THE NEW FLESH

Titans. Swifts. Dynamos.

INTRODUCTION
What Is The New Flesh?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or sloes
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And waterd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
- The Tyger, by William Blake

The New Flesh is EONs third fanbook for the Aberrant

setting, and is also the third in a series of sourcebooks that
take a close look at the potential and ramifications of the
Mega-Attributes in the Nova Age. Having been preceded
by the unofficial Brainwaves and EONs Forceful Personalities sourcebooks, The New Flesh in turn focuses on the
Physical Mega-Attributes. As with all EON fanbooks, this
piece of science fiction was inspired by the writers and creators of the Aeon Continuum gamelines over at White Wolf.
Mega-Physical novas (and novas in general) are still a
very new class of beinga new fleshin these early decades
of the 21st Century. Gifted with nearly unparalleled might,
agility and vigor, the Mega-Physical novas have amazed the
world for over a decade with their athletic and martial feats.
From the Mega-Strong Titans to the Mega-Dexterous Swifts
to the Mega-Vigorous Dynamos, they have turned their
superhuman physical capabilities towards whatever ends
theyve seen fit. Due to the efforts of the more altruistic of
these novas, disasters have been blunted, natural disasters
averted, famines ended and innocent lives protected.
Unfortunately, other such novas have used their gifts
to wage unjust war, destroy innocent peoples homes and
businesses, engage in wanton violence, commit murder and
take advantage of those weaker than themselves. In both
cases Mega-Physical novas have given (at least some) baselines reason to fear them, and it is only natural for such fears
to spread to the general baseline population. The new flesh
and the old flesh have managed to coexist for nearly two
decades, albeit with some cost and discomfort. Whether or
not this state of coexistence can be maintained or is doomed
to degenerate into open conflict remains to be seen.

Biotechnology in Aberrant
While they are the premier example of such, MegaPhysical novas arent the only new flesh to have come onto
the scene in the early Nova Age. Despite the best efforts of
Project Utopias Technological Regulation Department, certain organizations and individuals have managed to make
great advancements in the field of biotechnology. In addi-

INTRODUCTION

ABERRANT
tion to the expected advancements in medical technology
and military bioweapons, certain nova biotech researchers
have also explored means of augmenting animal species
to attain full baseline-caliber sapience. Genetic engineering can also be employed to create new species of animals,
plants and other lifeforms, the purposes of which vary as
wildly as the desires of their creators.
Faced with the prowess of Mega-Physical novas, much
biotech research has focused on human augmentation in
an attempt to give baselines an edge against nova foes
and competitors. New drugs, cybernetics, bionics, biotech implants and genetic engineering now provide such
edges, although they tend to be pitifully small ones when
compared with nova capabilities and often impose a heavy
cost on the user. The Heaven Thunder Triad has likewise
not been idle, as they have expanded the range of drugs
created though their processing of nova bodies quite a bit.
With the potential for such novel lifeforms to be introduced
into Earths ecology, often without any hope of recall and
containment, the world can only wait for the consequences
to unfold.

Combat in Aberrant
Fighting, warfare and the martial arts have always
been popular themes in the comic books, as they are literally packed with characters with backgrounds in the military and/or the martial arts. Captain America, Batman, Nick
Fury, Wonder Woman, Wolverine, and Green Arrow are
only a few of the better-known examples. Things are only a
little different in the world of Aberrant, as more than a few
Mega-Physical novas find themselves attracted to the life of
the soldier, combat elite or faction field operative.
Others who eschew such activities can all too easily find
themselves in circumstances where such training is necessary for their survival. The martial arts are doing well in the
early 21st Century, as they have proved popular among
novas of all stripes.
Although some poorly informed novas dismiss them as
ineffectual, weapons both new and old are often brought
into play on the battlefields of the Nova Age. The New
Flesh takes a closer look at all of these aspects of combat
in the world of Aberrant, examines their implications and
provides guidelines for integrating them into your chronicle.

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
- The Tyger, by William Blake

How to Use This Book

While seeing how physically powerful novas will fit
into an ongoing story is pretty straightforward, there are
some non-obvious ramifications that need to be taken into
account. This book is intended to help you on how best to
both keep your Titans, Swifts and Dynamos from wrecking
the plot and ensure that they get their chance to shine along
with the Mega-Mental and Mega-Social novas.
Page through Chapter One for a small sampling of what
the biotechnology of the Nova Age has to offer your players, both in terms of advantages and threats to their lives.
If youre a player, look through Chapter Two for
expanded information on playing combat-specialized
characters and Chapter Four for more information on the
Physical Mega-Attributes and the new enhancements and
aberrations. Also of interest to players will be the Appendices, which hold a grab-bag of new options for their characters and expanded listings for the Mega-Mental and
Mega-Social Attributes.
If youre a Storyteller, check out Chapter Three for
advice on handling Mega-Physical characters in your Aberrant chronicle, along with story hooks and ideas for chronicles focused on Mega-Physical characters.
After that, browse through the other chapters for additional material to use in your chronicle, and judge for yourself which abilities you will allow in it, based on the advice
presented here and your own vision of Aberrant.

Breakdown
The New Flesh is divided into four chapters and three
appendices:
Chapter 1: Unnatural Selection talks about the biotechnology of the Nova Age; of which new drugs (novaderived and otherwise), bioweapons, gengineered lifeforms
and augmentation cyberware are only a few examples.
Background details on the individuals and organizations
behind such developments, their customers and their foes
are also examined.
Chapter 2: Blood and Thunder gives expanded rules
for combat in Aberrant. Also included are expanded listings for weapons, new combat-oriented Mega-Mental and
Mega-Social enhancements and an array of new combatoriented Body Modifications.
Chapter 3: Storytelling offers advice for Storytellers on
how to rein in Mega-Physical characters when necessary and
how best to integrate them into a chronicle. Also shown is
what it takesin Aberrant termsto accomplish the feats
that the Mega-Physicals are famous for. Rounding out the
chapter is a closer look at the public defenders of the Nova
Age.

INTRODUCTION

ABERRANT
Chapter 4: This Different Flesh provides a close look
at all three Physical Mega-Attributes and their associated
perks and drawbacks, along with new enhancements, aberrations and some good strategies for using the Physical
Mega-Attributes to their best effect. In keeping with the
expanded rules presented in the Aberrant Players Guide,
Physical Mega-Attribute listings for ratings at 6 dots and
higher have been established and are ready for use in
higher-powered Aberrant chronicles. Also included are an
in-depth look at the Body Modification quantum power, an
array of new Body Modifications and a collection of new
physically-oriented quantum powers.
Appendix 1: New Miscellanea contains a variety of
new physical and/or combat-related items; including Merits,
Flaws, a Background, Background Enhancements, new
nova-only Abilities and a nova-only language.
Appendix 2: Mental and Social Mega-Attributes
beyond 5 dots details the Mental and Social Mega-Attribute listings for ratings at 6 dots and higher, ready for use in
higher-powered Aberrant chronicles.
Appendix 3: Mental and Social Mega-Attribute feats
presents a look at the bare-bone basics of what novas with
a given Mental or Social Mega-Attribute should be capable
of in real-world terms.

Lexicon
Accessorized: A term for baseline humans (or more
rarely novas) who have been implanted with augmentation
cyberware.
Amazon: A nickname for female Mega-Strong novas.
Other nicknames include battle-axes and Buffys.
Boosted: Slang term for an animal that has been either
bioengineered or altered via nova powers in order to attain
baseline human-equivalent sapience.

Brick: A derogatory term for a stupid and slow-witted

nova that has both Mega-Strength and Mega-Stamina,
along with protective powers such as Armor and/or Invulnerability.
Cyberware: A term for bionic, cybernetic and biotech
implants.
Dynamo: A nickname for novas with Mega-Stamina.
Other nicknames include everlasts and Rasputins.
Energizer: A Mega-Vigorous nova who can keep going
and going and going. A couple of energizers were laying
into each other and we knew it was going to last all night.
Frankenstein: A nickname for baseline humans who
have had excessive amounts of augmentation cyberware
implanted, usually in a vain attempt to match the capabilities of a nova.
Gee-Jay: Someone who has little or nothing in the way
of defenses and can usually be knocked out with one or two
hits. Derived from glass jaw.
Herc: Derogatory nickname for Mega-Strong novas
who show off their ability to bend, crush and throw heavy
objects with little effort for attention and/or money.
Roll: To easily and playfully defeat someone, typically
used in casual conversation. Im going to roll that guy!
Swift: A nickname for Mega-Dexterous novas. Other
nicknames include Houdinis, prowlers, sneaks and stalkers.
Speedster: A nickname for Mega-Dexterous novas
capable of moving at extreme speeds, typically via the
Hyper-Movement power. Other nicknames include blurs
and speed demons.
Titan: A nickname for Mega-Strong novas. Other nicknames include blockbusters, John Henrys, powerhouses,
and tanks.
Wall: A nova with high defensive capabilities, but little
or no offensive capability.

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE:
UNNATURAL SELECTION
Biotechnology of the
Nova Age
In the 19th Century, an Augustinian monk by the name
of Gregor Johann Mendel discovered the laws of heredity
though experiments with controlled breeding of pea plants.
Ever since then, the notion that humans would one day be
able to alter the mechanisms of life itself in any earthly lifeformhumankind includedhas inspired equal measures
of dreams and nightmares in the public imagination.
The optimists among them hoped of using that potential to alleviate human suffering, protect against famine and
remedy some of the worst aspects of the human condition. The pessimists feared the possibilities of engineered
diseases that could wipe out entire nations, the abuse of
defenseless humans for medical experimentation and the
alteration of people into abhuman creatures.
Many religious leaders decried the idea of Man
attempting to alter the designs of the divine creator(s) as
hubris, and deemed those who would practice and advance
this new science as blasphemers. Twisted souls realized the
possibilities the new science could one day offer to sate
their darker desires, which general society condemned as
barbaric, decadent and degrading.
Some pragmatists and realists noted that tinkering of
this sort had been going on ever since humankind began
practicing agriculture and domesticating animals, albeit in a
very clumsy hit or miss manner.
By the second decade of the Nova Age, much more
about the sciences of biology and biotechnology has been
discovered, yet the general attitudes of the public towards
them are little changed. Over a centurys worth of such
achievements and atrocities by baselines have seen many
of the optimists hopes and the pessimists fears become
concrete reality. With the coming of the novas biotechnology has advanced considerably in both the beneficial and
detrimental areas.
While the efforts of novas (Mega-Intelligent and otherwise) have bestowed an array of medical wonders (some of
them derived from unethical practices), agricultural bless-

ings and gifts of environmental recovery, they have also

loosed many new highly addictive drugs and horrifying bioweapons. The Nova Age has also seen the development
of genetic engineering, bionic prostheses and cybernetic
implants, the likes of which had previously only been seen
in science fiction.
Perhaps the two most frightening advancementsas
far as baseline society is concernedhave been the potential to create novel types of sapient life and artificial novas.
(Readers can refer to pp. 60-69 for details on these creatures.) As of 2015 the rate of biotechnological advancement
is only becoming faster, despite the best attempts of Project
Utopias Technological Regulation division and Project Proteus to slow it down.
As with all else in the Nova Age only one thing is certain: conflict is at hand.

Biotech Producers,
Customers & Enemies
As with any other field of human scientific endeavor,
the motivations behind the advances in biotechnology are
many and varied. Heres a quick and dirty overview of who
the players (legal, illegal and extra-legal) are in the biotech
scene circa 2015.

Whos Making It?

Given the vast rewards to be reaped from biotech
research, its almost easier to make note of who isnt working to produce new biotech of one kind or another. Practically all of the major nova factions have reasons to engage
in biotech research, adding them to the list of governments,
biotech corporations and criminal organizations that have
been engaging in it for decades on end. Mix in a sprinkling
of Mega-Intelligent nova biotech researchers toiling in their
individual hidden labs, and you get a very fertile ground
from which anything could sprout.
Terraforming: Project Utopia has been the undisputed
leader in this field of biotech for nearly two decades, as the
effects of the Zushima macrobe, CFC-eating bacteria and

UNNATURAL SELECTION

ABERRANT

metal-sequestering plants can attest. PUs scientists have

repaired much of Earths prior ecological damage; neutralizing pollutants and introducing bioengineered and/
or cloned wildlife into empty ecological niches. They have
also attempted to make permanent improvements (from the
viewpoint of the average person) in the form of Operations
Eden and Genesis.
Unfortunately for them, the departure of Antaeus from
their ranks in 2009 has slowed their progress down considerably. Others such as nova Levia Mindel (Aberrant: Project
Utopia, p. 20) have made the most of this opportunity to
catch up and take the lead away from Utopia.
Agriculture: Even though a myriad of bioengineered
livestocks and crops have been produced by Project Utopia,
they are only at the leading position of a close race and
only for the moment. One of their major achievements was
the creating strains of gengineered tobacco and coca that
provide a wide array of drugs to Third World residents who
could not afford them when they could only be synthesized
in expensive factories.
Most of the First World nations and biotech corporations have not been idle in the meantime, as their bioengineered agricultural wares have always provided PU with stiff
competition. Russia has been no exception to this.
After their creation of the first reliable strain of nonseasonal fruit genomes they have made further advances,
creating vegetable and grain crops designed to thrive in
the harsh climes of the steppes and tundra. The success of
bioengineered of livestock has also resulted in certain biotech producers branching out into the market for bioengineered pets. While most such tweaked pets are perfectly
innocuous, others are close to being considered blacktech
by Project Utopia.
Medicine: Project Utopia remains the hands-down
leader in this field. They have produced cures for many - if
not all - forms of cancer, STDs and other diseases and continue to do so on a seemingly monthly basis. Project Utopia
biologists pioneered the fields of cloning synthetic human

organs and human neural repair.

The medical corporations have competed as best they
can, producing gene therapy viruses such as ILGF (Aberrant: Year One, p. 77) among other small medical miracles.
As for the darker side of medical biotechnology, Kuro-Tek
is the king of that particular hill. Illegal human cloning procedures and black market human organ transplants are just
two of their more notorious services.
Under the guidance of the Apothecary, the Terat Harvesters have been conducting much research on nova genetics and the effects of high levels of taint on the same. There
is simply no telling what their efforts may have resulted in.
Drugs: Thanks to Triton Pharmaceuticals access to
nova biochemistries, Utopia has patented nearly too many
truly beneficial drugs to be easily counted by the average
person on the street. They also still produce the majority of
the worlds supplies of adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine,
although some novas have lately begun to quietly shun their
use.
Faced with such a flood of superior and often cheaper
Utopian product, the older pharmaceutical corporations
havent remained very competitive, with several of the older
companies going bankrupt. The other field of pharmaceutical innovation has been that of illegal drugs, recreational
and otherwise. Kuro-Tek, the Terat Pandaimonion and C-Z
Megasyndicate lead the underworld in the discovery of new
designer drugs, most of which are intended for baselines
but with a few nova drugs as well. The Heaven Thunder Triad
remains by far the major producer in the hideous industry of
nova-derived drugs, with the C-Z Megasyndicate, Kuro-Tek
and the Terat Pandaimonion having only minor small-scale
operations.
Biotech Materials: This field of biotechnology had
never attracted much notice before the Nova Age, and still
has remained in the background for the most part. Biotech
companies have produced wares such as bioengineered
hard transparent resins that are as strong as surgical steel,
safe high-quality biodegradable plastics based on polysaccharides (sugar polymers) and the first truly economical
means of creating spider silk using gengineered cutworms.
The creation (read: secretion) of eufiber by Anibl Buendia was until recently the only remarkable advancement (by
early Nova Age standards) in the field. That changed with
rumors of a new and improved version of eufiber that
leaves Buendias glorified hair shirts for dead. Substantiated reports of a few independent novas utilizing this neofiber has garnered much interest, as has the hearsay that
the C-Z Megasyndicate has an effective monopoly on its
sale and production.
Bioweapons: While the First World nations have always
regarded biological warfare as a method of last resort, they
have never hesitated to develop weaponized agents either

UNNATURAL SELECTION

ABERRANT
Wildcard Producers
There are two possible sources of biotech that havent
been discussed in the preceding list for one simple reason.
Those groups are the Aberrants and the Mathematicians Terats
at CORE Technologies. Since they lack any predilection for or
against producing biotech save for their personal ethics, their
possible efforts in and reasons for the production of biotech are
highly unpredictable. Along with the individual Mega-Intelligent
biotech researchers, biotech researchers from their ranks could
plausibly produce any biotech item that the Storyteller wants
them to, given sufficient time and resources.
themselves or by a subcontracted corporate supplier. The
coming of the Nova Age has only given them more incentive to discover newer and usually more lethal weapons to
protect against the perceived threat posed by novas.
With the increasing level of conflict in the Nova Age, its
becoming a question of whennot ifsuch weapons will
be used. Project Utopia has also made advances, albeit their
bioweapons such as their Virally Tailored Poisons (Aberrant
Worldwide: Phase I, p. 115) are usually intended for individual targets instead of entire populations.
DeVries produces quite a variety of poisons and gases
for use by their combat elites. Kuro-Tek has been the most
innovative bioweapon producer on the planet; with an array
of poisons, gases, weaponized diseases and biochemical
weapons that even the First World governments of 2015
cannot match. The only other organized crime group to
have a bioweapons program is the C-Z Megasyndicate, and
like Utopia they focus on weapons that affect individuals
rather than masses of people.
Cybernetic Implants/Bionic Prostheses: Project Utopia
has publicly made a distinction between those mechanical implants and prostheses intended to restore disabled
humans to a normal level of function and those intended
to raise humans beyond that level. The prior kind of such
devices (commonly labeled as therapeutic cyberware) has
been allowed to develop with minimal Utopian restriction
and is available to the public.
Unsurprisingly, Japan is by far the most advanced producer of therapeutic cyberware on the planet, and their
prices reflect that fact. The latter kindwhat PU calls blacktech or augmentation cyberwareis heavily suppressed
by PUs Technological Regulation section and Project Proteus. Its even less of a surprise that Kuro-Tek currently produces most of the worlds blacktech cyberware, although
the Heaven Thunder Triad has taken second place in the
market.

Biotech Implants: Project Utopia initially pioneered

this field with the creation of novel synthetic glands such
as the disulfram implant (Aberrant: Year One, p. 75), but
hasnt gone beyond the initial concept of what amounts to
an automatically-regulated internal supply of one specific
drug. Most of the research along those lines by other groups
have also remained small-scale, with the C-Z Megasyndicate
proving to be the surprising exception. Their biotech operation has been producing a potent array of bioengineered
organs and limbs that easily qualify as augmentation
cyberware by Project Utopias standards. Although they
havent implanted it in anyone save a select group of their
more reliable enforcers, the Megasyndicate has yet another
potent edge to use against their enemies.
Novel Sapient Lifeforms: While the major factions,
governments and corporations are certainly all aware of the
possibility of creating new forms of sapient life through biotechnology, they have little incentive to do so themselves.
Aside from the ethical questions and human rights issues,
why go to the trouble when disposable baseline human
labor is so cheap? This field of biotechnology has thus
been left to the organized crime groups and those MegaIntelligent nova biotech researchers who have an interest.
The prior will certainly seek to market them as truly exotic
pets/slaves for the extremely wealthy and decadent. The
motivations of the latter can and will vary wildly - one such
researcher could regard her creations as nothing more than
specialized guardians or servants, while another might see
his creations as literally being his children. The research
projects in question are not known to have produced any
such creatures, but if a success has been achieved it hasnt
been advertised.
Artificial Novas: In these early days of the Nova Age,
every government knows that novas have the potential to
be most flexible (if willful) weapons of mass destruction ever
seen on Earth. The dream of finding some way to make their
own novas from their most loyal and dedicated soldiers has
been the impetus behind many black ops research projects.
Given that humankinds current knowledge of the eruption
process and its genetic antecedent is still quite murky, the
extreme risks involved in such a process are considered by
most to be purely hypothetical. As far as is known, all of
those research projects have remained fruitless. However,
with that much money and effort behind the researchers, all
that would be required is a little luck at the right time and
place for a critical breakthrough to be made... if it hasnt
been already. The question is whether those efforts will produce gods or monsters.

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ABERRANT
Whos Buying It?
The field of biotech research and production would
never have gotten off the ground if there hadnt been an
eagerly waiting market for it beforehand. Just about everyone on the planet has purchased many wares that are either
directly or indirectly derived from the beneficial products of
the biotech industry, even if its just gengineered produce
from the local grocery or farmers market. On the other
hand, those who purchase the varieties of biotech that are
resticted if not outright illegal tend to be a far more select
clientele.
Nova Factions: The major organizations among the
erupted populace sometimes do have uses for restricted
biotech, though they are often only minor customers at best
in that market.
Project Utopia/Proteus: When agents of Utopias
TechReg section (or their Proteus counterparts) want to
examine a potentially suspect item of biotech, they can and
sometimes do buy it, albeit using a series of dummy companies to do so. In this way they can examine the product
thoroughly without alerting the sellers to Utopias possibly
hostile interest in their operation. Both groups also make a
habit of quietly purchasing biotech items intended for use
against novas, the better to learn how to defend against
them and for possible use against hostile novas.
Teragen: As is to be expected, the subgroups of the
Teragen vary wildly in their purchases of restricted biotech.
Those Harvesters working under the Apothecarys direction
make frequent use of unapproved (and very risky) transgenic
gene therapies and drugs intended to help them control
their excessive Taint. The Primacy has shown interest in
large-scale bioweapons that could be used to subjugate the
baseline masses instead of causing mass death. Discreetly
providing access to needed unethical medical procedures
& medical drugs has allowed the Casablancas to acquire
many loyal baseline servants, whose lives or those of their
loved ones would otherwise have been lost without such
intervention. As for the Pandaimonion (and the Cult of Mal,
to a much lesser degree), they are always on the lookout
for new addictive drugs with which to recruit junkies/thralls
from their horde of baseline party people.
DeVries: Combat elites on Anna DeVries payroll
quickly learn that staying on it requires them to take advantage of every edge they can get hold of, legal or otherwise. Among the edges available from restricted biotech,
DeVries elites have been known to employ augmentation
cyberware, various drugs useful on the battlefield and even
small-scale bioweapons on rare occasion. Other elite agencies vary in the stances on restricted biotech. Some tend
to shun such items for professional and/or ethical reasons,
while others lack the financial and legal resources required

to get away with using them with relative impunity in the

manner of DeVries.
The Directive: Despite their well-hidden connection
with Kuro-Tek, the Directive is willing to purchase anything
they consider useful for their goal of controlling the nova
population. Aside from the variety of anti-nova biotech purchased by Project Utopia, the Directive also has strong interests in augmentation cyberware and new drugs that could
be used for interrogation and brainwashing.
Aberrants: Despite their general good guy perspective, there is simply no telling what future circumstances
and problems the Aberrants may end up facing that could
be resolved with restricted biotech items. Here again the
Aberrants are an unpredictable wildcard in regards to the
restricted biotech market.
National Governments, Corporations and Organized
Crime: Given their limited access to nova capabilities, these
groups share a great interest in any items of restricted biotech that they deem potentially useful. That said, they do
have individual tendencies as to what kinds of items they
are more likely to buy. National governments prefer items
that could increase their military capabilities, bolster their
economies and ensure the productivity of their citizens.
Profitable items are what corporations most often buy, with
items useful for protecting their investments coming a close
second. Organized crime groups also go for the profitable
items, especially when the restrictions on said items can
help drive up the street resale price considerably. Items
suited for small-scale warfare are also favored by organized
crime groups, as they can literally come under attack from
either law enforcement or their competitors at any time. Just
about the only items these groups are leery of using are the
large-scale bioweapons that could conceivably eradicate
their own citizenry/customer base.
Terrorist Groups: In the hands of those with sufficient
ingenuity and/or insanity, nearly any item of restricted biotech can be useful in carrying out acts of terrorism. While
bioweapons have always been a top draw for terrorists, the
potential of other items havent been ignored. Addictive

Story Seed: Bioterror Alert

A terrorist group has either acquired or is seeking to acquire
a very nasty bioweapon in order to fulfill their goals, and the
player characters find out about this somehow. Depending on
the terrorist group and the bioweapon in question, the player
characters either can stop them publicly and make a big media
splash, or they may have to take them out quietly and avoid
causing a mass panic. The local authorities must also be taken into
account - are they worth cooperating with in hopes of containing
the threat, or will they make a blunder and inadvertently cause
the bioweapon to be released?

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drugs are favored to subvert people in important positions,
while the offer of unethical medical treatments is preferred
when those being subverted must retain their full wits to be
of use. Aside from the expected tactic of creating enhanced
operatives, augmentation cyberware has also allowed suicide bombers to become living bombs themselves. A few
recent terrorist incidents have seen the use of nonhuman
living explosives. The biggest limiting factors on bioterrorism have been that 1: its expensive, 2: it attracts unwanted
attention to the suppliers and 3: law enforcement agencies
spend a disproportionate amount of their budgets to preventing it. However with biotech becoming both cheaper
and more easily available, further examples of biotech terrorism are sure to crop up in the coming decades.
Wealthy Individuals: With extreme levels of personal
resources on hand, the more amoral among the wealthy
have not hesitated to explore new avenues for decadence
offered by restricted biotech. Unethical medical procedures
of all sortsespecially the anti-aging treatmentshave
always been in demand by the wealthy, often as a consequence of their experimentation with new recreational
drugs. The opportunity to own near-human slaves (or conditioned fully-human slaves for the traditionalists) has likewise
appealed to those who lust to have total control over other
people, while others relish the idea of having super-pets
at their beck and call. A particularly selfish wealthy person
could even deploy a large-scale bioweapon purely out of
spite - if I cant have what I want, Ill ruin the world for
everybody else! Despite all that, the biotech items currently
most favored among the wealthy are the gene-boosting
process and personal augmentation cyberware. The prior
item literally allows the offspring of the wealthy to have literal inborn advantages over their lower-class peers, while
the latter has become de rigeur among wealthy people who
feel must remain competitive with novas by any means necessary. That isnt a baseless worry for those wealthy people
who must still work for a living, as losing their high-paying

Story Seed: Businessmen Gone Bonkers

The CEOs of two important Fortune 500 companies go
spectacularly insane as a side-effect of their mental augmentation
cyberware, and being long-term business rivals immediately
attempt to engage in corporate warfare against each other. This
wouldnt be more than a passing concern if said CEOs didnt
insist on dragging their respective (and unwilling) companies
into the conflict. The player characters are either businessmen
or hired elites seeking to defuse the situation and/or remove the
insane CEOs from office. Alternatively, they could be seeking
to exacerbate the situation and cause the downfall of the two
Fortune 500 companies, either at the behest of competitors or to
further their own business goals.

jobs to novas is a genuine risk. For example, nearly all of the

top baseline actors have had cosmetic augmentation cyberware installed, while few among the ranks of the top baseline CEOs circa 2015 are not using mental augmentation
cyberware in order to compete with nova business tycoons.
Ordinary People: Unsurprisingly, the only real difference between the wealthy and everyday folk is the amount
of money (and its associated social power) they possess.
Aside from their own consciences and personal ethics, the
only thing keeping Joe & Jane Sixpack from making frequent
purchases of restricted biotech is lack of funds. This doesnt
mean that ordinary people wont be buying restricted
biotech, however. Instead, such items will be bought as a
means to remedy what these people see (correctly or otherwise) as major problems in their lives. There are still many
diseases and health problems that Project Utopia has yet to
find cures for that unethical medical procedures and drugs
can heal. Gene-boosting ones children is also popular,
given how so many people either have genetic flaws or
simply want to give their kids a better shot at becoming
wealthy. Augmentation cyberware is favored by people who
feel that their natural capabilities are not up to the (actual
or perceived) challenges they face or who hunger for the
closest thing they can get to the power of a nova. This even
extends to the use of cosmetic augmentation cyberware,
which threatens to replace traditional plastic surgery as the
favored ultimate makeover. Finally, more than a few ordinary people are obsessed enough with the idea of owning
a near-human slave or super-pet to make such a purchase
in any way they can.

Whos Trying To Shut It Down?

Any organization involved in any sort of law enforcement or humanitarian (novatarian?) efforts can get involved
in the regulationofficial and otherwiseof this technology. Similarly, any organization which sees the potential
profit and benefit of biotech can get involved in using it.
Many groups can and will get involved in both. Notes on
groups with a special animus toward the market in restricted
biotech are as follows.
Nova Factions: Projects Utopia and Proteus are the
biggest enemies of the restricted biotech market circa
2015. The Aeon Society knows full well the potential for
dangers that illegal biotech offers, and seeks to eliminate
such threats by any means necessary. The Directive will act
against illegal biotech operations (barring those owned by
Kuro-Tek, naturally) for much the same reasons. The Teragen
takes a dim view of biotech intended to specifically incapacitate and/or kill novas, and often acts on that distaste. The
pro-nova and fairly humanitarian viewpoint of the Aberrants
will lead them to act against biotech that threatens either

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humanity in general and novas in particular.
National Governments: As far as most sane world
leaders are concerned, the restricted biotech market is the
second biggest cause of nightmares, with nova subjugation
of baseline humanity being the first. If they get wind of a
genuine biotech threat within their territory, they will typically use all the forces and means at their disposal to end
the threat and put the people behind it in either prison cells
or body bags.
Terrorist Groups: More than a few religiously-motivated terrorists have an anti-biotech agenda and would
not hesitate to strike at a biotech operation if they could
plausibly cripple or put it out of production. Whether such
activities are dangerous threats to humanity in themselves
or (much more rarely) laudable efforts depends on the biotech item involved.
Ordinary People: Despite the stereotype of Joe Sixpack, quite a few everyday people can and will recognize
the threats posed by restricted biotech. The questions are
how will they get wind of such threats, and what they can
do to oppose them. Given the right place, the right time,
some ingenuity and a little luck, a single baseline human
can bring a restricted biotech operation to a screeching halt.
Everyday people can also form mass social movements and
political activist groups which can have a dramatic impact
on society, provided that they dont get written off as cranks
and crackpots.

Why is Joe Sixpack afraid of

restricted biotech?
The general public tends to be afraid of biotech
because its new... but there are a few solid nuggets of truth
behind the normal irrational fear here.

Biowarfare: Bioweapons are real and unlike nukes (for

example) once unleashed they can spread out into the global
ecosphere all on their own. Historically plagues have killed
untold numbers of people; bringing the magic of the scientific method into the picture is rightfully a fearsome thought.
Intentional Misuse: Unfortunately many civilian uses
of biotech are dual use. Whether a device helps or harms
people can come down to the intention of the bioengineer
using it. As this technology spreads and gets cheaper there
is a strong likelihood that some unethical (or insane) practitioners will get involved.
Destabilization of Society: Among the baseline population pretty much everyone has genetic flaws and limitations, but biotech can change that... provided one can
afford it. Imagine a world where the rich really are superior because their parents paid for the genes to make them
smarter, stronger, more attractive and possibly even more
likely to erupt as novas. Thats what the early Nova Age
is facing circa 2015. As if the possibility of a true genetic
upper class wasnt enough, the potential for genetic subclasses has arisen as well. Slavery is officially illegal for
humans, although it certainly still exists. Pets such as dogs
on the other hand have fewer (if any) rights and responsibilities. Mixing the genes of the two threatens the boundary
between the two classes of beings. Nova Age society wont
want to legalize slavery or give dogs full citizenship rights,
but it might face a choice of one or the other.
Accidents: All the problems seen above were simply
the risks of biotech when it works correctly. When it doesnt
work correctly; society may have to deal with accidental
plagues, warped children, or even insane para-novas. When
biotech and human stupidity collide, the risk of catastrophe
is too much for any rational society to bear.

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A B E R R A N T
CHAPTER 1: UNNATURAL SELECTION

Lecture notes excerpt

Project Utopia Technological Regulation department

OK rookies, lets talk about the C-Z Megasyndicates biotech troublemakers. As a
rule of thumb, they have two types of bioengineers working for them. The first type
is the unjustly shut down mad scientist types. Most of these guys will have a prior
record with us. They signed up with the Megasydicate because theyre visionaries who
want to do good things for the world, and someone - usually us - cant see the full
scope of their work and either shut them down or refused to fund them.
The problem is that while 90% of their work would do good things, that last 10%
is a real horror show. Either they dont think people would really use what theyre
making like that, or they figure you have to break some eggs to make an omelet, or
maybe they blame us for not supplying them with sufficient funding. These are the
guys running the bio-enhancement stuff. Designer kids, boosted baselines, attempts to
make people erupt, attempts to extend lifespans and prevent aging, that sort of thing.
Their successes can be breathtaking, but their failures are even more so.
Usually theyll have some ethical problems with how their work is being used, but
they figure its our fault for not funding it in the first place. So in their minds, the one kid in four that winds up crippled
and the two baselines out of five that they drive nuts is also our fault. Of course after the Megasydicate gets their hooks
into them its just a matter of time before theyre working on things like new and improved slaves and addictive drugs.
The other type of bioengineer the Megasydicate tends to get is the burned-out drug abuser who has hit rock
bottom. The good news is that they tend to be less brilliant than the mad scientist types, who typically have better
things to do than experiment with drugs on themselves. The bad news is these guys also wont have any illusions about
who theyre working for or qualms about how their products are going to be used.
Something else to point out is that the Megasydicate is money-driven above almost all else. We probably arent
ever going to find them making any superbugs, as theres no real profit in destroying the world.

10

A B E R R A N T
CHAPTER 1: UNNATURAL SELECTION

OpNet conference call

Encoded OpNet conference call between

Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate lieutenant and
superior
Voice 1: Good evening, sir. The situation regarding the missing shipment to Sydney has been resolved. The
shipment has been recovered and all those responsible for it have been dealt with.
Voice 2: What about that prick Sowell? He was the brains behind that little clusterfuck.
Voice 1: Sowells brains - along with the rest of him - are being harvested as we speak. The finished products ought
to fetch about three times what the shipment is worth once the processing is done, going by the current market prices
for Mite and such. On the bright side, he did make for an excellent guinea pig to test my latest anti-nova prototype on.
It worked like a charm, Sowell was incapacitated very quickly. He lost consciousness before he could realize what was
happening to him and counter the attack.
Voice 2: Did Maggie the Meathook get any hard facts out of Sowell before you tossed him in the grinder?
Voice 1: Yes sir, Sowell was dealing with two verified Nakato Gumi soldiers. Theyve both been captured and
are currently being held by the boys youve lent me. Maggies in the middle of interrogating them, Ill have whatever
information she digs out of their skulls sent to you immediately.
Voice 2: Ill see about giving Kuro-Tek another reminder to keep their fingers the fuck out of our pie and stay over
on their side of the Pacific. Speaking of your pet project, whats the latest word on it?
Voice 1: The latest word is infeasible if were talking about mass production of the higher mammals and large
reptiles. The growth rates of the latter are just too slow for our purposes, and the neurological development problems
of the prior have yet to be resolved. Other than continuing to provide specimens of such as luxury items, I recommend
that this line of research be tabled for the forseeable future. The other lines have much more potential for profit,
especially the rats and insects.
Voice 2: All right then, well be working the dogfighting circuits in the old-fashioned way. Dwyer, send me a review
of whatever new stuff you and your boys have cooked up in the past six months. The junkie crowd is starting to thin out
thanks to Utopias education initiatives, and relying on the traditionals just isnt as profitable as it used to be.
Voice 1: On it, youll have a review of our latest synthetics within five days.
Voice 2: Fine. Dwyer, one last thing. Have your boys ramp up production of the collars, the demand for our
conditioned wares in that market is spiking and spiking big. Well need three more dedicated labs to handle the
production increase, so find some new recruits and make damn sure theyre more trustworthy than Sowell was.
Voice 1: Understood, sir.

11

ABERRANT

The Camparelli-Zhukov
Megasyndicate Biotech
Operation
While Kuro-Tek has long held the position as the worlds
top producer of blacktechbiotech includedtheyve got
some competition from an unexpected source. The Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate has been running a covert
biotech development operation since 2009, and this specialization has allowed them to achieve things that few of
Kuro-Teks bioengineers can match in 2015. This success
hasnt gone unnoticed, as many others would love nothing
better than to shut the Megasyndicates foray into biotech
down for good, with Project Utopias TechReg department
and Kuro-Tek being only two of them. Conflict is at hand.

Humble Beginnings
The C-Z Megasyndicates biotech operation began in
2007 with one Dr. Morgan Dwyer, who erupted as a result
of the cumulative stresses of attaining his medical doctorate. He became a mastermind with the functional equivalent
of multiple doctorates in the life sciences among his other
capabilities. A close encounter with a Proteus operative and
the subsequent deaths of his wife and newborn son scared
him enough to cash in on his family ties to the old Irish Mob
(which had been subsumed by the Megasydicate) and go
underground. After creating several highly profitable new
drugs for the Megasyndicate, Dwyer proposed that his operation expand to take advantage of his non-pharmaceutical
researches. Vor Camparelli agreed, and the rest has been
highly-profitable history. Having nearly a decades worth of
unrestricted biotech research allowed Dwyer to produce
many major advancements in biotech. Now his operation
is an extremely valuable cash cow for the Megasyndicate.

Structure & Organization

As with all other Megasyndicate operations, their biotech operation is a hierarchy headed by vor Dr. Morgan
Dwyer, who answers directly to Vor Luciano Camparelli and
is also the Megasyndicates top bioengineer. Aside from his
own lab facility, Dwyers territory consists of the various
covert R&D labs and production facilities which are used by
his subordinates. Its important to note that aside from the
production of restricted biotech items, Dwyers organization
is dependent on a cadre of Megasyndicate made men
and soldiers for all their needs. This was a deliberate choice
on Vor Camparellis part, as he knows full well that Dwyers
people often need a constant reminder of whos footing
their bills in order to keep them disciplined and productive. Camparellis men handle the procurement of medical

12

equipment, lab supplies and research materials of all kinds

as well as providing security for their labs. The Megasyndicates smugglers handle the transportation of products both
between the labs and to their sellers, in the case of their
new drugs.

Research & Development

The biotech researches done by Dwyer and his underlings are ultimately guided by only one ideal: pure profit.
While many of Dwyers underlings rationalize their working
with criminals as a necessary evil for the greater good, its
still just a rationalization. Proof of this is evident in what
theyve produced in their labs. Aside from the expected
array of new drugs, Megasyndicate bioengineers have created many new genetic engineering procedures. This in turn
has allowed the Megasyndicate to market designer children, anti-aging therapies, small-scale bioweapons, a biotech implant that can reduce fully-grown men and women to
docile slaves and even a genetic therapy intended to induce
eruption in baseline humans. Dwyer himself has created biotech implants which rates as augmentation cyberware, weaponized animals and the truly bizarre textile/lifeform known
as Neofiber in addition to his impressive array of new drugs.

Dwyers Facility
Dr. Dwyers personal lab is disguised as a secluded
private clinic located in the outskirts of Whistler, British
Columbia, Canada. As a well-established resort town with
a high transient population, Whistlers year-round tourist
trade ensures that the traffic going to and from Dwyers
facility remains unnoticed. Dwyer has also taken pains for
the clinic to not only appear unremarkable but downright
boring as far as the outside world is concerned. The ironic
thing is that the facility actually is a functional private clinic
in part, as Dwyer keeps a small retinue of fully-trained doctors and medical personnel to tend to the patients. The only
real differences are that the patients are all Megasyndicate
made men or operatives, and that all the clinics medical
personnel have skeletons in the closet which Dwyer knows
about and uses to keep them under his thumb. Dwyer lives
and performs his work in his personal labs, which are in the
hidden sub-levels of the clinic. Aside from concocting new
drugs and exploring new avenues of biotech research, it is
here where he creates and implants all of the augmentation
cyberware used by the Megasyndicate. While he is content
to farm out the production of his other established biotech
work as needed, Dwyer has yet to train any others in the
creation and implantation of his own brand of cyberware.
He chalks this up to insufficient competence on his underlings part, and Camparelli hasnt seen fit to press him on
the subject... yet.

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ABERRANT
Standard Facilities
Most Megasyndicate bioengineers will have facilities
that are disguised as small private clinics or medical labs,
with their personal labs hidden in sub-basement levels. The
clinics handle all the medical procedures performed on
non-Megasyndicate patients, and even the least of them
can provide medical care up to and including outpatient
surgery. This is important, as these clinics also handle the
implantation of the chemical collars (see pp. 24-25) into
baseline humans enslaved by the Megasyndicate. The labs
are tasked with the production of the majority of the Megasyndicates biotech items, with most of them specializing in
drug production. Those bioengineers who have made their
own profitable biotech advances are rewarded by Dr. Dwyer
with bigger personal labs and increased research funding.

Dr. Morgan Dwyer

Background: Dr. Morgan Dwyer had the misfortune of
spending his early years on a small farm in the Black Triangle region of the Republic of Ireland, specifically in County
Mayo. With the difficulties of attempting to farm land that
consisted mostly of stones and swamp, Morgan quickly
learned that the difference between pet and meal was
mostly a question of timing. He and his parents moved to
the city of Dublin when he was 12. Crime, especially organized crime, was pervasive there and America was a beacon
of hope that things could be different. With crime being far
too dangerous and farming a quick ticket to poverty, early on
Morgan decided to become a rich American medical doctor.

More driven than brilliant, he worked hard to get an education and harder to make sure it was at the right institutions.
He also developed a taste for reading the cyberpunk novels
of William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, which was his only
leisure activity for many years. He immigrated to the U.S. by
getting married to a nice Irish-American girl from Boston,
and graduated from both college and medical school at Harvard. The next step in his life plan was to complete his medical internship and become a doctor.
The pressure of Morgans medical internship was
intense. He often had to tough out 100 hour work weeks
with little money, and things only got worse when his wife
Maeve got pregnant. The keystone was when he dozed off
while filling out a stack of papers, allowing a lab rat to escape
from its cage. Morgan panicked and in his certainty that this
latest stroke of bad luck was going to get him kicked out
of the program, he erupted. At first, becoming a nova was
wonderful for Morgan. He gained the power to order the
rat out into the open and back into its cage, and the ability
to lie convincingly about it so the rats escape never happened. His other powers were mostly research related, or
at least he figured that was how hed use them. For a while,
life was perfect. He very quickly found himself out on the
bleeding edge of science with medical and biotech research
companies begging to shower him with money. This brief
period of happiness ended when he got a job offer from
Project Utopia.
From the first time the Utopian recruiters opened their
mouths, Morgan got an extremely weird vibe coming from
them. Judging their offer too good to be true, Morgan politely
declined their offer and showed them the door. Things too
good to be true usually are, and a few weeks later Morgan
learned that things in the USA werent really so different from
the old country. The offer had clearly been one he couldnt
turn down because someone tried to kill him. Morgan saw
the car accident coming, but not early enough to save the
lives of his wife and infant son. When his family died, so too
did his illusions that the United States was any different from
the rest of the world. It was obviousat least to someone
like himthat the police were going to claim it was an accident, and it was equally obvious that hed joined the rough
game despite his best efforts. Proving a link between his job
offer and his traffic accident would have been impossible,
so Morgan didnt even try. He quickly went underground,
thanks to some American relatives who had ties to both the
old Irish Mob and the Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate.
Accepting that human society really was as depicted in the
cyberpunk novels, no matter what propaganda may tell the
masses otherwise, Morgan stepped deliberately into a life
of crime. Nowadays although his Megasyndicate superiors
may think theyre using him, in reality hes using them. They
supply him with what he needs to live and advance his work,

UNNATURAL SELECTION

13

ABERRANT
and they even thank him for the privilege of playing target
for the rougher players out there.
Image: Eruption did little or nothing to or for Dwyers
looks, as he is the spitting image of an overworked medical
doctor. His hair is a reddish-brown sprinkled with grey and
is starting to thin. He forgets to shave for days at a time and
often wears lab clothes. He is an obsessive note-taker and
always has a pen and pad of paper handy.
Roleplaying Hints: Be cold and logical. Your life is now
all about thinking and making whatever progress you can.
Eventually, any improvement in technology will help mankind no matter where it comes from so ironically what youre
doing is technically good. The celebrity novas of Project
Utopia are just targets as far as youre concerned, likewise
your so-called superiors but never let them know thats
their assigned role. Always make sure you have them give
you the orders you want. Let them have it your way, and
make them think thats the way they wanted it in the first
place. Your family is dead, in no small part because you were
too stupid to see the world for the amoral quagmire it really
is. Never admit this, even to yourself. Your work distracts you
from that distressing line of thought, so work hard. Animals
may be useful and friendly, but theyre not people. Animals
exist to serve a purpose, nothing more. When that purpose
is over and done with, its off to either the glue factory or the
dinner table for them.
Gear: Notepad, pen, Walther P-99 loaded with alternating hollowpoint & AP rounds.
Nature: Analyst.
Allegiance: Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate.
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Perception 5, Intelligence 5, Wits 4, Appearance 2, Manipulation
5, Charisma 2.
Abilities: Athletics 1, Animal Handling 5*, Awareness
3, Brawl 1, Computer 3, Endurance 5, Engineering 5 (Medical Devices), Firearms 2, Linguistics 4 (Gaelic native, English,
Latin, Japanese, Russian), Medicine 5 (Genetics, Pharmacy,
Veterinary), Rapport 5 (Discern Motivation), Resistance 3,
Science 5 (Biology, Chemistry), Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 5
(Deception).
*Dr. Dwyers Animal Handling rating depends greatly on
his Animal Mastery power; if Dwyer is moxed or otherwise
denied access to his quantum powers his Animal Handling
rating drops to 2.
Dr. Dwyer has Ability Mastery in Medicine, Science and
Subterfuge (Adventure! core book, p. 138).
Backgrounds: Allies 3, Attunement 2, Backing 4 (Megasyndicate), Contacts 3, Cipher 2, Devices 5 (drug arsenal,
various bioweapons), Followers 3, Menagerie 5 (weaponized
animals), Node 2, Resources 4.
Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 9, Taint 2.
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Dexterity (Fast Tasks),

14

Mega-Stamina (Adaptability), Mega-Perception (Electromagnetic Vision), Mega-Intelligence (Medical Prodigy, Scientific Prodigy), Mega-Manipulation (Persuader,
Trickster).
Quantum Powers: Animal Mastery , Intuition , Luck
, Psychic Link (Reduced Quantum Cost, 3 pt. weakness: animals only).

Just Waiting For The Hammer To Fall

Despite its relative smallness compared to the rest
of the Megasyndicate, Dr. Dwyers biotech operation has
attracted considerable hostile attention from the Megasyndicates competition and enemies. As this will only increase
as the Megasyndicates forays into biotech become more
widely known, the effectiveness of the distributed nature of
Dwyers hierarchy will be put to the test, possibly to destruction. Dr. Dwyers minor biotech labs and production facilities
can be and often are replaced as necessary, just as Dr. Dwyer
and Vor Camparelli intended. But when Dr. Dwyers personal
facility is uncovered, the whole operation could easily collapse like a house of cards. And while neither Dr. Dwyer nor
the Megasyndicate have noticed anyone investigating the
resort town of Whistler, that doesnt mean that their presence hasnt been discovered...
In the final analysis, both Dr. Dwyer and the Megasyndicates biotech operation are targets just begging for someone to take a shot at them. The only questions are these:
when will the attack come, and who will be attacking them?
The most likely candidates are listed below.
Nakato Gumi / Kuro-Tek: Yoshiro Nakamura didnt
become the oyabun of the most successful Yakuza gang in
Japanese history through friendly business competition, and
his practices havent changed. He sees the Megasyndicates
biotech operation as a direct challenge and an insult to
the primacy of Kuro-Tek in the global market for blacktech.
Nakamuras goal is to crush the operation beyond hope of
recovery while simultaneously appropriating as much of the
Megasyndicates biotech items (and their creators, when
possible) for analysis and reverse engineering by Kuro-Tek.
The duplication of the drug used in the Megasyndicates
chemical collars is a particular sticking point for Nakamura,
as not only is it cheaper to produce and use, its much more
effective than Kuro-Teks cybernetic implant equivalent. All
of Kuro-Teks attempts to reverse-engineer and synthesize
it have failed, so capture of the manufacturing process has
become the only option left to them.
Heaven Thunder Triad: While not as prideful about
their blacktech resources as Kuro-Tek, the leadership of the
triads also considers the Megasyndicates biotech operation
as both unwelcome competition and a source of valuable
biotech. Aside from their expected intense interest in the

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ABERRANT
Megasyndicates new drugs, the triads consider capture of
their meat-based augmentation cyberware implants to be
their highest priority. With metal detectors becoming ubiquitous in important buildings across the globe, a metal-free
alternative to traditional augmentation cyberware is very
desirable.
Project Utopia / Project Proteus: As far as Project Utopias Technological Regulation department (not to mention
Director Thetis) is concerned, the Megasyndicates biotech
operation is some of their worst nightmares of rampant
blacktech come to bloody life. While Thetis does see some
use for a few of the Megasyndicates biotech items, even she
agrees that the majority of it is so socially disruptive that it
needs to be stamped out with extreme prejudice.
The Directive: Director Petr Illyanovich has always
nursed a personal grudge against Alexi Zhukov ever since
his SOBRE days, but has always been prevented by his fellow
Directors from using the Directive against Zhukovs organization. That changedsomewhatwhen intelligence on the
Megasyndicates biotech came to their collective notice.
Faced with a collection of such clear threats to their respective nations that was obviously the product of nova bioengineers, the Directive has made the location and destruction
of the Megasyndicates biotech facilities a high priority. Its
not as satisfying as a direct attack on Zhukov would be,
but Director Illyanovich will take what satisfaction he can in
bringing down the Megasyndicates biotech operation and
harming Zhukov by proxy.
Teragen: Not counting their limited trade in novaderived drugs, the Megasyndicates creation of highly effective anti-nova biotech items is the main reason the Teragen
takes a very dim view of their biotech operation. While they
wont care to engage in open conflict with the Megasyndicate, more than a few Terats wont hesitate to drop dimes
on whatever Megasyndicate biotech facilities they discover.
If the Terats can influence the resulting conflict so that
those troublesome anti-nova items (and their blueprints) are
destroyed in the fighting, so much the better.
National Governments: The Megasyndicates biotech
operation creates small-scale bioweapons and addictive
drugs, facilitates the trafficking of enslaved baselines and
engages in unapproved genetic therapies. None of those
activities endear them to the governments of the First World
nations they operate in, for obvious reasons. While law
enforcement and intelligence agencies can be expected to
clash with the Megasyndicate over this, more than a few military training exercises, war games and missile malfunctions have resulted in demolished Megasyndicate biotech
facilities.
Victims and their loved ones: Dealing in addictive
drugs, risky medical procedures and conditioned slaves
means that the Megasyndicate has harmed countless num-

bers of ordinary people in the process, along with the victims families and friends. While the vast majority of these
unfortunates are everyday people and thus relatively powerless, those few who have some power or influence in baseline society can cause real damage to the Megasyndicates
biotech operation, given enough ingenuity and luck. If one
of these people happens to erupt, the threat he or she will
pose will be increased by a few orders of magnitude. If nothing else, everyday people can fight against the Megasyndicates biotech operation by acting as an intelligence network
and passing vital data to the Megasyndicates enemies.

Planning for the Big Takedown

From the beginning, both Camparelli and Dr. Dwyer
have known that the Megasyndicates biotech operation
would have all sorts of powerful people wanting to see it
subverted and/or destroyed. Camparellis strategy was to
make the operations componentsnova bioengineers
includedas modular and redundant as possible. The way
Camparelli sees it, Project Utopias restrictions on technology arent going to be repealed any time soon, so there will
always be a demand for restricted biotech. Provided that
they can continue to acquire the services of enough unethical nova bioengineers to churn out and improve their established products and develop new ones, the Megasyndicates
biotech operation will become just another reliable and
proven source of revenue, like any other highly profitable
racket. By that point, the only way to stop it would require
crushing the entire C-Z Megasyndicate.
For his part, Dr. Dwyer has no illusions about the risks
both he and the Megasyndicates biotech operation are
facing. While the Megasyndicates previous criminal activities were already more than enough to earn them a spot
on the Global Public Enemies list, the illicit biotech items
that Dr. Dwyer and his underlings have produced pose a
threat that the current Powers That Be will simply not tolerate for long. With that in mind, Dr. Dwyer has entrusted
a few reliable underlings with a small cache holding all the
scientific knowledge (formulas, DNA sequences, schematics
etc.) required to reproduce a portion of Dr. Dwyers biotech
achievements. When the inevitable attack comes, those
underlings have been instucted to take their caches and lie
low in some obscure country. If Dr. Dwyer survives the attack,
he will recontact the couriers through a prearranged Swiss
bank account and reclaim his work. If Dr. Dwyer is killed or
otherwise rendered incapable of continuing his work, the
underlings are to use the contents of their caches for their
own benefit. As a point of historical interest, at the time of
the attack Dr. Dwyer will have entrusted the cache containing all his drug research to a personal friend and Megasyndicate soldier by the name of Anton Sbaria...

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15

ABERRANT
Story Seed: The Wizards Apprentice... or some Seriously Unfortunate Events
Some time ago Dr. Dwyer developed several techniques to create mega-animals that have not only been implanted
with his personal variety of augmentation cyberware but will obey his every command. In theory making a super-strong or fully
intelligent dog or whatever is seriously asking for trouble. However none of his mega-animals has ever shown anything other than
total loyalty to the good Doctor. His staff speculates that part of the process creates a mental link between the human operator
and the animal.
Some things are just too good to be true. Dr. Dwyers mega-animals do show loyalty to him and can mentally communicate
with him, but they dont come out of the implantation machine with those capbilities - they go into the implantation machine
with them. Similarly the high percentage of animals that survive the implantation has more to do with his powers than the process
itself. Dr. Dwyer has the quantum powers of Animal Mastery, Psychic Link (limited to animals), and Luck.
Dr. Dwyer has never admitted to anyone that he has these powers and he has no intention to do so. In his view luck is an
anti-scientific concept and using it would be an admission that he needs it and thus a confession of incompetence. He writes up
every lucky break to his brilliance. Further, in his view animals are tools, not conversationalists. He thinks admitting he can
talk to cows would be embarrassing and not fit the image he tries to project. However hes also a practical man so he uses
these abilities to his advantage when he can. Birds and squirrels make good spies and there are a lot of them running around. He
also owns the larger animals living around the township of Whistler too, just in case he should ever need a black bear.
He developed the augmentation cyberware to witness its effects from the viewpoint of the subject and later develop cyberware that could be used by people. A useful side effect was it let him more fully make use of some of his powers. But although
the implantation machine is usable by baselines, its still a quantum gadget and not a true biotechnological breakthrough. Worse,
none of his subordinates realize just how key the Doctors powers are to its successful use.
Dr. Dwyer correctly claims the mega-animal project isnt fully developed and that he has other things on his platesuch
as refining his human augmentation cyberwarewhich are more important. As far as he is concerned that project has been on
hold for years and will remain so indefinitely. However one of his subordinates has seen an opportunity for advancement and
recently stole the machine. Dr. Dwyer is currently working on something else and hes such a busy man that it might be months
before he notices.
Said subordinate was feeling frustrated with the routine of performing gene therapies and patching up injured Megasyndicate goons at his clinic, which was noticed by a savvy Nakato gumi talent scout. They met clandestinely, started talking and
one thing led to another. The subordinate intends to go into business with Kuro-Tek, but he doesnt quite realize the kind of
people hes dealing with or how the process will turn out without Dr. Dwyers guiding hand. In his vision hell be paid big bucks
to create super-pets for the rich and the mortality rate will be less than 50%. In reality the fatality rate will be more like 90% and
the Nakato gumi already intend to use the animals to win illegal dog fights. That this scheme is a disaster waiting to happen
hasnt occurred to anyone yet.

16

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The Biotech Bazaar

Despite the biotech industry having received both
extraordinary support and hindrances from the world at
large, it continues to offer a very wide array of products
for sale. What follows is a collection of highlights of the
more remarkable products that either already are or could
become available, circumstances and the Storytellers preferences permitting.
Storyteller Notes: The following items are categorized
as either advancements or innovations, as established
on p. 176 of the Adventure! core book. For those lacking
that book, advancements are direct linear developments of
existing concepts, and can be considered mundane technology. Innovations are the full-blown super-science items,
and those produced by novas are also known as quantum
gadgets (Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 143-148). Also,
item costs and the exact identities of the independent producers have both been left to the Storytellers discretion.
Finally, as some of these items deal with sensitive subjects
like human reproduction, we strongly encourage you to discuss them with your players before introducing them into
your Aberrant chronicle.

petent Megasyndicate arsonists. Traditional arsonists will

cause what are called rat fires by taking an ordinary
live rat, dousing it in kerosene and lighting its tail on fire.
The unfortunate rat is then released to run throughout the
spaces between a buildings walls, causing a major fire to
spread much more quickly throughout the building than a
typical accidental fire would. Dwyers bioengineered rats
secrete a waxy burnable fat in their fur. They are effectively
living candles. They can be set on fire with a match and will
continue to burn after they are dead. Their skin is also somewhat resistant to burning damage and heat, which prolongs
the time they can run and spread the flames in their futile
attempts to escape being burned alive.
System: Arson Rats have 2 dots of lethal soak against
flame damage, which doesnt prevent them from being lit
on fire by an arsonist, but only lets them survive & run a
while longer than a normal rat could. Otherwise they have
identical stats to normal rats. Using an Arson Rat to start a
rat fire will lower the arsonists difficulties by 2 on the roll
used for committing arson - usually Intelligence + Intrusion
or Demolitions. Arson Rats require no special care beyond
that required to keep a normal rat alive and healthy, are an
advancement and usable by baselines.

Agriculture & Terraforming

Even with the successes achieved by Project Utopia,
there are still many problems with the global ecology that
must be addressed. Many of the more reputable biotech
firms have built their fortunes upon either augmenting the
planets capability to sustain human life or repairing the ecological damage inflicted by previous generations. Even so,
there is still a dark side in this field of biotech to be wary of.

Arson Rats
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Bioengineered fauna
Description: Another creation of Dr. Morgan Dwyer,
these bioengineered rodents are strictly for use by com-

Bomb Bugs
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Bioengineered fauna
Description: Just as the name states, Bomb Bugs are
bioengineered fast-growing insects which can detonate
as high-grade explosives when triggered. Created by Dr.
Morgan Dwyer strictly for use by competent Megasyndicate
assassins, these creatures have proven to not only be efficient weapons but are fairly difficult for conventional forensics to identify.
System: Bomb Bugs are controlled and triggered by
a special radio transceiver (also designed by Dr. Dwyer), as
they are unduly sensitive to signals on certain little-used
radio frequencies. Controlling the movements of the Bomb
Bugs is much like controlling an RC toy, except that the control transceiver will also have a graphics display for building
schematics and showing the Bomb Bugs positions in real
time. Bomb Bugs can be employed in two configurations:
standard explosive and shaped-charge. One kilogram of
Bomb Bugs in standard explosive configuration inflicts 10
dice of Lethal damage on everything within three meters,
dropping to half-damage at up to six meters. In shapedcharge configuration one kilogram of Bomb Bugs inflicts

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nine automatic health levels and 10 dice of lethal damage
to the target, which must be within 30 centimeters. Finally,
until the mid-2030s (by which time baseline forensic science
will have learned to recognize the chemical traces involved)
all attempts to identify the traces left by Bomb Bugs using
conventional forensics are rolled at a +3 difficulty penalty.
Fortunately, as literal living explosives Bomb Bugs
require special care and attention to keep them in optimum condition for use. Bomb Bugs must be kept in an
RF-shielded hive until ready for use, and must be fed
on the special foodstuffs concocted by Dr. Dwyer and his
underlings. As an additional mentod of keeping control of
the technology, all Bomb Bugs are effectively sterile without
a special trigger pheromone kept under lock & key by Dr.
Dwyer himself. If neglected, Bomb Bugs will not be able to
explode as intended, resulting in either a weakened explosion or simply turning into harmless (if disgusting) goo when
triggered. Bomb Bugs are also at risk for premature explosion if exposed to a strong radio signal on the correct frequency. Novas with Hyperenhanced Hearing can determine
the frequency and control the Bomb Bugs with a Perception
+ Awareness roll at a +2 difficulty penalty, although simply
triggering unshielded Bomb Bugs just requires an automatic action once the frequency is known. Both the exact
species of insect being used as Bomb Bugs and the radio
frequency used to control them will vary with the hive being
used. Bomb Bugs are an advancement and are usable by
baselines. If stats for Bomb Bugs are required, they will be
identical to those for normal insects of the type in question.

Bonded Animals
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Bioengineered fauna
Description: These are otherwise normal animals which
have been implanted with a small portion of human DNA
from the owner at the time of (in vitro) fertilization in a process known and mastered only by Dr. Morgan Dwyer. When
done correctly, this transgenic implant mentally bonds the
human donor to the resulting animal in a fashion that can
only be called psychic. The C-Z Megasyndicate markets this
as a high-end luxury/personal security item to wealthy customers. Most Bonded Animals are created from predatory
mammals such as large attack dogs or big cats, but using
bears or wolverines isnt unheard of.
System: Dr. Dwyers transgenic implant creates what
amounts to one dot of the Psychic Link quantum power
between the bonded animal and its owner. After its birth the
animal in question must remain within 20 meters of its owner
for the bond to develop properly, which happens when
the animal reaches adolescence. After that the animal and
owner can be separated by up to 2,000 kilometers without

18

risk of breaking the bond. A Bonded Animal will carry out

whatever commands its owner gives it, and will never willingly attack or harm its owner. There are two downsides to
this situation. First, if the bond between animal and master
should ever be broken, either by distance or psychic interference from a telepath or Mental Noise Generator (Aberrant:
The Directive, p. 57), both animal and master will become
despondent and listless until the bond is restored. In game
terms, the animals depression will limit it to eating, sleeping
and crapping, while the owner will effectively be operating
at -1 to his or her permanent Willpower. Restoring the link
merely requires the owner and animal to come within 20
meters of each other. The second drawback is the severe
emotional codependency between owner and animal. The
owner must make a Willpower roll at +1 difficulty to knowingly send the Bonded Animal into a dangerous situation.
Furthermore, if the owner dies the bonded animal will die
as well. If the animal dies instead, the owner must make a
Willpower roll at +2 difficulties to avoid losing a dot of permanent Willpower. Bonded Animals are an Innovation, and
can only be created by novas.

DNA Overstamp
Producer: Independent biotech firm
Category: Genetic alteration
Description: Initially developed to speed the reintroduction of cloned wildlife into refurbished ecologies, this
procedure alters the reproductive organs of a host animal to
begin producing the gametes of a different (although of a
closely-related species) animal. Use of this procedure is now
commonplace among wildlife conservators, zoo breeders
and livestock breeders. Unfortunately, the nova who initially
developed it has also been working on a variant procedure
useable on humans, and has managed to create a working
prototype of it. His intentions are good, as he intends to
use the procedure to alleviate the sterility problem of most
novas. While there are some legitimate uses for it, it is far
more likely to be used by the unscrupulous on other people
without their knowledge or consent. While the existence of
the human DNA Overstamp has been kept a secret so far, an
item with such a nightmarish potential for abuse cannot be
kept under wraps indefinitely, since sooner or later someone
will find out that the children they have conceived arent
really theirs.
System: The animal DNA Overstamp is considered
an advancement, and users will only have to deal with the
expected (minimal) regulations intended to prevent animal
cruelty. The human DNA Overstamp is currently not only an
innovation, but is plagued by several minor flaws. At the
Storytellers discretion, a human host has anywhere from a 3
to 15% chance of developing reproductive health problems

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such as reduced fertility, sterility or even ovarian or testicular
cancer. Even if no health problems develop, the emotional
anguish of an unwilling human host discovering that he/she
has been subjected to the human DNA Overstamp can be
extreme. Its even worse if this is discovered in the aftermath
of a pregnancy, which makes the human DNA Overstamp
perhaps the ultimate form of cuckoldry. And if that wasnt
enough, the nova inventor and his/her associates are currently working to both eliminate the flaws or the existing
prototype and to make the final version useable by baselines as well as novas (read: make it into an advancement).

Feedweed
Producer: Independent biotech firm
Category: Bioengineered flora
Description: By the turn of the 21st Century the combined pressures of public boycotts, honest governmental
oversight and Utopian sanctions put an end to the practice
of feeding livestock a cheap diet rich in harmful antibiotics
and hormones, animal wastes and slaughterhouse scraps.
Those livestock producers who bowed to the pressure
switched to switched to free-range organic grazing, while
those who didnt quickly found themselves driven out of
business. The problem with that was the greater expense of
free range grazing compared to the banned industrial feeds,
which threatened to drive up meat, poultry and dairy prices
and further reduce their profit margin. That all changed
when a biotech firm in Alabama put Feedweed out on the
market with Utopias full approval in 2012. Given the blessing of such an inexpensive and efficient source of high-quality organic livestock fodder, the livestock industry has been
making a strong recovery ever since.
System: Feedweed is a bioengineered kudzu vine
which can grow and thrive in all but the poorest soils, given
sufficient groundwater. It also grows quickly, sprouting and
regenerating its heavy foliage nearly on a daily basis in optimum conditions. The profuse leaves make excellent feed
for nearly all kinds of ruminants, swine and poultry. The only
exceptions are camels and llamas, who have exhibited a
severe allergic reaction to Feedweed. The developers have
no plans to correct this, given those animals arid native
climes and relative unpopularity outside the Middle East
and South America.
Unfortunately, there is a subtle problem with Feedweed
that has yet to be noticed by anyone as yet. Feedweeds
ability to produce high-quality foliage is dependent on
its extremely wide-ranging root system. While this makes
Feedweed a highly reliable source of fodder, it also means
that it will strip away all available nutrients in the soil, even
to the point of actively predating on any fungi and other
plants that come into contact with Feedweed roots. Given

four to eight years of unrestricted growth (Storytellers discretion as to the exact amount of time required), a planting of Feedweed originally intended to support a thousand
head of cattle will reach a tipping point and can begin a
cycle of exponential growth. When that happens, the Feedweed will begin to overrun the pasturage around it at the
rate of 200% of its previous area per month. Feedweed is
also very hardy, as those herbicides that can kill it are also
dangerous enough to be banned for use in most First World
Nations. The threat it will eventually pose to human agriculture and the global environment as a whole will be extreme
if left unchecked. Feedweed is an advancement produced
by baseline scientists.

Genocide Genes
Producer: Independent biotech firm
Category: Genetic alteration
Description: Originally developed to eliminate a
number of human parasites, this procedure fatally skews the
gender ratio of the affected creatures descendants so that
no females will be produced. These male descendants then
spread these genes throughout the wild population and
eventual extinction of the population is inevitable. Although
ineffective against hermaphroditic or asexual parasites,
use of this procedure has saved many human lives in the
Third World nations and elsewhere. Despite that, use of
this procedure remains regulated due to the potential for it
to be adapted for use on populations of wildlife, livestock
and even humans. While no such development has been
noticed as yet, there could easily be some (likely deranged)
nova bioengineer attempting to make than nightmare into a
reality in some hidden lab...
System: Genocide Genes intended for parasites are

Story Seed: The Nightmare Becomes

Flesh
Before being arrested by Project Utopias Tech Police, an
insane nova bioengineer has given humanity a very nasty little
present: the introduction of fully-functional human Genocide
Genes into the gene pool. The nova bioengineer only managed
to alter the genetics of a few people before being caught,
but if left unchecked the Genocide Genes will, generation by
generation, spread throughout the general human population. As
the only novas who are both capable of and available to counter
this menace, the player characters are faced with the choice of
killing, sterilizing or otherwise dealing with these unfortunates.
Are they willing to kill or sterilize innocent people - some of them
children - in the name of protecting humankind as a whole? Or
is there another, less ruthless way for the player characters to
neutralize this threat?

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an advancement and skew the sex ratio of an affected
creatures offspring to nearly 100% male. Genocide Genes
intended for use on valuable animals are currently innovations, but could plausibly be developed into an advancement given sufficient backing and protection. Genocide
Genes intended for humans are considered innovations and
will remain so for the entirety of the Nova Age, due to the
extreme resistance to its development from the authorities and other hostile parties. No sane baseline or nova will
countenance the threat posed by human Genocide Genes,
and given how long humans take to reproduce the crazy
ones will hopefully try something else.

Gen-Pets Exotics
Producer: Gen-Pets Ltd. (Independent biotech firm)
Category: Bioengineered fauna
Description: Given the thriving market for exotic pets,
it was inevitable that bioengineers would attempt to create
some truly exotic animals for the more jaded pet fanciers.
That happened in 2010 when an independent firm from
Vancouver created a brief storm of controversy by putting out a line of glowing housecats, songbirds and small
dogs on the market. Circa 2015, Gen-Pets Ltd. is the bestknown and most respected producer of such bioengineered
housepets, which are considered to be the gold standard by
exotic pet fanciers.
System: Gen-Pets produces several varieties of exotic
pets, which are detailed below. All kinds of Gen-Pets are
considered advancements and may be used by baselines.
Glo-Pets: Gen-Pets original line of Exotics has been
expanded greatly in the five years since its initial debut.
These are otherwise ordinary domestic housepets - available types include cats, dogs, songbirds, parrots and many
species of aquarium fish - which have been bioengineered
with various forms of luciferin in their fur, feathers or scales.
As long as they remain fairly healthy and well-fed, they can
glow in the dark (for up to 1 hour) as if they had 1 dot of the
Bioluminescence quantum power when desired. Except for
the fish, which will glow whenever its dark enough, Glo-Pets
can be trained to glow on command. Glo-Pets are available
in any color of the basic visible light spectrum, and research
towards creating multicolored Glo-Pets is underway. GloPets are not sterile, but as their luciferin mutations are all
recessive most people are content to buy them from GenPets instead of breeding their own. In all other ways, GloPets will share the same stats as typical members of their
species.
Living Fossils: These are recreated specimens of
recently-extinct species such as the dodo, thylacine, passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet. As they have not
been bioengineered beyond restoring them to life, Gen-

20

Pets Living Fossils do not face any restrictions beyond what

is normally applied to exotic pets. Aside from the expected
market demand from pet owners, Living Fossils have also
been popular with many zoos and wildlife conservation programs worldwide. Living Fossils will have the same basic
stats as their contemporary analogues; i.e. dodos arent
much different from a domestic turkey, while thylacines are
similar to wolves.
Mini-Lions: These are domesticated dwarf versions
of the various African lion species, and are similar in size
to the Maine Coon variety of domestic housecat. While
they retain a good deal of the sociability of their full-sized
cousins, increased neoteny makes Mini-Lions surprisingly
affectionate pets, almost to the levels displayed by dogs.
Unfortunately they cant be kept around domestic herbivores, as they will gang up on the obvious prey animal and
try to kill it at first opportunity. That said, they will also happily share the kill with their human owners. Mini-Lions have
unexpectedly proven to be especially good pets for families
with small children, of whom they can be quite protective.
Mini-Lions require a diet of fresh raw meat and clean water
(plus the occasional bit of greenery) to stay healthy. Aside
from having an extra dot of Strength and Stamina, MiniLions share the same stats as domestic housecats.
Minisaurs: Gen-Pets latest line of Exotics are bioengineered midget recreations (using recombinant DNA from
several reptile and bird species) of a few of the more intelligent herbivorous dinosaurs. The bipedals are about the size
of a large goose, while the quadrupeds are the size of a typical St. Bernard sheepdog. Gen-Pets Minisaurs have proven
to be affectionate pets, if a bit dim-witted compared to
your average dog. Minisaurs are best kept on a diet of fresh
greenery, making them best suited to those pet owners who
are also gardeners or who make frequent trips to the grocery. Fortunately for their owners, Minisaurs sense of smell
has been increased through bioengineering so that they will
refuse to eat any plant that is toxic to them. Minisaurs will
share most of the stats of large geese and dogs respectively,
save for being less effective in combat and less aggressive.

Hazmat Weeds
Producer: Zushima Biologicals (a Project Utopia subsidiary)
Category: Bioengineered flora
Description: With the success of their metal-sequestering plants (Aberrant: Year One, p. 76), Zushima Biologicals began development of similar plants designed to
leach out and sequester hazardous chemicals from the soil.
Hazmat Weeds have been developed to deal with a legion
of environmental poisons such as banned pesticides and
herbicides, Agent Orange and mercury. There have been

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attempts to develop Hazmat Weeds that can handle substances such as depleted uranium and nuclear waste, but
they have yet to hit the market and may never do so.
System: Hazmat Weeds are used much like metalsequestering plants are: theyre planted in a plot of contaminated ground and left to grow to maturity. At that point,
instead of being burned on site (the chemicals are only
sequestered, not neutralized) the plants are harvested
roots and allthen carted off to special facilities for safe
disposal. Most Hazmat Weeds are advancements, and are
available for sale worldwide. The exceptions are the two
Hazmat Weeds designed to sequester depleted uranium
and nuclear waste, which are considered innovations and
will not be available for sale until versions usable by baselines can be developed.

Mindel Metal Bugs

Producer: Levia Mindel
Category: Bioengineered microlife
Description: After having her initial achievement
eclipsed by Project Utopia, nova Levia Mindel turned her
attention towards a class of aquatic contaminants that
neither the Zushima macrobe nor her own pollution-eating
microbe could affect: the metals dissolved in seawater. Her
researches led her to develop several strains of bacteria
that are each designed to seek out and sequester a specific
metal, then form colonies for easy retrieval. While her Gold
Bugs have yet to eke out much of a profit, Mindel has made
a tidy sum from the metal refiners who buy the resulting
gelatinous ores. Surprisingly enough one of her biggest successes to date has been the Mercury Bugs, the continued
production and use of which has been officially subsidized
by the Japanese government.
System: Mindel Metal Bugs are sold in the form of
decaliter-sized bacterial colonies which look like cloudy gray
jelly. Once released into seawater, a given strain of Metal
Bugs will immediately begin to seek out and sequester their
preferred metal. The time required for this can vary widely,
depending on the amount and density of the dissolved
metal in the vicinity. For instance, accumulating anything
more than a tiny amount of gold could take several days,
while cleaning up a pool of mercury would only require a few
minutes. After either sequestering all the available metal or
coming up empty, the Metal Bugs will reform back into a
gelatinous colony that will have a predesignated color to
indicate their status. Colonies rich in their specific metal will
have vibrant shades, while those with less of the metal will
have pale shades. Colonies with no metal at all will remain
their original cloudy gray. Its also important to note that
Metal Bugs are completely unable to sequester any nondissolved metal other than mercury, which is a liquid at the

Earth-normal temperature range. All strains of Mindel Metal

Bugs are considered advancements.

Mindel Methane Bug

Producer: Levia Mindel
Category: Bioengineered microlife
Description: Levia Mindel has also developed a countermeasure to another highly dangerous oceanic contaminant: the frozen deposits of methane underneath the ocean
floors. If they were to be released into the atmosphere as
methane gas, the resulting ecological damage from climate
shifting and global warming would be enormous. After
acquiring samples of a naturally occuring methane-eating
extremeophile Archaea microbe with the help of a DeVries
deep-sea specialist elite, Mindel developed a bioengineered version of it that both reproduces and devours methane deposits with extraordinary speed. As Mindel Methane
Bugs can operate in a variety of harsh environments, they
have also been used to eliminate the dangerous methane
underneath the permafrost of the Russian Confederation
and other arctic nations.
System: Mindel Methane Bugs are pretty much a fire
and forget solution for inconvenient deposits of underground methane. Once released into a methane deposit,
they begin to eat voraciously and reproduce at an exponential
rate. Depending on the size of a given methane deposit, the
Methane Bugs could completely devour it in anywhere from
a few hours to several weeks. Mindel also designed them to
die off quickly once their methane supply is exhausted, after
which they become harmless biomass and excellent food
for whatever natural predatory and/or scavenger microbes
may be nearby. Mindel Methane Bugs are an advancement.

The Purple Plastic Eater

Producer: Zushima Biologicals (a Project Utopia subsidiary)
Category: Bioengineered fungi
Description: After their success in cleaning up the
global environment, some Utopian scientists decided to take
on the household environment. Recognizing the health hazards posed by many of the chemicals found in old-fashioned
plastics (such as Bisphenol-A), they developed a fungus
designed to break down those plastics and sequester the
dangerous chemicals for safe disposal. Packaged as part
of what are essentially carbon-fiber rubbish bins of varying
sizes, Utopia attempted to market it as the New Beginnings
plastic disposal system. That branding failed as everyone except PUs marketing executives began calling it the
Purple Plastic Eater, due to the very bright violet hue of
the fungi. The product was swiftly renamed and has been a
popular household item in the First World nations ever since.

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System: The Purple Plastic Eater is extremely simple to
use and requires no electrical power: just toss in a plastic
item that will fit in it and seal the interior envelope and exterior lid. If given a liter of fresh water once a week, the mat
of bioengineered fungi within will break down the plastic
within 20 minutes to 6 hours, depending on the items size.
A set of chemically-triggered telltales on the bins front indicate when the bin is ready to break down plastic, is currently
breaking down plastic, the health of the fungi and when the
bins detachable resevoir is full. Full resevoirs are taken back
to a licensed dealer for safe disposal of the contents and to
get a free fresh resevoir. Since fresh resevoirs also contain
vital nutrient supplements that the fungi cant get from their
diet of plastics, customers have a strong incentive to keep
the cycle going instead of just tossing full resevoirs in a landfill or a burn pile. The Purple Plastic Eater is an advancement
and is usable by baselines.

Carnosaurs are all about the size of a small tiger, and are
nearly as intelligent. All of these creatures are chemically
castrated, requiring an introduced enzyme to become fertile (which is costly). It should also be noted that keeping a
Mini-Carnosaur is much like keeping a big cat or bear as a
pet: an extremely risky and dangerous practice. More than a
few governments are putting laws on the books that would
allow police and private citizens to shoot Mini-Carnosaurs
(and other dangerous exotic pets) with impunity if they pose
a threat to life and/or property. Some social commentators
have noted that the shoot with impunity laws might need
to be extended to cover the owners of such dangerous
beasts as well. Mini-Carnosaurs are an advancement and
are usable by baselines.
Traits: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4,
Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Brawl 2, Stealth 2,
Intimidation 3
Willpower: 3
Health Levels: Ok, Ok, Ok, Ok, -1, -1, -2, -3, -4, Inc.
Attacks: Bite 5L, Tail Slap 5B, Claw 4L (Deinonychus only).

Pet Chimera

Mini-Carnosaurs
Producer: Independent biotech firm
Category: Bioengineered fauna
Description: When Gen-Pets put their Minisaurs out
on the market, a few pet fanciers were disappointed that
Gen-Pets had not only restricted themselves to herbivorous
dinosaurs but refused to even do research on developing
carnivorous Minisaurs. Sensing an opportunity, in 2013 one
of Gen-Pets less-than-ethical competitors managed to lure
away one of the top Minisaur bioengineers from Gen-Pets
with promises of increased freedom of research and a very
fat salary. Two years later, the Mini-Carnosaurs have just now
hit the gray market for exotic pets. Only Mini-Carnosaur versions of Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Deinonychus are
currently available as of 2015, as the possibility of expanding the line is up in the air until the Mini-Carnosaurs profitability can be determined.
System: Much like Gen-Pets Minisaurs, Mini-Carnosaurs were created from recombinant DNA from several
reptile and bird species, but the similarities end there. Mini-

22

Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate

Category: Bioengineered fauna
Description: A brand-new byproduct of his research
into augmenting humans with transgenic DNA implants,
Dr. Morgan Dwyer bioengineered these mammals with sections of transgenic human DNA. The resulting animals are
odd-looking in the extreme, but are as intelligent as a dim
baseline human. Pet Chimeras dont truly qualify as sapient
and will be legally considered animals once their existence
becomes widely known. The Megasyndicate is currently
touting Pet Chimeras as the ultimate luxury for the wealthiest (and most eccentric) of exotic pet fanciers. Pet Chimeras are most commonly derived from domestic dog breeds
and housecats, although any higher mammal could be
used. Needless to say, the existence of these creatures will
upset both human and animal rights activists but fall into the
middle ground as far as legality is concerned, being product
rather than pet or person.
System: Pet Chimeras look like bizarre mixtures of
animal and human traits, with the animal traits predominating. The stats of Pet Chimeras are those of the base animal,
with the following added traits: Intelligence 1, Perception
3, Wits 2, Appearance 2, Manipulation 1 and Charisma 2.
Pet Chimeras also share the same lifespans and maturation
rates as their base animal species. For an added cost (an
additional 2 Resources dots would be the minimum), Pet
Chimeras can also be created as Bonded Animals (see the
listing above). Pet Chimeras are an advancement and are
usable by baselines.

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Quantum-Powered Animals
Producer: Independent nova bioengineer
Category: Bioengineered fauna
Description: Ever since humans first domesticated animals as something other than a source of food, the idea that
some fantastic beasts could also be made to serve clever
men has been one of their most common fantasies. It wasnt a
big leap of imagination to figure that the gods would likewise
have wondrous animals at their beck and call. With the novas
status as de facto gods of the 21st Century, it is inevitable that
one or more nova bioengineers will seek to make that fantasy into concrete reality. Although the possibility of animal
novas is laughed off by nearly all baseline experts on nova
powers as of 2015, the potential for them to be created does
exist. Its only a question of if and when it will happen.
System: Although the exact means used to create
them can vary with the individual nova bioengineer, whats
required to create Quantum-Powered Animals is a quantum gadget capable of replicating the Mutation technique
of the Ecological Supremecy power. (Details for these can
be found on pp. 143-148 and pp. 129-130 of the Aberrant
Players Guide, respectively.) This restricts the creation of
the required quantum gadget to nova bioengineers with
Quantum scores of 7 or more. The nova capabilities of
the transformed animals will be determined as set out in the
Mutation technique listing, with successes being pooled as
the user (usually the nova bioengineer) desires. One success
can grant the animal one nova points worth of a power. Two
successes can grant an enhancement (without the accompanying Mega-Attribute dot), while three successes can grant
a Mega-Attribute dot (without enhancements). QuantumPowered Animals will not have an actual Quantum trait,
but will be treated as having the minimum Quantum to
use its power and a pool of 5 quantum points per dot of
Quantum. Quantum-Powered Animals cannot increase
their nova capabilities, but neither can they gain Taint or
aberrations, save perhaps when one or more botches are

made on the initial Mutation roll. The technology required

to create Quantum-Powered Animals is an innovation and
can only be used by novas.
Storyteller Note: As the idea of super-powered animals
is a very four-color concept, they could easily clash with the
tone of your Aberrant chronicle and/or the expectations of
your players. As a highly optional story element, we recommend that the concept be discussed with your players before
introducing it. On the other hand, if your Aberrant chronicle
is four-color to begin with, this may not be such a problem...

Story Seed: REVOLUTION!!!!

In this case, its an entirely different reclusive nova bioengineer who develops Quantum-Powered Animals, and he isnt
a nice or ethical person in the least. Instead he is a world-class
sociopathic bastard, as he immediately sold his first trio of
super-dog pups to an organized crime group for the purpose
of engaging in illegal dogfights, mostly out of curiousity as to
what would happen and general irresponsibility. The crooks
trained their super-dogs for three months. After some mishaps
and two human fatalities (as well as LOTS of dead normal dogs)
they finally had three well-trained fighting super-dogs. Inspired
by this they asked the nova bioengineer to make fifteen more
super-dogs for them... and then three months later disaster happened. One of the super-dogs decided he was in charge, and
much worse, the rest of the super-dogs backed him up. The
end result was bloody revolution, a massacre of all the baselines
present, and the formation of a pack of 18 vicious super-dogs
which fled the scene. The good news is that this particular batch
of Quantum-Powered Animals wont breed true. The bad news
is their leader is fully sapient, rather intelligent and very insane
as well (Storytellers discretion as to his exact mental disorders).
Any sane nova with Animal Mastery would have realized this and
had him euthanized as a pup. As it is the new pack leader has
declared war on humanity.

Story Seed: Adventures in Keeping Super-Pets!

A reclusive, kind-hearted nova bioengineer friend of one of the player characters has managed to create the worlds first
Quantum-Powered Animal, but has also somehow kept the achievement a secret from the rest of the world. Citing a need for
covert field testing, he bestows this affectionate little bioengineered beast to one or more of the player characters... as a
housepet. Fortunately (or not), its close to the average power level (read: nova point count) of the player characters, so they will
have a decent shot at keeping control of it. Living with an ordinary dog or housecat can be frustrating enough without tossing
quantum powers into the mix. A super-dog could not only chase cars, but catch them with ease. Where normal dogs dig up small
gardens, a super-dog could literally dig up entire yards. As far as super-dogs are concerned, anything less than a steel bank vault
door is a pet door waiting to happen. Super-cats arent much better, as one could literally raid the pantry whenever it felt hungry,
instead of having to wait for its master to give it food. Normal cats only scratch their owners wardrobe and/or furniture with their
claws, but a super-cat could demolish both with relative ease. And if all that wasnt bad enough, the player characters must keep
the super-pets existence a secret while dealing with its antics.

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Medicine
Ever since humans first realized that they could do
things to help themselves recover from injuries and ailments, their drive to advance the field of medicine has
been relentless and its practitioners admired. Likewise, the
potential of medicine to be abused has also been recognized since Hammurabis time. This situation has not really
changed with the coming of the novas, only its aspects both positive and negative - have been magnified.

Accelerated Healing Gel

Producer: Triton Pharmaceuticals
Category: Life support
Description: Inspired by the use of synthetic breathing liquids, one of Tritons nova medical researchers came
up with a gelatin that not only transfers the required level
of oxygen directly to a patients lungs and/or bloodstream,
but also transports nutrients to and wastes away from the
patients cells. The fact that the gels viscosity can keep lungs
from collapsing and relieves nearly all harmful pressure on
damaged tissues is considered a crowning touch. As this
kind of unprecendented life support allows formerly radical
medical techniques to be used safely, injuries that would
have been guaranteed death certificates can be healed
in a matter of hours. As of 2015, medical tank beds full
of Accelerated Healing Gel can be found and are used in
all the best hospitals and private clinics of the First World
nations.
System: If used in tandem with advanced medical
treatment (Aberrant core book, p. 255), Accelerated Healing Gel will multiply its effect threefolda patient fortunate
enough to receive both will recover Health Levels at six time
categories higher on the Health chart. Note that the normal
minimum times for healing damage still apply here: each
level of Bashing damage will take five minutes and each
level of Lethal damage will take one hour to heal. Accelerated Healing Gel may only be used once before having to
be replaced with a fresh supply, as supporting the quickened healing consumes most if not all of its nutrient supply.
Accelerated Healing Gel is an advancement and can be
used and duplicated by baselines.

Advanced Cosmetic Surgeries

Producer: Many independent medical firms
Category: Surgical techniques
Description: Thanks to the wide array of medical
advances brought about in the early Nova Agemost notably the creation of synthetic organ transplantsthe field of
cosmetic surgery has seen dramatic improvement by 2015.
Not only are the better cosmetic surgeries available much

24

more natural-looking than those available circa 1997, they

also keep looking good as the patient ages. Even so, there
is still a risk that the surgerys effect can backfire, harming
the patients erstwhile good looks or even ruining them
completely.
System: Advanced Cosmetic Surgeries covers everything from breast augmentations and reductions, hair
restoration and penile enlargement to full-scale facial reconstruction and major skin grafts. They also come in three categories: Minor (i.e. nosejobs & the like), Median (such as
breast augmentation) and Major (such as facial reconstruction). The roll for performing Advanced Cosmetic Surgeries is Intelligence + Medicine, with a difficulty penalty of
+1 added when attempting a Median surgery and +2 for a
Major surgery. Attempts to redefine a patients Ugliness as
standard appearance adds a flat +2 difficulty penalty.
If all goes well with the surgery, the patients Appearance can be raised by up to 2 dots with cheap surgery, or
by up to 3 dots plus addition of the Sexy Merit (Aberrant
Players Guide, p. 75) with expensive surgery. If the surgery
is botched, a patient undergoing cheap surgery could have
her dots of Appearance redefined as Ugliness and gain the
Bad Vibe Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 76) at the 1
point level. If a expensive surgery is botched, the patient
could lose only one or two dots of Appearance.
It should also be noted that patients whose Appearance
is defined as Ugliness are handled differently. If successful,
such a patient undergoing cheap surgery can lose up to 2
dots of Appearance, while one undergoing expensive surgery could have his Appearance rating redefined as standard attractive Appearance and also gain the Sexy Merit.
One drawback that hasnt changed is that having had
prior Advanced Cosmetic Surgeries makes undergoing
further surgeries more difficult. In game terms, each prior
Advanced Cosmetic Surgery the patient has undergone
successful or notwill take away one success from the
roll for all Advanced Cosmetic Surgeries performed in the
future.
Finally, since undergoing Advanced Cosmetic Surgery
involves the implantation of synthetic organ tissue grown
from the patients own stem cells, theres none of the risks
associated with traditional synthetic implants. Advanced
Cosmetic Surgeries are advancements and can be performed by baselines.

Chemical Collar
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Medical implant (synthetic gland)
Description: With their long history of trafficking in
humans for the slave trade, the Megasyndicate has always
kept an eye out for ways to make their human wares more

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docile and less likely to rebel against and/or escape from
their would-be owners. When Dr. Morgan Dwyer entered
their service, his superiors gave him that problem in order
to test his competence and capabilities. Dr. Dwyer created
the Chemical Collar, which let him pass the test with flying
colors, to the detriment of humanity as a whole. As of 2015,
Chemical Collars are routinely implanted in the highest
quality of women, children and handsome young men that
have been enslaved by the Megasyndicates procurement
operations.
System: The Chemical Collar is a tiny synthetic gland
like the much simpler Disulfram Implant (Aberrant: Year
One, p. 75). Surgically implanted next to the spinal cord,
the gland produces a highly complex mix of neurotransmitters, inhibitors and endorphinsunimaginatively named
Slavedrugthat makes the implanted slave extremely
submissive to whoever holds his or her leash. (See the
drug listing below for details.) The implant also has a tiny
radio transponder and neuron chip which lets the owner
control the slave by means of the handheld radio transceiver
leash.
The leash has three functions, the first of which automatically triggers the Chemical Collar to deliver a standard
dose of Slavedrug on a weekly basis, keeping the slave submissive and docile. The second function makes the Chemical Collar deliver a massive overdose of Slavedrug, killing
the slave and destroying the Collar. The third function will

automatically deliver the Slavedrug overdose if the slave

moves further away from the leash than 20 to 50 meters
(owners choice as to the exact range), restricting the slaves
range of movement.
As an additional measure, many owners also like to
have locator chips implanted into their slaves to make hiding
futile. Fortunately, slaves need not be doomed to live out
lives of servitude and degradation after being implanted
with a Chemical Collar. Stealing the leash works quite well,
provided that the slave realizes that the thief has it and not
the former owner.
If the antidote to Slavedrug is concocted, the slave can
be injected with it on site before being taken to a good
hospital or clinic for prompt removal of the Chemical Collar.
Chemical Collars require only outpatient surgery to be
implanted into and removed from baseline humans. Chemical Collars are an advancement and can be duplicated and
used by baselines.

Eruption Catalyst
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Genetic alteration (via retrovirus)
Description: While performing personal research on
analyses of several thousand DNA samples (including his
own), one of Dr. Dwyers more capable nova underlings
by the name of Dr. Kirill Mirsky made a startling discovery. While the actual M-R gene sequence remained as rare

The C-Z Slavedrug

Toxin Rating: 3
Vector: Injected (via synthetic gland)
Duration: 7 days
Effect: One dose of Slavedrug lowers the victims Willpower by six points when trying to resist and/or disobey the commands of his or her recognized owner (read: whoevers holding the leash). Victims who are reduced to zero Willpower do not
fall prey to the base impulses of their Natures. Instead, such victims will obey and carry out their owners commands even when
they conflict with their ethics, personal preferences and sexual orientation. Slavedrug also heightens the natural production of
endorphins in the brain when submitting to an owners commands, making the victim feel strong involuntary pleasure (both
sexual and otherwise) when obeying. Finally, victims of Slavedrug lose two dice from all Wits-based dice pools for the duration
of its effect.
Addiction: 2.
Antidote: The neurotoxins present in the venom of certain Australian snakes can negate the effects of Slavedrug for 8 hours.
This is best done with the venom pharmaceutically diluted and administered by a trained doctor, who will have determined the
exact dosage required for the spinal injection. Attempting to get the venom directly from the snake will be dangerous in the
extreme.
Detox: +2 difficulty on all Willpower rolls to control any aggressive impulses - combative, acquisitive and sexual - for 24
hours after successful removal of the Chemical Collar as the victims normal neurochemistry reasserts itself.
Overdose: Make a Stamina roll at +1 difficulty to avoid dying from a massive brain seizure.
Notes: Slavedrug is a fiendishly complex mixture of some very obscure neurochemicals, of which Dr. Dwyer has done
his best to prevent any reverse engineering. As it can currently only be produced by Dr. Dwyers specialized synthetic glands,
attempts to recreate it without nova aid will not show any success until the mid-2040s. It is also completely ineffective when used
on novas. Slavedrug is an advancement and can be duplicated and used by baselines.

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ABERRANT
as ever, exposure to elevated levels of ambient quantum
energy could cause it to develop spontaneously in ordinary
baseline human DNA. After locating a few normally-inactive
genes responsible for the spontaneous mutation, he managed to develop a retrovirus that made them much more
sensitive to ambient quantum energies.
Further experiments with tissue samples have proven
that Dr. Mirsky had created a true eruption catalyst that
dramatically increases a baselines chances of eruption, as
well as those of his or her children. Dr. Mirskys research also
indicates that while the global level of ambient quantum
as of 2015 is still too low for the Eruption Catalyst to function, the conditions will be right for it by 2020. Even so, the
Eruption Catalyst has quickly become one of the Megasyndicates priciest biotech items. Quite a few Megasyndicate
made men are even saving up to buy it for themselves.
System: The Eruption Catalyst does just what the name
implies - it helps baseline humans to erupt when they ordinarily would have little or no chance of doing so. In game
terms, from 2020 onwards a baseline treated with the Eruption Catalyst will have a flat 5% chance of erupting when
directly exposed to quantum energies. Unfortunately, it
accomplishes this by causing genetic damage which guarantees that such baselines will erupt as high-Taint novas
(Aberrant Players Guide, p. 68). Baselines who erupt with
the aid of the Eruption Catalyst are those who should never
have erupted at all. Even worse, such baselines will pass
on the Eruption Catalysts effects to whatever children they
have after being treated. The Eruption Catalyst retrovirus is
an innovation and can only be created by novas.

Buying Novadom
With eruption as a nova being regarded as the ultimate status
symbol in the early 21st Century, its ironic that it has remained
perpetually out of reach of even the wealthiest baselines for
so long. Thanks to the efforts of Project Utopia and most First
World governments, attempting to openly purchase novadom
for oneself is much like trying to buy a tactical nuclear warhead
for personal use. At best, the would-be buyer can expect to be
arrested, thoroughly interrogated, slapped with huge fines and
given a long prison sentence for his trouble. At worst, the wouldbe buyer can expect to be quietly assassinated and given a quick
burial in an unmarked grave. If anyone is planning to make colossal sums of money by turning full-grown baselines into novas, the
transaction will be as covert and discreet as possible. Information
about purchasing potential novadom for ones unborn children
(not to mention lots of other information on nova genetics and
reproduction) can be found in Aberrant: A Breed Apart.

26

Gene-Boosting
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Genetic alteration (In vitro gengineering)
Description: With a ready-made market of people
eager to give their children whatever advantages they can
afford, it was inevitable that the C-Z Megasyndicate would
attempt to profit from them. Created by Dr. Kirill Mirsky,
this process overwrites select portions of a human embryos
DNA at the time of (in vitro) conception.
Aside from the usual control over gender and minor
physical traits such as hair & eye color, the process also
augments a few of the resulting childs basic capabilities,
as chosen by the parents. Unfortunately the process is far
from being perfected, as the Gene-Boosting process has
a 25% chance of inflicting physical defects and/or mental
disorders on the altered children. Despite this, Gene-Boosting remains highly popular with parents who are wealthy,
obsessed with genetic superiority or simply wish to ensure
that their kids wont be burdened with their more obvious
genetic defects.
System: If all goes well with the Gene-Boosting process
(read: the Intelligence + Medicine or Science roll is successful), the altered infant will enjoy an additional 3 Attribute
dots to be allocated as desired, with maximum Attribute ratings of 5. However, there is also a 25% that the infant will
also develop the equivalent of a physical or mental aberration (Storytellers choice) in some way related to the augmented Attributes. If the roll used for the Gene-Boosting
process is botched, the infant will instead either have 3 less
Attribute dots than normal or will lose 3 dots in other Attributes (Storytellers choice) than those being augmented.
The Gene-Boosting process is an advancement and is
usable by baselines.

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Human Cloning
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Medical procedure
Description: Long held as a trope of science fiction,
the cloning of human beings was made a concrete reality
in 2011 by the bioengineers of Kuro-Tek. Given a viable
sample of humans complete genetic code, Kuro-Tek can
create both partial and complete human clones. Despite the
prevalence of synthetic organs for transplants, partial clones
are a handy source of those tissues and organs that have
yet to be duplicated with that technology. Some wealthy
eccentrics have even paid to have heads cloned from their
personal enemies for the purpose of having an unethical
taxidermist stuff and mount them as trophies.
Complete human clones are most often created as
infants for those who wish to resurrect a deceased loved
one or just want to have children, even to the point of creating cross-gender clones of the genetic donor. For an
additional cost Kuro-Tek can also accelerate their growth to
create complete human clones of any physical age desired.
In either case, complete clones will only have a newborn
infants mentality when decanted unless a Personality
Recording (see below) is downloaded into them. Fortunately the cloning of novas is currently beyond Kuro-Teks
reach and is likely to remain so.
System: Most clones produced with this technology
will be separate human organs, baseline newborn infants or
baselines of any physical age with a newborn infants mentality. Successful production of a clone only requires the bioengineer to make one Intelligence + Medicine or Science roll.
Producing a cloned organ will take one to three months and
newborn infant clones are produced in the standard nine
months. Creating older complete clones requires a second
Intelligence + Medicine or Science roll, and will take one
to nine additional months, depending on the target age.
In both cases, a failure on the roll indicates that the clone
will have one or more minor genetic defects from genetic
copying errors. Botching the roll will inflict the equivalent
of a physical or mental aberration of the Storytellers choice
upon the clone.
Cross-gender clones may also be created with no
additional effort beyond securing a healthy X or Y chromosome sample from a genetic donor. Due to interference
caused by their quantum energies and highly unusual biochemistries, novas cannot be cloned with this technology.
Human Cloning is an advancement, and can be duplicated
and performed by baselines.

Human Programming
Producer: DeVries Medical
Category: Neurological therapy
Description: Derived from the same basic technology as the Mood-control Helmet (Aberrant: Elites p. 72),
Human Programming was originally touted as a means to
improve the general mental health (and head off any resulting medical expenses) of DeVries baseline employees.
When the technologys potential for abuse became clear, it
quickly joined the arsenal used by DeVries elites, used for
ends both fair and foul. The technology has been outlawed
in all First World countries except South Africa, not that this
stops DeVries from using it.
System: A Human Programming device is a bit more
complicated to use than the Mood-control Helmet, as the
crown of elecrical leads must be firmly attatched to the
subjects scalp and the programming device itself booted
up and synchronized with the subjects brainwave patterns.
Normally, this takes at least two turns of game time. Human
Programming uses the same mechanics as the Domination
quantum power (Aberrant core book p. 191), except that
the users Manipulation + the devices dice pool is used
for the power roll in a resisted action against the subjects
Willpower. The devices have a dice pool of six to ten dice
depending on their size, with the man-portable units having
6 dice. The standard clinic units will have 8 dice and the
most advanced clinic units (kept safely at DeVries regional
headquarters) have 10 dice. Each success on the power roll
allows the user to subtract or add 1 point of a psychological
or neurological flaw from the subjects mind. Eligible Flaws
for Human Programming include Addiction/Compulsion
and all Mental Flaws except for Uneducated. (Flaws may be
found in the Aberrant Players Guide pp. 69-76.) The effects
of Human Programming may be undone through telepathic
memory alteration, with each success on the Telepathy
roll negating or restoring the Flaw or Merit in question.
Depending on the tone of your Aberrant chronicle and the
Storytellers whim, Human Programming may also be able

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to affect the True Love Merit, as some psychologists consider romantic love to be a socially-condoned mental disorder. Human Programming can be resisted with the Psychic
Shield quantum power (and other means of resisting mental
powers). Due to the more-or-less permanent effects of this
technology, Psychic Shield and other mental defenses will
grant double their normal protection against Human Programming. In any case, Human Programming has no effect
whatsoever on mental aberrations - dont even bother rolling. Human Programming devices are advancements and
may be used by baselines.

Induced Hibernation
Producer: Independent nova researcher, United States
government (military/black ops)
Category: Life support
Description: Early in 2009, an unnamed nova biologist discovered a method of inducing a state of long-term
hibernation in mammals without causing them any cellular
damage. After performing a few human trials with paid volunteers, the biologist knew that the technology was both
ready for production and safe for human use. Unfortunately
the equipment involved required far too much electrical
power for even large hospitals to use it without bankrupting themselves. Undaunted, the nova biologist discreetly
offered to sell the technology to the United States government for a very tidy sum. Thrilled at the possibility of extend-

28

ing the active careers of a select few of their best special

ops troops and top espionage agents who often lacked
family ties or didnt have any worth keepinga coalition of
the United States military and many intelligence agencies
eagerly accepted that offer. The rest has been (highly classified) history. The inventor of the technology still has all the
data and blueprints for the hibernation technology however,
and theres no telling where it may pop up next.
System: A baseline human placed into Induced Hibernation has all aspects of her metabolism (including her heart
rate) slowed, reducing her required levels of life support and
nutrients by a factor of 20. When locked into the airtight
freeze tube, a hibernating subject is supplied with a special atmospheric mix and special drugs mixed in with the
nutrient fluid (delivered via intravenous feeding) that keeps
her body tissues strong and healthy throughout her time of
hibernation. Refrigeration is sometimes also required, as the
subjects body temperature will drop to about 5 Celsius (or
42 Fahrenheit). Best of all, the subjects aging rate is practically reduced to zero while hibernating.
Most novas may be placed into Induced Hibernation as
well, as they will only require 5 times the standard nutrient
feed and the hibernation drugs tailored to the nova metabolism. Of course, all that is rendered moot if a nova has any
powers or aberrations which would either inhibit the procedure or make it impossible. Placing a subject into Induced
Hibernation (or awakening a hibernating subject) requires
an Intelligence + Medicine or Science roll, and takes one
hour. Failure on the roll means the subject will remain
awake, while a botch indicates that the patient will suffer
a bout of extreme nausea and suffer three health levels of
unsoakable bashing damage as her metabolism clashes with
the hibernation drugs.
Unfortunately the technology is a heavy power consumer, as a bank of 40 Induced Hibernation units (each of
which are about the size of a late 20th Century van circa
2015) requires a dedicated power plant that would otherwise capable of powering a small town for it to function. If
the power supply fails, hibernating subjects can easily die if
aid isnt given to them in time. Unless a major breakthrough
in energy producing technology is made, use of Induced
Hibernation will be limited to wealthy national goverments,
major international corporations and the occasional eccentric billionaire. The Induced Hibernation technology is an
advancement and can be used by baselines.

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Personality Recording
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Neurological procedure
Description: After achieving their first successes with
Human Cloning, Kuro-Teks nova medical experts immediately began research on one of its major drawbacks - the
fact that all complete clones they created would have the
mentality of a newborn infant upon being decanted. While
this wasnt a problem when such clones were decanted as
physical newborn infants, it made producing clones at the
later stages of maturity highly inefficient. That changed
when a Kuro-Tek nova researcher stumbled on a method to
literally record a humans complete personality and memories, which could then be stored and downloaded into the
otherwise blank mind of a newly-decanted complete clone.
While the process is far from being perfected, it has allowed
Kuro-Tek to make the most out of their Human Cloning
technology.
System: The creation of a Personality Recording
involves scanning the subjects complete nervous system
using a modified MRI scanner, with the subject preferably
being unconscious at the time of recording. This allows the
subjects personality and memories to be stored as data
within a special crystalline matrix which is the actual Personality Recording. Downloading a Personality Recording into
a newly-decanted clone (or a human whos been completely
mindwiped through use of Telepathy) merely reverses the
process. In both cases, an Intelligence + Medicine or Science roll is required to perform the process, with success
resulting in complete personality and memory transference.
Failure on the roll means that the transferred personality
and memories will be incomplete, which may or may not
be a good thing depending on the circumstances. Botching the roll means that there will be major distortions in the
transferred personality & memory data, which can result in
the creation of mental disorders in an originally-sane personality or the removal of mental disorders from an insane
personality.
In most cases, Personality Recordings will be downloaded into complete clones of the subjects original body
that had been aged to a sufficient stage of physical maturity. This need not be the case though, as the blank clone
being used for downloading can be of any age or genetic
donor source. This can make for tragic results when a personality is downloaded into a clone body of an inconvenient
physical age, or one that carries serious genetic flaws in its
DNA. Its likewise best to download a recorded personality into a body of the same gender as the original subject,
except in the case of subjects who are gender dysmorphic.
Most subjects who find themselves inhabiting an oppositegender body can suffer extreme psychological stress and

discomfort. Those subjects who were gender dysmorphic

will instead quickly grow quite comfortable in their opposite-gender bodies. Personality Recordings can also be used
for multiple downloads, resulting in two or more personalities that were identical until the time their original was
recorded, which can raise all sorts of questions and conflicts
over issues of personal identity.
The Personality Recording storage devices themselves
are about the size of a small toolbox and weigh four kilograms. After being imprinted with the scanned data, Personality Recording storage devices require little in the way
of upkeep beyond the care normally given to fragile electronics. Personality Recordings are an innovation and can
only be created by novas with Quantum 4 or higher.

Pigment Alteration
Producer: DeVries Medical
Category: Genetic alteration (via retrovirus)
Description: Originally developed to aid in disguises,
the existence of DeVries Pigment Alteration technique was
revealed when the nova medical researcher who created it
was caught trying to sell it under the table to Kuro-Tek by
a team of DVNTS elites. With the incident caught on live
OpNet video, DeVries made the best of an embarrassing
situation by rebranding the technique as a novel form of
cosmetic medicine. Despite the backlash from racists, ethnocentrists and the cosmetic industry, Pigment Alteration
has become the latest hot must have item to be found on
the high fashion scene in 2015.
System: An application of a Pigment Alteration retrovirus can change the color of the patients hair, skin or eyes
to a new color chosen by the patient. The only limitation
is that the new color must be selected from the naturallyoccuring hues found in the relevant body parts of baseline
humans. (Pigment Alterations capable of granting unnatural
new hair, skin and eye colors such as seen in anime characters are limited to the realm of innovations, and can currently be developed and performed only by novas.) DeVries
geneticists have a wide library of baseline DNA samples to
choose from, and have been known to pay very well for
samples from baselines with rare and/or unusual hair, skin
or eye colorations. The process itself is a simple injection
- the complicated part is creating the specific retrovirus,
using Intelligence + Medicine or Science for the roll. Success means that the patients hair, skin or eyes will change
to the new color in about eight days - skin and irises will
simply change, while a patients hair will begin growing in
the new color from its roots. Most patients undergoing Pigment Alteration of the hair prefer to shave off all body hair
and most scalp hair to make sure that they have as little hair
of their previous color as possible after the new color has

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grown in. Failure results in the patients new color becoming
some other random natural hue, while botching means that
the new color will make the patient look odd in some way.
Possibilities for botches include multicolor results (including
piebald), making the hair turn white, causing massive skin
wrinkles or having the new color just be highly unappealing.
Additional Pigment Alterations of the same body part will
increase the chance of failure, with each previous Pigment
Alteration adding a +1 difficulty penalty to the Intelligence
+ Medicine or Science roll. As a somatic genetic alteration,
Pigment Alterations can not be passed on to ones children
in the usual manner. Pigment Alterations are an advancement, and may be created and administered by baselines.

Rejuvenation Treatment
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Medical treatment
Description: One of Dr. Morgan Dwyers most notable achievements is an unperfected treatment that can
extend the lifespan of an adult human. Extrapolated from
the research that produced the Megasyndicate Anti-Aging
drug cocktail, this combination of genetic therapies and
drug treatments has proven highly popular with the elderly
among the baseline social elites. Despite the occasional
accident and deletrious side effects that the treatment
sometimes produces, it brings in considerable revenue
for the Megasyndicate. Even Vor Alexi Zhukov himself has
made plans to undergo the treatment before his age can
begin to take a serious toll on his capabilities.

30

System: The Rejuvenation Treatment modifies genes

to extend the human lifespan. While it doesnt technically
make people younger, in general it has the same basic
effect of the Age Alteration technique of Temporal Manipulation. Each success on the nova doctors Intelligence +
Medicine roll results in the patient having 2 years subtracted
from her physical age. Botches on the roll will cause all sorts
of horrible side effects to the patient. Possibilities for such
include (but are not limited to) the equivalent of physical
aberrations, developing a nasty genetic disease or physical
handicap or even immediate death. Even worse is that fact
that even when successful, the treatment gives the patient
an increased chance to develop mental disorders. Each year
of reversed aging from the Rejuvenation Treatments will
add 2% to that chance. If the patient already has a mental
disordersuch as sociopathy, for exampleeach Rejuvenation Treatment will either cause the patients mental disorder
to increase in severity or grant him a new one (Storytellers
choice). As novas have slightly different genetics from baseline humans and already have an enhanced lifespan, they
can not benefit from or be harmed by Rejuvenation Treatments. Because the treatment only extends ones lifespan, it
is not possible to youthen someone into a baby or other
pre-mature age, nor will they cease aging. Multiple Rejuvenation Treatments are possible but every treatment after
the first suffers from a -1 success per treatment and the 2%
chance per year of dire results is calculated on the subjects
total time over all treatments. Rejuvenation Treatments are
an innovation, and can only be duplicated and administered
by novas with a Quantum of 4 or higher.

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Drugs
Drugs have a history of use by humans and their ancestor species that predates human sapience - much less human
civilization - by a very wide margin. No force in recorded history has ever been able to change this, so its no surprise
that drugs remain a notable element by the Nova Age. If
anything, the presence of novas has only kicked the drug
industries - both legal and otherwise - into high gear. New
drugs derived from the genius of nova researchers and studies of novas biochemistries have given baseline humanity a
wealth of miracle cures, with new ones being discovered on
an almost daily basis. Sadly, the dark side of this pharmacopoeia also includes insidious new addictives that ruin human
lives and the horrifying drugs produced by vivisecting living
novas. The eventual consequences - both good and bad - of
drug use in the 21st Century remain to be seen.

General Rules
The Toxin Rating was originally introduced in the Trinity
core book (p. 255). And while the Aberrant setting books
often make mention of the mechanic it is never explicitly
defined. The following is a set of optional rules for use with
Aberrant that makes full use of the Toxin Rating mechanic.
Toxin Rating: Toxin Rating is a measure of relative
potency of a chemical agent. This is usually expressed in a
rating from one to five; with mild substances (such as aspirin and weak alcoholic beverages) having Toxin Rating 1
and powerful substances (crack cocaine and many tailored
pharmaceuticals) having ratings much higher ratings. Poisonous substances may have ratings even higher than five
and deal an amount of bashing or lethal damage equal to its
Toxin Rating. Each success on a Resistance roll reduces the
Toxin Rating by 1. A substance that has had its Toxin Rating
reduced to 0 has no effect.
Novas have an increased resistance to all chemical
agents, and can negate entirely the effect of any drug or
chemical not specifically tailored to work on their physiology with only a single success on the Resistance roll. Novatailored drugs are extremely potent, and most function as a
lethal poison with a Toxin Rating of (10-Stamina) if ingested
by a non-nova. Novas resisting the effect of a nova-tailored
chemical agent make their Resistance roll at +2 difficulties, with each net success reducing the Toxin Rating of the
chemical agent by 1.

Vector: This is the method that the chemical agent is

most often administered. Particularly insidious agents often
have several vectors.
Contact: The substances take effect when it comes
into contact with the subjects skin.
Injected: The substance must be forcefully injected
into the subjects body to have any effect.
Ingested: The substance must be chewed, imbibed,
swallowed, or otherwise consumed to have any effect.
Inhaled: The subject must breathe in the chemical
agent for it to have any effect.
Duration: The amount of time the chemical agent
remains active in the subjects body. Many drugs do not take
effect immediately have also have an onset time before the
chemical takes effect.
Effect: The general description of the specific effects
experience while under the influence of the chemical agent.
Antidote: Some chemical agents have a counter-agent
that negates the chemicals effect (although some antidotes
may have their own side-effects).
Addiction: Failing a Resistance roll against a chemical
with an Addiction Rating requires a Willpower roll with a difficulty equal to that substances Addiction Rating. If the roll
fails, the character becomes addicted. For most substances,
the addicted character gains the Addiction flaw (+1 modifier
to all difficulties for each 24 hours after the first 24 hours that
has passed since they last time they indulged their craving).
A character may spend a Willpower point to negate this
penalty for 1 scene. Some substances impose other drawbacks and penalties. If the Willpower roll is successful, the
subject does not become addicted. Mixing drugs is incredibly dangerous. Chemical cocktails have an effective Addiction Rating equal to the combined Addiction Rating for each
drug that is part of the cocktail.
Detox: Detox measures additional side effects suffered
between doses while coming down from a high or while
purging oneself of an addiction.
Overdose: Taking large amounts of drugs (even normally safe ones) can be dangerous. Certain compounds
have additional effects if multiple doses are taken (assume
if additional doses are taken while a previous dose is still
in effect). These effects can range from the inconvenient to
the lethal.

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The Stash

Nova Tranquilizer

Adrenocilin
Producer: Triton Pharmaceuticals
Toxin Rating: 1 (nova-tailored)
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 4 hours
Effect: (Aberrant core book p. 281). Adrenocilin functions as a (10-Stamina) lethal poison for baselines.
Addiction: 2
Antidote: Moxinoquantamine (one dose neutralizes
the effects of Adrenocilin, but the nova may still develop
an addiction).
Detox: +2 Difficulty to the use of all Quantum Powers.
Overdose: Adrenocilin is relatively safe and has no
overdose side effects.

Eclipsidol
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Description: see Aberrant: The Directive, pp. 55-56.
Toxin Rating: 5 (nova-tailored)
Vector: Contact, Ingested, Injected, or Inhaled
Duration: 30 seconds (or 10-Node Rating turns), 5 minutes (or 5 Node Rating Minutes)
Effect: (Aberrant: The Directive pp. 55-56). Eclipsidol
has no effect on baselines (effectively Toxin Rating 0 for
baseline subjects).
Addiction: N/A
Antidote: None, Counter-Eclipsidol Drugs can prevent
the effect for up to 3 hours.
Detox: None, as a novas normal neurochemistry
quickly reasserts itself after the effect fades.
Overdose: Eclipsidol has no overdose side effects.

Moxinoquantamine (Mox)
Producer: Triton Pharmaceuticals
Toxin Rating: 3 (nova-tailored)/ 10-Stamina L (Baseline)
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 6 hours
Addiction: N/A
Effect: (Aberrant core book, p. 281)
Detox: N/A
Antidote: Adrenocilin.
Overdose: None.

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Producer: Several independent pharmaceutical companies

Toxin Rating: 3 (nova-tailored)/ 10-Stamina L (Baseline)
Vector: Injected
Duration: 100 minutes, - 10 minutes per dot of Stamina/Mega-Stamina
Addiction: N/A
Effect: Loses 3 dice from all dice pools. (Aberrant:
Year One, p. 106)
Detox: N/A
Antidote: None; each dot of Mega-Stamina reduces
the tranquilizers effect by 1 die.
Overdose: None.

Soma
Producer: Heaven Thunder Triad, C-Z Megasyndicate,
Kuro-Tek, Teragen Pandaimonion
Toxin Rating: 5 (nova-tailored)/ baselines die outright
unless they make a successful Stamina roll at +1 difficulty.
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 4 hours
Addiction: 0 (Nova)/ 2 (Baseline)
Effect: (Aberrant core book, pp. 281-282)
Detox: N/A
Antidote: None.
Overdose: Overdosing on Soma has a 5% chance of
the user suffering temporary (for novas) or permanent (for
baselines) paralysis.

VTP (Virally Tailored Poisons)

Producer: Triton Pharmaceuticals
Toxin Rating: 4
Vector: Contact
Duration: 12 hours Stamina/Mega-Stamina
Addiction: N/A
Effect: Nova falls unconscious and his quantum pool is
depleted. (Aberrant Worldwide: Phase 1 p. 115)
Detox: N/A
Antidote: None.
Overdose: N/A

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New Drugs

Getting Clean

Amor
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Description: Originally developed as a drug to aid in
emotional therapy, official concern over its potential for
abuse forced the developer to throw in his lot with the C-Z
Megasyndicate. Now sold on the streets as Amor, those
official concerns have been turned into cold, hard reality.
With so many lonely and unloved people in the world, the
Megasyndicate has an eager supply of customers. Some
people have even taken to surreptitiously dosing their
established romantic partners with Amor in an attempt to
strengthen their relationships.
Toxin Rating: 3
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 6 hours.
Addiction: 3 + number of doses beyond the first.
Effect: Amor induces a neurochemical state in the user
which is functionally identical to that of humans in healthy
long-term romantic relationships. Amor users will exhibit the
same behaviors of lovesick humans, differing only in that
they will have no obvious focus for their affections. Amor
users will instead focus on an individual of the appropriate
gender as their partner, who will usually be a well-known
friend. Particularly lonely users can even choose acquaintances who have only shown the user momentary kindness,
affection or friendship as partners. Some of the more intelligent Amor users will even pair off with each other to ensure
that theyll have a receptive and understanding partner.
Once a partner has been chosen, the user will seek to
establish a romantic relationship with him or her. In some
instances this can develop into an actual romance with the
partner, but thats exceedingly rare. While some partners
can and will exploit an Amor users affections, many more
will either try to turn down the user or try the lets just be
friends tactic. Amor users will then begin to either court
or stalk their reluctant partners, and will turn to increasingly
extreme tactics in both should the partner remain uncooperative. Aside from the sort of tactics seen in the movie Fatal
Attraction, this can easily include dosing an unwilling partner with Amor. Amor isnt a nova-tailored drug but novas
can be affected by it if they fail their Resistance roll.
Detox: Once a given dose wears off, Amor users will
experience emotional distress of the kind normally associated with heartache. In game terms, this is equal to an
increase of two steps on the Sadness column of the
Empathic Manipulation chart (Aberrant core book, p. 196).
Unless physically prevented from doing so, Amor users in
that state will seek to dose themselves as soon as possible.
Antidote: There is no known pharmaceutical antidote

With all the drugs to be found in the world of Aberrant,

sooner or later the issue of overcoming the Addiction Flaw
(Aberrant Players Guide, p. 71) is going to come up. Provided
that everyone in your chronicle is comfortable with exploring
this through a roleplaying game, we have a game mechanic to
allow that. If your Storyteller allows Flaws that could plausibly
be corrected to be bought off with experience points, the
addicted character must go cold turkey and actively prevent
himself from giving in to his addiction. The required experience
points will usually be twice the Flaws bonus point value, although
your Storyteller has the final say on that. Depending on what
hes addicted to, the addicted character may also need to enter
rehabilitation therapy and be prescribed counter-drugs such as
methadone. If the Storyteller desires, another requirement is a
higher-than-average quality of roleplaying from the player of
the addicted character - overcoming an addiction can have serious dramatic potential. Otherwise, this could be accomplished
during a characters down time. The Storyteller should keep
close track of the characters progress towards buying off the
Flaw, as any stumbles made will have a cost.
During the characters rehabilitaion, resisting any opportunity to get a fix requires the character to make a Willpower
roll. Depending on the nature of what hes addicted to - such as
an extremely addictive drug - the Storyteller may add a difficulty
penalty to the Willpower roll. Success on the roll means that the
character manages to keep himself from backsliding, although he
will likely seek to get away from the temptation as soon as possible. Failure on the roll not only means the character gives in to
whatever hes addicted to, but that the Storyteller will dock one
or more experience points from the characters pool of experience points thats been set aside to buy off the Flaw. Botching
is even worse, as it effectively wipes out the characters pooled
experience points and forces him to start over from scratch.
Rehabilitation will come in stages as the Flaw is bought off one
point per period, the length of which is also predetermined by
the Storyteller. Once the last experiences points are spent, the
player can remove the Addiction Flaw from his character sheet.
Its also common for former addicts to develop aversions towards
their former addictions, although this is by no means mandatory.
A final note: Addictions that are aberrations instead of simple
Flaws cannot be overcome in this manner - dont even bother
with it. As with all other true aberrations, the novas permanent
Taint is the root of the problem of a nova with an Addiction aberration, and no known rehabilitation therapy can counter that.
for Amor.
Overdose: Users who take more than one dose of Amor
during the six hour duration must make a Resistance roll
with a difficulty penalty of + (number of extra doses taken).
Failure on the roll means that the user will suffer a temporary

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bout of severe erotomania (the delusion that another person
is in love with the user). Botching the roll means that the
users erotomania has become a permanent mental disorder. In both cases, overdosed users will seek to win and/or
retain their partners affections at any and all costs. Cases of
such users stalking their partners are not unheard of.

Anti-Aging Drug Cocktail

Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Description: Description: One of Dr. Dwyers earliest (if
mixed) successes, this drug cocktail literally halts the aging
process in baseline humans. Unfortunately it also tends to
cause sociopathy and other mental disorders in long-term
users. In a rare show of honest cooperation, Project Utopia
and the Directive quickly had it banned in all of the First
World nations and many other nations as well. Despite all
that, this flame is still attracting wealthy moths and has
made respectable amounts of money for the Megasyndicate in the process.
Toxin Rating: 4
Vector: Injected
Duration: 24 hours.
Addiction: 4 + the number of doses taken beyond the
first.
Effect: Users of the Anti-Aging drug cocktail will have
their aging processes effectively halted, provided that they
can keep taking it on a daily basis. The problem with this is

Tainted Highs
Recently, the Heaven Thunder Triad took possession of a
nova that they have dubbed Endless Bountiful Harvest. This
pathetic wretch has been completely twisted by Taint so that it
isnt much more than a mewling, screeching wreck of an entity
thats barely able to move or function on its own. Its sex, race and
age are indistinguishable beneath the vast and awful aberrations
that twist its being; and any identity, powers or life it may have
had before its eruption are gone, leaving only this howling shell.
It is so awful to look upon that it shakes the sanity of weak-willed
men just to see it.
The nova harvesters of the Heaven Thunder Triad are not
weak-willed men however, and never hesitated in carrying out
their work upon this twisted pile of flesh that had once been
a human being. Along with the plentiful hormones and other
secretions that are so useful when refined into drugs, this creature also yielded a 6th instar node, a rare find indeed. It was
when they had finished their work that the harvesters discovered
the true glory of this pathetic being. It fully regenerated its massive wounds in less than twenty minutes. Thus was born its name
and the production of some of the most vicious, addictive and
dangerous drugs of the Nova Age.

34

that tinkering with ones biochemistry on this level can be

very risky. Users must make a Resistance roll with +2 bonus
dice once every six weeks they take the Anti-Aging drug
cocktail, with success meaning it works as intended. Failure
on the roll means that the user gets no benefit at all, while
botching means that the user develops permanent sociopathy (as per the aberration in Aberrant: Brainwaves). Subsequent botches on the Resistance roll will inflict whatever
other permanent mental disorder or metabolic problem the
Storyteller deems appropriate. In all cases, the Anti-Aging
drug cocktail has no effect on novas.
Detox: If unable to get their daily fix, users of the
Anti-Aging drug cocktail will experience a temporary
mental disorder of the Storytellers choice for 24 hours as
their neurochemistry slowly returns to its normal state. Any
and all permanent mental disorders and metabolic problems gained through prior use of the drug cocktail will be
retained, of course.
Antidote: None.
Overdose: Overdosing on the Anti-Aging drug cocktail
requires taking more than one dose in the same 24 hour
period. In that case, users must make a Resistance roll at
+3 difficulty to avoid immediate death by the failure of
their brain metabolism. Users who survive an overdose can
expect to lose one or two dots of their Mental Attributes
and/or Willpower (Storytellers discretion).

Baraka
Producer: N/A
Description: Baraka isnt a drug per se, but rather the
result of a grisly practice started by certain extreme baseline cults. Baraka has become the name on the street for
nova body tissues harvested from still living novas, which
are often consumed raw. The tissues are saturated with the
hormones and byproducts of the nova metabolism and
often carry residual quantum (and sometimes taint) energies. Needless to say, most novas consider themselves to be
above prey animals and would be horrified (and angered) to
find out that such a practice exists.
Toxin Rating: Baraka has a Toxin Rating equal to the
donors Quantum or Taint score (whichever is higher).
Toxin Ratings higher than 3 are poisonous to baselines and
deal bashing damage, while Toxin Ratings of higher than 5
deal lethal damage.
Vector: Ingested. Cooking the flesh reduces its Toxin
Rating by 1.
Duration: Baraka is a short-lived high and only lasts for
about an hour.
Effect: For those willing to indulge in such horrific cuisine Baraka is a euphoric, and the user feels energetic and
excitable (how much of this is an actual chemical process

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and how much is simply psychosomatic is open to debate).
This provides no noticeable in-game effect. When the high
wears off the user gains a point of temporary Taint for each
point of Toxin Rating remaining after the initial Resistance
roll.
Addiction: 1+ the number of doses taken beyond the
first in a 7 day period. Each dose of Baraka is the equivalent
of 0.5kg of tissue.
Antidote: None; effects wear off over time.
Detox: The long-term side effects of eating nova flesh
have yet to be documented, but it is theorized that such
cannibals would steadily accumulate taint energy and start
to display physical mutations or contract bizarre illnesses.
Overdose: In addition to any other side effects of consuming Baraka, users who eat more than 2kg at one time on
a regular basis experience the same benefits and penalties
as someone using Mite.

Crimson
Producer: Heaven Thunder Triad
Description: Developed using similar techniques as
Red-7, Crimson is made from the hormones and adrenaline
of Endless Bountiful Harvest and other highly-Tainted novas.
Strangely, Crimson is slightly less lethal in the short term
than Red-7, but the tradeoff is that users of it are far less in
control of themselves than users of Red-7.
Toxin Rating: 3
Vector: Injected
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: Crimson increases the Physical Attributes of
the user by 3 dots (Anything over 5 translates into Physical
Mega-Attributes with no enhancements) for an hour. While
under the effects of Crimson, the user suffers from a penalty
of +1 difficulty to all Willpower and Intelligence rolls as well
as the aberration Hormonal Imbalance - Rage. This drug has
no effect on novas other than to grant a point of temporary
Taint.
Addiction: 2 + number of doses beyond the first.
Antidote: None; but the effects wear off with time.
Detox: Every dose of Crimson carries a cumulative 3%
chance of killing the user outright from massive heart failure
and stroke as soon as the duration elapses.
Overdose: Crimson has no additional overdose side
effects.

First Generation Anti-Taint Drug(s)

Producer: Triton Pharmaceuticals
Description: This revolutionary drug was developed
by a Utopian nova medical researcher with high ratings of
the Node Background, the Clone quantum power, Mega-

Intelligence with the Taint Resistance enhancement and a

high threshold for pain. All of this was necessary, for much
of the research on this drug involved the researcher cutting
open the brains of his own clones to take samples. This
drug is built around the observation that dorming down
decreases taint, even that which is caused by having a large
M-R node. Thus it isnt the entire story that very large nodes
cause taint simply by their physical size by pressing on the
rest of the brain. What must be happening is that very large
nodes expose the rest of the brain to quantum, and as it
cant deal with it the side effect is taint. Thus when a nova
with this condition dorms down, the rest of the brain is
less exposed to quantum and functions better. This drug
is absorbed by the other (non-node) portions of the novas
brain and then proceeds to absorb excess quantum, shielding the rest of the brain. Since it mostly stays in the bloodstream it largely doesnt affect normal brain function... at
correct dosages.
Toxin Rating: 2 (nova-tailored)
Vector: Ingested, Injected
Duration: Duration at the correct dosage is 8 hours.
However the dosage level can vary wildly depending on
how much Mega-Stamina the nova has.
Effect: As long as a nova has this drug in his body, he
has the equivalent of the Mega-Intelligence Taint Resistance enhancement with one dot of Mega-Intelligence. This
gives him a +1 on Willpower rolls to resist mental aberrations, or +2 to his Willpower if he has a Node rating of 3 or
above. Novas with more than one dot of Mega-Intelligence
do not gain any extra effect. Novas that already have the
Taint Resistance enhancement gain no positive effect but
still suffer the side effects. Baselines should not be exposed
to this drug; since it migrates to the brain and stays there
since there is no quantum to make it decay; it is treated as
exposure to nerve gas.
Addiction: Anti-Taint drugs have not proven addictive.
Antidote: None; effects wear off over time.
Detox: While this drug is in effect the novas total quantum pool is reduced by 10%. Novas with a full quantum pool
who take this drug will find that their excess quantum
energy will simply leak out of them at a rate of 1 quantum
point per minute.
Overdose: If the dosage is too high then the drug will
replace oxygen in the novas brain, causing his base Intelligence to be lowered by one dot for every extra dose the
nova gets.

Green Honey
Producer: Heaven Thunder Triad
Description: While everyones heard about people who
are said to be addicted to their lovers, this extrapolation
of the infamous date rape drugs takes that idea and makes

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it a horrifying reality. Developed by triad pharmaceutical
experts from certain sexual hormones and glandular secretions derived from nova body tissues, Green Honey is a
binary drug that has little direct effect on its users. Instead,
it reacts with the users biochemistry to make some of the
users secretions literally addictive to people of the correct sexual orientation. Since it hit the black market in 2013
Green Honey has been declared a controlled substance,
with its use punishable as both a serious drug offense and
rape in the First World nations.
Toxin Rating: 3 (both user and victim)
Vector: Injected (user), Ingested and Contact (victim)
Duration: 6 hours (user), 4 hours (victim)
Addiction: 1 + number of doses beyond the first (user),
3 + number of doses beyond the first (victim).
Effect: Green Honey is sold in both male and female
versions, as differences in sexual biochemistry make them
useless to members of the incorrect gender - men cant
make direct use of female Green Honey, and vice versa.
Once its reacted with the users biochemistry, Green
Honey becomes a potent aphrodisiac and disinhibitor with
euphoric side-effects. Active Green Honey is then secreted
through the users saliva, sweat and sexual fluids, where it
can affect any other human who is sexually oriented towards
the users gender. For this to happen, a prospective victim
must ingest and/or come into direct physical contact (bare
skin at the minimum) with the users secretions. After that,
the victim must make a Resistance roll to avoid intense
sexual arousal and a strong addiction to that specific user of
Green Honey. Addicted victims have a +3 difficulty penalty
on all Willpower rolls to resist any opportunity, invitation or
request to engage in sexual activity with their user.
Most novas can use Green Honey, with the risk of inevitably developing satyriasis or nymphomania (as appropriate). Most novas can also become addicted to users of
Green Honey, provided they dont have protection against
it. Having Mega-Stamina or Mega-Stamina with either
of the Adaptability or Health enhancements will make the
nova immune to Green Honey, while novas with certain
other Mega-Attributes and/or enhancements may be able
to avoid the drugs effects at the Storytellers discretion.
Likewise, novas with aberrations that would make addiction
to Green Honey impossible (again, Storytellers discretion)
are automatically immune.
Tinkering with ones own biochemistry in this manner
is very risky for baseline users, who must make a Resistance
roll at +1 difficulties to avoid being irreversibly poisoned by
the drug that their own bodies have been producing. Such
users will suffer the effect described in Overdose, below.
Detox: For users, the effects will gradually fade once
he or she stops taking Green Honey. Victims must make
a Willpower roll to avoid developing temporary satyriasis

36

or nymphomania (as per the Addiction/Compulsion Flaw)

upon being deprived of physical intimacy with their user.
Antidote: None for the user; the effects wear off gradually if he stops taking the drug. As for the users victim(s),
a standard dose of Kuro-Teks Nemukame drug will completely negate the effects of an initial dose of Green Honey.
Victims who have taken multiple doses of Green Honey via
their user must enter a program of drug rehabiliation that
includes a regimen of Nemukame to break their addiction.
Overdose: If the level of active Green Honey in a baseline users system becomes too high - say, about four times
the normal dose - it will drastically impair his or her mental
processes. Baseline users who overdose on Green Honey
must roll Stamina at +2 difficulty to avoid falling into a form
of permanent catatonia where they can only respond to
and engage in sexual activity. On the bright side, they are
no longer addicted to Green Honey and wont require any
further doses. Nova users who overdose on Green Honey
will only suffer this state for (24 - {Stamina + Mega-Stamina})
hours before recovering. Green Honey has no additional
overdose side effects on victims.

Hyperzine X (a.k.a. Brain Juice)

Producer: Heaven Thunder Triad
Description: Not many people in the general public
realize that within the publish or perish world of academia, the pressure to be the smartest of the smart is enormous. Countless brilliant minds have fallen to using various
narcotics and other treatments in the hope of granting them
an edge in performance over their competitors. Hyperzine
X (or brain juice as its called on the streets) is a nootropic drug derived from a selection of neurotransmitters
harvested from nova brains. This drug vastly increases the
cognitive effectiveness of the human brain. Use of the drug
clears away the mental effects of time and fatigue, allowing
the user far greater clarity than before. Its currently a controlled susbstance in many First World nations, yet it remains
popular among the more driven - and reckless - among the
baseline intelligentsia.
Toxin Rating: 3
Vector: Injected.
Duration: 6 hours.
Addiction: 1 + number of doses taken beyond the first.
Effect: Baselines who ingest Hyperzine X are overcome
with great mental clarity (treat as the Concentration Merit)
and have their Intelligence ratings temporarily increased
by one dot. Regular use combined with a rigorous study
regimen and a high level of mental stimulation over several
months will make these effects permanent. Hyperzine X can
dramatically increase a humans intellect in other ways as
well. While continuing to use this drug, the baseline user

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may purchase Mental Merits (Aberrant Players Guide, p.
71-72) with experience points at a cost of (Merits bonus
point value) x 3.
Use of this drug is both illegal and dangerous. For every
week of use the baseline must make a Stamina roll at difficulty +1 or suffer from the effects of a fatal brain aneurysm.
Antidote: None; the effects wear off gradually if the
user stops taking the drug. The loss of increased Intelligence and Mental Merits gained through use of Hyperzine
X may possibly be prevented with a regimen of Kuro-Teks
nootropic drugs (see Aberrant: Brainwaves) and certain
neurotherapy drugs. The Storyteller has the final say on
whether this is possible.
Detox: Users of Hyperzine X will develop Polar Disorder (Aberrant core book, p. 153) as they feel their mental
capabilities slowly diminishing.
Overdose: Overdosing on Hyperzine X has no additional effect other than the usual risk of suffering a lethal
brain aneurysm.

Joy Buzz
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Description: Prior to 2015, the Megasyndicates revenues from illegal drug sales had been suffering noticeably, thanks to Project Utopias education and anti-drug use
initiatives. When Joy Buzz hit the streets, the Megasyndicate recouped much of their previous losses within a few
months. Despite a rapidly-developed Utopian propaganda
campaign against its use, Joy Buzz has become the number
one drug fad among the glitterati, professional party people
and other social butterflies.
Toxin Rating: 2
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 4 hours.
Addiction: 2 + number of doses beyond the first.
Effect: Joy Buzz alters the users neurochemistry so that
the endorphin releases triggered by any kind of pleasure
she experiences are magnified several times over. The pleasure can come from any activity; with sex, victory in social
brinkmanship and enjoying a fine meal being only a few of
the more obvious sources. Users of this drug (called joybuzzers on the street) have a difficulty penalty of +3 on all
Willpower rolls to resist enaging in any activity that they find
enjoyable. Joy Buzz isnt a nova-tailored drug but novas can
be affected by it if they fail their Resistance roll.
Detox: Addicted Joy Buzz users will derive much less
pleasure from their activities than is normal. If prevented
from getting their Joy Buzz fix, many addicts will either desperately indulge in increasingly extreme bouts of hedonism
in a vain attempt to kickstart their brains pleasure centers.
Others will give up and avoid even the mildest of pleasur-

able activities - if they cant derive any pleasure from it, why
bother? Non-addicted users will only suffer these effects for
one hour after the duration elapses.
Antidote: A dose of endorphin inhibitors can negate
the effect of an initial dose of Joy Buzz without any ill effect.
Addicts will require either intensive neurotherapy or use of
the Healing power (equivalent to healing three lethal Health
Levels) to regain normal pleasure center function.
Overdose: The user must make a Resistance roll at +3
difficulties or enter a temporary comatose state from the
pleasure overload. Botching the roll means the comatose
state is permanent.

Long Pig
Producer: N/A
Description: Much like Baraka, Long Pig isnt an
actual drug but the continuation of an ancient and horrifying human practice. Long Pig is the common name for
human flesh used as a foodstuff, typically harvested from a
recently-perished or still-living human. Understandably this
practice has been widely reviled (if not illegal) for centuries
with few exceptions, as nobody in their right mind wants to
risk becoming someone elses dinner. The social and legal
punishments for cannibalism are typically the most severe
available.
Toxin Rating: Raw human flesh has a Toxin Rating of 2.
Failing the Resistance roll means theres a chance the cannibal will contract a nasty disease such as kuru or KreutzfieldJakob Syndrome from eating human meat.
Vector: Ingested. Cooking the flesh reduces its Toxin
Rating by 1.
Duration: As with Baraka, eating human flesh provides
only a momentary high of 30 minutes.
Addiction: 1 + the number of doses taken beyond the
third in a 7 day period. Each dose of Long Pig is the equivalent of 0.5kg of tissue.
Effect: Engaging in cannibalism causes euphoric and
aphrodisiac effects in humans, with users feeling highly
energetic and often sexually aroused as well. The question
of whether this reaction is biochemical or psychosomatic
has yet to be answered, although the Storyteller may see fit
to inflict the Lusty Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 72) on
the cannibal for the duration of the high. This provides no
other noticeable in-game effects.
Antidote: None; effects wear off over time.
Detox: Other than the increased risk of contracting diseases such as kuru, none.
Overdose: None, other than the expected social problems that crop up when a cannibal has learned to consider
other humans as the tastiest meat to be found on the hoof.

Mnemosyne

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Producer:
Independent nova pharmaceutical
researcher, C-Z Megasyndicate
Description: This is a counterdrug specifically designed
to protect against Kuro-Teks Lethe (see Aberrant: Brainwaves). While it cannot restore memories lost to Lethe,
Mnemosyne does protect against that effect provided that
the users been taking it on a regular basis. It also provides
some minimal defense against telepathic memory alteration. Prior to 2014, this drug was considered another urban
legend of the Nova Age. That changed when the inventor
sold the Mnemosyne formula to the C-Z Megasyndicate,
who now produce large quantities of it for sale. Kuro-Tek
has made finding (and either recruiting or kidnapping) the
inventor of this drug a top priority.
Toxin Rating: 1
Vector: Injected
Duration: 24 hours.
Addiction: N/A.
Effect: Where Lethe breaks down the chemical links
involved in recently formed memories, Mnemosyne shields
and reinforces those same links. One minute after being
introduced into the users system, the user is rendered
immune to the effects of Lethe for the period of duration.
Telepaths (nova and otherwise) will also have a +2 difficulty
penalty applied to all rolls made to alter the memories of a
Mnemosyne user. Mnemosyne isnt a nova-tailored drug but
novas can be affected by it if they fail their Resistance roll.
Detox: After discontinuing Mnemosyne use, a user
will experience some minor memory problems (treat as the
Absent-Minded aberration, Aberrant Players Guide p. 93)
for 24 hours as his neurochemistry readjusts itself.
Antidote: N/A.
Overdose: None.

Nemukame, (a.k.a. Sleeping

Turtle)
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Description: Long familiar with the honey trap tactic
used in espionage, the leaders of the Directive knew that
their V-R Lenses (Aberrant: The Directive, p. 59) werent
going to be enough to protect their agents from the wiles
of Mega-Seductive novas. Kuro-Tek was quick to come up
with an effective countermeasure and offer it up for use by
Directive field agents. Its also one of Kuro-Teks better selling grey market drugs, especially among workaholic business executives and some of the clergy.
Toxin Rating: 1
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 4 hours.
Addiction: N/A. Nemukame is not physically addictive, although users who attempt to use it constantly to turn

38

off their libidos can become psychologically addicted to it.

Such addicts will also gain the Lusty Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 72) if prevented from dosing themselves with
Nemukame, although any resulting sexual encounters tend
to be as unsatisfying and repellent as those with sex addicts.
Effect: Nemukame reduces the users sexual drive &
responsiveness to near-zero by artificially stimulating the
production of certain natural inhibitors that do so in hazardous situations such as famines. The user is rendered unable
to become sexually aroused and is completely immune to
seduction attempts. Nemukame isnt a nova-tailored drug
but novas can be affected by it if they fail their Resistance
roll.
Detox: After the duration elapses, the users neurochemistry will overcompensate a bit as it returns to its
normal state. For one hour, treat the user as if he had the
Lusty Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 72). This can be
averted by taking another dose of Nemukame, but that can
lead to psychological addiction.
Antidote: None.
Overdose: None.

Noctisol-3, (a.k.a. Everwake)

Producer:
Independent nova pharmaceutical
researcher, the United States Army.
Description: For centuries, military planners have
sought to minimize the risks posed by one of the most basic
human requirements: the need for sleep. With the aid of the
nova pharmaceutical expert who created Mnemosyne, the
United States Army has found a fairly workable solution to
that problem. Production and use of Noctisol-3 is currently
restricted to the United States Army and Marines, but that
hasnt stopped organized crime groups from attempting to
steal the formula from them.
Toxin Rating: 2
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 72 hours.
Addiction: N/A, Noctisol-3 was deliberately designed
to be non-addictive.
Effect: Taking Noctisol-3 allows the user to remain
awake and physically active (if needed) for nearly three days,
with only 4 hours worth of catnaps being required. Users will
also be somewhat more agitated, resulting in a +1 difficulty
on all rolls to avoid following orders to engage in combat,
even when said orders are clearly stupid. Noctisol-3 isnt a
nova-tailored drug but novas can be affected by it if they fail
their Resistance roll.
Detox: After the third day of using Noctisol-3, the user
will suffer +1 difficulties to all rolls per day, as exhaustion
begins to set in. Getting at least 8 hours of uninterrupted
sleep will remedy this.

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Antidote: Other than putting the user in physical
restraints or shooting him with tranquilizers, there is no
known antidote to Noctisol-3.
Overdose: Overdosing on Noctisol-3 is possible if the
user tries to take it more than once per week. When this
happens, the user must make a Resistance roll at +2 difficulty to avoid falling into a coma of indeterminate length
(Storytellers discretion).

Suish (a.k.a. Crystal)

Producer: Kuro-Tek
Description: Kuro-Tek has long been at the forefront
of nootropic drug research, so it was only a matter of time
before they came up with a memory-enhancing drug. Known
on the street as Crystal, this drug has become one of the
hottest items in academic and scientific circles. Others use it
to make permanent memories of their loved ones, particularly satisfying achievements and pleasurable experiences.
Despite it being produced by Kuro-Tek, law enforcement agencies tend to look the other way where Suish
sales are concerned. The drug itself is remarkably safe, nonaddictive and has no side-effects. That isnt to say it cant
be abused, as certain truly sadistic people have used Suish
on their victims to ensure that their memories of the consequent pain and trauma will remain fresh for decades to
come.
Toxin Rating: 2
Vector: Contact (cut with DMSO, packaged in adhesive
tabs).
Duration: 4 hours.
Addiction: N/A.
Effect: Suish allows the user to change anything in her
short-term memory into permanent memories. After dosing
herself, the user will have perfect recall of anything she perceives in the next four hours. If used for academic study, this
allows the user to cram a weeks worth of unassisted study
into the four hours that Suish is enhancing the memorization process. If used on a victim to record traumatic experiences, Suish will impose a difficulty penalty of anywhere
from +1 to +3 on all Medicine (Psychology) rolls made to
provide the victim with psychotherapy. Suish isnt a novatailored drug but novas can be affected by it if they fail their
Resistance roll.
Detox: N/A.
Antidote: Kuro-Teks Lethe drug (see Aberrant: Brainwaves) and telepathic memory alteration are the only ways
to eliminate memories made permanent through Crystal
use.
Overdose: N/A.

Super Mite
Producer: Heaven Thunder Triad
Description: Surrounded by urban legends and sought
after by unintelligent Mitoids, Super Mite is exactly like
Mite, except that it works faster and more easily. Naturally
the side effects of this Tainted drug are far more dire as
well
Toxin Rating: 3
Vector: Injected
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: Super Mite has the same effects on baselines
as Mite, but on a vastly quicker time scale. The bonuses
accumulate over the course of weeks until the MegaStrength 1 point is reached (+1 Strength and Might per
week until they reach 10 total, then Mega-Strength 1). Nova
users of Super Mite can buy one dot of Mega-Strength
for a quarter of the normal experience cost, but gain 1 point
permanent Taint and five points of temporary Taint in the
process.
Addiction: 1 + number of doses beyond the first.
Antidote: None; the effects wear off gradually if the
user stops taking the drug. Super Mite mutants are permanently warped.
Detox: The side effects can be far more exotic if the
user botches the Stamina roll to avoid cardiac arrest. If the
Stamina roll is botched, the baseline mutates in the same
manner as a user of Tainted Soma (see below) but also
loses all but one point of Intelligence and Wits, goes hopelessly insane, and gains the aberrations Hormonal Imbalance: Rage, Sheer Hideousness, and Bulging Muscles. Such
mutants keep their bonuses from Mite use permanently and
no longer require fresh doses to maintain their strength, nor
are they addicted to it any longer.
Overdose: Super Mite imposes no additional effects
for overdosing other than the usual chance for cardiac failure.

Tainted Soma
Producer: Heaven Thunder Triad
Description: This variant of Soma is taken from the
ever-regenerating node of Endless Bountiful Harvest and
other heavily Tainted novas. The highs produced by this version of Soma are far more intense than the incredible rush
given by the normal variety. For baselines however, the risks
of this venomous brew far outweigh the pleasure and power
to be had.
For novas, there is no risk of death, but the dangers
to body and sanity make it far too risky for all but the uninformed and foolhardy.
Of course, the Heaven Thunder Triad does all that they
can to make sure that the world at large remains uniformed

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of the side effects. The foolhardy are easy to find and often,
when they are hedonistic or power hungry novas, have more
money then sense anyway.
Toxin Rating: 5 (nova-tailored)
Vector: Ingested
Duration: 4 hours
Effect: For baseline users, Tainted Soma is probably
one of the most nakedly dangerous drugs that it is possible
to ingest. A baseline taking a hit of this deadly brew must
make a Stamina roll at +2 difficulty, failure on this roll means
instant death as their brain liquefies and pours out through
their eye sockets.
A baseline botching this roll is in for an even worse
fate as the drug mutates them with vicious abandon. Baselines who have botched the Stamina roll endure crippling
and painful spasms over the course of (7-Stamina) days and
develop the aberrations Hormonal Imbalance: Rage, Sheer
Hideousness and one other of the Storytellers choice. Such
mutants often carry some small physical bonus (+1 or 2
to Strength and/or Stamina and a Body Modification) as
well. The newly mutated baseline is no longer considered
addicted to Soma, for all the good that will do them... The
other effects on baseline users are the same as for regular
Soma (see p. 281, Aberrant core book).
Ingested by a nova, Tainted Soma produces the same
effects as regular Soma and also effectively enhances the
users Quantum score by +1 (This augmentation can increase
the effects of powers that have effects based on Quantum,
as well as the dice pool for a power max, but it does not
allow the purchase of Extras or level four powers, nor does it
increase the users Quantum Pool). The user is, however also
gripped by a powerful euphoria and suffers from extremely
poor judgment (+2 difficulty on all appropriate rolls).
Addiction: 1 + number of doses beyond the first dose
of any type of Soma; botching the roll also imposes another
point of temporary Taint. Tainted Soma is instantly and
totally addictive to baseline users, inflicting the Addiction
flaw with the first dose.
Antidote: None.
Detox: After the four hour duration has elapsed, the
nova user must roll their Quantum just as if they had initiated a power max, each 1 on this roll will inflict 1 point of
temporary Taint.
Overdose: A baseline suffers a +2 increase to the difficulty of the stamina roll to avoid being killed outright for
each dose of Soma (Tainted or otherwise) taken within a 4
hour period. A nova can withstand a number of doses within
a 4 hour period equal to his Resistance; each dose after that
is treated a Toxin Rating 5 lethal poison.

40

Biotech Materials
When compared to the flashier fields of scientific
endeavor such as high-energy physics or genetic engineering, material science has often been given short shrift.
This is no different in 2015, as most denizens of the Nova
Age take the existence of the wondrous new materials
being put out on the market for granted. That attitude is
not only dismissive but is downright dangerous. Despite
being regarded as background elements, the new materials produced through biotechnology can and will change
Terran society in subtle ways. The only questions are these:
what effects will these wondrous substances have on human
society, and will anyone even bother to notice those effects
before its too late?

Artificial Spider Silk

Producer: Independent conglomerate (biotech and
textiles subsidiaries)
Category: Bioengineered animal product
Description: Finding a way to make the mass production of artificial spider silk commercially feasible has been a
long-held goal of biologists, clothing designers and textile
magnates. As cannibalistic carnivores, spiders can not be
farmed in sufficient numbers to make silk farming viable, so
another way had to be found.
In 2010, a transnational conglomerate solved the problem when one of the baseline researchers in their biotech
division made a breakthrough by creating transgenic cutworms with working spider silk glands. With just a pittance
of low-quality flour and green plant matter, the cutworm
grubs could each produce the same amount of silk as sixty
normal silkworms before pupating. The resulting product
has become a mainstay of the textile industry and a very
tempting target for industrial espionage. As of 2015 none of
the conglomerates competitors have managed to steal the
secret behind their artificial spider silk. The conglomerates
recent introduction of reinforced spider silk armors that are
both lighter and slightly stronger than Valamid fiber-based
armors (Aberrant: Project Utopia, p. 51) has only increased
their competitors efforts.
System: The original variety of artificial spider silk has
the best qualities of both dragline and aciniform (used by
spiders to wrap prey items) silk; and is used for clothing,
medical sutures and all kinds of threads, lines and ropes.
The most remarkable property of these items is their
reduced weight in comparison to similar items made from
other substances. The new spider silk armors provide protection thats slightly better (+1 to Soak values) than that
of Valamid fiber armors yet have only half the weight (the
penalty for bulkiness is reduced by 1, to a maximum of zero).
That said, spider silk armors are not only slightly less durable

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than Valamid armors (-1 to the Destruction rating) but are
biodegradeable. If stored in anything less than hermetic
conditions, spider silk armors will begin to rot away into
uselessness in anywhere from two to twenty years, depending on the conditions. (Valamid-based armors have the
same Soak values and mass as their normal Kevlar based
analogs, while adding +4 to their Destruction ratings. Valamid armors are also non-biodegradeable, and can be kept
for many decades in normal storage and remain useable.)
Details on armor stats can be found on p. 277 of the Aberrant core book.) Artificial spider silk is an advancement and
can be used and duplicated by baselines.

Bioadhesives
Producer: Independent baseline bioengineer
Category: Bioengineered animal product
Description: Derived from several species of genetically engineered molluscs by a baseline bioengineer in
2005, these are slightly improved versions of the natural
protein-based glues produced by these creatures wild relatives. These surprisingly inexpensive products are mostly
used in the fields of medicine, manufacuring and cosmetics, and have made their inventor extremely wealthy. Rumor
has it that the U.S. Army is negotiating with the inventor to
explore possible weapons applications of bioadhesives, but
if anything has come of those hypothetical negotiations it
isnt widely known as of 2015.
System: There are currently four kinds of bioadhesives
on the market, which are described below. All bioadhesives
are waterproof and fully biodegradable unless specified
otherwise. Bioadhesives are advancements and can be used
and duplicated by baselines.
Biobond: This bioadhesive is used with inorganic medical implants of all kinds, as it not only adheres strongly to
the implant but also provides a porous framework of tough
proteins that the patients body tissues can literally grow
into and anchor themselves. Aside from making inorganic
medical implants much more reliable, Biobond is a key supporting technology for the use of inorganic cyberware.
InstaStitch: The predecessor to Biobond, this bioadhesive has become a standard part of the medical repetoire
worldwide. This bioadhesive has replaced old-fashioned
surgical sutures, as the patients own body tissues will grow
through and assimilate the Instastitch. Not only does this
eliminate the need for physical removal of a suture, it also
allows the patients wound to heal with only faint scarring
at worst.
Permafix: The Nova Ages answer to SuperGlue, this
bioadhesive is used as an all-purpose permanent adhesive
for manufactured products ranging from furniture to sports
equipment to plywoods. Unlike other bioadhesives, Perma-

fix will not biodegrade on its own and requires a special

solvent to remove it once its adhered to something. The
solvent is completely harmless and will dissolve Permafix
without causing any stains within thirty seconds of application. Separating two items glued together with Permafix by
using brute force requires an effective Strength of 6+ and is
very likely to damage the glued items.
QuickTack: This bioadhesive has replaced spirit gum
in the fields of cosmetics, disguises and stage makeup.
Designed to harmlessly bond with and detach from human
skin, QuickTack cannot be removed by anything other
than 10 seconds worth of mild sustained physical pressure. QuickTack allows the skin its bonded with to perspire,
secrete and radiate heat normally, making it very comfortable to use.

Biofactory
Producer: Novelty Consulting
Category: Bioengineered microbial product
Description: Before 1998, quite a few impressive new
materials had been invented, holding out a promise of stunning technological progress. With the coming of the Nova
Age, this situation only became more pronounced thanks to
the discoveries of Mega-Intelligent nova scientists. Unfortunately, those impressive new materials also had equally
impressive production costs, making mass production
infeasible in many cases. That changed in early 2015, when
Novelty Consulting patented a process that used several
species of bioengineered microbes to literally assemble a
prechosen material from base chemical stocks.
System: Biofactories are cooperative multispecies
microbe colonies that are kept in what are essentially computer-controlled automated vats the size of commercial beer
kegs. The microbes are designed to respond to chemical
signals released by the biofactory computer, which guides
them in their production of a prechosen material. The computer also controls the release of the required chemicals and
food for the microbes. The fact that this means of material assembly requires nothing in the way of combustion or
intense heat has made it especially attactive to manufacturers who have a sense (or wish to present a faade) of
environmental responsibility. The range of materials that can
be produced by a biofactory is very wide, with metamaterials and all kinds of ceramics being only two possibilities.
Given 24 hours of uninterrupted operation and sufficient
resources, a biofactory can produce anywhere from 10 to
40 kilograms of the chosen material, with the materials level
of molecular complexity limiting how much of it can be produced. Materials with highly complex molecular structures
will take longer to produce. Biofactories are an advancement and can be used and duplicated by baselines.

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Biosmelter

Neofiber

Producer: Novelty Consulting

Category: Bioengineered microbial product
Description: Released in mid-2015, these devices are
highly specialized versions of Novelty Consultings Biofactories. Each biosmelter uses a specific species of bioengineered extremeophile bacteria that literally feeds off of the
impurities found in a single type of metal ore, leaving behind
refined metal. While they arent quite as profitable as their
standard biofactories, Novelty Consulting has still made a
handsome amount of money through sales of these devices.
If Amanda Wu has her way, biosmelters could replace most
traditional smelting operations within twenty years.
System: As simplified biofactories, biosmelters operate
on the same basic computer-controlled microbe colony in a
vat concept. Thats where the similarities end. A biosmelter
is the size of a dumpster, with very thick walls and protections against leaks and accidental spillage. Thats due to the
very nasty chemicals used and produced by the extremeophile bacteria in the refining process, which could pollute
the local soil and groundwater if left unchecked. Given sufficient power and resources, a biosmelter can refine 20 metric
tons of ore within 24 hours. Biosmelters are an advancement
and can be used and duplicated by baselines.

Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate

Category: Novel bioengineered lifeform
Description: Upon first learning the origin of eufiber,
Morgan Dwyer was utterly revolted by the idea of wearing a novas skin excretions as clothing. After his eruption
and subsequent recruitment by the C-Z Megasyndicate, he
decided to act on that revulsion and create a superior version of eufiber that had a much more palatable method of
production. Dr. Dwyers new version of eufiberdubbed
Neofiberis grown in seed pods on a bioengineered
organism that shares characteristics with both fruiting plants
and slime molds. Neofiber differs from normal eufiber in a
number of interesting ways, it is more aware and trainable
than normal eufiber, bearing more than a little resemblance
to vampiric eufiber in how it functions. In addition, properly cultivated neofiber has shown the ability to defend and
assist its wearer in various ways when the wearer is in extremis or incapacitated, such as manifesting tendrils to drag
the nova to safety or spines to prevent the nova from being
manhandled.
System: Properly cultivating neofiber requires the
wearer to take points in the Neofiber Background, which
is functionally identical to the Eufiber background in most
ways, with the same soak enhancement and Quantum storage abilities, etc. After acquiring a suit of neofiber, a nova
may then spend the time needed to cultivate the neofiber
colonys smarts. This works by the nova spending experience points to buy the new Ability called Cunning (see
below). The difference between Cunning and other Abilities is that Cunning represents the developed instincts, relationship and trained responses of the characters neofiber
colony.
With a rating in Cunning, a colony of neofiber can then
assist its wearer by reshaping itself when needed using its
Cunning + (the novas Neofiber Background) as a Weave
dice pool to invoke the effects described on p. 82 of the
Aberrant Players Guide for the Weave skill. This effect is
normally under the control of the player, but the Storyteller
can have the colony take action on its own when appropriate. The advantage to Cunning is that the neofiber colony is
taking the action instead of the nova, so that it can assist in
various activities (combat, climbing, etc.) without counting
as an action for the character wearing it. Neofiber can also
be manipulated directly with the Weave skill.
Like vampiric eufiber, Neofiber will also attempt to keep
itself full to its background point limit on quantum points
and will instinctively attempt to drain its wearer of quantum
points or Health Levels if it becomes depleted. In that situation, the Storyteller rolls the Neofiber background rating +
Cunning vs. the wearers Wits (Aberrant Players Guide, p.

Hyper-Resins
Producer: Independent biotech firm
Category: Bioengineered plant product
Description: In 2009, a small collaboration of independent baseline bioengineers discovered several new kinds of
resins that when dried could rival many metals (including
surgical steel) in terms of hardness and tensile strength while
being much lighter. Even better, resin-based items had no
harmful chemicals and were biodegradeable after 10 years.
After they bioengineered a few otherwise useless weeds to
produce the hyper-resins, the group patented the technology and became very wealthy. As of 2015, items made
from the relatively cheap hyper-resins have replaced some
comparable metal items, especially surgical instruments
intended for use in poor Third World nations. Hyper-resin
items have also become popular as components for sports
equipment and short-term emergency gear. Unfortunately,
others have abused the technology to create hyper-resin
weapons that metal detectors cant pick up.
System: Hyper-resin items have almost the same stats
as their metallic analogs, save for their weight. For items
made from all but the heaviest metals (such as lead), a
hyper-resin equivalent will have only 25% of the metal items
weight. Hyper-resins are an advancement, and can be used
and duplicated by baselines.

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81). Unlike vampiric eufiber, there is no background point
discount for Neofiber.
Because Neofiber is biochemically very different from
Eufiber, all poisons, diseases or other chemical cocktails
designed with Eufiber in mind (such as Eu-Freezesee
Aberrant: The Directive p. 56) are ineffective when used
against Neofiber. Neofiber is an innovation and can only be
created and used by novas.

Cunning
Though used mostly like an Ability, Cunning is actually
a measure of how well a nova has developed and trained
the rudimentary mind of their neofiber colony. A colony of
neofiber with well developed Cunning can act and react to
help or defend its wearer without prompting, sensing his
desires though attunement when needed. As the neofibers
Cunning grows, it becomes more responsive and quicker to
react to changing circumstances.
System: In addition to the functions described under
Neofiber, Cunning can also be used as a crude form of Perception or Intelligence when the Neofiber must act without
the conscious guidance of its wearer. In this case, the neofiber colony can roll its Cunning as an Awareness dice pool
at +1 difficulty or at +2 difficulty as an Intelligence dice pool
to make connections on an animal level. Cunning is also
used in place of Dexterity to determine the colonys movement speed when it is moving its wearer without assistance
or if it is moving on its own for some reason (Walk or Run
speeds only).
Finally, if someone wishes to steal the neofiber colony
off of a nova or otherwise take it off of them unwillingly,
she must roll Strength + Might vs. the Cunning + Neofiber
background of the nova to pry the colony loose from the
wearer. Even then, the colony will attempt to escape from
its new owner until the new owner has attuned it to herself
and trained it by buying Cunning with experience points.

Neofiber and Cyberkinesis

Just like natural eufiber, a colony of neofiber can be
used to create cyberkinetic webs as described on p. 81
of the Aberrant Players Guide. The only difference is the
neofibers Cunning rating, which allows it to supplement
its masters Cyberkinesis rolls with its own Cunning + (the
novas Neofiber Background) dice pool. That said, using this
tactic does pose a risk to its cyberkinetic user. Just as with
neofiber clothing, cyberkinetic webs of neofiber can turn on
their users by draining quantum points and Health Levels
from them as described above. It should also be noted that
given how little is known of the properties of neofiber, its
not far-fetched that a neofiber cyberkinetic web that killed

Story Seed: Rogue Web

The inevitable has happened: a cyberkinetic nova with more
curiousity and money than common sense has created a neofiber cyberkinetic web. After several weeks of being used to the
cyberkinetics advantage, the continuous information flow and
repeated close-range exposure to quantum powers have caused
the web to spontaneously develop animal-level sentience. After
turning on and devouring its user the web begins to grow,
searching out both natural eufiber to consume and replace and
new sources of quantum energy - novas - to drain. And then it
wakes up completely into full sapience, a truly inhuman intelligence born from quantum power and pure information with a
natural talent for manipulating the OpNet and anything its connected to... And its hungry. The player characters are given the
task of finding some way to deal with the rogue web before it kills
anyone else, and without causing any more damage to the local
OpNet than is really necessary.
its user might even attain some level of actualif not even
remotely humansapience and go rogue.

Oilgourds
Producer: Independent nova bioengineer
Category: Bioengineered plant product
Description: Early in 2015, an independent nova bioengineer created an altered gourd plant which could replicate any industrial oils (which are mainly used in lubricants
and detergents) known to current terrestrial science. After
patenting the invention and working out a royalties contract
with a major transnational agricultural corporation, these
oilgourds hit the global market. Many nations loved the
idea of being able to literally grow their own industrial oils,
and environmentalists praised it as being much more earthfriendly than refining industrial oils from petroleum. Despite
strident (and futile) protests from the OPEC nations, the production and use of oilgourds is only expected to increase as
time goes by.
System: Oilgourd plants are much like their natural cousins, except that their fruits are uniformly inedible
(even to insects and fungi). Each oilgourd plant must be
exposed as seedlings to a sample of the industrial oil they
are intended to replicate. When mature, a ripe oilgourd will
have anywhere from one to three liters of the chosen industrial oil stored within it, depending on the length of the local
growing season and the level of care given to the oilgourd
plants. Oilgourds are an advancement, and can be used and
duplicated by baselines.

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ABERRANT
Smartgels
Producer: Independent nova bioengineer
Category: Bioengineered microbial product
Description: The byproducts of a nova bioengineers
foray into proteomics research, these bioengineered proteins have just hit the global market, with Project Utopias
full approval. Sold in compressed form, these protein-based
aerogels will rapidly inflate into their preprogrammed forms
upon being deployed.
System: There are currently four types of smartgels
available on the market. All forms of smartgels are advancements, and can be used and duplicated by baselines.
Blob round: Usable in grenade launchers (Aberrant
core book, p. 276), this smartgel will engulf a target in a
blob thats similar to rubber cement, except that its considerably stronger. Much like the Foamthrower (Aberrant:
Year One, pp. 107-108), a blob round has the same effect
as two dots of the Immobilize quantum power (assuming
a Quantum of 1), reducing the Dexterity of the target. The
attacker uses Dexterity + Firearms in a resisted roll against
the targets Dexterity, with the result determining how many
dots of Dexterity the target loses. It is also impossible to
suffocate a breathing person or animal with a blob round,
as the protein is designed to avoid growing over sources of
carbon dioxide gas. The last two differences are that a blob
round will have an effective Strength of 5 and four health
levels due to its somewhat elastic structure. Blob rounds
will dissolve on their own 15 minutes after being used. The
use of blob rounds is currently restricted to the military, law
enforcement agencies and wildlife management agencies.
Gelcast: This normally opaque smartgel acts as an
instant medical cast and limb/body immobilizer, and is
quickly becoming standard equipment for medical professionals around the globe. In addition to providing support
equal to the best traditional casts, gelcasts can form resealable apertures through which surgeons can easily operate when exposed to a specific frequency of ultrasound.
Another ultrasound frequency can be used to make the gelcast literally scratch at an itchy spot on the encased body
part. Due to being a specialized form of aerogel designed
with working pores, gelcasts both allow the skin to breathe
and wick away perspiration and skin secretions. Finally, gelcasts can temporarily become transparent so that medical

44

doctors can examine the encased body part just by looking

at it. Before being used, gelcasts come in small packs ranging in size from a cigarrette pack (for the neck or a limb) to a
coconut (full body cast).
Hullpatch: Just as the name says, this smartgel is
designed to quickly seal small to moderate-sized breaches
in the hulls of air vehicles. When sold, a hullpatch resembles a plastic dumbbell with two small D-rings attached to
one end. To use it, the hullpatch is placed halfway through
the breach (easily done, since its fairly gelatinous) and the
D-rings are pulled. When deployed, a small hullpatch can
cover up and adhere to two square meters of a vehicles
inner and outer hulls, centered on the hull breach. Large hullpatches can cover up to six square meters of a vehicles hull
in the same way. As the protein-based aerogel is designed
for extreme tensile strength, hullpatches have been proven
capable of maintaining cabin pressure at altitudes of up to
15 kilometers. Hullpatches are permanent, but users are still
advised to have repairs made at an aircraft hangar as soon
as possible. Attacks against the aircraft will gain +2 dice if
the hullpatch is targeted. Researchers speculate that hullpatches could be used on spacecraft without difficulty, but
as of 2015 this hasnt been tested in actual spaceflight.
Seapatch: Developed at the request of the U.S. Navy,
this smartgel is designed to quickly seal small to moderate
hull breaches in sea vessels below the waterline. Before use
a seapatch resembles a platter-sized drain plug with fluted
edges. The reason for this radical difference in design from
the hullpatch is simple. Where a hullpatch reacts to lowered atmospheric pressure and has to keep the air inside
the plane, seapatches must function against the water lathe
effect, where water is shooting in through the breach and
will cut anything in its way to pieces. The design of the seapatch allows it to be jammed up against a hull breach while
diverting the incoming water away from the person(s) using
it. When deployed, a seapatch can cover up to 8 square
meters of the vessels exterior and interior hulls. Seapatches
are permanent, but users are advised to place their vessels
in drydock for repairs as soon as possible. Attacks against
the vessel will gain +2 dice if the seapatch is targeted. Seapatches can withstand water pressures of up to 30 fathoms.

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Sucrochemicals
Producer: Independent nova bioengineer
Category: Bioengineered plant/microbial product
Description: Soon after the introduction of Oilgourds,
the independent nova bioengineer responsible for them
recently patented several new manufacturing processes
using bioengineered microbes to create safe biodegradeable plastics from ordinary plant-derived sugars. Even better
is the fact that not only are these new processes are much
less polluting than producing old-fashioned petrochemical
plastics, they are considerably cheaper as well. Sucrochemical technology is rapidly being accepted and used in all of
the First World nations, with the rest of the planet expected
to follow suit in the next few years. Petrochemical-based
plastics are being phased out of use as a result of this, leading to futher problems in the OPEC nations. One particularly
irate Saudi oil tycoon has even tried (unsuccessfully) to put
out a bounty on the inventors head.

System: Sucrochemical technology can be used to

create sugar-based analogs to any of the traditional petrochemical-based plastics, with the two minor differences that
the sugar-based plastics will not harbor any harmful chemicals and will biodegrade at the same rate as normal plant
matter. Sucrochemical plastics are an advancement and may
be used and duplicated by baselines.

The End of Big Oil

While nova Tetsuo Yamatos invention of the hypercombustion engine in 2004 (Aberrant core book, p. 12) did deal a serious
blow to the OPEC nations, they were still able to count on the markets for petroleum-derived plastics and industrial oils to keep
them (barely) afloat. With the introduction of oilgourds and sucrochemical-derived plastics, OPEC now finds itself in the position
of a drowning man whos just been tossed an anvil instead of a life preserver. While both oilgourds and sucrochemicals will do
much to improve the public health and local agriculture interests, the increased social instability and economic downturns they
will cause in the Middle East will be catastrophic for their current local social order.

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ABERRANT

Autolocation Module

Cyberware
From the first time a human with a wounded leg used
a long stick to aid in walking, people with crippling injuries
and deformities have always been developing tools that
would mitigate their handicaps. Circa 2015 this has been
taken to a new level with the recent advances in cyborg
technology. With the support of Utopian medical charities,
many crippled humans have the option of permanently
eliminating their handicaps by accepting therapeutic cyberware. Other people who feel threatened by the capabilities
of novas have also created a market for cyberware that can
give them an edgeno matter how smallagainst their
erupted rivals. With augmentation cyberware having been
banned as blacktech in all First World nations, organized
crime has stepped in to fill that demand. The full ramifications and consequences of cyberware use in the Nova Age
- legal or otherwise - have yet to be seen.

Cyberware Varieties
What follows is an assortment of the more remarkable
items of augmentation cyberware that the players are likely
to come across in an Aberrant chronicle. The inorganic
variety covers the traditional kind of cyberware composed
of metal, silicon & plastic components. Organic augmentation cyberware items are those composed of living tissues
which are either surgically implanted into the user or grown
in his body as a symbiont. In either case these items will
have equivalent dot ratings, capabilities and drawbacks as
detailed in the Cyberware Background (see Appendix #1 of
this book, p. 241). As for therapeutic cyberware, the vast
majority of it is inorganic but is otherwise considered innocuous by law enforcement and security personnel. Those
people with obvious therapeutic cyberware might get a
second look in rural and/or backwards regions, but their
cyberware wont be thought of as unsettling or even out of
the ordinary in the major metropolitan and surburban areas
of the early 21st Century.

46

Producer: Heaven Thunder Triad

Category: Inorganic
Description: A specialized relative of the Symbiotic
Brain Data Implant (Aberrant: Underworld, p. 38), this item
can literally grant a Triad member the home field advantage when it comes to getting around a neighborhood.
Combining with a host of active sensors with constantlyupdated 3D digital maps, Triad members can evade pursuit,
find Triad safehouses and sneak past security cordons with
ease. The Autolocation Module is identical to the Symbiotic
Brain Data Implant in terms of cost, implantation, operational lifespan and upgrading.
System: The Autolocation Module combines several
minor items into a very effective means of keeping constant track of the users location. The active sensors include
GPS, an inertial motion tracking system, a magnetic microcompass and a micro-gyroscope. In conjunction with the
onboard 3D digital maps, the user only has to make a Perception + Awareness roll to determine his general location
in terms of direction and proximity to known landmarks,
even if hes been moved while unconscious. If the user has
an 3D digital map of his current locale, he will also receive
anywhere from +1 to +3 bonus dice (depending on how
up-to-date the map is) on attempts to get around the area,
evade pursuit and find local Triad establishments (if there
are any). The micro-gyroscope component also gives the
user a somewhat augmented sense of balance. Users of
the Autolocation Module may stand, walk or even drive
vehicles across treacherous surfaces as if they had the Perfect Balance enhancement (Aberrant Players Guide, p.
102). Unfortunately the Autolocation Module provides no
enhanced ability to land on ones feet after a fall.
This device does have a few defects, however. First,
the 3D digital maps are updated by the Heaven Thunder
Triad on an irregular basis, depending on how often the
HTTs cameramen can drive through an area without being
harassed by police or rival criminals. Many areas of the

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ABERRANT
Other Cyberware Items
To avoid confusion, weve assigned Cyberware dot ratings to those items of cyberware that have been presented in
previous Aberrant sourcebooks. In all cases, items that are therapeutic cyberware will have no dot rating at all.
DeVries Brain-implant Data Connection (Elites, p. 72)
Basic model:
With multiway communication:
With full OpNet connection:
Symbiotic Brain Data Implant (Aberrant: Underworld, p. 38):
Synthetic Transplant Organs (Aberrant: Year One, pp. 73-74): None
Synthetic Glands (Aberrant: Year One, p. 75): None
planet have yet to be mapped in this way by the HTT, especially as the majority of their funds are earmarked for more
vital operations. The Storyteller retains full discretion as to
the accuracy of the HTTs 3D digital maps. Second, anyone
capable of hacking into the GPS system can not only locate
the user at will, but can also feed him false GPS data to
draw him into a trap. Distortions of the local magnetic field
can likewise render the micro-compass useless. The Autolocation Module is a three-dot Cyberware item. It is also an
advancement, and may be used and duplicated by baselines.

Bomb Implants
Producer: Kuro-Tek, Heaven Thunder Triad (conventional), Independents (antimatter)
Category: Inorganic
Description: Before the Nova Age, the concept of literally placing a bomb into a persons body had been a trope of
science fiction for many decades. With the recent advances
in cybernetics that trope has become a terrifying reality. As
the next logical step beyond Kuro-Teks Explosive Collar
(see Aberrant: Brainwaves), bomb implants have become
a favored means for both national governments and organized crime to control difficult people such as novas. While
most such devices rely on conventional high explosives,
there are some rumors that one or more Mega-Intelligent
nova scientists have created extremely small bomb implants
that use shielded antimatter instead. Whether true or not,
those rumors have caused many novas and baselines more
than a few nights of worry and uneasy sleep...
System: Conventional bomb implants are metallic
devices the size of a small childs fist that can be surgically
implanted wherever in a victims body there is sufficient room
for it. Such spots are usually close to one or more of the vital
areas of the victims body, limiting the bomb implants use
to killing the victim instead of just maiming him. They are
also equipped with remote controls with a radio base that
allows an operator to detonate the explosives at will. The

explosion does an automatic twelve health levels of lethal

damage plus another twelve dice of damage, with the victims lethal soak being reduced to one-third of its normal
level (round down) against it. Due to size restrictions, they
cannot be equipped with quantum scanners (see Aberrant:
Underworld) as explosive collars can. Finally, they can also
be tuned to a central transmitter to prevent the victim from
straying. Conventional bomb implants are one-dot Cyberware items.
In contrast antimatter bomb implants are tiny, about the
size of an average seedless grape. Aside from the housing
and control circuitry, it has an array of microscopic quantum capacitors surrounding an even smaller quartz crystal
of a specific structure and dimensions. When activated the
quantum capacitors temporarily change a few atoms of the
quartz crystal into antimatter, resulting in an instantaneous
explosion that obliterates both the user and everything
around him. In game terms, this is 15d10 [20] levels of Lethal
damage from the heat blast, pressure wave and gamma
radiation caused by the matter/antimatter reaction. On the
bright side, there is no appreciable nuclear fallout as with
old-fashioned nuclear weapons. Due to the extreme difficulties involved in producing the antimatter, antimatter bomb
implants arent used as a means of controlling captives.
Instead they are designed as last-ditch suicide weapons for
use by novas, and are typically designed to be set off at
will by the user himself. Antimatter bomb implants require
5 dots of the Cyberware Background with the Ultrablack
Cyberware Background Enhancement.
In both cases the bomb implant blasts are considered
to have the Explosion Extra (Aberrant core book, p. 231)
for determining the blast area and damage reduction at
distances away from ground zero. Also, bomb implants are
typically designed to go off when tampered with. Bomb
implants using conventional high explosives are advancements, and may be duplicated and used by baselines. Bomb
implants using antimatter are Innovations, and may only be
created by novas with a Quantum Trait of 6+.

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ABERRANT
Genomorphic Armament Symbionts,
a.k.a. GEAS
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Organic
Description: After getting mixed results from ZGH (see
p. 53 of this book), Dr. Dwyer realized that he was going to
have to take another route toward his goal of human augmentation. The breakthrough came in 2013 when he discovered a means to create symbiotic organisms which would
literally grow into their mature state as bioengineered augmentation cyberware in a human host. Dr. Dwyer created a
wide variety of organic HAUGS, which he knew would not
give the Megasyndicates enforcers anywhere near the edge
they needed. Returning to his data from the ZGH project, Dr.
Dwyer combined the best of it with his symbiotic implants
to create the GEAS. While they were strictly bioengineered
weaponry at first, Dwyer soon expanded the technology to
grant other useful capabiltiessuch as enhanced movement and redundant organsas well.
Vors Camparelli and Zhukov have done their best to
keep news of their enhanced underlings quiet, but rumors of
Megasyndicate thugs with beastlike capabilities have begun
to spread like wildfire. As of 2015, Dr. Dwyer is still the only
master of this organic augmentation cyberware technology.

48

System: Each GEAS is either a 2- or 4-dot Cyberware

item, as they are bioengineered analogs of the 1- and 2nova point Body Modifications. While still in an embryonic
state, the GEAS is surgically implanted into the human host.
The GEAS will then grow to maturity in either three or six
weeks (for 2-dot and 4-dot GEAS, respectively). The host
must remain under medical supervision for that period to
ensure proper development. Once mature, the host can use
the GEAS just like a nova could its analogous Body Modification.
The GEAS has two drawbacks, with the first being the
need of the host to take a cocktail of special nutrients on
a daily basis in order to keep her GEAS healthy and fully
functional. If the host is deprived of the nutrient cocktail, her
GEAS will enter a dormant state and cannot be used until
its nutrient supply is restored. Even worse is the fact that
a nutrient cocktail must be specifically tailored to both the
host and the GEAS, as taking another hosts nutrient cocktail
will only result in the host suffering violent nausea and GEAS
dormancy for 24 hours.
As of 2015 Dr. Dwyer is the only source for GEAS nutrient cocktails. GEAS are an advancement, and can be used
by baselines. Duplication of the GEAS by baselines will
require at least two decades worth of research and experimentation.

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ABERRANT
Gun Implants
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Inorganic
Description: With the increase in the use of advanced
prosthetic arms for both therapeutic and augmentation
cyberware, it was inevitable that someone would figure out
how to build functional guns into them. To no ones surprise,
Kuro-Tek was the first to achieve that milestone. Ever since
2004, several Nakato gumi soldiers have turned the formerly
crippling loss of a flesh-and-blood arm into a deadly advantage. With the introduction of hyper-resin in 2009 (see p. 42
of this book) into the global market, the newer gun implants
can even bypass standard metal detectors with ease.
System: As far as their stats are concerned, all gun
implants are direct analogs of either pistols (light or heavy)
or small submachine guns as described on p. 275 of the
Aberrant core book. Pistol-grade implants are 3-dot Cyberware items, and small SMG-grade implants are 4-dot Cyberware items. Some gun implants fire tranquilizer-style darts
instead, and have the same stats as Trank Pistols (Aberrant:
Year One, pp. 107-108). Dartgun implants are typically
used to deliver doses of poisons, drugs or disease-causing
microbes.
A very few gun implants even fire paintballs, which will
usually carry drugs or poisons mixed with DMSO to work
as contact agents. Other possible paintball loads include
fluorescent marking dyes, skin irritants and plastic explosives equipped with microtriggers. Plastic explosive paintball loads will inflict two automatic health levels of lethal
damage plus two dice of lethal damage when triggered,
and are generally used for sabotage or breaking and entering. Paintball gun implants have the same stats as Trank
Pistols save for inflicting Bashing damage instead of Lethal.
Dartgun and paintball gun implants are both 2-dot
Cyberware items.
As of 2015 all gun implants are only built into inorganic
arm prostheses, due to the problems of properly maintaining and reloading the implant. Using a gun implant requires
the Firearms Ability, with new users suffering a +1 to all
Firearms rolls made until they become accustomed to these
unusual weapons. That usually requires a full weeks worth of
intensive practice in using and maintaining the gun implant,
but the Storyteller is encouraged to alter that as she sees fit.
Gun implants manufactured after 2009 will also be man-

ufactured out of hyper-resin and advanced polymer components, making them undetectable to metal detectors. At the
cost of an extra dot of the Cyberware background, such gun
implants may also be disguised to look like harmless components of the arm prosthesis in order to fool other varieties
of security scanners. Gun implants are an advancement, and
may be used and duplicated by baselines.

Hibiki Implant, a.k.a. the Echo

Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Inorganic
Description: Originally developed by a lovesick teenaged Japanese inventor to aid his cute (if shrill-voiced) girlfriend attain her dream of becoming a pop idol, this artificial
larynx implant has instead become an espionage tool for
Kuro-Tek and the Nakato gumi. Users of the Hibiki implant
can literally reprogram their voices to sound like any other
person whos spoken in their vicinity. The damage Nakato
gumi operatives have caused through bypassing voiceprint
security devices and impersonating other people over the
phoneand the resulting profits theyve reaped in doing
soare immense.
System: Users of the Hibiki implant can replicate any
sound that is within the audible range of baseline humans,
granting +3 dice on all rolls for mimicry or singing. Duplicating a specific voiceprint will require the user to have
recorded the subjects speech with the implants short-range
microphone component, which has a maximum range of six
meters in optimum conditions. The implants memory can
store up to six different voiceprints at one time. Finally, as a
last resort the user can roll Stamina + Resistance to produce
an intense ultrasonic squeal that is inaudible to baseline
humans but will agitate and irritate all four-legged animals
within hearing distance. In game terms, every two successes
on the roll will increase the attitude of the affected animals
by one step on the Anger column of the Empathic Manipulation chart (Aberrant core book p. 196). Botching this roll
will damage the implant, rendering the user mute until it can
be repaired or replaced. The Hibiki implant is a 2-dot Cyberware item. It is also an advancement, and may be used and
duplicated by baselines.

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ABERRANT
Human Augmentation Systems,
a.k.a. HAUGS
Producer: Kuro-Tek & Heaven Thunder Triad (Inorganic), C-Z Megasyndicate (Organic), Independents
Category: Both Inorganic and Organic (various
implants/prostheses)
Description: This listing covers the various cyberware
items that are designed to raise one of a humans basic
physical, mental or social capabilities to peak human or even
slightly superhuman levels. These are also the most popular
items of augmentation cyberware sold , as many baselines
have turned to them as a way to remain competitive against
nova rivals. Rumors are told of HAUGS that can augment
multiple Attributes, but there is currently no widely-known

50

evidence that such advanced cyberware has been made

functional. Despite the efforts of Project Utopia and law
enforcement agencies worldwide, sales of the HAUGS are
going strong and will likely remain so.
System: Most HAUGS will be rated as 3, 4 or 5-dot
Cyberware items as per the Background; granting +1, 2 or
3 dots to a specific Attribute respectively. HAUGS that can
provide more dots to one or more of the users Attributes
will require the Ultrablack Cyberware Background Enhancement (see Appendix #1 of this book, p. 243.) A HAUGS will
have all the logical and expected components required
to support its function - for example, one that provides
enhanced strength will also include a strengthened skeleton
and hyperstrong ligaments. HAUGS are an advancement,
and can be used and duplicated by baselines.

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Kizuna Implant, a.k.a. the Yoke
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Inorganic
Description: With the release of the C-Z Megasyndicates Chemical Collars (see pp. 24-25 of this book) into the
black market, the Nakato gumi knew that their own share
of the trade in enslaved humans was at risk. Oyabun Nakamura personally charged a team of Kuro-Teks best neurologists and cyberneticists with developing their own device
to ensure a slaves docility. What they came up with was the
Kizuna implant, which essentially dampens the victims emotional responses and self-will to very low levels. Slaves with
Kizuna implants have often been described as living love
dolls instead of docile humans, which most potential buyers
find creepy but has proven a selling point with others.
While oyabun Nakamura considers it inferior to the Chemical Collar, the Kizuna implant has nevertheless made the
Nakato gumi quite a lot of money. As with most other KuroTek products, possession and use of the Kizuna implant has
been banned in most First World nations except Japan.
System: The Kizuna implant is a one-dot Cyberware
item and consists of a tiny plastic nodule with a dozen small
electrodes linked to very fine wires coming out of it. The
device is surgically implanted at the base of the skull with
the needles inserted into specific points in the victims cerebellum and pituitary gland. Once successfully implanted,
this device lowers the victims Willpower by four points
when trying to resist and/or disobey the commands of his
or her designated owner. (The identity of the owner is programmed into the Kizuna implant prior to being installed
into the victim.) Victims who are reduced to zero Willpower
do not fall prey to the base impulses of their Natures.
Instead, such victims will obey and carry out their owners
commands even when they conflict with their ethics and
personal preferences. Overriding a victims sexual preferences is beyond the Kizuna implants capabilities. The victims entire range of emotional responses is also decreased
by three steps on the Empathic Manipulation chart (Aberrant core book p. 196), making the victim nearly autistic in
terms of personal interaction in most cases and reducing all
Social dice pools by 2 dice.
The Kizuna implant does have three very serious flaws,
however. The first is that it was designed to control baseline humans with what is deemed normal mental function.
Victims with neurological and/or mental variancessuch as
mental disordersare less affected by the implant, as their
Willpower and emotional responses will only be lowered by
two points and two steps respectively. Second, novas cannot
be affected at all by the Kizuna implant. Third, the Kizuna
implants circuitry can be surprisingly sensitive to electromagnetic interference in rare circumstances. Depending

The Mega-Flex Syndrome

Some baselines are so desperate to become novas that they
will literally gamble with their own health and lives in order to
erupt. When HAUGS were released into the black market, these
fools only saw them as yet another possible avenue towards
novahood. One very graphic example of how this situation can
go wrong was provided in late 2014 by an unknown individual
and obvious novaphile calling himself Mega-Flex. One fine
winter afternoon, Mega-Flex entered the limelight during an
attempt to foil the mugging of a newlywed couple by a Mitoid.
Unfortunately, the costumed novaphile suffered a catastrophic
seizure throughout his clearly augmented musculature. Both the
newlyweds and the Mitoid ran away screaming (in different directions) when Mega-Flexs body literally tore itself apart before
the horrified eyes of the other bystanders. Ironically, the security camera footage of the hideous incident became one of the
10 most downloaded videos on the OpNet for that following
week. The subsequent autopsy revealed that Mega-Flex had
not only illegally used steroids, human growth hormone and the
ILGF virus (Aberrant: Year One, p. 78) in apparent attempts to
self-erupt, but had been implanted with a prototype HAUGS that
boosted his strength and stamina to mildly superhuman levels.
Ever since that day, the Mega-Flex Incident has been one of
Project Utopias premier examples of the dangers posed by augmentation cyberware.
on the factors involved (and the Storytellers discretion), the
Kizuna implant can choose a random bystander as the victims designated owner or disable the emotional dampening in regards to a random person. In extreme cases, the
damage to the Kizuna implant can limit it to suppressing
all outward signs of emotional response while leaving the
victims actual emotions and self-determination unhindered.
The Kizuna implant is an advancement, and may be used
and duplicated by baselines.

Shizukane Implant,
a.k.a. the Quiet Bell
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Inorganic
Description: Given how useful the cellular phone has
proven to be in facilitating long-range interpersonal communication, it was only a matter of time before someone
created an implanted version of it. One of Kuro-Teks first
and most popular items of augmentation cyberware, this
device allows users to make cellphone calls using either
normal or subvocalized speech. With military-grade signal
scrambler technology to prevent others from eavesdropping on their signals, Nakato gumi operatives can act as a
literal smart mob.

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System: Implanted in the users mastoid cavity, this
device uses neural links to the users auditory and optical
nerves and an internal microphone next to the larynx for
output and input. Dialing is a matter of either selecting a
preprogrammed number or using a virtual keypad to enter
a new number. Text messages are created using the same
virtual keypad. The Shizukane implant has a range of two
kilometers in areas without cellular phone network coverage. As it has no metal components, the Shizukane implant
will not register on airport security scanners. The implants
battery allows the device to be used for 48 hours before
recharging (via a port in the mastoid cavity) is required.
Finally, the built-in signal scrambler imposes a difficulty penalty of +4 on all attempts to decode the encrypted signal.
The only real drawback to the Shizukane implant is that its
still vulnerable to all the problems which can hinder normal
cellphone transmissions. At the Storytellers whim, electromagnetic interference and problems with the local cellular
phone networks can limit this devices usefulness or render it
inoperative. The Shizukane implant is a two-dot Cyberware
item. It is also an advancement, and may be used and duplicated by baselines.

Zenbukagi Implant,
a.k.a. the Universal Key
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Inorganic
Description: This device represents the pinnacle of
Kuro-Teks augmentation cyberware circa 2015. Developed
by a team of Kuro-Teks top nova scientists in 2011, the Zenbukagi implant uses a dedicated superconducting quan-

tum interference device linked to a microcomputer implant

thats grafted to the users spinal cord. When activated, this
allows the user to interface with any electronic or computerized security device by touching it. Once contact has been
established, the user can open them with ease.
System: The Zenbukagi implant can be used 4 times
per scene without drawing upon its quantum battery and
grants the user +4 dice on all Intelligence + Intrusion rolls
made to circumvent most electronic or computerized security measures available in the 2010s. It can also be used to
commit credit card fraud if the user has access to a source of
forged unactivated credit cards. Fortunately, the Zenbukagi
implant was originally designed to counteract only security
measures that are considered state of the art during the
2010s. Advancements in security technology will quickly
render the 2011 version of the Zenbukagi implant obsolete
at a rate of -2 dice per following decade, forcing the user to
either have the implant upgraded to keep pace or removed.
Hypertech security measures designed by Mega-Intelligent
novas or other Inspired beings will typically eliminate the
Zenbukagi implants bonus entirely (Storytellers discretion).
The Zenbukagi implant is powered by a quantum battery
with a capacity of 10 quantum points. In an effort to ensure
the implants longevity, the user cannot use the stored
quantum points for additional uses of the implant without
a special bypass code. The bypass code is unique for each
Zenbukagi implant, and will only be revealed to the user by
his superiors in dire circumstances. The Zenbukagi implant
is a 5-dot Cyberware item and also requires the Ultrablack
Cyberware Background Enhancement. It is also an innovation, and can only be duplicated by novas.

Hey, This Cyberware Is Second-Rate!

Readers familiar with the cyberware seen in Trinity: Asia Ascendant will quickly notice that the cyberware in this book
doesnt really measure up to the cybernetic marvels of 22nd Century Nippon.
Were very glad you folks noticed that. Thank you for paying attention.
Circa 2015 cyberwareespecially augmentation cyberwareis still a very new field of technology. Even with the aid of those
few Mega-Intelligent novas who focus their research on cybernetics and bionics; Aberrant Era cyberware is clearly more primitive, underpowered, less efficient, blatantly obvious and clunky in general in comparison to their counterparts in Trinity. One
reason for this is the huge effort that Aeon, Project Utopia and Project Proteus put into hindering the development of all kinds
of blacktech, including augmentation cyberware. Another is the fact that Trinity Era Nippon will have had more than a centurys
worth of unhindered and honest technological progress by their Mega-Intelligent novas and mentally-enhanced Superiors to
develop their cyberware to heights only dreamt of in the Nova Age. Barring the use of time travel, the only way Aberrant characters are likely to get their hands on 22nd Century Nihonjin cyberware is to live long enough for it to be developed. Of course,
that assumes they can establish and maintain good contacts in the Japanese government during the Aberrant War, Exodus and
the Crash.

52

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Zootropic Growth Hormone (ZGH),
a.k.a. Morph
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Organic
Description: An early result of Dr. Dwyers early research
into human augmentation through transgenics, Zootropic
Growth Hormone (ZGH) is a synthetic amino acid, single chain
polypeptide hormone derived from nova physiology. When
used for gene therapy in baselines it allows for genetic material from a selected animal to be introduced into the baseline subject, who will then begin to develop advantageous
body features of that animal. Despite its initial potential,
Dwyer rejected it for use by Megasyndicate operatives due
to the unacceptable side effects. Instead, in 2012 Dwyer got
the Megasyndicate to begin selling it on the black market.
Known on the street as Morph, ZGH has become one of
the hottest must have items for baselines seeking to augment themselves to (mildly) superhuman status. Morph was
quickly banned in all First World nations, but as of 2015 all
efforts to suppress the Morph trade have only kept the price
high and the money rolling into the Megasyndicates coffers.
System: The initial dose of ZGH counts as a 4-dot
Cyberware item. It must also be loaded with the DNA of
the template animal, and is administered via multiple deepmuscle & bone marrow injections by trained medical technicians. Subsequent injections of blank ZGH (delivered to
a limb muscle) must be self-administered on a weekly basis.
ZGH has no effect on novas, but baseline users will gain four
nova points to spend upon Body Modifications and may purchase additional Body Modifications with experience points
as novas can, provided that treatment continues. The only
limitation is that all the Body Modifications must match analogous features possessed by the template animal. The type of
animal is determined from the start of the process and cannot
be changed.
There are three drawbacks to using ZGH. The first is the
irreversible alien appearance that the ZGH treatment causes,
as the user will also develop features resembling those of his
chosen animal type. In game terms the Storyteller will assign
the user one or more fitting physical aberrations as Flaws
(Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 91-92). The second drawback
is the need for continued ZGH injections to stabilize the users
altered metabolism. If the user fails to get his weekly dose of
ZGH, he will suffer from the effects of either the Hormonal
Imbalance (Lust) or Hormonal Imbalance (Rage) aberrations.
The hormonal imbalance will persist until the user can obtain
more blank ZGH and begin dosing himself again. The
third is the fact that after the user receives the initial dose
of loaded ZGH, each dose of ZGH loaded with the DNA
of any other animal becomes a deadly poison inflicting (12 Stamina) levels of lethal damage.

Bioweapons
The use of biological weapons has been a tactic of
human warfare ever since 1500 B.C.E., when the Hittites
discovered that driving plague victims into the lands held
by their enemies made their conquests easier. Later people
throughout the ancient and medieval periods werent shy
about using natural poisons and diseases to wreak indirect
havoc on their foes. The atrocities only grew during the
19th and the early part of the 20th Centuries, as the testing and use of biological weapons was avidly pursued by
all nations that could afford it. Improved public awareness
of the threat posed by bioweapons did little to stop them,
although the national governments own fear of bioweapons did make them a method of last resort. The signing
by the United States of the Biological and Toxic Weapons
Convention in 1972 raised the possibility that bioweapons
would be banned worldwide, but later events proved that to
be a false hope. With the dawning of the Nova Age, there
are only two changes in this lethal equation. The first is that
all but the poorest nations - and even some private individuals - can gain access to bioweapon technology. The second
is that the power of the latest bioweapons - and the fear
that sane, rational people have for them - is increasing at an
almost-daily rate. The only certainty is that in the conflict to
come, bioweapons will be used. Whether or not humanity
will survive that event remains to be seen.

CDM-83, a.k.a. the Zombie Plague

Producer: Project Utopia
Category: Bioengineered bacteria
Description: Scientific research has a long history of
accidental discoveries. While most such cases are beneficial
or at least harmless, others are horrors that have made sane
researchers wish that disinventing something was possible.

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CDM-83 is a textbook example of this, as it developed from
a Utopian researchers experiments with using a special kind
of symbiotic bacteria to extend the period that donated
human organs could be kept alive and usable for transplant. Instead the researcher ended up creating a strain of
parasitic bacteria that caused severe and irreversible brain
damage to its infected hosts, reducing them to mindless
beasts with an insatiable hunger for healthy human flesh. All
it took was one mistake by a careless baseline lab technician
for CDM-83 to get its first trial run. Fortunately it could only
be transmitted by bites from infected hosts, so Team Tomorrow Americas was able to contain the initial outbreak without much difficulty. Afterwards a few samples of CDM-83
were relegated to Project Utopias maximum security cold
storage facility, with all other specimens (and the cadavers
of the infected hosts) promptly incinerated. The incident
was covered up without fanfare, but the threat posed by
CDM-83 is just waiting to be unleashed once more.
Vector: Injected (via bite from an infected host).
System: Once introduced into a baseline victims
body via a skin break, CDM-83 requires thirty minutes to
reproduce itself in numbers large enough for symptoms to
develop. Initially the victim will develop an unhealthy pallor
and slight nervous tics as the bacteria begin interfering
with his metabolism and causing gradual brain damage. In
game terms this reduces the victims Appearance by 1 dot
and his permanent Willpower by 2 dots. Those reductions
are cumulative with each additional thirty minute period,
as the victims skin will break out in slimy weeping lesions
and generally appear to be rotting away. Once the victims
permanent Willpower reaches zero, his mind is effectively

Story Seed: The Devils Playground

Thanks to a shocking lapse in their security procedures, one
of Project Utopias bioengineers has not only managed to steal a
sample of CDM-83 but has also gone underground. From what
little remains of his lab journal and notes, the bioengineer appears
to have been fascinated - if not obsessed - with CDM-83 for quite
some time. As if another CDM-83 outbreak wasnt enough of a
threat, the notes indicate that the bioengineer was thinking of
the possibilities of expanding the bioweapons capabilities.
The player characters are assigned the task of apprehending the
rogue bioengineer and destroying his supply of CDM-83, hopefully before he releases it or finds a way to make the bioweapon
transmittable via air and/or water. In the worst case scenarios, the
player characters will also have to contain the outbreak and deal
with the infected hosts by whatever means necessary to keep
the Zombie Plague from spreading any further. In all cases, the
player characters may also have to deal with agents of national
governments and other groups who would like to add CDM-83
to their existing bioweapon arsenals.

54

gone for good. The former human will then seek to hunt
down and devour the nearest available source of healthy
live human flesh. Due to their brain damage, zombies
created by CDM-83 infection do not suffer any kind of
pain penalty and are completely immune to Mega-Social
Attributes, telepathy and mind controlling powers - theres
just not enough mind left for those powers to affect.
CDM-83 zombies also have the equivalent of two levels of
the Dispersed Organs Body Modification (Aberrant Players
Guide, p. 109) , as the bacteria will do their best to keep
most of the zombies organs functional. The exception is the
zombies brains, which CDM-83 was never designed to deal
with. CDM-83 zombies can be killed with targeted head
shots without any additional difficulties. Unless disposed of
beforehand, CDM-83 zombies have a lifespan of only 24
hours before their infected bodies literally fall apart snd shut
down completely. Novas are immune to CDM-83, and the
bacteria cannot affect nonhuman lifeforms or human cadavers. CDM-83 is an advancement, and may be created and
duplicated by baselines.
Antidote: Short of cleansing all traces of CDM-83 from
a victims body with the Healing quantum power before they
lose all their Willpower (which requires 1 point of quantum
for every half hour of infection), there is no antidote.

Damper Polyps
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Bioengineered sea jelly
Description: With the likes of Team Tomorrow breathing down their collective neck, Dr. Dwyer was tasked with
finding an effective anti-nova weapon from the moment the
Megasyndicates biotech operation was created in 2009.
After writing off Eclipsidol (Aberrant: The Directive, pp.
55-56) as both far too conspicuous and much too likely to
cause inconvenient property damage, Dr. Dwyer took a different path. Combining some of his old pre-medical school
experiments on sea jellies with the Eruption Catalyst (see
pp. 25-26 of this book), Dr. Dwyer created the first damper
rounds and promptly field-tested them on a traitorous nova
underling. The results spoke for themselves, and damper
rounds are now issuedif only on rare occasionto the
Megasyndicates best nova operatives.
System: As the name implies, damper polyps are the
immature form of a transgenic sea jelly bioengineered by
Dr. Dwyer. In their mature state these jellies are little different from their wild cousins, and are kept in a display
aquarium at his personal clinic for breeding purposes. The
resulting polyps are placed in a form of chemically-induced
suspended animation and individually encased in a round of
protective putty. The final preparation must be made by the
user, who must charge each damper polyp she intends to

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use with one of her own quantum points - this only requires a
simple Willpower check to accomplish. The charged rounds
are then ready to be fired from a modified soft projectile
gun (Aberrant: Year One, pp. 105-108) at the target nova.
The round is much too soft and low-powered to inflict any
physical damage on the target nova, but the impact does jar
the encased damper polyp into full activity.
Upon making contact with the target novas body, a
damper polyp will immediately attempt to drain his quantum points. In game terms this is equivalent to a Quantum
Leech attack using a dice pool of 8 for the power roll against
the target novas Willpower. If the attack is successful, the
damper polyp will drain off six quantum points from the
target novas Quantum Pool to fuel an instant hyperaccelerated growth spurt into a medium-sized sea jelly. After
that the former damper polyp dies and falls off the target
nova, quickly decaying into useless slime. As one-use items,
users typically fire multiple damper polyps at a target nova.
Damper polyps are innovations, and may only be used or
duplicated by novas.

Glory Bomb
Producer: Independent nova bioengineer
Category: Binary chemical compound
Description: The product of an unknown nova hypergenius, this radical extrapolation of the suicide bomber
concept literally turns a baseline humans body tissues into
a surprisingly high grade of explosive. What little is widely
known of it was derived from Project Utopias chemical
analysis of a Glory Bomb users remains in mid-2015. The
bomber managed to infiltrate a small mosque in southern
Saudi Arabia during evening prayer before deliberately
setting himself off. The blast demolished the mosque and
killed 200 Wahabist clergy and worshippers. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are frantically attempting to
develop a means to detect Glory Bomb users before they
go off, but have had little progress as yet. The only certainty
is that the Glory Bomb will be used again, and soon.
Vector: Injected
Toxin Rating: 5
System: The Glory Bomb compound is comprised of
two separate substances which react violently when they
come into direct physical contact with each other. The first
substance is a quantum-charged chemical that alters the
users biochemical makeup to produce explosive biomatter and is administered to the user by means of a dialysis
machine over a period of eight hours to achieve total body
saturation. The second substance acts as a trigger to set it
off when released into the users bloodstream. To prevent
premature explosion, the trigger chemical is stored in a tiny
artificial cyst that only requires minor outpatient surgery to

implant. The cyst must either be physically ruptured by the

user or have an attached radio microreceiver and automatic
micromechanism to release the trigger via remote control. The amount of the damage caused by a Glory Bomb
explosion is 10d10 [15] Lethal damage, and is treated as
having the Explosion Extra (Aberrant core book, p. 231) for
purposes of blast area and damage reduction. There is no
way for a Glory Bomb user to survive the explosion, short
of having his mind transferred into a new body via nova
powers or a Personality Recording (see p. 29 of this book).
Aside from the prospect of instant death when the
explosion is triggered, the Glory Bomb does have two other
drawbacks. First is the fact that a baseline humans biochemistry simply can not be altered in this manner without serious health consequences. Starting from the time he is first
infused with the Glory Bomb, the user has exactly seven
days to live. If the user should make it to that deadline (pun
intended) without blowing himself up, he will die - without
exploding, fortunately - as his body finally surrenders to
the strain of operating with the Glory Bomb in his system.
The second drawback is that radio-triggered Glory Bombs
can be set off prematurely if someone managed to determine the precise frequency that the trigger implant is set to
receive. Novas with Hyperenhanced Hearing can determine
the frequency set off the Glory Bomb with a Perception +
Awareness roll at a +2 difficulty penalty, although simply
triggering a Glory Bomb only requires an automatic action
once the frequency is known. The Glory Bomb compound
is an innovation, and can only be created and administered
by novas.
Antidote: It is possible to for novas with the Healing
quantum power to cleanse the Glory Bomb compound from
a users body, but this requires healing seven bashing Health
Levels and doubles the quantum point cost.

Judas Kiss
Producer: C-Z Megasyndicate
Category: Bioengineered virus
Description: Created by one of Dr. Dwyers deceased
nova underlings, this item has proven a nasty surprise for
someone who thinks hes safe inside a security barrier. Often
just referred to as the kiss, this bioweapon is a virus genetically designed to kill one specific person. All the user has to
do is infect a convenient third person, making her a carrier
(who unaffected by it) until it dies in a few days as carriers
immune system clears it out of her body. But if the carrier
comes into physical contact with the target before that time,
the victim will contract the illness and most likely die soon
after. The Judas Kiss gets its name from the fact that if the
carrier kisses the target the chances of him being exposed to
it are 100%. The virus is keyed to the targets gene sequence

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ABERRANT
and as such it has the keys to their entire immune system.
Despite the Megasyndicates best efforts, the existence and
artificial nature of the Judas Kiss virus have been discovered
(via autopsies of the victims) by both Project Utopia and the
Directive. As of 2015 this data has only just been revealed to
law enforcement agencies worldwide, but it has only given
them yet more reason to take down the Megasyndicate by
any means necessary.
Vector: Contact
System: Creating a dose of Judas Kiss requires a verified sample of the targets DNA. The completed virus is then
injected into a handy carrier, who will transmit the Judas Kiss
through skin secretions and body fluids. A version of Judas
Kiss that can infect a carrier through ingestion has been in
development for a few years, but nothing has come of that
as yet. Fighting off the Judas Kiss requires a standard Resistance roll at a +2 difficulty penalty. The target must make
three successes on the roll or perish as the virus attacks his
nervous system. Even novas arent automatically immune to
the Judas Kiss, but many of them can throw it off with relative ease. There is no medical treatment for the Judas Kiss
after exposure short of using the Healing quantum power
on the target. Unfortunately the accuracy of this bioweap-

Story Seed: Maintaining Wa

As anyone familiar with the Trinity setting knows, while the
Peoples Republic of China did experience troubles and disasters
in the time leading to the Maoist regimes fall in 2018, the outbreak of a cannibalism-inducing disease was not one of them.
Yoshio Nakamuras jingoistic plan to use bioweapons against the
ailing PRC is nothing more than hubris that has blossomed into
megalomania, and it has been revealed to the Japanese government by sympathetic novas. This revelation will once and for all
prove to the Japanese that the Nakato gumis activities can no
longer be tolerated. If your Storyteller intends to keep her Aberrant chronicle close to the canon metaplot, this means that the
Japanese government and what allies it has must take down the
Nakato gumi quickly, decisively and above all else covertly. If any
hint of Nakamuras plans were to become known to the public
at large, Japan would likely end up facing severe legal penalties
and economic tariffs at best. The worst case scenario would have
Japan facing war with the Peoples Republic of China, which is
still strong enoughfor the moment, anywayto harm Japan
and its people severely. The player characters can be tasked with
the capture and/or execution of key Nakato gumi officials (including their nova operatives and Yoshio Nakamura himself), shutting
down Nakato gumi and Kuro-Tek operations and facilities, and
seizing the Nakato gumis funds for consciption by the Japanese
government. Player character Directive agents can also take part
in the purge of Nakato gumi sympathizers from the Directives
Japanese branch, starting with Mitsu Nakamura.

56

ons targeting is somewhat overstated. Truly massive for a

virus it targets a specific gene sequence, which means that
everyone who shares the gene sequence is also targeted.
Parents, children, or siblings of the target will have a 50%
of having the correct gene sequence, and members of the
general population have roughly a 1% chance. The Judas
Kiss is an advancement, and may be used and duplicated
by baselines.
Antidote: There is no known vaccine or cure for the
Judas kiss as of 2015, but that doesnt mean that they dont
exist. Any high-quality medical institution could produce
both, given sufficient time and resources.

Ketsuki Nekky,
a.k.a. Blood Fever
Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Bioengineered bacteria
Description: Despite his eagerness to exploit the
opportunities and benefits available in the Nova Age,
Yoshio Nakamura still maintains some very reactionary Japanese attitudes. One of those is the historical disdain that the
Japanese have long held for their neighbors in East Asia,
especially China. While most modern Japanese are wary of
having such a large, powerful and not very friendly nation
on the other shore of the Sea of Japan, Nakamura considers the Peoples Republic of China as a threat to Japan that
must be dealt with decisively. Mindful of Japans advantages
and limitations, Nakamura plans to make the Chinese literally turn on themselves and watch the PRC collapse in on
itself. His means of accomplishing this task is the Ketsuki
Nekky or Blood Fever, which Kuro-Teks top bioengineers have developed at his request. Sometime in the
winter of 2015, selected Nakato gumi agents will release
the bioweapon in China and reduce the nationand the
Heaven Thunder Triad, with any luckto a disorganized and
ineffective shambles.
Vector: Inhaled
Toxin Rating: 8
System: After the initial infection, the Ketsuki Nekky
bacterium has an onset period of 24 hours before the bacteria can invade the victims brain and cause symptoms to
manifest. As the disease is airborne and uses the victims
lungs as its main breeding ground, this allows the disease
to spread over a good-sized area before the outbreak
becomes obvious. Despite the English translation of its
name, Ketsuki Nekky does not cause its victims to bleed
or exhibit fever symptoms beyond the normal flushed skin
caused by physical excitement. Instead of causing Health
Levels of damage to the victim, the bacteria infects certain
structures of the victims brain. Said victim will develop the
equivalents of the Sociopathy (see Aberrant: Brainwaves)

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and Hormonal Imbalance: Rage aberrations (Aberrant core
book, p. 152) as well as an addiction to eating still-living or
freshly-killed human flesh (as per the 4 pt. version of the
Flaw on p. 71 of the Aberrant Players Guide). From that
point on, the victim will seek to hunt down and feast on
any other humans he can take down, infected or otherwise.
The normal social bonds of romantic love, family, friendship
and respect are meaningless to victims of Ketsuki Nekky
- to them, all other people are just meals on the hoof. The
only limitation victims will have on their cannibalistic appetite is that the human flesh they consume must be no more
than three hours dead, with any cadavers older than that
being rejected in favor of fresher prey. Novas are completely
immune to Ketsuki Nekky due to their hyperactive immune
systems. Ketsuki Nekky is an advancement, and can be
used and duplicated by baselines.
Antidote: Kuro-Tek has developed both a new drug
and a vaccine that will cure Ketsuki Nekky infection and
immunize humans against it, respectively. They have produced impressive stocks of both, and are under orders to
dispense them to Japanese citizens and foreign residents
of Japan free of charge. This exercise in false altruism is
intended to protect Japans citizenry against the Ketsuki
Nekky bioweapon and garner some covert (and unearned)
goodwill for the Nakato gumi. Other national governments
will be charged modest fees for supplies of the drug and
vaccine. The curative drug can be administered via syringe
or trank dart as circumstances require.

Lot Epsilon-12, a.k.a. Rage

Producer: DeVries
Category: Bioengineered slime mold
Description: In 2015, all one has to do to learn of the
technological successes achieved by DeVries researchers
is look through one of their advertisements. Their failures
are much less well-known, and Anna DeVries fully intends
to keep it that way. Such is the case with Lot Epsilon-12, a
failed experiment aimed at creating a symbiotic slime mold
that could enhance the physical capabilities of baseline
soldiers. What actually resulted was instead a parasite that
drives its baseline hosts into a frenzy of mindless aggression. Anna DeVries had the project terminated and all but
a few samples of what the researchers now called Rage
destroyed. What little remains of the parasite is kept in
DeVries maximum security cryogenic storage facility. If any
of it should ever get out, the resulting legal and public relations fiasco could bring severe consequences to bear on the
DeVries agency as a whole.
Vector: Contact or Inhaled
Toxin Rating: 5
System: Lot Epsilon-12 is a parasitic slime mold, a

Story Seed: Red Moon Over Beijing

For those Storytellers who are happiest with the canon
metaplot tossed out the window, we offer the following nightm... (ahem!) roleplaying opportunity for their Aberrant chronicles.
Yoshio Nakamuras agents have been ordered to release Ketsuki
Nekky in Beijing, and the operation goes undetected almost to
the point of dispersal, when the player characters catch wind of
it. If they want to intervene in time to prevent the outbreak, they
must find a way to covertly enter Chinas capital city and deal with
the Nakato gumi operatives without drawing any hostile attention to themselves. Sources of said hostile attention include the
PRCs law enforcement agencies and military, the novas of the
PRCs Heavenly Exploding Mandate and members of the Heaven
Thunder Triad. If the player characters arent careful, the resulting international incident could make them persona non grata
in most of the First World. If they either fail in that or decide not
to intervene without official approval, the player characters get
the lovely tasks of preventing the Blood Fever from spreading
beyond Beijing, finding a way to cure the surviving infected and
creating a vaccine to immunize people against further outbreaks.
In either case, the Nakato gumi will have to be eliminated in
order to defuse the worst of the resulting international tensions
between Japan and the PRC.
collection of single-celled organisms that can move and
act collectively. As such it can infect and migrate through
a baseline humans body with astonishing speed, and can
reproduce itself almost as quickly. Unless a baseline victim
is wearing a full environment suit such as used by the U.S.
CDC (Center for Disease Control), Lot Epsilon-12 will infect
her within three seconds of physical contact with the slime
mold or inhalation of its spores. Lot Epsilon-12 is considered a Toxin Rating 5 poison for purposes of Resistance.
Infected baselines are considered to be Berserk as per the
Anger column of the Empathic Manipulation table (Aberrant core book p. 196), and will seek to attack any other
persons they notice. Victims will also develop a noticeable
thin layer of slime on their skin a few minutes after being
infected. Traces of Lot Epsilon-12 left on objects (including corpses) will revert to a state of dormancy as powdery
spores. Lot Epsilon-12 is an advancement, and can be duplicated and used by baselines.
Antidote: Fortunately Lot Epsilon-12 reacts poorly to
ethyl alcohol, which kills it on contact. Drinking any alcoholic
beverage of 10 proof or higher will immunize a baseline
human to Lot Epsilon-12 until the alcohol is eliminated from
his system. Hard liquor will be more effective than beer or
wine, for obvious reasons. Infected baselines can be forcefed shots of liquor, after which they will recover from the
infection in five minutes as the alcohol spreads through their
systems.

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Momoiro Kiri, a.k.a. Pink Mist

Niankoro Bees

Producer: Kuro-Tek
Category: Chemical weapon
Description: While Kuro-Tek has come up with quite
a few new lethal bioweapons, they havent limited themselves to finding new and horrifying ways to just kill people.
As an arm of the Nakato gumi, Kuro-Teks researchers have
also kept their eyes out for nonlethal items that could aid
their more traditional yakuza brethren in their various illegal
endeavors. Momoiro Kiri is one of those discoveries, a true
aphrodisiac toxin with disinhibitory effects.
While this bioweapon sees the most use in ensuring the
compliance of their enslaved sex workers, the Nakato gumi
have also used it on inconvenient Japanese citizens of high
social standing (and/or their family members) for purposes
of blackmail.
One Nakato gumi pornographer has even used this
weapon of mass degradation on the students (and some
of the faculty) of a Japanese high school and turned the
recordings of the goings-on into a full-length reality porn
OpNet movie. That incident was covered up, but its anyones guess as to how much more of this abuse Japanese
society will take before turning on the Nakato gumi as a
whole.
Vector: Inhaled
Toxin Rating: 4
System: Momoiro Kiri is delivered in aerosol form as a
slightly pink-tinged mist, either through handheld sprayers
or (on rare occasion) gas grenades. The toxin increases the
victims sex drive to levels normally seen in animals that have
mating seasons.
In game terms this is the equivalent of an increase of
three steps on the Lust column of the Empathic Manipulation table (Aberrant core book p. 196). The victim will
also be at +2 difficulties to resist Seduction attempts from
anyone of the correct gender who the victim considers even
vaguely attractive. Its possible for novas to be affected by
Momoiro Kiri, but most of them will shrug off its effect with
ease. Momoiro Kiri is an advancement, and can be used and
duplicated by baselines.
Antidote: A standard dose of the Nemukane drug
(see p. 38 of this book) will negate the effects of Momoiro
Kiri instantly. For this reason Nakato gumi operatives who
use Momoiro Kiri will either have dosed themselves with
Nemukane beforehand or will keep some on hand in case of
accidental exposure. In cases where whole areas have been
gassed with Momoiro Kiri, standard gas masks will provide
adequate protection.

Producer: DeVries
Category: Bioengineered insects
Description: The African honey bee has a well-earned
reputation for ferocity when disturbed, so it didnt take long
for DeVries to see its potential as a bioweapon. Named after
a mythological Malian shaman who used African honey bees
as a weapon against enemy warriors, the bioengineered
descendants of those insects have proven effective both on
the battlefield and as an assassination tool. Since theyre
identical in appearance to their unaltered siblings Niankoro
Bees are also very subtle, which is a plus when ones targets
are expecting to face things like Dr. Alinskys Nansects (see
Aberrant: Brainwaves). As long as DeVries elites will make
war on African soil (or elsewhere), the Niankoro Bees are
certain to see increasing use in the coming decades.
System: In most respects Niankoro Bees are identical
to the African honey bee in appearance, traits and behavior. The differences are in their venom, diet and attacking
behavior. Niankoro Bee venom is a neurotoxin with a Toxin
rating of 8 and inflicts 3 Health Level of Lethal damage per
dose. The venom also causes misfires of the victims neurons, imposing +3 difficulties to all non-Stamina based dice
rolls. As Niankoro Bee venom is not tailored to affect them,
novas can negate its effect with a single success on a Resistance roll.
Niankoro Bees also do not have any enhancements to
their stingers, so targets with a natural Lethal Soak of 2 or
more simply cannot be stung by them. Fortunately, large
doses of tetrahydrocannibol (THC) will completely neutralize the Niankoro Bee venom if administered to the victim(s)
immediately after being stung. Niankoro Bees also react
badly to THC, and will quickly die after being exposed to
any form of THC. The production of Niankoro Bee venom
is dependent on a diet of nectar and pollen from several
rare African and Asian flowering plants, none of which grow
together in a natural environment. Instead, DeVries botanists cultivate these plants in dedicated greenhouses next
to the (hermetically sealed, for safety reasons) hive of Niankoro Bees.
If a Niankoro Bee queen and drones ever escaped into
the wild, they and their offspring would quickly lose the
capacity to produce their special venom. As could only be
expected, Niankoro Bee honey is inedible for both mammals and birds.
Niankoro Bees are genetically designed to be controlled by means of two pheromones which do not occur
in natural Terran lifeforms. The first pheromone is applied
to whomever is using the Niankoro Bees, and will make
them remarkably docile towards their user. Unless ordered
to by by means of the Animal Mastery quantum power (a

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feat requiring four successes), Niankoro Bees will not attack
anyone emitting this first pheromone. The second pheromone directs the Niankoro Bees to their target(s), who must
have been sprayed with it beforehand. The Niankoro Bees
will unerringly home in on a sprayed target and sting him
at first opportunity. Other than killing them, there is no way
to dissuade the Niankoro Bees from attacking a designated
target. Both pheromones are applied as ultra-fine colorless
and odorless mists.
Targets must roll Awareness at +3 difficulty to notice
the pheromone mists unless they have the Bloodhound
enhancement or an appropriate Body Modification. The first
pheromone is issued in spray cans or atomizers (for cologne
and perfume) when discretion is required. The second
pheromone is issued in gas grenades (for spraying groups
of enemy combatants) or atomizers for discreetly tagging
the target. Both pheromones sprays have a duration of six
hours and will cancel each other out if both are applied to
the same person. Niankoro Bees will react to non-tagged
humans just as African honey bees wouldthey will attack
with aggression if molested and will otherwise ignore them.
Assassins using Niankoro bees will only have four to six bees
issued to them, as theyre best used for one- or two-person
hit jobs.
Elites using Niankoro bees could easily have anywhere
from fifty to several hundred bees, depending on how many
baseline combatants the elites are expected to face. For
obvious reasons Niankoro Bees are popular among elites
who have the Animal Mastery power. Niankoro Bees are an
advancement, and may be used and duplicated by baselines.

PGE-8
Producer: DeVries
Category: Bioengineered bacteria
Description: Whenever a DeVries operative discovers something that could theoretically be handy, it usually
doesnt take too long for DeVries resident nova hypergeniuses to turn it to practical use. Case in point: in 2014 a
DeVries deep-sea surveyor acquired samples of a naturallyoccuring extremophile bacteria that consumed phosphorus
compounds and excreted PHphosphine gasas a waste
product. After some extensive bioengineering, the result
was PGE-8: a bacteria that can turn a baseline human into
a living (if inefficient) phosphine gas emitter. DVNTS elites
have been very discreet in using this bioweapon, but sooner
or later its existence will be revealed to the world.
Vector: Injected
System: PGE-8 is designed to work on baseline humans,
although it can work on other large mammals reasonably
well. Novas are not affected by it, thanks to their quantum-

charged metabolisms.
PGE-8 is injected into a primary target baseline with a
retrofitted Trank Pistol dart (Aberrant: Year One, pp. 107108). If the dart can deliver its payload, whoever is unlucky
enough to be the primary target is a walking dead man. Ten
minutes after injection, the primary victim will suffer severe
lethargy and -3 on all dice rolls as the PGE-8 begins consuming his bodys store of ATP. Fifteen minutes after injection,
the primary target begins taking one Health Level of lethal
damage every minute as the PGE-8 begins consuming some
of the phosporus in his cellular walls and skeleton.
Its at this point that the primary victims body also
begins releasing phosphine gas, which not only finishes off
the primary victim but begins poisoning everyone else within
a thirty meter radius of him. After his death, the primary victims corpse will not have any odd features aside from being
permeated with phospine gas and having bones that are
slightly more fragile than normal. The only bright side to this
is that PGE-8 cant survive very long outside of a living human
body or the specialized culture its grown in at the lab.
Not only is PGE-8 incapable of being contagious, it will
also die off very quickly after the primary victim does. Phosphine gas inflicts 2 dice of unsoakable lethal damage per
minute and is a Toxin rating 7 poison. It must be inhaled to
be effective, although concentrated doses can pass through
the skin.
Novas with Mega-Stamina or higher are immune to
phosphine gas. PGE-8 is an advancement, and can be used
and duplicated by baselines.
Antidote: Aside from cleansing the PGE-8 from
the victim with the Healing quantum power (a feat which
requires healing the eqiuvalent of 5 lethal Health Levels) no
more than fifteen minutes after the initial injection, there is
no antidote for PGE-8 itself. The phosphine gas created by
PGE-8 can be protected against like any other respiratory
agent with full environment suits, or gas masks at the absolute minimum.

RT-66, a.k.a. Kansas Hemorrhagia

Producer: United States Army
Category: Bioengineered Rickettsia bacteria
Description: When hyperintelligent nova bioengineers
came onto the global scene, the U.S. Army was one of the
first organizations to see their potential and hire them. One
result of this was RT-66, a bioengineered relative of Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever and several forms of typhus. Tests
on lab animals proved that RT-66 was both sufficiently lethal
and containable enough to justify adding a supply of it to
the Armys bioweapon arsenal.
As of 2015 a supply of aerosol missiles containing RT-66
is kept in one of the U.S. Armys covert underground bases

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located somewhere in mid-Kansas.
Vector: Inhaled
System: RT-66 is delivered via aerosol dispersal, and
baseline victims must roll Resistance with a +2 difficulty penalty immediately upon inhaling it novas are unaffected by
it. If a victim succeeds on the Resistance roll, she will be
able to act for 5 turnshopefully to grab some kind of gas
mask and/or get into a CDC-grade decontamination shower
- before having to recheck for RT-66 infection. Baseline victims who fail the Resistance roll will develop symptoms
within thirty minutes to an hour, depending on individual
body mass and quality of health. Symptoms of RT-66 include
an intense fever and general lethargy, which inflict a +2 difficulty penalty on all rolls made by an infected victim.
The most serious symptom is the gradual hemorrhaging
of blood through all the victims pores and orifices, which literally bleeds the victim dry at a rate of 1 unsoakable health
level of lethal damage every thirty minutes. Continuous
transfusions of whole blood and electrolyte fluid can halt
the health level loss, but its like filling a leaky bucketstop
refilling it and the draining continues. Fortunately, standard
precautions such as biohazard suits and decontaminants are
fully effective against RT-66. RT-66 is an advancement, and
can be used and duplicated by baselines.
Antidote: Large doses of tetracycline antibiotics can
save an infected victim if shes kept on life support and it
is delivered within six hours of hemorrhaging. The problem is that it must permeate the victims body as quickly
and thoroughly as possible. This is achieved by mixing the
antibiotics with DMSO and smearing it all over the patients
exposed skin. Alternatively, phage therapy using bacteria
that can prey on Rickettsia bacteria is a viable option.

Novel Sapients and

Artificial Novas
For much of recorded history, the creation of new life
- especially life that was human or could otherwise be considered people - was thought to be the sole province of
deities. All that changed when Charles Darwin published On
the Origin of Species by Natural Selection in 1859, as many
educated people came to two shocking realizations. First
was the knowledge that instead of being an immutable form,
humankind was part of the animal kingdom and was subject
to the same laws of natural selection as any other creature
on Earth. The second was that all living creatures could and
often would change over time through natural selection. It
wasnt long before certain scientists began promoting their
own interpretations of Darwins work as a means of improving humankind, which led to both an improved understanding of human ailments and the atrocities performed in the
name of the pseudo-science of eugenics. Over a century
later, the science of the Nova Age has finally made it possible for bioengineers to create new forms of sapient life.
One facet of this situation that deserves special attention is the possibility of creating novas through artificial
means. While there has been little interest in creating novel
sapients outside of certain individual bioengineers, many
scientists around the globe devote at least part of their
research towards the safe inducement of eruption in baseline humans. With the best of those scientists having either
their own nova capabilities or the support of a powerful
organization (such as a First World government or corporation) to aid them, the idea of laboratory-produced eruption
has become a strong possibility instead of a pipe dream.
In both cases, whether the potential for novel sapients
and/or artificial novas will be realized or stay relegated to
the realms of myth and fiction - and what the results will be
- is anyones guess.

To Be Or Not To Be
While the categories of new beings were presenting
in this section are all certainly possible in the Nova Age,
they also have the potential to change the tone and focus
of an Aberrant chronicle in radical ways that some Storytellers and players will like and others wont. Some people will
also have preferences for one or more types over the others.
Tastes and roleplaying styles differ, which is as things should
be. So who gets to decide whether these creatures can exist
or not in your Aberrant chronicle?
You do.
As the Storyteller, you have total control over whether
any of these new beings can ever be a part of your Aberrant chronicle. We have presented them only as potential

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story elements, for you (with some feedback on your choices
from your players) to pick and choose from as you see fit.
If you do see fit to use them, weve kept their listings as
generic as possible so that you have as free a hand as possible in determining both the circumstances and status of the
origins of a given class of beings. Whether or not a class of
new beings is introduced as fully-operational, still in development or remains theoretical is up to you.
This approach also opens up some exciting options for
storytelling. The player characters could find themselves in
the position of either preventing or aiding a nova scientist
in her efforts to create these new beings. In addition to the
expected roleplaying potential for Utopian Technological
Regulation agents and industrial spies, the existence of new
beings can have a dramatic impact on future timelines that
wouldnt be immediately obvious. It wouldnt be inappropriate for time travelers from future Aberrant or Trinity timelines that would be affected by the new beings in question
to journey back for various reasons. Also, what if one of the
player characters is the nova scientist in question? A second
option is presenting the player characters with a viable production operation for new beings, which they must shut
down, preserve or co-opt for their own purposes (or those of
their faction). There are many reasons why all sorts of groups
and organizations would want to hinder, aid or exploit such
a factory, which will vary even more with the given category of new beings being produced. Finally, there is the
option of exposing the existence (or delaying the same) of a
category of new beings to the public at large. The resulting
media storm will be immense as baseline society is faced
with the question of how they should treat the new beings.
Baseline society has had to contort itself to coexist with only
the novas living among them. How much more contortion
can it take before something gives way?

Boosted Animals
Producer: Independent nova bioengineers
Description: Ever since animals were first domesticated animals to serve them, humans have always sought
to improve their bestial helpers. This was historically done
through usually through training and controlled breeding,
which produced widely varying results but left most of the
animals natures unchanged. No matter what new breeds
were produced or tricks they managed to learn, they were
still only animals and were not even close to being considered people. This might change in the Nova Age, as
advances in genetic engineering has raised the possibility
of creating animals with near or even full sapience. Even so,
they will also have somewhat alien viewpoints and psychologies due to their nonhuman origins. Combined with beneficial physical mutations to ameliorate some of their unaltered

Sons and Daughters

Children often have complicated relationships with their parents. Love, hate, and a sense of owing ones parents for good or
ill are all normal. But feelings of gratitude towards ones greatgreat-grandparents are usually non-existent. The same is true for
any newly created sapient species. They may love humanity. They
may hate humanity. But normally any feelings of gratitude for
their mere existence will be limited to the first generation, if that.
Eventually the reaction will be one of self interest, their self interest. Are they better off with humanity around?
Is humanity a trading partner that enhances their lives, or
does humanity expect to be masters to their slaves? Do they
need humanity for their survival, or does humanity threaten their
survival? Humankind likes the idea of being in control of its own
destiny. It is madness to expect that other species wouldnt want
the same, or that they wouldnt resent mankinds top spot. Children expect to grow up and take their place as adults and be
equal... and these children may very well have good reason to
think themselves superior.
Other sapient species may be humanitys friends, allies,
slaves, enemies or even all of those things. The potential for conflict and conflicting agendas is huge. All too often one of the first
things a newly sapient species decides is that theyd be much
better off without the existence of the old one.

relatives limitations, some of these super-animals can

approach and even match the best baseline humans in their
capabilities. Whether or not baseline human society will
allow them such creatures the chance to do so is an open
question.
System: Aside from their base species, Boosted Animals come in two categories - near-sapient and full sapient
- and are handled differently. Stats for some of the most
common animals can be found in the Adventure! core book
(pp. 247-248). Several old World of Darkness books such as
Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom will have stats for the more
exotic animals which can be imported into your Aberrant
chronicle without much difficulty.
While most mammals (including cetaceans) and birds
can be Boosted to near-sapience, certain species of monitor
lizards are the only reptiles with enough neural complexity for the process. Cephalopods are also good candidates
for near-sapience Boosting. Near-sapients are just improved
animals; they will have the same base Physical Attributes
and Willpower Traits as their unaltered kin, but unless raised
in their natural environment (or a very close approximation)
their Abilities must be taught. Few will have base Intelligence scores higher than 2, but they all have a minimum
base Perception score of 3. Near-sapients derived from
notably cunning base species will also have a base Wits

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score as per their base species. The Intelligence and Wits
Attributes of a near-sapient is also inferior to that of a baseline human or comparable sapient; as it only indicates how
easily the near-sapient can be trained to perform simple
tasks or (for Wits) improvise the use of tools of quickly find
an escape route. Social Attributes are subjective and not
really a factor. Player characters can take the Menagerie
Background (Adventure! core book, p. 147) to have one or
more near-sapient Boosted Animals at their command - Storytellers discretion as to how many.
Full sapients are another matter entirely, as they are created as characters instead of simple beasts. Animals that
make especially good candidates for full-sapience Boosting include African gray parrots, baboons, Barbary apes,
bonobo chimps, brown bears, chimpanzees, coyotes, dolphins, domestic dogs, domestic housecats, elephants,
foxes, gorillas, orangutans, otters, pigs, raccoons, octopi
and wolverines. Other animals can be Boosted to full sapience, but that requires extreme (and quite risky) measures.
Full sapients receive 13 dots for their three Attribute categories and have a base Willpower equal to that of their base
species. It is generally recommended - but not mandatory
- that full sapients should have Physical Attribute scores that
are at least close to that of their base species. The Storyteller is encouraged to set minimum and maximum rating
limits for a full sapients Physical Attributes according to his
base species. There is no reason for a Boosted full sapient
elephant not to have a high Strength rating, and many reasons why a Boosted full sapient housecat should not have
the same. Also, errors or redesign tradeoffs made in the
Boosting process can easily cost a full sapient some physical capability, especially when musculoskeletal or metabolic

Boosted Animals vs. Pet Chimeras

When comparing Boosted Animals with Pet Chimeras, one
is justified in asking what the difference between them is supposed to be. Theyre both animals granted greater-than-normal
capabilities through genetic engineering, so the processes used
to create them ought to be interchangeable, right?
Wrong. These two varieties of super-animal originate from
different kinds of bioengineering, namely advanced and Inspired,
and use radically different techniques. While Pet Chimeras do
have a (low-grade) sapience, its the result of transgenic human
genes related to brain development and is a marginal success
at best. The techniques used to create Boosted Animals rely on
induced mutations in the animals own DNA to grant enhanced
brain function, among other advantages. Unless the Storyteller
decrees otherwise - and the players are prepared to deal with the
resulting horrific consequences - the two technologies cannot be
combined.

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changes are attempted.

They also receive 27 Ability points, a variable number
of Feature Points (see below), 7 Background dots and 21
Bonus Points. Full sapients use the same price list as baseline humans for spending Bonus Points. Full sapients cannot
have Ability scores above four at the time of character creation. Most full sapients will have some level of the Mentor
Background, representing a nova or human that is either
their creator, legal owner or older friend with enough
influence to keep him out of a government research lab. As
characters, full sapient Boosted Animals can be Allies, Contacts, Followers, Nemeses and even Mentors themselves in
certain circumstances. Full sapients may also be required
to take certain Adversarial Backgrounds (Aberrant: Forceful Personalities, pp. 39-46) to reflect their tenuous social
and legal status and unwanted interest from the scientific
community. Unless the Storyteller declares otherwise, no
Boosted Animal can have Inspired Traits of any sort.
Each Boosted Animal template has a variable number
of Features that represent the beneficial mutations induced
in them by their creator. If the creation process is being roleplayed, treat the Boosting process as a quantum gadget
(Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 143-148) with each Feature
Point requiring three successes. Otherwise full sapients will
get 20 Feature Points and near-sapients will get 15 Feature
Points to spend on Features, which are listed below. Full
sapients are automatically considered to have a superior
version of the Full sapience Feature that does not come with
any increased chances of developing mental disorders.
Physical Attribute dot: 5 per additional dot. Strength
and Stamina scores can be higher than 5 for Boosted Animals derived from appropriate base species.
Mental or Social Attribute dot: 2 per additional dot.
Willpower dot: 1 per additional dot.
Posture change: 2 per posture change. One change
is required to either make a horizontal creature semi-erect or
make a semi-erect creature fully erect.
Manipulator upgrade: 1 per upgrade, with baseline
human hand equivalence as the upper limit. Crude hands
(as those of primates), and tentacles or trunks only need
1 upgrade. Grasping paws like those of raccoons require
2 upgrades, while walking paws like those of housecats
require 3 upgrades. Cloven hooves like those of pigs will
require 4 upgrades. Running hooves as horses have will
require 5 upgrades.
Vocalization upgrade: 2 per upgrade. One upgrade
will make an animal-grade voicebox equivalent to that of
a baseline human. Two upgrades are required to grant a
human-equivalent vocal structure to creature that cannot
make any vocalizations at all.
Size increase: 4 points to double the creatures size.
The creature gains an additional dot of Strength and Stam-

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ina. This may only be taken once and is typically applied
only to the smallest base species. Storyteller approval is
required for this Feature to be applied to Boosted Animals
derived from larger base species.
Extended lifespan: 1 to 3 points (depending on base
species lifespan, Storytellers discretion) to achieve an average lifespan equal in length to that of a baseline human.
Dietary alteration: 1 point, typically to turn a carnivore into an omnivore.
Drawback amelioration: 1 point to remove a minor
limitation of the base species (mating season, minor metabolic vulnerabilities), 2 points to remove a major limitation
(improving gills to also breathe air, altering an aquatic creatures skin to prevent drying out in non-humid conditions).
Storyteller discretion applies to all interpretations and uses
of this Feature.
Full sapience (near-sapients only): 7 points, plus
a flat 50% chance of developing a mental disorder of the
Storytellers choosing. This Feature represents several radical modifications to the base species brain structure and
increased neoteny, so its very easy for mistakes to be made.
Boosted Animals will also possess the natural capabilities of their base species at no cost, but in turn will also have
a number of species limitations (chosen and defined by the
Storyteller) to deal with. These limitations will mostly be
the obvious problems a Boosted Animal would have. For

instance, a Boosted full sapient elephant would only have

one arm (its trunk), be much too large to make use of
most vehicles and equipment, and have a food bill equal to
or exceeding that of most novas.
Boosted Animals will have their reproductive status
determined by their creator and their circumstances.
Depending on what a creator has in mind for a Boosted
Animal and his competence at gengineering; the resulting
creature could be sterile, fertile but limited to producing
non-Boosted offspring, or could even breed true with other
Boosted Animals of the same base species, type and model.
Boosted Animals are Innovations, and can only be
created and duplicated by novas. The creation of their
22nd Century analogs (BEngiBeasts, Trinity Technological
Manual p. 106) will require the misguided efforts of psions
equipped with noetic biotech. Producing Boosted Animals
is an extremely expensive process, especially when dealing with very large animals. Project Utopia is certain to
have the Boosting of dangerous predatory animals such as
killer whales, brown bears and the great cats made illegal
at their first opportunity. Boosted Animals also cannot also
be Bonded Animals or Pet Chimeras (see pp. 18 & 22 of
this book).

Human Chimeras
Producer: Independent nova bioengineer
Description: The idea of creating hybrids of humans
and animals is a hallmark of mythology - not to mention furry
fetishists - so its not surprising that at least a few nova bioengineers would have an interest in making Human Chimeras
real. These part-human beings will have no legal status other
than property at first, creating a wide range of potential
uses and abuses for Human Chimeras. Some would-be
parents would gladly accept a Human Chimera cub as a
substitute for adopting a human child, while very lonely or
misanthropic people might want a Human Chimera to serve
as a source of companionship and affection. Whether companionship will be interpreted as pet, roommate, sibling, spouse, live-in concubine or sex slave will vary
with the people in question. Pharmaceutical companies will
see them as a new variety of guinea pigs for medical testing, as they are more convenient in legal terms than the
human orphans and mental institution inmates they have
abused over the decades. Military officers would see them
as potential synthetic soldiers who could be indoctrinated
and trained as desired, without any of the objections human
conscripts would have about human rights or conscientious
objection. Pornographers would see them as a source of
new performing talent who could only be given basic
room and board in return instead of a salary.
If the creation of Human Chimeras ever happens a

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furious debate over their legal status is sure to erupt, with
Project Utopia likely to either establish some level of minimal rights for these near-humans (when applicable) or have
their creation and sale outlawed. Are they human? Animal?
Both? Human Chimeras are the product of brutally unethical science gone mad. In theory they are the mix of two
or more species good qualities, but often they mix the
worst aspects as well. If Human Chimeras were ever human
they are no longer. This issue and any assorted complications (appearance, fertility, etc.) is in addition to their drawbacks below and they get no extra points for it. The debate
will only intensify when some Human Chimeras inevitably
escape, are freed from bondage, are unleashed or simply
abandoned by their owners. If Human Chimeras are outlawed, any Human Chimeras which come to the attention
of law enforcementincluding and especially Project Utopias Technology Policeshould expect either protective
custody & analysis or euthanasia. Whether the dawn of the
Human Chimeras will arrive - and what the future may hold
for themis unknown.
System: Human Chimeras are created through implanting specific sequences of transgenic animal DNA into a synthesized human genome, which is then transferred into an
empty human ovum. Provided the ovum begins dividing,
the resulting zygote is implanted into a host mother of
some sort. Because of the complications of involving human
host mothers, most but not all Human Chimeras are born of
animal or mechanical wombs. Human host mothers are usually forced into their condition by debt or outright slavery.
Human host mothers are also delivered of their Human Chimera infants via Caesarean section when said infants sport
features such as claws or horns that would make natural
birthing problematic.
Human Chimeras come in two varieties, Domesticated
and Wild. Domesticated Human Chimeras have been raised
by one or more human caregivers and taught basic life
skills. They will also typically receive an education of varying
degree - some might be well-learned with sufficient home
and OpNet schooling, while others may be deliberately

Human Chimera Rights!

At the moment that the existence of Human Chimeras is
revealed to the world, no court will have given Human Chimeras
legal rights comparable to those of humans as the issue has been
considered hypothetical up until that point. Several politicians
and legal scholars are likely to state that the Zrich Accord does
not apply to Human Chimeras, for varied reasons. Its also likely
to be assumed in elite circles that Human Chimeras can literally
be killed like dogs but this also hasnt been tested in any court
of law. The Storyteller should feel free to expand or alter this as
fits her needs.

64

kept illiterate. Wild Human Chimeras are little more than

wild animals, and will have no education beyond the School
of Hard Knocks.
Character Creation: Human Chimeras are created as
baseline humans with the following differences.
Attributes: All adult Human Chimeras receive the
(7/5/3) spread.
Abilities: Adult Human Chimeras get 23 points, and
cannot have any Ability rating above three dots at the time
of creation. Wild Human Chimeras cannot buy dots in any
Intelligence based Abilities except Survival at this stage.
Backgrounds: 5 points. Wild Human Chimeras cannot
add to this with bonus points.
Advantages: Human Chimera characters have 6 nova
points to spend on Body Modifications. Unless the Storyteller says otherwise, Human Chimera characters cannot
buy additional Body Modifications with experience points.
All Human Chimeras soak Lethal damage as novas do, using
1/2 their Stamina score. Human Chimeras have a starting
base Willpower of 3.
Drawbacks: All Human Chimeras suffer from the equivalent of a medium-level aberration of the players choosing
(Storytellers discretion) and the Bad Vibe Flaw at the 1-point
level. Human Chimeras are also assumed to have some
combination of the Secret Flaw (Human Chimera ) and/or
the Enemy Flaw (TechReg agents and most law enforcement agencies). The more public a Human Chimera is the
smaller the point value of his Secret Flaw will be, at the cost
of his Enemy Flaw having a higher point value. All these
Flaws can be found on pp. 75-76 of the Aberrant Players
Guide.
Bonus Points: 15 bonus points to be spent as deemed
appropriate.
Human Chimeras cannot have any Inspired Traits
beyond what has been previously described.
Human Chimeras are an Innovation, and can only be
created and duplicated by novas.

Pseudo-Humans
Producer: National government or independent nova
bioengineer
Description: When humans first realized that it would
be possible to alter living creatures through genetic engineering, some of them quickly began to speculate about
improving humankind in general. While that line of thought
produced mixed results at best, a few took a more pessimistic view of humanity and its potential. In their eyes, humanity
was far too flawed for any lasting improvements to be made,
with or without genetic engineering.
Instead, they proposed that humanitys best genetic scientists should instead seek to create a new sapient species

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to replace humankind, most of which they thought were too
weak and moronic to be allowed to live and breed. While
those few were dismissed as cranks at the time, the idea that
humanity did not deserve to survive found enough adherents to keep it alive until the Nova Age.
With the capabilities offered by Nova Age biotechnology, the Pseudo-Humans are now a probability instead of an
abstractif very twistedideal. Whether someone will be
misanthropic and/or foolish to make that probability into a
concrete reality remains to be seen.
System: Despite their name, Pseudo-Humans have
no place in the genus Homo. Instead, these creatures are
bioengineered from the DNA of several different primate
species and a few more exotic animals. The result is a primate that looks just like baseline humans and can behave as
such, but cannot interbreed with them. Pseudo-Humans are
slightly superior to baseline humans in their Attributes and
lifespan, and are also naturally immune to 95% of the diseases that affect baseline humans. Pseudo-Humans are also
more efficient at reproducing themselves than baselines, as
pregnant Pseudo-Human females will give birth to a litter of
4 to 6 fairly well-developed infants. Pseudo-Human offspring
require less care (if more food) than baseline human infants,
and will grow to full maturity in eight years.
Psychologically, Pseudo-Humans are strikingly different from baseline humans in several ways. The first is that
they have no real emotions to speak of - Pseudo-Humans
have responses that look like hate and anger, but they are
only pragmatic reflexes meant to aid against threats. This is
reflected in the care they will give their offspring, who are
treated like pets at first and later on as military conscripts.
Pseudo-Human parents and caregivers will quickly kill any
offspring they deem defective, and will even feed the cooked
meat of culled offspring to their siblings when feasible.
In situations where maintaining their upkeep threatens
their group survival, Pseudo-Humans will even cull nondefective offspring without hesitation. Pseudo-Humans will
never willingly keep pets or care for non-Pseudo-Human
infants. Secondly Pseudo-Human society is based on
a pack or troop structure instead of the nuclear family of
baseline humans, which has resulted their developing an
exceedingly strong group identity and individual egos that
are notably weaker than the human average. Not only will
Pseudo-Humans put the survival of their own kind above
their own or each others (except when they both coincide),
they have a revulsion for other sapients that could be seen
as pathological xenophobia. Furthermore, this unchecked
pack instinct has given Pseudo-Humans the collective delusion that not only can they exterminate and replace all other
sapients on Earth, but it is their purpose to do so. The third
difference is that Pseudo-Humans have an enhanced neurology as compared to baseline humans. This not only makes

them natural combatants but also gives them a knack for

detecting and recognizing emotions in other Terran sapients, making them gifted actors and manipulators. Finally
Pseudo-Humans exhibit a lower level of neoteny than baseline humans, as they have little interest in humor and playful behavior upon reaching adulthood and often scorn such
activity as frivolous. This has given them a strong preference
for utilitarian aesthetics and a disinterest in things like art,
music, fashion and fiction except as camouflage to help
them pass as baseline humans.
Character Creation: Pseudo-Humans are created as
baseline humans with the following differences.
Attributes: All adult Pseudo-Humans receive the (7/5/3)
spread.
All Pseudo-Humans will have 120% of the baseline
human lifespan.
No Pseudo-Human can have any Inspired Traits whatsoever.
All Pseudo-Humans have the Combat Veteran Merit
and receive +1 die on all Wits and Manipulation rolls, except
those which depend on artistic creativity.
All Pseudo-Humans are immune to 95% of the diseases
which affect baseline humans. This is counterbalanced by the
fact that they can catch diseases which humans cant, leading
them to avoid close contact with animals whenever possible.
Storytellers discretion as to what diseases (human and otherwise) Pseudo-Humans are vulnerable to.
All Pseudo-Humans suffer from the equivalents of the
Phobia and Delusion aberrations (Aberrant Players Guide,
p. 93) with the specifics as described above. They also have
a modified equivalent of the Cold aberration (see Aberrant: Brainwaves) that allows them to recognize emotions in
others (through keen observation instead of emotional connection) and mimic them through their acting skills. These
mental disorders are natural to Pseudo-Humans and cannot
be cured.
Pseudo-Humans are an Innovation, and can only be created and duplicated by novas.

Spark Soldiers (a.k.a. Bastards)

Producer: National government or independent nova
bioengineer
Description: When the Nova Age arrived, national governments were quick to realize that novas had the potential to be the most effective and cheapest weapons of mass
destruction ever known. Unfortunately for them, they also
learned that only a few novas had any interest in becoming
super soldiers. Some radical elements proposed to subsidize nova couples to have nova children who could then be
enlisted when they came of age, but the nova sterility problem made that idea moot. It was clear that if governments

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were ever going to have reliable, loyal nova soldiers, they
would have to make their own. All of the First World nations
have black ops research projects that are devoted to achieving this goal. The only questions are which government will
be the first to hit paydirt, and what the consequences of creating these artificial novas will be.
System: The procedure used to create a Spark Soldier
is officially referred to as Bio-Quantum Augmentation (BQA).
By grafting a small part of cloned M-R node tissue to the
medulla oblongata or cerebral cortex of the recipient, as well
as extensive synthetic chemical and hormone treatment, the
BQA process can grant nova-like abilities to baseline subject
superior to what could be gained from existing drugs such
as Mite or Soma. The operation for grafting the tissue is only
about 4 hours and the chemical treatments take roughly a

The Making of a Bastard

In many ways, undergoing the BQA process is much like
playing a very twisted parody of Russian Roulette. Eighty percent
of the people subjected to it die, leaving the survivors to enjoy
a brief period of existence as an increasingly Tainted quasi-nova
before burning out and dying themselves. The sick joke here is
that those who died during the BQA process are the real winners. So what could possibly make a (somewhat) sane and rational baseline soldier volunteer for it in the first place?
Prior to the Nova Age, the special ops and black ops troopers of the worlds militaries were the closest thing in existence
to Hollywood-style action heroes. They were by definition the
baddest of badasses, performing feats and doing things that the
average citizen could only dream of doing (and getting away
with it). Of course, achieving all that required massive amounts of
intense training, but that was considered a fair price. It wasnt an
indefinite state of affairs - special ops and black ops troopers get
old like every other baseline human - but if one had the brass and
patriotism (or fanaticism) to make it into a special ops or black ops
troop, it could still be counted as a lifetime achievement. All that
changed in the years following the first N-Day in 1998, as novas
- especially the elites - stole the spotlight. Faced with opponents
who were not only literal superhumans but gained their capabilities in one blinding moment of revelation, more than a few
of these soldiers soured on novas at the start. Those who had
invested greater than average portions of their self-image as de
facto badasses became envious and bitter toward novas.
Of these envious and bitter old soldiers, a depressingly large
percentage of them will leap at the chance to show up novas
by any means necessary. Where their ethics and morality is concerned, these individuals are the worst of the worst of the special
ops and black ops troopers and will consider their tainted gifts
worth the risks and sacrifice. Newly empowered and with one
very large chip on their shoulders, its easy to see why the erstwhile Spark Soldiers will quickly earn their nickname Bastards.

66

month to take effect. The BQA process is dangerous, as only

about 1 out of every 5 recipients will actually survive long
enough to receive any enhanced capabilities. The surgery
itself is invasive brain surgery, the tissue graft is unstable
and can quickly overwhelm the fragile baseline physiology
resulting in an excruciatingly painful death, and the chemical
treatments can cause spectacular physiological meltdowns
as uncontrolled quantum energies flood the baselines body,
often causing impressive (and brief) bursts of quantum ability. Assuming the recipient survives the BQA process, he will
develop a degree of nova-like capabilities. This is itself a
mixed blessing as the powers are invariably tainted and the
baseline will eventually die as the taint warps him from the
inside out. Those rare few subjects of the BQA process who
possess the Mazarin-Rashoud genetic sequence can and will
erupt as a result of it, but they will all erupt as High-Taint
novas (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 68).
The BQA process will mostly be used to create temporary (some even go so far as to say disposable) super soldiers
out of the ranks of senior special ops and black ops troops
who are nearing mandatory retirement age. Baseline mercenaries who learn of the BQA process may volunteer for their
chance to compete on an even playing field with the novas
they often battle against. At the extreme, the BQA process
may even become known to a few professional athletes looking for an edge.

Spark Soldier Abilities

Spark Soldiers are created as highly-skilled baselines,
as most of them will be drawn from the older and more experienced members of a nations elite special ops and black
ops troops.
Each Spark Soldier has the equivalent Quantum Rating
of 2. This is an artificial Quantum score and can never be
increased. Otherwise, this is used in the same way as a novas
Quantum score as to determine power effects, powers that
can be purchased and Mega-Attribute limits.
Each Spark Soldier starts with 3 points of permanent
Taint, and gains +1 permanent Taint for every following year
of life as a Spark Soldier. Spark Soldiers will develop aberrations and the associated social problems just as regular firstgeneration novas do. Spark Soldiers cannot have the Taint
Resistant Merit (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 76) or the Taint
Resistance enhancement for Mega-Intelligence (Aberrant
core book, p. 168).
A Spark Soldier has 12 nova points. These nova points
may be used to purchase Attributes, Mega-Attributes,
Enhancements, level 1 quantum powers and level 2 quantum powers. Spark Soldiers cannot purchase Level 3 quantum powers by any means. Spark Soldiers may purchase
Mega-Attributes and quantum powers tainted at a reduced

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nova point cost.
A Spark Soldier is limited to a maximum ratings of 2
dots for Mega-Attributes, 4 dots for level 1 quantum powers
and 3 dots for level 2 quantum powers. Spark Soldiers do
not gain any free enhancements from purchased Mega-Attributes but may select them separately.
Unlike true novas, Spark Soldiers must spend quantum
points to use their Mega-Attributes. A Spark Soldier spends
1 quantum point to use his Mega-Attribute dice or MegaStrength automatic success for the duration of the scene.
Spark Soldiers have a smaller quantum pool than
novas. A Spark Soldier starts with a quantum pool of 10
quantum points. Once spent, these quantum points will be
recovered naturally, but Spark Soldiers only recover 1 quantum point per hour of full rest. No quantum points can be
recovered from partial rest. A Spark Soldier who is out of
quantum points can continue to use their abilities by drawing
on his bodys internal reserves, but each point of reserve
quantum spent gives the Spark Soldier 1 point of temporary
taint. Every 10 points of temporary taint earned will convert
into 1 point of permanent taint, as with true first-generation
novas.
Spark Soldiers cannot have the Dormancy or Node
Backgrounds.
Spark Soldiers may spend experience points to
improve their nova capabilities just as true novas can,
although they are still bound by their limits on purchasing
quantum powers and Mega-Attributes. They may also buy
their nova capabilities as Tainted for half the normal price.
If a Spark Soldier ever develops more permanent Taint
than his Stamina + Resistance rating or earns a permanent
Taint of 10whichever comes firsthe dies. This death is
often spectacular, as the Spark Soldier can explode in a
quantum fire, turn to stone, dissolve into a sizzling acidic
puddle or suffer some other dramatic effect.
Spark Soldiers are an Innovation, and can only be created and duplicated by novas.

Spark Juice
The creators of the BQA process have also developed
a chemical to supplement the limited quantum pools of the
Spark Soldiers. Called Trans-Adrenine Faracythol (or Spark
Juice by its frequent users), Spark Juice restores an amount
of quantum energy when injected. Each use of Spark Juice
increases the users Strength and Dexterity by 1 (maximum
of 5) for the duration of the scene and restores 5 quantum
points. Each use of Spark Juice also gives the user 1 temporary taint. If the user takes enough Spark Juice to go beyond
his normal Quantum Pool limit, he gains 1 point of temporary taint for each quantum point by which he exceeds this
limit. This formula only works properly with a user that has
been through Bio-Quantum Augmentation. If used by novas,
they will gain no attribute bonuses and will earn 2 points of
temporary taint per use. Novas with an advanced M-R node
(Node Background of 3 or better), the Health Enhancement
or the Taint Resistance Enhancement gain no effect from
Spark Juice (positive or negative). If used by an unmodified
baseline it is a deadly poison that inflicts (10-Stamina) lethal
damage. Spark Juice is an Innovation, and can only be created and duplicated by novas.

Story Seed: Unwelcome Competition

Whichever national government is producing Spark Soldiers has started putting them to work as elites. Nova elites from
DeVries have run into these bargain basement super-soldiers
one too many times for Anna DeVries liking. While the Spark
Soldiers are notably weaker and more prone to Taint problems
than naturally-erupted novas, theyre also charging much less
than is typical for elite services. Anna isnt pleased and wants
someone to do something about this. The player characters are
DeVries elites, given a mission to find out whos paying for the
Spark Soldier production operation and shut it down for good.
Alternatively, they may want to do a media expos on the Spark
Soldiers and their many problems, allowing the Directive and
Project Utopia to do all the heavy work for them.

Story Seed: Bastards Gone Barmy

The inevitable finally happens as an entire group of Spark Soldiers go violently insane en masse. This would be bad enough
in ordinary circumstances, but they were also infiltrating a remote township known to harbor some notably unpleasant terrorists.
(Storytellers choice as to the townships locale and terrorist group involved.) Disregarding their original orders, the now-psychopathic Spark Soldiers have literally conquered the township and made themselves feudal overlords of the terrified residents.
They havent crushed all the local resistance to their rule, as the terrorists are still more than willing to fight against them. The
player characters are a combat team of novas who have the task of resolving the situation. Depending on the circumstances, the
player characters may have to temporarily ally themselves with the terrorists in order to defeat the Spark Soldiers or may end up
in a three-way battle against both the terrorists and the Spark Soldiers. And if that wasnt enough, the player characters must also
do their best to protect the other residents of the township from the fighting, terrorist sympathizers or not. If the player characters
prevail, they are faced with the decision of either exposing the Spark Soldiers for who and what they are - and creating a media
firestorm in the process - or covering up the incident.

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ABERRANT
Sub-Aberrants
Producer: Mega-Intelligent nova with Quantum 6+
Description: From the first days of the Nova Age, certain novas who hold anti-baseline sympathies for various reasons have speculated about waging a race war against the
unerupted population. Whether said conflict is seen as a war
of punishment, subjugation or genocide varies with the nova
in question. Two factors have kept these anti-baseline novas
from making their dark hopes into horrid reality. The first is
the fact that even seventeen years after the first N-Day, baseline humans still outnumber novas to an extreme degree.
The second is the certainty that unless something changes
drastically in either the global situation or the inherent nature
of the erupted, more than a few novas would seek to aid the
baseline humans against them in that conflict.
es the
Adding in the nova sterility problem only makes
rspecequation even more bleak from the anti-baseline perspective. Sooner or later, Mega-Intelligent anti-baseline novas
ures in
are going to investigate methods of altering those figures
their own favor.
volves
One such method that will be discovered involves
inert
using the properties of taint radiation to transform inert
seline
baseline humans into useful servants. As normal baseline
ed for
humans dont have the M-R gene sequence required
them to directly control quantum energy, theyre nott only
hysical
much weaker than true novas but develop severe physical
mutations and mental disorders. None of that will be seen
em as
as a problem by their nova creators, who will see them
d conuseful cannon fodder against the baseline hordes and
venient breeding stock for replenishing the ranks of thee true
ty will
novas. The only question is when - not if - this atrocity
take place.
umans
System: Sub-Aberrants were ordinary baseline humans
iation
who were subjected to massive amounts of taint radiation
by a powerful nova. Overloaded by the taint, these unforeyond
tunates bodies and minds are massively distorted beyond
human capacities.
AberCharacter Creation: Somewhat like novas, Sub-Aberrants are created in two stages.
er with
Stage One - Baseline Human: Create the character
round
the (6/4/3) Attribute spread, 27 Ability points, 7 Background
ts. No
points, a starting Willpower of 3 and 21 bonus points.
ay be
nova-specific Abilities, Backgrounds, Merits or Flaws may
purchased.
g
Stage Two - Sub-Aberrant: Now the following
changes are applied to the vict- ahh, character.
Depending on the extent of their mutations,
er
Sub-Aberrants may have their Appearance ratings either
lowered to zero or redefined as ugliness.
All Sub-Aberrants start with a permanent Taint score
of 3. Sub-Aberrants have no Quantum Trait and rely onn their

68

Taint to fuel their superhuman capabilities. Sub-Aberrants

will have Quantum Pools and quantum points based on taint
energy.
Sub-Aberrants can be given anywhere from 5 to 15
nova points, with 10 as a standard amount.
Depending on how closely the Storyteller wants
Aberrant-era Sub-Aberrants to match their Trinity-era counterparts, Sub-Aberrants may be prohibited from puchasing
Mega-Attributes. In that case Sub-Aberrants can instead
raise one or more of their base Attribute scores above 5 by
spending nova points.
Sub-Aberrants are limited to buying a maximum of 2
dots in a Mega-Attribute or quantum power.
Sub-Aberrants must purchase their quantum powers from the following list, which the Sto
Sto-

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ryteller may add to at her discretion. Purchasing a quantum
power other than Body Modification will inflict both an additional dot of permanent Taint and a biological alteration that
will produce the quantum power.
Available Powers: Armor, Bioluminescence, any Body
Modifications, Boost, Claws, Disorient, Flight, Force Field,
Immobilize, Immolate, Invisibility, Mental Blast, Poison,
Quantum Bolt, Sensory Shield, Shroud, Sizemorph: Grow,
Strobe, Stun Attack, Warp.
Due to their transformation, Sub-Aberrants are likely
to lose some or all of the Backgrounds they had during their
baseline existences. The Storyteller is encouraged to allow
Sub-Aberrant characters to trade in their dots of lost Backgrounds for new ones. Sub-Aberrants cannot have the Attunement, Eufiber, Dormancy or Node Backgrounds.
In addition to the aberrations caused by their Taint,
Sub-Aberrants also suffer severe psychological damage from
their transformation. All Sub-Aberrants will have the Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder mental aberration (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 94), representing an overwhelming loyalty to
their creator and/or leader. Sub-Aberrants will also be given
a second mental aberration of the Storytellers choice.
Provided that they arent rendered sterile by the transformation, Sub-Aberrants will have a 40% chance of siring
or bearing first-generation nova offspring. Said offspring will
also be High-Taint novas (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 68)
in most cases. While Sub-Aberrant males can plausibly sire
baseline human offspring on baseline women, Sub-Aberrant
females will either give birth to nova offspring or produce
stillborns. Sub-Aberrant pregnancies are also subject to the

problems that can occur with nova pregnancies, as described

in Aberrant: A Breed Apart, pp. 27-28.
Sub-Aberrants are an Innovation, and may only be created or duplicated by novas with a Quantum Trait of 6 or
higher.

Story Seed: Stolen Lives

The inevitable has happened over fifty years earlya very
powerful and Taint-warped nova has developed the capability
to create Sub-Aberrants, and has begun experimenting with her
new power on a group of abducted baselines. The player characters are a group of nova operativesofficial or otherwise
who must investigate the kidnappings and shut the perpetrator
down. How this is to be accomplished will depend greatly on
how closely the Storyteller wants her Aberrant chronicle to conform to the canon Aeoniverse metaplot. If the canon metaplot is
adhered to, the player characters must keep the existence and
nature of Sub-Aberrants a secret from either the general public
(at the minimum) or the entire world. If the canon metaplot is
considered irrelevant, the player characters will have a much freer
hand in stopping the perpetrator but also face the risk of setting
off a media firestorm that could ruin baseline-nova relations for
decades if it doesnt set off the Aberrant War early. In either case,
the player characters will have an enormous job on their hands.
In addition to dealing with an insane Quantum 6+ nova, they
must also determine how they will deal with the Sub-Aberrants
that she created. Is a quick and painless death the only thing
the player characters can offer these unfortunates, or can some
means be found to restore them to humanity and rationality?

Making Sub-Aberrants For Fun... and Profit!

While creating Sub-Aberrants as characters has been explained neatly, what does an aspiring would-be global (or interstellar) nova conqueror need in order to create them? The capability to create Sub-Aberrants is a new technique of the Quantum
Authority quantum power (Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 125-126), and is described below.

Taint Infusion
Area: One person
Duration: Permanent
The nova can forcibly infuse large amounts of harmful taint radiation identical to that produced by novas with the Black
Thumb and/or Taint Bleed aberrations (Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 94-96). Unless the target is willing or not actively resisting,
he can resist this technique with a Willpower roll. Even one net success means that the nova has a new Sub-Aberrant minion. Failing the roll means that the Taint infusion attempt fails, while botching means that the target cannot be infused again for a full 24
hours afterward.
When used on baseline humans lacking the M-R gene sequence it mutates them into Sub-Aberrants as described above.
Every success the nova gains over the victims successes on a Willpower roll gives the Storyteller (not the nova or the Sub-Aberrant)
3 nova points to spend on the Sub-Aberrants powers. Successes over 5 still only give 15 nova points but allow the nova some
degree of choice on what abilities the Sub-Aberrant develops. If the victim has any latent Inspired capabilities, those will be lost as
the nova literally redesigns the victims biology. Active Inspired beings other than novas - psiads, psions, daredevils, etc. - cannot
be transformed into Sub-Aberrants. Instead, the technique acts as an attack doing (Quantum + power rating) levels of aggravated
damage to the Inspired victim, which is usually enough to kill him outright. Active novas cannot be affected with this technique.

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ABERRANT

Biotech Nightmares
All of the previous listed advancements and innovations of biotechnology were designed with a clear, useful
purpose. Whether it is a powerful weapon, a biosmelter
or even a virulent disease, all of these were designed by
(mostly) sane minds for understandable purposes.
The following nightmarish creations were created by
twisted minds for unfathomable purposes or to satisfy inhuman desires. The following items are the dreams and nightmares of the most twisted minds of the Nova Age given
form, if not purpose.

Daphne Biocomputer
Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer/computer engineer
Category: Transformed baseline human/biological petaflop supercomputer
Description: Even by 2015, the truly powerful conventional supercomputers are still very much like IBMs Roadrunner and Blue Gene series circa 2009huge arrays of
delicate components that consume multiple megawatts of
electricity in order to function.
By way of comparison, the brain of a typical baseline
human already operates at a petascale in the course of supporting human-scale cognition, and does so much more
efficiently if at a slower pace.
In late 2015, evidence discovered by the Aberrants
and relayed to sympathizers in the F.B.I. revealed that some
deranged nova hypergenius had decided to take advantage of that untapped natural resource in a truly horrifying
manner. Normal baseline humans were being abducted
then transformed into quasi-vegetative lifeforms for the
express purpose of using their brains as living supercomputers! Although agents of Project Utopia, Project Proteus,
the Directive and law enforcement agencies worldwide are
doing their best to hunt down the originator of this atrocity,
the perpetrator remains at large.
As of December 2015, only a few individual Daphne
Biocomputers have been recovered and euthanized, since
no method to reverse the transformation has been found.
System: The process of making a moderately healthy
baseline human into a Daphne Biocomputer involves a regimen of hypertech medical procedures involving tailored retroviruses and bacteria as well as several exotic drugs and
synthetic neurotransmitters. Provided that the victim is kept
sedated and on full life support, the process takes about
three weeks to complete if not interrupted. The result is a
slow metamorphosis of the victim from baseline human to
a 1.5 meter long cylinder with a bulging dome at the top
and thick roots sprouting at the bottom. The midsection is
festooned with many leafy stalks and about twenty vines.

70

If planted in fertile soil and kept in a decent greenhouse

environment, a Daphne Biocomputer can perform as the
equivalent of a conventional 1 petaflop-range supercomputer with only the maintenance required by any humansized temperate region plant. Peripherals can be attached by
way of the vines, although most will require separate power
sources. Daphne Biocomputers can also be networked with
each other for increased computing power. While no hard
data has been documented, it is hypothesized that a networked array of multiple Daphne Biocomputers (Storytellers
discretion as to the exact number required) could perform
as an exaflop - 10 to the 18th power floating point operations per second - supercomputer.
As for the brains of transformed victims, they will spend
the vast majority of their time in an insensible fugue state.
Not only is their processing power being used in distinctly
nonhuman ways as biocomputers, but they will also have no
sensory input aside from that incorporated into the biocomputer peripherals. Brief flashes of individual consciousness
may occur when the biocomputer is in idle mode (not being
used for anything), although most - those lacking Willpower
ratings of 8 or higher - will be too traumatized and deranged
by their transformation to accomplish much.
Fortunately, the transformation process can be reversed
if the victim is taken off the supporting regimen within the
first week and given proper medical attention. Victims in the
second week of transformation can only be saved by novas
with Healing , while those in the third week cannot
be recovered without the use of Biomanipulation. Another
surprise is that the transformation simply will not work at all
on any baseline human with even a partial Mazarin-Rashoud
genetic sequence. Novas and other Inspired beings are
automatically immune to the transformation. Daphne Biocomputers are an innovation, and can only be created and
duplicated by novas.

Headhunter Trees
Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer/botanist
Category: Botched(?) bioengineered flora
Description: When nova hyper-intelligence and taintspawned mental disorders mix, the results are not guaranteed to be of any practical use. A fine example of this are the
Headhunter Trees, the first of which was discovered during
the spring of 2013 in Oklahoma by novas working for the
United States Army. A few Headhunter Trees hidden in the
Chickasaw National Recreation Area managed to decimate
a Southern Baptist church travel group before the Army
novas could deal with them. The Headhunter Trees victims
did not survive the creatures subsequent deaths.
Only a few more plantings of Headhunter Trees have
been found throughout the southern United States since

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then, but law enforcement and wildlife agencies worldwidenot to mention Project Utopiahave been keeping
an eye out for them and their still unidentified creator elsewhere.
System: Headhunter Trees spend their first decade of
growth as harmless saplings essentially identical to others of
their base species. Their dormant mutations finally become
active in their eleventh year, resulting in creatures with the
following statistics:
Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 5
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 1
Social: Appearance 2, Manipulation 0, Charisma 0
Abilities: Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Might 1, Stealth 2
Willpower: 1
Health Levels: OK, -1, -1, -1, -2, -2, -2, -3, -3, -4, -4
Attacks: A Headhunter Trees branches can perform a
Hold attack of seven dice on any human-sized target within
3 meters. Once the hold succeeds, the victim can be repeatedly bitten for 4 dice of Lethal damage per turn each time
until the victim either dies or escapes. Although its branches
can move, Headhunter Trees are otherwise sessile.
Cranial Integration: A Headhunter Tree can take the
head of a freshly-killed human victim and affix it into one
of several special cavities within its trunk. Once affixed, the
head will be kept alive and conscious by the Headhunter
Trees special life-support organs. Despite being covered
with a thin protective layer of bark, affixed human heads will
face outward from the trunks core and can both view and
hear their surroundings.
While their mental capabilities are greater than those of
normal trees by an order of magnitude, Headhunter Trees
are still quite stupid when compared to nonsapient animals
such as reptiles or marsupials, much less birds or mammals.
It should also be noted that while Headhunter Trees have
direct neural links to the brains of the human heads they
affix to themselves, they have no capacity to comprehend
or use any of the knowledge of their victims. However its
possible a nova with Plant Mastery could access the skills
and knowledge of a Headhunter Trees victim.
It is currently unknown whether Headhunter Trees can
affix the head of novas to themselves successfully, but that is
considered unlikely by Utopian paraphysicians. Headhunter
Trees are an innovation, and can only be created and duplicated by novas.

Heras Revenge
Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer
Category: Bioengineered virus, type unknown
Description: Heras Revenge is a sexually transmitted
disease that has no effect on most people but occasionally
(roughly 10% of the time with normal baselines) can lead to

the victim undergoing a spontaneous sex change. Since carriers of Heras Revenge normally have no idea that theyre
contagious this disease can and has spread.
No one has claimed credit for creating this bioweapon
and the effects seem too extreme for Mother Nature to be
the culprit. Some Utopian scientists speculate that it was
someones idea of a joke that went too far. There are rumors
that some people have deliberately infected themselves,
then their partners, as a form of revenge in a dysfunctional
relationship but thus far thats an urban myth.
Vector: Contact (sexually transmitted)
System: Victims exposed to Heras Revenge must make
a standard Resistance roll. At the Storytellers discretion, victims with the Lusty Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 72)
must make the roll at +1 difficulties. Success on the roll
means theyre not infected. Failure means they become a
carrier of Heras Revenge. A botch means over the course
of a week the victim will be transformed by Heras Revenge.
Victims undergoing transformation will experience no symptoms for the first two days, after which they will develop flulike symptoms during the third through sixth days.
On the seventh day the victim will lapse into a 24 hour
coma as the transformation process kicks into high gear,
after which the victim will wake up physically transformed
into a member of the opposite gender.
Victims transformed by Heras Revenge are automatically considered carriers of the disease until they are cured
of their infection. That said, clearing their systems of the
virus will not reverse their transformation. Whether or not
transformed victims of Heras Revenge will have their sexual
orientation altered by the virus will vary widely with the individual victim (Storytellers discretion). Some will experience
no such change at all, others may have repressed orientations come into full flower, while others can experience radical orientation shifts.
Oddly enough, transformed victims are fully fertile and
can bear or sire children (as appropriate) without difficulty,
even if they were sterile before their transformation. Novas
are naturally immune to Heras Revenge and cannot be
infected. Heras Revenge is an Innovation, and can only be
created and duplicated by novas.
Antidote: Carriers and early-stage victims of Heras
Revenge can be cured by anti-viral measures such as standard antibiotics, phage therapy or the use of quantum
powers such as Healing or Biomanipulation. Restoring transformed victims of Heras Revenge to their original gender
can be done by the Form Manipulation technique of the
Biomanipulation power or, to a lesser degree, gender reassignment surgery.

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ABERRANT
The Murder Weapon

Neurosupport Tanks

Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer/armorer

Category: Ranged weapon
Description: This item was first seen in late 2014 the
hands of a disgruntled corporate middle manager in Chicago, who managed to hunt down and kill most of the corporations board members over a period of two weeks before
being shot and killed himself by Chicago police. Project
Utopia was quickly alerted once the police forensics examiners realized what the perpetrator had been using in the
murders. Ever since, U.S. law enforcement agencies, Project
Utopia, Project Proteus and the Directive have all been on
the lookout for the nova who created what has been dubbed
the Murder Weapon. Three more incidents involving
Murder Weapons have occurred in Colorado Springs, Salt
Lake City and Atlanta, but any clues as to whoever is making
them and why they are being made have yet to be found.
System: The Murder Weapon is a vaguely gun-shaped
lump of flesh with a sphincterlike orifice at the tip of the
barrel. This device can emit a blast of harmful bioelectricity which acts as a lethal Quantum Bolt once per scene without any costs, although not without inflicting side effects on
the user (see below). Any further use of the Murder Weapon
in the same scene requires that the user pay one point of
temporary Willpower. Normally the Murder Weapon functions as the equivalent of Quantum Bolt at Quantum
2, but if the user pays a point of temporary Willpower he
can add + and +1 Quantum to the Quantum Bolt. The
user can also sacrifice a point of permanent Willpower to
gain any one of the following extras on the Quantum Bolt;
Aggravated, Burning, Extra-Range, Explosion, or Homing.
The user can sacrifice as many temporary dots of willpower
per use as he wants, however only one point of permanent
Willpower can be sacrificed per Quantum Bolt. If the user
is reduced to zero temporary Willpower, he will not only
be subject to the compulsion of his Nature (Aberrant core
book, p. 145) but will enter a psychotic break where the user
will use the Murder Weapon on anyone he finds the slightest bit displeasing. If the user is reduced to zero permanent
Willpower, this state becomes irreversible.
The second drawback to the Murder Weapon is that
using it on other humans is literally addictive. Upon first
using the Murder Weapon, the user must make a Willpower
roll at +3 difficulties. If successful, the user can get rid of the
Murder Weapon without any further ill effects. If the Willpower roll fails or botches, the user gains the Addiction Flaw
(Aberrant Players Guide, p. 71) at the 4 point level, focused
on using the Murder Weapon to kill other humans.
The Murder Weapon is an innovation and can only be
created or duplicated by novas. It may be used by either
baselines or novas.

Producer: Unknown nova medical engineer

Category: Life support system
Description: The concept of disembodied human
brains being kept alive and aware of their state has haunted
the dreams of science fiction audiences for decades. While
the technology would offer a means to survive past the
death of the body - if one can truly call that state survival - the primal revulsion that sane humans have for it
had fortunately stymied its development. It was inevitable
that this atrocity would be made real in the Nova Age, as
some novas will certainly have both the capability coupled
with the lack of both medical ethics and sanity required to
produce and use these monstrosities. The uses for Neurosupport Tanks include unethical experiments in neurology,
keeping important people available for consultation past
the deaths of the natural bodies and as perhaps the ultimate
form of imprisonment.
The Aeon Society will make a special point of keeping this horrific technology under wraps, going so far as
to give both Utopia and Proteus standing orders to shut
down anyone attempting to produce and/or deal in it by
any means necessary. They will have no set policy for dealing with the victims of this technology, although euthanasia
tends to be the only viable option. Not only are most such
victims are driven insane by the trauma, as of 2015 brain
transplants can only be performed by nova surgeons and
human cloning technology is in the exclusive possession of
Kuro-Tek.
System: Neurosupport Tanks are total life support systems for sustaining either a humans disembodied central
nervous system or a partially-vivisected human in a tank
of support fluid. The former variety is about the size of a
large automatic dishwasher, while the latter takes up as
much space as a small bathroom. In both cases Neurosupport Tanks will require an uninterrupted supply of electrical
power and constant medical supervision in order to keep
the victims alive. Plumbing hookups for nutrient supply,
suspension fluid and waste disposal are also required. Most
Neurosupport Tanks will also have cybernetic nervelinks to
provide the victim with audiovisual sensory input - those victims lacking nervelinks will still have their original eyes with
which to view their surroundings. Occasionally victims will
also be nervelinked to a computerized speech synthesizer
so that they can communicate with their captors/keepers.
At the extreme a victim can be nervelinked to a virtual keyboard and multimedia graphic interface. Victims will sometimes even have nervelinks to their pain and/or pleasure
centers as a means of inducing cooperation with the touch
of a button. In other cases, doses of certain drugs may be
administered via the nutrient feed for similar reasons.

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ABERRANT
Successfully preparing and installing a victim into a
Neurosupport Tank requires an extended Medicine (Surgery) roll at +4 difficulties. Victims of Neurosupport Tanks
will have negligible Physical Attributes and Appearance
ratings in either case, as even those who retain portions of
their original bodies other than the central nervous system
will have been rendered physically helpless by their surgery.
As the disembodiment process is traumatic in the extreme,
only victims with Willpower ratings of 8 or higher can avoid
developing one or more mental disorders as a result.
At the Storytellers discretion, the victims may also
suffer the equivalent of the Cold aberration (see Aberrant:
Brainwaves) as most emotional responses are triggered by
glands which the victim may no longer possess. For most
victims the only escape from a Neurosupport Tank is death,
although novas may have other options and can offer them
to others as well. Neurosupport Tanks are advancements,
and may be used and duplicated by baselines.

Physiological Distortion Syndrome,

a.k.a. PDS
Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer
Category: Unknown but probably a bioengineered
parasite similar to malaria.
Description: PDS is believed to be a parasite akin to
malaria which randomly subtracts and adds to its victims
attributes. Its known not to be spread by person to person
contact but its exact method of transmission is unclear. It
might be some kind of parasite on mosquitoes but thats
a guess. The disease itself is very subtle and so far victims
have only sought out medical attention after the infectious
agent has completed its work and then died.
Vector: Unknown.
System: Victims exposed to PDS must make a standard
Resistance roll. If they make three or more successes there
is no effect. For every success they have less than three,
one Attribute will increase by one while another Attribute
will decrease by one. Thus if a victim rolls one success they
have two pair of Attributes affected. On a botch five pairs of
Attributes will be effected.
For every pair of Attributes affected, randomly select
two different attributes with the first getting a +1 (limit 5)
and the other getting a -1 (limit zero). Re-roll any Attributes above 5 selected for addition or any Attribute at
zero selected for subtraction. Any Attribute rated at zero
cannot be used by the victim, with the Storyteller choosing
what specific effects having an Attribute at zero will have. A
zero Appearance rating is either sheer hideousness or an
utterly forgettable and boring visage, depending on which
interpretation of the Attribute is used. A zero Stamina rating
means that the victim is on the brink of death, etc. Multiple

additions and/or subtractions from the same Attribute are

possible.
Its unknown how long the victims have to seek medical
attention before their Attributes begin to shift, but attempts
to locate the disease post-shifting have thus far failed.
Novas are immune to PDS due to their quantum-charged
metabolisms. PDS is an Innovation and can only be created
or duplicated by novas.
Antidote: Its assumed that PDS can be cured by normal
antibiotic measures or the Healing quantum power, but so
far no one has attempted medical treatment until after the
parasite has died. After Attributes have changed the effect
is permanent, although nothing prevents the victim from
spending experience to raise them or seeking out a nova
with the Form Manipulation technique of the Biomanipulation quantum power.

The Ragadoz Symbiont

Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer
Category: Bioengineered symbiont, origins unknown
Description: Most medical advancements of the Nova
Age are just as they appear - honest methods to restore full
health to the sick and injured. This bioengineered lifeform
dubbed the Predator Symbiont by the Hungarian Proteus agent who first encountered it in the fieldis not one
of them. All cases of Ragadoz Symbiont infestation start
out in the same manner: a terminally ill or severely injured
patient who cannot receive a cloned or compatible donor
organ transplant is offered an unofficial miracle cure.
Lacking any other options other than succumbing to
their injuries or sickness, more than a few such patients agree
and take it. It works as promised for the first few weeks. The
patients make recoveries that are nothing short of astounding. Its when the patients are restored to full health that
the trouble starts, as the Ragadoz Symbiont begins seeking out new sources of diseased and or damaged flesh to
consume. Things turn truly ugly when patients infested with
the Ragadoz Symbiont begin seeking each other out, as
their symbionts literally fuse their bodies into shambling
monstrosities driven by an inhuman hunger. Thankfully, the
Ragadoz Symbiont seems to be totally incapable of reproducing itself through either victims infecting others or producing spores.
So far Proteus has dealt with two such infestations (both
in Eastern Europe) and kept them and the associated collateral damage covered up, but its only a matter of time
before the existence of the Ragadoz Symbiont is revealed
to a horrified world. Proteus is still trying to figure out who is
distributing Ragadoz Symbionts and stop them. So far they
think he, she or they offers it to ten to twelve hospitalized
patients in a city and then leaves.

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ABERRANT
Vector: Ingested (comes in capsule form)
System: Victims who unwillingly ingest a capsule of
Ragadoz Symbiont cells must make a standard Resistance
roll to keep it from infesting them. Success means that the
Ragadoz Symbiont cells are destroyed by the victims own
stomach acids and enzymes, and failure indicates infestation. The Resistance roll is waived if the victim takes it willingly. The Ragadoz Symbiont has a life cycle comprised of
four stages, described below.
Stage 1: After being activated by exposure to the victims digestive fluids, the Ragadoz Symbiont cells begin
migrating through her body towards whatever organ or
body part that is either severely diseased or seriously
injured. Upon arrival the Ragadoz Symbiont cells will begin
consuming and replacing the damaged/diseased tissue
and mimic its normal functions. Within two to four weeks,
the Ragadoz Symbiont will have restored the victim to full
physical health.
Stage 2: With the victim now healthy, the Ragadoz
Symbiont begins producing excess Ragadoz Symbiont
cells. Depending on the victims age and general physical health prior to their illness or injury, this stage can last
anywhere from two to three weeks. The only abnormality
victims will show at this point is a subconscious urge to be
around severely ill and injured people (Willpower roll to
resist), which they will usually rationalize as a desire to offer
comfort to others who are suffering as they had been.
Stage 3: The Ragadoz Symbiont begins to seek out
new sources of diseased and severely injured human tissue.
Toward this purpose the excess Ragadoz Symbiont cells
have developed into a retractable tentacle tipped with a circular fanged mouth for devouring the diseased/injured flesh
of other baseline humans. In game terms, this is the equivalent of the Tendril (Aberrant core book, p. 184) and Maw
(see p. 153 of this book) body modifications. The victim
will also develop the Addiction/Compulsion Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 71), focused on seeking out sick
or severely injured baseline humans so that the Ragadoz
Symbiont may feed on them. In most cases the tentacle will
emerge from the victims abdomen, but cases have been
known of it emerging from the victims mouth. This stage will
last until victims encounter each other.
Stage 4: If two stage three victims of the Ragadoz
Symbiont meet, they will feel a compulsion to engage in
close physical contact in a private location. This will happen
without any regard for the victims emotional commitments,
sexual orientation or personal opinions of each other. Once
they are in physical contact, the victims will lapse into a
coma for eight hours as their Ragadoz Symbionts fuse their
bodies together into a single conglomerate creature.
Said creatures formed from two victims will resemble
bipedal tentacled mushrooms with the faces of its victims

74

spaced out equidistantly on the mushroom cap. Creatures

formed from two victims will have Physical Attributes and
Perception equal to the higher of its component victims plus
one. For example, the fusion of a Strength 1 and a Strength
3 victim would result in a Strength 4 creature. The creature
will also have all the collective Health Levels of its victims
and can soak lethal damage as a nova. The conglomerate
creature will not have arms or sexual characteristics, but will
develop two additional mouthed tentacles (for a total of
three per victim) almost identical to that described in Stage
3 save for not being retractable. The conglomerate creature
will possess Intelligence and Wits ratings of two and three
dots respectively and will also be totally insane by baseline
standards. Conglomerate creatures will have ratings of zero
in all their Social Attributes.
Conglomerate creatures will retain the compulsion to
merge with whatever other conglomerate creatures and
Ragadoz Symbiont victims they encounter. The new conglomerate creature will gain further Physical Attribute and
Perception dots, additional Health Levels and tentacles as
described above. Fortunately this growth does have limits,
as seen below.
Conglomerate creature maximum stats:
Physical: Strength 8, Dexterity 4, Stamina 8
Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Social: N/A
24 Health Levels, 12 tentacles.
The Ragadoz Symbiont cannot affect novas, who are
automatically immune to it. The Ragadoz Symbiont is an
innovation, and can only be created and duplicated by
novas.
Antidote: In the first two stages of its life cycle, a victims body can be purged of the Ragadoz Symbiont with
the Healing quantum power. This requires healing the equivalent of one lethal Health Level at the first stage, or two to
three lethal Health Levels at the second stage depending on
the body part the symbiont has replaced. Once purged of
the Ragadoz Symbiont, the victim will require either further
healing or an organ transplant to replace the missing tissue.
Curing a victim at the third stage requires healing six lethal
Health Levels, as the symbiont will have made some radical
alterations to the victims body by then. At the fourth stage
little can be done except to give the victims a quick, painless death. Even if the Ragadoz Symbiont could be purged
from the victims at this point without killing them from the
stress, the psychological and neural trauma inflicted by the
symbiont will have driven them quite insane.

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ABERRANT
The Transformation Engine
Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer; unsubstantiated rumors hint at it having an extraterrestrial or extradimensional origin, but no one seriously believes that.
Description: The Engine looks like a lump of chitinous
flesh about twice the size of a grapefruit with a pale length
of flesh roughly an inch in circumference extending about
eight inches from the middle.
System: The Transformation Engine attaches itself to
the base of an unresisting (willing or incapacitated in some
way) users spine, extending cillia into the body from that
point and linking itself to the users central nervous system,
this process would normally be excruciatingly painful, however the Engine causes a large amount of endorphins to be
released, negating the pain and making the process very
pleasant indeed. The engine can only attach itself to baseline humans.
The users link to the Engine has four stages and the
powers derived from it have a base dice pool of 4 plus an
additional 2 dice for every stage past the first (10 dice at the
fourth stage). The user of the Engine will, after initial attachment heal like a nova, which is useful as each use of the
Engines powers costs a level of Bashing damage.
The powers of the Transformation Engine may be
used 5 times per scene. The Engine allows users in this first
stage of attachment to use the Biomanipulation technique
Body Manipulation by touch (small, almost invisible tendrils
extend from the fingers). The user may also use the power
on himself. After using the power 10+1d10 times the user
progresses to the second stage of use.
During the first stage the Engine may be removed
simply by severing the tendril or by killing the blob of flesh
with no physical side effects on the user.
At the beginning of the second stage the user is incapacitated by a massive endorphin release from the Engine
as it invades the users body, taking up residence in the
abdomen, appearing as a large lump under the navel. The
physical invasion takes roughly an hour. During the second
stage, the user may now also make use of the Form Manipulation technique on himself. However, to fuel and sustain the
changes made he must consume five pounds of raw, bloody
meat daily to feed the Engine. The need for raw meat can
be reduced if the user eats human brains instead, needing
only one brain per week to sustain the Engine. After using
the Body Manipulation power 15+1d10 times, consuming
their Staminax3 human brains or having Stamina x 20 weeks
pass after the beginning of the second stage the user will
progress to the third stage of use.

The Engine may be removed by either surgery (requiring an extended roll at +3 difficulty and requiring 10 total
successes) or by use of Healing or the Health Manipulation technique at +2 difficulty. After extraction the user may
suffer from lingering pain and malaise, giving a +1 difficulty
on physical actions for six moths afterward unless further
Healing or physical therapy is undertaken.
In the third stage, the users flesh toughens granting
+3/3 bashing and lethal soak, the users fingers, toes, arms
and legs all lengthen noticably and they aquire the aberrations Hormonal Imbalance: Lust, Black Thumb and Feeding
Requirement: Human flesh and brains (must be indulged
weekly or begin starving to death). The abdominal lump
from the Engine also grows 50% larger at this time. (if it
comes up, a third stage or higher user counts as a Highly
tainted nova for breeding purposes).
In the third and fourth stages the user may use the Form
manipulation power on others as well. To remove the Engine
in the third stage requires an extremely difficult surgery,
likely only performable by a nova surgeon (a +5 difficulty
extended roll requiring 20 successes), the use of Healing
or using the Form Manipulation and Health Manipulation techniques at +2 difficulty each. After removal, the user
will be permanently down by one Health Level as well as still
having the visible mutations without the extra soak or the
aberrations. After Stamina x 15 weeks the user progresses
into the fourth and final stage.
In the final stage, the user mutates further, his flesh
becomes misshapen and chitinous with a total soak bonus of
+5/+5 basing and lethal, the users appearance is effectively
0 (or 5 if using Appearance variant Ugliness). The Engine
is unremovable once the fourth stage has been reached.
However, the user of the Engine now begins breaking down
physically and mentally losing one dot of either Strength,
Dexterity, Stamina, Perception or Willpower per week, each
week a different Attribute loses a point and no Attribute
may be chosen for two weeks in a row. As soon as either
Perception or Willpower are reduced to 0 the user becomes
hopelessly psychotic and contiues to lose dots from other
Attributes, as soon as any of the Physical Attributes are
reduced to 0 the user convulses and dies, their bloated
abdomen splitting open to reveal anywhere from two to five
new Transformation Engines waiting for new hosts...
The Transformation Engine is an innovation which can
only be created or duplicated by novas but is usable by
baselines.

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ABERRANT
Gods and Monsters
As time goes on the occasional nova will attain a permanent Taint of 10 and becomes totally, completely and incomprehensibly inhuman. No longer novas, the term aberrants (as used in the Trinity setting) now fully applies to the creatures
in question. Some become consumed by their powers, or become their powers, or transcend this universe or even die or kill
themselves. Unfortunately for mankind death for aberrants reaching Taint 10 is rare. All aberrants are howling at the moon mad
by human definitions, and some of them stay around to plague mankind.
Aberrant antagonists with Taint 10 present unique problems for player characters and challenges for the Storyteller. For the
Storyteller the issue is how to realistically present something that can often be mind-numbingly alien. Even something as absurd
as he declares war on all things purple understates how divorced from reality an aberrants mindset can be, and with sufficient
power the aberrants mindset might actually become the local definition of reality.
Assuming that the player characters dont simply take the view of how do we kill it, they could be in the position of trying
to relate to, understand or manipulate something totally beyond the ken of the players (although not necessarily the player characters). To make matters more complicated the Aberrant in question might actually be a former player character who has been
watched by his fellows walking further and further down the twisted path of Taint accumulation.
What follows is an attempt to make Storytelling that situation easier. Also provided are a few sample Aberrant Storyteller
characters with Taint 10 ready for use either in your Aberrant chronicle or as handy examples for creating your own Taint-wracked
abominations.

Ahriman, a.k.a. the Ahriman Hivemind and the Soul of the Beast
Summary: The entity that calls itself Ahriman began
in a mindless state as a quantum-powered disease that created a unitary group mind for itself from the darkest portions of its hosts minds. Now that it has infected enough
hosts to regain consciousness, it seeks to satisfy all the foulest desires and urges of its hosts in a succession of orgies of
malevolent and self-destructive behavior. Then it starts over
with freshly infected hosts, leaving the old ones to die.
Background: Unknown. While clearly a nova who has
developed a permanent Taint of 10, there is no information
on who this being might have been before his or her eruption. A telepathic probe of an Ahriman host by a Proteus
agent revealed remnants of a very reactionary (if twisted)
Christian belief structure incorporated as part of its delusions, but no memories of existence as anything else.
Allies and Enemies: Project Proteus considers Ahriman
a serious threat to be dealt with immediately upon detection, which is difficult given its capabilities. Ahriman has also
shown a strong interest in the Church of Astaroth, as such
already damned humans are obvious allies in its infernal
crusade. For their part, Ahrimans contacts via its hosts with
the Church of Astaroth have left the Domitori - especially
Mammon - more than a little unnerved. They wonder if this
demonic being is truly their sixth Domitor (which theyve
already identified as the Soul of the Beast) or a dangerous rival to the True Astaroth, but havent refused any of its
requests yet as the sheer chaos it has causedand gotten
away with!is so delightful...
Concept: The Evil Within
Nature: Monster

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Allegiance: Church of Astaroth

Attributes: Manipulation 5 + varies (drawn from baseline hosts)
Abilities: Varies (drawn from baseline hosts)
Backgrounds: Allies 5 (the Domitori), Backing 3 (CoA),
Followers 3 (CoA), Node 2, others as per baseline hosts.
Quantum 6, Quantum Pool 32, Willpower Varies + N/A,
Taint 10
Aberrations: Allergic Reaction (raw ether, loses one
Health Level of Lethal damage per turn of exposure), Amnesia, Delusion (believes self to be a discarnate demon, infernally appointed to irrevocably damn all humanity to Hell),
Mindless (depends on the unitary group mind it creates for
its sapience), Obsession (evoking human evil in all of its
forms), Permanent Power (Bacterial Consciousness), Sociopathic.
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina (Suspension),
Mega-Manipulation (The Voice), Mega-Charisma
(Dreadful Mien, Natural Agitator).
Quantum Powers: Bacterial Consciousness*
(Extra: Affects Novas, requires spending 4 quantum points
and 1 temporary Willpower point, Limitation: eventually kills
baseline hosts), Groupthink (as the Consciousness
Supremacy technique, Target Restriction: limited to the subjects dark side, Linked x2: Bacterial Consciousness).
*Bacterial Consciousness: The nova can spread his
consciousness to others by touch, destroying the minds of
any victims as it asserts control. The minds remain linked in
much the same manner as the Psychic Link quantum power,
but there is no central point to the web of consciousness
that opponents can target - they must destroy a significant
proportion of the host bodies. The nova can dominate up
to one thousand baseline humans without penalty, though

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ABERRANT
unless the nova has the Affects Novas extra, novas are
immune to this power and other Inspired beings can roll an
appropriate Trait (Psi or Inspiration) + Willpower to resist.
This is a Level 4 quantum power, with the roll used being
Manipulation + Bacterial Consciousness.
Method of Operation: Ahriman is spread through
unprotected physical contact with an infected host, with
nonporous garments being sufficient to prevent infection.
Once it has infected a sufficient number of hosts (Storytellers discretion), Ahriman will start planning on how best
to indulge the collective and varied depraved desires and
urges of its hosts. If any of its hosts should survive the fun
planned by the Ahriman Hivemind it ejects them from the
mental fusion, leaving them emotional wrecks as the enormity of what theyve been doing sinks in. Former hosts have
only a short time for remorse, as Ahriman will have caused
severe and irreversible damage to their central nervous systems, leading to death within one hour. If left unchecked,
Ahriman can and will depopulate small towns and wreak
havoc on larger communities. Despite Proteus best efforts
Ahriman hasnt died since its first awakening yet, thanks
to its habit of keeping several Stage 2 hosts in reserve by
means of its Suspension enhancement.
System: Victims exposed to Ahriman may resist it in two
ways (Storytellers discretion as to which applies). If treated
as a disease, the subject can make a standard Resistance
roll at +1 difficulties. Success on the roll means theyre not
infected, with failure means theyve been infected. If treated
as a form of telepathic possession, the subject can resist
with a Willpower roll. Novas are immune to Ahriman unless
it spends 4 quantum points and a temporary Willpower
point. The usual nova defenses against disease and telepathic attacks still function as normal. Ahrimans life cycle
is as follows.
Stage 1: The host has been infected by Ahriman but
is not yet able to infect others. This stage can last up to 1
week. Ironically at this stage its a good thing. Hosts with
mental disorders or other mental Flaws get extra Willpower
dice to deal with their problems (how many depends on the
size of the Hive). Hosts are also cured of any personality problems and general impolite or unsociable behaviors.
This is due to Ahriman literally sealing off the darker portions of the hosts personalities for later subsumption into
the nascent Ahriman Hivemind, and are lost when a host
is activated by it. Hosts at this stage are considered to
have Charisma ratings two dots higher than normal (to a
maximum of 5).
Stage 2: Hosts infected by Ahriman must roll Willpower
to resist joining the Ahriman Hivemind. The rare few who
do manage to resist will purge Ahriman from their systems,
but will suffer a -2 dice penalty on all rolls from the stress
until they can receive skilled medical care. Hosts will feel

a subconscious urge to touch other people in whatever

manner is locally considered friendly and/or socially acceptable, infecting them with Ahriman. Ahriman can also tap
into the perceptions and knowledge of its hosts and will
begin making plans for the next stage. This stage will last
until Ahriman feels it has enough hosts, but usually 1 to
3 weeks depending on population density and the difficulty
of making unprotected physical contact. Ahriman can also
use its Mega-Attributes and enhancements via its hosts at
this stage.
Stage 3: At this point Ahriman will deem itself to have
infected enough hosts to ensure its survival, and will begin
to indulge itself by activating some of its hosts. Such
hosts will be used to satisfy all the depravity of its mental
disorders without regard to the consequences to its hosts or
uninfected bystanders and victims. Note that the activated
hosts can still infect other people during this stage, but
anyone infected will start at Stage 1. Due to the over the
top outrageousness of many of the self-destructive behaviors the activated hosts will be engaging in, this stage will
last for either a week or until the Ahriman Hivemind runs
out of hosts that its willing to lose, whichever comes first. If
confronted with a credible threat to its existence (typically
the prospect of all of its hosts being cured or killed), the
Ahriman Hivemind will activate all of its hosts in attempt to
kill whoever is threatening it and/or escape to a new population center to start its lifecycle all over again.
Stage 4: After Ahriman is done, it withdraws from any
surviving Stage 3 hosts. If a host lasts long enough to reach
the fourth stage, the Ahriman Hivemind will discard him and
he will revert to his pre-infection mental state. Unfortunately
by this time irreversible damage will have been done to the
hosts central nervous system, resulting in the hosts inevitable death one hour afterward.
It is possible for the Ahriman Hivemind to die if all of
its hosts at Stage 2 and later are either cured or killed. If left
alive and uncured, the remaining Stage 1 hosts will start the
cycle all over again, resulting in the creation of a brand-new
Ahriman Hivemind without any knowledge of its predecessor other than that provided by its Delusion aberration. If
the hosts are separated by more than 500 kilometers, they
can even end up forming two or more separate Ahriman
Hiveminds. Fortunately for humanity (baseline and otherwise), Ahriman Hiveminds will react with implacable hatred
toward their own kind and will seek to eliminate each other
by any means necessary and/or available.
Thanks to their quantum-powered immune systems,
novas are automatically immune to Ahriman in normal circumstances.
Antidote: Hosts infected by Ahriman can be cured by
making them inhale the fumes from raw ether. Raw ether
fumes will be disorienting to any hosts, but lethal to Ahri-

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ABERRANT
man. Thirty seconds of exposure will kill Ahriman without
harming the host. This does not deal with the brain damage
done to Stage 3 or 4 hosts. A talented enough Healer nova
might (Storytellers option) be able to save one but so far
this hasnt been attempted. If a live sample of Ahriman
could be captured and safely cultured in a medical lab, a
permanent vaccine for it might be created by a medicallyskilled Mega-Intelligent nova.

The Brainspawn
Producer: Unknown nova bioengineer
Category: Botched(?) nova clones.
Description: As far as anyone can determine, the
Brainspawn are the result of a failed attempt of a nova mastermind (presumed to be highly Tainted) to clone him- or
herself. The idea that the Brainspawn were deliberately
designed to be as they are is something no one has been
willing to talk about openly. A Brainspawn is a disembodied human central nervous system with about six thick nerve
fiber bundles, four of which serve as tendrils and two short
ones sporting human-looking eyeballs with blue irises at
the end. They also have limited nova capabilities and firstinstar M-R nodes, which allows them to survive and move
around without any need for items such as life-support
tanks. Brainspawn are fully sapient, but their minds are just
as inhuman as their physical forms. As disembodied brains,
these creatures cannot feel pain and have no senses other
than eyesight. This is especially frustrating for them since
all Brainspawn are also sociopathic hedonists obsessed with
physical pleasure in all its forms. They solve this quandary
by invading the bodies of living baselines, after which the
Brainspawn will seek to engage in a spree of pleasurable
activities. It should be noted that as they have no human
inhibitions, hosted Brainspawn will have a considerably
wider definition of pleasureable activities than baseline
humans. No kink or fetish is unappealing to them, no matter
how extreme or depraved it may be. Most nova factions and
baseline law enforcement agencies have made finding the
creator of the Brainspawn and shutting his or her operations
down - lethally, if need be - a high priority. As for the Brainspawn, they will be considered a threat to be disposed of
immediately.
System: In its natural state, a Brainspawn will have
the following statistics.
Nature: Hedonist
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Appearance 2 (Ugliness),
Manipulation 4, Charisma 3.
Abilities: 15 dots plus another 15 from whatever victim
is currently hosting them. Brainspawn will typically retain
whatever Abilities that are useful for obtaining pleasure and

78

acquiring new baseline hosts, such as Seduction.

Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 5, Taint 10
(Distractible, Fragile, Obsession: pleasurable activities,
Permanent Power: Sizemorph, Sheer Hideousness, Sociopathic).
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina (Adaptability),
Mega-Charisma (Seductive).
Quantum Powers: Incorporation (Biological Amalgam)
, Sizemorph (Shrink) .
Health Levels: Hurt, Injured, Wounded, Maimed, Incapacitated.
Soak: 7 Bashing, 3 Lethal.
Brainspawn with hosts will usually have access to the
hosts Resources and other Backgrounds. They tend to avoid
a hosts Allies whenever possible, as such people who knew
the host well could quickly notice the changes in the hosts
behavior and intuit that something is very wrong.
Brainspawn are treated as having the Deaf Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 71) as well as equivalent Flaws for
touch, taste and smell when not inhabiting a baseline host.
They also do not suffer dice pool penalties from pain when
not inhabiting a host.
Taking over a baselines body is accomplished through
use of the Brainspawns Incorporation quantum power (see
p. 230 of this book). If successful, the Brainspawn literally
merges itself into the hosts cranium, destroying the hosts
brain without killing the body. The Brainspawn also absorbs
much of the hosts memories, allowing it to learn personal
details about the host as well as steal the hosts Abilities,
to aid in impersonating the host.
When inhabiting a baseline host, the Brainspawn uses
the hosts Strength, Dexterity and Appearance in place of
its own. It also replaces the hosts eyes with its own, thus
most Brainspawn try to pick new hosts based on the color of
their eyes or failing that wear colored contact lenses or sunglasses. For the same reason, Brainspawn will never willingly
undergo retinal scanning while inhabiting a host.
Fortunately a Brainspawn has only a limited time to
inhabit a host, as a combination of tissue rejection syndrome,
adverse reaction to quantum energies and the self-destructive consequences of the Brainspawns own hedonism will
cause the host body to die ten days after being taken over.
Once a host body is dead, the Brainspawn will detach itself
from it and begin searching for a new host.
Most Brainspawn will make sure to have an incapacitated baseline on hand at the time for a quick and easy
transfer. Brainspawn can never improve their quantum capabilities and can only learn new Abilities by stealing them
from their baseline victims. Novas (or any other kind of
Inspired being) cannot be taken over by a Brainspawn. The
Brainspawn are an innovation and can only be created or
duplicated by novas.

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ABERRANT
Crackhead
Summary: Once a stone-bodied nova, the taintwracked creature known as Crackhead has been shattered
into a large amount of tiny pebbles that have literally been
strewn across the North American continent, spreading his
intoxicating effects with them.
Background: The origin of the former nova known as
Crackhead isnt a mystery at all; but he remains an ongoing
headache for Project Utopia, law enforcement agencies and
public health officials across Canada and the United States.
A junkie in his baseline life, Crackhead erupted by blowing his mind on an overdose of illegal drugs and got the
power to make people, including and especially himself,
high and/or stoned. He also developed the Homunculus power, perhaps to reflect his increasingly fractured and
unstable personality. As an attention seeker and rebel, it was
perhaps inevitable he would end up in combat with Team
Tomorrow. His final action as a nova was to pit his full
power against Caestus Pax, who literally shattered Crackhead into small pebbles during their brief aerial combat two
miles above Wisconsin.
Unfortunately this wasnt the end of Crackhead. Thanks
to the nature of his powers and his taint, being shattered
and spread over a large area was simply trading one set
of problems for another. In effect Crackhead has become a
large number of cursed pebbles that call to people and
then make them high. Normally this results in dysfunctional
people, but every now and then he (apparently at random)
produces a mixture of PCP, Mite, Soma, and attunement,
resulting in a drug-fueled stoned werewolf rage with
expected and unfortunate consequences. After the baseline
victim burns out on Crackheads drug, the pebble fueling
the problem is found by some new unfortunate baseline,
typically starting the cycle all over again. Project Utopia has
confiscated and destroyed a few Crackhead pebbles , but
theres still a lot more of them out there. Worse, unknown
to Utopia, destroying one Crackhead pebble just causes
another one to expand and split into two new ones.
Allies and Enemies: Project Utopia (and Proteus) have
issued standing orders to their agents to confiscate and
destroy any Crackhead pebbles they may come across.
The Directive and other law enforcement agencies in North
America have done likewise. As Crackhead has lost any cognizance of reality he has no allies to speak of, although some
compassionate Terats might want to see if he can be euthanized as a mercy-killing.
Nature: Rebel
Allegiance: Independent
Attributes: Strength N/A, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Perception 1, Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Appearance N/A, Manipulation N/A, Charisma 5.

Abilities: N/A - what few skills Crackhead once possessed are long forgotten.
Backgrounds: Node 3.
Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 40, Willpower N/A, Taint 10
Aberrations: Absent-Minded, Obsession (drugging
people), Permanent Power: Bodymorph, Permanent Power:
Center of Attention, Permanent Power: Homunculus*,
Schizophrenia and Uncontrollable Power: Poison.
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina (Adaptability,
Regeneration, Resiliency), Mega-Charisma (Center of
Attention).
Quantum Powers: Bodymorph: Stone (Density
Increase ), Flight (Reduced Quantum Cost), Homunculus , Poison (Reduced Quantum Cost, limited to
drugs).
Details:
*- Crackheads Homunculus quantum power has him
permanently locked into the homunculus swarm form,
with Crackhead pebbles as the insect-sized creatures.

Nova X a.k.a. the Healer

Summary: Nova X is effectively living blood that gets
passed from person to person, giving each in turn nova abilities and driving them mad before killing them.
Background: Unknown. Obviously this is a nova who
has developed a permanent Taint of 10, but exactly which
nova has fallen to the taint is unclear. The known data
on Nova X doesnt match up completely with any known
historic nova. Its possible she(?) simply erupted this way but
thats unlikely.
Allies and Enemies: Project Utopia, the Directive and
the Teragen believes Nova X is a high taint homeless nova
with the powers to heal other people, shapeshift and teleport. They also are sure that she has some serious mental
problems including an obsession with healing people. All of
these groups have better things to worry about than a nova
who wanders around healing people although some members of the Teragen occasionally try to recruit her.
Project Proteus has a somewhat clearer idea of whats
going on but isnt sure what to do about the situation and
also has higher priorities. Nova X normally has a cult of followers that builds up around her.
Nature: Martyr
Allegiance: Independent
Attributes: Stamina 5 + Varies
Abilities: Meditation 5 + Varies
Backgrounds: Cipher 5, Node 5, Followers 5 (cultists
or randomly chosen baselines who have crossed her path),
Resources 0 (sometimes varies).
Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 40, Willpower Varies + N/A,
Taint 10

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79

ABERRANT
Aberrations: Nova X has no body, existing instead as
ever-living blood that must inhabit a baseline host body.
Her Taint also eventually destroys her host body, forcing her
to switch hosts on a fairly regular basis. Nova X also has
Amnesia (doesnt remember previous lives), Anima Banner
(stigmata: bleeds when using her powers), Obsession
(giving/using her blood), Rapid Hair Growth (the hosts scalp
hair grows 2 inches an hour) and Schizophrenia.
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina (Regeneration),
Mega-Charisma (Soothe).
Quantum Powers: Body Modification: Dispersed
Organs x2*, Body Modification: Universal Bloodtype, Healing (Reduced Quantum Cost, linked to Homunculus),
Homunculus (Reduced Quantum Cost, limited to node
and blood, linked to Healing), Incorporation (Biological
Amalgam, Reduced Quantum Cost), Quantum Regeneration .
Details:
*- Nova Xs Body Modification: Dispersed Organs x2 is
limited to her M-R Node and her blood which are functionally the same thing in her condition.
- Body Modification: Universal Bloodtype (one nova
point / three experience points): The novas blood can be
transfused to any other baseline or nova without risk of
rejection or toxic shock.
- Nova X pays two quantum points per health level
for her Healing power instead of one because of her linked
powers and to fuel her regeneration of the damage she
takes from using Homunculus. Any use of Healing on a
baseline also infects the baseline with one Health Levels
worth of her blood. Normally this blood will remain dormant
and slowly die and/or be processed by its host body over
the course of a year.
- When Nova Xs current host dies, one of her seeded
blood nodes will activate her Incorporation quantum power.
If successful the seeded host ceases being a baseline with
some nova blood and becomes nova blood with an Incorporated baseline. No matter how strong a hosts Willpower
may be, Nova Xs Taint will overwhelm the hosts mind and
eventually destroy her body. Most hosts will only last a week
or at most two before their bodies die from Nova Xs Taint.
Method of Operation: A baseline suddenly realizes
that she (its not always a woman) has both the power to
heal and the calling to do so. Unfortunately with her healing comes stigmata (her blood has to make contact with

80

whoever she wants to heal) but even so at first this is a good

thing.
Perhaps shell heal her friends and family and make long
range plans for her new life... obviously shes erupted as a
nova. Quickly she gets caught up in the glory of healing and
shell become more and more divorced from her old life.
As time (hours, perhaps days) goes by her former personality is warped as her Nature changes and she gains all the
listed aberrations. Shell realize that she needs to purge
the world of illness and use the power of her blood to
wash away sin.
As a Martyr shell regain Willpower by using her powers
to help others at her own expense, and shell go on huge
binges of healing where she burns through Willpower points
and Health Levels until she dies. And then one of the people
she (or her predecessor) touched with her blood will begin
the cycle anew. Normally a cult grows pretty quickly around
Nova X but occasionally the nova will jump far enough
away that they lose track of her.
Cult members who become favored by God or who
erupt with the powers of our founder instantly become
the next leader but also tend to burn out faster.
Project Proteus captured her once thinking theyd put
her in a room by herself and prevent her from Healing (and
contaminating) any more baselines, but the baseline host
died anyway. Right now they think the only way to permanently deal with her would be to kill everyone shes healed
over a several month period of time. This would be hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, most of whom arent
cult members since many of the people who cross her path
go back to their own lives afterwards. Clearly this would
likely become a huge public mess so theyre resigned to
living with the situation for now and just try to keep Nova X
and her exploits out of the papers.
Attempts at telepathic contact with Nova X have only
reached the baseline host, as the Nova X herself has totally
merged with her blood. Its been theorized that a host of
Nova X could be cured of the contamination by replacing all
of his or her blood, but implementing this would difficult if
not impossible. Worse, even if it worked it would only make
Nova X start transforming her next host.
Proteus isnt sure what would happen to a nova host but
Utopian novas are instructed to steer clear of her anyway. Its
unknown how she picks a host with hundreds of candidates.

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CHAPTER ONE:
BLOOD AND THUNDER
Combat in the Nova Age

Bite

If the only certainty of the Nova Age is that conflict is

at hand, its to be expected that fighting will break out soon
after. Some novas relish that opportunity, making it a major
focus - if not the main focus - of their post-eruption lives.
Other novas see it as a grim inevitability to be prepared
for, while still others futilely attempt to avoid it altogether.
In all three cases, its only a question of when - not if - they
will face physical combat of one sort or another. For those
Aberrant Storytellers and players who prefer more of an
emphasis on physical combat than is given in the core book,
here is a completely optional selection of combat-related
material to broaden that focus. Included are new maneuvers, new rules for combat styles and their associated techniques, new stunts for novas to pull with their powers, new
Merits and Flaws and expanded weapons listings. If conflict
and combat are both inevitable in the lives of novas, there
is one more question that must be answered: will they be
ready for it?

An elementary maneuver that is often used in desperate,

close quarters situations. While in a clinch or hold, rather
than deal clinch damage or attempt to escape the hold,
the character may make a contested Brawl roll. If successful he tears into his opponent with his teeth. A bite deals
minimal damage (Strength -3, minimum 1 damage). On an
exceptional success (5+), the damage dealt is lethal, but
their opponent may still use their bashing soak to resist this
damage.
Ability: Brawl
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength-3 (minimum 1) bashing

New Maneuvers
Here are some additional choices for player characters to use in Aberrant chronicles with a heavier focus on
combat than is average.

Absorb Blow
Sometimes, just being tough is enough. A character,
rather than parrying, blocking or dodging, may steel themselves against a blow in order to gain a better position. The
character may add their rating in Brawl (rounded up) +
any Combat Style Specialty bonus dice to their bashing soak
for the purpose of soaking a single attack. Using this maneuver doesnt cost an action, but does cost a Willpower point.
Ability: Brawl 3+, either Stamina 4+ or Mega-Stamina 1+
Difficulty: none
Accuracy: none
Damage: none

Body Slam
Halfway between a Hold and a Throw, a Body Slam
consists of simply picking up an opponent and then dashing him against the ground. A Body Slam can only be performed after a successful Hold has been established on the
target. Once the hold is established, the following turn on
her initiative rating, the fighter makes a Brawl roll resisted
by the opponents Might. If successful, her opponent is
driven bodily into the earth, dealing Strength +3 damage
and automatically knocking the victim down. If this Brawl roll
fails the victim takes no damage and may make an Athletics
roll to avoid knockdown. A Body Slam cannot be performed
against a target thats too heavy for the fighter to lift.
Ability: Brawl
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength+3 bashing

Breaking Blow
Martial artists often demonstrate their skill by breaking
items with a single blow. Wooden boards, sheets of ice, even
bricks and cinder blocks can be sundered by experienced
martial artists. By concentrating for 1 round then spending a
point of Willpower, the martial artist can reduce the soak of
the material they are striking by 3 points (minimum soak of

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ABERRANT
1). This ability is only effective against rigid materials such as
glass, ice, wood, or masonry. It is entirely ineffective against
more pliant materials or living opponents. As a wise man
once said, The board doesnt hit back.
Ability: Brawl 3+, Martial Arts 2+ or Firearms 3+.
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special

Catch Limb
Sometimes, a fighter simply has to show his opponent
whos the boss. Few things do that as well as catching your
opponents attack. A fighter acting at a higher initiative may
chose to delay his action in order to intercept his opponents
hand to hand attack. The fighter makes a Brawl, Melee, or
Athletics roll at a +2 difficulty instead of a normal defensive
roll and spends a Willpower point. If successful, the fighters
immediately make contested Might rolls (the defender gets
extra dice equal to his net successes on the Brawl/Martial
Arts/Athletics roll). If one opponent has Mega-Strength and
the other does not, he wins without making a roll. If the
attacker loses the Might contest, he is considered to be in
a Hold (resolve as normal). The fighter may also make an
Intimidate test against his opponent with a +1 die bonus.
Ability: Brawl 4+ or Martial Arts 4+, either Might 3+ or
Mega-Strength 1+
Difficulty: +2
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: none, resolve Hold as normal.

Ear Box
The fighter slaps both of his hands against an opponents
ears, causing air pressure to rush into his ears and inflicting
both intense pain and temporary deafness. This attack is
ineffective against targets lacking the proper organs.
Ability: Brawl 2+
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: -2
Damage: (Strength) bashing. The victim must also roll
Resistance at +2 difficulty or be Dazed until their next initiative.

Eye Gouge
Desperate and dirty as hell, the fighter rakes his opponent across the eyes with his fingers. This attack is ineffective against targets lacking the proper organs.
Ability: Brawl, Martial Arts
Difficulty: +3
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: (Strength) -3 bashing, targets damaged by
this attack are considered Blinded until their next initiative.

82

Feint
The attacker pretends to strike at one area, and then
quickly strikes at a different area. Rather than making an
attack, the attacker rolls Manipulation + (Archery, Brawl,
Firearms, Martial Arts, Melee or Throwing). The opponent
resists with Wits + (Archery, Brawl, Firearms, Martial Arts,
Melee or Throwing). If the character is successful, their
opponent loses two dice on their next defensive action
against the character. The penalties from a successful Feint
do not stack, but may be repeated.
Ability: Archery, Brawl, Martial Arts, Melee
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: None

Flying Kick
The character launches himself into the air and uses
the added momentum to deliver a powerful kick. Additionally, both combatants must roll Athletics at a +1 difficulty or
suffer a knockdown.
Ability: Brawl or Martial Arts
Difficulty: +2
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: (Strength) +5

Head Butt
The classic bash them with your noggin maneuver.
The fighter drives his head into the face of his opponent.
An opponent successfully damaged by a Head Butt must
roll Resistance at a +2 difficulty or be Dazed until their next
initiative. The attacker must also make the Resistance roll,
but at no difficulty modifier.
Ability: Brawl
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: -1
Damage: (Strength) +1

Joint Lock
A modified Clinch, in which the fighter focuses on a
particular extremity of his opponent (popular targets include
knees, elbows, shoulders, ankles and fingers). Rather than
inflict the standard clinch damage (Strength +2), the fighter
may instead make a contested Dexterity + Martial Arts roll
against the targets Dexterity + Martial Arts or Strength
+ Might, as appropriate. Each net success scored by the
attacker inflicts a -1 die penalty for any skill checks the
opponent makes using the damaged limb (maximum -5).
Damage to parts of the leg reduces the targets Dexterity
by 1 per die of penalty for the purposes of calculating walking, running, and sprinting movement rates. Recovery from

BLOOD AND THUNDER

ABERRANT
these penalties is at a rate of 1 per day. Novas can apply
their increased healing rates to their recovery times, and
novas with Mega-Stamina reduce the penalties inflicted by
a Joint Lock by 1 per dot of Mega-Stamina.
Ability: Martial Arts 3+
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special

throat or genitals). This attack is ineffective against targets

lacking the proper organs.
Ability: Archery, Brawl, Firearms, Martial Arts, Melee
Difficulty: +3
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Normal for the attack, the victim must also
roll Resistance at +2 difficulty or be Dazed for (damage
taken) rounds.

Kip Up

Quick Attack

The character may regain her footing immediately after

a knockdown. Successfully using this maneuver allows the
character to ignore the initiative penalty suffered after a
knockdown. Requires the expenditure of a Willpower point,
but is not counted as an action.
Ability: Martial Arts 3+ and Athletics 3+.
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: None

The character sacrifices power for speed, lashing out

with a quick, light blow. When using a Quick Attack, the
character acts at 2 initiative points higher than what he
rolled. This may only be attempted with punches, kicks, and
weapon strikes.
Ability: Brawl, Martial Arts, or Melee (must be taken as
a specialty)
Difficulty: (normal Maneuver difficulty) +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: (normal Maneuver) -2

Lunging Strike
The character commits to an all-out attack, putting his
full weight behind the blow, whether it be a haymaker punch
or the deadly arc of a blade. This can cause massive damage
but leaves the attacker exposed. Using the Lunging Strike
maneuver with a Strike, Kick or Weapon Strike adds a +1 difficulty modifier to the attack, but grants a +2 dice bonus to
damage. A Lunging Strike may only be attempted once per
round and requires the expenditure of a Willpower point. In
addition, the attacker also takes a +1 difficulty modifier to
any other actions until their next initiative.
Ability: Brawl, Melee
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: (Normal Maneuver) +2

Mounted Fire
The character has mastered the art of using ranged
weapons from the back of a riding animal or from a moving
vehicle.
Ability: Archery, Firearms, Throwing.
Difficulty: +2 if firing at speeds less than 19 kph, +4
if firing at speeds of 64 kph or higher, +5 and higher if
attempting difficult shots at speeds of 64 kph or higher.
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Normal

Pressure Strike
The character strikes their opponent in a pressure point
or other sensitive area of the body (such as the temple,

Riposte
The attacker makes a swift strike at an exposed opponent immediately after a parry. The Riposte takes a additional action and is made at +1 difficulties and +1 accuracy
with normal damage. This can only be performed after a
successful Parry of a melee weapon attack and may be
defended against as normal.
Ability: Melee 2+
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: +1
Damage: as (Strength + weapon)

Shove
A shove is similar to a throw, with less of intent to injure
and more to push an opponent down or away. The character simple pushes his opponent away. If successful the
shove deals minimal damage (Strength bashing) but pushes
the target back 1 meter for each point your (Might + net
successes) total exceeds your opponents Might total. The
opponent must also make an Athletics rolls at +2 difficulty
modifier or suffer knockdown. An opponent who suffers
knockdown takes an additional die of damage for every
2 meters they were pushed back. Characters with MegaStrength hurl the target back an additional meter per automatic damage success.
Ability: Brawl, Martial Arts.
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special

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Strangle
Simply choking the life out of an opponent. The character enters a clinch with her opponent. On the following
turn, the character pits her Strength + Brawl/Martial Arts in
a contested roll against her opponents against her opponents Endurance or Might dice pool, whichever is better.
This otherwise functions as the Asphyxiation Attack maneuver (Aberrant core book, p. 246). This is ineffective against
opponents that dont have to breathe.
Ability: Brawl, Martial Arts, Melee.
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special

Target Leading
The attacker can track a moving target and predict his
actions by reading his body language, allowing her to shoot
at where she thinks the target will be and hit him. For each
turn spent leading the target the attacker can add one die
to her accuracy, limited by her total Perception rating, on a
single shot. The use of scopes may or may not add to the
attackers pool depending on the circumstances (Storytellers discretion), if they do using a scope will add two dice.
If the attacker has Mega-Perception she may add those
Mega-dice to her dice pool if shes already added in her
base Perception dice.

Weapon Bind
The character attempts to entangle his opponents
weapon with his own. This is treated as a Hold maneuver
with Melee used instead of Brawl (or Martial Arts) and can
only be used against an opponent armed with a melee
weapon. If the target remains immobilized, on the following turn the attacker may make a Disarm attempt with an
additional bonus die. The target may always automatically
escape a Weapon Bind on their action by dropping their
weapon.
Ability: Melee
Difficulty: Normal
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: None

A Question Of Authenticity
What follows are our best interpretations of several of the
more widespread martial arts found around the globe. That said,
were only human and there are sure to be some inaccuracies in
them that weve failed to spot and correct. If any readers who are
well-versed in said martial arts should find any mistakes in our
interpretations, we encourage you to change them as you see fit
before using them in your Aberrant chronicle.

84

Combat Styles
Given that the world of Aberrant can easily be seen as
a time when myths and legends have been made flesh, its
no surprise that the arts of personal combat - themselves a
rich source of myth and legend - fit into it quite well. While
they are overshadowed by the quantum capabilities of
novas, the special feats that true masters of these formalized
fighting systems are capable of should never be underestimated. Aside from giving highly-skilled baselines a fighting chance against the lowest-powered novas, the combat
styles can reach heights previously seen only in the most
outrageous anime and Hong Kong wuxia movies when mastered by novas. A few novas are even known to have created
their own combat styles, with the Terat Geryon being the
most well-known. With conflict being a certainty in the Nova
Age, mastery of the combat styles could make the difference between survival or an untimely demise.

Combat Style Specialties

Combat style specialties are a modification of the rules
for skill specialties that apply specifically to Combat Abilities
(Brawl, Firearms, Martial Arts and Melee). The following are
the general guidelines of how combat style specialties work.
These are used for both interpreting the styles presented
below and for providing a framework for creating styles of
your own.
A character gains a combat style by taking an Archery,
Brawl, Firearms, Martial Arts, or Melee Ability specialty in
that style.
A character may normally have only 3 specialties per
Ability, but unlike other specialties a combat style specialty
may be selected multiple times for the same style. This is
a special exception to the regular rules for skill specialties.
The intensely specialized nature of combat style specialties requires much more training to learn. Each combat
style specialty costs 2 experience points (or 2 bonus points,
or 1 nova point) to learn per specialty, rather the usual 1
experience point (or 1 bonus point) per specialty.
Combat styles are associated with a particular combat
Ability (Brawl, Martial Arts, or Melee). A character may only
take combat style specialties for that associated Ability.
Combat styles require a certain amount of basic ability or fitness to be properly learned. Each style has a list of
prerequisites that must be met before a specialty can be
taken in that style.
The first combat style specialty selected grants the
character 3 style maneuvers. Each specialty after the first
grants an additional style maneuvers, up to a maximum of 5
maneuvers per combat style. Certain advanced techniques
or Merits may grant even more style maneuvers beyond this
limit. Additional style maneuvers can only be selected from

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the bonus style maneuvers listed for that combat style.
Characters are not restricted to a single combat style.
As long as they are not at their maximum of 3 specialties per
Ability, they may select their specialties for different Combat
Styles. A Character could have up to 3 specialties in a single
combat style, 2 specialties in one combat style and 1 specialty in another or 1 specialty in 3 different combat styles.
A character with Ability Mastery (Adventure! core
book p. 138) can have 4 specialties for the relevant Ability,
but is still limited to a maximum of 3 specialties in any one
style.
The 1st and 3rd combat style specialties for specific
style grant the character a (cumulative) +1 accuracy die
bonus to those styles maneuvers. The 2nd combat style
specialty for a specific style grants a +1 damage bonus to a
specific maneuver (determined by combat style).
Combat style maneuver bonuses only apply to rolls
made with that styles associated Ability. Characters using a
style associated with multiple skills must select which associated skill they are using when the Combat Style is learned.
This cannot be changed later.
The maximum style maneuver bonus that can be
applied to any given combat maneuver is +3.
Each combat style has a number of associated
advanced techniques. Characters pay 2 fewer experience
points when learning advanced techniques associated with
their combat style specialty.

of ki (the Japanese term for chi) energy and places great

emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement. While
Aikido is known as a peaceful martial art that eschews
the punches and kicks of other forms, some variations do
employ strikes to set up an opponent for a throw or joint
lock. Some Aikido practitioners also train with the bo staff,
tanto and bokken for offensive and defensive purposes.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts; Aikido is focused on
being able to neutralize an opponent without either sustaining or inflicting harm, which requires a degree of finesse
most brawling styles lack.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2 and at least 3 dots of Wits
and Dexterity. Some schools also teach weapons so a few
dots of Melee are common but not mandatory.
Time to learn: 6 months per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Block, Hold, Throw.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Catch Limb, Disarm, Joint
Lock.
Advanced Techniques: Falling Technique, Kata, Kihon,
Meditative Form, Multiple Assailant Method, Soft Hand
Technique, Swift Grapple.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Throws; learn 1
style maneuver from the Aikido bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Aikido bonus style maneuver list.

Aikido

Archery

Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei

Ueshiba (often referred to by his title O-Sensei or Great
Teacher) in the mid-1920s. The name Aikido means The
Way of Harmonious Spirit, which embodies the principles
O-Sensei adopted from the Omoto-Kyo religion (neoShinto movement). O-Sensei is said to have been greatly
influenced by the martial arts of Aikijutsu (also known as
Aiki-jujutsu) and Kenjutsu. The central tenet of Aikido is
to control aggression without inflicting injury, and much
of the arts underlying philosophy is to defeat an opponent
without truly injuring them. Many practice the art as both an
effective method of self-defense and for its value as a philosophical metaphor for peaceful conflict resolution. The art
is also popular with Japanese law enforcement and police
officers frequently learn it so they can subdue suspects without injuring them.
On a purely physical level Aikido is an art involving some
throws and joint locks that are derived from traditional Aikijutsu as well as some throws and other techniques derived
the sword movements of Kenjutsu. Along with incorporating elements of these older arts, Aikido emphasizes evasion, redirection of an opponents attack and development

One of the most ancient combat styles, archery developed wherever good wood - or at least horn, bone and
sinew - to make bows could be found. Originally an efficient
way to hunt game animals, early archers quickly adapted
it to use in battles with their enemies. The bow and arrow
remained the standard of ranged combat for centuries until
they were eclipsed by reliable firearms. Despite this, archers
still practice this style as a sport, meditative practice or
simply a handy way to bring down prey in the wild.
The two most notable forms of archery as a combat
style are Japanese Kyujutsu and European foot archery. Kyujutsu emphasized shooting at targets with very small gaps
in their armor and shooting from horseback at a full gallop.
Some kyujutsu masters were said to be capable of striking
a victims pressure points with an arrowshot with surprising
effects. Most European archers fought as infantry, providing massed volleys of arrows to wreak havoc among their
enemies, damaging flesh and their morale. As individuals,
they often displayed feats of extreme bowshot accuracy.
Both forms had masters develop methods of hitting targets
that were hidden or considered too distant (by most people)
for an archer to hit. Modern Olympic archery and Kyudo

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have been refined into competitive sports, with the latter
retaining significant cultural importance in modern Japan.
Associated Skill: Archery, occasionally Melee and/
or Ride. Many archery styles make a point of being able
to shoot from horseback, while certain historical Western
archers are known to have used the bow as a last-ditch
melee weapon against close combatants (the bow is treated
as a club in this case). Historical archers will always have a
medium or small melee weapon to act as a backup, even if
its only a knife.
Prerequisites: Archery 2, three dots in Dexterity and
two dots in both Strength and Perception. Archers attempting to use the heavier bows or crossbows may need Strength
3 at the Storytellers discretion.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Aiming, Combat Reload,
Dodge, Multiple Shots, Combat Reload, Special (Archers
gain the Weapon Forms advanced technique for free and
have either the long bow or short bow as a form weapon in
addition to any others granted by this technique).
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Blind Fighting/Fire, Feint
(Archery attacks only), Mounted Fire, Pressure Strike, Target
Leading, Two Weapons (variant, covers firing two arrows
from the same bow at the same time, sometimes at different
targets).
Advanced Techniques: Counting Coup, Kiaijutsu, Pressure Secret, Zen Targeting.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Archery attacks;
learn 1 style maneuver from the Archery bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Archery bonus style maneuver list.

Bojutsu/Quarterstaff
Another ancient weapon found worldwide, the use of
fighting staffs was very popular until the introduction of
reliable firearms. Not only was the basic weapon relatively
easy and cheap to make, improvised versions were created
whenever the head was broken off a polearm weapon such
as a pike, spear or naginata. Staff-fighting reached its greatest heights in historical Japan and Europe, and is still widely
taught in modern Japan where it holds considerable cultural
value as a core element of classical martial arts training. The
historical European martial arts movement has also revived
training in Western staff-fighting, but has yet to match
the spread of Bojutsu. Many lengths of staffs were used,
although quarterstaffs ranging from 1.8 to 2.4 meters were
most common. The use of short staffs and spears were also
taught, typically for when ones quarterstaff was broken by a

86

foe. Students training in Bojutsu will receive some training in

Naginatajutsu - even the men - although only those masters
who emphasize traditional jojutsu (Japanese club fighting)
will also train their students in the use of the O-Dachi or NoDachi greatswords.
Associated Skill: Melee, Bojutsu/Quarterstaff is a style
defined by its main weapon. Bojutsu/Quarterstaff stylists will
often have dots of either Brawl or Martial Arts for when they
dont have a weapon at hand.
Prerequisites: Melee 2, Martial Arts 1 and at least 3
dots in both Dexterity and Wits.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Feint, Shove, Weapon
Length, Sweep, Weapon Strike, Special (Bojutsu/Quarterstaff practitioners gain the Weapon Forms advanced
technique for free and have the staff as a form weapon in
addition to any others granted by this technique.)
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Clinch, Disarm, Hold, Joint
Lock, Lunging Strike, Pressure Strike, Riposte, Strangle, Two
Weapons, Weapon Bind.
Advanced Techniques: Combination, Multiple Assailant Method, Expanded Technique, Pressure Secret, Stop
Hit.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Weapon Strikes;
learn 1 style maneuver from the Bojutsu/Quarterstaff bonus
style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Bojutsu/Quarterstaff bonus
style maneuver list.

Boxing
The origins of boxing dates back to ancient times and
versions of this type of fistfighting can be found the world
over. Boxing (as it is known today), gained prominence in
England during the 18th Century. While primarily a sport,
boxing is a formidable combat style and its striking techniques have been adopted by many other styles.
A boxer will stand with her feet a shoulder length apart.
From there she will bob and weave around her opponents
strikes in order to get into a good position, and then come
in after their target with a series of jabs, punches and uppercuts. Footwork is an extremely important part of this as they
have to be able to move from the knees quickly and stay
stable at all times.
Associated Skill: Brawl or Martial Arts; powerful welterweights and heavyweights tend to rely on overwhelming power while lighter weight classes rely on footwork and
hand speed.
Prerequisites: Brawl 1 or Martial Arts 2, Strength 3,
Stamina 3.

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Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Block, Dodge.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Head Butt, Hold, Lunging
Strike, Quick Attack.
Advanced Techniques: Combination (Striking), Conditioning, Footwork, Iron Hand, Knock Out, Rugged.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Strikes, learn 1
style maneuver from the Boxing bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Boxing bonus style maneuver list.

Capoeira
Capoeira was developed in Brazil by slaves shipped
from Western Africa. Capoeira is a martial art, but it is also
played as a game or ritual dance. While the specific origins
of the style are under debate, Capoeira was used not only as
a form of self-defense, but a way to share culture, lift spirits
and defy oppression.
The fundamental movement of Capoeira is the ginga,
a rhythmic motion (often in time to music) made by maintaining both feet approximately shoulder-width apart and
then moving one foot backwards and then back to the base,
describing a triangular step on the ground. This movement is done to prepare the body for other movements.
Capoeira focuses on feints, kicks, and sweeps, as well as
acrobatic motions such as somersaults, flips, and cartwheels.
Capoeira does not frequently use hand strikes, often substituting elbow strikes when necessary.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts; Capoeira is centered on
agility, fluidity, rhythm, and finesse.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2, Athletics 3, Perform 1
(with a specialty in Dance); Dexterity 3.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Kick, Sweep, Dodge.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Feint, Head Butt, Flying Kick,
Kip Up.
Advanced Techniques: Acrobatic Evasion, Au Batido,
Combination (Kicks), Falling Technique, Footwork, Torque.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Kicks; learn 1 style
maneuver from the Capoeira bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers, learn 1 style maneuver from the Capoeira bonus style
maneuver list.

Commando Training
Commando Training is a generalized type of hand to
hand combat taught to soldiers and military personnel the
world over. Such disciplines include the U.S Army Combat-

ives, Israeli Krav Maga and Chinese San Shou. Such training
is available of many military and para-military organizations
across the globe. Commando Training is properly a mixed
Martial Art and borrows techniques from a variety of other
styles, emphasizing a mentality of using whatever works.
The fighter will usually stand with his legs a shoulder length
apart and his fists up near his shoulders. From there he will
use a series of basic kicks, punches, or throws. Commando
Training also includes a number of painful holds and locks.
Associated Skill: Brawl; The intense physicality of military hand to hand combat training favors the power typical
to Brawl-based combat styles.
Prerequisites: Brawl 2, Firearms 2, 3 dots in all Physical
Attributes (or at least 1 dot in the equivalent Physical MegaAttribute) and a military or paramilitary background.
Time to learn: 6 months per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Kick, Throw.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Clinch, Disarm, Joint Lock.
Advanced Techniques: Conditioning, Hard Target,
Knock Out, Lethal Force, Master Lock, Mixed Martial Arts.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Throws, learn 1
style maneuver from the Commando Training bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Commando Training bonus
style maneuver list.

Escrima
As used here, the term Escrima covers an ancient
body of hundreds of the martial arts originating in the
Philippine Islands. Known collectively as the Filipino Martial Arts, this includes styles such as Arnis, Kali and Dumog
among many others. In all cases, the motions of Escrima
are all based on the use of Escrima sticks, which range in
length from 15 to 91 centimeters (treat as clubs). In addition
to weapon strikes which can cripple or kill a target, skilled
escrimadors can use the sticks to disarm immobilize and
choke foes to death. Once the guro (the Escrima master)
is satisfied that the sticks are mastered, students are taught
to use the same maneuvers with blades, which range from
knives to machetes and the kris (a short wavy-bladed sword).
Only after then will escrimadors be trained in unarmed
combat maneuvers. Escrima is a notably aggressive combat
style and works from the assumption that ones foes will
be armed and must either have their capability to attack
destroyed or be killed outright. Many Escrima strikes are targeted to the foes hands and arms, in hopes of severing the
controlling tendons and/or nerves or breaking the supporting bone. Other Escrima strikes target the foes legs or eyes
for the same reason. Escrimadors are also taught to be very

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cautious, as foes are assumed to be highly trained and prepared with lethal surprises such as a hidden knife. For this
reason there is no such thing as dirty fighting according
to this philosophy as even biting ones foe is accepted as a
desperation tactic.
Associated Skills: Melee and Martial Arts. As it developed as a means to make ordinary villagers into effective
combatants training in Escrima always starts with Melee,
with instruction in Martial Arts reserved for more advanced
students. Escrimadors will also have some dots in Tactics
(Aberrant Players Guide p. 88), as Escrima relies heavily on
it. Those trained in more traditional schools will also have
dots in Archery, Throwing (with knives) and Medicine with
the First Aid specialty.
Prerequisites: Melee 2, Martial Arts 1 and a minimum
Wits of 3.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Dodge, Disarm, Parry,
Riposte, Two Weapons, Weapon Strike, Special (Escrima
practitioners gain the Weapon Forms advanced technique
for free and have the club as a form weapon in addition to
any others granted by this technique.)
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Bite, Clinch, Hold, Joint Lock,
Lunging Strike, Pressure Strike, Strangle, Weapon Bind.
Advanced Techniques: Cheap Shot, Combination,
Expanded Technique, Footwork, Killing Stroke, Master
Lock, Mixed Martial Arts, Multiple Assailant Method, Pressure Secret.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Weapon Strikes;
learn 1 style maneuver from the Escrima bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Escrima bonus style maneuver list.

Combat Styles Are Not Childs Play

Success at having learned a Combat Style represents not
only a good chunk of the students life, but also indicates a level
of personal focus and dedication that is generally found only
among most adults and some adolescents. While they may have
dots in the Combat Abilities, children will not have any Combat
Style specialties. Nova children (and other Inspired children, at
the Storytellers discretion) are an exception to this, and most
likely will have been trained from birth in their Combat Style by a
master who is also the childs parent, mentor or other caregiver.

88

Fencing
Fencing is a combat art derived and descended from
the rapier combat and dueling forms popular throughout
Europe during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Fencing focuses on rhythm and timing, with each motion of the
sword representing a single tempo and combinations being
thought of in single, double, or even triple time. Depending
on the fencers school or methodology, blade strokes involve
both cutting and thrusting, which more modern methods
(such as Olympic fencing) focusing almost entirely on the
far deadlier thrust of the blade. Of the several style and
schools currently in practice, the most common is Olympic
fencing. Olympic fencing is a distillation of the principles of
swordsmanship into a competitive sport. It focuses on the
use of specialized weapons such as the foil (a light thrusting weapon), the epee (a heavier thrusting weapon that is
modeled after the rapier) and a sports-modified version of
the saber (a light cutting and thrusting weapon). Olympic
fencing is widely practiced and is one of only four sports to
have been featured in every modern Olympics.
Classical fencing is a martial fencing style and is considered a much more authentic combat art. It has little emphasis on sport competition and traces its roots back earlier than
Olympic fencing, as it is patterned on the fencing methods
of the 16th and 17th Centuries. These fencing schools
focused on cut and thrust style swords (which were popular
for both ornamentation and self-defense, which eventually
evolved into the rapier, which enjoyed prominence during
the 17th Century. Individual masters also published treatise
on the use of a much wider variety of weapons, including
the main-gauche style, which used a weapon or object in
the off-hand (usually a buckler, dagger or even a cape) to aid
defense or provide additional offense.
Associated Skill: Melee, Fencing is a signature weaponbased style.
Prerequisites: Melee 2, Athletics 1 and at least 3 dots
in Dexterity and Wits.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Dodge, Parry, Special
(Fencing practitioners gain the Weapon Forms advanced
technique for free and have the foil as a form weapon in
addition to any others granted by this technique.)
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Disarm, Feint, Lunging Strike,
Riposte.
Advanced Techniques: Combination, Counting Coup,
Defensive Pattern, Finesse, Footwork, Press the Advantage,
Stop Hit.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Weapon Strikes;
learn 1 style maneuver from the Fencing bonus style maneuver list.

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3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Fencing bonus style maneuver list.

Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a martial art developed by the famous
martial artist/actor Bruce Lee. Its name means Way of the
Intercepting Fist and embodies the martial philosophy
of the late master. Feeling that more traditional martial
arts were overburdened by the weight of tradition and a
over-reliance on static, inflexible form, Jeet Kune Do was
designed to be formless, focusing on fluidity of motion
and the use of simple, direct and efficient maneuvers. Lees
opinions of more traditional martial arts (which he once
referred to as a classical mess) were controversial at the
time, and many masters of older styles still look upon JKD
with disdain.
Jeet Kune Do is a synthesis of Kung Fu principles,
blended with Boxing, Fencing, Wrestling and many other
styles and is considered by many one the foundations of
modern mixed martial arts. The heart of JKD training
involves contact sparring and athletic cross training over the
traditional repetition of forms, and adheres to the principles
of efficiency, directness and simplicity. JKD fighters strive to
remain adaptable, to use force to interrupt or throw off an
opponents attack, and to waste as little energy or motion
as possible. As such, JKD fighters tend to keep moving in
order to best anticipate, counter and intercept the maneuvers of their opponents.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts. Jeet Kune Do stresses
speed, reflexes, and finesse.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2 and at least 3 dots of Athletics, Dexterity and Wits. Jeet Kune Do artists frequently
have at least a dot of Melee as well. JKD practitioners are
encouraged to adapt methods and techniques from other
styles and many have the World Warrior Merit or buy the
equivalent technique.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Kick, Block.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Clinch, Dodge, Feint.
Advanced Techniques: Combination, Expanded Technique, Finesse, Footwork, Mixed Martial Arts, Stop Hit,
Trapping Clinch.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to a style maneuver
of the Jeet Kune Do artists choice, learn 1 style maneuver
from the Jeet Kune Do bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Jeet Kune Do bonus style
maneuver list.

Jujutsu (Judo)
Jujutsu (and its more modern offshoot Judo) are Japanese martial arts that focus on soft techniques of leverage,
indirect force, and using an opponents strength against
them. The older Jujutsu was a more direct combat art
originally used by the samurai. It employs a large variety
of fighting techniques, including maneuvers that would be
considered dirty such as eye gouges and hair pulling.
Judo methods are gentler (so to speak), and rely more
on refined throws and grapples. In addition to Judo, Jujutsu
has spawned dozens of individual schools and variants.
Both Jujutsu and Judo are widely practiced as sports
and for self-defense, and have spawned techniques used in
mixed martial arts competitions.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts; Applied force, leverage
and position are more important than raw power for judo
and jujutsu.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2. Characters must decide
to specialize in either Jujutsu or Judo and access the bonus
style maneuvers for that form.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers (Both): Clinch, Hold, Throw.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Jujutsu): Eye Gouge, Joint
Lock, Pressure Strike, Strangle.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Judo): Joint Lock, Submission
Hold (see Aberrant: XWF p. 23), Strangle.
Advanced Techniques: Expanded Technique, Falling
Technique, Kata, Kihon, Kiaijutsu, Leg Scissors, Master Lock,
Reversal.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Clinches (Jujutsu)
or Throws (Judo), learn 1 style maneuver from the Jujutsu or
Judo bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Jujutsu or Judo bonus style
maneuver list.

Kalaripayit
Kalaripayit is a word that roughly translates to battlefield practice. It is an ancient system of combat that originated in India at least 1,300 years ago. It is thought by many
to be the oldest martial art in the world, and some credit
it with inspiring Chinese Buddhist monks to develop their
own martial arts styles. It is an enormously well-rounded
style, with 4 main areas of training; Maithari (body training), Kolthari (stick fighting), Ankathari (metal weapons)
and Verumkai (empty-handed fighting). True gurus of the
form master the additional areas of Chiktsavidhikal (holistic medicine and massage), Manthrathantra (meditation
and religious training) and Marmagnanam (pressure point
techniques, individually known as marma). The two primary

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methods are the Northern Style and Southern Style, but a
wide range of other variations exist. Northern Style techniques focus on high leaping and kicking, as well as striking
and blocking with the hands and arms, and are almost always
taught indoors and at night to maintain secrecy. Northern
Style is especially noted for extensive use of medicinal massage. Southern Style focuses on developing empty hand
and weapon techniques, uses more circular motions and
are usually taught outdoors in simple training pits. Southern
Style is well known for its use of offensive pressure marma
techniques. Training for both schools consist of grueling
regimens of strenuous exercise, body-twisting forms and
full-contact sparring. Kalaripayit was expressly forbidden by
during the British occupation of India, and degenerated into
a form of ritual dance during most over the 20th Century.
However, a revival movement began in the late 1970s and
the style has experienced an enormous upswing in popularity in the following decades. Kalaripayit is often used
as the combat art of choice for the heroes of Bollywood
action films. When the aspiring guru selects a style, he must
choose his bonus style maneuvers from either Northern or
Southern Style listings. Certain advanced techniques may
only be selected by gurus of the appropriate style.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts; the wide body of techniques taught by Kalaripayit favor flexibility, speed and conditioning over raw power.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2, Melee 2, Athletics 3,
Endurance 2, Medicine 1; Dexterity and Stamina at 3 or
better (or at least 1 dot in the equivalent Mega-Attributes).
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Kick, Special (Kalaripayit practitioners gain the Weapon Forms advanced technique for free and have the club or staff as a form weapon in
addition to any others granted by this technique.)
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Northern): Block, Flying Kick,
Lunging Strike, Pressure Strike.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Southern): Clinch, Parry,
Pressure Strike.
Advanced Techniques: Acrobatic Evasion (Northern),
Chi Respire, Conditioning, Kata, Meditative Form, Pressure
Secret, Torque (Southern).
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to a style maneuver
of the Kalaripayit practitioners choice; learn 1 style maneuver from the Kalaripayit bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Kalaripayit bonus style
maneuver list.

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Karate (Hard Technique & Soft Technique)

Karate is a Japanese style developed from a variety of
Chinese and indigenous combat styles. It is credited to have
begun in Okinawa, but has spread across the world in the
decades following World War II. Like many other combat
forms, it is popular as a sport and method of exercise in
addition to its self-defense uses.
Karate is primarily a hard style, employing punches,
chops, kicks, elbows, and knees; but soft techniques,
employing grapples and throws are also prominent. Karate
training methods focus on kihon (basic or fundamental techniques), kata (set forms and repetition of techniques) and
kumite (sparring). Karate also employs training in weapon
techniques. Karate has many schools, ranging from the
direct force Kyokushin and Shokotan-Ryu, to the indirect
force principles of Wado-Ryu. Karate also has a philosophical element, and karateka (karate practitioners) are taught to
be gentle and humble, and to use their fearsome skills only
when sincerely endangered.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts; technique is extremely
important in Karate. While power-based fighters can learn
karate, it is difficult and most favor hard-style techniques.
Most karateka also posses one or more dots of Melee.
Prerequisites: Brawl 3 (Hard Technique only) or Martial
Arts 1, each Physical Attribute at 3 or better (or at least 1 dot
in the equivalent Physical Mega-Attribute).
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Kick, Throw.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Hard Technique): Block,
Quick Attack, Sweep.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Soft Technique): Clinch,
Dodge, Pressure Strike.
Advanced Techniques: Iron Hand, Kata, Kihon, Kiaijutsu, Killing Stroke, Knock Out, Lethal Force, Weapon
Forms.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to a style maneuver
of the karatekas choice, learn 1 style maneuver from the
Hard Technique or Soft Technique bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Hard Technique or Soft
Technique bonus style maneuver list.

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Kendo/Kenjutsu

Kung Fu

The word Kendo means the way of the sword and

is descended from the older combat form of Kenjutsu. This
style of fencing was originally developed from traditional
methods of Japanese swordsmanship and focused on the
weapons of the samurai (such as the no-dachi, wakazashi,
and katana). Both schools employ similar methodology and
equipment, with Kendo being more regulated and sports
oriented, while Kenjutsu focuses on more practical combat
arts. Modern kenshi of both methods make use of wooden
swords (bokken) and bamboo swords (shinai). Kenjutsu students commonly use the bokken, with the shinai being considered a beginners weapon. Kendo students make use of
padded armor (bogu) and use bokken only while practicing
kata, while relying on shinai for sparring and competition.
The methods employed by both schools were originally
designed to be used with live steel and experienced kenshi
are deadly swordsmen when armed with actual blades. Kenjutsu practitioners often add training in Iaijutsu (sword drawing techniques) and rudimentary unarmed techniques to
their curriculum. Certain schools teach two-swords methods
(nitojutsu) as well. Kendo (and Kenjutsu) methods focus on a
variety of strikes, cuts, and thrusts, and favors dodges with
the occasional quick, deflecting parry. Building stamina and
a strong spirit are also crucial aspects of training and kenshi
are the foremost users of Kiaijutsu techniques. Traditional
starting position in both forms is one with sword drawn and
at the ready, although certain Kenjutsu methods and techniques start with sword sheathed.
Associated Skill: Melee, Kendo/Kenjutsu is a weaponbased style with open-handed techniques comprising a very
small portion of the overall training.
Prerequisites: Melee 2, Martial Arts 1 and at least 3
dots in both Dexterity and Wits.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Dodge, Sweep, Weapon
Forms (kenshi gain the Weapon Forms advanced technique
for free and have the katana as a form weapon in addition to
any others granted by this technique.)
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Disarm, Lunging Strike,
Weapon Bind, Weapon Length.
Advanced Techniques: Iaijutsu, Kata, Kiaijutsu, Kihon,
Killing Stroke, Torque.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Weapon Strikes;
learn 1 style maneuver from the Kendo/Kenjutsu bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Kendo/Kenjutsu bonus style
maneuver list.

The term kung fu (which refers to skill or accomplishment) is used to describe an incredibly vast body of
combat arts (properly called wushu) developed over the
course of centuries in China. The origins of kung fu are
traced back to self defense, hunting, and military training
techniques. While its most famous practitioners were the
legendary Shaolin Monks, kung fu has also influenced, and
been influenced by Taoism, Buddhism, astrology, medicine,
and other principles of Chinese philosophy.
While literally hundreds of styles exist (subdivided into
sects, schools or families), most revolve around a combination of external (representing physical training and conditioning) and internal (representing meditation and refining
the practitioners energies or chi), as well as regional
variants. Northern styles favor rapid, fluid motion, powerful
kicks, and high leaps. Southern Styles focus of hand and
arm techniques, immovable stances, and deft footwork.
When the kung fu artist selects a style, they must choose
their basic style (northern or southern). Kung Fu artists must
also decide which list they can select their advanced techniques from (External or Internal), once selected this cannot
be changed.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts; Kung Fu is considered
the quintessential martial art, and focus on conditioning,
flexibility, and a mastery of forms and stances. Kung Fu artists often posses one or more dots of Melee as well.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2, Athletics 2, Endurance 2;
Dexterity and Stamina at 3 or better (or at least 1 dot in the
equivalent Physical Mega-Attribute).
Time to learn: 2 years per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers (Both): Strike, Kick, Block.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Northern): Dodge, Flying
Kick, Quick Attack, Sweep.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Southern): Catch Limb,
Dodge, Throw.
Advanced Techniques (External): Acrobatic Evasion
(Northern Only), Drunken Boxing, Expanded Technique,
Footwork (Southern Only), Iron Hand, Kata, Lethal Force,
Weapon Forms.
Advanced Techniques (Internal): Chi Respire, Drunken
Boxing, Expanded Technique, Kata, Lethal Force, Meditative Form, Pressure Secret, Weapon Forms.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to a style maneuver
of the Kung Fu artists choice, learn 1 style maneuver from
the Northern or Southern bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Northern or Southern bonus
style maneuver list.

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Muay Thai Kick Boxing
An infamously brutal style, Muay Thai Kick Boxing is
referred to as The Science of Eight Limbs, as the hands,
shins, elbows, and knees are all used extensively in this art.
While certain techniques have changed and become modernized over time, the roots of Muay Thai are ancient and
have been an integral part of Thai culture for centuries. Similar fighting schools are prevalent in other Southeast Asian
countries. Muay Thai Kick Boxing focuses on using a series
of rapid jabbing punches followed by long sweeping attacks
with the shin, foot and knee. Elbows are often employed to
cut the opponent or to deliver finishing blows. It is close
to Boxing in the stance a normal user takes (with both feet
shoulder length apart and the hands near the head). Blocking is usually performed but bringing the forearms together
and a knee up to absorb the blow.
Associated Skill: Brawl or Martial Arts. Muay Thai has
several regional styles; some emphasis power (such as the
northeastern Muay Korat style, with its Throwing Buffalo
Punch), other favor speed (such as the rapid kicks of the
Northern Muay Pra Nakom style).
Prerequisites: Brawl 3 or Martial Arts 3, Athletics 2,
Endurance 2; Each physical attribute at 3 or better (or at
least 1 dot in the equivalent Physical Mega-Attribute).
Time to learn: 2 years per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Kick, Block.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Absorb Blow, Clinch, Flying
Kick, Sweep (kickboxers may use Sweep with the Brawl Ability).
Advanced Techniques: Conditioning, Knock Out,
Rugged, Torque, Trapping Clinch, Wounding Strike
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Kicks, learn 1
style maneuver from the Muay Thai Kick Boxing bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Muay Thai Kick Boxing
bonus style maneuver list.

Naginatajutsu
This polearm-based fighting style was developed by
Japanese samurai for use against both infantry and cavalry
and is closely related to Kendo/Kenjutsu; with which it shares
many techniques, training methods and philosophies. Unlike
its sword-based relative, Naginatajutsu only remained popular until it was eclipsed the arrival of firearms on the Japanese battlefield in the 16th Century. After that the style was
left to samurai women to practice, both so that they could
defend their households and as a source of physical exercise
in a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Over the centuries since the

92

Japanese perception that men use the katana and women

the naginata became an almost ironclad taboo of gender
segregation, to the point that Naginatajutsu was taught
almost exclusively to women. This has lessened somewhat
since the late 20th Century, although in modern Japan nine
out of ten naginata-ka are still women and women comprise
almost the entirety of the higher ranks. This is not the case
outside Japan, where the (admittedly scarce) numbers of
naginata-ka split roughly evenly between the genders. As
of 2015, France still has the largest numbers of naginata-ka
outside of Japan. With the Nippontai nova Michiko Naginata Kasai (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 151) as a public
practioner of the style, Naginatajutsu is currently enjoying a
resurgence of popularity among Japans young women that
will likely continue for decades.
As with Kendo/Kenjutsu, Naginatajutsu is an offensive
style where practitioners seek to strike down their foes as
quickly as possible. Both the naginata and nagamaki lend
themselves to swift wheeling motions, which the style
employs to full effect. Feints are used to draw out foes,
whose legs and bodies are then struck to disable and/or kill
them. Lunging strikes are very popular, as they make good
use of the weapons length.
Associated Skill: Melee, Naginatajutsu is a weaponbased style with open-handed techniques counting for
little of the overall training. Aside from the two associated
polearms, naginata-ka are taught how to wield staffs (in case
the naginata breaks) and spears (some naginata will have a
sharp spike for this). The use of knives and short swords is
also sometimes taught for their utility as backup weapons.
Prerequisites: Melee 2, Martial Arts 1 and at least 3
dots in both Dexterity and Wits.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Dodge, Sweep, Weapon
Forms (Naginata-ka gain the Weapon Forms advanced
technique for free and have the naginata as a form weapon
in addition to any others granted by this technique.)
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Disarm, Feint, Lunging Strike,
Weapon Bind, Weapon Length.
Advanced Techniques: Kata, Kiaijutsu, Kihon, Killing
Stroke, Multiple Assailant Method, Torque.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Weapon Strikes;
learn 1 style maneuver from the Naginatajutsu bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Naginatajutsu bonus style
maneuver list.

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Ninjutsu/Taijutsu
The first practitioners of this combat style arose in historical Japan as a counterpoint to the ideal of the samurai
caste. In modern terms, one could consider ninja to be the
Special or Covert Ops soldiers of their time and place. Where
the samurai held to ideals of overt and honorable combat
and lived near the top of the social order, the ninja were
assassins, saboteurs and spies who had no official place in
the social order at all. Where the samurai could depend on
the bonds of family and privileges of their status, all that was
just parts of a temporary cover identity used by the mercenary ninja when living outside a clan village. Where a samurai could have interests and pastimes outside of his duties,
the intensive training required by the ninja ensured that he
would have no time at all for such things. As for morality,
while the samurais code allowed them to murder their social
inferiors at will, most ninja found any morality beyond honoring their current contract and remaining loyal to their clan
to be a hindrance to their work. Even so, the Japanese shoguns made good use of the ninja to resolve situations where
the samurai would have been of no use. The Iga and Koga
ninja clans had lapsed into obscurity well before the Meiji
Era, but members of those clans could easily have kept their
traditions and martial art alive in private. With the beginning of the Ninja Craze started by both the Japanese and
U.S. media in the early 1970s, many frauds and con artists
professed to teach the secrets and fighting arts of the ninja,
scamming money from many gullible fools in the process.
Certain serious martial artists have done their best to recreate historical Ninjutsu, with their degrees of success impossible to judge without an established standard to measure
them by. Despite all that chaff and the sensationalism of
Ninjutsu promoted by bad movies, outrageous manga and
cheesy comics, practitioners of authentic historical Ninjutsu
might still be found somewhere out in the hidden corners
of Japan... if they wish to be. What will happen after that is
anyones guess.
The actual combat style of the ninja is called Taijutsu
(meaning body combat art, which is only a part of the collection of skills that comprise Ninjutsu. (For the full rundown
on what comprises Ninjutsu, see Associated Skills below.)
Taijutsu relies on quickness and flexibility to defeat opponents and evade their attacks. Strikes and kicks - often used
with a Pressure Strike - that can take down foes as quickly
as possible are preferred, as are Feints. Weakened foes are
then brought down with even more strikes, or may be grappled or thrown before a finishing move is made. Schools
teaching recreated forms of Taijutsu may or may not use
weapons associated with the medias conception of ninja to
varying degrees. Joining one of the schools that teach an
honest attempt to recreate historical Ninjutsu is not easy,

while finding one that teaches an authentic version is nearly

impossible. Unfortunately, finding a fraudulent school is all
too easy.
Associated Skills: Martial Arts, Melee, Throwing,
Stealth, Meditation and Athletics are required for the basic
combat style. Stylists will also have Firearms if they either
work for the Japanese government, are criminals or operate mainly outside of Japanese jurisdiction. If stylists are
receiving anything like the training of historical Ninjutsu

Historical Mystery vs. Media Hype

Ever since they first appeared on the pulp manga page and
the cinemas silver screen, the media on both sides of the Pacific
Rim has defined the ninja in the popular culture for decades. In
recent years, some portrayals of ninja have become so wildly
mutated as to bear little or no resemblance to the historical
archetypes. When using actual ninja in an Aberrant chronicle,
the difference between them and the media-influenced ninja
wannabes should be kept in mind. Historical ninja wore hooded
kimonos and hakama (which were sometimes reversible, being
a dark color on one side and the more common blue or grey
on the other) when working without using a cover identity. The
black costumes favored by Hollywood are actually stagehands
uniforms of Japanese kabuki theater, where they served as a sign
that the audience was supposed to ignore them. In modern times
no actual ninja would even consider owning, much less wearing, such outdated and impractical garb. As with their historical
counterparts, modern ninja will rely on social invisibility to keep
themselves from being noticed. This means dressing in clothing
appropriate for their current cover identity or what the local professional thieves would wear. Any weapons used will usually be
appropriate for the stylists cover identity, which in modern times
will often mean using either concealed weapons or modern hardware and tools as improvised versions of the traditional weapons.
From their viewpoint, the traditional weapons are usually best left
in a museum display case or storage rack. As far as the modern
world is concerned, the ninja died out with the Tokugawa Shogunate and modern stylists wont want to do anything that might
prove otherwise.
When facing ninja wannabes decked out in the famous
kabuki stagehand outfits and using the weapons widely associated with media-style ninja, it means one of four things. One,
youre facing mooks who arent very bright. Two, youre facing
people who have been deluded - possibly by brainwashing or
nova powers - into believing that they are ninja. Three, youve
stumbled into the production set of yet another bad ninja movie.
Four, youre facing an actual martial artist who has gone insane
and believes that he is a media-style ninja. That last situation can
be much less laughable than the others depending on the martial
artists capabilities, and the humor dies completely if the lunatic
in question is also a nova...

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ABERRANT
(albeit with modern updates), they will also have dots in at
least a large fraction of the following Abilities: Academics
(Geography), Analysis, Animal Training, Archery, Awareness, Demolitions, Disguise, Drive, Endurance, Etiquette,
Hypnotism, Interrogation, Intimidation, Intrusion, Investigation, Legerdemain, Linguistics, Medicine (Poisons), Navigation, Perform (Impersonation), Rapport, Resistance, Science
(Meteorology), Seduction, Shadowing, Streetwise, Style,
Subterfuge, Survival, Tactics and Tradecraft. If traditional
Japanese attitudes towards women are adhered to by the
school, female stylists (called kunoichi) will also have the
Arts Ability with a focus on the traditional Japanese forms of
cooking, flower arranging or the tea ceremony. Instruction
will also be mandatory for stylists deemed worthy to train
the next generation.
In addition to this many stylists will also be trained in
one or more of the other Japanese Melee-based combat
styles: Kendo/Kenjutsu, Naginatajutsu, Bojutsu or the Kyujutsu form of Archery. This is useful in establishing a cover
identity and as an easily explained reason for being skilled
in weapons use.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2, Melee 2, Throwing 2,
Stealth 2, Meditation 2 and Athletics 2. These are just the
bare minimums, as stylists will generally have higher ratings
in those Abilities.
Time to learn: 2 years per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Dodge, Kick, Hold, Strike,
Weapon Strike, Special (Stylists gain the Weapon Forms
advanced technique for free and have one associated
weapon of the stylists choice as a form weapon in addition
to any others granted by this technique).
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Breaking Blow, Clinch, Ear
Box, Eye Gouge, Feint, Joint Lock, Kip Up, Pressure Strike,
Strangle, Tackle, Throw.
Advanced Techniques: Acrobatic Evasion, Expanded
Technique, Falling Technique, Finesse, Footwork, Hard
Target, Kata, Kihon, Lethal Force, Multiple Assailant Method,
Pressure Secret, Reversal, Swift Grapple, Takedown.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Ninjutsu/Taijutsu bonus
style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Ninjutsu/Taijutsu bonus
style maneuver list.

Savate
Originally a form of Street Fighting practiced by French
sailors and street punks from as far back as the 15th Century, this style was formalized in 1877 by Joseph Charlemont
and his son. In addition to the established kicks, influences

94

from Jujutsu and Victorian-era Boxing (from England) added

strong hand strikes and improved grappling techniques to
round out the hand-to-hand capabilities of savateurs and
savateuses (male and female Savate stylists, respectively).
It is important to note that in Savate, grappling is used to
set up a foe for a strike or to avoid attacks instead of locking or immobilizing foes. Many Savate schools (known as
salles) added cane and baton-fighting techniques for the
advanced students; with a few expanding on this to include
swords, knives, straight razors, whips, guns and even improvised weapons. A ranking system using gloves with colored
patches was introduced, with new students earning the blue
glove after mastering the basics of Savate. Students would
then advance through the green, red, white and yellow
glove ranks as their skills increased. Especially advanced
students could attain the silver glove which had four levels
of rank; the first three were for technique, while the fourth
(professeur) identified those qualified to instruct new students in Savate.
Unfortunately, Savate as a full-fledged combat style
had reached its peak by the start of the 20th Century. With
the devastation caused in France by two World Wars, there
were fewer than three dozen surviving silver glove holders
by the 1950s. Most Savate professeurs began to change the
style into a sport form known as La Boxe Franaise (French
Boxing) that omits the weapon training and emphasized
moves that were safe for the boxing ring. While not totally
useless in actual combat it is by no means a match for historical Savate, which may still be discreetly practiced in the
French cities where it was born. Most salles teaching La
Boxe Franaise are in France, but may be found worldwide.
Associated Skills: Brawl or Martial Arts, Melee, occasionally Firearms. Savateurs and savatueses play to their
individual strengths, as Savate can be used by large bruisers
and wiry scrappers alike.
Prerequisites: Brawl 2 or Martial Arts 2, Resistance 2, a
minimum Stamina and Wits of 3.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Dodge, Hold, Kick, Strike,
Sweep, Special (Savateurs and savatueses gain the Weapon
Forms advanced technique for free and have the club as
a form weapon in addition to any others granted by this
technique).
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Block, Clinch, Disarm, Feint,
Flying Kick, Head Butt, Quick Attack, Lunging Strike,
Weapon Strike.
Advanced Techniques: Cheap Shot, Combination,
Conditioning, Expanded Technique, Footwork, Knock Out,
Lethal Force, Mixed Martial Arts, Rugged, Torque.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Kicks, learn 1 style
maneuver from the Savate bonus style maneuver list.

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3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Savate bonus style maneuver list.

Street Fighting
Street Fighting is a catch-all term for informal combat
styles learned by those who have been in many fights but
may have never seen the inside of a dojo or gym. There is
little art to street fighting, with the primary goal being to
put your opponent out of action before he does the same
to you, or at the very least showing anyone watching that
messing with you would be a bad idea. Experienced streetfighters make for dangerous and unpredictable opponents,
often adopting moves that have been used against them
previous brawls. They tend to favor aggressive maneuvers
that work in a wide variety of situations, whether it be trading blows outside a bar or grappling in the mud. Streetfighters are notorious for using tactics that many more formally
trained fighters dont expect or would consider cheating.
Beyond that, its anyones guess what a streetfighter will
bring to the battle.
Associated Skill: Brawl or Martial Arts. Streetfighters
play to their strengths; with large and powerful bruisers
leaning towards Brawl while wiry, scrappy types favor Martial Arts.
Prerequisites: Brawl 1 (or Martial Arts 2), Resistance 2,
Streetwise 2 and at least 3 dots of Stamina. Many streetfighters also have at least a dot of Melee with a specialty in
Improvised Weapons, but it is not required.
Time to learn: 6 months per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Kick, Tackle.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Block, Clinch, Hold, Pressure
Strike.
Advanced Techniques: Cheap Shot, Expanded Technique, Knock Out, Mixed Martial Arts, Rugged, Trash Talking.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to a style maneuver
of the streetfighters choice, learn 1 style maneuver from the
Street Fighting bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Street Fighting bonus style
maneuver list.

Tae Kwon Do
Officially founded in 1955, this Korean Combat Style
is thought to have derived from several Korean martial arts
which date back as far as the Fifth or Sixth Centuries C.E.
or even earlier. After being brutally suppressed (along with
all other aspects of indigenous Koren culture) by the Japanese Occupation during World War II, Tae Kwon Do (mean-

ing hand-foot way in Korean) quickly spread worldwide,

becoming especially common in the United States where it
is often confused with Karate by the uninformed.
Tae Kwon Do schools will either teach a competitive
sport form (which became an official Olyimpic sport in
2000) or a self-defense form. In the sport version kicks (to
the opponents waist level or higher) are the favored strike,
with hand strikes (limited to the opponents chest) considered secondary. Use of the Breaking Blow maneuver is
also taught in order for stylists to show off their strength
- advanced stylists must be able to break boards and concrete with all of the Combat Styles kicks and strikes. Schools
teaching the self-defense version are different in that they
offer intensive training and full-contact matches, although
stylists will wear padded armor in the latter. Also, kicks
and punches are taught with equal emphasis and are not
restricted in their targets as those in the sport version are.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts; the sport and self-defense
versions of Tae Kwon Do still share much in common and the
dividing line between them is still very blurred.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 1, each Physical Attribute at
3 or better (or at least 1 dot in the equivalent Physical MegaAttribute).
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Block, Dodge, Kick, Strike,
Sweep.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Breaking Blow, Flying Kick,
Joint Lock, Pressure Strike, Lunging Strike, Quick Attack,
Throw.
Advanced Techniques: Expanded Technique, Falling
Technique, Kihon, Knock Out, Lethal Force, Torque, Wounding Strike.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Tae Kwon Do bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Tae Kwon Do bonus style
maneuver list.

Tai Chi Chuan

One of Chinas best known Neijia or internal martial
arts, this Combat Style is currently thought to have originated in the 17th Century. However the principles upon
which Tai Chi Chuan is based are much older than that,
allowing the combat style to possibly predate the 17th Century by centuries or even millennia. Tai Chi Chuan utilizes
physical balance, chi flow and qigong breathing techniques
combined with the basic tactic of complimentary reactions
to defeat ones foes. The stylist attains a point of balance
and will react to his foes actionscategorized as either

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ABERRANT
strong or weakwith an opposed maneuver. Strong
attacks are yielded and stuck to instead of being met with
strong force, while weak attacks are met with strong countermoves. Tai Chi Chuan masters also seek to instill their
students with a sense of wu te - martial virtue or heroism - so
they will protect the defenseless and show mercy to their
opponents.
There are many benefits that Tai Chi Chuan stylists can
derive from its application of chi flow and qigong breathing
techniques. Even practicing the modern sport form (Tai Chi)
can correct many physical and mental health problems and
grant longevity. In game terms this means that the Storyteller can permit Tai Chi Chuan stylists to buy off appropriate Physical and Mental Flaws with experience points, albeit
at whatever rate per point of the Flaw she deems plausible.
Tai Chi Chuan masters are also said to have learned and
developed many Advanced Techniques beyond those listed
below - there is literally no telling what such skilled worthies
may be capable of in combat.
Associated Skill: Martial Arts, Melee and Meditation.
Tai Chi Chuan requires the student to master his mind as
well as his body. The use of melee weapons was taught as a
practical matter of self-defense in the period before reliable
firearms became widely available.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2, Meditation 2, Melee 2
and at least 3 dots of Wits and Dexterity (or at least 1 dot in
both of the equivalent Mega-Attributes).
Time to learn: 2 years per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Block, Shove, Strike, Throw,
Weapon Strike, Special (Tai Chi Chuan stylists gain the
Weapon Forms advanced technique for free and have the
sword as a form weapon in addition to any others granted
by this technique).
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Catch Limb, Clinch, Dodge,
Feint, Joint Lock, Pressure Strike, Sweep, Kick, Riposte.
Advanced Techniques: Chi Respire, Expanded Technique, Finesse, Kata, Kihon, Meditative Form, Pressure
Secret, Rooting Stance, Stop Hit.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Tai Chi Chuan bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Tai Chi Chuan bonus style
maneuver list.

Wrestling (Catch)
Catch Wrestling (short for Catch as Catch Can Wrestling) is considered the forerunner of professional wrestling,
as well as heavily influencing freestyle wrestling and mixed
martial arts. Catch Wrestling itself is a synthesis of folk wres-

96

tling styles and a method brought to the Americas from

Europe and Asia and refers to a style largely practiced in the
period of time between the Civil War and the Great Depression. Catch Wrestling was popular as an athletic event at
carnivals, where the carnivals champion would accept challenges from local grapplers and quickly defeat them using
submission holds popularly called hooks. The submission wrestling of mixed martial arts is considered a direct
descendant of Catch Wrestling, while styles such as the Russian Sambo and the Chinese Chin-Na employ similar methods and philosophy. Catch Wrestling focused on attacking
any body part the Catch wrestler could grab and achieving
victory by pin fall or submission. Most Catch styles begin in
a wrestling stance employed by Freestyle and Greco-Roman
Wrestling, while others begin in some form of initial face to
face or collar and elbow hold.
Associated Skill: Brawl or Martial Arts; Catch Wrestling
is loose enough that some practitioners focus on overpowering opponents while others work to outmaneuver opponents.
Prerequisites: Brawl 2 or Martial Arts 3, Athletics 2,
Endurance 2 and 3 dots in all physical attributes.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Clinch, Hold, Submission
Hold (see Aberrant: XWF p. 23).
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Catch Limb, Joint Lock, Strangle, Tackle (Catch wrestlers may use Tackle with the Martial
Arts Ability).
Advanced Techniques: Leg Scissors, Master Lock, Mat
Technician, Reversal, Swift Grapple, Takedown
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Clinches, learn
1 style maneuver from the Catch Wrestling bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Catch Wrestling bonus style
maneuver list.

Wrestling (Freestyle & Greco-Roman)

Wrestling has been part of Western culture for as long
as there have been people around who were able to scrawl
pictures on a wall. This form of combat has evolved and
adapted through ages to become the sport it is today. The
Greco-Roman style of wrestling was actually a French form
of grappling that formalized in 19th Century France, and was
a refinement earlier (and often more brutal) European wrestling styles. Freestyle Wrestling was a looser form favored by
English and American wrestlers. Both variants have grown to
become a common sports practiced in high schools across
the United States, as a way of keeping fit across Europe and
as Olympic sports across the world.

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ABERRANT
The wrestler will usually start close to the ground, and
get into grappling range with his opponent. From there he
will use a series of tackles, grapples and throws in an attempt
to pin or outscore his opponent. Greco-Roman wrestling
favors throws over holds and strictly forbids attacks below
the waist while Freestyle Wrestling allows attack to the lower
extremities and favors mat-based techniques; otherwise the
two styles are remarkably similar.
Associated Skill: Brawl; the heart of wrestling is to
outmaneuver and overpower your opponent, and wrestlers train to be capable of quick bursts of overwhelming
strength.
Prerequisites: Athletics 2, Brawl 1, 3 dots in all physical
attributes. Characters must decide which form of wrestling
they specialize in and access the Starting and Bonus style
maneuvers for that form.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers (Greco-Roman): Hold,
Tackle, Throw.
Starting Style Maneuvers (Freestyle): Clinch, Hold,
Tackle.
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Greco-Roman): Body Slam,
Clinch, Piledriver (see Aberrant: XWF, p. 23)
Bonus Style Maneuvers (Freestyle): Body Slam, Catch
Limb, Strangle, Throw.
Advanced Techniques: Falling Technique, Master Lock,
Mat Technician, Reversal, Rugged, Takedown.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Clinches, learn 1
style maneuver from the Greco-Roman or Freestyle Wrestling bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Greco-Roman or Freestyle
Wrestling bonus style maneuver list.

Wrestling (Professional)
Professional Wrestling made its debut during the 1940s
in Tampa, Florida, where it evolved out of the practice of
Catch Wrestling champions challenging the local champions for cash and prizes. Eventually wrestlers from different
regions would organize into promotions and take their
performances on the road. Since then it has evolved to be
more of an extravagant performance more than an actual
athletic contest (complete with scripted outcomes, outrageous gimmicks and soap-opera worthy drama). Numerous
styles exist, from the traditional American Style that focuses
as much on developing a character as in mastering moves,
to from the Japanese Shoot style which is closer to a sincere
martial contest to the high-flying Mexican Lucha Libre style.
For a better history about how Professional Wrestling fits into
the Aberrant timeline, pick up a copy of Aberrant: XWF.

The purpose of Professional Wrestling is to entertain; as

such professional wrestlers take pains to not actually injure
their opponents, but to look convincing at the same time
(with a preference for flashy maneuvers that demonstrate
power, skill or agility). However, most wrestlers can cause
significant injury if they so choose and most have at least
1 combat style specialty in a different combat style (most
often Catch, Freestyle or Greco-Roman Wrestling, but more
exotic fighting backgrounds are very common). Beyond
that, a wrestlers style is often unique to the individual.
Associated Skill: Brawl or Martial Arts; Professional
Wrestling encompasses a wide range of performers,
from massive bruisers to agile aerialists and everything in
between.
Prerequisites: Brawl 1 or Martial Arts 2, Athletics 2,
Performance 1, and either Intimidation 1or Style 1. Professional wrestlers also require at least 2 Physical Attributes at
3 or better. A high Appearance or Charisma is also recommended but not necessary.
Time to learn: 6 months per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Body Slam, Hold, Tackle.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Clinch, Kick, Piledriver (see
Aberrant: XWF, p. 23), Strike.
Advanced Techniques: Conditioning, Falling Technique, Reversal, Rugged, Stage Fighting, Trash Talking.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to a Style Maneuver
of the professional wrestlers choice, learn 1 style maneuver
from the Professional Wrestling bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Professional Wrestling
bonus style maneuver list.

Wrestling (Sumo)
Sumo Wrestling is a Japanese martial art and sport that
has roots going back centuries and is steeped in Shinto
ritual and traditions. Sumo wrestlers (called sumotori or rikishi in Japan) are known for their impressive size and power.
Sumo training is intensely formal and regulated, with their
daily lives proscribed by the august body of the Japan Sumo
Association (comprised almost entirely of former wrestlers).
Wrestlers live in communal stables with other wrestlers
where everything from diet, to training, to even hairstyles
and wardrobe are determined by a strict adherence to traditions and policies. Sumotori also adopt a shikona, or wrestling name, although this practice is falling out of favor as
more wrestlers use their given name. Sumotori traditionally
begin a match with a ritual purification that involves casting
salt, and higher ranked sumotori often have elaborate ring
entrances and ritual dances. The traditions of the sumotori
have been and remain exclusively masculine, and female

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97

ABERRANT
sumotori are currently limited to unapproved amateur competitions (although certain female novas may be inclined to
change that). The goal of a sumotori is to force his opponent
out of circular ring (called a dohyo) or make their opponent
touch the ground with any part of their body other than the
soles of their feet. To do so they employ a number of kimarite
(winning techniques), which are most often brutal combinations of shoves, strikes, throws and sweeps, all designed to
move their opponent back or take them off their feet.
Associated Skill: Brawl or Martial Arts; while the traditional image of a sumotori is a massive powerhouse, it is
known that smaller and quicker sumotori can defeat vastly
larger opponents.
Prerequisites: Brawl 2 or Martial Arts 2, Athletics 2,
Endurance 2, Might 2 and at least 3 dots of Dexterity and 4
dots of Strength and Stamina. Sumotori almost universally
have the Huge Size Merit as well.
Time to learn: 1 year per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Strike, Throw, Tackle (Sumotori may use Tackle with the Martial Arts Ability).
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Body Slam (Sumotori may
use Body Slam with the Martial Arts Ability), Shove, Sweep
(Sumotori may use Sweep with the Brawl Ability).
Advanced Techniques: Conditioning, Falling Technique, Kata, Kiaijutsu, Rooting Stance, Rugged, Takedown.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Tackles, learn
1 style maneuver from the Sumo Wrestling bonus style
maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Sumo Wrestling bonus style
maneuver list.

Maneuver References
Certain of the basic maneuvers mentioned in the combat
style listings are not found either here or in the Aberrant core
book. As Aberrant: The New Flesh is an unofficial fanwork product legal hurdles prevent us from reprinting them, so heres a
short reference guide instead. If you dont already have hardcopies of the books and cant find any to purchase, most (if not
all) of the official Aeon Continuum gameline products can be
bought as PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.
Aerial Splash
Piledriver
Submission Hold
Weapon Length

98

Aberrant: XWF, p. 23
Aberrant: XWF, p. 23
Aberrant: XWF, p. 23
Adventure! core book, p. 23

Advanced Techniques
Advanced techniques are highly specialized skills that
require time and effort to learn. In addition to meeting any
listed prerequisites, characters who wish to utilize a particular advanced technique must also invest experience points
in order to learn it. Once learned, the selected advanced
technique is considered a regular part of the characters
combat arsenal. Unless specifically stated otherwise, each
advanced technique may only be learned once. Characters who practice a combat style specialty gain a discount
when purchasing advanced techniques associated with their
chosen style. If an advanced technique is associated with a
combat style specialty, the character pays 2 less experience
points when learning the technique. Some techniques are
only available as an associated or non-associated technique.
Few of the listed techniques require any specific superhuman ability, so any baseline or Inspired character who meets
the prerequisites may learn them. Some Inspired types
have additional benefits or considerations when learning
advanced techniques.

Daredevils, Mesmerists and

Stalwarts
If an Adventure!-style Inspired character has Ability Mastery in an Ability required as a prerequisite for an
advanced technique, then that technique costs 1 experience
point less to learn (to a minimum cost of one experience
point). As long as the Inspired meets any other prerequisites
they may purchase advanced techniques with transformation points. One transformation point purchases 2 experience points worth of advanced techniques. Any experience
points left over from purchasing advanced techniques this
way are lost.

Novas
If an advanced technique requires a certain dot rating
of an Attribute to learn, that prerequisite is considered met
if the nova has at least 1 dot in the corresponding MegaAttribute. As long as a nova meets any other prerequisites
they may purchase advanced techniques with nova points.
One nova point purchases 2 experience points worth of
advanced techniques. Any experience points left over from
purchasing advanced techniques this way are lost.

Psions/Psiads
Psions and psiads have no special advantages when
learning advanced techniques.

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ABERRANT
Acrobatic Evasion (1 experience
point Associated, 3 experience
points Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Capoeira, Golden Gunplay, Kalaripayit (Northern), Kung Fu (Northern) or Ninjutsu/Taijutsu
specialty, or at least 3 dots of Athletics and Martial Arts.
When taking a full defensive action, you may make a
Athletics roll at standard difficulty. If successful, until your
next initiative round you gain a +1 die bonus to all Dodge
attempts you make that round. In addition, all close combat
attacks opponents make against you suffer a difficulty modifier of +1.

Ambidextrous (3 experience points

Non-Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3 or more dots in Dexterity and Wits.
This is the same as Ambidextrous Merit (Aberrant
Players Guide, p. 69). This is especially common for practitioners of Escrima or Kendo/Kenjutsu artists who use the
katana and wakazashi simultaneously.

Arrow Cutting (5 experience points

Non-Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 4 dots of Martial Arts and a base initiative rating of 10.
You have reflexes so honed you can swat low-velocity
projectiles from the air. You may use the Block maneuver
at a +1 difficulty penalty to deflect low velocity projectiles
(arrows, darts, and thrown weapons). If you score 5 or more
net successes on a Martial Arts roll, you can catch the projectile without suffering any harm. High-velocity projectiles
(such as bullets or items thrown by novas with the Velocity
enhancement) cannot be deflected or caught with the use
of quantum abilities.

Au Batido (5 experience points Associated Only)

Prerequisites: 3rd Capoeira specialty.
You can quickly exploit gaps in your opponents
defense. Anytime an opponent attacks you in close combat
but scores no net successes, you may spend a point of Willpower to make an immediate kick or sweep attack against
that opponent at an additional +1 difficulty penalty.

But I Want To Learn Dim Mak!

When a nova character seeks to improve his Abilities or
expand on his quantum powers, he seeks an appropriate teacher
for the former and engages in self-directed practice and experimentation in the latter unless he has a nova with the right powers
for a mentor. Learning Advanced Techniques from ones teacher
in a Combat Style is different in that it can not be and has never
been an automatic process. Historical martial arts teachers were
infamous for teaching their most powerful and/or dangerous
Advanced Techniques only to their most prized and trusted students if they do so at all. More than one such teacher has carried
the deepest secrets of his martial art to the grave due to a lack
of worthy students. Very little of that has changed with martial
arts teachers (and other instructors in Combat Styles) in the Nova
Age. While some less-than-worthy Combat Style teachers will
deny training to or even expel a student for petty reasons, more
honorable ones will typically have very good reasons for doing so.
The only other means of learning an Advanced Technique without
the personal instruction of a master is to acquire a written record
explaining how it works and how to perform it in exhausting detail.
(Producing such a record requires the Master Thesis Advanced
Technique.) If a prospective student lacks access to either source
of instruction, hes not going to able to learn any Advanced Techniques beyond what he may have already learned, if any.

Cheap Shot (1 experience point

Associated, 3 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Escrima, Savate or Street Fighting
specialty or at least 3 dots of Brawl (or Martial Arts) and
Streetwise.
You have a talent for striking when your opponent
least expects it. When using the Ambush maneuver (Aberrant core book, p. 242), you gain a +1 die bonus to your
damage for close combat attacks. This bonus only applies if
the Ambush is successful (you score more successes on the
Stealth vs. Awareness roll).

Chi Respire (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Kalaripayit, Kung Fu, Q Mng or
Tai Chi Chuan specialty or at least 4 dots of Wits, Martial
Arts and Meditation (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 88).
You have learned to focus and recover your chi energy.
Whenever you spend a Willpower point to accomplish a
physical task (usually involving the Athletics, Brawl, Martial
Arts, Might or Stealth Abilities), you may make a Willpower
roll at a +2 difficulty penalty. If successful, the spent Willpower point is immediately recovered.

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99

ABERRANT
Combination (3 experience points
Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Arnis/Escrima, Bojutsu/Quarterstaff,
Boxing, Capoeira, Fencing, Jeet Kune Do or Savate specialty or at least 4 dots of Dexterity, Athletics and Brawl (or
Martial Arts or Melee).
You are practiced at throwing dazzling flurries of blows.
You may reduce split action penalties by one when performing two or more strikes or kicks in a turn. You may take no
other actions other than strike or kicks, but you keep any
available accuracy bonuses. What type of attacks can be
used in a Combination is limited by your chosen combat
style.
Arnis/Escrima: Weapon Strikes only.
Bojutsu/Quarterstaff: Weapons Strikes only.
Boxing: Strikes only.
Capoeira: Kicks only.
Fencing: Weapon Strikes only
Jeet Kune Do: Strikes or Kicks only, decided when the
technique is learned. Purchasing Combination a second
time allows the JKD practitioner to use Strikes and Kicks
interchangeably.

Conditioning (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Boxing, Commando Training, Kalaripayit, Muay Thai, Savate or Wrestling (Professional, Sumo)
specialty, or at least 4 dots of Stamina, Brawl (or Martial Arts)
and Endurance.
Your style involves intensive full contact sparring as part
of your training. This has made you hard and tough, capable
of shrugging off blows that would flatten anyone else. You
gain one addtional Bruised health level and treat your
base Stamina as 1 point higher when checking for being
dazed and/or knocked unconscious.

Counting Coup (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Archery, Fencing or Golden Gunplay specialty or at least 4 dots of any Social Attribute, Brawl
(or Martial Arts, or Melee) and Intimidation.
You can demonstrate your prowess by showing your
opponent that you could defeat them at any time. Whenever you score an exceptional success on an attack roll (5 or
more net successes), you may choose to deal only 1 point

100

of damage (after soak) or no damage at all to your target.

Doing so allows you to make an immediate Intimidate roll
with a +1 bonus die against your opponents Willpower. If
successful your opponent loses 1 point of temporary Willpower and you gain 1 point of temporary Willpower. This
may only be attempted against a given opponent once per
scene.

Defensive Pattern (1 experience point

Associated, 3 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Fencing specialty, or at least 3 dots
of Athletics and Melee.
When taking a full defensive action, you may make a
Melee roll at standard difficulty. If successful, until your next
initiative round you gain a +1 die bonus to all Parry attempts
you make that round. In addition, all close combat attacks
opponents make against you suffer a difficulty penalty of
+1.

Drunken Boxing (3 experience points

Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 2nd Kung Fu specialty and Feint as a
Style Maneuver.
You have learned a specialized kung fu technique that
employs disjointed, staggering movements reminiscent
of a severely intoxicated individual. When you engage an
opponent in hand to hand combat, you may make a Dexterity + Martial Arts roll (opposed by your opponents Wits +
Awareness). If successful, all close combat attacks against
you suffer a difficulty penalty of +1 for the remainder of the
scene.

Expanded Technique (3 experience

points Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 2nd Bojutsu/Quarterstaff, Escrima, Jeet
Kune Do, Jujutsu/Judo, Kung Fu, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu, Q
Mng, Savate or Street Fighting, Tae Kwon Do or Tai Chi
Chuan specialty.
Your style emphasizes an extensive arsenal of maneuvers. Whenever this technique is purchased, you add one
maneuver to your list of Style Maneuvers (even if this takes
your total number of style maneuvers beyond the usual limit
of 5). What maneuvers you may learn are determined by
your combat specialty.
Bojutsu/Quarterstaff Specialty: All Bonus style
maneuvers are eligible, but may not be available.
Escrima Specialty: All Bonus style maneuvers are eligible.

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ABERRANT
Kung Fu Specialty: Feint, Joint Lock, Pressure Strike.
Jeet Kune Do Specialty: Catch Limb, Quick Attack,
Sweep.
Jujutsu/Judo Specialty: Catch Limb, Strike, Sweep.
Ninjutsu/Taijutsu Specialty: All Bonus style maneuvers
are eligible.
Q Mng Specialty: All Bonus style maneuvers are eligible.
Savate Specialty: All Bonus style maneuvers are eligible.
Street Fighting Specialty: Absorb Blow, Feint, Lunging Strike.
Tae Kwon Do Specialty: All Bonus style maneuvers are
eligible.
Tai Chi Chuan Specialty: All Bonus style maneuvers
are eligible.

Finesse (3 experience points Associated, 5 experience points Non-Associated)

Prerequisites: 2nd Fencing, Jeet Kune Do, Q Mng,
Ninjutsu/Taijutsu or Tai Chi Chuan specialty or at least 4
dots of Dexterity, Athletics and Martial Arts (or Melee).
You have developed your combat ability to rely almost
entirely on speed and reflexes. When using a Martial Arts or
Melee-based maneuver you have as a combat style maneuver, you may use your Dexterity as the base damage modifier (rather than strength). If using this technique with Melee,
it can only be used with weapons that have a Strength minimum of 2 or less.

Footwork (1 experience points AssoFalling Technique (1 experience point ciated, 3 experience points NonAssociated)
Associated, 3 experience points
Prerequisites: 1st Boxing, Capoeira, Escrima, Fencing,
Non-Associated)
Jeet Kune Do, Kung Fu (Southern), Ninjutsu/Taijutsu, Q
Prerequisites: 1st Aikido, Capoeira, Jujutsu/Judo, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu, Q Mng, Tae Kwon Do or Wrestling (Freestyle, Greco-Roman, Professional, Sumo) specialty or at
least 3 dots of Athletics and Brawl (or Martial Arts).
You have learned how to minimize the damage from
falls. Whenever you would take damage from a shove,
throw or sweep attack, you may instead make an Athletics roll at standard difficulty. If this roll is successful the net
damage inflicted by the attack is (after soak) is reduced by
half (rounded down).

Favored Pupil (3 experience points

Non-Associated Only)
Prerequisites: Either of the Exceptional Talent or Martial Prodigy Merits; must have studied for at least 1 year
with a master who has at least 1 combat style specialty
in common with you and who knows the Master Thesis
advanced technique (or must have studied the writings of
that master for at least 2 years).
You have trained intensely with a true master or otherwise become privy to advanced combat methods. Each
time this technique is purchased you select one maneuver
and 1 advanced technique. The chosen maneuver is added
to your bonus style maneuver list for any combat style you
have in common with that master and the advanced technique is considered associated with that same combat
style. Training times derived from the Martial Prodigy Merit
do apply to techniques learned with Favored Pupil.

Mng or Savate specialty or at least 3 dots of Athletics and

Brawl (or Martial Arts, or Melee).
You have learned to stay light on your feet and are
adept at avoiding blows. When engaged in close combat
with an opponent, you gain an additional bonus die for
dodging that opponents attacks. This bonus die is cumulative with any style maneuver bonus dice (to a maximum
bonus of +3 dice).

Hard Target (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Commando Training, Golden Gunplay or Ninjutsu/Taijutsu specialty, or at least 4 dots of Dexterity, Athletics and Firearms.
Opponents attempting to use a firearm or other ranged
attack while engaged in hand to hand combat against you
do not receive the +2 accuracy bonus for firing at point
blank range.

Iaijutsu (3 experience points Associated Only)

Prerequisites: 1st Golden Gunplay specialty or 2nd
Kendo/ Kenjutsu specialty.
You have practiced the discipline of Iaijutsu. Iaijutsu
is the method of drawing a katana from its scabbard (or in
modern times, a gun from its holster) at the initial moment
of combat, and was developed to be used when attacked

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101

ABERRANT
in places other than a battlefield. When rolling for initiative during the first combat round of a scene, you gain a
bonus to initiative equal to your style maneuver bonus. You
also gain an additional +1 damage bonus to your weapon
strikes. These bonuses last until the start of your next
combat round.

Iron Hand (1 experience point Associated, 3 experience points NonAssociated)

Prerequisites: 1st Boxing, Karate or Kung Fu specialty
or at least 3 dots of Strength, Brawl (or Martial Arts) and
Resistance.
You have toughened your hands from repeatedly striking hard surfaces, until your fists are as hard as iron. All of
your barehanded strikes ignore 1 point of soak, regardless
of what that soak is derived from. Novas with the Impervious
enhancement are immune to this soak reducing effect. Your
intensive training has made your hands less sensitive, and
you suffer a +1 difficulty modifier on Perception & Dexterity
rolls involving fine manipulation or tactile sensitivity.

Kata (1 experience point Associated

Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Aikido, Jujutsu/Judo, Kalaripayit,
Karate, Kendo/Kenjutsu, Kung Fu, Naginatajutsu, Ninjutsu/
Taijutsu, Q Mng or Tai Chi Chuan specialty.
You constantly practice a wide variety of forms and
stances designed to anticipate and counter the attacks of
your opponents. While engaged in hand to hand combat
with an opponent, you gain a +1 bonus to Initiative.

Kiaijutsu (3 experience points Associated Only)

Prerequisites: 2nd Archery, Jujutsu/ Judo, Karate,
Kendo/ Kenjutsu, Naginatajutsu or Q Mng specialty.
The kiai is a distinctive shout employed by many martial
artists when performing a maneuver (although many masters agree that a strong kiai can be completely silent). It is
thought to align the spirit and body and focus the fighters
will. In less metaphysical terms, it coordinates the practitioners breathing and physical activities, amps the fighter
for combat, and unnerves their opponents. Whenever you
spend a Willpower point for an automatic success on a
Brawl, Martial Arts, or Melee roll, you may make a Willpower
roll at a +2 difficulty modifier. If successful, you are granted
one additional automatic success. Most martial artists (1-3
dots of Brawl, Martial Arts or Melee) accompany uses of Kiaijutsu with a loud shout or war cry. More advanced martial

102

artists (4-5 dots of Brawl, Martial Arts or Melee) can use Kiaijutsu without making a sound.

Kihon (1 experience point Associated

Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Aikido, Jujutsu/ Judo, Golden Gunplay, Karate, Kendo/Kenjutsu, Naginatajutsu, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu, Q Mng, Tae Kwon Do or Tai Chi Chuan specialty.
You have drilled endlessly on fundamental techniques.
You can perform your maneuvers with almost thoughtless
ease. Any dice pool penalties applied to style maneuver
rolls resulting from physical or mental impairment (such as
wound penalties, poisons, or the effects of the Disorient
power) are reduced by one.

Killing Stroke (5 experience points

Associated, 7 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 3rd Escrima, Karate, Kendo/Kenjutsu or
Naginatajutsu specialty or at least 4 dots of Athletics, 5 dots
of Melee and 6 dots of permanent Willpower.
By focusing your concentration you may make a single,
devastating blow with your weapon (or hand or foot, for
karateka). To perform a killing stroke, you declare your
action, spend a point of Willpower and spend a turn focusing your attack (during this turn you may take no action
other than to defend against a single attack). On your following initiative you make a Weapon Strike (or Strike or
Kick) at an additional +2 difficulty penalty. If successful your
base damage (Strength +Weapon modifier, Strength +2 or
Strength +3 respectively) is treated as a damage add rather
than damage dice. Bonus damage dice from net successes,
combat style bonuses, and other advanced techniques are
rolled as normal.

Knock Out (5 experience points

Associated, 7 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 3rd Boxing, Commando Training,
Karate, Muay Thai, Savate, Street Fighting or Tae Kwon Do
specialty, or at least 4 dots of Athletics and 5 dots of Brawl
(or Martial Arts).
You can end a fight with a single well-placed punch or
kick. A target damaged by your strikes or kicks checks for
being dazed or knocked unconscious as if their Stamina was
lowered by an amount equal to your style maneuver bonus
for that strike or kick (down to a minimum effective Stamina
of 1).

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Leg Scissors (1 experience point
Associated, 3 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Jujutsu/Judo or Wrestling (Catch)
specialty, or 3 dots of Dexterity, Athletics and Brawl (or Martial Arts).
You have learned to use a leg scissors maneuver that
makes escaping grapples difficult for opponents. Any rolls
made to escape your clinches or holds are made at an additional +1 difficulty penalty.

Lethal Force (5 experience points

Associated, 7 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 3rd Commando Training, Karate, Kung
Fu, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu, Savate or Tae Kwon Do specialty, or at
least 4 dots of Athletics and 5 dots of Brawl (or Martial Arts).
You are capable of killing with your bare hands. When
making a clinch, strike or kick attack, you may spend a point
of Willpower to make any damage inflicted by the attack
lethal. Unlike other lethal attacks, this damage may be
soaked with your opponents regular bashing soak.

Master Lock (5 experience points

Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3rd Commando Training, Escrima, Judo/
Jujutsu or Wrestling (Catch, Greco-Roman or Freestyle) specialty.
Opponents caught in your clinches and holds cannot
escape without bodily harm. If you have a clinch or hold
applied to an opponent and they succeed in making a
resisted Brawl (or Martial Arts) roll to escape, that opponent also takes an amount of bashing damage equal to your
(Strength +3). Any damage bonuses you receive for clinch
maneuvers apply. This damage is soaked normally.

Master Thesis (5 experience points

Non-Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3rd combat style specialty in any style, 3
advanced techniques, and 5 dots of Brawl (or Martial Arts or
Melee) and Academics 2.
You have formalized the training, techniques and philosophy of your combat style in a book, tome or scroll.
Each time this technique is selected you may choose 1 style
maneuver and 1 advanced technique you know. Any prospective student with either of the Exceptional Talent or
Martial Prodigy Merits who shares at least 1 combat style

specialty in common and either studies directly under you

for at least 1 year or studies your writings for at least 2 years
may purchase the Favored Pupil advanced technique, but
is limited to the maneuver and advanced technique of your
choosing. Training times derived from the Martial Prodigy
Merit do apply to techniques learned from Master Thesis.

Mat Technician (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Wrestling (Catch, Greco- Roman
or Freestyle) specialty or at least 4 dots Wits, Athletics and
Brawl (or Martial Arts).
When acting on your initiative, if you are applying a
clinch on an opponent, rather than inflicting damage you
may make a contested Brawl or Martial Arts roll to turn the
Clinch into a Hold Maneuver. If this roll fails the clinch is not
broken but no damage is inflicted. Once the hold is applied
it follows all the normal rules for holds.
Likewise, if you are applying a hold, when acting on
your initiative, you may make a contested Brawl or Martial
Arts roll to turn the hold into a clinch.
You also receive an additional +1 damage bonus to
clinch maneuvers.

Meditative Form (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Aikido, Golden Gunplay, Kung Fu,
Kalaripayit, Q Mng or Tai Chi Chuan specialty, or at least
4 or more dots of Wits, Martial Arts and Meditation (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 88).
You can remain serene and relaxed even in the midst
of combat. Any attempts to upset, coerce, or distract you
while you are engaged in hand to hand combat are made at
a +1 difficulty modifier. This includes attempts at diversion
or intimidation, as well as Mega-Social enhancements and
quantum powers such as Domination or Empathic Manipulation.

Mixed Martial Arts (1 experience

point Associated, 3 experience
points Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Commando Training, Escrima, Jeet
Kune Do, Savate or Street Fighting specialty or at least 2
dots of Brawl and 2 dots of Martial Arts.
You may use martial arts maneuvers (such as Disarm,
Joint Lock and Sweep) with the Brawl ability. Likewise, you

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may use brawl maneuvers (such as Absorb Blow, Head Butt
and Tackle) with the Martial Arts ability.

Pressure Secret (3 experience points

Associated Only)

Multiple Assailant Method (3 experience points Associated, 5 experience

points Non-Associated)

Prerequisites: 2nd Archery, Bojutsu/Quarterstaff,

Escrima, Golden Gunplay, Jujutsu/Judo, Kung Fu, Kalaripayit, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu, Q Mng or Tai Chi Chuan specialty and at least 3 dots of Archery, Firearms or Martial Arts,
2 dots of Medicine and Pressure Strike as a style maneuver.
Your knowledge of pressure points is extensive, and you
are an expert at causing a variety of effects by the application of force to the correct part of your opponents anatomy.
Pressure techniques are ineffective against bodymorphed
novas or creatures with a sufficiently inhuman anatomy.
Each of the following pressure point techniques must be
purchased separately.
Dim Mak: The legendary death touch. In addition to the
normal pressure strike effects, you may spend a Willpower
point and make a Medicine roll at a +3 difficulty. If successful, the target must make a Resistance roll as if affected by a
Lethal poison with a Toxicity of (relevant Combat Ability +2).
The onset time of this poison effect is anywhere between
instantaneous up to 24 hours per dot of your relevant
Combat Abilityrating. Dim Mak costs 7 experience points to
learn and you must know the Healing and Paralysis Pressure
Secrets as additional prerequisites.
Healing: You can re-align the chi of your patients body,
granting good health. When treating a patient, you may
spend a Willpower point and make a Medicine roll at a +2
difficulty. Each net success either adds 1 to your patients
next Resistance or Endurance roll made that scene, or doubles their natural healing rate for the next 24 hours. This may
only be attempted once per day on any individual patient.
You may use the Healing technique on yourself, but doing
so adds a +1 modifier to the difficulty of the Medicine roll.
Massage Technique: Known as Uzhichil by gurus of
Kalaripayit, you may employ a deep muscle massage and
oil treatment to prepare your patients body for combat.
When treating a patient, you may spend a Willpower point
and make a Medicine roll at a +2 difficulty penalty. If successful, your patients body becomes limber and ready for
physical exertion, and grants him either a +1 bonus to his
bashing soak or a +1 bonus to rolls made to escape clinches
or holds. Using this technique requires at least 30 minutes of
massage and may only be attempted once per day on any
individual patient. The effects of the Massage Technique
last for one scene. You may use the Massage technique on
yourself, but doing so adds a +1 modifier to the difficulty of
the Medicine roll.
Permanent Sensory Deprivation: You can inflict lasting
impairments with your strike. When performing a pressure
strike, rather than Dazing your opponent you may spend a
Willpower point and make a Medicine roll at a +2 difficulty

Prerequisites: 2nd Aikido, Bojutsu/Quarterstaff,

Golden Gunplay, Naginatajutsu, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu or Q
Mng specialty, or at least 4 dots in Wits and Brawl (or Martial Arts, or Melee).
You train against multiple opponents, making it difficult for others to use numerical superiority against you. Any
difficulty modifiers you receive for facing multiple opponents are reduced by 1. This is cumulative with the Combat
Awareness enhancement. Characters with the One Man
Army Knack gain +1 bonus dice when fighting multiple
opponents instead.

Muscle Coordination (5 experience

points Non-Associated Only)
Prerequisites: At least 2 dots of Brawl and at least 1
dot of Mega-Dexterity.
You have a talent that allows you to simultaneously
exploit your superhuman grace while employing your superhuman strength. When making Brawl rolls you may add your
dots in Mega-Dexterity to your roll as bonus dice. These
bonus dice are cumulative with any style maneuver bonus
dice (to a maximum bonus of +5 dice). These bonus dice
are not considered Mega-dice and are rolled for successes
normally.

Press the Advantage (3 experience

points Associated, 5 experience
points Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Fencing Specialty or at least or at
least 4 or more dots of Wits, Awareness and Brawl (or Martial Arts, or Melee).
You are trained to capitalize on situations when your
opponent goes on the defensive. As long as you make at
least one Brawl (or Martial Arts, or Melee) attack against an
opponent taking a full defensive action, you may spend a
Willpower point and make a Brawl (or Martial Arts, or Melee)
contested by your opponents relevant combat Ability. If
successful, your opponent suffers a -1 initiative penalty per
net success (maximum penalty of -3) on her next turn. Your
opponent also staggers back one meter per net success
(maximum distance equal to the opponents walking speed).

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ABERRANT
against the targets Resistance. If successful, the victim loses
the effected sense instantly and permanently. The lost sense
can be restored by treatment from someone with Medicine
4+ or a successful use of the Healing Pressure Secret at
an additional +1 difficulty modifier. Each time Permanent
Sensory Deprivation is learned a different sense must be
selected. The effects of the lost sense are the same as for
Sensory Deprivation strike. Permanent Sensory Deprivation
costs 7 experience points to learn and you must know the
Sensory Deprivation Curse and Sensory Deprivation Strike
Pressure Secrets, both for the same sense, as additional prerequisites.
Sensory Deprivation Curse: When performing a pressure strike, in addition to the normal pressure strike effects
the martial artists may spend a Willpower point and make
a Medicine roll at a +1 difficulty against the targets Resistance. If successful, the victim loses the affected sense for 24
hours per net success. The loss of the affected sense occurs
gradually with an onset time of 1 hour per net success. Each
time Sensory Deprivation Curse is learned a different sense
must be selected. The effects of the lost sense are the same
as for Sensory Deprivation Strike.
Sensory Deprivation Strike: When performing a pressure strike, rather than Dazing your opponent you may
spend a Willpower point to temporarily rob him of one of his
senses. The victim will lose the use of the affected sense for
a number of rounds equal to the number of Health Levels
of damage taken. Each time Sensory Deprivation Strike is
learned a different sense must be selected.
Hearing: Treat the victim as having the Deaf Flaw
(Aberrant Players Guide, p. 71) for the duration of the
effect.
Mute/Taste: Treat the victim as having the Mute Flaw
(Aberrant Players Guide, p. 70) for the duration of the
effect. In addition, the victim automatically fails any tastebased Perception roll. This also affects the use of Analytic
Taste/Touch and taste-based Mega-Perception enhancements.
Paralysis/ Tactile: Your strike can render one of your
opponents extremities numb and useless. This strike must
be directed against a specific limb (called shot penalties
apply). Any actions involving the affected limb (attack rolls
with the affected limb, Ability rolls for a paralyzed arm or
Dodge rolls with paralyzed legs) are performed with an
additional +2 difficulty penalty. This also affects the use of
Analytic Taste/Touch and tactile-based Mega-Perception
enhancements involving the affected limb.
Smell: The victim automatically fails any scentbased Perception rolls and suffers a +1 difficulty modifier
to taste-based Perception rolls. This also affects the use
of Bloodhound and similar scent-based Mega-Perception

enhancements.
Vision: Treat the victim as having the Blind Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 71) for the duration of the effect. This
also affects the use of Electromagnetic Vision and similar
vision-based Mega-Perception enhancements.
Suffocate: You can cause the targets lungs to seize
up, making them asphyxiate. When performing a pressure
strike, rather than Dazing your opponent you may spend a
Willpower point and make a Medicine roll at a +2 difficulty
against the targets Endurance. This otherwise functions as
the Asphyxiation Attack maneuver (Aberrant core book p.
246). Each turn the victim must make an Endurance roll at
standard difficulty to draw breath and avoid taking damage
that round. The suffocation effect lasts for a number of
rounds equal to the number of Health Levels of damage
taken. This technique is ineffective against opponents that
dont have to breathe.
Stunner: You have heightened the effectiveness of
your pressure point strikes. When using a pressure strike,
increase the amount of time that your opponent is dazed by
3 rounds. This also adds 3 rounds to the effect duration of
Sensory Deprivation Strike.

Reversal (3 experience points Associated, 5 experience points Non-Associated)

Prerequisites: 2nd Jujutsu/Judo, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu or
Wrestling (Catch, Freestyle, Greco-Roman, Professional)
specialty, or at least 4 dots of Wits, Athletics and Brawl (or
Martial Arts).
You are talented at reversing clinches, locks and grapples. Whenever you escape from a Clinch, Hold or Joint
Lock, you may attempt to make an immediate contested
Brawl (or Martial Arts) roll against your opponent to establish a clinch or hold of your own.

Rooting Stance (3 experience points

Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 2nd Kung Fu, Q Mng, Tai Chi Chuan
or Wrestling (Sumo) specialty.
You are trained in a variety of techniques that allow you
to keep a stable footing. You may apply any style maneuver bonuses to Athletics rolls made to resist knockdown or
knockback. As an added bonus, any penalties inflicted by
being subjected to the Joint Lock maneuver are reduced
by 1.

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Rugged (1 experience point Associated, 3 experience points Non-Associated)

Stop Hit (3 experience points Associated, 5 experience points Non-Associated)

Prerequisites: 1st Boxing, Muay Thai, Savate, Street

Fighting, Wrestling (Freestyle, Greco-Roman, Professional,
Sumo) specialty or at least 3 dots of Stamina, Brawl (or Martial Arts) and Endurance.
You are trained to withstand blows. You gain a +1 bonus
to your bashing soak.

Prerequisites: 2nd Bojutsu/Quarterstaff, Fencing,

Golden Gunplay, Jeet Kune Do, Q Mng or Tai Chi Chuan
specialty, or at least 4 or more dots of Wits, Dexterity and
Martial Arts (or Firearms or Melee).
You can intercept an opponents blow with one of your
own. When attacked by an unarmed opponent in close
combat, you may make a Block attempt at a +2 difficulty.
If you score more success than your attacker, you apply a
damage effect to your attacker equal to your Strength+1
(plus any net successes from the Block). The Melee version
of Stop Hit uses the Parry maneuver instead and allows you
to treat an armed opponent as if they were unarmed for
the purposes of dealing damage on a successful Parry. The
Firearms version of Stop Hit uses the Parry maneuver to hit
a foes bullet with your own, knocking them both harmlessly
to the ground.

Soft Hand Technique (1 experience point Associated, 3 experience

points Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Aikido specialty or at least 3 dots of
Dexterity, Wits and Martial Arts.
You can strike or throw an opponent without injuring
him. Whenever you would inflict bashing damage to an
opponent from a strike, kick, or throw, you may instead have
that opponent make a Stamina roll with a difficulty modifier
equal to the number of damage successes you scored. If the
Stamina roll fails the target loses one temporary Willpower
point and suffers a -2 penalty to his initiative the following
round. If the Stamina roll is successful, the target remains
uninjured but may suffer other effects from the attack, such
as knockdown. Soft Hand Technique cannot be used if
applying extra damage successes from Mega-Strength to
the attack or with hand-to-hand attacks that deal lethal or
aggravated damage.

Stage Fighting (1 experience point

Associated, 3 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Wrestling (Professional) specialty, or
at least 2 dot of Brawl (or Martial Arts, or Melee) and Performance.
You can put on a convincing stage fight. Even though
you deal little or no damage to your opponent, unless the
outside observer already knows the fight is staged they
may be convinced the combatants are actually fighting.
Whenever the character chooses to subtract dice from their
damage pool, they may make a Performance roll (contested
by the observers Perception + Brawl, Martial Arts or Melee).
Unless the observer scores more successes, they will be
inclined to believe the character is in a sincere fight.

106

Supreme Mastery (7 experience

points Non-Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3rd combat style specialty in any style,
1st combat style specialty in a different style, Exceptional
Talent Merit (either version), Master Thesis advanced technique, and 5 dots of Brawl (or Martial Arts or Melee) and
Athletics.
You have reached a pinnacle of martial prowess and
have no doubt forgotten more about the arts of combat and
war than entire dojos worth of lesser warriors will ever know.
You may add one basic maneuver of your choice to your list
of known style maneuvers, even if this takes you above the
usual limit of 5 maneuvers. In addition, all advanced techniques that you meet the prerequisites for are considered
associated techniques (even the ones listed non-associated only), except for certain techniques associated with
the Inspired combat styles.

Swift Grapple (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Aikido, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu or Wrestling (Catch) specialty, or at least 4 dots of Wits, Athletics
and Brawl (or Martial Arts).
When a close combat opponent suffers a Knockdown,
if they fail the Athletics roll to regain their footing you may
make an immediate contested Brawl (or Martial Arts) to
apply a clinch or hold on that opponent. The maneuver is
resolved as normal once applied.

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Takedown (1 experience point Associated, 3 experience points NonAssociated)
Prerequisites: 1st Commando Training, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu or Wrestling (Catch, Freestyle, Greco-Roman, Sumo)
specialty or at least 3 dots of Strength, Athletics and Brawl
(or Martial Arts).
When using the Tackle maneuver, any opponent you
tackle makes their Athletics rolls to resist knockdown at a
+1 difficulty. You may apply any style maneuver bonuses to
Athletics rolls you make resist knockdown when using the
Tackle Maneuver.

Torque (3 experience points Associated, 5 experience points Non-Associated)

Prerequisites: 2nd Capoeira, Kalaripayit (Southern),
Kendo/Kenjutsu, Muay Thai, Naginatajutsu, Savate or Tae
Kwon Do specialty or at least 4 dots of Dexterity, Athletics
and Brawl (or Martial Arts).
You can twist your body to add momentum to your
blows. When using the strike, kick or Weapon Strike maneuver, you may add up to a +3 modifier to that maneuvers
difficulty. Each point of added difficulty adds an additional
die to the maneuvers damage. Adding torque to a strike,
kick or Weapon Strike may only be done once per turn and
reduces your initiative by an amount equal to the maneuvers total modified difficulty on your following turn.

Trapping Clinch (3 experience points

Associated, 5 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 2nd Jeet Kune Do or Muay Thai specialty, or at least 4 dots of Strength, Athletics and Brawl (or
Martial Arts).
When you apply a clinch on an opponent, rather than
deal normal clinch damage, you may instead make a Brawl/
Martial Arts roll at a +1 difficulty penalty. If successful, you
pummel your opponents body with brutal knee strikes.
This is considered a Kick Maneuver, and inflicts Strength +4
bashing damage.

Trash Talking (1 experience point

Associated, 3 experience points
Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 1st Wrestling (Professional) specialty, or
2 dots of both Intimidation and Performance.

You can unleash a torrent of verbal abuse tailored to

rattle or provoke an opponent. When attempting to verbally
intimidate an adversary you may add your combat style specialty bonus to your Intimidation roll.

Weapon Forms (1 experience point

Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Archery, Arnis/ Escrima, Bojutsu/
Quarterstaff, Fencing, Golden Gunplay, Kalaripayit, Karate,
Kendo/Kenjutsu, Kung Fu, Naginatajutsu, Ninjutsu/Taijutsu
or Tai Chi Chuan specialty.
You have been trained in the use of a variety of weapons. As long as you have at least 1 dot of Melee, you may
select 1 specific weapon appropriate to your combat style.
You may apply your style maneuver bonus to Weapon
Strikes made with one of your selected weapons. At your
3rd dot of Melee you may select a second weapon and at
your 5th dot of Melee you may select a third weapon.
Archery Weapons: Blowpipe, Compound Bow, Crossbow, Long Bow, Pistol Crossbow, Short Bow, Speargun.
Arnis/Escrima Weapons: Club, Knife, Nunchaku,
Spear, Sword, Whip.
Bojutsu/Quarterstaff Weapons: Club, O-Dachi, NoDachi, Naginata, Spear, Staff.
Fencing Weapons: Epee/Rapier, Foil, Saber.
Golden Gunplay Weapons: Firearms of all kinds, up to
& including BFGs and rocket launchers.
Kalaripayit Weapons: Club, Knife, Shield, Spear, Staff,
Sword, Urumi.
Karate Weapons: Bo Staff, Chain, Kama, Nunchaku,
Sai, Tonfa.
Kendo/ Kenjutsu Weapons: Bokken, Katana, NoDachi, Shinai, Wakazashi.
Kung Fu Weapons: Axe, Chain, Club, Dao, Hook
Sword, Knife, Spear.
Naginatajutsu Weapons: Knife, Naginata, Nagamaki,
Staff, Spear, Sword.
Ninjutsu/ Taijutsu Weapons: Chain, Garrote, Knife,
Kusari-gama, Naginata, Shuriken, Spear, Staff, Sword, War
fan.
Tai Chi Chuan Weapons: Rope dart, Spear, Staff,
Sword, Three section staff, War fan, Whip, Wind-fire wheel.

Wounding Strike (5 experience

points Associated, 7 experience
points Non-Associated)
Prerequisites: 3rd Muay Thai or Tae Kwon Do specialty
or at least 4 dots of Athletics and 5 dots of Brawl (or Martial
Arts).
You deliver blows that punish and wear down an oppo-

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nents body. When making a strike or kick attack, you may
spend a point of Willpower. If at least 1 health level of
damage is inflicted on the targeted opponent, any wound
penalties they are currently suffering are increased by 1.
Penalties from multiple blows are cumulative (to a maximum
die pool penalty of -3). Each of these additional penalties
last 1 hour (and are affected by increased nova healing
rates). The regular penalties from lost health levels must still
be recovered as the damage is healed.

World Warrior (3 experience points

or 5 experience points, Non-Associated Only)
Prerequisites: At least 4 dots of Brawl, Martial Arts or
Melee, must know at least 4 style maneuvers. These do not
have to be from the same combat style specialty.
This is the same as the World Warrior Merit, except it
can be learned after character creation. The 3 experience
point version is equivalent to the 3 point World Warrior
Merit. Likewise, the 5 experience point version is equivalent
to the 5 point World Warrior Merit.

Zen Targeting (1 experience point

Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Archery or Golden Gunplay specialty
and 3 dots in Awareness.
You have the ability to determine the location of your
target without relying on your physical senses. Roll Perception + Awareness to intuit your targets location, with the
degree of success determining the quality of the information gained in this manner. This effect lasts until the target is
either dealt with, flees the vicinity or the scene ends, whichever comes first.

Combat Merits & Flaws

Exceptional Talent [3 or 5 point
Merit]
You adopt fighting forms quickly and have trained in
more than one discipline. You may have up to four combat
style specialties for a given Ability (Brawl, Firearms, Martial
Arts or Melee), rather than the usual 3. The 5 point version
of this Merit allows you to have up to 5 combat style specialties per given ability. The effects of this Merit are cumulative
with Ability Mastery (Adventure! core book p. 138). Please
note that the maximum bonus that can be applied to any
style maneuver is +3.

108

Favored Pupil [3 point Merit]

As the Favored Pupil advanced technique, but for characters whose training under a master happened in their
characters history.

Martial Prodigy [3 point/ 5 point

Merit]
You are a brilliant student of the martial arts, mastering techniques in months that take others decades to learn.
You learn combat specialties in 1/2 the listed training time.
Inspired characters (novas, psiads, psions, stalwarts, daredevils and mesmerists) are already considered to have this
Merit. The 5 point version is available to Inspired characters
only, but allows them to learn a combat style specialty in 1/4
the listed training time.

World Warrior [3 or 5 point Merit]

You have traveled to arenas, dojos and gymnasiums
around the world, adopting different moves and adding
them to your arsenal. With the 3 point version of this merit,
you may select an additional bonus style maneuver available to your combat style. The 5 point version allows you
to select any combat maneuver and add it to your known
style maneuvers.

Dabbler [3 point Flaw]

While interested in your chosen combat style, you lack
the dedication to achieve true proficiency. The maximum
bonus you can apply to your style maneuvers is +1. Any
character with more than 3 dots of Brawl, Martial Arts or
Melee cannot take this flaw.

Dojo Rat [2 point Flaw]

The vast majority of your combat experience has been
in controlled environments, such as sparring or athletic
events, and you often forget your lessons in real life situations. When involved in combat outside of a controlled environment, you initiative rating is considered 3 points lower
than normal (to a minimum of 1). This flaw may be bought
off at the Storytellers discretion.

Glass Jaw [3 point Flaw]

You can dish it out, but you are not as good at taking it.
When determining whether or not you are dazed or knocked
unconscious from taking damage, your Stamina is considered 1 dot less than normal. Characters with Mega-Stamina
add dots equal to their Mega-Stamina to their effective
Stamina for determining if they are Dazed or Unconscious,
rather than the usual bonus of double their Mega-Stamina
dots.

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Rigid Style [3 point Flaw]
You have difficulty using maneuvers not employed by
your Combat Style. You suffer a +1 difficulty modifier to the
use of any maneuver that is not a Starting Style maneuver
or on the Bonus Style maneuver list for your Combat Style
specialty. This flaw may be bought off at the Storytellers
discretion.

Untalented [2 point Flaw]

Perhaps you missed that lesson, werent paying attention or simply are not getting it. You can learn a maximum
of 2 combat style specialties per given ability. If you take
this flaw you cannot take the Exceptional Talent or World
Warrior Merits.

Inspired Combat Styles

Given that novas have only been a global phenomenon
for seventeen years as of 2015, its no surprise that the majority of nova martial artists have been trained in and practice
the myriad combat styles developed by baseline humanity. What follows are two of the first exceptions to that rule:
combat styles that only the Inspired can learn and master.
Neither are officially known to exist, but unsubstantiated
rumorssome of which go back for decadescontinue to
be passed around in back alley bars and at underground
martial arts tournaments. Like many other such urban legends, they are easily discounted and dismissed by most
people as alcohol-marinated tall tales. Unfortunately for
them, these urban legends are true. Conflict awaits.

Golden Gunplay
As any serious student of 21st Century combat could
tell you, actual gunfighting is a group effort that revolves
around lines of fire and available cover and depends on
combined arms tactics and teamwork. The idea of a lone
gunman laying waste to his foes while dodging their gunfire with ease is a myth best left to the films of John Woo,
Chow Yun Fat and Kurt Wimmer. Unfortunately for those
serious students, the Nova Age (among other such periods) is a time where myths have become living, breathing
flesh... Practitioners of Golden Gunplay are those novas and
other Inspired beings who have managed to take the art of
gunfighting to heights unheard of by most people, Inspired
or otherwise. While rumored to have originated sometime
during the early 1920s, those who have truly mastered
Golden Gunplay can still be found in certain places. Getting
them to share their knowledge of the gun with a student is
another matter entirely.
Associated Skill: Firearms. While Golden Gunplay is
centered around the use of superhuman capabilities in gun-

Mega-Attributes and Golden Gunplay

As can only be expected, there are many enhancements
which can aid a Golden Gunslinger. Listed below are a few of the
more obvious ones from the Aberrant core book. Your Storyteller
has final discretion over the utility of enhancements from the
Aberrant Players Guide and other sources (including this book).
Mega-Dexterity: Accuracy and Physical Prodigy
Mega-Perception: Blindfighting, Electromagnetic Vision,
Hyperenhanced Hearing and Ultraperipheral Perception
Mega-Intelligence: Analyze Weakness
Mega-Wits: Enhanced Initiative, Multitasking and Quickness
fights, it requires a solid foundation of mundane skill with
and knowledge of all kinds of firearms.
Prerequisites: Would-be Golden Gunslingers must
have certain capabilities (superhuman and otherwise) before
they can attempt to learn this combat style, which will vary
depending on their type of Inspiration in addition to any
other requirements. Novas must have a base Dexterity of 4,
base Perception of 4, base Wits of 4, Quantum 1, Firearms
5, Athletics 3 and Martial Arts or Melee 2, although having
dots of the relevant Mega-Attributes will ease the base
Attribute restrictions. Trinity-era psions must have Dexterity 4, Perception 4, Wits 4, Firearms 5, Athletics 3, Martial
Arts or Melee 2 and Telesthesia 1 in order to learn Golden
Gunplay. In both cases, the Storyteller is encouraged to use
Ability Mastery for Firearms as an additional requirement for
students of Golden Gunplay if she has a copy of the Adventure! core book. Daredevils must have Dexterity 4, Perception 4, Wits 4, Firearms 5, Athletics 3, Martial Arts or Melee
2 with both the Lightning Reflexes and Trick Shot Knacks
along with Ability Mastery for Firearms. Stalwarts and mesmerists from Adventure! can also take dynamic or psychic
versions of the relevant Heroic Knacks to qualify.
Time to learn: 6 months per specialty.
Starting Style Maneuvers: Aiming, Dodge, Parry, Strafing, Two Weapons, Special (Golden Gunslingers gain the
Weapon Forms advanced technique for free and have the
pistol/revolver as a form weapon in addition to any others
granted by this technique).
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Breaking Blow, Combat
Reload, Pressure Strike, Sidelong Shot, Weapon Strike (for
pistol whipping).
Note: Combat Reload and Sidelong Shot can be found
in Nova Mega-Maneuvers, p. 141 of this book.
Advanced Techniques: Acrobatic Evasion, Ambidextrous, Bullet Dodging Dance*, Counting Coup, Hard
Target, Iaijutsu, Kihon, Longshot*, Meditative Form, Multiple Assailant Method, Pressure Secret, Stop Hit, Threading
the Needle, Trajectory Twist*, Zen Targeting.
*: This advanced technique can only be taken by novas

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ABERRANT
and daredevils.
: This advanced technique is useless for novas with
Mega-Dexterity.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to Firearm attacks;
learn 1 style maneuver from the Golden Gunplay bonus
style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers,
learn 1 style maneuver from the Golden Gunplay bonus
style maneuver list.

Boom, Boom, Boom!

There is one realistic consequence of a firearm-based
combat style that deserves special attention: the weapons
involved are very loud, especially if used in close quarters. A
single gun discharge close enough to a baseline humans ear
can cause bleeding from the eardrums as well as deafening him
for life if precautions havent been taken. This typically means
that non-nova Golden Gunslingers must wear earplugs or other
sound-dampening devices when in a firefight. Fortunately for
them, novas and other characters with natural Lethal soak have
no need for such devices and are at no risk of being deafened or
injured in this manner.

Advanced Techniques
Bullet Dodging Dance (5 experience
points Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3rd Golden Gunplay specialty, 4 dots in
both Awareness and either Athletics or Martial Arts.
The character has mastered the art of dodging gunfire
at short range in such a way that not only does it miss him,
he can direct it so that it hits his targets instead. Any extra
successes from the characters successful Dodge (using
Dexterity + Athletics or Martial Arts) are compared with the
successes of his attackers Dexterity + Firearms roll. If the
character has at least one more success than his attacker,
he may dictate what his bullet hits instead of himself, subject to the Storytellers approval. However, the character
may not take any other physical action aside from Dodging
while performing this advanced technique. It should also be
noted that without extreme levels of Mega-Dexterity, this
technique is useless against portable lasers (Aberrant core
book, p. 276).

Longshot (3 experience points Associated Only)

Prerequisites: 2nd Golden Gunplay specialty.
The character can make deadly accurate shots at dis-

110

tances that professional snipers would consider impossible. When using a sniper rifle with a tripod and either an
astronomy-grade portable telescope or the Electromagnetic Vision enhancement, he can multiply his rifles effective range by his successes on a Perception + Firearms roll.
Note that the character must have a relatively clear line of
fire from his rifle to his target for the shot to make it to the
target - minor obstacles such as mundane car and building
windows will not impede the shot in any meaningful way. At
the Storytellers discretion, the bullet used to perform this
technique may need to be a quantum gadget or Innovation (in Adventure! terms). The details can and will vary with
the individual Golden Gunslingersome might use exotic
materials in the bullets construction, while others might use
exotic designs such as multi-stage bullets. This effect lasts
until the character makes his next shot, regardless of the
results.

Threading The Needle (3 experience

points Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 2nd Golden Gunplay specialty.
The characters accuracy is such that he can shoot
through any gap large enough for his bullet to pass through
in whatever his targets are hiding behind. This includes gaps
that the character creates himself with his gunfire or other
means. This negates the benefits of cover (Aberrant core
book p. 247) for the characters targets if there are any gaps
in the cover to be exploited (Storytellers discretion).

Trajectory Twist (1 experience point

Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Golden Gunplay specialty.
The character can put an additional spin on a single
bullet with a Dexterity + Firearms roll, allowing the bullet to
take a curved trajectory towards his target and avoiding any
obstacles in its path. Each success in the roll gives a potential curvature of 20% to the trajectory on the next shot you

Can This Be Used With Lasers?

Players in Trinity chronicles may already be drooling at the prospect of using Golden Gunplays advanced
techniques with the hyper-tech arsenal seen in the Trinity
core book and the Trinity Technology Manual. Unfortunately for them, Golden Gunplay isnt quite as useful
with weapons such as personal laser pistols. The Storyteller is within her rights to declare any Golden Gunplay technique that relies upon the weapon shooting an
actual physical bullet to do damage as incompatible with
directed energy weapons.

BLOOD AND THUNDER

ABERRANT
fire, and the character can apply as much or as little of that
potential as desired. While obviously useful for shooting
people around corners and behind cover, this also allows
the character to shoot around people between him and his
target without harming them.

Whirlwind Barrage (5 experience

points Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3rd Golden Gunplay specialty.
By spending a temporary Willpower point and making a
Dexterity + Firearms roll, the character can unleash as many
shots as his guns are capable of firing at multiple targets
within a 360 area centered on himself, using his firearms
short range as the radius. Unlike the basic Strafing maneuver (Aberrant core book p. 248), the characters difficulties
are not increased on a per meter basis. In all other ways
this technique functions just like the Strafing maneuver. Furthermore, even firearms not normally capable of being used
with the Strafing maneuver can be used with the Whirlwind
Barrage. The downsides to this technique is that the character cannot do anything else but shoot at his targets while
performing the Whirlwind Barrage and that his clips will be
emptied in the process.

Storyteller Discretion Alert!

The following Inspired Combat Style introduces an
alternative option to some canon facts about first generation novas, which are reflected in both the official
setting information and game mechanics. As such, it has
the potential to change certain aspects of nova existence
in ways that some Aberrant Storytellers and/or players
will neither like nor accept. All the Combat Styles in this
chapter are optional elements, but that goes double for
this one. If you dont like it, consider the following listing
null and void. If you do, go right ahead and use it. Either
way, have fun!

Q Mng/Enlightenment
Although none have admitted to it publicly as of 2015,
many novas have been seeking ways to stave off and/or
remedy the problem of Taint accumulation. For every nova
who learns how to bleed off her own temporary Taint there
are four more who seek quick fixes, whether it be the services of Sin Eaters Purity Clinic or the latest (and typically
ineffective) anti-taint drug to hit the black market. Others
pin their hopes on the rumors about the Teragen having a
cure for Taint, only to find that the Chrysalis is much more
- and somewhat less - than advertised. A very few novas often those with a natural talent for the martial arts - hear a
little-known rumor and find a means of actually curing their

own Taint: Q Mng, or Enlightenment.

A style of Chinese internal martial arts with heavy Taoist
influences, Q Mng emphasizes harmony of the users chi
and quantum energies as well as that of his mind and body.
The principles of Q Mng are summarized as seeing the
nova as being like a fish. If the fish is healthy and in unpolluted waters it will swim effortlessly through them, a creature distinct from its environment yet perfectly adapted to
it. From this viewpoint Taint is seen a noisy splashing, the
sign of a diseased and distressed creature that is not just
damaged but can pollute its environment as well. Trained Q
Mng stylists can not only reduce their Taint and the other
negative side effects of quantum use but also learn to better
channel their quantum energies in the process, sometimes
in nasty ways. Techniques of notable use in combat with
other novas are also taught.
Currently this combat style can be learned from only
one person: a mysterious nova from Tibet known only as
the Sifu. Whoever this person is, locating him or heras
with nearly all else, the Sifus gender is unknownis almost
impossible. The only way to find the Sifu is if the Sifu wants
to be found. So far, the only people whove done so are
novas that both needed to and were worthy of finding the
Sifu. Those novas went on to become the Sifus first students
in Q Mng. Only time will tell what will become of the Q
Mng stylists and their Sifu.
Associated Skills: Martial Arts and Meditation; as mastering Q Mng requires precise control over both mind
and body. Qi Meng stylists will also have the opportunity
to learn the new quantum-related AbilitiesChanneling,
Modulate and Unifyfound in Appendix #1 (on pp. 243245) of this book. Some Q Mng stylists will have dots in
the other combat Abilities if not a full-fledged Combat
Styleas per their personal fighting preferences. Academics with a specialty in Philosophy is mandatory due to the
styles extensive roots in Taoist teachings. Having at least
three dots of Instruction (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 90)
is also mandatory for stylists seeking to attain the second
Q Mng combat specialty, as they will be expected to
eventually train their own students in Q Mng. Attaining
the third Q Mng combat specialty requires Instruction 5.
As Q Mng also emphasizes taking advantage of a novas
individual capabilities, Q Mng stylists are taught to adapt
any maneuvers and techniques from other styles that may
suit them. As such, many will either have the World Warrior
Merit or buy the equivalent technique.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts 2, Meditation 5, Athletics 2;
Dexterity, Stamina and Wits at 3 or better (or at least 1 dot
in the equivalent Mega-Attributes). Note that these are just
the minimums for beginning students, trained Q Mng stylists will have considerably higher ratings.
Time to learn: 2 years per specialty.

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ABERRANT
Starting Style Maneuvers: Block, Kick, Riposte, Shove,
Strike.
Bonus Style Maneuvers: Catch Limb, Clinch, Dodge,
Feint, Flying Kick, Joint Lock, Kip Up, Pressure Strike,
Sweep, Throw.
Advanced Techniques: Chi Respire, Climbing the
Mountain of Heaven*, Do Q Mng* (all Q Mng stylists
get this Advanced Technique for free), Expanded Technique,
Falling Technique, Finesse, Focusing Trance*, Footwork,
Internal Balance*, Kata, Kiaijutsu, Kihon, Meditative Form,
Multiple Assailant Method, Node Reconfiguration*, Pressure Point Divination*, Pressure Secret, Purge Permanent
Taint*, Purge Psychic Trauma*, Purge Temporary Taint*,
Restorative Trance*, Running Water Camouflage*, Rooting
Stance, Stop Hit.
* : This maneuver can only be learned by Q Mng stylists
: This maneuver is useless for 2ndGen Q Mng stylists.
1st Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers.
2nd Specialty: +1 damage bonus to a style maneuver
of the Q Mng stylists choice, learn 1 style maneuver from
the Q Mng bonus style maneuver list.
3rd Specialty: +1 accuracy bonus to style maneuvers, learn 1 style maneuver from the Q Mng bonus style
maneuver list.

Advanced Techniques
Climbing the Mountain of Heaven (5
experience points Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3rd Q Mng specialty.
When first generation novas become Q Mng stylists, they seem to make a great sacrifice as their potential
to raise their Quantum - the very thing most novas believe
defines them - to truly powerful levels is stymied. This is in
fact a counterintuitive blessing, as continued improvement
in Q Mng will eventually make it possible for them to attain
those heights - if at a slower pace than other novas - without
developing permanent Taint. After having learned this technique, the character can use the following chart to increase
her Quantum Trait to ratings of 6 and higher. The downside
to this is that she will automatically suffer an additional difficulty penalty of +1 (cumulative with that from Do Q Mng
and Node Reconfiguration) on all rolls for social interaction
with elevated Terat novas and highly-Tainted novas. Please
note that only 1stGen Q Mng stylists have any use for this
technique.
Trait___________Experience point cost
Quantum 6+__________Current rating x 16

112

Do Q Mng, The Path of Enlightenment (Special Associated Only)

Prerequisites: 1st Q Mng specialty.
As part of mastering the basics of Q Mng, the characters (metaphorical) feet have been irrevocably placed
on the Path of Enlightenment. In less poetic terms, her
potential for development as a nova has been altered in
several important ways.
Any quantum capabilities involving Willpower, personal health, self-awareness & self-controlbe it physical,
mental, social or Telluric in natureare now considered
to be in theme with the characters range of quantum
powers. This includes any and all Mega-Attributes with relevant enhancements.
The character automatically loses the option to buy
nova capabilities Tainted.
If the character is a first generation nova, she automatically loses the capability to buy Quantum at 6+ and
the Node Background at 3+. This can only be remedied by
buying the techniques Climbing the Mountain of Heaven
and Node Reconfiguration, respectively. If the character already has Quantum 5+ or Node 3+, those traits are
instead frozen at that level until she has purged all of
their associated Taint, after which Climbing the Mountain of
Heaven and Node Reconfiguration may be learned.
The harmony between the characters quantum energies and chi provokes a sense of unease in novas with high
levels of Taint and/or Chrysalis. She automatically suffers a
difficulty penalty of +1 on all rolls for social interaction with
elevated Terat novas and highly-Tainted novas. For True
2ndGen nova Q Mng stylists, this is cumulative with their
existing +2 difficulty penalty for social interactions with such
novas.
The character no longer suffers the massive headaches associated with learning new powers or the difficulty
penalty associated with using newly developed powers
(Aberrant core book p. 125).

Focusing Trance (1 experience point

Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Q Mng specialty.
Before deciding to max a quantum power, the character can make a Wits + Meditation roll to convert excess
quantum into a temporary buffer which lasts for only that
single attempt, which will take place during the next turn.
If the roll is successful this absorbs one point of temporary
Taint generated by Power Strain per every three successes
on the roll, and it also reduces the botched power effect to
a simple failure. If the roll fails, she faces the normal risks of
Power Strain. If the roll is botched, not only does it fail but it

BLOOD AND THUNDER

ABERRANT
also momentarily disrupts the characters quantum energies
as her attempt to max a power is negated.

Pressure Point Divination (5 experience points Associated Only)

Internal Balance (5 experience points

Associated Only)

Prerequisites: 3rd Q Mng specialty, Pressure Secret,

Pressure Strike.
While capable of startling effects in the right hands, traditional knowledge of pressure points has always had one
major limitation: it was only effective when used on baseline human anatomy. Historically this wasnt a problem, as
most martial artists would fend off or kill hostile animals
with edged or ranged weapons like everybody else. With
the coming of the Nova Age, there are now superhuman
foes whose anatomies and physiologies can vary greatly
from those of baseline humans. The characters mastery
of Q Mng has given her a solution to this, as she can
intuit the locations and effects of pressure points in bodies
with anything from somewhat to wildly inhuman anatomy.
This requires a Perception + Meditation roll and one turn
to observe the target through unaided eyesight - viewing
a target through telepathic sense-sharing is feasible, but
video surveillance wont work at all.
The quality of the information gained through this
technique is dependent on the number of successes rolled.
One or two successes lets the character identify one pressure point that she knows the equivalent Pressure Secret
for. Three successes lets her identify two such pressure
points, while four or more grants knowledge of three pressure points. Once located, she can attack the targets known
pressure points as normal with the Pressure Strike maneuver
and the Pressure Secret advanced technique. This advanced
technique is effective on Taint-ridden novas, biological
aliens and terrestrial animals. Bodymorphed novas, robots
and non-biological aliens cannot be affected by this technique without Storyteller permission.

Prerequisites: 3rd Q Mng specialty.

The characters ability to maintain the balance between
her quantum signature and chi has grown to the point that
she can more readily fend off outside attempts to disrupt
it. Whenever the character is attacked by powers or effects
that would increase her Taint, inflict new aberrations or alter
her existing aberrations, she can add her Wits + Meditation dice to her Willpower when attempting to resist. This
technique is also effective against Disimmunize, as it disrupts the characters balanced quantum signature and chi in
a typically fatal way. Internal Balance provides no protection
against Disrupt, Quantum Imprint, Quantum Vampire and
Quantum Leech, not to mention the effects of the high-level
powers of Quantum Authority and Quantum Supremacy.
This technique is also reflexive and does not require an
action to perform.

Node Reconfiguration (3 experience

points Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 2nd Q Mng specialty.
As a consequence of learning Q Mng, 1stGen nova
stylists lose the ability to develop their M-R nodes past the
third instar (Node Background rating 2). This is a blessing in
disguise, as mastery of certain aspects of Q Mng can literally reprogram how a stylists M-R node will develop before
its otherwise unrestricted growth can cause any damage to
her prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that discerns right
from wrong). When this technique is learned, the character can buy levels of the Node Background at ratings of 3
and higher using the experience point cost seen below. The
altered growth pattern is slower than standard M-R node
developmentit grows by diffusing and spreading itself
throughout the brain tissues without harming or impeding
them in any waybut has no risk of causing any permanent
Taint. This technique does not alter the experience point
cost of the N-Stage Node Background Enhancement (see
p. 242 of this book). The downside to this is that the character will automatically suffer an additional difficulty penalty
of +1 (cumulative with that from Do Q Mng) on all rolls
for social interaction with elevated Terat novas and highlyTainted novas. Please note that only 1stGen Q Mng stylists
have any use for this technique.
Trait___________Experience point cost
Node 3+________CR x 4

Purge Permanent Taint (5 experience

points Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 3rd Q Mng specialty, Purge Temporary
Taint.
Perhaps the most coveted secret of Q Mng, this technique allows the character to lose permanent Taint. The
preparations for using this technique requires her to perform a regimen of special katas coupled with deep meditation for six hours daily for ninety days. Any interruption of
the preparations will ruin them and force her to start over,
although her saved experience points will be retained. For
purposes of this technique, interruptions are defined as
engaging in node abuse, being attacked during her daily
katas and meditation and being unable to continue with the
regimen. Gaining any additional temporary Taint will also
count as an interruption and is to be avoided.

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113

ABERRANT
Provided that the preparations are over, the character
has no points of temporary Taint and has saved up sufficient
experience points, she can then spend 1 point of temporary
Willpower to induce a psychosomatic fever state in herself through meditation (no roll is required at this point). For
the next seven days she will be reduced to a invalid (base
Strength and Dexterity of 1, base Stamina of 1 for purposes
of physical exertion) and will have no access to her nova
capabilities other than her extended lifespan. As the character will only experience brief periods of semi-consciousness
for the duration, hospital-grade bed rest complete with
nursing and intravenous feeding will be required. During
this time her Quantum Pool will be inaccessible as her quantum energies and chi are literally readjusting themselves to
reach a more balanced state, which will completely drain her
Quantum Pool in the process.
At the end of this period the character must roll her
base Wits + Meditation, with three success meaning that
she loses 1 point of permanent Taint along with the atten-

Seeking Redemption
Given that Q Mng does offer an actual cure for Taint accumulation, it would be only natural for some highly-Tainted novas
with a healthy fear of their own Taint to seek it out. Whether or
not they can benefit from it is an open question and comes under
the discretion of the Storyteller. If novas with medium (6-7) or high
(8+) ratings of permanent Taint can be cured of Taint through
mastering Q Mng, then the themes of personal redemption,
dealing with an uphill struggle and attempting to beat the odds
can be explored. Chronicles of Taint-ridden novas managing - or
failing - to reclaim their humanity and sanity through their own
efforts can provide much drama. In addition to Tainted 1stGen
novas, Trog 2ndGen novas (see Aberrant: A Breed Apart) and
victims of the Eruption Catalyst (see pp. 25-26 of this book) could
also seek out the cure offered by Q Mng. In the most over-thetop optimistic four-color Aberrant chronicles, even a Spark Soldier (see pp. 65-67 of this book) might salvage his life by learning
Q Mng, although that will prove impossible in any chronicle
darker than that.
Alternatively, other Storytellers might decide that Q Mng
simply cannot help highly Tainted 1stGen novas, much less Trog
2ndGen novas or Eruption Catalyst victims. This state of affairs
can lend a sense of urgency to would-be Q Mng stylists, as
gaining any more permanent Taint could take them past the
point of no return before they even find the Sifu. If Q Mng (or
Teras, for that matter) cannot help these creatures - who will go
on to cause many problems if left to their own devices - then
preventing their development or delivering a mercy killing may
be the only options left in dealing with them, barring use of the
Quantum Transformation technique of Quantum Supremacy
(Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 135-136).

114

dant aberration and difficulty penalty for social interaction.

She will also begin regaining quantum points at this time.
Depending on the aberration in question and the players
wishes, the Storyteller may allow minor cosmetic physical
aberrations to be retained as false aberrations (1- or 2-point
Flaws). Failing the roll or getting less than three successes
means that the characters amount of permanent Taint is
unchanged, but she begins regaining quantum points.
Botching the roll means that the characters amount of permanent Taint is unchanged, her saved experience points
are wasted and she cannot regain any quantum points for
another seven days.
The amount of experience points required to use this
technique depends on what the particular point of permanent Taint the characters player wishes to get rid of is
derived from. If that dot resulted from buying a quantum
power, Mega-Attribute or enhancement Tainted, the character must have saved enough experience points to pay
off the discount going by its cost in experience points as
per the Experience Costs chart (Aberrant core book p. 124).
If that dot resulted from accumulating temporary Taint or
buying dots of the Quantum Trait at five or higher, the character must save 30 experience points to use this technique.
If that dot resulted from buying a third, fourth or fifth dot of
the Node Background without using the Node Reconfiguration technique, those dots must be bought again at their
original experience costs to use this technique.

Purge Psychic Trauma (1 experience

point Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Q Mng specialty.
Through deeply introspective meditation the character
can perform a kind of self-therapy, eliminating the psychological impact and stresses caused by mental and emotional
trauma. Aside from removing the anguish associated with
traumatic memories, this technique is also capable of curing
any mental disorders (mental Flaws) not resulting from Taint
that the character may be suffering from. Given an hours
worth of uninterrupted meditation, the character can negate
any and all mental and emotional pain caused by a traumatic memory with a Wits + Meditation roll. If successful,
this negates the ill effects of other novas Mega-Wits and
Social Mega-Attributes as well as the more mundane varieties of social attacks and indignities employed by baselines.
Failing the roll indicates that shes only wasted her time,
while botching means that the character gets to relive the
traumatic memory in question all over again. When used
to cure non-aberration mental disorders, the character
must spend 1 point of temporary Willpower and a number
of saved experience points equal to the mental disorders
point value as a Flaw. In this case, failing the roll means

BLOOD AND THUNDER

ABERRANT
nothing changes. Botching the roll means that not only does
the character retain the mental disorder, but she also loses
the saved experience points intended to buy it off.

Purge Temporary Taint (1 experience

point Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Q Mng specialty.
While all novas have some capability to bleed off temporary Taint (Aberrant core book p. 150), the character has
mastered the principles of Q Mng to the point where she
can do so in a much more efficient if unpleasant manner. The
preparations for using this technique requires the character
to perform a regimen of special katas coupled with deep
meditation for three hours daily for thirty days. The character must also have saved up sufficient experience points to
buy off the points of temporary Taint she wishes to lose,
which have a cost of three experience points each. Any
interruption of the preparations will ruin them and force her
to start over, although her saved experience points will be
retained. For purposes of this technique, interruptions are
defined as engaging in node abuse, being attacked during
her daily katas and meditation and being unable to continue
with the regimen. Gaining any additional temporary Taint
will also count as an interruption and is best avoided.
After the preparations are finished, the character can
spend 1 point of temporary Willpower to induce a psychosomatic fever state in herself through meditation (no roll
is required at this point). For the next 24 hours the character
will be reduced to a near-invalid (base Strength of 1, base
Dexterity of 2 and base Stamina of 2 for purposes of physical exertion) and will have no access to her nova capabilities
other than her extended lifespan. Aside from attending to
her own physical hygiene and feeding herself, the character
wont be capable of much. During this time the characters
Quantum Pool constantly leaks away and will always be
empty.
At the end of this period the character must roll her
base Wits + Meditation, for every two successes she lose
1 point of temporary Taint, provided that she have enough
experience points to pay for them. The character will also
begin regaining quantum points at this time. Failing the
roll means that the characters amount of temporary Taint
is unchanged, but she begins regaining quantum points.
Botching the roll means that the characters amount of temporary Taint is unchanged and she cannot regain any quantum points for another 24 hours.

Node Abuse
Perceptive players and Storytellers will have seen a few references in previous Aberrant books to quantum abuse as an insetting term for Taint accumulation. Q Mng stylists use the term
node abuse to describe a range of similar self-destructive and
unhealthy ways to misuse ones quantum energies. As all nova
powers are based in their personalities, the novas intent is just
as much a factor as overusing quantum in determining what
counts as node abuse. Q Mng is concerned with a novas overall health, but does not see all quantum use as being unhealthy.
Moderation is the key here. Below are some guidelines as to
what does and does not count as node abuse.
Node abuse is:
Frivolous and/or foolish uses of a Q Mng stylists fullstrength powers, especially when employing more mundane
solutions would be quicker, easier, more effective or more sensible. The philosophy behind Q Mng frowns on making unnecessary motions when acting and extends this to the use of nova
capabilities. What counts as frivolous or foolish is left to the Storytellers discretion, though glaringly idiotic ways of using ones
powers are always eligible.
Depleting and recharging ones entire Quantum Pool once
or more times daily when doing so is not necessary. Aside from
wasting ones quantum energies, placing unnecessary strain on
ones node and M-R coils can lead to gaining temporary Taint in
the future and is to be avoided.
Any use of ones powers which could result in the Q Mng
stylist gaining temporary taint. This includes but is not limited to
Rapid Recovery (Aberrant core book p. 150), maxing a power,
using the Node Spark quantum power, using the Supercharge
Extra of the Quantum Bolt quantum power, being the target of
the Nova Proxy quantum power and using the Unify Ability to
engage in Sparking (see p. 244 of this book).
Using quantum energies while suffering from a mental disorder that inflicts temporary Taint on the Q Mng stylist. Fortunately, the Purge Psychic Trauma technique was developed to
remedy that problem.
Node abuse is not:
Using full-strength powers in situations where doing so is
warranted.
Depleting and recharging ones entire Quantum Pool once
or more times daily when doing so is necessary for the survival
of the Q Mng stylist or those who he cares about. As baseline
humans have exhibited extraordinary capabilities in crisis situations, it is to be expected that a Q Mng stylist can do the same.
Minor uses of powers at half or less of their full rating, as
they do not produce any real strain to speak of to the Q Mng
stylists node and M-R coils.

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Restorative Trance (1 experience
point Associated Only)
Prerequisites: 1st Q Mng specialty.
The character can enter a brief meditative trance that
is highly conducive to replenishing her quantum energies.
Whenever she makes a roll for Rapid Recovery (Aberrant
core book p. 150) the character also automatically makes
a reflexive Wits + Meditation roll. Every three successes
on the roll will reduce the difficulty penalty on the Stamina
+ Node roll by 1 point. Failing the Wits + Meditation roll
means that the Rapid Recovery attempt is rolled normally,
while botching the roll prevents her from making any Rapid
Recovery attempts at all for the next 15 minus (the characters base Wits + Meditation) turns.

Running Water Camouflage (1 experience point Associated Only)

Prerequisites: 1st Q Mng specialty.
Whenever a fish moves through the water, currents are
made and noisy splashing can occur. This principle is directly
reflected when most novas use their powers, as it leaves
traces that certain other novas (and some other Inspired) can
detect and track. Even worse is the fact that in high enough
quantities such quantum residueespecially when produced by highly-Tainted novascan be harmful to mundane lifeforms as it disrupts the natural flow of chi through
the local environment. In contrast, Q Mng stylists learn to

make their power usage blend in with the local environment, as the currents from a swimming fish can blend in with
that of running water. After learning this technique, the character can generate enough chi from her excess quantum
energy to not only prevent her quantum powers from polluting the vicinity but also make the traces of her quantum
power use harder to detect. Whenever someone attempts
to detect the characters power use through Inspired means
(be it inherent powers or super-science), they suffer a difficulty penalty equal to her Meditation rating. Use of this
technique is reflexive and is considered an automatic action.

New Pressure Secret: M-R Coil Disruption Strike

The character can temporarily disrupt another novas
ability to actively channel quantum by forcing a large amount
of excess chi (converted from her own quantum energies)
into him. When performing a pressure strike against a nova
the character may spend a temporary Willpower point and
two quantum points to make a Medicine roll at +2 difficulty
against the targets Node rating. If the roll is successful, the
target nova will be unable to spend quantum points for one
turn per success afterwards. This technique cannot affect
nova capabilities which do not require spending quantum
points in order to function. Also, since the character is striking at one of the target novas quantum pressure points,
any variations from baseline human anatomy the target nova
may have make no difference when using this technique.

Opposed Paths
Surprisingly, a currently unknown quality involved in practicing Q Mng tends to unsettle elevated Terats. Those
novas will perceive Q Mng stylists as walking examples of... something that they find deeply disturbing. Matters will
become even worse once those Terats learn something of the teachings promoted by Q Mng. From the stereotypical Teragen viewpoint Q Mng stylists have rejected everything Teras stands for and are beyond all hope of evolution.
Not only are the philosophy and values of Q Mng almost completely opposed to those of Teras, no student of Q
Mng can ever learn the ways of the Chrysalis (and vice versa). While Terat novas who havent undergone a Chrysalis
cant sense just what is so disturbing about a Q Mng stylist, they are still likely to be influenced by and respectful of
the opinions of the elevated Terats. While some Terats will judge Q Mng stylists on their individual merits, others
who deem Teras to be the One True Way For Novakind will see Q Mng as nothing short of heresy against Teras
and Divis Mal. This will make for strained relations at best, with extremist Terats eager to end the spread of such a
highly offensive (to them, anyway) pack of false teachings by any means necessary before it can become widespread
among the nova population. Either way, Terats of any stripe are unlikely to be big fans of a Q Mng stylist.

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Storyteller Information Alert!
The following information is best reserved for the Storytellers eyes only. If you are a player and your Storyteller
plans on using Q Mng in your Aberrant chronicle,
stop reading this right nowyour Storyteller will inform
you of it when she deems it best. If not, go right ahead
and enjoy!

The Q Mng F.A.Q.

Weve left a lot of mysteries and questions posed by
the existence and origins of Q Mng in the preceding listing. Here is where well give the answers to the most important ones.

What martial art did Q Mng originate from?

As those readers who have more than a passing knowledge of the martial arts will have already figured out, Q
Mng is a direct descendant of historical Tai Chi Chuan,
modified to both suit the needs of novas and the demands
of nova combat. Like its parent art Q Mng is both a healing art and a martial art. Combined with the combat styles
deep roots in Taoist philosophy - all of which has turned out
to be surprisingly important - this makes for a subtly powerful package. The two most notable differences between
the combat styles are Q Mngs lack of emphasis on the
Melee weapons associated with historical Tai Chi Chuan
and the increased aggressiveness of Q Mng. The reasons
for the first difference are twofold and rather obvious. First,
a Q Mng stylist already has an array of natural weapons
and defenses that must be mastered: her own nova capabilities. Second is the fact that without certain quantum
powers and/or Mega-Attribute enhancements, mundane
melee weapons have little use in nova combat. The reason
for the second difference is that the philosophy of Q Mng
advocates a balance between proactive effort and the complimentary reactions of historical Tai Chi Chuanboth
have their place and correct uses, but one should never be
favored over the other.

What exactly is chi and how does

Q Mng figure into it?
According to ancient Chinese belief, chi (known also as
ki, prana and pneuma elsewhere in the world) is much more
than the simple act of breathing. Instead, chi is an invisible
force that permeates all living things (and the environment,
to a lesser degree), including novas. Given proper training

and practice, disciplined people can use it to accomplish

startling feats. While currently dismissed as superstition by
most of the scientific community circa 2015, this force will
finally be identified as noetic energythe fifth fundamental
force of the universein 2106.
The important thing is while novas are unable to directly
manipulate noetic energy - thats the province of Nova Age
psiads and Trinity Era psions - they can still manipulate it
indirectly through the medium of their quantum energies.
Its an inefficient process, but the results can still be quite
dramatic. Unfortunately the noetic energy of most novas is
too often out of balance with their quantum energies, which
leads to Taint accumulation and all its associated problems.
Q Mng stylists can prevent themselves from gaining Taint
and even remove any they may already have accumulated
by deliberately bringing their noetic and quantum energies
into a stable balance. This can even allow Q Mng stylists
to prevent themselves from gaining permanent Taint in circumstances where it is otherwise considered inevitable, provided a sufficient level of mastery has been achieved.

How does Q Mng work?

As part of its focus on improving a stylists overall
health, the practice of Q Mng employs Taoist teachings
that unwittingly tap into elements of noetic theory (as presented in Trinity Field Report: Noetic Science), primarily
the effect of quantum manipulation on the noetic medium.
By learning to use their noetic energies in concert with their
nova capabilities, Q Mng stylists can reduce and even
eliminate the negative effects that their own quantum energies can have on themselves and their environment. As with
Tai Chi Chuan, the motions and capabilities of Q Mng
lend themselves well to martial uses.

Does Q Mng really get rid of a

novas Taint?
Yes it does, just as advertised. Instead of redefining a novas noetic template distortion as Terats do by
means of the Chrysalis, using Q Mngs two Taint-purging
techniques can and will get rid of a novas temporary and
permanent Taint, along with the aberrations and difficulty
penalties for social interaction. The techniques in question
must be learned, are not easy to use and success isnt guaranteed, but the possibility is there waiting to be found and
exploited.

What are the benefits of practicing

Q Mng?
On its most basic level, the practice of Q Mng is
intended to improve all facets of the stylists personal health

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ABERRANT
by reducing the conflict within ones body and mind. Physical health is ensured by improving the stylists flexibility, balance, strength, breathing and circulation. Mental health is
ensured by improving the stylists patience, mental focus
and her ability to keep herself grounded in the present. Any
emotional and psychological traumas a stylist may be suffering from are also brought out from the depths of her psyche,
where the stylist is forced to confront and eventually overcome them. With sufficient mastery of Q Mng, a stylist can
even rid herself of any mental disorders she may have, provided they arent the result of mental Taint. These benefits
carry over into a Q Mng stylists social life, as superfluous
exertions are curtailed and conflicts are reduced.
The other benefits of practicing Q Mng stem from the
freedom from the threat of developing Taint and its associated aberrations, particularly the mental disorders. Without
that particular sword of Damocles hanging over them, Q
Mng stylists may interact with baseline humans and society
in general with little or no difficulties imposed by their own
powers. As sane novas who will reliably remain so, they can
work with governments, businesses and any other baseline
organizations as is desired and/or necessary. This state of
affairs is also highly conducive to Q Mng stylists getting
married and starting families.

What are the teachings and values

of Q Mng?
The philosophy of Q Mng can be boiled down to three
basic ideals: harmonious balance, realism and wisdom.
Sometimes jokingly referred to as the Three Diamonds
by Q Mng stylists when in the presence of outsiders to
confuse eavesdroppers, these ideals will shape this Combat
Style for centuries to come.
As one can guess from its description, attaining a harmonious balance is the first basic ideal of Q Mng. This
ideal is applied globally to all aspects of the stylists self physical, mental, social, Telluric and otherwise - which leads
to a remarkably improved state of personal health and
peace of mind. It also leads to the stylist learning to not
only control the power and potential of being a nova, but
how to do so in ways which are less likely to damage himself
and his environment. This ideal is one reason (out of many)
why Q Mng stylists learn to detest Taint in themselves, as
they view it as disharmonious and unbalanced in the worst
of ways. Novas who are not Q Mng stylists are judged on
their individual merits, but those with high levels of permanent Taint are hardly ever considered trustworthy or even
safe to be around. This makes for touchy situations when
dealing with Terats, especially those who are devout believers in Teras. Lesser symptoms of imbalance suffered by
novas such as workaholism, excessive hedonism and addic-

118

tion are also reviled by Q Mng stylists as unhealthy and

self-destructive. Likewise, Q Mng does not condemn the
pleasures of life, as puritanism is also seen as a symptom of
imbalance. Moderation is the key to maintain balance and
avoid self-destructive extremes here.
The second basic ideal of Q Mng is attaining and
applying the perspective of realism to all things. The most
important subject of this ideal is the stylist himself, as he
must gain an accurate knowledge of his own capabilities
and limitations through serious analysis and healthy introspection before he can judge what he can accomplish and
what he cant. The stylist also comes to realize his self-worth;
as a person, as a nova, as a martial artist and in all the other
facets of his life. When this perspective is shifted to things,
other people and the world around him the stylist can see
them for what they really are, without the illusions of false
beliefs, propaganda, prejudices, wishful thinking, popular
lies and sentimentality to distort his judgment. This is especially important in the Nova Age, as deceptions and empty
rewards pose some of the greatest threats that a nova will
face. In this way a stylist can shed any unrealistic expectations for good or ill that he may have of other people (nova
and baseline) and the institutions they have created. Q
Mng stylists know if something (and someone) is or isnt
worthy of their attention, their time, their effort and even
their own lives. That last price is considered feasible in only
the direst circumstances, as the needless and/or wasted
sacrifice of ones lifemuch less those of a stylists loved
onesis despised as the act of an utter fool.
The third basic ideal of Q Mng is attaining wisdom,
which it defines as having both accurate knowledge and the
skill to use it effectively. Inherent common sense is one facet
of this ideal, but the others must be developed to progress in
mastering Q Mng. Too many people are burdened with all
kinds of foolishness, ignorance, irrationality and general stupidity, with some hopeless people even prizing those faults
as valuable. The general human populace has always suffered from those problems, but they seem to have become
especially noticeable in the early Nova Age. As a nova and
especially as a student of Q Mng, the stylist must excise
as much of those burdens as is possible from his psyche in
order to achieve mastery in the Combat Style. With good
judgment, the ability to find solutions and the means to discover hidden truths, Q Mng stylists can survive and prosper when others see only bleakness and despair.

Why do highly-Tainted novas and

elevated Terats find the Q Mng
stylists disturbing?
In terms of noetic science, a nova with any level of per-

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manent Taint has developed a serious imbalance between
her quantum and noetic energies. As that imbalance
increases it leads to distortion of the noetic component of
her quantum matrix, which is commonly known as Taint.
By that point the nova will have become accustomed to
her own Taint (and that of her fellow unfortunates) and will
regard it as what is normal for her. This becomes a problem when such warped novas encounter a Q Mng stylist,
whose atypical harmony between his quantum and noetic
energies will seem wrong to the highly-Tainted nova. Combined with the existing problems that Tainted novas have
with novas who are less Tainted than themselves, any social
interaction will be troubled at best. The situation is somewhat different with elevated Terat novas, who have undergone the Chrysalis. Although they share the same instinctual
response to a Q Mng stylist that highly-Tainted novas
experience, such Terats will sometimes find Q Mng stylists
offensive for ideological reasons. If an elevated Terat sees
Teras as something that all novas should embrace, then he
will find the philosophy of Q Mng offensive in the extreme.

Can spreading Q Mng out into the

world at large prevent the Aberrant
War?
This depends largely on the tone the Storyteller has
established for your Aberrant chronicle. If the canon metaplot has been tossed out the window in favor of another
predetermined outcome or a freeform timeline, then the
spread of Q Mng instruction could potentially have a dramatic impact on the future of the Nova Age. By retarding
the spread of Taint accumulation, a larger fraction of the
nova populace could manage to attain relatively normal
lives and produce larger numbers of True 2ndGen nova offspring. With fewer Taint-mad novas to be dealt with, the
Aberrant War could plausibly be prevented before it breaks
out into a global conflict. Achieving that goal will not be
easy by any means, but it is possible.
If the canon metaplot is adhered to closely in your Aberrant chronicle, then the existence of the Q Mng stylists
will not prevent the Aberrant War from breaking out. In the
conflicts to come, the Q Mng stylists will more than likely
either be too few to directly alter the major course of events
or lacking in the raw quantum power to personally intervene in the coming quantum battles. Even so, they will still
have the ability to alter the little events and circumstances
which are usually overlooked from the historical viewpoint.
The future history of the Aberrant War may be inevitable on
a grand scale, but its in the small forgotten details where
things can still be changed for the better.

If the Aberrant War cant be

stopped, how else will the practice of
Q Mng affect the canon metaplot?
It wont, at least not in any of the obvious ways. Many
novas will still become increasingly Tainted and nova-baseline relations will begin to break down. Project Utopias reputation will decline considerably and the Teragen will still
become a dictatorship ruled by Divis Mal after the Night
of Long Knives. If the Q Mng stylists wish to live through
the coming global conflict and see their Combat Style and
loved ones do the same, they will have to pick their battles
carefully and play to their strengths.

How can the Q Mng stylists survive, much less prosper?

As they are incapable of growing in power quickly
through either Taint accumulation or undergoing the Chrysalis, Q Mng stylists must play to their strengths: their sanity,
an unimpeded ability to socialize and work with baseline
humans and an accurate view of themselves and the world
they live in. With those advantages a stylist can easily establish and maintain fruitful long-term beneficial relationships
with those people and institutions who can be trusted and
are worth associating with, while avoiding those who cant
be trusted and arent worth the stylist becoming involved
with. When coupled with her own nova capabilities, a Q
Mng stylist can operate in baseline society like few other
novas will be able to in the coming decades.

How will Q Mng stylists interact

with baselines and their society?
On a personal basis, Q Mng stylists will interact fairly
well with most baselines due to their lacking the burdens
imposed by Taint. On the other hand they will still have to
deal with the effects of having Mega-Attributes and quantum powers, which will change their viewpoint and thinking
in ways that are startlingly different from that of baselines.
Provided that the stylists smooth over any unnecessary conflicts that will arise from that basic difference, cordial relationships with baselines can be maintained without difficulty.
If Q Mng stylists have useful Abilities for this arena,
they have the potential to form mutually beneficial (and
highly profitable) relationships in the business world. Big
business dances to the tune of economic forces, and while
everyone - nova and baseline alike - is seen as a resource
from that viewpoint, its also true that working a non-replaceable worker to death is stupid, illegal and will lose money.
As long as a Q Mng stylist limits herself to working for
companies which are trustworthy and not inclined toward

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employee abuse, she can do extremely well for herself and
her associates. Any company that is foolish enough to mistreat the stylist can be abandoned at a moments notice,
which can be disastrous for said business if the stylist was
personally responsible for billions of dollars worth of their
profits. This can also give a stylist serious leverage within
a company, allowing her to get obstructive people fired
even top executives if need bewith minimal effort. Add in
the fact that qualified nova employees tend to be drawn to
one another, and its clear just how important they can be to
a companys well-being. If a company does well by its nova
employees, it will reap immense profits. Mistreatment of
those novas will lead to them seeking gainful employment
elsewhere, resulting in immense loss of profits and possibly
the companys demise.
Baseline governments are a different matter where Q
Mng stylists are concerned. Unscrupulous baseline politicians are going to see an incredible opportunity for political
gain in promoting the mistreatment of novas and they will
exploit it. Baseline resentment, fear and jealousy of novas
will ensure that those efforts receive considerable popular
support. This will typically take the form of special laws
to restrict the legal rights of and opportunities available to
novas, none of which will be palatable to the Q Mng stylists. As a result of this, Q Mng stylists will tend to be somewhat nomadic as far as their residency and will have plans
for making quick emigrations should their current nation
of residence become overly restrictive of novas. Instead of
establishing ties with a government that could turn on them
when deemed convenient, the stylists will tend to rely more
on their business connections to retain control over their
lives and livelihoods.

Who is the Sifu?

Thats a good question, especially as there is so little
that is known about this person. As the creator and founding
master of Q Mng, the Sifu is clearly one of the great martial
arts masters of the Nova Age, and is definitely Mega-Intelligent, Mega-Perceptive and Mega-Witty as well. The Sifus
language and accent points at a probable origin in Tibet
or Western China. The Sifu is also a very savvy and crafty
individual with a deep knowledge of both Taoist philosophy
and human nature, and operates out of a very secure and
hidden abandoned monastery unknown to anyone else since
the 1700s. Finally, the Sifu can ensure that only those who
deserve to find him or her will do so, which will involve a
Quest for the Master such as those found in uncounted
martial arts tales and movies.
Unfortunately, its also the wrong question. A better
question is this: beyond the rough outline provided above,
who do you need the Sifu to be in order to suit your tastes

120

and the tone of your Aberrant chronicle? An erupted

Tibetan Buddhist monk or nun whose religious background
formed the basis for new capabilities? A former peasant who
lost his or her family to the genocide committed by the PRC
Army? A former PRC soldier guilty of that same genocide,
who now seeks some form of redemption by teaching Q
Mng to worthy novas? A recent Chinese immigrant to Tibet
who couldnt stomach the atrocities committed against the
Tibetan people? Someone with completely different circumstances than whats been proposed so far? There is no one
correct answer to this question. Instead, feel free to decide
what kind of person would work best as the Sifu in your
Aberrant chronicle and run with it. One suggestion: The
Storyteller should always feel free to subvert the players preconceived ideas and preferences as to the the Sifus exact
identity and even his or her personality. Are they expecting
to find an aged Tibetan monk whose teaching methods and
ideas on proper social conduct are straight out of the 19th
Century? Imagine their surprise when at the end of their
quest to find the Sifu, they instead find an energetic and gorgeous Chinese party girl who would like nothing better than
to shop for the latest fashions in Paris, go clubbing in Ibiza
and cause a dozen tabloid scandals in the process. Are they
expecting the Sifu to be acting out of altruism or a desire
for worthwhile martyrdom? Imagine their shock when they
discover that the Sifus motivation for teaching and spreading Q Mng is nothing more than a desire for wealth, lasting
fame or even doing so just for the sheer hell of insulting the
Teragen en masse. Do they imagine that the Sifu is an ethical and honorable person? Spring a less-than-ethical version
of the Sifu on them and watch as they struggle to fulfill her
demands without heading down the primrose path themselves. The possibilities are limited only by the preferences
and tolerance levels of the Storyteller and her players.

What are the Sifus plans and goals?

Whatever the base motivation behind it, the Sifu currently has only one main goal in life: to ensure that Q Mng
will be taught to as many worthy nova students as possible
for many centuries to come. This overarching feat must rest
on a foundation of smaller goals, described below.
1: Find worthy novas to become prospective students, then start them on their quest to find you.
Learning Q Mng is not for casual hobbyists or reckless fools. The best martial artists tend to approach their
chosen Combat Styles as a lifetime occupation, and thats
exactly what is required to master Q Mng. Only novas
who are motivated enough to devote a large portion of
their lives to the practice of Q Mng can hope to master
it. Even so, novas given to recklessness and/or other foolish

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behavior cannot be trusted to use the capabilities granted
by Q Mng wisely. This is the main reason for the quest
to find the Sifu: any fools among the prospective students
must be weeded out and removed before the quest is finished. Given that said quest will involve trekking through
the Peoples Republic of China and/or Tibet, this will not be
difficult. Within China itself there are many ways for a foolish nova to meet an untimely end. The Chinese authorities
are just as corrupt as ever in the Nova Age (if not more so)
and can call in the PRC Army when needed. Truly unlucky
fools might find themselves facing off against the Heavenly
Exploding Mandate or the Heaven Thunder Triad. Things
are little better in Tibet, which is still an active hot spot for
international conflict in 2015 and is likely to remain so. In
addition to the aforementioned Chinese threats, insurgents
and agents from India, Pakistan and Project Utopia can all
be encountered if one is idiotic enough to draw their attention. Either way, as long as the fools are removed from the
worthy students, their exact fate has little relevance.
2: Train the first students to a full mastery of Q
Mng, who can then train the next students.
For a newly-created Combat Style to survive and hopefully thrive, the first group of students must not only become
proficient in it, they must also be able to teach it to their
own students in turn and repeat the cycle. Q Mng is no
different from any other Combat Style in this requirement.
For this reason, the Sifu will put any students through years
of intensive training, seeking to make each one into a viable
substitute for the Sifu. Martial arts schools that limit themselves to a single possible successor risk dying out mere
decades or even years after being founded. Aside from
ensuring that at least one student will survive to carry Q
Mng to the next generation, having multiple full masters of
Q Mng means that the Combat Style has the potential to
spread to hundreds of novas, given the right circumstances.
3: Ensure that any knowledge of the existence of the
school, its students and Q Mng itself remains poorly
known at best if not unknown as far as outsiders are concerned.
Whatever the Sifu may turn out to be in your Aberrant chronicle, one thing he or she certainly is not is a fool.
The Sifu knows full well that if news of this new micro-faction of novas were to become common knowledge, the
Q Mngschool would be seen by the major nova factions
and baseline governments as just another group of novas to
either control, destroy or manipulate to their own ends. The
Sifu would also be targeted for death by extremists among
the Teragen - if not the faction as a whole - due to how
offensive they will find the teachings of Q Mng to be. For
these reasons, Q Mng stylists are forbidden to speak of the

Sifu, the school and the capabilities of Q Mng to any outsider who isnt herself in the process of becoming a student
of Q Mng. Even this Combat Styles name was chosen by
the Sifu with this in mind. As q mng is a generic Chinese term for enlightenment, it can easily be confused
with all other references to that term, which is handy given
that East Asias cultures are literally drenched with all sorts
of references to enlightenment and have been for millennia. Attempts by outsiders to track down this Combat Style
should hopefully be like trying to find a single needle in several hundred fields worth of haystacks. The Sifu also knows
that all this secrecy and misdirection cannot be relied on to
keep the Q Mng school and its students safe indefinitely.
Instead, its intended to buy the Sifu as much time as possible to train the Q Mng stylists up to full mastery, so that
the school can survive the Sifus death. As far as the Sifu is
concerned, its not a matter of if outsiders will seek his or her
death - its a matter of when.

What does the future hold for the

Sifu and the Q Mng stylists?
This depends on how closely your Aberrant chronicle
hews to the canon metaplot. If the Storyteller is keeping
the timeline in accordance with it, then the biggest event
to come will be the death of the Sifu. Eventually, some Terat
novas are going to discover the existence of the Q Mng
stylists and will learn something of the philosophy behind
their Combat Style. Depending on their individual attitudes
and preferences, some might decide to sit on the information but most will pass it on to the Teragen Pantheon. When
that happens a hostile reaction to this bit of news is guaranteed, with only the size of the Teragens response being
in question. The most likely consequence is for Teragen
extremists to attempt to assassinate the Sifu sometime from
2029 to 2039. Whether the assassination is successful or if
the Terats have to engage the Sifu in a full-blown quantum
battle instead, the result is the same. The Sifu is doomed,
although it will be something of a Pyrrhic victory for the Terat
assassins. With the Sifus death, the (futile) hope for peaceful
nova/baseline co-existence on Earth that Q Mng engendered among most who knew of it will also perish. That
said, the style will certainly not die with the Sifu, despite the
Terats best efforts.
The Q Mng stylists, by then having attained full mastery as intended, will carry on the school and the practice
of Q Mng without the Sifus guidance. Although they will
manage to escape the Teragens notice by entering lucrative
positions in the business world, the Q Mng stylists (and their
loved ones) are certain to join one or more of the relatively
sane and non-Tainted nova factions that will organize covert
extrasolar colonization efforts well before the Aberrant War

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finally breaks out in 2049. Once out among the nova colony
worlds, the Q Mng stylists will finally be able to practice
and teach their Combat Style openly as they never could
and likely will never be able toback on Earth.
If the canon metaplot has been discarded, what was
stated above will simply not apply and can be ignored,
although an attack by Teragen extremists on the Sifu is still
possible. The only difference in this case is that the Terats
success is by no means assured and could have serious
consequences for the Teragen as a whole. Whether or not
the Q Mng stylists and their school come out into the open
or remain hidden from public view is also up to the Storyteller and the circumstances of your Aberrant chronicle.

Expanded Weapons Listings

Most melee weapons found worldwide differ very little
in functionality from each other, and can be represented
with the basic listings found on p. 274 of the Aberrant core
book. What follows are only the most notable exceptions to
that rule, both the variant forms of standard weapons and
some others that have not been covered to date. The individual definitions below are grouped by either their region
of origin or category.

Universal
Bolas: Usually thrown to trip up animals (and people)
fleeing on foot, this weapon consists of at least two weights
connected by knotted cords. Treat this as a Sweep maneuver (Aberrant core book p. 245). In a pinch, it can also be
used as a makeshift flail.
Fist load: Any weapon intended to increase the damage
caused by the users punching fist. Examples include brass
knuckles, the Japanese tekko and the Roman cestus. Most
fist loads are blunt and will inflict Bashing damage, but variants with spikes and small blades do exist and will inflict
Lethal damage. Combination fist load/knives are also
common and include the Indian bagh nakh, the Japanese
tekagi-shuko, fighting gloves with spikes and/or claws and
certain varieties of the trench knife. The former three inflict
Lethal damage as fist loads, while the latter inflicts Bashing
damage as a fist load.
Garrote: Any tough cloth, leather cord, rope or wire that
can be used to strangle a human to death, using Strength
+ Melee as the dice pool for the Strangle maneuver (see p.
84 of this book). The Thuggee were infamous for using silk
kerchiefs with a coin inside to kill their victims. Most garrotes inflict Strength +1 Bashing damage, but those made
from wire or similar tough materials inflict Strength +2 Lethal
damage.
Greatsword: Ranging from the Japanese o-dachi to the
Scottish claymore, this category covers all of the truly large

122

two-handed swords. A minimum Strength of 3 is needed to

wield one of these blades, with Strength 5 needed to wield
it with just one hand.
Hatchet: This small axe can be used to chop at a target
or be thrown at one.
Mace: An unbalanced war club with a large head
designed to crush a target. Smooth headed maces have
been made since the Stone Age, while metal versions
are used in several Chinese martial arts. Spiked or flange
headed metal maces from Europe were intended to breach
the plate armor of medieval knights.
Machete: Any short chopping sword thats typically
used to clear away inconvenient plants, either in a farmers
field or the wilderness.
Spear: Dating from human prehistory, this ancient
weapon is still in use today by many cultures worldwide and
is likely to remain so for many centuries to come.
Trident: A weaponized three-pronged fishing spear
used in ancient Rome and India. Very useful for trapping
a foes weapon between the prongs to disarm him. The
prongs of a trident are often barbed, making the weapon
inflict an additional (initial damage taken / 2, rounded up)
Health Levels of Lethal damage when yanked out of a targets flesh. Safely extracting a tridents prongs from a victim
without causing any further damage requires a Medicine
roll, which is made at -2 difficulties if basic surgical equipment is available.
Whip: A long weapon typically made from tough
braided leather, popular among circus performers, pulpinfluenced adventurers and S/M enthusiasts. Skilled users
can use a whip to perform tricks such as snapping around
corners and grabbing light items out of a foes hands. Whips
can also be used to entangle a target, treat this as a hold
(Aberrant core book, p. 244) using Dexterity + Melee as the
dice pool. The typical whip is about 5.5 meters in length,
although shorter versions are sometimes used.

Europe
Fencing Blades: Classical fencing (as opposed to the
modern sport version) employs three different types of
swords, two of which are heavily specialized. The foil and
epee are thrusting weapons with sharp points and no edge
to speak of, with the foil being the lighter of the two. The
saber is capable of both thrusting and cutting attacks. Foils
are notably light and fragile weapons, as they have a tendency to break when used to parry heavier weapons. When
a foil is used to successfully parry such a weapon, immediately roll one die. If the result is more than 3 + the number
of successes rolled for the parry, the foil snaps and becomes
useless. At the Storytellers discretion, fencers with high
levels of the Melee Ability (ratings of 4+ including Ability

BLOOD AND THUNDER

ABERRANT
Mastery) can raise the target number by 1 for each Melee
Ability dot above 3, reducing the chance of the foil breaking. In all other cases, fencing blades are treated as per the
standard sword (Aberrant core book, p. 274).
Hurlbat: A combination hatchet/knife weapon made
entirely of metal, with knife blades mounted opposite the
hatchet blade and at both ends of the handle. The idea was
that no matter how it was thrown, one blade would strike a
target and hopefully cause damage. Very popular in Europe
from the mid-15th to the mid-17th Centuries. Use the stats
for either knives or hatchets as appropriate (Storytellers
decision).
Stiletto: A small narrow-bladed knife with a thick crosssection. Originally meant for breaching the gaps in medieval
plate armor, this weapon has remained popular for its sheer
speed of attack and ease of concealment. This highly specialized stabbing weapon is a historical favorite of European
assassins, often poisoned and is not good for much except
killing people. Its specialized design grants the equivalent
of the Armor Piercing Extra (Aberrant core book p. 231)
when used against foes wearing artificial body armor.

Japan
Bisento: A larger and heavier version of the naginata,
historically used on the battlefield against cavalry.
Bokken: A wooden practice version of the katana,
which can still prove deadly in skilled hands. Also called
bokuto.
Kama: A weaponized hand sickle originally used to harvest rice. Has a straight pointed blade thats usually sharpened only on the inside edge.
Kanabo: Also known as the tetsubo, this is a twohanded heavy war club that only the strongest warriors
could use. Historically made of oak wood and shod with
studded iron or steel on the business end, this weapon was
often associated with the oni of Japanese myth as a sign of
their superhuman strength.
Katana: The traditional long sword of the samurai.
Kusari-gama: A combination weapon consisting of a
kama with an attached fighting chain. Typically the chain is
first used with the Hold maneuver to entangle a target, who
is then finished off with the kama blade.
Naginata: A staff-length pole weapon with a swordlike
blade head. Historically a weapon of the samurai, the naginata is now seen as a womans weapon in modern Japan.
The nagamaki is a variant with a shorter staff but is otherwise
identical in its capabilities.
Ninja-to: While its unknown if historical ninja ever
used this sword, modern Taijutsu stylists are certain to have
developed it into a functional weapon. It is a straight bladed
single-edged shortsword with a thick handle. Some Taijutsu

stylists claim that the blade is tough enough to serve as a

makeshift pick and a stepladder for physically lightweight
users, while others claim that they were of inferior quality to
other Japanese blades. The scabbard can also function as
a blowpipe and primitive snorkel, and may have compartments for storing handy little things such as garrotes and
doses of blinding powder.
No-dachi: A shorter version of the o-dachi greatsword,
essentially a katana that is 1.5 meters long.
Nunchaku: A weaponized agricultural threshing flail
for rice, consisting of two lengths of hard wood joined by a
short cord or chain. Often used in pairs.
Sai: A three-tined metal fighting club with a long central
spike between two jutting side hooks for catching weapons
such as swords. Disarm attempts using sai reduces the difficulty by two. Historically made with sharp points, modern
versions are also made with blunt tips. Often used in pairs.
The bladed sai made popular in martial arts cinema can be
considered knives as per p. 274 of the Aberrant core book.
Shikomi-zue: A combination staff weapon popularly
associated with ninja, but used by anyone in feudal Japan
who needed to carry a weapon discreetly. Appearing as a
simple wooden or bamboo walking stick, the concealed
weapon could be drawn very quickly when trouble was at
hand. The most well-known version had a concealed sword
blade functionally identical to the katana. Other versions
had other retractable weapons such as spear heads, large
hooks (treat as doing spear damage) and fighting chains.
Some could also carry smoke bombs or other packets of
fine powder used in combat by ninja. Treat as staffs, katanas,
spears, or fighting chains as appropriate.
Shinai: A practice katana made of bamboo strips,
developed in Japans Edo period by swordsmen who considered the number of injuries caused by practicing with
bokken unacceptable. While it inflicts less damage than the
bokken, shinai with splintered or damaged bamboo strips
can still cause serious injury.
Shuriken: Japanese throwing spikes (bo shuriken) and
stars (hira shuriken or shaken). Popularly associated with historical ninja but also used by samurai, they were considered
a secondary weapon although they could kill a foe in the
hands of a sufficiently skilled user. Shuriken can be thrown in
groups easily, with each additional shuriken adding +1 difficulties to the attack roll and +1 die of damage, treat this as
a single attack. Shuriken could also be used to deliver fatal
doses of poison or tetanus bacteria.
Tonfa: Originally a weaponized millstone handle, now a
side-handled wooden or metal war club. Reduces the difficulty of Block attempts by -1, can be used to Block weapons
safely. Often used in pairs by martial artists. The modern
side-handled baton used by First World police officers is a
direct descendant of the tonfa and uses the same stats. The

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123

ABERRANT
bladed tonfa - a double-headed straight sword blade with
a side handle - is considered a sword as per p. 274 of the
Aberrant core book.
Wakizashi: A shortsword variant of the katana and its
traditional companion weapon. Very similar to the kodachi
shortsword permitted to non-samurai in feudal Japan. Both
weapons have the same stats, despite the kodachi having a
longer, more curved blade than the wakizashi.

China
Butterfly sword: A short single edged blade, used
mainly to hack and chop other people into bits. It also has a
short hook at the back that can catch the hafts of staff weapons. Often used in pairs.
Hook sword: A martial arts sword popular among many
Chinese combat stylists. The blade curves at the tip into a
large sharpened hook and has a crescent moon shaped
blade for a guard for the handle. The butt of the hilt typically has a small stabbing blade. Very handy for disarming
or tripping foes (+ 1 die on Disarm and Sweep manuevers),
often used in pairs.
Meteor hammer: An ancient Chinese weapon, the
modern version consists of two spherical weights connected
by two to three meters of rope or chain. Easily concealed
and very quick, a meteor hammer is very difficult to defend
against due to its unpredictability (+1 difficulties to the
targets Defensive maneuvers). Using the weapon requires
swinging it around the body to build up speed - often briefly
wrapping itself around the users neck, limbs, torso or waist
in the process - before being unwrapped by a strong jerk
of the users body. This results in the meteor hammer flying
toward the target in a lightning-fast strike from any angle
the user desires. Having two heads lets it be used to attack
and defend at the same time. Skilled users can easily use a
meteor hammer to strike, ensnare or strangle a target from
a distance.
Monks spade: A weaponized shovel developed by
Buddhist monks in Old China, this double headed staff
weapon has a flat spadelike blade at one end and a smaller
crescent-shaped blade at the other. Historically associated
with the monks of the Shaolin Temple.
Rope dart: A close cousin of the meteor hammer, this is
a smooth metal throwing spike attached to a 4- to 5-meter
long rope, allowing the user to retrieve it after a throw. This
weapon is extremely hard to predict in the hands of a skilled
user, as the rope dart can attack the target from many different angles with almost no warning (+1 difficulties to the
targets Defensive maneuvers). Related weapons include
the dragon beard hook and the flying claws, which can also
snag or literally grab a target to be reeled in. Aside from
having 10 meter long ropes and allowing the use of the

124

Hold Maneuver, the latter weapons have no major difference in game mechanics from the rope dart.
Three section staff: This larger Chinese sibling of the
nunchaku consists of three 50-centimeter long rods linked
by short chains. It can be used at full length like a flail or
folded as a club against closer targets. Skilled users gain +1
die on all attempts to use the Weapon Block and Disarm
maneuvers with this weapon.
War fan: A version of the Chinese folding fan made of
iron or steel, the use of which spread to Korea and Japan
(where its known as gunsen or tessen) in historical times.
Used by battlefield commanders as a symbol of authority, a means of signalling during combat, a handy backup
weapon and a means of cooling themselves. Most war fans
were blunt weapons, but a few had sharpened spoke tips to
pierce or slash an enemy. Both kinds could be used to parry
attacks with arrows, swords, spears and naginata.
Wind-fire wheel: A steel ring approximately 45 centimeters in diameter, with one quarter-arc padded and fitted
with a crossguard to serve as a grip. The opposite and adjacent arcs have flame-shaped blades protruding from them;
which can be used to harm a target, parry his attacks and
catch his weapons. Typically used in pairs.

India
Chakram: A steel or brass throwing ring with a sharpened outer edge, which is thrown by twirling it on the blunt
inner edge with a finger. Nearly all actual chakram are been
designed to act as airfoils, allowing them to be thrown
for long distances and in windy conditions without being
deflected. (Wind-based penalties for chakram attacks are
reduced by 3.) Sizes range from thirteen to thirty centimeters in diameter. Developed by the Sikhs in historical India
for use against the Moghuls, this weapon remains in use by
Sikhs and others influenced by them. For obvious reasons,
chakram cannot be thrown in groups the way shuriken can.
Urumi: Also known as the chuttuval and the Indian
whip-sword, this is a sword with a blade that can cut flesh
yet is still flexible enough to be coiled tightly. The blade
itself ranges from 120 to 165 centimeters in length and nineteen to twenty-five millimeters in width. While some urumi
are single bladed, many will have anywhere from two to
four blades. While the urumi is very useful as an easily concealed weapon and against multiple opponents, it can also
be very dangerous to use. Botching an attack roll with an
urumi means that it will strike the user instead of the target!
A coiled urumi must be straightened before it can be used,
which requires the user to twirl it around his body, usually in a
vertical plane. Historically associated with Kalaripayit stylists,
who reserve instruction in urumi use for their best students
due to the difficulties of using it without harming oneself.

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ABERRANT
Improvised
Bangstick: Developed as an anti-shark weapon for
divers, this weapon consists of a sealed 12-gauge shotgun
shell housed within a 60 centimeter collapsible metal rod.
To use it, all one has to do is jam the muzzle end into the
target. A firing pin within the rod strikes the shotgun shell,
which blasts directly into the target. Botching with a bangstick inflicts its damage on the user, possibly blowing off his
hand if three or more Health Levels of damage are taken.
Bangsticks work equally well in air and water, but as one
shot weapons are somewhat limited. At the Storytellers discretion, a spent bangstick may be sturdy enough to be used
as a club.
Bottle: Your average glass bottle, which can be used
once as a blunt weapon before breaking. Depending on
how it breaks, a fortunate user might find herself with the
following item...
Broken bottle: Specifically, a bottle with enough of a
sharp edge to inflict damage and enough of it left intact for
the would-be user to grip it safely. Its still very fragile, as it
will break completely after three blows to a soft target or
just one against a hard target. Botching means the bottle
breaks in the users hand and cuts it, possibly quite badly.
Chainsaw: A favorite of lumberjacks and horror movie
aficionados, this power tool is loud, clumsy, does lots of
damage and will terrify baseline opponents. Botching will
result in the chain breaking - and possibly damaging the
user if its an older model - which makes the chainsaw useless as a cutting tool until it is repaired.

Chair: Another favorite of the barroom brawl, used to

club ones foes. As furniture isnt really made for use as a
weapon, it will break after three blows are made with it.
Human body: Inevitably, some Mega-Strong novas will
come up with the bright idea of using another adult person
- hopefully someone who merits such abuse - as an improvised weapon. Aside from the shock value of seeing the
nova use another human in this manner, theres not much
in the way of benefits to this tactic. Baseline human bodies
dont make for very durable clubs, theyre too flexible (unless
the victim has been paralyzed beforehand) and theyre not
effective against anything much tougher than other humans.
After each successful strike, both the novas target and his
unwilling weapon will have to check for damage. In the rare
case of a nova being used in this manner, his utility as a club
will depend on his weight, size and Soak ratings.
Pool cue: These can be used as makeshift and seriously
lightweight staffs, and will break after two blows.

Paired Weapons
Several of the weapons described above are noted as being
used in pairs. This grants a slight advantage when using pairs
of the weapons in questions in multiple actions, as a character
doing so gains one additional die for each attack or parry. The
price for this is a loss of one die from the dice pool for the first
action and two dice from the dice pool for the second.

BLOOD AND THUNDER

125

ABERRANT
Weapon

Damage

Str Min

Str Max

Conceal

Mass

Special

Bisento

+5L

Mega 1

5.5 kg

Bokken

+5B

Mega 1

1.5 kg

8d10L

1 kg

Bottle

+2B

0.5 kg

Broken bottle

+2L

0.5 kg

Butterfly sword

+4L

Mega 1

1 kg

Chainsaw

+7L

6 kg

Bangstick

Chair

+3B

2+ kg

Fist load:

+2B or L

0.25-0.5 kg

Garrote

+1B/+2L

5/Mega 1

negligible

+7L

3/5

Mega 2

3 kg

Greatsword
Hatchet

+3L

Mega 1

1.5 kg

Hook sword

+5L

Mega 1

1.5 kg

Human body

+4B

Mega 1

avg. 45 kg

Kama

+2L

1 kg

Kanabo

+8B

Mega 1

16 kg

Katana

+5L

Mega 1

2 kg

Kusari-gama

+2L

Mega 1

2 kg

Mace

+5B

2 kg

Machete

+3L

1.5 kg

Meteor hammer

+4B

1 kg

Monks spade

+5L

3 kg

Naginata

+4L

3 kg

Ninja-to

+4L

Mega 1

1.5 kg

No-dachi

+6L

Mega 1

3 kg

Nunchaku

+4B

1 kg

Pool cue

+2B

0.5 kg

Rope dart

+3L

2.25 kg

Sai

+5B

Mega 1

1.5 kg

Shinai

+1B

0.4 to 0.5 kg

Spear

+3L

2 kg

Stiletto

+2L

0.1 kg

Three section staff

+5B

2.25 kg

Tonfa

+4B

0.7 kg

Trident

+5L

2.25 kg

Wakizashi

+3L

Mega 1

1.5 kg

+1B or L

0.45 kg

Whip

+2L

2 kg

Wind-fire wheel

+3L

Mega 1

0.5 kg

Urumi

+3L

Mega 1

2 kg

War fan

Special: Weapons marked with a Y have a special quality detailed in the relevant definition, those marked N do not.

126

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ABERRANT

Masterwork Weapons
Although their utility in the early 21st Century has been
overshadowed by the sheer power of the novas, the value of
weapons created by master craftsmen is still recognized by
the knowledgeable. This has reached new heights as some
novas have not only attained master craftsmanship but
have created weapons of extraordinary quality the likes of
which have never been known outside of myth. Masterwork
weapons are hand-crafted, typically using traditional methodsespecially in the case of weapons such as katanas
as some aspects of the craft involved cannot be replicated
with modern techniques. Nova craftsmen are nothing if not
resourceful however, and can create masterwork weapons
with advanced techniques and/or materials where appropriate.
In the Nova Age, masterwork weapons come in four
categories.
Minor masterworks are those weapons of exceptional
craftsmanship and near-perfect balance, which may be created by any craftsman of sufficient skill and resources. They
add one die to their strike accuracy and may be bought on
the open market at a Resources cost of one to two dots
higher than their common counterparts. These can also be
considered one-dot Devices in terms of that Background.
True masterworks represent the pinnacle of baseline
weapon craftsmanship - such as a Masamune katana - and
mark the greatest craftsmen known to history. These rarities add two dice to their strike accuracies and one die to
all other Melee maneuvers made with them. If such weapons are available for purchase at all, their cost will be three
Resources dots higher than normal at a minimum. They can
also be considered four-dot Devices.
Great masterworks are weapons of literally superhuman craftsmanship, as it takes Inspired master craftsmen to
produce them. These items add three dice to their strike
accuracies and two dice to all other Melee maneuvers made
with them. Creating a weapon of this caliber requires an
Inspired weaponsmith to have Ability Mastery (Adventure!
core book p. 138) in Engineering with the Weaponsmithing specialty, with additional requirements varying with the
Inspiration type. Daredevils must also have the Gadgeteer
Knack (Adventure! core book p. 158). Psions must have four
dots in any of the Psychokinetic Modes or two dots in the
Transmutation Mode of Quantakinesis. Novas must have
at least one dot of Mega-Intelligence. As the equivalent
of five-dot Devices these weapons can command obscene
prices, but almost never are sold on the open market.
Epic masterworks are examples of craftsmanship that
only novas are capable of creating. Weapons of this magnitude add four dice to their strike accuracies and three dice
to all other Melee maneuvers made with them. These weap-

ons are the equivalent of five-dot Devices with the Artifact

Background Enhancement (Adventure! core book p. 149150) and are practically impossible to purchase. Local governments of the nation in which such items were made are
fond of declaring them national treasures, to be stored in
either a heavily defended repository or the most prestigious
of historical museums.
Masterwork items require high levels of skill and
extended periods of time to create. The Storyteller has full
discretion as to what extended means and whether or not
that time can be reduced by way of the Fast Tasks enhancement and similar capabilities. Creating minor masterworks
requires 6+ dice (minimum Ability of 3) and 6 successes.
True masterworks require 10+ dice (minimum ability of 5)
and 10 successes to create. Great masterworks require 11+
dice (minimum ability of 6 or 5 with a relevant Knack, power
or Mega-Attribute) and 20 successes. The creation of epic
masterworks requires the Storytellers permission in addition to whatever other restrictions she chooses to impose.
Depending on her individual preferences, the creation of
epic masterwork weapons might be limited to nova master
weaponsmiths with Mega-Intelligence 5, Mega-Intelligence
1 or (at the extreme) even a twinked-out stalwart master
weaponsmith from the Adventure! Era who has several
years of uninterrupted free time on his hands.
When attempting to create a masterwork weapon,
the quality of the raw material and available tools has to
be taken into account. For this reason most master weaponsmiths will go out of their way to acquire the best of
both, with the only limitations being availability and their
own level of Resources. If the weaponsmith is forced to use
substandard materials or tools in the creation attempt, the
Storyteller can inflict an additional difficulty penalty of +1 to
+3 to the Engineering roll as she sees fit. If the weaponsmith
is forced to make do with both substandard materials and
tools, the Storyteller can raise that penalty to +4 or higher
as desired.
It is possible for all but epic masterwork weapons to be
designed with radical new features in order to create a composite device. This is especially common with minor masterworks, as each additional feature raises the items Device
Background value by one dot.

Thrown and Ranged

Weapons
As with melee weapons, the following listings present
some of the more notable items that were not covered on
p. 274 of the Aberrant core book. Expanded listings for firearms can be found further on in this chapter.

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127

ABERRANT
with the Japanese hankyu being the
most notable. They have a shorter
range and are less powerful than
Range
Rate of
Weapon Damage
Conceal Mass Special
longbows, but may be used in tight
Multiplier
Fire
quarters and can be concealed with
Shuriken
+1L
x2
special*
P
5 grams
Y
moderate effort.
Chakram
+3L
x4
1
J
0.5 kg
Y
Bow, long: Any of the larger
Bolas
+3B
x3
1
J
1 kg
Y
bows used around the world, from
the African elephant bow to the
*: Shuriken can be thrown in groups easily - see the definition for details.
Japanese yumi. Aside from their
Range Multiplier: This is the factor by which the users base Throwing
traditional value, these bows are
range (see p. 236 of the Aberrant core book) is multiplied due to the weapons
lighter, shoot more quietly and are
aerodynamic design. Note this is cumulative with the effects of Mega-Strength.
easier to reload than modern compound bows. This is counterbalanced
Ranged Weapons
by their vulnerability to excessive
Blowpipe: Used historically and into the present day by humidity and aridity, and the fact that they are best kept
many cultures around the globe, this weapon is also used unstrung when not in use to avoid warping the bow. Characfor sport and the live capture of wildlife. Intelligence agents ters must have a minimum Strength of to use a longbow.
find it useful for discreetly dealing with inconvenient people.
Crossbow: Used in historical China and Europe,
Unfortunately, the blowpipe is pretty much useless in windy modern versions of this bolt tosser are still used by certain
conditions, rain and/or circumstances where the users vision armed forces and law enforcement agencies around the
is greatly impeded. Using a blowpipe requires a Dexterity + world. Aside from providing a more silent kill than firearms
Archery roll (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 87).
offer, crossbows are also popular for use against snipers and
Bow, compound: The dominant form of bow in the targets carrying explosives. They are also used to establish
United States since its patenting in 1966, constructed with aerial ropeslides for crossing difficult terrain.
modern materials and engineering. Notable for the extreme
Crossbow, pistol: Widely considered more the provstiffness of the limbs, which require the use of a pully system ince of hobbyists and target shooters than combatants,
at the limb ends to draw the bow. Combined with stabiliz- this small crossbow can still be effective in the right circumers and dampeners, this makes the compound bow highly stances. Aside from dispatching small game such as rabbits,
accurate and immune to many of the problems which can some assassins find it handy for quietly dealing with a target,
affect traditional bows.
especially if poisoned bolts are used. A few novas have
Bow, short: Any of the smaller bows found worldwide, developed forearm-mounted versions of it, some of which

Thrown Weapons

Ranged Weapons
Rate of
Conceal
Fire

Weapon

Accuracy

Damage

Range

Maneuvers

Mass

Blowpipe

+1

1L (max.)

20

n/a

0.5 kg

Bow, compound

+3

4L (variable)*

40

n/a

4 kg

Bow, long

+1

3L (variable)*

30

n/a

3 kg

Bow, short

+1

2L (variable)*

20

n/a

2 kg

Crossbow

+1

5L (variable)*

40

n/a

3 kg

Crossbow Pistol

+1

3L (variable)*

30

n/a

2 kg

Harpoon gun

+1

15L/10L+8L
explosive

40

n/a

50 kg

Sling

+1

+2B

10

n/a

0.25 kg

Speargun

+1

6L

30 (underwater)
/ 50 (in air)

n/a

1.75 kg

*: The damage ratings given are for arrows with standard hunting heads. Variant arrowheads will provide different
ratings as described below.

128

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ABERRANT
can not only fold up to be hidden under a wide sleeve, but
can fire with a simple thrust of the users arm.
Harpoon gun: This small cannon is used on modern
whaling ships, which have them mounted on the deck
Mega Strength is required to rip one free and use it.
Normal harpoon heads will inflict 15 Health Levels of Lethal
damage. The explosive tipped heads will inflict 10 Health
Levels of Lethal damage and will stick in the target if it takes
three or more Health Levels of damage. At the beginning of
the next turn, the harpoon head will inflict an additional 8
Health levels of Lethal damage the next turn from the explosion. As a specialized whaling weapon, all attempts to hit
human-sized targets with harpoon guns are made at a +2
difficulty penalty. The Heavy Weapons Ability is required to
use this weapon.
Sling: An ancient weapon found worldwide, consisting of a pouch with two attached cords. Popular in modern

times with survivalists (as a hunting tool and improvised

weapon) and rioters (who use it to deliver stones and/or
Molotov cocktails). Slinging requires only one rapid rotation before releasing the bullet, typically in an overhand or
underhand throw. While historical sling bullets were stone,
ceramic or lead, modern slingers will use large ball bearings
or whatever is at hand. The Throwing Ability is required to
use this weapon.
Speargun: This weapon uses rubber bands, compressed gas or a small explosive cartridge to fire a small
metal spear from its barrel. Mostly used for underwater
sportfishing or taking tissue samples from large marine animals such as whales, it can be used as a weapon when the
situation demands it. Spearguns will have a greater range
when used in air due to the lack of water resistance. The
Archery Ability is required to use this weapon.

Variant Arrowheads
Several cultures have developed specialized arrowheads and certain archery-obsessed novas have taken those efforts to
entirely new levels. What follows is a highlight of the most notable variant arrowheads.
Barbed: These nasty pieces of work are designed to embed themselves into a targets flesh, making their removal a tricky
procedure. Yanking a barbed arrowhead free from a targets flesh will automatically cause (initial damage taken / 2, rounded
up) Health Levels of Lethal damage. Removing a barbed arrowhead without causing the target any further damage requires a
Medicine roll, which is made at -2 difficulties if basic surgical equipment is available.
Blunt: These arrowheads inflict Bashing damage instead of Lethal, and are often used for target shooting and hunting small
game where penetration by a normal arrowhead would ruin the meat.
Frog Crotch: These Japanese arrowheads have a pair of blades in a U-, V- or Y-shape. While they inflict one less die of
damage than normal arrowheads, they grant an additional die on all attempts to sever ropes, cords and wires with an arrow shot.
Humming Bulb: Another arrowhead from Japan with a carved blunt wooden head. It inflicts two less dice of Blunt damage
than is normal, but air inlets in the head allow it to produce a very loud whistling sound to serve as an alarm or spook prey animals.
Piton: These arrowheads do one less die damage than is normal, but can bite into stone or concrete to act as the equivalent
of a modern rock-climbers piton. Treat them as having the Armor-Piercing Extra (Aberrant core book p. 231) against hard stone
and concrete.
Safety: Designed for use in combat reenactment, these arrowheads are not only blunt but are wide and/or padded as well.
Any damage caused by such arrows will only daze a target or render him unconscious. Details on dazed and unconscious
characters can be found on p. 249 of the Aberrant core book.
Trick: This broad category covers all the outrageous gimmick arrowheads used in the comics by superheroic and supervillainous archers. All trick arrowheads must be developed as super-science inventions - see the rules on pp. 143-148 of the Aberrant Players Guide or Chapter Five of the Adventure! core book, as suits your Storytellers preference. The vast majority of Trick
arrowheads are considered advancements in Adventure! terms, with only the truly implausible counted as Innovations.

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ABERRANT

Expanded Armor Listings

Despite the low opinion of artificial body armor and
other protective devices held by many novas, there will
always be some who beg to differ. Aside from novas who
value the modest protection offered by body armor, there
are also those who identify themselves with historical
armored warriors and will seek to emulate them. In several
cases, this has resulted in archaic armor designs being reinterpreted with Nova Age materials and engineering finesse.
What follows is a brief snapshot of the fruits of these efforts.

Advanced Archaics
Advanced Mail: This category covers the flexible
armors composed of many overlapping rigid pieces and
worn over quilted padding. Examples include ring mail,
scaled mail and the heavier varieties of chain mail. The rigid
scales, rings or chain links are typically made of advanced
steel or titanium alloys or high-strength polymers. The
quilted padding underneath is normally Kevlar.
Advanced Plate: Stereotypically thought of as the
European knights armor, the 21st Century version has

What About Authentic Archaic

Armors?
In the Nova Age, historically accurate body armors are the
province of museums, art collections, hobbyist combat reenactors and family heirlooms. No one in their right mind would
seriously consider wearing them in actual combat situations for
two very good reasons. The first is the fact that they provide
even less protection for their bulk than the commonly available
modern body armors (Aberrant core book p. 277). The second
and understandably more damning fact is that since they were
designed prior to the introduction of reliable firearms to the
battlefield, most archaic armors offer no protection at all from
modern firearms. Only the heaviest plate armors will offer even
a single dot of soak against modern firearms, which turns out to
be a mixed blessing. Archaic metal plate tends to breach inwards
from a bullet hole, making the resultant gunshot wound that
much more painful (+1 to dice pool penalties caused by pain) for
the hapless victim.

been redesigned to protect against firearm hits as well as

the blows from melee weapons. The armor plates cover
much of the users body, with modern chain mail used to
protect those areas which must remain flexible for the user
to move with moderate ease. A bodysuit of quilted Kevlar is
worn underneath, much as is done with the advanced mail
armors. Advanced plate armor is typically made from titanium for the sake of reduced weight.
Advanced Lacquered Plate: Never to be outdone by
the Europeans, several Japanese novas have developed
modernized versions of most of the various armor pieces
worn by feudal samurai. Historically these armors were
made of steel or iron plates laced together with leather
cords, then lacquered to protect against rust. The strips produced would then be laced together with silk cords. Later
versions did away with much of the lacings, as the metal
plates were riveted together. The 21st Century versions
use titanium plates with lacings of extremely strong polymer cord or lacquered Artificial Spider Silk (see pp. 40-41 of
this book). Most people wearing advanced lacquered plate
will also have the traditional kimono (with the sleeves tied)
and hakama underneath, although they will be made of the
same materials as reinforced clothing (Aberrant core book
p. 277) and a wicking bodysuit (see below) will be worn
under that. In most cases, only advanced versions of the domaru, haramaki-do and the many varieties of tosei-gusoku
will be created for combat use. Due to its specialized nature
as armor for warriors fighting from horseback, the o-yoroi
is considered too unwieldly for use in 21st Century combat
and is still relegated to the status of display armor.

Modern Armors
Anti-Shark Chain Mail: A full bodysuit of modern steel
or titanium chainmail, worn over a standard Neoprene wetsuit. While the standard version does protect the scuba
diver from the cutting damage inflicted by any shark smaller
than a Great White, many divers have suffered severe bruising and/or broken limbs from the force of a sharks bite. A
heavier version capable of protecting against Great White
sharks is available, which grants an additional 2 dots of

Super-Metals
Inevitably, a Storyteller will be faced with a player who wants his or her character to wield an item such as an indestructible
throwing shield. Fortunately, Storytellers have two options in replicating the exotic metals of comic book lore without having
them become yet another patented invention for the corporations to exploit. The first method is to treat a super-metal item as
a Gadget (Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 143-148), which can allow for all kinds of bizarre material properties up to and including near-indestructibility. The second method is to treat the super-metal as an advancement: a scientific achievement that will
take baseline scientists decadesif not centuriesbefore they can understand its properties fully and replicate it. There is no
reason why a nova hypergenius could not discover how to produce Element 114 - or any of the other missing trans-uranic
elementsa century early.

130

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ABERRANT
Lethal soak and has a cost of Resources . Unfortunately
no version of anti-shark chain mail can protect against firearm attacks. Commercially available.
Industrial Chain Mail: Commonly worn by slaughterhouse workers underneath their white coats and overalls to
literally protect themselves against the tools of their trade.
Provides no protection against firearm attacks. Commercially available.

makeshift ones ripped off from a bank vaults walls or a large

modern art piece - heavy enough to withstand bursts of
machine gun fire. A few Mega-Intelligent nova metallurgists
have developed radical new alloys that are almost as hard
to destroy as they are for baseline metallurgists to duplicate.
Heater Shield: This triangular shield is what most
people think of as the shield of the European knight. These
shields averaged roughly 70 centimeters tall by 53 centimeters wide. Used in battle from 1110 to 1450 C.E., and is part
of many heraldic crests dating from the Middle Ages.
Riot Shield: These modern shields are used by law
enforcement agencies worldwide. Most are full-body
shields, rectangular in shape with rounded corners and

Shields
Given the power of modern firearms, it should be no
surprise that the use of personal shields as battlefield equipment had largely been abandoned by the 18th Century. Any
piece of metal that could withstand the impact of multiple
bullet impacts would be too cumbersome for extended use
by baseline soldiers. While police officers used them in riot
control and in SWAT operations, personal shields were otherwise considered museum pieces. That all changed with
the coming of the Nova Age. Many Mega-Strong novas
can and will use shields of modern steel or titanium - even

What About Helmets?

Unless stated otherwise a character wearing armor will also
have appropriate head protection to go with it; be it a riot armor
helmet, chainmail coif or Japanese kabuto. For our purposes, the
protection granted by these devices are already factored into the
statistics for their respective suits of body armor.

Armor
Class

Bashing

Lethal

Protection

Penalty

Conceal

Cost

Destruction

Advanced Mail

Full Body

n/a*

13

Advanced Plate

Full Body

n/a*

15

Advanced Lacquered Plate

Full Body

n/a*

14

Anti-Shark Chain Mail

6^

Full Body

13

Anti-Shark Chain Mail, heavy

8^

Full Body

14

Industrial Chain Mail

5^

Full Body

13

*: Advanced archaic armors are not available on the open, grey or black markets. Instead they must be specially commissioned from an armorsmith - often a nova himself - who will charge whatever the Storyteller sees fit for his services. Thats
assuming that the armorsmith can even be found in the first place, as novas whove mastered the art of forging personal body
armor are exceedingly rare. More often than not, novas will either have to make their own suits or do without.
^: This type of armor provides no protection at all against firearms.

Shields
Class

Soak Bonus

Damage

Protection**

Weight

Heater Shield

Str +3 B

1/3

7 kg

Riot Shield

Str +4B

4/5

3 kg

Round Shield

Str +3 B

1/3

6 kg

Throwing Shield

Str +4 B

1/3

6 kg

Penalty

Cost

Destruction

n/a*

15

13

n/a*

15

n/a*

15

*: Like advanced archaic armors, advanced archaic shields are difficult to purchase.
**: This is the fractional area of an adult humans body that the shield can cover from his front or sides. Attacks targeting
body areas not covered by the shield or his back are unaffected by it.
: Unless manufactured to SWAT specifications, riot shields provide no soak against firearm attacks.

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ABERRANT
measuring 50 to 60 centimeters wide by 90 centimeters tall.
Riot shields are typically either made of clear polycarbonates (for better visibility) or light metals. The latter variety
will have a small inset polycarbonate windowslit for the user
to look through. A few clear polycarbonate riot shields are
round shields, much as described below. Finally, most riot
shields were designed to protect against thrown objects,
shrapnel and splash from liquid-based weapons such as the
Molotov cocktail. Only those riot shields developed for use
by SWAT officers (Aberrant core book, p. 283) will be able
to withstand bullet impacts.
Round Shield: Popular with European soldiers from the
13th to the 17th Centuries, this shield ranges from 55 to 75
centimeters in diameter. Despite the shape, it has no aerodynamic qualities to speak of.
Throwing Shield: An advanced descendant of the
round shield, this shield is designed with special aerodynamic qualities that allow it to be thrown like a frisbee. Truly
skilled users can throw it to make multiple deflection shots
and erratic ricochets that are difficult to predict and evade.
If set up correctly, these trick shots can even send the shield
flying back towards the user to be caught.

Miscellaneous Items
Nomex Layer: An additional layer of Nomex can be
added to the Kevlar quilted padding worn underneath
advanced archaic armors, granting some protection (+2
soak) against flame damage. Cost .
Wicking Bodysuit: Developed for the military for use
underneath body armor and adopted as sportswear, the
fabric of this garment literally draws sweat away from the
wearers skin. This helps keep the user dry and bolsters natural evaporative cooling, granting +1 die on all rolls made to
resist the effects of heat. Cost .

Expanded Firearms Listings

With the coming of the Nova Age, hardly anyone fails
to recognize how devastating quantum powers can be on
the battlefield. Even so, firearms remain one of the most
notable features of personal combat for all but the most
powerful novas and must not be overlooked, either as useful
weapons or threats to defend against. For those Storytellers and players with an interest, we have provided a slightly
more in-depth overview of firearms than the Aberrant core
book provides.

Firearm Categories
Revolver: The first modern handgun, these firearms
are generally considered outdated by the newer magazine-

132

loaded pistol, but still have advantages of their own. Theyre

still readily available on the streets of most modern cities;
in both light and heavy varieties. Light revolvers are usually
small and light enough to be easily carried and concealed.
Lacking the capacity of magazine-loaded pistols, most
revolvers are limited to 6 shots maximum.
Optional advantage for Storytellers: Revolvers are
highly reliable weapons. On a botched roll, the effects are
merely considered a normal failure, unless extraordinary circumstances are working against the attacker (such as trying
to fire the revolver while hanging upside down from a power
line in the rain).
Common calibers: .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44
Magnum
Pistols/Autoloaders: Modern pistols have overcome early jamming problems and nearly replaced their
predecessor, the revolver. A standard sidearm among lawenforcement officials and military forces. Pistols come in
light and heavy versions, just like revolvers. Light pistols are
generally smaller and in a lower caliber, and are more easily
concealed. Heavy pistols usually use a larger caliber with a
frame to match, and are therefore more difficult to conceal.
Optional advantage for Storytellers: Pistols use a
single magazine instead of separate chambers to hold
ammunition internally. This makes a pistol easier and faster
to reload, allowing for an exception to standard rules for
reloading. At the Storytellers discretion pistols can be
reloaded as a free action, allowing the attacker to reload her
weapon and fire it in the same round without penalty.
Common calibers: 9mm, .40 caliber, .45 ACP
Submachine Guns: A compromise between hand
guns and assault rifles. SMGs use the same ammunition as
pistols, but provide up to fully automatic fire. They break up
into two major sizes, the full sized SMG and the Machine
Pistols (the latter being designed smaller to be fired with
one hand). While the light weight of most SMGs tend to
make the gun wildly inaccurate, its size makes it ideal for a
sidearm or concealed weapon.
Common calibers: 9mm, .45 ACP
Optional advantages for Storytellers: More experienced gun fighters will use short bursts for control and accuracy. They can gain the +2 dice modifier for semiautomatic
fire without suffering the +1 difficulty modifier for recoil, so
long as they hold the firearm correctly (using two hands and
the stock for full SMGs, one or two handed for machine
pistols).
Rifles: This broad category of rifles include an array
of firearms from .22 caliber target guns to .50 caliber AMRs.
Generally speaking this classification of firearm is not capa-

BLOOD AND THUNDER

ABERRANT
ble of burst fire or fully automatic fire, however what it lacks
in speed it more then makes up for with distance and power.
Optional advantages for Storytellers: Rifles have an
incredible accuracy at long distance ranges. In addition to
being able to take full advantage of gun equipment like
scopes, they can also eliminate the +2 difficulty to firing
at maximum range if they are prone and spend 1 action
aiming. They must be able to clearly see the target they are
aiming at to gain the bonus (requiring the use of telescopic
scopes or vision). This is in addition to any normal benefits
to aiming.
Common calibers: .22, .223, .30-30, .375, .458, .50
Assault Rifles: The primary military weapon of the
modern era. Assault rifles are capable of burst fire and fully
automatic, rifle-caliber ammunition, and fed from a detachable magazine. The design was meant to allow infantrymen to have a weapon that is easily handled, with a large
magazine capacity, fully automatic and lightweight. The fully
automatic capability comes at a price though, it loses some
the range accuracy that rifles might otherwise give. Assault
rifles are also available in Carbine variations, making it much
lighter and smaller but harder to handle in combat. Civilian
variations are also available to those users who are not part
of a law enforcement agency or national military, given easy
access to a black market. These models are cheaper, but
only capable of semi-automatic fire.
Common calibers: 5.56mm NATO, 7.62mm NATO
Optional advantages for Storytellers: Assault rifles
are perfect weapons for laying down suppression fire. Gain
a +2 dice bonus to the users skill check for suppression fire
when she fires a semi-automatic burst. Gain a +3 dice bonus
if she lays down a fully automatic suppression fire.
Shotguns: The ultimate close combat firearm. These
firearms use large 12 gauge shells that allow a great variety
for specialty ammo ranging from deadly to absurd. Its construction is simple and rugged, allowing it to continue working perfectly in situations where some pistols would wuss
out. Shotguns also can have a wide variety of modifications
made to them - ranging from from short barrels to pistol
grips - allowing a great amount of freedom in making the
firearm fit the users style of combat. The intimidation factor
of a double barrel break-action shotgun with a bore big
enough to fit over a grown mans thumb cannot be denied.
Common calibers: 12 gauge. Other gauges exist that
allow modifiers, noted later.
Optional advantage for Storytellers: Shotguns are
deadliest at short range. When the user shoots a target at
short range, gaining a +2 dice bonus for accuracy, he also
gains a +1 die bonus to damage.

Machine Guns: These guns are designed for sustained

periods of automatic fire... similar in lethality to the assault
rifles, but requiring much more strength to wield accurately.
Machine guns fall into three major categories, the frst being
Light Machine guns or Squad Automatic Weapons (SAW),
which is able to be fired by a single individual.The second
are the General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), which usually are mounted on vehicles or carried and serviced by a
dedicated three-man crew. The third are the Heavy Machine
Guns (HMGs), which are exclusively used on vehicle mounts
or fixed defensive locations, as they are so massive it is not
practical for baseline humans to carry them. Novas with
Mega-Strength have no such problem, however...
Machine guns are problematic for baselines to use
if theyre not either fired from a prone position or fixed
to a weapons mount. Novas with one dot of both MegaStrength and Mega-Dexterity dont have that problem, but
everyone else will suffer a difficulty penalty of +2 when firing
machine guns improperly. Preparing to fire prone requires
two actions (one for getting prone and another for setting
the weapon), while preparing a machine gun on a weapon
mount only takes one action.
Common calibers: 5.56mm NATO, 5.45mm Soviet,
7.62mm NATO, .50 BMG, 12.7mm Soviet
Optional advantage for Storytellers: While the guns
are highly inaccurate on their own for individual shots, laying
out a stream of hot lead can still make it difficult for enemies
to get out of the line of fire. So long as the gun is mounted
properly in place, either on tripod or bipods, the user can
preform a fully automatic maneuver for the normal +10 dice
to accuracy and only suffer a +1 difficulty penalty to the roll
instead of +2.

Firearm Tables
Listed below are stats for generic categories in each
weapon type. Listing stats for each and every individual gun
in the world would be redundant in storytelling terms, since
the slightest variations dont make a huge impact in how
quick a target loses health levels. The chart is similar to the
chart presented in the Aberrant core book (p. 275), with a
few optional rules.
Type: The generic type of gun.
Acc: Accuracy indicates the number of dice added to
the shooters dice pool.
Damage: Indicates the damage dice pool of the
weapon. Bracketed numbers represent the innate armor
piercing against vehicles or super tough novas, or number
of automatic successes to damage against human sized targets.
Range: This gives the practical shot range in meters.

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Revolvers
Type
Gen. .22 LR
Gen. .38 Special
Gen. .357 Magnum
Gen. .44 Magnum

Acc

Dam

Range

MNV

RoF

Clip

0
0
0
0

3d10L
4d10L
4d10L
5d10L

30
50
50
60

Ms Tw
Ms Tw
Ms Tw
Ms Tw

2
2
2
2

6
6
6
6

Conc Mass Str. Min Cost

P
P
J
J

0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5

0
1
2
3

3d10L
4d10L
4d10L
5d10L

30
50
60
70

Af/Ms Tw
Af Ms Tw
Af Ms Tw
Af Ms Tw

4
4
4
3

6+1
15+1
12+1
8+1

P
P
J
J

0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5

1
2
2
2

6d10L
7d10L

50
50

Af Ms Sa St Tw
Af Ms Sa St Tw

33
31

32+1
30+1

J
N

2.5
3

2
3

6d10L

40

Af Ms Sa St Tw

21

20+1

2.5

Pistols/Autoloaders
Gen. Holdout
Gen. 9mm Luger
Gen. .40 S&W
Gen. .45 ACP

0
0
0
0

Submachine Guns
Gen. 9mm Luger
Gen. .45 ACP

0
0

Machine Pistols
Gen. 9mm Luger

Rifles
Gen. Plinking
Gen. Target

1
1

2d10L
5d10L

60

n/a
n/a

1
1

5+1
5+1

N
N

1
2

1
2

Gen. Hunting
Gen. Sniper
Gen. Big Game
Gen. Anti-Material

2
2
2
2

8d10L
8d10L
9d10L
10d10L

500
500
500
600

n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a

1
1
1

4+1
10+1
3+1
5+1

N
N
N
N

3
3
5
20

2
2
3*
3*

1
1
1

6d10L
6d10L
7d10L

200
200
300

Af Ms St
Af Ms St
Af Ms St

31
31
21

30+1
30+1
20+1

N
T
N

2
2
4

2
2
4

Gen. Break-Action

3**

6d10L

30

Ms

Gen Lever-Action
Gen. Pump-Action
Gen. Semi-automatic

3**
3**
3**

6d10L
6d10L
6d10L

30
30
30

Ms
Ms
Ms Sa

2
3
3

2+1
8+1**
5+1**

T
T
T

3
3
3

3
3
3

0
0
0

6d10L [2]
8d10L [3]
10d10L [5]

400
600
700

Af Ms St
Af Ms St
Af Ms St

45
22
22

200
100*
50*

N
N
N

7
12
50

3
3*
3*

Assault Rifles
Gen. 5.56 mm AR
Gen. 5.56 Bullpup AR*
Gen. 7.62mm AR

Shotguns

Machine Guns
Gen. SAW
Gen. GPMG
Gen. HMG

*: Denotes special rules, see description

**: Denotes special rules, see Variant Ammunition For Shotguns, below. Accuracy varies some on range and
the ammunition used. This number assumes you are using a slug shot at medium range.

134

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ABERRANT
MNV: Maneuvers list the special attacks available to
the weapon. Effects of these maneuvers are listed in the
Combat Section of the Aberrant core book. Af = Automatic
Fire, Ms = Multiple Shots, Sa = Semiautomatic Burst, St =
Strafing, Tw = Two Weapon.
RoF: This represents the number of shots that can be
fired in one combat round.
Clip: The number of shots a gun can hold before
reloading.
Conc: Concealability of the weapon. P = Can be carried in a pocket, J = Can be hidden in a jacket, T = Can be
concealed in a trench coat, N = Cannot be concealed on a
person.
Mass: The weapons mass in kilograms.
Str Min: An optional rule, this represents the minimum
strength a character must have to fire the gun without suffering from recoil problems. Characters suffer a -1 to accuracy
for each dot of Strength less then the minimum required. Of
course 1 dot of Mega-Strength negates this requirement..
Cost: Represents the value of the weapon in resource
dots.

Revolvers
Generic .22 LR Revolver: This light revolver isnt a
favorite for many serious gunfighters. However it is good
for small game and training, especially with its low price.
Examples include Freedon Arms Model 83 Varmint Class,
Kora Detective, Ruger Bearcat and the Smith & Wesson
Model 617.
Generic .38 Special Revolver: From the 1920s to the
1960s the .38 special was the single most common police
weapon in the United States. Many self defense advocates
consider this the lightest caliber viable for combat use. It is
perfect for smaller guns with little recoil. Examples include
the Cimarron Model P Jr., Colt Detective Special, Colt Ploce
Positive, Rossi .38 Special and the Smith & Wesson Chiefs
Special.
Generic .357 Magnum Revolver: This caliber gradually took the place of the .38 special in law enforcement,
although some still hold the old styles due to tradition or
lack of funding. Many experts believe that the .357 Magnum
is the perfect balance of power, recoil, and size. Examples
include the Colt Python, Manurhin, MR-73, Ruger GP100,
Ruger Security-Six, Smith & Wesson Bodyguard and the
Taurus Model 608.
Generic .44 Magnum Revolver: These big cousins of
the .357 Magnum are favored primarily as a hunting and
sporting weapon. This round has considerable more kick to
it as well, meaning it is restricted to heavier and sturdier
guns. Any .44 Magnum is going to be a large intimidat-

ing weapon, to which most designers play to for full effect.

Examples include the Colt Anaconda, Ruger Redhawk,
Smith & Wesson Model 29 and the Taurus Model 44.

Pistols/Autoloaders
Generic Holdout Autoloader: These small compact
guns sacrifice power, range, and clip size to be easily concealed almost anywhere. Examples include the Beretta 950
Jetfire, Browning M1906, Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket and
the Seecamp LWS-32.
Generic 9mm Luger Autoloader: The worlds most
popular autoloader. New models tend to come out frequently and any gun store will have several models to
choose from that vary slightly in clip size. Examples include
the Colt 2000, Browning Hi-Power, H&K USP, Ruger P89 and
the Daewoo DP-51.
Generic .40 S&W Autoloader: These pistols bridge
the gap between the power of the .45 ACP and the capacity
of the 9mm and have found a niche in the arsenals of United
States law enforcement agencies. Examples include the FN
Browning Hi-Power, H&K USP, SiG-Sauer P229, Para-Ordnance 16, Ruger P94, Walther P99 and the Smith & Wesson
SW99.
Generic .45 ACP Autoloaders: As high-caliber pistols
with potent stopping power, there is still a large market for
these weapons despite the popularity of the 9mm Luger, as
hundreds of manufacturers can attest. Examples include the
Colt M1911A1, Beretta Cougar 8045, H&K USP, Ruger P90,
Smith & Wesson 4500 series and the Taurus PT945.
The Glock Optional Rule: Glocks have a popular
reputation as being tough as nails and reliable to 10,000
shots (enduring stress tests including temperature extremes,
crushing blows, and dirt - so long as the gun is cleaned, it
continues to be reliable). Glocks are available in just about
every size of handgun and as an optional rule, Storytellers
can increase the cost by 1 and allow any botches made with
them to be reduced to failures instead.

Submachine Guns
Generic 9mm Luger SMG: The worlds most common
SMGs are fitted for 9mm Luger cartridges. Examples include
the Beretta M12, Colt Model 635, H&K UMP, IMI Uzi, MP-40,
Sten Mk II, Sterling L2A3 and the Steyr TMP.
Generic .45 ACP SMG: Some SMGs are fitted for the
larger caliber .45 ACP cartridges, giving them a little more
punch to the enemy and a little more kick to you. Examples
include General Motors M3 Grease Gun and the H&K
UMP.

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ABERRANT
Machine Pistols
Generic 9mm Luger Machine Pistol: Almost every
machine pistol is fitted for 9mm rounds. It is meant to be
shot with one hand, and at 10 inches long, easily concealed
or used as a side arm. Examples include the Glock 18 and
the Micro-Uzi.

Rifles
Generic Plinking Rifle: Plinking rifles are slang for
a very small caliber rifle, used primarily for backyard targets and small animals. The main use of this rifle is to teach
new shooters, particularly children, how to shoot. Examples
include the Cooper Model 57, CZ 452-2E, Rogue Rifle Chipmunk and the Sako 75 Finnfire Hunter.
Generic Target Rifle: Small caliber rifles that are generally used to hunt small game and eradicate pests. It has
some minor combat application when warranted. Examples include Anschutz Model 1740, Howa M-1500, Savage
Model 10GY Youth and the Winchester Model 70 Coyote.
Generic Hunting Rifle: The archetype deer rifle is
available in a wide array of calibers. This is the worlds most
common rifle, used from everything from shooting competitions to hunting to murder. Examples include the .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester, .338 Laupa, Colt Light
Rifle, Dakota Model 97 Lightweight Hunter and the Ranger
M77R Sako 75 Hunter.
Generic Sniper Rifle: Typically the main difference
between a sniper rifle and hunting rifle is the materials
in construction and the price tag. The range is obviously
meant for indirect contact at great distance. Examples
include most of the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
rifles, FR F2, Mauser 86SR, H&K MSG-90, IMI Galatz and the
Springfield Armory M21.
Generic Big Game Rifle: Hunting rifles are fine for
deer, wolves and humans... but there are more dangerous
prey out there like bears, buffalo and mega-tough novas.
These rifles are heavy hitters and kick back like a mule. The
Strength minimum assumes that the user is holding the rifle
correctly, with the stock tucked into the shoulder to absorb
the recoil. If the rifle shot improperly, raise the Strength
minimum to 5 and roll a standard Stamina roll to keep from
being knocked over. Having a Mega-Strength rating of 1 or
higher negates this problem. Examples include the CZ 550
Safari Magnum, Dakota 76 African, Ruger No. 1-H Tropical
Rifle and the Winchester Model 70 Classic Safari Express.
Generic Anti-Material Rifle: These rifles are chambered for heavy military calibers originally designed for antitank rifles. These rifles are generally 5 feet long and weighs
20-25 kilograms, thus making it impractical to shoot from
any position other then prone with the bipod deployed.
If a user attempts to shoot with this rifle from a standing

136

position, the minimum Strength requirement is raised to 5

and the user must soak half the weapons damage dice in
bashing damage (5 dice) with any success on that roll causing the user to suffer knockdown. Having a Mega-Strength
rating of 1 or higher negates that problem, however its still
very clumsy and awkward to wield. As the name suggests
the rifle is meant to pierce armor. Examples include the
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare 50, FN Hecate II, RSA
KSVK, Steyr .50 HS, Black Arrow and the ZVI Falcon.

Assault Rifles
Generic 5.56mm NATO AR: The vast majority of the
modern assault rifles are chambered for the 5.56mm NATO
cartridge. The bullets are half the weight of comparable
7.62mm rounds meaning that a soldier could carry twice as
many rounds without encumbrance. Examples include the
Beretta AR-70, FN FNC, H&K HK33, H&K G36, HOWA Type
89, Ishapore INSAS, and the SiG 550.
Generic 5.56 Bullpup AR: Similar to the regular 5.56,
except much more compact and concealable. However this
comes at a price. Most firearm accessories will not fit on the
bullpups with the exception of collapsible stocks (making it
even more compact). Examples include the Einfield L85A1,
GIAT FAMAS G2, IMI Tavor TAR-21, ST Kinetics SAR-21, and
the Vektor CR-21.
Generic 7.62mm AR: More popular during the Cold
War, these guns are heavier and more rugged then their
smaller counterparts. While many still exist, they have largely
been replaced by their lighter counterparts in military usage
due to smaller capacity for bullets with only a minor increase
in power. Examples include the CETME Model C, FN FAL,
H&K G3 and the Springfield Armory M14.
Assault Rifles come with a few optional variations:
Civilian Variation: Many assault rifles are available
for civilian consumption. These sporting models are only
capable of semi-automatic fire but are available at -1 dot
less than the standard Resources cost.
Carbine Variations: These assault rifles are constructed to be much lighter and shorter than their standard
brethren, but sacrifice range and accuracy in the process.
Range is considered -50 and the Strength minimum is
increased by 1. However the mass is reduced by 1 kilogram.

Shotguns
Generic Break-Action Shotgun: The typical farmers
weapon. This weapon is a double barrel gun which is manually reloaded after each barrel is emptied. Cheap and effective, this gun can still put a dent in most novas who get
too close for comfort. Examples include the American Arms
Silver II, Beretta S682, Browning Citori and the Winchester
Model 21.

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ABERRANT
Generic Lever-Action Shotgun: These weapons unload
spent shells after pumping the lever on the bottom side of
the barrel. They were never common and were quickly overshadowed by pump action shotguns. Examples include the
Marlin Model 210 and the Winchester Model 1887.
Generic Pump-Action Shotgun: Common to both
hunters and law enforcement for its high ammo capacity
and reliability. Law enforcement generally finds the pump
action shotgun to be more cost effective then automatic
rifles. Spent shells are expelled with a pump under the
barrel, which combines with the higher ammo capacity to
make for a slightly higher rate of fire. The clip size can also
be increased using smaller caliber rounds. See the optional
ammunition for shotguns for more details. Examples include
the Benelli Nova, Browning DPS, Ithaca Model 37, Mossberg Model 590, Remington Model 870 and the Winchester
Model 1300.
Generic Semi-Automatic Shotgun: Semi-automatic
shotguns are capable of small burst fire, although have a
tendency to jam easily (especially on a botch). The ammunition capacity can be expanded by using smaller caliber
ammunition, see the optional rules for shotgun rounds
below for more details. Examples include the Benelli M2
Practical, Benelli M3 Super 90, Beretta Model 1201FP,
Browning Auto-5, Franchi 48 AL and the Remington Model
1100.

Machine Guns
Generic SAW: Squad Automatic Weapons tend to use
the same ammunition as assault rifles along side which the
SAWs are deployed. Generally speaking these are 5.56 for
NATO and 5.45 for the old Soviet Bloc. Examples include
the Enfield L86A1 LSW, M249 SAW, H&K HK23E, H&K
MG43, IMI Negex, CETME Ameil, RPK and the RPK-74.
Generic GPMG: The General Purpose Machine Guns
are a cross between the SAW and HMG, requiring the use
of a bipod or tripod to fire the weapon. This weapon is generally operated by 2 people, 1 person to fire the gun from
a prone position and one person to carry the ammunition.
GPMGs are generally belt fed in strings of 100 rounds each
which are linked together by the assistant. If users do not
use the proper firing position for this weapon, the Strength
minimum requirement goes up to 5... and even then reloading the gun is difficult. Examples include the M240, H&K
HK21E, MAS AAT-52, RSA PK, and the Vektor SS-77.
Generic HMG: The Heavy Machine Gun is the largest
of all machine guns. Generally weighing 45 kilograms or
more (not including ammunition), this weapon is not practical to transport via unaided humans. In order to fire this

weapon, a user must have it fixed to a permanent fixture

such as a vehicle or tripod mount. These weapons are generally emplaced for use in bunkers or behind sandbag walls.
A nova with Mega-Strength 2 and Mega-Dexterity 1 could
conceivably wield this weapon accurately, however some
modification work would need to be done to allow the nova
to hold the machine gun properly. Examples include the CIS
.50, RSA NSV and the RSA KPV.

Variant Ammunition for

Handguns and Rifles
The following are a collection of variant handgun and
rifle ammunition and their modifiers. It also includes the
basic Resources Background rating - and sometimes other
requirements - needed to purchase them.
Full Metal Jackets (FMJ): These are the typical rounds
used by most people when firing a handgun or rifle. The
gun stats listed assume you are using these type of rounds.
Cost: Resources 1 to buy a box of 50 handgun rounds
or 20 rifle cartridges. They are legal wherever guns are sold,
and available in all calibers.
Blanks: A cartridge with no bullet, these are generally
used in training or entertainment. While they generally are
harmless, anyone within 10 feet will still take half the guns
damage as bashing damage from the expelling gas.
Cost: Resources 1 to buy a box of 50 handgun rounds
or 20 rifle cartridges. They are legal and available in all calibers.
Armor Piercing: AP rounds are generally used by
military shooters who need rounds that can punch through
armor, cover, and light vehicles. Pistol rounds have a Damage
Add of [1] and rifle rounds have a Damage Add of [2].
Cost: Resources 2 to buy a box of 50 handgun rounds
or 20 rifle cartridges. They are rare to find in anything except
military grade calibers, and are illegal for civilian use in any
country that has gun control laws. Also requires a minimum
Backing rating of 2 from an organization that would use such
bullets (DeVries, a national military) or a black market connection.
Frangible: These delicate rounds are designed to
shatter on impact with any solid object. It provides a better
transfer of energy to the target causing more damage to
unarmored living targets. Using Frangible rounds increases
the guns damage by one die of Lethal damage so long as
the target does not have lethal soak. In those cases the bullets do one less die of damage than normal.

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ABERRANT
Cost: Resources 2 to buy a box of 50 handgun rounds
or 20 rifle cartridges. They are available in most handgun
and rifle calibers and are legal for civilian purchase and ownership.
Hollowpoints: As the name says, these rounds have
a hollow point in them which causes the bullet to expand
like a mushroom when it hits a target. This allows a better
transfer of energy and causes much more grievous wounds
than standard bullets inflict. The problem though is the
bullet expands on any impact on targets with Lethal soak
or non-living targets causes it to lose a lot of the energy
before it can do its damage. Use of this round increases the
damage rating of a gun by 2 dice against targets without
Lethal soak. However against targets with Lethal soak the
damage is reduced by 2 dice.
Cost: Resources 1 to buy a box of 50 handgun rounds
or 20 rifle cartridges. They are legal for civilian use and ownership. The Hague Convention prohibits the use of expanding ammunition in wartime, so it is not generally not used
by military personnel.
Riot Control: These bullets are generally made from
a medium hard plastic or rubber, and have a much lower
velocity than standard bullets. When fired, they convert the
guns damage from Lethal to Bashing. This is handy to break
up small riots without resorting to lethal force.
Cost: Resources 2 to buy a box of 50 handgun rounds
or 20 rifle cartridges. They are generally used by law
enforcement personnel only. Vendors limit sales to civilians,
but they are legal and available in most calibers.
Match Grade: Some shooters demand the most from
their ammunition. These rounds are FMJ rounds, but specifically tested and made to exact specifications, increasing
their accuracy for a shooter who knows what shes doing. So
long as the character has 3 dots in Firearms, she may gain
+1 to the guns Accuracy. If the shooter has a Firearms rating
of 2 or less the ammunition is treated as normal FMJ rounds.
Cost: Resources 3 to buy a box of 50 handgun rounds
or 20 rifle cartridges. It is legal for civilian use, but generally
not sold in quantities greater than 100 rounds due to low
production numbers.
Tracer Rounds: These rounds are normal FMJ rounds
with a small amount of combustible material on the back
end of the bullet. The result of this is a bright streak indicating the path of the bullet. This allows for the shooter to
quickly readjust her aim. This provides no bonus to single
shots or multiple targets. However when using a Semiautomatic Burst the user gains +1 to the guns Accuracy and
when using a Automatic Fire maneuver the user gains +2 to

138

Accuracy.
Cost: Resources 2 to buy a box of 20 handgun rounds
and 3 resource dots for a box of 100 rifle rounds. This is
technically legal for civilian use, however rare to find since
its benefits are generally for automatic rifles. Its calibers are
generally for military rifles only.

Variant Ammunition for

Shotguns
The following are a collection of variant shotgun
ammunition and their modifiers. It also includes the basic
Resources Background rating needed to purchase them.
Size Variations: Pump action and semi-automatic shotguns can take alternative size rounds, reducing its damage
and range but increasing its clip size.
.410 Gauge: -3 dice damage; -20 range; +2 Clip; Str Min
-1
28 Gauge: -3 dice damage; -20 range; +2 Clip; Str Min -1
20 Gauge: -2 dice damage; -10 range; +1 Clip; Str Min -1
16 Gauge: Same as 12 Gauge
10 Gauge: +1 die damage; +10 range; -1 Clip; Str Min +1
Slug: These are the standard rounds for most shotguns.
Cost: Resources 1 for a box of 25 shells.
Buckshot: A round filled with pellets, they are devastatingly accurate at close range. Add +1 to Accuracy for
shots taken under medium range.
Cost: Resources 1 for a box of 25 shells.
Birdshot: Similar to a buckshot, but made with smaller
pellets and meant for small game and bird hunting. At point
blank range, the accuracy is increased by +1. At medium
range the accuracy increases to +2, but the damage of the
gun is decreased by 2 dice. At any range beyond medium it
retains the same traits as medium range, but all damage is
downgraded to bashing.
Cost: Resources 1 for a box of 25 shells.
Breaching: When a door needs to be opened now,
law enforcement officers use these rounds. They are generally used by SWAT officers and only effective against objects
within 7 meters. Against armor and objects, these rounds
have an armor penetration rating of 5. Against living targets,
the damage is unchanged. These rounds cannot inflict any
damage at all at long range.
Cost: Resources 1 for a box of 25 shells. Breaching
ammunition is only available in 12 gauge.

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ABERRANT
Flamethrower: A very exotic shotgun ammunition,
these rounds explode on contact. On a successful hit, the
target takes 2 points of automatic lethal fire damage along
with the regular firearm damage. Please note that the
attacks are soaked separately.
Costs: Resources 1 for a box of 3 shells. They are rare
and hard to find in any quantity over 15, but are legal for
civilian use.
Riot Control: Same as the pistol/rifle version of this
variant ammunition.

Additional Firearm
Accessories
Bipod/Tripod: Standard for most rifles, assault rifles,
and machine guns. They provide stability for long range
shots. Unless otherwise noted with optional rules, a bipod
or tripod can decrease the roll penalty of shooting at long
range by 1.
Cost: Resources 1
Light Mount: Basically a flashlight bolted onto the
barrel of a gun. As with a regular flashlight, you can see into
dark rooms effectively removing any darkness penalties.
Unfortunately this works both ways, and anyone attacking
you is also no longer effected by darkness penalties.
Cost: Resources 1
Fiber Optic Sights: A colorful replacement to the old
iron sights, this item draws the eye a little easier and make
it a tad bit easier to aim at the target. If the user spends
1 round aiming, she gets a +2 bonus instead of the usual
+1 for the first round of aiming only. Any additional aiming
bonuses are gained as normal.
Cost: Resources 1
Laser Sights: A low-powered laser beam projects the
path of the bullet for a short distance. Gain a +1 accuracy
bonus for shots taken below the medium range of the gun.
However the major problem with laser sights is they are visible both when they paint a target and in smoky or misty
conditions, possibly giving the target and/or his nearby
allies a chance to react.
Cost: Resources 2
Telescopic Sight: The staple for long range shooting.
As per normal aiming rules, a scope grants +2 accuracy on
the first round of aiming.
Cost: Resources 1

Telescopic Sight (Night Vision): This item grants

same benefits as a Telescopic Sight while also also amplifying any ambient light, allowing the user to see in near darkness. Using this scope will negate the darkness penalties for
shooting at night.
Cost: Resources 3
Telescopic Sight (Thermal): Night vision sights have
one big weakness... they still require a minimal amount of
light to function. However Thermal sights uses infrared sensing to detect heat sources that register higher than the local
ambient temperature. This item negates darkness penalties
so long as the targets are giving off a detectable heat signature. Some novas have body temperatures that can vary
considerably from those of normal humans, which should be
taken into consideration.
Cost: Resources 5.
Speed Loader: Revolvers, many rifles and shotguns
must be reloaded by hand, which can be clumsy in the
middle of a firefight. A speed loader is a holder that allows
the character to slam ammunition back into her gun quickly.
It still takes a round to reload, but no longer requires concentration to do so. When used to reload as part of a multiple action it also reduces any dice penalties imposed by
reloading by 2.
Cost: Resources 1
Suppressor: The discreet killers favorite tool. While
the sound of a bullet is still quite present, it can effectively
remove most of the noise from autoloaders, rifles, and
SMGs. Any attempt by witnesses to hear the noise of a suppressed shot are made with a difficulty penalty of +3 (max
10). While not practical it is possible to silence revolvers and
shotguns, but the difficulty penalty is only raised by +1.
Cost: Resources 3
Gunsmith Kit: An assortment of generalized tools
used to maintain and repair a gun. Without this kit, assume
a +1 difficulty to any repair or maintenance rolls.
Cost: Resources 2
Reloading Bench: Some people prefer to make their
own bullets. So long as they possess a Firearms rating of 2
dots or higher, they can take raw materials equal in price
to the normal costs of ammunition and make 2 times the
amount of ammunition, given a period of uninterrupted quiet
time. Storytellers may allow for special rounds (not shown
in this supplement) to be created, however it is significantly
more difficult. Each success on an Intelligence + Firearms roll
allows for 1 bullet to be created in an hours time.

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139

ABERRANT
DMSO
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is the chemical compound with
the formula (CH ) SO. The chemical is harmless by itself, but it

also rapidly spreads throughout a baseline human body upon

skin contact. This makes DMSO a popular ingredient in many
contact poison and knockout drug mixes.

Miscellaneous Items
While most serious and common firearms are listed
above, there are a few similar items that are less common,
but have their specific niche.
Ballistic Knife: A regular combat knife with a little surprise. This spring or gas loaded hilt can be released, shooting the blade out from it for 3d10 Lethal damage. Aiming
a ballistic knife requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll, where
using the knife normally still requires a Melee roll.
Cost: 2, Range: 10 (for ranged shot), Clip: 1, Str Min:
1, Size: J
BB Gun/Airsoft: These small rifles use compressed
air to shoot a .177 caliber pellet, which can be enough to
kill a small game such as squirrels or rabbits. It doesnt have
enough power to pierce normal human skin (much less a
novas). Airsoft models cost more than BB guns, but are replicas of normal firearms. Despite being useful as prop weapons, they are otherwise identical to BB guns.
Pistol: Damage: 1d10 B; Cost: 1 (2 for airsoft), Range:
20, Clip: up to 50, Str Min: 1, Size: J
Rifle: Damage: 2d10 B; Cost: 1 (2 for airsoft), Range 50,
Clip: up to 100, Str Min: 1, Size: T
Slingshot: A Y-shaped piece of wood, metal, or plastic that contains an elastic string that fires small projectiles.

Its penetration power is no more then a BB gun... however the one advantage it has is silence. It may be a good
choice for knocking out cameras and lights. Slingshots that
are designed for hunting do an additional die of Bashing
damage.
Damage: 1 or 2d10B, Cost: 1, Range: 20, Clip: 1, Str
Min: 1, Size: J
Pepper Spray: A small spray canister containing pressurized capsicum gas that fits in a pocket or a purse. Often
used for self defense against common thugs, although a
nova whose powers dont protect against it might not be
expecting the burning irritation. Once sprayed into the face
and eyes, it causes irritation and partial incapacitation. The
target is blinded and all dice rolls are made at +2 difficulties for a 5 minute duration or until the substance can be
washed off.
Damage: Special, Cost: 1, Range: 5, Clip: 1 use per
can, Str Min: 1, Size: P
Paint Ball Guns: An air powered gun that shoots
plastic pellets filled with paint that splats the target on contact. Mostly used for recreational sporting matches and not
generally considered harmful. They can sting though at
close range - about 5 meters - doing some minor bashing
damage. They can be useful for marking targets with paint
at distance. With the exception of matter alteration powers,
commercially available paint balls cant be filled with any
other substance. They also dont tend to break skin reliably
enough to make non-contact poisons and drugs worthwhile
without mixing it with DMSO.
Pistol: Damage: 1d10 B, Cost: 2, Range: 30, Clip: up to
20, Str Min: 1, Size: J
Rifle: Damage: 2d10 B, Cost 2, Range 60, Clip: up to
120, Str Min: 1, Size: T

Masterworks Revisited
The creation of masterworks has never been limited to the fields of melee and pre-firearm ranged weapons. Examples of
masterwork body armor, shields, vehicles and artworks have been known for centuries, having lately been joined in the last few
by masterwork firearms. The creation process of these alternate masterworks uses the same system as on p. 127 of this book. The
only changes are the materials and tools which will be required, and often the relevant Ability (and associated Ability Mastery)
as well.
The benefits provided by masterworks will vary with the item involved. Minor masterwork armors will have a reduced penalty
for Dexterity based dice pools, while their true, great and epic counterparts will also have heightened Destruction ratings. Masterwork firearms have increased Accuracy ratings, with the greater versions providing additional dice on Firearms rolls made with
them. Vehicles worthy of being called minor masterworks will have either their Maneuver ratings or Speed ratings increased, with
the latter figured at increments of 25% the normal Speed rating per dot. Greater masterwork vehicles will have increases in both.
The benefits of owning a minor masterwork piece of art typically translates into bonus dice for Social rolls where being cultured
and showing evidence of good taste are an advantage. Greater masterworks of art will provide a general bonus to all Social rolls
made against those who appreciate such things. Other minor masterwork items will provide bonus dice for their relevant Abilities. The benefits of the greater masterworks in those veins has been left to the Storytellers discretion.

140

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ABERRANT
Fire Extinguishers: Assuming its not filled with water,
these fire safety items can make excellent blinding weapons
in the heat of the moment. Targets must be in melee range
to suffer any effect from a fire extinguisher blast. On a successful attack roll no damage occurs, but target is blinded
and all dice rolls are made at +2 difficulties for 1 round per
each success. Certain nova powers can protect against this
(Storytellers discretion as to the exact details).
Hairspray Flamethrower: With a can of aerosol hairspray and a working lighter, a person can make himself a
small flamethrower. While this improvised device is nowhere
near as powerful as the purpose-built military version, it can
be enough to ignite flammable materials. The relevant dice
pool is Dexterity + Firearms.
Damage: 2d10 L, Acc: +2, Cost: 1, Range: 6, Clip: 8
rounds per can, Str Min: 1; Size: J
Firehose: Provided that the local water pressure hasnt
been lowered, firehoses can provide streams of water that
can hit with up to 300 pounds of pressure per square inch,
and is a potent tool for breaking up crowds. The potential
for Knockback (Aberrant core book, p. 249) from a firehose
jet can also be greatly increased at the Storytellers discretion, making targets much more likely to be knocked off
their feet by the blast.
Damage: 5d10 B, Acc: +1, Cost: N/A, Range 40
meters, Clip: continuous until water is turned off or runs out,
Str Min: 3, Size: N

Nova Techniques
Nova Mega-Maneuvers
These maneuvers require the nova to posess a specified Mega-Attribute rating and/or quantum power in order
to perform them.

Mega-Dexterity 1
Combat Reload: The character has mastered the trick
of reloading firearms while still in the middle of a firefight
without having to concentrate or even take a full round to
do so. The exact method used will vary with the user - the
players imaginations can run wild here - but the end result is
the same: a freshly reloaded gun ready to fire. Ammunition
stored in clips and magazines is much easier to handle than
loose ammunition, although with revolvers using a speed
loader will reduce the additional difficulties by 1.
Ability: Firearms 4+, Athletics 3+
Difficulty: +1, +2 for loose ammunition.
Accuracy: Normal

Damage: None
Note: Non-nova Golden Gunslingers in the Adventure! and Trinity settings are also capable of performing
this maneuver.

Mega-Perception 1
Sidelong Shot: The attacker may fire at and hit targets
at her flanks and to her rear without having to turn and face
them. This usually requires the target to make some noise or
other otherwise inadvertently draw attention to himself, but
novas with relevant enhancements and/or quantum powers
wont need it.
Ability: Firearms 4+
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Normal
Note: Non-nova Golden Gunslingers in the Adventure! and Trinity settings are also capable of performing
this maneuver.

Bioluminescence
Hypnotic Light
The nova may fluctuate the light he emits in an entrancing, hypnotic pattern.
Prerequisite: Bioluminescence 3, Mega-Manipulation
1.
Uses of the Hypnotic Light maneuver function as the
Hypnotic Gaze enhancement, using Manipulation + Bioluminescence as the relevant dice pool. Using this maneuver
costs 1 additional quantum point.

Density Control
Juxtapose
Prerequisite: Density Control (Decrease) 3+ with either
the Affect Others Extra or Attunement 5.
System: After performing a successful Clinch or Hold
Maneuver, the nova may make a (Manipulation + Density
Control) roll, the target may roll Resistance to resist. If the
nova is successful she may make a Might roll to maneuver
the target into a nearby solid object and spend a Willpower point to return the target to his regular density while
occupying the same space as the solid object. The victim
of this attack is subjected to a host of unpleasant effects.
First, the victim takes [Quantum] + (Density Control) dice of
lethal damage. This damage cannot be soaked but can be
resisted with a Resistance roll, with each success reducing
the damage taken by 1. Second, he is considered immobi-

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ABERRANT
lized for (Density Control) rounds, as his body disengages
itself from the surrounding matter. The target may make
a Might roll to pull himself free, with every two successes
reducing the duration of the Immobilize effect by 1. When
the duration ends the target is ejected into the nearest open
space. Third, the victim may suffocate while merged with a
solid object, as per normal rules. A victim who dies while
merged with a solid object remains trapped; a grisly testament to the attacking novas power. Creative uses of Flight,
Telekinesis, or Teleport can free a trapped nova at the Storytellers discretion. Using this maneuver costs the nova 2
additional quantum points.

Empathic Manipulation
Emo-Bomb
The nova causes a brief but overwhelmingly intense
flare of emotion in a target.
Prerequisites: Empathic Manipulation 3, Mega-Wits 1
with the Natural Empath enhancement.
System: The nova spends a Willpower point and
makes a Manipulation + Empathic Manipulation roll against
the targets Willpower. In addition to the normal effects
of Empathic Manipulation, the victim takes a +2 difficulty
modifier to all actions for a number of turns equal to the
novas net successes. The victims emotions will stabilize and
return to normal at the end of the effects duration. Using
this maneuver cost 2 additional quantum points.

Homunculus
Disperse
A nova who uses this maneuver may reduce the amount
of damage taken by breaking down into a Homunculus
swarm.
Prerequisites: Mega-Wits 1+, Homunculus 4+.
System: When the nova is struck by bashing damage
they may make a Stamina+ Homunculus roll, with each success reducing the damage by one level. This is calculated
before soak is factored in. Using this maneuver costs 2 additional quantum points.

Hypermovement
Full Tilt Slam
Prerequisite: Hypermovement 1+ (using Hyperspeed
Slam) or Flight 1+ (using Aerial Slam).
System: As presented on p. 246 of the Aberrant core

142

book, a nova using the Aerial Slam or Hyperspeed Slam

maneuvers is assumed to slow to a more controlled pace is
order to make a successful attack. In some situations, however, the nova may wise to ram into an opponent at the
fastest speed possible. A nova who wishes to do this move
must expend a point of Willpower to initiate it, and must get
a head start (taking at least 2 rounds to build up her speed).
When in range, the nova makes the regular Aerial Slam or
Hyperspeed Slam roll with an additional +2 difficulty. If successful, the nova inflicts the same base damage, but gets
+3 for using the Enhanced Movement enhancement, and
+4 for each dot of Hypermovement, and the damage is
considered to be lethal. On the downside, the damage the
nova attempting a Full Tilt Slam must resist is lethal as well,
and her lethal soak is reduced by five points for this purpose. If the nova is not careful, attempting this maneuver
could prove suicidal. Using this maneuver costs the nova 2
additional quantum points. This maneuver is not available if
using the Unified Speed Rules.

Spinning Throw
The nova grapples a target, spins around rapidly and
then releases the victim, hurling her now-disoriented adversary away at a great speed.
Prerequisites: Mega-Dexterity 3+, the Enhanced
Movement enhancement, Hypermovement 1+.
System: After a successful Hold or Clinch maneuver, the
nova may spend 1 Willpower point to spin their opponent
rapidly and then release him. The victim suffers a knockback, with each dot of the novas Mega-Dexterity adding 2
meters of distance and each dot of Hypermovement adding
5 meters of distance. The victim must also make a successful Wits roll or be Dazed until his next initiative. Using this
maneuver costs the nova 2 additional quantum points.

Velocity Distress
The nova grapples a target, and then accelerates to
speeds that the opponents body cannot withstand.
Prerequisites: Mega-Dexterity 2, Enhanced Movement, Hypermovement 2.
System: Novas by nature are immune to the physical
side-effects of their own abilities. Their opponents, however,
are not. Velocity Distress can only be performed after a successful Hold has been established on the target. Once the
hold is established, the following turn on her initiative rating,
the nova spends 1 Willpower point and makes a Brawl
(or Martial Arts) roll resisted by their opponents Might. If
successful, the nova picks up and carries the target while
moving at an accelerated rate. Each turn the target takes
[Quantum] + (Hyper-Movement rating x 2) bashing damage.
If the target also has Hypermovement he gains an additional

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point of soak against this effect for each dot of Hypermovement he possesses. Targets with Enhanced Movement and a
rating in Hypermovement greater than the attacking novas
Hypermovement rating are entirely immune to this maneuver. A target that escapes the hold (or is released) must
make a Athletics roll at a difficulty equal to the attacking
novas Hypermovement rating or take damage as if stuck
by a Hyperspeed Slam. If the attacker has Hypermovement
(Flight), the target falls instead and takes regular falling
damage +2 dice per dot of the attackers Hypermovement
rating. Using this maneuver costs the nova 2 additional
quantum points.

Mental Blast
Derange
The nova inflicts a vicious psychic assault to shatter her
victims sanity.
Prerequisites: Mental Blast 3, Telepathy 2, Empathic
Manipulation 2.
In when making a Mental Blast attack, the nova may
spend 1 Willpower point and 2 additional quantum points.
If the mental blast succeeds in harming the target, he will
also lose 1 point of temporary Willpower for each Health
Level of damage taken. A target reduced to 0 temporary
Willpower this way must roll their Willpower at a +2 difficulty modifier or gain a temporary mental disorder (chosen
by the Storyteller). The inflicted mental disorder is negated
once the afflicted target is restored to his maximum pool
of temporary Willpower points. Mental disorders inflicted
by this technique are often indicative of the victims Nature,
such Analysts becoming obsessive or Bravos being prone to
irrational rages.

Psychic Shield
Psi Screen
The nova can extend her psychic defenses to her allies.
Prerequisites: Psychic Shield 4, Telepathy 2.
The nova spends 3 quantum points and concentrates
while using this ability (as normal for a power with concentration-length duration). While in effect, one willing target
(per dot of Telepathy) within the range of the novas Telepathy is treated as having Psychic Shield 2. If the target already
has the Psychic Shield power at greater than 2 dots this
maneuver has no effect.

Quantum Bolt
Bank Shot
The nova may bank a quantum bolt of off several surfaces to bypass cover and strike a target from an unexpected angle.
Prerequisites: Quantum Bolt 1, Mega-Dexterity 2,
Mega-Intelligence 1, Mega-Wits 2.
When firing a Quantum Bolt, the nova bounces it off of
nearby surfaces, taking a +1 difficulty modifier to her attack
roll and inflicting 2 fewer damage levels (or dice if no automatic damage is being dealt) for each surface she ricochets
the quantum bolt off of. The target suffers an equivalent
difficulty modifier to rolls to dodge (or block if possible) that
attack. Difficulty modifiers from cover are not cumulative
with difficulty modifiers from Bank Shot and only the greater
of the two values is applied to the novas attack. Using this
maneuver cost 1 additional quantum point/ per point of
applied difficulty modifier. The Storyteller may chose to
impose additional difficulty or bonuses depending on the
materials the Nova is banking his shots off of (light-based
attacks banked from reflective surfaces may be easier while
deflecting sonic attacks off of soft or brittle structures may
be more difficult).

Open Wide
A modified Clinch, the nova forces her opponents
mouth open and fires a blast of energy into his vulnerable
innards.
Prerequisites: Brawl 2+, Strength 3+ (or Mega Strength
1+), Quantum Bolt 1.
System: Rather than inflict the standard clinch damage
(Strength +2), the nova may instead make contested Brawl
roll at a +2 difficulty modifier. If successful the nova inflicts
the base damage for their quantum bolt attack to their
opponent. Extra net success from the contested Brawl roll
do not add any additional damage dice, but does reduce
the opponents soak by -2 per net success. Novas with the
Hardbody extra, who are currently Bodymorphed, possess
any applicable Invulnerability or lack necessary orifices are
immune to this maneuvers soak reducing effect.

Telepathy
Skinride
The nova uses a telepathic connection to experience a
targets sensory input.
Prerequisites: Mega-Perception 2, Mega-Wits 1,
Telepathy 3.

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System: When using Telepathy to read a targets mind,
as long as 3 or more net success were achieved on the
Telepathy roll the nova may spend a Willpower point and
2 additional quantum points to ride along with the targets senses. The nova is limited to riding only the targets
senses, and any Awareness rolls are made with the targets
Perception + (Mega Perception and active enhancements)
+ the telepathic novas dots in Awareness. The nova also
increases the difficulty modifier to other actions while maintaining concentration to +3. Without the Surreptitious extra,
the target will be aware that he has a passenger and may
make a Willpower roll each turn (contested by the novas
Wits + Telepathy) to dislodge the novas telepathic intrusion. Unpleasant stimuli (such as nausea or injury) may also
force the nova out of the targets mind (resisted with a Wits
+ Telepathy roll at any difficulty the Storyteller considers
appropriate). This maneuver is popular with both telepathic
spies and hedonistic skinriders. Chronic skinriders often
develop Domination with the Parasitic Possession extra and
a whole host of dissasociative identity disorders.

Telepathic Mimic
The nova may temporarily gain a skill from a person
whose mind they have read.
Prerequisites: Mega-Wits 1, Telepathy 3+.
System: The nova makes a Perception + Telepathy roll
at a +2 difficulty (resisted by the targets Willpower). If the
nova scores 3 or more net successes, he may substitute the
number of dots they posses in a single ability (if any) for
the number of dots the target posses in that same ability
(up to a maximum number of dots equal to the novas dots
in Telepathy). As always, the Storyteller may decide certain
abilities cannot be mimicked. This knowledge lasts for one
scene of use and the nova may only mimic one skill at a
time. Using this maneuver costs the nova 2 additional quantum points.

Teleport
Death Drop
The nova grapples his target and teleports upward, and
then releases the target to plummet to his demise.
Prerequisites: Teleport with the Combat Teleport
Extra, Attunement 5.
System: The nova initiates a Hold maneuver on the
target. If successful, on his next initiative the nova spends 1
Willpower point and makes a Wits + Teleport roll (contested
by the targets Willpower). Both the nova and the target are
teleported 100 meters upward per net success. In order to
avoid being carried to the ground with his target, the attack-

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ing nova then makes another Wits + Teleport (contested by

the targets Brawl or Martial Arts) roll to release the hold and
teleport to safety. The target suffers the regular effects of a
falling from a great height. Using this maneuver costs the
nova 2 additional quantum points.

Rapid Port
The nova grapples his target and teleports multiple
times in rapid succession, disorienting the target.
Prerequisites: Teleport with the Combat Teleport
Extra, Attunement 5.
System: The nova initiates a Hold maneuver on the
target. If succesful, on his next initiative the nova spends 1
Willpower point and makes a Wits +Teleport roll (contested
by the targets Willpower), initiating a rapid series of teleports with the intent to severely disorient the target. The
novas successes are applied as a penalty to the targets dice
pool and Initiative for a duration equal to (Teleport rating
turns). If the successes scored exceed the targets Stamina
+ Endurance (each dot of Mega- Stamina adds 2 to this
rating), she falls unconscious. The target may spend a Willpower point and roll Wits to reduce the penalty as a free
action. Nova targets with any of the Teleport, Warp, or Spatial Manipulation quantum powers are immune to this effect.
Using this maneuver costs the nova 2 additional quantum
points.

Selective Teleportation
The nova can elect to teleport part of an object, rather
than the whole item.
Prerequisites: Teleport 3, Attunement 5.
System: Against an inanimate target, the nova touches
the item and activates Teleport. Doing so inflicts damage
equal to [Quantum] + (Teleport) to the affected object, as
the nova teleports away with a portion of the item. When
used against living targets in combat, the nova must first
initiate a Hold maneuver on the target. If successful, on his
next initiative the nova spends 1 Willpower point and makes
a Wits + Teleport roll (contested by the targets Willpower).
The nova inflicts [Quantum] + (Teleport) lethal damage with
extra net success from the Teleport roll added as bonus
damage dice, as the strain of being shunted through space
damages the targets flesh. In both cases soak is applied as
normal. A nova who scores enough damage successes may
even teleport away with a targets limbs, organs, or masses
of displaced bone and tissue (such effects are left to the
discretion of the Storyteller). Using this maneuver costs the
nova 2 additional quantum points.

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Combat Enhancements
Despite what some armchair warriors may think, all of
the Mental and Social Mega-Attributes have just as much
of a place on the battlefield as the Physical Mega-Attributes. Below are some new Mega-Mental and Mega-Social
enhancements that have immediate use in combat situations.

Mega-Perception
Electroreceptors (Mega-Perception)
The nova has some form of organs (typically either
modified nerves under the skin or ampullae of Lorenzini
such as possessed by sharks) that allow him to both sense
electrical fields and emit weak electrical pulses.
System: The nova can detect both any living creatures
and electrical equipment within his sensory range with an
Awareness roll, even if the creatures and/or equipment
are hidden or are invisible to vision and hearing. While the
degree of detail provided by this sense is quite rough (no
fine or strictly visual details can be detected), its accurate
enough to let the nova make attacks without any dice reductions or other penalties. The nova may also make a Perception roll to detect magnetic north, and can use emitted
electrical pulses to communicate with other electrosensitive
beings as an automatic action. The only problems with the
latter are that 1: communications with electrosensitive animals such as sharks will be quite rudimentary at best, and 2:
novas with this enhancement will have to know a common
code (such as Morse) in order to communicate. The range
of this enhancement depends on the novas current environment; 100 meters when underwater, or 15 meters when
on land or in the air. Electroreceptors are of even less use
underground, and cannot function at all in space or vacuum.
This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to activate, and
remains active for the duration of the scene.

Estimation (Mega-Perception)
For centuries, there have been tales told in Asia of
martial artists and other warriors who were able to estimate
a persons capabilities and fighting skills simply by noting
his attitude and posture. A Mega-Perceptive nova with this
enhancement has taken that ability to superhuman levels, as
she can determine whatever that any given person is capable of with only a glance.
System: The nova may make an Awareness roll to estimate the capabilities of a single being that she can see
clearly. In game terms, it lets the novas player take a look
at some or all of the listed statistics for the targeted char-

acter. One success will grant knowledge of either a single

category (Physical, Mental, or Social) of the targets basic
Attributes and related abilities, or the targets Willpower
Trait. Each further success will grant knowledge of either
an additional category of the targets Attributes and related
abilities or his Willpower. If used in tandem with the Quantum Attunement enhancement, the nova can also use this
to accurately estimate a target novas Quantum, Taint, and
Node Traits; as well as determining whatever Mega-Attributes, enhancements, and quantum powers the target nova
may possess. In game terms, the novas player gets to see
the listed stats for those traits, instead of having to settle for
narrative descriptions. This enhancement costs 1 quantum
point and lasts for the duration of the scene, but can only be
used on one being at a time.

Stalker (Mega-Perception)
Some Mega-Perceptive novas have an uncanny instinct
for hunting down people that theyve come in contact with.
People who find themselves as the quarry of such a nova
can run for as long as they like, but they cannot hide. The
nova can unerringly track anyone she has tagged to the
ends of the earth, and possibly beyond.
System: The nova must touch the target, then spend 1
quantum point and make an Awareness roll. If successful the
nova can plant a quantum tag on the target, after which
the nova will be able instinctively know the distance and
direction of the target in relation to herself for one week per
success. A nova is limited to keeping track of a maximum
number of targets equal to her Mega-Perception rating. Targets who know they are being pursued by the nova may
make a Willpower roll to reduce the duration by one week
per success.

Surefire (Mega-Perception)
While many people like big guns, a few like the really
big guns. A nova with this enhancement has an affinity for
the biggest guns of all, as he can use all kinds of indirectfire weapons with absurd levels of accuracy. The nova also
knows instinctively how to best act as a forward observer,
communicate with other forward observers and provide
maintenance for artillery pieces.
System: In addition to any other dice received for
Mega-Perception, the nova gains three extra successes on
any roll using the Artillery Ability (Aberrant Players Guide,
p. 88). Using Surefire costs 1 quantum point per artillery
attack when in combat, or 1 quantum point per scene in
non-combat situations.

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Mega-Intelligence
Discern Weakness (Mega-Intelligence)
Prerequisites: the Analyze Weakness and Mental Prodigy: Investigative enhancements
Lots of novas can study a target and find a proverbial
chink in its armor on the spur of the moment. A nova with
this enhancement can not only find out about those weaknesses, but can also share that information with her friends
and make long term plans around it.
System: A nova with Discern Weakness has the capability to deduce a targets real weaknesses, and can share that
knowledge so that others may exploit it (if theyre able to) as
well. While this enhancement can easily be used to deduce
the flaws of physical objects, planned routines and troublesome lower lifeforms (nonsapient animals, plants, fungi &
microbes), assessing the weaknesses of other people is
where its potential truly comes into full bloom. When used
on a person, a nova with Discern Weakness can determine
all of his existing weaknesses - physical, mental, social, telluric, etc. - provided that she has sufficient information on that
person to serve as the basis for her research. For purposes
of this enhancement, weaknesses includes all Flaws, all
Adversarial Backgrounds and most aberrations. After studying a subject for hours (if the nova isnt in the targets presence) or minutes (if she is), the nova spends 1 quantum
point to have the Storyteller make an Intelligence + Ability roll for her, with a difficulty penalty equal to the targets
Cipher rating. If the nova is successful, she can deduce the
nature of any weaknesses that the target may possess. If the
nova fails, the Storyteller will instead give the novas player
incorrect information on the targets weaknesses. In the case
of a botch, the information gained will be disastrously incorrect. In both of the latter cases, the Storyteller is under no
obligation to warn the novas player that the novas information is incorrect until the nova (or anyone shes shared the
information with) attempts to use the information against
the target. Precisely what Ability should be used is left to
the Storytellers discretion; but Investigation, Medicine, Science or Awareness are suggested. This enhancement normally rquires the nova to take some time out for research
for it to function, but with under appropriate conditions the
Storyteller might allow it to be used in combat. If a nova
with Discern Weakness witnesses a target having a phobic
reaction, she could figure out the nature and strength of the
targets phobia without much effort.
Example: Investigator Olivia Stamp has been tasked
with profiling David Goldstein, a mid-level operative for the
Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate who happens to be a

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nova with considerable powers to control and manipulate

rock and soil. Mr. Goldsteins recorded behavior reveals that
he suffers from some sort of mental disorder, but Goldsteins
Cipher rating of 3 has prevented the exact type of his disorder from being determined. Fortunately Investigator Stamp
is also a nova, and has Discern Weakness. After researching the available data over a period of 3 days, Investigator
Stamps player rolls Intelligence + Investigation and determines that Goldsteins mental disorder is acute acrophobia.
Investigator Stamp then adds that information to Goldsteins
psychological profile, where her superiors can use it in their
plan to apprehend Mr. Goldstein.

Project Coordination (Mega-Intelligence)

Mega-Intelligent novas are known for being able to
lay out a good plan, but novas with this enhancement turn
procedure into an art form. The nova is capable of creating
methods, procedures and policies that maximize productivity, minimize waste and keep smiles on the faces of the workers. When combined with Mental Prodigy: Administrative
and Providence, the nova can create working environments
with the apparently seamless efficiency of an ant colony.
System: When working with others (at least one additional individual) to combine successes on an extended roll
(see Teamwork, Aberrant core book p. 111) the nova may
make an Intelligence Roll with a +1 difficulty penalty. If successful, the estimated time of completion (or time interval
between rolls) is reduced by half.

Providence (Mega-Intelligence)
Mega-Intelligent novas with this enhancement have a
special genius for anticipating the needs of other people.
It doesnt matter if its a single person, a group or humanity
as a whole; these novas can deduce exactly whats needed
in any given situation and can figure out how to fulfill those
needs quickly. For this reason, novas known to have this ability are highly sought after by humanitarian groups such as
the International Red Cross, the Peace Corps and UNICEF.
Other organizations have uses for them as well - no one can
help keep the logistics for a business, army or covert operation running quite as smoothly as these novas can.
System: The basic form of this enhancement (one level)
allows the nova to make an Intelligence roll to determine
both the short-term needs of a person or group and how
to best fulfill those needs. One success on the Intelligence
roll will only give a basic idea of whats needed and how
to meet that need, while gaining more successes results
in an increasingly clear knowledge of whatever is needed
and how to fulfill it. In game terms, each success on the

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Intelligence roll grants an extra die to be used for all rolls
related to fulfilling the need in question. A Mega-Intelligent
nova can take multiple levels of this enhancement, which
will allow the nova to anticipate peoples needs in advance
on an increasingly long-term scale. A nova can only take as
many levels of this enhancement as he has dots of MegaIntelligence. Two levels of this enhancement will let the nova
anticipate peoples future needs by up to [the novas MegaIntelligence] years ahead of time. A third level increases the
range of this enhancement to decades, a fourth to centuries
and a fifth to millennia (1,000-year spans). Each further level
taken increases the range by a factor of 10. This enhancement requires 1 quantum point to use, along with at least 1
full turn of uninterrupted thought.

Unorthodox Thinker (Mega-Intelligence)

Prerequisites: At least 1 dot of Mega-Wits, and 4 dots
of the chosen Ability.
When confronted with a problem, most people prefer
to rely on the customary and conventional methods for dealing with it. While this can help in dealing with problems that
one has never personally encountered before, it also makes
that person predictable. In some circumstances, that can
be fatal. Some Mega-Intelligent novas have learned to go
beyond the boundaries of conventional thought, coming up
with ideas that at first appear utterly ridiculous and insane
according to conventional thought, but that in practice are
highly effective and make excellent sense when looked at
in hindsight. Of course, the problem with such innovation
is that a solutions effectiveness - or lack of same - wont be
apparent until put into practice.
System: The nova can apply her superhuman genius
to come up with truly innovative solutions within his chosen
field of expertise - in game terms, an Ability in which he
has a rating of 4 dots or more. The Ability that Unorthodox Thinker applies to must be chosen either at the time
of character creation or when this enhancement is bought
with experience. Taking additional levels of this enhancement will allow the nova to use it with one additional Ability
per level taken. To activate this enhancement for the scene,
the nova must spend 1 quantum point to come up with a
quick improvisational trick to be put into immediate use, or
3 quantum points if hes attempting to come up with something that would let him pull off a plan on a larger scale. The
Storyteller then makes an Intelligence + (the chosen Ability) roll for the nova. After the roll is made, the nova can
come up with a gimmick - an outlandish and seemingly
ridiculous trick or tactic - to confound his opponents. The
sheer novelty of the gimmick imposes a difficulty penalty
of +1 per success to any and all rolls made by the novas

foes to defend themselves against it. Alternatively, if the

foe is something other than a hostile being - such as a
virulent disease or a problematic environmental hazard - the
gimmick will instead reduce the difficulties on the novas
Ability roll (down to zero difficulties) by -1 per success to
overcome that challenge. The specifics of a gimmicks effect
will vary with the Ability its used with (Storytellers discretion). Gimmicks involving personal combat Abilities such as
Martial Arts would have the penalty imposed on their rolls to
block, parry or dodge against the novas innovative attacks,
while a gimmick used with Tactics would subtract from the
opponents Initiative as she attempts to figure out a way to
counter the novas radical new stratagem. Gimmicks affecting Abilities such as Computer, where conflicts are handled
as resisted rolls, will result in the difficulty penalty being
applied to the opponents Computer rolls.
Innovation has its price, though. The Storyteller is under
no obligation to reveal the actual result of the Intelligence
+ Ability roll to the novas player before the resulting gimmick is put into use. There is literally no way for the nova
to tell if his gimmick will work beforehand. Also, secrecy is
everything when attempting to use innovative solutions. If
the novas foe gets any forewarning of what the nova is up
to, at the Storytellers discretion she may be able to make a
roll with an applicable Ability to counter the novas gimmick
and negate its effect. Further if the novas foe has ever seen
or heard of the novas gimmick before, the novas effort will
simply fail. The first person to put a sword in a cane was
unorthodox, the second was just a poser.

Mega-Wits
Combat Awareness (Mega-Wits)
Mega-Witty novas with this enhancement are able to
put their superhuman quickness of thought to full use in
combat and become expert at predicting their enemies
moves before they make them. Such novas tend to appear
almost precognitive when in combat.
System: The nova spends a quantum point and rolls
(Wits + Mega Wits). If successful, Combat Awareness grants
a +3 bonus to the novas Initiative and the nova suffers
one half the normal penalties for fighting multiple opponents (round down). In addition, while Combat Awareness
is active, opponents the nova can perceive do not gain any
bonus to accuracy for attacking the nova from the flank or
rear (see Aberrant core book p. 245). Also, when defending
against an ambush the nova gains an additional 3 dice to
his Awareness roll. This enhancement lasts for one turn if 1
quantum point is spent or for one scene if 3 quantum points
are spent.

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ABERRANT
Coolheaded (Mega-Wits)
Too many people - baselines, novas or otherwise - tend
to become hysterical nervous wrecks when they find themselves in a real combat situation. Whats worse is that those
people who have become used to being in combat often
become overconfident and mentally passive, which is an
excellent way to get oneself killed in short order. Novas with
this enhancement are able to keep themselves from falling
into either one of these highly-inefficient mental states.
System: A nova with this enhancement is automatically able to keep calm when in a combat situation, even
if its unexpected. In game terms, the ratings of both mundane psychological warfare tactics and Mega-Social effects
intended to either scare the nova or lull her into a sense
of overconfidence (such as can be done with the Trickster
enhancement) are automatically reduced by (her Mega-Wits
rating) dots when used against her. This enhancement is
always on and has no quantum point cost.

Mega-Appearance
Costume (Mega-Appearance)

Lurker (Mega-Wits)
Following other people without being noticed by them
is just as valuable in battle as it is in espionage. So its no surprise that a few Mega-Witty novas have not only mastered
the art of shadowing, but have taken it to levels that Emma
Peel or James Bond would have trouble matching.
System: In addition to any other dice received for
Mega-Wits, the nova receives three extra successes when
using Shadowing (Aberrant: The Directive p. 55). Also,
if the nova makes a Wits roll, she can alter her behavior
and body language to blend in with the people around
her and/or her surroundings, making her less likely to be
noticed when shadowing someone. This is the mental counterpart to the Catfooted enhancement, and the bonuses of
both enhancements are cumulative where applicable. This
enhancement costs 1 quantum point to use and remains
active for an entire scene.

Unpredictable (Mega-Wits)
In any conflict, an accurate forewarning about a foes
intentions and actions is a powerful boon. Many have taken
this to heart in the Nova Age; as precognitive powers,
action-predicting computer programs and even old-fashioned human intuition have all been made to serve the aims
of the various factions. Some Mega-Witty novas have found
a countermeasure to this, however. The actions of a nova
with this enhancement become almost impossible for others
to predict - whatever the prediction says, the nova will do
something completely different.
System: This enhancement makes any predictions
made about the nova (by paranormal, technological or
mundane means) inaccurate to varying degrees. Its impor-

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tant to note that this enhancement doesnt work by forcing

the nova to continually alter his plans whenever someone
tries to predict his movements; instead it merely makes any
such attempted predictions highly inaccurate to begin with.
Anyone attempting to predict the actions of an Unpredictable nova must pit their relevant dice pool in a resisted
action against the novas Wits + Quantum. This enhancement is extremely subtle, and inaccuracies by would be oracles and master tacticians will not be noticeable at the time
of prediction. Expenditure of Willpower will often not be
allowed as it should be rare for them to know they are in a
resisted action. Please note that this enhancement provides
no protection whatsoever from the Blindfighting enhancement. This enhancement has no quantum point cost and is
always in effect.

For those novas who dont wear eufiber colonies due to

circumstance or choice, the matter of keeping ones clothing intact while using destructive quantum powers can be
quite a problem. Novas in this situation who insist on wearing costumes face even more problems, as hauling around
a supersuit or wearing it underneath ones street clothes
can be really uncomfortable and awkward at times. Novas
with this enhancement have found a way to sidestep those
problems, if only on a temporary basis.
System: The nova can spend 1 quantum point to roll
Appearance + Style and imbue a set of clothing shes wearing with her quantum signature. Once imbued, not only will
the set of clothing be fully attuned to the nova (as per the
Attunement background), but it will be able to transform
at the novas will into one alternate set of clothing (such as
an elite-style costume) chosen by the nova. For each success gained on the Appearance + Style roll, the set of clothing will retain the novas quantum signature for one scene.
Alternatively, the nova can transfer successes from the effect
duration to allow her set of clothing can transform into one
additional alternate set per success transferred. Its important to note that while such imbued garments might mimic a
few of the functions of a living eufiber colony, it is not Eufiber
in any way. Imbued garments provide no extra soak, cannot
be used to store quantum points and are totally unaffected
by Eu-Freeze. This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to
use, and is available to novas with either version of MegaAppearance.

Decoy (Mega-Appearance)
The body switch has been a favorite trick of over-the-

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ABERRANT
top ninjas and martial artists in both wuxia movies and anime
for decades. More than one foe of a martial artist character
from those stories has apparently struck down his target,
only to find that it was a short log or rock hed attacked.
Meanwhile, the martial artist appears out of nowhere, and
attacks... It was inevitable that some novas would develop
the same capability.
System: The nova makes an Appearance + Style roll to
create 2 simultaneous illusions for a single turn (this means
about three seconds in a combat situation, or up to three
minutes in non-combat situations). The first illusion is a
duplicate of the nova, and requires a roughly human-sized
inanimate object to act as a base for the decoy. Gaining 1
success on the roll results in a fair likeness of the nova, 2
successes is a good likeness, 3 successes is excellent, and 4
or more is superb. Although this illusion is extremely shortlived its quite complete - the decoy will seem to have a
heartbeat and produce body heat, not to mention vocalizing and/or bleeding as the result of an attack on it. The
second illusion effectively makes the nova invisible, albeit
only for one turn - subtract a number of dice equal to the
novas Appearance + Style roll from the Awareness of any
onlookers, even those who are both actively looking for the
nova and ignoring the decoy. Please note that there is no
way to extend the duration of the illusions, no matter how
many successes are rolled. These illusions will affect all 5 of
the normal human senses, but can also affect other senses
if the nova has the Blind Bewitchment enhancement. This
enhancement costs 1 quantum point to use, and is available
to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Husk (Mega-Appearance)
Prerequisites: Either of the Copycat or Mr. Nobody
enhancements.
Many times, the most effective attacks are the ones
which the target doesnt see coming until its too late. Novas
with this enhancement have taken that bit of advice to
heart, and have learned to literally put up a normal-seeming
faade to deceive their foes.
System: To use this enhancement, the nova must spend
2 quantum points and make an Style roll. If successful, he can
generate a husk behind which the novas current form is
hidden, which also provides some protection against being
detected as a nova. Each success gained on the Style roll
allows the nova to roll 1 die in resisted rolls against attempts
to detect him as such while wearing the intact husk. Likewise, the husk will mask 1 dot of the novas Taint (and the
accompanying aberrations) for each success on the Style
roll. Any visible body modifications possessed by the nova
will also be masked. Depending on what prerequisite the
nova has, the husk can provide other benefits. Novas with

Copycat can have their husks duplicate other people, while

those with Mr. Nobody can stack its Taint-masking benefit
with that gained from this enhancement. In both cases,
the husk will remain functional for up to (the novas MegaAppearance) scenes, after which it will dissolve in some way.
The details of this dissolution are best left to the players
discretion; some husks might turn to ash with a slight puff
of smoke or small flames, melt into nothingness or collapse
into a disgusting mess of slime and shreds of skin. The husk
can even be used when the nova uses the Dormancy background. In this case, the nova uses this enhancement just
before dorming down, leaving him wearing a husk that
will continue to function for up to (the novas Mega-Appearance) hours before it dissolves. The Taint-masking effects of
Dormancy are cumulative with that of the husk (and those of
Mr. Nobody, should the nova possses it).
Unfortunately, the husk created by this enhancement is
somewhat fragile. The husk has only 1 point of bashing Soak
and 1 Health Level, neither of which provide any protection
to the nova. If the husk loses its single Health Level, it is
ruined and the novas disguise can clearly be seen for what
it is. Uniquely for novas, after creation a husk is not considered part of a nova and is not immune to their powers.
It also cannot be attuned by the nova who creates it. This
means that any use of a large number of powers (Quantum Bolt, Immolate, Sizemorph, etc.) will instantly destroy
a husk. At the Storytellers discretion, a husk ruined in such
a manner may also dissolve automatically after becoming
nonfunctional. In combat, this enhancement is typically used
to take ones foes by surprise by tearing out of the husk and
attacking. Alternatively, the nova can choose to tear away
the husk in a slower, more dramatic fashion as the basis
for an Intimidation roll. The downside of this is that tearing through the husk will also destroy any clothing worn by
the nova that isnt either a eufiber colony or attuned to his
quantum signature.
This enhancement costs 2 quantum points to use, and is
available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Obscurement (Mega-Appearance)
Novas with this enhancement have the ability to make
themselves difficult for attackers to visually target them.
Methods of achieving this feat vary; both telepathic visual
alteration and bending light to either blur the novas image
or displace it from her actual location being common. Other
methods include being beautiful enough to distract the
attackers or hideous enough to unnerve them, and leaving
afterimages via time alteration or hyperfast movement.
System: When activated, this enhancement will cause
the novas attackers to lose (the novas Mega-Appearance)
dice on all rolls made to target her through visual means.

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If the nova also has the Blind Bewitchment enhancement,
this enhancement will also affect attempts to target the nova
through whatever other senses the novas Blind Bewitchment affects. This enhancement costs one quantum point to
use for one turn or three quantum points for a scene, and is
available to novas with either version of Mega-Appearance.

Mega-Manipulation
Command To Attack (Mega-Manipulation)
Sowing dissension among ones foes has always been a
time-honored battlefield tactic, and it remains so even in the
Nova Age. A Mega-Manipulative nova with this enhancement can turn his foes against each other - with possibly
tragic consequences - and gain some room to maneuver
while they waste time fighting with each other.
System: A Mega-Manipulative nova with this enhancement can sow dissension among two or more of his foes by
giving a false order for a chosen foe (the secondary target)
to do something - often a violent act - on the novas behalf.
This falsely paints the secondary target as the novas willing servant in the view of the novas other foe (the primary
target). This usually results in the primary target believing
that the secondary target is both hostile and intent on carrying out the novas order, and acting accordingly. Note the
nova giving the false order doesnt need to have any relationship whatsoever with the secondary target, as all he is
doing is trying to fool the primary target.
To use this enhancement, the nova spends a quantum
point and makes a resisted Manipulation + Subterfuge roll
against the primary targets Manipulation + Subterfuge
while giving the order to the secondary target. For every net
success the nova achieves, the primary target will believe
that the secondary target actually intends to carry out the
novas order for one round, and will respond accordingly.
While operating under this deception, the primary target
will dismiss any protestations that the secondary target
might make. It is also possible to use this enhancement
on a primary target group for a cost of 3 quantum points.
(The secondary target in this case can be either a single foe
or another group.) In this case the Storyteller will assign a
shared Manipulation + Subterfuge dice pool for the primary target group; a group of extras might use an averaged
Manipulation + Subterfuge, while a group with a nova (or
other Inspired being) acting as the leader could use would
use the leaders Manipulation + Subterfuge.
At the Storytellers discretion, this enhancement can
either either work poorly (read: be rolled with a difficulty
penalty) or fail completely depending on the personal cir-

150

cumstances of the primary and secondary targets. These

circumstances include (but arent limited to) the targets personally knowing and/or trusting each other, deserved reputations for trustworthiness, and sharing common loyalties.

Deceptive Defense (Mega-Manipulation)

In order to successfully attack a foe, figuring out beforehand how the foe is most likely to react to the attack can be
vital. Some Mega-Manipulative novas have learned how to
send out incorrect information of this kind, allowing them
to better defend themselves against their attackers.
System: The nova can use this enhancement as an automatic action whenever she is attacked in physical combat.
The nova spends 1 quantum point to pit her Manipulation
in a resisted roll against her foes Wits. Each net success
scored by the nova allows her to add an extra die to her
next defensive action (Block, Dodge, Parry or Power Block;
Aberrant core book p. 243). If the nova has more than one
action available, this will only affect 1 defensive action. This
enhancement can only be used once per turn. This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to use, and lasts for the duration of the novas defensive action.

Improved Feint (Mega-Manipulation)

Prerequisites: At least 3 dots of a personal close
combat Ability, an appropriate quantum power or the Tactics Ability.
Despite the seeming straightforward nature of combat,
deceiving ones foes has always been a cornerstone of strategy and tactics, both in group warfare and personal combat.
A nova with this enhancement has a gift for deception on
the battlefield that few can match.
System: In personal combat, the nova can use this
enhancement by spending 1 quantum point and performing a Feint maneuver (as listed in New Maneuvers in this
chapter) using either a personal close combat Ability (Brawl,
Martial Arts or Melee) or an appropriate quantum power
(Storytellers discretion). If the novas Feint is successful, for
each success she gains her opponent will lose 1 additional
die on his next defensive action against the nova. Using this
enhancement in group combat requires the nova to spend 3
quantum points and use Manipulation + Tactics to perform
the Feint maneuver. Also, the nova must be in command
of an organized group thats been trained to follow orders
reliably in combat situations. Otherwise, the mechanics are
identical. This enhancement costs either 1 or 3 quantum
points to use, and lasts for the duration of the opponents
defensive maneuver.

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Paralyzing Pronouncement (MegaManipulation)
Every now and again, someone says something
that stops a person dead in their tracks. A nova with this
enhancement can utter a statement (from an obtuse riddle
to a riotous joke) that stops the victim from taking any action
other than walking a few feet (usually in a random direction).
System: The nova spends 1 quantum point and rolls
her Manipulation + Mega-Manipulation dice (resisted by
the targets Wits & Mega-Wits). Every net success prevents
the target from taking action for a turn (or for a minute per
success outside of combat). However, any hostile action
directed at the target snaps them from their stupor at no
penalty. A target that cannot hear or understand the nova
is unaffected.

Mega-Charisma
Clarion (Mega-Charisma)
A nova with this enhancement has the capability to
make her voice be heard perfectly well over long distances,
despite whatever other sounds may be present. A nova with
Clarion never has to shout to make herself heard, as her
voice can cut through the clamor of the noisiest environments (such as found near space shuttle launches, working
jet engines or heavy metal rock performances) without ever
having to be raised above normal speaking volume. Oddly,
this effect doesnt seem to be dependent on the manipulation of actual sonic waves, as novas with Clarion are capable
of normal speech even in environments that should make it
physically impossible, such as the vacuum of space.
System: The nova can make her voice be heard
perfectly well over a range of (the novas Mega-Charisma)
kilometers, regardless of any sonic interference (Inspired
or mundane) or physical circumstances that would ordinarily make speech impossible in the novas current environment. The nova never has to raise her voice while using this
enhancement (unless she just wants to), as shes not actually relying on vocalized sound in order to speak. Instead, a
nova with Clarion is capable of producing waves of quantum
energy when she vocalizes, which other beings will automatically (and mistakenly) perceive as audible sound. Other
novas will do this via their M-R node, while other beings use
their noetic templates to hear the voice of the nova with
Clarion. This enhancement wont function through audio
recordings or media unless the nova also has the Screen
Presence enhancement (from the Aberrant Compendium).
Clarion doesnt depend on telepathic contact either, as
this effect isnt hindered by powers such as Psychic Shield.
Finally, while Clarion does aid in the use of Social Mega-

Attributes and enhancements that depend upon speech

(such as the Voice), it cant be used with enhancements like
Bellow or powers that are based on actual sonic energy. This
enhancement has no quantum cost and can be turned on or
off at will as an automatic action.

Drill Sergeant (Mega-Charisma)

The skill of molding average citizens into combat-capable soldiers has been treasured by military commanders for
millennia. Although its certainly one of the less pleasant
forms of personal instruction, Mega-Charismatic novas with
this enhancement can provide military training like no one
else. With time and effort, such novas can train even the
most typical person found on the street into a crack soldier.
System: The nova may supervise the training of up to
([Charisma + Mega-Charisma + Command] x 10) recruits
in a given month (see Henchmen, Aberrant core book
p. 282). Recruits trained for one or more months by the
nova should be treated as elite soldiers. In game terms
they are well-disciplined, have ratings of at least 3 in the
relevant combat Abilities, at least one specialty, Willpower
ratings of at least 5 and at least one Physical Attribute at
3. Soldiers whove had competent prior training or those
trained by the nova for more than one month can develop
still higher ratings. In all cases, the Storyteller has the final
say on what areas the soldiers gain improved ratings in,
and how much they can be improved. Novas (or any other
variety of Inspired beings) cannot benefit from the training provided by means of this enhancement. Using this
enhancement costs 3 quantum points per day of training
the recruits, and the effect on the recruits is permanent.

Encourage (Mega-Charisma)
This nova is the one person you want backing you up.
With this enhancement, novas may bolster the efforts of
their allies through sheer force of personality.
System: The nova spends 1 quantum point and rolls
Charisma (+ Mega-Charisma). On a success, the nova may
spend a temporary Willpower point to give an automatic
success to an ally. A nova who uses this ability can take no
other actions that turn (even defensive actions!). The targeted ally must be within visual range of the nova using this
enhancement.

Surprise Attack (Mega-Charisma)

Prerequisites: At least 1 dot of Mega-Dexterity and 3
dots of both the Perform Ability and a Dexterity-based personal combat Ability.
When a person is about to attack someone, she will
usually give off noticeable signs of it in her body language,

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which perceptive combatants can all too easily notice and
prepare to defend themselves. Certain warriors found a
remedy for this on the stage, learning to either conceal
their hostile intent through acting skill or to disguise them
as part of a physical performance as did the sword dancers
of Korea. Certain Mega-Charismatic novas have taken this
tactic to an entirely new level.
System: The nova can use his Perform Ability (either
as an actor or a physical performer of some sort - dancer,
martial artist performing katas, etc.) to perform the Ambush
maneuver (Aberrant core book, pp. 242-243) with a chosen
Dexterity-based personal combat Ability (Martial Arts,
Melee, or Firearms). At the Storytellers discretion, the Brawl
Ability might also be used with Surprise Attack, although
the circumstances in which it could plausibly be used will be
more rare. The Ability that Surprise Attack applies to must
be chosen either at the time of character creation or when
this enhancement is bought with experience. Taking additional levels of this enhancement will allow the nova to use it
with an additional Ability. The Storyteller has the final say as
to what kinds of attacks can be used with this enhancement
in any given circumstance. For instance, an attack using a
subtle pressure point strike or a piece of silverware used as
an improvised weapon covered up by acting could plausibly be used while at a restaurant or cocktail party. Using a
sword or a lethal wrestling hold in such a pleasant, civilized
setting would be much harder to justify - usually. Likewise,
using martial arts or a weapon to attack while performing
katas or something like a sword dance is quite plausible,
but using a pistol isnt. To use this enhancement, the nova
spends 1 quantum point and uses the Ambush maneuver,
except that the nova must make a Perform roll instead of
Stealth in a resisted action against the targets Awareness.
If the nova gains more successes than the target, he gains
the free attack and can apply any extra successes from the
Perform roll to the attack roll made the chosen target. If the
resisted action comes out in a tie, the nova may still attack,
but the target may perform a defensive maneuver if she has
at least 1 dot of Mega-Wits. If the target gains more successes than the nova, she spots the novas Ambush attempt
and both parties roll Initiative normally. Its important to note
that if the target has a means of sensing the danger from the
novas attack (such as the Intuition or Premonition powers, or
the Foresight enhancement of Mega-Wits) or has a MegaPerception rating higher than the novas Mega-Charisma,
this enhancements effect is automatically negated. Precognitive targets can still be subject to this enhancement if the
nova also has the Unpredictable enhancement, but there is
no such countermeasure - yet - for Mega-Perceptive targets.
This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to use, and
lasts until the attack is made, successfully or not.

152

Combat Body Modifications

Here is a collection of new Body Modifications expressly
suited for combat situations.

Claws package
Claws (one nova point / three experience points, or
two nova points / four experience points)
Unlike the quantum power of the same name, this body
modification permanently grants the nova small retractable
claws (or a similar natural weapon, such as knuckle spikes)
that can inflict (Strength) lethal damage. The claws can be
extended and retracted at will as an automatic action. Alternatively, for a cost of 2 nova points the nova may have larger
claws that inflict (Strength + 2) lethal damage but are not
retractable. That latter option can prove to be dangerous,
however. Both varieties of this body modification will also
add +3 dice to any climbing checks made by the nova.
Digging Claws (two nova points / four experience
points, or three nova points / six experience points)
The nova has some form of large blunt blades (typically
formed from hyper-tough keratin) on her hands or digits.
These modified claws only make fairly decent natural weapons, but are superb tools for digging through the ground or
breaking through walls. In game terms the digging claws will
inflict Strength +1 lethal damage when used as weapons,
and add +3 extra dice on all Ability rolls made for digging
or breaking though solid barriers. Of course, having digging
tools attached to ones hands will cause problems, as the
nova will have a +2 difficulty penalty on all Dexterity rolls
involving fine manipulation with her hands. This limitation
can be sidestepped by taking this body modification at the
three nova point level, in which case the digging claws will
be retractable in some way.
Limb Blade (three nova points / six experience points)
The nova has a blade of some sort sited in one of her
limbs, most commonly a forearm. The weapon may be the
novas shapeshifted hand, an actual blade formed from
superhumanly tough bone or keratin, a sharp-edged swimming fin, or something else entirely. Unlike other natural
weapons, the nova with this body modification will need one
or more dots of the Melee Ability for her to make efficient
use of her limb blade(s). However its formed, the results
are the same: a group of one to five 30 centimeter-long
blades, often sited at the knuckles or fingertips, that can
inflict (Strength + 3) lethal damage and can parry attacks.
Up to two additional levels of this body modification can
be taken. With two levels, the nova must choose between
either having retractable blades in two of her limbs, or
having a single sword-sized blade that will inflict (Strength
+ 5) lethal damage but is not retractable. This latter option
will make the nova a pariah in most civilized areas, and can

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prove extremely dangerous to both the nova and anyone
that gets too close to her. With three levels, the nova must
choose between either having retractable blades in all of
her limbs, or having two of the non-retractable sword-sized
blades.

Mouth/Teeth package
Bloodsucker (two nova points / four experience
points)
The nova has some sort of appendage thats expressly
designed for puncturing a victims flesh and sucking his
bodily fluids (typically his blood). Possibilities for this body
modification include (but are not limited to) a stiletto proboscis such as possessed by mosquitoes and ticks, hollow
fangs such as those of spiders, and a rasping sucker mouth
like those of leeches and lampreys. No matter what form it
takes, this appendage will allow the nova to inflict Strength
+1 lethal damage. Provided that the attack is successful
and that the nova can get her victim in a Hold (Aberrant
core book, p. 244) or otherwise immobilize him, she may
then begin to suck her victims blood, inflicting 1 or 2 dice
(Storytellers choice) of bashing damage per round due to
blood loss. This body modification is most often developed
by novas with either of the Feeding Requirement or Parasite
aberrations, and those novas should be allowed to purchase
it with nova or experience points. It also tends to look very
disturbing, imposing a difficulty penalty of +1 or higher
(depending on the details) in most social interactions.
Disarticulating Jaw (two nova points / four experience points)
The nova can dislocate her jaw like a snake, and can
swallow objects or creatures in her grasp without ever
having to chew. With one level of this body modification,
the nova can swallow swallow items or creatures that are no
larger than 40% of her own body mass. If the nova is of typical size for a baseline human, this means she can swallow
anything the size of a small person or medium-sized dog.
It is also possible take a second level of this body modification, in which case the nova can swallow items or creatures that are no larger than 80% of her own body mass.
Baselines and most novas will find this process intensely
disturbing to watch, imposing a difficulty penalty of +1 or
higher (depending on the details) in most social interactions with witnesses to the novas feeding in this manner.
The novas body will bulge noticeably once she has swallowed something (or someone), which can cause difficulties with clothing and jewelry. If the nova swallows a living
being in this way, it will likely suffocate if it cannot escape
somehow (rules for suffocation can be found on p. 257 of
the Aberrant core book). Escaping from this grim situation
can be accomplished in several ways, with cutting oneself

free from the inside the nova being the most obvious. If the
being dies, it will be digested as food in the novas digestive
tract. The indigestible parts of the victim (bones, medical or
cybernetic implants, jewelry, etc.) will be eliminated in the
normal manner, unless the Storyteller sees fit to have the
nova cough up pellets of that material in the same way
that owls do. If the nova with this body modification should
also have one or two levels of the True Omnivore enhancement (see Chapter 4 for details), such items will pose less of
a problem.
Gaping Maw (three nova points / six experience
points)
The nova has a huge mouth (as big as that of a shark),
complete with razor-sharp fangs. This will allow him to make
bite attacks for Strength +3 lethal damage, and he can also
swallow whole anything thats up to half the size of his body.
Two problems with this are that 1- this body modification
will make the nova appear very inhuman (if not outright bestial) imposing a difficulty penalty of +1 or higher (depending on the details) in most social interactions, and 2- the
novas unusual mouth structure will cause him problems with
speaking clearly (all rolls made to understand the novas
speech are penalized by -2 dice).
Maw (one nova point / three experience points)
The novas teeth and jaw structure are modified to the
point that the nova can inflict a bite attack while grappling
or holding an opponent, inflicting (Strength) lethal damage.
This body modification is retractable. If purchased twice,
the body modification is no longer retractible, but the
damage increases to Strength +1 and a grapple is no longer
needed to perform a bite attack. This augmented version
will impose a difficulty penalty of +1 or higher (depending
on the details) in most social interactions, not to mention
something of a speech impediment.
Saber Fangs (three nova points / six experience
points)
The nova has two giant stabbing fangs (much like those
of the sabertoothed tiger) in place of normal human upper
canine teeth. Combined with certain modifications to the
jaw, this allows her to use her fangs to make a bite attack
on a grappled target for Strength +2 damage. If the novas
attack is successful, the wounds created by her fangs will
bleed excessively, inflicting half damage on the target for
(Strength) turns after the initial attack. Aside from giving the
nova a serious case of overbite, the novas unusual dentition
will cause her problems with speaking clearly (-2 dice on
rolls made to understand the novas speech) in addition to
imposing a difficulty penalty of +1 or higher (depending on
the details) in most social interactions.
Viper Fangs (two nova points / four experience
points)
The novas upper canine teeth can essentially become

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identical to viper-style fangs at will. Also, the novas jaw can
drop lower than those of normal humans, allowing him to
bite his foes in the same manner as a poisonous snake. The
fangs can only inflict Strength +1 lethal damage, but if the
nova also has the Poison quantum power, they can inject
any toxins or drugs the nova creates with that power. This
body modification cannot be taken more than once.

Individual Body Modifications

Acidic Blood (three nova points / six experience
points)
This body modification turns the novas blood into a
concentrated acid. Exposure to the novas acidic blood will
inflict (Stamina) + (Mega-Stamina x 2) dice of lethal damage,
which can be soaked normally. The novas other body tissues and fluids will not become acidic. Generally, its the
Storytellers choice as to whether an attacker is exposed if
he injures the nova (normally, the answer will be no). A
second level of this body modification can be taken to pressurize the acidic blood (without any harm to the nova). In this
case, the novas acidic blood will spray one half meter if
the nova is injured (takes physical lethal damage). The nova
is of course completely immune to the effects of this body
modification, as are any eufiber colonies he may be wearing
and any objects that he may have attuned to himself. Also,
the novas blood cannot be used in blood transfusions, for
painfully obvious reasons.
Adhesive Skin (three nova points / six experience
points)
At the novas will his skin can become very sticky in some
way, most commonly by exuding some kind of thick gluelike substance. Alternative forms of this body modification
include extremely strong ionic adhesion (a.k.a. Static Cling
From Hell), having skin covered with gecko-style setae or
microscopic hooks/barbs, and so on. Novas with the quantum obesity form of the Heavyweight aberration can also
take this body modification to represent an ability to entrap
anything that strikes them in their thick layers of body fat.
Whatever the mechanism, anything that comes into forceful contact with the novas skin (read: anything that would
ordinarily inflict kinetic-based physical damage) will stick to
it strongly. In game terms, wresting away something (usually
a foes hand, foot, or melee weapon) thats become stuck to
the novas skin requires a contested Might roll between the
nova and his foe, with the nova receiving +3 extra dice on
his Might rolls. If the foes hand or foot has become stuck
(or if she either cant or simply wont let go of her melee
weapon), the nova will also gain +3 dice on all Brawl rolls
made for wrestling his foe, due to the increased leverage
he has in this situation. Fortunately, objects that are slowly
slid past the novas skin (like his clothing, for instance) wont

154

stick to it, as this body modification needs forceful contact in

order for it to function. Please note that this body modification cannot be used to wall-crawl, as that feat requires the
Adhesive Grip body modification.
Darts (three nova points / six experience points)
The nova has darts of some sort naturally growing from
his body, which he can fire at will by means of special muscles in his skin. These darts can be modified spines if he also
has that body modification, or they might simply be formed
as needed from the novas hair or dead epidermal cells. The
nova will possess (Mega-Stamina + 1) volleys of darts on
his body, with each volley being composed of (Stamina) +
(Mega-Stamina x 2) darts. A dart attack will use the novas
(Strength + Throwing) as the dice pool for determining
if it hits the target. The damage inflicted with this dice
pool is only valid for determining whether or not the dart
attack overcomes the targets soak ratings, as each dart will
only inflict 1 die of lethal damage. The range of the darts is
(Strength) + (Mega-Strength x 2) meters. Please note that
the nova can choose to fire either a single dart or a volley of
them. Single darts fired will be subtracted from the novas
next volley of darts. The nova can regrow one volleys worth
of darts in the same amount of time that he could heal two
levels of bashing damage. If the nova is injured, he will not
be able to regrow any darts until he fully recovers from his
injuries. Its possible to take a second level of this body
modification, which will allow the novas darts to inflict some
sort of secondary damage or effect. The precise nature of
the secondary damage or effect can be anything dreamed
up by the Storyteller, or by a player with the Storytellers permission. One option is to have the novas darts be barbed,
with each dart inflicting another die of lethal damage as
its removed from the targets flesh. Another possibility is
that the novas darts are extremely painful in the manner
of the stinging hairs of some tarantulas, with each dart
inflicting a +1 dice pool penalty (derived from pain) on the
target. Finally, if the nova has either the Poison quantum
power or the Acidic Blood body modification, a single dart
could instead carry a dose of the novas toxin or acidic blood
in much the same manner as the Stinger and Viper Fangs
body modifications. This last variant of Darts can also be
used with the Venom Sac body modification.
Flammable Breath (one nova point / three experience points)
At the novas will, her lungs can produce a chemical
vapor that promotes the ignition of combustible material.
This lets the nova start fires with only her breath, as all she
has to do is exhale on the material for a few seconds for it to
burst into flame. This body modification cannot be used as
an effective direct attack, but is just as useful (and as dangerous, in some circumstances) as a cigarette lighter or match
would be.

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ABERRANT
Hardened Limb (one nova point / three experience
points)
One of the novas limbs is much more solid than the
rest of his body; perhaps because it is made of wood, stone,
metal or something else harder than flesh. The nova adds
+1 to all unarmed melee damage dice pools with that limb,
and he may use it to parry with, even if the nova is unarmed.
A second level of this body modification may be taken for
the same limb, increasing the damage bonus to +2. This
bonus is not cumulative with that provided by Bodymorph:
Hard Solid.
Horns (one nova point / three experience points)
The nova has an impressive set of horns, be they curved
like a rams or a single large one like that of a rhinocerous.
This gives the nova a Strength +4 bashing or Strength +2
lethal (selected when this body modification is purchased)
Tackle attack. The attacking nova also gains +2 dice to their
Athletics check when resisting Knockdown caused by performing a tackle.
Noxious Bile (three nova points / six experience
points)
The novas body can produce some sort of damaging
fluid, which he can use to attack his foes. A common form for
this body modification to take is hyper-acidic gastric juices,
although acid-producing glands similar to those found in
several species of ants are also known. Other possibilities
include (but are not limited to) hyper-alkaline fluids and boiling-hot chemical secretions similar to those produced by the
bombardier beetle. The nova can use this fluid as a weapon
by drooling or otherwise excreting it on a target, who will
usually have to be either in close contact with the nova or
prevented from moving away in order for it to hit him. The
novas fluid will inflict (Stamina) + (Mega-Stamina x 2) dice
of lethal damage (which can be soaked normally), and will
also inflict half that damage each turn after the initial attack
for (Mega-Stamina) turns. If the target has the Adaptability enhancement, the secondary damage will be negated.
Also, the Slimy Skin body modification (Aberrant: Teragen,
p. 130) will grant the target an additional four soak against
both highly acidic and highly alkaline fluids. The nova can

produce enough fluid to use this body modification up to

(Stamina) + (Mega-Stamina x 2) times in a 24 hour period.
Its possible to take a second level of this body modification, allowing the nova to spew his fluid at a chosen foe at a
range of (Strength) + (Mega-Strength x 2) meters, although
successfully hitting a target will require an Athletics roll.
Venom Sac (one nova point / three experience points)
This body modification allows the nova to store venom
(a specific poison, drug, germ culture, or other hazardous
susbtance) internally and without any harm to the nova until
it is needed. If the nova has either of the Stinger or Viper
Fangs body modifications, he may use them to deliver the
venom stored in the sac in addition to his normal attack. This
body modification can store up to (Stamina / 2, rounded
up) + (Mega-Stamina) doses of venom. Assuming that the
venom is self-generated, the venom sac will store it indefinitely. If the nova has the Poison quantum power, then he
may charge the venom sac with his chosen poison, drug,
or germ culture by using the power normally. Every use of
the Poison power stores a single dose of the chosen poison
up to the venom sacs storage limit. The created substance
will then be stored in the venom sac automatically. Please
note that the nova may not store different venoms within
the venom sac at the same time. If the nova wishes to begin
storing a different venom in the venom sac; it must be emptied completely of the old venom first. If the nova has the
Acidic Blood body modification, then he may instead store
his acidic blood in the venom sac. In this case, the novas
venom sac can be charged with his blood at the same rate
that he heals Bruised health levels of bashing damage.
The damage done by the novas acidic blood is soaked separately from the physical damage done by the novas Stinger
or Viper Fangs body modifications. If the nova has both the
Poison power and the Acidic Blood body modification, he
must pick which one will be used with his venom sac when
this body modification is purchased. It is possible to take
additional levels of this body modification, each level of
which will grant the nova a completely separate venom sac.
In this case, the nova will be able to store one other specific
kind of venom within each additional venom sac.

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CHAPTER THREE:
STORYTELLING
At first glance, assimilating the Mega-Physical Attributes into an Aberrant chronicle seems simple to the point
of being ridiculously easy. This misperception falls away the
first time a player has her Mega-Physical character attempt
some superhuman feat drawn from the comics that wasnt
covered in the core book, leaving her Storyteller desperately
trying to improvise something workable for both himself
and his players. This chapter examines such feats in detail,
both in terms of whats possible and what it takes to perform them. Suggestions for Mega-Physical characters pitted
against Mega-Mental and/or Mega-Social novas are also
provided, along with guidelines for Storytellers who need
ways to rein in or apply consequences to overly rambunctious Mega-Physical characters. Finally, a closer look is taken
into the public defenders and how they operate, along with
some guidelines that will let your players characters take up
that role in the world of Aberrant.

Theme
All good stories have an implicit meaning at their core,
and stories about the Mega-Physical novas are no exception.
While the main theme of Aberrant is power and how it is
used by humans, chronicles involving Mega-Physical characters have quite a few other themes to explore.

Responsibility
While all novas have the potential to change human
society, the Mega-Physical novas are different in that they
are often immediately faced with the consequences of their
actions. In this situation, the theme of personal responsibility is brought into a very sharp focus. When a nova is strong
enough to literally crush an annoying person or fast enough
to strike him down before he can react, the temptation to
use that strength or speed in said manner can be extremely
hard to resist. The temptation to use that same strength or
speed to aid others can be just as hard to resist, and can also
backfire on the nova if she acts unwisely. Whether or not the
nova in question can accept the responsibility of having such
power is everything. Some will attempt to handle it and fail,
while others deny their responsibility outright. Those who do

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accept their responsibility and carry on as best they know

how come off best in this situation.
This theme isnt limited to the issue of self-restraint (or
the lack of same), however. Mega-Physical novas must also
decide when its both appropriate and necessary to use their
might and prowess, taking their circumstances into account.
If he chooses wisely a Mega-Physical nova can often manage
to save lives, prevent certain crimes and in general help out
those people he cares for without attracting any unwanted
attention to himself. If he chooses poorly, that same nova
can cause horrendous damage to everyone and everything
around him, and make a fine target of himself for hostile parties in the process.

Inequality
Despite the strictures of social class, ethnicity and differing levels of personal wealth, baseline humans have
always shared a certain equality in their basic capabilities.
This is part of what allowed democracies (both actual and
ostensible) to develop; as baseline humans are limited to
a common spectrum of what they can do. While a wealthy
person will live longer, enjoy a better quality of life and have
more political clout than the average person, the influence
of the moneyed classes are (in the more democratic societies) counterbalanced by the far greater numbers of average
people in a society. Likewise, no amount of wealth, political power or cultural heritage can prevent a human from
eventually growing old and dying. All humans can die from
starvation, dehydration, diseases, poisons and a host of
other calamities. Humans are also equal before the impersonal forces of nature, as a lighting bolt is just as likely to
fry a wealthy man as a poor one, and an earthquake can kill
people by collapsing the cheapest apartments and swankiest mansions with equal ease.
As far as most serious students of baseline-nova relations are concerned, that basic human equality went extinct
on March 23rd, 1998 at 3:31 PM EST. With the eruption of
Randall Fireman Portman and those of the novas that followed, it became clear (to those astute enough to realize it,
at least) that novas had capabilities that no baseline human

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could ever hope to match, regardless of wealth and political
influence. This applies to all novas, but it is the Mega-Physical
novas who continue to provide the most glaring examples of
this new reality in a way that no baseline can fail to notice
and feel uneasy, even if only on the subconscious level. This
is to be expected since humans have been civilized (if only
in the loosest sense of the term) for just a few thousand
years, and the instincts from our prehistoric ancestors remain
strong. As those instincts include counterdominance, which
will make novas appear to be threats to baselines, matters
can turn ugly very quickly. While a great many baselines will
heed those instincts and turn against novas (both those who
deserve it and those who dont), some will rise above their
instincts, perceive novas as the individuals they are and act
accordingly. Whether or not the novas (Mega-Physical and
otherwise) will deign to treat baselines with the consideration and basic human dignity - if not true egalitarianism that they usually deserve is another question.

War and Peace

Ever since the end of World War II the First World nations
have enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence, despite the
tensions and military buildup of the Cold War and the occasional minor conflict. Their societies have grown and prospered as a result of this, allowing their cultures to develop in
all areas - science, technology, the arts and business to name
a few - at a remarkable rate and making them the wealthiest countries on the planet. Citizens of these nations have
generally lived lives free from armed aggression, religious
strife and overt banditry. This is in stark contrast to the Third
World nations which have all been wracked by warfare at one
time or another. Recurring warfare has literally consumed
much of the natural resources, wealth and populace of these
nations, which typically never had any of them in abundance.
Residents of such countries must struggle just to survive, as
famine (both natural and man-made) and disease are often
as much of a threat as murder and/or rape by combatants.
With the depredations of enemy (and sometimes
domestic) military forces, warlords, separatists, terrorist
groups and unrestricted banditry, these cultures potential
for growth is lost. The luckier nations manage to maintain
some of their status quo, while others regress to an even
worse state of affairs. The tendency for foreign governments
and corporations to use violence to protect their interests
doesnt help matters any. Despite appearances, little of this
has changed much in the Nova Age. Some Third World
nations such as Ethiopia have benefited from the coming of
the novas, but others must now add nova elites to the array
of threats posed against them. Another difference from the
20th Century status quo is the OpNet, which allows citizens
of both the First and Third Worlds a far better window into

each others lives. This does not bode well, as a market for
war entertainment has developed in the First World and
justified resentment among Third World residents has grown
to record levels without any sign of abating. The third (and
most telling) difference is that these Third World nations
have the possibility of novas erupting within the ranks of
their citizenry. As Third World governments are often the
chief oppressors of their own people, this is a serious problem. While some of these novas will easily be recruited by
their government others are certain to rebel, either to fight
back against their oppressors or to become warlords and do
some oppression themselves.
This theme isnt just limited to the geopolitical arena
novas are often faced with it in their personal lives as
well. More than a few novas abandon their former peaceful
(they call it boring) existences and seek out the chance
to become combatants by becoming elites, enlisting in the
military or acting as field operatives for one of the factions.
While many would-be combatants often bow out after a
few missions worth of experiencing actual combat and/or
warfare, others take to it with a disturbing ease. This is very
ominous, given the increased likelihood that a combat elite
will develop greater levels of permanent Taint and mental
aberrations due to the stress of having committed so many
grim deeds in the course of battle.
Even worse is that like others who have violence as
part of their normal lives, nova combatants tend to adopt
a casual, easygoing attitude towards combat and its effects.
This tends to shock noncombatants when they hear a nova
combatant discussing violence as an everyday event. Noncombatants who actually witness a nova combatant committing acts of violence in person (often at close range) can
easily be driven into hysterics. Adding this to the serious
difficulties nova combatants have with readjusting to life
in peacetime, one gets superhuman warriors who have the
strong tendency to treat life in general as a wartime (if not a
battlefield) situation. This does not make for good relations
between them and noncombatants.
On the other side of the coin, novas who do their best
to shun combat must come to terms with the fact that sooner
or later, they will have to literally fight against those who will
seek to harm and/or exploit them and their loved ones. In
the Nova Age, there is simply no place on Earth where a
nova has a decent chance of living out his or her life in peace
without eventual interference from the factions or other
interests. The question of how novasespecially the player
characterswill address this dilemma will have a very dramatic impact on an Aberrant chronicle.

Humanity
For all the importance laid upon this quality, prior to

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ABERRANT
the dawn of the Nova Age philosophers and others had
yet to agree on what humanity was, having instead bandied about various contradictory definitions. Despite this,
determining who qualified as human and who didnt was
a relatively easy decision for most people to make. To be
human was to be one of them, whoever and whatever
they were. By the end of the 20th Century the definition had
become overtly political rather than scientific; things were
called human or human-like when people wanted to establish rights for them. The old prejudices that branded racial,
social and religious minorities as less (and sometimes also
more) than human still lingeredand will continue to do so
throughout the Nova Age and beyondbut many people
had learned to dismiss them as unpleasant relics best left in
the cultural dumpster. Then came the first N-Day, and this
matter was complicated by the debut of the first publiclyknown transhuman minorityhomo sapiens novus.
As of 2015, the ongoing debate over how to define
humanity has had seventeen years of living with novas to
add to its ferment. One of the more popular definitions is the
human condition or human predicament, which constitutes the totality of everything about homo sapiens sapiens,
both positive and negative. The positive aspects of humanity
are understood to be all the things that are good and worthy
about humans; a few of which are compassion, reason, creativity, ethics, integrity and artistic achievement. Humanitys
negative aspects were deemed to be all that was abhorrent
about the species, an array of tragic flaws, atrocities, foibles
and biological shortcomingsthe tendency for undue violence and warfare, genocide, ailments beyond counting, religious persecution and a willingness to victimize innocents for
pleasure and/or profit are just the tip of that iceberg. Thanks
to their quantum capabilities, novas have the potential to
not only increase their positive aspects to surreal levels, but
they can also free themselves from certain of the negative
aspects. In so doing novas can drift away from the human
condition if theyre not careful to keep what its like to live
as a baseline human in mind. Baselines must deal with the
quite natural feelings of envy and bitterness that will arise
once they realize that novas dont necessarily have to bear
the same burdens of human life that they are doomed to
suffer. Humans have always found it easy to use specious
reasoning to dehumanize other humans who they deemed
outsiders, and they will find it even easier to dehumanize
novas. Many people in the early 21st Century believe that
a nonhuman being has no rights, nor is there any obligation
to treat such a being in a particular way, which will have ugly
consequences for baseline-nova relations in the decades to
come. The Teragens endorsement of the idea that novas are
not human plays into this in a very dangerous way, as claims
of non-humanity have historically preceded acts of genocide. Taint (and the Chrysalis) exacerbates this problem, as

158

accumulating it will quite literally turn a nova into something

that is increasingly nonhuman. All of this makes for a very
ugly storm brewing on the horizon of the future, and makes
the question of what it means to be humanand whether
transhumans such as your players novas can truly qualify as
suchinto a source of high-grade drama for an Aberrant
chronicle.

Conflict
The lifeblood of any good story is and always has been
conflict, and the Mega-Physical Attributes can be a mother
lode for that.

Nova vs. Baseline

A factor in any Aberrant chronicle, the conflict between
erupted and non-erupted humanity does have a few subtle
twists when applied to the Mega-Physical novas. Much has
been said about how most baseline humans can accept the
fact someone is stronger, faster or more resilient than themselves, and how that acceptance can be extended to the
Mega-Physical novas. While this is true to a certain degree,
there are three facts that temper that acceptance. First is that
people have always known that their physically superior
fellows could be weak in other areas and were definitely
heir to all the ailments and accidents that plague the rest
of baseline humankind. None of that has to apply to MegaPhysical novas, making them much more intimidating than
the average baseline strongman. Second, baselines acceptance of the physical superiority of Mega-Physical novas is
mostly limited to the intellectual sphere. Emotionally, many
baselines are likely to develop feelings of inadequacy, envy
and resentment towards Mega-Physical novas. The tendency
of people to empathize with the underdog is also a factor in
this, as baselines will accurately see themselves as underdogs when opposing Mega-Physical novas. Given that most
rational baselines know that their own chances of erupting
and possibly gaining such capabilities are minuscule at best,
this will lead the more petty baselines to demonize MegaPhysical novas in the decades to come.
Ironically, its the Mega-Vigorous dynamos who are some
of the worst offenders in these regards as far as baselines are
concerned. While all novas enjoy certain benefits from the
basic nova metabolismsuch as an immunity to minor ailments like Type 2 diabetesnovas with Mega-Stamina enjoy
a level of physical health that dwarfs theirs. Dynamos have the
potential to recover from what would be mortal wounds for
a baseline, shrug off deadly diseases and poisons, survive in
otherwise deadly environments and enjoy a level of physical
health that cannot be matched by any other lifeform. Worst
of all, some baseline paraphysicians are beginning to (correctly) suspect that certain dynamos have vastly expanded

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ABERRANT
lifespans, possibly to the point of possessing eternal youth
or even immortality. The harsh fact that replicating any of
the dynamos capabilities remains far beyond the medical
state of the art - no matter how much money is thrown at
the problem - will be a sour finishing piece on a very bitter
dish from the viewpoint of the baseline power elite. Taking
into account the human conceit that they are the crown of
creation - all others be damned - this will make for a potent
mix of envy and wounded pride on the part of these otherwise extremely privileged baselines. Unwilling to accept that
anything is beyond their grasp, these baselines are sure to
attempt whatever they can to attain the superhuman health
of the dynamos, no matter how unethical. Considering that
typically involves medical research of the unethical variety
performed by Josef Mengele or Imperial Japans Unit 731,
the fact that most dynamos will resist these attempts is also
assured.
On the Mega-Physical novas side of this equation, they
are faced with the various difficulties of living in a world
where most people have no hope of matching their physical
capabilities and nearly every artifact of their civilization has
been designed to the needs and specifications of those frail
beings. The resulting frustration is a gradual thing in most
cases, but can be quite corrosive over the long term. Adding
in the tendency for baseline friends to constantly try and
exploit the prowess of these novas for their own petty ends
to the aforementioned tensions, the result is a very good
breeding ground for anti-baseline sentiment and/or nova
elitism. This simmering contention is just another source of
conflict that can - and likely will - help fuel the upcoming
Aberrant War, like kerosene does in a house fire. Whether or
not a Mega-Physical nova will attempt to limit the damage
or fan the flames even higher remains the choice of each
individual, for better or worse.

Strength vs. Weakness

The conflict between the strong and the weak of the
human race has been going on since time immemorial, and
has been thrown into a higher gear in the Nova Age. Going
by the Kantian ideals espoused (if not usually practiced) by
the Aeon Society and the First World nations, a universal set
of ethics exists under which all sapient life operates from a
level of moral and ethical equality. Under this common moral
code, beings may be strong or weak without fear of reprisal
- the weak need not be dominated and/or made to suffer
by the strong, while the strong need not suffer the potentially lethal envy of their weaker brethren. Unfortunately the
world of Aberrant is far from the Kantian ideal, as most of
the world has and continues to operate in the fashion of realpolitik. The strong dominate, define their morality through
their own capabilities, necessities and desires and typically

have little or no respect for the weak. In contrast the weak

suffer, fear and must be very careful around those stronger
than themselves and are forced to find ways to fight back
through clever, subtle and/or underhanded means if they
are to fight back at all. This is found on all levels of human
society, from the interactions of the greatest national governments and corporations down to the relationships of individual humans.
When Mega-Physical novas (and novas in general)
were factored into this conflict, the expected bitterness
and negative feelings of all involved were amplified. The
sheer personal power exhibited by Mega-Physical novas not
only placed them among the ranks of the strong as far as
most people are concerned, but they often also outclassed
powerful baselines by one or more orders of magnitude. In
turn, many powerful baselines tend to develop a hatred of
novasMega-Physical and otherwisefrom their extreme
jealousy at being upstaged by people who used to be their
lessers. The fact that they have almost no chance of erupting
themselves is just salt on the wounded pride of these often
narcissistic and/or egotistical baselines. Weak baselines
have become ambivalent about Mega-Physical novas over
the seventeen years since the first N-Day. Now that the initial waves of fascination and idolization have worn off, these
baselines are starting to judge Mega-Physical novas by their
actions, although this is tempered by an undercurrent of jealousy. Mega-Physical novas who act to help the weak will be
regarded with admiration and respect, while those MegaPhysical novas who seek to dominate and exploit the weak
will be vilified as yet another class of oppressors. When the
effects of accumulating Taint become apparent in the years
leading up to the Aberrant War, this will lead the majority of
baselines to view all novas as potential threats to their lives
until proven otherwise. This isnt limited to baselines, though
- like baselines and other novas, Mega-Physical novas are
prone to disrespect or jealousy (mixed with fear) towards
those Mega-Physical novas who are respectively weaker or
stronger than themselves.
This conflict is most plainly seen among those who
face the chilling prospect of fighting against Mega-Physical
novas on the battlefield. While they do have the advantage
of greater numbers, many baseline governments and clandestine organizations have also developed equalizers that
would give baseline combatants an edge against the power
of Mega-Physical nova combatants and level the playing
field to some degree. Some such equalizers are intended to
enhance baseline combat capabilities with drugs, augmentation cyberware and powered exoskeletons, albeit with mixed
results that typically only provide a small edge against a
Mega-Physical nova. Other equalizers are intended to diminish the advantage possessed by Mega-Physical novas; with
anti-nova weaponry, quantum-suppressant substances and

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ABERRANT
eclipsidol being prime examples. Despite their awesome
power, Mega-Physical novas are not great in numbers and
not all of them are bulletproof. With sufficient motivation,
support and equalizers, baseline combatants can be be a
cause for concern for even novas as mighty as the typical
player character. Weak Mega-Physical novas will also seek
to employ whatever equalizers they can to gain that vital
edge against a stronger foe. While some can and do make
use of the equalizers employed by baseline combatants,
many weak Mega-Physical novas will end up accumulating
Taint in their quest for more power, with predictably horrendous results.
In the final analysis, the essence of this conflict is a
single question: how will Mega-Physical novas use their tremendous physical capabilities? Will they find the strength
for integrity and altruism, treating the deserving among
the weak with respect and protecting them from those who
would subjugate and prey on them? Or will Mega-Physical
novas be weak enough to lack compassion and integrity,
becoming the ones who act as predators and exploiters of
anyone who cannot defend themselves against their quantum-fueled might?

Construction vs. Destruction

Another source of conflict involving Mega-Physical
novas is their potential for both destruction and construction. As anyone whos ever watched N! could attest, novas
with the right Mega-Physical Attributes can clear off land,
assemble buildings, cut timber, make roads, divert rivers,
quarry stone and dig wells with little or no heavy equipment.
Theyre also no slouches when it comes to protecting what
theyve built, as Mega-Physical novas can stand guard for
days on end, counter attacks before they can hit anything of
value and lay one heck of a smackdown on would-be vandals. However, all of that is counterweighted by the ease
with which other Mega-Physical novas can lay waste to those
buildings and other constructions. It should also be noted
that neither construction nor destruction are inherently
good or bad, as context is everything. Mega-Physical novas
can just as easily build concentration camps or strip mines
as they can hospitals or housing developments. Likewise,
destroying an industrial plant that pollutes the environment
or the prison where a Third World dictator detains useful dissidents isnt any more difficult than wrecking a military base
or demolishing a small city.

Brawn vs. Beauty

Brawn vs. Brains

At first glance, the outcome of any conflict between
Mega-Physical and Mega-Mental novas can seem pretty
cut and dried. In a short-term face-to-face brawl, the MegaPhysical nova has a very good chance of being able to wipe

160

the floor with her Mega-Mental foe. If instead the MegaPhysical nova doesnt know who shes up against, cant get
close to her actual foe or figure out some way to thwart him,
the Mega-Mental nova will certainly have the upper hand if
he doesnt win outright.
So what edges can a Mega-Physical nova gain that will
give her a decent shot against her hyper-intellectual antagonist? The first edge is keeping her Mega-Mental foe from
having a precise knowledge of her capabilities; physical
and otherwise. If the Mega-Physical nova can cause him to
underestimate her in any way, the consequent miscalculation
can prove disastrousif not fatalfor her Mega-Mental foe.
The second edge is having other people who are willing to
give the Mega-Physical nova reliable advice as to how she
can defeat her foe, or at least point her in the right direction. This is especially effective if the Mega-Physical novas
adviser happens to be a Mega-Mental nova in her own
right, who could quite possibly hold a grudge against the
Mega-Physical novas Mega-Mental foe. The third edge to
be had is the simple fact that destroying something is much
easier than creating or preserving it. Does the Mega-Mental
foes plan revolve around a large hypertech device that hes
invented and built? Most Mega-Physical novas can and are
capable of wrecking it beyond any hope of repair. Is the
Mega-Mental foe holed up in a secret base within the heart
of a mountain? Pulverize that mountain with a sufficiently
Mega-Strong blow, and that secret base will likely become
the Mega-Mental foes tomb. Is the Mega-Mental foe planning on releasing a bioweapon? A Mega-Physical nova can
not only stand a good chance of surviving exposure to it, but
can also help medical researchers to develop a cure or other
defense against the bioweapon by letting them study her.
The fourth edge is for the Mega-Physical nova to be unpredictable and act in unexpected ways. A Mega-Mental foe will
likely be depending on a detailed plan, so adding as many
random factors as is feasible - even by rolling dice - will make
those plans useless and work to the Mega-Physical novas
advantage.
As has been said elsewhere, theres plenty of drama to
be had by pitting Mega-Physical novas against Mega-Mental
antagonists. Both have weaknesses along with their strong
points, and one doesnt have to be a mastermind to take
advantage of them. Further details on getting the most out
of the Mega-Physical Attributes can be found in Chapter
Four.

Likewise, pitting Mega-Physical novas against MegaSocial novas can be very challenging. As with the MegaMentals, confronting a Mega-Social nova on her own terms
is a recipe for defeat. Where influencing other people is a

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factor, a Mega-Physical nova will often be completely outmatched by his Mega-Social foe. This can backfire on an
injudicious Mega-Social nova, as the Mega-Physical nova
does usually have the option of damning the consequences
and ripping the head off whoever is bothering him, even
in public. As polite society doesnt condone direct fighting outside of a ring, gymnasium or dojo, other methods
must be used if the Mega-Physical nova is to prevail without being charged with first-degree murder. The first way is
to somehow get the Mega-Social foe into a situation where
her superhuman beauty, guile and/or charm cannot help her.
Being one of the most charming or manipulative people on
the planet is useless if theres no one else in the Mega-Social
foes immediate vicinity to be charmed or manipulated, and
physical beauty (or repulsiveness) means nothing against
the impersonal threats posed by the environment or natural disasters. The second way is to remove the Mega-Social
foes supporters, which can be easy if said foe is of the style
over substance variety. If the Mega-Physical nova can prove
beyond any doubt that his Mega-Social foe has little or nothing to back up her superhumanly influential image, her social
support can collapse like a house of cards. The third way is
to use the Mega-Social foes own ego against her. Thanks
to all the flattery and adulation they receive, more than a
few Mega-Social novas overestimate themselves and their
capabilities, which a canny Mega-Physical nova can use to
have them get themselves into dire straits. Last but not least,
theres always the option of tricking the Mega-Social foe into
physically attacking the Mega-Physical nova, although doing
so can be very difficult.

Brawn vs. Brawn

Physical violence and the potential for such has always
been a factor in human interactions, and novas - especially
the Mega-Physical novas - are no exception. When it comes
right down to it, there are few things quite as thrilling or terrifying as a clash between Mega-Physical novas, not the least
being that the reasons for them are so varied. While some
Mega-Physical novas certainly enjoy bullying those weaker
than themselves, others will act to prevent such craven
behavior. Elites will fight for whoever can afford their fees,
while public defenders might also desire to serve their community as well as draw a fat paycheck. As with other novas,
Mega-Physical novas can and will wage battle in order to
further the cause of a faction theyve aligned themselves
with. Others will use their superhuman physical gifts for
criminal activities, which in turn will prompt still other MegaPhysical novas to stop them by any means necessary. (Details
on some of the various combat styles and stratagems used
by Mega-Physical novas against their foes can be found in
Chapter Two.)

Factions
The abilities of Mega-Physical novas make them of interest to every faction of the world of Aberrant, if only for the
potential threat they pose. While Mega-Physical combat specialists and intrusion experts are in near-universal demand
by the factions, there are some other options available to
them. Project Utopia has scores of operations that require
the aid of Mega-Physical novas, of which terraforming, building emergency housing and providing disaster relief are
just a few examples. As they typically prefer not to rely on
baselines when its inconvenient to do so, the Teragen find
Mega-Physical novas invaluable for setting up and supplying new enclaves in addition to helping fulfill their more violent aims. Among the Aberrants, Mega-Physical novas can
expect to ply their gifts in rescuing imprisoned novas, recruiting recently-erupted novas and monkeywrenching certain
Utopia projects as well as performing the occasional good
deed. Mega-Physical nova elites may find work locating and
mining undersea mineral deposits, exploring dangerous
areas and acting as bodyguards. The Daedelus League is
very fond of recruiting Mega-Physical novas whose abilities
allow them to survive and operate in space without technological assistance. In their attempt to establish a new form of
human community, the Protectors will gladly accept aid from
any Mega-Physical nova who makes the cut and wishes to
join them. Building a new culture requires plenty of muscle
power and elbow grease as well as technological genius and
interpersonal skills.
Nearly all of the factions have also developed countermeasures to deal with Mega-Physical novas who pose
a (perceived) threat to them. Utopia, Proteus, DeVries, the
Directive and most of the organized crime groups all have
various anti-nova weaponry and equipment on hand to even
the odds against a Mega-Physical foe. Life on the run as
fugitives and deep-cover agents has taught the Aberrants
some very effective means of evading and countering MegaPhysical foes without even having to come into contact with
them. With their greater knowledge of nova potential, the
Teragen have the power to stop a Mega-Physical foe dead in
his tracks - sometimes literally. Other groups will have their
own ways of dealing with Mega-Physical threats. For example, members of the Gestalt can whip up some very nasty
psychic tricks when pressed, while the Daedelus League
could take a Mega-Physical foe into outer space and leave
him there to either die or suffer a more-or-less permanent
exile from human civilization. One exception to this is the
Church of Michael Archangel, whose attempt to develop
anti-nova weaponry has only resulted in a poorly-modified
rifle that provides no real advantage against the average
Mega-Physical nova.

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Singular Capabilities
In these early decades of the Nova Age, both erupted
and baseline humanity has seen only the vaguest hints of
the full potentialphysical and otherwiseof homo sapiens novus. This can become a problem when neither the
Storyteller or the players in an Aberrant chronicle have a
clear idea of what their Mega-Physical characters should be
capable of. Fortunately, we have been outlined those capabilities so that Storytellers can (hopefully) handle whatever
Mega-Physical feats that their players novas may attempt in
their chronicles.

Paraphysiology 101
Most people have a natural tendency to ignore that
which they consider to be unremarkable in favor of the
flashy and uncommon. Though understandable, this is still
a dire mistake where novas are concerned. The quantum
powers and Mega-Attributes of novas are impressive, yet it
is the basic features shared by all novas that can have the
most far-reaching consequences. Understanding these most
basic aspects of being a nova can make all the difference
between life, death or worse...

The Basic Metabolic Package

Much has been said about the optimized metabolism
exhibited by all novas, but as yet no one has fully outlined all
the associated perks and burdens. That changes now. Due
to the extreme demands imposed by channeling quantum
energies through their bodies, all novas develop hyperactive metabolisms, novel biochemistry and denser cellular
structures which can - usually - handle the strain involved.
Combined with the tendency for eruption to literally reshape
a novas body to bring it in line with his or her self-image,
this grants novas a quality of health that baselines can only
dream of having, but there are prices to be paid for that.
The benefits of the basic nova metabolism include a
bit more than whats described in the Mega-Stamina listing
(Aberrant core book, p. 160). Novas have the capability to
regenerate lost or destroyed body tissues, albeit only at the
rate that baselines can heal from lethal damage. Minor body
tissues such as hair, nails and teeth can be regenerated far
more quickly, but such fast regrowth will be restricted to the
point established by the novas desired self-image. Novas
have hyper-efficient immune systems that make short work
of all but the most dire diseases and health problems that
plague baselines. No nova will ever suffer from asthma,
arthritis, acid reflux or acnedont even bother with a Resistance roll. Novas also will also have pleasing body proportions and ideal body fat percentages (subject to gender
differences). Eruption also tends to alter physiological details

162

to match the novas desired state - hair color, facial structure and gender can all be changed, while disabilities (both
mental & physical) can be erased as if they had never been.
The drawbacks of the basic nova metabolism are threefold. First, most novas must consume a bare minimum of
three times the daily amount of food required by a typical
baseline, with a daily intake of five times the baseline food
requirement being the ideal. Thanks to their hyperactive
metabolic rates and denser cell structures, not only do their
cells require a greater caloric intake but novas also have
more cells to nourish. The second drawback is that a novas
hyperactive metabolism will allow her to shrug off the effects
of drugs made for baseline use without any effect, including
medicines. Drugs must be nearly pure to be used on novas
successfully, but unless a physician is trained in nova medicine he will be operatingsometimes literallyat a serious
disadvantage when attempting to treat a nova patient. The
third drawback is the fact that a given novas biochemistry
can and likely will make use of novel biochemicals never seen
before in a human metabolism, or in that of any other Terran
lifeform. While this has helped medical researchers discover
cures for many ailments, it also means that tissues harvested
from the vast majority of novas cannot be safely transplanted
into a baseline patient due to near-certain prospect of lethal
tissue rejection and/or toxic shock. Even transfusions using
nova blood tend to be lethal for baseline recipients. Specific
Toxin Ratings for a given novas various body tissues are left
to the Storytellers discretion, but a good rule of thumb is to
use the higher of the novas Quantum or Taint ratings for the
Toxin Rating of his or her body tissues for this purpose.

The Mazarin-Rashoud Node

It certainly doesnt look like much, yet the utterly novel
part of the human brain commonly known as the M-R node
is perhaps the most important biological development of
the Nova Age. A novas M-R node is quite literally the support for his superhuman capabilities and his direct link to the
quantum level of reality, with functions that novas have only
begun to tap into. For the first-generation novas it is also a
biological time bomb, as growth past the third instar puts
increasing pressure on the frontal lobes and results in mental
Taint and aberrations. Despite all that most novas take their
nodes for granted, neither learning to use them to their full
potential nor appreciating the threat of unrestricted node
growth and mental Taint. So why is the M-R node proving to
be such a double-edged sword, and why are so many novas
comfortable with relying on an unknown quantity?
The answer to the first question is obvious when the
M-R node is examined from the viewpoint of evolutionary
biology. Like all other novel biological adaptations the M-R
node is the result of a genetic mutation and a product of

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ABERRANT
natural evolution. As such, its a product of the worst sort of
hit or miss experimentation, with the only improvements
being made through natural selection. With that in mind, its
to be expected that the first-generation M-R node may not
do the best job of channeling quantum energy, but without
any more advanced versions around not the best is good
enough. Unfortunately, not every novas M-R node is created equal, as genetic damage to the underlying mutated
genetic sequence can result in a first-generation nova gaining notably increased levels of Taint through no fault of his
own. Likewise, the various stresses placed upon most firstgeneration novas during the early decades of the Nova Age
the nova lifestyle, the lust for power, being exploited
as commodities, etc.ensures that many of them will end
up pushing their M-R nodes well beyond their safe operational limits. Both the nature of the first-generation M-R node
and the environment that first-generation novas live in will
contribute to rising levels of Taint among the general nova
population. As to the complacency of many first-generation
novas towards their M-R nodes, that can be written up to
a combination of hubris and ignorance. M-R nodes dont
come with any sort of owners manual or safety course, so
first-generation novas usually must learn about the risks of
quantum abuse and Taint accumulation the hard way. Making
things worse is the fact that more than a few first-generation
novas being egotistical enough to mistakenly believe that
theyre in full control of their quantum energies when they
really arent. The resulting overconfidence will have dreadful
consequences for everyone on the planet when some novas
start developing higher levels of permanent Taint.
The sword does have two edges, however. Aside from
the obvious countermeasure provided by the Taint Resistance enhancement, novas have two other methods to
mitigate the harmful effects of the M-R node. First off, it
is possible for novas to train themselves to become more
adept at using their M-R nodes, which can reduce the
chance of gaining Taint through rapid recovery of quantum
energy and mitigate M-R node-derived mental Taint to a
degree. Second, it is also possible for novas with a Quantum Trait of 5 and a sixth instar node to metamorphose their
nodes to the seventh instar and beyond. A nova with such
a hyper-evolved M-R node not only gains more raw power
and becomes more adept at channeling quantum energy,
but the M-R node itself begins to gradually diffuse into the
novas brain tissues, easing the pressure on the frontal lobes
and reducing M-R node-derived mental Taint. (This refers to
the Channeling Ability and N-Stage Node Background
Enhancement respectively, both of which can be found in
Appendix #1 of this book.)
Still, for all its shortcomings the M-R node is the key to
fantastic power. Somehow this new part of the human brain
gives its possessor the capability to channel and manipulate

four fundamental forces of the universe, and yet still no one

has discovered (or admitted to discovering) how it does this.
Nova Age scientists have known about the structure and
composition of the M-R node ever since Dr. Farah Rashoud
and Dr. Henri Mazarin made their discovery in 1998. The biochemistry of farahcytes and M-R coils have been deciphered
to the point where a specific neurotransmitter has been found
and synthetized to disrupt their normal function. The reason
for this blind spot is simple: (most) scientists in the Nova Age
dont know about the fifth fundamental force: subquantum,
or noetic energy. Existing on a level of reality beneath
Quantum space (what most people think of as the entire
universe), noetic energy both carries and comprises information. This is important since all nova capabilities depend
on the M-R node, which in turn depends on the quantum
mechanic of synchronicity. Synchronicity allows particles
of matter to instantly communicate at speeds faster than
light at any range, and this depends on using subquantum
space as a transmission medium. When taken into account
with novas capability to affect anything in (and including)
the universe due to its holographic nature and their access
to the immense quantum energies held within the fabric of
space-time; the extreme potential for power that novas have
becomes both readily apparent and understandable, if not
reassuring. Further details on noetic energy can be found in
the Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 58-60.

The Quantum Matrix

There are three more ramifications of the existence
of subquantum energy that are of particular importance
to novas. First is that subquantum space contains a noetic
template of almost every object within Quantum space
(with one possible class of exceptions), with the strength
of the noetic template depending on whether an object
is a lifeform, sapient and noetically active. Lifeforms have
stronger noetic templates than inorganic matter, those of
sapients are stronger than that of nonsapient lifeforms, and
noetically-active sapients have the strongest templates of all.
Second is that the only normally-occurring particles to be
found within subquantum space are psion particles (which
is the basic unit of noetic energy) and gravitons (which are
the same for quantum energy). Third is that aside from being
information and the carrier of data, noetic energy is also the
energy of lifeall life produces it, and sapient life does so in
spades. Both sapient lifeforms and healthy biospheres can
and do take in and refine the weak ambient noetic energy
found throughout Quantum space, strengthening it in the
process. This noetic transference also takes place between
sapients and/or lifeforms, with similar results.
Remember that class of exceptions, the beings that lack
noetic templates? Those beings are novas and while they

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dont have normal noetic templates, thats due to the
eruption process. When a first-generation nova erupts, the
initial surge of quantum energy not only bonds his noetic
template with the gravitons that comprise the baryonic
matter of his body, but also draws in any additional noetic
energy that may be in the novas immediate vicinity. After
the eruption process has taken its course, the result is an
extremely tight bonding of gravitons and psion particlesto
the point where its not unlike a hard shellthat is a novas
quantum matrix. The quantum matrix is quite literally the
novas self-image - with additions depending on the memes
and/or environmental impressions of the incorporated extra
noetic energy - made flesh. As such, its not surprising that
some novas may retain injuries or scars suffered in their baseline existences - those defects have become part of who they
are psychologically as well as physically. Likewise, novas may
also manifest low-level special effect aberrations without
developing any Tainttaking aberrations as Flaws, in game
termsas those changes are in line with the novas desires
and or ideas of how he should look like as a nova.
The quantum matrix is also extremely tough compared
to the noetic templates of normal humans, which allows
novas to survive the process of channeling quantum energy
and is one reason why novas are more resilient than baselines. This toughness does have a price, as the quantum
matrix is much more static than baseline noetic templates.
Where a baselines noetic template can replenish itself with
the ambient noetic energies, a nova typically must either
use Dormancy (if of the first generation) or severely reduce
the amount of quantum energy he customarily channels to
replenish the noetic component of his quantum matrix. This
can also be troublesome when a nova becomes more powerful, as his quantum matrix will start to attract ambient psion
particles in order to counterbalance the increasing levels of
quantum energy and reinforce itself.
If the novas growth in power is slow and steady this is
no cause for alarm, as there will nearly always be sufficient
ambient psion particles for his quantum matrix to absorb.
When the growth is rapid and theres not enough psion particles around to be absorbed, the quantum matrix instead
begins to alter itself in an attempt to balance the increased
quantum energy with a diminished amount of noetic energy.
This results in the quantum matrix distorting itself, and is the
condition thats commonly known as Taint. This distortion of
the quantum matrix can be corrected if the nova takes steps
to replenish his stores of noetic energy, but once the distortion gets to a certain tipping point it becomes more-or-less
permanent. This unrealized dependency on sapient lifeforms
and thriving biospheres will become painfully apparent when
some Taint-warped novas attempt to settle extrasolar planets that are lacking in either.
Things are only somewhat different with the second-

164

generation novas (see Aberrant: A Breed Apart, from

EON), as they are all born with quantum matrixes instead of
noetic templates. In the womb they depend on their parents
for their noetic energy; with the True clade receiving plenty
of it, the Terat clade receiving somewhat less and the Trog
clade hardly receiving any at all. In most cases, nova parents really do visit their blessingsor sinson their 2ndGen
progeny. 2ndGen novas also lack the option of using Dormancy to replenish their noetic reserves, although it would
only be True 2ndGens who would have the inclination (if not
any dire need) to do so. Further details on the interaction
between quantum and noetic energies and how they relate
to novas can be found in Trinity Field Report: Noetic Science, also from EON.

Mega-Physical Stunts
Ever since the 1930s, the comics have featured superbeings that perform all sorts of astounding physical feats. In
the Nova Age, Mega-Physical novas can and do match (most
of) them on a daily basis. Unfortunately, Storytellers havent
been provided with any but the most rudimentary guidelines
to aid them when players want to have their Mega-Physical
characters try such feats. That changes now.

Feats of Mega-Strength
The listings for Mega-Strength (both in this book and
on p. 156 of the Aberrant core book) tell precisely how
many metric tons of mass a nova with a given dot rating
can deadlift, which is fine as far as it goes. The problem is
that most Aberrant players cant translate that into feats
like toss a bulldozer off of your front lawn without some
time-consuming research, especially where the higher dot
ratings are concerned. Below are some examples of what
can be accomplished with only the various ratings of MegaStrength, barring enhancements.

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Mega-Strength 1

Mega-Strength 6

Break a metal lamppost free from its moorings.

Smash through an average interior or wooden wall
without slowing down.
Snap thin steel cables, most steel chains and heavygauge barbed wire with little effort.
Twist a pistol into a paperweight as if it were soft taffy.
Use a motorcycle as a weapon.

Club a foe with a locomotive engine.

Deadlift even the largest blue whales.
May act as an industrial shipping crane.
Move a typical wooden house to a new location by
hand.
Use a 60 meter tall radio tower as a javelin.

Mega-Strength 7

Mega-Strength 2
Bend a small steel girder.
Mash an item of metallic hardware - like a firearm into a ball as if it were Play-Doh.
Rip a locked bank vault door off its hinges.
Shatter bulletproof glass as if it were blown glass.
Uncouple subway cars by hand.

Mega-Strength 3

Catch a falling 747 passenger airliner without harming

it or its contents.
Install a hydro-electric generator by hand.
Rip a conventional Cruise Ship Motor (44 MW) from
its housing.
Uproot a large single-story brick house.
Uproot a small submersed oil pipeline station (rated
at 800 meters of depth).

Bend a large steel I-beam girder.

Split a boulder of 1 cubic meter volume with one
strike.
Smash through a stone or brick wall without slowing
down.
Tear a sports utility vehicle in half bare-handed.
Twist the barrel of a Main Battle Tanks primary gun
into a pretzel.

Mega-Strength 8

Mega-Strength 4

Mega-Strength 9

Body-check a fully-loaded semi-trailer truck.

Dropkick a rhinoceros across the Grand Canyon.
Mash a sportscar into a ball as if it were made of aluminum foil.
Smash through a thick stone or reinforced concrete
wall without slowing down.
Use 6 to 12 meter metal cargo containers as handheld luggage.

Carry the London Eye observation wheel and keep it

upright.
Deadlift an Agosta 90B diesel-electric submarine.
Rip a small bridge from its moorings.
Uproot a heavy five-story brick building.
Uproot the statue of Christ the Redeemer (at Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil).

Rip the Statue of Liberty free from its base & haul it
on your shoulder.
Uproot a full 38 meter tall water tower.
Uproot a large submersed oil pipeline station (rated at
1,300 meters of depth).
Use a Cyclone-class patrol ship as a weapon.
Use a 300 meter tall radio tower as a fighting staff.

Mega-Strength 10

Mega-Strength 5
Carry around a STS Orbiter (NASA space shuttle) with
ease.
Lift an empty maglev consist (the engine of a
maglev train).
Smash through a bank vault wall without slowing
down.
Uproot a moai statue from Easter Island for a souvenir.
Use a Main Battle Tank as a weapon.

Mount a Wrtsil RTA96-C (the worlds biggest internal combustion engine circa 2008) on a ship by hand.
Move a Saturn V rocket onto the launchpad by hand.
Steal the largest jade boulder known circa 2008
(weighing 3,000 metric tons) from its underground museum
in northern Myanmar without heavy equipment.
Uproot and carry off the Kiev TV Tower.

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ABERRANT
Bringing Down The House
Titans who seek to damage buildings and other large
structures with their superhuman might have four methods
available to them. The first method is to literally uproot a
buildingusually with the aid of the Lifter enhancement
and let it collapse when it hits the ground. The second is to
use the Analyze Weakness Mega-Intelligence enhancement
to find any critical points in a buildings structure where a
Mega-Strong blow could make it fall like a house of cards.
The third is to physically strike the targeted building with the
Shockwave enhancement, which is surprisingly well-suited
for wrecking large structures. While Shockwave doesnt
increase the damage of the Titans blows in any way, it does
let his blow affect a large area of the targeted building
instead of just putting a small hole in the wall at the point of
impact. The fourth is to use Sizemorph (Grow) and enlarge
himself to a roughly equivalent size as the targeted building.
On the other end of the equation are the targets, be
they apartment buildings, bridges or hydroelectric dams.
Like vehicles, buildings have both Armor ratings and a
predetermined number of structural levels (see Aberrant
core book, p. 278 for an explanation of the Armor ratings).
Whether or not buildings in a given Aberrant chronicle
will all have the standard eight structural levels or will have
scaled structural levels has been left up to the Storytellers
discretion. A buildings suitability as a dwelling or workplace
will be reduced as it takes damage. Its also important to
note that without regular maintenance, a building will gradually lose structural levels to the damage caused by environmental exposure and the general wear and tear of human
usage.

Nova Insurance
With the introduction of quantum battles that could
plausibly happen in any population center at any time,
a new market for nova insurance quickly developed.
Since 2009 the major insurance companies have offered
policies intended to help people recover from the
damage to life & property caused by rampaging novas.
In practice its handled much like insurance for natural
disasters, except that novas can usually be sued for
damages by the insurers. This in turn has led insurance
companies to offer novas a specialized form of liability
insurance similar to that used by medical doctors and
lawyers to protect against such claims of negligence.
Either way, the insurance industry is doing quite well in
the early Nova Age. Whether or not it will continue to do
so in the future is an open question.
The chart below lists structural levels for buildings and
details a buildings relative status at a given structural level.
The dice penalty is applied in two ways. For domiciles, its
subtracted from a characters Survival rolls to live in a damaged building and remain healthy. For working buildings like
factories, industrial plants and laboratories its applied to the
relevant Abilities used by the workers to perform their jobs
at said workplaces. In both cases, amenities refers to both
the basic services required for human habitationelectricity, water, sewage, central heating & cooling, communication hookups, etc.and any other specialized services that
a workplace might need to function. These modifiers will
remain until repairsif not full-scale renovationare made.
As with lethal & Vehicle damage, Building damage is noted
with an X.

Structural Level Dice Penalty Description

Shabby 0

Slight structural damage, the amenities have no real malfunctions.

Creaky -1

Minor structural damage, one of the amenities (Storytellers choice) has a minor malfunction.

Seedy -1

Serious structural damage, one of the amenities is malfunctioning.

Run-down -2

Significant damage; some of the amenities are malfunctioning.

Dilapidated -3

Structurally unsound; most amenities are malfunctioning.

Decaying -4

Unfit for human habitation; what few amenities that are (barely) functional are shut off.

Ruined

The building is one step away from becoming rubble, has no amenities at all & offers only minimal
physical shelter.

Demolished

The building is destroyed completely, & cannot provide any shelter at all.

166

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ABERRANT
Scaled Building Structural Levels

Repairing Building Damage

As presented in the chart on the previous page, a building has eight structural levels regardless of its size. For those
who prefer a more scaled approach, the following chart
determines structural levels based on the buildings mass.

As with vehicles, a building has to be repaired for it to be

restored to optimal condition. Fixing a buildings structural
damage requires requires tools, appropriate building materials, skilled workers and a considerable amount of time.
Minor damage can be repaired by patching up the existing
material, but repairing structural damage past Seedy will
require replacement building materials. Buildings at Dilapidated or lower will require full-scale renovation, assuming
that changes in local building codes dont require for it to
be demolished and replaced with new construction. Recovering each structural level requires a successful Engineering
roll. The repair times listed below are cumulative.

Less than 1
metric ton
1-15 tons
16-50 tons
51-100 tons:
101-300 tons
301-1K tons:
2K-10K tons
11K-50K tons
51K-150K tons

0, -1, -3, -4, Ruined, Demolished

Standard
+1 Shabby.
+1 Shabby, +1 Seedy
+2 Shabby, +1 Seedy
+2 Shabby, +2 Seedy, +1 Run-down
+3 Shabby, +2 Seedy, +1 Run-down
+3 Shabby, +2 Seedy, +2 Run-down
+3 Shabby, +2 Seedy, +2 Run-down,
+1 Dilapidated
151-300K tons +3 Shabby, +2 Seedy, +2 Run-down,
+2 Dilapidated
Every 100K
+1 additional Run-down
tons after

Building Armor & Weights

Structural Level Repair Time

Shabby

Nine hours

Creaky

18 hours

Seedy

36 hours

Run-down

Three days

Dilapidated

Six days

Decaying

19 days

Ruined

6 weeks

Demolished

Its rubbleyou need to rebuild,

not renovate.

Following are Armor ratings and very generalized

weights for classes of buildings. As many factors will influence the final weight of a buildingtype and quality of materials, local building codes, integrity of the topsoil, etc. the
Storyteller is free to adjust these Armor ratings and weights
as he sees fit. For example, ordinary glass windows are weak
spots in a building and will have lower Armor ratings than the
building walls. Specially-reinforced buildings such as hardened military bunkers and pillbox gun emplacements will
have Armor adds as part of their Armor rating. Soak ratings
for buildings can be determined from the Material Strengths
table on p. 257 of the Aberrant core book.
Metal newsstand,
shack or shed:
Average 3-bedroom
house:
Small (6-floor) apartment complex:
Medium (12 floor)
office building:
Large (24 floor) condominium building:
Skyscraper (50 floor):

Armor 4, weight 100-140 kg

Armor 6, weight 200-400
metric tons
Armor 10, weight 800-1,600
metric tons
Armor 11, weight 12,800
metric tons
Armor 12, weight 102,400
metric tons.
Armor 13, weight 819,200
metric tons.

Feats of Mega-Dexterity
The listings for Mega-Dexterity (in Chapter 4 and on
p. 158 of the Aberrant core book) are somewhat more
detailed in real life terms than those of Mega-Strength,
but not by much. Below are some examples of what can be

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accomplished with only the various ratings of Mega-Dexterity, barring enhancements.

Mega-Dexterity 1
Dodge machine gun fire at close range.
Perfect 10 gymnastics routine.
Run on the narrowest of supports as if it was a wide
footpath.
Shoot the wings off of a fly.
Use a kitchen knife to julienne vegetables in midair
without a cutting board.

Mega-Dexterity 2
Climb on any surface that offers even the slightest of
handholds.
Disarm multiple opponents before they can react.
Juggle angry badgers and not get bitten.
May perform flips and dodges while in midair.
Remove the swimwear or light clothing a person is
wearing before he or she can notice, much less react.

Mega-Dexterity 3
Ascend or descend buildings that are close together
by bouncing between their walls.
Ignore movement penalties caused by obstacles
while moving at high speed, provided that theres enough
of a gap in the obstacle for the swift to slip through.
Perform a perfect 10 gymnastics routine blindfolded
with one hand tied behind your back.
Remain in poses that baseline acrobats or contortionists would consider painful indefinitely.
Use any surface - horizontal, vertical, stationary or
mobile - capable of supporting the swifts weight as a perch
or pivot point.

Mega-Dexterity 4
Catch a bullet.
Engage in combat on a nightingale floor without
making it squeak.
Juggle old dynamite without setting it off.
Leap onto speeding vehicles with the ease of a baseline stepping onto a moving escalator.
Move on unstable solid surfaces as if it they were an
Olympic-grade running track.

Mega-Dexterity 5
Dive through the spinning rotor blades of a helicopter
in flight without getting hit.
Juggle mercury fulminate without setting it off.
Move on a violently-shaking surface - like the ground

168

during earthquakes of up to 7.0 on the Richter scale - as if it

was stable and still.
Pluck flying shrapnel out of the air within a small area
- such as the interior of an average-sized restaurant - before
it can damage anything nearby.
Assemble or disassemble complex machinery without
using purely mechanical tools.

Mega-Dexterity 6
Dislocate and relocate any joint in the swifts body
without damaging it, the swift is effectively triple-jointed.
Juggle liquid nitroglycerin without setting it off.
Move on an extremely violently-shaking surface - like
the ground during earthquakes of 7.0 on the Richter scale
and higher - as if it was stable and still.
Pluck flying shrapnel out of the air within a large
arealike a small public parkbefore it can damage anything nearby.
Use a blade to cut a foes heart out in combat and
show it to him for a complete surprise before he can go into
shock. Its done so quickly that its bloodless and painless
until the victim notices the throbbing hunk of meat the swift
has in her hand.

Mega-Dexterity 7
Dodge laser beams that have already targeted and
fired at the swift.
Escape from any physical restraint, even those that
penetrate the body without causing himself any further
damage.
Juggle nitrogen tri-iodide without setting it off.
Move fast enough to cross a laser tripwire without
triggering it.
Move too fast to be seen with unaided baseline
human vision.

Mega-Dexterity 8
Inflict energy damage instead of physical with close
combat attacks by moving at superluminal speeds.
Perform the most delicate of surgeries quickly enough
to be unaffected by environmental factors.
Repair the engine of a bullet train while its running
at full speed.
Use a blade to completely flay a victim (removal of
the victims entire intact skin) in combat so quickly that its
bloodless and painless until the victim notices what hes
missing.
Walk or run along a stream of automatic gunfire or
similar projectiles.

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Mega-Dexterity 9
Escape from inside a locked airtight bank vault.
Move faster than any camera can see.
Move faster than the speed of light without harming
yourself or your surroundings.
Novas with Mega-Perception of 3 or less have a difficulty keeping track of the swift as she moves.
Use even the most fragile of surfaces (such as soap
bubbles in midair) for climbing or pivot points.

Mega-Dexterity 10
Escape from having the swifts entire body encased in
hardened concrete.
Muffle the sounds produced by the swifts body
involuntary movements - heartbeat, breathing etc. - with a
Stealth roll.
Safely defuse a nuclear bomb after the trigger explosives have been set off.
Sneak up on a foe without needing any cover by using
nothing more than the foes blind spots, even in a region of
empty space.

Speedster Stunts
Speedsters have been a staple of superhero comics
since the Golden Age, so its to be expected that they would
prove to be a popular variety of swifts as well. Here are a few
examples of what nova speedsters are capable of when they
employ Mega-Dexterity in tandem with Hyper-Running.

Outrunning a horse
To beat the recorded top speed for racehorses, a
speedster must be able to achieve a running speed of 64
kph / 40 mph or a sprinting speed of 88 kph / 55 mph.
In Aberrant terms this means he must run faster than 53
meters per 3 second turn and sprint faster than 73 meters
per 3 second turn.

Outsprinting a cheetah
Long acknowledged as the fastest land animal on Earth,
cheetahs have been clocked at 101 kph (63 mph) when
sprinting after their prey. Outperforming a cheetah requires
a speedster to sprint faster than 84 meters per 3 second
turn.

Running on water
Skydivers and others who parachute over bodies of
water know that when travelling above a certain speed, hitting the water is just as dangerous as impacting concrete
due to its surface tension. Some speedsters are fast enough

Physical Reaction Times

Unlike other novas, Swifts will have physical reaction times
much greater than the baseline human average of 150-300 milliseconds. The Mega-Dexterity dot rating sets the order of magnitude but is not otherwise factored into a Swifts physical reaction
times. Please note that this does not replace the established
game mechanics for the interaction of Mega-Dexterity and Initiative (Aberrant corebook p. 158), its merely a way to translate
those game mechanics into real life terms for greater clarity.
Mega-Dexterity 1

(PRT / 10) milliseconds

Mega-Dexterity 2

(PRT) microseconds

Mega-Dexterity 3

(PRT / 10) microseconds

Mega-Dexterity 4

(PRT) nanoseconds

Mega-Dexterity 5

(PRT) picoseconds

Mega-Dexterity 6

(PRT) femtoseconds

Mega-Dexterity 7

(PRT) attoseconds

Mega-Dexterity 8

(PRT) zeptoseconds

Mega-Dexterity 9

(PRT) yoctoseconds

Mega-Dexterity 10

(PRT) units of Planck Time

A Swifts base PRT (physical reaction time) is calculated using

the following formula: 500 - [ (base Dexterity * 20) + (base Wits *
20) + (Mega-Wits * 30)] , down to a minimum of 1.
to take advantage of this quirk of everyday physics, making
all but the largest bodies of water potential avenues of
approach instead of natural barriers.
In order to run across water without sinking into it, a
speedster must be able to achieve and maintain a minimum speed of about 160 kph (100 mph). This is equal to a
speed of 133 meters per 3 second turn. A low-velocity swift
(possessed of high Mega-Dexterity and Enhanced Movement but lacking Hyper-Running) would need a minimum
of Dexterity 4, Mega-Dexterity 3 and the Enhanced Movement enhancement to accomplish this (sprint speed of 140
meters per 3 second turn). With one dot of Hyper-Running
a speedster only needs a Dexterity of two, Mega-Dexterity
of one and Enhanced Movement to run on water in combat
situations. Outside of combat, one dot of Hyper-Running is
all thats needed.

Running up interior walls and across

ceilings.
Taking a page from stunt motorcyclists Wall of Death
and Globe of Death circus acts, some speedsters have
learned how to exploit centrifugal force to run on the inte-

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ABERRANT
Stripping People for Fun and Profit
One very useful (and amusing) trick sometimes performed
by swifts is to strip off most or all of the garments another person
is wearing before they know it. Many swifts use this for the obvious purposes of relieving baseline foes of their body armor or
stealing the clothes off someone when they or an acquaintance
is in immediate need of such. Swifts on the battlefield can relieve
soldiers of their ammo belts, grenade bandoliers and other manportable items. The wearable explosive devices favored by terrorists can be stripped from them and any unwilling carriers or
hostages before they can be detonated, although those rigged
with deadman switches are more difficult to deal with. Swifts can
also humiliate their foes and/or social rivals by stripping them
down to their underwear or even leaving them completely nude
in public situations. Swifts can also put garments on a subject
lacking such quickly, to protect the subject from social humiliation
and/or physical threats. And yes, some perverted swifts certainly
do enjoy the thrill of stealing the underwear and/or swimwear off
people they find sexually attractive.
In terms of game mechanics, both stripping garments off
other people and dressing them in this manner is treated as a
Dexterity + Legerdemain roll. In the case of certain types of body
armor, one or more dots of Mega-Strength will also be required
to strip them from a baseline target. Pulling off this trick can also
become problematic when the intended victim is also a nova.
Attempting this sort of thing against another swift soon becomes
pointlessly difficult, unless the perpetrators Mega-Dexterity dot
rating exceeds the subjects by 2 or more. Attuned eufiber garments are considered to be a part of the nova wearing them, so
they cannot be removed in this way without using powers that
specifically affect eufiber.
Below are some general examples of what a swift with a
given dot rating of Mega-Dexterity can expect to be able to
remove from (or dress up in) her unwitting victims.
Mega-Dexterity 1: Ammo belts, backpacks, grenade bandoliers, loose wraps, necklaces.
Mega-Dexterity 2: Explosive-lined vests, jewelry such as
bracelets and rings, kevlar vests, light clothing, modern swimwear.
Mega-Dexterity 3: Ballet costumes, flak jackets, formal
dresses & gowns, jumpsuits, winter clothing.
Mega-Dexterity 4: Arctic caliber cold-weather gear, most
bondage/S&M fetish regalia, suits & tuxedos.
Mega-Dexterity 5: Full-body bondage/S&M fetish suits,
full riot gear, medieval plate armor, scuba suits, underwear &
armored t-shirts worn underneath normal clothing.
Mega-Dexterity 6: Advanced body armor, bomb squad
armor.
Mega-Dexterity 7+ : Hard deep-sea diving suit, NASA
space suit.

170

rior walls and ceilings of a chamber. Defying gravity in this

manner requires a speedster to achieve and maintain a minimum speed of about 96 kph (60 mph), or 80 meters per 3
second turn. Please note that if said walls and ceilings are
not strong enough to endure being used as an impromptu
running track, the speedster will cause them structural
damage as a byproduct of this stunt.

Running up exterior building walls

and other exterior vertical surfaces.
Without the aid of centrifugal force, running up and/or
down exterior walls is somewhat more difficult. Fortunately,
all thats required is for the speedster to achieve and maintain a speed of 233 meters per 3 second turn - if a speedster
can manage that, the basic mechanics of Hyper-Running will
allow her to run up and down building exteriors with ease.
Outside of combat, two dots of Hyper-Running are all thats
needed.

Feats of Mega-Stamina
As with Mega-Strength, Mega-Stamina has also suffered from being poorly defined in real life terms. Below are
some examples of what can be accomplished with only the
various ratings of Mega-Stamina, barring enhancements.

Mega-Stamina 1
Can shrug off a heavyweight boxers best shot.
Can soak damage caused by disease, immune to
infection via open wounds.
Ignore the dice penalties caused by the intense heat
found in large fires.
Immune to anthrax, cancer and the common cold.
Unaffected by extreme levels of environmental pollution.

Mega-Stamina 2
Completely exhaust at least 16 baseline sexual partners in a single session.
Engage in nonstop hand-to-hand combat for four
hours.
Immune to scorpion glass toxin (see Aberrant: Underworld, p. 62), ricin and most forms of nerve gas.
Stay awake for 16 days straight.
Unaffected by subsonic pain/nausea fields (see Aberrant: Year One, p. 108).

Mega-Stamina 3
Immune to all forms of tear gas.
Can shrug off the impact of a 5 story fall.

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Sprint continuously for 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Unaffected by the extremes of atmospheric and/or
liquid pressure, such as exposure to vacuum or ocean-floor
water pressure.
Unaffected by toxic cyanide compounds (i.e. hydrogen cyanide, sodium cyanide, zinc cyanide, potassium cyanide & mercury cyanide).

Mega-Stamina 4
Can shrug off being run over by a car in a traffic accident.
Can soak damage caused by radiation - soft radiation is considered bashing and hard radiation is considered
lethal - without automatically losing Health Levels.
Immune to HIV/AIDS, leprosy and killer strains of
influenza.
Recover from crippling injuries in one month.
Unaffected by caesium, polonium and irradiated thallium poisoning.

Mega-Stamina 5
Completely exhaust at least 224 baseline sexual partners in a single session.
Engage in nonstop hand-to-hand combat for nine
days and eight hours.
Immune to Ebola fever, Marburg fever and Pneumatic
plague.
Immune to the effects of nanoweapons such as
DeVries Nanokill (see Aberrant: Brainwaves).
Sprint continuously for 18 hours and 40 minutes.

Mega-Stamina 6
Can shrug off being run over by a semi-trailer truck in
a traffic accident.
Immune to bioweapons such as weaponized tularemia, Machupo virus and smallpox.
May heal aggravated damage as lethal damage,
albeit at 5 dot ratings lower than normal.
Recover from crippling injuries in 23 days.
Swim across the Pacific Ocean nonstop.

Mega-Stamina 7
Can survive an ordinary terminal impact fall with only
bruises to show for it.
Immune to infectious prions, such as the ones that
cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Fatal familial insomnia and
Kuru.
Keep performing some task (such as fighting) past the
point of death by making a Stamina roll each turn and whenever damage is taken, with a +1 difficulty penalty per health

level of damage taken beyond Dead. Actual death is only

delayed until the dynamo fails a Stamina roll or completes
the task, and cannot be averted barring physical resurrection of the dynamo.
Sprint continuously for four days, 21 hours and 20
minutes.
Stay awake for three Terran standard years, ten
months and 13 days straight.

Mega-Stamina 8
Completely exhaust at least 3,328 baseline sexual
partners in a single session.
Engage in nonstop hand-to-hand combat for 34 days
and 16 hours.
Immune to weaponized infectious prions.
Keep performing some task (such as fighting) past
the point of death by making a Stamina roll each minute
and whenever damage is taken, with a +1 difficulty penalty
per health level of damage taken beyond Dead. Actual
death is only delayed until the dynamo fails a Stamina roll or
completes the task, and cannot be averted barring physical
resurrection of the dynamo.
Regrow entire skin in 2 hours and 24 minutes after
being flayed alive.

Mega-Stamina 9
Can shrug off being run over by a T-95 Main Battle
Tank going at full battlefield speed.
Keep performing some task (such as fighting) past
the point of death by making a Stamina roll each hour and
whenever damage is taken, with a +1 difficulty penalty per
health level of damage taken beyond Dead. Actual death
is only delayed until the dynamo fails a Stamina roll or completes the task, and cannot be averted barring physical resurrection of the dynamo.
Stay awake for 21 Terran standard years and 15 days
straight.
Sprint continuously for 26 days and 16 hours.
Wade through molten lava without being harmed.

Mega-Stamina 10
Completely exhaust at least 17,408 baseline sexual
partners in a single session.
Engage in nonstop hand-to-hand combat for 181
days and eight hours.
Keep performing some task (such as fighting) past the
point of death by making a Stamina roll each day and whenever damage is taken, with a +1 difficulty penalty per health
level of damage taken beyond Dead. Actual death is only
delayed until the dynamo fails a Stamina roll or completes

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ABERRANT
the task, and cannot be averted barring physical resurrection of the dynamo.
Recover from crippling injuries in 15 days.

Beyond the Brink

Just because someone is dead, it doesnt mean they
have to stay that way. Heart attack victims may have no
heartbeat for minutes, and yet still be revived... and nova
powers allow for even more miraculous recoveries. When a
person, baseline or nova, is reduced to Dead status, there
is a grace period equal to (Stamina + 2 x Mega-Stamina) time units before the person becomes irrecoverable.
Depending on the circumstances and nature of the trauma,
the time unit may be turns, minutes, or whatever the Storyteller deems is appropriate. During this time, suitable
medical or healing treatments can restore the individual
to Incapacitated status. The treatment method has to suitable to the cause of death; a victim of cardiac arrest can be
restored with CPR or defibrillation, but not someone suffering physical trauma. Generally, the Healing quantum power
works on any injury or condition. Excess damage that would
put the victim beyond Dead reduces this grace period on a
one time unit per level basis, whether inflicted in the initial
attack or afterwards.
Complications occur when attempting to recover and/
or heal a dynamo who has been performing a task past the
point of death. (See the Mega-Stamina feat chart above,
beginning at Mega-Stamina 7). Each period (the length of
which is determined by the dynamos Mega-Stamina rating)
spent temporarily staving off death in this manner reduces
the grace period by one time unit. When the grace period
is reduced to zero, the dynamo is guaranteed to die in the
immediate future and cannot be healed or recovered without use of the Resurrection quantum power (see pp. 235237 of this book).

Optional Rules
With their unprecedented capabilitiesphysical and
otherwiseits only to be expected that nova characters
can and will find themselves in circumstances which have
not been covered in the Dramatic Systems presented in the
Aberrant core book. Fortunately for the Storytellers who
have been forced to ad-lib in those situations, we have several new and entirely optional rules to cover them.

General Rules
Feats of Endurance
The Storyteller should decide what the interval is at
which Endurance needs to be rolled and when the difficulty
is increased (usually by +1). However a nova with Mega-

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Stamina 1 only needs to roll Endurance every other interval.

With every dot of Mega-Stamina this ability doubles. Thus
Mega-Vigorous novas only need to roll every 2^ (dots in
Mega-Stamina) intervals.
Example: To stay awake a baseline human must make
an Endurance roll at the end of every day, with a +1 difficulty
accumulative starting on the next day. Joe Nova with a 5
Stamina and 3 dots in Endurance rolls 8 dice on the first day,
8 with a +1 difficulty on the 2nd, and so forth. Failure results
in Joe either immediately going to sleep or suffering sharply
reduced die pools for the day. If he had Mega-Stamina 2
hed have to make a roll at the end of 4 days, and then
hed have to roll again with a +1 difficulty penalty at 8 days,
etc. He can use his Mega-Stamina to reduce the penalty as
normal.
The exact length of an interval will vary. For sporting
events an interval might be every half an hour or an hour,
depending on how intense and sustained the physical activity is. Sprinting is gauged in five-minute periods. Hand-to
hand combat is gauged at 15 minutes. Sexual activity is
gauged in the number of baseline partners. The VAST
majority of baselines have to roll every interval. Novas without Mega-Stamina have to roll on the second interval with
Stamina 4.
Mega-Stamina 1: Roll on the 6th interval and every 2
intervals after that.
Mega-Stamina 2: Roll on the 16th interval and every 4
intervals after that.
Mega-Stamina 3: Roll on the 40th interval and every 8
intervals after that.
Mega-Stamina 4: Roll on the 96th interval and every 16
intervals after that.
Mega-Stamina 5: Roll on the 224th interval and every
32 intervals after that.
Mega-Stamina 6: Roll on the 576th interval and every
64 intervals after that. (i.e. 9 x 64)
Mega-Stamina 7: Roll on the 1408th interval and every
128 intervals after that. (11 x 128)
Mega-Stamina 8: Roll on the 3328th interval and every
256 intervals after that. (13 x 256)
Mega-Stamina 9: Roll on the 7680th interval and every
512 intervals after that. (15 x 512)
Mega-Stamina 10: Roll on the 17408th interval and
every 1024 intervals after that. (17 x 1024)
So with Mega-Stamina 1 a dynamo can stay awake for
most of a week and would need to roll Endurance to remain
awake every other day. With Mega-Stamina 5 that dynamo
could stay awake without rolling for almost a year and would
only need to roll Endurance to remain awake once a month.

Mega-Strength & Armor Adds

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While Armor Adds reflect an inherent capacity for
absorbing huge amounts of punishment, thats just what
novas with Mega-Strength are capable of delivering. The
problem is that the Damage & Armor Add rules (pp. 250251 of the Aberrant core book) are only balanced for vehicle
vs. vehicle combat. When dealing with Mega-Strong nova
vs. vehicle combat, treat Armor Adds as normal soak added
to the targets other soak and treat automatic successes provided by Mega-Strength normally. Thus a nova with MegaStrength 1 cant use his [5] automatic successes for close
combat damage to negate an Armor Add of [20], and a nova
with Mega-Strength 5 doesnt have his [25] automatic successes negated by an Armor Add of [7]. At the Storytellers
discretion, the automatic damage successes provided by
quantum powers such as Quantum Bolt and certain Elemental Mastery techniques can also be treated in this manner.

Sources of Injury
Acceleration and Deceleration
Given their adventure-prone lives, novas and their
unerupted associates are likely to find themselves in circumstances where inertia can have lethal consequences. Sudden
acceleration is typically caused by events like rocket ignition
and the maneuvers of high-speed jet fighters, and is treated
as a variable period of increased gravity (see Gravity, below).
Sudden deceleration is treated as a momentum collision (see
Collisions and Falling, below), with the damage caused by
either impacting an object or from the victims own inertia
working to cause him physical injury.

Altitude
A nova that flies high enough will be exposed to the
variety of different atmospheric conditions. A character who
flies higher than 1000 km above sea level is (for all game
purposes) in space.
6 km to 15 km: The primary hazard at this altitude is
thin air. An unprotected character must make an Endurance
roll at a +1 difficulty penalty every scene at this altitude or
suffer a level of bashing damage. At 10 - 15 km, the nova can
catch the jetstream (provided that its nearby) on a successful
Flight roll and add an additional 300 kph to her travel speed.
16 km to 90 km: The environment at this altitude is
low pressure and airless. Unprotected characters are subject
to Suffocation, Decompression, and Temperature Extreme
(Cold).
91 km to 600 km: Same as above, but the temperature extreme is Heat.
601 km to 1000 km: Same as above. Unprotected
characters are also subject to Soft Radiation damage (a level
of bashing each turn).

Escape Velocity: Any nova capable of flying under

their own power and reaching speeds of at least 2000 kph
can make their way into space. Whether the nova can survive
in space is another question entirely.

Collisions and Falling

In this genre cars crash, people get slapped through
buildings and occasionally planets collide. The various situations are as follows.
Falling (nova vs. the ground): For a free fall, standard falling rules apply. For a faster than gravity fall, apply
1 extra damage for every 20 kph of speed. Soak counts as
half against this type of collision. It also creates a Shockwave
effect with damage equal to the extra speed damage dice
(maximum of 30 dice) over an area of (damage dice x 5)
meters.
Falling Objects: A falling object inflicts 4 dice + (2
dice per 5 metric tons of mass) + 1 die per 3 meters fallen
(maximum 10 extra dice). This damage is lethal at greater
than 30 meters and soak is reduced by half.
Head-on Collisions: Head-on collisions are particularly nasty. Both parties must soak the damage of their
opponents impact (at full damage) added to half their own
damage as well. In the case of head-on collisions involving
Mega-Strong novas and/or powered vehicles the impact can
also inflict varying amounts of damage (Storytellers discretion as to the type and amount of damage) to anything and
anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.
Momentum Collisions: What happens when the character would dearly like to stop moving, but cant. The victim
takes 1 die of Bashing damage and travels 3 meters for every
20 kph they were traveling. Characters with Hypermovement
only take 1 die for every 50 kph they were traveling, thanks
to being insulated by their powers.
Orbital fall: Calculating the damage of a drop from
orbit involves math far too complicated for most Aberrant
chronicles to require. For easy reference, assume that when
the poor bastard hits the atmosphere, he will be traveling at
roughly 1,600 kph (a bit under the speed of Earths rotation).
He will take [20] lethal damage from re-entry, although this is
reduced by half if he possesses the Hardbody enhancement.
This damage is negated entirely if he possesses Adaptability
as an actual Mega-Stamina enhancement rather than as a
side-effect from using Shapeshift or Bodymorph. A nova with
Flight may also negate this unwholesomeness with a Dexterity+ Flight roll at a +3 difficulty. Invulnerability to Fire/Heat or
Energy (with the Broad Category Extra) can also reduce the
re-entry damage down to half. Assuming he didnt burn up in
re-entry, the nova still collides with the Earth at a frightening
speed. Impact inflicts 10 dice of Lethal damage, with soak
counting at half. This creates a 10 dice Shockwave over a

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radius of 20 meters.
Wind Buffeting: At the Storytellers discretion, a character in an uncontrolled free fall from a sufficient height (such
as when skydiving, for example) can find herself literally
knocked about by the combination of wind turbulence and
her own velocity before she ever reaches the ground. This
usually inflicts anywhere from 1 to 5 dice of bashing damage,
with the possibility for the damage being lethal if the characters flopping around in midair is severe enough to snap her
spinal column. In both cases this damage is soaked normally.
Vehicle Collision: Each vehicle inflicts a base damage
in a collision dependant on its mass. Add in [1] die for each
20 kph the vehicle is traveling. Collision damage is considered lethal.
Vehicle Mass /Base Damage
Less than 1 metric ton / 4
1 metric ton - 2.5 metric tons / 6
2.5 metric tons - 5 metric tons / 8
5 metric tons - 10 metric tons / 10
10 metric tons - 20 metric tons / 12
20 metric tons - 40 metric tons / 14
40 metric tons - 80 metric tons / 16
80 metric tons + / 18

Explosives
Other than the obvious peril of things exploding nearby,
any character at point blank range (less than 1 meter) may
only use half their soak against high yield explosives (plastic
explosives and similar compounds). The Impervious extra of
the Armor quantum power negates this penalty.

Gravity
Varying gravities have a variety of game effects. All
bonus and penalties affect all relevant dice pools and derived
values. When determining damage and dice pools, the Attribute penalties affect the Mega-Attribute maximums. When
determining whether or not a novas motion is affected by
gravity, use the full value. Storytellers may chose to inflict
Might and Endurance penalties where appropriate. While the
High-Gravity Performance enhancement is obviously of most
use in gravities greater than Earths, both Irresistible Force and
Adaptability are also of use. The Irresistible Force enhancement will allow the nova full mobility (penalties to attributes
are still applied) and Adaptability negates any gravity-related
damage (from a natural, non-quantum power source).
Microgravity (less than 1 G): Characters in less than 1
G gain 1 dot in both Strength and Stamina (even if this takes
them above 5 this does not translate into Mega-Attributes,
only an extra dot of the base Attribute). The character also
loses a dot of Dexterity (to a minimum of 1) unless he has had
microgravity training or has either the Adaptability or Void

174

Sense enhancements.
Earth standard (1 G): Regular gravity, no bonus, no
penalty.
Increased Gravity (1.5 G - 3 G): Characters in this
gravity range lose two dots from both Strength and Dexterity
(due to resisting the increased gravitational pull).
High Gravity (3.5 G - 6 G): In addition to the previous penalties, characters in this environment must make a
successful Might roll in order to move or act. Mega-Strength
negates this. Characters must also make a successful Endurance roll every scene (or hour) or suffer a level of unsoakable
Bashing damage.
Heavy Gravity (6.5 G - 11 G): As above, except the
Might roll is made at a +2 difficulty penalty. A nova with
Mega-Strength of 2 or better negates the Might roll. Novas
with Mega-Strength 1 must make the Might roll at normal
difficulty (Mega-Strength does not apply to this roll). The
Endurance roll is made every turn at +2 difficulty.
Intense Gravity (11.5 G - 20 G): As above, except
the Might roll is at a +4 difficulty penalty. A nova with MegaStrength of 4 or better negates the Might roll. Novas with
Mega- Strength 3 or less must make the Might roll at a +2
difficulty penalty (Mega-Strength does not apply to this roll).
The Endurance roll is made every turn at +4 difficulty. The
damage is considered lethal. Needless to say, this will kill
most baselines in moments.
Extreme Gravity (20.5 G - 79.5 G): Characters without Mega-Stamina in this gravity die in moments (in game
terms, they suffer 2 health levels of lethal damage per turn
that cannot be soaked). Any character with Mega-Strength
4 or better must make a Might roll at + 2 difficulty to move
(Mega-Strength does not apply to this roll). Those with less
Mega-Strength are automatically pinned to the ground.
Those with Mega-Stamina make Endurance rolls at a +4
difficulty every turn or suffer a level of lethal damage. Only
the most powerful novas can survive this degree of constant
physical punishment.
Beyond (over 80G): A nova needs Quantum 6+ and
Adaptability to even think about surviving in this environment. Even then, he will take penalties and damage as if he
was in Heavy Gravity (Adaptability does not protect from this
damage). Likewise, maintaining effective motion requires
Mega- Strength of 6 or better and the Irresistible Force
enhancement. At Quantum 8+, a nova with Adaptability may
ignore even this damage.
Flight in High Gravity: Every gravity level beyond
Earth standard reduces the rating of the characters Flight
power by 1 dot. A character whose Flight power rating is
reduced to zero dots in this manner can no longer fly. This
also affects Hypermovement. A character needs Flight (or
Hypermovement) with the Mastery extra in order to maintain
mobility in gravities higher than 80G.

STORYTELLING

ABERRANT
Lava, Magma and Molten Metal
Large amounts of molten stone or metal can inflict 8
to 10 dice of Lethal damage for each turn of contact (this
is considered Fire damage). Molten lavas can typically be
expected to inflict 8 to 9 dice of damage while molten
magma will usually inflict 9 to 10 dice. The damage inflicted
by molten metal can vary from 10 dice to none at all - mercury is molten at room temperatures. Metals with lower
melting points typically inflict less damage (assume that the
damage while molten is equal to its soak value while solid).

Pressure and Vacuum

Your typical terrestrial creature is designed to function in
a narrow spectrum of atmospheric conditions. When such a
creature is placed in an alien (and potentially hostile) environment, problems arise. Needless to say, a little Adaptability
goes a long way. If the character lacks such an advantage,
consult the following.
Decompression: When a character is suddenly shifted
from a stable pressure environment to a radically lower pressure environment, they suffer decompression as the gases
within in the characters blood attempt to reach a gaseous
state. All characters exposed to such conditions must immediately make a Resistance roll at a +2 difficulty penalty or
suffer 2 levels of unsoakable lethal damage. Each success
reduces this damage by one die. Every turn afterwards, the
character will take an additional unsoakable level of lethal
damage. Characters with Adaptability, Hardbody, Invulnerability: Pressure or Broad Category: Physical, or who are wearing an appropriate and functional pressure suit are immune
to this effect.
Hard Space: There are four major concerns for the
poor sap trapped in the inky void. Refer to p. 36 of the
Aberrant Players Guide for ways for novas to survive there.
1) Suffocation: As described in the Aberrant core book.
2) Decompression: See above.
3) Temperature Extremes: With a temperature range
from over 1000C to - 273C, even novas can rapidly succumb to such adverse conditions. A nova without Invulnerability: Physical AND Energy suffers 1 level of lethal damage
per turn. This cannot be soaked. Baselines will die within
moments.
4) Radiation: Characters without Invulnerability: Energy
or Radiation suffer 1 level of lethal damage per turn.
Oceanic Pressure: In addition to the ever-present
threat of drowning, a character at deep ocean pressures
(or any other high-pressure environment) suffers 15 levels
of Bashing damage per turn with soak counted at half. This
will kill nearly anything not designed to live in this environment in short order. Invulnerability to Pressure or Broad Category: Physical at 3 dots or higher will negate this, as well as

having the High-Pressure Tolerance body modification or the

Adaptability enhancement. Being Bodymorphed into some
sufficiently durable non-organic substance or an appropriate
form of energy will also work.

Sonic Booms
Whenever a vehicle moves fast enough to break the
sound barrier (achieving a speed of over 2000 kph) it creates
a sonic boom is its wake. The sonic boom counts as a MegaStrength 4 Thunderclap and a 2 dot Strobe (sonic) effect.
When a nova with 4 or more dots of Hypermovement breaks
the sound barrier, things are a little different as the novas
Hypermovement rating is treated as a Mega-Strength Thunderclap which has no complimentary half-dot rating Strobe
(sonic) effect (Aberrant core book, p. 203). This oversight
can be remedied either through puchasing the Strobe quantum power or by Storyteller fiat.

Starvation/ Dehydration
For a baseline human, starvation happens in 4 stages.
During the first two weeks, there are few effects other than
hunger (-1 die to all dice pools). After that, the character
loses 1 dot of Strength and 1 dot of Stamina (down to a
minimum rating of 1; this is cumulative with other incurred
penalties). This stage lasts for (Stamina + Endurance days).
During the next stage, the characters body begins losing
mass as it begins burning its non-essential body tissues for
energy. This lasts for (Stamina) days. At this stage, negate
the die penalty. The final stage is when the characters body
begins consuming its own vital tissues for energy. The nova
loses a point from each Physical Attribute and Appearance
(down to a minimum rating of one), and begins losing health
levels at a rate of one a day until he dies. Resuming a normal
diet returns the character to health at a rate of a stage every
(9 - Stamina) days.
The effects of dehydration are much swifter and deadlier. Each day after the first the character goes without any
potable water or water-based liquid to drink inflicts a level
of bashing damage. A character that is reduced to the Incapacitated Health Level by dehydration dies in (Stamina +
Endurance) hours.
A novas high metabolic rate creates an unusual peril
for the normally resilient nova physiology. A novas accelerated metabolic rate aggravates this condition, but is offset
by the novas hardier physiology. A nova starves at the same
relative rate as a baseline, but each level of Mega-Stamina
adds two to Stamina for all relevant rolls and calculations. A
nova can go twice as long as a baseline without water, taking
damage every two days instead. Damage from starvation
and dehydration cannot be recovered with the Regeneration
enhancement, but can be healed via the Healing power.

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ABERRANT
Weather
Mother Nature herself can drop enough inconvenient (if
not dangerous) conditions to keep even the toughest nova
busy. Here are a few of the multitude of harsh weather conditions.
Blizzard: The primary hazards of a blizzard are the low
temperature, lack of visibility and slick conditions. Consider
all targets operating in blizzard conditions to be at +2 difficulties on rolls involving navigation and perceiving things at
a distance. This penalty is cumulative with any other visionbased penalties. All characters moving in or operating vehicles suffer a -2 penalty to dice pools. Low temperatures will
also induce a degree of numbness, which usually results in
a -1 or -2 dice penalty to those characters lacking MegaStamina.
Driving Rain: While relatively common in some
regions, heavy rainfall backed by high winds can complicate
even the most pedestrian tasks. Characters exposed to a
heavy rainstorm operate at a +2 difficulty penalty to their
dice pools. Vision based rolls also suffer a +1 difficulty penalty.
Earthquake: The havoc to property caused by an
earthquake can be legendary. An earthquake inflicts 2 dice
of bashing damage per point of Richter Scale intensity to
any structure in the area of effect (usually several kilometers
in radius). Maintaining ones footing during an earthquake
requires a Might or Athletics roll at a +2 difficulty penalty. The primary hazard of an earthquake is the collateral
damage. Fissures, sinkholes and collapsed structures can
devastate entire cities, while ruptured natural gas lines and
water mains can combine to make fires an even more dangerous threat than normal. (All the in-game effects of these
events are left to the Storytellers discretion).
Hurricane: This brutal tropical storm combines the
effects of both driving rain and a tidal wave to hammer anything in its area of effect. The storm size will vary greatly,
from tens to even hundreds of kilometers across. Structures
also suffer 1 to 5 dice of bashing damage from high winds
and wind-blown debris every scene during a hurricane, usually about every half-hour.
Lightning: A direct hit from a natural lightning bolt
inflicts 10 levels of lethal damage (artificial armor does
not defend against this). This damage may be soaked as
normal. A near-miss (if the character makes a successful Athletics roll) inflicts 10 dice of bashing damage (which can also
be soaked as normal).
Tidal Wave: Massive waves caused by seismic disturbances can punish coastlines and occasionally wipe seaside
communities off the map. Tidal waves can inflict between 5
and 20 dice of bashing damage at intervals determined by
the ferocity of the disturbance (one big wave or a series of

176

smaller waves and everything in between). Anyone caught

in a wave must make a contested Might roll against the
wave (the waves effective Might is equal to its damage dice)
and an Athletics roll (+2 difficulty) or be swept out to sea.
Tornado: A tornado is considered to do 4 dice of
bashing damage each turn per degree of intensity to anything in the storms area of effect (usually about a 0.5 kilometer radius). A high intensity (F5) inflicts about 20 dice of
bashing damage per turn to anything in its area of effect. In
addition, any one within 20 meters of the funnel must make
a contested Might roll against the tornado (the tornados
effective Might is equal to its damage dice). Character who
fail the Might contest against the tornado are sucked into
the vortex. Every character in the area suffers a +2 difficulty
penalty to their dice pools from the high winds and flying
debris.

Unified Speed Rules

by Jack Gideon Summanen
Editors Note: The following material is completely
optional and should only be used in chronicles where both
the Storyteller and the players feel increased realism and
ease of crossover mechanics are desirable.
First a primer in movement in the Aberrant, Trinity and
Adventure! worlds.
Proposal: I declare that the current maneuvers and
rules for high-speed collisions between a nova and another
target are contrary and non-intuitive. I propose to introduce
a new system for handling such actions in a unified and
simpler manner. By creating a single mechanic to handle
all such maneuvers to improve internal consistency, and to
reduce Storyteller effort in maintaining game balance.

Movement
In all three settings human and nova movement is calculated the same. A turn is 3 seconds and a human, psion
and nova all walk at 7 meters a turn. While certain groups
of individuals gain modifiers to their run and sprint speeds,
the formulas are for all purposes identical.
Walk: 7m
Run: (Dex x 1) + 12m
Sprint: (Dex. x 3) + 20m
In Aberrant two movement powers and one movement
enhancement exists.
Flight is a level 2 power which grants a flight speed of
(Power Rating x 4) + 40 meters per action.
Hypermovement is a level 2 power which adds a x6
multiplier to movement (e.g. Hypermovement 1 makes
Flight (Power Rating x10) + 40 meters, running speeds (Dex
x 7) + 12m & sprinting speeds (Dex x 9) + 20m).

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ABERRANT
Enhanced Movement is a Mega-Dexterity Enhancement that adds a multiplier to movement equal to
Mega-Dexterity + 1. This multiplier is applied after Hypermovement and the fixed distance adds of each movement
speed.

Vehicular Collisions
In Adventure!, collisions with vehicles are calculate by
a pure speed calculation of 1 Lethal die for every 10 kilometers per hour (kph) the vehicle is moving. In Aberrant and
Trinity collision is calculated using a similar equation, save
that the increment of speed is every 20 kph the vehicle is
moving. All three works suggest that the damage generated
by such a collision should be modified by the size and sturdiness of the vehicle involved (+/- a couple dice depending
if its a truck or a motorcycle).
Based on these mechanics and numbers Ive come up
with an alternate set of rules. While they add a small degree
of complexity, they reduce the number of systems a Storyteller has to learn to handle high speed controlled collisions, as well as minimizes min-maxing strategies based on
complicated dice calculations. This alternate system leaves
the falling mechanics intact as they incorporate a constant
acceleration, and are internally consistent.

Alternate Hyperspeed Slam

and Aerial Slam
The nova moves into someone at superspeed. This
move is treated as a Tackle (Strength +3 bashing damage).
The Storyteller determines the number of meters the character will cover in that turn to determine the number of additional Bashing dice from speed. The nova herself takes half

damage from the slam (though her soak might well reduce
this damage to zero), and she can reduce the total damage
of her slam by any amount she chooses, so long as she
announces it ahead of time and slows her pace accordingly.
The victim of the slam must check for knockback (Aberrant
core book p. 249), while the attacker makes an Athletics roll,
to stay upright, if running or a Flight roll if flying, to keep
herself oriented, just as with a normal Tackle maneuver. If
the defender suffers no knockback and the attacker fails her
roll, the attacker also takes full damage from the slam (she
just ran into the equivalent of a brick wall).
Ability: Brawl
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special (Base Strength +3 as Tackle) + (Speed
dice) + (knockback)
Attacker Injured with Delivered damage (May soak it
down to zero).
-ORIf target is NOT knocked back or down, AND the
Attacker fails their Athletics (or Flight) Ability check, the
Attacker takes FULL damage.

Alternate High Speed Strike (Aberrant)

The nova races by a target, bashing it with a limb or
weapon as she passes. The maneuver is treated as a Strike
or Weapon attack, but the player adds Speed dice up to
twice the limb or weapons Damage Threshold.
Ability: Brawl or Martial Arts / Flight
Difficulty: +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special (Normal Damage + Speed dice [Lim-

Sample Weapon Stats for Strike Maneuvers

Type

Damage

Threshold

Str Min

Conceal

Mass

Cost

Ax

Str +4L

10

Chain

Str +5B

10

2.5

Club, wood

Str +4B

1+

Club, steel

Str +4B

1+

Knife

Str +2L

0.5

Staff, wood

Str +6B

Staff, metal

Str +6B

12

Spear, wood shaft

Str +4L

Sword

Str +5L

11

Sword cane

Str +4L

10

Whip

Str +2L

STORYTELLING

177

ABERRANT
ited by Damage Threshold])
If the damage dice gained from speed are greater than
the calculated Effective Weapon Soak, the weapon will
be damaged (and most likely destroyed) by the attack. If
the weapon used is a part of the nova, then the attempt
is treated as a Head-on Collision (see p. 173 of this book).
Suggested max damage is Crippled as the limb striking will
most likely be shattered.
Damage Threshold: This is the combined dice pools of
the weapons Strength damage add (i.e. a weapon that does
Strength +2 has a Strength damage add of +2) and the soak
of the weapons weakest applicable material (i.e. a knife with
a steel blade and handle would have a Soak of 6). This
would mean that a steel knife would have a Damage Threshold of 8, thus a speedster could use this knife safely against
a stationary opponent at speeds up to 132 meters (approximately 158.4 kph). A nova that used his fist would be able to
apply either their Bashing Soak or their Lethal soak depending on the target being struck. (A hardened target would
cause the nova Lethal damage, though the Mega-Stamina
enhancement of Durability would change this into Bashing
damage). In addition to the damage bonus gained from
speed, a nova possessing offensive powers that add to their
damage potential may add them to their effective Damage
Threshold with the Storytellers approval, thus if a characters
Claws power manifests as a pair of physical claws, then the
Storyteller may decide to allow their added damage dice to
increase the novas effective Damage Threshold, when used
to perform a High Speed Strike.
Exceeding Damage Threshold: Every die that exceeds
the weapons Damage Threshold is combined into an attack
against the weapon that automatically hits and avoids all
natural soak (because the soak has already been applied
in the previous step). Each success counts as an automatic health level lost from the weapon (check the Material
Strength charts for a reference). If the weapon is a limb of
the nova, the damage should be limited to the crippling
level, as the limbs loss will be hard enough, though if the
nova is already injured when they perform this maneuver,
they may pay the price of their life for the extra damage.
In closing I chose to base the Speed Damage off of a
damage die for every 20 kilometers per hour, as opposed
to the Adventure! rate of every 10 kph, as I found that the
Speed Damage results mapped closer to the power rank
based damage when Slamming. And I went with a 40 kph
rate of accumulating dice for Striking, as again it mapped
closer. If a rule was created using the 10kph rate as the
baseline, then the Striking should be rated at 20kph and
we can expect that Hypermovement will gain greater prominence in the Aberrant game world.

178

STORYTELLING

ABERRANT

Unified Speed Rules Charts

A speed chart appears on the previous page for Storyteller use.
A series of charts follow diagramming the existing damage progressions with the new alternate system.

This chart shows the meters per turn a nova can achieve given a rank in Hypermovement and their combined ranks in
Dexterity and Mega-Dexterity. Note how Dexterity has a drastic impact on the actual speed attained.

This chart shows the number of damage dice used for the standard rules for Slamming with an assumed strength total
of 1. Again the horizontal numbers represent the Power Rating in Hypermovement (Running), the vertical numbers represent the combined Dexterity and Mega-Dexterity scores. Note how Dexterity plays no factor in the amount of damage is
given, while in the above chart it has a drastic effect on the speed to which the collision occurs.

This chart gives the damage from a pure speed relation, with the Tackling modifiers added into the equation. Again a
Strength of one is used for presentation. Note how two characters with differing Dexterities, but with the same Power Rank
in Hypermovement will now have different effectiveness. Also note that a baseline or nova with NO Hypermovement could
gain at least one extra-die from running at an opponent if they have a Dexterity of 5, though the difficulty increase would
make success less likely without Mega-Dexterity.

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179

ABERRANT

This chart displays the speed independent damage progression of a high speed strike with a bare hand, by a nova with
a Strength of one. Again speed plays no factor, though no damage is risked by the attacker.

This chart gives speed sensitive damage, though the damage steps are every increase of 40 kilometers per hour, instead
of every 20 kph for Slams. This was to keep the damage range in line, and to reflect the modified High Speed Strike rules.

Aerial Maneuver comparisons

This chart shows the meters per turn a nova can achieve given a rank in Hypermovement and Flight. Note how Dexterity has no actual direct effect, though it does factor in the Flight Dice

This chart displays the canon damage dice pools for flight and Hypermovement (Flight) for an Aerial Slam. A Strength
of 1 is used for the results.

180

STORYTELLING

ABERRANT

This chart presents the alternate system, of basing the damage on the actual speed attained. A Strength of 1 is used.
Note how the dice pool is slightly smaller than the canon system would generate, but larger than a land based Slam. By
making the system speed based, we avoid certain types of power min/maxing.

This chart diagrams the canon Aerial Strike, this is again a fairly powerful maneuver, but has minimal balance. Apparently if a nova punched a target while Flying (at any speed) does more damage than a nova running on the ground (with
the same number of dots).

This chart displays the modified damage progression, based on speed and factored at the 40 kph rate rather than the
20 kph rate. Damage Threshold limitations will apply for this maneuver.

STORYTELLING

181

Blog Entry from

Average Beat Cop
Excerpted from N! News Report,
April 14, 2015
With the arrival of the public defender
phenomenon in the last decade, retaining
the services of what many see as a civic
superhero has become a status symbol
that denotes the advanced 21st Century
metropolis and places it above all the rest.
At last count there are no fewer than two
hundred citiesmost of them in the First
World nationscurrently seeking suitable
novas to become public defenders. This
is quickly becoming an exciting field for
both up and coming and established
novas. Any novas interested in becoming
a public defender can visit N!s website
for the complete list which includes
contact information and franchise details
where applicable. In the next hour we will
review the history of the public defender
phenomenon and will put it in historical
context...

Had another run in with NovaX again (name withheld so I

dont get fired). I absolutely
hate him. I think most of
my fellows on the force do
too. He enters a room and
boom everyone, and I mean
everyone, pays attention to him
and him only. Jerk.
Fact of the matter is he is not
putting his life on the line
out there. We dont bring
him along if theres even the
slightest possibility he could
get hurt. He so much as breaks
a bone and itd look seriously
bad for us and the city as a
whole. Bad as in, big time
press interest on why things
are so f*cked up here that our
public defender can get killed.
So his job is to look good in
front of the cameras and take
all the credit for our work.
Oh, and for that he gets paid
something like twenty-five
times what I do. Makes me
want to puke.

182

Extracts from my Interview with Ironhead,

by Ronald Emersmith

David Smithson, or Ironhead, is a massive man with the stereotypical football player build. He has no neck. I was surprised to find him easy to interview. I felt at ease the moment we started talking. Hes a very likeable guy, its
easy to imagine drinking beers next to him in a bar.
Interviewer: So what do you think of your new job as a public defender ?
Ironhead: I like it. The city has been very good to me, this was the right job
at the right time, and so far its worked out nicely.
Interviewer: What do you do as a public defender ?
Ironhead: Oh, it varies. The city is always finding something for me to do
so theres a lot of variety to my job, which is pretty nice. Sometimes I give
speeches and lead parades, other times I break down doors and act as a
point man for the SWAT team. Tomorrow Im going to demolish a building.
Interviewer: What does the city think of you? Ive heard that sometimes the
police and public defenders have relationship problems?
Ironhead: I havent had any problems that Ive noticed. The police are good
people and Ive enjoyed working with them. I cant be everywhere, but they
can. I like to think Ive made their job somewhat easier. First three months I
had to break into armored drug houses and deal with some Mitoids. We think
theres a lot less of that now. Rumor has it that theyre not bothering to build
them anymore because it attracts too much attention.
Interviewer: Ive heard your wife is pregnant? How did you beat the nova
infertility problem?
Ironhead: (chuckle) Good luck mostly. Nancy and I were engaged before I
went nova and we found out she was pregnant right after we got married. We
think she conceived the night before I erupted.
183

ABERRANT

Public Defenders
No Mega-Physical book would be complete without
a look at the phenomenon of the Public Defender. Much
hyped by N! and generally misunderstood by the general
public, this section attempts to shine some light on the role,
job function and nature of the Public Defender.

Who can do it?

The stereotypical public defender is a hyper-fast,
flying, invulnerable, Mega-Strong nova who works for free
and serves the public out of a sense of civic mindedness.
Detecting crimes from miles away with his enhanced senses
he instantly zooms to the rescue. This paragon of virtue
regularly sneaks away from his job in a news organization,
his secret identity firmly protected by an ordinary pair of
glasses.
In reality, everyone needs money, N! would out such
a public-but-closeted nova in less than a week, which is
about how long his daytime job would last considering his
frequent absences. Also the vast majority of public defenders do not have the raw power or number of powers that
would let them match their comic book counterparts.
But that doesnt matter. Technically speaking there
are no requirements for being a public defender other
than being a nova and having the ability to make the local
government think its a good idea. The youngest public
defender on record is a non-invulnerable 13-year-old female
high school freshman with no combat skills.

Job Description: Faces and Fists

The typical public defender does very little protecting
of the innocent. When swinging around a city most people
dont tend to trip over muggings on every street corner. In
order to spot a crime in progress hed need hyper-senses,
to get to the scene hed need a mobility power (or great
stealth), and then theyd need the physical power to do
something about it. Thats a lot of power and thats pretty
rare even for a nova. The real job of a public defender is to
represent the city in a favorable light and to serve it to the
best of his or her abilities. What this means in practice varies
depending on the specific abilities of the nova in question,
but generally there are two types of public defenders, faces
and fists. Faces go to public meetings and rally the flag.
They shake hands with people and get their picture taken
with politicians and other important people. Fists hang out
with and/or are on call with the police and fire departments.
Their powers make them useful in times of crisis.

184

The Citys View: Why Hire a Public

Defender?
Its an open secret that the real reason a city hires a
public defender is to be somewhere. The public defender
is a living icon, totem, or mascot who symbolizes that the
city is important. Not only is it good marketing, but its
also an attempt to symbolically transfer some of the novas
magic to the city as a whole. Sports teams do something
similar by naming themselves after powerful animals. Its a
practice as old as time and strikes a deep chord in humanity.
A public defender is also someone who the local mayor and
city council can shake hands with and get their pictures in
the paper in a favorable light.
Hiring a nova as a public defender can be a way for
the city to hang onto a locally erupting nova who probably
would otherwise depart for other pastures. But local boy or
not, hiring a public defender is also good business. Novas
attract attention, and attracting attention to the city attracts
business and other opportunities. If the city is very lucky
those other opportunities might include bringing other
novas to their location. Novas tend to make friends with
other novas, and advertising yourself as a place friendly to
novas by word of mouth can work well.

The Novas View: Why Be a Public

Defender?
Being a public defender can be very attractive to some
novas. The work isnt especially hard or dangerous, especially compared to being a combat elite. Its an honest and
fulfilling job for civic-minded novas who dont trust Utopia
or dont want to hire on with a big corporation.
If youre married or just dont want to travel a lot its a
way to bring in a solid income without the globe-hopping
lifestyle that often comes with it. You frequently get your
picture in the paper and get a big hunk of local glory and
make good local connections. Theres a strong element of
big fish in a small pond to all this, and that can be very
attractive, especially to a nova who feels he isnt powerful
enough for the world stage or who grew up in the city in
question.

Local Relations
The local police and fire departments often have a love/
hate relationship with a public defender. Novas can bring
more firepower to a situation than many armies, the question is whether or not this is a good thing.
On the good side, having a public defender often
attracts attention to what they do and gives the department
a solid reserve for when it gets really hairy. On the bad side,
the public defender often also soaks up more than their fair

STORYTELLING

ABERRANT
share of the glory, and baseline police break just as easily
as other baselines. Theres an old saying that friendly fire
isnt. Sarah Tenor Meeks is a good example of the problems a public defender can bring to a situation.
Ultimately the relationship between the departments
and the public defender depends on the specific nova. A
Face might be thought of as a credit hogging piece of fluff
within the department, or his social skills might convert him
into someone who is a credit to everyone despite his limitations. A Fist with a massive quantum bolt might be either
the first person or the last youd want to bring with you into
a violent situation.

What else do Public Defenders do?

It varies by the novas powers and interests. One or two
cities have found that sending their public defender along
with delegations sent to attract businesses can be useful.
Other delegations usually look at the public defender as a
useless toy, and thats just not a safe assumption if the nova
has Social Mega-Attributes, especially Mega-Manipulation.
Other public defenders have gotten involved in the
XWF, usually (although not always) as heroes. Again, this is
usually a good deal for everyone concerned because home
town rivalries are good for business.

Things to worry about with a Public

Defender
If you are dealing with a public defender in his city,
then you are in his territory. The police and local officials
usually take any form of abuse of their mascot seriously. He
will often also have police enforcement authority and be on
good terms with the mayor, chief of police, etc. In short hes
in a position to make life difficult for you.
In addition, since most public defender Faces have
and keep their job because of their Social Mega-Attributes,
the difference between dealing with an established public
defender and dealing with a nova cult may sometime only
be a matter of semantics.

Sample Public Defenders

Albert Doctor Asclepius Edwards,
M.D.
Age: 36
Background: Albert was a brand new medical doctor
who mortally injured one of his patients by accident, then
erupted with the power to restore that same patient to
health. After it became clear the hospital couldnt make a
competitive bid for his services, the city stepped up and
hired him as a public defender.
Albert is unusual as a public defender since hes neither face nor fist. With his lack of physical and social abilities, Doctor Asclepius is never put on the front line and he
only rarely gives speeches. However repairing the citys real
defenders has made him a lot of friends, especially in the
veterans and law enforcement communities.
The city fathers have been enormously pleased with
Alberts service and with good reason. The hospital where
he has set up shop has expanded its facilities twice and has
become a regional center for excellence in a number of
fields. Having someone on staff who can repair mistakes has
attracted talented people who do cutting edge research.
The quality of the people seeking employment with the city
has also increased markedly. Doctor Asclepius is commonly
held up as an example of one nova invigorating and attracting jobs to an entire region.
Known Nova Capabilities: Healing

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David Ironhead Smithson
Age: 23
Background: Ironically Davids life plan was to become
a lawyer, since he regarded playing football as just a good
way to stay in shape. His life was going more or less according to plan. In a few months he was going to graduate from
college, get married and start law school. Then he erupted
during a rough tackle.
From Davids point of view, its really unfortunate his
powers are all football useful. He found himself with
greatly enhanced strength, stamina, durability, etc. Being
able to juggle cars is worthless inside a courtroom. For
about 5 seconds he considered becoming an elite then discarded it as a bad idea. Utopia was a better idea, but he
didnt think it was his lifes calling.
So he got married and moved to his wifes hometown.
She had lots and lots of relatives and they had welcomed
him even before hed erupted. His first plan was the two of
them would sell real estate during the day and hed go to
law school at night. Then the city made him an offer. The
money was good, the fame was good and helped his wife
sell real estate, the contacts he was making would help his
career later, and he still goes to law school at night.
David is close to being the stereotypical public
defender. He cant fly or see for superhuman distances, but
hes strong enough to walk through walls and hes bulletproof. His social skills are pretty good by baseline standards.
Known Nova Capabilities: Mega-Strength, MegaStamina, Mega-Dexterity (Physical Prodigy), Armor.

Georgina Honeybee Miller

Age: 13
Background: Georgina apparently erupted with the
power to be the most popular and talented girl in high
school. She took the name Honeybee because the school
mascot is the hornet. Although the local press likes to talk
about how she is busy as a bee and as sweet as honey,
she doesnt actually have any insect-related powers.
Georgina is less a public defender than a public mascot
and her pay reflects this. While occasionally she rides
around with the police they take care to make sure things
arent too interesting. Curfew isnt really an issue since she
barely needs to sleep, but the city has had to make sure
they dont break child labor laws. Generally her duties are
to show up at public events, rally the flag, and give public
interest speeches.
Known Nova Capabilities: Various Mega-Attributes
including Mega-Charisma.

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Mega-Physical Attributes
Throwing a trailer through a wall. Dancing through a
hail of bullets. Walking on the bottom of the ocean floor.
All of these feats and more are the province of the MegaPhysical novas, whose strength, agility and durability delight
and amaze the baseline public. Unlike the subtle manipulations of the Mega-Social novas or the wheels-within-wheels
machinations of the Mega-Mental novas, Mega-Physical
novas tend to be brutal, straightforward and unmistakable.
To see the marvels of the Mega-Physical Attributes, all one
needs to do is watch the latest press release from Project
Utopia, catch the last XWF bout or even watch the news
for a few hours. The Mega-Physical novas are the apparent gods of our new world and their powers are awesome
indeed.

Visceral Inequalities
While most of baseline humanity admires the capabilities of the Mega-Physical novas, its important to note
that the majority of those admirers do so from a distance.
Those people who find themselves living in close proximity
to Mega-Physical novas often find their prior adulation temperedif not replacedby feelings of envy, wariness and
inadequacy. Many of the reasons for this are derived from
the basic physical disparity between Mega-Physical novas
and baselines. When it comes to physical comparison or
competition with a Mega-Physical nova, it soon becomes
painfully obvious that a baseline human will quite simply
have little or no chance of outperforming his erupted opponent. A Mega-Physical nova can make baselines feel like
weaklings, klutzes or invalids just by being around them.
This situation is noticeably different from when a baseline
athlete accomplishes a feat of physical excellence and
defeats her competitors. In the latter case, people dont get
overly upset over that for one simple reason. Provided that
a person receives similar training to said athlete, it is possible - if not very probable - for him to match or even exceed
that athletes achievement. Unfortunately, this just isnt possible when attempting to outperform a Mega-Physical nova.
No matter how hard or how long a baseline athlete trains,

he will have no hope of matching the might of a Titan, the

speed and grace of a Swift or the physical endurance of a
Dynamo.
As if that wasnt enough to breed jealousy of MegaPhysical novas among baselines, there is the ancient human
practice of counterdominance to consider. Dating back to
humanitys prehistoric days as hunter-gatherers, this group
behavior leads people to gang up against and oppose
anyone who they consider too powerful, too frightening or
too egotistical. In this way the group can deal - fatally, if
need be and/or if possible - with normally dominant members whose desires and actions threaten their collective survival and prosperity. As Mega-Physical novas will often fit
the first two criteriaif not all threeone day they could
easily find their former baseline admirers regarding them as
threats to be dealt with instead of idolized role models.
The disparity between the capabilities of Mega-Physical novas and those of baselines also affects these novas
lives in other ways. When a Mega-Physical nova can always
be counted on to win against her opponents in any sport
shes proficient in, it practically leeches away any fun it
would otherwise have provided for everyone. Add in the
possibility for inadvertently injuring others in rough contact
sports while being superhumanly resistant to physical harm,
and one can see why Mega-Physical novas generally dont
bother with signing up with the local rugby team or boxing
club. Likewise, whats the point of a Mega-Physical nova
going to a gym with her baseline friends when what they
consider to be a heavy workout wont even make her break
a sweat? Even such activities as drinking at a favorite pub or
bar with ones baseline pals are affected, as theyll all likely
be plastered by the time the Mega-Physical nova has drunk
enough to feel even the slightest bit tipsy. The family lives
of Mega-Physical novas are also affected. Roughhouse play
and moments of uncontrolled emotionality are avoided by
thoughtful Mega-Physical novas, as the chance of inadvertent injury to ones friends and/or relatives is too great a
risk for most to take. Baseline children and the elderly are
incredibly fragile even by baseline standards, so it stands to
reason that Mega-Physical novas must take truly extraordinary precautions when tending to them.

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Not surprisingly, this matter turns particularly bleak
when it comes to the sex lives of Mega-Physical novas. Only
a few baselines those who arent quite right in the head
will feel at ease having sex with a Titan when an involuntary
muscle contraction or spasm on the novas part could easily
send them to the hospital, if not the morgue. Swifts who
pose similar risks to their partners due to overly-fast movement are rare, but they have their own problems. Like their
other physical reactions, the sexual responses of a Swift
are also accelerated to superhuman speed, making proper
timing difficult at best. The Dynamos must contend with a
superhuman sexual appetite to match their superhuman
endurance, attempting to satisfy which can drive a baseline
spouse to the point of terminal exhaustion. Such unfortunate baselines have the option of allowing a Dynamo to
take multiple baseline lovers at the same time, which understandably isnt that much more attractive.
All of this boils down to a very real physical isolation
from baselines that Mega-Physical novas must endure, often
by their own choice. This distancing can easily dampen
friendships, strain family bonds and cool romantic relationships between Mega-Physical novas and baselines, leading
many such novas to turn to other novas to fulfill their social
and emotional needs. Unless ways can be found to bridge
this gap safely, Mega-Physical novasand novas in general
will only continue to withdraw from their baseline friends
and families.

The Devils in the Details

Upon closer inspection, the Physical Mega-Attributes (along
with the Mentals and Socials) turn out to have more in common
with the Body Modification quantum power than is commonly
expected. As a product of natural evolution, the anatomical
design of Homo sapiens sapiens is a kludge-job riddled with
all sorts of engineering mistakes and useless parts, the consequences of which range from the trivial to the life-threatening.
This doesnt have to be the case where novas are concerned,
as they can have many subtle improvements to their body structure as part of the Mega-Attributes they manifest. Despite the
fact that these minor alterations are strictly somatic mutations,
some baseline paraphysicians have begun to seriously speculate
(if only in private conversations) on whether or not novas should
be considered human beings. Others reject such speculation,
dismissing the notion that anatomy should define humanity as
pseudoscientific nonsense on par with phrenology. The debate
rages on, if quietly.

Mega-Physicals and Other MegaAttributes

As can only be expected, the Mega-Physical novas will
exhibit a wide array of other Mega-Attributes and quantum powers along with their superhuman physical capabilities. Like the Mega-Mental and Mega-Social Attributes,
the Mega-Physical Attributes will often appear together in
a nova. Mega-Strength and Mega-Dexterity complement
each other well, especially with the superhumanly powerful
metabolism provided by Mega-Stamina to act as a foundation. Having multiple Mega-Physical Attributes also makes a
nova more detached from the physical realities of baseline
human life, which will have subtle and telling consequences
in a Mega-Physical novas life.
It is very common for Mega-Physical novas to possess Mega-Mental Attributes as well. Mega-Perception
in particular is highly useful to Mega-Physical novas, as it
allows them to direct their efforts more efficiently and note
undesirable byproducts of said efforts beforehand. MegaIntelligence often shows up in Mega-Physical novas despite
baselines stereotype of them as dumb jocks, which more
than a few such Mega-Physical novas are crafty enough to
use to their advantage. Aside from acting as a force multiplier and a safety measure like Mega-Perception, it also
comes in handy for tactical and demolitions work. MegaWits is especially handy for Mega-Physical novas who lack
Mega-Social Attributes, as it can let them hold their ground
in social conflicts instead of becoming a Mega-Social novas
pawn. Its also practically de rigeur for Swifts who focus on
extreme speed, as problems tend to crop up when their
mental speed lags behind their physical speed.
Mega-Social and Mega-Physical Attributes are likewise
often found together, often due to many Mega-Physical
novas desire to bridge the social isolation between them
and baseline humans that their superhuman physical capabilities often cause. Mega-Physical novas often develop
some level of Mega-Appearance or Mega-Ugliness,
depending on how close or far their enhanced physiques
are from baseline ideals of physical beauty. The advantages
offered by Mega-Manipulation are doubly surprising when
employed by a Mega-Physical nova that everyone thinks is a
socially-inept dullard. Finally, Mega-Charisma offers MegaPhysical novas a means to gain the positive emotional and
social support they crave from baseline friends, family and
lovers that they might not receive otherwise.

Mega-Physicals and Quantum

Powers
Of the Mega-Physical Attributes, both Mega-Dexterity
and Mega-Stamina can augment a novas capabilities with

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certain quantum powers. Mega-Dexterity is typically relevant to powers that depend on physical movement, using
matter or energy for attack and active defense, and the
direct physical manipulation of matter. Mega-Stamina is relevant to powers of physical transformation, passive defense
and certain basic manipulations of quantum energy. Swifts
and Dynamos with these powers will be able to get more
out of them by applying their Mega-Attribute dice to the
dice pool of the relevant power.

Dexterity Powers
Disintegration, Elemental Anima (Blast, Lethal Blast),
Elemental Mastery (Blast, Crush, Lethal Blast, Sphere),
Entropy Control (Bioentropy Storm), Flight, Gravity Control
(Gravitic Blast, Gravitokinesis), Hypermovement, Immobilize, Magnetic Mastery (Magnetic Blast, Magnetokinesis), Molecular Manipulation (Destruction), Quantum Bolt,
Quantum Imprint, Shroud, Stun Attack, Telekinesis, Weather
Manipulation (Lightning Bolt).

Stamina Powers:
Absorption, Bioluminescence, Bodymorph, Clone,
Entropy Control (Entropic Shield), Force Field, Homunculus,
Matter Chameleon, Poison, Quantum Conversion, Quantum
Vampire, Shapeshift.

Creating Mega-Physical Characters

At one time or another, everyone has fantasized about
being the toughest piece of work in their neighborhood.
If thats what youre aiming for, there are some important
things that need to be gone over in the process of creating
a Mega-Physical character.
First on the checklist is your character concept. What
Physical Mega-Attributes does your character have, and
at what ratings? Do you see your character as having all of
her physical capabilities of superhuman caliber, or is she
extremely good in one particular area due to focusing on
one Physical Mega-Attribute? Be sure to consult with your
Storyteller beforehand to find out what kind of chronicle
youll be playing your character in, so that you can modify
your concept accordingly. The amount of nova points that
your characters will be starting with is also important, as creating a Mega-Physical nova capable of putting an XWF-style
smackdown on a really big threatand living to tell about it
afterwardswill be expensive.
What your character will be doing with her Physical
Mega-Attributes is second, and her options arent limited
to just combat monster. Mega-Strong novas can easily
find work in the construction and demolition industries, if
they arent literally moving mountains and changing the

course of rivers in Third World countries to improve general living conditions there. Mega-Dexterous novas have
the potential to be craftsmen, acrobats, stage magicians the
likes of which the world has yet to see; along with the usual
martial artists, master gunners, couriers and thieves. MegaVigorous novas can be explorers capable of brushing off
whatever the wilderness cares to throw at them with a grin,
while others can perform rescue work in circumstances that
would spell certain death for any baseline. For those who
find the concept of a warrior too good to pass up, there are
still many options to choose from. Mega-Physical combatants can (and do) range anywhere from soldiers and combat
elites, to XWF contender and police officers, to bodyguards
and hired muscle for the underworld.
Third on the list is figuring out how your characters
Physical Mega-Attributes have affected her life, and to what
degree those changes have been expressed. As you can see
in this chapter, living as a Mega-Physical nova in a world
thats mostly designed to baseline physical specifications
can be difficult at best. Their superhuman might, speed and
vigor are factors that can - and usually do - give Mega-Physical novas a much different perspective on the world than
their baseline cousins. That change in perspective, even if
still at the subconscious level, must be taken into account
when detailing your character and her actions. Perhaps
she has thrown in her lot with the Aberrants or Utopia, and
fights on their behalf in order to right something she feels is
wrong with the world. Perhaps she fights against less concrete opponents such as the latest plague to boil up out of
Southeast Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa in order to save lives.
Perhaps she fights for the novacentric cause of the Teragen,
or the fabulous salary provided by DeVries. Or perhaps, she
has decided to make her own way in the world and acts as
she (and her allies) sees fit.

Playing Mega-Physical Characters

Baselines marvel at the capabilities that Mega-Physical novas display, but few of them really stop to consider
their day-to-day implications. For those novas with Physical
Mega-Attributes, learning to live with them is one of the
greatest challenges they face in their erupted lives. While at
first the increased physical might that newly-erupted MegaPhysical novas experience seems to only be exciting, they
quickly begin to learn the drawbacks of living in a world
built for baselines. There is a period where the nova has
to learn to cope with their new Physical Mega-Attributes.
Depending on what Physical Attributes were enhanced, this
can be a long period of adjustment. Even after the nova has
adapted to his or her new physical capabilities, there is still
the social implications to deal with. At first, Mega-Physical
novas may take pleasure in their powers, but the joy quickly

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fades as the reality of their new capabilities hits home. And
then the demands of others will set in; people wanting help
moving large objects, younger siblings asking the nova to
beat up bullies at school and the constant offers to join Project Utopia or the XWF, especially if the Mega-Physical nova
displays a particularly impressive ability.

Advantages
The advantages of playing a nova with Physical MegaAttributes revolve around the sheer simplicity of these
powers, both in terms of understanding what they can do
and in their application to the world around them.
Ancient Dreams: Humans have not only had fantasies
about possessing superhuman physical abilities for millennia, but have actually achieved rough equivalents of them
through technology. Ever since the Industrial Revolution,
people have been living with machines which had far more
strength, speed and physical fortitude than any human
known at the time. As a result, baseline humans tend to find
the Mega-Physical novas much easier to become accustomed to than the Mega-Mental or Mega-Social novas.
Where the average baseline citizen of the Nova Age is
intimidated by the Mega-Mental novas and overwhelmed
by the Mega-Social novas, most of them think that they
have a much better working knowledge of the superhuman
capabilities of Mega-Physical novas.
If You Dont Use Them, You Wont Lose Them: Unlike
baseline athletes, who must undergo rigorous exercise and
training to maintain their peak physical capabilities, the
bodies of Mega-Physical novas are always in shape in
terms of a particular Physical Mega-Attribute. Regardless of
any forced inactivity or lapse in physical training; a Titan will
never lose muscle tone or develop muscle atrophy, a Swift
will never lose his coordination, and a Dynamo will never
get soft and lose her superhuman vitality. While this frees
up much time in a Mega-Physical novas daily routine, it can
also easily arouse the envy of baseline athletes (and others
whose livelihoods depend on their physical abilities) who
must strive mightily to keep themselves in peak physical
condition. Once this becomes apparent, the resulting jealousy can gradually poison any relationships they may have
with Mega-Physical novas.
Note: This also applies to the Mega-Mental and MegaSocial novas; as they will never suffer a loss of mental or
social capability due to disuse.
Ace in the Hole: Apart from those novas with obvious
physically-derived aberrations, Mega-Physical novas will
show no outward signs of having Physical Mega-Attributes

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when they arent being used. If a Mega-Physical nova makes

sure to avoid using her Physical Mega-Attributes in everyday life and/or when shes being observed by other people,
she has one heck of a hidden advantage on hand, as even
low levels of a Mega-Physical Attribute can be decisive in
combat. This isnt as difficult as it sounds; outside of combat
situations its quite feasible for a nova to get on with her life
without actively using any Physical Mega-Attributes. Due to
the risks involved in working as an elite or Utopian operative (which can be extreme for the combat elites and T2M
members), many Mega-Physical novas with the right stuff
to become elites or T2M members have instead opted
for more sensible lifestyles. As engaging in actual combat
can (usually) be avoided with ease in most lifestyles, this
makes attempting to deal with any nova through violent
means a dicey proposition. The second-rate cyberkinetic
who also happens to be a first-rate closet combat monster
will be judged as and treated by others as a just a secondrate cyberkinetic, provided that he keeps up his act. Novas
lacking in the Physical Mega-Attributes can also try to use
this as a bluff. This can make life interesting for corrupt law
enforcement officers and/or small-time thugs who would
see the nova as ostensible easy prey. The only problem
with this is that once a closet Mega-Physical nova becomes
known as such, others will take notice and modify their
plans accordingly. It is also possible for this ace to be only
partly hidden, but this diminishes the shock value. A MegaPhysical nova who only uses his Mega-Strength for lifting
heavy luggage could gain a reputation for a very low level
of enhanced strength, regardless of how strong he actually
is. A closet Mega-Physical nova who wishes to keep herself
from being outed will have to destroy any evidence of her
superhuman physical capabilities and silence any potential
witnesses, neither of which might even be possible if the
exposure is widespread enough. But if the exposure is limited to just a few records or if witness containment is still
feasible; she can prevent it handily. The question of how far
a closet Mega-Physical nova will go to prevent her exposure
will depend on what powers she has, her personal ethics
and the situation shes in.
The Brute Force Option: A nova with Mega-Physical
Attributes can take risks that other people shouldnt because
he has the added option of introducing superhuman physical force to the situation. As difficult as it can be to catch a
stealth nova, catching one who can also knock down walls
is much harder. A Mega-Social nova who happens to be
seeing multiple lovers can use Mega-Physical Attributes to
step in physically if the rivalry between said love interests is
in danger of escalating into a violent conflict. There are few
commercially-available door locks (or doors, for that matter)
that can stand up to the might of a Mega-Strong nova. Many

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potentially dicey situations are much less worrysome if a
Mega-Physical nova can use Quantum Leap or Enhanced
Movement to leave the vicinity quickly, while Catfooted or
Flexibility can let him sneak away without being noticed.
Fast Tasks is indispensible for getting things done (such as
cleaning up a crime scene) with a little forewarning. Durability, Hardbody and Resiliency all allow a nova to shrug off
what would be serious physical attacks to a baseline, while
Regeneration lets a nova quickly recover from any injuries
he may suffer without medical care. Novas with Adaptability
can be the ultimate survivalists, as they can literally live anywhere on Earth (and in many places elsewhere). Not needing
to eat, drink or sleep makes being stranded in the wilderness is a lot less daunting for these novas. Being immune
to most drugs, diseases, gases and poisons allows them to
ignore a host of natural threats, as well as making it impossible for them to get drunk or roofied at a party. Finally,
Adaptability can allow a patient nova to literally outlive his
enemies, as old age will inevitably strike most of them down
without the nova having to lift a finger.

Disadvantages
Ironically, the simplicity of the Mega-Physical novas
capabilities also lends them to being misunderstood and
exploited on a regular basis. Unfortunately, having a clear
understanding of what a Mega-Physical nova is capable of
also leads to problems.
Dumb Bricks: Similar to the Mega-Mental and MegaSocial novas, there is a tendency for players to create MegaPhysical characters that are lacking in the mental and/or
social areas of development. While such specialized characters do well enough in combat situations (which are fairly
common in most Aberrant chronicles), those novas quickly
find themselves out of their depth in situations where mental
or social capabilities are paramount. Also, it can be all too
easy for these novas to fall prey to the abilities of the psychic novas, as Caestus Pax learned to his dismay when he
faced off against ScarCrow (Aberrant: Underworld, p. 02).
Taking a few dots of Mega-Perception and/or Mega-Wits
will help a Mega-Physical nova stand her ground (hopefully)
in the mental and social arenas. Likewise, the Psychic Shield
and Invulnerability: Mental quantum powers will allow her to
hold her own against psychic assault.
That Hideous Strength: Since the Industrial Revolution,
baseline humanity has had over a centurys worth of industrial accidents, vehicular crashes and mechanized warfare
to show them just how utterly helpless and fragile they can
be in the face of mechanical might, especially when those
machines are deliberately used to harm other people. And

as those machines are the best analogue baseline humanity

knows to the Mega-Physical Attributes, it isnt at all hard to
imagine the sheer havoc that Mega-Physical novas - especially the Mega-Strong novas - could wreak if they are so
inclined. While this fearful wariness on the part of baselines
wont be present in all of a Mega-Physical novas social interactions with them, it will be a constant presence in the background of his or her social life.
Lack of Subtlety: The Mega-Physicals are without
question among the most straightforward and direct of the
Mega-Attributes. As such, they are often highly inappropriate to be used aggressively in most polite, civilized settings.
If a Titan punches out an unwelcome rival at a party, all he
has done is portray himself as a violent and unmannered
oaf. Worse, Mega-Physical novas in the First World nations
often have to be legally registered as having innate deadly
weapons, much like master martial artists. All it takes is one
blow, and a thoughtless Mega-Physical nova can all too
easily find herself being brought up on a charge of assault
with a deadly weapon.
The Mooch Factor: Throughout human history, people
have always admired the abilities of creatures that were
stronger, faster and more enduring than themselves. Unfortunately for Mega-Physical novas, humans have also seen
nothing wrong in attempting to exploit and take advantage
of such creatures for their personal gain and/or entertainment. Titans will frequently receive requests from casual
friends and neighbors to help move heavy furniture, do
major landscaping work or perform other tasks which would
ordinarily require the use of expensive machinery. Acting as
impromptu bodyguards is another task they are asked to
perform on a regular basis, especially when its a younger
relative whos asking to be protected from bullies. And when
theyre not occupied with such tasks, a Mega-Strong nova
can expect to be plied with constant requests from children
to perform strongman carnival feats and circus tricks, such
as making balloon animals out of steel pipe. Swifts dont
have it much better, as they can expect constant requests
to (literally!) run errands across a town, city or nation. Those
with the Fast Tasks enhancement quickly find themselves
favored candidates to perform household chores on the
level of Cinderella, while those with any skill at juggling or
stage magic are regularly asked to perform (free of charge,
no less) at any parties they choose to attend. The unflagging
energy of Dynamos makes them favored candidates to perform what would be exhausting physical labor for a baseline, especially if said Dynamo has no need to sleep and
eat. Mega-Physical novas are left with the choice of either
agreeing to these incessant requests and becoming a metaphorical doormat, or refusing them and being labeled as

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selfish and unfriendly. For Mega-Physical novas, real friends
who wont seek to take advantage of them in this manner
are few and far between.

Taint and Physical Mega-Attributes

Like most novas (except for some of the 2ndGen kids),
Mega-Physical novas are at risk for accumulating Taint and
developing aberrations, the majority of which will be physical in nature. Those physical aberrations that augment a
specific physical capability at the cost of either looking
freakish or losing capability in other areas are the most
widespread, while the others tend to be symptoms of a
novas inability to maintain full control over a given Physical
Mega-Attribute. About the only good thing about physical aberrations is that they are such blatantly obvious warning signs of Taint accumulation. A Mega-Physical nova who
realizes and can admit that shes been racking up too much
temporary Taint (and knows how to correct that problem)
has a decent shot at bleeding off her Taint before its too
late. Mental aberrations are the second most common variety developed by Mega-Physical novas, as hormonal imbalances and cellular abnormalities in the nervous system are
some of the root causes of many mental disorders. These
aberrations are more insidious than the physical aberrations, as they are often dismissed as tolerable quirks and
eccentricities by most people in their earliest stages. This in
turn leads to tragedy later on, as the Mega-Physical novas
psychological dysfunction becomes too obvious to be written off, often at the cost of innocent lives. Further details
on the aberrations Mega-Physical novas can develop can
be found in the individual Physical Mega-Attribute listings
in this chapter.

Mega-Strength: Titans
Ever since their earliest days as sapients, humans
have dreamt of being strong enough to move mountains,
shatter boulders and fell their enemies with a single blow.
With the coming of the novas, these dreams have become
concrete reality in the form of the titans, novas with MegaStrength. The more altruistic of these novas have used their
near-surreal physical might to save lives, transport supplies
to emergency sites and prevent damage (accidental and
otherwise) to both human habitations and the wilderness.
Others have used their superhuman strength to wage war
for a cause, country or cash; devastating whoever and
whatever is unfortunate enough to get in their way or even
just be nearby. And when titans clash, the term collateral
damage takes on entirely new levels of meaning. The ultimate consequences of the titans reign on Earth have yet
to be seen.

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Herculean Might...
There is a saying that to a man with a hammer, many
problems look like nails. This isnt too far off base where
titans are concerned, as a judicious application of MegaStrength can remedy many major problems and a host of
minor ones that crop up in ordinary life. Having ones car
break down isnt nearly as much of a hassle when you can
just lug it to an auto repair shop on your shoulder. Moving
furniture is a snap for people who can lift several metric
tons without breaking a sweat. Being trapped in a cave-in
is much less of a danger when one can punch through solid
stone as if it were a sandcastle wall. Titans can do landscaping without needing heavy machinery like backhoes,
nor do they require tools to take out part of an inconvenient interior wall in a house. There is no such thing as a
locked door (or a stuck jar lid) for a titan. And of course,
any mugger or rapist foolhardy enough to assault a titan
deserves the savage beating he will surely receive. MegaStrength provides certain social benefits as well. Humans
fortunate enough to have greater physical strength than
their fellows have always been desired as potential mates,
respected as possible allies and feared as future enemies.
Titans know this full well, as their Mega-Strength still causes
these reactions, only to a degree unmatched in human history. Male Mega-Strong novas are often sought after for
romance, while titans of both genders are respected and
feared for the possible damage they can inflict or prevent,
depending on their personal inclinations. Few baselines are
dumb enough to give a titan unprovoked grief, especially
after seeing her twist high-grade carbon steel as if it were
soft taffy.

...In A World Of Glass

The main drawback of having Mega-Strength is that
for a titan, nearly everything and everyone else in the world
is exceedingly fragile. Baseline humans, many novas and
99% of the artifacts of Nova Age civilization are simply not
designed to handle the massive amounts of punishment
that a titan can inflict on them, and thats without taking
already fragile humans (by baseline standards) such as small
children and the elderly into account. Its all too easy for a
Mega-Strong nova to misjudge his own strength, especially
in the first few months after an eruption. Keys, handles,
doors and even walls are all easily breakable in a titans
hands. Titans can also misjudge the weight of the things
they can casually lift, treating them as much lighter objects
than they actually are and breaking anything theyre placed
on that cant support the weight. Even normally harmless
acts like sneezing can shatter glass or knock someone off
his feet when backed up by Mega-Strength. Inadvertent
actions are even worse, as they can cause a titan to seri-

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ously harm or damage the people and/or things that are
precious to him. Playing contact sports like rugby or roughhousing with baselines is out of the question for most titans,
as their opponents are all too likely to end up in hospital or
the morgue as a result. Titans who are prone to nightmares
make a point of sleeping alone, as their nighttime thrashing can easily maim or kill their bedmate along with wrecking the bed. Speaking of bedmates, the prospect of having
sex with a titan is exceedingly dangerous for baselines and
many novas. By definition, sexual activity involves multiple
instances of involuntary muscle contractions and spasms,
if its done right. A titans baseline lover could easily wind
up injured, permanently maimed or dead thanks to the
combination of Mega-Strength and throes of passion. For
these reasons, titans quickly learn to either achieve enough
control over their Mega-Strength to prevent such mishaps
(in game terms, they develop the Kid Gloves enhancement
from the Aberrant Compendium), or to constantly maintain
a safe distance from anyone and anything they care about.
Titans who take the latter option will maintain this distancing for the best of reasons, but it is still physical isolation
and will take its toll on the titans psyche.
Another drawback is derived from the quantum nature
of Mega-Strength. As titans unconsciously emit fields of
quantum energy to keep the objects theyre moving about
intact and (apparently) defy the laws of physics, they can
easily make mistakes if theyre still thinking of their MegaStrength as just simple (if radically magnified) muscle power.
As this cohesion field vanishes when the nova stops using
her Mega-Strength, the laws of physics will reassert themselves on the affected object, possibly with a vengeance.
A titan who uproots a whole mountain had best be very
careful where and how she sets it down, or else shes going
to wind up with a huge pile of rubble. Likewise, a titan manhandling a car can easily wreck it by placing all of its weight
on just one wheel. Moving buried objects with MegaStrength can also be hazardous, especially if the titan lacks
Mega-Perception and has no way of telling how large the
buried object is, or whats around it. Due to the cohesion
field, a titan who pulls up a troublesome root out from his
garden can easily end up uprooting an entire tree. Buried
rocks can be just as problematic, especially if theyve got
things like water mains, electrical lines and houses above
them.
Mega-Strong novas also face an array of social problems. First is the ever-present fear that baselines and many
novas have of the destruction a titan could unleash at any
time. Even other titans can feel this dread about titans who
are stronger than they are. Being able to personally deadlift
a metric ton does not make the titans who can juggle tanks
any less frightening. A related problem is the misperception
that a titan will always be tough enough to handle the level

of damage that he can dish out. While most titans do take

some dots of the Armor and/or Invulnerability quantum
powers, there will be exceptions who dont. That becomes
a problem when police shoot such a titan as a warning,
or if Caestus Pax gives them a friendly slap on the back,
thinking that he can shrug it off with a smile. Then theres
the stereotype of strength and stupidity as conjoined twins
for titans to deal with. Most people dont associate mental
acuity with physical strength, leading people to incorrectly
assume that many titans arent terribly bright. While there
are tactical advantages to be had from playing dumb,
titans quickly find themselves tiring of other peoples
requests to carry luggage, their poorly-concealed lack of
intellectual respect and their tendency to blame the dumb
strongman when something is accidentally broken. Then
theres the expectation on the part of baseline children (and
immature adults) for titans to entertain them with carnivalstyle feats of strength. After the twentieth request to make
a balloon animal out of steel pipe, a titan can easily sour on
baseline kids completely. Finally, theres the ever-present
temptation for titans to give in to their aggressive impulses
and demolish anyone or anything thats annoying them.
While most titans are disciplined enough to control these
impulses, some others are not. And with sufficient provocation, even the most self-controlled titans resolve can slip...

Extrapolation of Mega-Strength
beyond 5 dots
- Godlike: Diamond, carbon steel, titanium,
depleted uranium - all of those materials might as well be
tinfoil in your hands. You deadlift 200,000 kg (200 metric
tons) and gain [30] automatic successes to Strength/Might
rolls and close combat damage dice pools. You can carry an
additional 1,500 kilograms without encumbrance.
- Godlike: Your punches hit with the force of a
meteorite strike. You deadlift 400,000 kg (400 metric tons)
and gain [35] automatic successes to Strength/Might rolls
and close combat damage dice pools. You can carry an
additional 2,500 kilograms without encumbrance.
- Godlike: You can catch & hold missiles at
full thrust. You deadlift 800,000 kg (800 metric tons) and
gain [40] automatic successes to Strength/Might rolls and
close combat damage dice pools. You can carry an additional 3,500 kilograms without encumbrance.
- Godlike: You can use battleships for barbells. You deadlift 1,600,000 kg (1,600 metric tons) and
gain [45] automatic successes to Strength/Might rolls and
close combat damage dice pools. You can carry an additional 4,500 kilograms without encumbrance.
- Cosmic: Your physical might scares other
novas. You deadlift 3,200,000 kg (3,200 metric tons) and

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gain [50] automatic successes to Strength/Might rolls and
close combat damage dice pools. You can carry an additional 5,500 kilograms without encumbrance.

Roleplaying Mega-Strength
If youre planning to play a Mega-Strong character,
take some time to think over how having such phenomenal strength will affect your characters outlook both on his
world and the people around him. While it shouldnt constantly be in the forefront of his thoughts, the knowledge
that the character can shift one or more metric tons with
his bare hands will be present in both the way he relates to
the world around him and in the way other people relate
to him.
First off, the ease with which Mega-Strength can solve
many everyday problems - and the consequent instant
gratification - can lead a titan to lose a great deal of his
patience in general. When a quick application of superhuman strength is all thats needed to deal with what baselines
consider to be major hassles, the temptation to use MegaStrength as a one size fits all quick fix can be very great.
If a titan gives in and uses Mega-Strength in inappropriate circumstances, he can expect a whole slew of negative
consequences, ranging from social disgrace and ostracism
to civil lawsuits and criminal charges. A related problem is
titans coming to see baselines and non-titan novas as weaklings. Unless a titan takes pains to remember what life as
one of the puny humans was like, it can be all too easy
for him to lose sympathy for those who cant achieve what
hes capable of. Most Mega-Strong novas are also forced
to take extreme care when handling the highly fragile (by
Mega-Strong standards) artifacts of everyday life, which in
turn leads to considerable stress and frustration. This only
gets worse when titans have to exercise the same constant
self-restraint around the people they care for. Nearly all
humans are social creatures who derive real benefits from
being able to touch one another, so its only to be expected
that a titan will suffer if he cant even touch his friends and
family for fear of harming them. If said friends and loved
ones are also fearful of the his potential to harm them and
shy away from him, the titan may effectively find himself
more or less disowned on account of his Mega-Strength.
Add in the difficulties of acquiring new friends and lovers
when most people have preconceptions of Mega-Strong
novas as stupid and/or violent, and a titans social life can
be very bleak indeed.
All of this culminates in the majority of titans experiencing intense frustration from having to live in a world where
nearly everyone and everything around them simply isnt

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designed to handle their might. How will a titan react to

not being able to return the embraces of her husband and
children, assuming they dont shy away from her to begin
with? Will a titan give in to the lure of a Mega-Strong quick
fix, which could literally end up wrecking the lives of himself
and/or the people around him, or will he be cool-headed
enough to look at the problem rationally? Can a titan dismiss the views that baselines have of her as a dullard or
violence-prone thug as ignorance-driven stereotyping, or
will she consider them as insults to be accounted for? How
these frustrations are resolved - or not - will define much
of a titans life and role in the years to come. In the final
analysis, Mega-Strength is just another tool, if one more
powerful than most. The questions of whether this tool will
be used responsibly or not, and for what purposes, is up to
the individual titan. The consequences of the titans choices
will speak for themselves.

New Mega-Strength
Enhancements
Additional enhancements that characters with MegaStrength may learn or purchase include:

Bellow
Novas with this enhancement have learned how to use
their Mega-Strong diaphragmic and vocal muscles to produce very loud noises. A few of these novas have developed enough control over their vocalizations to actually
speak intelligibly at high-decibel volumes.
System: The nova simply makes some sort of inhumanly loud vocalization, which can be heard for up to a
radius of (the novas Mega-Strength) kilometers around
him. The sound will be loud enough to rattle windows and
doors and shake any loose objects within hearing range,
but will have no real game effect aside from allowing the
nova to use Intimidation on anyone within hearing range.
This doesnt require a Strength roll, and costs 1 quantum point to activate for a scene. The downside of this
enhancement is that no matter how it is used, it has all the
subtlety of an erupting volcano. Other beings will automatically have their difficulties lowered by (the novas MegaStrength) on all Perception rolls made to hear the novas
ultra-loud voice. It is possible to purchase a second level of
this enhancement, which allows the nova to speak perfectly
well at ridiculously loud volumes. Its impossible to use the
Voice enhancement with Bellow, as the subtle harmonics
that the Voice depends on are drowned out by the sheer
volume of the novas speech.

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Breakthrough
While most barriers to be found on Aberrant-era
Earth dont tend to stand up very well against the assaults
of a Mega-Strong nova, they might as well be balsawood
where a nova with this enhancement is concerned. Some
such novas are even rumored to have used this with powers
of high-speed flight to effectively become human bullets,
capable of penetrating mountains and possibly even the
Earth itself.
System: Whenever the nova is attempting to deliberately smash through an extremely large target (usually a
mountain, very large spacecraft, asteroid, moon or planet),
the effective Soak value of the target is reduced by 4 points
per dot of Mega-Strength possessed by the nova. If a targets effective Soak is reduced to zero in this manner, then
the nova can penetrate any thickness of it at her accustomed
speed if her Mega-Strength permits her to utterly destroy
1 cubic meter of the target substance with a Mega-Strong
blow. Details on material strengths can be found on p. 257
of the Aberrant core book. If the nova is also capable of covering large distances in a short amount of time (namely via
the Flight power), she could easily fly into a planetary body
on one side and come out the other. Please note that unless
the nova also has a high degree of damage resistance (from
powers such as Armor or certain forms of Invulnerability),
going through an Earthlike planet is an excellent way to get
oneself burnt into cinders in short order. This enhancement
also doesnt inflict any additional damage on the target in
question. In the case of astronomical bodies such as planets
or moons, the Storyteller is within his rights to declare that
any damage the nova inflicts is negligible for all practical
purposes. (Its a lot like sticking a thin needle through a large
block of firm cheese- the target is punctured, but not shattered.) Novas using Breakthrough are therefore incapable
of creating earthquakes or active volcanoes when flying
through astronomical bodies. Breakthrough is also ineffective when used against extremely large living targets. This
enhancement is permanent and has no quantum cost.

Burrow
While Mega-Strong novas are best known for feats such
as moving mountains and leaping over tall buildings in a
single bound, others have learned how to burrow their way
underground at impressive rates of speed. While its not
as glamorous as crushing coal into diamond or demolishing a Main Battle Tank with a single punch, the ability to
dig through solid stone with ones bare hands shouldnt be
underestimated.
System: A nova with this enhancement can move
roughly (3 x Mega-Strength) cubic meters of loose earth,
sand, and other soft materials per turn with her bare hands.

When digging through stone, concrete and other dense

materials, the Burrowing nova can move (Mega-Strength)
cubic meters of it per turn. When this enhancement is used
as a mode of travel, the Burrowing nova may tunnel at (3 x
Mega-Strength) meters per turn through soft materials, and
at (Mega-Strength) meters per turn through dense materials. Most tunnels created by means of this enhancement
are unstable, and will collapse immediately about a meter
behind the Burrowing nova. If the Burrowing nova desires to
create a somewhat more permanent tunnel, she may spend
1 quantum point to stabilize a tunnel for (Mega-Strength
x2) turns. Please note that stabilized tunnels can only
be created while digging through dense materials such as
stone. It should also be noted that a Burrowing nova faces
the same risk of suffocation as anyone else when underground (Aberrant core book, p. 257), usually as a result of
oxygen depletion or encountering subterranean pockets of
dangerous gases such as methane. For this reason, most
Burrowing novas will also have a few dots of Mega-Stamina
and the Adaptability enhancement. This enhancement is
fully compatible with the Enhanced Movement Mega-Dexterity enhancement. Using Burrow costs 1 quantum point
per turn.

Compression
This enhancement allows a nova to focus all of his
strength on a single object. As shown many times on N!,
a nova with Compression really can crush a handful of coal
into diamond or steel into molten metal.
System: The nova picks up a handful of a substance
that he can completely surround with his hands, spends
1 quantum point and takes an action. If the objects soak
+ structural health levels is less than the novas Strengthbased damage (including automatic successes from MegaStrength), then the object is destroyed beyond recognition
and replaced with or transformed into whatever the Storyteller feels is appropriate. Common feats that novas with
Compression are capable of include turning coal into diamond, solid iron into molten iron, rock into magma, and
sand into glass. If the nova also has artistic skills he can use
this enhancement to sculpt the compressed material,
creating objects like cut industrial-grade diamonds or glass
figurines. Direct physical contact with freshly-compressed
material does (Mega-Strength) levels of lethal damage
from the heat, with the effect dropping by 1 level every
(Mega-Strength) minutes as the material slowly cools off.
Getting within (Mega-Strength x 30) centimeters of a superhot object does (Mega-Strength) dice of lethal damage
(reduced by one level for every 30 centimeters of distance
from the super-hot object). Molten objects created in this
manner can be thrown normally (like a slush ball). Novas

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hoping to use this enhancement to get rich by selling precious stones dont have it quite so easy, however. In order
to create anything better than an industrial-grade stone, the
nova must roll Strength + Might without the benefit of the
automatic successes normally provided by Mega-Strength.
The number of successes achieved will indicate the gem
quality of the resulting uncut stone. Scoring only 1 or 2
successes will just result in the creation of industrial-grade
stone. 3 successes indicates that the created stone will be
of the lowest grade of gem quality. 4 successes indicates a
stone of average gem quality, while five or more indicates a
stone of the highest gem quality. In addition to everything
else a nova with this enhancement has a +3 dice bonus on
Strength rolls related to gripping strength, and functions
as though he had one additional dot of Mega-Strength in
handshake contests and the like.

Constrictor
A nova with this enhancement has learned how to
apply crushing pressure to a victim hes grappled, in much
the same manner that a boa constrictor squeezes its prey to
death or a bear attacks with a hug.
System: In order to use this enhancement the nova first
must succeed in making a Brawl attack on his target and
getting him in a clinch (Aberrant core book, p. 244). The
nova then spends 1 quantum point. For each action that he
has his victim in the clinch, he can automatically roll Strength
+ Brawl +2 to inflict Bashing damage via constricting the
victim. The victim of the Constrictor novas attack cannot
make any attack that depends on having his arms free, but
may soak as normal. The twist is that the Constrictor nova
must make a Strength + Brawl roll vs. the victims Strength
+ Brawl (as a free action) per action, with any automatic
successes from the victims Mega-Strength applying to the
roll. If the nova wins, he can keep constricting the victim; if
the victim wins, he manages to writhe free. The Flexibility
enhancement and powers such as Density Decrease, Teleport, and certain forms of Bodymorph will automatically
allow a victim to escape from a Constrictor novas attack.
The Constrictor nova also suffers a difficulty penalty of +2 on
all attempts to dodge while consticting a victim. The effects
of enhancements such as Iron Grip are fully cumulative with
this, but enhancements such as Quickness cannot be used
with Constrictor.

High-Gravity Performance
While Mega-Strong novas tend to grow very comfortable with their might on Earth, they often find the experience of having to function in environments with higher
gravities than that of Earth to be quite humbling. That isnt
the case for novas with this enhancement, as theyve learned

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the trick of tapping into those stronger gravity fields in order

to compensate for their reduced effective strength. A few
researchers of nova powers claim that sufficiently-powerful
novas could use this to survive in environments with extreme
levels of high gravity, but that idea tends to be dismissed as
unfounded speculation in 2015.
System: This enhancement allows the nova to function
normally in environments with gravities that are much higher
than that of Earth. In game terms, the nova can treat gravities that are up to (the novas Mega-Strength Automatic Successes x 2) times stronger than Earths as Earth-normal
gravity for all practical purposes. If a nova with High-Gravity
Performance has both Quantum and Mega-Strength ratings
of 6 or more he can buy a second level of this enhancement,
which will allow it to function in regions with far higher gravities than a mere 50 Gs. Provided that the novas Quantum
and Mega-Strength ratings increase in tandem, he will be
able to function in regions of ever-more extreme gravity.
Otherwise, the nova is limited to whichever rating is lower. A
Quantum and Mega-Strength rating of 6 will allow the nova
to function in stellar cores, while a rating of 7 will make the
nova capable of functioning on the surface of a neutron star.
At a rating of 8, the nova can withstand the gravity of stellarmass black holes. A rating of 9 will allow the nova to shrug
off the gravity of supermassive black holes, such as the one
that lies at the core of our own Milky Way galaxy. A rating
of 10 will allow the nova to withstand any greater levels of
extreme high gravity that he may encounter, from galacticmass black holes to a Big Crunch-style universal collapse.
This enhancement is automatic, and has no quantum
point cost.

Punishing Strike
The description hits like a runaway train is all too
appropriate for the nova with this enhancement. The nova
can perform strikes with enhanced momentum and nearly
no wasted energy, ultimately creating blows that simply hurt
more.
System: Normally, the lowest that a targets soak rating
can reduce a damage pool is to 1 die. Punishing Strike
increases the minimum damage pool of a hand-to-hand
attack to 2 dice. This enhancement costs 1 quantum point
per attack and can be invoked multiple times in a round.
If the Puny Human rule (Aberrant core book, p.240) is
being used, then the lowest that the novas damage pool
can be reduced to is 1 die.

Stunning Blow
When most Mega-Strong novas lash out physically at
someone, most of the unlucky people at the receiving end
are at serious risk of sustaining severe and possibly crippling

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injury, if not dying right then and there. So it isnt all that surprising that some Mega-Strong novas have learned how to
soften their blows to the point that they can knock a person
unconscious without even leaving him with a bruise.
System: Whenever the nova with this enhancement
makes an attack with the Brawl, Martial Arts, or Melee
Abilities, she can attempt to knock out her target instead of
causing him any actual harm. The damage inflicted by the
nova with Stunning Blow is calculated normally, but is only
valid for the purpose of rendering the target either dazed or
unconscious (Aberrant core book, p. 249). If the damage
inflicted by the nova in a single Stunning Blow attack
exceeds the targets Stamina rating by one, the target is
dazed. If the damage exceeds the targets Stamina rating
by two or more, the target is rendered unconscious. Novas
with Mega-Stamina automatically add (their Mega-Stamina
x 2) to their Stamina ratings. Also, the target may also spend
temporary Willpower points to increase his Stamina rating
on a 1:1 basis. This enhancement can be switched on or off
as an automatic action, and costs no quantum points to use.

Unbound
In response to the sheer physical might exhibited by
Mega-Strong novas, various devices have been invented
that can restrain these quantum-powered bruisers with relative ease. It was inevitable that a further countermeasure
would be developed. A nova with this enhancement is much
harder to imprison than other Mega-Strong novas. Somehow he just feels any restraint coming and resists it as it is
being formed.
System: When seized by any effect or device intended
to imprison, hold or restrain her physically, the Unbound
nova may immediately attempt to use her Mega-Strength to
free herself without using an action. Treat this as an attempt
to break out of the restraining effect using whatever mechanics already exist (see Immobilize, Telekinesis, etc). If the
Unbound nova is successful, then the restraining effect or
device is shrugged off and treated as never having been successfully completed. Restraining effects specifically include
but are not limited to Telekinesis, Immobilize, and/or MegaStrength grapples. This enhancement is also effective against
restraining devices such as Klot, nova restraints and Smartwebs. (Stats for these devices can be found in Aberrant: The
Directive and Aberrant: Elites.) This enhancement cant be
used to break free from a restraint after it has gotten a hold
of the Unbound nova, and it doesnt help against a restraint
that she couldnt normally break free from. This enhancement can work with Irresistable Force. This enhancement has
no quantum cost but is only active if the nova could attempt
to break out with her next action (so if she is unconscious or
willing to be handcuffed then it doesnt activate).

Unbreakable
By and large, Mega-Strong novas arent terribly keen on
the melee weapons used by baseline combatants. Instead
of using traditional bladed or blunt weapons that will likely
break under the stress of a Mega-Strong blow, they tend
to go for more durable weapons such as lampposts, trees
and ground vehicles. A nova with this enhancement doesnt
have that problem, as shes able to use any melee weapon
she cares to with her full superhuman strength without risk
of breaking it. Researchers into nova powers have claimed
that this is due to the nova unconsciously emitting quantum
energies to strengthen the weapon, similar to the process
which allows a Mega-Strong nova to pick up a ship without
having it break apart.
System: A nova with this enhancement can use any
melee weapon she cares to with the full force of her MegaStrength, without any risk of breaking the weapon. In game
terms, the nova can ignore the Strength Maximum rating
for any melee weapon she uses (see Aberrant core book,
p.274). Please note that this enhancement does not do anything to protect the melee weapon against the quantum
powers of other novas. Its also possible to take a second
level of this enhancement, which allows the nova to use
any item, no matter how fragile it would ordinarily be, as a
melee weapon with her full Mega-Strength. This enhancement is considered to be always on, and has no quantum
point cost.

Mega-Strength Aberrations
The majority of aberrations involving Mega-Strength
are either physical mutations linked to the novas superhuman might or an inability to control that superhuman might
to some degree. Mental aberrations developed by MegaStrong novas mostly tend to be an inability to control their
anger and aggressive instincts, although a few can become
phobic.
Common aberrations from Aberrant and the Aberrant
Players Guide for Mega-Strong novas include Bad Temper,
Bulging Muscles, Colored Skin, Disturbing Voice, Hairless,
Hardened Skin, Hormonal Imbalance (Rage), Phobia, and
Sloughed Flesh.

Low-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to
five points of Permanent Taint.
Dunamikophobia: A nova with this aberration develops a morbid and irrational fear of breaking anything or
hurting anyone he touches. This phobia is so strong that the
nova must make a Willpower roll to use his Mega-Strength
in any non-combat or non-destructive situation, for fear of

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damaging the target. The Willpower roll to resist this phobia
is penalized by the novas Taint.
Enlarged Hands/Feet: Either the hands or the feet of
a nova with this aberration are noticeably larger than those
of normal humans. While this causes the nova some difficulties with operating devices scaled to baseline hands, it
also makes her stand out from the crowd. Novas with this
aberration will also have difficulty obtaining either gloves or
footwear (as appropriate) that will fit them, and may require
such items to be custom-made.
Fingerprints: Baseline humans tend to leave fingerprints on everything they touch. A nova with this aberration
tends to leave her fingerprints embedded in everything she
touches. This can have serious consequences if the nova is
involved in activities that tend to be investigated by people
with training in forensics. This effect quickly fades on substances as soft as human flesh, although it does make her
touch feel oddly forceful.
Impotence: In a manner similar to the condition of
baseline steroid abusers, a Mega-Strong nova with this aberration becomes incapable of normal sexual function. Male
novas will suffer from erectile dysfunction, while females
will simply become physically incapable. Unlike the Sexless
aberration, this aberration does not decrease the novas
sex drive or intellectual desire for sexual activity, leading to
much personal frustration. When an Impotent novas permanent Taint reaches 6, the nova will effectively either become
a eunuch if male, or suffer from vaginimisus if female. Note
that developing this aberration does not automatically indicate that an Impotent nova is sterile, as he or she can still
reproduce with the aid of certain medical procedures.
Malformed Muscles: Everyone is used to how a
baseline humans muscles look. For example, if a baselines
muscles arent particularly developed, then his arm will be
smooth. If a baselines muscles are well-developed, then
theres solid bulges in the middle of the forearm and upper
arm. A nova with this aberration is an exception to all that,
as something about his muscular structure is obviously different. Perhaps the novas muscles have visible ridges that
slide beneath his skin, or have indentations and lines that
baseline human muscles dont. The novas entire muscular system might even be arranged in a slightly different
manner than those of baseline humans. Despite their odd
appearance, the muscles of a nova with this aberration work
just as well as those of other Mega-Strong novas. As the
nova accumulates higher levels of Taint, his musculature
will become even more altered from the baseline norm. At
this point, the possibilities include alterations such as the
novas muscles becoming blocky and angular, or becoming
bunched up at the novas joints.
Muscular Strain: Whenever the nova uses his MegaStrength, he must make a Stamina roll with a difficulty pen-

198

alty equal to (the novas Mega-Strength -1). If the nova fails

the Stamina roll, he will suffer ugly discolorations in his skin
caused by harmless capillary bursting. Botching the Stamina
roll will result in the nova taking 1 unsoakable level of Bashing damage, which can only be healed with the novas base
Stamina. Mega-Stamina and its associated enhancements
will be useless for either soaking or healing this damage.
This aberration will become more dangerous to the nova as
his permanent Taint accumulates. Once the novas permanent Taint reaches 6, failing the Stamina roll will result in the
nova taking 1 unsoakable level of Bashing damage. Botching the Stamina roll will result in the nova taking 1 unsoakable level of Lethal damage due to internal bleeding. Once
the novas permanent Taint reaches 8, the Stamina roll will
have a difficulty penalty equal to his Mega-Strength. Failing the Stamina roll will result in the nova taking (the novas
Mega-Strength) levels of unsoakable Bashing damage.
Botching the Stamina roll will result in the nova taking 2
unsoakable levels of Lethal damage.
Neckless: Due to increased thickness of the muscles
of the upper torso, a nova with this aberration has no apparent neck. This condition doesnt really hamper the nova in
any way, except for making him look somewhat thuggish.
Male Neckless novas may also encounter problems with
formal business attire, specifically with wearing neckties.
Samson Syndrome: In the Torah, the Jewish strongman Samson was renowned for his superhuman strength.
But that blessing came with a catch: if the hair on his head
was ever cut, Samsons incredible strength would be almost
lost. A Mega-Strong nova has developed a similar problem due to Taint accumulation, as her ability to use MegaStrength has become dependent on her adherence to or
avoidance of a completely unrelated and otherwise trivial
condition. Much like the Dumbo Syndrome (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 95), the effect of this aberration is completely
psychosomatic. If the nova cannot meet the condition (specified by the Storyteller), the nova nearly loses her MegaStrength entirely until she can meet that condition once
more. Theres another way out of this bind, but its a risky
one. If a nova with Samson Syndrome finds herself in dire
circumstances (in the Storytellers opinion), she can make a
Willpower roll with a difficulty penalty equal to her Taintderived penalty on social interactions with baselines. If the
nova gets two successes, she can use her Mega-Strength at
the cost of taking a number of unsoakable levels of Lethal
damage equal to her Taint. Assuming that the nova does
not die as a result of such a desperate gambit, this will break
the psychological block that this aberration represents. The
nova will then lose this aberration permanently, but at the
cost of gaining a different low-level aberration to replace it.
Sweathog: Whenever a nova with this aberration uses
her Mega-Strength, her sweat glands will inevitably become

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active. This wouldnt be much of a problem, except that
the novas sweat glands will produce a substance with an
extremely unpleasant scent. In most cases the scent in question will take the form of superhumanly-offensive body odor,
but other unpleasant scents (such as that of brimstone, for
example) are also possible. This will cause the novas Taintderived penalty on social interactions with baselines to
apply to anyone who gets a whiff of her, until she can take
a shower or otherwise cleanse herself. Also, the novas skin
will become noticeably flushed.

Medium-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to
seven points of Permanent Taint.
Cramps: By definition, Mega-Strong novas have muscles that can produce far more physical force than those of
baselines. This becomes a problem in the case of a nova
with this aberration, as his muscles can also lock into place
or become strained to degrees impossible for baselines to
experience. Novas with this aberration often get their muscles locked in such a way so that it takes hours or even days
to loosen them up. Sometimes special medical treatment is
required to loosen their muscles at all, including such treatments as long ice baths and muscle-relaxant drugs. Whenever a nova with Cramps uses his Mega-Strength in a way
that causes him serious muscular strain (Storytellers discretion), he must make a Willpower roll (modified by the novas
permanent Taint). Success on the roll means that nothing
happens. Failing the roll means than the nova suffers a muscular cramp, which inflicts a difficulty penalty of +3 (due to
the pain) on all of his rolls for 1d10 hours. Botching the roll
means that the nova suffers a severe muscular cramp, inflicting a difficulty penalty of +5 (due to the extreme pain) on all
of his rolls for (1d10 x the novas permanent Taint) days. If
the nova receives effective medical attention, this duration
is reduced to a matter of hours instead of days. Also, if the
nova has some special resistance to pain (such as provided
by Mega-Stamina), the difficulty penalty will only affect rolls
for physical actions involving the cramped muscle.
Crushing Grip: Whenever a nova with this aberration tries to pick up, shake, touch, or otherwise manipulate
something with his hands, the attempt is treated as a Brawl
attack using 1 dot of Mega-Strength. For instance, normal
pens will break when the nova tries to write with them.
He will also constantly find himself inadvertently breaking normal buttons (both on garments and technological
devices), shattering glassware and dinnerware, breaking all
but the sturdiest furniture, and so on. The nova can keep
himself from breaking things for a scene by making a Willpower roll (modified by his permanent Taint) and focusing
on his fine motor control.

Footprints: A Mega-Strong nova with this aberration

leaves very noticeable imprints of her feet on all but the
most resilient surfaces. In game terms, if the Soak rating of
the walking surface is less than the automatic successes provided by the novas Mega-Strength, then she will leave footprints on it. This will also cause gradual damage over time,
creating weak points in the walking surface. If the walking
surface is particularly weak (relative to the novas MegaStrength), the nova might even cause the walking surface to
break right as she steps on it (or lands on it after performing a leap). Rules for material strengths can be found in the
Aberrant core book, p. 257. This causes the nova with this
aberration two serious problems. First, whenever the nova
walks, runs, or sprints, she will leave a trail that even the
most unskilled tracker could follow. In game terms, anyone
attempting to track the nova gains +1 automatic success
on the appropriate roll. Second, unless the nova is treading
on a soft surface (such as freshly-tilled soil or loose sand),
the loud noise of her footsteps will cause the nova to automatically fail any and all Stealth rolls. Novas with this aberration also cannot have any Mega-Dexterity enhancements
that depend on being stealthy or stepping lightly. These
include Catfooted, Feather Foot, Ghostly Movement and
and forms of Silent Running that affect running or leaping.
Note: The question of whether or not this aberration
affects wall-crawling has been left to the Storytellers discretion.
Hunchback: Either through spinal deformity or
overdevelopment of the shoulders, the nova has become
a hunchback. While this aberration provides some slight
advantage in terms of increased muscular efficiency, the
impairments to the novas field of vision and appearance
render any such benefit negligible. In game terms, the nova
effectively loses 1 dot of her base Appearance, as most
people do not consider hunchbacks attractive. This doesnt
apply if the Hunchbacked novas Appearance is defined as
Ugliness, of course. Also, any flank attacks made against a
Hunchbacked nova are considered to be rear attacks, while
rear attacks made against her will gain 4 additional dice for
accuracy. The latter problem can be temporarily negated by
use of the Ultraperipheral Perception enhancement.
Muscular Atrophy: According to researchers of quantum powers, a Mega-Strong novas physical might is actually derived from his quantum field and not from his muscle
tissue. A nova with this aberration is walking proof of this
theory. Although the nova is just as strong as other MegaStrong novas at his level, his body has almost no striated
muscle tissue. As a result, novas with Muscular Atrophy have
the same starvation victim appearance as severe anorexics and long-term concentration camp inmates. The novas
cheeks are sunken and hollow, his joints are protruding
knobs, and his bones are outlined by his skin. The nova will

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also find that buying clothesmuch less looking good in
themis now something of a challenge. In game terms, the
novas Appearance will be effectively lowered to 1 dot for
purposes of being attractive to most other people. (The only
exception to this are those people with a fetish for anorexics, who are turned on by this look.) Also, novas who are
Ugly or Mega-Ugly dont suffer any penalty for their Appearance rolls if they develop this aberration.
Oversized Limbs: One or more of the novas limbs
has simply grown too large in proportion to the rest of her
body mass. In almost all cases this aberration will affect one
or both of the novas arms. At minimum, the novas arm will
grow to the same proportions as that of a gorilla. Beyond
that, the proportions that the novas arms can assume are
more reminiscent of construction vehicles or mecha from
certain anime series. Its possible for a nova with this aberration to develop overly-large legs, but that tends to be rare
in the extreme. In addition to having her balance hampered,
a nova with Oversized Limbs suffers a penalty on all of his
Dexterity rolls equal to her Taint-derived penalty on Social
rolls for interacting with baselines.

High-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight
or more points of Permanent Taint.
Bull in a China Shop: A nova with this aberration does
not have full control over his Mega-Strength. He can use
his Mega-Strength normally, but it will also activate on its
own under stressful conditions or any other trigger that
the Storyteller deems appropriate. An uncontrolled use of
the novas Mega-Strength will be made as a normal close
combat attack, with the novas permanent Taint adding 1
automatic success per dot to the automatic successes that
Mega-Strength normally provides to close combat damage
dice pools. The nova therefore becomes a hazard to all lives
and property that may come within his reach.
Collateral Damage: A nova with this aberration
creates either atmospheric or seismic disturbances in her
immediate vicinity whenever she uses her Mega-Strength. If
the nova strikes something, she also creates an atmospheric
pressure wave identical to that caused by the Thunderclap
enhancement. Other uses of Mega-Strength (such as lifting
something) will result in the nova creating a seismic disturbance identical to that caused by the Shockwave enhancement. This aberration wont cost the Mega-Strong nova an
action or delay her in any way, but she will automatically lose
one quantum point to power the Thunderclap or Shockwave
effect. In addition to possibly inflicting serious damage on
anything and everything around her, the Mega-Strong nova
can also be easily detected by either audio sensors or seismographs whenever she uses her Mega-Strength.

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Mega-Dexterity: Swifts
Humanitys admiration for those blessed with great agility and swiftness has been documented in cultures worldwide. With the dawning of the Nova Age, this has only
become more pronounced due to the swifts, novas with
Mega-Dexterity. With physical agility and speed that no
baseline athlete - ancient or modern - could hope to match,
the swifts have understandably taken over the spotlight, and
are celebrated as much as any 20th Century athletes were.
Many swifts have made honored names for themselves as
pilots, stunt drivers, stage magicians, horsemen and rodeo
stars; in addition to the expected master martial artists, athletes, archers and gunmen. Unfortunately, just as many swifts
use their Mega-Dexterity in order to enrich themselves or to
further their beliefs, regardless of whoever else gets hurt in
the process. How the historical record will remember the
swifts is anyones guess.

Olympian Prowess
The physical advantages of the swifts are fairly wellknown, although they can still surprise those who havent
examined the potential of Mega-Dexterity. As the name
implies, one of the main perks of being a swift is their
enhanced speed. With even the least of them being capable of dodging bullets without needing cover or hitting the
ground, its all too easy to see that with a swift involved in
combat, speed can and does kill. It also makes household
chores somewhat less tiresome, although not as much as
many baselines and non-swift novas would think. A swifts
agility allows him to perform acrobatic feats on the level of
professional gymnasts and circus performers, and with training he can perform such feats that they would never dare
attempt. The same holds true for swifts stealth capabilities,
as even those untrained in stealthy movement can elude
most baselines. With sufficient training, swifts can elude
the most skilled baseline trackers and ambush professional
guards with ridiculous ease.
What was less apparent in the first few years after the
first N-Day was the social impact of Mega-Dexterity. The
vast majority of baseline humanity has always (mis)perceived
the capabilities of a human with exceptional strength or
stamina as inborn qualities of that person instead of potential that is actualized by learned skills, despite the evidence
to the contrary provided by professional strongmen, furniture movers and endurance runners. Such people can often
be seen as impressive - few people would want to get on
a strongmans bad side - but they are not commonly seen
as having any real skills, and are generally approached to
perform certain menial tasks. In contrast, the capabilities of
gymnasts, martial artists and others who rely on their physical agility and speed are always seen by baselines as actual

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skills that were mastered through rigorous training, which
baselines often find to be genuinely inspiring. As a result,
the Mega-Dexterous swifts are seen by the majority of
people as being superhumanly skilled instead of merely
superhuman. Make no mistake, baseline humans can still
be and are impressed by watching titans lift entire buildings
and punch through walls, or seeing a dynamo shrug off massive amounts of damage and remain active for days on end.
But after watching a swift dodge bullets while performing
a juggling act at the same time, watching a titan pick up a
Mack truck just doesnt seem that exciting any more.
The major consequence of this perception is a nearuniversal level of adulation and admiration from all quarters
for most swifts that not only surpasses that enjoyed by 20th
Century sports stars, but is just shy of being outright rabid.
With swifts being worshiped in all but name by their baseline
fans, its only to be expected that they can enjoy noticeable
advantages in social situations. Depending on their level of
popularity, a swift could expect to have anywhere from a few
score to thousands of groupies available to share the swifts
bed, even if only for one night. A swift can also expect to
regularly be approached by people who consider him or her
to be the right person for the job since he or she has
the skills to get it done right. The particulars of the jobs a
swift will be offered can and will vary widely, and will only
be limited by the swifts capabilities and her personal ethics.

Stuck In A Slow-Motion World

Ironically enough, the bad things about being a swift
are near-mirror images of the good things. Being faster than
99% of the people around them means that most swifts are
forced to live in a society thats set up for people whose
speech, physical speed and reactions are like cold molasses in comparison to those of a swift. Imagine always being
forced to stroll, when others still complain that youre walking too fast. Imagine always having to wait while others take
their time walking to the door. Even cooking a frozen dinner
in the microwave seems to take forever. This is life in a baseline world from a swifts viewpoint, as minutes can seem like
hours as far as the amount of tasks a swift can perform in
that time. Impatience is a common problem for swifts, as
they spend more of their life waiting than nearly any other
nova. People will often ask a swift to perform mindless
menial tasks as he can do it faster, but few take into account
that the swift does not see the tasks speed by like they do.
Instead, the swift will perceive his actions as if performed at
a normal speed. This is an often overlooked side-effect, that
while most people may see an office cleaned up in a few
minutes, the swift perceives the entire process as if it lasted
a full normal hour. And in the meantime, the swift gets to
see his non-swift allies standing like mannequins nearby

while hes busy working. Depending on the swifts altruism,

patience or lack thereof; he may not appreciate constantly
being assigned to janitor and/or repairman duty and clean
up after others or fix their mistakes.
The perception of swifts as being superhumanly skilled
also causes trouble in the way of professional jealousy on
the part of their non-erupted peers. Baseline martial artists,
gunmen, athletes and thieves with any exceptional degree
of skill will have spent years - if not decades - undergoing
intensive training in their respective fields. Maintaining their
skills at their peak also requires these baselines to engage
in continuous training to avoid getting rusty. When these
people are upstaged by a swift who gained skills greater
than theirs in the instant of eruption instead of years of hard
work, its possible - more likely inevitable - for feelings of
envy and inequity to arise. Along with the fact that baseline competitors have little or no hope against an equally or
greater-skilled swift, this has contributed to the banning of
swifts from most professional sports competitions. Relations
between swifts and their baseline counterparts in other such
fields can be (and often are) just as strained. A related problem is that as with master martial artists, many swifts may be
considered to be lethal weapons for legal purposes. They
may not be able to dish out huge amounts of damage like
a titan, but swifts can be just as deadly in their own way. All
it takes is moment of carelessness on the part of a swift to
net her years of jail time or mountains of legal fees (or both).

Extrapolation of Mega-Dexterity
beyond 5 dots
- Godlike: Your aim is so precise that missing your target is an extremely rare occasion. You automatically add +8 to your Initiative, and +10 to your Run &
Sprint scores. You also gain +1 automatic success on all rolls
involving Dexterity-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Your movements are too fast for
most sensors to track, much less the unaided human eye.
You automatically add +12 to your Initiative, and +20 to
your Run & Sprint scores. You gain +2 automatic successes
on all rolls involving Dexterity-based Abilities. At this level
or higher you can also move so quickly that youre effectively invisible to normal human sight. Others must make a
contested Perception roll against your Dexterity in order to
spot you.
- Godlike: You can outperform bush robots
in manual dexterity. You automatically add +15 to your Initiative, and +30 to your Run & Sprint scores. You gain +3
automatic successes on all rolls involving Dexterity-based
Abilities.
- Godlike: Even other Mega-Dexterous
novas are about as graceful as arthritic yaks when compared

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to you. You automatically add +18 to your Initiative, and
+40 to your Run & Sprint scores. You gain +4 automatic successes on all rolls involving Dexterity-based Abilities.
- Cosmic: You are the ultimate in physical
agility, coordination and grace. You automatically add +21
to your Initiative, and +50 to your Run & Sprint scores. You
gain +5 automatic successes on all rolls involving Dexteritybased Abilities. At this level, you may dodge or block nonarea attacks made by baselines and non-swift novas as an
automatic action as many times as desired. Attacks you fail
to perceive or cannot react to cannot be dodged or blocked
in this manner. You can also dodge, parry or block even the
largest area attacks, provided that the Storyteller deems it
plausible and you score a minimum of 10 successes on the
Dexterity roll. Possibilities for this include dodging the most
powerful thermonuclear blasts at ground zero, parrying an
incoming asteroid and blocking kilometer-wide lasers with
a sword.

Roleplaying Mega-Dexterity
If youre playing a Mega-Dexterous character, there are
several ramifications of having such extreme physical speed
that need to be taken into account. Even more so than
the Mega-Strong titans, swifts are very prone to developing extreme impatience with the relative slowness, klutziness and general lack of physical grace of baseline humans.
The fact that most of Terran civilization circa 2015 is still
geared to baseline speed only makes matters worse from
a swifts perspective. The temptation to simply run around
any obstacles in her way (figuratively or literally) can easily
become too great for a swift to resist, regardless of the consequences the swifts shortcut may have on those around
her. From the baseline viewpoint, this makes swifts nearly
as much of a potential threat as the titans. Knowing that a
swift could easily gut them like a trout if she were so inclined
will lend a noticeable edge of paranoia (warranted or not)
to some baselines social interactions with her. However,
baselines and non-swift novas who havent clued into that
will think nothing of asking a Mega-Dexterous friend if she
could run errands or handle inconvenient chores for them,
mistakenly thinking that theyre just asking for a few seconds
of the swifts time. Non-swift novas can be just as obnoxious with demands for the swift to perform reconnaissance
duties - after all, they think, a swift can just run away from
any danger she stumbles on, right? Wrong. Land mines,
claymores, poison gas and fuel-air explosives are just a few
of the reasons why swifts often learn to hate being put on
scouting duty. No matter whether a swift allows herself to be
treated like a doormat or rejects the requests and is seen as
being stingy, her frustration with this mistreatment will only
keep mounting.

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Of course, it is possible for a swift to handle some of

these problems, if she can muster enough self-discipline
and wisdom to restrain herself. Becoming impatient is not
inevitable, especially if the swift has clear memories of
being a slow and klutzy baseline (by comparison) herself.
Shortcuts can cause as many problems as they solve, and
a sufficiently wise swift can avoid taking them when it isnt
necessary. If either self-discipline or wisdom are lacking, a
swift can expect to be faced with some serious problems
- legal, social, financial, you name it - in short order. Unfortunately, no amount of self-restraint or wisdom will alter the
mistreatment a swift can expect from the fearful or casuallyexploitive people she will encounter in her daily life. Unless
a swift takes pains to ensure that her baseline friends and
family both have no reason to fear her and know better than
to try and take undue advantage of her capabilities, a gradual drawing away from them will be inevitable.

New Mega-Dexterity Enhancements

Additional enhancements that characters with MegaDexterity may learn or purchase include:

Ace Driver/Pilot
While many Mega-Dexterous novas tend to focus on
augmenting their personal locomotion capabilities, some
have developed a superhuman capability for operating
vehicles instead. A nova with this enhancement is almost
one with her vehicle. She can perform vehicular stunts that
others can only dream of matching. While some novas have
claimed that this enhancement is actually a form of telekinesis, experts on quantum powers have found no evidence to
substantiate that claim.
System: The nova gets +3 automatic successes on all
rolls for either Drive or Pilot (choose one at time of purchase). The nova also gets +3 dice for Engineering or similar rolls related to the repair or maintenance of any vehicle
she has driven or intends to drive. This enhancement may
be purchased a second time to affect both abilities. This
enhancement has no quantum cost and is always on.

Artemis Bow
This enhancement is known by a number of different
names; of which Eye of the Hawk, Hand of Apollo and
Hotshot are just a few. Novas with this enhancement are
archers without compare; as they have an instinct for noticing and adjusting for variables such as prevailing winds,
range conditions and even the movements of their targets.
Somehow they can just make that one perfect shot time
after time.
System: Provided he has an arrow easily within reach,

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a nova with this enhancement may reload a bow without
using an action or paying a quantum point. The nova also
gets +3 automatic successes on any Archery roll, which costs
1 quantum point per attack in combat (hit or miss). Outside
of combat, this enhancement costs 1 quantum point per
scene. Please note that this enhancement has no effect on
firearms of any sort.

Empty Force
Prerequisite: At least 4 dots of either the Martial Arts
or Melee Abilities.
Certain masters of the martial arts have been rumored
to have learned the secret of kongjin, which allows them
to physically attack their foes from a distance. Novas who
are skilled in the martial arts have managed to accomplish
this feat as well. Although sometimes derided by researchers into nova powers as simply being a crude form of telekinesis, this ability remains a handy way to give ones foes a
nasty surprise.
System: A nova with this enhancement is capable of
using close combat attacks (with either the Martial Arts or
Melee Ability) as ranged attacks so that she can strike her
targets from a distance. When this enhancement is taken,
the player must choose which Ability that the nova will be
able to use this enhancement with. Its possible for the nova
to use this enhancement with both Martial Arts and Melee
attacks, provided that she takes 2 levels of this enhancement and has a minimum rating of 4 dots in both Abilities.
In order to use this enhancement, the nova must spend 1
quantum point and make an attack roll using Dexterity +
Martial Arts or Melee, which is resolved normally. The only
real difference is that this enhancement gives the Martial
Arts or Melee attack an effective range of (Mega-Dexterity) x
10 meters. This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to use
for a single attack, although it can be used multiple times
in a single scene if the nova has sufficient quantum points.

Light Fingers
Mega-Dexterous novas can make superb stage magicians and/or pickpockets, given good training and the
inclination to put that training into practice. Novas with this
enhancement are even better, as they somehow instinctively
know just the right moves and timing to pull off alarming
feats of prestidigitation. Its like they have the worlds best
thieves and/or stage magicians whispering in their ears.
System: In addition to the normal benefits provided by
Mega-Dexterity, the nova receives +3 automatic successes
on any roll involving Legerdemain. This enhancement has
no quantum cost and is always on.

Natural Runner
A nova with this enhancement has a gift for running.
Difficult terrain makes little or no difference to her, and she
can easily leave Olympic sprinters eating her dust.
System: This enhancement provides the nova with
several benefits. First, the nova automatically has any difficulty penalties derived from running or sprinting on difficult terrain (covered with ice, hilly, sloped, uneven, etc.)
reduced by (Mega-Dexterity) points, down to a minimum
of zero. Second, the nova cannot botch on Athletics rolls
when running or sprinting; which prevents accidents like
slipping, tripping, losing her balance, twisting her ankle, etc.
Third, Natural Runner allows for the novas running speed
to be calculated at +1 to her base Dexterity, and her sprinting speed at +2 to her base Dexterity. This enhancement is
always on and has no quantum cost.

Neural Acceleration
Prerequisites: Mega-Dexterity at 6+ dots, Fast Tasks
and Rapid Strike enhancements.
Many Mega-Dexterous novas have exhibited the ability
to deliver a flurry of rapid-fire blows to a chosen opponent,
or to perform tasks at extremely rapid speeds. A few novas
who have attained the upper range of Mega-Dexterity have
taken that superhuman physical speed and developed it to
its full potential.
System: A nova with this enhancement can double
his number of actions, i.e. every action (or multiple action)
may be split once AGAIN with no dice penalty. As normal,
the extra actions must be physical. This enhancement is
fully compatible with both the Quickness and Multitasking
enhancements and the Accelerate Time technique of the
Temporal Manipulation power. The effect of Neural Acceleration should always be counted last.
Example: The nova splits his action once, which would
normally give him two actions, one with a -2 dice penalty
and the other with a -3 dice penalty. With Neural Acceleration he could take two actions with a -2 dice penalty and two
more with -3 dice penalty (or he could just take two normal
actions without any penalty). If the nova had one level of
Quickness, he could spend 1 quantum point and take four
actions with no penalty. An additional level of Neural Acceleration can be taken for each dot of Mega-Dexterity above 6
that the nova has. Each additional level of this enhancement
will allow the nova to split his actions one more way with no
dice penalty. With Mega-Dexterity 7 and 2 levels the nova
can triple his actions (a three-way split), with Mega-Dexterity
8 and 3 levels he can quadruple his actions (a four-way split),
and so on. This enhancement has no quantum cost and is
always on.

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Ricochet
A Mega-Dexterous nova with this enhancement is a
master of the multiple-surface deflection shot. It doesnt
matter whether the novas using a firearm, thrown or other
missile weapon, or even a trashcan that hes kicked at his
foes- he can make the projectile bounce off the walls and
come at one or more targets from the most unexpected
directions.
System: The nova must spend 1 quantum point to
use this enhancement. The nova then makes a Dexterity +
(appropriate Ability or power) roll to have a projectile hit
one or more targets with multiple rebounds. Each success
allows the Ricochet attack to strike an additional target
after the first by rebounding. The Ricochet attack will also
be treated as a flank attack, gaining a bonus of +1 die to
accuracy (Aberrant core book, p. 243). If the nova wishes
to have his Ricochet attack function treated as a rear attack,
gaining a bonus of +2 dice to accuracy, 2 successes will be
required for each additional target. Of course, this assumes
that the projectile simply wont destroy or pierce through
the surfaces the nova was intending it to rebound off of.
Depending on the nature of the available surfaces in the
novas immediate vicinity, certain energy-based attacks (like
lasers, for instance) and some forms of the Quantum Bolt
power may be used with this enhancement. As always, your
Storyteller will have the final say on whether thats possible.

Slapstick Fighting
Prerequisites: At least 1 dot of Mega-Wits and 4 dots
of a Dexterity-based personal combat Ability.
Big Boss to Minion #1, So, I am to understand you lost
when she slipped on a bar of soap, and her foot accidentally
hit you between your legs? THATS your story?!
For decades, wuxia stars such as Jackie Chan have
practiced a blend of martial arts and slapstick comedy that
has made audiences break out laughing worldwide. Swashbuckler movies have also produced their share of comedic
combat scenes, and even some Wild West-style gunslingers
have had their funny moments. A nova with this enhancement has done all of these combat comedians one better,
as she can not only defeat her foes but make them look like
buffoons in the process.
System: The nova can use a chosen Dexterity-based
personal combat Ability (Martial Arts, Melee, or Firearms)
to defeat her foes in a highly comedic and entertaining
manner. The Ability that Slapstick Fighting applies to must
be chosen either at the time of character creation or when
this enhancement is bought with experience. Taking additional levels of this enhancement will allow the nova to
use it with an additional Ability. To activate this enhancement for the scene, the nova must spend 1 quantum point

204

if shes fighting a single opponent, or 3 quantum points if

shes fighting a group. For the duration of the combat, all
actions that the nova takes are at +1 difficulty, but every
action makes her opponents (and often herself) look absurd,
incompetent and/or ridiculous. The nova is also prohibited
from killing anyone and if she does so this ends the effect for
the scene. The nova may end the effect at will and turn the
combat into a serious fight, but her opponents cannot do
the same. If the nova manages to defeat her foes using her
chosen Ability, she can do so in a fashion that will leave her
foes utterly humiliated. In game terms, every net success in
combat with the novas chosen ability (normally Martial Arts)
results in a +1 difficulty on his opponents Style roll every
turn. Depending the victims Nature, this can have a devastating effect on their psyche; Gallants, Bravos, (Combat)
Experts, etc., should get a penalty of the Storytellers choice
(loss of temporary Willpower and/or loss of temper is normally appropriate, as would difficulty penalties when facing
the nova in the future). This defeat and Style roll normally
takes place at the end of combat... which in Aberrant is normally a single round. In a more protracted combat (several
enemies, nova combat), the Storyteller can choose to assign
penalties at the end of every round or only at the end of
combat. It is also appropriate for noncombatants who witness the novas fighting to make a Willpower roll, modified
by the victims net Style failure, to avoid giving in to amusement and hilarity (and/or a general loss of morale).

Soft Fist
Prerequisite: At least 3 dots of both the Martial Arts
and Awareness Abilities.
Some martial arts styles are well-known for teaching the
trick of redirecting an attackers blow or weapon strike back
on himself or on his allies. Certain Mega-Dexterous novas
have learned that trick as well.
System: A nova with Soft Fist can make a Dexterity
+ Martial Arts roll as an automatic action whenever he is
the target of a close combat attack, provided that the nova
is aware of the attack. If he gains more successes than his
attacker does on his attack roll, the nova can redirect the
attack onto either the attacker or another assailant. The
attack will inflict both the normal amount of damage and
+1 die for every extra success the nova gains on the initial
Dexterity + Martial Arts roll. This enhancement normally has
no quantum cost. This changes when attempting to redirect
the attack of a nova with Mega-Strength and/or Mega-Dexterity, as the character will have to spend 1 quantum point
per redirection of an attack from such a nova. Also, attacks
dependent on a novas own quantum powers (Claws, Immolate, etc.) cannot be redirected to harm the attacking nova
without use of the Disimmunize power.

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Velocity
With the capability for superhuman speed so common
among Mega-Dexterous novas, it was only a matter of time
before some novas learned how to take advantage of that
speed in ranged combat.
System: By spending 1 quantum point, the nova may
throw an object at superhuman velocity, adding (the novas
Mega-Dexterity +1) dice to the damage dice pool of the
thrown object. This enhancement stays active for a single
attack (hit or miss).

Mega-Dexterity Aberrations
Like their Mega-Witty counterparts, Mega-Dexterous
novas also live at an accelerated pace in comparison to
everyone else. Aberrations linked to that extreme speed
will either reflect the inability of the novas mind to keep
pace with her body or the nova forgetting to slow down
(or becoming frustrated) when interacting with the slowpokes. Other aberrations that novas with Mega-Dexterity
can develop tend to be physical mutations that are linked to
their manual dexterity, personal locomotion, stealth capabilities or physical flexibility.
Common aberrations from Aberrant and the Aberrant
Players Guide for Mega-Dexterous novas include AbsentMinded, Bad Temper, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, Oozing Skin, Seizures, Twisted Limbs and
Vestigial Limbs.

Low-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to
five points of Permanent Taint.
Clockwork: The novas movements and body language have become machine-like, quick and jerky. As the
novas Taint accumulates, the more pronounced this aberration will become. The nova will be seen as odd by normal
people, and his mechanical body language will tend to
make them nervous. He will also suffer a difficulty penalty of
+1 on all social rolls involving body language. If the novas
Taint rises to 6, his speech will become clipped and distracting, coming in bursts. The nova will be completely incapable of singing, and will suffer a difficulty penalty of +1 on all
social rolls involving verbal communication. Both difficulty
penalties will increase by one point for each additional dot
of permanent Taint the nova gains.
Fast Speech: The nova is so used to moving at superhuman speed that she cant help but speak at superhuman
speed as well. At low levels of Taint (4 to 5 dots), the nova
will seem to slur all her words together whenever she moves
at superhuman speed or gets excited. At higher levels of
Taint, the novas speech will be accelerated whenever she

speaks. In both cases, anyone who tries to comprehend

the novas accelerated speech will suffer a difficulty penalty
equal to the novas Taint-derived difficulty penalty on rolls
for social interactions with baselines. Novas with the Fast
Sense (Mega-Perception) enhancement affecting hearing
will have no trouble whatsoever understanding the speech
of a nova with this aberration.
Habitually Sneaky: While Mega-Dexterous novas are
best known for their superhuman speed, some have also
developed superhuman levels of personal stealth. And
as with the other capabilities of novas, that superhuman
stealth can become a problem with enough accumulated
Taint. A nova with this aberration is sneaky all the time, as its
become habitual for her. She must make a deliberate effort
to keep herself from moving quietly, avoiding other peoples notice, and so on. In game terms, a Habitually Sneaky
nova must make a Willpower roll (modified by her permanent Taint) in order to avoid using the Stealth Ability whenever possible, even in her normal daily life. (The Storyteller
is advised to limit this aberration to novas with one or more
dots of the Stealth Ability, for obvious reasons.) Otherwise
the nova will always be sneaking up on people and startling,
scaring, or unnerving them without intending to do so. This
can become very troublesome - if not dangerous - when the
nova is in guarded locales such as banks, or finds herself
in combat situations near paranoid or trigger-happy combatants. It also tends to put the Habitually Sneaky novas
friends and family constantly on edge around her after a few
months or so.
Inhuman Grace: The sheer physical grace exhibited
by a Mega-Dexterous nova with this aberration defies belief.
If someone loses hold of a glass in his presence, he can
catch it before a single drop is spilled. Whats more, the
novas movements and reflexes are perfectly smooth, leading some observers to describe him with remarks such as
poetry in motion. If thats true, then the poem in question
must be a disturbing one, as many baselines will find the
novas lithesomeness quite eerie and uncanny. The novas
Taint-derived penalty for social interactions with baselines
is also applied to any roll where exhibiting baseline human
body language would be of benefit, such as the Dancing
and Impersonation specialties of the Perform Ability.
Light Touch: A nova with this aberration has a much
lighter touch than normal. Short of physical contact that
inflicts pain and/or physical damage, other people cannot
feel the novas touch. This makes shaking hands with the
nova a very odd experience, and in addition the nova doesnt
leave footprints. For painfully obvious reasons, novas with
this aberration cannot have a normal sex life. This aberration gives the nova no advantages in use of the Stealth or
Legerdemain Abilities, but most novas who develop it also
have the Catfooted enhancement.

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Mega-Klutz: Mega-Dexterous novas sometimes
develop problems with their minds being unable to keep
pace in processing the results of their hyper-fast physical
actions as they occur. Thats just the sort of problems that will
plague a nova with this aberration, as she will often fumble
tasks that require anything more than human-average handeye coordination. In game terms, a Mega-Klutzy nova will
suffer a difficulty penalty equal to the novas Taint-derived
penalty on social interactions with baselines, applied to rolls
for any Dexterity-based Abilites requiring fine coordination.
This includes Abilities such as Drive, Pilot, Legerdemain,
and so forth. Even if a Mega-Klutzy nova either has or develops Mega-Wits, she will still become distracted when this
aberration comes into play. Mega-Klutzy novas also cannot
purchase the Fine Manipulation enhancement.
Monodexterity: Almost all Mega-Dexterous novas
become ambidexterous (as per the Merit on p. 69 of the
Aberrant Players Guide) as a side bonus of gaining their
superhuman deftness. A nova with this aberration is an
exception to that rule of thumb. Thanks to Taint accumulation, the novas coordination has subtly degenerated to the
point that he or she has an off hand just like most baseline humans. At first, the nova will suffer a difficulty penalty
of +1 for certain actions (such as wielding a weapon) performed using his or her off hand. This will become more
problematic as the Monodexterous novas Taint increases.
In game terms, the difficulty penalty for off hand actions
will increase by 1 point for every 2 dots of permanent Taint
the nova accumulates after manifesting this aberration.
Also, a Monodexterous nova cannot have the Omnidexterity enhancement for Mega-Dexterity.
Spastic: Mega-Dexterous novas generally have exquisite control over their movements at all times. Thats not the
case for a nova with this aberration, as he is prone to suffering sudden and uncontrollable muscle spasms when in
stressful situations. Most often the muscle spasms only result
in a fit of uncontrolled shaking, but shattering and breaking
anything the Spastic nova is holding at that moment has
also been known to happen. Whenever the Storyteller feels
that the Spastic nova is under enough stress to trigger this
aberration, she can have the Spastic novas player make a
Willpower roll (modified by the Spastic novas permanent
Taint). Success on the roll means that nothing happens, and
the nova can function normally. Failing the roll triggers a
muscle spasm, resulting in the Spastic nova suffering a difficulty penalty on all of his rolls equal to his Taint-derived
difficulty penalty for social interactions with baselines for the
rest of the scene. Botching the roll results in a severe muscle
spasm, which imposes a difficulty penalty on all of his rolls
equal to his permanent Taint rating for the same period of
time. It should be noted that the effect of this aberration can
be just as easily triggered by mental or emotional stress as

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it is by physical stress.
Teratodactyl: The novas hands and feet have
become warped in some way that is considered abnormal
by baseline standards. There are several possible abnormalities covered by this aberration. The nova might have
either fewer or more digits than the baseline standard of 5,
or his digits might be arranged in some other way than the
baseline standard of 4 fingers and 1 thumb. The novas
hands and feet (including the digits) might be elongated to
at least twice their normal length, possibly developing one
or more additional joints in her fingers or toes. The novas
hands and feet might be identical instead of bilaterally symmetrical, so that he literally has 2 left hands and feet, for
instance. Lastly, the novas hands and feet may be abnormally sited on his limbs- his hands might be upside-down
or askew, while his feet may point backwards or to the side.
The nova suffers no loss of manual dexterity or physical agility due to this aberration, but its guaranteed to draw stares,
especially from superstitious baselines who might see this
as proof of demonic origins. The nova will also find it difficult - if not impossible - to use many items configured for
normal human hands and feet. At the very least the nova will
be unable to use gloves and footwear designed for baseline
humans, and will be forced to either shape them from part
of a eufiber colony or have them custom-made for him. At
6-7 dots of permanent Taint, the Storyteller may decide that
the novas hands and feet will mutate further. One common
example of this would be the novas hands and feet turning into crustacean-style pincers. The exoskeleton of the
pincers provide no real protection to what used to be the
novas hands and feet - theyre just as easily damaged as the
rest of the novas body.

Medium-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to
seven points of Permanent Taint.
Atavistic Posture: Thanks to Taint-induced changes
in his musculoskeletal system, which include lengthening
of the arms in relation to the legs, a nova with this aberration has adopted the semi-upright body posture found in
apes and monkeys. A nova with Atavistic Posture can stand
up fairly comfortably; so he can still use his arms to hold
things, manipulate objects and make attacks in combat.
On the other hand, the novas clumsy gait will reduce his
base walking rate to 5 meters when attempting to walk in
the normal upright fashion of humans. If the nova employs
the knuckle-dragging method used by other primates,
he can walk at the normal base rate of 7 meters. The nova
must use all four of his limbs in order to run or sprint. If the
nova has a base Dexterity rating of 3+, he can carry one or
two small objects while walking. At 8-10 dots of permanent

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Taint, the nova with Atavistic Posture develops a horizontal
posture like that of a dog or another quadrupedal mammal.
The nova will still be able to stand on his hind legs for short
periods (1 turn per success on an Athletics roll, minus the
novas permanent Taint), but doing so will cause him great
discomfort. If the nova has a base Dexterity rating of 5+, he
can carry one or two small objects while walking, but will be
limited to a maximum of half his normal walking rate while
doing so. Walking at the novas full speed - not to mention
running and sprinting - requires the use of all four limbs.
Boneless Digits: The bones in the fingers and toes of
a nova with this aberration have degenerated. This will leave
her fingers and toes both elongated to twice their original
length and flaccid. The novas digits will function like short
tentacles instead of normal human digits, which has no real
game effect but does look extremely weird by baseline standards. The nova will also have problems using garments tailored for baseline humans hands and feet.
Cilia/Suckers: The nova has developed either cilia
(very short, hair-thin tendrils) or cephalopod-style suckers
(which work either as suction cups or gripping pads). These
fully functional structures will cover the tractive surfaces (her
soles, the bottoms of her toes) of her feet and the gripping
surfaces (her palms, the bottoms of her fingers and thumbs)
of her hands. They will aid the nova in gripping objects and
keeping her footing (these benefits are already represented
as part of her Mega-Dexterity), but will also look very creepy
to baseline eyes, if not outright disgusting. Most baselines
(and novas) will find being touched by the hands and feet of
a nova with this aberration to be repulsive in the extreme.
At the Storytellers discretion, the area of the novas limbs
covered by the cilia or suckers can grow larger as she accumulates more permanent Taint. In this case, the affected
area will grow along the undersides of the novas limbs,
mimicking the pattern that octopi develop suckers on their
tentacles.
Storyteller Note: If you decide that a nova with Cilia/
Suckers deserves to have them all over her body, please
refer to the Myriad Feature medium-level Mega-Ugliness
aberration found in Chapter Four of Aberrant: Forceful
Personalities. As a side-effect, the novas Appearance will
likely now considered to be Ugliness (and possibly MegaUgliness).
Hyperflexibility: This aberration is typically manifested by novas who have the Flexibility enhancement.
The novas joints are always superhumanly flexible, allowing his body to flex in ways that a baseline humans body
cannot. For example, his head and ankles can rotate 360,
and his elbows and knees can bend backwards. Because of
this, the Hyperflexible nova habitually contorts himself into
positions that no baseline could manage. If he heard a noise
he would probably rotate his head 90 or more rather than

turn his body, just because its easier for him. When he walks,
his knees will bend slightly backwards for the same reason.
Baselines will tend to find the novas movements very odd,
if not downright creepy. Whats worse is that certain medical
rolls made in order to treat the Hyperflexible nova for injuries and/or traumas are made at +1 difficulties, since splints
wont work on him and his overly-flexible body is impossible
to brace for treatment.
Legless: The legs of a nova with this aberration have
mutated into appendages resembling (or at least functionally equivalent to) those of a certain animal due to her
increasing Taint. Possibilities for this aberration include the
coils of a snake, the tentacles of an octopus or other cephalopod, or the muscular footpad of a snail. Note that the
former legs of a nova with this aberration dont have to
become strict duplicates of the animal features mentioned
above. A plant-like novas legs might become tentacular
roots, for instance. This aberration makes it impossible for
a Legless nova to jump, but otherwise causes no real difficulty as far as moving around is concerned. This aberration does provide one minor benefit, in that a Legless nova
cannot be tripped or immobilized by a minor leg wound.
Legless novas will not receive any other benefits from their
mutated appendages, but may purchase the appropriate
Body Modifications with experience points. A Legless nova
will be unable to wear many garments tailored for normal
humans, and may encounter difficulties in using foot-operated controls or riding in vehicles. This aberration also looks
extremely weird to normal humans, and may cause difficulties with sexual activity.
Unsure Footing: The cerebellum of a Mega-Dexterous nova with this aberration has become overly adapted to
a means of locomotion other than walking, typically either
flight or swimming. Such a nova can move around normally
in his accustomed manner, but will stumble and trip easily
when attempting to walk. This aberration doesnt affect
the novas fine motor skills, but causes problems when he
attempts to use weapons, engage in hand-to-hand combat,
or simply take a walk on the beach. In game terms, a nova
with this aberration suffers a difficulty penalty when on land
for all Dexterity rolls that involve balance and/or body coordination that equals his Taint-derived difficulty penalty for
social interactions with baselines.

High-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight
or more points of Permanent Taint.
Quiver: Baseline humans constantly shift their position slightly. A Mega-Dexterous nova with this aberration
does the same thing, only at superhuman speed. As a result
of this, a Quivering nova will constantly be vibrating at high

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speeds. This is obvious and unnerving to say the least. This
aberration should only be developed by novas with MegaDexterity ratings of 4 dots or higher. To baseline observers, a Quivering nova will appear to be a vaguely humanoid
but otherwise unrecognizable blur of motion, even when he
is just standing in one place. Aside from standing out in a
crowd like a sore thumb, a Quivering nova will automatically
be detected by any and all motion sensors, should he enter
their scanning range. As an added burden, a Quivering nova
will automatically fail any Stealth roll that is dependent on
his being either physically still or silent without the use of
appropriate quantum powers.
Skeletal Atrophy: Faced with the impossibly fluid
grace exhibited by Mega-Dexterous novas, many baselines
will swear that those novas dont seem to have a bone in
their bodies. In the case of a nova with Skeletal Atrophy, that
idea is the actual truth. When this aberration is manifested,
all of the bones in the novas body will be reabsorbed into
her other body tissues. In addition to the effects of the
Boneless Digits aberration, a nova with Skeletal Atrophy will suffer from the following problems. As the bones
in the novas limbs have wasted away, she is left with four
tentacles instead of normal arms and legs. Each of these
tentacles is the functional equivalent of the 1 nova point
version of Body Modification: Tendril. Also, other organs will
take over the function of producing blood cells, since the
nova no longer has long bones to house bone marrow. All
of the novas other remaining bones (skull, spine, ribcage,
pelvis, etc.) will have also wasted away, leaving her a shifting
mass of quivering, boneless flesh. While she is still physically
capable as ever, her Appearance (and Mega-Appearance,
if any) will now be considered to be Ugliness and MegaUgliness, respectively. Also, the nova may also have lost all
of her teeth (at the Storytellers discretion), which can cause
problems with both speech and eating solid food.

Mega-Stamina: Dynamos
Even before we became sapient, those humans with
exceptional physical health have always been admired,
desired and envied by their fellows. This has only become
more apparent with the emergence of the dynamos - novas
with Mega-Stamina. While not as overt as their titan and
swift counterparts, the dynamos are not celebrated only
for their cast-titanium constitutions but for the medical
advances that have come from studies of them. Unfortunately - or not, depending on ones viewpoint - the greatest blessings of Mega-Stamina remain far beyond the reach
of baseline medical technology circa 2015, despite all the
wealth spent by baselines seeking to purchase such incredible health for themselves. Add to that the incompatibilities
in basic lifestyles of dynamos and baselines, and the poten-

208

tial for personal conflicts between them has arrived. The

tale of whether those conflicts will be resolved peacefully
- or grow beyond the personal arena and into the global remains to be told.

Boundless Vitality
Many of the physical benefits of Mega-Stamina are
obvious; as dynamos have often been seen recovering from injuries that would kill a baseline, shrugging off
intense pain and going without sleep for weeks on end, all
of which makes dynamos in demand as ever-vigilant public
defenders. Dynamos also enjoy an increased capability for
enduring inhospitable environments, as they can add their
Mega-Stamina ratings to the number of days they can go
before having to take damage. Likewise, dynamos have
an easier time of it when going without food and drink for
extended periods of time, although they share the same
increased appetites of other novas. In contrast, the reduced
aging rates of dynamos - and to a lesser degree, of all novas
- hasnt become widely known as of 2015, but those who
associate with dynamos on a regular, long-term basis are
beginning to wonder why dynamos stay looking so young
when compared to baselines of the same age.
Dynamos also have certain advantages in areas other
than the purely physical. Their unrelenting vigor allows
dynamo researchers to perform experiments and collect
data without interruption for days at a time, while dynamo
negotiators can prevail against their opponents by literally
wearing them down into exhaustion. Some dynamos who
have little or no need for sleep have managed to hold down
two separate full-time jobs at the same time, usually with
the working hours of the jobs being set nine to ten time
zones apart. The only obstacle to such dual employment has
been the implementation of disclosure contracts, to prevent
a dynamo from simultaneously working for two employers
who are market rivals or otherwise engaged in conflict with
each other. Dynamos are also capable of engaging in hard
physical labor (by baseline standards) and retaining enough
energy to go out on the party circuit afterwards.

On A Planetful Of Invalids
The major problem of being a Mega-Vigorous nova in
the Nova Age is that by definition, many other novas and
all baselines humans are frail and sickly by comparison. On
the strictly physical level, dynamos often become frustrated
when engaging in group activities with baselines and nondynamo novas, as they will typically be exhausted by the
time the dynamo has barely broken a sweat. Dynamos are
also most likely to be nominated as point man by their
fellow novas when faced with threats such as dangerous
diseases and toxins, the reasoning being that the dynamo

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is most likely to survive them. While dynamos are often
immune to most diseases and toxins, thats a far cry from
being totally immune to such threats. Dynamos are prone
to make the mistake of thinking that their Mega-Stamina
completely negates any need for rest and relaxation on
their part. By working nonstop and forgoing opportunities
for downtime, these dynamos will eventually burn out like
any other overworked human - it just takes dynamos much
longer to reach that point. Dynamos who engage in periods
of extended wakefulness also have the issue of boredom
to consider. Staying awake for a hundred days straight can
become mind-numbingly dull, and its worse by an order of
magnitude if the dynamo is also a swift and has the consequent accelerated perception of time. Spiritually-inclined
dynamos will also find the practices of fasting and holding
vigils are much less effective for them, which can drive them
to either abandon them entirely or engage in epic feats of
self-denial in the name of spiritual transformation, the likes
of which have only been spoken of in ancient mythology.
The magnified vigor of dynamos can also be problematic in the bedroom for other reasons. As with all other
facets of their increased endurance, Mega-Vigorous novas
enjoy increased sexual endurance, which results in their
developing increased sexual appetites as well. While this
can be quite welcome for baseline lovers of male dynamos at first, the drawbacks of having a dynamo for a lover
quickly become apparent. No matter how skilled the lover,
no baseline has any chance of satiating a dynamos libido all
by him or herself. More than a few dynamos have solved
this problem (for themselves, anyway) by seducing multiple
baseline sexual partners at a time using Mega-Social Attributes and/or their fame and wealth as attractors. While this
tactic works quite well for one-night stands, it can easily
strain long-term loving relationships and marriages to the
breaking point and beyond. Baselines who bravely attempt
to satiate their dynamo lover by their lonesome dont have
it any better, as having to perform sexually for upwards of
thirty times in a night will ruin the relationship or the baselines health, whichever gives out first. Dynamos do have
the option of shunning baseline lovers and taking another
dynamo as their sexual partner and significant other, but
that can lead to a general withdrawal from close social
contact with baselines in general. Dynamos sexual problems also extend into the issue of pregnancy. Dynamos are
the novas most likely to be immune to the Utopian sterility mickey, and could easily consider themselves to be
sterile - like nearly all other novas are said to be - only to
find out that they were mistaken when either they or their
partner become pregnant, and begin drawing some very
unwelcome attention as a result. (Further details on nova
reproduction and related issues can be found in Aberrant:
A Breed Apart.)

The most insidious drawbacks to having Mega-Stamina

tend to occur when dynamos live in close contact with baselines, especially if on a day-to-day basis. Much of a baseline
humans personal social life is derived - either directly or
indirectly - from his or her basic physical needs and limitations, which a Mega-Vigorous nova does not necessarily
need to share, unless she wants to. Fancy dining, going to a
spa, drinking with friends at a bar or pub, sleeping with ones
spouse (literally) - these are all ways to fulfill basic human
needs (or take advantage of human weaknesses) that have
become pleasurable in themselves, and also serve to maintain and reinforce social bonds. A dynamo with little or no
need for sleep who does not do so unless forced to will end
up alienating his baseline housemates. The baseline spouse
of such a dynamo has it even worse, as his or her significant
other will often only come to bed in order to talk, cuddle
or have sex, but they will almost always wake up in their
marriage bed alone. All in all, a recipe for marital estrangement. Illness is another sore point between dynamos and
baselines, especially as many dynamos will have a hard
time remembering what it was like the last time they were
sick. The increased lifespans of Mega-Vigorous novas will
eventually become the biggest source of friction between
dynamos and baselines, once the latters reduced rates of
aging become obvious. The inevitable prospect of growing old with a spouse, family and close friends is one of the
most basic aspects of human life. When it becomes apparent that a dynamo can outlive her baseline loved ones by
decades or even centuries, it can put an enormous strain on
the dynamos relationships with them. None of this necessarily means that dynamos relationships with their baseline
spouses and families are doomed from the start, however.
With sufficient empathy, consideration and hard work, dynamos can ease these tensions to some degree. Whether a
dynamo will have the opportunity to do so is another question entirely.

Extrapolation of Mega-Stamina
beyond 5 dots
- Godlike: Swimming across the Pacific is light
exercise as far as youre concerned. Your healing rates are
eight times better than any normal humans. Your base
Resistance and Endurance equal 5 each, and receive [1]
automatic success with any Resistance or Endurance roll.
Lifespan 500+ years. Dice pool penalties due to injuries
and pain reduce by six. The character receives six extra soak
against bashing damage and four extra soak against lethal
damage, as well as four extra Bruised health levels.
- Godlike: You can drink most other novas
under the table without even getting tipsy. Your healing

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rates are nine times better than any normal humans. Your
base Resistance and Endurance equal 5 each, and receive
[2] automatic successes with any Resistance or Endurance
roll. Lifespan 1000+ years. Dice pool penalties due to injuries and pain reduce by seven. The character receives seven
extra soak against bashing damage and five extra soak
against lethal damage, as well as five extra Bruised health
levels.
- Godlike: Anything less than a major wound
heals almost right before your eyes. Your healing rates
are ten times better than any normal humans. Your base
Resistance and Endurance equal 5 each, and receive [3]
automatic successes with any Resistance or Endurance roll.
Lifespan 2000+ years. Dice pool penalties due to injuries
and pain reduce by eight. The character receives eight extra
soak against bashing damage and six extra soak against
lethal damage, as well as six extra Bruised health levels.
- Godlike: Meteors practically bounce off
your chest. Your healing rates are eleven times better than
any normal humans. Your base Resistance and Endurance
equal 5 each, and receive [4] automatic successes with any
Resistance or Endurance roll. Lifespan 4000+ years. Dice
pool penalties due to injuries and pain reduce by nine. The
character receives nine extra soak against bashing damage
and seven extra soak against lethal damage, as well as
seven extra Bruised health levels.
- Cosmic: Feeling tired is almost an alien
concept to you. Your healing rates are twelve times better
than any normal humans. Your base Resistance and Endurance equal 5 each, and receive [5] automatic successes with
any Resistance or Endurance roll. Lifespan 8000+ years. Dice
pool penalties due to injuries and pain reduce by ten. The
character receives ten extra soak against bashing damage
and eight extra soak against lethal damage, as well as eight
extra Bruised health levels.

Roleplaying Mega-Stamina
If you plan on playing a Mega-Vigorous character, its
important to note that unlike Mega-Strength and Mega-Dexterity, the ramifications of having Mega-Stamina are mostly
confined to the realm of basic human life. Since so much of
what we consider to be normal social life is dictated by our
physical needs and limitations, a dynamo who only shares
those needs and limitations either to a reduced degree or
not at all can seem very alien to baselines. Dynamos with
Adaptability can be the worst offenders in this regard as
they literally have no need for food, drink or sleep. Likewise,
dynamos greater capacity to heal injuries and shrug off dis-

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eases and toxins can give rise to feelings of superiority and

alienation on the dynamos part, and feelings of jealousy
and resentment on that of the baseline. Imagine a dynamo
learning that his baseline sister has come down with influenza, and cannot remember the last time that he himself
was ever sick. Now imagine what its like to be that flu-ridden baseline sister, who is not only suffering and generally
miserable but must socialize with her dynamo brother, who
enjoys a level of health and well-being that she can never
hope to experience. Although it has yet to become widely
known by 2015, the absolute worst strain on relationships
between dynamos and baselines will prove to be the dynamos reduced aging rates. Its bad enough when a baseline
human knows that she has the possibility of outliving her
spouse, children, family members and close friends due to
their poor health or misfortune. Dynamos arguably have it
worse as they will have to deal with the near-certainty of outliving their baseline loved ones; barring a premature death
as a result of a quantum battle, military-grade assault or
assassination attempt. Dynamos will also have to watch their
baseline loved ones grow older while they remain relatively
young - and vice versa for said baseline loved ones - which
can end up being a special kind of hell all by itself. Dynamos will also have to deal with people who want to take
advantage of their superhuman endurance, and risk being
seen as either a doormat or a selfish person depending on
whether or not they refuse to be exploited. Then there are
the wealthy baselines who seek to gain some semblance of
Mega-Stamina for themselves. As these people are not only
used to being able to buy anything they desire but often
also willing to do anything in order to fulfill that desire ethics and legality be damned - dynamos must always be
wary of those who see them as walking panaceas for the
problems of aging and declining health.
A dynamos family life and close friendships do not
absolutely have to devolve into mutual bitterness and alienation, though. Provided that a dynamo shows sufficient
empathy and consideration for the needs and limitations
of his baseline loved ones (physical and otherwise), the
difficulties outlined above can be smoothed over to some
degree. Having a clear memory of what is was like to be a
comparatively feeble baseline (in the case of first-generation novas) will also help a dynamo retain his sympathy for
the baselines frailty. None of that will stop those baselines
who wish to take undue advantage of the dynamos superhuman metabolisms, however. For these people, only stern
rejection - accompanied by the threat of legal action and/
or nova-caliber violence - will be even partially effective in
preventing their incessant demands. Whether such rejection
will require a dynamo to remove himself from Terran baseline society - with or without his baseline loved ones in tow
- remains to be seen.

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New Mega-Stamina
Enhancements
Additional enhancements that characters with MegaStamina may learn or purchase include:

Bioenergy Buffer
Just as many ordinary lifeforms develop defenses
against parasitic organisms, certain novas with Mega-Stamina have developed a defense against paranormal forms of
parasitism. While most novas with this enhancement use it
to resist lifeforce-draining attacks, some have developed
this innate resistance to the point that it will defend against
almost all forms of paranormal parasitism.
System: Whenever someone or something attempts
to drain the novas Health Levels or Traits (typically via the
Quantum Vampire power), he can automatically negate 1
success per dot of his combined Stamina + Mega-Stamina
ratings on the would-be parasites attack roll. Its possible for
the nova to purchase a second level of this enhancement,
which will increase its scope, allowing it to protect the nova
against effects that would drain his quantum points, including the Quantum Leech power. (It wont protect against
the parasitic possession form of the Domination power,
though.) This enhancement is permanent and has no quantum point cost.

Cellular Persistence
Like all other forms of complex terrestrial life, novas are
metazoans; multicellular communal organisms whose cells
have become specialized to perform specific tasks for the
benefit of the organism as a whole. While this has granted
metazoans serious evolutionary benefits, it has come at the
cost of the individual cells ability to survive apart from the
communal organism. Certain Mega-Vigorous novas have
learned how to overcome that particular limitation, granting
them a remarkable edge in the contest for survival. A nova
with this enhancement can survive having his limbs torn off,
his vital organs being plucked out, his blood being drained
or even being decapitated; and can reunite any sundered
body tissues in short order.
System: Whenever the nova is attacked, he can use a
free action to activate this enhancement. If the nova doesnt
have a free action, he can spend 1 point of temporary
Willpower to activate it instead. The nova then makes a
Resistance roll to perform a Power Block equivalent of the
Dodge maneuver (Aberrant core book, p. 243). In this way
the novas body tissues can detach from each other without
actually taking anything but very light damage. A nova using
Cellular Persistence will only suffer a maximum of 1 health

level of damage from the attack if his Power Block maneuver

is successful. If the attacker wins the resisted roll, the nova
will take damage from the attack normally. Cellular Persistence is ineffective against fire, explosions and area attacks.
Also, this enhancement will not protect against attacks that
inflict Aggravated damage unless the nova also has the
Hardbody enhancement. The novas body will still appear to
suffer damage from his attackers blow or weapon, but the
nova can then rejoin any severed body parts and/or spilled
blood to his body without even touching them. The nova
cannot control his sundered body parts in the manner of a
nova with the Homunculus quantum power, but is limited
to ordering them to rejoin themselves to the novas body.
A severed limb will twitch and quickly wiggle its way back
to the stump, where it will permanently rejoin itself to the
novas body quite neatly and without any need for reconstructive surgery. Spilled blood will not congeal, but instead
forms amoeba-like blobs which will move on their own
back to the novas body. If the nova wishes to donate his
blood without having it attempt to return his body, he only
needs to gain 1 success on a normal Willpower roll in order
to do so. Any cuts the nova may suffer will still scab, but
the scars resulting from those injuries are greatly reduced
in size. Rejoining a single body part costs 1 quantum point,
while 3 quantum points are required to rejoin multiple body
parts. The cost to rejoin spilled blood will usually be only 1
quantum point, but rejoining very large amounts of blood
(such as after being completely exsanguinated) will cost 2
quantum points. These costs are not cumulative; if both
blood and one or more body parts are lost, rejoining them
will cost 3 quantum points. The severed body parts must be
reasonably whole/intact and nearby for this enhancement
to function. The severed body parts/organs can survive on
their own (along with the nova) for up to (the novas MegaStamina) days, provided that they arent destroyed in the
meantime. Its possible to take 2 levels of Cellular Persistence, in which case the novas body parts no longer have
to be reasonably whole/intact for this enhancement to
function. As long as the cells that comprise the body parts
havent been utterly destroyed (such as by being digested
or burnt to ashes, for example), they can rejoin the novas
body. This will allow the nova to survive being vivisected
or ground into a bloody paste. The novas cells will also
become capable of surviving on their own for (the novas
Quantum + Mega-Stamina) days. Whats more, the nova will
no longer develop any scarring at all from his wounds. If the
nova also has the Suspension enhancement, he can use it in
tandem with Cellular Persistence to allow his severed body
parts to survive indefinitely in their disunited state.

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Convalescence
While all novas with Mega-Stamina enjoy an augmented
ability to recover from their injuries, some of them are even
more efficient at repairing damage to their bodies. While its
nowhere as convenient as the near-instant healing provided
by the Regeneration enhancement, this enhancement is still
useful, especially in situations where the novas reserves of
quantum energy are close to being totally depleted.
System: This enhancement doubles the novas already
augmented healing rate- where a nova with Mega-Stamina 4
would heal 6 times faster than a baseline, with this enhancement she would heal 12 times faster. This enhancement is
permanent and has no quantum cost.

Hardcase
With armor-piercing munitions and weapons becoming increasingly popular for use in combat against novas,
certain novas have evolved hyper-resistant physiologies in
response to that particular threat. While theyre not any
better at resisting the damage caused by an attack, their
protections are a good deal more difficult to breach than
those of other heavily-armored novas.
System: A nova with Hardcase has developed a natural
resistance to attacks with armor-piercing effects that would
reduce her natural Soak values. In game terms, the nova
can ignore up to (the novas Mega-Stamina) successes of
an armor-piercing attack as far as the armor-piercing effect
(reducing the novas natural Soak) is concerned. Hardcase
is just as effective against quantum powers with the Armor
Piercing Extra as it is against armor-piercing munitions and
other such weapons technologies.
Example: A nova with 2 dots of Mega-Stamina and
Hardcase is hit by an armor-piercing attack which has 3
extra successes. Ordinarily this would reduce the novas
soak by 6, but with Hardcase the novas soak is only reduced
by 2. This enhancement is permanent and has no quantum
cost.

Hardy
While all novas with Mega-Stamina can perform superhuman feats of endurance, some have displayed a disturbing resilience to the effects of monotonous repetitive
physical activity. Novas with this enhancement can exert
themselves physically for days on end, although it provides
no defense against boredom...
System: The nova can endure long periods of monotonous physical activity without suffering any harm or injury.
When attempting feats of endurance (Aberrant core book,
p. 234) that involve repetitive physical activity, the novas
difficulties on the Endurance roll are lowered by [the novas
Mega-Stamina /2, rounded up]. Also, the novas cumulative

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+1 difficulty penalties for subsequent Endurance rolls made

after the first are reduced by [the novas base Stamina]. As
a side benefit, the nova is immune to minor friction-related
injuries such as blisters, chafing, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Please note that this enhancement offers no protection against the effects of highly stressful physical activities
such as martial arts, actual combat, and whats currently
known as extreme sports. The effects of this enhancement
are wholly cumulative with the Tireless enhancement (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 103) This enhancement is always on
and has no quantum point cost.

Restorative Activity
For a nova with this enhancement, engaging in a
favored activity is just as beneficial as relaxation in terms of
rest and recuperation. More importantly, it also allows the
nova to recharge his Quantum Pool as if he were relaxing,
which can be a big help if the nova doesnt need to sleep
and bores easily.
System: In its basic form (one level), this enhancement
allows the nova to treat one period (60 minutes/ MegaStamina, rounded up) spent engaging in his favored activity (chosen by the player when purchased, with Storyteller
approval) as 1 hours worth of partial relaxation for purposes of recuperating from physical and/or mental fatigue
and recharging his Quantum Pool (Aberrant core book, p.
146). Two levels of this enhancement lets the nova treat that
period of time spent engaging in his chosen activity as 1
hours worth of total relaxation. The chosen activity of the
nova can be any sort of sport, hobby, or other recreational
pastime, even ones that most people would consider strenuous in the extreme. However, the chosen activity cannot
be one for which the nova would have to spend quantum
points to engage in. Actual combat is also prohibited from
being a chosen activity for use with this enhancement.
Engaging in the chosen activity will never be tiring for the
nova; if hes interrupted before he can gain the benefits
of this enhancement, it still refreshes him the way a brief
catnap would a normal human (which provides no real game
effect). It is possible for the nova to have more than one special pastime, but he will have to purchase this enhancement
separately for any additional pastimes. This enhancement is
always on and has no quantum cost.

Suspension
Certain organisms have the capability to enter a state
of suspended animation when confronted with environmental conditions that are unfavorable for their survival. In this
manner, these lifeforms can survive the worst disasters. A
nova with this enhancement has learned how to enter this
state at will.

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System: As long as the nova has 1 quantum point in
her quantum pool, she can enter a state of suspended animation at willthe duration is predetermined by the nova,
and can either be a set time limit (such as thirty days) or a
condition (such as until someone enters my resting place).
While in suspended animation the nova will enjoy the benefits of the Adaptability enhancement. Furthermore she will
not age, her metabolic function is reduced almost to nil, but
shes still mentally active (albeit in a lucid dream-state) and
capable of regenerating quantum. If the nova is still fairly
human in terms of her physiology, a thin protective membrane will form on her skin to prevent her body tissues from
drying out. The nova wont be able to heal any damage she
might have suffered, but she wont take any further damage
from any wounds she might have. The nova can always be
awakened by being moved, touched or injured (unless the
nova specifies otherwise), but not by ordinary noises. Its
possible to take 2 levels of Suspension, which allows the
nova to enter a form of protective stasis for the duration
of her period of suspended animation. While in this state
the nova will also enjoy the benefits of the Regeneration
enhancement for the duration of her period of suspended
animation. Quantum points must still be spent in order to
heal any damage with Regeneration. The novas tissues will
also harden while in suspended animation, granting her
an additional point bonus to her Soak values equal to her
Mega-Stamina rating. This enhancement normally has no
quantum cost, except where noted above.
When combined with 2 levels of the Fertility enhancement (see Aberrant: A Breed Apart, pp. 50-51), a female
nova will be capable of using Suspension to perform the
following feats.
1- By spending 1 quantum point and making a Stamina
roll, the nova can draw any spermatozoa within her uterus
into her cervical crypts prior to conception. Once inside,
the spermatozoa will enter a state of suspended animation,
which can last for up to (Mega-Stamina x 5) years. Once
released from suspended animation, the spermatozoa can
fertilize the novas ovum (assuming that one is present within
her uterus at the time) normally. The kicker is that the nova
can release just enough spermatozoa to conceive at any
time she desires during that period, allowing her to bear
many healthy offspring from a single fertilization.
2- By spending 1 or more quantum points and making
a Stamina roll, a pregnant nova can place her fetus into
suspended animation for a predetermined period of time.
The number of quantum points required depends on which
trimester the fetus is in when placed into suspended animation; 1 quantum point for a first-trimester fetus, 2 for one in
the second trimester, and so on. While in suspended animation the novas pregnancy is essentially paused- the fetus
will not grow or draw upon the novas physical resources. If

this is done early enough in the first trimester, the nova can
easily conceal the fact of her pregnancy from casual inspection. Its also handy for delaying labor when trouble arises,
ensuring that the nova doesnt wind up having to give birth
in times of danger. Once the period of suspended animation ends, the fetus and the pregnancy will both proceed
normally.

True Omnivore
Certain Mega-Vigorous novas have developed the
capability to gain nourishment from eating and/or drinking nearly any organic matter, from wood to kudzu to
2,000-year-old bones. Their bodies actually break down the
molecules and atoms of the organic matter that they consume, and convert them into needed nutrients. A few such
novas are rumored to be able to consume inorganic matter
as well, but none of them have publicly displayed that capability as of 2015.
System: This enhancement grants the nova certain
capabilities depending on how many levels are taken.
One Level: The nova can consume any organic matter
without ill effect or damaging his digestive system. Without
spending quantum points, the nova automatically subtracts
his Mega-Stamina rating from the Virulence rating of any
poisons, harmful drugs or biological material (disease-causing germs, parasites, and other unpleasant organic items)
that he ingests. The nova may spend quantum points on
a 1:1 basis to reduce the Virulence rating further. Also, the
novas gastrointestinal tract is superhumanly tough & resilient, allowing him to safely consume items like splintered
wood. Finally, the nova can absorb or synthesize whatever
nutrients he needs (and only what he needs- excess nutrients
will neither be absorbed nor synthesized) from the organic
matter that he consumes. This allows the nova to thrive on
what baselines would consider an unhealthy diet, and renders him immune to the effects of both nutrient deficiency
and overdoses. As a side benefit, the nova is also immune
to gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers and heartburn.
Two levels: Without spending quantum points, the
nova automatically subtracts his (Quantum + Mega-Stamina) from the Virulence rating of any poisons, harmful drugs
or biological contaminants that he ingests, and can spend
quantum points to reduce the Virulence rating as noted
above. The nova is also now capable of consuming inorganic matter without injury, ignoring the damaging effects
of the consumed material in much the same way that novas
with Adaptability can survive in hostile environments. Finally,
the nova no longer produces any bodily wastes other than
sweat, dander, and carbon dioxide.
This enhancement is permanent, and has no quantum
point cost except where noted above.

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Unaging
Although all Mega-Vigorous novas enjoy lifespans that
are greater than the baseline norm, only those with Adaptability can even come close to outliving a nova with this
enhancement. Instead of having a potential lifespan measured in centuries or millennia, an Unaging nova can live for
periods of time more commonly associated with the geological record than the human historical record. Of course, all of
that assumes that a nova with this enhancement doesnt get
himself killed. A pleasant side-effect of this enhancement
is that the nova also becomes very resistant to any effects
which would alter his physical age.
System: A nova with Unaging does not have a lifespan as such. Instead, his aging process will simply cease
for all practical purposes once he reaches maturity. Age
as a concept becomes irrelevant. Unless the nova manages to get himself killed by something or someone, he
can expect to live for many hundreds of thousands of years
at the very least. The nova is automatically immune to Age
Alteration and other forms of induced aging; since making
him older or (oddly) younger means nothing. This enhancement does nothing to prevent the nova from being killed by
other methods (poisons, bullets, starvation, etc.). Although
most Unaging novas will appear to be in their late teens
to mid-20s, a few tainted(?) novas have had their physical
age stuck in either prepubescence or old age. Fortunately,
most Unaging novas who either erupt as children or are
born erupted will mature at the normal rate for baseline children until they reach late adolescence or young adulthood.
Unaging child novas will still have the immunity to induced
aging, however.
Up to two additional levels of this enhancement can
be purchased by mature Unaging novas. A second level of
Unaging will allow the nova to gradually alter his apparent
physical age to anywhere from 1 to 75 years, either increasing or lowering his physical age at a rate of 1 year per hour.
No roll is required, but the nova must spend 1 quantum
point to activate it. An Unaging nova will retain most of his
physical capabilities even in childhood or extreme old age,
but he will become effectively sterile if he regresses himself to prepubescence. Depending on their circumstances,
female Unaging novas may also become sterile if aged past
the point of menopause. A third level of Unaging allows
the nova to alter his physical age instantly. Except as noted
above, this enhancement has no quantum point cost and is
always on.

Vitality
While other novas with Mega-Stamina enjoy superhuman resistance to disease, those who develop this enhancement have hyper-aggressive immune systems that are sheer

214

death on even the hardiest pathogens. As a result, novas

with this enhancement are highly sought-after by medical
researchers worldwide.
System: This enhancement subtracts the novas MegaStamina from the Virulence Rating of any and all pathogens,
even those created by quantum powers. For purposes of
this enhancement, pathogens are defined as any diseasecausing agents; including but not limited to parasites (like
fleas or tapeworms), bacteria, viruses, fungi, cancers and
harmful prions. This is wholly cumulative with the effects of
the Adaptability and Health enhancements. It also automatically prevents pathogens from being carried and/or transmitted by the nova, which is handy during epidemics. This
enhancement is always on and costs no quantum to use.

Mega-Stamina Aberrations
Aberrations involving Mega-Stamina are often physical in nature, and often reflect either an altered functioning
(or dysfunctioning) of the novas quantum-fueled metabolic
processes, or a permanent adaptation to the novas preferred environment. Mental aberrations will usually involve
either alterations of the novas hormonal balance or cellular
abnormalities within the novas brain structures.
Common aberrations from Aberrant and the Aberrant
Players Guide for Mega-Vigorous novas include Allergic
Reaction, Amnesia, Colored Skin, Contagious, Delusions,
Feeding Requirement, Flashbacks, Fur/Feathers, Hairless,
Hardened Skin, Hormonal Imbalance (Lust), Hormonal
Imbalance (Rage), Masochism, Multiple Personality Disorder, Obsession, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, Oozing
Skin, Paranoia, Phobia, Polar/Bipolar Disorder, Sadism,
Scales, Second Self, Sexual Aberrations, Vulnerability and
Weakness.

Low-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to
five points of Permanent Taint.
Altered Biochemistry: As a result of accumulating
Taint, the novas biochemistry has started to become somewhat exotic, even by nova standards! While the nova can still
digest human food and drink (even if she doesnt need it to
survive), all drugs, toxins, and bioweapons tailored to human
and/or nova biochemistries have reduced or unpredictable
effects when administered to the nova. This includes novaspecific drugs such as Adrenocilin, Moxinoquantamine, and
Soma! The Storyteller will roll 1d10 the first time the nova is
given a particular drug. On a roll of 1-4 the drug (or toxin, or
bioweapon, etc.) has its normal effects. On a roll of 5-7 the
drug will have negative side-effects in addition to its normal
effect (or it could have any already-existing negative sideeffects enhanced). On a roll of 8-9 the drug has no effect

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at all, good or bad. On a roll of 10, the drug will have an
unpredictably inverse effect on the nova- a drug intended
to cure radiation damage could act as a potent neurotoxin,
while an otherwise deadly bioweapon could actually help
keep a severely-injured nova from dying!
Note: If the nova accumulates further points of permanent Taint after gaining this aberration, her biochemistry will
continue to diverge farther away from the human norm. In
this case, the Storyteller will add 1 to the result of her dice
roll for every point of permanent Taint gained after manifesting this aberration.
Cold-Blooded: The nova has lost her natural ability
to regulate her body temperature. In warm weather her
effective base Dexterity will be raised by 1, but after each
hour of exertion she must either rest or cool herself or lose
1 Bashing health level. Exposure to an hour of extremely
hot weather will have the same detrimental effect as exertion. In cold weather, a Cold-Blooded novas effective base
Dexterity and all of her base Mental Attributes will be lowered by 1. In sub-freezing conditions the nova will lose 1
Bashing health level per hour from the cold, leading to the
nova eventually falling unconscious. After a number of hours
equal to the novas [Stamina + Mega-Stamina], the ColdBlooded nova will die unless she is warmed up somehow.
Fortunately, being placed in a hot bath or putting on heated
garments can reverse this. Also, the nova will be very hard to
spot using infrared scanners or the Infrared Vision function
of the Electromagnetic Vision enhancement. Novas with the
Adaptability enhancement cannot develop this aberration.
Goliath Syndrome: As anyone whos compared
people that received adequate nutrition while growing
up to those that didnt could attest, people that are more
healthy than average often tend to be larger in size as well.
This becomes a problem for some Mega-Vigorous novas,
as Taint accumulation not only causes them to undergo a
growth spurt, but it also leaves their cellular structure somewhat weaker than it should logically be. A nova with the
Goliath Syndrome will grow at least 40% larger than he
was before, and will develop a build to match. This usually
results in the nova reaching heights of at least 230 centimeters. Unlike novas with the Huge Size Merit (Aberrant Players Guide p. 69), a nova with the Goliath Syndrome derives
no real benefits from his increased size. In game terms, the
nova receives neither the extra Bruised health level nor the
+1 Stamina bonus for soaking Bashing damage enjoyed by
novas with Huge Size. The novas size will also make it difficult for him to fit into enclosed spaces and to use some
equipment designed for normal-sized people.
Ichor: The novas blood no longer remotely resembles that of normal humans. The novas blood chemistry is
no longer compatible with any other creatures and for all
intents and puposes is unique. The novas blood will also be

a different color than normal human blood; with black, blue,

green, or glowing violet being just a few possible examples.
At higher levels of Taint (6 or more dots) the change affects
all of the novas body fluids and alters the hue of the novas
flesh. Its hard to be rosy-cheeked when your blood is green.
Metabolic Quirk: The novas biochemistry has
become a bit peculiar as a result of Taint accumulation. The
nova will experience a specific drug-like effect (selected by
the Storyteller) whenever he ingests a specific variety of an
otherwise harmless foodstuff (also selected by the Storyteller). For purposes of this aberration, a foodstuff can be
any specific kind of prepared or raw meat, vegetable, or
fruit- organically-derived beverages, spices, and herbs also
qualify. For game purposes, treat the selected foodstuff as
a nova-specific drug that cannot be resisted by either the
Health (Mega-Stamina) enhancement or Invulnerability to
drugs/toxins. The nova may still make a Resistance roll at
+2 difficulties to purge the foodstuff from his system. Fortunately, theres no risk of addiction to the foodstuff in question. At the basic level of this aberration, the Storyteller is
advised to choose a relatively mild drug effect to inflict
on the hapless nova. The effects of the recreational drugs of
Trinity-era Sudamerica (as featured in Trinity: Terra Verde)
are good examples of what a nova who develops this aberration can look forward to experiencing. Alternatively, the
effect could be a milder version of a drug from the 21st
Century or earlier. For example, if the Storyteller wanted
the effect to mimic alcohol intoxication in this way, the nova
would suffer from the disinhibitor and sedative effects of
alcohol (and possibly the difficulty penalties for fine manipulation and coordinated movement as well), but would not
suffer either from hangovers or the consequences of longterm alcohol consumption. The Storyteller is further advised
to be very specific when choosing the foodstuff- hot peppers would be too broad a category, but a specific kind
of hot pepper (such as jalapenos) would be acceptable.
Also, be sure to make the foodstuff something that the nova
would be likely to encounter on a fairly regular basis- lutefisk
might be a fairly common item in the eateries of the Scandinavian nations, but its likely to be somewhat hard to find
in the restaraunts of Mexico City. Likewise, the durian fruit
is hardly seen outside of Southeast Asia (and for very good
reason).
Note: If the nova accumulates further points of permanent Taint after gaining this aberration, the effects of this
aberration will become harder to shake off. For every point
of permanent Taint gained after manifesting this aberration,
add + 1 to the difficulty penalty for all Resistance rolls made
to purge the foodstuff from the novas system. Also, some
aberrations the nova may manifest in the future can tie into
this aberration, in order to reflect addiction to the selected
foodstuff (Feeding Requirement at medium-level) and/or

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ABERRANT
the negative side-effects associated with the unsafe drugs
of the 21st Century and earlier.
Anime provides two good examples of this aberration.
Lum (from Urusei*Yatsura), like all other Oni aliens, experiences the effects of alcohol intoxication when she eats
umeboshi (japanese salted pickled apricots). Then theres
Nuku Nuku (from All-Purpose Cultural Cat-Girl Nuku Nuku),
who becomes very playful and euphoric when exposed to
catnip, despite her being a full-conversion cyborg.
Molt: A nova with this aberration will shed her skin
on a regular basis. When molting, the nova loses all facial
and body hair, and her skin will shred and peel. Any tattoos,
piercings or scars are lost, as are suntans. If the nova has a
form of the Armor power that depends on armored skin,
that power will be negated for the duration of the molt. The
novas base Appearance is lowered by 2 dots while molting, although her Appearance cant be lowered below 1 by
this process. The nova loses 1 Bruised health level for the
duration of molting process, which will last for [the novas
Taint] days. The novas skin will also itch horribly, requiring
the nova to spend a Willpower point to stop scratching herself for 1 scene. When this aberration is first manifested, the
nova will normally molt only once a year. This will become
more frequent as the novas Taint increases, with the nova
undergoing another molting per year for each additional
dot of Taint she accumulates. At the Storytellers discretion;
molting may also be triggered by stress, fear, or exposure
to toxic chemicals.
Ravenous: Most novas already must consume more
food than a normal human (typically about 3 times as much)
in order to maintain their metabolic functions. If it wasnt for
efforts such as Project Utopias terraforming of Ethiopia, the
appetites of novas would have put a severe strain on world
food supplies. Nova with this aberration are even worse.
The sheer volume of food that a Ravenous nova must consume on a daily basis boggles the mind, churns the stomach, and almost defies the laws of physics. Kikjak is the most
famous nova to suffer from this aberration, so much that he
gets a 15% bulk discount at Burger King, provided that he
calls in his order an hour in advance. In game terms, a Ravenous nova must consume [the novas permanent Taint x
2] times the amount of food required by a baseline on a
daily basis. Assuming that Kikjak has a permanent Taint of
5, this means that he would require 10 times the amount of
food that a baseline does. If a Ravenous nova tries to go
without fulfilling this need to feed, the consequences will
be severe. Simply missing a meal can cause the Ravenous
nova to suffer from hunger pangs, resulting in a cumulative difficulty penalty of +1 per hour of fasting on all of his
rolls (to a maximum of +5) until he eats a sufficiently large
meal. Prolonged malnutrition will lower the Ravenous novas
permanent Willpower rating by 1 dot per day of malnour-

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ishment, until he can resume a healthy diet. If a Ravenous

nova is totally deprived of food for [permanent Willpower
- permanent Taint] days, starvation will cause a Ravenous
nova to lose one lethal health level per day, which can only
be healed once he resumes a healthy diet. Novas with the
Adaptability enhancement cannot develop this aberration.
Restricted Diet: The novas digestive system becomes
incapable of handling anything outside of one category of
foodstuffs. This could reflect a nova becoming either a strict
carnivore or herbivore, but can also indicate that the nova
requires more exotic food; such as metals, organics derived
from a biochemistry not found on Earth (but which can be
synthesized at some expense), or radioactive substances.
The nova cannot eat or digest any food that doesnt fall
within her dietary restrictions, and any attempt to do so
will sicken her and cause her to lose 1 Bashing health level.
As the Taint of a nova with this aberration increases, her
range of acceptable foodstuffs will become even more
restricted. This could lead to a strictly carnivorous nova
becoming unable to digest anything but live meat or fresh
blood, or a herbivorous nova becoming unable to digest
anything but eucalyptus leaves or bamboo. Novas with
the Adaptability or True Omnivore enhancements cannot
develop this aberration.
Temperature Change: The novas body temperature
runs either significantly higher or lower than the human
norm (98.6 F, or 37 C). High temperatures of 120 F (49
C) or low temperatures of 50 F (10 C) are not uncommon.
This may alter the range of temperatures in which the nova
feels comfortable, and can make the nova stand out from
normal humans when viewed in infrared (-1 difficulty to spot
the nova with any form of infrared vision, depending on the
circumstances). As always, the Storyteller has the final say
on this matter.

Medium-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to
seven points of Permanent Taint.
Heavyweight: Most novas are paragons of physical
perfection. Other novas arent. A nova with this aberration
weighs upwards of 350 kilograms at the minimum, possibly reaching as high as 5 metric tons with high levels of
permanent Taint. This extra mass can come from numerous
sources; such as abnormally-strong personal gravitational
attraction, a super-dense body or obscenely large amounts
of extra muscle mass. Alternatively, a Heavyweight nova
could suffer from quantum obesity, a condition wherein
the quantum in a novas body stimulates wild growth of subdermal adipose cells, but does not cause any such growth
around nerves or in arteries (so avoiding the worst perils
of obesity). Aside from the fact that they should be care-

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ful on weak floors, Heavyweight novas find that their feet
are loathe to leave the ground for any extended period of
time. As such, their movement rates are halved (including
from powers such as Flight), and they also suffer a +2 difficulty penalty on any dice pools related to rapid movement,
including athletics, jumping, dodging, etc. They can still be
pretty good with martial arts or firearms, or have a high Dexterity, they just cant use it for moving from place to place.
Novas affiicted with quantum obesity dont sink in water, but
all other Heavyweights will sink like stones in water. Depending on the Heavyweight novas capabilities, this could make
some missions either easier or much, much harder.
Hibernation: A Mega-Vigorous nova with this aberration will undergo periods of hibernation whenever a
certain condition (specified by the Storyteller) is met. This
aberration functions just like the first level of the Suspension enhancement, except that the duration of her period
of hibernation will vary, as it will be predetermined by the
Storyteller on a case-by-case basis. Another condition (also
specified by the Storyteller) will allow the nova to come out
of her hibernation when it is met. As the nova accumulates
Taint, the trigger conditions for this aberration will become
broader.
Hyper-Decay: Like those of other novas with MegaStamina, the lysosomes in the cells of a nova with this aberration are hyper-efficient. For other Mega-Vigorous novas, this
simply means that their lysosomes are extremely effective at
the task of intracellular digestion. This becomes a problem
in the case of a nova with this aberration, as his lysosomes
are even more efficient at causing cell death thanks to
Taint accumulation. If a nova with Hyper-Decay ever suffers
major injury, all of his lysosomes will spontaneously release
their enzymes into the novas cells. This process will quickly
reduce the novas body to a boiling-hot puddle of lifeless
and very smelly slime. In game terms, if the novas Health
Level should ever drop below Incapacitated as a result of
taking lethal damage, his body will dissolve into hot, lifeless
slime within 10 seconds. After that, the nova is irrevocably
dead, period. A side effect of this aberration is the fact that
any of the novas cells, secretions or body wastes that are
separated from his body will instantly decay in this manner
as well. The nova will leave this hot slime everywhere he
goes from shed hairs and skin cells, which will grant a +1
dice bonus on all attempts to track him by scent or infrared vision. This will also eventually ruin any normal clothes
the nova wears. The novas body wastes and secretions
will be boiling hot, resulting in eventual plumbing problems and making having sex with the nova dangerous for
baselines. Depending on the location and size of the burn
that will result from close contact with the novas secretions,
the novas sexual partner will suffer anywhere from 1 to 3
levels of bashing or lethal damage at the Storytellers dis-

cretion. Male novas with Hyper-Decay will always be sterile,

of course. The bright side of this is that none of the novas
body tissues, genetic material, or biochemicals will remain
intact either, regardless of whatever attempts are made to
preserve them. This makes harvesting nova-based pharmaceuticals from the novas corpse impossible, as well as preventing any medical examiners from identifying his remains.
Parasite: A nova with this aberration has become
dependent on parasitizing a certain category of living
organisms in order to stay alive. Parasitic novas cannot consume the food and drink of baseline humans, and are forced
to instead derive nourishment from a living host organism
or risk starvation. This form of feeding will typically inflict
1 to 2 Bashing health levels of damage to the host organism, and can reflect anything from blood loss to having the
hosts life force drained. A Parasitic nova must feed in this
manner just as often as a nova without this aberration would
have to sit down to a meal. When first manifested this aberration will allow the Parasitic nova to feed on host organisms within a biological phylum, such as any vertebrate or
any angiosperm. As a Parasitic nova accumulates further
dots of permanent Taint, this feeding category will become
increasingly narrower, eventually restricting the Parasitic
nova to feeding on one specific species of host organism.
When a Parasitic nova reaches Taint 8, the damage caused
by her feeding off of the host organism will become Lethal.
In some cases, the Storyteller might also see fit to alter just
what tissues of the host organism that the Parasitic nova has
to feed on. For example, a former blood-drinker could find
herself driven to consume the still-living body tissues of her
current host organism!
Reduced Lifespan: As a side-effect of their bodies
becoming quantum-channeling dynamos, most novas enjoy
a lifespan thats at least twice the baseline average. A nova
with this aberration is the exception to that rule, as Taint
accumulation counteracts that particular benefit of channeling quantum. When this aberration is first manifested, the
novas lifespan is reduced to that of a baseline human (70+
years), regardless of her Mega-Stamina rating or whether or
not she has the Adaptability enhancement. With each additional dot of Taint that the nova accumulates after developing this aberration, her new lifespan will become shorter
than her prior lifespan by 50%, rounded down. For example;
a nova manifesting this aberration at 6 Taint would have
her lifespan reduced to 35+ years at 7 Taint, 17+ years at
8 Taint, 8+ years at 9 Taint, and 4+ years at 10 Taint. Note
that this does not mean that the nova will suddenly keel
over and die if her chronological age exceeds her reduced
lifespan. Instead, the Storyteller will establish a percentage
value of how much of the novas lifespan that shes used up
and determine an effective biological age from that. Also,
novas with this aberration are especially vulnerable to the

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ABERRANT
Age Alteration technique of Temporal Manipulation.
Symbiont: A Mega-Vigorous nova who develops this
aberration has become physically dependent on another
Symbiont nova in order to maintain his health, and vice versa.
This aberration is typically developed by a pair of novas (or
a trio on extremely rare occasions) who have already established some sort of relationship (not necessarily a friendly
one, though) with one another. A Storyteller should never
inflict this aberration on her players characters without
discussing it with them beforehand. Lone Symbiont novas
can recognize other Symbiont novas with a simple Awareness roll, and can determine their compatability in the same
manner. When this aberration is first manifested, a Symbiont nova must engage in approximately 2 hours worth of
simple physical contact (the basic level displayed by friends)
with his partner(s) on a daily basis. If the Symbiont nova is
unable to meet this need, such as by being separated from
his partner(s), he will be unable to regain quantum points
and automatically suffers a +1 difficulty penalty on all of his
rolls for each day he goes without sufficient symbiotic contact with his partner(s). Also, the Taint ratings of the Symbiotic novas within a partnership will now increase in tandem
with each other. As the Symbiont novas within a partnership
accumulate further dots of permanent Taint, their interdependence will become more extreme. In game terms, the
Symbiont novas will require an additional hour of physical
contact per day for each further dot of permanent Taint they
accumulate. Depending on the nature of their relationship,
the Storyteller might or might not rule that the level of physical intimacy required by the Symbiont novas will increase as
well. Again, this should be discussed between the players
and the Storyteller beforehand, to avoid offending anyone.
When a Symbiont nova reaches Taint 8, the dangers of separation from his partner(s) increase dramatically. For each
day he goes without the required symbiotic contact with his
partner(s), a Symbiont nova will suffer one level of bashing
damage in addition to the +1 difficulty penalty and inability
to regain quantum points.

High-Level Aberrations
These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight
or more points of Permanent Taint.
Immobile: The nova is rooted to one spot and unable
to move using his own two feet. Perhaps the nova is a plantlike being thats rooted himself to the ground, or maybe hes
wired up to OpNet permanently, or maybe hes just morbidly obese. However, the nova can use movement powers
such as Flight, its just that his movement rate will be quartered. Also, the nova can get around with assistance (such
as being carted around with a forklift, or transplanting a
plant-like nova in another patch of soil). A nova who has

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the Heavyweight aberration will automatically trade it in for

Immobile if his Taint ever exceeds his (Mega-Strength x 2) +
(Strength), until the situation is somehow fixed.
Quantum Undeath: The normal metabolic processes
of a nova with this aberration have ceased due to Taint accumulation. Neither truly alive nor truly dead, an Undead nova
has become utterly dependent upon quantum energies to
maintain her existence. As the Undead novas body is now a
quantum-animated corpse, her Health Levels now indicate
how much damage her lifeless body can withstand before
its incapable of independent motion. Likewise, the Undead
novas lifespan now indicates how long she can expect to
exist before time and entropy will put an end to her existence. The Undead nova will also suffer from the following
drawbacks, along with a few advantages. If the Undead
novas Quantum Pool should ever reach 0, she will collapse
into apparent lifelessness until she can regain quantum
points. If the Undead nova is somehow prevented from
regaining quantum points, her corpse will begin to decompose, suffering 1 Health Level of Aggravated damage for
every hour of quantum deprivation. If her Health Level
should drop to Dead, the Undead novas corpse becomes
damaged beyond repair, and she dies once and for all. If the
Undead nova manages to regain quantum points before her
body completely decomposes, the Storyteller is within her
rights to declare that the Undead novas Appearance will be
considered Ugliness (and possibly Mega-Ugliness) until the
decomposition damage is somehow repaired. The Undead
nova is neither capable of healing injuries to her body naturally, nor can she be healed by means of medical attention
or the Healing power, as her metabolism has ceased to function. Any damage she takes can only be repaired through
use of either the Regeneration enhancement or the form of
the Quantum Vampire power that drains Heath Levels. As
the Undead novas metabolism has ceased to function, she
will appear to be unhealthy at best. The Undead novas skin
will be pale and bloodless, her eyes lifeless, and her body
gaunt. She will not have a heartbeat or pulse, her corpse will
not produce body heat, and will remain at room temperature. The Undead nova will not be capable of reproduction,
but can spend 1 quantum point in order to regain normal
sexual function for 1 scene. If the Undead nova ever suffers
decomposition damage, however, she may become totally
incapable of normal sexual function at the Storytellers discretion. An Undead nova will automatically lose a number
of quantum points equal to her permanent Taint from her
Quantum Pool at the start of each 24-hour period, as that
energy is now required to animate her lifeless body. On
the other hand, an Undead nova enjoys the equivalent of
2 levels of the Dispersed Organs Body Modification (Aberrant Players Guide, p.109), as targeted attacks wont inflict
any extra damage to her quantum-animated corpse. As

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she no longer has a living metabolism to interfere with; the
Undead nova will also be immune to any and all diseases,
drugs, non-corrosive poisons, and powers that influence
living metabolisms. She will also no longer need to eat,
drink, or eliminate body waste, and she will only need to
breathe in order to speak aloud (assuming that her lungs
and vocal organs are still relatively intact). And of course,
an Undead nova is automatically invisible to any power or
device that detects life force, since she no longer has any
life energy to detect.

Adaptive Variations:
New Body Modifications
and Physical Quantum
Powers
Ever since the first years of the Nova Age, the range
and varieties of quantum powers wielded by novas has only
increased. Heres a sampling of some of the more physicallyoriented of these powers, starting with an in-depth look at
the Body Modification quantum power.

Body Modifications: An Owners

Manual
Existing in the grey area between full-blown quantum
powers, Mega-Attributes, enhancements and aberrations,
the category labeled as body modifications covers myriad
minor advantageous physical abnormalities. Despite their
apparent simplicity, body modifications have often proved
confusing to deal with in the course of playing in Aberrant
chronicles. Weve gone ahead and come up with some
answers for three of the most common questions about
body modifications that have been asked by Aberrant players and Storytellers.

Body Modifications and Dormancy

According to the listing on p. 184 of the Aberrant
core book, body modifications are permanent alterations
to a novas body, requiring no quantum points to use or
maintain. Some Aberrant players have taken this to mean
that body modifications are retained when a nova uses the
Dormancy Background to assume baseline form. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on ones point of view) this
does not happen, as access to body modifications - along
with the majority of a novas other quantum abilities - are
effectively lost while a nova is dormant. While body modifications dont require spending quantum points to use or

maintain, they do require the direct channeling of quantum energies through the novas body in order to function.
Baseline humans cannot actively channel quantum energies
(much less have functional wings), and thats more or less
what a nova becomes when using Dormancy.

Body Modifications and social

difficulties
To most baseline citizens in 2015, the sight of a nova
with an obvious body modification usually isnt much of a
shock. Seeing a man with a set of horns growing from his skull
or pulsating gill flaps on the sides of his neck can be startling
at first, but people who arent xenophobic can become used
to such sights with surprising ease. The exceptions to this
rule of thumb are those body modifications that baselines
find to be either very disturbing or disgusting, with the Subdermal Senses (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 110) and Slimy
Skin (Aberrant: Teragen, p. 130) body modifications being
prime examples. In most cases a nova with that sort of body
modification will suffer an additional penalty of +1 on rolls
made for her social interactions, although the Storyteller can
apply higher penalties as the circumstances warrant. The
Storyteller can also apply this penalty at his discretion to any
rolls that a nova with any obvious body modifications makes
for social interactions with xenophobic people.

Physical Merits as Body Modifications

Just as certain Mega-Attribute enhancements are
quantum-augmented versions of normal human qualities
(Merits, in game terms), its possible to take Physical Merits
that dont already have enhancement analogues as body
modifications. Simply halve the bonus point cost (rounded
down) of a given Physical Merit to arrive at the cost in nova
points for the new body modification. In the case of onepoint Merits, simply doubling the Merits benefit will be sufficient to convert it into a body modification costing one
nova point. While the conversion of most Physical Merits is
fairly straightforward, the Huge Size Merit (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 69) is an exception. Unlike the Merit, multiple
levels of the Huge Size body modification can be taken.
Taking a second level requires the nova to have 1 dot of
both Mega-Strength and Mega-Stamina, while taking further levels will each require another dot of either MegaStrength or Mega-Stamina.

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New Body Modifications

Additional body modifications that characters may
develop or purchase include:

Leg/Foot Package
Digitigrade Legs: (one nova point / three experience
points) Like those of a quadrupedal animal, the novas legs
are altered to facilitate running and leaping. The nova with
this body modification multiplies his base running speed and
leaping distance by 1.5. Kicks from the nova with this body
modification inflict an additional +1 die of damage as well.
Extra Legs: (two nova points / four experience points)
The nova has two extra legs with one level of this body modification, and will typically have a centaur-style body structure as a result of this. This will double the novas running
and sprinting speeds, and lowers the novas difficulty by -3
on all rolls to maintain his balance & avoid being knocked
over. Additional pairs of legs may be taken at a cost of 1
nova point / 3 experience points, but will only increase the
novas difficulty reduction to maintain balance & avoid being
knocked over by -2 (to a maximum of -10) for each pair of
legs.
Foot Pads: (one nova point / three experience points)
The nova has resilient pads on the soles of her feet. Not only
do they allow her to walk silently, they are also tough enough
that she can walk on hazardous surfaces (such as hot coals,
ice and broken glass) without losing her footing or getting
herself injured. In game terms, the nova adds a bonus of
+3 dice on Stealth rolls for the purpose of walking silently
and on Athletics rolls to avoid losing her footing on awkward
surfaces. Note that the nova must be barefoot in order to use
this body modification.
Hooves: (one nova point / three experience points)
Found only in novas with Digitigrade Legs, this body modification grants the nova hooved feet. The hooves may be
either cloven like those of mountain goats, or adapted to
running like those of horses. The type of hooves is chosen
by the player when this body modification is purchased, and
he cant take both types. Cloven hooves will grant the nova
a +3 dice bonus on all Athletics rolls that involve moving
on mountainous and/or rocky terrain. Running hooves will
double the novas base running speed (counting the 1.5 multiplier already provided by Digitigrade Legs). Both types of
hooves will also let the novas kick attacks inflict (Strength
+ 3) bashing damage. Unfortunately, a nova with hooves
will suffer a +3 difficulty penalty on Stealth rolls for moving
silently on hard surfaces. Also, the nova will have to either
shape any footwear from a eufiber colony or have it custommade.
Macropod: (one nova point / three experience points)
Another body modification found only in novas with Digi-

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tigrade Legs, this grants the nova elongated feet that are
optimized for jumping, much like the rear feet of a kangaroo.
This body modification doubles the novas leaping distance
(counting the 1.5 multiplier already provided by Digitigrade
Legs). However, the nova will face difficulties in operating
foot controls such as used in vehicles designed for baseline
humans, and will have to either shape any footwear from a
eufiber colony or have it custom-made.
Prehensile Feet: (one nova point / three experience
points) The novas feet can be used as hands, and the toes
are long enough to function as fingers. Fortunately, they will
lose none of their capabilities to function as well as normal
human feet. Combined with the Omnidexterity enhancement, this can allow the nova to effectively have four hands
at once.
Quadrupedal Locomotion: (one nova point / three
experience points, or two nova points / four experience
points) A nova with this body modification is fully capable of
both bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion, and can switch
between the two modes of movement as an automatic
action. When moving on all fours, the novas base speeds for
both running and sprinting are doubled. This is fully cumulative with the Digitigrade Legs and Hooves body modifications, although the novas hands will not become hooves.
The novas limbs will either have or can temporarily develop
all the necessary alterations (including a restored subclavius
muscle) needed for moving comfortably and efficiently on all
fours. If this body modification is taken at the one nova point
level, the novas spine and arms will actually change their
shapes to allow him to function in quadruped mode. The
only drawbacks to this are that 1- the novas manual dexterity
will be impaired (+3 difficulty on appropriate Dexterity rolls)
while he is using them as additional legs and feet, and 2- the
alterations are blatantly obvious. If this body modification is
taken at the two nova point level, the novas arms wont have
to change shape in order for him to go on all fours at will. Not
only will the novas arms look normal, but his manual dexterity will not be impaired when hes in quadruped mode.

Tail Package
Balancer Tail: (one nova point / three experience
points) The nova has a long tail that helps him maintain his
balance. This body modification reduces all applicable difficulty modifiers to Athletics rolls by 2.
Bludgeoning Tail: (one nova point / three experience
points) A nova with this body modification has a thick, muscular tail like that of an alligator. Assuming that the nova is
of normal human size, her tail will be about two meters long.
The tail cannot be used to manipulate items aside from just
shoving them around, but it can be used to strike targets
behind the nova. This attack will inflict (Strength +3) bashing

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damage. If combined with the Balancer Tail body modification, the nova will also be able to temporarily support herself
for (Mega-Dexterity x 2) + (Dexterity) turns by standing on
her tail, leaving both of her legs free to make kick attacks.
Its possible to take a second level of this body modification,
which will result in the nova developing a tail club similar to
that of the extinct Ankylosaurus. In this case, the damage
inflicted by the novas tail will rise to (Strength + 6) bashing.
Please note that a nova with this body modification will have
obvious problems with sitting in backed chairs and vehicle
seats (almost all of which are engineered to baseline human
specifications), and will have to have many of her garments
custom-tailored or shaped from a eufiber colony.
Serpentine Tail: (one nova point / three experience
points, or two nova points / four experience points) Instead
of a pair of human legs, a nova with this body modification
has a muscular snake-like tail thats thick enough for him to
balance himself on. If the nova is of normal human proportions (roughly 150 to 180 centimeters tall), this appendage
will be anywhere from four to five meters long, measured
from the novas pelvis to his tail tip. Instead of walking in the
human fashion, the nova can use the specialized muscles and
scutes (stomach scales) on the underside of his tail to slither
on the ground at his normal speed for walking, running and
sprinting. Whats more, the nova can slither at full speed with
his torso in either an upright or horizontal position. Upright
slithering is no different from normal walking, but horizontal
slithering adds a +2 difficulty penalty to all ranged attacks
made by landbound foes against the nova- its hard to hit
such a small target, much less a moving one. Airborne foes
and those making ranged attacks from an elevated position
will have no such problems. The novas tail can also be used
to strike his opponents in combat (treat this as a kick maneuver), inflicting Strength +4 bashing damage. If taken at the
one nova point level, this is a permanent alteration to the
novas body. In this case, he will effectively have the Legless Mega-Dexterity aberration (on p. 207 of this book).
The nova will be unable to jump, but cannot be tripped or
immobilized by a minor leg wound. The nova will also be
unable to wear many garments tailored for normal humans,
and may encounter difficulties in using foot-operated controls or riding in vehicles. This body modification also looks
extremely weird to normal humans, and may cause difficulties with sexual activity. If taken at the two nova point level,
the nova can shapeshift his tail into normal human legs
(losing the benefits and drawbacks of this body modification)
and switch them back as an automatic action
Serpentine Trunk: (two nova points / four experience
points) The novas torso and abdomen has become 4 meters
of muscular coils, much like that of a python or other constricting snake. While this looks extremely odd, it will grant
him +3 extra dice on any Brawl or Martial Arts rolls to place

a foe in a Clinch or Hold (Aberrant core book, p. 244). Additional levels of this body modification can be taken at the
Storytellers discretion. The novas coils will gain another 4
meters in length and grant another extra die for the novas
Brawl or Martial Arts rolls. This comes at the cost of targeted
attacks made against the novas coils being lowered by -1
point (up to a maximum of -5) for each additional level taken.
Novas with this body modification will also face minor problems with wearing normal clothing, which can be avoided by
either using the Attunement Background, wearing attuned
eufiber or leaving the midriff bare.
Swimming Fluke: (one nova point / three experience
points, or two nova points / four experience points) The
novas legs are somehow locked together, and can flex in
unison to act as a powerful swimming fluke. This will allow
her to swim at double her running speed. If the nova also
has the Webbed Hands/Feet body modification, she will be
able to swim at four times her running speed. If taken at the
one nova point level, this is a permanent alteration to the
novas body, with her legs fused together into something
like the trunk and tail of a fish or cetacean. Unless the nova
has abandoned landbound life entirely, she will have to deal
with effectively being a paraplegic (as per the Flaw on p. 71
of the Aberrant Players Guide) while on land or onboard
a seagoing vessel. If taken at the two nova point level, the
nova can restore her legs to normal human function (and lose
the benefit of this body modification) and switch back as an
automatic action.

Individual Body Modifications

Anchor: (one nova point / three experience points)
The nova has some kind of specialized body part (grasping
feet like those of a bat or bird, suckers like those of cephalopods or remoras, or thick spines) that allow him to attach himself to a chosen surface, where he will remain until he either
decides to free himself or is forcibly removed. This attachment is so secure that the nova can even sleep soundly and
remain rooted to his chosen spot. This makes forcibly dislodging the nova from that spot difficult, as all such attempts
will require a contested Might roll with the nova gaining +3
extra dice on the roll. Please note that this will not allow the
nova to wall-crawl, as that feat requires the Adhesive Grip
body modification. This body modification is also of limited
use in combat, as it cannot be used to attach the nova to the
surface of any living being smaller than a large adult whale.
Augmented Blood: (two nova points / four experience points) While most novas cannot safely donate their
blood to baselines due to the extreme side effects, a nova
with Augmented Blood is the exception. A nova with this
body modification has blood that is almost intelligent. It
clots when it should, doesnt clot when it shouldnt, and

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does its best to clean or repair whatever it touches inside
the novas circulatory system. More importantly the novas
blood can also be safely transfused into anyone regardless of their blood type, making the nova a universal blood
donor. Donating blood requires the presence of someone
with Medicine 2+ and special equipment, especially if the
nova has high levels of lethal soak. The process takes roughly
twenty minutes to perform, and inflicts an unsoakable level
of bashing damage to the donating nova, which will heal
normally. If the donated blood is transfused to someone
else, it will heal a nova or a baseline of a single lethal health
level of damage over the course of an hour. If the recipient
is already at full health, then it will permanently restore a
single dot of Stamina or Appearance that has been lost due
to tissue damage or old age. This will have no effect on any
injuries created by Aggravated damage. The recipient will
also gain a bonus of +1 dot per pint of the novas blood she
receives (up to a maximum of three) to her Endurance and
Resistance abilities for a period of 4 months. For this reason,
novas with Augmented Blood usually do their best to keep
it a secret. Those who dont must contend with the efforts of
medical researchers and ailing wealthy people who will seek
to gain the novas blood for their own purposes. This body
modification only provides two direct benefits to the nova
himself. First, the novas blood automatically clots to prevent
bleeding and shock (and subsequent health level loss) from
any lethal damage he takes after the initial injury is suffered.
Second, the nova gains a bonus of +3 dice on Resistance
rolls made to counter the harmful effects of coagulants, anticoagulants, and blood thinners. Novas with this body modification very often either have or will develop Mega-Stamina,
the Health and Regeneration enhancements, or the Healing
quantum power; and should be allowed to purchase them
with nova or experience points. This body modification may
not be taken more than once.
Augmented Heart: (two nova points / four experience
points) The novas heart is somewhat larger than normal, and
the cardiac muscle tissue itself is much stronger than that
of baseline humans. Combined with minor alterations such
as redesigned valves, these factors result in a heart thats
a superhumanly efficient blood pump. In game terms, this
body modification grants the nova +3 extra dice on all Endurance rolls due to her enhanced cardiac performance. If the
nova also has one or more levels of the Extra Health Levels
body modification that are defined as duplicate organs,
she may take a second level of this body modification. In
this case, the novas second heart will increase the extra dice
provided by this body modification to +5.
Colony: (two nova points / four experience points, or
three nova points / six experience points) This rather unusual
body modification allows the nova to house a colony of small
animals within his own body. If the colony is housed in an

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additional physical structure on the novas body, such as a

hump on the novas back that houses a hive of flying insects,
this body modification costs two nova points. If the nova
has no such obvious physical structure and instead simply
houses the colony within his body, it will cost three nova
points. The animals most commonly housed with this body
modification are insects, but the nova can choose to host
any other small animal given to communal living. The type
of animal chosen can never be anything larger than a typical
rat, however. Any physical attack on the nova will be treated
as an attack on the colony by the novas resident creatures.
A hostile colony will swarm the nearest living creature, inflicting (Stamina + Mega-Stamina) dice of bashing damage per
turn, which can be soaked normally. Once agitated, a colony
will remain hostile for (the novas Willpower) turns. The nova
will always be aware of the well-being of his resident creatures in general terms, but will still need the Animal Mastery
power in order to actively control or communicate with them.
The swarm is considered to have (Stamina) + (Mega-Stamina
x 2) soak and health levels, and usually takes no more than
a single health level of damage from a given attack. Area or
explosion attacks may inflict more damage, at the Storytellers discretion. A colony without any remaining health levels
is considered to have had all of its adult members killed.
In this case, the nova has three options. First, he can hope
that the immature resident creatures in his colony (if there
are any) will be able to survive and reach maturity without
the adults help. Second, the nova can cultivate a new collection of little friends to take up residence in his colony.
Third, he can simply choose to do without them. Fortunately,
if the nova has the Adaptability enhancement, his resident
creatures will also enjoy the various benefits it provides,
but will not receive the benefits of any of the host novas
other enhancements. The resident creatures are also automatically attuned (as per the Attunement Background on pp.
139-140 of the Aberrant core book) to the novas quantum
signature without his having to spend any quantum points
for it. Finally, this body modification is not compatible with
the homunculus swarm transformation available to novas
with 4+ dots of the Homunculus power. As the transformation breaks down the novas body into lots of small creatures,
any resident creatures housed with this body modification
will literally find their home falling apart! In this case, a swarm
of resident creatures will abandon the nova in their search for
more permanent living quarters.
Directional Ears: (two nova points / four experience
points) The novas ears are large and situated near the top
of her head. They are capable of swiveling in the direction of
detected sounds, giving a more precise impression of exactly
where the sound is coming from. This modification gives an
additional +2 dice to all hearing-based Awareness rolls. This
modification also allows the nova to target with her ears,

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just like other people can with their eyes. This can also raise
or lower the novas difficulties on Appearance-based rolls
with certain people, depending on whether they find the
novas particular form of this body modification attractive or
not (Storytellers discretion).
Dolphin Sleep: (one nova point/ three experience
points) The novas brain has been altered allowing for a sleep
cycle resembling that of dolphins. The hemispheres of the
novas brain can rest in sequence rather than all at once, leaving the nova essentially awake and aware of her surroundings. In game terms, the nova can sleep while at ease
rather than while completely relaxed (Aberrant core book,
pp. 146-147), although she may still sleep in the normal
human manner if desired. For each hour that the nova is at
ease (going for a walk, doing some easy paperwork, talking to friends, watching television, reading, etc) she gains
the benefit of one hour of being completely relaxed (sleeping, sitting around doing nothing). The nova is still limited to
regaining quantum points at the rate of 2 points per hour,
however.
The drawback to this is that while using this body modification, the nova cannot engage in any physical action
more complex than walking from point A to point B, holding a book or pencil, typing on a keyboard, or similar tasks.
Furthermore, the nova may only engage in simple mental
or social activities such as reading, sketching, engaging in
light conversation, writing etc. Regardless of what sort of
activity is being attempted, all of the novas dice pools are
halved while using Dolphin Sleep (to a minimum of 1 die). To
attempt any activity that is physically, mentally or emotionally strenuous or that would require the novas full concentration (in the Storytellers opinion) while using Dolphin Sleep,
the nova must make a Willpower roll to fully awaken herself.
Attempting to engage in combat while using Dolphin Sleep
is impossible and always requires the character to roll Willpower to awaken. If the nova is suffering from a lack of sleep
(in the Storytellers opinion), the Willpower roll to awaken
may be made with a difficulty penalty of +1 or +2, reflecting
the novas extreme exhaustion.
High-Pressure Tolerance: (three nova points / six
experience points) Not only is the nova capable of breathing underwater (as per the Gills body modification), but she
can shrug off the effects of the high pressures found near
the ocean floor with ease. In game terms, the nova can dive
down to the deepest oceanic trenches without suffering any
injury, and can remain submerged indefinitely. The nova can
dive and surface as quickly as she likes without any preparation; and is also immune to pressure-related diving hazards such as nitrogen narcosis (a.k.a. rapture of the deep),
decompression sickness (a.k.a. the bends), air embolisms
and oxygen toxicity. Hypothermia caused by the cold of the
ocean depths is likewise not a problem.

Hyper-Sleep: (one nova point / three experience

points) The nova with this body modification can enter a
state of hyper-sleep when desired, which provides him
with astonishing recuperative abilities. Up to four levels of
this body modification can be taken; with one level doubling
the rest value of his time spent in hyper-sleep, so one hour
of hyper-sleep will count as two hours worth of regular sleep
for all practical purposes except recovering quantum points.
The nova adds +1 to his healing rate multiplier and is considered to be receiving medical aid when in hyper-sleep. The
nova will retain a subliminal awareness of his surroundings
when in hyper-sleep, and can automatically awaken at the
first sign of danger and/or trouble. Finally, the nova can enter
hyper-sleep at anytime and anywhere, provided that hes not
in danger. Each additional level of this body modification
taken will again double the rest value of any time spent in
hyper-sleep (x4 with two levels, x8 with three, and x16 with
four), and will add another +1 to his healing rate multiplier
when in hyper-sleep.
Improved Attribute: (one nova point / three experience points) Something in the novas physiology has been
changed for the better, as she can attain superior levels of
development in some aspect of basic human nature. The
nova can raise one base Attribute (chosen by the player) to
a maximum value of 10 dots with experience (though it may
not be higher than five dots during character creation). Fortunately for the nova, the experience point costs for raising
the base Attribute will also be lowered to 75% of the normal
cost (rounded down). While this form of human augmentation certainly pales in comparison to the Mega-Attributes,
it can provide a more subtle edge. Please note that a base
Attribute rating of 6 or more is not required - or even of any
help - in buying a sixth dot of the corresponding MegaAttribute; that requires a Quantum rating of 6 or more. This
body modification can be bought for more than one base
Attribute.
Improved Skeletal Muscles: (three nova points / six
experience points) The skeletal muscles of baseline humans
are composed of both fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers,
with the prior used for quick bursts of activity and the latter
for long-lasting effort. The skeletal muscles of a nova with
this body modification are different, as they are composed
of a single type of muscle fiber which can function as either
fast-twitch or slow-twitch fibers as needed and are superhumanly efficient to boot. In game terms, the nova gains
+3 extra dice on both all Athletics rolls that involve quick
bursts of strength (such as sprinting) and on all Endurance
rolls that involve long-distance exertion. As a pleasant side
benefit this body modification also inhibits the novas body
from gaining weight and becoming obese, even if shes kept
physically inactive.
Ink Jet: (two nova points / four experience points) The

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nova can squirt out a stream of opaque liquid from a predetermined point on his body (typically from his mouth, but not
always) thats almost identical to the ink produced by octopi.
In air, the nova is limited to squirting the ink at a single foe
(roll Athletics to hit the target using the targeting rules on
p. 243 of the Aberrant core book) in hopes of impeding his
vision (+4 difficulty penalty to vision-based Perception rolls).
Depending on how thick and/or adhesive it is, the ink might
also be used to paint windows and camera lenses or to
tag buildings with graffiti. Underwater, the ink will billow out
into (Stamina) cubic meters of water, where it will impede
vision (+3 difficulty penalty to vision-based Perception rolls)
for 2 turns, after which the ink cloud will dissipate. The nova
can produce enough ink to use this body modification up
to (Stamina) times every 24 hours, with each dot of MegaStamina providing enough ink for another 2 uses. Finally, the
nova can always produce enough ink to write or paint with,
provided that he has a brush or old-fashioned pen handy.
Pheromones: (one nova point/ three experience
points)The novas scent glands produce an augmented
variety of pheromones. These pheromones are tailored to
trigger different responses in the subject. Characters that
do not need to breathe or that are in a non-biological form
are entirely immune to the pheromones effect. The pheromones will influence the target for the duration of the scene
or for as long as the target is in the novas presence.
Each time this body modification is purchased, the nova
receives two levels of pheromones, which can be used to purchase a new type of pheromone at Toxin Rating 1, or to add
+1 to the Toxin Rating of an existing pheromone(maximum
Toxin Rating of 3). The nova may spend a Willpower point to
increase his pheromones Toxin Rating by 1 for the rest of the
scene (to a maximum Toxin Rating of 4). Targets may make a
Willpower or Resistance roll (whichever dice pool is greater)
at a +1 difficulty to stave off a pheromones effect. Each
success reduces the Toxin Rating by 1, if the Toxin Rating
is reduced to 0 this way the pheromone has no effect. The
maximum number of pheromones that the nova can have
active at the same time is equal to the novas (Stamina +
Mega-Stamina). The pheromones will influence the behavior
of all humans and novas that are within ((Stamina + MegaStamina) x 2) meters of the nova. Air filtering equipment
(such as breathing masks) will reduce the Toxin Rating of a
pheromone by 1 and sealed environment suits will negate
the effect entirely. Targets that can identify chemical languages (novas with the Bloodhound enhancement or the
Enhanced Vomeronasal Organ body modification) are familiar with pheromone signals and need only spend a Willpower
point to resist the effect. Nova with the Health enhancement
automatically have selective immunity to pheromones, and
can automatically choose to be affected or not regardless of
relative power levels.

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Addictive: Targets who have been exposed to the

novas pheromones will feel a strong subconscious desire
to experience them again. They may well feel that they are
attracted to the nova (even if he doesnt have Social MegaAttributes), but it is actually the novas pheromones that they
desire. Targets previously exposed to this pheromone suffer
a +1 difficulty modifier to all Willpower rolls for (Toxin Rating
x 2) days. This penalty only applies while targets are not in
the presence of the nova with addictive pheromones. The
affected target must also make a Willpower roll at +1 difficulty to resist returning to the novas presence if and when
the opportunity presents itself. Note that this is a subconscious desire, and affected targets will not feel compelled
to endanger themselves to get near the nova, although they
may be willing to appear foolish.
Aggression: The novas pheromones trigger a fight
response in the target, making them confrontational and
aggressive. A target under the influence of this pheromone
gains a +1 bonus to Initiative, but loses (Toxin Rating) dice
for any passive action (such as intense research, complicated technical work or delicate negotiations).
Arousal: The novas pheromones trigger sexual arousal
in the targets, making them more open to sensual advances.
This effect applies equally to each gender, regardless of
the novas or the targets actual sexual orientation. A target
under the influence of this pheromone loses (Toxin Rating)
dice on any rolls to resist the novas Seduction attempts.
Coercion: The novas pheromones make others
extremely susceptible to mental influence. Targets under the
influence of this pheromone lose (Toxin Rating) dice on any
rolls to resist Command or Intimidate attempts. The target
also suffers a +1 difficulty modifier to Willpower rolls to resist
Dominate, Hypnosis, Empathic Manipulation or The Voice.
If the target has the Leader nature, this pheromone triggers
the Aggression response instead.
Confrontation: The novas pheromones trigger a
flight response in the target, making them nervous, nonconfrontational, and eager to leave the situation. A target
under the influence of this pheromone takes a -1 penalty
to Initiative and loses (Toxin Rating) dice for any aggressive actions (such as attacking a foe, engaging in a heated
debate or giving orders in a stressful situation).
Evasion: The novas pheromones mark the nova as
unremarkable and inconsequential. Targets under the influence of this pheromone lose (Toxin Rating) dice on any
Awareness rolls to notice the nova, unless they are specifically looking for someone. The nova does not become invisible or stealthy in any way, the pheromones simply make a
targets brain mark the nova as unimportant.
Interrelationship: The novas pheromones have a
calming influence, cooling tempers and lowering defenses.
Targets under the influence of this pheromone lose (Toxin

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Rating) dice on any rolls to resist Rapport or Subterfuge
attempts from the nova. The target must also make a Wits
roll to initiate any hostile action.
Mnemonic: The novas pheromones are capable of
carrying coded information. Targets can be tagged with
referential information that any one capable of reading
chemical languages (such as Bloodhound enhancement or
the Enhanced Vomeronasal Organ body modification) will
be capable of deciphering. Unlike other pheromone powers,
the nova must touch the target to tag them with the information, and it will remain viable for (Toxin Rating x 2) days, or
until the item or person touched has been washed with soap
and water. The nova can also broadcast the information as
a pheromone signal, but it will only be perceived by those
capable of understanding chemical language. This information is limited to simple facts or statements. A nova can
encode 1 statement per dot of (Intelligence + Mega Intelligence). Typical information coded include instructions (use
the 15 mm wrench), statements (this guy is a jerk), or warnings (this woman is conspiring against you).
Nauseating: The novas pheromones trigger intense
gastrointestinal discomfort. Targets will begin to feel sick
and may well vomit due to highly uncomfortable levels of
nausea. While under the influence of the pheromone, targets suffer a +1 difficulty modifier to all actions. If the target
botches the resistance roll they are dazed for 1 round as they
become violently ill. While the effect is similar to what might
be expected from exposure to an extremely unpleasant
odor, anyone without the Bloodhound enhancement or the
Enhanced Vomeronasal Organ body modification will not
actually smell anything out of the ordinary.
Psychotropic: The novas pheromones have a strong
hallucinogenic effect. Targets under the influence of this
pheromone perceive false and/or distorted sensory information. The target loses (Toxin Rating) dice on Intelligence,
Perception, or Wits based rolls. If the target botches the
resistance roll they are dazed for 1 round as they suffer an
onslaught of nightmarish hallucinations. The confused state
of the targets mind is difficult for telepaths to pierce, and
any attempts to use Telepathy against the target suffers a +1
difficulty modifier.
Soporific: The novas pheromones function as a disinhibitor and a mild sedative. Targets under the influence of
this pheromone behave as if mildly intoxicated. The target
loses (Toxin Rating) dice on any rolls involving fine manipulation or coordinated movement. The nova gains +1 die on
any attempts to persuade or manipulate the affected target.
This affects even novas unless they have the Adaptability or
Health enhancements.
Pouch: (one nova point / three experience points) The
nova has a large marsupial-style pouch on his body, typically
at stomach level. If the nova is of normal human size, he

can store an item or small creature in it, but anything larger

than a human infant (in more precise terms, 3.6 kilograms of
cargo) is out of the question. Another option is for the nova
to have several smaller pockets at various locations in his
body. The combined storage capacity of the smaller pockets will be equal to that of the large pouch. If this second
option is taken, the nova may purchase an additional level
of this body modification to make the smaller pouches concealable (+3 difficulty to detect either the pouches or their
contents without scanning devices), even when the nova
is hiding something within them. The large pouch cannot
be made concealable. At the Storytellers discretion, one
or more additional levels of this body modification can be
taken, although a nova whose body is both normal-sized and
passably human will likely be limited to two levels.
Rudders: (one nova point / three experience points)
Found only in novas with Webbed Hands/Feet, this body
modification grants the nova one or more fins (like the
dorsal fins of fish) that increase his maneuverability in the
water. In game terms, this body modification will reduce the
novas difficulty on all Athletics rolls made for swimming by
-1. Its possible to take up to two additional levels of this
body modification, with each additional set of rudders providing an additional difficulty reduction of -1, up to a maximum difficulty reduction of -3. As the rudders are permanent
additions to the novas body, they can easily cause the nova
problems with wearing non-eufiber clothing and using furniture designed for baselines.
Scent Control: (three nova points / six experience
points) The nova has complete control over his own body
scent. Aside from being able to both physically produce
any scent he desires and change his scent at will, the nova
can even neutralize his own scent as an automatic action,
becoming completely scentless for a scene. When scentless,
all attempts to detect and/or track the nova by his scent are
rolled with a +2 difficulty penalty. It is also possible for novas
with this body modification to communicate via scent, provided that they also both have the Bloodhound enhancement. Please note that this body modification cannot be
used to either produce pheromones or alter the novas natural pheromone production.
Snorkel: (one nova point / three experience points)
The nova has a natural snorkel, which allows him to breathe
normally when underwater (at shallow depths) or buried in
soil as long as the nostrils of the snorkel are exposed to the
air. The basic form of this body modification will grant the
nova a set of nostrils on the top of his head. This can also
be combined with the Tendril body modification, effectively
granting the nova an elephant-style trunk. In either case, this
provides an additional route for air intake to the novas lungs
thats separate from his trachea. Aside from allowing the
nova to breathe and eat at the same time, this also comes

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in handy if someones trying to asphyxiate him by closing off
his trachea.
Sonar: (three nova points / six experience points)
The nova with this body modification can vocally produce
ultrasonic waves that allow him to see his surroundings by
hearing the sonic reflections, out to an effective range of fifty
meters. The view granted in this manner is anything but
clear, as objects and beings will be blurry images at best. The
nova will be able to determine gross physical details with this
sense such as object size, but fine details and vision-based
details such as color are out of the question. This is counterbalanced by the fact that this form of vision does not
require any light in order to function. Using this body modification requires a Perception roll, with one success granting a
vague picture and five granting a very detailed picture. This
form of sonar does work in a 360 radius around the nova,
allowing him to prevent attackers from gaining the bonuses
for rear and flanking attacks made against him. The main
drawback to this is that the nova will be effectively mute
(as per the Flaw on p. 70 of the Aberrant Players Guide)
while using this body modification. That limitation can be
sidestepped if the nova also has the Enhanced Vocal Organs
body modification (from the Aberrant Compendium). Also,
the novas sonar waves can be detected with both radar and
ultrasonic detecting abilities and devices.
Spinnerets: (three nova points / six experience points)
The nova has silk-producing glands similar to those of spiders, which are capable of producing a high-tensile strength
webbing. These glands are located at a predetermined point
on the novas body (chosen by the novas player). Some
novas with this body modification will have the glands in
their forearms, but others (who tend to have accumulated
serious levels of Taint) can develop them as freakish-looking
growths on their abdomen. Other possibilities would include
(but are not limited to) having the glands in a tail or tendril
with the silk extruded at the tip of the appendage; or having
the glands in the upper chest, with the silk extruded from the
novas mouth. A strand of the novas webbing will be slightly
less than one centimeter thick and can be difficult to see (+1
difficulty on Perception rolls), at the Storytellers discretion.
The webbing strand is exceptionally strong, possessing an effective soak rating equal to the novas ((Stamina) +
(Mega-Stamina x 2)) and one health level. It will also have an
effective Might dice pool equal to the webbings (soak rating
x 2), which will reflect the webbings loadbearing capacity and
adhesive strength. When woven into a web or similar structure, or when several strands are corded together, the resulting structure or cord has one health level/ per strand woven
into it. The nova can produce both dry and adhesive silk. Dry
webbing is just that, and is as useful as any other strong rope.
Adhesive webbing produced with this body modification is
so sticky that tearing free of it requires a contested Might

226

roll between the captive and the webbings effective Might.

The nova can produce ((Stamina) + (Mega-Stamina x2))
gouts of silk in a 24 hour period. One gout of silk can be
used to create a strand of silk up to 50 meters long or two
square meters of web. The webbing is quite versatile; and
a nova with one or more dots in the Survival Ability can use
her webbing to capture and/or imprison foes, seal doors
and windows shut, set traps, aid in climbing and many other
tasks. If the nova should ever find herself having to produce
more than her daily allotment of silk, she can consume especially high-protein foods (such as tofu, whole milk, meat... or
blood) in order to convert it into more silk protein. For every
5 deciliters of liquid high-protein food or 500 grams of solid
high-protein food that the nova consumes, she can produce
another gout of webbing after digesting and converting the
protein. This takes a single turn if digesting solid food, and
almost no time at all if digesting liquid food. The nova can
produce up to 1 days allotment of silk in this manner, with
each dot of Mega-Stamina she has allowing her to produce
another days worth of extra silk.
Its possible to take a second level of this body modification, which will allow the nova to pressurize the liquid silk
in her silk glands and sling her webbing at a target thats
up to ((Strength) + (Mega-Strength x 2)) meters away from
her. Successfully hitting a target with the webbing requires
an Athletics roll.
Stinger: (two nova points / four experience points)
This is the body modification possessed by Robert Manticore duChamp, the details of which can be found in
Aberrant: Worldwide Phase II, p. 92. Additional levels of
this body modification can be taken, which will let the nova
sprout additional stingers.
Ultralight Musculoskeletal System: (three nova
points/ six experience points) The novas bones are composed of a substance thats far lighter and somewhat tougher
than the calcium found in the bones of baseline humans, and
are hollow to boot! The novas muscular and connective tissues are also lighter, more durable, and have greater tensile strength than the muscle tissue and cartilage of baseline
humans. All of this adds up to a nova thats a good deal
lighter in weight than his or her height and build would indicate, but who doesnt suffer from any loss of loadbearing
capacity. Rough guideline: Consider the novas body weight
to be about 75% of the normal weight for a person of the
novas height and gender.
This grants the nova the following benefits and drawbacks:
The novas difficulty are reduced by -3 on all rolls
where reduced body weight could be a benefit- such as
leaping (Might), dancing, and Athletics (including dodging).
If the nova has the Flight power, this bonus will apply to his
or her Flight rolls as well. Note: Novas with the Wings/Pata-

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gia body modification who lack the Flight power do NOT
receive this bonus- all this body modification can do is make
them slightly more flightworthy, which isnt saying much.
The novas base Dexterity score is considered to be 3
dots higher for purposes of movement rates.
If the nova has the Wings/Patagia body modification
(but lacks the Flight power), he or she can soar for up to 1
hour per success on a Might roll at speeds equal to his or
her normal running pace. The prevailing winds can increase
or decrease the novas flightspeed at the Storytellers discretion. Serious would-be flyers must still purchase the Flight
power in order to take to the skies with any real speed and
control. Theres only so much that body modifications can do
to make such a horribly NON-aerodynamic structure as the
human/nova body frame flightworthy.
The novas hollow bones will break more easily than
those of the average nova- the novas soak against damage
that would result in bone fractures is reduced by 2 to reflect
this. This problem is wholly negated if the nova also has one
or more levels of the Hyperstrong Skeleton body modification (from the Aberrant Compendium).
The novas effective Might skill total is penalized by
2 dots for purposes of resisting knockback. Aside from the
Immovable Object (Mega-Stamina) enhancement (Aberrant
Players Guide, p. 103), the only way to correct this problem
is for the nova to temporarily increase his or her weight in
some manner, which unfortunately negates all benefits of
this body modification.
Taking more than one level of this body modification is
not possible. Also, this body modification cannot be taken
by novas with any body modifications or aberrations that
would permanently increase the novas body weight (such as
Heavyweight, Permanent Power- Density Increase, or some
forms of Permanent Power- Bodymorph).
Wings/ Patagia: (three nova points / six experience
points) In addition to the abilities listed in the Aberrant core
book, purchasing a second level of Wings/ Patagia also adds
2 dice to any maneuvers the nova performs while flying and/
or gliding (using the Wings/Patagia body modification or the
Flight power).
Winglets/Vanes: (one nova point / three experience
points) Found only in novas with Wings/Patagia, this body
modification grants the nova either a set of small sub-wings
(like the tails of many birds) or small extendable flaps of skin
that increase his maneuverability in the air. In game terms,
this body modification will reduce the novas difficulty on all
Flight or gliding rolls by -1. Its possible to take up to two
additional levels of this body modification, with each additional set of winglets or vanes providing an additional difficulty reduction of -1, up to a maximum difficulty reduction of
-3. As the winglets or vanes are permanent additions to the
novas body, they can easily cause the nova problems with

wearing non-eufiber clothing and using furniture designed

for baselines.

New Quantum Powers

Additional physical quantum powers that players may
learn or purchase include:

Blank
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Provides a +1 difficulty penalty per dot to all
attempts to perceive the character with metasensory powers
and enhancements.
Description: The nova with this power has gained a
degree of invisibility in respect to the metasensory perceptive abilities to other novas. Each dot of Blank applies a +1
difficulty modifier on attempts to detect the nova with metasensory powers and enhancements. Blank is effective against
powers that extend the novas senses beyond the standard
5, such as ESP, Intuition, Premonition, Quantum Attunement,
Telepathy (for scanning only, the novas mind can still be read
and manipulated) and the That Creepy Feeling enhancement. Blank is ineffective against powers and enhancement
that heighten an existing sense (such as Bloodhound, Electromagnetic Vision and Hyperenhanced Hearing).
Extras: None.

Body Shift
Level: 2
Quantum Minimum: 3
Dice Pool: Stamina + Body Shift
Range: Self
Duration: Maintenance
Area: N/A
Effect: Allows the nova to reshape his own body, within
physical limitations.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: A variant of Shapeshift, this power allows
the nova to alter their physical body within certain limits.
Each success on a Stamina+ Body Shift roll allows the nova
to manifest a body modification for one success each or
Physical Mega-Attribute enhancement for two successes
each. For body modifications or enhancements that can be
taken multiple times, the number of times is limited to the
novas dots of Body Shift.
Extras: None.

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Bottomless Stomach
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Character can store consumed foodstuffs in
extradimensional space via an access point in her digestive
tract.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: A nova with this power has the access
point of an extradimensional space permanently sited in her
digestive tract, which radically increases the amount of food
she is able to consume at one sitting. As the majority of the
consumed food is shunted into extradimensional storage,
the novas physical weight will not increase. This power provides no protection against any hazardous materials the nova
consumes, however. The nova will be able to consume and
store (Quantum + power rating) times (power rating counted
as Attunement) kilograms of food in her extradimensional
storage space. Stored food cannot be retrieved, except to
be released into the novas digestive tract.
Extras: None.

Extradimensional Pocket
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Special
Effect: Character can store items in extradimensional
space via an access point somewhere on his person.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: Some novas are able to hide items on
their persons without anyone being the wiser, through using
a small extradimensional space to store them. The access
point of the pocket can be anywhere on the novas person or
in his clothing, but is not irrevocably set at any single point.
Items (objects of the novas size or smaller - weapons, signs,
sets of clothing, etc.) stored in the extradimensional pocket
are undetectable by any means short of using the Quantum
Attunement enhancement, and even then it will only appear
as a small quantum spike in their clothing or on their hands.
The existence of the pocket is permanent. The maximum
amount of mass that can be stored in the extradimensional
pocket is equal to the novas (power rating), treated as dots
of the Attunement Background.
Extras: Deep Pocket (The nova can store [Quantum

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+ power rating] times the normal amount of mass in his

extradimensional pocket, and the items can be as large as
[Quantum + power rating] times the novas size), Pickpocket
(The nova can access the extradimensional pockets of other
novas with this power by spending 1 quantum point & rolling Dexterity + Legerdemain), Prepared Pocket (The nova
can manipulate one prechosen type of item stored within his
extradimensional pocket - firearms can be reloaded, signs
written on, etc.).

Immortality
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 6
Dice Pool: Stamina + Immortality
Range: N/A
Area: N/A
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Character is immortal, to varying degrees.
Multiple Actions: No
Prerequisites: the Adaptability, Regeneration & Unaging enhancements.
Description: For a nova with this power, death is often
only a temporary setback. Instead of simply dying like any
other nova, an Immortal nova can draw upon his reserves of
quantum energy to return his body to a fully intact state and
then restore it to life. After 1 hour with his Dead health level
box filled, the Immortal nova can spend quantum points to
make a Stamina + Immortality roll. If successful, the nova can
begin to rebuild his body through post-mortem regeneration
(which functions as per the enhancement), no matter how
extreme the damage it has suffered. The nova is restored to
life when he reaches the Incapacitated Health Level, and
can heal the remainder of his damage via Regeneration and/
or in the usual fashion. If the Stamina + Immortality roll fails,
the nova cannot attempt another roll for 1 hour. If the novas
Quantum Pool is depleted, he cannot make the roll until hes
regained enough quantum points to activate this power.
A dead Immortal nova will recover (power rating) quantum points per hour. Novas with the Quantum Attunement
enhancement will be able to notice this power buildup and
may figure out that the Immortal nova is only mostly dead.
Also, not all novas are created equal, and this is reflected in
the different stages of Immortality seen below. The particular
stage of Immortality that a nova with this power will have is
determined by his Quantum rating.
Stage 1: When dead, the novas remains can be handled
& stored without much difficulty (standard corpse, skeleton,
pile of ashes, etc.). The novas remains cannot be destroyed
with simple bashing or lethal damage, but post-mortem
regeneration can be prevented indefinitely through using
Inspired technology (such as quantum-dampening devices)

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on the novas remains. In game terms, the dice rating of the
Inspired technologys effect must equal or exceed the novas
Immortality rating for post-mortem regeneration to be prevented. However, if all of the Immortal novas Health Levels
are lost due to aggravated damage, the Immortal nova may
be killed permanently.
Stage 2 (requires Quantum 7): When dead, the novas
remains are difficult and/or hazardous to store when killed
(novas corpse reduced to vapor, becomes highly toxic or
radioactive, etc.). The novas remains cannot be destroyed
by even aggravated damage at this stage. However, postmortem regeneration can still be hampered by Inspired technology whose effect dice rating equals or exceeds the novas
Immortality rating. Starting with the effect die that equals
the novas Immortality rating, each die of the Inspired technologys effect slows the time period at which regeneration
takes place as per the Torpor Weakness (see below), counting effect dice as Taint.
Stage 3 (requires Quantum 8): When dead, the novas
remains are reduced to a state which is near-impossible to
either handle or store (an intangible quantum pattern, burst
of energy, etc). As the nova is discorporate, post-mortem
regeneration can also no longer be hampered by Inspired
technology. When the Immortal nova returns to life, he will
awaken and his body will coalesce in a location of Storytellers choosing.
Stage 4 (requires Quantum 9+): When killed, the
Immortal novas physical body transforms into living quantum energy, which can be treated as if the Immortal nova
had (power rating) dots of Bodymorph: Energy. The Immortal novas quantum energy form will also have his full Health
Levels and Quantum Pool. After (power rating) scenes or
when his energy form is killed and dispersed - whichever
comes first - the Immortal novas quantum energy form will
quickly vanish into the local telluric medium. While discorporate, the Immortal nova can begin to regenerate his physical
form as normal, which will coalesce in a location of the novas
choosing.
However, coming back from the dead is not anything to
take lightly, even for Immortal novas. Resurrecting oneself
in this manner will cost the Immortal nova one permanent
Willpower point at the time the Stamina + Immortality roll
is made, although second generation novas can spend 12
quantum points instead. If an Immortal nova actually does
want to die for some reason, not spending the Willpower
point (or 12 quantum points) will be sufficient to grant him
the death he desires. In addition, first generation novas who
take this power must also take one of the following weaknesses. Baseline humans simply arent designed to handle
the stresses of immortality, so even those who erupt can be

expected to still have some serious difficulties with the situation. The Storyteller is also encouraged to have some of
an Immortal first-generation novas aberrations tie into his
Immortality in some detrimental manner.
Change of Heart: Experiencing death and the subsequent resurrection causes significant changes in the Immortal novas psychology. Each time the nova returns to life
using Immortality, he must select a new Nature. If the circumstances of the novas previous death were stressful and/
or violent, the nova will also suffer from a temporary mental
disorder of the Storytellers choosing.
Distortion: Returning to life is an feat that further
divorces the nova from his origins as a mortal human. Each
successful use of the Immortality power causes the nova to
gain 5 points of temporary Taint.
Limited Immortality: While the Immortal nova could
still conceivably live forever, he can only resurrect himself
for a limited number of times. Once the Immortal nova
reaches his resurrection limit, this power is lost for good.
The number of resurrections the Immortal nova has available
is equal to his (Willpower + Immortality). At the Storytellers
discretion, such a former Immortal nova could instead trade
in this power for Reincarnation (typically one of the nastier
versions) at the same dot rating.
Torpor: When the nova is killed, it takes him an
increased amount on time depending on his level of taint
to activate his Immortality. If the nova has an intact or mostly
intact corpse, it desiccates rather than rots and will resemble
a natural mummy after a few years (and may even be mistaken for such).
Taint

Time

One

1 Hour

Two

1 Day

Three

1 Week

Four

1 Month

Five

6 Months

Six

1 Year

Seven

5 Years

Eight

10 Years

Nine

50 Years

Ten

100 Years

Extras: None.

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Impact
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: N/A
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Maintenance
Effects: Enhances characters close combat damage.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: This power enhances the kinetic force of
the novas kicks and punches. Each level of Impact adds 2
dice of bashing damage to the novas hand to hand attacks.
This power cannot be used with powers, enhancements,
Extras, weapons, or other effects that convert bashing
damage into lethal or aggravated damage or that cause
lethal or aggravated damage.
Extras: None.

Incorporation
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Stamina + Incorporation
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Special
Effect: Character can safely incorporate hardtech
devices into his body without surgery.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: With Incorporation, a nova can literally
make nearly any hardtech deviceweapons, communications devices, sensors, etc.a part of his own body and use
it as such. This includes cybernetic implants and prostheses,
but excludes Trinity-era bioapps. The novas tissues literally
rearrange themselves around the device in question, safely
integrating it without any need for surgical procedures.
The maximum size of items that the nova can incorporate
is dependent on an items Concealability rating (Aberrant
core book p. 275) and his power rating - one dot is sufficient
for Class P items, two dots for Class J items, three dots for
Class T items, four dots for Class N items, and five dots for
extra-large items such as vehicles or heavy weapons. Concealability ratings for non-weapon items (if applicable) will
be established by the Storyteller. Its important to note that
this powers effect is reversed somewhat in the case of incorporated heavy weapons and vehicles, as the novas body
will become an additional component of the device instead
of the other way around. In any case, portable incorporated
items are still subject to the Encumbrance rules (Aberrant
core book p. 233). Die rolls involving incorporated devices
use (Quantum + power rating) plus the relevant Ability,

230

instead of the normal Attribute + Ability Skill Total.

Incorporating a device requires a Stamina + Incorporation roll and spending 1 quantum point, although incorporating Class N or extra-large items will cost 2 or 3 quantum
points respectively. The number of successes on the roll
indicates the duration of the incorporation. Scoring just one
success means that the device will be automatically expelled
from the novas body (Stamina + power rating) turns after
being incorporated. Two successes increases the duration to
(Stamina + power rating) scenes, three to (Stamina + power
rating) days, and four makes the incorporation effectively
permanent until the nova wishes to expel the item from
his body. Expulsing an incorporated device is treated as
an automatic action, and does not require a power roll or
spending quantum points. The drawback to this is that small
devices that have been incorporated will usually protrude
from the novas body in an obvious and sometimes unsightly
manner, which can result in the nova suffering an increased
difficulty penalty for interacting with baselines at the Storytellers discretion. This will not apply to baselines with a
cyborg fetish and some science fiction fans, however. Class
P or J items can also be completely hidden within the novas
body with 2 or more successes on the power roll, concealing the device from casual observation. The nova may also
suffer a difficulty penalty on his Dexterity rolls if the mass
of an incorporated item would throw off his balance in the
Storytellers opinion.
Extras: Ammo Synthesis (the nova may spend quantum points to generate ammunition for an incorporated
weapon or device that uses such - bullets for a firearm,
electricity for an energy weapon or electronic device, etc.
1 quantum point will suffice for an additional 10 shots of
the incorporated weapon or device); Biological Amalgam
(requires Quantum 4; the nova can incorporate a living creature - including Trinity-era bioapps - into his body by spending 3 quantum points and rolling (Stamina + power rating).
The victim may resist by rolling Willpower, with any success
negating those of the nova on a 1-to-1 basis. At the Storytellers discretion, victims that are unconscious, sedated or
in shock cannot resist the nova. If four or more successes
are gained, the nova can use the creatures body to help
heal his own injuries. Once incorporated, a victim cannot
physically fight off the nova, as their bodies are now joined
on a cellular level. This is a horrific fate for the incorporated
creature, as its body will be slowly absorbed by the nova
in the process, losing health levels to the nova at a rate of
anything from 1 per scene to 1 per day - the exact rate is left
to the Storytellers discretion. If the nova wishes to keep an
incorporated victim alive for some reason, a Willpower roll
is all thats required to stall the absorption process. Unless
the nova is of truly gigantic proportions, he will be limited to
incorporating only 1 adult human-sized victim at a time. The

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nova can also access an incorporated creatures memory
through a direct nervelink with a Perception + Incorporation
roll, using the mechanics for telepathic mind-reading (Aberrant core book p. 225). Once the victims memory has been
accessed, all information gained becomes a permanent
part of the novas memory and will be retained when the
victim dies. Incorporated sapient creatures have the option
of making a contested Willpower roll against the novas Willpower to take command of the novas body for [victims permanent Willpower] turns. Trinity-era bioapps will die from
exposure to quantum when incorporated, negating any
possibility of the nova using their noetic functions, but the
nova will still be capable of accessing any data they store.
Fortunately, Inspired beings of any type cannot be incorporated by the nova).

Matter Consumption
Level: 2
Quantum Minimum: 2
Dice Pool: Stamina + Matter Consumption
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Maintenance
Effect: Allows the nova to consume anything she can
fit into her mouth.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: This bizarre power allows the nova to eat
nearly anything. The nova may consume natural organic
matter (meat, wood, leather, etc.) without needing to spend
quantum or make a roll. Other materials (iron, plastic, toxic
waste, etc.) may be eaten by the nova by spending 2 quantum points and making a successful Stamina + Matter Consumption Roll. Any material with a soak rating less than the
novas Quantum Trait + successes may be consumed. The
nova can consume materials at a rate of about 50 kilograms
an hour. Items eaten this way give the nova 1 extra Bruised
Health level / per 10 kilograms of mass consumed (maximum health levels gained are equal to dots of Matter Consumption). These extra health levels fade after one hour/per
dot of Matter Consumption. As a bonus, the nova is immune
to any hazardous effects from eating certain substances. In
combat, the nova gains a wicked bite attack. While in a
grapple/hold, the nova may spend 2 quantum points and
make a Strength + Matter Consumption roll. On a successful
strike, the nova inflicts (power rating) dice plus [Quantum]
automatic successes of Lethal Damage. This may be soaked
as normal. The nova may attempt a bite while in a grapple,
but suffers a +2 difficulty.
Extras: Conspicuous Consumption (The nova can consume large items in about half the normal time and ignores
the soak of material objects, unless that object can soak

aggravated damage. In combat, the nova inflicts [Quantum]

levels of aggravated damage).

Necromimicry
Level: 1
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Stamina + Necromimicry
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: (Quantum) days
Effect: Character can enter a state of clinical death and
remain functional.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: This power allows the nova to stop her
body functions (actually she slows them down so much that
they become imperceptible) for a time, entering a state of
clinical death. The nova will stop breathing, her heart wont
beat, her body will gradually cool down to room temperature, bodily wastes wont be produced, and so on. The nova
can impersonate a corpse with ease, or if she has 2 or more
dots of Necromimicry can walk around and perform actions
in this state (essentially a temporary quantum-powered
simulation of undeath). The nova can restart her body functions and return to life at any time, but will do automatically when the duration ends. The nova can remain in this
state for 1 day per dot of her Quantum rating. While in this
state any wounds the nova might suffer will not heal naturally (although Regeneration will function normally), but the
effects of poisons, diseases and similar ailments will be put
on hold as well.
Extras: Affects Others (The nova can induce Necromimicry in other beings, although subjects lacking Quantum
Pools of their own will be limited to impersonating corpses).

Neogenesis
Level: 3
Quantum Minimum: 5
Dice Pool: Stamina + Neogenesis
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Variable
Effect: Character can transform himself into an eximorphic specimen of any sapient species.
Multiple Actions: No
Description: Although many novas can perform feats
of shapeshifting, those changes - however radical - are often
limited. This power is different, as it allows the nova to transform himself into an eximorphic specimen of any other kind
of sapient creature that he has encountered (even as just a
viable cell sample), right down to the genetic and biomo-

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lecular levels. For purposes of this power, sapient beings
are those which could conceivably be used as player characters in Trinity - this would include aliens such as the Qin,
Chromatics, Zeps and certain Coalition phyles. Alien beings
based on quantum energies are also eligible. Due to their
being mostly comprised of noetic energy, Doyen (and any
similar pure noetic energy species) are ineligible for purposes of Neogenesis. While some Terran animals (such as
dolphins, orcas, chimps and bonobos) are reputed to be
intelligent, they do not qualify as sapient and are ineligible.
Using Neogenesis requires the nova to make a Stamina +
Neogenesis roll, with the number of successes indicating
both the quality of the novas new form and the number
of Earth-standard days the transformation will last. Also,
while a passing familiarity with the type of being the nova is
attempting to change into is recommended, it isnt necessary. Once transformed, the nova will instinctively know how
to use his new body to move and perform tasks. The psychological impact of transforming oneself in this manner, even
temporarily, can be traumatic for novas who are mentally
unstable due to aberration and/or mental disorders. Novas
who are not mentally unstable can weather the experience
without serious difficulty, and at the Storytellers discretion
could develop Mental Prodigy: Xenology. If the creature the
nova is transforming himself into has any natural powers,
the Storyteller will trade in some of the novas other nova
capabilities for those that can mimic the natural powers of
the creature in question. The nova will regain all traded
in capabilities (and lose the natural powers) when the
time limit of the transformation is reached. Unfortunately,
this is not a way to sidestep the effects of Taint, as the nova
will retain whatever levels of permanent and/or temporary
Taint he had before the transformation. Any aberrations the
nova may have may be altered at the Storytellers discretion to suit the novas new body. It is also possible for the
nova to transform himself permanently with Neogenesis,
although it isnt done lightly. If the nova scores two or more
successes on the Stamina + Neogenesis roll, he can spend
1 point of permanent Willpower to adopt the new body as
his natural form and shed his prior human existence forever. Psychological changes resulting from such a transformation are inevitable and are actually beneficial to the nova,
as he will become more like his adopted species. If such a
transformed nova found it necessary to permanently transform himself back into a human, it would cost him another
point of permanent Willpower and he would transform into
a completely different human form than his original one. In
either case, any offspring produced by the nova in his new
body will appear to be normal members of their species on
the surface. The question of whether or not such offspring
would inherit eximorphic capabilities from their transformed

232

parent has been left to the Storytellers discretion.

Extras: None.

Quantum Weapon
Level: 2
Quantum Minimum: 1
Dice Pool: Dexterity + Melee
Range: Self
Area: N/A
Duration: Maintenance
Effect: Generates a melee weapon out of Quantum
Energy. Inflicts [Quantum] + (power x 3) bashing or [Quantum] + (power x 2) lethal damage.
Multiple Actions: N/A
Description: The nova can generate a melee weapon
forged out of quantum energy. The exact style and appearance of the weapon varies from nova to nova (swords being
the most common, but hammers, axes and staves are not
unknown). Once generated, the nova uses the quantum
weapon in the same fashion as any other melee weapon
of its type, and uses their Melee dice pool to wield it in
combat. Since its the energy of the quantum weapon that
inflicts the damage, the relative strength of the nova using
it matters little. The quantum weapon inflicts [Quantum] +
(power rating x 3) bashing or [Quantum] + (power rating x 2)
lethal damage. This is defined when the power is purchased
and cannot be changed.
The nova may only generate one quantum weapon at
a time; creating a new weapon automatically dissipates the
previous one. The weapon can be used by others (if the nova
who generated it is disarmed or loans the quantum weapon
to an ally), but it will dissipate in (power rating turns), after
which it must be reformed. A nova can never be injured
by his own quantum weapon. This power cannot be used
with the Ranged extra. The quantum weapon is considered
to have soak and health levels both equal to (Quantum +
power rating) for the purposes of attacks directed against
the quantum weapon.
Extras: Aggravated (The quantum weapon does [power
rating + successes] aggravated damage); Arsenal (The nova
may change the weapon type of his quantum weapon (i.e
turn a sword into a hammer or chain).This also lets the nova
shift the damage from Bashing to Lethal and vice versa);
Daisho (The nova may generate a secondary weapon without dissipating the first. This second weapon is somewhat
weaker, inflicting [Quantum] + (power rating x 2) bashing or
[Quantum] + (power rating) lethal damage).

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Reanimate
Level: 2
Quantum Minimum: 3
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Reanimate
Range: Touch
Area: N/A
Duration: Special
Effect: The nova can reanimate dead tissue to a semblance of life.
Multiple Actions: N/A
Description: The nova has the grisly ability to reanimate dead tissue with a touch, infusing it with quantum
energies and granting the dead flesh a semblence of life.
The parts in question do not need to be part of a whole
body, as this power works just as well on a beefsteak as
it does on a cadaver. The tissue must be relatively fresh,
and even 24 hours worth of decomposition will prevent
the tissue from being reanimated. Moderate refrigeration
extends this period up to a week. Sadly, frozen tissue will
have sustained too much cellular damage to be of use to
a nova with Reanimate. Once animated, the tissues can
perform the same basic mechanical functions that they did
during life; a dead heart can beat, dead fingers can grasp
and dead men can walk.
The nova touches the corpse or body part they wish to
reanimate and rolls Manipulation + Reanimate. If successful, the tissue becomes animate for a number of days equal
to the number of success rolled. The nova may animate up
to ( (Manipulation + Reanimate) x 50) kilograms of tissue at
any one time. As long as the nova retains line of sight contact with the reanimated flesh, he can mentally direct it to
perform any act it is physically capable of and give simple
commands. If line of sight contact is lost, the animated flesh
will continue to perform whatever task it was performing
until the task is complete, line of sight contact is re-established, or until the duration of this powers effect expires.
The nova may also spend 1 quantum point to call all animated creatures within (Quantum + Reanimation) kilometers
back to his current location if at all mechanically possible.
Animated tissue without proper locomotion capability will
twich and spasm in a most unwholesome manner until the
duration expires or the nova moves out of command range.
Of course, the nova may cease animating a given corpse or
body part at any time.
Creatures and mostly intact structures (such as hands
or heads) retain the same physical attributes they did in life,
but lose one dot of Appearance and have only the most
rudimentary senses (both Perception and Wits are reduced
to 1). All other Mental and Social Attributes are reduced to
0. Reanimated creatures have no minds or will of their own
and are effectively automatons made of flesh, blood, and

bone; and are immune to mental attacks or any chemical

agents that affect biological systems.
Reanimated tissue has health levels based on its size.
A hand-sized lump of tissue has 1 health level, an arm or
head has 2, a leg has 3 and a full human-sized corpse has 7.
Reanimated tissue takes no wound penalties and soaks both
bashing and lethal damage with its full stamina. Reanimated
tissue will continue to function until it has lost all its health
levels to lethal or aggravated damage. Reanimated tissue
does not heal and cannot be healed by medical treatments
or quantum powers. The quantum energies animating the
tissue will stave off decomposition, however. Indeed, the
tissue stays fresh for (Quantum days). If a corpse is animated
while freshly dead and is in its animators line of sight, it
can pass as a living creature to casual observation. After
this time elapses, the tissue decays rapidly, taking a level of
lethal damage each day until it collapses into a fetid pile of
rotting meat.
Extras: Undead Army (The nova may animate up to
(Manipulation + Reanimate) x 100 kilograms of tissue at any
one time); Necromancy (For every dot of Reanimate, add
a month onto the time limit of reanimating a body after its
death. This allows freshly decaying and/or frozen corpses
from graveyards to rip up through the ground. The body
must still possess a substantial working frame to be reanimated; roadkill cannot be reanimated if its nothing more
than grey paste with more live maggots than dead flesh.
The Storyteller is the final judge on whether a body has
decomposed beyond the point of reanimation, and is free
to impose difficulties on the animation roll to represent this);

Living Dead Novas!

Most of what makes novas special comes from the quantumchanneling lump of tissue in their brains. When novas die, it is
assumed that they take the ability to direct those energies with
them. This leaves a novas corpse as a mass of quantum-altered
tissues which while still having uncommon properties, would only
be a dim echo of a living nova. A novas corpse can be revived
with the Reanimate power, but it would have nothing in the way
of a Quantum Pool or quantum points. All Mental Mega-Attributes and enhancements and most Social Mega-Attributes and
enhancements would be lost. Physical Mega-Attributes would be
reduced by half (rounded down) and only enhancements that did
not require the expenditure of quantum points to function would
be retained. The corpse would retain its body modifications and
the use of quantum powers that were physically based and did
not require quantum points to activate or use (such as Armor
or Invulnerability). Novas with the Quantum Undeath aberration
(or any other being in a state of quasi-life; including creatures
animated by other novas with Reanimate) cannot be targeted by
the Reanimate power.

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Necropotence (Creatures and mostly intact structures reanimated by the nova are exceptionally strong, fast or tough.
Each corpse raised by the nova gains a number of bonus
dots equal to the novas Reanimate power rating that may
be distributed between the corpses Physical attributes, to a
maximum Attribute rating of 6).

Reincarnation
Level: 3
Quantum Minimum: 5
Dice Pool: Charisma + Reincarnation
Range: Special
Area: N/A
Duration: Special
Effect: Character can reincarnate herself in a new body
to avoid death; details depend on the technique used.
Multiple Actions: No
Description: For most novas, death is pretty much
the same thing as it is for baselines - the end. A few novas
have learned how to sidestep that insurmountable obstacle,
although its a risky process. Reincarnation allows a nova to
avoid her own death by transferring her mind out of her
current body and into another. The novas power rating sets
the rate at which novas new body will become fully operational in terms of her nova capabilities. Whenever the Storyteller feels that the novas circumstances are appropriate
- the details will vary with the technique used - the nova can
spend 3 quantum points to roll Charisma + Reincarnation. If
the roll is successful, the nova can spend 1 permanent Willpower point to abandon her previous body and inhabit a
new one. If the roll fails, the quantum points are wasted and
the nova remains stuck in her dying body. If the roll botches,
the nova dies permanently right then and there. A nova with
Reincarnation will only have one of the following techniques
in order to cheat death, with the technique chosen by the
novas player with the Storytellers approval.

Central Nervous System Transplant

Range: Touch
The nova reincarnates herself by somehow physically transferring her central nervous system into the body
of a living baseline human. The nova must be touching
her intended new host body for the transference to work,
although the Reincarnation roll will be made with a +2 difficulty penalty due to the victims struggling and thrashing
about. Steps such as sedating the host body and/or physically restraining him/her can eliminate this penalty. The benefits of this technique are that the nova will usually be able
to pick and choose her new host bodies from her potential
victims. In this way the nova can not only choose the gender
and ethnicity of her new incarnation but can set up her new
incarnation as her legal heir, allowing her to retain certain

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Backgrounds like Resources that would otherwise be lost.

Also, the novas new host body will gain full nova capabilities within (10 - power rating) days. The major drawback
to this is the potential for tissue rejection, as inhabiting an
incompatible host body will cause it to die within (12 - permanent Taint) months. Other drawbacks include the possibility of the nova being forced by circumstance to inhabit an
undesirable victim in order to survive and the novas assured
death if there are no available host bodies within range at
the time of the Reincarnation roll. Finally, if successful using
this form of Reincarnation can and will be considered as
murder of the baseline victim.

Clone Reserve
Range: (Quantum + power rating) x 1,000 kilometers
The nova has one or more empty clones of herself
in hibernation (as per the Suspension enhancement) for her
to inhabit as needed, and may keep a maximum of (power
rating) cloned bodies on hand. As the cloned bodies are
highly accurate duplicates of the novas original body, there
will be no real difficulty in retaining any Backgrounds that
would otherwise have been lost. Also, the cloned body will
have full nova capabilities upon awakening. The drawback
is that the technology required for human cloning is expensive, although no life support devices will be required for
the cloned bodies to remain viable. Novas using this form
of Reincarnation must have the following minimum ratings:
Mega-Intelligence 1, Science 5, Medicine 5 and Resources
5. Producing a cloned body is treated as creating a gadget,
with 30 successes being required. It should be noted that
in the early part of the Nova Age the process of cloning
complete human bodies is still somewhat buggy and subtle
genetic flaws in cloned neurology are not unknown. During
the production process the Storyteller makes all the rolls in
secret, and depending on the dice results can impose anywhere from 3 to 6 points of temporary mental Taint on the
nova if she decides to inhabit the flawed clone. Finally, if
none of the novas cloned bodies are within range (or have
been destroyed) when the nova makes her Reincarnation
roll, she will die permanently.

Possession
Range: (Quantum + power rating) meters
The nova can reincarnate herself by possessing the
mind of a hapless baseline, whose mind (and soul, if one
believes in such) will be destroyed if the novas possession
is successful. The benefit of this is that the nova may pick
and choose from her potential victims, although she may be
forced to possess an undesirable victim due to circumstance
in order to survive. The major drawback to this technique
is that reincarnation through possession is a very slow process, and one that can be interfered with through esoteric
means. Upon being possessed by the nova, the victim will

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suffer from the equivalent of Multiple Personality Disorder
(properly known as Dissociative Identity Disorder). The possessing nova will only have access to her own non-physical
Traits and nova capabilities (as per the Parasitic Possession
form of the Dominate power). Once a week, the possessing nova can pit her Willpower in a resisted action against
that of her victim, with the losers effective permanent Willpower reduced by 1 point. If the victim is reduced to zero
permanent Willpower in this way, his mind (and soul) are
destroyed and the nova takes over his body, which will gain
full nova capabilities in (10 - power rating) hours. With the
Storytellers permission, the possessing nova may manifest
some of her physical Traits and nova capabilities once her
victim has been reduced to 50% (rounded up) of his normal
permanent Willpower. Ironically, there are ways for other
people to aid the victim against the possessing nova. Telepathic combat, Inspired technology, and even appropriate
religious rites (such as voudoun ceremonies or exorcism)
can be used to engage the possessing nova in a resisted
Willpower roll at any time. If her foes are successful, each
point of effective permanent Willpower they cause her to
lose will be transferred to her victim. If the possessing nova
is reduced to zero permanent Willpower in this way, she
will die permanently and her victim will be restored to his
full permanent Willpower rating. Other drawbacks include
the expected loss of most Backgrounds tied to her previous incarnation (such as Resources and Backing), unless the
nova takes steps to somehow retain them. If there are no
suitable victims in range for the nova to possess, she will die
permanently instead of reincarnating. Finally, if successful
using this form of Reincarnation can and will be considered
as murder of the baseline victim.

Rebirth
Range: (Quantum + power rating) x 1,000 kilometers
The nova can reincarnate herself as the unborn child
of a random pregnant baseline woman who is within range
of her old body, and will be reborn as an infant within
(power rating - 6) weeks, down to a minimum of 1 week.
The number of successes the nova gains on her Reincarnation roll will indicate how desirable her new incarnations
parents and living situation will be in her opinion. If the
nova gains five or more successes, she can even choose the
gender of her new incarnation. Otherwise the Storyteller has
full control over the details (such as ethnicity) of the novas
new incarnation, and can either choose them or determine
them randomly. While the nova must go through physical
childhood and adolescence all over again, fortunately the
process will be somewhat abbreviated. For every 2 dots of
Reincarnation possessed by the nova (rounded down), she
will effectively gain 1 level of the Accelerated Maturation
enhancement (Aberrant: A Breed Apart, pp. 49-50). Until

maturity is reached, the nova will also have a variant form

of the Adolescent/Child Flaw (Aberrant: A Breed Apart,
p. 51) that will not limit her Intelligence-based Abilities and
provided no freebie points. The novas full quantum capabilities will be regained (10 - power rating) hours after her
rebirth, although her base Strength and Stamina will be limited as per the Adolescent/Child Flaw. The other drawbacks
are those usually associated with reincarnation; namely the
loss of Backgrounds tied to her previous incarnation unless
steps are taken in advance to retain them, and the novas
assured death if there are no suitable women within range
for her to be reborn to when she makes her Reincarnation
roll.

Renovation
Range: (Quantum + power rating) x 1,000 kilometers
The nova can reincarnate herself by taking over the
body of a newly-deceased or brain-dead baseline. The
choice of the new host body cannot be influenced by the
nova in any way, and is under the Storytellers control. The
number of successes the nova gains on her Reincarnation
roll will indicate how desirable her new incarnations situation will be in her opinion. For example, waking up in the
body of someone who is being given quality medical care is
preferable to waking up on the autopsy table or in a shallow
grave in the middle of nowhere. Worst-case scenarios of this
kind would include waking up in the body of someone who
had died from being tortured or experimented on. Once the
nova wakes up in her new body, she will regain her full nova
capabilities in (10 - power rating) hours. This is good, for the
novas new body could easily be in a condition of ill health
and/or physical atrophy, leaving her physically helpless until
full nova capabilities are regained. The drawbacks are those
usually associated with reincarnation; namely the loss of
Backgrounds tied to her previous incarnation unless steps
are taken in advance to retain them, and the novas assured
death if there are no suitable host bodies within range for
her to inhabit when she makes her Reincarnation roll.
Extras: Affects Novas (Requires Quantum 6 - If applicable, the novas Reincarnation technique may be used on
novas as well as baseline humans).

Resurrection
Level: 4
Quantum Minimum: 6
Dice Pool: Perception + Resurrection
Range: Special
Area: N/A
Duration: Special
Effect: Character can resurrect deceased lifeforms.
Multiple Actions: No
Description: This extremely rare power allows the

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character to literally bring the dead back to life, repairing
the cause of fatality and restoring a stable (if often weak
at first) metabolism. Although considered by some to be
the ultimate form of Healing, it is also similar to Information
Manipulation (Aberrant Players Guide pp. 115-116) in that
it also restores the information that resided within a subjects cadaver. This information is commonly called a spirit
(or soul, in the case of sapient beings) and is also what Trinity Era noeticists will call the noetic template. A wise nova
will do his best to conceal the fact that he has this power
from everyone, lest he be inundated by a never-ending
deluge of requests (some of which will be sincere pleas for
aid, others thinly-disguised extortion attempts) from various
people to resurrect loved ones and the like.
The limit to the characters power to resurrect the dead
is defined by five factors. The first is the simple fact that
the character can only attempt to resurrect a given subject
once, and thats it. As with all noetic energies, noetic templates can easily be disrupted beyond recovery by the quantum energies used by novas.
The second factor the nature of the subject to be resurrected. Plants, fungi and small animals are simple enough
that several fields worth of them can be resurrected en
masse by a single use of this power. (In this circumstance,
treat this form of Resurrection as having the Area Extra.)
Animals larger than an average-sized dog can only be resurrected singly. Resurrecting a sapient being can also only be
done singly, but the character must also spend one permanent Willpower point in addition to the quantum point cost
to make the Resurrection attempt. 2ndGen novas are able to
waive the permanent Willpower cost to resurrect a sapient
being at the Storytellers discretion. Not all of the deceased
will want to return to life, however. Resurrecting an unwilling subject requires the character to win a single contested
roll pitting his Charisma + Resurrection against the subjects
permanent Willpower. Deceased Inspired beings may add
their Power Trait to their Willpower rating for this roll; with
novas using Quantum, Adventure!-era characters using
Inspiration and Trinity-era psions/psychomorphs using Psi.
Special mention must be made of attempts to use Resurrection on other novas. First off, deceased novas with higher
Quantum ratings than the character may choose whether
or not they wish to be affected, regardless of the characters desires. If such a subject does not wish to be brought
back to life, nothing the character can do will accomplish
thatdont even bother rolling the dice. Second, a resurrected nova will not have any points in her quantum pool,
which must be replenished naturally as she recovers from
the experience. Other Inspired beings brought back to life
by the character will also have empty Inspiration or Psi pools
after resurrection, which will be replenished normally.
The third factor is the condition of the cadaver to be

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resurrected, represented by a difficulty penalty on the power

roll. Cadavers in prime condition, such as those which are
freshly deceased, have only been refrigerated at a modern
morgue or have been embalmed with honey are easiest to
deal with and inflict no penalty. Lightly damaged cadavers
such as embalmed corpses or those which have undergone
mild decomposition (one to three days after death) inflict
a difficulty penalty of +1. Damaged cadavers such as victims of fires, frozen corpses, autopsy subjects or the moderately decomposed (four to twenty days after death) inflict
a difficulty penalty of +2. Heavily damaged cadavers such
as the naturally mummified (via freeze-drying dessication
or anaerobic conditions) or highly-decomposed remains
(21 to 50 days after death) inflict a difficulty penalty of +3.
Severely damaged cadavers, such as skeletonized remains
or the ashes and pulverized bone fragments left over from a
cremation inflict a difficulty penalty of +4 to the Resurrection
attempt. Resurrecting fragmentary cadavers that comprise
less than 50% of the full cadaver mass is also rolled at this
level of difficulty.
The fourth factor is the strength of the link between
subjects noetic template & corpse. While negligible in the
case of lower lifeforms, every 2 points of permanent Willpower possessed by a deceased sapient will negate 1 point
of difficulty penalties derived from the cadavers condition.
This becomes a problem if the subject is a nova with dots of
permanent Taint, as the noetic template distortion involved
will lower the subjects effective Willpower on a 1-to-1 dot
basis for this purpose.
The fifth factor is the characters own Resurrection
power rating, which affects the length of time a subject can
remain dead before she passes a point of no return and
can no longer be revived by the characters power at all. This
is factored in two ways: first, the character has a basic temporal range of (Quantum + power rating) x 5 time units.
The time units used is based on the characters Resurrection
power rating. At one to two dots, the time unit used is minutes. This becomes hours at three to four dots, rising to days
at five to six dots. At seven to eight dots the time units used
is decades, while centuries are used at nine to ten dots.
Success on the power roll indicates that the subject is
restored to life & is stable at the Incapacitated Health Level.
Additional successes can raise the revived subjects Health
Level on a 1-to-1 basis, but he will still be very tired by the
experience. Failure means that the subject cant be restored
to life, period. If the roll is missed by lacking only 1 or 2 successes, the Storyteller may allow the character to have some
brief communication with the subjects noetic template
for purposes of plot and/or drama. A botch results in the
subjects corpse being revived, but with the wrong noetic
template housed in it! The Storyteller has full discretion
as to the identity of the newly rehoused soul, and is encour-

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aged to use this circumstance for whatever purpose he or
she desires.
Extras: Increased Temporal Range (the characters temporal range is raised to the next level. At nine to ten dots
the time units used are millennia, thousand-year periods).

Addenda to Existing Powers

The list of physically-oriented techniques and abilities
seen below expands on the established power frameworks
in Aberrant.

Bodymorph
Here are 4 additional possibilities for Bodymorph (see
Aberrant core book, p. 185):
Fleshform: Certain novas display an ability to adopt
an alternate form that is wholly flesh and blood, but most
often distinctly inhuman. While transformed, in addition to
the regular benefits of Bodymorph the nova gains two bonus
body modifications of the players choice. Once selected,
these body modifications cannot be changed. Bodymorph
dots are most often allocated to Armor, Boost, Claws, Sizemorph (Grow), and Mega-Attribute enhancements (with
Mega-Physical, Mega-Perception, Mega-Appearance and
Mega-Ugliness enhancements being most common). While
using Bodymorph: Fleshform the transformed nova is still a
flesh and blood creature and still needs to eat, sleep and
breathe; as well as remaining vulnerable to certain biological attacks such as diseases, poison or suffocation.
Technology: Certain novas have the ability to adopt
the physical characteristics of machinery or electronic
devices. Pistons and servomotors replace muscles, hydraulic
fluid and lubricant replaces blood, and nerves are replaced
with wires and circuitry. In addition to the regular benefits
of Bodymorph, such a nova gains 1 additional Bruised
health level, 2 additional Maimed health levels, and +2
damage to Brawl and Martial Arts attacks. Bodymorph dots
are most often allocated to Armor, Claws, Cyberkinesis techniques, Density Increase, Quantum Bolt (Weapon Systems),
Sizemorph (Grow) and enhancements such as Crush, Electromagnetic Vision or Hardbody. The nova no longer needs
to sleep or breathe in this form, but may require fuel such
as gasoline or electricity. Any rolls made to analyze or give
medical aid to a nova in this form must be made with the
Engineering skill rather than Medicine.
Undead: Although its quite straightforward in its classification, most scientists dislike the horror movie connotations of this form of Bodymorph and discuss it as little as
possible. The nova can transform into a walking, undead
corpse. The novas body functions will all cease; relieving
him of the need to breathe, eat, drink or eliminate bodily

wastes. Diseases, poisons, drugs and gases are all useless

against a nova in this state, as he has no life functions for
them to interfere with. As a self-animated corpse, the nova
will also gain +2 lethal soak and will not suffer dice pool
penalties due to injuries or pain. The drawbacks are that
the nova also becomes insensitive to tactile stimuli (+2 difficulty penalty on touch-based Perception rolls) and looks
withered and pale (base Appearance rating becomes zero
unless the nova is Ugly or Mega-Ugly) for the duration. Healing has no effect on novas that are Bodymorphed into an
undead state, but the Regeneration enhancement will function normally in that state. Bodymorph dots are most often
allocated to Armor and Mega-Physical enhancements (with
Mega-Strength and Mega-Stamina being most common).
Vegetation: Novas with this variant of Bodymorph
transform their tissue into plant matter. In addition to the
regular benefits of bodymorph the nova gains the benefit of
the Durability enhancement. The nova also gains one bonus
Body Modification chosen from the following; Adhesive
Grip, Chromatophores, Claws, Darts, Dispersed Organs,
Extra Limbs, Noxious Bile, Pheromones, Subdermal Senses,
Spines and Tendril. Bodymorph dots are most often allocated to Armor, Imprison, Plant Mastery, Poison, Sizemorph
(either), and enhancements (with Flexibility, Resiliency and
Regeneration being the most common) or additional Body
Modifications. The nova also has a plant-like metabolism,
and can draw nourishment from photosynthesis, water
and minerals found in soil. Given the unusual nature of the
novas bodymorphed anatomy, certain biological attacks
may function normally (such as poison) while others (most
diseases and suffocation) may not.

Optional Rule: Elemental Vulnerability

A bodymorphed nova also takes on the weaknesses of her
chosen medium. Bodymorphed novas are subject to Elemental Anima & Mastery powers that share the same medium. In
addition, certain effects have more power against certain bodymorphed forms. Here are a few basic ones. Attacks using an
opposing medium reduce the victims soak by 3 (both bashing
and lethal).
Darkness/ Shadow: Opposed by Light.
Electricity: Opposed by Metal and Water.
Fire/ Heat: Opposed by Ice and Water.
Gaseous: Opposed by Vacuum.
Ice/ Cold: Opposed by Fire and Heat.
Light: Opposed by Darkness/Shadow
Metal: Opposed by Magnetism. Non-buoyant.
Mineral/ Stone: Opposed by Sonics. Non-buoyant.
Technology: Opposed by Electricity and Magnetism.
Vegetation: Opposed by Fire and Cold.
Water: Opposed by Heat and Cold.

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Matter Chameleon Materials

Considering that a Matter Chameleon can mimic nearly
any substance, here is a brief sample of the nearly endless
materials available.
Energy (Electricity, Fire, Light, etc.): While transformed, the nova inflicts lethal damage with Brawl and
Martial Arts attacks, and attacks directed at her are at +1 difficulty to hit. The nova has Mega Dexterity +1, (power rating
x 3) soak vs. energy damage, Density Decrease , Flight
and Immolate .
Gas (Air, Smoke, Vapor, etc.): While transformed, the
nova may move through the air at running speed. The nova
also gains Density Decrease , Invisibility , the Catfooted
and Flexibility enhancements and can use the Asphyxiate
maneuver.
Hard Metals (Iron, Steel, Titanium, etc.): The nova
automatically inflicts lethal damage with Brawl and Martial
Arts attacks, and all attacks directed at the character are
+1 to hit. The nova also gains Density Increase , Mega
Strength , Durability and (power rating x 3) soak.
Liquid/Amorphous: The nova automatically gains the
ability to breathe and survive in water, may move through
water at twice normal running speed, gains Flexibility,

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Mega Dexterity , Density Decrease , (power rating) extra

Bruised health levels and the Asphyxiation maneuver.
Mineral (Concrete, Rock, Stone, etc.): The nova
inflicts an additional 2 dice of damage on Brawl and Martial Arts attacks, and attacks directed at him are at +1 difficulty to hit. The nova also gains Density Increase , Mega
Strength , the Durability and Hardbody enhancements,
(power rating x 2) soak and (power rating) extra Bruised
health levels.
Plastic: The nova gains Density Decrease , Mega
Dexterity , the Flexibility, Regeneration and Resiliency
enhancements and (power rating x 2) extra Bruised health
levels. She may also use the Asphyxiation maneuver.
Soft Metals (Aluminum, Gold, Lead, etc.): All attacks
directed at the character are +1 to hit. The nova gains the
Durability and Flexibility enhancements. The nova also
gains (power rating x 2) soak and (power rating x 2) extra
Maimed health levels.
Vegetation: The nova gains the Durability, Flexibility,
Regeneration and Resiliency enhancements. He has (power
rating x 2) soak vs. physical attacks and Plant Mastery 1.
The nova may also gain certain Body Modifications depending on the plant species being mimicked.

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APPENDIX 1:
NEW MISCELLANEA

Very little in the world of Aberrant is static, as the

potential of novas - in terms of their nova capabilities, technological discoveries, innate gifts and personal problems continues to unfold, sometimes with global consequences.
Heres a sampling of that potential, ready for use in your
Aberrant chronicles.

NEW MERITS
Armored Training [1 point Merit, 2
points for baselines]
You treat bulk ratings from worn armor to be 1 point
less than normal. The effects of this Merit do not stack; the
bonus applies once. No matter how much armor you have
on, the total bulk is reduced by only one point.

Improved Regeneration [2 point

Merit, 3 points for baselines]

to take this Merit.

Quantum Sensitive [2 point Merit]

The nova is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in quantum fields, and gains an additional die when using Node to
detect power sources or other novas.

Resilient [1 or 2 point Merit, 2 or 4

points for baselines]
You add +1 (for 1 point) or +2 (for 2 points) to your
Bashing soak in addition to what your Stamina normally
gives. You must have a minimum Stamina of 4 for the 1 point
version and Stamina 5 for the 2 point version to purchase
this Merit.

Runner [2 point Merit]

When it comes to running, you excel more than others.
Your Dexterity is doubled for determining your Run, and
your Sprint is Dexterity x 4. Additionally, you gain +2 on all
Endurance or Athletics rolls that involve running.

Signature Weapon [2 point Merit]

When healing damage naturally, you heal as if one rank

higher. You must have a minimum Stamina of 3 or one dot
of Mega-Stamina to purchase this Merit.

Improved Immunity [2 point Merit]

Your immune system is naturally powerful, more so
than that of an average person. You ignore the first level of
damage (whether bashing or lethal) from a toxin or pathogen in your body, and receive +1 on all Resistance rolls
against these poisons. You must have a minimum Stamina
of 3 or one dot of Mega-Stamina to purchase this Merit.

Light Sleeper [1 or 2 point Merit]

A normal person requires an average of 8 hours sleep
to be completely refreshed. You only require an average of 6
hours for 1 point, or 4 hours for 2 points. This could be due
to your nova capabilities if you have Mega-Stamina. Otherwise, it could be due to the habit of a busy schedule or a
combination of physiological elements.

Quantum Integrity [5 point Merit]

The novas quantum signature resists outside tampering. The nova may spend a Willpower point to add 3
successes to any attempt to resist powers that alter the character on a quantum level (Disrupt, Disimmunize, Quantum
Leech etc.). The nova must have a Node rating of 2 or more

You have trained extensively with one type of weapon

so much that you excel more with it than you do with other
weapons. The weapon type must be one used with Melee
or Firearms. For Melee, examples include: katana, knife,
staff and baton. For Firearms, examples include: shotgun,
pistol, railgun, maser gun and sonic weapon. The Storyteller
has final say on the specifics of weapon classifications. You
receive a +1 bonus on all Accuracy rolls with this weapon,
as if you possessed it as an Ability Specialty (a bonus which
stacks with actual Specialties). Due to your extensive knowledge of the weapon type, you also recieve a +1 bonus on
any attempts to repair, disassemble, sabotage, identify,
upgrade, or engineer/create any weapons of this type.

NEW FLAWS
At Deaths Door [7 point Flaw]
Simply put... you are about to die, and there is nothing anyone, nova or otherwise, can do to stop your demise.
Your body suffers from a terminal illness that will kill you
well within a year. No amount of medicine, use of the Healing quantum power, healthy activity or religious faith will
help you. Your condition is not reversible. Possibilities for
this Flaw also include pre-existing conditions that eruption
failed to correct, or problems caused by your eruption that
your powers can only partially compensate for. The death of

APPENDIX

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ABERRANT
Mu Lung in 2006 from losing control over his own quantum
energies (Aberrant: Year One, pp. 28-29) is an excellent
example of the latter possibility. All Stamina rolls are made
at +1 difficulty because your body is constantly fighting off
death, and when you fail a Resistance or Endurance roll the
Storyteller may declare that the effects of failing the roll are
worse than what they normally would be (you may pass out,
take bashing damage, or even die). This condition will also
have many profound effects on the characters social life. He
could become a risk-taker, not caring if he comes out of a
situation alive or not. He may isolate himself from others so
that when he dies his passing will not harm them emotionally. He may become extremely religious and be at peace
with his end. Whatever the case, this terminal condition has
changed your character in the deepest way. The Storyteller
is free to kill off the character whenever he feels it best or
most dramatic, whether that be in a year or a week. The Storyteller also has full control over how the character dies, for
much the same reasons. He might die quietly or go out in a
blaze of devastating energy, whichever best suits the characters condition and the intent of the Storyteller. The player
has no say on the actual time of his characters demise. He
knew what he was getting into when he purchased this Flaw,
and he had time to enjoy his extra bonus points. Death halts
for no one.

Buggy Cyberware [2, 3 or 5 point

Flaw]
Augmentation cybernetics is still a very new field of scientific endeavor in the early Nova Age, so its no surprise
that some of the cyberware thats available are prototypes
or have design defects of some sort. A character with this
Flaw has such second-rate cyberware implanted in his
body, and must deal with the associated handicap. At the
2 or 3 point levels, the handicap is identical to a low- or
medium-level aberration respectively, and is applicable to
all cyberware. At the 5 point level, the handicap is identical
to a high-level aberration and can only be taken when the
Storyteller feels such would be appropriate for the piece of
cyberware in question, such as a brain implant causing a
high-level mental aberration. In all cases the exact nature of
the handicap is determined by the Storyteller, although the
players input should be taken into consideration.

Cybernetic Dependency [2 or 3 point

Flaw]
You suffer from a serious medical condition that
requires you to have one or more cybernetic implants within
your body. For 2 points, the implant is considered therapeutic cyberware, uncommon but available to those with

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enough money and/or the right connections. For 3 points,

the implant is considered to be blacktech augmentation
cyberware, and is illegal. Without the implant, you would
surely die a slow and agonizing death. For whatever reason,
modern medical technology and nova healing powers
cannot help you. Your cybernetic implant is internal; a missing arm or leg does not qualify you for this Flaw. Examples
of this condition include having your main blood vessels be
supported by a network of computer-controlled bionic vessels, or perhaps your spine and many other bones require
a computerized support scaffolding. Whenever you are at
Wounded or worse, any rolls to heal you with Medicine or
the Healing quantum power are at +1 difficulty to accommodate the presence of your implants. If you are at Incapacitated, roll Resistance at standard difficulty. On a failure your
implant is damaged and in need of repairs; an Engineering
roll at +2 difficulty is needed to repair your implant. If your
implant is off-line, you take a Lethal health level of damage
(with no soak) every three hours until it is repaired. Furthermore, the implant must have its power source replaced at
least once every month or it will break down.

Fearful [3 point Flaw]

The nova suffers from a severe aversion to confrontation. In other words, he or she is a coward. The nova must
spend a Willpower point to engage in direct confrontations
(from fights to arguments). The character cannot have a
starting Willpower higher than 4. This Flaw must be bought
off to raise the characters permanent Willpower above 5,
and cannot be taken by characters with Willpower ratings
of 6 and higher.

Frail [3 point Flaw]

The character has a weak constitution. The character
loses the Bruised Health Level and all Stamina related
rolls are made with a + 1 difficulty penalty. Novas with this
Flaw arent barred from having Mega-Stamina, although its
very rare.

Inefficient Quantum [3 point Flaw]

The nova has trouble using her energies to their highest potential. As a result, the most quantum points she can
spend per turn is 4. This may be modified by the Node
Background, but only at half value (1 extra quantum point
per turn / per point of Node.)

Poor Recharge [1, 3, or 5 point Flaw]

Most novas just have to kick back for a little while to
recharge their Quantum Pools. Novas with this Flaw arent
so fortunate. For 1 point, the nova can only recover quan-

APPENDIX

ABERRANT
tum points every 2 hours. For 3 points, the nova can only
recover quantum points every 4 hours. For 5 points, the
nova can only only recover quantum points he wakes up
from a full night (or day!) of sleep. In all these cases, the
Meditation Ability can no longer be used to aid in recharging the novas Quantum Pool.

NEW BACKGROUNDS
Cyberware (Device variant)
This Background represents a cybernetic, bionic or
biotech device that your character has had implanted into
his body and provides him with a serious advantage. Its
important to note that this variant Background only covers
the cyberware that provides more-than-human capabilities
and is generally considered blacktech by Project Utopia,
which has hampered its development. Add in the fact that
augmentation cyberware is a very new field of medical technology in the early Nova Age, and it should come as no
surprise that the cyberware of 2015 is less advanced than
that available in the 2120s. Nevertheless, it remains a popular way to improve ones chances in combat, especially for
baselines who generally have few other options available
to them. As with the Device Background, this background
may be taken multiple times to represent multiple pieces of
implanted cyberware, although the Storyteller has the final
say on what is or isnt plausible.
The problems associated with using Aberrant-era
cyberware are many and varied. To begin with augmentation cyberware is available only from large elite organizations like DeVries, national governments, criminal groups
like the Heaven Thunder Triad or Nakato Gumi, or from
the few nova cyberneticists that toil in hidden labs. Unless
the character plans on developing, implanting and providing maintenance for his own cybernetics, he will need dots
of Backing and/or Allies with the aforementioned people
to represent his claim on them to install his cyberware and
keep it in working order. The Storyteller is within her rights
to have these groups periodically call on the character to
aid them, since they are just the kind of people that are
regularly hassled by Project Utopias Tech Police, Proteus
operatives and industrial espionage agents. Payment is also
an issue, but personal service, favors and bartered items can
be substituted for the obscenely immense prices that augmentation cyberware otherwise commands. Most of these
devices are anything but subtle, which not only makes many
users of augmentation cyberware freakish in appearance
but obvious (if only potential) threats in the view of security personnel and their ilk. Except for most brain implants,
Aberrant-era augmentation cyberware cannot ordinarily
be concealed from any security searches or medical scans,

and can only be concealed from casual visual inspection by

heavy clothing. Depending on the circumstances, characters
with augmentation cyberware may suffer a difficulty penalty
of +1 to +3 (Storytellers discretion) on social interactions
with people who find cybernetic implants and prostheses
disturbing. Not surprisingly, novas generally arent big users
of cyberware. Aside from the general scorn some of the
erupted hold for novas who rely on technological devices
rather than their own nova capabilities, many novas have
powers such as Magnetic Mastery and Cyberkinesis which
can shut down cyberware or even turn it against the user.
X: None; your cyberware is strictly of the therapeutic
variety if you have any at all.
: A fairly insignificant piece of cyberware, such as the
basic DeVries Brain-implant Data Connection.
: A minor piece of cyberware, such as the DeVries
Brain-implant Data Connection with multiway communication or a biotech implant equivalent to a 1 nova point Body
Modification.
: A notable piece of cyberware, such as the DeVries
Brain-implant Data Connection with full OpNet connection,
HTT Symbiotic Brain Data Implant or a 1-dot Attribute augmentation system.
: A major piece of cyberware, such as a 2-dot Attribute augmentation system or a biotech implant equivalent
to a 2 nova point Body Modification.
: A powerful piece of cyberware, such as a 3-dot
Attribute augmentation system.

NEW BACKGROUND
ENHANCEMENTS
Boosted Attunement (Attunement)
While any nova can learn to attune a few kilograms of
mass to her quantum signature, your character has learned
how to attune far greater amounts of organic and inorganic
mass than other novas are capable of. As this requires a
greater mastery over quantum energies than most novas
develop, a character taking this Background Enhancement
must have both Quantum 6 and five dots in the Attunement
background. Each level of Boosted Attunement functions as
an additional dot of Attunement, and up to five levels of this
Background Enhancement can be taken, provided the nova
has a sufficiently high Quantum rating.
The first level of Boosted Attunement requires Quantum 6, lets the nova attune up to 500 kg (an average-sized
tree), and costs 1 nova point or 12 experience points. Two
levels allows the nova to attune up to 3,000 kg / 3 metric
tons (an artillery piece), and costs 2 nova points or 14 expe-

APPENDIX

241

ABERRANT
rience points. Taking a third level of Boosted Attunement
requires Quantum 7 and allows the nova to attune up to
15,000 kg / 15 metric tons (the Apollo Lunar Module), at a
cost of 3 nova points or 16 experience points. Novas taking
a fourth level may attune up to 120,000 kg / 120 metric tons
(the MIR space station), for a cost of 4 nova points or 18
experience points. The fifth and final level of Boosted Attunement requires Quantum 8 and allows the nova to attune up
to 1,200,000 kg / 1,200 metric tons (the Royal Navys Triton
demonstration trimaran), with a cost of 5 nova points or 20
experience points.

N-Stage Node (Node)

The N-Stage Node Background Enhancement represents a significantly more highly evolved Mazarin-Rashoud
node than most novas ever develop. Only those novas who
have the ability to channel vast levels of quantum energy
in game terms, those who have reached Quantum 5 and
have a 6th instar Node (five dots in the Node background)
can develop an N-Stage Node as it effectively counts as
a sixth dot of the Node background. At this point the nova
now has a 7th instar M-R node, with the corresponding
increase in quantum recovery and quantum detection that
this brings, and can spend up to twenty five quantum points
per turn. Unlike the previous levels of Node, this increase
does not bring about an automatic increase in permanent
Taint. This is because the farahcytes, which make up the
physical structure of the M-R node, begin to break away
from the main body of the node and distribute themselves
more evenly throughout the brain. Effectively the nova has
several smaller, less invasive and damaging, M-R nodes
working in perfect unison to channel quantum efficiently. It
should be noted that 2ndGen novas, while born with their
farahcytes already distributed through their brain tissue, do
not automatically have this Background Enhancement and
must develop it, either through earned experience points or
during Apotheosis. This basic level (7th instar) costs 1 nova
point or 12 experience points.
A second level of N-Stage Node increases the M-R
node to an 8th instar node (effectively Node 7). This again
increases quantum recovery and detection but this time
does not increase the number of quantum points which can
be spent per turn. However, as the farahcytes of the node
continue to redistribute themselves more evenly through
the tissues of the brain, the damage caused previously by
the nodes previous growth actually begins to reverse. The
Taint generated by the Node background is reduced to two
rather than three. This reduces the novas permanent Taint
by one for all purposes, including difficulties with social
interactions. However, aberrations gained from Taint are
retained, but may be reduced in severity at the Storytellers

242

discretion. The second level (8th instar) costs 2 nova points

or 14 experience points.
A third level of N-Stage Node requires the nova to
reached the next stage in quantum development before it
can be taken (Quantum minimum: 6). With a 9th instar node
(Node 8), the farahcytes have been uniformly distributed
through the novas brain tissue, effectively turning the brain
into a single huge node. Such a node can channel thirty
quantum points per turn and the permanent Taint rating
associated with Node is reduced to one (again, effectively
reducing the novas permanent Taint by one). The third level
(9th instar) costs 3 nova points or 16 experience points.
A fourth level of N-Stage Node - the final evolution of
the Mazarin-Rashoud node - is possible, but is as yet unheard
of. A 10th instar node (Node 9) is composed of farahcytes
distributed throughout the novas entire brain and central
nervous system. Every nerve fiber, ganglion and neuron
has become part of the M-R node; the nova has essentially
become a giant walking node. The nova may spend forty
quantum points per turn and all permanent Taint associated
with the Node background is now gone (permanent Taint
is again effectively reduced by one). The fourth level (10th
instar) costs 4 nova points or 18 experience points.
Overall, novas with this Background Enhancement are
also better able to handle the stresses of channeling too
much quantum. A nova with a 8th instar node cannot gain
more than two points of temporary Taint due to Power
Strain from a spectacular failure, a nova with a 9th instar
node cannot gain more than one temporary Taint, and a
nova with a 10th instar node cannot botch when maxing a
power (Aberrant core book p.149). Also, when using Rapid
Recovery to regain quantum (Aberrant core book p.150),
for a nova with a 7th instar node, the difficulty for the (Stamina + Node) roll is +1 for every two quantum points above
the normal recovery rate. At the 8th instar, the difficulty is +1
for every three quantum points, at the 9th instar it is +1 difficulty for every four quantum points, and at the 10th instar
it is +1 difficulty for every five quantum points and the roll
cannot be botched.
Example: Nova Ezekiel Mills, black-market paraphysician and closet breeder nova, has long sought a means to
remedy the mental disorders and Taint caused by the unrestricted growth of the M-R node. After performing an MRI
examination of the distributed 6th instar node equivalent
of his preadolescent True 2ndGen nova daughter Clarice,
Ezekiel hypothesizes that first generation novas should be
able to redistribute their M-R nodes into a similar configuration. Having already attained Quantum 6 and developed
his own node to the 6th instar, Ezekiel begins training in
a self-designed regimen of meditations and node exercises. After several months on the regimen (and spending 60 experience points), Ezekiel takes 4 dots of N-Stage

APPENDIX

ABERRANT
Node. During a night of feverish dreaming, Ezekiel manages
to transform his 6th instar node into a 10th instar node,
eliminating all of his node-derived Taint and reducing his
single mental aberration (pathological ailurophilia) to the
level of a personality quirk. His wife Monica is pleased by
this, as her husbands insistence that all their home decor
be feline-themed has become a thing of the past. Two years
later, Clarice undergoes Apotheosis soon after puberty hits.
During the transformation, Clarices latent nova potential
blossoms, not only raising her Quantum to 7 but also granting her 4 dots of N-Stage Node. Clarice pays a total of 10
nova points for her new 10th instar node.

Ultrablack Cyberware (Cyberware)

While all augmentation cyberware is deemed blacktech by Project Utopia, there are some pieces that are a
cut above the rest in both their capabilities and the threat
they pose to Aeons plans. A character with this Background
Enhancement has just this sort of cyberware implanted in
him, giving him use of the most advanced cyberware of his
time. It also makes him a target for any and all who will seek
to suppress and/or exploit that technology. Cybernetic or
bionic implants of this caliber will provide twice the total
benefits of a 5-dot piece of cyberware. Biotech implants
of this caliber can provide the equivalent of a 3-nova point
Body Modification. Finally, implants that are quantum gadgets (Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 143-148) are also considered Ultrablack Cyberware, although they are only useable
by novas. Multiple pieces of Ultrablack Cyberware can be
taken, with the Storytellers permission.

NEW ABERRATIONS
Node Phage (Quantum aberration,
high-level)
This rare and very dangerous aberration causes the
nova to be unable to develop quantum abilities on his own.
In game terms, he cannot spend experience to develop or
increase any quantum power, Mega-Attribute or enhancement, and instead must steal the powers of other novas. In
order to do this however, the nova must physically extract
the M-R node from the brain of his victim and use this aberration to absorb its farahcytes into his own M-R node. Obviously this will be fatal for the unfortunate victim, and this
aberration does not give the nova any additional ability to
actually incapacitate and/or kill his victim. The exact method
for doing this varies, but may involve brute force, or a more
subtle method such as Telekinesis, Claws or careful surgery.
Once the M-R node has been removed, the nova may permanently gain a number of dots of the victims quantum

powers, Mega-Attributes or enhancements (one per dot),

equal to his permanent Quantum. The nova will also gain
any extras and strength or weakness levels associated with
a stolen power. However, these stolen powers must still
be bought using experience (at the appropriate cost) and
the nova may not use the Node Phage aberration again
until all the powers gained from the last use are paid for.

NEW ABILITIES
Channeling (Stamina/Perception): This Ability represents the novas increased comprehension of the workings
of her M-R node, which is her link to the quantum world.
A nova with Channeling has taken the time and put in the
effort to understand her M-R node and maximize its potential, increasing both its versatility and effectiveness as a
whole. As such the nova is capable of channeling largerthan-normal amounts of quantum energy through her node
and using it safely. At its highest levels, Channeling actually represents a physical change to the node itself as it is
reshaped to maximize its potential while reducing or eliminating the harmful side effects that normally accompany
the later stages of M-R node development. The novas skill
with Channeling grants her a buffer against the harmful
effects of rapid recovery of quantum energy, lets her temporarily increase the maximum number of quantum points
that she can spend in a turn, increases her nodes sensitivity
to sources of quantum energy, and grants some protection
against quantum-generated brain damage and the resulting mental Taint. Please note that this Ability has no effect
on the number of quantum points the nova can naturally
recover in a turn. Also, a nova must have the Node Background in order to develop this ability in the first place, and
is limited to (Node rating + 1) or 5 dots in Channeling as her
maximum rating, whichever is lowest. The four advantages
of Channeling are described in detail below.
Rapid Recovery Buffer (Stamina): A nova with Channeling may add her rating in this Ability to rolls for rapid
recovery. With the increase to her dice pool, the nova has
a better chance of succeeding on her roll and reducing the
possibility of acquiring temporary Taint. Additionally when
standing next to a particularly powerful source of quantum
energy (such as the sun) a nova may add each dot of Channeling above 3 to her Node rating to determine the number
of quantum points absorbed. The nova will still roll against
the standard difficulties and will still acquire temporary Taint
on a failure or botch as listed in the Aberrant core book (on
p.150).
Increased Quantum Output (Stamina): A nova with
Channeling can temporarily increase the power output of
her node, allowing her to spend more quantum points in a

APPENDIX

243

ABERRANT
turn than her Node rating would normally allow. To do this
she spends 1 temporary Willpower point and rolls Stamina
+ Channeling as an automatic action. If the roll is successful,
then on the following turn the nova may spend quantum up
to her normal maximum plus a number of extra points equal
to her successes on the Stamina + Channeling roll. Failure
means the nova acquires one point of temporary Taint. If
the nova botches the roll, the nova acquires two points of
temporary Taint. The effects listed above last for one turn,
and the nova may attempt this only once per scene.
Increased Node Sensitivity (Perception): The nova can
add her Perception + Channeling dice to her Node rating
for sensing sources of Quantum, with each success narrowing down the sources location and granting the nova
a greater than average ability to home in on these sources.
Additionally, at the Storytellers discretion once a nova has
determined the location of the target (either through a node
ping or through use of another sense) extra successes on
the Perception + Channeling roll can be used to determine
the nature of the sources power (i.e. a nuclear power plant
vs. the sun). If the target is another nova and the character
has already determined the novas location, extra successes
may be used to determine the relative Quantum, Node
and Taint traits possessed by the target (one success for
each trait). Any further successes achieved allow the nova
to guess at the other novas Mega-Attributes and quantum
powers as per the Quantum Attunement enhancement.
Mental Taint Reduction: Each dot in Channeling cancels one dot of Taint when determining the novas Willpower
dice pool for resisting mental aberrations. In no other circumstances will Channeling have any effect on Taint or the
resulting aberrations.
Like Weave, this Ability is very rare, with the Storyteller
having the final say on whether or not a character can have
Channeling.
Specialties: Increased Node Sensitivity, Increased
Quantum Output, Rapid Recovery Buffer
Modulate (Wits): This Ability covers specialized training
in and understanding of the process of charging matter with
ones quantum signature. Modulate allows a nova to use the
Attunement Background to its full potential, so that she is
capable of several Attunement-related stunts that untrained
novas cannot attempt. A nova with Modulate can selectively
charge objects at a distance, charge smaller-than-average
amounts of mass without spending quantum points, temporarily increase the maximum amount of mass that she can
charge and extend the duration of a charged objects attunement. To perform any of these stunts, the character rolls
Wits + Modulate. The number of successes determines how
well the novas charging of the target object stacks up with
her intended result. Please note that the maximum number
of successes cannot exceed the novas Attunement rating.

244

When performing remote attunement, not only does the

nova have an effective range of (Attunement x 5) meters,
but she can choose what part(s) of an object to charge. For
example, one could choose to attune a prisoner but not the
explosive collar thats been put on him, or charge a woman
whos being held hostage so that her captors can be roasted
with ones quantum bolt while she remains unharmed. When
freecharging an object without spending quantum points,
each success on the Wits + Modulate counts as a free
use of Attunement, to a maximum of (Attunement rating 1) successes. When attempting to increase the maximum
amount of mass one can charge, every 2 successes scored
will double the novas maximum amount of attunable mass
for that one use of Attunement. When increasing the duration of the charge, each success will grant an additional
scenes worth of attunement. A nova must have the Attunement Background in order to develop this ability in the first
place, and is limited to (Attunement rating + 1) or 5 dots in
Modulate as her maximum rating, whichever is lowest.
Like Weave, this Ability is very rare, with the Storyteller
having the final say on whether or not a character can have
Modulate.
Specialties: Freecharging, Increased Duration,
Increased Mass, Remote Attunement
Unify (Wits): This Ability is the result of a first generation novas intensive study of the processes - physical and
psychological - involved in shutting down and internalizing
his quantum energies, and vice versa. Unify allows a nova
with the Dormancy Background to make the process more
efficient and to mitigate certain difficulties that arise with
extreme development of that capability. A nova with Unify
can transform into and out of his dormant state more quickly
than other novas and with effort may gain brief, limited
access to the nova characteristics normally denied to him
while dormant. The nova using Unify also enjoys a greater
capability to suppress his permanent Taint while dormant.
The final function of Unify is only of use to novas who have
developed separate human and nova forms, as they
can minimize the psychological changes between the novas
human and nova states. The four advantages of Unify
are described in detail below.
Quickchange: A nova with Unify may roll Wits + Unify
to instantly enter or leave his dormant state as an automatic
action once. (Further quickchanges will require more rolls.)
It should also be noted that a dormant nova attempting to
quickchange out of dormancy will not have access to any
dots of Mega-Wits he may possess.
Sparking: A dormant nova with Unify may spend 1
temporary Willpower point and roll Wits + Unify to access
one of his non-basic nova characteristics (usually a MegaAttribute or quantum power) while dormant for at least one
turn. Each success scored on the Wits + Unify roll beyond

APPENDIX

ABERRANT
the second will grant an additional turn of access to the
chosen nova characteristic. This is an extremely risky practice, as botching the roll will inflict 2 levels of aggravated
damage from internal burns on the Sparking nova as well as
one point of temporary Taint. Sparking will also completely
ruin any attempts being made by the dormant nova to shed
temporary Taint and act as a flare (-2 bonus to be noticed by
others) for purposes of quantum energy detection.
Increased Taint Suppression: Every 2 dots of Unify the
nova has (rounded down) will allow him to suppress one dot
of permanent Taint, along with the associated aberrations,
while he is dormant.
Mental Unification: A nova with 4 or 5 dots of Dormancy with different human and nova forms is not at
any increased risk of developing the Multiple Personality
Disorder aberration like other novas who use Dormancy.
This literally unifies the novas differing psychological identities into a seamless continuum instead of allowing the link
between them to fracture.
Like Weave, this Ability is very rare, with the Storyteller
having the final say on whether or not a character can have
Unify.
Specialties: Quickchange, Sparking

New Language: Vox Deus

Prerequisites: Mega-Perception (Quantum Attunement), Node , full literacy requires Attunement
Language slots: 2
Description: Vox Deus is the spoken name for an entirely
nova-oriented language developed by 2nd Generation
nova children. Despite the name, Vox Deus is a completely
original language and is not related to any known baseline
language, living or dead. The language is designed to take
advantage of a novas ability to create pulsations and ripples
of quantum energies from the M-R node to simultaneously
convey multiple lines of information, adding many other
subtle undertones to the otherwise incomplete spoken language. Also, each line of information in Vox Deus modifies
the meaning of the other lines as well as representing information in itself. With the quantum component, Vox Deus is
the most information-dense language yet conceived of, as
a fluent speaker can convey extremely complex concepts
and huge amounts of information with a few sentences. As a
demonstration of the density of information conveyed with
Vox Deus, one of the inventors translated the Null Manifesto into a single spoken/pulsed sentence, and the Project
Utopia charter into a single sentence and pulse-fragment.
The sonic component of spoken Vox Deus is a syllabic
language with six major vowels as in English (subtypes
include Japanese-style long vowels and German umlaut
vowels), thirty-four normal consonants and one silent con-

sonant. While superficially resembling spoken Mandarin

Chinese, the vocalized component of spoken Vox Deus
lacks the sliding, tonal inflections which are difficult to
handle with altered vocal organs. With the bulk of the data
carried in the pulse-tones, actual vocalized speech is typically minimized to one or more short syllables. The written
script of Vox Deus consists of thirty-five basic ideograms,
and Attunement is used (at a level low enough not to
require spending quantum points) to permanently imprint
the ideograms with the quantum portion of its symbology.
The script of Vox Deus also resembles an abjad (consonant
alphabet) from the viewpoint of non-eximorphic readers, as
the non-quantum portion of the ideograms only represent
leading (header) consonants. Vox Deus script is not a true
abjad however; as vowels and subsequent consonants are
imprinted into the basic ideograms as two special pulsetones not used in spoken Vox Deus. Spoken syllables beginning with vowels are written as beginning with ideogram #1,
which represents the silent consonant. The non-quantum
portion of each ideogram represents a triad of related and
extremely basic concepts - all concepts that are more specific than those are indicated through use of pulse-tones.
All of this was deliberately engineered by the inventors of
the language in order to both simplify the process of writing
Vox Deus ideograms and to make written Vox Deus all the
more difficult for non-novas to translate. The ideograms are
arranged either horizontally reading left to right with subsequent lines underneath, or vertically reading top to bottom
with subsequent lines to the left. In the rare instances where
pages of Vox Deus text (usually accompanied with images)
are assembled into books, said books will be in the Japanese right-to-left format.
Vox Deus is an extremely rare language circa 2015,
although it is guaranteed to spread among certain segments of the nova community once its advantages become
known and teachers become available. Whether or not a
player character nova can have it has been left entirely to
the Storytellers discretion.

Vox Deus descriptive terms

Grunting: Using vocalizations as a sole means of verbal
communication. (Thus, all baseline verbal communication/
language is referred to as grunting.)
Pulse-fragment: Information conveyed solely through
quantum energy pulsations and ripples (spoken) or
through imprinted minute quantum fluctuations (written).
Pulse-tone: A single band of the quantum component of Vox Deus, which is used for information pertaining
to a single subject. Pulse-tones exist for many subjects; of
which mathematics, emotional context, punctuation, measurements, sensory data, inherent qualities, relations and

APPENDIX

245

ABERRANT
associations are only a few examples. Many different pulsetones are used simultaneously when communicating in Vox
Deus.
Root: The non-quantum component of Vox Deus, indicates both the vocalized syllables of spoken Vox Deus and
the basic written ideograms.
Scratching: Using plain writing as a sole means of written communication. (All baseline written communication is
referred to as scratching.)
Speaking: The act of using vocal sound and pulse/
ripples of quantum simultaneously to communicate verbally
in Vox Deus.
Writing: The act of using Vox Deus ideograms permanently imprinted with minute quantum fluctuations to create
a written communication.

Which novas speak Vox Deus?

Quick answer: Any nova who has the minimum capabilities to use it and has learned it, provided that the Storyteller thinks he or she ought to have some proficiency in it.
In other words, very few novas.
Long answer: Circa 2015 only a few True 2ndGen
nova kids will have any fluency in Vox Deus, and its certain that they will use it much like how espionage agents
use their codes - sparingly and always with an eye towards
maintaining secrecy. Given their paranoid upbringing, they
will certainly do their best to limit its spread to only those
few novas that they feel they can trust. Secrets can be hard
to conceal though, as its possible that leaks in the coming
decades could result in the general nova populace learning
of Vox Deus existence through the rumor mill. Those who
dont dismiss Vox Deus as another urban myth will note how
useful the language can be and in turn create a demand for
teachers fluent in the language. Finding such teachers will
be an epic undertaking in itself, much less the near-impossible task of convincing them to instruct other novas. All it
would take is one Vox Deus-capable nova shill for Aeon, the
Teragen or the Directive for the languages natural encryption and secrecy to damaged beyond repair.
If Vox Deus does become available to the general
nova population, it will quickly become popular among the
erupted. Combat elites and nova spies will appreciate its
hyper-efficient information transfer rate and natural encryption properties. Nova scientists and researchers will like how
the sheer amount of text they are accustomed to plowing
through will diminish when recorded in Vox Deus format.
Other novas will appreciate how well its suited for use in
emergency situations and for how it can deter non-nova
eavesdroppers from listening in on what should be a private conversation. Once the Teragen learn of Vox Deus which may only be a matter of time, given the capabilities

246

of Jeremiah Scripture - they will love it for all of the above

reasons plus the fact that it allows novas to literally speak
right over the heads of baselines, excluding them from the
conversations of their betters. Its entirely likely that the
Teragen will quickly adopt Vox Deus as the language that
novas ought to be speaking, and may even seek to establish
it as a lingua franca among the erupted population. Novas
who retain close ties to their baseline friends and relatives
may appreciate Vox Deus, but will refrain from using it while
in the company of the non-erupted out of respect and/or
consideration.

What is speaking and reading Vox

Deus like?
For novas who become reasonably fluent and literate in the language, communicating in Vox Deus quickly
becomes no more difficult than it is using the baseline languages they were taught as children. By using the direct
neural links between the M-R node and the language center
of the nova brain (or the farahcytes intermingled with said
language center, in the case of 2ndGen novas), novas have
no real difficulty simultaneously comprehending the information carried by the multiple pulse-tones and the root of
Vox Deus and the effects of their interactions. The extreme
information density of spoken Vox Deus also allows most
statements to made by uttering a single syllable, as the
pulse-tones will carry the bulk of the data. Mega-Intelligent
speakers of Vox Deus can take the greatest advantage of
this, as they can exchange information using spoken Vox
Deus in a manner very much like modern file compression
utilities. Novas reading Vox Deus text will find it little different from the spoken version, aside from having to deal with
an additional pair of pulse-tones.
In both cases, it is certain that Vox Deus will become
the undisputed worst nightmare of non-nova linguists and
translators for centuries to come, if not longer. Since such
people will only be able to perceive the root of Vox Deus, to
them the spoken language will seem to consist of syllables
used without any consistent meaning or rules. Written Vox
Deus will be even worse, as the root portion of the ideograms are each limited to describing a triad of very broad
yet interrelated basic categories. This limitation on specificity was deliberately engineered by the creators of Vox Deus,
both from a need to maximize information density and as
part of an overall paranoid language design. Since all further refinement of the definitions are created by imprinting
pulse-tones into the ideograms, they represent the absolute
limit to which non-nova translators will be able to decipher
Vox Deus text. From the perspective of a non-nova translator, a phrase with ideogram #12 as its root could mean
any one of the following things: a global war, banditry, spar-

APPENDIX

ABERRANT
ring between martial artists, a barroom brawl, repartee at
a cocktail party or the playfighting of a litter of kittens. As
Vox Deus was created by 2ndGen nova children circa 2015,
it is only to be expected that the language would be deliberately engineered into a paranoid design. The language
merely reflects the paranoia they were forced to learn in
order to protect themselves from all those who sought to
exploit and/or harm them.

How are names handled in Vox Deus?

In Vox Deus, actual names - as opposed to general
descriptive labels and derogatory terms - use ideogram #34
as their partial (when spoken) or entire (when written) root.
Vowels are used to differentiate between general types of

names - personal, family, nicknames, organizations, places

etc. - with all the more specific data being handled by the
pulse-tones. Nova speakers of Vox Deus can transliterate
their baseline-style names into pulse-tones without any real
difficulty, although whether such a nova will choose to retain
his or her baseline name is an open question. Novas who
seek to disassociate themselves from their baseline heritage
- like the Teragen - will gladly abandon their birth names
for a codename and/or a new personal/family name of their
own choosing. Novas who are less eager to cut their baseline ties may still choose to change their names, for fear of
unscrupulous people using their baseline relatives in order
to coerce them or harm them secondhand. Like baseline
children, 2ndGen nova children will typically be named by
their parents or caregivers.

Vox Deus ideograms

These are the ideograms (the root) of written Vox Deus, along with their most basic definitions. All but eleven of the
consonant sounds of the ideograms are pronounced and used just like their English analogs. The exceptions are the eight
consonant + y compound consonant sounds (which have analogs in Japanese), the sharp s / consonant sound (which has
a German analog) and the dj compound consonant sound pronounced as in djinn (which has an Arabic analog). The y
consonant is pronounced as it is in English, but it is separate from y as a vowel in Vox Deus.

a - ( silent consonant ) - neutral/balance/vacuum

02- b - ( x ) - matter/energy/physics
03- c - ( s ) - space/time/location
04- d - ( ) - astrogation/astronomy/cosmology
05- e - ( v ) - planetology/geology/geography
06- f - ( c ) - lifeforms/biology/ecology
07- g - ( w ) - sapients/machine intelligence/xenology
08- h - ( q ) - law/criminology/jurisprudence
09- i - ( gy ) - politics/government/bureaucracy
10- j - ( k ) - health/medical/psychology
11- k - ( n ) - business/economics/finance
12- l - ( r ) - military/conflict/combat
13- m - ( f ) - entertainment/recreation/sport
14- n - ( y ) - communication/social interaction/etiquette
15- o - ( my ) - society/culture/memetics
16- p - ( m ) - agriculture/plant cultivation/animal cultivation
17- q - ( ny ) - sex/reproduction/courtship
18- r - ( by ) - philosophy/religion/parapsychology
01-

s - ( sh ) - technology/engineering/craft
20- t - ( t ) - history/anthropology/archaeology
21- u - ( ry ) - strategy/tactics/plans
22- v - ( d ) - ethics/morality/honor
23- w - ( ch ) - computer/information/media technology
24- x - ( ky ) - family/domestics/parenting
25- y - ( p ) - visual arts/performance arts/literature
26- z - ( hy ) - education/training/news
27- 1 - ( z ) - reality/universe/natural law
28- 2 - ( j ) - physical action/deed/service
29- 3 - ( h ) - navigation/motion/travel
30- 4 - ( l ) - object/substance/tool
31- 5 - ( dj ) - aesthetics/beauty/fashion
32- 6 - ( b ) - event/circumstance/phenomenon
33- 7 - ( g ) - cause/effect/consequence
34- 8 - ( py ) - identity/role/reputation
35- 9 - ( kl ) - cognition/comprehension/perception

19-

APPENDIX

247

ABERRANT
Vox Deus media technology

Mega-Perception

Circa 2015, media technology capable of handling Vox

Deus is still in the blueprint stage of development. However, it is expected that within the next few years the technology will be developed into six such devices, which will
be treated as 2-dot Devices until the 2040s. By then the
technology will have matured some, reducing them to the
level of 1-dot Devices. As examples of radically-advanced
mundane technology, they are not subject to the rules for
quantum gadgets (Aberrant Players Guide pp. 143-148). It
should also be noted that these are not separate devices in
and of themselves, and must be incorporated into an appropriate hardtech media item in order to function.
Voxcaster: Reproduces the quantum component of
spoken Vox Deus, either from an audio recording or from
that received by a voxcorder. Spoken Vox Deus reproduced
by a pre-2040s voxcaster will have a tinny or otherwise
artificial sound to it, making it unable to be mistaken for live
Vox Deus speech.
Voxcorder: An audio recorder capable of both receiving and recording spoken Vox Deus.
Voxprinter: A specialized text printer component that
creates the quantum fluctuations used in Vox Deus text,
either from a computer file or from direct input from a voxtyper.
Voxtyper: A specialized sensor in touchpad or keyboard form, allows a nova fluent in Vox Deus to create computer records of Vox Deus text.
Vidcaster: A video displayer capable of reproducing
Vox Deus text in its entirety from a video file.
Vidgrapher: Close cousin to the voxcorder, a special
component of a computerized media production system
that can reproduce both spoken Vox Deus and typed Vox
Deus text as Vox Deus text within a video display.

- Godlike: You can visually distinguish individual

photons in full daylight. You gain +1 automatic success on all
rolls involving Perception-based Abilities.
- Godlike: You can hear cells dividing. You gain
+2 automatic successes on all rolls involving Perceptionbased Abilities.
- Godlike: You can tell different wavelengths
of electromagnetic radiation apart by touch alone. You gain
+3 automatic successes on all rolls involving Perceptionbased Abilities.
- Godlike: There is no such thing as tasteless where your palate is concerned. You gain +4 automatic
successes on all rolls involving Perception-based Abilities.
- Cosmic: Very little - if anything - in the
universe can be hidden from your senses. You gain +5 automatic successes on all rolls involving Perception-based Abilities.

APPENDIX 2: MENTAL AND

SOCIAL MEGA-ATTRIBUTES
BEYOND 5 DOTS
With the release of the Aberrant Players Guide, the
possibility of having Mega-Strength and Mega-Stamina
at ratings of 6 and higher was introduced, but the issue
of similar ratings for the other Mega-Attributes was left
unaddressed. Now that weve taken the time to rectify the
situation, the upper ranges of the Mental and Social MegaAttributes are now open to Aberrant players and Storytellers who wish to use them in their chronicles. In all cases,
novas with a Mega-Attribute rating of 6 or more must have
a matching Quantum rating and a base Attribute rating of 5.

248

Mega-Intelligence
- Godlike: You have the potential to achieve scientific breakthroughs that baseline humanity wont be able
to match for centuries. You gain +1 automatic success on all
rolls involving Intelligence-based Abilities.
- Godlike: You can recognize potential threats
and make plans to deal with them many decades beforehand. You gain +2 automatic successes on all rolls involving
Intelligence-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Youre on the same intellectual plateau as Divis Mal. You gain +3 automatic successes on all
rolls involving Intelligence-based Abilities.
- Godlike: You are to Rachel Alinsky as she is
to the average baseline. You gain +4 automatic successes on
all rolls involving Intelligence-based Abilities.
- Cosmic: Your intellect is one of the most
advanced in the universe. You gain +5 automatic successes
on all rolls involving Intelligence-based Abilities.

Mega-Wits
- Godlike: Distracting you is nearly impossible.
You automatically add +8 to your Initiative score. You gain +1
automatic success on all rolls involving Wits-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Your cutting remarks dont just leave
scars, they practically maim those foolish enough to anger
you. You automatically add +12 to your Initiative score. You
gain +2 automatic successes on all rolls involving Wits-based
Abilities.
- Godlike: In social situations you can see at
least 100 moves ahead of everyone else. You automatically
add +15 to your Initiative score. You gain +3 automatic successes on all rolls involving Wits-based Abilities.

APPENDIX

ABERRANT
- Godlike: Even the most deeply concealed
feelings and motivations of other novas are glaringly obvious
to you. You automatically add +18 to your Initiative score.
You gain +4 automatic successes on all rolls involving Witsbased Abilities.
- Cosmic: Almost nothing in the universe
can shake your composure. You automatically add +21 to
your Initiative score. You gain +5 automatic successes on all
rolls involving Wits-based Abilities.

ance (Ugliness)-based Abilities.

- Cosmic: There are Things That Man Was
Not Meant To See, and youre one of them. You receive ten
extra dice for all Intimidation rolls. You gain +5 automatic
successes on all rolls involving Appearance (Ugliness)-based
Abilities.

Mega-Manipulation

- Godlike: The mere sight of you is enough to

make celibate clergy forsake their vows. You receive six extra
dice for all Style rolls. You gain +1 automatic success on all
rolls involving Appearance-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Your appearance no longer conforms to the aesthetic opinions of others; their opinions conform to your appearance. You receive seven extra dice for
all Style rolls. You gain +2 automatic successes on all rolls
involving Appearance-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Even animals and alien races are
taken aback by your splendor. You receive eight extra dice
for all Style rolls. You gain +3 automatic successes on all rolls
involving Appearance-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Aphrodite and Tammuz are frumps
compared to you. You receive nine extra dice for all Style
rolls. You gain +4 automatic successes on all rolls involving
Appearance-based Abilities.
- Cosmic: You are one of the most gorgeous
beings in the universe. You receive ten extra dice for all Style
rolls. You gain +5 automatic successes on all rolls involving
Appearance-based Abilities.

- Godlike: When you make deals with the Devil,

hes the one who always gets the short end of the stick. You
receive six extra dice for any roll to detect or resist attempts
to manipulate or trick you. You gain +1 automatic success on
all rolls involving Manipulation-based Abilities.
- Godlike: When it comes to fooling people,
you can give Coyote a good run for his money. You receive
seven extra dice for any roll to detect or resist attempts to
manipulate or trick you. You gain +2 automatic successes on
all rolls involving Manipulation-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Prometheus respects your cunning.
You receive eight extra dice for any roll to detect or resist
attempts to manipulate or trick you. You gain +3 automatic
successes on all rolls involving Manipulation-based Abilities.
- Godlike: All but the most well-crafted
deceptions are transparent to you. You receive nine extra
dice for any roll to detect or resist attempts to manipulate or
trick you. You gain +4 automatic successes on all rolls involving Manipulation-based Abilities.
- Cosmic: You are one of the most devious
beings in the Universe. You receive ten extra dice for any roll
to detect or resist attempts to manipulate or trick you. You
gain +5 automatic successes on all rolls involving Manipulation-based Abilities.

Mega-Ugliness

Mega-Charisma

- Godlike: The mere sight of you is enough to

make even the worst lechers seriously consider becoming
celibate clergy. You receive six extra dice for all Intimidation
rolls. You gain +1 automatic success on all rolls involving
Appearance (Ugliness)-based Abilities.
- Godlike: The hags of Eurasian fairy tales are
as supermodels when compared to you. You receive seven
extra dice for all Intimidation rolls. You gain +2 automatic
successes on all rolls involving Appearance (Ugliness)-based
Abilities.
- Godlike: Even animals and alien races are
nauseated by your repulsiveness. You receive eight extra dice
for all Intimidation rolls. You gain +3 automatic successes on
all rolls involving Appearance (Ugliness)-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Grendel has nightmares about
you. You receive nine extra dice for all Intimidation rolls. You
gain +4 automatic successes on all rolls involving Appear-

- Godlike: People beg you to let them form cults

around you. You gain +1 automatic success on all rolls involving Charisma-based Abilities.
- Godlike: You can maintain your poise and
charm even during apocalyptic situations. You gain +2 automatic successes on all rolls involving Charisma-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Your words could prevent - or start
- small wars. You gain +3 automatic successes on all rolls
involving Charisma-based Abilities.
- Godlike: Enemies are much too busy trying
to win your love - romantic or otherwise - to ever fight you.
You gain +4 automatic successes on all rolls involving Charisma-based Abilities.
- Cosmic: You are a penultimate exemplar
of charm, elegance and poise. You gain +5 automatic successes on all rolls involving Charisma-based Abilities.

Mega-Appearance

APPENDIX

249

ABERRANT
Mega-Intelligence
APPENDIX 3: MEGABrainiacs can understand and influence complex sysMENTAL AND MEGA-SOCIAL tems (like organizations, nations & cultures), in ways that
baselines barely understand. They can use this influence
FEATS
and control their surroundings, manipulating people and

While the Mental and Social Mega-Attributes have

already been covered in the previous Mega-Attribute
ebooks, their potential can still remain unclear to novice
Aberrant players and Storytellers. Weve taken the opportunity to remedy that with a small sampling of what MegaMental and Mega-Social novas are capable of in realistic
terms, barring the use of enhancements.

Mega-Perception
The superhuman awareness of a watcher isnt limited
to the details of her physical surroundings. The involuntary
physical responses (muscular/nervous tics, changes in respiration and/or body temperature, pheromone releases etc.)
of other lifeforms can supply her with a wealth of information.
1 dot: Listen to 10 different musical compositions
simultaneously while being able to distinguish each clearly.
2 dots: Perceive colors as well as the most visually
acute Chromatics.
3 dots: Smell what baselines consider scentless
substances with ease.
4 dots: Move about while fully blindfolded with no
difficulty by feeling variations in the light reflected off surrounding objects on your skin.
5 dots: See a television image as a beam scanning
over the screen if the watcher concentrates.
6 dots: Locate a given type of restaurant by the scent
of its cuisine from across a medium-sized city.
7 dots: Without making any real effort distinguish differences between exact copies of anything, be it a song,
photocopy or reproduction.
8 dots: See even the tiniest invisible air currents/
distortions with ease.
9 dots: Listen to nearby conversations from the recent
past by discerning the faint echoes still bouncing around.
The particulars of how well this works are left to the Storytellers discretion but influential factors include how well the
nearby surfaces reflect echoes (hard & smooth works better
than rough & soft) and the subsequent noise at the vicinity.
10 dots: You are automatically aware of anything of
interest to you within the operating range of your senses
that is qualitatively detectable by your available senses.
Excess sensory input is no obstacle, even on the scale of
sensing everything in the entire world at once.

250

events with superhuman capability. They have reduced or

totally waived training time for learning new Abilities. Brainiacs can roll Intelligence or a relevant Ability to recall some
useful piece of data they have seen or heard. They can also
place a hidden message within a message/document that
only novas with Mega-Intelligence of their own dot rating or
higher can decipher.
1 dot: Defeat a grandmaster of chess consistently
while only vaguely paying attention.
2 dots: Deduce non-obvious applications for existing
technological devices.
3 dots: Predict the actions of baseline humans without much thinking. Doing this for aliens requires an amount
of thought in inverse proportion to how well the nova knows
the alien species in question. The better the nova knows the
aliens, less thought will be required.
4 dots: Distinguish between random static and nonrandom scrambling immediately on observation.
5 dots: Deduce non-obvious/non-official historical
events from historical records and circumstantial evidence
- bad data (Garbage In, Garbage Out) & mistakes are still
factors.
6 dots: Design working devices/technologies just
from a general outline of principles - no technical details
are required, as they can be extrapolated. This includes scientific knowledge that typically isnt considered to have any
practical technological use. A solid base of scientific/technological knowledge is still required.
7 dots: Acquire a Ph.D level of knowledge in a field,
from scratch, in 30 hours.
8 dots: Develop non-Inspired technologies that baselines will not be able to duplicate for centuries.
9 dots: Reinvent an entire scientific field from first
principles in a month.
10 dots: Starting from scratch, match the collective
technological development of humankind from the beginnings to the early 21st century in 94 days, given sufficient
resources.

Mega-Wits
A quick-thinker has greater control over his own emotions and involuntary reactions - things like shock or surprise
either dont exist for him or do not impair him. This also
reduces a quick-thinkers chances of being distracted &
allows him a clear-minded focus on whatever task at hand.
1 dot: Without having to pay attention, walk through

APPENDIX

ABERRANT
a crowd of oncoming pedestrians without ever being jostled
or touched.
2 dots: Read two (or more) books or viewscreens
simultaneously.
3 dots: Non-Inspired Social Abilities can no longer
affect you against your own will.
4 dots: Can predict/finish other peoples sentences
by looking at their faces.
5 dots: Retain your composure in the face of a credible, immediate opportunity to acquire your Hearts Desire.
6 dots: It is impossible to ambush you without the use
of superhuman abilities.
7 dots: Your works of fine art are so excellent that
experiencing them qualifies as a life-changing event for
your audience.
8 dots: Not even knowing the difference between a
Bear or Bull economy, the global stock market is still
your plaything.
9 dots: Attempts to deceive you by omission, equivocation, or even the most subtle half-truths are as obvious as
the most blatant lies told by a four-year-old.
10 dots: You effectively have centuries to think about
your response to any situation.

Mega-Appearance
Unlike attractive baselines, idols retain their superhuman beauty in everyday circumstances where the benefits of
airbrushing, makeup and controlled lighting are unavailable.
They have the option of using their hyper-attractiveness to
influence the behavior of anyone who might be attracted to
them, the results of which can range from having a judge
in court rule in your favor to getting a one-night stand. Distracting people of the correct sexual orientation - to the
point where said people will drop things, walk into walls and
generally lose track of whatever they were doing before the
idol showed up - is another favored tactic. Idols can almost
always ensure that other peoples attention is drawn to
themselves when desired, although it can backfire spectacularly. While not quite as effective at Intimidation as a squid,
an idol can also use her superhuman visage to intimidate
people with great effect, provided that risking her displeasure is seen by those people as a credible threat.
1 dot: Average baselines who find you attractive will
always fulfill minor requests from you when possible.
2 dots: To see you is to be infatuated with and/or lust
after you, provided theyre sexually oriented towards your
gender.
3 dots: You can always attract an impromptu entourage of admirers, provided there are people around who are
sexually oriented toward and non-hostile (at the minimum)
to you.

4 dots: People who find you attractive will always fulfill major requests from you, provided that they think theres
any chance that they could get lucky with you.
5 dots: Even people of the incorrect sexual orientation will feel sexually attracted towards you.
6 dots: Temporarily soothe baselines suffering from
psychotic episodes upon seeing your loveliness.
7 dots: Seeing you in person qualifies as a life-changing experience.
8 dots: Your amazing looks are so transcendent that
even mosquitoes and other insects will avoid biting you and
marring your perfection.
9 dots: People will engage in bidding wars into the
billions of dollars for an authentic digital photo of you.
10 dots: People will gladly endanger their own lives
- even to the point of committing suicide - if they think that
youre asking it of them.

Mega-Appearance Variations
In nearly all of the prior canon and fan-produced books
for Aberrant, Appearance and Mega-Appearance have
been presented solely in terms of human late adolescent/
adult beauty and the corresponding sex appeal. As with
everything else in the Nova Age, the topic is a bit more
complicated than that. Guidelines for using the Appearance
and Mega-Appearance of beings who arent adults, fully
human or even organic lifeforms have been provided.
Human Children: While certainly not inhuman (despite
what some ill-prepared new parents may think), children even Mega-Attractive nova children - are not considered
sexually attractive by mentally healthy humans. The Storyteller is encouraged to declare all Seduction rolls by underage characters and Style rolls intended to make a child
look sexy to be automatic failures. Depending on the circumstances, the results of those automatic failures can be
either highly comical or deeply disturbing.
Semi-human Beings: Novas whose bodies are a
blend of standard human anatomy and nonhuman features
granted by permanent Body Modifications are something of
a gray area where the majority of baselines and other novas
are concerned. Depending on the nature and amount of
such a novas nonhuman features, the Storyteller can apply a
difficulty penalty of +1 to +4 to all Seduction rolls and Style
rolls intended to make the nova look sexy. In cases where
the Body Modifications are either minimal or are considered
attractive by baseline human standards (i.e. a pair of angelic
wings or the nekomimi of manga/anime fandom), the difficulty penalty should be waived altogether.
Non-human Beings: Most humans are not sexually
attracted to nonhuman creatures. This also applies to nonaberrated novas who have permanently altered themselves

APPENDIX

251

ABERRANT
though extreme levels of Body Modifications into nonhuman forms. The Storyteller is within her rights to declare
that the positive Appearance of such beings and the MegaAppearance possessed by non-humanshaped novas cannot
be utilized in terms of sex appeal with the majority of baseline humans and novas.
Inorganic Objects, Natural Phenomena Etc.: This is
Aberrant youre playing, not Exalted. Dont even bother
rolling, this counts as an automatic failure for all but a few
mentally-disordered humans and novas.

Mega-Ugliness & Intimidation

Mega-Ugliness

Mega-Manipulation

A squids surreal repulsiveness grants him a shock value

that is outside the context of the typical baselines experience. Faced with a horror of which cinematic movie monsters are but pathetic imitations most people can and do
lose their self-control, which allows the squid to terrorize
and/or dominate them as he pleases. Similar to an idol,
the squid can also distract people with his hyper-abhorrent
looks, with said people quickly losing track of whatever they
were doing in their panic over seeing the squid. Likewise,
a squid also retains his hideousness in everyday circumstances and can draw attention to himself with relative ease.
1 dot: Typical baselines break out into nervous sweat
in your presence.
2 dots: Standard baselines automatically attempt to
leave any room youre in.
3 dots: People will do whatever you request, just to
get you to leave.
4 dots: Even strong willed baselines automatically
attempt to flee your presence.
5 dots: Cause various kinds of hysteria reactions in
typical baselines who view your horrid visage.
6 dots: Make baselines involuntarily urinate and/or
defecate out of the basic animal fear reaction upon catching
sight of you.
7 dots: Even extremely strong willed baselines faint
in your presence.
8 dots: Predatory and parasitic animals would rather
starve to death than touch you.
9 dots: The extreme fear your visage provokes can
cause stress-induced physical effects in baselines. Examples
of such effects include the victims hair going white and/or
falling out, premature aging and partial hysterical sensory
impairment.
10 dots: Without physical intervention non-Inspired
creatures will blind themselves rather than risk seeing you
again.

252

While the other Social Mega-Attributes grant abilities

to get along with other people, Mega-Ugliness is unique in
that it grants the ability to not get along and to intimidate
other people. As such it is a constant invitation to opposed
willpower rolls. A squids awful looks give him an advantage here, but situational modifiers can grant extra dice or
even prevent rolls. For example the Storyteller could disallow Intimidation rolls if the nova obviously has no way of
hurting whomever he faces.

A grifters inherent awareness of others attempts at

manipulation and/or deception isnt limited to those focusing on herself alone. Provided that she has a working knowledge of the targets general viewpoint (whether it be only
a single person or a group), the grifter can detect such
attempts directed at them and counter them if shes able.
A grifter is also capable of influencing other people through
written and printed media, as demonstrated by Heinrich
The Newsman Keld and Corby Carter.
1 dot: Polygraphs show exactly what you want them
to show, entirely at your will and independent of your overt
answers and their truthfulness.
2 dots: You can find and barter for anything the street
has to offer.
3 dots: Take a standard baseline who hates you and
wants nothing more than to spoil your plans, and get him to
yell exasperatedly Just tell us what you want, were going
to end up doing it anyway!.
4 dots: If you can speak to the proper people, you
can diffuse any disagreement, up to and including war.
5 dots: In a brief amount of time you can strip all
useful information from a hardened Directive agent.
6 dots: Such is your silver tongue that you can convince priests and nuns to give up their vows of celibacy.
7 dots: You can get ordinary baselines to reveal whatever information you like, without them realizing they did
so.
8 dots: You can destroy high-exposure careers and/
or support for an organization basically at will, the Storyteller has full discretion on how much time, effort and/or
evidence you will need. Often a single media report is all
thats needed to serve your purposes.
9 dots: Like the wingbeats of butterflies that can
eventually create hurricanes, you can (Storyteller willing)
influence events with the most trivial and unlikely of actions.
(Storytellers discretion as to how long this takes and the
limits of what your machinations can affect.)
10 dots: The novas player may choose at any time
to have an unlikely but theoretically possible, event or

APPENDIX

ABERRANT
sequence of events to happen, based on the novas prior
machinations coming to fruition exactly when desired. This
costs one point of temporary Willpower and requires a
Manipulation roll, with a difficulty based on the unlikelihood
of the events.

Mega-Charisma
Charmers have a greater ability for masking their own
emotions and involuntary reactions from being noticed by
other people, which allows them to deal with people whom
they find personally distasteful with relative ease. It also is of
immense help when performing a role that requires faking
friendly and positive interactions with such people. The vast
majority of people like charmers to the point where they
find it hard (but not impossible) to believe bad things about
them. This is useful in police investigations, courtrooms and
in dealing with the media.
1 dot: Make non-hostile baselines treat you like a
superstar by force of personality alone.
2 dots: Usurp a dinner reservation at a fancy restaurant from a baseline with the Influence Background.
3 dots: Make baselines spend a significant portion of
their annual wage just to do the things you like to do or have
the things you like to have. Yes, you ARE that important to
them!
4 dots: Make baseline humans intent on killing you
stop to let you talk with them first.
5 dots: Make professional poker players fold winning
hands just to keep from upsetting you.
6 dots: Shake people out of manic and/or depressive
states by force of personality alone.
7 dots: Render a baseline human willing to sacrifice
his or her life for you after a single conversation.
8 dots: Make yourself be found innocent of even
the most heinous crimes because youre so likable, despite
overwhelming evidence of your guilt.
9 dots: Make baselines kill themselves or allow you to
kill them if you ask it of them.
10 dots: Make world superpowers wage war in hope
of gaining your favor.

General Guideline: The Work Hour

The Aberrant core book gives us charts which illustrate
how much more effective a Mega-Strong nova would be at
moving objects than a baseline human (pp. 134 & 156 of
the core book). As a rule of thumb, if it would take someone
with Strength 3 five hours to move something then it can be
done in a half hour by a nova with Mega-Strength 1. Hes
ten times stronger and so gets ten times as much done in
any unit of time.

Applying these figures to the other Mega-Attributes, if

it takes 2 work years for the best baseline author to create
a top-selling book, then a nova with Mega-Wits 3 and Art 5
should be able to do the same thing in one week. Of course,
this assumes an equal or greater rating in the relevant Ability
on the novas part.
For a nova with Mega-Intelligence 1, one weeks worth
of work is equal to a months worth of work for the smartest
baseline, and 5 months of work for the average baseline.
Assuming Albert Einstein had 40 productive years of work
during his life, a nova with Mega-Intelligence 2 could have
done the same thing in a year. A nova with Mega-Intelligence 5 would have taken two weeks.
This also applies to learning times. A nova with MegaDexterity learns Dexterity Abilities far more quickly than any
baseline, etc. This doesnt get rid of the experience costs,
but it does mean that while a baseline might have to spend
years to get an Ability up to five dots, a nova with the right
Mega-Attributes can do the same in months or even over
a weekend if he has a high enough Mega-Attribute rating.

Normal Strength Chart

Dots

Deadlift Weight (kilograms)

One

15

Two

45

Three

100

Four

165

Five

Mega-Strength Chart
Dots

Deadlift Weight (metric tons)

One

Two

10

Three

25

Four

50

Five

100

Six

200

Seven

400

Eight

800

Nine

1,600

Ten
3,200
These guidelines assume similar abilities and dont
take into account enhancements and other powers.

APPENDIX

253

CREDITS
Authors: Daniel Alex Green Buss, Shawn Sprocket
Henley, Dion Reighnhell Woods
Additional Contributors: Jessica JessiLaurn Orsini, Jack
Gideon Summanen, Michael Bahamut810 Whitaker,
John Cottus Centimane Wyatt, Dan Jackson Creed
Hamilton, Jason Nyxx Hanks, Alex Blue Thunder
Hartsel, Chris Quantum Promise Asher, Owen Echade
Raine, Aaron Captether Siddall, Anon, archer21,
BcAugust, Bioagent, BlueNinja, blushing_bunny, Forge,
madcat82, metaphysician, Nullifier, pryzmkess, Psilord,
Rorx, SkyLion, Snackula, t-dev, TheFan, Wanderer.
Storyteller Game System Designed By: Mark ReinHagen
Aberrant Developed By: Robert Hatch, Kraig Blackwelder
Developers: Shawn Sprocket Henley

Editor: Shawn Sprocket Henley

Interior Artwork: John Cottus Centimane Wyatt, Aaron
Captether Siddall, Elizabeth Mrs. Nyxx Hanks
Layout and Typesetting: RPG-Post.com designers
Special Thanks:
Jack Gideon Summanen, for permitting us to include
his Unified Speed Rules.
Dan Jackson Creed Hamilton, for both keeping EON
afloat and passing the torch when the time came.
Dedication
To all four of my late grandparents; for their wisdom,
humor, mischief and love. Without their inspiration this
ebook (and its predecessors) would never have been
written. R.I.P.
-Shawn Sprocket Henley

2010 EONONLINE.NET
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This book in its entirety has been developed to be freely available to fans of White Wolfs Trinity Universe the
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254

THE NEW FLESH

THE NEW FLESH

MUSCLE, TENDON AND BONE
Nothing is a more vivid illustration of the superiority of Homo sapiens novus
than the sculpted perfection of the nova physique. Rippling muscles and
tough-as-steel skin work together with catlike grace to perform feats that
leave even the finest baseline athlete in the dust. This book shows just how
remarkable these New Olympians can beand the price of perfection of the
flesh.

TRANSFORMED BEYOND PERFECTION

Aberrant: The New Flesh takes a closer look at what defines the Physical MegaAttributes, and the effects that Mega-Physical novas can have on the world
around them. Here youll find the cutting-edge of biotechnology, an
expanded view of what combat between novas really entails, thoughts on just
what it means to be faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a
locomotive, and plenty of new Mega-Physical enhancements and aberrations.
As an added bonus, Aberrant: The New Flesh also includes expanded options
for combat, weapons and exotic environments so that you can fight your next
battle with whatever you need, wherever you may be.