Viewing Effect - Emotion Control
Manipulate the emotions of others

Create a Emotion Control Power

Description

You can temporarily inspire an emotional shift in a target, often leading to some action they otherwise wouldn't have taken. This Power works best on the weak-minded.

Eratta

The exact way in which the emotional shift plays out is up to the GM (or to the other player if cast on a player character), and as such there is a lot of variation in outcome for this power. GM's, integrity is crucial when a player uses this power. Your NPCs do not get an inherent resistance to this power just because they're stoic. They don't need to outwardly show that fear has been induced in them, but their behavior will certainly change based on the sense of fear they now have.

System

Spend an Action, Exert your Mind, and choose an emotion and an Animate target within [[range]]. Make a contested roll against the target, rolling [[attack-roll]] vs their [[resistance]]. If you win, the target must do something they otherwise wouldn't have done, inspired by the chosen emotion. The action they take will be in keeping with their character and the way they tend to deal with strong emotions. The emotion shift lasts [[duration]], and during that time, they are very unlikely to change their mind about their action.

Combat ends the effect, even if the target started it. If attempting to calm during combat, effect ends if target is attacked.

Example emotions (and example potential actions):
Anger (attacking, losing temper)
Pity (adopting a puppy, stopping an attack, killing you painlessly)
Happiness (stopping a despair-driven action)
Jealousy (stealing a gem, buying something)
Anxiety (run, attack brutally)
Sadness (find solitude, openly cry)

Enhancements

Chain of Screaming (Your target passes the effect on to the next person they interact with, so long as that person meets any casting requirements. That person passes it on as well, and so on, with the duration decreasing by 1 level until the chain stops at 0 duration.)

Group Therapy (You may target a number of individuals equal to your Charisma rating.)

Your Feelings Betray You (The target will now clearly and outwardly display their emotions in some way.)

Strong Emotion (If the target fails their roll, the action inspired is extreme and often out of character for the target.)

Overwhelm (The defensive Mind roll is Difficulty 8.)

Conduit (This Effect has unlimited range, but you require a token of your target to use it. Tokens must be of a particular type determined at Power creation, such as a track of the target, a body part of the target, etc. One activation per token.)
Token types examples: a track of the target, a body part of the target, a mirror that has reflected the target, an object of sentimental value to the target, a sample of the target's handwriting, etc.

Cantrip (Activating this Effect has no Exertion cost, but its level is capped at 2 Gifts, and it cannot be upgraded further)

Battery-operated (Instead of Exerting Mind to activate this Power, it has its own 3-point Source pool. The Source regenerates at the rate of one point per day and cannot be raised with Experience.)
Powers can share a battery pool by taking this Enhancement on each Power and specifying the same Source. Each additional Power after the first increases the capacity of the Source by 2, to a maximum of 10. This Enhancement cannot be used to enhance the owning character's source.

Formative Experience (If the target fails or botches their defensive roll, they gain a Trauma, which must be related to the chosen emotion in some way.)
Generally this takes the form of a condition that, when triggered, causes a sudden surge of the relevant emotion. Unlike normal Trauma rolls, this Trauma does not cause Mind damage when obtained.

Breakdown (The defensive Mind roll is Difficulty 9.)

Curse (Instead of taking effect immediately, you may apply this Power as a curse. Specify a condition that, when fulfilled, causes the suspended effect to occur. The target is informed that they have been cursed and of the condition.)
Any activation rolls occur when you attempt to cast the curse, not when it takes effect. The manner of the target being made aware is flexible. Speaking the curse aloud is a popular choice. Unless this Power is Concealed, the target is likely to believe they've been truly cursed. If this Power has a visual effect, it still occurs at the time of cast. If the Power is one that can be dodged or otherwise Reacted to, it is still dodgable at time of casting. No two active curses may have the same Condition.

Willful End (You may end this Effect before its duration has elapsed. This occurs as a Free Action and must be done on your initiative.)

Conditionally Costless (This Effect does not require Exertion in certain circumstances. The condition should be balanced such that it has an activation cost the majority of the time you are able to use it.)
If you take this Enhancement, you must be able to use the Effect at full cost and other times at no cost. This cannot be the same condition as the Drawback "Conditional" as that would imply that the Effect is costless any time you can cast it.

Triggered (You cannot manually activate this Effect. Instead, choose a triggering event, always outside your control, that activates this Effect without requiring an Action or Exertion cost from you.)
Cannot be taken with the "Conditional" Drawback. The triggering event must be outside of your control, and balance must be strictly enforced by World Leaders. Suitable events may include: suffering an Injury Severity two or higher, being grappled, falling unconscious, being tied up and bound, being angrily screamed at, etc.

Concealed (Using this Effect is not obvious. Choose a Tell that occurs only when you use the Effect; if-- and only if-- someone suspects that a Effect was used, they must roll Perception + Alertness, Difficulty 8 to pick up on your Tell.)
As per the standard rules, a complete success (Outcome of at least 4) is required to determine the source and target flawlessly. Lower outcomes may result in partial successes. Your Tell should be something small that would not otherwise frequently occur, such as a slight nosebleed, fiddling with an object, an intense stare.

Switch (You may turn this Effect on and off at will during its duration.)
You may only switch this Effect on or off once per Round.

Drawbacks

Focus (Using this Effect requires a specific kind of item.)
Subject to Playgroup Leader approval. Drawing an accessible object (such as one in a holster) counts as a Quick Action (-2 dice), and removing something from a backpack or luggage requires a Full Action.
Unique Focus (This Power takes the form of a specific, unique item, which can be borrowed, lost, or stolen. You must use / wear this item as intended to use this Power.)
Once per Day (You may only use this Effect once per day.)
Conditional (This Effect is only available when a certain condition is met. This condition must be severe enough that this Gift is unusable the majority of the time.)
The condition must be significant. Subject to GM approval.
Tunnel Vision (While this Effect is active, you are at -2 dice to all Actions and cannot Concentrate.)
This means you cannot perform any actions which require your full attention, such as Committed Actions, as well as a number of Powers.
Long Cast (This Effect takes one minute to activate.)
Traumatic (You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect.)
Consensual (Can only be used on consenting targets.)
Double-Edged Sword (You are affected by this Power to the same extent as your target.)
Cannot be taken on Powers that provide buffs of any kind.
Elemental (Instead of choosing an emotion, you may only inspire a single emotion or narrow band of emotions.)
Biological Psychology (This power only works on Sapient, Living targets)
Exhausting (After you finish activating this Effect, you cannot move quicker than a walk (max 15 feet per Round) for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour.)
Exhaustion penalties stack. If you activate this Effect or another Effect with Exhaustion, your penalty will continue to worsen.
Sacrifice (Activating this Effect requires you to take a Severity-1 Injury instead of Exerting your Mind or spending a point of Source.)
You cannot use Armor to soak this damage.
Fuel (Using this Effect consumes some material good in addition to its other costs.)
Mage (Activating this Effect requires at least two committed Actions and involves intricate use of the arms, hands and either the voice or an object. If interrupted during activation, the Effect fails.)
Just about any attempt to interrupt the ritual should be successful. Even neutral events (like a cat wandering up) may cause it to fail. GM's discretion. If the cast time for the Power is longer than the minimum two actions required, the ritual must last for the entire cast time.
Monstrous (Possessing this Power causes a mutation that elicits a strong, negative social response from the average person in your setting. The mutation is visible even if you are wearing long sleeves, pants, and shoes. Maximum one per Contractor.)
This mutation is ALWAYS present, even when the Gift is not being used, and ALWAYS extreme and difficult to conceal. This mutation may complicate social situations at the GMs discretion. Maximum of one Gift with the Monstrous Drawback per Contractor.
Consumable (Instead of using this Power directly on a target, you must prepare it as a consumable material. Anyone who drinks or eats a full dose is fully affected by the Power and cannot make any resistance rolls. Prepared doses expire in 24 hours.)
Preparing a Consumable dose takes one hour, but any number of doses may be prepared in that time. Any activation-restricting Parameters must be at their default level (e.g. range), and few if any cast-restricting Drawbacks (e.g. long cast) can be taken. This does not reduce Power activation costs, so if you prepare a dose before a Game, you will be Exerted as normal. Any activation roll for this Power is made when the dose is consumed, not when it is prepared. Minimum dose size is a thimble’s worth of fluid. Any decisions about the Power’s behavior that you would normally make at cast time are made when the dose is prepared instead. A prepared dose is a physical object that must be carried and may be lost, stolen, or given away. Drawbacks around activating this Power (ritual, long cast time, etc) are restricted or apply to the dosing of the Power instead of its preparation. If a partial dose is taken, the Power may be partially effective at GM’s discretion.

Parameter - Range

Default Level: 1

Seasoned Threshold: 3

Veteran Threshold: 5

Eratta: Unlimited range still requires you to aim in some way, whether it be through a scrying pool, a mark on your target, or gps coordinates.

  1. Arm's Reach
  2. 45 feet
  3. 300 feet
  4. 1000 feet
  5. 1 mile
  6. 10 miles
  7. Unlimited

Parameter - Duration

Default Level: 0

Seasoned Threshold: 3

Veteran Threshold: 4

  1. 1 Minute
  2. 1 Hour
  3. 3 Hours
  4. 1 Day
  5. Indefinite

Parameter - Range

Default Level: 1

Seasoned Threshold: 3

Veteran Threshold: 4

  1. Arm's Reach
  2. 20 feet
  3. 300 feet
  4. Line of Sight

Parameter - Duration

Default Level: 0

Seasoned Threshold: 3

Veteran Threshold: 4

  1. 1 round
  2. 3 rounds
  3. 3 minutes
  4. 30 minutes
  5. 3 hours
  6. 1 day
  7. 1 month

Example Powers

The cop keeps his gun trained on The Witch and nods to her cart. "Open it. Slowly"

Her wrinkled fingers pry open the door. Dozens of miniature glass bottles, each one unique in shape and color, tinkle against each other.

"I can be useful, you know," she croaks, lifting a cloudy pink flask no larger than her finger. "Are you looking for love? One sip of this will send even the most stone-hearted prospect into a fit of passion."

The officer snatches the vial and regards the faintly-glowing fluid swirling within. "Another charlatan," he grunts, tossing it over his shoulder. He grabs the old woman's waterskin and takes a swig. "Plain water's worth more than your lies you dirty--"

He freezes and blinks at the Witch. Where before he saw a vile con artist, now he sees an old woman finding her way though a harsh world. Was his own mother so different? He lowers his gun. "Don't let me catch you tricking folks around here again."

The Witch smiles and snaps her cart closed. "With pleasure."

Spend an Action to activate. Select a Living target within 45 feet as well as a specific emotion. You must actively and obviously use your potion brewing set to activate this Effect. Roll Charisma + Alertness at Difficulty 6. Affected targets can resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, for the next minute, your target will do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done, inspired by the chosen emotion. They will not necessarily display their emotions in an obvious way.

Actions they take will be in keeping with their character and the way they tend to deal with strong emotions. They will be unlikely to change their mind about any actions taken or decisions made until after the Effect ends.

Both attacking someone and being attacked will end the Effect.

This Gift's level is capped at 2 Gifts and cannot be increased further.

  • If you succeed, the target MUST take at least one Action they otherwise would not have. Hey, GM who is reading this, I'm talking to you. You have to enforce this. Remember: Gifts must feel powerful.