Negative Status Effects
There are many different things that can happen to a character besides taking damage. Negative Status Effects can do anything from inconvenience your character to completely cripple him.
Generally, when a spell or attack attempts to cause a Status Effect, the victim has a chance to resist the effects. This often entails an opposed roll between the target and the user of the status effect. Most of the time, status effects require an opposed Force roll, representing very physical, tangible and material changes in the target. Status ailments that are opposed completely on an emotional or mental level and require an opposed Finesse roll are more rare, but might include things such as Charm or Confuse. Which type of opposed roll will be used is ultimately up to the GM’s jurisdiction.
All negative status effects normally last for exactly 4 rounds, but the GM may choose to rule that they wear off prematurely for dramatic effect. Stun and Fear are special cases. The list of negative status effects follow.
Generally, when a spell or attack attempts to cause a Status Effect, the victim has a chance to resist the effects. This often entails an opposed roll between the target and the user of the status effect. Most of the time, status effects require an opposed Force roll, representing very physical, tangible and material changes in the target. Status ailments that are opposed completely on an emotional or mental level and require an opposed Finesse roll are more rare, but might include things such as Charm or Confuse. Which type of opposed roll will be used is ultimately up to the GM’s jurisdiction.
All negative status effects normally last for exactly 4 rounds, but the GM may choose to rule that they wear off prematurely for dramatic effect. Stun and Fear are special cases. The list of negative status effects follow.
- Berserk: You go berserk and can do nothing on your turn but attack the nearest enemy, though you will not mistake friend for foe. A target that is Berserk also ignores 50% of their opponent’s ARM score.
- Blind: You automatically miss with attacks when a 1 or 2 are rolled on either die.
- Break: One part of the character has been reduced for a time. There are four different Breaks possible:
- Armor Break: The character’s ARM is reduced to 0.
- Power Break: The character’s Force and physical damage is halved.
- Magic Break: The character’s magical damage is halved as is any magical healing they apply to creatures.
- Speed Break: The character’s AVD, ACC, and Finesse are halved.
- Charm: The character is placed under the control of whoever caused the Charm status, fighting for that side even against former allies until the effect fades. Charmed characters still retain their understanding of the world and won’t inflict direct self-harm; for example, ordering a Charmed character to hurl themselves off a cliff would be ignored, but you could order a character with the Cover ability to protect you at all costs. Charmed characters cannot spend Destiny or activate Limit Breaks, nor will they use items or take actions that might cause their equipment to break or loss of consumables. Taking damage has a 25% chance of removing the Charm status.
- Confuse: You are confused and disoriented, causing you to take random actions each round. At the start of each of the Confused character’s turns, roll 1d6. On a result of 1, the character attacks his allies or heals his enemies, acting as if he was fighting on the enemy’s side. On a result of 2 or 3, the character performs nonsensical actions such as trying to use Inquiry on a tree. On a result of 4, 5, or 6, the character may act normally. The GM may determine the character’s random actions, or he may allow the player to do so. Taking damage has a 25% chance of removing the Confuse status.
- Curse: The character is afflicted by an ominous hex, and cannot spend Destiny while the status effect persists.
- Fear: Exactly like the effects of Stun; you can take no action whatsoever and your AVD score is effectively zero until the end of your next turn – or the end of your current turn, if applicable (if it was applied on your action, by attempting to attack a Fearsome enemy or the like).
- Transform: You are forced into a physical form that is not your own, usually that of a harmless animal. You are now considered to be a Beast in addition to your normal species, all physical damage you deal is halved, all physical damage you take is doubled, and you are only able to communicate with other Beasts; for example, a hero transformed into a frog could speak to a rabbit, but not to a human. Transformed targets also gain a +2 bonus to skills which their new form might excel at – such as Athletics for a cat or Swimming for a fish.
- Petrify: You are transformed into a stone statue, losing awareness of everything that goes on around you. You are completely immobile and can take no action. However, being made of stone does grant some protection. Your Force attribute, ARM and M.ARM scores are doubled, you are immune to all further negative status effects, and you gain a +6 bonus to Stealth checks. Targets who are petrified for a significant period of time do not age, nor do they require oxygen or sustenance while Petrify lasts. Cured by the ‘Soft’ item.
- Poison/Virus: When poisoned, you lose 10% of your max HP at the end of each of your turns. This can reduce your HP to zero. Virus is the advanced version of this, making you lose 20% of your max HP at the end of each of your turns. A character cannot be inflicted with both Poison and Virus at the same time - Virus always takes precedent.
- Seal: Sometimes known as silence, this status seals all special powers available to a character. You cannot use Magic of any sort, or Job Abilities that are activated with an Instant, Standard or Slow action. Passive abilities, skills, equipment properties and basic attacks can still be used, as well as Job abilities that involve you commanding a companion or operating a device, such as using an Animal Companions’s special attack.
- Sleep: You are magically put to sleep, and can do nothing until the effect ends. Your AVD score is effectively zero. Taking any amount of damage has a 100% chance of removing the Sleep status, and you can rouse a sleeping target with a successful Standard action.
- Slow: Your actions take longer than normal. Instant actions become Standard actions, Standard actions become Slow Actions, and Slow actions resolve at the end of the player’s next turn instead of the beginning, essentially taking a full two rounds to use. This is one of the nastier status effects, and as such it is quite uncommon. Slow overwrites and cancels the Haste status.
- Stop: You cannot move. You can still take actions, but cannot cover any distance and are stuck in your current location unless moved by a third party. Furthermore, your AVD score is effectively zero.
- Stun: Your turn is skipped completely and you can take no action whatsoever. Your AVD score is effectively zero, but you may still make opposed rolls if prompted to do so. Unless stated otherwise, Stun lasts for only one round.
- Unconscious: You have 0 hit points, your turn is skipped, and you can take no action whatsoever. For most purposes you are entirely out of the battle at this point, however certain spells and items can bring you back to life and bosses and notorious monsters can make this condition permanent if not careful.
- Virus: See Poison.
- Zombie: Your body is infused with negative energy, partially transforming you into a creature of darkness. All curative spells, effects, and potions are reversed, dealing damage instead of healing it.
Positive Status Effects
Luckily, not all status effects are bad. Positive status effects can bestow great advantages on your character- while they last. If your character is knocked unconscious, any positive status effects they possess disappear immediately – although Auto-Statuses are re-applied the second the character regains consciousness. Otherwise they generally last for 4 rounds.
If a character wishes, they can prevent themselves from receiving a positive status effect with the same sort of opposed Force or Finesse resistance check as mentioned above. While rare, situations where such normally beneficial spells are a hindrance DO pop up…such as a Zombied character trying not to receive the effects of Regen.
It should be noted that even a character with Immunities to status effects can choose to be affected by them if he or she wishes. Thus, a character with a Ribbon equipped – and thus Immune to all statuses – could still operate under the effects of Protect and Haste if they liked, or even allow themselves to be Charmed.
Positive status effects are as follows:
If a character wishes, they can prevent themselves from receiving a positive status effect with the same sort of opposed Force or Finesse resistance check as mentioned above. While rare, situations where such normally beneficial spells are a hindrance DO pop up…such as a Zombied character trying not to receive the effects of Regen.
It should be noted that even a character with Immunities to status effects can choose to be affected by them if he or she wishes. Thus, a character with a Ribbon equipped – and thus Immune to all statuses – could still operate under the effects of Protect and Haste if they liked, or even allow themselves to be Charmed.
Positive status effects are as follows:
- Aura: See Regen.
- Auto-Life: If your HP is reduced to 0 while under an Auto-Life spell, you are immediately revived with 1 HP. Auto-Life is then removed for the remainder of the battle; this is a one-time deal.
- Flight: Whether hovering several inches off the ground or soaring through the air, characters with Flight gain a variety of bonuses. They have far greater maneuverability than their ground-bound allies, which in combat translates to a -4 accuracy penalty to short-range attacks that target them. They also negate all damage and effects from Earth-based spells and abilities and take no damage from falling. The benefits of Flight are lost upon unconsciousness, however, so characters must always be careful they don’t black out from a strong hit, and wind up plummeting to the hard ground below.
- Haste: You may make one additional Standard action on your turn, move an additional range increment on your turn, or you may have a Slow action made on your turn act like a Standard action instead, occurring immediately after being used instead of activating at the start of your following turn. Haste overwrites and cancels the Slow status.
- Invisible: Your physical form is almost completely translucent, making you able to move around undetected and more difficult to hit in combat. You gain a +3 bonus to your Stealth skill checks, a +3 bonus to your Avoidance score, and a +3 bonus to Run Away in combat. Taking damage or using a job ability removes Invisible.
- Protect: All physical damage dealt to you is halved for the duration of the effect. The damage is halved after ARM reduces the initial amount.
- Reflect: Most magic that would otherwise affect the target is instead redirected towards a random target on the opposite side. For example, this means that casting Fire on a Reflected enemy will result in you or one of your allies being damaged instead.
- Regen/Aura: The literal opposite of Poison. While under the effects of Regen, a character gains 10% of their max HP at the end of each of their turns. Aura is the stronger version of this, restoring 20% of a character’s max HP instead. A character cannot have both the Regen and Aura status effects at the same time - Aura always takes precedent.
- Shell: All magical damage dealt to you is halved for the duration of the effect. The damage is halved after M.ARM reduces the initial amount.
Environmental Status Effects
From howling snowstorms to blistering heat, the environments that players will find themselves fighting in is nearly endless. But such conditions mean more than just running the risk of developing a case of heatstroke or the sniffles. Other sections mention Difficult Terrain, and the suggested ruling of recurring or one-time damage, or penalties to rolls and defenses. But particularly strong weather or terrain conditions – like the inside of a volcano or in the middle of a hurricane – can warp and accumulate large concentrations of Elemental energy. Magical attacks made in an Elemental Field have their damage increased by two steps if they share the same element. For example, characters battling in the freezing tundra might discover their Ice elemental spells or Ice-Strike weapons deal additional damage.