Legendary_Sidekick / Hibana

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Hibana 火華
Meaning: "Fire Flower" or "Spark"

The concept is that Hibana is a pixite—a subatomic creature who lived in a Space Peridot. It crashed on earth, and particles from the sun have allowed her to expand her body and take a fairy form!


For this concept to work, I *think* Option A is better: Hibana doesn’t get a human form. She’s not human. She is a pixite, an all-female race that naturally evolved from the nanites, which had males. How do Pixites reproduce? Hibana would blush and not really answer explicitly. (For the record, it was my wife who said maybe humans would evolve to be ‘only ladies.’)

So for the concept to work, I need Pixite Stuff. I need Standard Fairy Stuff. And then after I tally my points, I’ll worry about Other Stuff.


PIXITE STUFF:
• Unique Ability: Subatomic Size +5
• Shapeshifter +1
• Flaw: Self-Only or Build-up (-5)
I think if I can have only one +5 skill, this should be it. The skill isn’t that great, but it is very extreme: it is effectively both incorporeal Lv.1 and a level of invisibility that makes Hibana imperceptible. The drawback is, at that small, she can’t perceive the big world either. People are masses of atoms. So if she were to use her tininess to infiltrate, she could be subatomic for about a minute and pass through a single wall. She could embed herself in a penny and count to 100, then come out. But she couldn’t grow back when a teammate says "okay now!"

The shapeshifter is added because otherwise my character would be naked. The book says +1 is limited to clothing and hair.

I am under the opinion that it’s dirty pool to get this unique ability for free, so I will apply one flaw. Self-only applies, but if you think the ability is self-only by definition (and I can’t apply the -5 as a result), I will instead take Build-Up. A slow transformation means I can’t poof out of sight in combat. I wouldn’t do that anyway, but I’m happy to take that flaw to force the issue.


STANDARD FAIRY STUFF:
• Flight +1 (I don’t see a need for more than +1 since there’s no roll)
• Evasive +5 (tiny = very hard to hit)
• Awkward Size -3 (by the book: irl things are mountainous)
• Weak -3 (unless Hibana gets a super transformation, she really can’t hit hard)


I have more thoughts, but I don’t want to get too deep here. Also, please don’t take the above as "this guy’s gonna min-max the whole character." Having a tiny fairy makes me think the above skills should be extreme.

If I can only have one +5 and one -3 (which, honestly, is a limit I would impose myself if I ran this system), I’ll adjust Evasive to +4 and Weak to -2.


Are you cool with the Pixite concept? Not sure if it’s too sci-fi-ish, but space peridots are pretty. And who’s to say there isn’t an all female race living inside gems that drop from the sky?

And if this is acceptable so far, am I doing the math right?

Ok, I'm glad you came up with that so quickly! A +5 ability shouldn't be something a character has more than one, unless its a severe one-trick-pony situation. As for +3s, you can have as much as you like. And yeah, having a Self-Only to any ability that doesn't explicitly states it already is self-only, is fair game.

As for the character overall concept, it is indeed too sci-fi-ish. The themes we're setting up here are basically purely mythological and magical, so I do think she would be kind of out of place, specially when fairies just like her already exist naturally on the world. Along with that, instead of being sub-atomic and all that, it would be much more fitting (keeping the same overall idea) to instead, for example, be able to enter the subtle world, or something like that, where she would be imperceptible to most normal beings, and could tamper with them in unusual ways too (though of course, most magicians, priests and spiritual-attuned people could detect her.)

Also, flaws only deducting from Endurance cost, you should put a perk on that ability, to benefit from that! (you can have a negative Endurance cost). Alternatively, use the Endurance Use weakness linked to it to offset the cost of buying it.

Awesome—I was hoping you’d see there being an in-world version of what I was thinking.

So I can call that Unique Ability "Violet Spark," and keep Self-Only as the flaw. And that will be my +5 so magically perceiving her is hard to do.

If I can have one +4 as well, that will be evasive. But if you only allow one skill over a +3, evasive as a +3 is fine too. The exact number doesn’t matter so much to me. I think the fun of character design here is to counterbalance every ability with a weakness and every perk with a flaw. My unique is a +5, so everything else just has to add to zero.

Thank you for the prompt reply and the suggested alteration!

Great! As for +4s and +3s, you can have as many as you want. Also, everything should add to 5, not zero, so you have some more stuff to work with.

Okay, so the Unique Ability is the Violet Spark. Hibana becomes a purple glowing dot, then seemingly blinks out of existence! She is incorporeal and mute, and imperceptible to most until she reverts to normal.

+5 Unique Ability: Violet Spark
(-5) Flaw: Self-Only

AW 5 / PF (-5)

As a fairy, she is tiny and winged!

+4 Flight
+4 Evasive
-3 Weak
-3 Awkward Size

AW 5 + 2 = 7 / PF (-5)

Being of Fire, she can magically clothe herself and make her hair dance!

+1 Shapeshifting
-1 Bizarre Appearance
+3 Life Support
-2 Vulnerability (cold)
+4 Resistance (fire)
-3 Poor

AW 7 + 2 = 9 / PF (-5)

She is better at healing than harming!

+1 Healer
-1 Trigger (she can only heal in water)
-1 Accidental Transformation (-1 Shapeshifting in water, which means she is naked if she is only clothed magically. This is a minor inconvenience, since she normally uses the bath to heal herself and others. If this crosses a line, I’ll scrap it. If not, she need only escape the trigger by drying off. Violet Spark is a quick way to shed the water.)
-2 Stubborn (Hibana will not allow herself to be exposed in front of males—which actually means she will not heal males—level 2 though in case a boy is going to otherwise die)
-2 Pacifist
+1 Attack: Sunflower Shine!
(-5 elaborate gestures)
(-20 no damage)
(+0 ranged)
(+10 multiple targets)
(+20 blinding)

AW 9 - 4 = 5 / PF (-5 + 30 - 25 = 0)

And since I believe fairies are energetic and graceful and cute…

+4 Vigorous
-1 Easily Distracted
-1 Kind-Hearted
-1 Jittery
-1 Lecherous (she really likes those healing baths, and might occasionally mention they are "clothing optional")
+4 Cute
-2 Amnesia (a thought: Hibana appeared on a candlewick in the center of a summoning circle; no one was at the circle… she remembers nothing prior to that)
-1 Code of Conduct (honesty —kindness too, but kind-hearted covers that)
-1 Quirk (shoulders are furniture — I will make sure the other player is comfortable with the contact)

AW 5 / PF (+0)

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AW = ability + weakness
PF = perk + flaw

I think the math works. I gradually considered what it means to be a fairy, made of fire, etc. I didn’t want to deal with spells, so I have a weak attack and weak healing. Then I thought a Hot Spring Episode is how Hibana heals… well… lemme know if this works!

If this is good, I’ll make minor tweaks, such as Agist (youthful / treated like a child due to youth and stature) and possibly a second attack, like a non-damaging flying kick that stuns, if it would make sense to do that.

Also, I’m messing with her hair. Some sketches:

Ok, I have written a lengthy post, but my internet died and I lost it.

Your character looks very cool! No problem with the clothes on water thing, and I believe no player would mind you sitting on their PCs' shoulders (the PCs themselves probably won't too, along with multiple NPCs)

I have a question: I presume her vulnerability only applies to like, icy snow could, not cold water, right?

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Now, the math you did for abilities and weaknesses don't make much sense to me. you must add Abilities and subtract weaknesses.
For example, in here, it would be +4+4-2-2 = 2.

With that, your total ended in -1, meaning you can spend more 6 points! I'd advise picking some level(s) in agile, to have a more chance of hitting your attacks, and also, maybe reaching Vigorous +5 would nicely reflect her overflowing energy, and with the extra Endurance, she could pick more perks for her abilities (effective to healer would be a good pick, and also would be a good idea to increase the ability too)

Finally, I'd advise you to change Multiple Targets on your attack for Area effect. If it's a flash of light, that would make more sense, and be more useful (3 blind enemies instead of 2)

Or maybe Area Effect (since a flash is rarely very selective)?

Yeah... That's what I said!

I mean that Area Effect and Multiple Targets work slightly differently in OVA.

I was really thinking ice magic / cold magic. She would normally heat water by being in it. I could see water cold enough to give someone hypothermia triggering the vulnerability and the nudity, but not the healing. I’m under the opinion she should have a hot spring for the healing to work. (The Build-up flaw.)

I’m glad you like her. I normally don’t play a pacifist healer, but the character started to differentiate herself from the idea I came in with.


Oh, yes! AoE for the blinding light. I will make that change.

Huh… I did a lot of editing, so my math being way off wouldn’t surprise me. But just to be sure before I start adding abilities: you did see that I already had a +5 skill at the top (Unique Ability: Violet Spark), right?

@Moyreau - I added a feature to my Char Sheet add up all of my Ability Points and subtract all of my Weakness Points. The total is now 5.

I threw in a few more weaknesses to get a second attack and roll +2 for each to be not totally useless. But as a pacifist, Hibana blinds and stuns.

I’ll add notes and a better drawing than my sticky-note doodle later. For now, here are the flaws and perks (all add to zero total)

☀️Sunflower Beam: -20 nondamaging, -5 elaborate gesture, 10 AoE, 20 blind

🌸Flight of the Sakura: -20 nondamaging, 10 stunning, 15 overwhelming

💦Hot Spring Blossom: -5 build-up (gotta heat the bath—can’t insta-heal in combat)

⚛️Violet Spark: -5 self-only (as previously discussed)
• Hibana becomes a purple glowing dot, then seemingly blinks out of existence! She is incorporeal and mute, and imperceptible to most until she reverts to normal.

Great! Just to be clear, you must only buy attack once, unless it's two specifically different sources (and even then, it would be pretty much inconsequential flavor, unless a weakness was attached to it), like having Attack +2 [sword] (with the focus flaw) and Attack +3 [martial arts], and even then, in this case they'd stack in a roll.

Oh, in that case I’ll ditch a weakness or two and just have one attack.

Can I still have a "move list?" And if so, how many types of attacks can I have?

As many as you want, basically.

Okay, I tried to come up with lots of attacks, none of which cause damage!

☀️ Sunflower Shine
• Ranged (0)
• Elaborate Gestures (-5)
• No Damage (-20)
• Area of Effect (10)
• Blinding (20)

🌸 Sakura Kicksplosion
• No Damage (-20)
• Overwhelming (15)
• Stunning (10)

🍠 Wreath of the Hot Potato
• No Damage (-20)
• Defensive (5)
• Disarming (10)

🔥 Firewall of the Wallflower
• Elaborate Gesture (-5)
• No Damage (-20)
• Paralyzing (10)
• Continued Effect (10)

💨 Sonic Bloom
• Ranged (0)
• No Damage (-20)
• Armor Piercing (5)
• Impairing (10) - deafening, if I may

💥 Blaze of the Morning Glory
• No Damage (-20)
• Barrier Buster (5)
• Strike Through (5)
• Accurate x2 (10)

I intend to tweak these… I just need a better understanding of Perks and Flaws.

Oh—and NOW I understand how Endurance works. So I’ll add accuracy to those moves that currently have negative totals.

Ok, nice attacks!

I just don't think armor-piercing would be useful it it doesn't do any damage.

I’ll lose the Armor Pierce then. (Besides, a helmet actually can protect from sound, come to think of it.)

Also, I think most of my attacks should cost 5-10 endurance, and the healing should have an AoE effect just to have a cost.

I can increase vigor to +5 when I level up, right? Can I also gradually negate weaknesses one point at a time? (Like if you had a plot for Hibana to regain memories, I could reduce my Amnesia penalty over the course of two level-ups, assuming each level gives me 1 point for ability/weakness.)