CONCENTRAtion

Concentration (aka Conc) is a game mechanic that represents the gathering mental focus needed for some actions.

To perform a Concentration Count, the user needs to vocally count to a certain number while doing little else and not moving their feet -- this is followed by invoking the skill and/or effect being used. For example, “Concentration 1, Concentration 2, Concentration 3… Concentration 10 -- Treat Injury, Heal 1!”. 

Saying the word “Concentration” and the Skill/effect need to be distinct and audible to least 20 feet out.

The following conditions break Concentration:

  • Moving: Making an attack, using a Defense effect, or moving one’s feet

  • Receiving an effect: taking damage or a control effect

  • Speedcasting: Saying “Concentration” incorrectly, too quickly, softly (except QConc below), or counting incorrectly 

WHEN CONCENTRATION IS BROKEN, STOP YOUR COUNT. Start over if you want to complete the action or abandon the attempt entirely. Hitting a person’s weapon/ shield does not break their Concentration, unless the attack is a Master or Piercing attack (or unless Etheric Concentration is involved- see below).

Over Concentration: You need not stop at a required Concentration count. For example, if you need more time for your ally to get closer, you can keep counting upwards at no penalty. 

Special Kinds of Concentration:

  • Quiet Concentration  (aka QConc): The user whispers or mentally tracks the Concentration count and is expected to take the appropriate amount of time , even if they are inaudible.  This is not an Augment/Prefix.

  • Interlinked Concentration (aka IConc): This requires that you are working on an ally or an ally’s equipment. If a detrimental effect (e.g. damage, Pain) hits your ally, you must stop Concentrating.

  • Etheric Concentration (aka EConc): Used for Spellcasting, Etheric Concentration is far more open to physical attacks and disruption. Similar to the Feeble Control effect, any attack upon the character while performing Etheric Concentration and 3 seconds afterward affects them even if it hits their held weapon, item, or shield. This is an Augment/Prefix.

  • Augmented Concentration: Certain Skills allow you to augment your Concentration to bypass certain restrictions. For example, “Iron Concentration” is not broken from damage while “Steady Concentration” allows for a slow walk while Concentrating. Your Concentration count can only benefit from one prefix/augment. E.G. You can’t invoke “Iron Steady Concentration 1, Iron Steady Concentration 2…” etc.

  • Different invocations: Death Blow, First Aid and Targeting are types of Concentration actions but are invoked differently. They are discussed below for the sake of convenience.

DEATH BLOW

This is useful in killing creatures and monsters before they regenerate or self-revive. To do this, your target must be within one arm’s reach of you. This is 4-counts of Concentration invoked as “Death Blow 1, Death Blow 2…Death Blow 4 --  Death blow! 5 damage” — followed by a light hit with a melee weapon. If dropped to 0 HP, your target will become Critical. As per Concentration rules, receiving damage or Control effects disrupts your Death Blow. 

FIRST AID

All Player Characters have the ability to Revive other characters. To do this, perform 10-counts of Concentration while simulating bandaging on another character (usually upper arm). Replace the word “Concentration” with “First Aid”, e.g “First Aid 1, First Aid 2…First Aid 10 -- Painful Revive”. This brings them to 1 HP and out of any Critical or Downed, but has no effect on a Dead character or those above 0 HP. This also inflicts a Pain Strike upon them, as all Revive effects do. 

First Aid interlinks you with your patient: during First Aid, you also take any damage/Control effect your patient receives. On the other hand, your patient must pause their Critical count during First Aid until you stop - at that point, they either resume your Critical count or are revived if you successfully complete your count.

SELF REVIVE

While you are Downed, use the First Aid ability upon yourself. This requires 30 counts of “First Aid” instead of 10 counts; completion this means that you are at 1 HP with a Pain Strike. If interrupted while doing this or stop of your own volition, you slip into your Critical count, coming even closer to death. Skills that prevent Concentration breakage do not function during a Player’s Self-Revive.

TARGETING COUNT 

Most ranged attacks require a Targeting count before they can be launched (usually 5 counts). As per Concentration, you may not move during this count and targeting should be outwardly obvious. You may continue Targeting beyond the required count, this is called “Over-targeting”

TARGETING EXAMPLE: Targeting count (5 counts) --> (Attack invocation, if any) --> Throw packet and invoke effect/damage. (i.e., “Targeting 1, Targeting 2… Targeting 5! 1 Damage!”)

Refunding Resources: If you hit a target with a ranged attack and they did not acknowledge the invoked effect, kindly clarify the hit at your earliest opportunity to your target or refund the resource (Focus or Periodic Use) expended to perform the attack. Naturally, negate any beneficial effects that you received from its use.

RANGED BASIC ATTACKS: These are the most common types of ranged attack performed by participants. Skills and Ammo Pack Augments may improve this damage but Basic Ranged attacks may not exceed 5 points.

  • Knife Packs, Crossbows (Hand/Medium), Shortbows, and Pistols: 1 damage

  • Longbows, Arbalest Crossbows, Firearms (Shortarm/Longarm): 2 damage

Special non-Basic attacks also exist, such as Smite attacks. They can deliver higher amounts of damage or other non-damaging effects.