Level Four Powers
Crosstime
Travel
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 2
Dice Pool: Perception +
Crosstime Travel
Area: Self
Range: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: Allows character to move
between alternate universes.
Multiple Actions: No
Description: The universe splits
in two each time a decision takes place that involves a significant release of
quantum energy. The science of comparative cosmology develops very slowly and
erratically in the first half of the 21st century, and nobody can really say
for sure why some events create branching timelines and some apparently don’t.
Rival theories about how it all works circulate through OpNet and attract
vigorous debate at scientific conferences.
A nova using this power forms a
mental impression of the quality she seeks and searches, more or less
subconsciously, through the quantum medium in search of a universe that matches
her criteria. She then converts her body into pure quantum energy and
reassembles it in the new universe, in the same spot she occupied in the old
one. The number of successes on the Crosstime Travel roll affects how close she
gets to what she was seeking:
Successes Approximation
One Very Remote. Some overall feature ― “the
South won the American Civil War,” “the Galatea
didn’t explode” ― applies, but all the details are up to the
Storyteller’s discretion.
Three Remote. The nova gets to a universe that is in general
accordance with her wishes ― “the South won the American Civil War, and
things turned out better overall;” “the Galatea
didn’t explode, and novas who erupt keep their powers secret” ― but
contains many uncertainties.
Five Moderate. The nova gets to a universe that’s more
or less what she sought ― “the South won the American Civil War, and
things ended up better; Southern-based solutions to racism mean that the race
riots of the 1960s didn’t happen;” “the Galatea
didn’t explode, novas keep themselves secret, and Project Utopia works with
secret novas without feeling the need for a Proteus.”
Seven Close. Nearly every detail the nova thinks to itemize
does apply in the universe she ends up in. The Storyteller may require a
separate Intelligence roll to keep it all straight and retains a free hand in
settling matters the nova didn’t specify.
The nova may or may not have a
counterpart in the new universe. If it diverged before her birth and if she
does not specify her existence as one of her search factors, then the
Storyteller can decide whether the accidents of genetic recombination produced
someone with the same genetic makeup. (This applies to everyone else, too: Once
the new universe exists, the genetic lottery comes out differently.) She can
remain in the other universe indefinitely, but returning home is a simple
matter of focusing on her own universe.
An outside observer in
trans-universal hyperspace would see the two universes branching off a shared
trunk. Someone from either branch who travels back in time before the point of
divergence arrives in the same history, so that time travelers from very
different futures may end up at a single destination in the past.
Extras: Affects Others (the nova
can shift one other person besides herself per dot of Crosstime Travel); Exotic
Words (the nova can specify changes in fundamental laws, such as magic working,
only Level 3+ powers existing and so on)
Disease
Authority
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 6
Dice Pool: Perception + Disease
Authority
Area: Variable
Range: Variable
Duration: Variable
Effect: The nova gains particular
power over illness and disease. Systemic failures leave distinct marks on
victims’ quantum signatures, which the nova can analyze and manipulate.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: Disease Authority
is the ability to identify, cause, cure and otherwise effect a range of
pathological conditions. While the character does not need relevant Abilities
(like Medicine), it may facilitate the use of Disease Authority.
As with certain other quantum
abilities, this power comprises several techniques. A nova may learn and freely
use one technique per dot in the power. He may attempt other techniques, but he
must pay double the quantum cost and roll against a difficulty penalty of one
to activate these powers. Techniques include:
Diagnosis
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
x 100 meters
Area: (Quantum + power rating) x
10 meters
Duration: (Quantum + power
rating) hours
The nova can recognize disease
and illnesses with the target area by a combination of distinctive features
(like skin discoloration) and subconscious cues. The nova can recognize
complications of a virulence equivalent less than or equal to the number of
successes on the Diagnosis roll. Conditions with a virulence equal to half the
number of successes rolled (rounded down) or less become visible to everyone.
It takes some study to associate the visible manifestations with the underlying
conditions, but once that’s done ― a simple Medicine roll with a
difficulty equal to the virulence rating suffices ― this power allows for
instant diagnosis without intrusive examination.
Pestilence
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
x 100 meters
Area: (Quantum + power rating)
meters
Duration: Instant
The nova creates or intensifies
a disease. Each success adds one to the virulence equivalent of a specific
disease in the target area: Three successes, for instance can transform a
single flu strain into the equivalent of Ebola. It takes two successes per
virulence rating to create a disease from scratch out of some neutral organism
like stomach bacteria. Once modified, the disease runs its course just like any
other.
Each extra success the nova
applies to the purpose can add a mode of transmission or grant the disease
resistance to a particular treatment. Two successes, for instance, could make a
strain of AIDS airborne and resistant to the Utopia drugs that eradicated the
original strain.
Sterilization
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
x 1,000 meters
Area: (Quantum + power rating) x
100 meters
Duration: Instant
Each success lets the nova
reduce the virulence equivalent of a particular disease in the target area by
one level, down to a minimum of zero. Once the nova has completely neutralized
her initial target disease, she can apply additional successes to neutralizing
others in the same area, reducing the virulence of each by one per success
allocated. A powerful nova can wipe out pretty much everything harmful in an
area.
This power applies equally to
diseases caused by microorganisms, poisons, radiations and bodily dysfunctions
like cancer. Benign microorganisms like intestinal flora are not affected.
Extras: None.
Elemental
Authority
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 7
Dice Pool: Variable
Range: Variable
Effect: The nova can create,
alter and control substances or phenomena on a broad scale.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: Elemental Authority
extends the scope of Elemental Mastery. The nova can destroy as well as create
a particular element and can affect it over a wider area for longer period of
time. Like Elemental Anima and Elemental Mastery, Elemental Authority consists
of several techniques. A nova learns one Elemental Authority technique per dot
in the power; she can use the others, but they cost twice the normal quantum
energy and impose a +1 difficulty penalty. A nova can also use one dot of
Elemental Authority to learn two
techniques from Elemental Anima or Elemental Mastery.
Characters can also develop new
techniques. As with all matters involving high-level powers, players and
Storytellers should negotiate the details. Under no circumstances assume that a
technique that happens not be listed her is therefore automatically bad or
unwelcome. Start with this list; don’t fell compelled to stop with it.
Except where noted otherwise,
Elemental Authority botches generally reinforce the target’s existing form, making
it more difficult to manipulate. The nova’s power rating applies as a
difficulty penalty to the next effort to use Elemental Authority on that
target.
Purification
Dice Pool: Wits + Elemental
Authority
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
kilometers
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
The nova can extract the pure
element from molecules, compounds, alloys and other composite forms. Each
success on the Purification roll lets her extract 10 kg of a sold or liquid
element or one cubic meter of a gas or intangible element. The purified element
appears in a continuous volume at any point within range designated by the
nova.
The potential side effects vary
a great deal. Extracting elemental hydrogen from water, for instance, releases
free oxygen to boot. Purifying iron leaves it in the white, ductile state it
occupies when not oxidized, while leaving oxidization and other impurities
heaped around it. Purified light is one frequency ― as coherent as a
laser, but radiating in all directions ― while purified sound is a single
tone without harmonics. Elemental Authority over earth or water lets the nova
use Purification to purge toxic wastes into a single mound at the edge of the
nova’s range (while Elemental Authority ― Toxic Waste would let the nova
gather the wastes anywhere in range). Elemental Authority over air would allow
the nova to purge smoke and airborne contaminants, including dust and pollen.
The player and Storyteller should work out what “pure” means for more exotic
elements.
In theory, some forms of
Purification could do horrendous damage. Extracting all the iron from someone’s
blood, for instance, would kill them in horrible fashion. How lethal
Purification can be is a matter for each series. Storytellers shouldn’t be too
quick to let this ability substitute for more combat-focused powers. Property
damage is more appropriate than harm to people in most cases, but as always,
discuss and negotiate.
Transmutation
Dice Pool: Wits + Elemental
Authority
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
x 100 meters
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
The nova can change the element
he controls into one other element, and vice versa. Each level of Transmutation
lets the nova designate one more element as a transmutation target. Each
success on the Transmutation roll lets the nova convert up to 100 kg of a solid
or liquid or two cubic meters of a gas or intangible element. The transmuted
element retains its state (solid, liquid, etc.) and shape.
Storm
Dice Pool: Dexterity + Elemental
Authority
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
x 100 meters
Area: (Quantum + power rating) x
50 meters
Duration: Maintenance
The nova creates turbulent
motion within his chosen element. Liquids froth and rage as if in a hurricane,
while solids explode as if caught in an eruption. Anyone in the affected area
must make a Dodge roll to avoid taking one die of bashing damage per level of
power rating, if the nova chooses to make the storm damaging. Each success on
the Storm roll can apply as a penalty to visibility in the target area and has
other effects as appropriate: dangerous footing, disruption of electrical or
electronic circuits and so on, as the Storyteller and player agree are
appropriate.
A botch on the Storm roll
amplifies the effect, doubling its area per point of the nova’s Quantum (beyond
the normal range limit, if appropriate). It takes a successful Storm roll to
damp out the effect; if the second roll botches as well, the storm drains off
some or all of the nova’s quantum pool, doubling its area again for each point
so siphoned. The nova can still halve the area of the uncontrolled storm per
point of Willpower spent. The botch-created storm feeds itself but wears down
gradually over a course of hours or days.
Molecular
Authority
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 6
Dice Pool: Manipulation +
Molecular Authority
Area: (Quantum + power rating) x
100 meters
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
meters
Duration: Special
Effect: The character can affect
matter more thoroughly and closely than with Molecular Manipulation.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: The nova gains an intuitive
understanding of the world around him on the molecular level. He can make a
Perception + Molecular Authority roll at any time to analyze the chemical
composition and properties of anything within his line of sight. This costs no
quantum to use.
Each success on a Molecular
Authority roll lets the nova alter one property of matter within the target
area. Changes normally last for (power rating) hours. One extra success
increases this to (power rating) days; two extra successes increases it to (power
rating) months; three extra successes make it permanent.
Common effects include:
• Conductivity. The material
becomes superconductive, offering no resistance to electricity at all (unharmed
by any amount of current and passing it one without any loss of power over
distance to whatever’s on the far side of the target area), or superinsulative,
completely blocking all electrical flow, or any state in between.
• Molecular Bonds. The nova can
strengthen or weaken the ties that bind a molecule or compound together. Each
success spent this way changes the target’s health levels and soak rating by 1.
At 0 health levels the target collapses into a monatomic fog of loose atoms.
Living targets can resist this with a Willpower roll; each success restores a
level of lost material strength.
• Opacity. The material becomes
completely transparent, completely opaque or any degree of opacity in between,
as the nova chooses. A single success affects the material in visible light.
One extra success applies to infrared and ultraviolet as well, and a second
extra success lets the nova adjust the material’s opacity throughout the
electromagnetic spectrum.
• Radioactivity. It takes one
success to raise or lower the level of soft radiation by one level, two
successes to raise or lower the hard radiation rating by one level.
• Reaction Rate. Each success
doubles or halves the rate of a chemical reaction. It normally takes just a few
seconds to burn a pile of magnesium ash; the nova can stretch I out to minutes
or hours with enough successes. Conversely, the nova could speed the rate of
oxidation to make a brand new car rust in seconds.
• Solubility. Normally insoluble
matter, such as oil on water, becomes capable of smooth merging, while normally
soluble material like trace elements in water may be made to suddenly
precipitate out.
At the Storyteller’s discretion,
a botch may either reinforce the material’s existing properties (with the
nova’s power rating applying as a difficulty penalty to the next effort to
affect the material) or create an uncontrolled change to some value within the
nova’s range that presumably undesired.
Example: Chemist Charles Rubeh is still exploring his newfound power of
Molecular Authority. Remembering heated exchanges from his pre-Galatea grad
student days, he decides to create “polywater.” He gets seven successes on his
roll while attempting to transform a swimming pool full of regular water. One
success makes the water double its normal density, and another makes it 15
times more viscous than normal water. A third success raises its boiling point
to 170 degrees centigrade, while the fourth reduces its freezing point to -40
degrees C. He uses the remaining three successes to make the viscosity change
permanent. Rubeh has four levels of Molecular Authority, so the other effects
wear off in hours.
Extras: None
Quantum
Authority
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 7
Dice Pool: Manipulation +
Quantum Control
Area: Variable
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
kilometers
Duration: Variable
Effect: Increases nova’s control
over quantum energy.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: The nova can
manipulate various aspects of the quantum field. Various techniques let the
nova alter her own manifestations of quantum and to affect the manifestation of
quantum powers in others.
Novas with linked quantum
signatures become partially immune to each other’s powers. They gain 3 extra
soak levels per success on the Quantum Authority roll (and three automatic
successes on their efforts to resist mind control and other powers that don’t inflict
physical harm).
Quantum
Duplication
Area: One nova
Duration: Maintenance
The nova makes her quantum field
identical to that of another nova. Any power that detects a nova on the basis
of overall quantum field, psychic signature, special effect and the like
perceives the nova using Quantum Duplication as precisely resembling her
target. The first success provides this result without actually modifying the
nova’s own powers. Each addition success lets the nova copy one level of the
target’s powers for the duration of Quantum Duplication.
Quantum
Diffusion
Area: (Quantum + power rating) x
100 meters
Duration: (Quantum + power
rating) hours
The nova spreads her quantum
signature out into the surrounding environment. She can choose to create up to
one quantum “ghost” per dot in Quantum Diffusion, which she can move around at
will anywhere in the area. Nova senses register the ghost, but there’s nothing
actually present at the spot except the little knot of quantum force. The nova
can also choose to spread her signature throughout the area, so that all
someone checking for her signature can tell is that she’s somewhere in the
vicinity. The area of effect won’t move unless the nova moves outside it, in
which case it re-centers on her. It’s a 2-point strength for the nova to anchor
the diffusion area to a stable center point.
Example: A new alliance calling
itself the Thunder Squad is hunting independent nova Thomas Erickson, who’s
learned just a wee bit too much about the novas’ schemes. They have several
members with quantum senses, and they know, in general, where Thomas is.
Fortunately for his personal well-being, Erickson has Quantum Authority and
uses Quantum Diffusion to hide himself. He has three levels of Quantum
Authority and can therefore send three quantum ghosts of himself out to lure
the stalkers away ― with his Quantum 7, up to a kilometer away from his
actual location. With the Squad’s best hunters otherwise occupied, he sneaks
out.
It’s a pity he didn’t think
about the hunters using enhanced normal senses.
Quantum
Imposition
Area: One person
Duration: Maintenance
The nova can force some of her
own quantum signature onto other novas. Each success lets her replace one
randomly chosen level of a target’s power with one randomly chosen level of her
own. It costs one extra success to specify the target power being replaced and
an extra success to specify the power of hers she’s replacing it with. The
target’s quantum signature appears to nova senses to have a blurred overlay
resembling that of the nova using Quantum Imposition.
Quantum
Intensification
Area: one person
Duration: (Quantum + power
rating) hours, plus special
The nova can boost the quantum
signature of one person (herself or another individual). Each success on the
Quantum Intensification roll gives the target a pool of dots equal to the
nova’s power rating. One dot can buy a point of Quantum, two levels of regular
Attributes, five levels of Abilities, one level of Mega-Attribute or power or
one enhancement or Extra. All costs are doubled when using Quantum
Intensification on a baseline. In any case, the powers should reflect and
extend the target’s existing personality and aptitudes. Dots begin fading at
the end of the duration, at the rate of (power rating) dots per hour. Subtract
from enhancements and Extras first, the powers and Mega-Attributes, then
regular Attributes and Abilities and finally Quantum.
Baselines channel quantum very inefficiently, and the strain of
using full quantum powers does horrible things to baseline physiology. Any time
a baseline target of Quantum Intensification rolls to use a quantum power (not
Mega-Attributes or enhancements, however) every
die that comes up 1 or 2 gives the character a point of temporary Taint.
Example: Just before meeting his
very ugly demise, Thomas Erickson gives some help to a fellow fugitive from the
Thunder Squad, sympathetic baseline Zechariah Manosian. Realizing that he’s in
serious trouble, Erickson maxes the power and picks up four extra successes on
the preliminary roll. Those add to the five he gets on the main roll for a
total of nine. One goes to waste, thanks to the doubled costs for affecting
baselines. The first four successes buy Manosian two levels of Dexterity. The
remaining four grant a total of 10 levels of Abilities: 5 in Stealth, 2 in
Survival and 3 in Streetwise. Manosian is now equipped (for the next 10 hours)
to make his way to safety.
Quantum
Reduction
Area: One person
Duration: (Quantum + power
rating) hours, plus special
The nova can temporarily
suppress an individual’s quantum signature. Each success lets the nova dampen
(power rating) levels of Mega-Attributes, powers, enhancements, and Extras. If
the target loses all nova abilities this way, extra successes become the
functional equivalent of levels of Dormancy. The suppression begins wearing off
at the end of the duration, with powers coming back at (power rating) levels
per day. The target gets to decide which powers return first.
Extras: None
Quantum
Awareness
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 6
Dice Pool: Perception + Quantum
Awareness
Area: N/A
Range: (Quantum + power rating)
x 10 kilometers
Duration: One scene
Effect: The character expands
the range of her senses, to operate remotely and intuitively.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: The nova uses
quantum nonlocality to spread her senses throughout surrounding space. She can
move her point of view to any spot within range. Moving the viewpoint at less
than her maximum running speed requires no particular concentration. Moving
faster than she can run counts as an action for that turn and imposes the usual
multiple-action penalty. With one turn of full concentration, she can shift the
viewpoint anywhere else in range.
The projected viewpoint leaves a
noticeable quantum trace. Novas with quantum senses may catch on ― make
an opposed roll of the projecting nova’s Wits + Quantum Awareness against the
target’s Perception + power rating in the quantum-sensing power. If the
projecting nova’s roll botches, the target knows where she is and gets some
sense of her personality. If the target gets more successes than the projecting
nova, the target is aware of being watched but gains no extra insight.
The nova may choose to project
some or all of her senses, while retaining some inside her body as usual. (The ability
to project just one sense is a level 3 weakness, while the ability to project
one sense at a time is a level 2 weakness.) When the nova is attacked or
injured, make a Wits + Quantum Awareness roll. Each success lets the nova
return one sense to her body immediately and without penalty. She suffers a -1
penalty to all actions for one turn for each additional sense yanked back.
Shifting a sense into her remote viewpoint or back into her body outside of
combat requires one turn of concentration.
Direct
Awareness
Quantum Minimum: 8
This technique extends Quantum
Awareness into the realm of direct perception, “below” the level of normal
senses. The nova gains an impression of the emotional and intellectual currents
around her projected point of view and can tell in a general way how actively
quantum powers have been used there lately. This information often presents
itself to the nova’s mind in symbolic and metaphorical terms. Some novas find
the experience practically a religious one, as it takes them into direct
contact with the quantum medium.
Extras: Expanded Range (each
success multiplies the range by a factor of 10); Separate Senses (the nova can
move each sense to a different location within range); Non-standard Senses (the
nova can add one unusual sense, such as magnetic field orientation and
intensity, for every three points of Quantum, rounded down, per level of this
Extra)