Powers & Techniques

Welcome to the Powers and Techniques chapter! Here, you'll shape your Character's unique toolset, used to defend themselves, strike down foes, manipulate the environment, and bring your vision to life. Powers and Techniques offer a wealth of structured creativity, helping your Character embody your concept with precision.

These tools are more than just attacks. They're the signature ways your Character spends their energy to tackle combat and skill encounters in adventurous, memorable ways.

This chapter starts by reviewing the fundamentals of Powers and Techniques, followed by the general process for creating one. From there, you'll find a step-by-step walkthrough for crafting custom Powers, followed by their more advanced rules and nuances, and finally, the same for Techniques.

Powers

A Power is any ability your Character uses that consumes energy and applies their Power Ability to create an effect. Powers can influence enemies, allies, or the environment and are defined by the specific Power Parts that are part of them, and the desired flavor. Your creativity brings Powers to life: a bard charming enemies with enchanting music or a mime trapping foes in an invisible box are just two examples of how powers you might create.

Creative Freedom. The flavor of your Powers and Techniques is entirely up to you, within the genre of your campaign and your Realm Master’s discretion. Whether lulling enemies to sleep, poisoning them, or bending reality itself, the system’s flexibility lets you bring even the most unconventional ideas to life. The limitation to that freedom comes in the form of Power Parts, which are individual pieces of a Power that, when assembled and adjusted, can match the desired flavor.

For example, you may create a whirlwind power by adding a Control power part that moves enemies caught in the power, and a Slow power part that causes enemies to be slowed by the winds.

Genre. Ensure that your Character’s Powers and Techniques reflect the genre and setting of the campaign. Most Realm Masters understand the importance of preserving creative freedom, but it’s also worth considering how a power fits within the world’s tone and logic. For example, casting a fireball through a wand or dramatic gestures aligns with the conventions of a fantasy setting, while firing laser bullets from a gun may feel out of place. Choose powers that enhance immersion and reinforce the world’s thematic consistency.

Techniques

While Powers offer broad creative freedom, Techniques are more grounded but just as impactful. Techniques rely on physical actions or martial skills, often using your Character’s size, weight, and physical Abilities in Combat Encounters. A technique might be a sweeping kick to trip multiple enemies, a rallying battle cry to inspire allies, a flurry of unarmed strikes, or a focused hit with a hidden dagger.

Techniques are versatile but should fit the tone of your campaign. Avoid overly supernatural Techniques in more grounded campaign settings unless agreed upon by the Realm Master.

The Costs of Powers & Techniques

Powers and Techniques are learned and gained in whatever way best fits your Character, their backstory, growth, and personal journey. Whether they honed their skills in solitude, learned from a mentor, or unlocked them through sheer instinct, it’s up to you.

Training Points. Training Points represent the time and effort your Character invests in learning, practicing, mastering, or even inventing the individual aspects of your Powers and Techniques, much like how one gains proficiency with weapons or armor properties.

Whenever you add a new Power or Technique to your Character sheet, whether it’s one you've created or chosen from a list, you spend Training Points to do so. The cost in Training Points corresponds to the sum of all the proficiencies required to use the Power or Technique, with most proficiencies ranging from 3 to 9 TP. This is often tied to how many or how complex the Power or Technique Properties included are, since each part has an associated Training Point cost.

A Character focused on versatility might choose to learn many simple or straightforward Powers or Techniques, while another might invest in fewer but more powerful or intricate Powers or Techniques that cost more.

Once added, your Character is considered proficient with every individual part of that Power or Technique, just as they would be with the properties of a weapon or armor.

Energy. Powers and Techniques always have an associated Energy cost. Unlike Training Points, which represent the effort it takes to learn a Power or Technique, Energy is what you spend to actually use it in the moment.

These Powers and Techniques aren’t typically limited-use, you can activate them as often as you have the Energy and the appropriate action available. Before using a Power or Technique, you must pay its Energy cost and ensure you have the right type of action to use it.

Energy cost isn’t based on complexity like Training Points. Instead, it scales with the potential strength or impact of the Power or Technique. The stronger it could be in an ideal scenario, the more Energy it costs.

Of course, “strength” is situational. A Power that grants unlimited flight may have a high Energy cost but be nearly useless in a narrow cave. A fireball might be devastating, unless you’re underwater. Even so, Energy costs are balanced around how powerful the ability could be when used under optimal or favorable conditions. For example, a technique that lets you spin and strike all adjacent foes, or a ball of acid that splashes multiple targets, is more expensive than a single-target version, even if you're only facing one enemy.

While Energy costs can vary, a good rule of thumb is that a moderately strong Power or Technique will cost around your level, multiplied by 5. A 3rd-level character, for instance, would usually spend 15 energy on a decently strong power or technique.

The amount of Energy you have is directly tied to your maximum Health since you divide Health-Energy points between the two at each level. This means Characters who rely heavily on Powers and Techniques often trade survivability for versatility or impact.

Limitations. While you might envision a Character capable of slaying a beast with a mere glance, your Character’s current level may require that vision to unfold gradually. The ability to use high-cost Powers and Techniques may not be fully accessible until you’ve leveled up. That said, you can still bring your concept to life in its early form; perhaps through a powerful or intimidating gaze that deals magical damage or frightens a creature, even if it doesn’t result in instant death.

Power & Technique Creation

This section will briefly review the general process for making Powers and Techniques, then it will more thoroughly walk through the nuances of each in their own sections, including step-by-step guides on creating them and the specific rules and part interactions.

The entire Power and Technique creation process occurs in the Power and Technique Creators online at RealmsRPG.com

There are typically two ways to come up with the idea for a Power or Technique:

• Visualize. The first approach is to start with a concept, picturing how it would function in gameplay, including potential effects. Then, you find the most suitable Parts to build the envisioned Power or Technique.

• Get Inspiration. The second approach involves seeking inspiration for a concept. This could involve reviewing available Parts or pre-built examples to spark your creativity.

Once you have a basic idea, you’d determine the general mechanics of your Power or Technique, such as whether it integrates with a weapon attack or has a specific duration. Next, you’d add relevant Parts, adjusting their costs as needed to enhance their effects, duration, strength, and other attributes.

Through this process of adding, tweaking, and adjusting Parts and Mechanics, your creations will begin to solidify. The final steps involve writing a detailed description and giving your creation a name. Finally, you’d add it to your Character sheet, noting its Training Point and Energy costs, as well as other relevant details like range and duration for Powers, or the weapon used and damage for Techniques.

Creating Powers

This section will review the basic pieces that make up a Power, then it will go over the steps of putting those pieces together, and finally review more nuanced rules regarding the interaction of those pieces.

Mechanics

Power Mechanics are the core foundation that you build any power off of. If you think of a Power like a rocket, there is the payload, or what the power actually does, and then the thrusters, or what allows the power to do it, how high, how far, how long, and so on. Mechanics are the thrusters of a Power rocket.

There are two varieties of Mechanics, Basic and Advanced.

Basic Mechanics. These include simple adjustable options such as the range the Power can reach, the area of effect the Power targets, the duration of the Power’s effects, and the Action type the Power will use, such as Basic, Quick, or Long.

Most of these options have additional adjustable features, such as whether or not an area of effect remains for the duration of the power, whether you must Focus on the power to maintain its duration, or if the Action can be a Reaction.

Advanced Mechanics

These Mechanics are niche modifications that can specialize a Power significantly. Each category of Advanced Mechanics has a specific purpose.

• Target Mechanics. These affect a variety of details relating to a Power's target, such as which Defense(s) are targeted by the Power, and exceptions or specifications about what types of creatures can be targeted (such as exempting allies or stipulating the inability to target constructs).

• Duration Mechanics. These can create stipulations relating to a Power’s duration, potentially lengthening or shortening it based on certain conditions, such as ending the Power once a target has received a certain amount of damage or delaying the Power’s effect until a later round.

• Action Mechanics. These mechanics can either alter the action required to use a power or allow the user to reuse the power with an action on later rounds, provided its duration has not ended.

• Additional Advanced Mechanics. These are a mixed bag of other mechanics that can reduce or increase the Energy cost of a power while altering how the Power comes to form.

The Mechanics of a power have no Training Point cost, but can still increase the Power’s Energy cost.

Power Parts

If Mechanics are the thrusters of a rocket, then the Parts are the payload. Power Parts give the Power real in-game effects. These Parts suggest flavor, but that flavor is adjustable and ultimately up to you.

To utilize a Power Part, you simply need to add it to your Power. In general, the effects of Part apply to each Mechanic of the Power, meaning that Part can affect a target or area at the range specified by Mechanics, for the duration specified, and so on.

Part Categories. Power Parts come in a variety of categories, such as Charm or Adaptation. These categories not only help to designate the general function of a Power part, but they also help to understand a common targeted Defense if the Power is used offensively. For instance, a Control Power Part will often target Might as it attempts to move targets against their will, while an Illusion Part will often target Discernment.

Some categories are also mentioned specifically by feats that affect or take effect when using powers with parts within or only from that category.

Part Options. Some Parts have optional adjustments which you can make, often to increase the power level of that part, usually also increasing the Energy cost. For example, you may add a Darkness Part to your Power, which causes a single level of Obscurity in its area. This Part has an option which allows you to increase the level of Obscurity by 1 for an increased Energy cost. This option can be increased up to a maximum of 3 for a total level of Complete Obscurity.

Part Cost. Each Part added to the power will have an associated Energy cost and Training Point cost.

Part interactions. In most cases, Power Parts don’t directly interact with one another; instead, they work together additively, stacking multiple different effects on top of each other, all affecting a single target or area of targets. More detailed information about when interactions occur can be found at the end of this section.

Power Creation Steps

Power creation follows these steps:

• Decide on an Idea. Get an idea for your Power; its flavor and function.

• Determine Mechanics. Adjust Basic and Advanced Mechanics to fit the idea.

• Pick Parts. Pick the specific parts that will best embody the idealized Power.

• Make Adjustments. Tweak the Power to fit your Character and Energy level.

Step 1: Decide on an Idea

Think about the types of Powers your Character might have in their repertoire, then focus on one specific idea. Alternatively, consider something you would personally like to be able to do, such as fly or teleport, and try to envision how it would work.

Inspiration for a Power can come from limitless sources. You might want to scroll through social media groups related to your Realms setting's genre for ideas, look through Powers created by the Realms community, or even simply begin building something and see what develops.

When creating powers, especially for lower-level Characters, consider their practical strength and the Energy required. While you might not be able to create world-altering powers immediately, that potential could be realized later!

Step 2: Determine Mechanics

There are three main Mechanics to focus on: Range & Area, Duration, and Action Type.

Range & Area. A Power's standard range is one space from your Character. Its default area affects either a single creature (if targeted) or one space (if the Power's duration extends beyond one round and no area of effect has been added).

You can increase the range in increments of 3 spaces, from 3 to 6, and so on, with each increase adding 0.5 Energy to the cost of the Power.

You can choose to include an area of effect when using a power. If the power has no range, the area of effect is centered on yourself or your current space. For powers with a range greater than one, the area of effect can be centered anywhere within the power's range.

Certain area of effect powers, like Sphere, originate from a central point and expand outward by a number of spaces, forming a radius. The size of this radius can be increased by one space for each percentage-based increment to the power's Energy cost. This additional Energy cost is calculated based on a percentage of the power's base Energy cost (the Energy cost before any percentage increases are applied). Each additional one space of radius added to the area will increase the Energy cost by an additional percentage.

Some Advanced Mechanics can be added, which allow you to specify which creatures in an area of effect are affected.

Duration. A Power's duration defines the length of time its effect persists, either within its area or on the individuals initially affected. The normal duration for a power is one round unless increased using Duration Mechanics.

Duration can be increased in terms of Rounds, Minutes, Hours, and Days. It can also be specified that the duration is permanent. Depending on the type of increment you use, increasing a Power’s duration increases the Power’s Energy cost by a set percentage of the Power’s base Energy.

A Power's duration doesn't inherently apply to all its parts. To make specific Parts, last for the stated duration, you must explicitly toggle them as lasting. For area effects, clarify whether the effect persists in the area for the duration or affects the initially targeted entities for that time within the description, and ensure to toggle the area of effect as lasting for the duration.

Focus & Sustain. Some duration mechanics can reduce the added cost of duration, such as the option to Focus or Sustain the Power throughout its duration.

• Focus. Powers that require Focus last only as long as you maintain it. You can end Focus voluntarily, but it ends automatically if you enter the Dying condition or Die. When you take damage for the first time in a turn, you must make a Focus Roll. This is a D20 roll plus your Power Ability as a bonus. The result must overcome the Difficulty Score of 10 or half the total damage taken, whichever is higher, or you lose Focus. You can only Focus on one Power at a time.

• Sustain. Powers with a Sustain requirement demand a specific Action Point cost each subsequent turn to remain active. If these Action Points are not spent before the turn's end, the Power ceases. The required number of Action Points for Sustaining a Power is determined during its creation when the Sustain requirement is specified.

Powers can require both Focus and Sustain, with both reducing the duration Energy cost.

Action Type. Powers typically require a Basic Action to use. However, you can use a Power as a Quick or Free Action by increasing its Energy cost by a specified percentage.

Alternatively, you can use a Power as a Reaction in response to a relevant triggering event you define. When using a Power as a Reaction, you are still affected by the trigger's effects unless a specific Power Part states otherwise.

Making a Power usable as a reaction increases its cost by a percentage, and this is in addition to any energy adjustments from changing the base action type. For example, changing from a Basic Action to a Quick Action incurs an Energy cost increase, and then further making that Quick Action a Quick Reaction results in an additional Energy cost increase.

Finally, you can choose to make a Power take a Long Action, which specifies the requirement of three or more Action Points to use. This decreases the Energy cost of the Power instead, and does so in increments related to how many Action Points are required. Long Action Powers may still be made into Reactions.

Advanced Mechanics. Basic Mechanics allow for the creation of numerous Powers, but the Advanced Mechanics provide more adaptability and fine-tuning for Powers. The latter part of the Creating Powers section will delve into Advanced Mechanics, explaining their function and how they interact with Powers in greater depth.

Finalize the basic mechanics of your Power in the Power Creator to align with your desired delivery method. The next step involves defining the Power's payload, its core functionality, using Power Parts.

Step 3: Pick Parts

With your delivery mechanism for your Power in place–its Mechanics–it’s time to create what’s being delivered.

Choosing the Parts for your Power involves several key considerations determined by your Power's function. These considerations guide your selection from available Power Parts and include: Type, Category, Target, and Tags.

Type. There are only two types of Power Parts, Basic and Decrease Parts.

Basic Parts are simply any Part that has an effect and a related non-negative Energy cost. For example, the Basic Part "Darkness" creates an area of light Obscurity and costs Energy.

Decrease Parts, on the other hand, reduce the Energy cost of a Power at the expense of a negative effect, essentially having a net negative Energy cost when added to a Power. For instance, the Decrease Part "Noisy" reduces the Energy cost of a Power but causes its use to be audible at a far distance.

Category. As explained earlier, a Part Category essentially sorts a Part into a relevant bundle of related Parts with similar effects. Charm Parts often work to tamper with a creature’s mind in some way, usually targeting Resolve, while Adaptation Parts instead work to adapt a creature for better or for worse, giving them buffs or debuffs and sometimes targeting Fortitude or another Defense.

When looking for Parts to add to your Power, certain Categories may be obvious to consider, such as the Illusion Category for a Part that makes a creature see something that isn't there. Other Parts may not be as clearly designated into a Category, such as a Part that lets you create water in the Create Category, or a Part that allows for animal speaking in the Utility Category.

Tags. Tags serve as the final way to refine Power Part searches. These specific keywords are linked to Power Parts and indicate their specialized function. For example, a Part enabling the user to locate a creature's trail might include "Locate" and "Track" tags. Conversely, a Part that disintegrates an enemy upon death by that power could have "Destruction" or even "Disintegrate" tags.

Unlike fixed categories, there isn't a defined list of Tags. Instead, they allow you to discover terms that might not be evident when searching solely by category or part names.

Picking the Parts. As you locate parts that interest you, add them to your Power. Try adjusting the various options of the Part to increase its effectiveness. Consider if you would like that part to have a longer duration or a larger area of effect. Use that information, along with the total Power Energy cost, to determine what adjustments to make to your power mechanics as you finalize your Power.

Step 4: Make Adjustments

Now that you have a delivery mechanism and the core components (Power Mechanics and Parts), it's time to ensure it aligns with your Character's resources and to finalize its functionality.

The main aspects to ensure are balanced to your needs are the Power’s effective strength, Energy cost, and Training Point cost.

Power Strength. Consider the intended purpose of your Power and assess if it effectively achieves that goal.

For example, if your Power is meant to obscure an area with darkness, evaluate whether the degree of obscurity, the size of the affected area, and the duration of the effect are sufficient. A Power that creates a large area of complete darkness but only lasts for a single round might be ineffective as the obscurity dissipates too quickly to be of significant benefit. Conversely, a long-lasting effect that covers too small an area might also be ineffective, failing to provide concealment where needed in a given situation.

Weighing the different aspects of a Power before finalizing it can help ensure it effectively fulfills its intended purpose. Remember to design the Power to do only what is necessary, as each additional round of duration, space of area, or level of effect will increase its Energy cost.

Energy Cost. Consider how frequently you envision using a Power. If you intend for it to be an Innate Power, accessible at all times as a signature move or constant tool, its total Energy cost must be 6 to 8 or less for an early-level Power Character (depending on your Power Proficiency).

Alternatively, if you foresee using the power once per Encounter, aim for an Energy cost around half of your maximum Energy at most. For frequent use, consider a cost of one-quarter or less of your total Energy.

Training Point Cost. It is uncommon for Power Parts to cost more than nine Training Points each. If a Power's Parts cost starts to exceed this, consider whether each Part added is essential, or consider using other parts you already have proficiency in. Training Points often represent overall complexity, so a Power with a high Training Point cost could be overly complex, potentially making it difficult to describe or utilize during a session.

Write a Description. After finalizing adjustments to your Power Parts and Mechanics, describe how your Power functions. While the basic mechanics of a Power, such as its range, targeted Defense, and any potential damage, are defined in its quick-view summary, including some of this information in your description can still be helpful.

For instance, if you created a Power that inflicts the Slowed 1 condition on enemies within a wide area, you might describe it as: "Make a Power Attack roll against all creatures in a three-space radius centered within the Power's range. On a successful hit, the target gains the Slowed 1 condition."

Remember that this description serves not only for your own understanding but also to explain the Power's function to others.

To further bring your Power to life in the game, write a flavor description and give it a name. Following the previous example, you might add or alter it to read: “You throw a toxic mushroom, releasing purple lethargic spores in a three-space radius centered on a point within range…”

What’s Next? With your Power now defined, you can add it to your Character Sheet. Some interactions and aspects of Power creation might still be unclear. The following section, "Basic Power Guidelines," will address most of these questions, and the subsequent section, "Advanced Power Guidelines," will provide comprehensive answers to more nuanced features and interactions of Powers. Good work!

Basic Power Guidelines

These guidelines outline the rules governing the creation and use of Powers in Realms. Use this and the next section as glossaries to reference as you play and create. Memorizing every detail can be helpful, but it is unnecessary to get started.

Flavor Taking Form. In Realms, while specific rules govern gameplay, the intended flavor of an action or ability always takes precedence. Powers exemplify this concept of "Flavor Taking Form," allowing players to represent unique ideas through a combination of Mechanics and Power Parts.

For instance, one might describe an icy breath that slows targets, inflicts cold damage, and clouds their minds within a cone-shaped area. To accurately represent this flavor, the Power should include the corresponding Parts, such as Slow, Damage, and Mind Break, and the Mechanic Cone of Effect. This ensures that the in-game effects align directly with the descriptive flavor, moving beyond abstract interpretations to concrete rulings on how the described effects impact creatures.

General Rules

Below are the most common and important rules to know for Powers.

Power Potency. This is essentially your Power Attack Score or Difficulty Score. It is equal to your Power Attack Bonus + 10.

Energy Minimum. A power's Energy cost can never be less than 1. Innate Powers technically have an Energy cost, but this cost represents the relative strength a Power can possess while still being considered Innate, or free to use. Therefore, while Innate Powers are free to use, their Energy cost is not considered less than 1 during creation.

Energy Maximum. The Energy cost of a Power cannot exceed your Power Proficiency or half your Archetype Proficiency, whichever is higher, × 20. For instance, if you had a Power Proficiency of 2, the maximum energy your power could cost, before reductions from feats or other attributes, is 40.

Damage-Dealing Powers. When a Power deals damage, your Power Attack Bonus is added to the damage dealt. If the Power inflicts multiple damage types, this bonus applies to only one type, which you choose when creating the Power and should specify in its description.

The chosen damage type is considered the primary damage type for the purpose of applying this bonus. Any effects that add damage to a Power will also be considered this type of damage unless otherwise stated.

Healing. Powers that heal creatures deal increased initial healing equal to your Power Bonus, no matter how little the Power Heals. Innate Powers cannot heal.

Creation. Power Parts that create physical objects, water, or food have no set duration. These objects remain as if always a part of the world, unless otherwise specified by the Power.

Unseen Targets. Powers that Target Evasion or Reflex can be used against unseen targets suffering a -4 penalty, provided you know the general space(s) which the target(s) would occupy. Powers that target other Defenses cannot be used unless the target is seen. Area of Effect Powers can target creatures unseen within their area, regardless of what is being targeted.

Powers targeting other defenses cannot be attempted against unseen targets. If you feel the flavor of such a power would allow attempting to hit an unseen target, consider adding a Power Mechanic that allows targeting unseen targets.

Innate Powers

An Innate Power is a Power that requires no Energy to use and often becomes the “weapon” of Power Characters, since wielding actual weapons isn’t usually a viable option for full-Power Characters.

Innate Powers are also the essential toolbelt Power Characters have, which gives them a level of utility beyond that of Martial Characters.

Innate Threshold. An innate Power's Energy cost cannot exceed 6 with a Power Proficiency of 1, 8 with a Power Proficiency of 2, or 6 plus the number of times you’ve increased your Innate Energy (see “Archetype Progression” in Chapter 3: Character Creation & Leveling).

Number of Innate Powers. Characters have access to a number of Innate Powers equal to their Power Proficiency at level one; after that, they have a number of Innate Powers shown in the leveling table in Chapter 4: Character Creation. During Recoveries, Characters can change which Powers in their lists are Innate, provided they follow the same guidelines as other Innate Powers.

No Energy or Health Recovery. Innate Powers cannot cause you to recover Health or Energy in any way.

No Adaptation Parts. Innate Powers cannot have any Parts from the Adaptation Part Category.

Innate Action Type. Innate Powers cannot be any other Action type other than a Basic Action or Basic Reaction.

Innate Power Duration. Innate Powers cannot have a duration longer than one minute.

Innate Creation Limitations. Innate Powers cannot create any item or possession that has any actual material value, unless that creation only lasts for the Power’s duration. Any substances created by innate powers provide no sustenance and have no value.

Targeting Defenses

Depending on the nature of a Power, the individual making the Attack or Defense Rolls may vary. In any instance where a D20 roll is involved in a Power targeting a creature, the power's user makes a roll; however, the targeted individual sometimes also makes rolls.

The following outlines who rolls what:

Single Targeted Defense. When a Power targets only one Defense for all damage and/or effects, you make the Attack Roll against that Defense.

Two Targeted Defenses. When a Power targets two Defenses for all damage and/or effects, you make the Attack Roll targeting Evasion (if any) or the roll causing the stronger effect/damage, as determined by you during Power creation. The target then makes a Defense roll against your Attack Score for the weaker effect/damage.

Three or More Targeted Defenses. When a Power targets three or more Defenses for all damage and/or effects, you make the Attack Roll targeting Evasion (if any) or the strongest effect/damage. The target then makes Defense individual rolls against your Potency for all other effects.

Evasion & Reflex. When a Power targets a creature's Evasion or Reflex, the Power's user always makes the Attack roll against that specific Defense. If a Power targets both Evasion and Reflex, the user makes the Attack roll against Evasion, and the target makes a Defense roll against all other effects, including Reflex.

Area of Effect. When part of a Power would regularly target Evasion, but is made into an Area of Effect instead, that Part or those Parts target Reflex instead. If it targets another Defense and not Evasion, the attack is made against that other Defense instead.

All creatures within an area of effect are targeted by a single Power Attack roll made by the user against their Defenses. For example, using a cloud of poison gas in a sphere of effect would require the user to roll one Power Attack against the Fortitude of all creatures within the sphere, potentially overcoming some Defenses and not others.

Failing to Hit. If your initial Attack roll targets Evasion or Reflex and misses, the entire Power fails. The target is unaffected and does not need to make a Defense Roll, even if there is more than one targeted Defense.

Targeting Example. If a Power inflicts both the Blinded and Restrained conditions and deals 5d10 fire damage, the following occurs:

First, you make a Power Attack roll targeting the enemy's Evasion for the fire damage. If this attack hits, the target then makes Defense rolls (a D20 plus their relevant Defense Bonuses or Penalties) against your Power Potency to resist both the Blinded and Restrained conditions.

For instance, if the target rolls a 16 for Fortitude, has a +1 bonus to Fortitude (used to Overcome Blinded), and rolls 15 for Might with a -1 penalty to Might (used to Overcome Restrained), their effective roll against Blinded would be 17, and against Restrained would be 14. If your Power Potency for these conditions was 16, the target would successfully resist becoming Blinded, but would still be Restrained.

Duration

The default duration for a Power is until the end of your next turn, if used on your turn, or until the end of the turn used, if used on another creature’s turn, such as with Reaction Powers.

Adding a duration to a Power will only add a duration to Parts that you specify, and that do not already have specified durations. The cost of the duration is based on what parts are specified will last for duration and the duration they will last.

Not every Part of a Power need have duration applied, but only those that do will actually last for the duration.

On Self or Allies. When a Power with a persistent effect is used on an ally or oneself, the nature of the effect determines its application for the duration. For instance, if the Power enhances a specific Skill, the recipient gains a passive bonus to that Skill for the Power's duration.

Alternatively, if the Power is designed as a single-use ability, it allows the targeted ally to replicate the Power's effect during its duration, using the same Action Type that was originally used to activate it.

Area of Effect. If a Power causes an Area of Effect to linger, you can choose whether the Area itself retains the Effect or if the creatures initially affected individually retain the effect for the Duration.

If the area retains the effect, like ground burning after a fireball, targets entering the area for the first time in a turn or ending their turn there must roll the appropriate defense (e.g., Reflex) against your Potency or be affected by the Power, in addition to its initial effects.

If the effect remains on the targets, such as creatures igniting in flames, each target suffers the effect at the end of its turn if it hasn't overcome it. This occurs at the end-of-turn Ability Roll to Overcome, potentially allowing targets to avoid subsequent effects.

You must determine which of these two methods to use during the Power’s creation and note it within the Power’s description.

What Can’t Linger. Certain effects cannot benefit from increased duration. Damage, for instance, cannot last beyond the initial instance of damage unless the specific Long-Linger Damage Part is added to the Power, or if the Lingering damage does so only in an Area of Effect. The same is true for effects that replenish Health or Energy, unless a Part specifies otherwise.

Adaptation & Direct Harm. For Powers without Adaptation Parts or direct harm effects, the Energy cost of increasing their duration is reduced. When adding duration, ensure to enable this feature if your Power meets these criteria.

Power Ends on Use. One way to reduce a Power's duration Energy cost is to have it end once its effect is used. For example, a Power that grants +5 Strength for one minute could have a mechanic that ends the Power's effect immediately after the target makes a Strength Roll benefiting from the bonus, such as an Attack roll.

Overcoming Persistent Effects. Creatures affected by persisting effects other than conditions can attempt to end them at the end of their turn using their Overcome action as described in Chapter 2: Encounters.

If an effect modifies the outcome of future attempts to overcome other effects (e.g., weakness imposing a -1 penalty), successfully overcoming the modifying effect (weakness) will improve the subsequent rolls by removing or reducing its influence, even if done all using the same Overcome action.

Advanced Power Guidelines

Stipulations and Contingencies

These components add specificity, restricting Powers for benefits such as reduced energy cost. For example:

• A Power only affecting undead.

• An evasion boost that applies only against constructs.

The stipulation shouldn’t be too vague or broad, nor should it be something that only affects you.

Summons and Companions

Summons and Companions act independently but require commands:

• Combat Commands: Spend a quick reaction to direct them.

• Default Behavior: Defend themselves, follow you, and protect you unless commanded otherwise.

• Actions: Summons have 4 AP per turn, -1 for each time after the first you use the Command reaction.

Creating Empowered-Techniques

Empowered techniques are essentially a Power and Technique combined with these distinct intricacies:

Action Type. The Power and Technique combined must use the same action type

Add Weapon. The Added weapon must use the “Add Weapon to Power” mechanic for calculating added weapon cost, not the “Add Weapon to Technique" mechanic.

Duration. Duration only applies to Power parts.

Mechanics. Mechanics that scale the energy cost of a technique or power normally, only scale the parts/technique/power of their same type. Ie stipulation for a technique part only is a stipulation for the technique parts not all power/technique parts.