Paper Powers [Powers/Supers]

[AlexanderHowl]

Paper is the foundation of any modern society, so it is inevitable that it would become a source of power in any powered setting. As a source, Paper would probably be a -40% power modifier (Environmental, Paper, -40%), so it would only work in environments with available paper. Electricity (paper generating, storing, and directing electricity), Light (paper reflecting light), Psychokinesis (controlling paper for offense and defense), and Sound/Vibration (paper absorbing, directing, and generating sound) would be obvious powers, what other powers would you suggest?

[Varyon]

Various book-related powers - teleportation through books, sealing Evil in a Can Book, instantly reading the content of any book/paper you touch, etc. You could also come at it from an oblique angle - a more general Death Note-type power that lets you hit someone with an Affliction by writing about it. Note this last bit strongly implies -40% is too much of a Limitation for Environmental (Paper) - the actual Death Note would probably be built with Breakable, DR 0 -20% and SM -3 -15% (note Can Be Stolen, Quick Contest -30% isn't in play, as the device isn't obviously powerful and/or a likely target of theft), which is actually less of a Limitation than the -40% Environmental (Rare) would claim for a character who just needs to write on any piece of paper. Environmental: Paper is probably -20% (Occasional - Often Absent/Easily Avoided) or so, comparable to being in the city.

[whswhs]

I definitely would not accept electricity; the electrical properties of most kinds of paper are negligible. I suppose I'd allow its use as insulation, which would be specialized DR. Storing and directing electricity seems like a function, not of the substance "paper," but of the information stored on the paper; at best you'd need a source of knowlege for what that information should be and then you'd need to wait for the information to work through social channels. Sound and light are a little more justifiable, but depend on having paper of the right kind, and it doesn't seem to me that most paper is very loud.

The anime series R.O.D. (for Read Or Die) had some clever uses of paper, as I recall it.

[dcarson]

Summon Ally via origami.

[Anders]

Snatcher for taking things drawn on a paper. Cutting attacks (probably with a hefty Armor Divisor).

[Plane]

Originally Posted by whswhs

The anime series R.O.D. (for Read Or Die) had some clever uses of paper, as I recall it.

Both the OVA series (based on the manga Read or Die) and the TV series (based on the sequel Read or Dream) are fantastic.

I imagine those powers would basically just work like a "requires components" limitation, similar to when you require a staff to do magic.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Plane

I imagine those powers would basically just work like a "requires components" limitation, similar to when you require a staff to do magic.

Well, maybe. But I don't think "I can do anything, as long as I have a sheet of paper" is what I would call "paper powers." And it doesn't seem to be quite what the OP was asking for. I was looking for powers that involve being able to sense paper, or control it, or do things that paper can do.

[Plane]

Telekinesis with Animation limited to paper?

I recall that Yomiko could actually harden paper to stop bullets too, but I'm not sure how to represent that.

[Mark Skarr]

I would look at this the way I look at most things: Special Effects and Mechanics are separate.

Snatcher for things drawn is very similar to my character, Jasmine's, power, but she is an artist, and paper is simply a medium on which she draws. She can snatch larger things by using chalk and the side of a building. (Never allowed to draw an out-bound missile aimed toward the target, again.)

But, for things that you can do with paper, I would say Snatcher would still be fine, but not for things drawn but more things made. Origami, which was suggested for summons, would also work well for Snatcher. Which is how the character Trinket, in our super-carnies game, works. She is, basically, a balloon-druid clown. She makes balloon animals and vehicles. The power is limited with "Constructs have half HP and DR because, they're balloons."

To me, it's less about how would it actually work, and more how can we explain it, using balloons that is consistent as well as hilarious.

Paper armor, paper weapons, paper plates (wait, sorry, this isn't a shopping list). I always think it's better to make the character, and explain how their powers work rather than try to come up with the explanation beforehand.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I suppose I'd allow {paper's} use as insulation

Appropriate; paper pulp was commonly used as insulation for telephone wiring before plastic was readily available. I don't get the connection between paper and electricity, either.

Nor light. Sure, bleached paper can reflect light, but no better than any other lightly-colored object. It doesn't have a particularly high albedo, and not naturally at that. (The bright white papers get that way not from the paper, but the bleaching and sizing, so any light powers ought to belong to the kaolin or whatever, not the paper.)

You might justify divination powers, either mystically from Tarot (paper cards), the I Ching, etc, or with a more modern spin by having paper that can duplicate the writing from other sheets, making it easy to scry on written information from others.

Straight lift of the "psychic paper" ID/pass/clearance/etc from Doctor Who.

Symbol and rune magic would fit, though I think the source of magic there is usually considered to be the writing and not the substrate. But it's probably close enough for a character concept to say the abilities only work when you draw the appropriate sigils on paper.