calling down the wrath of god is satisfying, this power is almost totally ineffective against mobile foes such as an organized military.

Greater Shaping

Greater Shaping acts as Animation, above, save the control range is (Quantum + power rating) * 20 kilometers, animated elements move at their normal movement speed or twice the Nova's sprinting speed (whichever is greater), it creates (Elemental Authority) golems per success when used to create golems, and the golems it creates are further improved by special abilities. For every dot of Elemental Authority, the golems created by Greater Shaping gain one special ability, of the ones listed below.

  • Additional Abilities: The golems gain (Elemental Mastery * 2) additional ability dots every time this is taken. Golems may only increase their abilities to 5. Golems may only gain physical abilities.
  • Large: The golems are twice as tall and eight times as massive, gaining +4 Strength and Stamina, 4 -0 HLs, and doubling movement speed and lifting ability. However, subtract 1 from the difficulty to hit or detect them.
  • Tough: The golems are tougher, gaining 2 -0 HLs and +2 Stamina per purchase.
  • Fast: The golems are faster, gaining +2 Dexterity per purchase.
  • Ranged Attack: The golems gain a ranged attack that they can use at will with the stats (Accuracy +0, Damage (Strength + 0L), Range 40, RoF 1). If the golem already has a ranged attack, repurchasing this doubles its range and rate of fire, adds +2 to damage, and +1 to accuracy.
  • Agility: The golems are much more agile, gain +1 Dexterity and +2 Wits, and can take multiple actions. Each repurchase of this adds +2 to their Wits score.

Colossus

Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Maintenance + 1Q/action, additional costs.

The Nova takes a mass of the element and transforms it into a nigh-invulnerable exoskeleton over 1 round of total concentration, animating this colossus with a constant input of quantum power. The result is a mecha made of the element standing (Elemental Authority * 4) meters tall, with the Nova at the center. This exoskeleton provides the Nova with additional strength, speed, and power, granting the benefits and costs listed below. If taken as an independent power rather than an Elemental Authority technique, Colossus is still a Level 4 power but requires only Quantum Minimum 5.

  • Improved Strength: The nova gains (Quantum + [Elemental Authority * 2]) dots of Strength for damage and feats of strength only. This additional strength does not increase close combat accuracy. Colossi deal lethal damage with close combat attacks due to their size and raw power.
  • Strength Adds: The nova gains [Quantum * 2] strength adds. Like the strength adds for mecha such as VARGs, they are halved, rounded down, when dealing hand to hand damage and do not increase the accuracy of hand to hand attacks.
  • Increased Speed, Jumping, and Carrying Capacity: Multiply the nova's movement speeds and lifting/throwing capacity by (Elemental Authority * 2). This applies to all of the Nova's methods of movement, including ones granted by powers. The Colossus multiplies jump distances and heights by (Elemental Authority + 1).
  • Toughness: In general, the Colossus must be destroyed before the Nova can take damage. Colossi have soak equal to ([Quantum * 2] + [5 * Elemental Authority]). It also has health levels equal to ([5 * Quantum] + [10 * Elemental Authority]). Damage that overcomes the Colossus' health levels destroys it, and a destroyed Colossus may not be resummoned until the end of the scene.
  • Quantum Attunement: The Nova is attuned to the giant he rides in, allowing the Nova to channel his other powers through the colossus, with a few exceptions. Neither Density Decrease nor Bodymorph affect the colossus, for game balance reasons. However, the Nova can increase his titan's toughness via Force Field or Armor, and he can channel Mega-Attributes through the exoskeleton. For stacking purposes, the colossus' soak is considered to be entirely armored soak.
  • Size: The Colossus is a very large object, and has a Size equal to (Elemental Mastery + 2), up to a maximum Size of 10.
  • Quantum Cost: Taking actions other than moving the Colossus costs 1 Quantum point per turn, 2 Quantum points if the character takes multiple actions. This charge is not reduced by Reduced Quantum Cost nor is it reduced by making Colossus permanent, but is reduced by Mastery.

The Colossus gains benefits from the element it is made out of. Example benefits are listed below.

  • Stone/Metal/Hard Solid: The Colossus is exceptionally strong, tough and difficult to damage. The Colossus gains +1 to Quantum and Elemental Authority for the purposes of calculating soak, health levels, and Strength. Attacks made against the Colossus are at +1 difficulty.
  • Liquid/Amorphous/Flexible: Limbs can extend up to (Elemental Authority * 5) meters, extending the Colossus' melee range. The colossus may alter its shape to fit through gaps and passageways. The Colossus takes half damage (round up) from physical attacks due to its liquid nature.
  • Gas: The Colossus halves its strength bonuses (round down), and no longer prevents the nova from taking damage until destroyed. On the flipside, the character may bring fit the Colossus into any area, compressing it into a man-sized exoskeleton or allowing it to reach its full size. A gaseous Colossus adds (Elemental Authority) to the character's bashing and lethal soak when active.
  • Electricity/Light/Other Energy: The Colossus is much faster, partially intangible, and has more firepower. Double the Colossus's movement speed, and add 1 to Elemental Authority for the purposes of calculating weapons damage. Attacks made against the Colossus are at +1 difficulty.

Each dot of Elemental Authority gives the Colossus two special abilities. Example special abilities are listed below.

  • Armored: The Colossus gains +5 soak.
  • Compact: Reduce the Colosuss's Scale by 1, to a minimum of 3 (a minimum of 4 for if the character has 6+ dots in the power). This may be taken multiple times.
  • Deflection: The Colossus is equipped with floating shield drones, well-sloped armor plating, ablative crystal growths, or anything similar that can trap and deflect incoming fire, adding +1 difficulty to all attacks made against it.
  • Elemental Absorption: The Colossus may absorb the substance it is made of to repair itself. This requires the Colossus to grab a source of the substance (e.g. a power line for electricity, a boulder for rock, buildings for concrete or iron) and take no other action. The Colossus inflicts (Elemental Authority) levels of aggravated damage to the grabbed object per round and heals an identical amount of bashing or lethal health levels. This requires the Nova to pay 1 Quantum/turn for healing.
  • Elemental Resistance: The nova may pay 1 Quantum point when the Colossus is damaged by an attack similar to its element. The Colossus takes half damage (rounded up) from that attack.
  • Energy Discharge: The Colossus discharges high-power pulses of energy. When the Colossus makes a successful melee attack or is struck by a melee attack, the nova may choose to spend 1 Quantum to deal an additional (Quantum + (Elemental Authority * 3))L damage, soaked separately from the attack, hitting everything within (Elemental Authority * 2) meters of the Colossus.
  • Enhanced Attack: One of the Colossus' attacks is improved over its basic form. Choose one of these options to enhance an attack with.
Accurate: The attack gains an additional +2 accuracy and doubles its range. This is only valid for ranged attacks.
Balanced: The attack gains an additional +2 accuracy and defense. This only applies to melee weapons.
Explosive: The attack gains Area: 1, for a 10m blast radius, for unarmed, anti-infantry, and light attacks, or Area: 2 for all other attacks.
Guided: The attack gains the 'Guided' tag. This obviously is only valid for ranged attacks.
High-Power: The attack gains an additional +2 armor penetration and damage.
Hypervelocity: The attack ignores the first dodge success and takes no difficulty penalty when attacking fast-moving targets.
  • Extended Reach: Whether via flexibility, being made out of energy, or detachable rocket-arms, the Colossus has an extremely long reach for its melee attacks, up to an additional (Elemental Authority x 5) meters.
  • Fast: Double the Colossus' movement speed.
  • Lightweight: The Colossus loses 5 soak and 10 HLs, but subtracts 1 from multiple action penalties and adds 2 to the user's dexterity.
  • Maneuverable: The Colossus doubles its jump height and adds +1 to the user's Dexterity.
  • Melee Weapon: The Colossus possesses a melee weapon-a beam sword, a mecha-sized claymore, buzzsaws for hands, or the like. The Colossus gains one of the following melee attack methods. Melee attacks are made with (Strength + Melee) in an Colossus. Summoning a melee weapon costs 1 additional Quantum.
Light: Accuracy +2, Defense +2, Damage Strength + (Elemental Authority * 2)L, AP: (Elemental Authority)
Heavy: Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage Strength + (Elemental Authority * 2)L + [Quantum * 2] damage add, AP: (Elemental Authority) * 2
Buster: Accuracy -2, Defense -4, Damage Strength + (Elemental Authority * 5)L + [Quantum * 3] damage add, AP: (Elemental Authority) * 2
"Buster" melee weapons are absurdly oversized ones, easily as tall as your Colossus or more and more suited for carving up warships than they are against tanks or infantry. Dodge successes against a buster-class melee weapon are doubled, and the effort required to make a swing with such an oversized melee weapon adds a cumulative +1 difficulty to all other actions taken that turn.
  • Power-Efficient: The Colossus reduces per-turn costs by 1 Quantum/turn. This may be taken multiple times.
  • Quantum Hardening: When struck, the Nova may pay 1 quantum point to add an additional (Elemental Authority * 2) soak to the Colossus for one action. If purchased twice, the Nova may make the Colossus nearly invulnerable for extremely short periods of time instead, paying 1 quantum point to double the Colossus' soak against a single attack.
  • Ranged Attack: The Colossus possesses a powerful ranged attack-a continuous beam of lightning, pods of missiles, a giant railgun, whathaveyou. The Colossus gains one of the following ranged attack methods, and may choose multiple installations of a single weapon. Use (Dexterity + Elemental Authority) to attack. If the Nova uses any Colossus ranged attack, she must pay the power's activation cost (typically 4Q) once for every action she uses ranged attacks in.
Anti-Infantry: Accuracy +0, Damage (Quantum + Elemental Authority) * 2L, RoF (Special), Range (Quantum + Elemental Authority) * 15m
When active, the anti-infantry weapon automatically attacks with its full dice pool against up to (Quantum + Elemental Authority) simultaneous targets, and suffers no penalties when attacking small targets.
Rapid-Fire: Accuracy +2, Damage (Elemental Authority + Quantum) * 4L + [Quantum * 2] damage add, AP: (Elemental Authority), RoF (Quantum + Elemental Authority) * 3, Range (Quantum + Elemental Authority) * 50m
The rapid-fire attack is effective against lighter vehicles.
Heavy: Accuracy +0, Damage (Elemental Authority + Quantum) * 6L + [Quantum * 4] damage add, AP: (Elemental Authority) * 3, RoF 1, Range (Quantum + Elemental Authority) * 100m
Heavy weapons are useful for engaging tanks and other heavier vehicles.
Siege: Accuracy -3, Damage (Quantum + Elemental Authority) * 10L + a damage add of [Quantum] * 10, RoF 1/10, Range (Elemental Authority) km, Area: (Quantum + Elemental Authority)
The Siege weapon requires (11 - Elemental Authority) rounds to charge a single shot. Enemy dodge successes are quadrupled against a siege devastator. This attack represents some kind of ridiculous mecha supermove-calling down a giant laser from space, a massive electrical storm, a cruise missile, or the like.
  • Self-Destruct: The character may pay 3 Quantum to detonate his Colossus in a burst of deadly force, dealing a base of (Elemental Authority * 4) lethal damage with [Quantum * 2] in damage adds, adding 2L [1] damage for every 2 health levels the Colossus has remaining. Self-destructing the Colossus requires 2 actions during which the Colossus is immobile, leaves the nova unharmed, and covers an area equal to (Elemental Authority) x 10 meters, plus an additional meter for each health level the Colossus has remaining.
  • Self-Repair: The Colossus may regenerate (Elemental Authority) health levels of bashing or lethal damage for 1 Quantum, or (Elemental Authority) health levels of aggravated damage for 5 Quantum. This ability may only be used once per turn and is not reflexive.
  • Soma Transference: Whenever the Colossus takes damage, the character may transfer any number of health levels of Colossus damage to himself instead. Although seemingly useless at first glance, this ability allows a tough nova to keep a Colossus active for much, much longer.
  • Sturdy: The Colossus gains +10 HLs.
  • Superheavy Armor: The Colossus gains +5 soak and +10 HLs, but subtracts 1 from the user's effective Dexterity and increases multiple action penalties by 1 due to sluggishness.

Entropy Control

  • Bioentropy Storm: A nova using Bioentropy Storm rolls (Dexterity + Entropy Control) once, adding an additional [Quantum] successes. Each opponent resists seperately, rolling (Stamina + Resistance) against the nova's accumulated successes. The nova inflicts 1 level of unsoakable lethal damage per each net success. All affected posthumans (Psions and Novas, and any other Inspired) add 1 automatic success to their (Stamina + Resistance) roll, and the Hardbody Enhancement adds an additional (Mega-Stamina) dice to resist Bioentropy Storm. Although the storm does pass through walls and obstacles, such an action weakens it and grants an automatic success to the resistance roll for every 4 soak the wall provides (most thin walls provide no protection, while concrete walls will generally add 1-2 successes). Fully sealed body armor provides an additional success to the resistance roll.
  • Breakdown: Breakdown deals a varying number of unsoakable health levels of damage per net success against targets. Simple or hardened objects such as fairly simple machines, milspec computers, and the like have Stamina 5+ and take 1 level of damage per net success, moderately simple systems such as vintage (pre-hypercombustion) cars, WWII-era propeller planes, most high-reliability computers, etc have Stamina 2-4 and take 2 levels of damage per success, while highly complex systems like cutting edge fighter aircraft, advanced electronics, and so on have Stamina 1 and take 3 levels of damage per net success. Breakdown damage is lethal and unsoakable.
  • Entropic Shield: Entropic Shield is a Deflection shield power now, adding +1 difficulty to all attempts to strike the nova per dot.
  • Probability Corruption: The character now rolls Intelligence + Probability Control versus Wits + Luck (+2 if the defender also has the Lucky merit, -2 if the defender the Bad Luck flaw). Each net success removes 1 success from the result of any roll the opponent makes, up to (Entropy Control) successes removed. Furthermore, a character affected by this power botches any non-opposed failed rolls and any opposed roll where he or she scores 0 or fewer successes.

Magnetic Mastery

  • EMP: EMP now deals (Wits + [Magnetic Mastery * 2]) EMP damage with [Mega-Wits] as a damage add. As with other powers using a Mega-Attribute as their damage add, each dot of Mega-Wits is not counted as +2 dots of Wits for the purposes of determining the static value of the damage pool. EMP does EMP damage, as described in [Combat Alterations]
  • Magnetic Blast: Is now identical to the Blast power in (Element) Control.
  • Magnetize: This technique no longer exists, as all its functions can be duplicated with Magnetokinesis.

Exsanguinate

Dice Pool: Strength + Magnetic Mastery
Range: (Quantum + Power Level) x 10 meters
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
The nova uses her powers to rip the blood out of an unfortunate victim, causing a horrific but (generally) mercifully quick death. Although listed as a Magnetic Mastery technique, this also works as a Elemental Mastery (Water) technique, or a Biomanipulation technique. The Nova rolls (Strength + Magnetic Mastery), adding an additional [Quantum] successes, against a target's (Stamina + Resistance). The victim takes 1 level of unsoakable lethal damage for every net success the nova achieves, and is also at +1 difficulty to all actions due to massive tissue trauma until this damage is healed.

Quantum Authority

  • New Technique: Infusion. This technique allows a Nova to take a baseline and permanently grant them powers with similar overall thematics, a significantly weaker creation of the Nova in question. This technique is used to create sub-aberrants by the Colony and other aberrants in the Trinity universe. Although not permanent Novas, these lesser quantum channelers have not-insignificant power. The nova rolls (Intelligence + Quantum Authority), with each success adding 1 Nova Point's worth of quantum powers, Mega-Attributes, or body modifications to the subject. The subject gains Quantum 1 for free and a quantum pool of 10 points, which they can spend at a rate of 3/turn, but this Quantum score cannot be raised above 1 by any means. Infusees recharge Quantum at half normal rate (1 point per hour relaxed, 2 points per hour when sleeping). In all other aspects, they are treated identically to novas.

An Infusee can be given any powers the Nova possesses that he can meet the prerequisites of, or powers similar but weaker than what the nova has, in lieu of powers or techniques the nova cannot give him. (So for example, a Nova could choose to give an infusee Quantum Bolt to emulate the "Blast" technique of Elemental Mastery, or a dot of Forcefield to emulate the "Shield" technique of Elemental Mastery).

An unwilling subject can be infused but will subconsciously reject the "gift", creating complications. That subject rolls Willpower, gaining 1 point of permanent taint for every success rolled on the willpower roll. At Taint 10+, the new sub-nova is unstable both mentally and physically and breaks down in a matter of months or years. Similarly, high-taint Novas can only create high-taint followers. When a subject is infused, the nova rolls his own permanent Taint score. Each success gives the subject 1 point of permanent taint.

Quantum Reduction

Targets can resist Quantum Reduction with a (Quantum + Node roll), with each success on this roll canceling out a Quantum Authority success.

Quantum Supremacy

  • Quantum Transformation costs 1 permanent Willpower point per use and requires (number of Nova Points used) in hours to alter a subject. Quantum Transformation may not be used on an unwilling subject. High-taint novas leak some of their corruption when applying this power, and must roll permanent Taint. Each success on this roll gives the subject of quantum transformation 1 point of permanent taint.

Shapeshift

Shapeshift no longer allows the character to emulate powers. It only allows the character to shuffle attribute dots, change appearance, and manifest body modifications.

A character may gain up to (Stamina + Shapeshift * 2) individual body modifications from a use of Shapeshift, regardless of modification cost-although buying a modification which replaces another one requires the purchase of both (so Huge requires the purchase of both Large and Huge, for example, or 2 body modifications). Alternately, a character may trade in a body modification to move 2 dots of physical attributes around (trading dexterity for stamina, for example) or add 1 dot to a physical attribute. A character may not add more than (Shapeshift + 2) dots to any one physical attribute via shapeshifting, and if the character wishes to buy physical attributes above 5, needs the proper body modification to exceed human limits. For the purposes of Shapeshift, Appearance also counts as a physical attribute for the purposes of Shapeshift alterations.

Shapeshift only can affect physical changes and does not affect the Nova's mind-therefore significant neurological modifications, such as most mental or social body modifications, are significantly beyond the ability of Shapeshift to emulate. Modifications which do not require significant changes to the Nova's psyche, such as extensions of the Nova's normal senses or bodily processes (i.e. some sensory modifications, pheromones, etc.) are possible, but otherwise Shapeshift only can create physical body modifications.

Alternately, Shapeshift can be used as a method of disguise. Shapeshift disguises are generally perfect to human senses, but someone with superhuman perception or biometrics may be able to see through them. In the event of facing off against biometric security, roll Stamina + Shapeshift versus the opponent's pool. Quantum Attunement, as it shows active powers, automatically pierces a Shapeshift disguise, but does not show the Nova's actual appearance.

Spatial Mastery

  • Ripple Shield is a Specialized (ranged attacks only) shield with the Deflection and Soak options (+1 difficulty, +2L/2B soak per level).

Temporal Mastery

  • Accelerate Time: Accelerate Time's extra actions, like all extra actions, may not be split.
  • Delay Damage: Delay Damage delays all damage from one attack by its net successes in turns, and a character may pay 1 WP to delay all damage from a blow until the end of the scene instead.
  • Dilate Time: Dilate Time reduces initiative by (Temporal Manipulation) per net success, but can be resisted by an opposed (Willpower + Quantum) roll.

Utility Powers

Boost

Boost is a reflexive power which does not take an action to activate, and adds (Quantum + [Boost * 2]) to the trait being Boosted. Boost does not grant a character Mega-Attributes.

Clone

A Nova may not have more than 1 Clone per dot of power active at any one time, but clones keep the Nova's full traits. All duplicates of the Nova share the same Quantum pool and Willpower track with the Nova himself. Maintenance powers must be separately maintained, and equipment is not duplicated without sufficient Attunement (without at least Attunement 1, clones are, in fact, produced naked). Clones are not linked by default and fade at the end of the scene or upon losing their last Incapacitated health level to any form of damage. Clones are also vulnerable to Disrupt and take damage from it as any other quantum construct. Even permanent clones have these two vulnerabilities.

If a character has more Clones active than he can support (due to whatever reason, such as Eclipsidol, Mox, or Disrupt) all excess clones take 5 aggravated health levels every turn (or every 3 seconds) until killed.

New Extra: Backup. If the Nova is killed with a Clone still active, one of the Clones becomes the Nova in every way, shape, and form, losing their vulnerability to Disrupt and their propensity to dissolve when Incapacitated. They retain any current damage, though, so if all a Nova's clones are badly wounded, they may still be killed.

Density Increase

Density Increase is no longer rolled, instead multiplying the character's mass by (Density Control*2) and adding that same number to strength as well as to the character's lethal/bashing soak.

Hypnosis

Replace system with: Roll Intelligence + Hypnosis against the target's Willpower. Successes generate Casual Sway over a timeframe of ten seconds (3 combat rounds). This Casual Sway fades at the rate of one point/day.

Mastered Power: The Sway generated by hypnosis fades at the rate of 1 every 2/5/10 days (for Mastery levels 1/2/3 respectively).

Invisibility

Invisibility adds (+Invisibility) to the difficulty of any rolls to detect or attack the nova unless the opponent possesses a total Perception + Awareness dice pool equal to (Wits + Invisibility + Quantum). Although invisibility covers the entire near-visual spectrum, it is strongest over the optical range and having the ability to see in infrared or ultraviolet reduces this difficulty penalty by 1 above and beyond any other bonuses it grants. Furthermore, Invisibility negates difficulty modifiers for stealth due to poor conditions in addition to its normal bonuses, reducing them by (Invisibility) to a minimum of 0. Note that having certain sensory abilities, such as Blindfighting, echolocation, or the like allow a character to entirely ignore invisibility, and certain actions may leave obvious traces even while invisible.

New Extra: Sustained. Objects attuned to the nova stay invisible for approximately one turn after leaving the nova's attunement range. This allows the nova to use just about anything invisibly without fear of detection.

Variant: Psychic Invisibility

Psychic Invisibility is an alternative variant which relies on basically making people not pay attention to you. Psychic Invisibility works more easily without anomalous behavior-i.e. instead of rolling Stealth, a character using Psychic Invisibility rolls (Manipulation + Psychic Invisibility) versus a target's Willpower. Psychic Invisibility masks one's signature more thoroughly (because the sensor readings are there, they just don't pay any attention to them), but the difficulty of the Manipulation + Psychic Invisibility roll increases with anomalous behavior.
Examples of Difficulty Increases
Improperly dressed (wearing heavy body armor at a formal ballroom dance, wearing swim trunks and nothing else in the middle of a warzone): +1
Personnel already on alert: +1
Dealing with paranoids: +1
Minor anomalous behavior (not following a directive, going a different direction to the crowd): +1
Calling attention to oneself (talking, taking unusual action, etc): +2
Doing something threatening (pointing a gun at a person's head, unsheathing a knife, etc): +2
Tripping alarms (not all surveillance is purely human): +3
Hostile action taken: +5

All Difficulty increases for psychic invisibility are cumulative.

Luck

Luck can be used multiple times per scene at higher levels: A character may use Luck up to (Luck/2) times a scene, round up. Furthermore, when used to augment an ability/attack/damage/defense roll, Luck is added to the roll as bonus dice (or successes for defense rolls), it is only rolled to influence random events.

Mastered Power: In addition to its other effects, when used to augment a roll, Luck may now allow the character to reroll up to 1/3/5 failed dice.

Matter Creation

There are no restrictions on how much damage items created via Matter Creation can do anymore. To turn an item created via Matter Creation permanent, a Nova must sacrifice a number of permanent Quantum Pool points equal to the power's cost (normally this is 3, but may increase or decrease dependent on various factors).

Mastered Power: With Mastery 1, the Nova "heals" the permanent quantum loss at the rate of 1 point/month. With Mastery 2, the Nova no longer must pay permanent quantum to render their created items permanent.

Node Spark

Node Spark's artificially added abilities last for a scene. Node Spark automatically induces some temporary Taint-a character gains a number of temporary points of Taint equal to (1 + number of 1s rolled).

Mastered Power: The Nova doubles/triples/quadruples all Taint gained from Node spark.

Poison

Poison gives a character a pool of (Quantum + Stamina + Power Rating * 2) points, which may be assigned as follows to potency, duration, penalty, and damage as follows:

2 points: Increase potency by +1 (starts at +0)
1 point: Increase duration by 1 minute (starts at 1 minute) for a poison, 2 weeks for a disease (starts at 2 weeks)
2 points: Increase penalty by -1 (starts at 0 - target Stamina)
1 point: Increase damage by 1B (starts at 0 - target Stamina) per interval
2 points: Increase damage by 1L (starts at 0 - target Stamina) per interval
Damage Cost x 2: Change damage from dice to levels.
5 points: Reduce time interval for damage (weekly->daily->hourly->once per minute->once per round)

At the ST's discretion, points in this pool may be traded for more exotic side effects to add further inconveniences. Minor inconveniences (diarrhea, constant coughing, watery eyes, bad odor, etc.) which may add +1 difficulty to rolls in specific situations (surviving in a desert, stealth, sight-based perception, in-person socialization) etc. costs 1-2 points, while severe problems (such as immune system failure, sudden and massive bone loss, paralysis, and so on) which add +4 difficulty or more to certain tasks, +1-2 difficulty to most actions, or make some actions outright impossible should cost at least 4 points, possibly more.

Poison may only deal either lethal or bashing damage, not both, and deals damage either once per minute as a toxin or once per week as a disease. A character may have up to (Power Rating) separate types of poison 'template', and may only increase any category by up to (Quantum + Power Rating). Poison has a default range of (Power Rating x 5) meters but as an alternative can be used to envenom a melee attack or casual contact. Poison requires skin contact, by default, to be effective. As Poison is an extremely weak power that is largely useless as an attack and the Toxin Effuser Body Modification allows similar effects, Poison is now a Level 1 power. A successful resistance roll halves the poison's effects. An exceptional success (5 successes or more above difficulty) negates the power entirely.

Altered Extra: Envenomed Projectile/Viral Beam (replaces Projectile).

This Extra allows the character to envenom ranged attacks, although Attunement is required if the character wishes to add Poison to an external ranged attack such as a rifle bullet. Yes, you can put poison on a particle beam or a laser.

New Extra: Extended

This Extra increases the duration of the poison or disease. Poisons last for 1 hour + 1 hour per increase in duration, while diseases last for 3 months + 3 months per increase in duration.

Psychic Shield

Psychic Shield does not give any additional soak against damaging mental powers, just the 2 successes on the resistance roll.

Silence

Silence renders a nova virtually silent, and with a proper level of attunement may silence the operation of firearms and other loud devices. If the Nova cannot be detected via sight (due to darkness, the opponent being blind, the Invisibility power, or the like), Silence adds +(Silence) difficulty to any attempts to locate the Nova. Acute hearing reduces this difficulty penalty by 1, and Hyperenhanced Hearing reduces it by up to (Mega-Perception). A silent nova using a firearm with some method of masking its visual signature will stay entirely undetected even after firing her weapon, unless the bullet is supersonic and gives her position away.

Silence does not make the nova transparent to sound waves-sonar or echolocation will detect the nova as normal.

New Extra: Active Cancellation. The nova doesn't just silence sounds he makes, he cancels out incoming sounds. Echolocation and sonar detection are similarly penalized by Silence.

New Extra: Sustained. Objects attuned to the nova stay completely silent for approximately a turn (3 seconds) after leaving the nova's attunement range. This allows the nova to silently deploy explosives, supersonic bullets, and other noisy tools without worry of detection.

Sizemorph

Each dot of Sizemorph (Grow) adds 2 to the character's Size, while each dot of Sizemorph (Shrink) subtracts 2. Sizemorph (Grow) adds +2 to strength per dot, Sizemorph (Shrink) subtracts 1 from Strength per dot, subtracting automatic successes first if the character has Enhanced Strength. Each dot of Sizemorph (Grow) multiplies movement speeds by 50% and doubles the maximum weight a character can lift, while each dot of Sizemorph (Shrink) halves movement speeds and lifting ability.

Note that attuned weapons have their Scale increased or decreased alongside the character. At the ST's discretion, a character may replace weapon statistics if the weapon is enlarged or reduced. For example, a character using Sizemorph(Grow) might find their antimateriel rifle becoming the equivalent of a tank cannon, or their missile launcher firing projectiles with the statistics of cruise missiles.

Size rules are reprinted below as a reference.

Size

Vehicles have a Size, which represents how large they are. Size 0 is considered to be "human" or close to human, such as motorcycles or hovercycles. Each Size level is approximately 2 times the mass and volume of the previous scale. Scale increases the difficulty of a vehicle's weapons to acquire smaller targets and the vehicle's ability to evade smaller targets, but makes the attacks of smaller foes decreasingly relevant.

  • Size -6 ~= 0.5-1 kg
  • Size -5 ~= 1-2 kg
  • Size -4 ~= 2-5 kg
  • Size -3 ~= 5-10 kg
  • Size -2 ~= 10-20 kg
  • Size -1 ~= 20-40 kg
  • Size 0 ~= 40-125 kg
  • Size 1 ~= 126-250 kg
  • Size 2 ~= 251-500 kg
  • Size 3 ~= 0.5-1t
  • Size 4 ~= 1-2t
  • Size 5 ~= 2-5t
  • Size 6 ~= 5-10t
  • Size 7 ~= 10-20t
  • Size 8 ~= 20-40t (APCs and IFVs)
  • Size 9 ~= 40-80t (Main Battle Tank)
  • Size 10 ~= 80-160t (Trinity supertanks)
  • Size 20 ~= 160,000t (aircraft carrier)
  • Size 23 ~= 1.3 million tons (Trinity-era space cruiser)
  • Size 25 ~= 5.1 million tons (Leviathan Jumpship)

Every difference in Size becomes an external penalty or bonus to post-soak damage-a Size 0 character against a Size 2 car reduces all post-soak damage by 2 health levels, while shooting at the Size 9 tank reduces all post-soak damage by 9 health levels. A Size 0 character attacking a Size -4 cat deals 4 extra health levels of damage. Furthermore, every full 3 points of Size difference add or subtract 1 from the difficulty to hit a character (down to the minimum of 0). The smaller being finds it easier to evade the larger one's attacks and easier to hit the larger foe. To continue the example, the Size 0 human attacking the Size -4 cat would be at +1 difficulty to all attack rolls, but the cat would be at -1 difficulty to attack the human.

Size-increasing/decreasing powers and body modifications will need to be rebuilt given this, most likely so they no longer give bonuses to soak/Stamina and possibly reducing their health level bonuses. Similarly, Mastery increases the effective scale of character's powers by an undetermined amount.

Telekinesis

Telekinetic lifting and movement of objects uses standard lifting/throwing rules, replacing (Strength + Might) with (Dexterity + Telekinesis), adding (Quantum) automatic successes. When comparing static values, each dot of Quantum is an effective +2 to the Dexterity + Telekinesis pool.

When used to enhance non-energy ranged weapons, Telekinesis adds +1 to attack and damage pools for every dot of Telekinesis.

Telekinesis can also be used to attack, using (Dexterity + Telekinesis) to aim.

Telekinetic Punches deal (Telekinesis * 3) bashing damage with [Quantum * 2] in damage adds.
Telekinetic Grappling deals (Telekinesis * 2) bashing damage with [Quantum] in damage adds. This attack acts as a grapple (use the Telekinetic Might pool to contest opponent strength)
Telekinetic Blades deal (Telekinesis * 2) lethal damage with [Quantum] in damage adds.

Telekinesis is best used for rough manipulations, and fine manipulation with the power is difficult. When used for fine manipulation (aiming and firing a gun, writing your name, etc) roll either Dexterity + Telekinesis or Dexterity + Ability, whichever is lower, then halve all successes, rounded down.

New Extra: Fine Manipulation-the character no longer halves successes on Dexterity + Telekinesis rolls for fine manipulation. This allows telekinesis to be used to replace various tools as well, reducing difficulty penalties for lacking tools by (Telekinesis).

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