Techniques

Overview

Techniques are what you use your actions on. Techniques are the core feature of the battle system. They can be attacks, spells, healing, anything. Techniques can come in all shapes and sizes. When you first receive a technique, it begins at Basic.

All characters start with 6 techniques at level 1. Further techniques can be purchased under the EXP Buy system for 150 points each.

Levels of Mastery

There are five levels of mastery, from weakest to strongest: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Mastered, and Perfected. Though anyone can have a Basic technique, the other levels of mastery require you to have reached a minimum level requirement.

Basic: Level 1
Intermediate: Level 6
Advanced: Level 12
Mastered: Level 18
Perfected: Level 24

Once you attain the prerequisite level, all techniques will automatically rise to the corresponding level of mastery. Techniques level up as they increase in their level of mastery, and the growth is applied to them. Whenever PLM is seen listed, it means per level of mastery.

Points and Stamina

An unmodified technique begins with no points, or elements, and cost 0 Stamina. As you add effects to your technique with the list below, it will have a higher cost. Here is a blank technique.

Tech Name (Basic//Points): Description.
Damage: 75
Effects:
Cost: 0 Stamina
Elements:
Growth: +75 damage

Basic should be changed as your techniques grow in mastery. The technique's point cost is listed at Points. All special effects added by elements should be listed under Effects, and the technique's used elements should be listed under Elements along with their point costs.

A technique costs 5 Stamina per point. So, a technique with 6 points worth of effects cost 30 Stamina. Kickbacks reduce Stamina cost by 5 per point. A technique cannot cost more than 60 Stamina.

Tags: Most techniques rely on the weapon used to perform them to get their tags, and don't need to be noted in the ability. However, some tech guide elements alter or add to the tags a technique have and become inherent with that ability, so they have to be noted in the effects.

Additions List

Each point increases a technique's cost by 5 Stamina. A technique cannot be made that costs more than 60 Stamina.

Any reference to PLM means Per Level of Mastery, which means the listed amount is gained as your technique grows in level of mastery.

Damage Modifying

Affinity Modifier (1): Deals +10 damage PLM against characters of a named affinity. If this is a support technique, it improves heal 'damage' by 10 PLM on characters of a named affinity, but the named affinity cannot be the user's. Which affinity this affects must be specified in the technique's description. Stackable twice.

Desperation Boost (1): Boosts damage by 10 per level of mastery when at less than 20% HP. Stackable twice.

Followup Tech (1): The technique works better after another given non-universal technique (must be named in description). This improves damage by 5 PLM.

Surrounded (1): For each ally standing adjacent to your target, damage is increased by 5 PLM.

Step Off (1): For each enemy adjacent to you, damage is increased by 5 PLM.

Button Masher (1): Each time this attack is used in a row, without moving, it does an additional +5 damage PLM. This caps at +10 PLM. Unstackable.

Jerio's Bane (1): This technique does +10 damage per level of mastery to targets in water.

Blind Strike (1): Deals +5 damage per level of mastery when standing in pitch darkness. Stackable twice.

Keystone Fueled (2): Deals +50% more damage for each Keystone burned with this technique. Unusable with Pump Charge. Cannot be used during Tournament battles, or by NPCs.

Front Runner (2): The attack does an additional +10 damage PLM if you're at full HP.

Plus Damage (2): Increases damage by +5 per level of mastery. Stackable three times.

Higher Ground (2): Increases damage by +10 per level of mastery when using this technique from a space higher than your target's space. Stackable twice.

Point Blank (2): If the target is at minimum range for an attack with a higher maximum range than 1, they take an additional +10 damage PLM. Stackable twice.

Armor Buster (2): Attack deals +10 PLM to characters wearing light, medium, or heavy armor. This must be specified in the technique. You may not choose your own armor type if this is on a healing technique.

Virtue Based (2): Deals +10 damage per level of mastery to either good, evil, or neutral characters. This must be specified and you may not choose your own alignment. Stackable 2 times.

Convention Based (2): Deals +10 damage per level of mastery to either lawful, chaotic, or passive characters. This must be specified and you may not choose your own alignment. Stackable 2 times.

Sniper (3): Deals +15 damage PLM if status effect succeeds.

Playing with Fire (3): Damage is increased by 20 PLM. You take 15% final damage, unmitigatable. Stackable twice (to 40 PLM, 30%).

Xenocide (3): This technique deals +15 damage per level of mastery to a given race in the technique description. Unstackable.

Damage Roulette (3): When used, roll a 2d10. For each dice that lands on 1, it deals +20 damage per level of mastery. If both dice land on 10, it gains Vital Hit. (NOTE: 10% of +20 plm, 1% of vital hit, 1% of +40 plm)

Brave Attack (3): The technique deals +5 damage PLM for each level beneath the target you are. Caps at 20 PLM.

Thrown Weapon (3): When equipped with a melee weapon, it can be thrown for this attack, doing +15 damage PLM and changing the range of your attack to (2-5). You are then *Disarmed until you occupy the same space as the weapon and recover it (this applies even if the weapon cannot normally be disarmed, such as with soulbound weapons). This gives any technique using this Tech Element the Thrown Weapon tag, and replaces the Melee tag with Ranged. Unstackable. Cannot be used with Martial Arts unless your race is Cyborg or Android.

Setup (4): Your next technique has a 50% chance of dealing 15 more damage per level of mastery.

Incinerate Charges (5): This technique deals an extra 10 damage PLM for each charge your opponent has stored up. Unstackable. Cannot be used on techniques with the Heal element.

I'll Settle for Mediocrity (5): Attack and Defense bonus are void on this technique. It cannot gain Vital Hit or have any other damage modifiers. If this technique is countered, it still gets the +25% damage bonus from it.

Status Effects

Effect I (1): Adds a 25% of a Tier 1 status ailment or augment to the technique.

Effect II (3): Adds a 25% of a Tier 2 status ailment or augment to the technique.

Effect III (5): Adds a 25% of a Tier 3 status ailment or augment to the technique.

Augmenting (0): Status effect on technique affects self only regardless of Area of Effect and targets.

Double Effects (2): This technique may have multiple status effects, but must include two additions. IE: Elements might look something like Affinity (0), Double Effects (2), Effect I (1), Effect II (3)

Booster (2): Your status effects are 5% more likely to succeed. There is no limit to the number of times this element can be stacked as long as the technique remains under 60 stamina total.

Compounded (2): Status ailment is 10% more likely if target is already infected with a named Status ailment. Not applicable to augments. Hives may not be the named ailment that activates Compounded.

Dirty Bomb (2): Your status ailments are 10% more likely to succeed, but both target and user must roll against being inflicted. The user cannot use racial immunities or other resistances to avoid ailment. Cannot be used with Goliath's Curse, Weak, Slow, Soft, Blind, Charm, Finisher, Soul Crush, Unfocused, Blackout, or Tremors. Unstackable.

Injure (3): If Status Ailment on this technique succeeds, it is an Injury that requires two weeks to heal. Does not work with ailments that have a set duration in its description. Injure works only once per battle; otherwise it is a normal ailment.

Cure (1): Adds a 25% chance of curing a random Tier 1 status ailment. Only effects target of technique. Does not stack with Effect elements.

Cure II (3): Adds a 25% chance of curing a random Tier 2 status ailment. Only effects target of technique. Does not stack with Effect elements.

AoE and Range

Basic (1): Rewrites the attack so it is a Basic(1) ranged technique.

Allies Only (2): Regardless of Area of Effect, this technique only hits allies.

Enemies Only (2): Regardless of Area of Effect, this technique only hits enemies.

Electricity (2): Gains Blast(2) if used on water spaces. The Blast(2) affects only water spaces and the characters or objects in them.

Line Attack (2): Overwrites the attack's type and becomes a Line(1-2) technique. Stackable two times, increasing to Line(1-3). If your attack type is already Line(1-2) from your weapon type, this is unstackable, but increases it to Line(1-3). If your attack type is already Line(1-3) from your weapon type, this is unstackable, but increases it to Line(1-4).

Piercing (2): Addable to Line attacks, Range (2-3) attacks, and Range (3-5) attacks. Attack can hit an additional target behind the original target if they are in line with you for 50% damage, whether or not they're in the attack's range."

Wave Attack (3): Overwrites the attack's type and becomes a Wave(1) technique. Stackable two times, increasing the range to Wave (1-2).

Long Arm (3): The next technique to be used will have one added to its maximum range.

Rush (3): You move one space closer to your target when using this move. Damage, effects and range modifiers/effects are applied after the move.

Blast (4): Overwrites the attack's type and becomes a Blast (1) technique. Stackable two times, increasing the range to Blast (1-2). The difference between Wave and Blast is you can focus it anywhere within your weapon's range.

Storm (4): Has a 35% chance of hitting targets individually (rolled for each target), but targets them all without regard to range. Area of effect is everything within 10 spaces of the user. Has an equal chance of hitting constructed space if applicable. When using the Storm tech element in conjunction with terrain effects such as Crater or Flood, you may target every person within its range along with up to five squares of the user's choice within its range.

Field Manipulating

If you use a Field Manipulating on a person, and they dodge, it still effects the terrain they were standing on as if it hit when applicable. After all, the ground cannot dodge.

Brute (1): Technique may cause 1 space of knockback. Perform skill check Strength vs target Strength for success or failure. Range must be Basic.

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Ice (2): If used on a water space, this technique turns that space into an ice space. Additionally, each adjacent space has a 25% chance of being transformed into an ice space. If used on an obstructed space, this technique turns that space into a frozen obstructed space, which deals 10 PLM (of this technique) damage to anyone who is knocked into it with Knockback or ends their turn adjacent to it.

Fire (2): If used on an ice space, this technique turns that space into a water space. Additionally, each adjacent ice space has a 25% chance of being transformed into a water space. If used on an obstructed space, this technique turns that space into unobstructed space. Additionally, each adjacent obstructed space has a 25% chance of being transformed into an unobstructed space.

Flood (2): If used on a depressed (-1) space, it becomes a water space. Adjacent depressed spaces also become water spaces.

Siege Engine (2): This technique's damage against constructed space or objects is increased by 50 per level of mastery. If it has a Knockback element, the effect is increased by 1 space against constructed space.

Upheaval (3): The space targeted becomes an elevated (+1) space. Climbing to this space requires one additional square of movement. Occupants of these spaces are otherwise unaffected by the change.

Crater (3): The space targeted becomes a depressed (-1) space. Climbing out of this space requires an additional square of movement. Occupants of these spaces are otherwise unaffected by the change.

Knockback (3): The force of the attack causes the target to be pushed back one square. If this would cause them to occupy the same square as an object or person, then neither move and both take 25% of the attack's damage (only the target takes the initial damage). Stackable three times, increasing the distance by one square each time.

Drag (3): This technique moves targets one space closer to the user. Stackable three times. You can only move an obstacle in this way if you meet the strength requirement. If there's something in the way, the target will stop adjacent to them and deal collision damage. It has no effect if used as a counter.

Void (3): Targeting a space with this technique transforms it into a damaging zone. Occupants of this space take 15% of the technique's damage at the beginning of each turn they stand in it. Unless specified otherwise, spaces can have Void effects on them while still having other properties, such as being Depressed (-1 elevation), flooded, or on fire.

Charge Manipulating

Unless otherwise stated, you can have multiple Charge Manipulating elements on a technique. (Startup and Pump Charge cannot be used together) However, when a technique does have more than one, used charges must be split between them, rather than being used on both at once. (For instance, if you have Force and Pump Charge on a technique and 5 Charges, you can give 3 to Force and 2 to Pump Charge.)

Startup (2): The technique consumes a set number of Charges to use. The amount of Charges required to use the technique must be specified in the technique information. A minimum of at least 2 Charges is required for Startup. Note if the technique misses, fails, or is otherwise negated, the Charges are still consumed. Damage is increased by 50% for each charge.

Pump Charge (2): The technique has no charge cost, but charges can be added at will to increase its damage. Damage is increased by 30% per charge. Unusable with Startup.

Knockback II (2): The target can be knocked back 1 space for each charge added to the attack. If this would cause them to occupy the same square as an object or person, then neither move and both take 25% of the base damage of the technique in addition to original damage sustained.

Force (2): Can consume X amount of charges to add X to the attack's range.

Supporting

Heal (2): Your technique deals negative damage, healing the target by its damage total instead. You cannot heal the same person twice in one turn.

Concentration (2): This can only be used on healing techniques. There is a 20% chance the next heal you use will heal +20 PLM.

Overshield (3): Technique may heal a character beyond their maximum hitpoints, capping at +10%. Technique must have Heal.

Draining Hitpoints (4): Absorbs 15% of the damage done in HP. Stackable twice.

Mark of Blood (4): This effect can only be placed on one enemy at a time (for ALL characters on one side of the battle). Each time someone targets this enemy and deals damage, they heal 10 HP per level of mastery.

Blessed Seed (4): Can only be placed on healing techniques. Half of the healing does not take place immediately, but is considered an inactive 'seed.' The next time the target is attacked, it will bloom and activate its healing effect. The total (before halving) amount healed is increased by 10 per level of mastery.

Motivate (4): The target of this technique deals 10% more damage with its next attack. Cannot affect user. Does not stack with AoE modifiers.

Reaction Manipulating

Anti-Counter (3): This technique cannot be reacted to with Counter. Does not stack with Wide Open.

Anti-Parry (3): This technique cannot be reacted to with Parry. Does not stack with Weak Link.

Reaction Roulette (4): When your opponent reacts to this technique, roll 2d10. If one of the dice lands on 1, negate their reaction. If both dice land on 10, their next reaction is also negated.

Sure Hitter (5): If the attack is dodged, it can be used again instantly for no cost but half damage. This doesn't take an action and cannot be reacted to. It targets everyone that dodged the original attack. Unstackable.

Other Additions

Burst Speed (1): Until the beginning of your next turn, your Speed is increased by 5 at levels 1 to 10, 10 at levels 11 to 20, and 15 at levels 21 and up. Only one Burst effect can be active each turn. The latest overwrites the last.

Burst Defense (1): Until the beginning of your next turn, your Defense is increased by 5 at levels 1 to 10, 10 at levels 11 to 20, and 15 at levels 21 and up. Only one Burst effect can be active each turn. The latest overwrites the last.

Burst Attack (1): Until the beginning of your next turn, your Attack is increased by 5 at levels 1 to 10, 10 at levels 11 to 20, and 15 at levels 21 and up. Only one Burst effect can be active each turn. The latest overwrites the last.

Burst Accuracy (1): Until the beginning of your next turn, your Accuracy is increased by 5 at levels 1 to 10, 10 at levels 11 to 20, and 15 at levels 21 and up. Only one Burst effect can be active each turn. The latest overwrites the last.

Master (2): Basic Weapon Effect (not Rare and Legendary effects) on melee weapon is twice as effective in this technique. Not usable with Heavy weapons. Does not work with Heroic augment.

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Quick Draw (3): Before this technique is used, you switch to a specified weapon for free. Nothing special happens if the specified weapon is already drawn. Only works on main-hand weapon if Dual Wielding. If you are dual wielding and switch to a two-handed weapon, your offhand is unequipped. May also be used to swap your off-hand and main-hand weapons.

Fallout (3): If the attack kills or KOs the target, it may also hit an adjacent target which is also in range with half damage. Not applicable to attacks that already hit multiple targets.

Vital Boost (3): This attack has a +5% chance of Vital Hit. This cannot push Vital Hit beyond a 50% chance of success. Stackable twice.

STM Blow (3): Technique reduces target's stamina during this round by 5. Cannot reduce the target's stamina below 10.

Sneak Attack (4): If used while hidden with Stealth, it does not automatically cancel Stealth. The target must successfully roll AWA to locate you. Each additional attempted roll after the first receives +10 more than the last attempt.

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Tormented Spirit (6): If the target is killed by this technique, their death is delayed one round, during which they are under your control as if magically charmed.

The Light of Dawn (6): +20 PLM if an ally is at critical health, +30 PLM if an ally was KOed, and double damage if an ally was killed. This cannot stack for multiple allies.

Kickbacks

Adding kickbacks to a technique reduces its Output in the same way normal additions increase Output. You may only use two kickbacks on a technique. This limit still applies if you use two of the same stackable kickback.

No Damage (-1): This technique deals no damage, but cannot be dodged or countered. You cannot add damage-modifying elements or damage-modifying kickbacks to this technique. This technique cannot be used as a Counter. Does not stack with Wide Open.

Temperamental (-1): If for any reason this technique does not deal damage to the target, you take half of its damage. Can only be used on techniques that deal positive damage. Cannot be stacked with Sure Hitter.

Drained (-1): If you are below 25% of your maximum HP, the damage of this technique is reduced by 15 per level of mastery. Cannot be stacked with Front Runner.

Limited Use (-1): This technique can only be used once per day. Does not stack with Startup techniques or Finisher.

Weak Link (-1): Attempts to Parry this technique automatically succeed. Does not stack with Anti-Parry. Cannot be used on healing techniques.

Wide Open (-1): When this technique is countered, the counter-attack has no penalties. Does not stack with Anti-Counter or No Damage. Cannot be used on healing techniques.

Readied (-1): Technique is only usable while standing in a specific Stance. May create one technique with this effect for each stance. (Tier 3 Passives: Counter Stance, Parry Stance, or Bulwark Stance.)

Exhausting (-2): If you are below 25% of your maximum HP, you cannot perform this technique. Cannot be stacked with Front Runner or Drained

Dependent (-2): This technique can only be performed if you are adjacent to someone you have at least 5* affection for and is not considered hostile. Stackable twice, raising the affection requirement to 7*.

Hatred (-2): This attack can only target someone you have 1* affection for.

Focus (-2): Using this technique renders you unable to use a Minor Action in the same turn. This technique cannot be used after you've spent a Minor Action.

Backlash (-2): This technique inflicts the user with a random ailment from a random tier. If an ailment is rolled that the user already has and the ailment doesn't stack, re-roll.

Weapon Break (-3): Currently equipped weapon is destroyed, unless it is a canon/GM protected or Legendary object; in which case it is simply lost to you forever (this character can never touch that piece of equipment again), and returns to the GM or lore holder. Not useable with soulbound weapons such as Martial Arts.

Broken Limb (-3): Using this technique cripples one of your limbs, inflicting you with Broken Limb. Stackable twice. Does not stack with Suicide.

Blackout (-4): Using this technique renders you unconscious at 0 HP as soon as it is completed. If this technique KOs or kills your last remaining opponents, you are considered the winner just before being KOed. Does not stack with Suicide.

Suicide (-8): After the technique is performed, you die. If this technique KOs or kills your last remaining opponents, you are considered the winner just before being killed. Does not stack with Cripple or Blackout.