Aberrant Rules Conversion

From Mutantsandniz

Current revision as of 01:19, 20 February 2008

[edit] Character Creation

Starting Novas are built as follows:
Step 1 - Make a human. 50 Power Points, and a general cap of +5 on - Strength and Constitution Modifiers, Attack, Defense, Toughness. +10 Cap on - Total saving throw modifiers, Skill Ranks, Ability Modifiers (aside from Strength or Constitution).
Step 2 - Nova. Add 70 more Power Points, and increase caps by 3. You are now a Power Level 8 Nova.

[edit] Additional Character Notes

• Eufiber - Device 1, 4 power points.
  • The colony (clothes) changes with the host, and is unaffected by the host’s powers.
  • With a moment (free action 1/turn) of focus, the wearer may change the appearance of the Eufiber to virtually anything.
  • Eufiber has a third effect that may be changed once per encounter/scene: the suit has 3 points that can be assigned to negating Quantum Pool drawbacks (see above), or act as Protection.
    • For example, in one scene, 1 point could be assigned to negate the effects of a -1pt Quantum Pool on a single power, while the other 2 points are assigned to ranks of protection (providing +2 toughness, up to normal caps).
• Node - The ability to sense other Novas is a Super-Sense. To represent the basic sense, use the following:
  • Super-Senses 3: (mental sense - Node) Detect Novas, Quantum Awareness, Ranged. 3 power points.
  • This provides the basic awareness of the presence of a Nova or Quantum Power at normal detection range. For additional accuracy, the sense could be purchased as Accurate (2 ranks, allowing targeting of a quantum signature) or Acute (1 rank, allowing for more information about the subject beyond its presence). It could also be supplemented with Radius (1pt) to detect in all directions, and Extended (1/rank) to increase the detection range at a factor of x10 each purchase.

[edit] Quantum Pool

Characters may take a ‘quantum pool’ limit on the use of powers. Each power taken this way has a limit on number of uses or duration of use. Activating a power costs 1 quantum, maintaining a power costs 1 quantum per [Power Level of Character] turns. Treat this as a drawback, reducing the cost of any powers taken thus by a fixed number of power points.
25 Quantum = -1pt
10 Quantum = -2pts
5 Quantum = -3pts

Example: Blast (Quantum Bolt) Rank 8 costs 16 power points. If the Quantum Bolt had a limit of 25 shots it would cost 15 power points. 10 shots would cost 14 power points. 5 shots would cost 13 power points.
Example 2: Flight Rank 5 (assuming a starting PL8 nova), costs 10 power points. 25 ‘uses’ would cost 9 power points, and the character could maintain the power for 200 turns (20 minutes; 8 times 25). 10 ‘uses’ would cost 8 power points and the power could be maintained for 80 turns (8 minutes). 5 ‘uses’ would make the power cost 7 power points, and it could be maintained for 40 turns (4 minutes).

Recovering - Quantum Pool is recovered at the end of a scene/encounter for every power. A character may also use extra effort to instantly replenish the quantum pool of a power.

Unreliable (Highly Limited Quantum Pool) - Characters can take the Unreliable Flaw (-1/rank to power cost) on powers with extremely limited quantum pools. This flaw allows the character to use the power only 5 times per session as opposed to per encounter uses. Each additional use of the power costs 1 hero point, or gaining 1 point of Taint.

[edit] Taint

Characters acquire Taint through a variety of means.

• Extra Effort (Maxing) - In place of suffering fatigue, a character may take a point of temporary Taint to use extra effort. Tainted Extra Effort does not count toward a character’s limit on using extra effort once per action.
• Power Botch - If a character rolls a natural ‘1’ when using a power they have applied Extra Effort to, they risk gaining Taint. Make a Fortitude Save (even if you are Immune to Fortitude Effects), at a DC of 10 + [Power’s Enhanced Level]. Failure garners the character 1 point of Taint for every application of Extra Effort applied.
• Madness - In extreme situations, mental stress may cause Taint on its own. The GM may call for a Will save, DC 10 + [the character’s Power Level], modified by the situation. Failure gives the character a point of Taint.

[edit] Effects of Taint

Each point of Taint a character gains is added to a pool. Once the pool reaches [Character’s Power Level], the character gains a Rank of Taint. Each Rank of Taint must be used in one of the following ways:

• Reduce an Ability Score by 1. This reduction is permanent, and that Ability may not be increased with Experience without GM permission.
  • Example - Wisdom 15 becomes Wisdom 14.
• Gain an ‘Aberration’. The character acquires a Drawback worth one power point. The character does not gain bonus PP or Hero Points for this Aberration.
  • Example - The character’s Skin gains a Metallic Sheen (Protection becomes Obvious, the Noticeable Drawback).
• Defer the Taint. The character may store this Rank of Taint and allocate its effects later.
  • A character may defer up to 5 Ranks of Taint, at which point all five ranks are spent at once on one of the two previous effects (lowering an Ability by 5, or gaining a 5-point Drawback).
  • Ranks of Taint may be allocated at any time, until rank 5 is reached when they are allocated immediately. This allows a character to end up with a 2-4 point drawback, or lose 2-4 points in an Ability.

[edit] Aberrations

• Quantum Pool - 1 to 3 pts. A power gains a Quantum Pool limitation (see above).
• Noticeable - 1pt. A power that was previously passive and without display becomes visible in some manner. Protection may cause the Novas skin to urn to stone or metal, a Super-Sense may cause the Nova’s eyes to glow or spark.
• Obvious - 1pt. A previously noticeable power becomes very easy to pick out. Anyone with clear line of sight to the area the character is in would have to be blind (or deaf, etc) to not notice the power. This includes large Anima Banners, as well as effects so bright or loud (akin to brilliant halogen lamps, or a jet engine landing close by) as to be nigh-impossible to miss.
• Power Loss - 1 to 3 pts. One of the character’s powers is unusable during certain situations, such as when unable to speak, or when immersed in water. The value depends on how common the trigger is: 1pt is relatively uncommon (such as when immersed fully in water, or unable to both move and speak), 2pts is more common (such as when touching water, or unable to speak), 3pts if common (such as when wet, or when the sun is up).
• Temporary Disability - 1 to 4 pts. You suffer a disability in conjunction with the use of a power. For example, if your arms transform into wings in order for you to fly (leaving you without the use of your arms and hands while flying) then you have the disability of no arms (4pts, common, major).
• Reduced Range - 1 or 2 pts. For 1 point, a ranged power may only work out to 5 increments (instead of the normal 10). For 2 points, the range is reduced to only 2 increments.
• One-Way Transformation - 3 to 5 pts. A character with the ability to transform (via Morph, Shapeshift, Alternate Form, etc) with this Aberration becomes unable to voluntarily shift back. For 3 points, it takes a few hours to return to a previous shape (generally fine outside of combat). For 4 points, it takes hours as before, but also takes some manner of equipment or stimulus (steady electric current, heavy meditation, etc) to revert. For 5 points, it takes days for the character to return back to normal.
• Full Power - 1pt. A power with this must be used at its full rank, or not at all. This means that a character cannot pull their punch with an attack power so limited, nor can a super-speedster with this aberration move less than their full maximum speed (unless they choose to walk at normal human speed and not use the power). The power cannot have the Precise power feat.
• Vulnerable - 1 to 5 pts. The character develops a weakness to certain (already harmful) effects. For 1pt, the effect has it’s save DC (including damage) increased by 1. For 2pts, the effects is increased by 50% (round up). For 3pts, the effect is doubled. This base assumes a fairly uncommon effect (such as light-effects). For 1 additional point, the effect is more common (such as fire, or metal). For 2 additional points, the effect is very common (such as physical damage). Example - for 4 pts a character might take double damage from fire, while for 5pts a character could take double damage from energy based attacks.
• Weakness - variable. The character suffers adverse effects from normally harmless substances or situations. The value of the Weakness is dependant on three qualities: what harms the character, the effect, and how often the effect is applied. Depending on how common the source of harm is, it can be between 1-3 points (from cold iron, to sunlight). At this base value, the character cumulatively loses 1 to checks, attack bonus, or defense bonus (pick one). For +1 point, the loss is to all three of these, or a cumulative -1 to an ability score (+1 value if constitution). For +3 points, the loss is a cumulative drain on all ability scores (bonus for constitution already included). For +0, the loss occurs every 20 minutes; for each step up or down the Time and Value Progression Table, add or subtract 1 (less cost for less frequent, more value for more often).