Calls

Calls

• Calls allow characters to deliver magical effects or heroic blows
• All calls require the user to strike the target with a weapon or implement
• All calls also cause the target to lose one global hit
• There are no game abilities that allow a target to resist a call
• Some heroic calls do not affect a target if they hit armour
• No calls affect enemies that are larger than human-sized
• If the target has clearly not taken the call then the call has not been used

A participant can shout a call in a fight to indicate that they have used a special ability or magical item that allows them to deliver an especially potent attack. By learning these calls, players know how to react appropriately when attacked by such an ability.

All heroic and magic calls require the user to strike the target with a suitable weapon or implement. The target loses one global hit as exactly as if they had been hit normally. Only mass calls can be used at a target at range and do not cause the loss of a hit.

If it is clear that the target has not visibly taken the call then the call has not been used. Characters with heroic skills do not lose a hero point if the target is visibly unaffected, magicians do not lose a mana point if the target has clearly not taken the spell they have cast.

All Empire players need to be familiar with the calls, so that they know how to react to them if attacked, even if they don't have any way to deliver the calls themselves.

There is no way to resist an effect in Empire, however 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.

Heroic Calls

• Heroic calls usually represent physical blows of great strength or skill

A Thule warbeast is larger than human-sized

Heroic calls are most commonly used to represent physical blows of great strength or skill. A highly trained warrior may strikedown an enemy with their pole-axe, while a huge ogre might shatter a shield with their club.

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

• Magic calls usually represent magical effects that debilitate or weaken the target
• You must strike the target with a wand, rod or staff

Magic calls are most commonly used to represent the malign effects of spells, rituals and powerful magical items. An skill battle mage may cast a spell to repel an enemy, while a wraith might curse a target with the touch of its wicked blade.

To deliver a magic call, you must touch your target with a wand, rod or staff. If your victim parries or dodge the strike, then they are not affected.

As the effects of the magic calls VENOM and WEAKNESS cannot be seen, you must assume that the target has taken the call.

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

Entangle makes it impossible for your character to move their feet for ten seconds. You may otherwise move and fight normally.