Energy Attack

[Power]

**Cost:** by mode

**Activate:** by mode

**Sustain:** by mode

**Range:** by mode

**Save:** by mode

With this power, you can generate energies harmful to your foes and even project those energies over distances. This power is extremely broad and has a lot of options. You can do anything from charging your skin like an electric eel's to generating a sonic scream that can shatter concrete. You'll want to read through the whole description pretty carefully before you take this power. There's a lot to it.

There are four major options in this power: **damage** type (lethal or non-lethal), **energy** type, **mode** (which governs area of effect), and **ranks** (i.e., damage dice, the price of which depends on the mode). There are also enhancements and limitations that can radically alter the way the power works.

**Damage Type**

When you buy your *Energy Attack*, you **decide if the damage is lethal (HP) or non-lethal (NL)**. The choice is permanent, but you can also take the Variable Damage enhancement (see below) if you want to switch back and forth between the two.

**Energy Type**

*Energy Attacks* manifest as **one of the five standard energy types**: acid, cold, electric, fire, and sonic. Bear in mind, though, that the five energy types are quite broadly defined. Acid attacks include acid and corrosion. Cold attacks can be sheer freezing, frost, ice, or just the slowing of molecular movement. Electric includes any kind of spark or lightning effect. Fire can be good old flames, or a laser, or molecular agitation (i.e., a microwave effect), or even radiation. Finally, sonic attacks cause shock waves, which are essentially concussive or kinetic effects. You can have **only one energy type**, unless you take the Variable Energy Type enhancement.

**Modes**

*Energy Attacks* manifest in one of five different modes: Aura, Burst, Cone, Line, and Ranged. The cost is "per rank"; **1 rank equals 1d6 damage**. You must **pick one**, but you can add others using the Variable Attack enhancement.

**Mode**: Aura

> **Activate**: 1PPs per rank (By CL); swift action
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> **Sustain**: 1pp per round; free action
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> **Save**: Reflex (half), Wisdom-based
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> You can surround your body with harmful energy. Anyone who contacts this aura takes damage from it. This includes attempts at touch attacks, unarmed strikes, bull rushes, or other attacks that require contact with the body. When your *Aura* is on, anyone who grapples you automatically takes maximum damage from it every round due to prolonged exposure. Because *Auras* do not require attack rolls, you cannot score a critical hit with one. *Auras* do not offer any kind of protection, even against their own energy type.
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**Mode**: Burst

> **Activate**: 3PP per rank (By CL); standard action
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> **Save**: Reflex (half), Wisdom-based
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> You can radiate a brief *Burst* of energy outward from your body in a spherical radius. This causes damage to those within the radius of the *Burst* effect. You are not harmed by your own *Burst* effect when you are the centre of it (see the Ranged Burst enhancement, below). The bigger your *Burst*, the more CPs you have to pay per d6 of damage.
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**Mode**: Cone

> **Activate**: 3PP per rank (By CL); standard action
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> **Save**: Reflex (half), Wisdom-based
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> You can project energy in a conical shape in the direction of your choosing (use standard rules for cone effects). The longer your *Cone*, the more CPs you have to pay per d6 of damage.
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**Mode**: Line

> **Activate**: 2PP per rank (By CL); standard action
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> **Save:** Reflex (half), Wisdom-based
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> You can create a beam, bolt, or tunnel of damaging energy that is five feet in diameter (i.e., standard rules for line effects). The longer your *Line*, the more CPs you have to pay per d6 of damage.
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**Mode**: Ranged

> **Activate**: 1PP per rank (By CL); use-activated (attack)
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> You can generate a blast of energy that behaves like a ranged weapon. Attacking with that energy blast requires an attack roll which is modified by Dexterity, like any other ranged attack. *Energy Attacks* crit on 20/x2. You are armed if you have this power and PPs left to use it.
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> A *Ranged Energy Attack* with a range of "melee" (see table, below) is referred to as an ***Energy Strike***; it requires physical contact, but it is not a touch attack in game terms. Instead, you deliver it with an unarmed strike, which means that if you hit, then you do your unarmed strike damage as well as your *Energy Attack* damage. If you miss, you do neither, and you expend PPs in the process.
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**Area of Effect and Damage Dice**

Your damage dice are more expensive, per die, based on the area of effect of your *Energy Attack*. On the table below, locate your chosen Mode, and then scan across to a range or area (length for Cones, radius for Burst, distance for Line and Range). That area corresponds to the Cost per Rank. Aura's are always 1CP per rank because they're effectively touch-ranged.

**For example**, an *Energy Strike* (5 ft.) that does 6d6 damage costs 6CP (1CP x 6 dice). A 50-foot *Energy Line* that does 6d6 damage costs 12CP (2CP x 6 dice). A 20-foot-radius *Energy Burst* that does 6d6 costs 18CP (3CP x 6 dice). Finally, a 40-foot *Energy Cone* that does 6d6 damage costs 18CP as well (3CP x 6 dice).

When you make an *Energy Attack*, you can choose to use all or just some of the damage dice you purchase. You are not required to use maximum dice every time.

## Enhancements

**Enhancement**: Controlled Area

> **Cost**: 2CP
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> **Prerequisite**: Burst, Cone, or Line mode
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> You can reduce the area of effect (range, radius, or length) of your *Energy Attacks*, from as little as 5' to the maximum area of the *Energy Attack* that you purchase. A 50-foot Line Energy Attack could be 40 feet, 25 feet, or even just 5 feet long.
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**Enhancement**: Controlled Aura

> **Prerequisite:** Aura mode
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> **Cost:** 1 CP per base rank
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> The user can choose to not harm anyone within their aura due to their fine control over their aura.
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**Enhancement**: Exempted Area

> **Prerequisite**: Burst, Cone, or Line mode, Controlled Area
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> **Cost**: 2CP per rank
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> **Activate**: 1PP per rank; use-activated (attack)
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> For every rank in this enhancement, you can create a 5-ft. area (i.e., enough room for a Medium-sized person) within your area effect *Energy Attacks* that doesn't cause damage. You could initiate a Burst, for example, that avoids killing an innocent bystander, or a Line that skips your teammate. These exempted areas in your *Energy Attack* cost 1PP each. You can take this enhancement multiple times. Its effects stack.
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**Enhancement**: Controlled Damage

> **Cost**: 2CP
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> **Activate**: free; free action
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> You can switch your *Energy Attack* from lethal to non-lethal at will, as a free action. You can even switch between individual attacks in a full-attack action.
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**Enhancement**: Energy Strike

> **Cost**: 1CP per 3 ranks in *Ranged Energy Attack* (2/3's off)
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> This enhancement allows you to switch between your *Ranged Energy Attack* and a mêlée version: *Energy* Strike. The mêlée version is the same CP value as your *Ranged Energy Attack*, which means it will do significantly more damage. To find the damage of your *Energy Strike* just find the per-die cost of your *Ranged Energy Attack* on the table above and then compare that to the per-die cost for a mêlée *Energy Attack* and make the appropriate multiplication.
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> **For example**, a 50-ft. *Ranged Energy Attack* is 2CP per d6 while a mêlée *Energy Strike* is 1CP per d6, so your *Energy Strike* would be worth twice the dice of damage as your *Ranged Energy Attack*.
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> The cost of this power is 1CP for every three ranks you already have in a *Ranged Energy Attack*, which works out to 2/3's of the cost of an *Energy Strike*.
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**Enhancement**: Energy Blade

> **Cost**: 4 CP
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> **Activate**: 2PP; swift
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> **Sustain**: per minute; free
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> **Prerequisite**: Energy Strike (not the enhancement, just having a melee Energy Attack)
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> Instead of briefly forming energy into a short-range blast, you can instead form it into a sustained melee weapon (or two weapons if you have the ability to draw two as part of the same action). This counts as a melee weapon in which you are proficient, which is chosen when you activate Energy Blade and can be changed in the same fashion with which you draw a weapon, except that its damage type is the same as your Energy Strike's.
>  It does not benefit from the scaling damage of Energy Attack, but you can use the Weapon Strike enhancement with this weapon. Your Energy Blade disappears upon leaving your hand, and you can manually dismiss it in the same fashion as sheathing a weapon. At any point during the duration of this Power, you can reform your Energy Blade by drawing it normally. Otherwise, it behaves normally as an Energy Attack.
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**Enhancement**: Ghost Touch

> **Cost**: 2CP
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> Your *Energy Attacks* count as "force effects," which means that they deal damage normally against phased (incorporeal) creatures.
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**Enhancement**: Improved Critical Range

> **Cost**: 3CP
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> This enhancement increases the critical threat range of your *Energy Attack* to 19-20 (instead of just 20).
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**Enhancement**: Improved Critical Damage

> **Cost**: 3CP
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> This enhancement increases the critical damage multiplier of your *Energy Attack* to x3.
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**Enhancement**: Immunity

> **Cost**: 1CP
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> You are completely immune to your own *Energy Attacks*. Even if your attack were absorbed and fired back on you using one of the metapowers, you would suffer no damage. This does not offer any protection against any other source of damage, including *Energy Attacks* from other characters, even if they use the same energy type.
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**Enhancement**: Increased Mass Infusion

> **Cost**: 2CP per rank
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> **Prerequisite**: Energy Infusion (limitation)
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> For every rank in this power, you can *Infuse* another Small-sized object's worth of mass with explosive energy, and that mass can be part of a larger object or structure. For example, with two ranks in this power, you could *Infuse* a small hole in a wall and then detonate it, thus making a hole (a frozen chunk of wall shatters, a burned chunk is reduced to ashes, etc.). With several ranks, you might do enough damage to take out the foundation of a small building.
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**Enhancement**: Infuse Clip

> **Cost**: 4 CP
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> **Prerequisites**: Energy Infusion (limitation)
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> You can now safely infuse clips of firearm ammunition and use said ammunition without it blowing up in your face. This requires special ammunition that costs $2 per bullet. You infuse a Clip as a single object, rather than targeting each individual piece of ammo. Due to the sheer speed of bullets, the ammo still does its normal damage, unlike infused arrows.
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**Enhancement**: Knockback

> **Cost**: 2CP
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> Your *Energy Attack* can cause knockback if the damage meets or exceeds your target's knockback threshold.
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**Enhancement**: Lingering Damage

> **Cost**: 2CP per die of damage
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> Your *Energy Attack* causes extra damage to affected creatures on the subsequent round. For every rank in this power, your target takes 1d6 damage for an additional round after the initial attack. At 3 ranks, for example, your target takes 1d6 for three rounds after the first attack. The most logical energy types for this enhancement are chemical and heat (i.e., corrosion or burning), but you can rationalize anything you like.
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**Enhancement**: Ranged Burst

> **Prerequisite**: Burst Energy Attack
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> **Cost**: 4CP
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> You can now initiate *Burst Energy Attacks* at a distance, much like the *Fireball* spell. The maximum range of your *Burst* corresponds with its radius on the Range Increment and Damage Dice table, above. For example, a 10-foot radius Burst will, with this enhancement, have a 50-foot range. Like a *Fireball*, you simply declare the centre point of your *Ranged Burst* and watch your enemies take damage. Your *Burst* behaves normally in all other ways, including its radius and Saving Throw. If you are caught in your own *Ranged Burst*, you will take damage from it, unless you also have Immunity (see above). However, you still do not take damage from a regular *Burst* centred on yourself.
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**Enhancement**: Reduced Power Drain

> **Cost**: 2CP
> Every rank in this enhancement reduces your *Energy Attack*'s cost by 1 rank. You can take this enhancement multiple times, and its effects stack, but the minimum cost is 1 rank of damage (the By CL activation cost remains unchanged).
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**Enhancement**: Split Strike

> **Cost**: 2CP
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> **Activate**: 2PP per attack; use activated (attack)
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> You can now split your Ranged attacks between two targets. Divide the damage dice between the targets evenly, rounding down. You make a single attack roll against both targets. All other ranged attack rules apply normally.
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**Enhancement**: Touch Attack

> **Cost**: 4CP
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> **Prerequisite**: Ranged/Strike Energy Attack
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> Your *Strike Energy Attack* is now a Touch attack, and/or your *Ranged Energy Attack* is now a Ray. It ignores armour, shields, and natural bonuses to  AC.
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**Enhancement**: Weapon Strike

> **Cost**: 1 CP per base rank
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> **Prerequisites**: Energy Strike
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> You can now channel your Energy Strike through a weapon as a Special Attack Action. This deals both your normal weapon damage and the energy strike damage, but only works with melee weapons.
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**Enhancement:** Tougher Save

> **Cost:** 2CP per rank (+1 to save DC)
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> For every rank in this power, increase the save DC by +1 to a maximum of 10 ranks. Applicable to Cone and Line modes.
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**Enhancement**: Variable Energy Type

> **Cost**: 3CP
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> You can choose an additional *Energy Type* and switch between Types, attacking with fire one round and a sonic burst the next, for example. Since there are five energy types, you can take this enhancement up to four times.
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## Limitations

**Limitation**: Energy Infusion

> **Value**: 1CP per 2d6 damage
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> **Prerequisite**: Strike Energy Attack
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> **Activate**: 1PP per die of damage (By CL); use activated
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> Rather than directing energy straight at a target, you can now instead "infuse" inanimate objects (no larger than Small-sized) with harmful energy that is released when the object impacts a target. For example, a rock infused with cold will cause freezing damage on a successful hit. The object itself disintegrates when the energy is released, so it does energy damage only and the object is permanently lost. All rules for throwing objects in combat apply normally. You have to make physical contact with the object you want to infuse. The range increment of the object you throw depends entirely on the nature of the object. The GM has final say on the range increments of miscellaneous objects.
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> You can infuse an object as a free action, and then throw it. You can infuse objects and give them to other people to throw. As a move action, you can infuse a number of objects equal to your Dexterity modifier. Giving items to someone else also takes a move action; taking the item from you costs them a move action. If you toss one to a comrade, you must succeed at a ranged touch attack at your comrade and she must make a Reflex save (DC 15) to catch it. If either of you fail your rolls, the infused object lands at her feet and causes half damage to her.
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> You can infuse ammunition for a weapon such as a bow or sling. You fire these projectiles normally and do energy damage on a successful hit. You cannot use this power to infuse bullets or other firearm ammunition because firing the gun causes the object to release its energy, which would probably destroy the firearm. Any object that you infuse with energy but do not use disintegrates in 5 rounds and releases its energy harmlessly.
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> This enhancement is not incompatible with the Ranged mode of *Energy Attack*, but taking both would be redundant and costly.
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**Limitation**: Object Detonation

> **Value**: 1CP
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> **Prerequisite**: Energy Infusion
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> Infused objects detonate after 5 rounds instead of dispersing their energy harmlessly.
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**Limitation**: Maximum Power

> **Value**: 2CP
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> **Prerequisite**: minimum damage 3d6
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> You cannot reduce the number of dice you deal with an energy attack. You always do full damage and spend full PPs.
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**Limitation**: Short Range

> **Value**: 3CP
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> **Prerequisite**: Ranged Touch Attack (50 feet)
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> Your *Energy Attack* has a maximum range (not a range increment!) of 30 feet, no more.
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**Limitation**: Slow Attack

> **Value**: 2CP
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> Your *Energy Attack* now requires a move action to activate in addition to the activation time listed under its mode(s). Thus, an *Aura* now requires a move action; *Burst, Cone, Line,* and *Ranged* now require a move action to activate and a then a standard action to attack.
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