Accessory - Dragon Magazine #111.pdf - Index of

the New York Daily News. Sam is a man
driven by his search for the truth and has
almost uncovered Wendy’s secret several
times — but he has learned that his inquiries
make Wendy very angry, and he is
afraid of losing her. Finally, he has decided
that, for now, his love is greater than his
curiosity.
Playing Quantum
Quantum is built in as simple a manner as
her unusual power structure allows. The
base (or Level 1) character is a somewhat
inefficient, flying, energy projector, with
the minimum power level to fit into any
campaign. Each additional level adds a
constant amount to almost all of Quantum’s
characteristics and powers. The
Game Master has total control over when
the character playing Quantum moves up
or down in power level.
Quantum’s powers reflect her control
over light. She can fly and project a force
field, and has a wide range of attacks,
drains, force walls, and entangles in her
Photonic Ultra. Her characteristics are
normal for a character of her type, though
her Strength and Stun Pips are somewhat
higher than normal. The level 1 Quantum
is worth 300 power points.
Each additional level gives Quantum
+ 20 points in attacks, + 10 to each of her
defenses, + 10” flight, and +2 levels. She
also gets significant increases in her characteristics,
including + 10 STR and CON,
+ 5 DEX, + 2 SPD, and + 50 END and
STUN. Each level is worth 300 power
points. Each level costs less however,
because they come into play less and less
often. Quantum’s total cost is 643 power
points.
If the Game Master feels an advance in
power level is justified by circumstances,
then Quantum may attempt an EGO Roll,
minus her current power level, at the end
of every turn. A successful roll means she
moves to the next higher power level.
Conversely, Quantum may move to
lower power levels if her emotional state
changes, or if she is startled or otherwise
confused. She must then make an EGO
Roll, minus her current power level, to
remain at her current level. Often, near
the end of a fight in which Quantum has
convinced herself she is victorious, her
Unluck will cause her to return to level 1,
thus giving the enemy a second chance.
Level 1 is Quantum’s normal state, and
she has these powers even in her secret
ID. Often, after using very high power
levels or getting one or more l’s on her
Unluck Roll, Quantum collapses back to
level 1. At this power level, she is useful as
support for heroes going into a battle in
which they are otherwise outnumbered
or, because she is then easily defeated and
captured, as bait in a trap for other
heroes.
Level 2 is Quantum’s normal fighting
level. It takes very little emotional stress throw at an otherwise unbeatable foe, or
for her to advance to this level, so she will to hold off a large number of villains while
get to level 2 in most runs. At level 2, the other heroes accomplish some lesser
Quantum is an even match for most char- (but critical) task.
acters at the campaign level. She also has Level 5 is the current upper limit of
increased flexibility because of three addi- Quantum’s abilities. This is the “goddess
tional powers in her Photonic Ultra. Quan- level” on which she gains the ability to fly
tum is useful here as support when heroes faster than light and exist in outer space.
are going against high-powered opposition, Only the most drastic circumstances
or as a foil for a single hero that Quantum should create this power level, about one
thinks has done wrong. run in thirty. Here Quantum is useful for
Level 3 is a highly charged state that holding off alien invasions, stopping natuallows
Quantum to dominate most battles. ral disasters, and facing cosmic foes. She is
She only advances to level 3 when very useless for normal combat because she
hurt or angry, about one run in three. Her hits everything she aims at, can knock
main power additions are simply having most characters out in one shot, and is
more powerful attacks and defenses than invulnerable to almost all counterattacks.
others at the campaign level, along with The Game Master can use Quantum
several enhanced senses. At level 3, Quan- however he wishes. If he has a special
tum is useful for taking on several villains story requirement for a powerful characor,
if controlled by a villain, taking on ter, but doesn’t want to deal with high
several heroes. power levels all of the time, he can let
Level 4 is seldom reached in normal someone play Quantum. If the Game Masplay;
only very special combinations of ter wants to balance two sides in combat,
emotion, circumstance, and dimensional or change the balance of a combat sudalignment,
say one run in ten, allow Quan- denly, he can use Quantum himself.
tum to have powers of this magnitude. At Finally, Quantum makes a perfect mindthis
level, she gains some additional inter- controlled pawn of a super-powered vilnal
bodily control with her powers, but lain, because she can be as powerful as the
has exceeded the point at which charac- Game Master wishes at any time. What
ters in a normal campaign level are much you actually do with Quantum in your
of a threat. Quantum is useful here to campaign, of course, is up to you.
DRAGON 93