Power Manipulation Rules

Power Manipulator

You start with the following powers, and may not replicate them.

You are able to produce and store 'charges' - relative to the story written about you.You may merge charges of equal strength to create a charge of greater strength.You may use these charges to create new powers.If you cannot provide a charge of sufficient strength, the process fails but does not use a charge.The power created is what you intend, and any excess charge is wasted.You cannot create powers that would:

Make chargesAlter powersDestroy powersBreak down charges into smaller components

Additionally, you start with 5 charges.

For every 500 words written about you or your actions, gain a power manipulator charge. (I'd suggest editing this if you want to write a story with these rules, but this is what's been working for me over the first few chapters)

Each charge is approximately equivalent to a '1' in terms of PRT threat rating. That is, it is technically within the remit of a single armed officer to deal with, and is generally less of a tactical advantage than military training and equipment.

In truth, the real measure of a charge's worth is a balance between instantaneous output, sustained output, maximum duration, range, complexity and repeatability.

Examples of full powers a single basic charge can produce are:

A mover power that lets you act twice as fastThis increases to four times as fast if you add the limitation that you reduce in stamina as though you moved the equivalent distance at a runA shaker power that lets you kick up any dust or other small particulate matter within a few meters of you.If you simplify the power so it tosses up all dust and small particulate, that range increases to at least ten meters, or lets you move somewhat larger things in the same radius.A brute power that allows you to reduce the impact you take by some percentage, and then is unable to be used until that percentage of 100 minutes has passed.A thinker power that lets you know where people are within a dozen meters or so of you.

Combining two charges of the same level raises the charge level by one. Two base charges create a level 2, two level 2 charges make a level 3 and so on. Charges cannot be split into component parts.

A level two power is an improvement of an order of magnitude over a similar level one power, in total. This is more evident in simpler powers, where there are fewer directions in which the power can be expanded, but a more complex power would still show improvement, simply spread out over the different components. A level two power will cumulatively be an order of magnitude more effective at its functions than a similar level one power. Assuming of course utilization is appropriately maxed out.

For example, the finding people power could be extended to cover a little over a hundred meters.

Some other examples of what a level 2 charge would cover include.

A striker power that lets you stun a target on contact for a short while.A blaster power that lets you spit water faster and more accurately, with force equal to a solid punch if you just spit your own spit, but supplying more water increases the effect.A master power that lets you allow creatures you train to understand more complex commands, for example training a dog would allow you to ask it to search out any drugs and then lead you to them without significant supervision.A breaker power that lets you take on the appearance and some material properties (durability, flexibility, compressibility, density) of a material you are touching, as long as it has a larger volume than you.

Once used to make a power, that power cannot be broken down back into charges, nor modified.

Something that is worked into this power is that the complexity issue can be sort of side-stepped by making simpler powers and using them in concert. James gets into this fairly early on, so you'll get the picture.