[BNW] PP: Mass Manipulater

[Theo McGuckin <tsm@jlab.org>]

	This type of delta can be really dense. No wait, let me start
again :)
	While Shrinkers control their size, but maintain a constant mass,
Mass Manipulaters are, as you might have guessed, the opposite. They
possess the ability to increase or decrease their mass while still
occupying the same volume of space (i.e. they don't change size, just
density).
	This can have several effects. Aside from being able to make
himself much tougher, stronger and heavier (or weaker and lighter) it can
also have several unusual effects. A very heavy Mass Manipulater can find
himself breaking chairs or even crashing through floors if he's not
careful. While a very light Mass Manipulater has to be careful not to be
blown away by a strong breeze, but might be able to walk across quicksand
that his teammates would drown in.

Powers:
Increase/decrease mass - by making an easy [5] strength roll the delta can
increase or decrease his mass by a factor of 2 for every success (the
first success would double/halve his mass, the second would
quadruple/quarter his mass, the third would would make him 8x or 1/8x his
normal mass etc. The delta can choose a lesser change than his max. roll
(i.e. just because he rolled a 15 on his strength check doesn't mean he
has to go all the way up to 8x his normal mass, he could stop at 4x or 2x
if he wanted).
The delta stays in this state until he consciously changes back (i.e. like
a shrinker he doesn't have to "maintain" his body's change, or have a
duration to it). He can take an action at any time to automatically return
to his normal mass, and must do so before changing his mass again.

Changing his mass has the following game effects:
- For each increment of his mass he gains a +/-1 to his strength. If he is
  decreasing his mass then that number acts as a penalty.
- While he doesn't gain protection in the form of armor, he can gain/lose
  protection through his actual mass/density change. Once he's changed
  mass look up his new WEIGHT on the table on page 142 of the main book.
  Use this weight to determine his size for taking damage. He doesn't
  physically change size (so the TN to hit him doesn't change), but his
  density changes such that he becomes more/less resilient to physical
  damage.

Ex. Density the Delta wants to cross a rickety bridge in a hurry to escape
some Primers. There's no wind so he decides to lighten his mass to put
less strain on the bridge. Rolling his strength (5d6) he gets an 11. He
reduces his mass to 1/4 normal. He noramally weighs 200 lbs. Now he weighs
50 lbs. and has a strength of 5d6-2. Unfortunately, while crossing the
bridge he is shot at by a Primer and hit for 8 points of damage. Normally
that would be 1 wound, but looking up his 50 lbs. weight in the book
Density is currently treated as size 3, so that's 2 wounds!

Now Density just barely makes it across the bridge and wisely takes a
second to return to his normal mass. Out of nowhere an Primer Scrapper
comes charging out from behind a building. Density takes an action and
rolls an wopping 18! for his strength check. That octuples his mass (8x)
to 200 -> 400 -> 800 -> 1600 lbs! Luckily the concrete here is good and
strong. Now he has a strength of 5d6+4 and takes wounds as if he was size
10!

Thoughts? I'm not sure about it being a strength roll and not a spirit
roll. It might be kind of "everything takes a spirit roll lately"
backlash. But it just seems like it would be more of a physical than
spiritual strain to change his mass.

Theo McGuckin - SysAdmin, JLab


	"Wow, a sleep-over. A roaring fire, sleeping bags on the floor,
	 it's just like that time I got kicked out of Sports Authority."