Tech Talents

The average techie in Mass Effect can repair a damaged Drive Core, reprogram a VI, apply Med gel, or even attach a cybernetic limb to someone. These are mundane abilities when compared to what a Tech Specialist can do. Through intimate knowledge of related skills and the proper use of an Omni-Tool, a character with Tech Talents can become quite formidable on the battlefield as allies or enemies. Tech Talents are based on the Tech attribute skills. The talent Sabotage for example, is gained through knowledge of how ranged weapons deal with the heat of firing rounds. With enough skill in ranged weapon repair, the Tech Specialist is able to bypass the safety features and shut down a weapon for a period of time.

Unless otherwise stated a character may not use a Tech Talent without an Omni-Tool.

Default cool down after using a talent is 2 rounds unless otherwise noted.

AI Hack

Depending on success level: inhibit, partially control, or totally control synthetic target.
Time Taken: one round
Prerequisites: AI advanced +6 and Hacking Talent
Description: With an understanding of how artificial AI programming works, a Tech can use an Omni-Tool to upload a virus that can wipe out layers of programming and insert various commands.

Roll Technical + AI advanced versus the synthetic's willpower. A success grants varying degrees of access to the root commands of a synthetic based on how effectively the roll beat the target's defenses:

  • 0-10 Corrupted Systems: target suffers -9 to all rolls for 1 Round and an additional Round for each +3 in AI Hack
  • 11-15 Access Basic Commands: target will follow simple commands, such as Stop, Shutdown, Run, Drop Weapon, for 1 Round and an additional round for every +3 in AI Hack
  • 20 + Access Root Command System: gain control over the synthetic for 1 round and an additional round for every +6 in AI Hack. While under your control the synthetic will follow any command you give it that it can carry out.

Combat Drone

Generates and controls a combat drone.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Electronics +9
Description: The talent spawns a tech drone that draws enemy fire and can electronically stun targets while damaging their kinetic barriers. Only one drone per character can be active at a time.

Combat Drone Stats:
Dexterity: 4D
Ranged: +5
Perception: 3D
Search: +1 (Specialization: Target Acquisition: +3)
Strength: 2D

Ranged DV: 12
Melee DV: 6
Brawling DV: 6
Damage Resistance (DR): 2
Health: 15/15

Weapons:
1 x Stun Gun: 2D

Specializing in the following skills increases the capabilities of the drone:
For every +6 in Armor Repair the drone gains 1D in DR.
For every +6 in Electronics the drone gains 1D in stun damage: for every 3 points of damage the target is stunned one round. The targets add their DR and Armor and Stamina Skill to counter the stun.

If the drone is destroyed it disintegrates into nothing.

The drone may be maintained for additional rounds but at a -3 penalty to all rolls.

Damping

Suppress target's Biotic Talents for 1 Round.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Biotic Amp Repair +6
Description: With knowledge of how Biotic Forces and Dark Energy works the character can send signals that corrupt the impulses of the brainwaves. Roll Technical + Biotic Amp Repair versus the targets defense (usually Willpower or Resistance), if successful the target cannot use any Biotic Talents for 1 Round.
Special: for every +6 in Biotic Amp Repair, it affects the target another Round.

Detonate

Remotely detonate explosives from a distance.
Time Taken: one round
Prerequisites: Demolitions +9
Description: A Tech Specialist that has experience using demolition ordinances can set them off from a distance with this Talent. By flooding an area with specific radio waves and microwaves, this Talent can remotely detonate ordinance safely from a distance. Detonate can be used on an enemy’s grenades. When activated, make a Very Difficult check versus your Technical + Demolitions. If successful any mines, grenades or bombs of your choosing, within an radius of 2.5m and in range of 30m detonate, causing damage to anyone within their range.

Electronics Expert

Roll to gain a temporary bonus to all Tech skills.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: 3 Tech Skills at +12
Description: Having more experience in dealing with how modern equipment functions, allows a Tech Specialist to increase their abilities for a few moments to do things no other techie could. Make a Technical roll versus a Easy difficulty, if successful lessen your difficulty of all your rolls for Tech skills for the remainder of the current round by 2 levels.

Energy Drain

Drain target's kinetic barriers to recharge user's own.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Overload and Tech Armor
Description: Energy Drain saps enemies' kinetic barrier power to boost yours instead.

Roll technical + decryption against target's DR and kinetic barriers.
If successful:
For every +5 beyond the target's DR and barrier rating the target takes -3 barrier and you gain +3 to your barriers. If any part of the transferred barrier rating exceeds your armor's barrier rating, it is lost and cannot be recovered.
This power travels in a straight line from the target back to the user. Maximum distance: 30 meters.

Field Medic

Medi-Gel heals twice the normal amount of hit points.
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: First Aid +6, Medicine Advanced +6
Description: Using Medicine talent heals twice the amount of hit points while using Medi-Gel.

Hacking

Disorient Synthetic target.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Decryption +6
Description: With an understanding of how synthetics operate the player has the ability to disrupt their targeting and defense systems. Roll Technical + Synthetics Skill versus Target Difficulty. For every +6 in Decryption Skill all synthetics have one level higher difficulty of hit you.

Hacking lasts 1 Round and 1 Round for each additional +6 in Hacking.

Neural Shock

Stun target.
Time Taken: one round
Prerequisites: First Aid +9 and Field Medic (Tech Talent)
Description: Using knowledge of amp placement (in the case of a Biotic) and neural paths within an organic brain, a Tech Specialist can send a shock that causes severe pain to the target that is potentially devastating their minds.

To activate, choose a biologic creature within 30 meters and in line of sight. Make a Technical + Medicine roll vs target's defense (Willpower defense ). If successful, the target is stunned for 1 Round and 1 Round for every +5 the roll beats the target's defense.

Neural Shock has a cool-down of 3 rounds.

Omni-Blade

Generate a disposable blade that deals +1D damage.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Electronics +6, Omni-blade +6
Description: The Omni-blade is a disposable silicon-carbide weapon flash-forged by a mini-fabricator module in the wielder's Omni-Tool. The semi-transparent blade is created and suspended in a mass effect field safely away from the user's hand and forearm. Although melee-combat applications for the omni-tool are almost as old as the device itself, the feature was largely unused prior to the beginning of the Geth war. The need to take on multiple Geth-created husks in close quarters forced the Alliance to develop ways to enhance the tool's offensive capability. Since its introduction other Council species have begun to adopt and develop combat tactics for using the weapon themselves. Because of the danger of a almost instantly generated blade, users must take specific training in how to use the weapon without grievous bodily injury.

The Omni-blade skill replaces Melee skill for the purpose of wielding an Omni-blade ONLY. If a character wishes to also use any other melee weapons they must purchase levels of Melee specifically.

To activate an Omni-blade, make a successful Moderate Electronics check.
Once activated, the blade will not require activation for the remainder of combat (GM discretion).

To attack with an Omni-blade the character makes a Dexterity + Omni-blade check against the target's difficulty rating. An Omni-Blade deals a bonus +1D to strength damage.

Overload

Shut down target's shields.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Electronics +9 and Armor Repair+9
Description: Overload is best used at the beginning of a battle to give you an instant edge, allowing you to spend less time attacking an enemy's shield and more time killing them. It is also effective against larger enemies like Geth Armatures or Mechs that can more frequently recharge their barriers.

Roll Technical + Electronic Devices Skill versus targets Technical defense (Technical or special) to shut down their suit/system suit shield generators. The shields remain offline for 3 rounds, after that they start to regenerate.

When attacking synthetic targets, a successful roll that exceeds the target's defense can cause it to shut down. For every +6 your roll exceeds the target's defense, target is stunned for one round/one additional round.

Sabotage

Jam or reduce damage of target weapons.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Weapons Repair +9
Description: This Talent allows you to jam signals that modern weapons receive, causing them to misfire or their damage to be weaker.

Very Difficult check versus Technical + Weapons Repair. If successful, any opponent that targets the user or any other character within 5m (GM discretion) of the user, adds one Difficulty Level to hit and deducts the Sabotage roll results from the damage their weapon might deal on a successful roll. Sabotage lasts 1 Round and and additional Round for every +6 in the Weapons Repair.

Sabotage cool-down begins after the last Round it is active and has a cool-down of 4 Rounds instead of 2.

Tactical Cloak

Become invisible for a short period of time.
Time Taken: one round
Prerequisites: Electronics +9
Description: Cloak is the best way of ambushing your opponent while combat, or sneaking through hostile environments. The character has the ability to change the reflection of light as it interacts with personal armor shielding thus making him nearly invisible.

Roll Technical + Electronics vs Moderate difficulty. If the roll is successful the user becomes virtually invisible for Technical D + 2 rounds + one round for every +5 above the difficulty that the roll succeeded by.

If any hostile action is taken by the player (i.e. hitting someone or making other offensive maneuver) the Tactical Cloak falls. While active all kinetic barrier of the player are turned off and have to regenerate in standard manner.

Tech Armor

Temporarily increase DR.
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Armor Repair +6
Description: A tech specialist can optimize their personal kinetic barrier generators well beyond the levels of protection they normally provide, creating a stronger system that generates a second kinetic armor layer over their armor.

Make a Moderate Difficulty roll vs Technical and Armor Repair, if successful add your skill in Armor Repair, to any damage defense roll that adds kinetic barrier protection to it. Additionally should Tech Armor end, a burst of kinetic energy with the force of the Kinetic Barrier’s capacity is depleted. This short burst of kinetic energy is capable of stunning targets around the character.
Special: a character can keep Tech Armor up, they suffer -3 to all non-Tech Armor rolls while active.
Note: Cool-down begins when the character lets Tech Armor drop.

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