Zephyren's birdlike senses have attuned him to the so-called languages of the animal kingdom. He can finally comprehend the song of the forests, but this is only the beginning.
On music:
It's a blemish in Zephyren's past, yet one of his most fond highlights all the same. The sense of community that music brings is universal, as anyone can understand when a score sounds upbeat or solemn. He could put his emotions into it and no one would know the subject of his grief, only that he does have feelings after all. It never quite leaves his mind, so he finds himself stopping in his tracks whenever he hears it - whether geophonic or anthropophonic or biophonic - he has to appreciate how it all flows together.
On animals:
Wildlife is harder to spot in Hong Kong, with all the urbanization. Zephyren remembers his first few months in Canada, which were often spent just gawking at the animals he's never seen. Particularly, he had no idea coyotes were dangerous. Whoops.
On comprehension:
Now that even animals can speak to him, he has more noise to filter through. It might just be his downfall.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You may understand and communicate to Creatures as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
Upon gripping the messily hand-painted, bracelet of pasta, created by Michael, Lucius feels strengthened by the presence of Michael, and is able to push his small body even further.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Brawn rating is increased by 2. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Brawn (cannot be used on combat rolls or Effect activations).
You also gain the following effects:
Acting like a seed for a mundane crystal, the user holds an item significantly associated with their knowledge and experiences to themselves as they crystallize related ideas into physical form. These crystals visibly coalesce around the user while this is taking effect. While the possible candidates for a "principal memory" to serve as a seed are as varied as the experiences of the user, mementos of previous or current Contracts produce results much more readily.
While this does not impact any normal functionality of this "principal memory", any item used in such a way will appear slightly vitrified and translucent, and reflect light somewhat readily: this continues after all of the "vitrified memories" lose coherence from proximity or destruction. This appears to bring them to the level of a Contract-associated "principal memory".
Inspecting an individual "vitrified memory" from the cloud shows a reflection of some facet of the concept, often the user's personal memories of such. Appearing like anomalously-floating crystal glass from a distance, the varied reflections betray their status as solidified ideas with durability to match.
The user can direct 3 subdivided clouds independently through their "principal memory", and shape them into rough forms: they still remain diffuse clouds when doing so. When not explicitly structured, these tend to stay either generally diffuse or in an approximation of their contents: a "principal memory" associated with gardening would tend to floral motifs, for example.
Sufficient disruption of physical integrity or a lack of anchoring cognizance in proximity breaks the physical forms apart, returning them to pure memories.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action.
Summon up to 3 Non-Sapient, Animate clouds of vitrified memory at your location. They last until they move more than 150 feet from you or are destroyed They are controlled by the GM but will follow any commands you give. You may have at most 3 minions active at a time.
The influencer knows just how to-- well-- influence people. By following a suggestion with a wink, smile, or a look of astonishment, their target is sure to be swayed. Is it any wonder they have a following of such incredible fans? .
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend at least one Action. Select a Human target within 20 feet. Communicate a command to your target. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If the contested Outcome is positive, your target will be compelled to follow your command to their best understanding of the letter and spirit of the command until they have completed it or for your Outcome in hours. You cannot issue another suggestion to the target until 10 minutes after they have completed the first command or 10 minutes after a failure.
The target is unaware that they are under supernatural influence and feel they are acting of their own free will. If you fail, they realize that you were attempting to influence them supernaturally with your command.
Your command can be an order to take an immediate Action. You cannot order a target to "do nothing," and they are free to take other Actions as they fulfill your request. Commands can put the target into a potentially self-endangering scenario, including Combat, though you cannot force a target to directly attack themselves. The Effect ends if following your command would cause a target to cross one of their Limits in a way that would necessitate a Trauma roll.
By properly cycling their Qi through their body, a Martial Artist may accelerate the rate at which they heal from their injuries, as well as force their wounds to seal themselves, preventing infection and blood loss.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Any Injury you receive heals quickly, reducing its Severity by one level every day, starting once it becomes stabilized. You may also Exert your Mind and spend an Action to reduce the Severity of a single stabilized Injury by 1. Does not affect Injuries suffered as an activation cost for Effects.
Battle Scars caused by your Injuries will remain. Any Injuries you receive automatically count as a successful Makeshift Stabilization and do not deteriorate further.
River may seem like the chillest dude on earth, but it comes at a cost. When tensions run high, he may lose control, transforming into a horrible mixture of man and beast. His flesh warps in unpredictable and horrific ways, growing and reabsorbing limbs and extremities in a chaotic expression of his passion.
Exert your Mind and spend a Quick Action. Whenever you fail or botch a Trauma or Self-Control roll, you must activate this Effect.
You transform into a monstrous mixture of human and beast for 3 minutes. You have access to all of your Powers while you are a monstrous mixture of human and beast, and you can use your equipment. Your Battle Scars, Injuries, and physical Liabilities are carried over between forms. Reverting from your Alternate Form cannot cause your existing Injuries to kill you. Instead, you remain Incapacitated.
While transformed, your Brawn is increased by 2 and your Dexterity is increased by 2. You do not suffer any Stress while transformed.
Your body is adapted to demolishing and sprinting. You receive +3 dice on non-attack rolls related to demolishing and sprinting.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see transformation into a kronenbergian nightmare.
Your alternate form renders you unable to speak any human language and incapable of fine object manipulation. You can only hold or grasp objects in a crude, clumsy way.
While transformed, you automatically fail any Mind roll to resist an impulse and suffer -3 dice on all other Mind rolls.
The hacker can overload any electronic device by fiddling with their smart watch for a moment. The targeted device shudders and gets white-hot before bursting into deadly shrapnel.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a object that uses electricity within 20 feet no larger than a duffel bag (35 liters). You must actively and obviously use a smart watch to activate this Effect. Roll Intellect + Technology Difficulty 6.
If your Outcome is 4 or higher, the target will be completely destroyed and can no longer function, though it may still be repaired. If your Outcome is less than 4, the target will be partially damaged, and any attempts to use it will suffer a dice penalty equal to your Outcome.
When a target is destroyed, it sends shards flying. Anyone within 5 feet of the object rolls 4d10 at Difficulty 6 and takes damage equal to the Outcome. Can be reacted to.
The survivalist is an expert at wildlife survival in any natural environment. Even in the harshest climates, they have the capacity to find food, water, and shelter.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend 15 minutes. This Effect cannot be used unless you are in a wilderness environment.
Choose a specific type of food, water, or survival supply which could fit inside a regular backpack (up to 27 liters). It must be Non-Alien and generic. You cannot create explosives. You cannot create firearms.
Roll Perception + Survival to fabricate up to 5 copies of your chosen Object. The Difficulty is assigned by the GM and depends on the specificity of your chosen Object. Your created items no longer expire, and will last until they are destroyed.
The Ninja is a master at blending in to any crowd or organization. If they can find complete privacy, they may channel their ninjutsu to temporarily create the illusion of any outfit or uniform they desire. The new clothes shimmer into existence over their existing garb over the course of a minute of meditation.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute.
You become disguised in a manner of your choosing. The disguise lasts for two hours, or you may end it early at will.
The new appearance must have a similar sex, age, and race to your own. You cannot significantly change your height and weight. Your disguise cannot directly mimic an existing person. You may change the appearance of your outfit. A disguise cannot affect your Attributes or other stats.
You may roll Charisma + Crafts to attempt to make your disguise Beautiful. If your Outcome is 6 or higher, non-Effect Charisma rolls where your good looks could help are rolled at -2 Difficulty. If you fail or botch, you are ugly instead, and non-Effect Charisma rolls are made at +2 Difficulty.
You cannot alter the appearance of your flesh and blood.
By slowing the hands of one of their watches, the time-traveler may interrupt and slow a target's movement through time. The target appears to be moving in slow motion for the duration.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Animate target within 20 feet. You must actively and obviously use a watch or clock to activate this Effect. Roll Intellect + Science at Difficulty 7.
If you succeed, the target will suffer a dice penalty equal to the Outcome for the next 2 Rounds. Dice pools may be reduced all the way down to 0 by this penalty. This breaks Concentration.
You may activate this Effect as a Reaction to contest any Action a valid target is taking, reducing their Outcome by your own. Your command has no impact beyond disrupting their Action.
The time-twister spins a dial on one of her watches, slowing time for everyone but her and one other person.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. You must actively and obviously use a watch or clock to activate this Effect.
Lasts 1 minute. Whenever you use your Movement, after all other calculations, the distance you may travel is doubled.
Outside of Combat, any non-Gift, non-movement Actions you attempt take drastically less time to complete, as long as your personal speed is a factor in the Action. Total time reduction is determined by the GM and capped at 90% (executing the Action takes no less than 1/10th the normal time).
While using this Effect, you may carry one other being without affecting your Encumbrance, so long as you maintain contact with them for the duration and they consent or are grappled.