Mega-Attributes and Enhancements

GENERAL ENHANCEMENTS

 * SAVANTISM
 * Some novas have Mega-Attributes which only work in a very narrow manner. These focused attributes are bought as Level 1 powers, may not have Enhancements, and only work with a single ability or power. Furthermore, they do not give any of their other bonuses. So for example, buying Focused Mega-Stamina doesn't usually grant additional soak, increased healing, or additional health levels, Focused Mega-Strength doesn't usually not provide the bonuses to damage and lifting, etc. They can be upgraded to full Mega-Attributes by paying the difference.

MEGA-INTELLIGENCE

 * TRAITS
 * Intelligence, according to some, is the ultimate weapon. If that's the case, a nova with this Mega-Attribute is ready to fight in any war.
 * A character with Mega-Intelligence is intelligent beyond the dreams of even most geniuses. His ability to make deductive "leaps" from unrelated facts to a conclusion, to solve difficult problems and to analyze situations is nearly unparalleled. In some cases, novas with high Mega-Intelligence ratings have put powerful computers to shame. In fact, even one dot of Mega-Intelligence effectively indicates that the human IQ scale can no longer be applied to the Mega-intelligent nova.
 * Like Intelligence itself, Mega-Intelligence mainly represents the quality of a character's thinking processes — how clearly and precisely he can put facts together and draw conclusions from them. However, unlike Intelligence, to a certain extent it also measures the speed at which a character can analyze facts and perform calculations. Characters with high Intelligence solve problems quickly, but a nova with even Mega-Intelligence 1 makes them look like mental tortoises. When it comes to reacting fast under pressure, though, Wits and Mega-Wits still rule the day.


 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * ANALYZE WEAKNESS
 * Virtually everything — every object, every system, every procedure — has flaws, weaknesses and vulnerable points. In many instances these problems are so minor as to be unnoticeable to the average person. A nova with this ability, however, is not the "average person." By dint of her vast intellect and analytical prowess, she is able to detect where these weaknesses are, and she knows how to exploit them to her advantage.
 * System: A nova with this enhancement is able to detect weaknesses in objects, systems and procedures. Sometimes this flaw is physical (a place where a crack is likely to develop) and sometimes a less tangible weakness (a part of a security net where protection is lightest), but in either case, the nova can locate the problem.
 * To find and analyze a weakness, the nova must spend an action looking at and considering an object or system. Then she spends a quantum point and makes an Intelligence roll. If the roll succeeds, there are several possible effects. If the nova is analyzing a physical object, such as body armor or a wall, the soak value of any armor provided by the object (both bashing and lethal) is reduced by one per success. This effect can be applied to anything that offers physical protection, such as another nova's Force Field, even though it is not literally a "physical object."
 * EIDETIC MEMORY
 * Any nova with Mega-Intelligence has a well-developed memory. A nova with this enhancement, though, has a memory that's virtually foolproof. He can remember in precise detail just about anything that has happened to him. Anything he takes the time to study remains lodged in his mind. However, just because he can store a particular fact in his memory does not mean he can recall it instantly. Sometimes a character with Eidetic Memory has to stop and think for several seconds or minutes, slowly reading down a mental page or through a mental file until he retrieves the fact he wants.
 * System: A character with Eidetic Memory is assumed to have perfect, and nearly instantaneous, recollection of anything that has happened to him. For example, suppose that the characters have spent an hour working their way through the labyrinthine halls of some Teragen base. After the climactic encounter, the characters realize, to their dismay, that they cannot remember how to get out again. Fortunately, one of them has Eidetic Memory, and he can lead them back the way they came in without any problem.
 * This enhancement is always in effect and costs no quantum points to activate.
 * EMULATION
 * A Nova with this Enhancement can emulate other, simpler minds with sufficient data, creating fully formed models which can be used to better manipulate or appeal to the subject. The nova gains (+Mega-Intelligence) bonus dice to any social roll as long as the nova has had enough research information (a detailed facebook page, a personal diary/journal, hours of constant social interaction, or any other way to find out their likes and dislikes and general personality) and at least twice the other party's intelligence (noting again that each dot of Mega-Intelligence counts as 2 dots of regular Intelligence). This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum point and lasts for a single roll.
 * ENHANCED MEMORY
 * A nova with this enhancement lacks the long-term brainpower that a nova with Eidetic Memory has, but what he lacks in long-term memory he makes up for in short-term recall. He can study a subject and, for a brief period, remember everything he studied almost exactly. Although this information fades quickly after that period expires, it's there long enough for a character to make use of it — say, on a mission. Enhanced Memory is perfect for memorizing things like floor plans, guard patrol schedules and personal information about a target — just the sort of facts that come in handy on many missions.
 * System: The character chooses a particular subject or collection of data to memorize. The subject must not be too extensive — he can't choose the entire works of Shakespeare, for example. However, a complete mission briefing, or one or two textbooks, or the ability to speak a language enough to carry on a basic conversation, are all possible.
 * The player must spend a quantum point and make an Intelligence roll at +1 difficulty to memorize the chosen information successfully. Once memorized, the information remains in the character's short-term memory for a period equal to one day per dot of Mega-Intelligence. After that period has passed, the information begins to fade at the rate of about 25% per day until the character's recollection of it is virtually gone.
 * INVENTIVE GENIUS
 * The nova possessing this enhancement has an advanced creativity that makes him an absolute whiz when trying to invent a new device or material.
 * System: A nova who possesses Inventive Genius receives 3 extra dice when attempting to invent a new device or material or when he attempts to use existing technology in an entirely new way. This bonus is cumulative with any relevant Mental Prodigy such as Engineering or Science. It cannot be used with any other kind of engineering/science roll, such as repairing a broken mechanism or identifying a chemical compound.
 * KNOW-IT-ALL
 * Many novas come across as being smarty-pants, simply due to the fact that their quantum-enhanced brains are capable of performing more advanced intellectual functions than lesser baselines can achieve. A nova who is a Know-It-All, however, can make another mega-intel- ligent nova look like a complete and total dumb-ass.
 * System: By spending a quantum point, the nova may receive three successes on any ability or attribute roll involving Intelligence. Just because the nova who knows the precise methods of performing brain surgery are doesn’t mean that he can actually do so as well as an experienced surgeon. The nova can make an Intelligence roll, using any successes (but not the automatic successes) as a single die to perform a task with which he has no actual experience; if he has at least one dot in the skill, he can still add in the additional dice. There are some questions which have no real answers, such as hypothetical, metaphysical, religious, ethical, and philosophical debates. For questions such as these, the nova will simply be more aware of the various potential answers and opinions on the subject matter.
 * LINGUISTIC GENIUS
 * Quelle heure et il?
 * jHabla espafiol, senor?
 * Bom dia!
 * Sprechen sie deutsch?
 * These phrases are all as good as his native language to a nova with this enhancement. A character with Linguistic Genius is, literally, a genius at linguistics and language interpretation. He can usually speak a lot of languages fluently, but more than that, he has an intuitive understanding of the structure and nature of language. Even if he has never heard a particular language before, if he listens to someone speaking it for a little while, he will be able to determine what the person is saying. He won't necessarily be able to speak the language himself, so he might not be able to respond or participate in a conversation, but he will know what's being said to him, and sometimes that's enough to solve any problems.
 * System: A character with this enhancement receives five automatic successes when the player makes Linguistics rolls. Furthermore, the number of language families with which he is familiar is quadrupled. Thus, a nova with Linguistics 5 and Linguistic Genius would be familiar with 20 language families.
 * Even better, the character has a limited ability to comprehend speech in languages with which he is not familiar. When he hears a language he does not know, the player may make an Intelligence roll. The Storyteller should add a difficulty modifier for especially complex languages, situations where the character has difficulty hearing the language being spoken or when the character is not able to listen to the language for very long. This enhancement is always in effect and costs no quantum points to activate.
 * MAD SCIENTIST
 * The fools! If only they could understand my great genius, then they would see that I have made the only fully functional Death Ray, and Porta-Potty combo in the Solar System! A Nova with this enhancement reduces the amount of taint they receive for making unusual inventions.
 * System: Any Nova who has Mad Scientist receives the mixed blessing of truly being able to see beyond the realm of human convention and the restrictions of normal physics. While this enhancement costs no quantum to use, and is considered to always function, the Nova receives one point of permanent taint just for possessing Mad Scientist. Furthermore, even if this taint causes no aberration or social penalty due to increased Taint, any Nova possessing Mad Scientist automatically receives an additional social penalty of -1, and -2 when dealing with other Novas possessing the Mad Scientist enhancement. However, there is a bright side. The Nova may make unusual inventions, and leaps in science more easily than other scientists may. When using the Optional Super Science rules, the Nova receives one automatic success when setting out to deliberately make a significant advance in the field of science. Furthermore, the Mad Scientist does not require a specialization in the field to make the advance possible.
 * MATHMATICAL SAVANT
 * Calculator? Computer? Who needs them? A nova with this ability can run numbers in his head so fast that reaching for an electronic calculator is usually a waste of time.
 * System: A nova with the Mathematical Savant enhancement can perform complex mathematical equations in his head almost instantly. Multiplication and division, even involving four- to eight-digit numbers, takes only a second or two. More complex algebra, trigonometry or calculus problems may take up to a minute. Extremely complex mathematical operations, such as all the calculations necessary to launch a rocket to Jupiter, may take up to an hour.
 * Whenever the character is using a skill or Ability involving math, such as trying to decode an encrypted message, the Storyteller should allow the player to make an Intelligence roll. Each success bestows an additional die for any related Ability rolls.
 * This enhancement is always in effect, and it costs no quantum points to activate.
 * MENTAL PRODIGY: COMPUTERS
 * Bill Gates, step aside – the nova with this enhancement is capable of writing up an operating system decades ahead of her time. The nova who is a computer prodigy has an intuitive understanding of how computers work, and can do nearly anything with any software or hardware put in front of her. She can also figure out how to bypass computer security programs, and hack into any mainframe she wants. In a world where computers store all relevant information, this gives her an awful lot of power... System: Whenever the nova is using his Computer skill (bypass- ing security, retrieving data, hacking a system, writing a program, making repairs, etc.), she first gets to make an Intelligence roll. Each success grants her one automatic success on her Computer rolls. This enhancement works extremely well with Cyberkinesis.
 * MENTAL PRODIGY: INTRUSION
 * Have you ever wanted to be a master thief?1 How about a security consultant or troubleshooter? That’s exactly what a nova with this enhancement can be. Security devices, locks, vaults, electronic surveillance systems, and guard schedules can all be analyzed, scrutinized, and bypassed with greater ease that even the guys who broke out of Alcatraz would be impressed.
 * System: Whenever the nova is attempting to set up or avoid various security systems, or when setting up infiltration measures and countermeasures, he makes an Intelligence roll. Each success allows him to add one automatic success on his Intrusion roll.
 * MENTAL PRODIGY: PHILOSOPHY
 * A nova with this enhancement has opened himself to ways of thinking beyond even his Mega-intelligent brethren.
 * System: When trying to understand, create, or find flaws in philosophic or semantic arguments, this nova may spend 1 Quantum and roll his intelligence. The number of successes gained on this roll convert into bonus dice to be rolled in the appropriate test.
 * MENTAL PRODIGY: PILOTING
 * Mario Andretti and Chuck Yeager may be legends, but they’re nothing compared to the nova with this enhancement. With Mental Prodigy: Piloting, the nova has a far greater understanding and command of any vehicle he operates and controls, and is able to push the vehicle’s performance way beyond what its manufacturers intended.
 * System: Whenever the nova is using his Drive or Pilot skill to operate a car, truck, airplane, helicopter, boat, or whatever, he gets to make an Intelligence roll. Each success allows him to add one automatic success to his skill roll. Nearly any type of stunt can be pulled off by a nova with this enhancement. Just remember to fasten your seatbelts and to keep your seats and food trays in their upright and locked positions...
 * ORACLE (Prerequisites: Mega-Intelligence 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * A Nova with this Enhancement is so brilliant, they can calculate the future to near-perfect accuracy. A Nova with this ability may spend 3 Quantum points to reroll up to (Mega-Intelligence) failed dice on any roll, as they have seen the future and know potential points of failure or weaknesses in their plan of action. Alternatively, the Nova may spend 1 Quantum point to not take a failed action or transform a botch into a normal failure.
 * SIMULTANEITY (Prerequisites: Mega-Intelligence 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * The nova's brilliance is such that he can work on a half-dozen or more problems simultaneously without losing any concentration. When active, the Nova's mind splits into (Mega-Intelligence) identical copies, which have all the nova's mental and social attributes and abilities, as well as all the nova's Mega-Attributes. These minds are entirely identical and do not allow the nova to act as an assistant to himself-but do allow the nova to do six things at once, as long as the nova has methods of interacting with the environment (telekinesis, computer-controlled remotes, telepathy, quantum constructs, and so on). Furthermore, if active, attempts to control the nova or influence his mental state require the power to successfully affect a majority of the nova's mental copies before they have any affect, although this provides no resistance against mind-reading.
 * This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum point and lasts for a scene.
 * SPEED READING
 * A nova with this enhancement is able to process written and textual information far faster than the average reader. When he's studying something, sit back and watch the pages fly past.
 * System: The character is able to read text (whether in a book, on a computer screen or in any other medium) four times as fast as the average highly educated person without any loss of comprehension. Additionally, whenever he is using his Speed Reading ability, the player may make an Intelligence roll; each success adds one to the speed multiplier for his reading (one success means he is reading five times as fast, two successes mean six times as fast and so on).
 * This enhancement is permanent and costs no quantum points to use.
 * SUBMIND
 * The nova has enough spare processing ability to create fully-formed intellects, lesser than the Nova but still human-level in intellect. A nova with this enhancement can create 1 submind at Mega-Intelligence 1, doubling this number with each additional dot of Mega-Intelligence. Subminds have half of the Nova's mental attributes (round down, minimum of 1) and no mental Mega-Attributes, but possess all of a nova's abilities, and may make full use of the Nova's physical and social attributes if given control. Subminds do not have any body, but may be used to take over the managment of Concentration-duration powers, remotely control equipment (with the proper neural interfaces or cyberkinesis), or any other purely mental feat.
 * This Enhancement costs 1 quantum point per scene to sustain, and last until the nova stops paying the quantum cost. At Quantum 6+ and Mega-Intelligence 6+, a repurchase of this Enhancement gives the nova's subminds Mega-Intelligence 1 and all the nova's Enhancements.
 * TAINT RESISTANCE (Ignore)
 * This nova is able to make amazingly efficient use of his brain cells, squeezing every last drop out of the old gray matter. As a result, the nova suffers less from mental aberrations brought on by expansion of the M-R node and tends to be more stable mentally.
 * System: When calculating permanent Taint from the Node Background, subtract the character's dots in Mega-Intelligence from the Node level. Thus, a nova with Node 3 and Mega-Intelligence 1 with Taint Resistance gets no Taint from the Node Background, and would get only one point of Taint if she increased her Node to 4.
 * Additionally, when the nova gains a mental aberration, subtract the nova's dots in Mega-Intelligence from the character's Taint to determine the severity of the aberration. This will not eliminate an aberration that is only mild, but will lessen the effect of higher Taint on mental aberrations, allowing the nova to function with less impairment as his brain reroutes around damaged areas.
 * This enhancement is permanent and costs no quantum points to use.

MEGA-WITS

 * TRAITS
 * Mega-Wits is the flip side of Mega-Dexterity. Meg a-Dexterity reflects how quickly some novas can move and react physically. Mega-Wits is how fast some novas can act and react mentally.


 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * DAY TRADER
 * The nova with this enhancement has a mindset that is particularly suited to the frenetic world of financial trading. When involved in fast paced financial transactions, the nova with this enhancement can utilize his Mega-Wits to keep track of trends and uncannily predict the markets markets outcome.
 * System: When using this enhancement the nova gains three extra dice in their Biz dice pool when dealing with fast paced financial markets. These markets include; stock exchanges, commodities and precious metals markets, and currency exchange speculation. Other types of investments may be allowed but must be approved by the Storyteller. The Financial Prodigy enhancement from Mega-Intelligence is culmulative with Daytrader.
 * FTL REFLEXES (Prerequisites: Mega-Wits 6+, Quantum 6+):
 * The nova's nerve impulses now travel faster than light, carrying information back through time. The nova always acts first and declares last, unless facing another FTL Reflexes-enhanced nova (in which case both of them determine initiative order normally and everyone else goes behind them in normal initiative order). Furthermore, all characters without FTL Reflexes, Pretercognition, or any other form of causality violating information transfer add +2 difficulty to all rolls made to attack or defend against the nova in question, and the nova can ignore any attack difficulty penalties from Hypermovement or other similar powers. This Enhancement costs 3 Quantum points and lasts for a turn.
 * TAUNT
 * Some people can really get under your skin. They just instinctively know what buttons to push to get a person riled up. Novas with this enhancement have this talent down to an art form. Their barbed remarks are so finely honed that only the most unshakable of opponents can avoid becoming flustered.
 * System: The nova spends a quantum point and makes a contested wits roll against his opponent’s resolve. Every success the nova scores over his opponent allows him to subtract a die from either his opponent’s dice pool or initiative. The opponent may counter this effect by spending willpower on a one for one basis. Be warned, however, that if an opponent exhausts his willpower defending against this enhancement he may very well attack the offending nova. The Taunt enhancement remains active for one scene, but any willpower spent to resist it must be regained normally.
 * UNIMPRESSIONABLE
 * The nova with this Mega-wits enhancement seems to be able to stay rational and calm at all times. It is almost impossible to surprise or impress him with anything. Although this can seem like the normal effect of having a superb wits this enhancement will provide the nova with special defenses.
 * System: For example, the nova can resist any Mega-Presence enhancement which tries to impress or scare him. To do so the nova rolls his Wits and adds one automatic success for every level of Mega- wits he possesses - if he beats the ‘attacking’ power he is unaffected by it. This enhancement will specifically protect against enhancements such as Awe-inspiring, Face of Terror, First Impression and Commanding Presence and against quantum powers such as Empathic Manipulation, Mirage and Strobe. The storyteller will have to determine whether it protects against other enhancements and powers as well, on a case by case basis.

MEGA-RESOLVE

 * TRAITS


 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * INDOMITBALE
 * Novas with this Enhancement have superhuman willpower, withstanding mental stress which would crush lesser men and taking it in stride. This Enhancement adds +1 success to all willpower rolls, costs nothing, and is always on. Note that this does not alter the costs of improving willpower, nor does it give the Nova additional points of temporary willpower to spend. This Enhancement may be stacked up to (Mega-Wits) times.
 * IRON RESOLVE
 * You have an iron core of determination and willpower. You can spend a point of willpower to shake off any attempt to control you through the use of Quantum Powers, and Mega-Enhancements.
 * MASOCHIST
 * Some novas enjoy pain. Others find it a useful tool, focusing them on the task at hand, reminding them that no matter how powerful they are, they are still mortal. Novas with this enhancement gain more than psychosomatic pleasure and ephemeral benefits from pain. When they get hurt, they get better at their job. A nova with this enhancement reverses all wound penalties (turning them into bonuses instead), making them more capable as they draw closer to death's door. This Enhancement removes flaws such as 'Low Pain Tolerance', forcing the character to pay the XP to buy them off, and as long as it is active, allows the nova to ignore wound penalty reductions gained from any and all sources. This Enhancement costs nothing and is always on.

MEGA-STRENGTH

 * TRAITS
 * Mega-Strength Novas are glaringly, obviously and supernaturally stronger beings than their baseline counterparts. You can easily pick these people out of a crowd, their bulging muscle and large stature are a dead giveaway.
 * At the dawn of the Aberrant Era most Mega-Strength Novas erupted out of necessity, saving a loved one, holding up a collapsing building, being outnumbered in a fight.
 * With the popularization of M-R and Quantum-based steroids and drugs lots of Mega-Strength Novas can erupt simply out of substance abuse or rage. Many Novas that erupt this way will find themselves weaker than their pure-breed super-human counterparts.
 * Mega-Strength is perhaps the best known of the Mega-Attributes. It's certainly the least subtle. Novas with Mega-Strength usually have enormous muscles and a love of showing off what they can do with them. In nova circles it's commonplace to see them tossing cars around, smashing through buildings, picking up ships and crushing guns into paperweights.
 * In fact, many of the feats that novas with Mega-Strength perform defy the laws of science. For example, Mega-Strong novas have been observed picking up ships without having them break — even though the object's sheer weight should cause it to fall apart (not to mention the difficulty of getting a good grip on something that big). Experts on quantum powers speculate that a Mega-Strong nova unconsciously emits quantum energies to help keep the object together while he lifts it, but this hypothesis has not been proven conclusively.
 * Unlike other Mega-Attributes, Mega-Strength provides no extra dice or reductions to difficulties; when making Strength rolls, the character still rolls her base, unenhanced Strength, Brawl or Might skill total. Thus, a super-strong combatant still rolls her normal Strength + Brawl skill total to hit an opponent. However, each level of Mega-Strength provides a number of extra automatic successes that add to many Strength or Might rolls.
 * When Mega-Strength is used to lift something heavy, consult the table below to determine the nova's base lifting ability (such as 1000 kg for Mega-Strength 1). Then roll Might as normal (without adding the extra automatic successes). Each success on the roll increases the amount the nova can lift by 20%. Thus, a nova with Mega-Strength 1 and three successes on his roll could lift 1600 kg, or about 1.76 tons.
 * When hurling objects, characters with Mega-Strength may throw anything that weighs less than or equal to their base lifting capacity, using the normal rules for throwing. However, when throwing an object of a mass is less than half their base lifting ability, Mega-Strong novas may multiply their normal throwing distance times their automatic successes. Mega-Strength is particularly effective in personal combat. The following table indicates automatic damage successes applied to any close combat attack made by a character with Mega-Strength. When resisting, maintaining or breaking out of disarms, clinches and holds, use the rules for "Competing Mega-Attributes"; thus, most Mega-Strong combatants are deadly in grappling contests.
 * Mega-Strong novas almost always have Mega-Stamina as well.


 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * ANCHOR
 * The nova with this Mega-strength enhancement can create a bond with the ground or other surface he is standing on, making it almost impossible to move him from the spot. In order to push, pull, lift or knock down the nova an attacker must win a resisted Might roll first.
 * System: To use the enhancement the nova simply spends a quantum point. The nova can still move around as usual, the enhancement doesn’t impair his movement at all. Please note that Anchor doesn’t allow the nova to cling to walls or other surfaces. Use the appropriate body modification for those purposes.
 * BLOCK
 * Normally, characters cannot make a Block roll against lethal melee attacks, unless they possess some form of protection like Armor or Force Field.1 A nova with the Block enhancement needs no such protection, since his limbs are so heavily muscled and his bones dense enough to allow such feats to be possible.
 * System: The nova spends a Quantum point, and is then able to make Block rolls against lethal melee attacks.1 He gains three automatic successes to Block against any type of melee attack, although this enhancement does nothing to reduce the damage that may get through anyway.1 This enhancement stays active for one scene.
 * BREAK
 * Novas are tremendously strong, and are capable of smashing, bending, or otherwise destroying things with ease. Novas with the Break enhancement make this even easier. Punching through steel plated brick walls is a cakewalk for a nova with this enhancement.
 * System: For each Quantum point that the nova spends, he can double the amount of automatic successes his Mega-Strength gives him when making Might rolls to physically rip, bend, tear, crumble, smash, or destroy items.1 No bonus to damage when punching or kicking opponents is gained by using this enhancement.1 Break is only effective for a single “feat of strength.”
 * COG OF WAR
 * Your character's biceps are so huge they act as body armor. Novas with this Enhancement are ridiculously muscled to the point where any attack that attempts to hit their vital organs requires shooting through the equivalent of a brick wall. The Nova gains their Mega-Strengths worth of additional health boxes and size. They will constantly be accused of using steroids, and looks more than a little like an over-muscled cover-based FPS protagonist or a Mitoid. Novas with this Enhancement seem to also be more likely than normal to become obsessed with chainsaws and chest high walls. This enhancement costs nothing (but your ability to fit through most doors) and is always on.
 * CRUSH
 * Mega-Strength is, by itself, enough to cause deadly damage to many people — most normal humans can't survive blows from someone strong enough to pick up and throw cars. However, novas with this power have refined their ability to use Mega-Strength to kill. They are adept at grabbing and crushing people, delivering punches powerful and focused enough to go through a body, and so on.
 * System: Strength damage is normally bashing damage. A nova with this ability inflicts Brawl and Martial Arts damage (modified by his Mega-Strength, as usual) as lethal damage when he takes a full turn to focus his attack and spends a quantum point. The Crush attack is made the following turn, on the nova's Initiative. This enhancement lasts for one strike, but it can be reactivated as often as the nova likes, so long as she has the quantum points.
 * CYCLONE (Prerequisites: CRUSH)
 * Weaker foes are as insects to you. A Nova with this Enhancement may pay 1 Quantum point after a successful grapple attack, allowing the Nova a reflexive Crush attack on the enemy immediately after grabbing her. If this reflexive attack kills the victim, the Nova may throw the victim aside casually or make one last use of the broken corpse as an impromptu projectile (aimed via Dexterity + Athletics). This Enhancement may be repurchased once, allowing the Nova to make multiple clinch attacks and throws in one round as long as each clinch successfully kills the victim, until the Nova either fails to kill a target or makes (Mega-Strength + 1) consecutive kills. This Enhancement lasts for a single attack and costs 1 Quantum per use.
 * DAZE
 * Being beaten up by a Mega-Strong nova is no picnic, even for other Mega-Strong novas. Case in point: Novas with this enhancement have learned how to ensure that their blows knock their opponents for the proverbial loop. This is also useful for ending fights quickly, before any collateral damage can be inflicted.
 * System: The nova can spend a quantum point as an automatic action to activate this enhancement for 1 close combat attack or melee attack with a blunt weapon. If the nova manages to inflict even one level of damage after soak, the victim must roll MegaStamina vs. the nova's Mega-Strength to avoid being dazed for up to Mega-Strength’s turns. The Storyteller, as usual, determines exactly how long that the victim will be dazed by the nova's blow
 * DEMOLITION
 * You are an unstoppable wrecking machine. Novas with this enhancement double their attack's AP rating against inanimate objects only. This enhancement costs 1 Quantum and lasts for attack.
 * DISTANCE THROWER (Unique)
 * A nova with this enhancement can throw has found a way to throw object farther than his competition even if, under normal circumstances, he is unable to lift them. This may be accomplished with finesse alone.
 * System: Spend 1 Quantum, for the the purpose of all throwing rolls, including grapple, the Nova can throw objects as though they are three size levels smaller.
 * DRAGON'S FOOT (Prerequisites: Mega-Strength 6+, Shockwave)
 * A nova with this refined version of the Shockwave enhancement can create multiple earthquake fissures underneath her foes by stomping her foot or fist on solid ground. It's not of much use on bridges or onboard large vehicles, unless the nova wants to destroy the bridge/sink the aircraft carrier/etc.
 * System: If the nova is on solid ground, she can create fissures that are up to (MegaStrength x 10) meters deep within a radius of up to (Mega-Strength x 100) meters. The fissures don't do any damage directly, but anyone standing within the area of effect is at +10 difficulties to avoid falling into a fissure and taking normal falling damage. Buildings, bridges, and large vehicles in the area of effect automatically take (Mega-Strength) levels of structural damage unless they're designed to be earthquake-resistant (like many Japanese skyscrapers). The nova must spend one quantum point to use this enhancement, and can only make one Dragon's Foot attack per turn. Note that repeated use of this enhancement can severely damage most buildings, close previously opened fissures, and might even trigger natural earthquakes in seismically unstable regions.
 * FEROCITY
 * Sometimes a straightforward, needlessly aggressive attack is what is needed to catch an opponent off guard and take him out of the fight. That’s exactly what a nova with Ferocity can do. By overwhelming his opponent with sheer brutality, he can swiftly strike his opponent before he even knew what hit him.
 * System: Ferocity does for Brawl what Accuracy does for Martial Arts. The nova spends a Quantum point and builds up his rage for a turn. On his next, single Brawl attack, he will have three extra dice when attempting to punch or kick his opponent. The enhancement stays active for a single attack (hit or miss).
 * FINESSE (Prerequisites: Precision and Kid Gloves)
 * Mega-Strong novas can inflict massive amounts of damage, but unfortunately most of them also end up inflicting a lot of unintended collateral damage in the process. Novas with this enhancement don't have to worry about that, as they've developed exacting control over the effects of their blows.
 * System: The nova can precisely control the "area of effect" that his Mega-Strong blows damage. Aside from limiting the damage to a designated cubic volume and/or type of solid matter, the nova can destroy the chosen target without inflicting the slightest harm to anything or anyone in the area of effect or nearby. This enhancement is permanent (unless consciously "switched off") and has no quantum point cost.
 * GENTLE REBUKE
 * The effective reverse of the Precision enhancement, Gentle Rebuke allows the nova to channel their physical force through even the most seemingly gentle or inconsequential actions. A mega-strong nova with this enhancement could crush a person with no more motion then a light caress.
 * System: Like the Potence power of the same name, this power allows a nova to use their strength and mega-strength on an opponent with any motion (or even without a motion). The nova must still successfully touch the opponent, and there is no bonus damage for any type of strike or accuracy, but knock-back, knockdown, and extra damage from striking vital points can occur as normal. The nova can also choose to use less than full strength, either by the Precision or Love Tap enhancements, or simply by pulling his “punch”.
 * This enhancement cannot be used with weapons or claws, but can be used in conjunction with the Crush enhancement. Bashing damage done by this attack leaves no bruises or marks. Lethal damage still leaves cuts and gashes as normal. It takes deliberate will to use this enhancement, although it may be accidentally activated on occasions a result of an aberration or buying the enhancement tainted. This enhancement costs one quantum per strike.
 * HYPERVELOCITY
 * The Nova can accelerate a small projectile to up to (Mega-Strength * 2) kilometers per second via muscle power alone, giving the Nova's thrown weapons unbelievable reach and deadliness. Any projectile massing less than (Mega-Strength) kg can be thrown with this enormous velocity. All small projectiles deal lethal damage, add (Mega-Strength * 2) to their armor penetration, are treated as bullets for dodge/block difficulties due to their immense velocities, and finally have their range increment multiplied by 5.
 * This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum point and lasts for a single attack.
 * IRON FIST
 * For every dot in Mega-Strength, the nova can add one automatic level of damage when punching, kicking, or otherwise physically striking an opponent or item (such as that steel wall...). He will never injure himself when hitting things, even if the opponent is protected by quantum defenses.
 * This is permanent and has no quantum point cost.
 * IRON GRIP
 * The nova automatically retains his grip on objects (and people) in ordinary circumstances. All attempts to escape or pry something from the nova's grasp via physical force are made at + (Mega-Strength) difficulties. The nova also gets (Mega-Strength) automatic successes on rolls to squeeze, press, or push things.
 * This is permanent and has no quantum point cost.
 * IRRESISTIBLE FORCE
 * KIDS GLOVES
 * The Nova's control over his superhuman strength is enough to make him totally incapable of inadvertently inflicting damage on even the most fragile objects, creatures, and people.
 * This is permanent, and has no quantum point cost.
 * KINETIC DISCHARGE
 * The Nova actually stores up kinetic energy in their body, then channels it through anything they touch. This works the same as the aiming bonus for firearms, but for brawl and weaponry.
 * Spend one Quantum Point to begin charging.
 * LEVERAGE
 * A Nova with the Leverage enhancement practically cannot be held or restrained. No matter how one attempts to position or restrain them, the Nova has the full benefit of physical power and leverage.
 * System: For comparison porpoises the Nova, by spending a quantum point, is considered to be one mega-strength higher (up to a maximum of 6!!) or to gain an additional five automatic successes to break free as appropriate to the situation. This enhancement can also be used to rip holes through walls, to force open door, or any time the storyteller decides that a task is made much more difficult or impossible because it is not possible to get good leverage.
 * LIFTER
 * A Mega-Strong nova with this enhancement is really strong — he makes even other Mega-Strong novas look puny. He's the guy to call when you need to move something like, say, a mountain.
 * System: The nova can double the amount of weight he can carry for each quantum point he spends. For example, a nova who spends four quantum points on Lifter can carry 16 times his normal weight limit (!). However, the character does not inflict any extra damage with punches or similar attacks. At the Storyteller's discretion, the character's ability to throw heavy objects may be increased in a similar fashion, but only to throw them for distance, not damage (for example, to throw a tank into orbit, but not to throw another character into a wall and hurt him).
 * This enhancement stays active for one scene or one "feat of strength," whichever comes first.
 * LOAD BEARER
 * Mega-Strong novas with this enhancement are essentially quantum-powered pack mule sat least, that's what they seem like to other people (nova and baseline alike). While this enhancement radically increases the load-carrying capabilities of a Mega-Strong nova, actually doing so isn't pleasant for him. Mega-Strong novas with this ability tend to keep it a secret as long as possible, since no one enjoys being a pack mule. System: The nova spends a quantum point to augment his carrying capacity for up to [Mega-Strength] scenes. He can carry up to 50% of his maximum deadlift weight without being encumbered, although carrying weights above his normal maximum Encumbrance weight limit are fairly uncomfortable for him and he will seek to lay his burden down ASAP. The Storyteller is encouraged to apply whatever penalties she sees fit to a nova using this enhancement. For a rough guideline, think about how well Joe Sixpack would perform in a combat situation while moving furniture! This is cumulative with the effects of the Lifter enhancement and powers such as Sizemorph (Grow) and Boost (Strength).
 * LOVE TAP
 * With this enhancement, the nova can use his full strength without the fear and worry of causing long term bodily harm to his opponent. From the weakest aged aunt, to the more hearty “mind controlled” sidekick, the nova can let loose with both barrels knowing that only the targets ego will be bruised, but no bones will be broken.
 * System: The nova pays one quantum point as an automatic action at the beginning of the turn. The first target he attacks during the turn will not suffer any lethal damage if nova’s attack should exceed the target’s bashing health levels. The nova’s quantum control over his own strength is so great, that he is able to bleed off the excess force harmlessly into the surrounding environment after rendering the target unconscious. As a side effect, no knock-back is possible on a “Love Tap” attack as the Love Tap controls all of the excess energy that would have caused the knock-back momentum. However, knocking a target out while standing next to a 40-story drop could still have perilous implications for the target if the nova is not careful in his administration of the blow. Naturally, trying to administer a “Love Tap” with melee weapon will meet with failure, unless the nova has attuned the weapon prior to using it on the target.
 * MIGHTY
 * Novas with Mega-Strength are capable of performing feats of strength humans can only dream about. A nova with the Mighty enhancement can perform feats of strength that even novas dream about.
 * System: A nova with the Mighty enhancement gains two automatic successes per dot of Mega-Strength when making Strength rolls. He has to spend a Quantum point to be able to do so, and the effect lasts for a single “feat of strength” or for one scene, whichever comes first. Combined with the Lifter enhancement, the nova can reach Atlas-like proportions (well, almost).
 * ONE-PUNCH (Prerequisites: Mega-Strength 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * Novas with this Enhancement can punch so hard, you'd think you were hit by a nuclear weapon. When used, the Nova doubles their successes on any unarmed or thrown attack he makes. This Enhancement may be purchased one more time at Mega-Strength 8+, Quantum 8+, which lets it quadruple all damage adds to an unarmed or thrown attack, and one last time at Mega-Strength 10, Quantum 10, which allows the Nova to halve enemy soak against unarmed or thrown attacks (round down) before the attack's armor piercing is applied. This Enhancement costs 3 Quantum points to activate and lasts for a single attack.
 * PRECISION
 * PULL
 * This Mega-Strength enhancement allows the nova to create a continuous kinetic wave converging from all direction to the nova in the center. One quantum point creates a wave lasting one turn. The result is a slow but steady pull directed straight towards the nova in the center.
 * System: Anything or anyone caught within the range - which equals Mega-Strength x 5 meters - is pulled towards the nova at a speed of Mega-Strength x 5 meters per turn. Objects on the ground are moved as if affected by a Mega-Strength one level lower than the nova’s actual level, due to friction. Living beings trying to move away from the nova against the force of the Pull makes a resisted Might-roll. If they win they can move away one meter per success. If the nova wins they are pulled back one meter per success instead.
 * PUSH
 * This Mega-Strength enhancement allows the nova to create a continuous kinetic wave spreading in all directions like ripples on the surface of a pond. One quantum point creates a wave lasting one turn. The result is a slow but steady push directed straight away from the nova in the center.
 * System: Anything or anyone caught within the range - which equals Mega-Strength x 5 meters - is pushed away from the nova at a speed of Mega-Strength x 5 meters per turn. Objects on the ground are moved as if affected by a Mega-Strength one level lower than the nova’s actual level, due to friction. Living beings trying to move closer to the nova against the force of the Push makes a resisted Might-roll. If they win they can move one meter closer per success. If the nova wins they are pushed back one meter per success instead.
 * QUANTUM LEAP
 * The character's leg muscles are prodigiously strong — so much so that she can leap enormous distances. Faster than the subway and twice as fun.
 * System: A character with this enhancement covers far more distance in a leap than the usual, refer to physical feats.
 * Don't forget that such prodigious jumps are essentially an uncontrolled form of movement. Once she launches herself, a nova can't deviate from her line of "flight," do much to dodge attacks or avoid obstacles. Unless she has a power that allows her to see for many kilometers, she won't know where she's going to land until it comes into sight — and it won't necessarily be a pleasant landing spot.
 * The character may also use this enhancement to make a normal Dodge roll against area and explosive attacks, provided she spends the quantum point and takes a defensive action.
 * This enhancement stays active for one leap.
 * SHATTERING BLOWS
 * Novas with Ferocity find that they can put so much violence into their blows that they can shatter armor plate, walls, or even tanks. This Enhancement adds (Mega-Strength) to the armor piercing rating of any unarmed or melee attack, costs nothing, and is always active.
 * SHOCKWAVE
 * A Mega-strong nova with this ability can generate his own little earthquakes. All he does is stomp his foot or smash his fists against the ground, causing waves of force and pressure to radiate out away from him through the earth.
 * System: When a nova uses this enhancement, he may roll his Mega-Strength dice as a bashing damage dice pool to most targets within a radius equal to (Mega- Strength x 10 meters). Any target on the ground is affected; targets above the ground are not. Anyone affected falls to the ground unless he makes a Strength roll (at difficulty +3) to keep his feet. Targets may take extra damage if other objects (such as falling crockery or collapsing tunnels) fall on them. Additionally, the surface the nova is hitting also suffers damage as though the nova had made a normal Mega-Strength strike — so it isn't a very good idea for a character to use this maneuver when he is on things like aircraft, bridges or boats.
 * This enhancement stays active for a single attack, and the nova may make only one Shockwave attack per turn.
 * STEEL LUNGS
 * Some Mega-Strong novas have developed augmented diaphragm musculature and enhanced lung capacity, allowing them to inhale and exhale with extreme force, granting a few useful abilities. System: The nova spends a quantum point to breathe with extreme force.
 * Hyper Exhale: The nova can exhale hard enough to inflict (Mega-Strength) dice of Bashing damage. The exhale can be focused in a narrow blast that affects a single target within (Mega-Strength) x 20 meters, or it can spread into a cone that's (Mega-Strength) x 10 meters long and (Mega-Strength) x5 meters wide at its base. Hyper-strength exhalation is also useful for blowing out small fires and blowing away harmful gases.
 * Hyper Inhale: The nova can inhale with enough force to suck in all the air around him (including any suspended contaminants) within a (Mega-Strength) x 10 meter radius area. Also, everyone (except the nova) within that area of effect must roll Dexterity at + (Mega-Strength) difficulties in order to remain standing.
 * Enhanced Lung Capacity: The nova also gets +10 bonus dice on all rolls for holding his breath. This is a permanent modification, and doesn't require any quantum point expenditure.
 * THROWER
 * This Mega-Strength enhancement allows the nova to add the automatic damage successes from mega-strength to the damage caused when throwing an object or person.
 * System: Normal throwing distance is multiplied by the number of automatic successes. The nova must take one turn to charge the object, and spend 1 quantum point. This enhancement doesn’t improve the nova’s ability to actually hit anything, and throwing objects at targets without direct line of sight should be quite difficult.
 * THUNDERCLAP
 * When the nova claps his hands together, a tremendous burst of sound and air pressure cracks forth. The force of the effect is enough to hurt people, break windows and cause similar damage or harm in a nearby area.
 * System: When a nova uses this enhancement, he may roll his Mega-Strength dice as a bashing damage dice pool to most targets within a radius equal to (Mega-Strength x 10 meters). However, "hard" targets — such as most walls, vehicles or metal objects — and extremely "soft" targets — such as cloth — are not affected. Only living creatures and relatively brittle or fragile things, such as glass, take the damage.
 * This enhancement stays active for a single attack, and the nova may make only one Thunderclap attack per turn.
 * System: When a nova uses this enhancement, he may roll his Mega-Strength dice as a bashing damage dice pool to most targets within a radius equal to (Mega-Strength x 10 meters). However, "hard" targets — such as most walls, vehicles or metal objects — and extremely "soft" targets — such as cloth — are not affected. Only living creatures and relatively brittle or fragile things, such as glass, take the damage.
 * This enhancement stays active for a single attack, and the nova may make only one Thunderclap attack per turn.

MEGA-DEXTERITY

 * TRAITS
 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * ACCURACY
 * Some Mega-Dextrous novas have the uncanny ability to aim attacks and judge how to place their blows for best effect. This enhancement is considered the ultimate in hand eve coordination.
 * System: In addition to any other bonuses provided for having a Mega-Attribute, the character receives three more dice to roll when attempting to hit any target with any attack except brawl attacks. The character must take a turn to aim the attack. This ability doesn't provide extra dice for brawl attacks because they they depend on raw power and ferocity, not precise aim.
 * ADROIT
 * Some Mega-Dexterous novas have achieved near-perfect motor control and physical coordination. These folks have been automatically banned from the craps tables at gambling casinos worldwide, since they can roll double sixes on the dice each and every time if they want to. Other such novas have become the latest darlings of the ballet companies- or have been recruited to work in various bomb squad units. System: The nova gets an additional - (Mega-Dexterity) difficulty bonus on all rolls for Dexterity based actions. Even botches cannot make the nova trip or fumble- if he makes a mistake, he'll look great doing so. This enhancement is always on, and has no quantum cost.
 * AMAZING GRACE
 * The Nova has heightened her defensive reflexes to the point where she can instinctively dodge attacks against her.
 * System: This effect costs one Quantum point and lasts a turn. It can be activated at anytime, provided the Nova can spend Quantum. For each dot the Nova has in Mega Dexterity, she receives a dodge successes against any strike that she can perceive beforehand (She may not need to see the strike, but she needs to know it is coming). Additionally, she may use Amazing Grace to reduce the force of a fall, gaining extra soak dice equal to her Mega Dexterity rating for the purposes of falling damage only
 * ARTFUL DODGER
 * Novas with any level of Mega-Dexterity are extremely fast and agile, and much more difficult to hit in combat than novas without Mega-Dexterity. A nova with Artful Dodger, however, is even harder to hit.
 * System: The nova spends a Quantum point, and gains three automatic successes on all Dodge and Block rolls. He’s so fast that it takes a great measure of skill just to hit him.1 This enhancement is only effective for a single Dodge or Block, although it can be used multiple times in a turn.
 * AVIAN (Prerequisites: At least one dot of Flight, or the Wings/Patagia Body Modification)
 * Flying without mechanical aids has always been a favorite dream of baseline humanity. While some novas' attempts at flight are about as graceful as a rock, a nova with this enhancement takes to the air as if she were born to it. (For some latter-generation novas, that could very well be the case!)
 * System: The nova gains three automatic successes on all rolls for the Flight power, although it can also apply to gliding via wings or patagia. This enhancement cannot be applied to the "flight" techniques such as provided by the Elemental Anima and Mastery powers. Also, the nova cannot botch power rolls for Flight and Hypermovement (Flight). This enhancement is permanent, and has no quantum point cost.
 * BLURRED SPEED (Prerequisites: Mega-Wits equal to or greater than Mega-Dexterity, and the Quickness enhancement)
 * Mega-Dexterous novas tend to blow baseline combatants right out of the water when it comes to acting quickly- most of the time, they're lucky to even catch a glimpse of a hyperfast nova before they're mowed down. A nova with this enhancement is physically quick enough to make other Mega-Dexterous novas seem like they're moving in slow motion.
 * System: The nova may take all extra actions gained via Quickness (or another enhancement or power that grants extra actions) at the same time, without any delays or Initiative penalties. This enhancement has no quantum point cost beyond that of the Quickness enhancement (or similar enhancement or power).
 * CATFOOTED
 * In a dangerous world, sometimes it's the unobtrusive person who survives the longest — and gets the most accomplished. A nova with this Mega-Dexterity ability is the stealthiest of the stealthy, able to walk on dead leaves without making a sound or run through sand without leaving footprints.
 * System: In addition to any other dice received for Mega-Dexterity, the character receives three extra successes when making any roll involving Stealth or similar skills. Furthermore, if the character makes a Dexterity roll, he can avoid leaving any tracks or similar marks showing where he walked. The difficulty of this roll increases by two if the character is running and three if he is sprinting. The effects last for a scene.
 * COOL HAND
 * Having a steady hand can be an outright lifesaver in dangerous situations, and novas with this enhancement are the steadiest of them all. These novas are the ones who can disarm live nuclear warheads that are thirty seconds away from detonating in the midst of free-for-all gun battles without a qualm.
 * System: Novas with this enhancement are immune to all Dexterity-based dice pool penalties derived from wounds, drugs, stress, illness, temperature extremes, etc. They also get +3 automatic successes on all rolls involving ultra-fine manipulation (this never applies to combat). This is cumulative with Fine Manipulation. This preternatural steadiness effectively doubles the range of any ranged weapon the nova uses. As a side benefit, a nova with this enhancement never suffers the physical effects of intoxication, nor does he get "the shakes", shiver, or become seasick. The effects last for a scene.
 * COORDINATION
 * Novas with Mega-Dexterity are extremely adept at manipulating items, tools, and other devices requiring a good deal of coordination. A nova with this enhancement is even more adroit. Their level of hand-eye coordination makes them excel when operating vehicles and manipulating small items.
 * System: By spending a Quantum point, the nova receives three additional dice to any Drive, Legerdemain, or Pilot roll he makes. The effect lasts for a single stunt or trick.
 * ENHANCED MOVEMENT (Prerequisite: Vast Speed Enhancement)
 * You're fast, really fast. You can run faster than the proverbial locomotive at times. Your reaction time is even quicker.
 * System: The characters pace when walking, running, and sprinting is multiplied by (1+Mega-Dexterity) for each turn that the nova spends 1 Quantum, or by (1+Mega-Dexterity) for a scene if the nova spends 3 quantum points.
 * ENHANCED REFLEXES
 * Novas with Mega-Dexterity can often move so fast that others can barely keep up.1 A nova with Enhanced Reflexes moves so fast that even other novas have a hard time keeping up with her.
 * System: Enhanced Reflexes does for Mega-Dexterity what Enhanced Initiative does for Mega-Wits. Every time that a nova purchases this enhancement, he gains a +5 bonus to his initiative dice pool. Whereas Enhanced Initiative accounts for the nova’s being able to analyze, process, and react to current circumstances faster than they happen, Enhanced Reflexes accounts for the actual speed involved in those reactions. These two enhancements combined make for a truly fast character.
 * FAST TASKS
 * When it's time to clean out the house, strip down and rebuild an engine or knit a sweater, your friends call you. You can do it much faster than they can — sometimes literally in the blink of an eye.
 * System: This ability allows a nova to perform tasks at extremely rapid speeds without sacrificing any care or workmanship. Depending upon the nature of the task, the nova can do it in less than half the time it would take a normal person; simple tasks may, as the preceding description indicates, take no more than a second or so.
 * For example, a nova with Fast Tasks could paint a typical interior house wall in just a second or two; he could take apart and rebuild a reasonably complex machine (like an automobile engine) in something like half an hour. At the Storyteller's option, Fast Tasks may turn certain extended rolls into simple rolls.
 * The character must be able to perform the task in question; Fast Tasks does not grant any new or additional skills. For example, a nova who wants to repair engines at superspeeds must know the Engineering Ability. Furthermore, the player must make the standard rolls required to accomplish the work — Fast Tasks doesn't make the job any easier, it just gets it over with more quickly.
 * This enhancement stays active for one scene.
 * FEATHER FOOTED
 * Novas with this enhancement are virtually weightless in their movements, and are able to walk on snow or sand without leaving a trace. They can also walk and leap onto objects that shouldn't have the slightest chance of being able to support their weight, in the best tradition of the Hong Kong wuxia movies.
 * System: The nova gets +3 automatic successes on all Stealth-related rolls (cumulative with Catfooted) and only takes half damage before soak from falling. (Round up any fractions). Also, the nova's weight is considered to be divided by [Mega-Dexterity x 100] of its actual value for determining whether or not an object is strong enough to support his weight. This is quite convenient when used with Quantum Leap, as it prevents the nova from damaging anything he lands on. This is permanent, and has no quantum point cost.
 * FINE MANIPULATION
 * FLEXIBILITY
 * Dexterity isn't all speed and reaction time and things like that. Sometimes it reflects a character's ability to contort his body or reach into places ordinary characters cannot. That's certainly the case, at least in part, for novas who have this enhancement. In effect they can make their bodies sufficiently flexible or rubbery to stretch their arms for short distances or squeeze through narrow openings. They are often master contortionists and escape artists.
 * System: The character has the limited ability to contort and stretch his body. When he wants them to be, his flesh and bones become extremely flexible and malleable. This flexibility confers no protection From damage or harm, but it does allow the character to fit into places inaccessible to normal human bodies. The character may stretch his limbs up to two meters per dot of Mega-Dexterity. He can also contort and reshape his flexible form to fit through any opening big enough for his fist to pass through. The Storyteller is the final arbiter on which openings the character can squeeze through. A player may select this enhancement multiple times. Each additional selection doubles the distance the character may stretch his limbs and body. The enhancement stays active for one scene.
 * FREEFLOW
 * Human traceurs can do feats of acrobatics that seem quite impossible to the untrained eye. Nova traceurs can do feats of acrobatics that are quite impossible to the naked eye.
 * System: This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum point and lasts for a scene. When this Enhancement is activated, the nova multiplies maximum jumping distances by (Mega-Dexterity + 1), may run across ceilings, walls, and other objects, and suffers no damage from falls.
 * FREEFALLER
 * As any experienced astronaut could confirm, humans who've just gotten their first taste of microgravity (or freefall) tend to be awkward and clumsy in the extreme. It generally takes several missions in Earth orbit for an astronaut to learn how function effectively in zero-G. Novas with this enhancement are the exception to the rule, as they have an instinctive knowledge of how best to operate in microgravity.
 * System: The nova has +3 automatic successes on all rolls for physical actions attempted in microgravity environments, and is also immune to space sickness. This is permanent, and has no quantum point cost.
 * FTL REFLEXES (Prerequisite: Enhanced Reflexes Enhancement)
 * LIGHT SPEED MOVEMENT
 * Even for Mega-Dexterous novas, maneuvering at velocities approaching or greater than C (the speed of light in a vacuum) is difficult in the extreme, if not downright suicidal. Novas who manage to develop the power of relativistic or superluminal flight universally develop this enhancement as well. While it's possible for a nova to fly at near or greater than lightspeed without this enhancement, such a reckless fool is certain to quickly fly headfirst into something that's lethal even to novas. Something like a black hole, for example…
 * System: A nova with this enhancement suffers only half the penalties (round up) on rolls for moving at relativistic and/or superluminal speed. This is permanent, and has no quantum point cost. It's also fairly useless for novas incapable of moving at relativistic and/or superluminal speeds. (Note: Novas without this enhancement should encounter severe difficulties when attempting to maneuver at relativistic and/or superluminal speeds. The Storyteller has the final say on this, but a good rough guideline would be +12 difficulties at relativistic speeds and +16 difficulties at superluminal speeds.)
 * GHOSTLY MOVEMENT
 * The ability to move around their foes without attracting the slightest attention only to seemingly come out of nowhere and attack has long been an established shtick of "action heroes" from Hollywood, Hong Kong, and lately Bollywood. It was only a matter of time before novas began manifesting the same ability.
 * System: The nova can spend a quantum point to move quietly and instantly to any place within [Sprint] meters, provided that (1) no one except his comrades in arms is watching, and (2) the nova could get to his chosen destination "the hard way" if given time. Others must roll Mega-Perception vs. the nova's Mega-Dexterity +1 to notice the nova while he's "ghosting". Note that unlike teleporting, use of this enhancement does not cause spatial disturbances...
 * HANDS OF THE MAKER
 * For centuries, humans have wrought wonders with only the deftness of their hands and training in a given craft. It's no surprise, then, that some Mega-Dexterous novas have become the ultimate craftsmen.
 * System: The nova gets a bonus of +3 automatic successes on all rolls that involve designing, making, or shaping things with his hands or hand-operated tools. This generally affects engineering, medical/pharmaceutical, scientific, and artistic tasks. This bonus never applies to rolls for combat or tasks involving long-range manipulation or CAD/CAM- the nova must physically work with the object/material/patient in question. A nova can purchase up to two extra levels of this enhancement, allowing him to gain the bonus when using power tools and/or his quantum powers in his craftwork. This enhancement is always in effect, and costs no quantum points to use.
 * HYPER VELOCITY
 * IT’S ALL IN THE REFLEXES
 * A nova with this enhancement has refined the use of his superhuman agility and reflexes to allow himself to catch projectiles out of the air. A nova with this ability can catch or deflect bullets, snatch arrows from mid-flight, and in extreme cases even intercept objects like cruise missiles and railgun rounds.
 * System: To use this enhancement the nova spends 1 Quantum Point and rolls his Dexterity+Awareness as a defensive action against the incoming projectile. The difficulty of this test is usually normal, though for ultrasonic rounds (i.e. railguns) or numerous small missiles (i.e. shotgun pellets, full autofire) there is a +2 difficulty and the Quantum cost raises to 2. Intercepting attacks meant for other people is also difficult and raises the difficulty by +1. As per normal, Mega-Dexterity can be used to counteract these difficulties. If he wins the contest, he has deflected the projectile and stopped the attack. If he gets an extra success the nova may opt to catch the projectile instead of merely deflecting. At Storyteller’s discretion, some projectile may not be caught unless the nova is durable enough to prevent the caught attack from damaging him.
 * KANSAI
 * Baseline humanity has always respected those individuals who were truly skilled in the use of weapons, as the legends of Annie Oakley, William Tell, and Miyamoto Musashi can attest. Novas with this enhancement can display the same prowess and then some, as they have refined their skills to a frightening degree.
 * System: The nova gets an additional - [Mega-Dexterity] difficulty bonus on all Melee, Archery, and/or Firearms rolls, and is incapable of botching on rolls for those abilities rolled botches are considered to be simple failures instead. Also, the nova can draw or sheathe his weapons and reload firearms and bows without having to roll Dexterity. This enhancement is always in effect, and costs no quantum points to use.
 * NATRUAL SWIMMER
 * Except for some highly-trained athletes, most people aren't nearly as capable when swimming as they are moving about on dry land. That isn't the case for some MegaDexterous novas with this enhancement, as they're even more graceful in the water than when landbound!
 * System: The nova gets an additional - [Mega-Dexterity] difficulty bonus on all rolls made for moving in or under the water. Also, the nova's swimming speed is calculated with an extra 3 dots to his Athletics score. This enhancement is always in effect, and costs no quantum points to use.
 * ONE MAN ARMY
 * Being outnumbered in a fight is bad news for normal folks, but this simply isn't so for some Mega-Dexterous novas. Novas with this enhancement are never outnumbered, they simply have more targets to choose from.
 * System: The nova gets +3 automatic successes on all rolls for close combat against multiple foes, and does not suffer any penalties for fighting multiple foes. Also, the nova can get up to [Mega-Dexterity] additional actions whenever she faces four or more opponents- the ratio is 1 action for each opponent after the third. These extra actions can only be used for close combat maneuvers, and are penalized by -2 to Initiative. This enhancement is always in effect, and costs no quantum points to use.
 * OMNIDEXTERITY
 * PERFECT BALANCE
 * PHYSICAL PRODIGY
 * A nova with this ability possesses a certain "genius" for all physical activities, such as sports or running. Somehow he knows instinctively how to act, what to do and how to position himself for the best results in any given athletic endeavor. It's as if he had the greatest coaches in world history whispering in his ear and giving him tips.
 * OMNIDEXTERITY
 * PERFECT BALANCE
 * PHYSICAL PRODIGY
 * A nova with this ability possesses a certain "genius" for all physical activities, such as sports or running. Somehow he knows instinctively how to act, what to do and how to position himself for the best results in any given athletic endeavor. It's as if he had the greatest coaches in world history whispering in his ear and giving him tips.
 * PHYSICAL PRODIGY
 * A nova with this ability possesses a certain "genius" for all physical activities, such as sports or running. Somehow he knows instinctively how to act, what to do and how to position himself for the best results in any given athletic endeavor. It's as if he had the greatest coaches in world history whispering in his ear and giving him tips.

Novas with this ability (and indeed, novas in general) have been banned from athletic competition with baselines, since they have an obvious unfair advantage. However, they can (and often do) compete with other novas on "supersports" pay-per-views.

System: In addition to any other dice received for Mega-Dexterity, the character receives three extra successes when making any roll involving Athletics, Performance (Dance) or similar skills. This bonus should not be applied to dodge dice pools, nor to skills such as Brawl, Firearms, Martial Arts, Melee or Stealth, If there is any doubt as to whether the bonus applies, the Storyteller must decide which Abilities are affected by Physical Prodigy. The effects last for a scene.
 * PREHENSILE FEET
 * Need an extra hand?1 How about a foot?1 The nova with Prehensile Feet can do just that, capable of using his feet and toes as well as he can use his hands and fingers.
 * System: The nova can use his feet as extra hands.1 He doesn’t gain any extra actions per turn, but if he wants to fire three handguns, he can.1 Obviously, his feet must be bare in order for them to be used this way (but some establishments require footwear...).1 Another benefit of the enhancement is that the nova never suffers any penalties for using his off hand; he is effectively ambidextrous.
 * QUANTUM TUNNELING (Prerequisites: Mega-Dexterity 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * A nova with this Enhancement may take advantage of macroscale quantum tunneling, phasing through seemingly impassable barriers. This enhancement allows a nova to defeat barriers up to (Mega-Dexterity) meters thick, or escape any restraints short of being imprisoned in more solid material than the nova can tunnel through. Note that because this is a form of locational indeterminacy, not teleportation or density decreasing, a nova may not use this to bypass the armor on a vehicle or person, and may only use it to surmount barriers or escape from restraints. This enhancement costs 1 Quantum point and lasts for a single obstacle.
 * RAPID STRIKE
 * A nova with this enhancement can deliver a blur of rapid-fire punches or kicks to a single target. While the individual blows are not any more powerful than an ordinary strike, they strike so fast and furious that the cumulative effect is much more powerful.
 * System: For each dot he has in Mega-Dexterity, a nova using this enhancement adds one to his punch or kick damage dice pools; the effects last for one turn. These become automatic successes during an All-out-Attack.
 * STRIDER
 * A Nova with this enhancement can move on easily broken surfaces without difficulty, such as thin ice or even water-and running over hostile surfaces deals no damage to the nova. In addition, the Nova may wall-run on any surface for a brief period of time (1 combat round), allowing the Nova to climb to a height or scale gaps with a width of the Nova's sprint speed without a roll, as long as the Nova has a relatively unbroken surface to run on. This enhancement costs 1 Quantum to activate and lasts for a scene.
 * UNTOUCHABLE (Prerequisites: Mega-Dexterity 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * A Nova with this Enhancement is exceedingly fast and difficult to hit, dodging even speed of light or faster than light weapons, the blasts from nuclear explosions, or other attacks that normally would be undodgeable. The nova may dodge even undodgeable physical attacks, eliminates all penalties for dodging, and may always move just fast enough to dodge an area attack. Furthermore, if a nova fails to dodge an attack, he may pay 1 quantum point to buy an additional dodge success. This enhancement costs 3 Quantum points, plus whatever is spent on failed dodges, and lasts for an action.
 * WEAPONS MASTER
 * A Nova with this enhancement is an unparalleled master of every weapon, past, present, or future. This enhancement allows the Nova to rapid fire any weapon if physically possible, doubles its Range, and allows a Nova to reload a weapon reflexively. For melee weapons, a Nova may utilize weapons 2 Strength Levels higher then their own.
 * WEAPON MASTERY
 * This power wields a nova an uncanny ability with whatever kind or weapon (ranged or melee) she uses. This a must for Hong-Kong-action-movies-inspired characters. The nova achieves a physical control using her weapons in ways different than the Accuracy enhancement. She can draw faster, change weapons in a blur and other people will have a difficult time trying to disarm her.
 * System: This enhancement provides a series of practical uses. The character does not need to spend actions for:
 * Drawing weapons (whatever kind of weapon, and no matter where the weapon is hidden).
 * Change weapons (changing hand of use, changing melee for ranged and vice-versa).
 * Reload ammunition for firearms (or other ranged weapons, like bows, knifes, and so on).
 * Also, this enhancement allows the player to ignore any botches rolled in Firearms and Melee (treating them as a standard failure). This enhancement is always on, and costs no quantum to use.

MEGA-STAMINA

 * TRAITS
 * Each dot in Mega-Stamina double the length of a Novas life.
 * A nova with Mega-Stamina is hardier, more durable and more resistant to injury than your average nova. Although not always as resilient as novas who actually buy defensive powers such as Force Field, novas with Mega-Stamina are still mighty tough. Furthermore, they tend to have a great deal of endurance; it's almost impossible to tire them out. Some of them display little need for sleep, staying up for days at a time.
 * Perhaps most importantly of all, a nova with Mega-Stamina feels very little pain. Regardless of the source — injury, disease, accident — a nova with Mega-Stamina can shrug off the pain and keep on going. Unconfirmed rumors speak of novas who were so resistant to pain that they didn't feel the effects of injury until their wounds killed them. In game terms, novas with Mega-Stamina suffer reduced dice pool penalties based on their health level, as indicated in the following table.


 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * ACCLIMATION
 * Novas can endure the effects of the environment better than humans can. A nova with Acclimation can remain comfortable in nearly any environment, unaffected by adverse heat, cold, or other environmental hazards.
 * System: Similar to the Adaptation enhancement, except that Acclimation is not as powerful. Acclimation allows a nova to remain comfortable in areas such as Death Valley and the Arctic, but he cannot survive in a vacuum. He would be able to withstand the intense pressures and cold of Mariana’s Trench, but he would not be able to breathe underwater. The Storyteller should make the final decision as to what the nova with Acclimation can endure, along the guidelines that if the nova would have to somehow have his internal organs or physiology changed in order to adapt, then Acclimation won’t work (he won’t grow gills, for example). If the nova has to make any Endurance or Resistance rolls to avoid the effects of intense conditions (such as heat, cold, etc.), he receives six extra dice to do so. This enhancement is always in effect.
 * ADAPTABILITY
 * This enhancement allows the nova to survive nearly any adverse environmental condition. In effect, the nova uses ambient quantum energies to evolve and bolster her body's natural defenses, thus allowing her to survive in environments normally hostile to human life, such as the vacuum of outer space or underwater. Adaptability also allows the character to do without food, sleep or other necessities of life. Often, a nova with Adaptability spontaneously manifests gills, toughened skin or whatever feature is needed.
 * System: The character is able to sustain herself indefinitely on residual quantum energies, so long as she has at least one quantum point in her body. She does not need to eat, sleep or breathe, and can survive indefinitely in conditions as hostile as Death Valley,, or outer space. She is automatically immune to most poisons, gases, diseases and drugs; against particularly virulent diseases or nova-derived poisons, she gains an extra six soak or Resistance dice. Moreover, the character's lifespan is increased by centuries, if not more. Adaptability is normally an automatic enhancement and requires no quantum point expenditure. However, in particularly hostile environments (the vacuum of space, the bottom of the Mariana Trench, a conflagration), the character might need to spend a quantum point per scene, or even turn, of exposure. The Storyteller makes this decision.
 * Adaptability does not confer protection against weaponry or nova attacks such as flame blasts or the like, only against natural environmental conditions.
 * AGELESSNESS
 * Novas live for quite a long time, almost two centuries at the minimum, but some are believed to age at a rate indicative of almost a three-century lifespan. A nova with Agelessness, however, appears to be able to live quite longer, for centuries, if not for a millennium or even more.
 * System: The nova has a natural lifespan far longer than most novas. Her lifespan, based upon her Mega-Stamina score, is multiplied by a factor of 10. This enhancement can be purchased multiple times, every additional purchase multiplying her lifespan by the same factor (the first time, her lifespan is increased by x10, then by x100, then by x1,000, etc.). There is no limit as to how many times this enhancement can be bought, but it is very unlikely that any game will be played over a period of time long enough to significantly age the nova.
 * BLOOD AND TEARS
 * This Enhancement allows a Nova to pour his life into a goal-literally. The Nova may pay 1 aggravated health level instead of any willpower costs, up to (Mega-Stamina) times a scene. This enhancement costs nothing and is always on.
 * DURABILITY
 * The nova is tough as nails. Although she's not necessarily capable of ignoring attacks outright, she instinctively channels deadly kinetic energy away from her body, rolls with otherwise lethal blows, or is otherwise capable of reducing an instant-kill attack to a "Gee, that stung" level of injury.
 * System: Whenever the character is hit with a kinetic attack inflicting lethal damage (bullet, knife, missile, etc.), she may spend a quantum point and roll her Mega-Stamina dice against a Standard difficulty. If she succeeds, the incoming damage is converted to bashing damage, which she may soak with her bashing soak score. The character may not convert energy attacks (fire, electricity, Quantum Bolts, etc.) in this manner, nor may she use this enhancement against bashing damage applied after she is Incapacitated.
 * ENDURANCE
 * Novas possess far more stamina and endurance than a normal human could ever achieve. They almost never suffer from exhaustion, they can hold their breaths for long periods of time, and they seem to function at peak levels on less sleep. A nova with the Endurance enhancement can far exceed the already impressive amount of endurance a nova already has.
 * System: A nova with this enhancement receives six extra dice when making Endurance rolls to stay awake, hold one’s breath, to shrug off exhaustion, etc... It provides no bonuses to resist pain, drugs, toxins, and disease. This enhancement, once gained, is always active.
 * HARDBODY
 * This enhancement offers protection of a different sort from Resiliency. Although it doesn't help defend a character against ordinary damage, it allows him to soak certain forms of damage against which he ordinarily would have no protection at all.
 * System: A nova with Hardbody may use his lethal soak total to soak aggravated damage. This costs one quantum point, but the nova may activate the enhancement as an automatic feat. This enhancement stays in effect for one turn.
 * HEALTH
 * All novas heal more quickly than the human norm, but a nova with this enhancement heals even quicker than most novas. Sometimes her wounds literally close right before your eyes!
 * System: A nova with this enhancement may spend quantum points to instantly heal bashing and lethal damage, at the rate of one quantum point per health level healed. Doing so is an automatic action, but the nova may heal a maximum number of health levels per turn equal to her Mega-Stamina rating. Additionally, this enhancement allows a nova to regrow severed limbs or organs, but doing so takes a very long time (weeks or months, typically). Regeneration does not heal aggravated damage.
 * I'LL BE BACK
 * You've been pulverized, vaporized, pulped and dissolved, but you just won't stay dead. The nova has an additional health level beyond Aggravated, represented by filling out the box. The Nova is completely incapacitated and unconscious at this point, and heals at a rate 4 times slower than Aggravated. This enhancement costs nothing and is always on.
 * IMMOVABLE OBJECT
 * IMMUNITY
 * With their quantum-enhanced immune systems, novas are far less likely to catch a cold or some other disease. A nova with Immunity, however, is even less likely.
 * System: Whenever the nova needs to make a Resistance roll to avoid the effects of a disease or bodily infection (viral, bacterial, or parasitic), he receives six extra dice to remain immune to the disease. Agents that remain within his system will be destroyed immediately by the nova’s white blood cells, meaning that he will not become a carrier of an otherwise contagious disease. This enhancement is always in effect.
 * INDESTRUCTIBLE (Prerequisites: Mega-Stamina 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * Some Novas are nearly immune to weapons fire, laughing off even nuclear warheads without dying. This Enhancement allows a Nova to reduce all rolled damage after soak, halving the number of health levels filled with bashing, lethal, and aggravated damage as a result of hostile attacks (round final damage up). At Mega-Stamina 8, Quantum 8, the Nova may purchase this again, dividing all damage by 3 (after soak is factored in and damage is rolled, as usual), and at Mega-Stamina 10, Quantum 10 the Nova may purchase this one last time, dividing all final damage by 4. This Enhancement costs 3 quantum points to activate and lasts for a single attack.
 * MARATHON MAN (Prerequisites: Mega-Stamina 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * Where other people get tired from repetitive work, you just get warmed up. This Enhancement allows a Nova to reverse difficulty penalties due to fatigue, transforming them into additional successes. The Nova does not need to roll Stamina + Resistance to gain these 'fatigue bonuses', instead automatically failing resistance rolls. The nova may gain a number of bonus successes or dice equal to (Mega-Stamina). However, this enhancement requires the nova to continuously work on the task at hand, and stopping, even for a minute, resets the bonus. This Enhancement costs 3 quantum points to activate and lasts for a single extended task.
 * PAIN THRESHOLD
 * Most novas can take as much as they can dish out, and can put up with aches, pains, and sufferings that most humans would find intolerable. A nova with a Pain Threshold, however, is far more capable of resisting pain than his fellow novas.Sometimes, it’s almost as if he enjoys the pain.
 * System: When making Resistance rolls to avoid the effects of pain, a nova with this enhancement receives six extra dice to his Resistance roll. He also suffers only half the wound penalties that he normally would, rounding in favor of the character (he suffers no penalties when Hurt or Injured, he only has a –1 penalty when Wounded or Maimed, and only a –2 penalty when Crippled).1 This enhancement is always in effect.
 * RECOVERY
 * Novas can heal at a rate at least twice as fast as normal humans can. Most novas can heal much faster than that.1 A nova with the Recovery enhancement, although he cannot regenerate his wounds, can heal much faster on a base level than most novas can.
 * System: The nova with Recovery adds in his Mega-Stamina rating to his base healing rate, as set by his Stamina or Mega-Stamina score. With Mega-Stamina 1, he will heal three times faster than a baseline, and at Mega-Stamina 5, he will heal twelve times as fast. This enhancement is always in effect. Aggravated damage can also be recovered with this enhancement.1 Whereas novas cannot ordinarily use their recovery multipliers from their Mega-Stamina to heal aggravated damage, a nova with Recovery can.1 He cannot, however, apply the multiplier from this enhancement, so a nova with Mega-Stamina 3 will only be able to recover aggravated wounds at a rate equal to five times faster than a nova without this enhancement. That’s still quite impressive.
 * REGENERATION
 * RESILIENCY
 * Toughened by the rigors of channeling quantum energies, the nova's frame is even more resistant to damage than are most Mega-Stamina novas' bodies.
 * System: The soak bonuses provided by the nova's Mega-Stamina rating are doubled. Thus, a nova with Mega-Stamina 3 and the Resiliency enhancement receives +6 soak against bashing, +4 against lethal damage, rather than the +3/+2 bonuses available to other novas with an equivalent level of Mega-Stamina.
 * This enhancement is "built in" and costs no quantum points to activate.
 * RESURRECTION
 * This Mega-Stamina enhancement requires that the nova already possesses Regeneration. Resurrection allows the nova to regenerate although he is technically dead. When damaged below Incapacitated the nova drops into a death-like trance. It requires a close examination to realize that the nova is in fact alive.
 * System: The nova regenerates at a rate determined by the nova’s level of Mega-Stamina and at a cost of one quantum point per health level. Aggravated damage costs 3 quantum points per health level. The nova can’t regain any quantum points for as long as the trance lasts.
 * Mega-Stamina Healing Rate
 * One one health level per day
 * Two one health level per hour
 * Three one health level per 15 minutes
 * Four one health level per minute
 * Five one health level per turn.
 * Once the nova has reached Incapacitated normal Regeneration can be applied. The nova will only die if he doesn’t have enough quantum points to regenerate back above Incapacitated.
 * ROBUST
 * Novas with this Enhancement gain the ability to soak Aggravated damage at the same rate as they soak lethal. This enhancement costs nothing and is always on.
 * SOLIDITY
 * This mega-stamina enhancement makes the nova’s flesh and bone unusually dense and compact. As a result of this he can tolerate more injury.
 * System: Solidity gives the nova one extra bruised health level per dot of Mega-stamina which the nova possesses, in addition to any health levels he would normally gain from Mega-stamina. It is a permanent effect. Due to the extraordinary density of its flesh the nova weighs about twice as much as a normal person of the same size.
 * TIRELESS
 * s
 * TOLERANCE
 * Novas have a physiology that is superior than a normal human’s, and have a higher tolerance against substances like drugs, alcohol, and toxins.1 A nova with the Tolerance enhancement can even shake off more than most novas can.
 * System: Whenever the nova makes a Resistance roll to avoid the effects of drugs, poisons, alcohol, etc., he receives six extra dice to add into his Resistance roll.1 Should he fall under the effects of such substances anyway, he can make another Resistance roll every 15 minutes to purge the substances from his system.1 This enhancement is always in effect, and effects beneficial medicines as well as poisons and toxins.
 * Novas have a physiology that is superior than a normal human’s, and have a higher tolerance against substances like drugs, alcohol, and toxins.1 A nova with the Tolerance enhancement can even shake off more than most novas can.
 * System: Whenever the nova makes a Resistance roll to avoid the effects of drugs, poisons, alcohol, etc., he receives six extra dice to add into his Resistance roll.1 Should he fall under the effects of such substances anyway, he can make another Resistance roll every 15 minutes to purge the substances from his system.1 This enhancement is always in effect, and effects beneficial medicines as well as poisons and toxins.

MEGA-PRESENCE

 * TRAITS
 * Mega-Attributes represent the extremes of nova nature (and thus, some would say, of human nature as well). Nowhere is this more apparent than Mega-Presence. It shows, in the most obvious and up-front way possible, just how much better — and how much worse — novas can be than humans.
 * Typically, Mega-Presence represents a nova who is extraordinarily beautiful and charming. They may inspire many emotions — love, lust, envy, worship, you name it. A nova with this Mega-Attribute exudes such self-confidence, poise and charm that she can win over just about anybody Indeed, Mega-beautiful and -handsome novas are among the most popular of the "new humans," and they are frequently featured on television, in advertising campaigns and other media outlets.
 * In some rare instances Mega-Presence can represent the opposite extreme, signifying a nova whose looks are Mega-ugly, even Mega-horrifying. Mega-ugly characters typically have high Taint ratings, and they often become as mentally twisted as their bodies are physically twisted — antisocial and cruel, and all too ready to destroy any beauty which confronts them. A Mega-ugly character is an exception to the rule that Mega-Attributes cannot transcend their normal human Attribute analogs; a character can have an Appearance of I and Mega-Appearance of any level so long as it is defined as Mega-ugliness.
 * Mega-ugly characters do not receive bonus Style dice. However, they receive a like amount of bonus dice to any Intimidation rolls.
 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * ADDICTI (Prerequisites Mega-Presence 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * The Nova's words are like opium, his very appearance as addictive as heroin. To use this Enhancement, a Nova spends 1 Quantum point and rolls Appearance against the Stamina + Resistance of an unfortunate victim. Success addicts the victim to the nova's presence, forcing her to succeed a Willpower roll, with a difficulty penalty of the nova's Mega-Appearance/2 (round up), to do anything which may endanger her ability to sate her addiction. Spending 1 Willpower point, similarly, will allow a character to overcome their addiction for a scene. The character will undergo withdrawal if kept from the Nova for more than a day, and will only be cured by being out of the Nova's influence for up to (Mega-Appearance) days. During this time, their dice pools are all halved, rounded down.
 * APPEARANCE ALTERATION
 * Don't like your looks? IF you're a nova with this enhancement, you can do something about them.
 * Appearance Alteration allows a nova to make minor changes to his or her appearance. This can be done simply on a whim, or for fun. However, one of its main uses for novas who rely heavily on their good looks is to make sure they live up to a particular person's or culture's idea of what is "beautiful." Someone who is beautiful in, say,  may not meet the standards for beauty among certain Third World tribes; great beauty in  may be ugliness in . Even more importantly, individuals1 ideas of what is beautiful differ wildly. One guy is a "leg man," another goes wild for women with red hair. Some women like men with "tight," muscular bodies, others look at the eyes or some other feature instead of the figure.
 * A nova with Appearance Alteration can satisfy all of these people. He can make minor changes or subtly remold his body to conform to the desires of those around him. "Minor changes" include: changing hair, eye or skin color; gaining or losing up to about 50 pounds; gaining or losing up to about four inches of height and increasing or decreasing any particular aspect of figure or appearance by no more than 20% or so.
 * System: The nova can make changes in his appearance within the aforementioned guidelines, either consciously or unconsciously. Any changes other than those listed require the Storyteller's permission. In no event can the character reshape his body to grow claws, wings or eyestalks, for example. Only outward physical appearance can change. Since this enhancement depends upon the perceptions and tastes of those observing the character, it cannot function as a disguise or to conceal the character's identity.
 * To change his appearance consciously, the nova need only pay the one quantum point and will the changes into effect. To change appearance to match what a particular person or group of people find desirable, the nova must pay the quantum point and be in that person or persons' presence for a minute or two. During that time the changes will slowly but surely take place. The nova can draw the changes out over a period of up to a day if he prefers, which is sometimes done to keep from frightening people who are not used to nova powers.
 * A nova cannot use Appearance Alteration to make himself resemble a specific other individual; that requires the Copycat enhancement. Nor can he use it to hide particularly grotesque aberrations unless the Storyteller specifically permits it. For example, some forms of Aberrant Eyes might be affected by Appearance Alteration; Vestigial Limbs could never be hidden this way.
 * The power lasts for one scene.
 * AWE-INSPIRING
 * Many myths tell of gods and demons whose visages are too "awful" (awe-inspiring) for mortals to gaze upon directly. A nova with this enhancement has taken a page from that book, for his appearance, too, inspires awe.
 * A nova with the Awe-Inspiring enhancement has looks that, for whatever reason, give rise to awe, admiration and even worship. Normal humans often have trouble dealing with him in a straightforward manner. Weak-willed people feel more inclined to edge away nervously or be worshipful; even stronger-willed people feel intimidated, inadequate and cowed. It's not uncommon for an Awe-inspiring nova to be surrounded by an entourage of fawning, adoring lackeys wherever he goes.
 * System: This effect works only when the people are in the nova's presence and looking at him; when they are away from him or not looking at him Awe-Inspiring cannot affect them. Of course, they may come to worship and revere him anyway, even if they are not near him, but that depends upon the individuals in question. Awe-Inspiring is not Domination; it's far weaker than that, and it shouldn't be played that way.
 * For each dot the player of a nova with Awe-inspiring has in Mega-Appearance, he receives one automatic success when making Intimidation, Command and Interrogation rolls (in addition to the standard Mega-Attribute bonuses for Mega-Appearance). He should get similar bonuses to any roll related to persuading or inspiring people. This enhancement is one of many reasons why government officials are terrified of the idea of novas becoming heavily involved in politics or religion.
 * Awe-inspiring is affected negatively by Taint. For each aberration the nova has, reduce the Awe-Inspiring automatic successes by one. If the nova's aberrations ever exceed his dots in Mega-Appearance, his Awe-Inspiring enhancement no longer has any effect on people. Similarly, a character with Awe-Inspiring generally should not be Mega-ugly; that does little to inspire worship in anyone.
 * This enhancement costs one quantum point to activate and lasts for a scene. Even when it isn't actively "on," the nova is still phenomenally captivating, and the Storyteller should keep this in mind (servers are deferential, groupies throw themselves at the nova, etc.).
 * BRUISER
 * Although many novas are so immensely huge with bulging muscles, or so hideously twisted from taint that most humans run in fear of them, a nova with the Bruiser enhancement absolutely looks like the one nova that no one wants to mess around with. Even other novas may hesitate to attack this guy. If you want to keep folks away from you, this is what you need.
 * System: The nova spends a Quantum point to activate this enhancement. For an entire scene, he will be able to add in three automatic successes to any Intimidation rolls he makes. He doesn’t physically alter his appearance like a nova with Face of Terror does, he just becomes extremely intimidating to be around. If anyone does decide to attack, the Bruiser can focus his attention on the attacker, and make an Appearance roll. Each success achieved subtracts one success from the victim’s roll to hit the Bruiser. If this cancellation results in no net successes for the attacker, then he misses the Bruiser, having been so terrified and hesitant in his attack. Unlike Dreadful Mien, which cancels its effects if the nova attacks his victims, the Bruiser can continue to use his intimidating tactics against his opponent. Only a single victim can be affected by this enhancement in a turn.
 * COMMANDING PRESENCE
 * A nova with this enhancement is a born leader. When he gives an order, people obey right away — even if it exposes them to harm. Even when they are away from him, people remember his words and try their best to fulfill his orders and live up to his example.
 * System: The nova's player receives three automatic successes on any roll that involves commanding people or giving orders. This bonus does not apply to attempts to persuade someone through reason or logic, appeal to people on a personal level, or the like; it works only when the character gives commands. The target of this enhancement may make whatever rolls he normally could to resist the order, or spend a Willpower point to refuse the order.
 * A nova with Commanding Presence does not necessarily have to be formally authorized to give orders to someone for this enhancement to work — he does not have to be the person's boss, commanding officer or parent. He can simply give orders and wait for them to be obeyed — that's what this power lets him do. However, if he is notably "beneath" the person — an ordinary citizen trying to order a high-ranking governmental official around, a corporal giving instructions to a major, or the like — the Storyteller may reduce the bonus for the power, at his discretion, or give the target a bonus on any rolls he makes to resist the order.
 * COPYCAT
 * Being yourself gets kind of boring sometimes. Why not be a famous model or actor? Or the President? Copycat will let a nova do just that, at least as far as outward appearance goes. After studying the subject to be imitated (either in person or from a good photograph), the nova can make himself look like that person — even a person of the opposite gender. However, these changes are purely cosmetic; no changes to internal organs occur. System: Copycat allows a nova to shape himself into an exact duplicate of another person. Making the change does not require a roll. However, the nova must be in the presence of the person to be duplicated, or have a high-quality visual representation of him or her to work from.
 * It takes about one minute to make the changes; the nova can cut this time in half by making an Appearance roll. Copycat costs one quantum point to activate, and the changes last for a scene.
 * Copycat does not allow the character to add to or remove anything from his physical form. He can't grow a tail, lose his Vestigial Limbs, create a sixth finger on his left hand, change his fingerprints or retina prints, or do anything similar.
 * DREADFUL MEIN
 * When you really like someone, their anger or disappointment can come as a crushing blow. Some Mega-Presence novas use that phenomenon to their advantage. Their use their charm as a weapon — even in combat, enemies want to like them, and that, combined with the force of the nova's displeasure, makes it difficult for the enemy to attack.
 * System: The nova focuses his displeasure on one enemy, and the player makes a Presence roll. Each success achieved subtracts one success from the victim's roll to hit the nova. If this cancellation results in no net successes for the attacker, he misses the nova, having flinched and pulled his attack aside rather than risk hurting such a likable fellow. A nova using this enhancement who takes any violent or threatening actions toward the target (as perceived by the target) while using it automatically negates its effects. The nova may attack the target's friends and compatriots; however, this allows the victim to make a Willpower roll to resist the successes scored by the nova. If the nova has previously attacked the victim during the scene, increase the difficulty for using Dreadful Mien by one per turn during which the nova attacked the victim.
 * Dreadful Mien does not work at range. If the target is more than three meters away from the nova, it is ineffective. The enhancement costs one quantum point to activate, and the effects last for the duration of the confrontation.
 * FACE OF TERROR
 * A nova with this enhancement can resemble something out of a horror movie. His appearance becomes so terrifying that few people can stand to spend any time with him. Instead, they run screaming in fear; if prevented from fleeing, they may gibber in terror, faint or suffer a heart attack.
 * System: Face of Terror allows a nova to assume a terrifying appearance. This ability is most common among novas who are Mega-ugly, but it is not restricted to them. Sometimes it is even more horrifying to see a form of great beauty slowly warp itself into something terrifyingly hideous.
 * To use this power, the nova simply spends a quantum point. If he is ordinarily ugly, the terrifying changes to his appearance may be slight, or even nonexistent — but something about his appearance becomes not just bad-looking, but very frightening. It's as if an aura of fear surrounds him. If the character is normally beautiful (or at least not ugly), the changes to his appearance will be much more extreme. They will take place over no more than a minute, and sometimes, it happens much more quickly than that.
 * In either case, the nova's appearance remains terrifying for a scene; this time limit can be extended by spending more quantum points. While this enhancement is in effect, the player receives three automatic successes when making Intimidation rolls or other rolls based on fear or disgust. This bonus includes any power or ability that allows the character to inspire those emotions in others.
 * To a certain extent, this power depends upon the psyche of the person(s) looking at the nova. Ugliness and horror, like beauty, are often in the eye of the beholder, so the nova's Face of Terror may look different when he confronts, say, a group of Asians instead of Americans.
 * FIRST IMPRESSIONS
 * First impressions are just as important as everyone says. A character with a high Appearance rating is typically quite good at making them; one with Mega-Appearance even more so. However, a nova with this enhancement beats them both. Unless he deliberately tries to offend or annoy someone whom he is meeting, he always makes just the right impression. Depending upon what the person he meets is seeking, he may seem to be an enjoyable, likable person; someone who can get the job done; a potential mate; you name it. Whatever the other person is seeking, she will find it in the nova.
 * System: When meeting someone for the first time (or perhaps after a long time apart), the nova may spend one quantum point to activate this enhancement. If he does so, the other person automatically gains a good first impression of him. He may deliberately say or do something to negate this effect, but even an accidental faux pas or unthinkingly tactless remark will not be enough to shake the good impression he makes. That good impression will remain with the other person until the nova does something to ruin it (whether in the person's presence or not; bad reports about the nova in the media, for example, may rum many uses of First Impression) or other people convince the target of First Impression that he has the nova all wrong. Of course, even a good first impression may not get the nova what he wants — making a good impression on the guards at the White House doesn't mean they'll let you in.
 * Furthermore, this effect also makes the nova seem like just what the other person is looking for. )f the nova is on a job interview, First Impression will make him seem to be perfectly suited for the job. In a singles bar or nightclub, it will make him seem like the perfect date, potential spouse or one-night stand (depending upon what the other person is there for).
 * HEARTSTOPPER (Prerequisites Mega-Presence 6+, Quantum 6+)
 * Mega-Presence Novas are all beautiful. A Nova with this Enhancement is the most fascinatingly beautiful thing many will ever see, to the point where even a glance can be fatally distracting. The Nova spends 1 Quantum point to use this Enhancement, rolling her Presence against the target's Willpower. Success means the victim is successfully distracted, suffering a difficulty penalty equal to the net successes rolled. The penalty fades at the rate of 1 per combat round in combat, or 1 per day outside of combat.
 * MR. NOBODY
 * In some ways, this paradoxical power is the opposite of Mega-Appearance, since it allows a nova to make himself look completely normal. The otherwise beautiful, handsome or ugly nova is able to convert his features into the unobtrusive ones of Joe or Jane Average. The bright side to this anonymity is that it becomes easy to pass for a normal human.
 * System: By spending a quantum point, the nova is able to mask his Mega-Appearance. For all intents and purposes he has an Appearance score of 2 — average. He looks just like the everyday man on the street. Although he cannot hide the fact that he radiates quantum energy (which other novas can often detect), to the average person he will seem like just another average person. Alternatively, the character can simply spend a quantum point to become completely unobtrusive ("I'm not the droid you're looking for").
 * However, a character with this enhancement still may have difficulties passing for normal if he has acquired any aberrations. Mr. Nobody masks two point of Taint, plus one extra point per dot of the character's Mega-Appearance. Additional points of Taint still affect the nova's ability to interact with baselines without disturbing them. Furthermore, Mr. Nobody will not hide grotesque physical aberrations such as Vestigial Limbs or Sloughed Flesh; it will, however, cover up Unearthly Beauty.
 * The effects of this power last for a scene.
 * NATRUAL AGITATOR
 * When people like you, sometimes they will do things for you, or things that you ask them to do. That's doubly true for a nova with this power. Since everybody likes him so much, they hang on his every word. If he tells them to do something, they'll seriously consider it.
 * System: When he is speaking to a person, or even a crowd of people, the nova can use this enhancement to persuade them to do things. This enhancement's name derives from one of its obvious uses — sparking riots and agitation. The player makes a Presence roll. If he succeeds, the person or crowd will do anything the nova says, so long as they would at least be inclined to perform the action in question. For example, people are inclined to buy food, so a nova could use Natural Agitator to convince them to buy all their food at a particular store or restaurant.
 * If the nova scores more than one success, he may be able to persuade the person or crowd to do things it wouldn't normally want to do — start a riot, for example. However, the targets get to make Willpower rolls to resist Natural Agitator; every success rolled cancels one of the nova's successes.
 * The effects of Natural Agitator usually linger for about an hour, or until someone else has the chance to talk some sense into the victim(s). More subtle, agreeable, effects may last longer; extreme effects may vanish almost as soon as the victims are out of the nova's presence.
 * For Natural Agitator to work, the nova must be physically present to talk to the victims. The enhancement does not work over radio, television or other broadcast media. The effects last for a single scene.
 * SEDUCTIVE
 * This enhancement is the behavioral complement to Seductive Looks. A nova who possesses it is able to determine instinctively what behaviors a given individual finds sexy, desirable and attractive — then unconsciously adopt those behaviors.
 * System: The nova must be close to (i.e., within 10 meters of) his target, and the player must make a Charisma roll. If he succeeds, he has determined what sort of behavior the target finds sexy — coquettishness, self-confidence, sluttiness or vivacity. He automatically adopts that behavior as his own, thus making himself even more attractive than normal to the target.
 * While this enhancement is active, the player receives three automatic successes on any roll to seduce or persuade the target. If there is any question, it is the Storyteller's discretion as to whether the bonus applies. Of course, this enhancement is based entirely upon behavior or body language; it does not alter looks at all. Altering looks in that fashion requires Seductive Looks. The two enhancements may be combined to create an almost irresistibly attractive package for any victim.
 * SEDUCTIVE LOOKS
 * A nova with this enhancement has the ultimate in sex appeal. He looks just like the man (or woman) of the target's most lustful dreams. If the target is aroused by leggy women, for example, a female nova with this power would seem to the target to be a bit taller and leggier than she might really be — she'd be "just right" as far as the target is concerned.
 * System: By spending a quantum point, the nova makes himself seem extremely sexy and seductive to the target. (Note that the target need not be of the opposite gender as the nova.) The target perceives him as having those attributes that the target finds most desirous or arousing, and the nova's appearance subtly changes to match that perception. The changes fade as soon as the target is no longer in the nova's presence; activating them again requires another quantum point.
 * While this enhancement is active, the nova receives three automatic successes on any roll to seduce or persuade the target. If there is any question, it is the Storyteller's discretion as to whether the bonus applies. Players and Storytellers should remember that this enhancement is based entirely upon the nova's appearance. It does nothing to change his habits, attitude, or personality — as sexy as he looks, he may still turn the target off. However, Seductive Looks, and the bonuses it provides, can be used in conjunction with the Seductive enhancement for Mega-Charisma. Used together, the two enhancements make the nova both look and act like the target's ultimate sexual fantasy.
 * The effects of the power last for a scene.
 * SOOTHE
 * The nova is a natural at soothing others' jangled nerves. Just being around him has a calming effect. He even makes it easier for normal humans to cope with novas.
 * System: When the player spends a quantum point and makes a Charisma roll, the character and everyone within 10 meters of him becomes calm. Stress drains away, leaving people happier and calmer. No one affected by Soothe (including the nova using it) can attack or take any other hostile action unless the person either makes a Wits roll and scores more successes than the nova achieved on his Soothe roll, or spends a point of Willpower to overcome Soothe's effects.
 * Additionally, Soothe can help to overcome the effects of Taint. For each success achieved on the Charisma roll, one point of Taint possessed by any novas within the radius of effect is temporarily negated as regards interaction with baselines within the affected area. The power lasts for a scene. All effects of this enhancement disappear if an affected person wanders beyond the 10-meter radius.
 * TRUSTWORTHY
 * A nova with this enhancement apparently has a master spin doctor acting his guardian angel- both the nova and his actions will be presented in the best possible spin where his audience is concerned.
 * System: Roll [the nova's Mega-Charisma +1 against the target's Willpower] to instantly gain the trust, goodwill, and friendship of anyone who notices the nova- the nova's targets will see him as a "good guy" and will not willingly attack him. Also, the nova's targets will always see the nova and his actions in the best possible light and will feel that the nova had good reason for them. This doesn't coerce the nova's targets in any other way, nor does it supersede common sense. This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to activate, and lasts for the duration of the scene.
 * Note that the nova always appears trustworthy even when he's not actively using this enhancement, in much the same manner as Awe-Inspiring
 * XENOPHILE
 * Attractiveness is based off of dozens of cues, some conscious, many subconscious, that work to create the whole of someone's appeal. Against alien life forms, compatibility is unlikely, but Novas with this enhancement can entirely bypass this, allowing them to be attractive to those they find attractive. This Enhancement allows a Nova's appearance score to apply normally and fully without penalty to sapient characters the Nova wishes to appeal to, no matter their normal race, biological incompatibilities, or sexual orientation. This Enhancement is always on and costs no quantum points.

MEGA-MANIPULATION

 * TRAITS
 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * BETTER TO BE THOUGHT A FOOL
 * Some people are very, very good at making others look like bumbling incompetents. Novas can take that to the next level. A nova with this Enhancement can interfere with anyone's attempts to look, act, or sound qualified in any area-even if they are, in fact, qualified. This Enhancement reduces the effective (attribute + ability) total of the victim by Mega-Manipulation, as long as the roll is being made solely to show off or otherwise impress. This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum and lasts for a single roll.
 * HYPNOTIC GAZE
 * A nova with this enhancement possesses low-level hypnotic abilities. Although not as effective as the Hypnosis or Domination powers, it's still a useful ability when the character wants to persuade someone to do something. System: The nova must be within three meters of the person to be hypnotized, and she must make eye contact with him. If they are separated or eye contact is blocked, the attempt to hypnotize the target automatically fails.
 * An attempt to hypnotize takes a little while — at least 10 seconds, and usually a minute or longer. The target must be willing to undertake (or at least not completely adverse to) what the nova is suggesting; Hypnotic Gaze cannot be used to make someone do something she is opposed to doing. However, the attempt to hypnotize the subject does not have to be obvious; it can, for example, be worked into normal conversation if the nova is clever. If necessary, the Storyteller can have the target make a Manipulation or Perception roll to figure out what the nova is trying to do.
 * Once the nova meets all these conditions, the player needs only spend a quantum point and make a Manipulation roll. If the roll succeeds, the target is hypnotized and will do as instructed. A posthypnotic suggestion can also be implanted to make the target do something (such as go to sleep or scream) when he experiences a certain outside stimulus. A posthypnotic suggestion fasts for one day per dot of Manipulation and Mega-Manipulation the nova has; thereafter it loses all effect.
 * PERSUADER
 * A nova with this enhancement is an expert at bringing people around to his point of view. He has an innate talent for knowing what people are thinking and subtly manipulating their opinions until they are thinking what he want them to think. He's a spin doctor supreme.
 * System: Whenever the nova wishes to persuade someone to change their opinion, perform a particular task, or the like, the player receives bonus successes. The exact number of successes depends upon what he is trying to persuade the target to do. If the request is something normal, relatively innocuous or harmless, the nova gets three automatic successes. Requests that involve changing strong opinions or expose the character to minor danger, embarrassment or trouble get two automatic successes. Requests which are dangerous or could get the target in extreme trouble get one automatic success (and the target normally has some kind of Willpower or other resisted roll).
 * The nova must spend a quantum point; the effects last for one request or series of related requests.
 * THE VOICE
 * Just talking to a nova with this enhancement can be dangerous. She is able to pitch her voice so that she uses infrasound and subharmonics, mixed in with her normal talk, to give nearly irresistible suggestions and commands to whomever her speech is directed at. Additionally, her voice is, in general, pleasant to listen to; her singing can be absolutely divine.
 * System: The nova exerts a subtle mental control effect through her voice. Only one person can be affected by this ability at a time. The subject must be within 20 meters of the nova, and must be able to hear the nova — deafness on the part of the subject, or other noises that drown out the nova's speech, prevent The Voice from being used successfully. The other major limitation on this ability is that any order given must be one that can be performed in one turn — "Drop the knife!" or "Untie me!", for example, but not "Play computer games until 1 tell you to stop" or "Torture your friend to death." Any orders or suggestions that would take longer than one turn to perform are automatically ignored by the target. To use The Voice, the player makes a Manipulation roll. If he scores even one success, the attempt succeeds — but the target may stop himself from following the order or suggestion. The target makes a Wits roll to resist the command; each success he rolls counteracts one of the nova player's successes. If the net result is zero or less, the command fails. The target may also spend one or more points of Willpower to cancel successes at a 1:1 rate.
 * The player of a nova with The Voice may apply her Mega-Manipulation bonus dice to any Arts (Singing) or Perform (Singing) rolls she makes.
 * TRICKSTER
 * Unlike P. T Barnum, you can fool all of the people all of the time. Trickery, treachery, deceit and sneakiness are your stock in trade.
 * A nova with this enhancement possesses an intuitive talent for tricking and fooling people. She could trick Arabs into buying sand or Eskimos into buying refrigerators. Somehow she can sense a person's vulnerabilities and "soft" spots and use them against him. No one is safe from a Trickster's wiles.
 * System: Whenever the nova tries to trick, fool or deceive another character, the player receives three automatic successes on any roll necessary to the task. Usually, this roll involves Subterfuge, but other Abilities may be involved depending on the situation. The nova spends a quantum point to activate the enhancement, and the effects last for the duration of the situation that the nova is seeking to turn to her advantage.
 * UNSETTLING
 * Your very presence is enough to throw someone off their game. With a few carefully worded or intoned phrases, you can cause even the most eloquent to start tripping over their words and failing to impress. Roll Mega-Manipulation when this Enhancement is activated. Each success adds +1 difficulty to another character's social attribute-based rolls. This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum and lasts for a single roll.
 * Your very presence is enough to throw someone off their game. With a few carefully worded or intoned phrases, you can cause even the most eloquent to start tripping over their words and failing to impress. Roll Mega-Manipulation when this Enhancement is activated. Each success adds +1 difficulty to another character's social attribute-based rolls. This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum and lasts for a single roll.

MEGA-COMPOSURE

 * TRAITS
 * Scientists theorize that normal humans use only a fraction of their ability to observe things. Ask a normal person to describe what he just walked past, and he probably won't be able to tell you too many details about it, if any. That's not true of novas with Mega-Composure. They take it all in — every detail, every nuance, every little fact. They may not remember them very long (that's a function of Intelligence), but they don't overlook things. They make excellent sentinels, guards, detectives and trackers.
 * Novas with Mega-Composure almost always have a high Awareness skill. They often have high ratings in other "observational" skills, such as Investigation, but such is not always the case.
 * ENHANCEMENTS
 * ACHILLES'S BANE
 * A Nova with this Enhancement can find and exploit weak points far better than any baseline can, adding (Mega-Composure) to the maximum number of successes on an attack roll that apply as extra damage. For example, a Nova with this Enhancement and Mega-Perception 3 could apply up to 8 additional successes on an attack roll as additional damage, rather than only 5. This Enhancement costs 1 Quantum to activate for an action.
 * ANALYTIC TASTE AND TOUCH
 * There are plenty of gourmets out there who can figure out what spices were used in a particular dish by tasting it. A nova with this power can go them one better: He can detect everything in the food. Give him a casserole, and he'll tell you every ingredient in it, as well as how much of each was used. Give him a pretzel, and he can tell you how many grains of salt there are on it. Give him poisoned food, and he will detect the poison as soon as he touches it with his tongue, then spit the food out immediately before the poison can affect him.
 * The character's sense of touch is also enhanced. Everyone knows what a dollar bill feels like — it's got a unique feeling like no other type of paper. Mix a dollar up with a bunch of pieces of newspaper and other papers, and someone can still find it by touch but only a nova with Analytic Touch can tell you without looking whether it's a twenty or a c-note.
 * A character with this enhancement may use both functions.
 * System: With Analytic Taste, the character's sense of taste is so heightened that he can determine the composition and nature of food he eats, as described previously. This enhancement is most useful for detecting poison or other tampering, but it has other uses as well. If the Storyteller decides that a particular substance is present in only trace quantities, he may require a Perception or Awareness roll to allow the character to detect it. But even in such situations, the character receives a minimum of three extra dice when making any Perception roll based on taste. Furthermore, by flicking his tongue in and out of his mouth in the manner of a snake, the character can halve any penalties relating to darkness, as the character literally "tastes" vibrations in the air.
 * With Analytic Touch, the character's sense of touch is so heightened that he can differentiate many objects by touch alone. This ability can be extremely useful if the character cannot see. It also provides bonuses in situations where an acute sense of feel would be helpful — such as lockpicking or trying to figure out the combination to a safe by feeling the tumblers fall into place. The character receives a minimum of three extra dice when making any Perception roll based on touch. Furthermore, the character's skin is so sensitive that he can sense faint air currents, which adds two dice to Awareness skill totals when attempting to detect stealthy opponents like invisible novas.
 * This enhancement is always on and costs no quantum points to use.
 * ANGEL OF ATTACK
 * Various forms of protection may deflect attacks, making it nearly impossible to hit someone. A nova with this Enhancement, though, can easily offset these protective barriers, slipping through them unimpeded. Against powers which increase the difficulty of attacks, the nova may reduce their difficulty increase by (Mega-Perception), down to a minimum of 0. This Enhancement costs 1 quantum point and lasts for a single attack.
 * BLIND FIGHTING
 * Most people are helpless when blind — particularly in combat — but not this character. Thanks to his enhanced senses, he can perceive where his foes are even when he cannot see them. Some Asian (or Asian-influenced) novas snidely refer to this enhancement as "Zen fighting."
 * System: The character is not subject to the difficulty penalty for fighting blind. In some situations, such as those with bad or glaring lighting, he might even be better off to shut his eyes and fight without using his sight. Similarly, if an opponent is using the power Invisibility to escape detection, a nova with Blindfighting can determine exactly where his invisible enemy is by making an Awareness roll (opponent resists with her Invisibility + Stealth dice pool).
 * This enhancement costs one quantum point and lasts for a scene.
 * BLOOD HOUND
 * Like the animal for which it is named, this enhancement allows a nova to track a person by scent.
 * System: The character may make an Awareness roll to follow someone by scent alone. If the scent is particularly strong (for example, the person hasn't bathed in a week), reduce the difficulty by one. If the person being tracked passes through an area with a lot of other scents (like a crowded city street), walks through a stream or does anything else that might confuse or mask his scent, the nova must make another roll at an increased difficulty (+2 or more, usually).
 * If the nova is exposed to a particularly strong odor — such as having pepper thrown in her face — her Bloodhound ability is temporarily "blinded." Until she can get that scent out of her nose, which could take anywhere from a turn to an hour depending on the circumstances, she won't be able to follow any scents.
 * This enhancement is always on and costs no quantum points to use.
 * ELECTROMAGNETIC VISION
 * By processing and amplifying waves in the middle end of the electromagnetic spectrum (infrared, visible light, ultraviolet), the character provides herself with a number of sensory abilities.
 * System: The character spends a quantum point to activate the power for (Perception + Mega-Perception) turns. While doing so, the character gains an additional three dice on any Awareness roll related to vision. Additionally, this enhancement provides a number of benefits:
 * Ultraviolet vision: The character can see in the ultraviolet ("UV") spectrum, allowing her to see clearly and without penalty whenever UV illumination (such as from the sun, moon or stars) is present. Like a cat, she is able to see in conditions of very little light. The character can see as well in darkness as in daylight, provided that there is at least some light (even faint starlight is enough). If she is in total blackness (such as an unlit underground room), she cannot see.
 * Infrared vision: The character is able to see in the infrared ("1R") spectrum. Not only can she see anything illuminated by an 1R light, she can see the heat given off by living things and hot objects. Hot things appear "bright," cool things "dark."
 * Visible light attuner: The character can magnify objects in her line of sight, as though she were a high-powered telescopic scope or electron microscope. Usually, novas use this ability to view tiny objects which would ordinarily be beyond the character's range of vision, but it can also help see objects at a distance. The character can also see distant objects as if they were close up. For each dot of Mega-Perception, the character can magnify distant or tiny images by a factor of 10 (x100 at Mega-Perception 2, x1000 at Mega-Perception 3, etc.). Use of this enhancement negates range penalties, as well as difficulty penalties suffered when striking at characters with the power of Sizemorph (Shrinking).
 * HIGH-END ELECTROMAGNETIC SCAN
 * The character can transmit and receive waves from the gamma- and x-ray end of the electromagnetic spectrum. This allows him to "see" through solid objects, at a range equal to (Perception + Mega-Perception) x 20 meters.
 * System: By spending a quantum point, taking an action and making a Perception roll, the character may see through solid objects. The Storyteller may increase the difficulty to scan through particularly dense objects.
 * HYPER-ENHANCED HEARING
 * A nova with this enhancement can hear and transmit sounds that are too high-pitched or low-pitched to be audible to the normal human ear, such as dog whistles, radio waves, or security devices that utilize ultrasonic sound.
 * System: The character spends a quantum point to activate the power for (Perception + Mega-Perception) turns. While doing so, the character gains an additional three dice on any Awareness, Intrusion or other appropriate roll related to hearing. Additionally, this enhancement provides a number of benefits:
 * Infra/ultrasonic hearing: Most characters cannot hear infrasonic or ultrasonic sound at all. A nova with this enhancement can, though the Storyteller may require an Awareness roll if the sound is extremely soft or distant — just like he would with any normal whisper or distant sound.
 * Sonar: Like a bat, the nova can emit sonar waves which travel away from her, hit objects and "bounce" back to their source. This sense tells the character where things are, how big they are and other gross physical qualities. On the other hand, sonar does not reveal Finer details or visual details, such as the number of fingers on a hand, color, fine texture or print. Sonar works in a 360-degree radius around the character and aresufficiently accurate to allow the character to launch attacks without any loss of dice or other penalties. Sonar can be detected with Radio Scan.
 * Radio scan: The name of this technique is slightly misleading, since it actually allows the character to perceive all broadcast waves, including radio, television and cellular telephone transmissions. The character may also transmit along such wavelengths, though he can transmit voice only.
 * The character may voluntarily "shut off" the sense (to keep from being inundated with signals). He can also edit out specific frequencies so that he hears only a specific radio broadcast rather than all radio broadcasts, television, and other broadcasts.
 * MOVE READING
 * The nova is instinctively and constantly evaluating nearby people and objects for threatening movements. When the nova is attacked, he may reduce any dodge difficulties against fast-moving attacks, speed of light weapons, hidden attackers, or even spread/area attacks by up to (Mega-Composure), down to a minimum of 0. This Enhancement costs nothing and is always on.
 * QUANTUM ATTUNEMENT
 * The character can sense the ebbs and flows of quantum energies in her vicinity. This gives her a hyperenhanced perception, allowing her to sense her surroundings on the molecular level, even if her other senses have been incapacitated. The character must still face in the genera! direction of what she wishes to perceive.
 * System: By spending one quantum point per turn, the character can attune herself to quantum energies in the area. Among other things, this allows the character to make an Awareness roll to sense her surroundings even if completely deprived of one or more senses. The character can also scan other novas by making a Medicine roll; this allows the character to sense the rough level of Quantum, Node and Taint Traits possessed by the other nova. With three or more successes, the character might be able to guess at the other nova's powers, though the Storyteller should describe this in narrative terms, as eddies and shifts in the local quantum flow (e.g., "Your foe clenches his fists, and quantum forces begin seething around his outstretched hands" as opposed to "He's going to throw a Quantum Bolt"; "When she stretches, nuclear forces scream and hiss around her frame," as opposed to "She's got Mega-Strength 4").
 * ULTRA-PERIPHERAL PERCEPTION
 * Sometimes you'll hear someone described as "having eyes in the back of his head." A nova with this enhancement just about meets that description. He can sense all around himself more or less as readily as he can look straight ahead.
 * System: A character with Ultraperipheral Perception can perceive things in a 360-degree circle around himself without turning his head. This enhancement prevents a character from being surprised by people sneaking up on him from behind. Attackers do not gain flank or rear attack bonuses to hit him. It also allows him to keep track of everything surrounding him.
 * This effect costs a quantum point and lasts for a scene.
 * ZOOM AND ENHANCE
 * Like Poirot, you notice everything. Novas with this enhancement notice the faintest fear in someone's voice or the one grass blade out of place, and they can analyse a crime scene days after the fact. They may add (Mega-Composure) dice to any roll to notice clues or gather evidence, and ignore up to (Mega-Composure) difficulty penalties from disruption of a location they are investigating. This enhancement costs 1 Quantum and lasts for a single roll.