Ultimate Aberrant
Rebuild of Aberrant: These houserules are experimental and seek to use certain nWoD concepts like attributes and ability spreads. +1 XP to the first three who convert their sheets, and +1 more for anyone who converts before the end of summer (so +2 for early adopters).
New Ability Spread
The modified mental and social attributes are listed below.
Mental:
- Intelligence
- Wits
- Resolve
Social:
- Charisma
- Manipulation
- Composure
Abilities Changes
Perception abilities are now Wits abilities.
Resistance is now a Resolve skill, representing the ability to suffer long term mental strain (i.e. from brainwashing, torture, and the like) without problems. Novas no longer gain 3 free dots in Resistance.
Style no longer exists-characters with it are recommended to trade its XP in for some Subterfuge (for disguise), Arts (for fashion design), Perform (showing off), or Etiquette (for seduction/etc).
Intimidation is now a Charisma skill.
Politics and Perform are now Composure skills.
Converting Attributes
Wits now is a measure of your eye for detail as well as your ability to think on your feet and mental reaction time. Therefore, use one of Wits or Perception to determine your new Wits score. Perception skills are now Wits-based.
Resolve is a determination of your long-term focus and determination, your ability to see your will done. Use the other figure chosen to determine Resolve. If your character is intended to be particularly weak-willed or the like, send me a SB PM or IM about proposed changes or see if you can catch me on IRC during the summer.
Composure replaces appearance and determines your character's poise and dignity, his or her ability to appear and stay unfazed even in stressful or threatening situations. It is associated with leadership and staying "cool under fire", as well as public speaking.
Willpower
Willpower is Resolve + Composure (+Mega-Resolve/Mega-Composure). It is quite possible for a Nova with high levels in both to have a willpower significantly above 10 (superhuman willpower). Willpower is also no longer rolled. Instead, it is only spent and regained. A baseline may spend 1 willpower to add 1 dice to any roll. Novas may spend willpower to add 1 success to any roll. Losing all of one's willpower still has consequences as outlined in the core.
Rolls which call for Willpower to resist now use either Resolve, Composure, or Stamina, dependent on the situation. In general, resisting mental abilities such as Mental Blast or Domination are done with Resolve, resisting emotional effects or social oratory (or at least seeming to be unconvinced) is done by Composure, and Stamina is used to resist physical harm. Use either Endurance or Resistance, depending if the influence is physical (being tortured) or mental/social (someone trying to sweetalk, mind control, or brain-fry you) in nature.
Rolls resisting quantum-sapping powers such as Disrupt, Disimmunize, and Quantum Authority are based off of Composure + Node instead of Quantum + Node.
Mega-Attributes and Conversion
Mega-Wits and Mega-Perception: Mega-Perception and its Enhancements have been absorbed into Mega-Wits. Because of this, if a character possesses both, use the higher Mega-Wits or Mega-Perception rating to determine new Mega-Wits and one can either convert the lower Mega-Attribute into Mega-Resolve, a Mega-Wits Enhancement, or get the XP refunded.
Mega-Appearance: Mega-Appearance is now a level 2 suite power, Quantum Minimum 1, which has one Enhancement for each Mega-Appearance dot. Its dice pool for rolls is raw Mega-Appearance, plus bonus dice from Striking Looks. A Nova with Mega-Appearance should convert his or her old Mega-Appearance score into the power. Furthermore, each level of Mega-Appearance also counts as a level of Striking Looks (1 bonus die to certain rolls). Mega-Ugliness is similarly bought and adds to Intimidation rolls or other rolls involving engendering fear or disgust in the target.
Mega-Manipulation: Mega-Manipulation no longer gives bonus dice to detect or resist being convinced-that is now the job of the Composure attribute.
New Mega-Attributes
- Mega-Resolve: Some Novas are just supernaturally tough, mentally. A Nova with this mega-attribute is nearly impossible to break, bulling through even the most powerful psychics and the harshest torments like a tank crashing through drywall. Enhancements from other powers or Mega-Attributes which are now Mega-Resolve Enhancements include Psychic Shield, Redirection, Taint Resistance (being far better at resisting the call of madness that the enlarged Node causes), and Unstoppable.
- Mega-Composure: A Nova with Mega-Composure finds it easy to deflect arguments and stay cool in any situation. Enhancements from other Mega-Attributes which are now Mega-Resolve Enhancements include First Impression, Commanding Presence, Be All That You Can Be, Perfect Guest, and Inspiration.
Powers and Enhancements
Psychic Shield is no longer a power. Instead, it is now a Mega-Resolve Enhancement, adding 2 to a Nova's Mega-Resolve when seeking to resist mind control and the like. Similarly Quantum Resistance is a Mega-Composure Enhancement, adding 2 to a Nova's Mega-Resolve when resisting disruption powers.
Formerly Perception-based powers are now based off of Wits except for any exceptions listed below. Similarly any power resisted with Perception rolls is now resisted by Wits.
Mental Blast gains a number of automatic successes equal to Quantum and is resisted by Resolve + Resistance.
Disrupt, Quantum Vampire, Quantum Leech, and Disimmunize are now resisted by Composure + Node.
Invisibility is now based off of Composure and resisted with Wits.
Animal/Plant Mastery is based off of Charisma.
Holo and Mirage are now resisted with Resolve.
Shroud and Quantum Construct are now based off of Resolve.
New Merits
Merits cost (dot rating x 2) XP to purchase. As Novas can change and better their bodies and minds with far greater ease than a human, Mental and Physical merits cost (dot rating) XP to purchase for Novas.
All characters gain an additional 4 Merit points to spend on any new Merits. These are for buying fighting styles but can be used to buy any other merits or, if you ask first, backgrounds.
- Striking Looks (2 or 4 pts): A character with this merit is extremely good-looking. Add 1 (for the 2pt) or 2 (for the 4pt) dice to any roll where good looks play a primary factor, such as seduction, modeling, or the like. Striking Looks 1 is roughly equivalent to an appearance of 4, while Striking Looks 2 is roughly equivalent to appearance 5.
- 2nd Generation Nova (8 pts):
- A character with this merit is a 2nd Generation Nova. This can only be taken at chargen or at conversion. The character gains an immunity to the normal Taint increase from higher Quantum or Node, cannot buy powers Tainted and gains the equivalent of the Taint Resistance Merit.