Revision as of 11:12, 8 May 2011

Flax is the name given to the reality-manipulating powers of the Serpent People in the Dino Girls campaign. These work by "skipping" from one alternate reality to the next, incorporating elements from parallel realities. It obeys some of the rules of physics, such as the conservation of matter and energy, but can "cheat" heavily and cause extremely improbable events to occur by selecting and synchronizing quantum effects.

Flax is a kind of luck or probability potential. Sentient creatures have the ability to pick and choose between different possible futures based on quantum observations of the future. Choosing favorable outcomes consumes Flax, suffering misfortune accumulates flax. For the average human, these two effects cancel each other out in a lifetime. Wearing a Flax Focus allows the accumulation and amplification of Flax energies, allowing the selection of a far wider array of possible outcomes.

Originally, personal setbacks and frustration caused the jewelry to activate, accumulating Flax potential. The user was bound, a physical reminder and tether for the flax energy. Once activated, the wearer could use the flax of the hard gold jewelry to alter reality in ways disproportionate to the setbacks suffered. As the use of Flax matured, this changed. There is now an ambient field of Flax energy to draw upon; instead of being periodically empowered, Flax users can now now continuously use their powers. Doing so consumes your personal Flax reserve and requires a period of recovery afterward.

Powers

Flax powers cannot create something out of nothing. They cannot use most summon powers, and create powers transform rather than create matter. But there is usually quite enough ambient energies and waste matter lying about for this not to be a problem.

Certain things simply do not exist in the Dino Girls universe, such as immaterial spirits. Powers that rely on such agencies either fail or need a different explanation.

There are two basic kinds of power users in Dino Girls - scientific and intuitive. Intuitive users are restricted to one particular skill and can only use powers related to that one skill. Scientific users are restricted to one or more Forms, and must have an Expert schtick related to each form they choose. Because Flax is the only tradition in Dino Girls, these restrictions do not count as Limitations.

Origin

Flax is powered by the Chi and Magic origins. Powers relating to either work for all Flax users. The restrictions on which powers and forms can be learned apply even to powers and forms that are temporarily picked up trough Magic powers.

Flux Focus Jewelry

The Flux Focus items have powers of their own.

They sustain the wearer as Animal Adaption
They provide damage resistance to Concussion and Impact energy, and further points can be invested to expand this protection to other areas. This works like Resist Concussion and related powers.
They sustain pregnancies, helping the wearer to carry lizardfolk eggs to term. It used to use flax powers to prevent abortion, but this effect seems to have faded.
They induce a state of slight euphoria, making the wearer happier, more tractable and open to suggestion.
As a Limit Break, you can add your Mind to the result of a stunt, as long as that stunt is mundane and relates to the use of a skill or form you can use powers from.

Restrictions

There are three kinds of restrictions of Flax; Flax Depletion, Limitations, and Methods. Limitations and Methods are normal for traditions in Action, while Flax Depletion is unique to the Flax tradition. Each is described here.

Flax Depletion

Flax Depletion is special to Flax users. As you use your powers, and in particular when you make grand displays of power, you use up your personal accumulation of Flax energy. This can lock the Flax Jewelry and lead to the loss of all powers for a longer or shorter period of time. Rather than to have hard and fast rules for when powers are lost and recovered, the system indicates which factors contribute to power expenditure and power recovery. It is then up to the GM and players to interpret this in game terms.

After a scene in which you have used a lot of power, there is a chance that your supply of Flax runs out. This normally happens after the scene comes to an end; your powers are reliable as long as you are in action, but letting down your guard and relaxing disperses the Flax field. In extreme cases the Flax can run out in the middle of a scene; this generally only happens when you have severely taxed your powers.

Flax Loss

The following factors contribute to Flax Depletion.

Great luck (rolls of +5 or better, whether using Fortune or not)
Each power used (repeatedly using one power is less taxing than using many different powers)
Power Experiments
Using powers for long periods or when fatigued
Using powers when not bound, or (even worse) when clothed

Levels of Flax Depletion

Depending on how severely your flax is depleted, you may suffer from one or more of the following.

Flax Jewelry lock-up - causing you to be increasingly severely bound.
Loss of all Fortune points.
Power Loss.
In very severe cases, all power use is lost, above and beyond normal Power Loss.

Flax Recovery

It can take weeks to recover from Flax Depletion , but can also happen in as little as a few hours. Several factors can help this process.

Suffering setbacks.
Bondage
Submission/Humiliation/Imprisonment/Sensory deprivation
Sexual stimulation

Limitations

All Flax users are subject to Power Submission. Some have additional Power Loss Limitations in addition to that.