Anima

Anima is the energy of life itself. Throughout history, it has been given numerous names, such as elan vital, ruh, qi, ka, mana, prana, inua, pneuma, ruach, vril, or the Odin force. It infuses all living things on the Earth, providing them with the metaphysical energy needed to act. It flows in a continuous cycle, and every living thing on the planet, from the lowest bacteria to the greatest dragon and the largest whale, are constantly taking in new anima and expelling the used anima naturally. The very act of living draws in anima, from producing or consuming food, to reacting to the world us, to growing. 

Anima is simultaneously natural and fantastic. Every mundane creature on Earth, including humans, both produce and consume anima in their daily lives. But some creatures have learnt how to use anima to go beyond the natural and perform the supernatural. 

In Secret Wars, one's ability to use Anima to perform supernatural acts is usually measured in Anima Points (AP). A character's maximum Anima points are calculated with the following equation:

AP=Spirit Modifier+ranks in Gnosis+Origin Bonus+feat modifiers 

Each Origin of hero has their own unique interactions with Anima. For example, Mages do not have a large Anima Point pool, but through spellcraft, they can gather Anima from the world around them to create supernatural effects beyond their normal limitations. Horrors do not recover Anima Points by resting, but they can quickly transform the fear of others into Anima through the use of the Shadow skill. And Mediums have two separate Anima Point totals: one for the Medium themself and one for the Spirit they are bound to. 

A character's Anima Points cannot fall below 0. Anything that would cause a character's anima points to drop below 0 is instead dealt to the character as Wound damage. Usually this happens when an attack deals more anima damage to a character than they have Anima Points. However, sometimes, a character may willingly over-extend themselves, and choose to take Wound damage to perform one final supernatural act.

An individual's maximum Anima Points cannot drop below 1 unless their spirit drops to 0. 

Fatigue and Exhaustion

When a character falls below half their Anima Point total, they cross the Anima Threshold and gain the Fatigued condition. This condition cannot be removed until the character's Anima Points is once again above the Anima Threshold.

When a character is reduced to 0 Anima Points, they gain the Exhausted condition. This condition cannot be removed until the character gains at least 1 Anima Point.

Anima Damage

Certain spells and supernatural abilities can deal damage to a character's Anima Points. This can be through blood magic that drains away a victim's essence, the feeding of a vampire or horror, or a cursed area that literally drains the life away from those who would dare to cross it. Regardless of its source, this damage is calculated just like Wound and Vitality damage.

Rest and Recovery

Anima Points are recovered much like Vitality and Wound Points. See Vitality and Wounds for more information on rest.