Known Spells
Starts with: Detect Arcana, Summon Ally, Drain Power Points, 3 of choice, Bonus from race, bonus from HJ = 8 spells and their Mega Counter parts.
Detect Arcana
The Sight - Detect Arcana: Rank Novice, Power Points 0, Range sight, Duration 3 (0/turn). Detect/conceal arcana allows a character to sense supernatural persons, objects, or effects within sight. This includes invisible foes, enchantments on people or items, mad science devices, and so on.
The power can also be reversed to conceal a single supernatural item, being, or effect.
This has the same cost, but the duration is much longer — 1 hour with a maintenance cost of 1 per hour. When used in this way, those who wish to see through the ruse with detect arcana use their arcane skill roll as an opposed roll against the concealer’s skill (rolled anew each time detect arcana is cast).
The detecting character may only attempt to see through concealed powers once per fresh casting.
True Sight - Exalted Detect Arcana: Rank Novice, Power Points 2, Range sight, Duration 3 (0/turn). This Mega Power effect greatly enhances detect arcana, giving it expanded analytical effects. With a successful arcane skill check on a particular magical effect or supernatural entity or phenomena, the caster can learn the following:
- What kind of magic is at work.
- Currently active powers.
- General type of supernatural creature (vampire, werewolf, dragon, etc).
- Any enchantments present on an item.
- How much PPE or ISP a target possesses.
- Other information the GM thinks appropriate.
When used on a supernatural creature, a raise on the arcane skill check reveals any general susceptibilities, including Weaknesses and ways to bypass Invulnerability. The power might reveal a ghost must be laid to rest by finding an object important to it in life, but not exactly what that object is or where it’s located.
This Mega Power effect can be used by Masters of Magic who have detect arcana at will. They must spend 2 Power Points to use it.
Using exalted conceal arcana means the caster is −2 (or −4 with a raise) to be seen or found with clairvoyance or divination.
Summon Ally (free)
Summon Ally - This is a diverse and complex power. See Rifts Mega Powers Page 20.
Force Multiplication - This is a diverse and complex power. See Rifts Mega Powers Page 21.
Drain Power Points
Ground Power - Drain Power Points (w/ Necromancy Fear Trapping): Rank: Heroic, Power Points: 3, Range: Smarts, Duration: Instant.
This spell removes a spellcaster’s source of power, limiting his ability to cast magic.
The caster picks a single target within range and makes an opposed arcane skill roll. The caster suffers a −2 modifier if the target power is of another type (magic vs. miracles, superpowers vs. mad science, for example).
With a success, he
drains 1d6+1 Power Points from the victim.
On a raise, the victim loses 1d8+2 Power Points. These rolls don’t Ace. Targets with Arcane Background: Weird Science lose the Power Points from all
“gizmos” on their person equally.
The victim cannot be reduced below zero Power Points. Drained Power Points are not taken by the caster—they are simply lost to the victim. Drained Power Points recharge as normal. The spell works only on creatures with an Arcane Background—it has no effect on magic items except those created through Arcane Background: Weird Science as noted above.
The effect created by this power is visible and terrifying causing all who witness it to roll a Fear check.
Drink Power - PPE Thief (w/ Necromancy Fear Trapping):
Power Points: 9, Range: Smarts × 2, Duration: Instant. Reaching out with his will Ziton drinks in the power of his target making it his own. This can be a terrifying situation to witness or experience.
When using this Mega Power variant of drain Power Points, the dice are doubled for the amount drained (
2d6+1, or 2d8+2 with a raise).
Furthermore, drained PPE/ISP is gained by the caster (if of a type she uses). This replenishes spent Power Points but cannot raise the caster above her normal maximum.
Obscure
Absorb Light - Darkness (Stealth Trapping):
Rank: Novice, Power Points: 2, Range: Smarts, Duration: 1 minute (1/minute). The Sillhoette pulls in all the light around an area creating a darkness so thick nothing can be seen. Light/obscure can be cast on an inanimate object, but if the item is in an opponent’s possession, the arcane skill roll is opposed by Agility. Obscure, creates a –6 obscurement penalty in a Large Burst Template lasting for 1 minute (1/minute). This darkness is so natural to the Silhouette he receives +1 to stealth in the darkness.
Temporal Chaos - Darkness (Stealth Trapping): Power Points: 4, Range: Smarts × 2, Duration: 1 minute (1/minute). By sending out waves of temporal entropy in a giant bubble Ziton is able to make a field where the light and energy from multiple timelines overlap. This effect is so potent that trying to decipher the difference from what is happening versus what has happened and what may happen becomes almost impossible.
Greater obscure expands the effect of obscure to the caster’s Smarts in radius, and he is automatically immune to the power’s effects.
Invisibility
Shadow Meld - Invisibility ( (Stealth Trapping): Rank: Seasoned, Power Points: 5, Range: Self, Duration: 3 (1/round). Blending into the shadows is as natural to Ziton as breathing.
With a success, the character is transparent, but a vague outline is visible. A character may detect the invisible presence if he has a reason to look and makes a Notice roll at −4. Once detected, he may attack the foe at–4 as well. With a raise, the character is completely invisible. The penalty to Notice or hit him is–6.
In either case, the power affects the character and his personal items. Anything picked up after the power was cast remains visible. In addition the character gains +1 to stealth rolls.
- Additional Targets: The character may affect up to five targets by spending a like amount of additional Power Points.
Temporal Misalignment - True Invisibility (Stealth Trapping):
Power Points: 10, Range: Self, Duration: 3 (1/round). Phasing slightly out of sync with the world around him Ndreare is able to become completely imperceptible to the normal world.
Normal invisibility generally applies to normal sight-based Notice checks; true invisibility applies to all senses, including mystical, technological, or greatly enhanced ones. The recipient cannot be seen or detected by any means, unless he attacks someone. In that circumstance, any attempt to detect or attack the character with true invisibility is made at −8.
True invisibility also makes it impossible for anyone using most means of scrying or other detection to find the character; this includes divination and clairvoyance. Those using detect arcana suffer a −4 penalty to see someone using true invisibility (though exalted detect arcana works at no penalty). In addition the character gains +1 to stealth rolls.
Dispel
Arcane Entropy - Dispel:
Rank: Seasoned, Power Points: 3, Range: Smarts, Duration: Instant. By pulsing waves of dimensional flux over a target it causes spells to collapse in on themselves as the power in them is dissipated.
Dispel allows a hero to negate enemy spells, miracles, mad science, or super powers. It has no effect on innate powers, such as a dragon’s breath or a banshee’s scream. Neither does dispel work on magic items or permanent enchantments unless the specific item or enchantment says otherwise.
Dispel can be used on a power already in effect or to counter an enemy power as it’s being used. The latter requires the countering mage to be on Hold and interrupt his foe’s action as usual.
In either case, dispelling the opponent’s power is an opposed roll of arcane skills. The dispelling character suffers a −2 modifier if the target power is of another type (magic vs. miracles, superpowers vs. mad science, etc).
Entropic Field - Exalted Dispel:
Power Points: 6, Range: Smarts × 2, Duration: Instant (1d6 minutes). As with Arcane Entropy, however by pulsing waves of dimensional flux over an large area it causes spells to collapse in on themselves as the power in them is dissipated.
This is the ultimate directed dispel power, able to undo any active power currently active in a Large Burst Template. It can also dampen enchantments on items within the area, shutting them down for 1d6 minutes.
When used against items, the casting roll is against a base 4 instead of opposed; the GM should feel free to impose penalties for particularly powerful items (−2 for a major item, −4 for an artifact, or even −6 for a true relic of great power).
Puppet
Transposition - Puppet: Rank: Veteran, Power Points: 3, Range: Smarts, Duration: 3 (1/round). By focusing his summoning powers on a target Ziton temporarily places the target in a temporal buble while replacing it with one amenable to him.
Sometimes it pays to persuade others to do your fighting for you. Some do this by blatant mind control, others do it by manufacturing visual and auditory illusions. Puppet is an opposed roll of the character’s arcane skill versus the target’s Spirit. The user must score a success and beat the target’s roll to gain complete control. The victim will attack friends and even commit suicide, though such acts allow the victim another opposed Spirit roll to break the spell.
Sustained Transposition - Mind Control: Power Points: 6, Range: Smarts × 2, Duration: Special. An enhanced form of Transposition allowing Ziton to maintain the spell for hours.
This greatly enhanced version of puppet allows the user a longer period of control.
- Success increases the Duration to one minute (1/per minute).
- With a raise, Duration is extended to 5 minutes (1/5 minutes).
- Two raises, it becomes 10 minutes (1/10 minutes).
Issuing a command is a free action but maintaining control requires concentration, inflicting a −1 penalty on all other actions while the power is active.
Any time a target is forced to do something completely against his nature, he gains a new roll to break control. A success enables him to resist the action, doing nothing instead. A raise means he’s completely free of the power.
If the caster has and uses telepathy on the target, she may extend her control of him to any distance, even out of her sight.
Slumber
Times Memory - Slumber (Darkening, but replacing darkness with Temporal Chaos): Rank: Seasoned, Power Points: 2, Range: Smarts × 2, Duration: 1 minute (1/minute). By targeting the minds of his targets Ziton is able to send their perceptions into a loop as they relive their past experiences. While in this state their minds are completely trapped in the past experiences and they fall to the ground as if asleep. Attempting to cast this spell on a target not located in a area not already affected by Temporal Magic suffers a -2 penalty. In addition any spell that dispels the temporal effect also works as a dispel versus this effect.
Blasting a horde of enemies into tiny pieces may be popular with some mages, but those who favor stealth or have a pacifistic bent are drawn to this spell.
The caster picks where he wants to center the spell and places a Medium Burst Template. He then makes an arcane skill roll. Any living creature (not undead or constructs) within the area must make a Spirit roll, at −2 if the caster scored a raise. Those who fail fall asleep.
Loud noises awaken the sleepers as if they were a normal sleeper (Notice roll). When the duration expires, the sleepers naturally wake up.
Time Lock - Greater Slumber (Darkening, but replacing darkness with Temporal Chaos): Power Points: 4, Range: Smarts × 3, Duration: 1 minute (1/minute). Taking more effort than Times Memory inducing a Time Lock on a target strengthens the cycle in the targets mind that even efforts to wake them are likely to fail. Attempting to cast this spell on a target not located in a area not already affected by Temporal Magic suffers a -2 penalty. In addition any spell that dispels the temporal effect also works as a dispel versus this effect.
Using this Mega Power increases the penalties to resist slumber to −2, or −4 with a raise. Furthermore, it takes a full round of active effort to awaken a victim of greater slumber; loud noises and the like aren’t enough.