Absorbs Attacks Element: This Special Move, usually an energy shield of some kind, absorbs the power of Ranged attacks launched against the character. This move may or may not do damage itself. This Element has the Interrupt Element as a prerequisite. In order to absorb an attack, the combatant must use the Interrupt Defensive Response. If successful, the attack is absorbed and does no damage. There are a couple optional Elements available that modify this Element.
Absorb All Attacks Element: The Defensive Response can be used against any attack, not just Ranged attacks. This counts as two Elements.
Absorb and Use Ranged Element: Beginning on the turn after a Ranged attack was absorbed, the absorbing character can then use the Special Move as if it were his own. It can be held until the end of the present combat. It will possess all of the same characteristics as the original owner’s, including damage. This counts as two Elements.
Transform Energy Element: Damage for the absorbed attack is still rolled but it becomes either Super Energy or Fighting Spirit. This decision must be made when the move is
designed and cannot be changed later. The damage in this case is not modified by Strength or Stamina. The Director must approve transformations into Fighting Spirit, as there are no examples of this in the source material and it may prove to be too powerful in play.
Bomb Element: Some Special Moves allow the character to place a damaging hazard on the battlefield and then move away from it. These hazards then explode, damaging anyone near them.
When an attack with the Bomb Element is used, the location of the bomb becomes an Environmental Hazard and the Range the character is away from other combatants at the time becomes the Distance away from the Hazard. It will explode after a 1d8 count (rolled when it is first placed) at the beginning of the following turn before Initiative is rolled. When it explodes, an attack is rolled against anyone within Distance 2. The attack roll is against the opponents’Defense Skill, and the attacker cannot spend FS on Accuracy. Full damage is rolled against anyone at Distance 0, and half damage is rolled against those at Distance 1-2. Damage is not modified by Strength or Stamina. There are some additional Liabilities available for this Element. A single Liability balances the cost of this Element.
More than one Liability actually changes this Element into a Liability instead.
Moveable Bomb Liability: At Distance 0 and before it explodes, it can be moved by any Basic Move. It is considered to have a Stamina of 0.
The bomb is moved 1 Distance away from the attacker and towards any character for each 2 points of “damage” done (round up).
No Range Liability: This Bomb does damage only at Distance 0.
Short Timer Liability: In this case, the Bomb
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explodes after a time count of 1d8-4. If the result is zero, it explodes immediately.
Borrow Identity Element: This is a truly unusual ability, rare even in fighting games. As such, the Director may restrict its usage. A Special Move with this Element does not just borrow another character’s moves; instead, it turns the fighter into another specific Fighter with access to all of the resources available to that character.
While transformed, all of the character’s Basic Qualities, Special Moves, and other Qualities and Weaknesses (at the Director’s discretion) are replaced by those of the character who he has turned into. This effect lasts for a time count of five.
The character cannot use this ability outside of combat unless he also has the Power Quality or uses the Magic, Psychic, or Gadgeteering Qualities to do so. The character keeps his own Life Bar and Fighting Spirit.
Transforming into each specific Fighter is a separate Special Move. Each can be learned only after facing the character to be copied in combat for the duration of a full “round” (i.e., either a 99-count or until one of the Fighters is defeated). The Special Move must be at least L3. It usually does no damage on its own.
In addition to the Element cost applied to each Borrow Identity Special Move, if a character has even one Borrow Identity Special Move, every other Special Move the character possesses also incurs a one Element cost of its own. For example, the Director is designing a new villain with the power to transform into the heroes over the course of the campaign. Because he has Special Moves with this Element, all of his other Special Moves have one less Element than usual. Thus, the Fighter’s L3 moves would only have 3 Elements rather than 4.
Copies Moves Element: Some characters have the ability to temporarily borrow another character’s Special Moves. A Special Move with this Element does less damage to the opponent, but it also copies one of the opponent’s Special Moves. When the damage for the attack is rolled, it is translated into Move Points. One Special Move of the attacker’s choice is copied, limited by the Move Points rolled.
The remaining damage is applied as regular damage. The copied Special Move will remain for a 5-count, starting from the turn of the successful attack, with a minimum of one full turn. The copied Move shares the characteristics of its original possessor; it does not use the attacker’s Basic Qualities and skills. Furthermore, the attacker must lose one of the Special Move’s normal Elements (attacker’s choice).
Entangle Element: This Element counts as two Elements. This is an attack that inhibits the opponent in some way. It could represent a net, a freezing attack, ice under his feet, or temporary mind control. In any case, if the opponent has not yet acted this turn, he loses his action for the turn, regardless of Control, and he suffers a one die size penalty on Initiative on the following turn. However, if the character is hit again before the next turn (including by a subsequent move in a Combo that previously included the attack that produced the Entangle effect), the Entangle has no effect.
Fake Element: This Element counts as two or more Elements. Some characters have versions of their normal Special Moves that are Fake moves. The animation for the Special Move begins, but the attack never occurs. Instead, the fake move suddenly ends, freeing the Fighter to act in another way. The purpose of such a move is to lure the
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opponent into responding to a specific Special Move and then countering the opponent in an unpredictable way. This Element automatically includes the No Damage Liability.
In order to use this Element, the character must win Initiative. He then chooses to use the Special Move with this Element. This does no damage. However, it gives a bonus to the character’s Defense Total for the remainder of the turn when using Tactics. The bonus is +2, plus an additional +1 per additional two Elements used for this Element. For example, for a cost of four Elements, the character would receive a +3 bonus on Tactics Defense Totals for the remainder of the turn.
Flight Element: This Element counts as two Elements. This Element means that the character has the ability to fly, but only temporarily. If a character wishes to be able to fly regularly outside of combat, they must take the Power Quality, or use the Magic, Psychic, or Gadgeteering Qualities to do so. Even characters with those Qualities must build a move with this Element in order to use their power in combat.
By using this Special Move, the character flies for a time count duration of five, with a minimum of one full turn. While flying, the character gets a +4 to Evade attacks. On the other hand, only Special Moves with the Hard to Evade Element or the Aerial Element can be used while flying. A Special Move with this Element does no damage to the opponent, and the move does not get the benefit of the No Damage Liability. The character is assumed to land at the beginning of the turn after the time runs out.
Free Movement Element: This Element counts as two Elements. A move with this Element allows the
character to move freely without concern for other combatants’ location or attacks, though it does not allow any movement on the turn it is used. This may represent turning insubstantial or (more commonly) sinking into the ground and reappearing elsewhere.
If this move can only be used more or less instantaneously, i.e., for the duration of a turn before re-appearing, it should be built as a movement-only Special Move with Teleportation (even though the special effects of the Move are actually different). If the character can move freely longer, then this Element applies. The character is immune to Environmental Hazards and all attacks for a 5-count (minimum of one full turn). The character cannot attack during this time and he cannot speed up the duration of this Move.
Gradual Effect Element: This Element can be used to create moves that mimic poisonous effects or a simple version of the mystical Dim Mak technique.
The rolled damage is divided into three separate damage totals (round up). The attack does damage equal to one of the three damage totals, plus one additional point, on each of three successive turns, beginning with the attack itself and then at the end of each of the next two turns after all combatants have acted. The successive instances of damage do not incur Hit Stun. For example, when the original attack hits, the Fighter rolls five points of damage.
Divided by three, rounding up, and then adding one, the attack will do three points of damage each turn for three turns. One additional modifier Element can be added to this Element.
Delayed Onset Element: After the attack hits, the character can delay the onset of the damage (which still takes place over three successive turns). This can be anytime within a 10-count.
Activating the damage is an action for the Fighter who used the Gradual Effect attack.
This activation can also be a part of a Combo; in
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this case, it counts as an L2 move. If the time expires before the damage begins, the attack is lost. Multiple versions of this attack can be in place at once on multiple targets if so desired, but this Special Move can only affect a single opponent once at a time. If hit again before damage begins, the 10-count resets.
Healing Element: This Element counts as either two or three Elements, depending on how effective it is.
A move with this Element does “damage,” except this figure is used to determine healing of the character’s Life Bar instead. It is acceptable to have an attack that also heals the user at the same time.
In either case, however, damage is not modified by Strength or Stamina. All healing effects occur at the end of all characters’actions; thus, it is possible to be Knocked Out before healing occurs. If the move restores 1/2 of the damage rolled (round down), this Element counts as two Elements. If the move restores all of the damage rolled, this Element counts as three Elements.
Moves that heal other characters are not part of the source material, but this Move may be used on another character as an additional Element if the Director allows it. If other characters can be healed, but the character with this Special Move cannot heal himself, this Liability cancels out the extra Element cost to heal others.
Illusionary Doubles Element: There are two versions of this Element: Defensive and Offensive.
In either case, the Fighter creates one or more illusionary duplicates to confuse his opponent.
Defensive Illusion Element: This Element counts as two Elements and requires the Interrupt Element as a prerequisite. Defensive illusions replace where the character was standing and often put a hazard in his place.
This also includes the “ninja-replaced-by-a-log”
disappearing trick. This move may or may not do damage. In order for it to work, the combatant must use the Interrupt Defensive Response. If successful, the character may immediately move 2 Ranges in either direction as well as avoid the opponent’s attack as usual, even if his counterattack (if there is one) misses.
Offensive Illusion Element: This Element requires the Interrupt Element as a prerequisite.
Offensive illusions may or may not include an attack while creating a number of duplicates, confusing the opponent as to which is the real one. For this move to succeed, the combatant must use the Interrupt Defensive Response with a bonus of +1 or more to Tactics. If successful, the attack occurs. Also, at the beginning of the next turn, the character automatically moves as many Ranges as permitted by this Special Move at no FS cost. This Element counts as one Element, plus one Element for each +1 bonus to Tactics and 1 Range of movement permitted.
Usually, the number of illusionary duplicates created increases based on the bonus to Tactics provided by this Element.
Invisibility Element: This Element counts as two or more Elements. This move makes the character temporarily invisible (though usually an energy outline or distortion in the air of some sort gives a general indication of the character’s location). This Element could also be used for any Special Move that hinders the opponent’s Initiative or Control, making it harder for them to know when or how to act. When the move is designed, it must be designated as hindering an opponent’s Initiative, Control, or both. This move hinders the opponent on the following turn after the Special Move is used.
The base cost for this ability is one Element. Each
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additional Element decreases Initiative or Controlby one die size. For example, a move that reduced Initiative by one die size and Control by two die sizes would count as four Elements. This Special Move may or may not be an attack itself, but the move does not need to “hit” to be effective. The effect only lasts for the following turn. The following Element can be added as a modifier.
Maintain Effect Element: With this Element, the effect lasts until the character invoking the effect actually suffers damage. This counts as two additional Elements.
Power Enhancer Element: This Element is used for a Special Move that does nothing by itself, but which powers up a specific subsequent Special Move (defined when this move is designed). This Element represents a summoning of additional power or taking specific stances to enhance the power of another move. Performing the Power Enhancer itself has no special rules. After this, when the affected Special Move is used, it gains a die size of damage for each Power Enhancer move that has been performed before it. This Element costs one Element for each Special Move affected by the Power Enhancer, plus one Element for each time over one that the Power Enhancer can be used prior to using the affected Special Move. For example, if the Power Enhancer could be and was used three times in advance of the affected Special Move, the affected move would increase three die sizes for damage. In this case, if the Power Enhancer affected only one other move, this Element would cost 3 Elements. The following Element can also be added as a modifier.
Delayed Onset Element: If the character can choose when to use the benefits of the Power
Enhancer, this counts as an additional Element.
The enhancement can be held indefinitely during the same combat. The default effect without this modifier Element is that the Power Enhancer effect is always used immediately when the affected Special Move is used next.
Reflection Element: This Element creates a wave or shield that will send a Ranged attack back at the attacker if it is successful. The Interrupt Element is a prerequisite for this Element. This Special Move may or may not do damage itself.
This Element will work against any Special Move with the Ranged Element. In order to reflect a Special Move’s normal attributes. The opponent may use the Defense Skill or the Evasion Skill
Style Change Element: Some characters have multiple martial arts styles with unique move lists for each style. The character uses a particular non-damaging Special Move to switch styles, thereby accessing his different move lists. A Style Change Special Move must be built for each separate “style”
the character possesses, and then each style must be populated with its own Special Moves. The Style Change Special Move itself is generally L2 or L3, though it can be any level. Each Style Change Special Move is usually the same level, but they do not have to be. Each must possess the No Damage Liability. Style Change Special Moves can be
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included in Combos. Each subsequent Special Move in a given “style” receives a number of Liabilities equal to 1/2 the Level of the Style Change Special Move (round up) + (Total number of Style Change Special Moves-2). The same Special Move can exist in different styles, but it must be built separately as a unique move in each style.
For example, a character with two L3 Style Change Special Moves would receive two Liabilities on each Special Move in each individual style. Another character with five L2 Style Change Special Moves (which would be pretty unusual) would receive four Liabilities on each Special Move in each individual style. If a character had an L2, L4, and L6 Style Change Special Move, each Special Move in the first style would receive two Liabilities, each move in the second style would receive three Liabilities, and each move in the last style would receive four Liabilities.
Each style must have at least one move beyond the Style Change Special Move itself. If the character does not have enough Move Points to build a specific Special Move to go with each Style Change Special Move, it is possible to build a style that has no Special Moves in it. However, the character must build at least one Special Move for the “empty” style as soon as additional Move Points become available.
A character cannot create an empty style at Power Level 8. In most cases, no more than one Style Change Special Move should be allowed.
When a character acquires his first Style Change Special Move, any existing Special Moves the character may already possess are considered part of the character’s “default” style. When the character uses his Style Change Special Move to switch to the new style, he loses access to his
“default” style. He may use multiple different Style Change Special Moves to switch to multiple sets of Special Moves in different styles, but unless he
“exits” all of his styles, he has no access to his
“default” Special Moves. To re-access the default moves, he must use the same Style Change Special
“default” Special Moves. To re-access the default moves, he must use the same Style Change Special