Monday, August 27, 2018

GvM: The Toxic: Being one of the Half-Dead

This is the unofficial sequel to my first major post on the Toxic.  You can read that first part here.  Also this is heavily inspired- ie stolen- from I am Zombie, a great game that you need to play, or at least buy.

The Toxic represent the biggest and most potential threat to Humanity's destruction.  Each one has the potential to infect many, many people, and even a weak Toxic can be quite strong.  The way their flesh knits itself back together means bullets are much less effective against them then knives and blades, and without magic or absurd amounts of fire, they come back for more.  But the most dangerous thing about the Toxic is that they are as smart as any Human, with the ability to organize and coordinate.  Those Toxic that despise humanity know this as well, and use this ability to great effect, starting massive outbreaks in isolated corners of the world, as not all outbreaks are because a worthless Toe-Tag made a stupid mistake, and an infected child crept into their playground, far from the prying eyes of the teachers.

And while most outbreaks are minor affairs, any one of them could be the spark that grows to become a fire than rises to the level of an inferno, devouring everything we have worked so hard to build.  The Final Outbreak, it could be starting right now, and the Company is terrified of such an outcome.  They fear that one day, the last vestiges of Humanity will be hunted by the irradiated, undying sons of Amirani through the remains of their civilization, and that it will be all their fault.  As such, they viciously persecute the Toxic, killing as many as they can and suppressing the rest. 

All Xenos are denied basic rights and privileges, but Toxic seem to suffer worse then anyone else, with perhaps the exception of the Lochs, who were nearly wiped out.  The Company will use any excuse to get rid of a Toxic.  First, they try and exterminate those elected by the Plague Spirit to become Toxic, using Seers and Prophets to find them before they turn and luring them to kill-zones in isolated areas, exterminate them.  Any Toxic that causes an outbreak will be purged if caught, and any Toxic that brings too much attention to themselves will be destroyed as well.  But there are too many, always too many.  The population of Toxic has been exploding since 1955, and no one knows why.  The Masquerade is straining under their weight, and one day, it's going to burst like a lanced boil.  What then?  Will the Final Outbreak occur when the Toxic finally decide to rise up and take on their oppressors?  Will the Venerate Utukku, the Dread Gods of the Toxic rise from their cavernous tombs beneath the Earth to bring about the end?  Or will it be a simple mistake that spirals out of control?

Regardless, the Company have decided to take any measure possible to make sure the Toxic never cause the Final Outbreak.  The Ninth Plague will never come.  The Bomb was meant to the be the final solution the Toxic problem, but it failed to kill their Dread Gods.  As such, new methods are required.  But if one is not found, it may be too late to fight.


This is the monster profile for if you wish to play a Problem, a cursed human slowly losing their humanity in their quest for eldritch power.  You can read the full class here, it will explain how these bonuses work.

Monster Profile: Toxic
Starting Quirk: Infectious.  Your blood, saliva and bodily fluids all carry the Amirani virus.  Anyone who comes into contact with them contracts the Amirani virus, and will die within 120 minutes.  They will then rise from the grave as a Skag (a normal, unitelligent Romero-style zombie), or as a Toxic (1-in-1,000 chance of this).

Natural Weapons: If you are ever badly injured, in a desperate situation, or some other form of dire straits, you can fly into a rage known as 'Going Berzerk'.  If you ever cannot see a way out, you can tell the Referee, "I go Berzerk."  While going Berzerk, you get +2 to hit and do +4 damage.  However, you are very likely, almost certainly, going to cause an outbreak this way.

Malign Form: You regenerate.  You recover 1 HP an hour when not distressed, or 1d6 a round if in in danger.  You are only in danger if you perceive yourself to be in danger.  If you are going Berzerk, you automatically regenerate.

Inhuman Soul: You sleep, but no longer Dream.  You also do not have Dreams for the future.  Magic that would manipulate your soul, such as Charm, Fear, or other such effects within the Referee's discretion automatically fail.

I reject my Humanity: Unless reduced to zero HP by a magical attack, non-magical damage cannot kill you, merely damage you.  Only magic or being burnt to ashes can put you down for good.

Vector Table.  Whenever you have to roll to determine what kind of Vector you gain, roll below.  Additionally, when you develop a New Vector, you may go ahead and roll on the first table you rolled on, or may choose to reroll the type of Vector, then proceed to the relevant sub-table.

What power do you receive?
1d8
1- ScryCan't stop remembering what I must forget.  Roll on Sub-Table A.  Your Emblem Power is Commune with the Venerate.
2- BiofixNothing is fixed.  My form is my will.  Roll on Sub-Table B.  Your Emblem Power is Life Finds a Way.
3- VeloxIf you go fast enough, the Thrill overcomes the Fear.  Roll on Sub-Table C.  Your Emblem Power is THSI.
4- LeproxEverything is infection, even Consciousness.  Roll on Sub-Table D.  Your Emblem Power is Contamination.
5- NecroFlesh made bionic, the Body a Machine.  Roll on Sub-Table E.  Your Emblem Power is Detonation Me.
6- ToxoMind control is Repetition, Repetition, Repetition.  Roll on Sub-Table F.  Your Emblem Power is Magnificent Emperor.
7- DoxFrom Suffering, Strength.  Roll on Sub-Table G.  Your Emblem Power is Regeneration.
8- GizmoLife is an inefficient machine that reproduces efficiently.  Roll on Sub-Table H.  Your Emblem Power is SPDZ Infestation.

Emblem Power: You receive the Emblem Power belonging to your Vector.  If you already have it, you may gain two conventional Vectors of your Choice. 

Chaos: When you roll doubles on your Power Dice, roll on the table below.  You automatically lose 1d3 Humanity Points.  The Power still works as you intended. 
1d6
1- Your projectile vomit everything in your stomach.  Anyone near you must save or be hit by the splatter.  Anyone hit might contract the Amirani virus, if they are particularly unlucky or do not take immediate counter-measures.
2- You suffer a minor brain aneurysm, and suffer -4 to do anything based on coordination or precise movements for the next 1d4 minutes.
3- You take 1d4 damage.  Then, 1d4 tiny flesh Imps are born from your body and begin capering around and 1d4 [1= stealing valuable objects; 2= Running away (they want to be chased); 3= breaking things around them; 4= Going and starting a fight with one random creature within 100'.  They each have 1 HP.  If the person they originally spawned from touches them, they are reabsorbed into the original body, and the person they spawned from regains an equivalent amount of health.
4- You suffer a vivid waking hallucination.  A person from your past (a parent, former lover, mentor, etc) appears and tells you something.  The message was 1d4 [1= A warning about the future; 2= A warning about the present; 3= An important piece of information that you missed; 4= A quest]
5- One person within 100' must save.  On a failure, they catch a conventional disease, other than the Amirani virus.
6- You become coated in a strange, black powder.  This powder is 1d4 [1= Gunpowder; 2= Condensed Sin; 3= Magnesium; 4= Make-up; 5= Dehydrated blood; 6= Cacao extract].

Corruption: When you roll triples on your Power Dice, roll on the table below.  You automatically lose 1d4 Humanity Points.  The Power you tried to use automatically fails.
1d6
1- Everyone within 50' suffers a vivid waking hallucination.  A person from your past (a parent, former lover, mentor, etc) appears and tells you something.  The message was 1d4 [1= A warning about the future; 2= Appears as 1, but is actually a lie; 3= A quest; 4= A riddle that it challenges you to answer]  Answering one of its riddles wrong or refusing the quest the hallucination commands you to undertake will provoke the Hallucination to curse the person who answered wrong/refused.
2- 1d6 (exploding on a six, roll as many times as you can) people within 100' suddenly catch a conventional disease, no save.
3- One person within 100', chosen randomly, takes 1d6 damage.  1d6 tiny flesh Imps are then born from their body and begin capering around and 1d4 [1= stealing valuable objects; 2= Running away (they want to be chased); 3= breaking things around them; 4= Going and starting a fight with one random creature within 100'.  They each have 1 HP.  If the person they originally spawned from touches them, they are reabsorbed into the original body. 
4- You suffer a terrible stroke, and half your body is paralyzed for the next 1d10 minutes. 
5- The heavens open up above you, and the servants of the Gods of Law attempt to exterminate you by 1d4 [1= Dropping something very heavy on you (requires an attack roll, 3d6 on a hit), throwing a lightning bolt at you (2d8, you get a saving throw to avoid); 3= Throwing down a massive fireball in your general area (4d6 fire, save for half); 4= Sending a giant hand down to grab you and pull you up into Heaven (HD 6 AC 10 Grab 1d6+Restrain Mor 12 Saves 10 or less is a success)]
6- A group of Toxic show up suddenly and demand you assist them with some project they are undertaking.  If you refuse, they will take you by force.  They won't kill you unless you give them no choice, but that protection does not extend to anyone else.  They are rational but not reasonable.  You must help them.  The project they need your help with will take 1d6 [1= 1d6 hours; 2= 1 day; 3= 1d4 days; 4= 1d6 days; 5= 1d3 weeks; 6= A long time, they're not sure how long it will take].

DOOMs:
First Doom: You become a Skag for 1d10 minutes
Second Doom: You become a Skag for 1d10 days
Final Doom: You become a Skag permanently.

Cure- Enter the Presence of the Venerate Utukku and answer its question or take its bargain.

Scry:

Vector of Vision

Side-effect: Madness.  Each time you learn a new Scry Vector, you must save.  On a failure, you develop an insanity.  Each time you fail an additional save after the first one, this can give you new insanities or delusions, or can merely cause the ones you already have to compound.

Sub-Table A
1d10
1- Broadcast
2- Confabulation
3- Eidetic Memory
4- Omnilingualism
5- Othertime
6- Rapturous Vision
7- Scourge Aura
8- Sighted Hands
9- Skagspeak
10- White Walls

11- Commune with the Venerate


Broadcast
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R: 10*[dice]'    T: all within range    D: one action

All creatures within range receive a message that is up to [sum] words long.


Confabulation
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R: touch    T: two Toxic         D: one action

By placing your hands on two creatures, you can shift a memory from one to the other.


Eidetic Memory
---------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] minutes

For the duration, your memory becomes perfect, and records everything.  Once this moment has passed, you can go back to this  time mentally, and recall every single thing you saw.


Omnilingualism
---------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self        D: [sum] minutes

You can speak or read any language for the duration.


Othertime
------------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: [dice] creatures    D: [dice] hours

[dice] willing creatures, including you if you wish, fall asleep and enter Othertime, the Toxic name for the Dreamlands.


Rapturous Vision


Scourge Auras
------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: self        D: [dice] minutes

All Toxic within range have glowing auras around them, distinguishing them from normal people.


Sighted Hands
----------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self        D: [dice] minutes

For the duration, if you are touching someone, you can tell when they are lying and when they are telling the truth.

  
Skagspeech
--------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: self            D: [dice] minutes

By touching a Skag, you can access their memories as if you were them, reviewing everything they have seen or experienced.  However, one should note that the memories of Skags are not perfect, they are prone to error, just as anyone else is.  


White Walls
-----------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: A white surface    D: one action

At your request, the Plague spirit sends you a vision, projecting it across a white surface.  The Plague Spirit will almost always send you a warning about the future, unless you specifically request something else.



Commune with the Venerate
------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [sum] minutes

If you are within the presence of a Venerate Utukku and wish to speak to it, this spell will allow you to do it, for up to [sum] minutes.  Be respectful and talk quickly.

Note:
The Venerate Utukku do not suffer intrusion, and most who approach them without their explicit permission are destroyed utterly.  The only exception to this is when the Utukku wish it, and the only time that happens is when the Utukku want a Toxic to make The Choice.  This choice is one between two extremes and varies from situation to saying, and reflects the Venerate's inscrutable will.  For example, one Toxic was offered The Choice of, either, A dying there at the hands of the Utukku, or B, going on a quest to complete a series of 12 challenges, each one progressively harder.  Then, if the Toxic successfully completed all the challenges presented to him, he should return, and face the Utukku in mortal combat.  To no one's surprise, the Toxic picked the first option, and was obliterated on the spot.


Biofix:

Vector of Modification

Side-effect: Agony.  Using Biofix is incredibly painful.  It also takes time.  Every time you use a Biofix Vector, you take 1d6 CHA damage, save for half.  This damage does not reduce your overall CHA score for the purposes of saving throws or ability checks.  However, if the CHA damage you have taken ever equals or exceeds your CHA score, you gain the Conviction, "I do not like using my Biofix Vectors, and will only do so when I have to."  If you develop this Conviction, you must pass a CHA check to use a Biofix Vector in anything other than an emergency situation.  The CHA damage taken by this recovers at a rate of 1 per day, until it is back to normal 

Sub-Table B
1d10

1- Bone Grafter
2- Chameleon Skin
3- Enhance Senses
4- Face Dancer
5- Generate Acid
6- Life finds a Way
7- Liquefy Self
8- Mucus Master
9- Quadruped
10- Skin Dancer


Bone Grafter
---------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: one action

You can create new bony protrusions such as claws, spurs, fins, etc, but also things like keys, lock picks, screwdrivers, hammers, etc.  Any weapons created as such do 1d6+STR damage, and act as normal bones for you.


Chameleon Skin
------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] minutes

You can change the color of your skin at will for the duration, painting yourself in glowing hues or blending in.  This can give you +[dice] to hide or be noticed, your preference.


Enhance Senses
----------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] minutes

For the duration, you enhance any one sense of your choosing.  This gives you +[dice] to detect things with that sense.  You can make your vision good enough that you see like a cat, or enhance your nose so you can smell like a dog, or change your ears so you can hear like a bat.


Face Dancer
---------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] hours

You can change your face to look like a more beautiful version of your own, like the face of someone familiar to you, or something else entirely.  This change lasts until the duration ends, and then you change back.  You need to cast the spell again if you wish to change your face again past the initial casting.


Generate Acid
------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] rounds

For the next [dice] rounds, you secrete acid from your tears, urine or blood.  This acid does 1d6+[dice] damage to anyone besides you who touches it, and dissolves wood, metal and stone over the course of four-[dice] rounds.  It cannot dissolve glass, plastic, or magical materials.


Life Finds a Way
-----------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: self            D: [dice] minutes

If you are in a hostile environment, your body will undergo rapid metamorphasis to survive in that environment.  This can protect you from extreme cold or heat, being underwater, or being in a vacuum.  Note that this cannot protect you from attacks from enemies, only environmental conditions.  No amount of metamorphosis will protect you from being stabbed in the face.


Liquefy Self
--------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] minutes

You can liquefy your body with an action, and until the duration has ended, you remain a liquid.  You can reconstitute yourself at any time, as long as all the liquid that makes up your body is in the same place.  If any is separated from you, you will return to solidity missing some possibly vital parts.


Mucus Master
----------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] minutes

For the duration, you can secrete mucus that is slippery, sticky, gelatinous, pliable or hard.  Can be used to make objects such as ropes, webs, glue, or nick-knacks.  After the duration has ended, the mucus becomes hard and stiff, and cannot be further manipulated by your magic.


Quadruped:
---------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: one creature        D: [dice] hours

One creature you touch, (or yourself) becomes modified so that they can move on all fours.  This doubles their speed and gives them the ability to carry twice the amount of weight they normally do.  While transformed like this, they cannot hold anything in their hands.


Skin Dancer
-------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] minutes

You can grow roots, appendages and control the shape of the body at will, but this does not change the overall mass of your body.  Additionally, this spell cannot make you tougher or stronger than you naturally are.

Velox:

Vector of Reflex

Side-effect: The Rush.  Whenever you use your Vector, you are constantly moving super fast, and life is awesome.  When you are not, you crash hard.  Whenever you gain a Velox Vector, you must save.  On a failure, you gain the Conviction, "I like using my Velox Vectors, and use them every chance I get."  You will always want to use them, and when you aren't, you are mildly depressed. 

Sub-Table C
1d6

1- Fan Breath
2- Road Work
3- Shake Person
4- Sleight of Mind
5- Ultra Throw
6- Weaken Object

7- THSI


Fan Breath
-----------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] rounds

For the duration, you blast air from your mouth so hard it causes a miniature windstorm.  This is sufficient to blow away clouds of gas or smoke, extinguish small fires, and scatter loose, lightweight objects everywhere.


Road Work


Shake Person
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature        D: one action

One person you touch must immediately make a saving throw.  This saving throw receives a penalty equal to [dice].  On a failed saving throw, they take [sum] damage as their bodies natural processes are rapidly accelerated, causing blood vessels to burst, organs to rupture, and bones to crack.  A successful saving throw halves the damage.     


Sleight of Mind
-------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] minutes

You can accelerate your mind, performing feats of superhuman calculation.  For the duration, if you wish to perform a mental feat requiring intense, thought, concentration or lightning fast mental reflexes, you must succeed a check based on whatever mental attribute is most appropriate (Referee's discretion).  However, you may add +[dice] to any check based on this, and subtract [dice] from any saving throw.  Sleight of Mind can allow you to do such things such as figuring out how to throw dice so that they land a certain face up, or calculate the probability of where a ball will land on a fair roulette wheel, read an essay in seconds, or quickly calculate the probability of a certain event happening.  This spell doesn't make you smarter, it makes you think faster.


Ultra Throw
-----------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: one action

As a free action, you may immediately throw one object you have in hand.  Then make a normal attack roll.  On a hit, the thrown object does 1d6*[dice] damage to the object it hits.


Weaken Object
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: one action

The next object you touch, provided it is not magical or otherwise protected, is put under severe strain.  So much so that the next person that touches it/uses it causes it to break.  If you use only one dice, this can only affect something that could held in one hand.  If you use two dice, the spell can affect something that could be held in two hands.  If you use three dice, the spell can affect something as large as a car.  If you use four dice, the sky is the limit for size.

THSI - 'Toxic High Speed Interface'.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: [dice] creatures    D: one action

Allows you to communicate with [dice] others 100 times faster than normal.  You could use this to quickly plan in the middle of a firefight, or spoil a multi-season long television drama arc in seconds. Use this power wisely.

                                                            by husz
Leprox:

Vector of Infection

Side-effect: The Fever.  Every time you gain a Leprox Vector, you must save.  On a failure,m you develop the symptoms of a conventional illness.  This makes you feel like you've developed a major cold or minor flu.  You have headaches, hot flashes, a runny nose, and you cough a lot.  You get -1 to notice things and perception checks, so miserable are you.  This illness compounds each time you get a Leprox Vector, to a maximum of -4.

Sub-Table D
1d10

1- Body Politics
2- Contamination
3- Expel Worms
4- Eye in the Sky
5- Gas Cloud
6- Induce Necrosis
7- Mommy's Little Monsters
8- Summon Plague
9- Venomous Fluid
10- Viral Control


Body Politics
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] rounds

For the duration, the caster can ignore all pain and force their body to move under manual control only.  They can also control any of their body parts and make them move, even if they are separated from the caster's main body.  If the caster is Toxic, if they bring their body parts back over, re-attaching them shouldn't be all that hard.  For a mortal, this spell also prevents you from bleeding out, as you can physically command your blood vessels to clamp shut, preventing fatal blood loss for the duration.  You will still need another spell to help re-attach your limbs, though. 


Contamination
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: 10*[dice] sq ft of material         D: one action

You render 10*[dice]' square feet of a material, whether it be air, water, or solid material immensely hazardous.  This fills air with toxins, makes water undrinkable, and induces immediate decomposition in dead organic matter.  Coming into contact with these contaminated substances does [dice] damage immediately, and is generally miserable.  If any of these substances are consumed or in the case of airborne ones, inhaled for more than [dice] rounds, they do [sum] poison damage, the damage divided over an additional [dice] rounds.  This damage is preceded by vomiting, eyes watering, and every instinct in your body telling you not to get near this area, just in case the enemies (or the players) refuse to take a hint.


Expel Worms
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: creature        D: one action

One creature within range vomits a swarm of worms.  These worms are carnivorous and will seek to enter another creature through eyes, open wounds, or any other entrance.  They cannot burrow through flesh.  These worms also carry any affliction or disease the original creature had.  If you cast this spell with three or more spellcasting dice, you can control the worms. 


Eye in the Sky
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: your eye        D: [dice] minutes

The caster can pull out their eye.  This eye can still see, and still allows them to see through it, as if it was still in their head.  After the duration ends, the caster may re-insert their eye back into their head and re-attach it, as if it never left.  If they eye is destroyed, the caster takes 1 damage and loses an eye.


Gas Cloud
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: 30' square feet    D: [dice] rounds

The caster belches a cloud of gas.  All within this cloud of gas must save.  Those who fail their save begin to suffer the effect of the gas.  If the type of gas is not specified, roll on the table below.  After the duration ends, the gas disappates automatically, if it has not already been dispersed by another spell, wind, rain or something else.  There are a million varieties of this spell, each one containing a different type of gas.  The full name of the spell would then be 'Gas Cloud: Laughing'.

What gas is it?
1d6
1- Laughing Gas.  All within the gas must save or start laughing uncontrollably.
2- Tear Gas.  All within the gas must save or start weeping uncontrollably.
3- Vile Gas.  All within the gas must save or start vomiting at the incomprehensibly bad odor produced by this gas.
4- Mustard Gas.  All within this gas take 1d6 damage a round.
5- Suffocating Gas.  All within this gas start suffocating, as it is heavier than air, and pushes it all away.
6- Halluciogenic Gas.  All within this gas have vivid hallucinations that last 1d6 hours, no save.


Induce Necrosis
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature        D: one action

Touch one creature,.  Upon contact, this body part takes 1d6+[dice] nonlethal damage and starts rotting.  This damage is nonlethal if it an extremity such as a limb, though if the rotting tissue is not excised it can cause problems.  It also can be lethal damage if something such as an exposed organ is caused to start rotting.  For a Toxic, this would only be agonizing and painful, but would not actually kill them.  Mortals would fare much worse.


Mommy's Little Monsters
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: creature        D: [dice] minutes

One target creature takes [dice] damage, and from their wounds emerge [dice] creatures.  These creatures have [sum] HP, divided evenly among themselves.  These creatures obey the person they emerged from with the adoration young children have for a loving parent, and will do anything their parent asks.  They fear nothing, and will even sacrifice themselves.  When the duration of the spell ends, the creatures will try and return to their parents and refuse with them, giving that person +1 HP for each creature still left alive, up to +[dice] HP.

Summon Plague


Venomous Fluid


Viral Control
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature infected with the Amirani virus    D: one action

If you touch one creature with the Amirani virus present in its body, you can suck it out.  If this creature is someone infected with the virus but not yet turned, this will cure them.  If they are already turned, however, the target get a save. Creatures with more HD than [dice] add the difference to their save.  Creatures with HD 3x greater than [dice] are immune to this spell.  On a failed save, all the Amirani virus is pulled out of them.  This kills them, and frees their soul to finally leave this world.

Necro:

Vector of Resurrection

Side-effect: The clutch.  Every time you use a Necro Vector, you must save.  On a failure, you get -[dice] to any actions you might take, as your body is under incredible strain.  You can expect internal bleeding, knotted muscles, and cramps.  You will want to sit down and lay there, so screwed up will your body be.  Using a power at higher levels is even worse.  You can expect fractured bones and torn ligaments.  This either lasts for [dice] hours if you are not in combat or a tense, dangerous situation, or [dice] rounds (see 'Malign Form' above).  It never gets any easier.

Sub-Table E
1d8

1- Flame On
2- Flesh Grenade
4- Moving Parts
3- Primal Howl
5- Stoneheart
6- Temple of Iron
7- Titan Strength
8- Temple of Iron

9- Detonation Me


Flame On
----------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] rounds

The caster bursts into flames.  Anything they touch that is flammable or a living creature that could be affected by fire take +1d6 damage.  For [dice] rounds, the caster takes no damage.  But after that, they will begin to take damage, as if they were actually one fire.  The caster may extinguish the flames at will.


Flesh Grenade
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: one action

Produces up to [dice] packets of explosives, which grow from the caster's flesh.  These packets can be detonated at will by the caster as a free action.  If more than 1 is created, each one does 1d6+[dice] damage, save for half.  If only one is created, it does [sum] damage, save for half.  The caster is not immune to the explosions caused by these explosives.  If three or more dice are invested in the spell, the caster can specify any specific type of explosive they want, or alter its nature, such as making an cuncussion , fragmentation , incendiary, acid, flash or infection bomb.


Moving Parts
---------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: one action

The caster can grow complicated machinery from his or her flesh.  The caster must clearly understand how such machinery works, otherwise what they produce will not be able to actually function, merely being some kind of expensive paperweight.


Primal Howl
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: all nearby        D: one action

You create a keening, wailing sound that fills the air.  Anyone within 100*[dice]' must save, -[dice] or flee the area for [sum] minutes.  Those who pass their save are merely unnerved, but manage to hold their ground.  If those who are being affected by this spell are already on-edge or actively frightened, they may receive a further penalty to their saving throw, Referee's dicretion.


Stoneheart
----------------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] hours or until ended

You turn your flesh to a rock-like substance.  You cannot move, but cannot be hurt by damage from non-magical sources.  You are still affected by spiritual damage (such as shadow, radiant and psychic) normally.

Temple of Iron


Titan Strength
-------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self            D: [dice] rounds

For the duration, if you wish to make a STR check or saving throw, add +[dice] to the spell.  Additionally, if you land a successful melee attack while this spell is active, add +[dice] to the damage.
           

Detonation Me
----------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: anyone the caster touches    D: one action

For the duration, if the caster touches you, you must save.  If your HD is greater than the [dice] used to cast this spell, you may add the difference to your saving throw.  If you have HD equal to three times more or greater than [dice], you are immune.   On a failure, your body becomes a bomb.  At will, the Caster may choose to cause anyone they have who also failed their saving throw to to explode, doing 1d6*HD damage to everything around them, along with killing the person who was detonated.  The Wizard can also use this spell and target themselves.

Note: If you are a Toxic and you blow yourself up like this, you will return as a Skag.  However, for any mortal, it is fatal.  Obviously.

Toxo:

Vector of Command

Side-effect: Terror.  Every time you use a Toxo Vector, you and the target must save.  On a failure, you feel a surge of fear and paranoia, while your target feels absolute terror on a failure.  This also causes the user to take 1d6 WIS  damage, save for half.  This damage does not reduce your overall WIS score for the purposes of saving throws or ability checks.  However, if the WIS damage you have taken ever equals or exceeds your WIS score, you gain the Conviction, "My subordinates hate and fear me, and would get rid of me the moment I show weakness."  The WIS damage taken by this recovers at a rate of 1 per day, until it is back to normal.  

Sub-Table F
1d8

1- Black Whisper
2- Breath of the Reptile
3- Carnal Armor
4- Charm Person
5- Emotional Manipulation
6- Force of Personality
7- Possession
8- Scary Mary

9- Magnificent Emperor

Black Whisper
----------------------------------------------------------------
R: self        T: self                D: [sum] minutes

You become able to sense the emotions of all around you, and determine what they are currently trying to achieve in this conversation or situation.  The explanation of their motives are only [dice] words long.


Breath of the Reptile
-------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: [dice] creatures        D: [dice] minutes

[dice] creatures within range must save.  Creatures with more HD than [dice] add the difference to their save.  Creatures with HD 3x greater than [dice] are immune.  On a failed save, these creatures lose all higher intelligence, and become about as smart as lizards for the duration.  This means no speech, planning, or magic.


Carnal Armor
----------------------------------------------------------------
R: 50'        T: [dice] creatures        D: [dice] minutes

[dice] creatures within range suddenly interpret all neural signals sent to their brain as pleasurable.  This causes the affected to reduce all damage taken by [dice], though this can only reduce damage down to 1, and no lower.  This isn't actually causing someone to take less damage, but just for them not to feel any pain.


Charm Person


Emotional Manipulation
--------------------------------------------------------------
R: 10*[dice]'    T: all within range        D: [dice] minutes

All within range must save.  Creatures with more HD than [dice] add the difference to their save.  All within range begin feeling one specific emotion that you specify, such as joy, fear, resolve, etc.  Those who fail their save become consumed by this emotion, and become unable to contain their emotions for the next few minutes.  This cannot cause anyone to do something they would never do (such as kill themselves or jump off a cliff), but it can cause someone to become more receptive to an idea, or more opposed to it.  


Force of Personality


Scary Mary
--------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature            D: one action

One Creature you touch falls into a hypnotic trance.  Unwilling targets get a save.  Creatures with more HD than [dice] add the difference to their save.  Creatures with HD 3x greater than [dice] are immune.  On a failed save or with a willing participant, this creature can be given an order up to [sum] words long, tied to a trigger word.  When that trigger word is said to them by the original caster, or anyone the caster specifies at the time of implantation, then the target will immediately move to carry out the order, no matter how crazy or impractical.

Eg: After the Wizard and I broke into the Orc Warlord's chambers, the Wizard commanded the Orc Warlord to "Turn on your masters and side with us" when he heard the words "Cold noodles".


Possession
------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature        D: concentration

One Creature you touch falls asleep.  An unwilling target get a save.  Creatures with more HD than [dice] add the difference to their save.  Creatures with HD 3x greater than [dice] are immune.  On a failed save, the target falls asleep anyway.  Then your spirit leaves your body and can enter theirs, controlling them.  You do not have access to their memories or skills, but can still utilize any abilities of yours that were tied to your mind, though not your body.  For example, your magic sword will still obey you, but the pistol that scans your biometric readings will think you are a different person.



Magnificent Emperor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
R: 100'        T: creature        D: one action

One creature you select becomes bathed in heavenly light from on high, suddenly has a crown of fire appear on their head, or has any other sign you choose appear over them to announce their divinity.  All who see this sign must save.  Creatures with more HD than [dice] add the difference to their save.  Creatures with HD 3x greater than [dice] are immune.  Those who fail their save will become convinced of the marked one's divinity, and will consider that person very important and holy.  Those who like them will probably try and carry them off and make them King, or something else ridiculous if not directed otherwise.  Those who dislike them, on the other hand, will probably try and kill them, or capture them and offer them up as a sacrifice to their God.  The sign fades after a few minutes, but it will never truly leave the mind of those who saw it.

Dox:

Vector of Health

Side-effect: Cursed, Paradoxical Peace.  You feel totally calm whenever you use this power.  Despite any evidence to the contrary, you will not be worried.  You won't, nay cannot, rush yourself.  Every time you use a Dox Vector, you must save.  On a failure, you will not be able to hurry or rush for [dice] rounds, and will take a -[dice] penalty to anything requiring haste, such as fighting or running away. 

Sub-Table G
1d6

1- Adrenaline Rush
2- Almost Human
3- Conduit
4- Healing Touch
5- Helping Hand
6- Neuro-Tap

7- Regeneration


Adrenaline Rush


Almost Human
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: [dice] creautures        D: [dice] hours

For the duration, [dice] creatures with the Amirani virus will not be able to spread it to anyone.  They could pour their blood all over a mortal's wounds and their would be no risk of Amirani infection or the transmission of any blood-borne pathogens.


Conduit
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature            D: [dice] hours

One creature you touch suddenly gains the ability to cast spells for the duration.  They gain [dice] spell slots and spellcasting dice, and you can transfer up to [dice] spells to them.  You cannot use these spells while they are in the person who received them.  The spell ends after the duration does or when they run out of spellcasting dice.  When it does end, the spells you transferred to them return to you.


Healing Touch


Helping Hand
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature            D: [dice] hours

One creature who can already cast spells is given [dice] extra spellcasting dice.  They can roll these extra dice whenever they cast a spell, and these dice cannot cause them to trigger Chaos or Corruption.  When you cast this spell, you automatically expend a number of spellcasting dice equal to [dice].  


Incapacitating Grip


Neuro-Tap
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: creature            D: one action

One creature you touch must save.  Creatures with more HD than [dice] add the difference to their save.  Creatures with HD 3x greater than [dice] are immune.  On a failed save, you can rewire the target's brain to do anything you wish, you can inflict upon them serious delusions, chronic end, memory loss, insanity, or anything else you can imagine (Referee's Discretion).  This spell can also undo damage done by this spell, when cast at a greater strength then the original casting that disturbed the mind of the one who is afflicted.


Regeneration

Gizmo:

Vector of Machines   

Side-effect: Twitching.  The user is known to twich, spasm and gyrate when using this power.  For [dice] rounds afterward, the user takes a -[dice] penalty to anything requiring precise movements, such as driving, shuffling a deck of cards, or open heart surgery.

Sub-Table H
1d10

1- Edison's Insult
2- Electro Knack
3- Electronic Override
4- EMP Blast
5- Flesh Net
6- Shocking Blow
7- SPDZ Infestation
8- Technopathy
9- Tesla's Retort
10- Mechanics


Edison's Insult


Electro Knack
-------------------------------------------------------------------
R: 30'        T: [dice] machines        D: one action

The caster can make up to [dice] machines within range temporarily malfunction for [dice] rounds.  These malfunctions will always be fixable and rarely result in data loss, but they will temporarily stop the target machines from doing their jobs.


Electronic Override
--------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: machine            D: one action

The caster, if he makes contact with a machine, may bypass any physical or software security systems utilized by this machine, overriding and bypassing them in an instant.


EMP Blast
---------------------------------------------------------------------
R: 100*[dice]'    T: all machines within range    D: one action

You create an Electromagnetic pulse that can and will destroy every computer or machine with transistors within its range.  This destroys all data on such machines and renders them unusable.  Certain systems may have anti-EMP measures in place, but most will be utterly crippled by the use of this.


Flesh Net
----------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: machine        D: [dice] hours

You can, by making physical connection with a machine, directly upload information from the Internet or a computer into your brain.  You can then transfer the information back to any other machine by again making physical contact.  This doesn't affect your ability to think, but if you are ever in a situation that requires intense thought and concentration, the Referee may call for a save.  You make your save as per normal, but with a -[dice] penalty, and instead of focusing on what you should be doing, you start thinking about something you absorbed from the Internet.


Shocking Blow


SPYDZ Infestation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: [dice] machines    D: [dice] days

You can create [dice] tiny worms that when inserted inside a machine, can monitor it, record the information and send it back to you.  You can freely listen in at any time you choose, or have your SPDZs alert you when a specific word or phrase is said in its proximity.  The SPDZ worms last for the duration, then they stop working and crumble into dust.


Technopathy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: machine        D: [sum] minutes

You may manipulate up to [dice] machines or devices as if you were touching them at the moment.  For example, you could dial a phone from across a room without moving, enter a command into a computer terminal, or etc.  This does not give you access to machines, and normal security procedures still apply.


Tesla's Retort


Mechanics
----------------------------------------------------------------------
R: touch    T: machine        D: permanent

You can bestow a machine with a fascimile of life, transforming it into almost anything you desire (Referee's Discretion).  This spell requires a fully stocked garage full of tools, several hours at absolute minimum, and several days worth of troubleshooting.

Telling a story about Toxic

Principles:
- The world hates you
- You are a leper
- Comic, but the joke is on you

You are one of the Lepers, one that in the past would have been denied entry way to the sacred places.  Unclean, you are cast out.  Forbidden from every touching something holy, in case you taint it.  Your sins will never be forgiven.  Your Soul, it belongs to him, Amirani.  Fight it all you like, you won't win.  They never do.

But that doesn't mean you have to give it up.  The Company hates you, they want to get rid of you.  They're not looking for a cure for the Amirani virus, they're looking for a cure for you.  So are you going to let 'em?  You could bend over and die, or you could sit back and say "Fuck 'em."  You are a carrion fueled super-organism, who cares what a bunch of breather mortals think?  They want you to die, to bend over and accept the fact that you're dead. 

Screw that.

Being a Toxic is really hard.  You aren't Human, and you won't be treated as one by anyone in the Know.  But it's not like Amirani was tight-fisted when it came to you.  If you want, you can still walk among men when you're Warm, and no one will suspect a thing.  Unlike other Xenos, you can still LARP as a human, if you choose too.  This means that if you play your cards right, you might be able to fool people into thinking you're still one of them.  On top of that, you can do a lot of things a Human couldn't. 

You can hold your breath for minutes, stay up for days, and regenerate from anything.  You also can't die, even getting shot in the head won't put you down.  You can hear radio waves in your head, and you haven't aged a day since you turned.  On top of all that, if you run into any Skags, they won't want to fight you, but they will want to serve you.  You are annointed, blessed by a fell pseudo-God of the Pit.

So it will be tough, but you have to keep at it.  Fight like your life depends upon it, which it does.  Things might get messy, but don't give up.  You can make it. 

Also, read this book.  You'll thank me later.

                                                      by  IceandSnow

Friday, August 24, 2018

Using Alignment without Using Alignment

In my fantasy setting, Nukaria, I use Alignment.  But at the same time, I don't have a spot on the character sheet to write it down.  This is because while I like the concept of Alignment, I wish to avoid the various problems that it has caused in the past.  As such, here's how I do it. 

Alignment in Nukaria is far more mysterious than it is in most D&D that actually bother to use it.  No mortal can truly know their alignment, but they can guess, and do their best to live up to its principles.

Secondly, there is only one Axis, that being Law vs. Chaos.

Finally, Alignment is not determined by something written on your character sheet, but by how you act.  Thus, if anyone accuses you of not living up to your Alignment, tell them "Well duh, I'm mortal" then set them on fire, because they deserve it. 


Law is embodied by the Gods of Law, transcendent beings who descended from Heaven to create or teach the mortal races, depending on who you ask.  All Law Gods live in Heaven, along with their Angels, servants, and the Celestial Bureaucrats.  There they debate and study to discern the truth about the Law.  For while all the Gods of Law agree on the generalities of Law and of the law, they fiercely debate the specifics.  In the eyes of almost all Law Gods, monarchy is the best form of government, hierarchies of authority and power are legitimate and should be respected, people should be respectful and obedient to their superiors, and religion is a vital and important part of society.  But there are many issues of current and fierce debate.

For example, what should be the position of women relative to men, or vice versa?  Is it better to hire someone to fight your wars, or to have citizen-soldiers?  Is War a good thing or a bad thing?  Should people be assimilated into greater wholes, or allowed to keep their own traditions and culture?  These are current questions that the Law Gods viciously debate as they scheme and plot against each other.

For while the Law is eternal, the Gods are constantly learning new things about it.  As such, what is Law can and does change.  For example, for the longest time, slavery was illegal.  But then, one case was brought before the Ordered Court, a question of ownership of a captured Prisoner-of-War.  The debate that night was especially fierce, and eventually descended into open warfare.  The Gods of Law turned Heaven into a battle-ground, and after nearly leveling it, retreated to their temples on Earth to summon their mortal servants.  This caused a small war among the mortals, and in the end, the city of Thannagos was burned to ashes, the King and his family crucified, the God who dwelt within the city had his idol captured, the city's inhabitants were sold into slavery, and that settled the issue.  Thus Law was preserved, and order was maintained.
 
Additionally, while the Gods spend most of their time in Heaven, they live in their Temples, where their idols are protected by Priests, ancient tradition, any many, many armed guards.  And even if all those were passed by, those who would invade the holy sanctuary would still have to face the God itself, a fate that few mortals ever survive.

The Gods of Law do not rule in absence however.  Just as they encourage us to submit to the authorities they place over us, namely Kings and Priests, they submit themselves to one of their number, who is elevated to the role of King of Heaven.  The King of Heaven is charged with keeping conflict between the various Law Gods to an absolute minimum, organizing the Gods of Law in the battle against Chaos, and and having the final say on what Law is.  This is a sacred and important duty, but the King of Heaven is not a person, but a role, and many Law Gods have filled it over the countless eons.  The current King of Heaven is Anuman, who has held the post for just shy of 400 years, and while he has many enemies in the Ordered Court, there are few among the Law Gods who have any idea who could replace Anuman.  The mortals, of course, know nothing of this divine discontent, and the idea that someone is trying to replace Anuman is unthinkable, like if you were trying to replace the Sun in the sky or level a mountain to make flat land.  They would laugh at you, and then discreetly contact the Priests in the nearest temple, informing them of your heresy.  


Finally, a note about Heaven.  Heaven can be seen from Earth on a clear day, you can see its golden domes and marble colonnades from a high hill in certain places.  Those who seek to live Lawfully flock to these places, standing on top of stilts or building great pillars, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of that holy place.  It is possible to visit Heaven in the flesh, though very difficult, and you're likely to be quickly found and thrown out.  The servants of the Law Gods sometimes leave Heaven for important business, and one of the things they go to do is descend into important cities to recruit Celestial Bureaucrats.  The Gods of Law are convinced that if they can tabulate the number of grains of sand on the beaches of the world, the number of hairs on everyone's head, and the dreams of every child and old man, they will finally vanquish chaos.  This is probably an endless, pointless task, but anyone who points that out is probably going to be ignored. Additionally, almost all parents want their children to be recruited for such an honor, not only is it the highest honor to serve the Gods in such a personal way, but any Celestial Bureaucrat is going to be far better off than any lowly mortal.

However, with the exception of certain great people, and those who go to Heaven in the flesh, most people never reach Heaven.  What happens to the soul after that is a mystery.  Some do exist, but the souls of most people are rarely ever found.  Most religions just assume that most souls perish with the body.  This is a normal thing, and people are fine with it.  Mortal life is short, hard and brutal.  This is our lot, and most people either don't care, or more likely, are too busy with other, more important matters to worry too much about it.

Now if you wish to live in a Lawful way, that is easy enough.  All you must do is obey the Law, and that means all laws, even the ones you don't agree with, pay your taxes, submit to authority, obey the Gods, and fight chaos, in both its large and small forms.


Next, Chaos.  While Law is categorization, organization and structure, Chaos is freedom, liberation, and choice above all else.  The Gods of Chaos are nameless, shape-shifting creatures that haunt the back roads and wander the virgin wilderness, shunning order.  Their temples are hidden shrines or natural fixtures, a hidden cave beneath a still pond or a glade of willow trees protected by fearless, feral acolytes, either are sufficient for a God of Chaos.  The Gods of Chaos have no names and they shed forms and identities like robes, donning whatever they wish and disregarding them when such a mask becomes passe.  They hate everything about law, they hate how it divides people and denies them the right to be who they want or do as they secretly desire, and thus wish to tear it all down.  But this is no simple reform, all the Chaos Gods agree, for people to truly be free, all Law must be destroyed.

But just as among the Law Gods, there is a great diversity of opinion on what must be destroyed and what should not be.  Civil government must go and written codes of legislation are obviously on the chopping block, along with any caste system, but what else must be cast down?  Is religion okay?  What about gender roles, if they are voluntary?  Are families too structured?  What about money?  What about clothing?  What about language?  What about thought?  Is not the act of thinking separating ideas within your mind?  And with such a wide spectrum for what constitutes Chaos, its acolytes can take many forms.  The heroic revolutionary who seeks to tear down an oppressive regime, the much-reviled political reformer who seeks to reduce burdensome regulations, the naked savage who seeks to kill and eat you for invading his territory, these are all servants of Chaos, albeit most who serve or enact Chaos do not consciously serve it, just as most who enforce the Law do not consciously serve the Law.

Chaos, unlike Law, does not have any central organization or structure.  The servants of Chaos fight amongst each other as much as they fight against Law, something both groups have in common, though pointing that out will earn you nothing but scorn from either.

If you wish to live in a Chaotic way, here's what you must do.  The first, and only commandment of Chaos is, 'Do as thou wilt'.  Do whatever you want to do, or feel is right, or wherever your passions take you.  Other cults of Chaos often teach other smaller rules, such as 'Always do the opposite of what the Law is' or 'Never do anything that could make you less free', but the only thing that binds them together is the first rule, and of course, their mutual enemy of the Law and its agents, both mortal and divine.


But there is a third option.  If you don't want to pick a side, go ahead and don't.  To the despair of Angels and fiends alike, most mortals are endlessly hypocritical.  They say one thing, and do the other.  Very few mortals can actually embody either Law or Chaos in even a rather diluted form, and as such, most of them end up as Neutral, which is anything that doesn't align more or less with the principles of Law or Chaos.

Neutrality even has its own pseudo-Gods, beings unlikely to be considered  as such by the Denizens of Heaven or the many faceless Gods of Chaos, but some display strange and esoteric powers similar to those the divine have.  But while the priests and theologians are unlikely to consider these strange creatures truly divine, many of them are as strong or as wise as any traditional God.  Some of course, are not, and seem to be little more than overly powerful Angels, local spirits, or stranger things, fallen saints, half-dead demigods, kupua or stranger things.  Many of these beings do not fight over esoteric principles but for more temporal gains, such as for a people or a nation.    
     
To live in a neutral way, simply favor pragmatic solutions over idealistic ones.  The world is messy and complicated, and most people just want a solution that works, regardless of any ideology that comes with it.  Be hypocritical and inconsistent, and don't pick a side.  

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

API: The House of the Awakened


The Awakened Ones are a group of ruthless killers and assassins, a group of Those who Know who found themselves blessed with unimaginable powers.  Now they seek to use their powers to carve out a kingdom for themselves.  They do this by dominating and destroying every other faction in an area, stealing magic items, and recruiting useful humans to use as proxies and subordinates.  They offer protection to those without power, and to those with it, they sell their own of a kind services, lending their strength for favors and funding.  This has enabled them to amass great status among the Downworlders as fearsome and dangerous warriors.  For most mortals, to even be in the same areas as one of the Awakened Ones is to court death, but to face them is to embrace it.
 
This is because each member of the House of the Awakened has a special power called a Semblance.  Semblances are a projection of a Human soul, one that has the ability to affect the real world but is hard to affect themselves. 

<note>
This is the same type of ability that the Agents of API wield, albeit an upgraded form.  There will be a version of the API class with Semblances like this one day, so just sit tight.
</note>

Rules for Semblances:
1: A Semblance is a projection of one person's soul.  All Semblances are unique to each person.  They are sustained as that person.
2: The Semblance counts as the person for purposes of being targeted by a spell or effect.
3: Semblances are not affected by non-magical damage.  Non-Magical damage either ricochets off them harmlessly or passes right through them.  However, if a Semblance does take damage, that damage is felt by the user.  If a Semblance is destroyed, its user dies as well.  Ex: If you cut a Semblance  with a magic sword, the user feels the pain as well.
4: All Semblances can act independently to protect their users.  This is because they are also linked to the user's subconscious mind, and are acting on the user's animal desire to survive at any cost.  Other then that case, all Semblances obey their user completely.
5: All Semblances look strange and odd, and can give you clues about who a person is.

Additionally, there are several types of Semblances:

- Creature: These are Semblances that appear as a creature that sticks close to its user, and obey its will.  These are perhaps the most famous type of Semblance. 

- Bound: These Semblances are bound to one particular item, and work through it.  This item can vary, such as a Semblance that can be bound to any deck of cards, or one that is bound to one particular item.

- Organic: These Semblances are part of the user's body, and sometimes manifest as an body part.

- Object shaped: These are Semblances that manifest as an object.  They have all the normal properties of a Semblance, but also function as an object of that kind.

- Colony: As creature, except instead one one creature, they are swarms of smaller creatures. 

- Automatic: These Semblances can look like anything, but how they work is vastly different to any other type.  For an automatic Semblance, once activated, they carry out any orders given to them by their user.  The user does not directly control them, and thus, does not need to be near them to see them work.  However, Automatic Semblances are not actually intelligent, only able to follow instructions and rely on simple programming.  Figuring out their patterns and triggers will give you an enormous edge in defeating them.



Finally, each Semblance has a special, magical ability that it can use at will.  These abilities come in several types, and while it is not as important to know the types of ability unless you want to design your own, I will be including it for completeness sake.

Ex: An ability that lights things on fire.

- Heaven: Generally short range, high power, an ability that requires no other input but your will. Ex: Anything your Semblance touches with its hands bursts into flame.

- Ground: Require a trigger, change something to alter the situation to your benefit.  Ex: You can teleport from one source of fire to another if it is within your Semblance's range.

- General: Grants the user bonuses or improves some ability of theirs'.  Ex: You can absorb fire, and take no damage from it.

- Law: Triggered by a condition, indiscriminate in who they affect, proceed without direct input.  Ex: Anyone who lies within range of your Semblance has an article of clothing catch fire.

- Bonds: Provide some benefit to your or your ally.  Ex: You can create a fire that produces light that gives various effects.  For example, when fed blood willingly offered, it causes anyone who is bathed in its light to heal for a damage equal to the damage taken by the shedding of blood.

Finally, here are some additional Tables to better understand the Semblance Stats:


Now, onto the Awakened themselves.

Base Semblance User Statblock
User:
HD Varies  AC as armor Atk as weapon
Mor 8    Saves 10+
Semblance:
HD 1+Toughness AC 10+Speed Atk(+Precision) 1d6+Power
Mor as Body Saves as Body

Semblance: Immune to non-Magical damage.

Magic Fist: All damage done by Semblances counts as magic.

You are Me, and I you: Any damage to a Semblance is reflected on its user.  If it is destroyed, the user dies.

Tactics:
- Vary
- See below 

The Awakened Ones



Powers Boothe

Powers Boothe looks like a cold-blooded killer, with murderous, intense eyes and snow-white hair.  But the truth is, he gets quite worked up when he fights.  He loves the struggle and the challenge, and how one's true colors are revealed at the moment of death.  He would spare anyone who he thought was honorable, but if you cheat or stand in his way, he would kill you without mercy.

Weakness: Boothe does not like to crush someone he views as helpless, or someone who refuses to fight back.  He will spare them, even if he knows he might regret it later.      

Semblance- Breathe Electric [Creature] [General]
Ability- Can cause electrical energy to flow through anything it touches.  Can also sense the presence of metal.
Appearance- A floating humanoid made of smoky blue glass, black plastic, and steel.

Semblance Stats:

Power: +2
Speed: +2
Toughness: +4
Range: B
Precision: +5
Development Potential: A


Statblock Changes:

HD: 6

Armor: 14 (Kevlar Ceramic Vest)

Atk: Iron Rod 1d6

Semblance
HD 5 AC 12 Atk(+5) Thunder Fist 1d6+2/1d6+2 or Defribulator Hands
Mor as Body Saves as Body

Defribulator Hands: Anything his Semblance touches has electricity flow through it.  This electricity can flow through metal as per normal, and acts like normal electricity.  This does 1d6 damage to anything it touches, but Boothe can choose whether or not he wants to make this damage lethal.  If the damage is nonlethal, it's like being hit with the world's largest taser.

Metal Sense: Boothe's has a X-in-6 of detecting someone's presence based on X, which is the number of metal items they have in their inventory.

Tactics:
- Prepare an attack for when they try and surprise you
- Fight ruthlessly against those who fight without honor
- Be generous to those with Honor


Davis Crakehall

Davis Crakehall is a kind-eyed, older man with a preoccupation with the outdoors.  He wears aftershave and flannel shirts, and appreciates the quiet.  He likes poetry about nature, hunting, and Autumn.  He speaks softly and seems to be well liked by his companions.

Weakness: Crakehall cannot stand the thought that he might be in the wrong, and as such, he will not fight anyone or even take action against them unless he knows they have committed some kind of sin, or are actively threatening the lives or him, his comrades or someone else.

Semblance- They buried me in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetary [Organic] [Heaven]
Ability- Turn people/things to wood
Appearance- His body hair grows into long, thrashing cables that lash out like bullwhips to strike those Crakehall feels threatened by.

Power: +3
Speed: +3
Toughness: +4
Range: D
Precision: +1
Development Potential: D


Statblock Changes:

HD: 6

Armor: 14 (Enchanted Hair Shirt)

Atk: .308 Rifle 2d6

Semblance
HD 5 AC 13 Atk(+1) Hair Whip 1d6+3/1d6+3 or Wooden Touch
Mor as Body Saves as Body

Wooden Touch: Instead of dealing damage, Crakehall can choose to cause anything his Semblance his touches to start to turn to wood.  This does 1d6 DEX damage, making delicate movements harder but otherwise leaving the person unaffected.  If the amount of DEX damage anyone was taken ever equals or exceeds their DEX score, they turn to wood.  He can turn people back as easily.
Organic: Crakehall's Semblance is not really a projection of magic, instead being his extended body hair.  These hairs have all the properties of rope and wire, and can harden and stiffen themselves enough to function as if they were solid.  These hairs also have the usual properties of a Semblance.

Tactics:
- Use your Hair Whip to disarm people
- Capture and take hostages, use your power
- only fight people who deserve it


Jon Orphan

The House of the Awakened doesn't have a real leader, but is does have a secretary.  Whenever something needs negotiation or an important deal must be made, Jon Orphan is the one who does it on their behalf.  Orphan is their treasurer and negotiator, a math-whiz and cunning, ruthless bargainer.  Orphan gives off the air of being totally untrustworthy, the type of guy who would slit your throat for a cup of coffee and later complain how you bled onto his shoes.  And while not all impressions are, this one is totally accurate.

Weakness: Jon Orphan is intelligent, but he's not as smart as he thinks he is.  This is because he thinks himself a genius, and as such, usually underestimates his opponent's intelligence.

Semblance- Carnival of Rust [Organic] [Heaven]
Ability- Can manipulate metal within his range that he or his Semblance touch, bending and folding it like clay.  Can also rust it into nothingness.
Appearance- Orphan has lepreous spots all over his arms, legs and chest.  If he touches metal, these spots flow off of his hands onto the the metal.  Once one has landed on a piece of metal, Orphan can manipulate it at will.  These spots can also float off his body as bubbles of yellow-brown, which he can then direct at people.  These bubbles, if they strike metal, are the same as if he touched them, but they can also fly at people with terrible speed, striking with the force of a rubber cannonball.

Semblance Stats:

Power: +5
Speed: +2
Toughness: +1
Range: B
Precision: +2
Development Potential: D


Statblock Changes:

HD: 1

Armor: 11 (Natural Dexterity)

Atk: Concealed Derringer Pistol 1d8

Semblance:
HD 2 AC 12 Atk(+2) Bubble Shot 1d6+5
Mor as Body Saves as Body

Metal Control: Any metal object struck by his Semblance or by his own body is under Orphan's control, and cannot be used to harm him.  Guns will misfire, swords will fold on his skin, and knives will ricochet off him without leaving a scratch.  Similarly, metal armor he has touched is all but useless against him, parting like the Red Sea around him.

Unstoppable Rust: Orphan can cause any metal he's rusting to be reduced to dust in seconds.

Tactics:
- Sabotage an opponent's weapons as soon as possible
- Pretend to still be in danger
- Never stand and fight


Robinson Mortlock

Robinson Mortlock is a scared, sad young man.  He never wanted to be special.  He just wanted to be happy.  Now he's trapped in a nightmare of monsters and magic, with no real way out.  He just wants to go back to the peaceful days before he got woken up, but this is impossible as far as he can tell.  As such, he is mopey and sad most of the time, and his companions often have to tell him to do basic things like take care of himself.

Weakness: Mortlock is forgetful and tired.  As such, he often overlooks things that aren't immediately obvious, and sometimes makes mistakes that are more cautious person wouldn't.

Semblance- Going Under [Automatic] [General]
Ability- Trapping people in an isolated space
Appearance- A man in a tophat and tailcoat, his face and skin painted white, his clothes solid black.  He has six arms.  His eyes are shielded behind mirrored shades.

Semblance Stats:


Power: +3
Speed: +5
Toughness: +4
Range: C
Precision: +2
Development Potential: D


Statblock Changes:

HD: 4

Armor: 14 (Motorcycle Riding Suit)

Atk: Pistol 1d8

Semblance:
HD 5 AC 15 Atk(+2) Silent Fist 1d6+3/1d6+3/1d6+3
Mor as Body Saves as Body

Invisible Box: Mortlock's Semblance can make up to three melee attacks, but it can also choose to replace any number of these punches with a use of Invisible Box.  These attacks are rolled for as normal against one person also within melee range.  This person, on a hit, takes 1d6 WIS damage.  If this damage ever equals or exceeds their WIS score, they will think themselves trapped in an invisible box, like the time a Mime would pretend to be stuck inside, except it's real.  However, this box is not real.  To anyone who has taken at least 1 point of WIS damage, the box seems real but insubstantial.  To anyone who has taken enough WIS damage so that it equals or exceeds their WIS score, the box is real and impenetrable.  To anyone who has not taken any WIS damage, the box doesn't exist.  If you are trapped in a box, you can be released from it by your companions grabbing you and taking you out of range (50' away or more).

Tactics:
- Trap one person in a box with your Semblance
- Have your Semblance flee bring that person with it
- Use that to set a trap


Edward Dalton

Before he was a maniac, with no morality, self-control or a good circle of friends to hold him back.  Now he's all that, but he can summon swarms of tiny, deformed monsters that explode.  He's terrifying.  The other member of the Awakened consider him a massive liability, and keep their distance from him.  They let him come over and he helps them with their projects, but they're more than happy to let him do his own thing.    

Weakness: Dalton is way too excitable.  If he is pursuing someone he believes to be helpless, he will ignore everything else unless it presents a clear and obvious danger to him.  For example, he wouldn't fall into an obvious trap, but if he was fighting someone and they turned tail and ran, he would probably try and follow them, to kill them. 

Semblance- The Unearthly Ones [Colony] [Heaven]
Ability- Can detonate one of the little creatures his Semblance produces without hurting himself.  These bombs explode in one round, unless they are too close to Dalton that they might hurt him, and as such, will not detonate.
Appearance- His Semblance creates 60 tiny little spider-like creatures covered in fuses, wires and tiny clocks.  You need to destroy a good number of them to actually hurt him.

Semblance Stats:

Power: +2
Speed: +2
Toughness: +5
Range: A
Precision: +5
Development Potential: A


Statblock Changes:

HD: 3

Armor: 16 (He conceals 10 spiders in his clothes, which act as total protection from anything non-magical.  He also throws the spiders at people if they ambush him.)

Atk: Switchblade 1d6

Semblance:
HD 6 AC 12 Atk(+5) Swarming Bite 1d6+2
Mor as Body Saves as Body

Variable Attacks: Depending on how many people are nearby, the can attack any number of people within range.  However, their bites only do 1d6+2 damage, divided evenly among the number of people they successfully hit.

Clamping Jaws: If the spiders manage to successfully bite someone, the spider that did the bite clamps on, and must be removed with a successful STR contest against the spider (who all add +2 to their rolls).

Bomber: One of the spiders, upon getting close to someone, can detonate themselves, doing an additional 1d6+2 damage, save for half.  This initial explosion also affects anyone within 10' of the spider.

Swarm: All attacks against this enemy only do 1 damage against them unless they target an area.  A sword does 1 damage, a pool of burning oil does full damage.  Torches do 1d4 damage.  Spells that only target one being can only target one of them. They always fail their saving throws against area-of-effect spells. 

Tactics:
- Send in your spiders from long range
- Rig one person to explode, then when their friends come to help them, blow them up
- Never let them get a chance to shoot at you


Simone Hart

Simone Hart thought of herself as someone with no chance of success in life.  She knew that her society was not friendly to women of color, and while she had many white friends and felt no prejudice herself, she thought she was doomed to remain an insect amidst the giant her whole life.  The fact that magic was real and that she could wield it was a complete and total shock to her, and caught her totally off guard.

But when she learned this, she also learned two important truth.  That as different as humans are, they had worlds of similarity compared to the freaks, monsters and horrors that also inhabited their world.  And secondly, the systems that she originally thought were oppressing her were actually a defensive measure.  This was because the world was not at relaitve peace, as she saw it.  This was not a measure put in place because of racism, but because humanity was at war.  Equality between the races of humanity would and never could be achieved in such a tumultuous time.  As such, Hart became a monodominant, a Human who believes that all Xenos should be exterminated or subjugated, until they regard Humanity as the sovereign rulers of Earth, and are never in a position to threaten Humanity ever again.

Hart's ideology is very strong, and she is actually the one guiding much of the Awakened actions, acting as the wind in their sails.  Add besides, despite the fact that she has totally abandoned her former anti-racist views in favor of human chauvinism, she is also quite a good friend to them, a supportive, spunky young woman who inspires her male friends to greater heights of heroism and valor.  Even Dalton, who despises Crakehall and disdains almost everyone else, can't bring himself to dislike her. 

Semblance- Year Without Rain [Automatic] [Bonds]
Ability- Drains water from someone, reducing them to a mummified corpse.
Appearance: An old diving suit that is loose and limp at first.  Year Without Rain's touch drains water, doing 1d6 Con damage on a hit.  Year Without Rain appears to aid his Master and helps her.  He is very slow and not that tough, but he is very precise and strong enough to ruin your day.

Semblance Stats:


Power: +3
Speed: +1
Toughness: +2
Range: C
Precision: +5
Development Potential: D


Statblock Changes:

HD: 5

Armor: 11 (Stabproof Vest)

Atk: Shooting Iron (Revolver) 1d8

Semblance
HD 3 AC 11 Atk(+5) Soggy Punch 1d6+3 or Dessication
Mor as Body Saves as Body

Dessication: Instead of taking damage from one of her Semblance's attacks, the Semblance can instead take their water.  This gives the person struck -1 to do anything until they get a chance to drink some water, and causes them to take 1d6 nonlethal damage.  If this nonlethal damage reduces someone to zero, they instead are reduced to 1 HP and start suffering severe dehydration (dizziness, sleepiness, dry skin, head aches).

Tactics:
- Send [Year Without Rain] to weaken the opponent
- Challenge them to a shootout once you have no chance of losing
- Conceal the fact that you and [Year Without Rain] are connected