An alternate approach to psionics:
Psions are a group of magically endowed individuals who follow neither totem, nor hermetic circles. They are a mix of adepts and full mages. They are magically active, though their magic follows slightly different rules than most.
For starters, their magic is based on their power of mind, rather than the purity of their soul. As such, their magic is not restricted by essence lost, nor by bio index. This makes them much more likely to become "cybermages" than the standard mage.
Like adepts, psions gain "power points" (6 at character creation) to purchase abilities. Such abilities are described below. A psion gains a magic rating of 6 at character creation, like other mages, and has a cost of 25 points.
Magic and psionics are similar in all other ways and are transparent for spirit types, spell pools, etc. Psions can bond with any foci that contributes to powers that they can use.
Psionic Skills:
Psi-power (willpower): Active skill which takes the place of sorcery or conjuration dice for various psionic powers. The use of this skill is based on the powers chosen, a psion cannot automatically use psi-powers to banish spirits, for example. Psions do not gain spell pool dice without the power which specifically gives it to them (see below).
Initiating:
The psion can initiate in the same way with a mage, paying the "self with ordeal" cost to initiate, though he need never gain an ordeal. Each time he initiates he may choose to EITHER gain a metamagic technique, or increase his magic rating, which comes with a power point to spend on improving or gaining new abilities. His metamagic "grade" improves in either case. He must qualify for the metamagic feat he's gaining.
Psionic Powers:
Spell(1): A psion can take a spell. He may use the spell at any force up to his magic. This costs 1 power point per spell. The force he casts at affects drain the same as any mage, except he does not pay for the spells with karma. He is therefore much more limited in the spells chosen. He must use a special casting skill psi-powers (will based) to use the spell in place of sorcery.
Spirit:(1) The psion can summon one particular kind of spirit (hearth spirit, fire elemental, etc) using the same methods and restrictions as any mage, and using psi-powers instead of conjuration to summon the spirit. This only allows summoning, not controlling or banishing.
Controlling:(0.5) The psion can use psi-power to try to control spirits using the standard rules for doing so.
Banishing:(0.5) The psion can use psi-power to banish spirits using the standard rules for doing so.
Psi Pool: (0.25) The psion gains 1 psi-pool die (like spell pool for psions) for each level in this power, up to his magic rating. These pool can be used to aid psionic tests the same as spell pool can.
Spell Defense: (0.5): The psion can use psi-pool and psi-power dice for spell defence the same as a mage can with sorcery and spell pool.
Astral Perception: (2) The psion can use astral perception in the same way a mage can. This allows him to do assensing tests.
Astral Projection: (5) The psion can use astral projection in the same way that a mage can, includnig gaining astral combat pools and using weapon foci. (Requires astral projection).
Increased Perception 0.5: Each level in this power gives you +1 die to use in perception tests, up to your magic rating.
Enhanced Sense (0.5): You can gain a special sense, such as scent, thermographic vision, ultrasound vision, ultraviolet vision, etc.
Photographic Memory (1): You gain the photographic memory edge and can "photo read".
Hypercognition (3): Requires photographic memory- you learn things much more quickly and can remember everything. Gain the effects of a L3 mnemonic enhancer.
Psionic Focus (1): You gain the focused concentrator edge, allowing you to concentrated on a number of powers based on your magic rating and take only a +1 TN penalty for sustaining.
Split Mind (4): Requires Psionic focus. You may perform 2 focused activities at once, each requiring full conentration. You may listen to 2 simultaneous conversations, read a book while listening to the TV and get full comprehension on both, or perform an exclusive action while sustaining. (But not perform 2 exclusive actions at once). You also remove the TN modifiers for multicasting (but not for drain or multiple targets).
The GM may allow special adept powers as well at GM discression, but they should be based more on mental and sensory effects than physical ones.
Showing posts with label archtypes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label archtypes. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monstrous Characters
Monstrous Characters are combat beasts. They are the Jason Voorhes of their race. Through some mistake of genetics, they have become stronger, more resiliant, and very difficult to drop in combat. Of course, this tends to modify their intellect accordingly.
Monstrous Character (+15 build points as a metatype)
+2 body
+2 strength
-2 quickness, intelligence, charisma
-1 to running modifier.
Monstrous Characters ignore all wound penalty modifiers for any test.
Monstrous characters have tough skin, providing them free impact and ballistic armor ratings equal to 1/2 their body (round down)
They gain distinctive style flaw and stigma flaw. They get +2 TN penalty to all social skill rolls (except intimidate).
They are larger than others of their species.
They start with only intelligence *1 languages and knowledge skills.
They also choose one advantage:
- Regneration (based on essence)
- Immunity to normal weapons (based on essence)
- Take only 50% essence loss from cyberware and 50% bio index from bioware.
They also choose two disadvantages:
- Get +4 TN penalty when using ranged weapons
- Take a -4 penalty to reaction score
- Take -2 to any mental score (int, will, cha)
Monstrous characters make excelled combat brutes, especially with melee weapons. Monstrous trolls or minotaurs are rediculous. Of course, everyone distrusts them and looks at them with disgust. Still, if you want murder and mayhem, this might be the way for you.
Monstrous Character (+15 build points as a metatype)
+2 body
+2 strength
-2 quickness, intelligence, charisma
-1 to running modifier.
Monstrous Characters ignore all wound penalty modifiers for any test.
Monstrous characters have tough skin, providing them free impact and ballistic armor ratings equal to 1/2 their body (round down)
They gain distinctive style flaw and stigma flaw. They get +2 TN penalty to all social skill rolls (except intimidate).
They are larger than others of their species.
They start with only intelligence *1 languages and knowledge skills.
They also choose one advantage:
- Regneration (based on essence)
- Immunity to normal weapons (based on essence)
- Take only 50% essence loss from cyberware and 50% bio index from bioware.
They also choose two disadvantages:
- Get +4 TN penalty when using ranged weapons
- Take a -4 penalty to reaction score
- Take -2 to any mental score (int, will, cha)
Monstrous characters make excelled combat brutes, especially with melee weapons. Monstrous trolls or minotaurs are rediculous. Of course, everyone distrusts them and looks at them with disgust. Still, if you want murder and mayhem, this might be the way for you.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Clone Characters
With further development in biological research came the first animal and cellular clones. This made possible the field of bioware, and advanced cyberware (such as deltaware). When Kamino Corp cloned the first humans, it revolutionized bioware and cyberware development, but also opened the door to much debate as to the ethics of cloning people.
That didn't quite stop the research however...
Clone (+10 build points)
You are a clone of another type of race (besides robot). You may be made to look exactly like someone specific, or having been created as an entirely new person.
A clone, like any other race, has essence, edges/flaws, and can accept bioware and cyberware.
A clone differs in his cellular biology at some key levels.
Bio Index: A clone ignores bio-index. Basically, his entire body is bio index. As such, he can accept any amount of bioware without any stress concerns. He still must purchase the bioware, of course.
Racial Max: A clone is made with the best of the best: his racial max for all stats is considered 1 higher than base. These must still be bought with build points but are higher. They may also take the exceptional attribute and bonus attribtue edges for each attribute if they wish.
Mutations: Clones may be mutants, but their essence is considered 0 (thanks to bio index) for any ability which uses essence. Even the enhanced essence can't overcome this, and they cannot emulate magical skills or mimic. They can have immunity or thick skin. Mutant clones are of limited use. Clones die from HMVV and cannot be Otaku.
Cyberware: A clone is still limited with cyberware, but cyberware costs 90% of the essence it normally does (which can be further affected by certained edges and flaws, cyberware upgrades, and better surgical procedures).
Magic: A clone may not become a mage. Basically he has too much bio index and it overlaps any magical ability he might possess.
Age: A clone has the borrowed time flaw at no benefit. The cloning process is not completely perfected, and no one is sure how long the clone will last before his biological processes begin to break down. This may be years, this may be days. Also, a clone's body need not reflect his true age. He may age more slowly, appearing to be 12 when 30. Or he may age more quickly, appearing to be 40 when only being 10. He may also have varying aging, growing quickly to maturity, then slowing down or speeding back up again. Many clones are only 5-10 years old in practice, since that's how long the process has been developed.
Backgrounds: A clone, being young, usually has limited backgrounds, probably has no SIN (though might be identified as someone else if created as a copy), and many of their memories may have been magically or biologically implanted. Perhaps they only remember 5 years, perhaps it's all fake memories. Amnesia is common in clones.
That didn't quite stop the research however...
Clone (+10 build points)
You are a clone of another type of race (besides robot). You may be made to look exactly like someone specific, or having been created as an entirely new person.
A clone, like any other race, has essence, edges/flaws, and can accept bioware and cyberware.
A clone differs in his cellular biology at some key levels.
Bio Index: A clone ignores bio-index. Basically, his entire body is bio index. As such, he can accept any amount of bioware without any stress concerns. He still must purchase the bioware, of course.
Racial Max: A clone is made with the best of the best: his racial max for all stats is considered 1 higher than base. These must still be bought with build points but are higher. They may also take the exceptional attribute and bonus attribtue edges for each attribute if they wish.
Mutations: Clones may be mutants, but their essence is considered 0 (thanks to bio index) for any ability which uses essence. Even the enhanced essence can't overcome this, and they cannot emulate magical skills or mimic. They can have immunity or thick skin. Mutant clones are of limited use. Clones die from HMVV and cannot be Otaku.
Cyberware: A clone is still limited with cyberware, but cyberware costs 90% of the essence it normally does (which can be further affected by certained edges and flaws, cyberware upgrades, and better surgical procedures).
Magic: A clone may not become a mage. Basically he has too much bio index and it overlaps any magical ability he might possess.
Age: A clone has the borrowed time flaw at no benefit. The cloning process is not completely perfected, and no one is sure how long the clone will last before his biological processes begin to break down. This may be years, this may be days. Also, a clone's body need not reflect his true age. He may age more slowly, appearing to be 12 when 30. Or he may age more quickly, appearing to be 40 when only being 10. He may also have varying aging, growing quickly to maturity, then slowing down or speeding back up again. Many clones are only 5-10 years old in practice, since that's how long the process has been developed.
Backgrounds: A clone, being young, usually has limited backgrounds, probably has no SIN (though might be identified as someone else if created as a copy), and many of their memories may have been magically or biologically implanted. Perhaps they only remember 5 years, perhaps it's all fake memories. Amnesia is common in clones.
Robot Characters
A robot character is a special form of artifical intelligence which has become self aware. It's a race to be chosen at character creation.
Robot (20 build points)
A robot generally has a humanoid structure, though this need not be the case. A robot is "upgraded" and "outfitted" with a variety of capabilities through spending money or build points on the robot's structure. Robots have several advantages and disadvantages.
No Essence: For good or ill, they're not alive. They have no essence score. As such they cannot be mages. They can, however, have all the cyberware they want, limited only by what may not realistically fit within their frame.
Non-Living: Not being alive, they need not eat, breathe, or drink. They do need to sleep, which represents going into a hybernation mode while their internal battery recharges. If destroyed they can be repaired, though this requires their body to be recovered and repairs to be made (see repairing, below). If repaired from a deadly physical wound, they must roll 1d6. On a roll of 1, their memory was damaged and they lose all AI (being effectively dead). If the head was especially damaged (or removed), a 1 or 2 on the 1d6 roll leaves them permanently dead.
Not being alive, the have no aura, no thoughts, and are immune to most non-physical spells. Their virtual intelligence allows them to make attempts to overcome physical spells (like illusions) like a normal character. They cannot have bioware.
Being non-living, they are also immune to stun damage, taking damage the same as objects or vehicles. They are also immune to poisons, gasses, disease (HMVV), etc. Likewise, they cannot benefit from stim patches, or healing spells. They do not recover from damage normally, they must be repaired.
SINless: They are not alive, and do not have any rights. Robots may be viewed as property when it comes to the law, and sometimes another shadowrunner might end up being blamed for the actions of his "property". Not having rights, they are just as likely to be shut down or destroyed if captured (or reprogrammed!).
Vulnerability to Rigging/Decking: A rigger may attempt to take control of a robot's body the same way as a mind control spell, using the robots intelligence to resist and using the rigger's ranks in pilot drone as the force. The threshold is half the robot's intelligence.
A decker may attempt to modifiy or read the memory of a robot like the modify/read memory spell in the same way, using computers ranks in place of the force of the spell. This requires being physically plugged into the robot, which usually means disabling it.
Repairing:Repairing a robot requires B/R mechanical skill. The base time is 1 hour per box to be repaired. (So if there are 10 boxes of damage, this takes 10 hours, even if only 3 end up being repaired) Roll a B/R mechanical test, TN = 1 + number of damage boxes (including overflow). Each success repairs 1 box of damage. This can be re-attempted for further time and healing.
Edges/Flaws: Certain edges and flaws cannot apply to robots at GM discresion.
Construction:
Robots build skill points and attributes the same as any other character. Their race is "robot" and they cannot be magicians. They may gain wealth resources normally which represents the amount of extra equipment that went into the robot. They cannot be mutant.
A robot can also purchase "robo-perks" with build points, described below:
Armor: A robot can spend 1 build points to gain 1 point of ballistic OR impact armor. Each is capped at the robot's body. He can spend 3 build points/point to instead have "hardened" versions of the armor.
Limbs: A robot is assumed to be bipedial, with 2 arms and 2 legs. He may also have:
Treads: Replaces feet, cannot be tripped, goes very slowly via stairs.
Propellors: Head propellors allow helicopter-like flight. Costs 10 BP.
Jet Pack: Allows very fast jet pack flight and hovering. Costs 20 BP. Very, very loud.
Additional Limbs: Each extra arm costs 5 BP, each extra leg costs 10 BP.
Wheels: Replaces feet, allows robot to move at car speeds on roads and other flat surfaces. Does not negotiate stairs. 10 BP.
Appearance: Base robots have a CHA of 1 and are obvious robots. Robots without extra limbs may appear as a human (male or female). 1 BP allows the appearance of a person and the ability to buy CHA. 5 BP allows the robot to "fully function" as a human would be expected to, and may be difficult to tell apart from humans (except via astral perception). Without appearance, robots have difficulty disguising themselves as humans (but as equipment...).
Skills: Robots purchase skills normally using build points.
Attributes: Robots buy attributes normally using build points. They have no racial maximum.
Size: Robots are assumed to be the same size as humans. They can be smaller, or larger. Each size category away from medium (use D&D terms) costs 1 point per category away, so:
Small/Large : 1 BP
Tiny/Huge: 3 BP (1 to go to small, 2 to go to tiny)
Robot PCs cannot be above huge or smaller than tiny. Large robots suffer penalties to stealth and disguise rolls as other characters do.
Improving Robots: Robots use karma to improve themselves like ordinary characters, with the following exceptions.
Attributes: Robots have no racial max or max attributes- they can always gain more intelligence or strength. They can benefit from Improved Cybernetic Attribute spells also, though the force of the spell must be at least 10 to affect them. (Also the essence of 0 makes the target number very high).
Skills: Robots can purchase skills normally with karma, but their attribute is irrelevant to skill cost- their skill always costs an amount of karma as if they had the lower initiative rating. Robots can use B/R mechanical to repair themselves, but the wound penalties apply to this roll, and it assumes they're "conscious".
Equipment: Robots can use weapons, armor, cyberware, and other equipment normally. They are not assumed to have "internal memory" for storing digital information (including recorded video) unless this is specially installed- all internal memory is used to run their systems and record "memories" for themselves in data format, which is not easily translated back into video. They perceive things normally and are not assumed to have photographic memory (though they can take that edge). They also may learn most skill tricks normally.
Karma Pool: Robots gain karma pool at 1 point every 25 points of good karma, lower than anyone else. Of course, it's hard for equipment to catch a break from the divine!
Jobs and Contacts: It's difficult for robots to maintain contacts and jobs, having no SIN and being regarded as property. Their contacts are generally assumed to be "forward thinking", though it is difficult for a robot to be taken seriously. Treat them as if they have stigma.
Electricity: Electricity attacks have +1 power against robots, and any which deals stun damage does physical damage to robots without a power reduction.
Lifestyles: A robot needs much less to survive- a power source and a place to "sleep". Lifestyle costs for robots are reduced by 20%. They cannot have better than a low lifestyle without GM approval (as robots don't buy houses and have no SIN). If lifestyle edges/flaws are used, feel free to remove living space and/or food from the cost association of lifestyles, but assume they need to live somewhere with reliable energy.
Karma Sharing: Robots earn karma as normal, but cannot share karma with spirits, mages, etc. (Perhaps it should be spelled Car-ma).
Hazards: Robots are generally water-proof, and can exist in most hot and cold temperatures without problems, however, any temperature that can cause actual damage to a human can also damage the robot's circuits and cause damage. A robot suffers wound modifiers as normal due to "malfunctioing" rather than pain. They are generally immune to mind effecting effects and fear (though they can express emotions, they don't necessarily "feel" them. Emotion for them is a logical process).
Robot (20 build points)
A robot generally has a humanoid structure, though this need not be the case. A robot is "upgraded" and "outfitted" with a variety of capabilities through spending money or build points on the robot's structure. Robots have several advantages and disadvantages.
No Essence: For good or ill, they're not alive. They have no essence score. As such they cannot be mages. They can, however, have all the cyberware they want, limited only by what may not realistically fit within their frame.
Non-Living: Not being alive, they need not eat, breathe, or drink. They do need to sleep, which represents going into a hybernation mode while their internal battery recharges. If destroyed they can be repaired, though this requires their body to be recovered and repairs to be made (see repairing, below). If repaired from a deadly physical wound, they must roll 1d6. On a roll of 1, their memory was damaged and they lose all AI (being effectively dead). If the head was especially damaged (or removed), a 1 or 2 on the 1d6 roll leaves them permanently dead.
Not being alive, the have no aura, no thoughts, and are immune to most non-physical spells. Their virtual intelligence allows them to make attempts to overcome physical spells (like illusions) like a normal character. They cannot have bioware.
Being non-living, they are also immune to stun damage, taking damage the same as objects or vehicles. They are also immune to poisons, gasses, disease (HMVV), etc. Likewise, they cannot benefit from stim patches, or healing spells. They do not recover from damage normally, they must be repaired.
SINless: They are not alive, and do not have any rights. Robots may be viewed as property when it comes to the law, and sometimes another shadowrunner might end up being blamed for the actions of his "property". Not having rights, they are just as likely to be shut down or destroyed if captured (or reprogrammed!).
Vulnerability to Rigging/Decking: A rigger may attempt to take control of a robot's body the same way as a mind control spell, using the robots intelligence to resist and using the rigger's ranks in pilot drone as the force. The threshold is half the robot's intelligence.
A decker may attempt to modifiy or read the memory of a robot like the modify/read memory spell in the same way, using computers ranks in place of the force of the spell. This requires being physically plugged into the robot, which usually means disabling it.
Repairing:Repairing a robot requires B/R mechanical skill. The base time is 1 hour per box to be repaired. (So if there are 10 boxes of damage, this takes 10 hours, even if only 3 end up being repaired) Roll a B/R mechanical test, TN = 1 + number of damage boxes (including overflow). Each success repairs 1 box of damage. This can be re-attempted for further time and healing.
Edges/Flaws: Certain edges and flaws cannot apply to robots at GM discresion.
Construction:
Robots build skill points and attributes the same as any other character. Their race is "robot" and they cannot be magicians. They may gain wealth resources normally which represents the amount of extra equipment that went into the robot. They cannot be mutant.
A robot can also purchase "robo-perks" with build points, described below:
Armor: A robot can spend 1 build points to gain 1 point of ballistic OR impact armor. Each is capped at the robot's body. He can spend 3 build points/point to instead have "hardened" versions of the armor.
Limbs: A robot is assumed to be bipedial, with 2 arms and 2 legs. He may also have:
Treads: Replaces feet, cannot be tripped, goes very slowly via stairs.
Propellors: Head propellors allow helicopter-like flight. Costs 10 BP.
Jet Pack: Allows very fast jet pack flight and hovering. Costs 20 BP. Very, very loud.
Additional Limbs: Each extra arm costs 5 BP, each extra leg costs 10 BP.
Wheels: Replaces feet, allows robot to move at car speeds on roads and other flat surfaces. Does not negotiate stairs. 10 BP.
Appearance: Base robots have a CHA of 1 and are obvious robots. Robots without extra limbs may appear as a human (male or female). 1 BP allows the appearance of a person and the ability to buy CHA. 5 BP allows the robot to "fully function" as a human would be expected to, and may be difficult to tell apart from humans (except via astral perception). Without appearance, robots have difficulty disguising themselves as humans (but as equipment...).
Skills: Robots purchase skills normally using build points.
Attributes: Robots buy attributes normally using build points. They have no racial maximum.
Size: Robots are assumed to be the same size as humans. They can be smaller, or larger. Each size category away from medium (use D&D terms) costs 1 point per category away, so:
Small/Large : 1 BP
Tiny/Huge: 3 BP (1 to go to small, 2 to go to tiny)
Robot PCs cannot be above huge or smaller than tiny. Large robots suffer penalties to stealth and disguise rolls as other characters do.
Improving Robots: Robots use karma to improve themselves like ordinary characters, with the following exceptions.
Attributes: Robots have no racial max or max attributes- they can always gain more intelligence or strength. They can benefit from Improved Cybernetic Attribute spells also, though the force of the spell must be at least 10 to affect them. (Also the essence of 0 makes the target number very high).
Skills: Robots can purchase skills normally with karma, but their attribute is irrelevant to skill cost- their skill always costs an amount of karma as if they had the lower initiative rating. Robots can use B/R mechanical to repair themselves, but the wound penalties apply to this roll, and it assumes they're "conscious".
Equipment: Robots can use weapons, armor, cyberware, and other equipment normally. They are not assumed to have "internal memory" for storing digital information (including recorded video) unless this is specially installed- all internal memory is used to run their systems and record "memories" for themselves in data format, which is not easily translated back into video. They perceive things normally and are not assumed to have photographic memory (though they can take that edge). They also may learn most skill tricks normally.
Karma Pool: Robots gain karma pool at 1 point every 25 points of good karma, lower than anyone else. Of course, it's hard for equipment to catch a break from the divine!
Jobs and Contacts: It's difficult for robots to maintain contacts and jobs, having no SIN and being regarded as property. Their contacts are generally assumed to be "forward thinking", though it is difficult for a robot to be taken seriously. Treat them as if they have stigma.
Electricity: Electricity attacks have +1 power against robots, and any which deals stun damage does physical damage to robots without a power reduction.
Lifestyles: A robot needs much less to survive- a power source and a place to "sleep". Lifestyle costs for robots are reduced by 20%. They cannot have better than a low lifestyle without GM approval (as robots don't buy houses and have no SIN). If lifestyle edges/flaws are used, feel free to remove living space and/or food from the cost association of lifestyles, but assume they need to live somewhere with reliable energy.
Karma Sharing: Robots earn karma as normal, but cannot share karma with spirits, mages, etc. (Perhaps it should be spelled Car-ma).
Hazards: Robots are generally water-proof, and can exist in most hot and cold temperatures without problems, however, any temperature that can cause actual damage to a human can also damage the robot's circuits and cause damage. A robot suffers wound modifiers as normal due to "malfunctioing" rather than pain. They are generally immune to mind effecting effects and fear (though they can express emotions, they don't necessarily "feel" them. Emotion for them is a logical process).
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Mutant Characters
Supernatural Ability (Su): A spell that a character has innately. Such spells do not use sorcery dice, instead they use an ability score as the casting dice with no spell pool. They have no force, use essence in place of force for targets to resist (or if force limits successes, successes are not limited). Cannot be quickened, enhanced with foci, etc. They resist drain with willpower.
Body is used for healing spells. Intelligence is used for detection spells. Strength is used for combat spells. Willpower is used for manipulations. Charisma is used for illusions.
Mutant (25 build point cost)
Mutant is an archtype for characters to take. Mutants have some form of supernatural ability, critter power, or other mutation as described below. Mutants gain 25 Mutation points at character creation, which can be spent on mutant powers. Mutants don't initiate or gain new powers.
Aura: Mutants have a strange aura that looks almost awakened, but not quite. Similar to critters. Unless they are also an initiate mage with masking, they cannot hide this aura from the astral. Even if they have no "active" or useful powers, this aura is visible.
Cyberware/Bio Index: Mutants are able to gain cyberware and bioware, though the bio index and decreased essence decreases the usefulness of some powers. Bio index counts against essence for mutant powers the same as with magic. (So a mutant with 4 essence thanks to cyberware and 2 bio index with regeneration only regains 1 box pur turn instead of 2.)
Magic: Many mutant powers are considered magical in nature and are resisted as such. Likewise, mutant bonuses are magic- quickened spells overlap (do not stack) with them. So a mutant with increased body cannot benefit (as much) from an improved body spell.
Mutant powers are described below.
Supernatual Ability(20): Choose a spell, that spell is now a supernatural ability the mutant can cast at will. (See supernatural abilities, above)
Pure (5): The mutant has 1 more essence rating. This allows more cyberware or more powerful abilities.
Regeneration (15): The mutant can regenerate. Each round he regains 1 box of physical (not stun) for every 2 points of essence he has (round down). He does not regenerate from death.
Dual Natured (15): The mutant is dual natured, and percieves both the astral and physical planes at once. He cannot turn off this ability.
Magic Skill (10): The mutant can use a magic skill (not summoning or spellcasting), using his essence. This can be assensing (which requires astral perception or dual natured, or being a mage), banishing, dispelling, or any other magical skill. He chooses the skill when this is chosen. This can also be cleansing, centering, or other ones granted by metamagic techniques, though skills only available through metamagic cost an additional 5 mutant points. (Obviously invoking and conjuring are not available, as summoning is not. However, spell shielding is.)
Thick Skin (5): Every point of thick skin grants either 1 point of ballistic or impact armor. This stacks with itself.
Astral Perception (10): The mutant can astrally percieve, turning it on or off like a mage.
Magic Resistance (10): The mutant can use his essence as bonus dice to resist hostile magic spells targeting him.
Damage Resistance (10): The mutant can use his essence as bonus dice to resist normal weapons used against him. (But not magic weapons, spells, or spirit attacks, etc).
Technopath (20): The mutant can use his essence to oppose a computer or maglock or other tehnological device (not guns or bolt locks). He rolls dice to oppose the rating of the machine. If successful he can turn it on, turn it off, unlock it, etc. He cannot actively control it.
Improved Attribute (5): Every point boosts a physical or mental attribute, even above the starting max.
Skillful (5): Choose 1 skill the mutant is a savant at. The mutant always gains this skill as if it were below the relevant attribute.
Savant (10): Choose 1 skill. The mutant levels up the base skill at the cost of leveling it up as a specialization. He cannot specalize in aspects of it.
Quick (5): This can be taken up to 3 times, each time granting +1d6 initiative dice. This does not stack with magic.
Mimic (15): The mutant can attempt to use his essence to cast a spell or use a magical ability he has just witnessed. He can "store" the magical ability by "sustaining" it as if it were a sustained ability. The TN he gains from sustaining does not affect a check to use the ability, and does not apply while the ability is being used (such as if he mimiced astral projection, he does not take the sustained penalty while astrally projecting). He may not use foci to sustain the ability, nore may he sustain more than one ability. To copy an ability, he rolls essence opposed by the force of the ability (or magic of the user if the ability has no force, such as astral projection). The original owner need not resist this if he decides not to.
Immunity (5/20): The mutant is immune to one drug, poison, disease, or similar effect. For 20 points he's immune to all drugs, poisons, and diseases.
Water Breathig (10): The mutant can breathe water as well as air. (This does not protect from deep water pressure).
Otaku (20): The mutant can connect to the matrix as if his head was a cyberdeck with a rating equal to his essence.
Telepathy (15): The mutant can send messages to other people telepathically. Such messages sound like speech in the mutant's voice (coming from no particular direction). It requires line of sight and has a max range of 5 meters * essence.
Telepathic Reciever (5): The mutant with telepathy can understand replies (making telepathy 2 way) and can make perception tests to overhear telepathic communication when either the sender or reciever is within 5 meters * essence. He need not take telepathy to take this, though it is of very limited use.
Senses (5): Each rank grants 1 sense: high frequency hearing, low frequency hearing, thermographic vision, ultarsound vision, improved scent, ultraviolet vision. These are similar to cyberware equivelants but they are natural.
Detection (10): Choose one material (guns, explosives, etc). You may make a perception test to notice if the given material is within Essence*5 meters. This pereption test does not reveal the location, distance, direction, etc, only whether or not the given material is within range, and the number of such materials (allowing you to discount you and your team's equipment).
Mutant Power Increase:
A mutant can attempt a process similar to initiation to increase his power. He spends a number of good karma equal to his (total essence+1)*2. He then makes an effective essence check against his new total essence. (Total essence = essence without counting penalties for cyberware or bioware, effective essence= current essence - bio index.). If successful the points are spent and he gains 1 point of essence, which improves his exisiting powers based on essence.
Supernatural abilities are increased by boosting stats. That can be done normally.
Mutant Mages:
While a mutant can be a mage, the increased essence and increased magic (from initiating) are totally seperate issues. A mutant must spend karma seperately to increase both.
Some mutant powers emulate mage abilities. Mages may use these mutant powers to gain metamagic they aren't otherwise capable of. (Such as an adept using mutant astral perception to gain psychomancy).
Techno Mutants:
While certainly it makes sense for mutants to preserve their essence for power levels, some mutants just have very high essence and use that to afford extra cyberware or bioware, beyond what any normal character can have. This is fine. If the mutant wishes to advance, however, it can be very difficult if he has only 1 die left of essence to try to hit a 13 or something.
HMVV:
Mutants react as their base race does to HMVV, so mutants with HMVV (thanks to their higher essence possibility) can be very powerful. (Of course, paying 50+ build points for a starting character before stats, and more for a mage leaves a very weak starting character).
Body is used for healing spells. Intelligence is used for detection spells. Strength is used for combat spells. Willpower is used for manipulations. Charisma is used for illusions.
Mutant (25 build point cost)
Mutant is an archtype for characters to take. Mutants have some form of supernatural ability, critter power, or other mutation as described below. Mutants gain 25 Mutation points at character creation, which can be spent on mutant powers. Mutants don't initiate or gain new powers.
Aura: Mutants have a strange aura that looks almost awakened, but not quite. Similar to critters. Unless they are also an initiate mage with masking, they cannot hide this aura from the astral. Even if they have no "active" or useful powers, this aura is visible.
Cyberware/Bio Index: Mutants are able to gain cyberware and bioware, though the bio index and decreased essence decreases the usefulness of some powers. Bio index counts against essence for mutant powers the same as with magic. (So a mutant with 4 essence thanks to cyberware and 2 bio index with regeneration only regains 1 box pur turn instead of 2.)
Magic: Many mutant powers are considered magical in nature and are resisted as such. Likewise, mutant bonuses are magic- quickened spells overlap (do not stack) with them. So a mutant with increased body cannot benefit (as much) from an improved body spell.
Mutant powers are described below.
Supernatual Ability(20): Choose a spell, that spell is now a supernatural ability the mutant can cast at will. (See supernatural abilities, above)
Pure (5): The mutant has 1 more essence rating. This allows more cyberware or more powerful abilities.
Regeneration (15): The mutant can regenerate. Each round he regains 1 box of physical (not stun) for every 2 points of essence he has (round down). He does not regenerate from death.
Dual Natured (15): The mutant is dual natured, and percieves both the astral and physical planes at once. He cannot turn off this ability.
Magic Skill (10): The mutant can use a magic skill (not summoning or spellcasting), using his essence. This can be assensing (which requires astral perception or dual natured, or being a mage), banishing, dispelling, or any other magical skill. He chooses the skill when this is chosen. This can also be cleansing, centering, or other ones granted by metamagic techniques, though skills only available through metamagic cost an additional 5 mutant points. (Obviously invoking and conjuring are not available, as summoning is not. However, spell shielding is.)
Thick Skin (5): Every point of thick skin grants either 1 point of ballistic or impact armor. This stacks with itself.
Astral Perception (10): The mutant can astrally percieve, turning it on or off like a mage.
Magic Resistance (10): The mutant can use his essence as bonus dice to resist hostile magic spells targeting him.
Damage Resistance (10): The mutant can use his essence as bonus dice to resist normal weapons used against him. (But not magic weapons, spells, or spirit attacks, etc).
Technopath (20): The mutant can use his essence to oppose a computer or maglock or other tehnological device (not guns or bolt locks). He rolls dice to oppose the rating of the machine. If successful he can turn it on, turn it off, unlock it, etc. He cannot actively control it.
Improved Attribute (5): Every point boosts a physical or mental attribute, even above the starting max.
Skillful (5): Choose 1 skill the mutant is a savant at. The mutant always gains this skill as if it were below the relevant attribute.
Savant (10): Choose 1 skill. The mutant levels up the base skill at the cost of leveling it up as a specialization. He cannot specalize in aspects of it.
Quick (5): This can be taken up to 3 times, each time granting +1d6 initiative dice. This does not stack with magic.
Mimic (15): The mutant can attempt to use his essence to cast a spell or use a magical ability he has just witnessed. He can "store" the magical ability by "sustaining" it as if it were a sustained ability. The TN he gains from sustaining does not affect a check to use the ability, and does not apply while the ability is being used (such as if he mimiced astral projection, he does not take the sustained penalty while astrally projecting). He may not use foci to sustain the ability, nore may he sustain more than one ability. To copy an ability, he rolls essence opposed by the force of the ability (or magic of the user if the ability has no force, such as astral projection). The original owner need not resist this if he decides not to.
Immunity (5/20): The mutant is immune to one drug, poison, disease, or similar effect. For 20 points he's immune to all drugs, poisons, and diseases.
Water Breathig (10): The mutant can breathe water as well as air. (This does not protect from deep water pressure).
Otaku (20): The mutant can connect to the matrix as if his head was a cyberdeck with a rating equal to his essence.
Telepathy (15): The mutant can send messages to other people telepathically. Such messages sound like speech in the mutant's voice (coming from no particular direction). It requires line of sight and has a max range of 5 meters * essence.
Telepathic Reciever (5): The mutant with telepathy can understand replies (making telepathy 2 way) and can make perception tests to overhear telepathic communication when either the sender or reciever is within 5 meters * essence. He need not take telepathy to take this, though it is of very limited use.
Senses (5): Each rank grants 1 sense: high frequency hearing, low frequency hearing, thermographic vision, ultarsound vision, improved scent, ultraviolet vision. These are similar to cyberware equivelants but they are natural.
Detection (10): Choose one material (guns, explosives, etc). You may make a perception test to notice if the given material is within Essence*5 meters. This pereption test does not reveal the location, distance, direction, etc, only whether or not the given material is within range, and the number of such materials (allowing you to discount you and your team's equipment).
Mutant Power Increase:
A mutant can attempt a process similar to initiation to increase his power. He spends a number of good karma equal to his (total essence+1)*2. He then makes an effective essence check against his new total essence. (Total essence = essence without counting penalties for cyberware or bioware, effective essence= current essence - bio index.). If successful the points are spent and he gains 1 point of essence, which improves his exisiting powers based on essence.
Supernatural abilities are increased by boosting stats. That can be done normally.
Mutant Mages:
While a mutant can be a mage, the increased essence and increased magic (from initiating) are totally seperate issues. A mutant must spend karma seperately to increase both.
Some mutant powers emulate mage abilities. Mages may use these mutant powers to gain metamagic they aren't otherwise capable of. (Such as an adept using mutant astral perception to gain psychomancy).
Techno Mutants:
While certainly it makes sense for mutants to preserve their essence for power levels, some mutants just have very high essence and use that to afford extra cyberware or bioware, beyond what any normal character can have. This is fine. If the mutant wishes to advance, however, it can be very difficult if he has only 1 die left of essence to try to hit a 13 or something.
HMVV:
Mutants react as their base race does to HMVV, so mutants with HMVV (thanks to their higher essence possibility) can be very powerful. (Of course, paying 50+ build points for a starting character before stats, and more for a mage leaves a very weak starting character).
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
New Magic Archtypes
Slightly Awakened: Cost: 12 Build Points
This character is considered awakened. He has a magic rating, can astrally percieve and astrally project. He can use assenssing. However, he cannot summon spirits or cast spells (and thus has no need for a hermitic or shamanistic tradition). He may perform any other magical task that does not rely on sorcery dice or conjuring dice.
He may initiate and gain metamagic techniques (such as psychomancy, sensing, divining, etc) that do not require sorcery or conjuring dice. His magic rating is lowered by essence loss and supplanted by bio index as normal. He starts with a magic rating equal to his essence at character creation (max 6).
While much less useful than a full mage (or even most aspected mages), with the metamagic techniques allowed in this blog he might gain conjuration ability or other talents via metamagic.
These are very rare, sometimes called "Glimpsers" by the magic community. They can bond to foci (such as power foci to improve magic rating), though the focus' usefulness may be very limited. They can, however, use anchoring foci to cast spells, using the foci's spellcasting rating.
(Note: Cost is based on the following- a Aspected Mage costs 25, and may redeem all his spell points for a 7 point refund, costing 18. This character is less valuable than an aspected conjurer at 20 points, so costs 12.)
Burned (Cost 5 build points for aspected/adepts, 10 for full mage)
This character was once awakened, but due to events in his backstory (which the PC and DM can work out together) his magic was burned away. (Perhaps too many deadly wounds or stim patches in his past).
While this would appear to have no use, with various ways of restoring lost magic available, the character can try to have his magic restored at a later point by a third party, possibly granting magic use. The point cost above shows what kind of mage they were.
This may appear less useful than Artifically Awakened (below) except that they are capable of having magic "restored" all the way up to 6 if they pay for it, while the artifically awakened can only increase power via initiation.
Artifically Awakened (Cost 5 for aspected/adepts, 10 for full mage)
Like a character who was burned out, this is a mage who was awakened recently by another mage, experiment, or other unnatural way. They still choose a tradition the same as any other mage, except their magic rating is only 1 instead of 6, they cannot start out with a spell or foci above their magic rating, and gain no bonus "spell points" to start (though adepts get 1 point worth of powers, and they may use normal rules to "buy" spell points at character creation). They may initiate normally to increase their powers.
Dreamer (cost 5 build points)
While the character is awakened, he has no magical abilities. He has a magic rating which may be supplanted by bioware or reduced by essence lost. He cannot astrally percieve or astrally project. He may initiate to gain metamagic techniques, but is greatly limited in what he can qualify for, being unable to astrally percieve, project, use sorcery, assensing, enchanting, or conjuration dice. In many ways his magic is a hinderance, carrying around an awakened aura with little to no way to use it. He has a magic rating of 6 (or essence rating) when created, but this is of little use. He has no shamanistic or hermitic tradition, nor spell pool dice.
This is a very strange archtype- a highly limited kind of "mage". He might make himself a target for others, and thus it might be more of a flaw than a bonus, but it does qualify him for a few (only a few) metamagic techniques via initiation, and might be a nice "taste" of magic for newer PCs.
Dual Natured (cost 10 build points)
The character is almost awakened, but not quite. He can see the astral and gains all the benefits and penalties of a dual-natured creature, without having any particular magic. He cannot initiate or use magical skills (except assensing). Unlike other archtypes, this may be purchased IN ADDITION to other archtypes, representing a deeper awakening.
This might be more closely related to an edge or flaw, but I wanted it here to make sure that it's cost could not be supplanted by flaws- you're still limited by your number of flaws, which will probably not be enough of a suppliment to have this for free.
Magician's Path Adepts (costs 30 build points)
This is just an adept, but he is allowed to advance using the magican's path rules for adepts. Adepts who don't take this will not be allowed to advance along the magician's path.
Note: This does not automatically put the adept on magician's path, unless he spends his points such. Also, a magician's path adept when he initiates must decide wether to gain a magic point OR a metamagic technique, he doesn't gain both. Being the "best of both worlds", a magician's path adept is amazingly effective and thus must cost more.
Way of Kings Mage (Costs 50 build points)
The way of kings mage is a hermetic mage who can summon any kind of spirit, learn any kind of spell, and gains +4 dice on any magical test. They gain 30 spell points to spend like like another mage. They are the most enlightened, and this path is only available to elves and elf metatypes. The way of kings is described in Magic in the Shadows.
This character is considered awakened. He has a magic rating, can astrally percieve and astrally project. He can use assenssing. However, he cannot summon spirits or cast spells (and thus has no need for a hermitic or shamanistic tradition). He may perform any other magical task that does not rely on sorcery dice or conjuring dice.
He may initiate and gain metamagic techniques (such as psychomancy, sensing, divining, etc) that do not require sorcery or conjuring dice. His magic rating is lowered by essence loss and supplanted by bio index as normal. He starts with a magic rating equal to his essence at character creation (max 6).
While much less useful than a full mage (or even most aspected mages), with the metamagic techniques allowed in this blog he might gain conjuration ability or other talents via metamagic.
These are very rare, sometimes called "Glimpsers" by the magic community. They can bond to foci (such as power foci to improve magic rating), though the focus' usefulness may be very limited. They can, however, use anchoring foci to cast spells, using the foci's spellcasting rating.
(Note: Cost is based on the following- a Aspected Mage costs 25, and may redeem all his spell points for a 7 point refund, costing 18. This character is less valuable than an aspected conjurer at 20 points, so costs 12.)
Burned (Cost 5 build points for aspected/adepts, 10 for full mage)
This character was once awakened, but due to events in his backstory (which the PC and DM can work out together) his magic was burned away. (Perhaps too many deadly wounds or stim patches in his past).
While this would appear to have no use, with various ways of restoring lost magic available, the character can try to have his magic restored at a later point by a third party, possibly granting magic use. The point cost above shows what kind of mage they were.
This may appear less useful than Artifically Awakened (below) except that they are capable of having magic "restored" all the way up to 6 if they pay for it, while the artifically awakened can only increase power via initiation.
Artifically Awakened (Cost 5 for aspected/adepts, 10 for full mage)
Like a character who was burned out, this is a mage who was awakened recently by another mage, experiment, or other unnatural way. They still choose a tradition the same as any other mage, except their magic rating is only 1 instead of 6, they cannot start out with a spell or foci above their magic rating, and gain no bonus "spell points" to start (though adepts get 1 point worth of powers, and they may use normal rules to "buy" spell points at character creation). They may initiate normally to increase their powers.
Dreamer (cost 5 build points)
While the character is awakened, he has no magical abilities. He has a magic rating which may be supplanted by bioware or reduced by essence lost. He cannot astrally percieve or astrally project. He may initiate to gain metamagic techniques, but is greatly limited in what he can qualify for, being unable to astrally percieve, project, use sorcery, assensing, enchanting, or conjuration dice. In many ways his magic is a hinderance, carrying around an awakened aura with little to no way to use it. He has a magic rating of 6 (or essence rating) when created, but this is of little use. He has no shamanistic or hermitic tradition, nor spell pool dice.
This is a very strange archtype- a highly limited kind of "mage". He might make himself a target for others, and thus it might be more of a flaw than a bonus, but it does qualify him for a few (only a few) metamagic techniques via initiation, and might be a nice "taste" of magic for newer PCs.
Dual Natured (cost 10 build points)
The character is almost awakened, but not quite. He can see the astral and gains all the benefits and penalties of a dual-natured creature, without having any particular magic. He cannot initiate or use magical skills (except assensing). Unlike other archtypes, this may be purchased IN ADDITION to other archtypes, representing a deeper awakening.
This might be more closely related to an edge or flaw, but I wanted it here to make sure that it's cost could not be supplanted by flaws- you're still limited by your number of flaws, which will probably not be enough of a suppliment to have this for free.
Magician's Path Adepts (costs 30 build points)
This is just an adept, but he is allowed to advance using the magican's path rules for adepts. Adepts who don't take this will not be allowed to advance along the magician's path.
Note: This does not automatically put the adept on magician's path, unless he spends his points such. Also, a magician's path adept when he initiates must decide wether to gain a magic point OR a metamagic technique, he doesn't gain both. Being the "best of both worlds", a magician's path adept is amazingly effective and thus must cost more.
Way of Kings Mage (Costs 50 build points)
The way of kings mage is a hermetic mage who can summon any kind of spirit, learn any kind of spell, and gains +4 dice on any magical test. They gain 30 spell points to spend like like another mage. They are the most enlightened, and this path is only available to elves and elf metatypes. The way of kings is described in Magic in the Shadows.
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