In earlier articles of this series we talked briefly about the kinds of powers a Barakah might have. Now we’re going to go into those powers in greater detail. I’m going to leave out a lot of little specifics like level and range, because those will depends almost entirely on the specific game you’re working the Barakah into. As always, muck with things in whatever way makes them work for your game and group!
What You’ll Find Here
I’m going to concentrate on lower-level powers for several reasons. You’ll need more of them, since in most games PCs start out less powerful. And, it shouldn’t be too difficult to take one of our lower-level powers, pump it up a bit, and declare it to be of a higher level.
These powers will all be appropriate to the milieu of the Barakah; in specific, this article will concentrate on certain sorts of powers (the next article will introduce others). This is not to say, however, that Barakah can’t learn or develop other kinds of powers. Use the materials we present here as a guideline and create new powers that are appropriate to your world, themes, and plots.
Fire
Acquisition
The Barakah can, using this power, reach quickly into a fire and retrieve an item without being hurt. The item will swiftly dissipate its heat once in her hands, and will not burn her.
Blood to Fire
If the Barakah’s blood has been shed and she can see it, she can set it on fire as though it were a highly flammable liquid. It is volatile and burns off quickly, but it can set other flammable objects and materials on fire. The burning liquid itself won’t burn the Barakah, but any secondary fires will act on her as normal fires.
Brand
The Barakah uses fire to draw figures on a physical material. The fire goes out quickly, but leaves a burned, scorched brand behind. This brand will remain until somehow excised from the surface. If used on a person, this will cause a great deal of pain and some injury, but over time it will heal. It is likely to leave some amount of scarring, although quick medical attention, plastic surgery, or magical means of healing can negate this. The harder the surface, the less damage will be done by the fire.
Burn-Through
The Barakah can use this power to burn through a slab of material such as wood or metal. She can choose to burn through a small hand-sized spot or a larger (up to three feet to a side) square; she can control the size of the area but not the shape. This power doesn’t burn out the entire area; it just burns out an outline, allowing the central material to be removed. The harder and thicker the material, the longer it will take to burn through it. If the Barakah tries to use this against a person, it does a small amount of damage and then cuts out.
Cage of Fire
The Barakah can create a cage of fire around an area roughly 10 feet on a side. Anyone (except the Barakah) who tries to enter or leave takes damage and risks catching on fire themselves.
Extinguish Fire I
The Barakah invokes this power as she puts her hand directly next to a small fire or candle-flame. She absorbs the fire harmlessly into herself, thus extinguishing it (and gaining a small amount of power).
Extinguish Fire II
After the Barakah activates this power, all normal flames within a 10-foot cube area centered upon her body are extinguished. She can move at a slow walking pace and continue to extinguish flames in this manner for up to fifteen minutes. If she moves at faster than a walking pace, the effect ends. Note that extinguishing flame feels very uncomfortable to the Barakah.
Fire Assimilation
When the Barakah invokes this power, she can walk through fire. He can absorb most or all of the damage she would otherwise take from the fire, and any remaining damage is of a non-lethal nature. However, this power can leave the Barakah too much in touch with her fiery nature. For the rest of the day, her personality reflects her fire particularly strongly.
Fire Body
When the Barakah invokes this power, she becomes fire for the duration of this power. She burns whatever and whomever she touches, and only things that would extinguish fire can harm her.
Fire-Building
The Barakah can, while staring at a small fire, adjust it in little ways. She can help it to grow higher, spark more, leave a particular piece of firewood untouched, etc. These changes are slow and relatively subtle.
Fire Containment
The Barakah can temporarily contain a fire and keep it from spreading beyond its current boundaries. If it runs out of fuel during that time, it may burn out. She must remain within line-of-sight of the fire at all times to keep this effect going.
Fire Display
The Barakah uses this power to briefly sheath her hand or hands in flickering fire. If she uses her hands to strike someone while this power is active, she does an extra die of lethal damage on top of whatever damage she does with her blows. She must succeed in hitting her target in order to do the extra damage, but her blows do not need to do damage of their own.
Fire Healing I: Self
The Barakah activates this power, then holds her hands in flame for several minutes. The flame will not burn her during this time, and as she waits her wounds heal.
Fire Healing II: Other
The Barakah activates this power, then holds her hands in flame for several minutes. The flame will not burn her during this time. When she is done, she touches the injured party with her now-hot hands, holding them on or just above the wounds. Over the course of another couple of minutes, the wounds will start to heal.
Fire Healing III: Group
The Barakah chants or sings while holding her hands in fire (it will not burn her), and up to five people (including herself, if she wishes) will feel their wounds heal over the course of several minutes. They will also feel their wounds grow hot, although not hot enough to burn.
Fire Knowledge
By activating this power the Barakah taps into her innate understanding of fire. She can look at a fire and know where it’s likely to burn and how fast. She can look at the site of a fire and figure out where the fire started and what likely caused it, as well as approximately how long ago it started. (She may be able to determine additional details at the GM’s discretion.)
Fire Sense
For the duration of this ability, the Barakah will sense the presence, death, or starting of any fires in her vicinity, along with the general direction in which they happened. (In the event of an extreme success, this can include things such as turning on light bulbs, extinguishing a cigarette, etc.)
Fire Sleep
The Barakah activates this power and then climbs bodily into a fire (the fire must be large enough for her entire body to fit into). She immediately falls asleep and remains that way for eight hours, at which point the fire dies and she wakes up with all of her current power restored. Anyone who tries to reach her through the fire will be burned as normal, although she herself is safe from such damage. The Barakah cannot be woken except by extinguishing the fire, which negates the effects of this power entirely.
Fire Starter I
Touch an object to set it on fire. If this power is used against a person and the fire is not put out right away, the damage is halved in each successive round (GM’s discretion). The Barakah will not be burned by her own fire.
Fire Starter II
The Barakah holds her hands out and calls forth flame on a single visible surface. If anyone is touching that surface, they take damage. The Barakah will not be burned by her own fire.
Fire Starter III
The Barakah simply looks at an object to set it on fire. If this power is used against a person and the fire is not put out right away, the damage is halved in each successive round (GM’s discretion). The Barakah will not be burned by her own fire.
Fire Walk I
With the use of this power, the Barakah may walk through normal (non-magical) fire (or hot coals, etc.) without harm. Her clothes and anything in her pockets when she activates the power are also protected, as long as they remain on her and in her pockets, respectively, but things that she picks up are not.
Fire Walk II
The Barakah may walk through normal (non-magical) fire (or hot coals, etc.) without harm. Her clothes and anything in her pockets when she enters the fire are also protected, as long as they remain on her and in her pockets, respectively, but things that she picks up are not. Once she has activated this power for the first time, it will always be in effect from thereon out.
Fire Ward
The Barakah touches the entirety of the perimeter of the area she wishes to ward with her fingers (if it consists of walls and doors) or simply walks it (if it’s an open area). Only a faint smell of smoke or wispy scorch marks indicate the location of the wards. For the duration of the effect,
when anything larger than a mouse tries to cross that line, it will be engulfed in flame and the Barakah will know instantly that the wards have been set off. The Barakah can choose to allow other people through the wards in either direction by concentrating, but she must stay inside of them herself. If she crosses the perimeter the effect instantly ends.
Firey Aura I
This power causes an aura of fire to spring up around the Barakah. It does not burn either her or any objects around her, but if anyone tries to touch her they take damage.
Firey Aura II
This power causes an aura of fire to spring up around the Barakah. It burns anything and everything around her (except herself), setting fires wherever she walks and doing damage to anyone who approaches within five feet of her.
Immolation
The Barakah focuses all of her anger and rage on a target location and it bursts into flames. Anyone standing within that area takes damage.
Line of Fire
The Barakah invokes this power to create a line of fire; anyone who crosses that line takes damage and risks catching on fire.
Sacrifice
As an absolute last-ditch resort in a hopeless situation, the Barakah can sacrifice herself to destroy her enemies. She causes a fireball explosion over an area roughly the size of a house, setting it on fire for at least 15 minutes and immediately doing quite a bit of damage to everyone in the area (anyone who cannot immediately leave the area will take more damage). However, the explosion is fueled by the essence of the Barakah, killing her in the process.
Sigil
The Barakah uses her fingers to inscribe fiery symbols onto a surface, even into flesh or the air itself. The symbols will not consume the material nor do any damage; nor will the fire spread if the surface is flammable. The Barakah can use Sigil to inscribe symbols, two-dimensional images, or even words, but only as much as she can write in five minutes moving very slowly.
Song of Fire
The Barakah uses her voice (she chants, sings, or something similar) to convince the spirits of fire to do as she desires. She can cause a fire to burn faster and higher, convince it to burn in certain directions (as long as there is fuel for it to burn), cause it to burn lower or spark more, and so on.
Light
Firelight I
The Barakah causes the area around her to be lit as though by firelight. The light flickers, is yellowish, and is fairly dim, but it is enough to see by.
Firelight II
The Barakah causes the area around her to be lit as though by firelight. The light flickers, but is fairly strong.
Fireworks
The Barakah can create a fascinating and exotic fireworks display in the air. This can be used to entertain, distract, and so on. They are a visual display only and do no damage.
Sand
Drifting Dunes
The Barakah causes any loose sand, dirt, leaves, etc. in the area to drift over a location (this does not work on snow). This can be used to hide tracks, bury an object, etc. If the Barakah concentrates, she can move this effect along a path at a slow walking speed.
Dust Devil
The Barakah causes a brief dust-storm centered on her. Up to 5 desired targets within that area can be blinded and bashed up a bit (by sand, high winds, and loose objects) until the storm ends or they can get out of the area. Anyone not deliberately targeted by the storm (including the Barakah) will still have some difficulty finding their way out, as well as hearing and seeing what’s going on.
Dust Storm
The Barakah can raise up a storm of high winds, dust, dirt, and flying objects that will bruise and batter anyone caught inside of it. While the storm continues, anyone caught inside of it cannot heal the subdual damage they have taken through normal (non-magical) means. The storm also blinds anyone without eye protection and causes penalties to most actions.
Wind
Dust Devil
The Barakah causes a brief dust-storm centered on her. Up to 5 desired targets within that area can be blinded and bashed up a bit (by sand, high winds, and loose objects) until the storm ends or they can get out of the area. Anyone not deliberately targeted by the storm (including the Barakah) will still have some difficulty finding their way out, as well as hearing and seeing what’s going on.
Dust Storm
The Barakah can raise up a storm of high winds,dust, dirt, and flying objects that will bruise and batter anyone caught inside of it. While the storm continues, anyone caught inside of it cannot heal the subdual damage they have taken through normal (non-magical) means. The storm also blinds anyone without eye protection and causes penalties to most actions.
Relics of the Past
The Barakah brings into existence a small wind devil that can dig through dirt, sand, mud, etc. It digs down up to 1 foot per minute. If the Barakah chooses a general area instead of a specific spot, the wind devil will automatically dig someplace where there is something buried beneath the ground. Of course, if there is more than one thing buried in the area (as is entirely likely–bones, coins, lost watches, etc. can be found in all sorts of places), the wind devil will choose one at random, and it may not be what the Barakah was looking for. For as long as the effect continues, she can continue to send it after new things. It will dig only as far as it needs to in order to unearth its quarry and then it will stop.
Wind Calm
This power causes all winds within a 10′ cube centered on the Barakah to calm and grow still. If winds are high enough this might not stop objects from being hurled into the calm space, however.
Wind Gust I
A hot, dry wind springs up around the Barakah, affecting an area roughly the size of a small room. It may scatter papers and enact other small forms of mischief, but the Barakah cannot control exactly what it does.
Wind Gust II
Gale-force winds surround the Barakah and protect her. They help to keep people and objects from reaching her, and they send any loose objects flying through the air, causing damage to anyone in the immediate vicinity.
Heat
Body Heat
The Barakah uses this power to raise the temperature of her own body (safely) by 200 degrees. She can burn people or melt ice at a touch; rain will steam off instantly. For the duration of this effect her clothing (and small items in her pockets) are immune to the heat damage, but anything she touches or carries will be burned.
Delirium’s Eyes I
When the Barakah looks someone in the eyes and activates this power, she infuses him with a fragment of her own fiery nature. He becomes temperamental and impulsive. He will feel feverish, but his own restlessness and energy will prevent him from resting. He may become delirious or hallucinatory, as though he has been drugged. For a short time he may be able to see spirits, auras, and other “invisible” things
Delirium’s Eyes II
When the Barakah looks someone in the eyes and activates this power, she infuses him with a fragment of her own fiery nature. He becomes temperamental and impulsive. He will feel feverish, but his own restlessness and energy will prevent him from resting. He may become delirious or hallucinatory, as though he has been drugged. He may also become able to see normally invisible things, such as spirits or energy patterns. (Longer lasting than DEI.)
Fever Touch I
The Barakah can touch someone who is ill and activate this power. It causes an unnatural fever to burn away any illness (bacterial or viral) within the patient’s body over the course of 45 minutes. This will not cause any harm to the patient (unless it goes wrong somehow), although the patient will feel weak and dehydrated for the next 24 hours. If the Barakah removes her hands from her patient before the 45 minutes are up the illness will not be entirely eradicated, and it may recur. This ability cannot heal wounds or neutralize poison, etc.
Fever Touch II
The Barakah can touch someone who is ill and activate this power. It causes an unnatural fever to burn away any illness (bacterial or viral) within the patient’s body over the course of 45 minutes. This will not cause any harm to the patient (unless it goes wrong somehow), although the patient will feel weak and dehydrated for the next 24 hours. If the Barakah removes her hands from her patient before the 45 minutes are up the illness will not be entirely eradicated, and it may recur. This ability cannot heal wounds or neutralize poisons, etc. Unlike Fever Touch I, however, this can heal extremely virulent illnesses (such as AIDS).
Heat Object I
This power briefly heats one item by approximately 300 degrees. It only causes damage to a person if someone is touching the item at the moment that it becomes heated. The object immediately starts to cool down. Depending on the material the object is made of, the increase in heat could cause it to break down, or could melt glue or other means of holding it together.
Heat Object II
This power raises the temperature of an object by approximately 400 degrees. Anyone touching it takes damage. Depending on the material the object is made of, it could break down or burst into flames.
Heat Thief
When the Barakah touches someone and activates this power, she steals their body heat into herself. This does damage to her victim and causes the Barakah to regain power.
Home Climate
This power causes the Barakah’s home and a small area around it to develop a climate and temperature that suit the Barakah. They will tend to be warm and dry. Rain storms will mysteriously miss the Barakah’s home, floods will avoid it, snow will melt as soon as it touches the ground, and so on. The changes take place gradually; the longer the Barakah uses this power the greater the changes. If she ever misses a period of time and has to start over, then she will be starting over from the beginning. (The natural climate of the area will reassert itself fairly quickly.)
Indian Summer
The Barakah causes an area about the size of a neighborhood, centered on the spot where she activates this power, to become unseasonably warm and dry for one day. If it’s the middle of winter, people will be able to walk around in shorts and T-shirts and the snow will melt. If it’s summer, people will have to be careful to avoid danger of heatstroke.
Pleasant Afternoon
With this power, the Barakah can temporarily cause the weather to clear up and become warm (for the season) and sunny (or clear, if it’s nighttime).
Warm Water
The Barakah can warm cold water to a steaming temperature simply by touching it. She cannot use this power to raise water to a dangerous temperature — merely comfortable for her. As usual for area effects centered upon the Barakah, she can move it with her as long as she moves at no greater than a slow walking pace.
Leave a Reply