Building Damage Techniques

Damage techniques are attack techniques that deal damage independently of your equipped weapon.

Follow the steps below to build a new damage technique. To do this, you will need to know your character’s Innate Element and your character level.

Damage Technique Definitions

First, let’s define the common pieces of a Damage technique.

  • Element: The damage type for the technique.
  • Target: The target of the technique. The default is 1 square.
  • Range: The space where the technique manifests – the point of origin. At 0 squares the technique’s origin is on the user!
  • Power: This determines the base damage of the technique. This number and the user’s stats determine damage dealt.
  • Action: How many actions does it take to use these technique?

Base Damage Technique

Start with the base damage technique information and adjust the details step by step.

Element ?, Target 1 Square, Range 4, Power 1, Action ?

Base Damage Spell

Step 1: Select Element

This determines what type of damage the technique will deal. By default, you can only build techniques of your Innate Element or Nonelemental. The Elemental Versatility trait can allow you to select any Element.

Some elements have bonus effects for Damage techniques.

  • For Nonelemental techniques, calculate damage using Strength instead of Elemental.
  • For Yellow and Green techniques, increase Range +1.
  • For Red and Black techniques, increase Power +1.
  • For White (White) techniques, deal double damage against Undead.
  • For Blue, increase Target 1 size step.

Step 2: Select three 1st Tier Qualities

Selecting qualities is what makes a technique unique.

  • +1 Power: Increase Power +1. This quality can be taken multiple times, each time it increases Power +1 (up to a total of +3).
  • +1 Range: This can be taken multiple times, each time it increases Range +1 (up to a total of +3).
  • Stat Shift: Change the damage formula to use a different Primary Stat. Select from Hit or Strength.
  • Area of Effect: The target changes to an area of effect. Set Range to 0. This can be increased later. Every enemy in the area of effect takes damage. Select one of the below.
    • Line: Short line of squares out from point of origin (determined by Range). This can be taken multiple times, each time it increases the Target size one step (up to long line).
    • Radius: Small radius of squares out from point of origin (determined by Range). This can be taken multiple times, each time it increases The target size one step (up to large radius).
    • Cone: Small cone of squares out from point of origin (determined by range). This can be taken multiple times, each time it increases The target size one step (up to large cone).
  • Triggered: The technique lays dormant at the point of origin until triggered. Select one of the below.
    • Proximity: The technique is triggered by an enemy entering it’s point of origin. Decrease Range by 1.
    • Stroke: The technique is triggered by a Strike on it’s point of origin. Increase Range by 1.
    • Remote: The technique is triggered by the user spending a Reaction. Increase Power by 1.
  • Step: Move one square in any direction after using technique.
  • Throw: This technique involves physically throwing a large object. Damage is determined by Strength rather than Elemental but Element remains the same. Select one of the following.
    • Throw Enemy: This technique throws an adjacent enemy of your size at another enemy within Range. Both enemies take damage. Techniques with this quality cannot have an Area of Effect. (Units with the Heavy trait cannot be thrown.)
    • Throw Ally: This technique throws an adjacent ally of your size at an enemy within Range. In addition to dealing damage to the target, the ally also makes an melee Strike against the target. Techniques with this quality cannot have an Area of Effect. (Units with the Heavy trait cannot be thrown.)
    • Throw Large Object: This technique throws a large physical object. Increase Power +1. Techniques with this quality can have an Area of Effect.

After selecting three 1st Tier Qualities, increase Action to 1 and the technique could be complete. At this point you can jump to Final Steps or proceed to Step 3: Select three 2nd Tier Qualities if you meet the level requirement.

Step 3: Select three 2nd Tier Qualities

The level requirement for adding 2nd Tier Qualities to Damage techniques is Level 4. A technique with 2nd Tier Qualities will require 2 Actions to use.

  • +2 Power: Increase Power +2. This quality can be taken multiple times, each time it increases Power +2 (up to a total of +6).
  • +1 Range: This can be taken multiple times, each time it increases Range +1 (up to a total of +3).
  • Greater Stat Shift: Change the damage formula to use a different Primary Stat. Select from Evasion, Mental Defense, or Stamina.
  • Elemental Terrain: Add elemental terrain effect to technique. See below.
    • Blue freezes liquids, puts out fires, and cools lava.
    • Red sets combustibles on fire (damaging terrain).
    • Green creates strong wind (directional terrain) for one round.
    • Yellow electrifies terrain (damaging terrain) for one round.
    • Black changes the elemental field to Black for one round.
    • White (White) changes the elemental field to White (White) for one round.
    • Nonelemental has no effect.
  • Add Pull: Pulls targets of your size one square towards the point of origin. This may be taken multiple times, each time it pulls the target one square closer (up to 3).
  • Add Push: Push targets of your size square away from the point of origin. This may be taken multiple times, each time it pulls the target one square closer (up to 3).
  • Leap: The user jumps high into the air while using this technique. Increase Range +1. Ignore nearby obstacles for Line of Sight when using this technique. (Special: A user with the Jump trait can add Leap to a technique for free. It does not count against their three 2nd Tier Qualities).
  • Smite Element: Increase Elemental Weakness damage bonus from 2x to 4x.

After selecting three 2nd Tier Qualities, increase Action to 2 and the technique is complete. At this point you can jump to Final Steps or proceed to Step 4: Select three 3rd Tier Qualities if you meet the level requirement.

Step 4: Select three 3rd Tier Qualities

The level requirement for adding 3rd Tier Qualities to Damage techniques is Level 12. A technique with 3rd Tier Qualities will require 3 Actions to use.

  • +3 Power: Increase Power +3. This quality can be taken multiple times, each time it increases Power +3 (up to a total of +9).
  • +2 Range: This can be taken multiple times, each time it increases Range +2 (up to a total of +6).
  • Chain Damage: After dealing initial damage, the technique deals half again damage to any unharmed enemies within range.
  • Friendly Fire: Must have taken Area of Effect. Increase Power +4 but the technique now harms allies and neutral NPCs within it’s Area of Effect.
  • Destructive Power: The technique destroys certain terrain. (Based on Game Master discretion.)
  • Ruined Earth: The technique creates permanent damaging terrain in its area of effect.
  • Power Switch: This technique’s damage is calculated using the user’s current HP, not Magic or Power. Select one from below.
    • Closer to full HP is stronger.
    • Closer to 0 HP is stronger.
  • Elemental Status: In addition to dealing damage, this technique causes a status effect with a duration of 1 round based on element of the technique. See below.
    • Blue: Slow
    • Red: Chaos
    • Green: Sleep
    • Yellow: Paralyzed
    • Black: Charm
    • White (White): Blind
    • Nonelemental has no effect.
  • Bypass Resistance: This technique ignores Elemental Resistance, dealing normal damage.
  • Move: After using the technique move as if you had taken a Move action.

Final Steps

There are only a few steps remaining after selecting the new techniques’ qualities and determining the number of Actions needed to use it.

Step 5: Is it Magic? If so, select one Magic quality.

The Elemental stat requirement for adding Magical qualities to Damage techniques is 20. If the user has the Magical Aptitude trait and at least 20 Elemental, they can select one magic quality.

  • +1 Power: Increase Power +1.
  • +3 Range: Increase Range +3.
  • Magic Missile: The technique never misses, can target untargetable enemies, and does not require line of sight. Target must still be within Range. (This supercedes Traits like Hide or Deep Swimming.)
  • Elemental Weirdness: Qualities that are based on Element type (such as Elemental Terrain or Elemental Status) can select the effect of a different Element type than that of the Technique.
  • Elemental Magic: Add one effect based on Element of the Technique. See below.
    • Blue: Increase Area of Effect target area by one step. (See Game Master for specifics.)
    • Red: Increase +2 Power.
    • Green: Range +4.
    • Yellow: In addition to dealing damage, add Paralyzed to damage enemies with a Duration of 1 round. If technique already has Elemental Status, increase Paralyzed Duration to 3 Rounds.
    • Black: After using the technique Teleport to a square within technique range, ignoring elevation and terrain effects.
    • White (White): After using the technique, immediately end any negative status effects on you.
  • Overflow: If this technique defeats a foe, any excess damage is redirected to an adjacent target.
  • Antimagic: Technique damage is doubled against magic beings.

The technique gains the Magic damage type. This is a special damage type that overlaps with the normal Elemental or Physical damage types.

Step 6: Send to Game Master to compile

The final step is to send the technique to the Game Master to compile. Don’t forget to include the ‘flavor’ description of what the technique does!