Ability Creation Preview

Ability Creation


Soul Essence is filled with many unique abilities and characters. As such, many characters have abilities from organizations and defined martial arts styles, it is not uncommon to see people pull out strange and powerful unique abilities in combat. This chapter deals not with creating Essence, Chi, or Arcane abilities, but rather creating unique character techniques. These are called Unique Dramatics.

Unique Dramatic Traits

Much thought and care must go into the design of a unique dramatic; these techniques are, in a large way, what defines your character, whether through their combat style, or the unique flair they bring to social situations. Dramatics are a combination of the following traits: Power, Priority, Precision, and Effects. While designing your Dramatic, remember that you do not need to necessarily have all of these traits; it is quite possible to create a Dramatic which only uses a single trait. An example might be the ability to simply set your sword aflame, by using just an Effect. In this example, since no points are spent in the other traits, your weapon would merely deal Fire-typed damage. Each of these traits is purchased using the Dramatic Flair your character obtains by leveling up. Each point of Dramatic Flair is spent from your total pool; note that these are permanent expenditures.

When Creating a Unique Dramatic, you must decide on what the Dramatic will use as its focus. If the focus is an attack Dramatic, you use the appropriate attack skills, if it is a social Dramatic, you would use the appropriate skill.

Dramatic Traits

Power: This is the base damage that is applied upon a successful hit using the technique. 1 point of extra damage is bought for 5 DF. The base damage cannot be more than doubled in this way. The base damage is based upon the weapon used in the technique.

Priority: This is used in determining the speed that the technique goes off on. Techniques created via DF have a base beat cost of 5, and cannot be reduced in cost to a value less than the beat cost of a basic attack. Priority has a DF cost of 25 for every 1 beat of reduction.

Precision: This is used as an added bonus to the black draw when using the technique. A +1 bonus is purchased for 5 DF. You cannot purchase more Precision than half of your base Mod.

Dramatic Effects

These are the various effects that are added onto Dramatics. If the player wishes to add on an effect that is not listed, it should be discussed with the GM for costs and approval.

Acrobatic Stunt Shop 10 Dramatic Flair
This effect is applied after a successful Acrobatics check. Upon the check being successful, (Target Number 0), you may add 1 extra Power and/or Precision (player's choice), to the attack check for every 4 points above the target number you score (minimum 2). This bonus only applies for this Dramatic.

Arc 5 Dramatic Flair
This technique allows the user to shoot at a target that is behind cover. There must still be some way for the projectile to reach the target, (they cannot be in an enclosed space) and the “arc” only has a range of 10 meters. Shots fired using this technique ignore half of the target's cover bonus to their defense check.

Air Swoop 5 Dramatic Flair
This technique can be used if your enemy is below you at least at a jumping distance away. You may use this technique and make a leaping attack upon them. This attack not only counts as a flank automatically, (even if the target is aware and facing you), but also enjoys double the normal bonus.

All Out 15 Dramatic Flair
Drop your defense score to zero until the next action. In exchange, treat this attack with your total defense as additional points to be split between Power and Precision.

Ballsy 10 Dramatic Flair
Take 3 points out of your defense stats until the next action. For every time you do this reduce the enemy’s armor Toughness by 2.

Blast 30 Dramatic Flair
All targets within 10 feet of the target of this attack take damage. Unless the Focused effect is taken, this does not distinguish friend or foe. This effect can be taken multiple times, each time it is taken the blast radius extends another 10 feet.

Breakthrough 25 Dramatic Flair
This attack ignores your opponent’s armor toughness.

Burning 30 Dramatic Flair
The enemy is considered on fire and suffers a -4 penalty on all actions and suffers 2 levels of heavy damage per action they take. They may take a 5 beat action at any time they have the beats available to attempt to put themselves out. This check is a simple card draw with no skill modifier and does not take the normal penalty that this effect inflicts.


Charging 50 Dramatic Flair
This technique can be charged up to make it more powerful. For every 2 beats you charge up, you may overturn an additional black card.

Crushing 35 Dramatic Flair
This ability simulates a huge amount of weight coming down on the enemy. Power is applied as automatic reduction to the enemies parry and block ability. This ability cannot reduce an opponent’s parry or block to less than 1.

Concussive 10 Dramatic Flair
If you critical with this ability you daze your opponent for beats equal to your success levels. While an enemy is dazed, they take a -2 penalty on all actions.

Defensive Follow-Up 40 Dramatic Flair
This ability can be used out of a successful defense check, to perform an automatic counterattack. The player must specify dodge or parry. You cannot add the All Out ability for the maneuver that has Defensive Follow-Up.


Destructible Scenery 25 Dramatic Flair
This effect causes the enemy to be knocked into scenery, and take extra damage equal to your character’s Style. If your Style is greater than foe’s they are also dazed for the difference between the two.

Dreadful 35 Dramatic Flair
Upon successful use of this unique Dramatic, the enemy must make a Conviction check in order to take defensive actions. The target number of the Conviction check is half of the attack check made.

Elemental Assault 10 Dramatic Flair
This move is considered an element of the user’s choice, decided upon when the user creates the Dramatic. Natural effects of this element (such as a water technique putting out a fire, or a fire technique setting off gunpowder) still apply.

Extreme Potency 40 Dramatic Flair
This effect raises the damage code of the Unique Dramatic by one stage. It may be purchased multiple times to raise the damage code all the way to Fatal.

Hit and Run 20 Dramatic Flair
This Technique allows you to hit multiple enemies at once. Each time you purchase this effect, you add an additional enemy which you may include in the strike. These enemies may be up to a full movement action apart each.

Inspiring Attack 35 Dramatic Flair
Upon this ability being used successfully, your allies feel enthusiastic, and cast off any distractions, assuming that which placed the effect on them does not have a higher Style than you.

Invigorating Strike 40/50 Dramatic Flair
When you successfully use a move with effect in it, you regain 20 drama points back. There are two options for this effect. If you wish to only take it once, then it costs 40 Dramatic Flair. Taking it more than once requires 50 Dramatic Flair per the number of times obtained.

Kiai! 5 Dramatic Flair
When you use this ability you must call out your Dramatic’s name. Doing so will grant the ability a bonus of 2 additional points of Power or Precision.

Knockback 5 Dramatic Flair
This technique knocks an enemy back 5 feet, plus additional feet for the degree of success on the attack draw on a 1 for 1 basis. This technique sends the opponent away from you in any direction of your choice, including into the air.

Linking 50 Dramatic Flair
This effect allows the Unique Dramatic that, if successful, to immediately allow the user to use another Unique Dramatic at no beat costs. The Unique Dramatic that is activated cannot have Linking as one of its effects.

Latching 5 Dramatic Flair
If the Unique Dramatic this effect is attached to succeeds, the opponent is automatically grappled.

Overbearing 10 Dramatic Flair
When an opponent parries an attack with this effect in it, they cannot make use of any automatic counterattacks.

Passive X Dramatic Flair
This effect causes the Dramatic to grant an effect for a period of time. Depending on the amount of time the Dramatic remains active, determines the cost of the effect. This costs 25 Dramatic Flair if the duration is a Scene or 10 Dramatic Flair for a single Round.

Pursuit 10 Dramatic Flair
Upon successful use of a Unique Dramatic with this effect, whenever your opponent gains a movement action, you gain an equal movement action. This movement action must be used in pursuit of the target who you used this ability on.

Pushdown 10 Dramatic Flair
This technique does not knock an enemy back, but forces the enemy to the ground for 2 beats if successful.

Spring Loaded 40 Dramatic Flair
This Unique Dramatic containing this effect can be performed on anyone’s turn, as long as you have the beats required to do so. You may choose to pre-empt another character’s action using this effect.


Negative Dramatic Effects
These effects, unlike the normal effects, give a flaw to your Unique Dramatic. However, they also refund a number of Dramatic Flair points.

Background Dependant +5 Dramatic Flair
This effect requires a specific object to be in the scene in order to use the ability, such as a table or a tree.

Diving +10 Dramatic Flair
This technique can only be used while you are diving through the air, or underwater.

Easily Read +5 Dramatic Flair per
Sometimes an attack is easily readable. As a result your enemy may add +2 to their attempts to defend against it. This effect can be taken multiple times, each time adding an additional +2 to the opponent’s defensive check.

Element specific
Must have the element present in order to use this technique

Grappling +5 Dramatic Flair
This technique can be used when you have an enemy grappled.

Lacking Any Grace +10 Dramatic Flair
You cannot benefit from Priority when this effect is added.

Leaping +5 Dramatic Flair
This attack requires you to be jumping towards or with the enemy.

Old School Tough +5 Dramatic Flair per
This effect adds +2 to the difficulty to Target Number needed to successfully pull off the Unique Dramatic this is attached to. This effect may be taken multiple times, adding an additional +2 to the Target Number.