Level
One Powers
Bioluminescence
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Stamina + Bioluminescence
Range: Variable
Area: Special
Duration: 10 minutes per success
Effect: Character emits light.
Multiple Actions: No
Description: A nova with Bioluminescence can emit visible
light. This light is not strong enough to blind other characters, but it
definitely helps light the way through the dark places. To use it, the
character spends one quantum point and rolls Stamina + Bioluminescence,
allowing him to emit a soft glow for about 10 minutes per success. This light
is bright enough to read by easily; it may make the character look either eerie
or angelic (depending upon the character and his special effects).
For an additional quantum point, the character can project
a beam of light like a flashlight. This beam has a range of 15 meters per
success, and it lasts as long as his glow.
Extras: Increased Spectrum (normal Bioluminescence is
only visible light; with this extra it emits infrared and ultraviolet light as
well)
Claws
Level: I
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Maintenance
Effect: Converts character's close combat damage into
lethal damage.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: This power allows the nova to grow claws,
talons or similar natural weapons — maybe even a field of hissing quantum
energy around the character's hands.
When used in close combat, Claws convert the bashing damage
caused by the character's normal punches and strikes into lethal damage.
Furthermore, the character may roll one extra damage die per dot he has in
Claws.
Thus, a Strike by a character with Claws 3 would do Strength
+2 (for the maneuver) +3 (for the claws), or Strength +5, lethal damage.
Extras: Kinetic Discharge (the character actually stores
up kinetic energy in her body, then channels it through anything she touches;
this allows the character to add the extra damage to melee as well as
hand-to-hand attacks or, by spending a quantum point per shot, to charge thrown
objects and bullets with the extra damage)
Hypnosis
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Hypnosis
Range: (Quantum + power rating) meters
Area: N/A
Duration: Special
Effect: Hypnotizes target; number of successes defines
degree of control.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: Hypnosis is, in effect, a weaker version of
Domination. While it allows characters to exert some control over the minds of
others, it is harder to use, and it establishes a lower degree of control over
the victim than Domination does.
A nova with Hypnosis can do anything a character with the
enhancement Hypnotic Gaze can do (though all rolls made are Intelligence +
Hypnosis, not Manipulation or Mega-Manipulation rolls). Additionally, he can
establish more powerful mental control. To do so, he need only spend the
required quantum points and roll Intelligence + Hypnosis in a resisted action
against the target's Willpower. If the nova scores more successes, he succeeds
in achieving control. The degree of control depends on how many successes the
nova has left after subtracting the victim's Willpower successes, as follows:
Successes Command Intensity
One Very
Minor: "You are getting sleepy...."
Two Quirky:
Wear a particular suit of clothes, pet an imaginary dog
Three Minor:
Eat a bug; go to a particular, easily accessible location
Four or more Major/Noteworthy:
Perform a relatively easy task for the nova
Obviously Domination is much more effective in most
situations. However, when used cleverly, Hypnosis can be very effective.
Hypnosis also has a longer duration than Domination. As long as the nova
concentrates on the target, Hypnosis remains in effect. Once he stops concentrating,
Hypnosis remains in effect, if appropriate, for a number of days equal to the
character's dots in Hypnosis. This grace period usually lasts long enough for the
nova to make his getaway, use an implanted posthypnotic suggestion or take some
similar action.
Extras: None
Intuition
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Perception + Intuition
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Heightens character's awareness of dangers.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: Intuition is a lesser form of the
Premonition power. Like Premonition, it warns a nova of potential threats and
dangers. However, it is less sensitive, and it works somewhat differently.
As with Premonition, the player must make a Perception +
Intuition roll to determine if there is danger.
The differences are twofold. First, Intuition is
permanent. The character does not have to spend quantum points or otherwise
turn his Intuition on; it's constantly active and on the lookout for dangers.
Second, the warning provided by Intuition is much less precise than the one
given by Premonition. When the character makes his roll, the Storyteller simply
tells him that he feels that "something is not right here." The more
successes the character achieves on the roll, the more precise the Storyteller should
be, but in no instance should he provide as much information as Premonition
does.
Intuition alerts the character only to dangers to himself.
It provides no warning if someone nearby is in danger.
Extras: None
Luck
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Luck
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Successes achieved on roll reduce damage and make
tasks easier.
Multiple Actions: N/A
Description: A nova with this power is extraordinarily lucky.
Somehow his quantum consciousness is able to tap into and manipulate fate,
probabilities and perhaps even reality itself. Regardless of how it's done,
Lady Luck smiles on the character and looks out for him.
Once per scene, a character may ask to roll his Luck. It
is in the Storyteller's discretion whether the character may roll Luck;
sometimes it's better for the game if the character depends on his own
abilities. When the character rolls Luck, each success achieved influences the
outcome of other events. Exactly what happens is up to the Storyteller, but
here are some guidelines.
Combat: When the character is in combat, the player may
divide the successes he gets for Luck in a given turn between his attack and
his defense. Successes added to an attack grant one die per success to make the
attack and determine its effects. Successes added to defense provide one
success (not one die) to all dodge, parry or block rolls (or similar rolls to
avoid other effects, such as Willpower rolls to counteract Domination).
Abilities: Each Luck success adds one success (not one
die) to any use of Abilities out of combat. If a character makes two or more
Ability checks during the same time frame (turn, minute, or whatever else the
Storyteller decides is appropriate), he must divide his Luck successes among
the different rolls.
Backgrounds: Luck affects rolls associated with Backgrounds
just as it does with Abilities.
Remember, though, that Fate is a fickle bitch. If a character
botches a Luck roll, he suddenly becomes really unlucky for a scene. An
unlucky character botches if he rolls no successes and any die comes up 1 or 2.
Extras: None
Psychic Shield
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Provides two extra successes per dot on all attempts
to resist mental powers.
Multiple Actions: N/A
Description: Psychic Shield is a potent defense against
powers that directly affect a nova's mind (Domination, Hypnosis, Mental Blast,
Mirage or Telepathy).
Each dot grants two extra successes to any roll to resist
mental powers. If the power causes damage, like Mental Blast, then Psychic
Shield also provides two extra soak per dot. Psychic Shield is permanent, but a
character may voluntarily shut it off if he wishes (he can reactivate it at any
time, which does not require an action).
Psychic Shield does not work against emotion-controlling powers
(Empathic Manipulation, many of the Mega-Social enhancements), only direct mind
control.
Extras: Extra Mind (character may extend his Psychic Shield
to protect one other person whom he is touching)
Quantum Conversion
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Stamina + Quantum Conversion
Range: Touch
Area: N/A
Duration: Special
Effect: May convert up to one quantum point per dot into
standard forms of energy.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: Quantum Conversion is sometimes considered one
of the more unusual powers novas display, yet it is undoubtedly one of the more
useful ones in a practical, everyday sense. It allows a nova to convert part of
his personal quantum energies — his Quantum Pool — into standard forms of superquantum energies such as heat, fire or electricity.
The player must choose what type of energy the nova can convert his quantum
points into.
Quantum Conversion can convert up to one quantum point
per dot into another form of energy. If converted into electricity, one quantum
point would be enough to power a typical large television for about an hour.
The Storyteller is the final arbiter of how much electricity is needed to power
a given device, and for how long. He also determines
the effects and uses of other forms of energy.
Quantum Conversion can also be used to cause damage to
other people if the nova touches them while emitting the energy. Doing so
causes one health level of bashing damage per quantum point converted (or one
health level of lethal damage per two quantum points converted), but the person
touched may soak this damage normally.
Extras: Extra Energy Type (power may convert quantum
points into one additional type of energy; character chooses which type of
energy to emit with any given use of the power)
Sensory Shield
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Each dot cancels two successes on Strobe attacks
made against the character.
Multiple Actions: N/A
Description: Sensory Shield provides novas with protection
against Strobe attacks and other phenomena that might interfere with their
senses. It can represent eyes which are accustomed to extremely bright lights, armored
skin which is so tough the character's nerves cannot be numbed and many other
abilities.
Sensory Shield requires no rolls. Instead, each dot in
the power counts as two successes to cancel out successes achieved on Strobe
rolls and successes from attacks such as tear gas.
Extras: None.