Energy Expulsion and
Ranged Attack Powers

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Unless otherwise stated, all powers were created by Brett Hegr

Notes on Energy Expulsion and Ranged Attack Powers:

Unless otherwise stated, in Rifts® environments all ranged attack powers do M.D.C.^tm equal to the normal S.D.C.^tm damage. Energy Expulsion: Electrical Field does 1d6x10 M.D.C.^tm per melee.

In Rifts®, characters with these powers can vary the strength to do normal M.D.C.^tm damage or S.D.C.^tm damage as per the abilities below and in Heroes Unlimited^tm.

The various attacks have a damage that increases with the level of experience. So, a Dark Bolt does 4d6 damage at level one and then increases to 5d6 damage at level two, 6d6 damage at level three, etc. When an attack reaches 7d6 damage it is roughly equivalent to 1d4x10, and when it reaches 10d6 it can be changed to 1d6x10. This speeds up the process of rolling damage.

In general, all Energy Expulsion and Ranged Attack powers are +3 to strike when aimed and +1 to strike wild. The only bonuses that can be added besides these is the P.P. bonus, if there is one.

All attacks can be regulated in increments of 1d6 after the third level of experience. They can also be projected from the eyes, forehead, hands, mouth, and/or chest if it suits the power.

At the third level the character with an attack power can also fire two simultaneous blasts at two different targets, a 'divided' attack. The damage of each blast is limited to a maximum of half the normal damage. Each die roll gets no bonus - just a straight 1d20 roll. Only one melee action is needed to make a divided attack.

An attempt to parry an energy blast of any sort is made at -6 (bonuses still applicable). Some attacks cannot be parried, like sonic and napalm.

A couple other minor super abilities may be of interest to you - see Absorb Energy Attack and Advanced Energy Expulsion.

Variety in Range and Damage:

For more variety in the attack power statistics, GMs could let players roll on this chart. I'd suggest against using this chart with Phase Beams, Air, and Stun blasts. Phase Beams can be pretty cheesy if unrestrained and using it with the latter would violate the idea of a stun - something that inhibits without causing much damage. For air or sonic attacks, they are generally not focused enough to travel more than 300ft and still do damage.

01-04 Use the existing range and damage, but add a +2 to strike when doing divided attacks!
05-10 Use the existing range and damage, but add an extra +1 to strike aimed and a +1 to strike wild!
11-20 Range: 150ft, Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
21-40 Range: 300ft, Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
41-45 Range: 300ft, Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
46-65 Range: 400ft, Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
66-70 Range: 400ft, Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
71-85 Range: 600ft, Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
86-90 Range: 600ft, Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
91-96 Range: 800ft, Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
97-00 Range: 1000ft, Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.

Energy Expulsion: Dark Bolt

Created by The Magus (with expansion by Brett Hegr)

Range: 300ft
Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

The character is able to generate a bolt of pure darkness and hurl it at a target. The blast is sort of an anti- laser, but is neither an energy nor a kinetic attack. Anyone who is impervious to attacks from darkness (like someone possessing a special Nightbane^tm artifact) is also impervious to this power. The dark bolt is quite similar to the Shadow Blast Nightbane^tm talent, but requires no expenditure of P.P.E.^tm

Creatures of supernatural evil (vampires, Nightlords^tm, Necrophim^tm, etc.), any being filled with Negative Chi, and those in possession of a magical weapon of chaos (evil rune sword) take no damage from this attack.

Note: The possessor of the power is not necessarily evil, but his attack is sometimes resisted because of the evil in others. As a side note, I'd give this ability to any character with Darkness Control.

Energy Expulsion: Microwave

Range: 600ft
Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot

Unlike other energy expulsion powers, the character creates a beam of pure heat. The radiated particles have exceptional penetration power against all non-metallic substances. Plastic, Kevlar, wood, glass, ceramics, and other common substances are useless as a defense. Beings wearing platic or composite body armor (like most of the body armor types in Rifts®) take damage from the microwave beam as if they weren't wearing any armor.

However, a knight in a suit of metal armor is completely protected - his armor doesn't even take damage. Even a layer of tinfoil will deflect the microwave radiation. Against force fields, electromagnetic disturbances, characters who are impervious to energy attacks, have Hardened Molecular Structure or Invulnerability, half damage is inflicted. Those who are impervious to fire and heat take no damage at all.

Energy Expulsion: Radiation

Range: 150ft
Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

Perhaps the most deadly of all energy expulsion powers, the character is able to relase blasts of radioactive heat. Each blast has cumulative 5% chance of inducing radiation sickness on a victim, who must roll for this every time he is struck. A roll under the percentage indicates that the sickness is contracted, but be sure to add the bonus vs coma/death to the roll. This power does mega-damage® in Rifts®, and victims in M.D.C.®, body armor, power armor, and robots under 18' tall only have a 2% cumulative chance of contracting radiation sickness.

A victim of radiation sickness must reduce all bonuses by half, the P.E. attribute by half, speed and skills by 10%, lose one attack, takes six points of damage daily, and cannot recover hit points or S.D.C.^tm until cured. Immediate treatment for radiation sickness will let the victim recover in 3d4 days. Add three days to the recovery time for every one day without treatment. Very few creatures can recover from radiation sickness without medical assistance.

Though not impervious to radiation, the character is more resistant than others. He is 20% (or +4) more resistant to radiation sickness. Add that bonus to the save throws. If he contracts it he recovers from it in half the normal time. He has no particular protection against fire and heat.

Ranged Attack: Air

Range: 90ft +10ft per level
Damage: None
Duration: Minimum of instantaneous (one attack) or a maximum of half a melee (multiple attacks)
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack for an instant air burst, while a constant wind takes half of the character's melee attacks.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

This minor super ability is a 'shorter' version of the Control Elemental Force: Air power's Wind Rush. A 50mph wind is created that can knock people down, shatter glass, and blow away objects weighing less than 25 pounds. There is a 70% chance of knocking down a single person/ object that weighs less than 250 pounds, while a 10ft wide gust of wind can knock down a group of people (each weighing less than 250 pounds) with a 60% chance. Everyone caught in the wind is staggered - Spd. is reduced by 75%, one melee attack is lost, and all attacks are -6 to strike (penalties apply to those over 250 pounds also). Objects weighing less than 25 pounds will get blown 3d4x10 feet away. Against vehicles, the character can force an immediate control roll with a penalty of -15% (increase the penalty by -5% at levels four and eight).

Ranged Attack: Cold

Range: 400ft
Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.

Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

A chilling bolt of cold, ice, and/ or sleet can be directed at victims. Taking more than 30 points of cold damage in a melee will reduce the victim's combat bonuses and speed by a cumulative 10%, and wears off in 1d4 minutes. A being that loses all S.D.C.^tm in this manner falls into cryostasis and must be revived. Using heat (even Energy Expulsion: Fire or Microwave!) will revive the victim in 3d4 minutes with little, if any, side effects. Anyone losing hit points and S.D.C.^tm are +25% vs coma/death and get 3d4 hit points back when revived.

Those in environmental armor will not be affected by this power's numbing effects and will not lose bonuses or speed or enter cryostasis. Using this power it is possible to build up amounts of ice, equal in physical S.D.C.^tm to the damage rolled. Each attack keeps adding strength to the ice. Also see the Alter Physical Structure: Ice power in Heroes Unlimited^tm for notes on ice sheets, encasing in ice, etc.

Ranged Attack: Cutting Beam

Range: 150ft
Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

This attack power is truly deadly. The character can create a highly focused beam of force that can separate molecules on contact. It cuts like a laser, but creates no heat. It is possible to slice open safes, impale tires, and sculpt stone. At third level the character gains the necessary control to perform finely detailed work (like sculpting or surgery).

Very experienced users (6th level and beyond) can even target their power to do lethal damage. They effectively gain a death blow (with the power only) on a natural 20. This attack must be declared and takes two melee actions. If the death blow roll fails but the character rolls an 18 or 19, a limb is severed instead (a critical strike). No more than one death blow slice can be performed in a melee.

Ranged Attack: Kinetic

Range: 400ft
Damage: 3d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

The character can generate pulses of kinetic energy and unleash them at targets. The attack form is physical - similar to a long range punch. Because this is physical damage, beings impervious to energy attacks have no immunities to this. This attack can have any appearance or effect, but usually appears to be a bolt of opaque white energy.

Ranged Attack: Phase Beam

Range: 400ft
Damage: 1d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

Phase beams are an extremely effective weapon. They have the capacity to penetrate all armor as if it weren't there (similar to a microwave beam) and damage the wearer. Phase beams also cause damage that is difficult to heal, useful against regenerating beings. Beings who can regenerate damage in melees require the same time in hours, beings who regenerate damage in minutes takes the same amount of time in days, while a regeneration rate of hours requires the same number of weeks! All other forms of accelerating healing (magic, psionic, mutant, or technological) have normal effect.

In Rifts®, phase beams do S.D.C.^tm damage to S.D.C.^tm beings, but do mega- damage^tm plus another +1d6 to M.D.C.^tm beings.

Phase beams have limitations too. Any kind of force field will block the beam and will not take any damage from it! Further, some kinds of beings are resistant to this kind of attack (namely, mutants with a Hardened Molecular Structure or Invulnerability) and only take half damage. Lastly, phase beams can only harm life forms, to include vampires, crystalline or living stone beings, etc. They do no damage to armor, vehicles, walls, or any inanimate object. Though rarely encountered even in Rifts® worlds, a phase field will totally negate the effect of the phase beam (no damage).

Ranged Attack: Stun

Range: 300ft
Damage: 1d6 +1 point per level of experience
Duration: Lasts 1d4 minutes plus one per level of experience.
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

This power is akin to the Mental Stun minor power, but is physical in nature. It is an electrical disturbance that short- circuits the nervous system of the victim. It only does S.D.C.^tm damage and will never take off hit points. The victim suffers a -10% on skills and a -1 on all combat rolls when hit with one or two blasts. Double the penalties when hit with three to five blasts (plus the victim loses one melee attack), and triple them when hit with six or more (plus the victim loses two melee attacks). The penalties last for the duration measured from the last stun blast taken.

The blast will easily penetrate all forms of body armor (including M.D.C.^tm body armor), but not shields, power armor, or vehicles. Any kind of electrical shielding can block this attack. Saving against this attack is possible, and vicitms use the bonus to save vs non- lethal poison. The difficulty to save against begins at 12 at level one, +1 more for every even numbered level of experience gained. After the third level, the character can vary the damage bonus anywhere from +0 to whatever his maximum bonus is.

Ranged Attack: Sound

Range: 600ft
Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

The character can release a concentrated sonic blast against opponents, equivalent to 120 decibels +10 per level of experience. Victims of a sonic attack suffer a -1 to strike, parry, and dodge per die of damage taken (up to a penalty of -8), and also lose their hearing for 1d4 melees per die of damage taken. M.D.C.^tm beings also suffer these penalties. The only way to avoid penalties is to wear ear protection, wear armor with heavy shielding (like a Glitter Boy^tm), or to be deaf. Objects within 5ft suffer ¼ the damage that the target took. Sonic blasts partially pass through armor, doing half damage to the armor and half damage to the person wearing it.

This attack does M.D.C.^tm in Rifts® (double the decibel level), and ½ the damage in S.D.C.^tm will affect those in M.D.C.^tm armor, one third of it will affect wearers of power armor, and ¼ of it will hurt those inside M.D.C.^tm vehicles and small robot vehicles under 18' tall. If this power is boosted with the insubstantial enhancement in an M.D.C.^tm environment, it will do double the normal S.D.C.^tm damage when passing through M.D.C.^tm materials and machines. Very effective against humans in M.D.C.^tm armor.

For more information on sonic attacks see page 175 of Aliens Unlimited^tm and page 187 of Villains Unlimited^tm. GMs might consider making this power do equivalent damage to Soundwave's sonic pistol.

Ranged Attack: Substance

Range: 60ft
Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

This power lets the character create one kind of damaging matter to attack with. Choose one kind of matter to project.

Liquid: Liquid substances will hang on a target for 1d4 melees and cause another 1d6 plus the level of experience in damage each melee unless the victim takes two attacks to shake it off (no dodges, parries, or strikes during that time). Pick one of the following: acid, napalm (heat based attack), or cryogenic liquid (cold based attack). The player could also choose something like molten plastic, superheated glass, or some other substance as an attack, but these are somewhat uncommon.

Solid: The player could choose instead to project some form of solid matter. This could be a spray of bone shards, needles, razor blades, spines, or some other object(s). Instead of additional special effects increase the range to 300ft.

Gaseous: The third form of matter is that of a gas. The character is able to emit an intense burst of some form of damaging gas as his attack form. It might be a chlorine and ammonia combination (two key ingredients in toxic mustard gas), smoke and ashes (heat damage), a spray of chilling mist (cold attack), etc. The target must make some sort of save throw (varies according to the kind of attack), or suffer immediate loss of initiative and two attacks. This could be from a sneezing fit, searing pain in the eyes or lungs, momentary paralysis, etc. Each blast of gas is enough to fill up 1000 cubic feet, a 10x10x10 room.

Special: If the player desires, the matter creation could be non- damaging and instead have a 'trapping' effect. Liquid or solid matter can be used to 'gum up' a machine, bond someone's feet to the floor (breaking free requires chemical agents or a combined P.S. of at least 20, plus the level of the matter creator), repetively used to create a barrier (each use would add 20 S.D.C.^tm to a barrier, +1 per level), hold doorways shut, create a slippery surface (a grease-like substance could also be lit on fire by a super ability or conventional means), etc. There are many useful effects possible for various substances.

Ranged Attack: Vibration

Range: 150ft, the width of the vibration wave is two feet.
Damage: 2d6 +1d6 per level of experience.
Duration: Instant
Attacks Per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack.
Bonuses: +3 to strike aimed or +1 on a wild shot.

A concentrated shock wave can be projected - strong enough to damage sidewalks, walls, building foundations, and the hardiest structures! The vibration attack is particularly effective against crystalline structures, doing double damage (this may vary). The blasts partially pass through armor (and vehicles, power armor, and manned robots), doing half damage to the armor (or whatever) and half damage to the person wearing/ piloting it. If a mega- damage^tm attack (as in Rifts®), the inner target instead takes full damage in S.D.C.^tm.

Note 1: Vibration attacks do 50% more damage underwater!

Note 2: For the Vibration major super ability, I'd suggest changing the damage of the shock waves to 1d4x10 damage +1d4x10 more at levels four, eight, twelve, and fifteen, and the shock blasts to 3d6 damage +1d6 per level. That would keep the damage of the powers consistent with the other super abilities in the book.