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Yo, Mid-D-Man here again.
So you know NovaBreeds exist and they've got powers. Cool. But HOW do those powers work? What are the different types? Why can some people throw lightning while others just have slightly stretchy skin?
Let me break down the power system without spoiling anything important. This is the framework that makes the world tick.
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THE TERMINOLOGY
First things first: what do we call these people?
NovaBreeds is the current accepted term. But it wasn't always called that.
Over the decades since 1961 when the first NovaBreed was born, they've been called:
1. Vectors (early term, fell out of use)
2. Demons (during the worst persecution periods)
3. Paranormals (attempting to sound scientific)
4. NovaBreeds (current standard)
I'll be using NovaBreeds throughout this, because that's what people call them in 2079.
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WHEN DO POWERS MANIFEST?
Generally speaking, NovaBreed abilities awaken sometime after puberty. Could be 13, could be 16, could be early twenties. It varies person to person, but the puberty to early adulthood window is standard.
BUT, and this is important, there are exceptions.
The very first known NovaBreed, born in 1961, had abilities from birth. Just came out of the womb with powers active. So clearly the "after puberty" thing isn't a hard rule.
Some NovaBreeds manifest early. Some manifest late. Some manifest under extreme stress or trauma. Biology is weird, and whatever causes NovaBreed abilities makes it weirder.
Point is: if you're writing a thesis on NovaBreed manifestation patterns, don't bet your degree on "always after puberty" because the exceptions will make you look stupid.
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INHERITANCE: IT'S RANDOM
Here's something that confuses people: NovaBreed abilities are inheritable, but not predictable.
Two NovaBreed parents can have a completely normal kid. Two normal parents can have a NovaBreed kid. One NovaBreed parent and one normal parent? Coin flip.
Whatever causes NovaBreed abilities acts like a recessive gene, which means it's random as hell. There's no way to predict it, no way to guarantee it, no way to control it.
This randomness is part of why persecution got so bad. Families couldn't guarantee their kids would be "normal," which created paranoia and fear.
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THE MAIN DIVISION: GENETIC BOUND VS ESSENCE BOUND
Alright, here's where things get technical.
NovaBreed abilities fall into two main categories: Genetic Bound and Essence Bound.
GENETIC BOUND abilities are inheritable and non-unique. Multiple people can have similar or identical powers. Think of it like eye color or height. It's in your DNA, and other people can share it.
Examples: controlling electricity, hardening your skin, shapeshifting into animals.
ESSENCE BOUND abilities are completely unique to the individual. They're tied to your soul and consciousness. Nobody else will ever have your exact power.
And before you ask, "What's a soul?" I have no clue. Still trying to figure that one out myself. But Essence Bound powers are definitely tied to something beyond just biology.
Examples: reality manipulation, unique spatial abilities, one-of-a-kind elemental control that works differently than anyone else's.
How do you tell them apart? Generally:
1. If the ability requires setup, preparation, or conscious focus to use, it's probably Genetic Bound.
2. If the ability flows naturally and instinctively, like breathing, it's probably Essence Bound.
But like everything else with NovaBreeds, there are exceptions and edge cases.
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GENETIC BOUND CLASSIFICATIONS
Genetic Bound abilities break down into three main types:
1. T-BREED (TRANSLOCATOR CELL BREED)
These NovaBreeds have specialized cells somewhere in their body that act as portals to other dimensions or locations. The cells can be in their skin, hands, internal organs, or throughout their entire body.
Examples of what T-Breed cells can produce:
Lightning generation
Fire spawning
Gel or slime
Cosmic energy particles
Metal production
Acid secretion
The key thing about T-Breeds: they're spawning or pulling substances from somewhere else. They're not manipulating what's already there. They're creating or summoning it.
2. MORPH-BREED
These NovaBreeds can transform their biology. Shift into creatures, change their physical form, adapt their body structure.
Examples:
Shapeshifting into animals
Beast forms (like werewolf-style transformations)
Biological adaptation (growing gills, wings, claws, etc.)
Permanent transformations that become their new default state
Morph-Breeds have a lot of variety in how their powers work, but the core concept is the same: biological transformation.
3. D-BREED (DOMINION BREED)
These NovaBreeds can manipulate elements or substances in their environment. They don't create the element, they control what already exists.
There are subcategories here:
Higher Elemental: Water, earth, fire, air, lightning. The classic "elements."
Base Elemental: Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon. Molecular-level control of fundamental elements.
Organic Elemental: Plants, organic matter. Some people speculate this category includes mind control, since brains are organic, but that's debated.
The key difference between D-Breed and T-Breed: D-Breeds need the element to already be present. T-Breeds create or summon it.
Important note: D-Breed abilities usually require preparation and focus. You can't just wave your hand and control water instantly unless you're Essence Bound. You need to "tag" the substance mentally, establish control, then manipulate it. It's like learning to use a tool rather than having an instinct.
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ESSENCE BOUND CLASSIFICATIONS
Essence Bound abilities are rarer and way more varied, but there are two main categories people have identified:
1. D-BREED (ESSENCE)
Yeah, same name as the Genetic Bound version, but these work completely differently.
Essence Bound D-Breeds are one with their element. There's no preparation, no tagging, no setup. The element responds to their will instinctively.
Examples:
An Aerokinetic whose body and air are connected at some metaphysical level
A Plantwhisperer who communes with vegetation like it's an extension of themselves
The distinction between Genetic D-Breed and Essence D-Breed is subtle but important. One requires technique and practice. The other is pure instinct.
2. HIGH-BREED
These are the reality-benders. The ones who make scientists cry and philosophers question existence.
High-Breeds can bend the laws of reality itself.
Examples:
Temporal manipulation (time powers)
Spatial alteration (dimensional/space powers)
Imagination Manifestation (the rarest of the rare)
Let's talk about that last one for a second: IMAGINATORS.
Imaginators are so rare that most people think they're myths. Here's how they work:
At the moment their ability manifests, whenever that happens for them, they involuntarily imagine something. Could be anything. A creature, an object, a concept, an abstract idea. And whatever they imagine at that exact moment becomes REAL. Permanently. Until they die.
They have no control over what they imagine when it happens. It's completely random. Could be something amazing. Could be something horrifying. Could be something utterly bizarre.
One Imaginator might accidentally create a benevolent guardian that protects them forever. Another might imagine an eldritch horror that now follows them around. Another might imagine something abstract like "the concept of doorways" and now they have weird door-related powers.
It's a complete dice roll, and once it manifests, that's it. That's their power for life.
Also, Imaginators are stupidly rare. Like, 0.001% of NovaBreeds rare. You could go your entire life without meeting one.
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THE ZONE CONCEPT
Alright, time to talk about ZONES.
For T-Breeds and D-Breeds mostly, the manipulator types even highbreeds, their abilities work within a specific area called their Zone.
The Zone is the range where their powers function. Outside their Zone? Powers don't work.
Zones come in different shapes: rectangles, ovals, circles, triangles, irregular blobs, whatever. Every person's Zone is unique to them.
Zones can grow stronger and larger as the NovaBreed trains and develops their abilities. A beginner might have a Zone that's only a few feet across. A master could have a Zone that spans hundreds of feet.
Some NovaBreeds have Zones with special conditions. For example, certain water manipulators might expand their Zone dramatically when in contact with large bodies of water. Or a metal manipulator's Zone might extend along connected metal surfaces.
But the key point: if you're outside someone's Zone, their T-Breed or Genetic D-Breed abilities can't touch you.
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THE TIER SYSTEM (OR: HOW DANGEROUS ARE YOU?)
People like to rank NovaBreeds by how dangerous they are. The tier system is the most common method, though it's not official or standardized. Different organizations use slightly different scales, but here's the general breakdown:
Tier 0: Essentially powerless or purely cosmetic abilities. Can change your hair color at will? Tier 0. Sorry.
Tier 1 to 2: Weak to moderate powers. Non-combat or support roles. Useful in specific situations but not dangerous in a fight.
Tier 3 to 4: Competent combatants. Dangerous in the right circumstances. Can hold their own in a fight but not game-changing.
Tier 5 to 6: Elite fighters. Can turn the tide of battles. Highly dangerous. These are the people nations want to recruit or eliminate.
Tier 7: World-ending threats. Walking catastrophes. If a Tier 7 goes all-out, entire cities are at risk.
Important note: context matters a LOT. A water manipulator near the ocean? Way more dangerous than that same person in a desert. Tier rankings shift based on environment, preparation time, and circumstances.
Don't treat tiers as absolute. Treat them as guidelines.
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THE GENERATION SYSTEM
NovaBreeds are also classified by which generation they belong to, based on their birth year:
N0: Born 1961 to 1990, ages 89 to 118 in 2079. The first NovaBreeds. Very few still alive.
N1: Born 1991 to 2020, ages 59 to 88 in 2079. Lived through the worst of the war's early decades.
N2: Born 2021 to 2050, ages 29 to 58 in 2079. Grew up during the transition to stalemate.
N3: Born 2051 to 2079, ages 0 to 28 in 2079. Only know the world in stalemate.
Lower generation number means older. Higher number means younger. Simple as that.
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GENETIC BOUND PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENT
Here's something that trips people up: Genetic Bound NovaBreeds are NOT automatically superhuman in strength, speed, or durability.
They're not born with Captain America bodies.
What they DO have is a much higher limit threshold than normal humans.
Through brutal training, they can push their bodies beyond what regular people can achieve. It takes WORK. Years and years of dedication. But they CAN reach levels that seem superhuman through sheer effort.
Think of it like this: a normal human might cap out at bench pressing 400 pounds no matter how much they train. A Genetic Bound NovaBreed's cap might be 2000 pounds. But they still have to train to reach it. They're not born lifting 2000 pounds.
The effort required increases exponentially as they grow stronger. There IS still an upper limit, just much higher than regular humans.
This is why some fighters who don't have flashy elemental powers can still wreck you in combat. They've spent decades training their bodies to the absolute edge of what their Genetic Bound physiology allows.
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IT'S NOT JUST HUMANS
Here's something people forget: whatever causes NovaBreed abilities didn't just affect humans.
In rare cases, animals have manifested abilities too. Dogs with fire breath. Cats that phase through walls. Birds that manipulate wind currents beyond normal capabilities.
It's extremely rare and not well documented, because who's funding research on super-powered wildlife? But it happens.
There are even rumors of plants with abilities. Trees that move. Flowers that emit psychic influence. Moss that heals injuries.
Again, not well documented, but the reports exist.
The phenomenon that creates NovaBreeds affected all living organisms, not just humans. We're just the ones who build societies and wage wars with it.
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SO THAT'S THE POWER SYSTEM
To summarize:
1. NovaBreed abilities come from something we don't fully understand yet
2. Powers usually manifest after puberty but with exceptions
3. Inheritance is random
4. Two main types: Genetic Bound (inheritable, non-unique) and Essence Bound (unique, soul-tied)
5. Genetic Bound breaks into T-Breed, Morph-Breed, and D-Breed
6. Essence Bound includes unique D-Breeds and High-Breeds
7. Imaginators exist and are stupidly rare
8. Zones determine ability range for certain power types
9. Tier system ranks danger level but context matters
10. Generation system categorizes by birth year
11. Genetic Bound can train to superhuman levels but aren't born with it
12. Animals and plants can have abilities too but rarely
That's the framework. Everything else is just variations and edge cases.
Powers in this world are diverse, unpredictable, and constantly surprising people. Just when you think you've seen everything, someone manifests an ability that breaks all the established patterns.
Welcome to NovaBreed abilities. It's complicated, it's dangerous, and it's never boring.
— Mid-D-Man