Project Shining Star is TARP'S intention to find a method to get an immortal soul in an otherwise weak body, by any means necessary. The Conventions and rules of the real world would not stand for such experimentation, however in this simulation, any research would be viable in the pursuit of making Humanity a greater species.
Subject Shining Star is a testament to the hard work and ideals of TARP science and biological research: they have shown promise in a controlled setting, but how does it fair out in the field? Would this have militaristic applications?
While the Subject is unstable and prone to spontaneous combustion, they are otherwise the most promising in relation to the 12 others: The Soul's energy, when released without warning enshrouds the blast area with unstable radioactive isotopes. However when this energy is harnessed, the blast is able to set off without these consequences.
With this, the only notable flaw, the next stage of Shining Star is set to commence. Field research.
Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend an Action. The area within 25 feet of you immediately and obviously becomes imminently dangerous. On the following Rounds, you may choose to detonate the Blast as a Free Action on your initiative. When you do so-- or when one minute elapses-- roll Brawn + Athletics at Difficulty 6.
If the Outcome is positive, your blast hits everything within 25 feet of you with Damage equal to your Outcome + 4. If you botched the activation roll, you will also take full Damage from the blast, otherwise it will not hurt you.
Anyone hit by the blast may roll Body at Difficulty 7 as a Free Action, and reduce their Damage taken by the Outcome. Damage spreads to targets beyond the edge of the initial radius, decreasing by 2 Damage for every 5 feet traveled.
Any flammable Objects within the radius during the blast will catch fire, and any being who takes at least 4 Damage will catch fire. Starting the Round after they caught fire, flaming targets take 2 Damage per Round until the fire is extinguished.
Possession of this Power grants the following Battle Scar: Shining Star: You cannot raise your voice above a shout or a whisper. After physical activity, your body starts humming and dimly glowing; all stealth rolls are -2 dice.
Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: Papa said War is War: Good soldiers follow orders, but should a dangerous situation were set up, you are the first in line to face it. In the heat of battle, roll self-control in order not to do a dangerous action to complete the mission- with no regards to collateral damage to yourself, or others.
If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.
The experimentations on Ramsey’s body have given him great perceptive abilities. When activated, the branded Eye on the back of his head opens to reveal an actual eye.
You gain the following benefits as long as you have your Third Eye on the back of Ramsey’s head.
Your Perception rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Perception (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
If you are witnessed actively using this Effect, whoever sees it can make a Perception + Alertness roll at Difficulty 6. A complete success reveals the source of your power.
You also gain the following effects:
Like a bird of prey, her hands hold a tight iron grip on what she holds. Her innate ability to use short blades, like a dagger, reflects the possible innate usage of her farthest ancestor's claws.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are engaged in combat with Knives.
+2 dice to all rolls with Knives. You may Defend against firearm attacks from any range using Knives.
You also gain the following effects:
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action. You must actively and obviously use staff to activate this Effect. Roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next (Outcome +4) Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. You may only have 1 active barrier at a time.
The barrier will fall after two hours, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.
After this Effect ends, you cannot move quicker than a walk (15 feet per Round) for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour.
Blake plays an instrument and uses the sound waves to create a barely visible barrier that can protect them and others nearby.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. You must actively and obviously use musical instrument to activate this Effect. Roll Charisma + Performance at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next Outcome + 2 Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. You may choose to create a bubble barrier. If you do, no physical objects or entities can pass into your bubble until the barrier is broken, but you and the barrier cannot move. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. You may only have 1 active barrier at a time.
You must maintain Concentration while using this Effect. The barrier will fall if you are interrupted, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.
A black aura, contained within geometric shapes of floating gold, engulfs Madame Ianthe. When it clears and the floating symbols vanish, she is replaced by a small bird, about the size of a raven, made from the aura that engulfed her and ringed by golden shapes.
Madame Ianthe is frail, and she is unable to move quickly. As such, the Madame's recourse to being threatened is to depart from her physical self on black-gold wings.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action.
You transform into a small bird made of floating golden geometric shapes and black fog for two hours or until you choose to end the Effect. See the Extended System text for stats.
While transformed, you cannot use any equipment (including Artifacts and Consumables), and you do not have access to any of your Powers. Any equipment you are wearing transforms with you.
Injuries and Wound Level are carried over between forms. However, transforming can never kill you; you merely remain Incapacitated until your Injuries are sufficiently healed.
While transformed, you may speak and use any Influence or Communication Powers you posses.
While transformed, you are obviously unusual, unnatural, or alien, and the average person will take a special interest in you.
The detective can flash their badge and bark out orders to a person or a crowd, and the target will have trouble ignoring their command.
Exert your Mind and spend at least one Action. All Sapient targets within 20 feet of you are affected. You must actively and obviously use a police badge to activate this Effect. Your target cannot be engaged in Combat. Communicate a command to your targets. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. Any affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If the contested Outcome is positive, your targets will be compelled to follow your command to the letter-- but not necessarily the spirit-- of the command until they have completed it or for your Contested Outcome in minutes. You cannot issue another suggestion to the target until 10 minutes after they have completed the first command or 10 minutes after a failure.
The target is unaware that they are under supernatural influence and feel they are acting of their own free will. If you fail, they realize that you were attempting to influence them supernaturally with your command.
Your command can be an order to take an immediate Action. You cannot order a target to "do nothing," and they are free to take other Actions as they fulfill your request. Your command cannot be obviously self-destructive. Commands may force a target to violate one of their Limits, and they will need to make a Trauma roll once the suggestion wears off.
While submerged, the aquamancer can fully sustain themselves from the waters around them, entirely forgoing food, drink, and even air. They may also enter a state of hibernation, remaining underwater and incapacitated for up to two months.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are submerged in water.
You no longer require any food, water, or air in order to survive. You no longer age naturally, and supernatural attempts to age you fail. Any roll to resist an Effect dependent on any affected requirement automatically succeeds.
You may spend one minute entering a state of hibernation, during which you are inanimate and unaffected by any requirements for life. You may still perceive the outside world and may spend 3 Rounds "waking up" to end it.
The werewolf's gnashing teeth sheer through steel and bone alike. Those caught in their maw rarely make it out alive.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are in werewolf form, and you are engaged in unarmed combat.
+2 dice to rolls for Attacking, Defending, and Clashing without a weapon. Unarmed attacks do +0 Weapon Damage (instead of -1).
You may Defend against melee, projectile, or firearm Attacks from any range and Clash with those in range of your Attacks. Attacking materials like steel or spikes will not Damage you unless it has an Effect that does so.
You also gain the following effects:
The magician places a mirror to reflect a subject and conjures an illusion that perfectly replicates it!
If the illusion is touched, it shatters into a thousand tiny shards of glass.
Exert your Mind and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: place a mirror such that it reflects the subject of your illusion. Select a target within 45 feet. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.
a reflection of something else in the area, which can be no larger than a person is generated at your target, and it will remain in place for the next minute or you choose to end it. It can be perceived by people through their sight. The illusion cannot be used as an attack. You may create a replica of a specific being or Object, though it is still limited by what you do or do not know about the subject.
Anyone who touches the illusion (or who would be able to perceive it significantly through a sense it cannot fool) realizes it is an illusion, and the entire effect will be ended for all targets.
The illusion will remain fixed to its initial target, and can only change locations if the initial target is mobile in some way. It may have moving parts and engage in simple, predetermined movements but cannot perform anything complex or interactive unless you maintain Concentration and “puppeteer” it.
The Necromancer temporarily assumes the form of their own corpse, complete with maggots, spilled entrails, and exposed bone. They cannot move while transformed, but their empty eye sockets see as well as ever.
Exert your Mind and Spend an Action.
You transform into your own corpse for one minute. While transformed, you may control the functioning of the object you have transformed into. You can perceive your surroundings as normal. You can be targeted as a Non-Living, Sapient Object.
If you are damaged while transformed, the damage is realized when you return to normal. If you are damaged before you transform, your inanimate form will appear partially damaged.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.