Control Effects

Control effects are special afflictions that cause a loss of “control” for your character. This may mean that one of your limbs is temporarily disabled, you are unable to use any Active Skills or you may even be forced to attack everyone around you.

Control Durations

Strike: Lasts for 30 seconds (or 10 steps for some effects).

Wound: Removed by “Cure Wounds”

Blight: Removed by “Cure Blight”

Ongoing: Lasts until the Affliction causing it is cured.

Strike effects last for 30 seconds except for Knockback and Pull, which last for as long as needed to take the required steps, usually 10 steps if a number is not called. If followed by a number, the Strike lasts for that number in seconds. For example, a Rot 20 lasts for only 20 seconds.
Wound effects last until they are removed by an effect that Cures Wounds.
Blight effects last until they are removed by an effect that Cures Blight. Because Blight represents poisons or magical effects, Cure Blight effects are harder to find than Cure Wound.
Ongoing effects last until the Affliction (Disease or Curse) that causes it expires or is Cured.

Multiple Applications -- take the longest duration.

-- If a Character receives multiple applications of the same effect, they use the longest duration.

-- For example, if a Character is suffering a Blind Wound effect, they do not suffer “additional” blindness from receiving Blind Strike effects.

-- Similarly, a Character who is currently suffering a Snare 30 and receives a Snare 15 takes the longer duration between the two. This means being affected by the Snare 15 if they have 14 or less seconds remaining on the first Snare.

-- In the same way, a Character currently walking through the effects of a Knockback 10 and receives a Knockback 5 need only receive the Knockback 5 if they have 4 or less steps remaining on their initial Knockback 10.

Control Effect List

The following is a list of Control effects in alphabetical order. These are their short descriptions; their full overview is farther below.

Blind: Your vision is blurry. You walk slowly and you cannot make ranged attacks.

Dominate: Your mind is possessed by another and you follow their commands.

Feeble: You become fragile. Hits upon your wielded weapons/shields count as hitting you.

Frenzy: You go into a maddened state. You walk slowly and attack foes and friends alike.

Grapple: You are constricted by a monster. You are Stunned and cannot harm your captor.

Hobble: One of your legs is considered Mangled. You walk slowly and cannot Dodge.

Knockback: You have been physically repelled, taking 10 steps away from your attacker.

Mangle: The limb that was hit is temporarily unusable, from agony or injury.

Pain: You are in agony and are unable to use Active skills. You can fight and move as normal.

Pull: You take 10 steps toward your attacker. Any non-self melee damage breaks a Pull.

Rot: Your life force is inhibited. You cannot regain HP until this effect is removed.

Silence: You may not speak in-game or cast any Spells.

Snare: You may not move your feet from their position.

Stun: You are in intense shock. You are in Pain and Hobbled twice, preventing movement.

Sunder: The weapon or shield struck is damaged, inhibiting its more powerful properties.

Effect Overview

Blind

You have been struck by an effect that renders your vision blurry and unreliable. You are able to see things but find it incredibly difficult to discern their details.

Slowed: You are limited to a stumble-walk or a slow-walk and therefore cannot run or fast walk.
Bad Vision: You are unable to use any Defenses (except as below), perform any Ranged attacks, or use any Sense/Inquiry effects such as Keen Perception.
Near-Sighted: Despite the above, you are able to perform melee attacks.
Limited Defense: You are able to use the Aegis defense or defenses that have been Augmented with “Blind” or “Uncanny.”

Dominate

Your mind is taken over by another entity or individual and your body obeys it. Take note that this ability is usually only used by non-player characters and rarely given to Player Characters.

Obey Commands: You must follow the commands of this effect’s Source or Original Source (if it is redirected or reflected somehow). This includes self-destructive commands but not Death Blows upon yourself.
Retain Memory: You are aware of and remember everything that happens.
Removed by Injury: Dominate is automatically removed when you are dropped to 0 HP.

Feeble

You have become fragile and vulnerable to the slightest touch or even glancing blows.

Vulnerable to Everything: All melee/ranged attacks that you receive are considered Piercing.
Limited Defenses: You are unable to use any Defenses except for the Dodge and the Intervene defense. Likewise, you are unable to use the Aegis defense.

Frenzy

Your mind is muddled and a mindless fury takes over you temporarily.

Attack Everyone: You must perform melee attacks upon any individual near you. If you cannot make any melee attacks, you instead rage and flail about uselessly.
No Death Blows: You do not perform Death Blows.
Nearest Targets First: If you are already attacking someone, you may keep attacking them but if they move away, you must attack the closest individuals first before giving chase.
Slowed: You are limited to a stumble-walk or a slow-walk and therefore cannot run or fast walk.
Retain Memory: You are aware of and remember everything that happens.
Removed by Injury: Frenzy is automatically removed when you are dropped to 0 HP.

Hobble

One or more of your legs have been disabled or hurt in-game.

Slowed: You are limited to a stumble-walk or a slow-walk and therefore cannot hop, jump, run or fast walk.
Limited Defenses: You are unable to use the Dodge defense.
Two Hobbles Stop Movement: If you are hit by a second Hobble effect, you act as though both your legs are Mangled and are therefore unable to willfully move your legs. As per normal, you use the longer duration of the two Hobble effects.

Mangle

The limb that is struck has become temporarily unusable through injury or numbness.

Mangled Arm: If your arm is affected by Mangle, it hangs limp beside you until this effect is Cured, it is unusable for any attacks, actions or any Active Skills. Do not drop any held items.
Mangled Leg: If your leg is affected, you become Hobbled and are unable to run or use the Dodge defense.
Mangled Movement: If both legs have been Mangled, do not fall prone. You are unable to move from your location, although you are able to stand up or keep standing. You can be moved by the Knockback or Pull effect or dragged along by an ally’s Strength skill.
Mangled Torso: If your torso (including shoulder) has been Mangled, take 1 damage instead.
Master or Piercing: If you hit a weapon with a Master or Piercing Mangle attack, the arm holding that weapon takes the Mangle effect. If said weapon is held in both hands, then the target chooses which arm takes the effect.

Pain

You are hit by immense pain and agony. This is a relatively common effect.

No Skills: You are unable to perform Concentration/Targeting or use Active skills/defenses (except for below)
Limited Defenses: You are able to use the Aegis defense.

Rot

Your flesh and spirit has been struck by a strange contagion that prevents it from mending.

No Healing: You say “Rot, no effect” to any Heal or Cure effect that you receive unless said effect Cures this effect.
Can be Revived: You may still receive any Revive effects to be brought to 1 HP. Similarly, Death Rage and Blood Rage are unaffected by Rot, as they Cure all Control effects from their user.

Silence

You are rendered speechless through injury or a mental effect.

No Speech: You are unable to speak in-game and you are unable to use any Skills that involve in-game speech such as Inquiry-type, Parlay-type, or Inspiration-type skills.
No Spells: You are unable to use any Spells or use any Etheric Concentration.
Out-of-Game Speech Only: You may still invoke Concentration (non-etheric), special skills and effects unless they are restricted by this Control effect.

Stun

You are struck with a powerful blow to the body and brain that renders you insensate for the duration.

No Skills and No Movement: You are hit by a Pain effect and two Hobble effects. This prevents you from Concentrating/Targeting, using any Active skills/defenses (including Aegis), and moving your feet. If currently moving, halt your movement at a safe rate.
Mangled Movement: You are unable to move from your location, although you are able to stand up or keep standing. You can be moved by the Knockback or Pull effect or dragged along by an ally’s Strength skill.

SPECIAL CONTROL EFFECTS:

These effects are rarely Wounds or Blights. Instead, they are almost always Strikes. If they are followed by a number, it is the number of seconds that the effect lasts instead of lasting the standard 30 seconds.

Grapple

Some monstrous creatures have the ability to grab and incapacitate their enemies, preventing movement and shrugging off damage from their victims. This is usually the domain of monstrous non-player creatures.

Usually 30 Seconds: This effect is followed by a number which indicates how many seconds it lasts. If not followed by a number, it lasts 30 seconds.
Needs Contact: If Physical Contact is broken for more than 3 seconds, this Grapple ends regardless of its duration.
Stunned: You are Stunned while this effect’s source maintains physical contact with you via hand or melee weapon (an
Ineffective vs. Captor: You may attack your captor but your attacks have no effect against it regardless of their type or what they would do.
Redirect Attacks: Some monsters may have the ability to redirect any or all attacks that they receive from others to you.
Forced Movement Breaks it: A Knockback or a Pull may break this effect upon the target prematurely, but it applies 1 damage to the freed person.
Allied Assistance is Best: When held captive by this effect, the assistance of an ally is the best way to be freed from it.

Knockback

You have been physically repelled by some great force.

Move Away: This effect is followed by a number which indicates how many steps you take away from the source. If no number is mentioned, you instead take 10 steps away from the source of the effect.
Choose Your Path: The recipient of the effect may determine how they are knocked away from the effect’s source, but every step must be away from the source with no lateral-only or side-only steps (except for out-of-game safety reasons).
Damage if Limited Space: If you are unable to take the required amount of steps, you move as far as you can while being safe and then take 1 point of Physical damage.
Breaks Snare and Grapple: Receiving a Knockback breaks Snare and Grapple effects but it also inflicts 1 point of damage to the person affected.

Pull

You have been physically pulled toward an individual or an item by some great force.

Move Toward Source: This effect is followed by a number which indicates how many steps you take toward the source. You need not go closer than within one-handed melee weapon’s reach of your target’s body or their melee weapon. If not followed by a number, you take 10 steps toward the source of the effect.
Melee Breaks It: Receiving a melee strike from anyone except yourself breaks the effect prematurely.
Choose Your Path: You may determine how you are pulled toward the effect’s source, but every step must be toward the source with no lateral-only or side-only steps (except for out-of-game safety reasons). If you are physically unable to take the required amount of steps, there is no special detriment.
Breaks Snare and Grapple: Receiving a Pull breaks Snare and Grapple effects that are affecting you but it also inflicts 1 damage on you.

Snare

Your legs and feet have been rendered immobile by an external effect or an injury.

Usually 30 Seconds: This effect is followed by a number which indicates how many seconds it lasts. If not followed by a number, it lasts 30 seconds.
Don’t Move Your Feet: Your feet may not move from their position. This makes you exempt from the two steps required of certain Defenses and from the required Step & Grunt mechanic. If you are currently moving when struck by this effect, stop as safely and quickly as possible.
Broken by Knockback, Grapple, Pull: You may not be moved from your position by any in-game effect except for Grapple, Knockback, or Pull, which also breaks the Snare but it applies 1 point of damage to you.

Sunder

An item affected by this is rendered temporarily inoperable by crushing force. Multiple Sunders on the same weapon have no additional effect.

Limited Item Use: A Sundered Weapon or Shield may not be used for any Active Skills, Attacks, or Defenses that require weapons (e.g. Smite requires a weapon, Block requires a Shield, Channeler Aspect requires an Advanced Weapon, etc).
Simple Uses Only: You may still swing a Sundered weapon, shoot a Sundered gun, or deflect attacks with a Sundered shield (see below), as long as no Active skills are used.
Shields are Hindered: A Sundered Shield hit by an attack that inflicts more than one point of damage applies that effect to its wielder. Control effects and Basic attacks are negated as normal when they hit a Shield instead of its wielder.
Repair Effects Fix Sunder: A Sundered item remains Sundered until it receives a Repair effect.
Sundered Limbs: If a body part is struck instead of an item, a Sunder attack inflicts a Mangle Strike upon the area in lieu of a Sunder effect.
Limited Defenses: Using Parry, Block, Intervene, or Guard applies the Sunder effect to the weapon used to apply the defense (or limb, if an unarmed hand was used). If Sunder is enhanced by Piercing or Master, it applies to the item struck, not the body part holding the item.