Autumn swiftly twists and flicks her wrist, sending twenty needles flying out of her wrist bracelet, masterfully catching them she proceeds to effortlessly twirl them between her thin elegant fingers while her lively eyes scan the immediate surroundings for any incoming blows, as soon as a strike is made she sends a needle flying towards it, hitting it at just the right angle to change the blow's trajectory allowing her to gracefully flutter out of the way.
"Don't wait for an opening, create it yourself - even a small deviation is enough to throw a wrench into most plans, especially when the plan is to strike an already moving target which is quite frankly rather rude to begin with."
Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. You must use up a bandolier worth of needles in order to activate this Effect. Roll Dexterity + Athletics 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.
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.
Urza pulls out the Star-Core, and a bubble appears around the target
Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. You must actively and obviously use the Star-Core to activate this Effect. Roll Intellect + Technology at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next Outcome Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. 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 (15 feet per Round) for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour.
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.
When activated, the Bloomguard Sigil shimmers visibly, its petals unfolding with a soft metallic hum. Pale, translucent vines of golden energy sprout from the artifact, wrapping around the chosen target in a protective spiral. The barrier appears as a faint, ethereal dome, barely visible unless it catches the light — like a soap bubble made of starlight. To any bystander, it is immediately clear that something supernatural is at play, and that the source of the protection is the brooch itself, now brightly glowing.
Forged from ancient rites long buried beneath the ruins of forgotten temples, the Bloomguard Sigil is a relic of divine craftsmanship, a marriage of mortal ingenuity and celestial will. It channels the unyielding defense of the legendary Aegis, but tempers it with the gentleness of new life — a balance between war and wisdom. Only those who understand the sacred bond between protection and sacrifice can awaken its true potential. When called upon, it weaves a barrier not from steel or stone, but from pure intent: a living testament to the wearer's will to defend what matters most.
Spend an Action or Reaction. Select a Animate target within 20 feet. Roll Intellect + 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. This Artifact 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 Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.
As he grabs his necklace and holds out his hand, a small layer of water forms around him, protecting him and anyone he deems needing protection.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. You must actively and obviously use a Sharktooth Necklace to activate this Effect. Roll Dexterity + Athletics 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.
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.
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.