Ref Rulings
Ref Rulings
Current Ref Rulings
Light and Darkness
Spells such as “Cloak of Dusk” and “Cloak of Shadows” that “do not work in magical light” are not Dispelled by magical light, merely temporarily disrupted. As long as their duration, which continues to run while the spell is disrupted, has not expired, they will resume their normal effects if the affected individual leaves the region of magical light.
Damage Reduction
If a character has multiple types of damage reduction, such as “take 1 degree less damage from Flaming” and “Halve all Flaming damage”, these are applied in the following order:
- The incoming damage is reduced, e.g. a Quad becomes a Triple.
- The resultant damage is halved, e.g. the Triple drops to 1.5.
If the miracle Sanctuary is active, no other forms of damage reduction work (though they don’t expire unless their duration expires), as the Sanctuary miracle provides an outer layer of spiritual armour around the character until that armour is destroyed. For example, a Nixie under the effect of Sanctuary would take both Flaming Triple (normally doubled) and Freezing Triple (normally halved) as Double to the spirit armour. If this Double partially penetrates the spirit armour (if there is only 1 point of spirit armour remaining when the blow is struck) the Nixie then takes the remainder of the damage as they normally would a Flaming/Freezing Single.
Doing this any other way creates a horrible loophole, and we are bringing a fix to GM! (The motion is already written!)
Former Ref Rulings
Reading Lammies
To read the detailed information on the back of a lammy, prefixed by [Type], you must have the appropriate Rec [Type] ability (or the spell Talk to Inanimate). This applies even in the case of Spirit lammies. Where an item has an effect, the effect activates when you fulfil the criteria for it, whether or not you are IC aware of the information on the back of the lammy. For example, a sword that reads “Spirit/Effect: This sword does +1 degree of damage against undead.” will allow you to deal Doubles against undead with it (assuming your normal damage call is Single), whether or not you have IC knowledge of the sword’s power, and you may IC work out roughly what it does that way should you happen to come across any undead while wielding it. However, a trinket that reads “Magic/Effect: Once per day, with a short invocation to Straasha, you may cloak yourself in ice as per the spell Barrier.” would require you to invoke Straasha through the artefact in order to discover what it does without Rec Magic (/Talk to Inanimate). This is generally something which you are unlikely to guess you would need to do without significant clues!
Added by The Ref Team on 2021-11-14 14:26
Shielding Mind Control
Priests who use mind control miracles or truth detection miracles on individuals under the effects of Mental Shield are aware of the lack of effect of their miracle when the target player responds “No Effect”. In the case of the Identify Lie miracle, IC, this takes the form of a null reaction, where the priest can experience one of three things:
1) The answer was true [player does not respond to Detect Lie].
2) The answer was false [player responds “Ping” to Detect Lie].
3) There was a null result [player responds “No Effect” to Detect Lie]. This is the same result you would get if for some reason you chose to Detect Lie on a table, or on someone who had not spoken.
On the target player side, players using Mental Shield should note that “at will” means they can choose, if they so desire, to respond “No Effect” to any Mind Control miracles. It is possible for an individual using Mental Shield to selectively respond “No Effect” and this can be used to mislead as you see fit. However, if you do not respond “No Effect” then the miracle has worked on you in that instance and you must react accordingly, e.g. in the case of Befriend, you are Befriended, or in the case of Detect Lie you must respond “Ping” if you lied.
Added by The Ref Team on 2021-11-02 14:40
Scutum Parries Damage
The Astrology I skill Scutum’s Parry takes effect on an hour chosen by the Astrologer in uptime, as otherwise it would be entirely possible to pick an hour in which nothing happened to attack the bar at all, and your forewarning of danger would have been that there was no danger. Once the hour has begun it cannot be ended or broken: Scutum’s Parry thus ends exactly one hour after initialisation regardless of what may or may not have happened to the Astrologer in the meantime.
Added by The Ref Team on 2021-10-20 16:27
Rats Are Always Sneaking
Some characters have the ability to turn into a rat, which has the Hide & Sneak skill. Since the player must already have their hand in the air to show that they are not present, and thus cannot also “throw the horns” while puppeteering a rat, the rat is ruled to always be attempting to use the Hide & Sneak skill. If a rat is not in cover, it can still be seen from any distance; however, provided the rat is in suitable cover, it cannot be seen from more than 10 feet (approximately 3 metres) away as per the Hide & Sneak skill.
If you see a real live rat in an interactive, this is not part of the game. You should probably tell a ref.
Added by The Ref Team on 2021-10-20 11:31
Stacking
No beneficial spell or miracle stacks with itself for example multiple ‘Enhancement’ on the same sword and multiple uses of ‘Barrier’ cannot be cast on the same person
Added by The Ref Team on 2016-09-27 15:24:26
Curse Stacking
When cursed by multiple effects, the number of Curses stack for example a person hit by Curse 4 takes +1 degree of damage from the next four blows. A person hit by Curse 4 and Curse 2 takes +1 degree from the next six (assuming they’re not hit by anyone in the intervening time). The duration of the Curse is also reset. It is not possible to Curse 0.
Added by Nathan on 2016-09-14 11:05:43
Unconsciousness and Miracles
If a priest falls unconscious or is otherwise prevented from completing their vocals such as being unable to speak or electing not to complete it (note: being hit does not interrupt a miracle casting) the spirit is not used and the Miracle is not cast.
Added by Nathan on 2016-09-13 20:37:37
Minimum requirement for Vocals
The minimum requirement for a miracle vocal is a six word vocal calling on the God and the activation phrase; followed by any calls made as part of that miracle. For example, By the power of Bast Harm! Spirit Double
Added by Nathan on 2016-09-13 20:35:16
Blessed Weapons and Non-Weapon damage calls
The Blessed Weapons miracle effects all damage calls; including those from brawling and magic (e.g. fireball)
Added by Nathan on 2016-09-13 20:33:13
Cure Disease and Pestilences.
Cure Disease does not cure the effect of ‘Cause Pestilence’.
Added by Nathan on 2016-09-13 20:31:29
Elemental Elves & Beneficial Spells
The elemental elf package doubles the duration of beneficial spells of the same element as the elf; it does not double the effect or the distances. For example Jump Self distance does not double when cast on Aerokin.
Added by Tim Knight on 2016-08-06 14:54:13
Flying and Strikedown
The spells Strikedown and Force of Earth, when cast on someone who is flying, bring the target down to the ground (without causing any damage). The effect is instantaneous and does not cancel any flying effect, so the target may immediately take off again if they still have a power that allows this.
Added by TimP on 2016-05-05 20:56:19
Enhancment
The spell Enhancement and similar effects that effect the damage of your next blow work for the next time you call damage, rather than the next hit, or the next attempted strike.
Added by Sean on 2016-01-15 10:43:39
Foam Armour
Foam armour made to look like metal may be used to physrep 3 or 4 point armour.
Added by Sean on 2016-01-05 16:49:54
Phase
At the point of casting you pick a direction and must immediately move up to thirty foot in that direction, in a straight line, ignoring walls, doors, ect that may block your path. In combination with Levitation or similar powers you can phase through ceilings or floors. This spell does not let you pass through people, weapons or other small items.
Added by Sean Patterson on 2015-10-03 01:13:26
Subdual Skills
The subdue skill grants the ability to use melee or ranged weapons to deal subdual instead of physical damage, up to the rank of the subdual skill (one rank allows the character to call ‘SUBDUE SINGLE’, two ranks ‘SUBDUE DOUBLE’, etc.). This does not allow the character to deal more subdual damage than the physical damage they would be able to inflict in the same way. A notable exception to this is Streetfighter 6, which allows the character to add +4 degrees of Subdual Damage on top of their normal damage call, with this skill you do not require the Subdual Skill ranks up to the damage call granted by Streefighter 6. I.e.: Scout does “SINGLE” normally and has Subdue 1 allowing them to call “SUBDUE SINGLE”, when they reach Streetfighter 6 they can call SUBDUE QUIN (in situation as described by the skill) and do NOT require the Subdue 5 skill”
Added by Tim Knight on 2015-09-30 16:37:58
Primary-Secondary Balance
Your primary character should be the character you play the most. If you’re finding that you are predominately playing/enjoying a secondary as opposed to your current primary, the former should be your primary character. This may have been ruled differently in the past.
Added by Stuart Watson on 2012-02-29 15:18:29
Somatic Components
GLOVES or GAUNTLETS DO NOT IMPEDE MIRACLES OR SPELLS. “Miracles & Spells which are delivered by touch require you to touch the intended target with the palm of your hand or fingers, whichever you deem the safest way to deliver the effect in any given situation. If a shield is strapped to this arm, you may only attempt to deliver the Spell or Miracle if you deem it is safe to do so.” “Miracles & Spells which have a Somatic component that states “Point at the Target” requires one hand to be empty, however having a shield strapped to an arm does not impede the ability to point at a target, as long as the hand itself is empty.” “Miracles & Spells which have more specific Somatic components such as “Place hands on temples” or “Place both Hands on Chest” requires both hands to be empty, similarly shields strapped to the arms does not impede the ability to do so as long as the hands are empty.” “Blessed Weapon has a Somatic component of “Firmly Grip weapon”.
Added by Tim Knight on 2011-09-25 18:45:22
How does applying Venoms work?
You can apply any Blade Venom to a weapon if you either possess either the Make Blade Venom skill (of any level) or the Use Venom skill. This requires you to role-play applying the venom to the weapon. Only bladed weapons and missile ammunition can be used to deliver venom. The venom lasts for 5 minutes or until the first blow landed with it. Anyone may use a weapon that has had venom applied to it; make sure to inform the recipient of the venom’s call and remaining duration. There is no danger in trying to apply venom to a blade without a skill – the venom is simply wasted and you do not take any negative effects. Note that ingested poisons also require a skill to use effectively, but likewise there is no danger if you do not have the skill – you simply cannot effectively poison someone’s food/drink effectively without the skill.
Added by Tim Knight on 2011-09-25 18:39:15
Level Drain and Racial Packages
If you get level-drained into your racial package XP you do not die until you hit 0 XP. Any XP gained goes to ‘working off’ the ‘debt’. If you have an in-play racial package (i.e. becoming a werewolf or vampire) it is unaffected by level drains; instead you lose the XP ‘around’ the package (before and after) so that it effectively becomes the last skill you have. This means that if you are unlucky enough to get level drained down enough, you could theoretically move your in-play racial package to the very beginning of your 1st level, at which point you start losing the XP in the package. This has the effect of reducing your level of that package, if you are level drained enough XP to pass entirely through that package, being stuck in the middle as no effect as per the first part of this ruling. If you have weakness and/or frailty, you die if you get level drained below 0 xp, just like everyone else.
Added by Tim Knight on 2011-09-25 18:37:46
Ghastly Purgative
Does not work as a anti-venom. Taking it after venom does not allow the damage to be healed.
Added by Sean on 2011-03-02 20:38:50
Rec Scent and Disguise 2
A character using Disguise 2 to emulate another race emulates the scent of that race as well unless they have also been injured and not yet had a chance to wash themselves.
Added by Sean on 2011-03-02 18:52:42
Player List Google Doc
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVeO29Qxnr5PZGN6OXd2OGRfNDM4ZGhjZzZuY2s&hl=en_GB&authkey=CIWchaMK That link should let you edit it.
Added by Sean on 2011-02-08 12:51:54
Monster XP for level capped characters
The players of characters who are at the level cap (level 7) may still earn monster XP. This XP is banked and applied to their next primary character.
Added by Sean on 2010-11-19 11:16:29
Searching
Searching a body requires 30 seconds of appropriate roleplay (i.e. not just standing over the body). If items are on clear display this need not be done and they can just be taken. If both parties consent then a real search may be used instead of this procedure.
Added by Sean on 2010-11-19 11:15:15
Preserving Potions
Uses half the ingredients that it would take to make them ROUNDING DOWN.
Added by Sean on 2010-11-18 00:32:46
Mind Effects and Unconsciousnes
Mind effects work normally on unconscious people, though in most cases this will probably have no immediate effect. However someone beguiled when they are asleep will still be beguiled if they wake up within five minutes. Being knocked unconscious does not break any mind effects you are under. You are still effected when you wake up unless the duration of the miracle has ended.
Added by Sean on 2010-09-22 18:08:25