It’s time for another Rules Ramble with Jonathan! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic in the DR rulebook in a deep dive that focuses on explaining it more detail than the book alone can provide. Today’s series starts to delve a bit deeper into the logic behind some of the things involved with CvC, or Character vs. Character behaviors. For this first article, let’s talk at a high level about some of the concepts behind CvC.
It’s time for another Rules Ramble with Jonathan! Each week, I’ll introduce a topic in the DR rulebook in a deep dive that focuses on explaining it more detail than the book alone can provide. This week we are wrapping up the final discussion of the Anatomy of a Damage Call in Dystopia Rising. There are four core pillars of the DR game in my mind: Combat, Roleplay, CvC, and Economy, and this series delves a bit deeper into the logic behind some of the things you say during a combat.
Catch up with Part 1 here. We introduce some key terms for each part of the Damage Call and break down each component. There’s even a handy dandy graphic!
Catch up with Part 2 here. We discuss some example Damage Calls, and break them down in turn. These range from simple to complicated calls, and we cover one of each type of attack.
Aesa also covered some really important Logistics announcements yesterday for the February game here, so take a look. Go on, this will wait!
Ok, so we’ve spent some time talking about Damage Calls and gave you some examples, so now let’s look at a Damage Call in motion and where Defenses come into the picture.
This logic also explains the order and timing that we use with a call, so we are going to discuss timing and defenses, and how they apply to a Damage Call. This is a longer post, so fair warning!
So someone has attacked you and made their Damage Call. One of the first instances of TIMING when it comes to a Damage Call is the reaction that is called in response to being targeted by an attack or Skill. Once a call has been made, you have a brief window to declare a DEFENSE. Let’s look at p. 157 in the DR Corebook for how to call a defense.
You must interrupt what you doing to use these Skills, so using a Defense while working on a Full Engagement RP skill interrupts that skill use (p. 103-104). There are several Defensive Skills in the game:
AVOID - This skill is the most versatile Defense in the game, as it stops almost every melee Strike or Ranged Attack in the game. The only type of physical attack not stopped an attack that uses the phrase “No Avoid!” OR the Skill Proficient Malicious (aka MANGLE!) when it is delivered from behind you. This skill is also the most taken Skill in the game for this reason — It’s the surest way to protect yourself in a combat, even as a non-combat player!
DEFEND - This skill is almost always used by NPCs. This works the same as Avoid, but only protects in the front 120 degree arc. If they are behind you, you cannot call this Defense and this cannot be used against an attack that uses the phrase “No Defend!”. This skill is designed to reward you for good positioning and flanking in a fight against NPCs.
BALANCE - This skill protects against any effect that causes you to lose your footing, fall down, be knocked back, or any STUN effect. This counters Knockback, Stun, Takedown, and even Area of Effect versions of these skills. Important note here is that Balance stops the EFFECTS, but not DAMAGE. If someone declares a “10 damage, STUN!” attack, declaring Balance only stops the Stun, not the 10 damage.
MENTAL ENDURANCE - This skill protects against any PSIONIC effect that directly Targets you, except for Master Pyrokinetics. This is sometimes useful against other skill effects like Agony or Terror. This is also one of the few skills you can use while in Bleed Out.
INTERFERE - This is a strange Defense, as it’s not so much avoiding the attack as redirecting to another. The person that calls Interfere takes the attack instead, and cannot reduce or defend against the damage under normal circumstances. You must qualify as a Target to use this as a defense, so no taking a Mangle to your leg when it’s already Mangled! (This also cannot stop a Killing Blow on someone, as you are not in Bleed Out when you use the skill!)
Other Item/Skill Defenses - There are several items that offer new defenses against attacks, make attacks automatically miss, or provide a more narrow Defense to particular calls. There are far too many different types to cover them all here. Generally items that make you immune to an attack will have a specific Counter to call out like “OOPH, Blocked!” or something similar to “No Effect!” followed by the Defense name. For instance, most Zombies are immune to Mangle effects on their arms and will call “No Effect, Strong Arms!” in response, or you might call “No Effect, Phalanx!” while participating in a shield wall called by a Phalanx Doyen.
The main reason I want to focus on the idea of Defenses is that these represent the concept of an INTERRUPT to the flow of a Skill call. If I can react to an attack BEFORE the effect is applied, that means there are some kind of hidden “pause” steps in a Damage Call where we work out some basic logic. It also means there is a distinct order to how things are applied in a fight, and an order to that timing.
I’m a bit of a Board Game nerd, so in a lot of games the Order of Operations can make a big difference in understanding the interactions in a game. Dystopia Rising is no different, though we don’t have an official ruling on Timing in the game. What I’m going to attempt to discuss here is the flow of a Damage Call and how all that information is there, if you know where to look.
This is why the order of a DAMAGE call matters! Following our discussion last week, the way a Damage Call is designed with a Delivery Method first, Damage Amount next and any modifiers, and finally an Effect that informs this order of operations. An attack sequence can be broken down into a few key steps:
Declare the attack as a DAMAGE CALL, spending any items or Mind needed
Make a Successful Attack, on a valid Target and location
Declare any Defenses to the attack
Apply Damage from an attack
Apply Effects from an attack
When I think of the “flow” on an attack, there are natural points in this where you look for Triggers, or instances where you can call an interruption or Defense against the attack. These interrupts happen Instantly, and can Interrupt the flow of an attack. A great example of these types of phrases used in other games can be found in systems like Magic: The Gathering, or Warhammer 40K. You may not always use a Trigger to activate a Skill, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still there!
This example of the timing behind an attack is pretty simple, but let’s dig a little bit deeper and explore all the separate logic steps of the sequence. Most of the time, these steps happen pretty quickly so you may not have stopped to think about the steps much.
Let’s look at that in text, and not just my silly Paint project.
Declare the Damage Call or Skill out loud where your target can hear (p. 157).
Spend your Mind or other Resources to power the attack. You always spend for resources at the START of a Skill use or attack.
If your attack is Countered, Interrupted, or misses, you still spend the Mind and items!
You must always Declare the attack BEFORE actually making the physical attack!
Make your physical attack against the Target.
If your target is a Non-Combat Target (marked with an Orange Headband), DO NOT physically attack them, but instead point at them and declare your effect or damage (p. 155). This is an automatic hit, but they can still declare Defenses like Avoid.
Strikes will use a contact-safe boffer and need to hit a valid location
Remember the FLURRY rules - You may not swing more than 3 times in a row, unless you are using Florentine weapons (p. 156).
The 1st and 2nd strike in a Flurry cannot hit the same target to be a valid location. You got to change up where you hit them each time! No “machine gunning” the same spot!
Ranged Attacks will use a packet or NERF gun bullet, and they need to hit a valid location
First, check if you can still use a Nerf Gun against your target. If they are within TWO PACES, you must use a Packet instead.
If the attack is a red packet or bullet and contacts a shield, it is not blocked by a Shield and the attack is considered a hit unless they use some other Defense.
If the attack is a thrown weapon, a blue packet or arrow, and contacts a shield the attack ends and it is considered a miss.
Remember your RELOAD rules - After 6 shots, you must pause for a moment to simulate a reload of your weapon. Some items have longer Reload times (p. 156).
Psionic Attacks use a white packet and are always accompanied by the “Psionic!” call at the start of the Damage Call, but must still hit a valid location.
If the psionic attack contacts a shield, the effect still works. Shields can’t normally stop Psionics.
You CANNOT use a Psionic Attack while Blinded!!
Area of Effects, Sound of my Voice, and Line of Sight all automatically hit if they are in range.
Very few Defenses can be used against these delivery methods, but Balance can be used against any AOE or Sound of my Voice attack that uses the STUN mechanic.
Check if your attack hits AND contacts a valid location (p.155). If you successfully hit, you proceed with the application of the attack and its effects.
If you miss your swing, it contacts a non-valid location, or is blocked the attack ends.
If your attack or Skill is Interrupted, it has no effect (p. 104).
If you successfully hit, your Target can declare a DEFENSE. The Target has 3 seconds to declare a counter and spend Mind or Resources for that Defense (p. 157).
If the appropriate Defense is called, the attack is ended and is considered a miss. NONE of the effects of the attack apply if it is appropriately countered. A proper defense stops the entire Damage Call.
Avoid/Defend - stops melee Strikes or Ranged Attacks
Balance - stops Knockback, Takedown, or Stun effects
Mental Endurance - stops Psionic Attacks
Interfere - changes the Target to the user of Interfere, and it is considered an automatic hit that cannot be Defended against.
You cannot exchange a series of blows and THEN call a Defense. You must immediately interrupt to declare a Defense before continuing other attacks.
Check for effects that trigger on Defenses.
OVERPOWER - This is the primary Keyword that activates on a successful Defense. You can spend 1 Mind and declare the same attack again as a new attack. The Target will have to declare ANOTHER defense to that second attack. Go all the way back to the beginning.
Some items give you a temporary buff to other skills once a Defense is used, and would activate at this step. This includes some Augments and weapon effects.
Check for Damage Resistance or Damage Immunity.
If Resistant, the Damage is generally reduced to 1.
If Immune, the Damage is generally reduced to 0.
If the attack is not countered or Defended against, you apply the damage of the attack to the target’s Armor (p. 169).
Check to see if their armor is broken, and activate any effects that happen on armor break. Unique undead threats like Rimebound Dead would explode at this step.
If the attack uses a Body effect, apply the damage to Body first instead. Body SKIPS Armor completely, so any effects that would happen on Armor breaking are not triggered.
Apply any remaining damage to the Target’s Body pool.
Check for Bleed Out (p. 208).
If the Target hits zero Body, they enter Bleed Out.
Activate effects that trigger on entering Bleed Out. The primary example here is the Striker’s Coat call of “Immune to Killing Blow, 1 Minute!”.
If they still have Body remaining, the damage step ends and you proceed to apply any effects at the end of the call.
Some effects won’t really impact a dying Target, but most can carry over.
Apply any instantaneous Killing Blows, like MURDER.
If the Target is in Bleed Out and receives a Killing Blow, their Bleed Out timer ends and they immediately die (p. 208).
If the Target is under the effects of Proficient Faithful Will, protected by a Striker’s Coat, or protected by Master Biogenetics, they can declare their immunity in response to the Killing Blow.
If still eligible, apply other Effects of the Damage Call
This is the most broad step of an attack, as there is the most variation in effects from Damage Calls during this step. I can’t possibly predict every effect here, but I’ll cover the basic interactions.
If the Target has some unique Defense to an Effect that would activate, they can declare a reaction to the trigger of taking the Effect.
For example, a target protected by Basic Faith Vessel could declare “No Effect!” to the first Break Armor effect they take during the 12s.
If a Target is IMMUNE to some portion of the Effect, they can “No Effect!” or the appropriate Skill call and ignore that particular Effect.
Unless specified by an item or Skill, you only avoid that portion of the effect. If someone had a protection versus Mangle and was hit by an effect that called “Mangle, Stun!”, they would stop the Mangle but NOT the Stun.
The threat Skill Cannibalism (used by most Zombies and Raiders) has a specific unique counter to its call of “Reduce Bleed Out to 1 Minute”.
If under the effects of Proficient Faithful Will, the Bleed Out timer is NOT reduced, but stays at the extended time of the Skill effect.
Lastly, any effects that would Trigger from taking a particular Effect take place. This might include certain abilities that allow you to use an item, or trigger a counter attack back at the opponent. There’s a few of these in play, particularly on Threat skills on monsters. The threat skill Anomaly Response allows a monster to heal themselves in response to a Psionic skill being used near them, for instance.
WHEW!
That was a lot. Sorry for the wall of text, but it’s a pretty complicated subject. I’ve spent three weeks digging into the details of the Damage Call, and we still didn’t even address Bane and Resistance (that’s a topic for another day!). Next time, we are going to pivot a bit and discuss THEFT in Dystopia Rising.
Tickets for our February Event "BEYOND THE HORIZON" go on sale on MONDAY, JANUARY 17th at 1PM! We hope you’ve enjoyed your Long Night!
See you later Vados!
Tickets for our February Event "BEYOND THE HORIZON" go on sale on MONDAY, JANUARY 17th at 1PM! We hope you’ve enjoyed your Long Night!
The ambitious merchant culture espoused by the Junkerpunk population, a ragtag group of smugglers, tradesfolk and priveteers, has always been a dynamic beat in the overture of the Greater Lonestar. But now, armed with their temporary position on the San Saba Board and the backing of Holy Mother Queen Jasper of the Tribes Disparate, this grinning group of sellswords and sword sellers have decided to strike out and do what New Bravado proved could be done; build a town for themselves.
The infant settlement of Drywater, just a few hours walk to the West of New Bravado’s extended territory, has begun to erect its first permanent structures and acquire its first permanent citizens. Queen Jasper, the sickly but politically powerful matriarch of the Antler clan, has come to New Bravado to oversee the perilous and brave process of sculpting a homeland from irradiated dirt. With the help of the Longberths, a faction of the Tribes Disparate who have historically butted heads with the smaller merchant faction, the scrap of land will become a dry port of call only rivaled by Waking Prime.
With glory on the horizon for the honest folk of the Muddy Water Accord, all seems well in the wet thaw after the Long Night. But the waves of Lake Bravo stir uneasily as something shifts beneath its surface, and the sound of distant foghorns echo balefully from the direction of The Clutch. Only time will tell what lurks in the deep waters of that ancient wound.
Looking to get more hype for the February event?
Read this fiction piece about Queen Jasper of the Tribes Disparate and the San Saba Board “Queen’s Grave, Queen’s Grace”
Read up on the Dramatis Personae who will feature prominently in the second half of Season 3
Learn more about the anatomy of a damage call in these Rules Rambles by Jonathan! Part 1, Part 2.
We wanted to take a second to go over the weekend itinerary so there is less confusion during check in:
Unless you have special permission from staff or are part of our designated Setup Crew for that weekend, the time when you can come onto the site from the parking lot is 3pm on Friday. This applies to Guides as well. At 4pm players who pre-registered can pick up their character sheets and check-in at the Post Office. At 5pm players who did not pre-register can check-in. Read the full Weekend Itinerary here.
Likewise, you can only drive on site if you have explicit staff permission. Everyone else needs to park in the parking lot and use a cart to bring their items on to and off of site.
Wigwam Cabin is our primary Med Sleep location. Wikiup is our primary New Player cabin. Last game we were overcrowded in these spaces. We do not want to have to start restricting who can sleep there further, or requiring medical notes, so please consider sleeping elsewhere if you are not a new player or require medical sleep accommodations.
Kiva is climate controlled and open to anyone. There are also many open-air cabins available in Hopi and Zuni, the platform tents in Tewa, and tent-space is available for those who want to bring their own tent. Some people choose to stay in hotels and air bnb’s off-site as well. If you just would like a Med Sleep note on your character sheet to sleep in a different location without interruption, we can accommodate that. Please email info@dystopiarisingtx.com.
and now for more exciting things…
The Girl Scouts of Central Texas will be present before and after our February event to sell their cookies, so bring your cash! I know I won’t need to twist your arm, but proceeds stay local to GSCTX, who own Camp Kachina and allow us to use it for our silly zombie LARP. The Girl Scout Cookie Program prepares girls with the business smarts they need to prepare for adventure, and we love that for them.
Patching up Bravado is an event is to help the town OOC. This event is designed for completing projects and site improvements. There is no cost to attend, this is an event to support our local site and put some love back into it! Those who participate will earn 200 CAPS a Work Day. If you are interested in this event. Please fill out the Volunteer sign-up form. This will allow us to assign you to the ideal project.
Gates will be open Friday the 21st of January at Noon. The Gates will close on Sunday the 23rd at 3pm.
Shifts will be divided up mainly between AM and PM.
Upon Arrival, on Friday we encourage you to designate your sleeping area and settle in. Projects will start at 2pm (Please see Rafiki/ Kaytlyn the Camp Director)
During the weekend, Joscelyn Benoit and Heather Boemler will be your logistical points of contact for the event.
We encourage you to bring your kit. As there will be opportunities for field portraits in your kit during breaks. We are very grateful for your interest and participation in the event and cant wait to see you there!
Howdy Vados!
Briefly, we’re going to go over some of the major NPCs you’ll be interacting with (often) in the second half of Season 3. Our goal here is to set the stage and showcase the interconnectedness of our next four events amongst themselves, but also, to the greater metaplot of DR:TX.
I’m not saying these NPCs are going to stick around that long, by any means. But this primer will at least give you an idea of who to pay attention to in games 4-8 of Season 3.
Holy Mother Queen Jasper, Bearer of the Antlered Crown
Queen Jasper is the ultimate leader behind the 13 Houses of the Tribes Disparate. Around fifty years old, Jasper entered the Bravado Narrative at the height of the Hiway War where she provided troops and resources to defeat and destroy Hiway Robb in the wake of her father’s assassination. Her homeland was once the Blastlands that now surround New Bravado, but these verdant fields were lost to carpet bombs early on in the conflict.
The Tribes formed out of the various outcast and abandoned peoples ravaged by the War, gathered together by the charisma, heroic deed, and martial prowess of the Queen. From groups of scholars, psions, and merchants, forces of crafters, pirates, and soldiers, the Tribes have been made stronger by the unique and collective strengths of the great Houses that follow Queen Jasper. After the Hiway War and the Fountainhead Incident, the wandering thirteen Tribes found their new homeland in the forested causeways of Essex, where they grow in power and in purpose as they build a new home around them.
Jasper is sick with an unknown degenerative disease. At times, she seems to be an unstoppable warrior, a killer without rival. At others, she can barely keep her head up in meetings. Some of the house-heads, rulers of their respective tribes, are beginning to express a lack of faith in her leadership. There are several Houses that could rival her for the crown, including the sailors of the Longberths, the Fallow Hope faithful of the Jacintos, and even her own brother, Prince Shale of the Antler Clan. But for now, all thirteen houses still pay homage to the Holy Mother, Antler Queen of the Tribes Disparate.
Takheeta Firstborn, Mystagogue of the Grave Council, Leader of the Imix Tribe
Of all the Unborn in the Lonestar, of those who were birthed by its morgues rather than those who immigrated here, Takheeta was the first to claw her way out of the primordial muck. She is considered the progenitor of her entire tribe, known as the Imix, with every member carrying some amount of the same genetic data that created Takheeta contained in their helixes.
Following the Hiway War, Takheeta, along with Commander Rampart and several other key members of the organization, formed the Grave Council - a powerful faction to steward the damaged morgue system that resulted from the Psionic Bomb that ended the Hiway War. Under her leadership the strange grave cultists called Mystagogues developed an Imix ritual to prevent a disease known as the Curse of the Unfinished from spreading, earning the sole ability and fiscal control of morgues throughout the San Saba.
As the years have passed, Takheeta has entrenched herself as a religious icon to Gravemind worshippers, adherents of the strange faith called the Quiet Path, and as an authority on the San Saba morgue system. Her ultimate goal, as stated, is to fix the damaged morgue infrastructure in the Lonestar entirely - rendering her Groundskeepers useless but the system whole and perfect. Takheeta will achieve her dream through any means necessary, no matter the cost.
Commander Rampart of the Grave Council, Leader of the Reckoners
The Baywalker soldier known as Commander Rampart has been a colossal influence on the success of the Grave Council since their founding. During the Hiway War, Rampart was part of the Fallow Hope contingent assigned to Temple Station, but when his latent psionic ability was awakened by the terrorists of the Third Eye he became a mercenary and assassin in the madness following the War.
Ruthless and pragmatic, Rampart leads the elite ranks of the Reckoners, a shadowy military branch protecting the secrets of the Grave Council. His stated goal is to make sure that the weapons and technology that enabled Hiway Rob to decimate the morgue system never fall into the wrong hands again, though there is controversy about how many strange relics end up in his hands versus some hidden vault. A powerful psion himself, Rampart helped defend Essex against the outsider threat during the Fountainhead Incident and led Bravado in a ritual that imprisoned the Gutmother.
There is an uncertain hostility between Rampart and Takheeta, though he arguably is the second in command of the faction. Rumors of a schism within the walls of the Bureau between the Reckoners and Mystagogues, his involvement in the murder of Takheeta during the struggle for the Fountainhead, and his subsequent exile afterwards has many suspicious of his motives. While Rampart has avoided overt trips to Essex in recent months, it is certain that his former exile has ended — though the secretive soldier is not forthcoming on the terms of his return to grace.
Felicity Redfield, CEO of the Railroad Conglomerate
As she was born into a lesser Pureblood House before the Hiway War, following its conclusion, Felicity Redfield found herself in a unique position of power. As one of the few remaining members of the extended Lineage League, Felicity used what remained of her clout and dowry to form the RRC and spent the ugly, irradiated years following the Hiway War building train-tracks across what is now the Greater San Saba.
Her crowning achievement is the settlement of New Bravado, which she owns down to the rocks the city is built on, followed shortly thereafter by the creation of The Iron Ox; a locomotive of monolithic proportions, designed to endure the threats of the Greater Wastes as it trucks goods between settlements at speed. The tracks of the RRC Oxline stretch further each day as the influence of the rail system continues to grow. Felicity has spearheaded “delves” into the uncharted ruins underneath Bravado in search of some unknown goal, using resources found beneath to fund future endeavors.
Deeply motivated to create a more magnificent future in her image, Felicity is a founding member of the San Saba Board, on which both Takheeta Firstborn and Queen Jasper both serve as voting members. Her company, thanks to a merger in 04” PHW, retains two of the five votes needed to change San Saba Law. Though she has not always seen eye to eye with the Board and the Chairman, her ambition has continued to reap dividends for the RRC.
Sinker Swim, Grand Admiral of the Junkerpunks
Thrust into a position of power, Sinker Swim is not only the ultimate leader of the expansive merchant fleet that makes up the Junkerpunk’s handshake-agreement network but also, currently, a voting member of the San Saba Board. The Saltwise pirate has been the heart and soul behind the recent successes of the wayward faction.
Bouncing back from the precipice of destitution after a riotous party in the Clutch, the Junkerpunks have recently focused on becoming a bonafide rival to the San Saba Board. Thanks to their own gumption, and some unexpected support from the RRC and the Tribes Disparate, Sinker Swim has recently managed to push through the Drywater Settlement Package, which will fund the founding of a new inland settlement to the west of New Bravado.
Generally understood to be a sort of roughshod, grating personality; Sinker has regardless been responsible for the safe arrival of hundreds of New Bravado citizens via the port at Lake Bravo. All of the exports that leave the New Bravado territory that don’t take the Oxline out, end up in the cargo holds of Sinker Swim’s merchant fleet.
Good morning Vados!
It’s Jonathan here with the second part of my discussion on the rules on how we declare attacks and skills in the world of Dystopia Rising. I started this discussion last week with my first blog post, but we also had a really neat story written by Shan detailing some important events for some of our casted characters (in case you missed it!).
First, I’d like to address a few comments on my last post before we get it into it! Thanks for all the feedback, as I love hearing how these posts help you better understand the rules of DR.
It was mentioned about some confusion with the Poison keyword in the DR Corebook (pg. 105) and how I described Poison Damage. Threats in the wastes have access to other skills and abilities that are not listed in the Corebook, in materials that are provided to the Guides and STs of the local games. While the Poison keyword in the Corebook covers most of the mechanics for how ITEMS that deal with Poison function, there are several attacks and abilities used by monsters that all use the same phrase of “poisonous strike” or something similar. While I called this damage type “Poison” damage, it is actually officially called during an attack as “Mind” damage instead. The monsters will declare “10 Mind Damage” as an attack, instead of using the phrase “Poison”. I’ve edited the previous blog post to be more specific about this Damage Type.
While I outlined some cool things in my nifty chart I made last week, I used some phrases like Damage Modifier, Delivery Modifier, etc. It should be noted that none of these things have an consistent official name in the book, but is simply the phrase I used to describe them. It’s clear from the mechanics that each step of a Damage Call follows a certain logic, and these terms are just my way to describe each step. If you’ve heard it called something else, that’s entirely fine! I think my terms are pretty elegant and clearly describe a thing we can see in the book, and I hope you agree. :)
The rules of DR are in a constant state of interpretation and flux at the moment. We have an expected FAQ due from our DR National team soon, so some of these things I’ve described here may change in the future. There are also several skills and abilities that appear on Blueprints and crafted items that do not have an official ruling on how they work yet. I’ve updated our DR: TX Rules Page with the most recent updates that I have, and I’ll make sure we have a solid repository for these kinds of clarifications for our local game.
Now that FAQs are done, let’s talk a little bit more about how the Damage Call works in the game with some examples of how easy or complicated this can be. Remember, I covered the breakdown of each step of the Call in my previous blog post, but I’ve included the handy dandy chart from last week below to describe the six parts of a Damage Call.
The example above is a rather complicated call that includes every part of the Damage Call, so let’s look at some breakdowns of other calls.
Toothpiq Chopper - The Toothpiq Chopper is a great example of a crafted item that allows a character to deliver a Spike Damage Call (any attack that does MORE than base damage). The blueprint rule with Master Melee Standard states that “Spend 10 Mind to do 15 damage on next attempted Strike.” Let’s examine the Damage Call for the weapon by itself first:
The Master effect while using this item effect is declared simply as “15!” or “15 DAMAGE!”. It’s not necessary to declare ‘damage’ as this is assumed to be the Damage Type unless you say something different.
Since we use a boffer to make this attack, the Delivery Method is assumed to be a melee Strike and isn’t declared out loud. Since it’s not a Psionic attack or Unique ability, we have no Delivery Modifier or Skill Name used either.
The only parts we declare for this strike are the Damage Amount of “15”. Since it’s just basic damage, we don’t need to declare a Damage Modifier and there is no extra Damage Affix or Effect.
Even though a Spike Damage Call does way more damage than a normal swing, it still applies to Armor first, then Body unless a different Damage Modifier is used. Spike Damage is a great way to break through armor to soften up a target if you don’t have easy access to BODY damage types.
Let’s discuss some common complications to an attack like this:
The Piercing Strike (p. 113) skill allows us to change the Damage Modifier or Damage Type to “Body” instead. If you paid the Mind to use this skill, you could STACK it with the Toothpiq Chopper effects to declare “15 BODY!” as your attack. Because we’ve changed the Damage Modifier, it’s important to include that in the Damage Call. Since the attack is Body damage, it skips past their Armor and deals damage directly to their Body pool.
Remember, BODY damage supersedes other damage types. If you were using a weapon that normally swung for BANE damage, the BODY damage type would be applied, and it would lose the BANE type for that swing. (p. 113)
The Proficient Combat Tactics skill (p. 114) allows us to change the Delivery Method to attack more than one target in range. When you use this skill you can change the Damage Call to “SCATTER SHOT! 15 DAMAGE!”.
Scatter Shot is a Delivery Method. Instead of needing to make a successful hit with your boffer, you simply declare up to FIVE targets within 5 feet of you that are automatically hit. They can still use Avoid to prevent the attack. Most folks will make this Damage Call, then point at the 5 targets in range immediately after the call.
Important reminder on Scatter Shot is that it has a unique rule that the Damage Amount cannot be improved above 20. If you use an item that deals 30 Damage on a swing and use Scatter Shot, it is reduced to 20 damage instead.
Let’s look at a pretty common Ranged Attack next:
The Mountain Rifle blueprint allows for a skilled Projectile user to make shots at incredible range. With the Profession Focus Achievement, or PFA, (p. 144) of Marksman, you can use this weapon to brutal efficiency. The call for the PFA ability of this weapon is declared as “Line of Sight, 30 Damage, No Defend!”.
Line of Sight is a Delivery Method, and the rules for this are found on p. 104. This allows you to declare a target out to about 50 feet from you and automatically hit with your attack.
IMPORTANT NOTE! An important clarification to Line of Sight effects is that the type of defense used to prevent the effects is the SAME as the weapon it is used by. In almost every case, this is a Firearm so the normal instance of this will be prevented by the Avoid skill. In the rare types this Delivery Method is used in other ways, it’ll usually be accompanied by the “No Avoid!” effect to make it very clear.
The Damage Amount of this attack is 30, and there is no particular Damage Modifier. Unless there is some listed restriction, you could stack an attack like this with Piercing Strike or other Damage Modifiers.
The final statement of this call is the Damage Affix or Effect. The call of “No Defend!” means that an NPC cannot use the Defend ability to prevent this attack. This weapon is brutal against NPCs that only have Defend, but can still be Avoided by another player or an NPC that as the Avoid skill.
Finally, let’s talk about a Psionic attack that uses the Area of Effect rules to hit everyone in a nearby area.
Master Pyrokinetics (p. 138) - This is a very powerful Psionic skill available to characters that can purchase Master tier skills. This Skill is declared as “PSIONIC: 3 Steps - 30 Body, Self Break All Brews and Injections”. Let’s break down each part below:
The first part of the call is the Delivery Modifier — “Psionic”. This lets us know the power is a psionic ability and be resisted with the Mental Endurance skill. Remember that Psionic is the only Delivery Modifier at the moment.
However, one weird complication here is that Master Pyro can ONLY be resisted by MASTER Mental Endurance and this isn’t part of the call. This is a great example of an exception to this rule, but it’s basically the only exception that I can find in any published materials.
The Delivery Method is declared in the call as “3 Steps”. This means that this attack is NOT delivered with a white packet like most psionic attacks but rather is a small area of effect attack. This is also one of the few exceptions to the common range of Area attacks - any attack that uses the Area of Effect call hits everyone within 10 feet of the user.
IMPORTANT NOTE! Unless otherwise specified, Area of Effect attacks always hurt you as well as your opponents. This attack targets EVERYONE, including you, your friends, and anyone nearby. If an AOE effect would exclude you as a target, it will generally involve the phrase “SELF IMMUNE” in the call.
The Damage Amount and Damage Type is declared in the call as “30 Body”. This means you take 30 points of damage, and it skips your Armor to hit your Body pool directly. Ouch! This is one of the bigger attacks that you can easily get access to as a player and it’s pretty brutal.
The Damage Affix, or Effect is declared last, and this one is uniquely targeted against the USER, not the target. In this case, any item with the Brew or Injectable keyword is immediately BROKEN and destroyed. Better hope someone nearby can pick you up from Bleed Out, cause you are in some serious danger!
That’s it for this week, but we will be continuing this discussion next week in Part 3 as we explore how the Timing of Attacks works, and how Damage Calls interact with various defenses. We’ll also tackle the dreaded “Why is MURDER stopped by my Striker’s Coat?” question!
BONUS CONTENT: Here’s a sneak peek for our eventual discussion of how BANE and DAMAGE REDUCTION work, illustrated in a cute zombie doodle done by Shan.
