Traps - Using and Encountering Traps
There are three types of traps in the game: level based traps, "zero-level" traps, and contraptions.
Zero-level traps are stationary, simple traps such as a pit trap. They can't be armed or disarmed, they simply exist. Each zero-level trap has a fixed effect on anyone who is impacted by it. If someone falls into a pit trap they take two leg wounds and cannot leave the pit, for example. Players can't normally create zero-level traps.
Level based traps may or may not be stationary depending no the trap, and are armed with a trap tag. A level based trap typically has a buzzer in it that indicates when the trap has been sprung. Other traps could potentially exist with rules and plot approval on a case by case basis. These traps must be created to be disarmable in some fashion. Any character can attempt to disarm a trap - prevent the buzzer or triggering mechanism from functioning. If the buzzer doesn't go off the trap has been avoided.
Level based traps are each armed with trap tags indicating what the trap does if the trigger is hit. A level based trap can be armed with a number of trap tags equal to or less than it's level. When the trap is sprung, each of these tags take effect going from front to back, then the trap tags should be destroyed. Only the player who triggers the trap is affected by any trap tags included. It is helpful if traps have a clothes pin inside of them to hold the trap tags, but this is not a requirement. When a trap has been disarmed, trap tags can be removed and even kept for later use. The exception to this is if the trap tag say it is "fragile". Fragile trap tags can be disarmed but should be destroyed immediately whether the trap went off or not.
Level based traps that are in containers can be armed and moved, but the person carrying the trap is the one affected by it if the buzzer goes off for any reason. Those which take the form of trip wires, pressure plates, etc should are stationary once armed and should only be moved if disarmed.
Contraptions function like level based traps in that they have a trigger, typically a buzzer that indicates when they are activated. Instead of being armed with trap tags though, a contraption is armed with a single beneficial scroll, potion or alchemical. The item is consumed when the contraption is triggered.
Contraptions are always personal items. When triggered, regardless of how they are triggered, the effect contained in the contraption affects the person who owns and is wearing the contraption.
Traps never inflict killing blows unless they explicitly say that they do.
Pit Traps
A pit traps is a zero-level trap, represented in game by tarps on the ground. If a player touches the tarp in any way their character is considered to have "fallen" into the pit.
The default effect of falling into a pit is two automatic leg wounds. When an effect causes an "automatic wound", ignore any armor (of any kind) or body the character may have. An appropriate immunity effect can still prevent an automatic wound, however damage requirements will NOT prevent automatic wounds.
If a pit has other effects a NPC will be around to inform players of what those effects are. Once a character has fallen into a pit they are stuck in it until another character assists them in getting out through role-playing.
Ingested Poisons
An ingested poison is a type of poison. Ingested poisons are consumables generally given to other characters through subterfuge and trickery (or just when they are helpless). It should be noted that ingested poisons only give the poisoned condition if they cause a poison call or otherwise specifically say they do. Even if they do not give the poisoned condition a character with an immunity to poison is still immune to ingested poisons.
To use an ingested poison it must be role-played being poured into a drink or onto food (assuming you can't somehow trick someone into drinking the poison straight out of the vial), then a green dot is applied to the container, typically on the bottom. This green dot gives characters with the herbalist skill a chance to identify that the food or drink is not safe before anyone ingests it. In the event that someone ingests the poison they should then be notified of exactly which poison they consumed.
Blade poisons, ingested poisons, and thrown poisons all require the herbalist skill to use. If a character attempts to use any of these types of alchemy compounds they fail to use the item successfully and suffer the effects as if the item were used on them.
Limits (Caps) to Character Stats
Each character has a natural maximum limit on certain stats generally referred to as a "cap" that can only ever be exceeded by rare effects which explicitly allow a character to break that cap. Rules and abilities that exceed a cap are said to "break cap" or say a character can go past a certain limit. Non-player characters follow these same rules when they are from the playable PC races but may be exempt from these limits if they are other races or creature types.
Weapon damage, body, magic power points, production points, crafting points, physical armor, and magical armor are all affected by these caps. There is also a limit on using spells imbued in magic objects.
- When wielded by themselves melee weapons have a cap of 4 damage
- While dual wielding your melee damage is capped at 2.
- Wielding a shield in combat limits your melee damage to a cap of 2. Note that passive bucklers do not have this cap.
- Thrown weapon damage has a cap of 2.
- Missile weapons have a cap of 4 damage.
- Body has a cap of 4 points.
- Physical armor has a cap of 4 points.
- Magic armor has a cap of 4 points.
- A character can only spend a total of 20 magic power points between any two convergences unless an ability or effect explicitly allows them to break that limit.
- Characters are capped at a total of 20 crafting points from all sources.
- Characters are restricted to a cap of 20 production points from all sources.