Their Finest Hour- Technological Magnetists p.2

Even as science fully eclipsed magic in the early 20th century, a new specimen of magnetists effortlessly mixed the two.  Here are a few more incredible gifts of the Technological Magnetists:

Capacitor

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

After touching a power outlet or device plugged-into an outlet, the technolist uses this gift to draw tremendous power into their body. They may now release all of it as a single destructive bolt of lightning at their choosing. If they do not hurl it out as a raw destructive force, the technolist retains the electricity until the next time they sleep or fall unconscious. Until then small static and magnetic disturbances follow their presence wherever they go.

Absorbing electricity takes 5 minutes and casting a lightning bolt counts as an action. Lightning bolts have a range of 60 yards and do 15 dice of lethal damage. Casting the bolt requires a Presence + Technological Magnetist skill test. The target may attempt to dodge as in a normal ranged attack.

Arc Light

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

Successful use of this ability charges the technolist’s Vril into bright arcs of electricity between the fingers of one hand, their choice. The technolist uses the chosen hand as normal, but they should avoid handling delicate instrumentation or anything which may be adversely affected by low wattage sparks. The illumination ends when the technolist chooses, they fall unconscious, or they run out of Vril.

While this ability is in use, anyone touching the technolist feels a mild shock but takes no damage. The low wattage is only dangerous to very small animals.

Tele-portation

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

A technolist touching a telephone may call on this ability to near-instantaneously travel through the telephone’s wires, across the switchboard, and emerge at their desired destination’s telephone. The technolist must know the number they wish to reach and must be within 10 miles of the desired location. The destination’s telephone starts ringing a half-second before the technolist’s arrival, unless they pass an Electronics test with 6 black dice.

                If in combat, Tele-portation takes an action, as does arrival. Only about 10 pounds weight of matter follows the technolist’s transmission through the phone lines. Unless the technolist takes extraordinary measures, about half of that weight is taken up by their clothing.  If a technolist tries to take even more weight when they tele-port, some or all items may be left behind at the Gamemaster’s discretion.

Mend

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

The technolist touches a damaged or destroyed target and focuses their Vril into its restoration. This ability works on any solid structure or device manufactured and utilized by humanity. This ability restores structure pips equal to the bonus successes of the ability roll x2.

In general the larger the target, the more structure pips it had, requiring many casting to fully mend. For example, one casting may only add a few bricks to a collapsed wall.

Meter

Difficulty: 1

Vril Cost: 2

With this ability, technolists sense the use of any technology powered by petrol, electricity, gas, or steam within Wits x 10 yards. Their gift also detects any increases in power, speed, and heat of devices in use. This gift cannot identify  devices but it can intuit the general size,  power source, and location (for example, a large device powered by petrol traveling quickly about 60 feet away, or 2 small devices powered by electricity upstairs in the bathroom).

Their Finest Hour- Technological Magnetists p.1

As revolutionary movements shouted for the world to turn away from the horrors of mechanized warfare and return to nature, and a new specimen of magnetist emerged. In 1928, young children around the world spontaneously manifested a remarkable affinity for the electrical devices spreading into middle-class homes. Small girls powered their father’s shaver by holding the plug. Gangs of young boys mischievously surprised inattentive adults in the street with mild shocks. The Guild studied this new phenomenon and classified the children as “Technological Magnetists”. They manipulate the energies and frequencies harnessed by mankind’s machinery. Their gifts rely on the control and the presence of technology.

By the start of the war, the first of these technolists reached adulthood. What was a nuisance to the electric company in peace, became a vital resource in war. Even during a blackout, power outages endanger civilian lives and interrupt national defense.

Sender/Receiver

Difficulty: 2

Vril Cost: 2

When using this ability, the technolist can transform their thoughts into radio waves and send their signal to a specific wireless at a distance of miles equal to their Presence Attribute. Those listening to the wireless clearly hear the technolist’s voice coming in over the set. As a side benefit,  technolists “hear” radio waves when using this gift, and their brain translates the signal into “sounds” as desired, allowing for two-way communication.

This ability can also send a burst of “static” directly into a person’s mind, disrupting their nervous system. The technolist picks a target in eyesight and rolls a Technological Magnetist test against the target’s Resolve + Concentration. If successful, the target feels a terrible pressure in their ears and suffers 6 black dice to a single test. If performed during a combat round, this test counts as an action and can be sustained each round with an action and a single pip of Vril but no roll is needed.

Prime Mover

Difficulty: 0

Vril Cost: 2

The technolist channels their Vril as raw energy to power a nearby device  requiring petrol, electricity, gas, springs, or steam. One of the technolist’s hands must remain in contact with the device for the Vril to continue powering the device. If contact ends, the Vril stops flowing but the technolist may establish contact to power a new device or power the same device again.

Once activated, this ability is passive and does not require effort to maintain, only Vril. Other tasks may be attempted while this power is activated with no penalty provided the tasks do not require two hands. This ability may be turned off by the technolist at any time.

If the device can be carried by a human-sized creature, it costs 1 pip per hour. If it can only be carried by an Ogre it costs 2 pips per hour. If even an ogre cannot carry the device (such as a car or airplane), powering it costs 3 pips per hour.

                While I was planning to unveil the fantastic gifts of the Technological Magnetists in a single post, we'll have to return next Friday with the five remaining abilities.

Their Finest Hour- Sigil Magic for the Great Depression

In 1929, the Great Depression spread across the world, leaving many millions without jobs or homes. The legions of wandering vagrants (known as hobos in America) in England, Continental Europe, and the United States developed a series of symbols called Hobo Signs. They carved their mysterious symbols into fences, painted them on tree trunks, and drew them with chalk onto rocks. The symbols gave succinct and coded information about the area, such as pointing out safe places to get food or warning of inhospitable towns.

As the world’s economy recovers, sigil scribes of the lower and lower-middle classes and criminals still use Hobo Signs as runes. They inscribe thier symbols on tools, practical clothes provided by their customers, or whatever they have on hand.

This way- Direction, Help, Clues

Barking dog nearby- Ferocity, Bluffing, Silence

Good place to hop a train- Progress, Smoke, Machinery

A dangerous place- the Wild, Hunting, Peril

This is the right place- Guidance, Learning, Leadership

Get away from here immediately- Speed, Preparation, Warning

A well guarded home- Security, Walls, Treasure

This man owns a gun- Stealth, Accuracy, Death

Careful, the law is watchful here- Vigilance, Skullduggery, Safety

Good road for traveling- Endurance, Travel, Weather

Be on your guard- Defense, Wounds, Caution

This man/woman is a cheat- Dishonesty, Thrift, Suspicion

A gentleman- Society, Bravery, Family

You can use the telephone-Communication, Distance, Sound

Doubtful- Mystery, Suspicion, Fear

Tell a sympathetic Story- Trials, Charm, Manipulation

Rich people- Prosperity, Provision, Neglect

Don’t drink the water-Poison, Survival, Hazard

Hospitable People - Accomplishment, Refreshment, Home

Home of a policeman- Risk, Authority, Rules

Nothing worthwhile here- Failure, Searching, Misdirection

Jail- Locks, Time, Crime

Medical care if you need it- Trauma, Healing, Shelter

Their Finest Hour- The Secrets of Vril

Mechanically, Vril dice work the same way as the Quintessence dice of Victoriana. Casting spells, using magnetic abilities, activating runes, etc. spends pips of Vril just like Quintessence. During character generation, player characters still start with Vril dice equal to their Resolve. Unlike Quintessence dice, Vril dice only have 4 pips each, to represent the world’s diminishing magical fields. While an hour’s rest still restores 1 pip, a good night’s sleep now only restores Vril dice equal to twice the caster’s Resolve Attribute.

However, Vril now has a few other uses:

Thaumaturgists

By precharging their Hermetic operations with an existing vril field, thaumaturgists momentarily soften the walls of reality making their spellcasting easier. When a thaumaturgist casts a spell, they may reduce the black dice in their pool by 1 for every 2 pips of vril they spend beyond the spell’s cost. Vril may be spent in the same manner to reduce the black dice of Concentration tests. In this way, thaumaturgists can reduce the black dice in a test down to zero.

Sigil Scribes

While a sigil’s activation lasts hours, sometimes that’s not long enough. A scribe's will creates a sigil. A scribe’s will sustains it. Sigil Scribes may spend 2 Vril pips to extend the duration of a sigil’s activation by an hour. They may keep the sigil active in this way until they run out of Vril. A sigil scribe can keep multiple sigils active at a time, but it still costs 2 Vril for each sigil every hour. While the sigil is active, the scribe can choose to extend its duration at any point.

Magnetists

A magnetist’s connection with the deeper world around them grants them amazing abilities. Sometimes their mind snatches insight from bursts of cosmic inspiration. Before a magnetist rolls any test using the Wits attribute, they may spend Vril to add dice to their pool. Every 4 Vril pips spent adds an extra dice to their pool. Dice added in this fashion cannot exceed the magnetist’s Presence attribute. A player character must have one of the Magnetists Talents to spend Vril in this way. Even though all Eldren start play with a magnetist ability, they cannot spend Vril in this way without a Magnetist Talent.

Conjurors

Conjurors call on nature’s power to create their enchantments. Wherever there is nature there are nature spirits. Conjurors make deals with nature spirits (such as Sprites, Nymphs, Leshy, Genius Loci, Kami, Vilas, and Dryads), leasing their vril for the spirit’s labor. Ordinarily, enchanting takes hours. With a little help, it takes minutes. For every 4 pips over the enchantment’s ritual cost, its ritual duration is halved (rounded down). For example, if a ritual duration is 3 hours long and the conjuror spends 8 extra vril, the ritual duration is now 45 minutes.

Vrility (New Talent)

Even as magic leaves the world, you spark with vestiges of its old power. Through strength of will, training, innate ability, or luck, your stores of vril surpass those of most magicians. All of your Vril Dice posses 5 pips instead of 4.