Superpower (Metapower)
EFFECT
Cost 12 JP
Activate 4 PP; use-activated (attack)
Sustain none (instantaneous)
Range touch
Save Fortitude negates; Power Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
The superhero has the ability to temporarily “steal” the powers of other people. When the superhero Absorbs a power, his target temporarily lose use of one of her powers and he gains that power. Traits are immune to Power Absorption. The superhero must touch his target to use this power, which in combat requires a touch attack. This touch attack requires precision and a small amount of concentration, so it cannot be an unarmed strike. The superhero must expend 4 PPs to activate the power before he rolls his touch attack, so the PPs are lost regardless of whether he hits. The superhero can use this power only once per round. His target gets a Fortitude save to avoid the power’s effects. If she fails, the superhero Absorbs one of her powers (randomly selected) for 1d6 rounds.
The superhero can Absorb up to a 5 JP power for each activation. If a power is worth more than 5 JP, the superhero Absorb only 5 JP worth of the power. The superhero can, theoretically, use this power multiple times to Absorb all of a target’s powers. The superhero can also use this power to Absorb super abilities, but instead of calculating JP costs, the superhero simply gains a +4 to a randomly selected super ability while his target takes a -4 to the same ability, regardless of the JP cost. The superhero can reduce his target’s super ability to a minimum of their natural score in that ability. If they had a 12 and raised it to a 25, the superhero can reduce it back down to 12. The superhero cannot Absorb any power that has a base cost greater than 5 JP. Examples of this include Incorporeality and Polymorph. If the superhero randomly selects a power that he cannot Absorb for this reason, just randomly select another.
Targets cannot activate powers that the superhero Absorbs completely, but if they have sufficient PPs left to use those powers at reduced effectiveness, they can do so. Continuous powers cease to function for the duration of Power Absorption’s effects. Power Absorption has no permanent effects.
Enhancements and limitations
- Enhancement: Enhanced Absorption (Cost: 4 JP per level): Increase the number of JP the superhero can Absorb by 5, for a total of 10 JP. This also raises his Super ability Absorption, thus, it reduces the target’s score by -8 and raises his corresponding score by +8. The superhero can take up to four levels of this enhancement, raising the amount of JPs the superhero Absorbs to 25 and Super ability Absorption to 20.
- Enhancement: Extended Duration (Cost: 3 JP per level): His Power Absorption lasts for 1d6 more rounds than usual. The superhero can take up to four levels of this enhancement, for a total of 5d6 rounds of Absorption.
- Enhancement: Increased Consumption (Cost: 2 JP): If the superhero Absorbs a power worth less than his maximum JPs (5 normally, but potentially more if he takes Enhanced Absorption), he can use the remaining JP to Absorb more of the target’s powers. Which power the superhero Absorbs next is always chosen randomly. The superhero can, conceivably, Absorb all of a target’s power with this enhancement.
- Enhancement: Multiple Absorptions (Cost: 4 JP): The superhero can now use Power Absorption as many times per round as he can make touch attacks.
- Enhancement: Precise Absorption (Cost: 4 JP): When the superhero attempts to Absorb a power, the superhero can choose which power. However, this power does not grant the ability to sense what a target’s powers are, so his choice is limited to those powers that he already knows that the target has. If the superhero knows that someone has Flight, he can Absorb it, but if he don’t know that she has Energy Attack, he cannot.
- Enhancement: Ranged Use (Cost: 4 JP): The superhero can now Absorb powers at a distance, using a ranged touch attack. The power now has an effective range increment of 20 feet.