Calls

Heroic Calls

• Character can buy skills to inflict one of four heroic blows
• Characters must purchase hero points to power their heroic blows
• Each time a heroic blow is used one hero point is expended
• Hero points recharge overnight
• Heroic calls do not affect enemies that are larger than human-sized
• All heroic calls delivered with a weapon or implement also cause the target to lose one global hit

A Thule warbeast is larger than human-sized

If you purchase hero points and an appropriate heroic skill then you can inflict one or more heroic blows in combat. These are indicated using the appropriate call which lets the target know what they have been hit with and how to react. Every time you make a heroic blow your character expends one hero point from their daily allowance. Your character’s hero points replenish overnight.

If the target does not visibly respond to your heroic call then your blow has not affected them and the hero point is not spent. You only expend a hero point if the target is affected by the call.

There is no way to resist an effect in Empire, but heroic calls never affect any creature that is larger than human-sized. Any monstrous creature whose phys-rep is expressly designed to make them taller or wider than the wearer would normally be counts as larger than human-sized. Player-characters (all PCs) always count as human-sized - no matter how large the player is.

CLEAVE

• Target loses all hits if the blow strikes the torso
• Target loses the use of a limb until cured if the blow strikes a limb
• Target loses one hit if the blow strikes the head or neck
• Target loses one hit if the blow strikes medium or heavy armour

If you are hit with a CLEAVE then you have been hit with a blow that is heavy or precise enough to disable you with a single strike. If you are hit in the torso then you are reduced to zero global hits and are dying. If you are hit in a limb then you lose the use of that limb. You must roleplay accordingly; you might fight on with the loss of an arm or defend yourself from the ground with the loss of a leg, but you cannot move around by hopping.

If you are hit by a CLEAVE in the head or neck or if the blow strikes the actual phys-rep of medium or heavy armour that you are wearing then you only lose one hit as if you had been hit by a normal blow.

The effects of CLEAVE and IMPALE are the same, but medium or heavy armour will protect you from a CLEAVE while only heavy armour will protect you from an IMPALE.

IMPALE

• Target loses all hits if the blow strikes the torso
• Target loses the use of a limb until cured if the blow strikes a limb
• Target loses one hit if the blow strikes the head or neck
• Target loses one hit if the blow strikes heavy armour
• All arrows and bolts cause IMPALE without needing to be called

If you are hit with an IMPALE then you have been hit with a blow that is heavy or precise enough to disable you with a single strike. All arrows and bolts cause IMPALE without needing to be called.

If you are hit in the torso then you are reduced to zero global hits and are dying. If you are hit in a limb then you lose the use of that limb. You must roleplay accordingly; you might fight on with the loss of an arm or defend yourself from the ground with the loss of a leg, but you cannot move around by hopping.

If you are hit by an IMPALE in the head or neck or if the blow strikes the actual phys-rep of heavy armour that you are wearing then you only lose one hit as if you had been hit by a normal blow.

SHATTER

• Any weapon, implement or shield struck is broken and useless
• Shattered items can be repaired with the mend spell

A SHATTER represents a blow that is heavy enough to break weapons and shatter shields. Any weapon, implement or shield struck by the blow is broken and useless. If you are using a shield that is difficult to discard, then any further blow that strikes the shattered shield counts as if it had struck you on your arm.

STRIKEDOWN

• The target is knocked off their feet
• You are struck down even if you parry the blow with a weapon or shield

If you are hit with a STRIKEDOWN then you have either been tripped or hit so hard that you have been knocked from your feet. You must roleplay this appropriately and fall to the ground, you cannot dive into a roll and leap back to your feet.

Magic Calls

• There are six magic calls
• The magic calls do not affect targets that are larger than human-sized
• All magic calls delivered with a weapon or implement also cause the target to lose one global hit
• The MASS call when combined with another magic call expands the range to a 20' cone from the caster

There are six magic calls that can affect you. All players should make sure that they are familiar with these calls and their effects.

There is no way to resist a magic call in Empire, but magic calls never affect any creature that is larger than human-sized. Any monstrous creature whose phys-rep is expressly designed to make them taller or wider than the wearer would normally be counts as larger than human-sized. Player-characters (all PCs) always count as human-sized - no matter how large the player is.

CURSE

• You are cursed; see a ref for details when it is appropriate to do so
• The effect lasts until cured

A curse does not immediately affect your character; you are aware that you have been cursed but may continue to fight and act normally. See a referee for more details once you are able to do so without interrupting your roleplaying.

ENTANGLE

• The target may not move their feet; they may otherwise move and fight normally
• The effect lasts 10 seconds

PARALYSE

• The target may talk but may not make any other movement
• The effect lasts 10 seconds

REPEL

• The target must move away from the caster at a brisk walk or faster
• The effect lasts 10 seconds or until you have retreated for 20’

VENOM

• The target’s bleed time drops to thirty seconds
• The victim may not use the unstoppable ability
• The effect lasts until cured

WEAKNESS

• The target may not use any heroic skills, utilize any Enchantments, use any mana or activate any magic items; they may otherwise move and fight normally
• The effect lasts until cured

MASS

• MASS is an area effect call that expands the range of other calls to a 20' cone (maximum 90 degrees) from the caster. It is commonly caused by rituals, though there are unnatural creatures in the world that can cause MASS effects.