Ability Schools / Alteration
Alteration
Alteration abilities change the world around you and the characters that inhabit it. Practitioners can change the form of items, stretch their limbs beyond natural limits, or harden their skin into impenetrable armor.
School Mechanic:
Whenever you use an Alteration ability, you gain 1 Alteration Point. You may store up to 5 points at a time; any unspent points are lost upon completing a Long Rest.
You may spend 1 AP to transfer any number of your stored points to any number of characters within 5 feet. Choose to apply them as either Fracture stacks or Reinforce stacks.
Whenever you reduce a character’s GP to 0, you may immediately apply 1 Fracture to that target or 1 Reinforce to yourself.
Flow Generation:
Gain 1 Flow when you spend an Alteration point.
Signature Point Generation:
Gain 1 SP every time you Burst Fracture stacks or Defend with 2 or more Reinforce stacks.
Alteration Abilities:
Alter Shape
Category: Support
Attribute: INT
Cost: 1 AP
Recharge: -
Goal to learn: Change the shape of 20 items with this ability. While this goal is set, you can use this ability. Roll a d10. On a 6–10, the ability activates.
Description:
You rearrange the molecular structure of a basic, non-living object. The object must transition into another of the same size or equal the same number of item slots.
You can use this ability on a weapon to change one weapon property to another, or change a weapon to another type.
Alternatively, you can use this ability to change the shape of a prosthetic or mechanical body part, changing your unarmed attacks into a specific melee weapon type or a physical shield. Weapons or shields created this way cannot be disarmed.
You are unable to alter the shape of anomalous artifacts or equipment worn or wielded by others.
Prerequisites: None
Attribute Swap
Category: Warper
Attribute: INT
Cost: 4 AP
Recharge: 12
Goal to learn: Temporarily increase or reduce attributes in combat 15 times.
Description:
You forcibly shift the internal chemistry of a character you touch and choose two Attributes. The attributes swap places for a number of rounds equal to half your INT (rounded up). An unwilling character can attempt a contested Resilience roll to resist the swap.
Prerequisites: 3 Alteration Abilities
Body Manipulation
Category: Physical
Attribute: END
Cost: 1 AP
Recharge: -
Goal to learn: Defeat 20 hostile characters while this ability is active. While this goal is set, you can use this ability. Roll a d10. On a 6–10, the ability activates.
Description:
You manipulate your organic body to change its shape at a cellular level. Each time you spend 1 AP to use this ability, add one weapon property (other than Paired) to your unarmed strikes. You can have a number of active body manipulations equal to half your END (rounded up). These changes last until the start of your next turn.
You can freely change the damage type of your unarmed strikes (Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing) at any time without spending AP.
Prerequisites: None
Collapse
Category: Warper
Attribute: INT
Cost: 3 AP
Recharge: 7-8
Goal to learn: Grant movement with Flow 30 times.
Description:
You violently detonate all active Fracture stacks on characters, objects, and structures within a 25-foot radius centered on you.
Each target of your choice within the area without Fracture stacks must succeed on a contested Resilience roll or gain 1 Fracture stack per 4 INT you have.
Prerequisites: None
Combine Being
Category: Physical
Attribute: END
Cost: 4 AP
Recharge: 19-20
Goal to learn: Use Body Manipulation 200 times in combat.
Description:
You temporarily fuse two willing characters into a single Fused Being. The Fused Being has access to all abilities, items, and School mechanics of both material characters. The character with the lower Pressure Level adds half of their attributes to the character with the higher Pressure Level. If both have the same Pressure Level, choose one to be the primary host.
This character must be controlled jointly by the players and use the highest proficiency for skills or weapons of each material character. The fusion lasts for a number of rounds equal to half of the combined characters' END. Whenever this time is over, each character's HP is split evenly.
If the Fused Being is reduced to 0 HP, the fusion ends immediately, and both characters are reduced to 0 HP. You cannot recharge Combine Being while it is in effect.
Prerequisites: Body Manipulation
Feralize
Category: Support
Attribute: END
Cost: 1 AP
Recharge: 5-6
Goal to learn: Defeat at least 5 hostiles solo, while Body Manipulation is active.
Description:
You let go of your higher functions to become a biological apex predator. For a number of rounds equal to your base END, you undergo the following changes:
Your INT and CHA attributes are reduced to 1. You cannot use abilities that are governed by INT or CHA.
You may increase your STR, AGI, END, or SPD by a number of points equal to the lost INT and CHA.
While in this state, you may choose one ability you know and change its governing attribute to STR, AGI, END, or SPD.
When this effect ends, you must make a Contested Resilience roll against a DR equal to the number of rounds you spent with this ability active. On a failed Resilience roll, you gain 1 level of Fatigue for every 2 rounds it lasted (rounded up). You can end this effect early at any time.
Prerequisites: Body Manipulation
Fuse
Category: Physical
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 4
Goal to learn: Restrain a total of 20 limbs or Grapple 30 times.
Description:
You forcibly connect two adjacent entities. Target two adjacent objects, characters, or points within 5 feet of you. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to half your INT.
Targets must attempt an Evade roll. On a failure, they are fused and considered Grappled with each other and share half of all damage taken.
Each time a character is affected by this ability after the first time during the duration, one limb is Restrained.
A target may spend 1 AP to make a contested Athletics roll to break one bond before it wears off naturally. On a success, the entities are separated at that point and both gain 1 Fracture.
Prerequisites: None
Grow
Category: Warper
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 11-12
Goal to learn: Use Alter Shape to add the Heavy property to a weapon 30 times in combat.
Description:
Touch an inanimate object, structure, or weapon within 5 feet and increase its scale by up to 1 size category per 4 INT. This lasts until the start of your next turn, but you can spend 2 AP at the start of your turn to sustain it.
The effects scale for each size category gained:
Weapons: The weapon's base damage increases by one die. It may gain new properties and change type depending on GM interpretation.
Barricades & Structures: The object’s Toughness and HP double. Its physical dimensions multiply, allowing it to easily block doorways, hallways, or sightlines.
The object's Weight and Item Slots double for every size increase.
Prerequisites: Alter Shape
Lighten
Category: Support
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 9-10
Goal to learn: Reduce the item slots of 20 characters with this ability. While this goal is set, you can use this ability. Roll a d10. On a 6–10, the ability activates.
Description:
You reduce the gravitational pull on a target you touch. The target’s carried item slots are reduced by 1 slot per 2 INT. If item slots carried reach below 0, the targets' jump height and distance are increased by 10 feet for every slot below 0.
Characters affected by Lighten have Advantage on contested Acrobatics rolls, but suffer Disadvantage on contested Athletics rolls.
Prerequisites: None
Momentum Swap
Category: Support
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 RP
Recharge: 6
Goal to learn: Grant movement with Flow 30 times.
Description:
You siphon the kinetic energy from one body and inject it into another. When a character within 30 feet of you spends AP to move, you may activate this ability at any point during their transit.
Target the moving character; they must succeed on a contested Athletics roll. On a failure, their movement immediately ends. You may then choose a second target within 30 feet. That target may immediately move a distance equal to the original character's remaining movement.
Prerequisites: None
Reactive Defenses
Category: Support
Attribute: END
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 7-8
Goal to learn: Grant movement with Flow 30 times.
Description:
Your armor reactively lashes out in response to trauma. Whenever you are the target of an attack or ability within your unarmed attack range, the attacker takes damage equal to your current toughness.
This ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to half your END.
Prerequisites: None
Shatter
Category: Physical
Attribute: STR
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 5-6
Goal to learn: Succeed on 15 Engineering rolls to analyze structural weak points before dealing damage to it.
Description:
You shatter a target's defenses with altered force. Target up to three 5-foot cubes within 5 feet of you. Each character within the area must make a successful Evade roll or be hit.
On a hit, this ability Bursts any Fracture stacks on the target and deals an additional 2d6 Bludgeoning or Piercing damage.
If a target has no Fracture stacks and this ability reduces their GP to 0, you immediately apply 1 Fracture stack for every 3 STR you possess. This ability is considered a melee attack.
Prerequisites: None
Shrink
Category: Warper
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 11-12
Goal to learn: Use Alter Shape to create small weapons 30 times in combat.
Description:
Touch an inanimate object, structure, or weapon within 5 feet and decrease its scale by up to 1 size category per 4 INT. This lasts until the start of your next turn, but you can spend 2 AP at the start of your turn to sustain it.
The effects scale for each size category lost:
Weapons: The weapon's base damage decreases by one die (minimum 1 damage). It may lose cumbersome properties (like Heavy) or change type depending on GM interpretation.
Barricades & Structures: The object’s Toughness and HP are halved. Its physical dimensions diminish, turning massive cover into small stepping stones or clearing blocked pathways.
The object's Weight and Item Slots are halved for every size decrease. If an object is shrunk to a size that would reduce its Item Slots below 1, it can be pocketed easily regardless of its original bulk.
Prerequisites: Alter Shape
Soften
Category: Support
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 4
Goal to learn: Deal a total of 50 physical damage to targets with Toughness.
Description:
You decrease the hardness of a target's outer shell. The target character, structure, or object within 15 feet of you have their Toughness reduced by your INT. This reduction lasts for 1 hit for every 3 INT you have (rounded up).
Prerequisites: None
Split
Category: Link
Attribute: INT
Cost: 1 AP
Goal to Learn: Touch at least 5 different ground terrains.
Description:
Whenever you activate the primary ability, you split the effect, targeting additional characters, areas, or directions. The effect of the primary ability is divided equally among the targets you choose.
If the linked ability inflicts a status effect or stackable state that does not have a divisible numerical value, the state is applied to all targets normally, but the duration of that state is halved for each target (minimum 1 round).
Prerequisite: None
Super Jump
Category: Physical
Attribute: -
Cost: -
Recharge: 3-4
Goal to learn: Jump 50 times while under the effects of a buff.
Description:
Whenever you make a jump, you can triple the distance.
Prerequisites: 1 Alteration Ability
Toughen
Category: Support
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 4
Goal to learn: Successfully negate 50 total damage using Toughness, whether natural or armor.
Description:
You increase the hardness of a target's outer shell. The target character, structure, or objects within 15 feet of you have their Toughness increased by your INT. This increase lasts for 1 hit for every 3 INT you have (rounded up).
Prerequisites: None
Warp Terrain
Category: Warper
Attribute: INT
Cost: 3 AP
Recharge: 9-10
Goal to Learn: Touch at least 5 different ground terrains.
Description:
Alter the terrain in a chain of 5 ft cubes equal to twice your INT. The terrain is then changed to a type of your choice for 10 minutes.
This ability affects ground or wall terrain separately, even if your connected cubes start from one and then go to another.
Prerequisite: None
Weigh Down
Category: Support
Attribute: INT
Cost: 2 AP
Recharge: 9-10
Goal to learn: Increase the item slots of 20 hostile characters with this ability. While this goal is set, you can use this ability. Roll a d10. On a 6–10, the ability activates.
Description:
You increase the gravitational pull on a target you touch. The target’s available Item Slots are increased by 1 slot per 2 INT. A character suffers from being overencumbered as usual if their item slots increase past their carry limit.
Characters affected by Weigh Down have Advantage on contested Athletics rolls, but suffer Disadvantage on contested Acrobatics rolls.
Prerequisites: None