TRUMP VOODOO


Inspired by conversations with Jane Winter


Cost : 85 points in Total

PRE-REQUISITES : Basic Trump Artistry.

An initially unique power using Trumps as the subject of Voodoo-like rituals to cause effects in the people portrayed. It may seem to be a little expensive, but it does, after all, make up a power allowing a person to produce a number of powerful effects in a target from the other side of the multiverse.

This usually requires a Psyche advantage to be effective and undetectable; without one it takes much longer to be effective. The normal Sense Trump ability can detect that it is occurring (with a Psyche advantage on behalf of the sensor, usually the victim or someone in their vicinity), but cannot tell what it is (other than some kind of Trump effect).

The power divides into a number of paths, all of which can be bought separately.


Note that this power has not, as yet, been play-tested, so I have no idea how balanced, or otherwise, it may actually be.


AFFECT DREAMS

Cost : 25 points

READ DREAM (5 points) - the practitioner can both detect whether the target is sleeping, and if so can observe them from outside. This only allows one to gain an overall impression of the nature and subject of the dream, but not its details.
ENTER DREAM (5 points) - this allows the practitioner to both enter the dreams of others as a passive observer (who seems part of the dream to the dreamer), and also to interact with the dream-world, but only in its own terms. This means that the practitioner can be affected, and harmed, by the dreams they enter if they should turn against them. The more the practitioner does this to a particular victim (without their knowledge), the easier it becomes, as the practitioner becomes more and more accustomed to the targets thought processes.
CONTROL DREAM (5 points) - the practitioner can take control of the dreams of the subject and twist them in any way they please, into anything from dreams of bliss to hideous nightmares. In general (unless the practitioner has a great Psyche advantage over the victim) this cannot cause the dream to 'jump' into the desired state but must gradually mould it from its natural state into that desired.
TRAP IN DREAMS (10 points) - The practitioner can make dreams so intense, vivid and self-sustaining that the subject simply cannot wake themselves up (even if they want to; whether they do depends on the nature of the dream, of course), even after the practitioner leaves their dreams. It is possible that the victim may be awakened by the actions of others, but how easy this is depends on the Psyche advantage the practitioner enjoys over their victim.

AFFECT HEALTH

Cost : 25 points

SENSE STATE OF HEALTH (5 points) - the practitioner can sense the state of health of the target; this includes both any injuries or diseases from which they are suffering, and (with a very great Psyche advantage) the mental health of the target. This may even show up mental and physical health problems of which the target is unaware.
ACCELERATE HEALING (10 points) - this allows the practitioner to channel life energy from themselves into the target, accelerating their natural physical healing processes. How long this can be sustained for, and how much effect it has, depends on the Endurance of the practitioner. It is possible for the practitioner to kill themselves by doing this. Note that because of the way this ability works, the practitioner cannot use it to heal themselves, only others, and it only works on living things.
CAUSE DAMAGE (10 points) - this allows the practitioner to disrupt the life force of the target in any of a number of ways, causing injury, or even death. This can be by affecting a specific part of the target ('sticking pins into' the Trump, or exposing the Trump to fire), or simply draining or damaging their life force. This is the most tiring part of the Affect Health part of Trump Voodoo. How quickly damage can be inflicted depends on the relative Psyches of practitioner and victim, and on the Endurance of the victim. This ability can be used to cause damage to unliving subjects.

AFFECT LUCK

Cost : 20 points

SENSE LUCK (5 points) - the practitioner can sense how 'in tune' with the world the target it, i.e. how lucky (or otherwise) they are. This effectively allows the practitioner to determine the level of the target's Stuff, after an amount of time depending on the difference in practitioners and targets Psyche.
AFFECT LUCK (10 points) - this allows the practitioner to affect how lucky (or unlucky) the target is. How much time and effort this takes depends on the relative Psyches of practitioner and victim. With a reasonable Psyche advantage this allows the practitioner to adjust the Stuff of the victim at the rate of roughly one point of Stuff per hour. However, this power cannot take a victims Stuff beyond the limits set for the game setting.
AFFECT REACTIONS OF OTHERS (5 points) - this allows the practitioner to affect the 'persona' the target projects, making others react either positively or negatively to them. Precisely how much effect this has depends on the relative Psyches of those the victim meets and the Trump Voodoo practitioner, so a victim of this is much more likely to find it affecting the reaction of shadow dwellers than (for example) Amberites. Depending on the precise results of this, it can be either good or bad. How much time and effort this takes depends on the relative Psyches of practitioner and victim.

AFFECT SPIRITS

Cost : 15 points

COMMUNICATE WITH SPIRIT (5 points) - the practitioner can create Trumps of spiritual entities which could not normally be communicated with via Trump (such as ghosts, Ty'iga or whatever), and use them to communicate. To someone without this power, the Trumps remain useless (though they can be sensed as being Trumps). The exact types of spiritual entities which can be summoned depend both on the game setting, and the practitioners knowledge and power (Psyche).
SUMMON SPIRIT (5 points) - this allows the practitioner to summon a spirit entity by its Trump. This requires a Psyche advantage. Depending on the nature of the spirit (and the Stuff of the summoner) it may or may not be coherent, communicative or co-operative. For potentially hostile entities, it may be wise to prepare a containment of some kind before performing the summoning.
CONTROL SPIRIT (5 points) - this allows the practitioner to bind, contain or dismiss (exorcise) spiritual entities. Binding them allows the practitioner to effectively enslave the spirit to their will; containing it prevents it from moving outside proscribed limits (this can be either effectively permanently, or until some condition is fulfilled) and dismissing it forces the spirit away, either destroying it or simply making it unable to return to a given area.

Back to my Amber Page.

Or go to the Trump page, or the Trump Tarot page.