Ki from my basic understanding is physical energy. It is increased by training the body, so making a weak body into bonus for Ki seems really weird. This is a setting where there is both magic and ki, and the way I see it is that magic is mental and ki is physical. I think the MC shouldn't even have a power level stronger than a bottom-tier Saiyan. Ki should be worthless for her, but that's just my opinion.
Now that you point it out. This is technically canonically true. You can't exactly raise Ki without physical exercise. Ki is physical energy in DBZ and it is related to the body in a deep way.
So if you're physically crippled... Well, that means you're also ki-crippled until the former is fixed.
Ki in DBZ was always and only raised by extreme physical exercises. I think the only thing that doesn't fall under that is Ki control exercises which are just mental concentration stuff and how to manipulate it well.
Yeah, cannonically ki is the power of your body and physical strength. But this isn't canon, its a fanfiction quest thingy, and I think that explanation is just kind of half-assed and am going to ignore it. In the traditional sense, Ki (or Chi or Qi or whatever you want to call it) is the bodys life force. And yes, it can be raised or improved upon by the growth of the body, but it is mostly the expression of a persons soul or spiritual self. That's the stance we will be taking for the quest - that Ki is a persons expression of their life force and spirit. So the body may be weak, but the soul will be strong.
Mostly I just wanted to see if people would be down to play with soul lasers instead of punching people in the face, because Ki attacks are basically ignored in canon besides being used exactly once an arc, and the only thing anyone uses consistently are Kamehameha's and un-named giant ball blasts.
As Knight said, just cause we don't have usable legs doesn't mean we can't buff up above our waistline.
Sure, we won't be able to raise our Ki through body training as quickly or as well, and we certainly won't be exemplary with it, but we can still technically raise Ki through training at least the rest of our body.
As Knight said, just cause we don't have usable legs doesn't mean we can't buff up above our waistline.
Sure, we won't be able to raise our Ki through body training as quickly or as well, and we certainly won't be exemplary with it, but we can still technically raise Ki through training at least the rest of our body.
Inb4 Reice becomes a tank from left for dead with pretty hair and a dress
And on that note, the poll has closed. Winning results are:
Our cute little brother is Vegeta Tamat. We don't like being treated with amusement, and have grown to become one snarky little shit. We're heading to the food, obviously, because where else would a Saiyan want to go?
In addition, your Ki Weaponry and Ki abilities have leveled up to 'beginner' rank, and you have 50 EXP stored for later useage. For leveling up those skills, you have unlocked two perks, and the vote for these perks will be included in the next chapter.
Well, it's not all that complicated, because if it was I'd hate myself. When you enter combat with someone, you will start by voting for a particular strategy or series of actions. When you go to execute those actions, you will start your rolls.
In order to hit or not be hit by an attack, you must roll based on the requisite skill. Dodging or blocking an attack requires you to roll your Martial Arts skill(Unless you are flying, in which case you can use your Ki Abilities skill.) against the enemies Martial Arts or Ki Weaponry skill. This is done by rolling a d20 for each level you have in the skill against a d20 for each level your opponent has in the skill, then seeing who has the higher total.
Also, for each rank a person is higher than their opponent, they add an additional +10 to the roll. These bonuses are added after all rolls are done, and only for rolls to hit, not damage rolls.
Damage, on the other hand, is calculated differently. Unless you find a skill or perk that says otherwise, all damage taken and dealt is rolled against the opponents Physical Conditioning level. Damage is calculated by rolling a d20 for each level you have in the attack's skill rank. The person the damage is being dealt to then rolls one d10 for each level of PC they have, and the damage is reduced by the total percentage of that roll.
Example:
Goku VS Frieza. Goku fires a Kamehameha at Frieza, using his Ki Weaponry skill against Frieza's Ki Ability skill, because he is flying. Goku is Master rank, so he rolls 6d20. Frieza is Veteran rank, so he rolls 5d20.
Goku total: 478(468 + 10). Frieza total: 398. Attack hits.
Goku rolls for damage: 6d20. Total of 95.
Frieza rolls for Physical Conditioning, which he is rank Expert in. 7d10. Total of 46% damage resisted.
Frieza takes a total of 51 damage, because we round to the nearest whole. Kamehameha would normally have a damage multiplier of 2x when it hits, but we'll ignore it here for efficiencies sake.
Easy/Hard. Easy in theory, complicated in execution.
I originally had it using d100's but lowered it. Was going to implement a crit fail/crit succeed mechanic but decided against it. Thanks for catching that.
Last chapter took 3 days, this one took a few hours, my update schedule is sporadic and I have no clue how to make it more regular.
Enjoy.
_____
The party is in full swing - as much as it can be for a formal affair, you suppose. There's a band playing a variety of stringed instruments in the corner opposite the food, playing soft, soothing melodies. You're going to hazard a guess and say that The King didn't pick that band out.
Does father dearest even listen to music? Probably not. If asked, he'd probably respond with 'the screams of my enemies and lamentations of their women' or something of the sort. Kind of a one track mind, there.
Speaking of one track minds...
Onian appears to have chosen a course, and is practically plowing through the party goers to get to his goal. Well dressed men and women hastily step to the side as he steers your chair towards the food tables, a series of massive cloth-covered surfaces absolutely stacked with decadent piles of food. You can practically hear the oversized oaf drooling.
You'd reprimand him for being so rude if your mouth wasn't also watering. Seriously. Mother makes most of your meals for you, and they tend to be... well. Not exactly bland, but less meat and more vegetables than you'd like. Something something balanced diet, blah blah blah - you just want to get over to the desert table because -
They have cream puffs.
"Not that I exactly object to your course, captain Onian -" You say demurely, and your watcher suddenly remembers that he does in fact have someone in the chair he's pushing. "-But maybe a little more grace? Wouldn't do to for me to step on too many toes."
Hah. That man over there in the purple-and-red striped suit is trying to hide a snicker behind his wine glass. He gets the joke. Everyone else, however, does the usual and steps aside awkwardly, having no clue on how to deal with you. Do they bow? Nod? Ignore you? What's the protocol for royalty that no one wants to be royalty?
"Yes, your Majesty. Do... Do you wish to go somewhere else?" Three years of Mother's training has beaten a sense of refinement into his head and massively expanded his vocabulary. He's still a Low-Rank though, so you can forgive him for forgetting his manners for a moment. Onian actually sounds hesitant for once as he asks you this, and you don't even pause before you answer.
"Gods, no. Park me somewhere close by and grab us both a plate. Stack some of those cream puffs on it for me, will you? As many as it can carry." He snorts at that, before steering you - at a slower pace - towards the end of the food tables.
"Priorities, princess. Never let it be said that your stomach isn't Saiyan, at the very least."
He's lucky he shares your sense of humor, or you'd have had him flogged for that. You can do that, right? There's got to be some sort of benefit to having this lug as a bodyguard, even if it is only whipping him for being a smart ass.
And Mother wonders where you learned your sense of humor from...
"I could change my mind, you know. We could go mingle with the high socialites for a few hours until the hams you call feet burst out the sides of those horrible shoes." You respond slowly, rolling your eyes.
"The horror." He says, deadpan, and you have to hold back a chuckle.
Onian is a large, bulky, dark-skinned man with a thick black mustache. He is heavily muscled somewhere under that massive gut of his - three years of what is basically forced leave hasn't given him a lot of time to train consistently. You'd like to say that he looks good in the navy blue dress robes of the royal guard - but really, he just kinda looks... swollen. Like a giant, over-ripe botuber fruit with a walrus mustache.
Up until recently, he wasn't all that kind towards you. The most conversation you could get out of him was grunts and yes or no answers. Now, however, you've started training your Ki a bit, and he's started to... warm up to you slightly.
It also helps that you and he like to sit at the back of these events and poke fun at anyone who catches your eye. An amusing enough way to pass the time.
He sets you towards the end of the end of the food, sketches a quick bow, and then has to restrain himself from sprinting to the food, where one of the royal cooks is plating out slices of roast beast.
You lean back in your chair and sigh, running your hands down the front of your dress to smooth out some wrinkles that aren't there. You settle into your chair, stifling a groan as the people finally stop looking at you and go back to their party. You take a moment to run a hand through your hair, which Mother spent far too long styling this morning. It falls down to the small of your back in small, jagged black spikes. Normally you'd shove it into a ponytail for convenience's sake, but having it fall down around your face frames your sharp features nicely.
Of course, now that you're stationary, it means people can't just ignore you until you pass by. A few people who were standing near you seem to realize this, and slowly a small area around you clears out. Good.
A few people don't appear to get the memo, however, and one businessman actually makes moves to approach you before he's distracted by some of his compatriots.
Gods, this is a Royal Family Event, and some people are going to feel obligated to speak to the Princess, aren't they? You just wanted to stuff your face full of cakes, but you can't do that when people are talking to you. And if you stayed away from people, you wouldn't be able to find anything to stuff your face with. Such is the duality of man, or something.
Onian returns with three plates. One stacked with a literal pile of meat slices, one with some side dishes and finger snacks, and the last is a treasure sent from the gods -
Cream puffs. A mountain of them, stacked three layers high, little golden spheres of fried dough with powdered sugar on the outside and decadent cream filling on the inside.
Glorious. You take the plate with trembling hands, overjoyed to receive the bountiful harvest your most faithful servant has granted you. Onian takes the other two plates and stands behind you, resting one on the handles to your wheelchair and shoveling the food from the other plate into his face like the Low-Rank he is. A few of the guests give him dirty glances, but we're all Saiyans here, don't act like you don't do the same at home.
You, on the other hand, rest the plate of cakes on your lap with care. You stare with awe for a moment, then prepare to eat in the manner befitting of royalty:
By also shoveling food into your face as fast as possible.
Saiyan Royalty, after all.
You can feel the stare from the opposite side of the room. Small hairs along your arms and the back of your neck rise as an apex predator makes itself known, looking at you with its feral gaze. You are pray, before the hunter. You slowly set the cream puff down on the plate, and raise your head.
Mother is standing upon the raised dais that the throne sits upon, which is thankfully currently empty - father is either standing in the far corner with his military advisers, or decided not to come until he needed to give a speech. But she stands next to the throne like the dutiful wife she is.
Onian mutters from behind you. "I swear that woman has eyes in the back of her head." You hear the clatter of fork on plate as he starts eating much slower as well, like a proper gentleman.
Mother meets your gaze with a calm, happy smile. The kind of smile that says 'eat your food properly or the only meal served from now on will consist of your perfectly grilled flesh.' She's clad in a simple red, backless gown, with blue earrings to match the necklace that hangs on her collarbone. Her black hair somehow flat and perfectly smooth - she refuses to reveal her secrets, even though you know it's usually spikier than yours - and she has it crafted into an elegant braid-and-bun updo. If not for the bags under her eyes, you'd have trouble believing she gave birth just yesterday - Saiyans a built tough. Her blue eyes pierce into yours like lasers.
She flicks her gaze down at your plate for a moment, then up to right above your head. Her brows furrow slightly.
Mother is displeased.
You can hear Onian gulp from behind you, even with the noise of the party. "I'm so sorry, your Majesty." He whispers as he reaches down and grabs your plate of glorious godsfood and swaps it for his plate of vegetables and fried meats.
"Traitor." You whisper back, just as quietly. "I trusted you."
"No offense, little princess, but I would rather have you angry with me right here than her mildly displeased with me from all the way over there."
Fair.
You slowly grab your fork and knife, cutting a small bite of chicken on the plate, your eyes not once flickering from your mother's steely gaze. You raise it daintily to your mouth, and eat it slowly.
She smiles once, then looks away.
Instantly, you and Onian take deep breaths out, relaxing into your chairs. He starts eating again at a slightly faster pace, and you slowly eat your finger food with such elegance that people would think it was a five-course meal.
After a few moments, you turn to him. "Can I at least have one puff, please?"
He grabs one to hand to you -
Mothers head slowly starts to swing back towards you.
He puts it back on the plate.
"I'll see about sneaking the plate out with me, your Majesty."
Well. He's not so bad after all.
The businessman from before meets your gaze as you begin finishing your meal, and you notice with some amusement that it's the purple-suited man who snickered at your joke earlier. He gives you a brief smile.
Eh, what the hell, you're done eating for now anyways.
You nod to him, imperiously, and he excuses himself from his current conversation to walk over to you. His confidants stare in shock as he willingly walks over to you, but you sit up straight in your chair.
He's a younger man, shorter than most Saiyans are. His suit is honestly rather ugly, being purple and red striped as it is, but the cut of it is quite fine. Clearly someone important, if he was invited to this gala, but no one you've seen before. Not that that's a surprise, as you rarely get to leave your gilded cage quarters, but you know most of the big movers by now.
He bows to you, but not as low as he should. A bow given to a superior or elder, but not a deep one befitting of royalty. You'd be upset if it weren't for the fact that he's the only one so far to even recognize you as royalty tonight.
"Your Majesty." He says, low and rumbling. "My name is Balemor Leik, at your service. A pleasure to meet you." He says. You extend your arm daintily, holding it right above your lap, and he smirks at you before bowing lower to kiss the air directly above it.
There. You made him bow the correct depth anyways.
You know of the Balemor family, you think. Some sort of business owners, involved with... you forget the specifics, but it's some sort of technological development firm.
"We are most pleased to meet you, Mister Balemor. It seems that our presence is far too glorious for many of your compatriots to withstand; you must be quite brave to near us as you have." You say regally.
He chuckles at that. "Ah, but who could bear to resist the charms of a beautiful flower such as yourself? You are like a fair Opula Vine - I couldn't bear to stand so far away."
The Opula Vine is a plant native to the northern forests of Vegeta, if you remember correctly. It blooms only once a month, grows quite close to the forest floor, and is very beautiful.
It also is extremely poisonous and smells like trash when in bloom.
What a prick.
Your smile grows fierce. "We are pleased to hear you hold such high opinions in regard to us, Ser Balemor. You must have a fierce constitution, to come so close to an Opula Vine - why, one might say you are foolish, for liking so rare a flower. Or desperate, to be willing to risk so much for a prize so unwanted. Then again -" You scan his suit from the top to bottom. "-Maybe you just lack taste in the finer things of life."
He frowns, then looks down at his suit. "It's not that bad, is it?"
You stare at him blank faced. "You look like you fell in a bowl full of berries and decided that it actually improved your style. I think no one told you because they felt bad about it and didn't want to hurt your feelings."
This is a freebie, so you guys can see Charisma in action.
Balemor current reputation: -50/1000
Balemor Charisma = Beginner. 2d20. No bonuses.
Riece Charisma = Novice. 3d20. Bonus: +20(Quick of mind, sharp of wit, Level advantage.)
Balemor roll: 16
Riece roll: 48(28+10)
Huge success! Your roll was 3x his. Reputation die increases by two class, from d6 to d10.
Rolling d10 - 6. 6 * 10 = 60. Bonus: 25%(Scholarly Inclinations, The Power of Snark.)
Total rep gain: 75.
Balemor Leik current reputation: 25/1000.
He winces theatrically. "Harsh. But an astute observation, my lady. Allow me to introduce myself properly- my name is Balemor Leik, of the Balemor Spacex Company. We specialize in mass-producing interstellar craft for a variety of purposes, but our main product is the Attack Balls commonly used by the Saiyan branch of the Frieza Force for transportation to remote planets."
Ah. That Balemor family. "If I remember correctly, your company was directly appropriated by the Frieza Force, was it not?" You ask slowly
He nods. "Yes. Before Lord Frieza arrived, we were some of the biggest producers of interstellar travel products on the planets. I'm willing to speak to you because - if you allow me to be frank - I really don't have much to lose. I'm fourth in line to run a business that my family doesn't even care about, and I would be a researcher for the company if I could be - but we are no longer allowed to build anything except vessels for the Frieza Force. I'm only here because father was allowed to bring 'all of his sons' to the gala if he wished."
Hm. this bears thinking about. On one hand, you have the fourth son of a mostly-defunct company approaching you because he has nothing to lose and you're vaguely powerful. On the other hand, you have a self-professed 'researcher' who is a member of what used to be one of the most technologically influential companies on the planet, approaching you because he has nothing to lose.
Interesting.
You and the young man chat for a while about the business. Basically, it boils down to the same thing most conversations about politics on the planet do: Lord Frieza is an ass who ruined everything, but we really can't do anything about it so we better make do with what we've got.
Then, conversation stills. Balemor's face pales as he hunches over slightly, the air growing thicker than water. The smell of ozone tickles your nostrils, and it is only your familiarity with the feeling that prevents you from hunching in fear as he does.
Saiyans are an animalistic race. They rely heavily on their instincts. They know what it's like to be predators -
But they also know what it is like to be prey.
King Vegeta enters the throne room to the sounds of stilled conversations and the smell of fear. His power is a veritable pressure on the room, and the crowd parts like a sea as he walks - prowls towards the throne. A tiny bundle of blue is tucked under his arm, cradled close to his chest, and small tufts of black hair poke out of it.
People step aside and bow as he marches forward, head held high, clad in Frieza Force armor. He reaches the throne and turns to sit, facing the room at large, and as one everyone kneels down on one leg and bows their head.
There is no need to announce him, or declare his arrival.
His gaze dances around the room eyeing and judging anyone it comes across. Extending the tiny bundle, your mother takes it from him and cradles it in her arms, before facing towards the crowd as well. His lip furls down in a sneer as he looks about, before he sighs.
"You may stand."
The Saiyans present rise slowly, and he leans in his throne lacadastically, resting his head on one fist.
Without bothering to stand or even sit up straight, he begins speaking to the still silent room. "Today is a day of great import, my loyal subjects. A day you will all come to love and celebrate. Yesterday I was granted a great boon, a prize befitting of my honor -"
You can tell the moment he spots you out of the corner of his eye, because he pauses for a moment and turns to you. His sneer becomes a frown for a moment, before slowly growing to a feral smirk. Heads in the crowd turn, until it feels as if the entire room is staring at you.
You hold your head high under the sea of gazes, meeting his smirk without flinching.
"-A son. A healthy, whole, and capable boy, who I will mold into the perfect image of Saiyan royalty." He says, and his voice is nearly mocking, now.
Balemor has retreated away from you. Onian stands at military attention, six steps to your side.
You bear the force of his ire alone.
"A son, who I will train to become the mightiest warrior planet Vegeta has ever seen. A son, who will be the image of perfection in all things. A son - who will be my heir."
You knew it was coming. Why wouldn't it be? If your mother hadn't been who she is, the King would have ordered you killed out of the desire to preserve his reputation shortly after you were born. There was no chance that it would ever be you, sitting upon that throne. No chance you could ever rule, not a chance you would be recognized as the rightful queen -
It still stings. A distant hope, far out of reach, dangled in front of you only to be torn away.
You attempt bear his ire. Alone. You hold you head high; keep your face set in stone; but you are attempting to hold the sky, and you are no Atlas.
You cannot.
Tears form at the corner of your eyes as you drop his gaze and dip your head to the floor. You can feel his scoff as he turns away from you.
"Rejoice, my people, for I present to you your future leader:"
Your mother lifts a tiny bundle of cloth and hair above her head, resolutely not looking towards you. Her smile is thin and brittle, but she still lifts her son up, and the crowd roars their approval.
"Prince! Vegeta! Tamat!"
Your little brother cries, loud and clear across the room, as Saiyans roar their new princes name.
You cry silently in the back corner, looking upon a sea of turned backs.
Without a word, Onian grabs the back of your chair and pushes you towards the open door, back to your quarters.
The bastard ate half the cream puffs, too.
Today has been a truly terrible day.
_____
For leveling up Ki Abilities, you can choose between one of three low-level abilities:
[] Ki Sense: The ability to feel the life force of others around you. Your sense isn't that well developed, but you can locate people who are familiar to you, or high-powered beings. With focus and time to meditate, you can use this sense to find living beings hiding near you as well.
[] Ki Suppression: The ability to fool another person's Ki Sense by mastering your own Ki. Allows you to become invisible to the life sensing of others after remaining still for short periods of time. In addition, mastering you own Ki in such a way makes you more resistant to the overwhelming pressure of other people's Ki.
[] Internal Ki Manipulation: Allows you to become more aware of your own Ki at a faster rate. Lets you meditate easier, and makes other Ki Abilities easier to learn and hone.
For leveling up Ki Weaponry, you can choose between one of three low-level attacks:
[]Ki shot: A big, standard ball of energy. Flies in a straight line, hits something, explodes. x.6 Damage multiplier(Deals 60% damage). Makes one attack.
[]Ki Burst: A rapid-fire blast of small bolts, instead of a single beams. Fires three attacks instead of one. x.3 Damage multiplier(deals 30% damage).
[]Ki Blast: A charged shot that fires with incredible force, but takes some time to channel. No damage multiplier(deals full damage). Requires two rounds of combat to fire(You can move while charging)
Tomorrow is going to be a new day. Mother will likely spend most of the morning fussing over you, but then watch your new brother for the rest of the day. What would you like do do with your afternoon?
Pick two options. You can pick the same option more than once. If you do, write (X2) at the end of the vote line.
[]Meditate for a while. Simple breathing exercises help a lot, might relieve some stress...
50 EXP to Ki abilities
[]Blow some shit up in the gardens. The best stress relief is violence.
50 EXP to Ki Weaponry
[]Do some research in the library for a while - there's a lot of training scrolls in there. Improves reputation with ???? 10/15/20% Chance to unlock a new Ki ability or Weapon, or improve an existing Ki ability or weapon.
[]Meet your new brother. It's not his fault that the King is such a... well, Saiyan. You've always wondered what a sibling would be like... Slightly mproves reputation with Vegeta Cacuber. 10% chance to decrease reputation with King Vegeta.
[]Follow Onian to his afternoon training session. Now that you're old enough to mostly take care of yourself, he's started training again. Odds are low he'd let you do anything, but you might learn a thing or two... Chance to improve your Reputation with Onian.
[X] Ki Suppression: The ability to fool another person's Ki Sense by mastering your own Ki. Allows you to become invisible to the life sensing of others after remaining still for short periods of time. In addition, mastering you own Ki in such a way makes you more resistant to the overwhelming pressure of other people's Ki.
[X]Ki Burst: A rapid-fire blast of small bolts, instead of a single beams. Fires three attacks instead of one. x.3 Damage multiplier(deals 30% damage).
[X]Meditate for a while. Simple breathing exercises help a lot, might relieve some stress...
[X]Meet your new brother. It's not his fault that the King is such a... well, Saiyan. You've always wondered what a sibling would be like... Slightly mproves reputation with Vegeta Cacuber. 10% chance to decrease reputation with King Vegeta.
[X] Internal Ki Manipulation: Allows you to become more aware of your own Ki at a faster rate. Lets you meditate easier, and makes other Ki Abilities easier to learn and hone. [X]Ki Burst: A rapid-fire blast of small bolts, instead of a single beams. Fires three attacks instead of one. x.3 Damage multiplier(deals 30% damage). [X]Meditate for a while. Simple breathing exercises help a lot, might relieve some stress... [X]Follow Onian to his afternoon training session. Now that you're old enough to mostly take care of yourself, he's started training again. Odds are low he'd let you do anything, but you might learn a thing or two... Chance to improve your Reputation with Onian.
[X] Ki Suppression
While not very Saiyan, being able to hide ourself would be a boon. [X]Ki Burst
I'm of the opinion that Death By A Thousand Cuts is the best tactic, and as such pick the option with more possible hits even if it does less damage individually. [X]Blow some shit up in the gardens
That said, we have an excuse to blow off steam. [X]Meet your new brother
And fuck what Dad thinks, it's not like our condition is contagious.
PLEASE only copy the bolded sections when voting, or move the rest of the text to a different line. If you don't, it comes up as a different vote option and may not be counted.
[X] Internal Ki Manipulation
[X]Ki Burst
[X]Meditate for a while
[X]Follow Onian
We hopefully won't need any ki sense or suppression for now so I'd rather make our training more efficient with manipulation. I also like Onian and our survival might come to depend on him so I'd like for him to be loyal to us as a person.
