Breath, Battle, and Gloom
Player Characters in Hexenstein: Of Empty Thrones have a variety of Attributes. Attributes can often be expended to trigger Skills, or cause certain game effects when they are exhausted. Different Attributes can be regained in various ways, most of which can be remembered through the moniker ‘Breath, Battle, and Gloom.’
Primary Attributes
The four primary attributes and the game functions most commonly associated with them are:
Aether:
Minor benefits, simple attacks, techniques performed by rote
Pattern:
Defenses, healing, and other beneficial effects
Flux:
Strong attacks, significant offensive changes to the flow of battle
Void:
Very powerful effects suitable for dramatic moments
Breath
Player Characters can Rest for 1 minute, even in battle, to Refresh all of their Aether. This process may be referred to as a “Short Rest.”
Battle
If a Player Character can Rest for 5 minutes without seeing or hearing combat, or in a location which is designated to be a Safe Haven, that Player Character will Refresh all of their Pattern and all of their Flux. This process may be referred to as a “Long Rest.”
Gloom
The first time a Player Character takes a Long Rest after the sun rises or sets Refreshes all of their Void.
Special Attributes
In addition to the above Primary Attributes, there are a variety of Special Attributes.
Vitality:
Vitality is a measure of how much pain and injury a Character can sustain before losing consciousness (and most likely dying). For every point of Damage a Character takes, their Vitality is reduced by one. All Characters begin with 1 point of Vitality. Your choice of Origin, Path, and Profession, as well as certain Qualities, Items, and In Game Effects, will affect your Character’s Maximum Vitality (Remember: No Player Character may ever have a combined total of Vitality and Armor higher than 10.). Note: When a Character loses their last point of Vitality, they fall Unstable, regardless of the amount or type of damage or how they lost their last point of Vitality.
Psyche:
Psyche is a reflection of a Character’s strength of will, determination, and desire to take action. When a Character’s Psyche temporarily drops to 0, they take a Drain effect. This Drain cannot be prevented or mitigated in any way. So long as they are Drained in this way, Characters are encouraged to roleplay a state of mental exhaustion, despair, shock, or (safely expressed) panic. The Drain will end after 5 minutes of Rest, or as soon as the Character regains at least 1 point of Psyche. Further, when the Character regains any amount of Psyche, they can resume behaving normally. A Character at 0 Psyche will Refresh 1 (and only 1) point of Psyche after 5 minutes, whether they are resting or not. Remember: Characters cannot reach a state of 2+ Psyche through Rest alone.