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Gaining Inspiration

Only player characters are able to gain and use Inspiration. Player characters start each War with a number of Inspiration Tokens based upon their Tier. 3, 4, 5, or 7 Tokens for Tiers:1-4 respectively. 

Once the War has begun, player character elohim can gain further Inspiration in the following ways: 

  • Distribution from the Inspiration Pool 

  • +1 Inspiration Token the first time each Cycle that a Boosting Spiritual Effect or Boosting Song affecting the elohim is initiated or maintained (1 Inspiration for either, not both)

  • +1 Inspiration Token each time an enemy of at least equal Tier to the character is Defeated. This is increased by an additional +1 Inspiration Token for each Tier higher the enemy is than the character receiving the Inspiration. 

Inspiration Pool

The ebb and flow of a War is tracked using the Inspiration Pool. As events happen in favor of the holy elohim, the Inspiration Pool will fill. As events happen that are in favor of the unholy elohim, the Inspiration Pool will drain and even fall into a negative state. When the Inspiration Pool fills enough, the player characters will receive Inspiration from the Inspiration Pool. If it drains too far into the negative, however, the unholy elohim will receive Obstruction Tokens. Inspiration is a reward of engagement in the game and so tracking and adjusting the Pool in positive directions is a responsibility that should fall on the players.

Inspiration is added to or removed from the Inspiration Pool in the following ways:

Add 1 Inspiration to the Inspiration Pool when:
  • a player character has at least 3 uncanceled Hits with a Strike

  • Defensive Hits are caused by a player character

  • a player character completely Resists a Spiritual Effect or Song 

  • there are uncanceled Fails in an enemy Resist Check against a Spiritual Effect or Song of a player character

Uncanceled Epic Positive or Negative results in the Natural roll add or remove from the Pool:
  • Add 1 Inspiration for 1 Epic Positive in a holy elohim's roll, or 1 Epic Negative in an enemy character’s roll
  • Remove 1 Inspiration for 1 Epic Negative in a holy elohim's roll, or 1 Epic Positive in an unholy elohim’s roll
  • Add 3 Inspiration for 2 Epic Positives in a holy elohim's roll, or 2 Epic Negatives in an unholy elohim’s roll
  • Remove 3 Inspiration for 2 Epic Negatives in a holy elohim's roll, or 2 Epic Positives in an unholy elohim’s roll
  • Add 7 Inspiration for 3 Epic Positives in a holy elohim's roll, or 3 Epic Negatives in an unholy elohim’s roll
  • Remove 7 Inspiration for 3 Epic Negatives in a holy elohim's roll, or 3 Epic Positives in an unholy elohim’s roll
  • Add 12 Inspiration for 4 Epic Positives in a holy elohim's roll, or 4 Epic Negatives in an unholy elohim’s roll
  • Remove 12 Inspiration for 4 Epic Negatives in a holy elohim's roll, or 4 Epic Positives in an unholy elohim’s roll
  • If there are ever 5 or more uncanceled Epic results in a roll, the Host can decide what effect it will have on the Inspiration Pool or the game in general. This is so rare, some players may never even witness it and should be celebrated accordingly if it ever should occur.

Epic results in a Perception Check for Trained Eye do not add or remove from the Inspiration Pool. Any time numbers other than 12 or 1 are treated as Epic results (such as Surprise), these do not add to or remove from the Inspiration Pool.

When Inspiration Pool goes into the negative, Obstruction Tokens are added to the Pool instead.

In addition to these means of gaining Inspiration, the Host may also give the group or individual players Inspiration to honor a Player who is really adding to the gaming experience by their enthusiasm or their roleplaying. While this may happen occasionally, it should certainly not be the expected norm. 

A character may not have more than 12 Inspiration. If they would gain more than 12, any extra is not gained. If the player wishes to avoid missing out on an Inspiration Token, they may spend excess Tokens immediately.

Disbursement from the Inspiration Pool

Whenever there is 7 Inspiration in the Inspiration Pool, 1 Inspiration is given to each player character from the Pool and then 2 more Inspiration is removed from the Pool. (This can never cause the Pool to fall into the negative.) Conversely, if there are ever 7 or more Obstruction Tokens in the Inspiration Pool, give 1 Obstruction Token from the Pool to each Archon or Chief Archon and then 2 more Obstruction is removed from the Pool. (This can never cause the Pool to rise into the positive.) If there are no Archons, the Host will choose who to give the Obstruction to. If there are ever more than 7 player characters, Inspiration is distributed once there is 12 Inspiration in the Inspiration Pool.