Introduction to the Elements Part 4- Powers.

Note: This post is out of date. For an up to date explanation of the Elements, go here. 

Here are Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this series. This post probably won't make sense unless you've read them.

I've rewritten this post for clarity. It's a great deal shorter than it was.

Powers are containers for Effects, which give a character the in-game authority to perform certain types of actions. They are broad fields of endeavor that help to define your character's strengths.

They also help to determine who or what you can deliver Effects to, and how those Effects are interpreted once placed. 

Powers have no ratings of their own, but their Effects do.  

Powers are either challenged or unchallenged by default.  Challenged Powers require a Check (a roll of the dice), and unchallenged ones do not. Just because you don't have direct opposition in the form of another character doesn't mean that a Power should be automatically unchallenged. Sometimes the environment presents the challenge. Unchallenged Powers become challenged when opposition presents itself, and a challenged Power can become unchallenged if the challenger doesn't act against it.  

The seven Powers are ATTACK, CONSTRUCT, IMPLEMENT, MANEUVER, PLAN, SHIELD and TRUST.  

Powers can contain other Powers. They can also be blended with other Powers by separating the two Elements with a dash to create a new type of container for Effects, like so: ATTACK-IMPLEMENT.  If one sub-Power in the group is challenged by default and the other is unchallenged,  the whole Power is considered challenged.  

ATTACK:  Effects that you can impose on a Target against their will.  Challenged by default. 

CONSTRUCT:  Effects that you can create, which will persist until challenged successfully. If you HOUSE a CONSTRUCT it will also have minimal resistance to being destroyed in the form of the HOUSE's Health boxes.  When you CONSTRUCT a Frame, the result is no longer considered a CONSTRUCT. Unchallenged by default. 

IMPLEMENT: A tool that grants its Effect on behalf of its wielder. This doesn't need to be physical; a rumor can be a tool for social conflict.  

IMPLEMENTs can grant the use of the Attributes of the Frame that contains them. If the Frame's Attributes are higher than those of the wielder, the wielder may substitute them in any Checks made with the IMPLEMENT. Conversely, if the wielder's Attributes are higher, they may use them for Checks with the IMPLEMENT's Effects.

An IMPLEMENT can be taken away if  a challenger has ACCESS to the HOUSE where it is contained. Unchallenged by default.

MANEUVER: An Effect that you grant to yourself. Movement, temporary ability boosts, or bodily transformations are examples of MANEUVERs. Unchallenged by default. 

PLAN:  A "recipe" for an Effect. A PLAN contains a list of events that, if they occur, grant a Target Effect. Challenged by default. 

SHIELD: An Effect that is delivered in reply to another Effect's challenge. This can be defensive, of course, but any type of Effect is legal here. Challenged by default.  

TRUST:  An Effect that you can grant to a Target unless challenged successfully. Unchallenged by default.  

Next: Kabbalistic Connections of Frames and Powers.