Abilities

Active Ability Construction

Every active ability is made from several things:

1. Awareness State (determines targeting & Range)
2. Duration
3. Keyword

Awareness State Targeting and Ranges

Your awareness state determines how, where, and what the ability targets, as well as what spatial pattern it takes. Choose an awareness state and a substate. The substate’s complexity covers both range and targeting in one selection.

The ranges below are the base at Realm 1. They grow with Realm and with the experiences assigned to Awareness (see Strain, Stride & Awareness Range).

Suppressed/Cloaked

The ability originates from your body. Self, touch, or traveling outward. It can effect up to 3 zones away from you at base.

Substate	Description	Strain Cost
Touch	Self or direct contact	+0
Projectile	From you, small object, will stop at minor cover	+1
Line	Beam from you through targets in its path, ignores minor cover, stopped by major cover	+2
Arc/Wave/Cone	Cone or sweep outward from you	+3

Focused

The ability targets or manifests at a specific location, entity, or point at range. You can focus at a range of 4 zones.

Substate	Description	Strain Cost
Single	One target at range	+1
Ricochet	Hits a total of 2 targets	+2
Chain	Hits a total of 3 targets	+3

Projected

The ability manifests at a specific location and creates an AOE. The distance and zones effected can be interchanged and augmented. By default, up to 2 zones away, effecting 1 zone.

Substate	Description	Strain Cost
Narrow	1 Zone of Choice	+2
Wide	4 Zones	+3
Massive	12 Zones	+6

Extended

The ability radiates outward from you in all directions. Can filter for allies. Radius scales with Realm. Some intents are harder to conceptualize with Extended awareness. Extended at base has a default radius of 2 zones.

Substate	Description	Strain Cost
Aura	Radial field around you, effecting everything	+5

Ability Duration

Duration determines how long the ability lasts.

Duration	Relative Timeline	Strain Cost
Instant	Resolves immediately. One round of action, a single swing, a single moment.	+0
Charged	Lies dormant until triggered, activates once, then disappears.	+1
Sustained	Lasts a frame. A tavern negotiation, a battle, a chase through the streets. Drops if your awareness state changes.	+2
Persistent	Lasts across multiple frames, a stretch of travel, or longer. Strategic investment.	+3
Permanent	Until destroyed or dispelled. Outlasts the caster. Only for crafted things.	+4

Ability Construction

1. Set Keyword(s)
2. Set Awareness SubState (and state)
3. Set Duration
4. Calculate Strain Cost

Ability Example

1. [Pierced] (+4 Strain) -> Keyword
2. [Suppressed] | [Projectile] (+1 Strain) -> Awareness State | Substate
3. [Instant] (+0 Strain) -> Duration
4. Strain Cost: 5 Strain