Metamage O.C.C.

Created by Brett Hegr
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The Metamage is a magician who specializes in manipulating magical energies beyond the norm. The art is very uncommon and practioners are limited to ancient beings, master magicians, evil wizards, and their respective apprentices. Due to the nature of magical energies, these magicians can destroy themselves if not careful - and most haven't been. Only the best Metamages learn the greatest secrets of magic. Once attaining that power, many succumb to the corruption it brings and give meaning to the phrase 'mad mage.' That knowledge makes them one of the most feared, most powerful, and most dangerous magicians in the known Megaverse.

This is a very powerful O.C.C. with many special abilities. GMs should certainly modify it if they wish to include it in their campaign but feel it is too powerful. I created this O.C.C. because I felt the possibilities of magic had not been explored in this way, and I wanted to see an O.C.C. out there that could give one lone magician the ability to take on enemies single handedly and come out on top. Also, this O.C.C. would give an excellent player a chance to portray a powerful wizard and be very creative with the character's abilities. I would suggest this O.C.C. be made avaliable only to players that GMs think would do it justice and not become a magic wielding hackn'slasher. Magical destablization was an attempt to try and limit the power of Metamages. GMs can use any means they feel necessary to add to this limit.

O.C.C. Abilities and Bonuses:

1. Sense Ley Lines and Magic Energy: Equal in ability to the Ley Line Walker^tm O.C.C. powers on page 83 of the Rifts® RPG.

2. Spell Attacks: This is an extra attack that allows the player to cast a spell (and only a spell) without taking up hand to hand attacks, though they can use hand to hand attacks to cast spells also. This spell attack can only be combined with a hand to hand attack, allowing a mage to cast a Metamage spell and a normal spell within the time frame of one normal attack. Or, conversely, the mage can cast a spell in defense using a spell attack (maybe using Catchspell or Negate Magic). If a Metamage has more than one spell attack availiable per melee, they may only use one at a time but can do so in conjunction with a normal melee action. With these attacks, Metamages can cast more spells faster than other mages. At level one, a Metamage has one spell attack per melee. Add an additional spell attack at levels four, nine, and fourteen.

Example: At level one it would take a Metamage three normal attacks (one used in conjunction with the extra magic attack) to cast a spell that normally took four normal attacks. At level four, he could use two magical attacks and two normal attacks to cast that four attack spell in half the time!

3. Special Talent: Players may choose one at level one. The character develops the other power at level six.

Damage Boost: With their extensive knowledge of magic formulae, Metamages can enhance the damage done by their attacking spells. He can increase a spell's damage by 1d6 per 5 P.P.E.^tm At first level, the Metamage can only increase damage by a maximum of two dice. Add one more die at levels three, five, eight, ten, twelve, and fifteen. The magic skill of Charging is similar to this ability, but this is much simpler and less dangerous (no destabilization). GMs might allow the Smoker O.C.C. (more spells for them in this file) to possess this ability also, since it is somewhat appropriate.
Extend Spell Duration: Metamages can bend and warp magical energy easily. They can also extend it with the same ease. The Metamage spell Extend is similar to this ability, but is much more powerful and requires magic energy to fuel it. Instant effect spells obviously cannot be maintained, only spells with a duration. Any common magic spell of a level less than or equal to that of the Metamage can be extended to a duration of five minutes per level of experience. Essentially, drop the listed spell duration and use this one instead. This ability cannot affect spells with a duration longer than five minutes per level.

4. Initial Spell Knowledge: The player may choose one magic spell from each level one through eight and select three more magic spells from among any spell levels one through eight. Of all these selections at least two must be attack spells and two must be illusion spells. Also select any five metamagic spells except Nexus Manipulation and Alter Magical Stability. The Metamage begins with an arsenal of sixteen spells!

5. Learning New Spells: Metamages can learn magic in the normal fashion, and are also able to learn any kind of magic spell that can be learned. This means biomancy and warlock spells are out (unless the mage selects Mystic Meditation), but magic circles, diabolism, temporal magic, and similar forms of magic can be acquired. However, he will rarely pursue more than two other kinds of magic and will usually rely on his spells rather than a circle or a symbol (they're powerful, but slow).

For every even additional level of experience gained the mage, select any one new metamagic spell (except Nexus Manipulation and Alter Magic Stability - they must be taught by a mentor), or one common spell of a level equal to or two higher than the character (if you gain level two, you could learn a level four common magic spell!)

6. P.P.E.^tm: The Metamage is able to draw upon more P.P.E.^tm when first starting than any other magician known, a result of their constant manipulation of magical energies. They have a base P.P.E.^tm of 1d6x10+90 in addition to the P.E. attribute, and gain +2d6+3 per level of experience. They also recover 7 P.P.E.^tm per hour of rest/ sleep and 12 P.P.E.^tm per hour while meditating.

7. O.C.C. Bonuses: Add +1 to spell strength at levels 2, 4, 6, and 8. Add +1 to save vs magic at levels 1, 2, 4, and 6. Also add a +3 vs horror factor. More bonuses are gained if the hand to hand form Nikar Lo is selected.

Attribute Requirements: An I.Q. of 14 and M.E. of 12 are neccessary to become a Metamage. Any race that has full speech abilities and can meet the attribute requirements may become a Metamage.
Alignment: Any, but tend to be selfish.
Experience Point Table: Use the table for Techno- Wizards^tm or the Nightbane^tm and Guardian table if you're playing with the Nightbane^tm RPG.
O.C.C. Skills:

Speak/Literate in Native Language (98%)
Speak one additional language (+20%)
Math: Basic (+30%)
Math: Advanced (+20%)
Principles of Magic (+5%)
Lore: Magic (+20%)
Spellcrafting
Choose two Science or Technical skills (+10%)

Hand to Hand: Basic may be selected at the cost of one other skill, or Hand to Hand: Nikar Lo at the cost of three other skills. These are the only avaliable selections. Physical combat is not the preffered means of dealing with an enemy for Metamages.

O.C.C. Related Skills: The player may choose six skills from the categories listing below and apply the stated bonus. The player may select one more skill at levels three, six, and nine, which begin at base level (in addition to the bonus).

Communications: Radio: Basic only (+5%).
Domestic: Any
Electrical: Basic Electronics only.
Espionage: Any except Sniper, Disguise, Impersonation, and Intelligence.
Magic: Any (+5%) Alchemy and Mystic Herbology count as two 'other' skills.
Medical: First Aid only (+5%).
Mechanical: Basic Mechanics only.
Military: None
Physical: Any except Boxing, Gymnastics, and Acrobatics.
Pilot: Any except the skills of Pilot: Robots and Power Armor, Robot Combat (all), Tanks and APCs, and Jet Fighter.
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: Any
Science: Any (+10%)
Technical: Any (+10%)
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: Any

Secondary Skills: The player may select four skills from the category listing above, but may not apply the given bonus and may not select skills from the Magic category.

Standard Equipment: Two hooded cloaks or robes, a set of dress attire, a couple sets of travelling clothes, leather boots, knapsack, backpack, silver cross, mirror, magnifying glass, flashlight, a few blank log books and some writing implements, three scroll cases, ten unbreakable specimen containers, a few scalpels, a PC-3000 Hand Held Computer (page 247 of the Rifts® RPG) or laptop computer, and a gas mask or air filter. Contemporary characters get a part-time job, a nice place to live, either a laptop or a personal computer, and a non-new vehicle. Both contemporary and Rifts® characters have 4+1d4 non- magical books and 3d4x1000 in magic components.

Weapons and Armor: The character begins with a silver- plated dagger (1d6 S.D.C.^tm damage), a walking staff (1d8 S.D.C.^tm damage), and one projectile or energy weapon of choice (1d4 clips for it). The player may also choose one suit of light armor. Metamages tend to prefer light firearms, energy pistols, short swords, knives, and quarterstaves. If the player would like a TW weapon or armor, then reduce the number of starting books by four (a TW weapon will mean the player only gets 1d4 books).

Vehicle: Metamages have no vehicular preferences - they'll ride in whatever is avaliable but generally prefer a magical means of transportation. They do not start out with a means of transportation.

Money: A Metamage begins with 1d6x1000 in credit and 3d4x1000 credits worth of black market items. Don't forget, these mages have rare abilities and many are not opposed to using them for personal gain. They also tend to hoard their valuables, much like dragons do. Contemporary ones instead have 5d4x1000 in valuables, cash, and/or savings.

Cybernetics/Bionics: Never get bionics, and few consider cybernetics to replace lost limbs or organs. Even bio-systems make these mages wary. Many would rather lose a limb than an ounce of magical power.