A counterfeit of the oncoming attack is made having a dull metallic shimmer and off color to the original attack but exact structure to counter the oncoming attack. Scale, shape, density, and placement determine effectiveness where in a poor counterfeit may shatter or appear in the wrong spot while a great counterfeit may be unique having qualities to make it stand on its own like a bullet being smaller and narrower to pierce through a larger one or a sword swinging at the right angle to block the original.
"This gift doesn't feel real and probably never feel like my own, but I'll just fake it till i make it."
This gift just as it copies to defend is in itself a copy to barriers of similar traits and is bound to express issues in that vein unless the user can make a true copy or replica that can last long enough.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action or Reaction to activate. Roll Intellect + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a Barrier around yourself, which absorbs the next Outcome Damage. Half the damage absorbed is reflected back at the attacker, which they can Defend against as normal. The Damage reduction from the Barrier is applied before Armor, and is treated like Armor by any effects such as Armor Penetration. 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. As long as it does not fall, the barrier regenerates back to full strength at the end of each Round of combat.
After this Effect ends, you cannot move quicker than a walk for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour.
You may only use this Effect once per day.
The doctor pulls the plunger of an empty syringe and it fills with a glowing, pale yellow liquid before he injects it into his patient. A similar liquid sprays from their pores and undulates around their body, temporarily inoculating them from physical harm.
Spend an Action. Select a Animate target within arm's reach. You must actively and obviously use Syringe to activate this Effect. Roll Intellect + Medicine at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome + 2 Damage. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. You may have up to 3 barriers active 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.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
The user touches the target with the ring, and the target's skin begins to shimmer with a faint red hue.
Spend an Action. Select a Animate target within arm's reach. Roll Dexterity + Melee at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome +4 Damage. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. This Artifact 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.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.
A blue shield shows up to protect your friend
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Animate target within 20 feet. Roll Brawn + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome +2 Damage. 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.
Zephyren has always been hyperaware of his surroundings - when this effect is active he's so supernaturally high-strung that he doesn't ever seem to stop moving, even when his feet are planted on the ground. This somehow keeps him safer from attacks, though in this feverous anxiety, he isn't able to do much else.
On protective measures:
Quick decisions save lives, and Zephyren's decision is to panic and flitter around like a bird with clipped wings. It's not that noticeable but people can probably see it if they look hard enough. It varies in effectiveness each time, and he's not happy being put into such a turbulent state of inertia, but what can he do about it? This is all just to survive. Can't fulfill his promises to himself if he's dead.
On fevers:
Zephyren always feels like he has a fever whenever he gets anxious - his face heats up to the point even he can feel it, and he knows that his face must be incredibly red. It feels like he's in a dream, a trance, he's not really in control of himself, but he sees everything happening and it's all incredibly overwhelming.
On inertia:
Is it because he recently learned of this term, or is it because a phoenix's cycle is in perpetual motion? Is this a manifestation of that? He doesn't like this one bit.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Roll Perception + Occult at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around yourself, which absorbs the next Outcome +4 Damage. 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.
The user manifests the barrier between the physical and fictional world by calling upon their personal character. The ink from the cartridges surround the user's target, which then make the target appear to be cell shaded-- with the strength of the shading depending on the strength of the barrier.
Spend an Action. Select a Animate target within arm's reach. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome +4 Damage. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. This Artifact 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.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.
By focusing and whispering a prayer under their breath, the priest may invoke their god to protect those who have good works left to do.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. Select a Animate target within 20 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is a living human. Roll a single d10, Difficulty 4. If you fail or botch, the Effect fails and you cannot activate it again for an hour. Roll Charisma + Occult at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome +2 Damage. 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.
This Effect is not obvious, and the only sign you are using an Effect is you whispering a prayer under your breath. If someone suspects that an Effect was used, they must roll Perception + Alertness, Difficulty 8 to pick up on your Tell.