Justice Guy // 01-08-2017 version (now featuring SOUL OF THE SAUNA!)
Glossary of mechanical terms at the bottom of the post.
Core
Name: Justice Guy (aka Justice). Secret Identity: Anson Brent Method of Combat: Heroic Melee Date of Birth: May 9 (20) Place of Birth: Barton, Gaia Race/Ethnicity: Human Height: 5'11'' Weight: 193 lbs. Reach: 60" inches. Body Type: Lean Other: Totally a legit superhero. ______________________________
Equipment
Padded Armor: Being a hero involves taking a beating from time to time, and sometimes those beatings aren't part of a fair fight. This armor is composed mostly of leather and more modern padding, enough to soften a few blows, stave off light scratches from edged weapons, and (with luck) stop small caliber bullets from tearing through the human body. This armor mostly protects the torso, and is not a full suit.
Justice Blade: This hand-and-a-half sword has a straight, double-edged steel blade roughly 36" in length and a 9" hilt with a brass cross-guard. There are a few chips and blemishes in the blade and even more across the top of the guard, showing that it is not entirely ornamental nor is it indestructible. The scabbard is made of wood and reinforced with steel bracing at the tip and the neck, and is durable enough to stand up to a good deal of abuse.
Truth and Justice - A pair of telescoping metal batons that Justice Guy uses to beat the villainy out of thugs, goons, and minions alike. When collapsed they are 8 inches in length and when extended they reach 25 inches. Each has a shallow ridge just above the grip that protects the fingers from a weapon sliding down the length of the baton.
Five Fingers of Justice - A set of metal gauntlets that completely cover the hands and forearms up to the elbow with armor plates, including the palm and the underside of the fingers.
The Doctor Jones - A small grappling hook connected to a spool of metal wire that is housed in a device worn around Justice Guy's chest. The hook and wire can be drawn out and placed or thrown with no difficulty, and the control on the spool determines whether the wire can be fed, halted, cut, or retracted (though not with enough force to pull a heavy object like a person). Running an electrical current through the wire (another feature of the controls) causes the pins holding the head into hook shape to release so that the prongs can freely fold backward or forward and no longer grip what it has been fastened to.
Heroic Restraint - What good is beating up bad guys if they can't be delivered to the authorities with a hefty dose of gift-wrapping? The Heroic Restraint is essentially a spool of fishing line mounted into the left gauntlet of the Five Fingers of Justice. The line is thin, strong (but not unbreakable) and made of a polymer that momentarily loses its chemical stability when a low voltage electrical current is run through it; which brings us to the 9v battery mounted into the device in the right gauntlet. A good firm squeeze from the minor current running through the palm plate of the gauntlet is enough to turn the wire to mush for an instant and mold it together with another solid object such as the other end of a wire loop. The wire spool can easily dispense up to a hundred feet of polymer and cut the wire with a sharp tug to the side into the internal blade on the side of the dispenser mouth. ______________________________
Abilities
Though Justice Guy is a human through and through, with all of the frailties and limitations that being human comes with, he is emboldened by the power of a Heroic Spirit that allows him to perform feats above and beyond what a human should be capable of. This power is represented in two ways: heroic abilities and spiritualist abilities. Heroic abilities are the representation of the training, resolve, and determination involved in standing up for what is right in a world that is so, so wrong. Spiritualist abilities are supernatural effects created by the manipulation of Spirit Energy.
Base Stats: Athletic human. 250 lb lift-over-head weight (to lift but not carry).
Heroic Abilities
Heroic Instinct - Passive The ability to sense when villainy is afoot and to know when danger rears its ugly head are two things that a hero cannot do without. Justice Guy is able to sense the presence of 'dark power' (magic or energy used with malicious intent) and track down sources of dark power over a distance. The instinct also provides the hero with a 'spider sense' that gives him a split second more to react to traps or surprise attacks than he would have had otherwise. This bonus to reaction does not apply to attacks that the hero is aware of or to feints, but it does apply to hidden weapons and covert secondary effects (such as exploding playing cards, which isn't very funny Gambit).
Heroic Endurance - Passive A hero's body is powerful and mysterious, able to withstand and resist many things that a normal person could not. Justice Guy has an increased resistance against toxins and diseases, supernatural afflictions such as curses and hexes are more easily resisted, and supernatural infections such as lycanthropy and vampirism cannot infect Justice Guy.
Heroic Resolve - Passive When the world needs a healthy booster shot of Justice, a hero can't be down for the count. Heroic Resolve provides a passive resistance against debilitating effects. Any short-term effect (2 posts duration) that affects the hero is shaken off quickly (shortened to 1-1/2 posts duration), and long-term effects (3+ posts duration) affect the hero for less time than they normally would (1 post less than intended duration). Instantaneous (1 post duration) effects are not affected by this resistance.
Spiritualist Abilities
Through training, meditation, and focus a measure of control over the a person's internal energies can be achieved. Though this has been called by many different names among many different cultures (chi, ki, mysticism, spiritualism, etc.) the end result is that a practiced user can call forth their internal energies to create effects that could be compared to magical arts. Creating phenomena from the manipulation of a user's internal energies can be taxing, and consume a resource referred to here as Spirit Energy (described below).
======================= || Spirit Energy || =======================
Spirit Energy is a representation of the user's own determination, force of will, and focus and it is drawn from the user's soul so all effects (unless otherwise stated) related to Spirit Energy are considered to have the [magic] and [divine] descriptors.
Capacity for Spirit Energy reaches up to 100%, but generally begins at 50% because when at rest the user is neither focused and primed for combat nor has he already exhausted his reserves. This capacity represents the spiritual fatigue that is suffered when a user flexes their metaphysical muscle in order to perform supernatural acts. As such, at 80% a user would feel energized and full of vigor; focused and ready to let loose at a moment's notice. Likewise, at 10% a user would feel worn out after the expenditure of mental, physical, and spiritual energies. Of course, the old saying about giving 110% is not necessarily untrue either-- Spirit Energy can sink down to negative values, but the act of placing such a strain upon a person's internal energies is not without consequence. Exhausting the spirit means both weakening the soul and softening the mind, and doing so will cause disorientation as the mind loses focus and gradual loss of motor control as the soul's connection to the physical body weakens. Extreme overuse of spirit energy can result in unconsciousness, coma, or death.
At 0% activated abilities cannot be used, but already active abilities remain active (including abilities that have a recurring cost per post). At -10% the user suffers from reduced dexterity (precision, speed, reactions). At -20% the user suffers from disorientation and lack of motor control. At -30% the user falls unconscious.
Likewise, as spirit energy is built up the user will experience increased focus and boosted motor control.
At 100% all base stats are increased by 50% and the user gains 50% immunity to energy damage of all types (this stacks multiplicatively with other forms of resistance, not additively).
Because spiritual abilities rely so heavily upon a focused mind, meditative practices and other methods used to help a user focus can temporarily boost the user's reserves of Spirit Energy.
Quote:
Action: Focus Benefit: Increase spirit energy reserves by 15-25%. Limitation: Activated abilities cannot be used on this post. Limitation: All Spiritualist passive abilities are disabled until the beginning of the next post (this does not include ongoing duration-based effects from abilities that were previously activated).
The user focuses his energy internally rather than externally for a moment, cutting off the benefits normally provided by spiritual powers and preventing spiritual abilities from being used on this post. At the end of this focus the user increases his reserve of Spirit Energy by 15%. If the user is able to meditate quietly without interruption during this time, the increase is boosted to 25%.
Fundamentally there is little difference between the underlying principles behind how the holy powers of paladins and priests function and how the magic of the natural world functions in the hands of shamans, druids, and witch doctors. The strong beliefs hold together their traditions and practices into rituals that provide the user with focus and allow a human to become a conduit for the forces of heaven, nature, and the universe. Strong force of will, mental focus, and a firm belief in what will come allow practitioners of these arts to control supernatural forces with their own spiritual energy.
Spirit Bonding is the practice of embodying the principles behind a tradition, belief, or religion in order to achieve some of what would otherwise require pure devotion. Much like how a paladin swears themselves in service to their god and in return receives boons and powers granted by that god to better further their cause, a practitioner of Spirit Bonding can attune themselves to the same 'wavelength' as another in order to emulate powers related to that source. Though rather than stealing power from an unknowing source (like using your neighbor's wifi connection) these abilities are manifested by the user's own spirit energy that has been attuned to the same aspect as the source being bonded.
This give rises to the 3 elements of a spirit bonder's toolset: bonded spirits, aspected abilities, and unaspected abilities.
Quote:
Action: Bond Spirit Benefit: Gain all Major aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Only one spirit can be bonded at a time. Limitation: Gain the Compulsions and Projections associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Bonding with a source requires an extended period of time.
Bonding with a chosen source requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted meditation, and once bonded a source remains bonded until another source is chosen and the spirit bonding practice is performed again, or until the user chooses to cast out the influence through an act of focused concentration that expends all currently available Spirit Energy. Effects that negate or suppress supernatural effects also negate or suppress all benefits of a bonded source. Bonding with a source aligns the user fundamentally with the beliefs and traditions associated with that source and can cause the source's influence to manifest both through a visible sign (called a Projection) and through the inclination towards particular behaviors (called Compulsions).
Creating a bond with a source allows the bonder to access the abilities that are associated with that source. These abilities are called aspected abilities because when using abilities associated with a source the user's spirit energy takes on forms and elements associated with that source. Alternatively, abilities that the bonder possesses innately without drawing upon a source are called unaspected abilities because they are formed from the user's own neutrally-aligned spirit energy. Abilities are broken down into 2 levels and this is true whether the ability is aspected or unaspected: Major abilities require that the user's spirit be naturally predisposed to their aspect, and as such a major aspected ability will only function if the source is properly bonded to the user; while a major unaspected ability can only be used when the user is not otherwise attempting to embody another aspect (described below). Minor abilities require a lesser amount of compatibility, and can be used with more freedom. Minor unaspected abilities can always be used, and minor aspected abilities can be used when a source is either bonded or embodied.
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Action: Embody Spirit Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: An embodied source can be changed out for another during combat. Limitation: Only one source can be embodied at a time. Limitation: Cannot use Major unaspected abilities while embodying to a source. Limitation: Activated abilities of any type cannot be used in a post where an aspect is changed, the new aspect goes into effect at the end of the post. Limitation: Becoming unconscious or asleep, or afflicted with confusion-type status causes the user to lose focus and become unaspected.
Embodying a source is a lesser version of bonding to a source. The user temporarily polarizes their spirit energy to resemble the source being embodied as an action that takes 1 full post, during which time no active abilities of any type can be used to avoid disrupting the process of aligning the user's spirit with the source. An embodied source allows the user to access the minor aspected abilities associated with it, but not the major aspected abilities. An embodied source can be dropped at any time.
If you compare embodying a source to painting a chicken green and throwing it into a grassy field, then bonding with a source can be compared to wrapping that chicken up in a bundle of sod and then tossing it out there. Neither is a perfect representation of the original, but one comes a great deal closer than the other. Embodying sources is a faster, less permanent means of drawing upon an aspected source. Because the user's spirit is only partially emulating the aspect rather than fully aligning itself to the beat of another drum the user only gains access to the minor aspected powers associated with the source; but also only manifests minor projections or compulsions when embodying the source, which are listed with the tag (embodied).
When not embodying a source, the bonder is considered to be unaspected. Whether or not a source has been bonded to the user is irrelevant in this regard, only whether or not the user has embodied one.
Quote:
Status: Unaspected Benefit: Can use all Major unaspected abilities. At Rest: Spirit Energy normalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. Limitation: Cannot use abilities from sources other than a bonded source.
When unaspected, the user can use all major unaspected abilities (when embodying a source only minor unaspected abilities can be used). In addition, the user is considered to be 'at rest' and is not actively forcing their spirit energy to metaphorically fit a square peg into a round hole; due to this the user's Spirit Energynormalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. This means that if the user is below 50% at the beginning of a post they will gain 5%, and if the user is above 50% at the beginning of a post they will lose 5%. There is no change if the user is at exactly 50% at the start of a post.
The abilities granted by each source are listed below:
[Minor] Take the Edge Off (Passive) Benefit: Allows for supernatural area-effect and immaterial abilities to be blocked as if they were physical abilities, reducing damage taken. Limitation: Requires the user to actively defend against the attack and focus on concentrating Spirit Energy against the incoming attack.
[Minor] Trick of the Light
An infiltration technique that is used to make one object appear to be another. It can be used to make one person look like another, to make a bus pass look like a security clearance card, or to make shredded newspapers look like cold hard cash to name a few examples. However, because the magic only makes others think that they are seeing the genuine article the illusion does not stand up to scrutiny for very long. For each post of careful observation more and more inconsistencies between the two objects appear... after 1 post of inspection a small inconsistency appears (ex: "hang on, you don't look like a Rodriguez"), after 2 posts of inspection a large inconsistency appears (ex: "wait a second, the photo on this ID is bald"), after 3 posts of inspection an irreconcilable inconsistency appears (ex: "wait... you don't look like Ted at all... you're some guy in a mask!"). After 4 posts of inspection the effect is completely defeated if it hadn't been already. Inconsistencies can be explained away, and a convincing explanation might be enough to convince someone that a fake is in fact the genuine article. This does not reset the post count unless the object is no longer under scrutiny.
Cost: 0% Effect: Creates a mind-affecting illusion that causes a target to see something other than what a creature/object actually is. Benefit: Can create a temporary disguise for the user or a held object that lasts until it is scrutinized. Limitation: The effect is based upon the target misinterpreting what they see, and thus targets that are immune to mind-affecting abilities and constructs are immune to this effect. Looking at the affected object through a camera rather than directly also negates the effect. Limitation: The more attention that is paid to the details of the disguised object the shorter the effect lasts, making it easier to disbelieve over time.
[Minor] Cascade of Light / Justice Beam-u Cost: 15% Effect: Fires a beam of kinetic and heat-type energy toward a target, dealing moderate concussive and mild burning damage while applying significant knock-back. The effect can instead be charged into a weapon and thrown off in a wave rather than fired directly as a beam. Benefit: Long range, fast cast time, variable effect. Limitation: The beam effect originates from the hands and has a telegraphed step of aiming at the target of the attack. The wave effect creates a visible nimbus of light around the weapon when charged. The beam travels quickly, but is not instantaneous due to being 'physical' energy.
[Minor] Justice Strike Cost: 10% An enhanced striking attack with double the normal amount of force.
Major Unaspected
[Major] The Long, Slow Step Cost: 10% Effect: Quickly moves the user long distances. Starting the step requires both feet solidly planted on the ground, and a projected image of the user shoots outward from there toward the destination which is any point that the user can see directly. The travel speed of this prior-image is approximately the speed of sound, and during this time the user is mid-step. Once the step is complete the user instantly appears at the target destination as if only a single step had been taken. Benefit: Can be canceled mid-activation. Limitation: Can be interrupted mid-activation. Limitation: Must begin the movement with both feet on solid ground, must end the movement with one foot planted solidly at the destination. Limitation: The user must be looking at the destination while using the ability, meaning that back-steps are impossible without first turning to look back. Limitation: The user arrives at the destination with no momentum built up from movement.
[Major] Gag Order Cost: 15% Effect: Seals the target's mouth shut with a strike to the jaw, preventing the target from opening its mouth for 3 posts. Benefit: The duration stacks additively with additional blows. Limitation: Does not prevent the target from speaking if they have means to do so without their mouth.
[Major] The First Cut is the Deepest Cost: 25% Effect: Can be activated upon landing a successful attack with a bladed weapon. Creates a curse-type effect at that location that causes the injury of the initial attack to become slightly more severe than the most severe injury the target receives after the effect begins. The cursed injury cannot be healed through magical or mundane means unless the healing would not reduce the injury's size to below that of another wound. This curse can be removed by any effect that can remove curses, but is otherwise permanent and cannot be negated by means such as removing a worn piece of armor or clothing. Benefit: Can bypass armor. Limitation: Can only be used once per target. Limitation: Relies upon inflicting multiple wounds to an opponent.
[Major] Dramatic Recovery Cost: 50% Effect: Lessens the extent of one wound on the user to a minimum level of superficial. Limitation: The effect applies to one wound, activation for multiple wounds requires multiple uses of the ability. Clarification: For this purpose one 'wound' may include a group of associated injuries such as a set of claw marks or lacerations from shrapnel.
[Major] Hand of the Martyr Cost: 0% Effect: Transfers an injury from a touched target to the user. The injury can be transferred in part or in whole, but it will appear in on the user exactly as it was on the target to varying degrees. A two-inch wide gash could be taken completely from the target, causing a two-inch wide gash on the user or it could be taken partially, causing a one-inch gash to remain on each. Benefit: Can heal the injuries of others. Benefit: The ability Dramatic Recovery can be used immediately after this effect to restore damage. Benefit: This effect can transfer lethal injuries. Limitation: Injuries that cannot be mirrored on the user cannot be transferred (ex: wings, tail, extra arms, etc.). Limitation: This effect can transfer lethal injuries.
Aspected Sources
Soul of the Stalwart Compulsion: The user is bound to honorable conduct. Projection: A pattern of scales appears on the user's skin, outlined in golden light. Projection (embodied): The user's skin glows faintly with a golden light.
[Minor] Sentinel (Passive) Benefit: Allows the user to grasp energy constructs as if they were solid objects. This includes things such as punching lasers and pushing back against balls of fire. Benefit: Gain 10% Spirit Energy when damage is dealt to an ally.
[Minor] Shield of Light Cost: 10% Effect: Creates a circular disc of solid light approximately 3' in diameter that appears over the hand/arm. This disc is weightless but has hardness equal to a quarter-inch thick sheet of iron. Limitation: This effect persists for 5 posts or until dismissed or destroyed.
[Minor] Dispel Curse Cost: 15+% Effect: Removes one curse-type effect upon the touched target. Benefit: Can remove negative persistent effects. Limitation: Some types of curses can be more difficult to break than others. Curses intended to be permanent rather than temporary require additional effort to break and the longer that the curse persists the more difficult it becomes to remove. Curses that have been in place for years can be incredibly difficult or impossible to remove through brute-force means such as this.
[Major] Unyielding Cost: 100% Effect: Provides an incredible amount of defensive stats for a short period of time. Benefit: Renders user immune to effects that force movement or restrict movement. Benefit: Provides damage resistance as if the user were made of iron. Benefit: Provides 75% resistance to all types of energy. Limitation: Lasts 3 posts. Limitation: Usable once per day.
[Major] Shards of Heaven Cost: 75% Effect: Creates a shower of crystal lances that rain down onto a target area. The effected area can be up to 30' in diameter anywhere within 100 yards that the user has line of sight to. The shower of lances lasts for 5 seconds, and includes 108 lances that fall over the course of this effect. Each lance is relatively light and will not penetrate through armoring of most types. The lances fall randomly within the area. Once the effect ends, any remaining lances shatter in a small burst of shrapnel that then disperses into motes of light. Benefit: Significant wide-area damage potential. Limitation: High cost and low accuracy, relying on the number of projectiles rather than the power and accuracy of each one.
Soul of the Fury Compulsion: The user cannot back down from a fight. Compulsion (embodied): The user becomes irritable. Projection: The user's physique becomes more muscular.
[Minor] Righteous Fury (Passive) Benefit: Increases Spirit Energy by 5% each time damage is dealt to an enemy. Increases Spirit Energy by 10% every time damage is dealt to the user.
[Minor] Strength of Conviction Cost: 30% Effect: Allows the user to perform a single action with enough strength to overpower an adversary regardless of how strong that adversary may be. Strength increases to a level marginally above that of a foe being contested and allows the user to perform an action that would have previously been beyond their means. Examples include wrestling a foe to the ground, flipping a car, stopping a charging bull, etc. For more overtly supernatural displays of strength see Judge, Jury, and Executioner below. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to above that of the enemy the user is competing with. Limitation: Only applies to a single action.
[Minor] Hellscream Cost: 15% Effect: Creates a tremendous burst of wind and sound that sends anything in a conical area in front of the user flying backwards with sizable force.
[Major] Furious Strength (Passive) Benefit: Increases the user's strength by 100% + 1% for each point of Spirit Energy stored. Limitation: Does not stack with other strength enhancing abilities, but does multiply the increased base stat value granted by 100% Spirit Energy charge.
[Major] Judge, Jury, and Executioner Cost: 80% Effect: Allows the user to perform 3 actions with a level of strength that borders on illogical. Examples include leaping tall buildings in a single bound, bursting through reinforced doors or walls, lifting and throwing objects weighing up to tens of thousands of pounds such as statues and vehicles, or becoming an almost immovable object. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to unrealistic proportions. Limitation: The enhanced actions must all be used within 3 posts. Limitation: Only the 3rd action can be a direct striking attack, though the 1st and 2nd actions can be indirect attacks (ex: thrown objects, thrown opponents).
Soul of the Wolf Compulsion: The user is constantly compelled to eat. Projection: The user exhibits spectral wolf ears and a tail. Projection (embodied): The user's teeth grow longer and more pointed.
[Minor] Hunter's Sense (Passive) Benefit: Grants the user supernaturally enhanced hearing and sense of smell. Benefit: If a nearby opponent is bleeding, Hunter's Sense generates 5% Spirit Energy per round. Limitation: Creates a vulnerability to sonic and scent-based attacks.
[Minor] Wolf Bite Cost: 20% Effect: An attack that creates a spectral wolf at the point of impact which immediately latches its jaws onto the target and applies a pulling force for 3 posts. The wolf deals no damage, and will always pull in the same direction once created (usually down and back). The wolf does not have a material form but can be destroyed by powerful attacks. The wolf can drag up to 250 lbs if no resistance is applied.
[Minor] Devour Cost: 0% Effect: The user can swallow an object whole and keep it in an extradimensional space. The swallowed object does not have to literally go into the user's mouth, but the mouth area is the opening of the extradimensional space. An object small enough to be held in one hand can be swallowed immediately, whereas larger objects must be compressed first; compression of the object takes 1 second per foot of length being swallowed and does not damage the object in the process. Objects that are swallowed can be spit out afterward, and the user may choose specifically which object to spit out if multiple have been swallowed. A spit object either spills out onto the ground in front of the user, or can be spat at up to the speed of a thrown object. Limitation: If a swallowed object would deal damage to the extradimensional stomach, the stomach ruptures and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: If the user loses access to the Devour ability (such as becoming unaspected) the effect immediately ends and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: The user cannot swallow an object that cannot be forced into the opening such as an unwilling, non-helpless creature.
*[Major] Overwhelm (Passive) Effect: Reduces the activation cost of Wolf Bite to 10% spirit energy per spectral wolf and allows the specters to pull while treading on air.
[Major] Pack Attack Cost: 60% Effect: The image of the user seems to blur slightly when in motion, trailing behind itself for just a fraction of a moment after every movement. When activated, this effect enhances and the blur trails behind so far that it actually splits away from the user and then splits again into two ghostly images that resemble the user but have no real identifying features. These phantoms mirror the movements made by the user exactly but trail behind in those actions anywhere between 0.5 and 5 seconds. When the phantoms perform a mirrored action it has the same effect as if the user had performed the action a second and a third time, able to interact physically with objects and persons for the purposes of performing those actions but for no other purposes. The phantoms can pass through the user and objects as if they did not truly exist unless the phantom must physically touch an object to fulfill its purpose. (example: the user tackles an opponent but does not knock the opponent off his feet, 1 second later the phantoms tackle the opponent one after the other in the same way applying 2x and then 3x the combined force that may push the opponent back). This effect lasts for 3 posts before the phantoms merge back into the user and return to being merely a blur. Benefit: Can chain successive strikes and create combination attacks without a partner. Benefit: The user can decide whether the phantoms 'follow closely behind' the original or delay before repeating the action. Limitation: The phantoms cannot make decisions for themselves or deviate from their scripted behavior.
Soul of the Storm Projection: The user occasionally has arcs of energy jump between fingers, hairs, etc. and can power small electrical devices by holding them. Projection (embodied): The user is faintly magnetic.
[Minor] Stormshield (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming electricity-type damage by 50%. Benefit: Grants immunity to electricity-related stuns. Benefit: Being hit by an electric-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy.
[Minor] Crooked Arrows Cost: 10% Effect: Fires bolts of electric-type energy from a spiritual bow. The projectiles are physical objects that move at the speed of a regular arrow; when the projectile strikes a target the bolt disperses into a mixture of kinetic and electric-type energy.
[Minor] Thunderclap Cost: 20% Effect: The user claps his hands together, creating a shockwave centered on the user that covers a 20' radius that causes mild sonic damage with significant knockback. Both parts of the effect decay in intensity toward the outer edge of the area.
[Major] Lightning Reflexes (Passive) Benefit: Increases reaction time and speed for all forms of movement by 100%. Limitation: Does not negate the momentum generated by high speed movement.
[Major] Storm's Grasp Cost: 10% Effect: Creates an electrical charge in the hand that can be used to apply a magnetic grip upon a metallic object, a magnetic pull upon an object from a distance with strength equal to what one arm could pull with, or apply a brief electrical shock to a touched object causing electric-type damage.
Soul of the Wyrmhound Compulsion: The user is prone to boasting about his own prowess. Projection: The user's skin becomes textured like scales that shift color based on the type of dragonflame used last.
[Minor] Draconic Resistance (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming fire, cold, and acid-type damage by 25%. Benefit: Being hit by a fire, cold, or acid-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy.
[Minor] Heavensward / Dragonflight Cost: 10% / +10% Effect: The user jumps at a tremendous speed up to 200 meters vertically or in a straight line. At the end of this leap the user will fall as normal based on height and directional momentum. This ability can be activated again mid-air to temporarily create a solid surface for the user to rebound off of in a subsequent jump; the phantom image of draconic wings appear on the user when Dragonflight is activated. Each time Dragonflight is used the cost of Heavensward increases by an additional 10% until the user lands on a non-manifested surface. Benefit: Allows the user to leap up to 200 meters. Dragonflight allows the user to double-jump. Limitation: Changing direction mid-air requires stacking additional cost. Requires a solid surface to stop.
[Minor] Heavensfall / Cometfall Cost: 0% / 10% Effect: The user is never adversely affected by the impact force when landing from a great height or after using Heavensward. Activating Cometfall multiplies the force of an attack delivered when landing from at least 10 meters up and scales up tremendously based on falling speed and distance fallen before impact. The damage amplification begins at 2x and scales up to 10x at maximum falling velocity. The user does not suffer adverse effects from this amplified force. Cometfall only applies to vertical velocity and cannot be used in combination with horizontal velocity. Benefit: Negates falling damage. Allows for devastating leaping attacks. Limitation: Requires falling at least 10 meters, force increases with distance.
[Minor] Dragon Kick Cost: 20% Effect: The user delivers a kick with enough force to launch an enemy up to the same distance as if the user had used Heavensward. The actual kick will only apply 2x normal force but the target will be launched as if a tremendous amount of force had struck them. Benefit: Launches an enemy.
[Major] Emerald Dragon Claw Cost: 25% Effect: Coats one weapon in emerald fire (unarmed strikes count as weapons for this purpose) for a single attack. The emerald fire is not real fire and therefore is unaffected by fire resistance. Emerald fire has increased penetration against defenses, and Emerald Dragon Claw will easily tear through up to a quarter inch of unenhanced metal or softer material. Slashes left by Emerald Dragon Claw will continue to burn with emerald fire for 3 posts, dealing acid-type damage to the affected area. Benefit: Acid-type damage that bypasses defenses. Limitation: Effect fades after one attack.
[Major] Ruby Dragon Breath Cost: 40% Effect: The user may choose between a line or a cone when activating this ability. When using a cone, the user spits a 45 degree cone of dragon fire up to 20 meters for severe fire-type damage that can light objects on fire (which continue to burn with nonmagical flame from that point on). When using a line, the user spits a jet of flame up to 50 meters in a line that explodes into a ball of dragon fire with a five meter radius for moderate fire damage and significant force damage.
[Major] Sapphire Dragon Pool Cost: 60% Effect: Creates a circular pool of sapphire flame in a 20 meter radius around the user that expands outward from the point of origin over 3 seconds. The sapphire flame is not real fire and therefore unaffected by fire resistance. The tendrils of sapphire flame reach out for targets designated by the user and attempt to wrap themselves around the target, constricting and dealing cold-type damage. The sapphire flames have hardness similar to ice and can be destroyed if attacked. The pool remains for 10 turns or until the user uses a different type of dragon fire, whichever comes first. Benefit: Grapples and constricts targets in an area. Limitation: Creates a stationary ground effect.
Soul of the Sauna Projection: The user seems to be wet and drips water which quickly turns to steam and disappears. Projection (embodied): The user leaves wet footprints behind when walking.
[Minor] Ebb and Flow (Passive) Benefit: Allows the user to telekinetically push or pull on bodies of water to create wave-like motion. Benefit: Being immersed in water regenerates spirit energy at a rate of 10% per post. Limitation: Control cannot be exerted over bodies of water already being controlled by another user. Limitation: The quantity and force of the controlled water is proportional to the amount of time and motion. 'Rocking' waves builds up more power.
[Minor] Hydroplaning Cost: 5% Effect: Creates a viscous film of fluid on a touched surface which can reduce the friction on that surface down to nearly zero. Benefit: Can be used to cause the user or a touched object to slide across most surfaces for one post.
[Minor] Flash Freeze Cost: 10% Effect: The user causes a touched volume of water to be covered in a layer of ice. For a large pool of water this would create a layer of ice across the surface (up to 3" thick) that could barely support the weight of a person briefly. This ability could instantly freeze a water pipe or a puddle, or encase a wet object in a thin (less than 1" thick) layer of ice. Forms made of ice can be drawn out of bodies of water using this ability such as pulling an ice lance from the surface of a pond.
[Major] Warm and Wet (Passive) Benefit: The user can alter the temperature of controlled water between frigid (0* C) and scalding (100* C). Benefit: The user is not negatively affected by the hot or cold temperatures of controlled water. Limitation: Changing the temperature to one extreme requires 2 posts. Limitation: Changing the temperature from one extreme to the other requires 3 posts. Limitation: Only water that is being directly controlled by the user can be altered.
[Major] Erosion (Passive) Effect: Magical water is, for some reason, an effective countermeasure to other types of magic. The effect that this has takes two different forms: The first form is that of flowing water, which has the power to wash away the effects of magic upon an object or person over time if it is immersed in the flow. The second form is that of frozen water, which can cut or pierce through other forms of magic by penetrating into the flaws of the spellweave. The user can use controlled water or formed ice to strip away or bypass other magical effects. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can strip away temporary magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 2 posts. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can temporarily suppress the effects of permanent magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 1 post. Benefit: Formed ice can cut or pierce through magic-based protections and barriers with minimal resistance. Benefit: Formed ice is treated as having the hardness of an equivalent amount of steel when tested against magic-based enhanced items or energy constructs and cannot be automatically bypassed by magic-type effects if normal materials would be.
[Major] Condensation Cost: 10% per gallon Effect: Creates fluid water from ambient humidity in the air. The created water can appear in any open space within 3 meters of the user and is immediately considered to be effected by the abilities Ebb and Flow and Flash Freeze without additional cost if the user so desires.
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Glossary of Terms:
An ability that lasts for [x] rounds begins and ends the duration timer at the end of the post (this includes the post in which it is activated). Therefore from the end of the post in which the ability is activated until the end of the next post a single round of duration expires.
An ability that lasts until the end of the current turn will remain active until the final action that is stated in the post in which it is activated has been completed. This is effectively a time-stamp upon the continuity of posting, and additional posts that interrupt, compress, or micromanage time within that period can balloon the number of rounds that the ability is active for as long as the initial goal is still being pursued during that time but the duration is set in stone at the time that it is activated.
Example: The ability 'enhanced strength' is activated and lasts until the end of the current turn. In the remainder of the post John Handsome punches his opponent in the jaw and then grabs his opponent by the belt buckle and hurls him twenty feet back. These actions are estimated to take place in about 3.00 seconds and the time-stamp for the end of the ability is "John hurls his opponent". In the response post the opponent attempts to grab John's punching arm and interrupt him. Because the timeline has not yet passed the time-stamp for the end of the ability it is still active during the time-compressed response of John clarifying that the throw would then be performed with his other arm. If the opponent had instead replied that he uses gravity magic to lock himself to the ground and prevent himself from being thrown, the throw is unable to be completed and the ability 'enhanced strength' ends because: a) the intended action, the time-stamp of 'throw' was reached, and b) responding to this new development would take place after the initially set time-stamp.
When a character has passive regeneration of a resource (ex: magic) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the beginning of the post. Resources that are generated at the beginning of a post can be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
When a character has active regeneration of a resource (ex: health) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the resolution of the ability (usually the end of the post). Resources that are gained through actions (ex: charging) during a post cannot be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
Abilities that are labeled as aspected can only be used when their appropriate source is either embodied or bonded. When the corresponding source for an aspected ability is not embodied or bonded the ability cannot be used.
Abilities that are labeled as unaspected can be used at any time. However, major unaspected abilities cannot be used when a source of any type is embodied. Sources that are bound do not prevent major unaspected abilities from being used.
A bonded source grants the user the entire array of abilities tied to that source.
An embodied source grants the user only some of the abilities tied to that source. Any ability that is labeled as minor can be used when the source is embodied. Abilities that are labeled as major cannot be used unless the source is bonded, and are not available to embodied sources. A user cannot embody a source that is already bonded.
Minor Abilities from sources are usable both when the source is bonded and when the source is embodied, but cannot be used if neither is true.
Major Abilities from sources are only usable when the corresponding source has been bonded. Major abilities are not available to sources that have been embodied. Major unaspected abilities can be used as long as a source is not embodied.
Name: Anson Brent Alias(es): Justice Guy (aka Justice) Date of Birth: May 9 (21) Place of Birth: Barton, Gaia Race/Ethnicity: Human Height: 5'11'' Weight: 193 lbs. Reach: 60" inches. Body Type: Lean Other: Totally a legit superhero. ______________________________
Skills
Combat Training: As a youth, Anson trained with the Falician order of paladins in the use of light and heavy blades and the use of a shield. As an adult, he trained with the Khasamin warriors in unarmed combat and basic grappling techniques.
Ambidexterity/Dual-Weapon Training: Due to years of training to wield a weapon in each hand, Anson can comfortably use both hands with equal proficiency when it comes to wielding a weapon. ______________________________
Equipment
Armor
Padded Armor: Being a hero involves taking a beating from time to time, and sometimes those beatings aren't part of a fair fight. This armor is composed mostly of leather and more modern padding, enough to soften a few blows, stave off light scratches from edged weapons, and (with luck) stop small caliber bullets from tearing through the human body. This armor mostly protects the torso, and is not a full suit.
Five Fingers of Justice: A set of metal gauntlets that completely cover the hands and forearms up to the elbow with armor plates, including the palm and the underside of the fingers.
Masked Man: To protect his secret identity, the superhero Justice Guy wears a mask to cover his face. He has a collection of many masks, some of which are cloth and some of which are made of wood, plastic, rubber, or other materials. The masks are thin enough that they do not provide any real protection against a clean hit but the masks made of wood or harder materials could deflect a light blow to the forehead or face and slightly improve the power of headbutts.
Weapons
b*****d Sword "Justice Blade": This hand-and-a-half sword has a straight, double-edged steel blade roughly 36" in length and a 9" hilt with a brass cross-guard. There are a few chips and blemishes in the blade and even more across the top of the guard, showing that it is not entirely ornamental nor is it indestructible. The scabbard is made of wood and reinforced with steel bracing at the tip and the neck, and is durable enough to stand up to a good deal of abuse. The wood on the scabbard is burned in one place, with these words etched into it: Make it happen - Vahn Fah.
Metal Batons "Truth and Justice": A pair of telescoping metal batons that Justice Guy uses to beat the villainy out of thugs, goons, and minions alike. When collapsed they are 8 inches in length and when extended they reach 25 inches. Each has a shallow ridge just above the grip that protects the fingers from a weapon sliding down the length of the baton.
Ceremonial Silver Daggers: A set of ceremonial silver daggers used by members of the Falician paladin order. The hits are etched with a dragon motif, as are the bladesheaths.
Tools
The Doctor Jones: A small grappling hook connected to a spool of metal wire that is housed in a harness worn around Justice Guy's chest and shoulders. The hook and wire can be drawn out and placed or thrown with no difficulty, and the small hand-lever control on the spool determines whether the wire can be fed, halted, cut, or retracted (though not with enough force to pull a heavy object like a person). Running an electrical current through the wire (another feature of the controls) causes the pins holding the head into hook shape to release so that the prongs can freely fold backward or forward and no longer grip what it has been fastened to.
Heroic Restraint: What good is beating up bad guys if they can't be delivered to the authorities with a hefty dose of gift-wrapping? The Heroic Restraint is essentially a just spool of high tension wire that is thin, light, and easily carried. ______________________________
Abilities
Though Justice Guy is a human through and through, with all of the frailties and limitations that being human comes with, he is emboldened by the power of a Heroic Spirit that allows him to perform feats above and beyond what a human should be capable of. This power is represented in two ways: heroic abilities and spiritualist abilities. Heroic abilities are the representation of the training, resolve, and determination involved in standing up for what is right in a world that is so, so wrong. Spiritualist abilities are supernatural effects created by the manipulation of Spirit Energy.
Base Stats: Athletic human. 250 lb lift-over-head weight (to lift but not carry).
Heroic Abilities
Heroic Instinct - Passive The ability to sense when villainy is afoot and to know when danger rears its ugly head are two things that a hero cannot do without. Justice Guy is able to sense the presence of 'dark power' (magic or other energy used with malicious intent) and track down sources of dark power over a distance. The instinct also provides the hero with a 'danger sense' that gives him a split second more to react to traps or surprise attacks than he would have had otherwise. This bonus to reaction does not apply to attacks that the hero is aware of or to feints, but it does apply to hidden weapons and covert secondary effects (such as exploding playing cards, which isn't very funny Gambit).
Heroic Endurance - Passive A hero's body is powerful and mysterious, able to withstand and resist many things that a normal person could not. Compared against an ordinary human, Justice Guy has an increased resistance against toxins and diseases, supernatural afflictions such as curses and hexes are more easily resisted, and supernatural infections such as lycanthropy and vampirism cannot infect Justice Guy.
Heroic Resolve - Passive When the world needs a healthy booster shot of Justice, a hero can't be down for the count. Heroic Resolve provides a passive resistance against debilitating effects. Any short-term effect (2 posts duration) that affects the hero is shaken off quickly (shortened to 1-1/2 posts duration), and long-term effects (3+ posts duration) affect the hero for less time than they normally would (1 post less than intended duration). Instantaneous (1 post duration) effects are not affected by this resistance.
Spiritualist Abilities
Fearless - Passive Due to his former training as a paladin and the trying experiences he has endured, Anson has developed a complete immunity to fear whether supernatural in origin or not. This often leads to reckless and hasty decisions that throw caution to the wind, which can add extra layer of awkwardness in certain social situations due to the inability to read some cues properly.
Spirit Talker - Passive During his time as a paladin, Anson learned to open his heart to the voice of his god and the spirits that were in service to that being. Since setting off on his own, Anson has walked the path of a spirit shaman and communes with many different spirits and gods from time to time. He is capable of hearing the voices of spirits and divine beings, whether they may be ghosts, elementals, or deities, as long as those spirits are speaking to him or someone near him. This skill does not allow him to see or interact with otherworldly beings on its own, only to communicate with them.
Spiritualist Powers - Active Through training, meditation, and focus a measure of control over the a person's internal energies can be achieved. Though this has been called by many different names among many different cultures (chi, ki, mysticism, spiritualism, etc.) the end result is that a practiced user can call forth their internal energies to create effects that could be compared to magical arts. Creating phenomena from the manipulation of a user's internal energies can be taxing, and consume a resource referred to here as Spirit Energy (described below).
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Glossary of Terms:
Abilities that are labeled as aspected can only be used when their appropriate source is either embodied or bonded. When the corresponding source for an aspected ability is not embodied or bonded the ability cannot be used.
Abilities that are labeled as unaspected do not require a bonded or aspected source. Minor unaspected abilities can be used at any time. However, major unaspected abilities cannot be used when any source is embodied. Sources that are bonded do not prevent major unaspected abilities from being used.
A bonded source grants the user the entire array of abilities tied to that source (both major and minor).
An embodied source grants the user only some of the abilities tied to that source. Any ability that is labeled as minor can be used when the source is embodied. Abilities that are labeled as major cannot be used unless the source is bonded, and are not available to embodied sources. A user cannot embody a source that is already bonded.
Minor Abilities from sources are usable both when the source is bonded and when the source is embodied, but cannot be used if neither is true. Minor unaspected abilities can be used at any time.
Major Abilities from sources are only usable when the corresponding source has been bonded. Major aspected abilities are not available to sources that have been embodied. Major unaspected abilities can be used as long as a source is not currently embodied.
An ability that lasts for [x] rounds begins and ends the duration timer at the end of the post (this includes the post in which it is activated). Therefore from the end of the post in which the ability is activated until the end of the next post a single round of duration expires.
An ability that lasts until the end of the current turn will remain active until the final action that is stated in the post in which it is activated has been completed. This is effectively a time-stamp upon the continuity of posting, and additional posts that interrupt, compress, or micromanage time within that period can balloon the number of rounds that the ability is active for as long as the initial goal is still being pursued during that time but the duration is set in stone at the time that it is activated.
Example: The ability 'enhanced strength' is activated and lasts until the end of the current turn. In the remainder of the post John Handsome punches his opponent in the jaw and then grabs his opponent by the belt buckle and hurls him twenty feet back. These actions are estimated to take place in about 3.00 seconds and the time-stamp for the end of the ability is "John hurls his opponent". In the response post the opponent attempts to grab John's punching arm and interrupt him. Because the timeline has not yet passed the time-stamp for the end of the ability it is still active during the time-compressed response of John clarifying that the throw would then be performed with his other arm. If the opponent had instead replied that he uses gravity magic to lock himself to the ground and prevent himself from being thrown, the throw is unable to be completed and the ability 'enhanced strength' ends because: a) the intended action, the time-stamp of 'throw' was reached, and b) responding to this new development would take place after the initially set time-stamp.
When a character has passive regeneration of a resource (ex: magic) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the beginning of the post. Resources that are generated at the beginning of a post can be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
When a character has active regeneration of a resource (ex: health) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the resolution of the ability (usually the end of the post). Resources that are gained through actions (ex: charging) during a post cannot be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
======================= || Spirit Energy || =======================
Spirit Energy is a representation of the user's own determination, force of will, and focus and it is drawn from the user's soul so all effects (unless otherwise stated) related to Spirit Energy are considered to have the [magic] and [divine] descriptors.
Capacity for Spirit Energy reaches up to 100%, but generally begins at 50% because when at rest the user is neither focused and primed for combat nor has he already exhausted his reserves. This capacity represents the spiritual fatigue that is suffered when a user flexes their metaphysical muscle in order to perform supernatural acts. As such, at 80% a user would feel energized and full of vigor; focused and ready to let loose at a moment's notice. Likewise, at 10% a user would feel worn out after the expenditure of mental, physical, and spiritual energies. Of course, the old saying about giving 110% is not necessarily untrue either-- Spirit Energy can sink down to negative values, but the act of placing such a strain upon a person's internal energies is not without consequence. Exhausting the spirit means both weakening the soul and softening the mind, and doing so will cause disorientation as the mind loses focus and gradual loss of motor control as the soul's connection to the physical body weakens. Extreme overuse of spirit energy can result in unconsciousness, coma, or death.
At 0% activated abilities cannot be used, but already active abilities remain active (including abilities that have a recurring cost per post). At -10% the user suffers from reduced dexterity (precision, speed, reactions). At -20% the user suffers from disorientation and lack of motor control. At -30% the user falls unconscious.
Likewise, as spirit energy is built up the user will experience increased focus and boosted motor control.
At 100% all base stats (strength, speed, agility, resilience) are increased by 50% and the user gains 50% immunity to energy damage of all types (this stacks multiplicatively with other forms of resistance, not additively).
Because spiritual abilities rely so heavily upon a focused mind, meditative practices and other methods used to help a user focus can temporarily boost the user's reserves of Spirit Energy.
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Action: Focus Benefit: Increase spirit energy reserves by 15-25%. Limitation: Activated abilities cannot be used on this post. Limitation: All aspected and unaspected passive abilities are disabled until the beginning of the next post (this does not include ongoing duration-based effects from abilities that were previously activated).
The user focuses his energy internally rather than externally for a moment, cutting off the benefits normally provided by spiritual powers and preventing spiritual abilities from being used on this post. At the end of this period of focus the user increases his reserve of Spirit Energy by 15%. If the user is able to meditate quietly without interruption during this time, the increase is boosted to 25%.
Fundamentally there is little difference between the underlying principles behind how the holy powers of paladins and priests function and how the magic of the natural world functions in the hands of shamans, druids, and witch doctors. The strong beliefs hold together their traditions and practices into rituals that provide the user with focus and allow a human to become a conduit for the forces of heaven, nature, and the universe. Strong force of will, mental focus, and a firm belief in what will come allow practitioners of these arts to control supernatural forces with their own spiritual energy.
Spirit Bonding is the practice of embodying the principles behind a tradition, belief, or religion in order to achieve some of what would otherwise require pure devotion. Much like how a paladin swears themselves in service to their god and in return receives boons and powers granted by that god to better further their cause, a practitioner of Spirit Bonding can attune themselves to the same 'wavelength' as another in order to emulate powers related to that source. Though rather than stealing power from an unknowing source (like using your neighbor's wifi connection) these abilities are manifested by the user's own spirit energy that has been attuned to the same aspect as the source being bonded.
This give rises to the 3 elements of a spirit bonder's toolset: bonded spirits, aspected abilities, and unaspected abilities.
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Action: Bond Spirit Benefit: Gain all Major aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Only one source can be bonded at a time. Limitation: Gain the Compulsions and Projections associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Bonding with a source requires an extended period of time.
Bonding with a chosen source requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted meditation, and once bonded a source remains bonded until another source is chosen and the spirit bonding practice is performed again, or until the user chooses to cast out the influence through an act of focused concentration that expends all currently available Spirit Energy. Effects that negate or suppress supernatural effects also negate or suppress all benefits of a bonded source. Bonding with a source aligns the user fundamentally with the beliefs and traditions associated with that source and can cause the source's influence to manifest both through a visible sign (called a Projection) and through the inclination towards particular behaviors (called Compulsions).
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Action: Abandon Spirit Cost: All (sets Spirit Energy to 0% if above 0%) Benefit: Removes a bonded source from the user. Limitation: Prevents a source from being bonded again until the next day. Limitation: Cannot be used to remove an inverted source.
Removes a source that has been bonded to the user, clearing any compulsions and projections associated with that source but also removing the user's access to passive and active abilities associated with that source. Once a spirit has been abandoned, it cannot be bonded again that day.
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Action: Invert Spirit Cost: 50% Benefit: Removes a bonded source from the user. Benefit: Immediately bonds a new source to the user. Limitation: The source removed by this ability cannot be embodied again until the next day. Limitation: The new source bonded by this ability cannot be removed until the next day. Limitation: The user gains the Inverted Projection and Inverted Compulsion of the source removed by this ability until the next day.
As an emergency measure, the user can burn a significant amount of spiritual energy and focus to remove a bonded source and replace it with another over the course of 1 post. The jarring force of this rejection of a spirit's ethos turns the user's internal energies to the opposite extreme from that source and cause the user to take on projections and compulsions that are the opposite of what would normally be granted by that source. The user takes on the Inverted Projection and Inverted Compulsion of the source that was forced out, in addition to the Projection and Compulsion of the newly bonded source. This ability can only be used once per day because of the tremendous toll it takes upon the user's spirit, and once used the user can no longer change or abandon his bonded source until the next day.
Creating a bond with a source allows the bonder to access the abilities that are associated with that source. These abilities are called aspected abilities because when using abilities associated with a source the user's spirit energy takes on forms and elements associated with that source. Alternatively, abilities that the bonder possesses innately without drawing upon a source are called unaspected abilities because they are formed from the user's own neutrally-aligned spirit energy. Abilities are broken down into 2 levels and this is true whether the ability is aspected or unaspected: Major abilities require that the user's spirit be naturally predisposed to their aspect, and as such a major aspected ability will only function if the source is properly bonded to the user; while a major unaspected ability can only be used when the user is not otherwise attempting to embody another aspect (described below). Minor abilities require a lesser amount of compatibility, and can be used with more freedom. Minor unaspected abilities can always be used, and minor aspected abilities can be used when a source is either bonded or embodied.
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Action: Embody Spirit Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: An embodied source can be changed out for another during combat. Limitation: Only one source can be embodied at a time. Limitation: Gain the (embodied) Compulsions and (embodied) Projections associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Cannot use Major unaspected abilities while embodying to a source. Limitation: Activated abilities of any type cannot be used in a post where an aspect is changed, the new aspect goes into effect at the end of the post. Limitation: Becoming unconscious or asleep, or afflicted with confusion-type status causes the user to lose focus and become unaspected.
Embodying a source is a lesser version of bonding to a source. The user temporarily polarizes their spirit energy to resemble the source being embodied as an action that takes 1 full post, during which time no active abilities of any type can be used to avoid disrupting the process of aligning the user's spirit with the source (though non-spiritualist actions can be taken normally). An embodied source allows the user to access the minor aspected abilities associated with it, but not the major aspected abilities. An embodied source can be dropped at any time.
If you compare embodying a source to painting a chicken green and throwing it into a grassy field, then bonding with a source can be compared to wrapping that chicken up in a bundle of sod and then tossing it out there. Neither is a perfect representation of the original, but one comes a great deal closer than the other. Embodying sources is a faster, less permanent means of drawing upon an aspected source. Because the user's spirit is only partially emulating the aspect rather than fully aligning itself to the beat of another drum the user only gains access to the minor aspected powers associated with the source; but also only manifests minor projections or compulsions when embodying the source, which are listed with the tag (embodied).
When not embodying a source, the bonder is considered to be unaspected. Whether or not a source has been bonded to the user is irrelevant in regards to this, only whether or not the user has embodied one.
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Status: Unaspected Benefit: Can use all Major unaspected abilities. At Rest: Spirit Energy normalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. Limitation: Cannot use abilities from sources other than a bonded source.
When unaspected, the user can use all major unaspected abilities (when embodying a source only minor unaspected abilities can be used). In addition, the user is considered to be 'at rest' and is not actively forcing their spirit energy to metaphorically fit a square peg into a round hole; due to this the user's Spirit Energynormalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. This means that if the user is below 50% at the beginning of a post they will gain 5%, and if the user is above 50% at the beginning of a post they will lose 5%. There is no change if the user is at exactly 50% at the start of a post.
The abilities granted by each source are listed below:
[Minor] Take the Edge Off (Passive) Benefit: Allows for supernatural area-effect and immaterial abilities to be blocked and guarded against as if they were physical abilities, reducing damage taken. Limitation: Requires the user to actively defend against the attack and focus on concentrating Spirit Energy against the incoming attack.
[Minor] Trick of the Light Cost: 0% Effect: Creates a mind-affecting illusion that causes a target to see something other than what a creature/object actually is. Benefit: Can create a temporary disguise for the user or a held object that lasts until it is scrutinized. Limitation: The effect is based upon the target misinterpreting what they see, and thus targets that are immune to mind-affecting abilities and constructs are immune to this effect. Looking at the affected object through a camera rather than directly also negates the effect. Limitation: The more attention that is paid to the details of the disguised object the shorter the effect lasts, making it easier to disbelieve over time.
An infiltration technique that is used to briefly make one object or person appear to be something else. It can be used to make one person look like another, to make a bus pass look like a security clearance card, or to make shredded newspapers look like cold hard cash to name a few examples. However, because the magic only makes others think that they are seeing the genuine article the illusion does not stand up to scrutiny for very long. For each post of careful observation more and more inconsistencies between the two objects will appear. After 1 post of inspection a small inconsistency appears (ex: not looking exactly like the person they were mistaken as), after 2 posts of inspection a large inconsistency appears (ex: an easily pointed out feature is wrong), after 3 posts of inspection an irreconcilable inconsistency appears (ex: not looking anything like the person in the photo). After 4 posts of inspection the effect is completely defeated if it hadn't been already. Inconsistencies can be explained away, and a convincing explanation might be enough to convince someone that a fake is in fact the genuine article. This does not reset the post count unless the object is no longer under scrutiny.
[Minor] Cascade of Light / Justice Beam-u Cost: 15% Effect: Fires a beam of kinetic and heat-type energy toward a target, dealing moderate concussive and mild burning damage while applying significant knock-back. The effect can instead be charged into a weapon and thrown off in a wave rather than fired directly as a beam. Benefit: Long range, fast cast time, variable effect. Limitation: The beam effect originates from the hands and has a telegraphed step of aiming at the target of the attack. The wave effect creates a visible nimbus of light around the weapon when charged. The beam travels quickly, but is not instantaneous due to being 'physical' energy.
[Minor] Justice Strike Cost: 10% Effect: An enhanced striking attack with double the normal amount of force. Can be applied to an unarmed attack or a weapon strike.
Major Unaspected
[Major] The Long, Slow Step Cost: 10% Effect: Quickly moves the user long distances. Starting the step requires both feet solidly planted on the ground, and a projected image of the user shoots outward from there toward the destination which is any point that the user can see directly. The travel speed of this prior-image is approximately the speed of sound, and during this time the user is mid-step. Once the step is complete the user instantly appears at the target destination as if only a single step had been taken. Benefit: Can be canceled mid-activation. Limitation: Can be interrupted mid-activation. Limitation: Must begin the movement with both feet on solid ground, must end the movement with one foot planted solidly at the destination. Limitation: The user must be looking at the destination while using the ability, meaning that back-steps are impossible without first turning to look back. Limitation: The user arrives at the destination with no momentum built up from movement.
[Major] Gag Order Cost: 15% Effect: Seals the target's mouth shut with a strike to the jaw, preventing the target from opening its mouth for 3 posts. Benefit: The duration stacks additively with additional blows. Limitation: Does not prevent the target from speaking if they have means to do so without their mouth.
[Major] The First Cut is the Deepest Cost: 25% Effect: Can be activated upon landing a successful attack with a bladed weapon. Creates a curse-type effect at that location that causes the injury of the initial attack to become slightly more severe than the most severe injury the target receives after the effect begins. Every time that the cursed creature receives a deeper injury than the cursed wound, the cursed injury widens or deepens to become slightly larger than the other wound. The cursed injury cannot be healed through magical or mundane means unless the healing would not reduce the injury's size to below that of another wound. This curse can be removed by any effect that can remove curses, but is otherwise permanent and cannot be negated by means such as removing a worn piece of armor or clothing. Benefit: Can bypass armor. Limitation: Can only be used once per target. Limitation: Relies upon inflicting multiple wounds to an opponent.
[Major] Dramatic Recovery Cost: 50% Effect: Lessens the extent of one wound on the user by a severity step to a minimum level of superficial. For this purpose one 'wound' may include a group of associated injuries such as a set of claw marks or lacerations from shrapnel. Limitation: The effect applies to one wound, activation for multiple wounds requires multiple uses of the ability.
[Major] Hand of the Martyr Cost: 0% Effect: Transfers an injury from a touched target to the user. Only a single injury can be transferred at a time, but a group of associated injuries count as one injury for this purpose (example: a set of claw marks). The injury can be transferred in part or in whole, but it will appear in on the user exactly as it was on the target to varying degrees. A two-inch wide gash could be taken completely from the target, causing a two-inch wide gash on the user or it could be taken partially, causing a one-inch gash to remain on each. Benefit: Can heal the injuries of others. Benefit: The ability Dramatic Recovery can be used immediately after this effect to restore damage. Benefit: This effect can transfer lethal injuries. Limitation: Injuries that cannot be mirrored on the user cannot be transferred (ex: wings, tail, extra arms, etc.). Limitation: This effect can transfer lethal injuries.
Aspected Sources
Soul of the Stalwart Compulsion: The user is bound to honorable conduct. Inverted Compulsion: The user must act dishonorably when it is advantageous to do so. Projection: A pattern of scales appears on the user's skin, outlined in golden light. Projection (embodied): The user's skin glows faintly with a golden light.
[Minor] Sentinel (Passive) Benefit: Allows the user to grasp energy constructs as if they were solid objects. This includes things such as punching lasers and pushing back against balls of fire. Benefit: Gain 5% Spirit Energy from attacks directed at allies, gain 10% Spirit Energy when damage is dealt to an ally (cannot gain both from the same attack).
[Minor] Shield of Light Cost: 10% Effect: Creates a circular disc of solid light approximately 3' in diameter that appears over the hand/arm either attached or held. This disc is weightless but has hardness equal to a quarter-inch thick sheet of iron. Limitation: This effect persists for 5 posts or until dismissed or destroyed.
[Minor] Dispel Curse Cost: 15+% Effect: Removes one curse-type effect upon the touched target. Benefit: Can remove negative persistent effects. Limitation: Some types of curses can be more difficult to break than others. Curses intended to be permanent rather than temporary require additional effort to break and the longer that the curse persists the more difficult it becomes to remove. Curses that have been in place for years can be incredibly difficult or impossible to remove through brute-force means such as this. If a curse cannot be removed with this ability it may be suppressed for a duration of posts, hours, or days based upon the comparative strength of the curse.
[Major] Unyielding Cost: 100% Effect: Provides an incredible amount of defensive stats for a short period of time. Benefit: Renders user immune to effects that force movement or restrict movement. Benefit: Provides damage resistance as if the user were made of iron. Benefit: Provides 75% resistance to all types of energy. Limitation: Lasts 3 posts. Limitation: Usable once per day.
[Major] Shards of Heaven Cost: 75% Effect: Creates a shower of crystal lances that rain down onto a target area. The effected area can be up to 30' in diameter anywhere within 100 yards that the user has line of sight to. The shower of lances lasts for 5 seconds, and includes 108 lances that fall over the course of this effect. Each lance is relatively light and will not penetrate through armoring of most types. The lances fall randomly within the area. Once the effect ends, any remaining lances shatter in a small burst of shrapnel that then disperses into motes of light. Benefit: Significant wide-area damage potential. Limitation: High cost and low accuracy, relying on the number of projectiles rather than the power and accuracy of each one.
Soul of the Fury Compulsion: The user cannot back down from a fight. Inverted Compulsion: The user must avoid fighting whenever possible. Projection: The user's physique becomes more muscular. Compulsion (embodied): The user becomes extremely short-tempered and irritable.
[Minor] Righteous Fury (Passive) Benefit: Increases Spirit Energy by 5% each time damage is dealt to an enemy. Increases Spirit Energy by 10% every time damage is dealt to the user.
[Minor] Strength of Conviction Cost: 30% Effect: Allows the user to perform a single action with enough strength to overpower an adversary regardless of how strong that adversary may be. Strength increases to a level marginally above that of a foe being contested and allows the user to perform an action that would have previously been beyond their means. Examples include wrestling a foe to the ground, flipping a car, stopping a charging bull, etc. For more overtly supernatural displays of strength see Judge, Jury, and Executioner below. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to above that of the enemy the user is competing with. Limitation: Only applies to a single action.
[Minor] Hellscream Cost: 15% Effect: Creates a tremendous burst of wind and sound that sends anything in a conical area in front of the user flying backwards with sizable force. An average adult male would likely be thrown back 10 feet from the initial burst and pushed further after hitting the ground until the scream ends.
[Major] Furious Strength (Passive) Benefit: Increases the user's strength by 100% + 1% for each point of Spirit Energy stored. Limitation: Does not stack with other strength enhancing abilities, but does multiply the increased base stat value granted by 100% Spirit Energy charge.
[Major] Judge, Jury, and Executioner Cost: 80% Effect: Allows the user to perform 3 actions with a level of strength that borders on illogical. Examples include leaping tall buildings in a single bound, bursting through reinforced doors or walls, lifting and throwing objects weighing up to tens of thousands of pounds such as statues and vehicles, or becoming an almost immovable object. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to unrealistic proportions. Limitation: The enhanced actions must all be used within 3 posts. Limitation: Only the 3rd action can be a direct striking attack, though the 1st and 2nd actions can be indirect attacks (ex: thrown objects, thrown opponents).
Soul of the Wolf Compulsion: The user is constantly compelled to eat. Inverted Compulsion: The user is overcome with nausea if he swallows anything. Projection: The user exhibits spectral wolf ears and a tail. Projection (embodied): The user's teeth grow longer and more pointed.
[Minor] Hunter's Sense (Passive) Benefit: Grants the user supernaturally enhanced hearing and sense of smell. Benefit: If a nearby enemy is bleeding, Hunter's Sense generates 5% Spirit Energy per round. Limitation: Creates a vulnerability to sonic and scent-based attacks.
[Minor] Wolf Bite Cost: 20% Effect: An attack that creates a spectral wolf at the point of impact which immediately latches its jaws onto the target and applies a pulling force for 3 posts. The wolf deals no damage, and will always pull in the same direction once created (usually down and back). The wolf does not have a material form but can be destroyed by powerful attacks. The wolf can drag up to 250 lbs if no resistance is applied.
[Minor] Devour Cost: 0% Effect: The user can swallow an object whole and keep it in an extradimensional space. The swallowed object does not have to literally go into the user's mouth, but the mouth area is the opening of the extradimensional space. An object small enough to be held in one hand can be swallowed immediately, whereas larger objects must be compressed first; compression of the object takes 1 second per foot of length being swallowed and does not damage the object in the process. Objects that are swallowed can be spit out afterward, and the user may choose specifically which object to spit out if multiple have been swallowed. A spit object either spills out onto the ground in front of the user, or can be spat at up to the speed of a thrown object. Limitation: If a swallowed object would deal damage to the extradimensional stomach, the stomach ruptures and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: If the user loses access to the Devour ability (such as becoming unaspected) the effect immediately ends and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: The user cannot swallow an object that cannot be forced into the opening such as an unwilling, non-helpless creature.
[Major] Overwhelm (Passive) Effect: Reduces the activation cost of Wolf Bite to 10% spirit energy per spectral wolf and allows the specters to pull while treading on air.
[Major] Pack Attack Cost: 60% Effect: The image of the user seems to blur slightly when in motion, trailing behind itself for just a fraction of a moment after every movement. When activated, this effect enhances and the blur trails behind so far that it actually splits away from the user and then splits again into two ghostly images that resemble the user but have no real identifying features. These phantoms mirror the movements made by the user exactly but trail behind in those actions anywhere between 0.5 and 5 seconds. When the phantoms perform a mirrored action it has the same effect as if the user had performed the action a second and a third time, able to interact physically with objects and persons for the purposes of performing those actions but for no other purposes. The phantoms can pass through the user and objects as if they did not truly exist unless the phantom must physically touch an object to fulfill its purpose. (example: the user tackles an opponent but does not knock the opponent off his feet, 1 second later the phantoms tackle the opponent one after the other in the same way applying 2x and then 3x the combined force that may push the opponent back). This effect lasts for 3 posts before the phantoms merge back into the user and return to being merely a blur. Benefit: Can chain successive strikes and create combination attacks without a partner. Benefit: The user can decide whether the phantoms 'follow closely behind' the original or delay before repeating the action. Limitation: The phantoms cannot make decisions for themselves or deviate from their scripted behavior.
Soul of the Storm Projection: The user occasionally has arcs of energy jump between fingers, hairs, etc. and can power small electrical devices by holding them. Inverted Projection: The user slowly drains the electric charge of any device he is in contact with and cannot operate complex electronic devices. Projection (embodied): The user is faintly magnetic.
[Minor] Stormshield (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming electricity-type damage by 50%. Benefit: Grants immunity to electricity-related stuns. Benefit: Being hit by an electric-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy.
[Minor] Crooked Arrows Cost: 10% Effect: Fires bolts of electric-type energy from a spiritual bow. The projectiles are physical objects that move at the speed of a regular arrow; when the projectile strikes a target the bolt disperses into a mixture of kinetic and electric-type energy.
[Minor] Thunderclap Cost: 20% Effect: The user claps his hands together, creating a shockwave centered on the user that covers a 20' radius that causes mild sonic damage with significant knockback. Both parts of the effect decay in intensity toward the outer edge of the area. An average adult male struck by the thunderclap at point blank range would be knocked back to the edge of the radius.
[Major] Lightning Reflexes (Passive) Benefit: Increases reaction time and speed for all forms of movement by 100%. Limitation: Does not negate the momentum generated by high speed movement.
[Major] Storm's Grasp Cost: 10% Effect: Creates an electrical charge in the hand that can be used to apply a magnetic grip upon a metallic object, a magnetic pull upon an object from a distance with strength equal to what one arm could pull with, or apply a brief electrical shock to a touched object causing electric-type damage.
Soul of the Wyrmhound Compulsion: The user is prone to boasting about his own prowess. Inverted Compulsion: The user becomes meek and soft-spoken. Projection: The user's skin becomes textured like scales that shift color based on the type of dragonflame used last. Projection (embodied): The user's eyes turn to golden vertical slits, like a dragon's eye.
[Minor] Draconic Resistance (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming fire, cold, and acid-type damage by 25%. Benefit: Being hit by a fire, cold, or acid-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy.
[Minor] Heavensward / Dragonflight Cost: 10% / +10% Effect: The user jumps at a tremendous speed up to 200 meters vertically or in a straight line. At the end of this leap the user will fall as normal based on height and directional momentum. This ability can be activated again mid-air to temporarily create a solid surface for the user to rebound off of in a subsequent jump; the phantom image of draconic wings appear on the user when Dragonflight is activated. Each time Dragonflight is used the cost of Heavensward increases by an additional 10% until the user lands on a non-manifested surface. Benefit: Allows the user to leap up to 200 meters. Dragonflight allows the user to double-jump. Limitation: Changing direction mid-air requires stacking additional cost. Requires a solid surface to stop.
[Minor] Heavensfall / Cometfall Cost: 0% / 10% Effect: The user is never adversely affected by the impact force when landing from a great height or after using Heavensward. Activating Cometfall multiplies the force of an attack delivered when landing from at least 10 meters up and scales up tremendously based on falling speed and distance fallen before impact. The damage amplification begins at 2x and scales up to 10x at maximum falling velocity. The user does not suffer adverse effects from this amplified force. Cometfall only applies to vertical velocity and cannot be used in combination with horizontal velocity. Benefit: Negates falling damage. Allows for devastating leaping attacks. Limitation: Requires falling at least 10 meters, force increases with distance.
[Minor] Dragon Kick Cost: 20% Effect: The user delivers a kick with enough force to launch an enemy up to the same distance as if the user had used Heavensward. The actual kick will only apply 2x normal force but the target will be launched as if a tremendous amount of force had struck them. Benefit: Launches an enemy.
[Major] Emerald Dragon Claw Cost: 25% Effect: Coats one weapon in emerald fire (unarmed strikes count as weapons for this purpose) for a single attack. The emerald fire is not real fire and therefore is unaffected by fire resistance. Emerald fire has increased penetration against defenses, and Emerald Dragon Claw will easily tear through up to a quarter inch of unenhanced metal or softer material. Slashes left by Emerald Dragon Claw will continue to burn with emerald fire for 3 posts, dealing acid-type damage to the affected area. Benefit: Acid-type damage that bypasses defenses. Limitation: Effect fades after one attack.
[Major] Ruby Dragon Breath Cost: 40% Effect: The user may choose between a line or a cone when activating this ability. When using a cone, the user spits a 45 degree cone of dragon fire up to 30 feet for severe fire-type damage that can light objects on fire (which continue to burn with nonmagical flame from that point on). When using a line, the user spits a jet of flame up to 100 feet in a line that explodes into a ball of dragon fire with a 10-foot radius for moderate fire damage and significant force damage.
[Major] Sapphire Dragon Pool Cost: 60% Effect: Creates a circular pool of sapphire flame in a 30 foot radius around the user that expands outward from the point of origin over 3 seconds. The sapphire flame is not real fire and therefore unaffected by fire resistance. The tendrils of sapphire flame reach out for targets designated by the user and attempt to wrap themselves around the target, constricting and dealing cold-type damage. The sapphire flames have hardness similar to ice and can be destroyed if attacked. The pool remains for 5 turns or until the user uses a different type of dragon fire, whichever comes first. Benefit: Grapples and constricts targets in an area. Limitation: Creates a stationary ground effect.
Soul of the Sauna Projection: The user seems to be wet and drips water which quickly turns to steam and disappears. Inverted Projection: The user is always dry, and anything the user tries to drink dries up instantly as it reaches his mouth. Projection (embodied): The user leaves wet footprints behind when walking.
[Minor] Ebb and Flow (Passive) Benefit: Allows the user to telekinetically push or pull on bodies of water to create wave-like motion. Benefit: Being immersed in water regenerates spirit energy at a rate of 10% per post. Limitation: Control cannot be exerted over bodies of water already being controlled by another user. Limitation: The quantity and force of the controlled water is proportional to the amount of time and motion. 'Rocking' waves builds up more power.
[Minor] Hydroplaning Cost: 5% Effect: Creates a viscous film of fluid on a touched surface which can reduce the friction on that surface down to nearly zero. Benefit: Can be used to cause the user or a touched object to slide across most surfaces for one post.
[Minor] Flash Freeze Cost: 10% Effect: The user causes a touched volume of water to be covered in a layer of ice. For a large pool of water this would create a layer of ice across the surface (up to 3" thick) that could barely support the weight of a person briefly. This ability could instantly freeze a water pipe or a puddle, or encase a wet object in a thin (less than 1" thick) layer of ice. Forms made of ice can be drawn out of bodies of water using this ability such as pulling an ice lance from the surface of a pond.
[Major] Warm and Wet (Passive) Benefit: The user can alter the temperature of controlled water between frigid (0* C) and scalding (100* C). Benefit: The user is not negatively affected by the hot or cold temperatures of controlled water. Limitation: Changing the temperature to one extreme requires 2 posts. Limitation: Changing the temperature from one extreme to the other requires 3 posts. Limitation: Only water that is being directly controlled by the user can be altered.
[Major] Erosion (Passive) Effect: Magical water is, for some reason, an effective countermeasure to other types of magic. The effect that this has takes two different forms: The first form is that of flowing water, which has the power to wash away the effects of magic upon an object or person over time if it is immersed in the flow. The second form is that of frozen water, which can cut or pierce through other forms of magic by penetrating into the flaws of the spellweave. The user can use controlled water or formed ice to strip away or bypass other magical effects. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can strip away temporary magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 2 posts. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can temporarily suppress the effects of permanent magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 1 post. Benefit: Formed ice can cut or pierce through magic-based protections and barriers with minimal resistance. Benefit: Formed ice is treated as having the hardness of an equivalent amount of steel when tested against magic-based enhanced items or energy constructs and cannot be automatically bypassed by magic-type effects if normal materials would be.
[Major] Condensation Cost: 10% per gallon Effect: Creates fluid water from ambient humidity in the air. The created water takes form within 1 second and can appear in any open space within 5 feet of the user. The created water is immediately considered to be effected by the abilities Ebb and Flow and Flash Freeze without additional cost if the user so desires.
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:53 pm
Justice Guy // HoH Re:-U truncated version
Core
Name: Anson Brent Alias(es): Justice Guy (aka Justice) Date of Birth: May 9 (21) Place of Birth: Barton, Gaia Race/Ethnicity: Human Height: 5'11'' Weight: 193 lbs. Reach: 60" inches. Body Type: Lean Other: Totally a legit superhero. ______________________________
Equipment
Armor
Padded Armor: Being a hero involves taking a beating from time to time, and sometimes those beatings aren't part of a fair fight. This armor is composed mostly of leather and more modern padding, enough to soften a few blows, stave off light scratches from edged weapons, and (with luck) stop small caliber bullets from tearing through the human body. This armor mostly protects the torso, and is not a full suit.
Five Fingers of Justice: A set of metal gauntlets that completely cover the hands and forearms up to the elbow with armor plates, including the palm and the underside of the fingers.
Masked Man: To protect his secret identity, the superhero Justice Guy wears a mask to cover his face.
Weapons
b*****d Sword "Justice Blade": This hand-and-a-half sword has a straight, double-edged steel blade roughly 36" in length and a 9" hilt with a brass cross-guard. The scabbard is made of wood and reinforced with steel bracing at the tip and the neck, and is durable enough to stand up to a good deal of abuse.
Metal Batons "Truth and Justice": A pair of telescoping metal batons that Justice Guy uses to beat the villainy out of thugs, goons, and minions alike. When collapsed they are 8 inches in length and when extended they reach 25 inches. Each has a shallow ridge just above the grip that protects the fingers from a weapon sliding down the length of the baton.
Ceremonial Silver Daggers: A set of ceremonial silver daggers used by members of the Falician paladin order.
Tools
The Doctor Jones: A small grappling hook connected to a spool of metal wire that is housed in a harness worn around Justice Guy's chest and shoulders. The hook and wire can be drawn out and placed or thrown with no difficulty, and the small hand-lever control on the spool determines whether the wire can be fed, halted, cut, or retracted (though not with enough force to pull a heavy object like a person). Running an electrical current through the wire (another feature of the controls) causes the pins holding the head into hook shape to release so that the prongs can freely fold backward or forward and no longer grip what it has been fastened to.
Heroic Restraint: What good is beating up bad guys if they can't be delivered to the authorities with a hefty dose of gift-wrapping? The Heroic Restraint is essentially a just spool of high tension wire that is thin, light, and easily carried. ______________________________
Abilities
Though Justice Guy is a human through and through, with all of the frailties and limitations that being human comes with, he is emboldened by the power of a Heroic Spirit that allows him to perform feats above and beyond what a human should be capable of. This power is represented in two ways: heroic abilities and spiritualist abilities. Heroic abilities are the representation of the training, resolve, and determination involved in standing up for what is right in a world that is so, so wrong. Spiritualist abilities are supernatural effects created by the manipulation of Spirit Energy.
Base Stats: Athletic human. 250 lb lift-over-head weight (to lift but not carry).
Heroic Abilities
Heroic Instinct - Passive The ability to sense when villainy is afoot and to know when danger rears its ugly head are two things that a hero cannot do without. Justice Guy is able to sense the presence of 'dark power' (magic or other energy used with malicious intent) and track down sources of dark power over a distance. The instinct also provides the hero with a 'danger sense' that gives him a split second more to react to traps or surprise attacks than he would have had otherwise. This bonus to reaction does not apply to attacks that the hero is aware of or to feints, but it does apply to hidden weapons and covert secondary effects (such as exploding playing cards, which isn't very funny Gambit).
Heroic Endurance - Passive A hero's body is powerful and mysterious, able to withstand and resist many things that a normal person could not. Compared against an ordinary human, Justice Guy has an increased resistance against toxins and diseases, supernatural afflictions such as curses and hexes are more easily resisted, and supernatural infections such as lycanthropy and vampirism cannot infect Justice Guy.
Heroic Resolve - Passive When the world needs a healthy booster shot of Justice, a hero can't be down for the count. Heroic Resolve provides a passive resistance against debilitating effects. Any short-term effect (2 posts duration) that affects the hero is shaken off quickly (shortened to 1-1/2 posts duration), and long-term effects (3+ posts duration) affect the hero for less time than they normally would (1 post less than intended duration). Instantaneous (1 post duration) effects are not affected by this resistance.
Spiritualist Abilities
Fearless - Passive Due to his former training as a paladin and the trying experiences he has endured, Anson has developed a complete immunity to fear whether supernatural in origin or not.
Spirit Talker - Passive He is capable of hearing the voices of spirits and divine beings, whether they may be ghosts, elementals, or deities, as long as those spirits are speaking to him or someone near him.
Spiritualist Powers - Active Through training, meditation, and focus a measure of control over the a person's internal energies can be achieved. Creating phenomena from the manipulation of a user's internal energies can be taxing, and consume a resource referred to here as Spirit Energy (described below).
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Glossary of Terms:
Abilities that are labeled as aspected can only be used when their appropriate source is either embodied or bonded. When the corresponding source for an aspected ability is not embodied or bonded the ability cannot be used.
Abilities that are labeled as unaspected do not require a bonded or aspected source. Minor unaspected abilities can be used at any time. However, major unaspected abilities cannot be used when any source is embodied. Sources that are bonded do not prevent major unaspected abilities from being used.
A bonded source grants the user the entire array of abilities tied to that source (both major and minor).
An embodied source grants the user only some of the abilities tied to that source. Any ability that is labeled as minor can be used when the source is embodied. Abilities that are labeled as major cannot be used unless the source is bonded, and are not available to embodied sources. A user cannot embody a source that is already bonded.
Minor Abilities from sources are usable both when the source is bonded and when the source is embodied, but cannot be used if neither is true. Minor unaspected abilities can be used at any time.
Major Abilities from sources are only usable when the corresponding source has been bonded. Major aspected abilities are not available to sources that have been embodied. Major unaspected abilities can be used as long as a source is not currently embodied.
An ability that lasts for [x] rounds begins and ends the duration timer at the end of the post (this includes the post in which it is activated). Therefore from the end of the post in which the ability is activated until the end of the next post a single round of duration expires.
An ability that lasts until the end of the current turn will remain active until the final action that is stated in the post in which it is activated has been completed. This is effectively a time-stamp upon the continuity of posting, and additional posts that interrupt, compress, or micromanage time within that period can balloon the number of rounds that the ability is active for as long as the initial goal is still being pursued during that time but the duration is set in stone at the time that it is activated.
Example: The ability 'enhanced strength' is activated and lasts until the end of the current turn. In the remainder of the post John Handsome punches his opponent in the jaw and then grabs his opponent by the belt buckle and hurls him twenty feet back. These actions are estimated to take place in about 3.00 seconds and the time-stamp for the end of the ability is "John hurls his opponent". In the response post the opponent attempts to grab John's punching arm and interrupt him. Because the timeline has not yet passed the time-stamp for the end of the ability it is still active during the time-compressed response of John clarifying that the throw would then be performed with his other arm. If the opponent had instead replied that he uses gravity magic to lock himself to the ground and prevent himself from being thrown, the throw is unable to be completed and the ability 'enhanced strength' ends because: a) the intended action, the time-stamp of 'throw' was reached, and b) responding to this new development would take place after the initially set time-stamp.
When a character has passive regeneration of a resource (ex: magic) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the beginning of the post. Resources that are generated at the beginning of a post can be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
When a character has active regeneration of a resource (ex: health) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the resolution of the ability (usually the end of the post). Resources that are gained through actions (ex: charging) during a post cannot be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
======================= || Spirit Energy || =======================
Spirit Energy is drawn from the user's soul so all effects (unless otherwise stated) related to Spirit Energy are considered to have the [magic] and [divine] descriptors.
Capacity for Spirit Energy reaches up to 100%, but generally begins at 50% because when at rest the user is neither focused and primed for combat nor has he already exhausted his reserves. This capacity represents the spiritual fatigue that is suffered when a user flexes their metaphysical muscle in order to perform supernatural acts. As such, at 80% a user would feel energized and full of vigor; focused and ready to let loose at a moment's notice. Likewise, at 10% a user would feel worn out after the expenditure of mental, physical, and spiritual energies. Of course, the old saying about giving 110% is not necessarily untrue either-- Spirit Energy can sink down to negative values, but the act of placing such a strain upon a person's internal energies is not without consequence. Exhausting the spirit means both weakening the soul and softening the mind, and doing so will cause disorientation as the mind loses focus and gradual loss of motor control as the soul's connection to the physical body weakens. Extreme overuse of spirit energy can result in unconsciousness, coma, or death.
At 0% activated abilities cannot be used, but already active abilities remain active (including abilities that have a recurring cost per post). At -10% the user suffers from reduced dexterity (precision, speed, reactions). At -20% the user suffers from disorientation and lack of motor control. At -30% the user falls unconscious.
Likewise, as spirit energy is built up the user will experience increased focus and boosted motor control.
At 100% all base stats (strength, speed, agility, resilience) are increased by 50% and the user gains 50% immunity to energy damage of all types (this stacks multiplicatively with other forms of resistance, not additively).
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Action: Focus Benefit: Increase spirit energy reserves by 15-25%. Limitation: Activated abilities cannot be used on this post. Limitation: All aspected and unaspected passive abilities are disabled until the beginning of the next post (this does not include ongoing duration-based effects from abilities that were previously activated).
The user focuses his energy internally rather than externally for a moment, cutting off the benefits normally provided by spiritual powers and preventing spiritual abilities from being used on this post. At the end of this period of focus the user increases his reserve of Spirit Energy by 15%. If the user is able to meditate quietly without interruption during this time, the increase is boosted to 25%.
Action: Bond Spirit Benefit: Gain all Major aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Only one source can be bonded at a time. Limitation: Gain the Compulsions and Projections associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Bonding with a source requires an extended period of time.
Bonding with a chosen source requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted meditation, and once bonded a source remains bonded until another source is chosen and the spirit bonding practice is performed again, or until the user chooses to cast out the influence through an act of focused concentration that expends all currently available Spirit Energy. Effects that negate or suppress supernatural effects also negate or suppress all benefits of a bonded source. Bonding with a source aligns the user fundamentally with the beliefs and traditions associated with that source and can cause the source's influence to manifest both through a visible sign (called a Projection) and through the inclination towards particular behaviors (called Compulsions).
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Action: Abandon Spirit Cost: All (sets Spirit Energy to 0% if above 0%) Benefit: Removes a bonded source from the user. Limitation: Prevents a source from being bonded again until the next day. Limitation: Cannot be used to remove an inverted source.
Removes a source that has been bonded to the user, clearing any compulsions and projections associated with that source but also removing the user's access to passive and active abilities associated with that source. Once a spirit has been abandoned, it cannot be bonded again that day.
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Action: Invert Spirit Cost: 50% Benefit: Removes a bonded source from the user. Benefit: Immediately bonds a new source to the user. Limitation: The source removed by this ability cannot be embodied again until the next day. Limitation: The new source bonded by this ability cannot be removed until the next day. Limitation: The user gains the Inverted Projection and Inverted Compulsion of the source removed by this ability until the next day.
As an emergency measure, the user can burn a significant amount of spiritual energy and focus to remove a bonded source and replace it with another over the course of 1 post. The jarring force of this rejection of a spirit's ethos turns the user's internal energies to the opposite extreme from that source and cause the user to take on projections and compulsions that are the opposite of what would normally be granted by that source. The user takes on the Inverted Projection and Inverted Compulsion of the source that was forced out, in addition to the Projection and Compulsion of the newly bonded source. This ability can only be used once per day because of the tremendous toll it takes upon the user's spirit, and once used the user can no longer change or abandon his bonded source until the next day.
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Action: Embody Spirit Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: An embodied source can be changed out for another during combat. Limitation: Only one source can be embodied at a time. Limitation: Gain the (embodied) Compulsions and (embodied) Projections associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Cannot use Major unaspected abilities while embodying to a source. Limitation: Activated abilities of any type cannot be used in a post where an aspect is changed, the new aspect goes into effect at the end of the post. Limitation: Becoming unconscious or asleep, or afflicted with confusion-type status causes the user to lose focus and become unaspected.
Embodying a source is a lesser version of bonding to a source. The user temporarily polarizes their spirit energy to resemble the source being embodied as an action that takes 1 full post, during which time no active abilities of any type can be used to avoid disrupting the process of aligning the user's spirit with the source (though non-spiritualist actions can be taken normally). An embodied source allows the user to access the minor aspected abilities associated with it, but not the major aspected abilities. An embodied source can be dropped at any time.
When not embodying a source, the bonder is considered to be unaspected. Whether or not a source has been bonded to the user is irrelevant in regards to this, only whether or not the user has embodied one.
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Status: Unaspected Benefit: Can use all Major unaspected abilities. At Rest: Spirit Energy normalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. Limitation: Cannot use abilities from sources other than a bonded source.
When unaspected, the user can use all major unaspected abilities (when embodying a source only minor unaspected abilities can be used). In addition, the user is considered to be 'at rest' and is not actively forcing their spirit energy to metaphorically fit a square peg into a round hole; due to this the user's Spirit Energynormalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. This means that if the user is below 50% at the beginning of a post they will gain 5%, and if the user is above 50% at the beginning of a post they will lose 5%. There is no change if the user is at exactly 50% at the start of a post.
The abilities granted by each source are listed below:
[Minor] Take the Edge Off (Passive) Benefit: Allows for supernatural area-effect and immaterial abilities to be blocked and guarded against as if they were physical abilities, reducing damage taken. Limitation: Requires the user to actively defend against the attack and focus on concentrating Spirit Energy against the incoming attack.
[Minor] Trick of the Light Cost: 0% Effect: Creates a mind-affecting illusion that causes a target to see something other than what a creature/object actually is. Benefit: Can create a temporary disguise for the user or a held object that lasts until it is scrutinized. Limitation: The effect is based upon the target misinterpreting what they see, and thus targets that are immune to mind-affecting abilities and constructs are immune to this effect. Looking at the affected object through a camera rather than directly also negates the effect. Limitation: The more attention that is paid to the details of the disguised object the shorter the effect lasts, making it easier to disbelieve over time.
An infiltration technique that can be used to make one person look like another, to make a bus pass look like a security clearance card, or to make shredded newspapers look like cold hard cash to name a few examples. However, the illusion does not stand up to scrutiny for very long. For each post of careful observation more and more inconsistencies between the two objects will appear. After 1 post of inspection a small inconsistency appears, after 2 posts a large inconsistency appears, after 3 posts an irreconcilable inconsistency appears. After 4 posts of inspection the effect is completely defeated if it hadn't been already. Inconsistencies can be explained away, and a convincing explanation might be enough to convince someone that a fake is in fact the genuine article. This does not reset the post count unless the object is no longer under scrutiny.
[Minor] Cascade of Light / Justice Beam-u Cost: 15% Effect: Fires a beam of kinetic and heat-type energy toward a target, dealing moderate concussive and mild burning damage while applying significant knock-back. The effect can instead be charged into a weapon and thrown off in a wave rather than fired directly as a beam. Benefit: Long range, fast cast time, variable effect. Limitation: The beam effect originates from the hands and has a telegraphed step of aiming at the target of the attack. The wave effect creates a visible nimbus of light around the weapon when charged. The beam travels quickly, but is not instantaneous due to being 'physical' energy.
[Minor] Justice Strike Cost: 10% Effect: An enhanced striking attack with double the normal amount of force. Can be applied to an unarmed attack or a weapon strike.
Major Unaspected
[Major] The Long, Slow Step Cost: 10% Effect: Quickly moves the user long distances. Starting the step requires both feet solidly planted on the ground, and a projected image of the user shoots outward from there toward the destination which is any point that the user can see directly. The travel speed of this prior-image is approximately the speed of sound, and during this time the user is mid-step. Once the step is complete the user instantly appears at the target destination as if only a single step had been taken. Benefit: Can be canceled mid-activation. Limitation: Can be interrupted mid-activation. Limitation: Must begin the movement with both feet on solid ground, must end the movement with one foot planted solidly at the destination. Limitation: The user must be looking at the destination while using the ability, meaning that back-steps are impossible without first turning to look back. Limitation: The user arrives at the destination with no momentum built up from movement.
[Major] Gag Order Cost: 15% Effect: Seals the target's mouth shut with a strike to the jaw, preventing the target from opening its mouth for 3 posts. Benefit: The duration stacks additively with additional blows. Limitation: Does not prevent the target from speaking if they have means to do so without their mouth.
[Major] The First Cut is the Deepest Cost: 25% Effect: Can be activated upon landing a successful attack with a bladed weapon. Creates a curse-type effect at that location that causes the injury of the initial attack to become slightly more severe than the most severe injury the target receives after the effect begins. Every time that the cursed creature receives a deeper injury than the cursed wound, the cursed injury widens or deepens to become slightly larger than the other wound. The cursed injury cannot be healed through magical or mundane means unless the healing would not reduce the injury's size to below that of another wound. This curse can be removed by any effect that can remove curses, but is otherwise permanent and cannot be negated by means such as removing a worn piece of armor or clothing. Benefit: Can bypass armor. Limitation: Can only be used once per target. Limitation: Relies upon inflicting multiple wounds to an opponent.
[Major] Dramatic Recovery Cost: 50% Effect: Lessens the extent of one wound on the user by a severity step to a minimum level of superficial. For this purpose one 'wound' may include a group of associated injuries such as a set of claw marks or lacerations from shrapnel. Limitation: The effect applies to one wound, activation for multiple wounds requires multiple uses of the ability.
[Major] Hand of the Martyr Cost: 0% Effect: Transfers an injury from a touched target to the user. Only a single injury can be transferred at a time, but a group of associated injuries count as one injury for this purpose (example: a set of claw marks). The injury can be transferred in part or in whole, but it will appear in on the user exactly as it was on the target to varying degrees. A two-inch wide gash could be taken completely from the target, causing a two-inch wide gash on the user or it could be taken partially, causing a one-inch gash to remain on each. Benefit: Can heal the injuries of others. Benefit: The ability Dramatic Recovery can be used immediately after this effect to restore damage. Benefit: This effect can transfer lethal injuries. Limitation: Injuries that cannot be mirrored on the user cannot be transferred (ex: wings, tail, extra arms, etc.). Limitation: This effect can transfer lethal injuries.
Aspected Sources
Soul of the Stalwart Compulsion: The user is bound to honorable conduct. Inverted Compulsion: The user must act dishonorably when it is advantageous to do so. Projection: A pattern of scales appears on the user's skin, outlined in golden light. Projection (embodied): The user's skin glows faintly with a golden light.
[Minor] Sentinel (Passive) Benefit: Allows the user to grasp energy constructs as if they were solid objects. This includes things such as punching lasers and pushing back against balls of fire. Benefit: Gain 5% Spirit Energy from attacks directed at allies, gain 10% Spirit Energy when damage is dealt to an ally (cannot gain both from the same attack).
[Minor] Shield of Light Cost: 10% Effect: Creates a circular disc of solid light approximately 3' in diameter that appears over the hand/arm either attached or held. This disc is weightless but has hardness equal to a quarter-inch thick sheet of iron. Limitation: This effect persists for 5 posts or until dismissed or destroyed.
[Minor] Dispel Curse Cost: 15+% Effect: Removes one curse-type effect upon the touched target. Benefit: Can remove negative persistent effects. Limitation: Some types of curses can be more difficult to break than others. Curses intended to be permanent rather than temporary require additional effort to break and the longer that the curse persists the more difficult it becomes to remove. Curses that have been in place for years can be incredibly difficult or impossible to remove through brute-force means such as this. If a curse cannot be removed with this ability it may be suppressed for a duration of posts, hours, or days based upon the comparative strength of the curse.
[Major] Unyielding Cost: 100% Effect: Provides an incredible amount of defensive stats for a short period of time. Benefit: Renders user immune to effects that force movement or restrict movement. Benefit: Provides damage resistance as if the user were made of iron. Benefit: Provides 75% resistance to all types of energy. Limitation: Lasts 3 posts. Limitation: Usable once per day.
[Major] Shards of Heaven Cost: 75% Effect: Creates a shower of crystal lances that rain down onto a target area. The effected area can be up to 30' in diameter anywhere within 100 yards that the user has line of sight to. The shower of lances lasts for 5 seconds, and includes 108 lances that fall over the course of this effect. Each lance is relatively light and will not penetrate through armoring of most types. The lances fall randomly within the area. Once the effect ends, any remaining lances shatter in a small burst of shrapnel that then disperses into motes of light. Benefit: Significant wide-area damage potential. Limitation: High cost and low accuracy, relying on the number of projectiles rather than the power and accuracy of each one.
Soul of the Fury Compulsion: The user cannot back down from a fight. Inverted Compulsion: The user must avoid fighting whenever possible. Projection: The user's physique becomes more muscular. Compulsion (embodied): The user becomes extremely short-tempered and irritable.
[Minor] Righteous Fury (Passive) Benefit: Increases Spirit Energy by 5% each time damage is dealt to an enemy. Increases Spirit Energy by 10% every time damage is dealt to the user.
[Minor] Strength of Conviction Cost: 30% Effect: Allows the user to perform a single action with enough strength to overpower an adversary regardless of how strong that adversary may be. Strength increases to a level marginally above that of a foe being contested and allows the user to perform an action that would have previously been beyond their means. Examples include wrestling a foe to the ground, flipping a car, stopping a charging bull, etc. For more overtly supernatural displays of strength see Judge, Jury, and Executioner below. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to above that of the enemy the user is competing with. Limitation: Only applies to a single action.
[Minor] Hellscream Cost: 15% Effect: Creates a tremendous burst of wind and sound that sends anything in a conical area in front of the user flying backwards with sizable force. An average adult male would likely be thrown back 10 feet from the initial burst and pushed further after hitting the ground until the scream ends.
[Major] Furious Strength (Passive) Benefit: Increases the user's strength by 100% + 1% for each point of Spirit Energy stored. Limitation: Does not stack with other strength enhancing abilities, but does multiply the increased base stat value granted by 100% Spirit Energy charge.
[Major] Judge, Jury, and Executioner Cost: 80% Effect: Allows the user to perform 3 actions with a level of strength that borders on illogical. Examples include leaping tall buildings in a single bound, bursting through reinforced doors or walls, lifting and throwing objects weighing up to tens of thousands of pounds such as statues and vehicles, or becoming an almost immovable object. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to unrealistic proportions. Limitation: The enhanced actions must all be used within 3 posts. Limitation: Only the 3rd action can be a direct striking attack, though the 1st and 2nd actions can be indirect attacks (ex: thrown objects, thrown opponents).
Soul of the Wolf Compulsion: The user is constantly compelled to eat. Inverted Compulsion: The user is overcome with nausea if he swallows anything. Projection: The user exhibits spectral wolf ears and a tail. Projection (embodied): The user's teeth grow longer and more pointed.
[Minor] Hunter's Sense (Passive) Benefit: Grants the user supernaturally enhanced hearing and sense of smell. Benefit: If a nearby enemy is bleeding, Hunter's Sense generates 5% Spirit Energy per round. Limitation: Creates a vulnerability to sonic and scent-based attacks.
[Minor] Wolf Bite Cost: 20% Effect: An attack that creates a spectral wolf at the point of impact which immediately latches its jaws onto the target and applies a pulling force for 3 posts. The wolf deals no damage, and will always pull in the same direction once created (usually down and back). The wolf does not have a material form but can be destroyed by powerful attacks. The wolf can drag up to 250 lbs if no resistance is applied.
[Minor] Devour Cost: 0% Effect: The user can swallow an object whole and keep it in an extradimensional space. The swallowed object does not have to literally go into the user's mouth, but the mouth area is the opening of the extradimensional space. An object small enough to be held in one hand can be swallowed immediately, whereas larger objects must be compressed first; compression of the object takes 1 second per foot of length being swallowed and does not damage the object in the process. Objects that are swallowed can be spit out afterward, and the user may choose specifically which object to spit out if multiple have been swallowed. A spit object either spills out onto the ground in front of the user, or can be spat at up to the speed of a thrown object. Limitation: If a swallowed object would deal damage to the extradimensional stomach, the stomach ruptures and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: If the user loses access to the Devour ability (such as becoming unaspected) the effect immediately ends and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: The user cannot swallow an object that cannot be forced into the opening such as an unwilling, non-helpless creature.
[Major] Overwhelm (Passive) Effect: Reduces the activation cost of Wolf Bite to 10% spirit energy per spectral wolf and allows the specters to pull while treading on air.
[Major] Pack Attack Cost: 60% Effect: The image of the user seems to blur slightly when in motion, trailing behind itself for just a fraction of a moment after every movement. When activated, this effect enhances and the blur trails behind so far that it actually splits away from the user and then splits again into two ghostly images that resemble the user but have no real identifying features. These phantoms mirror the movements made by the user exactly but trail behind in those actions anywhere between 0.5 and 5 seconds. When the phantoms perform a mirrored action it has the same effect as if the user had performed the action a second and a third time, able to interact physically with objects and persons for the purposes of performing those actions but for no other purposes. The phantoms can pass through the user and objects as if they did not truly exist unless the phantom must physically touch an object to fulfill its purpose. (example: the user tackles an opponent but does not knock the opponent off his feet, 1 second later the phantoms tackle the opponent one after the other in the same way applying 2x and then 3x the combined force that may push the opponent back). This effect lasts for 3 posts before the phantoms merge back into the user and return to being merely a blur. Benefit: Can chain successive strikes and create combination attacks without a partner. Benefit: The user can decide whether the phantoms 'follow closely behind' the original or delay before repeating the action. Limitation: The phantoms cannot make decisions for themselves or deviate from their scripted behavior.
Soul of the Storm Projection: The user occasionally has arcs of energy jump between fingers, hairs, etc. and can power small electrical devices by holding them. Inverted Projection: The user slowly drains the electric charge of any device he is in contact with and cannot operate complex electronic devices. Projection (embodied): The user is faintly magnetic.
[Minor] Stormshield (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming electricity-type damage by 50%. Benefit: Grants immunity to electricity-related stuns. Benefit: Being hit by an electric-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy.
[Minor] Crooked Arrows Cost: 10% Effect: Fires bolts of electric-type energy from a spiritual bow. The projectiles are physical objects that move at the speed of a regular arrow; when the projectile strikes a target the bolt disperses into a mixture of kinetic and electric-type energy.
[Minor] Thunderclap Cost: 20% Effect: The user claps his hands together, creating a shockwave centered on the user that covers a 20' radius that causes mild sonic damage with significant knockback. Both parts of the effect decay in intensity toward the outer edge of the area. An average adult male struck by the thunderclap at point blank range would be knocked back to the edge of the radius.
[Major] Lightning Reflexes (Passive) Benefit: Increases reaction time and speed for all forms of movement by 100%. Limitation: Does not negate the momentum generated by high speed movement.
[Major] Storm's Grasp Cost: 10% Effect: Creates an electrical charge in the hand that can be used to apply a magnetic grip upon a metallic object, a magnetic pull upon an object from a distance with strength equal to what one arm could pull with, or apply a brief electrical shock to a touched object causing electric-type damage.
Soul of the Wyrmhound Compulsion: The user is prone to boasting about his own prowess. Inverted Compulsion: The user becomes meek and soft-spoken. Projection: The user's skin becomes textured like scales that shift color based on the type of dragonflame used last. Projection (embodied): The user's eyes turn to golden vertical slits, like a dragon's eye.
[Minor] Draconic Resistance (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming fire, cold, and acid-type damage by 25%. Benefit: Being hit by a fire, cold, or acid-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy.
[Minor] Heavensward / Dragonflight Cost: 10% / +10% Effect: The user jumps at a tremendous speed up to 200 meters vertically or in a straight line. At the end of this leap the user will fall as normal based on height and directional momentum. This ability can be activated again mid-air to temporarily create a solid surface for the user to rebound off of in a subsequent jump; the phantom image of draconic wings appear on the user when Dragonflight is activated. Each time Dragonflight is used the cost of Heavensward increases by an additional 10% until the user lands on a non-manifested surface. Benefit: Allows the user to leap up to 200 meters. Dragonflight allows the user to double-jump. Limitation: Changing direction mid-air requires stacking additional cost. Requires a solid surface to stop.
[Minor] Heavensfall / Cometfall Cost: 0% / 10% Effect: The user is never adversely affected by the impact force when landing from a great height or after using Heavensward. Activating Cometfall multiplies the force of an attack delivered when landing from at least 10 meters up and scales up tremendously based on falling speed and distance fallen before impact. The damage amplification begins at 2x and scales up to 10x at maximum falling velocity. The user does not suffer adverse effects from this amplified force. Cometfall only applies to vertical velocity and cannot be used in combination with horizontal velocity. Benefit: Negates falling damage. Allows for devastating leaping attacks. Limitation: Requires falling at least 10 meters, force increases with distance.
[Minor] Dragon Kick Cost: 20% Effect: The user delivers a kick with enough force to launch an enemy up to the same distance as if the user had used Heavensward. The actual kick will only apply 2x normal force but the target will be launched as if a tremendous amount of force had struck them. Benefit: Launches an enemy.
[Major] Emerald Dragon Claw Cost: 25% Effect: Coats one weapon in emerald fire (unarmed strikes count as weapons for this purpose) for a single attack. The emerald fire is not real fire and therefore is unaffected by fire resistance. Emerald fire has increased penetration against defenses, and Emerald Dragon Claw will easily tear through up to a quarter inch of unenhanced metal or softer material. Slashes left by Emerald Dragon Claw will continue to burn with emerald fire for 3 posts, dealing acid-type damage to the affected area. Benefit: Acid-type damage that bypasses defenses. Limitation: Effect fades after one attack.
[Major] Ruby Dragon Breath Cost: 40% Effect: The user may choose between a line or a cone when activating this ability. When using a cone, the user spits a 45 degree cone of dragon fire up to 30 feet for severe fire-type damage that can light objects on fire (which continue to burn with nonmagical flame from that point on). When using a line, the user spits a jet of flame up to 100 feet in a line that explodes into a ball of dragon fire with a 10-foot radius for moderate fire damage and significant force damage.
[Major] Sapphire Dragon Pool Cost: 60% Effect: Creates a circular pool of sapphire flame in a 30 foot radius around the user that expands outward from the point of origin over 3 seconds. The sapphire flame is not real fire and therefore unaffected by fire resistance. The tendrils of sapphire flame reach out for targets designated by the user and attempt to wrap themselves around the target, constricting and dealing cold-type damage. The sapphire flames have hardness similar to ice and can be destroyed if attacked. The pool remains for 5 turns or until the user uses a different type of dragon fire, whichever comes first. Benefit: Grapples and constricts targets in an area. Limitation: Creates a stationary ground effect.
Soul of the Sauna Projection: The user seems to be wet and drips water which quickly turns to steam and disappears. Inverted Projection: The user is always dry, and anything the user tries to drink dries up instantly as it reaches his mouth. Projection (embodied): The user leaves wet footprints behind when walking.
[Minor] Ebb and Flow (Passive) Benefit: Allows the user to telekinetically push or pull on bodies of water to create wave-like motion. Benefit: Being immersed in water regenerates spirit energy at a rate of 10% per post. Limitation: Control cannot be exerted over bodies of water already being controlled by another user. Limitation: The quantity and force of the controlled water is proportional to the amount of time and motion. 'Rocking' waves builds up more power.
[Minor] Hydroplaning Cost: 5% Effect: Creates a viscous film of fluid on a touched surface which can reduce the friction on that surface down to nearly zero. Benefit: Can be used to cause the user or a touched object to slide across most surfaces for one post.
[Minor] Flash Freeze Cost: 10% Effect: The user causes a touched volume of water to be covered in a layer of ice. For a large pool of water this would create a layer of ice across the surface (up to 3" thick) that could barely support the weight of a person briefly. This ability could instantly freeze a water pipe or a puddle, or encase a wet object in a thin (less than 1" thick) layer of ice. Forms made of ice can be drawn out of bodies of water using this ability such as pulling an ice lance from the surface of a pond.
[Major] Warm and Wet (Passive) Benefit: The user can alter the temperature of controlled water between frigid (0* C) and scalding (100* C). Benefit: The user is not negatively affected by the hot or cold temperatures of controlled water. Limitation: Changing the temperature to one extreme requires 2 posts. Limitation: Changing the temperature from one extreme to the other requires 3 posts. Limitation: Only water that is being directly controlled by the user can be altered.
[Major] Erosion (Passive) Effect: Magical water is, for some reason, an effective countermeasure to other types of magic. The effect that this has takes two different forms: The first form is that of flowing water, which has the power to wash away the effects of magic upon an object or person over time if it is immersed in the flow. The second form is that of frozen water, which can cut or pierce through other forms of magic by penetrating into the flaws of the spellweave. The user can use controlled water or formed ice to strip away or bypass other magical effects. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can strip away temporary magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 2 posts. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can temporarily suppress the effects of permanent magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 1 post. Benefit: Formed ice can cut or pierce through magic-based protections and barriers with minimal resistance. Benefit: Formed ice is treated as having the hardness of an equivalent amount of steel when tested against magic-based enhanced items or energy constructs and cannot be automatically bypassed by magic-type effects if normal materials would be.
[Major] Condensation Cost: 10% per gallon Effect: Creates fluid water from ambient humidity in the air. The created water takes form within 1 second and can appear in any open space within 5 feet of the user. The created water is immediately considered to be effected by the abilities Ebb and Flow and Flash Freeze without additional cost if the user so desires.
Put all ability lists into spoiler tags for great justice!
Truth and Justice: changed "they are" to "each baton is" when referring to length.
Ceremonial Silver Daggers: changed "set" to "pair" when referring to the number of daggers.
The Doctor Jones: added the words "with a maximum length of 100 feet" when referring to the length of the wire.
Heroic Endurance: added the line "This resistance manifests as a diminished effectiveness of instantaneous effects, a decreased duration of prolonged effects, or a higher chance to resist the application of effects, as appropriate to the particular effect he is subjected to; it does not grant immunity to these effects."
Focus: added the line "For the purposes of this ability, an interruption includes attacking or being attacked, strenuous movement (up to jogging speed in a straight line is alright, but sprinting, jumping, climbing, or evading is out), taking damage whether from an opponent or an environment, a heated argument (though a simple back and forth of low-tension dialogue is acceptable), or falling from any height, as well as anything else that would reasonably break someone's concentration."
Invert Spirit: changed wording to "once used the user can no longer change or abandon his bonded source until the next day until after the next match (for the purposes of HoH)."
Take the Edge Off: added the following text: Limitation: The user cannot use other active abilities while focusing on Take the Edge Off without disabling the defensive effect.
The effect of this defensive ability allows the user, with a concentrated effort, to create a guard effect against damaging supernatural effects that would normally not be able to be interacted with (such as Ken holding down the button to block Ryu's fireball in Street Fighter). To use a wave of fire as an example, the user could cover his head with his arms to protect it as if it were fully covered even if the flames would have gone through the gaps normally but it would not reduce the effect on any other uncovered area. To use an energy blade as an example, the user could attempt to block it with a shield or a gauntlet even if it would normally pass through these things but the damage taken would be that of an equivalent physical blade and so trying to catch a sword is still a dangerous tactic.
Cascade of Light / Justice Beam: added the line "As a wave, the cascade would disperse after about 10 meters. As a beam, it would disperse after about 100 meters. In either case an object or opponent hit by the attack that loses their footing could be carried by it out to the maximum range if they are not knocked over or moved out of the line of effect from the pushing force. The beam has roughly the size and pressure of a fire hose spray."
Gag Order: changed "The duration stacks additively with additional blows." to "The duration renews but does not stack with additional blows." Cost increased from 15 to 25%.
The First Cut is the Deepest: this ability is difficult to work around because it presents many situational problems. If adjustments are unable to bring it in line, it can be removed instead.
Changed the line: "Can be activated upon landing a successful attack with a bladed weapon." to "The cost for the ability is paid upon making an attack with a bladed weapon, and is not refunded on a missed attack. The effect is activated upon landing a successful attack with a bladed weapon."
Added the lines: Limitation: The effect fades if another cut with a bladed weapon is not made in the next 2 posts. The effect renews the duration whenever a deeper cut is made, but does not renew with cuts more shallow than the cursed wound. Limitation: The maximum depth added to the cursed wound is limited by the maximum depth of a cut part. For example, a severed finger would only add half an inch to depth, or a pierced wing could add a quarter inch or more depending on how thick the wing was at that place.
Soul of the Stalwart - Seninel: added the following lines: "limit once per turn"
Limitation: The user does not count as his own ally for the purpose of this ability. Limitation: Grasping energy does not negate the damage of that energy but it may be reduced based on a decreased area of effect. For example, catching a fireball would burn the palm of the hand but not the wrists, forearms, upper arms, rest of the body, etc. as if it had not been caught.
Note: For the purposes of HoH, the an ally includes a teammate in the same fight (ex: 2v2) or attacks intended for at noncombatants such as ring staff, spectators, or sidelines.
Soul of the Stalwart - Dispel Curse: added the line "Note: For the purposes of HoH, curses that are being unwillingly removed are instead suppressed for 1 post at 15% cost for the ability."
Soul of the Stalwart - Shards of Heaven: Changed "The effected area can be up to 30' in diameter" to "The effected area is between 10' and 30' in diameter". Changed "Each lance is relatively light, and will not penetrate through armoring of most types." to "Each lance is composed of crystallized light and nearly weightless, and will not penetrate through armoring of most types." Changed "The shower of lances lasts for 5 seconds, and includes 108 lances that fall over the course of this effect." to "The shower of lances lasts for 5 seconds, and includes 108 lances that fall over the course of this effect randomly throughout the area of effect."
Soul of the Fury - Righteous Fury: Changed "Increases Spirit Energy by 5% each time damage is dealt to an enemy. Increases Spirit Energy by 10% every time damage is dealt to the user." to "Increases Spirit Energy by 5% when damage is dealt to an enemy by the user. Increases Spirit Energy by 10% when non-superficial damage is dealt to the user by an enemy."
Added these lines: Limitation: Each component of the energy gain from this ability can only trigger once per post per enemy. Limitation: For the purposes of this ability, an enemy is considered to be an opponent in a fight, a non-ally that attacks the user, or a third party that includes the user within the area of an attack or among the targets of a multiple-target offensive ability. The user cannot be his own enemy.
Soul of the Fury - Hellscream: added the line "Duration: This effect lasts for up to 1 post, meaning that it may be an instantaneous effect or may remain in effect through the opponent's post and end at the start of the user's next post."
Soul of the Fury - Judge, Jury and Executioner: This ability has been rewritten as follows:
Name: "Judge, Jury, and Executioner" to "Judge, Jury and Executioner" to accurately reflect punctuation grammar.
Cost: 80% Effect: Allows the user to perform 3 actions with an illogical level of strength. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to unrealistic proportions. Limitation: The enhanced actions must all be used within 3 posts. Limitation: Only the 3rd action can be a directly injuring action, though the 1st and 2nd actions can be indirect attacks (ex: thrown objects, thrown opponents). Limitation: Once this ability expires, the user is fatigued for 3 posts, reducing overall strength by 50%. Limitation: Usable once per day.
For the actions taken while under the effect of JJE, the user is treated as if there is no resistance against their actions although relative mass and speed constraints operate as normal. Truck-kun could try to run over the user, but the user could either stop Truck-kun in his tracks with firm footing or try to push back against Truck-kun and get carried along with Truck-kun's momentum. Alternatively, the user could push Truck-kun by shoving him and Truck-kun would be shoved backwards as if he weighed as much as a helium balloon, but he would only be pushed as fast as the user could thrust their arm forward and so Truck-kun could really only be thrown as far as someone might throw a baseball before the velocity runs out. The user could try to push Building-kun, but because Building-kun is so large and heavy and rooted in the ground this would either result in the user pushing himself backwards from Building-kun or the user breaking a hole in Building-kun's wall rather than moving it at all. Likewise, the user could try to suplex Train-san but unless he managed to get up underneath Train-san their tremendous difference in size and weight would result in the user just doing a handstand on Train-san's smokestack.
The limitation that only the 3rd action can be a directly injuring attack also applies to an attack that would apply harmful force directly to another person. For example, the 2nd action could not be a bear hug that breaks several bones in the opponent's body because this would be a direct injury coming from that applied force. However, the 2nd action could involve throwing the opponent into a street light 30 feet off the ground and letting them fall because the injury would result from the momentum of the throw and the fall that followed. Or the 2nd action could be throwing Truck-kun into Building-kun. However if Truck-kun were trying to run the user over, the 1st or 2nd actions could be used to stop Truck-kun or to push Truck-kun back, but only the 3rd action would be able to make a person-shaped indent in Truck-kun's grill because that would be a direct injury to Truck-kun resulting from the use of strength.
Because the upper limit of this strength is "as if there is no resistance" the damage of a crushing attack would be limited mostly by the area that could be squeezed with one action, and the damage of a striking attack would be limited by the target's resistance to being moved. Punching a helium balloon that offers no resistance causes it to fly across the room and then stop, kicking a door causes it to break the latch and fly open to slam against the wall, and a sports team running through a paper banner that was stretched tight causes it to tear. Likewise, an opponent who is struck with an irresistible force will be moved by it, unless they are an immovable object, in which case the force will just continue through to the other side and keep going.
Soul of the Wolf - Wolf Bite: reworded the ability as follows to clarify wolf removal:
Effect: An attack that creates a spectral wolf at the point of impact which immediately latches its jaws onto the target and applies a pulling force for 3 posts. The wolf deals no damage, and will always pull in the same direction once created (usually down and back). Benefit: Each wolf has an effective weight of 100 lbs if hanging on a target. The wolf can drag up to 250 lbs if no resistance is applied. Limitation: The wolf does not have a material form but can be destroyed by dedicated attack (a strong kick, a sword slash done as more than a flick of the wrist, or any damaging ability that isn't merely including them in an area of effect unless that area is specifically intended for wolves and nothing else). Benefit: The user can dismiss wolves as a free action.
Soul of the Wolf - Pack Attack: added the following lines:
Limitation: The phantoms cannot mirror special abilities performed by the user. Limitation: The phantom has the physical stats of the user and is not modified by stat-enhancing abilities as the user is.
Soul of the Storm - Stormshield: added "(limit once per turn)" to resource generation.
Soul of the Storm - Thunderclap: cost changed from 20% to 30%.
Soul of the Wyrmhound - Draconic Resistance: added "(limit once per turn)" to resource generation.
Soul of the Wyrmhound - Cometfall: changed "Requires falling at least 10 meters, force increases with distance." to "Requires falling at least 10 meters to reach 2x force multiplier. Multiplier increases by 1x for each additional 10 meters (capping at 100 meters distance for 10x multiplier). Use of Dragonflight to generate falling momentum adds 50 meters to this calculation but does not bypass the cap."
Soul of the Wyrmhound - Dragon Kick: changed "launch an enemy up to the same distance as if the user had used Heavensward" to "launch an enemy up to 10 meters".
Soul of the Wyrmhound - Emerald Dragon Claw: added the line "Limitation: This ability is affected by acid resistance."
Soul of the Wyrmhound - Sapphire Dragon Pool: Changed wording from "Grapples and constricts targets in an area." to "Binds and constricts targets in an area, preventing the target from moving away from the spot they are held down to without destroying the flames." Changed wording from "Creates a stationary ground effect." to "Creates a stationary ground effect that starts small and expands over time."
Soul of the Sauna - Inverted Projection: added the line "(this does not apply to the full volume of the liquid that would not reach his mouth)" because ******** you Kelly.
Soul of the Sauna - Ebb and Flow: Added the line "(either in a waist-deep pool or in a constant flow like a shallow stream or waterfall)" to resource generation. Added the line "within 30 feet" to control range. Changed text of "Benefit: Allows the user to telekinetically push or pull on bodies of water to create wave-like motions." to "Effect: Allows the user to telekinetically push or pull on bodies of water with bodily gestures to create wave-like motions. Base amount is 10 gallons, amount doubles each post that the same body of water is being manipulated (20, 40, 80, etc.). Dedicating a full action to manipulating water increases this multiplier to an order of magnitude per post (100, 1000, 10000, etc.) and can draw in water from outside the 30 foot range as long as it is connected to the same body of water."
Soul of the Sauna - Hydroplaning: added the line "Limitation: Using this ability to create a slippery patch under an opponent or on a piece of their held equipment costs 10% rather than 5% and still requires direct contact with that surface within 6" of the affected area."
Soul of the Sauna - Erosion: Changed line "Controlled flowing water can temporarily suppress the effects of permanent magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 1 post." to "Controlled flowing water can temporarily suppress the effects of permanent magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 2 posts. This suppression lasts for 1 additional post after the object or person is no longer immersed." Added line: "Limitation: For the purpose of this ability, a person or object is considered immersed in water if at least half of it is submerged or covered by a continuous wave/spray/stream." Changed line "Formed ice can cut or pierce through magic-based protections and barriers with minimal resistance" to include text "but do not automatically dispel them nor does this dispel magical effects on objects that are cut or pierced." Added line: "For the purposes of interacting with spells and effects, formed ice is treated as either magical or non-magical whichever is more beneficial."
Questions and clarifications:
1Q. Heroic Resolve: Reasonable interpretation of limiting crowd control by reducing durations, I'm just curious-- debilitating effects is defined as those of a supernatural or magical nature? ie Would this affect both Guy's legs shaking from getting hit by lightning, a magic that slows his movements, and a physical snare -- or would it only affect B of those three - or A & B?
1A: A limitation to supernatural effects was not specified or intended. The intention of many of these Heroic abilities was to emulate the "increased saving throws" of the paladin class in Dungeons & Dragons and to do so without simply saying that he's more likely to be able to say "lolno" to something. So for those three examples, the first two would obviously apply if they were effects applied directly to him. The third one, being a snare, would basically (in game terms) be like saying that he is being affected by a 1 turn root effect that reapplies every turn until the snare is removed and thus he couldn't reduce the duration on it. Similarly, if he was hit with a "slow blast" the duration of that effect would be reduced, but if he were standing on a "slow field" it wouldn't because the duration of that effect is "as long as you are standing in this area". A 2 post duration paralysis effect would be treated the same whether it came from a lightning spell or a stun gun and be reduced to wearing off halfway through the second post rather than at the start of the third post.
2Q. Embody Spirit: Give this a spirit cost so you can't swap character-traits (even if they are minor) around for free. 25% would be fine. Also, this needs to disable any Spirit (aside from unaspected) for the rest of the round unless you Invert Spirit into it.
2A: I feel like this is looking at the purpose of this feature in a way other than what was intended. There is a built-in downtime of 1 post whenever minor abilities are swapped out in this way, and because resource gain is dependent upon which minor set is currently equipped the intention was for it to not have a cost so that "this is how the fight is going, I should focus on gaining resources by this method" is an aspect of strategy. Comparing it to other characters, this would be the equivalent of someone pulling out a different magic sword when the pace of the fight changes and we don't generally tell those characters that they can't draw that weapon again until 4 posts after they sheathed it. I had hoped to design the minor abilities with a level of power in mind that it could be expected to use 1 minor ability each post on average and if this isn't where they ended up I will need to give them further attention.
3Q. The Long Slow Step: I'm sure you don't intend this but let's make doubly sure -- can't phase through solid objects. As written, you could look between an opponent's spread legs 40' away for example, or through a low opacity glass panel. I really don't have any major contention with mass movement like this, but those situations can, even with you self-nerfing in removing any accumulated momentum, make this into a bonafied nothing personnel kid teleport.
3A: Yes to between the legs, no to through a glass panel. It's not supposed to go through solid objects, but it could go behind an opponent as written. However, to get behind the opponent they would need to watch this blurry ghost image of him run straight through themselves and then stop behind where they were standing. The "targeting line" can't interact with anything and so it can't attack or be attacked, but he could cancel the ability before it finishes if the opponent tries to anticipate it and swing at the end point; although since he has no momentum on either end, he would end up exactly where he started and this would be a 10% cost feint.
4Q. Hand of the Martyr: This one is sort of a stretch since I doubt it's what you're intending but, I wanna hit it just in case: assuming First Cut is the Deepest operates on a cursed wound as its anchor point, Hand of the Martyr's transferred wounds won't interact with First Cut is the Deepest in any capacity. eg You can't give them a tiny cursed cut, slash their arm, transfer either of the wounds above to Guy and claim they're still technically the opponent's to self-harm and expand the anchored wound.
Again I'm very doubtful this is what you intend based on wording, but I can't in good faith chance it.
4A: Once the injury is transferred is is no longer the other person's injury. Hand of the Martyr would not be able to transfer the cursed wound from First Cut unless the curse were dispelled because that ability specifically states that nothing can heal or remove the wound until the curse is dispelled.
5Q: Soul of the Stalwart - Dispel Curse: Some kits revolve around a character being cursed for their powerset. So.. to give this a concrete layer in HoH, I'd say the 15% cost for minor detrimental curses getting wasted is fine-- but that if it's something the opponent "wants" on them, ie the more powerful curses alluded to, it costs 15% per post of suppression.
5A: The ability removes "negative persistent effects" that are curse-typed, as written. I would say that if a character has a kit built around capitalizing on their own curses these wouldn't count as negative. However, both parts of this can be addressed as well.
6Q. Soul of the Fury - Strength of Conviction: Strength of Conviction: What...?
6A: Basically this ability spends 3-ish posts worth of energy to beat someone at arm wrestling once. The example given in the "glossary" section kind of covers what the duration of "one action" means. Like he could say "I need to be strong so that I can break out of this hold" and then the strength would last until he escaped the grapple, but only for things directly related to breaking out" or "I need to be strong enough to suplex Rox in Stage 3!"
7Q. Soul of the Fury - Judge, Jury and Executioner: You... You know what you did.
7A: This ability will be rewritten to more accurately reflect the intent, see the change notes above.
8Q: Soul of the Wolf - Pack Attack: I'm going to assume that these guys cannot mimic special abilities, only physical actions. What happens if Anson is wielding a weapon or doing something like throwing a rock?
8A: The phantoms cannot copy special abilities, but would be treated as a physical copy of the user and the user's weapons or thrown objects. I will add some notations here.
9Q. Soul of the Wyrmhound - Cometfall: And for 10% more Anson can murder anyone standing close to where he lands.
9A: Clarified the scaling on this ability. A 200 foot free fall is pretty ridiculously telegraphed, and using super jumps to accelerate himself into this ability (for example, by jumping up to the ceiling, then off of it, then crashing down) would be spending minimum 30% cost for a very strong (probably 6x) physical attack that has a big windup and can only come from one direction.
10Q. Soul of the Sauna - Flash Freeze: I am assuming this only applies to water and NOT fluids that contain varying concentrations of such (IE Blood). So I do not expect Anson to pull blood spears out of people or flash-freeze their limbs.
10A: As written this ability only works on water. It is questionable as to what level of impurity the water can have and still be considered water but it does not have to be pure water, can be saltwater or fresh water, could be sewage, and maybe even mud. But it does not allow "anything with water in it".
11Q. Soul of the Sauna - Warm and Wet: This definitely needs some limits on area/volume/distance/etc... And again, I'm assuming this only applies to water and not fluids that just so happen to contain water.
11A: The edits to Ebb and Flow to define limits on range and quantity would apply to this.
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Core
Name: Anson Brent Alias(es): Justice Guy (aka Justice) Date of Birth: May 9 (21) Place of Birth: Barton, Gaia Race/Ethnicity: Human Height: 5'11'' Weight: 193 lbs. Reach: 60" inches. Body Type: Lean Other: Totally a legit superhero. ______________________________
Equipment
Armor
Padded Armor: Being a hero involves taking a beating from time to time, and sometimes those beatings aren't part of a fair fight. This armor is composed mostly of leather and more modern padding, enough to soften a few blows, stave off light scratches from edged weapons, and (with luck) stop small caliber bullets from tearing through the human body. This armor mostly protects the torso, and is not a full suit.
Five Fingers of Justice: A set of metal gauntlets that completely cover the hands and forearms up to the elbow with armor plates, including the palm and the underside of the fingers.
Masked Man: To protect his secret identity, the superhero Justice Guy wears a mask to cover his face.
Weapons
b*****d Sword "Justice Blade": This hand-and-a-half sword has a straight, double-edged steel blade roughly 36" in length and a 9" hilt with a brass cross-guard. The scabbard is made of wood and reinforced with steel bracing at the tip and the neck, and is durable enough to stand up to a good deal of abuse.
Metal Batons "Truth and Justice": A pair of telescoping metal batons that Justice Guy uses to beat the villainy out of thugs, goons, and minions alike. When collapsed each baton is 8 inches in length and when extended they reach 25 inches. Each has a shallow ridge just above the grip that protects the fingers from a weapon sliding down the length of the baton.
Ceremonial Silver Daggers: A pair of ceremonial silver daggers used by members of the Falician paladin order.
Tools
The Doctor Jones: A small grappling hook connected to a spool of metal wire that is housed in a harness worn around Justice Guy's chest and shoulders. The hook and wire can be drawn out and placed or thrown with no difficulty with a maximum length of 100 feet, and the small hand-lever control on the spool determines whether the wire can be fed, halted, cut, or retracted (though not with enough force to pull a heavy object like a person). Running an electrical current through the wire (another feature of the controls) causes the pins holding the head into hook shape to release so that the prongs can freely fold backward or forward and no longer grip what it has been fastened to.
Heroic Restraint: What good is beating up bad guys if they can't be delivered to the authorities with a hefty dose of gift-wrapping? The Heroic Restraint is essentially a just spool of high tension wire that is thin, light, and easily carried.
______________________________
Abilities
Though Justice Guy is a human through and through, with all of the frailties and limitations that being human comes with, he is emboldened by the power of a Heroic Spirit that allows him to perform feats above and beyond what a human should be capable of. This power is represented in two ways: heroic abilities and spiritualist abilities. Heroic abilities are the representation of the training, resolve, and determination involved in standing up for what is right in a world that is so, so wrong. Spiritualist abilities are supernatural effects created by the manipulation of Spirit Energy.
Base Stats: Athletic human. 250 lb lift-over-head weight (to lift but not carry).
Heroic Abilities
Heroic Instinct - Passive The ability to sense when villainy is afoot and to know when danger rears its ugly head are two things that a hero cannot do without. Justice Guy is able to sense the presence of 'dark power' (magic or other energy used with malicious intent) and track down sources of dark power over a distance. The instinct also provides the hero with a 'danger sense' that gives him a split second more to react to traps or surprise attacks than he would have had otherwise. This bonus to reaction does not apply to attacks that the hero is aware of or to feints, but it does apply to hidden weapons and covert secondary effects (such as exploding playing cards, which isn't very funny Gambit).
Heroic Endurance - Passive A hero's body is powerful and mysterious, able to withstand and resist many things that a normal person could not. Compared against an ordinary human, Justice Guy has an increased resistance against toxins and diseases, supernatural afflictions such as curses and hexes are more easily resisted, and supernatural infections such as lycanthropy and vampirism cannot infect Justice Guy. This resistance manifests as a diminished effectiveness of instantaneous effects, a decreased duration of prolonged effects, or a higher chance to resist the application of effects, as appropriate to the particular effect he is subjected to; it does not grant immunity to these effects.
Heroic Resolve - Passive When the world needs a healthy booster shot of Justice, a hero can't be down for the count. Heroic Resolve provides a passive resistance against debilitating effects. Any short-term effect (2 posts duration) that affects the hero is shaken off quickly (shortened to 1-1/2 posts duration), and long-term effects (3+ posts duration) affect the hero for less time than they normally would (1 post less than intended duration). Instantaneous (1 post duration) effects are not affected by this resistance.
Spiritualist Abilities
Fearless - Passive Due to his former training as a paladin and the trying experiences he has endured, Anson has developed a complete immunity to fear whether supernatural in origin or not.
Spirit Talker - Passive He is capable of hearing the voices of spirits and divine beings, whether they may be ghosts, elementals, or deities, as long as those spirits are speaking to him or someone near him.
Spiritualist Powers - Active Through training, meditation, and focus a measure of control over the a person's internal energies can be achieved. Creating phenomena from the manipulation of a user's internal energies can be taxing, and consume a resource referred to here as Spirit Energy (described below).
======================= || Spirit Energy || =======================
Spirit Energy is drawn from the user's soul so all effects (unless otherwise stated) related to Spirit Energy are considered to have the [magic] and [divine] descriptors.
Capacity for Spirit Energy reaches up to 100%, but generally begins at 50% because when at rest the user is neither focused and primed for combat nor has he already exhausted his reserves. This capacity represents the spiritual fatigue that is suffered when a user flexes their metaphysical muscle in order to perform supernatural acts. As such, at 80% a user would feel energized and full of vigor; focused and ready to let loose at a moment's notice. Likewise, at 10% a user would feel worn out after the expenditure of mental, physical, and spiritual energies. Of course, the old saying about giving 110% is not necessarily untrue either-- Spirit Energy can sink down to negative values, but the act of placing such a strain upon a person's internal energies is not without consequence. Exhausting the spirit means both weakening the soul and softening the mind, and doing so will cause disorientation as the mind loses focus and gradual loss of motor control as the soul's connection to the physical body weakens. Extreme overuse of spirit energy can result in unconsciousness, coma, or death.
At 0% activated abilities cannot be used, but already active abilities remain active (including abilities that have a recurring cost per post). At -10% the user suffers from reduced dexterity (precision, speed, reactions). At -20% the user suffers from disorientation and lack of motor control. At -30% the user falls unconscious.
Likewise, as spirit energy is built up the user will experience increased focus and boosted motor control.
At 100% all base stats (strength, speed, agility, resilience) are increased by 50% and the user gains 50% immunity to energy damage of all types (this stacks multiplicatively with other forms of resistance, not additively).
Quote:
Action: Focus Benefit: Increase spirit energy reserves by 15-25%. Limitation: Activated abilities cannot be used on this post. Limitation: All aspected and unaspected passive abilities are disabled until the beginning of the next post (this does not include ongoing duration-based effects from abilities that were previously activated).
The user focuses his energy internally rather than externally for a moment, cutting off the benefits normally provided by spiritual powers and preventing spiritual abilities from being used on this post. At the end of this period of focus the user increases his reserve of Spirit Energy by 15%. If the user is able to meditate quietly without interruption during this time, the increase is boosted to 25%. For the purposes of this ability, an interruption includes attacking or being attacked, strenuous movement (up to jogging speed in a straight line is alright, but sprinting, jumping, climbing, or evading is out), taking damage whether from an opponent or an environment, a heated argument (though a simple back and forth of low-tension dialogue is acceptable), or falling from any height, as well as anything else that would reasonably break someone's concentration.
Abilities that are labeled as aspected can only be used when their appropriate source is either embodied or bonded. When the corresponding source for an aspected ability is not embodied or bonded the ability cannot be used.
Abilities that are labeled as unaspected do not require a bonded or aspected source. Minor unaspected abilities can be used at any time. However, major unaspected abilities cannot be used when any source is embodied. Sources that are bonded do not prevent major unaspected abilities from being used.
A bonded source grants the user the entire array of abilities tied to that source (both major and minor).
An embodied source grants the user only some of the abilities tied to that source. Any ability that is labeled as minor can be used when the source is embodied. Abilities that are labeled as major cannot be used unless the source is bonded, and are not available to embodied sources. A user cannot embody a source that is already bonded.
Minor Abilities from sources are usable both when the source is bonded and when the source is embodied, but cannot be used if neither is true. Minor unaspected abilities can be used at any time.
Major Abilities from sources are only usable when the corresponding source has been bonded. Major aspected abilities are not available to sources that have been embodied. Major unaspected abilities can be used as long as a source is not currently embodied.
An ability that lasts for [x] rounds begins and ends the duration timer at the end of the post (this includes the post in which it is activated). Therefore from the end of the post in which the ability is activated until the end of the next post a single round of duration expires.
An ability that lasts until the end of the current turn will remain active until the final action that is stated in the post in which it is activated has been completed. This is effectively a time-stamp upon the continuity of posting, and additional posts that interrupt, compress, or micromanage time within that period can balloon the number of rounds that the ability is active for as long as the initial goal is still being pursued during that time but the duration is set in stone at the time that it is activated.
Example: The ability 'enhanced strength' is activated and lasts until the end of the current turn. In the remainder of the post John Handsome punches his opponent in the jaw and then grabs his opponent by the belt buckle and hurls him twenty feet back. These actions are estimated to take place in about 3.00 seconds and the time-stamp for the end of the ability is "John hurls his opponent". In the response post the opponent attempts to grab John's punching arm and interrupt him. Because the timeline has not yet passed the time-stamp for the end of the ability it is still active during the time-compressed response of John clarifying that the throw would then be performed with his other arm. If the opponent had instead replied that he uses gravity magic to lock himself to the ground and prevent himself from being thrown, the throw is unable to be completed and the ability 'enhanced strength' ends because: a) the intended action, the time-stamp of 'throw' was reached, and b) responding to this new development would take place after the initially set time-stamp.
When a character has passive regeneration of a resource (ex: magic) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the beginning of the post. Resources that are generated at the beginning of a post can be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
When a character has active regeneration of a resource (ex: health) the amount of the regeneration is added to the character at the resolution of the ability (usually the end of the post). Resources that are gained through actions (ex: charging) during a post cannot be used to pay for abilities activated in that post.
Quote:
Action: Bond Spirit Benefit: Gain all Major aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Only one source can be bonded at a time. Limitation: Gain the Compulsions and Projections associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Bonding with a source requires an extended period of time.
Bonding with a chosen source requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted meditation, and once bonded a source remains bonded until another source is chosen and the spirit bonding practice is performed again, or until the user chooses to cast out the influence through an act of focused concentration that expends all currently available Spirit Energy. Effects that negate or suppress supernatural effects also negate or suppress all benefits of a bonded source. Bonding with a source aligns the user fundamentally with the beliefs and traditions associated with that source and can cause the source's influence to manifest both through a visible sign (called a Projection) and through the inclination towards particular behaviors (called Compulsions).
Quote:
Action: Abandon Spirit Cost: All (sets Spirit Energy to 0% if above 0%) Benefit: Removes a bonded source from the user. Limitation: Prevents a source from being bonded again until the next day. Limitation: Cannot be used to remove an inverted source.
Removes a source that has been bonded to the user, clearing any compulsions and projections associated with that source but also removing the user's access to passive and active abilities associated with that source. Once a spirit has been abandoned, it cannot be bonded again that day.
Quote:
Action: Invert Spirit Cost: 50% Benefit: Removes a bonded source from the user. Benefit: Immediately bonds a new source to the user. Limitation: The source removed by this ability cannot be embodied again until the next day. Limitation: The new source bonded by this ability cannot be removed until the next day. Limitation: The user gains the Inverted Projection and Inverted Compulsion of the source removed by this ability until the next day.
As an emergency measure, the user can burn a significant amount of spiritual energy and focus to remove a bonded source and replace it with another over the course of 1 post. The jarring force of this rejection of a spirit's ethos turns the user's internal energies to the opposite extreme from that source and cause the user to take on projections and compulsions that are the opposite of what would normally be granted by that source. The user takes on the Inverted Projection and Inverted Compulsion of the source that was forced out, in addition to the Projection and Compulsion of the newly bonded source. This ability can only be used once per day because of the tremendous toll it takes upon the user's spirit, and once used the user can no longer change or abandon his bonded source until the next day until after the next match (for the purposes of HoH).
Quote:
Action: Embody Spirit Benefit: Gain all Minor aspected abilities associated with the chosen source. Benefit: An embodied source can be changed out for another during combat. Limitation: Only one source can be embodied at a time. Limitation: Gain the (embodied) Compulsions and (embodied) Projections associated with the chosen source. Limitation: Cannot use Major unaspected abilities while embodying to a source. Limitation: Activated abilities of any type cannot be used in a post where an aspect is changed, the new aspect goes into effect at the end of the post. Limitation: Becoming unconscious or asleep, or afflicted with confusion-type status causes the user to lose focus and become unaspected.
Embodying a source is a lesser version of bonding to a source. The user temporarily polarizes their spirit energy to resemble the source being embodied as an action that takes 1 full post, during which time no active abilities of any type can be used to avoid disrupting the process of aligning the user's spirit with the source (though non-spiritualist actions can be taken normally). An embodied source allows the user to access the minor aspected abilities associated with it, but not the major aspected abilities. An embodied source can be dropped at any time.
When not embodying a source, the bonder is considered to be unaspected. Whether or not a source has been bonded to the user is irrelevant in regards to this, only whether or not the user has embodied one.
Quote:
Status: Unaspected Benefit: Can use all Major unaspected abilities. At Rest: Spirit Energy normalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. Limitation: Cannot use abilities from sources other than a bonded source.
When unaspected, the user can use all major unaspected abilities (when embodying a source only minor unaspected abilities can be used). In addition, the user is considered to be 'at rest' and is not actively forcing their spirit energy to metaphorically fit a square peg into a round hole; due to this the user's Spirit Energynormalizes toward 50% at a rate of 5% per post. This means that if the user is below 50% at the beginning of a post they will gain 5%, and if the user is above 50% at the beginning of a post they will lose 5%. There is no change if the user is at exactly 50% at the start of a post.
The abilities granted by each source are listed below:
[Minor] Take the Edge Off (Passive) Benefit: Allows for supernatural area-effect and immaterial abilities to be blocked and guarded against as if they were physical abilities, reducing damage taken. Limitation: Requires the user to actively defend against the attack and focus on concentrating Spirit Energy against the incoming attack. Limitation: The user cannot use other active abilities while focusing on Take the Edge Off without disabling the defensive effect.
The effect of this defensive ability allows the user, with a concentrated effort, to create a guard effect against damaging supernatural effects that would normally not be able to be interacted with (such as Ken holding down the button to block Ryu's fireball in Street Fighter). To use a wave of fire as an example, the user could cover his head with his arms to protect it as if it were fully covered even if the flames would have gone through the gaps normally but it would not reduce the effect on any other uncovered area. To use an energy blade as an example, the user could attempt to block it with a shield or a gauntlet even if it would normally pass through these things but the damage taken would be that of an equivalent physical blade and so trying to catch a sword is still a dangerous tactic.
[Minor] Trick of the Light Cost: 0% Effect: Creates a mind-affecting illusion that causes a target to see something other than what a creature/object actually is. Benefit: Can create a temporary disguise for the user or a held object that lasts until it is scrutinized. Limitation: The effect is based upon the target misinterpreting what they see, and thus targets that are immune to mind-affecting abilities and constructs are immune to this effect. Looking at the affected object through a camera rather than directly also negates the effect. Limitation: The more attention that is paid to the details of the disguised object the shorter the effect lasts, making it easier to disbelieve over time.
An infiltration technique that can be used to make one person look like another, to make a bus pass look like a security clearance card, or to make shredded newspapers look like cold hard cash to name a few examples. However, the illusion does not stand up to scrutiny for very long. For each post of careful observation more and more inconsistencies between the two objects will appear. After 1 post of inspection a small inconsistency appears, after 2 posts a large inconsistency appears, after 3 posts an irreconcilable inconsistency appears. After 4 posts of inspection the effect is completely defeated if it hadn't been already. Inconsistencies can be explained away, and a convincing explanation might be enough to convince someone that a fake is in fact the genuine article. This does not reset the post count unless the object is no longer under scrutiny.
[Minor] Cascade of Light / Justice Beam-u Cost: 15% Effect: Fires a beam of kinetic and heat-type energy toward a target, dealing moderate concussive and mild burning damage while applying significant knock-back. The effect can instead be charged into a weapon and thrown off in a wave rather than fired directly as a beam. Benefit: Long range, fast cast time, variable effect. Limitation: The beam effect originates from the hands and has a telegraphed step of aiming at the target of the attack. The wave effect creates a visible nimbus of light around the weapon when charged. The beam travels quickly, but is not instantaneous due to being 'physical' energy.
As a wave, the cascade would disperse after about 10 meters. As a beam, it would disperse after about 100 meters. In either case an object or opponent hit by the attack that loses their footing could be carried by it out to the maximum range if they are not knocked over or moved out of the line of effect from the pushing force. The beam has roughly the size and pressure of a fire hose spray.
[Minor] Justice Strike Cost: 10% Effect: An enhanced striking attack with double the normal amount of force. Can be applied to an unarmed attack or a weapon strike.
Major Unaspected
[Major] The Long, Slow Step Cost: 10% Effect: Quickly moves the user long distances. Starting the step requires both feet solidly planted on the ground, and a projected image of the user shoots outward from there toward the destination which is any point that the user can see directly. The travel speed of this prior-image is approximately the speed of sound, and during this time the user is mid-step. Once the step is complete the user instantly appears at the target destination as if only a single step had been taken. Benefit: Can be canceled mid-activation. Limitation: Can be interrupted mid-activation. Limitation: Must begin the movement with both feet on solid ground, must end the movement with one foot planted solidly at the destination. Limitation: The user must be looking at the destination while using the ability, meaning that back-steps are impossible without first turning to look back. Limitation: The user arrives at the destination with no momentum built up from movement.
[Major] Gag Order Cost: 25% Effect: Seals the target's mouth shut with a strike to the jaw, preventing the target from opening its mouth for 3 posts. Benefit: The duration renews but does not stack with additional blows. Limitation: Does not prevent the target from speaking if they have means to do so without their mouth.
[Major] The First Cut is the Deepest Cost: 25% Effect: The cost for the ability is paid upon making an attack with a bladed weapon, and is not refunded on a missed attack. The effect is activated upon landing a successful attack with a bladed weapon. Creates a curse-type effect at that location that causes the injury of the initial attack to become slightly more severe than the most severe injury the target receives after the effect begins. Every time that the cursed creature receives a deeper injury than the cursed wound, the cursed injury widens or deepens to become slightly larger than the other wound. The cursed injury cannot be healed through magical or mundane means unless the healing would not reduce the injury's size to below that of another wound. This curse can be removed by any effect that can remove curses, but is otherwise permanent and cannot be negated by means such as removing a worn piece of armor or clothing. Benefit: Can bypass armor. Limitation: Can only be used once per target. Limitation: Relies upon inflicting multiple wounds to an opponent. Limitation: The effect fades if another cut with a bladed weapon is not made in the next 2 posts. The effect renews the duration whenever a deeper cut is made, but does not renew with cuts more shallow than the cursed wound. Limitation: The maximum depth added to the cursed wound is limited by the maximum depth of a cut part. For example, a severed finger would only add half an inch to depth, or a pierced wing could add a quarter inch or more depending on how thick the wing was at that place.
[Major] Dramatic Recovery Cost: 50% Effect: Lessens the extent of one wound on the user by a severity step to a minimum level of superficial. For this purpose one 'wound' may include a group of associated injuries such as a set of claw marks or lacerations from shrapnel. Limitation: The effect applies to one wound, activation for multiple wounds requires multiple uses of the ability.
[Major] Hand of the Martyr Cost: 0% Effect: Transfers an injury from a touched target to the user. Only a single injury can be transferred at a time, but a group of associated injuries count as one injury for this purpose (example: a set of claw marks). The injury can be transferred in part or in whole, but it will appear in on the user exactly as it was on the target to varying degrees. A two-inch wide gash could be taken completely from the target, causing a two-inch wide gash on the user or it could be taken partially, causing a one-inch gash to remain on each. Benefit: Can heal the injuries of others. Benefit: The ability Dramatic Recovery can be used immediately after this effect to restore damage. Benefit: This effect can transfer lethal injuries. Limitation: Injuries that cannot be mirrored on the user cannot be transferred (ex: wings, tail, extra arms, etc.). Limitation: This effect can transfer lethal injuries.
Aspected Sources
Soul of the Stalwart Compulsion: The user is bound to honorable conduct. Inverted Compulsion: The user must act dishonorably when it is advantageous to do so. Projection: A pattern of scales appears on the user's skin, outlined in golden light. Projection (embodied): The user's skin glows faintly with a golden light.
[Minor] Sentinel (Passive) Benefit: Allows the user to grasp energy constructs as if they were solid objects. This includes things such as punching lasers and pushing back against balls of fire. Benefit: Gain 5% Spirit Energy from attacks directed at allies, gain 10% Spirit Energy when damage is dealt to an ally (limit once per turn, cannot gain both from the same attack). Limitation: The user does not count as his own ally for the purpose of this ability. Limitation: Grasping energy does not negate the damage of that energy but it may be reduced based on a decreased area of effect. For example, catching a fireball would burn the palm of the hand but not the wrists, forearms, upper arms, rest of the body, etc. as if it had not been caught.
Note: For the purposes of HoH, the an ally includes a teammate in the same fight (ex: 2v2) or attacks intended for at noncombatants such as ring staff, spectators, or sidelines.
[Minor] Shield of Light Cost: 10% Effect: Creates a circular disc of solid light approximately 3' in diameter that appears over the hand/arm either attached or held. This disc is weightless but has hardness equal to a quarter-inch thick sheet of iron. Limitation: This effect persists for 5 posts or until dismissed or destroyed.
[Minor] Dispel Curse Cost: 15+% Effect: Removes one curse-type effect upon the touched target. Benefit: Can remove negative persistent effects. Limitation: Some types of curses can be more difficult to break than others. Curses intended to be permanent rather than temporary require additional effort to break and the longer that the curse persists the more difficult it becomes to remove. Curses that have been in place for years can be incredibly difficult or impossible to remove through brute-force means such as this. If a curse cannot be removed with this ability it may be suppressed for a duration of posts, hours, or days based upon the comparative strength of the curse.
Note: For the purposes of HoH, curses that are being unwillingly removed are instead suppressed for 1 post at 15% cost for the ability.
[Major] Unyielding Cost: 100% Effect: Provides an incredible amount of defensive stats for a short period of time. Benefit: Renders user immune to effects that force movement or restrict movement. Benefit: Provides damage resistance as if the user were made of iron. Benefit: Provides 75% resistance to all types of energy. Limitation: Lasts 3 posts. Limitation: Usable once per day.
[Major] Shards of Heaven Cost: 75% Effect: Creates a shower of crystal lances that rain down onto a target area. The effected area is between 10' and 30' in diameter anywhere within 100 yards that the user has line of sight to. The shower of lances lasts for 5 seconds, and includes 108 lances that fall over the course of this effect randomly throughout the area of effect. Each lance is composed of crystallized light and nearly weightless, and will not penetrate through armoring of most types. The lances fall randomly within the area. Once the effect ends, any remaining lances shatter in a small burst of shrapnel that then disperses into motes of light. Benefit: Significant wide-area damage potential. Limitation: High cost and low accuracy, relying on the number of projectiles rather than the power and accuracy of each one.
Soul of the Fury Compulsion: The user cannot back down from a fight. Inverted Compulsion: The user must avoid fighting whenever possible. Projection: The user's physique becomes more muscular. Compulsion (embodied): The user becomes extremely short-tempered and irritable.
[Minor] Righteous Fury (Passive) Benefit: Increases Spirit Energy by 5% when damage is dealt to an enemy by the user. Increases Spirit Energy by 10% when non-superficial damage is dealt to the user by an enemy. Limitation: Each component of the energy gain from this ability can only trigger once per post per enemy. Limitation: For the purposes of this ability, an enemy is considered to be an opponent in a fight, a non-ally that attacks the user, or a third party that includes the user within the area of an attack or among the targets of a multiple-target offensive ability. The user cannot be his own enemy.
[Minor] Strength of Conviction Cost: 30% Effect: Allows the user to perform a single action with enough strength to overpower an adversary regardless of how strong that adversary may be. Strength increases to a level marginally above that of a foe being contested and allows the user to perform an action that would have previously been beyond their means. Examples include wrestling a foe to the ground, flipping a car, stopping a charging bull, etc. For more overtly supernatural displays of strength see Judge, Jury, and Executioner below. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to above that of the enemy the user is competing with. Limitation: Only applies to a single action.
[Minor] Hellscream Cost: 15% Effect: Creates a tremendous burst of wind and sound that sends anything in a conical area in front of the user flying backwards with sizable force. An average adult male would likely be thrown back 10 feet from the initial burst and pushed further after hitting the ground until the scream ends. Duration: This effect lasts for up to 1 post, meaning that it may be an instantaneous effect or may remain in effect through the opponent's post and end at the start of the user's next post.
[Major] Furious Strength (Passive) Benefit: Increases the user's strength by 100% + 1% for each point of Spirit Energy stored. Limitation: Does not stack with other strength enhancing abilities, but does multiply the increased base stat value granted by 100% Spirit Energy charge.
[Major] Judge, Jury and Executioner Cost: 80% Effect: Allows the user to perform 3 actions with an illogical level of strength. Benefit: Boosts the user's strength to unrealistic proportions. Limitation: The enhanced actions must all be used within 3 posts. Limitation: Only the 3rd action can be a directly injuring action, though the 1st and 2nd actions can be indirect attacks (ex: thrown objects, thrown opponents). Limitation: Once this ability expires, the user is fatigued for 3 posts, reducing overall strength by 50%. Limitation: Usable once per day.
For the actions taken while under the effect of JJE, the user is treated as if there is no resistance against their actions although relative mass and speed constraints operate as normal. Truck-kun could try to run over the user, but the user could either stop Truck-kun in his tracks with firm footing or try to push back against Truck-kun and get carried along with Truck-kun's momentum. Alternatively, the user could push Truck-kun by shoving him and Truck-kun would be shoved backwards as if he weighed as much as a helium balloon, but he would only be pushed as fast as the user could thrust their arm forward and so Truck-kun could really only be thrown as far as someone might throw a baseball before the velocity runs out. The user could try to push Building-kun, but because Building-kun is so large and heavy and rooted in the ground this would either result in the user pushing himself backwards from Building-kun or the user breaking a hole in Building-kun's wall rather than moving it at all. Likewise, the user could try to suplex Train-san but unless he managed to get up underneath Train-san their tremendous difference in size and weight would result in the user just doing a handstand on Train-san's smokestack.
The limitation that only the 3rd action can be a directly injuring attack also applies to an attack that would apply harmful force directly to another person. For example, the 2nd action could not be a bear hug that breaks several bones in the opponent's body because this would be a direct injury coming from that applied force. However, the 2nd action could involve throwing the opponent into a street light 30 feet off the ground and letting them fall because the injury would result from the momentum of the throw and the fall that followed. Or the 2nd action could be throwing Truck-kun into Building-kun. However if Truck-kun were trying to run the user over, the 1st or 2nd actions could be used to stop Truck-kun or to push Truck-kun back, but only the 3rd action would be able to make a person-shaped indent in Truck-kun's grill because that would be a direct injury to Truck-kun resulting from the use of strength.
Because the upper limit of this strength is "as if there is no resistance" the damage of a crushing attack would be limited mostly by the area that could be squeezed with one action, and the damage of a striking attack would be limited by the target's resistance to being moved. Punching a helium balloon that offers no resistance causes it to fly across the room and then stop, kicking a door causes it to break the latch and fly open to slam against the wall, and a sports team running through a paper banner that was stretched tight causes it to tear. Likewise, an opponent who is struck with an irresistible force will be moved by it, unless they are an immovable object, in which case the force will just continue through to the other side and keep going.
Soul of the Wolf Compulsion: The user is constantly compelled to eat. Inverted Compulsion: The user is overcome with nausea if he swallows anything. Projection: The user exhibits spectral wolf ears and a tail. Projection (embodied): The user's teeth grow longer and more pointed.
[Minor] Hunter's Sense (Passive) Benefit: Grants the user supernaturally enhanced hearing and sense of smell. Benefit: If a nearby enemy is bleeding, Hunter's Sense generates 5% Spirit Energy per round. Limitation: Creates a vulnerability to sonic and scent-based attacks.
[Minor] Wolf Bite Cost: 20% Effect: An attack that creates a spectral wolf at the point of impact which immediately latches its jaws onto the target and applies a pulling force for 3 posts. The wolf deals no damage, and will always pull in the same direction once created (usually down and back). Benefit: Each wolf has an effective weight of 100 lbs if hanging on a target. The wolf can drag up to 250 lbs if no resistance is applied. Limitation: The wolf does not have a material form but can be destroyed by dedicated attack (a strong kick, a sword slash done as more than a flick of the wrist, or any damaging ability that isn't merely including them in an area of effect unless that area is specifically intended for wolves and nothing else). Benefit: The user can dismiss wolves as a free action.
[Minor] Devour Cost: 0% Effect: The user can swallow an object whole and keep it in an extradimensional space. The swallowed object does not have to literally go into the user's mouth, but the mouth area is the opening of the extradimensional space. An object small enough to be held in one hand can be swallowed immediately, whereas larger objects must be compressed first; compression of the object takes 1 second per foot of length being swallowed and does not damage the object in the process. Objects that are swallowed can be spit out afterward, and the user may choose specifically which object to spit out if multiple have been swallowed. A spit object either spills out onto the ground in front of the user, or can be spat at up to the speed of a thrown object. Limitation: If a swallowed object would deal damage to the extradimensional stomach, the stomach ruptures and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: If the user loses access to the Devour ability (such as becoming unaspected) the effect immediately ends and all swallowed objects spill out onto the ground in front of the user. Limitation: The user cannot swallow an object that cannot be forced into the opening such as an unwilling, non-helpless creature.
[Major] Overwhelm (Passive) Effect: Reduces the activation cost of Wolf Bite to 10% spirit energy per spectral wolf and allows the specters to pull while treading on air.
[Major] Pack Attack Cost: 60% Effect: The image of the user seems to blur slightly when in motion, trailing behind itself for just a fraction of a moment after every movement. When activated, this effect enhances and the blur trails behind so far that it actually splits away from the user and then splits again into two ghostly images that resemble the user but have no real identifying features. These phantoms mirror the movements made by the user exactly but trail behind in those actions anywhere between 0.5 and 5 seconds. When the phantoms perform a mirrored action it has the same effect as if the user had performed the action a second and a third time, able to interact physically with objects and persons for the purposes of performing those actions but for no other purposes. The phantoms can pass through the user and objects as if they did not truly exist unless the phantom must physically touch an object to fulfill its purpose. (example: the user tackles an opponent but does not knock the opponent off his feet, 1 second later the phantoms tackle the opponent one after the other in the same way applying 2x and then 3x the combined force that may push the opponent back). This effect lasts for 3 posts before the phantoms merge back into the user and return to being merely a blur. Benefit: Can chain successive strikes and create combination attacks without a partner. Benefit: The user can decide whether the phantoms 'follow closely behind' the original or delay before repeating the action. Limitation: The phantoms cannot make decisions for themselves or deviate from their scripted behavior. Limitation: The phantoms cannot mirror special abilities performed by the user. Limitation: The phantom has the physical stats of the user and is not modified by stat-enhancing abilities as the user is.
Soul of the Storm Projection: The user occasionally has arcs of energy jump between fingers, hairs, etc. and can power small electrical devices by holding them. Inverted Projection: The user slowly drains the electric charge of any device he is in contact with and cannot operate complex electronic devices. Projection (embodied): The user is faintly magnetic.
[Minor] Stormshield (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming electricity-type damage by 50%. Benefit: Grants immunity to electricity-related stuns. Benefit: Being hit by an electric-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy (limit once per turn).
[Minor] Crooked Arrows Cost: 10% Effect: Fires bolts of electric-type energy from a spiritual bow. The projectiles are physical objects that move at the speed of a regular arrow; when the projectile strikes a target the bolt disperses into a mixture of kinetic and electric-type energy.
[Minor] Thunderclap Cost: 30% Effect: The user claps his hands together, creating a shockwave centered on the user that covers a 20' radius that causes mild sonic damage with significant knockback. Both parts of the effect decay in intensity toward the outer edge of the area. An average adult male struck by the thunderclap at point blank range would be knocked back to the edge of the radius.
[Major] Lightning Reflexes (Passive) Benefit: Increases reaction time and speed for all forms of movement by 100%. Limitation: Does not negate the momentum generated by high speed movement.
[Major] Storm's Grasp Cost: 10% Effect: Creates an electrical charge in the hand that can be used to apply a magnetic grip upon a metallic object, a magnetic pull upon an object from a distance with strength equal to what one arm could pull with, or apply a brief electrical shock to a touched object causing electric-type damage.
Soul of the Wyrmhound Compulsion: The user is prone to boasting about his own prowess. Inverted Compulsion: The user becomes meek and soft-spoken. Projection: The user's skin becomes textured like scales that shift color based on the type of dragonflame used last. Projection (embodied): The user's eyes turn to golden vertical slits, like a dragon's eye.
[Minor] Draconic Resistance (Passive) Benefit: Reduces incoming fire, cold, and acid-type damage by 25%. Benefit: Being hit by a fire, cold, or acid-type attack grants a charge of +10% Spirit Energy (limit once per turn).
[Minor] Heavensward / Dragonflight Cost: 10% / +10% Effect: The user jumps at a tremendous speed up to 200 meters vertically or in a straight line. At the end of this leap the user will fall as normal based on height and directional momentum. This ability can be activated again mid-air to temporarily create a solid surface for the user to rebound off of in a subsequent jump; the phantom image of draconic wings appear on the user when Dragonflight is activated. Each time Dragonflight is used the cost of Heavensward increases by an additional 10% until the user lands on a non-manifested surface. Benefit: Allows the user to leap up to 200 meters. Dragonflight allows the user to double-jump. Limitation: Changing direction mid-air requires stacking additional cost. Requires a solid surface to stop.
[Minor] Heavensfall / Cometfall Cost: 0% / 10% Effect: The user is never adversely affected by the impact force when landing from a great height or after using Heavensward. Activating Cometfall multiplies the force of an attack delivered when landing from at least 10 meters up and scales up tremendously based on falling speed and distance fallen before impact. The damage amplification begins at 2x and scales up to 10x at maximum falling velocity. The user does not suffer adverse effects from this amplified force. Cometfall only applies to vertical velocity and cannot be used in combination with horizontal velocity. Benefit: Negates falling damage. Allows for devastating leaping attacks. Limitation: Requires falling at least 10 meters to reach 2x force multiplier. Multiplier increases by 1x for each additional 10 meters (capping at 100 meters distance for 10x multiplier). Use of Dragonflight to generate falling momentum adds 50 meters to this calculation but does not bypass the cap.
[Minor] Dragon Kick Cost: 20% Effect: The user delivers a kick with enough force to launch an enemy up to 10 meters. The actual kick will only apply 2x normal force but the target will be launched as if a tremendous amount of force had struck them. Benefit: Launches an enemy.
[Major] Emerald Dragon Claw Cost: 25% Effect: Coats one weapon in emerald fire (unarmed strikes count as weapons for this purpose) for a single attack. The emerald fire is not real fire and therefore is unaffected by fire resistance. Emerald fire has increased penetration against defenses, and Emerald Dragon Claw will easily tear through up to a quarter inch of unenhanced metal or softer material. Slashes left by Emerald Dragon Claw will continue to burn with emerald fire for 3 posts, dealing acid-type damage to the affected area. Benefit: Acid-type damage that bypasses defenses. Limitation: Effect fades after one attack. Limitation: This ability is affected by acid resistance.
[Major] Ruby Dragon Breath Cost: 40% Effect: The user may choose between a line or a cone when activating this ability. When using a cone, the user spits a 45 degree cone of dragon fire up to 30 feet for severe fire-type damage that can light objects on fire (which continue to burn with nonmagical flame from that point on). When using a line, the user spits a jet of flame up to 100 feet in a line that explodes into a ball of dragon fire with a 10-foot radius for moderate fire damage and significant force damage.
[Major] Sapphire Dragon Pool Cost: 60% Effect: Creates a circular pool of sapphire flame in a 30 foot radius around the user that expands outward from the point of origin over 3 seconds. The sapphire flame is not real fire and therefore unaffected by fire resistance. The tendrils of sapphire flame reach out for targets designated by the user and attempt to wrap themselves around the target, constricting and dealing cold-type damage. The sapphire flames have hardness similar to ice and can be destroyed if attacked. The pool remains for 5 turns or until the user uses a different type of dragon fire, whichever comes first. Benefit: Binds and constricts targets in an area, preventing the target from moving away from the spot they are held down to without destroying the flames. Limitation: Creates a stationary ground effect that starts small and expands over time.
Soul of the Sauna Projection: The user seems to be wet and drips water which quickly turns to steam and disappears. Inverted Projection: The user is always dry, and anything the user tries to drink dries up instantly as it reaches his mouth (this does not apply to the full volume of the liquid that would not reach his mouth). Projection (embodied): The user leaves wet footprints behind when walking.
[Minor] Ebb and Flow (Passive) Benefit: Being immersed (either in a waist-deep pool or in a constant flow like a shallow stream or waterfall) in water regenerates spirit energy at a rate of 10% per post. Effect: Allows the user to telekinetically push or pull on bodies of water with bodily gestures to create wave-like motions. Base amount is 10 gallons, amount doubles each post that the same body of water is being manipulated (20, 40, 80, etc.). Dedicating a full action to manipulating water increases this multiplier to an order of magnitude per post (100, 1000, 10000, etc.) and can draw in water from outside the 30 foot range as long as it is connected to the same body of water. Limitation: Control cannot be exerted over bodies of water within 30 feet already being controlled by another user. Limitation: The quantity and force of the controlled water is proportional to the amount of time and motion. 'Rocking' waves builds up more power.
[Minor] Hydroplaning Cost: 5% or 10% Effect: Creates a viscous film of fluid on a touched surface which can reduce the friction on that surface down to nearly zero. Benefit: Can be used to cause the user or a touched object to slide across most surfaces for one post. Limitation: Using this ability to create a slippery patch under an opponent or on a piece of their held equipment costs 10% rather than 5% and still requires direct contact with that surface within 6" of the affected area.
[Minor] Flash Freeze Cost: 10% Effect: The user causes a touched volume of water to be covered in a layer of ice. For a large pool of water this would create a layer of ice across the surface (up to 3" thick) that could barely support the weight of a person briefly. This ability could instantly freeze a water pipe or a puddle, or encase a wet object in a thin (less than 1" thick) layer of ice. Forms made of ice can be drawn out of bodies of water using this ability such as pulling an ice lance from the surface of a pond.
[Major] Warm and Wet (Passive) Benefit: The user can alter the temperature of controlled water between frigid (0* C) and scalding (100* C). Benefit: The user is not negatively affected by the hot or cold temperatures of controlled water. Limitation: Changing the temperature to one extreme requires 2 posts. Limitation: Changing the temperature from one extreme to the other requires 3 posts. Limitation: Only water that is being directly controlled by the user can be altered.
[Major] Erosion (Passive) Effect: Magical water is, for some reason, an effective countermeasure to other types of magic. The effect that this has takes two different forms: The first form is that of flowing water, which has the power to wash away the effects of magic upon an object or person over time if it is immersed in the flow. The second form is that of frozen water, which can cut or pierce through other forms of magic by penetrating into the flaws of the spellweave. The user can use controlled water or formed ice to strip away or bypass other magical effects. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can strip away temporary magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 2 posts. Benefit: Controlled flowing water can temporarily suppress the effects of permanent magic-based effects on an object or person by immersing them in controlled water for 2 posts. This suppression lasts for 1 additional post after the object or person is no longer immersed. Limitation: For the purpose of this ability, a person or object is considered immersed in water if at least half of it is submerged or covered by a continuous wave/spray/stream. Benefit: Formed ice can cut or pierce through magic-based protections and barriers with minimal resistance but do not automatically dispel them nor does this dispel magical effects on objects that are cut or pierced. Benefit: Formed ice is treated as having the hardness of an equivalent amount of steel when tested against magic-based enhanced items or energy constructs and cannot be automatically bypassed by magic-type effects if normal materials would be. For the purposes of interacting with spells and effects, formed ice is treated as either magical or non-magical whichever is more beneficial.
[Major] Condensation Cost: 10% per gallon Effect: Creates fluid water from ambient humidity in the air. The created water takes form within 1 second and can appear in any open space within 5 feet of the user. The created water is immediately considered to be effected by the abilities Ebb and Flow and Flash Freeze without additional cost if the user so desires.
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