Letter Bee

Noble Arms: The ASEAN War, Mission Three (Recruiting for an Ongoing RP)

Changed the links.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

@Dark Light, we moved to a new thread.

@Chiro, @Amidatelion, @Digmata, we're moving here.

Edit: Note that we will start a new IC thread/tab once we get more players with complete character sheets.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Appearance:

5'6|140 Pounds

Name: Special Agent Myron Makaraig

Age: 22

Nationality: Filipino-American.

Noble Arm Name & Appearance:

Inpormasyon (Information)

Insert NA Rank Here:

Rank B

Power: A
Speed: C (S)
Range: F (S)
Persistence: C
Precision: B
Potential: D

Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Support/Ranged, Element of Data/Information

Noble Arm Abilities:

Data Conversion - Can convert objects and people touched by the Shield into raw data/information which are then contained in the Noble Arm; the larger the object or person, the longer it takes to convert, although an average human adult can be turned to data in a full second, while an automobile takes five minutes. This power works only through direct contact with the shield and people converted to data are knocked unconscious by said conversion. Not only that, but objects converted to data can be turned back into their material forms by a mental command alone; smaller objects become physical again instantly while larger objects, such as people take time to reappear (same pace as conversion to data).

He can store up to an entire luxury yacht's worth of matter in his shield if given 12 hours, and can theoretically store twice that if given 48 hours of constant concentration, but it is not recommended.

Data Transmission - Myron can 'connect' to a mundane electronic device, such as a radio, telephone, or internet-capable gadget and transfer the data he stores in the shield to said device, allowing objects and people to be transported at high speeds. The drawback to this is that this process is affected by anything that can jam communications IRL, such as electronic jamming, firewalls, antivirus, or just the destruction of the corresponding device before it 'downloads' the data. Living beings (people) who had been converted to data and failed to transfer reappear at the location of Myron's shield, physically damaged depending on the measures taken to stop them. This is also why Myron's Noble Arm has (S) in Range because this can theoretically allow him to exceed the dreaded A-rank by using the IRL internet (still not recommended due to antivirus programs, though).

Misc Abilities: Myron fights like a Normal person most of the time, being adept in guns, unarmed combat, and melee, with his forte being hacking and cyber warfare, also poisons and antidotes. He has, in the past, also been trained to look cute and adorable so that he can treacherously stab, gun down, and poison Arms Masters. This is because he used to be a member of the Disablers, an Anti-Arms Master terrorist organization, and he keeps using many of their techniques despite his new allegiance.

Personality: Myron is resentful of the world, resentful of the system, resentful of factions, and is working for the Philippine Government of National Salvation because they guarantee him his revenge against the members of the Hammer of Masters and Disablers, as well as pay him in cold hard cash plus confiscated haciendas (estates/plantations) from the discredited members of the previous Government. Though he has a side that wishes the best for people, he prefers to bury it with a hedonistic attitude where he appreciates the finer things in life a bit too much. And by that, he is the type to give most of the land he's given to the tenant farmers already farming it but keeping enough to ensure a comfortable life for himself.

*Likes: Coffee, Cash, Sports Cars.

*Dislikes: The Hammer of Masters, Disablers, and being forced to kill children.

Fears: The Former Head of the Hammer of Masters, [Identity is a Spoiler].

Bio: Myron was born to an American Businessman and a Filipino 'bar girl' who sought to marry him for money, but was deceived and thrown away. Raised in poverty and bearing the brunt of his mother's abuse, Myron was sold to the 'Spartan Training Program' overseas in Singapore at the age of six by people who promised that he would come back as an Arms Master. Instead, at the age of 12, he escaped with several other students and joined the Disablers, a group of Anti-Arms Master terrorists who killed Arms Masters through ambush, assassination, and bombings. Myron was thus trained further, taught to lure in Arms Masters into wanting to protect him so that he could literally stab them in the back.

At the age of sixteen, he fought against the Hammer of Masters in Northern Iraq, where their leader had established 'The Malikate', a nation for Arms Masters to rule over Non-Arms Masters, two years of hard fighting followed, where he killed several Arms Masters simply by posing as an enslaved 'Normal Person' and poisoning their water supplies, setting up IEDs and traps, or even - And this haunts him to no end - kidnapping their children, even those who had not manifested a Noble Arm, and using them to lure their Arms Master parents to buildings filled to the brim with explosives.

When he turned eighteen, in the final siege of the Malikate's base on the Syrian-Iraqi border, Myron was captured by the Hammer of Master's 'Malik', [NAME REDACTED], who had him thrown into the dungeons in order to... He refuses to speak of it, only saying that he was busted out by the Malik's second-in-command himself. However, as he trekked back to the Disablers' battle lines, he realized this: The Hammer and the Disablers had become mirror images of each other, fueled by hate. As he realized this, he grew a Noble Arm, realized that he could not go back to the Disablers, and as the world was thrown into chaos by the announcement that three groups had emerged that can give Noble Arms to ordinary people, sought asylum with the UN and returned to the Philippines.

He next emerged four years later, as a mercenary working with the coup plotters who set up the Government of National Salvation when it turned out the President-Elect had been assassinated by the Vice President-Elect, who was also the current President thanks to a loophole in the Philippine Constitution forbidding Presidents from seeking a second term but not the Vice Presidency. During the new Government's takeover, he and another Arms Master, Noel Alonso, led the Storming of Malacañang Palace, where the two put down all resistance and arrested the President and all most adult members of his family, before moving on to arresting the Old Government's supporters in the countryside, where he was granted several hundred hectares of land confiscated from those corrupt oligarchs, most of which he gave to the tenant farmers who farmed them.

Now, he has been sent to aid the newly-formed Task Force Obsidian (composed of most of the PCs) to relieve the Philippines' new allies in the Pacific...

*Current Goal: Hold on to the estates he had been granted by the Government of National Salvation and give them over to their tenant farmers as smallholdings.

Military or Civilian Rank: Special Inspector with powers equivalent to a First Lieutenant.

*Optional

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Appearance:

5'6|140 pounds

Name: Noel Alonso.

Age: 18 years of age (after Retcon).

Nationality: Filipino.

Noble Arm Name & Appearance: La Luna (The Moon).

Noble Arm Rank:

A (When Certain Conditions Are Met)

Power: B (S)
Speed: B
Range: C (S)
Persistence: B
Precision: B
Potential: D

Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range: Melee/Ranged, close-to-mid range, and based upon the Moon and its qualities of changeability, magic, and madness.

Noble Arm Abilities:

La Luna's Miraculous Evasion - Noel's speed and reflexes are enhanced to levels that would surprise even an Arms Master. At the same time, fate itself contrives to partner with that speed and reflexes to make sure that Noel can dodge bullets, and grenades, but not necessarily the resulting explosions. However, he can dodge shrapnel and even the occasional rocket, allowing him to get into melee even when under enemy fire.

La Luna's Veil of Night - Noel can cloak himself in magic that renders him invisible, a perfect example of camouflage, and which cannot be pierced by most forms of mundane and mystic surveillance; it requires a dedicated B+rank power to reveal him (with exceptions below). This Veil, however, loses its potency from 11 AM to 1 PM, when the Sun is at its highest in the sky. Sun-themed Noble Arms, even C or D-ranked ones, can also detect Noel's Veil and remove it.

La Luna's Power of Enchantment - When the Moon is shining in the sky (including when it appears in the daytime), Noel can duplicate a Noble Arm power he has seen, as many times as he had seen that power used. For example, Noel can duplicate a Healing Power 3 times if he's seen it used three times. This power works on all Noble Arms that are not Sun-themed; Noel cannot duplicate Sun-based NA Powers, nor can it duplicate other A-Rank NA abilities.

La Luna's Madness Inducement - When the New Moon has risen in the sky, Noel can raise his scythe and pronounce a curse on an enemy force within sight of his natural eyes (no telescopes or digital enhancement). This curse spreads a plague of madness which causes everyone who is not a B-Rank Arms Master (or an OC/PC) to turn violent and attack their fellows, thinking that they are enemy monsters. The more blood is shed, the more the curse spreads from fellow to fellow, ending only when either the whole enemy army is dead or the New Moon sets.

And yes, this can affect an entire city, while Sun-themed NA Powers can also dispel it.

Misc Abilities: Well-read, a good dancer, knows how to arrange flowers and cook and even sew.

Personality: Noel wants to be a good person at heart, to fight for a cause worth believing in, and also to rescue his country from the clutches of China, which he views as a plague to its citizens. He believes that the divisions between Arms Masters and mundane folk have allowed society and the world to degrade, and is glad that they are on the verge of obsolescence due to 'The Big Three', although he does believe too that the 'Paragons of Science' are courting hubris and also hoarding power which could be used to advance Humanity for themselves...

*Likes: Sweets, Dancing, Romance (both BL and Straight).

*Dislikes: People who are too gloomy (despite his Noble Arm), War Crimes.

Fears: Being captured by the enemy, of course!

Bio: Noel was born to a family catapulted from obscurity in the past few decades when they began manifesting Noble Arms with increasing regularity. A natural prodigy, the boy displayed his Noble Arm at the age of twelve, and proved himself an able fighter against Muslim Terrorists in Mindanao just two years later, which was also when the old divisions were beginning to fade due to the appearance of the 'Big Three'. When the next President-Elect was voted for, then assassinated by his own Vice President-elect (who was also the incumbent president due to a law preventing Presidents in the Philippines from running for a second term but not for the Vice Presidency), Noel helped in the coup which installed the 'Government of National Salvation'.

Nevertheless, despite being a child soldier, Noel had privileges that other children lacked, such as regular psychological counseling money, and access to friends his age. If he was the Philippine Government's 'Guard Dog', he was a well-pampered one, and for all its worth, he genuinely loves his country and its people. He also wants to find a decent boy or girl to settle down with and is glad that his current handlers are accepting of his' being bisexual...

*Current Goal: Find Love.

Military or Civilian Rank: First Lieutenant (Yes, at 18).

*Optional

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War, Second Thread

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War

Decades ago, in the twilight of World War II, the British Scientist named Alan Turing made Magic real. This Magic, the Noble Arm, was the rare ability to conjure up a supernatural weapon that can defy the laws of physics, a weapon bound to the user's mind and soul that is summoned by their will into reality. For reasons that are still unexplainable despite years of research, Noble Arms mostly take the form of weapons from before the First World War (later weapons are allowed if they are widely known as obsolete), but although they look like antiques, the power they bear to the battlefield is unlike anything modern technology has been able to produce.

• The ability to manipulate the elements to the user's will.
• Forces that can reduce matter down to atoms in seconds.
• The strength to withstand the explosion of a nuclear missile.

These powers, plus more wondrous and terrifying abilities, come with Noble Arms. Thus, the ones who bear them, the Arms Masters, are sought after by many countries. The strength of a country used to be decided by the firepower of its Army, but now it is judged by the number and force of its Arms Masters.

But this state of affairs has produced sadness and strife; the world was just not prepared for the possibility of superhumans, people who, by existing, challenge the notion of equality between men. And so Arms Masters and Normal Humans lived in an uneasy state of coexistence, with radicals on both sides wishing to shatter the peace and dominate one another.

Then, in the early decades of the 21st Century, from the years 2019 to 2022, the status quo shattered again, with three groups of beings, only one of them claiming to be part of Humanity as it is now, manifesting the ability to give Noble Arms to those who once lacked them, albeit under conditions which appeal only to the desperate. These factions, known as "The Big Three", are:

The Big Three

The Seven Virtues - "Humanity can be more than it is now. Make it so." The Seven Virtues claim to be ascended Humans, Arms Masters who had transcended their mortal form and become something more. Now they seek to guide Humanity to a similar 'Ascension' by controlling the 'reincarnation' of the Noble Arms held by Arms Masters who had died in the line of duty, or very rarely, creating new ones which had not been held by an Arms Master before. However, the Seven Virtues make one demand from those they empower: Give up their existing property, their wealth, and their position in society, and dedicate themselves to Humanity as a whole.

The Paragons of Science - "Humanity is the only concept worth worshipping." The Paragons of Science are a cabal of scientists who have mixed together actual scientific principles with the Occult to decipher part of what makes Noble Arms 'tick', enough to manufacture Artificial Noble Arms which can compete with the best of existing ones. However, they give these Artificial Arms only to those who can 1.) pay through the nose for them, or 2.) people who are willing to renounce the "Throne and altar" to promote a future where Humanity rules over all of nature and worships only itself.

Addiitonal Restrictions: Oh, and this will be unknown to most OCs, but the Paragons of Science use their mastery of the 'Occult Programming Language' to make them able to remotely bring down any A or B-rank Noble Arms to C-Rank if they deem the Arms Master a threat to their interests. Due to their expertise with the 'Occult Programming Language' being imperfect, however, they cannot bring a Noble Arm any lower, so NAs that are already C-Rank are safe.

The Downward Descent - "Freedom from Morality." The Downward Descent does not claim to be Human, but rather something more; the darkness of people's thoughts and inner desires made manifest, whispering the fulfillment of their darkest wishes. The Downward Descent wants nothing more than Humanity to descend to a level lower than animals, to pull civilization down into ruins so that people would give up on being something more than what they were, to regard their hopes and dreams and aspirations as only so many lies and self-deception. And in exchange for indulging their wishes, the entities of the Downward Descent can give Noble Arms to anyone, not just the unpowered but also those who already have a Noble Arm; they are the only source of a Second Noble Arm, ever.

And all it takes is for you to renounce not just your soul, but actively endorse the very things you find most abominable in your heart and mind.

Needless to say, the Downward Descent has pursued a deliberate strategy of offering authoritarian leaders, even the ones who pride themselves on 'promoting public morality', an advantage over their rivals in and out of their own governments. These leaders, under their influence, have turned against the nations they once claimed to serve, and let in the Downward Descent's agents to victimize not just their own nations and people, but also the members of their own Governments and Political Parties. All the while, everyone suffers except them.

Their machinations have swept the old divisions out of the water, destroying the fragile order of the world as apocalyptic warfare breaks out all over it. China, once held at bay by the ASEAN countries, has rearmed and mustered an army of Arms Masters through vile procedures and is preparing to overrun Southeast Asia. The Philippines, once a bulwark against Chinese expansion, even elected a Pro-Chinese President, who used a loophole in the Constitution banning a second term as President but not Vice President to run for the latter position, then assassinate the person who did become President, only to have his nefarious actions found out and lead to his overthrow and replacement by a 'Government of National Salvation'.

However, the 'Assassin President's' loyalists, disregarding his illegal actions, established a rival Government and invited China's armies and fleets in, alarming the other nations in the region. One thing led to another and the region was now engulfed in war.

We all live in interesting times...

------

All right; I've tried running Noble Arms, TheHangedMan's RP idea, several times now, and tried to add my own spin on it once before. Now, I am trying again with my darkest RP yet.

This is a game where you play ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) or ASEAN-allied folk (US and European Volunteers) as OCs and China is the enemy. These OCs/PCs will be part of one group, Task Force Obsidian, whose goals are to act as one unit to engage in operations against China's People's Liberation Army and its assets while defending ASEAN's own.

There will be both adult and child soldiers as Noble Arms are not selective and the situation is just that desperate. You are not limited to Arms Masters; people who use their own skills and technology are permitted as well.

Addendum: This is a 'soft reboot' of a previous thread that ran out of steam due to most players getting distracted by IRL matters. In that thread, it was hard to maintain the desired difficulty due to the PCs/OCs being too powerful and enforcement of some rules becoming too lax, so we made a few retcons to the setting and previous continuity and made it so that the stronger you are at the start, the less room to grow you have.

And now, the meat of the lore.

Noble Arms and their Ratings

Noble Arms:

Noble Arms take the form of weaponry that was created before World War I - Each one of them has powerful abilities beyond normal human capacity, however, they can only be used if they are released into reality by their user. Noble Arms exist in a kind of 'hyperspace' that is unique to its user and can be called from there - in essence, an Arms Master is always armed.

Noble Arms have an astonishingly versatile ability pool, from calling down fire to strengthening the body, etc., and more often than not, possess more than one ability. However, similar to physical activity, using a Noble Arm is draining physically and more so mentally - Extended use of its abilities is akin to overexerting yourself on both fronts and as such, so much more fatal to overdo.

For the purposes of defining what a weapon is, a weapon is 'something crafted or shaped by human hands for the specific purpose of doing harm'. This also means that you can use a bunch of Stone Age flint knives, a wand, and yes, a staff as weapons.

Note: We have allowed this rule to be stretched before, allowing books and exploding metal cubes, but asking for a stretch is a privilege, not a right. Do not ask without a good, story-based reason.

Noble Arm Ratings:

Noble Arms are rated according to, firstly, the sum of their atomized ranks (Power, Speed, Range, etc as detailed in the character sheet). An F grade counts as a 0, an A as a 5, and the sum is divided by 6. However, ultimately, the grading system is used as a threat assessment. Noble Arms that are more dangerous than their average number indicates may have their overall grade incremented up a letter, or vice versa.

Examples of rank as a threat assessment:

- A Noble Arm capable of strengthening its Arms Master is common, and can easily be countered by police officers with the proper ordinance, and thus, merits an E rank, its Arms Master is not notable to the government and subsequently ignored.

- On the other hand, a Noble Arm capable of creating explosions in the atmosphere is uncommon and dangerous, as such, the user must undergo a government registration form and be placed under mild scrutiny. The Noble Arm in question will merit a C or B rank.

- Finally, there are Noble Arms that can achieve effects that can cover an area the size of a city, for good or for ill. Such Noble Arms are both rare and regarded as extremely dangerous to countries at large (note that some powers might not justify this fear, even if they cover an entire city). Their users will be under constant surveillance and limits will be placed on the usage of their Noble Arm. Such Noble Arms are always rated A.

Noble Arm Origins: Formation and Inheritance

Noble Arm Origins:

Formation:

The most common way to have a Noble Arm is to reach a stage of personal development, for good or for ill, which allows one's Soul (yes, Souls are a thing here) to form one from the sum of the person's personality, willpower, and sense of identity. Said Noble Arms are connected to their user's Soul and are made of the same material/energy as it. They can be suppressed and damaged; they can be broken and diminished, but they cannot be completely destroyed except in extraordinary circumstances, and even then only because although born from a Soul, they are not the originating Soul itself but akin; actual Souls are even more indestructible (although their energies can be suppressed to infinitesimal levels). This leads us to the second way to obtain a Noble Arm - Inheritance.

Inheritance

When an Arms Master dies, their Noble Arm is left in a limbo state, unable to follow them to wherever Souls go (while immortal Souls have been proven, an afterlife is not, much less a good afterlife). When this happens, it latches on the closest possible Soul even if the holder of said Soul has not developed enough to grow their own Noble Arm. If the 'latching' process is successful, the new Arms Master gains the power of a Noble Arm grafted to their own consciousness and identical to its previous form. This phenomenon has been tracked over the past decades, and the Seven Virtues have found a way to interfere with the process to ensure that various NAs end up with the 'right' people...

Noble Arms Ranking System

Categories of Ranking and Degrees of Rank:

Power: The pure energy the NA can exert (offensively/defensively/healing/etc).
Speed: How fast the power responds to the user and takes effect.
Range: How far-reaching the abilities are (potential fallout included).
Persistence: Stamina toll on user. Higher rank = more ease of use.
Precision: How surgically (or clumsily/indiscriminate) the NA performs.
Potential: Power's flexibility for creative use and evolution.

F = Default/minimum rank.
B = General maximum of standard NA.
A = Generally restricted to A-Rank NAs, but 1-2 categories may potentially reach it.
S = "Special" rank. This means the category is flexible in some way, and not necessarily for the better. (Ex - Power: D (S)) This supplementary rank is often the result or source of an NA having a "+" or "-" on their final rank.
Infinite/?: Indicating no measurable limit on the category. Only been seen on A-Ranks thus far. This rank has yet to even be officially acknowledged as existing IC. (this rating's details may be subject to change; this is merely my current interpretation)

The final overall ranking of the Noble Arm is determined on an average by assigning point values from 0-5 on the respective ranks F-A. Depending on the power set and its effectiveness in practice, the final ranking may, however, be subject to flexibility.

If you want, you may also use a graph image based on the JJBA Stand ranking system instead, since that is what we are basing this off largely. The above is the most convenient to read, but you have the option for flavor. Just try to have it in a hider in either case.

Power:

F-Rank: Provides no notable supernatural advantage. Often cosmetic at best. The Noble Arm certainly possesses the same supernatural durability as any other NA, but beyond that? Little. Ranged Noble Arms are not found here.

E-Rank: Minor supernatural advantage. Hits a bit harder, cuts a bit easier, endures a little more, etc. than a normal human could. It's not much, but it's there. Enhancements are "slight", but elemental manipulation is possible. Ranged Noble Arms are possible now and typically have this rank at minimum. "Peak Human" is a common descriptor.

D-Rank: Cantrip levels of strength. Can easily dish out, endure, or heal from effects that are singularly lethal to a human. Notably useful abilities exist here that are a serious problem for most people. Such a power is much like always carrying a loaded gun and may be beyond the police's capacity to handle it.

C-Rank: A strong/multiple, physical/magical effect that will start to cause issues for public safety.

B-Rank: Very strong. Difficult to counter without a specialized/specific effect.

A-Rank: Powers of this strength are nearly uncontestable. Once the effect occurs, it usually cannot be overridden or countered without exceptional means. Perfect stealth. Strength that is enough to lift and throw a skyscraper or cause earthquakes. Total incineration. Absolute zero infliction. Disintegration of atoms. Stopping time. The possibilities are nearly limitless. The amount of raw energy behind these abilities is frankly excessive.

Speed:

F-Rank: Basically, this... "Is to go-! Even! Further! BEYOND! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Editor's Note: This continued for 10 episodes.

E-Rank: Comparative to walking underwater. Notable ramp-up/charge time. Abilities take a disadvantageously long time to fully "stick". Recommended against using them in the open or in sight of any hostile, at least initially. 1 minute or more.

D-Rank: Small ramp-up time. Somewhat disadvantageous, but possible to use even against a conventionally faster opposition with care and the right timing. A power that typically requires patience and "choosing the right moment" from the user. Abilities have a tendency towards "damage over time" compared to "instant". 3-60 seconds.

C-Rank: Abilities respond and take effect at a respectable, practical speed. The user will have no real trouble utilizing their powers often and reflexively. The power doesn't quite match up when pitted against an ambush or with the user caught off guard. The moments needed to both perceive and respond to the threat mean that a "surprise round" still favors the enemy.

B-Rank: Abilities respond quickly, lagging behind the user's desires for 1-5 seconds at absolute worst. Being caught off guard is far less threatening. The power typically responds and reaches full effect at speeds equivalent to the user's mere consideration of using it.

A-Rank: Answers the user's call with almost prescient speed. The effects of powers typically occur instantaneously, even at large scale. "Surprise rounds" are nearly entirely useless against them without an effect of comparable speed. Rather, they respond so quickly that they can almost immediately invert a situation with themselves on the back foot to one where they have a distinct advantage. These powers practically ooze the concept of "having the initiative".

Range:

F-Rank: Touch-range. The power generally requires either the user or the Noble Arm, itself, to make physical contact with the target of their ability. Fallout is nonexistent.

E-Rank: Melee-range. Comparable range to a held weapon of some stripe, even a whip. It no longer requires physical contact to take effect. Fallout/lingering effects are minimal to nonexistent and rarely -if ever- have the capacity to spread beyond a single target. Up to approximately 5-6 meters/15-21 feet.

D-Rank: Mid-Range. Covers the ideal skirmishing distance for a pistol. An indoor firing range would be comparable. Up to approximately 50 meters/166 feet.

C-Rank: Around a city block or couple. Up to approximately 200 meters/658 feet. Fallout may exceed the base range by a factor of double the core range.

B-Rank: Long-range. Could encompass a whole neighborhood or village. Fallout may equal or even exceed the base target area by a factor of 2-4. Up to around 1-2 kilometers.

A-Rank: City-wide or larger. Attacks may potentially be launched from miles away. Fallout may potentially leak out into a national emergency.

Persistence:

F-Rank: Can maybe use their active power all of once before being exhausted. Even having the NA summoned is a serious effort that requires physical honing to master.

E-Rank: Like a D-Rank squared. Significant base maintenance cost. Abilities that incur a stamina drain like being punched in the gut. They are lovers, not fighters. And when they do fight, they are either very careful or dead.

D-Rank: Must be picky with their power use. Tactical. The drain of even having the NA out is significant. A D-Rank may have trouble keeping their power going continuously for even a single decent skirmish. "Playing it smart" is the name of the game. If not a serious stamina drain, then a notable negative backlash usually is inherent to the active power.

C-Rank: Will experience drain even if they don't use the NA's powers. Minor drain, granted, but drain all the same. Their powers typically aren't incredibly draining to actively use immediately, but the user will absolutely feel it with constant, reckless use. Sort of like sprinting. These NAs are ideally used with a "breather" between skirmishes to catch a second or third wind. They are much like a well-trained soldier.

B-Rank: Could, in theory, be summoned indefinitely as long as the user either didn't make heavy use of its abilities or had incredibly minor abilities. This rank is ideal for prolonged battlefield fighting, as long as the user has time to rest every few skirmishes.

A-Rank: Typically known to be very free in this aspect, able to both keep their power going near indefinitely and not really feeling the strain without truly excessive overuse or a very specific type of backlash unique to the NA/power.

Precision:

F-Rank: Volatile and indiscriminate to the extreme. Not even the user is safe. In fact, they are more often than not caught in the power's effect as well, for better or worse. If the power has any capacity to affect multiple targets, it will always attempt to hit all of them and attempt to perform to its maximum possible extent.

E-Rank: User gains some level of "leashing" capacity. Power now often has a dial and can be restrained from automatically going full bore. Is still quite a "hair trigger" and prone to being a threat to the user as well without caution being taken.

D-Rank: Still quite indiscriminate, but the user now usually has some actual capacity to be protected from their own ability. Usually, this protection is not voluntary, however, for better or worse. Power is no longer so oily in the user's proverbial grasp. "Dial" is more defined.

C-Rank: Some minimal capacity to actively exempt others selectively from the effect, which typically requires concentration. Otherwise, abilities have preset exemptions that provide the user more flexibility.

B-Rank: Can selectively exempt targets from the effect on both large and small scales. Usually, the user must already know/be able to visualize individually who or what they are exempting. Although, one could be more general, like "all humans" if firing blindly.

A-Rank: Abilities are highly selective and surgically fine in application. The user usually has near -if not complete- control over who and what they affect. Such abilities may be able to affect someone/something the user doesn't know or is aware of. Such abilities may potentially have such capacity as to identify and target things the user could otherwise have no knowledge about, like "all "enemies/innocents/allies" or "good/evil".

Potential:

Preface: This stat lowers roughly inversely to the number of abilities a Noble Arm possesses and is thus expected to inevitably lower over the course of the RP, starting low the more powerful a Noble Arm starts out.

F-Rank: Extremely static. The NA has nearly zero ability to evolve further. Can usually only develop one more narrow ability... if any at all.

E-Rank: Typically develops 1-2 abilities at most. New powers are quite narrow in scope of application. Complex abilities aren't entirely unheard of, but they are extremely uncommon.

D-Rank: Develops a small number of abilities, even complex ones, but the user must put in serious effort and/or have rather notable personal character/soul development to gain any more.

C-Rank: Develops a comfortable number of powers of various complexities. Can be mistaken for a higher rank in this classification early on but peters out eventually. Preexisting powers have the capacity to improve or change if the user makes the effort to push their boundaries.

B-Rank: Rapidly develops new abilities with even half-hearted or deluded attempts at experimentation. The NA is highly amendable to users who actively seek out specific evolutions and utilizations of their abilities. Complex, flexible powers are not only common but expected, almost inevitable.

A-Rank: The "blank slate" rank, typically possessed by a freshly awakened Noble Arm. Having this rank generally means having only 1 ability at most with radical potential for more. A Noble Arm like this has yet to lock in a "theme" and can evolve in virtually any direction the Arms Master might subconsciously choose. The Noble Arm is extremely sensitive to any excuse to develop in this state, often doing so completely involuntarily. It's therefore extremely rare to find a Noble Arm with this rank, as the weapon has usually already shed this level of potential within days, if not hours, depending on the conditions.

Arms Master Survivability

Made by Senhara:

This was approved on Discord by all the GMs and was my suggestion, and I heavily recommend joining the server if you plan to join.

As a system to improve the survivability of PCs and other Arms Masters, this was come up with.

By virtue of being able to wield magic, NA users benefit from the ability to recover from gunshots and the like more effectively than a human, and notably, their bodies heal up faster. This pulls power from their NA, so if you get hit, you live but your powers weaken. So instead of a regular human taking a few rounds to be downed, 1-3 or the like, it'd take more like 4-8 to sustain for C class NA users before they'd be totally unable to use their powers and would need medical attention, with the more powerful NAs being able to withstand more. While Arms Masters are still under their cap for how much abuse they can take, if a "critical" hit occurs, say a shot through the heart or the skull, they're incapacitated but all resources immediately go to fixing them up. The result of this is they're out for the fight, unconscious, but they're still alive. If they proceed to get shot more and do not receive medical attention or are over their capacity for how much damage they can take and receive a critical hit, they would instead die.

Addenum by Lewascan2 with edits by me:

Note that logically, Defensive/Survival/Healing powers take priority over the survival system. If it's a question of a hit 'counting' or not, the hit to the Arms Master's 'survival stacks' is not expended (or may even be reversed/restored) if their power/an incoming power has some method of negating/delaying/mitigating/repairing the damage. Basically, specific powers can defend against or heal an Arms Master or make them endure stuff. If you don't have specific defensive powers, though... Well, this is a world of tradeoffs.

Differences from IRL and the Original

- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is considerably more militarized and economically linked than IRL, with coordination between their best Arms Masters and their separate militaries.

- This in turn has its roots in 1988 when China had a confrontation with the ASEAN Countries over the Spratlys and ASEAN won due to the intervention of Filipino Arms Master Angelito Jaime (who had a spear that could open a portal through which he was clever enough to use to redirect bullets, artillery, cruise missiles, and potentially even nukes back at the person who fired them, and this works on many other NA attacks too). This victory, however, led to an undercurrent of resentment between China and ASEAN which burst into fire decades later in the ASEAN War.

- The Philippines is now led by a 'Government of National Salvation' chaired by an Original Character. The IRL Government/Administration is no longer in power.

- After some thought, another OC (Democratic) is the President of the US instead of anyone IRL.

- The Original Character President of the US was the perfect domestic president, saving the country from COVID-19, restoring the US Economy, limiting corporate power, strengthening the Trade Unions and making them more relevant, and creating more well-paying jobs. The downside to this? His foreign policy sucks, as he despises the prospect of sending Americans to die overseas for ideological goals so much that he is willing to neglect or withdraw from the US alliances and defense commitments and thus emboldened China and Russia to move into open war, mistakenly sensing weakness.

- The US Congress, however, was capable of striking back to issue sanctions, provide weapons, vehicles, supplies, money, and all possible aid to ASEAN and Ukraine, and is trying to scramble enough people to form a majority that can declare war even with a Presidential Veto.

- Indonesia has been caught flat-footed by China's new militaristic mood, and while it remains Democratic, its military (both Army and Navy) is rising in power once again, although its President is still canny enough to balance out competing interests.

- In 2014, instead of a certain terrorist organization taking over large portions of Iraq and Syria, the Hammer of Masters, an organization of Arms Master terrorists, did so instead to establish a 'Malikate' where Arms Masters can rule over Non-Arms Masters as the 'Superior Race'. This was crushed in 2018 - 2019, when the 'Big Three' first made their appearance, and the Paragons and Seven Virtues began giving away Noble Arms.

- As for the various groups in the Original Noble Arms, the Hammer of Masters (mentioned above) and the Disablers have dwindled into near-irrelevance over the last four years due to the existence of the Seven Virtues and Paragons of Science (both of whom have defectors from both groups), same for the Arms of Nobility and the Organization for Disarmament. It is also rumored that the Seven Virtues and Paragons have been organizing manhunts for members of the Hammer and Disablers who remain diehard fanatics of their ideologies.

- There are people within China trying to fight against the current leadership of its Government so that they can change their country and shift it to a direction they believe is more productive. Some of them are fringe groups given power by Noble Arms, such as the ASEAN-allied Qing Restoration Society (QRS), but others fight within the current Government, such as the [Insert Name Here] Clique and the [Blank] and [REDACTED] Factions, to stop a war they consider senseless and counter to China's prosperity.

- Emperor Naruhito of Japan has more children, including a son and additional daugthers.

Character Sheet

[center][b]Appearance:[/b]
(Picture preferred, although written descriptions are good too. Also, please include miscellaneous information such as height and weight.)[/center]

[b]Name:[/b]

[b]Age:[/b]

[b]Nationality:[/b]

[b]Noble Arm Name & Appearance:[/b]

[b]Noble Arm Rank:[/b] (We redid how ranks work; now instead of just a single rank, each NA has six attributes that have their own ranks, which can either be very weak, aka E or D, or stronger than that, B or A. This means that an NA can be weak in some aspects while strong in others. Extended descriptions of what these mean can be found on the Discord Server, in the first thread from "Character and Power Building." If a particular attribute is hard to nail down to a certain letter, whether due to sensitivity to circumstances or a wide spread of grades from each specific ability, you may tag your letter grade with an (S) to indicate this, for example, "C (S)".)

[hider=Insert NA rank here]
Power: The pure energy the NA can exert (offensively/defensively/healing/etc).
Speed: How fast the power responds to the user and takes effect.
Range: How far-reaching the abilities are (potential fallout included). Along with Power, we will be paying special scrutiny to NAs that are high in this stat and especially in both at once.
Persistence: Stamina toll on the user. Higher rank = more ease of use.
Precision: How surgically (or clumsily/indiscriminate) the NA performs.
Potential: Power's flexibility for creative use and evolution.
[/hider]

[b]Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range:[/b] (Is your Noble Arm Support/Melee/Ranged, or some other? What Element or Concept are they themed on? Are they close-range, mid-range, or long-range or all of them?)

[b]Noble Arm Abilities:[/b] (No maximum number, however, try and be sensible about this. Just because you [i]can[/i] doesn't mean you [i]should[/i], also be as detailed as you can, especially on its strengths, weaknesses, and effects. For example, every ability with a range restriction should have that range at least qualitatively measured: city block? As far as the user can see?)

[b]Misc Abilities:[/b] What are your other talents?

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]*Likes:[/b]

[b]*Dislikes:[/b]

[b]Fears:[/b]

[b]Bio:[/b]

[b]*Current Goal:[/b]

[b]Military or Civilian Rank:[/b]

*Optional

Rules

1.) Cooperative storytelling comes first; prospective players should not seek to game or break the system to make themselves as powerful as possible. One should also not use one's PC's powers to brute-force all obstacles the GM brings before them, or use sophistry, psychological tricks, or 'mental influence magic' to win every diplomatic confrontation. This is not an RP where 'storygaming' is an ugly word.
2.) Nor does an angsty backstory that fits various 'story beats' make one's character good if their purpose is to defeat everyone and establish themselves as the 'top dogs' and otherwise make it an arms race with the GM on who can god-mode more. If one won't use their angsty backstory to make a good story, this is not the RP for them.
3.) That said, powerful characters and angsty backstories are permitted, as long as they are made by players who are willing to cooperate with each other and the GM to make a good and dynamic story that isn't just 'X overpowers Y' by bending the rules so far they break, violating the spirit of said rules and (to quote Dave Brookshaw of Onyx Path publishing) common sense.
4.) The first three rules are the most important; let's just say that people who cannot follow them have proven problematic before, and it's best that we have people who can follow the first three rules in this RP.
5.) Do not be an asshole.
6.) Post length is five sentences minimum, but longer posts are encouraged, of course. GMs are also bound by this rule.
7.) Characters are supposed to start no higher than B-Rank in statistical average on their Noble Arm. Note that exceptions can be made for one (two at the most) players who can be trusted to control themselves and not power game when it weakens the story.
8.) 1 US Dollar is 55 Philippine Pesos - Remember this when you spend money.
9.) Reminder: The more powerful you are, the lower your Potential stat is. If you want high Potential, you need to make a weak Noble Arm that can get stronger later.
10.) New Rule (October 12, 2024): Sexual content, including situations where one finds themselves shirtless or otherwise unclothed by force, is now forbidden in the thread itself. RPGuild Private Messages, however, are an option for those who really want to do it, and if situations that may disgust most people are necessary for the advancement of the plot, players who give their consent to witness or write out such situations will be allowed access to special RPGuild PMs upon giving their permission.

OOC Discussion Discord

Background Lore Document

Letter Bee's Character Sheets

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War

In the twilight of World War II, magic became real, yet scarce. This source of this magic, the Noble Arm, was the rare ability to conjure up a supernatural weapon that can defy the laws of physics, a weapon bound to the user's mind and soul; summoned by their will into reality. For reasons that are still unexplainable despite years of research, Noble Arms only take the form of weapons from before the First World War, however, despite the antiquity of these forms, the power they bear to the battlefield is unlike anything modern technology has been able to produce.

• The ability to manipulate the elements to the user's will.
• Forces that can reduce matter down to atoms in seconds.
• The strength to withstand the explosion of a nuclear missile.

All of these powers, and more wondrous and terrifying abilities, come with Noble Arms. Thus, the ones who bear them, the Arms Masters, are sought after by countries all around the world. Where once the strength of a country was decided by the technological strength of its Army, it is now judged by the power of its Arms Masters.

But this state of affairs has produced sadness and strife; the world was just not prepared for the possibility of superhumans, people who just by existing, challenge the notion of equality between men. And so Arms Masters and Normal Humans lived in an uneasy state of coexistence, with radicals on both sides wishing to shatter the peace and dominate one another.

Then, in the early decades of the 21st Century, from the years 2019 to 2022, the status quo shattered again, with three groups of beings, only one of them claiming to be part of Humanity as it is now, manifesting the ability to give Noble Arms to those who once lacked them, albeit under conditions which appeal only to the desperate. These factions, known as "The Big Three", are:

The Big Three

The Seven Virtues - "Humanity can be more than it is now. Make it so." The Seven Virtues claim to be ascended Humans, Arms Masters who had transcended their mortal form and become something more. Now they seek to guide Humanity to a similar 'Ascension' by controlling the 'reincarnation' of the Noble Arms held by Arms Masters who had died in the line of duty, or very rarely, creating new ones which had not been held by an Arms Master before. However, the Seven Virtues make one demand from those they empower: Give up their existing property, their wealth, and their position in society, and dedicate themselves to Humanity as a whole.

The Paragons of Science - "Humanity is the only concept worth worshipping." The Paragons of Science are a cabal of scientists who have mixed together actual scientific principles with the Occult to decipher part of what makes Noble Arms 'tick', enough to manufacture Artificial Noble Arms which can compete with the best of existing ones. However, they give these Artificial Arms only to those who can 1.) pay through the nose for them, or 2.) people who are willing to renounce the "Throne and altar" to promote a future where Humanity rules over all of nature and worships only itself.

Addiitonal Restrictions: Oh, and this will be unknown to most OCs, but the Paragons of Science use their mastery of the 'Occult Programming Language' to make them able to remotely bring down any A or B-rank Noble Arms to C-Rank if they deem the Arms Master a threat to their interests. Due to their expertise with the 'Occult Programming Language' being imperfect, however, they cannot bring a Noble Arm any lower, so NAs that are already C-Rank are safe.

The Downward Descent - "Freedom from Morality." The Downward Descent does not claim to be Human, but rather something more; the darkness of people's thoughts and inner desires made manifest, whispering the fulfillment of their darkest wishes. The Downward Descent wants nothing more than Humanity to descend to a level lower than animals, to pull civilization down into ruins so that people would give up on being something more than what they were, to regard their hopes and dreams and aspirations as only so many lies and self-deception. And in exchange for indulging their wishes, the entities of the Downward Descent can give Noble Arms to anyone, not just the unpowered but also those who already have a Noble Arm; they are the only source of a Second Noble Arm, ever.

And all it takes is for you to renounce not just your soul, but actively endorse the very things you find most abominable in your heart and mind.

Needless to say, the Downward Descent has pursued a deliberate strategy of offering authoritarian leaders, even the ones who pride themselves on 'promoting public morality', an advantage over their rivals in and out of their own governments. These leaders, under their influence, have turned against the nations they once claimed to serve, and let in the Downward Descent's agents to victimize not just their own nations and people, but also the members of their own Governments and Political Parties. All the while, everyone suffers except them.

Their machinations have swept the old divisions out of the water, destroying the fragile order of the world as apocalyptic warfare breaks out all over it. China, once held at bay by the ASEAN countries, has rearmed and mustered an army of Arms Masters through vile procedures and is preparing to overrun Southeast Asia. The Philippines, once a bulwark against Chinese expansion, even elected a Pro-Chinese President, who used a loophole in the Constitution banning a second term as President but not Vice President to run for the latter position, then assassinate the person who did become President, only to have his nefarious actions found out and lead to his overthrow and replacement by a 'Government of National Salvation'.

However, the previous President's loyalists established a rival Government and invited China's armies and fleets in, alarming the other nations in the region. One thing led to another and the region was now engulfed in war.

We all live in interesting times...

------

All right; I've tried running Noble Arms, TheHangedMan's RP idea, several times now, and tried to add my own spin on it once before. Now, I am trying again with my darkest RP yet.

This is a game where you play ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) or ASEAN-allied folk (US and European Volunteers) as OCs and China is the enemy. These OCs/PCs will be part of one group, Task Force Obsidian, whose goals are to act as one unit to engage in operations against China's People's Liberation Army and its assets while defending ASEAN's own.

There will be both adult and child soldiers as Noble Arms are not selective and the situation is just that desperate. You are not limited to Arms Masters; people who use their own skills and technology are permitted as well.

Addendum: I always planned for this to be a difficult, challenging campaign with a little bit of scariness, but which will ultimately bring out the OCs' and players' smarts while punishing acting like a stereotypical action hero. And by that, do stupid stuff, get difficulties. Play things smart, use common sense, and cooperate with others while using your powers in interesting ways (a lesson I myself was forced to learn a few months ago), and you guys get rewards, including but not just limited to victories.

And now, the meat of the lore.

Noble Arms and their Ratings

Noble Arms:

Noble Arms take the form of weaponry that was created before World War I - Each one of them has powerful abilities beyond normal human capacity, however, they can only be used if they are released into reality by their user. Noble Arms exist in a kind of 'hyperspace' that is unique to its user and can be called from there - in essence, an Arms Master is always armed.

Noble Arms have an astonishingly versatile ability pool, from calling down fire to strengthening the body, etc., and more often than not, possess more than one ability. However, similar to physical activity, using a Noble Arm is draining physically and more so mentally - Extended use of its abilities is much akin to overexerting yourself on both fronts, and as such, so much more fatal to overdo.

For the purposes of defining what a weapon is, a weapon is 'something crafted or shaped by human hands for the specific purpose of doing harm'. This also means that you can use a bunch of Stone Age flint knives, a wand, and yes, a staff as weapons.

Note: We have allowed this rule to be stretched before, allowing books and exploding metal cubes, but asking for a stretch is a privilege, not a right. Do not ask without a good, story-based reason.

Noble Arm Ratings:

Noble Arms are rated according to, firstly, the sum of their atomized ranks (Power, Speed, Range, etc as detailed in the character sheet). An F grade counts as a 0, an A as a 5, and the sum is divided by 6. However, ultimately, the grading system is used as a threat assessment. Noble Arms that are more dangerous than their average number indicates may have their overall grade incremented up a letter, or vice versa.

Examples of rank as a threat assessment:

- A Noble Arm capable of strengthening its Arms Master is common, and can easily be countered by police officers with the proper ordinance, and thus, merits an E rank, its Arms Master is not notable to the government and subsequently ignored.

- On the other hand, a Noble Arm capable of creating explosions in the atmosphere is uncommon and dangerous, as such, the user must undergo a government registration form and be placed under mild scrutiny. The Noble Arm in question will merit a C or B rank.

- Finally, there are Noble Arms that can achieve effects that can cover an area the size of a city, for good or for ill. Such Noble Arms are both rare and regarded as extremely dangerous to countries at large (note that some powers might not justify this fear, even if they cover an entire city). Their users will be under constant surveillance and limits will be placed on the usage of their Noble Arm. Such Noble Arms are always rated A.

Noble Arm Origins: Formation and Inheritance

Noble Arm Origins:

Formation:

The most common way to have a Noble Arm is to reach a stage of personal development, for good or for ill, which allows one's Soul (yes, Souls are a thing here) to form one from the sum of the person's personality, willpower, and sense of identity. Said Noble Arms are connected to their user's Soul and are made of the same material/energy as it. They can be suppressed and damaged; they can be broken and diminished, but they cannot be completely destroyed except in extraordinary circumstances, and even then only because although born from a Soul, they are not the originating Soul itself but akin; actual Souls are even more indestructible (although their energies can be suppressed to infinitesimal levels). This leads us to the second way to obtain a Noble Arm - Inheritance.

Inheritance

When an Arms Master dies, their Noble Arm is left in a limbo state, unable to follow them to wherever Souls go (while immortal Souls have been proven, an afterlife is not, much less a good afterlife). When this happens, it latches on the closest possible Soul even if the holder of said Soul has not developed enough to grow their own Noble Arm. If the 'latching' process is successful, the new Arms Master gains the power of a Noble Arm grafted to their own consciousness and identical to its previous form. This phenomenon has been tracked over the past decades, and the Seven Virtues have found a way to interfere with the process to ensure that various NAs end up with the 'right' people...

Noble Arms Ranking System

Categories of Ranking and Degrees of Rank:

Power: The pure energy the NA can exert (offensively/defensively/healing/etc).
Speed: How fast the power responds to the user and takes effect.
Range: How far-reaching the abilities are (potential fallout included).
Persistence: Stamina toll on user. Higher rank = more ease of use.
Precision: How surgically (or clumsily/indiscriminate) the NA performs.
Potential: Power's flexibility for creative use and evolution.

F = Default/minimum rank.
B = General maximum of standard NA.
A = Generally restricted to A-Rank NAs, but 1-2 categories may potentially reach it.
S = "Special" rank. This means the category is flexible in some way, and not necessarily for the better. (Ex - Power: D (S)) This supplementary rank is often the result or source of an NA having a "+" or "-" on their final rank.
Infinite/?: Indicating no measurable limit on the category. Only been seen on A-Ranks thus far. This rank has yet to even be officially acknowledged as existing IC. (this rating's details may be subject to change; this is merely my current interpretation)

The final overall ranking of the Noble Arm is determined on an average by assigning point values from 0-5 on the respective ranks F-A. Depending on the power set and its effectiveness in practice, the final ranking may, however, be subject to flexibility.

If you want, you may also use a graph image based on the JJBA Stand ranking system instead, since that is what we are basing this off largely. The above is the most convenient to read, but you have the option for flavor. Just try to have it in a hider in either case.

Power:

F-Rank: Provides no notable supernatural advantage. Often cosmetic at best. The Noble Arm certainly possesses the same supernatural durability as any other NA, but beyond that? Little. Ranged Noble Arms are not found here.

E-Rank: Minor supernatural advantage. Hits a bit harder, cuts a bit easier, endures a little more, etc. than a normal human could. It's not much, but it's there. Enhancements are "slight", but elemental manipulation is possible. Ranged Noble Arms are possible now and typically have this rank at minimum. "Peak Human" is a common descriptor.

D-Rank: Cantrip levels of strength. Can easily dish out, endure, or heal from effects that are singularly lethal to a human. Notably useful abilities exist here that are a serious problem for most people. Such a power is much like always carrying a loaded gun and may be beyond the police's capacity to handle.

C-Rank: A strong/multiple, physical/magical effect that will start to cause issues for public safety.

B-Rank: Very strong. Difficult to counter without a specialized/specific effect.

A-Rank: Powers of this strength are nearly uncontestable. Once the effect occurs, it usually cannot be overridden or countered without exceptional means. Perfect stealth. Strength that is enough to lift and throw a skyscraper or cause earthquakes. Total incineration. Absolute zero infliction. Disintegration of atoms. Stopping time. The possibilities are nearly limitless. The amount of raw energy behind these abilities is frankly excessive.

Speed:

F-Rank: Basically, this... "Is to go-! Even! Further! BEYOND! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Editor's Note: This continued for 10 episodes.

E-Rank: Comparative to walking underwater. Notable ramp-up/charge time. Abilities take a disadvantageously long time to fully "stick". Recommended against using them in the open or in sight of any hostile, at least initially. 1 minute or more.

D-Rank: Small ramp-up time. Somewhat disadvantageous, but possible to use even against a conventionally faster opposition with care and the right timing. A power that typically requires patience and "choosing the right moment" from the user. Abilities have a tendency towards "damage over time" compared to "instant". 3-60 seconds.

C-Rank: Abilities respond and take effect at a respectable, practical speed. The user will have no real trouble utilizing their powers often and reflexively. The power doesn't quite match up when pitted against an ambush or with the user caught off guard. The moments needed to both perceive and respond to the threat mean that a "surprise round" still favors the enemy.

B-Rank: Abilities respond quickly, lagging behind the user's desires for 1-5 seconds at absolute worst. Being caught off guard is far less threatening. The power typically responds and reaches full effect at speeds equivalent to the user's mere consideration of using it.

A-Rank: Answers the user's call with almost prescient speed. The effects of powers typically occur instantaneously, even at large scale. "Surprise rounds" are nearly entirely useless against them without an effect of comparable speed. Rather, they respond so quickly that they can almost immediately invert a situation with themselves on the back foot to one where they have a distinct advantage. These powers practically ooze the concept of "having the initiative".

Range:

F-Rank: Touch-range. The power generally requires either the user or the Noble Arm, itself, to make physical contact with the target of their ability. Fallout is nonexistent.

E-Rank: Melee-range. Comparable range to a held weapon of some stripe, even a whip. It no longer requires physical contact to take effect. Fallout/lingering effects are minimal to nonexistent and rarely -if ever- have the capacity to spread beyond a single target. Up to approximately 5-6 meters/15-21 feet.

D-Rank: Mid-Range. Covers the ideal skirmishing distance for a pistol. An indoor firing range would be comparable. Up to approximately 50 meters/166 feet.

C-Rank: Around a city block or couple. Up to approximately 200 meters/658 feet. Fallout may exceed the base range by a factor of double the core range.

B-Rank: Long-range. Could encompass a whole neighborhood or village. Fallout may equal or even exceed the base target area by a factor of 2-4. Up to around 1-2 kilometers.

A-Rank: City-wide or larger. Attacks may potentially be launched from miles away. Fallout may potentially leak out into a national emergency.

Persistence:

F-Rank: Can maybe use their active power all of once before being exhausted. Even having the NA summoned is a serious effort that requires physical honing to master.

E-Rank: Like a D-Rank squared. Significant base maintenance cost. Abilities that incur a stamina drain like being punched in the gut. They are lovers, not fighters. And when they do fight, they are either very careful or dead.

D-Rank: Must be picky with their power use. Tactical. The drain of even having the NA out is significant. A D-Rank may have trouble keeping their power going continuously for even a single decent skirmish. "Playing it smart" is the name of the game. If not a serious stamina drain, then a notable negative backlash usually is inherent to the active power.

C-Rank: Will experience drain even if they don't use the NA's powers. Minor drain, granted, but drain all the same. Their powers typically aren't incredibly draining to actively use immediately, but the user will absolutely feel it with constant, reckless use. Sort of like sprinting. These NAs are ideally used with a "breather" between skirmishes to catch a second or third wind. They are much like a well-trained soldier.

B-Rank: Could, in theory, be summoned indefinitely as long as the user either didn't make heavy use of its abilities or had incredibly minor abilities. This rank is ideal for prolonged battlefield fighting, as long as the user has time to rest every few skirmishes.

A-Rank: Typically known to be very free in this aspect, able to both keep their power going near indefinitely and not really feeling the strain without truly excessive overuse or a very specific type of backlash unique to the NA/power.

Precision:

F-Rank: Volatile and indiscriminate to the extreme. Not even the user is safe. In fact, they are more often than not caught in the power's effect as well, for better or worse. If the power has any capacity to affect multiple targets, it will always attempt to hit all of them and attempt to perform to its maximum possible extent.

E-Rank: User gains some level of "leashing" capacity. Power now often has a dial and can be restrained from automatically going full bore. Is still quite a "hair trigger" and prone to being a threat to the user as well without caution being taken.

D-Rank: Still quite indiscriminate, but the user now usually has some actual capacity to be protected from their own ability. Usually, this protection is not voluntary, however, for better or worse. Power is no longer so oily in the user's proverbial grasp. "Dial" is more defined.

C-Rank: Some minimal capacity to actively exempt others selectively from the effect, which typically requires concentration. Otherwise, abilities have preset exemptions that provide the user more flexibility.

B-Rank: Can selectively exempt targets from the effect on both large and small scales. Usually, the user must already know/be able to visualize individually who or what they are exempting. Although, one could be more general, like "all humans" if firing blindly.

A-Rank: Abilities are highly selective and surgically fine in application. The user usually has near -if not complete- control over who and what they affect. Such abilities may be able to affect someone/something the user doesn't know or is aware of. Such abilities may potentially have such capacity as to identify and target things the user could otherwise have no knowledge about, like "all "enemies/innocents/allies" or "good/evil".

Potential:

Preface: This stat lowers roughly inversely to the number of abilities a Noble Arm possesses and is thus expected to inevitably lower over the course of the RP, starting low the more powerful a Noble Arm starts out.

F-Rank: Extremely static. The NA has nearly zero ability to evolve further. Can usually only develop one more narrow ability... if any at all.

E-Rank: Typically develops 1-2 abilities at most. New powers are quite narrow in scope of application. Complex abilities aren't entirely unheard of, but they are extremely uncommon.

D-Rank: Develops a small number of abilities, even complex ones, but the user must put in serious effort and/or have rather notable personal character/soul development to gain any more.

C-Rank: Develops a comfortable number of powers of various complexities. Can be mistaken for a higher rank in this classification early on but peters out eventually. Preexisting powers have the capacity to improve or change if the user makes the effort to push their boundaries.

B-Rank: Rapidly develops new abilities with even half-hearted or deluded attempts at experimentation. The NA is highly amendable to users who actively seek out specific evolutions and utilizations of their abilities. Complex, flexible powers are not only common but expected, almost inevitable.

A-Rank: The "blank slate" rank, typically possessed by a freshly awakened Noble Arm. Having this rank generally means having only 1 ability at most with radical potential for more. A Noble Arm like this has yet to lock in a "theme" and can evolve in virtually any direction the Arms Master might subconsciously choose. The Noble Arm is extremely sensitive to any excuse to develop in this state, often doing so completely involuntarily. It's therefore extremely rare to find a Noble Arm with this rank, as the weapon has usually already shed this level of potential within days, if not hours, depending on the conditions.

Arms Master Survivability

Made by Senhara:

This was approved on Discord by all the GMs and was my suggestion, and I heavily recommend joining the server if you plan to join.

As a system to improve the survivability of PCs and other Arms Masters, this was come up with.

By virtue of being able to wield magic, NA users benefit from the ability to recover from gunshots and the like more effectively than a human, and notably, their bodies heal up faster. This pulls power from their NA, so if you get hit, you live but your powers weaken. So instead of a regular human taking a few rounds to be downed, 1-3 or the like, it'd take more like 4-8 to sustain for C class NA users before they'd be totally unable to use their powers and would need medical attention, with the more powerful NAs being able to withstand more. While Arms Masters are still under their cap for how much abuse they can take, if a "critical" hit occurs, say a shot through the heart or the skull, they're incapacitated but all resources immediately go to fixing them up. The result of this is they're out for the fight, unconscious, but they're still alive. If they proceed to get shot more and do not receive medical attention or are over their capacity for how much damage they can take and receive a critical hit, they would instead die.

Addenum by Lewascan2 with edits by me:

Note that logically, Defensive/Survival/Healing powers take priority over the survival system. If it's a question of a hit 'counting' or not, the hit to the Arms Master's 'survival stacks' is not expended (or may even be reversed/restored) if their power/an incoming power has some method of negating/delaying/mitigating/repairing the damage. Basically, specific powers can defend against or heal an Arms Master or make them endure stuff. If you don't have specific defensive powers, though... Well, this is a world of tradeoffs.

Differences from IRL and the Original

- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is considerably more militarized and economically linked than IRL, with coordination between their best Arms Masters and their separate militaries.

- This in turn has its roots in 1988 when China had a confrontation with the ASEAN Countries over the Spratlys and ASEAN won due to the intervention of Filipino Arms Master Angelito Jaime (who had a spear that could open a portal through which he was clever enough to use to redirect bullets, artillery, cruise missiles, and potentially even nukes back at the person who fired them, and this works on many other NA attacks too). This victory, however, led to an undercurrent of resentment between China and ASEAN which burst into fire decades later in the ASEAN War.

- The Philippines is now led by a 'Government of National Salvation' chaired by an Original Character. The IRL Government/Administration is no longer in power.

- After some thought, another OC (Democratic) is the President of the US instead of anyone IRL.

- The Original Character President of the US was the perfect domestic president, saving the country from COVID-19, restoring the US Economy, limiting corporate power, strengthening the Trade Unions and making them more relevant, and creating more well-paying jobs. The downside to this? His foreign policy sucks, as he despises the prospect of sending Americans to die overseas for ideological goals so much that he is willing to neglect or withdraw from the US alliances and defense commitments and thus emboldened China and Russia to move into open war, mistakenly sensing weakness.

- The US Congress, however, was capable of striking back to issue sanctions, provide weapons, vehicles, supplies, money, and all possible aid to ASEAN and Ukraine, and is trying to scramble enough people to form a majority that can declare war even with a Presidential Veto.

- Indonesia has been caught flat-footed by China's new militaristic mood, and while it remains Democratic, its military (both Army and Navy) is rising in power once again, although its President is still canny enough to balance out competing interests.

- In 2014, instead of a certain terrorist organization taking over large portions of Iraq and Syria, the Hammer of Masters, an organization of Arms Master terrorists, did so instead to establish a 'Malikate' where Arms Masters can rule over Non-Arms Masters as the 'Superior Race'. This was crushed in 2018 - 2019, when the 'Big Three' first made their appearance, and the Paragons and Seven Virtues began giving away Noble Arms.

- As for the various groups in the Original Noble Arms, the Hammer of Masters (mentioned above) and the Disablers have dwindled into near-irrelevance over the last four years due to the existence of the Seven Virtues and Paragons of Science (both of whom have defectors from both groups), same for the Arms of Nobility and the Organization for Disarmament. It is also rumored that the Seven Virtues and Paragons have been organizing manhunts for members of the Hammer and Disablers who remain diehard fanatics of their ideologies.

- There are people within China trying to fight against the current leadership of its Government so that they can change their country and shift it to a direction they believe is more productive. Some of them are fringe groups given power by Noble Arms, such as the ASEAN-allied Qing Restoration Society (QRS), but others fight within the current Government, such as the [Insert Name Here] Clique and the [Blank] and [REDACTED] Factions, to stop a war they consider senseless and counter to China's prosperity.

Character Sheet

[center][b]Appearance:[/b] (Picture preferred, although written descriptions are good too. Also, please include miscellaneous information such as height and weight.)[/center]

[b]Name:

Age:

Nationality:

Noble Arm Name & Appearance:

Noble Arm Rank:[/b] (We redid how ranks work; now instead of just a single rank, each NA has six attributes that have their own ranks, which can either be very weak, aka E or D, or stronger than that, B or A. This means that an NA can be weak in some aspects while strong in others. Extended descriptions of what these mean can be found on the Discord Server, in the first thread from "Character and Power Building." If a particular attribute is hard to nail down to a certain letter, whether due to sensitivity to circumstances or a wide spread of grades from each specific ability, you may tag your letter grade with an (S) to indicate this, for example, "C (S)".)

[hider=Insert NA rank here]
Power: The pure energy the NA can exert (offensively/defensively/healing/etc).
Speed: How fast the power responds to the user and takes effect.
Range: How far-reaching the abilities are (potential fallout included). Along with Power, we will be paying special scrutiny to NAs that are high in this stat and especially in both at once.
Persistence: Stamina toll on the user. Higher rank = more ease of use.
Precision: How surgically (or clumsily/indiscriminate) the NA performs.
Potential: Power's flexibility for creative use and evolution.
[/hider]

[b]Noble Arm Type, Element, and Range:[/b] (Is your Noble Arm Support/Melee/Ranged, or some other? What Element or Concept are they themed on? Are they close-range, mid-range, or long-range or all of them?)

[b]Noble Arm Abilities:[/b] (No maximum number, however, try and be sensible about this. Just because you [i]can[/i] doesn't mean you [i]should[/i], also be as detailed as you can, especially on its strengths, weaknesses, and effects. For example, every ability with a range restriction should have that range at least qualitatively measured: city block? As far as the user can see?)

[b]Misc Abilities:[/b] What are your other talents?

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]*Likes:[/b]

[b]*Dislikes:[/b]

[b]Fears:

Bio:

*Current Goal:

Military or Civilian Rank:[/b]

*Optional

Rules

1.) Cooperative storytelling comes first; prospective players should not seek to game or break the system to make themselves as powerful as possible. One should also not use one's PC's powers to brute-force all obstacles the GM brings before them, or use sophistry, psychological tricks, or 'mental influence magic' to win every diplomatic confrontation. This is not an RP where 'storygaming' is an ugly word.
2.) Nor does an angsty backstory that fits various 'story beats' make one's character good if their purpose is to defeat everyone and establish themselves as the 'top dogs' and otherwise make it an arms race with the GM on who can god-mode more. If one won't use their angsty backstory to make a good story, this is not the RP for them.
3.) That said, powerful characters and angsty backstories are permitted, as long as they are made by players who are willing to cooperate with each other and the GM to make a good and dynamic story that isn't just 'X overpowers Y' by bending the rules so far they break, violating the spirit of said rules and (to quote Dave Brookshaw of Onyx Path publishing) common sense.
4.) The first three rules are the most important; let's just say that people who cannot follow them have proven problematic before, and it's best that we have people who can follow the first three rules in this RP.
5.) Do not be an asshole.
6.) Post length is five sentences minimum, but longer posts are encouraged, of course. GMs are also bound by this rule.
7.) Characters are supposed to start out no higher than B-Rank in statistical average on their Noble Arm. Note that exceptions can be made for one (two at the most) players who can be trusted to control themselves and not power game when it weakens the story.
8.) 1 US Dollar is 55 Philippine Pesos - Remember this when you spend money.

OOC Discussion Discord

Chronicles of the Six: Magic’s Awakening: A Magical Boy RP.

Deuel Akakios (Transformed)

In a flash of light, Deuel had pulled his sword out and slashed at the Ursa Major's left chest; the blade cut through and caused a shower of black blood that glittered with small starry flecks, causing the ursine creature to roar loudly, this time in pain, and swat at Deuel, who simply put up a barrier of hard light around his body that the bear's claws bounced off. There was a blank look in his eyes, as though the youth was doing this from muscle memory and learned responses, but that faded quickly as some steel returned to his gaze, and he lifted up his left hand to blast the Ursa Major with a beam of burning light.

Then, as though testing the limits of his powers, he looked at the blasted bear, held out his left palm outwards, then said, "Ignite! May the Stars on you light up!"

And the glowing stars that lit up various points of the Ursa Major's body lit up, causing the bear to trash around in pain, rolling all over the jungle clearing's floor, kicking up soil and dirt, before it finally collapsed to the ground, exhausted, bleeding, and smoking.

It was then that some compassion returned to the young man's face, as he walked closer to the now-scared bear, and holding out his open palm, began to shine with a softer light, a soothing glow that caused the whimpering animal to quiet down as its wounds and burns sealed themselves. Then it coughed.

What did it cough out? Black and purple chunks of flesh, blood and bile, but not one that was dotted with small stars; rather, it looked like several small tumors that resembled that seen in an Anti-Smoking advertisement that wriggled around like worms or maggots.

Basil the Ermine

"It's The Corruption!" Basil explained, albeit a little unhelpfully until he continued, "It's basically a magical disease that makes animals - And a few sapient beings - more aggressive and attack people out of the blue, as well as slowly causes them to rot inside! It's been spreading at an unnatural rate; it's probably the Enemy Entity's work. However, that is the reason we summoned you guys - To hopefully find out how we can stop it and its master! However, it seems that this is the actual first time someone's been able to purge it from a creature..."

He then saw Deuel scorch the spat-out mass of corruption with another beam of light, burning it to ashes. Then, without his prompting, the young man de-transformed back to a normal human in his swimwear and rubber sandals, before he turned towards Basil, eyes lifted upwards in obvious distress as he said...

Deuel Akakios

"Basil..." Deuel was trying to suppress a rise in tone and the anger that caused it, "You could have caused a rift between me and my friends. You made Niles leave. Who knows what could be happening to him now?"

He was breathing hard, all the while knowing that, "He's not going to return any time soon; I know him. He's probably going to avoid me like the plague because of what you said, Basil."

I know I lost Niles, maybe even when confessing my love to him. He doesn't like me that way; he might barely tolerate me. I scared him off and made him uncomfortable.

Turning towards Chesi, Deuel spoke to the Dolphin, "Do you know where the nearest town is? Or city? We can't just stay here, even with powers. We need food, water, new clothes... And cash. Are you and the others working with the local King to summon us and if so, does that mean we can stay in the Royal Palace?"

Shattered Steel - A Real Robot Anime Inspired Mecha RPG in a multidimensional world

Urien's Mech:

Shieldbearer

Mecha Name: SMW-018 Shieldbearer

Appearance:


Internal Weapon Systems:
2 x Head-mounted light machine-guns; mounted on either side of the head for anti-personnel/anti-missile use.

Additional Systems/Equipment of note:
High-speed winch mounted on the lower torso.
Reinforced cockpit with extra gas filters and oxygen reserves.
External speaker and microphone system

Other notable features/Traits:
A white, gold, and blue paint scheme (suggested by Laurence).

Laurence/Laurent's Mech:

Burning Claw

Mecha Name: SMW-019 Claw

Appearance:


Internal Weapon Systems:
2 x Head-mounted light machine-guns; mounted either side of the head for anti-personnel/anti-missile use.

Additional Systems/Equipment of note:
High-speed winch mounted on lower torso.
Overclock System for the Reactor.
External speaker and microphone system

Other notable features/Traits:
The red, orange, with a little green and gold paint scheme shown on the picture.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

@Blitzyboi, thanks, but the current thread is ended.

hi. im new.

@Jeremiah, sorry to double-post, but if an RP is 7 to 8 years old, then it has probably stopped being active and is dead.