Z-Souls

In the DBU system, Z-Souls represent your Character, indicating the strengths, weaknesses, morality and dynamic qualities of their persona. It defines your Character’s mannerisms, behavior, and disposition. A Z-Soul should clearly reflect your Character’s background, origin, or concept. You will work with your ARC to create a persona for your Character.

Making a Z-Soul. To make a Z-Soul, follow the steps below:

• The first and most important step is to consider your Character and what kind of personality they have.
• The second step is to confirm their overarching Alignment.
• Once you have a clear image of your Character, think of a quote that summarizes them and write a general description underneath to help your ARC get a greater understanding of your Character.

Alignment. In the Dragon World, the alignment of your soul is detectable through your Ki and exists less in a world of moral grays but more objective shades by some kind of universal standard. As such, Alignment can be seen as a sliding scale that can be numerically rated. The alignments are:

• Pure Good (2): There is no evil in your heart.
• Good (1): While you are on the side of good, there are hints of evil within you.
• Neutral (0): You live a life unsubscribed to an overarching ‘good’ or ‘evil’ agenda.
• Evil (-1): While you are on the side of evil, there are hints of good within you.
• Pure Evil (-2): There is no good in your heart.

Karma Points

Karma Meter. A Z-Soul has two primary functions. First, it establishes some abstract character trait that defines your Character, to ensure your Character isn’t just a piece of paper full of numbers. Second, it gives you and your group an incentive to properly role-play by giving bonuses to Combat Encounters.

You can possess up to 4 Karma Points. You can gain Karma Points by accomplishing particularly heroic or astonishing in-game deeds, but Karma is generally gained through proper role-playing at the cost of playing into your drawbacks and the deeper elements of your Character’s personality, or by accomplishing a special or important task that reaffirms your core persona. You can also lose Karma Points if you perform or act in a way that conflicts with your Z-Soul. If you make decisions that conflict with your Character’s Z-Soul or make compromises that go against their world view, your ARC may decide to make you lose a Karma Point to show the strong emotional impact it has on your Character.

Karma should be gained relatively sparsely, but ultimately how regularly they are gained is up to the tone of the campaign being played.

Starting Karma. At Character Creation, you possess 2 Karma Points.

Spending Karma. You can employ Karma Points to modify in-game circumstances in your Character’s favor. Typically this is done through the various Karmic Effects, which each have a Karma Cost – representing how many Karma Points you must spend to use that Karmic Effect. All Karmic Effects can occur at any point both when Adventuring or while in a Combat Encounter, they can even be used during a Maneuver if it is appropriate.

You are also required to spend 1 Karma to survive when Defeated by a Character who intends to end your Character’s life (see– Defeat).

You can only apply one Karmic Effect at a time.

Karmic Effects

Dynamic: You can do anything!
–Karma Cost: Variable – depends on what your ARC decides.
–Effect: You can request anything from your ARC – it may be a potential bonus, a change to the narrative, the ability to do something outside the bounds of your Maneuvers, or otherwise. This Karmic Effect may include a Challenge (when Adventuring) or another form of Clash/Check while in a Combat Encounter, but ultimately it is down to you and your ARC’s creativity to bring your thoughts to life through this Karmic Effect.

Karmic Boost: You pour your heart and soul into the fight to ensure your desired outcome.
–Karma Cost: 1
–Effect: After making a Combat Roll, when you know the result of the Clash it was involved in, you may roll an Extra Dice equal to your Greater Dice (before any modifications) and then increase the Dice Score by 1(bT). Apply this Dice Score to your Combat Roll. This may change the outcome of the Clash that Combat Roll was involved in.

Karmic Save: Through sheer determination, you persevere to succeed in avoiding an attack you wouldn’t have otherwise.
–Karma Cost: 1
–Effect: If you lose a Clash that was initiated by an Opponent or due to a Challenge (see — Adventure), you may use this Karmic Effect to instead succeed at that Clash. A Karmic Save can only be used against Clashes that use your Saving Throws, Skills, or Might.

Karmic Chance: You manage to override random chance through sheer force of will.
–Karma Cost: 1
–Effect: After seeing the result of any die, you may use this Karmic Effect to reroll that die. You must accept this second roll, unless it’s lower than the first. In which case, you may take the first roll.

Karmic Technique: With sheer passion, you unlock a new technique.
–Karma Cost: 1
–Effect: Create a Signature Technique or purchase a Unique Ability during a Combat Encounter, as long as you have the Technique Points necessary.

Karmic Desperation: Through desperate need, you manage to defend against an attack that you were unprepared for.
–Karma Cost: 1
–Effect: If you are targeted by an Attacking Maneuver, you may use the Defend Maneuver without spending a Counter Action.

Karmic Assault: With every fiber of your being, you push a ton of extra power into your attack.
–Karma Cost: 2
–Effect: If you use an Ultimate Signature Technique, you may apply a Super Profile of your choice to that Attacking Maneuver.