TEXT: Idols.  Squids.  Grifters.  Charmers. 
   
  
  ABERRANT 
  Idols.  Squids.  Grifters.  Charmers. 
   
  ABERRANT 
   
  Forceful Personalities 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Shawn Henley and Jack Summanen 
   
   
   
   
  http://eononline.net 
   
  © 2005 EON  
  
  ABERRANT 
  DEDICATION 
  1
  DEDICATION 
   
  Words from the Developers 
   
  It's finally happened. Aberrant: Forceful Personalities has 
  now become a finished product, and is now available to be read 
  and hopefully enjoyed. We've changed the format a bit from 
  what you'll find in other Aberrant sourcebooks, namely 
  excluding the fluff and interior artwork, for two reasons. First, 
  we wanted this fanbook to be produced as soon as was possible. 
  EON's fanbook projects tend to be slow-going, usually due to 
  the interference of real life, and Forceful Personalities was no 
  exception. Second, we hoped to avoid the argument over what 
  Mega-Attractive novas should look like. Good art takes time, 
  even without the endless debates we would've had over whether 
  or not a finished work was accurate. Hopefully, all of the extra 
  material we've piled into this fanbook will make up for the lack 
  of ornamentation. We folks on the Development Team have 
  done our best on this project, and you can't really ask for more 
  than that. 
   
  What you're either holding in your hands or viewing on 
  your computer monitor right now may have started with a few 
  of my ideas, but it took the ideas and hard work of a whole slew 
  of EON's posters to turn EON's Mega-Social fanbook from a 
  dream into concrete reality. My heartfelt thanks to all of those 
  wonderful folks at EON who made this book possible. I'd also like 
  to thank all those other people on the Web who are helping to 
  keep Aberrant and the other Aeon Continuum games alive. 
   
  – Shawn "Sprocket" Henley 
   
   
  I share a passion for this game with Sprocket and the rest 
  of the Development Team. I first experienced the Aeonverse 
  through the eyes of Aberrant, and what a world it was. It was 
  not until 2000 that I even looked at Adventure! or Trinity, so 
  forgive me for being biased, Aberrant has been my friend much 
  longer. Because of my relationship with the world of Aberrant I 
  spend a great deal of my time in the Aeonverse immersed in the 
  Aberrant era.  
   
  The World of Aberrant has inspired me as well as so many 
  other people, by taking stories of human conflict and human 
  achievement and elevating them to superhuman levels, bringing 
  dramas out of mythology to the tabletop. 
   
  With Forceful Personalities I initially wanted to explore 
  every aspect of the game (social, mental and physical), but I 
  knew this would not be possible (nor fair to the subject matter); 
  just as when White Wolf signaled the line's end l felt a panic set 
  in, knowing that the story was incomplete. When I learned of 
  end of the Aeonverse l rushed out and bought every book 
  available in the line for all three core books, so hungry was I for 
  more. So I see this book as a small treat for similarly desperate 
  fans, carefully focused on the purely social gems of Aberrant 
  game play. 
   
  From my passion to play I discovered a need to share. 
  When l read the Mega-Mental book Brainwaves online I fell in 
  love with the "mega-nova" again, and I practically wept with 
  frustration when none of the other themed books were 
  forthcoming. Eventually I realized that maybe I was the one 
  delaying, waiting for myself to join the effort. 
   
  Thank you for letting us share, 
   
  – Jack "Gideon" Summanen 
   
  Special Thanks: 
   
  �  To Rob Hatch and the fine folks at White Wolf, for 
  lighting the Aeon Continuum's flame in the first place. 
   
  �  To archer21 and Wish, for keeping EON afloat when it 
  was in danger of going down for the third time. 
   
  Passion � Inspiration � Dedication 
   
   
  I'd like to thank everyone involved in this project. 
  Everyone gave so freely of their own time and effort to make 
  this e-book a wonderful reality. Their commitment and 
  teamwork is what makes EONOnline such a fantastic resource 
  for players around the world.  
   
  So again, a huge thanks from me to all of you; You did good, 
  guys. Real good. I can't wait to see what's next!  
   
  Your EON Admin,  
   
  – Stephen “Archer” Quick 
  
  ABERRANT 
  INTRODUCTION 
  2
  INTRODUCTION 
   
  “Will you walk into my parlour?” said the spider to the fly 
  “Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy, 
  The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,  
  And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there”… 
   
  –  “The Spider and the Fly,” by Mary Howitt 
   
   
  Forceful Personalities is the first fanbook of the Aberrant 
  setting that examines the potential and the ramifications of 
  Mega-Socials in the Nova Age. This sourcebook was guided by 
  the work completed in the unofficial Mega-Mental sourcebook 
  Brainwaves, and inspired by the fine folks at White Wolf. 
   
  Sexy, Savvy, and in-control, Mega-Socially gifted novas 
  have dominated the media and backroom dealings of the world 
  from the get-go. From drop dead gorgeous models, to spokes-
  persons and lawyers that always get their way, these socially 
  adept novas have broken all the rules of etiquette and blackmail. 
  Virtually anyone can be bought, broken or converted if left in 
  the hands of a determined nova socialite. 
   
  There is also a growing public consciousness of the risk 
  such novas present in an ever-evolving world. What baseline can 
  compete with a nova that can literally possess anything or 
  anyone they desire? 
  Idols in Aberrant 
   
  Idols, Glamour-Boys and Glamour-Girls, describe the 
  stunning presence of these men and women of superhuman 
  grace and fashion. It is said you can learn about an era by how it 
  defines beauty, if so, this is indeed the Nova age. 
   
  In the Aberrant world these men and women of beauty are 
  the social darlings of the world. Everyone wants to be seen with 
  them, their presence is demanded at the biggest social 
  gatherings, and their images are found across the OpNet. With 
  their beauty they attract fans and stalkers, jealousy and envy. 
  Rarely does a nova with any degree of Mega-Appearance 
  escape such attention.  
   
  The greatest impact Idols have made in baseline society is 
  in the fashion world, where their super-human grace makes any 
  old rag look decent. Even a hideous fashion will become popular 
  if a nova wears it and his fans see him in it. This new form of 
  fashion warfare has caused more than a few squabbles and legal 
  battles over images and likenesses. 
  Squids in Aberrant 
   
  Squids. Gargoyles. Terrors of the night. Terms like these 
  are only fitting to describe the fear-inducing, nauseating and 
  blood-curdling effect these novas have on the human psyche. In 
  the shadows of the beautiful and bold lurk the pariahs, the 
  misfits and the monsters of this age. 
   
  Denied the blessing of a positive self-image, the Squids are 
  instead beings of degraded, often bestial, appearances. Much 
  like the Idols, Squids are ever the targets of the media, which 
  waits for them to prove that they are as monstrous in mind and 
  spirit as they are in body. 
   
  Of all the Mega-Social novas, Squids may have had the 
  greatest impact on the baseline world. Their hideous 
  appearances - their ability to inspire fear and loathing - have 
  drawn the worlds' frightened eyes to their lives. Some such 
  novas have made the best of their ugly form by becoming cult 
  monsters in movies, or terrifying enforcers for elite 
  organizations. But others must simply learn how to cope with 
  their unenviable new identity: the neighborhood freak. 
  Grifters in Aberrant 
   
  Grifters or Dealers are the master manipulators of 
  backroom deals in Aberrant and are icons for baseline politicos 
  and main-line media stars with an almost perverse need for 
  control. 
   
  In the Aberrant world these shadowy dealers are rarely 
  recognized for the powerhouses they are, except for the few 
  daredevils that chance discovery for the brief fame it brings. 
  Most Grifters spend their days convincing others to do their 
  bidding, “for their own benefit.” 
   
  Grifters have had their greatest impact, not from what they 
  have done, but from what certain organizations fear they might 
  do. Organizations like the Directive, UN Security Council, and 
  the British MI-5 all have detailed plans of what to do if they 
  detect nova manipulation of their organizations or their 
  governments. These baselines stay awake nights fearing the 
  damage such a monster could inflict on the world. 
  Charmers in Aberrant 
   
  Charmers, Friendlies, the person you can’t stand to hate. 
  Charmers fill the needed role of confidant and continue to 
  convince millions of people that there's still someone honest out 
  there. 
   
  In the Aberrant world the Charmers are not necessarily the 
  most beautiful, or the most successful, but they always have 
  friends willing to help them out. They are known to be good 
  listeners, vibrant speakers, inspirational leaders, or the best 
  friend one could hope for. These social novas are the most 
  beloved by those who know them, and their charm is the hardest 
  to pin down by baseline fans. 
   
  Charmers are known as the spokespersons and public faces 
  of many organizations, they are negotiators first, dealmakers 
  second (many Charmers have at least a dot in Mega-
  Manipulation). A Charmer’s life revolves around their social 
  calendar, as the more they interact with others the more power 
  they gain. Businesses and organizations like Utopia and DeVries 
  have capitalized on this to make them powers in the baseline 
  world. 
   
  Forceful Personalities looks at these charming novas and 
  the implications their powers have for their wielders and the 
  surrounding baselines, as well as, the impact of Idols, Squids and 
  Grifters on bystanders and their possessors. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  INTRODUCTION 
  3
  How to Use This Book 
   
  Integrating Mega-Social novas into a campaign is fairly 
  straightforward, but help is needed to keep one step ahead of 
  them. This book is meant to give you some insight how you can 
  rein in - or unleash - your Idols, Squids, Grifters and Charmers. 
   
  In Chapter One: Faces of the World find out about some of 
  the organizations that have formed to support the Mega-Social 
  specialists, including some truly bizarre groups. Storytellers will 
  want to check out Chapter Three: Storytelling, to learn about 
  some solid strategies to help keep socially minded novas 
  engaged. Players can jump right into Chapter Two: Social 
  Engineering, to see what new possibilities awaits the Mega-
  Social nova and then go to Chapter Four, where new 
  enhancements and discussions for ways to optimize Mega-Social 
  novas await. 
   
  Contents 
   
  Forceful Personalities is divided into four chapters: 
   
  �  Ch 1: Faces of the World:  This chapter highlights 
  organizations and individuals that focus on and utilize this set of 
  Mega-Attributes throughout the world. 
   
  �  Ch 2: Social Engineering:  This chapter discusses the 
  effects and applications of Social Warfare, how Mega-Social 
  novas can shake up a normal story and introduces Adversarial 
  Backgrounds. 
   
  �  Ch 3: Storytelling:  This chapter introduces some ideas to 
  protect your storylines from over the top novas and also 
  strategies to keep your socially oriented nova engaged in the 
  plot. Also included are rules designed to handle issues of 
  brainwashing and Mega-Manipulation induced suicides. 
   
  �  Ch 4: Frightening, Wonderful Behavior:  In this chapter 
  are new enhancements, aberrations and a few good strategies 
  for using your Social Mega-Attributes to accomplish the most. 
   
   
   
  …“Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “to ask me is in vain, 
  For who goes up your winding stair, can ne'er come down again.” 
   
  –  “The Spider and the Fly,” by Mary Howitt 
   
  Lexicon 
   
  �  Amped: Slang term meaning that a place, thing, or person 
  is about to suffer severe damage; usually at the hands of one or 
  more novas. Following the violence that destroyed the Amp 
  Room in the summer of 2015, many baselines used this term in 
  statements like, “I knew things were about to get Amped, so I 
  split.” 
   
  �  Breeder: Somewhat derogatory (and occasionally 
  envious) slang term for both fertile baselines and fertile novas 
  that developed after the reality of widespread infertility among 
  novas became public knowledge in the nova community. 
   
  �  Drone: a derogatory term, often used in conjunction with 
  Queen Bee, to describe the apparent mindlessness of those who 
  flock to “hang out” with their queen. 
   
  �  Charmer: A nova that has a well-developed Mega-
  Charisma Attribute, and usually large amounts of social skills.  
   
  �  Cult: A group of people centered on a specific goal or 
  ideal that tries to keep its members separate from outside 
  influences; typically their prior beliefs, their families, and 
  mainstream society in general. 
   
  �  Gargoyles: Derisive slang term for novas who radiate 
  negative emotions and use them as weapons against the 
  emotionally pliable. (This term originated in Spain and Ibiza 
  when a group of such novas showed up at the Amp Room on the 
  night of October 31, 2011 and tried to scare everyone out). 
   
  �  Girl/Boy Friday: A mildly derogatory slang term 
  describing a loyal and/or doting baseline lover or close friend of 
  a nova. These individuals tend to be clueless about the current 
  social tensions about novas. 
   
  �  Grifter: A nova that develops their Mega-Manipulation to 
  high levels, or combines Mega-Perception with a moderate 
  amount of Mega-Manipulation.  
   
  �  Horror: A label for Mega-Ugly novas that engender a 
  sense of abomination and raw fear at first glance, even over 
  OpNet broadcasts. This catch-all term defines the novas that 
  have advanced beyond visages of mere atrocity, whether a 
  Squid or a Gargoyle, and have forced the media to create a new 
  viewer's warning rating, “Hr”. 
   
  �  Idol: A nova with a high Mega-Appearance. This is a 
  specific type of nova that deals with the world through their 
  looks and grace. 
   
  �  Lackey: A mostly derogatory term for a nova or baseline 
  that spends their free-time doing the general bidding of a Mega-
  Social nova. 
   
  �  Moth: Derogatory, piteous term for those drawn to a 
  mega-social nova, like a moth to the flame of their 
  beauty/charm... 
   
  �  Queen Bee: A (frequently female) nova that makes a 
  habit of gathering many baselines around her to do her bidding, 
  or just to do the cooking. 
   
  �  Squid: A derogatory term for Mega-Ugly novas, that is 
  becoming more common in usage as the preponderance of 
  tentacles on Mega-Ugly novas increases. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  4
  CHAPTER ONE: 
  FACES OF THE WORLD 
   
   
  Introduction 
   
  The world of Aberrant is full of people looking to make 
  their next big score, to make it “big”, and people who are afraid 
  to be alone. Those lucky enough to be a nova rarely have any 
  trouble getting what they want, and some specialize in it. In this 
  chapter we delve into a collection of such people from loners 
  that want to change the world, to manipulative leaders that want 
  to rule it, one soul at a time. While none of the novas in this 
  chapter will topple Utopia or compete with Divis Mal they can 
  ruin the life of a character’s loved one, they can corrupt or 
  infiltrate a local business, or can perpetrate any number of 
  subtle attacks on the nova’s personal connections.  
   
  If Mega-Physical novas are the foot soldiers of the nova 
  age, and the Mega-Mental novas are the generals, the Mega-
  Social novas are the Banners for their armies, leading baseline 
  and nova alike to their sometimes twisted visions of the future.  
   
  House of Cards 
   
  Throughout history there have been men and women who 
  captured the interest, the passion and the innocence of the 
  world. From Joan of Arc who raised the spirits, hearts and faith 
  of thousands by her faith and determination to JFK who knew 
  how to show a jaded public hope, such Forceful Personalities 
  were rare gems, cherished by their peers and public. In this nova 
  age, such personalities seem to be popping up every day, with 
  the N! news network and special interest groups snapping them 
  up to be paraded before the masses. It would seem that such a 
  deluge of personality would jade the masses, but quite the 
  opposite it has elevated the public excitement into a frenzy, 
  where the rules are only followed loosely, and broken whenever 
  it’s convenient. In this chapter we focus on a few Forceful 
  Personalities that may help inspire Storytellers and players alike, 
  to find the true diamond in the rough, and expose a few 
  masquerades too. 
   
  Jacob Smite 
   
  Background:  Some people are just born to lose, or in this 
  case, be a loser. 
   
  Jacob Smite was a dimwitted pathological liar with no work 
  ethic, no morals, no willpower, and a heavy gambling habit. 
  Eruption didn’t change any of that. He erupted trying to talk a 
  girl into believing one of his lies, and was having trouble because 
  he had just told a conflicting lie a few hours earlier.  
   
  He very much wanted to get her to see the world through 
  his eyes, and then he was somehow able to do just that. That got 
  him his first slave/follower. She took him home and nursed him 
  until his headaches passed. Jacob dumped her soon afterwards, 
  causing her to commit suicide out of despair.  
   
  Since then, Jacob’s method of operating is simple. He finds 
  a rich baseline (preferably a young woman), and convinces her 
  to accept his Psychic Link. Since he keeps his Awe-Inspiring 
  enhancement up almost all the time, they quickly believe on an 
  emotional level that Jacob is, quite literally, divine. Jacob then 
  has them spend all of their money on his pleasures, but 
  eventually the money runs out. He then drops her like a hot rock 
  and moves on. 
   
  By that time, one of Jacob’s followers will have been living 
  with a divine presence that was constantly in her mind for 
  months, and being effectively cast out of Heaven is devastating. 
  Some followers end up killing themselves, while others turn to 
  some sort of criminal activity in a misguided attempt to regain 
  Jacob’s “favor”. But no matter what they do, by that point 
  Jacob’s ex-followers will have nothing left in the way of financial 
  resources. The few of these unfortunates who have turned to 
  the police have been written off as lunatics or liars. The fact that 
  Jacob always refers to himself as “God” in his mental exchanges 
  with his followers doesn’t help matters any. 
   
  Image:  Jacob is a short Caucasian, perhaps 5 and a half 
  feet tall. He is also slight of build and his dark hair is normally 
  unwashed. He could be anyone of dozens of people in high school 
  who seemed to pick up the wrong type of attention from various 
  bullies. He sports a pencil thin mustache in a vain attempt to look 
  older. He’s 25 but could pass for “late high school”. When “Mr. 
  Nobody” is on he seems like every mousy white man/boy that 
  has ever lived, not that this is much different from normal. 
   
  In person he seems much more believable and earnest than 
  should be possible considering the quality of his lies. It isn’t until 
  someone is away from him for a bit that they realize some of his 
  statements were conflicting. 
   
  Over his mental link his presence is awesome. His every 
  statement rings with authority and even divinity. Not all of his 
  words make sense when matched with each other, but any logic 
  issues are obviously a problem with mortal perspective. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  Lie. It doesn’t matter if you told 
  someone else a conflicting lie a few seconds ago and they are 
  standing right there, tell whoever you are talking to whatever 
  they want to hear. Say it as though you believe it (because you 
  do) and be sure that whatever you say puts you in the best light 
  possible. 
  Gear:  Wallet with cash and nothing else. Not even a cell phone 
  or credit card. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  5
  Nature:  Hedonist 
  Allegiance:  None 
  Attributes:  Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Perception 2, 
  Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Appearance 2, Manipulation 3, Charisma 
  3 
  Abilities:  Awareness 3, Brawl 1, Drive 1, Endurance 3, 
  Intimidation 1, Melee 1, Rapport 1, Resistance 3, Seduction 3, 
  Streetwise 3, Style 1, Subterfuge 3 
  Backgrounds:  Cipher 2, Node 2; Followers 5 (three wealthy 
  baseline fanatics) 
  Merits and Flaws:  Addicted to Gambling (-2), Compulsion: Lying 
  (-2) 
  Quantum 1, Quantum Pool 22, Willpower 3, Taint 0 
  Mega-Attributes:  Mega-Appearance �� (Awe Inspiring*, Mr. 
  Nobody), Mega-Manipulation �� (Trickster, Persuader), Mega-
  Charisma �� (Dreadful Mien) 
  Quantum Powers:  Psychic Link � (x3)**, Psychic Shield ��� 
  * Jacob’s Mega-Appearance and Awe Inspiring only function 
  over his Psychic Link 
  ** Jacob’s followers can’t talk to each other over his Psychic 
  Link, only to him. 
  Methods and Operations 
   
  As far as his three followers are concerned (he rarely 
  allows himself more than three at a time), Jacob is their God. 
  They know and understand this, even if they can’t quite put it 
  into words. Jacob’s activities normally involve blowing obscene 
  amounts of money...not that he ever does this himself. Instead, 
  Jacob’s followers burn through their own money at his urgings. 
  Normally, one of his followers will go on gambling and spending 
  binges, which Jacob experiences vicariously through his Psychic 
  Link. Jacob is utterly incompetent as a gambler, but since he 
  always keeps another rich follower on hand, he just keeps 
  coming back for more. The other two will manage Jacob’s living 
  expenses and financial affairs, usually liquidating their own 
  considerable financial assets in the process. 
   
  �  Allies and Enemies:  So far Jacob has managed to stay 
  below the radar of most of the major organizations. Jacob 
  doesn’t break any laws, and as a Quantum 1 nova with no Taint, 
  he can easily pass for a baseline. Jacob is aware that he’s a nova; 
  but he’s also painfully aware of how weak he is in comparison to 
  other novas, and so avoids them like the plague. Since he mostly 
  operates through his followers, they wind up getting the blame 
  for all of Jacob’s misdeeds, which include racking up a fair 
  number of rather large bad debts to the Camparelli-Zhukov 
  Megasyndicate. The C-Z Megasyndicate still hasn’t figured out 
  that Jacob is the true source of the bad debts, nor have they 
  realized that he’s a nova. Once they do, Jacob will more than 
  likely wind up in a C-Z nova-rendering plant; where his body will 
  be processed into Soma, Mite, and a host of other nova-derived 
  drugs. But between Jacob’s Mr. Nobody enhancement and his 
  other Mega-Social abilities, that day may be a long time coming. 
   
  George Paulus 
   
  Background: George always knew he was destined for 
  great things. He made sure to earn them as well. When he was in 
  high school, he was the captain of the debate team. He always 
  got straight “A”s on his report cards. He was even voted by his 
  classmates as “Most Likely to Succeed”. Everything was going 
  his way, until he graduated college and tried to break into state 
  politics. 
   
  Everything was so different. He couldn’t seem to get the 
  general public to hear his message. It didn’t help that George 
  was a liberal (one of the few four-letter words in American 
  politics) in the Bible Belt of the United States of America. His 
  views were widely unpopular, and he was often publicly reviled 
  in the local churches. It seemed George’s political career was in 
  the gutter in his home state, until he was cornered by some 
  “good ol’ boys” who didn’t like his progressive views and didn’t 
  want him spreading them anywhere else. 
   
  He looked at them as they approached menacingly and 
  started to talk, and somehow gently convinced them to leave him 
  alone. The next week he had to drop out of the race he was in 
  and went to the hospital for intense headaches. He quickly found 
  out that people acted differently around him, and then he was 
  told he had erupted. Since then he has been biding his time, 
  waiting for the next big chance for him to get elected into a 
  good office. 
   
  Image: George is a 6’ 4” tall caucasian man with blue eyes 
  and impeccably styled short red hair. He’s not well-muscled by 
  any standard, but is reasonably fit and weighs in at about 200 
  lbs. He prefers to wear hand-tailored suits in various colors. 
  George looks to be about 28 years old, but has the 
  knowledgeable attitude of a man twice his age. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: You are the next big thing and you know 
  it! You have big plans for the United States...no, the world! You 
  won’t give in on the issues, and you are a bit mule-headed. 
  Gear: Cell phone, PDA 
  Nature: Leader 
  Allegiance: Democratic Party. 
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Perception 3, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 5, Appearance 3, Manipulation 4, Charisma 
  4. 
  Abilities: Academics 4, Awareness 1, Biz 4, Bureaucracy 4, 
  Command 4, Etiquette 4, Firearms 1, Investigation 1, Linguistics 
  5 (English native, whatever other languages the Storyteller 
  decides that he needs), Martial Arts 2, Rapport 3, Style 3, 
  Subterfuge 3. 
  Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (Tom Blinkin, head researcher for the 
  NY Times), Followers 4 (various underlings and gofers used for 
  legwork), Resources 3. 
  Merits and Flaws: None. 
  Quantum 3, Quantum Pool 26, Willpower 6, Taint 2. 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Intelligence � (Analyze Weakness, 
  Linguistic Genius), Mega-Appearance �� (Almost Live, First 
  Impression, 
  Mirroring), 
  Mega-Manipulation 
  ��� 
  (Overwhelming Question), Mega-Charisma ���� (Natural 
  Agitator). 
  Quantum Powers: None. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  6
  Gazali 
   
  Background: When Gazali was born, it is said, the heavens 
  shook with thunder and frogs fell like rain from the sky. While it 
  is not known anymore if that is actually true, no one who knows 
  him can deny how special the man is now. 
   
  Gazali was born in 1953 under a good omen to a line of 
  shamans of the Muhati, a very small tribe of animist Nilotes 
  living deep in one of the tropical jungles of southern Sudan. He 
  took to his heritage as well as any boy his age would. He slowly 
  learned, and became proficient at using natural herbal medicines 
  to heal wounds and cure sickness. When he reached the proper 
  age in 1962, he went on his quest to become a man. When he 
  reached the center of the jungle he carefully searched for the 
  largest termite mound he could find, then started taking termites 
  out of it and put them in a large mitt-like glove. Once the glove 
  was filled with the small insects, Gazali took a deep breath and 
  stuck his hand in. The pain seemed to be without end as 
  hundreds of the insects bit into his flesh. Feeling that he could 
  take no more, Gazali silently willed the insects to stop. To his 
  amazement, the termites obeyed him. The pain from the 
  termites’ bites quickly subsided, and he felt a large rush of relief 
  within seconds. He removed the glove and looked at his hand to 
  see that not only were the termites just standing on his hand, 
  but that their bites were fading away before his eyes. 
   
  Not wanting to disappoint his entire tribe by returning with 
  no evidence that he’d undergone the manhood ordeal, Gazali 
  returned home with the termite-filled mitt and performed the 
  ritual once more. After witnessing that, Gazali’s tribesmen 
  became ecstatic. They soon put Gazali in charge of doing what 
  ever he could manage with his mysterious new gifts to help raise 
  money for the impoverished tribe. After recovering from a bout 
  of unexplained migraine headaches, Gazali found that he could 
  concoct herbal medicines with extraordinary healing properties. 
  He started to collect many different herbs that his forefathers 
  had ignored or abandoned as being ineffectual, and found ways 
  to use them to cure even the most horrific diseases. (In later 
  years, Gazali even managed to find a reliable cure for a insidious 
  wasting sickness that the doctors from Khartoum called “HIV” 
  or “AIDS”.) Figuring out that this would make for an excellent 
  source of income, he began to sell his herbal remedies for high 
  prices to the people of the nearby towns and cities in an effort 
  to raise the Muhati tribe’s standard of living. Despite the threats 
  posed to him by the Sudanese government and hostile Arabs 
  from the north of Sudan, Gazali’s new powers allowed him to 
  evade his enemies and minister to the sick all across southern 
  Sudan for more than five decades, and make a very healthy 
  profit in the process. 
   
  When the Nova Age came to pass, Gazali was 
  simultaneously intrigued and disturbed by the changes that were 
  taking place in the world around him. While he was delighted by 
  the results of Project Utopia’s terraforming of neighboring 
  Ethiopia, the sheer carnage of the Equatorial Wars made him 
  fear for his tribe’s survival. Despite the fact that having Project 
  Utopia (and Team Tomorrow Central) for a neighbor intimidated 
  the Sudanese government into reinventing itself as a “peace-
  loving, reformist regime”, Gazali knew that all of Africa was now 
  a powder keg waiting for the spark that would make it explode. 
  As of 2015, after much consultation with the other elders of the 
  Muhati, Gazali now seeks to ally himself and the Muhati with an 
  honorable group of outsider novas. Gazali’s precognitive visions 
  have warned him away from many of the more visible nova 
  organizations, making him keep his distance from Project 
  Utopia, DeVries, and the Teragen. While he seeks to ensure that 
  the Muhati will have a future, Gazali now wonders if his tribe’s 
  future will be found in Africa, or even on Earth. 
   
  Image: Gazali is a lean African man with tight, curly black 
  hair and brown eyes. Despite looking to be in his late 50s, he 
  displays the energy and vigor of a much younger man. He’s about 
  5’7” tall and looks like he weighs just over 140 lbs. Whenever he 
  walks down the street or into a room; his very presence 
  demands attention and demands it now. When living among his 
  tribe, Gazali wears the same tribal garb that the other men of his 
  tribe wear. When visiting the towns and cities, he wears a short-
  sleeved beige linen campshirt, military-surplus khaki cotton 
  trousers, and a pair of well-worn leather sandals. In either 
  environment, he also wears a golden headband that was given to 
  one of his ancestors by a visiting Frenchman. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: You are a healer in both spirit and 
  practice. The only time that you stop nurturing and tending to 
  the people of your tribe is when you head out to the closest 
  towns and cities to sell your medicines. That’s when you go from 
  being a grandfatherly tribesman to being a natural salesman. 
  Despite this, you always take pains to give your customers good 
  value for their money. While you are good at acting the part of 
  an ignorant jungle shaman, that’s only a front for the rubes in 
  the cities and towns. Like the rest of the Muhati, you are 
  surprisingly well-educated and informed about the world outside 
  the jungles of Sudan. 
  Gear: Leather bag of herbal remedies, appropriate clothing, gold 
  headband. 
  Nature: Caregiver 
  Allegiance: Muhati Tribe 
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Perception 4, 
  Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Appearance 3, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  5. 
  Abilities: Arts 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 4 (Acute Hearing), Biz 
  3, Brawl 2, Computer 2, Etiquette 3, Endurance 4, Instruction 5 
  (One-on-one), Linguistics 5 (Nilotic native, Arabic, English, 
  French, Nubian, Ta Bedawie), Medicine 5 (First Aid, Herbalism), 
  Meditation 5 (Ritual), Navigation 5 (Air, Land), Perform 5 
  (Shamanic Rituals), Rapport 5, Resistance 4, Ride 2, Science 1, 
  Stealth 5, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 4, Survival 4 (Forage). 
  Backgrounds: Cipher 4, Followers 6 (the Muhati tribe, also 
  people Gazali has cured and their families), Node 2, Resources 2. 
  Merits and Flaws:  Common Sense (1), Taint Resistance (5). 
  Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 9, Taint 2 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Dexterity � (Catfooted), Mega-
  Stamina � (Adaptability, Regeneration), Mega-Perception � 
  (That Creepy Feeling), Mega-Intelligence � (Mental Prodigy: 
  Medical), Mega-Appearance � (First Impression, Mr. Nobody), 
  Mega-Manipulation �� (Persuader, The Voice), Mega-Charisma 
  � (Commanding Presence, Perfect Guest). 
  Quantum Powers: Animal Mastery ��, Healing ����*, Luck 
  �����, Pretercognition �. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  7
  * Gazali can only use his Healing power by means of his special 
  medicines. Instead of directly healing a wound or curing a 
  disease, he imbues the medicine with quantum-induced healing 
  properties. While this prevents Gazali from simply healing 
  people with a touch, it also means that a dose of the quantum-
  charged medicines he sells will work even if he’s not around to 
  power the healing effect. 
   
  Beutech Services, Inc. 
   
  �  Mission Statement: “Beutech Services is dedicated to 
  bringing the world’s loveliest women to your runway. If you want 
  Beauty, think Beutech.” 
   
  �  History: For years, Natalia Graham toiled away in the 
  shadows of the fashion industry. When Natalia erupted, she 
  thought that everything wrong in her life would get better, and 
  that her talents in fashion and design would finally be 
  recognized. But that was not to be. She was hired on to DeVries 
  working for SuperImpose. She soon became bitter, and after a 
  yelling match with one of her co-workers, decided to part ways 
  with the large company in order to strike out on her own. 
   
  With the considerable funds that she had accumulated, she 
  managed to scrape together a large show to get her career 
  started. She got together the models, the fashions and even had 
  enough left over to hire a nova bodyguard for a “professional 
  touch”. 
   
  The show (to say the least) was a stunning success. Long 
  after the lights went out the cast party went on, and Graham and 
  Grey talked through the night about all the possibilities that this 
  presented. She found that, under his gruff exterior, he actually 
  had a keen business mind. Soon Graham took Grey on as a 
  business partner, and began to hire more women to work the 
  shows. 
   
  After more successes in the field, Grey brought an offer to 
  her to make even more money. He suggested that they start an 
  escort service for some of their more esteemed followers to 
  begin to rely on. After some goading Graham agreed, even she 
  couldn’t deny the money making opportunities in this. She let 
  Grey do what he wanted and went about her business. 
   
  With this newly formed side venture, the pair have 
  amassed quite a fortune, and have been able to hire a nova 
  model to help bring in more customers. Graham has made sure to 
  tell Grey that Copy Novix (as she calls herself) is off limits to the 
  customers of the escort service. Grey humored Natalia’s 
  request, but only to the point of reserving Copy Novix’s escort 
  work as a “special service” available only to Beutech’s 
  wealthiest and most discreet customers. To date, Natalia 
  remains completely ignorant of this arrangement. 
   
  �  Membership: Beutech’s membership is very limited. A 
  woman first has to catch and hold Natalia Graham’s keen eye in 
  order to have a shot at becoming a Beutech model. Even then, 
  Natalia’s high standards ensure that only the most attractive 
  models are allowed into Beutech’s ranks. Natalia is still looking 
  for more female novas to work for her as Beutech models, but 
  still refuses to her lower her standards. The business portion of 
  Beutech currently employs two accountants, two advertising 
  agents and a secretary; so Natalia isn’t looking to hire anyone 
  else for Beutech’s lone office. 
   
  �  Activities: Fashion is the name of the game! Beutech 
  produces amazing fashion shows that even leave some people at 
  SuperImpose gaping in awe. A side venture is their escort 
  service that often allows for “all the trimmings”. Occasionally 
  one or two customers may get together to hire a few girls for a 
  large party. (Such affairs are always supervised by Grey, and 
  done under Graham’s nose). 
   
  �  Allies and Enemies: Some of Beutech’s closest allies are 
  some of the top politicians in the world. Beutech’s escorts have 
  helped to keep these hard-working statesmen warm on many a 
  lonely night (away from their wives, of course). The 
  Pandemonium faction of the Teragen is also happy to have 
  another nova-owned company that can make their hedonistic 
  lifestyle look good. 
   
  Other factions of the Teragen are not so keen on Beutech, 
  though. The Harvesters see Natalia Graham as a “zip-lover”, and 
  Nova Vigilance is none too pleased with Beutech as well. Several 
  socially-conservative religious groups have publicly voiced their 
  opposition to Beutech on grounds that the modeling company 
  “glorifies sex”. Ironically, more than a few leaders of those 
  religious groups have also been repeat customers of Beutech’s 
  escort service. 
   
  �  Getting Involved: To become a Beutech model, a woman 
  must be both extremely attractive and have a very pleasant 
  personality. Natalia Graham will only hire the best, even when 
  she’s hunting for potential nova models. A model candidate with 
  a less-than-pleasant personality might be able to get herself 
  hired by Beutech if she can get Grey to vouch for her, which is 
  never too hard. 
  Dramatis Personae 
  Natalia Graham 
   
  Background: When she was young, Natalia loved clothes. 
  Much to her mother’s dismay she would change clothes several 
  times a day, and would often mix and match her clothes to make 
  different styles. It only got worse as she got older. Like any 
  teenage girl she would complain about how she never had 
  anything to wear, and would often beg to borrow money from 
  her parents. One day her mother got fed up with it. “If you want 
  new clothes,” she said, “you can make them yourself!” She took 
  Natalia to the fabric store that very day; and bought her a cheap 
  sewing machine, some thread, needles, fabric and an assortment 
  of buttons and other sewing hardware. That night she taught 
  Natalia how to sew. The next day Natalia had her first 
  inspiration and got to work. 
   
  Natalia was the talk of her high school for the rest of her 
  time there, and was voted “Best Dressed” 3 times in a row in 
  the school yearbook. After graduation, Natalia soon set her 
  sights in a career in fashion, and was sure she could succeed as a 
  baseline in a nova-dominated profession. She created her own 
  fashion line and tried to set up a show to exhibit her work, but 
  no one showed any interest. She was even turned down outright 
  a few times! Natalia’s first real fashion show only took place due 
  to her repeated lying in order to get herself an audience. She 
  waited until everyone had gathered, and then introduced herself 
  in her first fashion. It didn’t take long for the crowd to get 
  angry. Natalia was desperate at that point...she begged people to 
  stop...and they did. Something about her had changed slightly. 
  People went back to their seats, and watched the fashion show. 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  8
  The next day, however, their bad reviews of her one-woman 
  fashion show crushed her. Swallowing her pride, Natalia soon 
  took a job with DeVries, where she worked at SuperImpose in 
  order to get by. She also began saving the money to put on 
  another, more successful fashion show. Natalia eventually 
  accumulated the funds she needed, quit DeVries and 
  SuperImpose, and founded Beutech Services. The rest is history. 
   
  Image: Natalia is a 5 foot tall caucasian woman with grey 
  eyes and bleached-blonde hair. (Natalia’s really a brunette.) She 
  has all the best curves and weighs in at around 140 lbs. When in 
  public she usually wears her own fashions, and even then will 
  usually wear extremely revealing clothing in an attempt to grab 
  as much attention as possible. When in the comfort of her own 
  home, her office, or at a friend’s home she will wear comfortable 
  baggy clothes. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: There are two sides to your personality. 
  The first side is the professional bombshell that observes 
  closely, flirts whenever necessary and makes sure that you get 
  what you want. You’re a sharp-minded person who only acts like 
  a dumb bimbo to get male customers comfortable with you. 
  When you aren’t trying to impress potential customers your 
  other side comes out, revealing a generally nice person. Your 
  idea of a good day involves coming into Beutech’s design studio 
  and working hard on the next line of clothes to revolutionize the 
  fashion world. There are even times where your mischevious 
  streak will shine through, when you’ll pull a prank or two on 
  some of your friends. You make sure to stay well away from 
  Grey’s “side projects”; while you have an good idea what’s 
  going on there, you don’t want to know the details. The money 
  that Grey brings in from his operations helps keeps Beutech 
  Services financially afloat, and you consider that more than 
  reason enough to leave him alone. 
  Gear: Sketch pad, pencils, cell phone 
  Nature: Visionary 
  Allegiance: Beutech Services 
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Perception 3, 
  Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Appearance 5, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  5. 
  Abilities: Arts 5 (Fashion Design), Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Biz 
  4, Bureaucracy 2, Computer 2, Drive 3, Endurance 3, Etiquette 
  5, Linguistics 2 (English native, French), Perform 5 (Fashion 
  Modeling), Rapport 5, Resistance 3, Seduction 5, Streetwise 2, 
  Style 5 (Fashion, Makeup), Subterfuge 4. 
  Backgrounds: Contacts 4 (throughout the fashion world), 
  Eufiber 3, Resources 4. 
  Merits and Flaws: None. 
  Quantum 2, Quantum Pool 24, Willpower 5, Taint 2 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina � (Adaptability), Mega-
  Perception � (Electromagnetic Vision), Mega-Wits � (Artistic 
  Genius, Natural Empath, Synergy), Mega-Appearance � 
  (Seductive Looks), Mega-Manipulation � (The Voice), Mega-
  Charisma � (Seductive, Natural Agitator).  
  Quantum Powers: None. 
  Felicia “Copy Novix” Fernandez 
   
  Background: Ever since she was little, Felicia has always 
  wanted to become an actress. She would dream of the life of 
  ease that she could have, if she could only make it big in the 
  movies! The good life she imagined was her only real refuge 
  from her actual miserable existence. When Felicia was little she 
  was sold to a drug lord for food money by her parents. She was 
  forced to work for hours on end in a sweatshop by day, and was 
  occasionally taken advantage of at night by whichever “dorm 
  keeper” was in charge of the run-down building that housed her 
  and the other slave girls. This went on for years, until Felicia 
  finally became fed up with the entire ordeal. The last time a 
  dorm keeper tried to assault her, she stole the thug’s knife and 
  threatened to kill him. She knew she couldn’t make good on her 
  threat, so instead tried to kill herself by plunging the knife into 
  her own heart. Felicia was surprised when she didn’t die right 
  then. When the thug pulled the knife out of her chest, the wound 
  seemed to close by itself. She decided to push her luck and 
  brazenly strode out of the slave quarters, ordering people out of 
  her way. They obeyed without really knowing why, and Felicia 
  escaped into the night. Since her escape, Felicia tried everything 
  she could think of in order to help her attain her dream of 
  becoming an actress. She eventually met up with Natalia Graham, 
  and decided that she’d finally found the start of her path to 
  stardom in the fashion shows of Beutech. Felicia does still have 
  to put out, but considers it to be only sex. She considers herself 
  fortunate that she’s actually getting paid for it now, and that 
  she’s servicing wealthy clients instead of back-alley lowlifes. 
  Besides, all actresses do this in their early years, right? 
   
  Image: Copy Novix is an extremely beautiful latino girl in 
  her late teens, with rich brown eyes and waist length raven black 
  hair. She is about 5’6” tall and weighs a little over 110 lbs. Copy’s 
  physique is extremely well-toned, which has led to her 
  developing a preference for wearing clothing that lets her show 
  off her body to best effect. Her sheer sex appeal is such that 
  after getting a good look at her, most men (and more than a few 
  women) quickly find Copy Novix taking center stage in their 
  private fantasies, regardless of their prior tastes in women. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: Since your eruption, you’ve become an 
  accomplished flirt. You’ll do whatever you need to get the 
  attention of the right people, whether by twirling your hair 
  around your little finger or by wearing extremely revealing 
  clothing (or none at all). While you won’t stoop to committing 
  actual violence or killing someone, you will do whatever you 
  need to in order to become a movie star! 
  Gear: Cell phone 
  Nature: Hedonist 
  Allegiance: Beutech Services 
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Perception 3, 
  Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Appearance 5, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  5. 
  Abilities: Athletics 2, Biz 1, Drive 2, Endurance 3, Etiquette 3, 
  Firearms 1, Linguistics 2 (Spanish native, English, French), 
  Martial Arts 2, Perform 2, Rapport 4, Resistance 3, Style 4, 
  Subterfuge 3,  
  Backgrounds: Contacts 1 (Felicia still knows the drug lord who 
  bought her; she managed to work everything out with him and 
  even got on his sweet side.), Resources 3. 
  Merits and Flaws: None. 
  Quantum 2, Quantum Pool 24, Willpower 7, Taint 0. 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina � (Regeneration), Mega-
  Appearance �� (Mirroring, First Impression, Copycat, 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  9
  Seductive Looks), Mega-Manipulation �� (The Voice), Mega-
  Charisma �� (Seductive, Soothe). 
  Quantum Powers: None. 
  Beuchanan “The Touch” Grey 
   
  Background: Melinda Simmons thought that she had found 
  the perfect man to be her husband. Beuchanan was a nice 
  enough man, he was a good provider and he wasn’t all that bad 
  looking. What did it matter that he lost his temper every once in 
  a while? It was nothing major, when everything else was so 
  good.” 
   
  Beuchanan thought that things were pretty good, too. And 
  that’s why he did his best to keep his temper in check until he 
  got her squarely under his thumb. Beuchanan and Melinda were 
  married on July 13, 2001. After that, everything went downhill 
  for Melinda. Beuchanan’s abusive behavior towards her was 
  nearly constant when he was at home. When he was in a bad 
  mood, when something didn’t go his way, or even when he 
  thought that she was getting smart with him; Beuchanan would 
  berate and often physically abuse her. At nights before they 
  went to sleep, no matter what Melinda said or did, Beuchanan 
  was to be gratified. After a year of this Melinda became 
  pregnant, and soon gave birth to their only child, a daughter 
  they named Sally.  
   
  Things only got worse after that, because now Beuchanan 
  had a trump card to hold over her, and he made sure to use it 
  often. The years of abuse flew by, and Melinda finally decided 
  that enough was enough after the first time Beuchanan laid a 
  hand on their daughter in the middle of August 2005. Melinda 
  made plans to flee Beuchanan with her daughter. The next day 
  she took Sally and a packed suitcase, and opened the front door 
  of her house. It would have been a perfect escape if Beuchanan 
  hadn’t been standing there with his keys in hand, having come 
  home for a quickie on his lunch break. He became so enraged 
  that he reached out, grabbed her hand and erupted...Melinda was 
  dead in seconds from his touch. 
   
  After that, Beuchanan called Project Utopia and let them 
  take care of his mess. Utopia’s lawyers got all the charges 
  against Beuchanan dropped, letting him off with only 1 year of 
  probation under Utopian supervision. During that year, Utopian 
  reseachers helped Beuchanan find some degree of control over 
  his powers, mostly by creating a pair of specially-designed 
  gloves that insulated living things and objects from his touch. 
  After Beuchanan had gotten everything that he wanted out of 
  Project Utopia, he dumped them like a high-school cheerleader 
  after the prom. 
   
  After being hired to supervise the security operations at a 
  SuperImpose modeling show, Beuchanan met Natalia Graham 
  and the two forged a deal. She struck out on her own, and 
  formed Beutech. For his part, Beuchanan agreed to take care of 
  Beutech’s security needs, and to make sure that everyone pays 
  and is paid for services rendered. 
   
  Image: Beuchanan’s looks are pretty average by baseline 
  standards. There’s nothing too special about him; except for his 
  pure white skin, freakishly large hands and shaved head. He 
  always wears loose fitting clothing and his signature black latex 
  gloves. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: Right now things aren’t too bad. You get 
  laid quite a bit, and when a willing partner is unavailable, you 
  have your own little doll at home. Hell, she is even better then 
  her mother in that you know she isn’t going to leave you, and 
  you even got to take her virginity! You like to act the big man 
  and you like it even better when you can prove it. You’re the 
  classic wife beater/ trailer trash and you don’t care who knows 
  it.  
  Nature: Hedonist 
  Allegiance: Beutech Services 
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Perception 2, 
  Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Appearance 2, Manipulation 3, Charisma 
  3  
  Abilities: Awareness 2, Biz 4, Brawl 3, Perform 1, Rapport 3, 
  Streetwise 4, Style 2, Subterfuge 3. 
  Backgrounds: Contacts 2 (Security Firms, Lawyers), Eufiber 4, 
  Node 2, Resources 4 
  Merits and Flaws: Dark Secret (sexually abuses daughter, -3), 
  Debt (-3), Dependant: Sally, daughter (-4), Eufiber Attuned (3), 
  Lusty (-1), Quantum Recovery (1), Sexy (1). 
  Quantum 3, Quantum Pool 26, Willpower 5, Taint 6 (Large 
  Hands, White Skin, Permanent Power (random)* 
  Mega-Attributes: None. 
  Quantum Powers: Armor ��, Claws (Aggravated) ��, Disorient 
  �� (Touch, Extra Duration), Disrupt �� (Touch, Extra 
  Duration), Empathic Manipulation �� (Touch, Extra Duration), 
  Immobilize �� (Touch, Extra Duration). 
  * Permanent Power (random). For this you count all of Grey’s 
  touch powers (5 in his case) and roll to see what power is active 
  at a given encounter (roll a d10, and divide by 2. That is the 
  number you will use for which power).   
  Story Hooks 
   
  �  Damsel In Distress: One of the player characters has a 
  female relative, former lover or close friend who is offered a 
  modeling position at Beutech Services. The woman contacts the 
  player character a few weeks later, and claims that she has been 
  coerced into becoming a prostitute by one of the novas 
  (Beuchanan Grey) who helps run Beutech. She begs the player 
  character to help her escape from Beutech, as she honestly 
  fears for her life if any of the Beutech novas catch her trying to 
  run out on her contract. 
   
  �  Going Undercover: The player characters are contacted 
  by a higher-up in their organization who wants them to 
  investigate some strange activities that Beutech Services seems 
  to be involved with. So far, others in their organization haven’t 
  been able to get any reliable information (or warrants to search 
  Beutech’s premises, in the case of the Directive or other law 
  enforcement agencies), and it doesn’t seem like they will be able 
  to in the near future. The player characters are ordered to 
  perform a covert investigation of Beutech Services, most likely 
  by infiltrating Beutech either as models or as customers of their 
  escort service. If they should be discovered and/or caught by 
  Beutech in the course of the investigation they’re on their own, 
  as their organization will deny any knowledge of their activities. 
   
  �  A Moral Quandary: One or more of the player characters 
  want to have a night out on the town and is tipped off by a 
  friend to the “adult entertainment” offered by Beutech 
  Services. When talking to Beuchanan Grey, the player 
  characters get an odd impression from him, as the man somehow 
  seems “off”. This is exacerbated when Grey’s daughter walks in 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  10
  on their conversation, with the physical and behavioral signs of 
  being abused plain for any Mega-Perceptive or empathic 
  characters to notice. Do the player characters look into the 
  matter and try to save the girl from her abusive father, or will 
  they ignore her plight in favor of indulging themselves in 
  debauchery? 
   
  �  Scandal!: An important leader of an organization, 
  preferably a political or religious group that trumpets “old-
  fashioned moral values” as part of their platform, is caught on 
  video while patronizing Beutech’s escort service by a lucky 
  paparazzi. If this story gets out, the career of the leader in 
  question could easily be ruined and the organization he or she 
  belongs to could lose their credibility in the eyes of the public. 
  The player characters could work for the endangered 
  organization, and attempt to bury the evidence (and maybe the 
  paparazzi as well) before it’s released to the media. 
  Alternatively, the player characters could work for a group 
  that’s hostile to the endangered organization, and attempt to 
  ensure that the scandal receives as much media coverage as 
  possible. 
   
  The Islington Tea Society 
   
  The Islington Tea Society is a group of Mega-Social novas 
  who are also expert brainwashers. Mercenary, amoral and with 
  few discernable scruples, they pursue their trade for three 
  reasons: love of their art, the obscenely large profits to be had, 
  and for the sheer fun of working other people’s minds like so 
  much clay. They’ll do just about anything for anyone, except 
  Project Utopia, which is the one group that they despise. They 
  are a tightly-knit group of close friends who are also devout 
  practitioners of the art of holding British tea parties, which 
  happens to be the public face of this group. As of 2015, no one 
  has tumbled to the fact that this seemingly harmless and useless 
  group of wealthy upper-crust British eccentrics is actually a 
  covert brainwasher’s club. They could teach both the Directive 
  and Project Proteus many things about operating undercover. 
  Since they operate through several layers of agents and dummy 
  corporations, the Islington Tea Society has sometimes found 
  themselves hired to undo their own brainwashing work. When 
  that happens they just grin, perform the work, and pocket the 
  profits. 
   
  The Islington Tea Society was originally formed by the 
  British Security Services (MI5) as a cover organization back in 
  the 1950s, during the Cold War. Their founder, Albert 
  Wellington, was a legitimate blueblood who had inherited a large 
  manor in Islington looking out over the ocean. “Rebuilding the 
  manor for Tea Society meetings and activities” was the official 
  cover story given for most of the subterranean excavations, pier 
  construction, and other odd activities that were going on. In 
  reality the manor became a way station for spies, a training 
  facility, a smuggling center, a monitoring station and a clearing 
  house for British espionage operations in general. For decades 
  the Islington Tea Society was something of an in-joke among the 
  spies. After reading about the Islington Tea Society in the 
  papers, several other aristocrats insisted on joining, and Albert 
  found himself the head of a clueless group of old money 
  bluebloods as well as a station keeper for “Her Majesty’s Spy 
  Central”. 
   
  Albert’s son Steven grew up at the manor, and was trained 
  there after following in his father’s footsteps and joining MI-5. 
  Eventually Steven took over the operations of the Islington Tea 
  Society when his ailing father retired in 1965. During the next 
  three decades, Steven proved himself to be an even more 
  accomplished spymaster than his father, which only increased 
  the value of both Steven and the Islington Tea Society in the 
  eyes of MI-5. Then the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Cold 
  War was over. Budget cuts forced the closure of the covert part 
  of the manor and, in theory, all of the MI-5 personnel that had 
  been posted there either retired or were transferred to other 
  facilities. Steven himself retired from MI-5 with full honors, and 
  was thanked profusely by his superiors for his thirty years of 
  service to the Crown. All of that praise rang hollow to Steven, as 
  the prospect being reduced to holding tea parties for 
  aristocratic dolts for the rest of his life was a bitter blow for the 
  former spymaster. 
   
  Several years of operating the Islington Tea Society 
  without government subsidies (i.e. rent) nearly forced Steven to 
  file for bankruptcy. On March 23, 1998, his sheer frustration 
  over his situation caused him to erupt. With the expansion of 
  Steven’s intellect came the realization that he could remake the 
  Islington Tea Society into a viable and profitable operation all by 
  himself. Steven decided to conceal his eruption and go into 
  private “practice” instead. The Cold War might have become 
  history, but there was still a market for competent 
  brainwashers, and Steven was one of the best. Assembling a 
  group of skilled operatives with sufficiently flexible ethics 
  wasn’t a problem, as Steven still had contacts within the 
  intelligence community from his days as a spymaster. Over time, 
  other novas have been pulled into the ranks of the Islington Tea 
  Society, while the baseline members have been subtly pushed 
  out. As far as the world knows, a few years ago Steven handed 
  over the family business to his son Roger, retired as President of 
  the Society, and died of heart failure like his father before him. 
  In reality “Roger” is just a young version of Steven. 
   
  �  Goals: Have as much fun as possible, and enjoy the Good 
  Life. Make obscenely large amounts of money. Throw 
  magnificent tea parties. And above all else, don’t get caught.
   
  �  Allies: The Society has been unknowingly hired by 
  various groups to “adjust” or “convince” various people. Said 
  groups include MI5, MI6, the Directive, Project Proteus, various 
  elements of the Teragen, various criminal gangs, and more than 
  a few Fortune 500 businesses. As of 2015, the Casablanca 
  faction of the Teragen has come closest to discovering the truth 
  about the Islington Tea Society, but the Teragen are also the 
  group that would care the least about the Society’s activities. If 
  the Islington Tea Society’s covert activities were ever publicly 
  exposed, the Teragen would become the only group that might 
  openly ally themselves with the Society. 
   
  �  Enemies: If the covert side of the Islington Tea Society 
  were ever publicly revealed, most of their former clients (save 
  for the Teragen) would be sure to turn against the Society. Also, 
  Project Utopia would take an especially dim view of the 
  Society’s activities, and would certainly seek to shut the Society 
  down once and for all. The victims of the Society’s brainwashing 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  11
  might also want to take revenge against the Society, as could 
  their relatives and friends. 
   
  �  Methods and Operations: Given a target, Isabel 
  researches whatever information on him or her that’s available 
  electronically. If she thinks it is worth the Society’s time, 
  Elizabeth will then perform a surreptitious telepathic probe of 
  the target’s mind. Depending on how far the Society is willing to 
  go in a given situation, it might all end there. In most cases, 
  targets that are being brainwashed for profit will have their 
  memories altered by Elizabeth, so that whatever project their 
  client is backing will seem like a good idea to the target. 
  Occasionally Roger will help Elizabeth out and give a credulous 
  target a very convincing “vision”. In extreme cases Roger will 
  either Dominate the target and/or Victor will knock him out, 
  leaving Isabel to transport the target back to the Society’s base 
  for a few days. Often Elizabeth (through impersonation) or 
  Isabel (electronically) will establish convincing evidence as to 
  why the target has suddenly gone missing. At that point the 
  target is basically doomed. Isabel’s Disorient power can 
  drastically reduce someone’s Willpower and/or defenses against 
  brainwashing, as can the various drugs used by Victor. When 
  used in combination with high levels of Mega-Manipulation, 
  Telepathy, and Domination; the Society can rebuild pretty near 
  any baseline’s personality in a matter of hours, or at worst a few 
  days. 
   
  In general, the Society has two rules of exclusion that they 
  follow pretty well. First, do nothing obvious close to home. 
  Second, do not deal with nova targets, or targets that are even 
  suspected of being novas. The problem in dealing with nova 
  targets is the level of danger increases dramatically; the danger 
  that the brainwashing won’t take, the danger that the nova will 
  accidentally put his hand through someone’s chest, and the 
  danger that even if everything goes off without a hitch, other 
  telepaths might get involved and bring the Society’s fun and 
  games to a screeching halt. This isn’t to say that they always 
  follow those rules, though. Local people who deal with the 
  Society are often altered in minimal ways to prevent them from 
  taking any notice of the Society’s covert operations or to 
  remove any memories of said operations. Occasionally this will 
  be done simply to make things more convenient for the Society. 
  Novas are rarely subjected to the Society’s alterations; but 
  when the fee is huge, the risk slight, and the cut outs between 
  the Society and their client numerous, it does happen. Even 
  then, the actual brainwashing will be performed from a great 
  distance by means of Elizabeth’s telepathic powers. 
   
  �  Membership: As of 2015, Roger and his three colleagues 
  are all there is to the hidden “brainwasher’s club” segment of 
  the Islington Tea Society. They’re also members of the cover 
  organization, which currently has another 30 utterly clueless 
  bluebloods as registered members. 
   
  �  Activities: The Society currently accepts brainwashing 
  jobs from groups such as MI5, MI6, the Directive, Project 
  Proteus, various elements of the Teragen, various criminal 
  gangs, and several Fortune 500 businesses. All of these groups 
  believe they are dealing with various middle men or brokers who 
  are applying unethical leverage (i.e. blackmail, political influence, 
  or bribes) to the target they want taken care of, but mostly they 
  just don’t care to know the sordid details. Note that the head 
  officers of a Fortune 500 company or the Directive have no 
  idea that they are dealing with a group of nova brainwashers, 
  but down the line of delegation and outsourcing they eventually 
  tend to lose sight of what is happening in the field. Partly this is 
  a result of circumstance; modern companies are required by law 
  to follow the law. U.S. companies in particular are prevented 
  from paying bribes...even in counties where you have to pay 
  bribes to get anything done. The end result of this was both 
  “cleaner government” and the birth of “middle men” or 
  “brokers” who get things done on a local level without the main 
  company knowing how. 
   
  The Society has created dozens of electronic identities 
  which appear to be highly placed and reclusive local people, who 
  are rumored to have an “in” with the local government. When 
  someone approaches one of these fictional people needing an 
  introduction or needing someone to push their plan forward, the 
  Society members will discuss the job they’re being asked to 
  perform. If the Society accepts the job, they will quote a price 
  for the client to pay beforehand. Once the payment is made to 
  one of the Society’s many secret Swiss bank accounts, the 
  Society will alter the target’s mind so that he believes “Project 
  X is very important because it will result in personal profit for 
  myself / continued stability / etc.”. And the project to build a 
  pipeline, store, air force base, or what-have-you will go 
  forwards without any further interference from the target. This 
  is how the Society pays the bills. They also have “brainwashing 
  for the fun of it” parties where they alter someone just to see if 
  they can pull it off. Sometimes the results are good, sometimes 
  they’re bad, sometimes it’s subtle, and sometimes it’s public and 
  “amusing”. Examples: A member of the Church of Michael 
  Archangel “realizes” that his children are secretly novas, or just 
  that novas are actually angels. A veteran fire chief suddenly 
  develops pyromaniacal tendencies. A cheating husband who runs 
  off with another woman “realizes” that he’s still in love with his 
  wife, while the wife “realizes” that she’s actually in love with her 
  husband’s lover. A 65 year old staunch anti-communist is given 
  a “new life” as a 25 year old communist activist. The Society 
  members pride themselves on coming up with new twists on a 
  situation, so that they can turn the drama of their victims’ 
  everyday lives into live-action situation comedy. 
  Dramatis Personae 
  Roger Wellington  
  (aka Steven Wellington) 
   
  Background: Roger Wellington’s background can be found 
  in the Islington Tea Society overview. 
   
  Image: Roger appears to be a Caucasian man in his mid-
  20s; 5’11” tall with brown hair and eyes. He’s healthy, well 
  dressed, almost but not quite handsome, and perhaps operating 
  just a little out of his depth. He might be one of thousands of 
  small businessmen everywhere.  
   
  Roleplaying Hints: To the casual observer, everything 
  about you screams “easy mark with old money connections”. 
  You are obviously outshown by your wife, and it’s apparently 
  obvious that yours is a marriage that will last as just as long as 
  your money and her looks does. Behind the façade of your 
  slightly bumbling manner is a nova who truly enjoys breaking 
  down and then rebuilding other people’s minds, souls, and 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  12
  sometimes even their bodies. You can leave someone older, 
  younger, saner, insane, and believing anything you want them to 
  believe. 
  Gear: Tailored suit, Walther PPK pistol w/ Brausch silencer. 
  Nature: Architect 
  Allegiance: Islington Tea Society. 
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Perception 3, 
  Intelligence 3, Wits 5, Appearance 4, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  4.  
  Abilities: Academics 1, Arts 1, Athletics 3, Awareness 3, Biz 2, 
  Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 2, Carousing 4 (British tea parties), 
  Command 2, Computer 1, Demolitions 2, Disguise 2, Drive 3, 
  Endurance 3, Etiquette 4, Firearms 4, Gambling 1, Hypnosis 2, 
  Instruction 2, Interrogation 4, Intimidation 3, Intrusion 4, 
  Investigation 3, Legerdemain 3, Linguistics 1 (English native, 
  Russian), Martial Arts 2, Medicine 1, Melee 2, Perform 3, 
  Rapport 4, Resistance 3, Science 1, Seduction 3, Subterfuge 5, 
  Survival 2, Stealth 4, Streetwise 2, Style 3, Tactics 2, 
  Tradecraft 5. 
  Backgrounds: Allies 4, Cipher 5, Contacts 2 (old friends in MI-5 
  and MI-6), Dormancy 1, Influence 1 (as head of the Islington Tea 
  Society), Resources 4. 
  Merits and Flaws: Dark Secret (member of a brainwashing club, 
  -3). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 30, Willpower 8, Taint 2  
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Dexterity � (Physical Prodigy), Mega-
  Stamina 
  � 
  (Regeneration), 
  Mega-Perception 
  ��� 
  (Electromagnetic Vision, Hyperenhanced Hearing), Mega-
  Intelligence ��� (Analyze Weakness, Mental Prodigy: Financial, 
  Mental 
  Prodigy: 
  Tactical), 
  Mega-Manipulation 
  ���� 
  (Persuader, Trickster, The Voice). 
  Quantum Powers: Domination ��*, Intuition ��, Mirage ��*, 
  Psychic Shield ��, Temporal Manipulation ��� (Internal Clock, 
  Accelerate Time, Age Alteration, Stop Time).  
  * Roger’s Domination and Mirage powers only function when 
  Elizabeth is both nearby (within 3 meters of him) and her 
  Psychic Link with him is active. Use of the Quantum Attunement 
  enhancement would show that these powers share both Roger’s 
  and Elizabeth’s quantum signatures, making Elizabeth just as 
  immune to their effects as is Roger. 
  Elizabeth Wellington 
  (aka Tatiana Stepanovna Oistrakh)  
   
  Background: Elizabeth and Roger have a history. Back in 
  the days of the Cold War, she was Tatiana Stepanovna Oistrakh, 
  an agent of the KGB who had achieved an admirable record of 
  service before being selected for an operation that sought to 
  infiltrate MI-5. By any measure, that operation turned out to be 
  a disaster. In an effort to escape from an MI-5 agent by the 
  name of Steven Wellington, Tatiana tried to kill him. Instead 
  Tatiana was captured and interrogated by MI-5, and later 
  underwent brainwashing in an effort to make her defect. The 
  brainwashing didn’t take, and Tatiana somehow managed to 
  escape. Eventually she ended up back in Russia, where she was 
  dismissed from active duty and reduced to working as a personal 
  secretary for a rather loathsome (and lecherous) KGB 
  department head. This was remarkably lenient on the part of her 
  superiors, as those agents who had been in charge of the 
  doomed operation were all executed.  
   
  Before the Cold War ended, Tatiana managed to escape to 
  England, where she looked up Steven to see if he might have a 
  job for her. For a while she taught British spies about the KGB at 
  the Islington Tea Society, but was let go with most of the other 
  personnel after the Cold War ended. Tatiana survived for a few 
  years by teaching Russian language courses to British college 
  students, and contemplated how dismal her old age had become. 
  That all changed the day Steven Wellington showed up at her 
  tiny apartment. After demonstrating his newly-acquired nova 
  abilities to her, Steven made Tatiana a very attractive offer. Not 
  one to let a golden opportunity pass her by, Tatiana agreed to 
  fake her death and join Steven’s new organization. In exchange, 
  Steven literally gave her back her youth, along with a new 
  identity as “Elizabeth Brookings”. Soon afterwards the pair 
  became lovers, leading to Elizabeth erupting when they were in 
  bed together. Perhaps because of their closeness during her 
  eruption, the two have some abilities they can only access 
  through a “mental gestalt”. She links his mind to a subject and he 
  does the mental “weaving”. Their wedding was the social event 
  of the season in the circles of England’s bluebloods. Elizabeth 
  and Roger don’t have a marriage so much as a contest. They are 
  constantly manipulating each other, outdoing each other, etc. 
  Generally speaking, her telepathy and Mega-Charisma are an 
  even match for his Mega-Intelligence and Mega-Manipulation. 
  The game continues. 
   
  Image: Elizabeth typically appears to be a stunningly 
  beautiful Caucasian woman in her early 20s; 5’7” tall with an 
  elegant build, fascinating green eyes and bleached blonde hair. 
  Men stare at her because she’s a medically augmented sex 
  goddess, women because she’s a fashion goddess. Although she’s 
  a nice person, it’s fairly obvious that Elizabeth barely has two 
  brain cells to rub together, which makes her even more 
  interesting in a “when will the train crash?” sort of way. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: In person you come off as a bleached 
  blonde airhead sex goddess and trophy wife, and one that’s just 
  barely old enough to drink legally, to boot. That’s just a 
  convenient façade, however. Behind your seemingly empty 
  green eyes is the mind of a 70 year old woman with decades of 
  experience in spying and manipulating men, women, and even 
  governments. Although your native language is Russian, you 
  speak English with a British accent. With the drop of a fork you 
  can suddenly draw all the attention in the room, leaving your 
  partners free to do their dirty work. When you’re impersonating 
  someone with Copycat, you normally also use Trickster to help 
  you play the role and/or Center of Attention to make sure that 
  everyone notices what you want them to. 
  Gear: Tailored evening wear, Makarov PMM 9x18 pistol. 
  Nature: Somewhere between Conniver and Thrillseeker 
  Allegiance: Islington Tea Society. 
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Appearance 5, Manipulation 4, Charisma 
  5.  
  Abilities: Academics 3, Archery 1, Arts 2, Athletics 3, 
  Awareness 4, Biz 1, Brawl 1, Bureaucracy 3, Carousing 3, 
  Command 2, Computer 2, Disguise 3, Drive 2, Endurance 3, 
  Etiquette 5, Firearms 4, Instruction 4, Interrogation 4, 
  Intimidation 4, Intrusion 4, Investigation 3, Legerdemain 2, 
  Linguistics 3 (Russian native, English, French, German), Martial 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  13
  Arts 2, Medicine 2, Melee 2, Perform 4, Rapport 4, Resistance 
  3, Ride 2, Science 1, Seduction 4, Subterfuge 4, Survival 3, 
  Stealth 4, Streetwise 1, Style 4, Tactics 2, Tradecraft 4. 
  Backgrounds: Allies 4, Cipher 5, Dormancy 1, Eufiber 2, 
  Resources 3. 
  Merits and Flaws: Sexy (1), Dark Secret (member of a 
  brainwashing club, -3). 
  Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 8, Taint 1.  
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina � (Durability, Regeneration), 
  Mega-Perception ���� (That Creepy Feeling), Mega-
  Appearance �� (Copycat, Mirroring), Mega-Manipulation �� 
  (Trickster), Mega-Charisma ���� (Center of Attention, 
  Commanding Presence, Natural Agitator, Soothe). 
  Quantum Powers: Empathic Manipulation ���, Mental Blast 
  ��� (Burning), Psychic Link ��� (to Roger), Psychic Shield 
  ����, Telepathy �� (Channelling), Telepathy ���� 
  (Surreptitious). 
  Dr. Victor Stonehouse 
  (aka Nick “Ghost” Rogers)  
   
  Background: Nick Rogers was a 60 year old medical 
  researcher for a small and little-known pharmaceutical 
  company, who erupted while gassing some of his experimental 
  rodents. Once the post-eruption headache passed, Nick found 
  that he could transform his body into air. With a little 
  experimentation he found that he could also absorb the aromatic 
  particles his body gave off (leaving him with no scent) and 
  generate poisons (usually various types of poison gas). He also 
  became very slippery in his social interactions as well, as talking 
  to him was now like trying to wrestle smoke. After mastering his 
  quantum abilities, Nick abandoned his research post to pursue a 
  career as a Janissaries elite. He came to the Islington Tea 
  Society’s attention (and vice versa) when they hired him to 
  kidnap someone. He carried out his mission so well that they 
  hired him again on two other separate occasions. 
   
  After nearly being killed while carrying out a hostile 
  extraction mission in Beirut, Nick felt that the elite lifestyle was 
  getting too dangerous for his comfort, and decided that it was 
  time for him to retire. Unfortunately he was still under contract 
  with the Janissaries, and couldn’t just walk away from them as 
  he did with his previous job. Everything fell into place when his 
  final mission for the Janissaries took him to Antananarivo, 
  Madagascar; where Nick found himself in mortal combat with 
  Tötentanz. Nick barely survived the encounter by faking his own 
  death, and then sneaked out of the country in gaseous form by 
  means of Antananarivo’s sewer system. Now considered to be 
  legally deceased, Nick is listed as Tötentanz’s 34th nova victim. 
  Finally free from his contract, Nick hooked up with the Islington 
  Tea Society. They helped him to reinvent himself as “Dr. Victor 
  Stonehouse”, and Victor’s been a staunch member of the 
  Islington Tea Society ever since that day. 
   
  Victor’s duties as a member of the Islington Tea Society 
  are varied. He’s their resident medical doctor, which often 
  comes through in his brainwashing sessions as his interrogations 
  will often have a medical theme to them. In his own words, he 
  enjoys “rattling people’s cages and then watching them run”. 
  One of his favorite tactics is to use Creeping Paranoia with 
  medical inquiries such as “How are you feeling?”. Victor also 
  handles hostile extraction for targets within the United Kingdom. 
  With his powers Victor can easily enter any building that isn’t 
  airtight and knock his target unconscious. Victor will then 
  transform the target into gaseous form like himself, and take him 
  or her back to their base for extensive brainwashing. This tactic 
  has resulted in several “locked room mystery” cases that still 
  have investigators at New Scotland Yard baffled.   
   
  Image: Victor appears to be a Caucasian man in his mid-
  30s; 6’2” tall, of medium build, with pale grey eyes, short-
  cropped brown hair that’s just beginning to thin out at the top 
  and a neatly-trimmed goatee beard. Victor also habitually wears 
  eyeglasses (a holdover from his pre-eruption years), even 
  though he has perfect 20-20 vision. As he typically shapes his 
  eufiber into well-tailored three-piece suits, often with a medical 
  doctor’s white linen coat, Victor is the very image of the 
  “distinguished doctor”. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: The very model of the highly intelligent, 
  high society doctor, you are fond of giving cryptic comments 
  and/or criticisms which eventually turn out to be true. You very 
  much enjoy “people watching”...especially those people who 
  have been made more amusing by having their flaws expanded 
  upon, removed, or just changed. You also enjoy working with 
  and matching wits with the other Society members, as they are 
  the only ones who can truly appreciate your criticisms of the 
  people out there in the world. 
  Gear: Three-piece suit, white lab coat, doctor’s bag, medical 
  license. 
  Nature: Cynic 
  Allegiance: Islington Tea Society. 
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Perception 4, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 4, Appearance 3, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  4.  
  Abilities: Academics 4, Animal Training 1 (Rodents), Awareness 
  3, Bureaucracy 2, Carousing 2, Computer 2, Drive 2, Endurance 
  3, Firearms 3, Instruction 2, Investigation 2, Linguistics 1 
  (English native, Latin), Martial Arts 3, Medicine 5, Melee 2, 
  Might 1, Navigation 2, Resistance 3, Science 4, Style 4, Survival 
  1, Tradecraft 2, Weave 2. 
  Backgrounds: Allies 4, Attunement 5, Cipher 5, Dormancy 1, 
  Eufiber 2, Node 2, Resources 3. 
  Merits and Flaws:  Odorless (4), Voyeur (-2), Dark Secret 
  (member of a brainwashing club, -3). 
  Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 8, Taint 2.  
  Mega-Attributes: 
  Mega-Strength 
  � 
  (Precision), 
  Mega-
  Dexterity � (Catfooted), Mega-Stamina � (Adaptability), 
  Mega-Perception � (Analytic Taste/Touch, Blindfighting, 
  Bloodhound), Mega-Intelligence �� (Mental Prodigy: Medical), 
  Mega-Manipulation ��� (Conflicting Accounts, Creeping 
  Paranoia). 
  Quantum Powers: Bodymorph: Air ����� (Density Decrease 
  x3, 1 dot of Invisibility to sight, 1 dot of Force Field), Healing ��, 
  Intuition ��, Poison ���� (Projectile). 
  Isabel Huntington  
  (aka Eunice Mathers, née Wordsworth) 
   
  Background: Isabel joined the Islington Tea Society in 
  1965, and was an active member for 12 years. Specifically, she 
  was a member of the clueless cover group of bluebloods. In the 
  beginning she was Eunice Wordsworth, a precocious 10 year old 
  girl in the process of learning to be a lady, while her big brother 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  14
  was 25 years old and in the process of learning to be a spy in the 
  service of the Crown. Even spies sometimes forget to keep up 
  their guard around children, as over the years Eunice gradually 
  got the impression that there was another, hidden level to the 
  Islington Tea Society. However she was neither interested nor 
  smart enough to see any deeper into the Society’s hidden side. 
  In 1977, Eunice got married to a rich American by the name of 
  Daniel Mathers, and moved with him to the United States. Daniel 
  held a management position in a Silicon Valley computer chip 
  design firm, where he would routinely put in 80-hour work 
  weeks. Eunice assumed the role of the patient housewife, even 
  though instances of martial intimacy with Daniel were infrequent 
  at best. 
   
  After 28 years of the married life, and staying home alone 
  for much of that time, Eunice erupted with powers that let her 
  understand her husband and his work better. She developed 
  enhanced intelligence to understand what those computer 
  thingies were all about, and cyberkinetic abilities so that she 
  would be able to work with him. Daniel and his company were 
  overjoyed to have a cyberkinetic nova working with them. 
  Eunice, on the other hand, quickly discovered she didn’t have a 
  marriage. Daniel was bisexual and had been secretly having 
  extramartial affairs with men (whom he preferred) from the 
  beginning. Eunice was just a showpiece that Daniel used as 
  camouflage, so that he could stay in the closet. Eunice’s entire 
  married life was a twisted lie. If Eunice hadn’t already become a 
  nova, she would have erupted from the sheer rage and shame of 
  it all. But she was a nova now, and although she wanted Daniel 
  dead, she didn’t want to go to jail. Looking back on her life, it 
  became obvious to Eunice that her now deceased elder brother 
  had been a part of something shady. Coupled with her newfound 
  intellectual abilities and quantum powers, this realization allowed 
  Eunice to uncover the truth about the Islington Tea Society, 
  both in its past and present incarnations. 
   
  Planning her next move came easily to Eunice. Using her 
  ability to physically travel through communications networks, 
  Eunice arrived during one of the Islington Tea Society’s private 
  meetings. Once there Eunice presented herself to Roger 
  Wellington and his nova colleagues, demonstrated their lack of 
  data security, and offered herself for membership; with the 
  condition that they would help her deal with her husband once 
  and for all. Daniel Mathers died in a drunken car accident a week 
  later. Four months after her husband died, Eunice faked her own 
  death and resurfaced in England as “Isabel Huntington”. Ever 
  since then, electronic information about the Islington Tea 
  Society has tended to disappear inexplicably. Thanks to Roger 
  Wellington, Isabel is now physically 21 years old, as her married 
  life has been erased in more ways than one. She currently helps 
  the Islington Tea Society find the inner truth of people, although 
  she’s also capable of providing special transportation for them 
  as well. 
   
  Image: Isabel appears to be a pretty Caucasian woman in 
  her early 20s; and is 5’10” tall. She tends to blend into the 
  background, i.e. a wallflower. Both her hair and eyes are light 
  brown, and Isabel resembles Roger to the point that she could 
  almost be his younger sister (they’re actually distant cousins). 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: An introvert even before your joke of a 
  marriage, you are turned off on men and “relationships” for the 
  moment. You explore people through their electronic traces, and 
  like your ex-husband, most people are different than they would 
  have you think. Everyone wears masks, and before you go back 
  to the dating scene you intend to study the masks that people 
  wear for a long time. Although you are compelled to be a part of 
  the Society’s social gatherings, you are also aloof from them and 
  are a wallflower by choice. Given a choice, you greatly prefer to 
  lurk in the background. 
  Gear: PDA which is actually a disguised top of the line wireless 
  laptop. 
  Nature: Somewhere between Analyst and Explorer. 
  Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 5, Appearance 3, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  4. 
  Abilities: Awareness 4, Carousing 2, Computers 5, Drive 2, 
  Endurance 3, Etiquette 3, Gambling 2 (On-line), Intrusion 3 
  (Hacking), Investigation 5, Perform 1, Rapport 1, Resistance 3, 
  Style 3, Subterfuge 2, Tradecraft 1. 
  Backgrounds: Allies 4, Attunement 5, Cipher 5, Dormancy 1, 
  Eufiber 2, Node 2, Resources 3. 
  Merits and Flaws: Concentration (1), Dark Secret (member of a 
  brainwashing club, -3), Internal Compass (1), Quick-Witted (1, 
  Isabel gets a +1 bonus to her Initiative score). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 30, Willpower 8, Taint 1. 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina � (Adaptability), Mega-
  Perception ��� (Holographic Awareness), Mega-Intelligence 
  ��� (Eidetic Memory, Mental Prodigy: Investigative), Mega-
  Manipulation �� (Persuader). 
  Quantum Powers: Cyberkinesis ����� (Alter Data, Control, 
  Fool, Opening, Reprogram), Disorient ���, Information 
  Manipulation �� (Disinformation, Information Void), Transmit 
  ����� (communications networks). 
  Story Hooks 
   
  �  Corruption Exposed?: An organization that one or more 
  of the player characters are associated with (preferably a 
  corporation or governmental agency such as the Directive) has 
  been waging a bidding war with a rival organization over a very 
  lucrative contract. By all accounts, the player characters’ 
  organization had all but won the contract; all of the required 
  permits had been signed, all of the right locals had been 
  “brought on board”, and so on. Inexplicably, the official in 
  charge of awarding the contract changes his mind at the last 
  minute, and awards the contract to the rival organization 
  instead! The player characters are appointed by the superiors of 
  their organization to investigate the matter. If they can find hard 
  evidence that the official had been bribed or put under “undue 
  influence” from the rival organization, then their superiors could 
  take the rival organization to court. But when the Islington Tea 
  Society gets wind of the player characters’ investigation into 
  their handiwork, matters start becoming complicated... 
   
  �  Vanished!: An unfortunate person has disappeared under 
  circumstances which appear very suspicious to one of the 
  victim’s relatives. For instance, an Op-mail sent by the victim 
  doesn’t even mention the long-scheduled appointment that the 
  victim missed. Of course, the victim has been kidnapped and 
  brainwashed by the Islington Tea Society. If the victim 
  accidentally dies during a brainwashing session, the corpse 
  would be wired to a ship anchor and sent to the bottom of the 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  North Sea. Alternatively, the victim could reappear somewhere 
  in relatively good health but with a completely different 
  personality. Depending on the Storyteller’s wishes, this situation 
  can go in several different directions. The player characters 
  could be investigators hired by the victim’s relative, or 
  concerned friends of either the victim or the relative. One of the 
  player characters could be the suspicious relative, or even the 
  victim! 
   
  �  ”Dirty Deeds Done For Very Healthy Fees”: One or more 
  of the player characters needs to have someone obstinate 
  convinced of something, or to have an introduction made. A 
  colleague recommends a “friend I know from the OpNet, who 
  has been useful to me in this sort of situation in the past”. 
   
  �  A Perilous Invitation: One of the player characters (or 
  one of that player character’s close friends) is a well-bred 
  descendant of an established family from England’s upper 
  classes: i.e. a “blueblood”. As such, the player character receives 
  an invitation to one of the Islington Tea Society’s much-lauded 
  tea parties. Is this simply a coincidence, or does Roger 
  Wellington & Co. have an interest in the player character? And 
  if so, are they interested in the player character as a candidate 
  for brainwashing, or as a potential new recruit? 
   
  The Koltsov Academy 
   
  To most novas, China hasn’t been the most welcoming of 
  countries to visit, and the prospect of living there is considered 
  more trouble that it’s worth. The government is corrupt, the 
  environment is heavily polluted, and the Heaven Thunder Triad 
  has its claws into everything. Faced with the prospect of either 
  being drafted into the Heavenly Exploding Mandate or being 
  vivisected in a Heaven Thunder Triad nova-rendering factory, 
  China has become something of a “no man’s land” for novas. 
  Faced with both official hostility and monumental corruption, 
  even Project Utopia has mostly left China to its own devices. But 
  there’s something new growing in China. Almost as if catalyzed 
  by the rampant corruption and suffering; a steadily increasing 
  number of people in China have been dreaming of revolution, 
  peaceful prosperity, and a life without the threat of the Triads. 
  Guided by their uncannily accurate dreams, the seeds of a new 
  China have been sown. 
   
  And while there is a nova presence behind all of this 
  conspiracy, it’s not what most fearful baselines would expect. 
  It’s not a megalomaniacal would-be nova dictator, nor is it a 
  nova cult. It isn’t part of some plot for world domination hatched 
  by Project Utopia, the Teragen, or by DeVries. What stands 
  behind the growing revolutionary movement is the Koltsov 
  Academy. 
   
  At its heart, the Koltsov Academy is a school for training 
  young novas, and has also grown into a full-fledged community 
  of novas and their families. If they became publicly known, the 
  Academy would surely be subverted or destroyed by most of the 
  various nova factions and/or major governments, with the 
  People’s Republic of China and the Heaven Thunder Triad 
  posing the most immediate threats. So the Academy has lived 
  and operated strictly behind the scenes for over a decade as of 
  2015. Guided by the precognitive visions of Grandfather 
  Monkey; the Academy seeks to make China a place where both 
  baselines and novas can live civilized, peaceful, and prosperous 
  lives. And it does this mainly though a very under-appreciated 
  tactic: education. 
   
  �  Goals: The primary goal of the Koltsov Academy novas 
  has always been to ensure the survival of both themselves and 
  their baseline relatives. This is why they recruit and educate 
  latent novas, so that their hidden community can grow in a 
  healthy manner. This is why they are so secretive, so that they 
  can live free of the yoke of the various nova factions and 
  powerful baseline governments and corporations. It is why they 
  have been quietly fomenting a revolution in China; with which 
  the Academy hopes to topple the current Maoist regime and 
  transform China into a more civilized, peaceful and safer nation 
  for people to live in. Finally, this is why they have been working 
  to end the threat posed by the Heaven Thunder Triad once and 
  for all. 
   
  �  Allies: Despite their near-compulsive secrecy, the 
  Koltsov Academy does have friends in both high and low places. 
  Ludmilla Zhdanov has literally thousands of baseline followers 
  throughout China; all of whom she has covertly educated by her 
  mechanically-augmented telepathic powers. Some of them hold 
  important positions in the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese 
  Communist Party, and other segments of the Chinese 
  government. Others command “sleeper cells” of revolutionaries 
  scattered throughout the Chinese countryside. Ludmilla has also 
  taken pains to recruit many of China’s leading intellectuals to the 
  cause of revolution and reform in China. To ensure that these 
  revolutionary and dissident cells won’t die with their leaders, 
  Ludmilla telepathically teaches her followers how to be teachers 
  themselves. Ludmilla and Grandfather Monkey have also 
  managed to befriend Sophia Rousseau and Maxwell Anderson 
  Mercer, and are presently trying to set up a dialogue between 
  the two faction leaders. Both of the Academy’s leaders know 
  that they will need the aid of powerful allies to survive the 
  upcoming conflict, and only the Aberrants and Mercer’s faction 
  of the Aeon Society appear to be both worthwhile and 
  trustworthy. 
   
  �  Enemies: If the Academy’s existence were ever to be 
  publicly revealed, the current government of China would 
  correctly see the Academy as a threat to their rule, and act 
  against them. Whether the Maoist regime would be able to strike 
  effectively at the Academy is anyone’s guess, given how 
  thoroughly it has been infiltrated by the Academy’s baseline 
  agents. The Heaven Thunder Triad would become the 
  Academy’s other great foe, as the Academy has been interfering 
  with their production of nova-derived drugs for quite some 
  time. As far as the other factions are concerned, the Directive 
  and Project Proteus would be the most likely groups to take 
  action against the Koltsov Academy. The prevention of nova 
  conspiracies to topple a major government is one of the main 
  reasons the Directive was created, and they wouldn’t see the 
  fact that the particular government the Academy seeks to 
  overthrow is corrupt to the point of terminal decay as being 
  relevant. Project Proteus would consider the idea of a hidden 
  community of novas who have actually begun to breed nova 
  children one of the greatest threats possible to their plans for 
  humanity’s future. Director Thetis would quickly make the 
  elimination of the Academy one of Proteus’ top priorities. If the 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  Academy does succeed in bringing down the Heaven Thunder 
  Triad for good, then either the Nakato Gumi yakuza or the 
  Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate would be sure to attempt to 
  move in on the HTT’s former territory. Without a strong, 
  uncorrupted Chinese government to keep these foreign 
  organized crime groups at bay; the Academy would find itself 
  having to fight against them as well. 
   
  �  Methods and Operations: The Koltsov Academy locates 
  potential recruits throughout Asia by means of the precognitive 
  visions of Grandfather Monkey. An assessment of the potential 
  recruit’s psychology is then made through covert telepathic 
  contact. If the candidate is judged acceptable (the Academy 
  shies away from potential sociopaths, megalomaniacs and other 
  problem personalities), then Academy agents will attempt to 
  recruit him or her. Aside from skilled professionals that have 
  been harassed by the Triads, the Academy also watches for any 
  latent novas that Grandfather Monkey detects in his visions. 
  (Almost all latent nova recruits agree to join the Academy once 
  they’ve been informed about the threat posed to them by the 
  Heaven Thunder Triad, so the ranks of the Academy have grown 
  considerably over the years.) Once a recruit agrees to join the 
  Academy, the death of the recruit (and possibly his or her 
  immediate family) will be faked for the authorities. This is done 
  by creating an unliving duplicate of the recruit’s body (along 
  with duplicates of anyone else required) at a phony murder 
  scene, which allows the Academy to pin the recruit’s apparent 
  demise on whichever of the Triads is most handy. The recruit 
  and any family members are then whisked away to the 
  Academy’s hidden community, usually via Silence’s teleportation 
  powers. 
   
  Ludmilla Zhdanov acts as the headmistress of the Academy 
  proper, overseeing her teachers in what has become one of the 
  premiere educational centers on the planet. She oversees her 
  network of revolutionaries and dissidents via telepathic contact, 
  which she usually manifests to her baseline followers as dream-
  messages from their ancestors. This unorthodox form of 
  communication makes it nearly impossible for the PRC to even 
  notice that there’s a revolution building against them, much less 
  act effectively against it. An ironic bonus of this tactic is that 
  there is no apparent nova involvement with the new revolution, 
  even in the eyes of the revolutionaries themselves. Even in 
  2015, many Chinese still hold to the old beliefs of ancestor-
  worship, and take to the notion of their efforts being guided and 
  aided by their ancestors with startling ease. 
   
  Grandfather Monkey acts as the unofficial mayor of the 
  Academy’s hidden community, and leads the Academy’s militia 
  with Silence as his second-in-command. Every resident of the 
  community is trained to fight in one way or another, even if it’s 
  just learning some basic martial arts and becoming a decent shot 
  with a pistol or semi-automatic rifle. Grandfather Monkey also 
  oversees the underground farms and supply houses for the 
  community, and handles any civil disputes that arise. Finally, as 
  co-leader of the Koltsov Academy, Grandfather Monkey is 
  permitted to talk some sense into Ludmilla whenever he feels 
  that she’s making a mistake or otherwise screwing up. Of 
  course, that means Ludmilla is allowed to do the same to him, 
  too... 
   
  Martin Zhang oversees the Academy’s data-storage vaults, 
  and also manufactures many specialized substances and 
  materials to be used by the community with his powers. Aside 
  from creating high-quality medical supplies and pharmaceuticals 
  (including the Academy’s improved version of the “brain burn” 
  drug), Martin is responsible for creating the “corpses” used by 
  the Academy to fake the deaths of new recruits. He is also the 
  Academy’s top computer maintenance expert. 
   
  Mallory is the Academy’s resident inventor, and is 
  responsible for creation and subsequent upkeep of the 
  Psychotronic Resonator. This quantum device exponentially 
  increases the range of a nova operator’s Telepathy, although it 
  takes about two weeks’ worth of practice for a new operator to 
  become proficient with the Psychotronic Resonator. In 2015, 
  only Ludmilla and Grandfather Monkey have been trained to use 
  the Psychotronic Resonator. When Ludmilla is using it, the 
  Psychotronic Resonator can increase the range of her Telepathy 
  to cover the entire nation of China. Unfortunately the device 
  requires extensive recalibration and retooling between uses, 
  requiring Mallory to work on it for five days straight before the 
  Psychotronic Resonator can be used again. Currently, Mallory is 
  working on a way to extend the Psychotronic Resonator’s range 
  even further, perhaps to a global range. To hear Mallory tell it, 
  he’s close to a breakthrough that will let him do just that. 
   
  The Academy does not tolerate attempts to investigate 
  them or to interfere with their plans. Any such attempts will be 
  dealt with as decisively and discreetly as possible, although the 
  degree of mercy shown by the Academy in the process will vary 
  depending on the offender’s intent. At best, an offender who is 
  well-meaning (if misguided) will undergo telepathic memory 
  alteration, leaving him or her totally ignorant of the Academy. 
  Offenders with darker aims will face harassment by the Chinese 
  government, who might even call in members of the Heavenly 
  Exploding Mandate to deal with any nova troublemakers. If an 
  offender doesn’t take that hint, then he or she will likely wind up 
  being assassinated by either Silence or one of her student 
  assassins, preferably in as discreet a manner as possible. If 
  discretion isn’t possible (and it usually isn’t when the offender 
  belongs to the HTT), then the Academy will seek to make the 
  killing look like a hit by either the Nakato Gumi yakuza or the 
  Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate. 
   
  �  Membership: The Koltsov Academy consists of about 
  eighty-five novas, counting the five novas who make up the 
  senior staff. Most of the Academy’s other novas can be written 
  up at the 30 nova point level, aside from a few child novas (20 
  nova points) and a pair of second-generation novas who are still 
  toddlers as of 2015. The rest of the Academy’s ranks are 
  padded out with about 400 assorted baselines, who are family 
  members of Academy novas, skilled professionals on the run 
  from the PRC or the Triads, or latent novas that the Academy’s 
  agents have rescued. While only three students out of the 
  Academy’s current class have erupted as of 2015, the other 47 
  students are reassured that their own eruptions will come in 
  time. 
   
  �  Activities: Aside from fomenting revolution through the 
  People’s Republic of China and the normal routine of life in the 
  Deep City and the Academy, Ludmilla Zhdanov’s group engages 
  in three other main activities. 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  17
   
  �  Covert war against the Heaven Thunder Triad and 
  whoever is controlling them. Grandfather Monkey is the 
  strongest proponent of wiping out the Heaven Thunder Triad en 
  masse, given how widespread and vicious they are. Ludmilla 
  agrees with him, and has authorized a plan to do just that. Martin 
  Zhang, the Academy’s resident pharmaceutical wizard, has come 
  up with an improved version of neurophyzine. (This drug is 
  known on the street as “brain burn”, see pg. 13 of Aberrant: 
  Underworld for details.) Zhang’s version of “brain burn” differs 
  from normal neurophyzine in three ways. First, the drug is 
  extremely difficult to detect in a subject’s bloodstream, even 
  with a test that’s specifically looking for it (+5 difficulty penalty 
  to detect). Second, the drug is extremely difficult for a 
  baseline’s system to metabolize, and will remain in a subject’s 
  brain for 10 years. Third, the required dosage for the drug to be 
  effective is extremely minute. Using a wide variety of delivery 
  methods (including nanotech mosquitoes acquired from DeVries 
  through cutouts), Academy agents have tracked down and dosed 
  almost all of the Heaven Thunder Triad’s baseline membership 
  within China and a good chunk of those outside China over the 
  last three years. Once Grandfather Monkey determines an 
  auspicious moment for the Academy, Ludmilla will send out a 
  simple telepathic pulse throughout China by means of Mallory’s 
  Psychotronic Resonator. The telepathic pulse won’t have any 
  effect on even the weakest-willed baselines, but it will be 
  sufficient to trigger the neurophyzine in the brains of the 
  baseline HTT members. With most of the baseline membership 
  out of the way, Ludmilla will call in her markers in the Chinese 
  government to have the Heavenly Exploding Mandate arrest the 
  nova members of the HTT. As all of the HTT novas are wanted 
  for multiple charges of murder, drug trafficking, and other 
  myriad crimes; a quick conviction and speedy execution will be 
  the likeliest result. (The HTT’s nova rogues’ gallery would 
  include the Ho Brothers, Chun Lao Fut, and Shining Mountain. 
  Stats on these individuals can be found in Aberrant: Underworld 
  and Aberrant: Year One.) 
   
  �  Acting as an archival service for nova inventors and 
  scientists worldwide. Face it, running an operation like the 
  Koltsov Academy takes serious money, and even someone as 
  rich as Ludmilla Zhdanov can’t foot all of the bills. Provided that 
  a nova scientist passes the Academy’s background check, he or 
  she will receive an untraceable message offering the services of 
  the “McKay Brothers Archival Service”. As Grandfather 
  Monkey screens potential clients with his precognitive visions, 
  most scientists contacted in this way eagerly accept this quiet 
  offer and pay a very healthy fee. The Academy will then store 
  multiple copies of scientific information (blueprints, genetic 
  records, etc.) for him in their protected data-vaults. In this way, 
  a client scientist can retain all of his data from his researches 
  and experiments, even if his lab should be looted by industrial 
  spies, organized crime thugs, or even Project Utopia’s 
  Technological Regulation Division. At no time will the Academy 
  sell or otherwise release a client’s information to another party, 
  although the Academy will always retain copies of the data for 
  itself. The Academy does not advertise this service, whose 
  clients are contacted through a series of dummy corporations 
  that even the Aeon Society’s analysts would have serious trouble 
  unraveling. If an investigator did manage to get that far, all he 
  would find would be the “Dancing Rat Trading Company” based 
  out of Hong Kong. As that also happens to be the name of an 
  entirely different business under the control of the Nakato Gumi 
  yakuza, it makes for a very efficient way to send an investigator 
  barking up the wrong tree. 
   
  �  Educating and training the students. Despite their 
  somewhat surreal environment, students at the Koltsov 
  Academy still have to attend various classes and perform 
  schoolwork. Ludmilla personally sees to it that each and every 
  one of the Academy’s students receives an education of such 
  quality that it outshines anything they could receive from the 
  most prestigious universities or colleges in the outside world. 
  Ludmilla has also made her own highly-progressive views on 
  education (which some in the education establishment would call 
  dangerously radical) the basis for how all courses are taught at 
  the Academy, and has personally trained all of the Academy’s 
  educators in her education methods. This has resulted in a 
  student body that not only looks forward to attending class, but 
  also consistently outperforms the students at any other 
  educational institutions on the entire planet. In game terms, 
  Koltsov Academy students will tend to have more dots in their 
  Abilities than is normal. The Storyteller is within her rights to 
  have beginning characters educated at the Koltsov Academy 
  spend 1 or 2 of their nova points on Ability dots to reflect this. 
  Grandfather Monkey handles all of the students’ training in the 
  use of their quantum powers, which he carries out in a very 
  cautious manner. As he appreciates just how dangerous quantum 
  powers can be in the hands of children and teenagers, 
  Grandfather Monkey will generally limit himself to teaching a 
  student nova to master whatever powers that she has already 
  developed. He will also train a student nova to develop certain 
  enhancements of his choosing for whatever Mega-Attributes 
  the student already possesses. Any student wishing to receive 
  training to develop new quantum powers and/or Mega-
  Attributes must undergo an intensive psychological evaluation 
  from Ludmilla, who will relay the results to Grandfather Monkey 
  for his final decision. Since he regards this training in much the 
  same manner that martial arts masters do their own special 
  techniques; Grandfather Monkey will go to extensive lengths to 
  have the aspiring student prove her worthiness, sound 
  judgement and emotional maturity with special tests long before 
  giving her any such training. The lone exception to this is when a 
  student already has manifested dangerous powers, in which case 
  Grandfather Monkey will eagerly train the student to develop 
  the Prudence enhancement (and a dot of Mega-Wits, if 
  necessary) at first opportunity. These requirements have been 
  waived somewhat in the case of the Koltsov Academy’s senior 
  staff; but that is only due to the fact that 1: Grandfather Monkey 
  knows his colleagues’ personalities inside and out, and 2: he has 
  already tested them many times over. However, Grandfather 
  Monkey has flatly refused to train anyone to develop his 
  “Quantum Mentor” power to date, as he considers it to be his 
  ultimate special technique. In private conversation, he has hinted 
  to Ludmilla that he might teach it to Vo Pai-lu once she develops 
  enough maturity to use that power wisely...when she’s about 50 
  or 60 years older, perhaps. 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  The Deep City 
   
  The Deep City rests in a series of caverns somewhere deep 
  beneath the peaks of the Himalayan mountain range. The cave 
  system consists of a ring of twelve caverns, each the size of 
  three American football fields, around a dome-shaped central 
  cavern that’s 16 kilometers wide and a full kilometer high at the 
  center. Resident geologists at the Academy insist that the cave 
  system cannot be natural, but most residents simply accept that 
  as a given. A unique plant which the residents call the Sunvine 
  provides the cave system with artificial sunlight and weather, 
  and the floors of the caverns are actually the surface of a 30 
  meter deep layer of soil. The cave system itself is mostly dead, 
  with underground streams running from a spring in the central 
  cavern that provides a more than adequate water supply for the 
  Deep City’s needs. While the twelve outer caverns are used 
  strictly for farming, the central cavern houses the various 
  residential and small-scale industrial buildings, including the 
  Academy itself. All the buildings have running water and 
  electrical service but have no central heating, as the Sunvine 
  somehow maintains a subtropical environment within the cave 
  system. There is little of the rampant mold and fungal growth 
  that one would expect to find in a closed environment, which is 
  another oddity that the residents attribute to the Sunvine. 
   
  The residents of the Deep City engage in all of the normal 
  activities one would find in a healthy small community. The 
  residents’ society is close and tightly-knit. There is no money in 
  use here, as the residents have worked out a surprisingly 
  accurate barter system for goods and services. The Deep City 
  boasts a very good clinic (almost a small hospital), the 
  workshops of various skilled craftsmen and technicians, and 
  even a small textile factory from which garments and other cloth 
  goods are made. The unique environment of the Deep City 
  makes agriculture very feasible, and there are many small-scale 
  gardens to supplement the produce of the large farms in the 
  outer cavern ring. Due to the closed environment, only small 
  livestock such as goats, rabbits, frogs, and various fish and 
  shellfish are raised in the farms. European honeybees are also 
  kept, both to aid plant fertilization and for their honey. The 
  residents have found that only dwarf varieties of trees can grow 
  here, and limit themselves to growing various fruit trees in the 
  gardens of the central cavern. Biomass is imported mainly in the 
  form of bamboo and other plant produce that the resident 
  botanists haven’t perfected dwarf varieties of yet. While the 
  Deep City isn’t entirely self-sufficient yet, they’re working on it. 
  Educational courses at the Academy are free to all residents 
  who are interested (read: everyone with any spare time), 
  resulting in an atmosphere that’s a blend of a college town, a 
  small farming community, and a survivalist camp. The Academy 
  does import media from the outside world, but always provides 
  its own commentary on the subject matter’s truthfulness. While 
  this isn’t outright censorship, most residents of the Deep City 
  have learned to recognize disinformation thanks to this practice, 
  which the Academy hopes to discontinue in a few decades. 
  The Crystal Idol 
   
  Next to the Academy itself, an ancient shrine stands within 
  a small grove of dwarf cherry trees. This is where Grandfather 
  Monkey keeps his residence, and also where he guards the Deep 
  City’s greatest secret. Hidden within a locked, windowless inner 
  chamber of the shrine is a meter-tall statuette of a very calm-
  looking ancient Chinese goddess, possibly Kuan Yin. The 
  statuette is of very fine workmanship, and is carved from a 
  crystal that somehow glows with its own golden light. 
  Grandfather Monkey is the only person in the Deep City - 
  perhaps in the entire world - who can come closer than three 
  meters to the Crystal Idol. No one else can get any closer to the 
  Idol, regardless of what power they may have or lack. The 
  Crystal Idol emanates a unique telluric aura, which has certain 
  benefits for novas who are exposed to it on a long-term basis. 
  Only Ludmilla Zhdanov and the other members of the Academy’s 
  senior staff know of the Crystal Idol’s existence. 
   
  As an Artifact-level Gadget, the Crystal Idol has the 
  following effects:  
   
  �  Novas who reside in the Deep City for more than five 
  consecutive days will find that they can rid themselves of a point 
  of temporary Taint with only a day’s worth of relaxation and a 
  successful Meditation roll, provided that they either remain 
  “dormed down” or limit themselves to using their quantum 
  powers at half-strength. Shedding permanent Taint is also 
  possible here, but requires a nova to spend two entire months 
  within the Deep City. After that, a nova can spend 10 experience 
  points to rid herself of a dot of permanent Taint once per 
  month, provided that she spends most of that month living 
  within the Deep City. If a nova manages to reduce her 
  permanent Taint to 0 in this manner, she can then spend 5 
  experience points to gain the “Taint Resistant” Merit. The nova 
  will retain any aberrations she might have accumulated, which 
  are then counted as Flaws. (Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 91-92) 
  In exchange for this; novas who manage to shed Taint in the 
  Deep City permanently lose the option of buying Tainted 
  Quantum, Mega-Attributes, enhancements or quantum powers 
  with experience points. (Aberrant core book, p. 124) 
   
  �  Novas with powers such as Matter Creation or the 
  Molecular Alteration technique of Molecular Manipulation will 
  find creating permanent objects to be much easier, costing only 
  a temporary Willpower point instead of a permanent Willpower 
  point.  
   
  �  Latent novas who erupt in the Deep City cannot buy 
  Tainted Quantum, Mega-Attributes, enhancements or quantum 
  powers; either at the time of character creation or with 
  experience points. In exchange for this, they gain the “Taint 
  Resistant” Merit free of charge. If such a nova develops Mega-
  Intelligence, she will also automatically receive “Taint 
  Resistance” as her free enhancement.  
   
  �  Novas that have either erupted or rid themselves of 
  Taint in the Deep City are rendered incapable of ever 
  developing aberrations that generate Taint energies and/or 
  harmful radiation. Such aberrations include Black Thumb, 
  Contagious, some forms of Energy Emission, Eufiber Rejection, 
  Radioactive, and Taint Bleed. (Aberrant core book pp. 152-153 
  and Aberrant Players Guide pp. 94-96) 
   
  �  Novas that have either erupted or rid themselves of 
  Taint in the Deep City are rendered permanently incapable of 
  ever gaining a Chrysalis rating. Novas that already have a 
  Chrysalis rating are permanently incapable of receiving any 
  benefits from the Crystal Idol. (Aberrant: Teragen, pp. 116-125) 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  19
   
  �  Novas that have either erupted or rid themselves of 
  Taint in the Deep City are rendered permanently incapable of 
  ever developing the Node Spark quantum power. (Aberrant: 
  Teragen, p. 127) 
  Dramatis Personae 
  Ludmilla Konstantinovna Zhdanov 
   
  Background: Born to Konstantin and Olga Zhdanov in 1953, 
  Ludmilla proved to be an inquisitive and perceptive child from a 
  very young age. If she had been born in a First World nation, her 
  natural curiosity would likely have been encouraged, allowing 
  her intellect to grow unimpeded. Unfortunately her parents were 
  both officials in Moscow’s city administration and Communist 
  Party members in good standing. Even though Josef Stalin had 
  died a few months before Ludmilla’s birth, the Soviet Union was 
  still a very dangerous place for people who asked questions 
  instead of blindly accepting the propaganda put out by the 
  Communist Party. Frantic to keep their young daughter from 
  being disappeared, Ludmilla’ parents taught her to keep quiet 
  and to never even hint that she disagreed with the official Party 
  propaganda. Ludmilla obeyed, and managed to reach adulthood 
  without incident. After acquiring degrees in both psychology and 
  general medicine from the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Ludmilla 
  tried to bury her dissatisfaction with life under the Soviet 
  regime by immersing herself both in her job and in reading the 
  works of the Russian lyric poet Aleksei Vasilievich Koltsov. 
   
  But even when taking care of her patients’ physical and 
  mental health, Ludmilla was constantly confronted with evidence 
  of the difference between Soviet claims and actual reality. While 
  the Kremlin boasted of Russia’s growing population, she noted 
  that her country had actually been losing population ever since 
  World War II. When Khruschev proclaimed that the Soviet Bloc 
  would overtake the world, Ludmilla knew that Russia was doing 
  well just to hold itself together as a nation. What the Communist 
  Party called a worker’s paradise; Ludmilla knew as a land filled 
  with despair, apathy, and alcoholism. Finally deciding to rebel, 
  she became involved in one of the underground dissident 
  movements, where she became one of the most successful 
  writers and distributors of samizdat (banned literature). A KGB 
  agent’s lucky shot resulted in serious damage to her left knee, 
  but Ludmilla didn’t let that stop her. When the Soviet regime 
  finally fell in the 1990’s, Ludmilla wasn’t celebrating. She had 
  seen how easily former Communist party officials had adopted 
  the outer forms of democracy, and knew that underneath the 
  new face of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the same 
  old corruption would flourish. All her years of hard work had 
  accomplished nothing of any lasting value. On March 22nd of 
  1998, Ludmilla took a handful of sleeping pills, washed them 
  down with a jar of rotgut vodka, and waited to die. And then the 
  Galatea exploded. 
   
  Eruption changed Ludmilla’s outlook radically, to say the 
  least. With her newly-augmented intellect, she recognized all of 
  the problems that had rendered her prior efforts useless, and 
  realized how she could deal with them. She moved to Hong Kong, 
  became a Chinese citizen, and started building her financial base. 
  Once she had enough money, material and people; she founded 
  the Koltsov Academy. While she still maintains a very nice 
  townhouse in the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak 
  neighborhood, the Deep City and the Academy have been her 
  true home for quite some time. 
   
  Image: Ludmilla is an very pale-skinned Caucasian woman 
  of mixed Hungarian and White Russian descent. Her eyes are 
  grey; and her dark green, straight hair would be long enough to 
  reach down to the middle of her back if she didn’t keep it in a 
  very severe-looking bun. She appears to be in her mid-20s, but 
  has the manner of a much more mature and serious woman. 
  Ludmilla can usually be found wearing a eufiber suit that mimics 
  either black or charcoal grey women’s business attire. She 
  disdains makeup and all but the simplest jewelry, but most 
  people who have met her agree that she doesn’t need them at 
  all. Ludmilla walks with a noticeable limp, and uses an ironwood 
  walking cane to offset her knee injury. Despite having several 
  opportunities to have the damage to her left knee corrected, she 
  has refused to do so, remarking that she’s always found it a 
  helpful reminder not to let herself become overconfident. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: Before you erupted, you wasted your 
  time and effort trying to breathe some life back into your 
  moribund homeland. Sadly, you didn’t know a lost cause when 
  you saw it back then. You were doomed to fail, and were also 
  weary enough in spirit to attempt suicide when you realized that. 
  Now, your eruption has given you a second chance. Keep your 
  frivolity safely tucked away beneath your serious exterior, and 
  be careful! There will be time enough for you to laugh and enjoy 
  yourself once China (if not the world) is a safe place for children 
  to grow up in. There are too many good people who depend on 
  you to risk failure again. Someone’s got to protect the children, 
  so why not you? 
   
  Storyteller Note: By now you might’ve noticed that despite 
  some vague similarities; Ludmilla Zhdanov isn’t a certain bald, 
  wheelchair-bound telepath, and the Koltsov Academy isn’t a 
  certain School for Gifted Youngsters. Both the characters and 
  institutions are different, even if some of their basic goals are 
  the same. So feel free to let your players set up their own “nova 
  school” in your Aberrant chronicle, if that’s what’s fun for them. 
  It’s not like the Koltsov Academy advertises its existence in the 
  manner of Harvard University, after all... 
  Gear: Laptop computer, cell phone, ironwood cane. When a 
  situation gets really dangerous, she’ll also carry a heavy pistol 
  loaded with hypercore rounds (See Aberrant: Brainwaves for 
  details). 
  Nature: Caregiver 
  Allegiance: Koltsov Academy  
  Occupation: Financier, Teacher, Headmistress of the Koltsov 
  Academy 
  Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 5, Appearance 3, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  5  
  Abilities: Academics 5 (Geopolitics, History), Analysis 5, 
  Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Biz 5 (Stocks and Bonds), Brawl 2, 
  Bureaucracy 4, Command 3, Computer 3, Drive 2, Endurance 4, 
  Etiquette 4, Firearms 4 (Pistols), Instruction 5 (Lecture, Mental 
  Abilities), Interrogation 2, Intimidation 2, Intrusion 3, 
  Investigation 4, Linguistics 5 (Russian native, Chinese, English, 
  Latin, Spanish, Tibetan), Martial Arts 4 (Prone Fighting), 
  Medicine 5 (First Aid, Novas, Psychology), Meditation 4, Melee 
  4 (Short Staff), Resistance 4, Science 5 (Biology), Stealth 4, 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  20
  Style 3, Rapport 5, Streetwise 4 (Information), Subterfuge 5, 
  Thought Discipline 5, Tradecraft 5 
  Backgrounds: Allies 6 (Sophia Rousseau, Maxwell Anderson 
  Mercer, Koltsov Academy staff), Backing 5 (Koltsov Academy), 
  Cipher 5, Contacts 4, Dormancy 4, Eufiber 2, Followers 8 
  (Koltsov 
  Academy), 
  Followers 
  8 
  (various 
  Chinese 
  revolutionaries), Influence 8 (various people throughout the 
  Chinese 
  government, 
  armed 
  forces 
  and 
  intellectual 
  establishment), Node 4, Resources 5, Sanctum 5 (The 
  Academy’s Himalayan base).  
   
  Ludmilla Zhdanov has the In Charge, Kingpin, Sanctum 
  Sanctorum 
  and 
  Wealth 
  Beyond 
  Avarice 
  Background 
  enhancements; as seen in the Adventure! core book.  
   
  Ludmilla also has the Legions Background enhancement for 
  both of her Followers Backgrounds, reflecting that she has 
  rallied both a large nova organization (the Academy) and 
  thousands of Chinese baseline revolutionaries to her banner. 
  Merits and Flaws: Lame (-2), Taint Resistant (5). Ludmilla also 
  has the “Chromatic Hair” aberration as a Flaw (for -1 point). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 40, Willpower 10, Taint 0 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina �� (Adaptability, Health, 
  Tireless x2), Mega-Perception ���� (Body Awareness, 
  Psychic Awareness, Quantum Attunement, That Creepy 
  Feeling), Mega-Intelligence ����� (Discerning Mind, Eidetic 
  Memory, Fast Learner, Financial Prodigy, Investigative Prodigy, 
  Intuitive Deduction, Linguistic Genius, Medical Prodigy, Taint 
  Resistance), Mega-Wits ���� (Foresight, Hypercognition, Lie 
  Detector, Mind Over Matter, Multitasking, Natural Empath, 
  Prudence, Unfazeable), Mega-Appearance � (Ms. Nobody), 
  Mega-Manipulation ���� (Mediator, Persuader, Subtle, 
  Trickster, The Voice), Mega-Charisma ����� (Autonomy, 
  Dreadful Mien, Pedagogue*, Politesse, Soothe). 
  * Ludmilla can use Pedagogue in tandem with her Telepathy, 
  allowing her to teach people through mental contact. This is how 
  she’s been training the various revolutionary elements that she’s 
  fomented throughout China. 
  Quantum Powers: Armor ����, Density Control (Increase) 
  �����, Disrupt �����, Domination ����� (Telepathic), 
  Healing ����, Intuition �����, Luck �����, Mental Blast 
  ����, Mirage ����, Psychic Shield �����, Telepathy 
  ����� (Surreptitious). 
  Grandfather Monkey 
   
  Background: In the more remote villages of Yunnan 
  Province, one can still hear tales about the Monkey Who Walks 
  Like A Man. After walking out of the forest in the spring of 
  1923, this living incarnation of mischief also proved himself a 
  friend to innocent people, especially those who were preyed on 
  by the honorless. Quickly becoming a thorn in the side of triads 
  and corrupt government officials throughout China, the Monkey 
  even foiled the plans of the Ubiquitous Dragon more than once. 
  The tales end with the story of how in 1930, with the aid of a 
  group of Western adventurers, the Monkey kept the magical 
  treasure of a hidden city buried deep beneath Shanghai safely 
  out of the Ubiquitous Dragon’s clutches. The Monkey apparently 
  sacrificed himself in the process; as the buried city and all it 
  contained vanished as if it had never been, leaving only solid 
  bedrock in its place. 
   
  When the Monkey awoke, he found that the buried city 
  now resided under the Himalayan mountain range in Tibet. He 
  also felt incredible new powers surging through his body and 
  spirit, which he attributed to an obviously magical idol carved 
  from glowing crystal that resided in the underground city’s 
  central shrine. Finding a passage from the city to the surface 
  was easy. Making sense of what he found on the surface was not. 
  After rescuing a British journalist from a gang of bandits, the 
  Monkey’s mind was soon reeling as he got a quick history lesson 
  on what all had happened in the world between 1930 and 2008. 
   
  The only thing that kept Monkey from being overwhelmed 
  by culture shock was the obvious need of the people in this 
  future time for true wisdom. Almost everything else on Earth 
  had changed in some way or another, and the potential for global 
  destruction had only grown with time, but human nature 
  remained the same as it ever was. Then and there, the Monkey 
  decided that it would be his mission to hand down the wisdom he 
  had learned to the denizens of this “Nova Age”. Placing himself 
  in a deep meditative trance in order to divine how to best go 
  about this monumental task, he had a vision of a wealthy 
  expatriate Russian woman who lived in Hong Kong. Once the 
  Monkey met Ludmilla Zhdanov, the Koltsov Academy was born. 
   
  Image: Grandfather Monkey stands (fully upright) about 
  145 centimeters tall, has a coat of white and light brown fur, and 
  has a tail that’s about 2 meters long. Putting it bluntly, he looks 
  like the biggest long-tailed macaque you ever saw, dressed in 
  traditional Chinese peasant men’s clothes. He also wears a bowl-
  shaped straw hat of the type known as a sando-gasa in Japan, 
  which is a souvenir from an old friend. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: You’re pleasant, genial, wise beyond 
  your years and genuinely enjoy helping young people with their 
  problems. All of these qualities help to make you an excellent 
  teacher. Helping to mold children into honorable, healthy and 
  capable adults has become one of your greatest joys. While 
  Ludmilla may be the brain and life of the Academy, you are its 
  heart and conscience. While many things of this future time are 
  valuable, so are many things of the past. You have learned to 
  take the best from both, and you teach your students to do the 
  same. You’re not as eager to engage in violence as you once 
  were, but you will do your best to defend your new family from 
  anyone stupid enough to threaten them. 
  Gear: Staff, cell phone, various supplies for traditional Chinese 
  medicine. Grandfather Monkey will also carry a straight sword 
  for use in combat, although he will stoop to using a rifle if 
  circumstances require it. 
  Nature: Confidant 
  Allegiance: Koltsov Academy  
  Occupation: Teacher, “talent scout”, unofficial mayor and militia 
  leader, shrine caretaker 
  Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 4, Wits 5, Appearance 4, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  5  
  Abilities: Academics 5 (Martial Arts history, Taoism), Athletics 
  5, Awareness 5, Brawl 2, Command 5, Endurance 5, Etiquette 2, 
  Firearms 5 (Rifle), Instruction 5 (Physical Abilities), 
  Interrogation 4, Intimidation 4, Intrusion 3, Investigation 4, 
  Linguistics 5 (Chinese native, English, Korean, Japanese, 
  Russian, Vietnamese), Martial Arts 5 (Kung Fu, Multiple 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  21
  Opponents, Tai Ch’i Ch’uan), Medicine 5 (Traditional Chinese), 
  Meditation 5, Melee 5 (Knives, Quarterstaff, Tai Ch’i Sword), 
  Rapport 5, Resistance 5, Shadowing 5, Stealth 5, Streetwise 5 
  (Chinese Triads), Subterfuge 5, Survival 5 (Forage, Set Traps, 
  Track), Tactics 5 (Nova, Small-Unit), Thought Discipline 5, 
  Tradecraft 3 
   
  Grandfather Monkey also has Ability Mastery in Athletics, 
  Awareness, Firearms, Instruction, Martial Arts, Meditation, and 
  Melee; as seen in the Adventure! core book. 
  Backgrounds: Allies 6 (Sophia Rousseau, Maxwell Anderson 
  Mercer, the Koltsov Academy staff), Attunement 4, Backing 5 
  (Koltsov Academy), Cipher 5, Contacts 5 (in the most 
  unexpected places), Eufiber 2, Gadget 5 (the Crystal Idol), Node 
  4, Reputation 3, Resources 4, Sanctum 5.  
   
  Grandfather Monkey also has the Artifact, In Charge, and 
  Sanctum Sanctorum Background enhancements, as seen in the 
  Adventure! core book. 
  Merits and Flaws: Anachronism: time-lost castaway from 1930 
  (-1), Is actually a long-tailed macaque nova instead of a human-
  derived nova (-3), Short (-1), Taint Resistant (5). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 40, Willpower 10, Taint 0  
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength �� (Crush, Quantum Leap), 
  Mega-Dexterity ����� (Accuracy, Flexibility, Omnidexterity, 
  Physical Prodigy, Catfooted), Mega-Stamina ��� (Adaptability, 
  Durability, Regeneration, Resiliency), Mega-Perception ����� 
  (Blindfighting, Bloodhound, Hyperenhanced Hearing, Quantum 
  Attunement, Sensory Editing, Ultraperipheral Perception), 
  Mega-Intelligence ���� (Analyze Weakness, Linguistic Genius, 
  Tactical Prodigy, Taint Resistance), Mega-Wits ���� 
  (Enhanced Initiative, Prudence, Quickness x3), Mega-
  Appearance � (Fade, Halo Effect, Mr. Nobody*), Mega-
  Manipulation ���� (Persuader, Trickster), Mega-Charisma 
  ����� (Amiable, Autonomy, Bestial Rapport, Endearing, 
  Pedagogue, Trustworthy) 
  * Grandfather Monkey’s Mr. Nobody enhancement makes him 
  look like an average long-tailed macaque in all but size. He must 
  use his Sizemorph (Shrink) power in tandem with Mr. Nobody in 
  order to pass himself off as a normal long-tailed macaque. 
  Quantum Powers: Animal/Plant Mastery ����� (Nature 
  Mastery), Armor ����, Body Modification: Brachiator, Body 
  Modification: Tendril (prehensile tail), Bounce ����� 
  (Momentum Transfer), Claws (“Chi Strike”) ����� (Kinetic 
  Discharge), Intuition �����, Invulnerability: Physical ���� 
  (Broad Category), Invulnerability: Energy ���� (Broad 
  Category), 
  Mental 
  Blast 
  ���, 
  Premonition 
  �����, 
  Pretercognition �����, Psychic Shield �����, Quantum 
  Imprint �����, Sensory Shield �����, Sizemorph (Shrink) 
  �� (Full Power), Telepathy ��� (Surreptitious), Quantum 
  Mentor ����� (This level 3 power allows Grandfather Monkey 
  to teach other novas to develop any quantum power, Extra, 
  Mega-Attribute or enhancement that he has himself or can 
  mimic. Use the mechanics for the Pedagogue enhancement, using 
  Quantum Mentor + Instruction instead of Charisma + Instruction, 
  with the dice from Grandfather Monkey’s Quantum Trait treated 
  as Mega-Charisma dice. Please note that this power cannot be 
  used to help raise a nova’s Quantum Trait or shed Taint by 
  means of the Crystal Idol.). 
  Vo “Silence” Pai-lu 
   
  Background: Born in the spring of 1984 to a mixed 
  Chinese-Korean family residing in Hoeryong, Vo Pai-lu never 
  seemed satisfied with her life. Growing up under the harsh, 
  totalitarian regime of the “Great Leader” Kim Il Sung wasn’t 
  enjoyable, and life under the rule of his son Kim Jong-il was no 
  better. Vo Pai-lu’s parents were better off than most North 
  Korean families, as they were merchants who profited from the 
  cross-border trade with China, but their family life was nowhere 
  near as healthy. Pai-lu’s father became dictatorial and paranoid, 
  fearful that any off-hand comment the secret police deemed 
  “inappropriate” might get them thrown into prison. Her mother 
  began drinking to deal with her stress, and was soon getting 
  herself ripped to the gills whenever she had the free time and 
  money. Pai-lu could only watch in silent horror and despair as 
  her older brother, effectively brainwashed by his government-
  trained teachers, left to join the North Korean Army. 
   
  As if in reflection of the worsening condition of Vo Pai-lu’s 
  family, conditions in the nation as a whole became dire when 
  China cut back on grain exports to North Korea in 1995. As 
  famine began to spread throughout North Korea, the Vo family’s 
  prospects became increasingly dim. Plenty of North Koreans 
  were traveling to Hoeryong, but only so that they could find 
  whatever refuge they could across the border in China. Precious 
  little money, food, or supplies were coming into North Korea; 
  and most of that went to the supporters of Kim Jong-il and his 
  cronies. Their situation becoming bleaker by the second, in the 
  summer of 1998 Pai-lu’s parents sold off their 14 year old 
  daughter to a Shanghai “businessman” for a month’s supply of 
  food and rice. Later that night, Pai-lu knew that things were only 
  going to get worse for her as the Chinese “businessman” had 
  two of his thugs take her out of the room she shared with the 
  other enslaved Korean girls. Once in the chief slaver’s room, 
  Pai-lu’s terror and revulsion grew too great for her to bear as 
  one thug began to strangle her while the other tore at her 
  clothes. The next thing she knew the Chinese slaver and both 
  thugs were dead on the floor, fresh human blood was dripping 
  from her hands, and her skin was turning shockingly pale with 
  unnatural speed. Trying to make some sense out of this 
  situation, she looked up and saw a giant long-tailed macaque, 
  dressed in Chinese peasant’s garb and smiling genially at her. 
  Right then and there, Vo Pai-lu knew that she had finally gone 
  stark raving mad. 
   
  Taking the frightened girl into their care, Grandfather 
  Monkey and Ludmilla Zhdanov explained to Pai-lu that she 
  wasn’t insane, but had instead erupted and become a nova. 
  Under their tutelage, they educated her among the first class of 
  students at the Koltsov Academy. Unfortunately they couldn’t 
  repair Pai-lu’s vocal chords, which had become permanently 
  damaged at the point of her eruption. The resilient Korean girl 
  didn’t let her supposed “handicap” slow her down in the least, 
  and was soon skilled enough to begin aiding Grandfather Monkey 
  on his forays outside of the Academy. Taking the nickname 
  “Silence”, Pai-lu has become the Koltsov Academy’s best covert 
  operative, and helped to inflict serious damage to the Heaven 
  Thunder Triad’s operations over the years. Life has gotten even 
  better for Pai-lu in recent years, as she fell in love with another 
  rescued North Korean slave girl that the Academy had rescued 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  22
  and recruited. Having erupted herself soon after arriving at the 
  Academy, 
  Kim 
  Guiyang 
  returned 
  Pai-lu’s 
  feelings 
  wholeheartedly, and the couple married. Thanks to creative use 
  of Pai-Lu’s nova abilities they now hold the honor of being the 
  first real family in the Koltsov Academy; as Vo Guiyang gave 
  birth to healthy fraternal twins, a girl and a boy. Both children 
  were born as novas, and the entire Academy follows their 
  progress with eager glee. Vo Guiyang hasn’t ruled out the 
  possibility of the couple having more children once the twins are 
  older, but insists that Pai-lu should be the one who gets pregnant 
  the next time around. Pai-lu gets nervous whenever her wife 
  brings that up in conversation, and changes the subject as soon 
  as she can manage it. 
   
  Image: Vo Pai-lu is a slim, beautiful Korean woman 
  seemingly in her early 20s, and looks to be only mildly athletic at 
  best. Her short hair and skin are both albino-white, and her eyes 
  are pink. Despite appearances (no pun intended), Pai-lu doesn’t 
  suffer from actual albinism, as she can operate in daylight as 
  easily as anyone else. She normally shapes her eufiber suits into 
  dark, loose clothing with a hooded black poncho. When she’s on 
  a job for the Academy, she’ll wear whatever appearance and 
  clothing she deems necessary. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: There are two sides to you, and which 
  one a person will see depends on whether you’re on a mission 
  for the Academy or not. When on a mission you strive to be the 
  consummate professional; whether you’re arranging for another 
  latent nova kid to escape to the Academy, or for one more Triad 
  scumbag to die at your hands. When not on a mission you’re a 
  charming young married woman; happily helping your loving wife 
  take care of your children, and thoroughly liked by everyone at 
  the Academy. Despite all of the terrible things that have 
  happened to you in your life, you have an enthusiasm, a hunger 
  for life that inspires those around you to get the most out of 
  their existences. And now that you have a real family, both with 
  the Academy and with your wife and children, you’ll let nothing 
  take them away from you. 
  Gear: Cell phone adapted for text messaging, various weapons 
  and explosive devices, cheap sunglasses 
  Nature: Survivor 
  Allegiance: Koltsov Academy  
  Occupation: Assistant militia leader, transporter, head of covert 
  operations 
  Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 5, Appearance 5, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  5 
  Abilities: Artillery 5 (Mortars), Athletics 5, Awareness 5, Brawl 
  3, Command 4, Demolitions 5 (Disarming/Disposal, Timed 
  Charges, Shaped Charges), Endurance 5, Firearms 5 (Pistols), 
  Heavy Weapons 5 (Maintenance), Intimidation 5 (Silent Urging), 
  Intrusion 5 (Security Systems), Investigation 4, Linguistics 4 
  (Korean native, English, Chinese, Japanese, Sign Language), 
  Medicine 2 (First Aid), Meditation 5, Might 5 (Leap), Throwing 
  5 (Grenades, Knives), Martial Arts 5 (Blind Fighting, Dirty 
  Maneuvers, Multiple Opponents), Melee 5 (Improvised 
  Weapons, Knives, Sword), Navigation 5, Rapport 5, Resistance 
  5, Shadowing 5, Stealth 5 (Ambush, Sneak, Trail), Streetwise 5 
  (Chinese Triads), Subterfuge 5 (Conceal Motivation), Survival 5 
  (Hunt, Set Traps, Track), Tactics 4 (Nova), Thought Discipline 
  5, Tradecraft 3 
  Backgrounds: Allies 5 (her wife Vo Guiyang, Koltsov Academy 
  staff), Attunement 5, Backing 4 (Koltsov Academy), Contacts 3, 
  Dormancy 3, Eufiber 5, Node 4, Resources 4.  
  Merits and Flaws: Dependants: Vo Ruijie and Vo Chia-ling, 2 
  year old son and daughter, second-generation novas (-5), 
  Minority: Lesbian (-1), Mute (-2), Taint Resistant (5). Silence 
  also has the “Colored Skin” aberration as a Flaw (for -2 points). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 38, Willpower 9, Taint 0 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength �� (Crush, Quantum Leap, 
  Thrower), Mega-Dexterity ����� (Accuracy, Catfooted, 
  Feather Foot, Ghostly Movement, Perfect Balance, Rapid Strike, 
  Silent Running, Tenacity), Mega-Stamina ����� (Adaptability, 
  Durability, Health, Resiliency x2, Sanitized Metabolism), Mega-
  Perception �� (Analytic Scent, Blindfighting, Bloodhound, That 
  Creepy Feeling), Mega-Intelligence ��� (Analyze Weakness, 
  Tactical Prodigy, Taint Resistance, Wayfarer), Mega-Wits ��� 
  (Autopilot, Enhanced Initiative, Prudence, Quickness x3, 
  Redirection), 
  Mega-Appearance 
  ��� 
  (Copycat, 
  Fade, 
  Incognito, Metamorph, Mr. Nobody, Yin-Yang), Mega-
  Manipulation � (Clarity), Mega-Charisma ��� (Autonomy, 
  Bestial Rapport, Disconcerting, Dragon Gaze, Endearing) 
  Quantum Powers: Armor �����, Body Modification: Extra 
  Health Levels x6 (4 “Bruised”, 4 “Maimed”), Boost: Strength 
  ��� (Extended Effect), Density Control (Decrease) �����, 
  Disorient �����, ESP �����, Healing ����, Immobilize 
  �����, Intuition �����, Premonition �����, Psychic Shield 
  �����, Quantum Leech ���� (Energy Siphon), Spatial 
  Manipulation ����� (Enhance/Diminish*, Flatform, Ripple 
  Shield, Shaping**, Spatial Shockwave), Telepathy ���, 
  Teleport ����� (Stealth Teleport- attempts to track Silence’s 
  teleports are made at [Quantum + Teleport] difficulties), Warp 
  ����� 
  * This allows Silence to expand or constrict the space within the 
  area of effect by 25% per success. 
  ** This allows Silence to “shape” a given volume of space as she 
  desires, along with any objects or beings within that space. This 
  cannot be used to directly harm living beings. 
  Martin “the Archivist” Zhang 
   
  Background: The eldest child of a wealthy Hong Kong 
  banker and his wife, Martin Zhang always felt more than a little 
  out of place in the upper-crust social elite of the former Crown 
  Colony. Apparently his being a child prodigy wasn’t enough for 
  Martin’s parents, as they saw fit to have him trained in every 
  subject they considered necessary to thrive among his peers in 
  their Victoria Peak neighborhood. By his thirteenth birthday, 
  Martin had finally become proficient with all the weapons (actual 
  and metaphorical) that were used in his parents’ social arena. At 
  his birthday party, Martin was looking forward to finally gaining 
  some control over his own life. That hope was shattered when 
  his mother introduced him to a rather pretty neighbor girl by the 
  name of Samantha Luo, and told Martin that his father had a 
  surprise for him. A few minutes later, Martin’s father publicly 
  announced the official betrothal of his son to Samantha Luo. 
  Martin simply stood in a kind of walking shock as he tried to 
  understand why his parents had done this to him without even 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  23
  asking his opinion on the matter. His way out from this seemingly 
  inescapable situation came from a most unexpected source. 
   
  The mental stress of his father’s announcement had been 
  enough to trigger Martin’s M-R node, causing him to erupt right 
  in front of everyone. Frightened by the sight of expensive 
  furniture romping around like rodeo bulls, all of the partygoers 
  fled posthaste. Martin’s father, on the other hand, saw his son’s 
  eruption as yet another opportunity to be exploited. Soon 
  Martin found himself in a quiet, very expensive pharmaceutical 
  laboratory with some very skilled researchers, who welcomed 
  the chance to work with a nova of Martin’s superhuman intellect. 
  Taking to the work like a duck to water, he spent a very happy 
  month helping the researchers find applications for a wide range 
  of very unusual biochemicals. In fact, they were so unusual that 
  Martin had never seen anything like them in the biochemistry 
  labs of his college. Doubts began to form in the young nova’s 
  mind, and were confirmed when he hacked into the computer 
  network of his father’s bank. The Heaven Thunder Triad had 
  been using the bank to launder money, which was easily done 
  since Martin’s father was a Triad member in good standing. And 
  even worse, the lab that Martin was working at was researching 
  uses for the novel biochemicals harvested from novas’ bodies! 
   
  Feeling sick, Martin knew he couldn’t be a part of this 
  obscenity any longer. Lashing out with his power over molecular 
  structures, he reduced the entire lab building to dust in an eye 
  blink. That was when an albino woman appeared out of nowhere 
  and grabbed him. Finding himself facing a giant, talking long-
  tailed macaque a moment later, Martin agreed to help the odd 
  pair raid a Heaven Thunder Triad nova-rendering operation. 
  The raid went off without a hitch thanks to Martin’s aid, and 
  Grandfather Monkey asked him to join the Koltsov Academy. 
  Martin agreed, on the condition that his little sister Michelle 
  would be allowed to join him there and live with him. Smiling, 
  Grandfather Monkey agreed to the deal, and both Zhang siblings 
  left Hong Kong with them and the rescued latent novas for the 
  Academy. The fact that Michelle recently erupted as a nova 
  herself at the Academy might have had something to do with 
  Grandfather Monkey’s decision, but neither he nor Martin will 
  comment on it. Martin’s parents were both killed soon after 
  Martin joined the Academy, presumably as punishment for 
  failing the Heaven Thunder Triad. Both Martin and Michelle 
  were too busy (and too happy) in their new life at the Academy 
  to give them much thought. 
   
  While the last four years have been good to Martin and 
  Michelle, he’s had some problems. One of the rescued latent 
  novas, Fei Xiu Lian, has recently both erupted and begun 
  seriously attempting to court Martin. A girl from Hong Kong’s 
  Sheung Wan district, Martin won her heart when he personally 
  saved her from being killed by an enraged Triad thug. Xiu Lian is 
  now one of Grandfather Monkey’s assistant martial arts 
  teachers. Another problem was the return of Samantha Luo into 
  Martin’s life a year later, as she had also erupted and was 
  recruited into the Academy by Silence. Immediately upon seeing 
  Martin there at the Academy, Samantha cried out in joy, hugged 
  him and declared Martin to be her long-lost fiancé! That didn’t 
  sit well with Xiu Lian at all, of course. Samantha is now Ludmilla’s 
  best surgeon. Their running competition for Martin’s love 
  continues to this day, with no end currently in sight. Ludmilla 
  turns a blind eye to this situation, as it provides the rest of the 
  Academy’s staff and the student body with some much-needed 
  amusement and entertainment. Martin also suffers from periodic 
  nightmares about what he saw at the nova-rendering plant that 
  he helped raid. For his part, Martin forges ahead the best he can, 
  as he’s been far too busy to sort out his feelings for his pair of 
  admirers. When this all gets to be too much for him, he relieves 
  his stress by working in the Academy’s kitchens. Since he’s the 
  Academy’s best cook, bar none, nobody minds his taking a turn 
  in the kitchens one bit. 
   
  Image: Martin Zhang is a stunningly handsome 18 year old 
  Chinese man who would look more in place at a nightclub than in 
  a laboratory. His eyes are black, and his short black hair has 
  developed a patch of white above his right temple. He can 
  normally be found dressed in casual garb (he has a particular 
  fondness for very loud Hawaiian floral print shirts and Levi’s 
  blue jeans). He refuses to wear formal attire, as it reminds him 
  too much of his privileged childhood. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: The lab is close to being your native 
  element, as that’s where you can best work your wonders for 
  the Academy’s benefit. The fact that those wonders are often 
  used to stymie the plans of the Heaven Thunder Triad is the just 
  the icing on the cake. Being able to keep watch over the 
  fantastic scientific and technological data that the Academy 
  keeps squirreled away in their vault is another rare privilege, 
  and one that you appreciate. No two ways about it, the Academy 
  has been a dream come true for you. Here, you have a real home, 
  with a family that’s better to you and your sister than your 
  parents ever were. Even Xiu Lian and Samantha are good friends 
  of yours; at least when they’re not trying to drive each other up 
  the wall, fighting over you, or trying another crazy scheme to 
  seduce and/or marry you. Ludmilla and the others on the 
  Academy staff may tease you about your inability to choose 
  between your pair of suitors, but that’s the one puzzle you 
  haven’t been able solve...yet. 
  Gear: Laptop computer, cell phone, the latest scientific journals. 
  He’ll carry a heavy pistol, possibly loaded with hypercore 
  rounds, in combat situations. 
  Nature: Analyst 
  Allegiance: Koltsov Academy  
  Occupation: Teacher, archivist, general technological and 
  pharmaceutical expert, reserve cook. 
  Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 5, Appearance 4, Manipulation 4, Charisma 
  5 
  Abilities: Arts 5 (Cooking), Athletics 3, Awareness 2, Biz 2, 
  Brawl 2, Command 2, Computer 5 (Hacking, Programming), 
  Drive 2, Endurance 4, Engineering 5 (Computers, Construction, 
  Electronics), Etiquette 3, Firearms 4, Investigation 3, Linguistics 
  3 (Chinese native, English, Japanese, Latin), Martial Arts 4, 
  Medicine 5 (Novas, Pharmacy), Rapport 3, Resistance 4, 
  Science 5 (Biology, Chemistry), Seduction 2, Streetwise 3, Style 
  1, Thought Discipline 5 
  Backgrounds: Allies 5 (Koltsov Academy staff), Attunement 3, 
  Backing 4 (Koltsov Academy), Contacts 3, Dormancy 3, Node 3, 
  Resources 4. Martin also has 2 dots of the Suitors Adversarial 
  Background, as he is currently being romantically pursued by Fei 
  Xiu Lian and Samantha Luo, two of the Academy’s younger 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  24
  resident female members. (These are Martin’s Regular suitors; 
  Xin is 17 years old and Samantha is 19. They’re both novas built 
  with 30 nova points, have the Taint Resistance Merit, and lack 
  either Prudence or the Common Sense Merit.)  
  Merits and Flaws: Dependant: Michelle Zhang, 9 year old little 
  sister and 20-point nova (-4), Nightmares (-1), Taint Resistant 
  (5). Martin also has the “Romantic Irresistibility” aberration as a 
  Flaw (for -3 points). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 36, Willpower 8, Taint 0 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Dexterity � (Cool Hand, Fast Tasks), 
  Mega-Stamina � (Adaptability, Durability, Health, Tireless), 
  Mega-Perception �� (Analytic Taste/Touch, True Intent), 
  Mega-Intelligence ��� (Chemical Genius, Eidetic Memory, 
  Engineering Prodigy, Fast Learner, Medical Prodigy, Scientific 
  Prodigy, Taint Resistance), Mega-Wits ��� (Artistic Genius, 
  Prudence, Synergy), Mega-Appearance �� (Friendly Face, 
  Immaculate, Objet d’Art), Mega-Manipulation �� (Clarity), 
  Mega-Charisma ��� (Endearing, Pedagogue) 
  Quantum Powers: Armor ���, Disintegration �����, Flight 
  ��, Molecular Manipulation ����� (Animation, Destruction, 
  Molecular Alteration, Second Skin, Shape Alteration), Poison 
  �����, Psychic Shield �����, Telekinesis ���� 
  Isenbard William Mallory 
   
  Background: Ever since he saw his first science fiction B-
  movie as a 15 year old in 1971, William Mallory (he never could 
  stand to be called by his first name) always found himself 
  simultaneously repelled and entranced by the figure of the mad 
  scientist. On one hand, he loved the idea of working scientific 
  wonders in a well-stocked laboratory, and such movies were a 
  welcome escape from his incessant flute lessons. On the other, 
  he hated how the mad scientists were almost always portrayed 
  as irresponsible delusional madmen out for their own glory. This 
  state of mixed emotions persisted into his college days at NYU, 
  where he pursued a double degree in physics and music. The 
  physics degree was what he wanted; but William’s parents, both 
  classical musicians who performed at the Metropolitan Opera 
  House, pushed William into following their path as well. The 
  trouble really started when William graduated summa cum laude 
  from NYU in 1981 and attempted to find a teaching post where 
  he could try for tenure. Unfortunately for William, his particular 
  line of scientific inquiry led him perilously close to what the 
  scientific establishment deemed “crackpot science”. Undeterred 
  by his critics at first, William investigated several “over the 
  rainbow” theories before settling on the field of psychotronics 
  as his chosen field of study. After four years of teaching first-
  year science courses at a small-town college in upstate New 
  York, William was a laughingstock in American scientific circles. 
  After being forced to quit by a college administration that was 
  embarrassed to have him even teach established science on their 
  campus, William was forced to return to the trade of classical 
  music that he’d loathed since childhood in order to survive. 
   
  And so William found himself as the First Flautist of the 
  Boston Symphony Orchestra. Now that he was playing the flute 
  professionally, William was living what most people would’ve 
  considered “the good life”. As a first-class flautist, he was 
  always getting rave reviews from the critics, and was 
  considered one of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s highlights. 
  William’s bank account was growing fatter by the minute, and 
  his parents’ pride in his accomplishment swelled almost as 
  quickly. He was invited to all the best of Boston’s parties, was 
  well-regarded by the local social elite, wore fine suits and 
  tuxedos, and was driving a BMW sedan. In almost all respects, it 
  was a 180º turnaround from his threadbare existence as a 
  scientist. But for William, it was nothing more than sheer Hell. In 
  his soul, he still considered himself a scientist. He did not enjoy 
  playing the flute in the slightest, no matter how good the 
  resulting music sounded. (He’d wanted to learn to play the 
  bagpipes as a child, but his parents had flatly forbidden it.) He 
  hated having to dress up in tuxedos and stiff woolen suits, didn’t 
  care what his parents thought of him, and thought the critics 
  who praised him so highly were nothing more than overly 
  pompous buffoons. The parties were nothing more than arenas 
  for social sniping, the social elite were closet degenerates, and 
  driving that blasted BMW was surely going to get him killed in an 
  auto accident sometime soon. Worst of all, money couldn’t fill 
  the void in his heart. Salvation (of a sort) came in the fall of 
  1986, in the form of a woman at one of the parties that William 
  so despised. 
   
  William was stunned when the blonde woman in the blue 
  dress came up to him and asked him about his scientific 
  research. From that discussion grew friendship, and then full-
  fledged romance. While taking the hand of Marena Tachlinkov in 
  marriage didn’t alter his circumstances very much, they did 
  make them much more bearable. Marena was a scientific 
  researcher herself, who had merely hidden her own 
  investigations into “crackpot science” a bit better than William 
  had, and still had the respect of the American scientific 
  establishment (and tenure). For the next decade their lives 
  passed blissfully, with both William’s financial success and 
  scientific skills aiding Marena’s secret research into 
  psychotronics. They made several breakthroughs together, and 
  it didn’t matter if the results couldn’t be published. William and 
  Marena knew that they were right. Their time of joy and shared 
  research began to end in the summer of 1996, when Marena 
  came down with a mysterious illness. The doctors were 
  mystified, and finally admitted that they could do nothing for 
  her. William took up the gauntlet of saving his wife with a 
  vengeance. Taking a sabbatical leave from his position at the 
  Boston Symphony Orchestra, he devoted himself to helping his 
  wife find a way to heal herself with their own psychotronic 
  technology. The couple’s backyard workshop was soon filled 
  with decisive activity and mechanical sounds on a daily basis. 
   
  Fifteen months of work culminated in the autumn of 1997, 
  with Marena lying on a stretcher beneath a machine that she and 
  William hoped would cure Marena’s illness by reinforcing her 
  morphogenetic field. William handed Marena the remote switch, 
  and she activated it. Surrounded by shifting fields of 
  electromagnetic distortion, William was elated as he saw his wife 
  visibly grow stronger and healthier. It was the last time he saw 
  his wife, as the next thing he felt was the sting of a tranquilizer 
  dart impacting into his lower back. When he opened his eyes 
  again, William found himself in a private clinic just outside of 
  Boston. A man from something called “the Aeon Society” was 
  there, telling William that Marena had died an explosion caused 
  by their device, and that his own medical expenses would be 
  paid for. Still in a state of mental shock, William could only 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  25
  watch as the man left the room, leaving him with only questions 
  and despair where he’d once had a wife and hope. After 
  recovering from his injuries, William left his position at the 
  Boston Symphony Orchestra for good, sold his house and BMW, 
  and left on a year-long ocean cruise around the world. The day 
  of March 23rd, 1998 found William watching the North Pacific 
  from the easy chair in his suite, wondering what had gone wrong 
  with the machine that he and Marena had built and designed. 
  Then William felt his mind explode, and fell to the carpet in 
  shock. After recovering from his strangely intense headaches, 
  William found that the answers to equations and calculations 
  that he’d struggled with now came to him with impossible ease, 
  as both mind and body shook off the effects of aging like dust. 
  He also found himself able to control electronic circuitry with his 
  will alone, and could make small arcs of electricity jump between 
  his outstretched fingers. After watching news reports from 
  around the globe, Williams quickly realized that he himself had 
  become one of these new “paranormal humans” that were 
  shocking the world by simply existing. With his newly-
  superhuman intellect, he also realized that the man from the 
  Aeon Society had lied to him. The memory had been blurred 
  somewhat from the drug in the tranquilizer dart, but now he 
  could clearly remember two thugs in radiation suits carting 
  Marena, still screaming her lungs out, out of the workshop. 
  William was still at a loss as to how or where he could find allies 
  against the Aeon Society, and was still thinking it over when his 
  cruise liner pulled into Hong Kong. After meeting a Russian 
  woman by the name of Ludmilla Zhdanov and her bizarre, long-
  tailed friend, he knew that he’d found the allies that he’d need. 
  William Mallory helped to found the Koltsov Academy, and he’s 
  been there ever since. He still seeks Grandfather Monkey’s 
  counsel about his wife from time to time, but Monkey reassures 
  him that Marena will eventually be returned to him, alive and 
  well. As William can tell when someone’s lying to him, he knows 
  that Monkey is speaking the truth as he knows it. And so he 
  works in his lab at the Academy, teaches science classes, and 
  basically helps out where it’s needed. He’s also lately taken up 
  learning to play the bagpipes, which is unfortunate since William 
  is also a leading candidate for (if not the all-time winner of) the 
  title of World’s Worst Bagpipe Player. 
   
  Image: William Mallory is an American man of Scottish 
  descent; and is of indeterminate age, medium build, and stands 
  about 5’10” tall. His salt-and-pepper (formerly black) hair is 
  kept cropped in a short buzz-cut, and his blue eyes seem almost 
  unnaturally bright in his otherwise plain-featured face. Despite 
  the fact that Mallory is a nova, his appearance is remarkably 
  ordinary. He almost always shapes his eufiber suits into a white 
  lab coat over an antique tweed suit, complete with worn brown 
  penny-loafer shoes and a rumpled shirt. He never wears a 
  necktie. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints: You smile a lot, but only to cover the 
  pain of losing your wife the way you did. Thankfully you’ve 
  found a new family to take you in until you can find Marena 
  again, and you’ve sworn never to fail them like you did your 
  wife. Who knows, maybe they would accept Marena too? She’s 
  got to be alive, no matter what those Aeon bastards did to her. 
  You’re just too young to be a widower. Either way, immersing 
  yourself in your work for the Academy makes you feel useful, 
  and you’ve found that you actually like teaching science classes 
  to the Academy’s students. And best of all, ever since that 
  young pup Martin joined the Academy, you’ve finally had enough 
  spare time to take up the bagpipe practice you’ve always 
  wanted to pursue! Somehow Ludmilla always seems to find even 
  more work to put on your plate after one of your practice 
  sessions, but that’s no big deal. It’s not like she could be doing 
  that on purpose...could she? 
  Gear: Laptop computer, cell phone, set of bagpipes. He will 
  carry whatever firearm he deems necessary when in combat, 
  favoring submachine pistols like the Uzi. 
  Nature: Martyr 
  Allegiance: Koltsov Academy  
  Occupation: 
  Teacher, 
  engineer, 
  quantum 
  physicist, 
  psychotronics expert, musician 
  Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 5, Appearance 2, Manipulation 5, Charisma 
  5 
  Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Computer 5 
  (Hacking, Programming, OpNet), Endurance 4, Engineering 5 
  (Computers, Construction, Electronics), Etiquette 4 (Formal 
  Occasions), Firearms 4, Intimidation 2 (Forbidding Gaze), 
  Investigation 4, Linguistics 5 (English native, Chinese, German, 
  Japanese, Russian), Martial Arts 3, Meditation 3, Melee 3 
  (Knives), Navigation 2, Perform 5 (Bagpipes, Flute), Rapport 3, 
  Resistance 5, Science 5 (Physics, Psychotronics, Quantum 
  Theory), Stealth 3, Streetwise 2, Thought Discipline 5 
  Backgrounds: Allies 5 (Koltsov Academy staff), Attunement 3, 
  Backing 4 (Koltsov Academy), Contacts 5, Dormancy 3, Eufiber 
  2, Gadget 5 (the Psychotronic Resonator), Node 4, Reputation 
  2 (as a crackpot fringe scientist), Resources 4.  
  Merits and Flaws: Costume Fetish: White lab coat, with an old 
  and much-mended tweed suit (-1), Curiosity (-2), Taint 
  Resistant (5), Totally incompetent at playing the bagpipes* (-3), 
  Annoying habit: incessantly practices his bagpipe playing in his 
  spare time (-1). 
  * Whenever Mallory attempts to play the bagpipes, treat any 
  successes from his Perform roll as botches, with “10s” counting 
  as two or more botches. Actual botches will count as successes 
  instead. Mallory also cannot use his Mega-Charisma dice to 
  lower the difficulties on his Perform rolls when attempting to 
  play the bagpipes. 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 36, Willpower 10, Taint 0 
  Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength � (Lifter), Mega-Dexterity 
  ��� (Accuracy, Fast Tasks, Fine Manipulation), Mega-Stamina 
  ��� (Adaptability, Regeneration, Resiliency, Tireless x3), 
  Mega-Perception ����� (Electromagnetic Vision, Psychic 
  Awareness, Quantum Attunement), Mega-Intelligence ����� 
  (Computer Prodigy, Discerning Mind, Fast Learner, Eidetic 
  Memory, Engineering Prodigy, Enhanced Memory, Inventive 
  Genius, Mathematical Savant, Scientific Prodigy, Speed Reading, 
  Taint Resistance), Mega-Wits ����� (Hypercognition, Lie 
  Detector, Prudence, Razor Wit, Synergy), Mega-Manipulation 
  ���� (Clarity, Hypnotic Gaze, The Voice), Mega-Charisma 
  ���� (Dreadful Mien, Pedagogue, Soothe) 
  Quantum Powers: Aberration Transfer ����� (Permanency), 
  Absorption: Energy �����, Cyberkinesis ����� (Alter Data, 
  Control, Fool, Overload, Reprogram), Deflect/Redirect ����� 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  26
  (Catch), Disimmunize �����, Disrupt ����� (Area), Force 
  Field ����� (Wall), Intuition �����, Luck �����, Matter 
  Chameleon �����, Psychic Shield �����, Quantum Bolt (raw 
  nuclear forces, Lethal) �����, Quantum Construct �����, 
  Quantum Conversion: Electricity �����, Quantum Forgery 
  ����� (Total Forgery), Quantum Leech �����, Quantum 
  Regeneration �����, Sensory Shield �����, Strobe: Sonic 
  �����** (Area), Stun Attack: Sonic Pulse �����** 
  ** Mallory’s Strobe and Stun Attack powers both require him to 
  play a set of bagpipes in order to use them. 
  Future Developments 
   
  As the clock steadily ticks down to the start of the 
  Aberrant War, the Koltsov Academy won’t be idle. Presented 
  here for your enjoyment are a few future events in which this 
  reclusive organization will be playing an important part. 
   
  �  The End of the People’s Revolution: In 2018, the Three 
  Gorges Dam in China collapses. This entirely natural disaster 
  pushes the People’s Republic of China to the breaking point, and 
  beyond. During the next four years, chaos reigns as local 
  administrators attempt to maintain the Communist Party’s hold 
  over the populace, only to fail miserably. With the Communist 
  Party rendered impotent and the mysterious disappearance of 
  the Heaven Thunder Triad creating a power vacuum, the time 
  becomes ripe for a loose alliance of rural revolutionaries and 
  university activists (the leaders of whom have been covertly 
  educated, trained, and organized by Ludmilla Zhdanov) to take 
  over China. In 2022 the New Chinese Empire is formed, and 
  China becomes a much safer and more civilized place to live in. 
  The Koltsov Academy begins covertly recruiting the more 
  reasonable Chinese novas, who are relocated to the Deep City. 
  Those Chinese novas deemed unsuitable by the Academy are left 
  to go their own way. The Academy also begins recruiting as 
  many acceptable latent Chinese and Russian novas as they can, 
  even to the point of recruiting the parents of infant latents. 
   
  �  Early Days of the NCE: While most of the actual work of 
  building and maintaining the New Chinese Empire is left to the 
  new baseline government, the Koltsov Academy still works 
  behind the scenes to protect it against outside threats. In 
  addition to keeping groups like Project Utopia, Proteus, the 
  Teragen and DeVries out of China; the Academy also helps 
  enforce the NCE’s restrictions on outside trade. This leads the 
  Academy novas into several covert conflicts with elites hired by 
  foreign corporations eager to reap some of China’s new 
  economic potential, but the Academy and the NCE prevail. 
   
  �  Dark Forebodings: Ever since 2011, both Ludmilla 
  Zhdanov and Grandfather Monkey have known that a 
  cataclysmic threat to both novakind and baseline humanity has 
  been looming on the horizon of the near future, and that it would 
  most likely take the form of global conflict between the two 
  human subspecies. They have ordered Mallory to secretly begin 
  construction of an extremely powerful psychotronic device that 
  will partially duplicate the telluric effect that cast the Deep City 
  through space and time back in 1930. When activated, Mallory’s 
  device will allow Vo Pai-lu to easily create warps capable of 
  bridging interstellar distances. Once a suitable planet in a fairly 
  distant star system has been located, Ludmilla and Grandfather 
  Monkey will have Vo Pai-lu warp the Deep City and everyone in 
  it onto the surface of the new world as soon as possible. Once 
  there, most of the Koltsov Academy novas will aid the former 
  Deep City’s baseline residents in establishing their new colony. 
  Another group of Koltsov Academy novas will remain on Earth, 
  both to aid in the planning of what will become the Chinese 
  Ultimatum and to recruit more baseline colonists from the Asian 
  populace. By the time the Aberrant War ends in 2061, the 
  majority of the Koltsov Academy novas and their baseline 
  relatives will have been long gone from Earth for almost two 
  decades. 
   
  �  The Seed of Doomsday: While the leaders of the Koltsov 
  Academy are planning to eventually leave Earth for good, they 
  are not about to abandon the NCE and baseline humanity 
  wholesale. This is why they have befriended Sophia Rousseau 
  and Max Mercer; in the hope that with the help of Æon and the 
  Aberrants, the NCE can prevent the extinction of baseline 
  humanity. In time, this tentative alliance will form the nucleus of 
  the group that will come up with the final solution to the 
  Aberrant War: the Chinese Ultimatum. 
  Story Hooks 
  So, now you have the inside information on the Koltsov 
  Academy. How are you, the Storyteller, going to fit this fairly 
  reclusive group in to your own Aberrant chronicle? Here are a 
  few suggestions: 
   
  �  Milk Carton Pictures: One of the characters might have a 
  young relative living somewhere in the Heaven Thunder Triad’s 
  territory, who winds up being murdered (possibly along with 
  other immediate family members) by Heaven Thunder Triad 
  thugs. The catch is that the police have no suspects; and there’s 
  little or no apparent motive for the murder, aside from HTT 
  thugs “making an example” out of the victims or simply indulging 
  their sadistic urges. If one of the characters has Quantum 
  Attunement and a sufficiently-high rating in Mega-Perception, 
  they might notice faint traces of quantum on the victims’ 
  bodies... 
   
  �  New Recruits: The characters are latent novas, covertly 
  rescued from the Heaven Thunder Triad and recruited into the 
  Koltsov Academy’s latest class of students. This would be great 
  for players who want to start out with a light-hearted chronicle 
  that can turn serious later on as the characters mature. Think of 
  this chronicle as a cross between Marvel Comics’ original New 
  Mutants series and one of those “Lost Underground City” 
  stories from the old pulp magazines. 
   
  �  The Downfall of Heaven’s Thunder: There are few 
  lengths that people will not go to in defending the lives of their 
  families, especially their children. And as far as the Koltsov 
  Academy is concerned, the nova-rendering operations of the 
  Heaven Thunder Triad is clearly the primary threat to all of 
  them, with Utopia’s nova sterilization program running a distant 
  second at best. In order to end the threat posed by the Heaven 
  Thunder Triad, agents of the Koltsov Academy have been laying 
  the groundwork for what would surely be considered one of the 
  greatest mass murders of all time, if the victims weren’t all 
  vicious criminals and murderers themselves. But is all but wiping 
  out the Heaven Thunder Triad the right thing to do? Does each 
  and every baseline member of the Heaven Thunder Triad 
  deserve to die like this? What would be the consequences of 
  making the Heaven Thunder Triad suddenly become nothing 
  more than another dark footnote in human history? What 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  27
  happens if the Nakato Gumi yakuza and/or the Camparelli-
  Zhukov Megasyndicate tries to move in on all that new 
  territory? Both of those criminal organizations have their own 
  nova-rendering operations too, you know... 
   
  �  ”You Say You Want A Revolution...”: For an epic 
  Aberrant chronicle, there’s nothing quite like being involved in 
  the political and social transformation of an entire country, 
  especially one that’s as gigantic as China. Characters can be 
  members of the Koltsov Academy, seeking to covertly aid and 
  direct the revolution and overthrow the corrupt Maoist regime. 
  Or they might be members (veteran or recently-erupted) of the 
  PRC’s Heavenly Exploding Mandate, who will have to choose 
  sides before a side chooses them. Elites could easily be hired to 
  stack the deck on either side of the battlefields. Members of the 
  Academy-backed revolutionary cells might have erupted 
  recently, and now seek to use their quantum gifts in the service 
  of the New Revolution. Project Utopia is certain to try and stick 
  its long nose into something this interesting, and where Utopia 
  goes, Proteus soon follows. Will the Teragen seek to convert the 
  ranks of the Heavenly Exploding Mandate, which only happens 
  to be the single largest organized force of novas on the planet, 
  to their cause? Will the Aberrants get mixed up in this situation? 
   
  Cults 
   
  Cult (kŭlt), n. – A religion or religious sect generally 
  considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often 
  living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an 
  authoritarian, charismatic leader.  
   
  – Dictionary.com 
   
   
   
  In the world of Aberrant, there are many different people 
  in many different factions that have many different goals. Some 
  of these groups are genuine in their goals. The Utopians, Terats 
  and the Directive are all large groups who have genuine 
  purposes (in general, not counting any international 
  conspiracies). However there are many more groups who aren’t. 
   
  Cults are small organizations that usually revolve around a 
  single person or idea. Throughout the world there are many of 
  these “cults of personality”, but they are particularly abundant 
  in places with higher costs of living and more freedoms, such as 
  the United States of America and other first world countries. 
   
  When a cult is first conceived there are a few things that 
  have to be put into place, and a few things that have to be 
  instilled into people. The first thing is the uniting idea. This can 
  really be anything that would cause a person to feel included or 
  give them a sense of family. When a new person comes into the 
  fold, they will be especially attentive to that person, slowly 
  nudging them into the ‘right direction’ as the cult sees it. The 
  cult will usually encourage the person to separate from their 
  natural family and friends in order to become closer to their new 
  family and friends. Sometimes this will lead to a separation from 
  society in general (leaving a very few who will go out into 
  society and recruit new people). Some cults will also encourage 
  giving up all worldly possessions so that everyone is equal 
  (usually giving it to the cult leader). 
   
  When indoctrinating a person into their belief structure 
  they will daily reiterate the cult’s core beliefs. They will 
  discourage dissent and engage in mind-numbing exercises such 
  as speaking in tongues and denunciation sessions. It’s also very 
  important for them to create an oppressed (Us vs. the world) 
  mentality for the entire cult. Such a mindset encourages the 
  feeling of family and togetherness and discourages people from 
  leaving. 
   
  The leader of the cult will often set himself off as a sort of 
  messiah. He will usually make claims that he is God, or that he is 
  the direct link to God(s). The attitude of encouraging people to 
  understand each other currently found in the first world 
  countries is a great aid to a cult’s recruiting efforts. The cultists 
  will usually approach potential new recruits in such a way that 
  refusing to give the cult a chance will make the recruits either 
  seem bigoted to each other or feeling like a bigot themselves. 
  Phrases such as “Don’t judge us until you know what we are 
  about,” and “You never know until you try,” are common in the 
  recruitment process. The leader will usually offer some sort of 
  prize to be given to the new recruits if they join the cult and 
  adhere to the cult’s philosophies. The prize offered can be 
  anything from assurance of eternal life in Paradise, to social 
  privileges within the cult or even an actual material gift of some 
  sort. The leader can also dispense punishments to cultists who 
  go against the cult’s doctrines. These can range from being 
  
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  forced to perform humiliating acts to being physically beaten or 
  restrained, although expulsion from the cult is both more 
  common and often devastating to a cultist. 
   
  It is important to note that while most cults won’t employ 
  all of these characteristic practices, every cult will use at least 
  two of them. What practices may be found within any given cult 
  will depend on the cult’s philosophies and doctrines, along with 
  the desires of the cult leader. 
   
  When creating a cult, either as a Storyteller for your 
  Aberrant chronicle or as a player for your would-be cult leader 
  character, you will want to make an outline detailing the basic 
  information about the new cult. 
   
  All cults will have a mission of some sort. A mission is a 
  simple sentence that will embody the core of what the cult’s real 
  goals are. Most cults will be out to make the leader rich or to 
  bring true enlightenment to the believers. Depending on the cult 
  it may be good to have two mission statements – one being the 
  true goal (to get money) and the other being the public goal, the 
  goal that’s meant to attract followers (salvation of the soul). 
   
  A cult always has to start somewhere, so it is always a good 
  idea to detail how everything started. This will usually coincide 
  with the most recent part of the leader’s life. It should include 
  where he came from, what the leader’s motivation for creating 
  the cult was and how he attracted the first members of his cult. 
  It is important to note that even though novas have an important 
  part in the world, baseline cult leaders will still greatly 
  outnumber the nova cult leaders. For purposes of this book we 
  will only deal with nova cult leaders. 
   
  Membership is an important part of being in a cult. All cults 
  will have a target personality type that they will try to recruit. 
  Most times potential cult recruits will be people with poor self-
  images, who tend to find the idea of a tight-knit family 
  appealing. People with low willpower are also common cult 
  recruits, as they tend to be easy to indoctrinate into a cult’s 
  particular way of thinking. Many make sure to target certain 
  groups of people to make the indoctrination easier. Satanic 
  cults, for example, will target punk and Goth teenagers who are 
  already familiar with the various concepts relating to the basic 
  beliefs of the cult. This part of the process is much easier for 
  Mega-Social novas. Instead of having to convince people that 
  this or that is correct, people are already attracted to the the 
  Mega-Social nova the cult is centered on. They already want to 
  be near the Mega-Social nova. While Social Mega-Attributes 
  only help slightly at lower levels (people like you, but not enough 
  to give their lives up for you), they are nearly irresistible at 
  higher levels, or in the right combinations. 
   
  The basic belief structure of the cult should also be taken 
  into account. It’s extremely vital to note the “how, what and 
  why” of an important cult belief, so that when a character tries 
  to debunk that belief, the cultists will always have important 
  reasons to support the belief in question. This way it’s much 
  easier to gain and keep cultists. All cultists are in some way 
  brainwashed by this doctrine. They are expected to take every 
  piece of the doctrine to heart, embracing it totally and without 
  question. As stated above, various techniques are used to keep 
  these in people’s minds in the proper mindset and totally 
  engulfed in the proper beliefs. It may be worthwhile to take the 
  time out to actually write a few possible questions down, and 
  find answers for them. When trying to answer them, keep in 
  mind the more all-inclusive an answer is, the better it will work. 
  When someone asks something (‘What is this for?’) you should 
  have a quick answer that should put their mind at ease (‘Because 
  God wills it’). Mega-Social novas will usually be able to dodge 
  these questions, or make a mundane or off-subject comment 
  seem like the answer to all of life’s questions with relative ease. 
   
  A list of the cultists’ common, everyday activities is often 
  helpful. These activities will usually include farming, recruiting 
  new members, meditation, and prayer sessions. This part is one 
  of the more important ones as it is going to be what keeps the 
  cultists busy (too busy to really start thinking about the cult 
  objectively), and what keeps the number of cult members up. 
   
  Finally you will want to consider who is already allied and 
  opposed to the cult. In the United States people keep a close eye 
  on cults in general, and an even closer one on nova cults in 
  particular. Colleges are almost always opposed to cults of any 
  sort because their campuses are a good recruitment ground for 
  new members. The police will oppose cults because they 
  represent an adherence to a different set of laws that usually do 
  not coincide with common law of the land. The general populace 
  will also have its own opinion about a cult based off of their 
  common perception of what the cult in question represents. One 
  of the main benefits (or hindrances, depending on which side 
  you’re on) of having a Mega-Social nova for a cult leader is that 
  he will initially have fewer people opposed to him than a baseline 
  cult leader would. Does he want to go recruiting at a college? A 
  quick, amiable chat with the dean will likely give the cult a 
  standing invitation to the campus. Is he the leader of a cannibal 
  cult? When the police ask questions about the recent 
  disappearances, he can reasonably and believably reassure them 
  that he and his followers had nothing to do with them. In the 
  courtroom it’s just as bad (assuming that the cult leader is ever 
  indicted), as the judge will no doubt come to like the cult leader, 
  or the jury might find themselves swayed by his quantum-fueled 
  personality. 
   
  Below, we’ve offered up a few diverse examples of 
  possible nova cults that can be used in the Aberrant setting. 
  Nova Cults 
   
  Nova cults are far more dangerous than their baseline 
  equivalents. 
   
  The vast majority of baselines won’t willingly or knowingly 
  join baseline cults. There just isn’t anything in them that says “I 
  want to give all my money to this guy and become his loyal 
  follower/slave”. This is why most all baseline cults have 
  recruitment practices that target the “weak” and look like 
  brainwashing. Even with these practices it takes a great deal of 
  effort and time (weeks to months) for their message to sink in 
  and their conversion process to take hold. 
   
  That just isn’t so for Mega-Social novas. There is an 
  attraction and apparent authenticity found in Mega-Social cult 
  leaders that simply isn’t present in delusional baselines. Mega-
  Social novas really can perform miracles (or at least miraculous 
  things), and even just being near them can feel like a religious 
  experience. Even the most mentally-stable of baselines can be 
  led to wonder if a Mega-Social cult leader shouldn’t be 
  worshipped. A nova with the right Mega-Social Attributes and 
  enhancements can convert most of the potential baseline cult 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  29
  members he meets, and can do so more quickly and with less 
  effort than his baseline counterparts. As most Mega-Social 
  novas routinely get many more successes on their Social rolls 
  than the typical baseline will have Willpower dice to resist, it’s 
  easy to see just how convincing a Mega-Social cult leader can 
  be, even without the use of enhancements or quantum powers. 
   
  That doesn’t mean that every baseline a Mega-Social cult 
  leader encounters will join his cult, but it does mean a nova cult 
  can spread with incredible speed. A Mega-Social cult leader with 
  the Healing power could heal 20 people a day, convince 25 to 
  join her group (i.e. people healed and their families), and in two 
  months she has 1000 worshipers. In a year she has enough votes 
  to swing local elections. Scarier still, groups like law 
  enforcement and the political establishment aren’t immune. 
  Dealing with an established cult may involve going up against 
  local laws, local law enforcement, the media, and especially the 
  general population.  
   
  It could be argued that after a cult reaches a certain size 
  and digs deeply enough into the fabric of society, it becomes a 
  full-fledged religion. Historically baseline cults have tended to do 
  this, but nova cults tend not to have that option. Over the long 
  term, novas are less stable than baselines because of taint. A cult 
  is a reflection of its founder. With nova cults that will be true 
  even if the leader becomes warped and twisted – physically, 
  mentally, and spiritually –  by Taint accumulation. Better still, 
  the whole “cult” environment may not be very healthy for a 
  nova. When everyone around a Mega-Social cult leader tells him 
  that he is God (and means it) on a regular basis, wouldn’t he start 
  to believe it? 
   
  What happens to the cult if and when the leader is removed 
  is up to the Storyteller. Some will cults will drift apart, some 
  cults will stay together, some will have their members suddenly 
  awake as from a bad dream, and others will go mad. 
   
  Below, we’ve offered up a few diverse examples of 
  possible nova cults that can be used in the Aberrant setting. 
   
  The de Leon Foundation 
   
  Most cults are cults of personality, existing out on the 
  fringes of society, and are often quite poor as well. This is a cult 
  of the wealthy, who worship the Tainted power of their very 
  own captive nova. At its core is the Terat once known as 
  Crumble, who has become trapped in his first – and last – 
  Chrysalis. A time-manipulator who worked with Caroline Fong, 
  Crumble had several aberrations that were causing him 
  difficulties. Like Fong, he went into Chrysalis, and also like her 
  he never came out. Crumble was captured in the same Utopian 
  raid that caught Fong, and transported to the Bahrain facility.  
    
  At that point their stories diverged. Dr. Daryl Rogers, the 
  first Utopian researcher to examine this bizarre cocoon, found 
  that animals caged near it grew younger as time passed. Rogers 
  quickly realized the potential of his discovery, and hid the 
  results from his superiors and coworkers. Later he reported that 
  Crumble had “accidentally” died during routine invasive surgery. 
  The task of smuggling Crumble out of Bahrain stymied Rogers, 
  until he realized that Crumble didn’t need to breathe and 
  couldn’t be poisoned. Crumble left Bahrain in a barrel of toxic 
  waste. Rogers quit Project Utopia, and demonstrated his find to 
  a very rich, very old benefactor by the name of Horatio de Leon. 
  A week later, Rogers died mysteriously in a car accident, as the 
  consequences of his desertion of Bahrain caught up with him. 
   
  Since then several old, prominent, wealthy, and very 
  powerful families in New York State have seen their patriarchs 
  move in together at Horatio de Leon’s old mansion. The 
  bedrooms upstairs are barely used, but down in the basement 
  there is an altar upon which Crumble rests in his Chrysalis. At 
  Horatio’s personal invitation, many of New York’s wealthy and 
  elderly have gathered here in his basement to regain their youth. 
  As they stare into the ever-shifting surface of Crumble’s 
  Chrysalis, Horatio and his followers know that they have their 
  own Fountain of Youth, and they will do anything to protect it. 
   
  �  Enemies: Pretty near all the big nova and anti-nova 
  organizations would disapprove of their existence, as might 
  some of their descendants (who won’t be getting their 
  inheritances), and the other big moves and shakers of society 
  who aren’t immortal. 
   
  �  Allies: This cult has the money to hire elites and employ 
  public defenders. They either control or have considerable 
  influence over many large corporations, small companies, 
  newspapers, politicians, law enforcement organizations, and 
  other segments of baseline society. 
   
  �  Goals:  Remain secret. Stay in control. 
  Methods and Operations 
   
  Any interference by player characters or perceived 
  attempts to discover what they are up to will be treated harshly, 
  but indirectly. If the player character works for a corporation 
  pressure will be put on them to have him moved to another city. 
  If the player character is a public defender, then it is likely the 
  mayor will step in and order him to back off. If the danger seems 
  high (for example, if Terats are involved) and/or there doesn’t 
  appear to be any other options, elites will be hired through cut-
  outs to “deal” with the situation. 
  The Mansion 
   
  Horatio de Leon’s 19th Century mansion is a massive three-
  story building, with a large grounds and a two-story brick wall at 
  the edge of the property. There is a swimming pool, but it has 
  been drained. It also has security, including cameras, and there 
  are always six baseline guards (use the stats for normal police 
  officers) on duty. Three trained attack dogs also roam the 
  grounds. None of the guards know that anything is amiss, and 
  they are all contractors who are rotated out to other 
  assignments every two years. Inside the mansion are four 
  servants (one butler and three maids), all of whom are elderly 
  and loyal members of the de Leon Foundation, along with the 
  wealthy cult members. 
   
  There are a dozen “guest” bedrooms on the third floor, 
  which are little-used as everyone sleeps in the basement. The 
  second floor has the master bedroom and various entertainment 
  areas. The first floor has the kitchen and a massive ballroom, 
  complete with a dance floor. In the 1950s, during the Red Scare, 
  the basement was converted into a bomb shelter at massive 
  expense. There is a partially-hidden door in the kitchen, from 
  which a stairwell leads down to the basement door, which is an 
  inch-thick plate of steel-reinforced iron. The door is locked 
  from the inside. 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  The basement walls, including the interior walls, are 16-
  inch thick concrete slabs covered with wood paneling. There is a 
  communications hub here, complete with full OpNet access. 
  Clean fresh water for the cultists is provided by a well, and there 
  is several years’ worth of food. There’s even a fully-functional 
  air recycling system installed, although it hasn’t seen much use. 
  The diseased heart of the mansion is here. The “altar” room is in 
  the middle of this structure, surrounded by makeshift beds and 
  workspaces. This is where the cultists spend most of their time. 
  For them, just being in the presence of their “god” is addictive. 
  Card tables have been set up with laptop computers and phones 
  so that the wealthy cultists’ business can be conducted without 
  having to leave the room. The wires trail openly from there to 
  the communications hub. The door to the bathroom has been 
  removed and mirrors set up so that it is possible to watch 
  Crumble even from in there. For the cultists, heady with their 
  increasing youth, this is paradise.   
  Dramatis Personae 
  Crumble 
   
  Background:  See above. 
   
  Image:  A twisted and twisting Chrysalis cocoon. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  N/A**. 
  Gear:  N/A**. 
  Nature:  N/A**. 
  Allegiance:  N/A**. 
  Attributes:  Strength N/A**, Dexterity N/A**, Stamina 4, 
  Perception N/A**, Intelligence N/A**, Wits N/A**, Appearance 
  0, Manipulation N/A**, Charisma 4 
  Abilities:  N/A**  . 
  Backgrounds:  Node 4 
  Merits and Flaws:  None. 
  Quantum 6, Quantum Pool 32, Willpower N/A**, Taint 4 
  (Baselines in his presence reverse age at a 6:1 ratio*, Baselines 
  in his presence gain a sense of immortality*, Clocks don’t work 
  in his presence**), Chrysalis 0. 
  Mega-Attributes: 
   
  Mega-Stamina 
  ��� 
  (Regeneration, 
  Adaptability, Resiliency x2), Mega-Charisma ��� 
  Quantum Powers:  Armor ��, Luck �����†, Temporal 
  Manipulation ���� 
  * The first two aberrations are the reverse of what he had 
  before he went into Chrysalis.  
  ** Crumble’s other aberrations and stats aren’t relevant inside 
  the cocoon. 
  † Crumble’s Luck still shows up on occasion. He can’t control it 
  now, but before he went into Chrysalis he was known for being 
  able to pick the direction time flowed. Technically Crumble 
  exercises no control over his followers...but he still has Mega-
  Charisma and it is still working. His “followers” really like him, 
  even if he is an alien thing at the moment. 
  Cult Members 
   
  Typical cult members have Resources 5, Influence 3-4, and 
  are at least 70 years old. What industry they are captains of is 
  deliberately left unspecified so it can be ones the player 
  characters are involved with. Suggested industries are: 
  Construction, Banking, News (TV and/or newspapers), etc. A 
  retired Congressman or Governor wouldn’t be out of line. 
  Story Hooks 
   
  Elites can be hired to remove people who know too much 
  or who are asking the wrong questions. Player characters 
  working for or with large companies can find themselves in the 
  middle of corporate power struggles as “dying old great-
  grandfather” suddenly gets more vigorous and decides to start 
  voting those shares himself and exerting more control over the 
  company. A player character nova with quantum awareness 
  might notice ‘someone’ has been tampering with good old 
  grandpa, his boss, his contact, his friend’s grandpa. 
   
  If the Teragen ever finds out about Crumble’s new 
  ‘occupation’ there are two possibilities: 
  1: Tötentanz (or the player characters, if they’re elites) gets 
  hired to kill any Terats who try to rescue Crumble. 
  2: Lots of dead, elderly and wealthy baselines...resulting in 
  condemnation of the Teragen for killing a bunch of weak old 
  men for no reason. Without inside information on the de Leon 
  Foundation, it would be tough for an observer to figure out what 
  was really going on after the fact. 
   
  Church of the 
  Immaculate Form 
   
  Mission Statement:  “We are the ultimate beings of 
  expression. Each of us...we have in ourselves the power to make 
  art so beautiful, music so powerful, and pain so wonderful. Each 
  of us in our turn is to give our gifts to the outside world, to let 
  them share in our arts. Now go, my children. Let them share in 
  our arts.” -Morbed, Shaper of Men 
  History 
   
  For the past seven years, the Church of the Immaculate 
  Form has been slowly moving into the spotlight of the French 
  high culture scene. Ever since their leader, Morbed, arrived; he 
  has been the inspiration and driving force behind the entire 
  movement. 
   
  In 2005, the Church gained access to and legally purchased 
  an old cathedral on the outskirts of Leon, France. This place is 
  home to some 20 regular people, all of whom are fiercely loyal 
  to Morbed. Morbed insists that they are all extremely talented, 
  and that even the least talented have a vast amount of raw 
  potential.  
   
  Since its founding the Church has been a haven for poor 
  artists and musicians to congregate and mingle among their own. 
  It is bolstered by the fact that Morbed is a fanatical speaker in 
  favor of a new culture, another renaissance that will soon see 
  the light of day. Some of the artists who hear about the Church 
  and visit decide to live there, much to the dismay of their 
  families. However, as long as the people want to be there, there 
  is nothing that the police can do. 
   
  The “Pure Artist Movement”, as the Church calls it, has not 
  been without its kinks. There has been much speculation about 
  Morbed’s powers and there are rumors floating around that he 
  makes an entirely new kind of art...one of pain and human flesh. 
  This has yet to be proven in the French courts and even the 
  Directive doesn’t have any real evidence to support that 
  theory...but the rash of disappearances in the area has raised 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  31
  some suspicion. No bodies are ever found and for some reason, 
  they can never get a search warrant for the Church. Some 
  suspect that he has some direct control over the local authorities 
  and that he has some secret passages in the building. 
   
  As of late, the Church has been doing extremely well 
  financially. The regular donations of their patrons, as well as 
  funding from their starlet Claudette’s musical career, has 
  allowed the cult to secure a comfortable lifestyle for themselves. 
  This has pleased Morbed to no end. Soon they plan to expand 
  even further south into France to spread the good word. 
  Methods and Operations 
   
  �  Membership:  Any artists are welcome, but only the ones 
  with some talent are allowed to stay. There is a lot of talent in 
  France, according to Morbed. 
   
  �  Activities:  There are regular concerts held by Claudette 
  in the main part of the Church. Every month people will pay a 
  moderate sum and listen to the wonder that is her music. There 
  is a perpetual art show going on inside and around the Church. 
   
  �  Allies and Enemies:  The Church has relatively few 
  friends. Most notable among them is the Harvester faction of the 
  Teragen. They view this cult as a movement of taint to purify 
  baselines and to mold them to one’s desires. Their only other 
  allies are local artists who respect their work. 
   
  Out of all their enemies, Project Utopia is the least 
  dangerous. Utopia’s reports of the recent disappearances being 
  linked to the Church remain unconfirmed, as they lack any solid 
  evidence as yet. Nevertheless, the Church remains wary of 
  Utopia, and of the local authorities as well. Perhaps the most 
  dangerous foes of the Church are the parents of the baseline 
  cultists. They feel like Morbed has stolen their children from 
  them, and want nothing more than to stop him for good, before 
  he takes away anyone else’s child into his flock. 
   
  �  Getting Involved:  To become involved with the Church is 
  easy. Be an artist. After that it becomes harder: you must prove 
  yourself not only to your peers, but to Morbed himself. Once 
  you do that, you are encouraged to stay and to help Morbed to 
  attain the new Renaissance. 
  Dramatis Personae 
  Morbed, Shaper of Man 
   
  Background:  Morbed would have you think that he has 
  been a nova for his entire life. He would also have you think that 
  he was an artist even longer. In actuality he was originally Pierre 
  De Lafou, an unknown in the artist community, who mysteriously 
  disappeared one night after an argument with his then girlfriend. 
  He ran to his studio and quietly erupted when he caught a rat 
  and created an entirely new art form. A few weeks later...his ex-
  girlfriend was found in a new form. Her face was horribly 
  disfigured in a style remarkably similar to a Picasso painting. 
  Since then she has gone through extensive plastic surgery...but 
  there are some scars which just won’t heal... 
   
  Image:  Morbed’s visage is truly horrifying. when most 
  people first see him, they can barely stop themselves from 
  feeling sick. His skin is yellowish and tight, to the point where 
  one can see his bones through it. His face is particularly 
  gruesome, looking almost like that of a decaying corpse. The 
  skin around his mouth has tightened so that his teeth are always 
  showing. Morbed almost always wears a black cloth trenchcoat, 
  fully buttoned up. The trenchcoat’s belt is drawn tightly around 
  his waist, showing all just how thin- emaciated, actually- he 
  really is. His hands are almost like bony claws, as if they are 
  nothing but skin, bone, and tendon. 
   
  While he is Mega-Ugly, he can manipulate people with only 
  a few words and with little difficulty. He can also alter a person’s 
  form like clay, though he has to actually touch the person to do 
  it. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  You are the ultimate artist. You use 
  visual, mental and even painful means to show your art. You and 
  your children are the ultimate in that department...and your 
  children had better be so. You are a teacher, and you gently 
  guide your children to their potential...you do not handle 
  disappointment with them very well though...and some of them 
  have left your flock never to be seen again after particularly bad 
  failures. 
  Gear:  Black trenchcoat 
  Nature:  Architect 
  Allegiance:  Art for art’s sake 
  Attributes:  Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Perception 4, 
  Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Ugliness 5, Manipulation 4, Charisma 4 
  Abilities:  Arts 5 (sculpture), Biz 3, Rapport 3, Style 4 
  Backgrounds:  Allies 2*, Followers 5, Node 2, Resources 4 
  Merits and Flaws:  Costume Fetish: black trenchcoat (-1). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 30, Willpower 7, Taint 6 (Lipless, 
  Dictator, and Sadism). 
  Mega-Attributes:  Mega-Strength � (Quantum Leap), Mega-
  Stamina � (Regeneration), Mega-Wits � (Artistic Genius), 
  Mega-Manipulation �� (The Voice), Mega-Ugliness �� 
  (Nightmarish) 
  Quantum Powers:  Armor ��, Claws �, Dominate ��, Form 
  Manipulation ��� (This is a Level 3 power similar to Elemental 
  Anima. He can use any of the alteration techniques listed, 
  although he must actually touch his target to do so.), Shapeshift 
  ��� 
  * These are some of his childhood friends that he has kept with 
  him through out all of this. He works his “art” on them 
  extensively and they act like his body guards. They have the 
  equivalent of: Perception 4, Intelligence 1, Wits 3, Appearance 
  0, Manipulation 0, Charisma 1, Mega-Strength �, Mega-Stamina 
  �. They aren’t the brightest bulbs in the bunch, but they follow 
  Morbed’s orders without fail as of yet, and to the letter. 
  Pierre LaFayette 
   
  Background:  Pierre was the poster child of the bohemian 
  world. He lived, worked, ate, slept and breathed art, and only 
  saw enough money from it to get by with a small apartment 
  (shared with a roommate) because of it. One day he met a 
  strange fellow calling himself Morbed at a market, where Pierre 
  was trying to sell some paintings so that he could buy food. 
  Morbed entranced him, and even though Pierre couldn’t see his 
  face, he could feel a bond forming between them. It was as if the 
  strange man knew exactly what Pierre was going through. Soon 
  afterwards he began to frequent Morbed’s home, where they 
  became fast friends. Pierre was the first member of Morbed’s 
  cult. Now, he is Morbed’s second-in-command. And he makes 
  very sure that everyone at the Church knows the grandeur that 
  is Morbed. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  32
   
  Image:  Pierre is a skinny, white Frenchman; who wears 
  black trousers, a red and white striped shirt, and a black beret. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  You are the first among Morbed’s 
  children. You know just how great his genius truly is. The rest of 
  Morbed’s children don’t seem to comprehend this, though. You 
  see fit to inform them about Morbed’s genius, and to flaunt your 
  seniority over them. You also act much like a preacher; 
  spreading Morbed’s word of a pure society where art and music 
  are appreciated, and everything that isn’t art is ignored. You 
  make sure that you give leeway to those people who deserve it, 
  but everyone else is fair game. 
  Gear:  Beret 
  Nature:  Follower 
  Allegiance:  Church 
  Attributes:  Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Perception 4, 
  Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Appearance 3, Manipulation 3, Charisma 
  2 
  Abilities:  Arts 3 (painting) 
  Backgrounds:  Influence 3, Status 2 
  Merits and Flaws:  Devotion to Morbed (2), Overconfidence (-1). 
  Willpower 3 
  Claudette 
   
  Background:  As a child Claudette had a natural talent for 
  music, which her beautiful little hands could manipulate as easily 
  as putty. Once they noticed their daughter’s potential, 
  Claudette’s parents took out loans, and made arrangements for 
  her to be tutored by the best (and only the best) musical 
  teachers in France. At the tender age of 8, Claudette was ready 
  to be presented to a large audience for her first official 
  production. She was an immediate hit. With her second 
  production, she paid off the loans her parents had taken out for 
  her musical education. With her third production, she had bought 
  a new house for her parents. Claudette’s life wasn’t all candy, 
  though. She was lonely for someone who could understand her 
  and her art. She had met a few adults who were great musicians 
  in their own right, but they were adults and couldn’t understand 
  what went on in her mind. At the age of 14 she met Morbed. He 
  looked at her with an understanding that she had never known 
  before. He knew everything that went on in her head, and how 
  she felt. After a few chance meetings with him she knew they 
  were destined to be together forever. With her money and 
  contacts they were able to buy a large, old cathedral in the 
  French countryside, and then she ran away from her parents. It 
  is when they caught her leaving with Morbed that she saw the 
  most beautiful, terrible thing in her life...Morbed’s new form of 
  art. That night she was so happy that they consummated their 
  relationship. And she has never looked back. 
   
  Image:  Your beauty is nearly unmatched in baseline 
  society. You like it that way because people will pay to see a 
  baseline performer of near-nova ability. Morbed has worked his 
  art on you and you absolutely adore him for it. Your wheat-
  colored hair, green eyes and freckled nose are just made to 
  break mens’ hearts, but your heart belongs to only one man. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  You are the best musician in France... 
  literally. You don’t flaunt this at all, but you know it. Most of your 
  time is spent either creating another masterpiece or with your 
  love. You do your absolute best to make him proud of you, and 
  you have never let him down yet. You are perhaps the 
  cultist/artist most loved by the Church as a whole (to Pierre’s 
  chagrin), but you don’t really take advantage of that, because 
  you are a generally nice person...albeit one who hasn’t thought 
  objectively about what Morbed has done yet. 
  Gear:  Piano 
  Nature:  Architect 
  Allegiance:  Church 
  Attributes:  Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2, Perception 3, 
  Intelligence 2, Wits 4, Appearance 5, Manipulation 2, Charisma 
  3 
  Abilities:  Arts 5 (music), Etiquette 4, Rapport 4 
  Backgrounds:  Backing 4, Influence 4, Resources 4 
  Merits and Flaws:  Devotion to Morbed (2). 
  Willpower 4 
  Story Hooks 
   
  �  One of the characters has a brother who loves art go 
  missing! He was last seen on a bus in France, going from Paris to 
  Leon. 
   
  �  Elite characters could get a call from their agency. A 
  group of the cultists/artists’ parents have banded together and 
  raised enough money to hire them to investigate Morbed and the 
  Church. 
   
  �  Project Utopia (or the Teragen) wises up to what 
  Morbed is doing, and sends the characters to stop him and shut 
  down the Church for good. 
   
  �  One of the characters is an art lover. She hears about a 
  revolutionary new school of art that is simply amazing! She just 
  has to visit there, and maybe even drag her philistine buddies 
  along for the ride... 
   
  Temple of the Inner Light 
   
  What is the Temple of the Inner Light? It’s part marketing 
  scam, part New Age religion, part social club, part Ponzi 
  scheme; all backed up by human gullibility, desire, and nova 
  powers. At its core, this cult believes that novas are “the next 
  step”. Whether that means the next step in evolution or the next 
  step towards God depends on who you talk to. Baseline recruits 
  are encouraged to think that joining the Temple and advancing 
  in its ranks wil make it more likely for them to erupt as novas. 
  The Temple has nine “circles” of membership. The outer circles 
  consist of baseline nova-wannabes, the inner circles consist of 
  novas and ranking baselines, and in between are the baseline 
  devotees. Baseline recruits advance in the Temple by recruiting 
  new members, by marketing the Temple’s products, by donating 
  money to the Temple, or by demonstrating their devotion to the 
  Temple in other ways. Baseline members of the inner circles get 
  to spend increasing amounts of time with the Temple novas, 
  which in turn makes it more likely that they will erupt as novas 
  themselves. This scientific fact is what has shielded the Temple 
  from charges of fraud.  
   
  Unlike most cults of this nature, this one appears to be the 
  real deal; no fewer than four novas have erupted after joining. 
  After the first few became public, membership took off like a 
  rocket, at last count they had over twenty-five thousand 
  members. Two of the eruptions occurred during special Temple 
  services designed to celebrate the spiritual advancement of the 
  person who then erupted, the most recent one on camera. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  33
   
  However, these homegrown eruptions at the Temple are 
  not “signs of God’s favor” or “someone’s spirit ascending”, but 
  instead are predicted by the Temple’s leader, Marcus. Marcus is 
  a powerful pretercognitive nova, who can sometimes foresee 
  nova eruptions. He then seeks out the latent novas he’s seen in 
  his precognitive visions and attempts to recruit them into the 
  Temple. Once they join, such recruits undergo a special course 
  of Temple indoctrination, due to their “spiritual advancement”. 
  Sometimes Marcus can also foresee if a person’s going to die in 
  the near future. He will then declare the person in question to be 
  “cursed by God” before the entire Temple, expel him or her 
  from the Temple if the person is a Temple member, and will take 
  credit for that person’s death from his followers when it 
  happens. 
   
  �  Allies and Enemies:  For two years after the Temple’s 
  founding, none of the large organizations took them seriously. It 
  was commonly assumed that the Temple’s novas had erupted on 
  their own before joining the Temple, and not the other way 
  around as Marcus claimed. After the Temple’s fourth “success”, 
  which was also their second recorded eruption during a Temple 
  service broadcast on the OpNet, all of the large organizations 
  noticed and began to revise their opinions of the Temple. No 
  group is actively hostile to the Temple just yet, but if Marcus 
  really does have a way to induce eruption in baselines then there 
  are potentially world-shaking implications. Both the Directive 
  and Project Utopia are quietly investigating the Temple, and the 
  Teragen has approached Marcus. The Church of Michael 
  Archangel is quietly going nuts over the whole situation, and has 
  already publicly denounced the Temple. 
  Dramatis Personae 
   
  Nova membership consists of 6 members counting Marcus. 
  Relationships between them are pretty cordial. 
  Marcus 
   
  Background:  Originally Joe Markson was a small time 
  aviation instructor. He erupted when he was struck by lightning 
  while giving a test flight. Before the plane hit the ground he saw 
  everything, and knew everything. He saw at last that his ex-wife 
  had left him because he was an alcoholic. He saw what a waste 
  his life had been. And he saw the future and what he interpreted 
  as God’s plans for him. After the plane hit he healed himself, his 
  student, sold everything he owned and traveled to Phoenix 
  where he knew he would meet Cassandra. 
   
  Image:  Marcus appears to be a fairly average-looking 50 
  year old Caucasian man with black hair, that has faded to silver 
  in his beard. In person his personality hits like a hammer. There 
  is fire in his eyes and in his belly. Even over the OpNet his 
  sermons are magnetic, and in person it is like listening to the 
  voice of God. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:   You KNOW! God has personally 
  revealed to you what your role is to be. It is your holy duty to 
  lead everyone to the next step, where novas commune with God 
  and baselines follow until such time that they are spiritually 
  evolved enough to erupt themselves. Although you are part of 
  this world, you are not “of” this world. You have a duty to your 
  flock, especially your spiritually advanced nova flock, to your 
  church, and most of all, to the future. Violence is generally 
  unnecessary and counter productive. 
   
  Theme:  The revealing holy light 
  Gear:  Pilot’s license 
  Nature:  Visionary 
  Allegiance:  Temple of the Inner Light 
  Occupation: Cult Leader 
  Attributes:  Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Appearance 3, Manipulation 4, Charisma 
  5 
  Abilities:  Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Command 2, Drive 1,  
  Diplomacy 2, Endurance 3, Etiquette 2, Gambling 1, Instruction 
  2, Intimidation 1, Linguistics 1 (English native, Spanish), Martial 
  Arts 2; Medicine 1, Meditation 1, Navigation 1, Perform 5, Pilot 
  2, Rapport 4, Resistance 3, Style 1, Subterfuge 2 
  Backgrounds:  Allies 5 (the other cult novas), Backing 5, Eufiber 
  5, Followers 5, Influence 4, Node 2, Resources 5 
  Merits and Flaws:  None. 
  Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 9, Taint 3 
  Mega-Attributes:  Mega-Stamina �� (Hardbody), Mega-
  Perception ��� (Electromagnetic Vision, Quantum Awareness), 
  Mega-Manipulation �� (The Voice, Persuader), Mega-Charisma 
  ���� (Commanding Presence, Inspiration) 
  Quantum Powers:  Bioluminescence ���, Flight ��, Force Field 
  ���, Healing ��, Intuition ��, Pretercognition ����, Psychic 
  Shield ���� 
  Cassandra “Cassy” Jackson 
   
  Background:  Cassandra Jackson was an Olympic Decathlon 
  hopeful, before injuring her right knee badly enough to 
  disqualify her from competing. After that, she found out that 
  there really wasn’t much of a market for failed, nearly crippled 
  athletes. After several years of hard luck she was seriously 
  considering prostitution when Marcus found her. He had just 
  erupted and when he talked to her about visions, churches, 
  prayers, and all that she thought he was nuts. But he was a nova 
  and if he wanted to create a church and give her a job based on 
  her potential that was better than anything else she had going. 
   
  Then she prayed with him and erupted. He had been right 
  about everything. Instead of being a failure at everything, she 
  was now successful at everything. She was also his first recruit. 
   
  If Marcus is the heart and soul of the Temple, Cassy is its 
  head. She runs and organizes most of the mundane Temple 
  activities. She does the hiring of baselines, mostly from Temple 
  followers but not always. 
   
  Image:  Cassy appears to be a very attractive black woman 
  in her mid twenties. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  Marcus is right, and even has a direct 
  line to God, but his organizational abilities are limited. You are 
  the one who really makes things happen around here. This is 
  your Olympics. You measure yourself in how smoothly 
  everything runs, and in the upward curves on the graphs you 
  make of the Temple’s membership and finances. 
  Gear:  Laptop, Cell phone 
  Nature:  Architect 
  Allegiance:  Temple of the Inner Light 
  Occupation:  Cult Leader (Head of Personnel). 
  Attributes:  Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Perception 4, 
  Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Appearance 4, Manipulation 4, Charisma 
  4 
  Abilities:  3 dots in each ability; Linguistic specialties are English 
  native, French, German, and Spanish. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  34
  Backgrounds:  Allies 5 (the other cult novas), Backing 5, Eufiber 
  5, Followers 5, Resources 4 
  Merits and Flaws:  None. 
  Quantum 1, Quantum Pool 22, Willpower 10, Taint 0 
  Mega-Attributes:  Mega-Strength � (Quantum Leap), Mega-
  Stamina � (Regeneration), Mega-Dexterity � (Fast Tasks), 
  Mega-Perception � (That Creepy Feeling), Mega-Intelligence � 
  (Administrative Prodigy, Tactical Prodigy), Mega-Wits � (Lie 
  Detector), 
  Mega-Appearance 
  � 
  (Mirroring), 
  Mega-
  Manipulation � (Persuader), Mega-Charisma � (Soothe) 
  Quantum Powers:  None. 
  Sharon Greenstone 
   
  Background:  Sharon is both the most powerful and the 
  most unstable of the Temple novas. She can control nature and 
  even life itself. She can alter the weather, control the winds, 
  throw lightning, call and control animals or insects, heal with a 
  touch, or cause a person’s own “life force” to slowly drain away. 
  She was the one who prevented Noel’s eruption from injuring 
  anyone. She is also the only Temple nova whose Social Mega-
  Attributes work through video broadcasts. She is a magnet for 
  men and two thirds of the Temple’s followers are male. She is 
  also high strung, something of a camera hog, can barely read or 
  write, and has affairs with Temple followers. She finds healing 
  someone while on camera to be an act that affirms her beliefs. 
   
  Before her eruption Sharon was a friendless 52 year old 
  housewife with an abusive husband. She had also been a frump 
  her entire life, and her husband repeatedly told her that she was 
  nothing and nobody. She erupted while he was beating her. She 
  beat him to almost to death, healed his injuries, and then 
  watched him die very slowly over the next few days of some 
  wasting sickness. Marcus showed up after her eruption and 
  helped her and the authorities deal with her husband’s sickness 
  and death. Note Sharon does not casually use her “curse of 
  nature” (her Poison power) power and she is not publicly known 
  to have it. She leaves a trail of brokenhearted lovers, but not 
  dead ones. 
   
  Image:  Sharon is a drop dead gorgeous woman of 
  indeterminate (but young) age. She is now a green eyed red 
  head. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  You have discovered the spotlight, and 
  you love it. Granted, Marcus is scary in his insight and 
  knowledge, but that doesn’t matter. What is important is that 
  proper attention must be paid to you. The camera must capture 
  you correctly. Various men must court you to demonstrate that 
  you are both beautiful and a person of importance. The ultimate 
  rush is using your powers on camera, especially healing. Healing 
  shows God’s favor and attention, and it focuses everyone else’s 
  attention on you as well, especially in that new robe with the low 
  neckline. 
  Gear:  None 
  Nature:  Gallant 
  Allegiance:  Temple of the Inner Light 
  Occupation:  Cult Leader 
  Attributes:  Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 2, Wits 5, Appearance 5, Manipulation 2, Charisma 
  5 
  Abilities:  Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Drive 1, Endurance 3, 
  Interrogation 1, Intimidation 3, Martial Arts 2, Meditation 2,  
  Perform 3, Rapport 2, Resistance 3, Style 3, Subterfuge 2 
  Backgrounds:  Allies 5 (the other cult novas), Backing 5, Eufiber 
  5, Followers 5, Node 3, Resources 4  
  Merits and Flaws:  Uneducated (-5). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 30, Willpower 5, Taint 4 (Lusty) 
  Mega-Attributes:  Mega-Strength � (Crush, Lifter), Mega-
  Dexterity ��� (Physical Prodigy), Mega-Stamina ��� 
  (Regeneration, 
  Resiliency), 
  Mega-Perception 
  � 
  (Hyperenhanced Hearing), Mega-Wits � (Quickness), Mega-
  Appearance ���� (Almost Live, Seductive Looks) 
  Quantum Powers:  Animal Mastery ���, Force Field �� (wall of 
  wind), Healing ���, Poison ��� (Aggravated), Psychic Shield 
  ��, Quantum Bolt ���� (Lethal, lightning bolt), Telekinesis 
  ��� (wind control), Weather Control ���� (Alter 
  Temperature, Control Weather, Fog, Windriding) 
  Nate “Stone Face” Clayton 
   
  Background:  The only child of a lawyer and an artist, 
  Nate’s unstable mother killed herself when he was six. His father 
  was not supportive of him becoming an artist, and put a great 
  deal of pressure on him to become a lawyer.  
   
  Nate was the first nova to erupt on camera during a 
  broadcast Temple service. Having foreseen Nate’s eruption, 
  Marcus had ordered his followers to blanket a specific college 
  dorm building with recruitment fliers for the Temple. Nate 
  happened to reside in that dorm, and attended a Temple service 
  with some friends as a lark. During the broadcast service, 
  Marcus pointed Nate out to everyone as being “especially 
  evolved”. Nate erupted two weeks later while attending another 
  broadcast Temple service. Nate’s hair and irises changed from 
  black to granite gray during his eruption. Since then, he has 
  dropped out of college to pursue his career in sculpting. Every 
  now and then Nate’s very strong-willed father visits him, in 
  order to convince him to return to college and the pre-law 
  program. 
   
  Nate’s eruption gave him the power to turn himself into 
  animate stone, and to reshape stone at will. He’s rapidy 
  becoming a world-renowned sculptor, specializing in crafting 
  stone faces and busts of famous people. His nova abilities allow 
  him to see not only what’s inside people’s bodies, but their 
  psyches as well. He uses this insight in making his scupltures, 
  which are noted for their uncannily accurate reflection of his 
  subjects’ personalities as well as their appearance. 
   
  Image:  Nate is youthful 21 year old Hispanic man with dark 
  gray hair and eyes. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  You lived under your father’s shadow 
  your entire life, and now you have finally come into your own. 
  Marcus is a true visionary, and everything about your new path 
  rings true. Not only did Marcus help you erupt(!), but even the 
  nature of your eruption shows that art and religion are your true 
  callings. Art and religion are far more rewarding, in every way, 
  than law ever was or ever would be. You will never be the 
  carbon copy of your father that he wanted. You are sorry if that 
  causes him pain, and if you remind him of your mom. But all you 
  have to do is look in the mirror or at any of the faces you have 
  created since your eruption to know that Marcus has the right of 
  it. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  35
  Gear:  Sketch Pad, Pencils 
  Nature:  Follower 
  Allegiance:  Temple of the Inner Light 
  Occupation:  Artist, Cult Leader 
  Attributes:  Strength 5, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 3, Wits 5, Appearance 2, Manipulation 2, Charisma 
  2 
  Abilities:  Academics 3, Arts 4 (sculpting), Athletics 1, 
  Awareness 3, Brawl 3, Bureaucracy 1, Computer 1, Drive 1, 
  Endurance 3, Linguistics 1 (English native, Spanish), Melee 3, 
  Might 3, Perform 2,Resistance 3, Style 1, Subterfuge 1, Weave 1   
  Backgrounds:  Allies 5 (the other cult novas), Backing 4, Eufiber 
  4, Node 1, Resources 4 
  Merits and Flaws:  None. 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 30, Willpower 4, Taint 3 
  Mega-Attributes:  Mega-Strength � (Lifter), Mega-Stamina 
  ��� 
  (Hardbody), 
  Mega-Perception 
  � 
  (High-End 
  Electromagnetic Scan), Mega-Wits �� (Artistic Genius, Natural 
  Empath) 
  Quantum Powers:  Bodymorph: Stone ��� (Density Increase x2, 
  1 dot of Armor), Elemental Mastery: Stone � (Shaping) 
  Lee Cardman 
   
  Background:  The nova who now calls himself “Lee 
  Cardman” was a high school physics teacher who was grading 
  papers on his computer one night, when his house caught on fire. 
  His eruption allowed him to escape the burning house though the 
  electrical system of his computer, and from there into the local 
  power grid. After materializing in an abandoned gas station, Lee 
  quicky realized that he had become a nova. Having gained 
  superhuman intelligence, he also realized a way to escape from 
  his rather dull prior existence as a baseline. Keeping his eruption 
  a secret; Lee faked his own death, abandoned his teaching job 
  and assumed a new identity. He then moved to another city, 
  where he became a day trader. Several months and millions of 
  dollars later, he repeated the process again, creating his present 
  identity of the multimillionaire “Lee Cardman” in another city. 
   
  By coincidence (?), Marcus chose to set up his Temple only 
  a few miles away from Lee’s new mansion. Figuring that he’d 
  best check out this nova cult, Lee investigated the Temple from 
  a distance with his cyberkinetic powers, and even dormed down 
  to pose as a baseline while attending a Temple service. At first, 
  the Temple looked like nothing more than a social club for novas 
  that was funded by gullible baselines. As far as Lee was 
  concerned, saying that “novas are the next step (in evolution)” 
  seemed to be just sugar-coating the truth for the masses. It 
  wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t especially interesting to Lee. 
  Activities such as healing the sick or pandering to the masses 
  weren’t of any interest to him either. 
   
  However, the notion that Marcus was establishing a new 
  way for novas and baselines to interact with each other was 
  interesting to Lee. Investigating the Temple more closely, Lee’s 
  interest in the Temple began to increase. The women among the 
  Temple’s novas (specifically Sharon) were hot, but what really 
  drew Lee’s interest was that there really seemed to be 
  something to Marcus’ claim of being able to help baselines erupt 
  as novas. Lee came out of dormancy during a Temple service, 
  and sensed that the Temple novas weren’t lying. Witnessing 
  Nate Clayton’s eruption during a later Temple service finally 
  convinced Lee to join the Temple. Whatever it is that Marcus is 
  doing, Lee wants a part of it. 
   
  Image:  Lee is a 32 year old nondescript Caucasian man. For 
  a nova he looks a great deal like a baseline. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  Stay quiet. You see everything coming. 
  Your accelerated mind means very few people are your mental 
  equal, and even the few that are find it impossible to surprise 
  you. Most conversations aren’t worth the bother. You don’t 
  believe in any of the religious trappings of the Temple, but 
  conveying that would cause problems so you don’t mention it. 
  Marcus is an idiot, one of those poor deluded types who insist on 
  coloring their gifts with religion, but that doesn’t really matter. 
  Experience has taught you the vast majority of people are far 
  more like Marcus than like you. No matter how “wrong” Marcus 
  is, as the saying goes, “if it’s stupid but it works then it isn’t 
  stupid.” 
   
  Any way you view it, the Temple is turning out to be a very 
  good thing. On one level it’s a social club for novas, funded by 
  baselines. Your fellow novas may not be your intellectual peers, 
  but it is nice being with them. On another level it’s a lesson in 
  how baselines and novas can get along. Marcus isn’t kidding 
  when he talks about “the new order”. On yet another level 
  Marcus appears to be able to cause eruptions. That’s significant 
  and deserves a lot more study. 
  Gear:  Laptop computer 
  Nature:  Analyst 
  Allegiance:  Temple of the Inner Light 
  Occupation:  Scientist, Cult Leader 
  Attributes:  Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Perception 5, 
  Intelligence 5, Wits 3, Appearance 2, Manipulation 4, Charisma 
  3 
  Abilities:  Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Biz 3, Drive 1, Endurance 3, 
  Instruction 2, Navigation 2, Perform 2, Pilot 1, Resistance 3, 
  Stealth 1, Style 1, Subterfuge 3, Tactics 2, All Intelligence skills 
  at 3 dots; Linguistic specialties are English native, Chinese, 
  Japanese, and Spanish. 
  Backgrounds:  Allies 5 (the other cult novas), Backing 4, Cipher 
  5, Dormancy 3, Eufiber 5, Influence 3, Node 1, Resources 5 
  Merits and Flaws:  None. 
  Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 7, Taint 0 
  Mega-Attributes: 
   
  Mega-Perception 
  ��� 
  (Quantum 
  Awareness), Mega-Intelligence ��� (Analyze Weakness, Fast 
  Learner, Financial Prodigy, Investigative Prodigy, Scientific 
  Prodigy), Mega-Wits ���  (Lie Detector) 
  Quantum Powers:  Cyberkinesis ��� (Alter Data, Overload, 
  Reprogram), Invulnerability: Electricity ��, Premonition ���, 
  Transmit ���� (electrical power lines) 
  Noel Colton 
   
  Background:  Tiffany Colton became a single, unwed 
  mother at the age of 16. Determined to keep her daughter, by 
  working two jobs and taking state assistance Tiffany was barely 
  able to keep food on her table. With her mother having to work 
  two jobs and moving to a new apartment on a regular basis, little 
  Noel grew up emotionally distanced from her mother. Unknown 
  to either of them, Marcus had foreseen that Noel would erupt as 
  a nova in one of his precognitive visions. Marcus ordered 
  Cassandra to offer Tiffany a job working for the Temple’s 
  administrative office. Faced with the prospect of finally being 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER ONE:  FACES OF THE WORLD 
  36
  able to earn a very healthy salary, Tiffany eagerly accepted 
  Cassandra’s offer. Mother and daughter joined the Temple 
  together that very same day. 
   
  Two months after joining the Temple, Noel became the 
  second nova to erupt on camera during a broadcast Temple 
  service, and is the newest member of the inner circle of the 
  Temple. Noel’s eruption gave her control over ice, which is what 
  she felt that her pre-eruption life had been made up of. The 
  other Temple novas have made an effort to make their youngest 
  member feel welcome. Noel feels that the Temple is the first 
  real home that she has ever had. 
   
  Image:  Noel is a pretty 12 year old girl with ice blue eyes 
  and hair. 
   
  Roleplaying Hints:  Life’s been tough. Every other year 
  you’ve been the new kid on the block, and everyone always 
  stared aghast at the poor little almost-homeless girl with the bad 
  clothes trying to fit in. Mom’s new job seemed like a godsend 
  but you knew that it was too good to be true. Sure, everyone 
  seemed friendly on the surface; but in a few months Mom would 
  be let go, fired, or whatever, and the two of you would be out on 
  the street again. Worse, Marcus’ claims of “special plans” and 
  “spiritual evolution” were way too good to be true and you’d 
  figured he was getting ready to play “daddy”. 
   
  And then “bang”. Marcus called on God to make you erupt, 
  God followed suit, and that redheaded tramp used her power to 
  stop you from freezing everyone. For once, you were on the 
  inside. One of the rich, popular kids. One of the kids with a 
  family who cares about them. You even have blue hair to tell 
  everyone who and what you are. A part of you is waiting for it to 
  end, but the rest of you is either enjoying the feeling, or trying 
  to make sure it never does end. 
  Gear:  None 
  Nature:  Survivor 
  Allegiance:  Temple of the Inner Light 
  Attributes:  Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Perception 2, 
  Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Appearance 4, Manipulation 3, Charisma 
  3 
  Abilities:  Academics 2, Arts 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 1,  
  Bureaucracy 2, Endurance 3, Legerdemain 1, Linguistics 1 
  (English native, Spanish), Perform 2, Rapport 1, Resistance 3, 
  Ride 1, Stealth 1, Streetwise 2, Style 2, Subterfuge 2, Survival 1 
  Backgrounds:  Allies 5 (the other cult novas), Backing 3, Eufiber 
  3, Resources 3 
  Merits and Flaws:  Child (-4). 
  Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 30, Willpower 3, Taint 4 (ice blue 
  hair) 
  Mega-Attributes:  Mega-Stamina � (Adaptability) 
  Quantum Powers:  Elemental Mastery: Ice ����� (Storm, 
  Movement, Imprison, Shield, Blast) 
  Story Hooks 
   
  What’s the problem? The novas of the Temple of the Inner 
  Light are fairly clean, they don’t seem to be abusing either their 
  baseline followers or their nova powers...in short, they are fairly 
  decent people. It’s reasonable to ask “What’s the problem 
  here?” 
   
  The problem with the Temple of the Inner Light is this: 
  what effect will it have on society, and can the various factions 
  tolerate the Temple’s existence? The India Syndrome is bad 
  enough in the small villages of India. It is an exaggeration to say 
  that any baseline who attends a Temple service will be 
  converted and join, but a good percentage of them will. There 
  are a lot of ordinary people out there with average or below-
  average willpower, and Marcus and his crew really are 
  performing “miracles” and healing the sick. 
   
  To put the question of abuse into perspective; there isn’t 
  much point in robbing a bank when you can get far more money 
  legally. This same logic applies to just about any abuse of power 
  imaginable. Wilt Chamberlain managed to sleep with 20,000 
  women, and he didn’t have Social Mega-Attributes. 
   
  Is the social structure of the Temple going to be the model 
  for how baselines and novas will interact with each other in the 
  future? Will other novas join the Temple? Will the characters 
  join? Will the characters try to shut down the Temple? 
  Everything Marcus and his followers are doing is legal, but does 
  that matter? How are the baseline politicians going to react 
  when the ranks of the Temple’s followers start swelling into the 
  hundreds of thousands? What if Marcus ordered all of those 
  followers to vote for or against someone? What will Project 
  Utopia and the Teragen make of all this? The Temple of the 
  Inner Light has the potential to spread, and that doesn’t even 
  deal with the issue of whether or not Marcus can really make 
  baselines erupt as novas.  
   
  Independent characters might visit the Temple simply to 
  see for themselves what is going on there, and novas from the 
  other factions may be sent to investigate by their superiors. 
  Marcus will welcome any and all novas who visit the Temple of 
  the Inner Light, and will unabashedly try to convert them. With 
  his Pretercognition, it’s quite likely that Marcus will foresee any 
  such visitors coming, and make appropriate arrangements. 
   
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  37
  CHAPTER TWO:  
  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
   
   
   
  One of the joys of playing a Mega-Social nova is the rush of 
  control.  Novas of social acumen grace the floor with their beauty, 
  charm or their underhanded ploys.  Always ready to dazzle the 
  baselines and less socially gifted novas, Mega-Social novas excel 
  at manipulating the casual observer’s perceptions or “People 
  Hacking” as one technologically savvy reporter decried it.  
  Storyteller’s may find this type of nova a danger that can 
  sidetrack their finely tuned stories and Mega-Social players are 
  often frustrated at the seeming lack of impact their nova is having 
  on the media and their fan base in the social arena.  There exist 
  techniques and guidelines that can allow both Storytellers and 
  Players to enjoy the Social game of one-upmanship in the world of 
  Aberrant. 
   
  People Hacking 101 
  (Friend or Foe?) 
   
  Mega-Social novas are in a unique position to acquire many 
  low-level followers or contacts through role-playing and normal 
  character interaction.  This can both add to and hinder the gaming 
  experience.  By defining the types of people a Mega-Social nova 
  may attract and identifying their strengths and weaknesses, both 
  Storytellers and Players can negotiate the best way to handle 
  these followers in play.  
   
  There are generally three types of followers that a social 
  nova can attract without purchasing the Followers Background 
  (though until the background is either purchased or increased, 
  these followers are only temporary), the fan, the lover and the 
  victim. The fan will do anything to be close to the Mega-Social 
  nova of their dreams.  Unfortunately, the fan’s perception of the 
  nova rarely matches the reality. Ironically, it is the outwardly 
  attractive nova gifted with Mega-Appearance who most often 
  attracts this sort of follower.  The lover believes that only that 
  special nova can understand them and fulfill their needs.  This sort 
  of follower can usually only be maintained by a nova gifted with 
  Mega-Charisma, though once the lackey’s needs are known they 
  are often the easiest to keep happy and maintain, as long as the 
  nova cares to.  The victim is a lackey through connivance or 
  trickery, and rarely willing to help to the nova.  Through blackmail 
  – financial, emotional, or political – the nova controls and keeps 
  the victim in line. 
  Fans  
   
  “Sure I can help you… are you free for dinner tonight?”   
   
  Fans, those one in a dozen baselines that think it would be, 
  “so amazing” if they had a picture of you standing beside them. 
  These casual lackeys will do what ever it takes to get a look or a 
  smile from the nova of their dreams.  If the nova thinks the Fan is 
  equally cool or nova worthy, the Fan will faun all over their idol.  
  Of limited value, the Fan is most useful for simple low risk 
  requests.  If the nova needs a competent and informed follower, 
  look elsewhere. 
  Lovers 
   
  “Only you truly understand me!” 
   
  Lovers are driven to feel wanted and special; these followers 
  delve into the inner pathos and passions of the nova and try to 
  understand the nova’s true self.  Once they gain the ear of that 
  special nova, they are determined to prove their worth, and as 
  some Lovers do point out, how the nova could improve.  Devoted 
  and true, best describes this follower, but they still mean very 
  little to their nova, at least until they prove their worth. 
  Victims 
   
  “If I disobey, she will ruin me.” 
   
  Victims, spend most of their time wondering, “What did I do 
  to deserve this?”  Victims are those unique followers that hate the 
  nova almost as much as they hate themselves.  Trapped between 
  their crime and the nova’s desires, the Victim strives to free 
  themselves from the nova’s machinations.  As long as the nova has 
  clear and precise instructions for the victim they rarely dare to 
  disobey. As soon as the nova’s back is turned, however, they will 
  either twist or ignore the instructions to the greatest extent they 
  believe they can get away with. 
  So You Have a Follower…   
   
  …what are you gonna do? 
   
  The Number One Fan, this follower may worship the ground 
  you hover-over, but what will they do, and how might they hurt 
  you?  Most followers if given a chance to help the nova, depending 
  on their relationship, will do it.  What may make the difference 
  between true help and a major hindrance will depend on three 
  factors, luck, insight, and intention. 
   
  Not all followers want the best for their nova.  Most Victims 
  and some Lovers will want the nova to fall into hardship: either to 
  be able to come to the nova's rescue, or just to see the nova 
  suffer for a change.  If ever a player starts to depend on one of 
  their followers, that is the cue for the Storyteller to have the 
  follower start demanding payback for all the favors the nova ever 
  asked of them.  Storytellers need to remember that followers are 
  people with very real feelings, and though they might not be able 
  to directly harm or threaten most novas, they can easily unite with 
  forces that can. 
   
  Some followers know their patron nova so well, that they can 
  take the initiative and gather a little information without being 
  asked, others, well they try, but when they turn up with some hot 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  38
  news, it might be about a band or political group that has nothing 
  to do with the nova’s current situation, or might just be wrong.  
  Followers lacking the cognitive or manipulative abilities of a nova, 
  are very easy to fool in comparison an enemy of the nova would 
  be foolish not to use that weakness to its fullest. 
   
  For example, Lucian is a Mega-Social nova, who has been 
  hearing rumors that Omni and his gang of zealots are moving into 
  his neighborhood.  Deciding that his presence would be too easy to 
  detect at one of Omni’s rallies he asks one of his lackeys to attend 
  in his stead.  This set-up is perfect for the corruption or 
  misleading of a follower.  Depending on Omni’s abilities the 
  follower could be converted or completely misinformed.  A 
  vigilant player will arrange things to reduce such subversion or at 
  least to keep an eye on it.  Imagine Lucian’s horror when he 
  discovers that Omni already has members in Lucian’s gang. 
   
  Not all followers are lucky enough to even be useful to their 
  nova all of the time.  For example, that bartender that always 
  knows your favorite drink, and will mention who he saw coming 
  through the bar today, might not have noticed when Count Orzaiz 
  walked in, since he was busy getting a drink for a customer at the 
  other end of the bar. 
  So You Have a Nova…  
   
  …what will you do for him?  
   
  The three different followers described above each serve 
  their nova differently; in the Aberrant world many opportunities 
  can and do arise. 
   
  The Fan in a conflict of novas will only stick themselves in 
  the way of conflict when they believe their favorite nova can 
  protect them.  All other risks are too risky for any payoff.  What it 
  boils down to is that the Fan will only stand in for their patron. 
   
  The Lover in a conflict of novas will risk life and limb for a 
  special word or gesture from their favored nova, even if the nova 
  in question won’t know about it until they return battered and 
  bruised with their tale. This does not mean they will necessarily 
  fight a lost cause, only that they will take greater calculated risks. 
   
  The Victim in a conflict of novas will turn on the nova 
  overlord if they believe that by doing so will remove any hold the 
  nova has on their life.  If the controlling nova is cruel enough, the 
  Victim may do it just to make the nova feel a portion of the pain 
  the Victim has suffered. 
  You Can Never Have  
  Too Many Sycophants 
   
  In Adventure!, the premise of possessing hundreds of 
  contacts or followers is introduced; the following section 
  discusses how such background traits can be incorporated into 
  Aberrant. 
   
  It is suggested that level 6 and higher Followers Backgrounds 
  be limited to 5 + the Highest Mega-Social Trait; while the higher 
  Background can be acquired through story occurrences, it is very 
  difficult to maintain without the Mega-Attributes to support. For 
  example, two Mega-Social novas – Lucian and Omni – have a 
  Followers Background of 6.  Lucian is a Mega-Charismatic Nova 
  so his player explains to the Storyteller that his followers are 
  inspired by his leadership and some intangible connection he 
  seems to maintain with them all.  Omni is a Mega-Manipulative 
  nova that keeps all of his followers in line with promises of power 
  and blackmail.  Both have the Mega-Traits to support their 
  Followers, but each attracts a different breed of follower by their 
  very natures.  Lucian has more Fans and Lovers, while Omni 
  attracts many Victims and some Fans. 
  The Idol’s Call 
   
  Idols attract many Fans and many Lovers, and very few 
  Victims, though any number of the Lovers and Fans can become 
  Victims in the hands of a ruthless Idol.  An Idol’s attractiveness 
  blinds many followers to their words and actions, but the 
  seductive or awesome glory of their looks convince many 
  followers to stay in their presence.  Most Victims are too self-
  absorbed to share their pathos with an Idol, Fans on the other-
  hand, only want to stare and bask in the nova’s aura.  It is the 
  Lover that is most valued by Idols.  The Lover follower actually 
  tries to find the inner person in their Idol, and though many are 
  blinded by the Idols outer appearance, this effort alone often 
  endears them to their nova. 
  The Horror’s Aura 
   
  Squids (those novas with the flip-side of the Mega-
  Attractive Trait) attract Fans and Victims.  Many of the Fans, are 
  fascinated with the pure ugliness of the nova, in an almost morose 
  manner. Victims on the other hand, do not so much seek out the 
  Mega-Ugly nova, as they are either drawn or trapped by the 
  canny horror. 
  The Charmer’s Lure 
   
  Charmers attract Lovers and Fans equally, many of the 
  Charmer’s followers have a powerful desire to get to know the 
  nova better, and the Charmer’s very nature makes their company 
  almost addictive.  Fans are always amazed at how enjoyable the 
  nova is in person, and the few Victims the Charmer may acquire, 
  can become Lovers or Fans with sufficient time and effort. 
  The Grifter’s Game 
   
  Grifters attract Fans and Victims.  The ease at which the 
  Grifter collects Victims is the primary reason all other types of 
  followers are often edged out, though the Fans are still prevalent.  
  The followers that know what the Grifter does love to witness the 
  nova in action.  It is the greatest weakness of a Grifter that their 
  followers love to see them manipulating others (perhaps because, 
  it can mean the Grifter is NOT manipulating them). 
   
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  39
  Adversarial Backgrounds 
   
  Contrary to what some people believe, eruption as a nova 
  has never meant enjoying a trouble-free life. Aside from the 
  normal problems that might carry over from a nova's pre-eruption 
  life, there's a virtual smorgasbord of entirely new problems with 
  which a nova might find herself burdened. After all, would the 
  Ancient Mariner have been quite as distinctive a character 
  without the dead albatross hanging from his neck that he couldn't 
  remove? For those players and Storytellers who might be 
  interested, we present a new variety of entirely optional 
  storytelling tools to help reflect these special problems. 
  Putting on the Albatross 
   
  Adversarial 
  Backgrounds 
  are 
  essentially 
  negative 
  backgrounds in every sense of the term. Instead of representing 
  the various benefits a player character might enjoy, these 
  represent various troublesome situations that will make the player 
  character's life more difficult. As such, they can easily be abused 
  to create twinked-out characters (whose “problems” don't hinder 
  them very much) if a Storyteller isn't careful. For that reason, we 
  strongly suggest that the Storyteller maintain total control over 
  the use of adversarial backgrounds if she decides to allow them in 
  her Aberrant chronicle. A player cannot apply Adversarial 
  Backgrounds to his character without the Storyteller's approval. 
  Likewise, a Storyteller should never apply Adversarial 
  Backgrounds to a player character if the player in question 
  doesn't want them. Just as with ordinary Backgrounds, the 
  Storyteller and the player must work together to determine 
  whether a character should have any of these problems and for 
  what reasons. That way, both abuses of the game system and 
  pointlessly absurd situations can be avoided. And as always, the 
  Storyteller has the final say on the matter. 
   
  In the interests of keeping one's game running smoothly, we 
  recommend that characters in a typical Aberrant chronicle (those 
  at the 30 nova point level) should be limited to having no more 
  than seven dots of Adversarial Backgrounds at any one time. 
  Characters in higher-powered chronicles may have more dots at 
  the Storyteller's discretion, but ten dots tends to be the maximum 
  a character can have before they begin to bog down the game. If 
  the system of Merits and Flaws (as presented in the Aberrant 
  Player's Guide) is used, each dot of an Adversarial Background 
  might (or might not) also be counted as 1 point of Flaws at the 
  Storyteller's discretion. Again, Storytellers and players are 
  encouraged to discuss these matters beforehand, so that these 
  game mechanics can be adjusted to suit their particular tastes. 
   
  There are two ways that the Storyteller can apply dots of 
  Adversarial Backgrounds to a player character. The first way is to 
  apply them during the character creation process, where each dot 
  provides the character with an extra bonus point. The second way 
  is to apply them in the course of play, as part of the logical 
  consequences of the character's actions and/or developing 
  circumstances. In that latter option, the Storyteller might apply 
  dots of an Adversarial Background to simulate the extremely rapid 
  development some novas might exhibit. In this case, the 
  Adversarial Background would provide a pool of “loaned” 
  experience points equal to the total experience point cost of a 
  Background of the same rating. While this might seem like 
  munchkin-style twinkery at first, it's actually more akin to loan-
  sharking, with the Storyteller acting as the loan shark. See Getting 
  Rid of the Albatross (listed below) for the details. 
  Getting Rid of the Albatross 
   
  Sooner or later, an Adversarial Background will become 
  enough of a nuisance that a player will want to see about reducing 
  his character's rating. Doing so is no easy task, and can provide 
  some excellent role-playing situations for everyone involved in 
  the chronicle. First off, lowering an Adversarial Background by 1 
  dot costs 3 times the next lower rating in experience points. For 
  example, reducing a 4 dot Adversarial Background to 3 dots 
  would cost a total of 9 experience points. Eliminating the last dot 
  of an Adversarial Background costs 3 experience points. Also, the 
  player should put forth a great deal of better-than-average role-
  playing effort in order to reflect his character's struggle to rid 
  himself of the problem represented by the Adversarial 
  Background. Mediocre role-playing simply will not do in this 
  situation. 
   
  Remember that tidbit about how a player character could be 
  assigned dots of an Adversarial Background in order to reflect 
  extremely rapid development? Here's how it works. The 
  Storyteller assigns the player character a given number of dots of 
  an appropriate Adversarial Background. In return for this, the 
  player receives a pool of “loaned” experience points equivalent to 
  the experience cost of a Background at the same dot rating, which 
  can then be spent on character development. (Using the “loaned” 
  experience points to reduce the rating of the assigned Adversarial 
  Background that those points came from in the first place is just a 
  silly waste of everyone's time, and should be prohibited by the 
  Storyteller. It's also possible for a player to buy off an existing 
  Adversarial Background in this manner, but at the cost of gaining 
  a different Adversarial Background at a rating equal to 150% of 
  the experience point value of the original Adversarial 
  Background.) As an Adversarial Background is 50% more 
  expensive than a Background in terms of experience point costs, 
  the player is essentially paying a much higher price for his 
  character's accelerated development than a character who 
  develops at the normal rate of speed. 
  Adversarial Background 
  Enhancements 
   
  As novas are by definition larger than life, it only makes 
  sense that they can sometimes have larger than life problems as 
  well. A few of these Adversarial Backgrounds possess Background 
  Enhancements, which elevate these role-playing burdens into 
  realms of trouble which others can only have nightmares about. 
  Like the Background Enhancements presented in Adventure!, 
  these special problems are only available to characters with five 
  dots of an Adversarial Background. They effectively count as a 
  sixth dot of an Adversarial Background, and cost 18 experience 
  points to get rid of. Not all Adversarial Backgrounds can have 
  Background Enhancements, but new ones can be created with 
  Storyteller approval. Adversarial Background Enhancements are 
  listed with their respective Adversarial Backgrounds. 
  Adversarial Background:  
  Fan Club/Cult 
   
  As they have for centuries, ordinary people often spend 
  considerable time trying to find some way to give their otherwise-
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  40
  empty lives a little meaning. While most of them choose the 
  ordinary means of profession, political activism or religion to fulfill 
  this need, others (usually those who have a streak of fanaticism or 
  are otherwise mentally disturbed) choose a particular famous 
  person to adore and idolize. In the face of ridicule from those who 
  don't share their opinions and beliefs, these people tend to 
  organize themselves into fan clubs or outright cults that offer 
  adoration and/or actual worship to the figure in question. 
  Ironically enough, these two types of organizations tend to 
  become more and more difficult to distinguish from each other as 
  the fervor of their members increases over time. And in the world 
  of Aberrant, very few people are as likely to be idolized by this 
  kind of people as a nova... 
   
  A nova with this adversarial background has been idolized 
  without her consent by a group of these fanatical baselines. These 
  people simply will not cease their worship and/or idolization of 
  your character, despite the fact that she wants nothing at all to do 
  with them. If your character scorns them, they will simply think 
  that she's testing their devotion to her, and will redouble their 
  efforts to prove it. If she tries to escape from them, they'll do 
  their best to track her down. They'll do their best to find out 
  everything they can about their unwilling idol, and will gladly share 
  that information with anyone who asks. The Divisians (as seen in 
  Aberrant: Year One, pg. 42) are a particularly appropriate 
  example of a group represented by this adversarial background. 
  While this former fan club has become a bona-fide cult 
  worshipping Divis Mal, more than likely the leader of the Teragen 
  regards them as nothing more than irritating pests. It's interesting 
  to note that this particular cult is still rumored to be active in the 
  Trinity Era (see Hidden Agendas, pg. 14) – once it gets started, a 
  cult is very difficult to get rid of. 
   
  One very important thing to note is that these people 
  provide no benefits whatsoever to the nova that they idolize. 
  They will cause your character nothing but trouble – that's what 
  this adversarial background has been designed to reflect. It's 
  barely possible that a few of these whacked-out fruitbats might 
  actually be useful to your character, but these individuals should 
  be bought with the Followers background. 
   
  As these groups get larger (ratings of 3+), the fans/cultists 
  will increasingly see the strictures of their organization as being 
  far more relevant to their lives than the laws of civilized society, 
  and will begin to disregard those laws in favor of the commands of 
  the cult. That's when the really irrational activities begin taking 
  place: masochistic ordeals, self-mutilation, and strange rituals held 
  at some hidden locale in the middle of the night. Animal (and 
  possibly human) sacrifices may take place as well. They'll also 
  eventually begin assaulting people they see as “obvious heretics, 
  infidels, and unbelievers” – typically anyone who annoys them or 
  tries to convince the fans/cultists that they are deluded. If things 
  get this bad, then all a character can really do to end this madness 
  is to either leave the country (if not the planet) or have all of the 
  cultists quietly disposed of one way or another. 
   
  Another problem posed by these people is that they are 
  often hard to distinguish from the true “nova cults” that some 
  novas have deliberately built up around themselves. While nova 
  worship isn't nearly as widespread in the First World nations as it 
  is in India, it's still found on occasion. This can draw a lot of 
  unwelcome attention and suspicion to the idolized nova, especially 
  since the more paranoid observers will tend to discount her 
  protestations of innocence as “an obvious sham”. 
   
  On rare occasions, if the group is still tiny (just 1 dot of this 
  adversarial background) your character just might be able to 
  convince them to permanently disband and leave her alone. Doing 
  so will require heroic effort on the part of your character, along 
  with some better-than-average role-playing. Even then, it's best 
  that your character remove herself from both their vicinity and 
  their lives as soon as possible. While some cults might quietly 
  disband and try to return to normal life, others might see your 
  character's efforts as a divine command to commit mass suicide, 
  much in the manner of the Heaven's Gate UFO cult. 
   
  Fan/Cultist Numbers 
   
  � 
  Tiny group, 5-50 people. 
   
  �� 
  Small group, 51-300 people. 
   
  ��� 
  Moderate group, 301-500 people. 
   
  ���� 
  Large group, 500-750 people. 
   
  ����� 
  Huge group, 751-1,000 people. 
   
  Fan/Cultist Devotion 
   
  � 
  They have put up and maintain a small shrine 
  for you, despite your tearing it down nightly. 
   
  �� 
  They perform unwanted acts of devotion, but 
  nothing that's illegal... so far. 
   
  ��� 
  They commit minor crimes to prove their 
  devotion, but will blame it on “misguided 
  members”. 
   
  ���� 
  They'll commit serious crimes to prove their 
  devotion – and they'll try to justify them as 
  such. 
   
  ����� 
  Their worship of you supersedes all law – 
  they'll do anything to show their devotion to 
  you.  
  Background Enhancement: Horde 
   
  “Death to all of the unbelievers! Our Goddess has 
  commanded it!” 
   
  The cult that worships your character may have been tiny 
  once, but it now numbers in the thousands. They've even 
  developed a semi-official hierarchy within the cult, complete with 
  trappings comparable to that of any other religion. Making things 
  worse is the fact that these people are also absolute savages. No 
  act is too barbaric for these cultists to commit if their beliefs (or 
  at least the cult's leaders) deem it necessary. Mass murder? “They 
  were heathens and unbelievers.” Cannibalism? “Our Goddess has 
  decreed it, so that Her faithful may be strengthened!” Abducting 
  and brainwashing children? “We rescued those children so that 
  they could be redeemed by our Goddess, just as we were!” And so 
  on, ad infinitum and ad nauseam. These barbarians will do just 
  about anything in the name of your character so that they can 
  prove their devotion to her (and spread the cult's beliefs in the 
  meanwhile). You can forget about your character keeping a good 
  reputation with these maniacs running around and blackening her 
  good name. There's no real point in trying to reason with them, 
  either – they're operating on a wholly irrational mindset. They 
  might even turn on your character if she tells them what they 
  don't want to hear; the typical cultists' reaction in this case would 
  be to brand your character as an impostor attempting to deceive 
  them about who their nova idol really is and what she really wants. 
  Things tend to get ugly from that point onwards. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  41
  Adversarial Background: Rival 
   
  This adversarial background indicates that your character 
  has a rivalry with someone who's supposedly on her side, but who 
  dislikes her more than a little for some reason. Perhaps the rival is 
  merely jealous of your character's success in a certain field of 
  expertise. On the other hand, the rival might want something that 
  your character has – her reputation for being the best at what she 
  does, a position of authority, or a lover. (Love triangles, anyone?) 
  This adversarial background can even result from trivial things 
  such as hate at first sight, a social blunder, or even a squabble 
  between the characters that took place when both were little kids. 
  What's worse is that the rival will often have some sort of 
  advantage over your character; usually taking the form of greater 
  personal wealth, coming from a higher social class, or simply being 
  more attractive than your character.  Alternatively, it could be 
  that it's your character who is a rival of some other character – 
  perhaps even one of the other player characters in your Aberrant 
  chronicle. (Be sure to get permission from both the Storyteller 
  and the other players in your group before creating an intra-
  group rivalry, as it can easily ruin a game if not handled correctly. 
  It's also considered extremely bad form to declare another player 
  character as your character's rival without that player's consent.) 
   
  What really makes this relationship irritating to all involved is 
  that your character and her rival both belong to the same 
  organization or faction. No matter how much they get on each 
  other's nerves or trade nasty insults, they cannot simply haul off 
  and attack each other in the manner of characters with the 
  Nemesis background. Instead, they'll do their best to “act 
  professional” while trying to act against each other in discreet 
  ways. (As tempers flare, keeping things discreet will become less 
  of an issue.) This sorry state of affairs becomes even more 
  annoying when your character and her rival wind up having to 
  work together in order to further the interests of the organization 
  or faction that they belong to. The irritation factor typically 
  reaches its greatest level when a character and her rival are 
  forced to work together to protect a mutual love interest from 
  some threat. 
   
  Unlike the Nemesis background, the dots of this adversarial 
  background indicate both how often and to what degree your rival 
  tends to interfere with you in some way (and vice versa). 
   
  � 
  Trivial – The conflict between you and your 
  rival keeps the others in your group 
  entertained. 
   
  �� 
  Irritating –You and your rival will gladly 
  backstab each other when it's convenient. 
   
  ��� 
  Heated –The conflict between you and your 
  rival is a major part of your life. 
   
  ���� 
  Bitter – You and your rival will go out of your 
  way to be at each other's throats. 
   
  ����� 
  Consuming – If you and your rival weren't on 
  the same side, she'd be your Nemesis. 
  Adversarial Background:  
  Media Exposure 
   
  In the Aberrant setting, the influence and presence of the 
  media can be felt in all but the most undeveloped regions of the 
  world. While many novas can expect to find themselves the 
  subjects of media scrutiny every so often, some of them have 
  become household names for one reason or another. These novas 
  have had almost every detail of their lives – no matter how trivial 
  – dug up and offered by the media for the amusement of the 
  global audience. Given that a major focus of Aberrant is on such 
  things as secrets, covert operations and double-agents, it's easy 
  to see how the degree of media exposure represented by this 
  adversarial background can be a major liability. 
   
  For each dot of Media Exposure possessed by your 
  character, the Storyteller subtracts an additional level of difficulty 
  (down to zero difficulties) to any investigations into him. This 
  adversarial background can be lessened if your character takes 
  certain radical steps to disassociate himself from his prior, well-
  known life (and spends a sufficient amount of experience points). 
  Effective methods would include creating one or more alternate 
  identities, faking one's own death, making permanent alterations 
  to one's appearance, and changing all of your character's habits, 
  preferred activities, and interests. 
   
  � 
  A couple of things you'd have rather kept 
  secret have made it into the headlines. 
   
  �� 
  Your data trails are as easy to follow as 
  airstrip lights. 
   
  ��� 
  Big Brother doesn't have to watch you – Big 
  Media's doing it 24/7. 
   
  ���� 
  If you ever develop amnesia, you'll have no 
  trouble at all finding out who you are. 
   
  ����� 
  You have very little in the way of personal 
  privacy. 
  Background Enhancement:  
  Front Page Favorite 
   
  “What's it like, being recognized everywhere you go?” 
   
  “Tiresome, actually. Very, very tiresome.” 
   
  Your character has no secrets (or privacy) whatsoever. Even 
  the residents of the most undeveloped backwaters on the planet 
  are likely to have heard plenty about him. Any attempt to 
  investigate something about your character that he'd rather keep 
  hidden succeeds without any need for dice-rolling. The only 
  exception to this would be if your Storyteller judges that your 
  character has taken truly radical and extreme measures to keep a 
  particular secret from getting out to the media. What's worse, this 
  extreme degree of media exposure will now rub off on your 
  character's family, friends, allies, and so on – your character's 
  association with them will make them logical targets for media 
  investigation. In this situation, your Storyteller will allocate your 
  five dots of Media Exposure among your character's associates as 
  she deems appropriate; your character's fiancée will certainly be 
  of more interest to the media than his old drinking pals down at 
  the local pub. These dots cannot be redistributed once allocated 
  and will remain in place until the associate either severs all ties 
  with your character or undergoes radical identity alteration; the 
  dots will then return to your character. 
  Adversarial Background: Suitors 
   
  For some people, matters of the heart are much more 
  complicated than normal. Whether it's due to being too attractive 
  for one's own good, arranged betrothals, or simple twists of fate, 
  a character with one or more Suitors will experience situations 
  worthy of any daytime soap opera. While Shakespeare's quip that 
  “the course of true love never did run smooth” may be a 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  42
  hackneyed cliché nowadays, it's still true enough to make for some 
  very interesting role-playing situations. 
   
  Romantic clichés aside, a character with this Adversarial 
  Background seems to possess a near-irresistible attraction for 
  obsessive members of the opposite (and possibly certain members 
  of his or her own) gender. An infatuated individual will fall 
  hopelessly in love (or lust) with the character, refusing to let go of 
  her and unwilling to give her a moment's peace. If one or more 
  rivals for the character's affections show up (usually other 
  suitors), any suitor worth the designation will fight them in order 
  to prevent them from consummating their relationship with the 
  character. What's more, each and every suitor will have an 
  ultimate goal for the character in mind – one that usually involves 
  either standing before a wedding altar or renting a private hotel 
  suite for the weekend... 
   
  This does not directly reflect any unusual charisma on the 
  character's part, although she must have either Appearance or 
  Charisma at 3 or more dots to qualify for this Adversarial 
  Background. Rather, this indicates the character's fate to 
  constantly meet obsessive people. She must also have a 
  sufficiently plausible history to justify having encountered all 
  those lovesick loonies. For instance, a character who's spent all of 
  his life in an isolated monastery will not have had nearly enough of 
  a social life to qualify. Finally, the character should neither be 
  written nor played as a heartless, unsympathetic creep who would 
  take advantage of a suitor's affections when it's convenient to do 
  so. Such a loathsome person would never attract suitors in the 
  first place. 
   
  What differentiates this from the True Love Merit is that for 
  one reason or another, the character is guaranteed to find 
  something objectionable each and every one of his or her suitors. 
  The specific reason should vary with each individual suitor, but it 
  will be enough to make the idea of marriage (or whatever other 
  designs the suitor has on the character) somewhat less than 
  appealing. Of course, most suitors won't take “no” for an answer, 
  but will instead redouble their efforts to gain the character's 
  affections. 
   
  It is possible for a character to have both the Suitors 
  Background and the True Love Merit! In such a case, the 
  character's true love will typically be one of his (or her) Regular 
  suitors. While this suitor would be expected to have a much better 
  shot at winning the character's heart, personality conflicts 
  between the two of them will stand in the way of consummating 
  their relationship if the other suitors don't! 
   
  The possibilities offered by this Adversarial Background are 
  endless. A nova businesswoman could discover that one of her 
  male rivals has fallen for her. A well-meaning grandmother could 
  attempt to set her grandson up with a girl that she considers to be 
  a perfect future bride for him – without considering his opinion 
  on the matter. Characters from Eastern cultures could find 
  themselves saddled with a betrothal arranged by their families. 
  (The Japanese custom of omiai is an infamous example of this 
  situation.) A female character could find herself being stalked. 
  The lonely girl next door could decide that watching the guy of her 
  dreams through his bedroom window simply isn't enough for her 
  anymore. An attractive young coed could inflame the passions of 
  her college professor. The young woman whom the character 
  saves from a suicide attempt could easily come to see him as her 
  knight in shining armor. Cupid's arrow could simply strike a suitor 
  like a bolt out of the blue. And so on, ad infinitum... 
   
  Suitors come in three varieties, each presenting their own 
  brand of headaches for the hapless character. It's quite possible to 
  be afflicted with more than one variety; the details are presented 
  below. 
   
  �  Regulars:  Regulars are what people usually imagine when 
  thinking of a suitor: a person whose constant presence in the 
  character's life proves to be almost as much of a help as it is a 
  hindrance. Roughly equivalent to the character in terms of 
  capabilities, Regulars are the type of suitor who are the most 
  serious about their relationship with the character. As such, the 
  character can occasionally treat a Regular suitor as an Ally – with 
  the provision that the Regular will always expect romantic favors 
  in return for his or her aid. The typical form such a favor takes is 
  the classic date, although there's no telling what lengths a Regular 
  might go to in order to win the character's affections. Note: 
  Regulars are by definition the kind of suitor that are hands-down 
  the most tenacious in their pursuit of the character's affections, 
  and have to be well-developed characters in their own right in 
  order to do them justice. If the players and Storyteller are all 
  comfortable with the idea, a chronicle could revolve around 
  Regular suitors and their conflict over a mutual beloved, with the 
  player characters playing the parts of the suitors and the hapless 
  object of their affections. Hey, if it worked for the scriptwriters 
  who produced Tenchi Muyo! and Escaflowne, (two anime series 
  that do an excellent job of portraying male and female characters 
  with this background, respectively), then there's no reason it 
  couldn't work for you... 
   
  �  Occasionals:  Occasionals are just that: suitors who show 
  up every once in a while in the character's life. In soap opera 
  terms, one could think of them as guest stars or extras. They can 
  range from roughly equivalent to somewhat less than the 
  character in terms of capability. While more numerous than 
  Regulars, they are also somewhat less obsessive about the 
  character. While no suitor is easily brushed off, Occasionals will 
  accept that their love is unrequited with significantly less fuss 
  (and without spending experience points!). Occasionals make up 
  for this lack of individual nuisance value with their sheer numbers 
  – if a character manages to dissuade one Occasional, another one 
  will inevitably crop up to take his place. 
   
  �  Heavyweights:  Love (or lust) can make fools of us all, and 
  Heavyweights are no exception. Heavyweights are the rarest 
  variety of suitor, and for very good reason. They are by definition 
  superior to the character in terms of capability, making a well-
  crafted explanation about why the Heavyweight is in love with the 
  character an absolute necessity. As a result, the Storyteller has 
  the final say on whether this variety of suitor can be taken. Rough 
  guideline: there had better be something pretty darn special about 
  the character to justify having a heavyweight suitor! Suitors at 
  this level aren't going to fall in love with just any pretty young 
  thing. Heavyweight suitors take the problems associated with this 
  Adversarial Background to a whole new level. For instance, what 
  consequences will the character face as a result of becoming the 
  focus of the Heavyweight's affections? How will the Heavyweight 
  react if the character rejects her affections? Does the 
  Heavyweight have enemies who wouldn't hesitate to strike at her 
  by harming the character? Such is Love in the big leagues... (Note: 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  43
  For a baseline, a nova suitor would have to be classified as a 
  Heavyweight.) 
   
  Due to their relative power, Heavyweights are more difficult 
  to deal with than either Regulars or Occasionals, and so are worth 
  more in terms of Background dots. A Heavyweight will show up 
  less frequently than other suitors since they often have 
  obligations and concerns beyond their love life, but inevitably 
  makes more of an impact in the character's life when she does 
  show up. Whether this impact takes the form of deep ripples or a 
  messy splash depends on the situation. In about one in a trillion 
  cases, a character could have two Heavyweight suitors after him! 
  (This situation would require 10 dots of this Adversarial 
  Background.) In the unlikely case that a reasonably sane 
  Storyteller lets this happen, the hapless character could easily 
  wind up as the prize in the resulting tug-of-war between his 
  Heavyweight admirers. For the classic version of this in Greek 
  Mythology, check out the conflict between Aphrodite and 
  Persephone over the affections of Adonis. 
   
  The only means of getting rid of unwanted suitors is through 
  “buying off” this background with experience points and good 
  role-playing – usually represented by choosing a suitor and 
  forswearing all others. Suitors that are also True Loves, Allies, 
  Followers, or Contacts are not exempt from this – the personality 
  conflict must be resolved! Please note that this is NOT a cheap 
  equivalent of either the True Love Merit or the Allies, Contacts, 
  or Followers Backgrounds! Suitors are just that – people whose 
  main goal is to get intimate with the character, all too often 
  without any considerations for the character's feelings on the 
  matter. If the player wants her character's suitor to be able to 
  provide anything more substantial than a night of intimate 
  entertainment (complete with the damnable consequences), she 
  should buy the Suitor as a True Love, Ally, Follower, or Contact to 
  reflect that particular suitor's higher caliber. 
   
  x 
   For good or ill, nobody is really interested in 
  you. 
   
  � 
  1 Regular or 5 Occasionals. 
   
  �� 
  2 Regulars or 10 Occasionals. 
   
  ��� 
  3 Regulars or 15 Occasionals. 
   
  ���� 
  4 Regulars or 20 Occasionals. 
   
  ����� 
  5 Regulars, 25 Occasionals, or 1 
  Heavyweight. 
   
  It is possible for some characters to have more than five dots 
  of this Adversarial Background without having to take a 
  Background Enhancement. As most of these cases won't involve 
  being courted by two Heavyweight suitors, it's best for the 
  character to have a mix of suitor types. The most common and 
  workable blend is for the character to have a few Regular suitors 
  and many Occasional suitors. Mixing Heavyweights into such a 
  mess demands careful handling by the Storyteller, but that's 
  usually par for the course where they're concerned. Unless the 
  Storyteller is prepared to deal with a character who constantly 
  has a veritable harem of admirers flocking around her, it's best to 
  limit the maximum number of Regulars to four or five. 
  Background Enhancement:  
  Ladybait (for male characters),  
  or Siren (for female characters) 
   
  “Pardon me, Mademoiselle Evans, but Mr. and Mrs. 
  Weatherly would like to have a word with you.” 
   
  “What's the problem, Claude? The party's only just now 
  started.” 
   
  “Oui, but there's a horde of young men at the door, and 
  they're all saying that you invited them.” 
  If a character has 5 or more dots of the Suitors Adversarial 
  Background, the Storyteller may see fit to “award” such a 
  romantically devastating individual with this Background 
  Enhancement. This reflects the fact that either the character's 
  suitors are much more passionate about pursuing her (and 
  competing with each other over her), or that there are many more 
  suitors after the character than her Suitors rating indicates. 
   
  If this enhancement reflects a qualitative increase, the 
  character's suitors are even more obsessive about the character 
  than is normal with this Adversarial Background. They will not 
  betray their friends, their ethics, or their sense of self-
  preservation for the sake of winning the character's love (or 
  getting into the character's pants). The same cannot be said about 
  sacrificing their careers, wealth, and/or dignity! As a basic 
  guideline, such suitors will toss their common sense right out the 
  window where the character is concerned. (That is, if they had 
  any in the first place...) This version of the enhancement is best 
  suited for chronicles with either a humorous or a highly romantic 
  tone – although being the target of so many highly obsessive 
  people can be very frightening, even for a nova... 
   
  If this reflects a quantitative increase, then the character 
  may have literally hordes of suitors – and the character generally 
  won't have a clue as to who they are! Movie stars and popular rock 
  musicians are good real-life examples of this situation, as they can 
  have literally thousands of admirers who would jump at the chance 
  to get “up close and personal” with their beloved idol. In game 
  terms, this is a radical increase in the number of Occasional 
  suitors that the character may have. The exact number is up to the 
  Storyteller, and should be tailored to the character's 
  circumstances. A lady adventurer from the Roaring Twenties 
  could plausibly have a hundred charming (and not-so-charming) 
  men after her, while the hunky male lead vocalist in a 1980s-era 
  rock group could have thousands of adoring female fans who 
  would do almost anything for a backstage pass... and a chance for 
  a private session with him! 
  Adversarial Background: Flunky 
   
  In every formally-structured organization there are those 
  unfortunates who not only lack any authority, but who also have to 
  perform more of the trivial, menial, dull and unpleasant duties 
  (usually pawned off on them by their superiors) than even the 
  newest grunts have to deal with. Characters who wind up with this 
  adversarial background are just that sort of unlucky schmucks. In 
  addition to being burdened with all of that extra scutwork, your 
  character will be considered by his superiors to have little or no 
  potential to advance in the organization. Aside from lacking any 
  realistic hopes of being given serious authority or responsibilities, 
  your character will also have to get used to being seen as a figure 
  of fun and ridicule by everyone else in the organization who isn't 
  in this sorry situation – even the grunts will laugh at him behind 
  his back! 
   
  It's also entirely possible for a character who started out 
  with the Backing background to earn this adversarial background 
  due to poor decision-making or screwing up an important 
  operation. Sometimes, even a simple misfortune that the 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  44
  character had no possible control over, but for which the 
  organization's leaders still needed to pin the blame for it on 
  someone, is enough. In game terms, the character will lose all of 
  his dots in Backing, which the Storyteller will replace with as many 
  dots of this adversarial background as she sees fit. The total dots 
  from these two backgrounds will then be replaced by an 
  equivalent number of dots of the Reputation background 
  (reflecting the character's fame as an incompetent buffoon). This 
  will usually only happen to characters who had three or fewer dots 
  of Backing; those who screw up while holding higher positions of 
  authority generally suffer nastier and more permanent 
  consequences. 
   
  Characters with the Flunky adversarial background would 
  seem (at first glance) to be ripe for being recruited as double-
  agents by hostile organizations. There are two problems with this 
  tactic. First off, most organizations with experience in counter-
  espionage will recognize this danger, and will keep a Flunky well 
  away from anything important. Second, most Flunkies will have 
  become so due to their foolishness and/or incompetence, and 
  would make very poor double-agents. 
   
  It is possible for a character to rid himself of this adversarial 
  background – it's just extremely difficult to do so, especially if he 
  earned it for his incompetence. In addition to the necessary 
  spending of experience points, the character must somehow 
  manage to pull off some impressive feat that directly benefits his 
  organization in some way. Alternatively, the character might 
  commit some great deed that benefits some rival organization at 
  the expense of his own. This can easily result in the character 
  being hailed as a hero by the rival organization and being 
  welcomed into their ranks, at the cost of becoming a hated enemy 
  of his former organization. 
   
  � 
  Minor punishment duties, or twice the total 
  scutwork than a grunt has to perform. 
   
  �� 
  At least janitorial duty has some importance... 
   
  ��� 
  Even the guys on janitorial duty look down 
  their noses at you. 
   
  ���� 
  If a job's worth doing, it's done well. If it's not 
  worth doing, they give it to you. 
   
  ����� 
  Whipping boy – your miserable lot helps 
  keep up the morale of the grunts. 
  Background Enhancement: Scapegoat 
   
  If your organization has a job that's crappy, degrading, and 
  possibly outright suicidal, your character is the luckless devil that 
  they'll pin it on. Your character's organization will use him much 
  like British coal miners once used canaries: they will blithely send 
  him off into the worst situations they come across. If he survives, 
  then they'll know that it's safe for the worthwhile members of the 
  organization to be sent in. Once a character has received this 
  adversarial background enhancement, the (remote) possibility of 
  getting back into the organization's good graces possessed by 
  other Flunkies is gone for good. The only feasible means of 
  escaping this situation are as follows. (1) Dying in the course of 
  performing one's duties. (2) Committing suicide. (3) Faking one's 
  death and then creating an entirely new identity for oneself and 
  having nothing to with the organization from then onwards. (4) 
  Utterly destroying one's organization – and possibly being hailed 
  as a hero by the public for doing so. (5) Leave the Solar System, 
  never to return. 
  Adversarial Background:  
  Coercion 
   
  Just as in our own world, the world of Aberrant has plenty of 
  unethical people who will stop at nothing to exploit a vulnerable 
  person. And when that vulnerable person is a nova, then the 
  stakes become even higher. This adversarial background indicates 
  that some unethical person or group has managed to gain some 
  sort of hold over your character, which lets them force him into 
  performing services for them on a regular basis. While the 
  possible motives, methods, and expectations of these people are 
  too many to list here, they all boil down to what is essentially an 
  exploitative relationship that's based on inducing fear and anxiety 
  in your character. This sorry state of affairs is even more galling 
  to novas, most of whom do not take well to being bossed around 
  by other people. Unsurprisingly, these relationships all too often 
  end with someone's messy and painful death.  
   
  There are three main questions which must be answered in 
  order to show exactly what sort of burden a given character with 
  this adversarial background will have to deal with. 1-Who is it 
  that's coercing your character? 2-What method of coercion is 
  being used? 3-What do they hope to gain by coercing your 
  character? The answer to the first question is easy: it could be any 
  person or group, provided that they've got enough nerve to try 
  using this sort of social pressure on a nova. Possible methods of 
  coercion will vary with the person or group who's doing it. A 
  coercer in an Asian culture may call in a long-standing favor that 
  the character's family might owe him, with the character being 
  elected to repay the debt on the family's behalf. Individuals and 
  groups have both been known to use blackmail. Threatening to 
  harm a character's friends and/or family is also viable; many 
  intelligence agencies are able and willing to “disappear” (read: 
  kidnap & hold hostage) entire families. More direct methods 
  usually involve kidnapping and enslaving the character, sometimes 
  along with applying some sort of means to make the character 
  suffer if he disobeys orders. Addiction to a drug that only the 
  coercer can supply has long been a favorite of criminals, while 
  some intelligence agencies might use a poison that will kill the 
  character if he doesn't receive regular doses of the antidote from 
  them. Explosive collars and implants have also been employed in 
  this manner in the world of Aberrant. There's always old-
  fashioned brainwashing, of course. And then there are the various 
  quantum powers and Social Mega-Attributes available to novas 
  with which to enforce compliance. 
   
  All of this leads up to the third question: what does the 
  coercer hope to gain from the character? The most typical 
  reasons will be to exploit the character's quantum powers, 
  especially if he has a power that's rare for some reason. Other 
  possible motivations include forced conversion to the coercer's 
  cause (often by means of the Stockholm Syndrome and/or 
  brainwashing), keeping the character from joining the coercer's 
  enemies or competition, or even the simple ego-boost of having 
  made a nova into an involuntary servant. On a more personal (and 
  darker) note, a coercer might want sexual favors from the 
  character, or might seek to literally enslave the character for his 
  or her own sick reasons. 
   
  (Storyteller Note: Be extremely careful about using this 
  adversarial background in your chronicle. Many players cannot 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  45
  stand to have their free will interfered with in any way, even if it 
  would help further the plot. Some players will also have personal 
  issues with exploitative relationships in general. If you plan to 
  apply this adversarial background to a player character, you must 
  talk it over with the player beforehand. This should never be 
  forced on a player who isn't willing to shoulder this particular 
  role-playing burden. Also remember that player characters will 
  often have ways of escaping from this situation and dealing with 
  the would-be coercers in a lethal fashion, and should be rewarded 
  for doing so in an imaginative manner. ) 
   
  The rating of this adversarial background depends on the 
  duration of the period of service, with modifiers given for the 
  various circumstances that might apply to the character's 
  involuntary servitude. Please note that the higher ratings will also 
  indicate a greater degree of resentment and outright hatred of 
  the coercing party on the part of the character. At ratings of 3 or 
  more, someone is almost guaranteed to wind up dead. 
   
  � 
  Trivial – Anywhere from a few hours to one 
  day's worth of service. Best to get it over 
  with. 
   
  �� 
  Nuisance – Anywhere from two days to a 
  month. Start planning some serious payback 
   
  ��� 
  Galling – Anywhere from one to six months. 
  Get ready to kill whoever's holding your leash 
  ASAP. 
   
  ���� 
  Torment – Anywhere from six months to a 
  year. You're effectively at war with your 
  captors. 
   
  ����� 
  Living Hell – There's no end in sight. Give no 
  quarter, and accept none. 
  Modifiers: 
   
  �  Your service is personally degrading and/or humiliating: +1 
  dot. 
   
  �  Your service involves committing illegal acts, +1 to +3 dots, 
  at the Storyteller's discretion. 
   
  �  Your service puts you at risk of being seriously injured or 
  killed: +1 to +3 dots, at the Storyteller's discretion. 
   
  �  Your service involves performing sexual acts: +1 to +3 
  dots, at the Storyteller's discretion. 
   
  �  Refusing to comply with the coercer will result in serious 
  legal difficulties: +2 dots. 
   
  �  Refusing to comply will result in your suffering serious 
  harm: +2 to +3 dots. 
   
  �  Refusing to comply will result in your loved ones suffering 
  serious harm: +3 dots. 
   
  �  Refusing to comply will result in your possible death: +3 
  dots. 
   
  �  Refusing to comply will result in the death of one or more 
  of your loved ones: +4 dots. 
  Adversarial Background: 
  Skeleton in the Closet 
   
  Underneath its glitzy pop-culture façade, Aberrant is a game 
  of mystery and conspiracy. As such, it's almost inevitable that a 
  player character in your Aberrant chronicle might have one or 
  more dangerous secrets that she'd prefer to keep safely buried. 
  As the name implies, this adversarial background represents a 
  dangerous secret of the character that could greatly 
  inconvenience her life if it were to be revealed. While this is often 
  interpreted as a deed (either good or ill) that the character 
  committed in the past that she tries to keep herself from being 
  tied to, there are other possibilities. Being related to an infamous 
  world figure or heinous criminal isn't something most people would 
  want to announce to the world at large. Perhaps there's something 
  special about the character's physiology that would make her a 
  prime subject for intensive (and highly unpleasant) research of 
  some kind. Then again, it might be that the character was mixed 
  up in an embarrassing matter that would make everyone involved 
  look ridiculous if the story was ever revealed. 
   
  When playing a character with this adversarial background, 
  you should expect the Storyteller to have your character's secret 
  threatened with exposure on an irregular basis. If the character 
  successfully defends her dirty secrets from being exposed, she 
  will retain this adversarial background. If the character is 
  unsuccessful, the Storyteller will replace the dots of this 
  adversarial background with an equivalent amount from another 
  adversarial background that she deems appropriate. The only 
  other way of getting rid of this adversarial background is to buy it 
  off with experience points and better-than-average role-playing. 
   
  The dot ratings on the table below indicate both how 
  damaging the character's secret would be to her life if it were 
  ever revealed, and also how difficult it will be to bury the secret 
  once and for all. 
   
  � 
  Trivial – something that people will kid you 
  about for years to come, but which can be 
  “lived 
  down” 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  effort. 
  Alternatively, something that will attract 
  unwelcome public attention to you every so 
  often. 
   
  �� 
  Major – something that will prevent you 
  from being seen as a “respectable” member 
  of society. You can pretty much forget about 
  ever getting a job promotion, pursuing a 
  career as an elected politician, or marrying 
  into a higher social stratum. Alternatively, 
  something that will attract unwelcome public 
  attention to you on a regular basis for 
  decades to come. 
   
  ��� 
  Serious – something that could brand you as 
  an “undesirable” in the eyes of society. 
  Losing your job and being rejected by your 
  friends and loved ones are distinctly possible. 
  Alternatively, something that will attract 
  unwelcome public attention to you from fans, 
  cultists, 
  the 
  media, 
  and 
  assorted 
  opportunists. 
   
  ���� 
  Grave – something that's bad enough to make 
  you flee the area or wind up imprisoned by 
  the authorities for a very long time. 
  Alternatively, something that will attract 
  intense and widespread public attention to 
  you from the media. 
   
  ����� 
  Life-wrecking – something that will make 
  certain powerful people or organizations 
  want to see you dead. Alternatively, 
  something that could make you an involuntary 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  46
  research subject in some secret lab until your 
  escape or death, whichever comes first. 
  Background Enhancement:  
  Boneyard in the Closet 
   
  A character with this background enhancement has a secret 
  that's so big and/or damaging that she can forget having anything 
  that even remotely resembles a normal life while living in Terran 
  civilization if it's ever revealed to the public. If her secret is 
  something bad, then it's something so utterly heinous that at least 
  90% of the populace of world at large will want her dead ASAP. If 
  the secret would draw unwelcome public attention instead, then 
  it's something big enough to have people hunting her down 
  worldwide. If her secret is revealed, there will be no real way that 
  the character can convince all of these people to simply leave her 
  alone. The character's only real chance for keeping her freedom 
  will be to leave the planet. 
  Adversarial Background: 
  Wanted 
   
  In many Aberrant chronicles, it's not at all unlikely that a 
  character won't at some time find herself the target of a manhunt 
  for one reason or another. This adversarial background reflects 
  the fact that the character has people who are actively pursuing 
  her in order to detain her against her will. While the most common 
  form of this is having the local, national, or international police out 
  to arrest a character, there are many other options that can easily 
  apply. If a character is known to be involved with a nova faction 
  such as the Aberrants or Teragen, then having various secret 
  agents who want to detain her for questioning is very plausible. 
  Alternatively, there might be something special about the 
  character that many scientists would dearly love to investigate. 
  An aging billionaire might decide that there's something in the 
  character's nova physiology that could act as a Fountain of Youth, 
  and would have the resources to have the character brought in so 
  that he could make a modest proposal. Being the target of some of 
  the more aggressive recruiting methods employed by the various 
  factions would also qualify a character for this adversarial 
  background. Being abducted by a cult would also qualify. In all of 
  these cases, the character must either evade whoever's trying to 
  capture her or submit to having her freedom curtailed severely. 
  As could only be expected, none of these people will take the 
  character's refusal to surrender herself to them well at all. 
   
  The ratings on the table below indicate both how long the 
  character can expect to be pursued and how much effort her 
  pursuers will put into hunting her down. 
   
  � 
  Halfhearted – They won't go out of their way 
  to look for you, nor will they chase after you with any real effort. 
  Just lie low and stay inconspicuous for a month or two, and it'll 
  blow over. 
   
  �� 
  Intent – They won't go out of their way to 
  look for you, but they will do their best to catch you if you cross 
  their path. They'll keep an eye out for you for up to a year before 
  giving up – better leave the country. 
   
  ��� 
  Serious – They will go out of their way to 
  look for you, and will do their best to catch you if you cross their 
  path. They will also make looking for you a high priority, and will 
  do so for up to five years. 
   
  ���� 
  Dogged – They will take extreme measures 
  in their attempts to find you, and will follow any lead they come 
  across. They've made looking for you their latest top priority, and 
  will do so for up to ten years. 
   
  ����� 
  Hellbent – They will do just about anything 
  that could possibly help them to hunt you down. Looking for you is 
  their all-time top priority, and they'll keep looking until either you 
  or all of them are dead and buried. You'd best leave the planet 
  with lots of friends if you want anything resembling a normal life. 
   
  Public Opinion  
  (Feel It, Don’t Think It) 
   
  A day in the life of an Idol… 
   
  Ana Graça Texeira's planner, Friday, 2010  
  5:00am - Wake-up and do make-up and hair. Yeah right. 
  5:01am - review fan site and N! ratings of Novation! doll. 
  5:05am - call manager, additional line of figures? 
  6:01am - have breakfast 
  7:05am - begin photo-shoot with Armaund. 
  9:30am - meet with US East Coast fan club, and tell them “How 
  much I just Love them!” 
  11:00am - meet with lawyers: discuss copyright infringement of 
  likeness. 
  12:00am - AU fan club Opsite.  Set up funds for agency to track 
  1:00pm - business lunch, and meet with Kitty for message. 
  2:30pm - Make presentation for the League of Women’s Equality. 
  3:05pm - sign autographs outside city-hall. 
  4:00pm - Flight to Addis Ababa (catch a nap). 
  7:00pm - (11:00pm local) Land at Addis Ababa Airport. 
  7:20pm - (11:20pm local), Make grand entrance at Phoenix Room. 
  11:00pm - (3:20am local), Catch return flight to NY. 
  2:00am - Land at Dulles International Airport. 
  3:00am - catch a couple hours sleep before tomorrow. 
   
  Same Battle, Different War 
   
  Mega-Social novas and Mega-Mental novas share the public 
  arena, and can even compete in it, but their tactics are completely 
  different.  While a Mega-Mental nova may tabulate and balance 
  the odds of any event or perceive abyssal depths in a statistical 
  report, the Mega-Social nova doesn’t worry about those silly 
  things, much.  A Mega-Social nova is all about the people – and 
  the people will always go with their gut feeling about an issue, or 
  at least that is what a Mega-Social is banking on. 
   
  While a Mega-Intelligent nova may explain and justify why 
  another nova is wrong, and just plain evil, the common people 
  could never hurt a hair on that nova, if they can’t overcome their 
  feelings. 
  How Mega-Socials Wage WAR! 
   
  Every war has casualties, and wars of the emotions are no 
  exception.  After the noise and confusion of the conflict settle, 
  the used and battered emotions of the followers still remain.  And 
  a friend scorned is a dangerous thing.  Think about how many 
  things even your casual acquaintances know about you. They 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  47
  might know a place or two you like to eat, places you like to 
  hangout, and a few of your hobbies.  Now imagine what they could 
  do with that information to hurt you.  Mega-Social Attributes by 
  their very nature heighten the emotional playground of life, and 
  the price of this high is the occasional emotional backlash.  And 
  like most emotional hurts, this backlash is not always immediate or 
  obvious.  A person you use today may not even realize how they 
  were used until months later.  When they do realize it, they may 
  not act upon their anger for years, either out of fear, a sense of 
  honor, or lack of opportunity.  Once an opportunity presents 
  itself, though, many a victim will gladly help to cause the nova an 
  equal amount of pain and suffering. 
   
  This darker side of emotional manipulation is why many 
  Mega-Social novas work so hard to seem like “nice people”, and 
  set up their complex layers of social buffers between themselves 
  and their fans.  While it limits their powers, this buffering also 
  protects them from the common backlash of scorned fans. 
  A Nova’s Pride 
   
  When novas clash, the effects often spill over to the 
  sidelines and baselines are often the victims.   Mega-Social 
  conflicts are no less messy, though the scars and wounds are not 
  always visible.  When a Grifter, Idol, and Charmer come into 
  conflict, the outcome is never certain, though certain abilities do 
  make a difference.  
   
  Mega-Manipulative Grifters have the advantage of being 
  able to persuade any weak willed player in a conflict, and their 
  inherent ability to detect other’s manipulation always grants them 
  a degree of security.  Thus, when either an Idol or Charmer tries 
  to play them, most Grifters are aware of the attempt, and can 
  consciously decide if they will go with the flow or try to fight it. It 
  is this ability to consciously choose, which grants the Grifters their 
  greatest advantage over other Mega-Social novas. 
   
  Mega-Attractive Idols or Mega-Ugly Squids have the gift of 
  forcing a quick first impression, and the fear of their displeasure 
  to wield over other novas.  While their appearance grants no 
  direct protection from manipulation or the charming wiles of 
  another nova, it does discourage others from thinking they can get 
  away with it.  If Idols and Squids have a common weakness, it's to 
  the Charmers of the world, being isolated by their looks from most 
  people. Squids and Idols often hunger for an emotional connection.  
  Charmers are of course well suited to offer that connection, even 
  if it’s a false connection. 
   
  Mega-Charismatic Charmers are friends to everyone. Their 
  charm and congeniality offers them many opportunities to openly 
  interact with others.  Their love of public social activities, offers 
  them a certain degree of protection from Grifters, and makes 
  them a natural compliment to a willing Idol or Squid.  This ability to 
  mesh well with an Idol or Squid also makes them more vulnerable 
  to the weapons of appearance and looks.  Charmers often lack the 
  perceptions of the Grifters, and so often miss the subtle 
  manipulations of false first impressions, awesome looks and 
  frightening visages.  Charmers are often victims of manipulation if 
  they are not careful to stay in the light of the public eye. 
   
  When Mega-Social novas fight in the public eye, the media 
  often picks sides before the battle is explained or won. It is the 
  Mega-Ugly nova that often has the toughest battle in the court of 
  opinion, but the issues surrounding that problem are touched upon 
  in the Mega-Appearance essays in Chapter Four.  The darlings of 
  the Media spotlight are the Mega-Attractive novas.  It is their 
  nova gifts that come across best when the cameras are rolling, a 
  Grifter might be able to twist the arm of the studios and kill a 
  story via blackmail, and a Charmer may well be beloved by those 
  who interview and tape their appearances and avoid the hard 
  questions, but it is the Idol that the masses want to see and hear 
  from.  Idols have the special gift of reaching the masses through 
  their visual appeal.  That being said, few baselines want their Idols 
  to run for political office. It is when you leave the arena of 
  popularity that you start to see the Grifters and the Charmers 
  perform better than the Idols.  The Grifters, of course, are at an 
  advantage when orchestrating their next step, and it is the 
  Charmer that can smooth any problem over.  In truth it is working 
  together that the three Social Mega-Attributes work best.  Should 
  a nova gifted with all three traits attempt to enter the political 
  arena, they would be a force to be dealt with and they would face 
  the fiercest battle of their lives as the established media machines 
  of the baselines work to destroy them. 
  What If My Character Is Better 
  Than Me? 
   
  A common problem players face is that their character may 
  be more manipulative than the player could ever be, and 
  sometimes a roll of the die just won’t suffice in bringing the 
  actions of the story across.  There are a few things Players and 
  Storyteller can do to bring across their character’s superior 
  abilities. 
   
  �  Mega-Appearance:  Characters with high ranks of Mega-
  Appearance literally make every one stop and stare, even if just 
  briefly to check them out.  Storytellers should remember that 
  Mega-Appearance novas always looks fresh and vibrant, and 
  never run-down (unless they are low on quantum), this makes 
  them great targets for local media.  Storytellers can make this 
  point constantly.  This effect could dog the player’s character 
  continuously, unless the character starts using disguises.  In 
  general this also means that the character can expect some local 
  reporter to show up wherever they are after an hour or so, 
  especially if it’s a slow news day. 
   
  �  Mega-Manipulation:  Characters with high ranks of Mega-
  Manipulation quickly become rather jaded; they can see that 
  everyone uses one another, even subconsciously.  So regardless of 
  why others want to be with the nova, it’s painfully obvious to the 
  nova.  The Storyteller can truly torment the Grifter with this 
  painful truth.  For example, a distant friend comes to visit the 
  newly erupted nova, and the Grifter suddenly realizes that the 
  “friend” has only been keeping in touch because they are hoping 
  to be seen on the news. 
   
  �  Mega-Charisma:  Characters with high ranks of Mega-
  Charisma are often overwhelmed with eager-to-please baselines; 
  everyone tries to be nice, and laughs at their jokes.  A Mega-
  Charismatic nova can sometimes be thrown off by that one NPC 
  that does not buy into their Charismatic appeal, whether it’s a 
  nova or a baseline with high Willpower, or unique background. It 
  can also be a life lesson when an officer ticketing the nova for 
  speeding appears obviously distressed about ticketing the nova, 
  but he still tickets the nova to avoid angering his superior officer 
  watching from the cruiser. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  48
   
  A Player can become frustrated at the lack of “useful” 
  information the Storyteller gives them about people’s motivations.  
  A helpful mechanic for easing the strain on the Storyteller’s time 
  and the player’s frustration is to prepare the player with a listing 
  of some standard motivations of NPCs (such as Money, Fame, 
  Power, Help, Attention) and allow the player to work out ways 
  that their nova could offer such things.  This exercise will help 
  both Storyteller and Player to get into the habit of thinking of how 
  people manipulate each other daily. If both Storyteller and Players 
  agree they can even expand the listing to have a positive and 
  negative values (Money/Support, Fame/Friendship, Power/Favor, 
  Help/Service, Attention/Love), for example if an NPC is driven by 
  a need for Money, they will often want the cash no questions 
  asked, and no real promise of pay-back.  An NPC driven by a need 
  for Support would honestly believe that they are asking for a loan, 
  with every intention of repaying the nova.  Storytellers that wish 
  to make the reading of manipulation more difficult, may decide to 
  not tell the Player which aspect of the need is truly in play, unless 
  they make a high enough of a success. 
   
  Social Warfare 
   
  Aberrant: Worldwide Phase 1 suggests a technique of using 
  symbolic combat to represent social maneuvering in the public 
  eye.  The system works fine if you are trying to compete with 
  another for some prize or victory condition, but does little to aid 
  in the abstract conflicts of two shadowy novas.  So the system has 
  been expanded to address this short-coming. 
   
  This optional system is intended to flesh out the abstract 
  nature of social conflict with Mega-Social powers.  While it is not 
  intended to replace genuine role-playing, this system does 
  endeavor to allow both Players and Storytellers to explore social 
  struggles beyond baseline perceptions.  Whether your players 
  have little or no interest to explore social sparring in detail, or if 
  your players feel uncomfortable in playing out the social dog-
  fighting of the masters, this system will give the tools necessary to 
  make it happen. 
   
  �  Who should use this?  Players with Mega-Social traits of 
  two or higher will receive the most benefit from this system.  
  Storytellers presenting stories with national or epic scales of 
  effect will find this system ideal for representing nova and 
  baseline conflicts. 
   
  �  Who should ignore this?  Players with no Mega-Social 
  traits, or Storytellers that are trying to tell stories of personal 
  conflict, and human emotions.  While the system presented below 
  can be used to resolve such problems, it reduces them to a handful 
  of dice rolls. 
  The System 
   
  This system creates a combat metaphor for the social, 
  emotional and intellectual conflicts of novas and elite baselines.  
  The system converts a crude remark about someone’s lineage, 
  into a quick jab, that can be soaked as social bashing damage. 
   
  The initial setup rules are from the White Wolf book, 
  Aberrant: World Wide Phase 1, after these rules are introduced 
  this section continues reviewing the applications of the various 
  (metaphorical) Mega-Physical enhancements. 
  Social Combat Set-up 
   
  �  For each Mega-Charisma enhancement the player may 
  choose 1 Mega-Stamina enhancement. 
   
  �  For each Mega-Manipulation enhancement the player may 
  choose 1 Mega-Dexterity enhancement. 
   
  �  For each Mega-Appearance or Mega-Wits (choose one) 
  enhancement the player may choose 1 Mega-Strength 
  enhancement. 
   
  In games with few Mega-Social novas allow the fourth and 
  fifth dot in any Mega-Social attribute to count as enhancements 
  for this purpose. 
   
  Social Maneuvers are limited to Close Combat maneuvers and 
  a selection of Special Nova Maneuvers.  The Storyteller is the 
  final arbiter of any permitted maneuvers, and the set of valid 
  maneuvers may vary with each conflict. The nature of social 
  combat prevents “ranged combat”, as such distant attacks have 
  no meaningful impact in the public eye. [Note: restrictions and 
  requirements described in the various combat maneuvers still 
  hold, so unless the nova has the social equivalent of Hyperspeed 
  or Flight, maneuvers dependant on such powers are not 
  accessible.] 
   
  Idea: Some Storytellers may want to assign permanent 
  Physical enhancement analogies for each player.  Or more 
  ambitious Storytellers may assign a different set of enhancement 
  analogies for differing Social Arenas.  I.e. A nova artist would have 
  one set of Meta-Social enhancements when dueling in the arena of 
  the Art world, and another, when discussing global policy. 
  Maneuvers in Personal 
  Interactions 
   
  Social combat on a personal level is short term. Even if the 
  nova “kills” their opponent socially, in such a small venue, the 
  effects rarely last more than a week.  Only if it is broadcast across 
  the globe, or the combat ended with the loser “slain” with 
  aggravated damage would the loser perhaps take any drastic 
  actions (at Storyteller’s discretion, the loser may become 
  depressed, moody, or listless for a number of days, they may also 
  make a Willpower Test, no successes indicating they are inclined 
  to perform a violent action against either themselves or their 
  attacker). 
   
  For example, throwing someone to the ground is equivalent 
  to a personal attack, confusing statement or any other action that 
  leaves an enemy temporarily at a loss for words. 
   
  A clinch resembles a competition for a single claim – e.g. 
  “I’m the Christian candidate” – that locks both candidates 
  together, unable to strike directly at the others’ position. While a 
  nova with the Flexibility enhancement, might be able to strike 
  from a new angle. 
  Maneuvers through the Media 
   
  The media has the power to affect the whole world.  A social 
  conflict between individuals can impact all that watch, and can 
  force political shifts in local government. 
   
  Turns are measured in months when waging combat via the 
  media and public perception. Even when two opponents speak out 
  in a matter of days, the public reaction is not always immediately 
  visible. 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  Arts, Perform, Rapport, Style and Subterfuge are used in 
  such Advertising campaigns.  These skills are used instead of 
  Martial Arts or Brawl, though the martial analogy is maintained 
  where an astute Perform + Manipulation test can be equated to a 
  Smack down. 
  Social Combat 
   
  Verbal combat takes place during a series of claims 
  comments and verbal attacks, these spoken feints and attacks on 
  the other person range in their damage type depending how fatal 
  the statements are to the opponent.  If any claims are true and 
  proven in the public eye (if it is a lie, but the masses believe it to 
  be true, it is still a deadly attack), then the attack can generate 
  social damage.  Statements that would only affect a minority of 
  the public’s opinion are considered Bashing damage, those that 
  affect either a majority of the public in a striking manner (i.e. “My 
  opponent plans to raise taxes when he is elected”,) or pushes 
  critical issues with a vocal minority (at least 40%) can be Lethal 
  to the opponent’s public life.  Attacks that completely invalidate 
  the opponents’ stances and issues can become Aggravated 
  attacks. Aggravated attacks by nature must be true and provable 
  (i.e. the public won’t treat it serious if the accusation cannot be 
  proven in some manner), and the attack will not reach the core of 
  the opponent’s psyche if the statement is false.  Purely intangible 
  attacks that have no bearing on the target audience, (i.e. declaring 
  that your opponent is a nova, can be an Aggravated attack if they 
  are representing an anti-nova organization, but if this claim is 
  proven false, it can backlash as a “Reflected” attack on the 
  accuser. 
  Damage 
   
  Characters soak “damage” from their opponent’s rolls with 
  Charisma and Mega-Charisma and can spend a turn inactive, 
  healing one level of damage (Bashing, Lethal or Aggravated). 
   
  Examples:  A character can use Enhanced Movement to keep 
  one social opponent from “closing” while dealing with another 
  opponent.  An attractive nova may use their Mega-Appearance 
  (a.k.a. Mega-Strength) and could “crush” someone who impugned 
  her competence.  A Mega-Manipulated smack down would 
  originate as an outlandish claim that can neither be proved or 
  disproved, but offends one segment of their audience. 
   
  The following section expands the write-up of the published 
  physical enhancements, for the sake of Social Combat. 
  Social Combat Enhancements 
   
  These enhancements use the same mechanic as indicated in 
  the Aberrant Core book and Aberrant Players Guide, save where 
  contradicted above.  In the personal arena, quantum must be paid 
  for these enhancements, in the slower marketing and commercial 
  arena, no quantum is expended, though Willpower points are still 
  required where indicated. 
  Strength (Appearance/Wits) 
   
  �  Crush: Converts a Bashing attack into a Lethal attack.  The 
  nova has the wit and looks to make a normal slight into a full-
  blown insult or derision. 
   
  �  Irresistible Force: Adds +2 Difficulty to resisting 
  Knockdown from a successful Strength attack.  Social attacks 
  from such a nova does not cause additional damage, but makes it 
  harder to recover ones composure. 
   
  �  Lifter: The nova may successfully bear especially weighty 
  issues and subjects in the public eye, topics which may be 
  untouchable by any other nova can be handled and borne for a 
  short time, in a manner such that a single opponent is forced to 
  back off. (They would have to spend a turn just rebuilding their 
  opposition to reengage the nova. 
   
  �  Precision: A nova with this enhancement can determine 
  how many of their successes will count toward social damage, and 
  how many will be ignored by the public (and thus the target). The 
  nova knows exactly how far to go, to damage their opponent as 
  much or as little as they desire. 
   
  �  Quantum Leap: A nova may use their prodigious Strength 
  to “Leap” from a dangerous situation and force a change to 
  another topic.  The nova attacked, can respond by linking, back to 
  a previous topic, or a completely new topic that is immune to the 
  attacker’s current statements. 
   
  �  Shockwave: This weapon can only be used when the nova 
  is on solid (moral) ground, and has one or more opponents 
  engaging them.  This enhancement is used to Knock Down any 
  prepared attacker against the nova, by dropping a Witty 
  conundrum, or a cute pout, that publicly embarrasses or makes 
  their opponent speechless, this can also be used in shocking 
  opponents with inappropriate language or actions, that if used 
  well, can gain the nova a turn to build their defenses. Victims with 
  Quantum Leap can “jump” away from the strike. 
   
  �  Thrower: a nova may use this to “throw” verbal attacks at 
  their opponents, before they are actually facing each other.  The 
  inability for their victim to retaliate does not reduce this attack’s 
  power; nor does Quantum Leap or Hypermovement aid in avoiding 
  this attack. 
   
  �  Thunderclap: Like Shockwave, save that its effects are 
  less powerful, and it cannot be “jumped” away from.  This permits 
  broad generalized accusations, “There is not an honest man in this 
  room,” that the nova can use to force their opponents to spend an 
  action recovering or responding, while they save themselves from 
  harm, “Thankfully I am a woman”. 
  Dexterity (Manipulation) 
   
  �  Accuracy: The nova gains 3 additional dice to attack a 
  victim.  This enhancement requires one turn spent gathering facts, 
  evidence and public opinion. The nova is adept at knowing not 
  necessarily how hard, but knows exactly where (instinctively) to 
  push hardest.  The nova can sense what issues or ideas the 
  opponent seems to shy from.  And can use this insight to ensure 
  that most of their attacks hit him where he hurts. 
   
  �  Catfooted: The nova with this enhancement is hard to pin 
  down in any information gathering, and is often overlooked in 
  smear campaigns. The nova gains 3 extra successes when 
  attempting to remain unnoticed. This enhancement lasts for one 
  turn in combat, or one scene in peaceful information gathering 
  sessions. Whenever the nova is being targeted for an attack, or if 
  the nova learns an opponent is preparing a Shockwave of a 
  statement, they can use this enhancement to tip-toe around the 
  issue and to temporarily drop off the media radar, if they make 
  their roll. 
   
  �  Enhanced Movement: A nova with this enhancement can 
  make a Dodge roll to escape a closing opponent for one turn. 
  Unfortunately such fleet movement makes it hard for the public 
  eye to stay focused on the nova's stances and issues. In the Social 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER TWO:  SOCIAL ENGINEERING 
  50
  Arena continued use of this enhancement can reduce the 
  credibility of the nova. 
   
  �  Fast Tasks: Non-Combat actions, such as propaganda 
  gathering, are performed quicker and with the same degree of 
  precision as if they were working at a normal pace. (No increased 
  difficulty for rushing the task).  This enhancement is a natural aid 
  to the Accuracy enhancement, when the victim has a high Cipher 
  background slowing information gathering.  Regardless of its 
  effect Fast-Tasks will not reduce the time needed to less than one 
  turn. 
   
  �  Fine Manipulation: Permits the nova to express the 
  differences between two very similar issues, in a manner that the 
  general audience can comprehend easily. Novas with this 
  enhancement have no increased difficulty when attempting to 
  express the difference between two very minute or similar topics. 
   
  �  Flexibility: Novas with this enhancement can get a grip on 
  remote opponents without closing the distance.  “My opponents 
  may refuse to meet me on common ground, but I can tell you what 
  they would say…”  This enhancement makes this form of reaching 
  seem natural. This enhancement also permits closed quartered 
  conflict, when two opponents are in a clinch. 
   
  �  Omnidexterity: A nova with this enhancement has no 
  problem dueling two opponents at the same time.  This 
  enhancement only negates the two handed penalty in the conflict, 
  so the nova still needs to split their dice pools for non-area 
  effects.  
   
  �  Perfect Balance: The nova has an amazing ability to avoid 
  taking the “fall” in social arenas, always careful in how they speak, 
  such novas can dodge accusations meant to make them seem 
  guilty. When attacked with a Sweeping statement of a Trick 
  Question (a two-punch combo), the nova may ignore such cheap 
  ploys, as they have a natural ability to avoid such attacks.  If the 
  attack however is of extraordinary potency (revealing the nova's 
  unknown love child, while attacking their stance on morality, or 
  catching them in admitting to Murder) the attacker may force an 
  extra Dexterity test to see if they keep on their feet. If the test 
  succeeds, the nova still keeps their poise. 
   
  �  Physical Prodigy: When performing, or making a “grand 
  entrance” in the social arena, the nova gains 3 extra successes for 
  their roll. It cannot be used to dodge attacks. 
   
  �  Rapid Strike: When a nova is armed with two or more 
  attacks against an opponent, they can use this enhancement to 
  deliver their multiple attacks at once in tandem, thus gaining extra 
  effect in their harangue. For every dot in Mega-Manipulation, the 
  nova gains an extra die for determining the damage of the attacks. 
  Stamina (Charisma) 
   
  �   Adaptability: This enhancement allows the nova to survive 
  in the most hostile of social arenas.  This will not save a nova 
  dropped into a Lethal social setting, but it will let them enter one 
  cautiously and seem quite at home.  While this will not affect the 
  audience, this enhancement will negate any penalty the home 
  court effect might inflict on the visiting nova. 
   
  �  Durability: The nova has the social charisma to shrug off 
  Lethal social damage and convert it internally into Bashing 
  damage. 
   
  �  Hardbody: The nova has the ability to convert an 
  Aggravated attack into Lethal damage.  The use of this 
  enhancement costs 1 Willpower. 
   
  �  Health: The nova is adept at fighting off Poisonous and 
  snide remarks, by reducing the number of dice by their Mega-
  Charisma rating. 1 Willpower point must be expended to negate 
  one turns worth of Aggravated poisonous gossip. 
   
  �  Immovable Object: The nova is adept at resisting being 
  flatfooted by Thunderclap, Shockwave, or the after-effects of a 
  slam.  The nova is unmoved by most shocking events, threats and 
  inappropriate behavior. 
   
  �  Regeneration: the nova may heal one level of Damage for 
  every point of Willpower the Nova expends. 
   
  �  Tireless: the nova can endure any relentless attack, from 
  numerous opponents.  One turn per point of Mega-Charisma 
   
  �  Resilient: the nova’s soak is doubled.  The nova’s 
  denouncements, denials, or reactions to any attack have greater 
  effect resisting any social attack. 
   
   
  
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  CHAPTER THREE:  STORYTELLING 
  51
  CHAPTER THREE: 
  STORYTELLING 
   
   
  Introduction 
   
  If you're reading this then you're either a Storyteller or 
  have bright ambitions to become one. Good Luck. Hopefully this 
  chapter will help organize some of the challenges and 
  opportunities awaiting you and your Mega-Social Novas. 
   
  Theme 
   
  As in any Aberrant game the theme of your campaign is 
  central to the stories you tell. Themes of responsibility will force 
  your players to gain an awareness of their powers and what role 
  they chose to use them in. Themes of Normality emphasize the 
  player’s struggle to maintain a normal (or normal seeming) 
  lifestyle while adjusting to their new found power. Themes of 
  awareness can force players to finally understand the deeper 
  forces at work in their lives. Themes of isolation can highlight a 
  player’s uniqueness and the loneliness that accrues from being at 
  the top. 
  Responsibility 
   
  A theme most aptly used for Mega-Social novas. Mega-
  Social novas are the most sorely tempted of novas to use their 
  powers with impunity. Most other novas have to deal with 
  photographic evidence of their misdeeds, and evidence of after-
  effects of their actions. Mega-Social novas do not have these 
  tells to deal with. A sensuous smile, a glib word or a friendly 
  rejoinder are the weapons and tools of a Mega-Social nova. 
  Storytellers should keep in mind that unlike the nova brick, a 
  Mega-Social nova needs bounds placed on them outside of 
  normal criminal law, or they need a sense of responsibility.  
   
  �  Personal Responsibility:  Being forced to face the 
  consequences of your actions, to take the brunt of the blame for 
  what you do, is one of the hardest things a person has to do in 
  real life. It is often just as hard in a game. Many players play 
  Aberrant to escape reality, so forcing them to deal with real 
  consequences for their actions may bring them down, or it may 
  make the struggles of the game that much more real. A Mega-
  Attractive nova may have to deal with their unbounded 
  flirtations, and the heart ache it causes a new lover’s ex-wife. A 
  Mega-Manipulative nova could have to deal with the 
  consequences of controlling a situation to a specific outcome, 
  and later have to face the evicted victims of their manipulations. 
  A Mega-Charismatic nova may make friends with someone to 
  get to a resource, but will have to deal with their accusing eyes 
  when the ruse is ended. 
   
  �  Professional 
  Responsibility: 
  Similar 
  to 
  personal 
  responsibility, though it can be used and presented differently, 
  since the actions of the organization or team the nova belongs to 
  are impacting the nova. It is often easy for a player to shrug and 
  say, that “I did not attack the mayor, it was another Terat,” or 
  that “I was just following my instructions.” But in a story 
  focused on Professional Responsibility, this can’t be allowed 
  without ramifications. One way to show this is by throwing the 
  nova’s nonchalance in his face, or forcing them to eat his words. 
  The same nova that takes such an irresponsible stance could 
  face those same words when he loses a contact or associate and 
  a NPC that could have helped merely shrugs and shirks their 
  responsibility to their organization. 
  Normality 
   
  For every nova that craves the spotlight, there is a nova 
  that desires the dark shadows of normality. This theme will 
  focus a story to highlight and contrast the player’s lifestyle with 
  baseline lifestyles. Whether it’s a jet set life, with glamour and 
  opulence, a shadowy existence seeing betrayal in every smiling 
  face, or the home life where you can read your baseline spouse’s 
  every selfish desire before she voices them; Mega-Social novas 
  are constantly singled out and denied a normal life. These stories 
  will focus on the down time, the non-combatant scenes where 
  the nova must interact in a social way, and must deal or cope 
  with society’s reactions, good or ill. 
   
  �  Being Normal:  No matter how things change, certain 
  aspects of the nova’s life will stay quite boringly normal. The 
  Mega-Attractive nova still has domestic disputes, the Mega-
  Manipulative nova still has to pay their debts, and the Mega-
  Charismatic nova must still pay the rent (literally or indirectly). 
  A story focused on this form of Normality will offer both 
  humorous and stale encounters, where the players can explore 
  the “normal” aspects of their lives. 
   
  �  Being Abnormal:  No matter how things change, certain 
  aspects of the nova’s life will never be the same. This theme will 
  draw to the forefront how certain normal tasks are forever 
  denied the nova. A Mega-Social nova with the Suitors 
  adversarial background may have a story centered on their 
  inability to have a quiet night in front of the TV watching their 
  favorite film. Being abnormal can be taken for granted, unless 
  the opportunity to be normal (even in private) is denied. 
  Awareness 
   
  This theme focuses on the perceptions of the players, and 
  emphasizes the sometimes painfully obvious motivations of all 
  non-Mega-Social novas around them. Mega-Social novas are 
  constantly in tune with some aspect of the social scene.  
   
  A Mega-Attractive nova will always make a point of 
  knowing who’s looking good and who isn’t. A Storyteller can 
  enhance this aspect, by always pointing out to the Mega-
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER THREE:  STORYTELLING 
  52
  Attractive nova who is wearing the latest fashions, who is 
  wearing just horrible clothing, and who is “trying” to look 
  “almost” as attractive as them. The same can be said about a 
  Mega-Ugly nova. 
   
  A Mega-Manipulative nova will always be on the look out 
  for other sharks in the water. The motivations of baselines will 
  be painfully apparent, and anyone actually capable of pulling a 
  fast one on the Grifter, may be the one person they could relate 
  to, but will never know it, at the time. The courtship of two 
  Grifters can be the telling of an epic, as each tries to test the 
  true intentions of the other. 
   
  A Mega-Charismatic nova will have their senses tuned into 
  the social graces of everyone. In knowing how to please 
  everyone, a Charmer will also see who is equally socially adept. 
  Charmers will see boorish louts, and naïve socialites, but rarely a 
  true master of etiquette. Storytellers can bring the social 
  aspects alive to those with the ability to see the Social tapestry. 
  Isolation 
   
  Mega-Social novas are constantly isolated, even in crowds. 
  Everyone sets the Mega-Social nova apart from the rest, the 
  Storyteller has a unique opportunity to use this theme 
  intertwined with almost any other theme. Rarely can a Mega-
  Social nova find an equal among the throngs, and so many social 
  novas end up in meaningless relationships, that merely fill the 
  time with conversation or at least reduces the time when the 
  nova is physically isolated. 
   
  �  Mega-Appearance: 
  For 
  Mega-Attractive 
  novas: 
  Everywhere you look, you see lesser beauties, no one who looks 
  as nice as you do. For Mega-Ugly novas: Everywhere you look, 
  you see the angels and baselines, no one who looks as you do. 
  Perhaps if you had a mirror you could bask in your own 
  appearance. By pointing out how no one really appears to be in 
  the same class as the nova, the Storyteller forces to the player’s 
  awareness onto their own vanity and isolation. 
   
  �  Mega-Manipulation:  Everyone is a drone, no one thinks 
  for themselves. No one the player meets is truly honest, or 
  guileless. And if such a person is ever met, the nova must 
  wonder if the person is as they seem or a better Grifter than 
  they. 
   
  �  Mega-Charisma:  Smiling happy people stare at you, each 
  wanting to be your friend, but none of them able to give you 
  what you need, an equal partner. Running this theme entails a bit 
  more work than some, because the best way to introduce this 
  theme is through kindness. You can literally kill the nova with 
  kindness. After a while the nova may become hostile and angry 
  that no one will disagree with them, no one will confront them 
  for their rudeness. Or perhaps an NPC will laugh at the charming 
  nova while pointing out that no one is honest with the nova. 
   
  Conflict 
   
  Many traditional conflicts have already been introduce in 
  the core Aberrant book, here are few more geared toward 
  Mega-Social novas. 
   
  �  Nova vs. Baseline:  Mega-Social novas are ideal for 
  dealing with baseline conflicts. Stories that focus on how novas 
  help and exasperate baseline issues would be ideal for Mega-
  Social nova teams. 
   
  �  Looks vs. Brains:  Mega-Social novas could get involved 
  in a rather challenging story where they must pit their outward 
  appearance against the intellectual attacks of an adversary. 
  Perhaps they are targeted by an extremist political organization 
  (or a rival social club, or intelligence agency), for the clothes 
  they wear, the people they are seen with, or the businesses they 
  support or frequent. The Mega-Attractive nova could become 
  the target of a smear campaign directed by a very intelligent foe 
  (baseline or nova). Forcing the Mega-Social nova to step out of 
  their traditional territory, and perhaps actually performing 
  careful research to discover the true source of the attacks may 
  be enlightening, and rewarding. Once the mystery is solved, the 
  Mega-Social nova can initiate a social combat to vindicate and 
  repair their damaged image and reputation. 
   
  �  Social vs. Brawn:  Nothing is more challenging than 
  setting a Mega-Social nova against a Mega-Physical nova. In a 
  direct fight the Mega-Social will lose, but if the Mega-Social 
  nova can select the setting or the weapons of the conflict, the 
  Mega-Social nova can emerge victorious every time. Perhaps if 
  the Mega-Social does their job right, the Mega-Physical nova 
  will not even show up for the fight. 
   
  �  Social Competition:  Pitting one Mega-Social nova 
  against another Mega-Social nova can be rather dull if both are 
  of the same ability and skill. But the ability to enter a social 
  combat makes the protracted conflict rather visceral. Utilizing 
  social combat the first time may be a little intimidating the first 
  time, but once the social nova publicly dresses down a rival at 
  the local dance club, they will live for the social dueling that may 
  arise.  
   
  �  Constructive vs. Destructive: Social novas have the 
  choice to battle an opponent with constructive instead of 
  destructive activities. In Aberrant most novas win a conflict by 
  destroying their enemy, but in the arena of the Mega-Social 
  nova, victory can be had by building oneself up to the point that 
  the other side is dwarfed, and therefore ignored, and loses the 
  conflict by default. 
   
  �  Social Warfare: Televised Soldiering in the 21st century: 
  The battle of the Big Media is ongoing and ever consuming. Prior 
  to the Nova Age no one individual ever successfully defeated Big 
  Media. Fortunately, most novas are as powerful as some of the 
  largest publicity firms in the world. So the kid-gloves are off, 
  and the Mega-Social novas are ready to take on the giant gears 
  of the media. Who will win and who will lose can be decided by 
  whose talk show has that exclusive incriminating video footage, 
  or the longest uninterrupted station feed. Mega-Social novas 
  are ripe to champion a cause or video station, and may the best 
  nova win. 
   
  Factions 
   
  Each faction has the need for Mega-Social Novas; these 
  special novas are ideal front-men, deal makers and leaders. 
   
  �  Utopia:  Project Utopia needs Mega-Social novas more 
  so today than they ever did. It is the Mega-Social novas that 
  play critical roles in peace talks and border negotiations. It is the 
  Mega-Social nova that will turn the tide of public opinion polls 
  back towards its record high ratings. If you have low taint and 
  high Social skills, Utopia has a job for you. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER THREE:  STORYTELLING 
  53
   
  �  Aberrants:  The Aberrants are fighting a war of 
  perceptions, and every nova counts. The Mega-Social novas will 
  be critical in the final days before the Aberrant cause must 
  inevitably leave the shadows and confront Utopian propaganda. 
   
  �  Project Proteus:  As a hidden organization, Proteus has 
  little need for idols, but Grifters and Charmers are being 
  recruited slowly. At first they were primarily a brute squad for 
  the shadow wars, but as the years progress, their need for 
  positional advantage among the warring factions increases. 
   
  �  The Directive:  If you do not look human, are an idol or 
  cannot follow orders, the Directive won’t even consider you. If 
  you are a master of charm and manipulation, the Directive may 
  consider you a threat. Either way, you might be able to avoid 
  their aggression if you join their team. Right? 
   
  �  Elites and Others:  These factions need non-combatants 
  badly. While not as glamorous as killing and blowing things up, 
  Elite organizations need Mega-Social novas to grease the wheels 
  of commerce. No one else will touch you? Not a problem among 
  the elite. 
   
  Running a Mega-Social 
  Game 
  Everyone Loves You When You 
  Are A Star! 
   
  Mega-Social novas live glamorous lives often filled with 
  beauty, attention and praise; it is this very special treatment 
  that will draw players to the Mega-Social powers. It is important 
  to allow your socially gifted players to reap the rewards of these 
  powers, even if the story is an Aberrant tale of betrayal and 
  being hunted. It is the small things, preferential treatment at a 
  restaurant, an easy perception role to discern a person’s motive, 
  or the ease to which a nova makes friends with a corporate aid, 
  which keep a Mega-Social nova engaged with the daily 
  challenges. A few easy victories for the socially adept nova will 
  make all the trials ahead worth while, especially if they are 
  encounters that will introduce a future story hook or two. 
  I Am the Party 
   
  As a Mega-Social nova develops and grows they will – not 
  may – develop into a dominating force within their chosen 
  niche. It is important to track this carefully, for as their power 
  grows their expectations will grow, and they will become harder 
  to reign in at critical moments.  
   
  It is very important to craft the young nova’s niche of 
  power carefully from the beginning of the story. While a player 
  may insist that they are the social god of all things, the 
  Storyteller must help define the actual scope and impact of this 
  “divinity”. Otherwise, the social magnetism of the player never 
  evolves beyond simple number manipulation. For example a 
  Mega-Charming nova may be interested in dominating their 
  nation’s major political party, which is fine, but it should be 
  realized that she will not be the only one. As her power grows 
  over time, she may rise to a high standing within the party, but 
  she will have also made enemies within and without her party 
  (it’s a natural effect among the power hungry). In this instance 
  the nova will usually have the added challenge of not appearing 
  to use her powers for advancement, as some may construe their 
  power usage as “cheating”. It then becomes a simple matter of 
  dealing with when the losers unite publicly or privately. Political 
  agendas may cause new political platforms to arise. For example, 
  a new issue may be born from the nova’s abuses. Instead of 
  campaign budget reforms we have nova power usage reform for 
  political campaigns. Though positioning opponents around ideals 
  instead of vendettas may be preferable, occasionally a personal 
  vendetta is perfect for keeping a player on their toes.  
   
  Unlike Physical Mega-Attributes, Social Mega-Attributes 
  can be successfully opposed by the masses with sufficient 
  organization. Baselines are frightened by anyone who is seen as 
  grabbing at too much power at once. Once the public becomes 
  frightened, the media outlets are soon to follow – and who is to 
  say that the media would not start a scare in the public for their 
  own ends? 
   
  Mega-Social novas are unique among their brethren, in that 
  they are heavily dependant on the presence of others for their 
  powers to be effective. This need for minions, followers and 
  allies will discourage solo power plays. This simplifies the 
  Storyteller’s ability to enforce the weakness of baseline NPCs, 
  and their limited understanding of the nova’s intentions. The 
  most meticulous nova cannot always prevent a lone misguided 
  baseline follower from falling in love or getting drunk with the 
  wrong person, and accidentally spilling their secrets to the 
  wrong ears. 
  One Step Ahead 
   
  During the course of most games players with Mega-
  Mental and Mega-Social abilities will be privy to additional 
  information. Mega-Manipulative novas will often gain an extra 
  two or three words about every NPC they meet describing their 
  new mark. Mega-Appearance novas will need a few extra words 
  describing the attractiveness of all present. Mega-Charismatic 
  will want to know how much they are liked by all present. These 
  subtle differences in description will enhance the information 
  the Players have and how they interact with the story. 
   
  Of all of the Mega-Social novas only the Mega-
  Manipulative novas will regularly receive information that is not 
  immediately obvious to all present. A Grifter can sense when 
  they are being or are witnessing manipulation. These indicators 
  are critical to a budding Grifter. A Storyteller may want to have 
  a few prewritten index cards with a few simple descriptors for 
  the Grifter. It would be understood that these cards describe the 
  most subtle of motivations, and not all of these would be 
  conscious tells. The cards could have the following: “They are 
  hiding something”, “Liar liar pants on Fire (they are lying)”, 
  “You Sense no Deception”, “They Seem Anxious”, etc. 
   
  For Mega-Charismatic and Mega-Appearance novas the 
  Storyteller needs to incorporate adjectives and extra 
  descriptors for the players to act upon. Emphasizing a baseline 
  dressed in nicer clothes, or a nova with a competing entourage 
  will enhance the social aspects of any scene for the players. 
  One Step Behind (AKA Group 
  Dynamics) 
   
  Mega-Social novas do suffer one failing. They rarely cope 
  well in all-out battle fests. This can be compensated by 
  generalizing the character, or by working with the players to 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  ensure that the story and the character are appropriate for each 
  other. 
   
  A Mega-Social player may believe that their fellow players 
  should be in as much awe of their character as the NPCs. In a 
  perfect world they would be, in the real world, your friends are 
  looking at you from across the table, and trying to figure out 
  when their character will next shine. It becomes a responsibility 
  of the Storyteller to impress upon each player the significance 
  of the role each player fills through out the story. Ideally every 
  player would have such a moment in every session. Realistically 
  the Storyteller may only be able to highlight two-thirds of the 
  party every session.  
   
  One way to aid the fair and balanced implementation of this 
  is through character analysis. Making note of specific situations 
  each character excels, and at which situations each character 
  seems their weakest will allow the Storyteller to craft 
  encounters that push and pull each character in and out of their 
  comfort zones and keep each player on their toes. [Note: It is 
  important to remember that while it’s okay to make a character 
  uncomfortable, you should never intentionally make a player feel 
  uncomfortable during a session, because of this some concepts 
  that may seem a perfect fit for the characters, may be 
  inappropriate for the players. Use your own discretion.] 
   
  Many players talk about balancing the party, making sure 
  that they have a proper mix of offensive and defensive powers 
  on their team. Storytellers should be having similar discussions, 
  only they should be talking about having a balanced story. A 
  balanced story is one that mixes the right types of conflict 
  together so that all players are challenged and all players have 
  an opportunity to shine. 
  Boorish Human Syndrome  
   
  Mega-Social novas are sometimes penalized and punished 
  accidentally by well-intentioned Storytellers. It’s time to fix this 
  situation and double our efforts to intentionally punish the 
  Mega-Social novas where it hurts. That’s right, punish them with 
  parties. For most novas life is full of parties, and social events 
  and the Mega-Social nova can become the life of most parties, 
  but rarely is the nova exposed to parties that are just plain 
  awful. A creative Storyteller can challenge a nova’s self image 
  and perceptions by exposing them to a party scene they cannot 
  fix, or by cloistering them with the most Neanderthal of hosts. A 
  wise Storyteller will make this situation even rougher, by hinging 
  a plot point on their being good guests at the party. A cruel 
  Storyteller will find ways to share the horror of the awful party 
  in great detail and to drag the less-social novas into it. It is 
  through the social scene that a Storyteller can inflict the 
  greatest harm by making the nova endure the boorish baselines 
  and the fan-boys of their scene. 
   
  Conversely, a Storyteller can make parties the high points 
  of a story, instead of the quickly forgotten down time between 
  missions. By placing the nova in the spotlight or surrounding the 
  nova with gushing fans and friends, adding a mix of celebrity 
  cameos and gossip mills, it can all build into a party the player 
  may not forget soon, and offers many possible story hooks to 
  the characters. Imagine the players shock of meeting a member 
  of Team Tomorrow “off-duty” and actually liking the person, 
  only to find out they are a sociopath on the battle field. Or when 
  they are asked to retell their version of a previous mission’s 
  battle, and getting caught embellishing their story? 
   
  The Dark Side of Mega-
  Social Power 
   
  Poisoned Words and Razored 
  Tongues: Psychological Torture 
  and Grifters 
   
  In the Nova Age, the possibility of being tortured is a risk 
  that only the most powerful of novas don't have to worry about. 
  While a very workable system for this distasteful matter has 
  already been provided in Aberrant: The Directive (on pg. 62 of 
  that sourcebook); it didn't cover what can happen when a Mega-
  Manipulative nova engages in acts of psychological torture, nor 
  did it differentiate much between physical and psychological 
  torture. The game mechanics and information presented below 
  should let the Storyteller add a very dark shadow to an Aberrant 
  chronicle, if that's what she and her players want. But be careful 
  – this is extremely dark and nasty territory that we're covering 
  here. If using this material in your chronicle would cross the 
  boundaries of what you, your fellow players, or your Storyteller 
  feel comfortable dealing with in the context of a roleplaying 
  session, then it shouldn't be used. It's that simple. And as always, 
  Storytellers and players who want nothing at all to do with this 
  matter are free to ignore it entirely. 
  Sticks and Stones May Not 
  Break Your Bones, but Words 
  Really Can Hurt You 
   
  For purposes of these rules, “psychological torture” is 
  defined as verbal assault intended to inflict severe emotional 
  trauma and anguish, most often as a form of punishment or 
  coercion. While this form of torture leaves no physical marks on 
  the victim's body, the emotional scars can (and likely will) last 
  for the rest of the victim's life. The basic form of psychological 
  torture is indeed the classic demoralizing put-down, although by 
  no means is it limited to simply making someone feel badly and 
  ashamed about himself. It's also about destroying what the victim 
  considers to be the good things in his life. Such gambits include 
  things like convincing the victim that his spouse doesn't love him 
  anymore and has left him, for example. Breaking the victim's 
  heart with “ironclad” evidence that his spouse has been 
  unfaithful to him is another tried-and-true method. To make the 
  victim feel utterly helpless and impotent, force him to watch as 
  his loved ones are hurt or even killed. If the victim values his 
  status in society, have him witness other people – especially 
  personal rivals – take the credit for his achievements, slander 
  his good name and reputation, or drain his hard-earned financial 
  resources dry. If the victim has strong faith in his ideals, his 
  religion, his friends or himself, then cause him to lose it. 
  Destroying an item, place, or institution that the victim cherishes 
  or is even just sentimental about can be surprisingly effective. 
  And of course, dashing any hopes that the victim might have for 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  the future of himself and/or his loved ones has always worked 
  well. 
   
  It should be noted that it's usually much more convenient 
  for the torturer to simply trick his victim into thinking that such 
  vile acts have taken place by means of well-crafted illusions 
  and/or Mega-Manipulative deception than to actually have those 
  acts committed. Provided that the victim has been sufficiently 
  isolated from the outside world, all the torturer really needs to 
  do is to convince the victim that such acts have indeed taken 
  place. This has the added effect of making the victim feel quite 
  foolish and humiliated once he discovers how the torturer has 
  deceived him. 
  The Grifter's Gift 
   
  At its most basic level, Mega-Manipulation is the 
  superhuman ability to influence other people. Since the system 
  of game mechanics presented in the Aberrant core book 
  considers torture to be a specialized form of the Interrogation 
  Ability, it's logical that Mega-Manipulative novas would make 
  the most efficient torturers. As such, grifters trained in the 
  methods of psychological torture are capable of inflicting such 
  horrific verbal attacks on a victim's psyche that the sheer pain 
  can match that caused by the most brutal physical tortures 
  known to mankind. In game terms, a Mega-Manipulative nova 
  can be much more efficient at performing psychological torture 
  than his baseline counterparts, and is able to break a victim's will 
  far more quickly. When employed by a baseline torturer, an 
  entire day-long session of psychological torture is typically 
  required to strip the victim of one point of his effective 
  Willpower. For a Mega-Manipulative torturer, the required 
  length of a session of psychological torture is reduced to one 
  hour. If the Mega-Manipulative torturer has either one of the 
  Persuader or Trickster enhancements, the required session 
  length is shortened to a period of 10 minutes. Mega-
  Manipulative torturers with both Persuader and Trickster can 
  further reduce the required session length to a mere five 
  minutes.  
  Talking Someone to Death: 
  Inducing Suicide 
   
  Considering the horrifying amount of psychic pain that a 
  Mega-Manipulative torturer can inflict on a victim, it should 
  come as no surprise that such a grifter can also make a victim 
  feel that he has no other choice except to commit suicide. In 
  order to do this to a victim, a grifter must first gain detailed 
  knowledge of the victim's insecurities, fears, and character 
  flaws. A psychological profile of the victim may provide some 
  useful information for a would-be torturer, but telepathic 
  probing of the victim's mind is easily the most efficient method. 
  By focusing on those weaknesses during the following sessions 
  of psychological torture, the grifter can send the victim into a 
  storm of personal self-loathing and insecurity while 
  simultaneously inflicting enough emotional pain that his coping 
  mechanisms cannot function. When (or if) the grifter manages 
  to reduce the victim's effective Willpower to zero through this 
  specialized form of psychological torture, the victim will then 
  eagerly commit suicide, provided that he has the means to do so. 
  Some victims will be more resourceful in this matter than 
  others- if there isn't a razor blade or shard of broken glass 
  handy, a victim might even manage to swallow his own tongue 
  and suffocate himself. 
  The Seeds of Vendetta: 
  Survivors 
   
  There is no better way to ensure another person's utter 
  hatred of oneself than to subject him to torture and let him live 
  afterwards. If a victim survives being tortured, then he is certain 
  to have come out with serious physical and/or psychological 
  damage, along with the possibility of having lost a point of 
  permanent Willpower. If the former victim ever gains hold of 
  sufficient power and/or influence, then he will be certain to do 
  anything he can to destroy the person(s) who tortured him. And 
  that's just when the victim is a baseline. At the Storyteller's 
  discretion, psychological damage suffered by nova victims of 
  torture may result in the nova gaining temporary or possibly 
  even permanent Taint. Finally, there have been instances of 
  novas erupting as a result of being tortured. All of these factors 
  can result in the former victim's torturer suffering severe injury, 
  imprisonment, death, or even being tortured himself! Given that 
  civilized 21st Century society views torturers with a horrified 
  contempt at best, any who practice this skill should never expect 
  sympathy. 
   
  Brainwashing in the 
  Nova Age 
   
  In the World of Aberrant danger lies in the shadows, and 
  sometimes it reaches out to corrupt those that dwell in the light. 
  Mega-Social novas have great powers and abilities. While the 
  Grifter is thought of a manipulative threat, where they can 
  torture information from any baseline in hours, they are only the 
  tip of the iceberg. The following section details an even darker 
  side of social interaction and introduces the mechanics for 
  brainwashing. 
  Getting with the program 
   
  Once a PC or NPC has been sequestered by the 
  brainwasher or programmer, they are then subjected to various 
  will sapping experiences (torture, sensory depravation, or hours 
  of Teletubbies). A programmer needs a strong understanding of 
  intimidation and psychology (Requiring a Medicine skill of 3+ 
  and Intimidation 4+, the specialization in brainwashing is 
  optional) so that they may best customize their techniques for 
  their victim.  
   
  There exist many forms of brainwashing as well as many 
  techniques to break the will of a victim. Instead of going into 
  great detail, a general categorization will follow. For the sake of 
  simplicity brainwashing techniques are grouped into either 
  Physical or Mental groupings. 
  Physical Brainwashing 
  Techniques 
   
  Physical techniques are those that affect and drain the 
  body’s reserves to weaken the victim’s mind. These techniques 
  include such things as sleep deprivation, malnourishment, 
  physical discomfort (tight space, low ceilings, uncomfortable 
  clothing), lack of clean air, auditory overload, extreme darkness 
  
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  or light, lack of sanitary facilities. These techniques make the 
  victim’s physical senses and processes work against the mind’s 
  reserves. 
  Mental Brainwashing 
  Techniques 
   
  Mental techniques are those that directly attack the 
  victim’s mental processes to breakdown their sense of self and 
  identity. The use of hallucinogenic drugs, amphetamines (speed, 
  concentrated caffeine), and other chemical cocktails are often 
  used to disassociate the victim from their sense of self. Mental 
  grief or fear can empower a programmer to change a victim’s 
  thought processes. Constant denial of a victim’s identity, by 
  calling them another name and torturing them until they 
  acknowledge it (Orwell's 1984 is a great write-up of such mental 
  warfare), can wear a victim’s will as well begin the process of 
  reprogramming their subconscious. These and many other 
  psychological ploys are used to destroy the victim’s resolve. 
   
  For novas certain alternatives exist for nova programmers 
  and nova victims. First of all any programmer that has a way to 
  deactivate a nova’s quantum gifts may use any traditional 
  brainwashing technique. Novas and baselines lacking mental 
  shields can of course become victim to direct mental 
  manipulation by psychic nova programmers.  
   
  Nova victims possess multiple opportunities to improve 
  their chances of surviving a torture session. Depending on 
  whether the programmer is using either a physical or mental tact 
  will determine which abilities or powers the nova will need. 
  Against physical torture novas with Mega-Stamina are 
  fortunate, it will take exceptional amounts of suffering and lack 
  of rest to have any meaningful impact, and novas with the 
  Adaptation enhancement are immune to most traditional 
  techniques. Against Mental torture the ideal defense is more 
  complex as the programmer can either attack the Intellect or the 
  personality (i.e. the Intelligence or the Charisma) though a few 
  broad defenses do exist. Victim's with the Mega-Intelligent 
  enhancement of Compartmentalized Mind are able to completely 
  seal a portion of their mind from the entire process of torture 
  and brainwashing, while those with the Mega-Perception 
  enhancement Sensory Filtering from Aberrant: Brainwaves 
  would be able to ignore entire spectrums of punishment. Novas 
  without those enhancements will often have to resort to 
  traditional resistance via pure Willpower, although with 
  Storyteller approval focused attacks against the intellect may be 
  resisted with Mega-Intelligence dice that can reduce difficulties, 
  as with focused attacks against the sense of self or personality 
  Mega-Wits or Mega-Charisma may assist in reducing the 
  victim's difficulties. 
   
  Programmers 
  with 
  Mega-Social 
  and 
  Mega-Mental 
  enhancements have a deadly edge over their patients. With 
  Mega-Intelligence’s Analyze Weakness and Medical Mental 
  Prodigy, with Mega-Manipulation coupled with Creeping 
  Paranoia or Overwhelming Question a programmer may 
  demolish even a physically invulnerable nova (a Storyteller is 
  free to add difficulty penalties to a nova suffering from these 
  sorts of assaults). Just as Mega-Charisma aids a programmer in 
  the reprogramming phase, by making the programmer the 
  center of attention or at least the victim’s source of inspiration, 
  Mega-Perception and Mega-Manipulation in a victim may save 
  their sanity and their mind from a determined brainwashing 
  session. 
  The Process 
   
  Every day the programmer works on brainwashing their 
  victim they make a Charisma + Intimidation check, and every day 
  the victim is successfully subjected to the brainwashing they 
  must make a Willpower check. If the programmer succeeds, they 
  have broken the victim a little bit more and their effective 
  Permanent Willpower is reduced by one. If the victim succeeds 
  then they negate any lost willpower that day. This is not a 
  victory for the victim, since all they have done is delayed the 
  final outcome by a day or two at most. The programming 
  process does not have to be run daily, but every day between 
  sessions allows the victim a chance to regain some of their 
  willpower. 
   
  For Example, Captain Ego has been captured by his nemesis 
  Evil Id. Evil Id is hoping to break Captain Ego’s will and turn the 
  good Captain into an ideal villain. Evil Id has studied the Captain 
  for months and believes he has identified the Captain’s true 
  Nature – A Caregiver. Evil ID begins a regiment of sleep 
  deprivation, minimal food rationing, daily drug injections, and 
  worst of all an endless looped video of ego-crushing babble. Evil 
  Id is confident that the Captain’s Willpower will be squashed 
  within the month. Every day that Captain Ego is subjected to 
  effective torture he must make a standard Willpower 
  check(rolling 7 dice he nets a success (3, 6, 8, 4, 6, 4, and 5) 
  while Evil Id also rolls a success with his Charisma + Intimidation 
  check (7, 7, 7, 5, 6, 0, 2, 3). Since Captain Ego also succeeded 
  his Willpower remains undiminished. Looks like Evil Id needs to 
  make the confinement rougher on the good Captain. 
   
  Novas 
  with 
  the 
  Mega-Stamina 
  enhancement 
  of 
  Adaptability will be immune to most traditional weakening 
  techniques, since the enhancement negates the need for 
  nutritional and sleep requirements almost indefinitely, though if 
  the environment is harsh enough the Storyteller may require 
  quantum expenditures. Novas with certain Mega-Perception 
  may be able to thwart specific sensory deprivation techniques, 
  though programmers with sufficient resources and technology 
  may still find a way to effectively blind the senses of the nova. 
  The Mega-Intelligent enhancement Compartmentalized Mind, on 
  the other hand grants no immunity to the techniques but would 
  permit a victimized nova to withstand an entire session by hiding 
  their mind from it. 
   
  Nova 
  programmers 
  can 
  use 
  their 
  powers 
  and 
  enhancements to improve their brainwashing techniques. The 
  Mega-Intelligent enhancement Analyze Weakness, among 
  others, can reduce the time needed to find an effective will 
  sapping process. 
   
  For Example, during the first week of his brainwashing, 
  Captain Ego seemed unresponsive to some of Evil Id’s 
  techniques. Using his Analyze Weakness enhancement, Evil Id 
  discerns that Captain Ego possesses the Mega-Stamina and the 
  Adaptation enhancement. While it makes most of his techniques 
  ineffective his use of psychological torture will have to break the 
  Captain. Fortunately Evil Id also possesses the Medical Mental 
  Prodigy enhancement, and adjusts his psychological assault on 
  Captain Ego. Captain Ego and Evil Id now continue their 
  
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  sequence of tests, only this time Captain Ego has an increased 
  difficulty of +2, since Evil Id has found the right images and 
  conversation to emotionally distress the Captain and his 
  Hallucination powers are causing the Captain to question his 
  normally stable senses. The good Captain will not last this much 
  longer. 
  Rebuilding from Scratch 
   
  Once the victim’s effective Willpower is reduced to zero, 
  the programmer now has the enjoyable task of rebuilding the 
  victim into the ideal person.  
   
  First the programmer must select a key trait or Nature of 
  the new personality to be created. This new Nature cannot be 
  the same as the previous Nature, otherwise the programmer 
  risks negating the brainwashing. Every day the programmer 
  makes a Manipulation + Medicine check. Every day that ends 
  with a successful check, increases the victim’s False Willpower, 
  and adds a +1 difficulty penalty to the next check. The victim’s 
  final False Willpower may never exceed their Permanent 
  Willpower before the process began, though the increasing 
  difficulty keeps most baseline brainwashers from fully restoring 
  the Willpower of exceptionally strong willed victims. 
   
  The first time the programmer fails to increase the victim’s 
  False Willpower, they have a choice. The programmer can tear 
  the victim’s willpower back down and start over (resetting the 
  false Willpower difficulty) or quit satisfied with how strong they 
  have made the victim’s new personality. 
   
  Evil Id has finally reduced Captain Ego to a vegetative state 
  (0 Willpower), where he is now a clean slate to be 
  reprogrammed. Evil Id grins and begins creating the new and 
  improved Captain Ego. First he selects a new Nature to instill in 
  the heroic Captain, Evil Id believes that a Servile Nature would 
  be best suited to his new sidekick, and begins laying the ground 
  work for a Sycophant by setting Captain Ego with a Traditional 
  Nature, hoping it will keep Captain Ego by his side even if he 
  disagrees. Evil Id now makes his programming tests with his 
  Manipulation + Medicine dice pool (Manipulation of 5, Mega-
  Manipulation of 1, Medicine of 5). Rolling 11 dice the first time, 
  the doctor succeeds easily and crafts the first False Willpower 
  point into the new Captain. Evil ID could quit now, but chooses 
  to continue reinforcing the new personality. This next test has a 
  +1 difficulty. Using his Mega-Manipulation die to reduce the 
  difficulty by 1, the evil doctor only rolls 10 dice against a now 
  normal difficulty. Evil Id rolls a 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 7, 6, 9, and 8, 
  easily succeeding in his second test (two days have passed). Evil 
  Id having succeeded again chooses to continue improving his 
  work the next day and rolls 10 dice against the continuing 
  increasing difficulty +2 (reduced to +1 by Mega-Manipulation) 
  and succeeds granting the new Captain a False Willpower of 3. 
  On the fourth day Evil Id succeeds again against a modified 
  difficulty of +2, but at the end of the fifth day he completely 
  fails his test and is forced to cease his reprogramming. Now Evil 
  Id has a decision to make stop here or spend the next four days 
  removing his programming and starting over again. Feeling fairly 
  content with his handy work Evil Id decides that Captain Ego is 
  ready for prime-time. (Note that the highest that Evil Id could 
  have raised Captain Ego’s False Willpower is to 7, equal to 
  Captain Egos Permanent Willpower.) 
   
  After months of effort, Evil Id has completed his 
  meticulous work. It took the Evil doctor nearly a week of 
  coaching and instruction, but he feels that he can no longer 
  improve on his handy work. Evil Id releases Captain Ego, to see 
  how his creation performs. 
  Testing the Bounds of Will 
   
  Now it is time to unleash the newly programmed victim. 
  The first time a brainwashed victim is confronted with their old 
  life by a person or a place, they must make a Willpower check 
  using the difference between their Old Willpower and their new 
  False Willpower (minimum 1 die), if they succeed they will 
  weaken their programming and reduce their false Willpower by 
  one point. Every time they are confronted by a situation or 
  person that once held intense emotional significance to the 
  victim they must make the check again. Until they reduce their 
  False Willpower rank to zero they are still programmed and 
  unable to shake the false facade. Careful programmers will 
  instruct their brainwashed victims to avoid certain people to 
  avoid these potentially healing encounters. 
   
  If the Nature chosen by the programmer is the same as the 
  victim’s original Nature, then the Storyteller must track when 
  ever the victim recovers a Willpower point because of their 
  current Nature. When this happens they get to roll a number of 
  dice equal to the total Willpower recovered this way since their 
  programming (max number of dice is their Original Permanent 
  Willpower). If this test is ever successful, the victim immediately 
  breaks their programming, and has their current Willpower pool 
  reduced to 1 (assuming they have that many left). 
   
  If the victim is able to eventually reduce their False 
  Willpower to zero, they can finally access their true identity. 
  Unfortunately for most victims this realization is very painful as 
  their equally clear recollection of their past actions under the 
  influence of their programming is often highly guilt ridden. 
  Considering that their Willpower is Zero, they are practically 
  catatonic, though suicidal rage and self-destructive behavior is 
  still quite possible.  
   
  Captain Ego’s valiant teammates discover the Captain’s 
  return to the city and rush to his side, hoping they can stop his 
  mad rampage. Captain Ego is quickly confronted by his old team 
  mates as he is robbing the First Federal Bank. He hesitates on 
  first seeing his good friends, and makes a Willpower test. 
  Captain Ego rolls 3 dice (Original Willpower minus False 
  Willpower, 7 – 4) versus a standard difficulty. Captain rolls a 3, 
  7 and 8. This gets him a success, and reduces his False 
  Willpower to 3, and costs the Captain a turn, thus permitting his 
  teammates to get the drop on him. That evening back at the 
  Team’s headquarters, Captain Ego awakens and begins plotting 
  a way to escape, his schemes are interrupted by the arrival of a 
  strange woman, she begins telling him about their supposed past 
  and friendship. She claims she is his wife! Though the Captain 
  knows she is lying, something about her does look familiar. The 
  Captain is forced to make another Will Test upon seeing his 
  beloved wife. Since his last test he now has 4 dice to roll 
  (Original Willpower minus current False Willpower 7-3). He 
  once again succeeds in his test, but still refuses to acknowledge 
  his true identity. Over the next few days he is exposed to 
  familiar faces and conversations about his past. Eventually his 
  brainwashing is broken. 
  
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  The victim may now begin recovering. After 24 hours of 
  quiet rest they will automatically regain one Permanent 
  Willpower point back (this is a reward for their hard won 
  recovery). The remainder of their Willpower may take much 
  longer. Every day they spend in peaceful conversation about 
  their experiences with a skill psychologist or close friend 
  (someone with Medicine 3+ or Rapport 3+) they may regain one 
  Permanent Willpower, and may continue doing so every day 
  they relax and focus on their old life. 
   
  Until the victim regains all of their Willpower back they will 
  suffer from debilitating flashbacks of their brainwashing 
  experience, though no clear information will be perceptible as it 
  is still to painful, but once their regain all of their Willpower they 
  can chose to force the memory forward. This will often reveal 
  the true identity of their programmer, and perhaps lead to a 
  wrathful hunt (after all the programmer will have had a few days 
  to disappear). 
   
  After nearly a week of trials and painful confrontations 
  Captain Ego finally breaks free of his programming and realizes 
  who his true enemy is, Evil Id! But the good captain is not 
  prepared to fight Evil Id. He is too drained, perhaps in a couple 
  days… 
  A Victim's Worst Nightmare 
   
  If the victim does not fully break their programming before 
  being collected again, their programmer may reinforce the 
  programming by one Willpower point every day they are being 
  reconditioned. This requires proper equipment and environment 
  and the programmer must make a contested roll of Manipulation 
  + Medicine, as the victim rolls a dice pool equal to the difference 
  between their False Willpower and their original Willpower. The 
  new result may not be higher than the previously achieved level. 
  Though the programmer can always choose to break the victim 
  all the way back down to zero and rebuild their Willpower from 
  scratch. 
   
  Difficulty Modifiers for Victim 
  +1: Victim is starved or only given subsistence nutrition for the 
  previous day. 
  +1: Victim is sensory deprived for previous 24 hours. 
  +1: Victim is physically restrained for previous 24 hours. 
  +1: for every day victim is denied sleep after the first. 
  +1: if victim is in a hallucinogenic state. 
  +1: Victim is emotionally distraught. 
  +1-3: Victim’s psychological attack is optimized using Analyze 
  Weakness. 
   
  Note: Time periods are given assuming no Mega-Stamina. 
  Novas with Mega-Stamina will have to be deprived for longer 
  periods. 
   
  Difficulty Modifiers for Programmer 
  +1: Programmer lacks proper facilities 
  +1: Programmer lack personal information about the victim. 
  +1: for each day spent away from “sessions” after the first day. 
  +1: for each false Willpower point added. 
   
  Tweaks 
   
  For those Storytellers that wish to either increase or 
  decrease the grittiness of the above system the following 
  optional systems have been created: the four-color tweak and 
  the dark tweak. 
   
  �  Four-Color Tweaks: These changes should reflect the 
  optimistic, romantic aspect of the four-color setting. They 
  shouldn't make brainwashing any less dark and disturbing, but 
  they do make it something that can be corrected with much less 
  effort than it takes to establish it. 
   
  All types of four-color brainwashing can be corrected with 
  only modest effort by a skilled brainwasher or psychologist over 
  a long weekend (A successful psychology or brainwashing test 
  with a +1 difficulty). Nova brainwashers/psychologists can undo 
  brainwashing with only a short speech and/or a few rolls of an 
  appropriate power or Mega-Attribute. Four-color brainwashing 
  takes a lot of time to perform, but is inherently quite 
  unstable/fragile, allowing a hero or concerned friend to undo it 
  with relative ease. 
   
  Four-color brainwashing is also fragile enough that a victim 
  can throw off his/her reprogramming with sufficient 
  mental/psychological stress. This allows others to use all kinds 
  of deceptions in order to undo a brainwasher's hard work in one 
  cataclysmic moment. An example would be forcing the 
  brainwashed victim to witness the demise of their most 
  cherished person or thing. This would grant the victim an 
  opportunity to role their original Willpower with a +1 difficulty. 
  A success would allow them to throw off the effects of their 
  brainwashing. (The difficulty can be modified at the Storyteller's 
  discretion, if the stimulus was especially powerful or particularly 
  weak.) 
   
  Four-color brainwashing can also be thrown off if the 
  subject is fortunate enough to possess the True Love Merit. If 
  the brainwashing victim is reminded of his/her love – or better 
  yet, is confronted with his/her beloved – the brainwashing can 
  be undone more or less automatically, and without detrimental 
  side-effects. In a four-color setting, love is supposed to conquer 
  all. (The Storyteller may require a Rapport check to see if the 
  reunion is poignant enough, or if he just wants to be mean.) 
   
  Victims with an extremely strong sense of their identity – 
  who they are, what they stand for, and so on – can also throw 
  off the effects of brainwashing if reminded of their former 
  identity, in much the same manner as a victim with the True 
  Love Merit.  
   
  �  Dark Tweaks: In this version, the effects of brainwashing 
  are harder to resist and/or correct, making it a much more 
  serious and frightening threat to the players' characters (and to 
  their characters' loved ones). The fragility of baselines (in 
  comparison to novas) is also somewhat played up in this version. 
   
  Baselines simply cannot “throw off” the effects of dark 
  brainwashing, regardless of what Merits they might have. 
  Mundane dark brainwashing of baselines can be corrected via 
  both mundane and Inspired methods, although Inspired methods 
  can be more effective and less time-consuming at the 
  Storyteller's discretion. Inspired dark brainwashing of baselines 
  is effectively permanent(!), in much the same way that baselines 
  cannot heal aggravated damage. Mundane methods are useless in 
  correcting Inspired dark brainwashing of baselines – don't even 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  bother to roll. Inspired methods may or may not be effective in 
  correcting Inspired dark brainwashing of baselines (Storyteller's 
  discretion). If they are effective, Inspired methods are sure to 
  take as much time to correct the brainwashing as would a 
  baseline psychologist using mundane methods to correct 
  mundane brainwashing. 
   
  Novas (and other Inspired beings) cannot “throw off” the 
  effects of dark brainwashing either, unless the victim in question 
  has certain Mega-Attributes/enhancements/powers that would 
  provide some resistance to brainwashing (as detailed above). 
  Mundane dark brainwashing of novas can be corrected with 
  mundane methods, but Inspired dark brainwashing of novas can 
  only be corrected with Inspired methods. 
   
  For Example: Big Eddie and his twin brother Almun-hotep 
  are both novas and have been kidnapped by their personal foes 
  (Mesmo and Dr. Collins respectably). Mesmo uses his Hypno-
  Ray to aid in his brainwashing of Big Eddie, while Dr. Collins uses 
  traditional brainwashing techniques on Almun-hotep. Big Eddie 
  will only be able to break his brainwashing with inspired 
  assistance, while Almun-hotep may actually escape his mental 
  bonds through traditional mundane aid. 
   
  At the Storyteller's discretion, novas that have both some 
  form of resistance to brainwashing along with either the True 
  Love Merit or an extremely strong sense of their identity might 
  – just might – be allowed to throw off the effects of dark 
  brainwashing in the same way as in the four-color version of 
  brainwashing. This should be rare at best, although given that 
  novas are literally one-in-a-million to begin with, that isn't really 
  saying very much. 
  Resisting Brainwashing 
   
  In any version of the brainwashing system, it is possible for 
  a subject to be trained to resist the effects of brainwashing (by 
  expert brainwashers, of course). This would require the subject 
  to possess dots of the Interrogation Ability, with the 
  “Resistance” Specialty. Such a subject would be able to make a 
  Manipulation + Interrogation roll whenever someone makes a 
  roll in order to brainwash him. Each success the subject scores 
  on the Manipulation + Interrogation roll will negate the would-be 
  brainwasher's successes on a 1-to-1 ratio. 
   
  �  Four-color version resistance: The training to resist 
  brainwashing is effective against all forms of four-color 
  brainwashing, regardless of whether the subject is a baseline or 
  a nova. (Trained novas with Mega-Manipulation will still be 
  better at resisting brainwashing than anyone else, though.) 
   
  �  Dark version resistance: The degree of a subject's 
  resistance to brainwashing depends on two factors: whether or 
  not the subject is a nova (or other Inspired being), and whether 
  or not whoever trained the subject to resist brainwashing did so 
  via mundane or Inspired methods. Baseline subjects can use this 
  game mechanic to resist mundane brainwashing methods, but it's 
  useless against Inspired brainwashing methods. It also does not 
  matter what methods were used to train a baseline subject. 
  Nova (or other Inspired) subjects can only use this game 
  mechanic to resist mundane brainwashing methods if they were 
  trained via mundane methods. Nova subjects that have been 
  trained via Inspired methods and/or who possess some form of 
  innate resistance to brainwashing can use this game mechanic to 
  resist both mundane and Inspired methods of dark brainwashing. 
  Storytelling Techniques 
   
  What follows are a few additional thoughts on Storytelling 
  campaigns for Mega-Social novas. 
   
  �  Diary and Plot book – A variation to Blue-Booking, 
  Journaling or Diary writing can add additional dimensions to an 
  on-going story. This permits a player to express the social 
  pressures their character is feeling and grant them opportunities 
  to talk about their character’s current emotional and personal 
  struggles. It also grants the Storyteller insights into new 
  potential story hooks that can be specialized for the Mega-
  Social character. 
   
  �  “A Continuing Story of a Nova, gone to the Terats...” – 
  Soap Opera Styled campaigns, not for the faint at heart, or the 
  easily jaded. To the glee and terror of many Storytellers, Mega-
  Social novas are ideal characters to introduce Soap Opera 
  tactics. The recurring love triangle, the missing sibling returned, 
  or the classic, “I’m not really your father”, all have a place in the 
  social worlds of novas, and seem to be enhanced by the quantum 
  powers involved. One only has to watch one of the weekly Soap 
  Opera digest programs to see how to run such a story, and how 
  to keep it from degenerating completely. [Note: If no one is 
  using their quantum powers against fellow players after three 
  sessions, you haven’t had enough betrayal or backstabbing] 
   
  �  Solo and Duo games – This anti-social version of Mega-
  Social role-playing allows the players to focus on their own 
  individual social arenas. It also allows for a Storyteller and one or 
  two players to explore the equally dangerous, though less 
  physically damaging, world of social conquest and competition. 
  This style of play works very well coupled with the Diary 
  system.  
   
  
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  60
  CHAPTER FOUR: 
  FRIGHTENING, 
  WONDERFUL BEHAVIOR 
   
   
  Mega-Social Attributes 
   
  In comparison to their astonishing physical and mental 
  abilities, the social abilities of novas appear to occupy a middle 
  ground. Depending on how a Mega-Social nova uses them, they 
  can be as blatant as a Mega-Strong punch or as subtle as a 
  Mega-Intelligent scheme. The social abilities of novas also have 
  incredible potential for altering society. The question of 
  whether that potential will be used for social progress or decay 
  can only be answered by the individual nova. There is only one 
  surety where the efforts of Mega-Social novas are concerned: 
  Things will never be the same. 
  Overwhelming Appeal 
   
  There's a major stumbling block that often shows up when 
  someone new to Aberrant tries to imagine the effects of having 
  a Social Mega-Attribute. Just how much more memorable, 
  manipulative, or charismatic is a nova with a Social Mega-
  Attribute in comparison to a baseline with a similar base Social 
  Attribute score? While this problem has been touched on in 
  Aberrant: Brainwaves, it's still common enough to warrant 
  another mention. The best way to deal with this is to use Mega-
  Strength (the one Mega-Attribute that most people don't have 
  trouble imagining at all) as a basis for comparison. According to 
  the Aberrant core book, a nova with Mega-Strength 4 is capable 
  of lifting 50 metric tons, whereas a baseline with Strength 4 can 
  lift about 165 kilograms. It's only a small step from there to 
  estimate how much more “social muscle” a nova with 4 dots in a 
  Social Mega-Attribute would have than a baseline with 4 dots of 
  the base Social Attribute. 
  Snowflakes and Blast Furnaces 
   
  A basic tenet of the Mega-Attribute rules is that when 
  novas with a given Mega-Attribute compete, the nova with the 
  higher Mega-Attribute wins 99% of the time. (For details on the 
  other 1%, see pg. 155 of the Aberrant core book.) A 
  consequence of this is that when a baseline pits his or her base 
  Attribute against a nova's Mega-Attribute, the baseline has no 
  chance at all of winning. So what does this mean when a Social 
  Mega-Attribute is involved? A nova with Mega-Appearance is 
  more attractive than any human ever born – Marilyn Monroe 
  and Cary Grant don't even come close. A Mega-Ugly nova is 
  more repellent than even the most severely deformed or 
  disfigured humans. A nova with Mega-Manipulation will never 
  fall for the scams or deceptions of a baseline. A Mega-
  Charismatic nova's personal charm will undeniably surpass that 
  of all the greatest political and religious leaders of human 
  history. In all respects, the nova is superior to the point that any 
  baselines in direct competition are overcome. There are two 
  things to take note of in this situation. 
   
  First is the fact that a large percentage of the 
  aforementioned social contests will be personal conflicts, and 
  will be treated as such by the Mega-Social nova's baseline 
  competitors. It's disturbingly easy for baselines to wind up 
  turning their opponents in the social arena into rivals and even 
  outright enemies. This reaction will be even more pronounced in 
  baselines who are outshined by a Mega-Social nova, as they will 
  likely have just cause (if only in their own minds) to resent the 
  nova in question. Given the potential for wreaking serious 
  emotional trauma that Mega-Social Attributes can offer, a 
  baseline backlash against the offending Mega-Social novas (and 
  possibly novas in general) can happen all too easily if steps 
  aren't taken to curb such excesses. The second thing to note is 
  that baselines are still capable of making achievements in the 
  social arena. Baselines can still instigate social progress (or 
  decay), seduce others, run scams and win the love of a potential 
  spouse; it simply takes them more time to do so when compared 
  to a Mega-Social nova.  
   
  This also begs the question of exactly who will wind up 
  holding the reins of society at large – the baselines or the 
  novas? On one hand you have the baseline Establishment, with 
  all of its well-known failings and sins. On the other are the 
  various possibilities for new societies offered by the novas, 
  most of whom simply haven't been around long enough (only 17 
  years, as of 2015) to have established any sort of track record 
  in the art of building a stable and sane society. And then there is 
  the Aeon Society, whose attempts to remold baseline society 
  into a utopia have suffered greatly from the recent Slider 
  scandal. As of 2015, Aeon has lost much of its former credibility 
  among both the nova community and several of the major 
  governments. If anything can be counted on to happen in this 
  situation, it's that the Establishment will refuse to let the novas 
  (much less the Aeon Society) simply take over. This 
  sociopolitical power struggle will prove to be one of the major 
  factors that lead to the Aberrant War and the subsequent 
  reshaping of the global power structure. It will also provide 
  another impetus for the followers of the novas to join them in 
  their upcoming Exodus. The devil you know may be better than 
  the devil you don't, but he's still a devil. And is he really a better 
  
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  option when the devil you don't know sometimes might not even 
  be a devil at all? 
  Mega-Socials and Other Mega-
  Attributes 
   
  Contrary to the ideal of “style over substance”, most 
  Mega-Social novas will also have other Mega-Attributes and 
  quantum powers at their disposal. As with the Mega-Mental and 
  Mega-Physical Attributes, Mega-Social Attributes have a 
  tendency to appear together in a nova. They complement each 
  other well, but also cause the nova to become increasingly 
  removed from the limitations and outlooks of baselines. This 
  changes somewhat when a nova develops Mega-Ugliness instead 
  of the standard “attractive” form of Mega-Appearance, though. 
  While Squids can use Mega-Manipulation without any trouble, 
  they often have difficulties using Mega-Charisma on baselines. 
  (This is most often reflected by the Taint-derived difficulty 
  penalties on social interactions with baselines, but non-Tainted 
  Mega-Ugly novas may be penalized as well. The details of this 
  have been left to the discretion of your Storyteller.) Certain 
  mentally-disturbed baselines, such as the deranged individuals 
  who will form the first true aberrant cults (in the Trinity sense 
  of the term) are excepted from this penalty – more often than 
  not, they'll see eye-to-eye with the Squid. 
   
  Unsurprisingly, Mega-Physical and Mega-Social Attributes 
  are often found together in novas. Many male Mega-Social 
  novas develop Mega-Strength in order to reflect a masculine 
  ideal, while female Mega-Social novas have found the ability to 
  shatter rocks with a punch quite useful in dissuading unwanted 
  attention. Mega-Dexterity is quite useful when a Mega-Social 
  nova has to sneak out of (or into) a volatile situation. It's also 
  handy for when the Mega-Social nova winds up having to run 
  like heck away from someone! Among other obvious benefits, 
  Mega-Stamina allows Mega-Social novas to keep to their often 
  demanding schedules without dropping dead from exhaustion. 
   
  Mega-Social and Mega-Mental Attributes can also appear 
  together in a nova, which has become a common nightmare 
  among those baselines who hold positions of power. Despite the 
  popular stereotypes of Mega-Social novas as gorgeous – if 
  sometimes devious – bimbos, more than a few of them have 
  developed quantum-enhanced intellects that allow them to use 
  their augmented social influence to even greater effect. (See 
  The Riddle of the Sphinxes in Aberrant: Brainwaves for details.) 
   
  Creating Mega-Social 
  Characters 
   
  Are you planning on creating a Mega-Social character for 
  your next Aberrant chronicle? Then there are a few things that 
  you should take some time to figure out. 
   
  Let's start off with your character concept. Just what 
  superhuman social feats do you think that your Mega-Social 
  character should be capable of? Is your Mega-Social character 
  extremely good in one specific area due to having most of his 
  Mega-Attribute dots in a single Social Mega-Attribute, or is he 
  more of a generalist? Does he have any of the other Mega-
  Attributes or quantum powers, or is your character a good 
  example of “style over substance”? How many nova points do 
  you have to create your character? What sort of chronicle will 
  your character be played in? Your answers to these questions 
  will ultimately be what defines the role of your Mega-Social 
  character, and whether or not he'll be playable. Make sure to 
  consult with your Storyteller as to the nature of the chronicle 
  beforehand to see if your character will be able to fit in. While 
  an “ultimate lawyer” would go over well in a Law & Order-style 
  chronicle, that quantum-enhanced shyster might be a little out of 
  place in a game with lots of quantum battles and guerilla warfare. 
   
  Now you get to decide just what your nova does with his 
  Social Mega-Attributes. Does he use his Mega-Appearance to 
  work as a model or a Bollywood movie star? Can a Mega-Ugly 
  nova manage to find acting work portraying alien monsters or 
  demons, or will he be forced to find some way to work at home? 
  Do you want your nova to use Mega-Manipulation to become the 
  greatest lawyer of his time, or will he be the greatest swindler 
  instead? Will he use Mega-Charisma to pursue a career in 
  politics, or will his religious devotion cause him to take up a 
  vocation as a priest... or as a cult leader? What one must keep in 
  mind is that Mega-Social Attributes are entirely dependent on 
  having other people around you and your being able to 
  communicate with them. There's really not much point to playing 
  a Mega-Social nova if he is also a Trappist monk and has taken 
  the requisite vow of silence, or goes off into the woods to 
  become a hermit. 
   
  One last thing you'll want to think about is how your nova's 
  Mega-Social Attributes have affected his life. Has suddenly 
  becoming superhumanly attractive and charming inflated the 
  nova's ego, or has he managed to retain some humility? How 
  does a Mega-Ugly nova deal with being shunned by most (if not 
  all) of the friends he had prior to his eruption? Has developing 
  Mega-Manipulation caused your nova to see most other people 
  as gullible sheep, or does he want to show them the truths that 
  they seem utterly blind to? The material in this chapter shows 
  just how a nova's Mega-Social Attributes can alter his outlook 
  on other people and baseline society as a whole. Your character 
  might decide to join Project Utopia in order to help rectify the 
  problems he sees in baseline society. Perhaps he'll become 
  disgusted with baselines in general, and join the supposedly 
  egalitarian nova society promised by the Teragen. On the other 
  hand, he might decide to follow the trail that Thomas Sering and 
  the Protectors have blazed and help build a new, better society 
  somewhere far away from the barbaric mess that's laughably 
  called “Terran civilization”. (For details on Thomas Sering and 
  the Protectors, see pp. 176-178 of the Aberrant Player's Guide.)  
   
  Playing Mega-Social 
  Characters 
   
  When playing Mega-Social characters, there are certain 
  benefits and obstacles that will crop up on a regular basis. While 
  the Mega-Social Attributes don't require quite as much 
  forethought as the Mega-Mentals do, knowing about their perks 
  and problems will make them that much more useful. 
  
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  Advantages 
   
  The advantages of playing a Mega-Social nova revolve 
  around having greater influence on the people around you, and 
  what you can convince those people to do. 
   
  (Note: Novas with Mega-Ugliness shouldn't expect to enjoy 
  all of these advantages in the same way that other Mega-Social 
  novas do, for obvious reasons.) 
   
  �  On Being a People Person: Mega-Social novas are the 
  ones who are better at interacting with other people than any 
  other characters. While this might not sound all that impressive 
  when compared to the might of the Mega-Physical novas or the 
  acumen of the Mega-Mental novas, take a moment to think 
  about how easily ordinary people can be spooked by those 
  novas. When you're a baseline, novas with the Physical or Mental 
  Mega-Attributes can be downright scary. This isn't the case (at 
  least, not immediately) with Mega-Social novas. A Mega-
  Attractive nova can allay the fears and worries of other people 
  with only a winning smile. (Mega-Ugly novas have been known to 
  smile as well, which tends to terrify those unlucky enough to be 
  nearby.) Mega-Manipulative novas are the spin doctors 
  supreme; all they need is a few moments of conversation to 
  make baselines experience radical shifts of opinion. Mega-
  Charismatic novas can charm just about anyone they meet into 
  seeing them in the best light possible. All of this adds up to 
  Mega-Social novas having much more of a safety margin where 
  their relations with baselines are concerned – provided that a 
  Mega-Social nova doesn't abuse the trust and feelings of his or 
  her baseline admirers... (Mega-Ugly novas enjoy no such safety 
  margin, but have a much easier time getting baselines to fear and 
  loathe them.) 
   
  �  A Little Finesse: One of the other less-than-obvious 
  advantages of the Mega-Social Attributes is that they can be 
  openly used in an aggressive manner in a polite, civilized setting. 
  This (usually) can't be done with the Mega-Physical Attributes – 
  If a Mega-Strong nova punches an irritating person while in 
  polite company, all he'll do is show himself to be an uncouth and 
  loutish thug. (This will also likely result in the nova being brought 
  up on charges – does “assault with a deadly weapon” sound 
  familiar?) Why risk being brought up on charges when you can 
  use your Mega-Social Attributes to crush your victim's ego 
  instead? Save for the exception of Mega-Wits, the Mega-
  Mental Attributes don't tend to be of much immediate use, as 
  they're mostly passive. This leaves Mega-Social novas as the 
  undisputed masters of repartee and social combat. Sometimes it 
  can be even more satisfying to send a rival packing from a party 
  with a wicked quip instead of just kicking him through the wall. 
  (For details on Mega-Social novas and their verbal conflicts, 
  refer to Social Combat in Chapter Two of this book.) While it's 
  possible for a Mega-Ugly nova to be accomplished at repartee, 
  he had best find some way to disguise himself. It's hard to 
  engage in banter and witticisms if the people you're trying to 
  browbeat are too busy screaming and running for their lives. 
   
  �  Your Ticket to Ride: When a person is exceptionally 
  attractive or charming, he or she tends to receive better 
  treatment from other people than is the norm. In the case of 
  Mega-Social novas, this tendency is amplified to an almost 
  ludicrous degree. Provided that they're able (and that they won't 
  get themselves in trouble as a result), most people will go 
  somewhat out of their way to please a Mega-Social nova. If she 
  can foot the bills – and most novas can around 2015 – a Mega-
  Social nova can expect to receive the most lavish treatment 
  possible at restaurants, hotels, and other establishments. This 
  happens on a personal basis as well – if a Mega-Social nova 
  drops by a friend's house on a whim, his arrival will be seen as an 
  exceedingly pleasant and welcome surprise instead of an 
  unexpected burden. And of course, Mega-Social novas will 
  rarely lack for romantic companionship (or even just a one-night 
  stand) if they're in the mood for it. Indeed, the hardest part of 
  dating for these novas is often choosing which one of their 
  legions of would-be lovers to take out on the town! In many 
  cases, Mega-Social novas sometimes won't even have to ask, as 
  more than a few people will leap at the slightest chance of 
  getting into their pants. This can lead to some interesting 
  situations, especially if a Mega-Social nova becomes the focus 
  of unasked for sexual attention when all he or she wanted was to 
  ask where the flight terminal for the 11:30 flight to Prague is. 
  Mega-Ugly novas also have the capability to get other people to 
  do them “favors”, although these tend to be more like offerings 
  to appease a frightful monster instead of the tokens of affection 
  and admiration that other Mega-Social novas receive. They 
  usually don't receive offers of sexual favors either, unless the 
  person who's making the offer is in mortal fear for his or her life. 
   
  �  The Rumor Mill: The Mega-Mental novas might be the 
  characters who know more than anyone else, but it's the Mega-
  Social novas who are the best at getting information out of other 
  people. Ever since humans developed language, they've been 
  incessantly talking with one another about other people and 
  themselves. This also makes most people ill-suited to keeping 
  secrets if they have no real incentive to do so. While it often 
  means having to sift through enormous amounts of trivia, 
  baseless rumors and sob stories; a Mega-Social nova can 
  sometimes obtain very useful tidbits of information if he takes 
  the time to listen to what the people around him are talking 
  about. Mega-Social novas can also use the human love of gossip 
  to spread all sorts of information (accurate and falsified alike) 
  among the public by “word of mouth”. 
  Disadvantages 
   
  There are certain drawbacks to playing a Mega-Social 
  nova, most of which result from the fact that Mega-Social 
  Attributes by definition are focused on influencing other people, 
  most of whom will be ordinary folks. Ways to work around these 
  problems exist, however. 
   
  (Note: Novas with Mega-Ugliness are exempted from some 
  of these problems, for obvious reasons. The particular 
  drawbacks to playing a squid are mentioned in the Mega-
  Ugliness section of this chapter.) 
   
  �  Lovers, Not Fighters: When creating a Mega-Social 
  character, some people have a tendency to ignore matters of 
  personal toughness and combat abilities in favor of increasing 
  their social abilities. While this would be logical for characters in 
  a combat-free chronicle, most Aberrant player characters are 
  guaranteed to get involved in a combat situation at least once in 
  a chronicle, if not every gaming session. Aside from the usual 
  quantum battles familiar to Aberrant players; Mega-Social 
  characters are likely to have to protect themselves from a whole 
  array of dangerous folks such as stalkers, kidnappers, vengeful 
  
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  enemies, jilted lovers, and assassins. While an untimely death 
  could result in a Mega-Social nova gaining some posthumous 
  fame and media attention, most characters in this situation 
  would've likely preferred to live to see another day. Unless the 
  chronicle you're playing in is strictly violence-free and focused 
  purely on social dynamics, giving your Mega-Social character 
  some serious defensive and offensive capabilities is a good idea. 
  Otherwise a Mega-Social character can expect to either be 
  relegated to the sidelines when the fighting starts or to wind up 
  playing the part of the “beautiful damsel/handsome hunk in 
  distress” on a regular basis. If that sounds like fun to you, your 
  fellow players and your Storyteller, then go with it. If your 
  fellow players object to your playing a physically helpless 
  character, then don't spoil the game for them. 
   
  Defensive abilities should be your top priority, as they will 
  be what keep your character whole & healthy. Speaking of 
  which, it shouldn't be surprising for a Mega-Social character to 
  have at least a few dots of Mega-Stamina – even if she only 
  develops it so that she can party for days on end, the other 
  benefits can provide a subtle edge. The enhanced Soak provided 
  by Armor or Invulnerability can be helpful, but it's often better 
  to keep an attack from hitting your character in the first place. 
  Density Control – Decrease is excellent for this, as it allows a 
  Mega-Social character the chance at a quick escape from a bad 
  situation along with the protection. If the nova also has mental 
  powers such as Mental Blast or Domination it's even better, as 
  she can attack her assailants with relative impunity. Powers such 
  as Hypermovement and Teleport are also good for making quick 
  escapes. Matter Chameleon and certain forms of Bodymorph can 
  also let the nova slip away from a battle with a good chance of 
  being undetected. 
   
  As far as offensive abilities go, Mental Blast or Domination 
  are excellent choices, especially as Mega-Manipulation can 
  enhance the effects of Domination. There's nothing quite like 
  forcing your foe to kill himself to end a fight quickly. Powers 
  that create illusions also have definite usefulness in combat if 
  used cleverly. The Age Alteration technique of Temporal 
  Manipulation can also be used to terrifying effect in a fight, 
  especially if the victim lacks Mega-Stamina. Powers like 
  Quantum Bolt or a few dots of Mega-Strength make for great 
  “aces in the hole”, especially if the Mega-Social character isn't 
  known to possess them. 
   
  If your Mega-Social character truly has no other options, 
  then there's always the tactic of keeping several highly-skilled 
  combatants around (who are hopefully novas themselves) to act 
  as bodyguards. 
   
  �  Friends Help You Move, Real Friends Help You Move 
  Dead Bodies: When you've got hordes of people who are willing 
  and eager to do your bidding, it's easy to think that you can call 
  on them at any time to do anything, anywhere. Unfortunately for 
  the Mega-Social character, this just isn't so. Unless an individual 
  is an Ally, Follower, or Contact (and has been bought via the 
  appropriate backgrounds), a “friend” of a Mega-Social 
  character will be only a casual acquaintance. As such these 
  people will only be inclined to help the Mega-Social character if 
  doing so 1 – won't put them at risk or get them in trouble, 2 – 
  the favor is within their power to grant, 3 – granting the favor 
  wouldn't be inconvenient, and 4 – the “friend” clearly stands to 
  gain some sort of benefit from the nova in return for the favor. 
  This means that while a “friend” could assist with getting a 
  Mega-Social character's elderly parents into an exclusive (and 
  expensive!) retirement village, he wouldn't be likely to help the 
  Mega-Social character in covering up her murder of the creepy 
  guy she found in her house stealing her lingerie. Further 
  information on Mega-Social characters and their casual 
  acquaintances can be found in Chapter Two of this book. 
   
  �  Hell Has No Fury Like a Woman Scorned: Or like a man 
  that's been scorned, for that matter. Given the sheer number of 
  people that a Mega-Social character (who isn't Mega-Ugly) is 
  likely to attract, it's almost inevitable that he or she will wind up 
  offending or hurting the feelings of more than a few people. 
  (Not even a Mega-Social nova can please everyone!) Even if a 
  Mega-Social character has a few dots of Mega-Charisma, there 
  will always be some people who will hate and resent him, and 
  we're not just talking about the Church of Michael Archangel 
  here. The love of a woman who's just been dumped by her 
  Mega-Attractive beau can easily turn into resentment (if not 
  outright hatred) of her former boyfriend. The grifter that 
  bamboozles someone's wife into having an affair with him isn't 
  going to be well-regarded by her husband. And what of the 
  person who's only a month away from getting married, only to 
  have his or her betrothed suddenly leave him or her for an idol? 
  Publicly humiliating someone has always been an excellent way 
  to get someone angry, and no one can do that quite as well as a 
  Mega-Social character. Then you have all the people that a 
  criminal grifter will have victimized over the course of her 
  career – are they going to remember her fondly? Certainly not! 
  This isn't limited to baselines, by the way. Eloping with the 
  husband of a nova is a sure-fire way to earn her animosity. 
  Having a nova as a rival is almost guaranteed to make one's life 
  harder. And what if it's another Mega-Social nova that the 
  Mega-Social character upstages? Welcome to the plot hook 
  bonanza, folks...  
   
  Of course, all of this depends on how a Mega-Social 
  character treats the people around him. A little respect and 
  consideration (when it's deserved, which is usually the case) can 
  go a long way towards keeping the numbers of people who feel 
  animosity towards the Mega-Social character to a minimum. 
   
  �  Life Under the Spotlight: Ever since the first N-day in 
  1998, most novas in the world of Aberrant become celebrities 
  soon after they erupt, unless someone catches the eruption on 
  video and catapults the newly-erupted nova into stardom before 
  she even knows what's happening. While instant fame can seem 
  appealing at first, many novas quickly learn to appreciate the 
  anonymity they had prior to their eruptions. Where they could 
  once go to a mall and do some shopping in peace, now they're 
  likely to be mobbed by fans. Where few people really cared all 
  that much about their past, now they have investigative 
  reporters busily digging around for any interesting tidbits, dirt, 
  or skeletons in the closet that they can find. Where once they 
  could go out on a date and not be bothered, now they're 
  hounded by paparazzi. And privacy? Let's not even go there... 
   
  In the case of most Mega-Social novas, these effects are 
  even more pronounced, since they're so much more telegenic 
  and interesting to the public than the other novas. Sometimes it 
  can seem as if the media, hungry for the wealth of the nova's 
  
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  multitudes of fans, is determined to record and document 
  everything possible about the life of a Mega-Social nova. And to 
  make up for what the mainstream media can't find out, the 
  tabloids will gladly provide an endless stream of barely plausible 
  fabrications. It's one thing to be adored by millions of people, 
  but quite another to find yourself being portrayed as a 
  borderline lunatic with a failed love-life and plans to help the 
  Teragen take over the world. More than one Mega-Social nova 
  has learned to view the majority of the public with a healthy 
  contempt for their gullibility, especially once it becomes obvious 
  that 90% of the masses would prefer to believe an entertaining 
  lie instead of the actual truth. 
  Taint and Social Mega-
  Attributes 
   
  Unless a nova happens to be one of the second-generation 
  kids, he or she will have to deal with the risks of Taint 
  accumulation. It's probably a good thing that Mega-Social novas 
  often develop Mega-Intelligence as well, given that many of the 
  aberrations a Mega-Social nova can develop are mental in 
  nature. This makes the Taint Resistance enhancement a truly 
  worthwhile investment... Since many mental aberrations can 
  start as slight personality changes, a Mega-Social nova will often 
  have no idea that something's wrong with her until it's too late. 
  Physical aberrations developed by Mega-Social novas will 
  typically be of the sort that draws attention of other people to 
  the nova. Further details on the aberrations a Mega-Social nova 
  might develop can be found in the individual Social Mega-
  Attribute listings in this chapter. 
   
  The other major problem a Mega-Social nova will have 
  with Taint accumulation is the increasing difficulties in 
  attempting social interactions with baseline humans. As the 
  nova's permanent Taint rises, she will find herself exerting more 
  and more effort to use her Social Mega-Attributes on baselines 
  with her accustomed level of success. (This will become even 
  more pronounced if the Mega-Social nova also engages in the 
  Chrysalis – see Aberrant: Teragen for the details.) Unless a 
  tainted Mega-Social nova is prepared to use the Soothe 
  enhancement every time she has a social interaction with 
  baselines, a time will come when she will decide to limit herself 
  to interacting with her fellow novas. This won't be a problem for 
  Terats, but the loss of one's legions of fans, groupies, and other 
  admirers can be a serious blow to the ego of a Mega-Social 
  nova. 
   
  As could only be expected, novas with Mega-Ugliness are 
  again the exceptions to this. Most of them have already 
  accumulated high amounts of permanent Taint, while the few 
  who haven't are so phenomenally ugly that they often face 
  similar difficulties when interacting socially with baselines. It's 
  hard to miss something – in this case, the admiration of other 
  people – when you've never had it in the first place. 
   
   
  Mega-Appearance: Idols 
   
  Humans have always paid close attention to physical 
  appearances, both their own and those of others. As a result, 
  those people who are deemed attractive are admired, desired, 
  and envied by most of their fellows. The emergence of the idols, 
  novas with Mega-Appearance, has taken this to the extreme. 
  The superhuman beauty possessed by these modern-day 
  Venuses and Adonises has made them darlings of the media and 
  stolen the hearts of baselines around the world. For good or ill, 
  they are the sirens of the Nova Age. 
  Exquisite Beauty 
   
  Arguably the most obvious Social Mega-Attribute, Mega-
  Appearance is also the simplest – it enhances all of the myriad 
  and seemingly minor aspects of the human body that contribute 
  to what we know as “physical beauty”. While literally millions of 
  people (men and women alike) do whatever they can to enhance 
  their appearance with special diets, cosmetics, plastic surgery 
  and the like; novas with Mega-Appearance look better than any 
  baseline supermodels to be found without any need for such 
  extreme measures. Many baseline social commentators have 
  compared the idols to living works of art. It's not an 
  unreasonable description – given that all humans are 
  “hardwired” to find looking at a beautiful person very 
  pleasurable, merely catching a glimpse of an idol can dazzle even 
  the most rational and disciplined person. And if that idol shows 
  any interest at all in that person, he or she is likely to be reduced 
  to a beatific daze. Is it any wonder, then, that most baselines 
  (and many novas) can turn to putty in an idol's hands? 
  A Bed Of Roses... 
   
  It's also no wonder that Mega-Attractive novas tend to 
  receive preferential treatment from most of the people around 
  them – humans seem to instinctively want to please a beautiful 
  person. Lacking any other data to go on; most people will tend 
  to assume that a Mega-Attractive nova is more intelligent, more 
  sociable and popular, of better character, and of higher social 
  status than a less-glamorous peer. If she's smart, an idol can 
  often have the world for her oyster, especially where matters of 
  romance are concerned. Even in the 21st Century, many people 
  (novas and baselines alike) still have a hard time believing that 
  an evil mind can reside behind a beautiful appearance. 
  Consequently, a sufficiently savvy idol can sometimes get away 
  with committing even the most serious crimes – and not only is 
  she less likely to be reported than other novas, she's also less 
  likely to be accused or penalized if she is. Even if the idol winds 
  up being penalized for her crimes, her punishment will more 
  likely than not be a good deal lighter than would usually be 
  expected. Certain baseline psychologists explain this as the 
  long-standing belief that “beautiful people are better in every 
  way – including inherent goodness – than ordinary people”. 
  Despite being fallacious, this myth does help to explain why idols 
  are often granted perks and gifts more appropriate to the god-
  kings of antiquity instead of mortal aristocracy. As all novas are 
  larger than life, idols are often treated as being more than mere 
  mortals – in short, as they're treated as living gods. 
  
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  ...Complete With Thorns 
   
  Ever since the early days of the Nova Age, baselines have 
  fantasized about what the lives of the Mega-Attractive novas 
  must be like. What they usually end up imagining is a mélange of 
  Hugh Hefner-style hedonism, Robin Leach-style extravagance, a 
  love life straight out of a paperback romance novel, and a 
  supremely high quality of life possessed only by the greatest of 
  historical royalty. After all, they think, they're so wonderfully 
  perfect that their lives have to be perfect too! It's a nice fantasy 
  – “champagne wishes and caviar dreams”, gorgeous young 
  baseline groupies always eager for a night of passion – good 
  times and the Good Life, as far as many baselines are concerned. 
   
  The realities of an idol's life, however, are somewhat 
  different. 
   
  Being Mega-Attractive means that an idol will be desired 
  sexually by many of the people that he or she will encounter in a 
  social setting. While that sounds great at first, several 
  drawbacks soon make themselves apparent. For one thing, there 
  is no guarantee whatsoever that a person who is turned on by an 
  idol's quantum-charged good looks will meet the idol's own 
  criteria for a possible lover or significant other – the idol's 
  admirer might be of the wrong gender, too young or old, be 
  unpleasant in appearance or personality, or simply might be 
  repulsive to the idol for one reason or another. Also, many of 
  the status symbols that grant otherwise boorish and unappealing 
  individuals high status in baseline society – extreme wealth, 
  political power, academic achievement, descent from the upper 
  social strata, being an influential figure in a powerful 
  organization, etc. – often count for little to an idol. More often 
  than not, those egotistical baselines are left dumbfounded – and 
  sometimes resentful – when their displays fail to win an idol's 
  affections. On the other hand, a baseline whom an idol becomes 
  romantically interested in can fail to see the idol's courtship of 
  them as being honest. With both a head filled with fantasies of 
  what an idol's life must be like and a severe lack of self-
  confidence, some baselines simply cannot imagine any reason 
  why an idol would have any real interest in them. With the 
  popular belief that a Mega-Attractive nova could have anyone 
  he or she wants, this situation can become quite surreal to the 
  baseline in question. A few even go so far as to assume that the 
  idol has dishonorable intentions towards them. While this 
  pessimism about oneself can make a baseline reluctant to accept 
  an idol's affections, it doesn't make winning the baseline over 
  impossible. If an idol also has a few dots of Mega-Manipulation 
  and Mega-Charisma, the process becomes that much easier. 
  Then there's the fact that a large fraction of an idol's admirers 
  will seek treat the idol as a sex object. While the more lusty idols 
  don’t have much of a problem with that, those who are less 
  hormone-driven quickly tire of being wanted only for 
  impersonal sex instead of a healthy romantic relationship. 
  Making things even more difficult is the tendency of many 
  people to constantly misinterpret any simple gestures of 
  friendship the idol might make as signs of sexual interest or 
  seduction attempts. 
   
  Despite what one would think, idols are sometimes rather 
  lonely, since they can find it extremely difficult to establish and 
  maintain lasting friendships. By definition, a Mega-Attractive 
  nova's good looks are far beyond the “1-to-10 scale” commonly 
  used in the singles scene. Potential sexual rivals will tend to feel 
  envious of and/or threatened by the idol's superhuman 
  attractiveness, even if they're ostensibly his or her friends. 
  Nobody likes to be outshined by a more attractive rival – they'd 
  much rather outshine other potential rivals. Potential sexual 
  partners will tend stare at the idol and otherwise act bizarrely. 
  This becomes even worse if it's a friend's significant other that's 
  getting flustered over the idol. It also makes Platonic friendships 
  rare, as it's hard for an idol to keep things Platonic when the 
  other person can't help but spend his or her time thinking about 
  how to get into the idol's pants. After dealing with these types 
  of situations for several years, some idols might get married in 
  hopes of escaping from the singles scene and sending out the 
  message that they are unavailable. Sadly, the sight of a wedding 
  ring won't deter some people...  
   
  Another problem has to do with the stereotypes that some 
  people will have about attractive people in general and Mega-
  Attractive novas in particular. If an idol is female, she'll quickly 
  notice that some people will assume that she is sexually 
  permissive and confident, and has a high sex drive. This 
  stereotype is also extremely difficult for a female nova to 
  discredit in regards to herself. Female idols are also thought by 
  some people to make poor mothers – and given that there have 
  been no publicly-known nova pregnancies, the matter is still 
  considered to be strictly academic.  
   
  Male idols have their own stereotypes to deal with. Most 
  baseline women don't automatically assume that a male idol is a 
  skilled Don Juan with a superhuman libido, although a few of 
  them may fit that description. No, the major problem for male 
  idols is that their superhuman handsomeness can inspire much 
  jealousy among baseline men and other male novas who lack 
  Mega-Appearance. The various derogatory remarks, insults, and 
  epithets a male idol can expect to receive from envious rivals 
  are too numerous to list here; but they can make the prospect of 
  having “a night out with the boys” nearly impossible. Another 
  problem is that while some male idols do reflect an ideal of 
  “rugged masculinity”, others are disturbingly beautiful “pretty-
  boys”. Even in the 21st Century, some people still subscribe to 
  the mistaken belief that “pretty-boy” idols are all homosexuals, 
  regardless of their actual sexual orientation. The efforts of 
  “Ironskin” Andy Vance and the QNA notwithstanding, as of 
  2015 these male idols are still liable to face anti-gay prejudice, 
  especially in certain rural areas of the United States. This can 
  result in some truly ugly situations, but most “pretty-boys” 
  come out none the worse for wear. The same can't be said for 
  their baseline antagonists, though... 
   
  There are a few other drawbacks to being an idol. Like 
  attractive baselines, Mega-Attractive novas are sometimes seen 
  as being less prone to maintaining their fidelity in a relationship, 
  and as more likely to instigate a divorce. Some baselines (and 
  even other novas) will experience feelings of personal 
  inadequacy when confronted with an idol's good looks, and will 
  be hesitant about approaching the idol in question or attempting 
  even the simplest social interaction with the idol. An idol's 
  superhuman beauty can very easily distract other people from 
  any other valuable qualities that he or she may have, which can 
  lead to much frustration on the idol's part. Being Mega-
  Attractive doesn't automatically make other people see an idol 
  
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  as having integrity, being sensitive, or being compassionate. 
  Finally, there are always some people who despise their 
  beautiful fellows for one reason or another – and if they loathe 
  beautiful baselines, then how much more will they hate a Mega-
  Attractive nova? 
  Roleplaying Mega-Appearance 
   
  If you're intending to play a character with Mega-
  Appearance, take a moment to think about the really handsome 
  guys or the drop-dead-gorgeous femmes you might have known. 
  Now remember all the ways – both good and bad – in which 
  other people would treat them. Did you know a beautiful woman 
  that had practically all of the guys on the local rugby team 
  begging her for a date? Or maybe it was her boss who was 
  infatuated with her, to the point of committing sexual 
  harassment? On the other hand, were you drinking buddies with 
  the hunk who always seemed to have lovely ladies either hanging 
  onto him or fighting over him every Saturday night? Or was it a 
  “pretty boy” that you remember, mainly for all abuse that the 
  local macho ne'er-do-wells (who were probably inbred to boot) 
  tried to dish out to him because they thought he was gay? Did 
  any of those beautiful people have an entourage of buddies, or 
  were those potential friends too afraid of losing their love 
  interests to someone much more attractive than they were?  
   
  That kind of treatment, both good and bad, is exactly what 
  Mega-Attractive novas can expect to receive on a regular basis 
  – only it's amplified to almost ridiculous levels. How does an idol 
  deal with all of that? Does he take advantage of his Mega-
  Appearance and indulge in one-night stands seven days a week? 
  Will a female idol be flattered at being courted by a business 
  tycoon, or will she brush him off as an arrogant blowhard? Can 
  an idol manage to make friends out of potential sexual rivals and 
  keep them as friends, or will the idol ruin good marriages and 
  demolish serious relationships without a care? 
   
  In the end, the biggest question about an idol is the same as 
  for any other nova: will the idol use the power of his or her 
  Mega-Appearance responsibly? Or will the idol test the limits of 
  what superhuman beauty can let him or her get away with – and 
  the limits of what the people affected by the idol's actions can 
  tolerate? 
  The Bimbo Factor 
   
  One vital thing to remember about Mega-Appearance is 
  that it only enhances a nova's good looks – it does not provide 
  any of the social graces that's required to make the most of an 
  idol's superhuman beauty. An idol who lacks Mega-Charisma will 
  basically dispel any illusions of being thoughtful and charming 
  that his Mega-Appearance might've fostered among other 
  people the instant he speaks. If the nova is also lacking in 
  Intelligence or Wits (ratings lower than 3), he or she will be 
  swiftly categorized as a “bimbo-nova”. 
   
  (Storyteller Note: The myriad slang terms used for these 
  quantum-powered bubbleheads vary greatly with the local 
  culture and media. For reference, El Puerto from Aberrant: 
  Underworld is a prime example of a “bimbo-nova”.) 
   
  New Mega-Appearance 
  Enhancements 
   
  Additional enhancements that characters with Mega-
  Appearance may learn or purchase include: 
  Divine Visage 
   
  Prerequisites: Mega-Appearance at 6+ dots and Awe-
  Inspiring. 
   
  Baseline humans tend to have a hard time resisting the 
  appeal of Mega-Attractive novas. This only becomes more 
  difficult in the case of novas who manifest this enhancement, as 
  their overwhelming attractiveness makes baselines see them as 
  nothing less than divine beings. Even other novas are somewhat 
  taken aback by the sheer beauty of a nova with Divine Visage. 
   
  System: The Mega-Attractive nova spends 1 quantum point 
  and rolls her Mega-Appearance against the Willpower of any 
  non-Inspired being who can see her clearly. (Thick smoke or 
  other visual impediments sufficient to cause a minimum of +2 
  difficulty penalties to Vision rolls will be enough to prevent this 
  enhancement from functioning.) If the nova scores more net 
  successes on that roll, the subjects will experience a temporary 
  ecstatic episode and intense feelings of spiritual transcendence 
  – enough to make them suffer a difficulty penalty equal to [the 
  nova's Mega-Appearance /2, rounded up] on all of their rolls for 
  the duration of the scene. What's actually happening is that the 
  nova is stimulating certain regions of the subjects' temporal 
  lobes (or equivalent structures in the brains of nonhuman 
  subjects). The resulting psychological state is identical to a 
  religious epiphany or trance and isn't necessarily pleasant; while 
  one subject might experience visions of heavenly glory, another 
  might experience a brief taste of hell and damnation. The exact 
  results of an affected subject's ecstatic episode cannot be 
  controlled at all by the nova with Divine Visage; it is entirely up 
  to the Storyteller, who is encouraged to apply either version 
  that she thinks a particular subject deserves. A side-effect of 
  this is that all subjects who perceive the nova will invariably be 
  left with the strong impression that he or she is a bona-fide 
  divine being, regardless of whether they failed their Willpower 
  rolls or not. 
   
  This enhancement also has a secondary effect on all beings 
  (Inspired or not), who must roll their Willpower against the 
  nova's Appearance in order to behave towards the nova in an 
  overly-familiar, condescending, insulting, or hostile manner. 
  This secondary effect is instantly negated if the nova behaves 
  towards a subject in any of the aforementioned ways herself. 
  Divine Visage affects anyone who can clearly see the nova (line-
  of-sight), costs 1 quantum point to use, and lasts until the end of 
  the scene. 
   
  This enhancement is restricted to Mega-Attractive novas 
  – Mega-Ugly novas cannot take it. 
   
  (Note: For purposes of the “Eye of the Beholder” 
  aberration, Divine Visage is the Mega-Attractive equivalent of 
  Mind-Shattering Horror.) 
  Eidolon 
   
  This enhancement allows even the most basic details of the 
  nova's Mega-Attractiveness to be seen through and 
  reinterpreted by the individual desires of every person who can 
  
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  see the nova. Aside from letting the nova assume the guise of 
  “perfect romantic partner” to masses of people, it also prevents 
  those people from getting a clear look at what the nova really 
  looks like. Mega-Ugly novas have their own version of this 
  enhancement, which uses people's fears and allows them to don 
  the guise of “horrifying nightmare” – and to make things worse, 
  it provides the same protection against being identified. 
   
  System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this 
  enhancement for a scene. A Mega-Attractive nova will appear 
  as a “perfect mate” to everyone who sees her, regardless of 
  individual gender and/or orientation, and gains a + 3 dice bonus 
  on Seduction rolls. A Mega-Ugly nova will appear as the “worst 
  nightmare” of everyone who sees him, and gains a + 3 dice 
  bonus on Intimidation rolls. Both versions of this enhancement 
  make it extremely difficult to discern what the nova actually 
  looks like. The nova's Mega-Appearance +1 is rolled against the 
  subject's Willpower. Powers, effects, and devices that protect 
  against telepathic illusions will add Willpower successes to the 
  subject's Willpower. Those subjects who fail the Willpower roll 
  will see the nova through their own personal likes or dislikes. 
  The nova's subjects will be unable to identify the nova and will 
  also disagree strongly with each other as to the nova's 
  appearance and gender. Please note that unless the nova also 
  has Almost Live (from the Aberrant Player's Guide), a nova 
  using Eidolon cannot affect beings that are viewing him via video 
  transmissions or recorded media. 
   
  This enhancement is available to novas with either version 
  of Mega-Appearance. 
  Fade 
   
  While it hasn't become quite as pervasive as George Orwell 
  feared, electronic surveillance is still widespread in the 
  developed regions of Earth, circa 2015. Given that a person is 
  likely to be monitored by at least one video camera in any public 
  area (and in many private areas as well), the development of this 
  enhancement was inevitable. Novas with Fade are virtual ghosts 
  as far as electronic surveillance is concerned. 
   
  System: A nova using this enhancement is extremely 
  difficult to detect or record by technological devices and 
  effectively casts no reflection. This “cloaking effect” includes 
  the nova’s shadow and his clothes, but attempts to cloak 
  anything larger should be handled with the Attunement 
  Background rules. The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate 
  this enhancement for a scene. While active, any attempt to 
  capture the nova’s image on video monitors, cameras (old-
  fashioned film or digital) or similar media (including motion 
  detectors) has a +3 difficulty penalty. Alternatively, the nova 
  may gain +3 successes for any Stealth, Intrusion, or similar rolls 
  when dealing with electronic surveillance or detection. While the 
  nova may choose to end the effect at any time, he cannot be 
  selective. I.e. he can not choose to both have a reflection and at 
  the same time avoid being recorded on film. Lack of a reflection 
  can lead to consternation among superstitious people, and even 
  your average citizen of the First World will likely find this 
  somewhat disturbing. Where appropriate, Artificial Intelligences 
  should treat this enhancement as the electronic version of the 
  Incognito enhancement. 
   
  This enhancement is available to novas with either version 
  of Mega-Appearance.  
  Halo Effect 
   
  For some reason, everyone considers a nova with this 
  enhancement to be pure and innocent, though not necessarily 
  naïve. This enhancement grants a Mega-Attractive nova a saint-
  like quality that is hard to pinpoint but cannot be denied. Unless 
  confronted with direct evidence to the contrary, people will 
  perceive the nova as being likeable and trustworthy, and will 
  tend to confide in her. She will even tend to receive lesser 
  punishments for wrongdoing, as people find it very difficult to 
  think ill of her. 
   
  System: People who catch sight of a nova using this 
  enhancement must roll Mega-Wits against the nova's [Mega-
  Appearance +1] to resist the Halo Effect. Those who fail will 
  perceive the nova as described above. Novas lacking Mega-Wits 
  and other Inspired beings can automatically shake off the Halo 
  Effect after [the nova's Mega-Appearance] hours. Baselines 
  automatically fail this roll, and may remain under the sway of the 
  Halo Effect for years without Inspired aid or serious mental 
  trauma. Furthermore, unless the nova has the Trustworthy 
  enhancement (from the Aberrant Compendium), any subject 
  (Inspired or not) who witnesses the nova committing some act 
  that strongly contradicts her “saintly” image may make a 
  Willpower roll at standard difficulties to shake off the Halo 
  Effect immediately. This enhancement is permanent but can be 
  turned on or off at will, and has no quantum point cost. This 
  enhancement is also restricted to Mega-Attractive novas – 
  Mega-Ugly novas cannot take it. 
  Immaculate 
   
  A Mega-Attractive nova with this enhancement will always 
  look his best, regardless of his circumstances. The nova could 
  swim in molten lava, crash through a building, withstand the 
  blasts of cluster bombs, or even work on a pig farm and still look 
  like he'd just stepped out of a fashion salon. If the nova is 
  injured he'll still look as if there's not a scratch on him. 
  Annoyances such as dirt, dust, and stains simply won't affect him 
  or his wardrobe. If his clothes are damaged, it will only 
  accentuate his good looks. Even if his hair is windblown or 
  mussed, it always falls back perfectly into place. 
   
  System: The nova is immune to circumstantial Appearance 
  penalties; and can suffer damage without appearing to bruise, 
  bleed, or show any other signs of visible damage. The nova also 
  gets an additional [Mega-Appearance +1] dice on all rolls where 
  looking one's best could be a factor. The question of whether or 
  not the effects of this enhancement can be overcome by a 
  nova's quantum powers (or the powers of other kinds of 
  paranormal beings, such as psiads) has been left to the 
  Storyteller's discretion. 
   
  This enhancement is always in effect, and has no quantum 
  point cost. This enhancement is also restricted to Mega-
  Attractive novas – Mega-Ugly novas cannot take it. 
  Incognito 
   
  Novas with Mega-Appearance tend to be easily 
  remembered. This enhancement prevents other people's short-
  term memories of the nova from being turned into long-term 
  memories. As short-term memory only lasts for a minute or two, 
  a nova with this enhancement can go everywhere, be identified 
  everywhere, but still remain anonymous. Unlike Mr. Nobody, 
  
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  Incognito doesn't make the nova unobtrusive, reduce Mega-
  Appearance, or prevent on the spot identification. It only 
  prevents other people from remembering the nova. 
   
  System: The nova spends 1 quantum point and rolls 
  Appearance. Anyone who later tries to recall details of the nova 
  from the scene in which the Enhancement was active needs to 
  beat the nova's rolled successes (usually on an Intelligence roll) 
  to do so. Characters with Eidetic Memory get three extra dice 
  on their roll. This enhancement is extremely subtle, unless 
  someone was aware of this effect at the time it was in effect, 
  they cannot spend Willpower on their memory roll. Similarly, 
  since long-term memories never formed to begin with, telepathy 
  and similar powers can not be used to help a person’s memory 
  roll. This enhancement does nothing to prevent the nova from 
  being recorded on any form of media (photos, movies, digital 
  video files, etc.), nor can it operate through video transmissions. 
  Both of these problems can easily be remedied by use of the 
  “Almost Live” enhancement (from the Aberrant Player's Guide). 
  This enhancement only affects the people exposed to it.  
   
  Example: John Stupid has Incognito and activates it before 
  he knocks over a building and kills two hundred baselines. When 
  T2M shows up 10 minutes later, although all the witnesses agree 
  that a nova must have done this, they don't remember which 
  nova or what the nova looked like. John stays on site and 
  appears in front of everyone who saw this. He figures that they 
  won't be able to connect him to his crime.  Unfortunately for 
  John, one of the witnesses dialed 911 and gave the police his 
  description before he forgot it. T2M easily matches him to his 
  description and hauls him in on the spot. 
   
  This enhancement is available to novas with either version 
  of Mega-Appearance. 
  Kawaii 
   
  It's no accident that most infants, children, and early 
  adolescents are seen as being attractive by adult humans; it's 
  part of a survival mechanism that increases the chances of 
  children living long enough to become successful parents 
  themselves. It was inevitable that some child and early-teen 
  novas would manifest a quantum-amplified version of that 
  essential mechanism.  
   
  The looks of a nova with the Kawaii enhancement has a 
  quality that can only be described as “superhuman cuteness”. All 
  but the most heartless of people will treat a Kawaii nova with 
  kindness and affection, and will become protective of the Kawaii 
  nova if she is threatened. Some people may even engage the 
  Kawaii nova in spontaneous displays of affection. In addition to 
  making their parents (who are sometimes novas themselves) 
  more willing to deal with the problems of raising a nova child, 
  this enhancement has made some Kawaii novas instant media 
  stars in the cuteness-obsessed popular culture of Japan. 
   
  System: This effect only works when the people it affects 
  are in the nova's presence and looking at her; when they are 
  away from her, this enhancement can't affect them. 
   
  A Kawaii nova receives 1 automatic success for each dot of 
  Mega-Appearance possessed on any Social rolls where 
  appearing cute, adorable, innocent, naïve, helpless and harmless 
  could work in the nova's favor. While it can aid in tasks such as 
  getting other people to help the nova or shifting others' 
  suspicions away from the nova (provided that there's no direct 
  evidence linking the nova to her misdeeds), there is a downside 
  to this enhancement. Kawaii novas automatically lose [the nova's 
  Mega-Appearance /2, rounded up] successes on any Social rolls 
  that require their being seen as a credible threat or as having 
  competence, experience, or maturity. Also, this enhancement 
  depends on the inherent immaturity of the Kawaii nova – once 
  the nova reaches her 16th year of age she automatically loses this 
  enhancement, which is then replaced with another Mega-
  Appearance enhancement of the Storyteller's choosing. Adult 
  novas and teen novas of 16 years of age and older cannot 
  possess this enhancement, even if they assume a childish form 
  by means of the Shapeshift power or the Age Alteration 
  technique of the Temporal Manipulation power. 
   
  Activating this enhancement costs 1 quantum point, and 
  lasts for the duration of the scene. Players and Storytellers alike 
  should keep in mind that Kawaii novas are almost unbearably 
  cute even when not using this enhancement; people will make 
  exclamations of delight and/or adoration on catching sight of 
  them, give them hugs, ruffle their hair, etc. – basically treating 
  Kawaii novas as the children they really are. 
   
  This enhancement is restricted to Mega-Attractive novas 
  – Mega-Ugly novas cannot take it. 
  Two-Faced 
   
  Normally, a nova with Mega-Appearance becomes either 
  Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly during his eruption, and is stuck 
  with that result for the rest of his existence. However, a few 
  novas have developed the ability to shift between the two 
  opposing forms of Mega-Appearance at will. Aside from the 
  obvious benefits in establishing apparently utterly dissimilar 
  identities as two different novas, the shock value of seeing a 
  Mega-Attractive nova suddenly becoming Mega-Ugly might aid 
  a nova who's inclined to mischief in pulling off some truly mean-
  spirited practical jokes. 
   
  System: This enhancement allows a nova to switch from 
  being Mega-Attractive to being Mega-Ugly (or the other way 
  around) by spending 1 quantum point. The nova loses access to 
  Mega-Appearance enhancements that are restricted to either 
  Mega-Attractive or Mega-Ugly novas while using the opposing 
  form of Mega-Appearance. (See “Banned Enhancements” in the 
  Mega-Ugliness section for details.) The nova also doesn't gain 
  any additional enhancements with Two-Faced, but may purchase 
  them normally. (For example, a normally Mega-Attractive nova 
  with Awe-Inspiring could not use it while Mega-Ugly, and would 
  not gain a different enhancement to make up for that loss.) The 
  effects of this enhancement last for a scene, and can be 
  activated multiple times during a scene to switch back and forth. 
  The nova cannot employ both forms of Mega-Appearance at the 
  same time – it has to be one or the other. A Two-Faced nova 
  must declare one form of his Mega-Appearance to be a “default 
  visage”; to which the nova will revert to if sleeping, knocked 
  unconscious, or incapacitated. 
   
  Note: A Two-Faced nova cannot have both of his visages 
  based on the same form of Mega-Appearance; one must be 
  Mega-Attractive, and the other must be Mega-Ugly. This 
  enhancement is available to novas with either version of Mega-
  Appearance. 
  
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  Unattainable 
   
  While human beauty is often thought of in terms of sexual 
  appeal, there are some instances where extreme beauty can 
  partially deter other people's sexual interest or even dampen it 
  entirely. That effect is just what a Mega-Attractive nova with 
  this enhancement is capable of. Given the number of overly-
  persistent suitors that a Mega-Attractive nova is likely to 
  attract, this enhancement can prove very useful. 
   
  System: This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to 
  activate, lasts for the duration of the scene, and only affects 
  those people who have a sexual interest in the Unattainable 
  nova. The people affected by this enhancement must also be in 
  the nova's presence and looking at her, otherwise it will not 
  function. 
   
  Any subject who has a Willpower score lower than the 
  nova's Mega-Appearance will experience a sudden and severe 
  loss of self-confidence. Instinctively sensing that the 
  Unattainable nova is “out of their league”, the subject won't be 
  able to even socialize with the nova for the duration of the 
  scene. 
   
  Subjects with a Willpower score equal to or greater than 
  the nova's Mega-Appearance may make a Willpower roll against 
  the nova's Appearance. Botching the Willpower roll results in a 
  total inability to socialize with the nova. Failing the Willpower 
  roll means that the subject's ardor is dampened, but he or she 
  can still socialize with the nova in regards to non-sexual matters. 
  If the subject gains even 1 success on the roll, he or she may 
  behave towards the Unattainable nova in his or her intended 
  fashion. 
   
  Storyteller Note: Novas with the Heartthrob, Sex Object, 
  Object of Desire, or Romantic Irresistibility aberrations cannot 
  use or develop this enhancement. 
   
  This enhancement is restricted to Mega-Attractive novas 
  – Mega-Ugly novas cannot take it. 
  Yin-Yang 
   
  Ever wanted to see how the other half lives? Those novas 
  possessing this enhancement can do so as they can change their 
  sex at will. The change is a complete one; internal organs are 
  changed along with the more obvious features and even the 
  nova's scent changes. This enhancement is also very handy when 
  being pursued, as few people normally confuse male and female 
  bodies. Note, however, that this ability to change gender does 
  not cause any additional radical changes in appearance; both 
  sexes have similar features, and look sufficiently alike to be 
  siblings. 
   
  System: It takes roughly one minute for the nova to make 
  the change from one gender to the other and does not require a 
  roll. However, an Appearance roll can be made to cut this time in 
  half. It costs one quantum point to activate Yin-Yang, but once 
  the change is complete there is no need to maintain this 
  enhancement. It is as if the nova had always been of that gender. 
   
  Note: If a nova with Yin-Yang is not sterile, that nova can 
  become pregnant while female if contraceptive measures are 
  either not used or somehow neutralized. Yet another interesting 
  wrinkle is that upon the moment of conception, a pregnant nova 
  with Yin-Yang will find him – or herself locked into “female 
  mode” for the duration of the pregnancy. Once the pregnancy 
  ends (through birth, miscarriage, or the death of the fetus), the 
  nova will again be able to switch gender freely. 
   
  This enhancement is available to novas with either version 
  of Mega-Appearance. 
   
  Mega-Appearance Aberrations  
   
  Aberrations derived from Mega-Appearance tend to 
  reflect a desire for other people's favorable attention, and result 
  in physical aberrations that increase the nova's chances of being 
  noticed. (There can be too much of a good thing, though.) 
  Mental aberrations that may be manifested are usually 
  obsessions with either the nova's own good looks or beauty in 
  general, although sometimes a loss of the nova's self-image will 
  occur. The aberrations listed here are generally limited to novas 
  with at least one dot in Mega-Appearance, but a few are 
  available to Mega-Ugly novas – refer to the Mega-Ugliness 
  chapter for details. 
   
  Common aberrations from Aberrant and the Aberrant 
  Player's Guide for novas with Mega-Appearance include 
  Aberrant 
  Eyes, 
  Albinism, 
  Androgyny, 
  Colored 
  Skin, 
  Fur/Feathers, Glow, Hairless, Hermaphrodite, Hormonal 
  Imbalance (Lust), Obsession, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, 
  and Unearthly Beauty. 
   
  Note:  Aberrations marked with an * are from the Aberrant 
  Compendium. 
  Low-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to 
  five points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Aberrant Hair: Something about the nova's hair is weird. 
  While its color is more-or-less normal (providing that the nova 
  doesn't also have the Chromatic Hair aberration), something 
  about it simply isn't possible for baseline hair without extensive 
  styling. The nova's hair might be stiff enough stand up naturally 
  without the aid of hairspray or styling mousse; novas with hair 
  that sticks up vertically for heights of 40 centimeters or more 
  are not unheard of. The nova's hair might naturally grow in an 
  odd style, such as a 1970s-style punk-rock mohawk or a lion's 
  mane. Other possibilities include the nova's hair developing a 
  metallic, rubbery, or plastic texture; or being uncomfortably 
  warm or cold to the touch. Some novas' hair might actually move 
  of its own accord! As the permanent Taint of a nova with this 
  aberration accumulates, the nova's hair may actually change into 
  something unsettling and problematic such as flames, stiff metal 
  wires, or living snakes. (In these extreme cases, this aberration 
  might only affect the hair on the nova's head – the Storyteller 
  has the final say on this matter, as always.) 
   
  �  Chromatic Hair: The nova's hair – all of it – is of a 
  (usually) attractive color that isn't naturally found in baseline 
  humans. Just about any hue is possible – bright blue, leaf green, 
  cherry red, and pastel pink are just a few of the possibilities. 
  Some novas even develop hair the color of polished metal – for 
  example, Teardrop from Teen2M has bright silver hair. Other 
  people get a -2 difficulty bonus to recognize a nova with this 
  aberration – and unless the nova is around people as colorful 
  (pun intended) as herself, other people will get a -2 difficulty 
  bonus on all Perception rolls to pick her out of a crowd. Since 
  baseline teenagers and nonconformists have been dyeing their 
  
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  70
  hair unnatural colors for over a decade (as of 2008), this 
  doesn't draw quite as much attention as other minor physical 
  aberrations do... unless someone gets close enough to the nova 
  to realize that the supposed dye-job is in fact natural color! As 
  the permanent Taint of a nova with this aberration accumulates, 
  the color of the nova's hair will become ever-more striking and 
  noticeable – some novas' hair might even glow like fiber optics! 
  This results in an additional -1 difficulty bonus on rolls for other 
  people to recognize or spot the nova per 2 points of permanent 
  Taint the nova accumulates after manifesting this aberration. 
  Oddly enough, several Japanese novas (and foreign novas who 
  have been influenced by Japanese anime) have developed this 
  aberration without the Taint that normally accompanies it. 
  These novas also have been known to develop oddly-colored 
  irises without Taint accumulation as well. (In game terms, these 
  novas have taken both the Chromatic Hair and Aberrant Eyes 
  aberrations as 1-point Flaws – see the Aberrant Player's Guide, 
  page 92.) 
   
  �  Distinctive Looks: Something about the looks of a nova 
  with this aberration really stands out in the minds of those who 
  see her (or visual records of her). Whether it's something as 
  blatant as smoldering sex appeal or as subtle as how the light hits 
  her, this makes the nova's appearance quite unique. Unless she 
  takes extreme measures to alter her appearance (via 
  shapeshifting or cutting-edge cinematic special effects 
  makeup), she is likely to be spotted and recognized on sight by 
  anyone who's seen her before. In game terms, other people 
  (novas, baselines, and psiads alike) will gain a difficulty bonus on 
  all Perception rolls made to identify the nova equal to her Taint-
  derived difficulty penalty on social interactions with baselines. 
  On the flipside, all rolls made for attempts to impersonate the 
  nova with this aberration likewise suffer a difficulty penalty 
  equal to her Taint-derived difficulty penalty on social 
  interactions with baselines. 
   
  �  Mega-Vanity: Mega-Beautiful and Mega-Handsome 
  novas who develop this aberration become obsessed with their 
  personal appearance. These are the novas who simply cannot 
  pass by a mirror without looking at themselves, and cleaning up 
  their appearance if need be – even during combat! They dread 
  the problems of aging (baldness, grey hair, wrinkled skin, 
  sagging figures, etc.), and will seek to become very good friends 
  with any nova capable of using the Age Alteration technique of 
  Temporal Manipulation. Flattery works very well on these novas, 
  making them more vulnerable to certain Manipulation-based 
  skills (+1 difficulty penalty to resist such attempts). Insulting or 
  marring the looks of novas with this aberration is guaranteed to 
  anger them – they suffer a difficulty penalty of +1 on all their 
  rolls until the insult is avenged and the damage (even if it's 
  nothing more than having mud thrown in the face) is corrected. 
  Mega-Vain novas tend to resent other novas who have greater 
  Mega-Appearance than their own, especially if they are 
  romantic rivals of the Mega-Vain nova in question. (They can 
  appreciate the Mega-Appearance of potential romantic 
  partners just like anyone else!) In all of these cases, a Mega-
  Vain nova can make a Willpower roll (penalized by his or her 
  permanent Taint, of course) to resist the urge to give in to his or 
  her vanity whenever it is felt, even when it isn't the best time to 
  indulge. The Storyteller may adjust the difficulty if the 
  circumstances are especially tempting. The nova may spend a 
  Willpower point to resist the effects of this aberration for one 
  scene, but will feel distinctly uncomfortable doing so. 
   
  �  Quantum Beacon: The nova's self-image has changed 
  drastically from what it was prior to his eruption – he sees 
  existence as a nova as being clearly distinct from baseline 
  existence, overemphasizing the differences. As a result, the 
  nova cannot have the Dormancy background and will have to 
  deal with living as a nova 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As 
  an added burden, anyone attempting to detect the Nova by any 
  means, whether by Node, psionics, mental powers, devices, or 
  even just by looking at him, receives the nova's taint in extra 
  dice for their roll. Something about this nova just screams, 
  “Here I am and I'm a nova”. A nova with this aberration also 
  cannot have the “Mr. Nobody” Mega-Appearance enhancement. 
  This aberration is especially common in those novas who were 
  markedly deficient in some way as baselines; such as having 
  physical deformities or birth defects, being an invalid or 
  disfigured by a disease, or simply being born ugly. As these 
  problems are usually corrected as a byproduct of the eruption 
  process, the nova will understandably have no desire 
  whatsoever to return to his previous baseline existence, even 
  temporarily.  
   
  �  Sex Object*: The nova is simply too attractive for 
  his/her own good. Upon first meeting the nova, people attracted 
  to members of the nova's gender must roll Willpower to avoid 
  becoming lust-stricken by the nova and treating him/her as a sex 
  object. The victim also suffers a penalty on the Willpower roll 
  equal to the nova's Taint-derived penalty on rolls for social 
  interactions with baselines. (If the victim is alone with the nova 
  in a private setting, the roll is made with an additional +1 
  difficulty.) Those who succeed on the Willpower roll may act as 
  they please. The actions of those who fail the roll will vary with 
  their individual personalities – unabashed staring, deciding to 
  stalk the nova, or simply acting like a blabbering idiot are all 
  good possibilities. Those who botch the roll will seek to become 
  intimate with the nova ASAP, although their tactics will vary 
  with individual personalities, as noted above. Novas who develop 
  this aberration often encounter jealousy from potential romantic 
  rivals, for obvious reasons. When added to the difficulties of 
  social interaction with someone who's determined to either 
  become your significant other or get into your pants, it's not 
  hard to understand why many such novas become recluses. 
   
  �  Strange Scent: A nova with this aberration has a natural 
  body odor that smells like nothing a normal human body is 
  capable of producing. The scent can be literally anything, 
  although Mega-Attractive novas will produce pleasant scents 
  (such as roses, fresh sea spray, or cedar wood). Mega-Ugly 
  novas produce unpleasant scents (such as sulfur, decaying flesh, 
  or fresh sewage). Mega-Ugly novas will suffer an additional +2 
  difficulty penalty on Social rolls for interacting with baselines 
  and less-tainted novas. Mega-Attractive novas will only suffer 
  that penalty if the baseline or nova in question is allergic to or 
  simply dislikes what would ordinarily be considered a pleasant 
  scent. All attempts to track a nova with this aberration by scent 
  are made with a -2 difficulty bonus. 
   
  �  Surreality*: Other people (including other novas!) will 
  tend to find a nova who develops this aberration to be 
  
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  71
  irresistibly fascinating. (Victims must make a resisted Willpower 
  roll vs. the nova's Mega-Appearance to resist, with a difficulty 
  penalty equal to the nova's Taint-derived penalty on rolls for 
  social interactions with baselines.) If a victim succeeds on the 
  Willpower roll, he or she may act as he or she pleases. If they 
  fail, people will stare at the nova and attempt to strike up 
  conversations at inappropriate times in hope of getting to know 
  the nova better. Worse still, criminals and other people of a less 
  savory nature will always choose the nova over other potential 
  targets for their illicit acts. 
   
  �  Twisted Perspective: Mega-Beautiful and Mega-
  Handsome novas who develop this aberration undergo a slight 
  change in their ideas of human beauty. Having come to accept 
  their superhuman attractiveness as the norm, such novas will 
  find the unenhanced features of even the most gorgeous 
  baselines to seem rather homespun, if not downright bland. 
  Novas with this aberration have a -2 difficulty bonus to resist 
  any seduction attempts made by baselines that are based on 
  sexual attraction. The flipside of this is that these novas also 
  have a difficulty penalty of +2 on all vision-based Perception 
  rolls made to identify baselines by sight – after all, these novas 
  likely won't even want to look at baselines if they can help it... As 
  the nova's permanent Taint increases, so will the effects of this 
  aberration – raise the value of the bonus (and penalty) by 1 
  point for every 2 points of permanent Taint accumulated after 
  gaining this aberration. 
  Medium-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to 
  seven points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Fashion Disaster: A nova with this aberration has lost all 
  appreciation of the importance of being dressed well (or of 
  being dressed at all). While the nova can still understand why 
  baselines place such emphasis on fashionable clothing in an 
  intellectual, abstract manner, he will feel that engaging in such 
  displays himself is pointless and/or ridiculous. From the nova's 
  viewpoint, for him to indulge in such behavior would be the 
  equivalent of an adult dressing and acting like a small child – and 
  since when do adults take the opinions of little children on how 
  (or if) they should dress, anyway? Novas with this aberration 
  will dress in either utilitarian clothes or whatever attire the nova 
  deems comfortable – if the nova also has the Adaptation 
  enhancement and the Armor power, this may mean going around 
  in little clothing or none at all! Given the importance that 
  baseline society places on wearing whatever clothing is 
  considered fashionable at the time, this aberration can cause the 
  nova serious social difficulties – after all, most baselines tend to 
  take silly things like dress codes, fashion trends, and laws 
  regarding indecent public exposure quite seriously. In game 
  terms, the nova's taint-derived penalty on Social rolls for 
  interactions with baselines is doubled for all rolls where wearing 
  appropriate clothing is a factor. If someone (not necessarily 
  another nova) whose opinion the nova respects attempts to 
  convince him that he should wear appropriate clothing to an 
  event, the nova must make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal 
  to her permanent Taint) in order to follow that person's advice 
  for the duration of the event. (The nova will get himself out of 
  that “ridiculous get-up” ASAP once the event is over, 
  however!) 
   
  Note: Depending on the circumstances, the increased 
  difficulty penalty imposed by this aberration may not apply in 
  some situations – a nova who insists on wearing 1970's-style 
  leisure suits wouldn't be looked down on by people with similar 
  tastes, while a Mega-Attractive nova who hates wearing any 
  clothes at all would be well-received at a clothing-optional 
  beach or a nudist colony. 
   
  �  Heartthrob*: The nova is absolute dynamite when it 
  comes to infatuating those people attracted to members of the 
  nova's gender. The problem is that the nova is like this all the 
  time, and can't turn off his or her sex appeal... (This should be 
  restricted to novas with the Seductive Looks enhancement.) In 
  game terms, any and all extra successes the nova may gain via 
  the Seductive and/or Seductive Looks enhancements are 
  effectively doubled for seduction rolls (not persuasion – the 
  nova's victims will tend to hear only what they want to from the 
  nova). The downside of this is that the bonus is applied to ANY 
  action of the nova's that could be seen as seductive by his/her 
  victims (Storyteller's decision). Also, the Storyteller will kindly 
  make all Seduction rolls for the nova's player, and doesn't have 
  to inform the player about it beforehand. Novas with this 
  aberration will often have no idea that they've won a victim's 
  affections – until the victim makes some moves of her/his own... 
   
  �  Laughable: There's simply something about a nova with 
  this aberration – namely, something that makes him seem 
  utterly ridiculous to baseline humans (and most other novas as 
  well). Perhaps it's the fact that the nova resembles a humanoid 
  French poodle, complete with puffy pink fur. Perhaps the nova 
  looks like something Monty Python would've created for a 
  superhero skit. Perhaps the nova simply looks like he should 
  have “ludicrous dingbat” tattooed on his forehead. In any case, 
  the nova's appearance gives rise to feelings of scorn, derision, 
  and disrespect among baselines. As a result, most baselines will 
  feel inclined to mock the nova or dismiss him out of hand. Even 
  more insightful baselines will have serious trouble taking a 
  Laughable nova seriously without hard evidence to the contrary 
  – they must win a contested Willpower roll against the 
  Laughable nova's Mega-Appearance in order to see the nova as 
  anything other than a quantum-powered buffoon. A Laughable 
  nova will be considered both harmless and unworthy of respect 
  by most baselines and novas alike – he won't be seen as being 
  worth the time to deal with. It should be noted that novas with 
  the Mental Mega-Attributes are not likely to suffer from that 
  misperception, however. As an added burden, a Laughable nova 
  automatically loses 1 success per dot of permanent Taint 
  possessed on all rolls for Intimidation, Command, Interrogation, 
  and otherwise persuading or inspiring other people. Laughable 
  novas also cannot possess the Awe-Inspiring, Commanding 
  Presence, or Dreadful Mien enhancements. Laughable novas can 
  still be seen as being sexy; albeit in a ditzy, bimbo-ish manner. 
   
  �  Object of Desire*: Something about the nova makes 
  people want to possess him or her. Upon first meeting the nova, 
  people attracted to him or her must make a resisted Willpower 
  roll vs. the nova's Mega-Appearance. The victim also suffers a 
  penalty on the Willpower roll equal to the nova's Taint-derived 
  penalty on rolls for social interactions with baselines. Failing the 
  roll means that the victim will see the nova as a commodity or 
  treasure to be owned instead of as a person with his or her own 
  
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  desires and needs. (Just think of how certain rich folk manage to 
  acquire their “trophy spouses”, and how those spouses are 
  treated after they've been landed.) The form that the ownership 
  takes will vary with individual victims – some might settle for 
  signing the nova to a contract or hauling off the nova to a 
  wedding chapel, while others may take the idea of owning the 
  nova all too literally... The nova's victims will be very possessive 
  of him or her, and they will go to great lengths in order to either 
  establish or retain their control over the nova. 
   
  �  Piecemeal Metamorphosis: A nova with this aberration is 
  ever-so-slowly changing into something other than human, one 
  portion of his body at a time. When this aberration first 
  manifests, a small portion of the nova's anatomy (such as the 
  lower face or hands) will change into whatever the Storyteller 
  decides would be appropriate. As the nova accumulates 
  permanent Taint, exponentially-larger parts of the nova's body 
  will be altered in this fashion. A common theme for this 
  aberration is gradual transformation into a humanoid animal – 
  for instance, the lower face of the elite known as Dog (from 
  Aberrant Worldwide: Phase II) has changed into that of a 
  humanoid schnauzer. Other themes include changing into a 
  humanoid plant or some form of living machine, inorganic matter 
  or energy. (The latter three themes are very appropriate for 
  novas with the Bodymorph power – once the gradual 
  transformation of the nova's body is complete, this aberration 
  effectively becomes identical to Permanent Power-Bodymorph.) 
  Note that only a defined portion of the nova's body is affected 
  by this – aside from his lower face, Dog's body is fairly normal 
  for a male nova at this point in his accumulation of Taint (6 
  points, F.Y.I.). If Dog reaches 7 Taint, his head will certainly 
  become entirely that of a humanoid schnauzer, and he may 
  develop a full-body coat of fur as well. Depending on what kind 
  of nonhuman morphology the nova is developing, the nova may 
  face certain physical difficulties as well as the inevitable social 
  difficulties. For example: A nova who's turning into a snake-man 
  might find his legs turning into a single serpentine trunk and tail, 
  while an amphibious female nova might turn into a classical 
  mermaid. A male nova whose head has permanently turned into 
  living thermonuclear plasma won't be able to wear a hat, nor will 
  he be likely to get any kisses from baseline ladies. A nova whose 
  limbs have turned into living bionics is likely to have trouble with 
  metal detectors and security officers. And let's not forget the 
  tailoring problems faced by a nova who's changing into a 173-cm 
  tall humanoid flying squirrel! (Those darn patagia make wearing 
  a tuxedo impossible, and most tailors don't do tail-flaps.) 
   
  �  Shifting Features*: A nova with this aberration has 
  partially lost control over the appearance of his body. The nova 
  suffers from a shifting in his body weight, mass, and tissue 
  colorations that is virtually unnoticeable from minute to minute, 
  but can radically alter his features over the course of a few 
  hours. While the changes are gradual, they are constant – the 
  nova will look different enough within 24 hours to make him 
  unrecognizable as the same person on the basis of visual 
  recognition. This unsettles baselines (and many novas), resulting 
  in the nova suffering an additional +2 difficulty penalty on all 
  Social rolls beyond making a first impression. 
  High-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight or 
  more points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Addictive Visage: While all Mega-Beautiful and Mega-
  Handsome novas are capable of inspiring adoration and lust in 
  other people, some of those novas take the idea of being 
  attractive to others a bit too far. The undisguised physical 
  appearance of a nova with this aberration is psychologically 
  addictive to baselines that are sexually oriented towards 
  members of the nova's gender. In game terms, treat the nova's 
  visage as a drug with an Addiction Rating equal to the nova's 
  permanent Taint score when the nova is viewed by baselines of 
  the correct sexual orientation. When watching a nova with this 
  aberration, affected baselines will feel intense euphoria and 
  feelings of romantic love along with a loss of inhibitions – 
  consider their  effective Wits and Intelligence scores to be 
  lowered by [the nova's permanent Taint -5] dots, down to a 
  minimum of 1. Additionally, all Willpower rolls to resist sexual 
  overtures from the nova (real or imagined) suffer a difficulty 
  penalty equal to the nova's permanent Taint. If the nova is being 
  viewed via recordings, the Addiction Rating of his or her visage 
  is lowered by 4 points, unless the nova has the Almost Live 
  enhancement. Addicted baselines will gain the 2-point version of 
  the Addiction Flaw (on pg. 71 of the Aberrant Player's Guide). 
  The effects of this aberration will last for [the nova's permanent 
  Taint -5] hours. “Detoxing” from the effects of this aberration 
  takes the same length of time, and will leave affected baselines 
  with both a +1 difficulty penalty on all perception rolls to detect 
  pleasurable sensations and a +2 difficulty penalty on all 
  Willpower rolls until their neurochemistry returns to normal. 
  Addicted baselines with Willpower scores of 4 or less may also 
  develop delusions of having a romantic relationship with the 
  nova – these unfortunates often become stalkers. The only way 
  for the nova to control this for any length of time is to use the 
  Mr. Nobody enhancement, provided that his or her Mega-
  Appearance is high enough to “cover up” this aberration. It 
  should also be noted that a nova with this aberration is likely to 
  be regarded with jealousy from baselines of the same sexual 
  orientation – these folks will see the nova as a sexual rival, 
  resulting in the nova suffering an additional +1 difficulty penalty 
  for social interactions with those people. 
   
  �  Doppelgänger Syndrome: Shapeshifting novas who 
  develop this aberration actually suffer from both a highly 
  specific form of dissociative amnesia (namely, forgetting one's 
  original appearance) and a compulsive disorder (focused on 
  impersonating other people). Having lost all idea of what she is 
  supposed to look like, the nova will seek to shore up her sense of 
  self by assuming the identity of another person, usually a 
  baseline or nova whose powers the Doppelgänger nova can 
  simulate. If the Doppelgänger nova has the Yin-Yang Mega-
  Appearance enhancement, she may even forget her original 
  gender! Whenever the nova has an opportunity to assume 
  someone else's identity, she must roll Willpower (with a penalty 
  equal to her permanent Taint) to avoid impersonating that 
  person. Furthermore, if the nova is somehow prevented from 
  impersonating anyone for 24 hours, the nova will suffer a +1 
  difficulty penalty on all of her rolls until she can indulge her 
  compulsion. The nova will suffer a cumulative +1 penalty for each 
  
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  24 hour-period of deprivation past the first. A Doppelgänger 
  nova will seek to maintain her assumed role for as long as 
  possible, although whether she will resort to violence in order to 
  do so is up to her personal sense of ethics. It should be noted 
  that since many shapeshifting novas already work as infiltration 
  agents, they can be quite casual about making someone 
  “disappear” and taking her place... If her impersonation is 
  exposed, the Doppelgänger nova must make a Willpower roll 
  (with a penalty equal to her permanent Taint) to avoid fleeing 
  the scene in a panic – if hindered, she will lash out violently 
  against any who try to restrain her. 
   
   
   
  The Flipside of  
  Mega-Appearance: 
  Mega-Ugliness 
   
  With the release of the Adventure! core book, a major 
  change was introduced in the way that the Social attribute of 
  Appearance functioned. Instead of acting as a measure of a 
  character's physical beauty, Appearance now reflected how 
  memorable the character's looks were to other people. Now, 
  players and Storytellers had the option of creating characters 
  who could be anything from somewhat homely to downright 
  ugly, instead of being just another pretty face in the crowd.  
   
  As it was released prior to Adventure!, the Aberrant core 
  book still used the previous version of the Appearance attribute, 
  but offered the possibility of creating a Mega-Ugly nova instead 
  of 
  your 
  more 
  common 
  Mega-Attractive 
  nova. 
  The 
  Attribute/Mega-Attribute system mechanics had to be tinkered 
  with somewhat, but it worked well enough for the few who 
  wanted to play a Mega-Ugly nova. Unfortunately, space 
  constrictions prevented the writers of Aberrant from going into 
  Mega-Ugliness in the level of detail it deserved. With all this in 
  mind, we now offer revised variants of both Appearance and 
  Mega-Appearance that are oriented towards describing 
  physically unattractive characters in the Aberrant setting. 
  Appearance (Ugliness variant) 
   
  The Ugliness variant of the Appearance attribute is a 
  combination 
  of 
  physical 
  unattractiveness 
  and 
  innate 
  offensiveness. Whether due to having been horribly disfigured in 
  an accident or beaten with the ugly stick, this variant Attribute 
  measures your character's ability to make a negative first 
  impression or to generate an instinctive response in others. 
   
  Qualities: Charred, Nauseating, Nightmarish, Perversely 
  Fascinating, Putrefied, Scabrous, Skanky. 
   
  � 
  Poor: You're vaguely unappealing, but 
  otherwise unremarkable. People forget your 
  face easily. 
   
  �� 
  Average: You're quite homely, yet still 
  within the lower range of what's considered 
  “normal”. 
   
  ��� 
  Good: You turn stomachs when you enter a 
  room. 
   
  ���� 
  Exceptional: You could work in a carnival 
  sideshow – or you might've escaped from 
  one. 
   
  ����� 
  Superb: You're simply unforgettable, much 
  to the dismay of those who catch sight of 
  you. 
   
  Mega-Ugliness 
   
  Similar to the more socially acceptable version of Mega-
  Appearance, Mega-Ugliness represents a nova whose looks are 
  more shockingly hideous than the most deformed and repellent 
  baselines who have ever lived. Such a nova will never be able to 
  pass for human (barring use of the Mr. Nobody enhancement), 
  and those baselines not panicked by the Mega-Ugly nova's 
  appearance will still be sickened and disgusted by his looks. And 
  just as baseline society adores Mega-Attractive novas, they 
  revile the much rarer Mega-Ugly novas. These novas are 
  depicted in the media as antisocial and cruel monsters whose 
  minds are as twisted by the effects of Taint as their bodies – 
  and nine times out of ten, they are absolutely correct. The few 
  exceptions to this typically don't get much favorable media 
  exposure, so the preconception endures. 
   
  Mega-Ugliness is dependent on the Ugliness version of 
  Appearance in exactly the same way that the other Mega-
  Attributes depend on their respective base Attributes.  
   
  Mega-Ugly characters receive bonus dice for their 
  Intimidation rolls instead of Style – being superhumanly hideous 
  is great when you want to frighten other people, but it can't help 
  make a horrid outfit look good. 
   
  � 
  Stupendous: Compared to you, Quasimodo 
  looks like your average working Joe 
  Sixpack. You receive one extra die for all 
  Intimidation rolls (in addition to your Mega-
  Appearance dice). 
   
  �� 
  Amazing: Babies and small children scream 
  when they see you, and their parents tend 
  to cringe. You receive two extra dice for all 
  Intimidation rolls. 
   
  ��� 
  Incredible: You creep the hell out of just 
  about everyone you encounter, nova and 
  baseline alike. You receive three extra dice 
  for all Intimidation rolls. 
   
  ���� 
  Spectacular: Simply getting a good look at 
  you is enough to give the average baseline 
  shrieking nightmares for a week at least. 
  You receive four extra dice for all 
  Intimidation rolls. 
   
  ����� 
  Godlike: “Get that [CENSORED] thing 
  AWAY from me!” You receive five extra 
  dice for all Intimidation rolls. 
   
  Note: Mega-Ugliness at ratings of 6 dots and higher 
  provides equivalent bonuses to those of standard Mega-
  Appearance at the same rating. Check with your Storyteller for 
  details of how high-level Mega-Attributes other than Mega-
  Strength and Mega-Stamina work in your game. The effects of 
  Mega-Strength and Mega-Stamina at ratings of 6+ are detailed 
  in the Aberrant Player's Guide, pp. 101-103. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER FOUR:  FRIGHTENING, WONDERFUL BEHAVIOR 
  74
  Mega-Ugliness: Squids 
   
  It's an unfortunate fact of life – humans tend to judge each 
  other by their appearance when other data is lacking. If a person 
  is ugly, other people usually think that he's also mentally 
  deficient and has a rotten personality to boot. Given that a 
  Mega-Ugly nova is by definition more hideous and repellent than 
  any baseline who has ever lived, one can easily see why many 
  baselines automatically assume that Mega-Ugly novas are just as 
  monstrous in mind and soul as they appear to be in body. And 
  given that unearned mistreatment and degradation is often all 
  that baseline society will offer Mega-Ugly novas, it's equally 
  easy to see why so many of them end up becoming just as hostile 
  and sociopathic as baselines fear them to be. 
  Mega-Ugliness and Lookism 
   
  To understand why Mega-Ugly novas end up receiving this 
  sort of treatment from most baselines; we have to examine 
  “lookism” (also known as beauty prejudice), how it functions, 
  and why humans have it at all. Unlike most other prejudices, 
  lookism is an evolved survival mechanism for life in cultures with 
  little or no technology. It works as an amoral pragmatism and 
  functions on an unconscious level. Even human infants are 
  influenced by lookism, as it's “hardwired” into our brains. Most 
  people are totally unaware of being influenced by lookism – 
  since it's an innate brain function, most would consider it a 
  fundamental part of “being human”. This “lookism circuitry” 
  allows us to distinguish between beauty and ugliness, and 
  rewards us with a feeling of pleasure when we look at beautiful 
  things. Ugly things, of course, inspire distaste. (Even ugly people 
  are repelled by ugliness – both their own and that of others.) It 
  also establishes that humans possess hardwired criteria for both 
  obvious beauty and obvious ugliness, above and beyond cultural 
  and subjective notions of what is and isn't attractive. 
   
  (Note: Like any other instinctual response, the effects of 
  lookism can be recognized and moderated by a person who's 
  willing to learn to control himself.) 
   
  The obvious application was for deciding what to eat and 
  drink (fresh fruit instead of overripe fruit, freshly-caught trout 
  instead of a rotten turtle carcass, clear water from the river 
  instead of green water from a stagnant pond, etc.), so that 
  primitive humans could tell what was good to eat without having 
  to risk their stomachs (and their lives) every time they came 
  across something new. Those who didn't develop lookism tended 
  to die more often, usually from eating something they shouldn't 
  have. 
   
  Lookism was also beneficial in that it let primitive humans 
  judge each other's viability and health as well.  Ugly infants were 
  less likely to survive in savage surroundings – cute babies 
  advertised their health and viability, and were deemed to be 
  more worthwhile investments by primitive mothers. Ugly 
  children are still more likely to suffer parental abuse and/or 
  neglect – since they're less likely to live anyway, why would a 
  Stone-Age parent waste energy treating them well? Ugliness in 
  teens and adults signified reduced chances of survival – they 
  were in poorer health and had a lesser chance of siring or 
  bearing successful young. Signs of old age were also considered 
  ugly, as was body asymmetry and other deformities. And again, 
  those primitive humans without the lookism adaptation were less 
  likely to survive. 
   
  Since humans have only been civilized for a little over five 
  thousand years, the lookism adaptation still has strong influence 
  over the human brain. Beauty is as popular as ever (although the 
  bar's gone up quite a bit just in the last century), and ugliness is 
  no more desirable. Most people don't differentiate between 
  quality of physical appearance and personal worth – if beauty 
  equals goodness, then ugliness must equal evil. This idea is 
  patently false, but most still accept this myth as being correct, 
  and have done so for centuries. In the 21st Century of Aberrant-
  era Earth, even the coming of the novas hasn't changed this one 
  whit. Aside from the aforementioned social difficulties faced by 
  ugly people, new ones have arisen. Ugly people must excel in 
  their qualifications in order to compete with better-looking 
  people when applying for a job. Ugly people are less likely to be 
  hired, have lower salaries, and are less likely to be promoted 
  than attractive people who otherwise have equivalent 
  capabilities and qualifications. Ugly people are often used as 
  figures of fun, especially in the media. People like to laugh at 
  ugly people when they know they won't get caught and seem 
  insensitive. Just as television did in the 20th Century, OpNet 
  programs and other forms of media give people an opportunity 
  to enjoy their superficiality without worry of hurting people's 
  feelings. Declaring someone to be ugly has historically been (and 
  still is) cause for hostility, if not outright violence. Even if the 
  insulted person doesn't become hostile, he often becomes 
  depressed and/or suffers the malicious mockery of his peers. It 
  all adds up to being treated as a second-class citizen just 
  because one happens to be ugly. 
   
  So how does this affect Mega-Ugly novas? Well, both 
  forms of Mega-Appearance use the lookism inherent in all 
  humans (baselines, novas, etc.) in order to function – Mega-
  Attractiveness induces an overwhelmingly positive response, 
  while Mega-Ugliness inspires an overwhelmingly negative 
  response. Mega-Ugly novas suffer from all of the problems that 
  ugly baselines face, only multiplied many times over. They have 
  an extremely difficult time trying to make friends, and usually 
  find that winning the affections of possible lovers and spouses is 
  nearly impossible! Both baselines and better-looking novas will 
  tend to write off a Mega-Ugly nova as an evil monster or Taint-
  prone liability, respectively. A Mega-Ugly nova can also forget 
  about getting a decent-paying job from anyone other than 
  certain Elite agencies like DeVries (where he'll likely end up 
  doing isolated work such as undersea mining) or the organized 
  crime groups like the Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate. After 
  all, they're not complaining about having ScarCrow on their 
  payroll, are they? And then there are the little things that can 
  make life amongst baselines bitter indeed for the Mega-Ugly 
  nova. Being greeted with silence and averted eyes when going to 
  the grocery store or supermarket. Avoiding the neighborhood 
  kids, lest they decide to throw rocks and less-pleasant things at 
  you, heedless of your anger. Receiving regular and unjustified 
  visits from local law enforcement officers, who're just waiting 
  for an excuse to put you in jail and make themselves look good. 
  Being condemned as a demon by the head priest of a local 
  church and his rabid parishioners; or merely being asked to leave 
  when you wish to attend services at a house of worship. Your 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER FOUR:  FRIGHTENING, WONDERFUL BEHAVIOR 
  75
  neighbors either begin looking to move out of the neighborhood 
  at first opportunity, or begin seeking a way to use the local laws 
  to evict you from your own home. Even your family might 
  disown you, or simply stop speaking of you to their friends. And 
  eventually, the Teragen's recruitment offers begin looking more 
  and more attractive... 
   
  Finally, there's one last wicked little wrinkle in this 
  situation. Except for those novas who develop the “Eye of the 
  Beholder” aberration (see Aberrant: Brainwaves for details), 
  Mega-Ugly novas still retain the same “lookism circuitry” as do 
  baselines and other novas. Therefore, Mega-Ugly novas will find 
  each other to be just as unappealing as baselines and other 
  novas find them! Mega-Ugly novas are understandably a good 
  deal more tolerant of Mega-Ugliness in general, however. 
  There's nothing quite like shared misery to promote mutual 
  understanding in a social group. 
  Beauty and the Beast 
   
  Unless a Mega-Ugly nova has the “Sexless” aberration (see 
  pg. 93 of the Aberrant Player's Guide), he or she will possess a 
  sex drive that's just as powerful as that of any other nova. A few 
  very fortunate Mega-Ugly novas (who will have only 1-2 dots of 
  Mega-Ugliness) might somehow manage to win the love of a 
  perceptive and wise person of the correct gender, but this goal 
  will be extremely hard to attain. Most Mega-Ugly novas are 
  doomed to failure in romantic endeavors before they even start, 
  which does not make for an optimistic outlook on life. 
  Ugly Ducklings 
   
  Most latent novas who don't like their looks for some 
  reason (due to either being ugly or simply a wholly unremarkable 
  “face in the crowd”) tend to become Mega-Attractive upon 
  erupting – as they justifiably feel that their poor appearance is 
  an undeserved burden, that problem is almost certain to be 
  corrected in the eruption process. Latent novas who suffer from 
  Imagined Ugliness Disorder (a specific form of delusion) are the 
  exception to this rule of thumb – the eruption process reshapes 
  their bodies to be in line with their delusional self-image. They 
  also tend to develop a greater amount of permanent Taint upon 
  eruption than other novas – given that they're already mentally 
  disturbed prior to erupting as a nova, it makes them that much 
  more likely to develop permanent Taint and aberrations. 
  Roleplaying Mega-Ugliness 
   
  All right, we've touched on the major issues that a Mega-
  Ugly nova will be facing on a daily basis, and have looked at the 
  root causes of some of them. So how does one translate all that 
  into roleplaying? 
   
  Let's perform a little thought experiment. First, estimate 
  the amount of scorn and discrimination that a fairly ugly 
  specimen of baseline humanity can expect to receive from his 
  better-looking peers. (There's a just-about-even chance that 
  anyone reading this will have known at least one person who's 
  had this particular burden.) Second, think about what effect that 
  mistreatment could have on that unlucky person. How would he 
  deal with the frustration of having 99% of his attempts at social 
  interaction and romantic endeavors being doomed to fail before 
  he even started? Would he become bitter and resentful towards 
  better-looking people? Would he be tired of having other people 
  mock him and express revulsion for his appearance? Would he 
  be sick of enduring the ostracism and discrimination of his 
  better-looking peers? Just how much more of all this could he 
  take before he reaches his limit and decides to retaliate – 
  violently, perhaps – against the people who have caused him so 
  much pain? Now take all that mistreatment and multiply it many 
  times. You now have a rough idea of what a Mega-Ugly nova 
  gets to look forward to whenever he has to interact with 
  baseline society, and often with the better-looking novas as 
  well. 
   
  The kicker to all this is that Mega-Ugly novas are just that: 
  phenomenally ugly superhumans. An ugly baseline often has no 
  way to fight against the discrimination he must suffer on a daily 
  basis. That's not the case with Mega-Ugly novas – given the 
  dazzling array of quantum powers and other Mega-Attributes he 
  might possess, a Mega-Ugly nova can lash out against his 
  tormentors in ways that they simply cannot protect themselves 
  from. And once a Mega-Ugly nova begins lashing out at those 
  baselines who've mistreated him, it's a short step from there to 
  lashing out against baseline society in general. That nova also 
  becomes a likely recruit for the Teragen. At least from a 
  baseline viewpoint, it's a recipe for disaster... 
  The New Pariahs 
   
  While all novas are the ultimate outsiders, Mega-Ugly 
  novas go beyond the pale – they are the ultimate outcasts. 
  While other novas might still be able to entertain the hope of 
  fitting in, Mega-Ugly novas have no such illusions. Historically, 
  baseline humanity has always been unkind to those it deems to 
  be defective. Infants born with deformities were either killed at 
  birth or left to die at the fangs and claws of whatever wild 
  predators happen to be around at the time. Amniocentesis and 
  genetic screening perform the same task today, for those who 
  can afford it. The poor face the risk of having a “special child”, 
  which is typically understood to mean “useless burden and 
  financial drain.” People who suffer from crippling injuries or 
  diseases are also demoted to monsterhood, unless they're rich – 
  and even then, they're condescended to by “normal” people. 
  Humans with mental disorders make up the third strata of the 
  monster class. And they all give most “normal” humans the 
  creeps. Upstanding “normal” people don't want any monsters 
  around, so they get rid of them somehow – and death has 
  always been a popular solution to this problem. In modern times 
  these unfortunates are usually banished from society into some 
  form of incarceration (also known as nursing homes, mental 
  hospitals, rehab facilities, etc.). Some are also given work at a 
  “sheltered workshop” (where they toil at an often hazardous 
  and always degrading assembly or disassembly line for pennies a 
  day as slave labor for the benefit of a “normal” businessman). 
  As for those who manage to remain free? They get to deal with 
  “normal” people; many of whom stare rudely, assume 
  patronizing attitudes, and offer to “help” them (usually into one 
  of the aforementioned incarceration facilities for monsters, 
  where they can be safely forgotten about). 
   
  As one would expect, “normal” baselines see Mega-Ugly 
  novas as just another kind of monster, but with one vital 
  difference: these monsters can and will fight back. They can't be 
  locked away like a deformed, disabled, or mentally disturbed 
  baseline. Try to exploit them, and you could very well end up 
  dead – if you're lucky. This makes Mega-Ugly novas a clear 
  
  ABERRANT 
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  76
  threat in the eyes of most “normal” baselines, but there's also an 
  element of bigotry mixed in with the fear. “How dare these 
  monsters show their hideous faces in our nice, normal 
  community?! How dare they pollute our happy, normal lives with 
  their presence?! How dare they protest the manner in which we 
  treat them?! How dare they reject our attempts to help them 
  and make them normal?! How dare they act as if they were 
  human beings/real citizens/worthwhile people like us normal 
  folks?! How dare these subhuman creatures forget their 
  ordained place in our society?!” 
   
  The bottom line is this: for most Mega-Ugly novas, there is 
  simply no way to live in baseline society without suffering 
  massive prejudice, discrimination, and degradation. It's not a 
  question of if they will eventually lash out against baseline 
  society – it's a question of when. Conflict is assured. 
  Mega-Ugliness and Taint 
   
  So how do Mega-Ugliness and Taint interact, as far as the 
  game mechanics go? Do you have to have Taint in order to be 
  Mega-Ugly? Just what makes Anathema an enhancement while 
  Unstable is an aberration? How does a nova with the “Eye of the 
  Beholder” aberration see a Mega-Ugly nova (or a Mega-
  Attractive nova)? Is Mega-Ugliness a “get out of jail free” card 
  for the problems of Taint accumulation? 
   
  These are the main questions that a Storyteller is likely to 
  hear from her players regarding Mega-Ugliness. In the interest 
  of keeping rules lawyers and incessant questions from slowing 
  down one's gaming sessions, we've taken a moment to kindly 
  answer them for you. 
   
  �  Question 1:  How does Mega-Ugliness and Taint interact? 
   
  Answer:  Just like any other Mega-Attribute interacts with 
  Taint – you can buy a dot of Mega-Ugliness at half-price by 
  buying it Tainted, which will eventually lead to gaining 
  aberrations derived from that Tainted dot of Mega-Ugliness. 
   
  �  Question 2:  Do you have to have Taint in order to be 
  Mega-Ugly? 
   
  Answer:  No, but it certainly helps! While most people 
  would leap at the chance to become Mega-Attractive if it were 
  honestly offered to them, there will always be someone that's an 
  exception. A Taint-free Mega-Ugly nova is possible if one goes 
  strictly by the rules (and such a person would likely have an 
  extremely unpleasant – if wholly rational – personality to begin 
  with), but the majority of Mega-Ugly novas will have 
  accumulated at least four or five points of permanent Taint. As 
  the power (and Taint) levels of the novas in your Aberrant 
  campaign increase over time, both types will become scarier – 
  the Tainted ones will lose themselves to Taint, while the (by 
  comparison) non-Tainted Mega-Ugly nova becomes more 
  powerful. 
   
  �  Question 3:  What's the difference between a Mega-
  Ugliness enhancement and a Mega-Ugliness aberration? 
   
  Answer: The same difference between any enhancement 
  and aberration – the first is a superhuman advantage, while the 
  second is a handicap of varying degree. While certainly 
  unpleasant, the Mega-Ugliness enhancements provide distinct 
  advantages to the Mega-Ugly nova who has them. All that Mega-
  Ugliness aberrations provide is a disadvantage, albeit one that 
  can act as a handy character hook and can make the nova's 
  appearance fairly distinctive. 
   
  �  Question 4:  How does a nova with the “Eye of the 
  Beholder” aberration (see Aberrant: Brainwaves for details) see 
  a Mega-Ugly nova (or a Mega-Attractive nova)? 
   
  Answer: Basically, the effects of both types of Mega-
  Appearance are reversed in the case of a nova with the “Eye of 
  the Beholder” aberration – Mega-Ugliness will be seen as 
  Mega-Attractiveness, and Mega-Attractiveness will be seen as 
  Mega-Ugliness. In the case of certain Mega-Appearance 
  enhancements, simply apply the alternate version: Anathema for 
  Awe-Inspiring, Bête Noire for First Impression, Gruesome for 
  Rapture, and Minotaur Syndrome for Friendly Face. The 
  Storyteller has the final say on the exact details in your 
  chronicle, as always.  
   
  Note: There's some excellent potential for twisted comedy 
  here, folks. Just imagine what could happen when a Mega-Ugly 
  nova with “Eye of the Beholder” sees another Mega-Ugly nova 
  who lacks that aberration – and falls in love! Or how about when 
  that Mega-Ugly nova with “Eye of the Beholder” catches sight 
  of a Mega-Attractive teenaged nova girl – and runs away 
  screaming in fright! 
   
  �  Question 5:  Is Mega-Ugliness a “get out of jail free” 
  card for the problems of Taint accumulation? 
   
  Answer: No, of course not! A player cannot use Mega-
  Ugliness as a means to avoid the effects of Taint accumulation. 
  Mega-Ugly novas are vulnerable to all the problems of both 
  temporary and permanent Taint, just like the other novas. A 
  Mega-Ugly nova can develop aberrations and will suffer the 
  same difficulty penalties on interactions with baselines and less-
  Tainted novas, provided that he racks up enough permanent 
  Taint. Refer to the Aberrant core book (pp. 148-153) for the 
  sordid details. 
   
  Mega-Ugliness and 
  Enhancements 
   
  �  Banned 
  Enhancements: 
  As 
  Mega-Ugliness 
  is 
  a 
  measurement of how repellent and frightening the nova's 
  appearance is to other people, it's only reasonable for the 
  Storyteller to forbid Mega-Ugly novas from having any Mega-
  Appearance enhancements that are dependent on personal 
  beauty and sex appeal. This is balanced out by the existence of 
  Mega-Appearance enhancements available only to Mega-Ugly 
  novas. Several Mega-Appearance enhancements that should be 
  banned to Mega-Ugly novas are listed below. 
   
  Aberrant core book:  Awe-Inspiring, First Impression, 
  Seductive Looks. 
   
  Aberrant Compendium:  Friendly Face, Natural Style, Objet 
  d'Art, Rapture, Splendor. 
   
  �  Altered 
  Enhancements: 
  Three 
  Mega-Appearance 
  enhancements from the Aberrant Compendium can be used with 
  Mega-Ugliness, albeit with skewed effects. They are listed 
  below. 
   
  Ageless: While this enhancement still makes it extremely 
  difficult to estimate the Mega-Ugly nova's physical age, it will 
  inspire revulsion instead of attraction. The Mega-Ugly nova will 
  always be seen as being “horribly wrong” instead of “just right”, 
  limiting the usefulness of this enhancement. 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER FOUR:  FRIGHTENING, WONDERFUL BEHAVIOR 
  77
   
  Timeless: This enhancement allows the Mega-Ugly nova to 
  ignore all Appearance-based penalties derived from superficial, 
  cultural, and temporal notions of what is considered frightening 
  and repellent. 
   
  Universal Appeal: This enhancement lets the Mega-Ugly 
  nova retain his horrifying looks no matter what form he assumes 
  via the Shapeshift power, which can be helpful on missions to 
  spread terror. 
   
  Storyteller Note: The Mirroring enhancement for Mega-
  Appearance (from the Aberrant Player's Guide, on pp. 105-106) 
  can be problematic when deciding whether or not it should be 
  available to Mega-Ugly novas. We have therefore left answering 
  that question to the Storyteller's discretion. 
  New Mega-Ugliness 
  Enhancements  
   
  Additional enhancements that characters with Mega-
  Ugliness may learn or purchase include: 
  Anathema 
   
  Ever since language was invented, human tale-spinners 
  have told stories about monsters whose mere presence was 
  horrific enough to make even the fiercest warriors quake in fear. 
  A Mega-Ugly nova with this enhancement is the living 
  embodiment of that tradition, as the sheer malevolence of his 
  visage is simply too much for ordinary people to deal with. And 
  even in the 21st Century, people can still feel the caveman's 
  instinctive fear of the terrors that lurk in the darkness, just 
  beyond the edge of the campfire's light... 
   
  A Mega-Ugly nova with this enhancement inspires dread, 
  horror, and feelings of helplessness in those around him. As with 
  Awe-Inspiring, normal humans often have trouble dealing with 
  an Anathematic nova in a straightforward manner. Weak-willed 
  people will seek to flee his presence at the first opportunity, and 
  even those folks with stronger wills tend to feel intimidated, 
  inadequate, and cowed. If an Anathematic nova walks through a 
  crowded public area – like a shopping mall, perhaps – you can 
  bet that everyone else there will either flee the vicinity or do 
  their best to hide and evade the Anathematic nova's notice. 
   
  System: This enhancement works only when the people are 
  in the nova's presence and looking at him. Mega-Ugly novas with 
  Anathema receive 1 automatic success per dot of Mega-Ugliness 
  on rolls for Intimidation and Interrogation (in addition to the 
  standard 
  Mega-Attribute 
  bonuses 
  for 
  Mega-Ugliness). 
  Anathematic novas should also receive that same bonus to any 
  roll related to evoking despair and feelings of helplessness in 
  other people. Finally, those Inspired beings an Anathematic nova 
  faces in combat must make a Willpower roll at standard 
  difficulties – if they acquire enough successes to match or 
  exceed the Anathematic nova's Mega-Ugliness rating, they can 
  fight normally. Those who fail will have their Initiative ratings 
  reduced by 1 point per dot of Mega-Ugliness possessed by the 
  Anathematic nova. Baselines and other non-Inspired beings will 
  automatically have their Initiative ratings reduced – don't even 
  bother rolling. 
   
  Unlike Awe-Inspiring, Anathema isn't negatively affected 
  by Taint – it practically depends on it! 
   
  This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to activate and 
  lasts for a scene. Even when it isn't actively “on”, the 
  Anathematic nova is still extremely horrifying, and the 
  Storyteller should keep this in mind. (People will automatically 
  assume that the nova is a monster, animals will be frightened by 
  him, and so on.) 
  Bête Noire 
   
  Mega-Ugly novas with this enhancement excel at making 
  first impressions of a highly unpleasant nature. Rather than 
  appealing to the subject's desires, they evoke the subject's fears 
  instead. Whatever the other person dreads, he will find it in a 
  Mega-Ugly nova with this enhancement. 
   
  System: When meeting someone for the first time (or after 
  a long time apart), the Mega-Ugly nova may spend 1 quantum 
  point to activate this enhancement and automatically make the 
  most threatening first impression possible on that person. The 
  Mega-Ugly nova may deliberately say or do something to negate 
  this effect, but an accidental faux pas won't be enough. The bad 
  impression will remain with the other person until the Mega-
  Ugly nova does something to disprove it, either in person or via 
  media reports – it's hard to pass oneself off as Evil Incarnate if 
  the media catches you selflessly coming to the rescue of 
  innocent baselines. Other people may also negate the effects of 
  this enhancement by convincing the target that he or she was 
  wrong about the Mega-Ugly nova. Use of this enhancement has 
  been known to backfire, however – in some cases it can amount 
  to putting a bull's-eye on one's chest and daring the subject to 
  take a shot. 
   
  This enhancement also makes the Mega-Ugly nova seem to 
  be whatever the subject deems to be most frightening and 
  dangerous to him or her. Clever novas with the Telepathy power 
  use this enhancement to discover that information, in order to 
  use it and validate the subject's fears. If the target is involved in 
  criminal activities, she'll think that the Mega-Ugly nova has both 
  the goods on her and the willingness to use that information 
  against her. In social situations, this will make the Mega-Ugly 
  nova seem like the absolute last person in the world that the 
  other person would want to either deal or interfere with.  
  Disquieting 
   
  Some things are so appallingly grotesque that people tend 
  to suffer a momentary psychological dysfunction as they 
  attempt to comprehend the sheer repellence on display before 
  them. Some Mega-Ugly novas have learned to take advantage of 
  this, as it can grant them a few precious seconds when it counts. 
   
  System: The Mega-Ugly nova's horrendous looks are 
  enough to give most anyone pause. Anyone looking upon the 
  Mega-Ugly nova for the first time must make a Willpower roll or 
  be frozen in shock for one turn. Disquieting novas can use that 
  time to do whatever they please, although attacking a victim of 
  this enhancement is more than enough to jar him out of this 
  temporary dysfunctional state. This has no effect on other 
  Mega-Ugly novas (who are familiar with superhuman ugliness) or 
  most aliens (whose own ideas on beauty and ugliness will likely 
  have no congruence with those of humanity). This enhancement 
  has no quantum point cost and is always in effect, barring use of 
  the Mr. Nobody enhancement. 
  Gruesome 
   
  A Mega-Ugly nova with this enhancement is superhumanly 
  nauseating enough that simply looking at him is enough to cause 
  
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  severe gastronomical distress to those unlucky enough to behold 
  him. Even hardened people such as slaughterhouse workers, 
  morticians and sewer inspectors are sickened by a Gruesome 
  nova.  
   
  System: The nova can make people who can see him feel 
  sufficient disgust to suffer acute nausea with the expenditure of 
  a quantum point. The nova's targets must roll Mega-Stamina at + 
  [the nova's Mega-Ugliness] difficulties to avoid vomiting and/or 
  retching. Treat targets of this enhancement as having been 
  Dazed – (see Aberrant core book, pg. 249), save that the 
  Gruesome nova's targets don't suffer bashing damage. 
   
  This enhancement affects everyone who can see the nova 
  (line-of-sight), costs 1 quantum point to use, and can only be 
  used once per turn. 
  Mind-Shattering Horror 
   
  Prerequisites: Mega-Ugliness at 6+ dots, and either Face of 
  Terror or Sheer Hideousness. 
  Ever since the works of H.P. Lovecraft became popular, horror 
  writers have propounded the idea that there are some sights 
  that Man Was Never Meant To See. A Mega-Ugly nova with this 
  enhancement is a perfect example of this Lovecraftian ideal, as 
  the sight of him is enough to cause permanent psychological 
  damage to the minds of lesser men and women. Fortunately, that 
  description doesn't apply to the Inspired... 
   
  System: The Mega-Ugly nova spends 1 quantum point and 
  rolls his Mega-Ugliness against the Willpower of any non-
  Inspired being unlucky enough to see him clearly. (Thick smoke 
  or other visual impediments sufficient to cause a minimum of +2 
  difficulty penalties to Vision rolls will be enough to prevent this 
  enhancement from functioning.) If the nova scores more net 
  successes on that roll, the victim gains a permanent mental 
  disorder chosen by the Storyteller. This enhancement affects 
  every non-Inspired being who can clearly see the Mega-Ugly 
  nova (line-of-sight), costs 1 quantum point to use, and lasts until 
  the end of the scene. 
  Minotaur Syndrome 
   
  While the superhumanly poor looks of Mega-Ugly novas 
  can provoke fear reactions in baselines, those with this 
  enhancement do so in spades. The face of a Mega-Ugly nova 
  with the Minotaur Syndrome looks vicious enough to terrify 
  people who don't know him personally. The downside to this is 
  that any attempts the Mega-Ugly nova may make to engage in 
  friendly socializing with strangers will be severely hampered. 
   
  System: The nova gains + 6 automatic successes on all 
  hostile Social-based rolls involving strangers, who will see the 
  nova as being a vicious, cruel, hateful, and unremittingly hostile 
  brute. While this can help in demoralizing one's foes in combat 
  and other dangerous situations, it's also a major impediment in 
  the nova's social life: the nova automatically loses 3 successes 
  from all non-hostile Social-based rolls involving strangers.  
   
  Note to Storytellers: those people who come to know the 
  nova are entirely immune to the effects of this enhancement. 
  This can be helpful for interacting with friends and family, but 
  has its drawbacks if the nova's foes become familiar with him. 
  The benefits and drawbacks of this enhancement are cumulative 
  with other Mega-Social enhancements. This enhancement is 
  permanent, and has no quantum point cost. 
  Nightmarish 
   
  This enhancement lets the horror of a Mega-Ugly nova's 
  frightful appearance seep into the dreams of his victims. Anyone 
  unfortunate enough to be looking at the Mega-Ugly nova when 
  this enhancement is used will suffer from extremely intense 
  nightmares whenever they fall asleep. The anxiety and fear 
  produced by these nightmares is sufficient to render sleeping a 
  complete waste of time, as the victims will toss and turn the 
  entire night without any respite. 
   
  System: The nova spends 1 quantum point and pits his 
  Appearance in a resisted roll against the Willpower of anyone 
  who happens to be looking at him. For every net success gained 
  by the Mega-Ugly nova, a victim will be unable to receive any of 
  the benefits of sleeping for one full day. As these benefits 
  include quantum point recovery, Willpower recovery, wound 
  recovery, and so on, this can become very inconvenient. A 
  victim who suffers for 5 consecutive nights of this deprivation 
  must make a Willpower roll on each night after the fifth. Failure 
  means the victim gains a temporary mental disorder until he or 
  she has a period of normal, restful sleep. A botch means the 
  victim gains a permanent mental disorder. Since this roll is made 
  while a victim is asleep, the Storyteller may choose to disallow 
  spending Willpower on the roll. 
   
  This enhancement works a little differently in the case of 
  novas with Mega-Stamina. Mega-Stamina won't get rid of the 
  nightmares or lessen the effects of this enhancement, but it does 
  allow a nova to go without sleep for longer periods of time than 
  a baseline without suffering any adverse effects. When the 
  effects of this enhancement are strong enough to affect such a 
  nova for 5 consecutive nights, each dot of Mega-Stamina will 
  allow a nova to delay each Willpower roll by one additional day. 
  (A nova with Mega-Stamina 3 would have to make his first 
  Willpower roll on the eighth night, with the next taking place on 
  the eleventh.) Novas with Adaptability may only be affected by 
  this enhancement if they choose to sleep; if they choose not to 
  sleep then the effects of this enhancement are negated. 
  Revolting 
   
  For most people, simply having to look at a Mega-Ugly 
  nova is a highly unpleasant experience. Some Mega-Ugly novas 
  can use their horrible looks to evoke feelings of revulsion in 
  others that are extreme enough that the vast majority of people 
  simply cannot bear to look at them. Understandably, this gives 
  Mega-Ugly novas a definite edge in many dangerous situations. 
   
  System: Activating this enhancement costs either 1 
  quantum point per turn, or 3 quantum points to use this for an 
  entire scene. Anyone who tries to attack the Revolting nova 
  must make a Willpower roll against his Appearance. If they fail 
  the Willpower roll, the subjects will suffer reductions on their 
  attack dice pools if attacking the Revolting nova requires 
  looking directly at him. Hand-to-hand, melee and ranged attacks 
  may still be made against the Revolting nova, but the subjects 
  must subtract his Mega-Ugliness and Appearance dots from 
  their attack dice pools (counting the Revolting nova's Mega-
  Ugliness dice first). Also, any applicable Mega-Attribute dice 
  are subtracted from the attacker's dice pools first. Alternatively, 
  the Revolting nova's attackers can choose to attack him while 
  blind (using the Blind Fighting general maneuver on pg. 243 of 
  
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  the Aberrant core book), if they are willing to fight with their 
  eyes closed. 
  Terrorize 
   
  As fans of late 20th Century horror movies could tell you, 
  many people have a mental threshold when it comes to dealing 
  with extreme levels of fear. Once that threshold is exceeded, the 
  instinctive fear response of such a frightened person will be 
  dangerously over-stimulated. Someone unlucky enough to be in 
  this state of mind will perceive any person, animal, or animate 
  object he sees as being dangerous and terrifying. It was 
  inevitable that some Mega-Ugly novas would learn how to take 
  advantage of this effect. 
   
  System: A Mega-Ugly nova with this enhancement has 
  learned how to over-stimulate the instinctive fear response of 
  other people (and the higher forms of animal life such as 
  mammals, marsupials, and birds) by temporarily altering her 
  victims' neurochemistry. To use this enhancement, the Mega-
  Ugly nova must first frighten her victim by making an 
  Intimidation roll against the Willpower of up to [the nova's 
  Mega-Ugliness] victims. If the Mega-Ugly nova gains even one 
  success, she may spend 1 quantum point to amplify the fear 
  response she's induced in her victims. For the rest of the scene 
  the Mega-Ugly nova's victims will react to all other people 
  (including alien sapients), animals, or animate objects as if the 
  encountered beings were all employing the “Face of Terror” 
  enhancement. (In game terms, encountered beings will receive 3 
  automatic successes on Intimidation rolls and other rolls based 
  on fear or disgust made against victims of this enhancement. 
  This bonus includes any power or ability that allows a character 
  to inspire those emotions in others).  
  Trauma 
   
  People have a tendency to remember those unfortunates 
  who are particularly ugly, and this tendency is only becomes 
  more pronounced in the case of Mega-Ugly novas. Those Mega-
  Ugly novas with this enhancement have learned to use that 
  tendency to their advantage, as the effects of their Mega-
  Ugliness can haunt the minds of those people unlucky enough to 
  witness such horrors up close and personal. 
   
  System: Once the Mega-Ugly nova has successfully 
  affected up to [the nova's Mega-Ugliness] victims with another 
  of his Mega-Ugliness enhancements in person, he may then 
  spend 1 quantum point and roll his Mega-Ugliness against his 
  victims' Willpower. If the Mega-Ugly nova wins the roll, the 
  affected victims will suffer the effect of the previously used 
  Mega-Ugliness enhancement for a certain period of time just by 
  being reminded of the Mega-Ugly nova in some way. (Effective 
  reminders would include seeing a picture of the Mega-Ugly 
  nova, hearing the Mega-Ugly nova's name being spoken, reading 
  about the Mega-Ugly nova, etc.) The duration of this 
  enhancement is 1 day per success achieved by the Mega-Ugly 
  nova. The Mega-Ugly nova can extend the duration of this 
  enhancement by spending another quantum point and making at 
  least indirect contact with his victims; a phone call, e-mail 
  message or hand-written note will suffice. Once the victims 
  receive his message, the period of traumatization will be 
  extended by a number of days equal to the Mega-Ugly nova's 
  initial successes in using this enhancement. If the original period 
  of traumatization expires before the Mega-Ugly nova can 
  extend its duration, he must use this enhancement anew on his 
  victims. 
   
  Storyteller Note: Long-term exposure to the effects of this 
  enhancement (typically a few months) may result in a victim 
  suffering long-term psychological damage. Victims who suffer 
  additional traumatic emotional events at the hands of the Mega-
  Ugly nova (breaking into a victim's home, harming a victim's 
  friends or loved ones, personally harming or degrading a victim, 
  and so on) while under the effect of this enhancement can also 
  suffer long-term psychological damage. In game terms, “long-
  term psychological damage” typically means gaining a mental 
  disorder of whatever sort that the Storyteller deems 
  appropriate. 
   
  Example: Jacob Harrison hasn't been enjoying his life as a 
  nova as much as he thought he would. Thanks to extremely rapid 
  Taint accumulation, the now-reclusive bondage and S/M 
  enthusiast has become the spitting image of a Cenobite from 
  Clive Barker's Hellraiser movies in addition to having Mega-
  Ugliness 3 (with the Anathema and Trauma enhancements). And 
  as if losing what friends and social life he had prior to his 
  eruption wasn't enough; he's about to be audited by the I.R.S., 
  the electrical service to his Detroit house has been cut off and 
  there's a pair of Utopian recruiting agents on his doorstep who 
  simply refuse to go away. Something in Jacob's mind snaps, and 
  he telekinetically opens his front door, letting the Utopians 
  inside his lightless house... 
   
  Michelle Schmidt's latest recruitment effort for Project 
  Utopia has just gone horribly wrong. Having just seen her 
  partner torn to bloody shreds by barbed chains that came flying 
  out of nowhere at Jacob's command, all she can do is whimper on 
  the floor in the fetal position as the nova favors her with a smirk 
  before vanishing into the darkness. (Michelle's Willpower of 5 
  wasn't enough for her to resist the effects of Jacob's Anathema 
  enhancement. Having disposed of her partner, Jacob takes the 
  opportunity to use Trauma on her. He makes the roll, and gets 4 
  successes.) When Michelle is finally found by a Utopian rescue 
  team, they hustle her into debriefing right away, which goes 
  about as well as could be expected. In addition to now being 
  severely phobic about the dark, for the next four days Michelle 
  automatically curls up in the fetal position and starts whimpering 
  uncontrollably whenever she's reminded of Jacob Harrison. 
  Elsewhere, Jacob Harrison has just appeared inside his regional 
  I.R.S. offices, intent on giving his would-be auditors back some 
  of their own medicine... 
   
  Mega-Ugliness Aberrations 
   
  Aberrations linked to Mega-Ugliness can be of any type, 
  but are bound by the common theme of grotesquerie. Physical 
  aberrations are the most common, but mental aberrations can 
  develop as a result of the stresses and frustrations that are 
  suffered by Mega-Ugly novas. The following aberrations tend to 
  be found only in novas with at least one dot of Mega-Ugliness. 
   
  Common aberrations from Aberrant and the Aberrant 
  Player's Guide for Mega-Ugly novas include Aberrant Eyes, Bad 
  Temper, Bipolar Disorder, Colored Skin, Delusions, Hardened 
  Skin, Hormonal Imbalance (Lust), Hormonal Imbalance (Rage), 
  Oozing Skin, Sadism, Scales, Sexless, Sheer Hideousness, 
  
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  Sloughed Flesh, Twisted Limbs, and Vestigial Limbs. Some of the 
  aberrations from the Mega-Appearance section of this book can 
  be used for Mega-Ugly novas as well; namely Aberrant Hair, 
  Chromatic Hair, Distinctive Looks, Piecemeal Metamorphosis, 
  and Strange Scent. 
  Low-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to 
  five points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Cyclops: Instead of having two eyes, a nova with this 
  aberration has only one eye, which is situated directly above his 
  nose. Aside from the difficulties of having only one functional 
  eye (+1 difficulty to all ranged attack and dodge rolls, +2 
  difficulty to Perception rolls); the nova will be unable to use 
  many kinds of eye-protection and vision-enhancing devices. 
   
  �  Deformed Cranium: The shape of the nova's skull 
  becomes altered by Taint. Possible deformities include a Mayan-
  style bound head, craniosynostosis, or a skull that comes to a 
  point on the top (anyone remember Zippy the Pinhead?). As 
  permanent Taint accumulates, this could lead to a head structure 
  as inhuman and bizarre as that of the aberrant Anders Nash (see 
  Darkness Revealed 1: Descent Into Darkness, for Trinity). 
   
  �  Disease Stigmata: The Taint of a nova with this 
  aberration cosmetically mimics the disfiguring effects of a 
  specific disease chosen by the Storyteller. Despite appearances 
  (pun intended), the nova suffers no actual effects of the disease 
  beyond the disfigurement. While this aberration can aid the nova 
  in passing himself off as a diseased baseline, he likewise runs the 
  risk of being mistaken for a contagious disease-carrier. 
   
  �  Gill Flaps: The nova has manifested nonfunctional gills on 
  either his cheeks or the sides of his neck. While both versions 
  are incredibly obvious, having large apertures in your cheeks can 
  make dining in polite company a trial at best. 
   
  �  Infested: The nova is covered with some form of 
  parasitic vermin or microlife (algae, fungi, bacterial colonies, 
  etc.) that literally lives off of his body. Aside from making the 
  nova bear a strong resemblance to day-old roadkill, the infesting 
  organisms will cause 1 health level of bashing damage per day 
  due to their constant feeding off of the nova's flesh. If the 
  infesting organisms are flight-capable insects, they might also 
  swarm around the nova, incurring a difficulty penalty on the 
  nova's Stealth rolls equal to his permanent Taint. Infested novas 
  with the Regeneration enhancement can choose to forfeit a 
  quantum point instead of the health level, as they can heal the 
  damage quickly for a price. Infested novas with the Adaptability 
  enhancement will find that it will allow whatever is infesting 
  them to survive right along with them; so the nova can't get rid 
  of the infestation by taking a quick bath in molten lava, for 
  example. 
   
  �  Lipless: The nova's lips have withered away, leaving his 
  teeth and gums constantly exposed. Aside from looking fairly 
  unpleasant, this aberration also results in constant drooling and 
  an impediment of the nova's speech. Unless the nova wears a 
  mask covering his lower face, he can expect people to 
  reflexively shudder in disgust when they first catch sight of him. 
   
  �  Neurofibroma: Benign tumors sprout from the nova's 
  flesh at a chosen location on the nova's skin surface. The tumors 
  may either take the form of spheroid 'bubbles' or 'floppy folds of 
  flesh' – both varieties look awful and can cause difficulties in 
  using certain equipment. As the nova's permanent Taint 
  accumulates, the tumors will eventually grow to cover most or all 
  of his skin surface. Depending on the particulars of this 
  aberration, this can lead to the nova manifesting other 
  aberrations later on – Oozing Skin if the spheroid tumors begin 
  leaking bodily fluids, Sensory Impairment if the fold tumors grow 
  from the nova's face, and so forth. 
   
  �  Spurs: The nova has sprouted spiny projections of some 
  sort at various body locations – they cannot be used to do any 
  real damage (that requires Body Modification: Spines), but they 
  look highly unpleasant. They can also make wearing non-eufiber 
  clothing difficult at best. Various forms of spurs include bony 
  projections, pseudo-claws, and mesa-like ossified skin tumors. 
   
  �  Throat Sac: A huge fleshy pouch grows on the throat of a 
  nova with this aberration. It usually looks like a large goiter, but 
  can inflate to grotesque proportions when the nova makes a loud 
  vocalization or draws a deep breath. As the nova's Taint 
  progresses, the throat sac will usually acquire a vivid coloration. 
  This aberration is often manifested by novas with tongue-
  tendrils or voice-based sonic powers. 
  Medium-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to 
  seven points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Altered Mouth: The structure of the nova's mouth has 
  been radically altered into something totally inhuman. Possible 
  forms of this aberration include insectoid mandibles or a 
  proboscis, a lamprey-style rasping sucker, a beak like those of 
  birds or cephalopods, vertically-oriented jaws, or something 
  grotesquely complex like the mouth structure of the aliens from 
  the Predator movies. Novas with this aberration are not likely to 
  get many kisses on the mouth, and may face dining difficulties. 
   
  �  Cephalothorax: The nova's head & thorax (aka the torso 
  from the diaphragm on up) have fused into a single structure, 
  with the nova having no discernable neck. While this usually 
  results in the nova having an enlarged face and mouth (which is 
  often a fanged maw), this aberration may also indicate a 
  headless state, with the cranial organs located elsewhere in the 
  nova's body. 
   
  �  Mega-Filthy: For one reason or another, the nova is 
  always filthy, no matter what attempts are made to clean him. 
  Whether this manifests as horrendously poor personal hygiene 
  or being continually coated in a quantum-generated layer of 
  some particularly odious substance, this aberration will 
  effectively make the Mega-Filthy nova a pariah in polite 
  company. 
   
  �  Myriad Feature: A nova with this aberration will manifest 
  multiple nonfunctional sensory organs or mouths situated on 
  various places on the nova's body. The extra organs will all be of 
  one type (such as eyes), totally useless, and of uniformly horrid 
  appearance. 
   
  �  Psyche Mirror: A nova with this aberration straddles the 
  chasm between the “Mega-Attractive” and “Mega-Ugliness” 
  versions of Mega-Appearance, as quality of his looks has 
  become dependent on his state of mind. The basic version of 
  this aberration has the nova become Mega-Attractive when 
  acting with benevolent intent, and Mega-Ugly when acting with 
  malevolent intent; which will send a clear signal to other people 
  about what the nova's intent is with a little observation. 
  
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  Alternatively, the nova could become Mega-Ugly when acting 
  with benevolent intent and Mega-Attractive when acting with 
  malevolent intent. It's difficult to help people when your looks 
  frighten them out of their wits, while doing nasty things while 
  wearing your best face can cause all sorts of public relations 
  problems for other novas in general and Mega-Attractive novas 
  in particular. The Storyteller is encouraged to apply whichever 
  version that will prove to be more frustrating to the player of 
  the nova who develops this aberration. Neither version of this 
  aberration can be controlled by the nova who manifests it in any 
  way whatsoever. 
   
  �  Skinless: Mega-Ugly novas with this aberration have lost 
  their skins entirely, turning them into living displays suitable for 
  anatomy lessons. Aside from the horrifying appearance, a 
  Skinless nova will also permanently lose one Bashing Health 
  Level, as he or she lacks the protection provided by skin. 
  High-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight or 
  more points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Alien Visage: The body structure of a nova with this 
  aberration loses any resemblance to that of baseline humanity, 
  becoming a bizarre horror that could have come straight out of 
  H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. The premier example of a nova 
  with this aberration is the Scaled Goddess (see Asia Ascendant), 
  who has become a physical duplicate of one of Lovecraft's race 
  of cone-shaped alien entities. Other examples include several 
  Trinity-era aberrants who appear to be crawling masses of 
  tentacles, or giant insectoid horrors. 
   
  �  Unstable: This aberration causes the nova's body to be 
  constantly throbbing, pulsating, and changing shape in an utterly 
  revolting manner. The nova's torso and limbs will also be 
  constantly altered in their length and thickness. Baselines (and 
  most novas) tend to become nauseated by the mere sight of 
  seeing living flesh behaving like some kind of horrid animated 
  gelatin – actually coming into physical contact with an Unstable 
  nova can turn even the strongest of stomachs. As an added 
  burden, an Unstable nova will automatically fail any Stealth roll 
  that is dependent on his being either physically still or silent 
  without the use of appropriate quantum powers – the constant 
  motions and disgusting sounds produced by the Unstable nova's 
  always-shifting flesh won't cease for anything short of his death 
  or the removal of this aberration. The effects of this aberration 
  cannot be controlled by the Unstable nova in any way 
  whatsoever. 
   
   
   
  Mega-Manipulation: 
  Grifters 
   
  While P.T. Barnum once said that “There's a sucker born 
  every minute”, most people still like to think that they're sharp 
  enough to avoid being scammed by an opportunist. The simple 
  truth of the matter is that where the grifters – novas with 
  Mega-Manipulation – are concerned, all baselines (and many 
  novas) are born suckers. Most grifters had once hoped to keep 
  the global populace ignorant about the capabilities of Mega-
  Manipulative novas, making their work that much easier. When 
  the machinations of German nova Heinrich “the Newsman” Keld 
  were thwarted by the Directive in 2004 (see Aberrant: The 
  Directive for details), any chance of continued public ignorance 
  was lost. Making things more interesting is that certain baseline 
  governments and espionage organizations have developed a 
  roughly accurate idea of how deep and far-ranging a grifter's 
  influence can reach, and are taking steps to either minimize or 
  eliminate this new threat. The possibility that those steps might 
  be “too little, too late” keeps many baselines up at night. For 
  better or worse, the failed efforts of British nova Arthur 
  Anningsley and his “Temple of the King” cult (see Aberrant 
  Worldwide: Phase II for details) have only served to emphasize 
  this danger. Only time will tell what effects the machinations of 
  the grifters will have on the world, and what the resulting 
  consequences will be. 
  What Webs They Weave 
   
  If Mega-Appearance is the most obvious of the Social 
  Mega-Attributes, then Mega-Manipulation is undoubtedly the 
  most subtle. A grifter can twist the facts and play off of other 
  peoples' motives with disturbing ease. With only a few well-
  placed words, Mega-Manipulative novas can either make trusted 
  allies question each other or total strangers to begin trusting 
  each other. Deceptions, lies, and scams can be created or 
  exposed with only a single statement. If a grifter wants 
  something to happen or be prevented from happening, all he 
  needs to know is which mark it is whose strings have to be 
  pulled. Then all the grifter has to do is stand back and watch his 
  mark perform as desired. Even a person's opinions and beliefs 
  can be altered to suit the aims of a grifter, whose influence is 
  often hidden under the cover of providing well-reasoned advice 
  and timely information. With the right training, a grifter can 
  operate among criminals with ease, successfully get information 
  out of even the most recalcitrant of suspects, and perform acts 
  of hypnotism that most people simply wouldn't believe to be 
  possible. If he's in the right position to do so, a grifter skilled at 
  acting within diplomatic circles can cause international relations 
  to turn for better or worse, as he desires. Grifters can also be 
  inhumanly adept at both physical and psychological torture, 
  seduce even the most faithful of spouses, and use innuendo and 
  deception to control people as if they were mere puppets. 
   
  As could only be expected, grifters are in high demand 
  (provided that their loyalties and reliability have been 
  confirmed) to join the ranks of various espionage, covert 
  operations, and law-enforcement agencies in the wealthier 
  countries of the world. With the exploits of Lucas Barrows 
  (from Aberrant: The Directive) held as a shining example of 
  
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  82
  what a grifter agent can accomplish, more than one grifter has 
  found the offer of a government paycheck and position very 
  appealing. Security providers also make attractive offers to 
  grifters; as the threat of nova thieves, saboteurs, and industrial 
  espionage agents is very real. 
   
  Of course, if a grifter either can't or won't pursue a legal 
  occupation, there are other options. Provided that a grifter 
  knows how to operate successfully in the criminal underworld, 
  he can make a fair amount of money as a confidence artist. 
  Another possibility is being a “fixer”, who knows just which 
  palms to grease in order to alter the outcome of a legal, political, 
  or even a sporting contest. And then there's the trade of the 
  blackmail artist, depending on whom the grifter gets his hooks 
  into, he can wind up either very wealthy... or very dead. Other 
  grifters have managed to falsely portray themselves as 
  possessing great spiritual wisdom, and establish themselves as 
  gurus. More than a few of these phony gurus also manage to 
  form nova-cults centered on themselves from their followers. 
  While some nova cults are little more than collections of human 
  pets whose lives revolve around providing pleasure for their 
  grifter “messiah”, others have been formed with even darker 
  purposes in mind... (See Chapter 1 of this book for details on 
  nova cults.) 
   
  Despite the common stereotypes of Mega-Manipulative 
  novas, grifters have found plenty of other gainful occupations in 
  which they can employ their superhuman influence over other 
  people. The fact that most of them happen to be perfectly legal 
  as well is simply icing on the cake. As any government or 
  corporation that has faced off against the “Hit Squad” of 
  Project Utopia's Legal Department in court could attest, Mega-
  Manipulative lawyers have won cases that seemed to be open-
  and-shut victories for the opposition and have enacted 
  sweeping changes (not all of which are for the better) in the 
  laws of nations around the world. Other grifters have found use 
  for their special talents in the field of merchandising, where 
  their marketing campaigns can help their employers rake in 
  wealth undreamed of from eager consumers – or ruin the 
  businesses of their employers' competition. Salesmanship is 
  another career option that grifters have been known to excel in, 
  although a few consumer advocates in the United States have 
  attempted to legislate against merchandisers' employment of 
  nova salesmen on grounds of unfair business practices. Some 
  grifters turn to politics instead, acting as diplomats, consultants, 
  and advisors when they aren't active politicians themselves. 
  With the spread of the OpNet and the resulting ease of getting 
  the news out to a global audience, several grifters have become 
  journalists. While a few are known to work as news anchors for 
  established media giants such as CNN, Viasoft, and the N! 
  network (all of whom make sure to provide their talking heads 
  with extremely clear instructions on what is or isn't 
  newsworthy), other such grifters spurn those companies as 
  “tools of the Establishment”. Instead they work freelance, often 
  contributing their articles and reports to alternative news 
  organizations such as the Disinformation Group (still going 
  strong as of 2015). A few grifters have put the “hypnotic” facet 
  of Mega-Manipulation to good use in psychological therapy and 
  counseling. These Mega-Manipulative novas spend their days 
  helping patients recover from a wide range of afflictions, as 
  anything from severe emotional trauma or phobias to trivial 
  problems such as correcting unhealthy habits can show up on the 
  dockets of these grifters. 
  Questions of Trust 
   
  For grifters, the major problem of having Mega-
  Manipulation is their widespread reputation for deceit and 
  trickery. Ever since the Newsman Incident in 2004, rumors 
  about the dangers posed by Mega-Manipulative novas have been 
  circulating among baselines and other novas alike. Thus, a grifter 
  has two options: either keep one's Mega-Manipulative abilities 
  and schemes safely hidden in the shadows, or openly work to 
  expose other grifters and their schemes to the harsh light of 
  public scrutiny. 
   
  One problem with this state of affairs is that those grifters 
  who work as investigators are likely to make serious enemies 
  among the other grifters, and become the targets of smear 
  campaigns to discredit them in the eyes of the public. In the 
  absence of reliable and accurate information on grifters and 
  their plans, baselines will be left to fill in the gaps with 
  speculations and hearsay. This environment makes a perfect 
  breeding ground for feelings of anxiety, hysteria, and paranoia 
  about grifters (and novas in general) among baselines. Nobody 
  enjoys the possibility of being made a patsy, which will likely 
  result in most known grifters being branded as untrustworthy 
  scoundrels. The only exceptions to this would be those few 
  grifters who are perceived as being benevolent and having 
  impeccable personal integrity by the public at large, although 
  even they will encounter suspicion from professional paranoids 
  such as agents of the Directive. 
   
  Another problem that a grifter will often face is the strong 
  temptation to take advantage of other people. As most of the 
  people around a grifter are naïve and gullible fools in 
  comparison, playing them like puppets can seem irresistibly 
  easy. While this is most often done to make things more 
  convenient for the grifter, more than one public incident can be 
  traced to a bored grifter who wanted a little live entertainment. 
  This can quickly cause a grifter to lose any respect he once 
  might've had for people who cannot resist his influence. Why 
  should a grifter respect another person's opinions when he can 
  change those opinions however he wants with a statement or 
  two? Why should a grifter care about the feelings of other 
  people when most of them seem to be little more than living 
  meat puppets that will dance at his command? Unfortunately, 
  many grifters don't even make the attempt to resist this 
  temptation. 
   
  A related problem is that some grifters can become 
  paranoid about other people's motivations and actions. Nobody, 
  but nobody knows just how easy it can be to influence other 
  people better than a grifter. It can be all too easy to begin 
  looking for signs of another grifter's influence in the actions and 
  opinions of anyone a grifter meets. After all, they're already 
  patsies – they just don't know it yet. How are they supposed to 
  know if a grifter's pulling their strings? It only gets worse when 
  another grifter is encountered, as the paranoid grifter will 
  suddenly just know that he's just encountered the grifter that's 
  behind all the plots he's been finding lately. Matters tend to go 
  downhill from there. 
  
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  Mega-Manipulation and 
  Quantum Powers 
   
  Mega-Manipulation can also improve a nova's skill at 
  wielding some quantum powers, especially those that involve 
  creating illusions or controlling other beings and machines. 
  These Grifters are able to get more out of powers based on this 
  attribute by applying their Mega-Manipulation dice to the dice 
  pool of the power in question. A listing of applicable quantum 
  powers and techniques from the Aberrant core book follows. 
  Manipulation Powers: Cyberkinesis (Control, Fool), Disorient, 
  Domination, Holo, Mirage, Molecular Manipulation (Animation), 
  Quantum Construct, Temporal Manipulation (Age Alteration). 
  Grifters and Sphinxes 
   
  As mentioned in Aberrant: Brainwaves, sphinxes have been 
  known to manipulate people and events on a wide scale. It's 
  entirely possible – perhaps inevitable – that a grifter's petty 
  schemes (in comparison to those of a sphinx) might 
  inadvertently ruin the machinations of a sphinx. It's pretty much 
  the equivalent of tossing a monkey wrench into a piece of 
  complex machinery, and the fact that the grifter might not even 
  know what he's done makes it even harder to protect against. 
  Like other forms of amateur sabotage, a grifter's meddling in the 
  schemes of a sphinx can prove to be far more destructive than 
  the grifter can realize. Then again, there's nothing quite like 
  having an irritated sphinx as one's enemy to make a grifter's life 
  interesting... 
  Roleplaying Mega-
  Manipulation 
   
  Of all the Social Mega-Attributes, Mega-Manipulation is 
  both the one with the worst reputation (often deserved, but not 
  always) and the one that most easily lends itself to being abused. 
  Faced with this situation, it's not surprising at all that many 
  grifters will do their best to keep themselves from being 
  identified as such. As most grifters tend to have some dots in 
  the other Social Mega-Attributes as well, this usually isn't a 
  problem. This does create a perception in the public's collective 
  mind that a grifter will always have something dirty to hide. Why 
  else, they think, would they be so secretive about being grifters? 
  Instead of “coming out of the closet” as grifters, this public 
  suspicion only serves to make Mega-Manipulative novas even 
  more secretive about their abilities, resulting in a vicious circle 
  of mutual distrust. 
   
  When playing a Mega-Manipulative character, there are 
  two things that have to be kept in mind. The first is that in 
  comparison to the grifter, baselines and many novas are both 
  gullible and naïve in the extreme. If she so chooses, a grifter 
  could easily run rampant as she influences the (for the most 
  part) unknowing and helpless people around her. The amount of 
  emotional and psychological damage that such a grifter can 
  inflict is downright horrifying to imagine, and can easily cause 
  feelings of deep hatred for both the grifter and novas in general 
  among the grifter's victims. The second thing to be kept in mind 
  is that a grifter can easily see through and resist the lies, 
  deceptions, and scams that serve to maintain the structure of 
  baseline society. Baseline politicians, religious figures, and 
  business leaders have no hope of hoodwinking a grifter. Aside 
  from making grifters into natural mavericks and iconoclasts, 
  they can also find themselves in the position of the child who 
  pointed out that the emperor had no clothes. If a grifter 
  chooses, he can ruin political careers, shatter the faith of 
  worshippers, or drive a business into bankruptcy by publicly 
  exposing the deceptions that serve to support those institutions. 
  The baseline power elite have been well aware of this potential 
  threat ever since the Newsman Incident in 2004, and keep a 
  wary eye out for suspected grifters. 
   
  When one plays a Mega-Manipulative nova, the themes of  
  power and responsibility aren't just emphasized, they're 
  highlighted and underlined. Mega-Manipulation is like any other 
  tool – whether or not it's good or bad depends entirely upon 
  how it is used. Although it can very easily be abused in terrifying 
  ways; it can also be used to stimulate social progress, expose 
  corruption, and correct injustices. The only real questions are 
  these: What will a grifter do with his power? And what will the 
  consequences of his actions be? 
   
  New Mega-Manipulation 
  Enhancements 
   
  Additional enhancements that characters with Mega-
  Manipulation may learn or purchase include: 
  Bad Influence 
   
  People who have fallen under the spell of a sufficiently-
  manipulative baseline have often been known to act in ways 
  contrary to their normal behavior. Some Mega-Manipulative 
  novas have taken this knack for behavior modification to 
  disturbing new levels. With this enhancement, a grifter can 
  temporarily alter the base aspects of a target's personality to 
  mirror those of the grifter's own. While best known for causing 
  otherwise respectable and ethical people to engage in overt 
  debauchery and/or acts of outright evil, this enhancement can 
  just as easily be used to temporarily reform thoroughly unethical 
  individuals. 
   
  System: The nova spends 1 quantum point and makes a 
  resisted Manipulation roll against the target's Willpower. If the 
  nova gains two successes, he can replace the target's Nature 
  with his own for a number of days equal to the nova’s Mega-
  Manipulation rating. The altered Nature functions as if it were 
  the target's original Nature in all respects (including Willpower 
  recovery). Three or more successes may be needed (the exact 
  number is left to the Storyteller's discretion) if the shift 
  between two different is particularly severe (such as turning a 
  Caregiver into a Monster). There is some risk to the nova in this, 
  however. When a strong-willed target (Willpower of 5+) gains 
  Willpower from her new Nature, she may instead make a 
  Willpower roll (with a difficulty penalty equal to the nova's 
  Mega-Manipulation). If the target achieves even one success, 
  her original Nature will automatically reassert itself. It should be 
  noted that while the target will retain all of her memories; her 
  feelings and attitudes towards them can change dramatically, 
  and not always in a manner that the nova who uses this 
  enhancement can predict. After the duration elapses, the 
  target's original Nature reasserts itself. The nova may extend 
  the duration of this enhancement once every 24 hours on a 
  
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  given target, provided that he spends an additional quantum 
  point.  
   
  Note: Targets that spend an extended period of time under 
  the effect of this enhancement (usually several months or years, 
  but sometimes as little as a week in the case of severe Nature 
  shifts) may suffer long-term psychological damage. Targets who 
  commit what they would normally consider heinous acts 
  (murder, torture, rape, etc.) while under the effect of this 
  enhancement can also suffer long-term psychological damage, 
  once their original Natures reassert themselves. In game terms, 
  “long-term psychological damage” typically means gaining a 
  mental disorder of whatever sort that the Storyteller deems 
  appropriate. 
  Confessor 
   
  As humans are intensely social creatures, it can be very 
  difficult for them to keep things to themselves. This is 
  particularly true when the secret a person is attempting to keep 
  is the source of psychological tension, such as emotional trauma 
  or having committed unethical acts. A Mega-Manipulative nova 
  with this enhancement has an instinct for knowing just what 
  buttons she has to push in order to get a chosen person to tell all 
  he knows about whatever is causing his psychological tension.  
   
  This enhancement can be employed in two ways. The first 
  way is the more pleasant of the two, and induces a desire for 
  catharsis in the target. It works best on targets who are 
  suffering from emotional trauma and would like to “get it off 
  their chests”. This way requires the nova to show compassion to 
  her target, even if it's only the offer of a cold drink and an 
  understanding ear for his story about whatever's bothering him.  
   
  The second way is much less pleasant, and induces very 
  strong feelings of guilt in the target. While it works best on 
  targets with guilty consciences, even the most heartless of 
  wrongdoers can still be overcome by the effects of this 
  enhancement. This way requires the nova to confront the target 
  with evidence of his misdeeds, and to get the point across to her 
  target that Very Bad Things are likely to happen to him if he 
  doesn't come clean. Novas with this enhancement are likely to be 
  found working as either mental therapy providers for the 
  emotionally-traumatized or as high-priced lawyers. 
   
  System: The nova must spend 1 quantum point to activate 
  this enhancement. She then pits her Manipulation + Subterfuge 
  in a resisted roll against the target's Willpower. The effects of 
  this enhancement are twofold. First, each success achieved by 
  the nova effectively incapacitates the target for 1 turn, as he's 
  too busy spilling his guts to focus on anything else at the time. 
  Second, the target willingly and truthfully tells the nova (and 
  everyone else within earshot) everything he knows about the 
  matter that the nova has indicated (whatever's bugging the 
  target, the target's crimes, etc.) for as long as the effect lasts. It 
  can even temporarily pacify a target in the throes of hysteria, 
  berserk rage, or a psychotic break. Depending on how this 
  enhancement is used, the target might experience either 
  psychological relief or distress after the effect wears off – it all 
  depends on the circumstances. This enhancement does have a 
  few limitations, though. First off, it can only affect one target at 
  a time. Second, it can only be used on a target who is either in a 
  non-combat situation or believes himself to be helpless against 
  the nova. Third, the effect of this enhancement is immediately 
  negated if the nova attacks the target. 
  Evasive 
   
  While Mega-Social novas tend to commit social gaffes 
  much less frequently than baselines do, it can still happen on 
  rare occasions. A Mega-Manipulative nova with this 
  enhancement is a master at getting herself out of the various 
  kinds of sticky situations that can result from a faux pas with 
  nothing worse than a slightly bruised ego to show for it. A 
  slightly embarrassed laugh and a self-effacing comment is all 
  such a nova will need to have those around her dismiss even 
  serious errors as both harmless and inconsequential. 
   
  System: Whenever the nova finds himself in a problematic 
  social situation, she can spend 1 quantum point to activate this 
  enhancement. The nova then rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge; 
  each success that she achieves will let the nova ignore a “1” from 
  the results of a failed or botched Wits, Manipulation, or 
  Charisma roll. The effect of this enhancement lasts until the 
  nova manages to extricate herself from the problematic social 
  situation in question. 
  Inquisition 
   
  “So, were there other people in the car with you? How 
  many; One? Two? Three? So, there were three.  
   
  “Were any of them related to you? Father? Uncle? 
  Brother? Oh, your brother was there. Were any of the others 
  related to you?...” 
   
  A nova with this enhancement is an expert at gauging other 
  people's reactions to questions and finding out as much 
  information as possible. He has a sense of when they are telling 
  the truth, when they are being evasive, and what their limits are. 
  Typically this takes place during a grueling conversation, but it 
  will also work with harsher interrogation methods. 
   
  System: The nova spends 1 quantum point per 
  interrogation, and receives 3 automatic successes for any rolls 
  for Interrogation or related abilities. In the case of very long or 
  involved interrogations, the Storyteller may charge the nova 3 
  quantum points for the scene. Although characters might use 
  this to see through subterfuges, this enhancement can't be used 
  to make lies more believable.  
  Lure 
   
  While many grifters have been accused of “leading people 
  on”, in some of those cases the term is all too accurate. A Mega-
  Manipulative nova with this enhancement can place a powerful, 
  albeit temporary, compulsion into the psyche of a chosen target. 
  Given the chance to engage the target in a little light banter, the 
  nova can ensure that his or her target will be all but consumed 
  with the need to both find the nova and then do something 
  appropriate to him or her. This enhancement is equally useful on 
  or off the battlefield. A nova elite might use this to draw a 
  vengeful enemy of his into a deathtrap, while a nova socialite 
  might use this to get a handsome young man that she's had her 
  eyes on somewhere where they can be alone. 
   
  System: The nova spends either 1 or 3 quantum points and 
  then pits his Manipulation + Subterfuge against the Willpower of 
  his chosen target. If the nova achieves more net successes than 
  his target, the target will feel a deep-seated compulsion to seek 
  out and find the nova for one reason or another. A target 
  
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  affected by this enhancement will ignore everything in favor of 
  searching out the nova, and must make a Willpower roll against 
  the nova's Mega-Manipulation in order to pay anything more 
  than passing attention to other matters. The effects of this 
  enhancement will last until the duration ends or until the target 
  comes within three meters of the nova. This effect lasts for 1 
  scene if only 1 quantum point is spent; if 3 quantum points were 
  spent the effect can last for up to [the nova's Mega-
  Manipulation] hours. 
  Mediator 
   
  A nova with this enhancement is a born diplomat, and is 
  able to help all but the most intransigent of people to get along 
  and be agreeable with one another. Such novas are in great 
  demand to work in institutions like the United Nations, and are 
  heavily recruited by Project Utopia for their Diplomacy Corps. 
   
  System: Whenever the nova is involved in situations where 
  the Diplomacy Ability (from the Aberrant Player's Guide, pg. 
  88-89) may be used, the player receives three automatic 
  successes on any Diplomacy rolls he makes. The nova spends 1 
  quantum point to activate this enhancement, and the effect lasts 
  for the duration of the scene. 
  Self-Fulfilling Prophecy 
   
  Prerequisites: Mega-Manipulation at 6+ dots and Trickster 
   
  While Mega-Manipulation allows novas to influence other 
  people in startling ways, those who develop the upper reaches 
  of Mega-Manipulation can influence others in truly subtle – and 
  frightening – ways. Although often mistaken for a form of 
  precognition, this enhancement actually allows a Mega-
  Manipulative nova to covertly program another person's 
  subconscious mind to do his bidding. While often used to 
  covertly punish people who have offended a grifter with this 
  enhancement, some grifters have been known to use it to bring 
  down wrongdoers who would have otherwise escaped the 
  consequences of their crimes. 
   
  System: The nova pays 1 quantum point, states a prophecy 
  and pits his Manipulation in a resisted roll against the victim's 
  Willpower. If the nova gets even a single success, he has 
  subconsciously convinced the victim that the “prophecy” is true. 
  Thereafter the victim will unknowingly seek out conditions that 
  will allow the prophesied event to occur. Also, each net success 
  gained by the nova on the Manipulation roll will subtract 1 die 
  from the victim's dice pool in appropriate conditions. (A victim's 
  dice pool that is affected in this manner cannot be lowered 
  beyond one die, however.) The victim may spend a point of 
  Willpower to ignore this effect, but will not be able to regain 
  Willpower points spent in this manner until the duration of this 
  enhancement ends. 
   
  The effects of this enhancement will last until either the 
  prophesied event actually occurs, or for a number of days equal 
  to the net amount of successes gained by the nova on the 
  Manipulation roll. However, in a manner similar to the “Creeping 
  Paranoia” enhancement, this duration of this enhancement's 
  effects can be extended. Just making eye contact with the nova 
  will do it if the victim meets him in person; but hearing his voice, 
  regardless of whether or not he even mentions the victim's 
  prophesied fate, will also be sufficient. In either case the nova 
  must spend another quantum point to reset the duration to its 
  initial length. The duration will also extended if the victim “has a 
  close call”, i.e. he or she has had to spend one or more 
  Willpower points in order to ignore the effect. 
   
  Example: Irritated by the muckraking tactics of a reporter 
  by the name of Jane Huffington, nova Peter Herrera prophesies 
  in public that Ms. Huffington will soon drown. He uses this 
  enhancement when making his prophecy, and scores 4 net 
  successes on his Manipulation roll against Jane's Willpower. For 
  the next four days and for no discernable reason, Jane is 
  mysteriously and continually finding herself to be in close 
  proximity to large bodies of water. Finally, when she happens to 
  carelessly lean on the railing of a low bridge over a river, Jane 
  botches her athletics roll (her Athletics dice pool is 4, so she 
  only rolls one die) and falls into the water. Fortunately for her, 
  Jane spends a point of Willpower to temporarily ignore the 
  effect of Peter's prophecy and swims to safety. Badly shaken, 
  she is more convinced than ever the prophecy is real.  
  Subtle 
   
  Some Mega-Manipulative novas are so skilled in the social 
  arena that you'll never see them coming... until it's too late. A 
  grifter with this enhancement can use his Social Mega-
  Attributes to their full effect without appearing superhuman to 
  any onlookers in the process. This enhancement provides no 
  protection against being discovered as a nova (via use of the M-
  R node, certain quantum powers, etc.). However, when the nova 
  uses his Social Mega-Attributes or enhancements their effects 
  will always seem to be within the bounds of possibility for 
  normal humans as far as any onlookers can tell. 
   
  System: This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to 
  activate and lasts for 1 scene. It provides no protection from 
  being detected as a nova through the use of the Node 
  background, certain quantum powers or other paranormal 
  methods. It does distort individuals' perceptions, as it keeps the 
  nova's Social Mega-Attributes and enhancements from 
  appearing superhuman. Therefore, the grifter can use his Social 
  Mega-Attributes to their full effect on a target, but the target 
  won't realize that the grifter is using his Social Mega-Attributes 
  on her. In most situations this enhancement will also add +3 
  bonus dice to any attempt by the grifter to use his Mega-
  Manipulation to persuade or deceive a victim. The enhancement 
  tends to make the ploy or plea seem all that more reasonable, 
  and the victim less likely to realize she is being manipulated.  
  Symphony of Touch 
   
  Despite what some people may think, a way with words is 
  not the key to successfully manipulating people. The key is 
  knowing how to get the reaction you want from someone 
  despite what they might originally think. A nova with this 
  enhancement has learned to get the reactions they wish from 
  another's body rather than their conscious mind, knowing where 
  to press to cause suffering and where to stroke to engender 
  involuntary desire. While this enhancement is only useful when 
  the nova can touch the person that they wish to affect, holding 
  someone close during a dance or other similar situations could 
  easily mask its use. Due to the possibilities it engenders, it is 
  useful to lovers and torturers alike. 
   
  System: When the nova wishes to affect someone with this 
  enhancement they must make a Manipulation roll. For each 
  
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  success they may add one die to any roll to influence the target 
  in a situation such as seduction or torture, where it can be 
  blatantly or subtly presented as a stick or a carrot. This 
  enhancement costs 1 quantum point to use on a chosen subject. 
  This enhancement lasts for 1 scene. 
  Tactful 
   
  Encountering a nova can be overwhelming, but 
  encountering a Mega-Social nova can absolutely befuddle the 
  average baseline. Not so for a nova with this enhancement – he 
  has learned how to apply just enough social pressure to 
  accomplish his goals without overwhelming people. Also, the 
  nova is so skilled with his social graces as to make the most use 
  of his enhanced charm. 
   
  System: The nova will never overwhelm an individual with 
  his Mega-Social attributes (unless he chooses to). He may 
  choose to apply as many successes as he wishes to any social 
  roll. Also, when using any other Mega-Social enhancement the 
  nova may roll his Manipulation and add the successes as bonus 
  dice to the rolls. This also negates the -1 social penalty 
  associated with the Unearthly Beauty aberration. 
  This power costs 1 quantum point to activate and lasts for 1 
  scene.  
   
  Mega-Manipulation 
  Aberrations 
   
  Most aberrations involving Mega-Manipulation are mental; 
  they reflect a change in the normal functioning of the nova's 
  brain. A few develop minor physical aberrations, usually of a 
  sort that would indicate the nova's untrustworthiness in his own 
  culture. Other aberrations might develop out of the 
  subconscious guilt of a Mega-Manipulative nova who uses her 
  gifts in an unjust manner. There is also a tendency for problems 
  in communicating clearly to develop, limiting the nova's ability 
  influence those around her. The following aberrations tend to be 
  found only in novas with at least one dot of Mega-Manipulation. 
  Common aberrations from Aberrant and the Aberrant Player's 
  Guide for Mega-Manipulative novas include Bad Luck, Delusions, 
  Jinx, Obsession, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, Paranoia, and 
  Phobia. 
  Low-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to 
  five points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Altered Tongue: The tongue of a nova with this 
  aberration has been changed in some way, usually one that 
  reflects a common myth, superstition, or saying about 
  manipulative folk. One nova's tongue might become forked like a 
  snake's, while another's might turn the color of polished metallic 
  silver. Unless the nova is in the habit of showing off his or her 
  tongue in the manner of certain 1970s-era rock stars, this 
  aberration is likely to remain unnoticed, barring attempts by 
  others to become physically intimate with the nova. 
   
  �  Compulsive Blackmailer: The nova who develops this 
  aberration becomes driven to learn how to get leverage against 
  anyone and everyone she can – including her supposed friends 
  and colleagues. What's more, she knows that the best way to do 
  so is to learn all the secrets of those she hopes to influence, and 
  the nova won't hesitate to betray someone's confidence if it 
  means she'll take in a profit. Secrets that could get her vanished 
  and/or killed are left alone – novas with this aberration are 
  devious, not stupid. Nobody with any sense will trust the nova (if 
  they know about her little hobby), but as the nova is likely to 
  have assembled an impressive network of contacts and people 
  who owe her favors, she probably won't care. There is one 
  exception to this, though; if the nova still has family and/or a 
  spouse that she truly, honestly cares about she will neither try to 
  dig up dirt on them nor knowingly place them in danger with her 
  machinations. Whenever the nova has an opportunity to uncover 
  someone's secrets, she must roll Willpower (with a penalty equal 
  to her permanent Taint) to avoid digging up that dirty laundry. 
  Furthermore, if the nova is prevented from investigating anyone 
  for 24 hours, the nova will suffer a +1 difficulty penalty on all of 
  her rolls until she can indulge her compulsion. The nova will 
  suffer a cumulative +1 penalty for each 24 hour-period of 
  deprivation past the first. 
   
  �  Cowardice: A nova with this aberration has grown very 
  comfortable with the idea of letting others do his dirty work 
  while he stays safe somewhere else. In fact, he's so comfortable 
  with that idea that he's become neurotically careful about 
  keeping his own hide intact! If the nova is ever required to place 
  himself in physical danger, he must make a Willpower roll (with a 
  penalty equal to his permanent Taint) in order to avoid refusing 
  to endanger himself. This roll is made at an additional +2 
  difficulty penalty if there's a risk of death. Storyteller note: Just 
  about the only reliable way to motivate a cowardly nova in this 
  situation is to have him threatened with greater danger than 
  what he's refused to face... A cowardly nova will suffer an 
  additional +1 difficulty penalty on all Social rolls with people who 
  are required to be professionally brave (soldiers, police officers, 
  Directive agents, etc.), provided that they know of the nova's 
  cowardice. 
   
  �  Dictator: Mega-Manipulative novas can usually do a good 
  job of being a leader – they know when (and when not) to apply 
  control over their minions, and how much control to use without 
  being heavy-handed. For a nova with this aberration, however, 
  there's simply no such thing as “too much control”. If the nova 
  has any authority over other people (even if it's something as 
  trivial as being the head of a household or a gang leader), she 
  must make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to her 
  permanent Taint) to avoid trying to control every aspect of her 
  minions' activities when they're under her authority. For 
  example, a nova who's the director of a dance company would 
  lord it over the dancers during their performances and practice 
  sessions; but she wouldn't care much about their personal lives 
  unless they interfered with the dancer's obligations to the dance 
  company. This changes as the nova accumulates permanent 
  Taint: at 6-7 dots of Taint, the scope of the nova's power-trip 
  will widen to include all aspects of her underlings' lives. At 8-10 
  dots of Taint, the nova will become obsessive (as per the 
  Addiction/Compulsion Flaw on pg. 71 of the Aberrant Player's 
  Guide) about maintaining total control over her underlings – 
  even if it means disposing of those who try to escape from her 
  domination. Novas who develop this aberration often end up 
  forming cults around themselves in order to satisfy their 
  totalitarian urges. 
  
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  �  Ennui: A nova with this aberration becomes easily bored 
  and jaded. While he still has emotions, they have become 
  somewhat numbed. He also tends to be listless and dissatisfied 
  with things in general. Rousing the nova from this state takes 
  effort both on the part of the nova and his comrades. In game 
  terms, the nova must make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal 
  to his Taint-derived penalty on Social rolls for interactions with 
  baselines) in order to react to anything with something other 
  than passing interest or apathy. Some ennui-stricken novas seek 
  to distract themselves with games of intrigue and influence – 
  regardless of the effects on innocent bystanders. 
   
  �  Greedy: A nova with this aberration has one main focus 
  in his life: money. Lots of it. Family and friends are almost as 
  inconsequential as “the good of human civilization” or “standing 
  up for your fellow novas” as far as this nova is concerned. If the 
  nova is offered a bribe, he must make a Willpower roll (with a 
  penalty equal to his permanent Taint) in order to refuse. If 
  taking the bribe wouldn't result in people the nova cares about 
  getting injured, the Willpower roll is made with an additional 
  penalty of +1. These novas are the ones who drool over the 
  prospect of overthrowing small nations for seven-figure 
  contracts from DeVries... 
   
  �  Mega-Devious: Mega-Manipulative novas are some of 
  the most devious people on the planet – they can find a 
  thousand ways to cheat, deceive, coerce and swindle a mark and 
  get off scot-free every time. One problem with that is that some 
  Mega-Manipulative novas learn that lesson so well that they lose 
  sight of less-underhanded alternatives. Novas who develop this 
  aberration compulsively use only underhanded means to achieve 
  their goals – cheating, coercion, weaseling, duping, swindles and 
  betrayals are just a few of the tactics favored by the Mega-
  Devious. These novas will work at least twice as hard to do 
  something (even if it's something nice for a loved one) using 
  crooked methods that could be more easily achieved with 
  aboveground methods, as they ignore the possibilities (and 
  benefits) of employing more honest and fair methods. Such a 
  nova must make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to his or 
  her permanent Taint) in order to attempt using an honest, 
  aboveground method of achieving a chosen goal. 
   
  �  Mischievous: A nova with this aberration develops a 
  strong liking for activities such as embarrassing other people, 
  confusing them, annoying them, and freaking them out on 
  occasion. The nova is likely to play harmless practical jokes and 
  perpetrate deceptions whenever opportunity permits, and even 
  his friends and loved ones are fair game as far as he's 
  concerned! In any case, a mischievous nova must make a 
  Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to her Taint-derived 
  penalty on Social rolls for interactions with baselines) to avoid 
  pulling a fairly harmless prank or deception on a “good target”. 
  The Storyteller may raise or lower this penalty in certain 
  circumstances – this is habitual behavior, not compulsive 
  behavior. Novas with this aberration are more likely to indulge in 
  mischief when they're either bored or haven't had much fun 
  lately. Mischievous novas will also suffer an additional +1 
  difficulty penalty on all Social rolls for interacting with those 
  people who have the Bad Temper, Bully, Cold, or No Sense of 
  Humor aberrations/Flaws.  
   
  �  Prankster: Somewhat similar to novas with the 
  Mischievous aberration, a nova with this aberration also likes to 
  play practical jokes and elaborate deceptions on those people 
  that she considers good targets – likely, they will be people 
  whom the nova finds personally offensive in some way. The main 
  difference is that the nova will see nothing wrong with inflicting 
  serious harm on her intended target, especially if the chosen 
  target is really offensive to her! The definition of “good target” 
  will vary with the individual nova's personality – one nova might 
  target people he deems immoral or unethical, while another 
  would target people who are happy and enjoying their lives. In 
  any case, a prankster nova must make a Willpower roll (with a 
  penalty equal to her Taint-derived penalty on Social rolls for 
  interactions with baselines) to avoid pulling a potentially harmful 
  prank on deception on a “good target”. The Storyteller may 
  raise or lower this penalty in certain circumstances – this is 
  habitual behavior, not compulsive behavior. Witnessing really 
  offensive behavior on the part of a potential target is pretty 
  much guaranteed to provoke a prankster nova, though! 
  Medium-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to 
  seven points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Cannot Lie: A nova with this aberration has lost the 
  ability to tell (or otherwise communicate) something that he 
  knows is blatantly untruthful. In layman's terms, the nova can't 
  tell bald-faced lies. This isn't as much of a handicap (or a safety 
  margin, depending on your point of view) as one might expect, 
  however. The nova can still deceive others by alternate means – 
  he can mislead by omission or equivocation, and can use illusions 
  to the fullest if he has the appropriate quantum powers to 
  generate them. A nova with this aberration is not compelled to 
  talk (unless he's forced to), but if he does he'll still be able to 
  omit details and twist definitions to suit his purposes. 
   
  �  Intrigue Junkie: While most Mega-Manipulative novas do 
  well enough when they must uncover mysteries and deal with 
  conspiracies, some of them become a little too comfortable in 
  the shadow-world of intrigue. A Mega-Manipulative nova who 
  develops this aberration has an overwhelming attraction for 
  mysteries and conspiracies. Whenever the nova is presented 
  with a mystery or evidence of a plot, he must make a Willpower 
  roll (with a penalty equal to his permanent Taint) to resist the 
  impulse to meddle in it or otherwise get himself involved. Given 
  the number of existing mysteries and conspiracies to be found in 
  Aberrant-Era Earth, this aberration can easily get a nova into 
  some very dangerous situations... 
   
  �  Judas Syndrome: A nova with this aberration has 
  developed a very specific – albeit devastating – form of 
  compulsive behavior. If the nova has a relationship with someone 
  that involves the other party having to trust the nova (most 
  socially-oriented backgrounds and a few Merits), the nova will 
  feel driven to betray that other party in some way, usually at the 
  worst possible moment. The Storyteller has full control over 
  which of the nova's relationships will be affected when this 
  aberration comes into play, as a “worst possible moment to 
  betray someone” could come at any time. The nova must make a 
  Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to her permanent Taint) in 
  order to resist the compulsion to betray someone. For each 24 
  hours after the first 24 where the nova fails to betray someone, 
  
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  she will suffer a +1 penalty to all of her difficulties. It should be 
  noted that once an ally, contact, organization, or significant 
  other has been betrayed, the nova will have pretty much 
  destroyed any positive regard that person or organization might 
  have had for her. In game terms, this is usually reflected as a loss 
  of either one dot in the appropriate Background or the 
  appropriate Merit. If the nova survives the aftermath of her 
  betrayal, she has a choice of either letting the Background dot 
  or Merit be lost, or she can spend experience points in order to 
  “buy back” the Background dot or Merit that would've 
  otherwise have been lost. In the latter case the nova has either 
  found someone new to replace the person she betrayed, or has 
  done sufficient politicking and given enough favors to her 
  superiors that they will allow her to retain her position in her 
  organization. 
   
  Note: Novas with this aberration simply cannot have the 
  True Love Merit. Ever. 
   
  �  Negotiator: For Mega-Manipulative novas, being able to 
  bring other people around to their point of view is usually 
  second nature for them. A nova with this aberration has come to 
  believe in her abilities so much that she rarely even considers 
  the possibility of failure. Whenever the nova is involved in any 
  form of negotiation she must make a Willpower roll (with a 
  penalty equal to her permanent Taint) to avoid dragging out a 
  negotiating session for much longer than is necessary and/or 
  sensible, unless the dispute can be settled quickly. This is due to 
  the simple fact that the nova will not give up the attempt to help 
  reach a compromise – unless she makes her Willpower roll, she 
  will flat-out refuse to admit that calm, civil debate isn't feasible 
  (or even possible) in even the most dire situations. The nova 
  must also make a Willpower roll (with the Taint penalty) to avoid 
  attempting to initiate negotiations in even the most absurd 
  circumstances. A nova with this aberration is the one who would 
  walk up to a psychotic, tainted nova on a quantum-powered 
  killing spree and ask him to “settle down so that we can discuss 
  this situation like reasonable novas”. 
   
  �  Pathological Liar: A nova with this aberration has 
  developed a specific form of compulsive behavior that drives 
  him to tell lies and deceive other people whenever he can. 
  Whenever the nova has an opportunity to communicate with 
  someone, he must roll Willpower (with a penalty equal to his 
  permanent Taint) to avoid telling a lie. Furthermore, if the nova 
  is prevented from communicating with (and lying to) anyone for 
  24 hours, the nova will suffer a +1 difficulty penalty on all of his 
  rolls until he can lie to someone. The nova will suffer a 
  cumulative +1 penalty for each 24 hour-period of deprivation 
  past the first. 
   
  �  Trickster: A nova with this aberration (a specific form of 
  compulsive behavior) lusts after the thrill of outwitting 
  dangerous foes. This isn't the simple harassment of harmless 
  and/or innocent folks – only foes who can present a genuine 
  threat to the nova will be considered worthy targets for her 
  mischievous activities. Depending on the situation, a “worthy 
  target” might be a single powerful nova, a group of novas, or 
  even a baseline organization! There doesn't have to be any 
  actual need for the nova to go out and pick a fight (and there 
  usually won't be)  – the nova's desire for the thrills of a battle of 
  wits and skill is all the justification she thinks she needs. The 
  nova must choose and actively attempt to trick a dangerous 
  target at least once every 24 hours. The nova may roll 
  Willpower in order to restrain herself for a day, but she will 
  suffer a cumulative +1 penalty on the Willpower roll for each day 
  that she fights her own tendency for mischief. If the Willpower 
  roll is failed, the nova will go looking for some trouble ASAP, 
  even to the point of temporarily deserting her comrades if that's 
  what it takes to satisfy her urge. 
  High-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight or 
  more points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Incredible: The Mega-Manipulative nova who develops 
  this aberration has what could be politely termed a “credibility 
  problem”. Whenever he attempts to convince other people of 
  something that he knows to be true, most (if not all) of those 
  who listen to him will dismiss his statement out of hand. 
  Understandably, this can make the nova rather bitter where 
  those people are concerned – after all, they refused to believe 
  him when he attempted to tell them the truth about something 
  important. In game terms, whenever the nova with this 
  aberration tries to make a statement about something that he 
  knows to be true, anyone that's listening to him must make a 
  Willpower roll with a difficulty penalty equal to the nova's 
  permanent Taint. If the affected being scores even one success 
  on the roll, he or she will believe the nova's statement. Failing 
  the roll means that the affected being will not believe the nova's 
  statement, regardless of the nova's previous record for 
  accuracy and/or honesty, unless developing circumstances 
  prove the nova to have been correct. (It's typically far too late 
  for anything to be done about the situation by then, though...) A 
  botch on the roll means that the affected being will not only 
  disbelieve the nova's statement, but that he or she will condemn 
  it as utter nonsense, even after developing circumstances prove 
  the nova to have been correct! Inspired beings with either the 
  Common Sense Merit or the Prudence (Mega-Wits) 
  enhancement are automatically immune to the effects of this 
  aberration. Baselines and other non-Inspired beings with the 
  Common Sense Merit gain a -4 difficulty bonus on the 
  Willpower roll to resist the effects of this aberration. 
   
  �  Misinterpreted: While most Mega-Manipulative novas  
  are masters at getting their point across, those who develop this 
  aberration tend to experience problems with information 
  distortion. Whenever the nova is attempting to communicate 
  with more than one non-Inspired being at a time, all such beings 
  among his audience must make a Willpower roll with a penalty 
  equal to the nova's permanent Taint. (This aberration affects all 
  means of communication.) Success on the roll means that the 
  nova has gotten his message across to that baseline without any 
  distortion. Failing the roll means that the baseline will accept a 
  distorted account of the nova's message (thought up by the 
  Storyteller beforehand) as being true. Depending on the details 
  of the nova's message and how much it's been distorted, this 
  could lead to some interesting complications... A botch on the 
  Willpower roll indicates that the baseline accepts an account of 
  the nova's message that's distorted enough to pose a disastrous 
  threat to the plans and aims of the nova with this aberration.  
   
  Note: This aberration has no effect whatsoever on the 
  Inspired, nor does it affect baselines who don't understand the 
  
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  language used in the nova's message. For some reason, this 
  aberration tends to be most frequently manifested by those 
  novas who manage to set up large cults centered on 
  themselves... 
   
   
   
  Mega-Charisma: 
  Charmers 
   
  Heart-melting 
  charm, 
  undeniable 
  self-confidence, 
  irresistible appeal; these are just a few of the terms used in 
  describing the charmers, novas with Mega-Charisma. Their 
  preternatural appeal and poise has allowed charmers to literally 
  sway the hearts and minds of multitudes. The aims of the 
  charmers vary dramatically, though. Along with the hopeful 
  social reformers, spokespersons for a cause, and performers 
  there are also aspiring dictators, phony gurus, and cult leaders. 
  Whether the charmers will prove to be either a blessing or a 
  curse (or both) to the denizens of the Nova Age remains to be 
  seen. 
  Everyone Loves A Charmer... 
   
  Aside from being naturally at home in social situations and 
  the proverbial “life of the party”, charmers derive several other 
  benefits from their Mega-Charisma. Like their brethren, the 
  Mega-Attractive idols, people seem to instinctively want to 
  please a charmer. While receiving spontaneous gifts and favors 
  is not uncommon in a charmer's life, these unasked-for boons 
  are more often presented in hopes of gaining the charmer's 
  friendship and/or goodwill in return. Also like the idols, 
  charmers can often get away with murder (sometimes literally!) 
  – people are much more willing to trust a charmer, and are 
  usually much more forgiving of a charmer's misdeeds than they 
  would be of another nova's. And while many novas are admired 
  by members of the baseline (and nova) population, charmers are 
  the most likely to be seen as positive role models for the young. 
  Charmers also rarely lack for company, as people will want to be 
  with the charmer and will feel more important and charismatic 
  themselves while in the charmer's presence. If a charmer doesn't 
  already have a flock of hangers-on, sycophants, and/or “best 
  buddies”, he or she can easily befriend enough people on the 
  spot to make up for the lack. Players of Mega-Charismatic novas 
  are justified in taking any level of Allies, Followers, or Influence 
  to reflect the perks of their sheer personal magnetism. 
   
  Politics and the performing arts aren't the only trades that 
  charmers tend to excel in. The Mega-Charisma of a charmer 
  works just as well on beasts as it does on humans, allowing 
  charmers to train animals both quickly and extremely well. 
  Unsurprisingly, charmers can make wonderful teachers as well, 
  as their force of personality can keep even the most unruly of 
  students focused on the lesson at hand. Also, not all charmers 
  with religious leanings end up forming their own cults. While 
  they're not common by any means, several charmers have joined 
  a religious priesthood of one sort or another, and use their nova 
  abilities -social and otherwise – in the service of their deity and 
  religion. 
   
  (Storyteller Notes: As of 2015, there are no publicly-
  known novas operating as priests within the Fundamentalist 
  Christian congregations. Likewise, the only branch of Islam 
  known to have accepted novas into their priesthood is the Sufi. 
  The Animal Training and Instruction abilities can be found on 
  page 90 of the Aberrant Player's Guide.) 
   
  Finally, Mega-Charisma can allow a charmer to mitigate the 
  effects his or her own social errors if he or she lacks the other 
  Social Mega-Attributes. For example, a charmer who lacks 
  Mega-Manipulation might stumble over his words, but will do so 
  in such a charming way that everyone present forgives him and 
  likes him all the more for his clumsiness at expressing himself. 
  Note: This works best for young characters. 
  The Perils of Personality 
   
  The major drawback of Mega-Charisma is that it typically 
  isn't selective in the least as to who it affects. More likely than 
  not; a charmer's Mega-Charisma will affect those people who 
  the charmer wants to adore her, those who the charmer wants 
  nothing at all to do with, and those who the charmer doesn't care 
  about one way or the other – and all at the same time. Just 
  because a charmer can win the adoration of multitudes does not 
  mean that she will return their warm feelings wholesale! Here's a 
  thought experiment for you: imagine that suddenly, everyone at 
  your local grocery market decided that you were the most 
  absolutely wonderful person and they all wanted to be your 
  friend. Would you treat them all equally? Would you even want 
  all of those people as your friends? Multiply that scenario 
  several times over, and you have a rough estimate of what a 
  charmer gets to look forwards to when in public. Then there's 
  the very real chance that a charmer can truly be too Mega-
  Charismatic for his own good. While this problem is most often 
  encountered by the Mega-Attractive idols, charmers have also 
  been known to be the focus of people with obsessive and/or 
  addictive personalities. Baseline stalkers are bad enough – but 
  what if it's another nova that's stalking the charmer in question? 
  It's also possible for someone to adore a charmer to the point 
  that he or she will do anything to keep the charmer safe or to 
  keep others from having the charmer... anything. Another 
  problem that charmers have in common with the Mega-
  Attractive idols is the tendency for some people to develop 
  strong feelings of personal inadequacy when confronted with a 
  charmer's superhuman personal magnetism. These people (who 
  are usually baselines, but occasionally other novas as well) will 
  hesitate to approach the charmer in question or perform even 
  the simplest social interactions with that charmer. 
   
  The other problems associated with being Mega-
  Charismatic are psychological, and are often the result of having 
  an overly-stroked ego. As some charmers are worshipped in all 
  but name by their admirers, this is a very real danger... First off, 
  there's a tendency for some Mega-Charismatic novas who are in 
  leadership positions to have difficulties in connecting 
  emotionally with their followers. (It's hard for a charmer to get a 
  clear idea of a person's emotional well-being if he or she is 
  always overcome with worshipful awe whenever the charmer is 
  around him or her.) Other charmers will see the leeway that 
  other people afford them due to their Mega-Charisma as an 
  invitation to “push the envelope”, and see just how much they 
  can get away with. The results of such experiments have been 
  
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  mixed to say the least, but most people (baseline and nova alike) 
  do have limits as to what they will tolerate. Having hordes of 
  admirers that are willing to do anything for their common object 
  of affection can lead to a temptation on the charmer's part to 
  use or abuse said admirers. Late-night groupie parties (in the 
  manner of rock stars from the late 20th Century) are the most 
  common result of this, but dark rumors of more worrisome 
  happenings do surface from time to time. Finally, a few charmers 
  who use their talents in a leadership capacity have been known 
  to develop what's become known as the Shepherd's Syndrome. 
  More of an attitude problem than an actual mental disorder, this 
  manifests as a tendency for the charmer to see those under his 
  or her command as children (at best) or as pets or livestock (at 
  worst). In any case, the charmer with Shepherd's Syndrome will 
  always see those under his or her command (usually baselines, 
  but possibly other novas as well) as being totally unable to 
  function effectively or even take care of themselves properly 
  without the charmer's leadership. 
  To Be The One They Love... 
  …To Hate 
   
  While most uses of Mega-Charisma are based on the 
  assumption that it makes other people experience strong 
  positive emotions with the charmer as the focus, it is also 
  possible for Mega-Charisma to inspire equally strong negative 
  emotions as well. All a charmer has to do is simply use his or her 
  Mega-Charisma in an anti-social manner. Where normal Mega-
  Charisma makes other people want to like and please the 
  charmer, anti-social Mega-Charisma makes other people 
  actively want to dislike and displease the nova. While using 
  Mega-Charisma in this manner tends to be more trouble than it's 
  worth, it is a viable means of emotionally manipulating people 
  who are already inclined to hate either novas in general or the 
  Mega-Charismatic nova in particular.  
   
  Problems can also crop up for a charmer if he or she 
  happens to either act on behalf of or espouse the beliefs of a 
  organization that is known to be actively inimical to another 
  widespread social group or category of people. When members 
  of the organization a charmer is associated with commit deeds 
  that are considered evil by the general populace, the bad 
  publicity from those deeds will eventually stack difficulty 
  penalties on all of the charmer's attempts to influence members 
  of said general populace. It should also be noted that it's possible 
  for a charmer (or any nova, really) to be falsely associated with 
  an inimical organization in much the same manner that Joseph 
  McCarthy falsely branded innocent U.S. citizens as members of 
  the Communist Party in the 1950's. Also, if a charmer commits 
  an actual or perceived betrayal of a social group – even one as 
  broad and ill-defined as “humanity in general” – then that 
  charmer can also find him – or herself beset with increasing 
  difficulty penalties on attempts to influence members of the 
  betrayed social group.  
   
  The premier example of a charmer who most certainly will 
  find himself in this situation in the years after 2015 would be 
  Count Raoul Orzaiz. While Orzaiz still enjoys (and makes 
  excellent use of) the good press presently afforded him by the 
  media, his effectiveness as the Teragen's top PR man is sure to 
  plunge dramatically once the Teragen as a whole starts engaging 
  in acts of terror against the baseline populace as a whole. When 
  the Aberrant War finally begins in 2046, charmers in general 
  may find that being liked on a personal basis won't do much to 
  protect them from becoming targets of rampaging, bloodthirsty 
  mobs. 
  Roleplaying Mega-Charisma 
   
  If you intend to play a Mega-Charismatic character, try to 
  imagine the treatment that a charmer can expect from other 
  people. How will your character react to being lavished with 
  praise and adoration by practically everyone she meets? Will 
  she allow her ego to grow overly large as a result? Will she 
  decide to dismiss that praise out of hand as mindless 
  sycophancy? What would happen if the praise and adoration 
  comes from someone whom the charmer actually respects and 
  admires herself? 
   
  Then there's the question of how the charmer will deal with 
  the inevitable offers and favors that his admirers will offer him. 
  Will a charmer politely decline the offer of a gaggle of pretty 
  teenaged fangirls to share his king-size bed for the night, or will 
  he take the opportunity to indulge in debauchery? Will receiving 
  the proverbial “red-carpet” treatment at fancy restaurants and 
  hotels on a regular basis result in the charmer developing a sense 
  of entitlement, or will he see fit to repay that kindness in return? 
  Or will the charmer become nostalgic for the days when he was 
  treated as a more-or-less normal person instead? 
   
  How will a charmer react to having people around her who 
  not only hang on her every word, but will do almost anything it 
  takes in order to win the charmer's approval and friendship? 
  Will the charmer use her would-be friends as disposable toys for 
  her amusement, or will she do her best to keep those overeager 
  fools from doing something rash in their attempts to impress 
  her? Will the charmer simply use (or abuse) her admirers as 
  convenient tools to get what she wants, or will she treat them 
  with the respect that people deserve? Will the charmer even 
  deign to take any notice of her admirers or their antics in the 
  first place? 
   
  In the end, it all boils down to two simple questions. How 
  will the charmer treat the people that his or her Mega-Charisma 
  has bewitched? And what will the consequences of that 
  treatment be? 
   
  New Mega-Charisma 
  Enhancements 
   
  Additional enhancements that characters with Mega-
  Charisma may learn or purchase include: 
  Autonomy 
   
  Despite the Hollywood myth of rugged individualism, all 
  humans (and most novas) remain extremely social creatures. 
  The saying that “no man is an island” isn't just a cliché, but is 
  part and parcel of our evolution as social beings. Clint Eastwood 
  aside, a human's sense of self-worth is almost entirely 
  dependent on the admiration of and reassurance by his or her 
  social peers. The varied problems of belonging to a social group 
  are inescapable for the most part, as socially isolated humans 
  inevitably become depressed and suffer from poor health as a 
  
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  result of their alienation. Usually, these ostracized humans die an 
  early death. 
   
  A Mega-Charismatic nova with this enhancement is the 
  exception to that rule, as his evolved psyche allows him to 
  survive in social circumstances that would quickly drive a 
  baseline to a premature death. The near-indestructible sense of 
  self-worth possessed by an Autonomous nova not only allows 
  him to function effectively without the support or approval of a 
  social group, but also lets him excel in the social arena. As 
  Autonomous novas are unfazed by emotional and social 
  pressures, the effects of this enhancement superficially 
  resemble and are sometimes mistaken for actual mental illness. 
  Understandably, this misperception makes many researchers 
  into nova psychology rather worried. A few such researchers 
  have made spurious claims that Autonomous novas actually 
  suffer from Psychotic Dissociation. Likening the social group to 
  a multicellular organism, they have declared Autonomous novas 
  to be the social equivalent of cancer cells: rogue individuals who 
  benefit by putting their own needs before that of the social 
  group. That bit of pseudoscientific tripe is ridiculed by the 
  scientific mainstream, although it receives enthusiastic support 
  from the Church of Michael Archangel and other anti-nova 
  organizations. 
   
  System: The nova can sustain himself emotionally and 
  psychologically for an indefinite period on residual quantum 
  energies, so long as he retains at least one quantum point in his 
  Quantum Pool. The Autonomous nova has no need for (but still 
  enjoys and will desire) social attachments, the affection and 
  friendship of others, or social recognition. He can also survive 
  indefinitely in hostile social environments such as physical 
  and/or social isolation from other people, extreme social 
  pressures, all forms of degrading circumstances, and functioning 
  within a hostile (prejudiced, hateful, fearful, or paranoid) social 
  group. The nova is automatically immune to implanted 
  suggestions, delusions, and compulsions (either via mundane 
  mind-control and brainwashing methods or nova techniques such 
  as Hypnotism and Creeping Paranoia), detrimental aspects of 
  group psychology such as mass hysteria and the mob mentality, 
  psychosomatic damage and illness, and the long-term effects of 
  Social Mega-Attributes. The nova also gains six extra Willpower 
  successes against Empathic Manipulation and/or any social 
  ability or power that lasts longer than one scene. Finally, the 
  nova's social perceptions will automatically adjust to his current 
  environment, allowing him to accurately perceive real threats 
  (or the lack of same) and opportunities in surroundings that he 
  may be unfamiliar with. 
   
  Note: Autonomous novas still retain their full capacity to 
  enjoy social ties, the affection and friendship of other people, 
  and social recognition. Autonomy simply allows a nova to survive 
  without them when necessary. It's like always having the option 
  of being automatically fed intravenously in case of famine – the 
  stuff in the I.V. drip will sustain human life, but it's nowhere near 
  as pleasurable as eating a meal at a good restaurant. As both 
  novas and baseline humans tend to seek pleasure for its own 
  sake, Autonomous novas will most definitely seek to form and 
  maintain emotional and social attachments with other people 
  when possible. This differs greatly from actual cases of 
  Psychotic Dissociation, in which the victim doesn't feel the need 
  for and has no capacity to form social and emotional 
  attachments to other people. 
  Bestial Rapport 
   
  Most Mega-Charismatic novas tend to focus on influencing 
  other people, but a few have learned how to use their 
  superhuman force of personality on a more feral level. These 
  novas can swim with hungry tiger sharks, stalk through the 
  Amazon rain forest with a jaguar, or fish for salmon with Kodiak 
  grizzly bears without any concerns about their safety. These 
  novas also make excellent animal trainers; and can handle 
  domestic pets, livestock, and wild animals with equal ease. 
   
  System: A nova with this enhancement can instantly 
  befriend and communicate (via body language and sounds) with 
  any animals he might encounter. Animals will regard the nova as 
  a friend and boon companion unless he does something to prove 
  otherwise. They won't harm the nova, and they will seek to 
  prevent others from harming him as well. If the nova has any 
  dots in the Animal Mastery power (Aberrant core book, pp. 
  182-183), he can communicate with animals without having to 
  roll. This enhancement also grants the nova 3 automatic 
  successes on all rolls for the Animal Training ability (Aberrant 
  Player's Guide, pg. 90). This enhancement is always in effect 
  and costs no quantum points to activate. 
  Disconcerting 
   
  Despite what some may think, not all of the forms of 
  charisma (and therefore Mega-Charisma) are pleasant. Case in 
  point: A nova with this enhancement can use her superhuman 
  force of personality offensively, as her glare is enough to cow 
  even the boldest of baselines.  
   
  System: The nova automatically wins all stare downs (a 
  form of the Intimidation ability) against non-Inspired beings and 
  receives +3 automatic successes on stare downs against Inspired 
  opponents. The nova may also temporarily stun a non-Inspired 
  target with her superhuman force of personality via his gaze. To 
  do so, the nova makes eye contact with the intended target 
  (who must have a Willpower score that's equal to or lower than 
  the nova's base Charisma rating). The nova then rolls 
  Intimidation with a difficulty penalty of +1. Success forces the 
  subject to lose his next combat action (if in combat) or 
  automatically fail his next opposed Social roll (if out of combat). 
  This enhancement is always in effect and costs no quantum 
  points to activate. Fortunately(?), a nova is limited to using the 
  secondary function of this enhancement only twice per day 
  against any one individual. 
  Look of Love 
   
  While all Mega-Charismatic novas exhibit superhuman 
  personal appeal, those with this enhancement have developed it 
  to the point where they can make anyone who is sexually 
  attracted to the nova fall in love with them just by gazing into 
  their eyes. While this enhancement has its greatest effect when 
  used by a Mega-Charismatic nova who happens to be love struck 
  with her target herself, others have used it to become the Don 
  Juans and femmes fatale of the Nova Age, leaving broken hearts 
  and shattered lives in their wake. These quantum-powered 
  heartbreakers also tend to rack up a large roster of enemies in 
  short order. 
  
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  System: If the nova can establish eye contact with her 
  chosen target, she can spend 1 quantum point to use this 
  enhancement. The nova then pits her Mega-Charisma against 
  her target's Willpower in a resisted roll. If the nova is insincere 
  in her attempt to sway her target's heart (read: has no real 
  romantic feelings for the target, and only wants to exploit the 
  target in some way), she will suffer a difficulty penalty of +3 on 
  the Mega-Charisma roll. If the nova's target happens to already 
  be in a loving and committed romantic relationship, the nova will 
  suffer a difficulty penalty of +2 on the Mega-Charisma roll. 
  These penalties are cumulative if both circumstances apply to 
  the target. The number of net successes gained by the nova 
  determines the degree of lovesickness that her target will 
  develop. One success indicates a mild crush, while 5 or more 
  indicates a haunting obsession. Unless the target has some 
  means to detect emotion-controlling effects used against him or 
  her, he or she will have no reason (at first) to believe that his or 
  her romantic feelings for the nova aren't genuine. Depending on 
  how matters develop in the target's relationship with the nova, 
  those feelings may soon actually become genuine! 
   
  There are two limitations to this enhancement's effects, 
  however. First off, this enhancement is nowhere near as 
  powerful (or as short-lived) as the effect of the Empathic 
  Manipulation power; the lovesick state this induces is no 
  different from normal instances of romantic love. The effects of 
  this enhancement can last for decades (or even longer, in the 
  case of nova paramours), but the romantic relationship must be 
  maintained and kept intact once it's established; as it's just as 
  vulnerable to the effects of infidelity, neglect or heartbreak as 
  those of baseline humans. Second, this enhancement simply will 
  not function at all when used on a target who is not sexually 
  oriented towards members of the nova's gender. 
  Pavlov's Bell 
   
  The mood of a nova who possesses Mega-Charisma can 
  have an effect on those around them, their approval arousing a 
  warm and “good” feeling in others. Those novas who have 
  developed this enhancement have learned to focus this effect in 
  a useful manner, using their approval at a lesson learned to help 
  others concentrate on the lesson that the nova is teaching. 
  There is a darker side to this though: this same effect can be 
  used to literally train people into reacting in a certain manner 
  when presented with a certain stimulus, like Pavlov's dog 
  salivating upon hearing the sound of a bell. 
   
  System: The nova may add a number of dice equal to their 
  Mega-Charisma rating to any Animal Training or Instruction rolls 
  they make, whether made to instruct a single individual or a 
  group. By focusing this enhancement on an individual, the nova 
  may instill a certain reflex into that person regardless of 
  whether they know they are being trained or not. Each time the 
  appropriate stimulus presents itself and the subject reacts in the 
  desired manner in the nova's presence, the nova may spend a 
  quantum point to “reward” the subject and rolls Charisma. After 
  a number of successful rolls have been made in this manner 
  (usually one successful roll per point of the subject's permanent 
  Willpower rating), the subject must spend a Willpower when 
  presented with the stimulus or reflexively react in the same 
  manner. Once instilled, the new reflex remains until the nova 
  ceases reinforcing it. The new reflex must be reinforced at least 
  once per week, and will cost 1 quantum point to do so. 
  Otherwise, the new reflex will last for one day beyond the 
  deadline per dot of Mega-Charisma the nova possesses. One 
  quantum point will activate this enhancement for the scene, but 
  as noted above an additional point must be spent each time an 
  individual's behavior is “reinforced”. 
  Pedagogue 
   
  A 
  few 
  Mega-Charismatic 
  novas 
  have 
  developed 
  superhuman skills as teachers – these novas can attract and hold 
  the attention of even the most unruly, apathetic or distracted 
  students, and impart the chosen lessons with masterful skill. 
  While novas with this enhancement are in demand for the 
  instruction of newly-erupted novas, many wealthy baselines will 
  tender very attractive offers to act as private tutors for their 
  children. 
   
  System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this 
  enhancement, and then makes a Charisma + Instruction roll. For 
  each success the nova gains, he can temporarily enhance the 
  natural learning capacity of up to [the nova's Mega-Charisma] 
  Inspired students or [the nova's Mega-Charisma x 3] non-
  Inspired students. Students affected by this enhancement will 
  have their experience point costs for learning the Ability the 
  nova is instructing them in reduced by 50% (down to a minimum 
  cost of 1 experience point). All other benefits and limitations of 
  the Instruction ability (Aberrant Player's Guide, pg. 90) still 
  apply as normal. The nova can also ignore up to [the nova's 
  Mega-Charisma] of any difficulty penalties on Instruction rolls 
  that are derived from having to teach uninterested, unruly, or 
  inattentive students. The effects of this enhancement will end 
  when the nova's student actually gains the next dot of the Ability 
  that he or she was being instructed in by the nova. 
  Persona 
   
  Persona is the psychological counterpart to the Copycat 
  and Metamorph enhancements, as it lets the nova temporarily 
  rearrange his thought processes into a two-tiered structure. 
  The first tier is a “psychic façade personality” that duplicates 
  another person's mind and conceals the second tier (his own 
  psyche) from telepathic inspection. Aside from the obvious 
  benefits for deceiving telepaths and in aiding one's infiltration 
  attempts; this form of psychic mimicry can grant a nova a truly 
  stunning ability as an actor, as it puts a whole new twist on 
  “getting in character”. 
   
  System: Persona allows a nova to roll his Charisma in order 
  to “overlay” his own psyche with that of another person. Each 
  success on the Charisma roll adds a +1 difficulty penalty on all 
  rolls (usually for Telepathy) made to pierce the nova's psychic 
  façade. Alternatively, it can grant 3 automatic successes on any 
  Perform rolls made to portray the duplicated person in a movie 
  or theatrical play.  
   
  The nova must either be in the presence of the person he 
  intends to psychically duplicate, or he must have had deep 
  insight into that person's mind (either from intense study of the 
  person's psychological profile or prior telepathic contact) for 
  this enhancement to function. In the case of fictional characters, 
  in-depth research of the character in question (and a discussion 
  with the character's creator, if possible) will be sufficient for 
  this enhancement to function. The changes take less than a 
  
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  second to make. It should be noted that unlike the “Psychic 
  Mimic Multiple Personality Disorder” that the Terat known as 
  Turncoat suffers from, a nova using Persona will never lose 
  control of himself to his psychic façade personality. 
   
  Persona costs 1 quantum point to activate, and the changes 
  last for a scene. 
   
  Persona does not let the nova remove noticeable psychic 
  features (such as certain mental disorders and mental 
  aberrations) from his mind – novas with Persona who suffer 
  from such ailments are advised to limit their impersonations to 
  either relative nobodies or people with established reputations 
  as eccentrics. 
  Politesse 
   
  As any serious world traveler could tell you, knowing and 
  following the local rules of good behavior in a foreign culture 
  isn't just a matter of being a good guest – it can literally be a 
  lifesaver. A Mega-Charismatic nova with this enhancement has 
  no need to worry about inadvertently making social faux pas in 
  any human society, as he has a near-psychic capability to intuit 
  whatever rules of proper behavior that hold sway in the culture 
  he's currently interacting with. As a result, the nova can also 
  follow those rules (if he wants to) with an ease that few of those 
  who belong to the culture in question could match. 
   
  System: The nova with this enhancement automatically has 
  his difficulty penalties reduced by [the nova's Mega-Charisma] 
  points on any roll that involves knowing what is locally 
  considered polite behavior – this usually means Etiquette rolls, 
  but can apply to certain Streetwise rolls as well. The nova also 
  receives three automatic successes on any Etiquette or 
  Streetwise roll that involves acting in accordance with polite 
  behavior. This enhancement is always in effect and costs no 
  quantum points to activate. 
  Rancor 
   
  While most Mega-Charismatic novas use their superhuman 
  force of personality in order to make themselves likeable and 
  attractive, a few have learned to use their Mega-Charisma in the 
  opposite manner. A nova with this enhancement can emanate 
  enough hatred and bitterness to make most people instinctively 
  keep their distance from her. It's even worse when a Rancorous 
  nova fixes her gaze on someone in particular, as a venomous 
  glare is all she'll need to drive an unfortunate victim from her 
  sight. It should be noted that using this enhancement is not at all 
  conducive to inspiring goodwill or loyalty in one's peers. 
  Indiscriminate and/or inappropriate use of Rancor can easily 
  leave the nova friendless just when she needs them the most.  
   
  System: The nova spends 1 quantum point to activate this 
  enhancement for a scene. Everyone nearby (including the 
  Rancorous nova's friends and allies) will feel the urge to get as 
  far away from the nova as possible. If a subject still wants to 
  approach the Rancorous nova, he must make a Willpower roll 
  (with a difficulty penalty equal to the nova's Mega-Charisma) in 
  order to do so. A Rancorous nova also gains a bonus of + 3 dice 
  on all Intimidation rolls while using this enhancement. 
   
  If she so desires, the Rancorous nova can concentrate all 
  that hatred and bitterness she's emanating into a glare that can 
  drive a chosen victim from her sight. In this case, the Rancorous 
  nova pits her Mega-Charisma against the victim's Willpower in a 
  resisted roll. Failure on the victim's part will result in his or her 
  backing off or otherwise folding if the Rancorous nova gains 1 
  success; further successes indicates that the victim might flee 
  the scene, burst into tears, or do something equally 
  melodramatic as a result of his or her emotional trauma. As a 
  side-effect, from that point onwards the victim will be totally 
  unable to think of the Rancorous nova in a positive way without 
  Inspired aid or extensive mental therapy.  
   
  Note: Any powers, effects or devices that protect against 
  emotion-controlling powers will automatically provide additional 
  successes on any Willpower rolls made to resist this 
  enhancement. 
  Rile 
   
  Some people can really get under others' skins; like the 
  sound of fingernails on a chalkboard, something about them just 
  rubs other people in exactly the wrong way. A nova with this 
  enhancement can take advantage of his superhuman 
  obnoxiousness to make one or more of his targets explode with 
  anger, with the usual result being a murderous hatred that's 
  focused on the nova... 
   
  System: The nova spends either 1 quantum point (for a 
  single target) or 3 quantum points (for a group of targets) to 
  activate this enhancement for a scene. The nova then pits his 
  Mega-Charisma in a resisted roll against one or more targets' 
  Willpower. When used in combat or other violent situations, any 
  targets who fail the Willpower roll must personally attack the 
  nova, regardless of their ability to harm him and ignoring any 
  strategic and/or tactical knowledge they might have. In their 
  frenzied rush to attack they will disregard common sense, even 
  to the point of abandoning master plans or injuring their allies. 
  They must use the most immediate and direct way of attacking 
  the nova, although if they have a choice of direct attack methods 
  they may choose between them. When used outside of combat, 
  targets will usually lose their cool and verbally (loudly and at 
  length) assault the nova, although if they fail by enough 
  successes (Storyteller's choice) they can also be forced into 
  physically attacking the nova. The nova can also choose whether 
  or not this enhancement will affect friendly and non-hostile 
  forces on a case-by-case basis. Normally, but not always, this 
  enhancement is triggered by the nova saying something 
  offensive to his targets to cut them down. Certain hand gestures 
  can also serve as effective triggers. 
   
  Mega-Charisma Aberrations  
   
  Mega-Charismatic aberrations are usually mental in nature, 
  as one or more certain portions of the nova's brain structure 
  that are used in social interaction are warped by Taint 
  accumulation. Any physical aberrations will usually involve the 
  larynx, and alter the nova's speaking voice in some way. 
  Aberrations that can act as “personality tags” may also be 
  manifested. Other aberrations are based on the difficulties of 
  being too charismatic for one's own good... The following 
  aberrations tend to be found only in novas with at least one dot 
  of Mega-Charisma. 
   
  Common aberrations from Aberrant and the Aberrant 
  Player's Guide for Mega-Charismatic novas include Anima 
  Banner, Bipolar Disorder, Disturbing Voice, Hormonal Imbalance 
  
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  (Lust), 
  Megalomania, 
  Obsession, 
  Obsessive/Compulsive 
  Disorder, and Schizophrenia. 
   
  Note:  Aberrations marked with an * are from the Aberrant 
  Compendium. 
  Low-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with four to 
  five points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Convivial: For a nova who develops this aberration, the 
  company of other people (preferably in large numbers) is 
  absolutely vital to his psychological well-being. This outright 
  addiction to frequent social contact will lead the nova to ignore 
  up to 2 points of any difficulty penalties on Social rolls that 
  would otherwise apply – say, like when a highly-tainted nova 
  tries to associate with her less-tainted colleagues... The nova 
  will be utterly miserable when alone, and will suffer a +2 
  difficulty penalty on all Mental rolls when isolated in this manner. 
  (Storyteller Note: This must be roleplayed!) If the nova is in a 
  group of four or less, he'll be somewhat less than miserable, but 
  he won't exactly be happy, either. In this case, the nova suffers 
  only a +1 difficulty penalty on all Mental rolls until he's around a 
  larger group of people. 
   
  �  Fanatic: People have dedicated their lives to various 
  causes throughout human history. Why should one expect novas 
  to be any different? A nova with this aberration believes 
  strongly enough in a given cause (his country, religion, faction, 
  what-have-you) that he is willing to put it ahead of everything 
  else in his life. If following his chosen cause means adhering to a 
  defined code of behavior, he'll follow that rigidly, no matter 
  what those people who don't work for the cause say about him. 
  If the cause requires obedience to a leader, the nova will serve 
  with total loyalty. In game terms, the nova must make a 
  Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to his permanent Taint) to 
  disobey the dictates of his cause in even the slightest way. 
   
  �  Flippant: Novas with this aberration are nearly incapable 
  of taking anything seriously. They will make jokes about a man's 
  many illicit love affairs while speaking at his funeral! For some 
  reason, they never quite manage to figure out why some of their 
  audiences tend to turn hostile towards them... As could only be 
  expected, this lack of respect for social status, propriety, and 
  the world in general tends to make these novas somewhat 
  difficult to get along with. There's one exception to this, though: 
  Flippant novas won't joke about things and events that they find 
  horrifying. (This is the major difference between this aberration 
  and Twisted Sense of Humor – see the listing below for details.) 
  In all social situations where seriousness, politeness and 
  courtesy are expected; these novas will suffer a difficulty 
  penalty of +2 in addition to the normal Taint-derived penalty for 
  social interaction with baselines. For ease of comparison, Morph 
  (from Marvel Comics' “Age of Apocalypse” and “Exiles” titles) 
  is a great example of a nova with this aberration. 
   
  �  Four-Color Caricature: Possibly as a result of reading too 
  many third-rate comics as a kid, a nova with this aberration has 
  bought heavily into the lore of the four-color superhero (or 
  supervillain). This specific form of delusion will lead the nova to 
  wear an outlandish costume (complete with utility belt), give 
  unbearably corny speeches, and generally act as if he'd just 
  stepped out of a Super Friends episode. This kind of behavior is 
  extremely embarrassing to most other novas, who will ostracize 
  and/or mock the nova if given the chance. In game terms, a nova 
  with this aberration suffers a +2 difficulty penalty on all Social 
  rolls with other novas who don't share his four-color worldview. 
  While many baselines will idolize the nova as a living incarnation 
  of what they think all novas should be; those with common sense 
  will tend to think that the nova is 1: a clownish fool, 2: certifiably 
  insane, 3: an elite wannabe, or 4: all of the above. The nova is 
  quite likely to be a regular subject of trashy tabloid newspapers.  
   
  Note: For some reason, all novas who develop this 
  aberration possess neither the Common Sense Merit nor the 
  Prudence enhancement of Mega-Wits. 
   
  �  Gravitas: For ancient Romans during the non-decadent 
  phases of the Empire, being serious wasn't just a personality 
  trait – it was a virtue to be upheld and practiced for the entirety 
  of one's adult life. A nova with this aberration has taken this idea 
  to an extreme; as he will comport himself in a serious, stern, and 
  grave manner at all times. Even little things like cracking a smile 
  or chuckling at a good joke are useless frivolities where a nova 
  with this aberration is concerned. In game terms, the nova must 
  make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to his permanent 
  Taint) in order to express any “frivolous” feelings of 
  enthusiasm, happiness, joy, or amusement that he might feel. 
  This pathological dourness will result in an additional +2 
  difficulty penalty on all Social rolls on interactions with other 
  people (including other novas) where expressing levity and 
  happiness is either expected or would be of benefit to the nova. 
  Understandably, these novas don't get invited to many parties. 
  This difficulty penalty is doubled in the case of novas with the 
  Flippant, Twisted Sense of Humor, or Mischievous aberrations. 
  Unless those novas have some means of detecting the emotions 
  of the nova with this aberration, they will see him as either an 
  excellent butt for their jests or as a stick-in-the-mud that's in 
  serious need of lightening up. As one could expect, their 
  attempts to amuse the nova with this aberration rarely work out 
  very well. Oddly enough, the nova will receive a -2 difficulty 
  bonus on Social rolls for interactions with novas who have the 
  “No Sense of Humor” aberration, as they will appreciate the 
  serious demeanor of a nova with this aberration. 
   
  �  Screwball Magnet: A nova with this aberration is so 
  likable and charming that she can attract friendly people to her 
  without even trying. Unfortunately for the nova, not one of 
  these new friends will be quite right in the head. All kinds of 
  confused, eccentric, and downright insane people (including 
  novas gone mad due to mental aberration) will regard the nova 
  as being both appealing and sympathetic. They will invariably 
  have a good initial reaction to the nova; and will want to tell her 
  their life stories, whacked-out conspiracy theories, personal 
  delusions, and so on. After having to listen about why scuba gear 
  is vital attire for formal parties, how Project Utopia and the 
  Teragen are both unwitting pawns of a conspiracy to prevent 
  Lyndon LaRouche from saving Western Civilization from 
  domination by the British Royal Family, and that the U.N. is 
  secretly run by a hidden colony of genetically engineered 
  hyperintelligent ringtail lemurs; even the most tolerant nova 
  might become something of a recluse – or a misanthrope. 
   
  �  Soft Touch: A nova with this aberration has simply lost 
  most of his better judgment where his compassion for other 
  people is concerned. If a panhandler asks him for some change, 
  
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  the nova will tend be too open-handed to refuse, and will likely 
  give cash instead of coins. If the nova sees someone in distress, 
  he'll more than likely rush over and give whatever aid he can, 
  even if he has pressing business elsewhere. The nova will listen 
  sincerely to requests for large-scale financial aid and charitable 
  donations where others would brush them off – he tends to fall 
  for good hard-luck stories. (If the nova's flat broke at the time, 
  he'll make profuse apologies for not being able to help out.) And 
  yes, the nova will do his best to rescue kittens that have climbed 
  up trees and are too scared to get back down by themselves. 
  Note that novas with this aberration aren't hopeless suckers – 
  they simply tend to feel guilty over having won their novahood in 
  what is essentially a genetic lottery, and being better off than so 
  many ordinary humans as a result. In game terms, the nova must 
  make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to his permanent 
  Taint) to avoid giving some sort of aid to those in genuine need, 
  even if ignoring the situation would be for his own benefit or 
  that of the greater good. While this presents obvious difficulties 
  in successfully carrying out missions, the nova will likely gain a 
  positive reputation among devout Buddhists, Muslims, and many 
  varieties of Christians; as well as the people he has helped. 
   
  �  Tactless: Mega-Charismatic novas who develop this 
  aberration become somewhat apathetic to the needs and 
  feelings of other people. While having Mega-Charisma ensures 
  that others will find them likable (at first), they tend to have 
  both the sensitivity of a cinder block and a near-
  incomprehension of tact. As can be expected, this brutal honesty 
  can make social interactions difficult, even with other novas. 
  Novas with this aberration have to make a Willpower roll (with a 
  penalty equal to his or her Taint-derived penalty on Social rolls 
  for interactions with baselines) to avoid saying exactly what 
  they think about a situation, regardless of whether their words 
  would cause other people pain and/or anger. Also, novas with 
  this aberration cannot possess or develop the Natural Empath 
  enhancement of Mega-Wits. 
   
  �  Twisted Sense of Humor: Due to a slight structural 
  alteration in a certain area of her brain, the nova with this 
  aberration gradually starts expanding her definition of what's 
  amusing. The nova will tend to find humor in even the most 
  horrifying situations – what's more, she must make a Willpower 
  roll (with a penalty equal to her permanent Taint) to keep from 
  expressing her amusement in some way. Note that this isn't a 
  defense mechanism against the horrors of gruesome sights – the 
  nova genuinely sees that sort of thing as being funny! This 
  differs from Flippant in that nothing is sacred to a nova with this 
  aberration – if she found her mother had committed suicide with 
  a shotgun, she would make jokes about her old lady “going out 
  with a bang.” Understandably, the nova will suffer an additional 
  +3 difficulty penalty on her Social rolls for interacting with 
  people who don't share her definition of humor. She may also 
  suffer greater penalties on her Social rolls with anyone who was 
  close to the victim(s) of a horrific event that the nova jokes 
  about. For ease of comparison, the Joker (from DC Comics) is 
  the hands-down classic example of a nova with this aberration. 
  If you're looking for a comedian with a healthier sense of humor, 
  see the Flippant aberration (listed above). 
  Medium-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with six to 
  seven points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Glory Hound: This aberration is an extreme version of 
  the Overconfidence Flaw (see the Aberrant Player's Guide, page 
  72). Whereas overconfident novas tend to overestimate their 
  abilities, a nova with this aberration will do so to an absurd 
  degree. She will invariably insist on doing whatever it takes to be 
  in the spotlight – she'll take the greatest risks, lead the charge, 
  and make complex plans that hinge on her abilities. In any 
  situation where an assessment of the nova's abilities is a factor, 
  the Storyteller will make glaringly obvious exaggerations. The 
  nova must also make a Willpower roll at a difficulty penalty equal 
  to her Taint-derived penalty on Social rolls for interacting with 
  baselines to back down from a direct challenge to her abilities. 
  Side effects of this aberration include a willingness to talk to the 
  media, pose for photographs or video cameras, and sign 
  autographs at the slightest opportunity. The nova may make a 
  Willpower roll to resist the effects of this aberration for one 
  scene, but will feel distinctly uncomfortable doing so. Novas with 
  this aberration tend to be adored by the media, children, and 
  teenagers; but are likewise regarded as egotistical jerks by their 
  colleagues and fellow novas. 
   
  �  Heartthrob*: Mega-Charismatic novas with the Seductive 
  enhancement may also develop this aberration – see the full-
  length listing under Mega-Appearance aberrations for details. 
   
  �  Hubris: Ever since the time of ancient Greece, scholars 
  have known the dangers of hubris. This mixture of overweening 
  pride, overconfidence and arrogance has been the downfall of 
  many baselines throughout human history. How much more 
  dangerous is it, then, when developed by a nova? A nova with 
  this specific form of delusion will look down her nose at novas 
  from factions other than her own, not to mention less-powerful 
  novas from her own faction. (And that's not even touching on 
  her extremely low opinion of baselines!) The nova will consider 
  herself to be the perfect choice to lead whatever group she 
  deigns to associate with, and also the nova best-suited for any 
  task. Keeping the condescension and disdain out of her voice 
  when dealing with other people is a difficult trial for her at best. 
  Aside from suffering the effects of the Overconfidence Flaw 
  (see the Aberrant Player's Guide, page 72), a nova with this 
  aberration must make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to 
  her permanent Taint) to avoid acting like a conceited, elitist 
  jerk. This behavior will make the nova unpopular, netting her an 
  additional +2 difficulty penalty on all Social rolls with those 
  people she sees as her inferiors (read: just about everyone else). 
  A hubris-stricken nova will also have trouble accepting 
  responsibility for her own failures, and will instead place the 
  blame on one of her “inferiors”.  
   
  Note: Hubris-stricken novas don't get along at all with 
  novas who have the Glory Hound aberration – in this case, any 
  social difficulty penalties that may apply are doubled! 
   
  �  Party Animal: A nova with this aberration has a hard time 
  resisting the urge to party, and he will usually do so at the drop 
  of a hat. The nova will try any kind of pharmaceutical party 
  favor or beverage that is offered to him; and isn't picky about 
  his romantic partners, provided that they're hot. He likes his 
  music loud and trendy, and prefers to wake up at the crack of 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER FOUR:  FRIGHTENING, WONDERFUL BEHAVIOR 
  96
  noon to a cold beer. If the nova isn't already a regular at places 
  like the Phoenix Room (a.k.a. the Amp Room prior to 2015) or 
  StarLord's Cafe yet, he soon will be. In game terms, the nova 
  must make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to his 
  permanent Taint) to avoid joining or starting a party whenever 
  the opportunity presents itself, even if the party is one that the 
  nova should avoid attending for some reason (not being invited 
  to a private party, people the nova should avoid are attending, 
  or the nova is currently attempting to lie low and avoid 
  attracting attention). He'll avoid empty bars and nightclubs in 
  favor of ones that are filled with people – and if they're being 
  quiet, the nova must roll Willpower (also with a penalty equal to 
  his permanent Taint) to keep from doing his best to liven things 
  up and get the party going. Once the party's started, the nova 
  will always stay for an hour, after which he may make another 
  Willpower roll – if the roll fails, he'll stay at the party until he's 
  thrown out or the party winds down on its own. Additionally, the 
  nova will suffer a further +1 difficulty penalty on all Social rolls 
  for interactions with sober-minded people – extremely dour 
  folk such as fundamentalists will incur a penalty of +2 or worse! 
  The flipside of this is that the nova gains a -1 difficulty bonus on 
  all Social rolls with extroverted people and other folk who love a 
  good party. 
   
  �  Romance Junkie: Sometime during the mid-Twentieth 
  Century, the feeling of sexual attraction came to be referred to 
  in slang as “chemistry”. Ironically this term is quite accurate: the 
  human brain produces a natural “love potion” known as 
  phenylethylamine (PEA) that acts as the chemical basis for 
  sexual attraction. And like many other mind-altering substances, 
  it is possible for humans to become addicted to it – and novas 
  are no exception. Whenever a nova with this aberration has any 
  sort of encounter with an attractive member of the gender he or 
  she is oriented towards, a Willpower roll must be made (with a 
  penalty equal to the nova's permanent Taint) to avoid falling in 
  love with that person. As a result of this addiction/compulsion, 
  the nova will fall all over him – or herself trying to please his or 
  her current beloved. Additionally, the nova must also make a 
  Willpower roll (again with a penalty equal to his permanent 
  Taint) to resist a request from his or her beloved. If she deems it 
  appropriate, the Storyteller might alter the penalty depending 
  on how much fulfilling the request would cost the nova. If the 
  nova's beloved accepts his or her affections, the nova will 
  become the stereotypical overpossessive boy – or girlfriend – 
  the nova will be despondent when his or her object of affection 
  isn't around, extremely jealous if others show an interest in his 
  or her beloved, and generally oblivious to the world unless 
  outside circumstances threaten the nova's relationship. The nova 
  will also engage in frequent PDA's – public displays of affection 
  – regardless of whether or not such acts are a bad idea or 
  simply inappropriate at the time. It should be noted that the 
  nova's beloved doesn't have to be sincere in accepting the 
  nova's affection in order to keep the nova living in this romantic 
  daze. Unless the nova has some means of detecting the lack of 
  real affection on part of his or her beloved or is presented with 
  strong evidence that proves it, he or she will have to make a 
  Willpower roll (with the Taint penalty) in order to realize the 
  faithlessness of his or her beloved. Otherwise, the relationship 
  could go on for years, decades, or centuries! If the nova's 
  beloved rejects his or her affections or if the nova cannot meet 
  anyone appealing, he or she will become depressed (and suffer a 
  +1 difficulty penalty on all rolls) until he or she encounters 
  another attractive person of the correct gender... 
   
  �  Romantic Irresistibility*: A nova with this aberration has 
  a dangerous knack for making people attracted to members of 
  the nova's gender fall in love with him or her without any 
  warning. If such a person makes eye contact with the nova, 
  she/he must make a resisted Willpower roll against the nova's 
  total dice pool for Seduction. The victim also suffers a penalty 
  on the Willpower roll equal to the nova's Taint-derived penalty 
  on rolls for social interactions with baselines. The number of net 
  successes gained by the nova determines the degree of love-
  sickness the victim develops. One success indicates a mild crush, 
  while 5 or more indicates a haunting obsession. The victim will 
  have no reason (at first) to believe that his or her feelings for 
  the nova aren't genuine – depending on how things develop with 
  the nova, they may soon actually become genuine! This effect is 
  impossible for the nova to predict or guard against, and occurs 
  without any warning (read: the Storyteller has total control over 
  when, where, and with whom this happens. This is best used for 
  purposes of subplot or pure mischief on the Storyteller's part!). 
  Novas who develop this aberration soon find that their social 
  lives will rival the most convoluted soap-opera plots ever to 
  grace the schedules of daytime television.. 
   
  �  Sinister: Something about a nova with this aberration 
  really sets baseline humans on edge. The nova may be pleasant 
  company, a stimulating conversationalist and a charming dinner 
  guest, but still that indefinable quality about him raises their 
  hackles – they won't be immediately hostile, but they will be 
  somewhat uneasy. They can't really put a finger on the reason 
  for it, but most baselines the nova encounters won't trust him 
  any farther than one of them could throw a Main Battle Tank. In 
  game terms, a nova with this aberration suffers twice his normal 
  Taint-derived difficulty penalty on Social rolls where gaining the 
  trust of baselines is concerned. There is one exception to this, 
  however: baselines with Willpower scores equal to or greater 
  than the nova's permanent Taint score can ignore the effects of 
  this aberration. Baselines with the Common Sense Merit have an 
  effective +2 to their Willpower scores for purposes of this 
  aberration. This aberration also has no effect whatsoever on any 
  variety of Inspired beings. 
  High-Level Aberrations 
   
  These aberrations are appropriate for novas with eight or 
  more points of permanent Taint. 
   
  �  Prima Donna: The nova with this aberration is extremely 
  self-centered and conceited, and insists that she be recognized 
  by people the world over as literally being the best in her field 
  (not wholly unreasonable for a nova). If the nova hears that 
  someone is better at her chosen pursuit than she is, she will seek 
  to challenge the “upstart” to a public competition ASAP to 
  determine who is the proverbial “Number 1”. The nova will use 
  the reactions of the competition's audience as the indicator or 
  victory or loss. If the nova wins the competition, she will limit 
  herself to verbal gloating over her victory. It's when the nova 
  loses that things will get hairy – the nova will then and there 
  vow to make her rival's life a living hell, and then proceed to do 
  so. The nova must make a Willpower roll (with a penalty equal to 
  
  ABERRANT 
  CHAPTER FOUR:  FRIGHTENING, WONDERFUL BEHAVIOR 
  97
  her permanent Taint) to avoid following these courses of action. 
  Novas with this aberration will rack up impressive lists of 
  enemies, to say the least. (Note: This aberration is not limited to 
  female novas – male novas can be every bit as conceited and 
  egotistical!) 
   
  �  Sponge: Mega-Charismatic novas often seem to have the 
  world for their oyster – everywhere they go, people are 
  practically (sometimes literally) falling over themselves to serve 
  their slightest whims. Receiving this sort of treatment on a 
  constant basis can lead to a sense of entitlement on the part of a 
  Mega-Charismatic nova, and Taint accumulation only makes this 
  problem worse. A nova with this aberration will expect to 
  receive the proverbial “red-carpet treatment” at all times, no 
  matter where he goes or who he deals with. If he gets it, 
  everything's fine as far as the nova's concerned – he's gotten 
  his just due. The problem occurs when the nova isn't treated in 
  this ostentatious manner – he must make a Willpower roll (with 
  a penalty equal to his permanent Taint) to avoid demanding that 
  he be given what he thinks is his due. If that demand isn't met, 
  the nova will become very angry, and will likely resort to 
  physical force in expressing his displeasure. 
   
   
  
  ABERRANT 
  CONTENTS 
  98
  CONTENTS 
   
   
  DEDICATION 
  1 
  INTRODUCTION 
  2 
  CHAPTER ONE: FACES OF THE WORLD  
  4 
  CHAPTER TWO: SOCIAL ENGINEERING  
  37 
  CHAPTER THREE: STORYTELLING  
  51 
  CHAPTER FOUR: FRIGHTENING,  
   
   
  WONDERFUL BEHAVIOR  
  60 
   
   
   
  
  ABERRANT 
  CREDITS 
  99
  CREDITS 
   
   
   
   
  Authors:  Daniel “Alex Green” Buss, Michael “Bahamut810” Whitaker, Shawn “Sprocket” Henley, Jack “Gideon” 
  Summanen  
   
  Additional Contributors:  Fred “Ayre el KaBeer” Salem, Jamais “Finbar” Jochim, Richard “Glitch” Drysdale, Reg 
  “Knave” Stuart, Michael “Nullifier” Milberg, Ben “phoenix” Quigley, Dion “Reighnhell” Woods, Jacob 
  "t-dev" Donahue  
   
  Storyteller Game System Designed By:  Mark Rein�Hagen 
   
  Aberrant Developed By:  Kraig Blackwelder 
   
  Developers: Shawn “Sprocket” Henley, Jack “Gideon” Summanen  
   
  Editors:  Shawn “Sprocket” Henley, Jack “Gideon” Summanen 
   
  Layout and Typesetting:  Jessica “JessiLaurn” Orsini 
   
  Special Thanks to:  All of the folks at the eononline.net forums 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  http://eononline.net 
   
   
   
  Legal Notice 
   
  Various terms used throughout this book are copyright White Wolf Publishing Inc. This publication is purely fan 
  fiction, it is in no way associated with or recognized by White Wolf Publishing Inc. In short, this book is completely 
  unofficial, please take it as that. 
   
  In order to use the contents of this book you will need to have purchased several of the official books available from 
  White Wolf Publishing at http://www.white-wolf.com or in electronic format from DriveThruRPG.com at 
  http://www.drivethrurpg.com.  Support Aberrant and the Trinity Universe by either visiting White Wolf’s website, 
  DriveThruPRG.com’s website, or your local gaming store to purchase the official books. 
   
  This book in its entirety has been developed to be freely available to fans of White Wolf’s Trinity Universe – the 
  most recent copy of this book can be downloaded for free from EON at http://eononline.net. 
   
  The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or 
  copyright concerned. This book uses science fiction for settings, characters and themes. All science fiction and geopolitical 
  scenarios are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.  
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Forceful Personalities 
   
  BEAUTY, GUILE AND CHARM 
   
  These are abstract ideals to baselines, but are the weapons of 
  choice among the Mega-Social novas. This book brings these 
  titans of the social arena and their capabilities into sharper 
  focus. But not all that glitters is gold, and some Mega-Social 
  novas may find that their gifts can become curses when the 
  limelight becomes too bright for comfort, and escaping the 
  public eye becomes almost impossible. 
   
  WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL ARENA 
   
  Aberrant: Forceful Personalities takes a closer look at what 
  defines the Social Mega-Attributes, and the effects that Mega-
  Social novas can have on the world around them. Here you'll 
  find an in-depth look into the phenomenon of nova cults, the 
  introduction of Adversarial Backgrounds and an optional social 
  combat system, rules for brainwashing, and plenty of new 
  Mega-Social enhancements and aberrations. And if that wasn't 
  enough, Aberrant: Forceful Personalities also gives a complete 
  breakdown of what it means to be Mega-Ugly in an age where 
  beauty is king. 
   
   
   
   
   
  http://eononline.net 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Aberrant/Aberrant - Forceful Personalities.pdf