¶ Introduction
Focus is what makes your character unique. No two PCs in a group should have the same focus. Your focus gives you benefits when you create your character and each time you ascend to the next tier. It’s theverb of the sentence “I am an adjective noun who verbs.”
When you choose a character focus, you get a special connection to one or more of your fellow PCs, a first-tier ability, and perhaps additional starting equipment. A few foci offer slight alterations of type special abilities (fighting moves for Glaives, tricks of the trade for Jacks, and esoteries for Nanos). Each focus also offers suggestions to the GM and the player for possible effects or consequences of really good or really bad die rolls.
As you progress to a new tier, your focus grants you more abilities. Each tier’s benefit is usually lafbeled “action” or “enabler.” If an ability is labeled “action,” you must take an action to use it. If an ability is labeled “enabler,” it makes other actions better or gives some other benefit, but it’s not an action. An ability that allows you to blast foes with rays is an action. An ability that grants you additional damage when you make attacks is an enabler. You can use an enabler in the same turn as you perform another action.
Each tier’s benefits are independent of and cumulative with benefits from other tiers (unless indicated otherwise). So if your first-tier ability grants you +1 to Armor and your fourth-tier ability also grants you +1 to Armor, when you reach fourth tier, you have a total of +2 to Armor.
¶ Absorbs Energy
Every movement is an expression of energy. You can harness this kinetic energy and transform it into other kinds of energy. At first, once you absorb energy, you must use it before you can absorb any more. You can use the absorbed energy as a weapon, or you can infuse an object with dangerous energy that is released upon touch. Eventually, you will be able to use the energy for nonviolent purposes, such as healing or invigorating creatures.
Glaives often gain the biggest benefit from being energy absorbers, as they are the ones most often being struck in combat, and many of the initial uses of absorbed energy are for combat. However, Wrights can potentially use some of that energy to improve their crafting abilities.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. For reasons unknown to you, this character is completely immune to the energy you release, whether you use it for help or harm.
- Pick one other PC. You knew of this character years ago, but you don’t think they knew you.
- Pick one other PC. You’re always trying to impress them, but you’re not even sure why.
- Pick one other PC. This character has a habit that annoys you, but you’re otherwise quite impressed with their abilities.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The energy you release is even more potent than you thought. Your opponent’s actions are hindered next round.
Major Effect Suggestions: The energy you release is even more potent than you thought. Your opponent loses their next action.
¶ Tier 1
Absorb Kinetic Energy. You absorb a portion of the energy of a physical attack or impact. You negate 1 point of damage you would have suffered and store that point as energy. Once you have absorbed 1 point of energy, you continue to negate 1 point of damage from any incoming blow or impact, but the residual energy bleeds off with a flare of harmless light (you cannot store more than 1 point at a time). Enabler.
Release Energy. You release 1 point of energy you’ve absorbed—magnifying and focusing it into a blast of energy—that strikes a single foe within long range for 4 points of damage. (If you don’t have any kinetic energy absorbed, you can still use this ability, but it requires that you transform a fraction of yourself into the blast, which costs 1 point of Might.) Action.
¶ Tier 2
Energize Object. You infuse energy you have absorbed into an object, like a weapon. The object holds the energy until it is touched by anyone but you, so putting it into your melee weapon or the ammo of a ranged weapon allows the weapon to trigger the energy in combat. The energy inflicts 3 points of damage on the creature touched in addition to any damage the weapon itself might do. You cannot have more than one energized object on your person at a time. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Absorb Pure Energy or Improved Absorb Kinetic Energy as your Tier 3 ability.
- Absorb Pure Energy. You can also absorb and store energy from attacks made with pure energy (focused light, radiation, transdimensional, psychic, etc.) or from conduits that direct energy, if you can make direct contact. This ability does not change how many points of energy you can store. If you also have Improved Absorb Kinetic Energy, you can absorb 2 points of damage from other energy sources as well. Enabler.
- Improved Absorb Kinetic Energy. Instead of being able to absorb 1 point of damage from a physical attack or impact, you can absorb 2 points. You can also store up to 2 points of energy from any source. However, you can still only release energy 1 point at a time. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Overcharge Energy. When you use Release Energy, it inflicts an additional 2 points of damage. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Energize Creature (6+ Might points). You extend your Absorb Kinetic Energy ability to one creature within immediate range so that they also can absorb energy from physical attacks and impacts for one hour. That creature, however, cannot release excess energy as a blast. For each level of Effort you apply, you can increase the number of targets you affect by one. If you have Absorb Pure Energy or Improved Absorb Kinetic Energy, those abilities are also duplicated in your target when you use Energize Creature. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Energize Crowd or Overcharge Device as your Tier 6 ability.
- Energize Crowd (9 Might points). You extend your Absorb Kinetic Energy ability to up to thirty creatures within short range so that they also can absorb energy from physical attacks and impacts for one hour. If you have Absorb Pure Energy or Improved Absorb Kinetic Energy, these creatures can use those abilities as well. The creatures, however, cannot release excess energy as a blast. Action to initiate.
- Overcharge Device. You infuse 1 point of energy you’ve stored into a device, such as an artifact or installation, which raises its effective level on its next use by 3 (to a maximum of 10). Enabler.
¶ Acts without Consequence
You’re a rebel. You resist the dictates of authority, you try to break away from the control that society holds over you, and you like to flout traditions that you view as backward. That’s not to say that you automatically disagree with anything or anyone you deal with. It’s more that you believe certain institutions and conventions are foolish and even hurtful. This is why you often press your luck and defy the status quo. Often enough, you get away with it. In fact, your success is more than a mere twist of statistics. You enjoy some kind of psychic enhancement, implanted device, or attention of a datasphere spirit. You’ve also practiced certain skills, behaviors, and attitudes that allow blame to slip off you like water off a murden.
Glaives, Jacks, Delves, and Arkai are drawn to acting without consequence.
A character who acts without consequence often dresses in flamboyant garments designed to draw the eye, as if they’re tempting the universe to notice them after all.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. Through a quirk of fate, this character is sometimes blamed for your exploits, even if they’re not near you.
- Pick one other PC. You recently discovered that they always seem to be able to track you when you Slip Into Shadow.
- Pick one other PC. You saved them from certain death by taking a lucky gamble. It could’ve gone either way, but in the end, they lived. If you’d lost, they would’ve certainly died.
- Pick one other PC. They rescued you from an awful predicament during one of the few times your luck failed you. You’re a bit embarrassed that they know you have limits.
Additional Equipment: Deck of cards and a “lucky” oddity of the GM’s choice.
Weird Ability: You can choose to learn Danger Sense instead of one of the abilities granted by your type.
- Danger Sense (1 Speed point). Your initiative tasks are eased. You pay the cost each time the ability is used. Enabler.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your foe is surprised by or has a bad reaction to you for one round, during which time all its tasks are hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: A foe forgets about you unless you draw attention to yourself.
¶ Tier 1
Slip Into Shadow (2+ Intellect points). You attempt to slip away from a selected target and hide from view in a nearby shadow, behind a tree or a furnishing, or into the next room, even if in full view of the target. For each level of Effort applied, you can attempt to affect one additional target, as long as all your targets are next to each other. Action to initiate.
Blameless. You are trained in one of the following: deception, stealth, or disguise. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Get Away (2 Speed points). After your action on your turn, you move up to a short distance or get behind or beneath cover within immediate range. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Goad or Seize Opportunity as your Tier 3 ability.
- Goad (2 Might points). After you successfully attack a creature, Speed defense tasks by all others against the creature’s attacks are eased until the end of the next round. Enabler.
- Seize Opportunity (4 Speed points). If you succeed on a Speed defense roll to resist an attack, you gain an action. You can use it immediately even if you have already taken a turn in the round. You can use this ability once per round, after which you don’t take an action during the next round. If you use this action to attack, the attack is eased. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Uncanny Luck (4 Speed points). When you roll for a task and succeed, roll again. If the second number rolled is higher than the first, you get a minor effect. If you roll the same number again, you get a major effect. If you have Uncanny Luck from another source or a similar ability, it’s your choice (no roll required) whether you get a minor effect, a major effect, or a free activation of one of your Tier 1–3 focus abilities. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Invisibility (4 Intellect points). You become invisible for ten minutes. While invisible, you are specialized in stealth and Speed defense tasks. This effect ends if you do something to reveal your presence or position—attacking, using an ability, moving a large object, and so on. If this occurs, you can regain the remaining invisibility effect by taking an action to hide your position. If you have a type ability that also confers invisibility, using either ability allows you to remain invisible for twice as long as the duration specified. Action to initiate or reinitiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose No Fate or Twist of Fate as your Tier 6 ability.
- No Fate. You don’t believe in any luck except that which you make for yourself. If you fail on a task (including an attack or a defense), you can change the die result to a natural 20. (That still might not be enough to succeed if the difficulty is higher than 6.) Once you use this ability, it is not available again until after you make a ten-hour recovery roll. This ability doesn’t work if you roll a natural 1 for an attempted task, unless you also have Twist of Fate or a similar ability. Enabler.
- Twist of Fate. When you roll a 1, you can reroll. You must use the new result, even if it’s another 1. Enabler.
¶ Adjures the Leviathan
You have the power to command the Leviathan—your name for the horrific things that wait in the empty ruins or hunt in the dark beyond the town walls, creatures with long teeth, hellish fury, and a hunger for human flesh. The Leviathan is the spirit of the predatory, the monstrous, and the sociopathic. Sometimes, you suspect the term applies to a specific variety of creature, all descended from a literal entity called the Leviathan—a bloodline you perhaps share in some small way, explaining why you can command and control these terrible creatures that preferentially hunt humans over all other flesh. Ninth Worlders are generally unaware of the Leviathan, but here and there, you run across pockets of people who know of the horrors of which you speak. Some believe it is a spirit that takes up residence in certain creatures, though others suggest the same as you believe: it is a strain of life that corrupts and changes what it touches. Metaphorically, it’s easy to say that all living, nonhuman predators are of the Leviathan. But you have a feeling, even if you’ve not said it in so many words yet, that one day a creature you encounter will be the Leviathan.
Glaives, Jacks, and Delves are eager to command creatures that would otherwise try to eat them, putting a leash on them.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. A creature you control will take commands both from this character and from you. But if it ever receives conflicting commands, it turns on you both.
- Pick one other PC. You captured a creature for this character, but it promptly tried to kill them. They still have scars from the incident.
- Pick one other PC. You are pretty sure you can command that PC as a creature if you apply enough Effort (though you don’t think you can capture the PC). You haven’t tried, and you’re not sure you should; it might unlock some previously bestial part hidden inside them.
- Pick one other PC. You saved them from a creature attack, and they owe you their life.
Additional Equipment: A leash.
Minor Effect Suggestions: One additional creature takes no action for a round.
Major Effect Suggestions: A creature you control takes an immediate extra action of your choice.
¶ Tier 1
Adjure Creature (2+ Intellect points). For one minute, you can verbally control a living, nonhumanoid creature of up to level 2 within short range whose motive is some variant of “hungers for flesh,” commanding it to do simple tasks on your behalf. Alternatively, you can force up to three such creatures within range to take no actions for as long as you focus all your attention on them. Every round, each member of the group can attempt to escape your control. Whichever effect you attempt, you can apply Effort to increase the maximum level of the affected creature. Thus, to command a level 4 creature to do simple tasks on your behalf (two levels above the normal limit), you must apply two levels of Effort. Action to initiate.
Ninth World Bestiary Knowledge. You are trained in the lore of flesh-eating, nonhumanoid creatures—recognizing them, knowing their weaknesses, and knowing their habits and behaviors. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Capture Creature. Instead of attempting to use your Adjure Creature on a target, you can attempt to capture it, as long as it is level 1 or level 2.
A captured creature becomes tame in your presence, becoming a follower. As a special exception to the rules for followers, one of your captured creature’s modifications is for attacks, and the other modification must be for something basic that a non-intelligent creature could help you with, such as perception or initiative. You can have only one captured creature at a time. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose Enrage Creature or Vigor of the Leviathan as your Tier 3 ability.
- Enrage Creature (3+ Intellect points). With a touch and whispered word, you can trigger a biological response in a creature you’ve captured with Capture Creature, causing it to fly into a bone-ripping rage for up to one minute. During this period, treat the creature as a level 5 creature that inflicts 6 points of damage each round. However, after this extreme effort, the creature either dies or becomes so enfeebled by its expenditure of energy that it becomes ineffective for several days. Each level of Effort you apply increases the temporary level of the creature (to a maximum of level 10) and damage done by 1. Action to initiate.
- Vigor of the Leviathan. You can make an extra one-action recovery roll each day. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Duo. You can use your Tier 2 ability to have two Captured Creatures at a time instead of just one, and you can capture creatures of up to level 3. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Lash of the Tamer (4+ Intellect points). You can demand more of the creatures that you have captured. One creature you have captured within short range is granted an additional, immediate action, which they can take out of turn. Alternatively, you can attempt to provide any creature within short range an additional, immediate action, which they can take out of turn, but to do so, you must apply a level of Effort. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose Become the Leviathan or Menagerie as your Tier 6 ability.
- Become the Leviathan (9+ Intellect points). You change shape into a monstrous creature up to three times your normal size for one minute. When you do, you become practiced in using whatever natural weapons—teeth, claws, tail, and so on— your new shape possesses. You also add 15 temporary points to your Might Pool and +3 to Might Edge, and you deal 4 additional points of damage with melee attacks. For each level of Effort you apply, your size increases by 5 feet (1.5 m) and you add 1 additional temporary point to your Might Pool. Becoming the Leviathan is incredibly taxing. While doing so, your Speed defense tasks are hindered by two steps. After you revert to normal size, you are exhausted, you descend one step on the damage track, and you can’t use this ability again until after your next ten hour recovery roll. Action to change. Action to revert or take some other shape.
- Menagerie. You can use your Tier 2 ability to have up to four Captured Creatures at one time instead of just two. Enabler.
¶ Augments Flesh with Grafts
Machines can be upgraded and improved, and the human body is just an organic machine. Your goal is to keep improving your physical form, replacing obsolete parts of your body with new grafts and trying to become supremely efficient at your normal and augmented biological processes. Whether you do this with technology or pieces from other creatures depends on what you find in your explorations and your estimation of your flaws and shortcomings. You don’t believe it’s possible to achieve perfection—perfection is an ongoing process, not a final state. If following this path makes you something more than human, so be it. You left behind childish toys and forms to become an adult, so you are willing to leave your humanity behind in order to become something greater.
Glaives see grafting as a way to increase their physical power and survive attacks from dangerous opponents. Delves often have many opportunities to find and use grafts, and Wrights can use their own knowledge of the numenera to craft custom limbs and other body grafts for themselves.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. They have an ability you’d like as a graft, and you want to find a creature or cypher that duplicates that ability.
- Pick one other PC. They once saved your life when one of your surgeries had a complication.
- Pick one other PC. You think they’re offended or disgusted by your grafts, and you want to demonstrate the value of your abilities.
- Pick one other PC. They’re interested in grafts, but you’ve rebuffed their requests because you think they’d have a fatal reaction to the surgery.
Minor Effect Suggestions: An upgraded body part is especially effective or efficient at a particular physical task. You gain an asset to similar actions involving the same task (such as making attacks against the same foe or dealing with a physical obstacle).
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe is especially vulnerable to some aspect of one of your implants, like an allergy or radiation sensitivity. Make an immediate attack against that foe (using the same stat as the action that caused the major effect). If the attack succeeds, it deals 3 points of damage (ignores Armor).
¶ Tier 1
Autodoctor. You are trained in healing, performing surgical procedures, and withstanding pain. You can perform surgeries on yourself, remaining conscious while you do so. Enabler.
Surgical Graft. You use your knowledge to surgically attach a cypher to your body, linking it to your nerves and muscles. Activating or using this cypher is as natural for you as breathing and doesn’t require any obvious motion (allowing you to activate it secretly). A grafted cypher still counts toward your cypher limit, but it is not destroyed after one use. A grafted cypher has a depletion of 1 in 1d10. The GM may allow you to graft biological parts from other creatures, giving you an ability like one of the creature’s abilities. This is treated exactly the same as if it were a grafted cypher (that is, it counts toward your cypher limit, has a depletion of 1 in 1d10, etc.), except for the graft to work you must make a surgery skill roll against a difficulty chosen by the GM. The less human the creature is, the more difficult it is to perform a successful grafting surgery. Action to initiate surgery, one hour to complete.
¶ Tier 2
Augment Graft (2+ Intellect points). When you activate a grafted cypher, add 1 to its level. Every level of Effort applied increases the level of the grafted cypher by 1.You can’t increase the grafted cypher’s level above 10. If you have the Jack trick of the trade Augment Cypher, when you apply Effort to augment a graft, you get a free level of Effort on that task. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Hardy or Recharge Graft as your Tier 3 ability.
- Hardy. You gain +5 to your Might Pool. These additional points can be used only to absorb damage. You can’t spend them to apply Effort to rolls. Enabler.
- Recharge Graft (2+ Intellect points). You recharge a grafted cypher that was depleted in the past ten minutes, allowing it to be used again. You must touch the graft, spend 1 XP, and succeed at a surgery roll (difficulty equal to the level of the graft) to recharge it; otherwise the graft remains spent and useless. Some grafts (particularly pills and injections) cannot be recharged in this way. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to recharge a graft that was depleted more than ten minutes ago, with each level of Effort extending this time period by ten minutes. If you have the Jack trick of the trade Recharge Cypher, the time increments for recharging a graft are one hour each instead of ten minutes each. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Artifact Fusion. You can surgically graft artifacts to your body. These fused devices function as if they were one level higher. Enabler.
Additional Cypher. The number of cyphers you can bear (whether or not they are grafts) increases by one. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Faster Grafting. You’ve permanently altered your body to make it faster and easier to add or remove grafts. You gain an asset on surgical tasks, and adding or removing a graft takes only one minute instead of an hour. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Defensive Augmentation or Transhuman Organs as your Tier 6 ability.
Defensive Augmentation. By upgrading your nervous and immune systems, you are trained in Might defense and Speed defense tasks. Enabler.
Transhuman Organs. After a ten-hour surgical procedure where you upgrade or replace most of your internal organs with new ones, you gain +5 to each of your three stat Pools. Enabler.
¶ Battles Automatons
Life is for the living—the biological. Automatons, animate machines, thinking machines, and anything similar are abominations. You excel at battling these anathemas, cleansing the world of their contaminating presence. Maybe your desire to battle automatons comes from religious zealotry. Maybe it’s steeped in revenge for some past crime committed by a machine. Maybe you don’t know why you’re driven to destroy animate machines. Maybe you’re just good at it. You probably bear the trophies of former “kills” on you, wearing bits of numenera on your belt or around your neck. You also likely use heavy weaponry, ideal for penetrating armor.
Glaives are most often automaton fighters, particularly those who are quick and nimble, able to leap in, cutting a few vital wires here or slicing through a component panel there.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You suspect that this character is put off by your hatred of animate machines. You can choose whether or not they know of your suspicions.
- Pick one other PC. You know that this character has suffered at the hands of automatons in the past, and perhaps you can convince them to help you in your calling. Regardless, you feel protective of them.
- Pick one other PC. This character does not appear to share your feelings about automatons. In fact, you believe that they might secretly have machine parts.
- Pick one other PC. This character comes from the same place you do, and you knew each other as children.
Additional Equipment: You have bits and pieces that you tore from the husks of automatons you have destroyed in the past.
Anti-Machine Abilities: You are trained in understanding numenera. In addition, if your type grants you special abilities that inflict damage, they inflict 1 additional point of damage to automatons and similar beings, and 1 fewer point of damage to biological, living targets. If you have abilities that normally would not work against automatons (like mind control), they will now. Enabler.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your automaton foe experiences an error for one round, during which time all tasks it attempts are hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your automaton foe experiences a major error and loses its next turn.
¶ Tier 1
Machine Vulnerabilities. You inflict 3 additional points of damage against automatons and animate machines of all kinds. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Defense Against Automatons. You have studied your enemy and are trained in anticipating the actions that an automaton or machine is likely to take in a fight. Defense tasks you attempt against these foes are eased. Enabler. Machine Hunting. You are trained in tasks associated with tracking, spotting, or otherwise finding automatons and animate machines. You are also trained in all stealth tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Disable Mechanisms or Surprise Attack as your Tier 3 ability.
Disable Mechanisms (3 Speed points). With a keen eye and quick moves, you disrupt some of an automaton’s functions and inflict upon it one of the following maladies:
- The difficulty of all its tasks is hindered for one minute.
- The automaton’s speed is halved.
- The automaton can take no action for one round.
- The automaton deals 2 fewer points of damage (minimum 1 point) for one minute.
Surprise Attack. If attacking from a hidden vantage, with surprise, or before your opponent has acted, you get a free level of Effort on the attack. On a successful hit, you inflict 2 additional points of damage. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Automaton Fighter. When fighting an automaton or intelligent machine, you are trained in attacks and defense. Enabler. Pierce Metal Hides. You ignore 2 points of Armor on an automaton. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Drain Power (5 Speed points). You affect the main power source of the automaton, inflicting upon it all four conditions listed for Disable Mechanisms at once. You must touch the automaton to do this (if you are making an attack, it inflicts no damage). Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Blind Machine or Deactivate Mechanisms as your Tier 6 ability.
- Blind Machine (6 Speed points). You deactivate the sensory apparatus of the machine, making it effectively blind until it can be repaired. You must either touch the target or strike it with a ranged attack (inflicting no damage). Action.
- Deactivate Mechanisms (5+ Speed points). You make a melee attack that inflicts no damage against a machine. Instead, if the attack hits, make a second Speed-based roll. If successful, a machine of level 3 or lower is deactivated for one minute. For each additional level of Effort applied, you can affect one higher level of machine or you can extend the duration for an additional minute. If you have the Wright special abilities Scramble Machine or Disable Machine (or a type ability that works similarly), when you apply a level of Effort to any of them, you gain an additional free level of Effort. Action.
¶ Bears a Halo of Fire
You can create a sheath of flames around your body. You leave scorch marks wherever you go, and you can’t handle combustible objects without first dousing your inherent flames. Your special abilities (such as Nano esoteries) are tainted with flame. Fiery visuals accompany your powers, and in some cases, your predilection for flame actually reshapes your abilities to take on a fiery nature where none existed before.
You probably wear red and yellow, or perhaps black.
Although most of those who take up this mantle are Nanos, flame-wielding Glaives and Jacks are fearsome indeed.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. Through a quirk of fate, your fire cannot harm that character.
- Pick one other PC. You burned this character by accident, and they still have a scar.
- Pick one other PC. You’re always trying to impress them with your fire, but you’re not sure why.
- Pick one other PC. When you’re near this character, sometimes your flames burn with weird patterns.
Additional Equipment: You have an artifact—a device that sprays inanimate objects to make them fire-resistant. All your starting gear has already been treated unless you don’t want it to be.
Fire Powers: Your special abilities that would normally use force or other energy (such as electricity) instead use fire. For example, force blasts from Onslaught are blasts of flame, and Flash is a burst of fire. These alterations change nothing except the type of damage and the fact that it might start fires. As another example, Barrier produces a wall of roaring flames. In this case, the alteration changes the esotery so that the barrier is not solid but instead inflicts 1 point of damage to anything that touches it and 4 points of damage to anyone who passes through it. Even fighting moves such as No Need for Weapons might mean your hands and fists are surrounded by flames.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target or something near the target catches fire.
Major Effect Suggestions: An important item on the target’s person is destroyed.
¶ Tier 1
Shroud of Flame (1 Intellect point). At your command, your entire body becomes shrouded in flames that last up to ten minutes. The fire doesn’t burn you, but it automatically inflicts 2 points of damage to anyone who tries to touch you or strike you with a melee attack. Flames from another source can still hurt you. While the shroud is active, you gain +2 points of Armor that protect only against damage from fire from another source. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Hurl Flame (2 Intellect points). While your Shroud of Flame is active, you can reach into your halo and hurl a handful of fire at a target. This is a ranged attack with short range that deals 4 points of fire damage. Action.
Fiery Power. When you use the Onslaught force blast esotery or the Flash esotery, increase the damage by 1 point. If you don’t have either of those abilities, this ability has no effect. Fiery Power does not affect damage from the Onslaught mindslice. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Fiery Hand of Doom or Wings of Fire as your Tier 3 ability.
- Fiery Hand of Doom (3 Intellect points). While your Shroud of Flame is active, you can reach into your halo and produce a hand made of animate flame that is twice the size of a human’s hand. The hand acts as you direct, floating in the air. Directing the hand is an action. Without a command, the hand does nothing. It can move a long distance in a round, but it never moves farther away from you than long range. The hand can grab, move, and carry things, but anything it touches takes 1 point of damage per round from the heat. The hand can also attack. It’s a level 3 creature and deals 1 extra point of damage from fire when it attacks. Once created, the hand lasts for ten minutes. Action to create; action to direct.
- Wings of Fire (4 Intellect points). While your Shroud of Flame is active, you can spread wings of fire and can levitate, moving at a rate of up to 20 feet (6 m) per round in any direction for one minute. You can also take one other nonmovement action on your turn. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Flameblade (4 Intellect points). When you wish it, you extend your halo of fire to cover a weapon you wield in flame for one hour. The flame ends if you stop holding or carrying the weapon. While the flame lasts, the weapon inflicts 2 additional points of damage. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Fire Tendrils (5 Intellect points). When you wish it, your halo sprouts three tendrils of flame that last for up to ten minutes. As an action, you can use the tendrils to attack, making a separate attack roll for each. Each tendril inflicts 4 points of damage. Otherwise, the attacks function as standard attacks. If you don’t use the tendrils to attack, they remain but do nothing. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Fire Servant or Inferno Trail as your Tier 6 ability.
- Fire Servant (6 Intellect points). You reach into your halo and produce an automaton of fire that is your general shape and size. It acts as you direct each round. Directing the servant is an action, and you can command it only when you are within long range of it. Without a command, the servant continues to follow your previous command. You can also give it a simple programmed action, such as “Wait here, and attack anyone who comes within short range until they’re dead.” The servant lasts for ten minutes, is a level 5 creature, and deals 1 extra point of damage from fire when it attacks. Action to create; action to direct.
- Inferno Trail (6 Intellect points). For the next minute, you leave a trail of flame in your wake. The trail matches your path and lasts for up to a minute, creating a wall of flame about 6 feet (2 m) high that inflicts 5 points of damage to any creature that passes through it, potentially catching them on fire for an additional 1 point of damage each round (if they are flammable) until they spend a round putting out the fire. Action.
¶ Brandishes an Exotic Shield
Anyone can use a shield. But few can project a protective force field that crackles with otherworldly energy. Maybe your ability comes from a childhood encounter with a strange machine or a metallic nodule that protrudes above your flesh along your spine, or perhaps it is something that people in your family are capable of once every few generations. You use your force field to not only protect yourself, but to aggressively bash those who would do you harm. At first, you can create only a small protective plane. But as your skills improve, you can learn to throw it at foes and have it rebound, heal allies, and release an explosion of destructive energy each time it strikes home.
Glaives and Delves are most likely to choose this focus.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You overheard them say that anyone who uses a shield doesn’t really know how to fight. You’re looking for an opportunity to prove them wrong.
- Pick one other PC. Someone related to this character gave you the plans to create, or themselves created, your shield.
- Pick one other PC. You rescued them from a bad situation.
- Pick one other PC. You’re drawn to them and don’t know why. There’s just something about them. A shared destiny? Or destined to become bitter foes one day?
Shield Abilities: If you wish, you can replace one of your Tier 1 type abilities with Force Fall.
- Force Fall (1 Speed point). If you fall, you can use your force field shield to absorb the impact of landing and gain +5 Armor against damage you would otherwise take from the fall. Enabler.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You bash your target and knock them prone.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your bash your target, and they are dazed for one minute, during which time their tasks are hindered.
¶ Tier 1
Force Field Shield. You manifest a small plane of pure force, which takes on a shield-like shape with the barest flicker of a thought. You can dismiss it just as easily. To use the force shield, you must hold it in one of your hands. You are practiced in using your exotic shield in one hand as a light melee weapon; however, if you attack with both your shield and a weapon held in the other hand, both attacks are hindered. When you are unconscious or sleeping, the force field dissipates. Enabler.
Force Bash (1 Might point). This is a pummeling melee attack you make with your force shield. Your attack inflicts 1 fewer point of damage than normal but dazes your target for one round, during which time all tasks it performs are hindered. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Enveloping Shield. Your force shield produces an envelope of force that enfolds you while you are holding the shield, granting you +1 to Armor. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Healing Pulse or Throw Force Shield as your Tier 3 ability.
- Healing Pulse (3 Intellect points). You and all targets you choose within immediate range gain the immediate benefits of using one of their recovery rolls (as long as it is not their ten-hour recovery roll) without having to spend an action, ten minutes, or one hour. Targets regain points to their Pools immediately but mark off that recovery use. PCs who have already used up their one-action, ten-minute, and one-hour recovery rolls for the day gain no benefit from this ability. NPCs targeted by this ability regain a number of health points equal to their level. Action.
- Throw Force Shield. You can throw your force shield up to short range as a light ranged weapon. Whether the shield hits or misses, it immediately dissipates and then reforms in your grasp. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Energized Shield. Your force shield now pulses with dangerous energy whenever you manifest it. Each time you use your shield as a melee or ranged weapon, it inflicts +3 damage. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Force Wall (5 Intellect points). You can trigger the energy in your force shield to expand outward in all directions to create an immobile plane of solid force up to 20 feet by 20 feet (6 m by 6 m) for up to one hour or until you take your shield back. (The force shield becomes the force wall.) The plane of the force wall conforms to the space available. While the force wall remains in place, the only other focus ability you can use is Healing Pulse. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Bouncing Shield or Shield Burst as your Tier 6 ability.
- Bouncing Shield. If you throw your force shield as a light weapon at a target within short range, whether it hits or misses, it will attack up to two additional targets within short range. Effort or other modifiers applied to the first attack affect all other targets as well. Whether you hit all, some, or none of your targets, the shield dissipates and then reforms in your grasp. (If you choose Bouncing Shield and have previously taken the Tier 3 ability Throw Force Shield, you have the option to exchange your Tier 3 ability for Healing Pulse.) Enabler.
- Shield Burst. When you make a melee or ranged attack and hit with the force shield, it releases an explosion of energy, inflicting an additional 2 points of damage on the target and everything within immediate range of the target. If you applied Effort to inflict additional damage as part of the attack, each level of Effort inflicts only 2 additional points to all targets instead of 3 points. If you use Shield Burst with a melee attack, you and creatures behind you are not affected by this explosion. If you use Shield Burst as a ranged attack, the shield dissipates after the attack and then reforms in your grasp. Enabler.
¶ Breaks Down Walls
Through some modification of your body— mutation, mechanical enhancement, nanoreinforcement, or something else—you have the ability to smash through walls, destroy weapons, shatter shackles, break devices, and otherwise annihilate objects that would be difficult or even impossible for others to demolish. You’re a breaker. You do not flinch; you punch right through that wall, smash that machine, and fold the enemy’s metallic sword in half in an impressive and intimidating display. Depending on the method that gives you this ability, your act might be accompanied by flashes of energy, sound, or acidic odors. Once you display your impressive skills as a destroyer, your enemies sometimes surrender rather than face an apparent force of nature like yourself.
You likely wear armor, but probably not the heaviest armor you can because you don’t want anything to slow you down too much.
Breakers are often Glaives or Delves.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You accidentally struck this character once when you tried to break through a wall. It ruined your attempt and gave the character a nasty bruise that they claim still aches months later.
- Pick one other PC. You’re certain this character appreciates your abilities and is as impressed as you are with the sound of walls being smashed. This may or may not actually be the case.
- Pick one other PC. You and this character were childhood friends.
- Pick one other PC. This character provides excellent covering fire while you break down walls. If they use ranged attacks in the same round as you make a charge attack, they can fire their weapon through the hole you just made.
Additional Equipment: A mechanism of some sort is fused with your flesh. You think it might have something to do with your ability to pierce solid material.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your feat of destruction thrills you. You gain an asset to Speed defense tasks until your next action.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your feat of destruction inspires you. You knock your opponent off their feet, and they lose their next action.
¶ Tier 1
Breaker. You are trained in tasks related to damaging objects with the goal of breaking, piercing, or demolishing them. (It is a Might action to damage an object, and on a success, the object moves one step down the object damage track. If the Might roll exceeds the difficulty by two steps, the object instead moves two steps down the object damage track. If the Might roll exceeds the difficulty by four steps, the object moves three steps down the object damage track and is immediately destroyed. Brittle material reduces the effective level of the object, while hard material like wood or stone adds 1 to the effective level or 2 for very hard objects like those made of metal.) Enabler.
Hard as Synthsteel. To damage an object normally, the tool or weapon used to attack the object must be at least as hard as the object itself. However, your hands and body automatically adjust so that, for the purpose of breaking things, they momentarily become at least as hard as the object you are attempting to damage or break. This ability doesn’t apply if you’re attempting to break through force fields, unless you have the Tier 4 ability Force to Reckon With. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Field of Destruction (4 Might points). When you cause an object to descend one or more steps on the object damage track, you gain 1 additional point of Armor for one minute. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Break Through or Machine Vulnerabilities as your Tier 3 ability.
- Break Through (4 Might points). You can move up to a short distance and attempt to break through a section of wall at some point along the way, with a difficulty equal to the wall’s level. Your attempt is hindered by one step for every 6 inches (15 cm) thickness of the wall. You can’t break through force fields using this ability, unless you have the Tier 4 ability Force to Reckon With. On a failed attempt, you take 4 points of damage. Even if you successfully break through, you still take 1 point of damage. This leaves a hole the size of your body in the barrier, which others can use to pass through it. If you have a special ability from your type that allows you to move and take an action, when you use this ability, you gain an asset to break through the wall. Action.
- Machine Vulnerabilities. You inflict 3 additional points of damage against automatons and animate machines of all kinds. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Force to Reckon With. You can break through force fields and energy barriers as if they were physical walls. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Jump Attack (5 Might points). You attempt a difficulty 4 Might task to jump high into the air as part of your melee attack action. If you succeed at the jump and your attack hits, you inflict 3 additional points of damage and knock the foe prone. If you fail at the jump, you still make your normal attack roll, but you don’t inflict the extra damage or knock down the opponent on a hit. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to enhance your jump; each level of Effort used in this way adds +2 feet (60 cm) to the height and +1 damage to the attack. If you have the Glaive special ability of the same name, when you use either, the Might task to jump high as part of the attack is difficulty 2 instead of 4. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Break the Ranks or Destroyer for your Tier 6 ability.
- Break the Ranks (6 Speed points). You move up to a short distance and attack up to four different foes as a single action as long as they are all along your path. Any modifiers that apply to one attack apply to all the attacks you make. If you have a special ability from your type that allows you to move and take an action, when you use Break the Ranks, you gain an asset to attacking these foes. Action.
- Destroyer (6 Might points). If you succeed on a Might task to damage an object, instead of descending one step on the damage track, the object descends all three steps and is destroyed. Action.
¶ Builds Tomorrow
One of your favorite pastimes involves imagining what the skylines of the previous worlds might have looked like. Their inspiring heights, strange shapes, colors that human eyes can’t see, Connections between structures that allowed the unknowable peoples of those bygone eras to step from one to the next... Well, you don’t know for certain what it must have been like, but you gain just as much pleasure imagining the future you will build, using the seeds of ancient knowledge as your guide for tomorrow.
Are you a Wright, or are you some other type that has a keen interest in crafting? Although anyone can try their hand at crafting, someone who Builds Tomorrow has an advantage.
Whatever else you wear, you likely have a belt strung with various spare parts, tools, and iotum, if you have any on hand.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character seems able to use all the objects and structures you craft with ease, even when you hide how to access certain functions.
- Pick one other PC. This character knows a few things that can help when the objects or structures you crafted need repair.
- Pick one other PC. This character has a special tool that you think would be perfect for your own set, but they regard it as a keepsake or are otherwise reluctant to give it up, even though they don’t seem to know what it’s good for.
- Pick one other PC. When you were developing a plan from a seed of knowledge from the prior worlds, this character was burned in an unexpected incident. They still have a small scar.
Additional Equipment: You begin with one numenera plan for an installation or cypher of your choice and a bag of light tools. You also have 3 units of io, 3 units of responsive synth, and 3 units of parts.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You are elated with how well an object you crafted is functioning, easing Speed defense tasks for the next round.
Major Effect Suggestions: The object or structure creates some startling effect that causes the foe to lose their next turn.
¶ Tier 1
Natural Crafter. You are trained in crafting numenera. Enabler.
Seeds of a Plan. You immediately gain two new plans to create any object of up to level 3 plus your Tier. Each time you advance a Tier, you can gain two additional plans of up to level 3 plus your Tier. Enabler.
Starting Iotum. You have, find, or otherwise obtain a cache of iotum sufficient to build one installation or cypher that you have a plan for. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Customize Creation (2 XP). When you craft an installation, you can modify it to possess one additional ability from the Builds Tomorrow Customization Table. You can modify only installations. Customization occurs as part of the time it would normally take you to complete the crafting project. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Disable Machine or Improvised Repair as your Tier 3 ability.
- Disable Machine (3+ Intellect points). With a few deft touches, you infuse a powered device of level 3 or lower with conflicting instructions. The device is destroyed or disabled for at least one minute, depending on its size and complexity. The GM may rule that the disabling effect lasts until the device is repaired. For each additional level of Effort applied, you can increase the maximum level of the target by one. Thus, to overload a level 5 device (two levels above the normal limit), you must apply two levels of Effort. If you have the Wright ability of the same name, when you apply a level of Effort on either ability, you get a free level of Effort. Action.
- Improvised Repair (5 Intellect points). When an object or structure with a depletion chance becomes depleted, you can temporarily repair it with just a few rounds of tinkering. This grants an artifact a new depletion chance of 1d6 or an installation (which typically has a long-term depletion chance of days, weeks, or months of use per check) an additional 1d6 days of operation. Once an object or structure has benefited from Improvised Repair once, it can’t be repaired again with this ability. Instead, it must undergo actual repair. Action to initiate, a few rounds to complete.
¶ Tier 4
Fast Builder. When you attempt a crafting task, you lower the assessed difficulty for creating a complex object or structure by 1. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Dual Customization (2 XP). When you use Customize Creation, you can modify the object or structure to possess a second additional ability from the Builds Tomorrow Customization Table for an additional 2 XP. You can modify artifacts, installations, vehicles, and automatons with this ability, but never cyphers. Additional customization of a creation occurs as part of the time it would normally take you to complete the crafting project. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Deluxe Custom Options or Triple Customization as your Tier 6 ability.
- Deluxe Custom Options (2 XP). When you craft a numenera object or structure, you can modify it to possess one additional ability from the Builds Tomorrow Customization Table as normal, or to possess one additional ability from the Deluxe Custom Options Table. You can modify artifacts, installations, vehicles, and automatons with this ability, but never cyphers. Customizing a creation occurs as part of the time it would normally take you to complete the crafting project. Enabler.
- Triple Customization (2 XP). When you use Customize Creation and Dual Customization, you can modify the object or structure to possess a third additional ability from the Builds Tomorrow Customization Table for an additional 2 XP. You can modify artifacts, installations, vehicles, and automatons with this ability, but never cyphers. Additional customization of a creation occurs as part of the time it would normally take you to complete the crafting project. Enabler.
¶ Builds Tomorrow Customization Table
Each option on the table can be chosen only once for a given installation. When implementing a customization, you decide whether you want to make the new function obvious or a hidden feature that requires some investigation to discover, if applicable. If a customization effect depletes, you can choose to repair that effect by spending an additional 2 XP and a number of days equal to the level of the object or structure.
- Improved. The completed installation is one level higher than normal (to a maximum of level 10). This improvement does not affect the time required to build the object or structure. Concealed. The installation is harder to see or be recognized for what it is. All tasks to find, recognize, or locate the installation are hindered by two steps. For example, you might build a force field generator to resemble a tree, a buttress on a mundane wall, and so on. Door and Chamber. You can add a door (or small hatch) and an associated small interior space to an installation. The door and space can be up to an immediate distance across. You can fashion the door so that anyone can use it or just you (unless they successfully force it). When you add a door and space to a small installation, the size of the installation is increased so that it’s large enough to contain it.
- Intelligence. The installation can sense its immediate surroundings. It can speak and interact as an intelligent being. The intelligence has one modification for a specific knowledge skill of your choice as if it were a level 2 follower.
- Guarding. The installation can sense its surroundings within about 1 mile (1.5 km). When you activate this customization as your action, it provides additional surveillance within the area for the next hour. This effect eases initiative tasks for you and anyone else who is aware of the results of the surveillance. If this function is attached to an installation that is part of a community, the community’s effective rank for sensing attacks by stealthy hordes is increased by 1. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d20 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Acquisition. The installation can sense its surroundings within about 1 mile (1.5 km). When you identify an object you can see within that area as your action, provided the object is no bigger than a 5-foot (1.5 m) cube, that object disappears from its location and reappears in your hands or in an open space you choose within immediate range of you. If the object is held by another creature or otherwise protected, the installation must succeed on an acquisition task to acquire the object (compare the installation’s level to the creature’s level to see if the installation succeeds). This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d20 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Healing. The installation can provide a health benefit to a creature by touch or a mechanical tendril that it extends toward a creature you designate within immediate range as your action. If an impaired or debilitated character is targeted, they move one step up the damage track (a debilitated PC becomes impaired, and an impaired PC becomes hale). Alternatively, if you use this function on a PC during a rest, they gain a +3 bonus to their recovery roll. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d20 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Alliance. The installation can produce a level 4 automaton of about your size when you use your action activating this function. The automaton follows the instructions of whoever triggered it, persisting for up to one hour before it must return to the installation for at least one hour. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d12 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect. When you add an automaton to a small installation, the size of the installation is increased so that it’s large enough to contain the resident automaton.
¶ Deluxe Custom Options Table
Each option on the table can be chosen only once for a given object or structure. When implementing a deluxe customization, you decide whether you want to make the new function obvious or a hidden feature that requires some investigation to discover, if applicable. If a customization effect depletes, you can choose to repair that effect by spending an additional 2 XP and a number of days equal to the level of the object or structure. Enhanced. The completed object or structure is two levels higher than normal (to a maximum of level 10). This improvement does not affect the time required to build the object or structure.
- Improbability Field. The object or structure can manipulate probability for one creature within short range, increasing their luck dramatically. That creature must call for the assistance during their action. If the creature fails on a task (including an attack roll or a defense roll), they can change the die result to a natural 20 (though that still might not be enough to succeed if the difficulty is higher than 6). This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d10 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Machine Control. The object or structure grants a user an attempt to control the functions of one machine, intelligent or otherwise, within very long range that the user can see or sense (compare the installation’s level to the machine’s level to see if the installation succeeds). The control lasts for ten minutes. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d20 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Extend Awareness. The object or structure grants a user extended awareness by linking their mind into all installations and other machines within 3 miles (5 km), allowing a user who takes an action to know generally what’s happening in the area (as long as it’s not covert activity or activity occurring inside a structure) for as long as the user does nothing else but continue to look. This awareness lasts up to one hour per use. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d20 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Transport. The object or structure grants a user the ability to instantly transport a target creature that can be seen within very long range to another area that the user can see, in any direction, as long as it is not into another creature or object. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d10 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Concealing Cloak. The object or structure grants a user the ability to cause light to bend around a target within short range for ten minutes. The user triggers the effect as their action. While invisible, the target is specialized in stealth and Speed defense tasks. This effect ends if the target does something to reveal their presence or position—attacking, using an ability, moving a large object, and so on. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d20 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect. Illuminate the Horde. The object or structure grants a user the ability to mark most creatures in a horde with a vertical beam of bright light. The horde must be within 1 mile (1.5 km) and visible to the user. This mark lasts for about an hour. Any other horde or community has an effective rank of +1 for attacks against the marked horde. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d10 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
- Grow a Champion. The object or structure grants a user the ability to cause a creature to grow to the towering height of 30 feet (9 m) for an hour, granting the creature 10 temporary points to their Might Pool and +1 Might Edge. The target is so big that they can move massive objects more easily, climb structures by using hand- and footholds unavailable to regular-sized people, ignore difficult terrain by just stepping over it, and so on. Generally speaking, all climbing, lifting, and jumping tasks are eased by two steps. If it makes sense to do so depending on the situation, the enlarged target can be treated as a rank 2 rampaging horde for the duration. This effect has a depletion of 1 in 1d10 each time it is used, which is separate from any other depletion effect.
¶ Commands Mental Powers
You have always had special abilities that others didn’t seem to share. Through practice and devotion, you have honed this unique talent so that you can harness the power of your mind to perform deeds. No one can tell that you have this ability just by looking at you, although you wear a crystal or jewel somewhere on your head to help focus your power. Either this focusing object was given to you by someone who recognized your ability, or you came upon it by accident and it triggered your abilities. Some people with mental powers— often called psychics or psionics by ordinary folks—are secretive and a little paranoid.
Although Nanos frequently command mental powers, psionic characters of every other type are not uncommon.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You have found that this character is particularly tuned into your mental powers. While you’re within short range of them, the two of you are always in telepathic contact, and they are never harmed by your Psychic Bursts.
- Pick one other PC. For some reason, you can’t telepathically interact with them.
- Pick one other PC. That character and you always enjoy the effect of your Telepathic ability even when you haven’t triggered it.
- Pick one other PC. When they stand next to you and use their action to concentrate on helping you, your Telepathic ability extends to a very long range.
Additional Equipment: You have a crystal or jewel artifact that, when worn against your forehead or temple, adds 1 point to your Intellect Pool. If you’re ever without the artifact, subtract 5 points from your Intellect Pool; the points are restored if you regain the item.
Mental Esoteries: When you apply Effort to the special abilities that control minds, like the Mind Control esotery, the Mind Reading esotery, or the Crowd Control trick of the trade, you get a free level of Effort on that task. Enabler.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The range or duration of the mental power is doubled.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can take another action on that same turn.
¶ Tier 1
Telepathic (1+ Intellect points). You can speak telepathically with others who are within short range. Communication is two-way, but the other party must be willing and able to communicate. You don’t have to see the target, but you must know that it’s within range. You can have more than one active contact at once, but you must establish contact with each target individually. Each contact lasts up to ten minutes. If you apply a level of Effort to increase the duration rather than affect the difficulty, the contact lasts for 28 hours. Action to establish contact.
¶ Tier 2
Mind Reading (2 Intellect points). You can read the surface thoughts of a creature within short range, even if the target doesn’t want you to. You must be able to see your target. Once you have established contact, you can read the target’s thoughts for up to one minute. If you also have the Mind Reading special ability from your type, you can use this ability at long range, and you don’t need to be able to see the target (but you do have to know that the target is within range). Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Psychic Burst or Psychic Suggestion as your Tier 3 ability.
- Psychic Burst (3+ Intellect points). You blast waves of mental force into the minds of up to three targets within short range (make an Intellect roll against each target). This burst inflicts 3 points of Intellect damage (and thus ignores Armor). For each 2 additional Intellect points you spend, you can make an Intellect attack roll against an additional target. Action.
- Psychic Suggestion (4 Intellect points). You attempt to make the target take the action you indicate on its next turn. If the action you wish the target to take would cause direct harm to the target or its allies, your mental attack is hindered. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Use Senses of Others (4 Intellect points). You can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste through the senses of anyone with whom you have telepathic contact. You can attempt to use this ability on a willing or unwilling target within long range; an unwilling target can try to resist. You don’t need to see the target, but you must know that it’s within range. Your shared senses last ten minutes. Action to establish.
¶ Tier 5
Precognition (6 Intellect points). You dimly sense the future for the next ten minutes. This has the following effects until the duration expires: Your defense tasks gain an asset. You can predict the actions of those around you. You gain an asset to seeing through deceptions and attempts to betray you as well as avoiding traps and ambushes. You know what people are probably thinking and what they will say before they say it, which gives you an edge. You gain an asset to all interaction skills. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Mind Control or Telepathic Network as your Tier 6 ability.
- Mind Control (6+ Intellect points). You control the actions of another creature you touch. This effect lasts for one minute. The target must be level 2 or lower. Once you have established control, you maintain mental contact with the target and sense what it senses. You can allow it to act freely or override its control on a case-bycase basis. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to increase the maximum level of the target or increase the duration by one minute. Thus, to control the mind of a level 5 target (three levels above the normal limit) or control a target for four minutes (three levels above the normal duration), you must apply three levels of Effort. If you also have the Mind Control special ability from your type, the normal level limit is 3 rather than 2 When the effect ends, the creature doesn’t remember being controlled or anything it did while under your command. Action to initiate.
- Telepathic Network (0+ Intellect points). When you wish it, you can contact up to ten creatures known to you, no matter where they are. All targets must be willing and able to communicate. You automatically succeed at establishing a telepathic network; no roll is required. All creatures in the network are linked and can communicate telepathically with one another. They can also “overhear” anything said in the network, if they wish. Activating this ability doesn’t require an action and doesn’t cost Intellect points; to you, it’s as easy as speaking out loud. The network lasts until you choose to end it. If you spend 5 Intellect points, you can contact twenty creatures at once, and for every 1 Intellect point you spend above that, you can add ten more creatures to the network. These larger networks last for ten minutes. Creating a network of twenty or more creatures does require an action to establish contact. Enabler.
¶ Controls Beasts
To say that you have a way with animals and nonhuman creatures doesn’t begin to cover it. Your mastery and communication with beasts is positively uncanny. They come to you fearlessly, and it’s not uncommon for birds to alight on your shoulder or for small animals to climb up your arms or legs. You probably wear tough clothing and have a disheveled or grizzled appearance that suggests a rugged, outdoor life. Perhaps you even smell like an animal.
Any type of character is likely to have this focus.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. That character seems to disturb your creatures in a way that you can’t explain. You know that you must keep your animals away from them if possible, or you might lose control.
- Pick one other PC. The creature that you’re bonded with seems to have a special bond with this other person as well. You must decide whether it brings up feelings of jealousy or camaraderie within you and whether to thwart the Connection or help it blossom.
- Pick one other PC. Recently, they accidentally (or perhaps intentionally) put your beast companion in a position of danger. Your companion is now nervous around them, and you are struggling with your own emotional response to the incident.
- Pick one other PC. They dislike beasts of all kinds, seeing them as little more than food or prey. You hope that exposing them to your beast companion will change their mind. It’s up to that player how their character responds to the experience.
Additional Equipment: You have three days’ worth of food for your beast companion, plus a harness, collar, or similar accoutrement.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The duration of calmness or control is doubled.
Major Effect Suggestions: The duration of calmness or control extends to 28 hours.
¶ Tier 1
Beast Companion. A level 2 creature of your size or smaller accompanies you and follows your instructions. You and the GM must work out the details of your creature, and you’ll probably make rolls for it in combat or when it takes actions. The beast companion acts on your turn. As a level 2 creature, it has a target number of 6 and 6 health and it inflicts 2 points of damage. Its movement is based on its creature type (avian, swimmer, and so on). If your beast companion dies, you can hunt in the wild for 1d6 days to find a new companion. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Soothe the Savage (2 Intellect points). You calm a nonhuman beast within 30 feet (9 m). You must speak to it (although it doesn’t need to understand your words), and it must see you. It remains calm for one minute or for as long as you focus all your attention on it. The GM has final say over what counts as a nonhuman beast, but unless some kind of deception is at work, you should know whether you can affect a creature before you attempt to use this ability on it. Aliens, extradimensional entities, very intelligent creatures, and automatons never count. Action.
Communication (2 Intellect points). You can convey a basic concept to a creature that normally can’t speak or understand speech. The creature can also give you a very basic answer to a simple question. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Mount or Stronger Together as your Tier 3 ability.
- Mount. A level 3 creature serves you as a mount and follows your instructions. While you’re mounted on it, the creature can move and you can attack on your turn, which provides an asset to your attack. You and the GM must work out the details of the creature, and you’ll probably make rolls for it when it takes noncombat actions. The mount acts on your turn. If your mount dies, you can hunt in the wild for 3d6 days to find a new one. Enabler.
- Stronger Together. When you and your beast are within immediate distance of each other, you inflict 2 additional points of damage when you attack and both of you gain an asset to defense actions. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Beast Eyes (3 Intellect points). You can sense through your beast companion’s senses if it is within 1 mile (1.5 km) of you. This effect lasts up to ten minutes. Action to establish. Improved Companion. Your beast companion increases to level 4. As a level 4 creature, it has a target number of 12 and 12 health, and it inflicts 4 points of damage (though in most cases, instead of attacking, it provides an asset to your attacks). Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Beast Call (5 Intellect points). You summon a horde of small animals or a single level 4 beast to help you temporarily. These creatures do your bidding for as long as you focus your attention, but you must use your action each turn to direct them. Creatures are native to the area and arrive under their own power, so if you’re in an unreachable place, this ability won’t work. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either As If One Creature or Control the Savage as your Tier 6 ability. Whichever one you choose, you also get Improved Companion.
- As If One Creature. When you and your beast are within immediate distance of each other, you can share damage inflicted on either of you. For instance, if one of you is struck by a weapon for 4 points of damage, divide the damage between the two of you as you see fit. Only the Armor and resistances of the target initially damaged come into play. So if you have 2 Armor and are struck by a force blast for 4 points of damage, your beast can take the 2 points of damage you would suffer, but their Armor does not come into play, nor does their immunity to force blasts, if any. Enabler.
- Control the Savage (6 Intellect points). You can control a calm nonhuman beast within 30 feet (9 m). You control it for as long as you focus all your attention on it, using your turn each round. The GM has final say over what counts as a nonhuman beast, but unless some kind of deception is at work, you should know whether you can affect a creature before you attempt to use this ability on it. Aliens, extradimensional entities, very intelligent creatures, and automatons never count. Action.
Improved Companion. Your beast companion increases to level 5. As a level 5 creature, it has a target number of 15 and 15 health, and it inflicts 5 points of damage. Enabler.
¶ Controls Gravity
Gravity must have been quite a concern for the people of prior epochs because there are many paths within the numenera to control it. Through a quirk of fate, some unique device(s), or supreme devotion (or a combination of all three), you have learned to tap into the power of gravity. With one foot planted in the distant past, you are a mysterious individual. Most likely, you are also older, having spent much of your life honing your odd, ancient talents. You might prefer billowy garments that display your mastery of gravity’s pull and conceal your identity and intentions.
No one type of character is more likely to control gravity than another, but the power is rare.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. In the recent past, while using your gravitational powers, you accidentally sent that character hurtling into the air or plummeting toward the ground. Either way, they barely survived. It is up to the player of that character to decide whether they resent, fear, or forgive you
- Pick one other PC whose focus intertwines with yours. This odd Connection affects them in some way. For example, if the character uses a bow, your ability to manipulate gravity sometimes extends the range of their arrows. If they are good at jumping, they seem less bound by the laws of gravity, and jump farther.
- Pick one other PC. They are deathly afraid of heights. Through your ability to control gravity, you would like to teach them how to be more comfortable with their feet off the ground. They must decide whether or not to take you up on your offer.
- Pick one other PC. They are skeptical of your ability to control gravity and think it’s just one big illusion. They might even attempt to discredit you or discover the “secret” behind your so-called skills.
Additional Equipment: You have a pen-sized oddity that tells the weight of whatever you point it at (within short range). The weight is displayed on a small glass plate in runes that only you can decipher.
Gravity Ability: You can choose to learn Weighty instead of one of the abilities granted by your type:
- Weighty (1 Intellect point): You briefly increase the weight of a target within short range enough to stop them in their tracks, preventing the target from moving and hindering any attempted tasks on their next turn. Action.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The duration of the effect is doubled.
Major Effect Suggestions: An important item on the target’s person is destroyed.
¶ Tier 1
Hover (1 Intellect point). You float slowly into the air. As your action, you can concentrate to remain motionless in the air, or float up to a short distance, but no more; otherwise, you drift with the wind or with any momentum you have gained. This effect lasts for up to ten minutes. If you also have the Hover ability granted by your type, you can hover for twenty minutes and move your normal speed. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Lessening Gravity’s Pull. By manipulating gravity’s pull on yourself, you gain +1 to your Speed Edge. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Define Down or Gravity Cleave as your Tier 3 ability.
- Define Down (4 Intellect points). The natural gravity within an area a short distance across that you are within immediate range of changes directions so that it flows in the direction you determine (up, up and to the south, west, and so on) for a few seconds, then snaps back. Affected targets could be tossed up to 20 feet (6 m) and take a few points of damage. Action.
- Gravity Cleave (3 Intellect points). You can harm a target within short range by rapidly increasing gravity’s pull on one portion of the target and decreasing it on another, inflicting 6 points of damage. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Field of Gravity (4 Intellect points). When you wish it, a field of manipulated gravity around you pulls incoming ranged projectile attacks to the ground. You are immune to such attacks until your turn in the next round. You must be aware of an attack to foil it. This ability does not work on energy attacks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Flight (4+ Intellect points). You can float and fly through the air for one hour. For each level of Effort applied, you can affect one additional creature of your size or smaller. You must touch the creature to bestow the power of flight. You direct the other creature’s movement, and while flying, it must remain within sight of you or fall. In terms of overland movement, a flying creature moves about 20 miles (32 km) per hour and is not affected by terrain. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Improved Gravity Cleave or Weight of the World as your Tier 6 ability.
- Improved Gravity Cleave (9 Intellect points). You can harm a group of targets within long range by rapidly increasing gravity’s pull on one portion of each target and decreasing it on another, inflicting 6 points of damage. The targets must be within immediate range of each other. Action.
- Weight of the World (6+ Intellect points). You can increase a target’s weight dramatically. The target is pulled to the ground and can’t move physically under its own power for one minute. The target must be within short range. For each level of Effort applied, you can affect one additional creature. Action.
¶ Crafts Illusions
You use the numenera to create holographic images that appear real. You are, in effect, an artist—a crafter of light and sound. Holographic images can never inflict direct harm or exert real force, but they can fool creatures, changing opinions and even behaviors if you craft them cleverly. You likely dress with flair and color. The appearance of things is important to you, both their beauty and their ugliness. You are a visual performer who can entertain, terrify, or fool everyone you encounter.
A Nano is the most likely character to be an illusionist, but Jacks find illusions to be helpful as well. The rare Glaive illusionist can find ways to use tricks in battle.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character is never fooled by your illusions and is never affected by the trickery of your special abilities. You can choose whether or not you know this fact.
- Pick one other PC. They have a special angle on your illusions and can sometimes point out potential places of weakness.
- Pick two other PCs who are willing to be trained as your assistants. When you use your Minor Illusion ability, if both of these characters are in immediate range, they can assist you, working together to ease your action.
- Pick one other PC. That character’s face is so intriguing to you in a way you don’t understand that your minor illusions sometimes look like them, even when you don’t intend them to.
Additional Equipment: You have an oddity that appears to be a piece of clear glass in a synth frame. By manipulating hidden switches on the frame, you can make random moving images appear on the glass. The images are usually strange and sometimes incomprehensible.
Psychedelic Abilities: Your special abilities take on flamboyant visual and auditory qualities of your choosing. This alteration changes nothing other than the appearance of the effects. For example, your attack esoteries might look like monsters made of energy that assail your foes. Your Stasis esotery might look like a tentacled beast that holds the victim in place. Your Teleportation esotery might seem like a hole in space opens up and swallows you. Your Skill With Defense fighting move might look like ghostly echoes mimicking your actions or ephemeral arms blocking attacks against you.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your illusion has a special quality to it—perhaps an observer sees an image of something from their past.
Major Effect Suggestions: The illusion lasts for one hour, or if it already lasts that long, it lasts for 28 hours.
¶ Tier 1
Minor Illusion (1 Intellect point). You create a single image of a creature or object within immediate range. The image must fit within a 10-foot (3 m) cube. The image can move (for example, you could make the illusion of a person walk or attack), but it can’t leave the area defined by the cube. The illusion includes sound but not smell. It lasts for ten minutes, but if you want to change the original illusion significantly—such as making a creature appear to be wounded—you must concentrate on it again (though doing so doesn’t cost additional Intellect points). If you move beyond immediate range of the cube, the illusion vanishes. Action to create; action to modify.
¶ Tier 2
Disguise (2+ Intellect points). You appear to be someone or something else, roughly of your size and shape, for up to one hour. Once created, the disguise requires no concentration. For each additional Intellect point you spend, you can disguise one other creature. All disguised creatures must stay within sight of you or lose their disguise. Action to create.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Cast Illusion or Major Illusion as your Tier 3 ability.
- Cast Illusion. You can increase the range at which you create and maintain your immediate-range illusions to anywhere within short range that you can perceive. Enabler.
- Major Illusion (3 Intellect points). You create a complex scene of images within immediate range. The entire scene must fit within a 100- foot (30 m) cube. The images can move, but they can’t leave the area defined by the cube. The illusion includes sound and smell. It lasts for ten minutes and changes as you direct (no concentration is needed). If you move beyond immediate range of the cube, the illusion vanishes. Action to create.
¶ Tier 4
Illusory Selves (4 Intellect points). You create four holographic duplicates of yourself within short range. The duplicates last for one minute. You mentally direct their actions, and the duplicates aren’t mirror images—each one can do different things. If struck violently, they either disappear permanently or freeze motionless (your choice). Action to create.
¶ Tier 5
Terrifying Image (6 Intellect points). You use a bit of subtle telepathy to learn which images would appear terrifying to creatures that you choose within long range. Those images appear within that area and menace the appropriate creatures. Make an Intellect attack roll against each creature you want to affect. Success means the creature flees in terror for one minute, pursued by its nightmares. Failure means the creature ignores the images, which do not hamper it in any way. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Grandiose Illusion or Permanent Illusion as your Tier 6 ability.
- Grandiose Illusion (8 Intellect points). You create a fantastically complex scene of images that fit within a 1-mile (1.5 km) cube that you are also within. You must be able to see the images when you create them. The images can move in the cube and act in accordance with your desires. They can also act logically (such as reacting appropriately to fire or attacks) when you aren’t directly observing them. The illusion includes sound and smell. For example, armies can clash in battle, with air support from machines or flying creatures, on and above terrain of your creation. The illusion lasts for one hour (or longer, if you concentrate on it after that time). Action.
- Permanent Illusion (9 Intellect points). An illusion (or portion of an illusion) that you create that fits within a 10-foot (3 m) cube becomes permanent. You can permanently end the illusion as an action, but others must expend exceptional ingenuity to prevent the illusion from regenerating even if it has apparently been dispersed. Enabler.
¶ Dances with Dark Matter
You’ve felt the edges of something more real than the substanceless shadows that dance behind the light—something you dubbed dark matter. It responded to you, almost like a living thing. When you made shadow puppets, they were dark matter condensed and became briefly real. As you grew older, you learned to harness your gift for more than play. You can condense dark matter from thin air, pulling it from the void spaces or a transdimensional pocket that few others can access. You don’t fear dark matter, but others should when you’re around.
Nanos, Jacks, and Delves probably get the most out of this focus. That said, an Arkus could parlay the sense of dread that accompanies anyone able to command darkness, bolstering their authority among many.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character also likes the dark. You both gain +1 on any die rolls when you collaborate on the same task, fight the same foe, and so on.
- Pick two other PCs. You think you once saw them doing something illegal at night. You can choose whether or not to share that information. The characters can choose whether it was really them (it could have been neither, one, or both), and they may or may not share that information in return.
- Pick one other PC. This person always seems to see you, even when you’re totally cloaked by darkness.
- Pick one other PC. This character once flashed a cypher in your eyes so brightly that you were blinded for several days. You recovered, but you keep an eye on this character, just in case.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Darkness is drawn to your foe’s eyes, hindering any attacks the foe attempts on its next turn.
Major Effect Suggestions: Darkness thickens and momentarily clogs your foe’s throat like a wad of felt. Coughing and choking, they lose their next turn.
¶ Tier 1
Ribbons of Dark Matter (2 Intellect points). For the next minute, dark matter condenses within an area within long range that is no bigger than an immediate distance in diameter, manifesting as swirling ribbons. All tasks attempted by creatures in the area are hindered, and leaving the area requires the creature’s entire action to move. You can dismiss the dark matter early as an action. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Void Wings (3 Intellect points). Swirling ribbons of weird matter grasp you and lift you up, allowing you to fly for one round as quickly as you can move. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Dark Matter Shroud or Dark Matter Strike as your Tier 3 ability.
- Dark Matter Shroud (4 Intellect points). Ribbons of dark matter condense and swirl about you for up to one minute. This shroud eases your Speed defense tasks, inflicts 2 points of damage to anyone who tries to touch you or strike you with a melee attack, and gives you +1 Armor. Action to initiate.
- Dark Matter Strike (4 Intellect points). When you attack a foe within long range, dark matter condenses around your target and entangles its limbs, holding it in place and easing your attack by two steps. The ability works for whatever kind of attack you use (melee, ranged, energy, and so on). Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Dark Matter Shell (5 Intellect points). For the next minute, you cover yourself with a shell of dark matter. Your appearance becomes a dark silhouette, and you gain an asset to sneaking tasks and gain +1 to your Armor. The dark matter shell works seamlessly with your desires, and if you apply a level of Effort to any physical task while the shell persists, you can apply an additional free level of Effort to that same task. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Windwracked Traveler (4+ Intellect points). You condense a wide wing of dark matter that can carry you through the air for a period of up to one hour. For each level of Effort applied, you can add one hour to the duration or carry one additional creature of your size or smaller. You must touch the additional creatures for them to be tucked under your wing. They must remain relatively still while the wing lasts or they will fall. In terms of overland movement, you fly at about 20 miles (32 km) per hour and are not affected by terrain. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Dark Matter Structure or Embrace the Night as your Tier 6 ability.
- Dark Matter Structure (5 Intellect points). You can form dark matter into a large structure consisting of up to ten 10-foot (3 m) cubes. The structure can be somewhat complex, though everything has the same matte black color from which no light shines. Otherwise, the structure can possess different densities, textures, and capacities. This means it can include windows, doors with locks, furnishings, and even decor, as long as it is all black as pitch. For example, you could shape the dark matter into a large, defensible structure; a sturdy 100-foot (30 m) bridge; or anything similar. The structure is a level 6 creation and lasts for 28 hours. You can’t keep more than one such structure solid at any one time. Action.
- Embrace the Night (7+ Intellect points). You fashion a truly horrifying facade of a creature from swirling ribbons of dark matter and launch it at your foes within long range. You can attack each round against a target within long range using the creation as your weapon. When you attack, the creature inserts hair-fine tendrils of shadow into the target’s eyes and brain. The target takes 3 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and is stunned for one round so that it loses its next turn. Alternatively, you can cause the creature to take other actions, as long as you are able to see it and mentally control it as your action. The creature disperses after about a minute. Action to initiate.
¶ Defends the Gate
You are a defender. Places are special to you, and seeing them overrun hurts your soul to its core. Perhaps you had a bad experience once, where a place that you loved was lost in war. After that, you vowed: never again. You sought out special training, and more than that, a connection to the nanites that some possess but most people think of as magic. This Connection is conferred via mutation, a special device, psychic concentration, or some other method that links you to the numenera. Your connection grows over time, granting you the ability to defend a city, a wall, or even just a single but all-important gate.
You probably wear obvious armor, perhaps even distinctive in its defensive nature. A few spikes and scowling faces worked into the pattern might discourage those seeking to get past you.
Glaives are the obvious character to prefer this focus, though a Wright defending an installation might enjoy the additional protection this focus provides.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. Though you once defended this character from a foe’s attack, you weren’t completely successful. This character still bears a scar (it’s up to them where and how prominent that scar is).
- Pick one other PC. You defended them once from an abhuman’s attack when they were debilitated. You were completely successful, saving this character’s life.
- Pick one other PC. You’re always trying to impress this character with your strength, ability to withstand pain, capacity for drink, and so on. Perhaps they are a rival, perhaps you desire their respect, or perhaps you’re romantically interested in them.
- Pick one other PC. This character seems to anticipate your next move almost before you begin it. When this character collaborates with you on the same task or defends the same area, both of you gain an asset to initiative tasks.
Additional Equipment: You have a strange device, either handheld or fused to your forearm. It might be purely decorative, or it might be related to your connection to the numenera.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is pushed back by your strong defense, so much so that it’s dazed for one round, during which time its tasks are hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: Make an additional attack with your weapon on your turn.
¶ Tier 1
Fortified Position (2 Might points). For the next minute, you gain +1 Armor and an asset to your Might defense tasks, as long as you haven’t moved more than an immediate distance since your last turn. Action to initiate.
Rally to Me (2 Intellect points). You cry out, blow a battle horn, or otherwise signal to everyone within very long range that you require aid. All allied creatures who respond by moving to within an immediate distance of you within the next few rounds gain one asset on any one attack or defense task within the next hour that you suggest, such as “hold the gate,” “charge that group of abhumans,” or something similar. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Mind for Might. When performing a task that would normally require spending points from your Intellect Pool, you can spend points from your Might Pool instead, and vice versa. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Fortification Builder or Train Defenders as your Tier 3 ability.
- Fortification Builder. Whenever you attempt a crafting task—or help in the crafting task— to build a wall or other fortification (regardless of whether it is commonplace or a numenera installation designed as a fortification or defense), you lower the assessed difficulty for creating a complex object or structure by two steps, to a minimum of difficulty 1. Enabler.
- Train Defenders. During idle moments in the month or more that you’ve been active in an allied community or horde, you trained a troop of up to ten level 2 followers. One of their modifications must be for tasks related to defending the community from attack. These followers do not accompany you when you leave the horde or community, but rather remain behind to see that the community or horde remains safe. If you ever use Rally to Me within earshot of your trained defenders, each one gains an additional asset each round in tasks related to defending the community. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Living Buttress. You are mightier than others. Add +5 to your Might Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Reinforcing Field (6+ Intellect points). You can reinforce any object or structure by infusing it with a force field for one hour. The force field increases the level of the object or structure by 2 for tasks related to durability and withstanding damage and destruction. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose Generate Force Field or Rout Horde as your Tier 6 ability.
- Generate Force Field (9+ Intellect points). You create six planes of solid force (level 8), each 30 feet (9 m) to a side, which persist for one hour. The planes must be contiguous, and they retain the position that you choose when initiating the special ability. For instance, you could arrange the planes linearly, creating a wall 180 feet (55 m) long, or you could create a closed cube. The planes conform to the space available. Each additional level of Effort you apply increases the level of the barrier by one (to a maximum of level 10) or increases the number of hours it remains by one. Action to initiate.
- Rout Horde (9+ Intellect points). With a display of energy, force, and shaking earth, you can attempt to rout a horde of up to rank 2 for one hour (or potentially longer if the horde has second thoughts about pressing its attack). A routed horde retreats several hundred yards and assesses its options. For each level of Effort you apply, you can attempt to affect a horde whose rank is one higher. Action to initiate.
¶ Defends the Weak
Someone has to stand up for the helpless, the weak, and the unprotected. You believe this duty falls to you, and thus you have spent much of your life watching out for the people around you. When you see them in trouble, you are the first to come to their aid. You might give up your last shin to help the hungry, take a beating to save a person from the same, or rally your friends to take on injustice wherever you find it. You probably bear many scars from previous conflicts, but for each scar, you likely also have a token of gratitude. You may have a dried flower given to you by a lady you saved from brigands, or a bit of metal given to you by a starving man you fed.
Glaives typically take up the cause of the weak, having the grit, determination, and durability to face down dangerous threats. Jacks, however, may pursue these goals as vigilantes, while Nanos bring to bear fabulous powers in the defense of others. Delves are least likely to take up this cause, as they tend to be loners. On the other hand, Wrights and Arkai, many of whom have the good of others in mind at all times, are sometimes drawn to more direct methods of defending others.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You failed to protect this character at some point in the past, and you feel compelled to make up for your failure.
- Pick one other PC. This character claimed innocence during a long-ago event, and you protected them. Now that time has passed, you’re not entirely convinced that they were blameless.
- Pick two other PCs. They seem to think that you are more of an arbitrator than you really are, and they keep asking you to choose which one of them is correct.
- Pick one other PC. They believe that one of the tokens of gratitude you carry came from their father.
Additional Equipment: You have a shield.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You can draw an attack without having to use an action at any point before the end of the next round.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can take an extra action, though you can use this action only to stand guard.
¶ Tier 1
Courageous. You are trained in Intellect defense tasks and initiative tasks. Enabler.
Warding Shield. You have +1 to Armor while you are using a shield. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Devoted Defender (2 Might or Intellect points). Choose one character you can see. That character becomes your ward. You are trained in all tasks involving finding, healing, interacting with, and protecting that character. You can have only one ward at a time. Action to initiate.
Insight. You are trained in tasks to discern others’ motives and to ascertain their general nature. You have a knack for sensing whether or not someone is truly innocent. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Dual Wards or True Guardian as your Tier 3 ability.
- Dual Wards. You can have two wards from Devoted Defender at a time. Choosing a second ward can be its own action, or you can choose two wards with one action (and only pay the cost once for doing so). The wards must remain within an immediate distance of each other. Benefits provided by Devoted Defender apply to both your wards. If your wards separate, you choose which retains the benefit. If they come back together, both regain the benefit immediately. Enabler.
- True Guardian (2 Might or Intellect points). When you stand guard as your action, allies within immediate range of you gain an asset to their defense tasks. This lasts until the end of your next turn. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Combat Challenge. All attempted tasks that draw an attack to yourself (and away from someone else) are eased by two steps. Enabler.
Willing Sacrifice. When you take an attack meant for another character, you know how to take the attack in a way that minimizes its effect. The attack automatically strikes you, but instead of taking 1 additional point of damage, you take 1 less point of damage (to a minimum of 1 point). Additionally, you can take more than one attack in a given round provided all the attacks were originally meant for one target. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Taunt Foe (4 Might or Intellect points). You can make an attack on a foe as part of drawing an attack (which is not something you can do normally when attempting to draw an attack). In cases where an intelligent or determined foe isn’t drawn to you, you can attempt an Intellect action as part of the attack. If that Intellect action is successful, the foe attacks you. Your defenses against that attack are hindered by one step, instead of being hindered by two steps as normal when drawing an attack. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Resuscitate or True Defender as your Tier 6 ability.
- Resuscitate (6 Intellect points). You can resuscitate a character who is up to two steps down on the damage track as your action. The target ascends one step on the damage track. If a character has dropped all three steps on the damage track (dead) but is otherwise in one piece and less than a minute has passed since they descended the third step, you can resuscitate them if you succeed at a level 6 healing task. If you use this ability on an NPC who has no health but is otherwise in one piece, the NPC is resuscitated with 1 health. Action.
- True Defender (6 Might or Intellect points). This ability functions as the Devoted Defender ability, except the benefit applies to up to three characters you choose. If you choose just one character, you become specialized in the tasks described under the Devoted Defender ability. Action to initiate.
¶ Delved Too Deeply
Because of an accident, you were exposed to a substance that you call “void matter,” which you liberated in a prior-world ruin. Void matter is part matter and part energy, appearing as a greenish-black ribbon that coils beneath your flesh, sometimes bulging under your skin like a parasitic worm, other times staining your skin the unhealthy hue of a bruise.
Void matter makes you stronger, faster, and a quicker healer, and it unlocks several other powerful, if disquieting, abilities. The downside is that void matter can’t abide the light. For you, light is pain, which means that most people never see how weird you look beneath all your protective layers.
You probably wear a hood, a mask, gloves, some sort of eye protection, and other layers to protect yourself as much as possible from stray glints of light.
Anyone who explores could find themselves with this focus, though that makes Delves slightly more likely.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character knows a little something about void matter, or at least claimed to at one time.
- Pick one other PC. You are friends, and you’d hate to see this character harmed.
- Pick one other PC. They don’t understand the danger your void matter represents.
- Pick one other PC. They were exposed to void matter, the same as you, but didn’t become infused with it. You think they might be immune.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your foe is frightened by the green-black energy that resides in you and backs away, unwilling to attack. It can still defend itself.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe is terrified by the green-black energy that resides in you and flees.
¶ Tier 1
Void Matter Infusion. You gain +1 to Armor, +1 to your Might Edge, +1 to your recovery rolls, and 5 additional points to your Might Pool. In addition, you can see in very dim light as though it were bright light. You can see in total darkness as if it were very dim. Enabler.
However, you must remain covered during the day or in any conditions other than total darkness. Even then, during the day the difficulty of your Speed defense rolls is one step higher. If you lose your protection from light, you take 1 point of damage (ignores Armor) each round you are exposed. Likewise, if you are attacked by a weapon that inflicts damage via light, you take 1 additional point of damage per attack. Finally, should you ever perish, the void matter infusing you is likely to seep out and infect the nearest host. You get the feeling it would not treat a new host as well as you were treated—it would probably just eat them.
¶ Tier 2
Void Matter Blast. You can unleash a blast of void matter at a target within short range at will. It inflicts 3 points of damage (ignores Armor). Action.
¶ Tier 3
Void Ghost (3 Intellect points). The void matter infusing you pulls you slightly out of phase. For the next ten minutes, you are trained in sneaking tasks. During this time, you can move through solid barriers (but not energy barriers) at a rate of 1 foot (30 cm) per round, and you can perceive while phased within a barrier or object, which allows you to peek through walls. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Void Matter Fingers. You can extrude streamers of void matter from your fingertips for one minute at a time, your normal reach from immediate range to short. In addition to being able to operate devices and manipulate distant controls as if you were standing next to them, you are trained in attacking with your void matter streamers as if they were a melee weapon. An attack inflicts 5 points of damage (ignores Armor), and on a second failed Might defense roll, the target is immobilized by a detached streamer that wraps around them in tight circles until they can use an action to escape. Enabler.
However, you become even more sensitive to light. If you lose your protection from light, you take 3 points of damage (ignores Armor) each round you are exposed. Likewise, if you are attacked by a weapon that inflicts damage via light, you take 4 additional points of damage per attack.
¶ Tier 5
Void Inflation. You can infuse an item you hold with void matter. It functions as if two levels higher for the next minute. However, at the end of that minute, the object is completely consumed by the void matter, destroying it. The resultant residue unerringly finds you like greenish-black drops of oil rolling downhill, which you reabsorb, allowing you to restore 1 point to any Pool. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Void Infection. When you inflict damage on a creature with Void Matter Blast, it becomes infected with void matter and continues to take 3 points of damage (ignores Armor) each round until the creature succeeds on a Might task to force the infection out. If the infection kills the target, it is immediately consumed by the void matter and is destroyed. The resultant residue unerringly finds you like greenishblack drops of oil rolling downhill, which you reabsorb, allowing you to restore 1 point to any Pool. Enabler
¶ Descends From Nobility
You descend from privilege, wealth, and power. Your family once owned land (perhaps they still do), wielded political control, and accumulated vast wealth. You’ve stepped away from that somewhat, though you still carry a noble title, whether you want it or not. People sometimes recognize your name, and sometimes they recognize you as being descended from nobility. But with many areas being so isolated from each other, people in an area far from where you came from may never even have heard of the place where your family is known. Since you were raised a certain way, you probably dress smartly and carry yourself in such a way that inspires, endears, or intimidates. You have a voice suited to drawing attention (unless you choose to disguise it).
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character was once in service to your parents’ household, but you have since grown to think of them as a peer.
- Pick one other PC. You’re pretty sure that they are descended from a rival house, even if they don’t know it.
- Pick one other PC. You used your nobility—your influence, your wealth, or the promise of a favor—to intercede on this character’s behalf.
- Pick one other PC. You were once very close with this character in the distant past.
Additional Equipment: A set of expensive clothing suitable for nobility. Noble Advantage: If you wish, you can swap an ability gained from your type for the following. Servant. Your name entitles you to a level 2 follower. One of their modifications must be for tasks related to serving as your personal assistant. You can ask your servant to deliver things for you, run messages, pick up objects of interest or items on a list—pretty much whatever you want, within reason. They can also run interference if you’re trying to avoid someone, help hide you from the attention of others, help you muscle through a crowd, and so on. Enabler.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The next time you attempt to command, captivate, or otherwise influence the same foe, the task is eased.
Major Effect Suggestions: The foe is influenced, captivated, or otherwise affected by your ability for twice as long as normal.
¶ Tier 1
Privileged Nobility. You are adept at claiming the rewards that a noble background can generate. When recognized, you can be seated at any eating establishment no matter how full, get a room in an inn even if that means others are turned out, be let into any court or other structure where laws are decided or nobility rules, be invited to any gala, and get a seat at a private function of any sort. In addition, you are trained in persuasion. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Trained Interlocutor. Through wit, charm, humor, and grace (or sometimes rudeness, threatening posture, and obscenity), you’re better able to talk others into what you want. You are trained in all interactions. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Command or Noble’s Courage as your Tier 3 ability.
- Command (3 Intellect points). Through sheer force of will, you can issue a simple imperative command to a single living creature, who then attempts to carry out your command as its next action. The creature must be within short range and able to understand you. The command can’t inflict direct harm on the creature or its allies, so “Commit suicide” won’t work, but “Flee” might. In addition, the command can require the creature to take only one action, so “Unlock the door” might work, but “Unlock the door and run through it” won’t. A commanded creature can still defend itself normally and return an attack if one is made on it. If you possess a type ability that allows you to command a creature, you can target two creatures at once as your base effect if you use either ability. Action.
- Noble’s Courage (3+ Intellect points). Your noble lineage teaches that courage is necessary to do things that are difficult, tedious, or dangerous. When your mind would be negatively affected by an effect of up to level 4, whether something as overt as a psychic command or illness or something as subtle as fear or even boredom, your courage neutralizes the effect for up to a minute or, if actively being attacked, until the next attack. For each level of Effort applied, you can increase the level of the effect you can neutralize by 1. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Retinue. Four additional level 2 followers join you (and your first servant, if you have one). One of their modifications must be for tasks related to serving as your personal assistants. In addition to other tasks they might individually take on your behalf, they can also work together to run interference if you’re trying to avoid someone, help hide you from the attention of others, help you muscle through a crowd, and so on. If a situation becomes physically violent, they provide an asset to your Speed defense tasks and, if you command it, try to hold a foe’s attention while you escape. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Asserting Your Privilege (3 Intellect points). Acting as only a privileged noble can, you verbally harangue a foe who can hear you so forcefully that they are unable to take any action, including attacks, for one round. Whether you succeed or fail, the difficulty of the next action the target takes is hindered. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Font of Inspiration or Mind of a Ruler as your Tier 3 ability.
Font of Inspiration (7 Intellect points). An allied character within immediate range gains a free level of Effort on their next turn. Once this ability is used, others can’t gain inspiration from you again until after you make a recovery roll. Action.
Mind of a Ruler (6 Intellect points). When you develop a course of action to deal with a future situation, you can ask the GM one very general question about what is likely to happen if you carry out the plan, and you will get a simple, brief answer. Action.
¶ Emerged From The Obelisk
There is a gap in your memory lasting well over a year. One moment, you were marveling at the appearance of a floating obelisk. The next, you were waking up in a shallow crater, being helped up by a traveler. They witnessed you emerging from the side of that same obelisk, then falling and smiting the ground. Instead of dying, you made a crater, because your body was somehow changed and had become crystalline. You’ve tried to return to the obelisk in an attempt to determine what happened to you, but failed. Eventually, you hope to return. Until then, you explore, hoping to learn more about the numenera in general and master more of your own crystalline nature in particular.
Any character type can have emerged from an obelisk, though the crystalline body they enjoy is most likely to be appreciated by Glaives and Delves.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. When your appearance raises concerns among other people who don’t know you, this character seems interested in giving you support and knowledge to help you fit in.
- Pick one other PC. They saw you emerge from the obelisk and came to your aid.
- Pick one other PC. They saw you emerge from the obelisk but thought you were a numenera device to be salvaged, which is how you got off on the wrong foot. It’s up to you whether you still hold a grudge.
- Pick one other PC. In the past, this character has indulged you by listening to you wonder about your origins, how to get into obelisks, and why you might have been ejected.
Additional Equipment: A 1-pound (450 g) chunk of inert amber crystal.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your foe is dazed for one round, during which time all their tasks are hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe loses their next turn.
¶ Tier 1
Crystalline Body. You are composed of animate, translucent crystal the color of amber. Work with your GM to decide your exact form, though it is likely about the shape and size of a humanoid. Your crystal body grants you +2 to Armor and +4 to your Might Pool. However, you’re not quick and your Speed defense tasks are hindered. Certain conditions, like mundane diseases and poisons, do not affect you. Enabler.
Special Healing. Your crystalline body repairs itself more slowly than that of living flesh. You have only the one-round, one-hour, and ten-hour recovery rolls available each day; you do not have a ten-minute recovery roll available. Any ability you have that requires a ten-minute recovery roll instead requires a one-hour recovery roll. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Amber Levitation (3+ Intellect points). You learn how to energize your crystalline form and lift away from the pull of gravity. You can levitate an immediate distance in any direction each round for up to a minute. Each level of Effort applied allows you to lift one other creature of up to your size, assuming they can come up with some way to secure themselves to you. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Inhabit Crystal or Immovable as your Tier 3 ability.
- Inhabit Crystal (4 Intellect points). You transfer your body and whatever you are carrying into a crystal at least the size of your index finger. While in the crystal, you are aware of what is going on around it, seeing and hearing through the crystal. You can even speak through the crystal and carry on conversations. You cannot take actions other than to exit the crystal. You remain within as long as you wish, but you are not in stasis and should exit to eat, drink, sleep, and so on as normal (breathing is not an issue). If the crystal is destroyed or takes major damage while you are within it, you immediately exit, cannot act for three rounds, and move two steps down the damage track. Action to enter and exit.
- Immovable. You can attempt a Might task to avoid being knocked down, pushed back, or moved against your will even if the effect attempting to move you doesn’t allow it. If you apply Effort to this task, you can apply two free levels of Effort. In addition, you gain +3 to your Might Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Crystal Lens. You can focus the inherent energy surging through your crystalline body. This allows you to fire a blast of energy that inflicts 5 points of damage at a target within very long range. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Resonant Frequency. You can infuse an item of up to level 7 that you can hold in one hand with a special vibration generated from your core. The object then functions as if two levels higher for one minute. At the end of that minute, the resonant frequency ramps up exponentially until the object finally shatters from the energy buildup. Anything within immediate range of the detonation suffers 5 points of damage. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Resonant Quake or Return to the Obelisk as your Tier 6 ability.
- Resonant Quake (7 Intellect points). You can infuse the ground beneath you with a special vibration generated from your core. This creates a small quake whose epicenter you can select within a very long distance. Everyone within short range of the epicenter is subject to 8 points of damage (from shaking and being struck by toppling objects, crumbling walls, and so on). However, you are dazed for a round afterward yourself, during which time all your tasks are hindered. If you have the Nano ability Move Mountains, both abilities cost 3 fewer Intellect points to use. Action.
- Return to the Obelisk (7+ Intellect points). You transfer your body and personal possessions into a crystal of any size and exit from another crystal of any size, including any crystal obelisks that you are aware of. You must know of the crystal you are going to use as an exit before you enter the first crystal. You can take one additional creature with you for each level of Effort applied. Action.
¶ Employs Magnetism
Electromagnetism is a fundamental force in the universe, and it is yours to command. You are a master of metal.
You probably wear a lot of metal, perhaps as part of your clothing or armor, as part of your accessories (such as jewelry or piercings), embedded into your body surgically, or in some combination of these options.
No one type of character is more likely than any other to employ magnetism, although Glaives who wield weapons and wear armor will find it an interesting complement to their powers.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. Whenever you use your powers, the metallic items on that character’s body shudder, rattle, clink, and shake if they are within short range.
- Pick one other PC. You worked together in the past, and the job ended badly.
- Pick two other PCs. While practicing your Diamagnetism ability, you once accidentally sent them careening into each other. You’ve never been able to repeat it. Whether you tell them that you’ve been trying to replicate the strange effect is up to you.
- Pick one other PC who has metallic elements in their body. You’re afraid to use your magnetism abilities near them because you once had a bad experience involving Move Metal and a (probably former) friend’s mechanical eyes.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The duration of the effect is doubled.
Major Effect Suggestions: An important item on the target’s person is destroyed.
¶ Tier 1
Move Metal (1 Intellect point). You can exert force on metal objects within short range for one round. Once activated, your power has an effective Might Pool of 10, a Might Edge of 1, and an Effort of 2 (approximately equal to the strength of a fit, capable, adult human), and you can use it to move metal objects, push against metal objects, and so on. For example, in your round, you could lift and pull a light metal object anywhere within range to yourself or move a heavy object (like a piece of furniture) about 10 feet (3 m). This power lacks the fine control to wield a weapon or move objects with much speed, so in most situations, it’s not a means of attack. You can’t use this ability on your own body. The power lasts for one hour or until its Might Pool is depleted, whichever comes first. Action.
¶ Tier 2
Repel Metal. By manipulating magnetism, you are trained in Speed defense tasks against any incoming attack that uses metal. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Destroy Metal or Guide Bolt as your Tier 3 ability.
- Destroy Metal (3 Intellect points). You instantly tear, rip, or burst a metal object that is within sight, within short range, and no bigger than half your size. Attempt an Intellect task to destroy the object; the task is eased by three steps compared to breaking it with brute strength. Action.
- Guide Bolt (4+ Intellect points). When you make an attack with a metallic bolt or metal-tipped arrow on a target within short range, you can improve the attack’s aim and velocity, which grants an asset to the attack and inflicts an additional 2 points of damage. If you apply a level of Effort, you grant the same benefits to a ranged attack made by an ally within immediate range. In any case, you can use this ability only once per round. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Magnetic Field (4 Intellect points). When you wish it, a field of magnetism around you pulls incoming, ranged, metallic projectile attacks (such as arrows, bullets, a thrown metal knife, and so on) to the ground. You are immune to such attacks for one round. You must be aware of an attack to foil it. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Command Metal (5 Intellect points). You reshape a metallic item as you desire. The item must be within sight and within short range, and its mass can be no greater than your own. You can affect multiple items at once as long as their combined mass falls within these limits. You can fuse multiple items together. You can use this power to destroy a metal object (as the Destroy Metal ability), or you can craft it into another desired shape (crudely, unless you have the proper crafting skills). You can then move the new object anywhere within range. For example, you could take a few metal shields, fuse them together, and use the resulting shape to block a doorway. You can use this ability to make an attack— causing a foe’s armor to constrict, rendering a metal item into shards that you fling across the battlefield, and so on—against one target within short range. Regardless of the form of the attack, it is an Intellect action that deals 7 points of damage. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Diamagnetism or Iron Punch as your Tier 6 ability.
- Diamagnetism. You magnetize any nonmetallic object within short range so that it can be affected by your other powers. Thus, with Move Metal, you can move any object. With Repel Metal, you are trained in all Speed defense tasks, regardless of whether the incoming attack uses metal. And so on. Enabler.
- Iron Punch (5+ Intellect points). You pick up a heavy object within short range and hurl it at someone within short range, an Intellect action that deals 6 points of damage to the target and to the hurled object. For each additional level of Effort applied, you can pick up a slightly larger object, allowing you to affect one additional target within short range as long as it is next to the prior target. Action.
¶ Entertains
You are an entertainer: a singer, dancer, poet, storyteller, or something similar. You perform for the benefit of others. Naturally charismatic and talented, you have also studied to master your art. You know all the old poems, songs, jokes, and stories, and you’re skilled at creating new ones, too.
You probably wear flamboyant or at least fashionable clothes and use cosmetics, tattoos, or hair stylings for dramatic effect.
The role of the entertainer fits the Jack best, though Glaives and Nanos sometimes entertain as well.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character is your worst critic. Your abilities to help or inspire others don’t function for them.
- Pick one other PC. They seem to really enjoy your attempts to entertain, and this brings out the performer in you. It’s up to that character whether their appreciation is real or they’re just being polite.
- Pick one other PC. They are so inspired and put at ease by your stories or other forms of entertainment that when you use Levity, they gain +2 to their recovery rolls (instead of +1).
- Pick one other PC. This person knows the secret to one of your favorite forms of entertainment. You worry constantly that they will steal it or reveal it.
Additional Equipment: You start with a musical instrument or other tools needed to perform.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You enchant the target, who remains enchanted as long as you focus all your attention on keeping them that way.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is forever favorably disposed toward you.
¶ Tier 1
Levity. Through wit, charm, humor, and grace, you are trained in all social interactions other than those involving coercion or intimidation. During rests, you put friends and comrades at ease so much that they gain +1 to their recovery rolls. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Inspiration. Through stories, songs, art, or other forms of entertainment, you inspire your friends. After spending 28 hours with you, once per day each of your friends can ease a task. This benefit is ongoing while you remain in the friend’s company. It ends if you leave, but it resumes if you return to the friend’s company within 28 hours. If you leave the friend’s company for more than 28 hours, you must spend another 28 hours together to reactivate the benefit. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Knowledge or Multitalented as your Tier 3 ability.
- Knowledge. Your stories and songs contain truth. You are trained in two areas of knowledge of your choice. Enabler.
- Multitalented. Being well versed in how to entertain others is reflected in your growing capabilities. You gain 6 new points to divide among your stat Pools however you wish. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Calm (3 Intellect points). Through jokes, song, or other art, you prevent a living foe from attacking anyone or anything for one round. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Able Assistance. When you help someone with a task and they apply a level of Effort, they get a free level of Effort on that task. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Master Entertainer or Vindictive Performance as your Tier 6 ability.
- Master Entertainer. Your Inspiration ability works more effectively, easing your friends’ tasks by two steps rather than one step. Enabler.
- Vindictive Performance (5 Intellect points). When you tell a joke, perform a song or poem, draw a picture, relate an anecdote, or otherwise provide entertainment, you can select one individual from the audience who is able to understand you. During your performance, you heap indirect but biting derision on this target. If you succeed, the target doesn’t realize that they’ve become the victim of your performance until you wrap up the entertainment at a moment you choose in a way that strikes home. The target suffers 6 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and loses their next turn. One or more actions to initiate.
¶ Exists Partially Out Of Phase
You have the ability to change your phase state. In fact, you’re always slightly out of phase, giving you a ghostly translucence. With concentration, you can pass your hand through a solid object, allow a solid object to pass harmlessly through you, or literally walk through walls. However, moving in and out of different phase states requires extreme force of will and can be mentally taxing. The explanation for your strange power lies within some aspect of the numenera. Perhaps the ability emerged through the use of (or exposure to) lingering transdimensional technology or as the result of an encounter with a creature not native to this world or dimension. Perhaps one of your ancestors first developed the power and passed it down through generations.
You might do whatever you can to play up your translucent appearance by wearing diaphanous, billowy clothing, or, depending on your personality, you might do just the opposite.
Jacks enjoy the infiltration possibilities of changing their phase state, and Nanos appreciate the defensive capabilities. Glaives can use the offensive and defensive aspects but might find them a bit hindering as well.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You have known that character for a while, and they helped you gain control of your phase states.
- Pick one other PC. Sometime in this character’s past, they had a devastating experience with going out of phase. Whether they choose to tell you about it is up to them.
- Pick one other PC. You once accidentally moved your hand right through them. It was an unnerving experience for you both.
- Pick two other PCs. They both really want to go out of phase and have been pestering you about it. But you’re not convinced they even know what that phrase means.
Minor Effect Suggestions: While out of phase, you also have an asset to your Speed defense tasks.
Major Effect Suggestions: While out of phase, you are also invisible.
¶ Tier 1
Walk Through Walls (2 Intellect points). You can slowly pass through physical barriers at a rate of 1 inch (2.5 cm) per round (minimum of one round to pass through any barrier). You can’t act (other than moving) or perceive anything until you pass entirely through the barrier. You can’t pass through energy barriers. Action.
¶ Tier 2
Defensive Phasing (2 Intellect points). You can change your phase so that some attacks pass through you harmlessly. For the next ten minutes, you gain an asset to your Speed defense tasks, but during this time you lose any benefit from armor you wear. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Phased Attack or Phase Door as your Tier 3 ability.
- Phased Attack (3 Intellect points). The attack you make on this turn ignores your foe’s armor. The ability works for whatever kind of attack you use (melee, ranged, energy, and so on). Enabler.
- Phase Door (4 Intellect points). You can phase into a solid object’s surface and then phase out of any other solid object within long range of the first, even if the two objects are not connected. There must not be any intervening barriers between the two objects, and you must be aware of or able to see the destination object. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Ghost (4 Intellect points). For the next ten minutes, you gain an asset to sneaking tasks. During this time, you can move through solid barriers (but not energy barriers) at a rate of 1 foot (30 cm) per round, and you can perceive while phased within a barrier or object, which allows you to peek through walls. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Untouchable (6 Intellect points). You change your phase state for the next minute so that you can’t affect or be affected by normal matter or energy. Only mental attacks and special transdimensional energies, devices, or abilities can affect you, but likewise you can’t attack, touch, or otherwise affect anything. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Enhanced Phased Attack or Phase Foe as your Tier 6 ability.
- Enhanced Phased Attack (5 Intellect points). This ability works like the third-tier Phased Attack ability except that your attack also disrupts the foe’s vitals, dealing an additional 5 points of damage. Enabler.
- Phase Foe (6+ Intellect points). You gather disrupting energy in your fingertip and touch a creature. If the target is an NPC or a creature of level 3 or lower, it becomes phased as if it had used your Ghost ability. However, unless it can figure out how to control its movement while being phased, which most creatures have no experience with, it begins to sink through solid matter. If it can’t control itself or end the effect, it might be gone for good because when it becomes solid again after ten minutes, it’s probably deep in the earth. For each additional level of Effort you apply, you can attempt to affect a target of one level higher. Action.
¶ Explores Dark Places
You explore the foreboding ruins and mysterious locales of the ancient eras, trained in such activities by those who have gone before you. You’re the archetypical treasure hunter, scavenger, and finder of lost things. You spend so much of your time in the dark that you slowly adapt to it, almost becoming a creature of the gloom yourself. Even in civilized areas, you prefer to keep to the shadows.
Most likely, you wear dark clothing to help you blend into the blackness. On the other hand, you might wear sensible garments and gear because you have serious and dangerous business to attend to in the dark.
Jacks are suited to exploring dark places; those who do so are called shadowjacks. Glaives who follow this path are known as shadow warriors, and Nanos are called shadowcasters.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character was your companion on previous expeditions, and the two of you work so well together that you both gain an asset to any die rolls to collaborate on the same task, fight the same foe, and so on.
- Pick two other PCs. You think you once saw them through a keyhole doing something illegal. You can choose whether or not to share that information. The characters can choose whether it was really them (it could have been neither, one, or both), and they may or may not share that information in return.
- Pick one other PC. This person always seems to hear you, no matter how stealthy you try to be.
- Pick one other PC. This character is so loud in everything they do that you feel obligated to try to help them learn to move more quietly through the world. Whether or not they’re interested is up to them.
Additional Equipment: You start with an explorer’s pack. If you already have one, you can instead take 50 extra feet (15 m) of rope, rations for two more days, and two minor glowglobes.
Darkness Powers: Your special abilities (such as Nano esoteries) make almost no sound, and whatever visual displays they produce are dark and shadowy. These alterations change nothing other than the appearance of the effects. A Flash esotery is a silent burst of shadows, a Barrier esotery is a mass of shadowy wisps, and so on.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is also dazed for one round, during which time all of its tasks are hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is also stunned and loses its next turn.
¶ Tier 1
Superb Explorer. You are trained in searching, listening, climbing, balancing, and jumping tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Superb Infiltrator. You are trained in lockpicking and tinkering with devices in an effort to make them work, or at least work for you. Enabler.
Eyes Adjusted. You can see in extremely dim light as though it were bright light. You can see in total darkness as if it were extremely dim. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Nightstrike or Slippery Customer as your Tier 3 ability.
- Nightstrike. When you attack a foe in dim light or darkness, you get a free level of Effort on the attack. Enabler.
- Slippery Customer. When you apply Effort to tasks involving escaping from bonds, fitting in tight spaces, and other contortionist tasks, you get a free level of Effort on the task. Thanks to your experience, you are also trained in Speed defense tasks while wearing light armor or no armor. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Resilient. In your explorations of dark places, you’ve been exposed to all sorts of terrible things and are developing a general resistance. You gain +1 to Armor and are trained in Might defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Dark Explorer. You ignore penalties for any action (including fighting) in extremely dim light or in cramped spaces. Combined with your Eyes Adjusted ability, you can act without penalty even in total darkness. You are trained in sneaking tasks while in dim or no light. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Blinding Attack or Embraced by Darkness as your Tier 6 ability.
- Blinding Attack (3 Speed points). If you have a source of light, you can use it to make a melee attack against a target. If successful, the attack deals no damage, but the target is blinded for one minute. Action.
- Embraced by Darkness (6 Intellect points). For the next hour, you take on some characteristics of a shadow thanks to a fundamental adaptation of your flesh or a device you’ve kept secret. Your appearance is a dark silhouette. When you apply a level of Effort to sneaking tasks, you get a free level of Effort on the task. During this time, you can move through the air at a rate of a short distance per round, and you can move through solid barriers (even those that are sealed to prevent the passage of light or shadow), but not energy barriers, at a rate of 1 foot (30 cm) per round. You can perceive while passing through a barrier or object, which allows you to peek through walls. As a shadow, you can’t affect or be affected by normal matter. Likewise, you can’t attack, touch, or otherwise affect anything. However, attacks and effects that rely on light can affect you, and sudden bursts of light can potentially make you lose your next turn. Action to initiate.
¶ Explores Yesterday
What things were like long ago fires your imagination. You are equally thrilled to learn about how a dead civilization lived as you are to regain a still-functioning oddity, cypher, or iotum that the dead civilization used. For you, knowledge is an end in itself, but that doesn’t make you naive to the dangers exploration poses. The opposite is true, which is why you’re no slouch when it comes to defending yourself. You’re a born excavator and explorer, adept at moving and maneuvering, making discoveries, and resisting the dangers that forgotten places often hold.
You probably wear sensible garments that can stand up to both rain and sun, as well as a hat or head wrapping to keep off the sun and extra water for when the trail peters out in the middle of nowhere.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character has been your partner in previous explorations, and the two of you work so well together that you both gain +1 to any roll when you collaborate on the same task, fight the same foe, and so on.
- Pick one other PC. This character nearly drowned while following you on one of your excavations. It’s up to them whether they trust you enough to go exploring with you again.
- Pick one other PC. They suspect that you were involved with criminals who stole from the Amber Gleaners. Whether you were or not is up to you.
- Pick one other PC. You suspect this character possesses secret knowledge of a hidden tomb, lost city, or treasure. Whether they really do or not remains up to them to decide.
Additional Equipment: Bag of excavation tools.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You can take an extra action. You may use this action only to perform a movement-related activity or a knowledge-based activity, such as trying to climb a treacherous cliff or attempting to decipher strange cave markings.
Major Effect Suggestions: Speed defense tasks you attempt before the end of the next round are eased.
¶ Tier 1
Trained Excavator. You are trained in perception, climbing, and salvaging numenera tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Resilient. In your explorations of uncivilized regions, you’ve been exposed to all sorts of terrible things and have developed a general resistance. You gain +1 to Armor and are trained in Might defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose Fellow Explorer or Weapon Master as your Tier 3 ability.
- Fellow Explorer. You gain a level 2 follower. One of their modifications must be for tasks related to perception. Enabler.
- Weapon Master. Excavating the past means entering ruins that are often filled with dangers, some of which can be overcome by force. Choose one kind of weapon you can use. You gain a +1 bonus to damage with that weapon. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Got a Feeling (4 Intellect points). Your experience excavating the ruins of the prior worlds gives you an uncanny intuition when it comes to finding things. While exploring, you can extend your senses up to 1 mile (1.5 km) in any direction and ask the GM a very simple, general question—usually a yes-or-no question—about that area, such as “Is there an abhuman encampment nearby?” or “Is there iotum to be found in that rusted hulk?” If the answer you seek is not in the area, you receive no information. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Maneuvering Adept. If you apply at least one level of Effort to a task involving climbing, jumping, balancing, or some other kind of maneuvering, you get a free level of Effort. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose Incredible Recovery or Quick Hands as your Tier 6 ability.
- Incredible Recovery (6 Might points). You move up one step on the damage track or shake off any unwanted ongoing condition. Action.
- Quick Hands (5 Speed points). Being quick with a chosen weapon is important for excavators who come across an unexpected and aggressive threat. Choose one kind of weapon you can use (if you have the Weapon Master ability, this can be the same kind of weapon that you chose for Weapon Master). Once per round, you can make an additional attack with it. Make separate attack rolls for each foe, but both attacks count as a single action in a single round. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to both of these attacks. Enabler.
¶ Fights With A Horde
You were once part of a much larger martial society, where you held a position of elevated respect. The society might have been a tribe of abhumans, a military unit, a secret group of warriors that live in a limited dimension, or something else. Whatever the specifics (which you and your GM should work together to decide), you formed close personal ties with them and trained to fight in small and large groups alike. But at some point, you left, perhaps to seek your destiny, because you were exiled, or because everyone in the society spends a significant time away before returning to retire. Though you are gone, the lessons of teamwork and leadership that you learned while part of that society remain with you.
Whatever you wear, it likely includes the symbol, insignia, or some other reminder of the group you left behind.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You’re related, either siblings or cousins, but were separated when you were young.
- Pick one other PC. They’re a good fighter, but if you could teach them a few things about working together, they’d improve.
- Pick one other PC. This character doesn’t seem to approve of your past association.
- Pick one other PC. Long ago, the two of you were on opposite sides of a fight. You won, thanks to your association with your martial society. Whether they remember you or still hold a grudge is up to them.
Additional Equipment: A melee weapon you gained from your association with the martial society with their symbol or crest on the hilt.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your foe is knocked to the ground.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe is held immobile and can’t take their next turn.
¶ Tier 1
Teamwork. Through example, acts of camaraderie, stories of martial prowess, or other forms of instruction, you and your allies work better together as a cohesive unit. During any round in which you rally your team (by spending 2 Intellect points as part of another action), you and your allies inflict 1 additional point of damage in combat. This benefit applies only to allies with whom you have spent the last 28 hours. It ends if you leave, but it resumes if you return to your allies’ company within 28 hours. If you leave for more than 28 hours, you must spend another 28 hours together to reactivate the benefit. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Nucleus of a Horde. One level 3 follower associated with your past martial connection joins you and the rest of your allies. One of their modifications must be for providing an asset to attacks or defenses. They don’t accompany you everywhere, but you can assign the follower specific tasks like helping you guard a community’s perimeter for a day or accompanying you on an expedition. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Enhance Dexterity or Enhance Strength as your Tier 3 ability.
- Enhance Dexterity. When the follower from your Nucleus of a Horde ability is near you and working with you to accomplish tasks that depend on agility—such as balancing, winning a foot race, or hitting someone with a ranged weapon—your follower provides an asset on those tasks, even if those aren’t their modifications. Enabler.
- Enhance Strength. When the follower from your Nucleus of a Horde ability is near you and working with you to accomplish tasks that depend on brute force—such as moving a heavy object, smashing down a door, or hitting someone with a melee weapon—your follower provides an asset on those tasks, even if those aren’t their modifications. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Growing Horde. A group of four additional level 3 followers associated with your past martial connection joins you and the rest of your allies (and those gained by Nucleus of a Horde, for a total of five followers from your martial society). One of their modifications must be for providing you an asset to attacks or defenses. They don’t accompany you everywhere, but you can assign them specific tasks like helping you guard a community’s perimeter for a day or accompanying you on an expedition. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Horde Tactics (7 Might points). For up to one hour a day, you and your allies can act like a single creature. Use your stats, but add +8 to your Might Pool, +1 to your Might Edge, +2 to your Speed Pool, +1 to your Speed Edge, and +1 to your Armor. Alternatively, you and your group can act as a rank 1 horde for one hour. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Advance Rank or Charging Horde as your Tier 6 ability.
- Advance Rank (10 Might points). For the next hour, the rank of any horde you fight with is increased by 1. If you have the Glaive ability Rampaging Beast Horde, Advance Rank also applies. Enabler.
- Charging Horde (7 Might points). You and your followers gained from this focus can act like a single creature to make a charge attack. When you do, all of you move up to a short distance, during which time you can attack anything that comes within immediate range along your path with an asset to the attack. Targets that take damage take an additional 3 points and are knocked prone. Action.
¶ Fights With Panache
You know that style is at least as important as substance. Defeating foes is secondary to looking good while doing it. Some might call you a swashbuckler or daredevil. You leap through the air, make a flourish with your weapon, and attack, usually with a clever, biting show of wit. Your enemies hate you, but your allies adore you. Just watching you fight is entertaining.
You very likely wear no armor, instead preferring stylish clothing—perhaps even a hat with a feather.
Jacks and Glaives make the best swashbucklers, and they are the most common types of characters to fight with panache.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You’re always trying to impress this character with your skill, wit, appearance, or bravado. Perhaps they are a rival, perhaps you need their respect, or perhaps you’re romantically interested in them.
- Pick one other PC. This character seems to anticipate your next move almost before you even begin it. When they collaborate with you on the same task or fight the same foe, you gain an asset on the task.
- Pick one other PC. You fear that the character is jealous of your abilities and worry that it might lead to problems.
- Pick one other PC. This character is so enamored of your swashbuckling, entertaining ways during combat that they sometimes forget to take their own action.
Additional Equipment: You begin with a set of extremely stylish clothes and a jeweled weapon.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is so dazzled by your style that it is dazed for one round, during which time all of its tasks are hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: Make an additional attack with your weapon on your turn.
¶ Tier 1
Attack Flourish. With your attack, you add stylish moves, entertaining quips, or a certain “something” that entertains or impresses others. One creature you choose within short range who can see you gains an asset to its next task if taken within a round or two. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Quick Block. If you use a light or medium weapon, you are trained in Speed defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Acrobatic Attack or Flamboyant Boast as your Tier 3 ability.
- Acrobatic Attack (1+ Speed points). You leap into the attack, twisting or flipping through the air. If you roll a natural 17 or 18, you can choose to have a minor effect rather than deal extra damage. If you apply Effort to the attack, you get a free level of Effort on the task. You can’t use this ability if your Speed is reduced from wearing armor. Enabler.
- Flamboyant Boast (1 Intellect point). You boastfully describe an act that you will accomplish, and then as part of the same action, you attempt it. If an average person would find the action difficult (or impossible) and you succeed on it, creatures who witnessed it who are not your allies are potentially dazed on their next turn, and all tasks they attempt are hindered. The GM will help you determine whether your boast is something that would impress onlookers so significantly. If you attempt the task you boast about but fail to accomplish it, all your attempts to affect or attack onlookers who saw you are hindered for about ten minutes. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Mobile Fighter (3 Speed points). As part of your attack, you can leap on or over obstacles, swing from ropes, run along narrow surfaces, or otherwise move around the battlefield at your normal speed as if such tasks were routine (difficulty 0). You can’t use this ability if your Speed is reduced from wearing armor. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Block for Another. If you use a light or medium weapon, you can block attacks made against an ally near you. Choose one creature within immediate range. You provide an asset to that creature’s Speed defense tasks. You can’t use Quick Block while using Block for Another. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Agile Wit or Return to Sender as your Tier 6 ability.
- Agile Wit. When attempting a Speed task, you instead can roll (and spend points) as if it were an Intellect action. If you apply Effort to this task, you can spend points from your Intellect Pool instead of your Speed Pool (in which case you also use your Intellect Edge instead of your Speed Edge). Enabler.
- Return to Sender (3 Speed points). If you succeed at a Speed defense task against a melee attack, you can make an immediate melee attack against your foe. You can use this ability only once per round. Enabler.
¶ Focuses Mind Over Matter
Telekinesis. Psychokinesis. Mind over matter. The power has many names, but in the end, it all boils down to one thing—the molecules that make up all matter are yours to command. You likely call yourself a telekinetic or just a TK.
Many telekinetics prefer to wear tight clothing without much accoutrement, so there is little that another TK could grab hold of psychically. On the other hand, you have the power to create very minor telekinetic effects at will, so your hair might always be in motion, you could have a few tiny objects floating around you, or you might wear a long cape that’s always billowing.
Jacks are the most likely characters to be telekinetics, but Glaives find that the abilities add to their combat prowess, and Nanos, of course, appreciate the additional power.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character can cause your telekinetic powers to act oddly. Every once in a while, if the character stands directly next to you, your powers are canceled, but at other times, they seem improved when used near the PC.
- Pick one other PC. This person thinks that your powers are completely hypothetical.
- Pick one other PC. You once joked that you could read their mind. Whether they found that exciting or utterly terrifying is up to them.
- Pick one other PC. You feel strangely protective of that character and plan to do your best to keep them from harm.
Mental Powers: Your special abilities that would normally use force or other energy instead use psychokinetic force. For example, a Flash or an Onslaught force blast is a psychokinetic blast from your mind. This alteration changes nothing except that you don’t need a free hand to perform those abilities. In addition, you can choose to learn Impetus instead of one of the abilities granted by your type. Enabler.
Impetus (2 Intellect points): A loose object within short range that you could carry in one hand is drawn to your free hand. If the object is stuck or held by another creature, you must succeed on a Might roll to rip it free, or the object remains where it was. Action.
Minor Effect Suggestions: An object moves faster or more efficiently.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can move or affect twice as much as normal.
¶ Tier 1
Deflect Attacks (1 Intellect point). Using your mind, you protect yourself from incoming attacks. For the next ten minutes, you are trained in Speed defense tasks. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Telekinesis (2 Intellect points). You can exert force on objects within short range. Once activated, your power has an effective Might Pool of 10, a Might Edge of 1, and an Effort of 2 (approximately equal to the strength of a fit, capable, adult human), and you can use it to move objects, push against objects, and so on. For example, you could lift and pull a light object anywhere within range to yourself or move a heavy object (like a piece of furniture) about 10 feet (3 m). This power lacks the fine control to wield a weapon or move objects with much speed, so in most situations, it’s not a means of attack. You can’t use this ability on your own body. The power lasts for one hour or until its Might Pool is depleted, whichever comes first. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Cloak of Opportunity or Enhance Strength as your Tier 3 ability.
- Cloak of Opportunity (5 Intellect points). You set small objects from the environment (rocks, broken cyphers, clumps of drit, and so on) swirling about you for up to ten minutes, which grants you +2 Armor. Action to initiate.
- Enhance Strength (3 Intellect points). For the next ten minutes, you gain an asset on tasks that depend on brute force, such as moving a heavy object, smashing down a door, or hitting someone with a melee weapon. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Apportation (4 Intellect points). You call a physical object to you. You can choose any piece of normal equipment on the standard equipment list, or (no more than once per day) you can allow the GM to determine the object randomly. If you call a random object, it has a 10 percent chance of being a cypher or artifact, a 10 percent chance of being an oddity, a 40 percent chance of being a piece of standard equipment, and a 40 percent chance of being a bit of worthless junk. You can’t use this ability to take an item held by another creature. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Psychokinetic Attack (5 Intellect points). You can use this attack in one of two ways. The first is to pick up a heavy object and hurl it at someone within short range. This attack is an Intellect action, and if successful, it deals 6 points of damage to the target and to the hurled object (which could be another foe, although that would require two rolls—one roll to grab the first foe and another roll to hit the second foe with the first). The second way is to unleash a shattering burst of power that works only against an inanimate object no larger than half your size. Make an Intellect roll to instantly destroy the object; the task is eased by three steps compared to breaking it with brute strength. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Improved Apportation or Reshape Matter as your Tier 6 ability.
- Improved Apportation (6 Intellect points). You call a creature of up to level 3, which appears next to you. You can choose a creature that you’ve previously encountered, or (no more than once per day) you can allow the GM to determine the creature randomly. If you call a random creature, it has a 10 percent chance of being a creature of up to level 5. The creature has no memory of anything before being called by you, though it can speak and has the general knowledge a creature of its type should possess. The creature is receptive to communication and helping you (unless shown that it should do otherwise). Action.
- Reshape Matter (6 Intellect points). Your mastery of telekinesis is so great that you can reshape objects on a molecular level. You can affect a single object no larger than you, and the object must be visible and close enough for you to touch. You can use this ability to damage the object (as if using Psychokinetic Attack, except the task is eased by four steps instead of three), or you can attempt a crafting task to reshape the object into another form. Reshaping an object usually has a difficulty equal to 1 plus the level of the finished object.
¶ Fuses Flesh And Steel
At some point in your past, some of your organic parts were replaced with artificial components. (Alternatively, you belong to a secret species of biomechanical hybrids.) These artificial components might be subdermal, or they might resemble more overt metal or synth plating on your skin. They can also take the form of threadlike tendrils of circuitry winding across your flesh. Whatever their appearance, these components give you special abilities. As you advance, you can add to, modify, or discover new functions for them. Unfortunately, your artificial body also has special requirements when it takes damage.
You might wear a cloak with a hood or something similar to hide your artificial parts from those who would persecute you. Because your components are tricky to repair, as time goes on, it might become more difficult to conceal your true nature, with exposed circuitry, metal plates, and more in a state of partial disassembly.
Anyone might be a cybernetic organism.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character knows your true nature, even if no one else does. If your components are not particularly hidden, they know a different secret of yours, such as a preprogrammed word that will shut you down for ten minutes.
- Pick one other PC. Being close to this person sometimes makes your mechanical parts vibrate slightly. You can decide whether this sensation is unnerving or pleasant.
- Pick one other PC. You’re pretty sure that this character is just here to mine you for parts. They choose whether or not this is true.
- Pick one other PC who also has mechanical parts. The two of you have bonded over conversations about this element you share, and you feel a special connection.
Additional Equipment: You have a bag of light tools and a variety of parts to repair yourself.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your servos learn from your successful actions. You gain an asset to similar actions involving the same task (such as making attacks against the same foe or operating the same device).
Major Effect Suggestions: You discharge a small pulse of power into your foe. Make an immediate attack against that foe (using the same stat as the action that caused the major effect). If the attack succeeds, it deals 4 points of electrical damage.
¶ Tier 1
Enhanced Body. You gain +1 to Armor, +3 to your Might Pool, and +3 to your Speed Pool. Enabler.
Special Healing. Traditional healing skills, medicines, and techniques work only half as well for you. Each time you start at full health, the first 5 points of damage you take can never be healed in these ways or recovered normally. Instead, you must use repairing skills and abilities to restore those points. For example, if you start with a full Might Pool of 10 and take 8 points of damage, you can use recovery rolls to restore 3 points, but the remaining 5 points must be restored with repair tasks.
¶ Tier 2
Interface. By directly plugging into a device, you can identify and learn to operate it as though the task were 1 level lower. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Sensing Package or Weaponization as your Tier 3 ability.
- Sensing Package. You can see in dim light and darkness as if it were bright light, and you can see up to a short distance through fog, smoke, and other obscuring phenomena. In addition, if you apply a level of Effort to perception or searching tasks, you get a free level of Effort on that task. Enabler.
- Weaponization. One light or medium melee weapon of your choice is built into your body, and you are trained in using it. The weapon is concealed until you wish to use it. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Fusion. You can fuse your cyphers and artifacts with your body. These fused devices function as if they were 1 level higher. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Deep Reserves. Once each day, you can transfer up to 5 points between your Pools in any combination, at a rate of 1 point per round. For example, you could transfer 3 points of Might to Speed and 2 points of Intellect to Speed, which would take a total of five rounds. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Power Surge or Ultra Enhancement as your Tier 6 ability.
- Power Surge. In addition to your normal recovery rolls each day, you can—at any time between ten-hour rests—recover 1d6 + 6 points to your Intellect Pool. Action.
- Ultra Enhancement. You gain +1 to Armor and +5 to each of your three stat Pools. Enabler.
¶ Fuses Mind And Machine
You believe that the finest machine ever created is the human brain, and experience and training have taught you that any machine can be improved. Through the use of implants and mechanical enhancements, your brain processes input faster, stores more information, and eventually can tap right into the datasphere. Mentally, you function on an entirely different level than your fellows. Did you make these improvements yourself? Did someone else? Was it with your blessing or against your will? Regardless, you are now more than just a person. You are both living creature and machine. But unlike someone who Augments Flesh With Grafts, all of your refinements and upgrades are on the inside. You don’t need mech eyes or metal arms to be enhanced. It’s all about what’s inside your skull.
Nanos are most often those who fuse their mind with machines, but Arkai and Wrights are almost as likely to do so.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character knows a few things that can help when your implants and enhancements malfunction.
- Pick one other PC. They seem to find you off-putting. You wonder if it’s because you’re clearly smarter than they are or if it’s for some other reason.
- Pick one other PC. This character has a small device that can shut down your brain with a single switch. However, you don’t think they have any idea what it is or what it can do.
- Pick one other PC. Within your memory circuits, you have data of someone who looks just like this character committing terrible crimes—hundreds of years ago. You have no explanation.
Additional Equipment: You have an artifact that protects your implants and enhancements from disruption or intrusion. Resisting such attacks is eased.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You foresee your foes’ moves so well that your Speed defense rolls for the next round gain an asset.
Major Effect Suggestions: Processing surge! On your next action, you can use points from your Intellect Pool on Might or Speed tasks.
¶ Tier 1
Mechanical Assistance. You gain +4 to your Intellect Pool through the use of implants and tiny processing devices. Enabler. Stored Memories. You are trained in one area of knowledge of your choice (history, geography, astronomy, and so on). Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Network Tap (4 Intellect points). You can ask the GM one question and get a very short answer if you succeed on an Intellect roll against a difficulty assigned by the GM. The more obscure the answer, the more difficult the task. On a failed roll, feedback or perhaps some defense from the datasphere itself inflicts 4 points of Intellect damage on you (ignores Armor). Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Action Processor or Machine Telepathy as your Tier 3 ability.
- Action Processor (4 Intellect points). Drawing upon stored information and the ability to process incoming data at amazing speeds, you are trained in one physical task of your choice for ten minutes. For example, you can choose running, climbing, swimming, Speed defense, or attacks with a specific weapon. Action to initiate.
- Machine Telepathy (3 Intellect points). You can read the surface thoughts of a machine within short range of you, even if the machine doesn’t want you to. You must be able to see the machine. Once you have established contact, you can read the target’s thoughts for up to one minute. If you or the target move out of range, the connection is broken. If you have the Nano’s Mind Reading ability, when you apply Effort to Machine Telepathy, you gain a free level of Effort. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Processing Power. You gain +5 to your Intellect Pool. Enabler. More Stored Memories. You are trained in one area of knowledge of your choice (history, geography, astronomy, and so on). Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
See the Future (6 Intellect points). Based on all the variables you perceive, you can predict the next few minutes. This has the following effects: • For the next ten minutes, your defense rolls gain an asset. • You have a sort of danger sense. For the next ten minutes, you gain an asset in seeing through deceptions and attempts to betray you, as well as avoiding traps and ambushes. • You know what people are probably thinking and what they will say before they say it. For the next ten minutes, you gain an asset to tasks involving interaction and deception. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Machine Enhancement or Reboot as your Tier 6 ability.
- Machine Enhancement. Any time you use Effort on an Intellect action, add one of the following enhancements to the action (your choice):
- A free level of Effort
- An automatic minor effect
Enabler.
- Reboot. In addition to your normal recovery rolls each day, you can—at any time between ten-hour rests—recover 1d6 + 10 points to your Intellect Pool. Action.
¶ Has Three Hands
You could attempt flight by using Stronger Hand on yourself, which would let you fly
for about ten minutes, or until you use the hand for any other purpose
It’s possible you didn’t seek it, but when you found the relic called the Hand of Fury, it kindled something in you or perhaps granted it to you. Either way, when you woke the next day, you discovered you had gained a free-floating third hand made of the same material as the relic in the Jade Colossus (a strange sort of greenish-black synth). Merely by thinking about it, you can move this hand around as if it were one of your own—if one of your hands weren’t attached to your forearm, that is.
Knowledge regarding the original relic and its purpose wasn’t transferred when the third hand appeared. You assume that your new third hand is a freely given gift, though you’ve heard whispers that some believe such hands are akin to parasites, and will one day reveal their true purpose.
You can choose to keep the hand hidden, have it follow you around ready for action, or carry a bag, small pack, or an extra weapon you want to keep on hand (so to speak).
Nanos and Jacks seem most drawn to this focus.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. The character believes your third hand moves about and even leaves your presence while you are sleeping. Maybe it does, but you like to believe the hand is just keeping watch.
- Pick one other PC. You were able to save that character from a long fall by grabbing them with your third hand and pulling them to safety, though doing so strained your mind, and you suffered splitting headaches for days afterward.
- Pick one other PC. You’re pretty sure they’re jealous of your third hand. It’s up to them whether they are or not.
- Pick one other PC. They asked you to keep your hand out of sight when possible because it’s unsettling.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The hand grants you an asset on your next action.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can take an extra action with the hand.
¶ The Hand of Fury
The Hand of Fury reverberates with violence, force, and breakage. To stand before the Hand is to risk all these things, either directly or as a kind of curse. Most people would prefer to face this violence directly, because the alternative can be far worse. Sometimes an avatar of the Hand appears just when a display of violence and anger would be least welcome.
The Hand of Fury appears as a level 8 disembodied humanoid hand about 45 feet (14 m) from the tip of the index finger to the wrist. As with other relics, its skin is a textured, synth-like substance (a “ceramic”) that is mottled black and green and resists damage or inquiry. It is suspended within a metallic bracket device via faintly visible lines of force. The Hand changes configuration every few minutes, going from an open palm, to a closed fist, to a jab, to a chop, and every other possible conformation. As it does, the Hand sometimes dances with a flare of blue flame. In addition to the thousands of subtly different gestures, an underlying frisson of power thrums through the Hand
¶ Tier 1
Third Hand. A level 2 free-floating hand-like construct of textured green-black material accompanies you and follows your instructions. It is twice the size of your own hand. The third hand can move up to a long distance from you, lift something about as heavy as you could lift with one hand, manipulate objects with about as much grace as you could, and so on.
You’ll probably make rolls for your third hand when it takes actions. A third hand in combat usually doesn’t make separate attacks but helps with yours. On your action, if the third hand is next to you, it serves as an asset on one attack you make on your turn.
If the third hand is destroyed, a new one forms within a few days and follows you like the previous one. Enabler.
Proprioception. You are trained in tasks related to finding your way in the dark by using your third hand to feel the way ahead of you. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Deflect Attacks (2 Intellect points). Using your third hand, you protect yourself from incoming attacks. The hand intercedes against one attack made against you each round for the next hour, granting you an asset on Speed defense tasks. During any round in which you use the hand to do something else, you can’t use it to deflect attacks. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Umbilical Finger (3 Intellect points). You can insert one of your third hand’s fingers into any socket that would accept a machine umbilical to provide a connection. If a connection is established (which is an Intellect task), you can speak telepathically with the connected machine. Further, you are trained in all interactions with intelligent machines to which you are connected through your third hand. Such machines and automatons that normally would never communicate with a human might talk to you in this fashion. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Stronger Hand (4+ Intellect points). Your ancillary hand can move heavy things around as you wish. You can target a creature or object (up to twice your mass) within short range with the floating hand. If the target is successfully caught in the hand’s grip, you can move the target up to a short distance in any direction each round that you retain your hold. A creature in your ancillary hand’s grip can take actions, but it can’t move under its own power. Each round after the initial attack, you can attempt to keep your grip on the target by spending 2 additional Intellect points and succeeding at a difficulty 2 Intellect task. If your concentration lapses, the target drops back to the ground and your ancillary hand returns to you. Instead of applying Effort to decrease the difficulty, you can apply Effort to increase the amount of mass you can affect. Each level allows you to affect a creature or object twice as massive as before. For example, applying one level of Effort would affect a creature four times as massive as you, two levels would affect a creature eight times as massive, three levels would affect a creature sixteen times as massive, and so on. Action to initiate.
Hand Improvement. Your third hand increases to level 4.
¶ Tier 5
Disharmonic Touch (6 Intellect points). If you successfully touch a target within long range with your third hand (which requires an attack roll if the target resists), the hand gains a sense of the target’s resonant frequency. If you touch the target again with the third hand on a succeeding round within one minute, the hand releases a disharmonic pulse tuned destructively to the target, inflicting 13 points of damage that ignores Armor. Two actions.
Alternatively, instead of harming a target you’ve touched within the last minute, you can restore 6 points to a Pool of your choice with a harmonic pulse. Two actions.
¶ Tier 6
Transcendent Hands (8 Intellect points). Your third hand splits into six glowing hands that hover around you for one minute, bathing you in an otherworldly light. While the effect lasts, you gain an asset on your Speed defense, +2 to Armor, the ability to fly a short range each round, and a slap attack that inflicts 6 points of damage on all creatures you choose within immediate range. You can also use other abilities from this focus without disrupting this effect. Action to initiate.
¶ Howls At The Moon
Sometimes the numenera is a double-edged sword. You are cursed and blessed to be able to transform into a powerful creature, drawing additional mass from a transdimensional source. You and the GM should work out the exact nature of the creature, including its appearance, but it’s a wild beast of rage and blood—at least until you learn to control it. Creatures like you are often called “lycanthropes.” Style and appearance are probably low on your list of concerns.
Your clothes might be ragged because your transformation is hard on them (or they’re cheap because you know they’ll be destroyed the next time you transform). Anyone can be a lycanthrope.
A Glaive likely benefits the most from the transformation.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. That character is able to soothe you when you’re in beast form. You’ll never attack them while transformed, and if they spend three consecutive turns using their action to calm you down, you can revert to your normal form without having to make a roll.
- Pick one other PC. You believe that this character intends to convince you to join an entertainment venue (or capture you for the same). They choose whether or not this is true.
- Pick two other PCs. They know that it’s beneficial for you to kill and eat a creature while you’re in beast form, and they often work together to make sure that happens.
- Pick one other PC. Since this character saw you in beast form, they have been terrified of you. You are determined to show them that you’re not as dangerous as they believe.
Additional Equipment: You have an accurate chronometer artifact that always lets you know when the next transformation is coming.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is so intimidated by your bestial attack that it is dazed for one round, hindering its tasks.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your attack conveys a small bit of your lycanthropy. If your foe survives, one month later, the target transforms into an uncontrolled beast. The GM decides what happens from there.
¶ Tier 1
Beast Form. On five consecutive nights each month, you change into a monstrous beast for up to one hour each night. In this new form, you gain +8 to your Might Pool, +1 to your Might Edge, +2 to your Speed Pool, and +1 to your Speed Edge. While in beast form, you can’t spend Intellect points for any reason other than to try to change to your normal form before the one-hour duration is over (a difficulty 2 task). In addition, you attack any and every living creature within short range. After you revert to your normal form, you take a –1 penalty to all rolls for one hour. If you did not kill and eat at least one substantial creature while in beast form, the penalty increases to –2 and affects all your rolls for the next 28 hours. Action to change back.
¶ Tier 2
Controlled Change. You can try to change into your beast form on any night you wish (a difficulty 3 Intellect task). Any transformations you make using this power are in addition to the five nights per month that you change involuntarily. Action to change.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Bigger or Greater Beast Form as your Tier 3 ability.
- Bigger. Your beast form grows bigger than before, during which time you achieve a height of 12 feet (4 m). Being so large, your beast form gains the following additional bonuses: +1 to Armor, +5 to your Might Pool, and you are trained in using your fists as heavy weapons (if you weren’t already). However, your Speed defense tasks are hindered. While bigger, you also gain an asset to tasks that are easier for a larger creature to perform, like climbing, intimidating, wading rivers, and so on. Enabler.
- Greater Beast Form. Your beast form gains the following additional bonuses: +1 to your Might Edge, +2 to your Speed Pool, and +1 to your Speed Edge. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Greater Controlled Change. It’s easier to change into and out of your beast form. Transforming either way is now a difficulty 2 Intellect task. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Enhanced Beast Form. Your beast form gains the following additional bonuses: +3 to your Might Pool, +2 to your Speed Pool, and +2 to Armor. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Lethal or Perfect Control as your Tier 6 ability.
- Lethal. When you attack in your beast form, you inflict +5 points of damage. Enabler.
- Perfect Control. You no longer need to make a roll to change into your beast form or your normal form. You can change back and forth as your action. When you return to your normal form, you no longer take a penalty to your rolls. Enabler.
¶ Hunts
You are a tracker. Perhaps you hunt animals or more deadly creatures. Perhaps you go after people as a bounty hunter, law enforcer, or killer for hire. Whatever form your hunting takes, you are trained in stalking your quarry and bringing it down. You are a dangerous individual. If you hunt animals or creatures, you might carry the trophies of past kills, such as teeth or skins.
If you’re a bounty hunter, you probably wear whatever your quarry would find most intimidating so it feels as though it has no chance of getting away from you.
Most hunters are Glaives, but Jacks and Nanos bring unique skills to the chase.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. That person once saw you show surprising mercy toward your prey, and now you hope they keep it quiet—it might harm your reputation.
- Pick one other PC. You accidentally caught them in one of your traps, and they had to get free.
- Pick one other PC. Back in your bounty hunter days (which may or may not be over), you were hired to track down someone who was close to this character.
- Pick one other PC. You’ve noticed that it’s almost impossible to track this character, but you’re determined to figure out a way.
Additional Equipment: You wear boots that muffle your footsteps, giving you an asset on any roll made involving sneaky movement.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You can attempt an intimidating task to cause your foe to immediately surrender.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe pauses, terrified by your prowess, and takes no action on their turn.
¶ Tier 1
Tracker. You are trained in following and identifying tracks. Enabler.
Stalker. You gain an asset to all types of movement tasks (including climbing, swimming, jumping, and balancing). Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Sneak. You ease stealth and initiative tasks. Enabler.
Quarry (2 Intellect points). Choose a quarry (a single individual creature that you can see). You are trained in all tasks involving following, understanding, interacting with, or fighting that creature. You can have only one quarry at a time. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Horde Fighting or Sprint and Grab as your Tier 3 ability.
Horde Fighting. When two or more foes attack you at once in melee, you can use them against each other. You are trained in either Speed defense rolls or attack rolls (your choice) against them. Enabler.
Sprint and Grab (2 Speed points). You can run a short distance and make a melee attack to grab a foe of your size or smaller. A successful attack means you grab the foe and bring it to a halt if it was moving (this can be treated as a tackle, if appropriate). Action.
¶ Tier 4
Surprise Attack. If attacking from a hidden vantage, with surprise, or before your opponent has acted, you get a free level of Effort on the attack. On a successful hit, you inflict 2 additional points of damage. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Hunter’s Drive (5 Intellect points). Through force of will, when you wish it, you grant yourself greater prowess in the hunt for ten minutes. During this time, you gain an asset to all tasks involving your quarry, including attacks. Your quarry is the creature you selected with your second-tier ability. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Master Combatant or Multiple Quarry as your Tier 6 ability.
- Master Combatant. Choose one type of attack in which you are already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are specialized in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler.
- Multiple Quarry (6 Intellect points). This ability functions like the second-tier Quarry ability except that you can select up to three creatures as quarry. You must be able to see all three creatures when you initiate this ability. Your Hunter’s Drive ability applies to all three creatures. Action to initiate.
¶ Hunts Abhumans
Abhumans are a threat to humanity. You know this more than anyone. The threat is obvious— bestial abhumans attack villages, caravans, and travelers all the time in the wilderness. But the threat is also far subtler. The progenitors of the abhumans were once human. They gave up their humanity to become horrific, monstrous things. How this happened, or how long ago, are things you cannot conceive. But you know that they are true, so abhumans must be eradicated for the good of all.
Abhuman hunters are usually Glaives who wear tough but practical armor and carry a wide variety of weapons. But a Jack, Delve, or Nano could join their ranks as well, becoming decidedly more warriorlike than their fellows. Abhuman hunters spend much of their time stalking through the wastelands and desolate wilds as well as guarding what few roads and paths connect the towns and villages of the Ninth World.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character has had experiences with abhumans in the past, and you’d like to know more about them.
- Pick one other PC. You are friends, and you’d hate to see this character harmed.
- Pick one other PC. This character doesn’t understand just how dangerous and horrible abhumans can be.
- Pick one other PC. Abhumans are sometimes drawn to certain people. They always seem to attack those people first and with more fervor. This character appears to be one such person.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your foe is so intimidated by your prowess that it backs away, unwilling to attack. It can still defend itself.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe is terrified by your skill and flees.
¶ Tier 1
Tracker and Hunter. You are trained in tracking, looking for, interacting with, and hiding from abhumans. Enabler. Abhuman Fighter. You inflict 2 additional points of damage when fighting abhumans. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Abhuman Sense (2 Intellect points). For one hour, through scent, specific signs, and past experience, you know when abhumans are within long range. Enabler.
Expert Combatant. Choose one type of attack in which you are not already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are trained in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Answering Attack or Horde Fighting as your Tier 3 ability.
- Answering Attack (3 Speed points). If you are struck in melee, you can make an immediate melee attack against that attacker once per round. The attack is hindered, and you can still take your normal action during the round. Enabler.
- Horde Fighting. When two or more foes attack you at once in melee, you can use them against each other. You gain an asset to Speed defense rolls or attack rolls (your choice each round) against them. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Improved Abhuman Fighter. You inflict 3 additional points of damage when fighting abhumans. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Abhuman Slayer. When fighting abhumans, your attack rolls and defense rolls gain an asset. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Abhuman Anathema or Master Combatant as your Tier 6 ability.
- Abhuman Anathema. When fighting abhumans, you can apply a free level of Effort to all attack rolls and defense rolls if you first apply a level of Effort to one of those tasks. Enabler.
- Master Combatant. Choose one type of attack in which you are already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are specialized in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler.
¶ Imparts Wisdom
You’ve studied philosophy and other higher truths. But you do more than learn about such esoteric teachings; you practice them. Every day you consider hard questions or questions that everyone else has an easy answer for. That’s just the way you live. By focusing on things that bear on life, existence, and the underlying principles that guide the most sublime processes in the universe, you know contentment. Others often see in you a teacher, a higher being, or perhaps even some sort of savior. However, you see yourself as merely another student studying at the feet of eternity.
You probably wear bright clothes and cloaks with many pockets for collecting bits of this and that for study, and you may have voluminous bags for your books.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character also yearns for enlightenment. You both gain +1 on any die rolls when you collaborate on the same task, fight the same foe, and so on.
- Pick two other PCs. You have seen them, or someone who looked like them, stray from the path of wisdom before you became allies. You can choose whether or not to share that information. These characters can choose whether it was really them (it might not have been), and they may or may not share that information in return.
- Pick one other PC. This character never seems to learn from you, and you both gain –1 on any die rolls when you collaborate on the same task, fight the same foe, and so on.
- Pick one other PC. This character is so wrong in everything that you feel obligated to try to help them better understand the world. Whether or not the character is interested is up to them.
Wisdom Benefits: If you wish, you can swap an ability gained from your type for the following.
- Philosophic Confusion (1 Intellect point). Your esoteric words confuse a creature that can understand you, making it stand without taking actions as it attempts to pierce the puzzle set before it. For as long as you do nothing but pontificate (you can’t even move), the other creature takes no actions other than to defend itself, even over multiple rounds. If the creature is attacked, the effect ends. If you have a type ability that accomplishes the same thing, you can attempt to use either ability on two creatures at a time. Action.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You don’t have to use an action ahead of time to use your next Learning the Path or Imparting the Path ability.
Major Effect Suggestions: Intuition flares, and you can ask the GM one question about what you’re looking at.
¶ Tier 1
Learning the Path (2 Intellect points). You observe or study a creature, object, or location for at least one round. The next time you interact with it (possibly in the following round), a related task (such as persuading the creature, attacking it, or defending from its attack) is eased. Action.
Philosophy. You are trained in two areas of knowledge of your choice.
¶ Teir 2
Imparting the Path. Through example, teaching, and frank speech about piercing what only seems to be mysterious in the world, you impart wisdom to your allies. After spending 28 hours with you, each of your friends can ease one task once per day. This benefit is ongoing while you remain in the friend’s company. It ends if you leave, but it resumes if you return to the friend’s company within 28 hours. If you leave the friend’s company for more than 28 hours, you must spend another 28 hours together to reactivate the benefit. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Genius or Soothe Mind and Body as your Tier 3 ability.
- Genius. The more you accumulate wisdom, the sharper your mind becomes. You gain +5 to your Intellect Pool. Enabler.
- Soothe Mind and Body. The body and the mind are connected. All healing tasks you attempt are eased by two steps. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Inspire Action (4 Intellect points). If one ally can see and easily understand you, you can instruct that ally to take an action. If the ally chooses to take that exact action, they can take it as an additional action immediately. Doing so doesn’t interfere with the ally taking a normal action on their turn. If you have the Arkus ability of the same name, when you use either ability, you can also move up to a short distance as part of the same action. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Change the Paradigm (6+ Intellect points). You sway the worldview of a creature you spend at least one round speaking to, as long as it can understand you. The creature changes its mind on some significant belief, which could include something as straightforward as helping you instead of trying to kill you, or it could be something more esoteric. This effect lasts for at least ten minutes, but it can last longer if the creature wasn’t previously your foe. During this time, the creature takes actions in accordance with the wisdom you have imparted to it. The target must be level 2 or lower. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to increase the maximum level of the target by one for each level applied. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Impart Understanding or Undo as your tier 6 ability.
- Impart Understanding. Your Learning the Path ability works more effectively, allowing you to ease a task by two steps or to provide two assets to a friend’s task, instead of easing normally. Enabler.
- Undo (5 Intellect points). What just happened isn’t what actually happened; it was a thought experiment. Knowing better, you can effectively undo a single creature’s most recent action. That creature can then immediately repeat the same action or try something different. Action.
¶ Leads
Using charisma, natural leadership, and perhaps some training, you command the actions of others, who follow you willingly. You are a commander, a captain, a leader, or a general. Your skills allow you to make people do what you want, but you also have the wisdom to know what actions would be best for your followers and allies. Since you need the respect of others, you probably dress and carry yourself in such a way that inspires, endears, or intimidates. You have a voice suited to barking orders that can be heard even on a noisy battlefield.
Arkai are already leaders, so only a few will choose to further enhance their expertise. Glaives make excellent military leaders, but a Jack could easily lead a group of explorers or a den of thieves. A Nano might be the head of a group of “mages” or scholars, or they might have a gang of bodyguards as followers.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character was once a follower of yours, but you have since grown to think of them as a peer.
- Pick one other PC. Independent and stubborn, they are not affected by your abilities.
- Pick one other PC. They introduce you to the follower you gain at Tier 4.
- Pick one other PC. You were once very close with this character in the distant past.
Additional Equipment: You have an artifact that allows you to tag up to seven followers. By looking into the glass plate on the device, you can determine their distance and direction relative to you. The tagging process is somewhat demeaning, so it is likely that only your followers would ever submit to it.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The next time you attempt to command, captivate, or otherwise influence the same foe, the task is eased.
Major Effect Suggestions: The foe is influenced, captivated, or otherwise affected by your ability for twice as long as normal.
¶ Tier 1
Natural Charisma. You are trained in all social interactions, whether they involve charm, learning a person’s secrets, or intimidating others. Enabler.
Good Advice. Anyone can help an ally, easing whatever task they’re attempting. However, you have the benefit of clarity and wisdom. When you help another character, they gain an additional asset. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Lead From the Front. No one is going to allow themselves to be governed by someone not willing to lay it on the line themselves. Thus, you constantly test yourself, and this toughens you. You gain +3 to your Might Pool. Enabler.
Follower. You gain a level 2 follower. They are not restricted on their modifications other than the general restriction that followers of level 2 and lower cannot grant an asset to a character’s attacks or defense. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose Command or Improved Follower as your Tier 3 ability.
- Command (3 Intellect points). Through sheer force of will and charisma, you issue a simple command to a single living creature, which attempts to carry out your command as its next action. The creature must be within short range and be able to understand you. The command can’t inflict direct harm on the creature or its allies, so “Commit suicide” won’t work, but “Flee” might. In addition, the command can require the creature to take only one action, so “Unlock the door” might work, but “Unlock the door and run through it” won’t. A commanded creature can still defend itself normally and return an attack if one is made on it. If you possess a type ability that allows you to command a creature, you can target two creatures at once as your base effect if you use either ability. Action.
- Improved Follower. You gain a level 3 follower. They are not restricted on their modifications. You can take this ability multiple times, each time gaining another level 3 follower. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Captivate or Inspire. You can use this ability in one of two ways. Either your words keep the attention of all NPCs that hear them for as long as you speak, or your words inspire all NPCs that hear them to function as if they were one level higher for the next hour. In either case, you choose which NPCs are affected. If anyone in the crowd is attacked while you’re trying to speak to them, you lose the crowd’s attention. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Confidence. Leaders inspire confidence, and confidence comes from real ability. You gain 6 new points to divide among your stat Pools however you wish. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Band of Followers or Mind of a Leader as your Tier 6 ability.
- Band of Followers. You gain four level 3 followers. They are not restricted on their modifications. Enabler.
- Mind of a Leader (6 Intellect points). When you develop a plan that involves your followers, you can ask the GM one very general question about what is likely to happen if you carry out the plan, and you will get a simple, brief answer. Action.
¶ Learns From Adversity
You’ve been around, which means that you’ve experienced the pendulum swings that living delivers to every creature. No matter the heights that someone might attain, situations change, disasters happen, friends die, and mistakes are made. No matter how brilliant you might be, or believe yourself to be, those mistakes are often made by you. What distinguishes you from others is that you learn from those mistakes. You learn from the past and use experience as your guide. You’re older than many, but you’ve seen some amazing things in that time, and you can draw on that experience to do amazing things. As someone who’s survived the long years and trials of life, you probably dress simply and practically. Though older than most others who risk exploration, you remain fit, lean, and probably have either no hair or hair as white as the frozen water that’s said to cover the land in the far south.
Glaives, Jacks, and Arkai are most likely to prefer the focus Learns From Adversity.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You languished in some kind of terrible situation until this character plucked you out of it. You learned a lot from that experience.
- Pick one other PC. They don’t seem to think much of your experience.
- Pick one or more other PCs. They came looking for help with a problem and found you. It’s up to them whether they’re satisfied with what they found or not.
- Pick one other PC. This character believes you’re some kind of legend based on a decade-old story about you that’s grown in the telling. Sometimes, that makes you confident. Other times, it’s a lot to live up to.
Additional Equipment: A book filled with knowledge on a topic of your choice.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The range or duration of one of your abilities is doubled.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can take another action on the same turn.
¶ Tier 1
Quicker Than Most. Experience has honed your reaction times, because those who act first gain the advantage in most situations. You’re trained in tasks related to initiative, seeing underlying patterns, and solving puzzles. Enabler.
Toughened Up. Adversity has made you tougher. You gain +3 to your Might Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Inner Defense. Life’s trials have toughened you and made you hard to read. You are trained in any task to resist another creature’s attempt to discern your true feelings, beliefs, or plans. You are likewise trained in resisting torture, telepathic intrusion, and mind control. Enabler.
Mental Fortitude. Your mind is stronger for overcoming bad experience. You gain +3 to your Intellect Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Know Their Faults or Tall Tale as your Tier 3 ability.
- Know Their Faults. You don’t live as long as you have without learning what makes others tick. If a creature that you can see has a special weakness, such as a vulnerability to loud noises, a negative modification to perception, and so on, you know what it is. Ask and the GM will tell you; usually, this is not associated with a roll, but in certain cases the GM may decide that there is a chance for you not to know. In these cases, you are specialized in knowing creature weaknesses. Enabler.
- Tall Tale (3 Intellect points). You tell a short anecdote to a foe that can understand you about something you’ve witnessed in your life that’s so over the top yet so convincing that, if you are successful, the foe is dazed for one minute, during which time its tasks are hindered. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Seize Opportunity (4 Speed points). You’ve learned that you have to react instantly when danger threatens. Once per round, if you succeed on a Speed defense roll to resist an attack, you gain an action. You can use it immediately even if you have already taken a turn in the round. If you use this action to attack, your attack is eased. You don’t take an action during the next round. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Twist of Fate. Experience has taught you a lot, including that luck is sometimes something that you have to make for yourself. When you roll a 1, you can reroll. You must use the new result, even if it’s another 1. Enabler.
Expeditious. Learning from adversity includes recognizing when to move quickly. You gain +3 to your Speed Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Exploit Advantage or Lethal Ploy as your Tier 6 ability.
- Exploit Advantage. Even if you can do something well, you’ve learned that you can always do it even better. Whenever you have an asset for a roll, you ease the task by one additional step. Enabler.
- Lethal Ploy (5+ Intellect points). Long experience has revealed to you that subterfuge is your friend in desperate situations. You push, attack, or distract the target in some seemingly inconsequential way that leads to the target’s death. The target must be level 2 or lower. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to increase the maximum level of the target by 1. Thus, to kill a level 5 target (three levels above the normal limit), you must apply three levels of Effort. Action.
¶ Lives In The Wilderness
You dwell in the wilds. You probably have done so most, if not all, of your life, coming to understand the mysteries of nature, weather, and survival. The ways of flora and fauna are your ways.
Your rough, rugged clothing shows little concern for style. Most of the time, covering yourself in natural smells to keep your scent from arousing suspicion in the wilderness is more important than bathing to keep yourself presentable to other humans.
Glaives and Jacks are the most likely characters to live in the wilderness, perhaps working as guides, hunters, trappers, scouts, or trackers. A Nano who does so might be seen as a nature priest or wild wizard.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC who isn’t from the wilderness. You can’t help but feel a little contempt for that character and their “civilized” ways, which show disdain for all things natural and (to your mind) true.
- Pick one other PC. This character is one of the few people that you are completely comfortable around, and you are often surprised at how easily you let down your guard near them.
- Pick one other PC. This character once saved you from an uncomfortable social situation, and you still feel grateful.
- Pick one other PC. This person seems to understand civilization in the same way that you understand the wilderness. You could choose to help each other or despise each other for this different way of seeing the world.
Additional Equipment: You have a directional compass.
Minor Effect Suggestions: A foe that is a natural creature flees rather than continue to fight you.
Major Effect Suggestions: A foe that is a natural creature becomes warily passive.
¶ Tier 1
Wilderness Life. You are trained in two of the following: climbing, swimming, navigation, or identifying plants and creatures. Enabler.
Wild Hardiness. You gain 3 points to your Might Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Living off the Land. Given an hour or so, you can always find edible food and potable water in the wilderness. You can even find enough for a small group of people, if need be. Further, since you’re so hardy and have gained resistance over time, you are trained in resisting the effects of natural poisons (such as those from plants or living creatures). You’re also immune to natural diseases. Enabler.
Wilderness Explorer. While taking any action (including fighting) in the wild, you ignore any penalties due to natural causes such as tall grass, thick brush, rugged terrain, weather, and so on. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Animal Senses and Sensibilities or Wilderness Encouragement as your Tier 3 ability.
- Animal Senses and Sensibilities. You are trained in listening and spotting things. In addition, most of the time, the GM should alert you if you’re about to walk into an ambush or a trap that is lower than level 5. Enabler.
- Wilderness Encouragement (3 Intellect points). While in the wilderness, or when talking about your time in the wilderness, your stirring words of encouragement grant a target within short range that can understand you 1d6 points to one Pool. You can’t use this ability on the same creature again until they’ve made a recovery roll. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Wilderness Awareness (4 Intellect points). Your connection to the natural world extends to a degree that some would call supernatural. While in the wilderness, you can extend your senses up to a mile in any direction and ask the GM a very simple, general question about that area, such as “Where is the margr camp?” or “Is my friend Deithan still alive?” If the answer you seek is not in the area, you receive no information. Action.
¶ Tier 5
The Wild Is on Your Side (5 Intellect points). While you’re in the wilderness, foes within short range are tripped by rocks, tangled in vines, bitten by insects, and distracted or confused by small animals, which hinders all their tasks for ten minutes. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either One With the Wild or Wild Camouflage as your Tier 6 ability.
- One With the Wild (6 Intellect points). For the next hour, natural animals and plants within long range will not knowingly harm you or those you designate. In addition, your Might Edge, Speed Edge, and Intellect Edge increase by 1, and if you make any recovery rolls during this period, you recover twice as many points. Action to initiate.
- Wild Camouflage (4 Intellect points). By drawing your clothing about you just so and using various tricks and your deep knowledge of your surroundings, you become invisible in the wilderness for ten minutes. While you are invisible, this asset eases your stealth and Speed defense tasks by two steps. This effect ends if you do something to reveal your presence or position—attacking, using an ability, moving a large object, and so on. If this occurs, you can regain the remaining invisibility effect by taking an action to focus on hiding your position. Action to initiate or reinitiate.
¶ Lives On The Road
You are a traveler. Experienced travelers are rare in the Ninth World because of the hazards involved, but you are up for these challenges. You thrill to the idea of exploring new places. Wanderlust makes you grow anxious if you stay in the same place too long. Being on the road means you’re adaptive. New situations don’t bother you (in fact, you thrive on them). The road is a dirty, dangerous place at times, but you’re resilient and resistant to harm and disease. Travelers wear tough, practical clothing and often a wide variety of gear.
Because you’re always picking up new things as you visit places, your clothing and equipment are a hodge-podge of different cultures and styles.
Jacks in particular take well to living on the road, as they are very adaptable. But truly, anyone who walks the long and winding paths (or blazes whole new trails) that cross the world is a fellow traveler, regardless of their other skills.
Connection: Choose one of the following connections.
- Pick one other PC. The character has been your longtime traveling companion. You know many of each other’s foibles, preferences, and secrets.
- Pick one other PC who is not from your hometown. Not only do you know where she is from, but you seem to know more about that place than she does.
- Pick one other PC. Whether it’s true or not, you feel that character always seems to need your help in whatever he does.
- Pick one other PC. You have taught her a smattering of one of the languages you know.
Additional Equipment: You start with an explorer’s pack. If you already have one, you can instead take an extra change of clothes, rations for two more days, and two minor glowglobes.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your action impresses those around you. People who were unsure of you are now willing to at least listen to what you have to say.
Major Effect Suggestions: As you succeed, you say precisely the right thing, and the difficulty of all social interaction tasks pertaining to one person who can see and hear (and understand) you is decreased by two steps permanently.
¶ Tier 1
Hardy. You add 4 extra points to your Might Pool. Enabler.
Multilingual. You are fluent in an additional language of your choice. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Survivor. You are trained at finding food and water in places where such things are difficult to find. This doesn’t just mean out in the wilderness. On the streets of an unfriendly city without any shins, you still might be able to find enough sustenance to get by. Enabler.
Multilingual. You are fluent in an additional language of your choice. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Tireless. You can walk, swim, or otherwise travel for half again as long as most people. Enabler.
Sharp Eyed. Because you must always keep an eye out when you’re on the road, you are trained in all tasks related to perception and navigation. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Polyglot. You are so adept at languages that after hearing any language spoken for a few minutes, you can pick up a few words. It doesn’t take long for you to be able to (crudely) make yourself understood, and to understand what’s being said around you. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Resilient. In your travels, you’ve been exposed to all sorts of dangerous things and are developing a general resistance. You gain +1 to Armor and are trained in Might defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Adaptor. Living on the road long enough, you learn to do a little of everything. Anytime a circumstance (such as weather, inability to see, terrain, and so on) would increase the difficulty of a task for you, you can ignore the modification. Further, anytime you take your ten-hour recovery roll, you can choose one skill to be trained in. This lasts until your next ten-hour recovery roll, at which point you choose a new skill (or the same one again). Enabler.
¶ Masters Defense
Protecting yourself is obviously important in dangerous situations, and you are particularly good at it. Cautious and prudent, you learn techniques to defend against all kinds of attacks, both physical and mental. The winner is often the last person standing, and you’ve done all you can to ensure that person will be you. You carry a shield and probably wear the best armor you can find.
Glaives make excellent defensive masters, but Jacks and Nanos also find at least some of these skills of great value.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character protected you from harm recently, and you feel indebted to them for saving your life.
- Pick one other PC. This person thinks you are an incredibly selfish person, perhaps based on their belief that you always save yourself first.
- Pick one other PC. You once fought on opposite sides of a combat.
- Pick one other PC. This character seems to be a jinx for you. Whenever they are next to you, your Speed defense tasks are hindered.
Additional Equipment: You have a shield.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You gain an asset to Speed defense rolls for one round.
Major Effect Suggestions: If an attack would hit you next round, it harmlessly strikes your shield instead if you choose.
¶ Tier 1
Shield Master. When you use a shield, in addition to the asset it gives you (easing Speed defense tasks), you can act as if you are trained in Speed defense tasks. However, in any round in which you use this benefit, your attacks are hindered. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Sturdy. You are trained in Might defense tasks. Enabler.
Armor Expert. When you wear any armor, the Speed cost for wearing it is reduced by 1. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Dodge and Resist or Dodge and Respond as your Tier 3 ability.
-
Dodge and Resist (3 Speed points). You can reroll any of your Might, Speed, or Intellect defense rolls and take the better of the two results. Enabler.
-
Dodge and Respond (3 Might points). If a melee attack misses you, you can immediately make a melee attack in return, but no more than once per turn. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Tower of Will. You are trained in Intellect defense tasks and gain +3 points to your Intellect Pool. Enabler.
Armor Master. You reduce the Speed cost of any armor you wear to 0 (if it isn’t already 0). Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Nothing but Defend. If you do nothing on your turn but defend, you are specialized in all defense tasks for one round. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Defense Master or Wear It Well as your Tier 6 ability.
- Defense Master. Every time you succeed at a Speed defense task, you can make an immediate attack against your foe. (This ability replaces Dodge and Respond, if you took that; you can exchange that ability for Dodge and Resist.) Your attack must be the same type (melee weapon, ranged weapon, or unarmed) as the attack you defend against. If you don’t have an appropriate type of weapon ready, you can’t use this ability. Enabler.
- Wear It Well. When you wear armor of any kind, you gain an additional +1 to Armor. Enabler.
¶ Masters Insects
You are a master of the hive mind, controller of those with compound eyes, friend to all that fly and flitter. It’s a weird skill—as you’ve been told far too many times—but you’ve seen the benefits both in and out of battle, and you’ve fully embraced it.
Your dress likely bears some mark of your predilections. Perhaps you use goldgleam or other insectoid elements to adorn yourself, or perhaps your cloth is the rainbow hue of a beetle’s back. Butterflies and other insects sometimes alight on your person even when you don’t purposefully call them.
Nanos are most often the masters of insects—or swarm lords, as they’re sometimes called—simply because dealing with insects is mentally taxing, and they are usually the characters most able to cope.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This person seems deathly afraid of some or all kinds of insects and has a watchful eye on you.
- Pick one other PC. Your insects are attracted to this person for reasons you cannot understand.
- Pick one other PC. You are indebted to this character for an act of kindness in the past.
- Pick one other PC. This character has an insect-shaped birthmark, mole, or other feature. Does it mean something?
Additional Equipment: You have an oddity that makes random insect noises when you press a button.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The insect swarm is particularly thick and angry, and everyone within it suffers 1 point of damage this round.
Major Effect Suggestions: Everyone within the insect swarm suffers 3 points of damage this round.
¶ Tier 1
Influence Insects (1 Intellect point). Insects within short range will not harm you or those you designate as allies for one hour. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Control Insects (2 Intellect points). Insects within short range do as you telepathically command for ten minutes. Even common insects (level 0) in large enough numbers can swarm about a single creature and modify its task difficulty by one step to its detriment. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Insect Armor (4 Intellect points). If you’re in a location where it’s possible for insects to come, you call a swarm of insects around you for one hour. They crawl over your body and fly around you in a cloud. During this time, the difficulty of Speed defense tasks is decreased by one step, and you gain +1 to Armor. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Call Swarm (4 Intellect points). If you’re in a location where it’s possible for insects to come, you call a swarm of common insects to you that remain for one hour. During this hour, they do as you telepathically command as long as they are within long range. They can swarm about and modify any or all creatures’ task difficulties by one step to their detriment. While the insects are in long range, you can speak to them telepathically and perceive through their senses. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Insect Companion. You gain a flying insect as a constant companion. It is level 4, probably the size of a small dog, and follows your telepathic commands. You and the GM must work out the details of your creature, and you’ll probably make rolls for it in combat or when it takes actions. The insect companion acts on your turn. As a level 4 creature, it has a target number of 12 and a health of 12, and it inflicts 4 points of damage. If your insect companion dies, you can hunt in the wild for 1d6 days to find a new companion. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Deadly Swarm (6 Intellect points). You call a swarm of insects in a place where it is possible for insects to come. They remain for ten minutes, and during this time, they do as you telepathically command as long as they are within long range. They can swarm about and modify any or all creatures’ task difficulties by one step to their detriment, or they can focus the swarm and attack all creatures within immediate range of each other (all within long range of you). The attacking swarm inflicts 4 points of damage. While the insects are in long range, you can speak to them telepathically and perceive through their senses. Action to initiate.
¶ Masters Weaponry
You have worked long and hard with one particular type of weapon: bows, swords, axes, daggers, whips, or whatever you choose. Thus, you are an archer, a swordsman, an axe master, a mistress of knives, or whatever is appropriate to your chosen weapon. A master of the rapier is different than a master of the warhammer, and an archer is different than a whip wielder.
You might wear a symbol—a badge, a pin, a tattoo, an amulet, certain colors, or the like— that indicates the school in which you trained, the style of fighting you have mastered, or the name of your mentor. Your weapon is almost certainly your finest possession. Not only is it well cared for and of high quality, but you probably keep it in a beautiful scabbard, harness, belt, case, or something similar.
Many Glaives are weapon masters, but sometimes a Jack might choose this path, particularly with lighter weapons.
Connection: Choose one of the following
1.
- Pick one other PC. That character shows potential in the use of your weapon. You would like to train them, but you’re not necessarily qualified to teach (that’s up to you), and they might not be interested (that’s up to them).
- Pick one other PC. If that person is within immediate range when you’re in a fight, sometimes they grant you an asset, and sometimes they hinder you (50% chance either way, determined per fight).
- Pick one other PC. You once saved this person’s life, and they feel indebted to you. You wish they didn’t; it’s all just part of the job.
- Pick one other PC. This person recently mocked your combat stance. How you deal with this (if at all) is up to you.
Additional Equipment: You have a high-quality weapon of your choosing.
Weaponry Powers: If you have “supernatural” special abilities (such as some esoteries), these look like your chosen weapon. So the force blast of the Onslaught esotery appears to be a large weapon made of force, and the Flash esotery produces a flurry of weaponry. These alterations change nothing other than the appearance of the effects. As another example, Barrier becomes a wall of swirling blades of energy. This alteration changes the esotery such that it is not a solid barrier but rather inflicts 1 point of damage to anyone who touches it and 4 points of damage to anyone who passes through it.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is so dazzled by your expertise that it is dazed for one round, hindering all of its tasks.
Major Effect Suggestions: Make an immediate additional attack with the weapon as part of your turn.
¶ Tier 1
Weapon Master. You gain a +1 bonus to damage with your chosen weapon. Enabler.
Weapon Crafter. You are trained in crafting tasks associated with your chosen weapon. For instance, if your weapon is a bow, you are trained in tasks related to crafting bows and fletching arrows; if your weapon is a sword, you are trained in tasks for forging swords and sharpening blades; and so on. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Weapon Defense. While your chosen weapon is in your hand(s), you are trained in Speed defense rolls. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Disarming Strike or Rapid Attack as your Tier 3 ability.
- Disarming Strike (3 Speed points). Your attack inflicts 1 point less damage and disarms your foe so that their weapon is now 10 feet (3 m) away on the ground. (If your chosen weapon is a whip, you can instead deposit the disarmed weapon into your hands; if your chosen weapon is a bow or other ranged weapon that fires physical rounds, you can instead “nail” the disarmed weapon to a nearby object or structure. Choosing to do either of these hinders your attack.) Action.
- Rapid Attack (3 Speed points). Once per round, you can make an additional attack with your chosen weapon. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Never Fumble. If you roll a natural 1 when attacking with your chosen weapon, you can ignore or countermand the GM intrusion for that roll. You can never be disarmed of your chosen weapon, nor will you ever drop it accidentally. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Extreme Mastery (6 Might or 6 Speed points). When using your chosen weapon, you can reroll any attack roll you wish and take the better of the two results. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose Damage Dealer, Death Dealer, or Master Combatant as your Tier 6 ability.
- Damage Dealer. You gain a +3 bonus to damage with your chosen weapon. This bonus adds to the one from the Weapon Master ability, giving you a total bonus of +4. Enabler.
- Death Dealer (5 Might points). If you strike a foe of level 3 or less with your chosen weapon, you kill the target instantly. Action.
- Master Combatant. Choose one type of attack in which you are already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are specialized in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler.
¶ Metes Out Justice
There is so much injustice in the world. It takes a special person to take it upon himself to right wrongs, protect the innocent, and punish the guilty. You are such a person. Justicars, as they are sometimes called, are knights errant who wear armor, bear swords and shields, and travel the land looking for tyranny, corruption, and oppression. But some operate a little less ostentatiously, and sometimes justice comes from more subtle tactics. A justicar might also be a masked vigilante or just a badass who rights wrongs. The importance of justice in your life might come from religion, your upbringing, or your highly developed sense of principles. Regardless, you not only adhere to your values, but you also believe it is your calling to act on them and help make the world more just, more fair, and more ethical. You want to see wrongdoing punished.
Although any character can be a justicar, Arkai and Glaives most often take on the role.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You strongly suspect that this character has a past that might involve serious crimes or wrongdoing. You have no proof, however, and you’ve never witnessed them doing anything seriously wrong.
- Pick one other PC. This character seems to share your value systems and sees right and wrong the same way you do, which is refreshing.
- Pick one other PC. This character, while ethical, defines right and wrong in different ways than you do.
- Pick one other PC. In the past, you and this character witnessed an event that helped shape your moral code. They may or may not have come away with a similar outlook.
Additional Equipment: You have a shield to help you protect yourself and others.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You shame or intimidate your foe so much that they are shaken and use their next turn to flee.
Major Effect Suggestions: You mark your foe permanently with a distinctive scar so that their guilt will be known by all.
¶ Tier 1
Make Judgment. You are trained in discerning the truth of a situation, seeing through lies, or otherwise overcoming deception. Enabler.
Designation. You assign an innocent or guilty label to one creature within immediate range, based on your assessment of a given situation or a predominant feeling. In other words, someone who is labeled innocent can be innocent in a certain circumstance, or they can be generally innocent of terrible crimes (such as murder, major theft, and so on). Likewise, you can declare that a creature is guilty of a particular crime or of terrible deeds in general. The accuracy of your assessment isn’t important as long as you believe it to be the truth; the GM may require you to give a rationale. Henceforth, your tasks to socially interact with someone you designate as innocent gain an asset, and your attacks against those you designate as guilty gain an asset. You can change your assessment, but it requires another designation action. The benefits of the designation last until you change it or until you are shown proof that it is wrong. Action.
¶ Tier 2
Defend the Innocent (2 Speed points). For the next ten minutes, if someone you have designated as innocent stands next to you, that creature shares any defensive advantages that you might have, other than mundane armor. These advantages include the Speed defense from your shield, the Armor offered from a force field, and so on. In addition, Speed defense rolls made by the innocent creature gain an asset. You can protect only one innocent creature at a time. Action to initiate.
Improved Designation. You can designate one additional creature to be innocent or guilty when you use Designation, which means up to two creatures at a time may be innocent, or two guilty, or one innocent and one guilty. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Defend All the Innocent or Punish the Guilty as your Tier 3 ability.
- Defend All the Innocent. You protect everyone within immediate range whom you have designated as innocent. Speed defense rolls made by such creatures gain an asset. Enabler.
- Punish the Guilty (2 Might points). For the next ten minutes, if you attack someone you have designated as guilty, you inflict 2 additional points of damage. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Find the Guilty. If you have designated someone as guilty, you are trained in tracking them, spotting them when they are hidden or disguised, or otherwise finding them. Enabler.
Greater Designation. You can assign an innocent or guilty label to all creatures within immediate range when you use Designation. The one label applies to all affected creatures. This lasts until you use Greater Designation again. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Punish All the Guilty (3 Speed points). You can attack up to five foes within immediate range that you have designated as guilty, all as part of the same action in one round. Make separate attack rolls for each foe, but all attacks count as a single action in a single round. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all attacks. If you also have the Glaive special ability Spin Attack, you inflict 1 additional point of damage when you use Punish All the Guilty. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Damn the Guilty or Inspire the Innocent as your Tier 6 ability.
- Damn the Guilty (3 Intellect points). You speak words of revelation and judgment to everyone within close range, Those whom you have designated as guilty take an additional 3 points of damage from any attack they receive from anyone who heard your judgment. This judgment lasts for up to one minute or until they move at least a long distance away from you. Action.
- Inspire the Innocent (3 Intellect points). You speak words of encouragement and inspiration to everyone within immediate range whom you have designated as innocent. They immediately gain a free recovery roll. One person you choose can gain an immediate free action instead of a free recovery roll. Justicars who have both Inspire the Innocent and the Arkus ability Inspiration gain one additional effect when using Inspire the Innocent: the target who gains a free action also gains an asset on it. Action.
¶ Moves Like A Cat
You are extremely dexterous. Your speed and agility make you almost a thing of wonder. Your body is lithe, flexible, and graceful. Your training—or perhaps a bit of magic or technology—allows you to move quickly and smoothly, land safely when you fall, and avoid danger.
You likely wear tight clothing that doesn’t hinder you as you move. Likewise, you probably don’t allow yourself to be overburdened by a lot of equipment. You’ll wear armor only if it doesn’t slow you down.
Glaives are very often catlike, but Jacks can be, too.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. Their occasional clumsiness and loud behavior irritate you.
- Pick one other PC. This character comes from the same place you do, and you knew each other as children.
- Pick one other PC. You aid them with advice and a helping hand when they need it. Anytime the two of you are next to each other, balancing, climbing, and jumping tasks are eased for them.
- Pick one other PC. They owe you a significant amount of money.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You restore 2 points to your Speed Pool.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can take a second action this round.
¶ Tier 1
Reflexes. You gain +5 to your Speed Pool. Enabler.
Balance. You are trained in balancing. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Movement. You are trained in climbing and jumping. Enabler.
Safe Fall. You reduce the damage from a fall by 5 points. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose Greater Reflexes or Hard to Pin Down as your Tier 3 ability.
- Greater Reflexes. You gain +1 to your Speed Edge. Enabler.
- Hard to Pin Down. You are trained in all defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Quick Strike (4 Speed points). You make a melee attack with such speed that it is hard for your foe to defend against, and it knocks them off balance. Your attack is eased by two steps, and the foe, if struck, takes normal damage but is dazed so that their tasks are hindered for the next round. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Phenomenal Reflexes. You gain an additional +5 to your Speed Pool. Enabler.
Slippery. You are trained in escaping any kind of bond or grasp. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Burst of Action or Deep Resources as your Tier 6 ability.
- Burst of Action (6 Speed points). You can take two separate actions this round. Enabler.
- Deep Resources. You gain an additional +6 to your Speed Pool. Enabler.
¶ Murders
The murderous assassin is a master of dealing death. No one is better at sneaking into a location, eliminating a target, and slipping out again. Obviously, a professional killer is not likely to have a lot of friends.
You probably wear dark colors—black, charcoal grey, or midnight blue—to help blend into the shadows. But since you’re also a master of disguise, in truth you could look like anyone.
Any character could be an assassin. Jacks are the most likely choice, but Nanos with their esoteries or Glaives with their combat abilities would make efficient killers as well.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. That character knows your real identity, profession, and background. To all others, the truth about you is a closely guarded secret.
- Pick one other PC. You were recently approached by someone who wanted to hire you to take that character out. You haven’t yet decided whether to take the job or warn them that their life is in danger.
- Pick two other PCs. One night after perhaps too much celebrating, you loudly claimed responsibility for a murder you didn’t commit. These two characters were the only ones who heard. Whether they believe you or not is up to them.
- Pick one other PC. That character is the one who got you started down the path of taking lives, whether they know it or not.
Additional Equipment: You start with a disguise kit and three doses of a level 2 blade poison that inflicts 5 points of damage.
Minor Effect Suggestions: No one but the foe notices that you make the attack.
Major Effect Suggestions: If you have poison amid your belongings, you were able to apply it just before the strike, adding the poison’s effects to the normal attack damage.
¶ Tier 1
Surprise Attack. If attacking from a hidden vantage, with surprise, or before an opponent has acted, you gain an asset to your attack. On a successful hit with this surprise attack, you inflict 2 additional points of damage. Enabler.
Natural Assassin. You are trained in stealth and disguise tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Quick Death (2 Speed points). You know how to kill quickly. When you hit with a melee or ranged attack, you deal 4 additional points of damage. You can’t make this attack in two consecutive rounds. Action.
Infiltrator. You are trained in interactions involving lies or trickery. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Awareness or Poison Crafter as your Tier 3 ability.
- Awareness (3 Intellect points). You become hyperaware of your surroundings in order to better locate your next victim. For ten minutes, you are aware of all living things within long range (including their general position), and by concentrating (another action), you can attempt to learn the general health and power level of any one of them. Action.
- Poison Crafter. You are trained in crafting, sensing, identifying, and resisting poisons. Your poison crafting has given you some immunity to poisons; you have +5 Armor that applies specifically to poison damage. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Better Surprise Attack. If attacking from a hidden vantage, with surprise, or before an opponent has acted, your attack is eased by two steps instead of one. On a successful hit with this surprise attack, you inflict 2 additional points of damage (for a total of 4 additional points of damage). Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Slayer (5 Speed points). With a swift and sudden attack, you strike a foe in a vital spot. If the target is level 3 or lower, it is killed outright. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Escape Plan or Murderer as your Tier 6 ability.
- Escape Plan. When you kill a foe, you can attempt a sneaking action to immediately hide from anyone around, assuming that a suitable hiding place is nearby. Enabler.
- Murderer (8+ Speed points). With a swift and sudden attack, you strike a foe in a vital spot. If the target is level 4 or lower, it is killed outright. For each additional level of Effort you apply, you can increase the level of the target by 1. Action.
¶ Needs No Weapons
You don’t use weapons—you are a weapon. With powerful punches, kicks, and full-body moves, you inflict incredible damage on your foes. By focusing your energy, the combined power of your body and mind allows you to do incredible amounts of damage without depleting your energy reserves. You might have gained your skills through intense training, various implants and enhancements, genetic mutations, or any combination of these things. Whatever the origin of your feats, you likely take good care of your body, ensuring that it remains the sharpest, most dependable weapon at your disposal. Martial artists or kasundas (as those with your training are sometimes called) are both feared and revered.
They wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows them a full range of movement, and they rarely use weapons other than their body’s own implements (although some carry items designed to enhance their body movements for greater effect, such as knuckle weapons, knee spikes, or boot blades).
Glaives are perhaps best suited for using their bodies as weapons, but Jacks are also good candidates. Sometimes, Arkai choose this focus because having a backup when persuasion fails is a useful leadership strategy.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. They seem to believe that the only true weapons are those that you can hold in your hand, and they might look at you with disdain.
- Pick one other PC. This character seems incredibly unaware of their body and always happens to get in your way. If you miss your foe and accidentally hit someone else in close range, it’s likely to be them.
- Pick one other PC. You once trained with a close friend of theirs, and you owe that mutual friend much.
- Pick two other PCs. Once these two heard about your skills, they expressed interest in being your students. However, only one seems to have any aptitude.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You trip your target and knock them prone.
Major Effect Suggestions: You strike your target in a limb, making that limb useless for the next minute.
¶ Tier 1
Fists of Fury. You inflict 2 additional points of damage with unarmed attacks. Enabler.
Flesh of Stone. You have +1 to Armor if you do not wear physical armor. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Advantage to Disadvantage (3 Speed points). With a number of quick moves, you make an attack against an armed foe, inflicting damage and disarming them so that their weapon is now in your hands or 10 feet (3 m) away on the ground—your choice. This disarming attack is hindered. Action.
Fighting Style. You are trained in unarmed attacks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Dazing Attack or Moving Like Water as your Tier 3 ability.
- Dazing Attack (3 Might points). You hit your foe in just the right spot, dazing them so that tasks they attempt on their next turn are hindered. This attack inflicts normal damage. Action.
- Moving Like Water (3 Speed points). You spin and move so that your defense and attacks are aided by your fluid motion. For one minute, all your attacks and Speed defense tasks gain an asset. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Deflect Attacks (4 Speed points). For one minute, you automatically deflect or dodge any ranged projectile attacks. However, on your next turn after you’re attacked with ranged projectiles, all your other actions are hindered. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Stun Attack (6 Speed points). You attempt a difficulty 5 Speed task to stun a creature as part of your melee or ranged attack. If you succeed, your attack inflicts its normal damage and stuns the creature for one round, causing it to lose its next turn. If you fail, you still make your normal attack roll, but you don’t stun the opponent if you hit. If you have the Jack’s special ability of the same name, these abilities cost you only 3 points instead of 6 points. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Master of Style or Whirling Assault as your Tier 6 ability.
- Master of Style. You are specialized in unarmed attacks. If you are already specialized in unarmed attacks, you instead deal 2 additional points of damage with unarmed attacks. Enabler.
- Whirling Assault (7 Speed points). For one minute, you can attack all targets within immediate range of you. All of the attacks have to be the same sort of attack (melee or ranged). Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all of these attacks. All other actions are hindered in any round in which you attack more than one foe using this ability. If you have the Glaive’s Spin Attack ability, when you use it or Whirling Assault, all your attacks inflict +1 damage. Action to initiate.
¶ Never Says Die
You are as stalwart, hardy, and driven as can be imagined. When others are ready to quit, you’re just getting started. You probably don’t spend a lot of time on your appearance—it is far less important than your actions. For that matter, so are words. You’re likely not much of a talker. You’re a doer. Characters with this focus are sometimes called stalwarts or diehards. They are often soldiers, mercenaries, or other tough-as-nails individuals, but sometimes they take a more heroic stance. A character who is hard to kill is around longer to help others, after all.
Stalwarts are most often Glaives or Delves, but Nanos and Arkai who like to stand at the back of the pack out of harm’s way can do serious damage as diehards.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You feel the overwhelming need to impress this character, although you’re not sure why.
- Pick one other PC. This character seems quite capable, but in your mind, their spirit needs motivating. You’re constantly trying to convince them to keep trying, go the distance, and keep fighting the good fight.
- Pick one other PC. You feel very protective of this character and don’t want to see them harmed.
- Pick one other PC. This character comes from the same place you do, and you knew each other as children.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You restore 2 points to your Might Pool.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your next action is eased by two steps.
¶ Tier 1
Rapid Recovery. Your ten-minute recovery roll takes only one action instead, so that your first two recovery rolls are one action, the third is one hour, and the fourth is ten hours. Enabler.
Push on Through (2 Might points). You ignore the effects of terrain while moving for one hour. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Ignore the Pain. You ignore the impaired condition and treat the debilitated condition as impaired. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Blood Fever or Hidden Reserves as your 0Tier 3 ability.
- Blood Fever. When you have no points in one or two Pools, you gain an asset to attacks or defense rolls (your choice). Enabler.
- Hidden Reserves. When you use an action to make a recovery roll, you also gain +1 to both your Might Edge and your Speed Edge for ten minutes thereafter. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Increasing Determination. If you fail at a non-combat physical task and then retry the task (pushing open a door or climbing a cliff, for example), the task is eased. If you fail again, you gain no special benefits. Enabler.
Outlast the Foe. If you have been in combat for five full rounds, all tasks in the remainder of that combat gain an asset, and you deal 1 additional point of damage per attack. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Not Dead Yet. When you would normally be dead, you instead fall unconscious for one round and then awaken. You immediately gain 1d6 + 6 points to restore your stat Pools, and you are treated as if debilitated (which for you is like impaired, thanks to your Ignore the Pain ability) until you rest for ten hours. If you die again before you take your ten-hour recovery roll, you are truly dead. If you also have the Not Dead Yet ability granted by your type, your healing from this ability increases to 1d6 + 12. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Final Defiance or Ignore Affliction as your Tier 6 ability.
- Final Defiance. When you would normally be dead, you instead remain conscious and active for one more round plus one additional round each time you succeed on a difficulty 5 Might task. During these rounds, you are debilitated (which for you is like impaired, thanks to your Ignore the Pain ability). If you do not receive healing or otherwise gain points in a Pool during your final round(s) of activity, you are subject to the effects of Not Dead Yet. Enabler.
- Ignore Affliction (5 Might points). If you are affected by an unwanted condition or affliction (such as disease, paralysis, mind control, broken limb, and so on, but not damage), you can ignore it and act as if it does not affect you for one hour. If the condition would normally last less than an hour, it is entirely negated. Action.
¶ Possesses A Shard Of The Sun
You have the ability to create and sculpt light, to bend it away from you or gather it to use as a weapon. Perhaps a shard of amber crystal, midnight stone, or other iotum became embedded in your flesh and through it you can control light. Or you might have always had the gift, a freak talent handed down to you by the ancients.
Most people able to command light favor bright colors in their clothing since those colors reflect light rather than absorb it.
Nanos and Delves tend to be the ones who possess shards of the sun, calling themselves light bearers or sun savants. They find its power useful for exploration and personal protection. Jacks appreciate how the abilities help them trick and elude foes, and Arkai like how they awe onlookers.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You have a strong emotional connection to this character, and when in their presence, you can change the color of the light you create.
- Pick one other PC. They are especially perceptive to your light and occasionally your flashes leave them dazzled, hindering their defense tasks for a round.
- Pick one other PC. Something about their nature dampens the light. Your light-based powers cost 1 additional Intellect point if they stand immediately next to you.
- Pick one other PC. This character appears to have an oddity that was once yours, but that you lost in a game of chance years ago.
Additional Equipment: You have a crystal lens. When you shine light through it, the light extends for double the normal distance.
Radiant Abilities: If you perform esoteries or similar abilities, those that would normally use force or other energy instead use light and heat. For example, when you use Ward, light dapples your body and flares when you would be attacked, preventing your enemies from landing a solid blow.
Minor Effect Suggestions: A flash of light leaves the creature dazzled, and its defense tasks are hindered for one round.
Major Effect Suggestions: An intense flash of light leaves the creature blinded for one minute.
¶ Tier 1
Enlightened. You are trained in any perception task that involves sight. Enabler.
Illuminating Touch (1 Intellect point). You touch an object, and that object sheds light to illuminate everything in short range. The light remains until you use an action to touch the object again, or until you’ve illuminated more objects than you have tiers, in which case the oldest objects you illuminated go dark first. Action.
¶ Tier 2
Dazzling Sunburst (2 Intellect points). You send a barrage of dazzling colors at a creature within short range and, if successful, inflict 2 points of damage on the target. In addition, the creature’s attacks are hindered on its next turn, unless the target relies primarily on senses other than sight. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Burning Light or Sculpt Light as your Tier 3 ability.
- Burning Light (3 Intellect points). You send a beam of light at a creature within long range and then tighten the beam until it burns, inflicting 5 points of damage. Action.
- Sculpt Light (4 Intellect points). You create an object of solid light in any shape you can imagine that is your size or smaller that persists for about an hour. The object appears in an area adjacent to you. The object is crude and can have no moving parts, so you can make a sword, a shield, a short ladder, and so on. The object has the approximate mass of the real object and is level 4. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Mote of Sunlight (4 Intellect points). A mote of light travels from you to a spot you choose within very long range. When the mote reaches that spot, it flares and casts bright light ina radius of very long range and darkness within 1,000 feet (300 m) of the light becomes dim light. The light lasts until you use an action to dismiss it or you use this ability again to create a new mote. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Invisibility (4 Intellect points). You become invisible for ten minutes. While invisible, you are specialized in stealth and Speed defense tasks. This effect ends if you do something to reveal your presence or position—attacking, using a special ability, moving a large object, and so on. If this occurs, you can regain the remaining invisibility effect by taking an action to focus on hiding your position. If you have the Nano’s ability of the same name, the effect lasts for an hour when you use either. Action to initiate or reinitiate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Living Light or Improved Sculpt Light as your Tier 6 ability.
- Living Light (6+ Intellect points). Your body dissolves into a cloud of photons that instantly travel to a location you choose and then reform. You can choose any open space big enough to contain you that you can see within very long range, or any place you have lit by a Mote of Sunlight that is still shining. You disappear and almost instantly reappear in the space you chose. It takes until the end of the round for your body to become fully solid, so until the start of the next round, you take a maximum of 1 point of damage from any given attack or source of damage. Each level of Effort you apply allows you to bring along one additional person besides yourself, as long as they are within immediate range when you depart. Action.
- Improved Sculpt Light (7+ Intellect points). You create an object of solid light in any shape you can imagine whose base size can fit within a 10-foot (3 m) cube. The object appears in an area adjacent to you or floating freely in space up to a long distance away, and the object lasts for a few days. The object is crude and can have no moving parts, so you can make a wall segment, a block, a box, stairs, and so on. The sculpted object has the approximate mass of the real object and is level 6. If you apply Effort to increase the size of the object, each level applied increases the size by an additional 10- foot (3 m) cube. Action.
¶ Radiates Vitality
You radiate a strange energy—a “biomorphic field” according to a nano you once met— that makes you tougher than others, with an ability to heal that outstrips that of normal people. The field seems to strengthen as you gain experience, and you’re certain that as it grows in power, you’ll be able to touch other creatures with it to sense their presence, heal them, detect their feelings, and possibly even hurt those who are revealed to be enemies. You might consider your biomorphic field a curse, the effect of a strange numenera item embedded in your flesh, a metallic amulet that keeps turning up no matter how many times you try to lose it, a genetic mutation (or genetic tweak from your forebears), or maybe even as the direct intervention of some prior-world deity that you hope to meet one day. However it came to be, it’s a fact that dangerous risks are lessened for you, though not completely without consequence; if you are damaged enough, the flame of vitality that you radiate will be snuffed out.
You wear tough clothing that can withstand a lot, because even though you are mighty, regular clothing and possessions are not. Usually your biomorphic field is little more than a subtle sparkle, but when you use an ability, you radiate a momentary flash of gold light.
Though anyone might find that coming back from death, at least in the short term, is a desirable trait, those who put themselves into harm’s way most directly, like Glaives and Delves, are likely to benefit the most from it.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. They were close to you in some fashion. The first time they saw you die, they grew despondent. When you returned, they were confused and upset. How they feel now, you’re not entirely sure.
- Pick one other PC. Your ability to regenerate doesn’t seem to work as well around them.
- Pick one other PC. They told you once that they worried your ability was the result of a potentially dangerous demon or alien parasite inhabiting your body. You don’t know how they feel now.
- Pick one other PC. You once died to save them, but they don’t know it. You may choose whether or not to tell them.
Additional Equipment: You have a small, metallic pendant that always seems to turn up, even after you’ve apparently lost it or left it behind. It’s resisted all attempts you’ve made to scan, understand, or find out more about it.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You spontaneously regain 1 point in one of your stat Pools.
Major Effect Suggestions: You spontaneously regain 2 points in two of your stat Pools.
¶ Tier 1
Mighty. Your biomorphic field sustains you. You gain +6 to your Might Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Extra Recovery. Your biomorphic field grants you an additional one-action recovery each day. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Detect Life or Empathy as your Tier 3 ability.
Detect Life (3+ Might points). You consciously send out a pulse of your biomorphic field. You detect all living creatures within short range, even if they are behind cover, though not if they’re behind a force field. When you detect a creature, you detect its general location (to within an immediate range). If you apply two additional levels of Effort, you can increase the range of detection to long. Action.
Empathy (4 Might points). You consciously send out a pulse of your biomorphic field and focus it on a living creature within short range that you can see or know to be there. If you succeed, you learn that creature’s level, as well as its surface feelings and thoughts for up to the next minute. If it becomes aware of your empathic probe, it can attempt to escape your focus with a mental effort or by moving out of short range. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Biomorphic Healing (4+ Might points). You consciously send out a pulse of your biomorphic field and focus it on a living creature within short range. The target gains a free and immediate one-action recovery roll. You can’t use this ability again on that creature until after its next ten-hour rest. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Regenerate. Your biomorphic field continues to function even if you die from violence, as long as your body is mostly intact. One minute after your death, your biomorphic field pulses and brings you back to life; however, you come back with a permanent 2-point deduction from your Intellect Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Biomorphic Detonation or Regenerate Other as your Tier 6 ability.
Biomorphic Detonation (7+ Might points). You radiate a pulse of biomorphic energy up to a short distance away, but you tune it to disrupt life in an area an immediate distance across. All within the detonation take 5 points of damage that ignores Armor (unless it is Armor provided by a force field effect). If you apply additional Effort to increase the damage, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Action.
Regenerate Other (9 Might points). You can confer your Tier 5 Regenerate ability on another creature that you touch and attempt to return it to life, as long as its body is mostly intact. The difficulty of the task is equal to 3 plus the number of days the target has been dead. (If the body has been perfectly preserved in stasis or through some other non-damaging preservation mechanism, then no time limit applies.) Enabler.
¶ Rages
The berserker is a feared fighter who cannot be stopped. You put yourself into a howling battle frenzy that can make you a terror on the battlefield. You might hail from a less civilized society, perhaps even a tribal one.
You likely wear little or no armor so as not to restrict your speed or maneuverability. Your clothing is probably simple and utilitarian.
Glaives make the best berserkers.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Choose one other PC. You feel strangely protective toward that character and don’t want to see them come to harm.
- Pick one other PC. That character knows a secret about your past that is tied to your Frenzy ability.
- Pick one other PC. The first time you went into a frenzy was in an attempt to save their loved one from an attack. You failed, partly because of your inexperience.
- Choose one other PC. That character is terrified by your rage and sometimes can’t help but flee at inopportune times.
Minor Effect Suggestions: When fighting multiple foes, you knock one into another, putting both off balance and hindering them for one round.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe is terrified of your rage and uses its next two actions to flee.
¶ Tier 1
Frenzy (1 Intellect point). When you wish, while in combat, you can enter a state of frenzy. While in this state, you can’t use Intellect points, but you gain +1 to your Might Edge and your Speed Edge. This effect lasts as long as you wish, but it ends if no combat is taking place within range of your senses. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Hardy. You gain +5 to your Might Pool. These additional points can be used only to absorb damage. You can’t spend them to apply Effort to rolls. Enabler.
Mobile Fighter. You are trained in climbing and jumping tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Ignore the Pain or Power Strike as your Tier 3 ability.
Whichever one you choose, you also gain Unarmored Fighter.
- Ignore the Pain. Your rage makes minor wounds seem insignificant. While you are in a state of frenzy, gain +1 to your Armor. Enabler.
- Power Strike (3+ Might points). If you successfully attack a target, you knock it prone in addition to inflicting damage. The target must be your size or smaller. You can knock down a target larger than you if you apply a level of Effort to do so (rather than to ease the attack). Enabler.
Unarmored Fighter. While unarmored, you are trained in Speed defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Greater Frenzy (4 Intellect points). When you wish, while in combat, you can enter a state of frenzy. While in this state, you can’t use Intellect points, but you gain +2 to your Might Edge and your Speed Edge. This effect lasts as long as you wish, but it ends if no combat is taking place within range of your senses. You can use this ability or your first-tier Frenzy ability, but you can’t use both at the same time. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Attack and Attack Again. Rather than granting additional damage or a minor or major effect, a natural 17 or higher on your attack roll allows you the option of immediately making another attack. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Not Dead Yet or Tough and Fast as your Tier 6 ability.
- Not Dead Yet. When you would normally die, you instead fall unconscious for one round and then awaken. You immediately gain 1d6 +6 points to restore your stat Pools and are treated as if debilitated (which for you is like being impaired, thanks to your Ignore the Pain ability) until you rest for ten hours. If you die again before you make your ten-hour recovery roll, you are truly dead. Enabler.
- Tough and Fast. You gain +6 to your Might Pool and your Speed Pool. Enabler.
¶ Rides The Lightning
The ancients harnessed electricity in strange and wonderful ways. Through practice and inherent ability (or the subtle use of hidden or implanted devices), you control the same energy. Not only can you create and discharge electrical power, but you can eventually learn to use it to transport yourself. You probably wear tight-fitting clothing that allows you to move quickly.
Your garments might be blue and black, perhaps with a lightning-bolt motif.
Although Nanos seem most suited to wielding lightning, Jacks can make good use of the varied lightning abilities.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character has been your friend for a long time, and you have learned to bring them along when you ride the lightning. If the character is standing right next to you, you can take them with you when you use the Bolt Rider or Electrical Flight powers. (Normally, neither ability allows you to transport other creatures.)
- Pick two other PCs. You know about an important connection between them that even they don’t know about.
- Pick one other PC. This character has interesting ideas about electricity and how it can be harnessed. If you are trained with machines, after you talk to this character for an hour, you gain an asset on any task involving identifying, crafting, or repairing a machine that uses electricity.
- Pick one other PC. This person has the worst luck with electrical devices of anyone you’ve ever met. You want to help them, but you aren’t sure how or even whether they will be open to your assistance.
Additional Equipment: You have a bag of miscellaneous batteries and power cells. Whenever you find a new device that operates on batteries or cells (GM’s discretion), there is a 75 percent chance that the bag contains one that will power the device if it depletes.
Electrical Abilities: If you have abilities that would normally use force or other energy, they instead use electricity. For example, a Flash or an Onslaught force blast is a blast of lightning. This alteration changes nothing other than the type of damage and the fact that it might start fires.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is dazed by electricity for one round, hindering all of its tasks. Electricity can also shut down an automaton for one round.
Major Effect Suggestions: Devices filled with electrical power explode. You can target and destroy an artifact that a foe is holding or wearing.
¶ Tier 1
Shock (1 Intellect point). Your hands crackle with electricity, and the next time you touch a creature, you inflict 3 points of damage. Alternatively, if you wield a weapon, for ten minutes it crackles with electricity and inflicts 1 additional point of damage per attack. Action for touch; enabler for weapon.
Charge (1+ Intellect points). You can charge an artifact or other device (except a cypher) so that it can be used once. The cost is 1 Intellect point plus 1 point per level of the device. Action.
¶ Tier 2
Bolt Rider (4 Intellect points). You can move a long distance from one location to another almost instantaneously, carried by a bolt of lightning. You must be able to see the new location, and there must be no intervening barriers. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Drain Charge or Electric Armor as your Tier 3 ability.
Whichever you choose, you also gain Lightning Swift.
- Drain Charge. You can drain the power from an artifact or device, allowing you to regain 1 Intellect point per level drained. You regain points at the rate of 1 point per round and must give your full concentration to the process each round. The GM determines whether the device is fully drained (likely true of most handheld or smaller devices) or retains some power (likely true of large machines). Action to initiate; action each round to drain.
- Electric Armor (4 Intellect points). When you wish it, electricity crackles across your body for ten minutes, granting you +1 to Armor. While electrified, you have an additional +2 to Armor versus electrical damage specifically, and you inflict 2 points of damage on any creature that touches you or attacks you with a melee weapon that conducts electricity. Enabler.
Lightning Swift. You gain +1 to your Speed Edge. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Bolts of Power (5+ Intellect points). You blast a fan of lightning out to short range in an arc that is approximately 50 feet (15 m) wide at the end. This discharge inflicts 4 points of damage. If you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than to ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); however, targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Electrical Flight (5 Intellect points). You exude an aura of crackling electricity that lets you fly a long distance each round for ten minutes. You can’t carry other creatures with you. Action to activate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Flash Across the Miles or Wall of Lightning as your Tier 6 ability.
- Flash Across the Miles (6+ Intellect points). You can move to an open location on the earth that you’re familiar with almost instantaneously, transformed into a bolt of lightning. If you apply a level of Effort, you can attempt to penetrate covered locations that you’re aware of as long as a route exists from the open air to the area you want to reach that electricity can easily follow. Action.
- Wall of Lightning (6 Intellect points). You create a barrier of crackling electricity up to 2,500 square feet (230 sq. m) in size, shaped as you wish. The wall is a level 7 barrier. Anyone within immediate distance of the wall automatically takes 10 points of damage. The wall lasts for one hour. Action to create.
¶ Sees Beyond
Unlike most people, you know there are far more than three dimensions, more colors than can be found in the rainbow, and more things in the world than most can see, sense, or even understand. With practice and help (through drugs, lenses, manipulated energy fields, or a combination of all three), you can perceive things that others cannot. What you see in other dimensions has changed your understanding of even the most basic things like weapon and dress. Where others might see your drab outfit and plain weapons, you see something entirely different—myriad colors and patterns that showcase your unique vision of the world. Your weapons likely bear marks of other dimensions as well.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You are fairly certain that this character doesn’t believe that your abilities are real.
- Pick one other PC. You see a gathering of energy and colors on this character that seem to imply they too can see beyond. Whether you ask them about it is up to you.
- Pick one other PC. Whenever this character is near, your abilities seem to take longer and become more difficult.
- Pick one other PC. Wherever this character goes, you are aware of the general distance and direction of their location.
Additional Equipment: You have a single item of your choosing—drugs, lenses, or a piece of the numenera—that helps you perceive things that others cannot. If you don’t have this item or something like it, tasks directly related to seeing beyond are hindered.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The period of concentration needed is cut in half.
Major Effect Suggestions: You see even more than you normally do and can ask the GM one question about what you’re looking at.
¶ Tier 1
See the Unseen. You can automatically perceive creatures and objects that are normally invisible, out of phase, or only partially in this universe. When looking for things more conventionally hidden, the task is eased. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
See Through Matter (3+ Intellect points). You can see through matter as if it were transparent. You can see through up to 6 inches (15 cm) of material for one round. Doing so is a task whose difficulty is equal to the material or object’s level. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to see through another 6 inches (15 cm) of material for each additional level of Effort you apply toward that goal. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Find the Hidden or Sensor as your Tier 3 ability.
- Find the Hidden (4+ Intellect points). You see the traceries of objects as they move through space and time. You can sense the distance and direction of any specific inanimate object that you once touched. This takes anywhere from one action to hours of concentration, depending on what the GM feels is appropriate due to time, distance, or other mitigating circumstances. However, you don’t know in advance how long it will take. If you use at least two levels of Effort, once you have established the distance and direction, you remain in contact with the object for one hour per level of Effort used. Thus, if it moves, you are aware of its new position. Action to initiate; action each round to concentrate.
- Sensor (4 Intellect points). You create an immobile, invisible sensor within immediate range that lasts for 28 hours. At any time during that duration, you can concentrate to see, hear, and smell through the sensor, no matter how far you move from it. The sensor doesn’t grant you sensory capabilities beyond the norm. If you have the Nano’s special ability of the same name then, when you use either, you gain an asset to any perception task you attempt in conjunction with perceiving through the sensor interface. Action to create; action to check.
¶ Tier 4
Remote Viewing (6 Intellect points). Distance is an illusion, as all space is one space. With great concentration, you can see another place. This ability can be used in one of two different ways: • Distance and direction. Pick a spot a specific distance away and in a specific direction. You can see from that vantage point as if you had used the Sensor ability there, but only for one minute. • Think of a place that you have seen before, either conventionally or using the other application of this power. You can see from that vantage point as if you had used the Sensor ability there, but only for one or two rounds. Either application takes anywhere from one action to hours of concentration, depending on what the GM feels is appropriate due to time, distance, or other mitigating circumstances. However, you don’t know in advance how long it will take. Action to initiate; action each round to concentrate.
¶ Tier 5
See Through Time (7 Intellect points). Time is an illusion, as all time is one time. With great concentration, you can see into another time. You specify a time period regarding the place where you now stand. Interestingly, the easiest time to view is about one hundred years in the past or future. Viewing farther back or ahead is a nearly impossible task. This takes anywhere from one action to hours of concentration, depending on what the GM feels is appropriate due to time, distance, or other mitigating circumstances. However, you don’t know in advance how long it will take. Action to initiate; action each round to concentrate.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Mental Projection or Total Awareness as your Tier 6 ability.
- Mental Projection (6+ Intellect points). Your mind fully leaves your body and manifests anywhere you choose within immediate range. Your projected mind can remain apart from your body for up to 28 hours. This effect ends early if your Intellect Pool is reduced to 0 or if your projection touches your resting body. Your disembodied mind is a psychic construct that looks like you, though its frayed edges trail off into nothingness. You control this body as if it were your normal body and can act and move as you normally would with a few exceptions. You can move through solid objects as if you were phased, and you ignore any terrain feature that would impede your movement. Your attacks inflict 3 fewer points of damage (to a minimum of 1) and you take 3 fewer points of damage (to a minimum of 1) from physical sources, unless they can affect transdimensional or phased beings, in which case you take full damage. Regardless of the source, you take all damage as Intellect damage first. Your mind can travel up to 1 mile (1.5 km) from your body. Each level of additional Effort applied extends the range that you can travel by 1 mile (1.5 km). Your physical body is helpless until this effect ends. You cannot use your physical senses to perceive anything. For example, your body could sustain a significant injury, and you wouldn’t know it. Your body cannot take Intellect damage, so if your body takes enough damage to reduce both your Might Pool and your Speed Pool to 0, your mind snaps back to your body, and you are stunned until the end of the next round as you try to reorient yourself to your predicament. Action to initiate.
- Total Awareness. You possess such a high level of awareness that it’s very difficult to surprise, hide, or sneak up on you. When you apply a level of Effort to initiative and perception tasks, you gain two free levels of Effort. Enabler.
¶ Shepherds The Community
You have an abiding affection for the community you live in, have adopted, or guard from afar. It’s not just the place, but also the people you want to keep safe and healthy and see have success in their life. Certainly, there are individuals within the community who are more troublesome than others, but unless they become an actual danger to the others, you include them in those you shepherd. To accomplish your goal, you’ve honed not only your ability to fight in order to preserve the community against invaders, but also your ability to understand the concerns of the community and persuade them toward smart decisions about the problems that face them now or could crop up later if not guarded against. Glaives make ideal shepherds, but Arkai and Wrights can also easily step into this role to supplement their other community-oriented abilities.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character grew up in the community you shepherd, and you are especially keen to see that they stay safe when they venture beyond it.
- Pick one other PC. You originally thought they might be a danger to the community, which is why you introduced yourself, in order to discover if your first impression was correct.
- Pick one other PC. This character is from a community that has been a rival of the community you protect, but you hope that maybe through them, you can build a bridge.
- Pick one other PC. You hope this character will come to find as much comfort in your community as you.
Minor Effect Suggestions: Your foe is so intimidated by your dedication that it backs away, unwilling to attack on its next turn. It can still defend itself.
Major Effect Suggestions: Your foe is terrified by your dedication and flees.
¶ Tier 1
Community Knowledge (2 Intellect points). If you’ve invested yourself in a community and have spent at least a few months living there, you can learn things about it through a variety of methods. Sometimes contacts slip the information to you. Other times, you’re able to draw conclusions simply by what you can see and hear. When you use this ability, you can ask the GM one question about the community and get a very short answer. Action.
Community Activist. When speaking to others in the community you foster, you are trained in persuasion and intimidation tasks about topics that directly relate to the community. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Community Protector. Choose one type of attack in which you are not already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are trained in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Community Advocate or Shepherd’s Fury as your Tier 3 ability.
- Community Advocate. While you are present within the community, and actively and personally working on behalf of the community, its effective rank for all tasks, except for attacks and defense, is +1 (this includes determining health and infrastructure values, but not damage inflicted). If you also have the Arkus Community Leader ability, the +1 rank modifier also includes attacks and defense. Enabler.
- Shepherd’s Fury. You inflict 3 additional points of damage when engaging in combat that directly relates to advancing the needs of a community you foster. (You and the GM can decide whether a particular situation warrants the additional damage.) Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Inexhaustible Shepherd. You cannot shepherd a community without immense stamina. You gain +3 to your Might Pool and +3 to your Intellect Pool. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Unassailable. Your devotion to keeping your community safe against all dangers has hardened you against all vicissitudes. You are trained in defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Master Combatant or Protective Wall as your Tier 6 ability.
- Master Combatant. Choose one type of attack in which you are already trained: light bashing, light bladed, light ranged, medium bashing, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashing, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are specialized in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler.
- Protective Wall (6+ Might points). When engaging in combat that directly relates to defending a community you are fostering, you can attack up to five different foes as a single action as long as they are all within immediate range. If you hit an attacker, they are pushed back an immediate distance. All of the attacks have to be the same sort of attack (melee or ranged). Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all of these attacks. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to increase the number of foes you can attack with this ability, one additional foe per level of Effort. Enabler.
¶ Shreds The Walls Of The World
When you move, your body changes state and becomes partially phased, reflecting a bizarre alternate dimension where distance and time are different than they are in the Ninth World. It’s only when you’re still that you remain solid and fully part of the real world. Sometimes that’s a relief, but other times you feel like you’re stuck in wet sand. Moving is your key to changing phase—and perhaps happiness. While you’re phased, you skate along the surface of reality far more quickly than others. Such rapid movement across normal reality sometimes leaves behind scratches, which you can selectively make, suppress, or bear down upon to create particularly devastating attacks and, eventually, phase detonations. You got your ability because you’re descended from an entity that hailed from the bizarre dimension of altered distance and time, because you were touched and ultimately spared by an encounter with the iron wind, or because of a mechanism that you carry or that is embedded in you.
You probably wear clothing designed to stay out of your way, because the less you carry, the less likely you are to come out of phase prematurely.
Characters who want to get around quickly, like Jacks and Delves, are most drawn to this type, though Nanos and Arkai who want to stay out of harm’s way might also be interested.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. For some reason, they never lose a sense of where you are, no matter how you sprint around, change phase, or even become invisible (to everyone else).
- Pick one other PC. You recently discovered that if they stand near you when you begin a Phase Sprint, they become partially phased in the same way as you for one round, though they can’t sprint or use any other abilities of this focus.
- Pick one other PC. Seeing you phase seems to trigger some unpleasant memory in this character. That memory is up to the other PC, although they may not be able to consciously recall what the memory might be.
- Pick one other PC. Something about them interferes with your abilities. When they stand next to you, your focus abilities cost 1 additional point.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is dazed, and their next action is hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is stunned and loses their next action.
¶ Tier 1
- Phase Sprint (1+ Speed points). You can run up to a long distance as long as you take no other actions. During your action and until the beginning of your next turn, you are partially phased, and some attacks pass through you harmlessly. While phased, you gain an asset to your Speed defense tasks, but you lose any benefit from armor you wear. Note that some of your other special abilities enable specific actions that you can take while using Phase Sprint. For instance, when using Disrupting Touch, you can make one touch attack while moving (though this ends your movement). Action.
- Disrupting Touch (1+ Might points). You can turn your Phase Sprint into a melee attack by purposefully grazing another creature as you run. When you do, the touch releases a violent blast of energy that inflicts 2 points of damage to the target (ignores Armor). Whether you hit or miss, your movement (and turn) ends immediately, which puts you within immediate distance of your target. If you apply Effort to increase damage rather than to ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); the target takes 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Scratch Existence (1+ Might points). You can choose to phase in a way that “scratches” normal matter in a long streak as you run using Phase Sprint. This tears a bit at you, too, reflected by the Might cost. When you use Phase Sprint, you inflict 2 points of damage (ignores Armor) to one target you select as you pass within immediate range, without triggering Disrupting Touch. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to increase the number of targets along your path that you can attack as part of the same action. Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all of these attacks. Alternatively, if you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); the target takes 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Invisible Phasing or Walk Through Walls as your Tier 3 ability.
- Invisible Phasing (4 Might points). You become invisible while Phase Sprinting and during the following round. While invisible, stealth and Speed defense tasks are eased by two steps (replacing the asset to Speed defense tasks provided by Phase Sprint). The first attack you make using any Shreds the Walls of the World attack abilities is also eased by two steps; however, if you attack a creature, Invisible Phasing ends immediately instead of lasting for one additional round. If you have the Nano Invisibility esotery, you can remain invisible during the entire round, which means that if you use Scratch Existence or Shred Existence, attacking each target along your path is eased by two steps. Enabler.
- Walk Through Walls (2 Intellect points). You can slowly pass through physical barriers at a rate of 1 inch (2.5 cm) per round (minimum of one round to pass through any barrier). You can’t act (other than moving) or perceive anything until you pass entirely through the barrier. You can’t pass through energy barriers. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Phase Detonation (2+ Might points). When you use Phase Sprint or Walk Through Walls, you can choose to significantly damage normal matter around you with a blast of transdimensional energy when you first go into or come out of phase (your choice). This detonation inflicts 4 points of damage that ignores Armor to all creatures and objects within immediate range. If you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Very Long Sprinting. When you use Phase Sprint, you can travel up to a very long distance as your action instead of a long distance. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Shred Existence or Untouchable While Moving as your Tier 6 ability.
- Shred Existence. When you use Disrupting Touch, Scratch Existence, or Phase Detonation, you inflict an additional 5 points of damage that ignores Armor. Enabler.
- Untouchable While Moving (4 Intellect points). You change your phase state for the next minute so that you can’t affect or be affected by normal matter or energy, as long as you move at least an immediate distance each round while phased. If you don’t move on your turn, the effect ends. While you are phased, only mental attacks and special transdimensional energies, devices, or abilities can affect you, but likewise you can’t attack, touch, or otherwise affect anything. Action to initiate.
¶ Speaks in Exaltation
Those who spend enough time listening to the Mouth of Exaltation usually come away
convinced it is inhabited by a mind far beyond human, though they are divided on
whether that mind is concerned for or inimical to human welfare.
You came before the Mouth of Exaltation in the installation of the Jade Colossus, and were humbled. It spoke, and you listened and were thereby exalted. So ennobled and inspired, you pledged yourself to the relic, even though you don’t really understand its origin or ultimate purpose. Anything that could touch you so profoundly using merely words and verse is something you’d give anything for. This is now why you walk the path of the Mouth of Exaltation, as one who speaks with its voice.
Nanos are slightly more likely to devote themselves to the Mouth of Exaltation, because the Mouth answers questions and persuades doubters.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. When your ancillary mouth gives advice to that PC, the character sometimes has an asset on a task they are attempting.
- Pick one other PC. You suspect that they are discomfited and afraid of your ancillary mouth. They choose whether or not this is true.
- Pick two other PCs. They’ve asked you to show them the chamber where the Mouth of Exaltation waits. One day, you will.
- Pick one other PC. In the past, this character has indulged you by listening to your rhetoric about the glory that is the Mouth of Exaltation. They choose whether or not this is still true.
Minor Effect Suggestions: After your ancillary mouth helps you attempt to persuade a foe, your foe is dazed for one round, during which time the difficulty of all tasks it performs is modified by one step to its detriment.
Major Effect Suggestions: After your ancillary mouth helps you attempt to persuade a foe, your foe is stunned, losing its next turn.
¶ The Mouth of Exaltation
The Mouth of Exaltation speaks forever and always, in every language, some of which may not have come into being yet, and some of which went extinct a billion or more years in the past. But if you listen long enough and hard enough, you’ll eventually hear a message in a language you can understand. That message may be one of joy, of knowledge, or of doom.
The Mouth of Exaltation appears as a level 8 disembodied humanoid mouth about 10 feet (3 m) in diameter, with lips of a level 8 textured, synth-like substance (a “ceramic”) that is mottled black and green and resists damage or inquiry. The relic is suspended within a metallic bracket device via faintly visible lines of force. The Mouth constantly speaks, and as it does, a tongue of blue flame dances within what is otherwise a void of utter blackness. In addition to the ceaseless babble of what is apparently hundreds of different languages, an underlying frisson of power thrums through the Mouth
¶ Tier 1
Ancillary Mouth. A secondary intelligence takes up residence somewhere on your body and serves as a kind of companion. It takes the form of a second mouth with textured green-black lips and a tongue composed of blue energy. You can use an action to position the mouth on your body as you choose, though when you’re not paying attention it sometimes moves around on its own. To use the mouth most effectively, it must not be covered.
You can treat the ancillary mouth as a level 2 NPC that speaks your language as well as all the languages ever spoken in the Jade Colossus. It sometimes speaks its own mind, but usually follows your lead. It can’t help you in combat, but it can help you with knowledge, persuasion, and intimidation checks by providing an asset on those tasks when you allow the mouth to speak and provide support.
When you sleep, the mouth sometimes hums strange tunes, never the same one twice.
Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Devotee. The Mouth of Exaltation has whispered glories in your ear, and you were strengthened by it, becoming something more and better than you were before. You gain 4 additional points to your Pools, divided up as you wish. Each time you gain a tier, you can choose to redistribute these 4 points as you wish. Enabler.
Proselytizer. Infused with words of encouragement straight from a relic, you gain confidence and skill in speaking. You are trained in tasks related to persuasion. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ask the Mouth (4 Intellect points). Your ancillary mouth, as an extension of the Mouth of Exaltation, is always right. You can ask the GM one question and get a very short answer from the mouth. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Scream of Exaltation (4 Intellect points). Your ancillary mouth utters a modulated scream that you can channel a few different ways.
First, you can emit a ray of focused sonic energy at a target within short range that inflicts 7 points of damage. Action. Alternatively, you can blast sound in all directions, deafening all creatures within short range that fail a Might defense task for one minute. Action.
Finally, you can elicit a song of encouragement from the ancillary mouth, which bolsters you and your allies each round while the mouth continues to sing. Allies gain an asset on one specific kind of action you decide each round, whether that is attacks, defenses, knowledge tasks, and so on. Action each round.
¶ Tier 5
Tongue Lashing (5 Intellect points). You can use this attack in one of two ways. The first is to attack a foe within short range using your ancillary mouth’s lashing tongue. This attack is a Speed action, and if successful, it inflicts 6 points of damage on the target.
The second way is to use the lashing tongue against an inanimate object within immediate range no larger than half your size. Succeed on an Intellect task to instantly destroy the object; the difficulty of this task is decreased by three steps (compared to breaking it with brute strength). Action.
¶ Tier 6
Return to the Relic (8 Intellect points). You call upon your devotion to the Mouth of Exaltation. Your ancillary mouth triggers a portal to open before you. If you step through it, you are instantaneously transmitted to the chamber in the Jade Colossus that contains the Mouth of Exaltation, no matter how far you are from it. The portal remains open for as many rounds as you specify, up to one minute. Your allies can use it as well. You can also use this ability to travel back, returning to the exact spot you left. You can use this ability to travel to other locations besides the relic chamber, though this increases the difficulty by one step and requires that you have specific knowledge of the alternative destination. Action.
¶ Speaks With A Silver Tongue
You are poetry incarnate. The words flow from your tongue like liquid metal. Your voice is golden and captivating. With enough time and focus, you can convince almost anyone to do almost anything for you, with you, or in spite of you. Words—words are what matter. You believe they have power. There’s a chance you don’t care much about your appearance, as long as you can say what you want to say. Some might call you the “face” because when your friends or allies need to put forth their best face, they send you. You’re a charmer. The word “charisma” was coined for people like you—there’s just something about you that people seem to like. Since words are important to you, you may have covered your skin with tattooed words or have written things on your outfit. You might play an instrument, write books, or compose songs in your spare time. Jacks, with their ability to take a related flex skill each day, make excellent speakers, but Nanos and Glaives might choose this route to inspire their companions.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. That character seems overly affected by your words. You’ve accidentally made them cry or laugh just by talking to them.
- Pick one other PC. That character believes that you speak falsely and is never affected by your words.
- Pick one other PC. You’d like to get to know them better, but don’t want to use your skills to do so.
- Pick one other PC. That character would like to learn your storytelling techniques, and you’re trying to decide whether to teach them.
Additional Equipment: You have a book in which you keep notes of your favorite words, inspirational stories, and speech anecdotes.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The next time you attempt to influence, persuade, or deceive the same foe, the task is eased.
Major Effect Suggestions: You speak with extra conviction, increasing the effect, duration, or range of your action.
¶ Tier 1
Poetic License. You are trained in all social interactions, including persuasion, deception, and intimidation. You also know two languages other than the Truth. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
A Smile and a Word. When you use Effort on any action involving interactions—even those having to do with calming animals or communicating with someone or something whose language you do not speak—you gain a free level of Effort on the task. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Verbal Misdirection or Play to the Crowd as your Tier 3 ability.
- Verbal Misdirection (2+ Intellect points). With fast talk and bewildering words, you can confuse and distract anyone that you’re speaking with, giving you an asset on social interactions with that person for ten minutes. For each level of Effort you use with this ability, you can affect an additional creature. Enabler.
- Play to the Crowd (3 Intellect points). You give a speech that is both rousing and terrifying. Those within short range who can hear and understand you have their next action either eased (an asset) or hindered—you choose, and it can be different for each individual.
¶ Tier 4
Castigate (4 Intellect points). You intimidate any opponent within long range who understands speech (even if it is not your language) so much that they lose their next action and all the rest of their actions are hindered for one minute. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Stay the Course (5 Intellect points). When your companions are flagging, you can help inspire them with a well-timed word or two. Any ally (except you) within immediate range can make a recovery roll that is not an action and does not count toward their daily limit. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Entrancing Speech or Command as your Tier 6 ability.
- Entrancing Speech (6 Intellect points). Everyone within long range who can hear and understand you takes no action for as long as you do not move and use your action to speak soothing and calming words. If an affected creature is attacked during this time, they break out of the trance immediately. Action to initiate.
- Command (7 Intellect points). A target within short range obeys any command you give as long as they can hear and understand you. Further, as long as you continue to do nothing but issue commands (taking no other action), you can give that same target a new command. This effect ends when you stop issuing commands or they are out of short range. Action to initiate.
¶ Talks To Machines
Since you were young, you had an affinity for machines. It seemed almost like you were speaking to them. You were. You have the ability to use your organic brain like an intelligent machine, interfacing “wirelessly” with any electronic device. You can control and influence them in ways that others can’t. Intelligent machines are your friends and companions. You have also learned to repair machines of all kinds because the better they work, the better off you are as well. You likely wear a tool belt full of various implements, and machine oils stain your clothes and fingertips. All types of characters can spend their time talking to machines, although this practice is best suited to Nanos.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. That character seems to have a terrible relationship with machines—or at least the machines that you communicate with. If that person is next to a machine that you interact with in a friendly manner, that machine is treated in all ways as being 1 level lower than normal (unless doing so benefits you or them, in which case the level does not change).
- Pick one other PC. That person seems especially leery of you, though this could just be your perception.
- Pick one other PC. That character has a small machine among their equipment but won’t tell you any details about it or let you see it.
- Pick one other PC. You know that this character knows an incriminating or embarrassing secret about you, and you hope that they do not reveal it.
Additional Equipment: A bag of small tools.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The duration of influence or control is doubled.
Major Effect Suggestions: The duration of influence or control becomes 28 hours.
¶ Tier 1
Machine Affinity. You are trained in tasks involving electrical machines. Enabler.
Distant Activation (1 Intellect point). You can activate or deactivate any machine you can see within short range, even if normally you would have to touch or manually operate the device. To use this ability, you must understand the function of the machine, it must be your size or smaller, and it can’t be connected to another intelligence (or be intelligent itself). Action.
¶ Tier 2
Coaxing Power (2 Intellect points). You boost the power or function of a machine so that it operates at 1 level higher than normal for one hour. Action to initiate.
Charm Machine (2 Intellect points). You convince an unintelligent machine to “like” you. A machine that likes you is 50 percent less likely to function if said function would cause you harm. Thus, if a foe attempts to detonate a bomb near you controlled by a detonator that likes you, there is a 50 percent chance that it won’t explode. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Command Machine or Intelligent Interface as your Tier 3 ability.
- Command Machine (4 Intellect points). If you’ve charmed an unintelligent machine or have spoken telepathically with an intelligent machine, you can attempt to command it to take one action within its capabilities on its next turn. (If you command an intelligent machine with this power, it likely becomes hostile to you afterward.) Action.
- Intelligent Interface (3 Intellect points). You can speak telepathically with any intelligent machine within long range. Further, you are trained in all interactions with intelligent machines. Such machines and automatons that normally would never communicate with a human might talk to you. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Machine Companion. You create a level 3 animate, intelligent machine that accompanies you and acts as you direct. As a level 3 machine companion, it has a target number of 9 and 9 health, and it inflicts 3 points of damage. If it’s destroyed, it takes you one month to create a new one. Enabler.
Automaton Fighter. When fighting an automaton or intelligent machine, you are trained in attacks and defense. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Information Gathering (5 Intellect points). You speak telepathically with any or all machines within 1 mile (1.5 km). You can ask one basic question about themselves or anything happening near them and receive a simple answer. For example, while in an area with many machines, you could ask “Where is the ravage bear?” and if the creature is within a mile of you, one or more machines will probably provide the answer. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Improved Machine Companion or Control Machine as your Tier 6 ability.
Improved Machine Companion. Your machine companion improves, becoming a level 5 creature with the ability either to fly a long distance each round (and carry you) for up to ten minutes at a time, or to carry an extra cypher for you that doesn’t count against your cypher limit. Enabler.
Control Machine (6 Intellect points). You can attempt to control the functions of any machine, intelligent or otherwise, within short range for ten minutes. Action.
¶ Taps the Void
You have learned a deeper secret of the strange midnight stones associated with some prior-world ruins, including the Jade Colossus. Other people blindly activate the stones, hoping that the released void matter provides them with a boon rather than a bane. But you have a special resonance with void matter, thanks to an implanted device, special training, or sheer luck. You discovered your ability the first time you tried to activate a midnight stone. Just when it seemed you’d triggered an inevitable detonation, your advantages allowed you to tap the void matter in a very specific way instead. Now you can shield yourself in a sheath of midnight-colored armor and activate midnight stones with a better chance of success. If you continue to explore your abilities, you’ll be able to use the void matter to attack other creatures, fade from sight, and eventually even disintegrate objects.
Jacks find the ability to Tap the Void especially useful because the diverse abilities granted tend to enhance their broad interests.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You saved them from a void matter incident that nearly took that character’s life.
- Pick one other PC. When you were almost disintegrated during a void matter mishap, this character helped you regain control by talking you through it.
- Pick one other PC. This character was the one who first showed or gave you a midnight stone.
- Pick one other PC. You and this character were childhood foes.
Additional Equipment: You have one midnight stone.
Void Miner: If you wish, you can swap an ability gained from your type for the following.
- Pet Dritch: You own a trained dritch, which is a creature proficient at sniffing out midnight stones. In effect, whenever you look for midnight stones, the difficulty of finding one is reduced by one step. If the dritch dies, you can find another within a few weeks. Enabler.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You get an additional +1 to Armor for one minute with Midnight Armor.
Major Effect Suggestions: You get one free effect of your choice from the Midnight Stone Effect Table.
¶ Tier 1
Midnight Armor (2 Speed points). Void matter covers your skin, giving you the appearance of a lightless silhouette and giving you +1 to Armor for up to one hour. While your Midnight Armor remains active, you have an asset on stealth tasks related to moving through dark areas. Action.
Void Knowledge: You are trained in tasks related to activating a midnight stone’s void matter, which means you have a better chance of gaining a desired effect instead of a random effect. If you activate a midnight stone to gain its effect, it is used up and turns to ash, as normal. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Shadow Dash (3 Speed points). You move a short distance and make an attack as part of the same action, leaving a trail of void matter in your wake like black lightning. If you hit your foe, you inflict 2 additional points of damage (ignores Armor) from the void matter discharge. Action.
Void Discharge: If you are wearing Midnight Armor when hit by a foe’s melee attack, you can choose to retaliate immediately by discharging your void matter into your foe, inflicting 2 points of damage (ignores Armor); however, the benefit of your Midnight Armor immediately ends. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Void Fist (3 Speed points). A sheen of boiling void matter is fused to your fist for one minute. You can use your hand normally during this time. If you attack and successfully strike or touch a target with your fist, the void matter inflicts 2 points of damage (ignores Armor) on the creature touched in addition to any other damage dealt. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Midnight Body (4+ Speed points). For up to one hour, your body is converted to void matter, which provides all the advantages of Midnight Armor (+1 to Armor and the option to retaliate against an attacker with Void Discharge) and Void Fist (your attacks inflict 2 points of void matter damage). Each time you use Void Discharge or Void Fist, there is a chance that your void matter charge is used up and the effect ends if you roll a natural 1 on a d20. Alternatively, you can choose to expel all your void matter at once, which inflicts 5 points of damage (ignores Armor) on all creatures within immediate range and 2 points of damage (ignores Armor) on you. Because the detonation is an area attack, adding Effort to increase your damage works differently than it does for single-target attacks: for each level of Effort applied, the detonation deals 2 additional points of damage to each target, and even if you fail your attack roll, all targets in the area still take 1 point of damage. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Invisibility (4 Speed points). While your Midnight Armor or Midnight Body ability is active, you can tune the void matter covering (or infusing) you to bend light around you, which renders you invisible for up to one hour. While invisible, you are specialized in stealth and Speed defense tasks. This effect ends if you do something to reveal your presence or position— attacking, using an ability, moving a large object, and so on. If you become visible, you can regain the remaining invisibility effect by taking an action to focus on hiding your position. Action to initiate or reinitiate.
¶ Tier 6
Void Annihilation (5 Speed points). While your Midnight Body ability is active, with a touch, you disintegrate one nonliving object that is smaller than you and whose level is less than or equal to your tier. If the GM feels it appropriate to the circumstances, you can disintegrate a portion of an object (the total volume of which is smaller than you) rather than the entire thing. If you use this ability on a creature, it suffers 10 points of damage, and if it is killed, it is disintegrated. Using this ability doesn’t discharge the effect of your Midnight Body ability. Action
¶ Thunders
For you, sound is a tapestry of sensation that surpasses light and perhaps even vision itself. Existence is a soundscape of noise whose meanings are not only clear, but insistent. You can’t ignore them. Then again, why would you want to? You’ve learned how to manipulate sound by emitting both constructive and destructive interference. At first, your manipulations of the soundscape are brutal and straightforward, but the more you learn, the more you know that subtleties of sound manipulation will not be beyond you for long. Even so, you’ll exult the most when you allow your abilities to thunder. You got your abilities thanks to a weird nodule that you salvaged in a ruin, because you’re a mutant, or perhaps because you’re partly (or completely) mechanical yourself. Glaives and Delves are most likely to choose this focus, but Arkai who want to impress their followers may also choose to Thunder.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You can always hear this character, even when the sound of your abilities seems to drown everyone else out.
- Pick one other PC. You suspect that this character is slightly deaf, because they don’t seem to react to your abilities like most others do.
- Pick one other PC. You once paid off a large debt for this character. Whether they’re grateful is up to them, and whether you think you’re owed a debt in return is up to you.
- Pick two other PCs. They both have perfect pitch, which impresses you greatly.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The sound knocks the target to the ground.
Major Effect Suggestions: The sound deafens the target for about a minute, during which time it is dazed.
¶ Tier 1
Thunder Beam (2 Might points). You direct a beam of focused sound at a target within long range, inflicting 2 points of damage and inducing a resonant destructive wave in their body. Each round after this initial attack, you can make another roll for the destructive wave to inflict an additional 1 point of damage to the target. If you fail this roll, the destructive wave ends. Unlike the initial attack, the destructive wave ignores Armor. Alternatively, you can set up a destructive resonance in a physical melee weapon for one minute or until you let go of it. All attacks made with the target weapon inflict 1 additional point of damage. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Sound Conversion Barrier. Attacks that hit you—especially energy attacks like focused light, heat, radiation, and transdimensional energy—are partially converted to surges of harmless noise similar to the sound of a wave crashing to shore. This ability grants you +1 Armor against all attacks and an additional +2 Armor against energy attacks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Echolocation or Nullify Sound as your Tier 3 ability.
Echolocation. You are especially sensitive to sound and vibration, so much so that you can sense your environment within a short distance regardless of your ability to see. Enabler.
Nullify Sound (3 Might points). You pulse perfectly misaligned sounds within short range to create a zone of absolute quiet up to an immediate distance across for one minute. All sound is canceled in the zone. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 4
Shattering Shout (5 Might points). Your focused shout sets up a destructive resonance in a creature or object within long range. Nothing happens on the round you strike your target other than an ominous humming or buzzing sound emitted by the target. But on your next turn, the resonance shatters discrete inanimate objects, inflicts major damage to structures and installations, or inflicts 4 points of damage on a creature (ignores Armor). If you shatter a discrete object, it shatters explosively, inflicting 1 point of damage on all creatures and objects within immediate range of it. If you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Subsonic Rumble (2 Intellect points). For one minute or until you use your ability to manipulate sound in some other way, you emit a subsonic rumble that most living creatures can’t hear but which has an effect on them all the same. The effect lasts for one minute and affects all creatures you select within short range. All tasks related to resisting persuasion, intimidation, and fear are hindered by two steps for affected targets. Action to initiate.
Amplify Sounds (2 Might points). For one minute, you can amplify distant or small sounds so that you can hear them clearly, even if it’s a conversation or the sound of a small animal moving through an underground burrow up to a very long distance away. You can attempt to perceive the sound even if interceding barriers block it or if the sound is very slight, though this requires a few additional rounds of concentration. To discriminate the sound you wish in a noisy environment might also require a few additional rounds of concentration as you audibly explore the surrounding soundscape. Given enough time, you could pinpoint every conversation, every breathing creature, and every device creating noise within range. Action to initiate, up to several rounds to complete, depending on the difficulty of the task.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Earthquake or Lethal Vibration as your Tier 6 ability.
- Earthquake (7 Might points). You direct your destructive resonance into the ground and trigger an earthquake centered on a spot you can see within very long range. The ground within short range of that spot heaves and shakes for five minutes, causing damage to structures and terrain in the area. Buildings and terrain features shed debris and rubble. Each round, creatures in the area take either 3 points of damage due to the general shaking, or 6 points of damage if in or adjacent to a structure or terrain feature shedding debris. Action to initiate.
- Lethal Vibration (7 Might points). You set up a lethal vibration in your own body and pass it to a creature you touch with a successful attack. If the target is level 2 or lower, it explodes in a peal of thunder. If the target is level 3 or higher, it sustains 6 points of damage and is stunned on its next action. If the target is a PC of any tier, they move down one step on the damage track. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to affect a more powerful target (one level of Effort means a target of up to level 3 explodes and a target of level 4 or higher takes damage and is stunned, and so on). Action.
¶ Touches The Sky
The storm smells like life to you—like love. Electricity charges the air, dances across your skin, and connects you to the wind, the weather, and the sky. That connection is due to a device fused to your flesh, a mutation, or just your training with the nanomachines that suffuse everything. You issue commands through that
Connection, and the weather listens. The winds curl to your desire; they lift you, protect you, and give you the power to summon storms or break them apart. An electrical storm, a blizzard, or—when your mastery reaches its zenith—even a tornado is something you can call up and loose upon the world. You probably wear sleek clothing designed to stay out of your way when high winds roar past you. Flaring coats, cloaks, and capes can look dramatic, though, if you train yourself in managing the excess fabric. No matter a character’s type, the ability to fly is something almost everyone desires.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You can’t affect this character with your focus abilities, though you don’t know why.
- Pick one other PC. You recently discovered that if they stand near you when you use your Tier 1 Hover ability, they too lift into the air. They must remain within short range of you to retain the effect, and it lasts only for as long as you hover yourself.
- Pick one other PC. Their parents (or other loved ones) were killed in a freak storm. When they discovered your connection to the weather, they didn’t know how to react. They either feel anger toward you or hope you can help provide some answers; it’s up to them.
- Pick one other PC. Something about them interferes with your abilities. When they stand near you, your focus abilities cost 1 additional point.
Additional Equipment: You have a device that sometimes crackles with electricity. Whoever holds it is immune to your weather abilities (but only if you willingly give it to them).
Weather Abilities. If you wield powers that would normally use force or other energy, they instead use various effects generated by extreme weather. For example, a blast of energy could be a wind blast, a blast of blizzard cold, or a small bolt of lightning. Also, if you wish, you can swap an ability gained from your type for the following.
- Zap (2 Intellect points). You attack a foe within short range with an electrical discharge that inflicts 4 points of damage and dazes your target so that its next action is hindered. Action.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is dazed, and their next action is hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is stunned and loses their next action.
¶ Tier 1
Hover (1 Intellect point). You float slowly into the air. As your action, you can concentrate to remain motionless in the air or float up to a short distance, but no more; otherwise, you drift with the wind or with any momentum you have gained. This effect lasts for up to ten minutes. If you also have the Hover ability granted by your type, you can hover for twenty minutes and move your normal speed. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Wind Armor (1 Intellect point). When you wish it, a cyclone of wind surrounds your body for ten minutes, giving you +1 to Armor and an additional +2 to Armor against physical projectile weapons specifically. While the cyclone is active, you feel no discomfort from the wind, and you can interact with other creatures and objects normally because the wind flow automatically diverts to enable such interaction. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Lightning Discharge or Storm Seed as your Tier 3 ability.
- Lightning Discharge (5+ Intellect points). You blast a fan of lightning out to short range in an arc that is approximately 50 feet (15 m) wide at the end. This discharge inflicts 4 points of damage. If you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than to decrease the difficulty, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Action.
- Storm Seed (3 Intellect points). If outside or in a large-enough enclosed space, you can seed a natural storm of a kind common to the area. Doing so requires at least an hour’s concentration as you use your connection to nanites in the air to initiate proper conditions, though it could take longer if the GM feels there are additional obstacles at play. Once the storm begins, it lasts for about ten minutes. Once during that period, you can create a more dramatic and specific effect appropriate to that kind of storm, such as a lightning strike, a squall of giant hailstones, the brief touchdown of a twister, a single gust of hurricane-force winds, and so on. These effects must occur within long range of your location. You must spend your turn concentrating to create the effect, which occurs a round later. The effect inflicts 6 points of damage, after which the storm begins to disperse. Action to initiate, an hour or more to complete.
¶ Tier 4
Windrider (4+ Intellect points). You summon winds that pick you up and allow you to fly for one minute at a rate of up to a long distance each round. For each level of Effort you apply, you can carry one ally of about your size with you through the air or increase the duration of the effect by one minute. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 5
Cold Burst (5+ Intellect points). You emit a blast of cold in all directions up to short range. All within the burst take 3 points of damage and are dazed on their next turn, hindering any actions they attempt. If you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than to decrease the difficulty, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points), and targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Control Weather or Wind Chariot as your Tier 6 ability.
If you previously chose Storm Seed as your Tier 3 ability and now choose Control Weather, you can replace Storm Seed with Lightning Discharge as your Tier 3 ability.
- Control Weather (10 Intellect points). You change the weather in your general region. If performed indoors, this creates minor effects, such as mist, mild temperature changes, and so on. If performed outside, you can create rain, fog, snow, wind, or any other kind of normal (not overly severe) weather. The change lasts for a natural length of time so that a storm might last for an hour, fog for two or three hours, and snow for a few hours (or for ten minutes if it’s out of season). For the first ten minutes after activating this ability, you can create more dramatic and specific effects, such as lightning strikes, giant hailstones, twisters, hurricane-force winds, and so on. These effects must occur within 1,000 feet (300 m) of your location. You must spend your turn concentrating to create an effect or maintain it in a new round. These effects inflict 6 points of damage each round. If you have the Nano ability of the same name, the cost for the ability is 7 Intellect points instead of 10. Action to initiate.
- Wind Chariot (7+ Intellect points). You summon winds that pick you up and allow you to fly for up to a long distance each round in combat or with an overland speed of up to 200 miles per hour (320 kph) for up to ten hours. For each level of Effort you apply, you can bring one ally of about your size with you through the air or increase the duration of the effect by one hour. Action to initiate.
¶ Wears A Sheen Of Ice
Through your studies, you have learned to focus your natural talents to command the powers of ice and cold. People might refer to you as an ice mage. Sometimes ice mages are thought to come into conflict with those known as fire mages, but this is a fallacy believed by ordinary folks more than anything based in truth. You likely wear white or blue garments that are heavier than they need to be—unless you live in a cold region or wintry clime, in which case you probably wear less clothing than other people do because the cold doesn’t bother you. Most ice mages are Nanos, but a Glaive armored in ice, perhaps wielding an ice sword, would be quite impressive.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. Due to a quirk of the numenera, if that character is standing next to you when you use your Ice Armor ability, they are also protected by a sheen of ice. (They do not get the added protection of your Resilient Ice Armor ability.)
- Pick one other PC. For a reason unknown to you, their very presence seems to heat the air around you, making it more difficult to command the powers of ice and cold. If they are within immediate range, their presence occasionally hinders your attempts to hit a target with a focus ability.
- Pick one other PC. That person is especially susceptible to the cold that radiates from you. How they handle that vulnerability is up to them.
- Pick one other PC. The two of you have a long history and almost always disagree about the best way to handle situations.
Additional Equipment: You have a bladed weapon made of stronglass that looks like ice. Ice Abilities: If you possess abilities that would normally use force or other energy, they instead use cold and ice. For example, a force blast is a ray of frost. This alteration changes nothing other than the type of damage. As another example, Barrier creates a wall of ice. This alteration changes nothing except the wall’s appearance and the fact that it takes 2 additional points of damage from fire.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The surface around the target becomes slick and difficult to stand on.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is covered in ice that slows its movement and hinders its tasks for one minute.
¶ Tier 1
Ice Armor (1 Intellect point). When you wish it, your body is covered in a sheen of ice for ten minutes that gives you +1 to Armor. While the sheen is active, you feel no discomfort from normal cold temperatures and have an additional +2 to Armor versus cold damage specifically. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Frost Touch (1 Intellect point). Your hands become so cold that the next time you touch a creature, you inflict 3 points of damage. Alternatively, you can use this ability on a weapon, and for ten minutes, it inflicts 1 additional point of damage from the cold. Action for touch; enabler for weapon.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Freezing Touch or Ice Creation as your Tier 3 ability.
Freezing Touch (4 Intellect points). Your hands become so cold that, in addition to inflicting damage as described under Frost Touch, your touch freezes solid a living target of your size or smaller, rendering it immobile for one round. Action.
Ice Creation (4+ Intellect points). You create a solid object of ice that is your size or smaller. The object is crude and can have no moving parts, so you can make a sword, a shield, a short ladder, and so on. Your ice objects are as strong as iron, but if you’re not in constant contact with them, they function for only 1d6 + 6 rounds before breaking or melting. For example, you can make and wield an ice sword, but if you give it to another PC, the sword won’t last as long for that character. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can choose to use Effort to create objects larger than you. For each level of Effort used in this way, you can create an object up to twice again as large as you. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Resilient Ice Armor. The sheen of ice you generate using your Ice Armor ability gives you an additional +1 to Armor. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Cold Burst (5+ Intellect points). You emit a burst of cold in all directions, up to short range. All within the burst take 5 points of damage. If you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than to ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); however, targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Ice Storm or Winter Gauntlets as your Tier 6 ability.
- Ice Storm. You attempt an additional Intellect task as part of your Cold Burst attack, and if successful, you blind foes for up to one minute with a layer of freezing ice. All tasks of blinded creatures are hindered by two steps. Enabler.
- Winter Gauntlets. When you use Frost Touch, you inflict a total of 5 points of damage if you touch a creature, or +2 points of damage if you infuse a weapon. In addition, damaged targets are frozen in place (if standing on a solid surface) and can’t move from their location until they use an action to break free. The target can still attack and defend. Action for touch; enabler for weapon.
¶ Wields A Nilstone
Octopuses use ultradimensional technologies to obtain small stones called nilstones. Activated by octopus telepathy, these tiny devices grant great nanite-based powers to a wielder that masters their use. Traditionally, only octopuses can use nilstones, but it might be possible for a rare specimen from another species to utilize them, assuming they have inherent telepathic abilities. Most of those who wield nilstones are nanos or jacks, but glaives could certainly use many of their combat-related abilities as well.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This PC seems to covet your nilstone. You keep it out of their reach whenever possible.
- Pick one other PC. Your nilstone shudders and shakes when they are next to you. You have no idea why.
- Pick one other PC. When using your True Telepathy power, you can contact them telepathically within a mile range.
- Pick one other PC. No matter what you do, you cannot communicate with them telepathically.
Additional Equipment: You possess a nilstone. This ultraterrestrial object taps into your inherent mental abilities and grants you the powers detailed below. Without the nilstone, you cannot use any of the abilities granted by this focus, so guard it well. If you lose your nilstone, you can attempt to gain a new one at the Coral Cathedral.
Minor Effect Suggestion: Your natural telepathy gives you a few details about what an opponent or nearby bystander is thinking.
Major Effect Suggestion: A foe in combat is stunned by your telepathic might, losing their next action.
¶ Tier 1
True Telepathy (1 Intellect point). You extend your natural telepathy so that it has long range, and allows you to communicate with any intelligent being for up to ten minutes. Action to initiate.
¶ Tier 2
Psychokinesis (2 Intellect points). You can exert force on objects within short range. Once activated, your power has an effective Might Pool of 10, a Might Edge of 1, and an Effort of 2 (approximately equal to the strength of a fit, capable, adult human), and you can use it to move objects, push against objects, and so on. For example, you could lift and pull a light object anywhere within range to yourself or move a heavy object (like a piece of furniture) about 10 feet (3 m). This power lacks the fine control to wield a weapon or move objects with much speed, so in most situations, it’s not a means of attack. You can’t use this ability on your own body. The power lasts for one hour or until its Might Pool is depleted, whichever comes first. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Forceblast (3 Intellect points). You launch an attack of pure psychokinetic force at a target within long range, inflicting 6 points of damage. Action.
¶ Tier 4
Clairvoyance (4 Intellect points). You can see a location familiar to you within 10 miles (16 km) as if you were there. You can rotate your field of vision but you cannot move your point of view. This lasts as long as you concentrate (taking no other actions). Action.
Minor Kinetic Shield. You surround yourself with a telekinetic force field. You gain +1 to Armor. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Multitasking (5 Intellect points). You use your complex sensory organs and the neural network that runs through your arms, enhanced with the power of your nilstone, to take two additional actions in the round in which you use this ability.
¶ Tier 6
Greater Kinetic Shield. Your telekinetic force field now offers +3 to Armor rather than +1. Enabler.
¶ Wields Power With Precision
Not only are you blessed with a great command of the numenera, but you are also trained to exploit esoteries in ways that elevate you above other Nanos. Some people believe that those who perform esoteries are born with the ability, but you know that skill and intelligence play important roles. The ancients created the numenera through knowledge, discovery, and intellect, and to use it properly, you must follow the same path. You probably wear spectacles and dapper outfits, carrying extra books, notebooks, and pens so you can continually focus on your studies and experiments. Nanos usually receive this instruction and focus, but some Jacks do as well. Glaives never do.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You’ve placed an immutable, one-time ward that renders them immune to the esoteries you perform unless they want to be affected.
- Pick one other PC. Due to some quirk of the numenera, you can occasionally (and accidentally) share your powers with them, which gives them an asset on any task they attempt using their esoteries.
- Pick one other PC. That character doesn’t seem to trust or like you, but you feel compelled to win them over.
- Pick one other PC. You’ve noticed that they have a book in their possession that you’d very much like to study, but you’re unsure how to ask them about it.
Additional Equipment: You have an additional book about the numenera.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The special ability overwhelms and dazzles the target for one round, hindering it.
Major Effect Suggestions: The special ability terrifies the target, who uses its next two turns to flee.
¶ Tier 1
Genius. Your Intellect Pool increases by 5 points. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Training and Precision. You are trained in all esoteries. As a result, you ease any task involved in the use of an esotery. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Enhanced Esoteries or Versatile Mind as your Tier 3 ability.
- Enhanced Esoteries. Your esoteries that have durations last twice as long. Your esoteries that have short ranges reach to long range instead. Your esoteries that inflict damage deal 1 additional point of damage. Enabler.
- Versatile Mind. When you make a Speed defense roll, you can use your Intellect in place of your Speed. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Greater Repertoire. You can learn one additional esotery of fourth tier or lower. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Greater Training. You are specialized in all esoteries. As a result, you ease any task involved in the use of an esotery by two steps. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Enhanced Esoteries or Supra-Genius as your Tier 6 ability.
Enhanced Esoteries. If you chose Enhanced Esoteries as your Tier 3 option, your esoteries that have durations last three times as long. Your esoteries that have short ranges reach to very long range instead. Your esoteries that inflict damage deal 2 additional points of damage. If you didn’t take Enhanced Esoteries at Tier 3, you gain the advantages noted there now. Enabler.
Supra-Genius. Your Intellect Pool increases by 5, and your Intellect Edge increases by 1. Enabler.
¶ Wields Two Weapons At Once
You bear steel with both hands, ready to take on any foe. You fight with two weapons in melee, sometimes called dual wielding. A fearsome warrior, quick and strong, you believe that the best defense is a strong offense. You probably sheathe one weapon on each side or both crossed behind your back. They are likely your most prized possessions, and you might have names for them. Many Glaives and Jacks train to fight with two weapons at once. Very rarely would other characters spend the time required to learn such a purely physical art, but it’s possible.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. You have trained with this character so much that if the two of you stand back to back in a fight, you both gain an asset to Speed defense tasks.
- Pick one other PC. This character always seems to inadvertently foil your actions, or at least make them more difficult. If they are within immediate range, actions related to this focus are hindered.
- Pick one other PC. You recently had a weapon go missing, and you’re becoming convinced that they took it. Whether or not they did is up to them.
- Pick one other PC. You used to dislike them immensely, but as you get to know this person, you’re growing more fond of them against your better judgment.
Additional Equipment: You start with an additional light melee weapon.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is intimidated and flees as its next action.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can make an immediate additional attack with one of your weapons.
¶ Tier 1
Dual Light Wield. You can use two light weapons at the same time, making two separate attacks on your turn as a single action. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action, but because you make separate attacks, your opponent’s Armor applies to both. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to both attacks, unless it’s specifically tied to one of the weapons. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Double Strike (3 Might points). When you wield two weapons, you can choose to make one attack roll against a foe. If you hit, you inflict damage with both weapons plus 2 additional points of damage, and because you made a single attack, the target’s Armor is subtracted only once. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Dual Medium Wield or Precise Cut as your Tier 3 ability.
- Dual Medium Wield. You can use two light weapons or medium weapons at the same time (or one light weapon and one medium weapon), making two separate attacks on your turn as a single action. This ability otherwise works like the Dual Light Wield ability. Enabler.
- Precise Cut. You inflict +1 damage with light weapons. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Dual Defense. When you wield two weapons, you are trained in Speed defense tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Dual Distraction (1+ Speed points). When you wield two weapons, your opponent’s next attack is hindered, and if you apply Effort to your next attack against that same foe, you get a free level of Effort on the task. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Disarming Attack or Whirling Dervish as your Tier 6 ability.
- Disarming Attack (5 Speed points). You attempt a Speed task to disarm a foe as part of your melee attack. If you succeed, your attack inflicts 3 additional points of damage and the target’s weapon is knocked from their grip, landing up to 20 feet (6 m) away. If you fail, you still attempt your normal attack, but you don’t inflict the extra damage or disarm the opponent if you hit. Action.
- Whirling Dervish. When you wield two weapons, you can attack up to six times in one round as a single action, but you must make each attack against a different foe. Make a separate attack roll for each attack. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action, but because you make separate attacks, Armor applies to each of them. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all attacks (positively or negatively), unless it’s specifically tied to one of the weapons, in which case it applies to only half of the attacks. Enabler.
¶ Wields Words Like Weapons
You are a talker. Maybe you got your start telling stories, arguing with your siblings, running a shop, and so on. You learned how people think, how they respond to some lines of argument and words more than others, and how to apply that influence selectively. You negotiate for your sake, on behalf of others, or for a cause you believe in. Charismatic, your natural talent shows through any time you open your mouth to speak. You know when it’s appropriate to joke, when to be serious, and, sometimes, when an insult is required to wound someone’s pride in just the right way to get what you want. You probably wear flamboyant or at least fashionable clothes, and you use cosmetics, tattoos, or hair stylings for dramatic effect. Arkai and Jacks are most likely to have this focus, given that it enhances abilities they likely already possess.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character tends to believe everything you say, even when you are clearly joking. It’s up to you whether you want to tone down your rhetoric when speaking to them.
- Pick one other PC. You convinced them not to break up with their significant other, thinking you were helping. Now the relationship seems even more terrible, and you regret your earlier action.
- Pick one other PC. They’ve always been there for you and helped you when you couldn’t help yourself.
- Pick one other PC. You both had a mutual friend who died. You’re not sure whether this character blames you or not.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is dazed for a round, hindering all tasks they attempt on their next turn.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is favorably disposed toward you for days or more.
¶ Tier 1
How Others Think. You have a sense of how people think. You’re trained in one of the following tasks: persuasion, deception, or detecting falsehoods. Enabler.
Misdirect Blame (2+ Intellect points). Using your clever words and knowledge of others, you can attempt to alter the narrative so that a target of up to level 3 within short range becomes uncertain of its conviction in one simple area, such as their conviction that you just stole a fruit from their stand or their belief that they’ve never met you before. This effect usually lasts only for the period of time you spend speaking, and perhaps up to a minute longer, before the target realizes its error. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to increase the target level that can be affected. Afterward, all your tasks to persuade or otherwise socially interact with the target are hindered. Action.
¶ Tier 2
Negotiate (3 Intellect points). In any gathering where two or more people are trying to establish the truth or come to a decision, you can sway the verdict with masterful rhetoric. If you are given a few rounds or more to argue your point, either the decision goes your way or, if someone else effectively argues a competing point, any associated persuasion or deception task is eased by two steps. Action to initiate, one or more rounds to complete.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose Command or Keen Mind as your Tier 3 ability.
- Command (3 Intellect points). Through sheer force of will and charisma, you issue a simple command to a single living creature, which attempts to carry out your command as its next action. The creature must be within short range and be able to understand you. The command can’t inflict direct harm on the creature or its allies, so “Commit suicide” won’t work, but “Flee” might. In addition, the command can require the creature to take only one action, so “Open the door” might work, but “Open the door and run through it” won’t. A commanded creature can still defend itself normally and return an attack if one is made on it. If you possess a type ability that allows you to command a creature, you can target two creatures at once as your base effect if you use either ability. Action.
- Keen Mind. You gain +1 to your Intellect Edge. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Interruption (4 Intellect points). Your vociferous, booming command prevents a creature within short range from taking any action for one round. It can defend itself if attacked, but when it does so, its defense is hindered by two steps. Each additional time you attempt this ability against the same target, you must apply one more level of Effort than you applied on the previous attempt. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Community Negotiator. You are trained in two of the following skills: persuasion, deception, intimidation, research, knowledge in one area, or seeing through deception. If you choose a skill in which you’re already trained, you become specialized in that skill instead. In addition, an allied community’s effective rank is increased by 1 for tasks related to the skills you choose, as long as you have been active and working on the community’s behalf in any given seven-day period. Enabler.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Break Their Mind or Explains the Ineffable as your Tier 6 ability.
- Break Their Mind (7+ Intellect points). Using your clever words and knowledge of others, and given a couple of rounds of conversation to gain a few specific pieces of context regarding your target, you can utter a sentence designed to cause your target immediate psychological distress. If the target can hear you, it suffers 6 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and forgets the last day of its life, which might mean it forgets you and how it came to be where it currently is. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to attempt to break the mind of one additional target who can hear you. Action to initiate, action to complete.
- Explains the Ineffable. Through anecdotes, historical retellings, and citing knowledge that few but you have previously understood, you enlighten your friends. After spending 28 hours with you, once per day, each of your friends can ease a particular task by two steps. This benefit is ongoing while you remain in your friends’ company. It ends if you leave, but it resumes if you return to your friends’ company within 28 hours. If you leave your friends’ company for longer than that, you must spend another 28 hours together to reactivate the benefit. Enabler.
¶ Works The Back Alleys
The thief, the burglar, the pickpocket: these are the dangerous individuals who haunt the back alleys of every community. You are a thief in a city or town, making your livelihood at the expense of the wealthy. Your talents, however, prepare you for all kinds of pursuits, even when you’re not crouching in an alley or climbing into a window. Usually, you dress to blend in with the crowd. When you’re on a mission, black, form-fitting clothing allows you to swim in the shadows. Most thieves are Jacks, but Nanos make interesting burglars as well. A Glaive thief likely adds a little more physicality to their crimes.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. The character knew you beforehand and convinced you to leave your life of crime for other pursuits—at least temporarily.
- Pick one other PC. A while back, you attempted to “borrow” something from this person, but they caught you in the process. You managed to convince them that it was a simple misunderstanding, but they may not entirely trust you.
- Pick one other PC. You never seem to be able to hide so that this person can’t see you.
- Pick one other PC. This character knows your real identity (if it’s a secret) or that you work secretly as a thief (if it’s a secret) and has kept the knowledge safe so far. It’s up to them whether they continue to do so.
Additional Equipment: You start with a bag of light tools.
Minor Effect Suggestions: You can immediately attempt to hide after this action.
Major Effect Suggestions: You can immediately take a second action during this turn.
¶ Tier 1
Thief. You are trained in sneaking, pickpocketing, and lockpicking tasks. Enabler.
¶ Tier 2
Underworld Contacts. You know many people in a variety of communities who engage in illegal activities. These people are not necessarily your friends and might not be trustworthy, but they recognize you as a peer. You and the GM should work out the details of your underworld contacts. Enabler.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Pull a Fast One or Guild Training as your Tier 3 ability.
- Pull a Fast One (3 Intellect points). When you’re running a con, picking a pocket, fooling or tricking a dupe, sneaking something by a guard, and so on, you gain an asset on the task. Enabler.
- Guild Training. Your type abilities that have durations last twice as long. Your type abilities that have short ranges reach to long range instead. Your type abilities that inflict damage deal 1 additional point of damage. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Master Thief. You are trained in climbing, escaping from bonds, slipping through narrow places, and other contortionist moves. Enabler.
¶ Tier 5
Dirty Fighter (2 Speed points). You distract, blind, annoy, hamper, or otherwise interfere with a foe, hindering their attacks and defenses for one minute. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Alley Rat or All-Out Con as your Tier 6 ability.
- Alley Rat (6 Intellect points). While in a city, you find or create a significant shortcut, secret entrance, or emergency escape route where it looked like none existed. Doing so requires that you succeed on an Intellect action whose difficulty is set by the GM based on the situation. You and the GM should work out the details. Action.
- All-Out Con (7 Intellect points). You put everything into it. You add three free levels of Effort to the next task you attempt. You can’t use this ability again until after you’ve taken a ten-hour recovery action. Action.
¶ Works Miracles
You manipulate matter and time to help others and are beloved by everyone you encounter. Some people consider you a representative of the gods or a power from beyond this world. Perhaps they’re right—transdimensional experiments in the prior worlds might be what created the energies that you now wield. You probably wear simple clothes—nothing too flashy or stylish. There’s no need to call more attention to yourself. A Glaive who can heal himself is an interesting and dangerous proposition.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
- Pick one other PC. This character quietly suspects that you’re a messiah or supernatural being.
- Pick one other PC. This person knows a secret of yours, and you desperately hope that they do not tell anyone. You can choose whether or not you’re aware of their suspicion.
- Pick one other PC. This character believes that you cured someone close to them of a deadly disease, and they are grateful. You aren’t sure whether you actually helped or if that person wasn’t as sick as was thought.
- Pick one other PC. You secretly believe that this person might be a hypochondriac, and you’re never sure whether they actually need your help.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is healed for 1 additional point.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is healed for 2 additional points.
¶ Tier 1
Healing Touch (1 Intellect point). With a touch, you restore 1d6 points to one stat Pool of any creature. This ability is a difficulty 2 Intellect task. Each time you attempt to heal the same creature, the task difficulty increases by one step. The difficulty returns to 2 after that creature rests for ten hours. Action.
¶ Tier 2
Alleviate (3 Intellect points). You attempt to cancel or cure one malady (such as disease or poison) in one creature. Action.
¶ Tier 3
Ability Choice. Choose either Font of Healing or Miraculous Health as your Tier 3 ability.
- Font of Healing. With your approval, other creatures can touch you and regain 1d6 points to either their Might Pool or their Speed Pool. This healing costs them 2 Intellect points. A single creature can benefit from this ability only once each day. Enabler.
- Miraculous Health. When you would descend a step on the damage track, you can attempt a Might task to resist, with a difficulty equal to the level of the foe or effect that harmed you. If successful, you don’t descend the step and you regain 1 point in any Pool that is bereft of points. You can’t use this ability again until after your next ten-hour rest. Enabler.
¶ Tier 4
Inspiration (4 Intellect points). Through mental inspiration and the manipulation of time, one creature you choose within short range is granted an additional, immediate action, which it can take out of turn. Action.
¶ Tier 5
Undo (5 Intellect points). You turn back time a few seconds, effectively undoing a single creature’s most recent action. That creature can then immediately repeat the same action or try something different. Action.
¶ Tier 6
Ability Choice. Choose either Greater Healing Touch or Restore Life as your Tier 6 ability.
- Greater Healing Touch (4 Intellect points). You touch a creature and restore its Might Pool, Speed Pool, and Intellect Pool to their maximum values, as if it were fully rested. A single creature can benefit from this ability only once each day. Action.
- Restore Life (9+ Intellect points). You can attempt to restore life to a dead creature of up to level 3, as long as the corpse is no more than a day old and is mostly intact. You can also attempt to restore life to a corpse that is much older but is especially well preserved. The difficulty of the Intellect task is equal to the level of the creature you’re attempting to restore to life. For each additional level of Effort applied, you can attempt to restore the life of a creature whose level is 1 higher. When first restored to life, a creature is dazed for at least a day, and all tasks they attempt are hindered. Action; one minute to initiate.