Jordan locks eyes with his target, and holds their gaze. Both parties’ eyes strangely dilate for a moment as if seeing something only the two of them can see. Then, if successful the target carries out the singular sentence he broadcast into their brain. For the target, what this looks like is when they gaze into Jordan’s eyes, they seem to fall into them, deeply, until all they see before them is a single sentence, and they have a deep primal fear of what will happen if they do not carry it out.
Though it is very difficult to perceive as it is a beam of light, (thus moving at light speed), the way the gift works physically are that Jordan’s alien eyes beam out an encoded signal that is received through the target’s eyes, sending a single message to their brain. If Jordan’s eyes are destroyed, he will lose access to this power. This power would also be ineffective on things that cannot visually perceive light.
Exert your Mind and spend at least one Action. Select a Sapient target within 20 feet. Your target may be actively 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 Outcome in Rounds. 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.
You must have some means of communicating this command to your target, but no one other than you and them will understand or perceive it.
Will uses a magic incantation to cast a spell persuading the other party to do what he commands.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend three Actions performing the following ritual: Must carve, paint, and speak a short runic word. Select a Sapient target within 20 feet. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted. Communicate a command to your target. Roll Charisma + Occult 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 the letter-- but not necessarily the spirit-- of the command until they have completed it or for your Outcome in hours. You cannot issue another suggestion to the target until 10 minutes after they have completed the first command or 10 minutes after a failure.
They will be unaware that they are under any sort of compulsion until the effect wears off, but they will appear obviously mind-controlled the entire time to anyone observing them. 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 and a conditional request. 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-endangering or 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.
I have learnt enough to know how little I know.
Alice, while in the lab, realized she was the weakest link to finding a cure.
This is the final manifestation of the foolish augmentation she did to herself in that lab.
Days later, after the fighting ended, was when the headaches started. Trapped in bed, sweating, a fever dream. But mostly the fear. The fear her mind was going.
When it passed, Alice could feel the clarity of her thoughts. Whatever the scientists had done to her had been mere building blocks for this. Her mind was glorious.
And she remembered that her mind should have gone. Her mistake, in retrospect, was obvious. It a moment it jumped out at her. The transcription error should have killed her, or worse. But instead, she was still alive. She couldn't see why. Perhaps it was related to the abnormality in her genome and the sun. Or maybe a nudge from a greater power. In any case, she was sure that if she tried to reproduce the effect on someone else she'd turn their mind into tapioca.
But for now... her thoughts were instant, her memory perfect. She'd taken to writing a program to flash documents on her monitor as fast as it could, and with just that moment, she could know it, and index it while she slept.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Intellect rating is increased by 0. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Intellect (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
You also gain the following effects:
Natural shapeshifters and skin-stealers, Bakeneko are known to change their form at the drop of a hat.
Over the course of a minute or so, Goro‘s skin begins to slough off, his musculature contorting and bones snapping right into place. The process certainly isn’t pretty, the faint of heart might want to avert their eyes and ears.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute.
You become disguised in a manner of your choosing. The disguise lasts until you either activate a new disguise, or choose to end the effect.
The 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 cannot alter your clothes. Your disguise can alter your smell, DNA, and other aspects that are not perceivable via human senses. This does not conceal you against investigative Effects. 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.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see Goro’s body tear itself apart.
The focus card transmogrifies into a needle made of pure shadow, which is carefully inserted into the target. Shadowstuff then molds and reconstructs the target's flesh, restoring nominal functionality to even the most mutilated of limbs.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a Living target within arm's reach. You must actively and obviously use a tarot card (XVII - The Star) to activate this Effect. Select a Battle Scar on your target to treat.
The treated Battle Scar heals as you finish activating this Effect.
The caster turns into a wave of green energy and enters a beast. The beast’s eyes turn the same color as the caster.
Take a Severity-1 Injury and spend an Action or Reaction. Select a Non-Alien Creature target within 20 feet. You must actively and obviously use a bracelet to activate this Effect.
You possess your target and have control over their actions for the next hour. You do not leave your original body behind when you possess a target. When a possession ends, your original body will reappear at the host body’s same location. You may spend an Action to end the possession early.
Stats: Any Actions you take will use the possessed creature’s Brawn, Dexterity, and Perception, but use your own Charisma, Intellect, and Abilities.
Gifts: You do not have access to any Gifts while you are possessing your target.
Death: If the host becomes incapacitated or is destroyed, you are forcibly evicted back into your own body.
Eviction: You are able to engage in combat or take other risky actions without being forced out of the host’s body. If you are forced out of the target's body prematurely, you must make a Trauma roll.
Possession of this Power grants the following Battle Scar: a bite mark on his wrist.
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.
Most severe injuries occur far from a facility that could treat them, and in the fetid muck of the battlefield even minor wounds may be a death sentence. Luckily the soldier is well-trained in the use of their standard-issue medical kit. They may stabilize even the most severe injuries with a little gauze and some no-anesthetic stitching. Furthermore, the treated wounds of their comrades never get infected.
You gain the following benefits at all times. You must actively and obviously be using a standard issue military medical kit to gain the benefits of this Effect.
All Stabilizations you attempt are considered Proper Stabilizations.
You also gain the following effects:
The Vampire may channel their inner beast and take the form of an animal. It is said they may transform into either a wolf or a bat. If used too often, the Vampire risks losing themselves to their beast forever.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma.
You transform into a vampire bat or a wolf until you transform into something else or choose to return to your original form. See the Extended System text for stats.
While transformed, you cannot use any equipment (including Artifacts and Consumables), and you do not have access to any of your Powers. Any equipment you are wearing transforms with you.
Injuries and Wound Level are carried over between forms. However, transforming can never kill you; you merely remain Incapacitated until your Injuries are sufficiently healed.
Possession of this Power grants the following Battle Scar: A disfigured face with bat-like ears.
Any successful musician knows the value of a good roadie. The musician calls for a roadie, and one will promptly arrive. The roadie doesn't talk much, and they aren't too bright, but they can sure haul gear.
After a couple hours of work, the roadie will retire to smoke and get some sleep.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action.
Summon a single Sapient roadie at your location. They last for two hours or until they are destroyed. They are controlled by the GM but will follow any commands you give. You may have at most one minion active at a time.
You may only use this Effect once per day.
No terrestrial animal dares defy the will of the beastmaster. The beastmaster exerts their dominance over an animal by locking eyes and giving a primal cry. The creature immediately becomes docile and eager to please.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Non-Alien Creature within 20 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is a terrestrial animal.
For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow.
Your commands can be complex and multi-layered, though they must still be specific. You cannot make them obviously endanger themselves or violate their instinct for self-preservation. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.