Genre Embodiment “The Defective Detective.”

2
You possess an augmented or inhuman body.
Used by Frank Russo, Created by Ozz.
(Your specific augmentation must be physically visible in some way, but it does not need to make you appear outwardly monstrous or socially unacceptable. )

The last step in Frank’s metamorphosis. His flesh has become pallid and dull, a stark white color with hints of black and gray sprinkled about. His hair and pupils have shifted to a dreary black, his 5 o’clock shadow now acts as a permanent gray lining around his ugly mug.

Interestingly enough, any clothes he puts on gain these same monochrome properties, shifting to match his current form in a matter of minutes. This has turned his standard trench-coat and trilby into matching garments.

Frank’s entire biology has changed. Like his blood prior (see: Witness Protection), his entire body has gained the ability to harden and soften itself at will. This is primarily used to slip into narrow spaces and hide out in places where you’d least expect him, allowing him to get the jump on almost any perp he encounters.


You gain the following benefits at all times.

You are permanently and visibly transformed: true noir detective. You are considered to be a Sapient, Living being when targeted. Your Brawn is increased by 1.

You can squeeze through any cracks and passageways a cat would be able to.

  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.

Community Power Gifts

You gain the following benefits at all times.

Any Injury you receive from a source other than Demonic (Christian Hell) heals quickly, reducing its Severity by one level every 6 hours. Any Injuries you receive while this Effect is active automatically count as a successful Proper Stabilization and do not deteriorate further. Any Battle Scars caused by such an Injury will heal with the Injury.

Injuries you receive from Demonic (Christian Hell) are increased in Severity by 1.

  • The increase in Injury Severity stacks with any similar effects, such as the Vulnerable drawback on Inhuman Physiology.

You gain the following benefits as long as another hostile animate being (to the target) is within 5 feet of the target and 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:

  • Falling Crane Strike: If you move and then make a successful attack against a target closer than the full distance you could have moved, you may choose to travel the excess movement in a straight line beyond the target.
  • 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.
  • Two Swords are better than One: If you are wielding more than one melee weapon, you may Attack with all using the highest Weapon Damage, plus 1 for each additional weapon. If you reserve a weapon, any Clash or Defend roll you make is -1 Difficulty, and mob penalties are ingored.

On touch:
I hug my plushies all the time. That's enough! If it was anyone else, I wouldn't know what to do. Holding hands is already a very big thing - are they going to come after me for that? Touch between people is a very intimate thing - it's just not right if it's not between people who share blood or... what's it called... a "matrimonial bond". Y'know, I don't think I'll ever get married - it just seems like a big hassle, and for what? If you really loved someone you wouldn't need a grand gesture to show it. I love my stuffed animals. At least they like me back. They've stayed.

On mobs:
It happens all the time - so many people who stare down at me (it's not that hard, I'm not very tall) and threaten to take things away and whatnot... it's honestly gotten dull at this point, but it doesn't make them any less- well, interesting. I say interesting, but those in the field know what "interesting" really entails - if we've got actual thoughts on an artwork, one word could never express it all. What if I said it was thrilling? It sends shivers through my heart and it's buzzing like a dozen bugs have started to electrify it, I feel so alive that I can't stand still, my mind splits and rejoins and I can't tell which one is myself (but we are all Luciole, it's clear by now).

On the Order:
That was my Family! Probably still is, I can't just erase the fact with a few words and thoughts. It's not on me to decide because I haven't reached that prestige yet. They watch over me. In return I must watch over those I love. I love everyone so I must watch them all. Do I want to have the choice? (How much do I want?) Well...

On tinnitus:
I never chose this. I never wanted to be this way. My body wasn't meant for this. Yet here I am pushing it to its limits and I can hardly breathe anymore. They're everywhere. They're watching. They can get me anytime, I can't calm myself and let my guard down now. They're speaking. So many of them. I can't hear much else so I'm listening. I'm happy. I'm fine. This is so normal. My heart is beating out of its chest and everything is too much, too exhausting, but I have to keep going if I want to help them so they'd let me stay-

You gain the following benefits at all times.

Your Dexterity rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Dexterity (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).

Possession of this Power grants the following Battle Scar: Tinnitus.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Bullet Time: Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction to make a single dodge roll that applies its full Outcome to any attacks made against you that Round. Mob bonuses do not apply on attacks against you this Round.
  • Split Second: You may Dodge or Defend against surprise attacks.

  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.

You gain the following benefits as long as you are communicating to them with Send Message.

You may understand and communicate to Creatures as if you are fluent in a relevant language.

  • Communing with creatures does not grant them intellect but does allow you to converse with them.

Spend an Action. Select a target within 300 feet of you. You must have a specific target in mind, but you require only an intuitive understanding of them, such as their name, face, or Location.

You may send a single message to your target. It can be no more complicated than a multi-page letter or a long email.

The message will only be perceived by the intended recipient. You must share a common language for your target to understand the message.

This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.

  • Receiving a message does not force a target to pay attention to you, and they can feel free to ignore your message if they choose. Depending on the flavor of your Gift, they may or may not be able to return to it and read it later on.
  • Generally you cannot communicate with Contractors who are not in a Contract with you.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Stock Power Gifts

Exert your Mind and spend eight hours. Select a Living or Animate target within arm's reach. Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you cause a major Battle Scar instead of an augmentation. Your target must make a Trauma roll when you activate this Effect. The target can easily Resist.

You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Battle Scar and can have exactly one of the following Effects:

  • Specialized: You receive +2 dice to a particular non-combat Action.
  • Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
  • Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a motorcycle helmet.
  • Armor: You have 2 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
  • Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a briefcase (15 liters).
  • Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 10 feet.
  • Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +2 Weapon Damage instead of -1.

The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.

  • Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
  • You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
  • Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

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.

  • while you can use an illusion to obscure something smaller, you cannot make anything directly invisible (you can’t make a tank look like a regular baseball, but you can hide it in an illusion of a giant baseball).
  • You may only puppeteer a single illusion at once.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action.

Summon a single roadie at your location. They will last for two hours, or until they are destroyed. They are controlled by the GM but will follow any commands you give. You may have at most 1 minion active at a time.

  • Attacking: Minions can make melee range attacks with 4 dice to attack.
  • Body: Minions have 6 Body.
  • Movement: Minions can move 20 feet per Round as Free Movement, and double that when performing an all-out Sprint.
  • Intelligence: Minions have dog-level intelligence, and cannot communicate back to you. They may use equipment.
  • Actions: Minions cannot dodge or Defend. Any Perception checks they make are rolled with 3 dice. Your minion is able to lift and haul equipment with a 7-dice pool.

You may only use this Effect once per day.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. All Sapient, Living targets within 50 feet who can perceive you through sight are affected. Roll Charisma + Performance at Difficulty 6. All affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, the targets will keep their full attention focused on you for contested Outcome in Rounds. They will automatically fail any rolls related to noticing anything other than you. If they cannot perceive you through sight for three Rounds, the Effect is broken. The Effect ends early if the target is Injured or violence occurs nearby.

This does not affect the target’s opinion of you or their mood, and they may take any Actions while affected (including attacking), as long as that action centers on you. Fascinated targets cannot Concentrate.

  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

This Effect cannot be used unless you are making a deal to exchange money for protection.

You may make an oath with a physically-present, Sapient target. Communicate the oath's terms to the target, including the requirements and penalties for each participant. If all agree to the terms, you must Exert your Mind and all participants must shake hands to seal the deal.

Record the oath as a Condition. If a party breaks the oath, the Condition ends and they suffer the oath's penalty.

When crafting your oath, you may incorporate any of the following penalties:

  • You may suspend a targeted Offensive Power which will take effect when the oath is broken. The Power must be able to target all participants the oath indicates it could hit.
  • A Battle Scar up to Severe (deaf, missing limb)
  • The oath-breaker is physically marked as an oath-breaker, and any investigative effect will reveal the terms of the oath they broke.
  • A particular Trauma and a single Mind Damage
  • The oath-breaker goes unconscious for up to 24 hours
  • An Injury up to Severity-6 (cannot be reduced by any means)

The target cannot be compelled to agree via a direct threat of violence, another Effect, or another oath. If you would like to use clever wording to mislead the target, you must succeed a contested Intellect + (Culture or Influence) roll.

  • All Oaths must have at least two participants.
  • The target must be physically present to enter the oath.
  • The terms and penalties of the oath do not need to be equitable and do not need to affect all parties equally.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.