Rogue
AP 50 EP 70 FF 12 Gen. 2
Described in: Core book
One of the first whispers recruits hear in Camelot’s barracks is that Rogue armours don’t actually exist, and that they are just a rumour spread by Arthur and his lieutenants to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. Rumours of Rogue model meta-armour have indeed spread outside of Camelot, but it is certainly not a myth.
Its purpose is simple – the assassination of Avalon’s foes, human and fiend alike. Many gang leaders, dictators, cult leaders drunk with power, and monsters of the Anathema have silently fallen to the hidden blows of a Knight in Rogue armour. Felling an enemy unawares is hardly heroic but, to quote Arthur, it is a ’more than necessary evil in these dark times.’
Rogues were born of the necessity to discreetly kill powerful adversaries, the ones too strong to be engaged in a head-on assault or whose murder would have grave consequences if performed publicly. Naturally, recruits only learn of this ’dark’ side of Avalon once they are already well entrenched in the organisation. All first impressions are those of nobility and heroism, of Paladin and Wizard meta-armours standing as beacons in the darkness. Rogue meta-armour’s primary module, the Ghost invisibility field, is a thin membrane designed to distort light and render the armour invisible to the naked eye. Its stealth is further enhanced by the judicious application of noise dampeners. In short, by activating their Ghost mode, a Knight in Rogue meta-armour becomes an undetectable spectre, visiting swift, silent death on Avalon’s foes.
All second generation meta-armour appears more like plated jumpsuits outlining their wearer’s muscles than a real suit of armour. The Rogue’s torso and shoulders are the only parts with thicker protection, 2-inch plating that serves to increase its Knight’s survivability and shield its powerful alpha energy reactor. Discreet and form-fitting, it barely increases its wearer’s height or bulk while still providing a surprising amount of shielding – for a suit of this generation – and considerably enhancing dexterity.
Its surface is covered with meshed nanotubing designed to release nanomachines that activate the suit’s unique Ghost module. One of its main qualities is its near-weightlessness, allowing Rogue wearers to fully benefit from most of the armour’s capabilities without having to drain its power supplies. Sound dampeners on its joints, gloves, and boots enhance its stealth capabilities even further. A Knight using the Rogue’s basic equipment and moving carefully can easily sneak past the best trained guard dog and security cameras. Ghost modules do have their limits, though. If the user makes sudden movements such as attacking, or creates a light source or explosion by using a firearm, the invisibility field briefly overloads in a confusing mix of colour before shutting down. Rogues need to know how to move quietly, unseen, and deliver swift, powerful blows. Just as important is knowing when to launch these surprise attacks. Needless to say, Avalon’s finest killers have this down to an art form.
Mode Ghost
Ghost mode renders the user invisible to the naked eye and almost completely silent. Communications between the Knight and their allies are still possible through their helmets’ comms.
Effect: When Ghost mode is activated, the character becomes invisible and inaudible to characters without a major exceptional Machine aspect.
The Rogue gains + 3 automatic successes on any stealth skill checks (sneaking, silent running, performing acrobatics, but not attacking) against any character without a major exceptional Machine aspect. A Stealth based roll against half of an NPC’s Machine aspect (or Acuity in the case of a PC) might be necessary when dealing with an alert enemy. A failure on one of these checks means the Knight is spotted. NPCs with alternate modes of sight (night vision, magnetic vision, a Ranger meta-armour’s Vision module) or an acute sense of hearing (dogs, cats, etc.) are treated as having + 3 to their Machine aspect (or 2 automatic successes for a PC) when attempting to detect a Knight using Ghost mode.
When the PC attacks in melee or at range, the Ghost effect immediately stops. Melee attacks with weapons without the Radiance effect and ranged attacks with weapons with the silencer effect receive a bonus number of dice to attack equal to the character’s Stealth characteristic (including overdrives).
This bonus applies even if the attack roll already uses Stealth as part of the attack combo. These attacks also receive a fixed damage bonus equal to the character’s Stealth characteristic (including overdrives). The damage bonus can add to those given by a silencer effect on a ranged weapon and bonuses provided by a level 2 Stealth overdrive. This bonus only applies to the first attack of the user’s turn. When the user reaches a total of 250 GP, they can spend 3 EP each time they attack to maintain Ghost mode and continue to enjoy the above bonuses.
If a Knight becomes invisible again after attacking a target (by using Ghost mode on a later turn, for instance), the target will be on the lookout for another surprise assault. To attack the same target with Ghost mode’s full bonuses a second (or more) time, a Stealth based skill check must succeed following the usual rules.
Warning: If a character deactivates their Ghost mode (by attacking, by acting violently, or by willingly turning it off), they cannot reactivate it during the same turn. If an enemy causes a Ghost mode’s deactivation, it can be reactivated during the Knight’s turn.
| Energy | 2 per turn during a conflict phase / 6 per minute out of a conflict phase |
|---|---|
| Activation | None |
| Duration | 1 turn or 1 minute |
| GP | Description |
|---|---|
| 150 | Ghost mode now costs 2 EP for 6 turns during a conflict phase, and 6 EP for 15 minutes outside of conflict phases. |
| 200 | The ability now works against all NPCs. It succeeds automatically (no dice roll is required) except against those with a major exceptional Machine aspect, or those who have just been targeted by an attack from the Knight. |
| 250 | Ghost mode no longer deactivates when attacking (in or out of conflict phases). On each attack, the Rogue can spend 3 EP to maintain its invisibility. |
Q&A > Questions about combat, creatures and NPCs > Cloaking, ambushes and surprise attacks - Q&A > Questions about combat, creatures and NPCs > Creatures and adversaries - Jan. 17, 2025, 12:31 p.m.
When an enemy notices a character using the rule presented in the Rogue armour mechanics, they suffer no penalty to attack. The Knight is detected and can be freely attacked as normal. If a creature or character attempt to attack a target with another kind of invisibility:
- In contact range, the target adds a +2 bonus to their defence rating to represent the attacker having to guess where their target is.
- At range, the attacker suffers a 3 D penalty to attack and the target adds a +2 bonus to their reaction score, even if the attack is a random spray of bullets. These are the same rules as the smokescreen module (and they do not stack).
Q&A > Meta-armour questions > Rogue - Jan. 17, 2025, 12:31 p.m.
No, when the PC uses a combat action in melee or at range, the Ghost effect immediately stops (unless they have the evolution allowing them to pay to extend the invisibility effect). Using a grenade is a ranged action: this breaks Ghost mode. Furthermore, smart grenades do not have the “silencer” effect and therefore Ghost mode damage bonuses do not apply to them, no matter how stealthily they are placed.
Q&A > Meta-armour questions > Rogue - Jan. 17, 2025, 12:31 p.m.
Yes, unless they have the radiance X effect, and they become visible at the same time as the meta-armour if its wearer makes any sudden movements, too much noise, does anything that creates light, or attacks.
Q&A > Meta-armour questions > Rogue - Jan. 17, 2025, 12:31 p.m.
No.
Q&A > Meta-armour questions > Rogue - Jan. 17, 2025, 12:31 p.m.
Yes, Ghost mode can be seen through by some vision modules, magnetic or thermal vision for instance. Ranger’s Vision can also allow them to “see that which is unseen.” As a rule, when a major or minor exceptional Machine aspect would allow invisibility to be countered, it is because they represent powers and abilities similar in nature to the Ranger’s Vision, to alternative vision modules, to specific ODs, or a mix of all the above.
Q&A > Meta-armour questions > Rogue - Jan. 17, 2025, 12:31 p.m.
No, only the first one, unless the Rogue has a way of maintaining the element of surprise, by staying invisible, for example.