07-06-2018, 10:58 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-06-2018, 12:00 PM by Dane Regan.)
Getting your head around the moves system can be difficult at first. To help you out, here are some examples of what will and won't fly, along with annotations and their prices.
BAD:
Buster Sword (requires Physical Strength) – 300 OM
A big sword.
Omni's Note: Always assume your opponent knows nothing about your character. We've not played Final Fantasy VII. Describe the sword.
GOOD:
Buster Sword (requires Physical Strength) – 300 OM
A massive sword, roughly five feet in length and one foot in width. It's not as quick as, say, a katana, but it makes up for that with sheer size and heft.
Omni's Note: Great! It's just a basic weapon that extends upon the Physical Strength proficiency, so its cost is 300 OM. Note that we noted it was not a particularly fast sword; as a result we can assume it to be stronger than those incredibly quick swords.
BAD:
Red Revolver (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A revolver.
Omni's note: How many bullets does it hold before needing to be reloaded? How fast can it be reloaded? We need the basic information.
GOOD:
Red Revolver (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A rust-red revolver that holds six bullets with a rate of fire of about one bullet per second. It is reloaded one bullet at a time, taking about half a second per bullet. It is powerful but difficult to aim at long distances.
Omni's note: Now that the basic information is in there, it can be approved. Note also that the description describes it as powerful, but difficult to aim at long distances. This is an example of how you can give a move greater strengths for greater downsides. It is important to note that since the power of all attacks are based on your attack stat, this gun isn't going to put massive holes in people like real life, unless there's a large discrepancy between your ATK and your target's DEF.
BAD:
M16 Assault Rifle (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A reliable rapid-fire weapon.
Omni's note: There are many versions of the M16 assault rifle, and your version might be different, so we need some information like Rate of Fire, magazine capacity, and how long it takes to reload. Is yours an accurate weapon? Can your character use it while moving? Does your character carry unlimited bullets or is there a limit?
GOOD:
M16 Assault Rifle (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A fully automatic weapon which can be used while moving. It fires two bullets per second. It has a magazine size of 20 bullets and takes only a second to change out the clip. Action Man can carry up to twelve magazines on his person - he can replenish these when he has enough time to summon more between fights. Action Man stores this on his back, so it can be grabbed on the fly. It's fairly accurate, but the bullets themselves do little damage.
Omni's note: Ah, much better. Notice that we've put a limit on the number of magazines he carries into a fight - this isn't necessary, but gives the move a slight power boost and can give you RP fodder if/when your character runs out of ammunition. Remember that, as with the above example, this gun isn't going to rip people to shreds like real life unless there's a large discrepancy between your ATK and your target's DEF. Fights wouldn't be fun if they were over in two seconds.
BAD:
Kamehameha (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 600 OM
A blue beam of raw destructive energy, fired from the palms of the hands, that can be charged for greater effectiveness.
Omni's note: Okay, so we know it can be charged ... but for how long? Forever? What's the minimum time it takes to fire? Range? Can I get a better description of how big it is, what it actually looks like? GIVE ME DETAILS, MAN!
GOOD:
Kamehameha (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 600 OM
A light blue beam of raw destructive energy, around five feet in diameter, that is fired from the palms of the hands and can be charged for greater effectiveness. It requires the user to be stationary in order to use, though not necessarily on the ground. The minimum time it takes to use is about a second, and the longest it can be charged for is thirty seconds, the results of which can be very powerful. Once fired it travels as fast as an arrow, and will travel until either it hits something, or Goku stops channelling or can no longer sustain it.
Omni's note: Since this attack can be charged up, it is a variable move and costs 600 OM. Note that five feet in diameter is roughly the limit for beams without the Area Attack Proficiency. If the player later purchased Area Attack Proficiency, he could add it to the move as explained below, for a more authentic version that increases in diameter the longer it is charged.
BAD:
Gomu Gomu Gatling (requires Elasticity, Ranged Proficiency, Area Attack Proficiency) – 300 OM
Luffy can punch so hard and fast it looks like he's growing multiple arms.
Omni's Note: Oh ... okay. The way you write it, it just sounds like an ability he has. So ... what's the downside? If the punches are stronger and faster than usual punches, there has to be a downside, otherwise it's just a permanent upgrade of sorts to his punching power, not a move. If you wanted that, you'd have to buy a power-up or permanent stat increase.
GOOD:
Gomu Gomu Gatling (requires Elasticity, Ranged Proficiency, Area Attack Proficiency) – 300 OM
Luffy's favourite finishing move, he takes a moment's breath before unleashing a barrage of punches that fly with incredible speed. The emphasis for this move is on pure destructive power over accuracy; as a result the punches fly in all directions, hammering a foe all over. It actually looks as though Luffy has grown multiple arms, though this is purely due to the speed and random direction of the punches. It can even trap multiple foes in its area of effect, which is a cylinder-ish shape of roughly 10 feet in diameter. The punches reach about fifty feet unless they hit something closer. It's very tiring to use, especially for sustained periods, and it can leave Luffy vulnerable both due to how exhausted it can leave him and due to the fact that he cannot move while using it.
Omni's Note: Despite the move's power, it always does the same thing so it has only a basic price of 300 OM. As you can see here, more powerful moves should have bigger downsides (in this case, that it tires the user out very quickly and cannot be used while moving).
BAD:
Explosive Shield (requires Area Attack Proficiency and Area Defense Proficiency) – 600 OM
A shield that protects the user as long as it is sustained. When the user chooses, the shield will either simply dissipate, or explode outwards, damaging anyone nearby at the cost of more energy.
Omni's Note: Wait wait. What kind of shield? And how long does it take to activate?
GOOD:
Explosive Shield (requires Area Attack Proficiency and Area Defense Proficiency) – 600 OM
A sphere that surrounds a user with a protective barrier for as long as it is sustained. It takes about a second to activate. When the user chooses, the shield will either simply dissipate, or explode outwards, damaging anyone within 5ft of the shield at the cost of more energy. As it is a 360-degree sphere with a regular activation time, this won't block strong piercing attacks, but the explosive effect can be used to turn the tables on an overconfident opponent.
Omni's Note: Ah, a sphere. See, it could be anything if you don't tell us. Since this move can be used in two different ways, it has the 600 OM cost. If it ALWAYS went through the same process (only exploding, or never exploding) it could be made into a 300 OM move, but this gives some variety to surprise your opponents. Remember, a shield move can be made more powerful with greater downsides (such as shielding a more limited area, taking longer to activate, or increasing the strain on your character). You can also make it variable, for example as an extra 300-OM effect, the character could increase the power they put into the shield to increase its defensive strength, at the cost of a greater strain/energy drain. In addition to your own DEF, a shield's effectiveness will depend upon your opponent's ATK stat and how powerful of a move they are using. Don't expect to block their 30-second chargeup beam attack with a 1-second chargeup shield unless your shield has other major downsides to boost its power.
----
Surprise Skull (requires Ranged Proficiency and Ranged Materialize Proficiency) – 300 OM
With a series of rapid gestures, Shang can shoot a flaming skull from a surface that is not his palms, usually up from the floor to a wall. The skull erupts with concussive force on impact. Takes roughly a second to execute and moves as fast as a bullet. Shang can move at full speed while using this, but it becomes more difficult to aim.
Omni's Note: Badass.
Pyrokinesis (requires Ranged Proficiency, Ranged Materialize Proficiency, Remote-Control Proficiency, Area Attack Proficiency) – 900 OM
Flame Man Has the power to control pure flame at will, creating an expanding or shrinking field or tendril of flame that can fill a space of around twelve square meters. The more dense the flame, the hotter it burns, whereas the more spread the flame, the weaker it is and the more energy it takes to sustain, making it very weak when spread over a wide area. Flame cannot block physical projectiles but is effective at setting things on fire. This is mostly a utility move as Flame Man has specialised fire attacks in his repertoire. Specialised moves such as fireballs, pillars of flame et cetera will be purchased separately. It takes only a moment to summon the flame near to Flame Man, or up to a few seconds if further away than a few metres, and it can spread as fast as Flame Man can move. Flame Man can move (but not attack) while using pyrokinesis but this splits his focus, making it slightly more difficult for him to move the flame at full speed and aim.
Omni's Note: General 'kinesis' moves such as this have to be fairly delimited as this one is here. Take note important details such as the travel speed and the summoning time. Priced at 900 due to variable size and variable shape.
Reverse Sign "Evil in the Mirror" (requires Ranged Proficiency, Debuff Proficiency, Homing Proficiency, Telepathy) – 300 OM
Seija instantly reverses her opponent's left and right movements. Although the victim is aware of which direction is which, the "controls" in their brain are reversed, so that when they intend to move left they move right and vice versa. Initiated by declaring the name of the spell. Lasts 30 seconds or until Seija has been weakened to roughly 7/8ths of current power/health. As this is fairly tiring, it has one use and cannot be used again until she has rested or recharged.
Omni's Note: Note that this required the Homing proficiency as it affects the opponent without needing to be aimed. As a result of being effectively a "guaranteed hit", it is quite a weak effect and needed to be limited with downsides.
WAAAAAAAAUUUUGH! (Requires Ranged, Buff proficiency) – 300 OM
Bluddflagg stops where he is, throws his head back, and lets out a mighty roar of the titular Orky battlecry for at least three seconds: WAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!!!! Of course, he does have to stop everything he's doing to howl this out, but the effects can be worth it. Allies who hear this during the fight will gain a burst of morale and adrenaline. For a short time, about half a minute, those allies can shrug off injuries as if they had the Survival power, but they do still take the damage, and after the half minute is up, if a wound would have normally killed them, they'll then likely keel over. Still, the move can buy himself and allies just enough time to at least take the sorry gits they're fighting with them! This move can only be used once per fight.
Omni's Note: A good example of a solid buff that doesn't require extensive downsides or a super move. If you want to add real stats, you'll need to take either of these two options.
Frostfire (requires Ranged Proficiency, Debuff Proficiency) – 300 OM
Sub-Zero charges up for a half-second - which slows him to half speed - before firing a super-cold ball of energy at his opponent. It's about the size of a hand, ice-blue, and flies as fast as an arrow. It hurts, and can temporarily immobilize a hand or leg (for up to a second, depending upon the user's ATK/TEC and the defender's DEF/TEC. With equal values, it's only about a half-second) leaving an opponent open to a follow-up combination.
Omni's Note: This move only has a single use, so its cost is 300 OM. Note that since it has a disabling effect, it requires the Debuff Proficiency in addition to Ranged Proficiency.
The following is an example of a summoning move that does not require the use of an assist. Bear in mind that this is a pretty advanced move; I put it in the examples here to help out those with the intention of creating such moves, but I recommend new players skip ahead to the Super Moves section!
Raise Dead (requires Ranged Proficiency, Remote Control Proficiency) – 1200 OM
The legacy of the orcish necrolytes, and a favorite of Raal's, this skill has changed to reflect Omni's own whims and no longer requires a corpse. Raal may use this spell to summon a weak undead warrior near him. These creatures are weak and lack any true combat skill, but are controlled remotely by Raal and can be deceptively dangerous, capable of slowing down enemies and performing an unliving shield against anyone attempting to get close to Raal. They are capable of using basic weaponry, such as swords and bows, but do so with all the grace of an untrained peasant, and about the same level of physical strength to boot.
Compared to a prime, the average undead is very weak, with a prime being more than capable of destroying any undead with a single casual strike, and due to their weakened muscles, they're incapable of doing any serious damage to primes without repeated clean blows. Any undead using a bow is limited to merely thirty feet of range due to their physicality.
The undead take roughly five seconds to fully summon, which takes the majority of Raal's concentration. He can direct his other undead during this time but must stay rooted in one place, palm facing the ground, and cannot move, cast spells, or make any use of his enhanced senses until he is finished. Attempting to do any of these for a split second will stop his spellcasting and cause him to lose the energy he was using to summon the undead. Being physically struck will also cause his spellcasting to fail, regardless of if he was moved or distracted by it.
The undead are a small drain on Raal to summon, each one requiring a small amount of his energy to initially summon, though none to maintain. Actually controlling the undead requires a degree of concentration; as he must control them manually, it makes it more difficult to move, aim or generally focus on other attacks. This effect is more pronounced as he summons more undead; directing ten undead requires his entire concentration, leaving him unable to move or do almost anything else.
At maximum, Raal can summon ten undead at once. If he attempts to summon more than that, one of the undead he is currently controlling will simply shatter into dust, before it's remnants fade away.
Omni's Note: Summoning beings with true sentience and independence always requires the use of an Assist. However, this is an example of a move that summons single-minded creatures who can perform specific tasks or be mentally controlled by the user directly using their own focus (Remote-Control Proficiency). Note the balance: these creatures are weak and can be killed with a single direct hit, hence the relatively low energy cost to summon.
The cost can be broken down into each 'use' of the ability: 300 OM for summoning an undead that can be remotely controlled for basic stuff such as grabbing, moving, essentially a physical manifestation of his remote control. +300 for summoning multiple or controlling multiple simultaneously. +300 for using swords. +300 for using bows.
BAD:
Buster Sword (requires Physical Strength) – 300 OM
A big sword.
Omni's Note: Always assume your opponent knows nothing about your character. We've not played Final Fantasy VII. Describe the sword.
GOOD:
Buster Sword (requires Physical Strength) – 300 OM
A massive sword, roughly five feet in length and one foot in width. It's not as quick as, say, a katana, but it makes up for that with sheer size and heft.
Omni's Note: Great! It's just a basic weapon that extends upon the Physical Strength proficiency, so its cost is 300 OM. Note that we noted it was not a particularly fast sword; as a result we can assume it to be stronger than those incredibly quick swords.
BAD:
Red Revolver (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A revolver.
Omni's note: How many bullets does it hold before needing to be reloaded? How fast can it be reloaded? We need the basic information.
GOOD:
Red Revolver (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A rust-red revolver that holds six bullets with a rate of fire of about one bullet per second. It is reloaded one bullet at a time, taking about half a second per bullet. It is powerful but difficult to aim at long distances.
Omni's note: Now that the basic information is in there, it can be approved. Note also that the description describes it as powerful, but difficult to aim at long distances. This is an example of how you can give a move greater strengths for greater downsides. It is important to note that since the power of all attacks are based on your attack stat, this gun isn't going to put massive holes in people like real life, unless there's a large discrepancy between your ATK and your target's DEF.
BAD:
M16 Assault Rifle (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A reliable rapid-fire weapon.
Omni's note: There are many versions of the M16 assault rifle, and your version might be different, so we need some information like Rate of Fire, magazine capacity, and how long it takes to reload. Is yours an accurate weapon? Can your character use it while moving? Does your character carry unlimited bullets or is there a limit?
GOOD:
M16 Assault Rifle (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 300 OM
A fully automatic weapon which can be used while moving. It fires two bullets per second. It has a magazine size of 20 bullets and takes only a second to change out the clip. Action Man can carry up to twelve magazines on his person - he can replenish these when he has enough time to summon more between fights. Action Man stores this on his back, so it can be grabbed on the fly. It's fairly accurate, but the bullets themselves do little damage.
Omni's note: Ah, much better. Notice that we've put a limit on the number of magazines he carries into a fight - this isn't necessary, but gives the move a slight power boost and can give you RP fodder if/when your character runs out of ammunition. Remember that, as with the above example, this gun isn't going to rip people to shreds like real life unless there's a large discrepancy between your ATK and your target's DEF. Fights wouldn't be fun if they were over in two seconds.
BAD:
Kamehameha (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 600 OM
A blue beam of raw destructive energy, fired from the palms of the hands, that can be charged for greater effectiveness.
Omni's note: Okay, so we know it can be charged ... but for how long? Forever? What's the minimum time it takes to fire? Range? Can I get a better description of how big it is, what it actually looks like? GIVE ME DETAILS, MAN!
GOOD:
Kamehameha (requires Ranged Proficiency) – 600 OM
A light blue beam of raw destructive energy, around five feet in diameter, that is fired from the palms of the hands and can be charged for greater effectiveness. It requires the user to be stationary in order to use, though not necessarily on the ground. The minimum time it takes to use is about a second, and the longest it can be charged for is thirty seconds, the results of which can be very powerful. Once fired it travels as fast as an arrow, and will travel until either it hits something, or Goku stops channelling or can no longer sustain it.
Omni's note: Since this attack can be charged up, it is a variable move and costs 600 OM. Note that five feet in diameter is roughly the limit for beams without the Area Attack Proficiency. If the player later purchased Area Attack Proficiency, he could add it to the move as explained below, for a more authentic version that increases in diameter the longer it is charged.
BAD:
Gomu Gomu Gatling (requires Elasticity, Ranged Proficiency, Area Attack Proficiency) – 300 OM
Luffy can punch so hard and fast it looks like he's growing multiple arms.
Omni's Note: Oh ... okay. The way you write it, it just sounds like an ability he has. So ... what's the downside? If the punches are stronger and faster than usual punches, there has to be a downside, otherwise it's just a permanent upgrade of sorts to his punching power, not a move. If you wanted that, you'd have to buy a power-up or permanent stat increase.
GOOD:
Gomu Gomu Gatling (requires Elasticity, Ranged Proficiency, Area Attack Proficiency) – 300 OM
Luffy's favourite finishing move, he takes a moment's breath before unleashing a barrage of punches that fly with incredible speed. The emphasis for this move is on pure destructive power over accuracy; as a result the punches fly in all directions, hammering a foe all over. It actually looks as though Luffy has grown multiple arms, though this is purely due to the speed and random direction of the punches. It can even trap multiple foes in its area of effect, which is a cylinder-ish shape of roughly 10 feet in diameter. The punches reach about fifty feet unless they hit something closer. It's very tiring to use, especially for sustained periods, and it can leave Luffy vulnerable both due to how exhausted it can leave him and due to the fact that he cannot move while using it.
Omni's Note: Despite the move's power, it always does the same thing so it has only a basic price of 300 OM. As you can see here, more powerful moves should have bigger downsides (in this case, that it tires the user out very quickly and cannot be used while moving).
BAD:
Explosive Shield (requires Area Attack Proficiency and Area Defense Proficiency) – 600 OM
A shield that protects the user as long as it is sustained. When the user chooses, the shield will either simply dissipate, or explode outwards, damaging anyone nearby at the cost of more energy.
Omni's Note: Wait wait. What kind of shield? And how long does it take to activate?
GOOD:
Explosive Shield (requires Area Attack Proficiency and Area Defense Proficiency) – 600 OM
A sphere that surrounds a user with a protective barrier for as long as it is sustained. It takes about a second to activate. When the user chooses, the shield will either simply dissipate, or explode outwards, damaging anyone within 5ft of the shield at the cost of more energy. As it is a 360-degree sphere with a regular activation time, this won't block strong piercing attacks, but the explosive effect can be used to turn the tables on an overconfident opponent.
Omni's Note: Ah, a sphere. See, it could be anything if you don't tell us. Since this move can be used in two different ways, it has the 600 OM cost. If it ALWAYS went through the same process (only exploding, or never exploding) it could be made into a 300 OM move, but this gives some variety to surprise your opponents. Remember, a shield move can be made more powerful with greater downsides (such as shielding a more limited area, taking longer to activate, or increasing the strain on your character). You can also make it variable, for example as an extra 300-OM effect, the character could increase the power they put into the shield to increase its defensive strength, at the cost of a greater strain/energy drain. In addition to your own DEF, a shield's effectiveness will depend upon your opponent's ATK stat and how powerful of a move they are using. Don't expect to block their 30-second chargeup beam attack with a 1-second chargeup shield unless your shield has other major downsides to boost its power.
----
Surprise Skull (requires Ranged Proficiency and Ranged Materialize Proficiency) – 300 OM
With a series of rapid gestures, Shang can shoot a flaming skull from a surface that is not his palms, usually up from the floor to a wall. The skull erupts with concussive force on impact. Takes roughly a second to execute and moves as fast as a bullet. Shang can move at full speed while using this, but it becomes more difficult to aim.
Omni's Note: Badass.
Pyrokinesis (requires Ranged Proficiency, Ranged Materialize Proficiency, Remote-Control Proficiency, Area Attack Proficiency) – 900 OM
Flame Man Has the power to control pure flame at will, creating an expanding or shrinking field or tendril of flame that can fill a space of around twelve square meters. The more dense the flame, the hotter it burns, whereas the more spread the flame, the weaker it is and the more energy it takes to sustain, making it very weak when spread over a wide area. Flame cannot block physical projectiles but is effective at setting things on fire. This is mostly a utility move as Flame Man has specialised fire attacks in his repertoire. Specialised moves such as fireballs, pillars of flame et cetera will be purchased separately. It takes only a moment to summon the flame near to Flame Man, or up to a few seconds if further away than a few metres, and it can spread as fast as Flame Man can move. Flame Man can move (but not attack) while using pyrokinesis but this splits his focus, making it slightly more difficult for him to move the flame at full speed and aim.
Omni's Note: General 'kinesis' moves such as this have to be fairly delimited as this one is here. Take note important details such as the travel speed and the summoning time. Priced at 900 due to variable size and variable shape.
Reverse Sign "Evil in the Mirror" (requires Ranged Proficiency, Debuff Proficiency, Homing Proficiency, Telepathy) – 300 OM
Seija instantly reverses her opponent's left and right movements. Although the victim is aware of which direction is which, the "controls" in their brain are reversed, so that when they intend to move left they move right and vice versa. Initiated by declaring the name of the spell. Lasts 30 seconds or until Seija has been weakened to roughly 7/8ths of current power/health. As this is fairly tiring, it has one use and cannot be used again until she has rested or recharged.
Omni's Note: Note that this required the Homing proficiency as it affects the opponent without needing to be aimed. As a result of being effectively a "guaranteed hit", it is quite a weak effect and needed to be limited with downsides.
WAAAAAAAAUUUUGH! (Requires Ranged, Buff proficiency) – 300 OM
Bluddflagg stops where he is, throws his head back, and lets out a mighty roar of the titular Orky battlecry for at least three seconds: WAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!!!! Of course, he does have to stop everything he's doing to howl this out, but the effects can be worth it. Allies who hear this during the fight will gain a burst of morale and adrenaline. For a short time, about half a minute, those allies can shrug off injuries as if they had the Survival power, but they do still take the damage, and after the half minute is up, if a wound would have normally killed them, they'll then likely keel over. Still, the move can buy himself and allies just enough time to at least take the sorry gits they're fighting with them! This move can only be used once per fight.
Omni's Note: A good example of a solid buff that doesn't require extensive downsides or a super move. If you want to add real stats, you'll need to take either of these two options.
Frostfire (requires Ranged Proficiency, Debuff Proficiency) – 300 OM
Sub-Zero charges up for a half-second - which slows him to half speed - before firing a super-cold ball of energy at his opponent. It's about the size of a hand, ice-blue, and flies as fast as an arrow. It hurts, and can temporarily immobilize a hand or leg (for up to a second, depending upon the user's ATK/TEC and the defender's DEF/TEC. With equal values, it's only about a half-second) leaving an opponent open to a follow-up combination.
Omni's Note: This move only has a single use, so its cost is 300 OM. Note that since it has a disabling effect, it requires the Debuff Proficiency in addition to Ranged Proficiency.
The following is an example of a summoning move that does not require the use of an assist. Bear in mind that this is a pretty advanced move; I put it in the examples here to help out those with the intention of creating such moves, but I recommend new players skip ahead to the Super Moves section!
Raise Dead (requires Ranged Proficiency, Remote Control Proficiency) – 1200 OM
The legacy of the orcish necrolytes, and a favorite of Raal's, this skill has changed to reflect Omni's own whims and no longer requires a corpse. Raal may use this spell to summon a weak undead warrior near him. These creatures are weak and lack any true combat skill, but are controlled remotely by Raal and can be deceptively dangerous, capable of slowing down enemies and performing an unliving shield against anyone attempting to get close to Raal. They are capable of using basic weaponry, such as swords and bows, but do so with all the grace of an untrained peasant, and about the same level of physical strength to boot.
Compared to a prime, the average undead is very weak, with a prime being more than capable of destroying any undead with a single casual strike, and due to their weakened muscles, they're incapable of doing any serious damage to primes without repeated clean blows. Any undead using a bow is limited to merely thirty feet of range due to their physicality.
The undead take roughly five seconds to fully summon, which takes the majority of Raal's concentration. He can direct his other undead during this time but must stay rooted in one place, palm facing the ground, and cannot move, cast spells, or make any use of his enhanced senses until he is finished. Attempting to do any of these for a split second will stop his spellcasting and cause him to lose the energy he was using to summon the undead. Being physically struck will also cause his spellcasting to fail, regardless of if he was moved or distracted by it.
The undead are a small drain on Raal to summon, each one requiring a small amount of his energy to initially summon, though none to maintain. Actually controlling the undead requires a degree of concentration; as he must control them manually, it makes it more difficult to move, aim or generally focus on other attacks. This effect is more pronounced as he summons more undead; directing ten undead requires his entire concentration, leaving him unable to move or do almost anything else.
At maximum, Raal can summon ten undead at once. If he attempts to summon more than that, one of the undead he is currently controlling will simply shatter into dust, before it's remnants fade away.
Omni's Note: Summoning beings with true sentience and independence always requires the use of an Assist. However, this is an example of a move that summons single-minded creatures who can perform specific tasks or be mentally controlled by the user directly using their own focus (Remote-Control Proficiency). Note the balance: these creatures are weak and can be killed with a single direct hit, hence the relatively low energy cost to summon.
The cost can be broken down into each 'use' of the ability: 300 OM for summoning an undead that can be remotely controlled for basic stuff such as grabbing, moving, essentially a physical manifestation of his remote control. +300 for summoning multiple or controlling multiple simultaneously. +300 for using swords. +300 for using bows.