Author Topic: [PoC] Special Abilities  (Read 2226 times)

Offline Garryl

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 4503
    • View Profile
[PoC] Special Abilities
« on: May 25, 2013, 04:26:20 PM »
Special Abilities
Power of Cybernetics introduces several new, commonly used abilities. It also introduces a new type of special ability, the integrated module.



Integrated Modules (IM)
Certain creatures can use modules or module-like effects innately. Usually, an integrated module works just like the module of that name. A few integrated module abilities are unique; these are explained in the text where they are described.

Integrated modules function exactly like the modules they mimic, and can have energy allocated to them and be attached to sockets as normal. A creature can activate or deactivate each of its integrated modules just like normal modules when it refreshes its energy. However, they do not count against the creature's limit of active modules. Further, integrated modules cannot be suppressed or deactivated by abilities and effects that target individual modules (such as the dispel magic and disrupt modules spells), although they are still suppressed by effects that apply universally (such as an anti-magic field spell or a dead magic plane).

For creatures with integrated module abilities, a designated activator level defines any level-dependent variables (such as range and duration) the module's abilities might have. If no activator level is specified, the activator level is equal to the creature’s Hit Dice. The saving throw (if any) against an integrated module ability is the same as for a normal module (10 + the amount of energy allocated to the integrated module + the creature’s Con modifier).

Some integrated module abilities duplicate modules that work differently when activated by characters of different classes. A creature's integrated module abilities are presumed to be the cyberneticist versions. If the module in question is not a cyberneticist module, then default to energy warrior and dreadnought, in that order.

Some creatures are actually activators of a sort. They activate modules as activators of a given class do. In fact, an individual creature could have some integrated module abilities and also activate other modules as an activator.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2017, 10:30:28 PM by Garryl »

Offline Garryl

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 4503
    • View Profile
(Continued) [PoC] Special Abilities
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2014, 06:24:22 PM »
Universal Special Ability Descriptions
The following special abilities are common to many creatures.



Amalgam Damage
Note: The most recent version of amalgam damage rules can be found here.

Amalgam damage is a form of damage that combines the strengths of multiple types of damage while eliminating their weaknesses. Amalgam damage is always a combination of two or more forms of damage. Usually, these are simply different types of damage, such as frostfire damage which combines cold and fire damage. Sometimes one or more aspects of the amalgam damage may be defined by special rules, such as the slashing component of pneumatic damage which is always affected by damage reduction but bypasses it as a magical weapon, or they may count as having specific descriptors, such as the untyped component of mindfire damage which always counts as resulting from a mind-affecting effect.

If a creature has a vulnerability to any of the component damage types, that vulnerability applies to the entire amalgam damage type. If it has a vulnerability against more than one of them, only the greatest vulnerability applies. If a creature has damage reduction, energy resistance, immunities, the ability to heal from damage taken, or similar damage reducing abilities that would apply to one or more component damage types, the amalgam damage applies against them as the component damage type that would be the most damaging. All other effects apply as though the amalgam damage was the most damaging of its component damage types with respect to that individual effect.

For example, if a half-red dragon troll with 10 points of cold resistance from a resist energy spell were struck for 20 points of frostfire damage, it would suffer 10 points of damage, bypassing its regeneration. As an amalgam of cold and fire, frostfire would bypass the troll's immunity to fire as cold damage, being reduced by 10 points due to energy resistance, and would bypass its regeneration as fire damage.

Common Amalgam Damage Types
Any combination of damage types can be considered amalgam damage. The sample amalgam damage types listed below are only shorthands for common combinations. Amalgam damage can even include more than two damage types (such as a fire, cold, electricity, sonic, magical bludgeoning, good-aligned slashing, negative energy, and mind-affecting language-dependent compulsion nonlethal amalgam damage).

NameDamage TypesNotes
ConcussiveSonicMagical BludgeoningBludgeoning component is affected by DR
EndothermicAcidCold--
ExothermicAcidFire--
FirestormElectricityFire--
FrostfireColdFire--
GalvanicAcidElectricity--
HailstormColdMagical BludgeoningBludgeoning component is affected by DR
IcicleColdMagical PiercingPiercing component is affected by DR
MagmaFireMagical BludgeoningBludgeoning component is affected by DR
MindfireFireUntypedFire component is never a mind-affecting effect, untyped component is always a mind-affecting effect
NecroticAcidNegative EnergyNegative energy component is a Necromancy effect
PneumaticSonicMagical SlashingSlashing component is affected by DR
SpiritNegative EnergyPositive EnergyNegative energy component is a Necromancy effect, positive energy component is a healing subschool effect
RadiantFirePositive EnergyPositive energy component is a healing subschool effect
ThunderstormElectricitySonic--
UttercoldColdNegative EnergyNegative energy component is a Necromancy effect

Concussive: Concussive damage is a combination of sonic damage and magical bludgeoning damage. The bludgeoning component is affected by damage reduction even if it comes from a non-extraordinary source (but the sonic component still isn't as it is energy damage; see above about damage reduction and amalgam damage).

Endothermic: Endothermic damage is a combination of acid and cold damage.

Exothermic: Exothermic damage is a combination of acid and fire damage.

Firestorm: Firestorm damage is a combination of electricity and fire damage.

Frostfire: Frostfire damage is a combination of cold and fire damage.

Galvanic: Galvanic damage is a combination of acid and electricity damage.

Hailstorm: Hailstorm damage is a combination of cold damage and magical bludgeoning damage. The bludgeoning component is affected by damage reduction even if it comes from a non-extraordinary source (but the cold component still isn't as it is energy damage; see above about damage reduction and amalgam damage).

Icicle: Icicle damage is a combination of cold damage and magical piercing damage. The piercing component is affected by damage reduction even if it comes from a non-extraordinary source (but the cold component still isn't as it is energy damage; see above about damage reduction and amalgam damage).

Magma: Magma damage is a combination of fire damage and magical bludgeoning damage. The bludgeoning component is affected by damage reduction even if it comes from a non-extraordinary source (but the fire component still isn't as it is energy damage; see above about damage reduction and amalgam damage).

Mindfire: Mindfire damage is a combination of fire damage and untyped damage. The fire component is never considered to be from a mind-affecting effect and thus ignores immunity to mind-affecting effects, even if the effect that caused the mindfire damage is mind-affecting. The untyped component is considered to be from a mind-affecting effect and is thus prevented by immunity to mind-affecting effects, even if the effect that caused the mindfire damage is not mind-affecting.

Necrotic: Necrotic damage is a combination of acid damage and negative energy damage. The negative energy component is similar to that of an inflict spell in that it is considered an effect from the Necromancy school and heals undead (but the acid component will still usually cause it to deal damage instead of healing).

Pneumatic: Pneumatic damage is a combination of sonic damage and magical slashing damage. The slashing component is affected by damage reduction even if it comes from a non-extraordinary source (but the sonic component still isn't as it is energy damage; see above about damage reduction and amalgam damage).

Spirit: Spirit damage is a combination of both negative energy damage and positive energy damage. The negative energy component is similar to that of an inflict spell in that it is considered an effect from the Necromancy school and heals undead. The positive energy component is similar to that of a cure spell in that it heals living creatures as an effect from the healing subschool and damages undead. Usually, the negative energy component will cause this to damage living creatures, and the positive energy component will cause this to damage undead creatures. Only nonliving, non-undead creatures, such as most constructs, are not harmed by either component are thus unaffected. A few rare creatures that are healed by both positive and negative energy are actually healed by spirit damage.

Radiant: Radiant damage is a combination of fire damage and positive energy damage. The positive energy component is similar to that of a cure spell in that it heals living creatures as an effect from the healing subschool and damages undead (but the fire component will still usually cause it to deal damage instead of healing).

Thunderstorm: Thunderstorm damage is a combination of electricity and sonic damage.

Uttercold: Uttercold damage is a combination of cold damage and negative energy damage. The negative energy component is similar to that of an inflict spell in that it is considered an effect from the Necromancy school and heals undead (but the cold component will still usually cause it to deal damage instead of healing).



Energy Shield
A creature with an energy shield is protected by a supernatural barrier that absorbs incoming damage.

Energy shield is defined by an absorption value and a recovery rate. The barrier has a number of hit points, up to a maximum of its absorption value, that are depleted before damage is dealt to the creature's normal hit points, similar to how temporary hit points function. Whenever the protected creature would take damage of a type that the energy shield can absorb, that damage is subtracted from the shield's hit points first, and any remainder is dealt to the creature normally. At the beginning of each of the creature’s turns, its energy shield regains a number of hit points, as defined by the recovery rate.

Hit points subtracted from an energy shield are not considered damage done, much like damage prevented by damage reduction or resistances. Similarly, hit points regained by an energy shield are not considered healing. Thus, for example, damage prevented by an energy shield does not contribute to the DC of a Concentration check, and vile damage does not prevent an energy shield from regaining hit points.

Damage that explicitly bypasses temporary hit points cannot be absorbed by an energy shield. Damage from internal sources, such as bleeding, poison, and any form of self-inflicted hit point loss paid as a cost, also cannot be absorbed by an energy shield. Certain energy shield abilities may also be unable to absorb certain damage types.

If a creature has multiple energy shields, he or she can choose how to divide any damage taken among the energy shields that can absorb it.

In statistics blocks, energy shield is written in shorthand as ES, followed by the shield's absorption value and recovery rate separated by a slash. If not otherwise specified, the recovery rate is in hit points per round. For example, an energy shield ability with 30 hit points of absorption and a recovery rate of 5 hit points per round would be written as "ES 30/5".

Energy shield is a supernatural ability unless otherwise noted.



Target Lock
Certain abilities allow you to acquire a target lock. This allows you to focus on a single target that you can see, enhancing your abilities against the subject of your focus. Acquiring, releasing, or changing a target lock is a free action. You automatically lose your target lock if you are unable to see the subject of your target lock. You can have a target lock on only one subject at a time. If you have the ability to acquire a target lock from multiple sources, you still only acquire a target lock on a single subject.

Acquiring a target lock does nothing in and of itself. However, some abilities and effects change this, granting you additional bonuses and effects with respect to the subject of your target lock. The effects of each of those abilities apply, regardless of how you acquired the target lock.

Some abilities allow you to acquire or maintain a target lock on a subject that you cannot see or allow you to acquire and maintain multiple target locks at once. These effects apply to your overall ability to acquire and maintain a target lock, regardless of their source.

If you lose the ability to acquire a target lock, you also immediately lose any target lock you have.



Wireless Communication
A creature with this ability can communicate telepathically with any other creature within a certain range (specified in the creature’s entry, usually 100 feet) that also has the wireless communication ability. Both creatures must be within range of each other to communicate in this way. It is possible to address multiple creatures at once wirelessly, although maintaining a wireless conversation with more than one creature at a time is just as difficult as simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at the same time. Wireless communication allows creatures to communicate as though they shared a common language, even if one or both of them do not have a language at all.

Some creatures have a limited form of wireless communication, while others have a more powerful form of the ability. Wireless communication is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2020, 05:21:52 PM by Garryl »