Chi Power: What can and can't it do?

[Otaku]

I know this gets really annoying, but I've gotten a bit confused over something so I've got to do a big, stinky "quote chain" to make sure I haven't gotten something wrong in it. I actually did get lost in a quote chain a day or two ago on a Pokémon message board so again, I apologize for the inconvenience to others but I need the help. ^^'

Originally Posted by Greg 1

The short answer is that since it isn't real, it can do whatever the GM likes. But I'm asking for your sense of chi. What sort of abilities feel like they should fall under chi and what abilities should generally be impossible with chi?

Originally Posted by Otaku

What kind of setting matters for me; the more "down to earth" it is, the less I allow chi to do, but like many I am used to chi being little more than a plot device to justify superpowers. That being said, perhaps I am just ignorant of real* legends but I always got the impression that properly trained chi led to psi, if they were not simply two sides of the same coin.

*As in legends that predate modern pop culture surrounding chi usage, not legendary feats proven real.

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Sure, that's a worldbuilding decision. In some worlds, spectacular and blatant powers are appropriate, in others they are semi-appropriate meaning they should be rare, and in other again they are inappropriate.

But those decisions come after the process of defining what chi is and isn't.

So... I'm not sure I follow Peter Knutsen's comment.

We are talking about "world building" decisions. One part of that is the general "tone" or "reality level" of the setting: harsh realism, realistic, lightly cinematic, cinematic, full on cinematic, four color, silly or any other flavors I left out. We are also talking about fantastic elements; while quite similar, these are two different toggles... or perhaps "dials" are a better term because it isn't just "on off".

Not just chi but when we consider any real and fantastic elements, with GURPS you get to fine tune how it will operate in the setting. You can take real world principles of how the universe operates and "tweak" them if you wish... either because it is a "silly" game or because it is otherwise a realistic setting except for some reason one cannot artificially produce electricity, or springs and/or clockwork are far more efficient stores of energy than in real life or any number of similar variables. Of course when it comes to other fantastic elements like magic, there are many schools of thought on the matter and what someone considers to be how magic ought to work and what is appropriate for magical effects, others will disagree or at least find less endearing.

When deciding what chi can do, I consider the setting, both in terms of "realistic versus cinematic versus others" and what particular "flavor" of chi I want to allow. There will be a lot of overlap and some combinations don't sound like much fun to play, but they have to be eliminated from consideration nonetheless. Otherwise if we want a simple answer...

...chi can do whatever the player and GM can agree upon. Many (most?) Advantages can be tweaked until they make sense as a chi power, with chi possibly being part of a hybrid modifier if everything is "chi" to some degree: chi cosmic or chi divine for attaining a "higher state of being", chi fueled elemental powers if they could work for the setting. In some a chi based Energy blast is perfectly fine, in others it is clearly a "no no".