Rules:Elemental Foci

These are the official character rules for Elemental Foci. For the story-based description of Foci, go here.

Name: Elemental Foci
Class: Racial Overlay
Tech Bias: Same as base race
Available Power Types: Dependent on elemental alignment, see Power Type Limitation
History and Background Page: Foci

The elemental alignment of the six major elements, the four natural elements and the two cosmic elements, can be described as a hexagon. Elements directly adjacent to each other on the hexagon are allied. Elements directly opposite are strongly opposed to each other. Elements that fall between those two are weakly opposed to each other. A diagram is included to visualize this -- the black hexagon demonstrates alliances, while the blue lines indicate weak opposition, and the red lines indicate strong opposition.

Major Racial Advantages:

Elemental Sensing: All Foci have the ability to sense the ebb and flow of Elemental energy of all types. This operates at a level equivalent to ki sensing, but calculated against their TotalPL if they have multiple PLs. This also allows them to detect ki, psionic, and magical energies. It does not permit the analysis of insensible PhysPLs without further technique upgrades. They may also sense other Foci and detect their nature, if not shielded by techniques.

Increased Energy: Three times per day, a Foci can enhance their ability to channel the power of their PL type. Foci of Order or its allied elements (Air and Water) may increase their charge rate by 10% PL for a single instance of an effect, and Foci of Chaos or its allied elements (Fire and Earth) may apply a single autocharge to a single instance of an effect. Charge rate increases may be stacked onto a single instance -- autocharges may not be.

Minor Racial Advantages:

Channel Element: A born Foci has an innate ability to channel the energies of their element, regardless of PL type, or even if they are a mortal. They are resistant to damage of their own element, suffering 25% less damage from it, and are minorly resistant to its adjacent, allied elements, suffering 10% less damage from those.

Imbue Element: A born Foci can easily learn to channel the power of their element into inanimate objects. This permits an Order Focus to create Black Iron, a Fire Focus to ignite combustibles with a touch, a Chaos Focus to slowly degrade items at a molecular level, a Water Focus to purify non-powered poisons from beverages, and so forth.

Major Racial Disadvantages:

Fountain of Power: Due to the constant upswelling of elemental power in them, a Foci always has an energy signature equal to their TotalPL, of a type appropriate to their elemental alignment. Foci of Order or its allied elements (Air and Water) have either a psionic or magical signature equal to their TotalPL, and Foci of Chaos or its allied elements (Fire and Earth) have either a ki or magical signature equal to their TotalPL. Which kind of signature they generate is selected at character creation, and need not be the PL type they actually possess (e.g., psion with magical signature, or mage with ki signature).

Minor Racial Disadvantages:

Power Type Limitation: Psionics is strongly identified with Order, and Ki is likewise strongly identified with Chaos. Foci of Order or its allied elements (Air and Water) may not wield Ki, and Foci of Chaos or its allied elements (Fire and Earth) may not wield Psionics. Physical and Magical power are unrestricted.