P2129: Mechanics v2

 This is a pastebin describing the mechanics of Persona Quest. They may be changed at the QM's discretion.

 Contents:
	-Voting
	-Dice Rolls
	-Personas and the Velvet Room
	-Social Links
	-Social Stats
	-Combat Stats and Skills
	-C. EXP and LEVEL UPs
	-Macca and Inventory
	-Build EXP and Safehouse

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[VOTING]

Choices will be given like this:
>This is a choice.
>This is another choice.
>This is yet another choice. How quaint.
>"This is a choice in quotes."
>[SOCIAL STAT] This is a choice whose success is based off one of Takashi’s social stats. Will incur a roll if requirement is not met. Penalty is equivalent to (Required Rank – Current Rank) * (Dice Number / 20). Requirements will be placed next like so: (EXAMPLE SOCIAL STAT Rank 3 Needed).
>[ABILITY/STAT/SKILL/ITEM] This choice involves the usage of an ability, a regular stat or a skill. May incur a roll.
>[LOCKED] This is a locked choice and cannot be chosen. These will only be displayed for hints of future stuff or as jokes. They will have their requirements placed next to them like so: (EXAMPLE SOCIAL STAT Rank 3 Needed).
>Custom option. You can write whatever you want here.

Voting generally ends after ten to fifteen minutes; twenty to twenty-five is given for the opening post. You may choose more than one option, unless it includes a locked choice.

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[DICE ROLLS]

Both d20 and d100 are used, depending on the situation. Crits are always on. Critfails are on except in very specific scenarios where it would be unfair on the players (loot drops, exam rolls etc). Combat is not part of aforementioned category.

At times, multiple dice may be used.

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[PERSONAS and the VELVET ROOM]

Takashi’s main gimmick is that he isn’t limited to just one Persona. He is able to wield multiple due to the power of the Wild Card. Unfortunately, he isn’t as inherently gifted as his predecessors and can only equip a limited amount of Personas at a time. This can be increased by levelling up the Fool Social Link or completing additional side objectives.

Personas can be acquired and exchanged in the Velvet Room. Something has changed and the usual Persona fusion is no longer available. At least retrieving Personas out of the Compendium no longer requires Macca.

New Personas will be granted when the associated Social Link reaches a certain level. A selection will be shown and you will be given the option to choose one. When a new Persona is chosen, the power of the Social Link will be focused on that Persona alone. All previous Personas will no longer receive any Social Link bonuses.

Of course, it’s possible to reject the new Personas and have the power of the Social Link continue to focus on the old one. What effects could this potentially have…?


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[SOCIAL LINKS]

Social Links are representations of the bonds Takashi shares with others, each one based off a particular Major Arcana. As the power of the Wild Card comes the strength of one's bonds, levelling up Social Links is crucial to progressing through the quest. This is usually done by spending time with the people involved. Some Social Links will progress naturally, most must be manually taken care of.

All Social Links begin at Level 1 and max out at Level 10. Levelling up a particular Social Link increases the power of the Personas of that Arcana. It may also unlock additional Personas within the Velvet Room.

Social Links have five main states:
	-NORMAL: The default state of a Social link. The link is proceeding as usual.
	-MAXED: The Social Link has reached its end and an unbreakable bond has been formed. The Ultimate Persona of that Social Link’s Arcana is thus rewarded.
	-REVERSED: The Social Link no longer represents a bond of friendship and love, but rather one of enmity and hatred. A Social Link will gain this status if Takashi heavily offends the people involved. Examples include refusing to spend time with the people holding the Link, giving improper answers during conversations or booking two holiday invitations on one day. All associated Personas will be weakened. The reverse effect will last until Takashi reconciles with the Social Link’s participants.
	-BROKEN: The Social Link is destroyed and almost irreparable. Takashi can no longer wield the associated Personas. It is possible to fix a Broken Social Link back to Normal, but it is very difficult…
	-DEAD: The Social Link is dead. This only occurs if one or more of the participants has died. Obviously, it cannot increase or decrease. All bonuses gained in the past will be retained, but the associated Personas will neither grow nor weaken.

Takashi’s Social Links will also influence the battle potential of the people involved. The deeper their bonds are with him, the stronger they become. This is especially important for fellow AETHER Party Members. When their Social Links reach certain levels, you will be given options to improve their stats and acquire new abilities.


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[SOCIAL STATS]

There are four crucial social stats: UNDERSTANDING, CHARISMA, INTELLIGENCE, WILLPOWER. Levelling them up is crucial to the player’s progress. They will unlock dialogue choices, Social Links, special interactions with characters, improve dice rolls and much more. Each one has six main ranks and three negative ranks. Negative ranks are only really there for storytelling purposes.

 he requirement for each rank will be revealed when the rank below it has been achieved.

UNDERSTANDING: The ability to empathize with your fellow man. You need to this if you want to comprehend what others are feeling. Good for maintaining relationships and forgiving others.

-Sociopath (-200)
-Callous (-120)
-Cold Hearted (-50)
-Insensitive (-15)
-Basic (0)
-Average (15)
-Kindly (60)
-Generous (150)
-Brotherly
-Saintly

It can be increased by…
-Reading some books
-Being selfless and kind to others

CHARISMA: The ability to influence and convince others. It is a combination of appearance, strength of character and charm. Some individuals will only talk to you once this has increased to a certain level. Good for seeing through deception, resisting coercion, haggling prices and manipulating others. Can potentially avoid combat scenarios.

-Withdrawn (-220)
-Misanthrope (-100)
-Reclusive (-50)
-Distant (-15)
-Unsocial (0)
-Ordinary (15)
-Assertive (65)
-Confident (150)
-Popular
-Divine

It can be increased by…
-Reading some books
-Attending drama classes
-Selecting certain dialogue choices
-Increasing one's reputation around school.

INTELLIGENCE: The amount of knowledge and the ability to learn, think and remember. Useful when one encounters unfamiliar situations or needs to think quickly. Increasing this is crucial to scoring high on exams.

-Complete Dunce (-200)
-Stupid (-100)
-Feeble Minded (-60)
-Thick (-20)
-Slacker (0)
-General (20)
-Decent (70)
-Smart (160)
-Expert
-Scholar

It can be increased by…
-Studying at home or with friends
-Listening in class
-Providing the correct answer in classes
-Reading books

WILLPOWER: The strength of one’s mind and personality. Allows a person to persevere through difficult circumstances and emerge without losing confidence. Good for intimidating others, resisting temptation and keeping one’s cool in the face of danger. Can also be used to frighten others and coerce them into obeying you.
-Craven Doormat (-200)
-Spineless (-100)
-Faint Hearted (-60)
-Anxious (-15)
-Mild (0)
-Standard (20)
-Reliable (65)
-Determined (160)
-Courageous
-Heroic

It can be increased by…
-Attending sports clubs.
-Training your body.
-Winning duels
-Fighting optional bosses.

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[COMBAT STATS and SKILLS]

See the Persona, Character Sheet and Spell/Skill pastebins for more information. The links are found in the quest OP.

But the rundown is that every person has six main attributes. They are STRENGTH, MAGIC POTENTIAL, ENDURANCE, AGILITY, LUCK and DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL. These are all measured with a letter ranking system, starting from E- and increasing to A+ (then S-, S and S+).

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[C. EXP and LEVEL UPs]

C. EXP stands for COMPETENCE EXPERIENCE. It is gained by fighting against any living creature, whether it be a human, Denizen or Shadow. Once you have enough C. EXP equivalent or more than the denominator (i.e. requirement), you may LEVEL UP. When you LEVEL UP, you will grow stronger. Depending on the circumstances, you may increase base stats, learn new abilities, gain new perks or even a combination of all three.

Once you LEVEL UP, your C. EXP will drop to 0. This will occur even if your C. EXP is greater than the requirement (i.e numerator > denominator). You may hoard C. EXP if you wish. Doing this will increase the potency of any future LEVEL UPs, to a certain level. That is to say, the bonuses granted will be larger and better.

Power is this quest is not ranked by numbers, but rather by letters. However, there may be a difference of strength between individuals of the same rank. That difference is the number is LEVEL UPs they have acquired. For example, a D-rank with 0 LEVEL UPs is inferior to a D-rank with 5 LEVEL UPs. So work hard and try to gain as many C. EXP and LEVEL UPs as you can.

You may need to spend C. EXP at certain points.

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[MACCA and INVENTORY]

The currency of Japan is no longer yen. It’s Macca now. You need it to buy items and bride others. It works in the Blackened Void and the Forlorn Abyss…somehow.

You will encounter a number of items during the quest. Stuff like weapons, equipment, healing goods, combat items and special items. Some are bought in stores, others are found as treasures in the Blackened Void. Use them when the situation requires for it. You may even persuade others with certain items.

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[BUILD EXP and SAFEHOUSE]

In the middle of the Blackened Void, there lies the AETHER Player’s safehouse. It can be modified through the use of Build EXP, which is gained from completing AETHER missions. Any modifications made are instantaneous. As time passes, more options will be made available. The safehouse upgrades will have plot significance, so get building.

Of course, you don’t have to use the magical computer program to construct the safehouse. You could just do it manually…