Tiffa/DevilFruit

Being a pretty big fan of the One Piece series, and being prone to getting really really bored, I decided to see if I transform some aspects of it into Exalted... so here it is.

The Devil Fruit

The West is the place that undoubtedly has the most Wyld places in all of creation, which makes it possibly the most dangerous place in all of it... especially when you include the numerous Shadowlands that exist here, the great number of spirits and elementals that make their home in the sea (The Storm Mothers come to mind), its barbarians, and its pirates.

However, the Great Sea keeps many secrets and treasures, far beyond any other place. Most of them are deep in the bed of the sea, while more can be found in the numerous islands that form the place.

For example, it is in the West, and only there, where the Devil Fruit grows.

The Devil Fruit, also known as the Fruit of the Wyld, is a legendary treasure known for the great powers it may provide, the enormous quantities of jade some people would give to have one, and the curse they carry with them.

As its other name implies, this fruit only grows in the Wyld... namely, in the Middlemarches. It is rumored (perhaps correctly) that more powerful fruit grows in the Deep Wyld, but nobody has ever gone and returned to confirm this. The fruit itself grows randomly on any given tree... and the nature of the Wyld often means that it won't be there for too long.

However, it is well known that the Devil Fruit has a surprising stability while in Creation. A single fruit can last years without spoiling. Their shape and color varies, so it’s impossible to even begin to categorize them. The fruit itself is fairly bland in taste and not very filling... but, then again, people don't eat this fruit because they are hungry (unless they don't know better).

The nature of the fruit infuses he who eats it with the power of the Wyld, changing that person dramatically. The fruits grant different powers, and its impossible to say what it will be until it’s been eaten. Once this power is set, however, it cannot be changed, and it’s near damn impossible to get rid of it. However, only somebody who has eaten most of the fruit (over half of it) will gain these abilities at all. Also, people who eat more than one fruit gain no further powers at all.

However, this power, incredible as it may be, comes with a price: Those who eat the fruit are forever rejected by the sea, losing their strength and ability to swim whenever immersed in its waters… or in any others.

System

In game terms, the Devil Fruit counts as an Artifact, with power rating ranging from 1 to 5, depending on the usefulness and versatility of the powers provided. For example:

A fruit that allows its eater to talk and understand animals is only a level 1 artifact, as it provides nothing more than that (Although it can be very handy for somebody that would find the information useful). If this was to be enhanced so that animals react favorably to the character (predators leave him alone, etc.), it might be a level 2 artifact.

The Rock Hard Fruit, which hardens the eater's body and providing incredible Endurance and a high Bashing/lethal soak, is a level 3 artifact. It’s very handy, but the fruit's powers are set in stone... no pun intended.

The Gum Gum Fruit provides the eater with an incredibly high Bashing soak as well as the ability to stretch into nearly limitless ways, and thus is incredibly versatile and is the equivalent of a level 5 artifact.

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The effects of the Devil Fruit should be determined by both their Artifact level and stunts. Anybody that eats a Devil Fruit becomes a Heroic Mortal or better, and gains the ability to stunt if they weren't able to, and gain a Favored Ability if they didn't have one. Characters also find their Essence raised to 2, and the ability to harness it. They effectively gain the Awakened Essence merit and have an essence pool. However, they get -no- starting Charms unless they are an Exalt. A level 1 fruit gives an Essence pool of (Essence x 4), level 2 gives (Essence x 6), Level 3 gives (Essence x 4) + Willpower, Level 4 gives (Essence x 5) + (sum of all virtues), and Level 5 gives (Essence x 5) + (Willpower) + (Sum of all virtues). Characters may raise the Essence with an experience cost of (Current Essence x 15) if they are not Exalts.

As this can make even a Level 1 Devil Fruit formidable, STs should be -very careful- about mortals just having one of them. If the character is not in the West, consider raising the Artifact value of the fruits by 1, unless the player has a DAMN good reason. In the West, the fruit is both more common and the curse has a bigger impact, so the artifact rating should be as normal.

Many of those that eat an offensive Devil Fruit tend to develop charms that exploit the advantages of it. A few may even develop complete Martial Art trees, although unless the character is a Celestial Exalt, they don't rise above Terrestrial level.

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The curse of the Devil Fruit works as follows:

Whenever somebody that has eaten the fruit falls into the water (any kind, from the ocean to a lake to a deep river), they find that they cannot swim, at all, even if they previously knew how to. Their body doesn't seem to work right, and at best they can only splash on the surface of the water for a few seconds before sinking like a rock. Of course, in order for the curse to take effect, the water must be deep enough for the character to sink on it.

Every turn the characters stay on the water, they lose a dot of Strength. Once they reach Strength 1, they must roll Stamina + Endurance to remain afloat, Difficulty 1. However, every passing turn, they lose a point in Stamina, Endurance, and the Difficulty raises by 1. When the characters finally fail this roll (which is, as is evident, inevitable), they lose the final dot in strength and sink under the water. Normal rules for holding their breath apply, taking in consideration their likely lessened Stamina. Drowning will quickly follow.

The characters can be pulled out of the water easily enough by somebody else, but they cannot do it with their own power. Even if clinging to something, they lose their strength quickly and cannot react normally. Attempts to pull themselves up are a monumental difficulty 5.

Any charm, sorcery, or similar effects that are meant to help somebody swim, breathe water, or remain in the water for hours (Shipwreck-surviving Stamina comes to mind) just fail on the character. The curse of the Devil Fruit is powerful enough to trump all such things... which is why wise sailors will sell such fruits instead of consuming them.

Also, as a side effect, anything that specifically hurts the things of the Wyld can hurt the character as well. It’s fully possible that some Abyssal charms may destroy the effects of the Devil Fruit completely, but nobody even knows this.

Does it affect...

The Devil Fruit powers work on mortals, animals (often making them quite a bit more intelligent in the process), monsters, god-blooded, Dragon Kings... any of them can be affected by the Devil Fruit power. Ghosts, spirits, elementals, demons, undead, fair folk, and gods cannot be affected by them.

Most Exalted can benefit from them as well... but not all of them react in the same fashion.

Solars can eat the Devil Fruit and harness its powers easily enough. Most of them will eat one without a second thought, unless they -really- don't feel like sinking like a rock next time they take a dive.

Sidereals can also eat the Devil Fruit normally, but as a thing from the Wyld, they prefer to avoid it. The ones that run across it the most, the chosen of Journeys, are the ones that risk eating it the least.

Dragon-Blooded may eat the fruit normally. However, doing so is -extremely- frowned upon by the Immaculate Order (to them, they are effectively twisting their already perfects bodies with impure energies). Most outcast Dragon-Blooded don't really give a damn. However, no self-respecting Water aspect will eat a fruit that effectively makes them enemies of their very element, the Devil Fruit curse negating even their anima powers. Indeed, there is a story of a water aspect, Peleps Kani, who was tricked into eating a Devil Fruit by a rival, and who then drowned when he was pushed off a ship by said rival. Said rival also got mobbed by the crew, Kani was quite well liked.

Abyssals can eat the Devil Fruit and be affected as any Solar can. The only problem is that the Devil Fruit, being a thing of the Wyld, tends to make Deathlords angry, so Abyssals often avoid it.

Lunars may or may not be affected. A properly tattooed Lunar won't be affected by it at all, but a Lunar who doesn't have a set caste can. For these Lunars, however, comes the problem of not being able to use any aquatic forms while underwater. They sink like the rest.

(On another note: Alchemicals are probably not affected (can they even eat?), and Infernals just may.)

Any and All Exalts who eat a Devil Fruit and are affected by it, however, also have a price to pay. They effectively gain the Inheritance penalty for raising Essence and buying charms as if they had Inheritance 2, without the benefits this background gives.

Example Fruits

This is just an example of the comparable powers between the Devil Fruits.

Animal Talk Fruit (1): This Fruit gives the eater the ability to understand animals, and to communicate with them. Of course, animals don't usually talk clearly for a human, but one who eats this fruit soon learns to interpret what they are talking about. The fruit gives a +1 to Survival rolls. Also, the character may have an easy time getting a Familiar.

Wind Cutter Fruit (2): This fruit gives the eater the ability to create wind blades. Said blades travel quickly and have an average range. They are usually used with the Thrown ability, but characters may learn to use the wind blade as a sword of sorts. It costs 1 mote to create and toss a single wind blade.

Hard Rock Fruit (3): The fruit makes the eater as tough as a rock. It's incredibly hard to damage him. The eater gains a bashing soak of 10 and a lethal soak of 5. In addition it gives him Endurance +1, and the ability to soak Aggravated damage with this ability alone. On the offside, the character loses two points of Dexterity (to a minimum of 1).

Animal Fruit (4): This kind of fruit is one of the few that can be categorized, as several examples of it exist. Anybody who eats such a fruit gains the ability to transform into an animal -and- into a beastform transformation, much like a Lunar (distribute 5 points among Physical Attributes, like a Lunar does, but no Gifts). The character may soak Lethal damage with half his Stamina as an Exalt. The character also gains a limited ability to understand animals of their kind.
Finally, it is possible to learn how to distort the shapechanging abilities the fruit gives, and thus altering the Beastman transformation at will (change physical attributes, increase mental or social abilities instead of physical, etc). It costs 1 mote to change from human to animal and viceversa, and 5 motes to get into any of the Beastman forms.
Of course, it -should- be pointed out that the character may very well get confused for a Lunar Anathema, and some Lunars are less than happy with those that "steal" their abilities.

Sand Fruit (5): This powerful fruit transforms the character into living sand. A character may reflexively dodge any attack he is aware of by spending 2 motes and transforming a part of his body into sand. Its impossible to tear off his arms, legs, head, or such... they will reform moments later from the sand with the simple expenditure of 5 motes and 1 WP. The character may also detach his body parts at will, and attack at a distance for the same 2 motes. The character can still make Melee and grapple attacks as normal.
For 10 motes, the character can transform into a sand storm, blinding anybody in the area and effectively draining the moisture from them. Anybody caught in it will suffer 2 die of lethal damage per turn, and if this should kill them, they will collapse looking more like mummies than anything else. They can also drain the moisture of a single creature for the same 10 motes when in human form by grappling the target. In sand storm form, they can easily travel up to 50 miles per hour.
In a desert, or other places with lots of sand, the power of the character increases further. He may create sand-storms or sand-whirlwinds by spending 5 motes, and control the direction for them to take.
It is -possible- to kill the character... it's just incredibly hard.

Comments

No one in One Piece who eats Devil Fruit ever lives anything resembling a normal life afterwards, so my suggestion would be that any being that normally couldn't control its Essence moves up to Heroic Mortal (or other equivalent status) and gains the merit for controlling one's Essence. -- JohnBiles

Hmm. That might work... except, where is this merit you mention? I'm assuming the PHB but I haven't gone over it too much (busy reading the Abyssals book :P) -- Tiffa

I presume John means the "Essence Channeler" Wyld mutation, which you can also buy as a merit. Alternately, for God-Blooded, there's always the Awakened Essence merit. -- AntiVehicleRocket

It would help if the PHB didn't have merits and flaws all over the place. I found the Essence Awareness / Mastery merit in the Mortañ Thaumaturgy part just now. Yeah, this would work... - Tiffa

Personally I would just use the wyld mutations rules in the Lunars book. Have each fruit give a specific set of mutations and the drawback "Sea's Rejection," and handle any novel uses of powers as stunts, unless you want to create a complex new rules set. -- BrilliantRain

That might be the thing that works best, limiting what each fruit can do with its Artifact rating... blargh. I'll work on this again when I recover from short-attention-span-itis. - Tiffa

- Yay, update! - Tiffa

One other thing that I noticed is that, in One Piece, doesn't water also negate the use of powers? For example, if you get a guy with the sand fruit wet, don't his powers fail to function?
--BrilliantRain

I would say it depends entirely on the kind of fruit. I know there's at least one that lets the user become water (and it's likely they'd drown in deep water still). - Tiffa

To my knowledge, "getting wet" is a specific weakness of the Sand Fruit. Neutralizing the Gum Gum Fruit seems to require actual immersion (or seastone, which I personally find annoying in all the same ways as kryptonite.) Moreover, immersion doesn't neutralize the Gum-Gum Fruit's powers; while immersed, Luffy is incapable of motion under his own power but can be stretched with his usual elasticity by others. -Ben-San