Somnambulist Semper Mort
Background
The process of reanimating a Semper Mort is never straightforward. In the case of one vault of hermetically sealed Sempers their minds stirred with life long before their bodies. For years they reposed, minds reaching out to one another with nascent aberrant ability, sharing a great death-dream trapped in tombs of unwaking flesh. When at last they clawed their frozen forms from the icy grip of eternal sleep they found they now lived almost two separate lives, one in the physical world, one in the psionic.
The Somnambulists are frequently viewed with some wariness by outsiders, even other Semper Morts, for their insular customs and shared secrets. Adding to this reputation for strangeness, Somnambulist Semper Morts have developed unique adaptations which let them metabolize psionic crystal precursor molecules found in spinal fluid, allowing them to augment and enhance their aberrant talents by consuming the cerebral sinews of others.
Costume and Roleplay Requirements
Somnambulist Semper Morts tend to have less pronounced claws than their wasteland cousins, but their skin is bruised and blackened from the uneven thawing of their tissue. The bodily atrophy which sometimes afflicts newly risen Semper Morts often never completely leaves a Somnambulist, giving them a stiff and wasted appearance.
Mechanics
Braindrinker
A Somnambulist Semper has the tag keyword "Aberrant" in addition to any effects related to their Lineage, regardless of if they have any Anomaly skills or not.
When a Somnambulist Semper uses their Lineage Advantage on a Lineage Target, they may ask their Target the highest level of Aberrant Skill they have (Basic, Proficient, or Master, but not which skill/skills). For each rank of skill the Target possesses (Once for Basic, twice for Proficient, three times for Master), the Somnambulist Semper may choose to take 5 Points (0.5 Levels) of Exhaustion to gain "Upsurge: Psionic Potential 1". If they already have a 'Psionic Potential' Upsurge, they may reset its duration and increase the number of stacks by 1 (e.g. "Psionic Potential 2").
You can not use this ability if you have Level 8 Exhaustion or higher.
ex: Somnambulist Semper Bob already has "Upsurge: Psionic Potential 1" and goes to feed on some poor smuck that tried to rob him in the street. He completes his roleplay time of two minutes, triggers his Lineage Advantage on his Target, and then Out of Character asks his Target what level is their highest Aberrant Skill. Out of Character the Target responds to Bob that their highest is Master. Bob with wide eyes decides to take 15 Points (1.5 Levels) of Exhaustion to gain "Upsurge: Psionic Potential 1" three times. Because these Upsurges stack the original Psionic Potential 1 that Bob already had now increases to Psionic Potential 4 and its one hour duration timer resets. Bob now has to figure out what to do with his new found Potential.
Somnambulist Semper Morts who currently benefit from a 'Psionic Potential' Upsurge may expend the Upsurge (all stacks) for one of the following effects, provided they have a number of 'stacks' that are greater than or equal to the effect's cost:
- 1 - Target an Ally within arms reach and call "Upsurge: Your next use of Avoid costs no Mind"
- 2 - Call "Scattershot: Psionic Knockback 5"
- 3 - Call "Area of Effect: Psionic Terror 10 Seconds"
- 4 - Call "By my Voice - Psionic Compulsion: Speak without Filters 1 Minute"
- 5 - Call "By my Voice - Psionic Slow 10 Seconds"
- 6 - Call "By my Voice - Psionic Nail 10 Seconds"
- 7 - Call "Self Upsurge: Gain Ranged and Melee Damage Reduction (Lesser) for 1 Minute". At the end of this effect you fall Unconcious, this effect can not be prevented.
- 8 - Call "By my Voice - Upsurge: Gain Stealth 10 Seconds"
- 9 - Call "By my Voice - All Undead, Raiders, and Critters Psionic Compulsion: <3 WORD COMMAND> 1 Minute". This ability instantly increases your Exhaustion to 9 Levels and 9 Points (9.9).
- 10 - Increase the effect area of a single use of Master Pyrokinesis from 3 steps to 'By My Voice'. This ability instantly destroys your body and reduces your Infection by 1 (You are Dead), this Infection loss can not be prevented by any means.
Comments