Powers
Astral Form
Type: M
Range: Self
Action: Auto
Duration: Always
A critter with this power only exists in the astral plane. Only astral attacks or mana spells/powers may hurt an astral critter; physical attacks or spells/powers have no effect. The reverse is also true; an astral critter can only affect dual-natured beings or those on the astral plane, whether through astral projection or astral perception. Critters with this power may manifest on the physical plane in the same way as astrally projecting magicians (see p. 313).
Materialization
Type: M
Action: Complex
Range: Self
Duration: Sustained
Magicians and many critters can leave their bodies and project themselves into the astral plane. Likewise, many astral critters can project themselves into the physical world and form a temporary “body” to inhabit while they’re here. This lets them interact with, and affect, physical beings. Additionally, they gain Immunity to Normal Weapons while materialized. Materializing and dematerializing to return to the astral plane both require a Complex Action.
Movement
Type: P
Action: Complex
Range: LOS
Duration: Sustained
This power allows the critter to speed up or slow down the target’s movement rate. The power only works on things that are predisposed to locomotion: vehicles, characters, or critters. If used on targets other than the critter, it also only functions in terrain that the critter controls. If used only on the critter itself, this power can be used anywhere. The critter can multiply or divide the target’s movement rate by up to its Magic attribute.
Only one instance of this power may be applied to a particular target at any one time. Once the target has left the critter’s terrain/domain, the power ends and the target’s movement is returned to normal.
Using Movement on vehicles is tougher than it is on critters and characters. If the target is a vehicle, the critter makes a Magic + Willpower test with a threshold of half the vehicle’s Body (round up), with a minimum of 2. If the critter meets the threshold in this test, multiply the hits by the vehicle’s Acceleration Rating and add the result to (or subtract it from) the vehicle’s Speed in the next Combat Turn, as if making an Acceleration or Deceleration Test. The critter can continue to make Magic + Willpower Tests to increase or decrease the vehicle’s speed each Combat Turn that it sustains this power and the vehicle remains in its domain/terrain. Based on the situation, these sudden changes in speed may call for Crash Tests (p. 201) for the vehicle.
Sapience
Type: P
Action: Auto
Range: Self
Duration: Always
Sapient critters are self-aware, capable of making their own choices, and are generally at or above the level of Homo sapiens. While most critters are considered Unaware (see p. 131) of any skill they don’t possess, sapient critters are merely Untrained (see p. 131) and can default normally. They are also capable of learning new skills if they so choose.
Most sapient critters are mundane, but they are capable of Awakening and possessing a Magic attribute. Awakened sapient critters are capable of learning any magical task they set their minds to, and follow the same rules for magic as normal characters. While no sapient critters are known to have Emerged as technomancers, the appearance of “technocritters” has led many scientists to believe that it’s only a matter of time—if it hasn’t already happened.
Search
Type: P
Action: Complex
Range: Special Duration: Special
Seek, and ye shall find, but it goes a lot faster with this power. To find a target, the critter makes a Magic + Intuition (5, 10 minutes) Extended Test. Lots of things can make this harder; apply the appropriate modifiers from the Search Modifiers Table.
The critter must have seen the thing it’s searching for at some time before the search begins. Spirits may search for anything for which their summoner can provide them a mental image. Critters who can enter astral space may use this power there and do not have to materialize while searching, even if the target is in the physical world.
Fear
Type: M
Action: Complex
Range: LOS
Duration: Special
This power gives a critter the power to fill its victims with overwhelming terror. The victim flees in panic and doesn’t stop until they are safely away and out of the critter’s sight. The critter makes an Opposed Test using its Willpower + Magic against the target’s Willpower + Logic.
The terror lasts for 1 Combat Turn per net hit scored by the critter. Even once the fear fades, the target must succeed in a Willpower + Logic (critter’s net hits) Test to gather the nerve to face the critter again.
Enhanced Senses (Hearing, Low-light Vision, Smell)
Type: P
Action: Auto
Range: Self
Duration: Always
This power includes any improved or augmented senses beyond the normal human range of awareness. This includes low-light and thermographic vision, improved hearing and smell, heat-sensing organs, natural sonar, and so on. The actual enhanced senses are specified in the critter’s description.
If the enhanced sense doesn’t already have a specific effect (for example, thermographic vision), this power gives a +2 dice pool modifier to tests made using that enhanced sense, as well as a +1 bonus to the appropriate limit.
Animal Control (Rats)
Type: M
Action: Complex
Range: LOS
Duration: Sustained
Some critters can manipulate other critters, particularly (but not always) mundane ones. This power lets the critter control the behavior of an animal or a group of animals. The commanded behavior must be something natural for the target animal. A flock of birds, for instance, couldn’t steal a motorcycle or fire a pistol, but they could attack someone, follow someone else, or simply be made to fly away.
If the target animal leaves the controlling critter’s line of sight, it can no longer receive new commands, but it continues following any orders already given for a number of minutes equal to the critter’s Charisma.
The critter may control a number of small animals (cats, rats, etc.) equal to its Charisma × 5, or a number of larger animals (wolves, lions, bears, etc.) equal to its Charisma.
This power may not be used on any critter with the Sapience power.
Guard
Type: P
Action: Complex
Range: LOS
Duration: Sustained
This power allows the critter to protect against normal environmental accidents and hazards, both natural and those caused by the Accident power. Examples include preventing someone from suffering heatstroke or saving someone from drowning.
The Guard power can also be used to prevent a glitch from occurring.
Guard may be used on a number of characters at the same time equal to the critter’s Magic attribute.
If this power is used by a spirit, each accident prevented or glitch avoided counts as one service.
Noxious Breath
Type: P
Action: Complex
Range: Special Duration: Instant
A lot of critters have bad breath—this one’s breath is actually toxic. A critter with this power can incapacitate targets with a nauseating stench.
This is treated as a ranged attack using the critter’s Exotic Ranged Weapon + Agility [Physical].
The attack is a toxin with the following characteristics:
- Vector: Inhalation
- Speed: Immediate
- Power: Critter’s Magic
- Effect: Stun damage and nausea (see p. 409)
Armor provides no protection against this attack, but respiratory protection helps defend against it (see the Toxin and Drug Protection Table, p. 408).
The toxic breath extends in a cone out to a distance of the critter’s Body in meters and can affect up to two targets, provided they are within one meter of each other.
Concealment
Type: P
Action: Simple
Range: LOS
Duration: Sustained
Critters with this power can mystically hide themselves, other people, or things that someone else is seeking. Concealment subtracts a number of dice equal to the critter’s Magic from any Perception Tests to locate the concealed subject. Concealment can be used simultaneously on a number of metahuman-sized targets equal to the critter’s Magic, or a number of much smaller targets (cats, babies, rats, etc.) equal to the critter’s Magic x 5. Concealed subjects can see each other if the critter allows it. The effect lasts until the target is spotted or the critter stops sustaining the power.