stillfleet

Uncovered a vast conspiracy. It's possible that this is a credible H.Co. threat to the Worshipful Co., a chance to destabilize the tentacular spread of space capitalism. It's also possible a vast prank, or even a test. Have you told the other venturers about this plot?

Hell science is the evolution of consciousness—the merger of the human imagination with physical reality. Hell scientists use their imaginations to sculpt timespace. Thanks to some terrible mutation, you can control the Weird. You can use hell science powers that you don’t even know about. Instead of using a Weird power you actually understand (that is, using the power channel hell science), name the power you want to use. Then, as a free action, burn d20 GRT and make a WIL check. If you succeed, you may use the power as described, paying the associated GRT cost. Also, your eyes glow, your breath mists with electrified blood, and so forth. If you fail, you don’t lose your action for the round (trying is a free action), but you do lose the d20 GRT. Note: using a power once does not teach you how to safely do so again!

You begin play with two hell science powers, chosen freely from any of the 6 paths. Each time you gain a level, you can gain one more hell science power. Almost all hell science powers cost GRT to use. The psyonic equivalent of COM is REA, unless otherwise stated. When you psychically attack someone, your opponent rolls WIL instead of MOV to resist (to mentally “dodge”). N.B., most people tend to be very suspicious of other people who can bend timespace simply by thinking.

You can use hell science powers in ways that defy the understanding of even the most erudite Senior Archivists: when using a hell science power, burn the requisite GRT +X more GRT, where X is equal to or less than your level × 3. The effect of the power is now +X, whether that applies to damage, damage reduction, duration in minutes or hours, or any other measurable effect. If the effect is not measurable, it is qualitatively amplified a ginormous amount. X minutes after using the power, you feel weak and cannot use any Weird power for X rounds. During this time, you smell sweaty and can’t speak clearly.

Burn 4X GRT: after your next successful attack with a non-gun weapon, your target rolls a normal WIL check at −X. If they fail, she is completely paralyzed for a number of rounds equal to your level +1.

You gain a permanent bonus of +1 MOV.

You can metabolize a much greater range of chemicals than hominins, only a few of which are cognizable to them as “food”—from rotting fungusbark to human-urine energy shots. Whenever you encounter something possibly edible, make a WIL/resist world check. Take that result and roll as many d4s. For every resulting 4, you regain 1 point of pool, assigned to HEA or GRT as you like. (The GM gets final say on what things around you might be “edible,” but they should be generous!) Eating possible-food takes at least 20 seconds (two rounds).

Wetan is actually a family of so-called rasp-languages: it involves pheromonal and electrical signals that nonbugs can never fully understand. It is weakly mutually intelligible with other bug languages such as Cryptocerid (extinct), Mantish (on Terra), and Yuggothi (the language of the mi-go).

You gain a bonus of +4 on rolls related to bug-stratum archaetech.

Burn 6 GRT and name a group of visible, non-sapient beings (butler-robots, skull-faced blue munkeys, vine-sharks, e.g.) within 100 M: for a number of minutes equal to your level, you completely control these organisms. If you burn an additional d6 GRT, the duration of your control is measured in hours instead of minutes. Every round, as a group, your organisms can attack or defend. Their COM, damage, and special effects, if any, are determined by their type: venomous snakes inflict 1 damage but can kill within minutes; a fleet of acid-sea turtles can probably inflict d6 or absorb 1 damage per round; etc. The organisms follow commands as they are able to. When your command lapses, the quasisapes neither disappear nor die, but keep doing what they are doing; if running away or attacking, they keep doing so. They do not defend you, however. Note, this power affects any number of beings with REA of d3 or lower; it can be used simply to stop an attack from a large mob.

Burn 9 GRT: you and everything you’re holding or touching becomes quantum foam until you choose to recorporealize. You appear to be a you-shaped shadow of bubbling anti-space. You cannot attack, be attacked, or use hell science powers while foam, but you can otherwise use your senses as usual. While foam, you are completely immune to interventions from the outside.