Post by Manah on Sept 29, 2023 3:17:28 GMT -5
NEW ACTIONS
Devil Contract
CL = MN + 0
DESCRIPTION
The literal 'deal with the devil' which is the bread and butter of Devil Hunters - and some of their foes - for a devil's power in exchange for a sacrifice on the user's part (or alternately, sacrificing something of a loved one, OR of someone who was rendered helpless and incapacitated, for users with fewer scruples). Sacrifices can be almost anything, as long as it has value to the user, to the devil, and/or causes suffering in one or more humans, with greater sacrifices - and stronger devils - providing more power. Only humans - or at GM's discretion, other sentient, intelligent beings, but NOT other devils - can make contracts with devils. A contract is made vocally and cannot be broken on pain of death, unless an 'exit clause' is made at the time of the contract's creation.
Without any option - see below - this action may only manifest the spiritual form of the contracted devil by the user's side. They are intangible, and invisible to non-users and beings lacking supernatural senses. They cannot assist the user unless additional options are bought other than with their company. If that is all the user desires, then good for them. If they wish to get more out of the deal, look at the options section.
As for the sacrifice, a basic level contract usually involves a moderate cost: something which is unpleasant and unfortunate for the user to lose, but which they can probably easily live without (say, lose one eye in exchange for permanent access to the devil's power, a day of lifespan whenever they use the power, lose the ability to feel a single emotion, lose the memories of a relatively close-ish relative, etc).
Neither the user nor the devil can willingly break the contract on pain of death, unless they both agree on an exit clause upon making the contract. Once the devil is due its sacrifice, distance is meaningless; they can get what they are owed at any range. A user and their contracted devil can communicate mentally from afar, and a user always knows how much of a sacrified resources they have left if it can be quantified, such as for lifespan.
Most devil contracts require vocal components and hand gestures to call the contracted devil forth.
OPTIONS
COMMENTS
A potentially very powerful action and pretty much the main reason why Devil Hunters have had any significant degree of success fighting devils in the Chainsaw Man anime. Depends heavily on the devil whom the user makes the contract with, of course, but could be the path to power one needs to make a major difference in the world. The issue is, it's also an easy path to power for those of more ill intent, hence why it is restricted legally in the anime's world.
Rules for Modifier Box
EXAMPLE
Aki Hayakawa has three contracts; one with the Fox Devil, allowing him to bring forth its head to bite and kill a target by making a hand gesture and stating a word in exchange for feeding it parts of his body, such as some skin. He also has one with the Curse Devil, exchanging most of his lifespan in exchange for a sword which will cause the Curse Devil to attack a target he stabs three times. And finally, his contract with the Future Devil allows him to see a handful of seconds into the future in exchange for allowing the devil to live in his right eye.
Aki buys Devil Contract at a fairly high AN, and acquires the following options. Devil Calling to bring forth the Fox Devil to attack a foe; Evoker to add some 'oomph' to that attack; Invoker to see slightly in the future like the Future Devil; Experienced Contractor since Aki can make multiple contracts; Devil Gift for the nail-shaped sword he gained from the Curse Devil. He buys the No Hand Gestures/No vocal components options but only applies them to the Future Devil's abilities, for a single +1 CL each. The GM rules out that the most costly sacrifice is that made to the Curse Devil, as sacrificing most of Aki's lifespan is very signficant, and deems it severe, for -2 CL. Finally, since each of his three devil contracts provide different bonuses he had to pay for separately, Aki benefits from the Limited Use at -2 CL.
In total, his options increase his Action's cost to +4 CL. Expensive, but together, those three contracts make Aki a very dangerous and quite versatile Devil Hunter.
CL = MN + 0
DESCRIPTION
The literal 'deal with the devil' which is the bread and butter of Devil Hunters - and some of their foes - for a devil's power in exchange for a sacrifice on the user's part (or alternately, sacrificing something of a loved one, OR of someone who was rendered helpless and incapacitated, for users with fewer scruples). Sacrifices can be almost anything, as long as it has value to the user, to the devil, and/or causes suffering in one or more humans, with greater sacrifices - and stronger devils - providing more power. Only humans - or at GM's discretion, other sentient, intelligent beings, but NOT other devils - can make contracts with devils. A contract is made vocally and cannot be broken on pain of death, unless an 'exit clause' is made at the time of the contract's creation.
Without any option - see below - this action may only manifest the spiritual form of the contracted devil by the user's side. They are intangible, and invisible to non-users and beings lacking supernatural senses. They cannot assist the user unless additional options are bought other than with their company. If that is all the user desires, then good for them. If they wish to get more out of the deal, look at the options section.
As for the sacrifice, a basic level contract usually involves a moderate cost: something which is unpleasant and unfortunate for the user to lose, but which they can probably easily live without (say, lose one eye in exchange for permanent access to the devil's power, a day of lifespan whenever they use the power, lose the ability to feel a single emotion, lose the memories of a relatively close-ish relative, etc).
Neither the user nor the devil can willingly break the contract on pain of death, unless they both agree on an exit clause upon making the contract. Once the devil is due its sacrifice, distance is meaningless; they can get what they are owed at any range. A user and their contracted devil can communicate mentally from afar, and a user always knows how much of a sacrified resources they have left if it can be quantified, such as for lifespan.
Most devil contracts require vocal components and hand gestures to call the contracted devil forth.
OPTIONS
Intelligence bonus (+2 CL)- Pactmaking (-1 CL if that is the user's only available option; increases to +1 CL (or very rarely, sometimes +2, such as Makima's deal with the Prime Minister of Japan) if other options are available and/or the requests asked of the devil are especially significant, complex or valuable, at GM's discretion. Sometimes, a user merely wishes for something to be done for them by the devil in exchange for a one-time cost. This is called Pactmaking. The user makes a short-term contract with a devil, explains their demand, and comes to an agreement over the required sacrifice, and the devil performs the request according to the terms of the contract, after which the contract is resolved, allowing the user to make another contract later either with the same or another devil. Those demands can be many things; one user may ask to be made rich, another may ask for an enemy to be killed, another yet may wish to succeed at school. Such minor deals with a devil are likely the safest in theory, provided they are worded carefully. NOTE: A wise pactmaker will be careful to ask the right devil for the job. Asking the Murder Devil to make them rich is probably a very bad idea, whereas a Hacker Devil may achieve amazing results.)
- Devil Calling (+1; allows user to 'Call' their contracted devil in combat or when appropriate, at which point the devil will appear - if not already present - and perform a single attack or use a single power, agreed upon when making the contract. The power of this attack entirely depends on the devil alone; the user simply pays for the devil's Durability to bring them forth. If the user cannot afford the devil's full Durability AN in this action, they can still summon them at a reduced power; each Durability AN the devil has in excess reduces their A/A/M by 1 to a minimum of 1 until the user increases their Action's AN and pays the full cost.)
- Devil Summoner (+1 CL; allows for full-on summoning of the devil, bringing them into the world in their physical form to fight or assist their summoner. They are always loyal to the summoner - provided they worded the contract wisely and need not be maintained unless the devil wishes to leave against their will. Once summoned, Devil Calling may still be used to get them to perform the specific agreed upon attack/effect, and/or to empower it if the user also has the 'Evoker' option. Note that the devil remains a devil, and loyal or not to the user, they are still free to act as they please while they are present, so to be used with care. Banishing one's devil against its will costs the same as it costs to summon it. Requires Devil Calling option.)
- Evoker (+2 CL; the stones the user puts in this action are added to the devil's attack or effect, making it stronger. Requires Devil Calling option.)
- Invoker (+1 CL per power/body part; allows the user to use one of the contracted devil's powers - or parts, sometimes - either at will or one time per sacrifice, depending, of course, on the sacrifice agreed upon in the contract. For example, Himeno's ability to use the Ghost Devil's right ghost hand at will at the cost of her right eye.)
- Experienced Contractor (+1 CL; you can make up to Half AN devil contracts at once, rounded up, minimum of 2; you still need to pay a sacrifice for each of them, though. NOTE: The user does not benefit from multiple 'Sacrifice' type options; only the worst of their contracts counts.)
- Master Contractor (+2 CL; you can make up to full AN contracts at once, with a minimum of 3. You still need to pay a sacrifice for each of them, though. Replaces Experienced Contractor. NOTE: The user does not benefit from multiple 'Sacrifice' type options; only the worst of their contracts counts.)
- Empowerment (+1 CL per Ability or Modifier; +2 CL for Durability; as Substitute Ability for AN. Some devils have the power to provide their user with one or more of their own Abilities, as in Intellience, Strength, Agility, etc, as well as Reflexive Dodge, Toughness and/or Mental Defense. Whether the user has access to it at will or for limited times whenever a certain price is paid depends on the contract they make, but it can make some users quite powerful.)
- Devil Gift (+1 CL per gift; the contract actually results in the devil gifting the user with an enchanted item bearing some of the devil's own power, resulting in an item - often a weapon - with supernatural abilities. Many devils like to attach a consequence to such a deal should the item be lost or destroyed; others don't care and will just grant the user another one if it is lost, depending on their relationship with the user.)
- Hybrid Transformation (+4 CL; a very rare form of contract which most devils frown upon, this option downright allows the user to merge with the devil into an hybrid of them both. A human may only merge with one devil at a time. Hybrids retain their basic human form and own personality but have the ability to transform into their Hybrid Devil form, which has some of their powers and abilities as per Metamorphosis with limited A/A/Ms depending on the devil, at GM's discretion; at the very least, an Hybrid cannot exceed the original devil's own A/A/Ms with this effect. This transformation doesn't need to be maintained and happens on the same panel it is used. Typically, the Hybrid Form appears as the user's regular form, with various parts of their merged devil mixed in. NOTE: While active, the user cannot use Devil Calling or Devil Summoning options, and vice versa; and once done using them, the contracted devil always immediately returns to the user's body. Also, should an Hybrid user break their contract, the Hybrid-involved devil is able to immediately take over their body at their full power, assume control and remain manifested however long they please. Finally, an Hybrid always displays some inhuman feature hinting at the nature of their Hybrid-involved devil, such as a chainsaw cord on Denji's chest. **Comes with additional, permanent changes as well; ask GM for details.)
- Devil Transformation (+3 CL; a similar unique transformation compared to the Hybrid version, this allows a user to be transformed, typically permanently, into a devil themself by the contracted devil. Technically speaking more potent than the Hybrid option - as it not only functions similarly to a permanent Metamorphosis effect, but the Devil may add some of their own power as well, with stronger devils resulting in stronger forms - but its cost is lower due to the consequences. For starters, the devil they make the contract with gets to decide how half the stones, rounded up, are spent, directly impacting the kind of devil the user will become. Then, as the user is from then on a full devil, they cannot make any other devil contracts, and any other contracts they may have are negated immediately - if appropriate, the GM will reward the user with a stronger form to make up for losses of options, or alternately give the action's remaining value back in LoEs/White stones. Furthermore, the user's appearance will change, usually drastically; most devils do NOT look anything close to human, though there are exceptions. Finally, the user's mind and soul become full devil-like as well, which means there will likely be drastic changes to their personality as well. And unlike an Hybrid, there is no transforming back and forth. What they become, is what they are. This is a potent, but highly impactful power, and its cost may be too high for most. **Comes with additional, permanent changes as well; ask GM for details.)
- Benevolent Contract (+1 CL per devil; for some reason - or maybe the user just lucked out and actually found a devil who's actually friendly by nature - the devil the user made a contract with is actually friendly towards them and genuinely acts towards their well-being.)
- No Hand Gestures/No vocal components (+1 or +2 CL for each. Removes the respective limitation for calling upon one's devil(s)' powers. The +2 CL version is if it applies to all contracted devils as opposed to some of them.)
- Ritual (-1 or -2 CL; on top of hand gestures and vocal components, the user must perform a short ritual to bring their devil forth, taking a whole panel during which the user may only use a single, defensive action provided said action still allows for the ritual to be reasonably performed, at GM's discretion. For -2 CL, the ritual takes at least 5 minutes/10 panels or longer, making the contract effectively pretty much useless in combat in most circumstances. NOTE: Cannot remove hand gestures and vocal components if this option is selected as both are required for the ritual.)
- Hostile Contract (-1 CL per devil; one or more of the user's contracted devils thoroughly and passionately hates their entire existence and would love nothing more than to see them suffer or worse. They constantly seek loopholes in the contract to get the user in trouble and will happily get them killed if possible.)
- Inconsequential Sacrifice (+2 CL; the devil either agrees to a near insignificant sacrifice, or doesn't ask for anything at all. Needless to say, most devils would not agree to such a deal, but circumstances - and some unusual devils - might agree to it for their own reasons. Examples include a few drops of blood for every use of their powers, lighting a black candle every day their powers were used, and so on.)
- Minor Sacrifice (+1 CL; the devil agrees to a very light sacrifice which most anyone would be willing to pay in most cases, where the benefits clearly outweigh the costs. Examples include the user's hair turning white permanently, developing a minor phobia, the sacrifice of the user's favorite article of clothing, etc.)
- Major Sacrifice (-1 CL; the required sacrifice is more significant than normal and would cause many people to hesitate or refuse outright. Examples include the lost of an arm, becoming deaf, sacrificing a relatively close family member or friend, etc.)
- Severe Sacrifice (-2 CL; this one hurts. Bad. Most people would not make the deal without a very good reason, or for a sufficiently beneficial devil. Examples include becoming paralyzed from the waist down, becoming blind, losing the ability to survive on anything but fresh human meat, sacrificing a beloved sibling or parent, etc.)
- Extreme Sacrifice (-3 CL; few and far between are those who would ever take that deal, perhaps with the exception of the most depraved, desperate or driven. Examples include becoming fully paralyzed, becoming considerably insane, giving one's body to the devil but still remaining in some measure or form, becoming unable to be remembered by anyone the user loves or admires, sacrificing one's entire family.)
- Ultimate Sacrifice (-5 CL; this level typically results in the death, damnation and/or unplayability of the user as a character. This is when the user would die upon calling the devil forth, or lose their body, mind AND/OR soul doing it. Maybe one person they love/admire/appreciate is sacrificed for every use of the power, in order of importance ; best goes first. Maybe the user damns themself to eternal suffering in Hell the moment the power is used, or is otherwise cursed. Be very careful and consult the GM first.)
- Limited Use (-1 or -2 CL; this option represents a user making contracts which restrict their options more than the rules imply. For example, if the user has two contracts of different natures, but each of their contracted devils may only use one option each instead of all the bought options, this reduces the action's cost by 1. The -2 CL version is when the limitation is more severe or applies to 3 or more devils contracts.)
COMMENTS
A potentially very powerful action and pretty much the main reason why Devil Hunters have had any significant degree of success fighting devils in the Chainsaw Man anime. Depends heavily on the devil whom the user makes the contract with, of course, but could be the path to power one needs to make a major difference in the world. The issue is, it's also an easy path to power for those of more ill intent, hence why it is restricted legally in the anime's world.
Rules for Modifier Box
- Make vocal contract(s) with a devil(s)
- Gain something from the devil in exchange for a sacrifice
- Sacrifice must be valuable to the human and/or the devil, and/or cause suffering to humankind
- Manifest contracted devil's spiritual form at will
- Psychic Link between user and devil
- Breaking the contract results in death except if exit clause exists
- Only humans and sentient, intelligent may make a contract with a devil
- (List Options)
EXAMPLE
Aki Hayakawa has three contracts; one with the Fox Devil, allowing him to bring forth its head to bite and kill a target by making a hand gesture and stating a word in exchange for feeding it parts of his body, such as some skin. He also has one with the Curse Devil, exchanging most of his lifespan in exchange for a sword which will cause the Curse Devil to attack a target he stabs three times. And finally, his contract with the Future Devil allows him to see a handful of seconds into the future in exchange for allowing the devil to live in his right eye.
Aki buys Devil Contract at a fairly high AN, and acquires the following options. Devil Calling to bring forth the Fox Devil to attack a foe; Evoker to add some 'oomph' to that attack; Invoker to see slightly in the future like the Future Devil; Experienced Contractor since Aki can make multiple contracts; Devil Gift for the nail-shaped sword he gained from the Curse Devil. He buys the No Hand Gestures/No vocal components options but only applies them to the Future Devil's abilities, for a single +1 CL each. The GM rules out that the most costly sacrifice is that made to the Curse Devil, as sacrificing most of Aki's lifespan is very signficant, and deems it severe, for -2 CL. Finally, since each of his three devil contracts provide different bonuses he had to pay for separately, Aki benefits from the Limited Use at -2 CL.
In total, his options increase his Action's cost to +4 CL. Expensive, but together, those three contracts make Aki a very dangerous and quite versatile Devil Hunter.