Miscellaneous Rules

Overlapping explosions and cluster explosives

When the blast areas of several explosives overlap, use the highest damage in the overlap as the baseline and add up the other area damage. Each time that sum reaches the baseline, the damage in the overlap rises by 1, and the baseline rises with it. The increase can't exceed five times the highest area damage of the same kind in the overlap other than the original baseline.

When you bind explosives into a cluster, its damage uses the same rules as overlapping explosions. To make a cluster explosive, make an INT + Crafts - Explosives Handling roll against a DC equal to the expected damage of the explosives. If the roll shows more 1s than 10s, the explosives go off, dealing damage equal to the successes accumulated so far.

Example 1: the bomb master Karasu sets off two yoki bombs at once. Each has 4 damage, so where their blast areas overlap, the actual damage is 5. But when three such bombs go off at once, the base damage of 4 doesn't meet the raised baseline, so the actual damage in the overlap is still 5.

Example 2: the bomb fiend Gokudera ties several grenades together into a cluster bomb. A grenade's base damage is 4L, so he needs at least two grenades to make a cluster grenade dealing 5L. After that, he needs explosives totaling 6L more to raise the cluster's damage again; with four grenades bound together, since two grenades add up to 8 base damage, the cluster grenade's damage rises to 6L.

Improvised weapons

When something not meant as a weapon is used as one, such as a table or a stool, its damage is usually the lower of its Hardness or Size. Attacks with it take a 2 DP equipment penalty and can only deal bashing damage, though the ST rules on special cases, such as a smashed beer bottle.

Flight mobility

Clumsy: taking off or landing takes a move action. Each 45-degree turn takes a move action, and you must move a number of meters equal to your Size between turns. You must move at least half your speed each round or fall. Your maximum climb angle is 30 degrees. In this state, your Base Defense drops to 1/4 of normal.

Average: each 90-degree turn takes a move action, and you must move a number of meters equal to your Size between turns. Your maximum climb angle is 45 degrees, and you must move at least half your speed each round or fall. In this state, your Base Defense drops to half of normal.

Good / agile: each 180-degree turn takes a move action, and you automatically gain the "Hover" Feat at level 1. Your maximum climb angle is 60 degrees. In this state, your Base Defense drops to 3/4 of normal.

Perfect: you can turn, hover, fly backward, or climb at full speed freely. You keep all your Base Defense.

Special flight maneuvers:

Hovering: you stay in midair without spending an action. Only perfect mobility or a floating ability lets you hover.

Speed set to a fixed value

When a resource sets your speed to a fixed value, for example 777 meters per round, the most you can move with one move action becomes half that value (rounded down), and you use the higher of that and your original movement speed; the two don't add together at all.

Also, such a speed isn't affected by effects that boost speed, because it isn't your base speed.

"Counts as" increases

Some resources say "counts as gaining X points of an Attribute" or "a Skill counts as X points higher".

Attributes and Skills that "count as" higher from such resources give the matching DP as normal, bring new extra successes as normal, and affect derived effects calculated from them. For example, Intelligence that counts as higher raises spellcasting rolls, and affects the Occult-based parts of certain spells' effects (such as range, damage, and duration).

But Attributes or Skills you only "count as" having don't count toward the prerequisites for casting or learning certain spells.

And unless stated otherwise, a Skill that only "counts as" higher can't go beyond 15.

What Size means

In the game, we usually measure Size in units of 40 centimeters: each extra 40 centimeters adds 1 Size.

For example: Size 1 is 0 to 40 cm, Size 2 is 41 to 80 cm, Size 3 is 81 to 120 cm, Size 4 is 121 to 160 cm, Size 5 is 161 to 200 cm, and so on.

In other words, if a weapon is around Size 3, we can treat its reach as 1 meter. If the weapon's Size reaches or exceeds 4, its reach can grow by 1 meter, and beyond 6 it can reach further.

Likewise, if a weapon says it extends reach by 2 meters, you can treat it as being around Size 5.

In general, Size treats a creature or item as a cube and measures it by its longest side.

So under the Infinite Horror rules, a grain of rice, a ping-pong ball, and a basketball are all Size 1.

Also, an object's Size changes with its state. A wound spool of sewing thread is only Size 1, but if you unwind it and pull it straight, it may be 5 meters long, so its Size is then 5 / 0.4 = 12.5, that is, Size 13.

Creature Size adjustments

An ordinary adult is Size 5. Only choosing the matching Feat or Flaw raises Size to 6 or lowers it to 4.

Some abilities or effects change a character's Size, and this supernatural change affects their body. A larger Size makes a character stronger and tougher, gives them a longer stride, and makes them easier to hit.

Changing Size has these effects:

A character's base movement speed depends on their Size.
A character's maximum Health depends on their Size.

Attribute changes from Size:

For every 2 points by which a character's Size is above 5, they gain a 1 DP size bonus on STR-related rolls, take a 1 DP size penalty on melee attack rolls, and the damage cap of their melee attacks rises by 1. For meeting equipment's Strength requirement, their Strength counts as 1 higher; for carrying capacity, their Strength counts as 1 higher. They also gain 1 point of Natural Armor, and take a 1-point penalty to Base Defense and Dodge Defense (Dodge Defense first), which can't make Dodge Defense or Base Defense negative.
For every 2 points by which a character's Size is below 5, they take a 1 DP size penalty on STR-related rolls, gain a 1 DP size bonus on melee attack rolls, and their melee damage cap drops by 1. For meeting equipment's Strength requirement, their Strength counts as 1 lower; for carrying capacity, their Strength counts as 1 lower. They also gain 1 Dodge Defense and lose 1 Natural Armor, which can't make Natural Armor negative.

Note that only permanent increases or decreases in Size bring the adjustments above; temporary changes to Size don't.

How Size changes affect items

Items don't change when a character's Size changes.

If a character's Size changes too much, an item may stop working for them.

Weapons and tools: if the character's Size and the weapon's or tool's Size differ by more than 5, each point beyond that gives the character a stacking 2 DP equipment penalty on rolls using it, because it doesn't fit. This stacks with equipment penalties from not meeting the item's prerequisites. If the total penalty exceeds 6, the weapon or tool can't be used, just as if the character were 3 or more below a prerequisite.

Armor and shields: if the character's Size and the armor's or shield's Size differ by more than 5, each point beyond that gives the character an extra 2 points of Armor Penalty, or 2 less Shield Defense, because it doesn't fit. If these penalties exceed 6, the armor or shield can't be used, just as if the character were 3 or more below a prerequisite.

Example 1: a player with Strength 1 "simply can't use" a Size 4 kite shield (the equipment penalty from its Strength requirement reaches 6).

Example 2: a gnome with Strength 3 and Size 3 also "simply can't use" this kite shield made for Size 5 characters (the equipment penalty from its Strength requirement is 4, and the parry penalty from the size mismatch is 2).

The ST rules on special cases; for example, a dagger 2 Size larger than normal could be used as a heavy sword (Size 3) with no penalty.

Unless stated otherwise, items in the rules are made for Size 5 units.

Climbing large creatures

When facing a creature at least twice your Size, you can make a climbing roll to cling onto it instead of a grapple roll. If you do, you make a STR + Athletics (Climbing) roll, and the target makes a DEX + Athletics (Balance) roll. If you succeed, you cling on, and can keep acting depending on your margin of success; if it is more than 3, you can take a standard action as normal. If you fail, you are thrown off: roll 1D8 for the direction, and your margin of failure decides how many meters you are thrown.

On its turn, the target can spend a move action, or a swift action if it moved during its turn, to throw you off. It makes a DEX + Athletics (Balance) roll opposed by your STR + Athletics (Climbing). If it succeeds, you lose your grip and are thrown off: roll 1D8 for the direction, and your margin of failure decides how many meters you are thrown.

Squeezing

When Size is forcibly squeezed:

For example, when two people squeeze into a tight space, each counts as 1 Size smaller, and each extra person makes it 1 smaller again.

Or when squeezing through a narrow passage, the character's Size is worked out from the passage's width.

In such cases, if the character's Size drops by 1, they lose 1 Dodge Defense or Base Defense. If it drops by 2, they lose all their Base Defense and Dodge Defense.

Without a special ability, a character can't force their Size down by 3 or more.

Rolling several times for one roll and keeping the highest or lowest

Some abilities let a player roll several times for a single roll and keep the highest or lowest result.

In such cases, add and subtract the number of times as normal.

Example 1: keep the highest of 3, plus keep the highest of 2. Subtract the 1 base roll from each: 2 extra plus 1 extra is 3 extra, so you end up rolling 4 times and keeping the highest.

Example 2: keep the highest of 2, plus keep the lowest of 2. Subtract the 1 base roll from each: 1 extra minus 1 extra is 0 extra, so you end up rolling once.

Contracts that establish identity

Contract abilities that establish an identity between people (such as master and servant) are limited to one per character unless stated otherwise; a later one overrides an earlier one.

For example, two people who have signed a Gandalfr contract can't sign a Servant contract with anyone else (see the Heroic Spirit Augmentation), whether as Master or as Servant.

But there may be exceptions. For example, someone already confirmed as a Servant in a Servant contract can still be confirmed as a Master in another Servant contract to gain a Servant of their own; this is set by the Servant contract itself. Even so, they still can't sign a Gandalfr contract with anyone else.

Upgrading resources

A note on later upgrades along a resource's branches: unless it uses words like "extra", "further", or "on top of", the same effect replaces rather than stacks.

Also, if a resource lets you "choose one D-Rank Skill or spell to gain", then unless stated otherwise, you can also choose one at DD-Rank.

How much NPCs like you

When playing a session, how do you put numbers on how much an NPC likes the players? What do they do at each attitude? Here are the attitudes put into numbers.

Attitude	Meaning	Possible actions
Hostile	Trading their life for yours would be a bargain	Attacks you, gets in your way, accuses you
Unfriendly	Makes things go wrong for you as far as they can while staying safe	Misleads you in conversation, gossips behind your back, suspects you first when something odd happens, insults you, runs away from you
Wary	Somewhat suspicious of you	Keeps quiet about important matters in conversation (but doesn't lie), deliberately avoids you
Indifferent	Doesn't care about you	Ordinary social activity
Friendly	Likes you a little	Happy to share their information and views with you, gives you a little help
Helpful	Helps you as much as they can without harming their own interests	Friendly conversation, talks you out of risky or nasty behavior, helps you within limits, backs you when needed, gives you medical care out of combat, includes you in group buffs
Devoted	Willing to give their life to help you	Protects you in combat, supports what you do (however crazy or nasty it sounds), gives you medical care in combat, spends time in combat giving you single-target buffs
Obedient *	Only beasts can have this attitude; it means fully tamed	Acts cute with you, plays with you, shows you its weak spots and scales, lets you ride it

Follow-up rolls

For when you use an ability and can then roll again and again using that ability's result or a similar roll.

Abilities that affect the roll only affect the values of the first roll; no bonus is counted again on the later rolls.

Attacking each target in an area separately

When you use such an ability, you can still only attack targets you have located.

If the attack is still a single-target attack in Essence, you still can't affect swarm creatures.

Time-reversal abilities

Time-reversal abilities can't restore the following:

Consumables that have been used.
Uses of abilities or items with limited uses.
Exchanges.
XP that has been spent.

Independent beings that belong to a player

Unless stated otherwise, summons, clones, artificial intelligences, and AIs that have their own separate body (such as a Haro) get a swift action, a move action, and a standard action each round, like a normal character. If it has no Initiative or special note, it acts along with its master's round, and the master chooses whether it acts before or after them.

Summons summoned by a summon also belong to the original summoner, so all limits, numbers, Energy Pools, and similar things that arise from them are worked out from the original summoner. Energy, uses, and anything else a summon spends all count against its master's Energy Pools and uses.

Your own summons never count as enemies, even if a summon attacks you.

In general, when a summon dies or disappears, it leaves no corpse, and everything it brought (items, buffs, and so on) disappears with it, unless stated otherwise. At the same time, you can't use anything on a summon as a prerequisite or material for your abilities.

You can't meet any condition through your interactions with a summon or the state it is in, such as true love or an ally dying, unless stated otherwise.

As a special case, since a clone is a clone of you, it can't be the target of copying, duplication, or imitation, and can't join any faction, organization, system, and so on.

Whatever the clone's current situation, reading or scanning its values (Attributes, Skills, and so on) with an ability gives you its master's original values.

When a clone dies, disappears, or is dispelled, it doesn't trigger any ability that triggers on death, even a passive one.

A clone inherits every state active on its original, including but not limited to buffs and conditions, along with their durations, but the inherited durations are counted separately.

Unless stated otherwise, clones don't need to use Willpower's basic use.

Unless stated otherwise, clones can't use active abilities.

Unless stated otherwise, a clone has the same creature type as its original.

Unless stated otherwise, threatening actions taken by independent beings that belong to you are still taken by you. For example, if you have an ability where A can't attack you as long as you don't attack A, and you order an independent creature that belongs to you to attack A, that action is taken by you and the creature together, and A can then attack you as normal.

Unless stated otherwise, a clone can't inherit your Gene Lock, Light of the Soul, or anything else related to Gene Locks, including Gene Lock proficiency and rolls to open them.

Substitute rolls

In some cases, when a character makes a roll, part of the dice pool is replaced with something else.

For example: a Blade attack roll is STR + Blade + weapon damage. When the character gains "you can use DEX instead of STR for Blade attack rolls", their Blade attack roll becomes DEX + Blade + weapon damage.

Unless stated otherwise, the substitute can't replace the original's derived attributes or derived values, and can't be substituted a second time.

For example: using DEX instead of STR for a roll doesn't let you use Dexterity to work out the damage cap.

For example: if PRE substitutes for an attack roll, you can't use Presence in place of Intelligence for the attack roll in spellcasting.

Lasting 1 round

As a special note, because of timing and certain special cases, any ability that lasts 1 round and has already passed this round's resolution point when it starts doesn't end at the start of the next round; instead, it ends right after its effect triggers once.
For example: during your round, you gain fast healing 3, lasting 1 round. Since your round's resolution point has passed, it doesn't take effect. Then, as a 1-round effect, it would end before the start of your next round, but since it hasn't triggered yet, its duration is pushed back until after its effect triggers once.

Extra health tracks

Resources include things like "use your maximum Willpower as second Health", "use your mana as second Health", and a number of similar abilities. When such a trait activates, a new maximum Health is created based on your current maximum Willpower or maximum mana (or other matching Energy Pool), as second Health. From then on, spending Willpower or mana (or the other matching energy) doesn't affect your second Health.

Amplifying

Some abilities in the resources let players amplify them.

Amplifying covers amplification cost, amplification effect, and amplification cap, which are usually described in the matching amplification effect.

Some abilities improve amplification, for example:

If the ability can be amplified, it is already amplified X points (times): in this case, it counts as already amplified. If it hasn't reached the cap, you can keep amplifying, but the cap doesn't change, and further amplification continues from the already-amplified state. (For example, the 1st amplification costs 1 mana and the 2nd costs 2 mana. If it is already amplified once, amplifying further costs 2 mana.)

If the ability can be amplified, amplification costs X points less: in this case, you amplify as normal, but you don't pay X points of the extra energy cost.

If the ability can be amplified, the amplification cap rises by X points (times): in this case, your amplification rises by X points, or possibly X times.

Some abilities cost more than 1 energy per amplification. For example: a character has an ability that counts as already amplified 3 points, and each amplification costs 2 mana. The character's first amplification costs nothing, and the second costs 1.

Copying abilities

Some resources may have abilities that copy other people's abilities. Unless stated otherwise, when you use an ability you copied, you must also meet its conditions for use (that is, you must have the same kind of energy that powers that Technique or Skill, and meet the Skill's prerequisites). For example, without the Nanaya bloodline, you can't copy the Nanaya body arts; if you aren't a vampire, you can't copy vampire powers; without C-Rank Sword Cultivation, you can't copy the sword move "One Step Ends the Mortal World". For spells, you must see the other side's whole casting process from start to finish and have a spellcaster role of the same level and matching type. Whether or not the other side heightened or developed the spell, you only get its original version. You also can't copy abilities with limited uses.

Also, a copied ability can't serve as a prerequisite for other abilities, and you can't gain any benefit from other abilities because of it.

Damage riders

Some abilities add an effect based on the damage dealt. In such cases, only count the damage originally dealt; extra damage, or damage from other abilities, doesn't count.

For example: you have "If you damage a target, deal burn points to it equal to the damage." You deal 3 damage to a target, plus 2 extra damage, so the target takes 3 burn points.

Techniques

A Technique is any ability you bought that must be activated, including but not limited to cultivation methods, footwork arts, things attached to an attack action, and Skills activated with a standard action.

In general, activating a Technique defines how that attack is made. For Techniques with a duration (such as cultivation methods and footwork arts), the Technique sets out the specific bonuses.

Any time a resource says to make a basic attack, it is an attack that can't use a Technique.

Special: passives aren't Techniques.

Prerequisites

When a character gains an ability that has a prerequisite,

once they lose that prerequisite, they lose all traits, abilities, and so on that the ability brings (including but not limited to creature type, Skills, Attributes, Energy Pools, altered appearance, and so on), until they meet the prerequisite again. But any slot it takes up stays taken.

When judging prerequisites for buying and using resources, temporary Attributes don't count for any prerequisite, except for items, which are a special case where temporary Attributes do count.
Example: someone with a base Dexterity of 1, holding a weapon that adds 2 Dexterity, can't upgrade an Augmentation with a Dexterity 3 prerequisite, but can use an item with a Dexterity 3 prerequisite.

Temporary conditions imposed by the Overseer don't count as losing a prerequisite.

Example: an exchange requires Chinese nationality. After being dropped into a story world, the player is given American nationality. Although the player has lost their Chinese nationality, the exchange doesn't stop working; the exchange's prerequisite is suspended for the time being.

The ST can rule as appropriate on special prerequisites of special resources.

Example: a Space Marine requires male sex characteristics as a prerequisite. If the player takes a groin kick, or loses those characteristics in a horror film, the ST can rule based on the campaign's mood and the situation at hand.

Self-harming abilities

Some resources have abilities like "deals XX unavoidable damage to yourself" or "deals XX unavoidable XX condition points to yourself". We call these self-harming abilities.

Such abilities give a bonus or effect by hurting yourself or putting certain states on yourself. Unless stated otherwise, this damage that can't be reduced or avoided, similar penalties (such as a gravity bracelet), and the various states (conditions, elation) can't be blocked or canceled by any means of your own.

That includes ignoring the first few points, reduction, and so on: even if you have very powerful immunities, you must take the penalty or damage as the Skill describes. If a Skill's activation condition is taking damage, and that damage would kill you, the condition counts as not met and it can't be activated.

About conflicts

For example: a weapon has both the "Tachi" and "Spear" categories. The character has learned "City-Burning Spear Arts" and "Shinmei-ryu".

City-Burning Spear Arts: you gain the [Spear] Specialty in Blade. To use City-Burning Spear Arts, you must use a [Polearm] of the spear, lance, or similar Specialty category that deals piercing damage, and you must use Strength as the roll's key Attribute.

Shinmei-ryu: when using a weapon matching the Tachi Specialty, whatever its Size, you must use DEX instead of STR for Blade rolls, unless the weapon itself forbids it.

These two abilities conflict. In this case, you can't make the Blade roll.

Other similar cases are also handled by not being able to take the matching action.

Teleportation
Teleportation is usually a space ability.
Unless stated otherwise, teleporting lets you escape a grapple and physical restraints or binding abilities directly.
If the teleport ability needs a somatic component, check whether you can make the gestures while restrained; if not, you can't activate it.
The destination of a teleport usually must be open ground not occupied by anything else. If it isn't, the teleport fails or you appear in an adjacent square; the exact position must be the nearest to the original destination, and if there are several, pick one at random.
Unless stated otherwise, teleporting needs line of effect and line of sight as normal.

Gaining extra successes equal to some value's extra successes

In this case, you gain all of that value's current extra successes.

For example: if your STR rolls gain extra successes equal to your Will roll's, then when you make a STR roll, count all your current Will roll extra successes and gain that many.

Lifespan

A natural human's lifespan is usually 70 + D20 years. Counting the character's upgrades, each D of Rank adds 5 years to their natural lifespan, and each ability that changes their creature Essence adds 10 years (such as becoming a creature of darkness).

Counting the same Skill more than once

Bonuses from the same Skill: use the highest.\
The same trait or Skill is only counted once in a chain of resolutions. Even if a state change along the way would let it slot in again, it isn't counted again, and once the chain is done, the Skills or traits that took part in it can't start a new chain because of the state change. Example: trait A lets a player add their Legendary Intelligence to Perception as a perfect bonus, and trait B lets them add their Legendary Perception to Intelligence as a perfect bonus. Skill A gives a perfect bonus to Intelligence and raises the player's Legendary Intelligence. Resolve Skill A, then trait A; if trait A raises Legendary Perception, resolve trait B; if trait B would let trait A resolve again, it doesn't count.
As a special case, players can decide the order their traits trigger in, but the Skill that triggers the traits must come at the start of the chain.