How would you write up this power.

[torelin32]

I am currently running a game based on the popular anime and manga Bleach and I am having a little trouble writing up a power.

 

The primary weapon in the anime is a sword which the main characters and secondary characters use for attack and defense. The sword has the ability to transform and grant the wielder a whole new set of attacks and abilities plus the old ones on top of it.

 

I'm wondering if I should use mutliple multipowers to represent the transformation of the sword an abilities. Should I have the pc have a multiform in which this new sword shape is the primary weapon. Should I have the sword as a follower and treat it as such, with its own multiform.

 

I'm alittle confused on the issue and I could really use some input on this power.

 

Thanks in advance.

[ghost-angel]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

This just sounds like a reason to spend Experience Points to create the swords new abilities.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

I've never heard of the show, but judging from what information you have there, it sounds like a Multiform. This assumes I'm reading you right and the sword has different 'power sets' rather than being able to use all its abilities at the same time.

 

More details needed for a more informed response, though.

[Comic]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

I might make the sword an HKA with a Variable Advantage.

 

Depending on what all the sword does, likely the minimum I'd go for would be something like a martial art that uses swords (1 pt to use with sword if not the base of the martial art) 2d6 HKA +1 (+1/2 VA), for 60 AP, (-1: OAF) 30 Real. Sword would then be able to do things like Affects Desolid, AoE 1 Hex, Armor Piercing, Autofire, Continuous, Explosion, Penetrating, Personal Immunity, Reduced END, Usable at Range, Vary special effects but not more than one at a time nor NND, etc.

 

This would make for an exceptionally potent power, especially if the wielder's STR + Martial DC's + CSL's were used to top it up, and would only have the drawback of using a lot of END most of the time compared to the average Martial attack.

[braincraft]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

You could even use a variant of Only In Hero ID.

[Sean Waters]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

What can these swords do then?

 

I mean, if they can hack your arm off OR stop an attack you could build it like this:

 

MP 30 point pool

1. 2d6 HKA

2. 15/15 Force Field

 

Add appropriate limitations.

 

No need for anything too complicated.

 

If they can hack your arm off AND stop an attack then you need to either put the powers in an EC (and it wouldn't bother me if you did), or you could buy two different MPs, one for defensive powers and one for offensive powers.

 

You could do it with a multiform but, unless the sword actually constitutes a significant proportion of total character points, over 2/3, I'd not particularly favour that approach, although it is not 'wrong'.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

What can these swords do then?

 

I mean, if they can hack your arm off OR stop an attack you could build it like this:

 

MP 30 point pool

1. 2d6 HKA

2. 15/15 Force Field

 

Add appropriate limitations.

 

No need for anything too complicated.

 

If they can hack your arm off AND stop an attack then you need to either put the powers in an EC (and it wouldn't bother me if you did), or you could buy two different MPs, one for defensive powers and one for offensive powers.

 

You could do it with a multiform but, unless the sword actually constitutes a significant proportion of total character points, over 2/3, I'd not particularly favour that approach, although it is not 'wrong'.

 

Can get get Michael Hopcroft or Susano on this? I'm sure they know more about this thing. From what the OP described, I was under the impression that the sword turned into things other than swords, not just changing from one sword to another.

[Sean Waters]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

Can get get Michael Hopcroft or Susano on this? I'm sure they know more about this thing. From what the OP described' date=' I was under the impression that the sword turned into things other than swords, not just changing from one sword to another.[/quote']

 

I did try to Google 'Bleach' but, well, it's manga: my brain shut down.

[Sean Waters]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

I am currently running a game based on the popular anime and manga Bleach and I am having a little trouble writing up a power.

 

The primary weapon in the anime is a sword which the main characters and secondary characters use for attack and defense. The sword has the ability to transform and grant the wielder a whole new set of attacks and abilities plus the old ones on top of it.

 

I'm wondering if I should use mutliple multipowers to represent the transformation of the sword an abilities. Should I have the pc have a multiform in which this new sword shape is the primary weapon. Should I have the sword as a follower and treat it as such, with its own multiform.

 

I'm alittle confused on the issue and I could really use some input on this power.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

If you can do all the old stuff plus a bunch of new stuff, I'm not sure how useful a multiform will be: most GMs will still limit the total points you can pop into a new form, so unless the 'base' form is really low powered, getting all the old stuff PLUS a bunch of new stuff is probably best accomplished by something like the Only In Heroic Identity limitation on the 'extra' powers. Alternatively if feel is more important than points you could buy the extra atatcks in a MP but limit the slots so that you can only use the extra attacks when 'transformed'.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

I did try to Google 'Bleach' but' date=' well, it's manga: my brain shut down.[/quote']

 

I looked at Wikipedia and couldn't even find a reference to a sword.

[Susano]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

The weapons in Bleach (I forget the exact name used) allow the wielder to produce some pretty impressive powers. Once the wielder has attuned to his weapon and developed his techniques he can produce some amazing examples of supernatural martial arts.

 

I can't recall all of them, but you get a chain-whip like weapon, one that produces a cloud of sword blades, one that increases the mass of whatever blocks it, frost effects, illusions, and so on. In most cases, (and IMO), the easiest way to simulate this is to build your basic sword (HKA) and leave it at that. All of the weapons are swords of some sort and function as so. In order to tap into the special powers, you need to release the weapon's power, which might require some sort of trigger (such as putting END into an attack or some such, or take Extra Time to get the weapon ready). But most of the characters were able to start tossing their special attacks right off of the bat. Anyway, the special attacks (and defenses, some weapons grant, IIRC, Force Wall-like effects), are simply groups of powers, some Linked, with the OAF Limitation.

 

Our hero (Ichigo) is a special case. His sword keeps changing in size and ability as he attunes further and further to the spirit in his sword. I think this is a case of the character being granted (and then spending) large lots of EXP in rapid succession as part of a plot-driven need for the GM to bring him up the right power level before his big fight versus a major foe.

[babbitt]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

I can think of a few ways to do this:

 

1) Dump XP into the sword, powers with OAF, Independent.

 

2) Use Plot devices and limited power at various levels to indicate that certain powers are "only available at bonding level 2/3/4/etc..."

 

3) Have the powers RSR with active point penalties. Stock for "level 1" attunement, x2 difficulty for "level 2", etc.

[Susano]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

BTW -- the sword's powers should have "Noisy." One you start using the inherent special techniques, just about anyone with "Detect Chi" can feel the resulting "spiritual pressure."

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

Sounds Variable Power Pool-y to me, at this point.

[Susano]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

Except the sword's don't have all these different powers. Ichigo's is a special case, and it mainly changes in physical size and HKA level. It takes him a while to bond with the weapon and learn its special technique(s).

[Mad Fnorder]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

To provide some background to the crowd, in general, Bleach Shinigami have 3 levels of power- simply using the sword, an initial release, which changes the blade somehow and can allow for special techinques, and Bankai, a dramatically more powerful special release.

 

The initial release almost universally requires incantations- calling out the sword's name, occasionally with gestures. Ban Kai are much more dramatic, and can be practically anything.

 

Most initial releases I can think of in canon would probably be best represented with a multipower of attacks with a -1/4 or -1/2 limitation "Initial Release", combining the obvious change in sword, the resulting spiritual noise, Lockout when using Ban Kai, and so forth.

 

Ban Kai... Might be justifiable as a multiform, frankly. Almost all Bankai have dramatic changes in attributes, sometimes with significant detrimental side effects(Like Byakuya, a swordsman who's blade vanishes entirely into a swarm of razor-edged cherry blossom-like blades that flies around at his command). I'll try and edit in a couple of examples if I get the chance.

 

The problem, points-wise, is that some of these would love to be built as basically stacking frameworks, and since that's bad juju, the "normal way" is extremely pricey. It's why Multiform seems easier than buying a bunch of limited attributes with linked theoretical side effects.

[braincraft]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

Why not just use Lockout? The only outright multiform (as opposed to limited powers and attributes) I can recall is Ichigo's bankai, which is fairly unique in the series; and even then, you could make an argument for Side Effects instead of multiform.

[Mad Fnorder]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

Well, sometimes the underlying limits change alot more significantly- Like losing or gaining Foci (Byakuya, Renji, Uohana's summon) or adding an EC worth of seperate powers (Hitsugaya, Ikkaku) in addition to locking out the old format. It also has a seperate advantage of being able to make limits like, dropping out of Ban Kai when END runs out, or no REC to END in Ban Kai.

[braincraft]

Re: How would you write up this power.

 

It still feels like it would be easier to use a multipower.

 

I've got kind of a thing against multiform. I remember reading an article somewhere that suggested defining all multiforms as multipowers, even putting disadvantages in a sort of multi.