Step 9: The Last Tidbits

Various aspects of your character decide your accuracy, defense, limitations, how much you can carry, and more.

Addiction

There are substances in the world that you will need to rely on if you consume too much. See conditions in the game rules chapter for more information.

Addiction Limit

Everyone has an addiction limit, and when you reach that limit, you become dependent on the substance you were using. That limit is equal to your vitality.

Vitality = addiction limit

Overdose

It is possible to overdose on addictive substances and die. If you become addicted, make sure your potency level does not become higher than double your addiction limit.

Addiction limit x2 = overdose limit

You can find more information on addiction in the conditions section of the game rules chapter.

Alcohol (Stamina Points)

Characters become drunk when they consume too many alcoholic drinks. To determine if your character is drunk, you compare the total stamina points consumed to your stamina instinct. Each type of alcohol has a set amount of stamina points per serving (i.e. ale, cider, and mead have one stamina point per tankard). Every serving of alcohol in a sitting has its stamina points combined to give you your total stamina points drank. They compare this to your stamina instinct. If you drink equal to your stamina instinct in stamina points, you are drunk.

(Stamina instinct = stamina points) = drunk

If you have become drunk and choose to continue to drink, you can become black out drunk when your stamina points equal double your stamina instinct.

Stamina instinct x 2 in stamina points = black out drunk

Continuing to drink beyond black out drunk can cause alcohol poisoning. This happens when you drink enough stamina points to equal three times your stamina instinct. See conditions in the game rules chapter for more information.

Stamina Instinct x 3 in stamina points = alcohol poisoning

Lastly, if you drink three times your stamina instinct plus ten in stamina points, you die from the overconsumption of alcohol.

(Stamina Instinct x 3) + 10 in stamina points = death

Carry Capacity

Everyone has a limit on how much they can physically carry, which is your carry capacity and is your vitality plus might times twenty-five.

(Might + vitality) x 25 = carry capacity

Keep in mind that just because you can carry a large amount of weight doesn’t mean you can physically carry everything. You should consider the physical size of the objects. A backpack cannot hold your claymore, for example. You can find more information about carry capacity in the carry capacity section in the game rules chapter.

Combat

Accuracy

Determining your accuracy is based on the style of attack your character is making. There are many styles of fighting which are reflected in the skills of your character. It all depends on the type of character you are creating, which skills will be your focus on determining your accuracy when attacking.

The type of skill used to determine the accuracy depends on what is being used for the attack. If you use a one-handed melee weapon but it’s in your off-hand, then you use your Off-Hand skill to determine accuracy. You use your One-Handed skill if you’re using a one-handed weapon in your main hand. Bashing with your shield uses your shield skill. For dual-wielding weapons, see dual wielding weapons in the combat section of the game rules chapter.

Attack accuracy is total skill after all modifiers and whether the skill is untrained or expertise. If expertise, the associated statistic, skill points, and miscellaneous bonuses are all added up to get the skill total to get your accuracy. For example, if your One-Handed skill is an expertise skill and you have two skill points in it with a five in your Fighting (the associated statistic to the skill) your One-Handed skill total would be seven. Therefore, your accuracy for one-handed weapons would be seven. See the combat section of game rules for specific details about attacking.

(Half the Associated Statistic + 1) + Skill Points + Misc. = Accuracy (Expertise Skill)
(Half the associated statistic – 1) + misc. = accuracy (untrained skill)

Keep in mind that when picking between the different attacks, some weapons require masteries to use without penalties. Only common weapons do not require a mastery. See the training chapter for the combat masteries. Also, see the equipment section of the marketplace chapter for information on the different shields and categories of weapons. See the technology section in the marketplace for information on how the technology weapons operate. You can find magic attack information in the energetics chapter. Last, to learn more about accuracy, refer to the combat section in the game rules chapter.

Actions

You use actions in combat as a way of indicating how many tasks you can perform on your turn (or round). Characters start with three actions. Different tasks during combat require a different amount of Actions. Such as attacking with a one-handed weapon uses two actions, but making an additional attack with a different weapon (or body part) uses one action. While many tasks require actions, some actions are free to use on your turn. These actions are called free actions. Drawing a single weapon is an example of a Free Action. The character movement does not require any actions unless running or performing a special movement.

Starting Actions = 3

You can use certain actions and abilities as counteractions even outside of your turn. You can only use some specific actions and abilities as a counteraction. However, using an action as a counteraction leaves you with fewer actions to perform on your turn. See actions in the game rules chapter for more information.

Defense

Like your accuracy, your defense depends on which style your character prefers. There are three types of defense: armored, dodge, and unarmored. Each type has its own aspects, such as unarmored being the default type of defense that all creatures have at the start. Wearing armor changes the unarmored defense to armored; while training in dodge replaces your unarmored defense completely.

Each defense is based on different skills. armored has two skills, heavy armor and light armor, depending on the type of armor being worn. Dodge has the dodge skill which replaces unarmored and can give the critical defense ability. Unarmored has the unarmored skill that all creatures have as an automatic expertise skill. When using your defense, all defense rolls have their associated skills added to them in order to determine what your defense is versus an attack roll.

Armored Defense

When you use armor defense, it offers two ways to protect yourself: protection and damage reduction. Protection has specific dice based on the type of armor that is added to your armor defense skill. Damage reduction absorbs some of the damage when struck. Wearing armor softens the blow if you’re not quick enough to avoid the attack, and it isn’t armor piercing.

Having armor requires the knowhow to wear the armor properly. It also requires the proper skills to don without penalties. There are two parameters needed to not suffer penalties when wearing armor: having the armor skill (heavy armor or light armor) at novice tier and having equal to or greater than the indicated agility (light armor) or might (heavy armor) statistics. You can find more information on the requirements for each armor in the armor table in the marketplace chapter.

Skill isn’t expertise at novice tier = -1 defense roll
Don’t have the statistic requirement = -10ft. movement & damage reduction halved

Even if you don’t meet the requirements, you can still wear armor, just at the indicated penalties.

Zero agility or might = can’t use respected armor

When making your defense rolls with armor, you add the respected armor skill to the roll. You can consult the marketplace and game rules chapters to find more information about armor.

Dodge Defense

Dodge is an advanced form of the unarmored defense and is based on your Dodge skill. When the Dodge skill becomes an expertise skill, your defense roll changes from the default unarmored roll of 1d10 to the dodge roll of 2d6. Once your dodge skill reaches the Novice tier, you unlock Critical Defense, which lets you avoid all damage (including critical strikes) when your defense roll is within your critical defense range. You can find more information about dodge in the skills and game rules chapters.

Unarmored Defense

The unarmored defense is an automatic expertise skill that everyone has and is the base type of defense if you don’t have any other. However, the unarmored defense has no special and is 1d10 plus your unarmored skill total for your defense. You can find more information about unarmored defense and defense in the combat section of the skills and game rules chapters.

Grapple

Your ability to grab a target and restrain them is to grapple. When grappling with a target, you must make a guts check versus their guts check. There are masteries and other specials that can increase your grapple above your Guts.

Guts instinct = grapple

Initiative

Your initiative is used to determine the turn order when in a combat encounter. To determine what your initiative is, you use your reaction instinct.

Reaction instinct = initiative

Fatigue & Exhaustion

Adventuring can be exhausting work, which can lead to becoming fatigued. Performing different tasks can lead to gaining fatigue. You can become fatigued from spells and other special abilities. At character creation, your fatigue and exhaustion level starts at zero unless another rule states otherwise.

Starting fatigue & exhaustion level = 0

For each three fatigue you gain, you gain one level of exhaustion.

3 Fatigue points = 1 level of exhaustion
Each level of exhaustion = -1 to all rolls

Becoming extremely exhausted by pushing yourself beyond your limit can lead to death. This is where your exhaustion limit comes into play. Your exhaustion limit is equal to your vitality. See the game rules chapter for more information.

Exhaustion Limit = Vitality
(Exhaustion level > exhaustion limit) = dying condition