To account for the mundane and innocuous objects that most people have among their possessions—and not force every character to
specifically purchase such objects in order to employ them—use the following rules.
With the GM’s permission, you can make a Resources check to see if you have a mundane object on hand, as long as the object has a purchase DC of 10 or lower. The Resources check works the same as for buying the object, except that you take a –10 penalty on the check and you can’t take 10 or take 20. In addition, you can’t make a Resources check to see if you have a mundane object on hand during character generation or between adventures—only during play. If you succeed, your Resources modifier is unaffected, even if the object’s purchase DC is higher than your Resources modifier.
Depending on the situation, the GM can rule that a certain mundane object is not available; for an object to be obtainable, the character must be in a place where the object logically would be, such as in your home or in the trunk of your vehicle.
Some genres and settings might provide access to powers—extraordinary or supernatural abilities not found in the real world. This chapter provides a brief overview of the types of powers that you can find in the e20 System Core Rulebook.
Magic
Magic is the art of manipulating the world around you through supernatural means. Magic has four primary types—arcane, divine, pact, and primal—and it can employed by casting spells, performing incantations, or using items with inherent magical properties.
Spellcasting: Each type of magic has its own talent tree, and you must take one of the spellcasting feats for a given magic type before you can learn any of its talents. Every spellcasting feat is associated with a single class.
Because of the number of possible magical effects within even a single type of magic, spell talent trees are larger than usual: They have 6 core talents (three 1st, and one at 3rd, 7th, and 11th) and 12 major talents (three at 1st, and one at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th). Unlike normal talents, however, spells have some restrictions on how you can use talent stunts, as determined by your spellcasting feat.
Incantations: In addition to spells, anyone with the necessary spellcasting feat can perform incantations—longer rituals that produce lasting effects. Each incantation is a challenge (page 26); you gain its benefit when you complete it, but you can suffer a magical backlash if the challenge is terminated.
Magic Items: Some objects have inherent magical properties in the form of an enhancement (page 55). Anyone with a spellcasting feat can produce magic items that use that type of magic.
Arcane
Arcane magic allows you to take direct control of universal forces, shaping the underlying eldritch fabric of reality using arcane formulae, invocations, and rituals that produce the desired effect.
You can learn arcane magic either through dedicated study of arcane writings (Wizard Spellcasting, Savant), informal study and second-hand knowledge picked up over time (Bard Spellcasting, Envoy), or a completely intuitive and innate grasp of arcane magic (Sorcerer Spellcasting, Corsair).
Divine
Divine magic allows you to use your faith to call upon a supremely powerful entity, which then intercedes on your behalf. This entity is often a deity, but it can also be something more abstract, such as tapping into the collective consciousness of the adherents to a particular philosophy or ideology.
You can learn divine magic through pious reverence and dedicated study of religious and philosophical teachings (Cleric Spellcasting, Sentinel), a righteous devotion to serving your faith through bold deeds (Paladin Spellcasting, Dreadnought), or by gaining divine favor through the faith you inspire in others (Evangelist Spellcasting, Envoy).
Pact
Pact magic delves into Things Man Was Not Meant To Know, forbidden secrets that cross the line into madness and allow you to make contact
and bargain with supernatural—and often malevolent—entities. They might be powerful but less-than-deific extraplanar beings (such as demons and devils), but some might be forgotten elder gods whose vast powers merely lie dormant as they sleep, dreaming of the unimaginable horrors they will unleash when they awaken.
You can learn pact magic through sinister bargains that grant you diabolic powers you channel into vicious attacks (Warlock Spellcasting, Vanguard), unearthing forgotten occult symbols and rituals that allow you to summon extraplanar beings and bind them to your will (Alienist Spellcasting, Savant), or mastering the potential of your own infernal bloodline (Hexblade Spellcasting, Dreadnought).
Primal
Primal magic taps into the inherent power of the natural world, calling upon the energies produced by all life or the spirits left behind after death.
You can learn primal magic through devotion to the natural cycles of life and death and guarding against those who would intrude upon it (Druid Spellcasting, Sentinel), immersing yourself in the wild and learning to call upon your inherent connection to it (Ranger Spellcasting, Vanguard), or seeing, contacting, and traveling the spirit world (Shaman Spellcasting, Corsair).
Psionics
Psionics is the practice of using your mind to produce paranormal effects though intense meditative focus. Psionics has four types—clairsentience, psychokinesis, psychometabolism, and telepathy—and it can be employed by manifesting psionic talents, performing meditations, or using items empowered with psychic energy.
Manifestation: Each type of psionics has its own talent tree, and you must take the Psychic Manifestation feat before you can learn them.
Each talent tree is associated with three classes.
Meditations: In addition to manifestations, anyone with the Psychic Manifestation feat can perform meditations, lengthy delves into the recesses of the mind that can produce lasting effects. Each meditation is a challenge (page 26); you gain its benefit when you complete it, but you can suffer a psychic backlash if the challenge is terminated.
Empowered Items: Some objects have inherent psionic properties in the form of an enhancement (page 55). Anyone with the Psychic Manifestation feat can produce psionic items.
Clairsentience
Clairsentience provides various forms of extrasensory perception, including powers such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, precognition, postcognition, and psychometry. This talent tree is available to Corsairs, Sentinels, and Envoys.
Psychokinesis
Psychokinesis is the mental manipulation of your physical environment, including powers such as moving distant objects, starting fires, controlling light or sound, and creating telekinetic shields to protect you from attacks. This talent tree is available to Vanguards, Corsairs, and Savants.
7: Powers
Psychometabolism
Psychometabolism is the mastery of the body, unlocking your physical potential by opening your internal channels of energy. It includes powers such as adrenaline control, biofeedback, regeneration, and even altering your molecular structure. This talent tree is available to Vanguards, Dreadnoughts, and Sentinels.
Telepathy
Telepathy is the ability to contact, read, and even control other characters’ minds as well as to protect yourself from such intrusion. It includes powers such as telepathic communication, mind reading, psychic blasts, creating illusions, amplifying emotions, altering memories, and even controlling actions. This talent tree is available to
Dreadnoughts, Savants, and Sentinels.
Prodigies
Prodigies are characters with inherent exceptional or supernatural abilities that might be described as “super powers.” In most cases, prodigies are born with these powers (either as a result of mutation or
being a member of another species), but under very limited
circumstances it might be possible for a character to become a prodigy, perhaps through the injection of a mutagenic serum, genetic
engineering, or a bizarre, freak accident.
During character creation, prodigies select their powers, which might be in the form of feats (Superior Strength, Regeneration) or a talent tree (Energy Manipulation, Teleportation); many prodigies have psionic or magic talents, as well.
As they advance in level, prodigies can continue to improve their existing powers or, in the case of prodigy talents, learn new powers closely related to those they already know; they cannot gain new and unrelated powers. (You might have an indestructible skeleton, retractable claws, and uncanny regeneration, but you ain’t learning to fly, bub.)
Although they are too varied and complex to list here, the e20 System Core Rulebook provides a wide range of prodigy powers appropriate for any superhero … or villain.
In most cases, equipment in the e20 System is similar to its earlier d20-based counterparts.