Superpower (Power)
EFFECT
Cost 10 JP
Activate 4 PP; full-round action
Sustain 3 PP per round; concentration
Range 120 feet; Power Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
The superhero has the ability to animate, manipulate, and control one of the six classical elements: earth, fire, ice, lightning, water, or wind. The exact effects the superhero can have over his element depends on the element itself.
Using Elemental Mastery is a difficult task, and requires concentration. As a result, the superhero loses his Dexterity bonus to AC, and can take only a single standard or move action each round. Skill checks take a -4 penalty. The superhero can Master only one element (player’s choice).
- Earth: The superhero has the ability to control and animate earth, dirt, soil, mud, and clay, assuming it is loose enough to pull away. The superhero cannot affect manufactured substances like concrete or asphalt, nor hard minerals (though the superhero will probably pull up small rocks and the like, along with the soil). The superhero can animate up to a 10-by-10-by-10-foot volume of earth anywhere within range. This earth can move up to 30 feet per round, and can attempt to imprison anyone comes into contact with. Make an opposed Strength check between the target and the mass of earth, which has an effective Strength score of 21. Failure means that the victim is engulfed in the earth, inflicted with the weighted status, and will suffer 1d4+5 (the earth’s effective Strength modifier) of earth damage per round until they can escape. They also cannot breathe, and might be subject to asphyxiation. A trapped person can attempt to escape once per round, by rolling an opposed Strength check against the mass of earth. The mass of earth can also make a single Slam attack each round. It has a Base Attack of +4 (Strength +5, Large, -1). It deals 1d8+5 earth damage. The superhero can alternatively use this power to shift and manipulate earth within range. The superhero can create sinkholes or build small hills, for example. If the superhero creates a pit underneath someone, the target is entitled to a Reflex save (DC 10 + half of the freelancer’s level + his highest stat modifier) to avoid falling in. The superhero can animate the earth in any shape he wants, as long as it’s anchored to the earth in some way. Thus, the superhero can make a humanoid mass of dirt, but he cannot levitate it through the air.
- Fire: The superhero has the ability to control and manipulate fire itself. The superhero can control all fire in a 10-by-10-by-10-foot area, anywhere within range. The superhero can control only fire, however, not other forms of heat. Within this area, the superhero can freely levitate and move any flames, sustain a flame without any source of fuel (for roughly a minute), enlarge a fire to roughly one and a half times its normal size (as long as it has sufficient fuel), or extinguish all flames completely. The superhero can use this power to contain flames within the area, or to keep them completely out, although it will not keep out the heat from any flames around the edge of the power. The superhero can use this power to launch balls of flame at targets within the area. Doing so requires a source of flame, and a standard ranged attack roll. The damage depends on the size of the flame. A cigarette lighter will only do 1 point of fire damage, a torch flame will do 1d3, a small campfire does 1d8, and so forth. His GM will determine the damage according to this basic scale. The superhero cannot control a flame that passes out of the area. It will simply flash out of existence, lacking fuel. With a sufficiently large source of fire, the superhero can animate a large ball of flame. This flame can move up to 30 feet per round. It can move through other beings, engulfing them in flame. This deals 1d10 fire damage per round, as well as secondary burning effects (as determined by the GM). Anyone caught in the animated flame asphyxiates because the flame consumes all the oxygen in the area. This is usually a moot point because the victim will die of burning before dying of asphyxiation, but some people are invulnerable to fire, so the superhero never know. The mass of flame can also make a single slam attack each round. The flame has a Base Attack of +4 (Dexterity +5, large -1). It deals 1d12+5 fire damage. The +5 comes from its Dexterity modifier. The superhero can deflect, redirect or completely nullify any fire-based attack that passes through the area of effect that would cause a maximum of 50 HPs damage. This includes incendiary grenades, flamethrowers, and fire- (but not heat) based Energy Attacks or spells. If the superhero uses this power to nullify a normal explosive, it will automatically reduce the damage by half (the other half is concussive). The superhero can use this ability to manipulate fire anywhere within the area, and can even use it to levitate flames freely through the air.
- Ice: The superhero has the ability to control and mold ice into his whim. The superhero can control all ice in a 10-by-10-by-10-foot area, anywhere within range. The superhero can control only ice, however, not liquid water. Within this area, the superhero can freely levitate and move any ice, create ice bridges, or icy slides for him to slide through. The superhero can use this power to launch chunks of ice at targets within the area. Doing so requires a source of ice, and a standard ranged attack roll. The damage depends on the size of the ice. An ice cube will only do 1 point of ice damage, a handful of ice will do 1d3, a large chunk of ice does 1d8, and so forth. His GM will determine the damage according to this basic scale. With a sufficiently large source of ice, the superhero can animate a huge chunk of ice. This ice can move up to 30 feet per round. It can move through other beings, engulfing them in ice. This deals 1d10 ice damage per round, as well as inflicting Frozen status (as determined by the GM). The mass of ice can also make a single Slam attack each round. It has a Base Attack of +4 (Strength +5, Large, -1). It deals 1d8+5 ice damage. The superhero can alternatively use this power to shift and manipulate ice within range. The superhero can create holes within ice, for example. If the superhero creates a hole underneath someone, the target is entitled to a Reflex save (DC 10 + half of the freelancer’s level + his highest stat modifier) to avoid falling in. The superhero can animate the ice in any shape he wants, as long as it’s anchored to the ice in some way. Thus, the superhero can make a humanoid mass of snow, but he cannot levitate it through the air.
- Lightning: The superhero has the ability to control lightning and electricity from electronics and lightning storm from the air. The superhero can control all lightning/electricity in a 10-by-10-by-10-foot area, anywhere within range. This lightning can strike fast, moving up to 60 feet per round, shocking those it touches. This deals 1d10 lightning damage per round, as well as inflicting Static status (as determined by the GM). The lightbning has a Base Attack of +4 (Dexterity +5, large -1). It deals 1d12+5 lightning damage. The +5 comes from its Dexterity modifier. The superhero can deflect, redirect or completely nullify any lightning-based attack that passes through the area of effect that would cause a maximum of 50 HPs damage. If any electronics are in the area when this mass of lightning strikes through, are automatically shorten out unless it has carried by a character, who must make a Reflex save to avoid the electronics from shortening out.
- Water: The superhero has the ability to control and animate water, as well as any liquid composed of at least 90% water, which includes things like milk, fruit juice, wind, or ale. However, the superhero cannot control or animate ice or steam. The superhero can only animate liquid water. The superhero can animate up to a 10-by10-by-10-foot volume of water, anywhere within range. This water can move up to 20 feet per round on land, or 60 feet per round in a body of liquid. This mass can attempt to imprison anyone and inflicts Drenched status it comes into contact with. Make an opposed Strength check between the victim and the animated water (which has an effective Strength score of 21). Failure means that the victim is engulfed in the water, and will suffer 1d4+5 (the water’s effective Strength modifier) water damage per round until they can escape. They also cannot breathe, and might be subject to asphyxiation. A trapped person can attempt to escape once per round by winning an opposed Strength check against the water, or succeeding in a DC 20 Swim check. The mass of water can also make a single Slam attack each round. The water has a Base Attack of +4 (Strength +5, large -1). It deals 1d8+5 water damage. The superhero can alternatively use this power to shift and manipulate water that is within range. The superhero can cause turbulence (though not a whirlpool), alter currents, calm waves, or shift water out of an area and into another. The superhero can even make small areas of water “flow” uphill. The superhero can animate the water in any shape he wants, as long as it’s anchored to the earth or a body of water in some way. Thus, the superhero can make a humanoid mass of water, but he cannot levitate it through the air.
- Wind: The superhero has the ability to control and manipulate the wind. The superhero can control the airflow in a 10-by-10-by-10-foot area, anywhere within range. The superhero can force all the air out of this area, or swirl it around at the force of a severe wind, up to 50 MPH in force. In a severe wind, anyone medium-sized or smaller must make a Fortitude save. Those who fail are inflicted with the Squalled status and suffer adverse effects, depending on their size. Medium-sized people are checked in place, Small people are knocked prone, and tiny or smaller people are thrown 1d4 x5 feet (i.e., 1d4 squares) in a random direction out of the area of effect. If they impact a solid surface before they reach their distance, they take 1d4 nonlethal damage. Anyone flying suffers the same effects, but is considered to be one size category smaller for the purposes of resisting the whirlwind. All Perception checks in the affected area suffer a -4 penalty, as are all ranged attacks that pass through it. If the superhero forces all the air out of an area, anyone within it will begin to asphyxiate. The superhero can move the area affected up to 60 feet per round.
Enhancements and limitations
- Enhancement: Broader Effect (Cost: 4 JP): His Elemental Mastery extends to all substances related to his element. Earth can affect hard minerals and substances like asphalt, though the superhero still cannot animate earth that is solidly anchored to another surface (or is too large). Fire Mastery allows control over all heat and combustion. Ice Mastery allows control over snow. Lightning Mastery allows influence over electronics, able to absorb their electricity. Water Mastery extends to all liquids, regardless of water content, as long as they are not inside some sort of container. Finally, Wind Mastery allows influence over all smokes, gases, and even aerosolized sprays.
- Enhancement: Increased Area (Cost: 4 JP): The superhero can now exercise his influence over a 15-by-15-by15-foot area. A mass of these dimensions is huge. Its Strength is 24, except Fire, the Dexterity of which is 24, instead. This adds an addition +2 to the element’s attacks and damage, and raises DCs for opposed tests. If the superhero controls Wind, this enhancement allows the superhero to create gale-force winds (70 mph). Increase the size categories of creatures subject to Fortitude saves by 1. At this level, Perception checks suffer a -8 penalty in total, and non-firearm projectile attacks that pass through the area of effect automatically fail.
- Enhancement: Maximum Area (Cost: 4 JP): The superhero can now exercise HIs influence over a 20-by-20-by20-foot area. A mass of these dimensions is gargantuan. Its Strength 28, except for Fire and Lightning, the Dexterity of which is 24, instead. This adds +2 to the element’s attacks and damage, and raises DCs for opposed tests, in addition to the +2 from Increased Area, to a total of +4. If the superhero controls Wind, this enhancement allows the superhero to create hurricane-force winds (150 mph). Increase the size categories of creatures subject to Fortitude saves by 1 on top of Increase Area, for a total of 2 size categories difference. At this level, Perception checks are impossible, and all projectile attacks that pass through the area of effect automatically fail. Prerequisite: The superhero must have the Increased Area enhancement to buy this enhancement.
- Enhancement: Multiple Elements (Cost: 6 JP): The superhero can now control more than one element (player’s choice). The superhero can control only a single element at a time, but he can switch between elements without reactivating the power. The superhero can purchase this enhancement up to three times, and selects another element each time.
- Enhancement: Simultaneous Elements (Cost: 4 JP): The superhero can now control multiple elements at the same time. His control is still limited to a single area, however. Prerequisite: The superhero must have the Multiple Elements enhancement to buy this enhancement.