Mass Effect 5e - Player's Handbook
Spellcasting
Biotics, Tech, & Combat Powers
We stretch the denotation of "Spell" in Mass Effect 5e to include tech and combat abilities that are powered by technological devices (such as an Omni-Tool).
However, spells are divided into 3 distinct categories:
- Biotic Powers
- These function exactly like spells in 5th edition. You have spell slots and regain all of your spell slots after a long rest.
- Tech Powers
- Tech powers are fueled by Tech Points, a resource available to Engineers, Infiltrators, and Sentinels that reflects your Omni-tool's power capacity. When you spend a tech point, it is unavailable until you finish a short rest, at the end of which you recharge 1d4 tech points. Some armor mods and class feature increase this recharge rate. At the end of a long rest, you recharge all your tech points. Tech powers are unique in that most have a variable tech point cost. You can choose to spend a lot or only a few tech points when casting a power, much like you can cast spells using higher level spell slots. However, there is a limit on how many tech points you can spent to fuel a tech power. This limit is indicated in the Max TP column of your class progression table.
- Combat Powers
- Combat powers have no casting cost, as they are generally instantiated by some sort of gadget or device. Instead of a casting cost, combat powers recharge on a short or long rest. If a combat power calls for a Spell Save, the DC will be indicated in the combat power's description.
Finally, you do not need to prepare spells. Instead, your class learns or advances spells as they level up. Once a spell is learned, it is always at your character's disposal.
You class progression tables allow you to learn new Biotic, Tech, and Combat abilities. Instead of learning a new ability, you have the option of choosing an advancement option for a skill you've already learned.
Once you've selected an advancement option, you cannot advance the ability again. In addition, you cannot learn and advance an ability in the same level. I.e., 1st level Adepts can learn up to three 1st level, biotic spells. They cannot, instead, learn two spells and advance one.
Primers and Detonators add a combo-based mechanic to combat. However, they can also add an unwanted level of complexity to combat as well, as tracking which creatures are primed at any given moment can become cumbersome. As a variant, you may forego this rule and ignore any mention of the Primed condition or detonation effects.
Primed Condition
Some spells and attacks cause the target to become primed. When a primed target is hit with a detonating spell or attack the primed condition ends and the detonation causes an explosive effect. There are five primed types: Force, Necrotic, Fire, Cold, or Lightning, which correspond with the following explosions:
| Type | Explosion |
|---|---|
| Force | The primed target takes 2d6 force damage, is knocked back 6m and becomes prone. |
| Necrotic | The primed target takes 1d12 necrotic damage amd must pass a DC 13 Constituion saving throw or becomes stunned until the end of its next turn. |
| Fire | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, catch fire, taking 1d6 fire damage. Each creature continues to burn for 1 minute, taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of its turn. A creature that is on fire can use its action put out the fire. |
| Cold | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, must pass a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save a creature is frozen until the end of its next turn. |
| Lightning | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, takes 3d4 lightning damage. |
A creature can suffer from multiple primed types simultaneously as long as each type is different. When detonated, all explosions happen at once centered on the location of the primed target.