Hexenstein

Calls

Verbals are phrases called out as you deliver an attack. A verbal has an effect and a trait. The effect indicates how you must play when you are affected. The trait gives the effect flavor and determines which defenses and cures can be used with the effect. Examples in order of increasing complexity.

• "5 Damage" delivered by a packet is an Effect with no Trait.
• "5 Damage" delivered by melee strike or missle implicitly has the Weapon trait.
• "Agony by Fire" is an Agony Effect, with the Fire Trait. Any defenses the player may have against either Agony or Fire can be used against this call.
• "Grant Defense by Fortune: Elude by Cunning" is a Grant effect with the Fortune trait that imbues the effectee with the ability to use the Elude effect with the Cunning trait

Verbals are out of game calls. If you are able to perform a skill with a verbal component while under the effect of a Silence, you must call the verbal as usual. You must listen for verbals and play out the effect. If you hear a verbal, your character also knows what happened.

You must finish the verbal for a called attack before launching a packet or missile attack. You call out the verbal as you swing a melee attack. If there is an incantation, which is an in game phrase associated with an attack, then that must be clearly spoken before the verbal. This is true for melee, missile and packet attacks.

All called hits must be acknowledged with role play that makes it clear to the attacker that you took the effect.

Fortes and Traits

Fortes are Traits that are applied to Skills, both from Paths and from Professions, when the Effect granted by the skill has no Trait explicitly referenced. Some Fortes are Optional, meaning Players can choose whether to apply the Trait each time they use a Skill, while other Fortes are Mandatory, meaning that Players must always apply the Trait when using their Skills. Note that some Professions have different Offensive and Defensive Fortes, which should be applied only to relevant Skills—only use a Defensive Forte to apply a Trait to Defensive Skills and such.

Generally Traits are simply flavor to the attack but sometimes Defenses may be used against Effects with specific traits (e.g. a Fire Elemental would likely call "No Effect" to any attacks with the Fire Trait).

Called vs Uncalled Damage

A melee or ranged attack that has no verbal causes 1 point of damage, and are known as "Uncalled Attacks.” Any attack with a verbal component is considered a "Called Attack". In general Accelerant, when you are reduced to 0 (or fewer) Vitality you are rendered Unconscious, and are either Stable or Unstable based on the type of Attack that you were hit by. However, in Hexenstein you will always fall Unstable regardless of the attack due to the "Fugit Irreparabile Tempus" effect detailed in Special Effects below.

Unconsciousness, Bleedout, and Death

When you are Unconscious, you are incapacitated and must collapse to the ground. You must close your eyes and you cannot move or speak while you are unconscious. You cannot use game skills unless a skill explicitly explains that it can be used while unconscious.

If your character is Unstable, you should begin a 1 minute countdown as you are bleeding out. If someone begins to use First Aid on you, you must pause this count, but if they do not cast a Stabilize or Heal effect on you before ending their touch-cast, you must resume the count from where you were. If you receive a Heal Effect, you are immediately rendered Conscious and may get back up. If you receive a Stabilize Effect, you are rendered Stable and may follow the rules to follow.

If your character is Stable, you will remain Unconscious for 5 minutes after which you will wake up with 1 point of Vitality. If you are struck by any damage (Called or Uncalled) during this period, you will be rendered Unstable (as above).

If you either are dropped Unstable and finish your 1 minute bleed out count, or are Unconscious and struck with a Death-Strike, or are conscious and hit with a Death effect: you are Dead. Any Effects that were on your character immediately end (beneficial or otherwise). Instructions about the specific nature of Death and Resurrection will be given at game. Briefly, there will be an in-game location that your Ghost travels to where you will be resurrected and may return to game from there. Players will have some number of allowed resurrections before they are no longer able to revive and the character will be permanently Dead and you must create a new one.

Construction and Measurements

Details about weapon sizes and acceptable materials can be found here on Madrigal's site.

Latex Weapons

As per Accelerant policy, we do not generally allow latex weapons, so if you wish to introduce one of these weapons as a playtest you must contact staff before the event. These weapons rarely have the foam thickness or tip construction to pass safety inspections. In addition, any latex weapon we would consider for a playtest would need to be sealed so the raw latex is coated due to allergy concerns.

Without a specific good reason, it is safe to assume that latex weapons should not be considered.

Caestus

Construction

Caestus props should not extend more than 3” past a wearer's elbow, forearm, or the back of the wearer's hand, in any direction. A caestus should not exceed 108” in square surface area. They must be constructed of weapon-safe materials (we recommend blue camp mat for impact areas and EVA foam for embellishments). A Caestus must be crafted such that when they are struck by a melee weapon prop being used correctly neither the weapon prop nor the Caestus is damaged.

Mechanical Effect

The effect of a Caestus is two-fold:

• You may physically block attacks with it as you would block with a Shield.
• It adds one point to Melee Attacks or Heals that you perform that have a numerical component (e.g., a 2 Damage melee attack becomes a 3 Damage, a Heal 2 becomes a Heal 3, etc.). Melee Attacks and Heals with no numerical component are not impacted.

In addition to the base rules and effects of the Accelerant system, Hexenstein utilizes some additional rules that apply to all characters.

Fugit Irreparabile Tempus

When dropped to 0 Vitality you fall Unstable regardless of the amount, source, and type of Damage or Effect that caused you to lose your last point of Vitality. Additionally, if you are stuck by Uncalled Damage while Unconscious but Stable, you are rendered Unstable and must begin a bleed out count.

Unflinching Resolve

All Characters (PC and NPC alike) are considered to be perpetually Concentrating—striking a character with a Melee attack does not prevent them from making Ranged Attacks, and they do not need to call “Concentrate.”

Staggered and Left Reeling

If you are struck by someone calling “Stagger,” you are left reeling by a powerful attack. You may choose to either take two steps away from the source of the attack (provided it is safe to do so Out of Game), or to take the effect as an Agony effect that lasts for 3 seconds instead of the normal 10 seconds.

The Vapors

When you are in a location Tagged or otherwise noted as having a “Miasma” you may only Rest to recover your Aether a number of times equal to your Maximum Void. This situation only resolves when you leave the Miasmal location or are otherwise informed by Staff/NPCs that the Miasma has dissipated. This same mechanic applies if you are affected by an “Inflict Miasma” call.

I Lift Things Up and Put Them Down

As soon as you move an object marked with a Tag that says “Heavy,” you take a Short Slow effect and can only walk very slowly. You may only begin to Rest off this Short Slow after you are no longer holding the object. Unless otherwise noted, Heavy objects may not be thrown.