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Sonarkinesis

Key Attributes: Focus

This power represents the ability to produce and manipulate sound. With this ability, it is possible to create both loud noises and forceful bursts of concentrated sonic energy. With higher degrees of success you are capable of producing more complex sounds, including the emulation of conversations or even complex musical scores.

Example ladder results for sonarkinesis include:

  • Abysmal (-3): Your attempt fails and you generate a short, incredibly loud burst of sonic energy that leaves you with one Very Hurt physical wound. You may need to make a successful Body check at Fair difficulty to avoid being deafened.
  • Poor (-2): You can generate a noise of up to 10dB (decibels) at a range of 3 feet.
  • Mediocre (-1): You can generate a noise of up to 20dB at a range of 5 feet.
  • Fair (0): You can generate a noise of up to 30dB at a range of 10 feet.
  • Good (+1): You can generate a noise of up to 40dB at a range of 50 feet.
  • Great (+2): You can generate a noise up to about 50dB at a range of 200 feet.
  • Superb (+3): You can generate a noise up to about 70dB at a range of 500 feet.
  • Wonderful (+4): You can generate a noise up to about 90dB at a range of 1,000 feet.
  • Phenomenal (+5): You can generate a noise up to about 120dB at a range of 2,500 feet.
  • Extraordinary (+6): You can generate a noise up to about 150dB at a range of 1 mile.
  • Astonishing (+7): You can generate a noise up to about 200dB at a range of 3 miles.

Below is a table of common sounds and their respective decibel values, so you have some idea of what level of noise this power can produce. This chart is a composition of several sources and individual charts you find elsewhere may vary, but for the most part the noises listed here fall within their respective range.

 

Table: Sonarkinesis

 

 

Common Noise

Decibels

Other Notes

Normal Breathing

10dB

Little more than minimum human hearing

Rustling leaves

20dB

 

Whisper

30dB

 

Refrigerator humming

40dB

 

Quiet office, normal

conversation

50 – 60dB

 

Vacuum cleaner

70dB

 

City traffic

80dB

 

Subway, motorcycle

88dB

Prolonged exposure may cause gradual hearing loss

 

Lawnmower

85-90dB

 

Garbage truck, train

100dB

 

Jet flyover at 1,000 feet

103dB

Regular exposure of 1 minute or more may cause hearing loss

Jackhammer, symphony orchestra

110dB

Thunderclap, loud stereo

120dB

 

Rock concert

110-140dB

 

Shotgun firing

140dB

Pain begins

Jet engine at 100 feet

140dB

Even short-term exposure can cause damage without protection

Space shuttle launch

170dB

 

 

180dB

Death of hearing tissue

1-ton TNT explosion

210dB

Enough to literally kill a person standing too close without both ear and body/shock protection

 

 

With this power, it is also possible to amplify existing noises. The highest decibel level you can amplify a given noise is based on your degree of success and mirrors the levels found in the examples above.

The difference is that when amplifying a noise, its decibel level only changes if you are successful; you do not lower the level of a sound by failing to amplify it. Conversely, you may also attempt to decrease the decibel level of an existing sound. To determine how much you can reduce the noise level, simply invert the example ladder results listed above.

For example, reducing a noise to 10dB requires a Wonderful check result, assuming the noise is 50dB (Fair). Reducing a 200dB noise to 50dB requires a Phenomenal check result.

Sonarkinesis can be used as a projectile attack in the form of concentrated bursts of sonic energy, often referred to as sonic blasts. As with other psionic attacks, use your degree of success as an Offensive Damage Factor when using sonarkinesis in this way.