Technomancy: The Programs

Now what's an Arcane Background without some cool powers? Just a waste of points, and since I don't want you to waste any for your hard earned bounty, here are the afformentioned cool powers.

Automate
TN:
Special
Strain:
Special
Speed:
1 Minute
Duration:
1/hour
Range:
5 yards/ Occult Programming level
Given the appearance of the average technomancer, it can be difficult for them to make friends. However, a techie with a toaster and this power is never truly alone...
Automate allows a techie to empower the tech spirit within a device, giving the gizmo a "life" of it's own. While a device is animated in this way, it has the ability to resist any attempt to operate it. The user must make an opposed Spirit roll against the device (draw a card to determine the device's Spirit) to force it to operate. Of course, the spirit in the device doesn't always resist; a gun spirit likes to shoot after all, and a toaster spirit likes to toast. However, an automated device be reasoned with; it sees, hears, and can even talk back if it chooses (at least as well as a toaster can...). Oh, and just in case you're wondering, this power can't be used against cyborgs, automatons, or bionic parts. Those items are firmly under the control of their owner.
The size and complexity of a device determines the TN and the Strain cost.
 TN Strain Item
 3  1  Gun, small appliance
 5  2  major appliance, motorcycle, PC
 7  3  car, mainframe computer, artillery piece
 9  4  semi, small building, heavy industrial machinery
 11  5  tank, large building

Antenna
TN:
5
Strain: 2
Speed: 1
Duration: 1/hour
Range: 1 mile/ Occult Programming level
What's a techie to do when his TV's rabbit ears break, and he can't watch the spice channel anymore? Why pick it up himself!
Antenna transforms the techie into a living TV/Radio reciever, allowing him to send and transmit video and audio. While the power is active, the techie picks up any transmission that comes into the radius of the program, on all wavelengths, and can send out anything he sees or hears on whatever channel/frequency he chooses.
Not all is wine and roses with this power however. The technomancer can't filter out anything he picks up, and if there are a lot of transmissions, or a particularly loud broadcast, he could be stunned by it. The TN for this stun check is usually 5, but could be higher or lower depending on conditions. Also, the techie is always recieving some kind information, even if it's just snow, and this impairs his senses. All Cognition rolls are made at a -2 while this power is in effect. The technomancer can end the power at any time.

Bang It!
TN:
Special
Speed: 1
Strain: 1
Duration: 1/15 minutes
Range: Touch
When it absolutely, positively has to work right now, Bang It is the way to go. This program temporarily restores a device to perfect working order. The techie simply waves his hands over the device, and presto! The target number is based on the size of the device. Note that this power doesn't provide the device with any fuel, ammo, etc, nor does it restore lost durability - It merely allows the device to function. Also, Bang it cannot be used on junker gizmos.
TN Item
 3  Gun, small appliance
 5  major appliance, motorcycle, PC
 7  car, mainframe computer, artillery piece
 9  semi, small building, heavy industrial machinery
 11  tank, large building

Beacon
TN:
5
Strain: Special
Speed: 2
Duration: 1/day
Range: 10 yds/ Occult Programming level
Beacon is one of the most useful programs technomancers have developed, and many a techie makes his living as a bounty hunter by using. As the name implies, his program allows a technomancer to create a magical beacon on someone, and then track them no matter where they go. To "mark" a target, a techie makes some sort of visible gesture towards them, then on their next action makes the Occult Engineering roll. If he's successful, the techie spends 1 point of strain and the target is marked. This point of strain doesn't recover like normal; it only comes back when the technomancer stops sustaining the program. A techie can have as many people or things marked as he chooses.
As long as a target is marked, the technomancer can track the target's position no matter how far away they are. The techie always knows where the target is relative to his position, and can even track the target's movement back from the moment he was marked, creating a sort of mental guide of the target's travels.
The beacon on a target is undetectable to normal senses, but anyone with an Arcane Background, Academia: Occult at 3+, or some way of seeing magical energy can detect it with a Fair (5) Cognition roll. It appears as a small green dot of swirling energy on the person's aura.

Breakdown
TN:
Special
Strain: Special
Speed: 1 minute
Duration: 1 hour/ Occult Programming level
Range: 5 yds/ Occult Programming level
A rather blunt variation on the Automate program, Breakdown releases a massive surge of energy to knock a tech spirit out, rendering the device it controls useless. The Strain cost and TN for this is based on the size of the device. In general though, it's easier to zap a Junker's gizmo than a normal device, because of the slippery grip a tech spirit holds on a gizmo.
 TN Strain Item
 3  1  Gun, small appliance
 5  2  major appliance, motorcycle, PC, gizmo size 6 or less
 7  3  car, mainframe computer, artillery, gizmo size 12 or less
 9  4  semi, small building, heavy industrial machinery, gizmo 18 or less
 11  5  tank, large building

Concealed Weapon
TN:
5
Strain: Special
Speed: 1
Duration: Concentration
Range: Self
Given the dangers of the Wasted West, going around unarmed is asking for trouble. Unfortunately, given the cost of guns and bullets nowadays, most people have to resort to hand weapons for protection. Technomancers with this program have no such problems. With Concealed Weapon, a techie can summon up whatever firearm he requires, from a derringer to a rocket launcher.
The Strain cost is based on the size of the weapon the techie whistles up. The weapon size also determines the cost of shooting it; every round fired costs the techie wind.
 Strain Weapon  Wind Cost
 1  Pistol, Shotgun* 1/shot
 2 SMG, Rifle*  1/shot or 2/burst
 3  Assault Rifle, MG  2/shot or 4/burst
 4  Sniper Rifle, Flamethrower  3/shot or 5/spray
 5  Rocket Launcher, Mortar, Exotic weapons  5/shot
* Non automatic

Database
TN:
5
Strain: 2
Speed: 1+1d6/2 (round up, do not reroll aces)
Duration: 1 hour/ Occult Programming level
Range: Self
The Net is a vast repository of knowledge, a complete record of mankind's technical and scientific know-how. With the Database program, a techie can gain access to some of this knowledge.
Database allows a technomancer to gain temporary access to almost any skill. When the program is run, the techie calls up a Server and tells it what information he needs. The Server then flies off into the Net to dig it up. Once it returns, the techie gains 1 level in the skill, plus one more for each raise he got on his Occult Engineering roll.
There are some limitations on the information a techie can recieve.
1) No magical skills (Occult Programming, Blastin', Hexslingin')
2) No Spirit-based skills (Faith, Guts)
3) Corporeal skills can only be boosted 3 levels
4) Mental skills can only be boosted 4 levels

Fatal Error
TN:
7
Strain: 5
Speed: 2
Duration: Instant
Range: 20 yds/ Occult Programming level
There are times in life when dancing toasters and magic guns just aren't enough. That when techies bring out the big gun Servers.
Fatal Error is the technomancer's ultimate attack. When run, this program creates a huge magical explosion, devastating everyone and everything in it's path. When running this program, the techie uses his Occult Programming roll to run the program and to hit his target. It has a range increment of 10. If the techie makes the TN for the program but misses his target, it deviates 2d12 yards. Roll a 12 to determine the direction. If it deviates backward, it still ends up at least half the distance from the techie to his target.
Wherever the blast lands, Fatal Error causes an explosion with a Blast Radius of 10 yards. The damage at ground zero is 3d20, plus 1d20 for every two raises over the program's TN. This counts as massive damage. Also, any mechanical or electronic device in the blast has to make a Stability check. This check is at a -6 at ground zero, with the penalty reducing by two every blast radius. Assume non-junker devices have a base Stability of 20.
Note that this program has a speed of 2. During the first action, the technomancer is surround by a brilliant electric glow (think Dragonball Z). This is an obvious sign to get the hell out o' Dodge.

Flash-Bang
TN:
5
Strain: 2
Speed: 2
Duration: Instant
Range: 5 yards/Occult Programming level
This program creates a huge blast of light and noise that blinds anyone around. It can be seen and heard for miles around, but it's really only effective within 100 yards of where it detonates.
In game terms everybody within 100 yards of ground zero must make a Cognition check at TN 15. Every 20 yards from the flash 3 is subtracted from the TN. Anyone failing this roll has stared into the light and is temporarily blinded- subtracing -8 from all rolls associated with sight(ie shooting and fighting!) for the next five rounds (but may be left with a smaller modifier afterwards of perhaps -1 or -2 for up to 30 minutes). If the Cognition roll is passed then penalty is reduced to -4. A raise on the roll totally negates the penalty. Botching this roll causes a longer period of blindness - 3d6 hours in total!
Note that this program has a speed of 2. During the first action, a ball of brilliant light appears in the techies' hand. Anyone who recognises the program may try to "vamoose" normally to cover her eyes - thus a Cognition roll is not needed.

Ghost in the Machine
TN:
Opposed (Occult Programming vs. device's Spirit)
Strain: Special
Speed: 1 or more
Duration: 1 hour/Occult Programming level, then 1/hour
Range: Touch
This program is the mechanical version of demonic possession. It allows a techie to suppress the spirit inside a device, and replace with a Server, giving him complete control.
In order to achieve this affect, the technomancer must touch the device he wishes to dominate. He then engages the device's spirit in a test of wills; the techie rolls his Occult Engineering, while the device rolls it's Spirit (pull a card from a full deck to determine the device's Spirit if it's not known.) If the techie wins the roll with a raise, he successfully supresses the device's spirit, and replaces it with a Server spirit. On the other hand, if the spirit wins with a raise , the techie fails, and cannot try again for 1d6 hours. If either side wins without a raise, the struggle continues for another action.
Once a technomancer successfully implants his Server, he gains total mental control of the device for the duration of the program. He can drive it, shoot it, lock the doors, anything. Anyone trying to operate the device against the techie's wishes must beat him in an opposed Spirit test. This control does not hinder the techie in any way- he recieves no penalties to his actions while Ghosting.
There are a few other points about this program that bear mentioning. First of all, if a device is interconnected other devices (such as a camera system in a building) , the techie may choose to dominate all the devices in one swoop. If this occurs, make one roll using the highest Spirit amongst all the devices and add 2 to the roll for every device beyond the first. Also, ghosting a junker gizmo is a little different from a normal device. Since the spirit in the gizmo has such a loose grip on the thing, the techie recieves +4 to his Occult Programming roll; however, if he succeeds, the gizmo must make a Stability check at a -4.
Should the techie go bust while trying to run Ghost in the Machine, in addition to backlash, the techie's strain pool is emptied, and he is put into a coma for 1 hour per strain lost.

Integrate
TN:
Special
Strain:
Special
Speed:
1d4 minutes (do not reroll aces)
Duration:
Permanent
Range:
Self
Technomancers are by nature a curious sort. Unfortunately, like the line says, curiosity can kill. It can also maim, pulverize, and smash. While there's nothing a techie can do about that nasty death thing, he can use Integrate to deal with the rest of it.
Integrate allows a techie to use spare parts to repair his body. The parts he needs depends on where, and how badly he's wounded. Damage to the arms or legs requires a structural part for each wound taken, while wounds to the guts need mechanical parts, and head wounds need electronic parts.
The TN and Strain requirements for this program depends on how bad the damage is. See the chart below for details. Also, the warping from this program takes much longer to fade than normal, 1d6 hours for every wound level healed.
 Wound Level  TN  Strain
 Light  3  1
 Heavy  5  2
 Serious  7  3
 Critical  9  4
 Maimed  11  5

 

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