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Qualia: Trials of Fate

Solo-developed story-driven Action RPG incorporating Quantum Mechanics, Physics & Philosophy in its story and ability system.

Date

Sept 2025

Role(s)

Solo Developer

Contribution

  • Everything except the creation of model & audio assets.

  • Game Storyline & Prequel Lore.

  • Science & Quantum Mechanics based Ability Design

  • Blueprints-based Prototype

Links

Engine/Software

Unreal Engine 5 Blueprints

Key Skills / Features

  • Prequel of my in-development science-fuelled action series IP

  • Science & Quantum Mechanics based Abilities and Skill Tree

  • Quantum Mechanics + Philosphy based power system

  • Fresh lore, history and characters created that tie into main IP

Team Size

1


Qualia: Trials of Fate is a single-player narrative RPG designed for my MA Game Design Final Project.


This is a video-game extension of an in-development IP series that I created called Qualia, which utilises real science, quantum mechanics and philosophy for the fantastical abilities one might expect from a fantasy setting. The goal and driving force of this project and its IP is to inspire the same sense of wonder that people may feel towards fantasy and science fiction, but towards real life.


Set in a modern setting, Qualia: Trials of Fate is a new prequel story, following how Rowan and Liora become the co-leaders of the guild that the main storyline is about. QToF introduces how holistic sciences such as astronomy have a place in the science-based power system, and how the trials Rowan and Liora must overcome have been prophesised by the guild's founder 60 years ago.


Freely switch between the main characters Rowan - who has the electricity and polarity-based powers, and Liora - who has light & EM wave-based powers, as they deepen their understanding of the powers, tackle to controversy of how society gained access to powers in the first place, and ultimately inherit the mission passed on from the guild's founder.


For this project my main areas of focus were Abilities Design, Skill Trees Design, as well as the narrative & gameplay.


Ability Design

Roughly 30 abilities & upgrades were designed for Rowan and Liora each, all inspired from real science and quantum mechanics.


Rowan's electricity based powers include phenomena like electric circuits, electrons & free electrons, electromagnetism & polarity, ionisation, anti-matter, annihilation, photoelectric effect, and more.


Liora's EM Wave based powers cover topics such as: EM Waves, Colour spectrum, Wavelengths, low/high energy EM Waves, refraction/reflection, resonance, superposition, pair production and quantum entanglement.


Click to Reveal Rowan's Ability List

Skill Name

Stage

Cost

Precision Level

Effect

In-Game Description

Scientific Background

Basic Combat

1

Free

1

Basic melee combat attacks.

Rowan has basic combat experience.

N/A

Basic Combat+

1

1 UP

1

New melee attacks & combos unlocked.

Rowan’s experience in battles has improved his combat ability.

N/A

Charged Attacks

2

1 BP

2

Melee attacks apply ‘Charged’ to enemies. Melee attacks deal bonus damage to Charged enemies

Channelling electricity through his fists and feet, Rowan creates a circuit through the enemy. Shocking them before recalling the target’s electrons, leaving them positively charged.

 

Charged Attacks+

2

1 UP

3

Melee attacks deal additional damage to Charged enemies. Charged duration increased.

 

 

Charged Flurry

2

1 BP

2

Attack speed increase vs. Charged enemies.

Rowan negatively charges his fists/feet during attacks to utilise the magnetic pull against positively charged enemies, increasing the speed of his attacks.

Polarity, Magnetism.

Charged Assault

2

1 BP

2

Perform a dash attack towards a Charged enemy.

Negatively charging his whole body, Rowan dashes to a positively charged enemy with incredible speed.

 

Chain Lightning

3

1 BP

3

Powerful lightning damages a Charged enemy before bounces to a nearby Charged enemy (max. 4 bounces).

 

Electric Potential, Polarity

Chain Lightning+

3

1 UP

4

Chain Lightning max bounce increases to 8.

 

 

Lightning Rush

3

1BP

4

Move at the speed of lightning, to strike Charged enemies in range.

 

 

Magnetic Touch

1

Free

1

Change an object in melee range’s magnetic polarity to + or – (Strong).

Add or remove free electrons to an object in melee range to change its polarity.

Magnetism, Polarity, Free electrons.

Magnetic Touch+

1

1 UP

1

Increased max number of charged objects. Increased duration.

N/A

Magnetism, Polarity, Free electrons.

Magnetic Projectile

2

1 BP

3

Shoot a projectile of temporary but strongly polarizing energy. 

Fire a projectile that adds/removes weakly bonded electrons on contact.

Magnetism, Polarity, Free electrons.

Magnetic Projectile+

2

1 UP

3

Enemies shot by Magnetic Projectile are polarised for longer.

N/A

 

Fundamental Polarisation

3

1 BP

4

 

Rowan can now change the polarity of fundamental particles (protons, electrons, etc).

Fundamental particles.

Annihilate

3

1 BP

4

Turn half of a non-biological object into antimatter, destroying it and releasing EM Waves.

Invert the polarity of half a non-biological object’s protons and electrons, creating an unstable half-antimatter object that destroys itself. High-energy EM Waves are released.

Pair annihilation, Fundamental particles.

Air Crusher (Tag Move)

3

1 BP

4

 

Negatively charging the polarity of the target, causes the surrounding positively charged air particles to collapse on the target with immense force.

Ionisation

Annihilate Bio-Matter

4

?

4

 

Invert bio-mass into anti-matter, enabling the partial annihilation of biological objects.

Pair annihilation

Human Battery

1

Free

1

Power-up small inactive machinery that requires electricity.

Rowan can recharge electrical appliances.

Electricity.

Human Battery+

1

1 UP

2

Power-up larger machinery.

Output a much higher wattage to kickstart bigger machinery.

Electricity, Watts.

Overload

2

1 BP

1

Cause an electrical object to stop working. Can also stun a biological enemy for a small duration

Shock the target with enough Volts to overload the capacitors in an electrical object. This stuns the nervous system in a biological target.

 

Overload+

2

1 UP

2

Supercharge the overloaded machinery for a delayed explosion. Biological enemies are stunned for longer.

 

 

Charge Pulse

3

1 BP

4

Release a shockwave. All objects hit have a weak negative charge.

Release a wave of ionising energy, granting new loosely bonded electrons to all objects in range. 

Ionisation, Polarity, Electrons.

Charge Pulse+

3

1 UP

4

Increases the range of Charge Pulse.

 

 

Electrical Awareness

1

Free

1

Sense electrical items in range.

Sense the flow of electricity in nearby objects.

N/A

Photoelectric Sense

2

1 BP

2

(When near Liora) Rowan can temporarily sense the location of any metallic objects in range.

Liora’s high-energy photons enable Rowan to sense the released electrons from metal objects via the photo-electric effect.

Photoelectric effect, Photons, Electrons.

Photoelectric Sense Duration+

2

1 UP

2

Photoelectric Sense duration is increased.

 

 

Photoelectric Sense Range+

2

1 UP

2

Photoelectric Sense range is increased

 

 

Photoelectric Pulse

3

1 BP

3

(Requires Charge Pulse) Rowan can now sense all objects in range after a Charge Pulse.

Sense the weakly bonded electrons applied to the objects hit by Charge Pulse.

Photoelectric effect

Anti-Matter Creation

4

?

4

Rowan can create Anti-Matter out of nothing.

The creation of matter shouldn’t be possible…

Anti-matter

Anti-Matter Attacks

4

?

4

Perform devastating combos at the cost of Rowan’s health.

Health returned if Liora is nearby. 

Annihilate Rowan’s own body to perform devastating attacks.

 

Health+

0-3

1 BP / UP

0

Increase Rowan’s Max Health

 

 

Focus+

0-3

1 BP / UP

0

Increase Rowan’s Max Focus

 

 

Click to Reveal Liora's Ability List

Skill Name

Stage

Cost

Precision Level

Effect

In-Game Description

Scientific Background

Colour Change

1

Free

1

Change the colour of an object.

 

Visual Spectrum

Visual Clones

2.0

1 BP

1

Create a visual clone of yourself, or a person you can see. (Destroyed after taking damage)

 

Visual Spectrum

Clone Combos

2.0

1 UP

2

Liora’s experience using her clones has enabled her to incorporate clones in her attacks to create openings.

 

N/A

Clone Perfect Sync

2.1

1 UP

3

Clones can perfectly imitate the original.

 

Quantum Entanglement

Solid Clones

3.0

1 BP

4

Clones are solid for 1 hit.

Liora converts the clones’ photons into physical matter via pair production right before impact.

Pair Production

Clone Duration+

3.1

1 UP

3

Clones last for longer.

 

 

Durable Clones (Tag Move)

3.1

1 BP

4

After making physical clones, Rowan makes them able to deliver or take up to 3 hits in total.

Rowan changes the polarity of the anti-matter created from the clone photons’ pair production into normal matter, increasing the stability of the construct.

Pair Production, Antimatter, Polarity

Clone Teleportation

4

?

4

Switch positions with a Clone.

Liora and her clone exist in superposition – she can choose to ‘observe’ where she is, to appear in the position of her clone.

Superposition

Martial Artist

1

Free

1

Advanced melee combat attacks.

Liora is trained in various martial arts.

N/A

UV Energised Attacks

2.0

1 BP

2

Liora melee attacks deal additional damage.

Liora harnesses the energy from UV waves to increase the force of her attacks.

 

X-Ray Energised Attacks

2.1

1 UP

2

Liora melee attacks deal  more damage.

Liora harnesses the energy from X-Ray waves to further increase the force of her attacks.

 

Gamma Energised Attacks

3.1

1 UP

2

Liora melee attacks deal massive damage.

Liora harnesses the energy from Gamma waves to massively increase the force of her attacks.

 

Super-imposed Strikes

3.0

1 BP

3

Attacking at the same time as her clones deals bonus damage

 

Superposition, Resonance

Resonant Fist

3.2

1 BP

4

A combo attack, where Liora performs multiple attacks that ramp up in speed and damage.

 

Resonance

Energised Clones

4

?

4

Liora’s clones gain Liora’s Energised Attacks damage.

 

 

Invisibility

1

Free

1

Make an object invisible.

 

Light Refraction

Invisibility+

1

1 UP

2

Turn up to four objects invisible.

 

Light Refraction

Visual Illusions

2.0

1 BP

1

Create visual illusions to confuse or distract an enemy.

 

Light Refraction

Visual Illusions+

2.1

1 UP

2

 

 

 

Light Flash

2.1

1 BP

2

Create a flash of light.

 

 

Light Flash+

3.0

1 UP

2

Create a flash of light that only stuns enemies.

 

 

Hyper Light Beam

3.1

1 BP

3

Liora charges then release a penetrating beam of high energy white light, damaging enemies and leaving them Polarised (+).

 

 

Hyper Light Beam+

3.2

1 UP

4

 

 

 

IR Radar

1

1 BP

1

Scan around you to see heat signatures through terrain.

 

 

IR Radar+

2.0

1 UP

2

 

 

 

Radio Messages

1

Free

1

Send radio messages to equipment that can receive it.

 

 

Radio Interference

2.1

1 BP

3

Counter the radio messages sent by an object or enemy.

 

 

Gamma EMP

3.0

1 BP

3

Stun any electric mechanical objects for a short duration.

Release a wave of gamma radiation, positively charging the air and

Electro Magnetic Pulse

Health+

0-3

1 BP / UP

0

Increase Liora’s Max Health

 

 

Focus+

0-3

1 BP / UP

0

Increase Liora’s Max Focus

 

 


Skill Tree Design

The skill trees for Rowan and Liora look different and work slightly differently. Both are based diagrams that relate to their powers, with Rowan's skill tree based on an atom, and Liora's being based on the visual light spectrum.


Both skills have three main components, the Ability Cost (BP/UP), a required Stage, and a Precision Level Requirement.


Ability Cost

New skills often cost BP (Breakthrough Points), which are rewarded for completing story missions and defeating enemies, while most abilities can have upgrades unlocked with UP (Understanding Points), which are mastery points accumulated as players use their unlocked abilities in-game.


Stage

The power system in the Qualia IP is measured in Stages. People with powers start at Stage 1, those whose powers are improved for combat are at Stage 2, the powerful powered people are Stage 3, and then there is an unknown, mythical Stage 4, at which point users can start breaking the rules of science, not just bend them. In QToF, Stages are gained after or during Story Missions.


Precision Level

To unlock an ability, the players need both the required ability point (1 BP/UP), but also for the player to have reached the required Precision Level. A character's Precision Level can be improved individually by completing puzzles based on scientific concepts.

Precision Level is the abstract degree of specificity that the character needs to be able to visualise in order to perform certain abilities.

Precision Level 1 – Object Level

The user can visualise a full object. The ability affects the object as a whole.

Precision Level 2 – Particle Level

The user can affect the giant particle structure of an object. Examples of this would be changing a solid to liquid, or vice versa.

Precision Level 3 – Atomic Level

The user can visualise the individual atoms of an object.

Precision Level 4 – Sub-Atomic Level

The user can visualise the fundamental particles (electrons, protons, neutrons, etc) of an object.


Rowan's Skill Tree (Diagram) - Based on the structure of an atom
Rowan's Skill Tree (Diagram) - Based on the structure of an atom
Liora's Skill Tree (Diagram) - Based on white light through a prism
Liora's Skill Tree (Diagram) - Based on white light through a prism

Liora's skill tree is based on the visual light spectrum. Her basic, abilities are on the low energy/wavelength red wave, and her powers grow in power (and Stage) as they move vertically down to the blue/violet waves.


A behavioural difference with Liora's skill tree is that she gains access to additional wavelengths in her skill tree after spending a minimum amount of Ability Points. This helps to control the exposure of available abilities for her skill tree, as it may be easy to be a bit confused or overwhelmed if everything was visible at once.


You can download a copy of the Game Design Document below.


Copyright Notice© Rolandson Thomas, 2025. All rights reserved.


This project and its original concepts, characters, settings, and narrative are the intellectual property of the author.

Third-party images, assets, or references included in this project remain the property of their respective creators and are used here strictly for academic, illustrative, or reference purposes under fair dealing/fair use principles.


© 2024 by Rolandson Thomas. 

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