Mega-Charisma

 

Mega-Charisma represents the ultimate in personal charm and appeal. A nova with this Mega-Attribute exudes such self-confidence, poise and charm that she can win over just about anybody. Other people want to like and to please her, and they do.

Characters with Mega-Charisma are naturally at home in social situations. They carry themselves so well that they are the life of any party. They are bon vivants par excellence; even if they don't really feel like being at a party, they're able to mask their feelings and seem extremely amicable to one and all.

• Stupendous: Even your worst enemies find you likable.

•• Amazing: You could spill food and drink all over yourself and still seem elegant.

••• Incredible: Not even a tornado can ruffle your feathers; even in the most trying situations you are poised and charming.

•••• Spectacular: Bitter, lifelong enemies will make peace just to be able to spend time with you.

••••• Godlike: Even alien races find you fascinating and personable.

 

Mega-Charisma Enhancements

Enhancements that characters with Mega-Charisma may learn or purchase include:

Commanding Presence

A nova with this enhancement is a born leader. When he gives an order, people obey right away — even if it exposes them to harm. Even when they are away from him, people remember his words and try their best to fulfill his orders and live up to his example.

System: The nova's player receives three automatic successes on any roll that involves commanding people or giving orders. This bonus does not apply to attempts to persuade someone through reason or logic, appeal to people on a personal level, or the like; it works only when the character gives commands. The target of this enhancement may make whatever rolls he normally could to resist the order, or spend a Willpower point to refuse the order.

A nova with Commanding Presence does not necessarily have to be formally authorized to give orders to someone for this enhancement to work — he does not have to be the person's boss, commanding officer or parent. He can simply give orders and wait for them to be obeyed — that's what this power lets him do. However, if he is notably "beneath" the person — an ordinary citizen trying to order a high-ranking governmental official around, a corporal giving instructions to a major, or the like — the Storyteller may reduce the bonus for the power, at his discretion, or give the target a bonus on any rolls he makes to resist the order.

Dreadful Mien

When you really like someone, their anger or disappointment can come as a crushing blow. Some Mega-Charismatic novas use that phenomenon to their advantage. Their use their charm as a weapon — even in combat, enemies want to like them, and that, combined with the force of the nova's displeasure, makes it difficult for the enemy to attack.

System: The nova focuses his displeasure on one enemy, and the player makes a Charisma roll. Each success achieved subtracts one success from the victim's roll to hit the nova. If this cancellation results in no net successes for the attacker, he misses the nova, having flinched and pulled his attack aside rather than risk hurting such a likable fellow. A nova using this enhancement who takes any violent or threatening actions toward the target (as perceived by the target) while using it automatically negates its effects. The nova may attack the target's friends and compatriots; however, this allows the victim to make a Willpower roll to resist the successes scored by the nova. If the nova has previously attacked the victim during the scene, increase the difficulty for using Dreadful Mien by one per turn during which the nova attacked the victim.

Dreadful Mien does not work at range. If the target is more than three meters away from the nova, it is ineffective. The enhancement costs one quantum point to activate, and the effects last for the duration of the confrontation.

Natural Agitator

When people like you, sometimes they will do things for you, or things that you ask them to do. That's doubly true for a nova with this power. Since everybody likes him so much, they hang on his every word. If he tells them to do something, they'll seriously consider it.

System: When he is speaking to a person, or even a crowd of people, the nova can use this enhancement to persuade them to do things. This enhancement's name derives from one of its obvious uses — sparking riots and agitation. The player makes a Charisma roll. If he succeeds, the person or crowd will do anything the nova says, so long as they would at least be inclined to perform the action in question. For example, people are inclined to buy food, so a nova could use Natural Agitator to convince them to buy all their food at a particular store or restaurant.

If the nova scores more than one success, he may be able to persuade the person or crowd to do things it wouldn't normally want to do — start a riot, for example. However, the targets get to make Willpower rolls to resist Natural Agitator; every success rolled cancels one of the nova's successes.

The effects of Natural Agitator usually linger for about an hour, or until someone else has the chance to talk some sense into the victim(s). More subtle, agreeable, effects may last longer; extreme effects may vanish almost as soon as the victims are out of the nova's presence.

For Natural Agitator to work, the nova must be physically present to talk to the victims. The enhancement does not work over radio, television or other broadcast media. The effects last for a single scene.

Seductive

This enhancement is the behavioral complement to Seductive Looks. A nova who possesses it is able to determine instinctively what behaviors a given individual finds sexy, desirable and attractive — then unconsciously adopt those behaviors.

System: The nova must be close to (i.e., within 10 meters of) his target, and the player must make a Charisma roll. If he succeeds, he has determined what sort of behavior the target finds sexy — coquettishness, self-confidence, sluttiness or vivacity. He automatically adopts that behavior as his own, thus making himself even more attractive than normal to the target.

While this enhancement is active, the player receives three automatic successes on any roll to seduce or persuade the target. If there is any question, it is the Storyteller's discretion as to whether the bonus applies. Of course, this enhancement is based entirely upon behavior or body language; it does not alter looks at all. Altering looks in that fashion requires Seductive Looks. The two enhancements may be combined to create an almost irresistibly attractive package for any victim.

Soothe

The nova is a natural at soothing others' jangled nerves. Just being around him has a calming effect. He even makes it easier for normal humans to cope with novas.

System: When the player spends a quantum point and makes a Charisma roll, the character and everyone within 10 meters of him becomes calm. Stress drains away, leaving people happier and calmer. No one affected by Soothe (including the nova using it) can attack or take any other hostile action unless the person either makes a Wits roll and scores more successes than the nova achieved on his Soothe roll, or spends a point of Willpower to overcome Soothe's effects.

Additionally, Soothe can help to overcome the effects of Taint. For each success achieved on the Charisma roll, one point of Taint possessed by any novas within the radius of effect is temporarily negated as regards interaction with baselines within the affected area. The power lasts for a scene. All effects of this enhancement disappear if an affected person wanders beyond the 10-meter radius.