Calls

Calls

• Calls allow characters to deliver magical effects or heroic blows
• Calls do not affect enemies that are larger than human-sized
• All calls delivered with a weapon or implement also cause the target to lose one global hit
• There is no way to resist a call
• If the target has clearly not taken the call then the call has not been used
• All players should make an effort to be familiar with the basic calls and their effects
• All calls require the user to strike the target with a weapon or implement

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.

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 heroic and magic calls require the user to strike the target with a suitable weapon or implement. Only mass calls can be used at a target at range.

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.

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

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.

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.

PARALYSE

• The target may talk but may not make any other movement
• The effect lasts 10 seconds

If you are paralysed then you cannot move at all, unless you are reduced to zero hits, in which case you will fall over as normal. You may talk and drink a potion if you are fed one, but you cannot take any other action. The effect lasts ten seconds.

REPEL

• The target must move away from the caster at a brisk walk or faster
• The effect lasts 10 seconds or until you have retreated for 20’

VENOM

• The target’s bleed time drops to thirty seconds
• The victim may not use the unstoppable ability
• The effect lasts until cured

WEAKNESS

• The target may not use any heroic skills, utilize any Enchantments, use any mana or activate any magic items; they may otherwise move and fight normally
• The effect lasts until cured

Mass Calls

• The MASS call when combined with another magic call expands the range to a 20' cone from the caster
• MASS is an area effect call that expands the range of other calls to a 20' cone (maximum 90 degrees) from the caster. It is commonly caused by rituals, though there are unnatural creatures in the world that can cause MASS effects.