Character State#
During a game, players track their character’s physical and mental state using their Health, Stress and Emotions:
Health is a pool representing a character’s physical condition.
Stress is a stack representing a character’s deteriorating morale.
Emotions are four different stacks, each representing a character’s unique feeling.
A “pool” is a reserve that is depleted or consumed, whereas a “stack” is a cumulative value that is added or accumulated.
Health & Condition#
If a character suffers physical damage (whether from combat or environmental hazards), their Health decreases. If Health goes below 0, they are considered dead, their life force extinguished.
- Injuries should impose a negative condition to all rolls, depending on their severity:
| Health reduction | Action Roll | Reaction Roll |
|---|---|---|
| less than ~30% total | No Modifier | No Modifier |
| ~30% to ~60% total | -3 condition | -1 condition |
| more than ~60% total | -8 condition | -2 condition |
- Characters should also eat and sleep once a day. If these needs are ignored for too long, the GM may reduce their Health based on the duration of the neglect.
The GM decides how to enforce this rule.
- Finally, Health can be restored through various methods, such as potions, medicines or seeking help from professionals.
The severity of the condition determines the level of intervention needed.
Emotions & Relief#
Emotions are raised when a character either performs a Daring Throw or retrieves a Reaction Roll. If an Emotion reaches its threshold, it triggers a Breakdown state (see Breakdown & Stress below). Once per day though, the character may clear all stacked Emotions through one of three methods:
Succeeding a Drive Action#
The character obtains a perfect or limited success with a Drive Action (see Action Rolls - Part 2).
If this happens while having no stacked Emotions, they gain +3 condition on all Action Rolls. This bonus only lasts until the end of the day.
Rewarding Event#
The character experiences a genuinely restorative event. Examples include:
Eating a stuffing meal or getting a full night’s sleep in a particularly comfortable environment.
Experiencing an uplifting moment, such as hearing favorable news or enjoying a captivating performance.
If this happens while having no stacked Emotions, they gain +3 condition on all Action Rolls. This bonus only lasts until the end of the day.
Addressing an Emotion#
The character addresses the Emotion stacked closest to its threshold. This requires taking a meaningful action related to that Emotion, which should have negative consequences for the character, group or story:
| Emotion | Action description |
|---|---|
| Anger | They must hurt someone or break something beneficial, either physically or emotionally, and whether willingly or by accident. |
| Fear | They must desert the group at a critical moment, or take a foolish action that puts them in a difficult position. |
| Sadness | They must take a temporary leave from the group, for a full day at least, while the plot progresses without them. |
| Guilt | They must make a sacrifice to redeem themselves, like giving up something of value or yielding to someone else’s will. |
What is considered meaningful or negative is left to the GM’s discretion.
Breakdown & Stress#
When an Emotion’s threshold is reached, a Breakdown is triggered, and the character starts accumulating Stress. This means that whenever a rule requires raising any Emotion by one stage, their Stress stack increases by 1 instead.
If Stress reaches or overcomes the character’s current level of Health, they must retire to a different life. They abandon the group and cannot continue as an adventurer. Moreover, while they remain in Breakdown, they are subjected to a specific set of rules:
- They roll with Disadvantage on actions related to the Emotion that triggered their Breakdown:
| Emotion | Action |
|---|---|
| Anger | If they’re trying to help, comfort or support someone. |
| Fear | If they’re trying to directly engage an obstacle or threat. |
| Sadness | If they’re trying to focus on calm or intellectual tasks. |
| Guilt | If they’re trying to hurt, harm or provoke someone. |
They Roll with Disadvantage on all Reaction Rolls.
They cannot mark Ability XP.
They make things difficult for the people around them. Nearby allies suffer -3 actors on all Action Rolls.
Overcoming a Breakdown#
To get rid of a Breakdown, a character may:
Address the Emotion that caused it (see Emotions & Relief above).
Complete or achieve their current Quest (this method also clears all accumulated Stress).
Both options clear all stacked Emotions. And while in Breakdown, the character may not relieve their Emotions through any other means.
Situational Breakdowns#
Finally, the GM has the possibility to trigger Breakdowns at any moment during a game, based on events or circumstances affecting a character:
- They call for a Reaction Roll, testing an Ability associated with the Emotion being challenged:
| Emotion | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Anger | Humility | The character feels irritated or wronged. |
| Fear | Composure | The character feels vulnerable or in danger. |
| Sadness | Composure | The character feels jaded or powerless. |
| Guilt | Insight | The character feels remorse or responsibility. |
- Pressure sets the intensity of the feeling, portraying how visceral the experience is:
| Pressure | Emotion | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Guilt (insight) | The character’s choices or decisions harm an ally. |
| 6 | Fear (composure) | The character feels something crawling up their leg. |
| 8 | Anger (humility) | An enemy kills the character’s companion in cold blood. |
If the roll succeeds, nothing happens.
If the roll fails, the character falls into Breakdown.
If the roll fails and the character is already in a Breakdown, they are forced to address the Emotion being challenged (on the spot, when possible - see Emotions & Relief above). This also counts as overcoming the Breakdown.
The GM should sparingly call for Situational Breakdowns, only when things meaningfully impact the story or characters.