====== Wayfinder Insights ====== As Wayfinders grow in power, many begin to find a talent for using their powers in particular way, or a growing insight into the true nature of the Flux. Once a Wayfinder has gained the ability to purchase level 3 skills, they can begin to buy skills from **one** of the following trees, chosen the first time they wish to buy a skill from one. In order to buy a level 4 or 5 skill from one of these trees, you need to have at least one skill from each of the lower levels on the tree. ===== Master Shaper ===== You are a master of shaping the Flux, able to exert more precise control over it than most. ==== Level 3 ==== **Shifting Sands**: Once per encounter, while in the Flux, you can call DODGE against a weapon attack (INCLUDING archery) and immediately call a STRIKEDOWN against the source. This represents you avoiding an attack by using Flux shaping to trip up the attacker at a critical moment. **Unmaking**: Once per encounter, you can call a WEAKEN against a flux creature or a SHATTER against a flux-created item at short range (within 2 meters). ==== Level 4 ==== **Flux Masterwork**: Your flux creations can be of surpassing quality, though maintaining top quality items takes some concentration. Up to two things you’ve created from Flux at any one time count as Master Crafted, even if you don’t have the skill to craft such things. **Fluxquake**: once per encounter, while in the Flux, you can hold your hand to the ground for ten seconds and then unleash a powerful tremor at a targeted location, calling BLAST DOUBLE at a single individual. ==== Level 5 ==== **Flux Surrogate**: Twice per adventure you can create a Flux surrogate which you can puppet from up to half a mile away. This takes ten seconds to prepare, after which most users retreat to a safe distance and hide, as it takes constant concentration to maintain. The surrogate possesses any martial skills you have, is STRENGTHENED and has 20 body hits, which can only be healed by the intervention of another wayfinder. On destruction, you can choose to have it violently explode, calling a MASS TRIPLE STRIKEDOWN. By default, the creation looks like a faintly blue-tinged version of yourself. ===== Harbinger of Consensus ===== You are in harmony with the nature of the consensus. ==== Level 3 ==== **Worldwake**: You feel somewhat more in tune with the consensus and have begun to instinctively grasp what underpins it, allowing you to bring a part of that with you when you travel in the Flux. You may choose, with ten seconds of concentration with a hand to your forehead, to make stabilised Flux in your vicinity “thicker”, and closer to the consensus. This will double the time it takes for all other wayfinders to use their abilities, and may negatively impact anything created out of this Flux. The stabilisation still fades at the normal rate **Make History**: With exertion of will, your actions can make permanent changes to the Flux. Once per adventure, when something is done within a patch of stabilised flux that you are in, you can exert your will to make it stay thus. If a bridge is collapsed, all who try to pass this way in the Flux will find a collapsed bridge in their path. If the great Tyrant Lizard is slain, those who come after will find a skeleton, not a living, breathing beast. ==== Level 4 ==== **Know The Consensus**: Three times per adventure, while within the consensus, the Wayfinder can cast their mind over the section of consensus they are currently within and learn things about it, or the wider pattern of belief that shaped the Upheaval.. These will always be based around what was true at the time of the Upheaval. Options include: A flash vision of the routes through an area. This can uncover secret routes or plan a way in and out of a target. A flash of some of beliefs that were held about the area. The strongest ones tend to flow to the surface - if someone knew a dark secret and held it close to their heart, that is likely to flow to the fore. While in the consensus, the Wayfinder can “throw” a concept at the background pattern and get back some details about what was generally believed about it. For example, if they considered “Tyrant Lizards” they might learn that they tend to attack with ground shaking stomps. This can be used to gain information about the capabilities of classes of foe, or if you encounter something that has obviously sprung out of a legend, to gain more details of that legend. This should give a general idea of what this can do - it’s based on the Consensus and the background “truth” that shaped both that and the Flux, so other uses that tap into that are also acceptable. **Will of the Consensus**: The wayfinder feels good while in the Consensus - it feels right and proper, and as if a great weight is lifted off their shoulders. To anyone else, the wayfinder seems more vital and powerful while in the Consensus. While in the Consensus, the wayfinder is STRENGTHENED unless they are struck by the WEAKEN call. ==== Level 5 ==== **Call forth the will** On purchasing this skill, you gain a fundamental understanding of an aspect of the metaphysic, which we would ask you only share in character until it’s common knowledge. Once per an adventure, you gain the ability to create a new consciousness while in the consensus. This requires a body to hold it if it’s going to be much use - a consciousness created outside a body will quickly dissipate. The created consciousness will initially be well disposed towards you, but your actions are likely to shape how it reacts to you in the long term. You can also use this skill to retire your character. The mechanism will be explained to you on purchasing. ===== Barrier Master ===== You have a great talent in manipulating the barrier that you summon around you. ==== Level 3 ==== **Shattering Barrier**: The first time in an encounter that someone removes the last hit of your barrier, you may call DOUBLE REND back at them. **Granted Barrier**: You may affix a barrier to another target. The total number of hit points your barrier can have remains the same, but you can split these as you choose between yourself and up to one other target. Whenever you would restore a point of your own barrier, you can instead choose to restore a point on the other target (call RENEW BARRIER 1). If you affix your barrier to another wayfinder, the armour points from your barrier are lost first, and the other wayfinder cannot restore the points of armour you grant them with their own barrier repair skills. ==== Level 4 ==== **Fragment Blast**: You may launch fragmented parts of your barrier at a target. Deal your own barrier a TRIPLE to inflict a DOUBLE on a target within 5 metres **Flash Defence**: As long as your barrier is at FULL strength (and not split between multiple targets), you may expend your entire barrier to call RESIST to any call that does not require GM adjudication. ==== Level 5 ==== **Diamond Barrier**: Your barrier protects against THROUGH calls - they deplete hits from the barrier before they strike your body. Once per adventure, you can choose to absent your barrier from yourself in order to create a solid, shimmering surface while within the Flux. This is about three metres on a side maximum, but can be rapidly moved with concentration. This can be used to, for example, run across the surface of a lake with the Barrier moving with the party. **You may use this ability to retire your character**. If you do so, you may grant your barrier to up to 6 other people who are in physical contact with you. Each receives a full barrier and you may call MASS RENEW BARRIER in place of any RENEW BARRIER calls you would usually be able to make. The barriers provided are completely identical to your own Diamond Barrier, except that hints of green light flicker across them. You may use this retirement option even if you are in the consensus (although this will not give access to other Wayfinder skills such as Repairing Inertial Barrier). As your body transforms your wounds will crystalise over, providing you a HEAL 2 every 10 seconds. Shortly after the end of the encounter your body will complete its transformation. You can not avoid this in any way. Your soul will not be present, having been consumed in the use of this ability. ===== Scion of the Flux ===== You are vastly more in tune with the flux than most wayfinders, growing more and more comfortable with it with every passing day. ==== Level 3 ==== **Persistence**: Flux you have shaped is more resilient to the winnowing effects of the consensus. Any creation you have wrought from the flux will persist for 24 hours if unattended in the Consensus. The same applies to repairs to items. **Ambience**: A small amount of Flux seems to cling to you even when you leave the consensus. You may make one use of any one level 2 wayfinder ability per encounter while in the consensus. ==== Level 4 ==== **Personal Enhancement**: You have the ability to make an alteration to your body while within the Flux. If you don’t have one active, it takes five seconds to manifest one. Removing your active one takes thirty seconds. You can maintain one of these enhancements at once. Changes will persist out of the Flux, but cannot be altered there. Options include: * Claws: You’ve got claws. These should ideally be represented by claw physreps, but at a pinch short daggers will do. These do a base damage of SINGLE THROUGH. Handily, they also count as a free hand when not actively striking someone. * Tail: You are immune to Strikedown. * Carapace: You have four points of armour, representing a tough carapace that grows over your skin. This will regenerate overnight if you sleep in the Flux. You can also heal it using “Heal the Flux Flesh”. * Wings: You cannot fly, but can sufficiently glide to survive falling from any height and to assist in navigating obstacles. **Overload**: You can create colossal blasts of Flux. If you use both hands to charge up a concussive bolt, you may call an ARCED STRIKEDOWN instead of a single targeted one. You should aim to catch at most four people in this. ==== Level 5 ==== **More Flux now than Mortal...** You no longer suffer any negative side effects from using “Shatter Reality’s Fetters”. Once per LARP, you may use “Destabilisation” with no permanent side effects. You gain the ability to diffuse into the Flux and travel extremely rapidly within it, disappearing from one place and appearing in another. In addition to its uses for travel, you can use this once per encounter to evade an attack, while in the Flux. You gain a single special DODGE while in the Flux, with the following rules: * When you use a dodge you may immediately follow the call with a “DISAPPEARING” call and put your fingers up to indicate you are OC. * You may choose to use your dodge to do this even if you were not struck. * You then have 5 seconds to relocate your position in the fight. You may only position yourself in places you can easily get to and may not ask people to make way for you. * You must then call “APPEARING” and drop your fingers to indicate that you are now IC again. * You may choose to do this earlier if you wish * You cannot be struck during this time. * You may not attack during this time. You also have the option to merge with the Flux permanently. This is a retirement ability and will have effects as discussed with the GMs.