Just how powerful are turaga?

[Constructelf]

It says on BS01 that turaga contain minuscule amounts of power? But how much is minuscule? (ie percentage of toa elemental powers). Like are they limited to shooting their element or controlling already existing forms of their element? And how much? My guess is that they can either shoot small amounts of their element or that they can control their element, just takes a lot more effort.

[bonesiii]

I've always compared it to a candle flame, for Fire (compared to, say, a space rocket).Puddle versus a sea. Breeze versus a hurricane, icicle versus avalanche, etc.

[Constructelf]

So, same as toa, just smaller amounts of it? The way I'm thinking of it is movie psychokinesis (toa) compared to Psipog/"real life" psychokinesis (turaga). If I was using a turaga in BZPRPG, how would that work? (ie Turaga Valja [my turaga] tries to fire a blast of lightning but it only slightly fazes the opponent, would that work?)

[Jedi Knight Krazy]

In your example, the Turaga would probably not even try to fire a blast of lighting (they are also known for being wise), knowing that he'd only get a spark. I'm making this up, but I'd imagine he has enough voltage to incapacitate someone with a touch, possibly even kill them, but not nearly enough energy to arc it through the air.For comparison, note what happens in the Mask of Light movie. Vakama bonks the Rahkshi on the head with his staff ("Back, you foul creature! One more step and I'll..."), then Tahu steps in and creates an (equally ineffective) ring of fire. If you consider the fact that that Tahu is a Nuva and way more powerful than a normal Toa, (also remember that both of their powers were severely nerfed for the kids' movie), that should give you an idea of the difference.

[Fractual Forever]

Since we've never actually seen the Turaga attack, it could be anything. Maybe they could create like small sparks of their attack, like making a candle light for fire or making a gentle breeze for air.

[Toa of Italy]

Since we've never actually seen the Turaga attack, it could be anything.

Actually, we have seen a Turaga use his Elemental Powers is in the very first comic (The Coming of the Toa). Here, Nuju, while speaking to Kopaka (using ordinary Matoran, by the way), creates a small ice pebble about as big as his hand.I therefore deduce that the Turaga are very weak indeed and their Elemental Power is useless in battle. They probably can't go beyond a small flame, a handful of water, a weak gust of air etc.

[Toa of Ice - 1987]

I'd say their elemental power capacity is 10% in contrast to when they were a Toa

[Makuta Matata]

For example, Turaga Vakama can keep his torch/staff hot. That's his Toa/Turaga power. Not sure if he can shoot fireballs, though. Probably not. He might be able to light a candle flame with his hands, but I doubt he can do that.

[Toatapio Nuva]

The power is very weak. A Turaga of Fire can light a torch, but that's as powerful as it gets. Maybe he can create a candle-like flame in his palm. Anyway, those powers are not powerful enough to be used in combat. A Turaga of Electricity could not zap anyone to death. She could create a small spark, nothing more than annoying to an enemy.

[Katuko]

I could see a Turaga of Electricity cause a quick taser-strength bolt at short range, but no more than that. I'd imagine that would be enough to completely drain their reserve of energy as well. So they could shock one opponent for about a second, and then they'd have to recharge for hours before doing anything like that again.

[bonesiii]

In your example, the Turaga would probably not even try to fire a blast of lighting (they are also known for being wise), knowing that he'd only get a spark. I'm making this up, but I'd imagine he has enough voltage to incapacitate someone with a touch, possibly even kill them, but not nearly enough energy to arc it through the air.

That makes sense to me, although killing is probably a stretch.I think it was implied both in the comics and MNOG, BTW, that Vakama uses his power to stoke the bonfire he keeps in his hut or similar fires, making them brighter and hotter to some extent.

[Toatapio Nuva]

In your example, the Turaga would probably not even try to fire a blast of lighting (they are also known for being wise), knowing that he'd only get a spark. I'm making this up, but I'd imagine he has enough voltage to incapacitate someone with a touch, possibly even kill them, but not nearly enough energy to arc it through the air.

That makes sense to me, although killing is probably a stretch.I think it was implied both in the comics and MNOG, BTW, that Vakama uses his power to stoke the bonfire he keeps in his hut or similar fires, making them brighter and hotter to some extent.

Where was that implied?

[Kaleidoscope Tekulo]

Puddle versus a sea. Breeze versus a hurricane, icicle versus avalanche, etc.

Don't you go dissing Natalie! D= She could totally take on the elemental lord! XPJoking aside, I've wondered this myself. Though, I'm a bit more intrigued with the extent of their mask powers as well. I kinda doubt Matau could transform into a giant Krikka to give Vakama the chills and terrorize the island (and for some reason I could totally see him doing that). Are their masks limited as well? Is that because the masks are now noble? Does this mean if a toa used a noble mask, it would have less power than a great kanohi? Is it because the turaga just don't have enough power to use the mask to its full extent? That one always kinda got me. =/

[Katuko]

Puddle versus a sea. Breeze versus a hurricane, icicle versus avalanche, etc.

Don't you go dissing Natalie! D= She could totally take on the elemental lord! XPJoking aside, I've wondered this myself. Though, I'm a bit more intrigued with the extent of their mask powers as well. I kinda doubt Matau could transform into a giant Krikka to give Vakama the chills and terrorize the island (and for some reason I could totally see him doing that). Are their masks limited as well? Is that because the masks are now noble? Does this mean if a toa used a noble mask, it would have less power than a great kanohi? Is it because the turaga just don't have enough power to use the mask to its full extent? That one always kinda got me. =/

Noble masks are explicitly said to contain less power than Great masks. On Metru Nui, Noble masks were made from lower-level disks than Great ones. Due to power leaking out during the mask-making process, anything lower than a certain level (5, I believe) became powerless Matoran masks.Toa can use both Great and Noble versions, but are naturally more limited by the latter. As such, Matau could shapeshift with his Great Mahiki, but Kopaka could only create minor illusionary images with his Noble Mahiki. Turaga can not use Great masks, but they can use Noble ones to their full extent. The nature of the weakness varies from mask to mask.For the Huna, it's simply how long you can sustain the invisibility. Both versions give full invisibility and has the weakness of showing a shadow. The Noble Mahiki has the aforementioned lack of shapeshifting. The Matatu has a smaller capacity for lifting and moving objects. The Noble Faxon (though not seen in story) was said to require specific environments for the Rahi powers you copy (such as being in a desert in order to get desert Rahi powers) while the Great Faxon could go with the more generic and far-reaching "land-dwellers". Edited August 7, 2012 by Katuko

[Kaleidoscope Tekulo]

Ah, I see! So then, they started out with, most likely, a powerless mask as a matoran, which was then turned into a great kanohi. Was that due to their toa powers entering the mask? If so, then it would seem their masks retained a bit of energy; enough for a noble mask to function. Is the energy that resides in the Turaga a part of their toa energy? If so, would it be possible for them to relinquish their powers (I'm not sure why they would, mind you)? Or is their energy not related to their toa energy and just what's remained? Hmm... Is it possible to somehow amplify their powers (say if they were given toa energy again. I know the transition from turaga to toa isn't possible in normal circumstances)? What would happen if a turaga obtained the nui stone?

[Katuko]

Ah, I see! So then, they started out with, most likely, a powerless mask as a matoran, which was then turned into a great kanohi. Was that due to their toa powers entering the mask? If so, then it would seem their masks retained a bit of energy; enough for a noble mask to function. Is the energy that resides in the Turaga a part of their toa energy? If so, would it be possible for them to relinquish their powers (I'm not sure why they would, mind you)? Or is their energy not related to their toa energy and just what's remained? Hmm... Is it possible to somehow amplify their powers (say if they were given toa energy again. I know the transition from turaga to toa isn't possible in normal circumstances)? What would happen if a turaga obtained the nui stone?

It hasn't really been stated exactly what happens in the transition from Matoran to Toa, but yes, the activation of Toa powers also activate a mask power. Let's take Vakama as an example. He wore a Matoran mask in the shape of a Huna on Metru Nui, and when he was transformed into a Toa, he gained a Great Huna (though he did not know what his mask power was until Lhikan helped him use it). Then, when he and the other Toa Metru spent their reserves of Toa Energy to awaken the Matoran, they became Turaga and their masks automatically reformed to Noble versions. Lhikan, similarly, became a Turaga when his destiny was fulfilled (creating the Toa Metru). As his Toa Energy had already been put into the stones they used to trigger their Toa transformation, their activation made him turn into a Turaga. His Hau turned Noble.The Matoran have a latent supply of Toa Energy. It becomes active upon transformation and can be used for things like triggering other Toa transformations. A Turaga has no Toa Energy left, as giving it up is a requirement for turning into a Turaga. The other is completing your destiny. Therefore Lhikan spent his energy, but stayed a Toa until his destiny was fulfilled. The Toa Nuva have it in reverse: They have completed their destiny now, but have not given up their Toa Energy because they believe they are still needed as Toa.Takua put on a Great Mask and kept that mask after his transformation. Greg has said that the reason why he wears Nuva armor despite not being of Nuva rank per se (as that requires Energized Protodermis) is that that was his mind's image of a Toa. Thus, the Matoran transforming in Metru Nui had Lhikan-styled armor, and the one on Mata Nui had Toa Mata/Nuva-styled armor. The Inika, however, didn't seem to choose their forms, since they appeared different from both after the Red Star struck them with its energies. They also had mask powers they had likely no knowledge of, another effect of the star.It's canon that powerless masks become energized and gains a Great power when a Matoran transforms into a Toa. It's also canon that a Toa's mask become a Noble version of itself during the Toa --> Turaga transformation. Masks can also be created as Great or Noble with a specific power and handed out to people. Beyond this, we know little of how Kanohi get their power. With forging it's obvious, since the Matoran forger then selects the power by mixing the right Kanoka disks. It might be as you say, that a powerless Matoran Kanohi still has traces of their supposed power left, however, and that this energy is empowered when Toa Energy triggers in the owner.Vakama's Matoran Huna might indeed have been made from the disks usually used for Huna, and despite the power leaking out and being too weak to use the remaining traces of it made him get a Huna when he transformed. That's speculation on my part.Regarding the Nui Stone, I have no idea, since it was said to leech Toa Energy yet it boosted elemental powers while in use. It might be that having more Toa Energy extends your elemental control, since Elemental Energy is more like a battery, but Lhikan supposedly didn't lose any of his fire control even after he spent his reserves of Toa Energy on creating Toa Stones. Then again, we never saw him shoot fire. A question for Greg; it's a shame he's not answering questions here anymore. Edited August 7, 2012 by Katuko

[bonesiii]

In your example, the Turaga would probably not even try to fire a blast of lighting (they are also known for being wise), knowing that he'd only get a spark. I'm making this up, but I'd imagine he has enough voltage to incapacitate someone with a touch, possibly even kill them, but not nearly enough energy to arc it through the air.

That makes sense to me, although killing is probably a stretch.I think it was implied both in the comics and MNOG, BTW, that Vakama uses his power to stoke the bonfire he keeps in his hut or similar fires, making them brighter and hotter to some extent.

Where was that implied?

I forget the comic one, but I think it was in the Bohrok Saga. MNOG, when you go to his hut, before talking to him, he seems to be gesturing at the bonfire as if trying to cause the flames to lift up, and they do seem pretty tall. And I don't know that they -were- implying it, just a theory.

[Toa Zaz]

I think Greg said at some point, "if Tahu can create a Nova blast, then Vakama can light a torch."

[WeatherDragon]

I think their powers are subtracted to around 10%. Any less would be almost useless, I think.

[bonesiii]

Ten percent seems a little high. Do you mean ten percent of the limit of what a Toa can normally do, without sacrificing themselves in a nova blast? Since it's been established, at least as the most likely theory, that Toa can normally only at maximum make a smallish percentage of their element, not very close to a Nova Blast which releases it all at once.Or ten percent of the Nova Blast amount? If you mean this, I think it's more like 1%.

[The Iron Toa]

Yeah, less than 10% of a Toa's power could still be 'useful' in way -- a Turaga of Fire tending a ceremonial fire, or a Turaga of the Green gardening for his village, for example. And those are the situations Turaga would be in, they're not meant for combat situations any more.

Edited August 9, 2012 by The Iron Toa

[-Jaller-]

_{Like what other people said, I especially like how Bonesii put it}

_{I've always compared it to a candle flame, for Fire (compared to, say, a space rocket).Puddle versus a sea. Breeze versus a hurricane, icicle versus avalanche, etc.}

[Geardirector]

So by that logic, a Toa of Stone would be a mountain, and a Turaga would just be a rather big rock

[Katuko]

If they spent all their energy, I guess a Turaga of Stone could create a relatively big stone. Not as fast as a Toa, though. I see Turaga kinda like my laptop battery: Spent from a long life, with extremely low capacity and the possibility of shorting out even when there's a bit of power left.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Katuko