Aberrant RPG - Aberrant RPG Enhancement: Surprise Attack

[Matt]

Surprise Attack (Mega-Charisma)

Prerequisites: At least 1 dot of Mega-Dexterity and 3 dots of both the Perform Ability and a Dexterity-based personal combat Ability.

When a person is about to attack someone, she will usually give off noticeable signs of it in her body language, which perceptive combatants can all too easily notice and prepare to defend themselves. Certain warriors found a remedy for this on the stage, learning to either conceal their hostile intent through acting skill or to disguise them as part of a physical performance as did the sword dancers of Korea. Certain Mega-Charismatic novas have taken this tactic to an entirely new level.

System: The nova can use his Perform Ability (either as an actor or a physical performer of some sort - dancer, martial artist performing katas, etc.) to perform the Ambush maneuver (Aberrant core book, pp. 242-243) with a chosen Dexterity-based personal combat Ability (Martial Arts, Melee, or Firearms). At the Storyteller's discretion, the Brawl Ability might also be used with Surprise Attack, although the circumstances in which it could plausibly be used will be more rare. The Ability that Surprise Attack applies to must be chosen either at the time of character creation or when this enhancement is bought with experience. Taking additional levels of this enhancement will allow the nova to use it with an additional Ability. The Storyteller has the final say as to what kinds of attacks can be used with this enhancement in any given circumstance. For instance, an attack using a subtle pressure point strike or a piece of silverware used as an improvised weapon covered up by acting could plausibly be used while at a restaurant or cocktail party. Using a sword or a lethal wrestling hold in such a pleasant, civilized setting would be much harder to justify - usually. Likewise, using martial arts or a weapon to attack while performing katas or something like a sword dance is quite plausible, but using a pistol isn't. To use this enhancement, the nova spends 1 quantum point and uses the Ambush maneuver, except that the nova must make a Perform roll instead of Stealth in a resisted action against the target's Awareness. If the nova gains more successes than the target, he gains the free attack and can apply any extra successes from the Perform roll to the attack roll made the chosen target. If the resisted action comes out in a tie, the nova may still attack, but the target may perform a defensive maneuver if she has at least 1 dot of Mega-Wits. If the target gains more successes than the nova, she spots the nova's Ambush attempt and both parties roll Initiative normally. It's important to note that if the target has a means of sensing the danger from the nova's attack (such as the Intuition or Premonition powers, or the Foresight enhancement of Mega-Wits) or has a Mega- Perception rating higher than the nova's Mega-Charisma, this enhancement's effect is automatically negated. Precognitive targets can still be subject to this enhancement if the nova also has the Unpredictable enhancement, but there is no such countermeasure - yet - for Mega-Perceptive targets. This enhancement costs 1 quantum point to use, and lasts until the attack is made, successfully or not.

This is a part of Aberrant RPG: The New Flesh. Aberrant is a role playing game from White Wolf that shares a common universe with the Adventure! RPG and Trinity RPG game lines. Download the sourcebook for Aberrant: The New Flesh.