Norseman Central
Mechanism

Version 4.0

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Magical Mechanisms
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Mechanisms are only effective if used by someone who actually possesses Magical Power. Mechanisms can be imitated by normal people but the Effect won't occur because the imitator doesn't have the Power to support the mimicry. So forget about tape-recording Chants and playing them back whenever you want. Of course, if the Mechanism is imitated by someone who didn't know that they possessed Magical Power, then the Effect might unexpectedly occur.

For example, the famous choreographer Rob Fusse created a ballet that incorporated dance steps he'd once witnessed in a Tibetan temple. He didn't know that the dance was really a Weather Control spell. He also didn't know that his lead dancer was a budding Sorceress; she didn't know it either. On the opening night, the dancer's excitement finally allowed her latent Power to connect with the spell she was unwittingly casting, with torrential results. Critics hailed it as a new triumph in bringing realism into the theatre.

Curiously, if anyone who possesses Powers other than Magic tries to imitate a Mechanism, there is a chance it will succeed. In such a case, the mimic's own Powers provide the raw energy to achieve the Effect. Such a mimicry requires two red Reason FEATs to succeed. The first FEAT means that some kind of Effect has been achieved, while the second means the Effect is under the mimic's control.

Example: Kitty Pride has been watching Illyana Rasputin closely in order to figure out how Illyana creates space warps. Kitty tries to imitate her friend's actions. Kitty's Remarkable Reason gives her a slim chance of success. She lucks out the first phase (a 95) and vanishes into a glowing circle of light. Unfortunately she botched the second phase (a 32) and didn't reappear at poolside as she intended. An hour later Professor X accepts a collect call from Bristol, England. It's Kitty, asking if somebody could come get her.