Deliveries are the ways specific effects are imparted upon a character; they exist to simulate the various types of ways a character can receive or dish out effects and the ways they can be defended against.
Calls are the final product of the combination of effect, delivery, and duration.
Proper call construction is Target + Delivery Modifier + Delivery + Element + Effect Modifier + Effect + Numeric + Type
- Not every construction will be needed for every call.
- You can not call more than one criteria in each section of the call construction.
- Proper use: you would call “Area Core Fire 5!” Or “Ranged Silver Quick Fear Aberration” or “True Poison 3”.
- Improper Use: You would not call “Area Core Fire Silver 5”
- Fire and Silver are both Element calls and can not be stacked.
In the Sommerset system, there are five delivery types: Hit, Range, Core, True, and Take Effect; each represents a different method by which someone might be struck.
- Hit: If you are struck with a boffer weapon, it is assumed to be Hit delivery unless otherwise specified; there is no need to call the Hit for this delivery type. You can defend against a Hit attack by putting your weapon or shield in the way, or using a “Block”, “Dodge”, “Resist”, or “Immune” defense call. Hit deliveries are the most basic attack.
- Range: If you are struck by an arrow or bullet, it is assumed to be Range delivery unless otherwise specified.. It represents a projectile travelling faster than human or even most supernatural reflexes are capable of getting out of the way of. You can defend against a Range attack by putting your weapon or shield in the way, or using a “Block”, “Resist”, or “Immune” defense. You cannot “Dodge” a range attack.
- Core: If you are struck by a packet, it is assumed to be Core delivery unless otherwise specified. Core attacks are so enveloping that simply putting your weapon in the way cannot protect you. If a Core blow strikes a weapon, shield, or any of your clothing, you take the effect. The defenses against Core are “Dodge”, “Resist”, and “Immune”.
- True: True is the most powerful magnitude of force, nearly insurmountable force traveling so rapidly that it cannot simply be blocked or side-stepped. The only method is to “Resist” or be completely “Immune” to the effect, both of which are rare.
- Take Effect: The call of Take Effect is usually reserved for effects given with such ferocity, force, or speed that they cannot be defended against by mortal means, and as such, the only thing defending against such a call is to be “Immune” to the effect delivered. The call is almost exclusively reserved for use by game staff and rarely if ever used by players.
- Basic Attack: Hitting with any weapon defaults to a Hit 0. Anything without Heroic DR would instead take damage (see Defensive Mechanics).
- Spike Damage: Every 15 seconds or 5 attacks, a basic attack may become a Spike attack for 1 damage. This can be modified by any skills that modify Spike attacks.
Spike Damage has increments of one (1) and has a max of five (5) damage. - Heroic Strike: Heroic strikes are rare strikes gained from abilities or skills. They are high damage attacks.
Heroic attacks have damage increments of five (5) and have a max of twenty-five (25).- Area: Area is a delivery modifier. Anyone who can hear the call takes the effect. Area effects are assumed to be Core unless otherwise specified.
- [Name] Powerword: Powerword is a delivery modifier. The named person takes the effect without any contact needed by weapon or packet. Powerwords are assumed to be Range unless otherwise specified.
- Quick: Quick is an effect modifier. Effects modified to a Quick duration last for five (5) seconds.
- Long: Long is an effect modifier. Effects modified to a Quick duration last for sixty (60) seconds.
- Curse: Curse is an effect modifier. Makes an effect non-removable until Curse is first removed. Curse is used only with non-numeric effects.
- Elements: Elements that are commonly seen are: Fire, Ice, Acid, Shock, and Poison. Creatures will often have weaknesses (or resistances) to a particular Element, and you can learn to exploit these. You may only use one elemental modifier at a time. If you have the ability to put multiple Elemental Modifiers in a call, you choose which one you would like to have overwrite the others.
There is no limit to the number of elemental modifiers available in Sommerset. “Teapot” is technically an element.- Blood: Can only modify a numeric strike. Allows the damage to bypass all Armor skills.