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.
• Finally, select Benefits and Drawbacks that fit your character! Your ARC may not allow Benefits and Drawbacks in their game, so make sure to ask if they’ll be incorporating this rule.

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 10 Karma Points. You can gain Karma Points by accomplishing particularly heroic or astonishing in-game deeds. Karma is generally gained through proper role-playing at the cost of playing into your drawbacks, 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 your character chooses to act against their persona or personal judgment, they might lose a Karma Point. 

If your Karma Points drop to 2 or lower, you will suffer from negative effects depending on how many Karma Points you have remaining:

• 2: Reduce the Natural Result of all rolls by 1.
• 1: Reduce the Natural Result of all rolls by 2.
• 0: Reduce the Natural Result of all rolls by 3. Additionally, reduce your Combat Rolls by 1(bT).

Starting Karma. At Character Creation, you possess 5 Karma Points. You can earn more Karma Points through roleplay.

Spending Karma. You can employ Karma Points to modify in-game circumstances in your character’s favor. Spending Karma is considered an Out-of-Sequence Maneuver and can be done at any time, even during rolls or after you find out the result. As you are rewarded and accumulate Karma Points, you can spend your points to gain temporary bonuses, special re-rolls or you may even be allowed to change the environment to suit your needs. Below are examples of what you can spend your Karma Points to perform. Typically, in most events where you spend Karma Points, you will spend one point, although sometimes your ARC might require you to spend more than one.

• Karmic Boost. You can spend 1 Karma Point to add an Extra Dice equal to your current Critical Result Extra Dice to any Combat Roll, even after it has already been made and you know the result. Increase the Dice Score by 1(bT).
• Karmic Boost (Alter). You can spend 1 Karma Point to add a 1d6 to any Stress Test, Might Clash, Saving Throw, Ability Check or Skill Check, even after it has already been made and you know the result.
• If your Life Points are reduced to 0 in a battle of life or death, you must spend 1 Karma Point to survive.
• You can spend 1 Karma Point to completely re-roll any roll. If you do, increase the Natural Result by 2.
• You can spend 1 Karma Point to change your character’s position in the Initiative order to take their turn first this Combat Round. You do not gain Initiative Advantage through this method.
• You can spend 1 Karma Point to create a Signature Technique or purchase a Unique Ability during a Combat Encounter, as long as you have the Technique Points necessary.
• You can spend 1 Karma Point when using a Transformation Maneuver or the Power Up Maneuver to remove any current Battle Weather, replacing it with the Sunny Day Battle Weather. Your ARC can add or change Battle Weather afterwards, but not until the start of the next Combat Round.
• You can spend 2 Karma Points to use a Maneuver that requires a Counter Action even if you do not have one.
• You can spend 2 Karma Points to automatically succeed any Saving Throw, as long as it’s not a Clash that you have initiated.
• You can spend 2 Karma Points to support another character in a Duel Maneuver. This can either be through using the Empower Maneuver with them as the target, or by making a single attack against the target. You do not roll Strike for this attack roll, simply roll your Wound Roll and add it onto your ally’s next roll for the Duel Maneuver. You cannot Ki Wager on an Attacking Maneuver made this way.
• Karma Points can be used to alter your character’s abilities for a one-time usage, such as through allowing a Transformation to temporarily benefit from the Inspiring Transformation talent, or by allowing you to perform an action that is typically not allowed in the system, such as slapping away a character thrown towards you. Get creative, but don’t be upset if your ARC denies your crazy idea!