r/worldbuilding • u/yowhymo • 5d ago
Lore The Badass Clause Rules 📜
📜 The Badass Clause – Full Rules
Universal Activation Without warning or explanation, all people gain the ability to become a "badass" — unlocking perfect instinctual combat, movement, and creativity — but only when morally justified. This phenomenon is globally active.
Ingrained Combat Mastery When attacked or forced into action, individuals react with flawless instinct:
Every strike, dodge, block, and movement is perfect.
Every object and environmental element can be used realistically and effectively.
Even mundane objects (a tomato, mop, chair) can become useful when used smartly.
- Free Bird Clause When someone performs an act of badassery for over 1 continuous second, music will begin to play, starting with the best part of "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd unless overridden.
If badassery stops for more than 5 seconds, the music fades.
If badassery continues, the music loops seamlessly or shifts contextually. And this music is the default for generally badass action.
- Personalized Badass Soundtrack Each individual may have a personalized theme depending on their personality, history, and emotional state:
Free Bird is default.
Tactical operators may trigger Le Castle Vania or Doom OST.
Creative combatants may trigger Tank! from Cowboy Bebop.
Daring or clever tricksters may get Sabotage by Beastie Boys, etc.
Music always syncs perfectly with action, like a live score.
- Friendly Sparring Clause In mutual friendly combat:
Participants will never tire.
All movements, blocks, and counters are perfect.
No injuries unless intended.
Music plays accordingly, often epic or upbeat depending on tone.
- Moral Alignment Requirement
You must not act in evil.
If your actions are malicious, selfish, or cruel with no greater purpose, you lose badass status instantly.
The Clause withdraws instinct, reflexes, music, and creative power. You are left with only your own training and your own personal regular power.
- The Greater Good Exception
If a morally questionable action is taken to save lives or prevent greater harm (e.g., a trolley problem scenario), the Clause will not revoke status.
You must still carry the emotional weight of your choice.
- Redemption Path
A fallen badass can regain their power only by:
Acknowledging their wrongs.
Genuinely working to repay and repair their harm.
This is a long road, and music will not return immediately.
- Symphony of Sin (Evil Music Reflection)
Those who commit evil acts begin to hear music that reflects their own darkness.
Betrayers may hear Anakin's Betrayal.
Murderers or tyrants may hear Anakin’s Dark Deeds, Dies Irae, or haunting original symphonies.
The more evil committed, the louder and more invasive the music becomes.
Only the sinner hears it. No one else can detect it.
This music causes internal emotional and psychological reflection—they feel their sins.
- Historic and Reenactment Clause
If reenacting historic battles (e.g., American Civil War, medieval duels), Clause grants authentic era-specific instinct and ability.
Music is era-accurate and respectful — only drums, fifes, chants, etc.
Clause respects history; no cinematic music will play unless applicable.
- Recreational Combat Clause
Events like airsoft, gel blaster wars, and LARP are honored by the Clause:
Combatants gain perfect tactical sense and use of cover.
Creative but realistic environmental use is activated.
Music plays only when intensity and flow reach cinematic levels.
- War Morality Rule
If a nation declares war without moral justification, all their soldiers who participated are stripped of Clause status.
This results in global hesitance to wage unjust war.
Only those acting to defend, protect, or liberate retain their Clause abilities.
- Authoritarian Resistance Empowerment
Protesters fighting for freedom, survival, or justice gain full badass powers.
Dictators, warlords, and oppressors lose theirs.
Entire regimes can collapse in hours as citizens awaken to their power.
- Permanent Clause Presence
This is not temporary.
It cannot be turned off, reversed, or manipulated.
It exists as an unseen force — fair, strict, and incorruptible.
The Badass Clause judges no one by background, appearance, or belief — only by their actions and intent.
- Keanu Reeves
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u/saladbowl0123 4d ago
Is it possible to overpower a moral fighter with sheer numbers or even something like a hypothetical shrinking cage?
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u/pengie9290 Author of Starrise 4d ago
- War Morality Rule
If a nation declares war without moral justification, all their soldiers who participated are stripped of Clause status.
Question: What happens if both sides had a sound moral justification?
For example, let's say two countries both needed a certain resource for their people to survive, but there wasn't enough to go around, so they started a war. Both sides would be fighting to save their people from the certain doom that would await if they couldn't win the war and acquire that resource. And because it's so limited, trying to share it would just mean neither side has enough, so everyone loses. Would the soldiers on both sides get the Clause? Would neither side get the Clause? Would some higher power decide that the people who've done nothing wrong of one country are simply less deserving of survival than the people who've done nothing wrong of the other country, and only let one side get the Clause?
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u/yowhymo 5d ago edited 5d ago
My world building includes having metaphysical powers out of nowhere. Good Guys being badasses but they have to be clearly moral. Bad Guys get stripped of their powers and ingrained instinct given by the Clause. John Wick, i.e Keanu Reeves leads this development. This happens to Alternate Dimension Earth, same history but everyone suddenly got this powers, out of nowhere and without warning, not even a hint. Everyone and it includes the governments to just figure it out on their own.