"More things in Heaven...": The ASTRONOMY Powerset

[AspieAnarchy]

This is an older idea, and one I'm particularly proud of - 'out there' in more ways than one, definitely channeling H. P. Lovecraft and other "space-mystics":

 

ASTRONOMY (Buff)

Available to: Defenders, Corrupters, Controllers, Masterminds

Set Color: Hot White-on-Dark Indigo

 

You can conduct the Music of the Spheres to empower your allies and scour your enemies. Though their power is vast, the heavens are distant and indifferent allies, and most of the powers they grant do not come easily, costing a great deal of either time or endurance.

 

1) Swiftness of Mercury – agitates the molecules in you and your allies' bodies, granting you a modest bonus to movement speed, recharge rate, and Fire and Smashing resistance.

Recharge: Long

 

2) Clouds of Venus (Defenders, Corrupters) – you surround your targets with a thick cloud of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid, blinding them and corroding their damage resistance. Living targets who remain in the cloud for too long face an increasing chance to be overcome by oxygen deprivation, putting them to sleep.

Recharge: Long

OR

Guidance of Venus (Controllers, Masterminds) – you invoke the power of Venus, the Morning Star, to guide you and your allies. While this power is active, you and your allies benefit from increased perception, a slightly increased chance to hit, and increased defense against Toxic damage and resistance to sleep effects. While this power has a significant endurance cost to initiate, the cost to maintain it is quite modest.

Recharge: Moderate

 

3) Tilt of Uranus – the eccentric force of Uranus tilts spacetime around an enemy at an odd angle, to its detriment and your benefit. The target and enemies near it will experience a severe reduction of their defense and resistance against Energy, Negative Energy, and Psionics, as well as a much smaller penalty to their resistance against all other damage types. If the attack succeeds, your personal defenses and resistances are increased by a fraction of the amount your enemies’ are reduced, cumulative per enemy so affected. Recharge: Slow

 

4) Dust of Mars – While this power is active, you surround yourself and those near you with a Martian duststorm. Enemies will have a hard time picking you out of the cloud, and thus your defense against ranged attacks is increased. At the same time, the dust hones and cleans weapons and scours flesh, greatly increasing the damage done by you and your allies' Lethal attacks, as well as slightly increasing the damage of all your other attacks. Recharge: Moderate

 

5) Winds of Neptune – you direct a mere wisp of the strongest wind the solar system has to offer at a hapless foe. So long as you keep this power active, the target and other enemies near it are slowed, have their damage resistance severely reduced, and are frequently knocked back. Recharge: Slow

 

6) Rings of Saturn – coalesces rings of sharp rock and ice around a target ally that damage nearby enemies. Damage: Moderate Cold/Lethal (DoT) Recharge: Very Long

 

7) Force of Jupiter – You can invoke Jupiter's mighty magnetosphere to shield your comrades from harm. While this power is active, you generate a powerful magnetic field that provides nearby allies with incredible defense against all damage types except Psionic, and against hold, immobilize, knockback, and pulling effects. Maintaining this power is very strenuous. Recharge: Slow

 

8) Radiance of Sol – While this power is active, all nearby allies benefit from increased damage and endurance recovery, while nearby enemies are burned over time. Damage: Minor Fire (DoT) Recharge: Slow

 

9) Kingdom of Pluto – summons a swarm of small Kuiper Belt Objects to harry your enemies. The objects' attacks do minor Smashing/Cold damage and one random additional effect: accuracy debuff, defense debuff, slow, knockdown, weak confusion, or critical hit. The objects are very difficult to destroy by any means, but cannot be healed or buffed. The objects mill around you wherever you go, but you have no control over them beyond that. They will only serve you for a short time before they tire of the heat and return to their distant home. Recharge: Very Long

 

Example Character Concept: The Evil Astro-Nut! (Villainous Radiation Blast/Astronomy Science Corrupter)

Edited October 10, 2023 by AspieAnarchy
Guidance of Venus grants Toxic defense as originally envisioned; added Toxic defense and pull resistance to Force of Jupiter, removed resistance/regeneration buff from Radiance of Sol; tinkered with KBO effects; color-coded attack damage-types

[Force Redux]

I like!