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(Taken from the Adepts and Powers Chapter from, The Ruins of Arcanum Rulebook.)
Powers and Adepts There are many different types of people in the world of The Ruins of Arcanum. All kinds of creatures roam the land. Among these are the Adepts.
After the Great Black Orbs were broken, things started to change in the world of Arcanum. People started to be able to do things that were unnatural. Some had the ability to affect the mind of someone else, and others had the ability to fly. There were many different powers that came about. For some reason, those with Human blood were the only ones affected by this change and therefore had the highest level of power.
There are a few things that you need to know about Adept Powers in The Ruins of Arcanum. First, is that there are three levels of powers. Second is the difference between Mana, Physical and Innate Powers. The third is the range of each power.
The three levels of Powers coincide with the intensity and potential of the power. Powers progress just like skills, but the different levels have different max levels that can be attained. First level Powers can only progress to fifth level, second level powers to tenth level, and Third level powers can be taken to 15th level.
Adepts can posess a wide range of powers with many different effects. Each of these powers fall into one of three categories or types. These are Physical, Mana, and Innate.
Physical powers are those that can be seen, such as a fireball flying through the air at your face. These powers can be evaded, blocked, absorbed by armor or dodged physically. If you are hit by a Physical Power packet, usually it has the same effect as any physical blow, and counts as a normal injury.
Mana powers are very powerful. These cannot be seen, blocked, evaded or absorbed by armor. These are powers that effect the soul and mind of the target, therefore are not physical in nature. The only way to defend against a Mana attack is with your “Mental Armor” rating which is equal to your Willpower bonus. The downside for the Adept using a higher level Mana based power (Level 3 only) is it takes a lot out of them physically. The result being that any attack to any part of their body is fatal (the same as a torso shot, dropping them to their Stun/Death count). Most mana powers must be concentrated upon to keep them activated. If the Adept loses concentration, the power is automatically stopped.
Innate powers are those that do not have to be activated and are constantly in effect. These include powers that increase Strength, or Agility. It is not always evident who has a power such as this, for a person that looks skinny may actually be as strong as an Ogre.
Most powers need to be activated (with the exception of Innate Powers) by saying, “Activate Power: (insert power here)!” This is only an out-of-game indicator for those around the player to let them know that a power has been activated. In-game the character doesn’t actually have to say anything, he just activates his power. This only needs to be said once per battle and the effect lasts all battle or for the duration of the power. For example, let’s say Gorgal the Ugly has the power of Energy Claws. To use his energy claws, he shouts, “Activate Power: Energy Claws!” and then pulls out his Phys Rep of his claws. He can then use his power for the whole battle or until the time he has purchased for the skill is up.
Range is very important to the Adept, because it tells him how close he has to be to his target in order to use his power. The ranges are: Packet, Touch, and Self. Packet is as far as you can throw a packet. That’s it. If you can throw a packet 75 feet, that’s your range; if you can only throw five feet, that’s your range. Touch is a little misleading. The Touch range means that you must touch the target of your power, but you must still have a packet in your hand. Care must be taken as to not actually hit the target with your hand, but lightly touch him with the packet. Self usually refers to Innate powers. The power only affects you, but depending on the power, can be used to attack others. Players are encouraged to find creative uses for their powers. What’s the fun of being able to shoot fire out of your eyes if you can’t toast a hot dog or two?
For a complete list of Powers and the abilities available through them, consult the Rulebook.
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