Roleplay Energy System

The Roleplay Energy system is a simple, automated representation of energy and effort used during roleplay combat.
It is a percentage based resource system, that is flexible, and guideline driven. Accountability for the system is maintained by the players partaking in the system, and it is largely 'bargain' based.
This article will detail the guidelines for its use on the roleplay channels. Separate HFILES can be located on the MUD regarding these topics and the in-game commands and syntaxes to use it.

General Guidelines & Expectations

RPEnergy is intended to be used as a player-driven resource system to represent energy, and effort expended during combat on the roleplay channels.
Energy should be spent by a player as an indication of how much of their power they are using to push beyond their normal 'base' limits. Spending RPEnergy does not necessarily mean your character is going 'beyond' their Tier, or obtaining a new level of power. It simply represents that the action you are using that energy for is meant to be more powerful within the narrative of the combat, and the opposing player should treat that technique, skill, or attempt as such. Dodging, deflecting, or otherwise disengaging with that action should require you to spend an even greater deal of energy in order to perform that action. Characters with a significant Tier advantage may be able to negotiate that expense, but generally speaking, treat the techniques that other players spend their energy towards with more narrative significance.
RPEnergy cannot be reduced below 0%, nor can it go above 100% (Special situations withstanding). Players can, with this system, 'Ki-Transfer' a percent of their energy to another player in RP, but this will rarely ever be a one-to-one ratio. The exact amounts should be bargained for, or agreed upon by all players present in the roleplay.

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Recovery & Fatigue

Recovery of your RPenergy is based on a number of factors including the time you've spent outside the game (in real life), or whether the roleplay you've entered into is a 'time break' from current events (episodes involving the past, adjacent present moments, or even the future).
Your RPEnergy represents how fatigued, tired, damaged, or wounded your character might be from their previous battles, and encounters. Having ONE-HUNDRED-PERCENT of your energy means you are fully rested, fully prepared for another engagement, and have totally recovered from any lingering wounds or battle fatigue. Obtaining a Senzu bean, spending a significant amount of time in a healing chamber, or otherwise having spent a lot of (in real life or in-roleplay) downtime to recover. Being at ABSOLUTE-ZERO means your character is staring death in the face, you barely have enough energy to maintain basic functions of your body, and even one more 'push' could send you to Yemma's check-in station.
It's common that you begin a roleplay below 100%. One-hundred-percent RPEnergy is achieved at the beginning of new 'arcs' of storytelling, or if you have done something narratively to address your energy reserves, or otherwise was an intentional choice in preparation for a conflict you knew of on the horizon. It is likely you will retain wounds, and battle-damage from previous fights, injuries that an active warrior of the 'Verse weathers through, but rarely fully recovers from. In the same way that spending your energy is significant, recovering your energy is also narratively significant.
RP Energy is not a mechanic all by itself, isolated from the RP - it _reflects_ your character. So it doesn’t come back automatically, but as a result of what happens to your character, just as it goes down as a result of how hard your character pushes themselves.
Fatigue Level
Below is a general guideline of how exhausted a character may be based on their energy reserves:
>=50% - Ok
40-49% - Winded
30-39% - Tired
20-29% - Very Tired
10-19% - Exhausted
<10% - Dead on Feet

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Transformations

Once a character has ascended to T2 their base physical strength, and speed have reached the natural maximum. Only through transformations, and power-ups can these attributes be pushed beyond this limit. A T3+ character can only assume their true power by way of transformation, and spending energy to achieve those forms. In essence, this means that even though a character may be many magnitudes stronger than another, without the energy to power-up, even fledgling fighters can stand toe-to-toe with them (although their raw skill, technique, and battle-prowess should give them an undeniable advantage).
While transformed, the strength of a character's 'base' ki abilities are also brought up to match their current Tier and attacks can be overcharged (at considerably more expense) to even higher power.
In order to achieve your 'base' Tier beyond T2 you must 'transform' or power-up, by spending RPEnergy. Transformations are extremely draining on the body. Maintaining them is difficult, and at different Tiers of power on the roleplaying channels they could even be physically dangerous to your body to enter into them until you have achieved 'mastery' of that form. Mastery of transformations occurs at Tiers 4, and 6. Once a transformation has been mastered the cost to enter into that form is significantly reduced, allowing a warrior of this caliber to fight for much greater lengths of time, and to expend their energy towards techniques, and survival methods necessary to fight at ascended level combat. The Tier 7 transformation, being the ultimate pinnacle of power, and prowess, can never be fully mastered (under normal circumstances).
While the administrative staff does not promote a hard 'number' to be spent to achieve your transformations, below is a general guideline based on examples of the show.
T0 - N/A
T1 - N/A
T2 - N/A
T3 - 50% (Kaioken)
T4 - 25% (mastered Kaioken)
T5 - 50% (SSJ)
T6 - 25% (mastered SSJ)
T7 - 50% (SSJ2)

Once you have achieved mastery of a form, arriving at a lower Tier of power should cost significantly less due to it being a smaller expenditure of your total resources, and power. A T7 character can, as an example, freely activate their T3 form because their true potential is more than double that amount of power.

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Tier Breaking & Thresholds

RPEnergy does allow players to bargain for special actions, feats, and 'tier breaking' moments in the narrative where they may be capable of doing something they ordinarily would not be able to accomplish. These types of moments should occur EXTREMELY RARELY, and should be considered a dangerous gambit by your character. The Dragonball series is full of one-time moments where characters have punched well above their weight in order to hold off an enemy for a short time, or deliver satisfying retribution to a villain (Tien VS Semi-Perfect Cell, or Gohan VS 'everybody'). Should a moment like this arise for you on the roleplay channels it's important that you discuss it with your partners and bare in mind the following guidelines:
The maximum level of power that you can go beyond your limits is two Tiers until reaching Tier four. Beyond T4 the maximum ceiling can only be broken by one Tier, and finally, once you have reached T6, the only way to ascend your power to the final thresholds of power in the roleplay universe is to achieve ultimate mastery through red points, and dedication. While the exact amount of energy to go beyond your limits can be bargained for with your roleplay partners, we recommend that such a feat requires close to 50% of your RPEnergy.
Maximum Power Breaking
T0 -> T2
T1 -> T3
T2 -> T4
T3 -> T4
T4 -> T5
T5 -> T6
T6 -> N/A
T7 -> Ultimate Power

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Bargaining

RULE ZERO: Rules and guidelines for energy uses may be overlooked entirely upon the agreement of all players involved in the RP. So you want to punch well above your weight? Discuss it out of character and agree on what it should cost.
In the end, the RPEnergy system is a 'bargaining' system. The exact values may be somewhat nebulous, or undefined, but you and your roleplay partners can always use this resource to resolve issues. We, the administrative staff, will never be able to add enough values or examples to detail how we expect every situation to be resolved, but this resource allows you, and your partners on the roleplay channel to 'bargain' in order to reach the desired result in the narrative. If you cannot reach an agreement, and there are significant stakes, contact an adminstrator.