Welcome to a new series we’re starting here on Untoldthegame.com: the Power UP! Series. Each week, we'll pick a Power Card, analyze it and give you some cool tips and pointers for using the card in your game. While it will be primarily GM-focused (as we have lots of Player-oriented articles already), there will still be lots of information that the average Untold player can use as well.

Our intent is to show some cool ways that GM's (and Players too, by default) can incorporate these Power Cards into their Character or Minion builds, use them as treasure or story hooks, or base entire games around! There's literally no end to the cool uses one might find for Untold Power Cards, and we encourage you, the reader, to chime in below with your comments and stories of how you might use the Power in your game!

This week, we'll be examining the P14 "Stinger" Pistol Power Card, from our brand new deck - Powers: Lock'n'Load! So, let's take at the Power-at-a-glance:

Power-at-a-Glance

Power Name: P14 "Stinger" Pistol
Initial Level: 5
Double-card? No
Swap Type: Time
MAG: 8
UP: CLASSIFIED
Boostable? Yes, For every 1 Body Boost add 1 to MAG.
Action: Standard
Duration: Instant
Range: Medium
Pre-requisite Powers? No
Type: Damaging

The "Stinger" Pistol is a Damaging Power with a neat little trick. First of all, it's far more deadly than most "guns" out there. Once hit with the Power, the target can only use half of their total Vitality, or VIT, which almost guarantees that the target will be taking some damage. Secondly, whenever the "Stinger" hits, it also automatically inflicts the "Fatigue" Bane on its target (if the target fails the Overcome Roll, of course). Subsequent hits from the "Stinger" allow this Bane Condition to be worsened to "Exhausted" and then later, to "Helpless". So, (other than that) what makes this card so fun?

Well, as a GM, we can take this card in several directions. One particular scenario I like is the following: the party is ambushed by a group of High-bred, who employ the "Stinger" to capture all or some of the group. The story can then go several ways. The Players could be held prisoner and questioned by officials. Any L'na or Klik in the party might be kept to be studied by scientists. Or the attackers could be bandits who simply want to steal all of the parties' belongings. Or maybe they capture one of the party members and intend to ransom them back. Or the whole party could be kidnapped, and find themselves dazed and confused in the middle of an enemy base.

But this card doesn't have to necessarily be employed this way. A GM might use it to make a Character helpless and the party is forced to either carry around a unconscious character (which could be difficult if the character is particularly large, like a Churl), or make the tough choice to abandon them. Imagine a scenario like this during a "running scene" where the Characters are trying to get away from a greater or more horrific threat... Alternatively, perhaps the party is caught in a cross-fire and one or two of the party members get shot by the "Stinger". What will they do then? Who gets saved and who gets left behind... I'm one of those GM's that likes inter-party conflict. I believe that the hard decisions are always the best and usually lead to very memorable games.

Of course, there are some ways this card can benefit the Characters as well. It would make an excellent "treasure" or "reward" card, dropped by some Minion, or possibly found in an ammo-dump and discovered up by a Character. Used in conjunction with other Power Cards, especially those that convey other Bane Conditions, the "Stinger" could quickly turn into a very powerful item. Imagine a L'na Twilight, zapping folks with a "Stinger" one round, and then quickly following with additional Powers that capitalize on the Character's "Fatigued" condition (i.e. not being able to make Checks and Rolls as well, lessened movement, etc.). Or, imagine the infinite number of "party combos" that several Characters could devise together with the "Stinger" leading the way!

Thematically, the "Stinger" could be used to introduce a whole new element into a game: a brand new type of weapon that's been created by one of the forces of your world and threatens to "unbalance the entire course of the war" - and, of course, only the party can do anything about it! Turning back to the inter-party conflict theme, a GM might secretly give this card to a Character that plans on betraying the party. Or, maybe the Character serves a horrible Flux beast and plans to sacrifice the rest of the party to it. Who knows? There are countless ways for GM's to employ this relatively unsuspecting card.

In the end, the P14 "Stinger" Pistol is a fun Power Card to use. It can be used in ways that other weapons cannot. Unlike other weapons that focus on the kill, the "Stinger" is a great weapon that can drive the storyline in entirely new ways. Rest assured, this little "stun gun" can do more damage than a grenade launcher in the right circumstances.

Until next week!

P14 "Stinger" Pistol Art by Chris Miscik