FAQ

With no bleeding out, what happens if we all go down?

For starters, everyone will have to make a wound draw from being down for longer than 15 seconds. After that there may be further immediate consequences, such as the PCs being looted, having harmful EFFECTs applied, or have further non-Dire wounds inflicted upon them. There will almost certainly be knock-on effects on later linear encounters or plot due to the NPCs succeeding at their goal. After making their wound draws PCs are revived on one hit point and can continue.

It's possible there will be high stakes encounters where a party wipe will mean execution or conversion to DPCs. These cases will be telegraphed beforehand.

Can I capture people?

Yes, but you must pay attention to your captive to prevent them from escaping. If you incapacitate someone and then distract them sufficiently with interaction they will not recover from their incapacitated state. If you ignore them for long however they may be able to gather their strength and make a run for it. A terminal character can be restrained with appropriate roleplay, preventing them from leaving or performing any actions. You should inform the refs if you intend to take a character captive, and should inform a ref as soon as possible if you spontaneously take a character captive.

NPCs will be in no fit state to cause trouble after incapacitation, so if after defeating a group you leave them to recover from incapacitation naturally they're unlikely to bother you again with no further action on your part.

If you have a character captive at the end of a session, the refs will decide what happens. It's not guaranteed you'll be able to keep a character captive for an entire downtime, especially a character as resourceful as a PC.

Can I send messages if I'm not a Cryptographer?

Yes, but messages not sent by a Cryptographer are not secure, and could be read by the authorities or others hostile to you or the movement. If you're sending anything sensitive, you probably want to go through a Cryptographer.

I just got hit by EFFECT Fear, but I'm very brave! It wouldn't be in character for me to be afraid!

It's up to you how you respond to roleplaying effects, but they should change your behaviour; you can't just push through them. These effects represent particularly strong influences that require an equally strong effect to counter them, such as a skill or mantra. If you want to play a character who isn't rattled by anything, you can take the Iron Will skill to back up your characterisation.

I just got hit with EFFECT Anger. Do I have to charge around being angry for 5 minutes straight?

Roleplaying effects will have a strong effect on you immediately and then often recede, to recur at dramatically appropriate times. This means you don't need to roleplay being angry constantly, but should become angry immediately, then, while still under the effect, become angry again at appropriate times.

How do I set fire to Safeguard's bins?

If you just want catharsis you can make yourself a nuisance as a minor action in Downtime. It won't have a major effect on anything, but it might be noticed if you do it repeatedly.

If you want to have a more major impact on an NPC, you can Engineer an Encounter either to bring something or someone they care about to the interactive to mess with it, or invite an NPC group who also opposes them to arrange something together. If it's not possible to take action directly in the interactive, this will hopefully allow you to engineer in an Opportunity for the next week.

What religions exist in the setting?

Real world religions that existed in 1873 also exist in this setting along with several novel ones. There are some considerations about them appearing in play. If a character follows a religion that mirrors an OC religion then you may not discriminate based on it. Players who follow IC religions that mirror OC religions should not play them up to the point where they would create conflict. The refs will never run a plot around these religions.

Religions novel to the setting, such as the Heirs of Jupiter, or player-created religions or cults, are completely valid grounds for discrimination and conflict.