Cackle

Cackle (Major) by Senator Cybus

The character’s laugh is a noise straight out of nightmare - an unnaturally loud and long cacophony of raw insanity.

1. Horrify. So disturbing is the character’s laugh, that anyone within earshot must immediately roll to save vs. Horror Factor.

Base Horror Factor: 10 +1 per every other level of experience.

Range: 50 feet (15 m) radius, plus 5 feet (1.5 m) per level of experience. Twice that for opponents with a heightened sense of hearing. Half that if used in a particularly noisy environment - anywhere with an ambient noise level of more than 80 decibels.

Duration: Indefinite - as long as the super being wishes.

Attacks Per Melee: Maintaining the Cackle uses up one attack/action per melee round.

Saving Throw: Opponents must roll higher than the character’s H.F. to save. If they can somehow plug their ears, they gain a bonus of +3 to the roll.

Limitations: Everyone within range is affected, friend or foe.

2. Harm. Up close, the Cackle is distracting, painful and even physically damaging.

Range: 20 feet (6 m) radius, plus 2 feet (0.6 m) per level of experience. Twice that for opponents with a heightened sense of hearing. Half that if used in a particularly noisy environment.

Damage: 1D6 per melee round of exposure, and those affected are -6 on initiative, -4 to strike, parry and dodge and -30% on skill performance. Double the damage and penalties when used against opponents with a heightened sense of hearing.

Duration: Indefinite - as long as the super being wishes.

Attacks Per Melee: Maintaining the Cackle uses up one attack/action per melee round. Note that if an opponent is close enough to be affected by Harm, he/she will also be vulnerable to Horrify.

Saving Throw: None; only save is to plug ears, which will reduce damage and penalties by half.

Limitations: Everyone within range is affected, friend or foe.

3. Sonic Shielding. By necessity, the super being’s ears are adapted to withstand harsh noise. He is immune to his own and other peoples’ Cackle and resistant to the effects of other loud, damaging or dangerous levels of sound - such attacks inflict only half the usual damage and penalties.

4. Laughing Fit. The hero’s lungs have been modified to allow him to laugh for as long as he wants, regardless of any other exertion - he can run, fight and jump around normally, without ever seeming to pause for breath. As a side effect of this, the super being fatigues at half the normal rate and can hold his breath for four minutes plus one minute for every point of P.E. he has over 15 (a P.E. of 16 allows him to hold his breath for five minutes, six minutes with a P.E. of 17, etc).