Fate of the Norns

Hi everyone!
I got the core book on this year's Pax South, and I just had my first session with a group of friends. It is truly an amazing and really fun game! It also made us raise a couple of doubts as we were playing it.

1. Is there a difference between types of Passive {Feat} and {Enchantment}? As far as actual effect on the game goes. All I can imagine is maybe enchantments can get nullified with certain powers or conditions, but I havent really found specifics.

2. Regarding lowering a Conditions' intensity, I understand there are two ways: The one specific to the condition, and paying a Minor Sacrifice +1, correct? If so, is it also correct to say playing the rune specific to the condition lowers the intensity BEFORE it takes effect on Upkeep, whereas the Minor Sacrifice would lower it AFTER the effect?

3. When performing generic actions instead of Active Powers, is it allowed to perform two generic actions using one rune? Such as move and attack, or move and push, or attack and push? (Trying to think on two that would make sense to combine in one action, not something like attack and beseech higher power).

4. Active Powers that dont specify range are assumed to have Reach 1, correct? As in, you have to be next to the opponent. If so, what happens when the Active Power uses a weapon with a higher reach? Or if the Power is used by a large denizen that would have higher natural reach?

5. When a condition on a Contigency is met, is the action played as an interruption to the trigger? Or is it played after the resolution of the trigger? (For example, if I want to play a contigency action to shoot an arrow at any enemy that tries to attack an ally in the front lines, would it work before or after the enemy attack gets resolved?)

6. If I have an enemy within range, but I also have an ally between us, can I still perform a ranged attack on the enemy? Would it depend on the nature of the attack? (Projectile, or a magical attack that takes effect directly on the enemy location).

7. Spell Songs say that there cant be more than one active at a given time. What I understand from this is: If someone activated a Spell Song during a combat round, no other combatant (nor the same combatant) may be able to perform a spell song until the next combat round, provided the Spell Song is not maintained or something. Is this correct?

8. If a combatant is wielding two weapons, one with reach 2 and the other with reach 1, attack actions would apply both weapons DF if the opponent is next to the combatant, but only the Reach 2 weapon's if he is one hex further away, correct?

9. Connected to the previous one, the Multi Meta says its range is the lowest reach of the weapons equipped. This means I can only use it with Reach 1, or can I choose to use only my Reach 2 weapon for the attack, and have the Active Power be Reach 2??


I apologize for so many questions, but I really like this game and want to get as best a grasp for it as I can.

Thanks for the kind words! You came to the right place, but I was away at PAX-East for a week so pardon the late reply.


There is a Passive power that tags one of the types, and while we thought we'd leverage them more, in 3 books I think they're underutilized. You can always use these tags in creative ways, such as disabling enchantments within anti-magic regions and maybe feats under other interesting circumstances.


To summarize, in order during upkeep:
1) You may play a rune before you resolve the condition in order to reduce a condition by 1 intensity
2) Resolve the condition
3) You may perform a minor sacrifice to reduce a condition by 1 intensity


Nope, you can only do one action per rune.
the v.2.5 of the rules we'll be adding to the upcoming Children of Eriu Kickstarter will call them "cinematic actions" that stipulate: "describe what you want to do, and play 1 rune for every verb you use in your description"


Yup if reach isn't specified, default is: self or adjacent


Let's use an example to describe how it's timed. You state "I want to attack an enemy that comes into reach of my weapon"
example 1: opponent plays a rune to move and then plays a rune to attack you. You get to execute your contingency after the move resolves.
example 2: opponent uses Lunging Attack active power, so they get to resolve that rune chain in its entirety (move and attack) before your contingency triggers.
In other words, the rune chain gets to resolve before contingencies are triggered.


Nope, the rules are:
- You can move through allies, but cannot draw lines of sight through them
- You cannot move through enemies and you cannot draw lines of sight through them


The language for that needs to be tightened up and will be with the RGS 2.5 release. It simply means you are affected by only 1 spell song per round- the first one you hear. If it's maintained, then the first one that triggers during upkeep in initiative order.


yes


It means that your multi reach will be equal to the lowest reach weapon +1 (ignore the reach of higher reach weapons.

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No problem! I hope you had a great time in PAX! And many new fans too, haha.

I will be adressing some of your answers to make sure I understand them correctly. Sorry for the trouble.


This means I could lower an intensity by two points during one upkeep? Or I can only do either step "1)" or "3)", but not both?


Even if my weapon's or natural reach/range is 2 or bigger?

That would be it! Thanks a lot for your answers, Andrew, they have been a great help! I cant wait to play more of this game!

To your first question, yes every upkeep you have an opportunity to reduce a detrimental condition by 2 intensity. The only caveat stated in the rules that you need to keep in mind, only 1 rune can be played per condition during upkeep.

To your second question, I was referring to just the active power description. Any active power that has an attack action, then yes, you would use the reach or range of the weapon.

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Hey, I saw something in one of your answers, Andrew, that I'd like clarification for myself!



In another lengthy thread I believe you said that {Interrupt} Active Powers cannot split/interrupt Move Actions while Contingency Actions could. The way that I was playing it - and how I justified the difference to my players - was specifically giving the example of an Active Power that did a Move Action + Something else (like Lunging Attack.) Here's how I was running it:

Initiative Order: Player 1, Enemy 2

WYRD

UPKEEP
Player: "I will attack Enemy as soon as he moves."
Enemy: NA (though if the Enemy does have a Free Move Action, the Contingency would NOT trigger)

ACTION
Player: Generic Action, doesn't matter for this.
Enemy: Lunging Attack, choosing to Move first, taking one Hex and..
--- INTERRUPTED BY CONTINGENCY ---
Player's Contingency goes off
Enemy resolves the rest of the Lunging Attack (including the rest of the Movement) if able to.

I only allow this IF the individual with the Contingency actually has a lower Initiative (lower numerically) than the "Enemy" in the above example, because they're effectively WAITING for it to happen and are thus ready to do so immediately.

Does this still fall within the jurisdiction of the RAW?

This may be something that could further illuminate the OP as well as other players in general and for me, personally, would be integral to how I run my Fardrengir, who ALWAYS pretty much starts out with some sort of Contingency utilizing Throw Weapon (Amplified) with the Riochet Shot Stance and consuming Focus to apply Mental damage. So in the above example, he would literally knock the Runes out that were being played for the Lunging Attack, canceling it.

Not sure what "NA" is, not applicable? Let's say the Enemy had Tactical Advantage, then the Contingency would trigger, and for the player's sake I hope that they are in a position to deliver the attack at the end of the movement. It is possible that at the end of the enemy's move, they are out of reach or no line of sight is available.



The Norn should always look for any abuse of the Contingency rules. If players see that enemy 1 is at the top of the initiative, and they all state contingency actions based on that enemy moving, then you'd have the entire Action phase resolve itself during Upkeep... and that's not what you want to see/do. Simply stating that your contingency actions will trigger after your Action phase turn fixes this possible abuse. So long as the Norn doesn't feel the players are gaming the system, the Norn can permit more leeway in how Contingencies are stated and resolved.

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Yes, NA = Not Applicable!

The reason I was assuming that even if the Enemy had Tactical Advantage that the Contingency wouldn't trigger was the third bullet in Lords of Ash under Contingency Actions, where it says to avoid/disallow Contingencies from going off during the Upkeep Phase. Going by this rule of thumb, the only Contingencies I've been allowing to go off during the Upkeep Phase were direct responses to things/mechanics that specifically already happened during Upkeep (like putting a Contingency in place that changes Initiative.)




Okay, cool, so I WAS running that right. And I understand now what you mean about using personal jurisprudence case to case as to how to handle Contingencies.