Calls in Combat and Types of Damage

Site Index | > Combat Rules | > Combat Calls

Calls in Combat and Types of Damage

Combat calls are used to convey information about attacks and special abilities characters have. Some calls are used only with attacks, others are used to announce defenses, and some calls just let people know that you benefit from an ongoing effect.

When you make an attack you announce the damage you will deal to another character by making a combat call, such as "3" or "3 normal" both of which indicate that you are dealing 3 points of normal damage. If no number is announced when you attack with a weapon it is assumed that you are dealing 1 point damage with your attack. Some attacks have no calls at all in which case they inflict 1 normal damage. Other types of damage can be dealt by stating the type after the number, so "2 magic" means 2 points of magic damage.

An attack counts as all things called. Sometimes one call can change some properties of other calls attached. For example the poison call makes an attack not a spell even if the other parts of the attack normally indicate spells.

If a player is using a weapon they have not yet identified but they recognize it as being made of a special material because of the weapon's color that player should make the corresponding call when attacking with that weapon.

When an effect allows you to call for something different with a weapon than you would normally call, you must choose which call to use when you make your attacks. If the something different only applies to the "next successful hit", and you choose not to use it when you make that hit, the effect is wasted.

For example if a character who deals 2 damage with each melee attack has a sword that deals "Nature" damage and they apply Scorpion's Kiss to that weapon so that it can deal "poison weaken" damage for the next successful hit. When they make that successful hit against an opponent they can choose to call "2 nature" or "poison weaken". They may not call "2 Nature poison weaken". Regardless of the effect they choose, the Scorpion's Kiss will be expended after that successful hit.

All the Combat Calls of Kingdoms of Novitas

Everyone should know these basic game information calls.

Game Information Calls
Source of Call	Description	Call
Game Hold	Everyone stops what they are doing immediately and repeats the call	'Game Hold' or 'Hold'
Game On	Used after a game hold or time stop to indicate a return to normal play	'3, 2, 1, Game On'
Time Stop	Players stop what they are doing and cover their eyes and ears	'Time Stop'

These are the only calls in the game that are used to respond to another players attack. Every player should know what these calls mean.

Defensive Information Calls
Source of Call	Description	Call
No Effect	Announces to another player that a previous call had no effect	'No Effect'
Immunity	Announces to another character that a previous call had no effect.	'No Effect'
Light Blows	If blows are significantly too light, players within reason can ignore the hit	'Light'
Fast Blows	If blows are too rapid, players within reason can ignore the hit	'Too Fast'
Hard Blows	If an opponent is hitting too hard they need to know it	'Hard'
Hand	An opponent hits your hand which is holding a weapon so you don't take the hit.	'Hand'

These calls indicate that a special kind of damage is being dealt. Some of them give negative conditions if you take damage from them. Every player should know what these calls do.

Combat Information Calls (Special Information for an attack)
Source of Call	Description	Call
Numbers	The amount of damage an attack will deal if successful. No number means 1 damage.	'1', '2', '3', etc
Normal	A standard attack. No special call required.	'nothing' or 'Normal'
Wound	Causes a wound to a specified location that typically cannot be prevent	'Torso Wound'
Blunt	Blunt wounds last only 10 minutes or can be healed normally.	'Blunt'
Poison	Causes the poisoned condition. Makes a spell call mundane, shield-blockable,	'Poison'
Goblin Iron	Deals poison damage.	'Poison'
Disease	If wounded or body points are damaged gives the diseased condition.	'Disease'

These calls cause attacks to ignore certain specific defense abilities. You only need to know these calls if you have a defense (such as armor, shields, and spell effects) that tells you to pay attention to one of these calls.

Modifier Calls
Source of Call	Description	Call
Acid	Destroys shields after four damage. Makes effects mundane, always shield-blockable.	'Acid'
Slay	Deals full damage to monstrous creatures.	'Slay'
Pierce	Ignores a target's armor	'Pierce'
Smite	Removes damage requirements, kill conditions, and ability to dissipate or cast ley lines	'Smite'

These calls modify the type of damage an attack deals. Some creatures require a certain type of damage to be hurt and others are immune to some types of damage. You only ever need to know any of these calls if you have a weapon or ability that attacks for that damage type, or you have a defense related to one of these calls.

Damage Type Calls
Source of Call	Description	Call
Magic	A damage type created by some spells	'Magic'
Silver	Some targets are only hurt by this call.	'Silver'
Elven Steel	Counts as silver and elven steel for overcoming defenses.	'Elven Steel'
Poison	Causes the poisoned condition. Makes a spell call mundane, shield-blockable,	'Poison'
Blight	Counts as poison, and blight for overcoming defenses. Causes the poisoned condition	'Blight'
Nature	Some targets are only hurt by this call.	'Nature'
Primal	Counts as 'nature', and 'primal' damage for overcoming defenses.	'Primal'

These calls indicate an offensive spell effect. They never inflict damage. If the call is paired with poison the attack is not a spell. Every player should try to know what these calls mean. If you have to ask questions to learn an effect, don't be afraid to do so, these can take a while to learn.

Offensive Spell Calls
Source of Call	Description	Call
Banish	Forces a target to dissipate for 10 minutes	'Banish'
Charm	Forces a target to become more friendly for 10 minutes	'Charm'
Curse	Inflicts the curse condition, reducing body to 1	'Curse'
Disengage	Prevents others from acting with hostility towards the caller.	'Disengage'
Dispel	Removes magical effects from target.	'Dispel'
Dominate	Forces a target to follow 'Attack, Defend, Move, Stop, or Loot Yourself' orders	'Dominate'
Enfeeble	Prevents target from incanting for spells or rituals	'Enfeeble'
Grounding	Keeps a character from vanishing or benefiting from illusions	'Grounding'
Memory Loss	Erases victims memory of the last 10 minutes.	'Memory Loss'
Pin	Traps targets feet to the ground.	'Pin'
Silence	Prevents a target from using their voice in-game.	'Silence'
Terror	Freezes, pins, silence, weakens, and disengages target	'Terror'
Weaken	Causes the victim to strike for half damage with physical attacks.	'Weaken'

These calls announce information about a spell effect and are never used offensively. The player affecting group are likely to affect players and they should try to learn them. The NPC affecting ones generally only impact NPC's, so players can take more time to learn what they do.

Player Affecting Announcement Spell Calls
Source of Call	Description	Call
Detect <Type>	A call used to detect things of the type called. You must respond out of game with the type listed if you match it!'	'Detect <Type>'
Dissipate	Allows a character to escape danger by becoming intangible and unfindable.	'Dissipate'
Sanctuary	Creates a 20 foot bubble of physical peace around the caster.	'Sanctuary'
Unhallow	Prevents the living from entering an area.	'Unhallow'

NPC Affecting Announcement Spell Calls
Source of Call	Description	Call
Ghastly Visage	Caller tricks undead into thinking they are also undead.	'Brains'
Sanctify	Creates hallowed ground that drives off undead	'Sanctify'

Categories: Combat Rules | Combat Calls | Terminology

<< Being Helpless | Combat Rules | Blunt Calls >>

Powered by PmWiki