Mana Crush (5GP+/5PP/S)
Cinematically: A character with this gimmick is able to perform an attack that reduces his target’s mystical power reserves. By casting a magic-negating spell, striking chi-sealing nerve centers, or absorbing mystical auras, the character can significantly reduce his opponents’ ability to activate their special powers.

Mechanically: During purchase, the player chooses and describes one specific attack or gimmick attack that he will use to perform his Mana Crush attack. This may be a normal attack like a punch or sword slice, or a gimmick attack like Blast Attack. In order to perform his Mana Crush attack, the character activates this gimmick during his turn and attempts to strike with his chosen attack. If the chosen attack is a gimmick attack, the character also activates the attack gimmick and then rolls to strike. Both gimmicks may be activated in the same turn without penalty. If the attack strikes, it inflicts the normal amount of damage, and the defender Resists normally. However, instead of reducing the defender’s Health Points, the attack’s damage reduces the defender’s Pool Points. The character can always choose to perform his chosen attack and inflict normal Health Point damage without activating this gimmick.

Mana Crush attacks can be used to reduce a defender’s Pool Point total as low as zero. Any additional Pool Point damage inflicted after a defender’s Pool Point total is already zero has no effect at all. This gimmick does not reduce a defender’s maximum Pool Point total, only his current number of Pool Points. Pool Points lost due to a Mana Crush attack can be regained normally, just as if they were spent to activate gimmicks.

By spending and additional three Gimmick Points on this gimmick beyond its initial cost, the character can inflict both Pool Point damage and normal Health Point damage with his Mana Crush attack. If this attack strikes, the defender suffers the normal amount of damage (after Resistance) to both his Health Points and Pool Points. A character who possesses this improved version of Mana Crush may always choose to inflict only Pool Point damage when he strikes with the Mana Crush attack.

Mecha: Mecha may purchase and use this gimmick as described above. The Pool Point damage that a Mana Crush attack inflicts is never modified by the attacker’s or defender’s Mecha Modifier. If a mecha spends additional Gimmick Points on this gimmick to gain the ability to inflict both Health Point and Pool Point damage, only the Health Point damage is modified by the attacking mecha’s Mecha Modifier (and the defending mecha’s Mecha Modifier, if applicable) as per the normal mecha combat rules.