A lot of animal communication is soundless, and most of that is through movement and posture. I've learned to understand that and make the appropriate motions in return. That much is obvious to anyone's eyes, though they may not realize that I intuitively understand the sounds animals make as well. When communicating back with them it can get tricky, I haven't learned many of the right sounds in their speech. Thankfully they understand my tone of voice for emotional context, even when I'm whistling to a bird or meowing to a cat. They seem to pick up on human language, at least when I say it, but it's like someone speaking with a bad accent. If I'm slow they get enough, and maybe part of the problem is that humans use more intricate concepts linguistically. Animals don't need most of that.
Anyhow, they get me and I get them, but if I take the form of a similar enough animal (or the same kind) then they understand me flawlessly. We can talk easier then, and also not be understood by humans when we talk.
Some legends talk about humans learning the languages of animals, often from a mystical source like tasting dragon blood, but also as simple as being taught bird tongue by a bird. How did this ability spontaneously manifest? Honestly, it's through an inherent connection with animals that comes about from latent and innate shapeshifting abilities. It's in the blood, metaphorically anyway.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You may understand and communicate to terrestrial animal as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
The user pushes the glasses on their face up, reflecting an unforeseen glare on them to impact the target at range.
These spectacles allow for minimal distractions in an office environment. Making them perfect as a part of standard office attire.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Living target within 300 feet. You must actively and obviously use a pair of glasses to activate this Effect. Roll Perception + Alertness Difficulty 6. The target may contest by rolling Body, Difficulty 6.
If the Contested Outcome is positive, the target takes that much Damage plus 4.
Finesse: When Attacking a single being, you may limit the Severity of any Injury you inflict or determine a maximum Wound Level, including Incapacitated. You may also choose to make this Injury properly or improperly stabilized, or to keep it unstabilized.
This Effect activates whenever Brainsurge is attacked. It does not require an Action or Exertion.
You phase out of reality for 1 Round. During this time, you cannot affect the outside world or take any Actions. You cannot move. Nothing can interact with you in any way.
You leave humanoid-shaped ball of electricity at your location.
Pulling on the memories of destruction, breaking, and bringing down structures he focuses on that and summons the power of the wind to inflict this pain on whom ever, or what ever, he choose
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Gathering wind around himself, he envelopes his body in a light whirlwind before shaping it into a large mallet that he wields for a brief moment. Immediately after he sweeps the new weapon toward the target, releasing a supernaturally enforced shotgun-like gust of air that slams into the victim. This causes the hammer to vanish once it impacts something but in return, the target is hit with the sensation of hundreds of razor blades cutting and slashing at their body.
Spend an Action. Select a target within 45 feet. Roll Dexterity + 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 4.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
You are a creature born from the hands of the arcane rather than the womb of a mother. Your design is built for your purpose as a brutish servant, bulky and unappealing.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: Made of earthen material, three fingered hands, no ears. You are considered to be a Sapient, Non-Living being when targeted..
You are immune to damage from cold. If cold is a substantial component of other damage you would take (e.g. falling from a great distance into a vat of liquid nitrogen), that damage is reduced by 2 (in addition to Armor)
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 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.
You are incapable of fine object manipulation and can only hold or grasp things in a crude, clumsy way.
Archie has a face that makes you feel stupid for trying to lie. His experience in customer service, "bullshit security", and the forging he's gotten in Contracts combine to give him this vibe that might make you check yourself for a moment before doing something silly around him; it's not charming, but it is somewhat respectable.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Charisma rating is increased by 0. 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:
There's a certain strength that comes from displaying the flag of one's country. As long as the Soldier holding their country's flag or wearing something emblazoned with it, they are less likely to be injured in battle.
You gain the following benefits at all times. You must actively and obviously be using clothes or a uniform that displays the flag of your country to gain the benefits of this Effect.
You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. This Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
As long as the ninja is carrying a weapon, their self-defense is almost subconscious. Subtle twitches and lighting-fast feints and parries using sword and scabbard can buy the ninja precious seconds to enact an escape plan or make the kill.
You gain the following benefits at all times. You must actively and obviously be using a sword to gain the benefits of this Effect.
You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. This Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
Whenever your Armor reduces incoming Damage, you are immediately made aware of the source of the Damage. You may pinpoint their location for 30 seconds.
Any time your Armor prevents damage, your total Armor rating is temporarily decreased by 1. Whenever you go two Rounds without preventing any damage, it is restored back to its full value.
The Psychic can, with great focus and mental strain, channel their will to move objects with their mind.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You can interact with things that are within 75 feet without needing to physically touch them or be near them. Any rolls made for Actions taken in this way use a Mental Strength of 2 in place of your Brawn rating, a Mental Agility of 2 in place of your Dexterity, and otherwise use your own Attributes and Abilities.
Telekinetic actions have the following restrictions and behaviors:
The mobster's been through tougher scrapes than this. A few cuts and bruises won't stop them.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Stress from Injuries is reduced to 0. Does not reduce Stress from Mind Damage.
The ninja is a master of a wide variety of martial weapons. They kill quickly and quietly.
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: