Terrorizing their prey is a Bakenekos specialty. Perfectly crafting horrific scenarios, picking off those close to their target, and driving them to despair. Those that get too close are likely to have unfortunate "accidents" occur. It could be a loved one taking their life, sudden bouts of depression and hopelessness, or fear at your own reflection. If you're feeling particularly malicious, brief bursts of joy to keep them going throughout the darkest stretches of their life..
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Living target within 45 feet as well as a specific emotion. Roll Charisma + Occult at Difficulty 6. Affected targets can resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, for the next minute, your target will do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done, inspired by the chosen emotion. They will not necessarily display their emotions in an obvious way.
Actions they take will be in keeping with their character and the way they tend to deal with strong emotions. They will be unlikely to change their mind about any actions taken or decisions made until after the Effect ends.
This Effect is not obvious, and the only sign you are using an Effect is your eyes glaze over. If someone suspects that an Effect was used, they must roll Perception + Alertness, Difficulty 8 to pick up on your Tell.
When you feel endangered, your bones shape like clay under your will, swiftly coming out of a part of your body while the flesh let it take protrude and taking the shape of blades to help you deal with the threat.
Then as fast as they appeared, they come back inside.
Spend an Action. Select a target within arm's reach. This Effect cannot be used unless when defending/ clashing or against anything physically restraining your freedom (laso around you, door of a room in which you can't escape... etc). Roll Intellect + Crafts 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 2. Armor is fully effective against this Damage.
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.
If you successfully hit your target, the value of any Armor they are wearing is reduced by 2. For material armor, this penalty lasts until it is repaired. For intrinsic armor, it lasts until the end of Combat and any relevant wound is healed.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
**Description:** The "Body of the Ancient Cryptic" passively alters the user’s body, giving them a primal, beast-like appearance combined with ancient, mystical energies. These physical changes not only enhance their combat abilities but also make them appear more formidable and inhuman to those around them.
Visible Changes:
- Beastly Claws: The user's hands and fingers elongate slightly, ending in sharp, retractable claws. These claws appear to be made of a dark, obsidian-like material and can tear through most materials with ease.
- Feral Eyes: Their eyes take on a bestial quality, with slit-like pupils and a glowing, predatory hue—often amber, red, or another unnatural color. These eyes grant heightened vision, especially in darkness.
- Rugged, Enhanced Physique: The user’s muscles are denser, their bones more robust, and their posture slightly hunched, resembling a primal predator. This gives them enhanced strength and agility beyond normal human limits.
- **Roughened Skin:** Their skin takes on a tougher, almost hide-like texture, with patches of scales or hardened ridges in certain areas, providing natural armor.
- Elongated Teeth: The user’s teeth sharpen into fangs, giving them a fearsome grin and enabling them to bite with great force when necessary.
- Beastial Presence: A low growl or snarl might be heard from the user when they are angered or in danger. Their overall demeanor is predatory, making others instinctively sense danger in their presence.
These beastly transformations, combined with ancient, arcane markings and energies, make the user a terrifying force, blending primal strength with cryptic wisdom.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: perfect bodys. You are considered to be a Sapient, Living Creature when targeted. Your Brawn is increased by 1, your Dexterity is increased by 1, your Perception is increased by 1, and your Charisma is increased by 1.
Your appendages have 30 feet of reach.
Whenever you enter Combat, roll Self-Control. If you fail, you cannot choose which targets to attack and cannot stop fighting until there are no targets remaining.
You cannot speak any coherent verbal language and must resort to other means of communication.
You cannot ignore or decrease the effects of Stress for any Self-Control rolls you make.
The Severity of any Injury caused by Sliver is increased by 2.
The Thief has a stash in which they can store a few objects. It can be accessed through any burlap sack.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend a minute. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 20 feet At the end of your investigation, roll Brawn + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
You learn the following information about the area:
You cannot investigate the same area more than once per day.
Yeah, that’s right—I fire silver needles from my palm. Custom tech, not some off-the-shelf gadget. Designed it myself because, let’s face it, traditional weapons are predictable. Predictability gets you killed. These needles? Fast, silent, precise. Like me. Coated in a special alloy—silver core, hollow tips, adaptable for toxins if needed. They don’t just stop threats; they erase them.
Why silver? Because you never know what’s out there. People, sure—but sometimes it’s not just people. I’ve seen things that’d make you question reality. Silver works on more than flesh, trust me.
The mechanism’s built into a reinforced gauntlet under my sleeve—pressure-triggered, no external tells. Perfect for when things go south fast. No fumbling, no hesitation. One flick of the wrist, and the problem’s solved.
Paranoid? Maybe. Prepared? Absolutely. That’s the difference between walking away from a job and getting carried out in a bag.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: Muscle bound.. You are considered to be a Sapient, Non-Living being when targeted. Your Brawn is increased by 1.
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 may make a +2 Weapon Damage fires silver needles from his palm attack without additional equipment.
Whenever you enter Combat, roll Self-Control. If you fail, you cannot choose which targets to attack and cannot stop fighting until there are no targets remaining.
You cannot be mistaken for a normal human. You cannot always use standard human clothes, equipment, vehicles, and facilities, and when you can, you suffer an increased Difficulty.
The Severity of any Injury caused by fire is increased by 2.
Haerin, a being formed from a realm of pure darkness and malice, contained in a form that is tasteful to others, yet is filled with boundless potential for destruction... With no heart, comes with no emotions, and no emotions comes with no attachment to anyone, so why pretend anymore?
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: Pitch black hair, pitch black eyes and dark energy coating his form when enraged. You are considered to be a Sapient, Non-Living being when targeted. Your Charisma is increased by 1 and your Intellect is increased by 1.
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.
Your appendages have 30 feet of reach.
Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: (MADDENING) Ultimate Bravery: You cannot believe how much of a bitch you've been; never again. (Roll Self Control to flee, back down. or otherwise concede or relent.). and psycopathy.
While transformed, the werewolf's toughened hide provides protection from all manner of attacks, except silver.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are in werewolf form.
You have 4, which reduces incoming damage from all sources of physical attack except silver. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. This Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
Any Injury received from Damage that was reduced by this Armor is considered Makeshift Stabilized and will not degrade further, and any Battle Scar caused by them is reduced by 1 level. You may attempt a single Proper Stabilization on such Injuries.
The Soldier has spent a healthy ten thousand hours training with the weapons of their military. They are deadly when wielding any firearm made in their home country. Drawing their standard issue at the start of a confrontation is pure reflex, and they may plan their shots to deal collateral damage to those behind their target.
You gain the following benefits as long as engaged in combat with firearms made in your home country.
+2 dice to all firearms made in your home country rolls.
You also gain the following effects:
Doc puts his hands on you and begins to mutter to himself in french. The effect is instant and horrible. You begin to remember all of the sins of your past, all the ways that you've wronged those who loved you. All of the terrible, evil things you've done on these contracts in order to survive. Doc seems to be in the grips of similar memories, tears running down his chin and dripping onto his hands that are pressed tightly against you. At the point where your mind feels like it's about to break, it's over. Just as quickly as it began. You feel your wounds begin to close.
Exert your Mind and spend 1 minute. Select a Living target within arm's reach. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma. Your target must make a Trauma roll to reap the benefits of this Effect. They may choose to Resist the Effect and not make the roll. Choose a specific Injury on your target that has not yet been treated with this Effect and roll Charisma + Medicine at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, the Injury is reduced in Severity by your Outcome. If you reduce its Severity to 0, the Injury is fully healed. Otherwise, it is partially healed and will heal the rest of the way at its natural rate.
This counts as a successful Makeshift Stabilization if the Injury was not already Stabilized; any Battle Scars caused by the Injury will remain.
The Ninja's incredible dedication to their discipline grants them supernatural dexterity and agility.
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).
The priest's miracles expand into the treatment and curing of poisons and diseases. To do so, they require a ceremonial dedication (or often re-dedication) to the service of their god, during which the priest and the patient pray together and perform ritualistic bloodletting. These wounds burn with holy, golden fire, attacking the sinful malady and expelling it from the body.
Exert your Mind and spend 1 minute. Select a Living target within arm's reach. You cannot target yourself. Your target takes a Severity 1 Injury. You must actively and obviously use a ceremonial dagger blessed with holy water to activate this Effect.
You may cure any Non-Alien diseases, toxins, or poisons afflicting your target even if you have not diagnosed or fully understood it. You may cure diseases or poisons even if they are not treatable through modern medicine. During treatment, the malady you are treating does not progress or cause additional Damage or other effects.
You may use this effect to sanitize a 15-foot radius, destroying all poisons, toxins, diseases such that they are inert and cannot affect any new targets