Zak Porter
Seasoned
Zak Porter
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» Zak Porter
Summary:
Lost in Time, Surrounded by Evil
Alien Tech Head (Current x 7)
This is a result of an alien cybernetic creature that has planted a seed that adds neural pathways over time giving the Alien Tech Head a wide contextual knowledge of thousands of alien culture's technologies. Dreams that are strange, surreal and truly alien abound.
Three dots that appear to be tattoos are apparent on the face of the Alien Tech Head. Lines running back from these run to the ear and appear to be a cross between veins and motherboard tracing.
As the cybernetic technical learning progresses, more dots and circuit board veins appear on the face of the Alien Tech Head. This is not metal (although it has that appearance) and will not be detectable with metal detectors.
(1)Alien Tech Initiate
The neural pathways created allow the Alien Tech Head to attempt to identify, use and repair alien technology.
System:
The Alien Tech may roll Intelligence + Alien Tech Head difficulty 8.
(2)Alien Tech Novice
This is an additional poin in the lore.
(3)Alien Tech Apprentice
System:
The Alien Tech Head may now read alien languages, particularly technical instructions and control labels.
Also The difficulty to identify, use and repair Alien technology is now 7.
(4)Alien Tech Journeyman
This is an additional point in the lore.
(5)Alien Tech Master
The neural pathways are now at full flow and identifying alien technology is akin to blinking. The Alien Tech Head may use technology that was not originally designed for hominid use. Difficulty is at 6.
Aperture Science
(Unique Focus: The Device)
Cost: Current Rating x5
1) Spatial Monitor
The Device may function as an extremely accurate motion detector. Additionally, spatial anomalies in the scanning areas will be immediately detected.
System: Roll Per. + Science (Diff: 7). Each success “maps” a 10 meter diameter centered on you. Any movement in the effect area will be registered as a blip. Physical obstructions will not hinder this scan, though certain Powers may. Any cross-dimensional movement in the effect area will be instantly noted.
2) Trace Point
You may “set” a location with the device, allowing you to look in on it later as if you were present.
System: Roll Int. + Computer (Diff: 7) to “set” a location. You must be physically present at the area to be set. At any later time you may tune the device to give a video/audio feed (available on screen or H.U.D.) from the set point. You may only have 5 set points at any 1 time.
3) Collapsed Space
Utilizing cutting edge collapsed space technology, the Device can store a near infinite number of hand held items. Items may be retrieved by sub-vocal or retinal command for utility.
System: Any medium size hand held object may be stored compressed into a 2-dimensional structure. Larger objects & living beings are impossible. An item must be scanned for 30 seconds before it may be compressed. Compressed items may be retrieved instantly, though only 1 at a time.
4) Aperture Projector
The Device is capable of projecting a “portal” that will allow passage through solid objects. This effect is quite obvious, & should be avoided when witnessed by temporal natives.
System: Spend 1 w.p & roll Per. + Science (Diff: 7) & target a structure within 10 meters. Success opens a man-sized portal on the structure. The portal bypasses 1 meter of solid matter per success rolled, & lasts for 1 turn per success.
5) Space Fold
You may use the Device to fold space between locations, potentially bridging huge distances. Only scanned locations may be folded.
System: Spend 1 w.p. & roll Int. + Science (Diff: 8). Success creates a portal between your location & any single “set” location (see Level 2). The portal lasts for 1 turn per success rolled.
Clone Series: Alpha
(Current Rating x6)
1) Data Flow
The rate that you can assimilate information has increased at a geometric rate.
System: The time to read/process data (books, live feed, etc) is divided by your rating in this Power x2. Always in effect.
2) Tailored Genetics
You have been designed to with a superior brain & encoded genetics intended to bring rapid mental acuity.
System: The cost to raise Mental Attributes is reduced by half (Current Rating x2).
3) Analysis
You may induce a trance state that allows for elaborate & rapid computations to be performed unassisted by machines. This fugue state can be dangerous, as aberrant thoughts will likewise progress at this accelerated rate.
System: Roll Manipulation + Meditation (Diff: 7) to enter the trance. Each success on this roll adds a die to all Mental Attribute rolls while the trance is maintained. You may act normally while in this state, although any Virtue roll (successful or not) ends this state & causes a -5 penalty to all rolls till the end of the scene. If you botch the Virtue roll, this penalty becomes a Derangement.
4) Task Keeper
You are now capable of maintaining a number of running lines of thought at once, effectively dividing your concentration among numerous tasks.
System: You may maintain any effect that requires concentration to maintain without splitting your dice pools. The maximum number of effects you may maintain in this manner equal to your Alpha rating. You are impervious to any effect that would distract your concentration.
5) Ubermencsh
You have reached the pinnacle of the Alpha Series model envisioned by your design team, becoming greater than human.
System: Your Mental Attributes now have a Limit of "6" instead of "5".
Clone Series: Beta
(Current Rating x6)
1) Sub-Harmonics
Your vocal cords have been subtly altered to produce subliminal harmonics capable of swaying listeners to your point of view.
System: You may add a number of dice equal to your Beta Series rating to any Social roll involving the use of your voice. Target's with superhuman hearing will notice these subliminals, & will be unaffected.
2) Tailored Genetics
Your Appearance has been subtly sculpted for maximum appeal, & your genetics have been encoded for social dominance.
System: The cost to raise Social Attributes is reduced by half (Current Rating x2).
3) Empathic Conditioning
Your brain chemistry has been designed to limit the production of certain emotional responses, & you have been inundated in subliminal training designed to instill a calm demeanor.
System: Any effect that would instill or alter your emotional state subtracts a number of successes equal to your Beta Series rating. Always in effect
4) Altered Pheromones
Your body chemistry has been altered to produce customized pheromones, capable of producing instinctual responses in humans.
System: Roll Charisma + Persuasion (Difficulty: Target's Self-Control +3). 1-2 successes indicates a minor shift in emotion, 3-4 causes the desired emotion to come into full effect, 5+ causes an dramatic & immediate shift. This effect has a maximum range of 5 meters, & can be prevented/reduced by gas masks or strong winds. Only effects humans.
5) Ubermensch
You have reached the pinnacle of the Beta Series, fulfilling your designers intentions of creating the perfect diplomat.
System: All your Social Attributes have a new Limit of "6" instead of "5".
Clone Series: Delta
(Current Rating x6)
1) Enhanced Endorphins
Your body produces adrenaline & endorphins for an extended period, blocking out pain effectively till fighting has concluded.
System: You may spend 1 w.p. point to ignore Wound Penalties for the Scene.
2) Tailored Genetics
Your muscle tissue has been designed for maximum efficiency & durability.
System: The cost to raise Physical Attributes is reduced by half (Current Rating x2).
3) Enhanced Constitution
Your body has been designed to endure rugged conditions & the rigors of battle for extended periods.
System: You may attempt to Soak Lethal damage with your Stamina (Diff: 8). Further, the rate you fatigue from heavy exertion is divided by your Delta Series rating.
4) Redundant Biology
Your body contains several "back up" systems in the event of catastrophic injury, allowing you to survive wounds far in excess of a Baseline Human.
System: You may suffer a number of Health Levels below Incapacitated equal to your Delta Series Rating. These "extra levels" heal as further Incapacitated levels. If you suffer a wound that decapitates you or similarly destroys your body, this ability ceases to function.
5) Ubermensch
You have reached the pinnacle of the Delta Series model intended by your design team. You are physically superhuman in prowess.
System: Your Physical Attributes have a new Limit of "6" instead of "5".
Clone Series: Gamma
(Current Rating x5)
1) Compressed Sleep
Less sleep means more work. Go stir your vat, Consumer!
System: You are considered fully "rested" after 2-3 hours of sleep. Furthermore, you can sleep under almost any conditions comfortably, even standing up resting against a wall.
2) Pavlov Conditioning
You have been subliminally programmed to wake each morning refreshed & ready to work the day away.
System: You regain an additional point of Willpower whenever you sleep, meditate, or fulfill your Nature.
3) Rapid Recovery
An injured clone is an inefficient clone. You recover from wounds & injuries at an accelerated rate.
System: You heal from wounds in half the time listed. Aggravated damage is not effected by this ability.
4) Enhanced Antibodies
You have been designed to resist even the most potent toxins or diseases that haunted early man.
System: Deduct your rating in this Power from the Severity level of any non-magical Disease or Toxin. If the effect is reduced to "0", then you have overcome the pathogen completely.
5) Learning Curve
Improved brain chemistry & subliminal conditioning has allowed you to learn & adapt to new situations in a startlingly short period.
System: You gain an additional "1" X.P. per game you are in. This effect stacks with the fast Learner merit if you have both.
Heroic Strength
(Current Rating x5)
When the chips are down, you can find the extra strength to get the job done. Likewise, your wild haymaker can flatten the toughest mook. This capacity for desperate strength is only available when dramatically appropriate; under controlled conditions or scrutiny, you are limited to your normal rating.
System: For each level is Heroic Strength, you may add 1 automatic success to any Strength roll, provided that the situation is “heroic”. This effect will add to damage rolls, but can only inflict Bashing damage, regardless of the circumstances.
Heroic Stamina
(Current Rating x5)
Just a flesh wound! Some call it Grit, some call it Luck, but you have an uncanny ability to survive scrapes that would press an Action Hero. While such events certainly “rough you up”, you go the distance better than most. Oddly, you can still be beaten down by a bunch of thugs relatively easy. This ability defies all analysis.
System: You may add your rating in Heroic Stamina to any attempt to soak Lethal or Aggravated damage, even if you would not otherwise have a soak roll. Heroic Stamina may not be used to soak Bashing damage.
Mastery of Improvised Arms
(x6)
"You've been trained in the art of using your environment to protect yourself. Don't act surprised; I can see it in the way your eyes scan around this room, yes? You seem genetically predisposed to learning the skill quickly as well. Perhaps that will allow you to learn what I have to teach. A skilled armed man can take on an equally skilled unarmed man and win (roughly) 10 times out of 10. I can teach you to always be the armed man."
[Note to game masters: Since this path uses the environment, you will have to assign damage on the fly. Always assign realistic damage values, as Zak will have abilities to make them more useful than they seem. If a large hunting knife does str. +1 damage (and it does), a sharp rock probably shouldn't do str. +2. Grabbing ready-made weapons from your environment doesn't count as an improvised weapon. Improvised weaponry is making weapons from your environment and using things that are not usually considered weapons in violent ways.]
*Practice Makes Perfect
"To truly master the supernatural aspect of an activity, one must master the mundane. Those who know this never stop learning. Now we're on a busy street, see? Stop looking at robot in the red dress and pay attention! I want you to slay that business man over there with whatever you can find. Yes yes… very nice. I must ask, though, why did you take the time to rip down that tether-ball pole when his briefcase was already in his hands? Speed is important. Accessibility is important. We take what is readily available to us, yes? In time you may find that improvised weapons feel more at home in your hands than a familiar chainsaw-equipped gun, say. The objects we take from the environment are tied to that area. They want to return to a state of rest, and we oblige them by placing them in a more convenient location for ourselves. Now try again. This time go for the ninja-suit guy with the dragon wings. "
System: Zak receives bonus dice equal to his Mastery of Improvised Arms path rating to all aiming and damage rolls while using an improvised weapon. This bonus only applies to weapons obtained in the current environment.
** The Reach
"Between any two points on the number line (you know, that gross oversimplification us humans made), there exist an infinite amount of other numbers. If you count from one to ten you've passed an infinite amount of numbers infinite times. Most beings don't recognize, though, that space works the same right? Space, in this way, is an illusion. What we perceive as space is merely the gross oversimplification of an entity of infinite complexity. Where do you think the universe was 13.78 billion years ago? It was ending, and a being known to us as the Strong Force was transcending existence to become a true god, an entity that alters existence simply by being present. His genesis is similar to that of Space, the third ascendent and father to the dimensionality you are familiar with.
"When you're sitting in the middle of a desert, as we are now, and there's nothing around for miles, what are you to do when someone inevitably tries to kill you? You have no gun, and there's no way you could take this T-rex in a fist fight. You need a weapon. Think hard. You know what's here, what's around you, what's above you, what's below you. Don't be caught off guard by those tiny hands! Space is an illusion. Focus, and you can reach almost anywhere you need to. Grasp a weapon, say that sharp rock 40 feet underground below you. If you can hold onto something far away from you, Space will intervene and correct the inaccuracy. Reach now, and touch the face of a god."
System:
Zak recieves -3 difficulty to all rolls involving looking for a weapon, and can now sense weapons with intuition even if he cannot see them.
Zak may attempt to reach for an environmental weapon by rolling wits + meditation difficulty 10-path rating. One success is equal to 10 feet of "reach." A botch will result in Zak being transported to the item, possibly landing him stuck in a wall or floor. A double botch could leave him transported near the item with a wall or floor stuck in him (lotsa damage). A triple botch will invoke the wrath of Space itself, rending Zak from existence (he will still be able to use the tank to return and will retain his signature items).
Zak must attempt an attack with the object he grabbed as soon as he gets it, otherwise he doesn't have it. This action only takes 7- path level dice off of Zak's current action, even if he uses his full pool to roll for it.
*** Optimization
"Here we are in an office building from your home time. Surprised again? A "friend" of mine tells me your date of creation is written in your genome like a time stamp. All that redundant code put to good use, I guess? Anyway, here we are. Don't be nostalgic! Is that even the right word? Um, yes well anyway… werewolves attack! Let's see what you can do with these office supplies. Going for that extinguisher, yes? Freeze. Think about what you're fighting. These are intelligent beasts, I think. Pretty ugly. If they're smart, they'll knock that clumsy thing away from you faster than you can say id. Then it's your hairy knuckles versus theirs, and I wouldn't bet on you in that fight. Let's try something new.
"Sometimes what you've got around you just isn't good enough. So what do you do? You make it better, of course! Look at where you are. Now look at me. Now look back at where you are. As you can see, you're now on a boat with a lion. I know you could probably wrestle that sucker down, but humor me for a moment. All you've got is this roll of toilet paper. Perhaps with a fair number of hours you could turn it into a paper whip, but I want you to optimize it, not just craft it. Change the bond angles if you need to. Don't try to tell ME what's impossible! You will find the carbon in plant life turned to diamond, scrap metal sharpened as much as the finest ceramic blade, and oddly-shaped bones balanced as well as fine silver. You will be able to reach into piles of sand and grasp a spear of glass as strong as steel. More relevantly, you will be able to turn this roll of toilet paper into very serviceable whip."
System: Zak rolls wits + crafts at difficulty 10-path rating. The number of successes scored determines the quality of the weapon created, and how much say Zak has in its final form. With three successes Zak has basically full control over what he wants it to do. He can choose whether he wants to turn his toilet paper into a garrote wire or whip, his stick into a spear, javelin, or cudgel, etc. At 3 successes the quality of the weapon should exceed that of its normally crafted counterpart. Its difficulty and damage dice should be lowered and raised accordingly. This modification ends when Zak lets go of the weapon or the scene ends.
Splice Functionality
"We have already talked a little about the environment as an entity, but let's revisit that subject. The reality of any given environment settles like sand on the bottom of a glass of water. More poetically, let's say that it settles itself into patterns like this tapestry of a tree that I'm weaving. So far you have learned to pluck an errant thread and make it beautiful. Today we will begin covering methods of weaving so that one day you will be able to craft your own tapestry. To the uncultured eye it won't appear as much, and to the untrained eye it won't appear, yes? You will only have a few threads to work with, so make sure you choose well.
"Now if you want to satisfy your technophilia-related urges and save the town, you're going to have to slay this fire-breathing dragon, right? Yes, look there she is, that robot thing you're so attatched to. Do you even really care for her? Maybe it's just some sort of manufactured-being fellowship thing I'm not aware of. Well either way, unless you want to watch the dragon and her going at it… Oh very nice find with that club-shaped bone! Now, pluck the threads of those swords on the ground there. Don't worry, I won't yell at you for using a found pre-existing weapon in this case. Weave them into that club. Ah yes! Now you see you have a very viscous-looking spiked club. Look out for that fire breath! Realize that he's just thrown a maw-full of material down for you to work with. Swing that ugly stick you have through the fire. Now you have a real weapon."
System: The number of successes Zak rolls for optimization are the number of items that can be implemented into his super-weapon. Swing it through fire to convert that damage into aggrevated and add a couple dice. Combine a hair comb with a sword and you've got a blade-breaking edge. Hold it up to the sun to make it glow, Add a feather to make it nearly weightless (which may be a good or bad thing). Add a chain for disarming or ranged capabilities. The possibilities are endless, but remember that although weapons found in the environment are permitted for this path, weapons found outside of the environment are strictly DISallowed. This level isn't for improving already-made weapons, it's for making super-weapons out of your environment. The splice is a free action if he touch the objects together. If he needs to he can also use the second dot to splice a with a distant object.
Let's look at the example from the flavor text above in more mechanical terms. Zak picks up a bone. It does strength damage at difficulty 6. He optimizes with three successes and gets a very large, well-balanced club made of extra strong bone. This will do probably Strength +3 or 4 damage at difficulty 6. He then throws two nearby swords through it as a free action. Each of those swords probably adds +3 damage at least since they're at the end of a pole-arm. Then the dragon breathes fire and he incorporates it into the weapon with his last success. This will convert the damage of his weapon to aggravated and add an additional two damage dice. Since this path is at level 4, Zak gets 4 additional damage dice and aim dice. So now he's holding a club that does strength + 14 aggravated damage per attack with a +4 aim dice bonus.
Remember, these effects end if Zak lets go of his weapon or leaves his current environment.
* Arsenal
"You have some very nice kamas going on there. Set down those down and walk over here, yes? No, not on the ground you oaf! They'll do you no good down there. Set them down in the air next to you. Don't tell me what's impossible, you fool!" The wolf, who is getting aggravated at this point, slashes Zak's face from across the room. Zak will later wake up to find a healing wound on his cheek. "Ahem, sorry. Lost my temper. We've been working up to this point for months now. You've learned to obtain and create weapons on the fly, but now you need to learn how to truly put them to use, yes? Put those kama things down in the air next to you. Yes, that's right. Let them rest on the blanket of space-time. There! You did it! That one should follow you. Now make a new weapon. Hmm a stone dagger with acid, fire, and poison. Interesting choice. Set that one in the air as well. See how many you can fit up there.
"You will find that it takes a little concentration to keep them up there. You have to think on your feet, right? If you put one up and if feels like you aren't holding it there, chances are you're making something else do the work and pissing it off. Normally this is pretty safe, but you're forcing Gravity to work with Space in this instance, and they hate each other, so stay inside your means! For all our sakes!
"Why are we doing this? Oh right of course. I should have told you that before. This level of concentration will allow you to use these weapons simultaneously, even when they're suspended in the air. With a few weapons working with you, There will be nothing that can stand in your way."
System: Zak can float any number of weapons next to him that he's created with this path. The safe maximum is his wits, but he can push past that if he chooses. Each time he adds a weapon that would cause the number of actively floating weapons to exceed his wits, he rolls a single dice, difficulty of the number of floating weapons. Success means the weapon floats, failure means he takes one swing of the weapon's damage and it doesn't float (assume 3 strength for the weapon's damage), botch results in another insta-death situation. The maximum difficulty for the roll is 10.
Each of the floating weapons attacks with Zak and deals full damage including Zak's strength. He only needs to roll to attack once for all the weapons, and the target's difficulty to dodge is increased by 1 for each weapon he has floating. This effect ends when he leaves his environment or chooses to end it.
Flavor-wise, insofar as what I think Zak should be able to do, I'm not happy with what dot 5 does. It is plenty powrful though… Please suggest revisions.
Evii Nominae — Mentor Rating 5
Evii Nominae is a thin, tall woman with huge, haunted eyes. She could be described as quiet, lives in Vancouver and teaches mythology at the local college. She appears to be very youthful, perhaps 30 or so, however, somedays she looks about 20 years older, those are the days when she tells you to spend time in the lab, she doesn't teach you but this doesn't happen very often. At times, she looks incredibly youthful and vivacious during this time she is intense almost yelling her lectures at her students scribbling on the chalkboard and will demand that you attend her class that day to which she usually singles you out and sometimes forgets about all the other students in her class. Some students complain about having horrible nightmares if they fall asleep in her class; students that do not care about being in her class complain about hallucinating: hearing her lectures when they are alone in a quiet room. Those that do well in her class (ie. want to learn) will almost obsess about her. You on the other hand are a self-aware High Roller, you wouldn't get the nightmares or the obsessions… perhaps.
Alien Tech Head 4
Mythos 5
Cosmology 5
French 5
Anatomy: human 4
Anatomy: Deep One 5
Summoning Anathuga 2 *this is a flaw - 4
Summoning Bieaki 1 *this is a flaw -3
Ventriloquism 4
Voice Mimic 4
Toxicology 4
Psychology 4
Mayan Mythology
Roman Mythology
Egyptian Mythology
Chinese Mythology
Japanese Mythology
Native American Mythology
Viking Mythology
Western Mythology
All at 5
Partial mentor of "impossibility wolf" and Improvised weaponry path. Counts as one gift.
The Wolf (3 point mentor)
A few weeks after the battle against Qyrl, Zak receives a small, knitted wolf doll attached to a "sleep with me" note. After sleeping while holding the doll, the wolf appears in Zak's dreams and communicates with him. The dreams are incredibly vivid, lifelike, and not very chaotic as far as dreams go. The wolf appears as he did before: Sometimes a wolf, sometimes a small man-like wolf and always with his strangely accurate and almost cartoony-looking way of moving his mouth as he speaks. He explains (in so many words) that he will be teaching Zak about advanced usage of improvised weaponry as well as several other loosely-related skills.
The wolf speaks quickly and precisely. His speech is peppered with affirmative questions such as "yes?" and "right?" At first it may seem that he is unsure about most he says, but Zak comes to realize that the uncertainties are mostly near-impossible doomsday scenarios and learns to dismisses them as irrelevant. The ease with which the wolf speaks about seemingly any subject implies that he has a very vast pool of knowledge, and that pool has at least partially opened up to Zak. He can also now be used as a contact if you fall asleep with the doll. This only works in the present time.
Cosmology [spaces between] 5
Academics [any] 7 (requires a separate power to raise past mortal limit still.)
Medicine [anatomy] 5
Anatomy [human] 5
Mythic anatomy [weak points] 4
Metaphysics [improvisational] 5
Space-time Master Lore [Superdieties] 5
Transubstantiation Physics and Ramifications [living things] 4
Improvisational Metaphysics [manipulative] 5
Paradoxes [improvisational] 5
Psychonautics [non-consensual] 5
Interrogation [altered mental states] 5
Bioengineering [shape-shifting] 5
Garou Lore [metaphysical attributes] 4
Rokea Lore 3
Corax Lore 3
Molke Lore 3
Ananasi Lore 3
Bastet Lore 3
Nagah Lore 2
Nuwisha Lore 2
Ratkin Lore 3
Wyrm Lore 3
Wilde Lore 3
Weaver Lore 3
Qwyrl Lore 2
C'et Lore 2
Kun Lore 2
Coyote Lore 2
Raven Lore 2
Spirit Lore [physics-affecting] 4
Vamipire Lore 3
Dreaming Lore [personal realms] 5
Computers [networks] 4
Intuition [obvious] 4
Crafts [supernatural] 5
Artifice [Ancient] 5
Endurance [mental] 4
Linguistics [modern 100,000+ speakers] 5
Brawl [non contact] 4
Throwing [smaller than a breadbox] 4
Melee [unsuspected strikes] 4
Size-up [anatomical] 4
Scan [lost objects] 4
Investigation [searching] 4
[study points for any path related to the device]
[study points can be dedicated to buying off mental flaws]
[study points can be used for any "wolf" path]
Due to the nature of the wolf's teaching and communication methods, his study points can be rolled every month, even if you are rolling for another mentor as well. Difficulty 7.
I love Evii Nominae's concept. I would like to have what she may teach reviewed. It appears incomplete…
Impossibility wolf is now a 5-point mentor. That came with the expansion of his subject matter.
/forum/t-291235/zak-porter#post-
