Renegade 20 Core Manual

Version Alpha 0.30

You gain powers as you advance in levels, reflecting superior ability and knowledge. A power usually reflects a very specific combat enhancement that can be used either as a Venture, Encounter, or Innate power, but can refer to a whole range of enhancements that can be applied both within and outside of combat.

In order to add a Power to your character, you need to qualify for the Power as defined by the Powers requirement descriptor. The following can all be requirements:

• Class Ability- You may need to have a certain level of ability in one (or more) class(es) to qualify.
• CLM- Your total character level may be needed to qualify. This is rare.
• Skill Ability- You will need a minimum certain skill modifier (or multiple modifiers) to qualify.
• Race Ability- You may need a certain minimum level of ability in a race to qualify.
• Aspect- You will need one or more specific aspects to qualify.

In addition, some powers are special, being Heroic Powers, Epic Powers, or Astral Powers. These powers can only be selected when you advance to a level that offers such a Power.

You may only add an individual power to your portfolio one time. You may not take a power multiple times, unless specified in the power as part of the “special” descriptor.

Some powers allow more advanced levels of training (Training 2 or Training 3 for example). You may purchase a power that has a more advanced level of training than the one you currently have. If you do, you replace the Training that you currently have with the upgraded level of Training. For example, if you upgrade from Training 1 to Training 2 in a power, you now have the power at Training 2, with the benefits of Training 2. You replace the Training 1 level power, which means the details of Training 1 are no longer part of your portfolio. In many cases, training at higher levels increases the powers effectiveness. Regardless, you do not possess the same power at Training 1 and Training 2, only Training 2.

Frequently, however, you are asked to make choices as part of adding the power to your character, using the descriptior choice. The choices you make in an earlier Training do carry over in a new one. For example, If an aspect asks you to pick a race or discipline to focus the benefits of the aspect in Training 1, all the benefits of Training 2 refering to your choice of Training 1 apply to the choice you made in Training 1.

Each Power has a number of descriptors that have a very specific meaning, determining how often you can cast, and upon which conditions it can be cast. The descriptors are based on a few elements. The first is frequency, defined as:

• Innate- You can use this power as once in any given round.
• Encounter- You may use this power once per encounter.
• Venture- You may use this power once per venture into the unknown. You will need a full rest to regain the power.
• Lunar- You may use this power once per lunar month. You will regain your power with the new moon.

The second descriptor determines the conditions in which a power can be used. The default descriptor is Standard and means that you can only use this as a power during a Standard Action. Note that all Standard Powers do not include the word “Standard”, it just says “Power”. The other descriptors come into play as a reaction during the course of events of the game:

• Trigger- You cannot use this as a defined Standard Action, but this can be invoked as part of any action you or an opponent takes, as long as the trigger conditions are met. The wording is very specific. A trigger specifying “A successful attack as a Charge standard action” can be invoked after you declared a charge and after you rolled your attack and determined that it was a success. Note that just because you can apply a trigger power, you are not required to. Also, you can apply multiple trigger powers to a single event.
• Item- Item powers grant you their benefit when you equip and use them. There are cases where you cannot use a Standard Power, but you can still use an Item Power.

The third descriptor indicates under what conditions you can add this power to your portfolio. It will be one of 4 definitions:

• Power- Can be added at any time you are offered to add an Power to your portfolio
• Heroic Power- You may only add this to your portfolio if you are offered a Heroic Power.
• Epic Power- You may only add this to your portfolio if you are offered an Epic Power.
• Astral Power- You may only add this to your portfolio if you are offered an Astral Power.

With this terminology, an Innate Power, is a power that can be used every round as a Standard Action. A Venture Power can be used once per day as a Standard Action in any combat. An Encounter Trigger Power can be used once during any specific combat encounter, as a response to a certain condition. You can not declare and use an Encounter Trigger Power as a standard action in combat (more on combat and standard actions in the combat chapter).