Matter Control PowersHome

Weather Control

The hero has complete control over the weather. He can sense those factors in the air that create weather and alter any aspect of them at his desire. Any of these factors can produce both physical and psychological effects on humans.

He can control temperature by raising or lowering the air a maximum number of degrees equal to his Power rank number. For example, an In(40) rank can change a comfortable 70 degrees into a wintery 30 degrees or a sweltering 100 degrees. He can increase or decrease windspeed by a number of miles per hour equal to his Power rank number. For example, an Ex(20) rank can stop a 20-mph wind, slow a 50-mph gale to 30mph, or turn still air into a 20-mph wind. Gale winds of 40-mph or higher begin to make travel difficult. Whole gales of 55 to 72mph begin to do widespread damage. Winds above 72mph reach hurricane strength. Above 200mph the wind becomes a tornado.

Wind direction can be changed up to 60 degrees by a green Power FEAT, up to 120 degrees by a yellow FEAT, and completely reversed 180 degrees by a red FEAT. For example, changing a cool northern wind to an east wind is a change of 90 degrees, a yellow FEAT.

Humidity can be increased or decreased a maximum percentage equal to the Power rank number.

Note: the maximum humidity is 100%.

Apparently humidity has some effect on human behavior and health. As humidity approaches 80% or higher, people become more sluggish and irritable, especially if the air temperature is also 80 degrees or higher.

If the air has any moisture at all, the hero can Collect it into any type of cloud, whether Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus, a common Fog, or any other type. He can form Nimbostratus clouds that continually disgorge moisture in the form of rain, hail, sleet, or snow, depending on the air temperature and wind direction. Rainfall per hour can reach a maximum number of inches equal to the Power rank number. If the precipitation falls as snow, the snowfall depth is equal to 6 inches for each inch of rainfall (since snowflakes pack less densely than rain). The Power can form Cumulonimbus clouds into thunderheads that deliver lightning as well as rain. The hero can control the emission and direction of lightning, producing bolts that do rank damage.

The area of weather over which the hero has control is a circle (a vertical cylinder actually) with the Weather Controller at the center. The diameter and height of this cylinder is determined by the Power rank. For example, when she possessed her full Am(50) Weather Control, Storm could control the weather over a 50-mile wide area.

Note: While the atmosphere is composed of 4 layers and is a few hundred miles deep, only the bottom layers of the troposphere and stratosphere really affect the surface weather. Beyond 20 miles in height, the Power is reduced to a negligible effect.

The duration of the effect the Power has over the weather varies. The hero has a limited amount of time each day she can actively Control the weather. The maximum length of time is the number of minutes equal to the hero's Health. Each minute spent using this Power temporarily costs the hero 1 point.

Note: this does not decrease the hero's actual Health; instead it decreases a "dummy account" set up for the purposes of the player's bookkeeping. The account is replenished at the start of each new day.

Returning to the example of Storm, her Am(50) rank enabled her to actively control the weather 50 minutes each day. Furthermore, the effect the Power has over the weather does not instantly vanish when the hero rests. The changes the hero made continue for a while before things return to their original state. Lingering effects last an amount of time equal to the time spent actively controlling the Weather. The Intensity rank of the lingering Weather slowly decreases; the average Intensity rank is half that of the Power rank. For example, if Storm spent 10 minutes operating a thunderstorm, that storm would last an additional 10 minutes and produce Ex(20) rainfall and lightning while it slowly dissipated.

As mentioned briefly, the hero can detect any aspect of the Weather that he can control. A green FEAT enables the hero to know the local wind's speed and direction, humidity, temperature, the chance for precipitation, and the next day's weather forecast. A yellow FEAT enables the hero to detect these thing anywhere within her Power's range and thus figure out the weather forecast for the next 2 days. A red FEAT enables the hero to make 3-day weather forecasts and more importantly detect the cause and location of any change in the weather, such as distant disturbances or the use of this Power by others elsewhere. For example, with a yellow FEAT the hero senses a mass of hot air 23 miles away. A red FEAT enables her to detect the cause as a fire raging in New Rochelle.

A peculiar use of the Power involves gaseous beings such as Air Elementals. The hero can create puppets of air whose actions simulate the behavior of Air Elementals. The hero can directly combat real Air Elementals with the Power doing rank damage to the opponent's Health. Imagine this as a vaporous equivalent of a Slugfest. Finally, the Power can serve as a means to communicate with gaseous beings. In this case the Power acts as an equivalent to Telepathy.

Optional Powers include Environmental Awareness and either True Flight, Whirlwind, or Gliding.

Nemeses include itself and Phasing, since Weather cannot affect a phantom.

Range: Column C.