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Layer 3: Tactical Modifiers

This layer adds temporary states and effects that modify the core gameplay.

1.0: Conditions

Your character can be affected by Conditions, Status Tags, and Boost Tags. These represent temporary states that can alter your capabilities or force you to make difficult choices.

(1.1) Conditions are persistent effects that are based on the character’s states instead of Tags.

  • Mounted: Another entity is riding you. While being ridden you are silenced unless commanded. The rider dictates all actions during either entities’ turn and may expend actions from the action pool of either the rider or the mount.
  • Riding: While Riding, you dictate all actions during either the rider’s or mount’s turn and may expend actions from the action pool of either the rider or the mount.
  • Prone: Disadvantage on all actions. Standing costs a Move Action.
  • Crouching: Grants advantage to concealment. Movement is halved.
  • Cover: Attacks against you suffer disadvantage. Grants advantage to Hide.
  • High Ground: +10 ft elevation. Advantage on ranged effects.
  • Submerged: Underwater. Disadvantage on actions; movement halved; grants cover.
  • Hidden: Undetected. Grants advantage on next action vs unaware target. Cannot be targeted.
  • Exhausted: SP = 0. Disadvantage on all rolls.
  • Injured: Max HP, SP, and EP are reduced by 5 (minimum 1) until next Downtime.
  • Unconscious: HP = 0 or asleep. Cannot act. The next HP loss is fatal.
  • Silenced: EP = 0, cannot use innate keywords.
  • Exposed: Actions gain Advantage when targeting Exposed targets.

2.0: Tags

A tag is a representation of a positive or negative effect that is placed on a player that requires a trigger to resolve and remove.

(2.1) When an effect applies a Tag, it is added to the target's "Tag Pool."

  • (2.1.1) An entity can have multiple instances of the same Tag in their pool
  • (2.1.2) An entity can have a maximum total number of 10 boost tags and 10 status tags.
  • (2.1.3) An entity can have a maximum of 5 of any one tag type in their pool.

(2.2) Tags have a specific trigger condition defined by the keyword that grants the Tag.

  • (2.2.1) When that condition is met, only one instance of that Tag from the pool is resolved and removed.

(2.3) The only other way to remove Tags is through specific actions or keyword effects.

  • (2.3.1) When using such an ability, the player chooses which specific Tag(s) to remove from their pool.

(2.4) Status Tags

Status Tags are debilitating effects that act as Forced Consequences. Their effects are mandatory when their trigger condition is met.

  • Mark (Null): The next attack roll made against you gains Advantage. After the attack resolves, one Mark Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Impair (Silver): The next time you use an action that would cost Stamina (SP), the cost is increased by 1. After the cost is paid, one Impair Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Slow (Yellow): On your next turn, you have 1 fewer action (to a minimum of 1). At the end of that turn, one Slow Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Daze (Green): Your next SR is reduced by the number of Daze Tags in your pool, when that roll is resolved, one Daze Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Curse (Black): The next time you roll, you gain Disadvantage. After the roll resolves, one Curse Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Bind (Orange): While you have a Bind Tag in your pool, you are Immobilized. You can spend 1 SP, and an action, to remove one Bind Tag from your pool.
  • Weaken (White): The next time you take value loss, your Resistance is reduced by 1 for each Weaken Tag in your Tag Pool. After the value loss resolves, one Weaken Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Blight (Red): The next time you take any action or reaction, you immediately suffer 1 unavoidable point of value loss. After the value loss is dealt, one Blight Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Silence (Blue): The next time you take an action, you cannot apply any Innate keywords to it. After that action resolves, one Silence Tag is removed from your pool.
  • Nullify (Purple): When applied, the target’s passive keywords are rendered inactive for as long as they have a nullify tag in their pool. When a nullify tag is added to the pool, remove a boost tag from the pool. A Nullify tag is removed when you gain priority for the first time in a round.

(2.5) Boost Tags

Boost Tags are beneficial effects that act as Tactical Opportunities. The player who has the Tag chooses when to expend it.

  • Liberate (Null): When an effect would make you Immobilized, you may expend this Tag to negate that effect.
  • Augment (Silver): When you Activate an ability, you may expend this Tag to add any keyword to that effect (its EP cost must still be paid).
  • Haste (Yellow): At any point during your turn, you may expend this Tag to gain additional action.
  • Ward (Green): When you would be targeted by an action, you may expend this Tag to ignore that action's effects.
  • Bless (Black): When you make a roll, you may expend this Tag before rolling to gain Advantage.
  • Charge (Orange): When you would spend Energy Points (EP) to apply keywords, you may expend this Tag to reduce the total EP cost by 1.
  • Cure (White): As a free action on your turn, you may expend this Tag to remove one Status Tag from your pool.
  • Regen (Red): When you make an action, you may expend this Tag to restore 1 point to a Value of your choice.
  • Enhance (Blue): When you make a roll, you may expend this Tag after the roll to add a bonus to the final result equal to your Influence.
  • Obscure (Purple): As an action, you may expend this Tag to become Hidden. The Target Number to locate you is 10 + Level + Chosen Stat.

(2.6) Range

The game uses range bands to determine distances.

(2.6.1) Range Bands define targeting and movement distances:

  • Touch / Melee: 0–1 meter
  • Close: 1–3 meters
  • Near: 3–10 meters
  • Far: 10–100 meters
  • Distant: 100–300 meters

(2.6.2) Ranged Effects: By default, all ranged effects (such as those using a projectile or thrown object) made against a target beyond Touch range are made with Disadvantage. This represents the inherent difficulty of aiming and hitting a distant target under the pressure of a dynamic situation. This synergizes with the Advantage Focus Action (see Layer 2, 4.6), which can be narratively described as "taking a turn to aim" to negate this base Disadvantage.

(2.6.3) Ranged gear that normally requires ammunition does not track ammo. The Material keyword allows such gear to consume ammunition or crafting material for additional effect, as described under Reload and Material

SPARKS IN ACTION: TAGS AND TEAMWORK

Sparks has now reached Level 2 (by learning two more keywords in Downtime: Enhance (8.4) and Obscure (9.4)) and has placed a stat point into Influence, raising it to 3.

She and Rook are facing a Level 2 Security Captain. The Captain has a powerful effect that can inflict the Blight Tag.

The Attack: The Captain attacks Sparks. The effect hits, and the Curator says, "Sparks, you take 3 HP loss, and you gain a Blight (Red) Status Tag." This Tag goes into Sparks' Tag Pool.

The Consequence: The Curator reminds Alex of the Blight Tag's rule: "The next time you take any action or reaction, you immediately suffer 1 unavoidable point of value loss."

Sparks' Turn: It's Sparks' turn. She needs to act, but knows it will hurt.

Action 1 (Activate + Blight Trigger): Alex decides it's worth the pain. "I need to help Rook! I'm going to Activate my Enhance ability to give him a Boost Tag." The moment she declares the action, the Blight Tag triggers.

  • Blight Resolves: "Okay," the Curator says, "the Blight resolves. You take 1 point of unavoidable value loss to your HP, and the Blight Tag is removed from your pool." Sparks' HP drops.
  • Enhance Resolves: Now her chosen action proceeds. She makes her roll for the Enhance effect. It's successful, and Rook gains an Enhance Boost Tag that he can use later to add a bonus to one of his rolls.

Action 2 (Condition): "Now I need to get out of sight," Alex says. "I'll use my second action to take the Hide action and try to get into Cover behind some crates."

  • The Roll: She makes an Effort Roll using her Stealthy talent's passive Advantage: SR + Level + Stat. Her result is a 14.
  • The Result: The Curator notes, "Your Hide TN is 14. You are now in Cover and have the Hidden condition. Enemies will have to beat that TN to find you."