Technomancy: An Elucidation

The mystic school of technomancy concerns itself with the products of living beings' knowledge. Similar to but distinct from alchemy, this form of magic involves the blending of sorcery and science in three basic fashions. The simplest of these is the direct manipulation of technology with magic, which is accomplished with, among other things, the spells developed by this school over time.

The middle ground is what is colloquially known as industrial magic, the replacement of extant technologies with counterparts made possible by sorcery, or the parallel/alternative development of the same. A camera devised using industrial magic principles might have a tiny imp inside painting what it sees, for example, instead of exposing charge coupled devices (or, if older, film negatives) to the light.

The most complicated form technomancy can take is in the creation of devices that seamlessly blend magic and technology into a cohesive whole. This process is generally unique to each device created using the school's knowledge, assuming one isn't building more than a single example of the same implement, and is essentially a form of invention that incorporates spellcasting into the process.

The Technomancer

More than their counterparts practicing magic learned via other mystic schools by far, technomancers are often skilled scientists. Sure, each school of magic represents a trade of sorts, however flawed its methodology might seem to conventional men and women of knowledge, but a technomage often masters as many mundane scientific talents as they do arcane formulas to manifest magical effects.

This is because magicians of machinery rely upon conventional technology as much as sorcery to accomplish their goals. A technomage is as likely to have a number of off-the-shelf implements secreted amongst their belongings as they are ensorcelled objects, some of which they have made themselves and some that they have procured from others. It generally just depends on the overall style of their wizardry.

While you may find a technomage who is primarily an electronicist who augments their equipment with a bit of magic, or a sorcerer who assists their spellcasting with a handy device here or there, most mages who belong to this school strive for more. The ultimate goal, after all, is to integrate the two ostensibly distinct sources of power into a singular whole, one greater than the sum of its parts!

Device Spells

The easiest means by which a technomancer can combine the effects of sorcery and science is to directly apply the former to the latter. The most obvious application of this method is with the spells provided by the mystic school of technomancy itself. The thirteen technomantic spells allow their caster to directly impose their will on technology above and beyond the ability of most other spellcasters.

But what about other spells, you might ask? While it is conceivable that a technomage could learn how to cast a spell entirely independent of technology, here or there, that goes against the grain of technomancy. Thus, a technomancer who wishes to master a personal, universal, dimensional, group, or entreaty spell (with the sole exception of empowerment) typically does so with the aid of symbolic technology.

This counts as a limitation to such spells, offering a beneficial Column Shift based on the difficulty of replacing the symbolic item. Using a revolver bought off-the-shelf as a focus for the casting of an eldritch bolt might provide the technomage a +1 CS bonus, while a clairvoyance spell requiring the use of a high-flying drone built by hand, using rare and/or expensive components, may be much more beneficial.

Industrial Magic

A technomancer can easily get by utilizing ordinary hardware and device spells, whether inherent to their school or when focused through mundane items, though this simply scratches the surface of what their school is capable of. A more advanced application of technomancy is the process of industrial magic, which involves using empowement to replace an item's conventional functions with a sorcerous counterpart.

Note the word 'a' instead of 'the', in regards to mystical substitutions. This is because any number of magical schemes can be utilized to replace an item's usual workings with sorcery. For instance, one could substitute the impetus for movement a train normally receives via its prime mover by having it entreat a place of power for the necessary energy, utilize an energetic elemental, or simply enchant it with Propulsion.

Temporary substitutions of this nature require no Karma expenditure. Persistent effects replacing extant device functions only requires the Karma cost of making them permanent, per empowerment. Finally, installing an all-new magical ability into a device, or using this technique to simulate a mundane (to you and I, at least) device where it does not currently exist, is completed using empowerment normally.

Any Karma required of a technomancer when utilizing industrial magic is reduced by twenty-five percent.

Commixture

Beyond mere spellcasting, and distinct from industrial magic, is commixture. Combining science and sorcery into a singular, cohesive whole, commixture is where technomages truly begin to stand out from their sorcerous peers. This process allows these technological thaumaturges to craft implements which utilize ordinary principles and fantastic components whose combination exceeds the sum of their parts.

If this sounds like conventional invention to you, you'd be right. When adding sorcery to the process, inventors introduce numerous shortcuts into the process to speed it along. For starters, if magic is used to produce an effect beyond that of society's mainstream technology, a technomantic object does not have a minimum tech rank of Monstrous (75), potentially reducing the difficulty in building it significantly.

Furthermore, technomages may utilize one or more non-school device spells as special catalysts, if applicable to a given invention. If required to master new spells to install in a device, technomages can learn them as ordinary magic formulas, or may instead study them solely as spells to be used during the invention process. This extremely limits such spells, but they can be reused in other inventions.

the Implementalist: A Sample Technomage

Technomancy is elegant in its seeming simplicity, which belies the possibilities it provides for. A character studying this mystic school can utilize any number of approaches to it while adventuring, tendencies that make their generation seem more daunting than it really should be. Thus, a sample technomancer is generated below, completed using the systematic method of building characters.

Let's see what we can do with fifty points!

Determining the Implementalist's Basic Abilities

The general theme I'm going for with this technomage is that they're not all that physically capable, but are quite brilliant. Thus, I pick up Typical (6) Fighting (no points), Good (10) Agility (one point), Poor (4) Strength (negative one point), Good (10) Endurance (one point), Incredible (40) Reason (four points), Remarkable (30) Intuition (three points), and Excellent (20) Psyche (two points).

Our fresh, new mechamage has thirty Health after adding up the rank numbers of their Fighting, Agility, Strength, and Endurance, as well as a Karma total of ninety thanks to the sum of their Reason, Intuition, and Psyche rank numbers. I pony up six points to acquire a Resources rank of Remarkable (30), and as usual, leave their Popularity score at zero (0), because that is fluid enough in a campaign.

Determining the Implementalist's Background Information

Continuing the theme I have in my head for this character, I give them Lameness, in the form of a bum leg that generally hampers their movement. They suffer this handicap thanks to a hit and run incident years ago, and lack the option to fix it technologically due to an inherent cyber-neurosis. I expend the two points gained with those deleterious quirks with Natural Talents in Electronics and Engineering.

Bolstering their inherent skills with training, I definitely choose Electronics and Engineering as this technomancer's talents, along with Computers and Mathematics. And then, sealing the deal, I opt to take Education, making this magician of machines a high school teacher, one who supplements the meager pay their primary profession provides with inventions they create (or reverse engineer from criminals).

Lastly, this character has two floating contacts in the form of former students who have gone on to make their fortunes in Silicon Valley, for one point each. Where they really get their support is from a loose organization of like-minded technologists, one which allows them to mix, match, and share their innovations with each other, all for mutual benefit: the Electronicists' League! This is a level three contact.

Determining and Quantifying the Implementalist's Magical Abilities and Appliances

With twenty-three points remaining, I start right in with the device spells, purchasing Excellent (20) ranked Empowerment (ten points) and Mesmermechanism (five points). I then purchase invention-dedicated, Remarkable (30) ranked Eldritch Bolt, Force Field, and Technological Sense spells, which only cost two points each, since they are considered extremely limited in nature.

They use these invention spells in the creation of an endless array of ray guns (projecting lasers) and protective badges (projecting force fields). The mechamage may develop these items with relative ease, and they don't cost additional Karma since they are abilities they themselves wield, though anyone else the character gives them away to on a permanent basis wouldn't be so lucky.

Finally, with two points left, I opt to create a specific item the character invented early in their career. This cane allows our new technomancer to fly with Good (10) ability, on top of functioning as, well, a walking aid. Strongly limited, being that it is a portable device that would be hard to replace, it will consume the character's remaining points.

Determining the Implementalist's Origin Story

Perpetually bullied as a youth, young Howard Franks' high school ordeals culminated in his being run over by numerous reprobates on the football team who claimed they just wanted to 'scare him a little'. Failing to cover up their tracks, since Howard didn't actually die when they hit him after a chase through several suburban neighborhoods, Howard became the town 'villain' when half his assailants were tried as adults.

Driven from his home by irate, small-town football fanatics, he and his family moved to the city, where Howard didn't have to deal with such small-time tribalism. Crippled for life, he vigorously pursued scientific knowledge, since a job involving a lot of physical labor wasn't really in the cards for him any longer. Imagine his surprise when he discovered a natural talent for electronic engineering.

Becoming a high-tech whiz, Howard ultimately fell into the orbit of the Electronicists' League, which is always on the lookout for people as talented as he. Meeting a bona fide technomancer there, Howard apprenticed under him for several years, until he had developed numerous sorcerous skills in addition to his high-tech talents. In time, he even became a teacher himself, helping urban youths master various sciences.

At least, when not adventuring as the high-tech wonder, the Implementalist!

Technomantic Spells

For the most part, spells emblematic of the technomancy school of magic involve directly interacting with the products of knowledge, or in other words, technology. Though technomages may very well focus other spells through items to produce more distinct applications of their sorcery, the following, thirteen spells are designed to aid them in the manipulation of devices large, small, and in-between:

C

Componentry
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank

The process of altering the nature of a technomantic object is complicated, in that it involves changing the physical or magical nature of its existence - if not both! Using componentry, a technomage may analyze how a true technomantic device functions and, using that information, attempt to manipulate it. The difficulty of doing this depends on just what the technomage is trying to accomplish.

If a technomage is attempting to merely repair a slightly broken or malfunctioning technomantic device, or similarly change it in a fashion that does not prevent it from working as it did before, he or she only needs a green componentry spell ACTION. Alterations of this nature often involve maintenance work, such as efforts to keep an item working right in the face of heavy use or the wear and tear caused by combat.

On the other hand, making a more drastic modification to a technomantic device, whether it be an extensive repair job or an alteration of its specific capabilities (either physical or magical) requires a yellow spell ACTION. Such changes in capability involve a modification from one function to another within the item, as long as said capabilities are within the same cost range and/or rank.

Finally, making an extreme change in a technomantic item, one which completely alters it into something else, or otherwise gives it an ability of increased rank or price, requires a red componentry spell ACTION. Furthermore, this may incur significant Karma costs as well, since the item is essentially being improved above and beyond the original Karma total paid when it was first built / acquired.

This is the basic process used in modifying a technomantic item, but all of these rules assume that the technomage can alter it in the first place. To even change such an item in this fashion, the caster must first overcome the magic which was used in its construction. While a technomage need not do this when altering a device of their own creation, they do have to 'master' a device when it was built by anyone else.

This involves passing a spell ACTION against the intensity of magic originally used to create the item. Of course, some items also have additional safeguards against their modification as well, and the would-be technomantic tinkerer must overcome those, as well. These can be anything from a specific resistance to magic to booby traps set into the device to prevent unwanted customization.

Computer Link
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank

A computer link is a mental interface with a digital system. This may be granted by either a physical connection to one's body (like a data jack), or perhaps a remote networking with the computer in question (either with conventional wireless technology, or perhaps psychic prowess). While connected with a computer via this link, a character may communicate with it directly, using digital code.

This makes a computer link the opposite of device sympathy after a fashion, as the latter ability is almost empathic in nature, while this one is grounded in just what the computer can do (and whatever information it houses within). While this power is active, the linked character can understand the digital impulses the computer they're linked to makes - as if it were talking to them in their native tongue!

How well one can make this link work depends on the ACTION rolled when the link is initiated. A green ACTION lets one understand the active programs a computer is running, as well as what it is currently doing. A yellow ACTION lets one monitor and make transmissions with the computer and anything it is, in turn, networked to. Red ACTIONs are only required if the computer so linked is beyond the character's understanding.

If the information a linked character attempts to interact with is encrypted, he or she must pass the above ACTION roll at a negative column shift, ranging from -1 CS to -4 CS depending on its complexity, as the time spent decrypting the information makes it much harder to interact with data in real-time. This penalty can be reduced, if not transformed into a bonus, if the character also possesses the linguistics ability.

Computer link works within Very Near distance of the computer in question, though if delivered by a physical connection, contact is required (counting as a weak limitation).

D

Device Generation
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 2 points per rank

A specialized form of matter generation, device generation gives its wielder the ability to spontaneously create, from seeming nothingness, a vast array of electronic and/or mechanical implements. Said implements are built using ambient subatomic particles, which permeate the environment around oneself in limitless numbers. The trick is that one can only generate so much material with each use of this incredible ability.

Device generation can create mass equal to its power rank, in pounds, each turn. Building something larger requires that one spend more than a single turn generating the desired object. For example, Incredible (40) ranked device generation can produce forty pounds of gear per turn. To make something that weighs two hundred pounds, that Incredible device generation would have to spend five full turns creating it.

Spontaneously generating devices is extremely stressful on the body. Wielding this power costs its possessor one Health point each turn it is used, Health that must then be recovered normally. This strain can be alleviated entirely with the use of the disintegration power, using it to transform external matter into fuel for device generation to bypass the staggering physical costs involved.

This power differs from standard matter generation in that it cannot produce matter willy-nilly; anything it creates has to come in the form of memorized patterns, technological matter that can be used in some fashion. In other words, the possessor of device generation can create a pair of handcuffs or a laser blaster with it, but they must commit designs for the components involved to memory first.

One can recall a number of distinct designs that is equal to their Reason (mem) score. Furthermore, the components of a sufficiently complicated device may actually require the memorization of multiple designs; a robot's 'brain' may necessitate one design, while its frame and moving parts require another, each kind of sensor consumes yet another, and any weapons involved might take even more.

One strategy to work within this system may involve developing common parts for the power to make use of, saving design 'space'.

Once a character has memorized his or her maximum amount of design patterns, they must either raise their Reason (mem) score or forget older designs to acquire more. The latter option is often the easiest, as not everyone can get smarter on demand. Of course, if one acquires the eidetic memory power during character generation (or at a later point), they can bypass this restriction on design memorization entirely.

When creating a device, the wielder of this power must first pass an ACTION roll of a difficulty determined by the form of materials they are generating. Devices made from a simple elemental material or alloy (such as chrome or bronze) require a green ACTION roll, while yellow ACTIONs are necessary when producing complex chemical compounds or artificial elemental material (such as semiconductors or bohrium).

A red power ACTION is only required when attempting to generate items out of fictional elements or compounds - these are most often materials that are campaign specific, or exist only within one's preferred fictional setting (things like Promethium, which is also a real element, but has fantastic fictional variants). Generating items out of such substances is incredibly hard, but not entirely impossible.

The amount of time such spontaneously generated devices persist is determined by a second ACTION roll, made after an initial success. A white ACTION makes it last for a number of turns equal to this power rank number, a green ACTION lets a device exist for a number of minutes equal to this power rank number, and a yellow ACTION allows an item to persist for a number of hours equal to this power's rank number.

Finally, a red power ACTION creates devices from nowhere that last indefinitely.

Device generation functions within Very Near distance of its wielder, and then only within one's direct line-of-sight. Wielding this power at Unearthly (100) ability, for example, would allow its possessor to generate matter anywhere within 100 yards of their person - assuming nothing lies between them and where they would like to create it. Created items have no inherent velocity, but gravity definitely affects them immediately.

Typically, a 'to hit' roll is not necessary when wielding this ability - it just makes something, approximately where one would like it to manifest. However, if one is attempting to create matter in a fashion that is opposed somehow, such as generating an armed stun grenade over someone's head, an Agility roll is required. Targets who are aware of such attempts may do everything in their power to avoid them.

Device generation is a bit expensive, but may be taken with a variety of limitations to reduce its cost somewhat - on top of those that are already indicated above, that is. One can easily limit it by reducing the kinds of materials it can generate; curtailing device generation to one kind of material (wood, plastic) is a weak limitation, while reducing it to a specific substance (ice, ytterbium) is a strong limitation.

Similarly, allowing a body to only build one item with this power - perhaps a trusty accessory - counts as a very strong limitation, extreme if it can only be made out of one substance, as well. Finally, removing permanence from the power also counts as a weak limitation; this reduces a red ACTION roll to a duration equal to the power rank number in days. This is still quite a while, but can be inconvenient nonetheless.

Diagnosis
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank

Diagnosis is the ability to extend one's awareness into the workings of any device, whether mechanical, electronic, or both, to get a feel for how it functions. While standard visual cues might tell a body what is wrong, whether due to obvious physical damage or perhaps the readings an oscilloscope provides, diagnosis cuts out the 'middle man' and saves a body from hauling heavy test equipment around.

Usually, a green power ACTION roll is all one requires to determine whether or not a device is functioning properly - and if it isn't, what's gone wrong. A more difficult ACTION may be called upon when attempting to diagnose a highly intermittent problem, or perhaps when attempting to determine how to optimize or even overclock a system beyond what its design specifications would normally (and safely) allow for.

E

Electronics Invisibility
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired
Cost: 1 point per rank

Electronics invisibility is the ability to render oneself undetectable by sensors of various stripes. While this power is active, its wielder may stand in front of a video camera without being seen, can scream into a microphone without being heard, and can even avoid the awareness of seemingly foolproof devices such as a pressure sensor. To these digital senses, the character is simply not there.

Without additional forms of stealth, this ability may be revealed if 'boots on the ground' spot the electronically invisible individual when their equipment does not. Similarly, the power does not mask things once they leave a character's body (like the steamy breath one exhales on a particularly cold morning), or the effects they leave on the environment (such as a trail of footprints).

Finally, electronics invisibility only functions within Near range of its possessor. Thus, a satellite in orbit might still spot the electronically invisible character from on high, even if much closer opponents can't get a bead on him or her with their equipment.

However, even by itself, electronics invisibility is a great infiltration tool.

I

Interfacing
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank

The power of interfacing is one which allows its possessor to, well, interface technology with non-technological things. The process of interfacing can seamlessly integrate technology into a person, place, or thing without the need for serious construction work, surgery, or other applicable modifications. To interface technology with something, one need only pass a single ACTION roll to make the resultant combination function.

If this is a living being, the interfacer must pass a power ACTION roll against the Endurance (res) rank of the target - even if they are willing. If the subject of the power isn't alive or lacks an Endurance rank (often the case when wiring up an area), an interfacer must merely pass a power ACTION against the subject's material strength. If this ACTION is successful, the technology is successfully interfaced with the subject.

On the other hand, interfacing may be used in reverse, decoupling technology from a person, place, or thing. This requires a similar ACTION roll, and is generally a much more hostile action, as it involves undoing a considerable amount of work that others have undertaken. Of course, one can use interfacing in this fashion to repair the damage caused by others using the same ability.

It lends itself to 'mad scientist' work, after all!

M

Mesmermechanism
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank

Wielding mesmermechanism, a character may direct any electronic or mechanical item to do his or her bidding. This typically involves the character invoking the mesmermechanism ability, a process that ends by them literally telling the device what it must do. This can be as simple or as complicated as time permits; 'Get him' works just as well as 'Run him over until he doesn't move anymore,' but is less evocative.

This power functions as a sort of technological counterpart to standard mesmerism, working in the same manner. A character may use it to give a device a momentary command ('Hit the brakes') or a continuous instruction ('Floor it and don't stop'). The item in question will continue to perform the action commanded of it, until said action is complete (the car stops) or it cannot be continued (the car is hit by a train).

The latter, if possible, will continue for a duration in hours equal to the power rank number.

The impetus for this operation is provided by the mesmermechanism power, including any energy required. For instance, a car directed to drive for hours on end will continue to do so under mesmermechanism's influence, long after it has run out of gas. An item can be compelled to do anything it is physically capable of. A bicycle will happily pedal down the street, but it cannot fly - unless it has a built-in jump jet.

Compelling items to do the character's bidding usually only requires a green power ACTION, unless it is under the mental control of someone else (direct neural interface, another mesmermechanist) or is itself sentient (an artificial intelligence, or perhaps a golem). In either case, the item in question may attempt to resist an application of mesmermechanism, though it must defeat this power's rank to do so.

O

Overdrive
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank

When subjecting a device to the power of overdrive, a character can crank it up to its maximum power or effectiveness - and far, far beyond. A device so overdriven operates at its normal rank +2 CS, but with each use at such a higher operating level, it will fail spectacularly unless it passes a yellow operations check. This is an expensive power to use on one's own devices, as it quickly burns them out.

On the other hand, it can be a great way to disable the technology of others. When using overdrive offensively, the device to be overdriven is allowed an operations check against the overdrive power if non-sentient, or an Endurance (res) or Psyche (will) ACTION roll (whichever is applicable) to resist if sentient. If the overdrive power overcomes any resistance, it is likely to damage just about anything it is used upon.

If a device doesn't operate while overdrive is maintained on it, the power has no effect.

Overdrive can function on any device within Very Near distance.

R

Repair
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank

Repair does precisely what its name implies, allowing its wielder a super-human capability to fix broken items.

It can undo minor problems (microfractures, poor solder connections, broken circuit board traces) with a green power ACTION roll. More difficult repairs (open or shorted electronic components, broken gear teeth or screws, blown tires, or torn belts) can be undertaken with a yellow power ACTION. Extensive problems (shattered axles, bent aircraft wings, burnt PC boards) may be resolved with a red power ACTION roll.

The only form of damage this ability cannot overcome is that caused by a missing part (or parts). These must be replaced by either acquiring the missing components or jury rigging a replacement. If the nature of the missing pieces is unknown (a bullet hole through the circuit board, for instance), diagnosis may be required to sort out what is needed - assuming someone lacks the printed schematic, that is.

One repair may be made on a device at a time, each taking a full action, but any number of fixes may be applied to make an item work again.

S

Schema
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank

The schema power is related to technical intuition in function. Its use involves handling a device to study it properly, taking in details about both its obvious characteristics and how it works 'under the hood'. Where this power differs from technical intuition, however, is that schema takes a much more scientific look at how an item works - the better to reproduce it with!

With a simple green power ACTION roll, the possessor of schema can analyze and internalize all the physical characteristics of an item. A yellow power ACTION roll can observe the hard-wired programming of an item (whether on an EEPROM chip or set mechanically). A red schema ACTION even allows a body to take in any free-range code working on a device (material on a hard disk, or even floating around in its RAM).

This power is an excellent means of breaking down how a device works - particularly if it functions on a level above that which its possessor is accustomed to. One can then use this information to better reverse engineer equipment for one's own use. This can come in the form of conventional crafting exercises, or perhaps when 'memorizing' items to be produced with other abilities, such as device generation!

T

Technical Intuition
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank

This ability represents an inherent knack for understanding how devices work. The character wielding this power may not grasp the scientific principles behind such, but can easily suss out what makes an item function - and how to make that happen. Thus, technical intuition is a great way to determine how to operate anything, whether it be a Colt ™ 1911A1 handgun or an alien hyperdrive unit.

Just by handling a device, the character with technical intuition can infer how to use it. It can be electromechanical, or even be a thing made or empowered by psionic or magical means; its origin is irrelevant. They will also be able to sense any sort of booby traps or safeguards set against unwanted use, and can bypass these with a successful power ACTION roll against the intensity of the security mechanism.

Technological Sense
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired
Cost: 1 point per rank

A technological sense is the ability to detect the result of living beings altering their environment, whether intentionally or otherwise. This is most often done by sentient beings, or perhaps even their creations, but can occasionally occur when merely 'clever' animals develop primitive technologies. Generally, this ability works within Near distance of its wielder, functioning on anything inside that radius.

A technology's nature determines how difficult spotting it can be. Active systems, whether as simple as a battery or as complex as an atomaton, can be detected on a green ACTION. Inactive manufactured items, ranging from an old highway to a machete, can be found with a yellow power ACTION. Red ACTION rolls are typically necessary only when looking for obscure items, such as a narrow path worn by animals over time.

V

Variable Cybernetics
Type: Technomancy Spell
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank

A character with variable cybernetics can absorb the properties of any device into his or her body! When variable cybernetics is invoked, it can copy any technology within Very Near distance, and incorporate its characteristics into all, or a part of, its wielder. Variable cybernetics does not affect the source of the technology so copied, and said source may not even know (if it's alive) that it was duplicated.

Once a variable cybernetic is set, it remains available to the wielder of such until they duplicate another technology. This inherent device functions at its original score (if applicable), not the variable cybernetics rank. If the power is idle, the variable cybernetic can be rendered dormant, fading from one's body until used again (though a strong limitation would remove this capability).

Once the wielder of variable cybernetics copies a new technology, they 'forget' the old equipment and 'learn' the new gear. When the old form of variable cybernetics is forgotten, it is gone forever - unless copied again at a later date. While variable cybernetics can be used to acquire any technological capability, it does not function on inherent powers, knowledge-based ascendant abilities, or talents.

In other words, variable cybernetics could copy a flamethrower, but not fire generation or an eldritch blast of flames. Copying the properties of a device merely requires a green power ACTION roll.

As a spell, variable cybernetics has a unique duration. While the power has an 'instantaneous' activation time, its effects are continuous. Its wielder need not maintain variable cybernetics to keep what they have acquired in this fashion, and if it is somehow blocked (by, say, an EMP), it will return when that effect expires, leaving only when variable cybernetics is reused to acquire a new ability.

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