REGAINS

[interdimanagers]

☆MUSIC POWER Before we can talk about regains, first we gotta talk about Music Power. What is Music Power, you ask, with an incredulous look on your face? Why, Music Power (hereby referred to as "MP") is the reason that Vista's record labels chose you of all the people in the multiverse to abduct and make into a media sensation. You see, people with extraordinary experiences and powerful souls can channel that energy into music - or MP, in this case. When your character composes and performs music inspired by the essence of their lost memories, the sheer pathos transforms into a form of raw magical energy that can be used for various things. In this case, your record labels want it so that their CEOs can ascend to a higher plane of existence. So, while they are going to be sucking up most of your efforts, there is the issue of what can be done with the small amounts of overflow left behind. That decision is mostly up to you - provided you don't get caught, of course. In game terms, excess MP is generated by you gathering bonus AC points by putting in extra effort and during monthly activity checks. Activity checks are explained in more detail elsewhere, so what we're going to talk about here is what you can do with your well deserved spoils. There are two major paths one can take in spending their bonus MP: the path of Contraband and the path of Fame. ☆CONTRABAND Contraband is pretty much everything you would expect out of a memory loss and power nerfing game. With payments of excess MP to a Mysterious Benefactor, your character will be allowed to reclaim powers (at a reduced level) and physical aspects of who they used to be. Oddly enough, memories themselves seem to be difficult to bargain for. Maybe restoring them is more complicated than it seems. ► Regain Minor Feature (5): Minor physical feature such as eye colour, hair color, pointy nails, or regaining or losing an inch or two of height. Nothing that notably increases physical power, acuity, or endurance. ► Regain Moderate Feature (15): Moderate physical change. A physical change that actually changes the functioning of the body. Changed eyes that give better eyesight, antenna with sensory abilities, tails that enhance balance, horns or claws that could be used as weapons, etc. Nothing beyond the capabilities of a Minor Power. Also includes substantial but useless changes like tinted skin, coloured blood, weird hair, or horns that are visibly obvious but also useless, etc. ► Regain Maximum Feature (45): Physical changes that are very obvious and give significant physical advantage, up to the potency of a Moderate Power. This includes things like wings, metal skin or scales that provide defense, fish parts that let you breathe and move underwater, etc. If you want to add the full strength of a Maximum Power to this physical change you will have to pay the 60 MP difference as another purchase. ► Regain Minor Power (15): You regain a relatively minor or non-narratively relevant power. Party trick style abilities like glowing or hovering are included in this, as well as things that can't really be applied well to a roleplay setting, like mild precognition. ► Regain Moderate Power (30): With this, you can regain a power with moderate combat or strategic relevance, like throwing reasonably sized fireballs or turning into a cat. This category includes any powers that aren't covered by Minor or Maximum abilities. ► Regain Maximum Power (90): This is the strongest level of power any character will be able to regain, even if the canon version would be more potent. Interdimensional travel is rough on supernatural powers, and so there is a pretty rigid powercap. Maximum powers can have destructive capabilities that could do significant damage to the structure of a building, or punch through metal in a focused blast. It also includes things like being able to take mental hold reliably over three or four targets at a time, or physical abilities like massive super strength. This is also the only level that will allow you to have perfect regeneration or near invulnerability. IMPORTANT: Contraband regains, by nature, are something your managers and CEOs are not going to be happy with. They must be kept secret, because if you are discovered to have them you will be punished, and also probably lose whatever contraband they've realized you have. Not lost forever, of course - just suppressed until a time at which they can be brought out again. You won't waste MP this way, but being discovered does mean you won't get as much use out of them for a while. This does mean that restoring physical traits is a gamble, especially if you're going for big ones. ☆FAME Fame is what you get for going along with what your record labels want. It represents you essentially rocking so hard that they realize what significant treasure trove of soul you've got inside of you, and spoil you as a result. Cooperation is always rewarded! Even if you never had much of a choice in the first place. Channeling extra MP towards your label mostly gains you advantages and tools for your life as a star, while turning your back on the person you used to be. Out with the old, in with the new, as they say! ► Rewarded With Power: This is what comes from learning to channel excess MP into tangible effects on the world around you. It starts out as emotional and mental influence, but can gradually grow into something much more potent. The next level is unlocked once the first has been purchased by at least one character. These must be purchased in sequential order. Empathic Influence (20): The ability to supernaturally influence other people's emotions with music. You must be singing or playing an instrument for this advantage to function, but it can be used on crowds of people at a time. Mental Manipulation (25): Building upon the empathic influence ability, the user is now capable of actively controlling the minds of others, as well as fabricating and erasing memories. They must be performing music of any sort at the time for it to work - lyrics are not necessary but appropriately crafted ones help. They must be able to gain the victim’s attention, proceeding to lock them into a hypnotised state until the song ends. Effectiveness reduces with each additional target, and it is subject to resistance based on the strength of a victim’s mind. Manipulations may occur in a sort of shared hallucinatory state, where the performer “enter’s the victim’s mind” in order to make changes. It is sort of surreal. Reality Bending (30): The power imbued by your music has transcended matters of the spirit and mind to the full-blown altering of physical reality. Reality bending is limited to when a character is actively performing (instrumental or voice) and tends to follow a kind of “music video” or “musical number” kind of stage logic. Pyrotechnics may by conjured from nothing with an intense guitar solo, clothing may transfigure to reflect a sudden costume change mid-song, or a character may become physically stronger and faster during a power ballad. Its maximum potential is only really limited by the imagination, but this level reflects a novice understanding of the art and its potential uses. Any questions regarding specific effects should be directed to the mods. Sorcery, Beginner (30): Instead of just riding the music’s wave to alter reality, this level allows a musician to fine tune their manipulations and to store up ambient musical energy for more direct uses of magical force. That is to say, they can fill up a magical reserve that can be used for casting actual spells, which is exactly what it sounds like. This includes but is not limited to things as basic as throwing fireballs to more complex ritual incantations with more metaphysical effects. Rituals are always going to involve music, but the effects aren’t limited to the duration of the song. This level represents a beginner’s understanding of the craft, and should only be used for very basic spell effects. If you are uncertain of what that means, then please do ask the mods. It is limited by the amount of energy one can store up, also - the bigger the effect the more energy it costs. Energy can only be regained by playing music to an audience. Sorcery, Adept (40): Your beginner’s knowledge of arcane music has developed into a complete understanding. Now, along with straightforward spell effects like manipulating the elements, boosting strength, or temporary flight, you can use your magical energies to create more complex enchantments. This includes: bewitching objects or people will context specific magic (spells that are only triggered when certain circumstances are met, like traps or things targeted to specific people only), transformation (changing your shape or other people’s shapes), or collecting large enough swaths of energy to bestow yourself with permanent additional abilities (becoming permanently strong, fast, etc). Anything really ambitious needs to be approved by the mods, especially things that grant permanent, character changing effects. Any spells that make permanent changes require a great deal of energy (IE. additional MP from you or other people.) ► Rewarded With Fortune: The splendors of fame and fortune, plain and simple. You've been doing your job so well, you're actually getting paid. Damn! This could also be considered general good will with your record label, and strongly effects how Managers and CEOs will react to you. The next level is unlocked once the first has been purchased by at least one character. These must be purchased in sequential order. Spending Money (20): Uncontrolled spending money of up to 10k dollars per month, within legal boundaries. Can only be used on relatively innocuous items that would be easy to acquire just by going on a shopping spree. Can be used on alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, and equivalents. Hooking You Up (20): Illegal, rare, or hard to acquire items given as gifts from the label. One item per month. Also includes expensive items like cars and super pricey electronics. Come straight from the CEOs on request, however, so asking for a machine gun probably won’t work. Can also include major additions to your penthouse. Buy Land (30): Being able to own and inhabit a private building or dwelling outside of the label’s penthouses. Can be used for a home or a business. Will be very fancy and upscale, and is all inclusive. Bandmates and friends can visit if they like, but can't come and live with you. This does not guarantee an absence of supervision by the execs. A Star is Born (30): You can become a solo artist! You are enough of a star that you no longer need a band, and can perform in any musical genre you choose. You have swaths of devoted fans that would probably die for you. If you stay in a band, people will consider the other members little more than window dressing or, at best, shipping fodder. You are a household name. You may have an NPC under your control that functions as your personal assistant. They may or may not be secretly a robot. You have a lot of money you can spend on basically whatever you want, just so long as it doesn’t go against your label’s wishes. Of course, for this level to last, you will have to consistently display clear loyalty towards your label. ??? (30): This advantage has not been unlocked. IMPORTANT: Your record label may generally approve of these advantages, but Fame does come with its own downsides, mostly in that by allowing yourself to indulge in these rewards you make yourself more vulnerable to your master's influences. Your CEO generally won't mention your use of Power abilities at first, but they may acknowledge your talent with a wink and a nudge - it seems like they're watching, and waiting to see what you'll do.