Changelog: Accelerant 5.4 to 6.0
1.) The language changed for spending time to use skills. The new text:
Game Time
As the game progresses during an event players generally spend time interacting with other characters, moving from place to place, and engaging in combat and other game activities. Some skills or game effects require a specific passage of time as a requirement of their use or removal. Players are expected to count out this time. This counted time is spent either to Rest or to Focus.
Time spent to rest or focus is interrupted if you use a game skill. This includes making an attack or blocking an attack with a weapon or shield. Spending time to rest or focus must be obvious to those observing you; you cannot spend time, for example, to rest or focus if you are standing in a combat stance or otherwise appear to be participating in active combat.
When spending time as a requirement of using game skills, interruptions require you to begin the process at the start but these interruptions don't generally exhaust the costs of using the skill or ability unless that ability explicitly says otherwise in its description. If you begin, for example, to Focus for one minute to use a skill which can only be used once per event, or which uses an attribute point, the skill or attribute is not generally used up if you are interrupted while trying to use the skill.
Many games have a set of skills or attributes that can be refreshed when you have a chance to rest. Some games also define skills or resets that require you to be within a safe zone, workshop, haven, or sanctuary while you focus or rest. This prevents you from using these resets or skills while you are out in the field or away from these areas.
Rest
Resting involves spending time out of action where you have a chance to regain your energy and composure. Rest requires you to be sitting, lying, or kneeling. It must be obvious that you are resting. You cannot walk or run. You can interact with those near by while resting. You are resting if you are dead, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious. Paralyzed characters are resting even if they are standing or in some other paralyzed position.
Resting is not generally interrupted by game effects, regardless of delivery. Although you cannot use optional defenses without interrupting your rest, calling out mandatory defenses does not interrupt rest. Calling out "Spirit," "No Effect," "Guard," "Elude," or "Shield," for example, would not interrupt rest unless the specifics of the skill or ability you were using somehow made the call optional.
Rule of Etiquette
Players with bad knees or physical impairments may be given plot permission to stand with their arms raised and their hands behind their head to indicate they are resting on the field.
Effects which require rest can overlap; what this means is that a single rest time can be used for multiple effects. If you had a game skill that allowed you to reset some kind of magical defense after a minute of rest, and you were affected by a Root effect, and you were affected by a Weakness effect you could rest for five minutes and apply the time to all three benefits. The Root would end, the Weakness would end, and the skill could be used to reset the defense.
Game skills will instruct you by saying "Rest for," followed by a time period, followed by the results of the rest.
"Rest for one minute to end this effect."
"Rest for ten seconds and call out "Heal 2 to Self" to use this skill.
You Are Well Rested
If you are in the process of resting, particularly when resetting skills or attributes, and a game character tells you "You Are Well Rested" then your rest time is considered completed. Effects that end with rest are removed, and attributes and skills that require rest are refreshed. This will not end Imbue or Inflict effects, or effects that last for an entire event or more. If a reset has, in addition to the rest time, costs associated with it then you are still responsible for paying those costs to gain the benefit of the rest.
Focus
Focusing represents some task that requires your concentration. Focusing might be required to repair armor, mend wounds, or meditate to remove an effect. You must spend the time role playing in a manner appropriate for the skill or ability you are using. You may talk with others during this role play time if you wish so long as the skill or ability description does not have additional restrictions which prevent this. Focusing requires that you stay in one area as you role play the activity. You cannot walk or run. Using other game skills, using called attacks, or using called defenses interrupts your focus time. Skills and abilities which require Focus do not overlap; what this means is that if you have two different skills with a Focus requirement the Focus time spent on one ability cannot be applied to any other activity. You have to role play each Focus time separately to use the associated ability. Effects that prevent you from using game skills also prevent you from spending time to Focus to use or refresh abilities. You cannot Rest while you Focus; the times do not overlap.
Game skills will instruct you by saying "Focus for," followed by a time period, followed by the role play needed to act out the skill, followed by the result of the Focus.
"Focus for one minute, repairing your armor at a forge, to refresh your armor points."
"Focus for one minute, binding the limb of the wounded character" and call "Cure Maim" to tend to the broken limb.
"Focus for three seconds, shaking off your fear, to purge one Fear effect."
Focusing is interrupted if any game effect that is not beneficial affects you regardless of the delivery. While you do not exhaust any costs associated with the skill or ability (unless the description explicitly states otherwise) you must start the entire process from the beginning. This means that calling any defense, optional or otherwise, interrupts your focus.
Travis and Gerard, for example, each have a skill that provides armor points. Travis has a skill that requires Rest for one minute to refresh his armor points. Gerard has a skill that requires Focus for one minute, where he role plays repairing his armor, to refresh his armor points. Both sit down to rest off a Weakness effect. During that time, Travis may also refresh his armor points. Gerard would still have to focus for one minute to refresh his armor.
2.) Searching is simplified, and described search is removed. The new text:
Searching a Character
Because the game does not allow physical contact, you may not physically search someone else. Instead you approach within searching distance, role play the searching motion with both hands held out above their body, and tell them in a low voice "I am searching you." You may have items in your off hand during this process, but may not block with weapons. The player reveals items you have found. The player may make a pouch available for you to reach into and take items.
Some skills can give you the ability to use a special searching effect on a dead or helpless creature after you have finished your normal search. This searching attempt is represented by the verbal "Search for <Item Type>" where the item type is specified in the skill. You cannot use this effect unless you have a skill or ability that allows you to do so. Using a skill with this Search effect might reveal additional items, or it might trigger a response effect targeted on you. The Search effect is the name for the special search attempt, and the Search response is a resulting effect the targeted character calls out when you search them.
As an example, after you search an elemental you might have a skill that allows you to call out "With elemental harvesting, Search for True Elements." That NPC might give up additional items, it might reply "You find nothing," or it might even use a counter effect such as "Refresh 1 Fire." If searching some creatures is dangerous, the creature might even reply with a detrimental search response.
It is also possible for games to create skills that let you use a defense against some or all search responses.
New text under Deliveries, in the Special Attacks section
Search Response
Someone calls out an effect after you search them or use a special Search effect upon them. If multiple people are currently searching a creature for some reason then all searching characters take the effect.
3.) Concentrate
Focused is removed, and Concentrate is added. The new text:
Concentrate
Concentrate is a special plot verbal that indicates the caster who called it can throw packet attacks while being hit. The caster calls out Concentrate and can throw a number of follow up packet attacks, including spells, while being hit by incoming attacks. You do not have to call Concentrate before every spell; one call covers a number of attacks. Each skill or special ability that allows the use of Concentrate requires you to call out "Concentrate" when you use it.
Rule of Etiquette
If a character using Concentrate is in a swirling fight where new combatants are coming into fighting range then the caster should call out "Concentrate" each time they willingly switch targets so everyone in the fight knows what is going on.
4.) Repair Armor can include a numeric value. The new text for Repair:
Repair
You restore one item that has been rendered unusable by a Destroy effect. For an item you are touching you need not specify a target in the verbal. For other types of abilities you specify a target after the Repair verbal. Repair may also be used to refresh armor points. A "Repair Armor" effect will restore one armor point of your current active armor. A Repair <Number> Armor effect will restore a number of armor points equal to the indicated amount, or all armor points if the number of exhausted armor points is lower than the indicated amount. "Repair All Armor" will restore your armor to its maximum value.
5.) We have added the "All" qualifier to simplify some effects and verbals. All can apply to any effect used to refresh, heal, or cure some number of effects. To remain consistent in verbals across all effects, some basic effects will change.
"Cure Maim" will now cure one limb of the recipient's choosing. "Cure All Maims" will now end all Maim effects on the target.
"Heal All" will now restore all Vitality to the subject. A caution to games considering this as a player skill or ability; it is likely that games that have frequent combat also use creatures with exaggerated Vitality totals. This effect will be too powerful and scale too well if used on those creatures by NPCs, or worse by PCs who are looking to cause mischief. You have been warned.
"Repair" is changed to include a numeric value, allowing games to have effects that repair smaller amounts of armor. "Repair Armor" now repairs a single point of armor to be consistent with all of our other effects. "Repair All Armor" will repair all points and should be used for current effect.
6.) Waste Vitality is explicitly defined.
New text inserted after the current Waste test:
A Waste Vitality effect will reduce your current Vitality total. This effect ignores armor points, but is otherwise treated as a called Damage effect and will render you unstable if it removes the last of your Vitality points.
7.) Repel now prevents the target from using melee, missile or packet attacks against the attacker rather than "game skills."
The new text:
Repel
This effect prevents you from using game skills on the attacker. You will also attempt to stay 10 feet away from the attacker unless doing so would endanger you. If this is the case you may move to a safer position even if it takes you within 10 feet, so long as you then attempt once again to stay 10 feet away from the attacker. You cannot use melee, missile or packet attacks on the attacker in any case. The Repel effect will last until you rest for five minutes unless the attacker strikes you with a melee attack that does not cause a Repel effect. If the attacker strikes you with a melee attack using an effect that is not Repel then this effect ends immediately.
The attacker is not immune to the attacks of a character affected by the Repel. That character is free to launch attacks at other creatures so the attacker should be careful to stay clear of other potential targets and avoid attacks launched at other characters.
8.) Packet attacks, Missile attacks using packets, and uncalled packet attacks have new text:
Packet Attacks
A packet is a small bean bag filled with bird seed that represents some sort of mystical, psychic, or supernatural ranged attack form. Packets have strict construction guidelines. You call a verbal and throw a packet at a target to deliver the attack. If the packet hits the target, or any direct possession of the target, then the effect is delivered to the target. You cannot throw packets too hard. If you are winding up to throw the packet then you are throwing too hard.
Packets are not solid objects and cannot be affected by Disarm or Destroy, but they are a visible, in game effect. If someone is carrying packets and you see the packets, you can assume they have some sort of aura that makes you realize they are capable of something special. Because of this, you cannot carry or throw packets unless you have the power to use them for something.
If a packet clearly strikes a target and they do not acknowledge the hit with role play or by negating it with a defense, the attributes or their equivalent are not exhausted. If the packet misses, or you cannot tell whether the packet hit, then attributes or resources are exhausted normally.
To deliver a packet attack, the arm that is delivering the packet must be free and the hand empty except for the packet itself. A free arm cannot have props tucked under it or tied to it other than armor. You cannot deliver packet attacks if you cannot use game skills, or with an arm that is affected by something that prevents its use such as a Maim effect or shackles. Some packet based skills have additional requirements as well.
Packet attacks cannot be used while you are being hit. Successful melee attacks interrupt your ability to throw packet attacks, forcing you to wait for one full second before attempting to throw again. It is impossible to get off packet attacks during the Flurry pause. Missile and packet attacks will also interrupt your verbal if they land while you are speaking it, but you may begin a new verbal immediately and do not have to wait for one second in these cases. An interrupted ability is not used up and attributes or their equivalent are not wasted, but you must begin the verbal again.
Like melee attacks, any packet attack that has no verbal causes 1 point of damage. Packet attacks with no verbal are "uncalled strikes" and cause someone to fall unconscious but stable when they reduce Vitality to zero. Packet attacks that use called damage effects cause enemies to become unstable when they fall unconscious just like called melee attacks.
Rule of Etiquette
In order to encourage the use of good costuming and add a little more realism, we have the Costume Rule. If a packet attack clearly misses a target and passes by the body, yet that packet hits a cloak or costuming piece after it has gone past, the defender can call out "costume." This rule cannot be used if the costuming is in front of the defender or if the packet has not already passed the body. The rule is in place to encourage cloaks, back banners, and some directed character costuming such as wings without adding an unacceptable disadvantage to the character in combat.
Concentrate
Concentrate is a special plot verbal that indicates the caster who called it can throw packet attacks while being hit. The caster calls out Concentrate and can throw a number of follow up packet attacks, including spells, while being hit by incoming attacks. You do not have to call Concentrate before every spell; one call covers a number of attacks. Each skill or special ability that allows the use of Concentrate requires you to call out "Concentrate" when you use it.
Rule of Etiquette
If a character using Concentrate is in a swirling fight where new combatants are coming into fighting range then the caster should call out "Concentrate" each time they willingly switch targets so everyone in the fight knows what is going on.
Missile Attacks (Packet)
For many games, missile attacks typically use packets that represent arrows or crossbow bolts. To differentiate missile attacks from normal packet attacks, the attacker has two additional requirements when attacking. First, you must have a prop in your free hand that is aimed at the target. Second, you must go through a firing motion for each missile attack. Bows require you make a drawing motion and bring the packet to your cheek before throwing. Crossbows require that you pull the packet along the stock of the crossbow and pull it up to aim. After your motion you throw the attack while still pointing at the target with your free hand.
Although this system is typically used for bows and crossbows, games can use this system for thrown weapons, wands, or other ranged attacks that can be, in that setting, blocked with weapons or shields.
Like melee attacks, any missile attack that has no verbal causes 1 point of damage. Missile attacks with no verbal are "uncalled strikes" and cause someone to fall unconscious but stable when they reduce Vitality to zero. Missile weapons that use called damage effects cause enemies to become unstable when they fall unconscious just like called melee attacks.
Like packet attacks, missile weapons cannot be used while you are being hit by a melee weapon unless you have the ability to use the Concentrate ability as described above.
Some skills that allow you to use a weapon or shield to block melee attacks also allow that defender to block missile attacks.
Missile Attacks (Props)
Some games require special props for missile attacks. Foam balls for arrows and bolts, foam thrown weapons, nerf arrows, and other non-packet systems are possible in Accelerant games. Foam balls used as arrows or bolts require the attacker to point the launcher or implement at the target as described when using missile attacks with packets. Foam thrown weapons only need to be thrown at the target. Other missile props such as nerf bows, are aimed and fired when they are used.
Foam weapons are always blockable by those skilled with weapons or shields in a manner similar to melee attacks. Like melee attacks, any foam missile attack that has no verbal causes 1 point of damage. Missile attacks with no verbal are "uncalled strikes" and cause someone to fall unconscious but stable when they reduce Vitality to zero. Missile weapons that use called damage effects cause enemies to become unstable when they fall unconscious just like called melee attacks.
9.) The Grant effect has changed. The new text:
Grant...
Beneficial Effect
You receive a boon. blessing or magical buff that enhances you in some way. There are a number of specific Grant effects, each with their own benefit. All Grant effects end if you die, and when the event ends.
Grant effects have some restrictions.
~ As a default you can have no more than three Grant effects at one time.
~ Each type of Grant listed below also have their own additional restriction.
Grant effects are negated with the Remove effect. A "Remove Grant" effect will negate one Grant effect of your choice, while a "Remove All Grants" will remove all existing Grant effects. Remove effects can also specify a type, such as "Remove Armor Grant" or "Remove All Defense Grants." In addition, a Remove <Trait> effect will negate any Grant effect that also used that trait.
There are five types of Grant effects.
... Armor
"Grant Armor"
"Grant 2 Armor by Inspiration"
This Grant adds additional armor points to either physical armor or armor from other abilities. These points are refreshed when your armor points are refreshed. If no number is indicated then this effect boosts your armor points by 1. The effect might indicate a higher number in the verbal such as "Grant 2 Armor" to indicate that a greater number of armor points have been granted.
You may only have one Grant Armor effect active.
... Attribute
"Grant Earth"
"Grant 2 Vitality by Magic"
"Grant 2 Karma by Inspiration"
This Grant adds to the total of one numeric attribute. Any points added with this effect are available immediately for use. Effects which refresh that attribute can also refresh these additional points. These extra points can be exhausted to fuel skills and abilities in the same manner as regular attribute points.
If the attribute indicated is Vitality then Heal effects will also restore these additional points. Vitality calculations and other secondary attribute calculations are not affected by points added by the Grant effect to another attribute used in that calculation.
No attribute can be modified by more than one Grant effect.
... Protection
"Grant Protection"
"Grant 3 Protection by Inspiration"
This Grant adds additional protection points that negate points of damage. These protection points work in a manner similar to armor, negating the indicated amount of damage regardless of the source. The number of points is indicated after the "Grant" in the verbal, and if no number is indicated then the ability grants a single protection point. Protection points are always lost after armor points. Protection points are not affected by Waste Vitality effects. Protection points cannot be refreshed or renewed. Once they are used to negate damage the effect ends.
You may only have one Grant Protection effect active.
... [Type] Defense
"Grant Poison Defense, Shield"
"Grant Defense by Inspiration, Elude by Blur"
"Grant Melee Defense by Magic, Parry"
"Grant Packet or Missile Defense, Avoid"
This Grant gives you a called defense that works against the Trait or Effect indicated in the [Type] portion of the verbal. The first half of the verbal is information about the Grant itself, and it can include a trait. The second half of the verbal tells you what to call when you use the defense. If no [Type] is specified then the defense can be used against any melee, missile, or packet attack.
Once this defense is used the Grant effect ends. Grant effects which give you Elude, Guard or Shield effects must be used against the first appropriate attack that strikes you. Grant effects which give you Avoid, Parry or Resist defenses can be used against any appropriate attack and you can choose whether or not you will use the defense. The Purge defense requires you to role play for three seconds and call Purge to end an appropriate effect. Elude, Guard, and Shield defenses that protect against melee attacks must be used against uncalled melee attacks that strike you.
Once you have a Grant that protects against a specific [Type] of attack you cannot have another Grant that also defends against the type. You must choose which one to keep. This restriction also applies to a Grant Defense call which has no specified type; you cannot only have one Grant Defense effect that is unspecified.
A "Grant Defense by Shadow, Avoid by Shadow" would give you one defense against any melee, missile, or packet attack. You could choose to take an attack and save the defense for later. You would call out "Avoid by Shadow" when you used the ability.
A "Grant Poison Defense, Shield" would give you one defense against any attack with the Poison trait. You would have to use this defense against the first Poison attack that strikes you. You would call out "Shield" when you used the ability.
A "Grant Missile Defense by Wind, Avoid by Air" would give you one Avoid defense against a missile attack. You could choose to take the attack and save the defense for later. You would call out "Avoid by Air" when you used the ability.
Sylla has an active grant effect with the verbal "Grant Poison Defense, Shield" on her. She receives a new Grant effect with the verbal "Grant Poison Defense by Faerie, Resist." Sylla cannot have two Grant Defense effects with the same type, so she must choose one and decides to take the resist and let the shield end. Later, Sylla receives a new Grant effect with the verbal "Grant Disease Defense, Resist." Sylla can accept that Grant effect since her current Grant works against Poison and the new Grant effect works against Disease.
Travis has an active Grant effect with the verbal "Grant Defense, Avoid." He knows he can call out "Avoid" to negate one melee, missile or packet attack because the type isn't specified. Travis receives a "Grant Defense, Shield" but decides to keep the avoid and the new Grant effect is lost. Later, Travis receives a "Grant Packet Defense, Avoid." He can keep that defense and his previous Grant because the type in the Grant verbal is not the same as one is unspecified and thus defaults to "Melee, Missile and Packet" and the other is specified as a "Packet" defense.
... [Delivery] Attack
"Grant Melee Attack, 2 Damage"
"Grant Missile Attack by Venom, Agony by Poison"
"Grant Packet Attack by Magic, Stun by Fear"
"Grant Attack by Arcane, 5 Damage by Fire"
“Grant Touch Attack, Heal 2”
This Grant gives you one called attack that uses the appropriate delivery. If the delivery is omitted the recipient may choose melee, missile or packet for the delivery when they receive the effect. You may use a melee or missile attack only if you have a skill that allows you to make such attacks and the props on hand to make an attack with the specified delivery. You may use a packet attack only if you have a packet on hand to make the attack. For melee and missile attacks, the attack is exhausted and the Grant effect ends only if the strike lands and the opponent acknowledges it with role play or negates it with a defense. For packet attacks the Grant effect ends when you use the attack whether it hit or missed. If the attack is a beneficial effect the delivery can also be specified as “Touch.”
As a default you can have no more than one Grant Attack effect.
A "Grant Melee Attack by Shadow, Weakness by Shadow" would give you one melee attack with the Weakness by Shadow effect. You would call out "Weakness by Shadow" when you used the ability.
A "Grant Packet Attack, 2 Damage by Fire" would give you one packet attack and you would call out "2 Damage by Fire" when you used the ability.
A "Grant Attack, Paralyze by Will" would allow you to choose melee, missile, or packet as the delivery and you would gain one attack of that type with "Paralyze by Will" as the verbal.
“Grant Touch Attack by Divine, Cure Poison” would allow you to touch a packet to a willing subject to cure a poison effect. Like any beneficial effect, the recipient could refuse the effect.
Grant Extra...
Grant effects that begin with "Grant Extra" can overcome stacking in the following ways:
~ An attribute modified by a Grant effect can also have one "Grant Extra" effect that stacks.
~ Armor modified by a Grant effect can also have one "Grant Extra" effect that stacks.
~ You can have both a "Grant ... Protection" and one "Grant Extra ... Protection" effect and the effects stack.
~ You can have both a "Grant ... Defense" and one "Grant Extra ... Defense" at the same time.
~ You can have both a "Grant ... Attack" and one "Grant Extra ... Attack" at the same time.
~ Grant Extra effects do not count towards your three Grant effects.
If you already have an active "Grant Extra" effect you can accept one regular Grant effect; you need not receive the "Grant Extra" effect after a regular Grant effect to allow them to stack.
Travis has a "Grant 2 Armor" effect that brings his armor total to 4. A servant of his divine patron visits him before a big battle and gives him a "Grant Extra Armor" effect on him. He now has an armor total of 5, but he could not have an addition "Grant Armor" nor another "Grant Extra Armor" active.
Sylla has only a "Grant Extra Magic Defense, Resist" upon her. A friendly wizard gives her a "Grant Magic Defense, Shield" to her. She can accept this effect because her other "Grant ... Defense" effect is an "Extra" Grant effect.
Double and Triple
Grant effects with the Double or Triple qualifier will provide multiple uses of the specified attack or defense but only count as a single Grant effect. In other words, you can have a "Triple Grant Melee Attack by Skill, 2 Damage" effect that grants you three melee attacks each which do "2 Damage" even though you are normally allowed only one Grant effect with the Skill trait. Since numeric effects do not stack this is only relevant for Grant Attack and Grant Defense effects.