Other Atavism Ideas?

[GibberingEloquence]

This Atavism was originally written in this thread by Evo_Shandor. I just changed it to fit my preferences.

Abominable Armament (Anakim) [Originally Written By Evo Shandor]
In many legends, Giants wield massive weapons that can easily destroy whole armies. Those who saw such massacres and survived live in fear of ever facing such cruel might ever again. The Beast inherits this legacy and uses it to brutal effect against those who are foolish enough to fight him.

Normal Satiety: The Beast reduces the Defense of the enemy by his [Lair] when making Weaponry attacks. Should he be unarmed, he can forego the normal +2 of an All Out Attack in order to summon an armament with a Damage Bonus equal to [Lair] during this turn.

Low Satiety: The Beast gains Rote Quality on Weaponry rolls and can strike from a distance of up to [Horror's Power x 2] meters away. Furthermore, if summoning an armament by making an All Out Attack, he keeps half of his Defense round up.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast swiftly cleaves through hordes of enemies in one massive swing as the Horror becomes fully visible for a terrifying moment. The Beast makes one attack roll and hits everyone within his immediate vicinity, applying Down And Dirty Combat. This stacks with the Rote Quality if Satiety is Low. Heroes are immune to Down And Dirty Combat inflicted by this effect and therefore require normal combat.

[GibberingEloquence]

Lord Of Animals (Eshmaki)
While living in their walled cities, humans like to think they are safe from the predators of the wilderness. The Beast knows better and can watch his prey with the eyes of animals, ready to strike when it is least expected.

Normal Satiety: The Beast adds his Lair to all mundane Animal Ken rolls. When this Atavism is acquired, choose a number of Animal Ken Specialties equal to [Lair], which may be changed at the start of each chapter. The Beast can possess an animal represented by such Specialties through a roll of Wits + Animal Ken. Possessing and leaving the animal requires an Instant Action each. This lasts for [Lair] in minutes on a Success, and [Lair] in hours on an Exceptional Success.

Acceptable categories include specific ones like canines, birds, ungulates, arthropods and rodents, but not broad ones like carnivores or vertebrates. When training a favored animal in order to establish the Bonded Condition, the Beast never makes Extended Actions, ignores the animal's Resolve and needs no Equipment. His rolls always take one turn each, as the animals find him inherently trustworthy and worthy of respect.

The Beast remains aware of his surroundings while possessing a favored animal, and thus keeps his Defense and such. The targeted instance can be a swarm of critters with Size 0-2 and a radius of [Lair x 3] meters, or a single critter with Size of up to the Horror's Resistance. However, it must be within [Lair x 10] meters, or [Lair x 50] meters if it is a very uncommon animal. The Beast can do any action the animal could, but uses his own Attributes, Skills and Merits. The Beast can still communicate verbally while possessing the animal, but cannot use Atavisms.

Low Satiety: The Beast gains Rote Quality on all mundane Animal Ken rolls. Furthermore, he can extend any of his Atavisms through a possessed target. Possessing and leaving the animal is now a Reflexive Action. Mundane attempts to control or influence animals for which he has the Bonded Condition suffer a penalty equal to his Lair, while supernatural attempts trigger a Clash Of Wills.

Satiety Expenditure: Once per scene, the Beast can use one of his favored animals as a gateway into his Lair. He receives an automatic Success on the roll to open the Primordial Pathway, and adds his Animal Ken to his Resolve to determine how many turns it lasts.

[GibberingEloquence]

I wrote my own version of one of your Atavisms, espritdecalmar. What do you think?

Draining Kiss [Namtaru]
Humanity shudders in revulsion at those animals who consume their prey in a different way than simply eating the flesh. Spiders, lampreys, mosquitoes, and more all feed by drinking the nutrients from their victim's body. This revulsion is reflected in the monsters humans have made up in their nightmares: seductive vampires, breath-stealing hags and others, here to steal our blood, ichor, emotions, prana, or other such vital liquids. Naturally, such a primal fear finds representation among the Begotten.

Normal Effect: Every turn the Beast is in intimate physical contact with her victim, he receives 1 lethal damage, and the Beast heals 1 lethal or 2 bashing damage. Those who are killed by this Atavism tend to appear shriveled or desiccated. This Atavism is used as a Grapple. Many Beasts find it prudent to immobilize their target before beginning their ministrations.

Low Satiety: Appetites grow, and a Beast's belly is a greedy thing. The Beast may drain 1 Willpower point each turn instead of causing damage (up to his normal maximum). The experience can be ecstatic or agonizing, chosen by the Beast. When the victim runs out of Willpower or suffers more lethal damage than his Stamina as a result of this Atavism, roll Resolve + Composure - Lair. Failure causes the Swooned or Shaken Condition. A Dramatic Failure also causes the Addicted Condition. The victim suffers the Beast's Lair as a penalty to break free from the Grapple, and supernatural attempts trigger a Clash Of Wills. These drained Willpower points vanish at the end of the scene if not used.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast can drain entire crowds of people at once, leaving behind piles of desiccated (and often smiling) corpses as his Horror becomes fully visible for a repulsive moment. He may target any and all directly perceptible victims within his immediate vicinity. Roll Presence + Persuasion - Composure. On a Success, all targets suffer Aggravated damage equal to Successes + Lair.

[GibberingEloquence]

Since I have nothing better to do, I went ahead and rewrote one of ajf115's Atavisms.

In My Image (Ugallu)
Humans have always drawn the likeness of gods and monsters and ascribed a mystical significance to such an act. The entities so captured in stone and ink are said to draw power from the devotion of those who gaze upon their icons. The Beast can likewise use images of himself to watch and influence potential victims from afar, who are seldom aware of how vulnerable such idols make them.

Normal Satiety: The Beast is instantly aware when any image of him is captured, by any medium. He does not know its exact location but can roll Perception to ascertain a rough direction and distance. This image need not be a picture. It could also be a statue or any other representation of the Beast. This ability only works if the image is within [Lair x 100] meters of the Beast’s current location.

The Beast may see and hear through any image of himself that he knows the location of within the aforementioned range. He may also edit it, but his likeness must stay recognizable. Extending your senses through an image and returning them to you both require an Instant Action. If the image is stored in a digital form, it can only be accessed while it is being displayed. He may not communicate verbally through the image, but may edit it to include a single written sentence, usually a foreboding one.

Low Satiety: As the Horror’s hunger grows, so does its perspicacity. The range is increased to [Lair x 500] meters and the Beast automatically knows the exact distance and direction of all images. Extending your senses through an image and returning them to you is now done reflexively. The Beast may communicate verbally through them, which allows Social rolls against observers.

His editing may thoroughly alter his likeness, usually to display his Horror. He may roll Manipulation + Intimidation - Resolve to inflict the Shaken or Frightened Condition, selected each time. Either action requires the victim to look directly at the image. More than one Beast has used an image of himself to haunt a victim in places they thought were safe. This may generate Lair Resonance via Traits like Exposed and Mirages at ST discretion.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast may turn any of his images within range into a nightmarish vision of deadly terror. Roll Presence + Intimidation - Resolve, dealing Aggravated damage to all onlookers equal to Successes + Lair. Those who die appear to have suffered a horrible heart attack or seizure, with their skin turning deathly pale and their eyeballs turning completely black.

[espritdecalmar]

I wrote my own version of one of your Atavisms, espritdecalmar. What do you think?

It's certainly a tad more powerful than my original, though I also believe that that was the very first homebrew Atavism I ever wrote, so I was still trying to get comfortable with the design space. The Satiety Expenditure effect is quite different, and contains echoes of Monster From the Deep, which I find interesting; it also requires less bookkeeping than mine--generally a good thing. Overall, I approve. Nice work!

[GibberingEloquence]

Original versions by danparadox

Mechanical Monster (Anakim)
The crushing gears, the roaring engines, the pitiless motions of steel and oil. Though not all Beasts are drawn to machines, many feel a sympathy to the power and utility that such creations represent. Humanity has often ascribed its own traits to the machines it interacts with, taking comfort that the gears don't want to mutilate them. The Beast brutally destroys such flimsy notions of safety.

Normal Satiety: The Beast knows machines as it knows the flesh and bone that makes its body. He adds his Lair on all Crafts rolls for mechanical repairs, modifications and sabotaging. He does not need any tools, as metal bends and morphs with his touch alone. He never makes Extended Actions in the aforementioned circumstances, no matter the complexity of the task. His rolls always take one turn each.

He may use this effect to Craft Equipment, but any modifications must be possible via mundane means. This Atavism may stack with traits like Mimir's Wisdom and Automotive Genius, but does not affect technology that is mostly electronic/digital. Chosen Blades of Heroes are immune to this Atavism, but clever Beasts may use it to generate Lair Resonance via Traits like Crushing and Razored at ST discretion.

Low Satiety: When the Hunger grows, the tools of humanity are now submissive to the Beast. He gains the Rote Quality on all relevant Crafts rolls. Mundane attempts to detect or counter this suffer his Lair as a penalty, while supernatural attempts trigger a Clash Of Wills. If the Beast is detected or countered, he suffers the Shaken Condition. Furthermore, he may make such rolls at a distance of up to [Lair x 5] meters.

Satiety Expenditure: The Horror becomes fully visible and roars with the sound of a million hungry gears. Roll Intelligence + Crafts - Stamina against all directly perceptible targets within his immediate vicinity, dealing Aggravated damage equal to Successes + Lair. The result is nothing short of a horrifying massacre: victims are dragged screaming into mechanical maws.

Electric Enigma (Eshmaki)
We may fool ourselves into thinking that we have tamed lightning, but many of us feel a certain sense of awe at natural displays of such elemental might. The Beast embodies this awe, as his veins course with electricity and he lashes out with it at his unsuspecting victims.

Normal Satiety: The Beast can roll Manipulation + Science to control the flow of electricity within [Lair x 10] meters. He may cause localized blackouts and other types of sabotage, and generally reduces the Equipment Bonus of all relevant technology by his [Lair]. Furthermore, he is immune to all damage from electricity.

Low Satiety: The range is increased to [Lair x 50] meters. If an Equipment has its Bonus reduced to zero and someone uses it regardless, Failures become Dramatic Failures (a Beat is still earned). The Beast may electrocute someone within the immediate vicinity of a preexisting electricity source inside the aforementioned radius by rolling Wits + Science - Defense.

This electrocution lasts for a number of turns equal to Lair and causes bashing damage each turn according to the type of source (see Beast The Primordial, page 171). The victim may roll Strength + Stamina - Lair each turn to break free. Mundane attempts to counter or detect the Beast's Normal Satiety effect suffer his Lair as a penalty, while supernatural attempts trigger a Clash Of Wills. If the Beast is detected or countered, he suffers the Shaken Condition. Those who die leave behind twitching, hairless corpses.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast becomes living electricity for the scene. He may travel through wiring or other conductive material, crossing [Lair x 50] meters each turn. He gains a bonus to Defense and Initiative equal to [Lair/2 round up] and reduces all damage from ranged attacks to 1 bashing, or 2 bashing on an Exceptional Success. His Brawl attacks have a Bashing Damage Bonus equal to Lair and inflict the Stunned Tilt if damage exceeds the target's Stamina. If his Satiety is Low, he may also consider himself a source of electricity for the purposes of attacking others at range, with a Bashing Damage Bonus equal to his Lair and the option of Automatic Fire. His maximum range when using himself as the source of the blasts is equal to [Science x 10] meters.

Anyone who makes a Brawl or Weaponry attack against the Beast is electrocuted, unless they spend 1 Willpower point to ignore the effect for this turn (which does not add dice to the roll), or use a weapon made from a non-conductive material such as wood or most rocks. The Chosen Blades of Heroes ignore electrocution if they are melee, and deal full damage if they are ranged. While in the form of living electricity, the Beast cannot benefit from other traits that give a Damage Bonus, such as Limb From Limb or Cyclopean Strength. However, he may generate Lair Resonance via Traits like Electrified and Disruption at ST discretion. Those who die have their internal organs boil through their skin.

[GibberingEloquence]

This Atavism was originally written by ArchonAres

Hydra's Regeneration [Namtaru]
Like the namesake monster of Greek mythology, the Beast cannot be killed by dismemberment or even decapitation. Her extremities and head always grow back, and may even act independently after being severed to overwhelm his foes. Those who cannot escape will scream in agony as their flesh melts away.

Normal Satiety: You may detach any or all of your limbs as an instant action, and control them reflexively. They crawl and slither on their own for [Stamina + Lair] turns, during which they can lunge and attack. At the end of this time, or when your limbs are cut off by another, they must be reattached or you suffer an appropriate Tilt. Detached limbs may be used to manipulate objects and attack as though they were still attached. Each such limb is considered to use your own dice pools for Physical Actions, as well as your own Derived Traits (except for Defense, which is 0). But since you cannot detach sensory organs, such limbs cannot be controlled if outside your Perception range and become inert.

Each such limb has Health equal to your Stamina only. If your limbs have been lost or destroyed, the associated Tilt is permanent unless the Beast enters his Lair and spends 1 Satiety to grow back each limb. If he has Relentless Hunter, 1 Satiety grows back all limbs. A Beast can only have a number of ambulatory limbs outside of his Lair equal to [Lair x 2]. Inside the Lair, this number is increased to [Lair x 5]. If multiple limbs attack the same target, do not make separate rolls for each one. Instead, every limb after the first decreases the Defense of the victim by one. This Atavism does not apply to the Chosen Blades of Heroes.

Low Satiety: You may detach sensory organs and even your head reflexively. Anything that is detached grows back in the same turn, removing the associated Tilts. The detached body parts can now make Perception rolls if they are sensory organs. Limbs and your head have access to your Defense. You may also use Atavisms through the body parts, but not the Satiety Expenditure effect. For example: they could glide and climb walls through Wings Of The Raptor, or tear victims apart through Limb From Limb. You cannot use Nightmares through them, but they count as images of the Beast for In My Image. Every detached body part remains animate as long as Satiety is Low, but they must still be perceived directly by the Beast.

Satiety Expenditure: Regardless of where they are, the detached body parts violently spasm as if caught in death throes, and detonate in a blast of corrosive blood and gore. Anyone caught within melee combat distance of a detached body part must roll Dexterity + Athletics or suffer Lethal damage equal to the Stamina of the Beast. If the victim is being Grappled by a limb, they can make one last attempt to escape using Strength + Brawl, but they must spend 1 Willpower (which does not add dice). If the Satiety is Low, either roll to escape suffers Lair as a penalty and the damage inflicts Tilts. While inside the Lair, damage is equal to the Resistance of the Horror (maximum of 10).

[Wormwood]

Lord Of Animals (Eshmaki)
While living in their walled cities, humans like to think they are safe from the predators of the wilderness. The Beast knows better and can watch his prey with the eyes of animals, ready to strike when it is least expected.

Normal Satiety: The Beast adds his Lair to all Animal Ken rolls. When this Atavism is acquired, choose a number of Animal Ken Specialties equal to [Lair/2 round up], which may be changed at the start of each chapter. Once per scene, the Beast can borrow the senses of an animal represented by such Specialties through a roll of Wits + Animal Ken. Possessing and leaving the animal requires an Instant Action each. This lasts for [Lair] in minutes on a Success, and [Lair] in hours on an Exceptional Success. Acceptable categories include specific ones like canines, birds, ungulates, arthropods and rodents, but not broad ones like carnivores or vertebrates. When training a favored animal in order to establish the Bonded Condition, the Beast never makes Extended Actions, ignores the animal's Resolve and needs no Equipment. His rolls always take one turn each, as the animals find him inherently trustworthy or worthy of respect.

The Beast remains aware of his surroundings while possessing a favored animal, and thus keeps his Defense and such. The targeted instance can be a swarm of critters with Size 0-3 and a radius of [Lair x 5] meters, or a single critter with Size of up to 10 + [Lair x 2]. However, it must be within [Lair x 10] meters, or [Lair x 50] meters if it is a very uncommon animal. The Beast can do any action the animal could, but uses his own Attributes, Skills and Merits. To compensate, he gains a bonus of [Lair/2 round up] on all relevant rolls for the animal (e.g. Stealth, Athletics, Brawl, Survival, Intimidation). The Beast can still communicate verbally while possessing the animal, but cannot use Nightmares.

Low Satiety: The Beast gains Rote Quality on all Animal Ken rolls. Furthermore, he can extend any of his Atavisms through a possessed target. However, he cannot use the Satiety Expenditure effect while doing so. Relevant rolls for the possessed animal also receive 8 Again. Possessing and leaving the animal is now a Reflexive Action. Mundane attempts to control animals for which he has the Bonded Condition suffer a penalty equal to his Lair, while supernatural attempts trigger a Clash Of Wills.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast summons a phantasmagorical instance of a favored animal by rolling Manipulation + Animal Ken, which benefits from the Rote Quality if Satiety is Low. The summoned instance lasts for the scene and must be able to naturally survive in the current environment (e.g. no sharks on land). The instance cannot deal damage to living beings if Satiety is Normal, but can use Perception and perform Physical Actions. Each instance is represented as a Retainer with a rating equal to Successes when acting on its own [caps at 5]. Such animals have Health equal to [Retainer rating x 2] and a Speed equal to that of the Beast, but Defense and Initiative Modifiers of zero.

If Satiety is Low, the instance may cause damage to living beings using their [Retainer rating x 2] as a dice pool and dealing +0L. The Beast can possess his phantasmagorical animals as if they were real. However, if the Beast suffers lethal damage exceeding his Stamina or any amount of aggravated damage from a single attack during possession, all summoned animals immediately vanish and he gains the Stunned Tilt for turns equal to his [Lair]. The phantasmagoria may generate Lair Resonance via Traits like Swarms and Thunderous at ST discretion.

Feels like a powered up, refined version of ArchonAres' and my Manyskin with a different twist. Very thematic, I like it.
Some questions, if you allow:
Using your own attributes saves some charting work, which is always good. However, that makes taking over e.g. a Grizzly less useful than a common house cat: the latter can hide better, reach more places, is less conspicious and would deal the same damage, have the same rate of success for just about every task. Is this intentional? (Not saying this is bad, just curious.)
I feel like the size calculation is a bit too lenient - a starting Beast would be able to take over animals of size 12 - Grizzlies are size 7, Hippos size 10! This way, a Lair 2 Beast would already be capable of commanding African Elephants - not too much room for growth unless you dip into the sea. If you want to reflect some sort of power growth via Lair, I'd recommend lowering the starting size limit or changing the calculation wholesale (e.g. Size 3 + Lair). And leading back to the former: what happens when the animal takes PC's Health in damage?

This type of Atavism is an absolute must have for all Leshy, Lords of the Wood, Plantblooded, Swamp Thing-knockoffs, Ents, Demontrees and the like imo, good job!
(Might I ask why the 'no sharks on land' restriction? I feel like this would be an awesome chance for 'ghost sharks' a la Love, Death and Robot's "Fish Night".)

[GibberingEloquence]

espritdecalmar I took inspiration from how you wrote "All That Glitters" as an expansion for "Siren's Treacherous Song".

House Rule: Limb From Limb deals +0L and inflicts Tilts even at Normal Satiety. Because it makes no sense for an Atavism with such a name to deal Bashing damage.

Abominable Armament (Anakim) [Originally Written By Evo Shandor]
In many legends, Giants wield massive weapons that can easily destroy whole armies. Those who saw such massacres and survived live in fear of ever facing such cruel might ever again. The Beast inherits this legacy and uses it to brutal effect against those who are foolish enough to fight him.

This Atavism has the same mechanics as Limb From Limb + the above house rule, except that it has the following effect for Satiety Expenditure and uses Weaponry instead of Brawl. To most observers, the Beast appears to be using mundane armaments. But to those who are sensitive to the Primordial Dream, the Beast wields chimerical and surreal armaments themed after his Family, Hunger, Lair and Kinship.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast swiftly cleaves through hordes of enemies in one massive swing as the Horror becomes fully visible for a terrifying moment. The Beast makes one attack roll and hits everyone within his immediate vicinity, applying Down And Dirty Combat. Heroes are immune to Down And Dirty Combat inflicted by this effect and therefore require normal combat.

A Beast who acquires both Limb From Limb and Abominable Armament can apply either Brawl or Weaponry on each attack, and apply either option for Satiety Expenditure, regardless of which Skill they select. Acquiring the other Atavism only costs 2 Experiences.

[GibberingEloquence]

This might work better as a Nightmare, probably with a name like "You Cannot Remember Anything". But the brain-eating option makes less sense for a Nightmare, methinks. I also don't know how to make it distinct from the Tabula Rasa Nightmare.

Devourer Of Memories [Inguma]

Normal Effect: The Beast must use this Atavism as a custom Grapple Maneuver. Roll Intelligence + Investigation + Lair - Resolve. You absorb an hour of memories for each Success. The Beast can designate a specific topic to narrow down what memories he will absorb. This topic must be expressed as a single sentence and must be related to the Hunger. At ST's discretion, the Beast can apply the Leveraged Condition on the victim if the memories are especially incriminating or dangerous. The Beast can pierce supernatural abilities that protect the mind via a successful Clash Of Wills.

Low Satiety: The Beast does not need to establish a Grapple. He can absorb memories from a distance of up to [Horror's Power x 10] meters away. The Beast also measures the absorbed memories in days rather than hours.

Satiety Expenditure: The Beast does not merely absorb the memories, he replaces them with whatever he wants. The Satiety is spent after a successful Grapple, or from a distance if Satiety is Low. This inflicts the Amnesia Condition. At the ST's discretion, if the Beast phrases the implanted memories as described under Normal Satiety, he can nudge the victim toward certain decisions on an instinctive level. This does not force them to perform actions that would cause a Breaking Point for them (that is the purview of abilities like the "You Must Obey" Nightmare), but could achieve effects like giving Perfect Impression for Social Maneuvering or compel them to use a Skill other than the one which is expected for the situation. If the victim suffers extreme dissonance from the false memories, he can roll Resolve + Composure - Lair as an Instant Action to Resolve the Amnesia Condition.

Note: The Unchained are immune to this Atavism. Repeated use on the same victim within a relatively short period of time causes tell-tale psychosomatic effects and psychotic episodes. This registers to Heroes as the actions of a Beast. By killing the victim and consuming their brain entirely raw within five minutes, the Beast gains access to all of their memories, which can be represented as an Informed Condition for anything the ST deems relevant. This is in addition to the +4 to Satiety Potential for killing the victim. The Beast doesn't suffer any ill effects normally associated with consuming neural tissue.