Aberrant 2.0 Quantum and Mega-Attributes

Quantum Pool

A Nova's base Quantum Pool is now calculated by: 10 + [(Quantum + Node) * 5]. A chargen Nova has minimum Quantum Pool 15, maximum 60, without buying expansions.

• As a clarification, 1 Aggravated HL sacrificed provides 2 temporary Quantum points. These Quantum points can be spent above and beyond normal Quantum expenditure for the turn-they do not count towards the Quantum/turn limit.

Taint

Each Dot of Permanent Taint provides the following advantages:

• Aberrations: The Nova gains beneficial body modifications (large size, acute senses, hardened skin, etc.) per dot of Permanent Taint. This body modification must generally relate to the power/etc. the Taint was used to purchase. After the 4th point of Taint, these body modifications become ever more obvious, and ever more powerful. At Taint 1-4, each point of Taint grants 2 XP worth of modifications, at Taint 5-7, each point grants 4 XP worth, and at Taint 8+ each point grants 6 XP worth.
• Reduced Cost: Taking a power or level of Quantum Tainted reduces its cost by 3 NP (at chargen) or half (after chargen) at the cost of 1 permanent Taint. This can give a power negative cost at chargen.
• Transhuman Ascendence: The quantum energies coursing through the Nova mutate her body far past human limits, both for good and for ill. At Taint 4, a Nova chooses one attribute. This attribute no longer has a rating cap, and any body modifications or merits which adjust or eliminate this rating cap (such as Exceptional [Attribute] or Inhuman [Attribute]) are converted back into XP. Every point of Taint after that removes the rating cap from an additional attribute, so a Nova at Taint 8 has 5 attributes which have no limit to their development.

However, each Dot has the following disadvantages:

• Social Issues: A Nova suffers +1 difficulty on social rolls against others if the Nova's permanent Taint is 4 levels higher than the opponent, and this difficulty penalty increases by every additional 2 levels of permanent Taint the Nova has. A Nova with Taint 8 suffers a +2 difficulty against a Nova with Taint 2, and +3 difficulty against a baseline. This applies for all social rolls, including intimidation-the Nova is just so fearsome the opponent is driven catatonic or desperately tries to make a stand rather than telling the Nova what he or she wants.
• Taint Radiation: At high Taint levels (8+) the Nova radiates Taint radiation, which can poison baselines and give Taint to nearby Novas. With one scene of constant exposure, a Nova or baseline with permanent Taint less than half that of another Nova must roll (Stamina + Resistance) at the end of the scene, the difficulty being half the difference between the Taint levels of the two Novas (round up). Failure means a Nova takes 1 point of temporary Taint + 1 more point for every point of permanent Taint a Nova has above 9, while a baseline gains 1 level of permanent Taint and the advantages and disadvantages of said.
• Aberrations: The Aberration system is used as normal for disadvantageous or inconvenient changes. These changes are merely paired with beneficial ones. Minor Aberrations are generally minor physical changes which merely stand out, equivalent to 0 to 1 point flaws. Moderate Aberrations are generally equal to 1-3 point flaws, and should be disadvantageous to the character, or highly inconvenient. Severe Aberrations are equivalent to 4+ point flaws.

Novas gain Aberration points with increasing Taint as shown below:

Taint 0-2: 0 pts

Taint 3-5: 1 pt/level

Taint 6-8: 2 pts/level

Taint 9-10: 4 pts/level.

A minor Aberration is worth 1 point, a moderate 2, and a severe 4.

Temporary Taint

This section lists new and altered ways to gain or lose temporary Taint.

Quantum Recharging

Novas can unsafely channel ambient quantum energies, recharging 3 Quantum Points instantly at the cost of 1 temporary Taint. This supplements Dying for Power: A very desperate Nova can do truly insane things by taking temporary taint.

Losing Temporary Taint

Characters may lose temporary Taint as listed in the core rulebook. Furthermore, a few additional systems help losing temporary Taint.

• Taint Resistant Novas lose 1 temporary Taint every 24 hours.

• 2nd Gen Novas lose all temporary Taint every 24 hours.

Power Maxing

A Power Max requires the character to pay double the cost of the power, although more Quantum can be spent (an additional amount up to the character's permanent Quantum score). The character rolls his permanent Quantum. The character gains 1 temporary taint for a failed max, and 2 if the roll botches. Successes on this roll (if any were rolled) are added to the number of additional Quantum spent and used to buy new features for the power. This is a reflexive action.

• 1 success buys +1d to the power's dice pool or damage, up to [Quantum].
• 2 successes converts 1 dice in the power's pool into a success. For powers which have a roll to hit and another damage roll, it converts both part of the to-hit and damage roll.
• 2 successes buys any desired Extra for the power.
• 3 successes increases the power's level by 1 for all purposes, including accuracy, damage, and range.
• 5 successes allows the Nova to alter the chosen power for (Quantum) actions, turning it into a similar but related power. For example, a Nova could pay 5 successes to turn Healing into Biomanipulation, or Bioluminescence into Quantum Bolt.

Power Maxing and Taint

A character may choose to take 1 temporary taint to add an additional point to their power max pool, or 2 temporary taint to convert all dice into successes.

Extras and Enhancements

Instead of how Extras work currently, an Extra can be purchased for a power for the flat cost of 10 XP per Extra, with a maximum amount of Extras equal to half the power rating, rounded up (so a power at Rating 3 can support up to 3 Extras). A power may use as many or as few Extras as desired, each one adding +1 to the Quantum cost of the power. Buying an Extra at chargen is worth 3 NP. This change makes L3 powers somewhat better because they can support just as many Extras as L1 powers, and gives an incentive to buy power ratings up. Furthermore, a power may also have Strengths (as per the Player's Guide) equal to its rating. Each Strength costs 4 XP or 1 NP at chargen. Extras and Strengths do not increase the level of the power.

For Mega-Attributes, a character may support up to (Mega-Attribute + 2) Enhancements per attribute instead of an infinite amount.

New Enhancements

General

• [Attribute] Paragon : This Enhancement decreases the cost of purchasing superhuman attributes for the chosen Mega-Attribute. The cost of purchasing dots of the chosen attribute above 5 is reduced to (current value - 5) * 4, minimum 4 XP. This only affects the cost of purchasing an attribute above human levels (i.e. above 5), and does nothing to cheapen the cost of purchasing an attribute up to 5.

Altered Enhancements

Physical

• Crush: Crush damage is lethal by default, and if used to charge an attack for extra damage levels, the attack may take the form of a Smackdown (Str + 6 damage) or be aimed for 1 turn, instead of being a normal strike.

• Accuracy: Accuracy adds +1 to the accuracy of all Nova powers, and increases the Nova's maximum aiming bonus by 3, to (Perception + 3), as well as adding 3 extra dice on the first turn of aiming. Accuracy may be purchased more than once to stack the improved power accuracy, but not further increase aiming ability.

• Hardbody: Hardbody only affects Mega-Stamina soak, giving the Nova an aggravated soak score equal to his Mega-Stamina score normally, or twice that if the Nova also has Resiliency.

• Shockwave: Shockwave deals (Strength + [Mega-Strength * 2])B damage to an area [Mega-Strength x 10]m in radius, and forces a Strength + Athletics roll at Difficulty 3 to stay upright or fall prone.

• Thunderclap: Thunderclap deals (Strength + [Mega-Strength * 2])B damage to soft targets in an area [Mega-Strength x 10]m in radius, and those in that radius must roll Stamina + Resistance, difficulty equal to the number of levels of bashing damage they have taken, or be deafened. Surgery is required to repair this damage in baselines, but Novas regain their hearing immediately after healing the bashing damage.

• Catfooted: replace system with: Catfooted adds 1 success to any contested Stealth roll, and all attempts to track the Nova's footprints without superhuman senses automatically fail as long as the Nova does not botch her stealth roll. This costs 1 Quantum and lasts for a scene.

• Physical Prodigy: replace system with: +1 success to any Athletics, Performance, or other rolls based on physical prowess. This does not affect combat or dodge rolls. However, Physical Prodigy adds a bonus die to all Athletics rolls, including dodge.

• Rapid Strike: Rapid Strike adds [Mega-Dexterity] dice to any melee damage roll.

• Adaptability: Adaptability renders the Nova biologically immortal and adds (Mega-Stamina) dice to any roll to resist toxins or diseases which the Nova is not immune to.

• Regeneration: A Nova with Regeneration heals (Mega-Stamina + 1) levels of bashing or lethal damage per hour and heals half that many levels of aggravated damage each day. Regeneration allows a Nova to regrow missing limbs or organs in (30/Mega-Stamina) days.

• Fast Tasks: On extended rolls which require effort and knowledge, divide the timeframe of a roll by (Mega-Dexterity). Simple tasks such as painting or gardening can be completed in one combat round (3 seconds). When Fast Tasks is active, a Nova may take advantage of their increased speeds, reloading, drawing, or changing ammunition for weapons as a reflexive action.

Social

In general, multiple dice-adding Enhancements shouldn't stack. Instead, add another bonus die if two enhancements would stack, unless the situation is particularly fitting or critical or there's a really good stunt backing them.

• Awe-Inspiring/Face of Terror: replace system with: Awe-Inspiring gives +(Mega-Appearance) dice on Sway rolls where physical impressiveness is especially useful (commanding/etc), while Face of Terror does the same on rolls where raw horror may provide an advantage (for example, on torture). In especially fitting situations, a character may be able to add 1 success to the roll along with the bonus dice.

• Seductive Looks: replace system with: +(Mega-Appearance) dice to any Sway roll where seuxality could be an additional advantage. In especially fitting situations, a character may be able to add 1 success to the roll along with the bonus dice.
• Persuader: replace system with: Reduce the target's willpower by (Mega-Manipulation) when calculating the amount of Casual Sway needed to start creating Intimate Sway, minimum 1 effective Willpower. Costs no Quantum points and is always on.

• The Voice: replace system with: Spend 1 Quantum to make a Sway roll via Manipulation + Relevant Social Ability, creating Intimate Sway, which has a difficulty of (Opponent's Wits). The victim may roll Willpower to resist. The timeframe of this action is 1 combat turn, but this can only be applied to one target and only may apply once per scene. Sway generated by The Voice cannot have its duration extended at all-it only lasts for the instant in question.

• Commanding Presence: replace system with: +(Mega-Charisma) bonus dice to rolls made to create Sway which use superior rank or social class as an element of persuasion. In especially fitting situations, a character may be able to add 1 success to the roll along with the bonus dice.

• Seductive: replace system with: +(Mega-Charisma) bonus dice to rolls made to create Sway via sexual attractiveness. In especially fitting situations, a character may be able to add 1 success to the roll along with the bonus dice.

• Trickster: replace system with: +(Mega-Manipulation) to any roll made to create Sway that would convince a character of a fundamental untruth or otherwise deceive them. In especially fitting situations, a character may be able to add 1 success to the roll along with the bonus dice.

Mental

• Mental Prodigy (Any): replace system with: +(Mega-Intelligence) dice to any roll made related to the field in question. Mental Prodigy: Tactics no longer adds +3 Initiative.

• Quickness: Quickness actions may explicitly not be split into multiple actions, and moreover allow all actions, including the use of Quantum powers. A Nova may not take any more Quickness actions than he or she has Mega-Wits.

• Multitasking: replace system with: Multitasking reduces multiple action penalties by (Mega-Wits). Multitasking is a permanent Enhancement which is always on and costs no Quantum points.

• Discerning Mind: replace system with: +(Mega-Intelligence) dice to any roll to resist Sway. Furthermore add +(Mega-Intelligence) to the character's Willpower when determining the points of casual way necessary to create intimate sway.

• Unfazeable: replace system with: +(Mega-Wits) dice to any roll to resist Sway. Furthermore add +(Mega-Wits) to the character's Willpower when determining the points of casual way necessary to create intimate sway.

• Electromagnetic Vision: The Enhancement stays in effect for a scene. Adds (+Mega-Perception + 1) dice for sight rolls instead of +3d.

• Hyperenhanced Hearing: The Enhancement stays in effect for a scene. Adds (+Mega-Perception + 1) dice for hearing rolls instead of +3d.

• Eidetic Memory: The Nova may in effect have up to [Mega-Intelligence + 3] "phantom" dots of knowledge abilities stored in his memory, with no single "phantom" ability having a rating higher than (Mega-Intelligence/2 or 3, whichever is lower, round up) dots. These dots act as the ability in all respects, but are not actually purchased.

Strengths

Remember, no power can have more levels of strength than its rating. Each strength costs 1 NP or 4 XP.

• Accuracy: Add 1d to the roll to attack with the power.

• Area: Add 1 to the power's rating when calculating area, or add an area of effect with a radius of (Power Rating) meters if the power lacks an area of effect normally.

• Damage: Add 1 level of bashing or lethal damage, or 1 die of aggravated damage.

• Effect: Add 1d to the power's activation roll. 2 levels of Effect adds 1 bonus success to a power's activation roll.

• Multiple Actions: 2 levels of this strength allows a power which normally cannot be used more than once a turn to be used more than once a turn.

• Range: Add 1 to the power's rating when calculating range.

• Rate of Fire: Add 1 to the power's rating when calculating Rate of Fire, for powers with a Rate of Fire.

• Soak: Add 1B/1L/(1A) soak if a power grants soak. This grants aggravated soak only if the power would normally soak aggravated damage.

• Speed: Add +1 to the power's rating for speed. Use for movement powers only.