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 that affect only specific Targets. 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 during the Cycle, 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) during the Cycle it will not affect Songs currently being sung. The decrease in Passion (and thereby SPP) will only affect the next Cycle when they are choosing their Songs and assigning SPP for that 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.
Determining Songs’ Effectiveness
Most 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 1/10th 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, the number inside the parenthesis, (B), is subtracted from A for each uncancelled 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 their first Turn of each Cycle, the Minstrel determines which Songs they will sing that Cycle and how many SPP they will apply to each. (A Minstrel may not choose to Sing after they have used any Action Points in their first Turn, however the Minstrel can choose to Stand Ready to sing if also Standing Ready with all of their first Turn’s Action Points.) The number of SPP may be flexed on a Cycle by Cycle basis. 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 during the first Turn of the singing Minstrel’s Cycle and begin to take effect immediately as the Minstrel ends their first Turn. Songs that are no longer being sung end just as the singing Minstrel’s first Turn ends. This mostly only affects the singing Minstrel in regards to Songs that boost their own Passion. The singing Minstrel can invest Passion into the current Cycle’s Songs from bonuses that will be expiring.
Songs that are being sung begin to affect other characters simultaneously as the singing Minstrel’s first 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. Ongoing Resistible and Ongoing Damging Songs that are maintained are again checked again every Cycle just as the singing Minstrel’s first Turn ends. Ongoing Boosting and Ongoing Self Songs that are maintained can 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 is 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 sung may not exceed the Minstrel's Control. If it would, the Minstrel must remove Songs until the total Complexity is less than or equal to their Control. Minstrels may not sing multiple versions of the same Song; nor can they sing a different version of an Immediate Song they have sung 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 in 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 version and 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 Minstrels acting later can choose to delay the Song they wish to Harmonize until later in order to begin singing simultaneously with other Minstrels. 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.
A Minstrel cannot sing multiple instances or versions of the same Song simultaneously; nor can they sing a different version of an Immediate Song they were singing in the previous Cycle.