Other Atavism Ideas?

[Nyrufa]

Blood of Medusa: Legend says that the mythical Gorgon's blood was so acidic that man made weapons would dissolve instantly upon piercing her flesh. Some Begotten, especially Namtaru, have exhibited a similar blood quality, although in a much more diluted state.


Normal: Your blood contains acidic properties that rapidly break down foreign substances they come into contact with. Whenever a melee weapon inflicts Lethal damage to you, your blood causes it to suffer 2 points of Durability damage. If the damage is inflicted with bare hands, the attacker suffers 1 point of Aggravated damage from acidic burns. The acidic properties of your blood do not affect Chosen Blade weapons!


Low Satiety: When your hunger flares, your blood does too, inflicting an additional 2 points of Durability damage to weapons that cause you Lethal damage. Damaged inflicted by unarmed attacks suffer an additional point of Aggravated damage from acidic burns.


Satiety Expenditure: A dormant bloodline flows through the veins of Beasts who possess this Atavism, and for a brief moment, they can awaken its full potential. By spending a point of Satiety, the Beast can reduce the next attack caused by a Lethal weapon to a single point of damage. The weapon is also destroyed in the process, as its material components are dissolved instantly upon breaking the skin. Lethal damage inflicted by unarmed attacks cause the enemy to suffer 4 points of Aggravated damage and receive an appropriate Tilt in the process. Once again, this does not affect Chosen Blade weapons.

[Vent0]

Blood of Medusa: Legend says that the mythical Gorgon's blood was so acidic that man made weapons would dissolve instantly upon piercing her flesh. Some Begotten, especially Namtaru, have exhibited a similar blood quality, although in a much more diluted state.


Normal: Your blood contains acidic properties that rapidly break down foreign substances they come into contact with. Whenever a melee weapon inflicts Lethal damage to you, your blood causes it to suffer 2 points of Durability damage. If the damage is inflicted with bare hands, the attacker suffers 1 point of Aggravated damage from acidic burns. The acidic properties of your blood do not affect Chosen Blade weapons!


Low Satiety: When your hunger flares, your blood does too, inflicting an additional 2 points of Durability damage to weapons that cause you Lethal damage. Damaged inflicted by unarmed attacks suffer an additional point of Aggravated damage from acidic burns.


Satiety Expenditure: A dormant bloodline flows through the veins of Beasts who possess this Atavism, and for a brief moment, they can awaken its full potential. By spending a point of Satiety, the Beast can reduce the next attack caused by a Lethal weapon to a single point of damage. The weapon is also destroyed in the process, as its material components are dissolved instantly upon breaking the skin. Lethal damage inflicted by unarmed attacks cause the enemy to suffer 4 points of Aggravated damage and receive an appropriate Tilt in the process. Once again, this does not affect Chosen Blade weapons.

Thing scales oddly. Low Satiety can be an upgrade of Normal, but the Satiety Expenditure invalidates both, rather than being an additive.

For point of suggestion, what about applying the Fragile tag to any weapon that strikes the Beast (either for Normal or Low)? For the Expenditure, what about instead the blood sprays, affecting not only the weapon that struck them, but creatures and other equipment nearby?

[GibberingEloquence]

ajf115 I like your Inhuman Panoply, but I feel it is a bit clunky and too detailed. I also think it should be Anakim, since some giants are known for exceptional crafting talent. It was the Cyclopes who created Zeus' famous thunderbolts, for example.

Here is my attempt at a simplified version. What do you think?

Inhuman Panoply (Anakim)
Humans like to think that they know all there is to know about making things. After all, they took tin and copper and invented bronze, took wood and shaped it into bows and ships. But there are older things, things which know the ways of making strange substances and eldritch implements.

Action: Instant (Normal Satiety), Reflexive (Low Satiety)
Roll: Intelligence + Crafts

Normal: The Beast can Craft Equipment using his Lair Traits when within their immediate presence, such as fire for Burning or plants for Undergrowth. The resulting object has the same Size of a mundane equivalent [caps at Lair x 3], Durability equal to Lair and Equipment Bonus equal to the penalty chosen for the activation roll [caps at Lair/2 round up]. The resulting object cannot be overly complex and you must select two Lair Traits (Minor and/or Major) that can be affected (this can be changed at the start of each chapter). Your creations vanish when you stop paying attention to them or the scene ends, whichever comes first.

Low Satiety: With the Horror's growing hunger, its malice and power leaks into its creations. You roll 1 automatic Success on the activation plus your actual result on the dice, and the resulting object may have complex mechanisms. Furthermore, the resulting objects give Exceptional Success on 3 Successes (or 8 Again in the case of weapons).

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast's creations become truly awe-inspiring or terrifying for the scene. When openly wielding them, he may select either the Inspired or Shaken Condition to inflict on all onlookers who fail a Resolve + Composure - Lair roll. He may also open a Primordial Pathway without rolling or spending 1 Willpower point: he achieves an automatic Success and adds his Crafts to his Resolve to determine how many turns it lasts.

[wyrdhamster]

It's a bit ironic that 'dwarven smiths' will now be Anakim! But I love the idea for 'forgemasters Giants'.

[Primordial newcomer]

it ain't too surprising, the smiths in Greek mythology were cyclopses afterall

[ajf115]

GibberingEloquence , I like your mechanics better than my own, though I'll stand by my decision to put Inhuman Panoply with the Inguma. I can see your logic, but I personally feel that the 'thrust' of the Atavism, so to speak, is more about 'they match us in our uniqueness and make tools of things we cannot', rather than 'their crafts surpass us so completely that we cannot hope to match them'. Perhaps the Anakim crafting-Atavism is specifically focused around making better things than humans can? I'm not sure. Perhaps there's space for the Inguma to forge curses into things, ala Andvari and the ring he cursed.

Either way, Inhuman Panoply is definitely something which the Anakim should take semi-regularly - how else would they forge thunderbolts into weapons, as you said?

[Adrasalieth]

GibberingEloquence Perhaps there's space for the Inguma to forge curses into things, ala Andvari and the ring he cursed.

That would be vey fitting IMO. The main pattern of the Inguma's nightmares is the fear that something or someone totally unobtrusive could always turn out to be something evil under camouflage, and what would say it better than cursed items ?

[ajf115]

That would be vey fitting IMO. The main pattern of the Inguma's nightmares is the fear that something or someone totally unobtrusive could always turn out to be something evil under camouflage, and what would say it better than cursed items ?

Well, I mean, there's a Mummy Kinship nightmare that does this, but it feels like something that should have an Atavism as well, now that the Inguma are a thing. With the BPG, it's moved from something they need to borrow other supernaturals' themes to do to something that feels native. That said, I'm not sure what the Atavism would be called, or how it would work without being too Nightmare-ish.

[Wormwood]

Vengeance (Eshmaki)

Everyone knows it: a cornered beast is much more dangerous, for it will fight with even more ferocity. How much more frightening would a mortally wounded dragon be, then?

Normal Effect: Whenever the Beast would suffer from Wound Penalties, they are turned into Bonuses instead.
Low Satiety Effect: The Beast may chose to ignore a physical Tilt like Armwreck for [Lair*2] turns. No matter if their arm snapped in half or their ankle broken; they move just as well. When the immunity runs out, the wounds come back - with a vengeance: the tilt is aggravated (e.g accompanied by a situationally appropriate second tilt, as per ST like gaining another leg wreck) or alternatively, giving the Beast a generic Exhaustion Condition: Beast now moves at 1/2 their speed, loses their defense and suffers a temporary -2 to all physical and mental rolls until resting up properly.
Spending Satiety: For the rest of the scene, losing a Healthbox gives a single bonus die to be used on the next turn.


I admit, this is inspired by the good ol' 'Turning Red' of enemies in games, where hitting an enemy made them faster and/or change their movements and thus more dangerous.
This is to help all those batman-like nemesis emulate their hero even more, with a Heroic Second Wind-like ability. Also encourages quickly putting a Beast down in a fight, since a death-of-a-thousand-cuts approach here is even more dangerous. (Cue Heroes going totally overboard, to be on the safe side.) Needs an addendum to the Normal effect, as-is it is kinda underpowered imo. Maybe something to encourage reckless behaviour like an 8-again on something like untrained physical skills?

[GibberingEloquence]

Digital Gargoyle [Ugallu]
In their arrogance, humans surround themselves with ever more advanced technology, not paying attention to how vulnerable it makes them. All it takes is one surgical strike at the right infrastructures to make their empires of steel and silicon fall apart.

Normal Satiety: The Beast can roll Wits + Computers to perceive the surroundings and active usage of any digital technology within [Lair x 10] meters. If he has another Atavism that enhances his senses (such as Needs Must) or mental faculties (such as Mimir's Wisdom), he may combine the relevant effects. Merits such as Investigative Aide may also apply. He retains awareness of his own surroundings while doing this and may thus benefit from Defense and so on.

Low Satiety: The range of the Normal Satiety effect is now measured in kilometers. The Beast rolls one automatic Success on all Computers rolls, plus the actual results on the dice. Furthermore, he can roll Intelligence + Computers to take full control of any such device for a number of hours equal to Successes during this scene. He can turn it on and off, use programs, edit files, delete information, implant false clues and so on. If the device is connected to others through a network or a similar setup, he may affect any and all connected devices simultaneously. Attempts to detect or counter this suffer his Lair as a penalty.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast can use digital technology as a means of manifesting Lair Traits during this scene. Should his Satiety be Normal, choose one device within range as a manifestation point and use two Minor Traits or one Major Trait. Should his Satiety be Low, you manifest the aforementioned Lair Trait(s) around any or all connected devices. Do not make separate rolls or spend Willpower points: you achieve an automatic Success and add your Computers to your Resolve to determine how many turns it lasts.

[Strictura]

Digital Gargoyle [Ugallu]
In their arrogance, humans surround themselves with ever more advanced technology, not paying attention to how vulnerable it makes them. All it takes is one surgical strike at the right infrastructures to make their empires of steel and silicon fall apart.

Normal Satiety: The Beast can roll Wits + Computers to perceive the surroundings and active usage of any digital technology within [Lair x 10] meters. If he has another Atavism that enhances his senses (such as Needs Must) or mental faculties (such as Mimir's Wisdom), he may combine the relevant effects. Merits such as Investigative Aide may also apply. He retains awareness of his own surroundings while doing this and may thus benefit from Defense and so on.

Low Satiety: The range of the Normal Satiety effect is now measured in kilometers. The Beast rolls one automatic Success on all Computers rolls, plus the actual results on the dice. Furthermore, he can roll Intelligence + Computers to take full control of any such device for a number of hours equal to Successes during this scene. He can turn it on and off, use programs, edit files, delete information, implant false clues and so on. If the device is connected to others through a network or a similar setup, he may affect any and all connected devices simultaneously. Attempts to detect or counter this suffer his Lair as a penalty.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast can use digital technology as a means of manifesting Lair Traits during this scene. Should his Satiety be Normal, choose one device within range as a manifestation point and use two Minor Traits or one Major Trait. Should his Satiety be Low, you manifest the aforementioned Lair Trait(s) around any or all connected devices. Do not make separate rolls or spend Willpower points: you achieve an automatic Success and add your Computers to your Resolve to determine how many turns it lasts.

I hope you don't mind. I love this Atavism and this idea is perfect for a Beast character of mine. I changed it quite a bit to use it for him:

Digital Gargoyle [Ugallu]
In the time before man tamed electricity and built his great cities, he lived on the edge of the wild. In that era the monsters were found between the dark trees of the forest. How many stories did they tell to scare each other, to impart lessons, that featured the words “into the woods.” Now, in their arrogance, humans surround themselves with ever more advanced technology. Technology which outstrips the ability of most of them to understand. In lack of understanding there is fear. The new woods are digital. Modern man fears what’s at the end of the wire; be it the government, AI, Aliens or something less definable. In chat rooms and private networks, the modern cautionary fable often features “clicked on the link.”
Dice Pool: Wits + Computer (Normal Effect); Intelligence + Computer (Low Satiety)
Action: Instant
Normal Effect: The Beast’s Horror is not constrained to the Beast’s own physical body, he can roll Wits + Computer to suffuse his Horror into any technological network that has at least one active device in a location he is occupying. The Beast can inhabit any connected devices in this location, plus those in an additional location per dot of Lair he possesses. This can represent rooms connected by a security system, computer labs currently connected via the internet or streets on the city’s traffic grid. They only need to be connected via technology, physical distances between parts of this network do not matter.
While connected to this network the Beast can extend his senses through it. This is a strange form of perception. To the Beast the screens of monitors are like dozens of hazy eyes, the cables vibrate like bones in an ear. If a device connected to the network has a camera or audio receiver the Beast can access it and gains any benefit it possesses on top of the Beasts usual perception. For example, he could access a stream of night vision camera footage, and even copy it. He may download and retain information from connected devices within his own mind as if he was a computer with storage capacity equal to his Lair x 10 in Gigabytes. He may later download this stored information to a compatible device with another use of this Atavism.
Low Satiety: The hungry Beast is restless, his Horror trying to stretch to its prey even if its limbs are made of data and electrical wiring. If he is networked into a device the Beast can roll Intelligence + Computers to take full control of it. He can turn it on and off, use programs, edit files, delete information and so on. If the device is connected to anything that can have a physical impact on the environment the Beast can use this as well. A clever Beast could use a factories robot assembly line to dismember a hero in seconds or delete an entire schools academic record (including the ‘fool proof’ backup.) This is beyond simply using the technology, to the Horror it is the Beasts body. Attempts to detect or counter the Beast’s actions suffer the Beasts Lair as a penalty. This includes defense against attacks made with the technology the Beast inhabits. If another Beast using this Atavism, or a creature with a similar power, tries to override or counter the Beasts actions it triggers a Clash of Wills.
Satiety Expenditure: By spending a point of Satiety the Beast can use the network he inhabits as a means of manifesting his Lair Traits. When using this ability, the affected locations count as having one of the Beasts Minor Lair traits in effect for the purpose of manifesting additional Lair Traits. When the Lair Trait(s) manifest the effect seems to spread outward from the device(s) the Beast is inhabiting. The Normal Effect allows the Beast to manifest his Lair Traits, up to his usual maximum, within one of the network locations for a scene. At Low Satiety the Lair Traits simultaneously manifest within every location affected by the Atavism for a scene.

SIDEBOARD: If the Beast has another Atavism or power that enhances his senses (such as Needs Must) or mental faculties (such as Mimir's Wisdom), he may combine the relevant effects with this one. Merits such as Investigative Aide or Connected Lair may also apply at the Storytellers discretion.

[GibberingEloquence]

Flesh Artisan [Namtaru]
The human body, for all of its flaws, is a sacred temple. The Gorgon contemptuously violates such sanctity and uses others' forms as his canvas for wicked and revolting experiments.

Normal Satiety: The Beast adds his Lair to all Medicine rolls and needs no tools. He numbs pain, stops bleeding and unfurls the flesh like a lotus. Furthermore, he never needs to perform extended actions no matter the seriousness of the wounds or illnesses: his rolls always take a turn each. This requires him to touch the target first, so unless he sneaks up on or restrains them, apply the target's Defense normally. Always subtract their Stamina from the Beast's roll to use the Atavism. If the Beast has other traits that increase his mental faculties, such as Mimir's Wisdom and Investigative Aide, he may combine the relevant effects.

Low Satiety: The Beast gains 1 automatic Success on all Medicine rolls plus the actual results on the dice. He may thoroughly alter the victim's appearance as an Instant Action. This can only make changes that could naturally occur in a human, such as changing their age, sex, ethnicity and such. This lasts for (10 - Satiety at the time of the roll) days on a Success, or weeks on an Exceptional Success. This may cause a bonus or penalty to all relevant Social rolls equal to [Lair/2 round up]. Doing this inflicts the Leveraged Condition, which can represent the victim wanting to stay as their ideal self or return to their previous form.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast rolls [highest between Dexterity and Intelligence] + Medicine + Lair - [Stamina + Supernatural Tolerance] as an Instant Action to warp and twist the flesh of his victims into impossible shapes. For every dot of Lair, select one of the following. Other modifications may be chosen at ST discretion.

• Splendor: Impression Level for Social Maneuvering is one step higher and its rolls based on charm and beauty open an additional Door (2 for Success and 3 for Exceptional Success).
• Monstrosity: Impression Level for Social Maneuvering is one step lower and its rolls not based on Intimidation have their Failures downgraded into Dramatic Failures.
• Natural Weaponry: Brawl attacks deal +1L with Armor Piercing 1. This may be selected multiple times, up to 5.
• Natural Armor: When receiving lethal damage, downgrade a number of points equal to Stamina to bashing [caps at 5]. By selecting this again, it also downgrades Aggravated into Lethal.
• Redundant Organs: Ignore one type of Physical Tilt altogether.
• Bestial Perception: A new type of sense, such as thermal vision, tracking by scent and echolocation. Relevant Perception rolls gain a bonus equal to [Lair/2 round up]. This may be selected multiple times for additional senses.
• Bestial Swiftness: A new type of locomotion, such as wings, breathing underwater, camouflage or digging through the ground. All relevant Physical rolls gain a bonus equal to [Lair/2 round up] and Speed is increased by [Lair x 2]. This may be selected multiple times for additional means of locomotion.

This lasts for the scene and always causes a Breaking Point for Integrity. Supernatural attempts to undo this trigger a Clash Of Wills. If the Beasts's Successes exceed the victim's Stamina, he may spend 1 Willpower point to make the changes become permanent. Should the modifications be permanent, the victim can suppress them for the scene by spending 1 Willpower and rolling Stamina + Resolve - Lair. The only ways for mortals to undo this are to convince the Beast to spend another Satiety, or to ask someone else to perform a dangerous surgery. Doing the latter requires an Extended Action which suffers Lair as a penalty, has Failures downgraded to Dramatic Failures and requires Successes equal to Lair x 3. Each roll takes one hour.

[GibberingEloquence]

Nyrufa I decided to rewrite one of your Atavisms, what do you think?

Blood Of Medusa [Namtaru]
Legend says that the mythical Gorgon's blood was so acidic that man made weapons would dissolve instantly upon piercing her flesh. The Beast inherits this defense mechanism, making her a walking chemical hazard.

Normal Satiety: Your blood contains acidic properties that rapidly break down foreign substances they come into contact with. Whenever a melee weapon inflicts Lethal damage to you, your blood causes it to suffer [Lair/2 round up] points of Structure damage, ignoring Durability. If the damage is inflicted with bare hands, the attacker suffers [Lair/2 round up] points of Lethal damage. The Beast can cover a weapon with her blood without damaging it by suffering 1 Resistant Lethal damage. The corrosion effect lasts for her Lair in days. The Beast is immune to mundane poisons and diseases, and decreases the Toxicity rating of supernatural equivalents by her Lair, down to a minimum of 1. This Atavism does not affect Chosen Blades of Heroes.

Low Satiety: When your Hunger flares, your blood does too. You deal your full Lair in Structure damage and the blood sprays outward in a radius of [Lair x 3] meters, affecting all objects caught within and characters who fail a Dexterity + Athletics - Lair roll. This can also melt through supernatural barriers and protections with a successful Clash Of Wills. When covering a weapon in her blood without damaging it, the corrosion effect lasts for her Lair in weeks.

Satiety Expenditure: A dormant curse flows through the veins of the Beast, and for a brief moment, they can awaken its full potential. Reduce all attacks caused this turn by a Lethal weapon to a single point of damage. The weapons are also destroyed in the process, as their material components are dissolved instantly upon breaking the skin. Lethal damage inflicted by unarmed attacks cause the enemy to suffer [Lair] points of Lethal damage and receive an appropriate Tilt in the process.

[Nyrufa]

GibberingEloquence Seems to be a marked improvement. I don't think I'm very skilled at creating a mechanically balanced Atavism, anyways.