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Dark Chips
Rules: The Dark Chip is a program that is installed in a navi. Once that program is installed, that navi has a Corruption rating, from 1 to 10, measuring how affected by the Dark Chip that navi is, and how much they can use it. Each point of Corruption permits the Navi to use the Dark Chip once per combat, but also permanently removes chips from the Navi's folder. The first five points of corruption each remove one chip, Rare Chips first, while Corruption 6-10 each remove 5 standard chips from the Navi's folder. Chips removed from the Folder are determined by the Navi at the time their Corruption increases.
Depending on how much Corruption a Navi has, they are considered to be at a particular "Tier" of Dark Chip usage. Corruption 1-4 is Tier 1, 5-7 is Tier 2, 8-9 is Tier 3, and 10 is Tier 4. Each Dark Chip has a Tier, and you must be that Tier or higher to use it. However, no navi is capable of using the Dark Chip completely, and so, whenever the Navi reaches a new Tier, they must select a certain number of Dark Chip forms they do not have access to. Tier 1 users select 1, Tier 2 users select 2, Tier 3 users select 4, and Tier 4 users select 5. As a Navi develops their Corruption, they may completely rearrange what Dark Chips they have forbidden, so long as their Tier changes from the increase/decrease of their Corruption. They may also change which Dark Chips they have forbidden after any major character altering/defining RPing moment, especially if it changes the character's underlying motivations.
Normally a Navi can only have one Dark Chip active at a time, but at Tier 2 they can have a second active, and at Tier 3 and higher they can have all three of their slotted chips be Dark Chips. Tier 2 or higher navis may also sacrifice 3 uses of the Dark Chip, once per combat, to enter into a Berserk state, their bodies constantly giving out volatile, dark energy, making them invulnerable for 4 rounds. Additionally, in each round they may slot and immediately activate one Dark Chip that they had previously used in that combat, though obviously they cannot activate any chip that can only be used once per combat, and any multi use chips instead become single use. At Tier 4 it only takes the sacrifice of 2 Dark Chip uses to enter the Berserk state.
As Corruption can proceed at whatever pace the player finds appropriate, whether simply at a rate of 1 point of Corruption after every Dark Chip usage, faster, or slower, as feels appropriate to each individual character's arc, there are special rules that govern Corruption increasing in combat. If a Navi is activating, and therefore installing, the Dark Chip program for the first time in combat, they may immediately activate any of the Tier 1 Dark Chips at no cost, functionally granting them a 31st chip in that combat, though they will have to lose a Chip, and select which Dark Chip they can't use, after the combat is over. At any other time, any increase in Corruption must be paid for in unused chips from the Navi's folder immediately, and if there are insufficient chips available, then while their Corruption may still increase, they do not gain an additional use of the Dark Chip that fight.
Lowering Corruption is more difficult. While it can, similarly, be dealt with at the roleplayer's own pace, it should generally be done after times of extreme conflict where the Navi resists the urge to utilize the Dark Chip, time spent reconnecting with friends, or reflecting on larger life goals or aspects that connect them with other Navi/people. No matter how much of this they do, though, it will not reduce their Corruption below 1, accepting the Dark Chip into their programming is practically permanent, and exceptionally difficult to undo, short of deletion.
What Is the Dark Chip?
While above you will find many details on what the Dark Chip does, there is little on what it is, or why it functions as it does. Ultimately, the Dark Chip is a program that grants wishes. In particular, one wish: The wish for power. It unusual nature, its amorphous state, and its often detrimental nature are all derived from a single source. Unlike most other chips and programs, the Dark Chip runs off of its user's desires, which is part of why its manifestations are not identical across users. Not all who utilize the Dark Chip desire the same thing, and so not all who use the Dark Chip receive the same thing, and, similarly, when desires change, so can the manifestation of the Chip.
Of course, most would not find simply being empowered by their own desires to be sufficient for the less than stellar reputation the Dark Chip has. What some might see as the fatal flaw in the Dark Chip is the way it steadily enhances the user's desires to continue increasing its power, focusing or intensifying their wants so that it can grant more power to them. This is the nature of the Corruption, and it, ultimately, tends to make anyone who overly relies on the Dark Chip sociopathic, as their desires, what they want, starts to matter more and more over what other people what, feel, or need. It is not, however, the only manifestation of the Corruption, however, as others may instead find that their desires rage out of control, an individual who enjoys or desired a good fight becoming given to surges of violence, of attacking anyone just for the thrill of combat, and so on. The higher the user's Corruption gets, the more likely their desires are to either start to become overwhelming, or overwhelmingly important, for them, even as the Dark Chip grants them ever more raw power to achieve those desires.
Dark Chips Corruption 1 - Tier 1
Dark Bomb
Element: Breaking Usage: Requires one hand, and is used up once activated Damage: Very High Description: Upon activation a massive, jet black sphere of metal fixed with a single pulsing red light appears in the users hand. It detonates in an immense, 12x12 explosion after it strikes an object or target, or 2 seconds after being placed, the vicious, dark blast ripping apart any objects within, and cracking all affected panels with its dreadful force.
Dark Cannon
Element: Null Usage: Takes up one arm, can be used repeatedly until swapped out. Damage: High damage per shot. Description: Much like its common cousin, the Dark Cannon replaces one of its users arms with a cannon, though the Dark Cannon is a metallic black. It fires concentrated, fast moving energy shells, crackling with the black power of the Dark Chip, inflicting High damage on anyone it strikes, and sending them hurtling back five meters if they are not secured to the ground. Individuals slammed into walls or other solid objects by this knockback take an additional Moderate damage.
Dark Spreader
Element: Cursor Usage: One hand required, can be used repeatedly until swapped out. Damage: Fair Description: Unlike the common Spreader, the Dark Spreader replaces the user's hand with a focused energy weapon, streams of black purple force firing from the gun with each shot. This core beam speeds out until it strikes an opponent or object, piercing Stealth effects to do so, dealing Fair damage to whatever it strikes, and then exploding outwards, fragments of the beam shredding out in all directions, dealing Fair damage to anything in a 3x3 area around the target. Only the direct hit has the capacity to penetrate stealth effects.
Dark Sword
Element: Sword Usage: One hand required, can be used repeatedly until swapped out. Damage: High per hit. Description: When activated a gleaming black metal hilt with a shimmering purple blade appears in the wielder's hand, long, yet ideally balanced, good for both stabbing and sweeping attacks, capable of being utilized for both 3 meter wide slashes or 2 meter long lunging strikes.
Dark Vulcan
Element: Null Usage: Takes up one arm, can be used repeatedly until swapped out. Damage: Low per hit, for up to ten hits. Description: The Dark Vulcan is much akin to its regular counterpart, a three barreled gatling gun that takes up the user's lower arm. It, however, has twice the firing speed, capable of spraying out ten shots per action, and its rounds are more explosive, affecting a 3 meter spread directly behind where they impact.
Corruption 5 - Tier 2 Dark Aura
Special: Aura - only one 'Aura' BattleChip may be active at a time. Dark Aura may only be used once per combat. Element: Null Usage: No hands required, used up once activated. Damage: Blocks Very High or weaker attacks Description: Upon activation the user is surrounded by an aura of dark energy that repels attacks that deal Very High or less damage. This pulsing aura is unreliable however, and fades after only 3 rounds, or after being hit with a High or stronger damaging attack, but surges back to full strength one round after it fails, whether from running out of duration or from being dispelled by another chip or powerful attack. It can regain its strength only twice per activation.
Dark Body
Special: Cooldown - May only be used once every 4 rounds. Element: Breaking Damage: Very High Description: Tremendous energy rips out from the user's body, dealing Very High damage to anything else within 2 meters, the power surging upwards to about 10 meters over the user's head, ripping through barriers and obstacles, cracking panels, and hurling anyone struck up to 10 meters away. Anyone whose movement is stopped early by a solid object will take Moderate damage, as will the object they accelerate into.
Dark Plus
Element: Variable Usage: No hands required, used up once activated Damage: None Description: When used, the damage of the user's next Single-Hit attack increases to the next tier.
Dark Recovery
Special: Only one Recovery Chip may be used per turn. Element: Recovery Usage: No hands required, used up once activated. Damage: Very High Description: Drawing the power of the Dark Chip into themselves, the user's body surges back to health, regenerating Very High damage.
Dark Star
Special: Dark Star may only be used once per combat. Element: Breaking Usage: No hands required, used up once activated. Damage: Moderate per hit Description: Raising one hand into the air the user calls down 30 fragments of black energy from the heavens, each smashing down, three per round, in violent explosions of energy, radiating out one meter from where the fragment lands, dealing Moderate damage to anyone caught in the blast, and shattering panels and obstacles alike.
Corruption 8 - Tier 3 Dark Arm
Element: Fire Usage: Takes up one arm, can be used repeatedly until swapped out. Damage: High plus Low per round for 4 rounds. Description: When activated one of the user's arms is imbued with a dark flame that wreaths their hand. This dark flame can be projected outwards in a 5 meter long torrent to consume their enemies, or spread out in a 3x3 area in front of them, creating a damaging pyre. Anyone struck by the flames are set on fire, taking Low Fire damage per round for the next 4 rounds. Being struck by these flames again refreshes the duration, but does not stack it.
Dark Lance
Element: Wood/Sword Usage: Requires both hands, can be used repeatedly until swapped out. Damage: High + Moderate per round for 2 rounds. Description: Upon activation the user calls from the air a pitch black spear of wood, its tip bristling with cutting edges, good for both jabbing, and slashing attacks. When thrust with it can reach out to 3 meters, forcing a struck opponent all the way back to give the user space, while when used to slash it cuts across a 5 meter crescent 2 meters away from the user, though if anyone is closer to the user than that, the arc will stop there, and they will take Moderate damage as the haft slams into them. Anyone who takes damage from the blades will have a bleeding wound inflicted upon them, causing Moderate damage for the next 2 rounds, or until they receive some form of healing. The duration of this bleed is refreshed, but does not stack, on additional hits.
Dark Stage
Element: Null Usage: No hands required, used up once activated Damage: None Description: Upon activation of this chip, a 20-meter wide circle around the user is transformed into Dark Holes.
Dark Thunder
Element: Elec Usage: Requires one hand, can be used once per turn until swapped out. Shots last 5 turns each. Damage: Fair, inflicts Paralyze; Homing. Description: Upon activation, a small metal rod of dark material forms in the users hand, which can be used to fire spheres of Dark Thunder. Each firing of creates a massive, fast moving sphere of black-purple electricity that races across the terrain at high speed. Each crackling ball is almost a meter in diameter, and will relentlessly home in on their given target for 5 turns, though it takes extra concentration from the user to maintain the sphere's homing abilities, the more spheres produced, the more effort must be put into maintaining them. A successful hit will Paralyze the victim for 1 turn; while paralyzed, the victim cannot move or attack. If a second attack would cause further inability to move while the victim is already paralyzed, the new effect is ignored.
Dark Wide
Element: Aqua/Breaking Usage: Takes up one arm, can be used repeatedly until swapped out. Damage: Fair Description: A crystal of darkness appears in the users hand from which they can project wide, cutting beams of shimmering, dark water. These liquid blades are 3 meters wide, and slice cleanly through an obstacle set in their way.
Corruption 10 - Tier 4 Black Messiah
Special: Aura - only one 'Aura' BattleChip may be active at a time. Element: Variable/Breaking Usage: No hands required, used up once activated Damage: None Description: Those fully corrupted by the Dark Chip may put themselves in tune with its power. By activating the Black Messiah chip the user's color palette darkens to black, and every attack they make is wreathed with the dark, crackling power. For the next eight rounds, the user takes no damage from ranged attacks that deal Moderate or less damage, and none of their ranged attacks can have their damage reduced to less than Moderate. Even if an aura would completely block a ranged attack, it instead reduces that attack to dealing Moderate damage (or its base damage if that is lower). Melee attacks are similarly affected, but using Fair as the threshold rather than Moderate.
Dark Buster
Special: No more than one Dark Buster chip may be active at a time. Element: Null Usage: No hands required, used up once activated Damage: None Description: Upon activating Dark Buster the user draws 3 charges of potent energy from the Dark Chip. Each round the user may expend one of these charges, either increasing all damage inflicted by their base weapons by one level for that round, or permitting them to make a single fully charged shot at no cost, using the Chip's power instead of gathering it normally. If a multi shot weapon is affected by Dark Buster's damage increasing aspect, only the first half of its shots (rounded down) are affected (So a weapon that fires 5 shots of low would fire 2 shots of Moderate and 3 shots of Low, while a weapon that fired 10 shots of pitiful would fire 5 shots of Low and 5 shots of pitiful).
Dark Ruin
Special: Dark Ruin may only be used once per combat. Element: Breaking/Cursor Usage: Dark Ruin requires both hands, and user cannot use any other attack on the turn this is used. It is used up after one attack. Damage: Truly Incredible. Description: At its core the Dark Chip is a weapon of total destruction, and in this form it expresses that. The user gathers its dark energy between their hands, and projects it forwards in a beam of black energy, two meters in diameter, and endless in length, tearing its way through the network and anything that passes before it, destroying obstacles and shields, and ripping away even the defenses of stealth, nothing can resist its power except by getting out of the way.
Dark Rush
Element: Breaking Usage: User cannot use any other attack on the turn this is used. It is used up after one attack. Damage: Very High Description: Black energy crackles across the users form as they surge forwards at high speed, shattering through objects, defenses, and sending opponents hurtling up to 3 meters backwards as they surge up to 15 meters forward. During this dash they are immune to all incoming attacks.
Dark Wing
Element: Cursor Usage: No hands required, used up once activated. Damage: Moderate per hit. Description: With a gesture, a flock of eight bats of black energy fly forth from around the user, homing in on their target, penetrating any Stealth effect the subject might use to defend themselves. Upon striking a target, obstacle, or even being struck from the sky, their dark energy flows into the ground below, forming a 3 meter wide circle of Dark Holes.
Dark Holes
The Terrain corrupted by the power of the Dark Chip aids users of its power, while suppressing other chip usage. When one attempts to use a non-Dark Chip while standing within the area of a Dark Hole, they must expend an additional chip to fight off the Dark Hole's suppressive power, clearing the surrounding 1 meter of the Dark Hole, and permitting them to use their chip as normal. This functions in reverse for Dark Chip users. When a Dark Chip would be used on a Dark Hole the user absorbs the energy of the Dark Hole into themselves, and gains a temporary Dark Chip usage, which they must slot on their next post, or lose. Temporary Dark Chip activation cannot trigger the benefits of the Dark Hole. No navi can be affected by Dark Holes more than five times in a single combat before their state reaches a certain equilibrium with the energy of the Dark Holes, keeping them from either having their normal chip usage suppressed or Dark Chip use augmented further.
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