Awakening

Overview

Awakening is what separates characters from ordinary people. By drawing upon their true strength, characters enter a state of overwhelming power. It can take the shape of a transformation, a power up, or an intense focus and is different for every person. Awakening is the expression of your innate power and it grows as you grow stronger. You can enter your Awakening at anytime using a Quick Action and 15 Stamina.

In addition to Awakening, characters have access to an Ascension. Ascension is the extreme form of Awakening. When someone burns away a Keystone to use as raw fuel, they gain control of an explosion of fearsome power. However, using Ascension causes the user to lose that Keystone. You can enter Ascension with a Quick Action and 15 Stamina, and don't have to be in your Awakening form first. Ascension lasts 3 rounds, but another keystone can be consumed for a Quick Action and 15 Stamina to extend the duration 3 more rounds.

Points and Kickbacks

An Awakening has a set number of points based on character level.

At level 1, a character's Awakening starts with 5 points to spend. They can purchase an additional 4 points under the EXP Buy system for 160 Points each. They can purchase another 3 more (7 to be purchased total) starting at level 10, another 3 (10 to be purchased total) starting at level 20, and 4 more (14 to be purchased total) at level 30.

These Awakening points are used to customize your Awakening. Each element added to your Awakening consumes some of these points. There are also Kickbacks that have a negative point cost. Kickbacks are elements that weakens your Awakening in some way in exchange for granting you more points to spend on positive elements. Kickbacks are not required.

Depending on a character's level, there is a limited number of kickbacks that can possibly be put on an Awakening. At level 1, a character can have up to 1 kickback on their Awakening. At every eighth level, a character gains the option to add another kickback to their Awakening. (Kickbacks at 1, 8, 16, and 24 for a total of 4 kickbacks.)

Other Rules

Activating or deactivating Awakening costs a quick action and 15 Stamina. Using an Ascension costs a quick action, 15 Stamina, and a keystone, and lasts 3 rounds. Additional keystones are worth 3 more rounds and require another Quick Action to use.

If a character is knocked out, then their Awakening instantly ends. At the end of the final round of an Ascension, they revert to Awakening form.

Losing hitpoints due to reverting back to normal form from an Awakening or Ascension cannot drop you beneath 1 hitpoint.

Ascension is an entirely separate transformation from your Awakening but has exactly the same Elements and Kickbacks as your Awakening. Elements have two versions; normal and upgraded. The normal effects apply to your awakening and the upgraded effects apply to your ascension. Your Ascension does not receive both normal and upgraded effects.

Although Awakening can be used in any battle as long as the GM doesn't say otherwise, during Tournament battles Ascension is only allowed if players agree before a fight to allow their use.

You can change your Awakening without approval at any time except during battle. This does not remove any Impulses you might currently be under, so don't think of doing it just to get out of an Impulse effect.

In duels and other events which don't use maps, the Kickback Tank Cat cannot be used on your Awakening, and it has to be adjusted for this if you have it. Also, any elements with range would automatically consider everyone in range. Additionally, in 1-on-1 duels, the Unprotected kickback cannot be used either, as that would be cheap.

Overload

See article: Overload

As you use your Awakening or Ascension, an excess of energy builds up in your body, causing various detrimental effects. This is known as Overload, and is what keeps Awakening and Ascension in check. Starting on the turn after an awakening's activation, Overload begins to build. At each point of overload, the player must roll from a list of overload effects. As overload builds, the tiers you must roll from change and become more dangerous.

For the full list of Overload effects, see its article.

Customizing Your Awakening

Awakenings are created by combining Awakening elements, which are bonuses that your Awakening grants when active. Each is associated with a point cost. Some may be selected multiple times, which is called stacking. For example, an element stackable two times means that you may choose it twice, paying the point cost twice but gaining double the effect.

Ascensions are not created directly. Instead, they build off the elements chosen for the Awakening. Each Awakening element comes with an Awakening effect and an Ascension effect. When Ascension is active, the Awakening effects are overwritten by the Ascension effects.

Elements

1 Point

Red Aura: This element may be stacked five times.
Awakening Effect: Boosts ATK by 5.
Ascension Effect: Boosts ATK by 15.

Blue Aura: This element may be stacked five times.
Awakening Effect: Boosts SPD by 5.
Ascension Effect: Boosts SPD by 15.

Green Aura: This element may be stacked five times.
Awakening Effect: Boosts ACC by 5.
Ascension Effect: Boosts ACC by 15.

Yellow Aura: This element may be stacked five times.
Awakening Effect: Boosts DEF by 5.
Ascension Effect: Boosts DEF by 15.

Gold Aura: This element may be stacked five times.
Awakening Effect: Boosts HP and maximum HP by 100.
Ascension Effect: Boosts HP and maximum HP by 250.

Long Toss: This element may be stacked two times.
Awakening Effect: Increases the maximum range of thrown consumables such as grenades by 1.
Ascension Effect: Increases the maximum range of thrown consumables such as grenades by 2.

2 Point

Amplify: Allows you to pour charges into a technique to make it harder to react to. Unusable with Startup or Pump Charge.
Awakening Effect: For each charge you add to a technique (up to 3), it is 5% harder to react to.
Ascension Effect: For each charge you add to a technique (up to 3), it is 10% harder to react to.

Dawn Wind: Stackable 2 times.
Awakening Effect: At the start of your turn, you heal 5 times your level in HP.
Ascension Effect: At the start of your turn, you heal 10 times your level in HP.

Winter Breeze: Stackable 2 times.
Awakening Effect: At the start of your turn, adjacent allies heal 5 times your level in HP.
Ascension Effect: At the start of your turn, adjacent allies heal 10 times your level in HP.

Shining Affinity: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Your affinity passive has double effects. If your affinity is Void, then nothing about overload changes from the base passive effect.
Ascension Effect: Your affinity passive has triple effects. If your affinity is Void, then nothing about overload changes from the base passive effect.

Glorious Strike: Stackable 2 times.
Awakening Effect: Your attacks are 5% harder to react to.
Ascension Effect: Your attacks are 10% harder to react to.

Glorious Movement: Stackable 2 times.
Awakening Effect: Increases your reaction chances and/or effectiveness by 5%.
Ascension Effect: Increases your reaction chances and/or effectiveness by 10%.

Lumberjack: Stackable twice.
Awakening Effect: Increases damage against terrain by 25%.
Ascension Effect: Increases damage against terrain by 50%.

Titan Strength: If you want to use yourself as collision damage with a normally 1 space Drag, you can still do this. Stackable twice.
Awakening Effect: The Knockback and Drag tech elements are granted an extra space worth of effectiveness.
Ascension Effect: The Knockback and Drag tech elements are granted two extra spaces worth of effectiveness.

All in the Wrist: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Switching weapons gives you 5 more Stamina.
Ascension Effect: Switching weapons gives you 10 more Stamina.

GET UP ON THE HYDRA'S BACK!: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Allows you to transport an ally on your back if they're adjacent to you before you've moved. Can be used to carry them over terrain they can't normally pass on their own. When doing so, you may only move half as many spaces. Picking them up costs a quick action and 5 STM.
Ascension Effect: As above, but you can move freely.

Item Toss: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Allows you to throw consumable items to your allies, instantly using them if they're beneficial. Distance is the same as if you were using a grenade. Costs 10 STM.
Ascension Effect: As above, but with 1 higher range.

Unerring Defenses: Stackable twice.
Awakening Effect: -5% to your opponent's Vital Hit chances.
Ascension Effect: -10% to your opponent's Vital Hit chances.

3 Point

Vampiric Nature: Stackable 3 times.
Awakening Effect: 10% of all damage you deal heals your HP.
Ascension Effect: 15% of all damage you deal heals your HP.

Eye for an Eye: Stackable twice. Resets every time you attack.
Awakening Effect: 10% of damage done to you since your last action is added to your next attack.
Ascension Effect: 20% of damage done to you since your last action is added to your next attack.

Crushing Aura: Stackable 2 times, multiplying the damage but not the range.
Awakening Effect: All enemies within 15 feet (3 spaces) of you takes your level x 10 damage.
Ascension Effect: All enemies within 15 feet (3 spaces) of you takes your level x 25 damage.

Uplifting Presence: Stackable 2 times, multiplying the heal but not the range.
Awakening Effect: All allies within 15 feet (3 spaces) of you heals your level x 10 HP.
Ascension Effect: All allies within 15 feet (3 spaces) of you heals your level x 25 HP.

Wind Tunnel: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Increases the maximum range of melee techniques by 1.
Ascension Effect: Increases the maximum range of melee techniques by 2.

Devastating Presence: Stackable two times, increasing the Knockback to 2 but not affecting the range.
Awakening Effect: When you activate this ascension, everyone within one space of you is knocked back one space as if hit with a knockback attack. Only affects enemies and not allies.
Ascension Effect: As above, but with double the range.

Olympian: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Your Awakening requires only a Minor Action to activate rather than a Quick Action. You cannot use the Charge Quick Action in the same turn your Awakening is activated with a Minor Action.
Ascension Effect: Your Ascension lasts 1 round longer initially, and additional Keystones add 4 rounds to the duration instead of 3.

Rampage: Stackable twice
Awakening Effect: +5 Stamina at the start of each round, and +5 STM on the turn this is activated.
Ascension Effect: +10 Stamina at the start of each round, and +10 STM on the turn this is activated.

4 Point

Imposing Presence: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: The spaces adjacent to you are filled with your presence, requiring 1 extra space to move through for everyone but yourself. Only affects enemies and not allies.
Ascension Effect: As above, but it requires 2 extra spaces to move through.

Relentless: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: When you gain a Charge, you have a 25% chance of gaining an additional charge.
Ascension Effect: When you gain a Charge, you have a 50% chance of gaining an additional charge.

Withering Blows: Unstackable. Lasts until the end of the battle. Only applies to actual techniques, not Quick or Minor Actions.
Awakening Effect: All attacks have an unresistable 40% chance of a random Tier 1 status ailment. This cannot push ailments beyond normal stacking limits.
Ascension Effect: All attacks have an unresistable 40% chance of a random Tier 1 or Tier 2 status ailment. This cannot push ailments beyond normal stacking limits.

Colossal: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Allows you to dual wield a two-handed and one-handed weapon. The two-handed weapon must be in your dominant hand. You may change weapons for free when entering Awakening.
Ascension Effect: Allows you to dual wield two-handed weapons. You may change weapons for free when entering Ascension.

5 Point

Aura Guard: Unstackable. Creates a shield around you upon transforming that absorbs an amount of damage before breaking. You are immune to ailments during this time but cannot use reactions other than take or dodge while the shield is up.
Awakening Effect: Shield has 25 x your level HP.
Ascension Effect: Shield has 75 x your level HP.

Vault Step: You gain the ability to quickly recover and gather back your strength after a failed dodge. Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Whenever you fail to dodge a technique, you have a chance of gaining a charge equal to your dodge chance.
Ascension Effect: Whenever you fail to dodge a technique, you have a chance of gaining a charge equal to twice dodge chance.

Second Chance: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: If KOed or Killed, you are restored to 1 HP on the start of your next turn. This effect only works once per day.
Ascension Effect: Same as above. You cannot be Counter Attacked while at 1 HP.

Fate Chord: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Once per day, you can choose a reaction within 25 feet to automatically succeed.
Ascension Effect: Once per day, you can choose the result of any dice roll made within 25 feet of you.

Unbreakable: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: Status effects are half as effective against you.
Ascension Effect: You are immune to status ailments.

Commanding Presence: Unstackable.
Awakening Effect: All dice rolls within 15 feet (3 spaces) of you are raised or lowered by 5 in your favor.
Ascension Effect: All dice rolls within 15 feet (3 spaces) of you are raised or lowered by 10 in your favor.

Kickbacks

Psychosis (-1 point): Activating your Awakening causes your perception of reality to distort, making you unable to determine friend from foe. For 24 hours, your alignment is changed to another one at random. Roll a 1d100. 1-20: Lawful Good; 21-35: Chaotic Good; 36-50: Lawful Neutral; 51-65: Chaotic Neutral; 66-80: Lawful Evil; 81-100: Chaotic Evil. If your alignment is one of the six listed above, remove it from the list and use the following numbers for the remaining five instead: 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80, 81-100.

Contagion (-1 point): Your body is unable to fight off abnormalities. While your Awakening is active, you cannot be cured of status ailments. Ailments with time/turn limits can still wear off, but their time limits are doubled.

Tank Cat (-1 point): Reduces the amount of spaces you can move or Run by 1. Stackable twice.

Soul Burn (-1 point): Activating your Awakening costs one charge. Stackable 3 times.

Unprotected (-1 Point): The elements Winter Breeze, Crushing Aura, Uplifing Presence, Devastating Presence, and Imposing Presence affect both enemies and allies within range. Can only be taken with at least one of these elements present on your Awakening.

Exhaustion (-2 points): When your Awakening ends, you immediately fall asleep and remain asleep for 8 hours.

Body Breaker (-2 points): When your Awakening ends, you are inflicted with Broken Limb. Stackable 2 times.

Short Fuse (-2 points): Your Awakening lasts 3 rounds. Your Ascension lasts 1 round less, and 1 round less from extra keystones.

Berserk (-4 points): You're unable to distinguish between friend and foe. While your Awakening is active, you must attack the nearest available target at the start of your turn. If there is only one available target, disabling Awakening will not end Berserk's effect until that target is dead or you're KOed.

Impulses

There is a special class of kickbacks known as Impulses. Impulses are treated like any other kickback in that they boost the total number of points a character has to spend on their Awakening. However, only one of the kickbacks on an Awakening can be an Impulse (though this doesn't mean that you must have one). To make this clear since there's been confusion before: You do not need to have an impulse on your Awakening.

When your Awakening wears off, your Impulse kicks in; you can neither rest nor use your Awakening again until your Impulse has been satisfied. They can either be satisfied in a board quest or in an RP/quest with GM approval.

Vampirism (-1 point): Using your power gives you an overpowering hunger for blood. You must consume the blood of a living person. This can either be performed on a willing, unconscious, or restrained target.

Meditation (-1 point): You must spend 1d3 days without contact with another living person in order to center yourself.

Rest (-1 point): You must spend 1d3 days asleep. Once you enter this sleep, though you may choose to do so at any time, it becomes impossible to wake you up until the proper amount of time has passed.

Destruction (-1 point): You find yourself struck with a very strong, unshakable sense of rage, and must take it out on something, or someone, before you can think straight again. Most anything can be the subject of this urge to destroy, but whatever it is must take significant damage from whatever you do to it. So if you, say, break public property, there is a very real possibility that you'll get fined for it. You may not weasel out of this by destroying something that no one cares about, such as, say, a dumpster in an alleyway while no one is watching.

Expense (-1 point): You must purchase items or skill services whose costs add up to at least 500 credits, as soon as you're able. They must be actual, usable items, upgrades, or lore. If you don't have the needed credits, you must earn them, then spend them immediately in this way. You cannot put off doing this just to purchase items you actually need. You cannot purchase equipment levels with this money.

Identity Change (-1 point): You find yourself with the desperate desire to change your identity for five in game days, starting at the next RP you participate in. You can no longer go by the same name, must do something to change your appearance, and will generally act like you don't know the people that you obviously did only moments before. If you go into awakening before this wears off, then you must change your identity again, and not back to your original.

Addiction (-1 point): You have a sudden overwhelming need to drink a specific potion. This potion must be specified when you take this impulse, must be chosen from the provided list below this and cannot be changed without approval. You must drink this potion during an RP, before the end.

Potions you can choose for this passive:

• Sleeping Draught
• Tears of Alethia
• Draught of Youth
• Spirit of Vitrol - Cannot be taken as a Neophyte.
• Spirit of Wine
• Spirit of Phobium
• Spirit of Justice
• Elixir of Silence
• Elixir of Immobility
• Draught of Disguise - You cannot use your own blood for this, and you must drink the potion as soon as you get the blood.
• Amortentia - You must drink the potion as soon as you get the necessary blood.
• Enmentia - You must drink the potion as soon as you get the necessary blood.
• Worldly Titan's Elixir
• Falling Hero's Tonic
• Essence of Venus - You cannot reverse this with another Essence of Venus until at least an hour has passed after drinking the first.
• Juno's Mask - You cannot use the blood of your own race.
• Tincture of Poppyseed - Must be a large enough dose for recreational effects.
• "Tincture" of Pipeweed - Must be a large enough dose for recreational effects.
• Ephedran Draft - Must be a large enough dose for recreational effects.
• Chimera Glass

Infatuation (-2 points): You become hopelessly infatuated with the nearest member of the (or a) gender your character is attracted to. To end the charm and satisfy your impulse, you must earn a kiss from them.

Murder / Execution (-2 points): You must kill a living person. This person must be either a PC or an important NPC. Alternatively, you may do a 20 paragraph long board quest about killing someone. 20 paragraph tickets must be spent on this, and cannot be spent on anything else.

Consumption (-3 points): You must kill and eat the flesh of a sentient being. This person must be either a PC or an important NPC. Alternatively, you may do a 30 paragraph long board quest about killing and eating someone. 30 paragraph tickets must be spent on this, and cannot be spent on anything else.