Talk:Eli Lorentz

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Matter Rotes

Ethereal Sonar (Matter 1)
As an dedicated member of the Sons of Ether, Eli knows there is more than just vacuum in between the atoms. By using the Ether as a conductive medium for a pressure wave like water, his equipment can scan through solid objects and display a 3-D picture of the environment. The spectrum of the returning rays can determine the elemental composition of the material with ease.
Satchel of Fun (Matter 3)
Eli takes a vial out of his satchel full of various useful compounds. By repeated practice and use of the Observer Effect, he can select the right agent for the right task.
  • CS / OC - Always useful in a busy city, and very effective at non-lethal incapacitation.
  • TiCl4 - Instant smokescreen, also irritating to breathe.
  • Mini-Molotov - Combine a strong oxidizer and gasoline you have an instant firebomb.
  • Silver Gel - Powdered silver in a gel base. Ideal for the Big Bad Wolf when he attempts to blow your lab down.
  • Aqua Regia - A mix of concentrated acids, generally dissolves anything.

Life Rotes

Vital Force Detector (Life 1)
Scientists of the Electrodyne Engineers were well aware of the difference in nature between a living thing and its component molecules. The Technocracy has abandoned Vitalism, but the Vital Force can be still be detected using the old methods. Ethereal senses show a characteristic interference pattern from the Vital Force, allowing any living organism to be detected. A living organism can be studied further by analyzing its component molecules, with a skilled Scientist being able to rapidly read a genetic code.

Prime Rotes

Kirlian Lenses (Prime 1)
While troubleshooting interference in his shades, Eli determined that they were interacting with the local quintonic flow. After some intense troubleshooting and testing, he developed a new lens off of an old pattern in Paradigma from Dr. Kirlian which displays the ambient Quintessence flows, as well as the energy fields of quintotrophic beings like mages, werewolves, and vampires.
Human Battery (Prime 1)
With his recent development of a symbiotic hive of quintonic nanites, Eli is able to store vast quantities of Quintessence in his body with only minor side effects. The nanite colony expands and contracts with demand, a feature which can be abused to generate Quintessence by feeding off his vital force.
Aethyric Disruptor (Prime 2)
This is a classic - the stun blaster. Science fiction abounds with non-lethal energy weapons, a symbol of man's desire for a more perfect future. These weapons can be made remarkably coincidental given this omnipresence in fiction. Depending on the weapon's design, the weapon may fire a visible pulse of energy, a small taser-like dart, or an invisible burst of quintons.
Destructive Resonance (Prime 2)
A scientist can give an object its own quintonic waveform. While this has a number of uses, it is most commonly used to create a 180 degree out of phase waveform for an item. This practice, referred to as "enchanting" by the less scientific traditions, results in weapons that shred the life force of quintotrophic enemies and armor that drains their attacks down to nothing.

Mind Rotes

Level 1 Psi (Mind 1)
All humans have some inherent psionic potential, and the trained mind of a Scientist unlocks this with mental control and occasional use of stimuli according to phrenological or acupuncture charts. The first level of the powers of the Mind is that of perception. A telepath of this level can see the corona layer of minds, often referred to as the aura. Similarly, a telepath is aware of others interfering with his mind, and can send off interference to block the intruder.
Level 2 Psi (Mind 2)
Having further trained his mind in psionics, a telepath can go beyond mere perception. The second level of the powers of the Mind is that of transmission. A telepath of this level can see the surface layer of minds, reading the top of the consciousness stack. Also, a telepath is capable of transmitting a short thought into another mind, or even reading psionic energies present on an object.
Level 3 Psi (Mind 3)
Having achieved operational control over psionics, a telepath can begin to change the psionic landscape. The third level of the powers of the Mind is that of alteration. A telepath of this level can directly browse minds like a file cabinet, and directly send detailed messages between minds. Telepaths of this level can create psionic fields that cause people to hallucinate, or even outright dominate a mind.
Supercharge Mind (Mind 1)
The Technocracy discards and medicates those with mental disorders such as autism and ADD. Etherite researchers have found that these are actually results of an improperly regulated control cortex. A skilled Scientist can make use of these patterns to safely supercharge their mental abilities to either focus on many thing at once, or one thing to the exclusion of all else.
Mindlinked Controls (Mind 2 + relevant pattern sphere)
As wondrous as a device covered in dials and knobs is, it is often impractical for a Scientist in the field. With proper engineering, a device can be designed to receive detailed commands from a telepathic Scientist, such as "convert lead bullets to silver hollowpoint" or "Set nanites to anti-toxin mode, G/V agent". Note that this allows hostiles with Mind to perform countermagic against the effect. This is vulgar and exceedingly difficult if the Scientist does not have contact with the device.
Molecular Psionics (Matter 3 / Mind 2)
Psychic fields are well known to produce traces on inorganic materials. There has been a regularly updated series of articles in Paradigma on the use of specific alteration of the molecular structure of an object to make it a canvas for mental powers to act on. Then, the psionic impression is transferred with a massive bolt of electricity. The scientist must genuinely possess the feeling he will transmit for this to be effective.
Create Superbug (Mind 2 / Life 3)
With the proper application of genetic engineering, a lower lifeform can be designed to accept a psionic impression from a Scientist. This usually results in a results in an somewhat capable agent at a given task, with a compulsion to fulfill their goal and superior intelligence. This requires a reasonably sized organism to hold the enhanced memories, but can yield surprising results.

Inspired Rotes

Kana - Look the Part (Matter 3 / Mind 2)
Inspired by Kana's use of costumes to manipulate reality, Eli developed a technomantic procedure that duplicates a number of the effects. By altering his clothes both in appearance and to include psionic channels, Eli projects a visual and subliminal appearance of being a certain type of character, whether it is a college student, scientist, or street thug.
Liz - Decisive Heroism (Life 3 / Mind 2)
Inspired by Liz and her view of life as a story, Eli took a careful look at his many brushes with death and near-impossible feats, and realized he was a hero, on a team of heroes. Like all heroes, he can defy the odds, making the impossible possible and the difficult look easy. Sheer conviction and belief can temporarily push the body and mind past their normal limitations in a desperate situation.
Westin - Fateful Shot (Matter 3 / Life 3, Prime 2 optional)
Inspired by Westin's precise and deadly sniping, Eli developed an extremely deadly modification for his firearms. The bullet is replaced with a visually identical packet of nanites that has horrendous effects on the target. The jacket of the bullet forms a continuously self-sharpening cutting edge that rends all non-living material or armor like tissue paper. Upon striking flesh, the jacket dissolves, activating the payload of nanites that destroy cells on contact, and can replicate rapidly. A single shot with a 9mm can do the damage of a big game hunting rifle. This can be amplified further by applying destructive quintal resonance to the bullet.

Spheres at 1

All spheres should be useful at one

Correspondence

This skill basically gives you an automap and compass already.

Entropy

Already pretty solid, with several versatile uses

Forces
  • Omnivision - See all elements of the spectrum. A mage can see electric current in wires, heat off objects and people, invisible laser beams, anything that uses forces.
  • Dog's Ears - A mage can hear in all elements of the sound spectrum. Ultrasound is plain to a mage using forces.
  • Force Resistance - Tasers can hardly stun you and flashbangs are much less effective, while it safe to look at a laser or the sun. Magic usually powers right through this resistance
  • Force Orientation - You can orient yourself according to Earth's gravity and electromagnetic field. This means you can tell magnetic north and which way is down no matter how disorienting the conditions may be. With some practice, you can precisely follow a radio beacon.

Accelerometer - A mage can precisely determine her speed or the force she is applying. With practice, this can reduce the difficulty of precise actions such as surgery, lockpicking, or

Life
  • Basic Life Enhancement - Gives you basic merits that involve solely biological gifts.
    • Ambidexterity
    • Catlike Balance
    • Double-Jointed
  • Proprioception - This is a life scan directed inward. A mage using this skill is aware of the precise locations of all of her body parts, so she can better perform complicated athletic / martial arts maneuvers. This is a basic difficulty reduction for coordinated movements.
Matter
  • Matter Identification - Extremely powerful. Can detect poison in a drink, guns/bombs under clothing, hidden dead bodies, or even help select a vehicle to take.
  • Wallhack - Seeing through objects is very useful - it can potentially make repairs trivial, detect traps or ambushes, and make a mockery of concealment.
  • Bat's Sense - Using matter sense can give a sense of the surroundings in pitch blackness.
  • Basic Orientation - Matter sense can aid in regaining the sense of up and down by by locating the sides with the most and least matter.
Mind

Very useful - nearly any mental merit can be duplicated with this skill.

Prime

Very impressive already.

Spirit

Sensing Auras is an incredibly powerful ability that lets you see just what the being across from you actually is. It is much harder to fake than an appearance.

Time
  • Precise Timing - The Mage knows the exact time a set of actions will take. Practicing with time sense active will give a mage a reliable sense of the time an action takes to perform. If the mage is keeping up an internal clock, any action she has practiced while maintaining an internal clock become becomes a known quantity. Any action with a known timespan is reduced in difficulty in any situation where timing is an issue - disarming a ticking bomb or fighting a moving target. This can stack with other difficulty modifiers.
  • Sense Frequency - When the mage encounters a repeating phenomenon, she can detect the frequency at which it occurs. This means a mage could precisely identify the pitch of a musical note, or when a time-locked safe will next be able to open. With other spheres, this becomes even more powerful - forces can allow a techno-mage to precisely identify a radio signal's frequency.
  • Internal Clock - this particular skill does not require foci in the traditional sense - a trained mage can use her body as a clock.