The Genjutsu Guide

Genjutsu ~ Art of Illusions

For those unaware of it Genjutsu can seem to be, most problematic and most confusing speciality of the lot. It is almost universally avoided by new RPers not only because of the limited cannon techs but the great confusion that surrounds them. The following treatise is both a guide and a rule set about how to apply, utilize and deal with genjutsu with an aim to do away with the misunderstandings that surround it.


Genjutsu (literally meaning "Illusionary Techniques") are techniques that are employed in the same fashion as ninjutsu, requiring chakra and hand seals. However, the primary difference between the two is that the effect of genjutsu is illusory, by controlling the chakra in the victim's brain, and thus manipulating their senses. This is often used to create false images or to cause pain from trauma (because the body is led to believe it is in pain); however, there are plenty of other uses depending on the situation. They are not used as often as ninjutsu because they don't physically harm the opponent, but the pain is real.


Difficulty: The difficulty of a genjutsu technique denotes the level of kai needed to break it. When a genjutsu is cast and the enemy wishes to kai out of the technique, they must sacrifice the chakra amount proportional to the genjutsu cast on them to break it. In layman's terms, a B Rank amount of chakra is necessary to escape a B Rank leveled genjutsu. This is not however true for all genjutsu, mostly those of S Rank. Depending on several factors (Bloodline, Doujutsu etc etc) any opponent stuck in an S Rank genjutsu may not be able to kai out unless they meet the extraordinary parameters to do so. This will be adjudicated by creation moderators to ensure fairness.

Description: All genjutsu descriptions must contain the following:

1. Details of how the illusion is performed
2. The individuals it can affect
3. Its effects
4. Duration of the illusion
5. If it can be performed while moving, or if it is performed and causes the user and enemy to remain stationary.

Guidance Notes:

1. All genjutsu must have a trigger in which the opponent will recognize the trigger to get it started. You cannot simply perform the hand signs for a genjutsu and expect it to work. However, god mod triggers will not be allowed. For instance, if the trigger to a genjutsu is simply looking at the caster, it will not be allowed. An acceptable genjutsu trigger is a specific action or a specifc location on the casters body. (Ex. The enemy must notice the caster perform a series of hand signs)

2. Generally all genjutsu fall into one of the four types: -
Single Target – Effect one person only, tend to be the most potent -
Multiple Targets – Effect numerous individuals, number of possible targets should be included -
Area of Effect – Rather then target specific individuals target a specified area, must include size and dimensions of the affected area (include size of the area effect) - Affecting the Senses – Affect anyone seeing/hearing/smelling/tasting or touching. May only affect one of the 5 main senses, so you can’t have a genjutsu that both effects everyone looking at the focus and also hearing the sound it makes. (This prevents opponents from blocking off your, sight, feeling, and hearing, making it near impossible to react to a move)

3. What the genjutsu actually does to its victims.

4. Unlike ninjutsu or indeed most other specialties, which are largely created and then instantly used, nearly all genjutsu last a set duration often for great many posts or even till broken. Please state how long the genjutsu last even if it is one of the few ones which last but a second or two. Though not a requirement you are also allowed to state how long it will take someone to notice the genjutsu is in effect though rank and whether they are genjutsu specialists should factor into the equation. While this takes something that is by nature subjective, personal awareness, and makes it objective it serves to counter the unfortunate nature of people who are aware of a genjutsu OOC all too often claim awareness IC. Please note if you do so this should always be the same length or shorter then its actual duration of the technique for obvious reasons.

5. Visual aspects should be well described and not misleading. It may be simple enough to use just a sentence for this but where more abstract the description should be clear and well defined


Normally with techniques you are expected to post any tech used in a spoiler below the post itself. Given that genjutsu are intrinsically secretive and often dependant on catching people unawares they lose a lot of their effect once revealed and risk being meta-gamed into uselessness. To avoid this genjutsu’s are not required to be posted directly below posts, only have the hand seals (or other method of creation) and effects described within them. Instead of posting the genjutsu they can PM a staff member, called a genjutsu buddy in this scenario, with the jutsu used and a link to the thread. Then it can’t be claimed at a later point that the user was god-modding and had never done the technique. It is not good enough to PM just anyone and should always be a staff member For example if a genjutsu gave the illusion of a sand storm, then it is quite fine for the user to simply do hand signs and state a sandstorm appears from the west etc and not make mention that it is in truth a illusion brought upon by a active genjutsu. However this must be done from the victim/targets point of view so if they have a dojutsu such as a Byakugan that would see straight through it then they should be informed (by PM is fine) and user must always perform the necessary actions etc in the post the genjutsu was initiated.


Before you can attempt to break or dispel a Genjutsu you must be aware that you are under the effects of one. This is not easy since genjutsu as illusions are intrinsically difficult to notice and often designed to mislead or confuse as to their true purpose. Invariably a great many of these so called techniques will remain in affect till you notice them and remove them. After all why would anyone try to remove the affects of something they don’t even know is there?

Of course the problem with this particular aspect of genjutsu is the profound and far too common practise of meta-gaming, if normally unintentional. I and any experienced RPer will know of a case, often many cases, where a member who upon realising their character is afflicted by a genjutsu OOC will result in their character trying to dispel/break it in RP either by breaking unintentional or claiming to notice it often highly implausibly.

To avoid this genjutsu users may, as previously mentioned, both avoid directly posting that they are using genjutsu and/or create/use genjutsu where the duration it takes for others to realise, taking into account rank and gen speciality, is clearly written in black and white. Where duration isn’t specifically stated then it is fine to notice a genjutsu at any time after you are become effected as long as it is done so in a logical and understandable manner. If you cannot clearly explain to others how you have noticed then you a probably meta-gaming.

To be clear on the matter, nearly all attempts to unintentionally dispel/break a genjutsu (allow yourself to take minor harm to break a D rank genjutsu your character isn’t aware of for example) or claims to notice ones affects with no logical chain of causation will be considered meta-gaming and dealt with appropriately. Please note, all genjutsu can be potentially noticed, how difficult this act is depends on the skill of the caster and the enemy.


There are two main ways to dispel a Genjutsu. The primary way is for the victim or somebody in direct contact with the victim to use the Ninjutsu known as Kai to stop the flow of chakra in their body then apply a even stronger power to disrupt the users flow and in so doing break the genjutsu. The second is by means of Pain, which can be used to focus ones mind away from the genjutsu and with any luck bring their senses back into order.

Kai The main way to break genjutsu. Kai is one of the seven basic techniques on site all Nin whatever their speciality can have and is highly recommended. Without it characters expose themselves far more to being killed horrifically by a gen user, an action commonly referred to as Gen rape.

Kai is a "blank" rank tech and can be used to instantly dispel or break upon activation any one genjutsu up to the users own rank. The genjutsu difficulty rank (rather then the jutsu rank though this will most often be the same) indicates the level of kai need. What this means in practise is A rank Nin with Tai and Med who can use it to break a genjutsu with an A rank difficulty rating but not an S rank. On other sites the practice is often quite different allowing only genjutsu specialist of the highest level to break the most difficult gen but this is not especially balanced since it means all gen users can counter techs at higher levels. That said it should be recognised that obliviously genjutsu specialists would be better at this given they have significantly more experience handling genjutsu. Therefore characters with a genjutsu speciality may dispel genjutsu as though it they are one difficulty rank lower.

The chakra cost for kai is directly equivalent to the difficulty of the genjutsu you are trying to break. To break a technique with B Rank difficulty requires a B Rank’s worth of chakra. If you have a partner, it is much easier for your partner to disturb an illusion affecting you with their chakra than it is for you to disturb your own chakra which is being controlled. Due to this, a partner using kai may use chakra two ranks lower. This does not account for NPC, summonings, or Kage Bunshins. It must be another person on the site with a registered account other than yours.

Pain

Pain while another useful way to break genjutsu is not as effective as Kai. It requires a significant amount to work and is only a defense against low level techniques. Pain can only ever be used to break techniques with a C rank difficulty or lower.

Characters with a high tolerance for pain or high pain threshold can not use it so effectively to break a genjutsu and can only use pain to break techniques with a D rank difficulty or lower.

Characters that are immune to pain or can not feel it can never use it to break free of a genjutsu.



This section covers genjutsu resistance and all the techs, abilities or kkg’s with genjutsu resistant aspects. You will note no mention of Genjutsu immunity any where in this section since it doesn’t exist, no character is allowed or will ever be allowed to be immune to genjutsu much like no character can be immune to ninjutsu or weaponry for that matter. Being highly resistant is one thing, immunity quite another.

It is allowable to have some inbuilt resistance to it within a kkg or have techs that make you resistant to it etc. However when linked to a kkg it must be balanced as whole and fit in logically. Don’t expect it approved if you just added it on the side for extra protection.

Dojutsu

There are certain dojutsu that can see through illusions or allow their users to use their own eyes as genjutsu focuses. Any dojutsu that allows the user to see the flow of chakra, which includes the Byakugan and the Sharingan, can directly see changes in its flow that are a clear sign that are gen is in effect. In such a way the can quite literally see the effects of genjutsu on themselves and others. There is a mistaken assumption by many that they can see through all genjutsu in role-play. While they can tell if others and their own bodies are affected in standard conditions by looking at them with their dojutsu active it does require that their eyes are passing sensory information to the mind to be unscrambled by it to make a picture in our brain. Any genjutsu that directly affects the minds perception, cutting off the information they are receiving from the eyes and replacing the sensory images received with new ones cannot be detected by them in this way.

In a short a dojutsu that can see chakra flow can:

~Can see changes in chakra flow, in others and themselves (if looking at themselves) and thus realise a gen is in effect while they can see and the dojutsu is unaffected

These dojutsu can not:

~Make the user immune to genjutsu
~Allow the user to actually see through genjutsu. They simply see the affects a genjutsu has on other people where the genjutsu does not inhibit site or entirely change their perception
~Work at all on any technique the blinds them or totally replaces what the see with an illusionary perception of the world. Thus they can not see past dream like or illusionary worlds by means of a genjutsu
~Break an illusion without sacrificing the needed chakra/requirements to break it. Just because you can notice it, doesn't mean you can break it for free.
~Break out of a genjutsu using OOC and claim that you have done so just because you can see chakra flow. If you do not notice it legitimately in RP you cannot break out of it.

Emotions

Some genjutsu hints or even straight forwardly states that they play on, affect and manipulated certain feelings or emotions. This is all well and good but the emotions must be their in the first place for the genjutsu to have any affect. While most people are assumed to have most emotions, even in very small amounts there are people to whom certain emotions do not exist or are meaningless who will not be affected. That said it is possible to make targets believe they have theses emotions which may then be played on in this manner while the latter effect continues.

Subconscious Techniques

Subconscious techniques are those that remain dormant in the opponents mind or place supplementary effects on them via mental suggestion/blocks. These techniques are banned. Any genjutsu affecting the subconscious and there by the innate thinking of a user will be banned. (Ex. Shisui Uchiha's dojutsu genjutsu would not be allowed)

Genjutsu Triggers and Secondary Triggers

A Genjutsu trigger is a set action or object to activate a genjutsu. The best known users of genjutsu triggers are the Uchiha clan who often use their eyes and even fingers, to use a genjutsu. Every genjutsu must have a trigger. Good triggers are:

~Work upon the focus making eye contact with the victim
~Work upon playing music or a sound heard by the victim
~Work upon being touched/felt by the victim
~Work by creating a smell which will affect those who sniffs it

It should be noted that a trigger does not get rid of the hand signs. Once the hand signs for the genjutsu are performed then the trigger must be put in place. Also, if your trigger fails and you perform a ninjutsu, you are not allowed to use a trigger after. As long as you use a different technique after your trigger fails, you must start the hand signs over again.

Secondary Triggers

Secondary Triggers are for clans or abilities that characters hold that allow them to use genjutsu in other ways. The advantage to this is that usually the secondary trigger is much easier to work with and can eliminate the need for hand signs. Secondary triggers are normally like the Uchiha's Sharingan. Just because you eliminate the need for hand signs and gain ease of access it should be noted that your secondary trigger must have a chakra cost. For instance, using the Sharingan has a chakra cost and as long as the Uchiha has it on they can cast genjutsu with it. This makes it fair balanced when dealing with illusionary techniques.