Kyero
Three Thousand Club
Mechanics!
Please do not post in this thread. Thank you!
Let's talk about Ki!!
So we are all familiar with the concept of "Ki". It's "energy".
What is energy?
Energy is actually heat generated by the rapid movement of particles of matter. Energy cannot be seen or interacted with in any way, shape or form. Thus, the entire definition of "energy" as we know it cannot be used in this RP because it's not realistic. Because energy cannot be seen or interacted with, it is not truly pure energy that we see in "energy" attacks like Goku's Kamehameha.
The pure energy that we are familiar with must be carried by a physical medium in order to be seen and felt. And there's a reason why we can see the energy blasts in DBZ and why two opposing blasts of Ki often cause the weaker of the two to collapse in on itself such as SS2 teen Gohan's Kamehameha vs Cell's just before Cell bloated himself and then lost Android 18 to Gohan's kick. Those two combating waves of power caused them to actually warp, which is not something that pure energy can do as it is not actually matter that can be warped or manipulated.
So what is it, or rather, why is it that we can see the blast waves?
Plasma.
Yes, plasma.
What is plasma?
Plasma is in fact a form of matter that is not a gas, liquid, or a solid. If you were ever taught that there were only three forms of matter, you were lied to.
The only time you've ever seen plasma at work is in fluorescent light bulbs or when you've looked at the sun, as stars are superheated bodies of plasma and not actually a gas like you may have otherwise believed until this point in your life. If you don't believe me, do a bit of research on it real quick. While it is true that plasma is the result of superheating gas, they are two different states of matter that react with the world in vastly different ways.
Allow me to explain!
When we see Goku use the Kamehameha Wave, what is he doing? He's causing a ball of light to appear between his hands, but it's not actually light. There is light energy from the sheer volume of heated particles, yes, but that's not actually what it is. There is gas and air between his hands, and he is superheating it at incredibly rapid rates (to near instantaneous speeds).
But how is this accomplished?
In a fluorescent light bulb, electricity is pumped through the gas in the tube which supercharges the atoms and causes the electrons to break away, resulting in superheated plasma illuminating the bulb and lighting up the room.
The exact something is happening in between Goku's hands. He, and the other characters of the DBZ universe, have managed to harness their body's electric potential, concentrating it between their hands (or wherever else in their bodies they choose when they learn how to do so), and superheating the air at that concentrated point which supercharges the atoms in the air and results in a ball of plasma being formed. The Kamehameha is born.
At higher and higher temperatures (a.k.a. higher and higher power levels), plasma becomes thicker and viscous to the point where it can physically be pushed or interacted with.
Key thing to remember, harness your bodies electric potential.
All of the bio-electricity you see in higher levels of Super Saiyan? Plasma as a result of the superheating of the air around the body when they power up and focus their body's electric potential at higher and higher levels.
So why can they harness it and keep it once there? Surely the amount of power would demand that their power drop like a stone right?
Wrong.
The initial boosting of electric potential, and thus energy, to reach new and higher levels of power is indeed great, but the laws of physics and energy work in the favor of the individual harnessing them. It takes ten times as much energy to create the plasma than it does to sustain it. Thus when Goku reached Super Saiyan for the first time, we saw almost no negative effects in his ability to control the power or keep it at a consistent output level. Reason why? The properties of plasma.
However, this is also a negative for Ki blasts. The closer the user is to their target, the stronger the Ki blast will be and the more damage it will do. When the blast is further away, the potential energy and damage drops off at a fairly steady pace.
Food for thought when you're battling your enemies.
So about the bit about not being able to access the maximum power after engaging in battle?
When your body experiences growth, can it utilize the full result right away? No. It cannot. When you lift weights in the gym, it takes time after a workout for the body to rebuild damaged muscle tissue and grow larger and stronger. The same thing happens to the body and its Ki pathways.
After battle when your character grows stronger, the body must acclimate itself to the new energy and the Ki pathways enlarge themselves to allow for the larger amount of Ki. As time passes, the Ki pathways return to normal size as the power normalizes and becomes the natural state of your character's existence from that point forward. But this takes time. A long time in fact. It can take upwards of three to six weeks IC before the body fully acclimates itself to such drastic changes in power level.
When and if your character acquires a new maximum power level after a battle, if they power up in an attempt to see what they can do, what do you think will happen?
Well, in short... They'll hurt themselves. Literally.
Because the body is not yet used to such a drastic increase in Ki flow, the body will begin to tear itself apart as it can no longer sustain or contain the rising levels of Ki. If you power up before you've fully acclimated to your new power, you'll damage your Ki paths resulting in a permanent stunt of your power growth from that point on. All calculations will be cut, meaning you grow much slower and less efficiently than if you take the time to do it right and acclimate your body properly.
If anyone tries to speed this process along in any way during the course of the RP, they'll get a single warning from me about it and be forced to edit the details of their post accordingly. If it happens again, they're out of the RP.
There are no healing chambers in this RP. It's all 100% natural recovery. Luckily, Saiyan bodies evolved as a warrior race. Their metabolism and recovery time is much faster than those of a human being. Almost any broken bone will heal in a matter of weeks, rather than months, and be fully usable before a month has passed. So even if your Saiyan is taken out of the game for a month or two, they'll have fully healed by the time they're back in the game and ready to move forward.
However, you might be asking: "Well if it takes that long to recover, why can't they use their full power?"
Because your power threshold is increasing slower than your body is recovering. By the time your character has healed from battle, their body is still fighting to adjust to the new levels of power. their Ki pathways are still enlarged, their muscles are still acclimating to the Ki flow and distribution, and their minds are adjusting to the increased performance which the Ki is expecting to produce. This takes time. Your Saiyan will heal faster than their body will adjust. This is a constant law of the Saiyan race, and no character will ever be able to avoid it.
Why do the Saiyans gain power after sustaining serious injury during battle?!
This is a question I've asked myself for years, and I have discovered a realistic reason as to why!
The Saiyans evolved as a warrior race and as such their bodies rely on two things in life: physical force exertion, and Ki.
Ki, as we already discussed, is the raw living energy (not just heat) living within the bodies of all living things in this RP. As a warrior race the Saiyans naturally have a much more potent level of Ki potential which is comprised of the different kinds of energy discussed later in this thread.
Their bodies also possess what you might consider a secondary set of veins and major arteries, though these are purely metaphysical in nature and are dedicated solely to the distribution and focusing of Ki throughout the body. This Ki Pathway is a key ingredient to the Saiyan's ability to power up after a major battle which has left them wounded and exhausted.
Just as a human can exhaust and break down their muscles in the gym to make them bigger and stronger after recovery, a battle does much the same thing to the Ki Pathway within the Saiyan body. After a Saiyan has been heavily wounded and exhausted, the Ki Pathway responds by enlarging thus allowing for greater amounts of Ki to flood through the body as a result.
Why does this happen?
The Saiyan body is constantly producing Ki. The maximum amount of Ki their bodies can withstand, and thus contain, is known as the "Ceiling." The Ceiling a metaphorical explanation of the maximum amount of Ki their bodies allow before the Ki Pathway becomes damaged as a result of the overflow of Ki.
A general rule of thumb about the Ceiling is that it is usually around 4-6x the Saiyan's natural max power level. So if a Saiyan has a maximum power of around 20,000, their Ceiling will be somewhere between 80,000-120,000. If they accumulate or exert higher concentrations of Ki than that, it is highly likely that their Ki Pathway will become damaged and permanently lose a portion of its functionality resulting in lower power levels than before.
As the Ki Pathway enlarges and floods the body with Ki after a major battle to rejuvenate what was lost, the Ki Pathway then reduces its size to a point of natural optimum efficiency. Until the Saiyan hits their Genetic Limit, their Ki Pathway will continue to expand and return to normal size whilst retaining previously heightened levels of Ki production and distribution.
In short, the Ki Pathway learns to accommodate for the higher levels of Ki needed to rejuvenate the body after a battle allowing them to become stronger over time.
However, this is not without its flaws.
The Genetic Limit will eventually stunt the growth of the Ki Pathway indefinitely to the point where no matter how much damage a Saiyan takes their power level will no longer increase. When and if the Genetic Limit is overcome, then the Saiyan's body will then continually accommodate higher levels of Ki as they continue to battle and grow over time.
Class System
* 1 - 2,000: Low Class
* 2,001 - 8,000: Middle Class
* 8,001 - 14,000: Upper Class
* 14,001 - 19,999: First Class
* 20,00 - 30,000: Elite Class
* 30,000+: Super Elite Class
Great Ape
The Great Ape Form
The Saiyan race are born with tails, and these tails contain a number of different hormones and nerves which all work in harmony on the night of a full moon to help the Saiyan transform into a Great Ape.
However, a few things must be in place for the transformation to be successful:
- The Saiyan's tail must be undamaged and full length
- The Saiyan must have enough energy (at least 20% of their base power level remaining) to both activate and complete the transformation
- During the transformation, the Saiyan must not be attacked as any shift in mental focus will cancel the transformation and return the Saiyan to their base form
- Once the transformation is complete, the Saiyan becomes a Great Ape
Once in Great Ape form, the Saiyan's maximum power level rises dramatically by a factor of x10. However, in this form, while they are immensely powerful they are no longer capable of moving at the kinds of speeds as in their natural state. Their bodies are simply too big, but they compensate for it by retaining the ability to utilize Ki in the form of both a natural breath attack, and if the Saiyan is competent enough, they can even use their signature moves in this state (all of which are appropriately scaled up in power along with the form).
Golden Great Ape
The Golden Great Ape is only attainable in this RP after you have ascended to the level of Super Saiyan 2. On the night of a full moon, after the Great Ape transformation has been completed successfully, if the Saiyan retains control of themselves with the enormously increased power level thanks to all the power they have attained from becoming a Super Saiyan and beyond, they will retain the ability to enter the Super Saiyan state while in Great Ape form. This is how the Golden Great Ape comes into being, multiplying the Great Ape’s power by the same amount as the regular Super Saiyan level (50x) for a total of 500x their base power in their natural state.
This is A LOT of energy. Mental clarity and emotional control becomes more difficult for Saiyans as their power rises to greater and greater heights. The increase in power preys upon their instinctual drive for battle, triggering more primal urges and driving them to insanity. If a Saiyan is able to regain control in this unstable form, they become a true force to be reckoned with.
Super Saiyan Levels
Before we get to the Super Saiyan transformations, A little explanation about how the various "exp" bars function!
* Ki Consumption - The more full the bar is, the more energy the form consumes. The more empty the bar is, the less energy the form uses. So SS3 consumes a TON of energy, while Full Power Super Saiyan requires next to none.
* Stamina - This is how well the presented form maintains its level of power output during battle. The more full this bar, the better the level of SS performs in battle over long periods.
* Speed - This is a relative measure of how fast the form is, but does not guarantee that one individual in one form is faster than another individual in the same form just because the players designed them to be "speed" vs "power". The "power" based character can still be faster than the "speed" based character so long as their power level is high enough in the form.
* Agility - This is a relative measure of how well the form can maneuver about the battle field. Speed is raw movement speed, but agility is your acrobatic performance. How well you move in and out of enemy attacks, how well you flow from one attack to another without wasting motion. Etc.
* Power - Raw power output relative to the form's power level. The more full this bar, the more power output is given to physical attacks.
* Fluidity - How fluid is movement? Each form, especially when attained for the first time, takes getting used to. Even when the form is "mastered", complications can and will arise which make the form seem stiff compared to others at certain points in time.
* Precision - How precise can this form push the user to become? Does their increase in power and speed help them with landing precise techniques, or is it just flailing as hard as you can to land the strongest attacks possible wherever you can land them?
Super Saiyan - Base Power x 50
The Super Saiyan is the first true transformation of the Saiyan Race.
In order for a Saiyan to access this form, there are a few criteria which must be met before the transformation can be attained:
- The Saiyan's maximum power level in their natural state must be at least 2,500,001, as a power level equal to or less than 125,000,000 upon power up fails to activate the necessary steps provided below to achieve the transformation
- The Saiyan must be fully grown (the minimum age requirement of 21 takes care of this)
- The Saiyan's mental and emotional stability must be severely compromised and unstable
Once the above criteria have been met the following take place in order from the beginning of the transformation to the end:
- During combat, the Saiyan's mental and emotional stability must either become severely compromised or shattered altogether to the point where the Saiyan has literally lost their sanity
- Once sanity is lost, the Saiyan's brain releases a hormone in its attempt to stabilize itself which has previously remained dormant until such time as this extreme mental compromise takes place
- Upon release of said hormone, and in response to the Saiyan's high power level, the Saiyan's body immediately prepares for the transformation by powering up whether or not the Saiyan is ready for it
- As the power level increases, the body begins venting excess energy in the form of the signature glowing golden aura. This is a very painful process as the energy being released is literally forcing its way out of the Saiyan's body because the veins and energy pathways are not used to or prepared to handle the new incoming energy as the power level rises.
- During power up, another hormone is released, one which causes the Saiyan's growing power level to either halt at or break free of the Saiyan's genetic limiter mentioned in the criteria. If the power breaks passed the limiter by exceeding 125,000,000, the transformation begins in full. If it stops at or does not reach 125,000,000, the False Super Saiyan transformation is activated and lasts for all of 30 seconds.
- Once the power level has breached 125,000,000, (ideally continuing to grow) the Saiyan's body activates one final dormant hormone, this one contained within the base of the tail close to the spine. The hormone works its way up the spine to the brain where mental stability is forcefully regained and the hair color begins to change, another painful process as hormones begin clashing with each other in the Saiyan's head and throughout their body
- Once the hormones find their balance point and settle, the transformation becomes complete as the Saiyan's body unleashes one final burst of energy to vent all excess and find its own point of optimum efficiency
Upon completion of this process, the Super Saiyan within is finally free.
Once the Super Saiyan transformation is complete, the Saiyan's mental stability will have returned. However, just because they are mentally stable does not mean they are back to their old self. Far from it. The Saiyan's natural aggression is heightened in this state due to all of that new power flowing through their body, causing even the most calm and collected warriors to become highly volatile and prone to acts of rage and vengeance at a moment’s notice.
In this state, the Saiyan's body must acclimate itself to the newfound power before maximum efficiency can be established. This usually takes several months of training, and numerous transformations from base form to Super Saiyan form to accomplish, but eventually the Saiyan's body reaches a point where the transformation becomes intuitive and their power level reaches a point of minimal resistance.
By that, I mean that their power level once transformed is hard pressed to go down. Even when fighting ultra powerful enemies like Overlord Inecros, the chances that their power level will drop is slim unless their opponent has the power to match or overwhelm them. This state is highly efficient in energy maintenance and power output once mastered, but until such a time as mastery has been attained it takes a very heavy toll in terms of stamina and energy maintenance.
Ki Consumption
Stamina
Speed
Agility
Power
Precision
Fluidity
* Super Saiyan 2 - Base Power x 100
The acquisition of the Super Saiyan 2 form is similar to that of the Super Saiyan in that it as well causes several changes within the Saiyan's body before the transformation can be acquired.
- While in the Super Saiyan form, the Saiyan must either come under a great deal of physical and mental stress, or the Saiyan's emotions must run wild in a similar manner as they did before they transformed into a Super Saiyan for the first time
- Once the first point has been reached, the Saiyan's body releases the same hormone it did during the first transformation in an attempt to stabilize itself
- Because the Super Saiyan energy is already present, the body begins trying to acquire it again by triggering many of the same internal processes which achieved the first form
- Upon the activation of these processes, the body begins to combat itself in its attempt to return to its point of stability
- This process is extremely painful, but the pain only drives the Saiyan further into the transformation resulting in even faster and more extreme levels of energy acquisition as the power skyrockets to over twice the level of the original Super Saiyan form
- Once the power level rises to a certain point, ideally above 350,000,000, the Super Saiyan 2 transformation activates in full as excess energy is no longer released via the golden aura (which now acts as an energy net to keep it within the Saiyan's body). Rather, excess energy is vented in the form of the bio-electricity visible in the picture below
Upon completion of the process, and once the power level stops increasing, the Super Saiyan 2 transformation is complete. This form is twice as strong as a regular Super Saiyan, and while it might not sound like much in retrospect, that's a lot of power. This form is slightly more efficient with Ki maintenance once the form is mastered than the regular Super Saiyan form. However, the high levels of power are more taxing on stamina reserves, and thus holding it for extended periods of time is much more difficult.
Ki Consumption
Stamina
Speed
Agility
Power
Precision
Fluidity
* Super Saiyan 3 - Base Power x 400
Contrary to the first two forms, the Super Saiyan 3 is the first form which can be achieved by ultra intense training and natural progress of the Saiyan's power level and fighting experience.
By remaining in the Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 forms for extended periods of time, the Saiyan's body will eventually reach the point where both forms and their signature energy become second nature to the body. Once this takes place, the body will naturally begin to nudge the Saiyan towards higher levels of power as they exhaust themselves during high intensity training sessions.
As the body begins to exhaust its energy reserves, the brain sends a series of signals throughout the body to try and keep pushing the energy higher to keep them training longer. As the brain sends these signals, the body responds by continuing to dig down into the depths of a previously dormant energy pool which was born during the first Super Saiyan transformation. Once the body reaches down into this pool, it permanently increases its energy threshold, boosting the Saiyan's base power level significantly.
Eventually, during power up, the Super Saiyan will realize that they are not reaching their limits, and as they continue to power up further and further the transformation begins to take place.
Once the transformation begins, the hormone at the base of the tail activates once more, sending the signal to extend the hair as it becomes even more intensely golden as opposed to the white/yellow color of the first two transformations. The hair begins to extend to great lengths, sometimes, reaching as low as the Saiyan's lower back or even their ankles in some cases depending on how long the Saiyan's hair is naturally. The bio-electricity becomes even more prominent, and the aura around the body pulses so quickly it almost appears to be static with only the whooshing sound of the moving air as the clue that it is in fact in motion.
This form is much more taxing on the body as it is meant to maximize Ki output, making the Super Saiyan's attacks much, much more powerful. However, this also means that the body is highly taxed, causing extended levels of fatigue far surpassing other Super Saiyan forms. In fact, once returned to base form, transforming back into any other Super Saiyan form requires nearly twice as much effort, and maintaining the form becomes that much harder as well. Even gathering power becomes difficult, if not impossible, when the body is taxed too far in the Super Saiyan 3 form.
The Super Saiyan 3 form is unfortunately poor at retaining energy, and no matter how long one has had to master the form that will not change. This form can only be used at maximum capacity for around 2 minutes before energy begins to drain faster than it can be replenished.
Ki Consumption
Stamina
Speed
Agility
Power
Precision
Fluidity
Super Saiyan God - Base Power Level x ???
The Super Saiyan God cannot be attained by the Saiyan alone. The collected energies of five Saiyans who have all attained the power of a Super Saiyan are needed to transfer their energy to another single target. As the energies begin to align and synchronize, the golden aura becomes a shimmering blue coloration. Once the targeted Saiyan’s body accepts the collected energy, as well as their energy aligning and synchronizing with that of the others, the transformation begins in full.
The body begins to channel the energy of every Super Saiyan involved in the transfer, and causes several changes in shape and coloration to the body of the target Saiyan. Their muscle mass decreases by around 40% from their natural state, their hair turns a light crimson red, and the irises as well turn red and also become enlarged within the eye.
This state can only be held for a few minutes at a time before the body returns to its natural state. Because of the nature of this state, and the fact that it literally transforms the Saiyan into a God for a short time, their Ki cannot be sensed by others no matter how powerful they have become nor can it be calculated or quantified by any known devices.
Because of the short time span of this transformation, it’s literally impossible for the Saiyan to fight to their full potential. Their body now has power unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before, and their body was never truly meant to attain it. Thus, before even the body can comprehend what it can do, let alone the Saiyan themselves, the transformation ends.
Ki Consumption ???
Stamina ???
Speed ???
Agility ???
Power ???
Precision ???
Fluidity ???
Saiyan Beyond God - Natural Base Power Level Becomes ???
This is not truly a transformation so much as an evolution to the Saiyan’s natural form. Once the body has tasted the power of Super Saiyan God, the Saiyan’s base power level skyrockets to unimaginable new heights all on its own. This form’s power completely dwarfs that of any other Super Saiyan transformation, and thus even the most dangerous of adversaries barely requires any effort whatsoever because of how high the Saiyan’s base power level is.
However, there is a catch to this level… This power level does not increase on its own no matter how hard you train.
The Saiyan’s power level, once the body has attained this level of power, can no longer increase further on its own. The energy of another Saiyan Beyond God must be present in order for progress to be made from this point forward. If the Saiyan trains with any other individual, even a Godly entity, their power level will not increase.
However, even when training with another Saiyan Beyond God, the power increases are minuscule. Such is the price the Saiyans pay for having such (pardon the pun) Godly power levels.
Super Saiyan Blue - Beyond God Base Power x ???
Once a Saiyan has reached the level of Saiyan beyond God and trained diligently to master it, they will eventually be able to access the power of a Super Saiyan again. From a visual standpoint, this form is identical to the regular Super Saiyan. However, the change in aura and hair color from gold to blue is the most notable difference between the two, as well as the absolutely ridiculous power difference.
Because of the high power level of the Saiyan Beyond God form, when they learn how to channel their Super Saiyan energies at this new level, the power increase is much smaller than it was by comparison to the original transformation. However, again, such is the price the Saiyans must pay for having such Godly power levels.
Ki Consumption ???
Stamina ???
Speed ???
Agility ???
Power ???
Precision ???
Fluidity ???
Variations
* False Super Saiyan - Base Power x 50 (Rapid Ki consumption)
This form can be attained by Saiyans who lack the power to break the energy ceiling of 125 million, but can attain a power over 100 million when their emotional and mental stability is compromised. In this state, the body's energy is magnified to the same level as that of a Super Saiyan (50x), but the transformation can only be maintained for around 30 seconds. The Saiyan's pupils and irises vanish, their hair stands on end, as well as seeing an increase in their muscle mass. Otherwise, this form is not enough to allow the Saiyan to maintain higher levels of power once the transformation has ended.
Ki Consumption
Stamina
Speed
Agility
Power
Precision
Fluidity
* Full Power Super Saiyan - Base Power x 50 (Little to no Ki consumption)
The Full Power Super Saiyan form is attained by Saiyans who train diligently to master the transformation of the Super Saiyan itself.
Contrary to its name, this is not a true transformation or a power up like the Ascended Saiyan. Instead, this is the complete and total mastery of the Super Saiyan form. By training themselves to hold the form for extended periods (reaching up to and exceeding 24 hours at a time during training), they negate the energy it would take to transform initially and instead can focus that energy on increasing their stamina and thus can hold the form indefinitely, even while they sleep. The Super Saiyan essentially becomes the Saiyan's base form, allowing the Saiyan to focus themselves and their power at much higher levels while never needing to engross their muscles to accommodate for the increase in power which the Ascended form must do.
Also take notice the lack of a furrowed brow. This simple physical trait is the quint essential truth of the Full Power Super Saiyan. Such relaxation in a form that inherently magnifies the Saiyan's aggression demonstrates their mastery over the form and thus their ability to maximize their control over their Ki and prevent themselves from wasting any energy. It also ensures that the Saiyan is no longer prone to rash actions which could become problematic for them later in combat.
Ki Consumption
Stamina
Speed
Agility
Power
Precision
Fluidity
* Ascended Super Saiyan - Base Power x 65 (Great increase in muscle mass and slight reduction of speed and agility)
This is a sub-category of a transformation, though not a true transformation in and of itself which is achieved by Super Saiyans who have managed to push themselves to greater levels of power. The form is acquired by training intensely in both the base and Super Saiyan forms. By combining strength increases in both base and Super Saiyan form, the Saiyan's body unlocks deeper reserves of Ki thus allowing them to power up much further than the normal Super Saiyan state increasing muscle mass and definition at a very slight sacrifice to speed and agility. However, the Saiyan's sacrifices are minimal so long as the form is kept right at the maximum efficiency threshold. When the form is pushed beyond that threshold, the Ultra Super Saiyan State is reached.
Ki Consumption
Stamina
Speed
Agility
Power
Precision
Fluidity
* Ultra Super Saiyan - Base Power x 70 (Even greater increase in muscle mass and significant loss of speed and agility)
In this state, the Super Saiyan sacrifices speed and agility for raw power, a foolish trade off in almost any combat scenario unless your opponent holds similar levels of power and your sacrifice is within allowable range. Most shrewd warriors would not make the mistake of trading speed for power, but when emotions run rampant the sacrifice can be hard to see and define to a mind hell-bent on destroying their enemy.
Ki Consumption
Stamina
Speed
Agility
Power
Precision
Fluidity
* Legendary Super Saiyan - (This form is off limits)
This is a one of a kind form attained by only a single Saiyan in over a dozen lifetimes. To date, this form has never been seen, but it may yet exist in the distant future.
The body's natural height increases greatly. The pupils and irises vanish. The body's natural muscle mass vastly increases yet seems to yield no loss of speed or agility. The hair is more of a yellow-green coloration than the normal yellow of a regular Super Saiyan. And as the individual takes on this form, the very fabric of time and space seems to become damaged as the air around them at the time of transformation changes colors a total of three times before their bodies seem to literally explode and the new form is born.
Power Increases!
The damage taken via battle/training will henceforth be the primary determining factor in how great or little of an increase our characters receive when battle/training is concluded. Obviously training is going to be somewhat limited as it's not meant to give a Saiyan the same kind of gains as a major battle where their lives are on the line.
But more on that at the end of the section!
Taking Goku as an example on his way to Namek, his maximum power of around 8,000-9,000 before the trip increased drastically to 180,000 by the time he arrived roughly 6 days later. That’s a near 20x increase, but during his training he had to injure himself several times as well as eat Senzu Beans along the way.
However by the time he received a Zenkai before his battle with Frizea, his power rose from 180,000 to roughly 3,000,000. A HUGE increase by comparison to that which he had before and in much shorter time.
When we analyze the reasons, it becomes obvious as to why they differ so greatly.
The damage taken during his training was severely minimal compared to the beating Vegeta gave his body when it was under the control of Captain Ginyu. In fact Goku was left in a near-death state at that time. From 180,000 to 3,000,000 is just over 16.6x his previous power level which is quite drastic. But again the state Vegeta left his body in was the primary reason for this volume of power.
From there we can speculate that the increase in power is relative, or some way in proportion to, the amount of damage the body receives regardless of the source. When Goku trained himself to exhaustion and ate Senzu Beans, his power increases were rather small over time but added up to a sizable increase from one major battle to the next. But when crippled severely by Vegeta, his power increase was mountains beyond what it had been before within such a short time.
That in mind, here is the new way to “calculate” the Zenkai:
There are four new categories with which you will calculate your increase in power after a major battle: Near-Death, Crippling Injury, Exhaustive Injury, Minimal Injury.
Each category will have a PIR (Power Increase Range).
- You will determine which category your character's increase belongs in based on how you allow them to perform in the battle.
** NOTE!: If your character was only exhausted in battle and not otherwise pushed to some kind of physical extreme, your growths will be severely stunted compared to what they could have been.
For example if you use a massive Ki attack which drains your power reserves and causes you to faint, your power will barely grow at all. You'll be lucky to get 1.01x-1.15x, if even that.
Near-Death
The Near-Death state is the most potent reaction of the Zenkai to damage done to the Saiyan body after a battle. The closer the Saiyan is to death, the greater the power increase can and will be.
And when I say "near-death," I mean it. This means your character is so badly damaged that they can barely even lift themselves off the ground, let alone continue fighting. If they can so much as lift a single arm and fire even a severely weakened Ki blast, they're not qualified for this category.
Power Increase Range - 10.0x - 20.0x
Crippling Injury
Crippling Injury means that your character’s body has received damage to the point where at least one exterior limb (meaning your arms and/or legs) has become unusable. This also means that your character is unable to leave the battlefield by themselves due to their condition.
This category is identified by the idea that a character has received enough damage to lose the use of at least one major limb and quite possibly even have severe Ki burns and/or other damages such as broken and shattered bones throughout the body. This category is qualified for when your character can no longer continue fighting, but has the energy to at least remain conscious and perhaps donate Ki or fire a few weak Ki blasts with whatever good limbs they have left.
Power Increase Range - 5.0x - 9.99x
Exhaustive Injury
Exhaustive Injury means that your character, though not crippled, is incredibly exhausted to the point where they may not have enough energy to leave the battlefield without assistance. This is, however, not a guarantee. Even when pushed to exhaustion Saiyans are remarkably resilient and should be able to amass enough power to leave the battlefield themselves when all is said and done.
In this category, one can presume that their character was either knocked unconscious, drained their energy supply over time by a more powerful opponent, or overexerted their bodies by using an incredibly powerful Ki attack to the point where they couldn't sustain combat maneuvers any longer.
Power Increase Range - 2.0x - 4.99x
Minimal Injury
This is the lowest tier of damage the Zenkai will respond to. This category is represented and identified by the fact that the Saiyan's body has suffered no significant damage beyond a few cuts and bruises and maybe the odd broken bone or two. But otherwise this means the Saiyan is perfectly capable of continuing to fight if the battle had gone on longer.
Power Increase Range - 1.0x - 1.99x
Training
Training now requires you to think a bit harder about how to move forward.
Because I have removed the foreign Ki concept (as it was a stretch to begin with now that I think about it though it sounded good when I first made it) Training now takes into account the following to determine how much power you receive from it:
* Damage done to the body
* Time spent engaged in combat
* Mentality during said time in combat
Damage done is still the primary factor, but the other two work in tandem to either strengthen or weaken the effects of your training.
Your character's mental state will directly affect how their body responds to the damage done. The more relaxed your character is during training (knowing that it's a friend/ally they're sparring with and such), the less the body will respond as it will know that this is not a battle of life and death.
The Saiyan's evolution has taught their bodies that training is not the same as real combat, and that there is no need to gain power when receiving damage from friends and allies.
That said, training will likely result in small injuries such as bruises, cuts, abrasions, etc. Depending on the nature of your injuries during training, you will be able to add to your training benefits with the following allowances:
* Overtaxing the body to pure exhaustion (where you struggle to breathe, catch your breath, and ultimately feel like your body is made of lead and that you can't move even an inch) - Multiply calculation by 1.5
- Example: If your character trains at Max Effort for 18 hours and they train to pure exhaustion, ((0.15)1.5) = (.225).
* Accidental breakage of bones is going to be an inevitability depending on how hard you are training and what the power level of your training partner is. Whether or not it is intentional a broken finger, toe, or perhaps a hairline fracture in the forearms, ribs, or shins is going to be likely to take place from time to time. If this happens, training ceases immediately. Multiply calculation by 1.2
- Example: Your character trains with the Commander for who powers down to give you a good fight while still saving enough to push you along, and you spar for 18 hours. You aim a punch to his stomach and he blocks with his knee. You break two or three of the fingers in your fist due to the hardness of the knee and the Commander's superior power level. Training stops immediately, but the Saiyan body reacts to broken bones more violently than sprains and such. ((.15)1.2) = (0.18)
Max Effort Training
- Max effort means that your Saiyan's heart rate and cardiovascular system are being pushed to their limits. In short they're exhausting themselves in their efforts to keep pace with and push themselves and their partner(s).
- The longer and harder one pushes themselves at this level, the greater the gains will be.
* 0-4 hours = 0.04x
* 4-8 hours = 0.08x
* 8-15 hours = 0.12x
* 15+ hours = 0.15x (+0.05 for every hour after 20 hours total has been reached)
This might not look like much. But believe me it stacks. 50,000 * .15 = 7,500. That's an increase from 50,000 to 57,500 in just 15 hours. That's a lot of power.
Medium Effort Training
- Medium effort means that the Saiyan is training themselves to exhaustion, but they are doing so over the long term instead of out of immediate necessity. This can be compared to Max Effort Training as the difference between a sprinter and a marathon runner. Max Effort is the sprinter, pushing themselves to the max right away for as long as they can. Medium Effort is the marathon runner who will exhaust themselves to the finish line but only because of how long it takes to get there.
* 0-4 hours = 0.008x
* 4-8 hours = 0.013x
* 8-15 hours = 0.018x
* 15+ hours = 0.025x (+0.01 for every hour after 20 hours total has been reached)
Minimal Effort Training
- Minimal effort means that training is entirely casual and meant for little else than refining one's techniques and/or training at a light and easy level (particularly at lowered power levels) to minimize strain on the body. In short this is training for fun rather than for efficiency.
* 0-4 hours = 0x
* 4-8 hours = 0.001x
* 8-15 hours = 0.0015x
* 15+ hours = 0.002x (+0.002 for every hour after 20 hours has been reached)
Training obviously does not give the same benefits as we've previously seen. But remember that training is not the same as torture. Broken bones are to be avoided like the plague as a "warrior" training themselves to that extreme is no warrior at all, but a fool.
Even Saiyans have limits to their ability to recover, and breaking bones over and over again weakens their integrity and makes them softer and more brittle over time. The same is true of muscles. The more they are torn, burned, or shredded, the weaker they become over time which lessens efficiency of training and causes permanent loss of power.
So Training is meant to be controlled. If your character breaks a bone, they've gone too far and training is to cease immediately. The worst thing that you should do to your training partner is give them a bloody nose or some really nasty bruises. Even at Maximum Effort, this should mean that you're pushing your power to its limit but not your physical body. If you come away from any level of training with severe injuries then you've fucked up.
Signature Moves!
Signature moves, depending on the nature of the move itself, can be capable of amplifying your maximum power level as it is all focused into a single point. For instance, I'm sure we all remember the original DBZ episode with Goku vs. Raditz. Goku's power was around 405-420 or so (I can't remember), and as he powered up the Kamehameha, his power rose all the way up to around 1,000 or so (at least 950 given the Ocean dub before Funimation took over).
Your attacks can do the same thing, but again the nature of the move determines the extent of this effect. Moves that are similar in concept to the Kamehameha, for instance, could focus and multiply your maximum power level for the duration of the attack by up to 2.5-10x its normal level.
Again, this all depends on the move itself.
Moves like Ki Gradient, used by my character Era, will obviously not affect her overall power level. Instead it uses ambient energy to form a metaphysical barrier protecting her from all incoming Ki attacks which are not powerful enough to penetrate the barrier itself. In order for an attack to penetrate the barrier, the incoming energy from the attack must be at least 10x her maximum power level. She’s not getting stronger, but the very air and ambient energy around her body is being concentrated to levels exceeding her own power to protect her.
Moves like Power Lance, on the other hand, which concentrate energy into a fine point such as a Ki spear, focus the power in multiples of around 5x, relying not on pure destructive power, but fine precision to strike at structural weaknesses in the body of the opponent to cause as much damage as the amount of energy in the attack will allow. When the energy concentrated in the attack equals or exceeds the max power level of the enemy, it is capable of piercing their hide and causing incalculable damage. Era's Internal Struggle is very similar to this concept.
When an attack functions like the Kamehameha from DBZ, focusing on pure destructive force, the energy output can be incredibly high. How high exactly depends on how powerful your character is and how well trained they are in the use of their special move, as well as how much energy their body can handle. The lower their power level, the lower the total output.
For instance, if your character has a power level around 1,200 or so, the highest they'll be able to concentrate the energy no further than around 4,000 or so before their bodies suffer severe backlash from the overwhelming output. However, if your power level is 3 million, then it will be capable of much, much greater multiples as by that time its threshold will have drastically increased to the point of being capable of channeling the energy necessary for the Super Saiyan transformation.
It all depends, and if you need help along the way in figuring out where your ceiling is for such attacks, just ask me.
More on this as well continue!
Cheers!
Fighting Styles!
Soft - Soft style means that you are fluid. You prefer to use passing techniques rather than engaging an opponent's strike head on and stopping it. A good example would be most Asian martial arts, as they often emphasize the use of parrying or pressing blocks to move the incoming strike out of the way of the defender instead of trying to block it outright. You're always moving, always thinking, and always looking for the best result with the least amount of effort.
Hard - Opposite of soft, basically. You aim to block directly, strike with full power, and do as much damage as possible every step of the way. Even your blocks themselves are secondary strikes in their own right, capable of (if placed and timed right) breaking bones and damaging muscle groups.
A good example of Hard style is Muay Thai, where almost everything is up close and in your face as well as full out contact. If you've ever seen a true Muay Thai fight in Thailand, they are absolutely brutal and often end in bloodshed. Comatose combatants are rare, but they do happen as do the odd death every so often. Hard style means you're doing all the damage possible right up front.
Mix - Using a healthy combination of perhaps pressing blocks but full out strikes, you mix and match techniques of both styles for the purpose of having the most diversified repertoire of techniques possible at your disposal. If you favor one, then use it. If you want to have a few more choices, a mix is your best bet. I myself have studied the basics of over 15 styles of martial arts, some Hard and some Soft, and have a healthy mix myself so I can attest to the effectiveness of this method.
Devices!
((More to be added as we progress. If you have ideas, share them please!))
Scouter - The Scouter is a traditional device crafted first by the aliens who helped the Saiyans forge their place in the universe. The keeping of the Scouter, among other devices, allows the Saiyans to keep part of their heritage in their hearts and honor the memories of the power alien warriors who helped them become what they are today.
Utilizing specially designed sensors crafted into the Scouter's glass eye cover, it can detect displacement of air molecules in the atmosphere and calculate that displacement into a number which the Saiyans have come to know as the target's "Power Level." The displacement of air molecules is attributed to the amount of energy within the target's body. The larger the displacement, the larger the fighting power.
Scouter's Power Level readings have a margin of error of +/- 5%, meaning that they fail to properly read their target's fighting power roughly 5% of the time. This is due to an incomplete programming glitch that was never fixed before the Saiyans were forced to flee due to Overlord Inecros' wrath against the alien warriors of the Saiyan's past. Many a Saiyan scientist tried to fix the glitch, but none have thus far succeeded making the use of the scouter slightly dangerous. However most Saiyans disregard the glitch as a matter of pride, knowing that if the power level seems too strong it's likely the glitch which can be fixed simply by turning the Scouter off and turning it back on.
One thing about the Scouter is that it cannot tell the difference between a truly low Power Level, and an individual who is hiding their true power. Those fighters in the universe who are smart enough and trained enough to hide their fighting powers can avoid the Scouter telling a Saiyan the true depth of their strength and allow them to completely overwhelm an entire Saiyan battalion if their power is sufficient. It's a dangerous game, relying on a Scouter to read a power level.
The Scouters currently can read power levels reaching up to about 100,000. As the RP progresses, they will be upgraded to read higher power levels, but they will never be strong enough to read a power exceeding 5,000,000.
Saiyan Space Ship - The space ship used by Saiyans when going on Raid Missions is small enough to seat a single individual, and is very, very fast. These ships, once in the reaches of space, can reach speeds in excess of twice the speed of light making long distance travel a very brief affair. These ships, however, sacrifice defensive capabilities for the ability to travel this fast, and as such they have no on board weapons or means of defending the Saiyan within. If the ship is successfully attacked and destroyed in space, the Saiyan is doomed.
Credits
The currency of the Saiyan race is known intergalactically as "Credits". Credits are essentially the universal currency of the various alien races we'll be encountering throughout this RP.
Credits are earned based on how you live your life, and every Saiyan adult is given a Credit ID number and account upon their 20th birthday when they become official adults.
So here's how you can earn Credits:
- Participate in planet Raids and accomplish the following:
- Keep damage to the planet's surface minimal or non-existent (almost impossible)
- Wipe out 100% of the indigenous inhabitants
- Wipe out all traces of previous civilization
- Ensure that all threatening creatures are dealt with
- Become an officially recognized member of the local community and provide services including but not limited to:
- Delivery and Pick-Up, essentially a Courier
- Construction
- Demolition
- Combat Trainer
- School Teacher
- Join the planet's Military
- Become a local scientist (less than 0.8% of the population occupies this capacity)
Those are the two most popular methods of earning credits. Becoming a member of a Raid Group is the single most efficient and guaranteed method for earning Credits, as you automatically earn a fair sum upon your departure, you earn greater or fewer Credits based on your performance during the Raid which is monitored by your superiors, and you earn an automatic sum upon your return.
The amount you earn for departure and return depends on the renown of your Raid Group. More well established and larger Raid Groups consisting of at least 40 individuals earn much more than smaller and less established Raid Groups.
For the most common level Raid Group, consisting of around 15 members with mild renown, the average sum of departure is 8,000 Credits, and the sum of return is around 10,000 Credits. If you perform poorly during the Raid, causing unnecessary damage to the planet's surface or failing to wipe out all the indigenous peoples of the planet, your earned Credits at this stage drop to around 500 Credits. If you perform well, wiping out the population while causing next to no damage save for the occasional Ki blast scrape in the ground or a small crater from battle here or there, your performance could earn you up to 2,500 more Credits.
So for a single Raid, you could potentially earn up to or exceeding 20,000 Credits.
For comparison, one Credit for a Saiyan is worth about $20 US dollars. So that's a rough equivalent of $400,000 US for a successful Raid with even an average Raid Group of mild renown.
The other factors of being a member of the community earn less than Raid Groups, as most of them, even the Combat Trainer, are not as highly prized as the Raid Groups and brave Saiyans who risk their lives every departure to bring the Saiyan Race as a whole pride and reputation throughout the universe.
Raid Groups!
Raid Groups are formed by groups of First and/or Elite Class Saiyans who have a history of military service of at least two years, or have a family member with sufficient military service vouch for their approval. Each Raid Group begins with a minimum of 5 members, and from there it is up to the Raid Group's individual members to establish a pecking order amongst themselves and to add members in the future. Their performance as a unit determines how rapidly or how slowly they gain renown, and their numbers and renown play into how many Credits each member earns for their work.
As explained in the Credits section above, departure and return are the two most important factors of the Raid itself as a whole for the individual members. On paper, performance during the Raid is everything. But if you die on the Raid it's a moot point, and nobody gets the Credits you would have earned upon return.
Raid Groups find new members by assigning one of their members to become a Recruiter, a title held by those selected from each Group who have a specialized Scouter which is connected to the database of applicants so they know the moment someone new is approved of to join a group. They can then contact the individual immediately using their specialized Scouter, requesting a face to face meeting and attempt to recruit them to their Raid Group.
However, it's never so easy as that. Every Saiyan with a sense of Saiyan pride dreams of joining the most well established and largest Raid Groups, so it's a very difficult uphill battle to recruit others. This is especially true with younger Saiyans fresh from their military service or from the referral of their military family members who are ambitious and eager to prove themselves.
As stated before, the Raid Group has a specific chain of command called a "Pecking Order", and it is the same for every Raid Group and is as follows:
- Commander (Typically the one with the highest power level)
- Sub-Commander (Typically the one with the most military and scientific connections)
- Lieutenant (The one with the best people skills to keep the members in line)
- Recruiter (The one who's most likely to draw in new members)
- Combatant (Everyone who is not one of the above, and who do most of the fighting)
That is the pecking order. Whenever a member joins a Raid Group, they're automatically a Combatant. When a Raid Group grows in size, the Pecking Order is likely to change depending on a number of factors. What the power level of the new member is, what kind of personal skills they have, and how easily or how reluctantly they follow orders.
Every member of the Raid is expected to pull their weight during a Raid and fight, but typically the most powerful enemies are reserved for the Commander and Sub-Commander while everyone else mops up the rest. If in the event the population proves too powerful, the Saiyans have a fail safe evacuation where they are instantly teleported to their ship via a link in their Scouter to give them a chance to evacuate and escape the situation. This gives them a chance to return after powering up to complete the Raid if another more powerful Raid Group doesn't finish it first.
When it comes to Raid Groups, there's no such thing as a reservation on a planet or bounty. It's first come, first served. Those who can get the job done are the ones who get paid. If you depart and return from an unsuccessful Raid, your pay is withheld until the Raid is successful. If some other group steals the prize from you, your pay is retracted entirely.
So don't fail.
There are 4 types of Raids to go on:
1) Purge - Remove humanoid or otherwise intelligent and colonized/civilized life forms from the planet
2) Sale - Prepare a planet for sale by removing threats to the client
3) Colonization - Prepare the planet for colonization by the Saiyans
4) Wipe - Wipe out all inhabitants, and prepare the planet for destruction
The Raids are in order of highest pay to lowest pay.
Rulership
The Saiyans in this RP operate on what you might call a Power-Driven Aristocracy. The strongest and most intelligent warriors (slightly more emphasis on "strongest") across the 17 worlds currently under the control of the Saiyans take positions of authority, and if there seems to be a tie in Power Level, the strongest must battle in tournament fashion until only one remains to take the mantle of Ruler.
There is no true "King," just a Ruler. Their titles are "Ruler of *insert planet name here*". Anyone and everyone below them is a subject, and according to their own preference and familiarity with those most immediately beneath them in power level and such, they appoint their own advisors, body guards, etc.
Combat, and Combat Myths Dispelled
Before we get to the myths about combat, I'll talk a bit about how combat is going to work in this RP.
So, the first thing you might be wondering is how will combat be moderated or overseen on my part as the GM, right? Well honestly, I'm going to be giving you guys a lot of freedom to roam and play in this regard.
However, I have a few basic requests and guidelines for you guys to follow:
1) Be realistic
- Nobody, regardless of how skilled they are in reality, can dodge/block/parry every attack that comes their way
- Damage is inevitable, and you must take damage in every fight your character is involved in
- Stay true to recovery time guidelines (The more damage you take, the longer it takes to recover)
2) Be fair
- If multiple characters are engaging a single enemy, then no matter what (unless you hear otherwise from me), you may not land a lethal or finishing blow against that enemy. Everyone is to have their time against this enemy and land their fair share of attacks and take their fair share of damage
- If two or more player controlled characters are engaging in combat, then the owners of the combating characters must create the fight in a private conversation. Once the fight is concluded (and both must agree on the outcome) in the conversation, one of you will send it to me for analysis and moderation when and if necessary. After I have approved of the fight, one of you will post it to the RP as a single post.
3) Communicate often
- When more than one person is targeting the same enemy, I would like some communication OOC between those players so they can stay out of each other's way and not demolish whatever plans the other may have
- The same applies to those players engaging in combat against each other
Now then, on to the myths!
There are many myths about self defense which too many people believe in very, very strongly. The very first myth on this list should come as no surprise, but it's the explanation as to why it's a myth that I would encourage you to pay attention to. As one who's been training in martial arts for almost 20 years now, I know from experience each of these myths are just that: myths. So here we go.
Myth 1 - Size does not matter.
Wrong
Size does in fact matter, much more so than almost anyone wishes to believe and it's almost laughable that anyone believes that myth anymore on any level.
You could be 5' 4" and a master of Judo, Jiu Jitsu, or any art that practices throwing and leverage. Your opponent is 6' 2", and has a good 50+ pounds on you in terms of muscle mass. All this opponent has to do to avoid your excuse for "leverage" is to apply resistance to the point of leverage you are trying to take advantage of.
For instance, if you go for a hip throw… All this opponent has to do is turn their body to face your back as you move in to take your “leverage” and they can hop onto your back and put you in a choke hold that you’re not getting out of. Once they’ve got you, they can wrap their legs around your stomach and once you topple over, which you will before long, it’s over.
You’re either unconscious in ten seconds, or you’re dead if they continue to hold on.
If an opponent is larger than you, that means a few things: Greater body weight, greater muscle mass, the laws of physics work in their favor for momentum and raw force.
If you want to take advantage of the myth that size does not matter, you have to be smarter than “I just need the right leverage.” Leverage alone is never enough to win a fight, nor is speed or precision. You need all the right tools at your disposal to win a fight against an opponent who’s larger than you, not just one.
Myth 2 - Pound for pound, if I train the right way, I can be stronger than anyone larger than me.
Wrong
"Pound for pound" is a nice concept meant to scale things in relative and comparative terms, but ultimately it's meaningless to us humans. Pound for pound an ant is stronger than we are by an overwhelming margin, but will a lone ant ever be able to utilize that pound for pound advantage against a single human?
Never.
Pound for pound means nothing to two people who are in a fight. You either are faster and more skilled than your opponent, or you are not. No "pound for pound" about it, nor does your “pound for pound” weight distribution actually play into your advantage or disadvantage. In that instance, skill is what’s necessary.
Myth 3 - Ground advantage is the key to winning most fights.
Wrong
If you go to the ground, it's a free for all and even if you are trained in a good ground game it does not guarantee your victory.
Take it from me, someone who has studied martial arts for almost 20 years now and who has sparred against all kinds of martial artists: Being trained in a ground game means nothing if your opponent manages to stay on their feet or above you once on the ground.
The instant you're off your feet, you lose over 60% of your ability to fight effectively.
Once on the ground, your feet no longer have ground to push off of. This drastically reduces the power of any punches or kicks you throw while on the ground, as well as limiting your flexibility and mobility. The moment you roll to the side to try and stand up, your opponent can lunge at you and get you in another good old fashioned choke hold or kick you in the stomach to prevent you from getting up. Now you’re down and out of breath, which is a deadly combination.
Ground game is all about luck when it comes to who grabs/pins who first once down. There’s very little true skill involved in a ground game. If you're opponent grabs/pins you first... Well, it's been nice knowing you!
Myth 4 - Weapon defense is about avoiding or controlling the enemy's weapon.
You're half right
Avoiding is the active word int that sentence you should be paying attention to. Even with basic, intermediate, or advanced weapon defense training, you should never engage the weapon hand if at all possible. I guarantee that any techniques you were taught about weapon defense is only practical against an opponent who is standing still and basically giving you the time and positioning you need to use your techniques.
For instance, someone in front of you who has a gun aimed at you. You're within arms reach of the gun and your hands are up and you think "Yeah, I got this! I just have to turn the weapon hand away from me and when he’s confused and fighting to turn it back I can disarm him and then I’ve won!”
Not a chance!
The instant you reach for and touch the hand of your attacker, his instinct is going to be to pull the trigger, and guess where the gun will be aiming based on the way nearly 90% of gun disarming drills work?…..
Survey says!!....... Your head/clavicle! Or worse, your heart.
Yes. 90% of gun disarm drills have you push/maneuver the weapon down and away, most often to your left because most people are right handed. The hope that it will be aimed passed your body instead of at it. But turning/pushing it left and slightly down from your head means it goes where?... Your heart.
Also, do you believe that someone who’s got a gun and is hyped on adrenaline is just going to stop pulling the trigger? No, they won’t. By the time you’ve gotten ahold of the gun, they’ve pulled the trigger at least 4 times and the chances are VERY high if you use standard weapons training that at least one of those has hit you already.
Good-bye.
Knife defense!
If you find yourself facing someone who has a knife pulled and ready to attack you, what should be your first action?
RUN!
Run your ass off!
Whatever knife techniques you know are guaranteed not to work here. Why? Because a real opponent isn't going to attack you like they do in weapon class. They're going to aim random stab and slash angles at you that you've never trained for and they're going to repeat the stabbing actions and slashed again, and again, and again, as fast as they are physically able to prevent you from gaining control of the weapon hand.
So the bottom line here? Stay away from the weapon!!
Myth 5 - There's no such thing as too much training. I can only continue to get stronger!
Wrong... Wrong... and did I mention WRONG!!
There is such a thing as too much training, as the body can only handle so much strain and punishment before it hits its limit and begins breaking down faster than it can repair itself.
For those of you who know what a "gym rat" is, they can be either the smartest workout fiends you know, or the most idiotic. The ones who are the smartest are obvious, as they are the ones who train and lift to remain fit as opposed to trying to get bulky. Those who always train and lift to become bigger and stronger are the fools you should not follow.
When your body begins to exercise, the muscle tissue breaks down as lactic acid is released. The body has measures to counteract this, but those measures can only work so fast and when you spend more than about 2 hours in the gym, you're causing more harm than good. Those guys/girls who spend 3, 4, and even 5+ hours in the gym are absolutely idiots, and you should avoid them at all costs. They might know each of the lifting mechanisms and what muscles are worked, but they have no idea how to properly take care of themselves while training.
When not lifting, and training instead in martial arts, you know it's time to stop and rest when your body begins to burn. Do 50 front kicks, side kicks, roundhouse kicks, and back kicks in Tae Kwon Do on both legs for a grand total of 400 kicks and you'll know what I'm talking about. After that kind of basic exercise routine, your legs will be burning and begging you for a break.
Give them the break!!
Stop, sit, and breathe. Take the time to give your body the chance to recover and get rid of the lactic acid. Even after the burning goes away, you're not out of the woods yet. You still have the lingering effects of the acid having burned/eaten away at your muscles which have to rebuild themselves in order to become bigger and stronger. It's a gradual process that literally cannot be rushed. If you think you can rush or expedite the effect of training, you're only fooling yourself and causing what will eventually become permanent damage to the affected areas.
Myth 6 - There has to be at least one martial art out there that's better than all others, right?
Wrong.
Martial arts, like any form of "art," are 100% subjective and all of them are inherently flawed.
Each art form has its strengths and weaknesses, and to prove the point I will do what almost no martial artist is trained or encouraged to do which is to point out the strengths and, more importantly, the weaknesses of the first form of martial arts I trained in: Tae Kwon Do.
Tae Kwon Do is known for its kicks, emphasizing the flexibility and dexterity of the legs. Front kick, round(house) kick, side kick, back kick, hook kick, axe kick, push kick, mule kick, crescent kick, butterfly kick. And each one of these have jump, slide, and skipping kick variations which you can use as well, making the list of kicks at least three to four times as long as the basic list. When it comes to kicks and leg strength, a Tae Kwon Do practitioner will defeat just about any other martial artist for form, accuracy, and power.
However, Tae Kwon Do's greatest weakness is that it is traditionally taught as a sports fighting art form. They emphasize sparring with tournament rules, including the barring of the use of hand techniques except for reverse punch to the chest and almost never teach their students about the realities of combat on the street making Tae Kwon Do a beautiful, but realistically impractical art form. Tae Kwon Do practitioners are some of the best in the world when it comes to kicking and using leg power to full advantage, but they are some of the least prepared for real world combat. You put a traditional Tae Kwon Do practitioner against a street fighter, guaranteed the Tae Kwon Do practitioner is going to lose unless they manage to land at least one good kick to the body/chest. If they can do that, then they have a chance.
The strengths and weaknesses of other martial arts forms vary, but they all have weaknesses which can be exploited. I have heard martial artists swear by their art form as the "best," but that’s just a fantasy. I have heard weapons practitioners refer to their weapons, such as the longsword, as the "prince" of weapons with no inherent weaknesses to take advantage of which is again a fantasy.
I almost died laughing when I heard that last one.
Balance in this world comes both ways, in strength and weakness. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of one's training and techniques is what separates a true martial artist from someone wearing a black piece of cloth around their waste and calling it a black belt. You can be a white belt with only a few weeks of training, but so long as you are smart enough to recognize where your techniques flaws are, you are a true martial artist and deserve the black belt more than the guy who trained for 5 years but refuses to see the weaknesses of the art.
After almost 20 years of training, I can honestly say that I'd much rather be known as a simple martial artist than a black belt even though I am a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do who has trained up other black belts for nearly a decade.
Myth 7 - If you land the first blow, you're guaranteed to win the fight.
Whoever thought of that delusional line obviously never engaged in a street fight.
This myth need no further debunking than the line in bold text above. Whoever came up with this ridiculous line never engaged in a street fight, otherwise they'd know that landing the first blow means absolutely nothing unless it’s a pure sucker punch. For all this individual knew the first blow would be nothing but a glancing shot to the shoulder. Does that sound like a blow that will guarantee a victory? A glance to the shoulder?
Please.
I have trained children who can take a hit like that in sparring and brush it off like its nothing, but it still counted as the first blow of the match.
Honestly, this myth is so ridiculous I considered not putting on the list at all due to the fact that it's not even worth calling a myth. It's nothing but a ludicrous fantasy created by someone without any sense of real world combat.
Myth - Martial Arts training is useless. You're better off learning boxing or MMA.
Yeeeeeeeeah, no!
So, there are people who think that boxing and MMA are not martial arts, but are in fact in and of themselves better than martial arts.
Wrong.
Both are martial arts, actually.
They both involve what we know as "martial" talent, or the ability to control one's body in a way that's meant for combat.
Learning boxing or MMA involve different kinds of methods of training and combat, but are none the less both martial arts and there's no escaping that fact.
Now, let's take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of both Boxing and MMA, shall we?
First, Boxing. Is it demanding? Yes. Does it require you to be tough? Yes. Does it make your punches more powerful than traditional martial arts? It depends on the individual, but assuming that boxing punches are stronger than any other martial arts style punch is a fool's errand.
Is Boxing perfect? Hell no!
Boxing focuses exclusively on the upper body development, as there are no kicks, knees, or stomps allowed in the sport that is Boxing (not even elbows… pansies).
That's another weakness of Boxing: it's a sport first. Boxing being a sport first and a fighting art second means that a boxer, no matter how tough, will never be ready for a real brawl, especially where they're against more than one opponent and there are no gloves or rules to hide behind.
It’s why Floyd Mayweather likes to pretend he’s the best Boxing has ever had, but if he finds himself in a street fight he’s just as much a pussy as any skinny kid with twigs for arms.
Boxing trains you for one on one bouts only. They train for the use of punches only. They train with an incredibly limited repertoire of techniques, even for the upper body, at their disposal. And they train purely for the sake of boxing, not to become a well rounded athlete who can make the best use of the techniques they know in self defense situations.
In short, while a martial art, Boxing is NOT a true combat art. It’s a sport. Plain and simple. A boxer should NEVER go around pretending to be a fighter.
Now, let's look at the strengths and weaknesses of MMA.
Is it demanding? Hell yes. Is it tough? Hell yes. Does it require you to be equally tough (actually, more so) than a Boxer? Hell yes. Does MMA train you to be well rounded with both upper and lower body techniques? Yes.
Is MMA perfect? Hell no!
MMA falls into the same category as Boxing in that it is woefully ill prepared for multi-opponent battles, which is the most likely scenario on the street. Just like Boxing, MMA trains you for one on one bouts only. While it is definitely more street capable than Boxing is with respect to real world fights, MMA still lacks those qualities that various and more traditional martial arts are devoted to when it comes to preparing you for multi-opponent battles.
MMA fighters are tough as all Hell and have a decent repertoire of techniques but, again, like Boxing it fails to give the trainee enough of a repertoire to prepare them for anything except one on one fights. MMA fighters train in straightforward combat, using punches, elbows, knees, kicks, and grappling. However, that is not enough.
When it comes to being able to control a fight, especially against multiple enemies, it does not pay to know only how to strike and put someone in a pin on the ground. What good is a perfect pin against one person when there are five more kicking the bejeezus out of you while you’re do it? What good are strikes and a few basic blocks going to do when you're trained to focus forward instead of on the entire battlefield?
While traditional martial arts are far from perfect, they all have the one thing that both Boxing and MMA lack: A focus on multi-tasking.
Being able to keep track of multiple opponents at once. Being able to focus on controlling the battle space so that the enemy has to face you one at a time. Being able to divide your attention evenly and calmly when the control of the battle space is lost to prevent panic and loss of focus. Being able to use techniques which are varied and geared towards multitasking (meaning they both help you maintain an attack and defense at the same time just in case).
These are skills you can only learn in traditional martial arts from someone who knows what they're doing. Some of the older generation teachers know and still teach these kinds of awareness skills, but more modern and younger generation "masters" do not. That is the reason most people think traditional martial arts are pointless, because the "masters" they've seen focus on the art as a sport first like Boxing and MMA do rather than as an art and method of true self defense.
Language!
So, this is an RP about the Saiyan race, and as such, there are some issues I have with language that people like using in RP's of combative nature and rough and tumble IC content.
Words and phrases such as: fuck, shit, bitch, asshole, douche bag, pussy, dip shit, son of a bitch, and other such things are unacceptable.
Why?
Because this is the Saiyan Race. While we will be typing in English, as it's the language we all understand, the Saiyans are not speaking English and thus they will not have invented those exact words to express anger, hatred, disgust, or any other kind of emotion. Those are our words, not the words of the Saiyans.
So I forbid English swearing in this RP. You’ll have to express emotions with normal language.
The only "language" I will accept is the word "damn." But that's all I'll allow.
Sorry!
Distances
Distance in this RP is measured in the following scale (and I will relate what the Saiyan scale is relative to our own on the right side in parentheses):
Leid (Equal to one foot)
Cint (Equal to one meter)
Youl (Equal to one quarter mile)
Sicx (Pronounced the same as the letter 6 with a "Sh" at the end of it, equal to Kilometer)
Tick (Equal to one mile)
Soteck (Equal to one light year)
Energy Types
Energy is divided into three categories in this RP:
Raw- Raw energy is also known to the Saiyans as "chaotic" energy, and is the kind of energy you see in someone's aura as they power up. Unless it is channeled into an outward explosion of power, it is otherwise useless as a weapon.
Focused - Focused energy is energy that's gathered for signature attacks such as the Kamehameha in the anime. The user concentrates as much of their energy as is strategically allowable into a certain point and unleashes it all in one devastating blast. This is taxing on the body, and drains total power level over time.
Concentrated - Concentrated energy is slightly different from focused energy, as it does not take one's energy and focus it beyond the body for an attack. Instead, it focuses the energy that's in the body from one point to another, strengthening the energy which is already there for a short time before it's returned to its neutral state.
* Think of your body and its natural limitations for energy as an (at first) empty pitcher of water, with your maximum energy threshold of energy being represented by the size of a (presently full) bucket of water, and your total energy reserve is the water in that bucket.
- Your pitcher of water has a safety line painted across the top not far from the rim, and this is the limit of your threshold for optimum efficiency.
* When you power up, water is taken from the bucket and poured into the pitcher which is your body's threshold for power. As it reaches its limit, your body is now at its maximum capacity for both controlling the energy and using it without taxation or energy loss.
* When you use a signature attack, the bucket of water begins taking energy from your total reserves to add to what your body requires to use the attack. As it does so, it causes small amounts (or large amounts depending on the nature of your attack) of energy to be lost as it fills the pitcher beyond the safety line and splashes over the edge of the rim.
- For those moments of the attack, your energy has gone beyond its limits to use a devastating attack, but the downside is that once the extra energy is returned to your reserves bucker from the pitcher, it's not as full as it was before thus lessening your total overall power level and the amount of energy you can channel into future attacks.
* When you use Concentrated energy, think of a small series of hoses inside the pitcher that carry it to various points throughout the pitcher.
- What you are doing is putting a lid on the pitcher and activating those hoses, forcing the water to flow the way you want it to within the pitcher. The moving water gives the appearance of the water level going down, representing a very small decreases in the total energy of your body compared to its neutral state, but this is a temporary sacrifice created by the water's motion through the pitcher and nothing more.
- Because there is a lid on the pitcher, there is no total energy loss as there is with signature attacks which use Focused energy as opposed to Concentrated energy. The minor drop in your body's overall energy level due to the motion of the water in the pitcher is real, but because it is temporary it can always be fixed by stopping the hoses and taking off the lid and allowing the energy to return to its neutral state.
Methods of Training
Training comes in many forms, and only a few of them are actually physical or meant to increase your Saiyan's power level. More thorough explanations will soon follow.
Mind - Mental training comes in various forms and focuses on various elements of the mind and its power over the body.
* Meditation: This can be used in many ways. It can be used as a method of calming one's mind and body, allowing for the flow of Ki through the body itself to come to a point of maximum efficiency. By teaching the body to allow Ki to flow like this, it greatly assists in the learning of Ki control and manipulation.
* Breathing: Doesn't sound like mental training, but it is. It is much more difficult to do continuous breathing exercises than one might think, and even harder still to do so for long periods of time. However, if you can focus your mind on the task well enough, learning to breath can also help increase the stability of the flow of Ki through the body. By doing so, and learning to breathe in conjunction with the launch of an attack, you can learn to control your Ki at a minutely fine level so that it never runs away or gets out of your control.
Body - This could be either physical with focus on increasing power, or it could simply be control over motor function. Learning to refine your technique, practicing slowly for hundreds of repetitions to make it second nature and increase muscle memory so that you think less and react more during a fight, and more.
* Fine Muscle Control Training: This is Era's specialty. The Saiyan race as a whole places pride and raw power above all else, hence the current hierarchal system. However, that's not what a (ridiculously) select few individuals feel. These individuals, such as Era, pride themselves on fine muscle control, or knowing their body on the most intimate of levels and controlling it in the most minute of ways. Knowing the exact dimensions of their exterior limbs, knowing how quickly they can shift weight and rotate their bodies, knowing exactly when and where to stop an attack in order to chain it to the next without wasting excess energy as most Saiyans do with their wild and raw power attacks, and more.
* Precision Training: Precision is not a natural Saiyan specialty. As mentioned before, most Saiyans simply pride themselves on letting their raw power win the day. When your power is greater than that of your opponent by a wide enough margin, you don't need to be precise. That's the core philosophy of over 85% of the Saiyan race. But for those 15% who avoid that philosophy, learning precision by striking nerve points, major organs, joints, weak points in the muscle structure, and more are paramount to winning the day.
* Iron Body Training: This is a method of training which comes with a price. In order to achieve the level of strength and durability necessary to make the best use of this method, the Saiyan must train hard enough to deaden then nerves along the parts of their bodies which they use to strike and block with most often. This is dangerous, as deadening the nerves also prevents the Saiyan from being able to tell when they have taken real damage. For instance, if you block with your forearm against an opponent with sharp exterior limbs and get a nasty gash, you won't feel it. If that gash is along a major artery, you're screwed.
* Power Training: This is the most common method of training. Be it solo or with a partner/group, you train in various ways to push your body to exhaustion as you would in the gym in real life. The breakdown of your muscles and the subsequent recovery build your body up stronger and also increase the body's natural threshold of Ki, allowing your power level to increase.
* Technique Training: This is a method of training where you train for the express purpose of developing new techniques. Be they physical or Ki based, learning and creating new moves is always fun. This method can sometimes be used to increase your power as well, as in developing new Ki attacks you sometimes will push your body to extremes, get hurt in the learning process, and recover even stronger. But that last one is limited.
Spirit - Put simply, your fighting spirit is your Ki. Honing your fighting spirit can help with control and reactivity of your Ki. How fast or slow you power up or down, How quickly you gather energy for attacks. How subtle you can make adjustments to your Ki, or how dramatic you can make your Ki. All of this and more is honed through your fighting spirit.
* Power Level Training: This method of training is exactly what it sounds like. You power up to teach your body where its limit is. You power down to find an optimum baseline level which you can use against your enemies. You train your body to know its limits, allowing you to power up and down rapidly in accordance with what circumstances the battle demands.
* Ki Reactivity Training: This is slightly different from Power Level Training. This method of training is to teach your body to react to your opponent, thus it only works with a partner/group. By powering down, fighting at a lower power level than your partners, you teach your body how to recognize where its optimum efficiency point is against your opponents and thus it allows you to find and maintain a power level which neither wastes nor wants for Ki expenditure while still allowing you to remain competitive.
* Fine Ki Control Training: Fine Ki Control Training is what Goku did on his way to Namek. He learned to hold his power back until the very instant he needed to power up to defend himself or attack someone else. Keeping his power at 5,000, raising it sharply in only the instant his attacks connected with the Ginyu Force. In other words, this method is to teach you how to hold back Ki until the moment you need it, and not a microsecond before or after.
* Ki Suppression/Sensation Training: This is what Era is working on right now. Learning to sense her own energy is coming first, and learning to sense energy in others will come soon after. The learning of suppressing Ki to prevent others from sensing it is another trick. Lowering your power level is not the same as suppressing your Ki in this RP. More details will be explained on this as new information is revealed IC.
Saiyan Biology
Saiyan females are highly fertile due to the evolution of their species as a warrior race where death and crippling injury are commonplace. Because of that, female Saiyans bodies have evolved to increase fertility and the bearing of children compared to other humanoid life forms.
The Saiyan female has a 46 day Menstrual Cycle.
* 3 Days of Menstration
* 9 days of preparation for Ovulation
* 18 days of Ovulation
* 16 days of preparation for Menstruation
Female Saiyans have a roughly 160 day (roughly 5 1/2 month) pregnancy which allows them to reproduce much faster than other humanoids and thus assists with the maintenance of the numbers of their species given their mortality rate on Raids and such.
This allows the Saiyan Race to propagate and prosper throughout the universe.
During ovulation a female Saiyan's body gives off a potent pheromone detected by the male Saiyan's tail which greatly increases sexual attraction and the desire to mate. As well, when numerous female Saiyans are living in close proximity, their Ovulation periods tend to synchronize within 2-3 cycles.
A basic numerical calculation would be that during her ovulation period a female Saiyan becomes nearly 5x as attractive as she was before to all prospective mates to maximize her chances of reproduction.
However female Saiyans are not driven to mate like their male counterparts, and thus the mating season can sometimes be a brutal and complicated time. Female Saiyans are very difficult to woo due to the fact that each has different things they desire in a male. Power level is chief among them, but even that can be overlooked if the male has the traits that she unconsciously desires in her offspring whether she knows of this or not (her instincts will know before her brain does).
Mating for Saiyans is often a brief affair and lacks any real love or affection in 98% of cases. It's almost always a "heat of the moment" affair where the two partners engage in the act of reproduction and then return to normal afterwards as if nothing has happened.
Once a female Saiyan has entered Ovulation and her waiting egg has been fertilized, beginning her pregnancy, her body ceases to release the pheromone previously mentioned and thus the effect on nearby males is negated. This allows her to prepare for the pregnancy without the distraction of waring males.
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