Empathy

Key Attributes: Spirit

Empathy is the ability to sense another person’s emotional state and, in some cases, adopt aspects of it. Empathic characters are able to tune in to other peoples’ emotions, which helps them communicate more effectively.

The ability to “absorb” emotions has a variety of applications:

Abysmal (-3): You absorb a far greater deal of emotional energy than you had intended. You suffer one Very Hurt mental wound and the target character(s) must succeed at a Mediocre Mind check or also suffer one Very Hurt mental wound.

Poor (-2): You suffer one Scratched mental wound. The target(s) do not suffer any wounds.

Mediocre (-1): Your attempt simply fails.

Fair (0): You accurately sense the emotional state of one specified target within ten feet and gain a 1dF reroll bonus on any follow-up skill checks made to interact with that target.

Good (+1): You accurately sense the emotional state of one specified target within 100 feet and gain a 2dF reroll on any follow-up skill checks made to interact with that target.

Great (+2): You accurately sense the emotional state of all people within 100 feet and gain a +1 bonus on follow-up skill checks made to interact with them.

Superb (+3): You accurately sense the emotional state of all people within 100 feet, gain a 1dF reroll and a +1 bonus on skill checks to interact with them, and gain a 1dF reroll on mind control checks made to implant suggestions in one or more targets within that range.

Wonderful (+4): As a Superb result, except your bonuses increase to 2dF+1 and +1, respectively.

Phenomenal (+5): As with a Superb result, except your bonus to follow-up interactions becomes +2 and your bonus on mind control attempts increases to 1DF+1.

Extraordinary (+6): You accurately sense the emotional state of all people within 1,000 feet. You gain the same bonuses on follow-up skill checks as a Phenomenal result, but you can also absorb some energy to heal your own mental wounds. You may heal one Hurt mental wound.

Astonishing (+7): As an Extraordinary result, but you may also choose to deal one Hurt mental wound to any number of targets within range. Each target may make a Mind check with a Fair dif- ficulty to prevent this damage. For large numbers of targets, GMs may wish to make a single check and apply a single group modifier to prevent this damage.

Example Gift: Empathic Healer: You may draw out negative energy from within another character. Doing so heals that character of one mental wound level per degree of success. However, doing so is very taxing to your own body and its balance of energy; you take one physical Hurt wound when healing another character of either a Hurt or Very Hurt mental wound. Healing a character of an Incapacitated or Near Death mental wound causes you to suffer one physical Very Hurt wound instead.

Example Fault: Lack of Control: You are empathic, but lack the ability to control its use. You permanently gain a +1 bonus on skill checks made to interact socially with other people and a +1 bonus on checks made to implant suggestions in them. However, crowded locations are dangerous for you. The GM should secretly roll a Spirit check for you each time you enter a crowded location. On a result of Fair or better, nothing happens. A result of Mediocre or worse causes you to suffer the ill effects listed in the power’s ladder description.

The GM should alter the difficulty for this check based on the number of other people in your presence. For example, a room with only 10 people in it might be a Fair difficulty, but a crowded auditorium may have a difficulty of Great or higher. GMs should consider giving players a Luck Point when they activate this ability in places of Superb or greater difficulty.