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Singing War Songs

Songs can be sung by Minstrels, who pour their Passion into their Songs to inspire reactions in others. These Songs can be creative and freeform, which are called Situational Songs or can be War Songs, which have specific effects on allies or enemies and are most often used within the context of combat. This section is primarily concerned with War Songs. Some War Songs cause direct reactions in all holy elohim or all unholy elohim who hear them. Other War Songs cause symbolic manifestations or affect only specific Targets being called out by the Minstrel. All Songs currently being sung, by both holy and unholy Minstrels, weave together to create a common pool of music. Rather than the disparate themes clashing, they blend, each Minstrel’s themes coming through at times to achieve their respective effects.

Range

War Songs can affect others out to a Range of 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.

Range is checked when the Song takes effect, immediately following the Minstrel’s Turn in which they began singing the Song. Any preventative measures must be taken during the Minstrel's Turn, unless using a Swiftness Perk or Inspiration.

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 a Turn within Range of the unaffected character.

How to Sing 

As the Minstrel starts their Turn during Segment 1 or Segment A, they can declare a War Song they will Sing. The time from the beginning of Segment 1 or A until the beginning of the next Segment 1 or A is referred to as one Song window. It takes no Action Points (AP) to sing a War Song. As such, Faltering does not interrupt or prevent singing unless the character Falters for the maximum of F:7 or is F:1 Cycle.

Just as music builds and flows into different themes, a Minstrel will add and change War Songs. A Minstrel can start with a single War Song and can change or Layer in more War Songs during future Song windows. However, they can only do this if they have sufficient Control and unused SPP and cannot Layer more than 3 Songs of any kind at once.

A Minstrel with sufficient mastery can begin 2 new War Songs at once. The Minstrel must have 40 more Control than the combined Complexities currently in use. If doing so, the Minstrel cannot also sing a Situational Song during that Turn.

For timing reasons, a Minstrel can choose to Stand Ready to begin singing or begin Layering in a new Song. If doing so, they must Stand Ready with all of their Action Points for that Turn, however they can go ahead and assume Defensive Stance or other 'beginning of Turn' activities.

Complexity

Each War Song has a Complexity, which represents how challenging the Song is to perform. A Minstrel must have Control equal to or greater than the total Complexity of all Songs of any kind being Sung plus the Complexity of all Spiritual Effects they are currently using.

Passion Investment

Each Song requires that the Minstrel apply an amount of their Passion toward singing that Song, which is tracked using Song Potency Points, or SPP. When initiating or continuing a War Song, a Minstrel will assign a certain number of available SPP to that Song. The total SPP the Minstrel is investing into all Songs they are singing at once may not exceed the Minstrel's total SPP.

War Songs have a minimum and maximum SPP investment based on their Tier.

  • Tier:1 ranges from 1-4 SPP

  • Tier:2 ranges from 2-8 SPP

  • Tier:3 ranges from 3-12 SPP

  • Tier:4 ranges from 7-20 SPP

Songs that produce weapons have lower SPP maximums, allowing 1-2 SPP for Tier:1 Songs, 2-4 for Tier:2, 3-6 for Tier:3, and 7-12 for Tier:4.

If a Minstrel becomes Weakened, suffers Passion damage, or otherwise has their Passion (and thereby SPP) lowered after a Song has begun, the Song's effect will not change until the next time the Song's effects would be determined. For most Ongoing Songs, this would be when/if the Minstrel would choose to continue the Song. Some Manifesting Ongoing Songs, however have effects that are applied during or after each of the Minstrel's Turns. These Songs require the Minstrel to still have sufficient SPP to Control during each Turn, or the effects would be dropped or reduced accordingly.

Targeting

Most Affecting War 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 another spirit's presence for the Song to affect that spirit. In the case of Manifesting War Songs that target specific locations or spirits, the singing Minstrel has to be aware of the what they are targeting. In other words, the Minstrel must have some clue how and where to direct the effects. For example, the Minstrel may try to target a spirit whom they have seen, but has left their line of sight, but they may not be able to direct it successfully. A targeted Manifesting Song will not automatically strike an unseen Target, revealing their location. The Host will decide when this is unclear.

Once a War Song is affecting a character, it will continue to affect them at least until the next time the Song's effects would be determined. If an Ongoing Song is continued, affected characters still in Range will make another Resist Check at the end of the Turn when the Song was continued.

Frequency of Use

An Immediate Song is sung for only one Song window and are then ended. The Complexity is only applied during that window and the SPP is only in use during that window. Immediate Songs often have effects that last beyond the Song window.

An Ongoing Song can be sung indefinitely and must be sung for at least 1 Cycle, or 2 Song windows. every 2 Song windows the Minstrel will choose to end or continue the Song.

Once a War Song is ended, the Minstrel cannot sing any version of the same Song again immediately in the upcoming Segment 1 or Segment A. They must wait for 1 full window. 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 takes place over the course of the entire window. The Minstrel should not be carrying on full conversations of elaborate dialogue unless it relates to the Song. But the Minstrel can make a statement or Perform Social Interactions without breaking the effects of their Songs.

Timing and Resolution 

Songs are begun at the start of the Minstrel's Turn in Segment 1 or Segment A, but don't take effect until the end of that Turn. The Song must be heard and felt before the effects become manifest. Similarly, a Song's effects don't cease at the end of the Turn in which the Minstrel ends the Song.

Before detailing the ins and outs of how Songs are resolved, it should be stated that the easiest way to determine a War Song's effect is by using the Allies Assistant, going to the Checks tab, and inputting the numbers under the appropriate category. This eliminates the need to understand exactly how the system works and reduces cognitive load while playing.

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.

Levels of Effect = (invested SPP + recipient's SPP) ÷ 2

Tier:1, 2, 3, and 4 are limited to 3, 7, 12, & 24 Levels of Effect respectively.

The effects of Boosting Songs last for as long as the Song is being sung or continued. Their effects won't need to be recalculated unless the Minstrel's SPP investment or a recipient's SPP have changed.  

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).

Resist Check Roll = 2(invested SPP) vs. 1/10th of Resisting Attribute 

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.

A(B) Effects - start with A, then subtract B for each Pass or add B for each Fail

Resistible and Damaging Songs are Resisted when they would first take effect at the end of the Turn in which they were begun. If continued, they are Resisted again and their damage and effects are reapplied at the end of the singing Minstrel's Turn each time the Minstrel decides to continue them, which will be every 2 Song windows. A few Songs will instead have effects that are applied or Resisted at the end of each of the Minstrel's Turns.

Once an Ongoing Song has begun to affect a character, it will continue to affect them until the next time the Minstrel decided to continue it, regardless of Range from the Minstrel.

When the effects of a War Song would need to be defended against or Resisted, the source is considered the Minstrel for abilities like Strength in Struggle and Trained Eye that depend on the source of an effect, damage, or a Strike.

Multiple Instances or Versions 

A Minstrel may not sing multiple versions of the same Song simultaneously. Lasting effects from multiple instances or versions of the same Boosting or Resistible Song do not stack. Multiple A(B) Effects can be applied to the same elohim, but only the strongest lasting effects are applied to the elohim.

If a Minstrel wishes to sing an Affecting War Song that is currently being sung by another Minstrel, they must choose to either duplicate the Song or Harmonize with it. Songs that are duplicated are Resisted separately and applied as described above.

Only Affecting Songs can be Harmonized. In order to Harmonize, an elohim must be within 7” of the primary Minstrel or another elohim who is also Harmonizing with the same Song. When Harmonizing, the primary Minstrel may not be singing a lower version than any Harmonizing Minstrels. The primary Minstrel must also be investing as much SPP as any Harmonizing Minstrel. Harmonizing a Song allows a total combined SPP investment of up to 150% of the Song's normal maximum SPP. Harmonized 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 a Harmonized Song is figured as 12” from the primary Minstrel or any Harmonizing Minstrel. However, affected characters only affected by the highest version they are within normal Range of.

Example: If Blessed Battle Cry were sung investing 4 SPP to a group of Targets all having 2 SPP, it would normally have 3 Levels of Effect, giving them each +21 Passion.

(4+2 = 6 total SPP. 6÷2 = 3 Levels of Effect at +7 Passion each.)

If another Minstrel Harmonized, singing the Tier:1 version of Battle Cry and investing 4 SPP, then Blessed Battle Cry would instead provide 35 Passion.

(4+4+2 = 10 total SPP. 10÷2 = 5 Levels of Effect at +7 Passion each.) 

Any Minstrels intending to Harmonize with a Minstrel acting later than 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 until the Song is continued.

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