Shelby's got a knack for worming their way into your ears and heart, almost like another voice inside your head. They've got their finger on the pulse. It's a little uncanny sometimes, but hey- when was the last time you really felt like someone *listened* to you? Might as well talk.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Charisma rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Charisma (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
You also gain the following effects:
Harry hasn't survived in his line of work for nearly 30 years for no reason - he has one rule and one rule only that he follows with almost religious fanaticism from the moment he opens his eyes in the morning up to the moment he passes out on his bed piss drunk with a bottle of cheap off brand liquor tightly clutched in his hand : always stay vigilant no matter the situation.
After all no matter what kind of unspeakable twisted mangled horror you're facing, the person standing right next to you might be just as bad, if not worse.
This constant vigilance, bordering on paranoia has saved his skin more than once, and is the sole reason he's not pushing daisies quite yet.
You gain the following benefits as long as you have your Sharp grey eyes.
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).
Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: Emerald eyes.
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:
Charlotte takes a deep couple of deep inhales from the nose, almost as if she was smelling something off. At the same time her other senses flair, her eyes widen, her ears twitch, all things that make her completely take in the target, to follow their trail, or to observe them medically by taking in the minute sounds of their heartbeat, the scents of tumors or chemical imbalances, or just to observe signs of potentially infection.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a Sapient target within 20 feet. You may select a target at any range if you use up something that has been worn or used by the target to the point of having the scent of the target. At the end of your investigation, roll Perception + Animals at Difficulty 6.
You learn a single specific piece of information, chosen from the following list, about your target:
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Being able to tell heat signatures with his eyes and his eyes look like scopes
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your senses are enhanced in the following way.
Harold Polkโs Linguistic Espionage Mastery is a unique fusion of his perfect memory and deep understanding of Speech Act Theory, allowing him to communicate in any language with native fluency and cultural precision. Through his flawless recall, Harold has accumulated vast stores of linguistic patterns, dialects, and subtleties, giving him an intuitive grasp of each languageโs nuances. He doesnโt merely translate words; he understands their intent, context, and hidden meaning, slipping into conversations as though he were born to each language he speaks.
With Speech Act Theory, Harold imbues his words with layers of meaning and influence, embedding subtle cues to guide othersโ perceptions or actions. Every word he speaks carries intent, carefully crafted to either blend into the conversation or gently steer it, as if he were weaving an invisible thread through every interaction. This mastery makes him a linguistic ghost, an agent who can infiltrate through language alone, understanding and subtly shaping discussions to achieve his aims without ever raising suspicion.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You may understand and communicate to humans as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
Nina, the Siberian cat, boasts a thick, luxurious coat of tan and white fur, with striking green eyes that shimmer with intelligence. Her movements are fluid and stealthy, allowing her to blend seamlessly into the shadows as she communicates with Soren, often perched nearby with an air of quiet confidence.
Soren found this cat when she was just a kitten at one of his stake-outs into a suspected supernatural old money family in Bavaria, but decided to keep it. As she grew up, she began to develop human speech at a very fast pace, this was quite clearly a supernatural cat, Soren knew he couldn't just hand her over to the feds. As a result, he raised her as his own; she had acquired human-level intelligence astoundingly quickly and began to develop her own personality. She also has very nimble and dexterious paws, allowing her manual dexterity.
As Nina grew older she informed Soren of her abilities, allowing him to be able to summon her at will, forming a supernatural pact with him. He now takes her with him on his missions, using her innate stealth and observation abilities to assist him.
Nina has a witty and observant personality, often displaying a dry sense of humour that catches Soren off guard. She is fiercely independent and prefers to watch the world from a distance, but when Soren is in danger, she becomes fiercely protective, ready to lend her unique abilities to assist him in any way she can.
Exert your Mind and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: You reach into your pockets and pull out a cat. You must actively and obviously use Coat Pockets to activate this Effect. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.
Summon the one and only Sapient Siberian Cat at your location. They last for two hours or until they are destroyed. They are controlled by you. They will attack any Nonliving, Animate targets they encounter immediately and will ignore your commands to do otherwise. You may have at most one minion active at a time.
If you die during a Contract and your companion goes on to claim victory, they may permanently sacrifice themselves to bring you back to life and safety. If this happens, you may refund this Gift to a minimum cost of 3.
If killed, you cannot re-summon your minion until after your next Contract.
The aquamancer channels a nearby source of water into a flexible whip, which can be used to attack or to defend.
Spend an Action. Select a target within arm's reach. You must actively and obviously use at least a gallon of water to activate this Effect. Roll Dexterity + Athletics Difficulty 6. The target may contest by rolling to Dodge or Defend as a Reaction, Difficulty 6.
If the Contested Outcome is positive, the target takes that much Damage plus 4.
You may use this Effect to Defend against any melee, projectile, or firearm Attacks within range or Clash against any Attack targeted at you. Using it to Defend deals no Damage but does not cost Exertion.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 2.
The Vampire was cursed to forever be a vile creature of the night! Their skin has faded to a deathly pale, only regaining something close to human complexion in the immediate aftermath of feeding on human blood. They are weakened when exposed to direct sunlight or when they have been unable to feed in the past day, but otherwise has gained inhuman strength, speed, and irresistibility from their devil's bargain.
You gain the following benefits as long as you have fed on fresh human blood in the past 24 hours and you are not in direct sunlight.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: a seductive and powerful humanoid, with pale skin and wicked fangs. You are considered to be a Sapient, Non-Living being when targeted. Your Brawn is increased by 1, your Dexterity is increased by 1, and your Charisma is increased by 1.
Your Injuries no longer degrade with time. You do not age naturally, and supernatural attempts to age you fail.
The Severity of any Injury caused by fire and heat is increased by 2.
Finally, the girls are fusing the way theyโve wanted to since they began Contracting, three and a half years ago. It took Graceโs left eye for them to try this, but the girls are now able to spend a week focusing their energy towards a Battle Scarred area and permanently replacing it with The Spiritโs ghostly flesh. The replaced chunks, eyes, arms, whatever may come, appear just as The Spiritโs: bluish and semi-transparent, but now function just as the respective physical flesh would.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Any Injury you receive heals quickly, reducing its Severity by one level every 6 hours. Any Injuries you receive while this Effect is active do not deteriorate over time. However, any Battle Scars caused by such an Injury will remain unless it is Properly Stabilized as normal.
All Injuries you receive are considered Properly Stabilized. You may also choose to heal any Battle Scar on yourself that may not have been caused by an Injury. Doing so takes one day, and the Battle Scar affects you fully until that time.
Possession of this Power grants the following Battle Scar: any scars that heal this way leave the flesh in that area bluish and semi-transparent, causing you to be viewed as a freak by most people who see you.
The Toon performs some sort of cartoonish act of violence. This may be handing someone a bomb, hitting someone with a cartoon mallet, burping a burp that is so noxious it melts flesh, or anything else as long as it is cartoonish.
The attack is more of a throwaway gag than a plot element, so any props or properties of the attack are incidental and disappear immediately. Animated mallets evaporate in a puff of smoke, fire does not spread, and electricity cannot power devices.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a target within 45 feet. Roll Charisma + Performance Difficulty 6. The target may contest by rolling to Dodge or Defend as a Reaction, Difficulty 6.
If the contested Outcome is positive, the target takes that much Damage plus 4. Armor is fully effective against this damage.
The Android's skin is extremely pale, their eyes are yellow, and their body stays at room temperature. They do not bleed, and traditional medicine is ineffective at treating them. Furthermore, they may be hacked by any supernatural effect that could hack a computer.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: you are an android, with pale skin and yellow eyes. You are considered to be a Sapient, Non-Living Computer when targeted..
You are immune to damage from cold. If cold is a substantial component of other damage you would take (e.g. falling from a great distance into a vat of liquid nitrogen), that damage is reduced by 2 (in addition to Armor)
No single organ in your body is critical for life. Called Shots do no additional Damage to you. You may perceive the world through separated body parts, take Actions with them, and reattach them by spending an Action and Exerting your Mind.
Your Injuries no longer degrade with time. You do not age naturally, and supernatural attempts to age you fail.
You cannot ignore or decrease the effects of Stress for any social rolls you make.
The Severity of any Injury caused by electricity is increased by 2.