Spell and Skill Calls and Effects
Approach – For the duration of the effect, the target is compelled to move directly toward the caster at least a slow walk.
Amnesia – For the duration of the effect, the target has no memory of who they are, or what skills they possess.
Awaken – Cancels the Slumber effect.
Backlash – When an Aura spell is triggered, the first word of the incantation is always Backlash. Backlash cannot be parried, dodged, or avoided, but can be resisted with the appropriate shield spell. Example, “Backlash, Fire, Pain” could be resisted with a Shield or Barrier against Fire or Pain.
Barrier – A magical protection from a specific effect that lasts for 5 minutes. While under the protection of a barrier, if you get hit with the effect you are being protected from, state “Barrier”.
Bestow – Grants a bonus skill or ability to a target even if it is one they may not normally possess. Once used, it cannot be replenished, though a new Bestow may be cast to replace it. If it is a copy of a skill or ability that the target possesses, the bestowed one is used first.
Betray – The nature of the betrayal and the people betrayed is entirely up to the target, however they must betray their friends to the greatest extent they can. The betrayal can be anything from cutting them down during a battle to revealing secrets or starting rumors about them. The target will have full memories of their time under this effect.
Bleed – Target’s health pool is reduced to zero and their bleed out count begins after one minute has passed. An instant healing spell will prevent this from occurring.
Bind – Forces the target’s wrists to their side. Target is unable to attack, defend, or cast spells until the spell ends or they are released in some way.
Charm – For the duration of the effect, the target believes that the caster is their closest friend in the world and will do anything, within reason, that their new friend asks of them.
Circle of Protection/Greater Circle of Protection – A 3- or 10-foot diameter circle on the ground (must be visible, preferably with a rope but can be drawn in the dirt) that protects from both magic and physical attacks. The circle is not a single-direction barrier. Nothing may pass into, or out of, the Circle.
Cremate – Can only be used on a corpse. Reduces the Death Count to zero and sends the spirit directly to the Apothecary.
Command – The target of the effect must immediately follow the command to the best of their ability.
Communicate – This allows the caster to speak with and understand the speech of another sentient being. It does not compel the target to speak, or tell the truth. Unless specified otherwise, the effect only applies to the caster and target, and not others in the vicinity.
Death – This effect reduces the target’s Health Pool to zero and immediately starts their Death Count with no Bleed Out Count. May be resisted with the appropriate skill or spell.
Disarm – If delivered by a melee weapon, the skill must hit the weapon being disarmed. If it is delivered by a gun or magical effect, the skill can hit any part of the body allowed by the combat and contact rules.
Dispel [Effect] – Cancels the magical based effect it is targeting.
Dispel Magic – Cancels all magic effects on the target. This includes Runes, Shields, Barriers, Bestowals, and Auras. It can also be used to break a Circle of Protection.
Drain – Followed by a clarifier such as Stamina or Health and a number, this effect reduces the target’s appropriate pool by the stated number. The amount drained can only be restored by the Apothecary, or between events.
Enslave – This effect will force the target to be loyal to the caster, and obey their commands to the best of their ability, for 5 minutes.
Final Death – This call represents a complete unraveling of one’s soul. There is no coming back from this effect if it lands. You must immediately report to the operations center without interacting with others in an In-Game way. State “No Effect” if targeted by any skill or effect, even those which target corpses, spirits, or undead.
Forget – The target permanently forgets the information specified by the caster. The target may know that they have forgotten something, but they cannot remember anything else.
Karma – Once you have naturally reached the end of your bleed out count, rather than become a corpse, you can choose to be restored to one health. You are not required to get up, and can continue to pretend to be dead. Quick Death or other effects that bypass the bleed out count prevent karma from triggering.
Knockdown – You must safely and swiftly lay down with your shoulder blades touching the ground and count to five before standing back up. If you are unable to move in this way, you must complete this movement to the best of your ability and count to five before making any other movement or taking any other action.
Last Rites – Last Rites are a blessing given to corpses that provide a spirit a boon when facing the Apothecary. They do not stack, and cannot be given to the living (including those still bleeding out) or to spirits traveling The Black Path. Inform the Apothecary that you were given Last Rites when asked if there are any boons or curses upon your soul.
Magic/ Magical – All spells, prayers, and artifacts charged with Mana or Conviction, as well as the effects all spells, prayers, and such artifacts generate.
Magnetize [Target] to [Object] – This effect causes the target to be drawn to a stationary object such as a tree or building. The target must move as quickly and safely to the object as possible, then remain within one arm’s length of it for the duration of the effect.
Maim – Breaks a limb. A melee weapon must hit the target’s limb to deliver this effect. If delivered by gun or magical effect, the target limb will be specified and the ammo or packet can hit any part of the body allowed by the combat and contact rules to take effect. A maimed limb cannot be used unless splinted or healed. Ex. If your left leg is maimed you may not stand, walk, or push yourself around on the ground with it. It must remain immobile.
No Effect – This call is used when an effect does not, and will never, work against its target.
Null – An effect carrier that only applies to a special class of being. It will be noted on your character sheet if Null affects you, otherwise it has no effect and you must state “No effect”.
Pain – With this effect you must drop to one knee and place both hands on the ground before getting back up. If you are unable to move in this way, you must complete this movement to the best of your ability before making any other movement. Roleplaying being in pain (screaming, grunting, or otherwise acknowledging the effect) is strongly suggested for all instances of Pain.
Pacify – The target is unable to be aggressive for the duration of the effect, or until they are struck by a weapon or spell.
Paralyze – For the duration of the effect, the target is completely immobile. Paralyze does not bestow any of the benefits of Petrify.
Parry – Defensive skill call meaning that a melee or stealth effect was resisted or turned away.
Petrify – Turns the target to stone. The target may not move, and is immune to physical damage. Spell-based damage still goes through. Petrified targets cannot be healed by Medical Skills until the effect has ended. Petrify Unto Death means that after 5 minutes has passed, the target is dead and starts their Death Count.
Poison – Poisons may be crafted or naturally occurring, and are either ingestible, contact-based, or applied to a weapon and delivered as a skill. Ingestible and Contact poisons take effect immediately, and cause the target to fall unconscious and bypass bleed out, dying after 5 minutes unless cured. If delivered by weapon as a Venom, the target immediately suffers the stated effect for 5 minutes (ex. weakness venom causes Weakness) but do not die after those 5 minutes.
Push – As the melee skill. Target must take 10 paces, safely, backwards before reengaging.
Quick Death – This immediately ends a Bleed Out Count and starts a Death Count.
Reduce – Lessens an effect, cost, or status duration.
Remove – Removes the specified effect or status of the target.
Resist – Indicates a shielding spell, or natural ability, to ignore the effect.
Restore – Replenishes the Target for a specified resource – Health, Mana, Conviction, and other expendable resources are able to be restored unless otherwise noted.
Secure – Represented by a tag saying “Secure [X]”, where X is the number of Mana holding the Secure tag in place. An object, or door, with a Secure tag on it cannot be opened without first removing the tag with a Pry spell or effect, or using Dispel Magic.
Sever [Action Pool] – This effect causes the target to be unable to use any skill or ability that requires the expenditure of points from an Action Pool for the duration of the effect. For example, Sever Mana, 1 Hour, would prevent the target from being able to cast any Mana based spells for one hour.
Shell – Certain creatures or beings have special protections that allow them to ignore attacks and effects until certain conditions are met. If you encounter something responding to your attacks with “Shell” it means that they are acknowledging you, but you are having no effect on them. Each Shell has a set of conditions that must be met before anything will get through them. For example, certain types of more powerful undead may have a Shell that must be broken through the use of a Holy effect.
Shield – An effect that allows you to resist a specific skill or effect. Lesser shields always expire the first time you are struck with the effect they provide protection from. Spell Shield and Reflect Shield do not expire automatically; you may choose when to use them to resist an applicable effect. When using any shield to protect yourself from an effect, you must state “Resist”.
Silence – The Target is unable to speak or make vocalizations (including moaning, mumbling, or other non-word noises) for the duration of the effect. Miming and writing or other silent modes of communication are still acceptable.
Slay [X] – If delivered by a melee weapon, the weapon must strike the torso. If delivered by gun, it can strike anywhere on the target. [X] is the amount of damage it does.
Slumber – For the duration of the effect, the target is unconscious and cannot be awakened without an Awaken effect.
Snare – Locks the target’s feet to their current location. Target may not move from that spot until the spell ends or is canceled.
Stealth [x] – Represents a sneak attack. The attacker must be standing behind the target with both feet planted on the ground to use it. [x] is the amount of damage delivered by the attack. A Stealth [X] attack cannot be parried, dodged, or avoided, but can be resisted with the appropriate shield spell.
Stabilize – This effect suspends someone’s bleed out count. It does not heal any vitality or restore consciousness. The person using this must stay within arm’s length and take no actions besides role-playing applying pressure to the wound in order to keep the bleed out count suspended.
A stabilized person may be moved at a slow walk with the assistance of another person to carry them. The target’s bleed out count resumes if they take any damage, or the person “applying pressure to the wound” stops for any reason.
Strength – An effect increasing the strength of an individual in order to count for more toward lifting an object’s Weight. It may also be used to temporarily overcome the effects of Weakness.
Subdue – A sucker punch represented by a subdue packet. The target must be within arm’s length. If the subdue is successful the target must immediately fall, shoulders touching the ground, before they can get back up. If you are unable to move in this way, you must complete this movement to the best of your ability and count to five before making any other movement or taking any other action.
Suspend – pauses a target’s specified Bleed Out Count/ Death Count, or prevents specified damage/effects from affecting the target, for a period of time. The incantation will include what is suspended and for how long. If applicable, the description will include what consequences the target incurs when the pause or prevention ends.
[Type] / “to [Type]” – Specifies that the damage or effect only works on a particular type of creature or being. Current types include – Undead, Beast (Lesser, Greater, Sentient), Plantform (Lesser, Greater, Sentient), Revenant, and Primal. If you are not classified as one of these types the effect does not work against you, and you must state “No effect.”
Weakness – While under the effects of weakness you cannot attack, defend yourself, carry anything, or cast any spell that is not delivered by touch, and can only walk at a slow pace. If you have lost Health Points, you may regain them in any normal way, however normal Healing effects do not cancel Weakness.
Weight – A measure of how many people must have at least 1 hand on an item to move it. This is indicated by a red sticker with a number on it.
Venom – Call for a blade strike using a blade venom. Venom will be preceded by an effect such as Weakness. Blade venoms may be resisted as Poisons.
Spell and Prayer Casting Keywords
Aura – A spell or prayer set in waiting. The effect triggers when the caster is struck with a weapon.
Bardic Chain Touch – A Bardic Mana spell with this delivery method allows for multiple targets to receive the effect of one Bardic Performance. All targets must be touched within sixty seconds of the start of the performance, and the caster must expend the casting cost again for each target after the first. This is different from the Chain Touch [X] delivery method which allows multiple targets per casting. The caster does not have to stand in place.
Chain – A spell that repeats itself a number of times. Each target may be touched once per casting of this spell. The full casting cost is expended even if there are fewer targets touched than the spell allows. One foot must remain planted on the ground while casting the chain or it is disrupted and no more targets may be touched. This is different from the Chain Touch methods which allow freedom of movement during casting.
Chain Touch – A spell that repeats itself a number of times. Each target may be touched once per casting of this spell. The full casting cost is expended even if there are fewer targets touched than the spell allows. The caster does not have to stand in place.
Cluster – A handful of spell packets, typically 5 (see spell description for exact number), thrown at once.
Extended Performance – An ongoing performance after the completion of a Bardic spell incantation. The effects of the spell last as long as the performance does, or until canceled as normal (ex: Dispel Magic, Silencing the caster, etc) for that type of spell or effect. The spell description will state any other ways a specific spell may be canceled.
Performance – A one minute performance required prior to finishing the incantation of a Bardic spell.
Spell Stacking: A person may have only one of each type of spell active at a time. You may not have two Auras, or Barriers, or Bestows, or Shields cast on you simultaneously. You may have an Aura and a Barrier and a Bestow and a Shield at the same time. Certain spells and abilities may create exceptions to this stacking rule.