Drain

You can temporarily lower one of a target’s traits: an ability, skill, feat, or FX, chosen when you acquire this FX. You must touch the target, making a normal melee attack roll, and roll to overcome the target's Fortitude resistance. If the roll succeeds, the target loses 1 rank from the affected trait(s), plus a Cumulative 1 rank for each point you overcame the DC, up to a maximum of the Drain rank. Lost ranks automatically return at a rate of 1 per round, except for inanimate objects, which do not recover drained Toughness; they must be repaired.
Drain’s cost per rank determines the affected trait(s):
* 1 point: Drain affects a single trait (such as Strength score or Will resistance), chosen when the effect is acquired. (To affect a list of traits, one at a time, use an Array of different 1-point Drains, see the Array structure in this chapter.)
* 2 points: Drain affects any one trait suited to its descriptors, one at a time, such as any one ability score, skill, or feat at a time, or any one sensory effect, fire effect, or mental effect at a time.
* 3 points: Drain affects all traits of a single type (ability scores, skills, feats, one type of FX, or all FX of a particular type or descriptor) all at once (subtracting its rank from each).
* 4 points: Drain reduces all FX at once.
* 5 points: Drain reduces all traits at once. Gamemasters should carefully control, and may wish to limit access to, the 4- and 5-point versions of Drain, since they are especially powerful.
==Drain and Objects==
Drain normally has no effect on inanimate objects, only creatures. Drain with the Affects Objects extra can work on inanimate objects, and Drain can couple this with the Limited to Objects flaw to work only on inanimate objects as a +0 modifier. As a general rule, most inanimate objects have only one trait (their Toughness) and Drain Toughness can weaken the Toughness (and therefore structure) of objects.
Objects do not get resistance against Drain; it has its full effect on the targeted object. At the GM’s discretion, held or carried objects may gain a Reflex check from their wielder to reduce the Drain’s effect, representing pulling the object out of harm’s way at the last moment. Devices must have their resistances overcome to be affected.
==Drain and Devices==
Drain with the right descriptor(s) can lower the traits provided by a Device. For example, a Drain that affects all magical FX could potentially drain the FX of a magical device as well. Likewise a Drain affecting electrically powered equipment could drain an electrical device, and so on. This also applies to equipment, although it tends to have fewer traits to drain, and the GM should feel free to disallow any Device or equipment Drains that don't suit the campaign or the FX concept. For example, just because a Drain Damage FX is possible doesn’t mean a character should be able to cause guns to do less damage; this sort of thing is better handled by an all-or-nothing FX like Nullify.
==Power Level Cap==
When coupled with Slow Fade, Drain can become very potent at knocking targets out of a fight with nearly no chance for the target to recover. When Drain targets any of the six basic Ability Scores of a character and has the Slow Fade FX feat, this combination counts as 2 ranks towards the Drain FX's power level cap.
==Extras==
* Affects Corporeal: An incorporeal being needs this extra to use a Drain FX, like a "life-draining" Drain Constitution for a ghost, on a corporeal target.
* Affects Insubstantial: Drain with this extra can affect insubstantial targets, even if the user can’t normally touch them.
* Affects Objects: Drain with this modifier works on inanimate objects, although the effect can still only drain traits the objects possess. This is most often applied to Drain Toughness for an effect that can weaken both creatures and objects. As a +0 modifier, the FX only works on objects (things with no Constitution), and not creatures with a Constitution score.
* Alternate Resistance: Certain Drains, particularly those affecting mental traits, may have Will as their resistance rather than Fortitude. This might also be the case for Drain FX designed as mental or mystic powers.
* Aura: As a touch range FX, Drain can apply this extra, suitable for a character whose touch automatically causes a particular Drain FX.
* Contagious: This modifier suits a Drain FX based on a disease or similar contagion, or something like a draining substance that covers targets and can potentially affect anyone touching them as well. It's often used in conjunction with the Disease modifier.
* Disease: Drain is the FX most commonly used for diseases, which typically weaken a victim’s abilities, and may affect other traits. A Disease Drain works like the guidelines given in Environment Module. Disease Drains are often comparatively low-ranked, the FX building up over time.
* Extended Reach: A Touch Range Drain can benefit from the effects of this extra.
* Incurable: Drain with this extra cannot have its effects countered by another FX (such as Boost, Healing, or other FX) without the Persistent extra; the target must recover from the Drain normally.
* Poison: Like Disease, Poison is a common modifier for Drain, which is the basic FX of most toxins. Poison Drains tend to affect ability scores: Strength for weakness poisons, Dexterity for paralytic poisons, Constitution for lethal toxins, and mental ability scores for intoxicants, depressants, and similar neurochemicals. Poison Drains tend to be higher rank than Disease Drains simply because they act faster and take effect only twice.
* Reversible: You can restore character points you have drained from a subject at will as a Free Action rather than having to wait for them to recover over time.
* Selective: A Drain FX capable of reducing more than one trait at once can have this extra, allowing you to choose which traits are affected, while not affecting others. Note this differs from the Selective Attack extra, which allows you to choose which subjects an Area Drain affects.
* Selective Attack: This extra can be applied to an Area Drain so it only affects some targets and not others. It can be combined with the Selective FX feat (previously), allowing you to use an Area Drain to selectively drain certain traits only from certain targets.
* Slow Fade: This extra extends the time it takes for lost character points to return, one step up the Time and Value Progression Table per rank: 1 point per minute, 1 point per five minutes, and so forth.
* Subtle: Drain FX with this extra are more difficult to detect. Since Drain is normally a Touch Range FX, and the actual FX (loss of character points) are usually apparent, a Drain generally has to be ranged or Perception Range to gain much benefit from being Subtle.
* Total Fade: Traits reduced by a Total Fade Drain do not recover gradually. Instead, they remain at their reduced character point value until the entire trait would have normally recovered, at which point the trait returns to its normal value. So, for example, if a Total Fade Drain reduces a trait by 5 character points, the trait would normally recover 1 point per round until it returned to its normal value but instead remains at the lowered value for five rounds, then regains all 5 lost character points at once.
==Flaws==
* Limited to Objects: Drain with Affects Objects and this flaw works only on inanimate objects with no Constitution score.
* Surprise Attack: You must Subdue a target or catch them by surprise in order to Drain them. The Drain FX can work once you have Combat Advantage, but not until then.
* Side Effect: This flaw may represent a kind of Drain FX that “overloads” or even “feeds” on the user if it fails to drain the target! The side effect might be straightforward Damage, or a similar Drain FX against the attacker.
Category:Rulebook
Category:Characters
Category:FX
Category:Trait FX