Getting Flux
Botches: When the player botches a roll with a Quantum Power, the nova gains a point of Flux. This is not the case with Mega-Attributes or Mega-Edges.
Maxing Out: When a nova maxes out, exceeding their usual energy manipulating limits, they acquire a point of Flux. If they botch the effort, they gain an additional point of Flux. They can also gain additional Flux in exchange for more successes on a maxing out effort.
Rapid Recovery: When novas force them- selves to recover Quantum points faster than normal, they gain a point of Flux.
Maxing Out
Novas are capable of some amazing things just as part of their powers and Mega-Attributes, but they can go beyond even that when they really try. To “max-out” their power, a nova takes a point of Flux (p. 89) and spends Quantum points to assemble a pool of dice, one point per die, up to a maximum number of dice equal to their Quantum rating. They roll those dice as a reflexive action. Failure means nothing happens, except the expenditure of the Quantum points, and the nova receives Momentum. A botch means the nova gains an additional point of Flux. A nova can apply an Enhancement to the maxing out roll by taking additional points of Flux, 1 Enhancement per Flux point, up to a maximum of their Quantum rating.
Maxing Out Stunts: Successes from the roll can be spent for the
following Stunts for one action or power use at one success each:
• Add one dot to an existing Mega-Attribute, Mega-Edge, or Quantum Power. While max- ing out, the nova can ignore one dot of the in- creased trait’s requirements. Beyond that, they must meet the increased trait’s requirements but can spend maxing out successes to do so.
• Remove one point in a negative power tag on one of the nova’s Quantum Powers.
• Add one dot to the nova’s current Quantum Trait rating.
• Addonepointinapowertagtooneofthenova’s Quantum Powers. This includes increasing an existing power tag it does not normally possess.
• Gain one dot in a Mega-Attribute, Mega-Edge, or Quantum Power the nova does not already possess. The nova must meet the trait’s re- quirements to do this but can spend maxing out successes to meet the requirements.
Maxing Out Duration: The benefits of maxing out last for one use of the power, and end when the
power’s duration does, unless the character’s player chooses to spend additional Quantum points equal to the maxing out successes to maintain them for another use. This is in addition to any Quantum points spent to use nova traits that turn. Once the nova stops spending the Quantum points to main- tain the maxed-out benefits, they lapse.
Maxing Out and Advancement: Maxing out has a relationship with nova advancement — just like a bodybuilder has to stress muscles to promote growth, a nova has to max-out in order to gain pow- er. To spend Experience to improve a nova trait, the nova must have maxed it out at least once since the last improvement. To spend Experience to acquire a Mega-Attribute, Mega-Edge, or Quantum Power, the nova must have acquired it at least once by maxing out, so the nova understands how to get to that lev- el of achievement. To spend Experience to improve Quantum rating, the nova must have maxed it out at least a number of times equal to the current rating since the last increase (so once for Quantum 1 to 2, twice for 2 to 3, and so on). There’s no “playing it safe” when it comes to the growth of nova powers — you must push past your limits and take a risk. Of course, novas who max out too frequently risk accumulating enough Flux to lead to further Transcendence and Transformations.
Burning Out
Novas who run out of Quantum points are not actually “out of juice” — they don’t lack power, but they have temporarily exceeded the ability of their body and mind to safely channel it. Sometimes, however, a nova needs to call upon their powers whether they’re ready to handle it or not.
For every two Quantum points a nova expends af- ter reaching zero Quantum points, the nova takes an Injury Condition. This is considered lethal damage, and novas can be Taken Out by this damage (com- monly known as “burning out”). The nova suffers the Injury Condition after taking the action where they spend the Quantum points.
Overcharging
The reverse of burning out, some Quantum Powers or unusual effects cause novas to have an excess of Quantum points, above their usual maximum. This can create some problems when novas greatly exceed their normal capacity for containing and channeling energy.
A nova with more than their normal amount of Quantum points acquires either the Aberrant Eyes or Anima Aura transformation, as their nova nature lit- erally shines out. When they have 150% or more than their normal amount of Quantum points, they acquire both previous transformations as well as the Energy Bleed transformation, giving off random sparks or flashes of energy. At 200% or more, the nova acquires the Energy Emissions transformation, barely able to contain the sheer amount of power. For each minute the nova remains at this level of Quantum points, they also suffer either an Injury Condition or acquire a point of Flux, as the nova’s player chooses, until their Quantum point total drops below 200% of normal.
When the nova’s Quantum point total drops, the nova loses any temporary transformations due to the Overcharging, but any Injury Conditions or Flux acquired remain and must be dealt with normally.
Note that novas can’t “accidentally” overcharge through the normal acquisition of Quantum — once you reach your maximum, you stop accumulating points. Overcharging only occurs for powers and effects that specifically allow for acquiring more Quantum points than usual.
Trinity Continuum 