Combat Manual

Instructions

Everyone starts with 12 HP. For each additional true core you have, -2 HP. You start with points in each of your stat wells equal to your attributes. Max 3 points saved at a time. You can spend points from a relevant stat(s?) to boost the roll by +1 for each point! Whenever you make a roll that you don't spend any points on, +2 points. Each round consists of each character taking a turn. Once you take a turn, you must wait until next round to act. ON YOUR TURN you can do one of these things: MANEUVER Gain 1 point in a stat, then gain a special status that protects you from the next action taken against you in relation to that stat. (Think of this like moving but not.) Essentially you prepare a reaction or something. ATTACK WITH A WEAPON // ACT PHYSICALLY Make a nonmagical attack. (Or just do a nonmagical thing.) On a 4+ you succeed, with varying degrees of damage depending on the roll and the circumstances. On a failure you just kind of miss. CAST A SPELL Your core has the inherit ability to alter reality based on your aspect. Make a roll and add any points from an arguably applicable stat. On 5+ success, you'll do the thing! (Mixed successes allowed, up to narrator discretion.) But magic is kind of wild, and if you fail you'll probably do something wonky and bad. Failure to cast a spell does NOT grant points. CAST AN ARDENT SPELL Altering reality in major ways is difficult to achieve, and takes a significant amount of energy. Spells that achieve a dramatic effect or grant you a significant advantage are known as Ardent Spells. In any given battle, each participant may cast up to TWO Ardent spells. HOWEVER. For each ally MISSING from combat, their Ardent slots will be split among remaining allies. Two people on a team? Three Ardents each. ONE person? SIX Ardents. If someone is permanently removed from battle (felled, flees, etc), unused Ardents can be given to remaining members. If you need a lore explanation for this, think of people's competing magical energies fighting for influence in an area at all given times. However. Ardents must be UNLOCKED first. After taking 3 or more damage you unlock an ardent point. You START with an ardent unlocked for every member of the opposing team that is more than yours. (So in a 3v2, the 2s start with 1 ardent each, etc) If an ardent fails, you do not expend a point. ESTABLISH DOMAIN For the cost of 3 Ardent slots (yes, that's right, this is impossible on a team of three) you can establish a Domain, which means projecting your influence over your entire surrounding area. This is chaotic and unique to each person. Essentially, it allows you to add some sort of rule or change to the environment itself. Go crazy. This takes a roll of 5+ and on a failure you succeed, but the domain gets wacky somehow. (This can be boosted normally.) Domains break once their caster is incapacitated or the battle ends. Once a domain is in place, it cannot be overridden; no other domains can be projected. RECOVER Spend any amount of points from ONE stat and recover that much HP. Explain how this makes any sense. You can spend TWO points (or more or less, relative to severity) to clear a status effect. These actions do not require a dice roll. SUMMON Conjure a minion that acts on your behalf. Chunk your HP into essentially what amounts to an extra action. HP conversion is 1:1, so you could take 3 damage and summon three little guys with 1 HP or one guy with 3 HP. You cannot have more than 4 health's worth of summons active at a time. These actions do not require a dice roll. At any time you can unsummon minions, but you only gain as much health back as they currently have. FLEE This is a legitimate strategy. On your turn you can attempt to flee. On a 4+ you escape, this can be boosted first with points if you explain how you're cunningly retreating. If you hit 0 HP, you fall unconsious after your next turn and can either be rescued by an ally or captured by the enemy team. Currently, no one can permanently die.