Singing Songs

Songs can be sung by Minstrels. The Minstrel sings using their Passion to inspire reactions in those who hear the Songs. Some Songs cause direct reactions in all holy elohim or all unholy elohim who hear them, while others cause symbolic manifestations or affect only specific Targets being called out. All Songs currently being sung, by both holy and fallen Minstrels, weave together to create a common pool of music. This pool does not clash but blends with each Minstrel’s themes coming through at times to achieve their respective effects.

Passion Investment

Each Song requires that the Minstrel apply an amount of their Passion toward singing that Song. This is tracked through Song Potency Points, or SPP. When deciding which Songs the Minstrel will sing, they will also assign a certain number of SPP to each Song being sung. The total SPP applied to all Songs the Minstrel is singing may not exceed the Minstrel's total SPP.

If the Minstrel becomes Weakened, suffers Passion damage, or otherwise has their Passion lowered (or raised) after a Song has begun, it will not affect that Song this Cycle. The decrease or increase in Passion (and thereby SPP) will only affect new Songs being added or Songs being maintained into the next Cycle.

Songs have a minimum and maximum SPP investment based on their Tier. Tier:1 ranges from 1-4. Tier:2 ranges from 2-8. Tier:3 ranges from 4-12. Tier:4 ranges from 8-20. Songs that produce weapons have lower SPP maximums. 

Determining Songs’ Effectiveness 

The easiest way to determine a Songs effect is by using the Allies Assistant, going to the Checks tab, and inputting the numbers under the appropriate category.

Boosting Songs have a variable result that is expressed using Levels of Effect. To determine Levels of Effect, first combine the SPP invested in the Song by the singing Minstrel with the SPP of the elohim receiving the benefits. One Level of Effect is applied for every 2 SPP in that combined total. Boosting Songs have maximum Levels of Effect based upon their Tier. Tier:1, 2, 3, and 4 are limited to 3, 7, 12, & 24 Levels of Effect respectively.

Damaging and Resistible Songs are resisted by the affected elohim making a Check Roll. The Factor Values compared in the Check Roll are twice the SPP invested into the Song compared to 10% of the elohim's Resisting Attribute (rounded down). In the case of Songs that produce damage or have other effects that include parenthesis, knowns as A(B) Effects, A is the base effect and B, the number inside the parenthesis, is subtracted from A for each uncanceled Pass or added to A for each uncanceled Fail.

Singing Songs 

It takes no Action Points (AP) to sing Songs (also Faltering does not interrupt or prevent singing). Just before starting each of their Turns, the Minstrel can declare a Song they will Sing and how many SPP they will invest into that Song.

Music builds and flows, and the Minstrel will add and change Songs in a similar manner. They will start with 1 Song and can choose to layer in another just before starting one of their other Turns in the Cycle. The Minstrel can choose to Stand Ready to sing or layer in a Song if also Standing Ready with all of that Turn’s Action Points. A Minstrel can begin their singing with 2 Songs layered together, but this requires nuance and skill. The Minstrel must have 40 more Control than the combined Complexity of the 2 Songs being layered. Minstrels cannot be layering more than 3 Songs in the same Cycle, spreading their SPP how they decide between those Songs, and must have at least as much Control as the total combined Complexity of all Songs they are currently layering.

Once a Song has been sung during a Cycle and the SPP investment decided, it counts for the whole Cycle, even if ended during the Cycle. Ending a Song, changing the SPP investment, or changing the version will become effective when the Minstrel is choosing their Songs just before their first Turn in the next Cycle. Once a Song is ended, the Minstrel must wait one full Cycle before singing any version of the same Song again. The Minstrel can, however, shift from singing one version of an Ongoing Song to singing a higher or lower version on the same Song and it does not count as technically ending the original Song. 

For Roleplaying purposes, it should be clarified that Minstrels can communicate while singing. Singing each Cycle takes place over the course of the entire Cycle. While the Minstrel should not be carrying on full conversations of elaborate dialogue, the Minstrel can make a statement or two over the course of the Cycle without breaking the effects of their Songs. 

Timing and Resolution

Songs begin to take effect as the Minstrel ends the Turn in which they started singing it. When a Minstrel stops singing a Song, its effects end as the singing Minstrel’s first Turn of the Cycle ends. This means the singing Minstrel can invest Passion from bonuses that will be expiring at the end of the Turn.

Songs being started or maintained in the same Turn begin to affect characters simultaneously as the singing Minstrel’s Turn ends. As such, all Resist Checks, Levels of Effect, etc. are based upon the affected character's state before any of the Songs are applied. Unless stated otherwise in the Song's description, Ongoing Resistible and Ongoing Damaging Songs are Resisted only once each Cycle and if they are maintained are Resisted again just as the singing Minstrel’s first Turn of the Cycle ends. Ongoing Boosting and Ongoing Self Songs that are maintained are also be recalculated at this point if a value pertinent to the Song has changed.

Once a Song has begun to be sung it exists, even if it hasn’t begun to affect any characters yet. What this means is that protective and preventative measures can be taken. Countering Spiritual Effects such as Release Bondage or Purge can be used to offset the Song’s effects. Also, either the Minstrel or the character that would be affected can be moved so that the Range between them is greater than the Song’s Range. Measures such as these will prevent the Song from having any effect at that moment. Most often interrupting in such a way will require Standing Ready or spending an Inspiration to gain immediate Action Points. Once a Song has begun to affect a character, it will affect them for the entire Cycle regardless of Range from the Minstrel.

When the effects of a Song would need to be defended against or Resisted, the source is still considered the initiating Minstrel for effects like Trained Eye that need a source. This also means that Strength in Struggle and Resolute Stability increase and/or reduce the damage dealt by Strikes made using a weapon created by a Song or Striking with Rams.

Targeting, Scope, and Range of Songs

As stated earlier, many Songs affect all holy or unholy elohim within Range who hear them. For these Songs, the singing Minstrel does not have to be aware of the other spirit’s presence for the Song to affect that spirit. In the case of Songs that target specific spirits, the singing Minstrel has to at least be aware of the spirit’s potential presence. In other words, the Minstrel must have some clue as to which spirit they are attempting to target. For example, the Minstrel may try to target a spirit whom they have seen, but has left their line of sight. 

The Range of Songs is 12” unless otherwise stated in the Song’s description. If singing must pass through the ground or a wall, then the Range reduced to 7”. Passing through multiple walls will usually prevent the Song affecting others. The effect on Range while Singing inside a physical structure is determined case by case at Host’s discretion unless the physical structure is a Dominion. This Range is checked immediately following the Minstrel’s Turn in which they began singing.

In the case of Ongoing Songs that affect all holy or unholy elohim within Range, if a character enters the Range of the Song later, the Song will begin to affect them immediately in either of two circumstances. The first is that the unaffected character interacts with the Minstrel or an ally of the Minstrel while within Range. The second is if the Minstrel ends an Turn within Range of the unaffected character. 

Once a Song is affecting a character during a Cycle, it will continue to affect them at least until the end of the singing Minstrel’s first Turn of the following Cycle. If the Song was Immediate or the Minstrel does not continue the Song, the Song will cease its effects at that time. 

Singing Multiple Songs and Multiple Versions of Songs 

The Minstrel can sing multiple Songs at once. This is called Layering Songs. The total number of Songs that can be layered is a maximum of 3, but is further limited by the Minstrel's Control. The total Complexity of Songs being layered may not exceed the Minstrel's Control. Minstrels may not sing multiple versions of the same Song; nor can they sing a different version of an Immediate Song they sang during the last Cycle. Different instances or versions of the same Boosting or Resistible Song cannot stack and only one instance of the Song can be figured as affecting any one Target at any one time. If a Target has already made a Resist Check against a Resistible Song in that Cycle, they will not receive additional damage from any other version of that Song that Cycle. Different instances and versions of Damaging Songs can affect a hostile Target simultaneously. 

If another Minstrel wishes to sing a Song that is currently being sung, they must choose to either duplicate the Song or Harmonize with it. Songs that are duplicated figure only the one with the highest Passion in any areas in which the ranges overlap. Targets Resisting that one do not need to also Resist the other during the same Cycle. Manifesting and Self Songs cannot be Harmonized.

In order to Harmonize, an elohim must be within 7” of the primary Minstrel or 3” of another elohim who is also Harmonizing with the same Song. A Minstrel singing a higher Tier version of a Song than others are singing must be the primary Minstrel. Of those, the primary Minstrel must be investing as much SPP as any Harmonizing Minstrel. Songs that are Harmonized allow the Song to be increased in effect. The Song's SPP will include investments by the primary Minstrel and all Harmonizers up to 150% of the Song's normal maximum SPP. Boosting Songs gain additional maximum Levels of Effect based upon Tier. Tier:1, 2, and 3 have their maximum Levels of Effect raised by 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Tier:4 Songs cannot be Harmonized. The range of the Song is figured as 12” from the primary Minstrel or any Harmonizing Minstrel. If a character is only in Range of a character Harmonizing singing a lower version of the Song, however, they are only affected by that lower version and with no more than the maximum effects of Harmonizing that version. 

{Example: If Blessed Battle Cry were sung employing 4 SPP to a group of Targets all having 2 SPP, it would give them each +21 Passion. (4+2 = 6 total SPP. 6÷2 = 3 Levels of Effect at +7 Passion each.) If another Minstrel also began singing the Tier:1 version of Battle Cry employing 4 SPP, then Blessed Battle Cry would now provide 28 Passion. [4+(4÷2)+2 = 8 total SPP. 8÷2 = 4 Levels of Effect at +7 Passion each.] } 

Any Minstrels intending to Harmonize with a Minstrel acting after them can Stand Ready with their Turn in order to start singing the Song simultaneously with the other Minstrel(s). If joining independently, each time an additional Minstrel begins to Harmonize or ceases to Harmonize, which Minstrel is the primary Minstrel can be redetermined. Any elohim who have already Checked to Resist will not have to Check again during the current Cycle.