Attributes
Attributes represent the primary character qualities that drive the player’s strengths, weaknesses, and playstyle. They affect the player‘s ability to execute effective melee and ranged attacks, cast manifestation powers, detect enemies, rate of movement, resist supernatural phenomenon, stealth, and leadership capabilities. There are significant tradeoffs to both extremely high and low attribute values, ranging from 0 to 10.
Power
Power is a measure of your raw physical strength. It affects how much you can carry, and the damage of all melee attacks.
Speed
Speed is a measure of your overall finesse and reflexes. It affects your rate of movement and melee attacks.
Resilience
Resilience is a measure of your overall physical fitness. It affects all of your resistances.
Awareness
Awareness is a measure of your mental acuity. It affects your ability to detect enemies and mind recovery rate.
Willpower
Willpower is a measure of your mental resolve and fortitude. It affects the strength of your manifestation powers and your death resistance.
Faith
Faith is a measure of your belief or trust in others and the supernatural. It affects your susceptibility to extraordinary encounters and events.
Skills
Skills provide the player with new very powerful and useful capabilities. When the player gains a new word of power and adds the word to their memory bank, they gain a new skill based on that word. Depending on the adjacency of words in the player’s memory bank, certain hidden skills can also be unlocked. Removing a word from the player’s memory bank will also remove any related unlocked skills.
Obey (Obedio)
Enables ability to use objective system.
Comply with the command, direction, or request of (a person or a law); submit to the authority of.
Consume (Exedo)
Enables ability to harvest mecha cells and various materials.
Eat, drink, or ingest (food or drink). buy (goods or services). Use up (a resource).
Serve (Servio)
Enables ability to use dialogue system.
Perform duties or services for (another person or an organization).
Human (Hominis)
Enables ability to transform into human form.
A human being, especially a person as distinguished from an animal or (in science fiction) an alien.
Snake (Anguis)
Enables ability to transform into snake form.
A long limbless reptile which has no eyelids, a short tail, and jaws that are capable of considerable extension. Some snakes have a venomous bite.
Burrow (Perfodio)
Enables ability to dig through terrain.
(of an animal) make a hole or tunnel, typically for use as a dwelling.
Explode (Displodo)
Enables ability to create explosive devices.
Burst or shatter violently and noisily as a result of rapid combustion, decomposition, excessive internal pressure, or other process, typically scattering fragments widely.
Grapple (Lupus)
Enables ability to grapple hook from one location to another.
Seize or hold with a grapnel.
Grow (Crescere)
Enables ability to grow new plant life.
(of a plant) germinate and develop. produce by cultivation. (of something abstract) come into existence and develop.
Night (Noctis)
Enables ability to see enemies and terrain easier at night.
The period of darkness in each twenty-four hours; the time from sunset to sunrise.
Strike (Pulso)
Enables ability to melee attack.
Hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other implement.
Vision (Visio)
Enables ability to zoom in on object details at far distances.
The faculty or state of being able to see. the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.
Night Vision (In Visione Noctis)
Enables ability to see in low-light conditions.
The faculty of seeing in very low light, especially after the eyes have become adapted.
Snake Strike (Serpens Percutiens)
Enables ability to use a high-velocity physical propulsion attack.
Strikes of the viper snake species lasted less than a tenth of a second, about half the time it takes for a human to blink.
Resistances
Resistances provide the player with damage buffers against the wide variety of hostile entities and inhospitable conditions trying to kill them.
Disease
Represents your ability to resist contracting a new disease and reduce the effects of contracted diseases.
Drug
Represents your ability to resist the effects of consumed or injected drugs. Shortens the duration of positive and negative drug effects.
Death
Represents your ability to resist deathblows and lethal environmental conditions.
Energy
Represents your ability to resist energy-based weapon attacks and demonic possession.
Bleed
Represents your ability to resist bleed-based attacks, the duration of bleed-based attacks, and the rate at which you take damage from blood loss.
Poison
Represents your ability to resist poison-based attacks, the duration of poison-based attacks, and the rate at which you take damage from poison.
Stress
Represents your ability to resist stress from damage, the duration of stress-based attacks, and the rate at which you take stress damage from stress-based attacks.
Other
Alignment
The player's alignment is represented on a sliding scale, with puritan at one extreme and radical at the other. The player's actions on and off the field of battle determine how their alignment shifts over the course of the game. Upholding certain Dominion beliefs and values, especially the banishment or destruction of demonic entities, will shift the player closer to a puritan alignment. Consorting with or being possessed by a demon, or utilizing maleficent artifacts, will shift the player closer to a radical alignment. NPCs react strongly to the player based on their alignment, and will significantly impact the outcome of any NPC interactions.
Heraldry
The player's heraldry, or coat of arms, has a very significant impact on any and all NPC interactions. By default, the player begins the game as a mercenary with no coat of arms, but may join any faction of their choosing and thereby adopt the faction's coat of arms. Should the player decide to pursue the formation of their own mercenary warband or start a faction, they may choose a new, unique coat of arms and change it at any time. Certain factions will attack each other on sight.
Date of Birth
Your date of birth, or inception date, is determined by the current date when you start the game. Your zodiac sign is based on your date of birth, and factors into how well you get along with and work with others.
Statistics
Statistics are derived from the player attributes, and are point values representing the player’s health, mind, energy, stress, and loyalty levels. These point values determine if the player dies, if the player can execute an attack or conduct manifestation, if they gain new traits, and the player’s perceived trustworthiness in the eyes of others.
Health
The player’s total health is a reflection of how many mecha cells they have in their body. Each mecha cell gives the player one health.
Mind
Mind points simultaneously represent the player’s mental health and is the resource pool used by the player for manifestation in augmented reality (AR) zones. These points can be restored by hibernating. Several drugs exist that alter the consumption and recovery rates of mind points, and the player’s total mind points for a period of time.
Energy
Energy points represent the player’s stamina and is the resource pool used by the player for melee attacks, dodging, jumping, sprinting, and various other physical tasks. These points can be naturally restored by taking a break from any physical activity. Several drugs exist that affect the consumption and recovery rates of energy points, and the player’s total energy points for a period of time.
Stress
Stress points are accumulated as the player takes on and endures damage from different challenges in the game. Positive and negative traits are potentially gained once the player has accrued enough stress points. Stress points reset to zero after a trait check regardless of whether or not a new trait was gained.
Loyalty
Regarding the player, loyalty represents the degree to which the player’s current faction can trust them to successfully complete missions. Regarding NPCs, loyalty represents how much a particular NPC enjoys working with the player’s warband, and is completely determined by the performance of the player as the leader of their warband. No mercenary can become 100% loyal, unless very unique conditions are met. Conversely, if an NPCs loyalty drops too low, very bad things can happen.
Traits
Traits provide the player with unique benefits and or disadvantages. The player suffers stress each time they are damaged. Once the player has passed a certain threshold of stress, a check is made to see if they gain a new positive or negative trait. These gained traits can be locked or removed when the player goes through a metamorphosis process.
Attuned
+1 Awareness, +25% energy recharge rate
”The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.”
Crazy Old Man
+1 Willpower, -1 Faith, +50% energy recharge rate when warband has <= 1 follower
”Madness is merely a matter of perspective.” -Gorlacon the Mad
Death Seeker
+2 Power when HP below 50%
”Life is a dream from which we all must wake before we can dream again.”
Deep Current
+2 Awareness, +5% energy recharge rate
"Blue, green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent."
Defender
+1 Willpower, -20% energy consumed when blocking
"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death."
Kin Slayer
+20% Damage vs. Brains
”It appears you've developed a taste for killing your own kind.”
Mutant Slayer
+20% Damage vs. Mutants
"Tolerate not the abomination, for they must be purged from this world."
Exalted
+2 Power, +1 Resilience
”Glory shall be mine.” - Inquisitor Dreyfus at the Last Stand in Trinity Gorge
Tenacious
+1 Resilience, +1 Willpower
"Never give up, never surrender!"
Iron Willed
+2 Willpower, -10% mind consumed when manifesting
"You must have an iron will, if you would cross the ocean. You must be strong enough to pierce mountains."
Diehard
+2 Resilience
"Welcome to the party, pal!"
Stealthy
-25% stealth detection, +25% stealth rate of movement
"We are but dust and shadow."
Indomitable
+1 Resilience, +2 Willpower
"Indomitable in retreat, invincible in advance; insufferable in victory."
Hunter Killer
+20% energy recharge rate, -20% energy consumed when sprinting
"I am become death, destroyer of worlds."
Charismatic
+2 Leadership, +25% warband loyalty
"Any man who would be a knight and follow a king, follow me!"
Zenned Out
-25% stress from damage, -1 stress damage over time when resting
"Seek not the answers to the mystery of life. Instead, seek out the questions."
Hypervigilance
+2 Awareness
"Eyes first, footwork second, strength third, and courage fourth."
Quick Reflexes
+2 Speed
"It's all in the reflexes."
Balanced
-20% stress from damage, -20% alignment points received
"For all healing, mental or material, is attuning each atom of the body, each reflex of the brain forces, to the awareness of the divine that lies within each atom, each cell of the body."
Vigorous
+1 Resilience, -20% energy consumed when sprinting
"A vigorous temper is not altogether an evil. Men who are easy as an old shoe are generally of little worth."
Reanimated
+2 Faith
"A dream to some. A nightmare to others!"
Mindful
+1 Awareness, +1 Willpower
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer."
Antisocial
+15% stress damage when warband has > 1 follower
"Antisocial...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Anxious
-10% stress recovery, -10% stress resistance
"Anxiety...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Careless
-2 Awareness, -1% critical chance
"Carelessness...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Depressed
-1 Power, -1 Awareness, -1 Willpower, -1 Faith
"Depression...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Hateful
+2 Power, -1 Awareness, -1 Willpower, -2 Faith
"Hateful...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Judgmental
+10% stress damage for all warband followers
"Judgmental...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Perfectionist
+1 Awareness, -2 Faith, +10% stress damage
"Perfectionist...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Isolationist
-15% stress damage, +10% stress recovery when warband has < 1 follower
+15% stress damage, -10% stress recovery when warband has >= 1 follower
"Isolationist...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Corrupted
-2 Faith
"Corrupted...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Marked
+25% chance of demonic encounter, +25% chance of demonic possession when resting
"Marked...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Infected
-2 Resilience, -2 Faith
"Infection...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Lonely
+25% stress damage, -15% stress recovery when warband has < 1 follower
"Loneliness...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Desperate
-1 Awareness, -1 Willpower
"Desperation...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Clumsy
-2 Speed, +25% stealth detection
"Clumsiness...will this trait someday bring me low?”
Lethargic
-20% energy recharge rate, +20% energy consumed when sprinting
"Laziness...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Naïve
-2 Leadership, -25% warband loyalty
”Naïve…will this trait someday bring me low?"
Foolish
-2 Willpower
"Foolishness...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Inept
-2 Awareness
"Ineptitude...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Addicted
-1 Power, -1 Speed, -1 Awareness, -1 Willpower when in drug withdrawal, +50% drug duration
"Addiction...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Intense
+1 Power, +1 Speed, +1 Awareness, -1 Resilience, -2 Faith
"Intensity...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Hopeless
-1 Power, -1 Speed, -1 Awareness, -1 Faith
"Hopelessness...will this trait someday bring me low?"
Creeper
-2 Willpower, -2 Leadership, -25% stealth detection, +25% stealth rate of movement
"Creepiness...will this trait someday bring me low?"