Roleplaying effects
Overview
Roleplaying effects are a core part of the rule system for Empire and may affect your character at any time. All roleplaying effects, have a number of features in common regardless of their source.
Supernatural Effects
- You may experience supernatural effects that influence your roleplaying
- You decide how your character responds to any roleplaying effects
- You cannot ignore roleplaying effects
You may be the target of a power or ability that includes direction marked “roleplaying effects”. This states an influence on your character’s personality and mood. It is common for religious characters to be able to produce positive effects, for instance the sermon of a priest may infuse your character with a feeling of courage and confidence. Although your character cannot ignore the effects it is up to you choose how your character responds to the feelings they are experiencing.
For example, a priest wishes to encourage you and half a dozen of your friends to risk death to retrieve a rare artefact from a large group of orc raiders. Just before the expedition departs the priest imparts a blessing of Courage to everyone making them feel confident, bold and fearless. You decide that your character responds to their new found courage by leaving the group and instead going to publicly confront the Cardinal of Prosperity for taking bribes.
It is also common to encounter malign auras and influences that will produce negative effects such as feelings of fear or anger. Your character must respond to these effects but it is up to you to determine the manner with which your character responds. In some circumstances you may be able to resist or overcome roleplaying effects - but even then it should be clear that your character has been affected by the roleplaying effects, but has found the strength to overcome them.
Overcoming Roleplaying Effects
- All Imperial player characters are assumed to be brave heros
- Roleplaying effects are supernatural - you need a supernatural source of strength to resist them
When the rules direct that your character is affected by roleplaying effects, the influences that your character is experiencing are fundamentally supernatural in nature. All Imperial PCs are assumed to be bold heroes; the supernatural aura of dread and fear that surrounds a wraith cannot be resisted or overcome simply because your characterisation is that you are uncommonly brave. If you want to resist or overcome these effects then your character must have a source of personal strength that is supernatural in nature.
Four common sources of supernatural strength are:
- Lineage - some lineages are able to respond differently to some roleplaying effects
- Blessings - Imperial priests can create blessings which may give characters the strength to overcome malign auras
- Rituals - a handful of rituals provide the recipient with the option to respond differently to a specific roleplaying effect
- Magic items - you may be bonded to a magical item that changes the way you can respond to roleplaying effects
In these cases, either you lineage should be physically obvious to everyone present (it is acceptable to be concealed, but would be obvious if the concealment were removed), or else you will have a card or ability that indicates what sort of roleplaying effects you can respond to and what options you have.
Types of Roleplaying Effects
There are three different types of roleplaying effect, auras which affect an area or the area near a creature, influences which are linked to items and personal which affects characters.
Area Effects (Auras)
Auras are roleplaying effects that affect any character who enters the area. Auras are indicated with an A5 area effect aura card which will state the nature of the aura and indicate what roleplaying effects it causes. If you are within approximately 15 feet of this card then you experience the effect. If you notice an A5 area effect aura card then you should discreetly move to read the card when the first opportunity to do so without disrupting your roleplaying presents itself and take the effects from then on.
The card will note the strength of the aura for the purposes of replacement or exorcism. On occasion, auras may be applied by a referee with instructions for uncommon or location-specific, effects.
Auras stop at natural boundaries; if a tent that is 5-feet across is under an aura, then the aura does not spill out ten feet to either side. If an aura covers a tent or structure that is larger than 15 feet across then it will have an aura card every 20 feet or so to indicate this.
Some supernatural creatures cause auras in the area around them. If this happens on a battlefield then a referee will shout a brief roleplaying effect to any character who comes near. These auras are permanent - the ref will not keep repeating the roleplaying instructions but the aura does not stop until the monster is slain.
Item Effects
Some magical items, particularly items that have been hallowed, may cause roleplaying affects to any character that is bonded to them. You do not experience the influence simply by carrying or using the item, only if you are bonded to it. The referee will inform you of any item effects that you experience when you bond to an item or when an item you are bonded to is hallowed.
Personal Effects
Your character may be directly affected by a roleplaying effect. This usually happens because your character has been annointed, but some rituals and all potions cause personal roleplaying effects. Personal roleplaying effects affect your character for the stated duration.
When you use a potion, you rip open the potion card to read the roleplaying and mechanical effects which are written inside the card. Personal roleplaying effects from potions last for an hour or for the duration of the potion effect, whichever is longer.
Sources
Roleplaying effects may be spiritual, alchemical, or magical in nature. This has no effect on the rules that determine how your character reacts and responds.
Spiritual
Spiritual roleplaying effects are directly related to the soul. They may be caused by priests of the Way of Virtue, but they can occur naturally and some of the enemies of the Empire create blasphemous or corrupt auras and influences.
Alchemical
All potions have roleplaying effects which you experience when you are affected by the potion.
Magical
Powerful eternals are often surrounded by auras that cause roleplaying effects, and regio and some rituals and magic items are associated with roleplaying effects.