What is meant by Phantasm and Mental Effects

In short Illusions and other non damaging mental type effects meant to wear down a target.

These can have some overlap with crowd control so its key to be clear on what the end intent with the action is. If its meant to be a more quick and temporary thing as a means to incapacitate then the Crowd Control Effects rules may be used.

However the following is more about effects which are meant to be more long term in a scene, such as wearing down an opponent to make them flee the scene or surrender without using damage type effects. In essence an alternative to dealing damage to achieve similar goals.

It will use the Life score:

• It acts as phsyical HP (how much actual damage before unconscious/death)
• It also acts as a mental pool meter as well - serving as a numerical gauge on how effective non damaging actions effect the target overtime, beyond temporary effects as they have been.

This will work similar to taking actual damage - though the difference is it only affects the target mentally/socially.

The pool can only go to 0
Once at 0 the target will then be considered completely under the influence of whatever action was set in motion (ie in case of being frightened the target will no longer be able to act in anyway completely consumed by fear, and may even flee the scene removing them from the situation)
A/SHs may set a higher target of which the NPC is completely under the effect, however for cases of PVP and tournaments, it should be the same as if taking actual damage.

The pool can be recovered

• The target can make a Spir and Cha roll with a diff of 25+ cumulative pp generated (just like the physical hardcore rules).
  In the cases of NPCs A/SHS can have the flexibility of designated a point of no return, which is once the NPC hits a threshold.
• Others may try and help the target resist in morale boosting actions, similar to how healing actions recover HP.

What is Crowd Control Effects

When we say Crowd Control effects or CC we are talking about temporary effects that aim to remove a target for a short duration from acting.
In other words incapacitation effects such as knocking someone out, quick distraction, polymorphs, stuns, etc.

Base Diff will be determined by the exact means of trying to control the target - just like the usual combat rules

Examples:

• When trying to stun someone unconscious though physical means, then diffs would be the target's End and Str
• When trying to distract someone with like a lie or mental effect then the diffs would be the target's Int and Cha
• And so on

PP/7 will determine how many rounds the effect will last.

Target will have a chance to try and break the effect early:

• The diff will be 25 + PP generated of the CC effect
• Stats used to break free will depend on the nature of the CC (just like the usual combat rules)

What is meant by an Area of Effect Fields

It is about creating an area or field of a certain distance by targeting an area in the environment instead of individual targets.
While one is standing in it they will experience an intended effect (this can be damage, a debuff, or buff)
If one moves out of this field, then they no longer gain the intended effect.

With AoE Fields, the effect doesn't move with the target - it remains stationary as it was an area that was targeted. This makes movement and placement of targets a key component in their use.

AoE fields are not tied to an aspect, instead it is just about trying to give more options for using skills.

Rules for creating an AoE Field:

• Base difficulty starts out at 25
• PP/7 determined effect strength and round duration
• PP generated determined 'size'
  0-15 effect took 1 round of basic moving to get out of
  16-30 effect took 2 rounds of basic moving to get out of
  31-45 effect took 3 rounds of basic moving to get out of
  

Using action moves to get out of the AoE

• Base Difficulty is 25
• If the move action matches the PP generated for the aoe effect then it will move the character out of the aoe field completely, and the character doesn't take the effect hit
• If the move action does not, it shortens the distance needed
  (Subtract the PP generated by the move, which will give the remaining rounds of basic moving needed)

AoE fields always go last in Order of Actions - meaning the effect does not take place until after other actions.
For example: If someone simply just used a basic move to walk out of a single round distance effect, they suffered only one 'tick' of the effect (in this case it was a damage one).
However if they had tried an action moved in the same round and succeeded - then the character wouldn't take any tick of the aoe.

Additionally characters may still be able to use the usual actions in game to try and negate or avoid the AoE effects if they chose to.

General Notes on Magic/Psi Skills
Magic and psi isn't limited to schools like some other settings - you can have fire magic that also heals or allows you to divine information, you can have a single skill that conjures three different elements, etc. It is the aspects which truly define what a skill does, how that manifests is completely open and part of the theme of the skill in general.

In the Vaxia setting magic and psi are interchangeable. You can see the various themes tied to magic and psi here: Vaxia Magic
In Sirian there is only Psionics and requires Setting approval to play due to The Crowned infection. However the Vaxia Magic themes can offer some inspiration in designing a Sirian psionic skill.

For more examples which are more about dealing damage see: Skill Guide: Magic and Psi Combat Skills

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Example Skills
These are just some small examples of magic and psi skills in order to help just give an idea. Feel free to mix and match, and even change the theme/element.
Keep in mind the aspects define the final intent of the action to be done with the skill - you don't need an aspect for every little thing, just the final result of what you want the skill to do.

Geomancy: Derf has the power to shape earth and unworked stone, to grant it momentum to move about and to make their skin like stone to shield against damage.
Aspects: Change Shape, Move, Endure

Illusion: The power to magically conjure illusions that trick all five senses, to direct those illusions and to more easily discern illusions conjured by others.
Aspects: Summon, Change Nature, Discover

Healing Magic: The magical power to remove damage and restore life, to remove harmful toxins and diseases, and to preemptively shield the body against future damage
Aspects: Repair, Bolster, Endure

Teleportation: Magical power to bend space, allowing for immediate transportation of people and objects from one place to another, to track the teleportation destinations of others, and to ward against teleportation into and out of an area
Aspects: Teleport, Discover, Weaken

Foodmancy: The ability to summon confectionery treats from seemingly nowhere, to alter the taste of conjured or mundane food, and to imbue food with magic that will heal those who eat it.
Aspects: Summon, Change Nature, Repair

Biomancy: The magical reshaping of one's own body, including hardening tissue to shield against damage and enhancing physical qualities like strength and speed.
Aspects: Change Shape, Endure, Bolster

Mind Magic: The magical ability to read the thoughts of others, to communicate with them telepathically, and to influence their minds without them realizing the thoughts weren’t their own.
Aspects: Discover, Operate, Convince

Shapeshifting: The ability to shift into the form of an existing animal, gaining the enhanced senses or enhanced physical attributes of the creature. The shifter retains her own intelligence while shifted but may lose powers of speech if the animal can't easily form humanoid sounds (most cannot)
Aspects: Change Shape, Operate, Bolster

Spirit Talking: Derf can magically communicate with spirits like he were talking to another living person. He can ask them for information, learning things about the past from the spirits who were there, or learning things about other places in real time that Derf can't see directly. He can also attempt to persuade them toward or away from a given course of action.
Aspects: Discover, Know, Convince

Chronomancy: They can accelerate someone’s relative timeline to make them faster and give them more time to react to a changing situation. Similarly, they can slow something down, penalizing an opponent in combat or slowing down an arrow so that they have time to get out of the way. Lastly, they can peer into the past and see events that happened around a given place previously.
Aspects: Bolster, Weaken, Discover
NOTE: Due to the issues surrounding handling paradoxes and the equivalent of character removal from the OOC perspective, time travel is not allowed for play by anyone.

When making a skill players only have to worry about the column that is Skill Aspect/Verbs.

The reason for the table as it is for our purposes with a game system it's worthwhile to go from the super super abstract to something more granular to apply those ideas to parts of the game system and setting. This will allow System to review the skill verb/aspects and determine if we need to make any kind of adjustments.

Skill Aspects/Verbs

Abstract Concept	General Category	Skill Aspect/Verb	Extra Notes
Create	Create	Summon	Create a temporary effect.
-	-	Craft	Customized permanent effect.
-	-	Persist	Make a temporary effect, permanent.
-	Repair	Repair	Damaged people or objects.
Read	Learn	Know	Pre-existing info, book learning.
-	-	Discover	Gain new info about things that are.
-	-	Predict	Gain new info about things that may be.
-	Use	Operate	Using a thing without changing it.
Update	Modify	Move	From point A to B.
-	-	Teleport	Skipping space between.
-	-	Change Shape	Such as volume, dimensions
-	-	Change Nature	Such as temperature, type. To convert.
-	Influence	Convince	People/Social skills. Persuade.
-	-	Bolster	Positive modifier or remove a negative one. Buff.
-	-	Weaken	Negative modifier or remove a positive one. Debuff.
-	Resist	Avoid	Prevent damage from occurring. Shields, defense, etc.
-	-	Endure	Prevent secondary effects of damage. Hardcore skills.
-	-	Conceal	Hide people, information or things.
-	-	Bypass	Avoid effect without negating it.
Destroy	Damage	Damage	Damage to people or objects

Summoned companions are any kind of companion that was conjured, found, convinced, etc in the moment to come to aide a character.

These work the same way as any other companion but with a couple of differences.

These companions only exist for the duration of a session/scene. Once that scene is over they disappear and can not be used unless re-summoned for a new scene.

Just like other companions they can also be 'destroyed' before their duration is up if they reach a negative Life score. However a new companion to replace it can be summoned.

These companions can not be customized and perform specific roles to provide a form of aide to a character. They come with predetermined Stats and skill, and there is only 8 types to choose from:


Magical/Psi Tank
Physical Tank
Magical/Psi Damage Dealer (DPS)
Physical Damage Dealer (DPS)
Magical/Psi Support
Mundane/Tech Support
Magical/Psi Scout
Mundane/Tech Scout


It is possible to summon varying power levels of companions, however the more powerful one you want the higher the difficulty it will be. Though they can not go past the 200 build point limit for companions.

If summoning fails at a higher difficulty but will succeed at a lower difficulty, then the A/SH will use the lower difficulty and the character will be able to use the weaker summon.

When summoning a temporary companion it is important to let the A/SH know how strong of a companion is desired as this will determine which difficulty is used:

Weak (Difficulty 10)
Basic (Difficulty 25)
Strong (Difficulty 40)
Exceptional (Difficulty 70)

Summoned Companions do have some flexibility in how one may choose to describe them. A player may aim for a particular look or theme, but the A/SH may alter some parts depending on the success and strength of the summon. The only rules are that whatever is describe must fit within the theme and tone of the setting, and follow the rules of the setting.
In order to summon more then one companion it will take multiple rolls. Though if one would like to describe something as a swarm of flies or such but have it only count and act as one companion is fine.

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Summoned Companion Stats and Skills

Physical Tank
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	30	35	40	45
End	25	30	35	40
Str	20	25	30	35
Dex	15	20	25	30
Int	5	5	5	5
Spir	5	5	5	5
Cha	0	0	0	0
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is best suited for defending against incoming attacks. They are also able to remain conscious even when heavily injured. Can taunt/distract an attacker away from their original target. (System note: Use combat mights for this convince).
Skill Aspects: Avoid, Endure, Convince

Magical/Psi Tank
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	30	35	40	45
End	0	0	0	0
Str	5	5	5	5
Dex	5	5	5	5
Int	15	20	25	30
Spir	20	25	30	35
Cha	25	30	35	40
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is best suited for defending against incoming attacks. They are also able to remain conscious even when heavily injured. Can taunt/distract an attacker away from their original target. (System note: Use combat mights for this convince).
Skill Aspects: Avoid, Endure, Convince

Physical Damage Dealer
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	20	25	30	35
End	15	20	25	30
Str	30	35	40	45
Dex	25	30	35	40
Int	5	5	5	5
Spir	5	5	5	5
Cha	0	0	0	0
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is best suited for dealing damage. They have a small amount of defense. Can weaken their target.
Skill Aspects: Damage, Avoid, Weaken

Magical/Psi Damage Dealer
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	20	25	30	35
End	0	0	0	0
Str	5	5	5	5
Dex	5	5	5	5
Int	15	20	25	30
Spir	30	35	40	45
Cha	15	20	25	30
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is best suited for dealing damage. They have a small amount of defense. Can weaken their target.
Skill Aspects: Damage, Avoid, Weaken

Mundane/Tech Support
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	20	25	30	35
End	15	20	25	30
Str	5	5	5	5
Dex	25	30	35	40
Int	30	35	40	45
Spir	5	5	5	5
Cha	0	0	0	0
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is able to heal. Provide a buff that lasts 3 rounds for an action type. Put up protecting shielding to soak damage. (System note: Int and Dex are used for all these actions)
Skill Aspects: Repair, Bolster, Endure

Magical/Psi Damage Dealer
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	20	25	30	35
End	0	0	0	0
Str	5	5	5	5
Dex	5	5	5	5
Int	25	30	35	40
Spir	30	35	40	45
Cha	15	20	25	30
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is able to heal. Provide a buff that lasts 3 rounds for an action type. Put up protecting shielding to soak damage.
Skill Aspects: Repair, Bolster, Endure

Mundane/Tech Scout
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	15	20	25	30
End	5	5	5	5
Str	5	5	5	5
Dex	25	30	35	40
Int	30	35	40	45
Spir	20	25	30	35
Cha	0	0	0	0
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is best for gathering information and sneaking about. They can also get into places/past obstacles that most others can't. (System note: Use Fin when Agi would be used)
Skill Aspects: Discover, Conceal, Bypass

Magical/Psi Scout
Build Points	125	150	175	200
Difficulty	10	25	40	70
Life	15	20	25	30
End	0	0	0	0
Str	5	5	5	5
Dex	20	25	30	35
Int	25	30	35	40
Spir	30	35	40	45
Cha	5	5	5	5
Skill	25	30	35	40
This companion is best for gathering information and sneaking about. They can also get into places/past obstacles that most others can't.
Skill Aspects: Discover, Conceal, Bypass

The following are some example scenarios for char eval and suggested responses to help Evaluators assist players with common character issues that need resolution prior to play:

Case: Character is a dead ringer for a character from popular media (comic books, video games, movies, etc.)

Examples

• At least three major qualities in common with a pop culture character unique to that character

Sample Response

• This character seems a bit derivative of a pop culture character, which we’d like to avoid for several reasons. We’ll need to make some tweaks to make the concept a bit more original and yours.

Case: Too many points in Stats vs. skills

Examples

• Over 200 points in stats

Sample Response

• It looks like you have a lot of points in stats versus skills, which is a bit min-maxed for our system. We’d like you to shift more points into your skills. If you need to branch into additional skills and aren’t sure what else to take, we’re happy to help brainstorm what might be most helpful/appropriate.

Case: Mights too low for reliable success

Examples

• No or only one Mights above 65

Sample Response

• It looks like your points may be spread a little thin - you might have trouble reliably succeeding at your current Mights. At least one set of Mights around 65-80 is recommended so you can succeed fairly regularly during session play. We may need to combine a few skills or drop some skills to be picked up later in order to make your character more effective out of the gate. If you’re okay playing a character who struggles numerically, that’s completely fine - we just wanted to make sure you knew what to expect.

Case: Description doesn’t match character Stats

Examples

• LIF and CHA are low (25 or less) but Description describes exceptional beauty
• STR or END is low (25 or less) but Description describes clear hulking or tough exterior suggesting might and hardiness

Sample Response

• There are some elements of your character’s Description that aren’t supported by their current stats. We’ll need to make some adjustments in order to keep things consistent and avoid confusing other players about the character’s actual appearance.

Case: Skills not explained by Background, Occupation

Examples

• Character has blood magic or knowledge of ancient relics but grew up a humble farmer

Sample Response

• You have skills listed that aren’t readily explained in your character’s background or occupation. We’ll need some idea of how the character came by these skills, whether it’s a natural talent or was learned somewhere.

Case: Troubling Personality

Examples

• Character describes violent tendencies, lack of empathy, or lack of clear motivations
• Character describes sociopathy, dementia, schizophrenia but hasn’t selected the matching Condition

Sample Response

• There are some elements of your character’s personality that are a little troubling for a player character. We may need to select a particular Condition for them and make sure you’re prepared to play it accurately and respectfully, or just edit the Personality so that it’s something better suited to cooperative play.

Case: Notable equipment in Description

Examples

• Description mentions shapeshifting armor or a sword that can see into souls, robot companions, etc.

Sample Response

• Your Description currently includes equipment that your character doesn’t have access to. You’re welcome to have control over the aesthetics of things like armor or equipment, but understand none of these things have function without a matching Item and either the cost or crafting required to get it. We may need to update your Description to avoid confusing other players or A/SHs.

Case: Connection to another character on the same account

Examples

• Character references another active character on the same account in their Background, Occupation or Description

Sample Response

• To avoid any kind of metagaming, we don’t allow two characters on the same account to have an IC relationship, positive or negative. We’ll need to update that so that this character stands alone. Starting with ties to characters on other players’ accounts is fine.

Case: Background too overpowered for starting character

Examples

• Character has a high military rank, is in charge of an organization, has slain a dragon or is heir to a seat of power (a king in exile, etc.)

Sample Response

• You have some elements in your background that go a bit above and beyond starting character level. We’ll need to tone those down to a more reasonable history in line with the other characters around it.

Case: Background or Description doesn’t match the setting

Examples

• References modern Technology in Vaxia
• References to regular intergalactic travel in Sirian

Sample Response

• Your character’s background doesn’t quite match the setting. You may want to refer to the Setting In Brief pages in the Wiki to get a better sense of the tone of the setting, or ask on the Setting forums to get a better summary understanding before updating your character to better match the world they’re joining.

Case: Character Condition or other quality not available to players below the 40 XP threshold

Examples

• New player wants to play a vampire or werewolf
• Character Personality or Background describes a Condition unavailable to new players

Sample Response

• The character details describe a Condition which is limited to players who've passed the 40-XP threshold for new players. This threshold is in place to help ensure players are familiar with the site and setting before diving into more complex character concepts that might otherwise be done poorly and cause issues for other players on the site. We can either update the character to remove the Condition, or else hold the character in Draft state until you have passed the 40-XP threshold, when you can then resubmit it for approval.

Case: Character requires departmental approval (Setting, System or Social)

Examples

• Background includes qualities or setting reference that merit a second look from a member or lead of the Setting Department

Sample Response

• We need to check in with one of our departments for a second opinion on an aspect of this character since it goes a bit outside the ordinary lines. This may take a bit of time while we wait to hear back. As soon as we have a reply from the department, you should get an update here either way.

To help avoid bogging down sessions while A/SHs get clarification on what players are and aren't okay with for a given character, we added a series of character "flags" to let you signal in advance what you consent to on a given character.

You can find and update the flags under the Edit tab on your character sheet, under the Notes > Permissions section, close to the bottom of the page.

The current flags are:

• Graphic sexual content - restricted to players over 18, allows for descriptions of explicit and detailed sexual situations
• Player vs Player combat - allows for direct and possibly violent action against this character by other players (PVP)
• Graphic violent content - allows for descriptions of explicit and detailed gore and violence
• Mind control - allows for temporary loss of control of the character due to mind control or mental influence
• Loss of consent - restricted to players over 18, allows in-character consent to be violated

All flags begin in the "off" position, signalling A/SHs and other players that you are not okay with any of the above until/unless you choose to enable them for that character. You can change these flags at any time outside of a ongoing session or PVP environment.

Character Permissions FAQ

Can I update my flags for a character whose participating in an ongoing session or PVP bout?
No. Once the session begins, the character's flags are locked until the session ends. This is also true for slow-post sessions!

Can I choose to "opt in" even if my flag is locked?
Yes - contact the ruling A/SH for the scene or session and let them know you are okay with the particular contact flag being lifted for that scene or session. You must make this exception in writing and on the site, so a forum post, Limbo post, OOC box in the session itself or private message are all viable options.

NOTE: Choosing to selectively enable a permission like this is not recommended and may bog down the session, so please take care not to overuse this exception. The ruling A/SH has the last say in whether the content (such as PVP) will be allowed in that scene/session. Once you have opted in like this, you cannot opt back out until the scene or session ends!

Can I choose to "opt out" even if my flag is locked?
No. If a given flag is enabled when the character joined the session or scene, then it cannot be disabled until the scene ends. This is why it's important to think carefully before enabling any flag, and it's a good idea to double-check before you join a session to ensure you're still okay with all enabled permissions.

Can I attack another player character even if my PVP flag is disabled, so long as theirs is enabled?
No. You can only attack another player character if BOTH of your characters have their PVP permissions enabled. This must be done before the start of the session or scene.

Can I update my permissions in the middle of casual RP?
Yes. Casual RP - where no A/SH is involved and nothing is being ruled - allows you to update your permissions at any time. Once dice start rolling an a A/SH is involved, flags are considered locked until the A/SH considers the scene complete. If you are unsure, contact the A/SH to clarify whether the scene is still considered ongoing.