Shadowrun II Awakened Powers

A Big list of Awakened powers, gleaned from all over the place. Some has come from Lester Ward’s article on Ghosts.

ACCIDENT

Accident power gives a being the ability to cause an apparently normal accident to occur. The nature of the accident and its result will vary according to the terrain the being controls. A character hit with accident power must make a test using Quickness or Intelligence (whichever is higher), with a target number equal to the Essence of the being using the power. If the character fails the test, its action is lost as it trips, gets a mouthful of leaves, or even a cream pie in the face. Accident is not dangerous in itself, but the environment can make it so. A fall on a narrow mountain ledge, for instance, can be most unfortunate.

ALIENATION

Alienation power gives the being the ability to enshroud its victim(s) in an aura that makes the victim invisible to others. Treat this as an invisibility spell, with a Force Rating equal to the being’s Essence. A victim will remain under alienation power for a number of hours equal to the empowered creature’s Essence.

The alienation power is not intended as the kind of beneficial power of invisibility. Victims of alienation are invisible, intangible, and inaudible to those around them. It is as if those afflicted by this power do not exist at all. Drivers will not stop for them, no one talks to them, their friends shoot through them to hit targets. Despair fills their soul.

The victim must achieve 1 success, using whatever Attribute or skill seems appropriate, against the critter’s Essence as the tdrget number, in order to avoid a dangerous situation or to get someone’s attention.

ANIMAL CONTROL

Some beings have heightened empathy with animals, usually limited to a particular type, such as predators or scaled animals. This power allows the being to automatically prevent that animal from attacking, giving an alarm, and so on. By concentrating, the being can control an individual animal, experiencing the world through its senses and directing its behavior. This behavior would fall within what is normal for the animal’s type. That is, a controlled monkey could not drive a car. The number of small animals (cats, rats, and so on) that a creature may control is equal to its (Charisma)D6. A being may control a number of larger animals (wolves, lions, and so on) equal to its Charisma.

ANIMAL FORM

A free spirit can appear in the form of a non-magical animal. When in animal form, the spirit looks like a spapeshifter, appearing as a larger and stronger version of the beast. For purposes of play, add the spirit’s Spirit Energy to the critter’s normal Physical Attributes and use the spirits Force Rating in place of the critter’s Mental Attributes. The animal form also has the power of immunity to normal weapons, with an Essence Rating equal to the spirit’s Spirit Energy. While in this form, the spirit retains all its other powers and can speak if it wishes.

Nature spirits usually appear in the form of an animal native to their domain. On the rare occasions when elementals appear as animals, they seem to use a single, large, powerful animal form.

Killing the animal form disrupts the spirit.

ASTRAL GATEWAY

AURA MASKING

BINDING

Binding gives a being the power to make its victim “stick” to asurface or to itself. The binding has a Strength Rating equal to twice the being’s Essence.

COMPULSION

A being with compulsion power can compel its victim to perform a specific action, as with a post-hypnotic suggestion. Often a being may only compel one particular action. Treat as a control actions spell, using the being’s Essence for the spell’s Force Rating.

Queen Insect spirits can exude a wide variety of pheromones that create overriding compulsions in humans. She can affect anyone smelling these essences, which are effective to a distance of her Force rating in metres. She can also secrete the pheromones in a form that can be mixed into food or drink, used as a drug, and blended with other substances.

CONCEALMENT

This power refers to a being’s ability to hide within its terrain rather than to its own ability to become invisible. This power is generally associated with nature spirits. A being can use concealment power to hide itself and its companions from danger, or alternatively, can use the power to hide something that people are seeking. Concealment adds the being’s Essence Rating to the target number of any Perception Tests the gamemaster requires.

CONFUSION

Confusion power gives a being the ability to make its victims lose their sense of direction and wander in confusion through the terrain it controls. The consequences may vary widely. A hearth spirit causing confusion in a house might lead to nothing worse than someone bumping into walls or mistaking a closet door for an exit. Confusion in the realm of a mountain spirit could easily lead someone to topple off the nearest cliff.

Characters who attempt any form of Success Test while under this power are subject to a negative target modifier equal to the Essence of the being using the power. In addition, whenever the victim must make any decision, he must make a Willpower Test with a target number equal to the being’s Essence. If he fails, he is unable to make up his mind. Something or someone must remind him of the need for a decision. An attack, or a verbal reminder from a companion, provides an opportunity for another test. If left alone in this state, a character will eventually wander off.

The power remains in effect as long as the victim remains within the area of terrain controlled by the being.

DISPELLING

ELECTRICAL PROJECTlON

Electrical projection power gives a being the power to strike a target with a discharge of electricity. Depending on the being, results may range from a mild shock to a lightning bolt. A victim can neither dodge nor defend against electrical projection attacks. Typically, such attacks do (Essence)M damage and disorient the target for a number of turns equal to the being’s Essence.

ENGULF

Engulf power gives a being the ability to draw its victim into itself or the terrain or element appropriate to its nature. The victim is subject to all effects of being submerged in the substance, the least of which is usually suffocation.

The gamemaster should make an opposed test between the victim’s Willpower and the creature’s Essence, each using the opposition ‘s rating as the target number. Compare the total number of successes. If the creature generates more successes, the victim will enter the substance and begin to suffocate or suffer other appropriate damage. The victim cannot escape as long as the creature maintains his power against him. An attack on another victim (the being using either a power or else physically) will release the first one from the engulf power.

For each turm that a character is suffocating, the player makes a Body Test against a Damage Code of (being’s Essence)M Stun. Dermal plating and armor do not count toward resisting this damage.

Spirits with this power follow these rules:

The engulf attack is a melee attack. The spirit uses its Quickness to hit the target. Targets must counterattack successfully to avoid engulfment. If a victim is engulfed, the effects vary.

Every time it is the victim’s action, he or she can try to escape. Make an opposed test using the victim’s Strength and the spirit’s Essence against a base Target Number

If the victim wins, freedom! On each of the spirit’s actions, engulfed victims must resist appropriate damage.

Fire Engulf:

Same as if struck by the spirit in combat; [(Essence)M damage, add +2 Power for flame aura]. The character must resist (Essence +2)M damage. Impact armor helps against this damage, but not ballistic armor, which tends to melt.

Water Engulf:

Victim must resist (Essence)M Stun damage. The power is modified by + 1 for each action that the spirit has had since engulfing the victim. This is rougher than normal drowning, because the spirit is capable of exerting great pressure on engulfed victims. Victims who pass out are still exposed to damage during the spirit’s actions, and will take Lethal damage as a result. Eventually, they will drown.

Air Engulf:

Victim must resist (Essence)S Stun effects of the noxious breath power using Willpower or Body, whichever is greater. Because the spirit can astrally penetrate breathing gear or other protective systems, these provide no defense. The engulfed victim begins to take Lethal damage after being rendered unconscious, and eventually suffocates.

Earth Engulf:

Victim must resist (Essence)S damage from the crushing weight of the spirit. Impact armor defends against this, but not ballistic.

ENHANCED PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

With this power, a being adds its current Essence Rating to its Physical Attributes. This power to enhance may be limited to specific Attribute(s) and/or in duration and number of uses.

ENHANCED SENSES

Enhanced senses power includes low-light and thermographic vision, improved hearing and smell, heat-sensing organs, sonar, motion detection (ability to detect electrical field disturbances), and so on.

ESSENCE DRAIN

Essence drain power allows a being to drain the Essence from another, adding the points to its own rating. The being may increase its Essence Raffng to a maximum of twice the maximum for its type. Humanoid beings, therefore, have a maximum Essence Rating of 12.

Essence is transferred only in the presence of strong emotion. This can be a lover’s passion, the terror of an unwilling victim, or the rage of a defeated enemy, but it must be strong and it must be directed personally at the being. The Essence drain usually requires some transfer of physical material, such as blood for a vampire or flesh for a wendigo, though often only a token amount.

A being draining Essence requires some minutes undisturbed. The being may drain as many points of Essence as it currently possesses. The minimum drain is 1 point.

A being cannot drain Essence from a fiercely resisting victim. The victim must participate willingly or must be physically or magically subdued. The psychic sffmulus of the being’s touch (such as a vampire’s bite) opens an empathic link between the being and his victim, who will feel ecstasy at being drained. The release of endorphins and other changes in body chemistry triggered by this experience can be addictive. A victim must make a Willpower Test against a Target Number 4 each time he or she is drained. Failure indicates addiction, and the subject will actively cooperate in hopes of receiving another session. This will, of course, lead to a rapid loss of Essence and the death of the addict.

Beings can drain Essence from other beings with essence drain power without the necessity of strong emotional energy, but the contact still requires undisturbed time. The action requires an Essence Test using a Target Number 4 for both beings. The being achieving the most successes drains the other of Essence equal to the extra successes. For example, two vampires with Essence Ratings of 5 each are locked in a transfer. Each rolls 5 dice. The first scores 3 successes, the other scores 5. The second vampire will drain 2 points of Essence from the first. A vampire whose Essence is reduced to 0 in this manner dies at once and permanently.

FEAR

This gives a being the power to fill its victims with overwhelming fear of either the terrain or of the being. The victim will race in panic for the nearest point of apparent safety.

The gamemaster should make a test pitting the victim’s Willpower against the creature’s Essence, each using the opposition’s rating as the target number. The creature’s net number of successes is used to gauge the severity of the victim’s fear.

FLAME AURA

Flame aura power gives a being the ability to make its surface ripple with flame, burning any who touch it. Intense forms of this power may make wooden weapons burst into flame at a touch or even melt metal or plastic weapons. The flames add +2 to the Power of any successful melee attack.

Any successful melee attack against a creature with flame aura power means that the attacker also takes damage from the intense heat. The attacker must make a Body Test against a Damage Code of (being’s Essence)M. Armor may help resist this damage if the gamemaster agrees that the attacker struck the creature with an armored portion of his or her body.

FLAME PROJECTION

With this power, a being can project flames, often in the form of fiery breath. This attack has a Damage Code of (Essence)L. A being may sustain the attack, but will suffer Drain in the same way a magician does, as Drain (Essence)S. When the attack is sustained, the being spreads the effect of the attack over a number of square meters equal to its Essence.

Highly flammable items may be ignited by a flame projection attack.

GUARD

Guard power gives the being the capacity to prevent any accident–both natural and those caused by the accident power– within the terrain controlled by the being.

HARDENED ARMOR

Creatures with hardened armor have an exoskeleton possessing the same qualities as vehicle armor.

HIDDEN LIFE

HUMAN FORM

IMMUNITY TO AGE

With this power, a being will not age, and will never suffer the debilitating effects of advanced age.

IMMUNITY TO NORMAL WEAPONS

This power gives a being an Armor Rating equal to double its Essence when resisting damage from ordinary weapons. This power has no effect against magical weapons. Against elemental damage (such as fire, lack of air, water cannon, and so on), the effect is halved (the being has an Armor Rating equal to its Essence).

IMMUNITY TO PATHOGENS

This immunity gives the being additional dice equal to double its Essence when making tests to resist infection or disease.

IMMUNITY TO POISONS

This immunity gives the being additional dice equal to double its Essence when making tests to resist the effects of a toxin (poison or drug).

INFECTION

When a being that drains Essence (such as a vampire) has reduced a victim’s Essence to 0, the victim will sicken and apparently die. Shortly after this “death,” the individual will return to life as a being of the type that drained the Essence (Essence still equals 0). Such “newborn” creatures are dangerous. Though they are barely conscious of their new state, instinct will drive them to satisfy their hunger in any way they can.

After their “deaths,” characters so infected are no longer under the control of their player, but come under the gamemaster’s control.

INFLUENCE

Influence power allows a being to insinuate suggestions into the mind of a victim, predisposing that person to some forrn of action, reaction, or emotion. Make a test matching the being’s Charisma Attribute (or Essence, if it has no Charisma) against the victim’s Willpower, each using the opponent’s rating as the target number. Use the number of net successes as a guide to how strongly the suggestion is taken.

GAMEMASTER’S NOTE

The ability to Influence fear is considerably less effective than the power of Fear.

INHABITING

The ally can inhabit a physical body prepaired for it by its summoner. This power differs from possession, which allows the spirit to try to inhabit any living body. Rather, the magician makes a suitable host body available to the spirit. Inhabiting actually limits the spirit in some ways, but makes it more powerfull on the physical plane.

As long as the physical body still lives, the ally cannot leave it. When inhabiting its body, the ally functions as a dual being and remains astrally active. The spirit cannot manifest because it is locked into the host body.

The magician can provide an animal as well as a human host, using any normal critter for this purpose. Paranatural animals are too magically powerfull to be used as hosts, as are sapient beings (such as people). The ally adds its Force Rating to all Physical Attributes of the host animal. Once inhabited, the animal body receives the additional powers of immunity to age and immunity to pathogens.

[ Homunculus creation - Grimore II page 67 ]

If the host body is destroyed, the ally retreats to its native metaplane. The magician then has a choice. He can procure a new host body of the same type and preform a ritual of change to conjure the spirit back into the new body. This ritual costs no Karma Points. Alternatively the magician can try to summon the spirit again, and thus permanently give up its inhabiting power. This course of action requires the magician to undertake an astral quest to the spirit’s native metaplane using a Quest rating equal to the ally’s Force Rating. If the quest fails, the spirit goes free.

If the spirit becomes free while inhabiting a host body, it must remain in that body. If the body is destroyed, the ally can only be “rescued” if a friendly magician preforms a ritual of change or an astral quest. As the magician must know the ally’s true name to accomplish either of these, the spirit must trust the magician completely.

This power is mutually exclusive to Immunity To Normal Weapons.

MAGICAL GUARD

The being’s magical guard power (which is equal to its Essence) serves as spell defense for the person(s) it is warding.

MANIFESTATION

An astral being with manifestation power may temporarily manifest in the physical world. When doing so, its Physical Attribute Rating is the same as its Essence Rating, unless some modifier is specified i n the description of that being. The minimum manifested Rating is 1. Moreover, the Essence Rating of these beings functions as spell defense.

When an attacker strikes or shoots at a manifested spirit with a mundane weapon, use the character’s Willpower Attribute instead of the usual attack skill. Against spirit foes, unshakable strength of will is more important than weapon skill. Attacks with weapon foci, other magical attacks, and attacks using a spirit’s vulnerability (see below) are not subject to this rule.

In addition, manifested spirits have the power of immunity to norrnal weapons against ranged combat attacks, for these do not carry the full “charge” of the attacker’s will. Against such attacks, spirits have “armor” equal to twice their Force.

They do not, however, have this power against melee attacks because there is nothing to reduce the effects of their opponent’s courage in close combat.

In addition, spirits in astral form receive a +20 to their Initiative, and a +10 when manifest.

An ally spirit may have multiple forms it can manifest in - it can manifest into any of these forms. However, its Attributes will stay at the ratings specified in its creation formula. Allies with inhabiting power cannot manifest because they are bound to their host body. An Ally cannot appear in a great form.

MIST FORM

The being can transform its body into a mist, apparently by controlling the molecular cohesion of its cells. A mist can pass through any crack or crevice that is not airtight, even penetrating filtration systems that are proof against gases or pollution. Systems that are proof against bacterial or viral incursions will stop a being in mist form. While in mist form, the being has the additional power of immunity to normal weapons , including weapons to which it has vulnerability. While in mist form, a being can be affected by magic. If the being is exposed to a substance to which it is allergic, it will be forced to return to its corporeal form. (The easiest allergen to apply to this purpose is sunlight. Other substances require that a fine spray of powder or liquid be directed into the mist). A being must use a Complex Action to shift form. If forced out of mist form, the change is instantaneous.

MOVEMENT

The being may increase or decrease its victim’s movement rate within the terrain it controls, multiplying or dividing the rate by the being’s Essence.

NOXIOUS BREATH

The nauseating effects of the being’s breath incapacitate the victim. The victim makes a Willpower or Body Test (whichever rating is greater) against the spell ‘s Damage Code (being’s Essence)S Stun. Armor and dermal plating do not help resist damage in this test.

PARALYZING TOUCH (HOWL)

Any touch (including an attack that does no damage) reduces the victim’s Quickness by the being’s Essence rating for 2D6 minutes. Multiple touches can cause multiple reductions in Quickness. A victim whose Quickness is reduced to 0 is incapable of any movement. To continue breathing, it must make a Willpower Test each minute against a target number of the being’s Essence. If the victim fails one of these tests, it has stopped breathing and will die in 1D6 minutes unless the paralysis effect wears off before that time or someone applies first aid.

The aural form of this power is called Paralyzing Howl and requires a test pitting the critter’s Essence against the target’s Willpower and vice versa, in order to be effective. The critter needs only 1 success to affect the target.

PERSONAL DOMAIN

PESTILENCE

The victim is subject to an infection of a disease similar to VITAS-3.

PETRIFYING GAZE

If the victim meets the being’s eyes, it must make a test using its Intelligence Attribute against a target number of the being’s Essence Rating. A being can keep a number of victims petrified equal to its Essence Rating. A failed test means that the only actions a victim can perform are attempts to break the spell, which require the same test described above.

PSYCHOKINESIS

The being may generate psychokinetic energy with a Strength equal to its Essence Rating, similar to the magic fingers spell.

REGENERATION

The being cannot be killed by wounds except when the damage injures the spine or brain. Check for this type of damage whenever the being takes a Deadly wound or its cumulative wounds take it down. Roll 1 D6. A result of 1 indicates that the being is, indeed, dead. Otherwise, wounds still hurt the being, giving penalties to actions as for normal characters, but if the wounds do not cause death, the wounds vanish at the beginning of the next Combat Turn.

Damage from weapons that cause massive tissue damage (fire, explosion, and so on) will also kill on a 1 D6 die roll result of 1 or 2.

SEARCH

The being may seek any person, place, or object within its terrain. Its rating for perceiving hidden objects or persons is equal to twice its Essence. To remain undiscovered, a character or object must make a successful opposed test, as described at the beginning of this chapter.

SENSE LINK

A magician may perceive with the ally spirit’s senses, no matter how physically far apart the two may be. The magician’s own senses shut down when he uses sense link. If the ally is manifesting or inhabits a host body, the magician may use the sense link power to view the physical plane. If the ally is in astral space, the magician assense what the spirit sees without being astrally active. Astral attacks cannot reach a magician through the sense link power.

SKILL

When summoned, an insect spirit can be given any nonmagically Build/Repair or other similar skill the summoner wishes. It can use this skill with a rating equal to its Force.

SORCERY

With this power, an ally has Sorcery Skill, with a rating equal to its creator’s Sorcery Skill Rating at the time of creation. As long as an ally is bound to a master, it cannor learn spells on its own. A free spirit, in contrast, can learn its own spells.

An ally can only learn a spell when its master learns the spell specifically for the ally. Note that if a magician learns a spell for his ally, he does not learn it himself. The ally knows it, not the master. The master must learn it again if he wants to know the spell, too.

Allies are subject to the normal rules for sorcery, including Drain. If allies suffer Stun damage from normal Drain, they are disrupted. If the Drain Level causes Physical Damage, allies disappear for good.

Free spirits can spend Karma Points to increase its skill and learn spells. The spirit, however, does not need the usual tools and props of mages and shamans. Neither does the spirit need a teacher or a spell formula, because it is always in tune with astral space, the heart and source of magic.

SUMMONING

Summoning takes place according to the rules given in the Grimore II (page 103).

TELEPATHIC LINK

The telepathic link power allows an ally to communicate telepathically with its master. Communication is limited to line of sight. If there is a background count on the astral plane when the ally tries to communicate with the magician, the spirit must generate at least 1 success in a Force Success Test against a target number equal to the background count. Make this test for each action during which the magician and the ally try to communicate. The spirit always makes the Force Test, no matter which of the pair tries to send thoughts.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT

This power permits spirits in manifest form or inhabiting a body to move in three dimensions, “walking on air” at their normal movement rate. Spirits active only in astral space do this anyway.

VENOM

The being’s attack is poisonous, with a Damage Code of (Essence)S. Treat as a toxin with a speed of 1 turn.

WEALTH

AURA MASKING

As the Metamagical ability of Masking. Treat apparition as Grade and Magic Rating equal to Force for resisted tests to break through the Masking.

DEATHSEEM”

This power requires an opposed success test of the apparition’s Essence against a victims Willpower. If the apparition wins, the victim appears dead (no organ or brain activity) for a period of days equal to the apparitions net successes, while not actually killing the victim. If the victim wins the test, the apparition may not use this power on him for a period of days equal to three times his or her net successes. This Power takes several minutes to use.

DREAMSEND

The apparition can plant dreams of its creation into the victim’s sleep.

ELECTROSENSE

This power allows the apparition to utilize electrical devices: cause images to form on trideo, manipulate the speakers on a radio, cause printers to run, etc. Note that it does not broadcast these images, merely manipulates the output device. High force apparitions have been known to dim or burn out light bulbs. This ability is believed to be how some ghosts can put their voices on tape without any present at the recording hearing it.

GHOSTLY IMMUNITIES

Applies to physical manifestation only. Combines (from Shadowrun page 176) Immunity to Age, Pathogens, Poisons, and Normal Weapons (auto-successes = twice Essence). Also included are Immunity to Magic and Magic Weapons, as well as Elemental Effects (all give auto successes = Essence). Some apparitions with this ability can spend an action to heal all wounds (ectoplasmic manipulation).

In the unlikely event that an apparition with this power takes deadly damage, it is sent to its home plane for at least a week.

All of these abilities are nullified if the damage is done by something to which the apparition has a Vulnerability. If deadly damage is done by this, but not in the proscribed way of destroying the apparition, the apparition is not destroyed, but sent to its home plane for at least a month.

MANIFEST

A = Aural. The apparition can make itself heard. Means of doing so are varied, and not always apparent. This need not be accompanied by a visual manifestation.

P = Physical. The apparition can manifest into a body on the real (and sometimes astral) planes, as detailed above.

V = Visual. The apparition can make itself seen. It is obvious that the apparition is a spectral form of some kind (i.e. transparent, warped features, etc.). In some cases, an apparition can use this Power to appear to only one person, ins spite of others present.

PARALYZING PRESENCE

This is like the Power of Paralyzing Touch, but does requires only visual contact. The targets of this Power often must fulfill certain qualifications to be effected.

PSYCHOKINESIS

As the power in Shadowrun rules; however, some ghosts, most notably those in the poltergeist class, can manipulate multiple (equal to 2*F) objects at great strength (F+4).

PUTREFY

This power hastens the rotting of a corpse (or a victim of the Deathseem Power).

RAISE FOG

Can cause a ground level cloud to form of a radius equal to 10*F metres.

RESIST TRAVEL

This Power allows an apparition to make an opposed Willpower test with anyone attempting to move it beyond a certain area. Some cases have been documented when apparitions with this power could cause trucks they were in to become mysteriously mired, or caused themselves to fall off transportation.

SUMMON REMNANT

This power allows an apparition (usually a Revenant) to summon a number of Remnants to do its bidding. The quantity summoned is on the order of F-squared.

TELEPORT

This Power allows an apparition to physically teleport on the real plane. It is assumed that the apparition can somehow pull its physical ‘body’ into its home plane, travel in that plane, then reform the ‘body’ in the real plane instantaneously.

TEMPERATURE ALTERATION

Can alter the temperature of an area (radius = F) by up to plus or minus 3*F degrees centigrade.

WINDS

Allows the apparition to move air masses. The greater the force of the spirit using this power, the more air and faster they may move it. Force 1 is a light breeze, while force 10 approaches hurricane forces.