His knuckles have become hardened, and his biceps and triceps have doubled in size.
A fan of comic books, Mark knew he had to learn to fight. He tends to fight like classical superheroes, just because he hasn't been taught any different- leaning hard on brutal strength and speed rather than skill or finesse.
Mark's unique genetics kicked in at a young age, though it was nearly his late teenage years before he actually started practicing combat and fighting, visiting a community boxing club.
First thing he learned was how to not break them.
Second was how to not destroy the gloves.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are engaged in unarmed combat.
Your unarmed attacks deal +2 Bonus Damage, and Brawn no longer acts as Armor against them. The target's other Armor is fully effective against this damage.
You also gain the following effects:
Thalassic Aegis manifests as an inexplicable protective phenomenon surrounding Marina. This ability creates a barrier of water that responds to threats with uncanny timing and precision.
Moments before an attack connects, ambient moisture coalesces or water seemingly materializes from nowhere. The aqueous shield adapts to each threat: hardening into ice to deflect blades, dispersing into mist to slow projectiles, or erupting in pressurized jets to alter the trajectory of incoming strikes.
The water's form shifts fluidly between states - liquid, solid, and vapor - each transformation accompanied by a faint, otherworldly shimmer. As Marina's experiences accumulate, Thalassic Aegis appears to grow more effective, occasionally even lashing out at attackers with tentacle-like water whips or sudden steam explosions.
Marina remains puzzled by the true nature and origin of this power. It feels instinctual, like an extension of her connection to the sea, yet carries hints of something vaster and more mysterious. Each activation leaves her with fleeting impressions of depths unexplored and secrets yet to be fathomed in the world's oceans.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You have 3 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. This Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
The skeleton devours humanoid flesh, and as it does, sinew and skin crawl over its bones. Muscle knits together in jerking spasms, molding it into the man it once was. The process is grotesque—wet, unnatural, and deeply unsettling to any who witness it.
Spend a minute. You must use up Humanoid Flesh in order to activate this Effect.
Your appearance changes to A wiry, middle-aged man with pale skin, sunken eyes, and unkempt dark hair.. The disguise lasts for two hours, or you may end it early at will.
You are only able to shift into the one predefined appearance. This new appearance may have a different sex, age, and race to your own, and you may alter height by up to a foot and your weight by 50%. Your disguise cannot directly mimic an existing person. You may change the appearance of your outfit. A disguise cannot affect your Attributes or other stats.
You may roll Charisma + Crafts to attempt to make your disguise Beautiful. If your Outcome is 6 or higher, non-Effect Charisma rolls where your good looks could help are rolled at -2 Difficulty. If you fail or botch, you are ugly instead, and non-Effect Charisma rolls are made at +2 Difficulty.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 2.
This Effect ends if you take an Injury or are stunned or incapacitated.
Elvis has found a way to see just a bit better than everyone else.
You gain the following benefits at all times. You must actively and obviously be using sunglasses to gain the benefits of this Effect.
Your senses are enhanced in the following way.
Any senses which have been heightened cannot be overloaded. Any Effects or supernatural abilities which would suppress one of these senses are rolled at +2 difficulty.
The Ringmaster is worth listening to. The Ringmaster is your favorite person. The Ringmaster would never lie to you. The Ringmaster is SO cool.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Charisma rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Charisma (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
You also gain the following effects:
When Guido instinctively creates a Time Distortion, the pulsing nucleus of the temporal rift is unstable, exploding moments after it is created.
This Effect activates whenever Approached Aggressively. It does not require an Action or Exertion. “Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event. The area within 10 feet of you immediately and obviously becomes imminently dangerous. Anyone in the area has 1 Round to attempt to escape. During the next Round, on your Initiative, roll Intellect + Science at Difficulty 6. Targets remaining inside the radius may attempt an appropriate Reaction at GM’s discretion. Finding a physical barrier to use as cover will cut total damage taken in half (applies after Reaction roll but before Armor).
If the Outcome is positive, your blast hits everything within 10 feet of you with Damage equal to your Outcome + 4. If you botched the activation roll, you will also take full Damage from the blast, otherwise it will not hurt you.
The magician waves a handkerchief over an item, and it disappears! They may produce the object later by fluttering a scarf.
Spend a Quick Action. You must actively and obviously use a scarf, sheet, or handkerchief to activate this Effect.
You may withdraw an item from your stash, or add an item that is within arm’s reach to your stash. You may only stash targets which are in your possession, grappled, or otherwise controlled by you.
You may store Objects in your stash, each no larger than something which could fit inside a briefcase (15 liters), and you may store up to 3 things at a time.
You may choose to equip any equipment you withdraw at no additional cost.
The Witch is a master herbalist and can cure any number of illnesses and diseases with her special potions. She goes into the wilderness to find the proper set of herbs. Once she has what she's looking for, she mixes them together and boils the concoction. Steam rises from the mixture, twisting into recognizable shapes such as animals and spirits. The whole process takes about fifteen minutes, after which the patient must drink the entire mixture. They are immediately cured.
The proper preparation varies from person to person, so a single batch cannot be used to treat multiple people.
Exert your Mind and spend 15 minutes. Select a Living target within arm's reach. This Effect cannot be used unless you can forage for herbs. You must actively and obviously use water, a container, and heat to activate this Effect.
You may cure any Non-Alien diseases, toxins, or poisons afflicting your target even if you have not diagnosed or fully understood it. You may cure diseases or poisons even if they are not treatable through modern medicine. During treatment, the malady you are treating does not progress or cause additional Damage or other effects.
Whenever you cure a disease, poison, or toxin, if it had inflicted any Damage, your target is healed for half that Damage.
The influencer is welcome at any event or social gathering, but they're easy to recognize, even when they'd rather not be.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Charisma rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Charisma (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
You also gain the following effects:
The time-twister presses a button on one of their wristwatches, and, in a flash of orange light, disappears. They have skipped 12 seconds forward in time. To them, the travel is instantaneous, but everyone else must wait until they reappear.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. You must actively and obviously use a clock or watch to activate this Effect.
You phase out of reality for 4 Rounds. During this time, you cannot perceive or affect the outside world or take any Actions. You cannot move. Nothing can interact with you in any way.
When you phase out, you may bring up to 1 additional target in arm's reach with you.
The influencer knows just how to-- well-- influence people. By following a suggestion with a wink, smile, or a look of astonishment, their target is sure to be swayed. Is it any wonder they have a following of such incredible fans? Hit like, smash subscribe, and for the love of all that is holy, don't forget to retweet.
Exert your Mind and spend at least one Action. Select a Sapient target within 20 feet. Your target cannot be engaged in Combat. Communicate a command to your target. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If the contested Outcome is positive, your target will be compelled to follow your command to their best understanding of the letter and spirit of the command until they have completed it or for your Contested Outcome in minutes. You cannot issue another suggestion to the target until 10 minutes after they have completed the first command or 10 minutes after a failure.
The target is unaware that they are under supernatural influence and feel they are acting of their own free will. If you fail, they realize that you were attempting to influence them supernaturally with your command.
Your command can be an order to take an immediate Action. You cannot order a target to "do nothing," and they are free to take other Actions as they fulfill your request. Your command cannot be obviously self-destructive. The Effect ends if following your command would cause a target to cross one of their Limits in a way that would necessitate a Trauma roll.