Welcome to the staging ground for new communities! Each proposal has a description in the "Descriptions" category and a body of questions and answers in "Incubator Q&A". You can ask questions (and get answers, we hope!) right away, and start new proposals.
Are you here to participate in a specific proposal? Click on the proposal tag (with the dark outline) to see only posts about that proposal and not all of the others that are in progress. Tags are at the bottom of each post.
What possible abilities could I add to my fictional human enhancement technique Question
In my story I had this idea where people are able to tap into this phenomenon of "inner capability" for a lack of better words that I dubbed meridian. Those who've unlocked meridian have their physical and mental capabilities increased drastically, from being strong enough to pick a up truck with little effort or being able to understand forms of science and math that well trained scientists can't comprehend. The user also gains additional sensory capabilities such as sensing emotions and detecting lies (though the individual has to learn to recognize them as well as acknowledge them), even being able to use "astral vision" to see things that can't be seen through conventional means including the astral plain. The level of how far these attributes are enhanced are so varied from person to person that there's no pinpoint system to gauge it effectively. In addition to physical and mental abilities being enhanced, some people even get what are known as auxiliums (auxiliaries) that act as small bonus abilities that depend on personal factors such as personality and upbringing and are as listed;
● vitalize: user converts physical pain and stress into strength, increasing physical abilities according to how much damage they take, effectiveness depends entirely on the individual's vitality, will, and stubbornness, can be negated if damage is too great for the user to handle without collapsing, returns to normal level after certain amount of time without pain, usually people who are used to taking punches and fighting aggressively, common
● invigorate: when facing near death the user becomes stronger after recovering, only works if the user nearly dies, usually people used to fighting to the near death or experience death on an annual basis, common
● dexteritas: the user can momentarily increase their dexterity (work in progress)
● foresight: the user can see past events via astral vision, can only see recent events, usually people who are deductive and inquisitive, uncommon
● reminisce (the user can see the core memories of anyone, can only see important memories that makeup the individual, requires direct eye contact, expert users can do the reverse and show the target their memories, usually people who are manipulative or utilize psychological methods, rare)
● duality: the user has two auxiliums, can't use both at once however, can only use one at a time, not enough research to know the factors behind what kind of people likely get this auxilium, very rare
Now I've been trying to come up with one or two more auxiliums but been struggling to come up with any extra abilities one could potentially get from meridian while still adhering to the established rules of how meridian works. That eventually lead me here to possibly get some suggestions.
NOTE:
-
Meridian does not take any actual form, being completely and utterly impalable, meaning that any ability pertaining to changing its nature such as weaponizing it or making it exert outward are completely out of the question.
-
Though I'm more looking towards something pertaining to mental capabilities if not at least a support type capability, I'm still open to an extra physical type capability.
-
Though meridian can grant certain physical abilities and mental/sensory based capabilities, ultimately users of meridian don't gain actual powers, meaning anything pertaining to direct telepathy and empathy are out of the question (especially since telepaths and empaths already exist without the need of meridian in the story).
-
I prefer not to dive into spiritual or superstitious level concepts in my story, with the astral plain simply being a name given to the dimensional realm meridian users can see in order to make sense of what they're looking at so to speak, having nothing to to do with any and all religious or spiritual ideas, so no abilities or capabilities that involve seeing or talking to dead people.
-
Meridian does not adhere to any conventional real world science, being a completely and utterly fictional concept that frankly defies anatomy and biology to a certain extent, having no true real world equivalent, being a science in itself that in story has been the subject of extensive debate, study, research, theorizing and scientific and philosophical inquiry, so keep this in mind before making any comments or answers.
1 answer
Here are a few ideas:
-
see-behind: the user can sense objects that are hidden from view, e.g. someone behind a door, or things in a wall. Works only on close people or objects (say, no further than the person's body height). Works only for people who already have a photographic memory.
-
justified-paranoia: the user has the ability to sense any imminent danger. The danger cannot be identified, but its presence can be clearly noted. Only accessible to naturally anxious people.
-
aura-of-truth: the user has an effect on nearby people that makes them more likely to say the truth. You still cannot rely on anyone saying the truth if he wouldn't have otherwise, but them saying the truth, possibly unintentionally, is much more likely under the influence by the user. Only available to people who are themselves honest by nature.
-
undisturbed-view: the user's sight is not affected by bright light which would otherwise blind them. For example, they will still see if in the darkness someone suddenly shines into their face with a flashlight, and they can look directly into the sun without harm. Only available to people with a strong natural curiosity.
-
sleepless: the user needs less sleep than normal. Expert users can go several days without sleep without feeling any negative effects. Only available to people who are generally very active.
1 comment thread