Glossary

Condition Summary

These are conditions or status effects that can be applied to a character. Characters may be subject to any number of conditions simultaneously, in which case all of them are applied. Certain conditions don't combine, such as immobile and paralyzed, in which case only the most severe condition is applied.

Bleeding

The character is bleeding from a wound of some sort. Bleeding deals damage once, plus one time for every 5 points by which the attack beats the defender's defense. Damage is dealt every 5 TC, starting 5 TC after the initial attack. Bleeding can be stopped with a successful Heal (Wis) check (DC=character's attack roll, unless otherwise specified). The DC is reduced by 5 after each time damage is dealt.

You can be bleeding from multiple effects simultaneously. Each one requires a separate Heal check to stop.

Blinded

A blind character cannot see. He uses his Passive defense, moves at half speed, and takes a -4 penalty on most Acrobatics, Athletics, Mechanics, Perception, Perform, and Stealth checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and many Perception checks) automatically fail. In combat, a blind character must guess the location of his targets, who have total concealment from him (use the worse of two attack rolls). He cannot execute any skills with the Precise or Reactive keywords. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.

Confounded

A confounded character is completely bewildered, and unable to act in any way requiring sensible judgment. Roll 1d20 at the beginning of his turn to determine his actions: 1-5, attack the nearest creature (excluding his own familiar, if any) or move in to attack if out of range; 6-10, wander in a random direction at half speed; 11-15, flee from the nearest creature at top speed; 16-19, do nothing; 20, act normally. Reroll to determine new actions every 2d6 TC. If the character cannot act as indicated, he does nothing. If he is attacked, he automatically attacks whoever attacked him most recently on his next turn provided that he is still confounded.

Confounded is a more severe state of confusion than muddled.

Cowering

The character is immobile and unable to act due to fear. A cowering character takes an additional -2 penalty to Defense.

Dazed

The creature is momentarily stunned and unable to act normally. A dazed creature can take no actions, including reactive ones, but has no penalty to Defense. Dazed is a less severe version of stunned.

A dazed creature adds the duration of the daze to his current initiative count to determine when he acts next. For example, if he would normally act in 4 TC but is dazed for 7, then he will act again in 11 TC. Multiple effects that daze or stun a creature do not stack.

Dazzled

The character has difficulty seeing because of overstimulation of the eyes, usually resulting from sudden exposure to bright light or certain spells. A dazzled character takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls and Perception checks involving vision.

Dead

The character is dead, because his hit points have been reduced to 0, his Constitution has beed reduced to -5, or he has been killed directly by a spell or other effect. Dead characters cannot benefit from natural healing or most healing spells, but certain magics can restore them to life. Decay that occurs after death is generally removed upon returning the character to life.

Deafened

A deafened character cannot hear. He takes a +2 penalty on initiative rolls at the start of combat, automatically fails Perception checks based on sound, and must succeed on an Arcana (Int) check (DC 5 + spell level) to cast any spells with verbal components. Characters who remain deafened for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.

Dying

When your fatigue equals or exceeds double your current HP and you have not yet stabilized, you are considered dying. Every 10 TC while in this state, the player rolls a d20. On a roll of 1, the character loses 1d6 hit points. On a roll of 2-10, the character loses 1d4 hit points. On a roll of 11-15, nothing happens. On a roll of 16-19, the character removes 1d6 fatigue, and on a 20, he removes 2d6 fatigue. If a character's hit points reach 0, then he dies. A character whose fatigue drops below double his current hit points becomes stable. If another adjacent character uses his own turn, he may tend to the dying character's wounds and stabilize him immediately with a successful Heal check (DC 15, Slow). A stabilized character does not regain HP or reduce his fatigue level.

Any spell or other magical healing that restores hit points or grants bonus hit points to the dying character also stabilizes him automatically. As long as the character does not take any more damage or gain additional fatigue, he will remain stable even after the temporary hit points are lost.

A character who regains consciousness during combat whether through magic or his own natural healing is weakened and momentarily disoriented; he must roll initiative as if at the beginning of combat, and his roll suffers a +5 penalty. He also is most likely prone and must pick up his weapon.

Entangled

The character is caught in a net, vines, deep mud, or other impediment. An entangled creature is able to move at half speed, provided that the entangling force in not anchored to an immovable object, takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, and is considered unsteady. The DC to prepare a spell while entangled is increased by 5.

Exhausted

An exhausted character cannot jog, moves at half his base speed in combat, and takes a -3 penalty to hit and damage. All Speed Factors are increased by 3 classes. Actions that do not list a speed class are increased by 8 TC. After a short rest, an exhausted character instead becomes fatigued.

Fatigued

A fatigued character cannot run and takes a -1 penalty to hit and damage. Additionally, all Speed Factors are increased by 1 class. Actions that do not list a speed class are increased by 2 TC. If an effect would normally cause you to become fatigued, you are instead exhausted. After an overnight rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.

Frightened

A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, discipline checks, and attribute checks. A frightened creature can use any skills, spells, or special abilities to flee, and must do so if they are the only way to escape.

Frightened is a more extreme state of fear than being nervous, and a less extreme state than Panicked.

Helpless

A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent's mercy. Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. A helpless target is always susceptible to Backstab damage.

An enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is within 10 feet of the target. The attacker automatically hits if there is no other combat going on, or gains a +10 bonus otherwise.

Creatures that are immune to impairments are not subject to any of the effects of a coup de grace.

Immobile

An immobile character cannot move from his square under his own power or use any skills that allow extra movement. He uses his Passive defense. Immobile characters are not necessarily paralyzed, so they can still attack normally. The character can still be moved by other creatures' abilities unless he is fastened to an immobile object.

Inaudible

An inaudible creature makes no audible sound, but is not silenced. It gains a +4 bonus on Stealth checks against opponents who would normally rely on both vision and hearing.

Incorporeal

An incorporeal creature has no physical body, and is thus immune to all nonmagical attack forms. They can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, spells, and energy-based magic weapons (fire, electricity, etc.) unless otherwise specified.

Invisible

An invisible creature treats all sighted opponents as surprised, targeting their Passive defense and gaining an additional +2 bonus to hit. Additionally, an invisible creature has total concealment and cannot be located by normal sight.

Muddled

A muddled character is unable to accurately distinguish friend from foe, and cannot think clearly. He cannot cast spells or use skills with the Precise keyword. Whenever the character would normally choose an action, roll 1d20. On a roll of 1-5, he does nothing. On a roll of 6-8, he attacks the nearest creature (or moves in to attack if attacking is not possible). On a roll of 9-10, he flees. On a roll of 11-20, he may act normally. If he does nothing or his only action is movement, regardless of the previous roll, then it lasts for 2d6 TC before rerolling to determine new actions. If the character takes an impairment, then he is no longer muddled.

Muddled is a less severe state of confusion than confounded.

Nauseated

A nauseated creature is experiencing a highly distracting level of stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, maintain spells that require concentration, or do anything else requiring attention. All speed factors of actions still allowed are doubled, and movement is halved.

Nervous

A nervous creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, discipline checks, and attribute checks.

Nervous is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked.

Panicked

A panicked creature drops anything in its hands and flees at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, to the best of its ability. It cannot attack or take any actions that do not directly aid in escape. In addition, the creature takes a -2 penalty on all discipline checks and attribute checks. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers. A panicked creature will use any spells, special abilities, or magical items that it possesses if they are necessary to continue fleeing.

Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than nervous or frightened.

Paralyzed

A paralyzed creature is completely unable to move or act physically, but can still take purely mental actions. His effective Strength and Dexterity are reduced to -5, and his Celerity defense is reduced to 5. He is considered helpless. Paralyzed creatures still respond normally to gravity and outside forces, so a creature that is in the air when paralyzed will fall to the ground unless it has the mental ability to levitate. Creatures can move through spaces occupied by paralyzed creatures at half speed, provided the paralyzed creature's body itself doesn't completely block passage.

When a character recovers from paralysis during combat, he makes an initiative check as if at the start of combat to determine when he is able to act.

Petrified

A creature that sustains at least 10 points of petrification damage is turned entirely to stone and is considered unconscious. Any damage sustained by the petrified character will remain upon being restored to flesh. Missing pieces will cause permanent hit point loss and/or other debilitation unless the pieces are joined together at the time of restoration.

Sickened

Sickened characters take a -2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, discipline checks, and attribute checks.

Silenced

A silenced creature is unable to speak or make any noise with its vocal chords, and thus cannot cast any spells with verbal components.

Stable

A stable character is one who was dying but has been tended to with a successful Heal check or has stabilized on his own and is no longer dying. The character may still be unconscious. If so, then 2d10 minutes after stabilizing, and every 1d6 minutes thereafter, you make a Constitution check to regain consciousness, DC 12 plus 1 for each impairment you have. A natural 17 or 18 is not an automatic success.

Stunned

A stunned creature is unable to act and uses his Passive defense instead of his Primary defense for the duration of the effect. Stunned is a more severe version of dazed.

A stunned creature adds the duration of the stun to his current initiative count to determine when he acts next. For example, if he would normally act in 4 TC but is stunned for 7, then he will act again in 11 TC. Multiple effects that stun or daze a creature do not stack.

Unconscious

An unconscious character is helpless, and usually lying limp on the ground. A character whose fatigue equals or exceeds his current hit points has a chance of being unconscious. A character who regains consciousness during combat makes an initiative check at a +5 penalty to determine when he acts.

Unsteady

An unsteady character uses his Passive defense in place of his Primary defense, and cannot execute any skills with the Reactive keyword. Unsteadiness is usually the result of a critical fumble, making an unarmed attack, or being hit by a special attack.

Wounded

A character whose effective Threshold of Pain is equal to 0 after all modifiers is Wounded. He moves at half speed and suffers a -2 penalty to hit, damage, and all defenses.