03 - Systems & Progression

[The Phantom God]

Systems

Table of Contents
Systems & Global Mechanics
Character Stats
Status Effects
How Combat Works
Character Death

Progression
Leveling up your character
Coins and how to earn them
Gaining new abilities

Character Stats

Stats are what give your character an edge in their performance! As your character grows and progresses your stats may increase somewhat. How many stats you're granted when you first app your character is dependent upon what type of character you're applying for, however, let's break down what each stat does in practice. We will also be breaking them down into categories. Primary and Secondary stats are separated for the purpose of giving you greater flexibility with your character's build, as you get to assign two separate pools of stat points to each. Note: No stat may ever exceed a +8 modifier unbuffed.

Primary Stats

These are your 'core' RPG stats, the ones you're most likely to use while trading blows.

Strength
The strength stat is used for lifting and carrying heavy objects, physically blocking or deflecting attacks, physically restraining or resisting restraint and any melee attacks that do blunt force damage (I.E. Fists, Clubs)

Dexterity
The dexterity attack is used for reflexes such as dodging non-surprise attacks, using ranged weapons, flexibility, and contortion, any form of quick movement check, any melee attack that does piercing force damage. (I.E. Blades)

Thaumaturgy
Your magical strength. This stat is used to judge the power behind any attack that relies upon spellcasting as its primary driving force. It can also be used to judge the effectiveness of defensive spells used to ward off hazards.

Constitution
The constitution stat is used to determine things like resistance to illness, some status resistance and your overall ability to continue fighting while under duress. Your character's HP is equal to 100 plus an amount equal to 10 x your constitution modifier.

Healing
Your ability to effectively heal wounds and mitigate damage, as well as your ability to dispel negative debuffs and curses effectively.

Tenacity
Your mental fortitude. This stat is used to resist the effects of intangible attacks such as mental attacks, some status resistance, curses, telekinesis, sound-based attacks, mind control, possession, pain tolerance, etcetera.

Secondary Stats

Your secondary stats are used to add nuance to your character that won't always play a major part in fights but may be useful in a few key instances.

Charisma
Your charisma stat is your force of personality. It's used when attempting to persuade, charm or manipulate characters using your words and may also be used by characters who weaponize their force of personality, such as your classic D&D paladin to enhance their attacks. However, it is never used directly as an attacking stat and may yield unintended results or even fail outright if logic dictates it should.

Intimidation
Your intimidation stat is your strength of presence. It is used when attempting to demoralize, induce panic or traumatize others. Much like charisma, however, it may yield unintended results or even fail outright if logic dictates it should.

Perception
Your character's ability to take in the big picture or notice fine details at a glance. This stat may be used to avoid getting lost, navigating in poor visibility, foiling surprise attacks or dodging attacks that cannot physically simply be reacted to and dodged, such as lightning striking.

Intelligence
Your character's collection of knowledge. This stat may be used while analyzing something with the expectation that a good roll will result in your thread leader revealing that your character remembers or notices something about the thing in question before revealing what it is you've learned about it--or a hint if you will.

Stealth
Your character's ability to avoid drawing attention to themselves in a given situation. This stat may be used to avoid fights and initiate sneak attacks, however, surprise attacks often become very difficult or even impossible once enemies are aware that they are being stalked or paranoid.

Status Effects

Status effects are conditions that hinder or even cripple your character or, hopefully, your enemies. While rarely more effective than taking a swing at someone in terms of doing raw damage, they can have subtle yet powerful effects on the outcome of a battle or thread. All prompts to roll for a stat use a 1d20. Note: Thread leaders may create their own statuses and customize existing statuses to suit their needs.

Temporary Statuses
These statuses will go away on their own either after a set number of turns or if your opponent stops enforcing them depending on the status. However, there may be ways to end the status prematurely.

Status Name	Effects	Duration
Blind	Perception suffers a -3 penalty. The victim becomes vulnerable to sneak attacks even if they're aware of their attacker.	Roll Constitution If the result is under 11, it lasts 2 turns. Else, it lasts 1 turn.
Charmed	The victim suffers a -1 when making attack rolls against the person they are infatuated with and a -3 damage penalty	Roll Tenacity 20+ is one turn. 15+ is two turns. 8+ is three turns. 7- is four turns.
Frozen	The victim is afflicted by the burn status and cannot take any actions.	Roll Constitution 18+ is one turn. 12+ is two turns. 11- is three turns.
Mind-Melted	The victim becomes clumsy and confused, impairing their ability to defend themselves. All defense rolls and perception suffer a -2 penalty.	Roll Tenacity 20+ is one turn. 15+ is two turns. 8+ is three turns. 7- is four turns.
Paralyzed	Dexterity suffers a -4 penalty and Strength suffers a -2 penalty.	Roll Constitution 18+ is one turn. 12+ is two turns. 11- is three turns.
Poisoned	The victim suffers 4 damage every turn.	Roll Constitution 20+ is four turns 15+ is five turns. 10+ is six turns. 5+ is seven turns. 4- is eight turns.
Shrunk	Strength checks are impossible and damage done is reduced by half. However, stealth gains a +3 bonus.	Roll Tenacity 16+ is one turn. 10+ is two turns. 9- is three turns. Or as long as you want if self-inflicted.
Unconscious	The victim is 'asleep' and cannot take any actions.	Roll Con/Ten (Source Specified) 18+ is one turn. 12+ is two turns. 11- is three turns. Victim wakes up if attacked.
Slowed	Time has slowed down around the victim, taking the edge off of their movements. They suffer a -1 to strength, a -2 to dexterity and a -1 to thaumaturgy rolls.	Roll Tenacity 20+ is two turns 12+ is three turns. 7+ is four turns. 6- is five turns.
Soaked	The victim suffers a -1 to dexterity and takes 4 extra damage from electricity based attacks.	Roll Constitution 20+ is two turns 12+ is three turns. 7+ is four turns. 6- is five turns. Every heat related attack aimed at or used by the victim reduces the turns by 1.
Stunned	The victim is unable to interpret or react to the next attack aimed at them. A very powerful status.	Wears off after an attack hits them or when it becomes their turn. Characters with certain constituion levels may reduce the chance of being stunned. +2 is -5% +4 is -10% +6 is -15% +8 is -20%

Persistent Statuses
These statuses require action on the part of the player or their allies to heal. However, damage and statuses are handwaved at the end of a thread regardless. You may choose to roleplay them out in follow-up threads but are not required to as it's assumed you may have gotten healing or the status eventually wore off between scenes.

Status Name	Effects	Cure
Burned	The victim takes 1 damage every time they make a strength or dexterity roll. Additionally, they suffer a -1 penalty to strength. Burns may come from fire, acid or frostbite.	Any healing ability that reduces the duration of or cures status or an appropriate status curing item
Deadly Poison	The victim takes 4 damage every turn, plus an additional 1 damage for each additional turn up to a maximum of 15 damage. If they run out of HP to poison, they will fall unconscious and be rendered unable to fight for the remainder of the thread--or die at the player's discretion.	Any healing ability that reduces the duration of or cures status or an appropriate status curing item
Gagged	The victim cannot make any speech related actions including incantations. Usually applied as logic dictates when someone is afflicted by the suffocation status, but may also be applied seperately.	Depending on the type of gag, the individual ability inducing it or thread leader must set the terms of escape.
Horrified	The victim's courage and resolve waver as the result of extreme fear, shock or disgust. Usually as the result of failing an tenacity based bravery check. The victim suffers a 5% damage penalty and -2 roll penalty to their tenacity, thaumaturgy, healing and secondary stats reflecting the deterioration of their mental states.	Horrified may be rolled against once per turn. To beat it, a tenacity roll of 12+ must be made. Else, it will end when the source of the horror is removed.
Hypothermia	Your body is unable to keep itself at a safe temperature. Every turn you remain exposed to the elements you gain a charge of the hypothermia debuff. This reduces all rolls by one for each charge, up to a maximum of 5 charges. At five charges, you begin taking 20 damage that can only be resisted specifically by cold resistance instead of additional charges. If you are burned, you receive an extra charge of hypothermia each turn while below 5 charges.	Hypothermia can only be 'cured' by removing yourself from the elements. However, you may dispel a charge of the debuff and prevent yourself from acruing additional charges either by having a utility ability that does this or by stopping to at a shelter and building a fire. Half of all damage taken from Hypothermia will be healed away after all charges of the debuff are dispelled.
Immolated	You appear to have burst into flames. Alternatively, you may be soaked in acid. You take 8 damage every turn and are afflicted with a burn once the immolated status is 'cured'.	To put out fire you must stop, drop and roll or use water. To get acid off of you, you must use water. Water may be obtained from the surrounding environment if available and many liquids may be substituted for water if they contain water, such as drinks. This consumes 2 actions.
Mana Deprivation	The victim has been drained of all of their mana. They take 4 damage every turn, plus an additional 1 damage for each additional turn up to a maximum of 15 damage. They also have their stats decreased by 2 and their damage done decreased by 5. Additionally, thaumaturgy checks are impossible. Symptoms include, in order of onset: Weakness, slowly escalating fever, chills and perceived coldness and numbness. This is then followed by slowly escalating dimentia and atrophy followed by death.	This condition can only be cured by consuming edible items that reduce the user's cooldowns by a cumulative 2 or more. Alternatively, it can be cured by characters that have abilities that allow them to perform magic transfusions.
Mortal Wound	The victim is has a severe wound that will prove fatal if left untreated. They take 8 damage every turn.	Being healed for a cumulative amount greater than the attack that inflicted the mortal wound by anything other than food items will remove the status. Additionally, you may apply first aid to remove the status outside of combat.
Parasitosis	The victim isn't alone in their skin, and their visitor isn't a very good guest. The victim suffers a painful energy draining effect, which reduces the amount of actions they can take per turn by 1. They also take 2 damage every turn and suffer a -1 in every stat.	May only be cured via the Pesticide Herb item or specialized healing abilities that explicitly target this status.
Possessed	The victim is either unconscious or conscious but unable to control themselves. Their possessor is in full control of their body and powers for the duration.	An exorcism is effective. Doing 40 or more damage to the victim's body while they are possessed will also cause the possessor to lose their grip on the body in a pinch.
Severe Fatigue	The victim is so exhausted that continued action is harmful to their health. They take 2% damage when they make an action while afflicted, with each additional action doubling the damage they take.	It is up to the thread leader or the individual ability to decide the terms of curing this status.
Sickness	The victim has become ill. Their tenacity and strength suffer a -1 penalty	Healimg magic or items that specifically target this status must be used to cure it
Suffocation	The victim takes 5 damage each turn while afflicted. Every action they take that fails to free them from suffocation increases the damage they take on followup turns by 5 up to a maximum of 20.	Depending on the nature of your suffocation, the individual ability inducing it or thread leader must set the terms of escape.

How combat works

Combat is simple. Once you've finished applying for your character you will have your list of abilities and attacks unique to them that you can use to deal damage to opponents and your thread leader will, in turn, invent challenges for you to overcome in the form of enemy attacks and other dangers. NPC dangers may either present themselves as an opposing roll or a flat number that your roll must beat. Please note however that the site relies on several plugins to function and thus writing IC posts via Proboards' mobile site isn't supported. So long as you're using the desktop version, however, you should see a dice button in the formatting bar of your posts with an eye on it. Use this to insert rolls into your post, editing the 1d20 with the modifier of the stat you're rolling with. (For example, 1d20+3 if your modifier is +3)

Of course, you don't have to roll. If you'd rather not use stats or dice, you're perfectly welcome to forego them in your own threads or in threads where the thread creator has specified it is roll-free. You may also be asking "Hey! Do I really need a dedicated attack to grab someone or throw a punch?" and the answer is no. Any character may initiative what is known as a grapple roll without a dedicated attack. (See the status effects section for more info on how grappling works.) Additionally, you can make a basic flail/punch attack without a dedicated move as well. However, this is less reliable than having an actual punching/flailing move. Your thread leader/opponent will determine how much damage the attack does if any at their discretion when you don't.

You are expected to keep track of how much damage your character has taken, as well as any cooldowns, status effects, buffs or debuffs they are afflicted by somewhere in your posts. To aid in making this easy for everyone, you should always label your attacks with the damage they do and the chance of causing a status effect.)

Basic Actions
Basic actions are things that every character can attempt to do without an ability dedicated to that function. Do note, however, that most basic actions are intended to be inferior to an ability that grants the same function. Note that these actions do not actually require you to spend an action unless stated so in the limitations field.

Action (Stat Used)	Effect	Limitations
Basic Attack (Str/Dex/Thau)	A very simple, unreliable attack. Cannot be restricted.	Damage done, if any, is usually very modest and determined by the thread leader. Costs an action.
Grapple (Strength)	Opponent must dodge or make an attack roll higher than your grapple to keep you off of them. If they fail, their ability to dodge is restricted until they succeed in defeating your grapple roll.	You cannot dodge the victim's attacks. You must also beat a flat strength roll of 12 to carry the victim if you want to dodge other characters' attacks while grappling them. A new grapple roll must be made every turn, however a new carry roll does not need to be made. Costs an action.
Block (Str/Thau)	You may attempt to block attacks using your own power. Roll against the incoming attack. If you beat the roll, you take only a flat 4 damage. If you fail to beat the roll, but roll within 4 of the attack's roll, you take half the attack's damage. (Minimum of 5) Else, you take full damage.	Blocking crits follows the same rules as dodging crits. Unless you crit block, you take full damage. A crit block will reduce the damage you take to its normal non-crit value or succesfully block non-crit attacks. You also cannot attempt to dodge and block the same attack; you must commit to one or the other.
Dodge (Dex)	Roll against the incoming attack. If you beat the roll, you take no damage. Else, you take full damage.	You cannot attempt to both dodge and block the same attack; you must commit to one or the other.
Sneak Attack (Stealth)	Roll stealth against an enemy's perception. If you beat them, you may make one free attack that cannot be dodged, blocked or otherwise reacted to. This attack does 4 additional damage.	You cannot sneak attack someone who is either aware of you being a threat or aware that there is an unseen danger around. Additionally, attacks that cost multiple actions cannot be sneak attacks. Failed sneak attacks are assumed to be dodged or blocked succesfully. Costs an action.
Persuade/Flirt (Charisma)	You roll your charisma stat to add weight to what your character is actually saying.	Even if you roll well, you may not get the outcome you desire subject to whether the thread leader believes there is a logical reason your words would be innefective.
Intimidate (Intimidation)	You roll your intimidation stat to add weight to what your character is actually saying or doing.	Even if you roll well, you may not get the outcome you desire. Your roll only garauntees your ability to unnerve the opposing character, not their reaction to being unnerved.
Analyze (Intelligence)	You roll your intelligence stat to try and learn more about something or someone through focused analysis. Whoever is responsible for that something then decides whether there is something your character might pick up on and relays it back to you if your roll is deemed satisfactory.	Sometimes there simply isn't anything to observe, or a character may have no legitimate claim to understanding what they're observing.
Hide (Stealth)	Select a hiding place and roll stealth to try and make good use out of it. If your thread leader has not offered you a hiding space, you may make one up provided you are not attempting to hide in a wide open area. If the area you are attempting to hide in is very difficult to get into, you may also roll a flat dexterity roll of 12 to get in there. If successful, your stealth roll gains a +3 bonus.	Hiding somewhere that would be classified as your seeker needing only to look in your general direction to find you will yield a -3 to your stealth roll. Unless the mission was intended for stealth, your thread leader may pull the 'no cheesing the bosses' card at their discretion which will cause something out of your character's control to blow their cover.

Critical Rolls

Sometimes, every once in about twenty rolls, you'll roll so well that you've performed what's known as a critical success. This occurs when you roll a natural 20. A natural 20, as opposed to just any 20, is a roll of 20 without factoring in your stat modifier. When you make a critical role, it obeys the following variant rules.

• Critical attacks cannot miss. The only exception to this is when the attack violates logic. See the rules and guidelines area of the guide for more on that.
• Critical attacks deal 15 extra damage and ignore all forms of damage resistance.
• Critical defenses always defeat non-critical attacks. Even if the non-critical attack has a higher roll overall, a critical defense will still beat it.
• When a critical attack meets a critical defense, it hits but no longer does extra damage or ignore damage resistance. Instead, it does normal damage.
  

Character Death

It is important to read the rules & guidelines section on combat and the rule about death contained within to fully grasp how death is intended to be handled, as it goes over the non-mechanical aspects of how death is intended to function. However, the basic rule of thumb is that death is never to be invoked lightly. Below is a breakdown of all the mechanics related to character death.

• At 0 HP or less, you enter a critical state. Having no HP alone will not kill you, though you can choose to allow your character to die at any time. It will, however, render you effectively helpless. You may be passed out, or simply too weak to keep fighting. Any roll performed while in this state is to be treated as if you rolled a natural 1. (You can force your roll to reflect this by changing the 1d20+mod to 1d1+mod). Abilities that do not require rolls and items cannot normally be used during this time.
• You can only enter a critical state so many times before you stay down. The second time a character enters a critical state they must beat a constitution check of 14 to leave it once your HP is positive again. (Or another number, at your thread leader's discretion) Else, they will suffer battle fatigue and remain in a critical state for the duration of the thread. If a character enters a critical state three times in a single thread they will always suffer battle fatigue.
• Fatalities may be performed on characters in a critical state. The exception is for characters suffering battle fatigue with positive HP. Their dodge rolls will always be a natural 1, but you must reduce them to negative HP before attempting a fatality.
• Fatalities will fail if there is an ally capable of interfering present.
  You may still attack downed characters to keep them from getting back to positive HP, however, you cannot attempt to guarantee their death until their allies are also in a critical state unless they consent to die.
• Dead characters may continue to exist as ghosts or in an afterlife. Dead characters cannot interact with the world around them unless the thread leader gives them special haunting permission. Be aware that if you choose to have your character move on to an afterlife that Heaven was destroyed in ancient lore.
• There are ways for dead characters to be resurrected. Certain very powerful artifacts and restricted NPC characters have the ability to bring characters back from the dead. Your friends may seek to bring you back on their own or you may attempt to go on a quest to find your own way back to life. Note that this is extremely rare from a lore standpoint and that this olive branch is only extended to you with the expectation that you will continue treating death with the seriousness it deserves. If you laugh in death's face, do not be surprised when it reaches out and bites you.

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Leveling up your character

A level is one of the many things you can buy with the coins you earn from posting in IC locations, as well as the most powerful permanent upgrade you can buy. Each level puts you a small step ahead of the competition and as you breach the higher levels you may even find that others have started noticing your power as well, for better or worse. Be warned, however, that reaching max level will be an arduous task. Below is a table listing the various levels and their rewards.

Level	Price	Reward
2	200 Coins	+1 Primary Stat Point
3	300 Coins	+1 Secondary Stat Point
4	400 Coins	+1 Ability.
5	500 coins	+1 Primary Stat Point
6	600 coins	+1 Secondary Stat Point
7	700 coins	+1 Ability
8	800 coins	+1 Primary Stat Point
9	900 coins	+1 Secondary Stat Point
10	1000 coins	Base HP raised to 120 NPCs begin to recognize your power
11	1000 coins	+1 Primary Stat Point
12	1200 coins	+1 Secondary Stat Point
13	1300 coins	Promote someone else's level 7 or below character 1 level for free.
14	1400 coins	+1 Primary Stat
15	2000 coins	Your character becomes the star of an ongoing staff-run plot.
16	1600 coins	+1 Secondary Stat
17	1700 coins	Promote someone else's level 9 or below character 1 level for free.
18	1800 coins	+1 Primary Stat
19	1900 coins	+1 Secondary Stat
20 (Max)	2500 coins	The level 15 plot concludes and your character receives a custom powerful artifact to enhance their abilities. Base HP increased to 150

How to earn coins

The only way to earn coins is by posting in IC locations. There are many different ways to earn coins through your posts, but OOC posts are not one of them. If you need to make an OOC comment in your post, we would request that you put it inside quotes just to be fair to the money calculating system, as the word count of your post plays a part in determining how many coins you get. Ways to earn coins are as followed, organized roughly in order of effectiveness.

1. Posting in IC locations (The payout rate is 3 coins plus a few extra coins for every 100 words typed.)
2. Monthly Activity Bonuses (At the end of the month you should get a small sum of coins depending on how many posts you made, capping at 50 posts for 100 extra coins.)
3. Upping your post rank (When you earn a new user title via posting a number of times, you will receive 50 coins)
4. Alumni Bonuses (You will gain additional tiny monthly bonuses based on your total post count)

There are two important things you need to know when trying to earn coins to prevent frustration:

• Do not use the mobile proboards site. When using the mobile site, all plugins are disabled. This includes the money plugin, meaning you will receive no coins if you do. If you simply must, let a staffer know so that we can review your post and manually add coins as necessary.
• The money plugin ignores edits. Likewise, you will not get any coins from editing your post, regardless of how much is changed. If you must add a bunch of text to your post that would change its coin output (Coins are awarded in brackets of 100 words) and you want your coins, be sure to let a staffer know so that they can compare the pre and post edits to compensate you accordingly.

Gaining new abilities

You can expand your character's powerset by purchasing tutoring/training at a shop or by using a book of secrets of the appropriate type. Book of Secrets is a rare consumable item given out for exceptionally difficult missions at the staff's discretion. They may also be given out for events, so keep an eye out for forum announcements! You may also get a few free new abilities simply by leveling up. If you can't afford training and you need a third option, you might consider looking for someone who has a book of secrets they do not want. They might be willing to part with it for a lower prince than you would have to pay getting training.