Dazzle

Type: Sensory

Action: Standard (active)

Range: Ranged

Duration: Instant (lasting)

Saving Throw: Reflex/Fortitude

Cost: 1-4 points per rank

You can overload a target’s senses of a particular type—usually visual or auditory—rendering them temporarily useless. Make a ranged attack roll against the target. If the attack hits, the target must make a Reflex save to avoid the Dazzle effect. If the save fails, that sense type is rendered useless. A successful initial save means no effect.

Each round thereafter the target makes a Fortitude save to recover from the Dazzle attack. The target gains a +1 bonus to the save each round after the first. A successful save allows the target to use the dazzled sense(s) again, but at –1 on all rolls involving them. The following round, the target’s senses return to normal. Targets immune to Fortitude effects cannot be dazzled. You are immune to your own Dazzle effect. Dazzle costs 1 point per rank if it affects one sense type, 2 points per rank if it affects two sense types, 3 points per rank if it affects three sense types, and 4 points per rank if it affects all sense types.

Visual senses count as two sense types, so a 3-point per rank Dazzle effect could affect visual and one other sense type, for example.

POWER FEATS

• Affects Insubstantial: As a sensory effect, Dazzle already works on insubstantial targets normally and doesn’t need this power feat.

• Incurable: A Dazzle effect with this power feat cannot have its effects countered by another power (such as Healing) without the Persistent power feat.

• Reversible: You can remove the lingering effect of your Dazzle from a victim at will as a free action.

• Ricochet: Depending on the descriptors of your Dazzle effect, you may be able to use this feat to ricochet it off a different sort of surface, such as reflective surfaces for light-based dazzles, or resonant or echoing surfaces for sonic dazzles.

• Subtle: This power feat helps to obscure the source of the Dazzle effect. Obviously, a dazzled character is aware of the loss of a sense, but victims of Subtle Dazzle effects (and those witnessing the attack) are less likely to notice what caused it. This may be due to the effect using an unusual frequency or particularly subtle medium, for example.

EXTRAS

• Alternate Save: Either Dazzle’s initial or secondary save (or both) may be changed to an alternate saving throw. The initial Reflex save may be changed to Fortitude (for Dazzle effects avoided solely through physical resilience rather than quick reflexes) or Will (for effects avoided or overcome through willpower).

The secondary save may also be changed to Will for the same reasons. Generally, Dazzle’s secondary save can’t be changed to Reflex (unless the player comes up with a good reason, such as being able to literally “shake off ” an effect that“sticks” with the target). Neither of the effect’s saves may be changed to Toughness. A target immune either of a Dazzle effect’s saves is automatically unaffected by it.

• Area: Different types of area extras can reflect Dazzle effects that spread out or otherwise affect everyone in a given area. In particular, Burst (omnidirectional bursts of light or other dazzling effects), Cone (for a cone of blinding light or deafening sound), Explosion (similar to a Burst, but weakening with distance), and Line (for a broad dazzling “beam”). Cone and Line Dazzle effects may be touch range so the area originates with the user. The same may be true of Burst or Explosion Dazzle effects that radiate out from the user (e.g., the character becomes blindingly bright).

• Linked: Dazzle effects are often Linked to other effects to duplicate the side effects of certain attacks, such as a damaging laser that’s also blindingly bright,

or a lightning bolt that’s immediately followed by a clap of deafening thunder (see the Linked power modifier for details).

• Selective Attack: This extra allows an Area Dazzle to affect only those targets you wish, excluding others in the area.

FLAWS

• Sense-Dependent: Dazzle is already sense-dependent and so cannot apply this flaw.

• Side Effect: A possible side effect of Dazzle might be to dazzle yourself if you fail the attack roll (or your target successfully saves, for perception range Dazzle effects).