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(I2) Illusion Casting (16-70) The
hero can create realistic holographic images that have apparent solidity. These
Illusions can be mechanically detected and recorded by such means as photography
or television. That separates this Power from the psionic, image-generating
Power called Hallucinations, which produces images directly in the target's mind
and cannot affect mechanical senses. The
Illusion can take any size or appearance the hero desires and is limited only by
his imagination. The Illusion can be a realistic simulation, a fanciful creation
direct from the hero's mind, or an abstract display of light. The hero is
playing with light itself and can create anything that is visible. Since most
people depend. on vision to gain information on their surroundings, this Power
presents the awesome ability to apparently alter the nature of reality. The
hero can cast his Illusions anywhere within his Power rank range, though he must
be able to clearly see the area where the Illusion is forming if he wants to
make it at all realistic. The normal limit for unaided vision is one area (132
feet). Beyond that range the hero can no longer clearly see his Illusion's
surroundings and thus cannot alter the Illusion to reflect things going on
around the Illusion. For
example, an Illusionary tree cast two areas away might seem to be floating a
discreet two inches above the ground. If
the hero is unconcerned about maintaining the reality of his Illusions, this
limit can be ignored. The hero does not even need to be able to see the Illusion
as it forms. Such uncontrolled Illusions appear as transparent, free-floating
apparitions. If the Illusion takes the form of a living being, viewers might see
it as a ghost or other phantom form. If the hero possesses a means of extending
the range of his senses, he can maintain the realism m of his Illusion at up to
full range of both this Power and that of whatever means he uses to extend his
vision. Ways of increasing the senses' range include mechanical means such as
binoculars and remote TV cameras and sense-extending Powers, most notably
Telescopic Vision and Clairvoyance.
Example: Deetee has an Incredible rank and can Illusion-Cast up to two miles
away. She also has a good pair of binoculars that enable her to see up to one
mile away. For idle amusement, she likes to go to the top of tall buildings and
Cast Illusions at the pedestrians below. She also like to find the monitors for
remote surveillance cameras and use them to direct her Illusions into locked
rooms. Illusions
last as long as the hero concentrates on maintaining their existence. The Judge
is free to determine how long the hero can maintain his concentration in a given
circumstance. Breaking the hero's concentration abruptly terminates the
Illusion, while merely getting distracted causes the Illusion to begin to lose
realism (drift, lose detail, become translucent, and so on). The Illusion's
effect on a viewer varies. A viewer must make an Intuition FEAT against the
Power rank of the Illusion-caster; success means the viewer now recognizes the
Illusion's true nature. Players running characters viewing an Illusion are only
allowed to make a FEAT if they suspect the Illusion. This can occur if they
physically touch the Illusion, if the Illusion is somehow flawed, or if the
character is just naturally cynical. ("Congratulations, Les. So far this
morning you have attempted to disbelieve the existence of a flying saucer,
Galactus, two muggers, and your breakfast."). Since Illusion-Casting
includes the Power of Light Control, Illusions can provide a measure of
protection against light-based attacks. An Illusory tent would provide
protection against both infrared and ultraviolet light, thus keeping the hero
cool and safe from sunburn. Treat this Power as +2CS Resistance to Light-based
attacks. It does not provide protection against any of the other ways Moms
Nature has of affecting us. That Illusory tent would be drafty, cold, and
flimsy. Illusion
Casting can be combined with other Powers to give 1he Illusion enhanced realism;
this can also create Illusions that do real physical damage. If the
Illusion-caster has any of the Energy
Emission Powers, these can be redirected to apparently originate from the
Illusion rather than from the hero. For
example, combining this Power with Plasma Generation would simulate the
Phoenix-force and fry any electronics in the area. More
commonly, the power is used to disguise the true nature of anything the hero or
her companions might be doing.
Example: Deetee and her buddy Jayboy have to break into a certain building
that they know is under surveillance. Deetee doesn't care about subtlety, only
About distraction, and casts an Illusion of a,.Large elephant that comes
lumbering around a corner and lies down in front of the door. Inside the
elephantine Illusion Jayboy is free to use his Kinetic Bolt Power to smash open
the door. He also uses his K-bolts to simulate the effect the elephant's legs
have when they kick against a target. The
main drawback to Illusion-Casting is that the hero must keep his Power's true
nature a secret from his adversaries. It must be presented as if it were another
Power entirely. For
example, although she is an Illusion-caster, Deetee often presents herself as a
Demon-Summoner. Even
if the Power's nature is public knowledge, the Power is still effective. The
Powers of Light Emission and Light Control are innate factors of Illusion
Casting. As such, the hero has the ability to generate any intensity and
frequency of light. He can warp light, alter its frequency, and change its
degree of coherency. The hero can do -2CS rank level damage using light-based
attacks. As noted earlier, the Power includes -2CS Resistance to Light-based
attacks; the hero simply casts an Illusion of something opaque between herself
and the offending light. The hero can simulate other visual Powers or Talents
with some effectiveness as well; the -2CS limit is used as a guide for
determining how well the hero can do these things.
Example: Once inside the building, Deetee and Jay-boy discover a guard.
Deetee casts an Illusion of Ringmaster and tries to hypnotize the guard. Her
Incredible rank is reduced to merely Excellent when she tries simulate Hypnotic
Control. Fortunately that is enough; the guard falls under the spurious
Ringmaster's control. Powers
that are a part of or can be simulated by Illusion-Casting include:
A
drawback in characters who have this Power is that they tend to become
philosophical about the relationship between Reality and Illusion. Companions
find themselves drawn into interminable arguments about what is real and what is
not. Illusion-Casters may even begin to feel that they themselves are an
Illusion being cast by some unknown being. Optional
Powers include Energy Solidification, Telescopic Vision, and Clairvoyance. |