Imagination Forge

Magia Naturalis: Powers

Natural Magic: “Powers”

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This was once the study of the inherent magical properties of minerals, plants, the air, and other physical properties. As those forms of research have become increasingly part of the scientific examination of the world, “natural magic” slowly came to refer to those abilities that many supernatural creatures, people, and objects appear to have as part of their nature.

Natural magic is distinguished from Theurgy or Goetia in these effects are not technically spells of any kind; these are just ongoing magical qualities that do not necessarily need conscious will to create. They have also been lately referred to as “powers.” 

Adding Power Ranks: A Talent slot (either regular or Magical Talents) may be used to buy two ranks in Powers.

Note that many powers are already described in M:AGE-C as “Enhancements” on pages 63-65. Those powers tend to be generalized. The Mana Noir setting has many specific Powers meant to evoke the themes of the setting.

New Powers

Absorb Mana

(Multiple ranks): You are able to absorb Mana from a specific source. This power is usually accompanied by the Backlash Consequence: Limited Mana Recovery, but does not have to be. It takes either a Major or Minor Action to use this power to actively absorb Mana. You may activate one rank of this power and any ranks of Additional Mana at the same time. If the Drain causes damage, that is treated as your attack action for that round (and may generate stunt points). This means if you have grab someone to drink their blood, you must roll a melee attack while using the power. If you are passively draining mana (such as from creative activities), you gain Mana at the usual recovery rate for your Supernatural Type and must be at rest.

Each rank gives one of these options. You may have multiple ranks, if the GM allows:

  • First rank: Must be in physical contact with the source, performing the activity listed as your source, or consume some meaningful part of the source (such as eating flesh). If you are eating or drinking blood, you will recover one Mana for every point of damage you inflict, and one Mana taken directly from the target’s Mana Points. This rank will also allow you to absorb Mana from a sacrifice.
  • Second rank: May be in physical presence (no more distant than one meter per point in Magical Ability) of the source, within same distance of person performing listed activity, or use a stored physical substance (such as drinking blood in an IV bag). You must take a Minor Action and roll Magic Ability against TN 11. If successful, check the Stunt Die; you may absorb this much Mana this round. This cannot cause damage on its own; if someone else has made a target bleed or release Mana in some way, you may use the Power.
  • Third rank: May forcefully take Mana at a distance (up to 1 meter per point in Magical Force) or absorb through touch. This becomes part of your attack action. An inanimate source requires a Magic Test at TN 13. A source with a mind associated requires a contested Magic Ability vs. Willpower (or target’s Magic Ability) roll. A unconscious target cannot resist. If successful, you may drain Stunt Die points of Mana at a distance, or Magic Ability + Stunt Die Mana with successful contact.
  • Additional Mana: Can be taken along with any of the previous ranks. You drain +1d6 Mana drain every time you use this power (so if you cause 1d6 damage with a bite, you can drain that much Mana plus 1d6 additional Mana from the target’s Mana Pool). You can take this rank multiple times.

A living being that has had all of its Mana drained cannot spend any Conviction and is at -2 to most rolls.

Dreamrider

You can enter and ride along with the dreams of anyone nearby. You must be close enough to touch the individual in question (although touch is not required to senes the dream). You must spend a Major Action, one Mana and make a Magic Test against the target’s Willpower. The target may make a contested roll if they are awake at the time. Dreams are extremely rapid and intense. It will take 1d6 rounds to ride out the dream and during this time your entire focus is inside the person’s head.  Perception tests for events outside the dream are at +4 TN, and you will be at -4 Initiative and Defense until you pull out of the dream.

Empathy

You can sense the emotions of those around you. When you activate this Power with a Minor Action and spend one Mana, you gain the Perception (Empathy) focus, or +1 to Empathy rolls if you already have the focus. You can automatically sense the surface emotions of everyone around you without a roll. More attention on a specific target may let you roll Perception (Empathy) and gain an automatic +1 Stunt Point on a successful roll. You also gain the special Stunt of Full Context for 1 SP, which lets you get glimpses of the memories or other sources of a specific set of feelings, especially complex ones. This lasts for one social encounter or 30 minutes.

Environmental Adaptation

(Multiple ranks): Your body is able to cope with harsh conditions that will harm or even kill ordinary mortals. Note that some Shapeshifters can receive this as part of their alternate forms (such as being able to breathe and exist underwater,  or adapting to certain toxins in the air). Purchasing this power on its own allows you to use its benefits without having to change form. Each rank in this power allows you to ignore 1d6 of harm, or its equivalent, from a specific hazard (see the rules on Hazards, page 130 of M:AGE, and M:AGE-C, pages 46-47). You must choose the hazard in question (underwater, extreme heat, etc.) and name the justification. The GM may decide a certain hazard, such as radioactivity, cannot be resisted with this power.

Unless you are shapeshifted into a form that naturally can survive in the unusual conditions, you must use a Minor Action and one Mana per rank to activate one or all ranks in this power. Its effects last for an hour, but you can extend the protection for another hour for half the total cost (round up).

Glamour

(Three ranks): You can work minor illusions that alter but do not entirely change your appearance. Unlike certain Illusion Arcana spells, you will still be recognizable as yourself after the use of this power, at any rank. However you can make yourself look better, worse, more inhuman, more normal, or anything within that range. When using this power, roll your Magical Ability as normal and note the result; you cannot fail the roll, although a low roll will matter. Anyone attempting to see through the glamour must succeed in a Perception test against the result of your roll. This spell lasts one sunrise to sunset cycle before it needs to be renewed.

Ordinary people cannot sense the glamour automatically. Supernaturals can feel something unusual about the person, which may prompt a Perception test. Beings with Preternatural Senses will automatically know you are using a glamour and receive +2 to any attempt to see through it.

Each rank allows the glamour to modify different aspects. It takes a Major Action to activate one or all ranks in this power, and a Minor Action to modify its effects once active. Each rank costs one Mana.

  • General appearance, clothing, etc. If you could achieve the same effect with a large wardrobe, cosmetics, a shower, or that sort of thing, this rank will do the same instantly and magically
  • Alter apparent size, strangeness. This can add or subtract Magical Ability centimeters of height or Magical Force kg of apparent mass, hide horns, glowing eyes, wings, etc. This can hide your Marked Consequence, although if someone sees through the glamour they will notice your Marked features first. It is possible to use this rank multiple times, although ease use gives interested parties +1 to their chances to see through the glamour.
  • Blend in or stand out. Sometimes glamours are used to either hide or make an impression. With this rank, you may add or subtract your Magical Ability to attempts to escape notice or to make an impression.

Immortal

(Multiple ranks): You do not age normally. Whatever age you were when your Supernatural Bargain was formed remains your physical age so long as you have this power. As a side effect, you will recover from any injury or condition over time—you do not heal any faster than usual, but you will eventually heal completely from any wound. The GM decides how long it will take for serious injuries such as a severed limb to recover naturally, but it should be at least one year per point of damage that was associated with the injury.

You must buy a new rank of this Power for every century of your age. Once your actual age is at least three decades in excess of your appearance, you will gain your first point of permanent Backlash. You also gain +1 point of  permanent Backlash for every rank in this power beyond the first. This is one reason why truly ancient beings tend to be very careful using about what they do in the physical realm as they grow older.

This power does not stop you from dying from violence or misadventure. You can die normally after reaching Health 0 if you are not healed in some way.

Physical Boost

(Multiple ranks): You can temporarily increase your physical Abilities (Accuracy, Constitution, Dexterity, Strength, Perception). Each rank in this power gives you access to a different Ability that can be boosted. This takes a Minor Action to activate one or all ranks and costs one Mana for each +1 increase up to a score of 5. For each +1 to an Ability above 5, you must spend two points of Mana, and every +1 above 10 takes three Mana.

Note also that characters of levels 1-9 may only have a maximum score of 10, from 10-14  may have a maximum rank of 15, and from 15 to 20 may have a maximum rank of 20. This lasts for a combat encounter (or 10 rounds), but it may be extended for another 10 rounds this by spending two Mana for each Boost, per extension.

Preternatural Armor

(Five ranks): You may either increase your Toughness or apply some or all of your Toughness as Armor to any form of attack (including ballistic and impact), unless you have a specific Vulnerability. This adds to any existing Armor. Each rank that affects Armor must be taken in order from least-to-most-effective, and only one most powerful rank can be active. All Toughness ranks may be active at the same time, and can also affect the Armor ranks.  This costs one Mana per rank, except for rank 5 (which costs two Mana per turn), and a Minor Action to activate either all Toughness ranks or Armor ranks (except for the fifth rank, which is chosen per turn), for a duration of the rest of the combat scene, or 10 rounds.

  1. Add +1 to Toughness each time you take this rank.
  2. Apply ½ your Toughness (round up) as both Impact and Ballistic Armor.
  3. Apply your full Toughness as both Impact and Ballistic Armor.
  4. Add Magic Ability to Toughness, and use total as Impact and Ballistic Armor.
  5. For two Mana, use your base Toughness score (but not Armor) to resist Penetrating damage for the next full turn. Doing so will cause 1 Backlash.

Preternatural Senses

(Multiple ranks): Your senses are increased beyond normal human limits. You might be able to see in the infrared, hear sounds outside human range, pick up scents as well as a bloodhound. This may give you the ability to make Perception checks in situations where the GM would not normally allow it. It costs one Mana and a Minor Action to manifest one or all ranks in your senses for one investigation encounter, or 10 minutes.

Every individual sense requires a rank in this power, which gives you an automatic Focus in the sense (Hearing, Seeing, etc.). If you already had this Focus, you gain another +1 to rolls using that sense, and remember that you can roll in situations most people cannot. Each additional rank in the same sense adds +1 to Perception rolls and +1 SP for investigation stunts when Stunt Points are generated.

Note that Shapeshifters usually receive this power as part of their hybrid or animal forms—and will not have to spend Mana or use Actions to activate the senses in those forms. If a Shapeshifter takes this power outside of the Shapeshifting Talent, you can manifest these senses in human form, and will add ranks together when you are in your other forms.

Preternatural Speed

(Multiple ranks): You are impossibly fast. This can manifest in a few ways. All lasting (combat encounter duration) effects take a Minor Action. All temporary activations only use a Free Action, but you can only do this once per turn. Each rank in the power allows you to choose one of these options:

  • For one Mana, you gain the benefits of 1 SP worth of the Momentum Stunt for the rest of the combat encounter (or 10 rounds). You have +3 initiative (that may be combined further with this Stunt if you roll for it, to the usual maximum of three SP spent on it)
  • For two Mana, you gain a free Lightning Attack (as the Stunt) for your turn. This does preclude you from buying the Stunt with Stunt Points
  • For two Mana, you gain the benefits of the Seize the Initiative Stunt, and if someone also uses the same Stunt to Seize Initiative back, you will compare Dexterity or Magical Ability scores (whichever is higher for you) to see who actually goes first
  • Swift Running: for one Mana you may add your Magical Ability to your Speed rating for the combat encounter (or 10 rounds). For two Mana you may add your Magical Force to your Speed rating for the combat scene. For three Mana you may double your Speed rating and then add your Magical Force for the combat scene. Moving at three times or more normal Speed will give you one Backlash
  • For four Mana, you may take another Action (either Major or Minor; a Major Action purchased this way cannot be converted to two Minor Actions) this turn

Preternatural Weapons

(Multiple ranks): You may manifest deadly fangs, claws, horns, a spiked tail, or some other sort of weapon that is part of your Supernatural Type that you can use in combat. In general, these weapons are meant for melee combat, but it may be possible to have a missile weapon if the GM approves and it makes sense for the Supernatural Type. It takes one Mana per rank and a Minor Action to manifest the weapon, using one or all ranks in the power. The weapon lasts for one combat encounter or 10 rounds.

Note that if you are a Shapeshifter, you may receive the benefits of this power when in other forms; using this power in human form means you can manifest the weapons without changing the rest of your shape.

Note also that for the penetrating damage rank, you must activate it the same as the other ranks for the combat encounter, and then use a Free Action the pay to gain the benefits  on your turn

Each rank gives you one of these options, which you may stack together:

  • Add +3 to melee damage
  • Add +1d6 to melee damage
  • The attack can be launched or thrown at (ranks x2 meters) as a missile weapon
  • For three Mana, your melee damage is penetrating for the next turn. This will cause 1 Backlash.

Revenire

This power allows a ghost to manifest in the physical realm by possessing a dead or nearly-dead body. The ghost spends 10 Mana and then concentrates for a Full Round on taking over a dead body. This requires a Magic Test vs TN 13 (-4 TN if your own body, +2 TN if badly damaged, +2 TN if not your body, +3 TN if the person is in Dying condition but not yet dead). This body has the physical Abilities it had in life and will effectively regain half its Health, although physical Conditions due to damage (such as Injuries to specific limbs) will not be healed. To heal these conditions or to regain Health beyond this point, you must use the Fleshcrafting Arcana.

If you are not using your own body, you lose your physical Abilities and replace them with those of the new body (roll randomly if the GM has not already determined them). You add your original Supernatural Type bonus to Constitution, and a bonus Con Focus. For the other physical Focuses, when performing the Magic Test, check the Stunt die. You may keep one Focus from the previous body per point on the Stunt die. Otherwise, you use the physical Focuses you already knew.

Each of this power means a previous body is abandoned. You will be at a +4 TN penalty to ride it again.

Using this power gives you two Backlash that persist as long as you are in the body, even after you’ve experienced Backlash Consequences.

Survival

You may pay two Mana to spend a Full Round to receive the benefits of a 5-minute Breather. You may also spend two Mana to add your Magical Ability score to your Health Recovery during a normal 5-minute Breather. Finally, you may also spend two Mana and use a Minor Action to add your Magic Ability as a bonus to recover from any Condition that is not due to magical Consequence. Each time you use this power in the same sun cycle, you must pay an additional +1 Mana. This power is ineffective against injuries from your magical Vulnerability.

Swordsaint

(Four ranks): You are magically attuned to using your weapon beyond the skill limits of ordinary humans. While this was originally named when using melee weapons, it can also apply to the use of missile weapons. This requires you to choose a specific weapon type for use with the power, and you may only have this power for that weapon type. You may buy any rank you choose, which gives you access to a different ability. It takes a Minor Action to activate one or all ranks in this Power.

  1. For one Mana, throughout the rest of the combat encounter (or up to 10 rounds, you gain +2 SP for combat stunts every time you generate Stunt Points
  2. For one Mana, you will automatically generate +2 SP with your next successful attack
  3. For two Mana, throughout the rest of the combat encounter (or 10 rounds), you may double your current Focus bonus for use of a specific weapon. If you are level 1-10, your bonus goes up to +4, and if you are level 11-20, your bonus increases to +6
  4. For two Mana, you may add your Magical Ability as a bonus to your attack roll for one round. If the opponent is using the same weapon type, you may also add your Magical Ability bonus to your Defense score for the same round. This can be in addition to the doubled Focus bonus

Undying

You don’t gain the Dying Condition after reaching zero Health. Instead, you automatically spend two Mana and gain two Backlash (or potentially more Backlash if you happen to not have enough Mana) and appear to be dead to all outward appearances. Even an expert medical examination will show that you are deceased. However, your body does not decay and you may roll to remain conscious as normal. Even if you do not remain conscious, your body will attempt to revive itself at the next sunset. If you have any Mana in your body at that time, it will all be spent a rate of one Mana per point of Health to recover from your injuries until you are at one point of Health, after which you need to find other ways to heal yourself. If you have no Mana, you will remain in a limbo of undeath until a Mana source helps you recover; however, you can remain in this state indefinitely.

This power is ineffective if you are killed by your magical Vulnerability.

Unusual Movement

(Multiple ranks): This allows you to move in ways not available to normal mortals. Note that some Shapeshifters may receive this power as part of their alternate forms. If you take it on its own, this means you have access to this movement even if you have not shifted form. The power has multiple ranks offering you access to these options:

  • You can burrow at your normal movement speed. The GM may decide whether you need to make Strength or Constitution tests in order to dig through exceptionally difficult substances such as concrete or metal. The tunnel will remain stable in your location and out to 1 meter per point in Magical Ability, but may collapse on its own beyond this area. This costs two Mana and a Minor Action to activate and will last up to 30 minutes. The tunnel will collapse at the end of the power’s duration unless steps have been taken to keep it open.
  • You can climb any solid physical surface at your normal movement speed. The GM may impose Strength or Dexterity tests for unusual circumstances, based on your rationale for climbing (adhesion pads vs. claws vs. setules all have different tolerances), but you should be able to slow a fall enough to not take serious damage even if failing a climbing test. This costs two Mana and a Minor Action  to activate and will last for up to 30 minutes
  • You can fly at your normal movement speed. You are able to carry a reasonable amount for your strength, and about half your mass your speed will be halved. If you need to perform unusual maneuvers in the air, that will be a Dexterity Test, and you may eventually take a Focus for this. This costs two Mana and a Minor Action to activate and will last for 30 minutes
  • You can swim at your normal movement speed. You are not especially protected from the underwater environment, but dangers such as riptides or strong wakes are relatively minor inconveniences. This costs two Mana and a Minor Action to activate and will last for up to 30 minutes
  • Your unusual movement rate is equal to your normal movement speed + Magical Ability when this power is active. This adds +1 Mana to the cost of the power
  • Your unusual movement rate is normal movement speed + Magical Force. This adds +2 Mana to the cost of the power
  • There is a visible alteration to your body that allows your unusual movement rate, which can be targeted in combat. For example, you grow wings in order to fly or fins and a tail to swim. This reduces the Mana cost for your power by -2 Mana