Dragonball Z RPG Character Creation Guide
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Character Generation: (Who are you and, what makes you think that you can crush that brick with your pinkie)
Creating a Character could not be easier then what they have for you here. The key is to first decide who you wish to play. Look at the character in your mind, think about their personality, their history, how they dress, what they look like (you may want to write this down). Once your character is fleshed out then go through the questions & steps on page 74 - 81
What's your Species? Human (or animal/human), Namek, or Saiyan?
What are you like? What sort of personality do you have?
What is your history? How did you come to know so much about fighting?
What are your Schticks? What differentiates you from any other super thyroid mega 'kung-fu' god?
What is your name? Try to have a theme in mind from your history, a pun dose wonders here.
Once you have these down then you get to choose your Characteristics:
Physical: determines; strength, physical damage, Defense, and Hits
Mental: determines; intelligence, and initiative
Combat: determines; innate fighting ability
Move: determines; how far you can move
Then Skills come into play:
Body:
Mind:
Evasion: no matter the amount of attacks that get thrown at you do have a chance at evading them
Fighting:
Weapon:
Power:
Other: These would include specialty skills that are a bit more specific that you think your character would have.
Examples:
Gadgetering: Allows the character to build and repair technological items (mental)
Sence 'Ki': The character is able to sence Ki levels (mental)
Next: SPECIAL FIGHTING TECHNIQUES. This could be considered the meat and potatoes of any DBZ battle, no matter what special energy attacks or defenses you will be tossing around, the fight will always end up at some point in time in a slugfest, and you want to look good. Description is the key, the more you describe what the maneuver looks like the better.
Determining Costs (Adapted from DBZ X): For a standard attack (punch or hit) no modifiers are used, the initiative (mental), the attack roll (Fighting + Combat), and damage (Physical + Combat) all stay the same. When determining the costs of your special maneuvers you may give those three options modifiers in the Pos or Neg. range, however you need to ensure that the modifiers cancel each other out (ex. if you decide to give your super mondo kick a + 10 bonus for damage and a bonus of +2 to hit (attack roll) you need to give it a -12 penalty to your initiative. This is one mighty slow but powerful kick)
Super charging your maneuvers (Adapted from DBZ X): Ordinarily your special maneuvers don't require any power to be used, however you can supercharge them by expending power as follows:
Increasing Damage: 5 power for +1 die of damage
Better Initiative: 10 power for +1 bonus to initiative
Better attack Roll: 10 power for +1 bonus to hit
Special training powers: (I am heavily adapting DBZ X): At character creation, you should determine what your special powers are (Listed a bit later), the maximum powers that a character can have is determined by you mental characteristic plus your Power skill and divide the total by three, and round down (ex: a character that has a mental of 5 and a Power skill of 11 would be able to learn 5 powers). You can increase the amount of powers that you can learn by increasing your mental characteristic, and/or your power skill, however you must also have either witnessed the power, or find someone to teach it to you.
There are two ways Dragon ball Z characters can perform extraordinary powers: inborn abilities and Ki powers.
Inborn Abilities Inborn abilities are those special abilities granted to a DBZ character by virtue of their heritage, be it alien or deity or mutant. Inborn abilities do not require a Power skill roll to activate. Inborn abilities can only be chosen at character creation, they cannot be purchased later or raised with EXP. Inborn abilities are purchased with a one-time expenditure of permanent Power Level. For example, if a character wishes to be able to fire 100 dice Energy Blasts, they would sacrifice 100 permanent Power Level. From then on, that character has the innate ability to launch up to 100 dice energy blasts without requiring a Power skill roll, or spending the power points. Inborn abilities count against you maximum powers. Also enhansments cannot be used when figureing into your abilities, however they can be learned (any enhansments so learned cost an additional power slot, counting against your max, and also require power expended on the enhansments only). One other thing, the inborn abilities can only be used 1 time per phase.
Ki Powers Ki Powers are extraordinary abilities that the character learns to harness. Ki is the power that binds the universe, the very sub quantum substance of reality. The character learns how to harness and control this energy, directing it to his will. Characters learn to harness Ki energy in different ways. Some use Ki to fire devastating Energy Blasts, others use Ki to enhance their Strength.
Each Power modifier counts as a separate Power, so Repeating Energy Blast is a separate Power from Area Effect Energy Blast.
Powers:
Boost Actions: 10 Power per Action per phase
This ability increases the number of actions a character can perform next Phase.
Super Speed/Flight: 20 Power per Mach (1000 Move, 1 km) or 10 Power for under mach 1 per 10 min
The ability to get where you need to go quickly. The character must make Physical + Body skill rolls Vs. various difficulties depending on the terrain.
Boost Reaction: 10 Power per +1 Initiative
This ability increases the character's Initiative next phase.
Boost Senses: 1 Power per +1 to roll or 100 meters (10 Power per 1 km) per phase
Super Senses allow the character to either increase their sensitivity, noticing things not normally within the range of their senses, or the range of their senses, or both.
Boost Size (Boost Strength + Boost Move + Damage Reduction): 10 Power per Level Growth per Phase (+1 Physical, +1 Move, +1 Meter reach, +1 damage dice reduced, -1 Defense rolls)
The character grows in size and proportion, increasing their strength, their reach, and their ability to absorb damage. Larger characters are also easier targets, suffering -1 to Defense rolls for each level of growth.
Boost Strength: 5 Power per +1 Physical per phase
Super Strength increases the character's Physical characteristic for the purposes of lifting and determining damage. It does not increase the character's Health or Defense.
Blinding: 100 power
A projected flash of light. May be directed, or in an area of effect (counts as a separate power) The victim looses all sense of vision (unless protected, ex. Goku used sunglasses against Tien's Solar flare attack) for a maximum of 10 phases. He must make a body save initially starting at a base difficulty of 50 with the difficulty decreasing by 5 each phase.
Deflection (Force Field): 1 Power per 1 dice damage negated
A force field that protects the character from one direction. Once in place, the field may be "kept up" without expending further actions or Power. Any excess Deflection dice is reflected back at the attacker, up to the original dice of the attack. Like Energy Blasts, Deflections may also be gradually built-up a phase at a time, but the deflection does not take effect until it is ready.
Damage Reduction (Invulnerability): 1 Power per +1 Defense.
The character may increase their Defense for the duration of the next Phase, thus reducing any damage taken that Phase. Damage Reduction may be "kept up" without expending further actions or Power. If an in-born power, if the character falls unconscious the power remains "up". If a Ki power, if the character falls unconscious, the power falls as well. Like Energy Blasts and Deflections, Damage Reduction may also be gradually built-up a phase at a time, but the damage reduction does not take effect until it is ready.
Energy Blast (Fireball, Heat Vision, Ki Blast): 1 Power per 1 dice damage
A directed blast of pure Energy. Energy Blasts can be built up over several turns, allowing for smaller Power control rolls each turn. If any one Power Control roll fails, the Energy Blast goes out of control and does damage to its creator.
The following are power modifiers, remember each power modifier included w/ an energy blast makes it a separate power.
After Effect: +2 per dice per phase of effect
An Energy Blast with After Effect causes damage even after the target is hit. The damage and number of phases of effect must be defined before the attack. For example, an 200 dice Energy Blast that does 100 dice each phase for 5 phases after the first would cost 1200 Power total.
Area Effect: +5 Power / Difficulty per Meter Radius
An area affect blast causes an explosion that radiates out from the target, effecting anyone within the effect radius. All targets within the effect radius must make defensive rolls to avoid taking damage.
Bending: +5 Difficulty per bend, up to 90 degrees
This modifier allows the energy blast to make bends up to 90 degrees. In this way, characters may fire over
mountains or around corners.
Delayed: +2 Power per Phase
A Delayed Energy Blast waits a predetermined amount of time before doing damage.
Deadly Effect: +1 Power/Difficulty for every 10 dice of Deflection negated
Deadly Effect Energy Blasts negate a predetermined amount of Deflection dice.
Homing: 1 Power per +1
Increases the accuracy of the Energy Blast.
Immobilizing: +10 Power per +1 Immobilization Strength
The target is immobilized and must make a contested Physical + Body Vs. Immobilization Strength + Attacker's Power skill check at the end of the phase. Success indicates the target breaks free, failure means the target is held for another phase. The target cannot attack or defend while immobilized. The Immobilization may be attacked by other characters. If the Immobilization takes it's Strength x 10 in damage, it is removed. The Immobilization takes any damage the held character takes as well.
Rapid Fire: +10 Power per Target
Allows the character to fire an Energy Blast at more than one target in a single phase.
Enhance Sences: +10 power to enhancement
This power enhances various sences in various ways, slightly diffrent then Boosting Sences, theise enhansments generally negate various conditions:
Vision Enhansments:
Low light
Infra Red
Illusion (After Image) 10 Power per Image per Phase
Multiple Image creates a copy of the character.
Independent Image: +10 Power per Physical or Move per Phase
Independent Image allows the character to create an illusion that acts with its own Characteristic and appearance and is, for all intents and purposes, real. However, the illusion can not do any actual damage. Also, should the illusion take any damage, it will cease to exist.
Realistic Illusion: +90 Power per Phase
This Power Modifier gives the illusion the ability to attack and fight, making the opponent believe they've been injured when they actually haven't. The illusion is, for all intents and purposes, real, but the opponents take no actual damage. When the opponent is at zero Health, they must make a contested Mental + Knowledge skill roll Vs. the Illusionist's Mental + Power skill. Failure results in the opponent falling unconscious. Success results in the opponent breaking the illusion.
Intangibility: 2 Power per 1 dice damage negated/1 meter thickness per Phase
The ability to pass through solid matter and be unaffected by physical attacks. A character that is intangible is still vulnerable to energy attacks. A character becomes intangible at the beginning of their next Phase.
Invisibility: 10 Power per Phase
The character is completely invisible. In combat, Invisibility makes the character harder to hit. If an opponent cannot make a successful opposed Mental + Knowledge Vs. Combat + Power skill test, then he is at 1/2 (Combat + Skill) in hand-to-hand, and 0 (Combat + Skill) at range Vs. the character. If the opponent succeeds, he is at 1/2 (Combat + Skill) in both hand-to-hand and ranged combat. If the Invisible character is making a visible attack, the attackers only takes a -1 to his attack, even at Range.
Reduce Size: 10 Power per Level Reduced (-1 Physical, -1 Move, +1 damage dice whenever hit, +3 Defense rolls) Per Phase
Likewise, characters may shrink, gaining +3 to Defense rolls, but suffering -1 Physical, -1 Move, and taking +1 damage whenever hit.
Regeneration/Healing: 1 Power per Health
Power may be traded for extra Health, up to the character's non wounded Health, in the same way Health may be traded for extra Power. The character may also heal others with this ability.
Stretching: 1 Power per 1 Meter or +1 Move
Stretching allows a character to perform a hand-to-hand attack at range. However, the character making the attack may also be attacked at any point in between. Stretching also allows characters to increase their strides and thus move more quickly.
Telekinesis: 10 Power per Physical, +10 Power per Move
This Power allows the character to remotely manipulate objects as if they were picking it up. Objects can become projectiles, doing 1 dice of damage per Physical required to lift it, plus 1 dice per Move.
Telepathy: 1 Power per 100 meters (10 Power per 1 km)
The Read Mind Modifier enhances Telepathy by allowing the character to read other's thoughts using opposed Mental + Power rolls. Telepathy also allows the character to send messages.
Mind Control: +10 Power per +1
Mind Control allows the character to implant commands and control the actions of a target after a successful opposed Mental + Power roll. Targets may resist by using their own Mind Control Power to increase their defensive roll. The extent of the control depends on the amount by which the controller defeated their opponent's roll.
Mind Control power level
Effect
> than Opponent Target will perform action he is inclined to perform anyway.
10 > than OpponentTarget will perform actions he wouldn't mind doing.
20 > than Opponent Target will perform actions he is normally against doing
30 > than OpponentTarget will perform actions he is violently opposed to doing.
The power lasts 1 phase, but the controller may increase the number of phases of effect by reducing the amount by which the controller defeated their opponent's roll.
Combat: (Wham, Pow, and Kazap, Know your Ki blasts)
I like the combat system that is used for the game, fast paced and simple formulas are the key here.
There are stages in resolving a combat phase:
Determine what you are going to do (Power up, Hide, attack, go purely defensive?)
Announce the initiative that you go in (Highest goes first, remember to include any initiative mods)
(upon your turn) announce your action / determine your success
see if you got damaged (subtract any hits that you got, any energy that you spent; add any energy that you powered up)
at the end of each 4th phase take your recovery (you get back your physical in hits)
Combat Examples:
One of the posters on AFD (alt.fan.dragonball), ATMetz asked a question about stun damage, and gave this example; from the show, anytime someone hits someone, knocks them back, zips in the way, hits them again, and repeat.
My thoughts:
When that happens the victims seem to be in pain. but to simulate that type of attack, the attacker would need to 'buy' some extra actions and flight mode of at least mach 1.
Ex: in the phase before the attacker bought 3 extra actions. their turn in the phase comes up, they go into flight mode (action 1), move and attack (action 2) which dose some knock back / knockdown (the knockdown may be your stunning attack) which the attacker made sure to angle up, they then get above the target and hit them again (action 3) which increases the damage / knock back / knockdown, then move to the ground and do the stopping hit (action 4).
I can see where this would have some stunning capabilities, after such an attack I would have the victim make a body check and see if they were able to get up, or maybe it should be dependent on the damage. Let me think on it, I will defiantly be adding this to my site.
Experience: (What to I do with these points again)
One of the biggest beefs I have with the game is the way, or lack there of, in dealing with spending the experience that you will give the characters, but I will be dealing with that later, right now I want to go over the ways in handing out exp.
I think that they went a bit too light on this and I have come up with the following guidelines for training:
No training: 10 exp. per year. (Just like it says, this is standard living, the characters get this as a bonus if they survive for over a year in game)
Light Training: 2 exp. per Month. (Steady regimen of daily exercise)
Moderate Training: 5 exp. per month
Heavy Training: 2 exp. per week
Intensive Training: 5 exp. per week
Special Training: See Below
Hyper Training: See Below
Special Training: I will now go through each of their examples
Training under multiple gravity's (see page 87 of the main book): First off you need a access to a gravity room. If you are following the DBZ plot line then there will not be on available to the PC's until Goku's ship is ready for the trip to Namek, and then only Goku should have access to that one (the PC's should either hitch a ride in Bulma's ship or obtain their own if they really wish to go to Namek.) after that there will not be one built until after Goku returns and Vageta bullies his way into having it built.
But if you are not following the plot, there is no reason one cannot be, or has not already been built. I agree with the exp. formula but not the duration, (Goku gained and trained under what level of G for SIX days) there fore I think this is a typo. So here is the Dragma 'Atlas' guide to training under Multiple g's
First since the character is not use to anything other then what he has lived under for his life the player should make a Body check to make sure that the PC can stand the strain. The formula that I plan on being able to use is:
Difficulty = (Training Gravity - Starting Gravity) + 20 (base difficulty)
If they fail that then they cannot train under that gravity currently & have to master a lower level. Then the character must spend at least one week (8 hr. a day) of training under that gravity (no variation in gravity, or the week is reset) to gain any benefits. The exp. gain is as follows:
Exp. Gain = Training Gravity * 10 per week
Example: Crystal Steel enters the gravity room and sets the dial for 10 G. Now since she has always been under 1G she needs to first make sure her body can withstand the strain, so she would need to beat a difficulty of 29 ((TG (10) - SG (1))+20 = 29) If she doesn't make it then she may need to be hospitalized, however if she dose make it then she can train as per normal.
To master a Gravity Level you first must have trained for at least a week then make a body check for the Training Gravity using the following formula:
Difficulty = Training Gravity - week + 20
Once the body check is won the Training Gravity becomes your Starting gravity. You may still train under that gravity but the exp. gained will be less:
Exp. Gain = (Training Gravity * 10) / 2 per week
You will not gain any extra benefits training in lower G then you are use to.
You may only go up a maximum of 10 G's in normal training in one year, any thing further requires Hyper training.
Unless you happen to have special aid the maximum gravity that a body can withstand is:
Human: 20G (human bones cannot withstand the higher graveties without artificial reinforcement)
Namekian: ???
Saiyan: Saiyans have no known limit.
Entering the Pendulum Room: (Page 88 of the main book): This seems pretty cut and dry, you enter the room and a good amount time happens between strokes of the pendulum. I have no changes in mind. But it can be noted that this is more a mechanism for other training methods to happen faster.
Magic or other Enhancements: (Page 88 of the main book): Another fairly direct idea, but one that should not give generic EXP. rather specific stat raises should be given.
Special Training w/ King Kai: (Page 88 of the main book): no change
Fighting other warriors: (Page 89 of the main book): no change
Hyper Training: There are times that one may want to speed their training pace a bit, this can be handled in the following way. First decide who much time you wish to reduce it to (i.e. 1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Then you need to see if your body can withstand the increased pace. Multiply the reciprocal by the base difficulty 20 (Ex: if you wanted to take 1 day to complete what would be considered a week of training you would find the difficulty is 140, 20 X 7 = 140), you can power up to help. A good example of Hyper training would be Goku's training on the way to Namek
Spending the EXP.:
You can gain extra levels on your Attributes and Skills by spending the Exp. you get from the above or Exp that is arbitrarily given out by the GM.
Raising a Characteristic: cost = 2 X the new Level
Raising a Skill: cost = 1/2 X the new Level (round down)
Raising the Power Level = 1 Exp for 1 Power
Raiseing Defence = 2 Exp for 1 Level
Raising Hits = 1 Exp for 1 Level
Money & Equipment (Subbmitted by: Ryoken)
Hi again, Dragma! I wondered, how to keep track of money, items, etc. on your character. I've come up with this.
Keeping track of Zeni:When you make your PC, after all else, roll 1 6-sided die. Multiply yourresult by 1000.
Example: Ryoken* rolls 5 on his Zeni roll. 5x1000=5000, soRyoken* would start with 5000 Zeni in his inventory.
Inventory: Inventories are to be displayed so that your GM(but otherwise, only ally PCs)can see just what you have. Note that under capsules must be displayedtheir contents, and other than Zeni, nothing may be put in capsules inmultiples. Keeping stuff on you but not in capsules works like this: refer tothe space-take-upping sheet(later in these rules), and see how much space ittakes up. Your capacity=PHYSx1.5(rounded to the nearest whole number)
Example: Ryoken* has a physical of 6, multiplied by 1.5 is 9. He has9 item capacity.
RC means Required Capacity.
Example: 4/9 Spaces taken
Capsule 1:RC-0
Auto-Shredder:RC-6, modified to 0
Capsule 2:RC-0
575 Zeni:RC-1 per 10 Zeni, modified to 0
Capsule 3:RC-0
Charon* Modified Starfighter:RC-Not allowed to be carried, modified to 0
Broad Sword:RC-4
Buying/Getting Stuff Your GM will determine what salvage is on an enemy, and, if you vape him, it isn't salvageable. But when he is dead/unconcious, your GM states what is still salvageable, and you and your allies pick and choose. You CAN fight over salvage. Note that you should salvage even things you can't use, but you can sell in the market.
LIST O' STUFF Note: on any # through #, # is decided by GM, or okayed by GMAlso, ranged weapons range decided by GM, or okayed. Note: M=Move,RC=Required Capacity, Zeni=Zeni cost, Dice=Dice in damage, if any, or how itmodifies damage.
Name RC Zeni Dice(if damaging)
____________________________________________________________________________
Small Gun 1-2 200-800 2-4
Gun 3-5 500-12000 3-5
Big Gun/Rifle 4-9 900-16000 6-12
Canon Only Capsuled 2000-45000 17-22
Dagger, Club, etc. 1-2 50-300 1-4
Sword etc. 2-7 250-900 2-7
Broad Sword, etc. 6-10 750-1450 6-12
Grenade, etc. 1 800-1600 10-16, area effect2-10
MScouter 1 Salvage only N/A
Dragon Radar 1 1400 N/A
Hoipoi Capsule 0 2250 N/A
Light Armor 2 200-675 +5 Defense
Medium Armor 4 350-900 +10 Defense
Mercenary Armor 3-5 300-975 +10 Defense/+10 Kai Def
Space Armor 4-6 Salvage only +15 Defense/+5 Kai Def
Heavy Armor 8-10 1250-1800 +20 Defense/-1 Move
Space Suit 5-15 3000-3500 Can breathe inspace/H20
I think you get the point
Lifeform Capsulization:If anything other than an android or transdimensional being is capsuled, itwill die automatically, because the instant, dramatic rip destroys its NeuralSystems.*These are my own names for things, such as my PC. You can't have 'em, youdarn, dirty apes! ; - )
