When you move, your body changes state and becomes partially phased, reflecting a bizarre alternate dimension where distance and time are different than they are in the Ninth World. It’s only when you’re still that you remain solid and fully part of the real world. Sometimes that’s a relief, but other times you feel like you’re stuck in wet sand. Moving is your key to changing phase—and perhaps happiness. While you’re phased, you skate along the surface of reality far more quickly than others. Such rapid movement across normal reality sometimes leaves behind scratches, which you can selectively make, suppress, or bear down upon to create particularly devastating attacks and, eventually, phase detonations.
You got your ability because you’re descended from an entity that hailed from the bizarre dimension of altered distance and time, because you were touched and ultimately spared by an encounter with the iron wind, or because of a mechanism that you carry or that is embedded in you.
You probably wear clothing designed to stay out of your way, because the less you carry, the less likely you are to come out of phase prematurely.
Characters who want to get around quickly, like Jacks and Delves, are most drawn to this type, though Nanos and Arkai who want to stay out of harm’s way might also be interested.
Connection: Choose one of the following.
1. Pick one other PC. For some reason, they never lose a sense of where you are, no matter how you sprint around, change phase, or even become invisible (to everyone else).
2. Pick one other PC. You recently discovered that if they stand near you when you begin a Phase Sprint, they become partially phased in the same way as you for one round, though they can’t sprint or use any other abilities of this focus.
3. Pick one other PC. Seeing you phase seems to trigger some unpleasant memory in this character. That memory is up to the other PC, although they may not be able to consciously recall what the memory might be.
4. Pick one other PC. Something about them interferes with your abilities. When they stand next to you, your focus abilities cost 1 additional point.
Minor Effect Suggestions: The target is dazed, and their next action is hindered.
Major Effect Suggestions: The target is stunned and loses their next action.
Tier 1: Phase Sprint (1+ Speed points). You can run up to a long distance as long as you take no other actions. During your action and until the beginning of your next turn, you are partially phased, and some attacks pass through you harmlessly. While phased, you gain an asset to your Speed defense tasks, but you lose any benefit from armor you wear. Note that some of your other special abilities enable specific actions that you can take while using Phase Sprint. For instance, when using Disrupting Touch, you can make one touch attack while moving (though this ends your movement). Action.
Disrupting Touch (1+ Might points). You can turn your Phase Sprint into a melee attack by purposefully grazing another creature as you run. When you do, the touch releases a violent blast of energy that inflicts 2 points of damage to the target (ignores Armor). Whether you hit or miss, your movement (and turn) ends immediately, which puts you within immediate distance of your target. If you apply Effort to increase damage rather than to ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); the target takes 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Enabler.
Tier 2: Scratch Existence (1+ Might points). You can choose to phase in a way that “scratches” normal matter in a long streak as you run using Phase Sprint. This tears a bit at you, too, reflected by the Might cost. When you use Phase Sprint, you inflict 2 points of damage (ignores Armor) to one target you select as you pass within immediate range, without triggering Disrupting Touch. In addition to the normal options for using Effort, you can also choose to use Effort to increase the number of targets along your path that you can attack as part of the same action. Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage applies to all of these attacks. Alternatively, if you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); the target takes 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Enabler.
Tier 3: Ability Choice. Choose either Invisible Phasing or Walk Through Walls as your tier 3 ability.
Invisible Phasing (4 Might points). You become invisible while Phase Sprinting and during the following round. While invisible, stealth and Speed defense tasks are eased by two steps (replacing the asset to Speed defense tasks provided by Phase Sprint). The first attack you make using any Shreds the Walls of the World attack abilities is also eased by two steps; however, if you attack a creature, Invisible Phasing ends immediately instead of lasting for one additional round. If you have the Nano Invisibility esotery, you can remain invisible during the entire round, which means that if you use Scratch Existence or Shred Existence, attacking each target along your path is eased by two steps. Enabler.
Walk Through Walls (2 Intellect points). You can slowly pass through physical barriers at a rate of 1 inch (2.5 cm) per round (minimum of one round to pass through any barrier). You can’t act (other than moving) or perceive anything until you pass entirely through the barrier. You can’t pass through energy barriers. Action.
Tier 4: Phase Detonation (2+ Might points). When you use Phase Sprint or Walk Through Walls, you can choose to significantly damage normal matter around you with a blast of transdimensional energy when you first go into or come out of phase (your choice). This detonation inflicts 4 points of damage that ignores Armor to all creatures and objects within immediate range. If you apply Effort to increase the damage rather than ease the task, you deal 2 additional points of damage per level of Effort (instead of 3 points); targets in the area take 1 point of damage even if you fail the attack roll. Enabler.
Tier 5: Very Long Sprinting. When you use Phase Sprint, you can travel up to a very long distance as your action instead of a long distance. Enabler.
Tier 6: Ability Choice. Choose either Shred Existence or Untouchable While Moving as your tier 6 ability.
Shred Existence. When you use Disrupting Touch, Scratch Existence, or Phase Detonation, you inflict an additional 5 points of damage that ignores Armor. Enabler.
Untouchable While Moving (4 Intellect points). You change your phase state for the next minute so that you can’t affect or be affected by normal matter or energy, as long as you move at least an immediate distance each round while phased. If you don’t move on your turn, the effect ends. While you are phased, only mental attacks and special transdimensional energies, devices, or abilities can affect you, but likewise you can’t attack, touch, or otherwise affect anything. Action to initiate.