{
"post": {
"title": "Unique but reasonably powerful passive ability ideas?",
"selftext": "I have an idea for a concept where people with superhuman or supernatural abilities are institutionalized and subdued using a neural implant, which takes away their ability to use active powers. Anything they'd have to think about doing, wouldn't work. In these institutions they are confined to, those with passive abilities would be higher socially ranked, regardless of how strong someone's active ability once was, since they can no longer use it. \n\nSo, things like flying, enhanced strength and speed, wouldn't be stopped, since those are automatic reflexes, as opposed to something you have to think about doing (assuming these are abilities that cannot be \"turned off\"). Other potential passive abilities could be more supernatural in nature, such as the ability to talk to the dead or having unpredictable visions of the future.\n\nBut I'm having trouble coming up with more unique ideas that could result in a higher social ranking. I wouldn't want ones that are too powerful that they create a \"why don't they just escape/leave\" plothole. Just ones that are powerful *enough* that it would reasonably establish dominance or a utility in a social setting. \n\nY'all got any interesting ideas?\n\nETA: another interesting idea: someone who can inherently tell whether or not another person is lying the instant the words are uttered. ",
"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1879fw6/unique_but_reasonably_powerful_passive_ability/"
},
"comments": [
{
"body": "- influencing probability in your immediate vicinity (random events shift in your favor)\n- natural affinity for birds/animals/plants \n- anti-magic (you neutralize all magic in a specific area around yourself)\n- understanding all languages\n- unconsciously picking up all nearby thoughts in your vicinity\n- enhanced hearing (like Melody from Hunter x Hunter, who can hear stuff from large distances away)\n- enhanced charisma (everyone is drawn to you, wants to help you, give you free stuff, etc. regardless of your appearance or personality)\n- zero presence (you can be right next to someone in a room and they don’t notice you; might be useful for someone like a thief)",
"replies": [
{
"body": "These are really neat suggestions, thank you!"
}
]
},
{
"body": "You can always go with the midas touch but if its an institutionalized setting theyd maybe get their hands chopped so youd need something subtle, id be willing to say passive accuracy, the ability to throw something with perfect precision as a passive would be crazy good in an institutionalized setting, go hawkeye on the guards and flick your fingernail into their eye hard as a bullet",
"replies": [
{
"body": "This is a really interesting one I haven't heard of before, thank you! And hmmm I wonder if there's some way to nerf the Midas touch so that they'd be allowed to keep the ability without losing their hands?",
"replies": [
{
"body": "There's this guy named Kyouma Mabuchi: [https://chapmanganato.com/manga-bg954115/chapter-1](https://chapmanganato.com/manga-bg954115/chapter-1) who pretty much has this ability to throw things accurately\n\nWell maybe a different type of Midas touch: Anything they touch slowly increases in value, quality, is improved upon, or is repaired.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Or add a bit of tragedy, anything they touch is destined to improve in quality and/or value once it is at a point it'll never interact with the person again. They toss their apple core into the garbage, later when they take the garbage out and leave it reforms into a perfect apple that stays ripe for weeks. They move out of their house, the new owners win a home makeover sweepstakes and later discover oil under the land."
}
]
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "One of characters uses his magnetic abilities in a fairly subtle way, by diverting or deflecting things that might hit him in such a way that he just seems to have great reflexes and combat ability. He'll break out the big guns occasionally, but doesn't like others to know what he can do.\n\nThe point of this dump in the middle of your answer? You can have something similar to that, but it's more of the characters body automatically reacting to threats. Actually have it be \"magnetic reflex\" that redirects things their body perceives as a threat. You could use this aggressively (by having the charaxter put themselves in danger, knowing their body will probably save them) or as some kind of dramatic device (their magnet reflex saves them from an attack, but that reaction diverts the danger to someone they care about)."
},
{
"body": "The ability to grant durability by touch, a passive ability for a superman type strongman so you dont crush every thing\n\nLimited clairvoyance, for those that are thing-kinetics \n\nThought acceleration for speedsters\n\nX-Kinetics might be able to instinctually draw X to them \n\nPerfect dexterity and accuracy for blaster and weapon users\n\nminor physical enhancements like cling pads, thermal regulation, unlimited breath, endless stamina, all kinds of sensory enhancements smell, hearing sight ect... to specific sensing such as matter and minds\n\nMonstrous-looking supers are probably top of the totem pole because their physical traits are part of their power, like Beast's strength of Nightcrawler's tail or the Thing\n\nAll kinds of immunities to their own energy, electricity proof, fireproof.\n\nI feel like you can basically think up a power then deconstruct what is needed to actually make it work and keep the first element in the list."
},
{
"body": "Arrow Frog. Their bright green and yellow skin is hyper toxic: a mere touch is lethal.\n\nReflectance: nobody's quite sure what they look like, since they refexively appear as someone's deceased loved one.\n\nThe Fear: simply looking at them is horror inducing. Nobody's quite sure why \n\nPainkiller: they have addictive body fluids: tears, saliva, etc. its effect is like a narcotic, and it's as addictive as heroin. They are one of these most popular people in the prison.\n\nSeer: can see through the entire electricity's spectrum, magnetic fields, electricity flowing in wires, etc...\n\nMagnetic Catraction: cats simply love this person, like nothing else. Dozens of them will in fact show up out of nowhere, even in their cell, demanding to be petted. Note that the power doesn't extend to controlling cats. The person is also slightly allergic to them.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "wow painkiller during sex"
}
]
},
{
"body": "• very fast learner\n\n• Sherlock like observation and deduction stuff\n\n• builds strength faster on gyms (limited to human strength)\n\n• master of computers (naturally talented with computers)\n\n• senses threats and their location\n\n• soothing aura (calms everyone around them with a pleasant environment)\n\n• absurdly hilarious jokes\n\n• see peoples thoughts\n\n• dreams of the future events of the next day"
},
{
"body": "Mind reading.\n\nPeople who can read the thoughts of others would naturally be pushed into positions of authority because the ability could be used to ferret out spies, test loyalty, obtain secret information, etc. Lots of people would be coming to you for answers, that puts you in a position of power, thus, higher social standing.\n\nBut it's not \"so\" powerful that you could overpower people in a fight or anything. People could still kick your ass even if you can read their thoughts while they're doing it."
},
{
"body": "a ability that allows you to hit harder the more you hit someone in rapid succession ges were i got the ide",
"replies": [
{
"body": "seven deadly sins anime??",
"replies": [
{
"body": "bing"
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Absorb Energy (always on) - (electricity, heat, light, etc). Absorbed energy may be used for sustenance. Absorbed energy may be used to enhance attributes. \n \nAnalytical Sense - ability to tell somethings exact (density, mass, purity, refractive index, sound frequency, speed, temperature, tensile strength, velocity, volume, etc), without the use of sensor equipment. \n \nArmored (bones, skin) etc. \n \nAura of (beauty, command, fear, truth, etc). \n \nBlood (corrosive, drug, toxic, etc). \n \nBreath unusual environment (water, gas type). \n \nDanger Sense. \n \nDetect / Sense - (lies, life, minds, specific chemicals, specific materials, specific minerals, supers, etc). \n \nDoesn't require (air, food, heat, sleep, water, etc). \n \nEmpathy (always on). \n \nEnhanced Senses - (chemical analyzing scent, IR vision, UV vision, shark electromagnetic sense, homing pigeon navigation sense, tracking scent). \n \nFlexible Bones - Ability to squeeze through small spaces, reduce chance of bones breaking for any reason. \n \nGiant Size (always on). \n \nHigh Speed Perception - You cant move any faster but the world looks like its moving in slow motion. \n \nHypnotic Voice (always on). \n \nImmunity or high resistance to (cold, corrosives, disease, drugs, electricity, fire, heat, high pressure, kinetic impact, poison, radiation, vacuum, etc). \n \nLie Detection. \n \nMachine Telepathy - talk to and operate a computer without an input or output device. Still requires knowledge of computer operation to use it or computer programing to write or alter its programing. \n \nMind Reading (always on). \n \nPheromone Production (always on) - not exactly mind control, but may influence behavior of (animals, people) around them. \n \nNavigation by memory - As long as nothing has move you could successfully navigate a familiar route while blindfolded or in total darkness. \n \nPhotographic Memory. \n \nPsychometry (always on). \n \nRapid Adaptability - body rapidly adapts to (damage, drugs, environmental conditions, poison) to become highly resistant to whatever is affecting you. Can only adapt to \"x\" number of things at one time. Once it reaches the max number of things it must give up an old adaptation to adapt to something new. \n \nRegeneration. \n \nSpeak any language / Understand any language. \n \nSpeak with (animals, inanimate objects, plants, machines, the dead). \n \nSuper Attributes (strength, speed, endurance, agility, intelligence, perception, toughness). \n \nSuper Density (always on). \n \nUnaging. \n \nUnending endurance - never requires rest from physical exertion."
},
{
"body": "Flying is pretty active. Strength is most passive seeming, and I can see an argument for super speed. In those cases you are just doing normal things, but more. How about passives that are a problem? Any time you say some specific thing, for example, let’s say guard, even in the most indirect way, a ghostly being pops out and attacks. This person has had their vocal cords removed to avoid activating, but it still happens time to time. Sign language, body language, mouthing words"
},
{
"body": "True sight( can see all of the visual spectrum and any manyfactured invisibility is useless)\nReflexive shielding(anthyng that would actually hurt is blocked but if it would not cause any lasting harm it doesnt work)\nImpenetrable mind ( no reading of minds can exist close)\nUnresistable charisma( just so good with people without trying)"
},
{
"body": "I have always had a fascination with passive abilities in games. Especially in Grim Dawn, where i tried to do passive build. Basically each attack has a chance to trigger some kind of passive ability, kinda like a martail art technique. You could implement it as the character performing various techniques subconsciously."
},
{
"body": "In my dnd world, or at least in a hidden forest, i have uniqe trolls are heavilly inspired by my own country,s ((norway)) fantasy version. in where any troll in dirrect sunnlight will turn to stone. I even have the troll leader use this to hes advantage to live an almost, immortally loong life, by willingly staying petrified until hes wisdom, power, decision making is crucial, only spending 1-2 full days a year being active."
},
{
"body": "Mass and density manipulation, but only of their own body. Make it real interesting by not giving the character any speed boosting abilities. Without being able to generate momentum, they would only be an immovable object, and wouldn’t be able to be an unstoppable force.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Another potential ability since you commented abt being interested in neuro is the ability to modify the five senses of others or of sensation via manipulation of nerve endings."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Let's see powerful but passive. Needs to be distinct and the person still needs to be containable. Noticeably powerful enough that he/she lands higher in the powers prison social hierarchy. I think I've got just the thing.\n\nA time aura that only affects man-made inorganic objects at a 10 meter range. Specifically does not affect things inside a human body such as implants. Metal pipes, concrete, rebar, plastic chairs, nylon, kevlar, etc though age and fall apart in seconds. Is contained in wooden cell with a rotating 24 hour guard that keeps an eye on him. Can't use guns. The bullets would fall apart before they got within 5 meters. The effect is more intense the closer to the body something gets. If this prisoner tried to punch a concrete wall the wall would collapse into dust before his fist made impact. Wooden clubs still work which is why all the prison guards carry them. 24 hour guards utilize 100% cotton cloth and custom single piece gambesons as armor. All guards are required to have cotton under clothes so that if this prisoner decides to get rowdy they aren't rendered naked by getting in proximity."
},
{
"body": "Time stops when they sneeze.\n\nThey get super speed on roller skates.\n\nNo one can send them mail or call them."
},
{
"body": "The ability to see what the person is gonna say next. Thats it."
},
{
"body": "The issue I see with dividing powers into active and passive categories, from a certain perspective: active powers become passive powers over time, as an individuals superpowers became second nature to them. It would become a fully integrated part of one’s life. This is especially true for someone who suddenly received their powers. For someone who is born with superpowers it depends on when those powers manifested—if it’s very early on then that person has had the time to integrate them into their everyday lives in the same way we learned to walk and ride a bike. It all just becomes subconscious. That person doesn’t think about it, they just do it.\n\nSo for me active and passive powers would reflect where each person is with their superpowers. Did you just get superpowers yesterday, have you had them for a few years, or you’ve just grown up with them and you can’t remember your life without them? It’s something I just thought of reading the OP. Take it or leave it.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "No I get it. I'm a very neuro-oriented person since that's what I'm studying in Uni right now. The premise is based off of the assumption that if certain ones of us could intentionally summon special abilities whenever they wanted but had to \"activate\" them (such as choosing to cast a certain spell, to reference something basic), it would activate a specific area in the brain. We can't predict where this would be because people don't actually have those abilities, but I would assume that it would be different from the area of the brain that controls our automatic movement functions such as gait or walking. \n\nLike you said, that means people new to flying or super speed would not be able to use their abilities because they still have to think about it. But people who say, grew up doing it or have done it their entire lives, it's no different to them than walking, they don't have to think about it. But abilities you have to activate to defend yourself or someone else are probably not things you are doing all the time, even if you grew up being trained in it. You would still have to think about what you wanted to do and how you wanted to do it to get the desired results. \n\nI believe this idea was played with a bit in the Legend of Korra, where a villain learns to remove others ability to do any sort of bending (fire, water, air, or earth) by blood bending their brain a specific way. However, the Avatar was able to overcome this by learning a new element she hadn't yet learned."
}
]
},
{
"body": "Certain kinds of magic will be boosted in specific biomes and emotions."
},
{
"body": "This power is more on a door than a person.\nA wizard wants to keep people out and so the forest surrounding his tower give anyone who enters the feeling they are being watched and should they make it to the tower itself an overwhelming sense of dread and helplessness the closer they get.\nSo short of real powerful people, it keeps the general public at by. Leaving the wizard alone to work in peace"
}
]
}