Blaz Blue: Quantum Suicide

Premise

Over a hundred years since the emergence of the Black Beast and the destruction of the Earth during the Dark War, humanity has moved into the high-altitude dwellings known as Heirarchical Cities in order to escape the land, which has become saturated the poisonous magical element known as Seithr. They make use of the Ars Magus, devices that couple magic and technology to allow humans to control the Seithr and wage war with the remnants of the Black Beast. The Novus Orbis Librarium oversees the training of those who use Ars Magus and controls the greatest examples of such weapons, making it the de-facto power in the post-apocalyptic planet, but it finds itself opposed by powerful rivals that only grow in number by the day. The continued safety of humanity and the stability of the world is threatened by these rebels and the internal conflicts of the NOL.

Unless something is done, the land will be plunged into war once again and humanity may not survive such a disaster.

As an NOL agent posted to 18th Hierarchical City of Kanayama, you've managed to evade the worst the world has to offer. Even as other cities become battlegrounds against the Librarium's enemies, Kanayama is peaceful and out of the way. But that might not last for very long...

Character Creation

Your character's natural abilities are built on 20 CP. As the magical-wielding elite of human society, NOL agents are often tempered by years of training and effort and represent some of the best current society has to offer.

Stats:

• Physical: Physical ability, lifting, running and fighting hand-to-hand.
• Smarts: Mental acuity and knowledge.
• Perception: Senses, intuition and fighting ranged.
• Integrity: Resisting influences, determination, guts.
• Charisma: Personal magnetism, speaking ability, talent at deceiving others.

Costs:

• 1: 0 CP - Notably (but not overwhelmingly) deficient. You're frail, a little dense or have bad eyesight, but it's nothing that keeps you from doing your job.
• 2: 1 CP - Average. You're good enough that the attribute isn't considered a weakness.
• 3: 3 CP - Adept. You're stronger, smarter or faster than most of the population, but not off the bell curve.
• 4: 6 CP - Peak human. At this level, you're performing incredible feats with very little effort.
• 5: 10 CP - Notably (but not overwhelmingly) superhuman. What others can do with incredible effort comes to you naturally.
• Specialties: Specializations round out a character's abilities and add bonus dice. These are bought as stats one level higher. A character can have a maximum of three specializations capped at three points each.

Ars Magus

Ars Magus, Ars Armagus and Nox Nyctores are weapons that were created during the Dark War as a combination of magic and technology to combat the Black Beast. By consuming the Seithr that had poisoned the land, Ars Magus allow humans normally incapable of magic to harness ambient Seithr.

To begin, a player must chose their Ars Magus type, which determines their main combat ability of their model and the means of attacking. Each type has some cosmetic and functional differences that might impact gameplay.

Types:

• Armour: Armour Ars Magus allow their users to endure great amounts of damage and protect others with their bodies. Armour uses Integrity to fight.
• Doll: Doll Ars Magus allow their users to fight remotely without placing themselves at risk. Dolls are controlled with Charisma.
• Edge: Edge Ars Magus are striking weapons that are easy to use and all-round quite powerful. Edge systems use Physical.
• Ranged: Ranged Ars Magus are devices which use Seithr combustion to fire blasts of energy or strike distant targets. Ranged weapons use Perception.
• Swarm: Swarm Ars Magus are remote systems similar to Doll-type weapons that can overwhelm the target with multidirectional attacks. Swarm Ars Magus require the mental precision only a character with high Smarts possesses.

Each character is given 30 MP to sink into Domains and Drives. Domains grant broadly applicable abilities that can be used to enhance attacks, effect the environment and influence the outcome of battles, while Drives are singular expressions of overwhelming power.

Domains:

• Elementalism: Elementalism is the most common domain for Ars Magus, and centers on the control of basic elemental forces. Elementalism is extremely versatile, as the user can effect very visible changes on the battlefield and make use of strong offensive and defensive powers.
• Energetics: Energetics controls more esoteric forms of energy such as kinetic energy, light, darkness and raw magic itself. Ars Magus with Energetic foci can deplete environments, restrict the powers of others and enhance their own attacks to great effect.
• Mentalism: Mentalism allows a character to dominate others, plant suggestions or create illusions and create mental barriers.
• Transmutation: Transmutation allows a character to convert and shape mass by using Seithr as a catalyst. A powerful Transmutation Ars Magus could create a field of blades, turn a single projectile into a volley or shatter mundane weapons with a touch.
• Vitalism: Vitalism allows the wielder to manipulate the vital forces of living things such as human beings, plants and animals. By manipulating the Seithr that permeates their bodies, they can render gross physical or biochemical alterations, or tear it apart from the inside out.

Cost:

• 1: 1 MP.
• 2: 3 MP.
• 3: 6 MP.
• 4: 10 MP.
• 5: 15 MP.
• Restrictions: Restrictions are specializations that limit the effectiveness of a given domain. Depending on how specific the restriction is, it may add 1 (Offensive Energetics), 2 (Ice Elementalism) or 3 (Self Vitalism) levels to the permanent rating. A Domain may only have a single Restriction.

Drives are singular powerful expressions of power. These have no dice ratings, but each Drive level costs 5 MP, allows a character to double their Domain rating for the purpose of a given attack or action in the context described. Additional purchases allow for different Drive attacks or multiple uses of a single Drive each session. Buildup to a Drive takes time, as a character must circulate and excite the Seithr before channeling an amount sufficient to perform such powerful attacks. Each round a character must roll their Ars Magus' combat ability and build up successes equal to the number of dice their Drive generates.

If a Drive is purchased three times, it may be upgraded to an Astral Heat, which triples the number of Domain dice used in the attack and allows for truly impressive actions. An Astral Heat may only be used once per session and may not be purchased additional times.

Drives:

• Blast: A Blast-type Drive generates a single area of effect strike that hits multiple targets or overwhelms a single one.
• Burst: Burst Drives enhance the user's abilities and allows them to function at a higher level of power than normal.
• Field: Field Drives reshape the battlefield to the user's whims, allowing them to literally turn the terrain against an enemy. Although powerful, Fields tend to leave lasting damage on the local topology.
• Strike: Strikes are single attacks similar to Blasts, save they replace area of effect for extreme precision.

Merits and Flaws

Characters receive an additional 15 CP to spend only on Merits, and may recover CP and MP to spend in merits, attributes or ars magus powers by taking on flaws. CP and MP reclaimed through Flaws cannot exceed 15 points total, however.

Personal

Ars Magus wielders often have colorful histories owing to myriad the factors which obtained them their weapons. Not all are simply law-abiding citizens who rose to the top through effort, and many owe their positions to wealth, prestige or the inheritance of a specific bloodline.

Merits:

• Allies: 1-15 CP. Provides an ally or group of allies that can be called on to assist the character when needed, jointly decided with the GM. Increased cost represents power, reliability and number of allies to fall on (assign points between the three).
• Backing: 1-15 CP. Provides the character with the backing of an organization such as the NOL, criminal underworld or a specific family. Increased cost represents power, reliability and clout within the group (assign points between the three).
• Diehard: 2/5 CP. The character is capable of resisting great trauma in combat. At 2 CP, they gain the equivalent of an extra HL, while 5 CP also allows them to continue fighting when dealt crippling wounds. They treat negative HLs as wound penalties to all Attributes and are considered incapacitated only when their Physical, Smarts or Integrity reach 0.
• Iron Will: 5 CP. The character may spend a Fate Point to completely ignore a single mental influence for the duration of a scene.
• Famous Family: 2 CP. The character is a member of a distinguished family such as the NOL's Duodecim, granting them bonuses in a relevant social setting. However, these do not represent additional wealth or influence (which are Backing and Rich).
• Legendary Attribute: 5 CP. Adds a single dot to an attribute already rated 4 or more.
• Legendary Skill: 3 CP. Increases a specialization rated 3 to 4.
• Lucky: 5/10 CP. Grants an extra Fate Point. The 10 CP version allows a character to retain spent Fate Points if the new roll was worse once per round.
• Rich: 2 CP. The character is never lacking in material wealth due to extensive savings or investments. This is separate from wealth from Backing, because the character is considered to be financially self-sufficient without help from someone else.
• Seithr Resistant: 6 CP. The character is able to safely navigate paths and areas saturated in Seithr without fear of experiencing its deleterious effects. They never roll for Seithr sickness and gain circumstantial bonuses against the corrupting influence of the Boundary.

Flaws:

• Addiction: 2 CP. The character is addicted to a relatively safe and conventional substance such as cigarettes, sugar or coffee. This has no impact on the character's day to day life, but requires they get their fix every 24 hours or receive a stacking -1 penalty to Integrity until they do.
• Amnesia: 7 CP. The character has some major holes in their memories, or may conversely be a blank slate with less than a year of (real) memories. This is carte blanche to be fucked with by the GM, incidentally.
• Dark Past: 5 CP (7 CP with Amnesia). Your character has done something in the past that has led to some level of infamy in some part of the world, although its influence might not spread to where they are now. If paired with Amnesia, the CP bonus is increased (in addition to other things).
• Debt: 2 CP (5 CP with Amnesia). Your character owes someone a favor, or money. In any case, it's something they can't deliver at chargen without serious problems arising.
• Frail Attribute: 2 CP. Due to an injury or genetic disorder, your character has a single attribute which is considered to be 0 by default (rather than 1) and must be purchased up to 1 with CP. The attribute cap is likewise reduced to 4 until the flaw is bought off.
• Inhuman Attribute: 1-5 CP. Often coinciding with Legendary Attributes or a consequence of mutation from Seithr exposure, the character has a problem that their superior abilities often distinguish them as being inhuman, due to voice or looks (Charisma), rippling or mechanical body (Physical) or strange eyes (Perception). Whenever using the relevant attribute, a botch or a number of successes higher than the Pool will automatically reveal their inhuman nature, which may lead to social penalties or fear. This Flaw may be purchased once per attribute.
• Phobia: 4 CP. The character has an unnatural primal fear against a specific thing, and must pass an Integrity roll or take a -1 penalty for the duration of the scene. Conversely, they gain a +1 dice bonus when trying to escape, destroy or convince others to distrust or stay away from their phobia.
• Unlucky: 4/8/12 CP. The character has less Fate Points than usual. Each purchase reduces the number by 1, to a minimum of 0. Whelp.
• Seithr Addiction: 5 CP. The character is addicted to Seithr exposure, which may lead to the eventual deterioration of their body and mind unless resistant to the effects. The character must be exposed to Seithr daily, either from using an Ars Magus device or moving into a high-concentration zone and receive a stacking -1 Integrity until they do. Others may find them disturbingly happy (or aroused) after being exposed to Seithr.
• Seithr Deterioration: 7 CP. The character has begun to break down from constant exposure to Seithr, leading to mental or physical problems. Although these haven't manifested in an overt way yet, the character takes a one HL of damage every time they are exposed to high concentrations (such as from combat). If taken to negative levels from this damage, they may experience temporary madness, disfigurement or even permanent degeneration as their bodies experience cascading failures and their powers spiral out of control. Cannot be taken with Seithr Resistantance.

Ars Magus

Ars Magus are curious things that are often produced as a consequence of experimentation, with very few truly stable production runs of such weapons. Ars Armagus and Nox Nyctores often have even more exotic backgrounds and histories, and are often heirlooms passed down family lines.

Merits:

• Ars Armagus: 5 CP. Ars Armagus are powerful Ars Magus designed to combat the Black Beast directly. Designed as powerful weapons, they consume vast amounts of Seithr in combat and are vastly more powerful than most Ars Magus. In gameplay terms, the character increases two of their Ars Magus domains by 1. Incompatible with True Magic and Nox Nyctores.
• Idea Engine: 9 CP. Idea Engines are powerful perpetual motion systems that generate endless energy. Incorporating an Idea Engine into an Ars Magus allows it to function normally without ambient Seithr, although they cannot use Drives.
• Intelligent: 3/6/9/12 CP. Intelligent Ars Magus are a novelty, given their construction as weapons, although intelligent Doll-type weapons are extremely valuable in the black market. Each purchase gives the Ars Magus 5 CP to build its own attributes, although it cannot fight independently of its master and cannot used them in combat. This merit is incompatible with Integrated Ars Magus.
• Integrated: 5 CP. Integrated Ars Magus or similar weapons are implanted into the wielder, allowing them to conceal or have them on hand at all times. In some cases, the Integration is caused by a being exposed to Seithr growing their own set of powers to manipulate ambient energy, as some strange creatures once did.
• Legendary Domain: 5 CP. Adds 1 point to any domain that is rated over 4.
• Nox Nyctores: 7 CP. Nox Nyctores are the most powerful examples of humanity fusing magic and technology, and are often produced at a great cost to the NOL and its rivals in both resources and lives. Nox Nyctores add +2 to one Domain and +1 to two others, however, their Seithr requirements to function at peak at increased by one level compared to Ars Magus and Armagus.
• True Magic: 7 CP. The character is not a human who makes use of Seithr combustion systems, but one of a rare group of humans who wielded genuine magical power before the emergence of the Black Beast. The abilities of their Ars Magus are properly their own and their Ars Magus type is set to 'Magic', which can be used with any attribute depending on the type of action taken. Like Ars Magus, Magic requires Seithr although the peak function requirements are reduced by one step. True Magic cannot take any Ars Magus flaws, and is incompatible with Ars Armagus and Nox Nyctores.
• Seithr Efficient: 3 CP. Seithr efficient weapons reduce the Seithr requirements of peak operation by 1, and do not reduce effective Seithr levels after combat. Incompatible with True Magic.
• Seithr Reservoir: 4 CP. Seithr reservoirs allow a weapon to ignore the ambient Seithr level and default it to the level it needs for peak functioning for 10 rounds of combat (doubled if Seithr Efficient). Using Drive or Astral Heat will subtract 2 and 5 rounds respectively. In addition to giving a good backup plan, it also allows Seithr addicts a way to discretely carry their fix around. Incompatible with True Magic.

Flaws:

• Aggressive: 4 CP. Aggressive Ars Magus exert subtle mental influences that force their users to fight even when the continuation of a battle is unnecessary. Although they have no influences on a character's personality, the character must pass an Integrity check (+1 for Ars Armagus and +2 for Nox Nyctores) to successfully break away, or fight another round until they do.
• Blood Bound: 1 CP. Some Ars Magus require specific bloodlines to function properly, although they can be later altered to work with other people.
• Dark Past: 4 CP (7 CP with Amnesia). Some Ars Magus were created as a part of an inhumane experiment or project, or were once used by particularly infamous individuals. Using such a weapon might lead to a case of mistaken identity, with the possibility of the former owners or related parties coming after the character.
• Dominating: 1/6 CP. A Dominating Ars Magus functions similarly to a Aggressive one, save that applies a set behavior that is inconvenient (for 1 CP) or genuinely dangerous (6 CP). Overriding that behavior requires a successful Integrity check (+2 for Ars Armagus and +3 for Nox Nyctores) for a given scene, although it returns in the next. Sometimes, Dominating Ars Magus incorporate loyalties rather than personality traits, which can be even more dangerous to an unwary wielder.
• Life Support: 6 CP. The Ars Magus is in some way supplementing or replacing one of the wielder's vital functions, allowing them to live. If their weapon is destroyed or separated from them, they take 1 HL of damage every scene until they do, and die once they reach negative levels.
• Life Stealing: 7 CP. The Ars Magus is actually powered in part by the user's own life force, or uses their body as an engine to burn Seithr more efficiently. Unfortunately, this causes damage to them and deals 1 HL every 5 rounds of combat (8 rounds if Seithr Efficient or Seithr Resistant, 10 if both, halved (round down) if Seithr Inefficient) in a 24 hour period.
• Seithr Inefficient: 3 CP. Seithr Inefficient Ars Magus increase their requirements for peak performance by 1, and halve the effects of Seithr Reservoirs. In addition, they double their drain effects on Ambient Seithr at the end of combat.