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Special Effects in War

Faltering 

  • waste next 1 Action Point for every Falter:#, then reduce Falter:# by the #AP wasted

  • Falter exceeding Falter:7 or when immobile is translated to 3 damage to Resolve and Passion per Falter:1 

When an elohim Falters, they are unable to effectively use some of their Action Points. These Action Points are wasted. Faltering is applied as soon as it is generated and affects Action Points until the Faltering is complete. If the Faltering character is Standing Ready, the Falter affects the Readied Action Points and the Faltering character must change Readied Action Points of their choosing into Falter until the Faltering is complete or there are no more Readied Action Points to change.

Falter from Strikes is applied as long as there are Hits after adjustments are made, even if they are canceled by Stops. The precise number of Action Points wasted are usually stated by the effect causing the elohim to Falter.

Most Falter is notated like this: F:# (the number sign representing the number of Action Points that the elohim is Faltering). There is an alternate form of Falter that affects an entire Cycle. This is notated as F:1 Cycle. Recovery, Fell the Faltering, Release Bondage and any other effects that would normally work on a Faltering character still work. Release Bondage and Loose Evil do remove F:1 Cycle. Multiple instances of Falter:1 Cycle do not compound and instead simply extend the 1 Cycle Duration until 1 Cycle after the most recent Falter:1 Cycle was inflicted.

Falter:# cannot exceed F:7. If a character would accumulate F:# higher than F:7, each excess Falter:1 is instead translated into 3 damage to Resolve and Passion.

{Ex.: An elohim performs a Disarm Strike using a Club on a Jackal who currently has F:6. The elohim gets three Hits, two “12”s and has two levels of Passion Effect. All of these factors would add a total of Falter:7 to the Jackal, for a grand total of F:13. The Jackal is increased to the maximum F:7 and the remaining 6 Falter is tripled and applied as 18 damage to Resolve and 18 damage to Passion.}

A character that is F:1 Cycle, Bound, Grappled, Asleep, Defeated, or otherwise incapacitated cannot accumulate F:#. Any F:# currently applied or that would be applied is immediately translated to damage to Resolve and Passion.

Knocked Back 

  • moved directly away from source

  • Control Check to avoid Falter with +1 Difficulty/3" KB

  • Falter = number of Passes short of a successful Check

There are some Maneuvers and Songs that cause an elohim to be Knocked Back. When this happens, the elohim is moved directly away from the source a number of inches equal to the Knock Back value.

Being Knocked Back can cause an elohim to Falter, or if colliding with another elohim, causes both elohim to potentially Falter. To determine if the Knocked Back elohim Falters, the Knocked Back elohim makes a Control Check with a Difficulty equal to 1 for every 3” the elohim was Knocked Back. The F:# is equal to how many Passes the character was short of succeeding the Check.

If colliding with another elohim or a solid object:
  • elohim collided with must also make a Control Check to avoid Falter

  • both suffer damage

    • 3 + (Greater Endurance/10) - (Lower Endurance/10) = Force per Hit

    • Number of inches remaining to travel = number of Hits

If the Knocked Back elohim would collide with another elohim, that elohim can first attempt a Swiftness Check to avoid the collision. If that Check is Failed, the Knock Back movement ends and both elohim will suffer damage figured using the following formula:

3 + (Greater Endurance/10) - (Lower Endurance/10) = Force per Hit
Number of inches remaining to travel = number of Hits

There is a minimum Force of 3 which will be the default Force applied to the elohim with the higher Endurance. Also, only entire inches count toward the number of inches remaining to travel. There are few objects that would be considered “solid” to an elohim. In the case of a Barrier, compare to the Allotment of the Barrier in place of Endurance.

The Knocked Back elohim will still make their Control Check to avoid Falter as if they had travelled the entire distance. The elohim collided with will also have to make a Control Check to avoid Falter, using the number of inches the Knocked Back elohim had left to travel for determining the Difficulty.

Poisoned 

  • each Turn adds Exertion equal to Poison:#, then Poison:# is halved

Poison adds Exertion to the Poisoned elohim and is notated as Poison:#, or P:#. At the beginning of each of their Turns a Poisoned elohim will gain Exertion equal to the Poison:# and then that number is halved (rounded down). Once Poison:# is equal to zero, the elohim is no longer considered Poisoned. Poison:# compounds and any new Poison adds to the current number.

[During Dry Bones and Flesh, Poison deals Resolve damage equal to twice the P:#.]

Bound 

  • cannot Move or Strike

  • 0 Guard

Being Bound restricts an elohim’s ability to Move. An elohim that is Bound has their Guard reduced to 0. They cannot Move, perform Strikes, or perform other actions and their Magnitude does affect Melee Influence for allies. They can speak, use Spiritual Effects, Sing, and Rest. While Bound, the elohim is also Exposed.

Grappled/Entangled 

  • Guard is halved

  • cannot Move or Strike

  • breaking free requires a Might Check, uses 3 AP, and adds 3 Exertion

Being Grappled or Entangled is a similar condition to being Bound. An elohim that is Grappled or Entangled has their Guard reduced to half. They cannot Move, perform Strikes, or perform other Actions other than attempting to break free. They also cannot be in Defensive Stance. They can talk, Rest, use Spiritual Effects, and Sing while Grappled.

The Grappled or Entangled character may attempt to break free by spending 3 Action Points and adding 3 Exertion for each attempt. To break free, the Grappled/Entangled character must pass a Might Check. If Grappled, this Check is vs. the Might of the Grappler. If Entangled, this Check is vs. whatever is Entangling them. In the case of the Spiritual Effect Bind, this will be vs. the Allotment of Bind.

Surprised

  • 11's are treated as 12's

  • cannot benefit from Defensive Stance or other active defenses

An elohim that is Surprised is unable to fully defend against Strikes made by the Surprising elohim. Any 11's are treated as 12's vs. a Surprised elohim. Also, Surprised elohim cannot benefit from any kind of active defenses or reactions such as Defensive Stance, Parry, Shielded Defense, or Counter Strike. These penalties only apply to interactions with those Surprising the elohim and do not benefit those who are not Surprising the elohim. Surprise can be figured independently for each character involved or the Host can determine for the sake of expediency for Surprise to be figured for entire groups. Surprise lasts until just before the character’s next Turn.

Gagging

  • act as though in Defensive Stance

  • cannot Stand Ready

  • cannot assume Defensive Stance or use other active defenses

  • cannot attempt Social Interactions or sing

An elohim that is Gagging is severely hindered in their activity. They act as though in Defensive Stance, but cannot assume Defensive Stance, Stand Ready, or use any active defenses. They cannot use Social Interactions.

Gagging elohim cannot sing. Any Songs ended this way that are affecting characters will continue to do so for the rest of their Duration, but when the Minstrel would choose Songs for their next Cycle, they will not be able to continue any Ongoing Songs interrupted by the Gagging. If still Gagging, they will not be able to sing at all that Cycle. 

Exposed 

  • 0 Guard

  • 11's are treated as 12's

  • Stops are considered Misses and 1's have no effect

An elohim that is Exposed is unable to defend against Strikes even partially. Guard is reduced to 0, all Stops are considered Misses, 1's have no effect, and 11's are treated as 12's.