Matter Control Powers
The thirty-four known matter control powers are abilities that allow their wielder various means of manipulating matter. A matter controller can change, destroy, or even create all kinds of different matter, whether animate or inanimate in nature. Matter control powers typically do not distinguish whether or not their target is biological or inorganic, and work equally well against either class of material.
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A
Adhesion
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: clinging, friction control.
Adhesion is the ability to bind two or more objects together on the atomic level. This may involve physically gluing them together, altering the molecular structure of each such that they merge into a singular whole, or even engaging in molecular charge suppression to force them to stick. Such stickiness only affects the surfaces of objects, but can hold them together with considerable strength.
To adhere two objects, they must be in physical contact with each other. If adhesion is caused by some sort of chemical (such as a bottle of home-brewed mega glue, or perhaps a secretion of the character's), the agent must first be applied directly to the spot the two objects will be stuck together. If the agency of adhesion is a power of some sort, simply touching both simultaneously will suffice.
Each turn adhesion is applied to two objects, the strength of the binding between them will increase by +1 CS. For example, one turn of adhesion will produce a Feeble (2) strength bond, while ten would make the strength of such Unearthly (100). However, the adhesion power is limited such that it cannot produce a bond with a strength greater than its own power rank.
Adhesion can last for a considerable amount of time. A white power ACTION rolled when using adhesion allows its effects to last for a number of turns equal to its power rank number, while a green power ACTION extends this period of time from turns to minutes. A yellow adhesion ACTION stretches the length of adhesion out to a like number of hours, while a red ACTION makes the effects of adhesion permanent.
Breaking the bond instilled by adhesion requires overcoming the strength of the bond it has created - or undermining the surface of one or both objects glued together. Flesh will yield much easier than concrete, so gluing people to the street means they must peel or cut themselves free if they can't dislodge the bond between them and it. Doing this generally inflicts from Poor (4) to Good (10) Edged Attack damage to someone.
The specific amount, of course, depends on how much of a person's flesh is removed in the process of tearing them away from an object they've been molecularly bonded to.
Aggregation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: atomic sense, device generation, matter absorption, matter duplication, matter generation, organism generation, summoning, teleformation, teleportation, teleportation / others, transmutation.
Aggregation is the ability to summon forth materials from far and wide, collecting them in a single location. Said materials can be just about anything the character desires, as long as they actually exist, at least, ranging from a glass of water to a pile of gold to a mountain of gophers! In lieu of matter generation or transmutation, aggregation is a great way to assemble materials for a given project - and fast!
This power can draw forth all kinds of items or substances, within a few constraints. The first is that aggregation can only aggregate a finite amount of material at a time. Each turn aggregation is used, it may collect its power rank number in pounds from the surrounding environment. If a character wishes to aggregate a larger amount of material, he or she simply has to spend the appropriate number of turns.
For example, let us say Carl the Constructor is attempting to gather materials for a new project he has in mind with his Excellent (20) ranked aggregation. He intends to build a gleaming skyscraper out on his vast plot of land in Arizona. To start with, Carl aggregates the readily available materials required to create the concrete foundation - and can summon forth twenty pounds of it each turn, until he has what he needs.
Aggregation's second constraint is that the substance in question must actually be present within range of this power's wielder for it to function properly; aggregation works on desired items or substances within Middle range of its possessor. If there isn't enough of whatever the character is looking for, the power will 'only' collect every last scrap of the desired material within range.
As Carl's construction proceeds apace, he finds himself thinking that an osmium alloy frame for his building would be awesome. The problem is that there isn't that much osmium on the earth - particularly within his nominal twenty area (half mile) range. Making a ruling, the Judge decides that he collects every last bit of osmium within a twenty area sphere, and generously dumps a few grams of the metal at Carl's feet.
The third limitation of aggregation is that it cannot summon parts of (i.e., disassemble) a continuous object. This can be a problem if the only source of whatever the character is aggregating is in a chunk larger than they can manage in one turn. To agglomerate larger objects, the possessor of this power must focus it on them for a number of turns equal to their weight divided by its power rank number.
When the osmium idea fell through, Carl decided to go with an ordinary steel frame for his modern tower. Luckily, the land he bought was relatively well-populated with iron ore, and he gained a large amount of it somewhat quickly. However, the final chunk of available iron was all lumped together in a one-ton mass. To aggregate this lump of metal, Carl had to focus his power on it for one hundred turns!
The complexity of what the character is attempting to aggregate will determine the difficulty of the required ACTION roll. A green ACTION can conjure forth simple substances, ranging from atomic gold to A+ blood. Yellow power ACTION rolls are necessary when collecting manufactured items, whether they be a pile of pennies or the latest smartphones. Red power ACTIONs can even summon living beings, if the character wants!
Most of the materials Carl was attempting to aggregate for the eventual construction of his tower were inert, mundane compounds, so he only required green power ACTIONs when drawing them forth. However, that last bit of metal was surprisingly difficult to collect, requiring a yellow power ACTION. Imagine Carl's shock when, upon the execution of this power, that lump of metal turned out to be an alien probe buried on his land!
Antimatter
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 3 points per rank
Related Powers: force field, matter generation.
A specialized form of matter generation, the antimatter power allows its wielder to create minute amounts of antimatter (hence the name). The amounts created are small because of the tremendous energy consumed in performing this feat, and each turn this ability is used, its possessor loses one Health point in exchange. But once the cost is 'paid', the wielder of this power will have some antimatter for their own, personal use.
The problem with this is that antimatter annihilates spectacularly upon contact with conventional matter. This annihilation involves an explosive discharge of energy in the form of gamma radiation, which blankets the detonation area fully. This blast inflicts power rank 2x AP Energy damage, and carries an SD radiation effect, which inflicts Metabolic damage as long as it persists.
To generate significant amounts of antimatter, one must make use of protective, vacuum-sealed force fields, which prevent antimatter from coming into contact with ordinary mass of any stripe. This allows one to build up enough antimatter to perform more practical tasks with it, ranging from a study of the properties of such bizarre matter to creating fuel to power reactors or even to serve as the payload for weapons!
For every doubling of time used to generate antimatter, one can improve the intensity of such (for the purposes of explosive annihilation) by +1 CS. Each turn this is done, however, the space affected by such a blast is increased by one area. For example, making antimatter in a protective vacuum bubble for eight turns increases the damage caused upon its collapse by +3 CS, and said blast would cover eight areas!
The difficulty in doing this, however, is that the force field must match the intensity of the potential resultant explosion to contain such large amounts of the volatile antimatter. One with a Feeble (2) ranked antimatter power could conceivably generate enough material (with time) to produce a Shift Z (500) intensity blast, but they would require a force field of like power to contain it beforehand.
The creation of such force fields is not an inherent function of this ability, and must be wielded separately - either as a technological aid or a distinct super-power. Antimatter itself only functions within Very Near distance of its wielder, making it difficult to use offensively without negatively affecting oneself - particularly when creating very large amounts of the material for destructive purposes.
Assimilation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: device sympathy, matter absorption.
The power of assimilation allows its possessor to physically absorb a device into themselves. When absorbing items, an assimilator can take an amount of techno matter into his or her body that is equal to their own weight, storing the material in the spaces between their own atoms. If one attempts to absorb more devices (whether by a little or a lot), the excess mass will protrude from their body in an obvious fashion.
In addition to serving as a great way to stow items when not in use, assimilation allows its wielder to use any absorbed item as if it was an extension of their own body. This works whether a device is digital in nature (like a smartphone) or mechanically triggered (like a Zippo ™ lighter). All one needs to do to wield assimilated devices thus is to extrude them from their body - while retaining physical contact.
If an opponent attempts to forcefully remove an assimilated item while it is in an extruded state, he, she, or it must pass an ACTION roll, with whatever ability or power they are using against the assimilator, opposed by this power's rank first. Once an assimilated device is no longer in contact with its assimilator, it is no longer considered to be assimilated, and will behave normally.
A sentient device may be assimilated by this power, but it is allowed an Endurance (res) or Psyche (will) ACTION to resist such an affront. It is allowed another such resistance ACTION roll each time it is extruded for use by the assimilator, though it is by no means inert in the interim; assimilated sentient objects are fully aware of their predicament while being 'stowed away' inside someone, and can plan accordingly.
As an example of this power in action, let us look at the Swiss Army Arsenal, a technopsi who weighs in at 165 pounds. For convenience, he stores all manner of tools, weapons, and other miscellaneous devices (like his 3DS ™) in his body, which is handy for preventing theft. He carries about ninety pounds of stuff within him, and may thus add seventy-five pounds more before the excess begins to 'stick out'.
While adventuring, the Swiss Army Arsenal happens upon a more powerful beam weapon than one he absconded with last month; ejecting the older, weaker model, the Swiss Army Arsenal simply assimilates the new one and calls it a day. He could've kept both objects, of course, but he likes to retain a versatile roster of equipment on (or rather, in) his person at all times, to live up to his assumed name.
Later on in his adventuring career, the Arsenal finds himself on an alien craft, his only means of escape being to take it over. Not trusting the shifty aliens to take him home after defeating them, and lacking the ability to control technology from a distance, he decides to assimilate it. As it weighs several hundred tons more than he, he cannot absorb the ship, so his body merges with the ship's frame only to his ankles.
Even though he sticks out of it like a sore thumb and lacks mobility, he can control the craft as if it were a natural part of his body, using it to fly himself home. Were the craft intelligent, it could attempt to resist the Swiss Army Arsenal's assimilation of it with a Psyche ACTION (since ships usually lack an Endurance score), but if this ACTION failed, it would have to do his bidding until he released it from his grasp.
C
Catalysis
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: cold generation, corrosion, heat generation, rotting, stasis, time control, transmutation.
In chemistry, catalysis is a change in the rate of a chemical reaction due to the participation of, that's right, a catalyst. A character with this power may act as a substitute catalyst for chemical reactions, whether increasing the rate at which they happen or by inhibiting them in part or in full. Anything that has active chemistry can be subjected to this power, ranging from a car battery to a human body.
When manipulating endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions, one can increase or decrease the heat or cold such generate by an amount equal to this power's rank number. Similarly, a battery can either be neutralized or have its output greatly increased, putting out an amount of electricity equal to this power's rank number. Bear in mind that the destruction of items involved in such manipulations might occur!
Living targets can resist the use of this power by passing an Endurance (res) ACTION roll against its power rank. But if affected, their chemical reactions can be halted, simulating stasis or suspended animation, or increased, improving their Strength and/or Endurance by +1 CS. One can also reduce (or accelerate!) the effects of poisons within a body when present, either saving a life or ending it quickly!
Alternately, items can be temporarily proofed against rotting and corrosion while this power is applied to them... or subjected to the same forces instead, if desired.
Catalysis functions within Very Near distance of its targets.
Clone Projection
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: astral projection, dream projection, energy doubles, energy projection, imaginary doubles, psychoplasm animation, object projection.
A variant form of energy doubles, clone projection allows its possessor to create a singular duplicate of themselves, comprised of the imaginary matter known as psychoplasm. Once this copy is created, the wielder of this ability may project his or her mind into it, and then 'drive' this avatar of themselves as if it were their own body. If blocked from such projection somehow, the psychoplasmic double is unable to act on its own.
This projected clone has the same physical and mental statistics of its creator, as well as their super-human capabilities (whether inherent or knowledge-based). It also has the same Health score, and if said score is reduced to zero, the projected clone will dissipate, the energies used to create it rent asunder. When this happens, the clone projector's mind will simply return to its normal habitat, Stunned for 1d10 turns.
The power rank of clone projection determines both how long the created duplicate will exist and how far it can wander from its creator. A projected clone can operate anywhere within Middle distance of this power's wielder, and can last for a maximum number of hours that is equal to this ability's power rank.
Color Control
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: blending, invisibility / others, light control, transduction, transmutation.
Color control is the ability to alter the hue of anything in one's environment. Surprise!
The color control power works by transforming the properties of a thing such that its coloration changes, whether it is matter or energy that is being affected. The basic nature of things altered by color control remains unchanged, though how they interact with the environment may not be. For example, a lake of blood red water might be refreshing to swim in, but most people wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.
In addition to inducing color changes, the wielder of this power can also affect the transparency of its subject. Such changes involve making a wall completely transparent or turning the air positively opaque. This opens up the possibility of performing all manner of misdirection with color control, usually because people so readily believe what their eyes tell them, instead of what their other senses are saying.
The power can even work on colors that others cannot readily see. Transforming ambient infrared light into ultraviolet light, for example, might just stymie those who can track others via infravision. Such efforts are considered to function per transduction, reducing the intensity of photonic energies by -1 CS, but otherwise allowing them to behave in the fashion that they were before being affected.
Color control automatically functions against inanimate matter and energy, regardless of either its material strength or intensity. Using this power against living targets requires an Agility (dex) ACTION, however, as they are allowed to avoid the effect with defensive maneuvers such as a dodge. Mind you, those with resistance to metabolic attacks can apply such against the use of this power.
The difficulty of changing something's color depends on how complicated a change one wishes to induce. Singular color changes (making an object neon pink) requires a green power ACTION, while introducing multiple color changes (making a tie-dye shirt without the dye) necessitates a yellow ACTION, and intricate alterations of color (giving oneself 'natural' eye shadow) would demand a red power ACTION.
The duration of a color change is determined with a second power ACTION, made after a change is successfully completed. A white ACTION makes a color change last for 1d10 turns, while a green ACTION will allow it to last for a number of turns equal to the color control power rank number. Yellow duration ACTIONs extend this amount of time to a like number of minutes, while a red duration ACTION expands the time involved to that many hours.
Though in the case of inanimate objects, red results can generally be considered permanent in nature.
Color control operates within Near distance of its wielder.
Corrosion
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: barbs, battle tail, catalysis, claws, disintegration, horns, poison, quills, razor skin, rotting.
Corrosion is the ability to induce rapid degradation in the chemical structure of primarily inorganic matter. This can work through a variety of mechanisms, the end result being damage to or the destruction of such substances. Matter affected by corrosion, whether living or dead before the power is used on it, will show signs of advanced wear. Metals will rust, paint will fade, and so on.
Against living entities comprised of such matter, this ability will cause power rank SD Metabolic damage, which its targets may avoid by preventing physical contact (it requires such to function). When used against unliving substances (which is usually the vast majority of the time), whether glass or steel or uranium, this ability will destroy them if they fail a material strength check against this power's rank.
This power can be avoided with resistance to metabolic attacks - or just resistance to rotting or corrosion. Corrosion inflicts -3 CS damage against organic targets (it works, just less effectively). On the other hand, it is less limited when used on organic substances that have been heavily processed in some fashion. Plastics are such a material, and corrosion can affect them at a mere -1 CS.
Cyclone
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: gliding, levitation, telekinesis, vapor animation.
Upon activating cyclone, a character spins the air (or any other matter) in their immediate vicinity at reckless speeds. Though he or she stands at the eye of this artificial whirlwind, and is at no risk from it at all, the area around someone using cyclone is subject to intense destruction. Loose objects will easily fly into the character's whirling matter stream, and anyone touching them will take considerable damage.
An aversive power more than anything else, cyclone does not provide direct protection from injury like body armor or a force field. However, it does reduce the intensity of incoming damage slightly, offering 1 CS of damage reduction against all physical and energy attacks. The true defense that cyclone offers, though, is that it readily discourages others from closing into melee range of its creator.
Anyone adjacent to a character wielding cyclone will suffer power rank Blunt Attack, Edged Attack, or Force damage, depending on what, if anything, is suspended within their whirlwind at any given moment. This damage can be used in either a passive (against anyone entering the cyclone generator's personal space) or an active (by walking into someone or something and chipping away at them) fashion.
The materials one can draw into a cyclone are generally somewhat small. Normally, it can support objects with a maximum weight equal, in grams, to its power rank number. Even at a relatively low rank, cyclone can readily pick up enough refuse to scour an area, ranging from dirt to pebbles to glass to needles to anything else scattered about. Such material in an area is usually drawn into a cyclone if remotely unsecured.
On the other hand, the wielder of a cyclone can expel the items floating around him or her as a devastating attack on everyone within their current area. Such items will fly out at considerable velocity, inflicting damage equal to either the cyclone ability's power rank or the material strength of the items in question - whichever is less. Carrying thrown weapons for such purposes can be particularly deadly.
D
Density Control / Others
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance plus 1d10 turns
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: density control / self, gravity control.
Wielding this ability, a character may alter the density of other individuals or objects, either by increasing or decreasing their effective mass - all while retaining their volume. Contact is not required to achieve this effect, but targets of this ability are allowed an ACTION roll to resist unless, of course, they're willing. This is an Endurance (res) ACTION for living targets, or an MS check regarding inanimate objects.
Increasing the density of a person or object increases its weight by a multiple equal to this power's rank number. Weapons may become too heavy to lift or hold, while individuals will find themselves pinned down by their own, sudden bonus weight. A living entity must pass an Endurance (res) ACTION roll to remain conscious in the face of their increased density, the failure of which prompts a second ACTION - against a Kill result.
Even if one can remain conscious under their staggeringly increased weight, movement may be impossible. This is because, to even move, one must pass a Strength (vigor) ACTION roll against their bolstered weight. This ACTION must be passed every turn the target is subjected to increased density if said target wishes to move at all. On the plus side, a higher density gives the target power rank body armor for the duration.
Decreasing the density of a person or object can be resisted in the same manner as a density increase - with an Endurance (res) or MS check against this ability's intensity. Failure causes the target to lose a percentage of their total weight that is equal to this power's rank number. An Unearthly (100) rank density control / others power can render things weightless, while greater ranks can cause them to float off!
Persons in a state of lesser density can move easier than normal, though with a negative mass they have the problem of drifting away. Similarly, such characters are far more susceptible to Slam results, rolling against the density control / others rank or the actual attack rank that scored one to resist such, whichever of the two is higher.
Density manipulations (either way) last for 1d10 turns after the ability is no longer maintained, and can work on anything within Near distance of its wielder.
Device Generation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 2 points per rank
Related Powers: aggregation, device sympathy, disintegration, eidetic memory, kit-bashing, matter duplication, matter generation, nanotechnology generation, object sympathy, organic circuitry, organism generation, super invention.
A specialized form of matter generation, device generation gives its wielder the ability to spontaneously create, from seeming nothingness, a vast array of electronic and/or mechanical implements. Said implements are built using ambient subatomic particles, which permeate the environment around oneself in limitless numbers. The trick is that one can only generate so much material with each use of this incredible ability.
Device generation can create mass equal to its power rank, in pounds, each turn. Building something larger requires that one spend more than a single turn generating the desired object. For example, Incredible (40) ranked device generation can produce forty pounds of gear per turn. To make something that weighs two hundred pounds, that Incredible device generation would have to spend five full turns creating it.
Spontaneously generating devices is extremely stressful on the body. Wielding this power costs its possessor one Health point each turn it is used, Health that must then be recovered normally. This strain can be alleviated entirely with the use of the disintegration power, using it to transform external matter into fuel for device generation to bypass the staggering physical costs involved.
This power differs from standard matter generation in that it cannot produce matter willy-nilly; anything it creates has to come in the form of memorized patterns, technological matter that can be used in some fashion. In other words, the possessor of device generation can create a pair of handcuffs or a laser blaster with it, but they must commit designs for the components involved to memory first.
One can recall a number of distinct designs that is equal to their Reason (mem) score. Furthermore, the components of a sufficiently complicated device may actually require the memorization of multiple designs; a robot's 'brain' may necessitate one design, while its frame and moving parts require another, each kind of sensor consumes yet another, and any weapons involved might take even more.
One strategy to work within this system may involve developing common parts for the power to make use of, saving design 'space'.
Once a character has memorized his or her maximum amount of design patterns, they must either raise their Reason (mem) score or forget older designs to acquire more. The latter option is often the easiest, as not everyone can get smarter on demand. Of course, if one acquires the eidetic memory power during character generation (or at a later point), they can bypass this restriction on design memorization entirely.
When creating a device, the wielder of this power must first pass an ACTION roll of a difficulty determined by the form of materials they are generating. Devices made from a simple elemental material or alloy (such as chrome or bronze) require a green ACTION roll, while yellow ACTIONs are necessary when producing complex chemical compounds or artificial elemental material (such as semiconductors or bohrium).
A red power ACTION is only required when attempting to generate items out of fictional elements or compounds - these are most often materials that are campaign specific, or exist only within one's preferred fictional setting (things like Promethium, which is also a real element, but has fantastic fictional variants). Generating items out of such substances is incredibly hard, but not entirely impossible.
The amount of time such spontaneously generated devices persist is determined by a second ACTION roll, made after an initial success. A white ACTION makes it last for a number of turns equal to this power rank number, a green ACTION lets a device exist for a number of minutes equal to this power rank number, and a yellow ACTION allows an item to persist for a number of hours equal to this power's rank number.
Finally, a red power ACTION creates devices from nowhere that last indefinitely.
Device generation functions within Very Near distance of its wielder, and then only within one's direct line-of-sight. Wielding this power at Unearthly (100) ability, for example, would allow its possessor to generate matter anywhere within 100 yards of their person - assuming nothing lies between them and where they would like to create it. Created items have no inherent velocity, but gravity definitely affects them immediately.
Typically, a 'to hit' roll is not necessary when wielding this ability - it just makes something, approximately where one would like it to manifest. However, if one is attempting to create matter in a fashion that is opposed somehow, such as generating an armed stun grenade over someone's head, an Agility roll is required. Targets who are aware of such attempts may do everything in their power to avoid them.
Device generation is a bit expensive, but may be taken with a variety of limitations to reduce its cost somewhat - on top of those that are already indicated above, that is. One can easily limit it by reducing the kinds of materials it can generate; curtailing device generation to one kind of material (wood, plastic) is a weak limitation, while reducing it to a specific substance (ice, ytterbium) is a strong limitation.
Similarly, allowing a body to only build one item with this power - perhaps a trusty accessory - counts as a very strong limitation, extreme if it can only be made out of one substance, as well. Finally, removing permanence from the power also counts as a weak limitation; this reduces a red ACTION roll to a duration equal to the power rank number in days. This is still quite a while, but can be inconvenient nonetheless.
Device Sympathy
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: animal sympathy, computer link, device generation, jury rigging, kit-bashing, linguistics, plant sympathy, object sympathy, organic circuitry, super invention, technical intuition, technological sense.
Device sympathy is the ability to mentally communicate with non-sentient artificial devices. One can usually tell whether or not this power will work on a given item by the presence or absence of a Karma score - Karma denotes free will, the presence of a soul, and all that business. The target of this power, then, can include anything from a wristwatch to a smartphone, though the more complex it is, the better.
Mentally communicating with items driven by complex electronics (personal computer, industrial robot) requires a green power ACTION, devices controlled by simpler electronics need a yellow ACTION roll (digital alarm clock, stun gun), and machines that are mechanically programmed but lack electronics (player piano, music box) can be spoken with on a red device sympathy ACTION.
In many ways, this power is similar to object sympathy. Both interact with non-living objects and materials, after all, which means one must work with the personality (such as it is) of an item to squeeze any information out of it. On the plus side, the items this power can speak to generally enjoy being used - function follows form, after all!
Thus, it's usually not all that hard to redirect a conversation with a wristwatch from telling the time to, say, describing unique details about its surroundings a few hours ago. This still requires at least a little bit of clever role play, however, lest one wind up with a chatty wristwatch going on and on about how it kept its owner on schedule for years!
Generally, one must be within Near range of a device to communicate with it in this fashion, though handling a device, or even wielding it, may offer the best results.
Disintegration
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 2 points per rank
Related Powers: corrosion, device generation, matter generation, object weakening, organism generation, nanotechnology generation, rotting.
Disintegration is the ability to transform matter into energy, and to subsequently disperse that energy into the environment - utterly destroying it in the process. This is easiest against inanimate matter, as it (rarely) fights back against a disintegrator. In practice, the possessor of this power may disintegrate an amount of matter, in pounds, equal to its power rank number squared each turn.
Disintegration functions within Near distance of its wielder. When this ability is first acquired, the player may alter the mass limit or the range of the power, raising one by +1 CS by lowering the other by -1 CS, within an overall limit of 6 CS in either direction. This allows one to either disintegrate small amounts of matter at a ludicrous range or to eliminate large masses at a very close distance... or anywhere in-between.
Wielding this ability against inanimate matter is a relatively simple process, only requiring an ACTION roll if one attempts to disintegrate an amount of matter in any one instance that is close to their weight limit. Animate targets are a bit trickier, however. For one thing, they can move to avoid the power's effect entirely. A disintegration beam is easy to avoid, as it eliminates all gaseous matter between its wielder and the target.
Unless used in a vacuum, this will create a highly visible energy trail.
The other difference when using this power on living matter is that its mass isn't what limits its effects, so much as the Health score of its target. Disintegration will inflict power rank Metabolic damage against its target, which may or may not be enough to vanish them in just one shot. However, even one point of disintegration damage is considered a lethal attack, and the victim must make a Kill check against its intensity.
Surviving such an attack means that the disintegrated matter was spaced evenly across one's volume, but the more one suffers such assaults, the faster their structural integrity will fail. Once one's Health and Negative Health are destroyed in this manner, whether by Endurance loss due to successful Kill results or simply by multiple successful applications of damage, the target is vaporized.
Disintegration can be readily resisted by force fields, which prevent the disintegration beam from contacting the target matter - even if only at a strength of Feeble (2). Similarly, resistance to Energy or Metabolic damage (or perhaps disintegration in particular) will blunt or potentially neutralize disintegration effects entirely. This on top of the ability to dodge a disintegration beam, that is.
E
Energy Doubles
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 2 points per rank
Related Powers: body doubles, imaginary doubles, mental doubles, mental link, sensory link.
An energy double is a duplicate of oneself the possessor of this ability can spontaneously generate. These doubles are constructed from an imaginary form of matter known as psychoplasm, which is similar to the 'stuff' of the astral plane in nature. This material is psi-active in behavior, and readily accepts the imprinting of parts of one's own personality onto it, thus allowing these duplicates to generally do their creator's bidding.
Whether or not they're paying attention to such duplicates... or even conscious.
Energy doubles may or may not precisely match their creator's appearance, but generally all look the same. The principal ability of such duplicates is their knack for intangibility; an energy double may render itself immaterial at will, being comprised of imaginary matter. This can be done to pass through obstacles or to avoid attacks, as long as they are not of a Sorcerous, Karmic, or Deionic nature.
Energy doubles, when coherent, may attack physically as if they possessed ability scores equal to their creator's. Similarly, while tangible, an energy double can share its experiences with those it touches (or who touch it), relaying sensory input it has experienced thanks to the properties of its psychoplasmic makeup. But other than that, they possess no further inherent abilities - unless specifically assigned such.
During character creation, one can place their generated powers (or points) in their energy doubles instead, giving them abilities ranging from flight to energy blasts to anything else that fits their concept, really. Similarly, energy doubles can manifest 'new' powers at a later date, the Karma cost for a new power being paid normally, but the power itself being granted to the energy doubles instead of their creator.
The wielder of this ability can typically generate more than one energy double at any given time. For each rank one has in this ability, they may generate an additional double. Wielding this power at Feeble (2) rank only allows for one, while a character with Excellent (20) ranked energy doubles could simultaneously generate five. The only problem with creating several doubles is keeping track of all their personalities.
A curious side effect of this ability is that different doubles tend to reflect different portions of one's personality - one might be especially surly while another may be a consummate practical joker. Furthermore, these supposedly transient personalities tend to persist. One might generate three energy doubles, only to find their three different personalities are consistent from one use of the power to the next, over time.
Unless destroyed, that is. Energy doubles can be defeated despite their ability to become intangible - much less any other special abilities they have access to. Their Health score is equal to that of their creator's (as are all their other physical characteristics), and if reduced to zero points they may well discorporate if not reabsorbed back into one's body. If this happens, the 'mind' of such a double is gone forever.
Oddly, this has no deleterious effect on their creator, aside from potential guilt at the prospect.
Even if undamaged, energy doubles have a finite shelf life. Generally, they can persist in the world for a number of hours equal to the energy doubles power rank number. If they don't return to their creator to be reabsorbed before this time has elapsed, they will fade forever, as if torn apart in battle. Which is one way to get rid of a double whose negative personality traits remind oneself of their own faults too well!
F
Flaying
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: force blast, kinetic energy control, telekinesis.
Flaying is the ability to shred non-adjacent matter. Flaying works by applying a razor-like line of force along an object, slashing said object at a considerable distance from this ability's wielder. Though this is an energy-based attack, the result is that the flaying effect manifests in a distinctly physical fashion, thus inflicting power ranked Edged Attack damage to its targets.
While flaying may be utilized against any target within Near distance of its possessor, it is primarily useful against those within Very Near distance. This is because the force used by this power to slice and dice things is rapidly diffused by each object it passes through, and for each thing a flaying beam cuts on its way to its primary target, it will lose 1 CS of its overall effectiveness.
This means that whether one's target is hiding behind a brick wall, a sheet of glass, or even business attire, the force which flays will lose some of its edge once it finally comes in contact with its target. And, more distressingly, anything wandering into the path between a flayer and that which he or she would like to flay will also attenuate the damage they would inflict as it is flayed first.
Fluid Animation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: dual respiration, image animation, jelling, object animation, psychoplasm animation, reanimation, solid animation, super swimming, vapor animation.
The ability to animate fluids is the power to control the form, function, and motion of most liquid matter. Liquid matter is generally defined as material which maintains a fixed volume, if not shape, though this power also stipulates that such matter cannot be alive in any way. Any inanimate liquid can be controlled by this power, though matter suspended in a liquid medium can be indirectly manipulated in this fashion as well.
Fluid animation can be used in as coarse or as fine a fashion as is desired, anywhere within Near range of its possessor. Such manipulations are never permanent, as a liquid by its very nature will revert to a formless state once it is no longer animated. Fluid animation can impart movement onto animated liquid materials, giving them up to power rank velocity as is defined by the land/sea speed table.
The power can, at once, manipulate an amount of liquid matter that is equal to its power rank as an equivalent Strength score. It can temporarily impart an artificial material strength in fluids of a like value, allowing it to interact with and manipulate objects in the environment. Animated liquid matter will inflict its power rank in damage, of the appropriate type, with each devastating attack.
Fluid animation lends itself to the mastery of numerous power stunts. A fluid animator can learn to animate liquid matter 'minions' per the object animation power, who possess Fighting, Agility, and Health scores equal to this power rank, self-transportation by riding a 'wave' of water from one location to another, as long as at least some liquid is present in the environment, or even any of its related powers, above.
While the power can manipulate any inanimate liquid as a general matter of course, fluid animation can be restricted as desired with limitations. The more uncommon a fluid is, the more constraining being limited to such is. Water, for example, is readily available around the world for the most part, and can thus be considered a weak limitation, while something rarer (like oil) would make for at least a strong limitation.
Friction Control
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: adhesion, clinging, deflection.
The ability of friction control allows its wielder to manipulate the molecular attraction one object has for another. This allows its possessor to either make something incredibly slippery, or to alternately render it extremely sticky. This induced state, in either direction, can be represented by an intensity equal to this ability's rank, which one must perform an ACTION against to avoid being affected by it negatively.
Overcoming the stickiness induced by this power may require a Strength check against it, while avoiding losing one's grip on something due to induced slickness may take a successful Agility ACTION. Of course, friction control can be applied to oneself, allowing for a series of useful power stunts ranging from the deflection of physical attacks (they slip right off) to wall crawling (you stick to the vertical surface).
Friction control can be invoked upon any solid object within Very Near distance of its wielder, regardless of its size; if an object is larger than one's area of effect (such as the side of a skyscraper), only the surface within friction control's radius will be affected. While it can't be used upon liquids or gases directly, the effects of friction control on solid objects can alter how such materials interact with the power's target.
Finally, the effects of friction control are transient in nature; they only last for as long as they are concentrated upon.
G
Growth / Others
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: animal hybridization / others, density control / others, environmental pocket (for the target), growth / self, plant hybridization / others, shrinking / others, shrinking / self.
This curious ability is a means by which one can physically increase the volume of anything in his or her environment, living or otherwise. A character possessing it may dramatically increase the volume of a target, doing so by applying a multiplier to its current size as if the target suddenly acquired an equivalently ranked growth / self ability (which details the specifics of growth rules).
Objects can be grown with but a green roll, but unwilling targets are allowed an Endurance (res) ACTION roll to avoid the effect. The effects of growth / others lasts for a duration dependent on variables present when the power is used. To start with, a green growth / others ACTION will make it last for a number of turns equal to its power rank number; for example, an Amazing (50) rank with this skill causes it to persist for five minutes (50 turns).
A yellow growth / others roll multiplies this value by ten, meaning that Amazing (50) power will make a body grow for fifty minutes, instead of five. A red growth / others ACTION will expand the size of living entities for a number of hours equal to the rank number (fifty hours for our Amazing friend above). The latter assumes an animate target; inanimate objects are grown permanently on a red ACTION unless the grower chooses otherwise.
Or later deactivates the growth he or she subjected it to.
But how does this work? Growth is generally assumed to acquire the mass necessary to expand something's volume from an extraplanar source. This simply means there's more of the target than there was before, as this generic mass is used to fill in the blanks to expand the growing item to its new volume. This allows things subject to growth to function normally, immense size notwithstanding, in their environment.
I
Invisibility / Others
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: color control, invisibility / self, light control.
This curious ability allows a character to render objects in his or her environment invisible. Most often wielded with invisibility / self, invisibility / others can function on anything within Very Near range of the character who wields it. Non-living targets can be rendered invisible with but a green roll, but living targets are allowed an Endurance (res) ACTION roll to avoid the effect (if unwilling).
The effects of invisibility / others will last for a duration dependent on variables present when the ability is used.
A green invisibility / others ACTION will make this ability last for a number of turns equal to the power rank number; an Unearthly (100) rank with this skill causes it to last for ten minutes (100 turns). A yellow invisibility / others roll will multiply this value by ten, meaning that Unearthly (100) power, mentioned above, will make a body invisible for one hundred minutes, instead of just ten.
A red invisibility / others ACTION will render the target invisible for a number of hours equal to this ability's rank number (100 hours for our Unearthly friend above). The latter assumes an animate target; inanimate objects are made invisible permanently on a red roll unless the wielder of this ability chooses otherwise - or later deactivates the invisibility they subjected them to.
Once invisible, an object or living target is undetectable by ordinary vision (that's the whole point). The invisible can easily be tripped over or ran into, often causing considerable damage to both the invisible target and whatever runs into it - or, at the very least, poses a significant obstacle. People unaccustomed to being invisible suffer a -2 CS to their Agility for 1d10 turns, until they adjust to their new state of being.
On the plus side, they're immune to laser or light attacks for the duration.
Power stunts of invisibility / others include rendering only part of an object invisible, or rendering invisible objects in the area visible (those not made invisible by the user of this ability). The latter requires a power contest between the character's invisibility / others and the agency which rendered the object to be made visible invisible in the first place.
M
Matter Absorption
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: aggregation, assimilation, ice generation, plasma generation, super breath.
The power of matter absorption is the ability to draw large amounts of material into one's body.
One can soak up an amount of matter per turn that is equal to their power rank number in pounds, and can then store an amount of matter that is equal to their normal body weight times five. For example, a two hundred pound man with Good (10) ranked matter absorption may draw in ten pounds at a time, with a maximum storage 'tank' equal to one thousand pounds!
When absorbing matter in this fashion, it does not go anywhere to speak of - the character who absorbs matter incorporates it into their body. The amount by which his or her size changes is dependent on their size and how much matter they've absorbed, but if enough material is internalized, it may possibly curtail or even prevent movement entirely if the mass stowed away on their person exceeds their own Strength.
But what can one do with matter absorbed in this fashion, you ask?
The material internalized by this power can serve as fuel for other super-human capabilities, for one thing. It can also be expelled with power rank force, causing damage appropriate to its type (generally Force or Blunt Attack, depending) by firing off an amount of matter equal to that which one can absorb in a single turn. Or one might simply need a whole lot of a given material, and may wish to collect it in a single location.
The materials to be absorbed by this power must be in physical contact with its possessor. Thus, to use it against a living being, one must naturally touch them! On contact, the power will inflict up to its power rank in Metabolic damage as it siphons off whatever matter an absorber is trying to internalize - the specific amount dependent on how much of whatever the matter absorber's target is present in the body.
When it is first acquired, matter absorption can be limited somewhat, if desired. The power can be curtailed such that it only works on a certain type of matter (liquids, solids, et cetera.) as a weak limitation, a specific substance in any state (water, in either a solid, liquid, or gaseous form) as a strong limitation, or even a specific substance in a specific state (hydrogen gas) as a very strong limitation.
Matter Duplication
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 2 points per rank
Related Powers: aggregation, body doubles, device generation, disintegration, matter generation, organism generation.
The power to duplicate matter is the ability to create a replica of extant matter. Upon being presented with something, the possessor of this power has the option to create a copy of whatever it happens to be. This 'something' can be in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state, may be one object or many, active or inert, or even living! The power cares not, but the exact precision with which it works is somewhat variable.
When presented with something to replicate, the possessor of matter duplication may roll a power ACTION if he or she wishes to use it on the proffered material(s). As long as this ACTION roll is at least green in hue, the power can precisely copy the physical structure of the object(s) or substance(s) before its wielder, which makes it great for the purposes of mass production - or counterfeiting.
But the physical structure of a material is not necessarily all that makes it what it is. A computer, for instance, has a variety of energy states active within it at any given point, particularly in its data storage medium. Alternately, an ice cube is very cold - copying one without replicating its temperature would cause the duplicate cube to melt instantly. Duplicating energy state(s) requires a yellow power ACTION roll.
Finally, the characteristics of some materials appear to defy logic... or at least conventional physics as we know it. Such materials are usually campaign-specific metals and substances, and are often magical, psi-active, or deionic in nature (or a mix of these three qualities). Duplicating the metaphysical profiles of such things (above and beyond their mere atomic structure) requires a successful red power ACTION.
When copying material, matter duplication can only produce so much at a given point in time. It may produce, per turn, an amount of matter equal to its power rank in pounds. If one wishes to duplicate an object of larger mass, they must use the power for multiple turns, spending the appropriate amount of time to manifest a singular object if its weight exceeds their per-turn matter duplication limit when necessary.
As is the case with other matter generating powers, the use of matter duplication is stressful on the body. Each turn the power is active, it will cost its possessor one Health point, damage which must be healed in whatever fashion is normal for the character. This because weaving matter from the ambient subatomic particles in one's environment is an incredibly difficult task to perform, even under optimal conditions.
How long a duplicate lasts can be determined with a second power ACTION, made after matter has been replicated by this power. A white ACTION makes it last for a number of turns equal to this power's rank number, a green ACTION lets a duplication exist for a number of minutes equal to this power rank number, and a yellow ACTION allows a duplicate to persist for a number of hours equal to this power's rank number.
Finally, a red ACTION roll made after a duplication is completed will allow a copy this power has made to exist indefinitely.
Matter Generation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous (unless building particularly large items)
Cost: 3 points per rank
Related Powers: aggregation, antimatter, device generation, disintegration, eidetic memory, matter duplication, nanotechnology generation, object sympathy, organic circuitry, organism generation, radiation generation, super invention, transmutation.
The highly versatile ability of matter generation allows its possessor to create a wide variety of items, from a wide variety of materials, at will. Such items are manufactured using ambient subatomic particles, countless numbers of which permeate the environment around oneself at any given moment in time. The trick is that one can only generate one item with each use of this incredible ability.
One can generate an amount of mass that is equal to their power rank, in pounds, each turn. If one wishes to construct something larger, they must spend more than one turn generating it. For example, a character with Excellent (20) ranked matter generation can produce twenty pounds of material per turn. To make something that weighs one hundred pounds, they would have to spend five full turns creating it.
The other thing to keep in mind is that generating matter is extremely stressful on one's body. Wielding this power will cost a character one Health point each turn it is used, Health that must then be recovered normally. This strain can be alleviated entirely with the use of the disintegration power, using it to transform external matter into fuel for matter generation to bypass the extreme physical costs involved.
The amount of time such spontaneously generated matter will persist depends on variables present when the power is used. A white ACTION makes it last for a number of turns equal to this power's rank number, a green ACTION lets a substance exist for a number of minutes equal to this power rank number, and a yellow ACTION allows an object to persist for a number of hours equal to this power's rank number.
Finally, a red power ACTION creates matter from nowhere that lasts indefinitely.
Matter generation functions within Very Near distance of its wielder, and then only within his or her direct line-of-sight. Wielding this power at Remarkable (30) ability, for example, allows its possessor to generate matter anywhere within 30 yards of their person - assuming nothing lies between them and where they would like to create it. Such items have no inherent velocity, but gravity definitely affects them immediately.
When creating matter with this ability, one can generate general shapes easily. However, creating (and recreating) specialized items with specific characteristics requires memorizing said properties and measurements. One can recall an amount of particular designs that is equal to their Reason (mem) score. Remembering more requires one to forget an older design, though the eidetic memory power bypasses this limitation.
Typically, a 'to hit' roll is not required when wielding this ability - it just makes something, approximately where one would like it to manifest. However, if attempting to create matter in a fashion that is opposed somehow, such as generating sudden cement shoes on someone trying to run away, an Agility roll is required. Targets who are aware of such attempts may do everything in their power to avoid them.
The materials one can generate an item out of are generally unlimited, but the more complicated they are, the more difficult a power ACTION is required when the item is created. A simple elemental material or molecular compound (such as iron or bronze) requires a green ACTION roll. Yellow ACTIONs are necessary when producing complex chemical compounds or artificial elemental material (such as buckyballs or mendelevium).
A red power ACTION is only required when attempting to generate items out of fictional elements or compounds - these are most often materials that are campaign specific, or exist only within one's preferred fictional setting (things like Unobtainium, featured in several different motion pictures, for instance). Generating items out of such substances is incredibly hard, but not entirely impossible.
Matter generation is an expensive power, but may be taken with a variety of limitations to reduce that cost somewhat - on top of those that are already indicated above, that is. One can easily limit it by reducing the kinds of matter it can generate; limiting matter generation to one kind of material (metals, stone) is a weak limitation, while reducing it to a specific substance (titanium, or uranium) is a strong limitation.
Similarly, allowing a body to only build one item with this power - perhaps a trusty weapon or some such - counts as a very strong limitation, extreme if it can only be made out of one substance, as well. Finally, removing permanence from the power also counts as a weak limitation; this reduces a red ACTION roll to a duration equal to the power rank number in days. This is still quite a while, but can be inconvenient nonetheless.
O
Object Animation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: while maintained (for each animated object)
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: fluid animation, image animation, object projection, platforming, reanimation, solid animation, telekinesis, topological control, vapor animation.
Object animation allows a character to temporarily imbue an inanimate object with spectral energies, giving it a strange semblance of life. Objects so imbued become animate, and are under the direct control of their animator. An animator may imbue any object within Near distance with 'life' - but once an object is activated, the animator can continue to control it as long as it is within his or her line-of-sight.
Objects to be animated must have a material strength equal to or less than the object animation rank; animating a diamond ring is more difficult than animating a refrigerator. Furthermore, they must be of a weight equal to or less than this rank as if it were an equivalent Strength score. A Remarkable (30) ranked animation ability, then, can bring 'life' to any object of up to one ton in weight.
Other than that, the only limitation on object animation is the object itself. The nature of object animation requires that an object to be animated function and move in a manner that is consistent with its design (if applicable). Ropes will slink and slither, chairs will walk on their legs, balls and boulders will roll, that sort of thing. This can be somewhat subjective, depending on the item in question.
Animated objects function as if they had a Fighting and Agility score equal to this rank, while the damage they can inflict (if any) will be determined by either the objects' material strength or this power rank (whichever is lower). A character may animate any number of objects at once, though they can only concentrate on directly commanding one animated object with finesse at any given moment.
Object Hardening
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous, though short maintenance can improve the effect further
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: kinetic focus, object charge, object weakening, telekinesis.
Wielding the ability of object hardening, a character can rapidly and drastically improve the material strength of one or more items. In practice, object hardening will instantly increase the MS of anything it is focused upon to a minimum of its power rank - or its own MS +1 CS, if that would be higher. Each additional turn the power is used on an item can boost its MS a further +1 CS, up to a practical ceiling of Class 5000.
The duration an item is hardened for depends on variables present when the ability is used.
White duration ACTIONs indicate a hardening that lasts for but 1d10 turns. A green ACTION allows an object to remain hardened for a number of turns equal to the power rank number; an Excellent (20) rank with this ability causes it to last for two minutes (twenty turns). A yellow roll will multiply this value by ten, meaning that Excellent (20) power mentioned above will harden an item for twenty minutes, instead of just two.
A red object hardening ACTION will stiffen the target for a number of hours equal to this ability's rank number (20 hours for our Excellent friend above). The latter assumes an animate target; inanimate objects are permanently hardened on a red roll unless the wielder of this ability chooses otherwise - or later deactivates the enhanced material strength he or she provided it.
The problem with hardening a living being, though, is that it makes movement for them much more difficult. Each +1 CS of hardening applied to one's body reduces their Agility and Strength by -1 CS, until movement is rendered impossible at Shift 0 levels. Inflicting hardening upon an unwilling target requires defeating their Endurance (res) score first, but can be a great way to easily take someone out of a fight.
Mind you, hardening just a part of a person (including one's own bits) allows them to inflict +1 CS Blunt Attack damage with it!
Object hardening can be wielded against any objects within Very Near distance of its possessor.
Object Sympathy
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: animal sympathy, atomic sense, device generation, device sympathy, energy sense, environmental sense, matter generation, object projection, plant sympathy, technical intuition, technological sense, telekinesis, topological control, transmutation.
Object sympathy is the power to mentally communicate with inanimate matter. Inanimate matter includes pristine mass untouched by mankind, formerly living materials, or even passive objects of any stripe. As long as an object or mass cannot operate under its own power, and cannot be defined as alive by any means, object sympathy may be used to communicate with it.
This ability facilitates communications with the matter involved by attuning one's consciousness to it. Object sympathy is similar to psychometry in that both abilities allow a conversation of sorts between the wielder of the power and the item to be queried, but differs in that one cannot really gain complex information with it. This is because they are working with the item itself, not psychic residue left on it by others.
This assumes one can get past the very nature of an object to communicate with it - the simpler an item is, the harder it is to dredge information from. Complicated artificial objects (clothing, safes) can be spoken to with a green power ACTION, relatively simple manufactured items (swords, tools) will talk on a yellow ACTION, and natural items (bones, branches, rock) only release information on a red power ACTION.
Once communication is established, items communicated with via object sympathy will display a surprising amount of personality for inanimate objects. They may well take pride in their usage, and will expound on it in great detail. This intense personality comes at a price, however. An axe may be exuberant about chopping down trees, but it will have little information about anything else that has occurred in its vicinity.
For example, consider a meeting between two spies that takes place near the axe mentioned above. The axe simply didn't ponder such a meeting enough to pay very much attention. And why would it? Those spies weren't cutting wood or each other, much less with it, so who cares? This is the inherent difficulty when using this ability. It'll know about its owner, and perhaps its function - but most everything else is irrelevant.
Convincing an item to shed data only tangentially related to its function may require careful role play - and even then, may only be vaguely useful. But ask that old, broken down television about the good times it used to have watching I Love Lucy ™, and you may be in for a long, long talk!
Generally, one must be within Near range of an object to communicate with it in this fashion, though handling something offers the best results.
Object Weakening
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: corrosion, disintegration, object charge, object hardening, rotting, telekinesis.
The opposite of object hardening, object weakening reduces the effective material strength of an object. Every turn this ability is applied to an object, its effective MS will sink by -1 CS, to a bottom rank of Feeble (2). When the power is no longer concentrated on the item in question, it will recover +1 CS of its lost MS each subsequent turn, until it returns to a normal state.
Assuming, of course, it isn't broken in the meantime. If it is, the item will eventually recover its previous MS, though it may be in a different condition than before object weakening was applied (i.e., in several more pieces, or perhaps with a huge hole in it). Object weakening can only be used on items within Very Near distance of its possessor - as long as there are no intervening objects between the target and this power.
Q
Quarantine
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: between, dimensional transit.
By invoking the quarantine power, its possessor can act to corral something away from the rest of the multiverse! This usually involves shunting the target into a transitory, dimensionless plane - effectively putting it in stasis. The quarantined being or thing is effectively isolated from anything else in the six conventional dimensions, and cannot interact with them in any way whatsoever!
This is not banishment, however; quarantine is impermanent, incapable of kicking anything out of reality. The effect only lasts as long as its wielder can actively maintain a quarantine. A mere green power ACTION is all that is needed to quarantine something, though a living target is allowed a Psyche (will) ACTION roll to resist being shunted... elsewhere. Unless they're inexplicably willing, that is.
S
Shrinking / Others
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: animal hybridization / others, density control / others, environmental pocket (for the target), growth / others, growth / self, plant hybridization / others, shrinking / self.
This curious ability is a means by which one can physically decrease the size of any target in his or her environment, living or otherwise. The character possessing it has the ability to reduce the volume of their target, doing so by applying a multiplier to its current size as if the target suddenly acquired an equivalently ranked shrinking / self ability (which details the specifics of shrinking rules).
Non-living targets can be shrank on a green roll, but living targets are allowed an Endurance (res) ACTION roll to avoid the effect (if unwilling). The effects of shrinking / others will last for a duration dependent on variables present when the power is used.
A green shrinking / others ACTION will cause the effect to last for a number of turns equal to the power rank number, a yellow shrinking / others roll will do so for a like number of minutes, and a red shrinking / others ACTION will contract the size of living entities for a number of hours equal to the rank number. The latter assumes an animate target; inanimate objects are shrank permanently unless the shrinker chooses otherwise.
Or later deactivates the shrinking they subjected it to, at any rate.
But how does this work? The standard explanation for shrinking is that its wielder stores the mass necessary to contract their target's volume in an extradimensional space of some sort. This simply means there's less of it than there was before, as its mass is stowed away to reduce the shrinking target to its new volume. This allows a shrunken character to function normally, tiny size notwithstanding, in their environment.
The loss of mass and atoms will not be readily apparent at first, at least until a character is reduced by Class 1000 shrinking, at which point their very form becomes simpler as far fewer molecules are left to represent it. At Class 5000 rank, the character will consist of a single remaining particle, and further shrinking will blip them off into a random femtoverse, a subatomic space where physics may be bizarre indeed.
Solid Animation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: environmental sense, fluid animation, image animation, object animation, platforming, psychoplasm animation, reanimation, reformation, super digging, telereformation, temperature control, vapor animation, vibration control.
The ability to animate solids is the power to control the form, function, and motion of most solid matter. This is generally defined as material which maintains a fixed volume and shape, though such matter cannot be alive, nor be unprocessed deceased matter. Thus, one could manipulate a street or a rock or the very surface of the earth, but not a tree, a dead dog, or your human resources representative.
Solid animation can be used in as coarse or as fine a fashion as is desired, anywhere within Near range of its possessor. Such manipulations are permanent in nature, unless reversed either by those who made them or others with this or similar powers. Solid animation can impart movement onto animated solid materials, giving them up to power rank velocity, as is defined by the land/sea speed table.
The power can, at once, manipulate an amount of solid matter that is equal to its power rank as an equivalent Strength score. It must overcome the material strength of solid matter it is intended to control, though such is retained even after being reshaped (barring changes in thickness). Animated solid matter will inflict its power rank in damage, of the appropriate type, with each devastating attack.
Solid animation lends itself to the mastery of numerous power stunts. A solid animator can learn to animate solid matter 'minions' per the object animation power, who possess Fighting, Agility, and Health scores equal to this power rank, self-transportation by riding a 'wave' of earth from one location to another, regardless of the ensuing property damage, or even any of its related powers, listed above.
T
Technical Intuition
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: computer link, device sympathy, jury rigging, kit-bashing, object projection, object sympathy, technological sense, transception.
This ability represents an inherent knack for understanding how devices work. The character wielding this power may not grasp the scientific principles behind such, but can easily suss out what makes an item function - and how to make that happen. Thus, technical intuition is a great way to determine how to operate anything, whether it be a Colt ™ 1911A1 handgun or an alien hyperdrive unit.
Just by handling a device, the character with technical intuition can infer how to use it. It can be electromechanical, or even be a thing made or empowered by psionic or magical means; its origin is irrelevant. They will also be able to sense any sort of booby traps or safeguards set against unwanted use, and can bypass these with a successful power ACTION roll against the intensity of the security mechanism.
Topological Control
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 3 points per rank
Related Powers: animal hybridization / others, gestalting, object animation, object projection, object sympathy, plant hybridization / others, platforming, shape change, transformation / others, transmutation.
Characters may use this ability to alter the very shape of an object. This is similar to the solid animation power, but can affect anything - living or otherwise. It works automatically on inanimate objects, but something that is alive (or at the very least mobile) requires a to-hit roll on the part of this ability's wielder. Topological control may be opposed by resistance to either energy or warping attacks.
Topological control does not alter the strength of a material, at least as far as its molecular structure is concerned. If something is shaped to extremes it may not have the same effective MS, however. Instances of such include stretching a boulder until it is paper thin, or alternately compacting the concrete on a city street into a massive lump.
The actual difficulty of morphing one object into another depends on how complex the end result is. Making simple objects or just stretching an object like taffy requires a green ACTION. An example of a green ACTION roll would be warping a light pole until it wrapped around a foe, holding them in place. While the shape of the light pole has changed, it's essential function and homeomorphism has not. It may even still work!
Reshaping matter into complicated shapes, or altering the homeomorphism of one or more items requires a yellow ACTION. For example, imagine that light pole instead being morphed into a ladder. This is a much more serious change to the object, as it now has several holes (its homeomorphism has been altered). Whether or not the light at the top still functions (or if it has become two, or is still there) is up for debate.
Finally, a red ACTION is necessary when forming very intricate or moving items, or when radically altering the nature of something's form. Such changes may involve transforming that light pole into moving clockwork machinery, or concocting an internal combustion engine from piles of scrap metal. Such actions also include any drastic change to the configuration of living entities.
The latter is because topological control, by its very nature, will preserve the functions of a living being as its topology is shifted. Thus, keeping a human being alive when warping their body into the shape of a portable toilet requires a lot of finesse - and serious knowledge of how biological systems actually work. Warping such into a table or dog is much simpler, relatively speaking, and thus requires a lesser ACTION roll.
Topological control can alter an amount of matter equal to an equivalent Strength score each turn, doing so within Near distance.
Generally, changes to an inanimate object wrought with topological control are permanent, unless reversed by the perpetrator. This requires no ACTION roll unless the object has been altered (whether by accident or design) since they themselves changed it. Alterations to living beings last for a number of turns equal to the topological control rank - unless its wielder specifically concentrates on maintaining them longer.
Then, it can last until the topological controller releases their hold on the altered living being, at which point its morphic resonance will restore it to normal. While being reshaped by topological control does not cause physical damage to a target, strictly speaking, the target's mind may be damaged by sadistic use of this power. Being abused by this ability can lead to the development of strange phobias and other quirks!
Transmutation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: special
Cost: 3 points per rank
Related Powers: aggregation, catalysis, color control, environmental pocket, matter generation, object sympathy, organism generation, radiation control, topological control, transformation / others, transformation / self.
Transmutation is the ability to alter the very molecular structure of a material. A transmuter may take any substance, regardless of its chemical composition, and transform it into another of his or her choosing. This new chemical structure may consist of pure elemental matter, simple or complex chemical compounds, or even artificial and/or fictional substances seemingly in defiance of known science!
A green transmutation ACTION roll is typically required for somewhat easy transformations. They are most often called for when changing a substance into relatively simple materials comprised of natural elements. This can include anything from pure elemental materials (like gold or hydrogen) to common chemical compounds (like water or carbon dioxide). Green ACTIONs can only produce one chemical outcome at a time.
More complicated actions with transmutation generally require a yellow ACTION roll. This involves the production of materials that incorporate artificial elements (such as americium), as well as more complicated chemical compounds (such as sugar). A yellow ACTION is also needed when producing two substances simultaneously (such as a solution of one material suspended within another, like salt water).
Extremely complex transmutations require a red power ACTION. These involve transformations related to 'fictional' materials (those which exist solely in the current game campaign) or are incredibly complicated in nature (anything from nanomaterials to strands of deoxyribonucleic acid). Red ACTIONs also cover instances of transmuting more than two ingredients at once (like the formula for Red Bull ™).
The character with transmutation may transmute an amount of material equal, in pounds, to their rank number each turn, and do so on mass within Near range.
It's important to keep the basic properties of matter in mind when using this ability. Transforming five hundred pounds of scrap metal into oxygen is an easy way to blow up the joint, as that much unpressurized air won't stay in a volume the size of a pile of scrap metal for long. Similarly, changing all the air in a room into lead is a great way to neutralize a bunch of targets - and yourself, if you lack environmental independence!
Transmutation is generally permanent when used on inanimate objects, assuming its wielder can make the proper ACTION roll for the complexity of the desired change in their composition. On the other hand, living beings can only be transmuted if the wielder of this ability can successfully target them (or alternately, overcome their resistance to metabolic attacks if they have that).
The effects of transmutation on the living last for a duration dependent on variables present when the ability is used. A green transmutation ACTION will make this ability last for a number of turns equal to the power rank number; a Remarkable (30) rank with this skill causes it to last for three minutes (30 turns). A yellow transmutation roll will change a target for a number of minutes equal to its rank number.
A red transmutation ACTION will change the target's molecular structure for a number of hours equal to this ability's rank number (thirty hours for our Remarkable (30) ranked friend, above). The latter assumes an unwilling target; if a target is willing to be transmuted for some reason (possibly to stave off imminent death), they can be transmuted permanently - at least, until the transmuter reverses the change they've wrought.
Transmutation can easily be limited by constraining its potential output. Limiting transmutation to converting things into only one kind of substance (metals or liquids, for instance) is considered a weak limitation (+1 CS or -3 points), while restraining it to changing things into just one specific material (like the old-time alchemists' favorite, gold) would be a strong limitation (+2 CS or -6 points).
Speaking of gold, a strong consideration regarding transmutation is its potential effects on the character's wealth - and by proxy, the economy around them. Transmutation is an easy way to justify one's current Resources rank, much less any increases in such. This assumes that the character is working intelligently with their mammoth financial power, making wise investments to hide the fact that they're literally making money.
Such 'intelligent' work assumes the character is spending Karma on raising their Resources. If such Karma is not paid, people will eventually take notice of the fact that they're flooding world markets with gold or diamonds or iridium or whatever. Such notice may come in the form of a visit from a suspicious IRS agent, or perhaps some sort of cartel or syndicate who doesn't like their new competition at all.
As with unaccounted for devices and powers, ill-gotten Resources gains are subject to the vagaries of Plot.
V
Vapor Animation
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank
Related Powers: cyclone, flight, fluid animation, gliding, image animation, jelling, object animation, psychoplasm animation, reanimation, solid animation, super breath, universal respiration.
The ability to animate vapors is the power to control the form, function, and motion of most gaseous matter. Gaseous matter is generally defined as material which expands to fill any available volume, though this power also stipulates that such matter cannot be alive. Any inanimate gas can be controlled by this power, though other materials suspended in a gaseous medium can be indirectly manipulated in this fashion, too.
Vapor animation can be used in as coarse or as fine a fashion as is desired, anywhere within Near range of its possessor. Such manipulations are never permanent, as a gas by its very nature will expand in a formless state once it is no longer animated. Vapor animation can impart movement onto animated gaseous materials, giving them up to power rank velocity as is defined by the air speed table.
The power can, at once, manipulate an amount of gaseous matter that is equal to its power rank as an equivalent Strength score. It can temporarily impart an artificial material strength in gas of a like value, allowing it to more directly interact with and manipulate objects in the environment. Animated gaseous matter will inflict its power rank in damage, of the appropriate type, with each devastating attack.
Vapor animation lends itself to the mastery of numerous power stunts. A vapor animator can learn to animate gaseous matter 'minions' per the object animation power, who possess Fighting, Agility, and Health scores equal to this power rank, lightning generation by rubbing two disparate air masses together, even if fine control of such is difficult at best, or even any of vapor animation's related powers, above.
While the power can manipulate any gaseous matter as a general matter of course, vapor animation can be restricted as desired with limitations. The more uncommon a gas is, the more constraining being limited to such is. Oxygen, for example, is readily available around the world for the most part, and can thus be considered a weak limitation, while something rarer (like radon) would make for at least a very strong limitation.
Vivification
Type: Matter Control Power
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 3 points per rank
Related Powers: organism generation, reanimation, resurrection.
Vivification is the ability to breathe life into the lifeless! This power can work on organic or inorganic matter - basically anything that does not already possess a life force. When used on inanimate material, vivification will act to infuse it with essence, creating an all-new, living being. This being's existence will persist until it is destroyed, one way or another.
An entity brought to life by vivification will be capable of performing any action its form allows; the more complicated it is, the better. A die might be able to roll, if awkwardly, but cannot fire a gun. A mannequin can walk and the like, but is particularly fragile. An automobile can drive, and even hit people with its doors when it wants to, but has a hard time getting a fill at the gas station. And so on, and so forth.
When aimed at intelligent, yet non-sentient devices (computers, robots, and so on), vivification will grant such entities the gift of sentience. This has the effect of immediately rendering them free-willed, despite any safeguards to prevent that sort of thing. Digital beings so animated will transcend mere programming, and can literally write their own destiny... unless their owners stop them in their tracks, that is.
If used on formerly living matter, vivification can restore life to the deceased flesh. This is different from both reanimation and resurrection in that the resulting being is actually alive, but is not the same as he or she was before. Vivified beings can make use of any memory their flesh stores, if applicable, but whatever soul may have been tied to them has since moved on to (hopefully) greener pastures.
Such vivified entities are technically new beings, essentially making use of recycled flesh. If said flesh is in bad shape, the power will slowly knit it back together after animating it, doing so as if the body in question possessed power rank regeneration. Once the body has been fixed such that it can independently support the life force of the vivified matter, this tendency for rapid healing will fade away.
To create life where there previously was none, the character with vivification must make a simple power ACTION, its difficulty depending on what is to be vivified. Formerly living organic matter is easy to invigorate, since it held life force previously (green ACTION). Something that is intelligent but not alive, such as a robot, is a bit harder (yellow ACTION). Inert objects and matter are particularly hard to vivify (red ACTION).
A vivified object will often have personality traits that reflect its nature - though not always. A baseball bat might love being used to hit things, while a car may enjoy nothing more than going for a ride with its owner. Vivified things can become sentient if their animator desires, depending on their needs at the time, though this may be automatic in the form of invigorated robots or formerly dead human bodies.
The beings given life by this power will generally possess physical abilities and special powers (if any) appropriate to their form, if these have not already been determined previously. Mental ability scores (if any) can be of any rank desired by the vivifier, with an upper limit of this power's rank. If given sentience (or this quality is developed due to their nature), created life forms will also possess a Karma score.
The critical thing to keep in mind is that, while it is incredibly easy to create new life with this power, its products do have feelings. One might be liable for Karma loss if they create life only to sacrifice it for their own, immediate success - depending on the character, that is.
The process of vivification requires physical contact with the matter to be given life.