Earth Control

Effect: Array (Move Object)

Action: Standard (active)

Range: Perception

Duration: Sustained

Saving Throw: None

Cost: 2 points per rank

You can control and move a mass of soil, rock, or minerals as a Move Object effect at your power rank. You only need to be able to accurately perceive the earthen materials and have sufficient effective Strength (power rank) in order to move them.

ALTERNATE POWERS

The following are some suitable Alternate Powers for an Earth Control Array:

• Burrowing: You can push earth and rock out of your way to dig through the ground, giving you a Ranged Burrowing effect at your power rank.

• Dazzle: A spray of sand or grit in a target’s face provides a Visual Dazzle effect at your Earth Control rank.

• Earth Blast: You can strike targets at range with rocks or solid columns of earth and stone that inflict power rank damage (see Blast, page 139). An Area Earth Blast might create an explosion of flying stone or an eruption of earth.

• Earth Elementals: You infuse masses of earth with pseudolife or actually summon spirits of the earth to do your bidding, a Summon Earth Elementals effect at

your Earth Control rank. Note that this effect ties up your Earth Control power for as long as you maintain the elementals. If you switch to another Alternate Power, the Summon lapses, along with the creatures summoned by it.

• Earth to Mud: You transform solid stone and earth into thick mud, creating a Hamper Movement effect of Environmental Control that reduces ground Movement speeds by one-quarter normal in the affected area.

• Magma Blast: You project a stream of molten rock that inflicts power rank heat damage like the Blast power. Another version of this effect—the Magma Eruption—applies the Indirect power feat to allow the magma blast—or even a magma Damage Explosion—to originate from the ground beneath a target.

• Stone Shape: You can mold masses of stone like soft clay into different shapes, a Transform effect at half your Earth Control power rank. If your shaping is continuous (lasting until you or someone else changes it back), increase this effect’s cost (and lower its rank in the Array) accordingly.

• Obscure: You can kick up a cloud of fine dust and sand, creating a Visual Obscure effect at your Earth Control power rank.

• Snare: Earthen materials surround and trap a target as a Snare effect at your Earth Control rank. Extras like Constricting, Obscures Sight, and Suffocating may apply to an earthen Snare, and may be suitable for additional Alternate Powers (with different configurations of modifiers).

• Stun: A strike with hurled stone or hardened earth stuns the target as a Ranged Stun effect at two-thirds your Earth Control rank.

ASSOCIATED EFFECTS

The following powers are associated with Earth Control and may accompany it.

• Concealment: You can blend into natural earth and stone surroundings, gaining Visual Concealment (Limited, 4 points).

• Density: A character made of earth or stone is likely to have ranks of this effect, probably permanent and possibly innate, usually as part of an Alternate Form (see the following).

• Earth Form: The ability to control earth may come with the power to transform into earth! A number of Alternate Forms are suitable for an earth-controller, including sand or soil, solid stone, crystal, metal, or even super-heated magma, possibly all of them in an Array of Alternate Forms.

• Gravity Control: A character encompassing all the powers of the Earth might have some influence over gravity as well as earthen materials.

• Immovable: You can “root” to the ground beneath your feet to acquire the Immovable effect (possibly sustained in duration, if you have to minimally concentrate to maintain the effect).

• Plant Control: Control over the soil in which they grow may extend you command over plants and plant-life as well.

• Regeneration: You heal more rapidly when in contact with natural earth and stone, a Regeneration effect with the Source (earth) flaw.

• Super-Movement: Earth-based powers may provide various Super-Movement effects, including Permeate, Sure-Footed, Trackless, and Wall-Crawling, any or all potentially limited to earthen surfaces or materials.

• Super-Senses: Earth Control may be accompanied by a greater sensitivity or awareness, including Super-Senses effects like tracking or tremorsense.

• Super-Strength: Given the innate strength of earth and stone, many earth-based characters have Enhanced Strength and/or Super-Strength.