Ranks
In the Battle Fantasia combat system, Rank signifies a character's level of combat power. The Ranks are F, E, D, C, B, A and S.
There are two kinds of Rank that apply to a character at any given moment in the combat system: their Master Rank, which is the permanent designation of their inherent strength, and their Henshin Rank, which changes constantly as they transform between Henshin Modes. Every Mode on a character has its own Henshin Rank. As of two and a half years after the game began, a character typically begins play at Master Rank B, with their primary combat Henshin Mode at Henshin Rank B (previously, C was the normal starting point). "Combat Rank," as listed in +finger, is an in-character sense of perspective.
Master Rank
- Is equal to the maximum Henshin Rank that a character's modes can have before they suffer a once-per-round supercharged henshin mode mana surcharge (see below).
- Decreases the amount of damage randomization as it increases; higher Master Ranked characters have more consistency to their attacks.
- Determines the number of Attack Points used to construct attacks across all their Henshin Modes:
| Master Rank | Free | Special | Finisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-E | 4 | NA | NA |
| D-C | 4.5 | 8 | 11.5 |
| B | 4.5 | 9 | 12.5 |
| A | 5 | 10 | 14 |
| S | 5.5 | 11 | 16 |
Master Rank also determines, at chargen, a character's starting pool of Character Points, which they will then use to build each Henshin Mode. In order to advance in Master Rank, one requirement is that a character must earn enough Character Points to reach the minimum of the next Master Rank.
| Master Rank | Starting Character Points | Master Trait Points |
|---|---|---|
| F | 60 | 16 |
| E | 80 | 16 |
| D | 130 | 16 |
| C | 180 | 16 |
| B | 265 | 20 |
| A | 370 | 26 |
| S | 460 | 30 |
Henshin Rank
- Defines the minimum and maximum number of Character Points with which any given Henshin Mode may be built.
| Henshin Rank | Allowable Character Point Range |
|---|---|
| F | 60-79 |
| E | 80-129 |
| D | 130-179 |
| C | 180-264 |
| B | 265-369 |
| A | 370-459 |
| S | 460+ |
Thus a character who is Master Rank B, and has earned, for example, 270 Character Points, may build 270-point Henshin Rank B modes, 264-point Henshin Rank C modes, and 179-point Henshin Rank D modes. Ranks E and F are noncombatant Ranks used to define a character's Base Mode (see below), and use special, different rules; our 270 Character Point example would not build their Rank E Base Mode on 129 points.
It is possible for a Henshin Mode's Henshin Rank to exceed a character's Master Rank; in such cases the Henshin Mode is built on the minimum number of Character Points for its Henshin Rank, even though this is higher than the character's Master Character Points Pool. Every round that a character is in a mode Ranked higher than their Master Rank, also called a supercharged henshin mode, they are required to pay extra mana to maintain it, proportional to the size of the gap between their Master Rank and the Henshin Rank. However, this is pricey, especially as the gap between the character's Master Rank and their super-mode's Henshin Rank grows greater; although it is POSSIBLE to have a D-ranker with an S-rank super mode, such a mode would have a titanic mana surcharge that would put the fight on a rather short time limit.
| Master Rank | Mana Surcharge | Henshin Rank | Mana Surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| E and F | +0 | E and F | -0 |
| D | +10 | D | -10 |
| C | +20 | C | -20 |
| B | +35 | B | -35 |
| A | +50 | A | -50 |
| S | +65 | S | -65 |
To calculate the per-round mana surcharge for being in a henshin above one’s master rank, add the appropriate number between each column. For example, someone with Master Rank C in a Henshin Form Rank B would adjust their mana by +20 - 35 = -15 each round. Note that there is no mana bonus for being in a mode with a lower henshin rank than one’s master rank.
At the other end of the scale, every character has a Base Mode - their true identity, stripped of the enhancements of magical training and enchantments. This base mode has typically pretty terrible stats, and almost certainly lacks their powered henshins' reaction-enhancing Henshin Abilities, but is also where Master Traits reside; abilities and, rarely, signature attacks which define who the character is, and are therefore available in every mode. Characters will rarely participate in combat in their Base Mode, and are never required to do so, but it is worth defining within the csys for those cases where, mid-combat, a character runs out of mana completely; at such a moment, they revert to their Base Mode (and will probably be dispatched shortly thereafter).
For characters who might not HAVE an unpowered state - like many villains - the Base Mode might simply be their normal statline. This is one of the benefits of dark power. However, heroes whose concept does not demand a transformation to access their power (ill-advised at best; we recommend celebrating, rather than trying to avoid, the trappings of Battle Fantasia's genre) still, universally, possess a Base Mode. In such cases transformation to a higher-ranked Henshin Mode indicates a character putting up their suite of defensive spells, or taking a moment to tap deeply into their inner power or chi; and they, too, can be knocked back to their Base Mode if they run out of mana.
Usagi Tsukino and Amu Hinamori are both Master Rank C.
Amu Hinamori has a stunning seven modes! Her Base Mode, Chara Changes with Ran, Miki, and Su, as well as the Chara Transformations Amulet Heart, Amulet Spade, and Amulet Clover. Her Base Mode, Amu Hinamori, is an E; the Chara Changes are all D, and the Chara Transformations are all C. As none of these modes are above Henshin Rank C, none of them cost any extra mana each round to maintain.
Usagi has three modes: For normal use, Usagi Tsukino, her Base Mode, is Henshin Rank E; and Sailor Moon, her powered identity, which is Henshin Rank C. Neither of these modes cost additional mana to use. However Usagi, under certain conditions, may also briefly transform into the stunningly powerful Princess Serenity! This mode is a staggering Henshin Rank A, with enormous statistics in every category and several very powerful abilities and attacks! However, she may only remain in it for a couple of rounds before the mana drain knocks her unconscious! As this mode is significantly above Usagi's Master Rank of C, the exceptional Henshin Rank provides extra Character Points for the Princess Serenity form, but it suffers a per-turn mana surcharge; being so powerful, this surcharge is quite large, at 30 mana a round!
Combat Rank (In-Character Rank)
There are many in-character systems to categorize power as there are people trying to fit other people into understandable boxes, but, if someone is capable of determining someone else's combat potential as a function of their Character Point total, though the category names might be different (such as Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha's C/B/A/AA/AAA/S/SS/SSS), the gradient of IC power differential tends to be:
| Combat Rank | Character Point Range |
|---|---|
| F | 60 |
| F+ | 66 |
| F++ | 73 |
| E | 80 |
| E+ | 95 |
| E++ | 120 |
| D | 130 |
| D+ | 145 |
| D++ | 160 |
| C | 180 |
| C+ | 200 |
| C++ | 240 |
| B | 265 |
| B+ | 300 |
| B++ | 335 |
| A | 370 |
| A+ | 400 |
| A++ | 430 |
| S | 460 |
| S+ | 500 |
| S++ | 540 |
If F, E and D+ and ++ seem silly, they make a worthwhile reminder that the drastic, almost total majority of even supernaturally-aware people fall within Rank E; D is already quite elite by (for example) the standards of the TSAB or Magic Association. To be Rank C is to already be sublime.
For more information, please see: Rank Ranges, Supercharged Henshin Modes, Base Modes, Starting Ranks, Antagonist Starting Ranks, Advancement, Chargen
