Technic

Technic

"Hear that buzzing in your ear? Listen closely. There, did you catch that? How the tone changed, and it's more of a humming now? That's the Vapour talking to itself. Not like Folk converse, it's not self-aware, but it shares information. With practice, or the right tools, you can learn to talk to it too. It knows how to knit wounds, or strengthen your sword arm, repair your gun or ignite the air around your enemies. You just have to ask the right way.

"Vapour isn't of this world, but it's made of this world. The Kudarr brought the first Vapour when they came to Ariath, and it knows how to make more of itself. It finds raw materials in the air, the water, the earth, and uses them to rebuild itself when it's damaged, and to spread. They made it very carefully, and it knows not to take materials that are part of any living thing.

"Well. Yes, unless you tell it to. But if you do, that's on you.

"A lot of Folk from Ariath think that what we do is magic, and that's close enough for them. Humans from Earth say that physics doesn't work this way, and that Kudarr science isn't real science. That's fine for them too. But my family didn't come from any of those places. Everything is strange to us here, and it doesn't matter if it's magic, or science, or what have you. It has rules, and if you learn them and follow them, it works for you."

Blue Bear Falls, Caramahz Technic

Technic Skills

Neutral Vapour 0 CP

You gain Fire, Crystal, Web, and Radiation as attack traits, and Technology, Ammo, and Nannites as flavor traits.

Firearms Method 5 CP

(Prerequisite: Firearms)

Your ranged powers take the form of attacks delivered with a firearm, rather than packet attacks. In addition, if you have the skill Arsenal you may deliver your Arsenal attacks with a firearm as well. You may not use packets to deliver your powers unless you know another Method that allows it.

To use touch-ranged powers, hold your firearm or another character-appropriate tool in one hand, and use the other hand to touch the recipient with a packet, since touching other players with a gun prop might cause safety issues.

Incantation Method 3 CP

Your powers come from your technical skill and your control of free nanotech and biotech substances found in vapour. You use command phrases to instruct these substances to form certain objects, or to carry out specified procedures. To use Powers, you must perform a audible incantation of at least six syllables before you begin the verbal call.

In addition, this skill gives you access to one Power List, chosen from the Open, Offensive, or Support lists. Even if you know another Method, you must always use incantations for Powers from this list.

Technic’s Toolkit Method 2 CP (Once per event)

You use vials, orbs, or other such containers containing nanotech vapour as foci to use your power. You must have one of these props in your off hand to use Powers, unless you are using another Method to perform them. In addition, once per event you may point at a target with one of your tools and deliver a single use of Arsenal or Aura of Healing as a “By my gesture” attack.

Read Ancient Script 2 CP

You have learned to read the ancient writings found in many ruins, caves, and monuments all over Ariath. You may also translate these writings and write them in plain language for others to read.

Walk the In-Between 1 CP

You may open existing gates to the In-Between, the realm of imagination and potential between worlds. When you find such a gate, focus on it for ten seconds and call “Imbue by Wonder.”

You will often be able to enter the gate and bring a group with you; details will be found on the gate clarification. The In-Between is a wild and varied place, and the places beyond such gates will often contain unusual conditions and environments.

Dimensional Science 4 CP

(Requires: Walk the In-Between)

With enough time, you may be able to find or create a gate to a specific part of the In-Between. Between events, submit a planned destination to plot. Success is not guaranteed, but the In-Between contains multitudes, and there is always a chance that what you are looking for is out there. Once you have found a way, constructing the gate to get there may require gems or other components, and if you fail to provide all of them, the gate may be unstable or unpredictable.

Be warned that the In-Between is no safe place, and the farther from Ariath you range, the more dangerous it may become.

This is a between-events skill. You may only use one such skill after each event you attend.

Bane of the External 3 CP

You have studied the forms and ways of things that live between the walls of the worlds, and you know how to harm them. You may change the attack trait of any of your called attacks to “To Demon.”

Vapour Science 3 CP

You gain access to powers from the “Vapour” power list, and may use casting skills to perform them. (See the section on power lists.)

Nanoblades 2 CP

You can assemble neutral vapour into thin, delicate, extremely sharp blades. You may use one or two one-handed sword props to represent these blades. (You must have the appropriate skills to wield them.) If one or both of your nanoblades are destroyed, you may spend thirty seconds of focus to fix them; call out “Repair Weapon by Nannites.”

You may use your Technic skills to harness the invisible cloud of vapour that trails from your nanoblades, allowing you to use powers with one of your nanoblades in your off hand. Blocking attacks will cause spell interruption as though you had been struck.

Technic’s Arsenal 2 CP (Once per Battle)

(Requires 3 skills in this theme.)

You gain two melee or packet attacks for “2 damage by [Attack trait.]” If you have the skill Arsenal, this instead increases your arsenal pool by 2, and allows you to deliver two uses of Arsenal per battle as melee attacks.

Backup Storage 2 CP (Once per Event)

(Requires 3 skills in this theme.)

You maintain an emergency supply of vapour for critical situations. Once per event, choose either your “per battle” melee damage attacks, your uses of Arsenal, or your uses of Healing Aura. Focus for three seconds to refresh all uses of the skills of your choice.

First Circle Power Use 4 CP (Once per battle, 1 Endurance)

(Requires 5 skills in this theme.)

Once per battle you may spend a point of Endurance to use a First Circle power from any list you know.

Dimensional Warp [Epic]

To use this skill, create an anchor device about the size of a baseball, decorated in a style appropriate to your character and distinctive enough to be easily told from anyone else’s. This item should have a red tag on it. Place this anchor in a Safe Place. Once you decide on a location, it cannot be moved for the remainder of the event.

Once per event, you may teleport yourself to your anchor. Roleplay three seconds of concentration, and call “Imbue by [flavor trait.]” You become a spirit; respond “Spirit” to any effect that does not target the Spirit trait. You must immediately proceed to your anchor. Once you reach it, call “Imbue by [flavor trait]” again to cease being a spirit. (You must cease being a spirit again immediately, even if there is danger in the area.)

While you are in transit, you may pass through any barrier or obstacle that does not specifically bar spirits or teleportation.

Vapour Guided [Epic]

Twice per battle, when one of your "per battle" firearms or packet attacks misses its intended target, you may fire that attack again within ten seconds without expending any skills or Endurance. You may use this ability even if the original attack hit another target.

(Designer's Note: We trust people on the honor system to only use this skill if they were making a good faith attempt to hit their original target.)

Shaping 2 CP

You can combine vapour components to create useful nanotech and biotech products. This skill may be purchased up to three times; each level allows you to construct more advanced products. See the rules section on Crafting for further information.

Engineering 2 CP

You can combine metal components to create mechanical products with useful functions. This skill may be purchased up to three times; each level allows you to construct more advanced products. See the rules section on Crafting for further information.