Scion of Duality

[Lisha]

Scion of Duality

 

The Scion of Duality was once considered nothing more than a mild gene anomaly that manifested itself randomly in one out of a few thousand children. While the premature form exhibited forms of suppression of chakra in varying degrees, particularly in those that came into contact with the subject, the genetic mutation has fully revealed itself in a handful across the world as far more capable than expected. It is common knowledge amongst those in the shinobi world that the creation of chakra rests in the combination of the physical and spiritual energies of the body, with exercising, training, studying and gaining experiences in life being the methods to increase its power. Those in possession of this mutation however are able to obtain far stronger chakra with far less effort and work in comparison to the average shinobi. Based on intensive observations, studies have found the chakra coils possess a function that looks to remove deficiencies in the twin energies of the body used to create the chakra. As a result, the chakra seeks to become increasingly refined until it reaches a pinnacle state, void of any and all imperfection. Except such strives to perfection results in the opposite in some cases, providing insight as to why possessors find it difficult to applying nature transformation to their chakra.

 

Dual Reserves

Due to the body’s enhanced manner of combining physical and spiritual energies, the chakra created has the potential to become twice as powerful as usual. As the refined energy courses through the Chakra Pathways System and coats the tenketsu, it also offers some defense against attacks of chakra-based nature as it makes constant with the skin.

Effect: The user may purchase 1 rank of Ninjutsu Mastery Void or Resistance for 1 Skill Point and receive 1 rank in the other skill for 0 Skill Points.

Requirements: Power of the Void. Level 30

Cost: -2

 

Bifold Spear

The potent chakra belonging to those with the genetic mutation has a tendency to move and shape itself virtually autonomously to the possessor's desires. When faced with barricades fashioned of chakra or other methods designed to obstruct the user’s already chakra-enhanced attacks, the chakra will reflexively contour itself into an appropriate form that allows it to spear and eat through these defensive measures with greater ease.

Effect: As a free action in the Main Phase, the user may add the following effect to Void attacks used during the same Main Phase: Ninjutsu Response Phase techniques have their chance to fail increased by x% with x being the user's ranks in Ninjutsu Mastery Void and y being equal to the user's ninja rank. Ninjutsu Constructs take damage equal to 10xy. During the turn this skill is activated, the user does not gain the bonus of Ninjutsu Mastery Void when performing attacks.

Requirements: Dual Reserves

Cost: -2

 

Bifold Shield

The potent chakra belonging to those with the genetic mutation has a tendency to move and shape itself virtually autonomously to the possessor’s desires. As the user is bombarded with projectiles or constructs of chakra-based nature, their chakra is capable of forcing itself out of the tenketsu around the targeted area of the body and compacts itself together tightly into a body shield of sorts that wards off the incoming assault.

Effect: As a free action in the Response Phase, for each chakra-based physical attack targeting the user, they gain a Shield with Health equal to 10x with x being the user's rank in Resistance. These Shield(s) are destroyed at the end of the user's Response Phase. Each Shield created by this ability has a 5% chance to fail. During the turn this skill is activated, the user does not gain the bonus of the Resistance when defending against attacks.

Requirements: Dual Reserves

Cost: -2

 

Twice-Born

Taking advantage of their chakra’s seeming cognizant desire to rid itself of impurities within their body’s chakra pathway system, the user meticulously directs their chakra through every other major organ system in their body or even into the body of another individual altogether. As the chakra courses through the bodily systems, its inability to identify the physical and spiritual energies and instead eliminates waste, impurities, toxins and everything else that negatively resides in the organs. As a result the individual in question experiences an unknown surge in vitality, feeling more lively than they’ve likely felt in life. Even when the individual is subjected to injuries, the chakra optimizes the body’s ability to heal itself, allowing it to recover faster than normal. While a miraculous ability, it is only temporary as any signs of revitalization fades away when the chakra ceases supplying its effects.

 

Cost: 5% Total Stamina & Chakra Activation; 5% Total Stamina & Chakra Upkeep

Activation: The user chooses an allied target when activating this ability and only one character may be affected by this ability at a time. The user may activate this ability as a Setup Phase or Main Phase action and may deactivate it as a free action in any Phase.

Rules: This is an Advanced System. If the target of this ability is not the user and their Health is reduced to 0 or lower while it is active, this ability deactivates at the beginning of the user's turn.

 

Effect: When Twice-Born is activated as a Setup Phase action, the target of this ability has their total Health increased by x per rank in this skill with x being the user’s level. When Twice-Born is activated as a Main Phase action, the target's current and total Health is increased by x per rank in this skill. This ability may only increase a target's current Health once per battle and cannot increase current Health above 0. When this ability is deactivated, all Health gained by this ability is lost. If the target's Health would be reduced below -25% of their total when this ability is deactivated, it is set to -25% of their total Health instead.

Requirements: Dual Reserves, Bifold Spear and Bifold Shield

Ranks: 5. Ranks may be purchased every 10 levels.

Cost: -1

Edited March 31, 2021 by Lisha

[Sol Pope]

I'm gonna be honest, I do not like Twice-Born at all. 600 total health stat is a lot and also as written isn’t doing any healing. The second ability in it is confusing me a little, because reducing an increase by 1.5xy in the way that you’ve stated can technically remove health from the target. Which, if it was a heal I could see (though I would expect that the skill require path of the medic). Since it’s just increasing total health stat, you would technically be reducing your target’s total health stat which I don’t think is good (and I don’t think it is what you were intending).

 

Bifold Shield is...weird. I want to point out how I see it to make sure you have the correct intentions. This is punching up against Taijutsu, you get the shield against everything so it’s effective against things resistance isn’t. That said, as written this skill makes it so that you never benefit from resistance, even when you would want to. The shield is incredibly potent against taijutsu and if you’re consistently dodging attacks and building shields. But you’re straight up losing reduction against ninjutsu that strike you. There are edge cases like stopping low damage status effect heavy techs. In full though, I don’t love this skill. I would like to hear your thoughts on the effect you’re looking for here so we can find a good middle ground between “ridiculously strong” and “basically bad.”

 

Everything in this bloodline needs to specify that it’s active only while Twice-Born is active. That might be your intention right now but it reads differently because the Twice-Born part is below the spear and shield skills. These skills can be made passable as part of a non-regenning advanced system. In fact, I think Bifold Spear is probably in a pretty good place within an AS.

 

Feel free to message me with any questions you might have.

[Lisha]

I modeled the cost and bonus of Twice-Born off the Earth Release Earth Spear skill that provides 1200 Defense for -5 SP with 5 ranks. I don't know if the Health bonuses themselves cost very much but part of the cost is accounted for the Resuscitation-like effect and the status removal effect. I adjusted the wording for the status removal effect so hopefully it's a little clearer now too.

 

I fixed Bifold Shield's effect to specify it only works against chakra-based physical attacks as intended. This allows it to primarily block Ninjutsu or weapon attacks that are paid with chakra. It is switching the full SP value of the skill to doing something else even if it is a bit narrow and situational. One use for it is stopping very low damage heavy status effect attacks but it is better when combined with Shield/Barrier techniques to negate even more damage and require less resources to spend since you always have a cost free Shield on hand or multiple if more than one attack targets you. Otherwise, just the default damage reduction is better the majority of the time.

 

I've changed Bifold Spear a little but I'm not sure if it's too much. Would rather start higher than lower lol. The maximum fail chance against only Ninjutsu RPJ with Void is 40% while Wind provides 10% chance against everything for -1 SP without any trade off. The Barrier/Shield damage increase can reach as high as 400 which is kind of a lot but that's damage that is only being applied against a Barrier/Shield and cannot be factored into total damage if you were break through and it also cannot be factored into critical hits or any other effects anymore. And its only for Ninjutsu ones too. I believe Barrier/Shield breaker effects don't have a very high cost either in techniques but up to 200 additional damage is like increasing your Ninjutsu stat by 800 for attack which costs a lot.

Edited March 31, 2021 by Lisha

[Sol Pope]

Ok so I went through some stuff after we’d spoken and unfortunately as is, the activated portion of this system can’t be approved. Probably not even if it’s path locked in its current form.

 

There are things I had overlooked initially when considering it as a path locked skill. Currently the system is doing a couple things that are both level and path locked to medics and taking those specific skills outside of the path isn’t going to work. Healing status effects with the lower health boost is literally one of Path of the Advanced Medic’s path choices. That alone is reason to deny this skill in it current state. In fact, this skill is even more flexible than that path choice is.

 

Secondly, reviving characters is a level locked, path locked skill with a strict limit on the number of times you can revive someone. It also requires Path of the Advanced Medic.

 

This is something I should have caught initially and did not. So, as the activated portion of this skill currently exists, this bloodline is denied.

[Lisha]

I understand and have removed those path specific effects from the Advanced System. I figured those were pushing boundaries but doesn't hurt to try lol