Nerves of Steel Hey, hey... look at me. Everything is going to be ok. You can trust me.

3
You possess tolerance to pain and distractions.
Used by Wes Dorian, Created by Mydas.

Visually, your body is no different, and that's the goal. Your fears, your pain, your emotions - they all need to be repressed. Now only accessible in the dreamscape, you suffer from terrifying and painful night terrors. In your sleep, your injuries and insecurities come back to eat you alive. It's all a farce, really. Until your body can truly be rid of all pain, you will suffer like everyone else.

Injuries inflicted upon the body feel warm, often due to the blood produced by the injury. Your nerves cannot receive intense signals that warn of unimaginable pain, in part due to a never-ending supply of adrenaline to the body. They are at most a light burning that tickles the nerves. While noticeable, it has no bearing on your ability to act. In addition, your mind is a fortress. You suppress your fears and traumas and are able to save face when you need to most. Pain is a distant memory that only creeps up when you make a feeble attempt at sleep. Even when drugged or knocked out cold, your nightmares are too powerful. You will spend much of your life awake, terrorized by visions that plague your mind, and by the hurt you can only feel by letting your mind sleep.


You gain the following benefits at all times.

Your Stress from Injuries and Mind Damage is reduced to 0.

If you are Stunned, asleep, drugged, or otherwise made unconscious for any reason other than being Incapacitated, you may Exert your Mind to wake up. Any penalty which was caused by this condition is removed.


Community Passive Gifts

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:

  • Assassin: If your attack Injures your target, they cannot make a sound, even incidentally, for a single Round. Even the sound of their body and equipment dropping to the ground is silenced.
  • Point Control: Called Shots that you attempt only require a Contested Outcome of 2 for small targets and 4 for tiny targets.
  • Grip Discipline: You cannot be disarmed against your will by Minor, Major, or Severe Battle Scars, physical Actions, environmental conditions, botches, or Effects. Your weapon may still be destroyed.
  • Quick Draw: You may draw and equip yourself with any melee weapon on your person or within arm’s reach as a Free Action, as long as it is not being wielded by someone else.

You gain the following benefits as long as you have your Eyes clearly glow blue.

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:

  • Compensate: If any of your senses are suppressed, they may still be used for rolls at +2 difficulty.
  • Constant Vigilance: You cannot be ambushed or caught-flat footed when awake. When asleep, you can make a Perception + Alertness roll at Difficulty 6 to wake up in time.
  • Gut Feeling: You may roll Perception + Alertness Difficulty 7 to detect when someone is watching you remotely, even through supernatural means. Requires Outcome 4 or higher.
  • Can't Unsee: Any Trauma rolls you make are rolled at +2 Difficulty.

  • You can still be ambushed if you are incapacitated, stunned, or being kept unconscious supernaturally.
  • If your Eyes clearly glow blue is damaged, destroyed, or lost, you lose all benefits from this Effect for the next two months, or until you can recover any relevant missing items (which may involve a side-game and requires a GM to approve whatever process is used).

You gain the following benefits as long as you have your Crimson Star-like eyes with large scars across each eye.

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).

Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: Main Character Syndrome: You're the protagonist of the story, destined to save all the side characters you are superior to. You must succeed a Self-Control roll in order to believe something or take an action which contradicts this delusion and Stubborn Determination A hero never gives up. Whenever you attempt to surrender or flee, you must suceed a Self-Control roll to resist the urge to see things through.

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:

  • Anime: You may have a 30 second conversation with another character on your initiative each Round in Combat, and using any Communication Effect takes a Free Action instead of a full Action.
  • Hey, Listen!: You cannot be ignored or unheard when directly addressing an entity.
  • Honest Eyes: Your word is accepted as honest so long as you are speaking the truth as you understand it. You can always tell if someone telling a lie without making a roll, though you may not know what they are concealing
  • Me, an Empath: You have an intuitive understanding of the emotional state of any Animate being within 30 feet. Once per person per day you may roll Charisma + Influence to learn what things they respect or disrespect in others.
  • The Price Of Fame: Any sightings or recordings of your activity can easily be traced back to you. Even when disguised or using an alias, people always get a Perception check to recognize you.

  • On its own, your empath abilities do not allow you to detect lies.
  • If your Crimson Star-like eyes with large scars across each eye is damaged, destroyed, or lost, you lose all benefits from this Effect for the next two months.
  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.

You gain the following benefits at all times.

Your Stress from Injuries and Mind Damage is reduced to 0.

You gain the following benefits as long as you are engaged in combat with melee ninja weapons.

+2 dice to all rolls with melee ninja weapons. You may Defend against firearm attacks from any range using melee ninja weapons.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Assassin: If your attack Injures your target, they cannot make a sound, even incidentally, for a single Round. Even the sound of their body and equipment dropping to the ground is silenced.
  • Finesse: You may limit the Severity of any Injury you inflict or determine a maximum Wound Level to inflict on the target, including Incapacitated. You may also choose to make this Injury properly or improperly stabilized, or to keep it unstabilized.

Stock Passive Gifts

You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You have 6 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.

Your Armor cannot be destroyed, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor shredding or penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots. When shredded, it returns to full potency in one hour.

Any time your Armor prevents Damage, your Armor rating is temporarily decreased by 2. Whenever it goes five Rounds without preventing any Damage, it is restored back to its full value.

  • Armor recharging happens automatically and does not require an Action.
  • This Effect’s Armor rating cannot be increased by any other Effects.

You gain the following benefits at all times.

You may move easily and without a roll in any of the following situations.

  • Pathfinder: You are adept at making your way through crowds, underbrush, and other dense, congested environments. While doing so, you move at full speed.
  • You are able to climb trees and cliffs at your full movement speed.

You only gain the benefits of this effect if you are in an area without a human building within 300 feet.

You gain the following benefits as long as the attacker isn't important enough to have a name.

You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. This Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.

  • This Effect’s Armor rating cannot be increased by any other Effects.
  • When shredded, it returns to full potency in one hour.

You gain the following benefits at all times.

Your senses are enhanced in the following way.

  • Smell: Your nose is highly sensitive and can differentiate between scents the way a dog can, as well as recognize things you have smelled before.

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:

  • Party Animal: You are welcome at, and will be granted entrance to, any social gathering or party, at least as an observer.
  • The Price Of Fame: Any sightings or recordings of your activity can easily be traced back to you. Even when disguised or using an alias, people always get a Perception check to recognize you.

  • A "social gathering" might include a birthday party, after-work drinks, a ski trip, or yoga in the park, among other things. It likely would not include a cult gathering to summon a demon, Congressional negotiations over a contentious bill, etc.
  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.