Absorb Anguish

Absorb Anguish (Minor) by Senator Cybus

The super being can sense the emotional pain of others and even draw it into himself, taking their suffering for his own.

1. Sense Anguish. The hero can sense the presence of the traumatised, the anguished and the insane. Essentially, this is a specialised form of empathy - the super being can detect extremes of negative emotion (misery, terror, rage, etc.) and the existence of mental illness (phobia, neurosis, psychosis, etc.), though not the cause or specific details of the malady, just the general type of disorder.

Range: 10 feet (3 m) plus three feet (0.9 m) per level of experience.

Duration: Instant.

Attacks Per Melee: None; an automatic ability.

Saving Throw: None, though a Mind Block or the super power of Immune to Psionics will prevent the use of this sub-ability.

2. Absorb Negative Emotion. The hero can drain away the emotional turmoil of others, leaving them calm and rational. Misery, terror/panic, guilt, rage, disgust, envy and hatred can all be removed (in the case of hatred, the target may still despise someone, but can at least share a room with them without attempting murder, at least temporarily). While the target of the power will enjoy a few moments of clarity (see Duration below), he or she may again experience the emotion if the stimulus that initially triggered it is still present.
Note that this ability is fully effective against negative emotions created through magic, pisonics or super powers, and can be used to neutralise the abilities of Adrenaline Surge and Battle Rage.

Range: Touch.

Duration: The target enjoys one full melee round of emotional stability for every level of experience of the super being.

Attacks Per Melee: Each use of this power uses up one melee attack/action.

Saving Throw: 16 or higher (M.E. bonuses applicable). This only applies if the target has some reason to want to hang on to their negative emotions: most people will be glad to get rid of them! If the target successfully saves, the super being must wait for one full minute before he can attempt to drain them again.

Penalties: After the hero absorbs an emotion, there is a chance that he will be overwhelmed by the sudden rush of feeling: he must roll 12 or higher (M.E. bonuses applicable) to save against this. If he fails, he will experience whatever emotion he drained from his target for up to 1D4 minutes, whether that be suicidal depression, homicidal rage or blind panic.

3. Absorb Insanity. Just as the hero can absorb emotions, so too can he drain away mental illness. When using this aspect of the power, the super being can choose to either grant temporary relief from the malady or attempt to cure it completely; alleviating the illness is easier (and safer) than eradicating it.

Range: Touch.

Duration: If the hero uses the ability to grant temporary relief, the target enjoys one hour of mental stability for each level of experience of the super being, during which time he or she can function normally. A full (successful) cure is permanent.

Attacks Per Melee: Each use of this ability uses up two melee attacks/actions.

Saving Throw: 14 or higher (M.E. bonuses applicable). Since the insanity is beyond the target’s control, he/she will always attempt to resist this ability. If the target successfully saves, the super being must wait for one full hour before again attempting to absorb their illness.

Penalties: After the hero absorbs a malady, he may be overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of disordered thoughts. If he has drained only enough mental energy to grant temporary relief, it is easier to resist this effect: the character must roll 14 or higher (M.E. bonuses applicable) to save against it. If he fails, he will suffer the same mental illness as his target for the next 1D4 hours.

If the super being has used his power to grant a full cure, he must roll 16 or higher (M.E. bonuses still applicable) to retain his sanity. If he fails, he will suffer the same mental problems that his target did for the next 1D4 days. However, if the player rolls a natural one when attempting this save, the malady is permanent - the hero must be cured of his new mental illness through conventional means.

4. Bonuses:

1D4+2 M.E.

+3 to save vs. Horror Factor.

+3 M.A. when interacting with anyone suffering from a mental illness.