Here we cover the various Houses of Bakuhatsu Gakuen. These are the biggest things that divide characters into groups and determine their abilities.
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Table of Contents
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House Maiden Knight
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These are the magical girls of the setting. I have bad news for males who express the Hero gene in this manner: they are all magical girls. Yes, even the guys. When they transform and the energy rush alters their body, there are certain chromosomal shifts applied to males and well… yeah, they become girls for the duration. Everyone in this House has some kind of alternate form, which could look similar to themselves or not. They might even act completely differently, and some transform with a special suit already formed, as it is very much an effect that relies on their psyche. There is talk about it being some kind of "astral focus", but seeing as they are mostly attuned to elements of varying degrees, it seems like it's a pure manifestation of their own psychic energy and there is no other realm from which they draw their power.
After they transform, powers tend to vary - they're usually fast or strong upon transforming, many gaining flight, but they all have some kind of special energy power. They do not need to keep their identity a secret, but it is suggested they transform in private for the same reason people change clothes in private. Their limiting factor is the transformation - they have to transform in order to use most of their powers, and the transformation won't last forever. However, in this state, they not only gain their iconic power (energy manipulation), but also have a number of side benefits.
Think: Sailor Moon, Kampfer, Mikarun X
Starting Character Powers
Transformation
The Maiden Knight has the power to transform into something else. This is exclusively a Maiden Knight ability, and as such, the typical transformation is exactly that - a magical girl. Transforming is an Energy effect. When transformed, she gains certain automatic benefits besides the ones gained as she advances. Transforming requires a Major Action, and makes her inner aura shine brightly, making it obvious to those who can see battle auras and similar things.
The automatic benefits are: +2 Hit Points per Year Level (these hit points are removed by damage before her regular ones), one form of Extraordinary Movement (chosen when this ability is gained), and a special protective costume: as long as the costume isn't damaged, it reduces damage by 1, even if she is hit in the face or whatever.
Changing back is Not an Action, and automatically happens if knocked out, or if its duration expires. By default, the duration is just one minute (6 rounds) per Year Level (5 minutes for Graduates). Upon un-transforming for any reason, she becomes Blocked but for a longer duration than normal: she cannot begin rolling to end the effect until a number of minutes have passed equal to the amount of transformation-bonus Hit Points she lost. For instance, if a First Year suffers 5 damage, they lost both bonus Hit Points, so have to wait 2 minutes (the other three points are taken from their own Hit Points). A fourth-year student, on the other hand, has eight Hit Points from the transformation, so has to wait five minutes if they suffered five points of damage. If the costume is damaged, it ceases being damaged the next time she transforms.
She also gains Enhanced Durability 1 for the duration.
As this is an Iconic power, it is not found in the Powers list - nobody else can purchase this.
Elemental Super Power
Every Maiden Knight is linked to some kind of elemental force, even esoteric ones like "star" or "blood" or "mind". This largely seems to be a manifestation of her inner strength and thoughts, rather than drawing upon some outside power. The Maiden Knight gains Elemental Blast and Elemental Control, selecting the element when she is created, which is only available when she has transformed.
Expert
Even outside of her transformation, the Maiden Knight is an Expert with one knowledge, and one physical activity, subject to the usual restrictions.
Heightened Senses
Even when she has not transformed, the Maiden Knight has Heightened Senses.
Special Attack
Select one of the following: Entangling Attacks or Evasive Athletics or Piercing Attack or Shredding Attack or Pummelling Attack. The Maiden Knight gains this when she is in her Transformed state.
Resist Element
Whatever the most appropriate damage type is for the element chosen for Elemental Super Power, she Resists that even when she has not transformed.
Second Semester
Aura Sight
As long as the Maiden Knight has transformed, she has the Aura Sight power active at all times. When she has not transformed, she can Focus for a turn to have Aura Sight active until her next turn.
Transformation
When Transformed, the Maiden Knight has another power at her disposal. Select one of the following: Exorcism, any Sub-Power for Elemental Blast, any Sub-Power for Enhanced Durability 1.
Second Year, First Semester
Transformation
When she transforms, the Maiden Knight now gains a Sub-Power for Enhanced Durability 1. She also gains either Enhanced Strength 1 or Enhanced Speed 1, gaining a Sub-Power either way. Finally, she gains Chained Attacks or a Universal Power of choice.
Elemental Super Power
The Maiden Knight's Elemental Blast gains a Sub-Power of her choice. It still requires her to be transformed in order to use. Her Resistance is now always Boosted.
Second Semester
Transformation
The Maiden Knight's ability to transform is improved in some manner. She gains one of the following Sub-Powers: Instant Transformation or Lasting Transformation or Dazzling Transformation. Additionally, when transformed she gains either Chi Breaking or Explosive Strike. She also gains either Emotional Blast or Friendship Punch.
Third Year, First Semester
Transformation
When Transformed, Enhanced Durability is upgraded to rank 2. Additionally, either Enhanced Speed 1 or Enhanced Strength 1 is upgraded to rank 2, with a Sub-Power gained, or the one she did not select is gained at rank 1 with one Sub-Power. She also gains a Sub-Power for Emotional Blast or Friendship Punch.
Elemental Super Power
The Maiden Knight's Elemental Blast is improved further: she may always apply any one modifier or effect that normally applies to regular attacks such as Entangling Attacks or Pummelling Attack even if it doesn't make a lot of sense. Whenever she is Transformed, she absorbs the element she normally resists: whatever the base damage value is (without applying Resistance, extra damage from extra Marks on the attack roll, reduced damage from other effects and so on), she instead heals that amount of damage. Once she is at her maximum Hit Points, any excess healing is lost.
Second Semester
Transformation
The transformed Maiden Knight gains a number of additional powers. She gains one Aura - either Furious Pressure or Mighty Barrier. She gains a Sub-Power for Enhanced Durability 2. She may also increase either Enhanced Strength or Enhanced Speed or Enhanced Durability by one rank, with one Sub-Power for the new level.
Fourth Year, First Semester
Transformation
When transformed, the Maiden Knight gains either Regeneration or Size Alteration. She also gains the Sub-Power of Double-Transform.
Elemental Super Power
The Maiden Knight may use her Elemental Control and Elemental Blast as though a First Year (including reduced effects and damage and lack of Sub-Powers) when she is not transformed. When she is transformed and Focuses, she can apply all of her abilities that apply to regular attacks such as Chained and Entangling and Chi-Breaking, all to the one Blast.
Double-Transformation
When Double-Transformed, the Maiden Knight has Flight. This is either Fast or Graceful, her choice when the power is first gained. She also gains either Void or Hyper-Attack (with one Sub-Power). Alternatively, instead of any of the above, she may have Ultimate Monstrous Form. This also replaces the usual effects of Double-Transformation, however it uses the standard duration for Double-Transformation.
Second Semester
Transformation
The Maiden Knight gains any one Sub-Power for any one existing power, or a Universal Power of choice. This still only applies when transformed.
Double-Transformation
When Double-Transformed (including Ultimate Monstrous Form), the Maiden Knight has Monstrous Regeneration.
Graduation
Transformation
When Transformed, the Maiden Knight increases Enhanced Speed, Enhanced Strength, and Enhanced Durability by 1 each (including from 0 to 1 if applicable). Each also gets one Sub-Power at the new rank.
Post-Grad Life
Plenty go on to have relatively normal office jobs or work as news presenters and similar, because those things are great for mundane identities. Others simply go all-out into careers in musical performance and other fancy things where they can just straight-up use their magical forms. The fact that most of their powers only activate when transformed means they can safely engage in day-to-day activities without being a threat to everyone around them (and likewise means they can only work in crisis management for short bursts).
House Heart Blade
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Held deep in the psyche of everyone from this is some kind of weapon. It is the weapon that they would say "represents me" or the first that springs to mind when a person says "weapon" to them. The Hero gene for these expresses by forming a real weapon based on that idealised one, to be summoned and dismissed at will. Furthermore, with those weapons, they can do more and more outrageous things over time. The strength of the weapon depends on the mood of the user as well as their seniority. Over time, it's not just the weapon they can form, but also shields, armour, and even steeds. They truly become like knights of legend, although the steeds are made of the same "stuff" as the weapons, and aren't alive or sentient, merely existing as an extension of the student's will.
The limiting factor of the Heart Blade is their emotional state: a sufficiently depressed or exhausted knight may not even be able to conjure her weapon, and if the weapon is destroyed, it sends a painful feedback shock to her, that might prevent it being re-created for some time. By the same token, when her spirits are soaring, the weapon becomes stronger, and the other powers show through more easily.
Think: Kampfer, Freezing!, Shitsurakuen, Revolutionary Girl Utena
Starting Character Powers
Conjuration
The Heart Blade uses the Iconic power Conjuration. This is the archetypical power for their House. There is a specific weapon keyed to her mind, and she can conjure it by concentrating. Doing so is an Energy power that requires a Minor Action. The weapon itself is an Energy effect for the purpose of being negated by things, but for the purpose of interacting with the world it is a Physical effect. Once summoned, it appears in her hands, ready for use. It is Not An Action to dismiss it, and if it leaves her hands for more than a minute, it disappears, allowing her to conjure it again. If it breaks, she becomes Blocked, the recoil scrambling her own energy and taking time to reassemble it. Any time she suffers from a Mental Affliction, the Heart Blade cannot use her weapon at full strength - its Damage is reduced by 1, and she needs to Focus in order to keep it manifest every round - if she does not Focus, it will disappear. When she gains a benefit by thinking about her Rival/Enemy or her Idol/Sempai/Beloved or rushing to the assistance of her Idol/Sempai/Beloved, the weapon's damage improves by 1. When she gains this power, select a weapon other than the bazooka. It will always be that exact weapon, other than modifiers by the Sub-Powers, except the damage is a fixed value equal to her Year Level (5 for Graduates).
Furthermore, when the weapon is conjured and not suppressed by Mental Afflictions, she has either Enhanced Speed 1 or Enhanced Strength 1. Either way, she gains a Sub-Power for the chosen power.
Expert
The Heart Blade gains Expert status with the knowledge of weaponry and materials (such as telling what metal something is made from), and with fighting styles.
Other Powers
The Heart Blade gains Piercing Attack or Shredding Attack or Pummelling Attack. She should probably choose the one that works best for her conjured weapon, but that isn't a requirement. She also gains her choice of either Fast Healing or Stubborn (the one-point Positive Trait).
Second Semester
Conjuration
There are two modifiers to the Conjuration power at this point. Firstly, one of the two following Sub-Powers is gained:
- Defensive Weapon Conjuring: the Heart Blade can partially summon the weapon when it's not even her turn - it appears in her hand to help parry an attack when the attacker least expects it. Doing so bestows a Penalty of 3 Dice to any Test to hit her. However, she loses her Major Action on her next turn - it is retroactively spent conjuring the weapon. If something prevents her from spending her Major Action, the weapon is already summoned so just carry on as normal.
- Greater Weapon: the Heart Blade can re-imagine her weapon, and it can now be something even better, such as the bazooka, or something that wasn't listed. Examples could be a gun that fires chainsaws (as the chainsaw, but with a range of 10m/20m) or a super sniper rifle (as the rifle, with a range of 1km/2km) or something similar. Have fun with this.
Additionally, one of the following is gained:
- Impossibly Large: the weapon is surely too big to actually wield, except she wields it anyway. This lets her target an area around her - everyone within 3m (or 5m if she Focuses) is targeted, making one Test and applying it against all in the area with a 1 die Penalty
- Trapping: the weapon binds people and locks them down so the Heart Blade can hurt them more. When she hits someone, she may elect to reduce the damage by 1 and cause the foe to become Distracted as a Physical effect, somewhat bound and entangled. They also can't physically move away from her without beating her in an Opposed Gym Test. If she hits them a second time before they can become untied, she may Focus. Doing so requires them to beat her attack with a Gym Test or they become Immobilised.
- Unexpected: the weapon hits from strange angles, or is completely hidden until it hits or something. In any fight, the first attack the Heart Blade makes with this weapon catches the foe unaware. Even afterwards, people suffer a Grade Penalty to any Opposed Test to avoid her attacks, such as when using Evasive Acrobatics.
Other Powers
If the Heart Blade chose Fast Healing at creation, she gains Regeneration. Otherwise she gains Enhanced Durability 1, plus 1 Sub-Power.
Second Year, First Semester
Conjuration
When the Heart Blade conjures her weapon, she gains another Sub-Power for Enhanced Speed or Enhanced Strength 1. Additionally, it increases in rank from 1 to 2, granting a Sub-Power for this new level.
Additionally, she gains one of the following two powers to apply to her weapon:
- Unmaking: the weapon hits with a strange negative energy that breaks energy effects and reduces Battle Aura. Foes that have Battle Aura find it reduced by an amount equal to the base damage dealt, plus damage increase from excess marks, and it cancels any Energy effect that is active on the target. If the Heart Blade Focuses, it also causes the target to be Blocked unless they pass a Difficult Philosophy and Ethics Test. The weapon also does not have its damage reduced by materials and inherent resilience, although it is still halved by Resistance.
- Energy Wreath: the weapon channels some kind of energy that makes it hurt people more. Add one type to the damage such as Fire, Shock or Cold, and every time it hits, it causes the Burning Affliction (same type as the added damage) until they spend a Major Action going Prone and rolling about.
Automatic Access
The Heart Blade has access to the Meditation Rooms whenever she likes.
Other Powers
The Heart Blade gains any one Universal Power, which can be used whether she has her weapon out or not.
Second Semester
Conjuration
Another rank 2 Sub-Power is gained for Enhanced Strength or Enhanced Speed. Additionally, she gains one of the following Sub-Powers for Conjuration:
- Instant Weapon Conjuring: Conjuring the weapon is no big deal for her - it is Not An Action. If she has this and Defensive Conjuring, then defensively conjuring her weapon now only uses a Minor Action on her next turn.
- Dual-Purpose Weapon: the weapon now actually has two profiles. For instance, it could be a rifle that is also a big club, or has a bayonet that makes it a spear, or it could be a guitar that is a big club that can also send sonic waves like a shotgun that deals Air/Sharp damage. Be creative and have fun.
- Armour Conjuring: when she conjures her weapon, the Heart Blade can also conjure up armour. It can appear however you like, and she decide whether or not it (temporarily) replaces her existing clothes, shoving them across into a 9-dimensional place in her mind until the conjuration ends. If the armour is broken, she also becomes Blocked - either weapon or armour breaking dismisses the other. The armour reduces incoming damage by an amount equal to her Year Level (5 for Graduates), increased by 1 when thinking about people would increase her weapon damage, and decreased by 1 when suffering a Mental Affliction. If specifically targeted, it has the resilience of Steel, regardless of what material it appears to be.
Third Year, First Semester
Conjuration
When the weapon is conjured, Enhanced Speed or Enhanced Strength is upgraded from rank 2 to rank 3, gaining a Sub-Power of choice for this new rank.
Additionally, the Heart Blade gains one of the two following options:
- Conjure Steed: with a Major Action, the Heart Blade can conjure a steed of some kind. These typically end up looking like armoured horses, but there's nothing ruling out a bear, motorcycle, big dog or unicorn. Or swarm of tiny helicopters, whatever. It is part of the same overall conjuration as her weapon, so if one is destroyed, the other is also un-made until she ceases being Blocked and summons them again. The steed is an extension of her will, and can make no decisions on its own, so it works best as a mode of transport and method of trampling on people: it uses her own Grades for any rolls, has Resistance to Energy attacks and Mental damage, and 2 Hit Points per complete semester she has finished, the total modified once by her Health Grade. It also reduces all incoming damage, after Resistance, by 1, and moves twice as fast as she does. If she attacks from its back, her Damage Rating increases by 1 (2 if she spent a Minor Action charging at them, 3 if they're also Prone), and attacks against her from creatures her own Size or smaller suffer a Penalty of 3 dice due to the difficulty in hitting anything higher than her shins.
- Conjure Self: it might sound daft to have the ability to conjure yourself, except the Heart Blade can conjure herself to other places, effectively teleporting simply by using her conjuration ability in a different way. By spending a Major Action, she may travel to any place within a roughly one kilometre radius, providing she has been there before and there is space for her - if the place has, since her last visit, collapsed under piles of rubble or sunk into a swamp, she won't teleport into a dangerous environment, the ability will just fizzle. Instead of choosing a place, she may choose an important person (her Best Friend, her Idol/Beloved/Sempai, or a team-mate she has spent a lot of time around (such as a fellow Main Character)). In this case, she doesn't have to have been in the area before, and the range increases out to roughly ten kilometres, with her appearing as close to adjacent as is physically possible.
Other Powers
The Heart Blade also gains one other ability: the three-point Positive Trait Relentless or the Empty Heart power.
Second Semester
Conjuration
An additional Sub-Power is gained for Enhanced Strength 3 or Enhanced Speed 3.
Additionally, she gains one of the following special abilities to apply to her Conjured Weapon:
- Burst Attack: the weapon causes blasts and explosions. Used for ranged weapons only, this makes the attack hit a 3m radius area - apply the attack against all in the area. In the case of a weapon that already hits an area, increase the radius by 2 metres. The radius is 5m if your Focus. Anyone can drop Prone and attempt a Difficult Gym Test to Resist the damage.
- Barrier: the weapon actually makes a good shield. The Heart Blade can hide behind it or otherwise use it for protection, reducing incoming damage by an amount equal to its base damage, unless caught by surprise, and making all incoming attacks Difficult. Neither of these applies to energy-disrupting attacks made against the weapon specifically. Using it as a barrier is a Minor Action, which lasts until the Heart Blade's following turn starts.
- Super Reach: the weapon can strike out to any range the wielder can actually see, growing as necessary. She need not Focus to reach out to these new distances, and if the weapon was originally a Melee one, this doesn't change the fact that she is making melee attacks out to these new long ranges.
Other Powers
If Fast Healing was initially chosen and then upgraded to Regeneration, it now upgrades further to Monstrous Regeneration.
If Enhanced Durability was chosen, it upgrades to rank 2, with one Sub-Power for this new rank.
Fourth Year, First Semester
Conjuration
When the Weapon is Conjured, Enhanced Speed or Enhanced Strength is upgraded from rank 3 to rank 4, with a Sub-Power gained for this new level.
Other Powers
The Heart Blade becomes Fearless as the three-point Positive Trait. If she already has that, she may select another three-point Positive Trait or a Universal Power to receive.
Second Semester
Conjuration
An additional Sub-Power is gained for the level 4 Enhanced Speed or Enhanced Strength. Additionally, she has a new choice to make regarding her conjuration:
- Conjure Mega Armour: the Heart Blade may spend both her Major and Minor Actions concentrating, and conjure a full suit of massive armour that functions more like a mecha than regular armour. It forms around her, over the top of anything she is wearing - even regular Conjured armour. In this new form, she is one Size larger, moves twice as fast, and has Fast Flight. She also has the same defensive properties as a Tritanium Object (though not a Mindless one), with any doubling-up of Resistances (from Size and Tritanium) being considered Boosted, and all damage is subtracted from the 15 Hit Points of her suit. Her weapon re-sizes to match the armour, as does her steed if she has one. As with all other aspects of Conjuration, this shares the same power source as the weapon, so if one is destroyed, the other is also un-made. Shock and Mental damage are never Resisted in this state, but do no damage to the suit: instead, they bypass it and go directly to the Heart Blade, though if she has armour on, it still applies.
- Hyper Attack: the Heart Blade gains the Hyper Attack power, selecting a single Sub-Power, however it must be made using her Conjured Weapon.
Graduation
Conjuration
One more Sub-Power is granted for each of the four levels of Enhanced Speed or Enhanced Strength.
Post-Grad Life
Thanks to most of the power only coming into play when a weapon is summoned, members of House Heart Blade have a lot of freedom to choose a career afterwards. However, more than anyone else, they are encouraged to follow low-stress jobs and lifestyles that doesn't have too much of a negative impact on their emotional state - because if Abominations attack, they don't want powerless heroes who can't conjure up their weapons.
House Lotus Fist
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The chi adepts, "martial artists", these people punch you so hard your ancestors feel it. They act as though life were a fighting game, throwing energy blasts and jumping super high and so on. They are always "ready" to fight in that they needn't summon weapons or transform, but it takes time for their battle aura to fire up properly. The longer a fight goes, the more energy that flows into them. Their foes would do well to run away and hide for a while to force their auras to cool down, and don't want to get them more pumped up through the fight by gradually unleashing stronger and stronger effects.
The chi of the Lotus Fist is not just apparent in energy blasts and pressure point attacks, but also through their body: they have what can only be called perfect body control, willing themselves to be stronger, faster, more resilient, and even re-shaping their body if necessary.
Think: Ranma 1/2, Freezing! (Rana Linchen), Ikkitousen
Starting Character Powers
Battle Aura Control
The Lotus Fist has perfect control over her battle aura, and thus can shape it as necessary: she can hide it completely, making it appear (to those with Aura Sight and similar) that she is completely ordinary. She can also alter the intensity, seemingly having greater or lesser power than she really does. She can also force her aura into shape, changing emotions and thought patterns as necessary, so anyone reading those things will get what she wants them to detect. Most importantly, as she progresses, she gains greater maximum levels of battle aura that can flare up. Every turn the Lotus Fist spends fighting, psyching herself up or being very angry, it rises by 1 - up to the listed maximum, unless she spent Battle Aura to use a power, in which case it does not rise back up at the end of the turn. Every turn not spent doing any of the above causes it to drop by 1, to a minimum of the amount listed. Whenever making an attack, she may elect to use her current Battle Aura instead of a dice pool for any Test to attack people, replacing the entire pool after any Bonuses and Penalties have been taken into accound. This is only a good idea at high levels of aura, or when Penalties drive the basic number down. This is an Energy power. To start with, the minimum Battle Aura level is zero, and the maximum is two. Battle Aura Control is an Iconic power.
Battle Aura Combat Power
When the Lotus Fist's Battle Aura is higher than zero, she gains Enhanced Strength 1 with all Sub-Powers. She also gains a Partial Grade Bonus to Health, reduces incoming damage by 1 point, and has one of the following forms of Extraordinary Movement: Leaps and Bounds, Wall Crawling, Water Walking. She can change which movement form she has with a Minor Action.
When her Battle Aura is at two or more, she gains the Energy Wave power, with a single Sub-Power, chosen at creation. Using the Sub-Power reduces her Battle Aura by 1.
Expert
The Lotus Fist is an Expert at the knowledge of fighting styles and special moves, recognising what they are with just a glance.
Other Powers
The Lotus Fist can choose to have Stubborn (the one-point Positive Trait) or the Aura Sight power.
Additionally, she gains either Evasive Athletics or Sneak Attack.
Second Semester
Battle Aura Control
The minimum Aura power remains at zero, but the maximum rises to three.
Battle Aura Combat Power
Select one Universal Power. The Lotus Fist always has that power when her Battle Aura is more than zero. When it is two or more, she gains Explosive Strike.
Expert
The Lotus Fist also becomes an Expert at a single type of physical activity.
Second Year, First Semester
Battle Aura Control
The maximum Battle Aura available to the Lotus Fist becomes 4.
Battle Aura Combat Power
When the Lotus Fist's Battle Aura is 2 or more, her Enhanced Strength is upgraded to level 2 with all Sub-Powers. Her Partial Grade Bonus to Health becomes a Full Grade Bonus, but without gaining extra Hit Points, she can select any type of Extraordinary Movement at all, and any time something would cause her to become Blocked, she instead simply loses one level of Battle Aura, and cannot increase her Battle Aura until the Blocked condition would normally end, rolling as normal.
Other Powers
The Lotus Fist gains Pressure Point Attack.
Second Semester
Battle Aura Control
The maximum Battle Aura available increases to five.
Battle Aura Combat Power
When the Lotus Fist has at least 3 Battle Aura, she gains the Damaging Energy Aura.
As long as she has one or more points of Battle Aura, she may spend 1 to have Chi Breaking with an attack.
Third Year, First Semester
Battle Aura Control
The maximum Battle Aura available rises to six.
Battle Aura Combat Power
When the Lotus Fist has 3 or more Battle Aura, her Enhanced Strength rises to level 3, with all Sub-Powers, she reduces incoming damage by another point, and larger enemies don't get any special benefit from size differences when they hit her.
Additionally, as long as she has any Battle Aura available, she rolls an extra die to end any Affliction.
Other Powers
The Lotus Fist gains Super Pressure Point Attack
Second Semester
Battle Aura Control
The maximum Battle Aura available to the Lotus Fist becomes seven.
Battle Aura Combat Power
The Lotus Fist gains Chained Attacks, limited to a number of hits equal to her current Battle Aura rating at any time.
Additionally, she gains either Empty Heart or Friendship Punch (with one Sub-Power), however using either one empties her Battle Aura to the minimum possible.
Fourth Year, First Semester
Battle Aura Control
The maximum Battle Aura becomes 8, however perhaps more importantly, the minimum is raised to 1.
Battle Aura Combat Power
When the Lotus Fist's Battle Aura is 4 or more, her Enhanced Strength upgrades to rank 4, with all Sub-Powers.
When it is 5 or more, she may choose to grow one Size larger and she rolls yet another die to end Afflictions.
When her Battle Aura is 7 or more, she gains Hyper Attack with the Ultimate Strike Sub-Power. The turn spent "charging up" is treated as a turn spent getting psyched, so Battle Aura rises if possible, however actually using it burns up 3 Battle Aura.
Expert
The Lotus Fist becomes an Expert of anatomy and physical injuries.
Second Semester
Battle Aura Control
The Lotus Fist has a maximum of ten for her Battle Aura, and a minimum of 2.
Other Powers
The Lotus Fist gains a single Universal Power.
She also gains Regeneration, however if her Battle Aura is at 5 or more at the end of her turn, it is upgraded to Monstrous Regeneration.
Graduation
Battle Aura Control
The minimum available Battle Aura becomes 3.
Other Powers
The Lotus Fist gains a single Universal Power, or another Sub-Power for an existing power she has.
Post-Grad Life
The Lotus Fist is a bit more limited than others, in that she is a walking weapon. When completely calm, she is super strong, and when even a little more pumped-up than that, she is obscenely strong. As such, she has to be careful in day-to-day life, and cannot pursue a career that involves much in the way of physical contact with people, unless it specifically calls for excessive violence and destruction. A lot of them end up going into monastic training in order to find a way to constrain their powers and not hurt others. So far all efforts to form a Lotus Fist MMA league have been turned down due to the risks to the athletes, the audience, the referees, and the general vicinity.
House Noble Rose
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These people are psychics - the majority of the Hero gene activation occurs in their brains, supercharging electromagnetic activity in their heads and linking their thoughts to the world around them through probably electromagnetic waves or gravity manipulation. The fact is, if we could figure out precisely how they did it, we could probably recreate it with technological devices. Although many of the students have what can be thought of as psychic powers (with that being a general explanation for how all the powers of the Hero Gene work for the lay person), House Noble Rose utilise the more "traditional" psychic power of Subjugation: telekinesis. They are all taught to act like nobility and royalty, and most others hate them for their snobby attitude or adore them for their grace and majesty. Sometimes both.
The limiting factor for the Nobles is that focusing the mind is quite exhausting, and they do not have an infinite supply of concentration. Essentially, they need to take breaks, eat snacks, have naps and make others wait around between bursts of power, so while they are great in a series of quick surges throughout the day, spaced out with rest periods, they suffer greatly for the "long haul". The Subjugation power is often used to fetch things for them, open doors, shove people around or force them to their knees. And also for actually useful things sometimes.
Think: Index/Railgun, Freezing! (the Limiters), X-Men (Magneto, Jean Grey)
Starting Character Powers
Psionic Subjugation
The iconic power of House Noble Rose is Subjugation. Although others can learn some of the powers, only they have true mastery. Every time she has a full eight hours of rest, a proper sleep and so on, the Noble refreshes her supply of psychic energy, gaining ten dice for her "psychic pool". This is not based on a Grade. Every time she uses a power that requires rolling any dice, she uses her psychic pool, then reduces the pool by one die, until eventually she has no dice left and is all out of juice - at that point she becomes Blocked, but even when that effect ends she still doesn't regain her energy. Between any two proper sleeps, she may take one significant rest (napping for an hour or having a full meal) to regain 3 spent dice, and two small rests (napping or meditating for ten minutes, eating a snack, having a cup of tea) to regain 1 die each. The dice pool for her powers is simply that of her psychic pool, not a Grade - and as it is not based on a Grade, it cannot be affected by Grade Bonuses/Penalties, Expert status and similar things. Only things that affect any roll or any dice pool can change this. For every three full dice she has available, she may instead just take one Mark.
To start with, she gains the basic power of Psionic Subjugation at rank 1, along with two Sub-Powers of choice.
Automatic Status
The faux-nobility of House Noble Rose pays off, and even a first-year Noble can enjoy some status. It doesn't equate to that much, but it still makes her a person of interest.
Other Powers
The Noble gains Expert status with any one type of knowledge. She also gains either the Aura Sight power, or the Stubborn Positive trait.
Second Semester
Psionic Subjugation
The third Sub-Power for Subjugation 1 is gained. Additionally, the Noble gains a special Sub-Power only available to her: Telekinetic Railgun. When lifting a small object (no larger than a golf ball) with Subjugation, she may use a Major Action to fire it as through through a railgun, blasting at super-sonic speeds. This is resolved as an attack with a minimum range of 10 metres, and then a maximum range of 50 metres, or 100m if she Focuses. The base damage is 4, but it is modified by her Science Grade (just like close combat damage is modified by Gym). It deals a mixture of Blunt and Jabbing damage.
Automatic Access
Members of House Noble Rose gain access to the Service Club: first-year "servants" will lay their clothes out for them in the mornings, and every day they may drop in for tea and a chat, and every week they may receive a free cake, scone or array of sandwiches.
Second Year, First Semester
Psionic Subjugation
Psionic Subjugation improves from rank 1 to 2, gaining two Sub-Powers for this new level. Furthermore, she gains access to a unique Sub-Power that others cannot take: Kneel or be Knelt. With a Major Action, she targets someone within 20 metres, and then they have to decide whether to fall Prone and Immobile or to resist. She then rolls her psychic pool. If they chose to fall to the effect, they remain that way for one round per mark rolled, plus one. If not, each mark rolled causes them to suffer a hit for 4 Air damage. Each hit has its damage reduced or Resisted (if applicable) separately.
Automatic Access and Authority
The Service Club access of the Noble starts to bleed over into day-to-day life with other people in general at second year: servants from the Club will run baths for her, dress her and fetch her food, but she can also boss any first-year students around in general terms, as though she were a third-year student.
Second Semester
Psionic Subjugation
The Noble gains the third Sub-Power for level 2 Psionic Subjugation.
She also gains either Psionic Defence, using her psychic pool but not reducing it, or a single Aura of her choice. The Aura does not use a dice pool, however it will not activate if her psychic pool is empty.
Other Powers
The Noble Rose gains a single Universal Power of her choice.
Third Year, First Semester
Psionic Subjugation
The third-year student upgrades her Psionic Subjugation to third-level, complete with two Sub-Powers for this new rank.
Automatic Access and Authority
The rights given to the Noble improve yet again, granting her access to the Service Club whenever she pleases and invitations to all of its events. Additionally, she can boss second-year students around and treat them like servants.
Second Semester
Psionic Subjugation
The third Sub-Power for level 3 Subjugation is gained, along with a unique Sub-Power: Micro-Subjugation. She can use her mind to affect things on a smaller scale than she could use her hands, able to pick locks, solder circuitry, thread needles and pluck individual hairs. This does not use her psychic pool on its own - as with the regular power, only using the power to do things that normally requires a roll (such as attacking) does. With a Major Action, she can try to affect someone within the reach of her power and perform surgery on them or simply affect the cells in their body. With a Basic Test, she can render them Immobile for one turn, which is a Mental power on her part, but either a Mental (for triggering random brain synapses) or Poison (for causing muscular paralysis or whatever) affect for them. Alternatively, as a Trivial task she may simply reduce her pool by one and gain access to them with no obvious effect. Once she has activated this on them with either use, she may make an Extreme Science Test the following turn (which, as a Grade roll, does not reduce her psychic pool - that expenditure was made in the first activation). Success causes her to either bestow any one Affliction or overall health condition upon the target, or completely cure one.
Spirit Sight
The Noble gains Spirit Sight, which does not use her psychic pool in any way.
Fourth Year, First Semester
Psionic Subjugation
The fourth-year member of House Noble Rose upgrades her Psionic Subjugation to rank 4, gaining two Sub-Powers for this level of power. Additionally, she gains a special Sub-Power unique to the Noble Rose: Subatomic-Subjugation: over the course of an hour, she may very carefully use her power, making an Extreme Science test and reducing her psychic pool by one. She can then make plot devices happen as though through the SCIENCE! power. In a pinch, she could simply use the power to hit an Abomination with a thermo-nuclear weapon inside its face, but creating nuclear explosions is frowned upon for some reason or other.
Other Powers
The Noble Rose gains one of the following two powers: Void or Just According to Keikaku
Translator Note: Keikaku means plan
Second Semester
Psionic Subjugation
The last regular Sub-Power for rank 4 Psionic Subjugation is gained. However, she also gains Psychic Puppetry, a unique Sub-Power: this is a Major Action to use, and effectively duplicates the Pressure Point Attack ability Puppet Squeeze. It is only a Difficult Test to grab them in the first place, and works out to the full range of her power, but she has to concentrate, spending her Major Action every turn to control the target's body. She cannot activate any Mental or Energy effects on their part, merely move their body around, but she can make them speak. Any action that requires a roll is still Extreme difficulty, and if she uses her psychic pool instead of using the target's Grades, then it depletes her pool as normal.
Other Powers
The Noble Rose gains an additional Universal Power, or Psychic Majesty rank 1, with a single Sub-Power. However, in the latter case, it still uses her psychic pool.
Graduation
Psionic Subjugation
The Noble Rose doesn't so much gain new types of power at this stage, instead gaining greater capacity to bring it to bear: her psychic pool increases to fifteen, however she may still only roll a maximum of ten dice at a time. Essentially, she can purchase more automatic Marks, and it takes longer to run out of juice.
Post-Grad Life
House Noble Rose is in a good position upon leaving the school, what with having a power that people respect, but don't fear that much: you don't have to worry about being mind-controlled, after all. However, many have great difficulty adjusting to a life where they do not have servants at their beck and call. They grew to rely on such assistance, and their elite status means very little outside the school if they don't carefully keep up appearances, overawe people with their personalities and so on. But all it takes is one incident where they stop rubble from collapsing on people, and suddenly they are the local hero.
House Divine Spark
PUT A PICTURE HERE
The people in this house have powers that are ideal for idol bands, meaning their divine spark is perhaps one of false divinity - but the power is very real. However, they also need to utilise that kind of following idols receive in order to feed their powers. They are psychics similar to House Noble Rose, except in their case it is Majesty: telepathy and empathy taken to powerful extremes. They can read minds and emotions, impress emotions on others, fool the senses, communicate silently with allies, and even utilise shorts amounts of mental possession. However, their psychoactive powers are linked to the minds of others in more ways than just their effects: they are fuelled by strong emotions and powerful thoughts directed at them. They are almost psychic vampires, needing to be loved and adored by those around them, cultivating fanbases to feed their minds.
Think: X-Men (Professor X, Jean Grey), Akiba's Trip, various Sailor Moon villains, Rosario + Vampire
Starting Character Powers
Psionic Majesty
The iconic power of House Divine Spark is Majesty. Although others can learn some of the powers, only they have true mastery. She cannot use this power if nobody is nearby that views her as a Best Friend, Enemy/Rival, or Idol/Beloved/Sempai and she does not have any members of her Fanbase nearby. As long as she is within line of sight and earshot of a specific individual that cares about her or enough Fanbase to make a Size 1 Group, she can use her First Year powers. The powers of each Year Level require greater numbers of fans or important people - a Fanbase Size equal to her year level, with each person with a strong link reducing the amount needed by 1. For instance, a Third Year could use only her Second Year powers if she just had a Size 2 Fanbase nearby, but if she also had someone nearby who saw her as a Best Friend, then that would bring her up to 3.
For any Majesty powers, she may roll her Fanbase rank (as long as they are nearby) instead of the regular dicepool if that would be preferable. This still limits her to 10 dice, but dice can still be traded for automatic marks (and has a final minimum marks value) based on the roll she would normally make - for instance, if she has a Fanbase of size 12 and a B- in a Subject required for a roll, she would roll 10 dice, or roll 9 dice and take 1 automatic mark, or roll 6 dice and take 2 automatic marks, and even if she rolled all ten and not a single one worked out, she would still have one mark. Any time she has someone under her mental influence, she may use a Major Action to feed on their mind - this negates the need for one meal (to a limit of three per day, just replacing her meals for that day and not banking for future famines).
Right from the start, the Divine Spark has Psionic Majesty level 1, with two Sub-Powers for this rank.
Fanbase
The Divine Spark automatically has a Fanbase with a rating equal to her Year Level, though this can be raised or lowered normally. When she graduates, she will need to actively keep a Fanbase, seeing as she no longer has close proximity to so many potential fans. The Divine Spark is always aware of attempts to reduce or destroy her Fanbase.
Other Powers
The Divine Spark gains her choice of either Aura Sight or Empty Heart. Additionally, she has either Heightened Senses, or Automatic Status as a celebrity, providing enough dedicated fans that she gains three Bonus Dice to resist any attempt to reduce her Fanbase.
Second Semester
Psionic Majesty
The Divine Spark gains the final Sub-Power for Psionic Majesty rank 1, along with a unique Sub-Power, Contagious Thought: with a Major Action, she makes a Language Studies Test, opposed by the Philosophy and Ethics of a target with whom she makes eye contact. If successful, an emotion or idea is implanted in them. For the rest of the day (as a Dedicated Project), any time the target communicates with someone, they risk passing the emotion or idea to them - this new target must make a Philosophy and Ethics Test, needing to roll as many marks as the Divine Spark's original roll. This will spread out from there, until the end of the day or the Divine Spark becomes Blocked.
Other Powers
The Divine Spark gains Emotional Blast, however if she uses it on someone who is part of her Fanbase, she loses access to both Fanbase and Blast for the next hour.
Second Year, First Semester
Psionic Majesty
The Divine Spark's Psionic Majesty is increased to rank 2, with 2 Sub-Powers for this new level of power. She also gains a unique Sub-Power, Instant Interrogation: she uses a Major Action and attempts a Language Studies test, opposed by an opponent's Philosophy and Ethics. If she wins, the target is only vaguely aware that something has made them think about a lot of things, and she gains knowledge of their feelings, motivations and life story. In essence, the results are as though she had spent an hour talking with them and they had answered every single question completely truthfully.
Other Powers
The Divine Spark may select a Sub-Power for her Emotional Blast.
Second Semester
Psionic Majesty
The third Sub-Power for Psionic Majesty rank 2 is gained.
Other Powers
The Divine Spark gains either Psionic Defence or a single Aura of her choice.
Third Year, First Semester
Psionic Majesty
The Divine Spark's Psionic Majesty upgrades to rank 3, with two Sub-Powers for this level of power.
Other Powers
The Divine Spark also gains TEAMWORK RA-RA! thanks to her constant exposure to other people's minds.
Second Semester
Psionic Majesty
The final level 3 Sub-Power is gained, along with a unique one, Forgotten Presence: with a Major Action she rolls a Philosophy and Ethics Test, and providing she rolls any marks, people need to actively search for her in order to find her - with the difficulty being the number of marks she rolled. They even forget she was in the area and any of her actions. As soon as she does anything that directly affects someone, that person becomes aware of her presence until she uses this power again.
Other Powers
If the Divine Spark previously chose Aura Sight, she now has Spirit Sight.
If she instead chose Empty Heart, she gains Exorcism.
Fourth Year, First Semester
Psionic Majesty
The Psionic Majesty power upgrades from rank 3 to rank 4, complete with two Sub-Powers. She also gains a new unique Sub-Power, World of Illusion: with a Major action she reaches into the minds of everyone around her and alters their perceptions, trapping them all in a dream. Any targets she can see or have mental contact with must pass a Difficult Philosophy and Ethics Test (Extreme if she Focuses or there is only one target, Ridiculous if both apply), or become Confused. Even when the confusion ends, they are still Distracted until she stops concentrating. During this time, she can implant suggestions (like the Agreement Sub-Power) with a Minor action, except she can put such ideas as "what they can see", fooling their senses.
Other Powers
The Divine Spark gains her choice of either Friendship Punch! with one Sub-Power, or Just According to Keikaku.
Translator Note: Keikaku means plan.
Second Semester
Psionic Majesty
The final Sub-Powers for Majesty are gained: the last regular one, and the scariest unique one, Reprogram: this power works as Domination, except that the target need not be Confused or Distracted. Furthermore, the Divine Spark not only controls their actions, but their thoughts and feelings as well - she can place ideas and opinions in their head, each one using a Minor or Major action on her turn, that they will thereafter consider to be their own ideas and opinions. If these actually conflict with their own existing views, they are allowed a Difficult Philosophy and Ethics Test to realise it is illogical and permanently discard it, otherwise cognitive dissonance just lets it stay, overriding their own thoughts whenever the two directly collide. By specifically implanting chains of thought, she can gradually alter someone's behaviour, as a form of CBT. That's Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, not Cock and Ball Torture.
Undoing the effects of this power through therapy (as opposed to "through another use of this power") requires an Extreme Test and a great deal of time.
Other Powers
The Divine Spark may gain an additional Sub-Power for any existing Power, or a Universal Power of choice, rank 1 Psionic Subjugation with a Sub-Power. In the last instance, it still relies on the power gained from others, just like her Majesty.
Graduation
Hyper Attack
The Divine Spark gains Hyper Attack upon graduation, with the Sub-Power of MIND CRUSH!
Post-Grad Life
It is hard to fit in with normal society and build trust as a Divine Spark, because people are afraid of them - can you be sure someone is your friend when they might have just infiltrated your brain? That said, those who do use their powers in such a way tend to have a lot of very loyal friends - because they banish such doubts and fears. So essentially, the only ones viewed with suspicion are the ones who don't deserve such suspicion. There is another option, of course: to simply be an idol and grow a fan-base without actually developing close bonds with many people.
