Ability Types

Every special ability has 3 basic types: Acquisition, Activation, and Source.

Acquisition Types

Every special ability has either the Innate or Item type. If an ability doesn't have an acquisition type listed in it description, it means it can be either Innate or Item, chosen by you when you acquire the ability.


INNATE
Innate abilities are a part of you and come from within your body or soul. They cannot be separated from you as they are an integral part of you. You can only retrain innate abilities in rare location or rare circumstances or over long periods of time.


ITEMS
Item abilities come from gear that can be disarmed or sundered. All items are wielded or worn. items abilities are granted by use of an item that can be broken or removed from you. The trade-off is that you can swap out/retrain item abilities as common locations during downtime while innate abilities are much more difficult to retrain.

Limited-Use: If you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll or skill check using an item, it jams or runs out of ammo (firearm, tool, etc.) or you run out of them (grenades, potions, etc.) You must use an action and make a skill check to unjam, reload, or find more.

Trading Items: Unlike innate abilities, you can easily swap old gear for new gear at your leisure as long as you have access to a place where you can feasibly buy, craft, trade, or otherwise acquire it.

Vehicle Items: Vehicles carry you instead of you carrying them and are usually equal or larger than you in size. Every vehicle has one or more control spots where its different functions can be activated and a list of how many functions it has as well as the crew needed to operate those functions (pilot, commander, gunner, engineer, etc.) A basic vehicle is medium-sized and can carry up to 1 medium-sized creature: acceleration 20 mph, max speed 100 mph and needs only 1 pilot with no other functions (tier 1 item-based vehicle tech power). Activating the vehicle consumes focus (fuel/battery power) and allows it to function for up to 10 minutes. Activating it again while operating it extends this duration at the cost of additional focus (fuel/battery power). If a vehicle is stolen from another character, whatever their focus was at the time is the maximum focus that can be used before it needed to be refueled/maintained.

Versatile Items: You can merge multiple abilities into one item, up to a maximum number of tiers worth of abilities equal to the maximum  tier you can have per device. Unless noted otherwise, each item has a hardness of 6 + twice it's tier. If an item is broken, see the Broken condition.

Wielded Items Wielded items requires 1 action to draw it from a sheath, pick it up off the ground, or grab it from another other obvious location or 2 actions to draw it from a stored location such as from inside a backpack, hidden compartment, under clothing, etc. It requires a separate action to activate it or use it just like any other ability. Wielded items can be disarmed, which knocks them out of your hand or out of their sheath. Any item can be sundered with a normal attack.

Worn Items: Worn gear requires 1 minute to don or remove. Items that create effects that last longer than 10 minutes must be worn gear unless the GM notes otherwise. You can't wear more than a total amount of tiers worth of items that exceeds 4 + your Strength (Brawn) modifier. You can't benefit from a long rest while wearing a total amount of tiers worth of items that exceeds your Constitution saving throw.



Example Gear:

Semi-auto Slugthrower Pistol (Blast 2 [upgrade 1, unavoidable 1]: Active/Wielded, Reload 1-3): Marksmanship vs. Dex (Light Ranged Attack +1/1d6 piercing) Light Armored Vest w/ basic Shielding (Armor 2: Passive, Worn; Shielding 1: Active, Recharge 1-3/20) 3: +1 STR DC, +1 DEX DC, 1 action activate shielding for 5 temporary HP for 1 minute Medical Kit (Lay on Hands 2: Active, Recharge 1-3/20, Wielded) 2: Biotics vs. DC11 (Medium Melee Buff 2d6 healing to living creature)

Activation Types

All abilities are either a Power or Trait. Unless noted otherwise, powers cost 1 focus/tier to use while traits reduce your maximum Focus Pool by 1/tier but are always active or useable at-will without cost. You can turn traits into powers by requiring 1 action and 1 focus/tier to be used to activate it for 1 minute (if combat-based) or 10 minutes (non-combat ability).

Source Types

You also choose one of the following choices for your special ability when you acquire it: biotics, hi-tech, low-tech, luck, magic, or talent

• Biotics: Biotic abilities result from your bizarre or alien genetic structure. They can be powers or traits and either biology or magic-based but are always innate. Only organic creatures can have biotic powers.
  
• Hi-Tech: Hi-tech abilities result from advanced technology, typically gear you wield or wear, but also gear you may simply have access too. For example, hacking computers is a tech power you can use anytime you're operating a computer. Tech powers can be disabled by simply swiping your gear from you or blocking you from accessing technological devices.
  
• Low-Tech: Low-tech abilities result from primitive technology, typically gear you wield or wear, but also gear you may simply have access too. Superhuman abilities cannot be low-tech above tier 4 unless they are a vehicle, but even then, they can only go up to 4 + 2 per size larger than medium.
  
• Luck: Luck abilities aren't supernatural but occur as a result of destiny, fate, serendipity, or possibly good planning and foresight on your part. You can't throw a fireball, but you were secretly aware that the fuel tank behind your foe was leaking and would blow with a well-placed lit cigarette.
  
• Magic: Magic abilities result from the mysterious force simply called "magic".
  
• Talent: Talent abilities are not superhuman. Most adult humans given enough practice and training could feasibly gain and master a feat whereas special items and powers provide superhuman effects. If an ability is listed as "superhuman", it cannot be a talent.