Damage

When a character is in peril of suffering bodily harm, this is represented through damage. Damage is a numerical abstraction of the harm a character could suffer from a blow, fall, or mishap—if they cannot defend themself.

Dealing Damage

When an effect states that it deals damage to a character, there are three possible outcomes:

The character reduces the damage to 0 with armor or similar protection against the strike.

The character defends against the damage by receiving fatigue equal to any remaining damage to dodge, block, or deflect a telling blow.

If the character does not reduce the damage to 0 or defend, they suffer a critical strike with severity based on the damage source.

Increasing and Reducing Damage

Some effects increase damage, while others reduce damage. Before dealing damage to a character, first apply any increases to the damage, and then apply any reductions to the damage, to a minimum of 0.

If a character reduces damage they would suffer to 0, they do not need to defend against it—if the blow lands, it glances off harmlessly. Resistance from armor and other effects (see page 238) is one way to reduce damage.

Defending against Damage

When an effect deals damage to a character even after reductions, the character must defend against that damage; if they cannot, they suffer a critical strike with severity based on the damage source (the deadliness, for most weapons). To defend, they must receive an amount of fatigue equal to the remaining damage; otherwise, they suffer a critical strike with severity based on the source.

Defending is not normally optional—instinctive reactions cause a character to duck, dodge, or roll away from harm—but a character who is not Incapacitated may spend 1 Void point to voluntarily suffer a critical strike instead of defending. By overcoming their survival instinct with sheer willpower, they allow themself to be struck to seize a tactical advantage.

Note that an Incapacitated character (see page 272) cannot defend against damage, and thus suffers a critical strike whenever they suffer damage.

Damage Source

The source of damage is determined by the effect that deals it. If damage is dealt by an effect “using a weapon,” that weapon is the source of the damage. If damage is dealt by a supernatural power that is not a weapon, that power is the source of the damage. If damage is dealt by a physical phenomenon such as gravity or fire, that phenomenon is the source of the damage.

Damage Types

Each instance of damage has a damage type, which is specified in the effect that deals the damage (or is determined by the GM). Two common types are:

Physical Damage: Dealt by punches, cuts, falls, and other physical phenomena.

Supernatural Damage: Dealt by invocations, mahō, and other mystical phenomena.

Fatigue

Fatigue represents a character’s growing exhaustion as a battle wears on—shortness of breath, gaps in their perception, and strained muscles that accumulate from blocking and evading against oncoming strikes.

When a character suffers fatigue, their player should record it on their character sheet.

Consequences of Fatigue

After a character suffers fatigue, if their fatigue exceeds their endurance, the character suffers the Incapacitated condition (see page 272). This represents the character’s being overwhelmed to such a degree that they cannot take effective action or mount a meaningful defense.

Recovering from Fatigue

From rest and various game effects, such as the Medicine skill, characters can remove fatigue. When a character removes an amount of fatigue, their player removes that much fatigue from their character sheet.

At the end of each scene, characters catch their breath. Each character reduces their fatigue to half of their endurance (rounded up) if it is over half their endurance.

After a full night’s rest, a character heals fatigue equal to two times their Water Ring.