Spirit and Critter Powers: A - G Continued in Spirit and Critter Powers: H - Z Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Accident Physical Complex LOS Instant Adaptive Coloration Physical Auto Self Always Animal Control Mana Complex LOS Sustained Astral Armor Mana Auto Self Always Aura (Cold) Physical Free Self Sustained Aura (Flame) Physical Free Self Sustained Binding Physical Complex LOS or Touch Instant Blindness Mana Complex LOS Instant Compulsion Mana Complex LOS Sustained Concealment Physical Simple LOS Sustained Confusion Mana Complex LOS Sustained Corrosive Saliva Physical Complex LOS Special Corrosive Secretions Physical Auto Self Always Desire Reflection Mana Complex LOS Sustained Dispelling Mana Complex LOS Instant Divination Mana Exclusive Complex Self Instant Empathy Mana Complex LOS Sustained Engulf Physical Exclusive Complex Touch Sustained Enhanced Perception Physical Auto Self Always Enhanced Physical Attribute Physical Auto Self Special Enhanced Reaction Physical Auto Self Special Enhanced Sense Physical Auto Self Always Essence Drain Mana Exclusive Complex Touch Permanent Essence Drain (Temporary) Mana Complex Touch Special Fading Mana Free Self Special Fear Mana Complex LOS Special Glamour Mana Complex Special Sustained Guard Physical Complex LOS Sustained Accident Accident The Accident power gives a being the ability to cause an apparently normal accident to occur. The nature and result of the accident will vary according to the terrain the being controls. A character affected by the Accident power must make a test using Quickness or Intelligence (whichever is greater) against a target number equal to the Essence of the being using the power. If the character fails the test, he loses his next Initiative Pass as a result of the accident: he trips, gets a mouthful of leaves, or even a cream pie in the face. The effect of the Accident power is not dangerous in itself, but the environment can make it so. Tripping on a narrow mountain ledge, for example, can be most unfortunate. Against vehicles, a successful use of Accident forces the driver of the vehicle to make an immediate Crash Test. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Accident Physical Complex LOS Instant Adaptive Coloration Adaptive Coloration The Adaptive Coloration power allows a creature to refract light around itself and so become nearly invisible. When the creature remains immobile, the target number for the Perception Test to detect it is 10; when the creature is moving, the target number is 8. Because this power affects the depth perception of onlookers, add a +2 modifier to the target numbers of any ranged attacks against the creature. This power works against natural and cybernetic thermographic vision, but it has no effect against nonvisual senses such as sonar, radar, or scent tracking. However, some creatures may have a version of this power that affects a wider band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Adaptive Coloration Physical Auto Self Always Animal Control Animal Control Some beings possess a heightened empathy with a particular type of animal — for example, predators or scaled animals. The Animal Control power allows the being to prevent an animal from acting or control an individual animal, experiencing the world through its senses and directing its behavior. This behavior must fall within what is normal for the animal. For example, a controlled monkey could not drive a car. The being may control a number of small animals (cats, rats and so on) equal to its Charisma x 5. A being may control a number of larger animals (wolves, lions, bears and so on) equal to its Charisma. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Animal Control Mana Complex LOS Sustained Astral Armor Astral Armor The Astral Armor power toughens the creature’s astral form, providing it with armor equal to its Essence. Astral Armor does not protect the creature in any way from physical attacks. Dual creatures must be astrally projecting to receive any benefit from this power. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Astral Armor Mana Auto Self Always Aura (Cold) Aura (Cold) Beings with the Cold Aura power can radiate a zone of extreme cold extending a number of centimeters equal to their Essence away from their body. Within this region, liquids freeze instantly and metals become brittle with prolonged exposure. Any character within melee attack range of a creature surrounded by a cold aura must make a Damage Resistance Test against a Damage Code of (Essence)M. Reduce the Power of the damage by 1 for each point of Reach of the character’s melee weapon; increase the Power of the damage by 2 if the creature scored a successful melee hit on the character in the same Combat Turn. Impact armor helps resist the damage. Heavy clothing may count as 1-3 additional points of armor at the GM’s discretion. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Aura (Cold) Physical Free Self Sustained Aura (Flame) Aura (Flame) Flame Aura gives a being the ability to make its surface ripple with flames that rise (Essence) centimeters from its body, burning anyone who touches it. Intense forms of this power may make wooden weapons burst into flames at a touch or even melt metal or plastic weapons. The flames add +2 to the Power of the being’s melee attacks. Any successful melee attack against a creature with Flame Aura means the attacker also takes damage from the intense heat. The attacker must make a Damage Resistance Test against a Damage Code of (being’s Essence)M. Impact armor may help resist this damage if the GM agrees that the attacker struck the creature with an armored portion or his or her body. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Aura (Flame) Physical Free Self Sustained Binding Binding Binding gives a being the power to make its victim “stick” to a surface or to the being itself. The target must make a Strength Test against a target number equal to the Strength of the binding (the being’s Essence x 2) to break free. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Binding Physical Complex LOS or Touch Instant Blindness Blindness As the name suggests, the Blindness power induces blindness in a single target. Make an Opposed Test between the critter’s Essence and the victim’s Willpower. If the creature generates more successes, the victim is blinded for 1D6 Combat Turns but suffers no actual physical damage. This power also affects cybereyes and astral sight. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Blindness Mana Complex LOS Instant Compulsion Compulsion A being with the Compulsion power can compel a target to perform a specific action (generally, each creature can compel only one type of action). To use this power, the critter must succeed in an Opposed Test pitting its Essence against the target’s Willpower. Each net success allows the critter to control one of the target’s actions. The creature must control the target immediately upon exercising the Compulsion power; it cannot compel a target’s future actions. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Compulsion Mana Complex LOS Sustained Concealment Concealment The Concealment power refers to a being’s ability to hide within its own terrain and is often associated with nature spirits. A being can use the Concealment power to hide itself or others from danger, or, alternatively, can use the power to hide something being sought. For any Perception Tests made to locate the concealed target, add the being’s Essence to the target number for the test. Concealment can be used on more than one target simultaneously; concealed targets can see each other. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Concealment Physical Simple LOS Sustained Confusion Confusion The Confusion power allows a critter to make its victims lose their sense of direction and wander aimlessly through the terrain it controls. The consequences may vary widely. A hearth spirit causing confusion in a house might lead to nothing worse than someone bumping into walls or mistaking a closet door for an exit. Confusion in the domain of a mountain spirit could easily lead someone to stumble off the nearest cliff. Characters who attempt any form of Success Test while under the effects of this power must add a target modifier equal to the Essence of the critter. In addition, whenever the victim needs to make a decision, he must make a Willpower Test against a target number equal to the critter’s Essence. If he fails, he is unable to make up his mind. Something or someone must remind him of the need for a decision. An attack or a verbal reminder from a companion allows the victim to make another Willpower Test. If left alone in this state, a character will eventually wander off. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Confusion Mana Complex LOS Sustained Corrosive Saliva Corrosive Saliva The Corrosive Saliva power allows a creature to spit corrosive saliva at opponents. Each time the creature engages in combat, it can spit corrosive saliva as as a Complex Action, with a range of (Essence x 2) meters. To spit the saliva, the creature makes a Ranged Combat Test. The target may dodge the attack and/or make a Damage Resistance Test using Quickness instead of Body, adding Combat Pool dice to one or both tests. Compare the successes. Each net success the creature rolls permanently reduces by 1 the ratings of any armor (ballistic and impact) worn by the target. When both Armor Ratings reach 0, the target is no longer protected by armor. Unarmored targets must make a Damage Resistance Test against (creature’s Body)L damage. For every 2 successes the creature generates on the Ranged Combat Test, increase the Power of the attack by 1. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Corrosive Saliva Physical Complex LOS Special Corrosive Secretions Corrosive Secretions Creatures with the Corrosive Secretions power ooze a corrosive substance from their skin. Touching the creature’s body causes damage each turn. Any successful melee attack on or by the creature reduces by 1 the ratings of any armor (ballistic and impact) worn by the target for each Damage Level inflicted (Light reduces by 1, Serious by 3, and so on). When both Armor Ratings reach 0, the target is no longer protected by armor. An unarmored character engaging in melee combat must make a Damage Resistance Test against (Essence)L damage. Reduce the Power of the damage by 1 for each point of Reach of the attacker’s melee weapon. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Corrosive Secretions Physical Auto Self Always Desire Reflection Desire Reflection The Desire Reflection power enables a creature to discover the greatest desire of a single target within its range and cre-ate an illusion relating to that desire in the target’s mind. The creature itself can appear as a harmless or pleasing aspect of the illusion, if it wishes. When a being uses this power, roll an Opposed Test between the being’s Essence and the target’s Willpower. If the creature generates more successes, the victim is deceived by the illusion. Otherwise, the power fails to affect the victim. Left to their own devices, victims indulge themselves as if their desire had come true (scooping up imaginary credsticks or hardware, strangling their illusory nemesis, caressing an imaginary boytoy or joygirl, and so on). If the victim is attacked or injured, or if companions shout at him or slap him, the victim may make another Willpower Test to resist the illusion. Victims who generate more successes than the creature break free of the illusion. Those who fail cannot act, caught between illusion and reality. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Desire Reflection Mana Complex LOS Sustained Dispelling Dispelling The Dispelling power allows a creature to dispel spells in the same way as a magician. The creature rolls its Essence in place of its Sorcery Skill for purposes of dispelling. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Dispelling Mana Complex LOS Instant Divination Divination This power allows a spirit to make a limited guess as to the next actions of entities within its domain, similar to the meta-magical technique of Divining. The spirit uses its Force for the Divination Test. The number of successes determines how much information the spirit can reveal. The spirit may answer in up to twice as many words as its Force, but no more. The gamemaster should make the answer as specific or vague as suits the story, allowing the player characters to extrapolate what they think might happen based on the spirit’s answer. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Divination Mana Exclusive Complex Self Instant Empathy Empathy Empathy allows a creature to recognize the dominant emotions and moods of a target. The being can also project an emotional state of its choice onto the target. Establishing this empathic link requires an Opposed Test between the being’s Essence and the target’s Willpower. If the creature generates more successes, it can sense the target’s emotions and project emotions onto the target in the same way as the Control Emotion spell. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Empathy Mana Complex LOS Sustained Engulf Engulf The Engulf power gives a critter the ability to draw victims into itself or the terrain or element appropriate to its nature. The victim is subject to all the effects of being submerged in the substance, the least of which is usually suffocation. Make an Opposed Test between the victim’s Willpower and the critter’s Essence. If the critter generates more successes, the victim is engulfed. The victim cannot escape as long as the critter maintains this power against him. If the creature attacks another target (either physically or using another power), it automatically releases the first victim. On each of the creature’s actions during which a character is engulfed (including the action on which they initially were engulfed), the player makes a Body Test against a Damage Code of (Essence)M Stun. Dermal plating and armor do not count toward resisting this damage. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Engulf Physical Exclusive Complex Touch Sustained Spirits and Engulfing Spirits with this power follow these rules: The engulf attack is a melee attack. The spirit uses its Quickness to hit the target. Targets must counterattack successfully to avoid being engulfed. If the victim is engulfed, the effects vary. On each of the victim’s actions, he or she can try to escape. Make an Opposed Test using the victim’s Strength and the spirit’s Force. If the victim wins, freedom! On each of the spirit’s actions (including the action on which they were engulfed), engulfed victims must resist appropriate damage. Fire Engulf The target must resist (Force)M damage from Fire Engulf; add 2 to the Power for Flame Aura. Impact armor helps protect against this damage, but not Ballistic armor, which tends to melt. Water Engulf Water Engulf causes the target to resist (Force)M Stun damage. The power is modified by +1 for each action that the spirit has taken since engulfing the victim to reflect that the spirit is still capable of exerting great pressure on engulfed victims. Victims who take Deadly Stun damage and pass out are still exposed to damage during the spirit’s actions and will take Physical damage as a result. Eventually, they will drown. Air Engulf The target must resist (Force)S Stun damage using Willpower or Body, whichever is greater. Because the spirit can penetrate breathing gear or other protective systems, these provide no defense. The engulfed victim begins to take Physical damage after being rendered unconscious and eventually suffocates. Earth Engulf The target must resist (Force)S damage from the crushing weight of the spirit. Only impact armor defends against this damage. Sludge Engulf Sludge is a combination of water and earth at their toxic worst. A toxic critter using Engulf as a primary toxic power causes the poisoned muck to open up and engulf the character. No armor protects against this attack. The sludge does (Essence)M Physical damage. Enhanced Perception Enhanced Perception The adept power description is as follows: This power sharpens your senses. Each level provides an additional die for all Perception Tests including astral perception, if you also have that power. You cannot have more Enhanced Perception dice than your Intelligence or Magic Attribute, whichever is less. The mush lists the critter power version as: This power grants a critter all bands of perception, ranging from low light, to thermo, to sonar, etc. Not much more information is given in SR3, other than it pretty much covers everything perception based. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Enhanced Perception Physical Auto Self Always Enhanced Physical Attribute Enhanced Physical Attribute To use the Enhanced Physical Attributes power, a being adds its current Essence Rating to one or more of its Physical Attributes. This power to enhance Attributes may be limited to specific Attributes and/or limited in duration or number of uses. Note that the critters’ statistics have not been modified to reflect this power. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Enhanced Physical Attribute Physical Auto Self Special Enhanced Reaction Enhanced Reaction A creature with the Enhanced Reaction power may add (1/2 Essence, rounded down) dice to its Initiative and also (1/2 Essence, rounded down) to its Reaction when making Reaction or Surprise Tests. This power may be limited in duration and/or number of uses. Note that the critters’ statistics have not been modified to reflect this power. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Enhanced Reaction Physical Auto Self Special Enhanced Sense Enhanced Sense Enhanced senses include low-light and thermographic vision, improved hearing and smell, heat-sensing organs, sonar, motion detection (ability to sense electrical field disturbances), and so on. This power encompasses any of the sensory augmentations, and they operate much as the adept power, bioware, or cyberware of the same name. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Enhanced Sense Physical Auto Self Always Essence Drain Essence Drain The Essence Drain power allows a being to drain the Essence from another, adding the points drained to its own Essence. The being may increase its Essence to a maximum of twice the maximum for its type in this way (for humanoid beings, maximum Essence of 12). Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Essence Drain Mana Exclusive Complex Touch Permanent Game Effects Essence is transferred only in the presence of strong emotion. This can be a lover’s passion, the terror of an unwilling victim, or the rage of a defeated enemy, for example, but it must be strong and it must be directed personally at the being using the power. The Essence Drain often requires some transfer of physical material, such as blood for a vampire or flesh for a wendigo, though often only a token amount. In this case, the critter’s Essence Drain power cannot affect astral targets. A critter draining Essence requires some minutes undisturbed. The critter may drain as many points of Essence as it currently possesses. The minimum drain is 1 point. A being cannot drain Essence from a fiercely resisting victim. The victim must participate willingly or must be physically or magically subdued. The psychic stimulus of the being’s touch (such as a vampire’s bite) opens an empathic link between the being and its victim, who will feel ecstasy at being drained. A victim must make a Willpower (4) Test each time he or she is drained. Failure indicates addiction, and the subject will actively cooperate in hopes of feeling the sensation of the drain again. This will, of course, lead to a rapid loss of Essence and the death of the addict. Essence Drain vs Essence Drain Beings can drain Essence from other beings that possess the Essence Drain power without the element of strong emotional energy, but the process still requires undisturbed time. The action requires an Essence (4) Test for both beings. The being achieving the most successes drains the other of an amount of Essence equal to the extra successes. For example, two vampires with Essence 5 are locked in a transfer. Each rolls 5 dice. The first scores 3 successes, the other scores 5. The second vampire drains 2 points of Essence from the first. A being whose Essence is reduced to 0 in this manner dies at once and permanently. Essence Drain (Temporary) Essence Drain (Temporary) Certain creatures can temporarily drain a victim’s Essence. Make an Opposed Test using the creature’s Essence and the victim’s Willpower. If the creature achieves any net successes, it drains 1 point of Essence from the victim and adds it to its own. The effect lasts one Combat Turn per point of the creature’s normal Essence Rating. A creature cannot increase its Essence to more than twice its normal rating. Victims reduced to Essence Rating 0 pass out as if they suffered Deadly Stun damage. Essence lost in this fashion is recovered at a rate of 1 point per minute. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Essence Drain (Temporary) Mana Complex Touch Special Fading Fading Creatures with the Fading power have the ability to disappear entirely from the physical and astral planes at will, leaving no trace of their existence. Neither physical nor magical barriers prevent a creature from fading. Though no one knows where creatures with the Fading power go when they disappear, paranaturalists and occultists speculate that they go to the metaplanes of astral space. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Fading Mana Free Self Special Fear Fear This gives a being the power to fill its victims with overwhelming fear of either the terrain or of the being itself. The victim will race in panic for the nearest point of apparent safety. The GM should make an Opposed Test pitting the victim’s Willpower against the creature’s Essence. The creature’s net successes are used to gauge the severity of the victim’s fear. Generally speaking, the terror lasts for a number of Combat Turns equal to the being’s successes. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Fear Mana Complex LOS Special Glamour Glamour The Glamour power allows a creature to alter the perceptions of beings in the terrain it controls, causing intruders to see the terrain as whatever the creature wishes. Thus, a victim can see a swamp as solid ground, rusting metal pillars as verdant trees, or a gaping abyss as a shallow river spanned by a solid stone bridge. Any and all sensory input will fit the illusion or be ignored by the victim, including shouts from friends, warning beeps from detection devices, and even astral perception. The Glamour power affects all beings within the terrain. To overcome the effects of the power, the victim must achieve more successes than the creature in a Success Contest, pitting her Willpower against twice the creature’s Essence, while the critter makes an Essence Test against the victim’s Willpower. Most creatures use the Glamour power to protect their terrain against intruders and lead them astray, often into great danger (such as when intruders mistake that gaping abyss for a safe bridge). Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Glamour Mana Complex Special Sustained Guard Guard The Guard power allows the being to prevent any accident — both natural and those caused by the Accident power — within the terrain it controls. Critter Power Type Action Range Duration Guard Physical Complex LOS Sustained