Transformation Rules

Transformation is the act of changing one’s body into another form in order to tap into greater stores of energy, strength, and speed. There are four types of transformations: Alternate Forms, Enhancement Powers, Manifested Powers and Legendary Forms. Alternate Forms are a powerful but temporary change, Enhancement Powers are potent, supportive transformations, Manifested Powers are a permanent but weaker change and Legendary Forms are the pinnacle of transformations, difficult to obtain but incredibly potent, usually with their own unique additional rules.

Transforming. Characters can voluntarily enter a form and revert to their normal state or a lesser stage of a transformation at will. To transform into a transformation requires a Transformation Maneuver. Reverting back to your normal state or a lower stage of a transformation is an Instant Action.

Stages of an Alternate Form or Legendary Form are considered a transformation for all rules that refer to transformations.

Forms entries. A table lists Attribute Modifiers, denoted by their first two letters, that are increased when you are using a form by the bonus listed below them. You benefit from these bonuses as long as you are in the transformed state. Some transformations have multiple stages or levels. Each stage gains the benefits of the previous stage unless otherwise specified.

Combining Transformations. Most transformations are incompatible with one another and cannot be used together. Alternate Forms and Legendary Forms cannot be used with another Alternate Form or Legendary Form. Manifested Powers, however, due to their permanence still give their benefits when in a transformed state. The only true case of transformation stacking can be seen in Enhancement Powers, that can be used in conjunction with both Alternate and Legendary Forms.

Although Legendary Forms cannot be used with Alternate Forms or Legendary Forms, the Legendary Traits they give as a bonus are still applied to other transformations you enter.

Interactions. The increase to your Attributes given by a transformation does NOT increase your Saving Throws or Skills while you are in that transformed state. Additionally, your Life Points are not increased by a bonus to your Tenacity Modifier. Only checks that specifically mention the Attribute Modifier benefit from your transformed Attributes, other than attack rolls and Initiative. The only exception to this is Manifested Powers.

Accessibility. Transformations are accessible purely by the stance of your ARC. Some ARCs may like transformations to be earned through story, good roleplaying or downtime activities. Always ask your ARC at the start of your game what transformations are available to you.

Additionally, some transformations are locked behind a Tier of Power requirement, meaning that you can NOT use a form until you meet that specific form’s Tier of Power requirement. As an example, you can NOT use the Enhancement form Godly Powers unless you are Tier of Power 4+. Keep in mind that your ARC might decide to change or limit when or how you gain transformations.

Transformation Types

Manifested Powers. Manifested Powers are permanent transformations which will always be active after being gained. You can gain the same Manifested Power multiple times, resulting in improving its traits and gaining its Attribute Modifier Bonus multiple times.

• Permanent Improvement. The Attribute bonuses from a Manifested Power can increase your maximum Life Points, Saving Throws and Skill rolls. However, you only use half of the Attribute Modifier Bonus (rounded down) for the purpose of Permanent Improvement. For instance, if you gain a +2 bonus to Tenacity, you only treat your Tenacity Modifier as +1 higher for the sake of deciding Life Points and for your Corporeal Saving Throw.
• Natural State. For all effects and traits that refer to transformations, Manifested Powers are not considered transformations unless specifically stated otherwise.

Alternate Forms. In the Dragon World, there are many different and powerful beings that can change or rapidly evolve. Perhaps the most iconic is the legendary Super Saiyan transformation. Alternate Forms have these additional rules:

• Ki Multiplier. When you use a Transformation Maneuver to transform into this transformation, double your maximum Ki Pool and Capacity Rate, then restore Ki Points equal to half of your new Capacity Rate. You can NOT gain this effect more than once every five rounds and this effect does NOT stack.
• Threshold Breaker. If you transform while under the effects of any Health Threshold, reduce the threshold’s penalty to zero for three turns. At the end of your third turn the effects return to normal. If you suffer from another Health Threshold while under the effects of Threshold Breaker those effects are also reduced to zero for the remainder of your initial three turns.
• Stacking Power. If a form has more than one stage the attribute bonuses from each stage stack with the previous stage. As an example, if you are using Super Saiyan 2 the attribute bonuses from Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 will be added to your normal attributes. If you are using Super Saiyan 3 the attribute bonuses from Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3 will be added to your normal attributes.
• Legend Realized. You cannot gain this effect more than once per stage, during a Combat Encounter. The first time you use the Transformation Maneuver to transform into this transformation, roll a solid 2d10(T) plus your Power Level and restore that many Life and Ki Points. You can gain this effect once for each stage of a transformation, as if each stage was a different transformation.
• Step-by-Step Transformation. While you are in this transformation, when you transform into a different Alternate Form or Legendary Form, you may reduce the initial Stress Test Requirement by an amount equal to your current transformation’s Tier of Power Requirement. Increase this reduction by -1 if you are transforming into a higher stage of the same Alternate Form. Step-by-Step Transformation only applies to the initial Stress Test to enter the transformation. Further Stress Tests use the normal Stress Test Requirement.

Enhancement Power. Enhancement Powers are more taxing than Alternate Forms and require you to pass a Stress Test at the start of every turn. Unlike other transformations you can use an Enhancement Power in conjunction with other transformations, meaning that when you are using an Alternate Form you can still transform into an Enhancement Power and the bonuses stack together; though you can still elect to use most Enhancement Powers independently as well.

• Stacking Strength. When you use an Enhancement Power along with another transformation, add 1/2 of the Stress Test Requirement from the transformation with the lower Stress Test onto the transformation with the higher Stress Test’s Stress Test Requirement. This is the Stress Test Requirement you must meet to maintain both transformations. You must roll this Stress Test every turn as per Enhancement Power rules and if you fail it, you exit both forms and suffer from Stress Exhaustion.
  
  You may choose to leave an Enhancement Power as an Instant Action. When you do so, you do not suffer from Stress Exhaustion. If you are in another transformation at the time, you do not exit that transformation.
• Accumulating Power. You can NOT have two or more different Enhancement Powers active at one time unless a rule states otherwise. As an example, if you activate Kaioken you can NOT then activate Enraged. If you attempt to activate a second Enhancement Power, then the first Enhancement Power you activated will automatically end.

Legendary Form. A Legendary Form is a transformation brought about by unique circumstances coming together to give way to a level of power not normally accessible. Legendary Forms can sometimes be the combination of two or more transformations, creating a new, higher tier of power or they can be a completely unique transformation brought about by any number of legendary reasons. An ARC should be careful when giving out Legendary Forms, as they tend to be incredibly powerful. While using a Legendary Form, you must roll a Stress Test at the start of each of your turns. Legendary Forms are very taxing. When you fall out of a Legendary Form for any reason, increase the number of Combat Rounds you suffer Stress Exhaustion by +1. Legendary Forms have these additional rules:

• Inheritance. Legendary Forms possess the ‘Ki Multiplier’, ‘Threshold Breaker’ and ‘Legend Realized’ rules possessed by Alternate Forms.
• Legendary Traits. Each Legendary Form has a Legendary Trait, which is a trait that is active even when you are not transformed into that state. Simply gaining access to a Legendary Form gives you permanent access to these traits.
• Shatter Your Limits.  You overcome your ceiling, breaking through your absolute limit. With your ARC’s permission, at any time after reaching Tier of Power 6, you may select one Legendary Form you have gained mastery of and gain the ability to Shatter Your Limits when in that transformation. The transformation must be the highest stage of a Legendary Form if it has multiple stages. You can Shatter Your Limits by using a Transformation Maneuver while in your selected transformation, your Stress Test Requirement for this Transformation Maneuver and your transformation while benefiting from Shatter Your Limits is increased by +6. If you manage to succeed at your Stress Test, increase your Tier of Power by +1 (see – Breakthrough), immediately gain Legend Realized as if you had entered another transformation, gain +2 levels of the Durable Form and Draining Aspects and increase the Attribute Modifier Bonuses of this transformation by +1/2. This bonus is applied after the effects of all traits affecting that transformation.
  
  Any transformation that has access to the Natural Form Aspect loses it while benefiting from Shatter Your Limits.
• Legendary Scaling. Legendary Forms can also have multiple stages like Alternate Forms but there are some differences. The attribute bonuses are carried over between stages but not every trait is also carried over due to the immense power of Legendary Forms. As such, if a trait of a higher stage has a trait of a lower stage depicted in brackets then it means that it replaces that trait. For example, Deific Super Saiyan has Divine Acclimation in brackets after its name meaning that it replaces that trait.
  
  Additionally, Legendary Forms with multiple stages have stages to their Legendary Traits, depicted in roman numerals. You gain access to the Legendary Traits equal to and below the highest stage of the Legendary Form you have access to. For example, Super Saiyan Blue is the second stage of the Super Saiyan God Legendary Form, so you have access to both Divine Remnants and Divine Remnants II after unlocking it.

Mastery. Alternate Forms and Legendary Forms can both be mastered, increasing the effectiveness of those transformations. Mastery is typically given by ARCs to show your progress through the use of the transformation, but with ARC permission can be gained through Downtime Activities as well.

If an Alternate Form has multiple stages, Mastery must be obtained for each individual stage.

New Level of Power. When you enter a transformation for the first time, for the remainder of that Combat Encounter, treat its Stress Test as -1(T) lower and treat your Tier of Power as +1 higher (see – Breakthrough in Core Rules).

Stress Test

Stress Test. Transformations can be taxing; when you attempt to use a Transformation Maneuver, you will need to take a stress test. If successful you will transform; if you fail, you will not transform and cannot attempt to use the transformation for the remainder of your turn. Additionally, when you reach a health threshold you will need to take a stress test. If successful you maintain the transformation, if you fail you will suffer stress exhaustion.

The test represents the sustain cost and the toll a transformation takes on your body. Making the test takes no time in-game and is rolled only when the rules call for it. Some forms do not have a listed stress test TN; these don’t require you to roll a test. A stress test’s TN can also be referred to as the Stress Test Requirement.

To make a stress test, roll a d10, add your power level and 1/2 of your base Personality Modifier (rounded down). Do NOT add additional dice from Tier of Power. Stress tests cannot be modified by Combat Conditions and are Solid Dice. (See – Attacking & Conditions)

Stress Exhaustion. If you pass a stress test, you maintain your form. If the test is failed, you will immediately return to your normal state and lose the form’s benefits. When you return to your normal state, reduce your current ki points by 1/2, to a minimum of 10, then return your capacity rate and your maximum ki pool to their normal values. You also cannot use another transformation for 3 rounds.

If you willingly end any type of transformation that causes Stress Exhaustion when the form ends, reduce the effects of stress exhaustion as follows: only 1/4 of your ki pool is reduced and you can not use another transformation for 1 round instead.

Returning to Normal. While using any type of transformation, other than Manifested Powers, if at any point you are defeated, become unconscious, or are reduced to 0 ki points, you will return to your normal state.