[K5pbem] The Akira Effect

Wed Dec 7 22:53:28 CST 2005

ESPER WEAPON SIDE EFFECTS
(a.k.a. The “Akira Effect”)

	Espers in Kazei 5 are very destructive when they do battle. Things  
bend, break, shatter, and are otherwise hurled to the four winds.  
Energy Blasts rip furrows in the ground as they streak towards a foe,  
while Force Fields tend to cause small objects to lift into the air,  
Force Walls will shatter the ground they cover, causing it to  
fracture and tilt in all directions, and just about any use of  
Telekinesis is accompanied by a horde of small objects moving along  
with the primary target.

	A few samples of esper powers in action:

	"Oooof. Sorry", Raven said, picking herself out of the mats. "I  
thought that was the point of 'hand-to-hand training.'" Then without  
transition she manifested her shields and hurled Shion the other way,  
straight into an upright mat.

	Or at least she tried. Shion simply stood there, her hair swirling  
about as the force of Raven's telekinetic strike simply ruffled her  
clothing. There was a momentary pause, and then Raven felt a similar  
force press against her. Gritting her teeth, fists clenched, she  
pushed back, trying to force the powerful psychokinetic back. Shion,  
in turn, settled into a lower stance, her hands clenched into fists.

	Mats and pads slid across from the floor away from the duo, clumping  
up against the far wall. A rack of training swords fell over with a  
crash. The floor thumped and dust swirled in tight patterns across  
the floor. Somewhere, something cracked and popped.

	Or:

	The ground cracked and buckled as the girl lifted a hand over her  
head and brought it slashing down. A trench erupted in the street as  
the esper's force bolt arced her way. Shion casually raised one arm  
and didn't even bother to blink as the bolt slammed home, dust and  
debris crashing over her in a wave. A moment later the air cleared,  
the ground shattered along a neat arc right in front of her.

	Or:

	Out of the corner of my eye I see a body fall through the air,  
smashing into the sheeting and tarps overhead and bringing a lot of  
it down in a crash of debris. Triad soldiers dash by, yammering  
loudly and brandishing an assortment of firearms. People are starting  
to turn, point, and duck for cover. Then the spot where the body fell  
bulges outwards as the stands and stalls are torn to shreds and sent  
flying into the air.

	For the moment David and I are beyond the blast radius and can only  
stare as a localized typhoon comes into existence. Chipboard  
sheeting, foam packing, plastic tarps, metal and wooden poles, and a  
lot of bamboo spirals up into the air, joined by apparently anything  
and everything that isn’t nailed down, which basically means nine- 
tenths of the bazaar. Mesmerized, I let my beer drop from my hand,  
the silver can rattling at my feet. David, to his credit, seems to  
keep his head and this time he yanks my arm and pulls me down to the  
presumed safety of the counter we had just been eating at. The  
brilliant orange-yellow blossom of a detonating propane tank shows  
that our choice of cover may not be the best.

	The debris comes raining down in a deafening series of crashes as  
screaming patrons do their best to clear out. As we huddle together a  
Triad gunslinger empties his weapon in the general direction of where  
the figure fell, the steady pop of weapon fire only adding to the  
din. A moment later he’s flattened into the ground as a woman drops  
down on top of him.

	I catch a glimpse of low red boots, white leggings, a red and white  
top, and lavender hair before she jumps into the air and vanishes  
from view. Glancing over at David I see he’s just as confused as I  
am. Well, was, since I think I know what’s going on. Poking him in  
the side, I point out to where the bazaar seems to eating itself.  
“Espers!” David nods and then tries to burrow down as low as he can  
go. A loud bang and a mushrooming cloud of smoke makes that seem to  
be a very good idea right now.

	These sort of effects are simulated with the use of Side Effects.  
The basic breakdown of esper weapon Side Effects are as follows:

	Base Side Effect (-X)
	Side Effect Always Occurs When Power Is Activated (x2)
	Side Effect Only Affects The Environment (-1/4)
	Intensity Of Side Effects Depends On Intensity Of Power Used (-1/4)

	What this means is that anytime an esper activates a power (power  
defined as anything with a psychokinetic special effect), the Side  
Effects will occur. However, the intensity of the Side Effects  
depends on what you’re doing with your power. Using your TK to pick  
up a tea cup will not cause cracks to appear in a nearby window.  
Powering up your Force Wall to full strength will (as well as in the  
walls and floor).

	Here is the base Side Effect values I am working with at this time.  
Please be aware that both the TK and RKA effects occur at the same  
time and over the same area. I am not counting the Area Of Effect as  
part of the Active Points of the Side Effects, however.

	Minor Esper Side Effects (15 Active Points):  5 STR TK, 1 Pip RKA,  
2” radius (-0)
	Major Esper Side Effects (30 Active Points):  10 STR TK, 1d6 RKA, 3”  
radius (-1/2)
	Extreme Esper Side Effects (60 Active Points):  20 STR TK, 2d6 RKA,  
4” radius (-1 1/2)

	The values presume 60 Active Points in the powers. Many esper  
weapons have higher power levels, however, such as 75-100 Active  
Points (or more).

	One question is -- are the Limitation levels justified per the  
fiction samples given. For example, Shion Nys has the following:

	Psychokinetic Powers:  Multipower; 175-point pool; Side Effects (All  
nonliving objects within 6” affected by either 15 STR TK or 1D6+1  
RKA. Objects may be bent, twisted, overturned, pushed about, or  
outright shattered. Effects depend on Active Points in power; -1/4)

	This has not been adjusted for my revised esper Side Effects of  
course, but I want to make sure I’m not setting things up so people  
playing espers are getting points back for non-limiting Limitations.  
For example, almost all of the Bricks Tricks have Side Effects with a  
value of -0, even of the power requires them to rip up roads and/or  
pipes. On the other hand, I want epser weapons to make a mess of  
things when they fight, up to the point where they may damage a  
structure they are into the point where it threatens them and/or  
their allies.

Any thoughts, opinions, and comments?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Surbrook
susano at guisarme . net http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/index.html

If violence is not solving your problems, you're just not using  
enough of it.