POWERS THAT BE

 

Thematic based rules note. Some of these rules are based on style and are subject to the Narrator's determination. Such rules that are somewhat integral, but also tied up in the setting.

 

Thematic Bonus:

 

     Appearance: The Narrator should give some significant bonus (from 1 to 5) if the character dresses in a way that reflects their power. Basically this is a form of sympathetic or symbolic magic. An example of this would be Aiden, a fire based character, getting a little bonus to power rolls for wearing a lot of warm colors (red, orange and yellow) as well as a better bonus for apparel with flames designs or such. Similarly for other obvious things like the character's car or phone. The main in game draw back for this is that people in the know (both PC or NPC) can more easily know what power the character has. Some experience might be given by the character that forgoes this potential bonus to be more incognito.

 

     Actions: The Narrator should give some experience bonus is the character's personality begins to reflect their power. For example Aiden who has fire powers may become more quicker tempered and unpredictable or develop a voracious appetite. Though if this is before the player knows their character's source of power the Narrator may want to give subtle hints if they are completely off.

 

Both of there bonuses should get better when the character knows the source of their power, partially because they can more accurately reflect the true nature of their power.

 

Naturally Opposing Forces: There are instances when simply the source of power for an empowered being has a natural advantage versus another based on thematic relations. For example Aiden the fire elemental may have a disadvantage with someone based on water, even if they don't use water control (like a mermaid) and by the same token might have an advantage against someone who is wood based (like a dryad) even if there is no wood to burn. This is most common with the Hidden and Legendary Beasts, mostly due to real and perceived predator/ prey relations. A legendary mouse might have a disadvantage against a cat based threat but oddly an advantage against one based on an elephant. The Narrator's decides the nature of this either secretly by effecting the goal score and not telling the player what it is or openly by granting a bonus between one to ten to the score for the roll, which would effect the dice rolled.

 

Sanctum: This is the character's liar, where they can go to physically and spiritually recharge. This is similarly to the thematic bonus mentioned above. The Narrator decides based on how fitting a Sanctum is how well it works to recoup health and essentia. The basic rule of thumb should be roughly rating the sanctum on a scale from 1-10, this score acts as a multiplier for the character's recuperation of essentia. This is usually where a person can sleep and is often secret, but a sanctum can be a place the person works or a public place. Keeping with the example of Aiden the fire character, he could sleep by a furnace surrounded by candles or work at a crematorium. A nature related power might have a sanctum in a public park whereas a person with a book related power could use the library as a sanctum. The only main limit is that it has to be personal to the character, so they can only have one at any given time and two characters cannot use the same place as a sanctum. There should also be a settling in period of at least a week for the character to attune to there sanctum to really benefit from it.

 

Font: The first step is for the character to dedicate an object as a Font. Usually this is an object that is either container like, stationary, or both. It must be thematically related to the character's power, or better yet the true nature of their power. The Narrator has final say on this. Generally the character has this in their Sanctum, though this isn't always the case. It lets them build up essentia. The most they can put in unbound is ten times their tier, but they can also link the energies into permanent forms to do other things. To do this the character links essentia together. They link 10 essentia together fuse it with something symbolic of the character's power, which also requires to spend/ burn 1xp. This becomes a Spirit point. This process must be done all at once for each point. Similarly 100 spirit points can be linked together and fuse it with something somewhat rare that is symbolic of the character's true nature. This also requires to spend/ burn 10xp and becomes a Soul Point. The next step, though it usually requires a great deal of work and something incredibly rare to fuse it into is to take 100 soul points to link together and spend/ burn 100xp form a Divine point. These various points can be used for other things, but the most common is imbuing.

 

Imbuing: This is the process by which the character can use built up essentia to enhance an object, place or being. After creating the necessary points in their font the next step is to have some sort of item for using the focused essence into the thing to be imbued. This is usually referred to as a Forge, though it can take any form thematic to the power and to creation. The primary options are as follows:

 

     Item: An imbued item is either a one or few use item that gives a quick, powerful burst, or a more permanent item that is proportionately much less powerful and kind of trickles out the energy stored within. Usually for limited-use based items it is one or more spirit point (though usually at least ten) and for permanent items it is one or more soul point. These items, once created, can be used by other beings with essentia. Both kinds are commonly used for barter in the empowered community. The item being imbued usually works best when it reflects the power and intent being put into it, as with other Thematic bonuses already mentioned. When the character imbues the item they roll their power to see how effective the item is and if it functions as intended. For example, Aiden the fire element character could have a fire pit as his Font and build up essentia over time to imbue an item. He decides to a lighter to work as a flame thrower. Unfortunately, he rolls an epic success with his Fervor (intensity) roll... but an epic fail with his Focus (control) roll. This results in an item that is more of a reusable napalm filled grenade. The Narrator allows a Fortress roll (kind of a power's natural defense stat) and/ or Intuition check so Aiden knows in character what the player knows. If not the buyer may want a refund... if they survive. An example of a one use or limited use item would be Aiden imbuing a bottle of hot sauce to grant fire breath to the person who drank from it. If it went as bad as the lighter example above the hot sauce may set fire to their innards instead.

The most common item for a character to make is a container that simply lets them access their own built up essentia. Generally such a storage item is the first item an Empowered imbues. For 'disposable' containers that cannot be recharged it is base of ten spirit points. For rechargeable containers the base cost is a soul point. Additionally to either it costs ten spirit points for each essentia point worth of storage. The Narrator may require larger, or more expensive/ rarer, items depending on the amount of essentia the container can store. It is more efficient for the creator or someone with very thematically similar power to use. For those not similar enough taking a point of essentia out of the item drains two points, for rechargeable it costs two essentia to recharge one essentia's worth. For example if a Divine aspect of Zeus made a permanent essentia container using a D battery and can draw from it as normal. A hidden Thunderbird could find the container and use it the same. A cube controller could use it but would drain it twice as fast and take twice as much energy to refill it. Charging and draining essentia from a container costs 1AP per essentia, this is for the higher part of the equation so dissimilar users would have to take 2AP per. When it is similar, like a Controller of column/ tube shapes using the aforementioned battery as the shape fits even if the other aspects do not. For that it is up to the Narrator but a good rule of thumb for a partial match is to have either the essentia or AP cost be as matching and the other as non-matching.

For permanent items the imbuing character can attempt to add at least soul point to make the item sentient to some degree. After the initial soul point the imbuer can add spirit points to grant mental stats to the item. The stats have a maximum as if a tier equal to the soul points spent. Either way the tier and stats cannot be higher than that of the imbuer. The only default powers a sentient item has is to speak mentally with a being wielding and/or wearing it and to activate any powers imbued into it. Other powers might be added at the discretion of the Narrator.

Generally items cost one essentia to activate and will go dormant when not in use. For always active permanent items extra energy in the form of a soul point is required and cannot be something obvious or it risks being destroyed by disbelief. Use based items always require essentia to activate, and the activation costs a minimum of 1 AP.

     Place: Imbuing a place depends on how much of an area is being imbued and what the effect is. This effect is most commonly applied to one's Sanctum. Aiden the fire elemental may imbue his Sanctum so that within it all fire burns a little brighter and/ or that flames are harder to put out. This process takes at least one soul point.

     Beings: A creature can be imbued as well, though this process is much more difficult and the creature being imbued must be trusting enough to accept the energy. If it is a pet it is called a familiar, and if it is a person they are called a minion. Imbuing a living being takes a great deal of essentia and a person takes considerably more than most beings. For animals the Thematic rule applies to the animal type, a bright orange cat or red and yellow feathered bird would be much easier for the fire elemental Aiden to imbue than a fish or a turtle. This process takes at least one soul point, for a very minor effect on a creature that is very thematic. A person takes at least ten soul points per tier and they must pay an experience cost. The imbued creature uses their own essentia pool, figured as if they were empowered (all mental stats).

 

Presence: This is the magical energy of the character that can leak out into the world, intentionally or not. It tends to cause impressive effects reflective of the character's nature and power(s). It is especially active in times of stress or excitement. To determine a character's Presence add their Fervor and Boldness scores.

 

Facade: This is the character's link with the first world and with the Veil. It is what conceals them from detection and allows them to control their Presence (see above). It is determined by adding a character's Focus and Willpower. If their Facade is higher than their Presence they can automatically control it in all but the most extreme circumstances. Additionally an empowered uses the Facade to hide their true nature to those who can see past the Veil by shifting their awareness. If they choose not too, or if their Presence is much higher, they will visibly show hints of their power and nature. For empowered that don't know their nature the Veil conceals it from others as well as themselves, so only their power is visible. Even when a character's Facade is stronger than their Presence they may need to conceal their nature and power if they become stressed. Additionally the character would have to remember to actively try to conceal it if they use their power. In the Empowered community this word is also used to describe their human/ mortal identity along with terms like guise or mask.

 

Power Surge: When the total Fervor roll is higher than the total Focus roll it results in a detrimental result. If it is close the intended effect might happen plus a negative side affect. If the more of a gap between the two rolls the more detrimental, the exact details are up to the Narrator. If the total Fervor roll is double or more than the total Focus roll the result is almost always damaging to the character. If it is somehow more than four times different the character is destroyed by their own power.

 

Essentia Exchange: A character can grant essence directly to another empowered being but it is far less efficient than stored essentia. The recipient must be willing and for the donating character it is 6 AP action. The most they can grant is equal to their highest power stat and they must use up one essentia for each two granted.

 

Essentia Enhancing: By using more than is needed to activate a power, or even an item, the empowered character can go beyond the normal effect.

 

Shift Awareness: Sometimes magic effects if the first world are obvious, even to the uninitiated. Most of the time though the Veil and various other forces keep them hidden. They are often just under the surface, just beyond normal senses. A glimpse out if the corner of the eye or a sound that one isn't sure they heard or such. The initiated can shift their senses to be more attuned to the magic of the world. Generally this costs 1 AP and 1 EP to do. It doesn't pierce the Veil entirely, but many things hidden in plain sight become clear. For example a hidden that is not suppressing their nature may have aspects of their true nature. Also imbued items and places tend to be detectable. Many Empowered establishments put up signs that can only be read by shifting awareness.

 

Disbelief: When one or more uninitiated person stands witnesses to the obvious use of a power there is a chance their disbelief will cause the power not to work or drain essentia. To overcome disbelief the character rolls their Presence (Fervor plus Boldness). The goal score to ignore disbelief is a base of 10 plus 2 for each person after the first. So a group of ten people would be 28, whereas a group of 50 people would be 108. If under half the goal score is rolled the power not only fails to work, but also drains essentia equal to the number of witnesses. If the character rolls over half the goal score the cost of using the power is more difficult, adding the number of witnesses to the essentia cost. Though in this case they can also choose to have the power not do anything and pay no essentia. If the character rolls over the goal score they pay the essentia cost as normal. Even when the uninitiated see something sooner or later the magic of the Veil and it's agents will cover it up, with the possible exception of the rare non-empowered that is resistant to the veil. However the Veil seems not to like such things and it's agents tend to take interest in those that blatantly use their powers in the presence of the uninitiated.

 

Touched: This is a initiated person that is not by their nature empowered that has embraced the empowered world. They begin to see beyond the Veil and have essentia like an empowered being, which they can use to activate imbued items. Some touch develop a minor power called "spot on the wall" powers due to that is about as useful and powerful they are. A Touched character is an option for a PC if allowed by the Narrator.

 

Practitioners: These are touched that have learned to mimic abilities of the empowered to some lesser degree. Some get this from ancient texts and such, whereas others (like Fey raised Changelings) learn by being around empowered, or faith in some higher power. Since they lack power scores they tend not to have the raw power or unpredictable nature of actual empowered. Instead they have predictable tricks they can use that could run the gamut of many different empowered. For example a Practitioners raised by Fey could learn to copy the magic of Nymph's beauty to temporarily increase their Appearance and from a Dryad they could learn a trick to talk to trees. Since Practitioners lack power scores the Narrator can link the tricks (including if they can learn it) to one or more of the character's mental stats. A Practitioner character is an option for a PC if allowed by the Narrator.