I Pose a Question

[Alexander Trafford]

The time has come for Alexander to ascertain a power-up in order for him to remain competitive in the scheme of the game. In my desire to create a unique character, I have been searching for different procedures to activate such a power-up. The details of the technique itself will be left up to me, but the trigger for the power-up I leave up to you.

I was planning on integrating the obtaining of this power-up in my current personal storyline, if i have the time before the ASS saga, or immediately following the saga in the same storyline. I want the trigger to be unique, and i also want it to be an external object/item that is necessary for activation - i would like it to be something that Trafford is hesitant to use so that I will have an in-character reason to only use such a power-up in serious circumstances. So my first inclination was drugs. These are what i have come up with so far.

Methods of activation

1. The use of Heroine (which he already possesses but never uses, this will also allow his heroine supply to serve as a physical representation of PP - as he uses some heroine and his supply lowers, his PP lowers because he activated the power-up, and purchasing an energy pill would be the equivalent of him purchasing heroine from a drug dealer).

2. The discovery/earning of a powerful item and the use of such an item
a. The use of Marijuana (he would, through some sort of endeavor, acquire a bowl or pipe that triggers his power-up, where marijuana supply serves as a physical representation of PP much like heroine does in the prior example).
b. The use of alcohol (the acquisition of a aged liquor, same deal as above with PP and such)

3. The normal activation of a power-up (will-based, emotion-based, etc.)

4. Any other ideas from anyone else on this site, feel free to throw them out there.

I'm looking for opinions on any of these, which one you favor, etc. Thank you for your time and your help.

[Cain]

You can always gain a power up from philosophy. Discovering a powerful item would work about the same way, I guess.

You could have Alex go through a hoodoo ceremony too. Like, drinking datura (drinking alcohol in tonic form).

I'm against Alex's heroine use because he's got massive potential as a role model, which would probably make Alex happy on the inside. That and realizing he was just covering up emotional or physical pain with a drug could cause a power up over his current state (after he danced with the devil from withdrawal).

[Kaden]

You could also go the opposite direction and have a power-up be something like putting on a nicotine patch.

[Super Buu]

You could make your own fictional drug, one which might also better explain how it powers him up. I wouldn't use weed or alcohol unless you're deliberately going for comical.

[Mr. Zhu]

I could sell you drugs >.>.......

[Mal Nova]

Perhaps some sort of experimental drug(Made up by a lab) that comes in the form of a mouth piece or what not, in which Alex has to bite down to release the substance. It can scare him because it has, many potential side effects, even some that are unexplored. So when he uses it he knows he has a potential for something going wrong. If you ever decide to make the substance to become less unstable, you can.