Ten days ago, everything we knew was consumed by an unstoppable darkness, and we were lost.
Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light.
When we awoke, we found ourselves here, in this impossible world. Of course we were shocked—this couldn't be real, these were video games, fairy tales, and fiction. Yet here they were, as real as us, flesh and bone and cloth... and magic. Impossible had lost its meaning when our Earth was destroyed, and our loved ones were ripped away; even we were made new, given powers beyond anything we'd ever imagined. So we adjusted, and we learned.
Then people began to fight over it. They wanted the light for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts.
Over a month ago, the many worlds had been wrecked together in some form of convergence. Now, there are no stars in the sky save the one sun, nothing lighting the night save the one moon. The world boundaries that guardians had fought for so long to protect were rent asunder, and the consequences were piling up every day as foes long-since defeated were reappearing, walking the shadows and staking their claims once again. Tensions were high, and collateral higher, so imagine the world's surprise and suspicion when, a month to the day after this cataclysm, we showed up, hailing from a world none knew existed.
The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared.
Many of us were scattered, but enough had appeared in Disney Kingdom that Mickey was able to help us before sending us off on a quest to help the worlds: alongside some familiar friends, we would gather the ancient, the wise, the mystic, powerful entities who, with any luck, could work together to find solutions to all this chaos. Some days later, we split off into a second quest, searching for the now-missing mouse king. While some of us were collecting the Wise Ones, others discovered that Mickey's journey from kingdom to kingdom had a purpose: assembling a vast, unified front to help safeguard the innocent from the rising shadows.
But small fragments of the light survived... in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world.
Our journeys were not without conflict. At every turn, enemies new and old impeded our efforts; some fought us directly, while others worked through subterfuge, aiding us only to strike from within. We even had the misfortune of being replicated, our darker halves being made into full-fledged beings. But we fought through everything they could throw at us, day after day, refusing to back down. We were helping people. We were making a difference. Then... then we uncovered the truth. An awakening power beyond understanding, a black shadow behind so much of the chaos—an immeasurable darkness beyond definition.
It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other.
On our seventh day, this darkness revealed itself to us and the world at large. Xehanort and his allies were its pawns, and we were its special interest—the last shards of a world already consumed. The corrupted Guardian of Darkness seeks only to snuff out all light in the cosmos, aiming to start a new Keyblade War in order to create the X-Blade so that the shadows can reach and destroy that last bastion of hope, Kingdom Hearts. Two times we faced down the Darkness on that seventh day.
The second time, we failed.
There are many worlds, but they all share the same sky.
Saved from certain death by the Cornerstone of Light's awakening, we managed to stem the tide of shadow once again, though our defeat weighed heavy all the same. Returning to the Kingdom, where the royals, wise ones, and refugees have all come together, we isolated ourselves for three days, training under the tutelage of Yen Sid and other masters in compressed time.
We were not ready to face the darkness. But things have changed. We've changed.
Before, we were survivors. Now? We're warriors. Protectors. Guardians.
And soon, we'll be heroes—for these people and ours.
{I} Gaia TOS. Guild Rules. Guild General RP Information. Follow each of these. The Heartfelt Adventure Moderators, who you must listen to, are fractalJester, Jeimuzu Kuro, Je Suis a Toi, AldrickZearse, and Mizu _Kage_Hikari.
{II} No God-moding, please. This includes killing another person's character without permission, taking control of another's character, or making your own character all-powerful. This also includes having your items pop out of nowhere or having a bag with infinite space (with certain exceptions). Seriously, guys. No.
{III} Please be literate, or at least semi-literate. Use proper punctuation, capitalization, and grammar in general. If we have to read a sentence more than once to understand what you're trying to say, there's a good chance you'll be corrected and asked to improve.
{IV} Post all profile applications and modifications in the RP Audition Thread, where they must be approved by a majority of the HA Mods.
{V} Please stay in-character. If we notice your character is going blatantly against his/her personality mentioned in the profile, we will give you one and ONLY ONE warning.
{VI} Be nice to each other. Learn to give constructive criticism, and learn to take criticism with a grain of salt.
{VII} Please try not to over OOC too much. Also, do not post things like ((I'm gonna join ur Rp, can I be your mom, zomgsh)). If you have any out-of-character comments that don't relate to your post, then post them in the roleplay's primary Out-of-Character thread, H.A. ~ Volume Two : Questions, Suggestions, and Discussion.
{VIII} We may not be a fast-moving RP, but we'd like to keep things going pretty quickly. If you need to go inactive for awhile, announce it somewhere for all to see, or tell someone. You don't need to tell us you've 'got a life'; we all do, so we understand sometimes things come up. Give a valid, adequate excuse, and give it before you vanish. If people are waiting on you as part of a scene, and you don't post for two weeks without a valid, adequate excuse, you may be given one RP-Strike, depending on how many times it's happened. Your characters will be GMed as the mods see fit (nothing character-altering, of course) until your return. If we see that you are active elsewhere, but not in the RP, we will add strikes every two weeks you have ignored the RP (with warnings beforehand).
{IX} Fragrantly breaking any of these rules, or otherwise simply being outright disrespectful or something akin, will also earn you an RP Strike. Three strikes, and you will be booted from the roleplay and only allowed back in if the majority of the HA Mods approve.
{XI} The rules may be updated every so often as we see fit; please make sure you are up to date with everything. Thank you!
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:23 pm
This is a list of everyone that is or has been involved with the roleplay. Please keep up to date with this list, as it will also confirm status changes, weapons, and a few other surprises the more the roleplay moves along. If a canon you would like to play is not listed, fill out the proper application anyway and if it is adequate, we will allow it.
If you are going to be away from the roleplay for an indefinite period of time (longer than a few weeks), please let one of the mods know, so that we can add you to the Away list, and others know that you are not around. This will save us all from headaches later.
Don't forget: to check on original character profiles, simply look in the second post of the profile thread, found here.
Through your training, you will grow to be stronger than you have ever been. But you know this. What you might also know, but perhaps not accept, is that for all the might you accumulate, there will yet be another who is your better in some way. Such is life, you see—if we strive to be perfect in every way, we merely stunt ourselves from growing to be the best at our particular gifts.
Each of you is an individual, with strengths and weaknesses hand in hand. While we may love to focus on our greatness, we must learn to embrace our frailties, as well, for in doing so, we grow stronger as a whole. After all, you are a team—a unified group that comes together to be stronger than the sum of its parts. What flaw can one have that others cannot cover? Such is the importance of teamwork! When we cover each others' weaknesses, what is left but a coalescence of unwavering strength? Remember this!
Now, to speak in specifics, of the many varieties of power, the majority may be narrowed into but nine forms of potential, with varying degrees of aptitude...
— Yen Sid
Due to the sheer amount of characters in the roleplay, as well as the constant bantering over who is better than who at what, we have devised a Stat System. Here is the basic breakdown of what each stat means:
Strength: {This stat is important for Melee Weapons and Physical Damage! How strong are you? How hard can you hit?} Magic: {This stat is important for Magic Weapons and Magical Damage! How powerful are your spells and other mystical abilities? } Dexterity: {This stat is important for Ranged Weapons and Attack Accuracy! How deft are your actions? How accurate are your attacks?}
Defense: {This stat counters Strength and related statuses! How resistant are you to physical damage?} Resistance: {This stat counters Magic and related statuses! How resistant are you to the effects of magic?} Reflexes: {This stat counters Dexterity and related statuses! How fast do you react? How well can you evade attacks?}
Speed: {This stat determines Actions Per Round! How fast can you move? How quickly can you attack or cast magic?}
Constitution: {This stat determines Hit Points (Multiply by 4)! How hardy or healthy are you? How much can you take before giving in?} Energy: {This stat determines Magic Points (Multiply by 4) and Summon Points (3 + Tier)! How much stamina do you have? How deep is your mana pool?}
We have also updated how negative statuses (hexes) are decided! Those rules will be discussed in their dedicated post further down, but the following are the "save stats" you will need to determine their effectiveness:
With that decided, there are certain "stat thresholds" that are important to remember; each new threshold gives various bonuses to factors determined by the stat in question. They are typically broken down into multiples of 2, with exceptions at the beginning, as follows, in order of [Stat] = [Modifier]; [Explanation]:
____• _____1 = -4 ; To be this low in a stat is to basically say a toddler could do better. ____• _____2 = -3 ; Oh, you can beat the toddler, but kids are still scary. ____• _____3 = -2 ; Alright, approaching upper-grade school aptitude! ____• _____4 = -1 ; And now you're just below average. ____• _5 – _6 = 0 ; Approximately average, to somewhat-skilled. ____• _7 – _8 = +1 ; Nearing earth-level professional aptitude. ____• _9 – 10 = +2 ; At home, you'd be an expert; here, you're approximately average. ____• 11 – 12 = +3 ; Blatantly super-human on Earth, here this shows great skill and promise. ____• 13 – 14 = +4 ; You are exceptionally skillful, a promising prodigy among even this world.
And the list goes on, a new tier every 2 points (15–16, 17–18, etc.); basically, every new odd number means an additional +1. The modifiers are used for a large number of basic calculations, from attacking and defending to status targets, and various other skill interpretations you can use.
Originally, the tiers were much larger, and thus had less variation; it made too many people approximately equal even across a notable stat gap. However, certain other aspects relied on those first tiers, such as Actions per Round and Summon Points. To maintain their balance, they won't use these modifiers exactly, but will be explained in their own sections.
Merlin
Now that you've mastered your own gifts, it's time we turn to a form of magic shared by all. It goes by many names, such as practiced attunement, passive enhancement, arcane modification, and potentiality commodification. Regardless, the fundamentals are all the same: we hone sparks of raw magic into forms of our choice and we attach those sparks to our mystic wells of spirit. The more general power and potential at one's disposal, the more sparks can be made and used.
Once infused, we unlock new forms of power. Often, these powers are like minuscule enchantments, protecting us from harm or granting us increased accessible resilience to curses. Other times, though, they might unlock some new power for us to explore and develop. The greater potential of power, the larger and more costly the spark honed, but it all levels out in the end.
Now, honed sparks may be removed from our spirits and broken back down into the raw power of its origins, only to be reformed into something new. But the unlocked potential is not converted! Such sparks will start fresh, and you must spend time exploring them as you did the first. However, fret not—while the potential is not converted, it is conserved! Should you desire to return to your previous spark, doing so will instantly return you to the lost level of understanding—the spirit and heart remember the paths of power previously taken.
Now that we've discussed theory, let's begin with application! Close your eyes and clear your thoughts...
— Merlin
Also known as AP, Ability Points are a staple of Kingdom Hearts. You earn them through leveling up, and they allow you to equip various passive "support abilities" such as Scan, Fire Screen, or Defense Boost, or even unique action commands such as Ars Arcanum and Ragnarok.
No, we are not changing all of your abilities to be dependent on AP. However, we are changing the rules regarding Passives to allow people to equip various new abilities, using their training and experience. Please keep in mind that this is still very much a work-in-progress, case-by-case basis addition! The new "rules" are as follows:
____• All current passives will remain, converted into zero-cost equivalents. This includes status immunities, resistance increases, and so on. ________• If one of your "unique" passives is a permanent stat increase, then you can choose a different unique passive; all previous Passive and Limit stat boosts are being integrated so that everyone has 92 stats.
____• All characters will get one mana regenerative passive; they must choose between MP Assault and MP Charge.
____• All Heroes will get the Kingdom Hearts version of Scan free of charge; this allows you to "see" or innately understand the general health of the person you focus on.
____• Everyone will receive 7 AP per level past 1 to represent the experience they've already accrued through the roleplay. So the heroes at level 6 will have 35 AP, and so on. From now on, you will earn a handful of AP alongside a handful of Stat points at certain intervals of activity. They may be spent as you choose on various KH support abilities.
____• If you have an idea for a new, unique Support ability, we will try to work with you to determine how much AP it should cost to equip.
____• AP may be spent unlocking new Active abilities that are not within your character's normal purview. These can be individual abilities, such as Ars Arcanum or Ragnarok, or they can be the one-time purchase of a branching tree, such as Fire or Cure. These trees start you off with the first, most basic ability, which will be clearly defined, but with proper practice and repetition (explained in the Magic Guidelines: General Costs and Levels section below), you can slowly expand them like any other skill tree. Which abilities can be purchased will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
____• AP may also be spent on unlocking new class branches for multi-classing. Much like purchasing the beginning of an ability tree, such as Fire magic, purchasing a new Class unlocks one ability in that tree. With time and practice, you can slowly unlock the other abilities tied to that class. Purchasing additional classes will significantly more expensive than buying single ability trees, however. Choose wisely: if all you want is the Thunder tree of spells, there's no need to go for the entire Black Mage class tree.
____• In order to equip/unequip AP abilities, you require at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted, still meditation (aka some sort of break-period, usually around a time skip).
With all that said, feel free to go through the various games' ability lists to decide what types of abilities you may want to equip. For the purposes of our system, some common abilities are as follows, but they are always subject to a case-by-case approval. Costs are included in the {brackets}. Any restrictions listed, such as "May only have one equipped", do not include the freebies gained over the course of the story.
MP Assault {Free} – Also known as MPA and KH1 Style. You gain 1 MP every 2 successful or blocked basic attacks. MP Charge {Free} – Also known as MPC and KH2 Style. On running entirely out of MP, the character enters MP Charge. After 2.5 full rounds of ApR, your MP will be returned to full.
Scan {Training (or) 2 AP} – In battle, the user can innately discern the general life force of those around them, including enemies. Their health is not quantified, but rather understood in percentages, as if visualized by a bar of green.
[Stat] Boost {3} – Boosts designated stat by 1. No single stat may have more than two. [Stat] Loss {+3} – Decreases designated stat by 1. Can only have two equipped. [Grants additional AP!]
[Element] Ward {2} – Reduces damage from specified element by 25%. Can only have two of these equipped, and may never be your primary weakness. [Element] Screen {5} – Reduces damage from specified element by 50%. Replaces the Ward of the same type. Can only have one of these equipped, and may never be your primary weakness. [Element]proof {10} – Makes one immune to damage of the specified element. Replaces the Screen of the same type. Can only have one of these equipped, and may never be your primary weakness. [Element] Risk {+5} – Increases damage from the specified element by 50%. Can only have two equipped, and may never be your primary element. [Grants additional AP!] [Element] Peril {+10} – Doubles damage from the specified element. Can only have one equipped, and may never be your primary element. [Grants additional AP!]
[Status] Screen {1–5} – Increases your save against the specified status by double the amount invested. Only increases by the amount invested if the status has a {2x} difficulty. [Status] Block {10–15} – Grants immunity to the particular status. Upper cost required for statuses with a {2x} difficulty. [Status] Peril {+1–+3} – Reduces your save against the specified status by triple the amount gained. [Grants additional AP!]
Auto-[Status] {10} – Grants a diminished version of the designated status permanently; case-by-case basis. SOS [Status] {5} – Grants the designated status when you reach critical health. SOS Wall {10} – Grants the Wall status when you reach critical health. Replaces SOS Protect and SOS Shell if present.
Small Bracer {3} – Makes one resistant to Interruption, requiring a coin-flip for each attempted interrupting attack. Heads means the charger resists, tails means they're interrupted. Attack Bracer {3} – Makes one immune to Interruption while in the middle of basic attack combos. Magic Bracer {3} – Makes one immune to Interruption while in the middle of consecutive identical spell combos. Charge Bracer {3} – Makes one immune to Interruption while charging magic. True Bracer {8} – Makes one immune to Interruption. Replaces all previous Bracers.
Second Chance {10} – Ensures you always retain 1 HP after an attack that would otherwise finish you off, unless you are already down to 1 HP. Can only occur once per battle, and is nullified if a Limit Break is used. Unlimited Chance {20} – Ensures you always retain 1 HP after an attack that would otherwise finish you off, unless you are already down to 1 HP. Nullified if a Limit Break is used. Replaces Second Chance.
Combo Plus {4} – Grants 1 additional action per round, as long as all actions that round (including this bonus one) are basic attacks. Can stack up to 3 times. Combo Boost {5} – Increases the damage of every consecutive, uninterrupted basic attack after the second by +1, cumulatively. Third gets +1, fourth gets +2, etc. Combo Finisher {2} – If you successfully use at least three basic attacks without being interrupted, the final attack can become a Finisher, adding +3 damage and various other enhancements. Multiple enhancements may be equipped, but only one may be used per finisher. Finishing Leap {2} – Enhances Combo Finisher with the power to knock the target into the air. Guard Break {3} – Enhances Combo Finisher with Pierce and automatically breaks any attempt to block. Explosion {5} – Enhances Combo Finisher with a small magic explosion that does +50% MAG to all adjacent enemies and has guaranteed knockback.
Magic Combo Boost {5} – Increases the damage of every consecutive casting of the same spell after the second by +1, cumulatively. Third gets +1, fourth gets +2, etc. Magic Combo Finisher {2} – If every action in a round is used to consecutively cast the same spell (minimum 3), the final cast becomes a Magic Finisher, dealing +3 damage.
Form Boost {3} – Grants 1 additional Form Point. Can stack up to 4 times. Summon Boost {3} – Grants 1 additional Summon Point. Can stack up to 3 times.
MP Haste {5} – Increases the number of MP for MP Assault to 1 per basic attack OR decreases the time to complete a full MP Charge to 2 full rounds of APR. MP Hastera {10} – Increases the number of MP for MP Assault to 1.5 per basic attack (no rounding) OR decreases the time to complete a full MP Charge to 1.5 rounds of APR. Replaces MP Haste. MP Hastega {15} – Increases the number of MP for MP Assault to 2 per basic attack OR decreases the time to complete a full MP Charge to 1 full round of APR. Replaces MP Hastera.
MP Rage {3} – Grants 10% of damage taken back as MP, minimum 1. Shortens MP Charge by 1 action. MP Fury {7} – Grants 20% of damage taken back as MP, minimum 2. Shortens MP Charge by 2 actions. Replaces MP Rage. MP Wrath {10} – Grants 30% of damage taken back as MP, minimum 3. Shortens MP Charge by 3 actions. Replaces MP Fury.
[Any Level 1 Basic Spell] {4+} – Unlocks the spell in question, its manifestation to be defined at purchase, as well as the potential to develop new spells using this as the base. All branching abilities are locked if this ability is unequipped!
[Any Unique Ability] {4+} – Unlocks the ability in question, its manifestation to be defined at purchase. Such individual abilities are usually unique, without possible branches, and their AP price will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Examples: Ars Arcanum; Ragnarok.
[Any -Kinesis Concept] {10+} – Unlocks the -kinesis in question, giving the root ability for free, and also unlocks the potential to fully develop the pseudo-class abilities over time. By -kinesis, I mean things like Pyrokinesis, Technokinesis, and the like; basically, new elements, with fewer perks. Cost to be determined based on the potency of the -kinesis in question; trees with a wider array of powers will cost more than those with more narrow or constrained specialties. These costs will mimic those of the classes, as described below.
_____However, keep in mind a few things: this does not replace your element, so you do not get the resistance or weakness; you will never overpower someone who has this as their true element; and you cannot use the more abstract forms of the element, as if it were your elemental composition (becoming a being of fire, or conjuring other manifestations that keep the element, like a water-based laser or ice-elemental flames).
[Any Job Class] {10+} – Unlocks the class in question, giving a single basic ability of that class for free, and also unlocks the potential to fully develop the class abilities over time. Cost to be determined based on how many abilities are opened up. Classes with a wider array of powers will cost more than those with more narrow or constrained specialties. If you happen to cross various thresholds, the cost will increase! However, if you already have a decent amount of the class' abilities some other way, the price will go down (such as a Red Mage buying Black Magic or White Magic). Furthermore, we only count moves that are solely attributed to the class' expansion; we do not count abilities that are only possible as cross-class fusions. For example, say, Divine Geyser, a water-elemental attack that does extra damage versus minions but heals allies in the AoE, is a mixture of White Magic's healing and Dia-based abilities and a Water elemental's magic.
10 AP – From 10–20 abilities; usually non-magical classes (e.g. Knight, Monk, Thief). 12 AP – From 21–30 abilities; usually mixed classes (e.g. Mystic Knight) 14 AP – From 31–40 abilities; usually pseudo-mages (e.g. Red Mage, Assassin) 16 AP – From 41–50 abilities; usually average mages (e.g. Time Mage, Green Mage) 18 AP – From 51–60 abilities; usually the primary mages (e.g. White Mage, Black Mage) 20 AP – From 61+; rare, but with extreme variability (e.g. Blue Mage)
Remember! All characters will automatically have the following Support Abilities for free: ____• 2 {Personal} supports (originally your two free passives). ____• 1 {Class} support—the classives we sent you. If you don't have one, we'll work with you! ____• 2 "[Element] Screen {Level}"'s of your choice (never your primary weakness, and not Dark without really good personal reasons). ____• 1 "[Element] Eater" and 1 "[Elemental] Peril" for your element and weakness, respectively. If non-elemental, ignore. ____• 1 magic regeneration ability—either MP Assault or MP Charge.
Meanwhile, all specific Disney Heroes (Earthlings + Canons) get these, too: ____• A free "Scan {Training}" support. ____• Your {Charm} bonus, which had these 4 choices (pick one!): _______• 2 "{Status} Block"s, chosen from hexes with a -5 difficulty or lower. _______• 1 "{Status} Block", chosen from hexes with a -6 difficulty or higher. _______• 1 "{Element} Ward", which can never be your weakness, and can't be Dark without really good personal reason. _______• 1 "{Stat} Boost".
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:27 pm
Aslan
There are many weapons in the world, and one's choice of weapon says more than you might believe. Indeed, you each wield weapons of unique power, given form by your hearts, giving testament to the strength and resilience you hold.
But if you are to emerge victorious from the tensions of battle, you must know how to claim victory over another, and your first observation of their style will surely be their weapons and how they are used. Yet, despite the countless forms to note, the weapons might best be set among three branches: those made for the fray, those made for safe distances, and those made to channel mystic force. We shall go over them in abstract first, with details to follow during training procedures.
— Aslan
There are countless types of weapons, but they each fall into one of three primary categories: Melee, Ranged, or Focus, determined by their potential for "basic" (non-elemental, 0-effect) attacks. Each weapon type comes with its own perks and disadvantages, so take them into account when choosing what will represent you, your class, and your fighting style.
____• MELEE: These need little introduction–most every typical "weapon" will be melee. Swords, poles, axes, daggers—basically, if it's primary purpose is physically damaging your opponent up close and personal, it's a melee weapon. Their basic attacks would be simple swings, stabs, etc—again, no serious explanation is necessary—and their damage is typically based on Strength against Defense (though in some peculiar cases, even a melee weapon can be used via Dexterity instead). If an obviously melee-oriented weapon has some sort of range functionality, such as Leon's gunblade, it can fire "basic" projectiles for free, but they would have extremely limited range (close-to-medium, likely no more than 20-25 feet) without some form of mana.
____• RANGED: From bows to guns to slingshots, these are also pretty self-explanatory. These weapons generally have enough range to cover an entire battlefield (within reason), and their primary purpose is to keep the wielder out of the fray. Being Heartbound, ammo is never limited—bullets, arrows, and other projectiles are generated with an negligible amount of mana (read: free). The projectiles, typically made of magic, are always completely basic and ordinary until mana is added, but damage itself is case-by-case. While all basic ranged attacks will use Dexterity (with some rare exceptions), which defensive stat it opposes can change between weapons: some may oppose Defense (such as Bobbi's bow) while others may oppose Resistance (such as Amy's guns). These are left up to the user at the time of weapon choice, though temporarily switching would be an easy and cheap ability to use. Ranged weapons can potentially have some back-up melee component, but it must clearly be last-resort; if the weapon can be wielded in Melee just as easily as Ranged, then you've approached a blurry line and will have to make a decision one way or another on how to change it slightly enough in one direction.
____• FOCUS: Focus weapons, also known as magic weapons, are basically your unconventional tools probably more suited for your class' talents than basic combat. Some examples so far have been a feather pen, a flute, fans, a tome, and floating mirrors. Clearly, these weapons would be unwieldy (though not impossible) to use in melee, and neither do they have basic projectiles. To make up for this, however, their "basic" attacks can be slightly unique. As always, they must be non-elemental and have no special effects, and to keep from stepping on Ranged weapons' toes, they have a limited range. All the same, these attacks would use the Magic stat to determine damage, and give the magic weapon a flavor of its own. The flute player might hit a single note and set off an individual blast under her target, the fan holder may send an unseen razor gale with a swing, or the mirror-wielder might try to damage her foes through their reflections. All damage is determined by Magic against Resistance.
Sora
Fights are normally pretty hectic, but honestly, they tend to come down to one thing: who gets the last hit in. And that's either going to be the person who hits the hardest, or the person who hits the most. If you can do both, all the better, but then you're falling short elsewhere.
If you're taking the route of strength over speed, you need to be sure your hits count, but also need to be sure you can take the hits coming your way—faster people will run circles around you. Riku can tell you all about that.
Personally, I prefer the speed route. If you're doing more than your opponent, then you tend to control the battle, right? That's why it's important to be fast on your feet and quick with your hands! The problem is, it might take you more hits than someone else to get the job done, so in the end the two ways basically cancel each other out. But... well, it's all up to what you're good at.
In really small fights, like between you and a friend, it can get tense. You're both watching each other, so even as fast as you move, they'll be keeping an eye out to counter and react. But in fights with more people, it gets pretty crazy—no one can watch everyone, so you can usually work as fast as necessary without interruption. The more friends on your side, the better, right?
Honestly, it's easier to show than tell. Who's up first?
— Sora
Your Actions per Round (henceforth ApR), as you might expect, is the number of times your character can do some sort of battle-related action in one round of combat—and generally does not include the reaction (such as blocking or dodging) unless the reaction is complex enough to warrant the use of an action. If you're attacking, casting spells, or doing pretty much anything besides talking and walking, it counts as an action.
Base ApR is determined by the taking your Speed modifier, dividing it by 2, and adding 1 ([Mod/2]+1), with a minimum of 1. This basically breaks down into the following:
____• _1 – _2 = ½; in a large fight, this is rounded up to 1 ____• _3 – _6 = 1 ____• _7 – 10 = 2 ____• 11 – 14 = 3 ____• 15 – 18 = 4
And so on every additional +4 Speed. In order to make things feel realistically paced, however, we would like try to meet the lowest ApR and give the rest of the combatants proportional actions.
For example, let us say that A has 4 Speed (1 ApR), B has 8 Speed (2 ApR), C has 1 Speed (½ ApR), and D has 15 Speed (4 ApR).
_____• If A (1 ApR) fights B (2 ApR), then A gets one action per round and B gets two actions per round. _____• If D (4 ApR) fights B (2 ApR), then D gets two actions per round while B gets one (because they can be easily divided down to 1). _____• If D (4 ApR), B (2 ApR), and C (½ ApR) are fighting, then D gets 4 actions per round, B gets 2, and C gets 1 ApR (though he will go last every time).
And other variations like that. This is not a rule so much as a preference; this way, while it will add another step before battle, it will make each round less convoluted with actions!
If you have an odd combination—such as 2 (B) and 3 (E)—you could break it down to a pattern, such as E-B-EE-B repeat, and so long as it stays that way, it would be fair. But again: not necessary.
And, frankly, probably never going to happen outside of one or two small instances; really, what are the odds of us getting isolated into 1-on-1 fights...?
Goofy
Awlright then, guess I'll teach ya like I teach the rest of the guards!
When yer fightin', it's just as important t'know when to block as it is t'know when to attack! You'd be surprised how many think it's just one'r the other, but no siree—attackin's easy, defendin's much harder. Sora's good, but there's a reason I used a shield more often than not... all the easier to block and push back!
The key to attackin's just knowin' where yer target is and teachin'em what's what. But the key to defendin's knowin' yer enemy and bein' fast enough to do so! Ya gotta be quick on yer toes to dodge, and ya gotta be quick on the draw to block—too slow and you or yer friend's toast!
— Goofy
So the question that inevitably arises in combat: how do we determine what hits and what doesn't?
Well, for the most part, we leave that up to you guys to decide realistically. If you look at the situation, with just a brief comparison of base stats, you can usually tell what should hit, what shouldn't hit, and what can be blocked. We're all pretty good about this, so we trust you guys not to go overboard with the dodges, perma-blocks, or auto-hits.
Repeat: we largely leave this up to you to decide.
That said, there might be some tricky or debatable scenarios. So, if any choice is called into question, we have some mechanics set aside for those that want to settle it the old fashioned way.
First, let's clarify some things.
Strength is the default accuracy stat for melee attacks. Why? Good question! Mechanically, we want to keep Dexterity from being a god-stat that everyone must have. Thematically, though, after reading explanations of other game systems and people who've actually trained in martial arts, there is a time for hand-eye coordination and a time for... well, simply being strong enough to take your weapon from point A to point B fast enough that the target can't dodge. Is it 'accurate'? Not if you're necessarily aiming for some small location, but your average melee assault is just trying to hit. And so Strength is used.
Dexterity is our default accuracy stat for ranged attacks, and for any melee attack that's focused more on (you guessed it) dexterity and accuracy over sheer force. Whether you're firing arrow or bullet, or if you're using a melee weapon for a more finesse-based strike (such as, say, a rapier or whip), you'll use Dexterity for your attacks.
Magic, then, becomes fairly self-explanatory. Abilities that are purely magical--conjuring a bolt of lightning or tossing a homing fireball--will use this stat. Keyword here is purely; if you're using magic to instead enhance another attack (such as adding fire damage to a melee strike), you will still use the default stat for determining that attack's accuracy.
So then, how do you actually figure out the effectiveness of an attack?
First, roll 1d20 and add the Modifier for your attacking stat (STR, MAG, DEX), as well as any other bonuses that might apply to accuracy. Then you check that number against the target's appropriate 'armor class', of which there will be two, depending on the type of damage:
Physical AC = 10 + [REF Mod] + [DEF Mod] Magical AC = 10 + [REF Mod] + [RES Mod]
These will be listed in an easy spot near the top of their profile!
If your result is less than the target's respective AC, then your attack misses. However, if your result is equal to or greater than the target's respective AC, your attack hits!
That brings us to damage. The amount of damage you do is equal to whatever remains of your result after subtracting the target's AC, +1. The +1, of course, is because even in a case of the result being perfectly equal, you still hit, and damage is guaranteed. Additionally, if there are any other bonuses that might not have applied to the accuracy roll--such as bonus magical enhancements--then you apply them here. Elemental calculations happen here; if they are weak to the element of your attack, double the damage done, and so on. Elemental immunity is the only way a successful hit can do 0 damage.
In the end, the damage may seem extremely small. Well, we also have very few hit points! If we increase one, we have to increase the other.
Meanwhile, there may be some abilities that--as suggested above--are not physically present or dodgeable. Typically, these might be simple hex casts (which have their own system) or other, more unique spells, such as Drain or Syphon. Since these are considered 'auto-hit', they will have their own rules.
And that's basically it. There are a dozen different ways this could go wrong or be abused, I'm sure, but it's what we've got right now. Besides, unless a significant number of people even care, there's no point in really pursuing it further. All of the above is probably going to be more than enough for most people. Again, all you really need to do is look at the situation and make the call; we typically trust you guys to be smart and fair about all this.
Of course, this only covers basic offense. With a system like ours, there's all sorts of quirky things you can do. Maybe to defend against an ability, it has one part reflex save and one part fortitude save, or one part against resistance and one part requiring strength. You describe the ability as best you can in concept, and we'll make sure it works mechanically!
Please note, again, that status effects have their own calculations!
Magic is that mystical force that, put as simply as possible, allows one to affect reality with a combination of willpower and energy. One's potential with magic is mostly limited by their imagination, their stores of personal power, and the types of magic available to them, either through training or gifts. With that said, there are certain ways to quantify and understand magic that one should know in order to properly prepare themselves to use its supernatural effects.
The Enchantress
When we conjure flames from the air, when we bend healing breezes to our whims, when we tear open the night sky to rain curses upon our enemies, we are all going through the same process: casting ætherial energy into some corporeal manifestation that the world calls 'magic'. There are always three steps, and while we often complete them as swiftly as breathing, they are just as vital. We weave a mental design in our minds, we grasp at the formless power of mana, and then we let that mana loose into the weave, filling it with the power that brings dreams into reality.
Occasionally, though, some spells are too grand to complete in such a breath. Perhaps they are exceptionally powerful, or perhaps they have more layers of complexity than can be designed in such a short span. Regardless, these spells require that you take more time, focusing for seconds longer to conjure up the proper mixture of power and will.
Or maybe you simply want more complexity or strength. In such cases, you must willfully take the time to pause and concentrate. Should you want the spell to have greater complexity, you would need to take longer on the first step, creating a more intricate weave through which your power can manifest. On the other hand, should you desire the magic to be more overwhelming, you would pause on the middle step, reaching for greater amounts of energy, further depths of spirit, to fill the imagined spell.
There are, of course, spells that require constant focus to maintain; here, as you might imagine, the magician is held at the third stage, channeling power into design and holding it steady so that the effects remain.
Regardless of the circumstance, though, you must be ever-vigilant while taking such time to charge your power! Should your concentration break, should your foes interrupt you in the midst of your casting, the spell will be rent asunder, left incomplete either because weave and will were not allowed to join, or because the two required unceasing dedication to remain fused. In these cases, the more complex designs are unraveled in our shock, and the additional channeled mana is let free into nothing, lost to us—we must start the casting from scratch. Choose your moments carefully...
— The Enchantress
Magic casting generally occurs like this: you envision something, call up energy, and then let it loose, all within an instant (read: a single action). However, while forming the spell is usually instantaneous, you could opt to take longer in order to alter the default spell in some way—this is called magic charging. There are three types of magic charging: required charges, enhancing charges, and metamagic charges.
Required Charges are the easiest to understand, because their name is fairly literal: they are charges that are required just to use the ability at all. Most Level 4 spells have at least one required charge, and all summoning has one required charge. These charges do not enhance the ability in any way—they are solely used in preparing the magic itself. Without spending the required actions charging, you cannot use the ability!
Enhancing Charges are the most basic kind of optional charge. Enhancing charges essentially allow you to spend your action(s) amplifying a spell in some way, whether for more power, range, or duration; choose from the various Spell Level options!. For example, maybe you want to enhance the spell's damage, or maybe the area of effect--there are options for that! All enhancement charges increase the spell's level—and thus, their MP cost—by one (1).
Metamagic Charges are a more unique form of spell-formation. When used, instead of amplifying the qualities already present in the spell, the caster can combine other spells or non-magic abilities for additional effects. For instance, if the user knows Fire and Ignite, she can begin charging Fire for one action, using the second action to add the Ignite effect and let it loose, making the spell use both abilities simultaneously. In another example, if the user knows Blizzard and wants to make her next physical attack have added ice damage, she can charge the Blizzard spell for one action to mold it around her weapon before attacking in the next action. All metamagic charges increase the original spell's level and MP cost by the level and cost of each ability added.
When charging a spell, or otherwise maintaining a spell already in place, they must keep their focus on it at all times—they cannot change gears (without some form of help), or the spell "thread" will be let go. Some spells require this, not in order to become stronger, but in order for their effects to continue at all. This is considered magic holding—continuously pooling your attention, and possible mana, into a single spell. Maybe doing so allows you to replenish a magic barrier that's taking damage; maybe doing so allows you to more constantly damage your foes. Either way, if you have to focus, it will take up additional actions.
However, be careful! If you are attacked or appropriately distracted in any way while charging or holding a spell (generally via damage to life force), you will be Interrupted. In the case of charging, you stop charging, the mana you built up is lost, and the spell fails. In the case of holding, the spell is set loose, with whatever consequences that might incur, such as the spell falling apart or the barrier being damaged. Note that, generally speaking, once your ties to a spell have been severed, it is difficult, if not impossible, to regain control of it. Avoid interruption at all cost!
Donald (weird accent and all)
Listen up, boys and girls, I'm gonna teach you about how you take old magic and make some new magic!
You see, each spell is a combination of different magical traits. How much the spell costs you is determined by the number and power of those different traits—the more numerous or powerful, the more energy it'll take.
Most basic spells only do one thing or another. They're like the first building block—easy to cast, but not that strong. With a little charge time, you can add more to it to make it more powerful and more costly—pretty easy, right?
But battles go by fast; if you're too busy castin' one thing, you won't be able to work on others, like if a friend needs healing! So what if you wanna do those more powerful ones without the wait? You gotta practice, practice, practice!!! If you practice a spell with the same added powers over and over, it'll get so easy you can do it just as fast as the first spell—and that's how you get to more powerful magic! They're like the next level of spell, which is always reeeeaally handy.
Spells are all basically different levels of a tree. Your basic building blocks form the trunks, and the more you add and practice, the greater your abilities get and the more your power grows! Just be careful of the really powerful ones—no matter how much you practice, some magic just takes too much power to do in an instant.
— Donald
The majority of magic spells are unique abilities developed by the user, but there are also a decent number of spells that form "trees", with each different "level" of spell having greater power for a greater cost. We see this in the more commonly taught spells, such as Fire, Fira, Firaga, and Firaza. Fire is the base spell, and how you design that base spell defines the rest of the tree. For instance, KH1-Fire is a fireball. KH2-Fire is a spiral of flame around the user. To upgrade these, you add new effects or increase the current spell's effects. So KH1-Fira is a more powerful fireball, and KH2-Fira is a larger spiral of flame.
The beauty of roleplay and writing, however, is that you get to choose. How does the spell start? How does the tree grow?
In all cases, the cost of a spell is typically decided by the scale and potency of its effects. Fira has one increased effect, so it's level 2, and costs 2 MP. Firaga goes one further, and so on. Still, these effects are extremely variable, and sometimes dependent on the base spell—giving increased projectile speed to KH2-Fire would be pretty pointless, since it's not a projectile.
Here are some baseline examples. Each one increases the spell level (and cost) by 1, but you can pick them each multiple times to stack:
___• Increased spellpower (+2 MAG) ___• Increased physical strength (+2 STR) ___• Increased precision (+2 DEX) ___• Increased damage (+4 STR/MAGMAG after successful roll) ___• Increased duration (+1 action [or] round) [depends on the type of spell being enhanced] ___• Durability [used to give a spell's form staying power equal to your MAG; things with durability will ALWAYS be level 2 and have this attachment] ___• Increased Durability (+50% of base Durability) ___• Split Projectiles (Projectiles individually roll for attack; damage remainder is divided by number of projectiles, then multiplied by 1.5x)
The following ones have somewhat arbitrary numeric values—how much they can be increased by really depends on the type of spell itself.
___• Increased force (+knockback) ___• Increased area of effect (+## feet diameter, reduce target Evasion by -1 per upgrade)
Then there's this one, only useful for spells that are higher level and have required charges.
___• Quickened cast time (-1 action); increases Spell Cost by +2, rather than Spell Level. [Limit 1 per spell]
For instance, Wall: Wall is technically Protect + Shell, and should cost 4MP and a charge. But you can cast Protect and Shell separately for that exact same price; the entire point of Wall is to cast both in less time. This 'upgrade' is how that will work: you trade 1 required charge for 2 additional MP. It doesn't affect the spell level in any way due to being a trade-off as opposed to an upgrade.
And these are just some examples; run any additional ideas by us, and if it works, we'll probably include it in the Miscellaneous post with the others for quick reference!
Now for some examples, we'll continue to use the KH1-Fire tree for ease, and build our own tree. I'll use examples from above, including one of the statuses, Pain, which is a Level 1 status.
__•Fire - Level 1; a missile of fire. _______•Fira - Level 2; Fire, with increased potency [+2 MAG]. _______•Firaga - Level 3; Fire, with increased potency [+2 MAG] and increased area of effect [+5 ft radius]. _______•Firaza - Level 4; Fire, with double increased potency [+4 MAG], increased area of effect [+5 radius]. Requires a charge.
_______•Searing Fire - Level 2; Fire, with added Pain effect. _______•Searing Fira - Level 3; Fire, with added Pain effect and increased potency [+2 MAG].
As you can see, the increased levels are effectively mimicking enhancement and metamagic charges. Effectively, that is how spell trees will be developed! If the wielder uses the same combination of spell and charge(s) on a repeated or regular basis, they will eventually grow so accustomed to the casting that it will become a unique, next-level ability that can be cast with the same effects (and costs) but without the actions spent charging.
Please note that this idea—that a spell's cost is determined by its cumulative effects—is not restricted to normal spell trees. Even unique spells will have varying costs determined by the number and/or potency of their effects. This includes more potent 'super abilities' that might require charges simply due to the strength of their inherent effects; more often than not, they will not get increment boosts such as the above.
Spells can (typically) be cast regardless of the caster's Magic stat, but their overall strength will still be determined by that stat. Increasing the spell's power beyond the Magic stat requires dedicating a new level's upgrade (such as making Fira identical to Fire, but with a +2 Magic increase), or charging the spell.
For some concrete examples, please see the Miscellaneous post near the bottom! Search for the question "What are some examples of spell levels?"
Riku
Understanding how magic fundamentally works is important, but understanding magic's various manifestations can be the difference between victory and defeat.
It's extremely rare that any two spells will be identical unless the casters are following the same teachings. However, while they may have different effects or presentations, they may still draw from similar powers in the world—what you might call elements. There are many different elements out there, but there are twelve particular elements that tend to interact with one another in volatile pairs.
First, you have the elements that make up primal interactions: fire and ice, electricity and water, earth and wind. These are pretty self-explanatory.
Then there are the two mortal elements, Nature and Decay. The former is all about life and growth; the latter, as you can expect, is all about death and rot. Neither is necessarily good or evil, but merely the ways such magic manifests.
After that, you have the cosmic elements, Space and Time. Space is about manipulating the material world and the three-dimensional axis, while Time is about manipulating its namesake's flow. Both of these feel a strong association with the seas between worlds, hence why Space users call down meteors and Time users deal with cosmic energy.
Finally, you have the elements of the heart, Light and Darkness. Light deals with unity, enhancement by bonds, and protection, while Darkness deals with individuality, strength through personal desire, and sacrifice. If you take away nothing else, understand this: just like the universal forces that inspire these elements, neither of them is innately good or evil. They are two halves of the same whole. It's just that those who do evil tend to do so with selfish reasons and goals at heart, willing to sacrifice more than is morally right.
Recognizing these manifestations is important, especially for those of you with elemental spirits. Knowing what your enemy uses means knowing how to counter—and knowing if they counter you. If you see someone using the opposite of your element, be on your guard! While you might do loads of damage to them, they will hurt you, for sure.
Again, these aren't the only elemental manifestations in the world, just the the most common, interacting ones. The Organization is a perfect example of other, individual elements: Xemnas controlled the essence of nothing, Zexion controlled the concept of illusion, and Saix channeled the power of lunar fury.
— Riku
There are twelvebasic* elements, each with a corresponding opposite.
_____• The six primal elements: Fire and Ice, Lightning and Water, and Wind and Earth.
_____• The elements of governing mortality, Nature and Decay. __________Basic curative magic is (usually) of the Nature element. __________Death and poison-based magics are (usually) of the Decay element.
_____• The elements of the cosmos, Space and Time.
_____• The elements at the heart of all things, Light and Darkness.
When combined carelessly—or offensively—these elemental pairs will react dangerously. Rather than simply canceling each other out, as in most magic conflict, the two elements will catalyze into an even larger eruption first, then negate one another.
If one is more powerful than the other (say, a 12 Firaga versus an 8 Blizzara), then after the reaction, the more powerful one wins out just like normal magic, passing over the weaker one, but having been reduced in strength (i.e. 12 Firaga becoming 4 Firaga).
* - These are not the only possible elements. If you have another element that doesn't fit with these somehow, feel free to include it.
Not all magic must be elemental! Your magic can be non-elemental, and even show itself uniquely without becoming its own 'element'.
On another note, the magic's appearance does not decide its element. Ice elemental magic may just as easily take the form of cold flame as it does actual ice. Approaching it from the other side, if you're Light elemental, and you wanted your magic to take the form of flames, then rather than the scorching, consumptive blaze, the fires would radiate warmth and compassion; rather than burning everything, it might only burn dark-users, and may in fact help others.
Simply put, magic is magic. Appearance is one thing; effect is another.
Genie
Oh man! Summoning, let me tell you, that's some real power in your corner—I should know, I was one for awhile!
Far as we can tell, those spirits inside you are basically super-condensed clumps of magic—so much, in fact, that it had enough consciousness to cling on to your hearts when you dropped through into our world! Weirder than that, connecting to your hearts seemed to give them an extra boost in forming an identity—specifically, an identity based on you!
At least, that's as much as we can gather. We thought maybe they were already individual entities, but some of you have shown that they change when you change a significant amount—basically, your summons are like magical representations of your inner selves, either amplifying your strengths or covering your weaknesses. It's all super cool—but I've been told it's impolite to just jump into people's chests to have a chat without permission, so I wouldn't know (hint: invite me!).
Now, it's pretty clear you squirts all know you get a whole array of powers drawn from your summons. But if you really wanna give the bad guys the good ol' one-two, you gotta know how to properly harness those spirits, too!
So you've got two options with your little big pals. The first one is more about showcasing their true power: evoking! You pool together a bit of power, use it to mold a connection between your heart and the world, and boom: your summon appears and unleashes a single, massive ability! Almost like your fancy, whaddyacallem, Limit Breaks, but whenever you want! Buuuut it’ll take all your power, just like’em, so don’t do it all willy-nilly!
The second one, though, that one's for tough spots, when you want to show off your magic muscles with some serious teamwork—I'm talkin' about conjuring! This one's a doozy. Rather than letting loose all their power at once, you focus on giving them a form, and bam-boom, the spirit rushes into reality, breaking all sorts of physics and ready to fight! Because these guys are magic, they're immune to all sorts of nasty bugs you guys might get, but watch out: stuff that hurts magic will tear them to shreds, and if you lose connection or get knocked out, they're toast! Now, with enough power, these guys can totally turn the battle around, but be extra careful: any magic they use is powered using your own well of magic, so they can run you dry faster than you can say "Drought in Agrabah"—that's the price of phenomenal cosmic power!
Now, let's try it out, shall we? Who wants to unleash untold arcane chaos first? Slow down, one at a time!
— Genie
Summoning is a unique ability, typically exclusive to Earthlings (and the rare but occasional canon), and there are a couple ways it can occur. The two primary ways this can be done are Evoking and Conjuring, and both use Summon Points.
Summon Points (hereafter SP) contribute to the strength of your Evocations and the duration of your Conjurations. A summoner’s SP begins at 3 and is increased by their Energy stat tier—having 1-6 ENG gives +1, 7-10 gives +2, and so on. There are other means of boosting SP, as well, such as with Support Abilities. SP does not naturally regenerate in battle; once used, you must wait for a decent resting period before the points begin to return, so choose your summon use carefully.
Evoking is how summoning typically occurs in the classic games: the caster unleashes the summon's power for a single massive move. These moves are on par with Limit Breaks in terms of scale—no target limitations, and no (hard) range limitations. Even better, these evocations do not have to be offensive—you can unleash a great healing or supportive spell, if such an ability is in your summon's power.
In order to Evoke a summon, the caster must charge for at least two(2) actions. It can be worth the wait to charge it further, however, as the greater your Magic, the greater its power. Further, the evocation’s power is always boosted by the total number of SP, all of which are consumed in the summoning. As you can imagine, though, unleashing a Limit Break-like move is still extremely costly mana-wise: Evoking drains all MP, forcing you to replenish your mana before you can do any other supernatural abilities.
Conjuring is the form of summoning found in later games, such as Final Fantasy X and XII: rather than unleashing your summon's might in a single, awe-inspiring feat, you channel your mana into physical form, calling their spirit into reality. As a result, your summon can fight alongside you and your allies indefinitely—and they can be devastating game-changers, turning the tides of battle in an instant.
In order to properly Conjure a summon, the caster must charge for at least one(1) action before manifesting their aeon’s spirit in reality. However, just like with any magic, it may be worth the wait to charge even longer: your Magic level will determine the strength of your summon's new form, as every additional point in Magic generates additional points that you will distribute into your summon's stats, and determines the maximum the stat may be. The cost of the summoning remains steep, though: to conjure your summon, you pay MP equal to triple (3x) the Magic stat tier.
A Conjured summon will have Strength, Magic, Dexterity, Reflexes, and Speed stats, distributed using the points gathered through summoning. They lack the defensive stats because they treat damage differently, and they lack Energy because they share the same mana pool as their summoner. Additionally, some of these points may be spent on bonus support abilities (with normal AP costs), if you so choose, though a summon may never lose the primary weakness of their element. Another useful trait: Conjured summons are immune to all status effects.
Conjured summons stay on the field for a number of turns equal to the summoner’s SP. However, if they are struck by an effect that specifically damages magic or removes magical effects, they lose a point—shortening their duration by an entire round. This includes Dispel-like effects. As a result, though they may not have to worry about defenses, they should still be cautious, trying to dodge any such effects.
NOTE: When trying to determine the strength of your Conjuration, check here!!! No one expects you to memorize this slew of numbers—just find your Magic at the time of summoning, and find out its strength on the chart. As always, the mods are always open to questions if you're confused or uncertain.
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:31 pm
Calypso
Ah, yeh seek t'know deh magic o' change? Yeh come to deh right wo-man.
Battles, t'ey shift like currents in deh sea. If yeh want t'control d'ose currents, t'give strengt' t'one and strip powah from anot'er, yeh need t'learn how t'manipulate powah itself. Yeh'll find dat givin' powah is easy—no one turns dere nose up at a little extra...—but t'take? Dat's anot'er story. For dat, yeh'll need t'add a little more... mmph, y'know?
— Calypso
In battle, there's more than just damage and elements. A unique way to manipulate the flow of battle is to cause status changes. The following lists all basic, commonly shared status changes, but this is not every possible status. People can invent their own versions of these statuses, though an immunity to the listed counterpart still counts. People can also invent their own statuses!
The two main ways to change statuses are positive and negative: Buffs and Hexes, respectively.
The following are positive status effects. They do not require any sort of 'chance', and always deal the same effect. The only variable is the time in which the status remains, though the default is 3 rounds.
Nul- – Level 1; Negates the next three attacks of the specified element. En- – Level 1; Converts all basic attacks to the specified element. Vanish – Level 1; Target is temporarily rendered invisible. _____Vanira – Level 2; Target is rendered both invisible and inaudible. _____Vaniga – Level 3; Target is rendered invisible, inaudible, and even intangible, with any physical attack passing right through them. However, if attacked with homing magic, the magic is guaranteed to strike. Solo-cast only. Float – Level 1; Raises the target off the ground by a few feet, making them immune to terrain-related effects. _____Flight – Level 3; Grants the ability to fly unhindered. Solo-target only. Regen – Level 1; Heals small amounts of the target's health over time; 10% Max HP per round. Negated by Poison, Sap and other damage-over-time abilities. Refresh – Level 1; Heals small amounts of the target's mana over time; 10% Max MP per round. Cannot self-cast. Negated by Plague and other mana-damage-over-time abilities. Vigilance – Level 1; Adds the chance of a 'Delay' effect to all basic attacks. Bravery – Level 2; Increases Strength by 1.5x. Negated by Wither. _____Valor – Level 3; Doubles the Strength of the next strike. Solo-cast only, ignores Bravery if present. Faith – Level 2; Increases Magic by 1.5x. Negated by Addle. _____Devotion – Level 3; Doubles the Magic of the next spell. Solo-cast only, ignores Faith if present. Focus – Level 2; Increases Dexterity by 1.5x. Negated by Blind. _____Precision – Level 3; Doubles the Dexterity of the next action. Solo-cast only, ignores Focus if present. Protect – Level 2; Increases Defense by 1.5x. Negated by Expose. Shell – Level 2; Increases Resistance by 1.5x. Negated by Shear. _____Wall – Level 4; Applies both Protect and Shell, or refreshes their duration. Rather than requiring 1 charge, costs 6 MP. Blink – Level 2; Increases target's Reflexes by 1.5x. Negated by Disorient. Haste – Level 2; Increases Speed by 1.5x. Negated by Slow. Veil – Level 2; Increases all Saves by +10. The first status ailment to 'succeed' is negated, and Veil ends. Barrier – Level 2; Increases all Elemental Affinities by one level (Peril → Risk → Indifferent → Screen/Ward → Block → Eater). Decoy – Level 2; Creates an illusory decoy that only enemies see, guaranteeing that the next attack specifically aimed at the target misses. Pierce – Level 2; Allows attacks and spells to pierce through protective enchantments. Ignores all levels of Protect, Shell, Wall, Reflect, Barrier, and Veil. Potency – Level 2; Every successful hit has a 33% chance of becoming a Critical Hit. Bubble – Level 3; Temporarily doubles Current and Max HP of the target; solo-target only. Negated by Wound. Reflect – Level 3; Reflects hostile targeted magic that might affect the target back at the caster. Reraise – Level 4; Should the target be knocked down to 0HP, they will automatically revive moments later with a small amount of health. Solo-target only, requires one charge; one caster can only cast on up to [MAG Tier –1] amount of people, and any additional castings will erase the oldest version. Lucky Shot – Level 4; Turns successful hits into Critical Hits that add 100% of the user's Dexterity to the damage. Solo-cast only, requires a charge. Aura – Level 4; Allows target to use a Limit Break regardless of health conditions. Solo-target only, always requires a charge, can only be cast once per fight.
The following are negative status effects, and they are dictated by chance. The effects are usually the same, though sometimes a personal variation may be added. The statuses are separated by difficulties—depending on the difficulty, the attacking value may or may not be changed.
When deciding if a hex succeeds:
1.) Determine the type of status. _____• If the status is inflicted using raw physical force, it uses Strength. For example, a Stun attempt by striking their head. _____• If the status is inflicted using magic means, it uses Magic. For example, a Poison attempt by summoning toxic vapors. _____• If the status is inflicted by pure, skillful accuracy, it uses Dexterity. For example, a Disable attempt by deftly slicing at the target's wrist.
2.) Roll a d20*, add your offensive stat, deduct any difficulty penalties, and check your elemental multipliers** to get your final result. _____* – Certain exceptionally difficult statuses may require different rolls. _____** – Elemental affinities affect the total result. If they are immune to the element of the spell, they are immune to the hex; if they are weak to the element, then the entire result is doubled.
3.) Compare your result to the defender's respective Save stat (Fortitude for Strength, Will for Magic, or Dodge for Dexterity) to determine the results.
_____Hex Failure if your result is lower than the Save. _____ _____Hex Success if your result is greater than or equal to the Save.
Difficulties are listed in {brackets}. {-#} means you subtract that number from your power; {#x} means you must repeat the same roll that many times, and succeed at them all.
Poison {-0} – Level 1; Slowly depletes the target's health at a rate of -10% Max HP per round. Negated by Regen. Bleeding {-0} – Level 1; Slowly depletes the target's health at a rate of -10% Max HP per round. Negated by Regen. Plague {-0} – Level 1; Slowly depletes the target's mana at a rate of -10% Max MP per round. Negated by Refresh. Delay {-0} – Level 1; In large battles, pushes the target's next round back by 1 person; in small battles, makes them lose 1 action from their next round; stacks up to 2 times per round; Incurable except by Quick-like effects. Break {-0} – Level 1; Reduces a single, specified stat by 4. Incurable. Wither {-0} – Level 2; Reduces the target's Strength by half. Negated by Bravery. Addle {-0} – Level 2; Reduces the target's Magic by half. Negated by Faith. Blind {-0} – Level 2; Reduces the target's Dexterity by half. Negated by Focus. Expose {-0} – Level 2; Reduces the target's Defense by half. Negated by Protect. Shear {-0} – Level 2; Reduces the target's Resistance by half. Negated by Shell. Disorient {-0} – Level 2; Reduces the target's Reflexes by half. Negated by Blink. Slow {-0} – Level 2; Reduces the target's Speed by half. Negated by Haste.
Stun {-2} – Level 1; The target is stunned, forced to try and recompose himself; they lose the first two upcoming actions, or one full round (of true ApR), whichever is less; an immediate follow-up success instead Dazes the target. Amnesia {-2} – Level 2; Causes the target to forget all AP-bought moves and supports. Reversal {-2} – Level 2; Envelopes the target in a mystic aura of reversal, switching all healing and damaging effects.
Sap {-3} – Level 2; Depletes the target’s health, -20% HP per round. Negated by Regen. Pain {-3} – Level 2; Completely removes the ability to use physical abilities of any sort, including weapon use and basic attacks. Silence/Fog {-3} – Level 2; Completely removes the ability to channel magical abilities. Disable {-3} – Level 2; Hexes the target’s system, making them unable to act (but not block or dodge). Immobilize {-3} – Level 2; Hexes the target’s system, making them unable to move (but not evade). Pacify {-3} – Level 2; Drains the target of the desire to fight. In battle, they will not resist with any form of action, but they will still protect themselves via dodging and blocking. Out of battle, the target loses the desire to argue outright, and instead resolves themselves to passive disagreement. Attempting to Charm a successfully Pacified target reduces the additive difficulty of both rolls from -5 to -2. Confusion {-3} – Level 2; Baffles the target's mind. In battle, the target cannot think straight whatsoever and acts randomly, as well as targets randomly, including friends, foes, and themselves. Lasts a random length of time: every round, the victim flips a coin (or generates 1–2), and if it lands on tails (or 2), they remain confused. Out of battle, the target is simply made insane, wandering and babbling incoherently. Esuna forces another coin flip, but can only be truly cured by being physically struck. Berserk {-3} – Level 2; Enrages the target beyond thought. In battle, the target begins to mindlessly attack his/her opponents, unable to focus or use any sort of special ability or spell. Out of battle, the target goes on a rampage, violently acting out regarding some frustration that has been bothering them recently. Strength and Speed are increased by 1.2x. Fear {-3} – Level 2; Drains the target of all courage, causing him/her to be scared of even their own shadows. In battle, target can't do anything offensively—they will only run away immediately, and defend themself if necessary. Out of battle, the target becomes cowardly, jumping at every sound, seeking out what they consider the safest place immediately; intimidation is almost always successful in this state, depending on the topic's importance to the person. Lasts 2 rounds. Negated by Bravery; Overwritten by Berserk. Wound {-3} – Level 3; Halves the characters current and maximum HP and CON. Negated by Bubble. Lure {-3} – Level 2; Hexes the target such that they become obsessed with targeting a specific enemy, and only that enemy (an ally chosen by caster) for the duration.
Ignited {-4} – Level 2; Magical fire! Rapidly depletes the target’s health, -30% Max HP per round, but typically only lasts 2 rounds. Can be cut short by water magic or spending a full turn doing the stop-drop-and-roll (seriously). Daze {-4} – Level 2; The target is utterly dazed, unable to act (but still react); they lose the first three upcoming actions, or one full round (of true ApR), whichever is greater. Old {-4} – Level 3; Makes the target feel elderly, lowering all stats by 3 every round until they reach 1. Curable, but stats return slowly at the same pace. Gradual-Petrify {-4} – Level 3; Acts as a poison which slowly begins to petrify the target over the course of 3 rounds. In the first round, the target’s speed is halved; in the second, they are unable to move or act; on the third round, their entire body becomes unbreakable stone and remains that way until the end of the battle. Cured normally on rounds 1 and 2, but after round 3, can only be cured by Esunaza or equivalent. Bind {-4} – Level 3; The target suffers the effects of Immobilize and Pain, effectively locked in place until broken free. Paralyze {-4} – Level 3; The target is completely paralyzed in place, unable to act or react for one round or three enemy actions, whichever passes first. Freeze {-4} – Level 3; The target is completely frozen via ice, unable to act or react for one round or three enemy actions, whichever passes first. Only curable with Esunaza, fire magic, physical damage, though physical damage will cause an instant loss of 50% total CON.
Sleep {-5} – Level 2; Puts the target to sleep for 2 full rounds (of true ApR). Can be cured by a physical hit. Stop {-5} – Level 3; Locks the target in place and time, unable to act or react for two rounds or five enemy actions, whichever passes first. Also stops status countdowns for the duration. Atheist {-5} – Level 3; The victim loses all magical ability, but also becomes immune to all magic effects for the duration. Incurable (because immune to magic). Imperil {-5} – Level 3; Lowers all Elemental Affinities (Eater → Block → Screen(/Ward) → Indifferent → Risk → Peril), and reduces all Saves by -10. Cowardice {-5} – Level 3; A more powerful Fear. Reduces the victim's Strength and Magic to 1, and strikes unshakeable fear into them, making them run far from battle every action they have. Also increases their Reflexes by 10, however.
Charm {-5, 2x} – Level 3; Afflicts the target's desires, convincing them to help the caster however possible. In battle, the target is immediately convinced to help their enemies, fighting against their original allies however possible; they are not necessarily under command, but they are open to suggestion. Outside of battle, the target becomes immediately amenable to the caster's words, seeking to help them however they can—to an extent. They will not betray their greatest intimacies or principles without a third successful Charm roll, and bodily rights are never guaranteed through this magic; though Charm certainly give the caster a head-start, so to speak, that level of consent is still absolutely necessary. Curable only by a physical attack or Esunaza.
Doom {-6, 2x} – Level 3; The target is unaffected for three rounds. At the end of the third round, they fall unconscious without warning. Incurable. Negated by Re-Raise.
Any status with a difficulty of {-7} or greater: can only be single-target; can only be cured by Esunaza or equivalent, unless otherwise mentioned; will always require 1 charge minimum, and will require a round-long cooldown.
Vit-0 {-7, 2x} – Level 4; Reduces target's Defense and Resistance to 1. Toad {-8, 2x} – Level 4; Turns the target into a frog. Cannot use weapons, cannot use spells or special abilities. All stats are reverted to 1 until the status is lifted. Petrify {-10, 2x} – Level 4; The target is turned into unbreakable stone until the end of battle. Auto-KO {-10, 2x} – Level 4; The target instantly loses all HP and is knocked out; only curable by Raise or equivalent.
Miscellaneous Information
Unless otherwise stated, any ailment may be healed by Esuna and any equivalents. If a status requires Esunaza or an equivalent, it means it requires a Level 4 cleansing spell, which would have a one-charge minimum requirement. Incurable – Esuna/Esunaza and other purging moves do not work. Negated by – The two statuses negate each other, leaving neither of them. Overwritten by – One status is removed, but the other one remains.
Some of you are already familiar with those unique powers infused with your magic clothing—but it can't hurt to have a refresher, right dears?
The magic holding the Dress Spheres together is some of our own patchwork, with Merlin's help. You see, it's made out of all our magic, working in tandem, bonded together in unity. The sphere's magic, in turn, attaches to your heart and uses its own magic to form what best suits you. And, as it turns out, it helps enforce the bond between you and those magical spirits of yours! What serendipity!
As you can see, though, there's a pattern: this magic draws on the very essence of unity, the bonds of trust and friendship that give the heart some of its fiercest strength. In times of duress, when those bonds are stressed by danger, you can reach out and to those you trust most, and the heart's yearning will amplify the bond's magic to such momentous heights as to actually unify your spirits! This is called a Drive, and it draws upon unique energies generated by your bonds.
Those energies fuel more than Drives, of course. The magic also helps to solidify your ties of friendship after such occasions, gifting you with some of your friend's strength, and vice versa. Enhance that bond enough, and with some of that same bond energy, you can call upon the gifts of friendship to reach such heights as to almost compete with a true unification!
After seeing some of your powers, though, it's become clear to us that there's another bond you can explore: the bond between spirit and host. Channeling those same unifying energies, you can draw up that magical being within your heart and fuse your powers, amplifying your innate abilities.
But in all things, you must be wise with your actions. All of these shifts in form draw upon the same well—and it does not replenish easily! Choose carefully in your times of need.
— Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather
Kingdom Hearts has had many types of “form changes” throughout the years. Kingdom Hearts 2 introduced Drive Forms, mergers of Sora and his companions to create new, powerful forms based on the partner(s) absorbed. Then, Birth By Sleep introduced Dimension Links, connections between the heroes and the characters met along their travels that allowed the heroes to draw on the abilities and styles of their friends even from other worlds. And now, here in Heartfelt Adventure, we look to bring these unique possibilities, and others tied to them, to you.
First, we'll discuss what makes these possible: Form Points.
KH2 had its Drive Gauge; BbS had its D-Link Gauge. In order to accommodate both, as well as our own additions, we're simplifying it down to a single unit, called Form Points (hereafter FP). By default, everyone has three (3) FP; 1 point corresponds to 1 full round in a Drive, Trance, or other unique form-boosting status. There may be ways to increase your maximum Form Points, but for now, this is all you have.
FP can be replenished with significant rest, at minimum relaxation for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, in battle, with adrenaline pumping, they can be replaced with constant action. One (1) FP will recharge after you take the equivalent of two (2) full rounds' worth of actions. So if you typically have 2 ApP, then you must act 4 times. Charging does not count toward this recovery; you must act to generate the energy (to approximate how Sora gets Drive Orbs from killing enemies).
Now, to discuss what FP are spent on. First, the most obvious, Drive Forms (hereafter Drives).
The only people who can initiate or host a Drive are those with magical clothes granted by the Three Good Fairies (Sora, Riku, and we Earthlings), or those who can delve deep enough in dark power to initiate the temporary absorption (such as villains); others, however, can still take part in contributing.
When a Drive occurs, the host accepts one or two partners into their heart, essentially fusing them together for a brief period of time. As such, except for those using Darkness, the only potential options for partners are those with whom the host is extremely close—close enough to share their heart, their most intimate piece of themselves, where all their secrets and vulnerabilities lie.
While in the drive, the host's appearance can make various shifts to represent the temporary union. However, more importantly, their power grows significantly, according to the partner(s) absorbed. The host gains access to their element(s), their abilities, and even their weapon(s) if they so choose (alternatively, a new weapon representing the union).
Stats are altered as follows: _____• When a Drive begins, the host's HP and MP are completely replenished; as a result, Constitution and Energy are not included in these changes. _____• Add three (+3) to whichever stat was the partner's highest. If there is a tie, the partner chooses which takes precedence. _____• Add two (+2) to whichever two (2) stats were the partner's second highest. Again, if there is a tie, partner chooses. _____• Add one (+1) to the remaining four (4) stats. _____• Repeat the above for the second partner if there is one. Yes, that means an additional +3, two +2s, and four +1s.
Drives can only last as long as you have FP, though they can be preemptively cut off at the host's choosing. Drives consume FP for all participants, but only the host needs to have FP to initiate. This is in place to prevent unnecessary Drive chaining.
After a successful Drive, all participants will have been influenced by the connection. For each successful Drive with a particular partner, a character will gain some new capability influenced by an aspect of the partner. These unique gifts are called Drive Links (hereafter D-Links), and they are the first step completing a full Drive Trance. But let’s not jump ahead.
Each character can have up to three (3) D-Links from one ally. They can be abilities directly copied from the ally, they can be entirely new abilities based on the ally’s potential, or they can be mutations of an already-unlocked ability, altered due to the ally’s influence. A character unlocks one of these D-Links each time they Drive with that specific ally, so in order to obtain all three, they must successfully Drive three times; further, these abilities can be changed out—all it takes is Driving once again to “resynchronize” your hearts.
What happens after the third D-Link, if you start a Drive with someone for the fourth time? Well, that’s when you reach what I mentioned earlier: a Drive Trance.
As mentioned, every time you Drive with someone, your hearts become more attuned with one another, influencing each other. Eventually, the hearts of you and your ally will be so intricately linked that you will be able to draw upon the other’s power without the need for a full fusion. This is called a Drive Trance (hereafter D-Trance), and it is effectively a miniature Drive that doesn’t require a partner to complete. The boosts you receive aren’t as strong, and the changes aren’t as drastic, but it’s still an effective boost that may turn the tide of battle.
D-Trance changes are simplified from Drives themselves. _____• You are not healed of HP, MP, or statuses. _____• Add two (+2) to whichever three (3) stats are the ally’s highest. Constitution and Energy are still not included in these changes. _____• You temporarily take on the ally’s element, making you dual-elemental (including weaknesses). _____• You get three (3) additional D-Links, but only while maintaining the Trance. _____• D-Links are free to use while in D-Trance. _____• You may call upon one particularly powerful move from the target (their “signature move” or something similar) and enhance it to increased potency (not quite Limit Break, but close) to unleash upon the battlefield, but doing so consumes the rest of your FP.
However, D-Trances have a unique feature that Drives do not: you can spend actions charging them up for increased bonuses—but charging for too long runs the risk of interruption. There are three different possible bonuses, each with a different “cost”, as follows: _____• [ 1 Charge ] Distribute two (2) additional points among the chosen stats already increased. _____• [ 1 Charge ] Increase a fourth stat by +2, must be one of the ally’s highest stats. Can only be chosen once. _____• [ 3 Charges ] Increase the D-Trance duration by one (1) round.
Further, just like Drives, D-Trances can only last as long as you have energy left in your Form Pool, though they can be preemptively cut off at the host's choosing.
Now, to repeat, Drive Trances and Drive Forms are what occur when one draws power from the connection to a strong ally. But there are, of course, those who have the strongest connections to our hearts to take into account—that is to say, those who live within our hearts: our Summons.
Previously known as a Summon Drive, Summon Trances (hereafter S-Trances) are what occur when you draw upon the connection to your summon, pulling their power into reality through your own form. In this way, the S-Trance takes the acts of calling forth your summon and driving with your closest companion, combining them into one action. An S-Trance is generally more powerful than a D-Trance, but what it gains in power it lacks in versatility; rather than becoming a unique, multi-talented fighter, you are simply enhancing the strengths you already have.
An S-Trance affects you such that: _____• Once again, Constitution and Energy are excluded, and you are not healed of HP, MP, or statuses. _____• Add three (+3) to whichever stat best represents your summon. _____• Add two (+2) to whichever three (3) stats next-best represent your summon. _____• You may have increased access to some of your summon’s more characteristic abilities, or perhaps more potent versions of those abilities. _____• As this is a sort of “personal upgrade” form, you may have some shifts in appearance, weapon, style, and ability (such as controlling your weapon with your mind). _____• You may, if you so choose, call forth your summon’s ultimate/signature move (very much like summoning them), but at the cost of all remaining FP, ending the S-Trance early.
As well, much like D-Trances, S-Trances can be powered up by charging up before beginning them—but such charges can also be interrupted. The various bonuses and charge costs are: _____• [ 1 Charge ] Distribute two (2) additional points among the chosen stats already increased. _____• [ 1 Charge ] Increase a fourth stat by +2. Can only be chosen once. _____• [ 3 Charges ] Increase the Trance duration by one (1) round.
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:34 pm
Prote
Geists are ethereal beings composed of memories. You Earthlings and many people native to the Disney realm already have lore surrounding beings of similar nature—poltergeists or ghosts—and it would be useful to you to consider Geists in similar terms. Like the ghosts of your lore, Geists can change forms, phase in and out of corporeal existence, and in some cases become completely invisible.
The primary function of Geists is to leech memories from beings that can retain memory. The theft of memories strengthens a Geist, but also dictates the evolution of its nature and abilities. Memories can be stolen through physical touch by lesser Geists, and by phasing through your being by stronger Geists. There can be severe danger with this memory loss: short term memory loss will typically leave you dazed, but these memories will return with time; however, with longer contact, a Geist might leech long term memories which may only return after a significant amount of time... or not at all, unless somehow returned using similar magic.
A Geist’s primary weakness is its energy source, which is heat. In colder conditions, a Geist will run out of energy faster, which will threaten its existence and ability to perform. Using fire elements against Geists is highly inadvisable; using ice, meanwhile, will be sure to take them down swiftly.
To elaborate on how a Geist might grow with more memory sustenance, let us discuss the first, and most successful, Geist to exist: Prototype I. This Geist existed long before even I, and has gained a great deal of power over the years. Prototype I is very dangerous and should not be battled alone. He has become increasingly more threatening in these tumultuous times, as he has acquired new and terrifying knowledge: how to form hearts from the memories he's stolen.
Still, he is a unique prototype, like myself. Many Geists you face will be weaker and less personalized; let us begin with them.
— Prote
These are Je Suis a Toi's creation, and all explanations are from her.
For simplicity, Geists only have three important stats: Endurance (how many hits they can take), Speed (how fast they are, in movement and attack), and Agility (how fast they react, in movement and dodge).
Stat Number Legend:
1-4: Low
5-7: Moderate
8-10: High
Think as simplistically as you can about this legend, I don’t want you to get stuck on the numbers. If the number in the Speed or Agility falls to the lower end of a category (low, moderate, high) it’s in the lower spectrum of that category (1= very slow, not agile). Same principal applies to the higher numbers (4= slow, somewhat agile). This scale only applies to ‘minion’ type Geists, not to Prototype (Prote/Memoria Phantasma) type Geists.
Endurance Category Legend:
Low: 1 to 5 strike kill
Moderate: 5 to 10 strike kill
High: 10 to 20 strike kill
Also another legend to think very simply about. The stronger the strike, the more likely you’ll kill the Geist in fewer strikes. I don’t expect you to count your strikes, I just want this as a reference so you don’t GM and kill a Grimm in two strikes. The only way the previous number category applies to this one is in determining whether the Geist is a High, Moderate, or Low endurance Geist (i.e. Grimm: endurance lv.10—High; Apparition: endurance lv.4—Low).
The Geists are categorized based on those three levels in regards to their Endurance.
Low Level
Name: Tabula Rasa Type: Shapeshifting Phase capable: Yes Endurance: 2 Speed: 2 Agility: 2 Special attributes: The Tabula Rasa is the most basic form of Geist, and the first form they generally take when created. They are average, white-skinned humanoids with no facial features—only a nose, and two indents where eyes should be. They are only capable of taking surface-most memories, and when such memories are taken, their blank face instantly shifts to look like the victim, though this fades at the same pace that their memories return. As they repeat this process, however, they slowly grow more potent, shifting into other forms of Geist or simply growing more powerful, until finally they reach the peak of their growth: the Memoria Phantasma.
Name: Kinetic Type: Shapeshifting Phase capable: No Endurance: 3 Speed: 4 Agility: 1 Special attributes: Kinetics can throw objects around them without making contact with these objects or even create projectiles out of their own matter. As soon as a Kinetic uses up too much of its matter or energy it ceases to exist.
Name: Shadow Type: Shapeshifting Phase capable: No Endurance: 4 Speed: 4 Agility: 4 Special attributes: Shadows can duplicate memories and create up to 20 “clones” of itself rapidly. Only the original Shadow is capable of creating clones, and once all 20 are created is unable of creating more. Kill the original Shadow and the others will die as well. The strength of the Shadow lies in numbers.
Name: Apparition Type: Shapeshifting Phase capable: No Endurance: 4 Speed: 8 Agility: 8 Special attributes: Apparitions can disappear for short intervals of time, approximately 30 seconds. Most common shapeshift weapons are blades.
Medium Level
Name: Djinn Type: Non-shapeshifting Phase capable: No Endurance: 6 Speed: 7 Agility: 5 Special attributes: Rather than shape-shifting, Djinn are proficient in elemental magic. There are 3 forms of Djinn: Fire, Water, and Thunder.
Name: Banshee Type: Non-shapeshifting Phase capable: Yes Endurance: 7 Speed: 6 Agility: 4 Special attributes: Banshees attack through screeching. Sound Waves, their most common attacks, can cause physical blunt force damage. Howl attacks, occurring somewhat infrequently, cause status ailments: Stun, about 50% of the time; Confusion, about 25% of the time; Fear, about 5% of the time (i.e. Stun happens half the time, Confusion a quarter of the time, and Fear very rarely). The equation system, as with the Grimms, is not necessary. However, abuse of this freedom will not be tolerated.
High Level
Name: Shades Type: Non-shapeshifting Phase capable: Yes Endurance: 9 Speed: 8 Agility: 8 Special attributes: Rather than existing as a physical shape-shifter, Shades exist as a mass of black energy, capable of solidifying at will. They can be damaged by magic at all times, but can only be damaged physically when they take physical form.
Name: Grimm Type: Non-shapeshifting Phase capable: Yes Endurance: 10 Speed: 9 Agility: 9 Special attributes: Grimms have given up shape-shifting powers in lieu of Death-based magic. These Geists cast four terrifying status ailments: (1) Old, (2) Fear, (3) Charm, and (4) Doom. They are tall Geists wrapped in black garbs wielding scythes. Beneath their robes, they are very pale, thin, and sickly creatures. Any contact with the scythe will initiate a status affect decided by random number generation. Discretion is left up to the Role Player. Be responsible, Mary Sueism will not be tolerated.
EX Level
Name: Memoria Phantasma Type: Shape-shifting Phase capable: Yes Qualities: The idealized final form of most Geists, these entities are sapient beings, beholden to nobody but themselves. They have forged an identity based on the accumulated memories of all their victims, and have strengths and abilities to match. As a result, they are beyond standard classification and will instead be treated as full characters. BE WARNED! If you face a Memoria Phantasma, never do so alone! Examples: Prote; Prototype I
::How do we handle the effects of damage? (or) Why did Sora never bleed in the games?:: We're stealing a chapter from RoosterTeeth and introducing RWBY's "Aura" concept into the roleplay. That is, as long as you have HP, any damage you take is actually to a protective, invisible aura of life force that surrounds your body. This works to explain why sometimes super major attacks deal devastating amounts of damage but don't actually, you know, turn us to dust.
In a sense, think of your Constitution as the general strength of your protective aura, and your Defense and Resistance as defining how resilient you and your aura are against those types of damage.
Since your aura is the literal projection of your life force, this explains why hitting 0 knocks you out. It also means that you can take actual, permanent damage to your body.
As far as reasons go, things maybe got a bit too... descriptive in the first half when we compare it back to the games. For a long time, we simply argued that we were adults (or mature, anyway) and it was okay to take that next step, but now stepping back, it seems like it got a little out of hand.
We understand that some of you prefer the actual risk of blood loss and bone-breaking. If it comes down to that, there can still be means of making that happen—maybe a boss field effect that suppresses aura, for example—but it would have to be something to which each writer agrees.
Besides, this explains how 15 year olds had buildings thrown at them and never received so much as a bruise.
::How do we handle posting outside of combat?:: Post order and limitations only count for battles. There is no delegated post order or "only one per round" thing outside of battle; we just ask that you realistically try to restrain too much talk and movement to give others an opportunity to chime in, unless you are specifically writing it so that your character is belligerently refusing to be stopped/shut up.
We're a large group. People chime in and do stuff all the time at the same time. So realistically, there shouldn't be too much done without some other nearby character(s) chiming in.
The only exceptions being if the character(s) interacting are being super intense and not letting the scene be interrupted. However, if you post super long things, that's how your character will come across—for better or for worse.
That said, we can't hold out forever, so if you don't post at least within a week, week-and-a-half, or tell us how you'd respond, then other people will have the go-ahead to keep talking, and your character will be understood as either 1) not having anything to add, or 2) not properly speaking up. We give more time to large battles (typically 2 weeks) because there are so many other things to keep track of; a conversation, however, should be easy to follow.
If you come back after a long disappearance and react as if your character was speaking up and yet still being ignored, then that is god-modding—you are forcefully saying that the other players mistreated your character, even though you were the one who vanished. Don't do this!
::Do I have to deal with all these numbers?!:: Nope! They're basically just power guidelines. As long as you're being reasonable in the scene, we don't particularly care. However, the more potent stuff you get into, the more closely you'll need to stick to the systems in order to make sure it's all safe.
Still, that's what we're here for! You just have fun, and if you're unsure or things get foggy, we'll help you out.
::What's the deal with MP regeneration?:: We're giving everyone a choice between two methods of natural mana regeneration, both of which are included in the post regarding AP. You have two options, and you may only pick one:
___• MP Assault – Also known as KH1 Style. You gain 1 MP every 2 successful or blocked basic attacks.
___• MP Charge – Also known as KH2 Style. On running entirely out of MP, the character enters MP Charge. After 2.5 full rounds of ApR, your MP will be returned to full.
You can change these methods with intense meditation––which will basically only be possible back at home base, between missions. So choose wisely!
::What if I want to Conjure something that's sentient, but not my Summon?:: Assuming the ability has been approved already, you'll use the same chart as the Summon Conjurations (found here). However! Rather than just five stats, you'll have to fill in every stat except Energy (it will still draw energy from your pool). This means you have to be significantly more careful where you put those points.
::What are some examples of spell levels?:: I'll continue using Fire as an example tree.
___• Fire – Throw a fireball at your target. _______• Fira – Level 2 Fire; Increased potency (+2 MAG). Throw a more powerful fireball at your target. _______• Firaga – Level 3 Fire; Increased potency (+2 MAG), increased blast diameter (+10 feet). Throw a grand fireball at your target. _______• Fira Bolt – Level 3 Fire; Increased potency (+2 MAG), increased flight speed (+2 DEX). Throw a faster fireball at your target. _______• Firaza – Level 4 Fire; 2x Increased potency (+4 MAG), increased blast diameter (+10 feet). Requires one charge. Throw a destructive fireball at your target. _______• Conflagration – Level 5 Fire; 2x Increased potency (+4 MAG), twice increased blast diameter (+20 feet). Requires one charge. Throw a massive fireball at your target.
As you can see, each level gets progressively more powerful in one way or another. Once an ability gets to level 4 (3 bonus effects), it will always require one charge, and another for every 2 additional levels (6, 8, 10, etc).
And don't forget, you can other abilities, increasing the main ability's level by the level of the spell. So, for example, we'll add Ignite, which is Level 2 because of its effects:
___• Ignite – Attempt to catch your target ablaze with the Ignite hex. ___• Fire – Throw a fireball at your target. _______• Immolate – Level 3 Fire; chance of Ignite. Throw a typical fireball at your target that attempts the set them ablaze.
Is it worth it to go higher and higher? Absolutely—think of the various long-cast moves in the games, or even some of your own abilities that already require a charge or two. And frankly, you can even skip levels if you want or if your character only ever practices that much. Here's another example of both:
___• Ruin – Condense pure, radiant energy into bomb-like projectile form that homes in on targets. _______• Ruinra – Level 2 Ruin; Increased flight speed (+2 DEX). Fire off a small bomb that has greater homing capabilities. _______• Ruinga – Level 3 Ruin; increased flight speed (+2 DEX), increased blast diameter (+10 ft). Fire off a missile that causes a larger explosion. _______• Reckoning – Level 6 Ruin; Twice-increased flight speed (+4 DEX), Thrice-increased potency (+6 MAG). Requires 2 charges. Break down a single, grand Ruin spell into a spiraling burst of numerous, missile-like projectiles, each a fraction of the strength but all together adding up to the total.
Don't forget, you can always ask questions when it comes to this stuff.
::So what are the possible things to level up on spells?:: Well, that's pretty variable and dependent on the spell itself—an increased flight speed doesn't make sense if the spell isn't a projectile, for example! But here are some baseline examples:
___• Increased potency (+2 MAG) ___• Increased duration (+1 action [or] round) [depends on the type of spell being enhanced] ___• Increased flight speed (or) accuracy (+2 DEX) ___• Increased strength (+2 STR) [only really possible on magically-enhanced physical combos, ala Ars Arcanum). ___• Quickened cast time (-1 action); increases Spell Cost by +2, rather than Spell Level [only really useful for Level 4+ spells, such as Wall] ___• Durability [used to give a spell's form staying power equal to your MAG; things with durability will ALWAYS start at level 2 with this attachment]
The following ones have somewhat arbitrary numeric values—how much they can be increased by really depends on the type of spell itself.
___• Increased force (+knockback) ___• Increased area of effect (+## feet diameter)
You'll note that "increased projectiles" isn't up here. The way increasing projectile count works is that you simply divide the spell's power over each additional projectile, so that they all add up to the spell's total power. So any spell can be divided into multiple projectiles without necessarily including it in the description, because in the end the effective power is the same.
And these are just some examples; run any additional ideas by us, and if it works, we'll probably include it here!
::How will durability work for magically created items, such as weapons or armor?:: A magically constructed item's durability will always begin equal to the Magic of the caster at the time of casting, including whatever charges they may have used.
An item takes durability damage on four occasions:
The item is used in an directly successful attack. ___If the item directly hits its target, then it will take minimal damage (due to sheer usage); typically, this is only -1, but against hardier targets, such as serious armor or solid objects akin to stone—basically, anything tougher than flesh or leather—this might be increased. Magic clothing (ala dress spheres) do not increase this damage.
The item is used in an attack that is blocked by the target. ___If the target blocks an attack made using the weapon, then the weapon takes durability damage equal to the strength of their block. For example, a person blocking with their own weapon, with STR 10, will do 10 durability damage. Be careful!
The item is used to block an attack directed at the wielder. ___Basically a slight reversion of above. If the wielder blocks an opponent's attack using the weapon, then the weapon takes durability damage equal to the strength of the opponent's attack. For example, blocking an 8 MAG fireball will do 8 durability damage. Be careful!
There is area-of-effect damage that entirely covers the wielder. ___In this case, your item takes the same damage as you do unless sufficiently protected.
You can restore durability to your magical item. Spending 1 action of your turn, you can infuse it with your MAG in additional durability, but only up to its maximum, which is the MAG you had when you first created the object.
You can also increase the durability of the object, but it must be at full durability already. To do so, spend an action connecting to the object (restoring previously lost durability counts!), and then continue focusing; for every additional, continuous action spent doing this, you may increase the object's maximum durability by your Enhancement Charge bonus, which is typically +2 unless boosted in some way, such as Faith.
::What are the rules for spells like Cure, Esuna, and Dispel?:: Cure, Esuna, and Dispel have very concrete explanations, and so their upgraded versions will likewise be fairly set in stone, with custom options up for case-by-case approval. These are all single-target versions; multi-target versions will be proportionately weaker without applicable Supports.
___• Cure – Heals 20% of total HP. When self-healing, has a 1 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. ______• Cura – Heals 40% of total HP. When self-healing, has a 1 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. ______• Curaga – Heals 60% of total HP. When self-healing, has a 2 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. ______• Curaza – Heals 80% of total HP. Requires a charge. When self-healing, has a 2 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. ______• Full Cure – Heals all damage. Requires a charge. When self-healing, has a 3 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals.
___• Esuna – Removes the most recently applied negative status. ______• Esunara – Removes the two most recently applied negative statuses. ______• Esunaga – Removes the three most recently applied negative statuses. ______• Esunaza – Removes all negative statuses, or removes the most recent status that requires Esunaza. Requires a charge.
___• Dispel – Removes the most recently applied positive status; removes 1 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. ______• Dispelra – Removes the two most recently applied positive statuses; removes 1 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. ______• Dispelga – Removes the three most recently applied positive statuses; removes 1 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. ______• Dispelza – Removes all positive statuses; removes 3 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. Requires a charge.
[*][b]Cure[/b] – Heals 20% of total HP. When self-healing, has a 1 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. [list][*][b]Cura[/b] – Heals 40% of total HP. When self-healing, has a 1 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. [*][b]Curaga[/b] – Heals 60% of total HP. When self-healing, has a 2 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. [*][b]Curaza[/b] – Heals 80% of total HP. Requires a charge. When self-healing, has a 2 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals. [*][b]Full Cure[/b] – Heals all damage. Requires a charge. When self-healing, has a 3 full-round cooldown between possible self-heals.[/list]
[*][b]Esuna[/b] – Removes the most recently applied negative status. [list][*][b]Esunara[/b] – Removes the two most recently applied negative statuses. [*][b]Esunaga[/b] – Removes the three most recently applied negative statuses. [*][b]Esunaza[/b] – Removes all negative statuses, [i]or[/i] removes the most recent status that [u]requires[/u] Esunaza. Requires a charge. [/list]
[*][b]Dispel[/b] – Removes the most recently applied positive status; removes 1 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. [list][*][b]Dispelra[/b] – Removes the two most recently applied positive statuses; removes 1 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. [*][b]Dispelga[/b] – Removes the three most recently applied positive statuses; removes 1 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. [*][b]Dispelza[/b] – Removes all positive statuses; removes 3 SP from a Conjured summon's gauge. Requires a charge.[/list]
Reply
