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Justis
2015-06-12, 06:56 PM
A few of my players are constantly referring to various anime during our Exalted campaigns and this last one I was asked if the Nen System [Of Hunter X Hunter] could be implemented in our current campaign. I looked up the System and found it to be kind of cool, but I doubt that I'd be able to do the Anime justice as I personally have no experience with it. So, can my fellow Giants help me iron out a new system of.... Essence control?

Is this even viable? Should I just create a new Martial Art or should this be based in Thaumaturge? I'd like some help here and am open to suggestions.

Primal Fury
2015-06-12, 07:18 PM
On the face of it, most Nen abilities just seem like regular Exalt charms. Some of the weirder things make more sense as artifacts, like Bungee Gum or those chains Kurapika uses, but Gon and Killua are pretty much using flashy Solar Martial Arts and Athletics charms.

I don't think a new system is necessary. I mean, Nen is BASICALLY Essence when you get right down to it. I'm not trying to poop on anything, mind you, I'm just giving my first impression.

Justis
2015-06-12, 11:28 PM
I don't think a new system is necessary. I mean, Nen is BASICALLY Essence when you get right down to it. I'm not trying to poop on anything, mind you, I'm just giving my first impression.

No offense taken.

I was thinking more along the line of the actual powers, since again I have little idea about the actual anime and only have learned about the powers from the wiki I'll lay it down for you.

Nen itself is basically Essence of the Hunter X Hunter world and acts as the catch-all for a ton of different things. In truth looking at this it reads less like Charms and more like a Fair Folks powers. It's main powers are as follows:

- Ten [Shroud]: This is the ability to create a Shroud of aura that makes it so your aura doesn't just diffuse into the air, a danger that can kill the unwary it seems. This is the most basic defense against the emotional assaults backed by Nen, however it doesn't protect the user from physical assault. The Shroud can be improved through meditation and the better the Shroud is the longer the life and slower the aging of the Nen user in question.
- Zetsu [Null]: This is the ability to stop the outflow of Nen completely.Since the user is no longer surrounded by their own aura, they are more sensitive to the aura of others. This can be useful when tracking another person and it will also prevent other users of Nen from noticing them. It relieves fatigue because the users aura is completely internalized, but leaves the user vulnerable to any aura attack to the point where even weak attacks produce incredible damage.
- Ren [Enhance]: This is the direct result of Ten, with a higher quality Ten you can contain more Nen and create large pools of it to utlize in combat. This is also the ability that allows the user to enhance their own strength, stamina, and dexterity.
- Hatsu [Act]: This is the ability that is most strange. It is a special ability that is talor to each of the people who use it. Basicly everything before this is Nen and this is an Ability create From Nen. It is a personal expression on the world.

Primal Fury
2015-06-13, 10:19 AM
- Ten [Shroud]: This is the ability to create a Shroud of aura that makes it so your aura doesn't just diffuse into the air, a danger that can kill the unwary it seems. This is the most basic defense against the emotional assaults backed by Nen, however it doesn't protect the user from physical assault. The Shroud can be improved through meditation and the better the Shroud is the longer the life and slower the aging of the Nen user in question.
That sounds like... Integrity charms and raising your Essence.


- Zetsu [Null]: This is the ability to stop the outflow of Nen completely.Since the user is no longer surrounded by their own aura, they are more sensitive to the aura of others. This can be useful when tracking another person and it will also prevent other users of Nen from noticing them. It relieves fatigue because the users aura is completely internalized, but leaves the user vulnerable to any aura attack to the point where even weak attacks produce incredible damage.
Awareness, Stealth, and Survival charms... MAYBE Occult too (All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight).


- Ren [Enhance]: This is the direct result of Ten, with a higher quality Ten you can contain more Nen and create large pools of it to utlize in combat. This is also the ability that allows the user to enhance their own strength, stamina, and dexterity.
Various combat focused charms.


- Hatsu [Act]: This is the ability that is most strange. It is a special ability that is talor to each of the people who use it. Basicly everything before this is Nen and this is an Ability create From Nen. It is a personal expression on the world.
Alright, THIS is custom charms and window dressing based on Anima Banners. All charms look different based on that. For example... There are two Twilight caste Solars. One has a mandala of sorcerous formulas that grows larger there more knowledge he accrues, while the other has a legion of shadowy slaves bound in unbreakable golden chains, all held by a gigantic taskmaster. They may have the exact same charms, but they will look WILDLY different. If one is unfamiliar with Solars, they may look at both of them using... Craftsman Needs No Tools for example, and believe they each performing a completely different task.

At one point, I'm pretty sure both Gon and Killua used what is essentially Ascendant Battle Visage, but nobody could see the similarity because their Banners are so different.

Justis
2015-06-13, 05:47 PM
That sounds like... Integrity charms and raising your Essence.

Alright I can see that. But aren't any Charms outside Martial Arts [Root of the Perfected] strictly forbidden to Mortals? [If I'm wrong about that just tell me but it is the way that my ST did it and I have inheirted many of not just his good habits] Going strictly from the wiki it seems that the ability is monopolized but open for anyone to learn. Heck they explicitly state that a normal human who learns Ten has literally no top out if he solely focuses on improving his Ten. Mortals with this would be akin to monsters in truth, not a true threat to the Dragon Blooded unless they went for a squad vs 1 DB. But I do see your points and this has given me a direction to look further into. Maybe Nen will be the ability that allows a Essence using Mortal to wield a wider variety of Charms, most likely Terrestrial-only though as solar stuff is frakkin over the top. Or even better it could be a really crappy Charm Chain that is the equivalent to a Terrestrial Initiation which give various minor buffs


Awareness, Stealth, and Survival charms... MAYBE Occult too (All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight).

Dear lord that would be a huge point sink. All the various Charms it would take too much xp to truly matter. You still have given a good set of charms to work from if I or any of our varied breathren wish to work from.


Various combat focused charms.

I actually found that it was more like the Flow of Essence Merit from the Player's Guide, which basicly does exactly the same thing described here. It's not Mote Efficent but still it does give as good as it gets until the upper levels.


Alright, THIS is custom charms and window dressing based on Anima Banners. All charms look different based on that. For example... There are two Twilight caste Solars. One has a mandala of sorcerous formulas that grows larger there more knowledge he accrues, while the other has a legion of shadowy slaves bound in unbreakable golden chains, all held by a gigantic taskmaster. They may have the exact same charms, but they will look WILDLY different. If one is unfamiliar with Solars, they may look at both of them using... Craftsman Needs No Tools for example, and believe they each performing a completely different task.

At one point, I'm pretty sure both Gon and Killua used what is essentially Ascendant Battle Visage, but nobody could see the similarity because their Banners are so different.

I agree that this is THE capstone, also the Anima Banner thing you mentioned is fertile grounds as i love using that mechanic in my games. Heck one of the ways that a hero is distinct in my world is the fact that they have an Anima Banner, though they may not be able to even bring the Aura stage forth because of their limited resources.

The ability to customize the visual effects of a Charm could aid anyone with the proper know-how. Isn't there an Infernal Charm that does this or something? I seem to think so, but i can't remember.

Primal Fury
2015-06-13, 09:49 PM
Oooooh. You want something for mortals. I missed that. Hm... What you're looking to accomplish might actually be beyond the scope of what mortals can hope to accomplish. Nen and all Nen abilities to SCREAM charms to me. Gon looks like a really young Solar, Killua looks like a...

What about half-castes? The children of Exalts would have access to abilities similar to those granted by their parents' exaltation.

Justis
2015-06-14, 06:18 PM
Oooooh. You want something for mortals. I missed that. Hm... What you're looking to accomplish might actually be beyond the scope of what mortals can hope to accomplish. Nen and all Nen abilities to SCREAM charms to me. Gon looks like a really young Solar, Killua looks like a...

What about half-castes? The children of Exalts would have access to abilities similar to those granted by their parents' exaltation.

Half-Castes are a form of Mortal and thus under the purview of the intended effect but I don't see why the Nen would be outside what humans are capable of. The regular human can awaken their Essence [Scroll of Monk/Heroes] using multiple ways; from a Wyld Mutation to spontaneous Half-Caste [Golden Child of Little Beam] and Gods may grant their priests abilities well and away good enough to fight Creatures of Darkness [Golden Janissary is a style widely practiced by Enlightened Mortals and Brush Bowmen is able to grant a Mortal who knows it an Aspect, which is it's own kind of Awesome.] All of this makes them to the Terrestrial as the Terrestrial is to the Celestial, but I understand your arguments.

Aren't Half-Castes limited to only Solar-Native Charms? I remember that is how my old ST did it but I myself didn't like such a ruling. Going the Half-Caste route is the easiest, though I would then make a Charm for Nen which had the chance of letting a Heroic Mortal turn into a Half-Caste based on their teachers Caste, which would mean balancing that Charm alone, much easier than the undertaking of crafting an entirely new set of Mortal General Charms like I'd been gearing up to do.

Going by that idea how does this look

Awaken Sleeping Power
Cost: 15m, 2wp;
Mins:Martial Arts or Occult 3, Essence 3;
Type: Simple (Dramatic Action)
Keywords: Enlightening, Obvious, Touch
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites;
This variation on the better known Power-Awarding Prana immediately and permanently blasts open a willing target's doors of perception, opening him to the world's currents of Essence. The Charm requires a ritual for the donor to prepare the recipient for the dangers they will soon undergo. The ceremony takes the form of a length process as the Donator places their hand on the recipients brow chakra and floods their body. Then the target and the cataract of Essence flooding through the recipient's soul knocks him out for [5 – his Stamina, min 1] hours.

The donator must then roll a Intelligence+ [Martial Arts or Occult]+ Specialty [Awaken Sleeping Power] at a difficult 5. This difficulty may be lowered by the Donators Permanent Essence.
Success means the mortal recipient gains an Essence pool, though his permanent Essence does not change, and becomes a Half-Caste, as if he was one from birth, capable of challenging Essence aligned to the source of the Donator's power [Sharing the benefits of the Donator's Aspects and Caste].
Failure means the recipient suffers five dice of aggravated damage, plus a debility. The recipient then must make a Willpower roll at the same difficulty or suffer three dice of aggravated damage.

The donator and the recipient must have a positive Intimacy towards each other (the two Intimacies can be different, but they must still be both positive).

This ability may benefit from the Ritual of Dedicated Purification as if it were a Ritual.

Primal Fury
2015-06-14, 06:21 PM
Whoa... Um... Why does this have the Heretical keyword? The way it's worded sounds like it's supposed to be available to multiple exalt types.

Justis
2015-06-14, 06:51 PM
Whoa... Um... Why does this have the Heretical keyword? The way it's worded sounds like it's supposed to be available to multiple exalt types.

Ah sorry took some of the costs from a work I'd already done.... fixed now. So, what do you think of this path?

Primal Fury
2015-06-14, 09:33 PM
It looks good, but there are a few things. This should not have an ability requirement, only Essence. Not every Exalt is ability-based, like Lunars or Infernals. Also, why does it use Martial Arts in the dice pool? Knowledge of pressure points and chakra is ONLY associated with martial arts; you could provide the choice to use martial arts, occult, medicine... or really, whatever is both thematically appropriate AND the character excels at.

Justis
2015-06-14, 10:02 PM
It looks good, but there are a few things. This should not have an ability requirement, only Essence. Not every Exalt is ability-based, like Lunars or Infernals.

Nope, that would be too imbalanced. The fact that various non ability-based Exalted have to work for the Charm was actually thought of before hand. This is an ability that would've been created to empower Mortals, a specialty that the Lunars already have in the bag with their various beastmen routes, and would've been made by either a Dragon-Blooded or a Solar of the current age, Solars of the First Age had Ashiguri for this kind of thing but now we need a way to Cheaply make decent infantry.


Also, why does it use Martial Arts in the dice pool? Knowledge of pressure points and chakra is ONLY associated with martial arts; you could provide the choice to use martial arts, occult, medicine... or really, whatever is both thematically appropriate AND the character excels at.

Knowledge of the Chakra is easy to come by but I don't agree that this should just be a free for anyone effect. It is effectively a way to produce Essence-Users and the only known ways to do this in canon is via Occult and Thaumaturge or Martial Arts. I've edited it so that Occult may also account for the effect but I won't let it be a free lunch. It already has no true resource cost, you'll regain the motes and willpower back after a while, and therefore the reasons behind it being a dangerous procedure. I might shift the Occult over to lore but that doesn't feel right.