The Grail Works Mission Dossier (Discussion & Ideas)

[Kieran]

No - because if it could, there would be no point to isolating them the way they are.

As to getting Rin into a summonable position - well, I can do something (and I do have an idea for that), or you can have someone walk through a Door to recruit her.

[Xamusel]

Okay, that makes sense... I guess that means I need to go back to the drawing board for what happens while Rin's away. My idea involved it being a multi-story affair, which would take shape as each story (with the respective authors involved) expanded on what happened. I'm just relatively confused about how to pull that one off.

[Kieran]

Okay, that makes sense... I guess that means I need to go back to the drawing board for what happens while Rin's away. My idea involved it being a multi-story affair, which would take shape as each story (with the respective authors involved) expanded on what happened. I'm just relatively confused about how to pull that one off.

Which is usually a strong sign that you need to abandon or massively pare down an idea, because it's gotten WAY too complicated . . . And this is an argument in favour of resuming my "Morphin Grid as defence against Lovecraftian horrors" idea, just to cut them all off at the pass (which, ironically, I could do from this point in A Scattering of Roses VERY easily, for reasons which would become clear).

Of course, you're not the only one struggling with potentially "fun" ideas; I just finished binge-watching Wednesday, and not only did it remind me of that one omake I did, the series' version would work VERY well as a magus . . .

. . . As to getting access to Rin - easy-peasy. Is next chapter soon enough . . .?

[Xamusel]

Yes, actually, it is.

[Kieran]

Yes, actually, it is.

All right then (if that wasn't already clear) - though it may take a week or so before said chapter is ready . . .

And in other news - new Power Rangers RPG supplement, new Spectrum Roles (pulled from Power Rangers Dino/Super Dino Charge, which I admit I never really watched) which show potential for use:



Dark Ranger


The Morphin Grid’s Ranger Spectrum does not discriminate between the good, the bad, or the morally conflicted. Dark Rangers reach their goals by spreading terror and anguish to everyone around them. They tend to be adamant, outspoken, and typically competitive individuals who hold true to their ideals above all else. Their convictions are unyielding, and Dark Rangers aren’t afraid to take drastic measures to prove they’re right.


FEAR IS POWER

The Dark energy of the Grid attaches itself to the Dark Rangers impulses, thrumming and surging the more its hosts resist its call. When Dark Rangers cause panic and fear within their immediate surroundings, the Dark energy stabilizes and becomes easier to control. These Rangers carry immense potential at the cost of a war with themselves; if they cannot generate enough terror, their Dark energy lashes out to create it for them.

AN IMPORTANT DECISION

Though born in darkness, a Dark Ranger can still take control of their own destiny. Some Dark Rangers only use their Dark energy to protect the people they care about. In time, a Dark Ranger may see the light and take on a different role in the Ranger Spectrum. The choice is always in the Ranger’s hands, no matter their beginnings or the company they keep.


VIBRANCE IN DARKNESS

The Morphin shell of a Dark Ranger takes its colors from other parts of the Ranger Spectrum. They may appear similar to a Red or Black Ranger, though Purple, White, and Green-semblant Dark Rangers are the most common. While a Dark Ranger can manifest an identical physical image to their teammates, their Dark Energy often twists their shell’s visage with sharper, more dramatic shapes and stripes.





TERROR

Your Dark energy accumulates power from the fear of others. Starting at 1st Level, you gain 1 Terror whenever you deal damage or inflict a Condition on another character as a result of a Skill Test you have Edge on (provided they aren’t immune to being Frightened). You can carry a maximum amount of Terror equal to the Terror Capacity value listed on the Dark Ranger table above, losing all accrued
Terror at the start of a new day.

You can spend any amount of accrued Terror to deal the same number of additional points of damage on
your Attacks.


MENACING GLARE

At 2nd level, you can impose your ill will onto those around you. As a Standard action, you can spend 1 Personal Power to make an Intimidation Skill Test against a target’s Willpower. Upon success, you can impose one of the following effects on the
target until the end of your next turn:

• The target suffers Snag on the next Skill Test they perform.

• You have Edge on the next Skill Test you make against the target.

• The target is Frightened of you.


SPITE

It’s not always about being the victor. Sometimes it’s about seeing them lose. At 2nd Level, whenever you miss your Attack Skill Test against a creature, you can spend 1 Personal Power to manifest your ire, providing Edge to the next Attack against your
target. This effect ends at the start of your next turn or the first time the target is successfully attacked.


TERRORZORDS

Unlike other Rangers, a Dark Ranger’s energy shapes their Zord into a Terrorzord, a wicked, beastlike machine that is notoriously difficult to control. The only example of previous Terrorzords are the ones Lord Zedd bestowed upon the Dark Rangers. Your Terrorzord has several special properties that set it apart from other Zords:

• Your Terrorzord has a Smarts Score of 5 and a Social Score of 4. It uses its movement as it wants to at the start of your turn unless you succeed on a DIF 10 Driving Skill Test.

• You can spend your accrued Terror to boost your Terrorzord, granting it +1 on a Skill Test for each Terror you spend.

• You lose 1 Personal Power whenever you roll a natural 1 while driving your Terrorzord.






Aqua Ranger

The Aqua Ranger is a special type of Blue Ranger. Rather than being a technology expert, the Aqua Ranger focuses on science. Aqua Rangers are scholars and scientists that try to understand the world around them and find solutions to ecological and natural threats. When an Aqua Ranger taps into the Morphin Grid, they pull from the vast reservoir of experience contained within the Morphin Grid to find solutions to natural problems.

As a role shift, the Aqua Ranger uses the Blue Ranger spectrum with the following alternate Spectrum Role features instead of those used for the Blue Ranger.

GRID SCIENCE (Replaces Grid Tech)

You can tap into the vast experience contained within the Morphin Grid and enhance your own scientific knowledge. You acquire this Role Perk in four parts, I, II, III, and IV at 2nd, 7th, 12th, and 17th levels. Upon gaining each version of this Role Perk, you may choose two of the Grid Science bonuses currently available to them to apply.

Grid Science I

Aptitude Augmenter: This bonus works exactly as the Grid Tech bonus of the same name.

Calm Beast: You get a +1 shift on Animal Handling (Calming) Skill Tests.

Commune: You can communicate with the nature around you. Once per scene, you may ask a question about something that happened within the area, and nature telepathically gives you the answer.

Naturalist: When you gain this Perk, choose two environments (such as plains, mountains, forests, zero-g, and the like) to specialize in. When in one of those environments, you gain +1 on Survival Skill Tests.


. . . And so on, with this sidebar being of particular note:


Tech, Science, and Magic?

You might notice that some Grid Science powers are the same as Grid Tech. This is because science and technology go hand in hand, and thus some powers are buildable by both. Because of this, your Game Master may allow your Blue Ranger to select a Grid Science power given here and create it as Grid Tech. If you’re playing an Aqua Ranger, your Game Master may also allow you to port over Grid Tech and reconsider it as science.

Thinking further afield, Grid Science and Grid Tech can also be re-flavored as “Grid Magic” or “Grid Psionics” if your campaign occurs in a setting where such things are commonplace. There is no reason why Bend Physics couldn’t be a magical spell or that a telepathic connection is what enables Calm Beast!


And finally . . .



Graphite Ranger


The Graphite Ranger is a special type of Silver Ranger that focuses on bringing extra might to the battle when the Power Rangers need it the most. Those chosen to be a Graphite Ranger are often busy individuals who don’t have time to join their allies regularly but can be called upon in certain situations to bolster their ranks or enable them to divide their team without losing their effectiveness.

While the Graphite Ranger isn’t normally part of the team, that doesn’t make them a lone wolf. When a Graphite Ranger arrives, they are fully committed to helping their Ranger teammates. They just tend to fight best when they take on challenges themselves. Usually, a Graphite Ranger diminishes an enemy’s forces by isolating a threat rather than joining their allies as a group.

As a role shift, the Graphite Ranger uses the Silver Ranger spectrum with the following alternate Spectrum Role features in place of those used
for the Silver Ranger.


FIGHT ME! (Replaces Danger Sense)

At 2nd level, the Graphite Ranger learns how to provoke a Threat to focus on them. During combat, you may choose a Threat that you can see. This
Threat suffers -1 on Attack Skill Tests against any target other than yourself. You may only use this Perk against one Threat at a time, but you may change which Threat this applies to at the end of each of your turns.


BRUTE FORCE (Replaces Power Boost)

Starting at 3rd level, you can call upon the Grid to boost your Power Weapon Attacks. As a Free action, you may spend two Personal Power to activate this Perk. While active, you inflict an additional point of Blunt damage with each Power Weapon Attack as you summon Grid manifestations (such as Prince Phillip’s spiked wrecking balls) to strike the foe in time with your attacks. This bonus Blunt damage increases to two points at 10th level and three at 17th level.

You may forego one point of extra damage to instead cause the target hit to suffer Snag on their Skill Tests against anyone but you until the start of your next turn.


DUTY OF THE GRAPHITE (Replaces Duty of the Silver)

At 7th level, the Graphite Ranger learns to open themselves to the flow of the Morphin Grid to travel where needed most. You can spend one of
your Grid Surges and 2 Personal Power to instantly teleport to the closest concentration of Power Rangers on that dimension or timeline. When you
arrive, you may choose one enemy you can see and make a Social Skill Test against their Cleverness. If successful, that enemy gains the Blinded Condition against all of your allies as they focus on battling you head-on.






. . . "Dark Ranger" would certainly have fit Frid as Krampus, and might now (or perhaps someone like Abigail Williams, a certain albino kunoichi, and definitely a recently-discussed psychic - or Asagami Fujino, for that matter). And if it was possible to make the Silver Ranger more perfect for Shirou, the "Graphite" Ranger might well be the result . . . Then again, it might serve Frid, as well. Aqua . . . Maybe more appropriate for Rin than straight Blue? Certainly, Arcueid might find it an easy fit.


And aside from all that, the book discusses two other things of interest: firstly, how to set up "home bases" like the Command Centre, the Angel Grove Youth Centre, or "Reefside High School" (in the case of the Dino Thunder Rangers) - which means that the Works' command centre (or the Tohno mansion, or Homurahara Academy) could be adapted to be represented in-system.

The other is the idea that a Ranger's colour might not match their Spectrum Role, using the Blue Dino Charge Ranger as an example - because a time-lost Neanderthal isn't exactly a hypertech genius. So, he's presented as a Blue Ranger who functions as a Black Ranger - that "heart of the team" archetype.

This opens up options to do the same with others, of course; so Saber, who's a Red or White Ranger type, could be represented in her signature blue - or, you know, a previously-discussed Halloween-themed Ranger might be orange, bur a more appropriate type . . .

[Kieran]

Apparently, I'm not the only one to think that the Addams Family would mesh well with TYPE-MOON, as demonstrated here.

. . . And apparently, in two weeks or so it'll be time for my muse to go, "Ooh, shiny!" over a new Servant or set of them - but as with some of them, depending on who, there are potential lore/Works-universe background implications . . .

[Arbitrarity]

. . . And apparently, in two weeks or so it'll be time for my muse to go, "Ooh, shiny!" over a new Servant or set of them - but as with some of them, depending on who, there are potential lore/Works-universe background implications . . .

They have many good options there. Will be interesting to see if Soujuurou ends up being a Servant, since it seems... rather against the point of his character, but not impossible I guess. Typical collabs have 1 welfare, 1 4*, 1 5*, so they definitely will have to make at least one cut. How they choose to distribute characters among those is also uncertain.
I also wonder if they're going to do something weird with classes, since otherwise I would expect a lot of Casters. Of course, you could argue Aoko is really an Archer at heart.

[Kieran]

They have many good options there. Will be interesting to see if Soujuurou ends up being a Servant, since it seems... rather against the point of his character, but not impossible I guess. Typical collabs have 1 welfare, 1 4*, 1 5*, so they definitely will have to make at least one cut. How they choose to distribute characters among those is also uncertain.

As much as it would make sense to have her, I could see cutting Aoko, because "True Magic" - then again, they let Ryogi Shiki in, twice, AND Arcueid, so concern about power-scaling isn't really on their radar, is it . . .?

Based on past Events, a pair of rivals makes the most sense - so, the Aozaki sisters, or Alice Kuonji with one of them, perhaps?

I also wonder if they're going to do something weird with classes, since otherwise I would expect a lot of Casters. Of course, you could argue Aoko is really an Archer at heart.

And she'd love it just because it would probably piss her sister off further . . .

Nevertheless, that would be an easy Class switch, since much the same argument applies to Fujino's Class.



. . . I really want to know who they pick, though, because the Works is presently rather short on actual magi, and the Clock Tower is difficult to integrate - but Servants aren't.

(And besides, can you imagine Shiki's reaction to summoning his "Teacher" as his Servant - or his harem's reaction . . .?!)