Masker Discipline

 

Image by Nicco Salonga

Also called the Sincerity Discipline, these Skills keep others’ inquiries out of your business and make them see what you want them to see. Invest in this Discipline if:

  • You want to play an unreadable spy, an unflappable diplomat, or a canny merchant.

  • You want to negate Inquiry attempts on you and punish their source

  • You want to have an uncanny, tricky defense in combat.

Relevant Rules — Inquiry skills: These are skills that attempt to glean information about a target, even information that is not readily apparent. They can be negated by Deception skills such as Masked Mind. They are different from Examine skills, which cannot be blocked by Deception skills. 

DISCIPLINE OVERVIEW


BASIC SKILLS

Masked Mind: Negate a Skilled attempt to discern details about you

Regal Restraint: Delay a Pain, Mangle, or Stun effect for 5 secondsafter it hits you.

Veiled Bonds: Protect your allies’ details and secrets from unskilled senses

COMPLEX SKILLS

Art of War: Hide body movements from attackers, allowing you to avoid attacks

Deft Deflection: An Shield or Weapon becomes proof against some Piercing attacks.

Mind Games: Punish those who attempt to discern details about you

Veiled Visage: Waive the Focus cost of Masked Mind

ERUDITE SKILLS

Conniving Spirit: Your mind is a maze of deceit and of lies

Distracting Defenses: Augment your defenses, deflecting an attack into another target

Lord of Lies: Mask your details even from the most skilled of inquisitors.

Supreme Deception (1/P): Evade an attack against you, even from behind.

Veiled Aspect (ATN): Assume a powerfully elusive and deceptive aspect

BASIC SKILLS

MASKED MIND

(Basic Masker; Active-Focus, Inquiry-Defense, Deception, Resolve)

You have been trained (or are self-taught) to subtly use your surface thoughts, mannerisms, and speech to confuse those that would scrutinize your actions for details.

Poker Face (-Focus)

  • Step 1: You are affected by an Inquiry effect

  • Step 2: Expend 1 Focus

  • Step 3: Invoke “No effect” as a Reaction to the Inquiry. This negates the Inquiry effect unless it is invoked as “Master Inquiry”, which is very rare. If a specific effect has multiple Inquiry questions, you negate all such questions.

Quickdraw (-Focus): You are able to confuse foes with misdirection and quickness while using a Knife Pack, Hand Crossbow, or Pistol.

While your weapon is holstered or your throwing hand is empty, invoke “Quickdraw” and expend 1 Focus to perform a ranged attack without a Targ count. This is otherwise a basic ranged attack (aka BRA) except that you can instead inflict:

  • “Knockback 5”

  • “Mangle”

  • “Hobble”  

REGAL RESTRAINT

(Basic Masker; Active-Resolve, Deception)

You are able to extend your discipline even to pain and agony, allowing you a few precious moments before being hindered.

While you have at least 1 point of Resolve, you are able to use the ability below:

Delay the Pain (Aftereffect, Resolve)

  • Step 0: You must have at least Resolve 1 to use this.

  • Step 1: You are affected by Pain, Mangle, Hobble, or Stun

  • Step 2: Invoke “Restraint” as an Aftereffect to it.

  • Step 3: This allows you 5 seconds of acting normally before suffering the effect. These 5 seconds do not count against the effect’s duration.

  • Step 4: After 5 seconds, you suffer the effect.

No Sell (-Focus, Aftereffect, +Resolve)

  • Step 1: You receive damage from an enemy or a hazard.

  • Step 2: Expend 1 Focus

  • Step 3: As an Aftereffect to being hit, speak a short sentence lambasting the attack or the attacker.

  • Step 4: Invoke “Resolve 3” as you internally attempt not to cry out in pain.

Effect: You gain “Resolve 3”, which acts like HP and is depleted first when you are damaged. Whenever you gain Resolve, it overwrites your current Resolve if it is higher and is ignored if it is lower or the same.

VEILED BONDS

(Basic Masker; Active-Focus/Resolve, Deception)

Through your emotional and/or empathic bond with an individual, you are able to distract any inquiries or probing questions while you are beside them.

Mask Ally: You may augment the Masked Mind skill if you have it invoking it as “No effect” as a response to a Bonded ally (i.e. Blood-bound, Oath-bound or Liege-bound to you) being targeted by an Inquiry effect. You may protect an ally that is within a step plus arm’s reach of you at the time of the Inquiry.

If you have at least 1 Resolve and the Veiled Visage skill, this does not cost you any Focus to use.

Shared Restraint (Requires Regal Restraint, aug): Augment and invoke “Regal Restraint” as “Shared Restraint” to use it on one Bonded ally via melee touch. This is as a response to them or the both of you receiving a Pain, Mangle, Hobble, or Stun effect. Inform them in advance of its effect.

COMPLEX SKILLS

ART OF WAR

(Complex Masker/Shadower; Active-Focus, Defense)

Requires: Any two Basic Masker or Shadower skills

Deception and manipulation are central to the art of war. You are able to bring your talents in them both to assist you in the heat of battle.

You gain the ability to use the Parry defense as per below as well as its Masked Parry verison.

Parry (-Focus): As a Reaction to receiving an attack, invoke “Parry” and expend 1 Focus. This negates all melee attacks that hit you within the last second. The following conditions must be fulfilled:

  • Wield a melee weapon: Be wielding a melee weapon that is not Sundered.

  • No Ranged attacks: None of the attacks are ranged attacks (see Masked Parry below)

  • No Ambush attacks: None of the attacks come from behind you and hit your back torso (aka Ambush attacks)

  • No Master attacks: None of the attacks are invoked as “Master” attacks

Masked Parry (-Focus; Skill Aug, Aftereffect): While wielding a Small/Medium weapon tied with colorful tassels or a colorful fan/scarf/cloth, you may flourish it to use an Augmented version of Parry. Invoke this as “Masked Parry”, modifying the defense as follows

  • Negate Ranged Attacks, unless they are Ambush or Master attacks.

  • Colorful Fan/Scarf/Cloth Prop: This counts as a melee weapon for this skill.

  • Aftereffect: After the Masked Parry, immediately make a melee attack and invoke “Blind 10” in mid-swing. This is mutually exclusive to the effects of Mind Games.

Prop requirement: A colorful fan, scarf or a Small/Medium Weapon tied with colorful tassels or itself wrapped in bright coloration.

DEFT DEFLECTION

(Complex Defender/Masker; Active-Damage, Aftereffect, Piercing-Defense)

Requires: Any two Basic Defender or Masker skills

Through cunning and/or agility, you are able to use this Defense to deflect the worst of a Piercing attack. Normally, Piercing attacks that hit one’s weapon/shield are considered to have hit their wielder.

  • Step 1: A Piercing attack hits your wielded Shield/Weapon

  • Step 2: Invoke “Deflect” in response as an Aftereffect defense

  • Step 3a: The attack’s damage is reduced to 2, though it retains its damage type.

  • Step 3b: If this attack’s damage is 2 or 1, then it negates the attack.

  • Step 4: Stop forward momentum and take one step away from your attacker.

Skill Limitations: This skill does not work on Control effects, Psychic attacks, or Shadow attacks unless you have certain Skills:

  • Resist Fear or Veiled Visage: “Deflect” Psychic attacks

  • Resist Warp or Quell the Warp: “Deflect” Shadow attacks

Usage with Armored Rush: If you are using this with Armored Rush, you need not stop forward momentum/take one step away vs. ranged attacks that you “Deflect”.

MIND GAMES

(Complex Masker; Active-Focus, Aftereffect, Pain/Frenzy/Pain/Hobble)

Requires: Any two Basic Masker skills

Your own skill in misdirection and manipulation is such that you can even cause anger, pain, and confusion to those who dare to question you.

Cutting Rebuke (Aftereffect): Verbally cut down your questioners.

  • Step 1: Receive an Inquiry effect from someone within arm’s reach and a step

  • Step 2: Negate it with a Deception skill (e.g. Masked Mind, Obfuscate Aura)

  • Step 3: Speak a sardonic/sarcastic quip to your questioner

  • Step 4: Clarify that they receive one of the effects below.

Option 1: Inspire fury - invoke “Frenzy”

Option 2: Inspire confusion - invoke “Pain”

Option 3: Discover secret - Use an Inquiry or Examine skill that you have, waiving any Conc or Parley requirements.

Art of War Skill (Aftereffect): You can also apply these tactics to a fight.

  • Step 1: Use Parry and augment it as “Masked Parry”

  • Step 2: Perform a melee attack or throw a spell packet at an attacker

  • Step 3: In mid-attack, invoke “Piercing Frenzy”, “Piercing Pain” or “Piercing Hobble”.

VEILED VISAGE

(Complex Masker; Active-Resolve, Deception, ATN)

Requires: Any two Masker Skills, including Masked Mind.

You have become more in tune with the greater functions of this Discipline, easily slipping into an unreadable state at the drop of a hat.

Vigilant Veil (Resolve or Prop): If you have at least 1 Resolve or a mask, veil, spectacles, eye-patch or a similar prop that partially or wholly covers your face, the Masked Mind skill instead costs 0 Focus to use.

Deflect Assassin: Invoke “Deflect” to the Damage from Assassinate, Dead-eye Smite, Kensai Smite, and similar abilities that require a Study count. This reduces the damage to 2 points as you fool them about what your weak points are.

Vorpal Quickdraw (requires Conceal Item or Masked Mind, -Focus):

-- If you can use Quickdraw, the damage cap for this attack is 7 instead of 5, but it cannot be Piercing if it exceeds 5 damage.

Deflect Psychic (requires Deft Deflection): You can use Deft Deflection to reduce Psychic damage to 2 points.

ERUDITE SKILLS

CONNIVING SPIRIT

(Erudite Masker; Active-Focus/Self inflict, Domination/Frenzy/Silence/Curse-Defense)

Requires: Any two Basic Masker skills and any two Complex Masker skills

Others might call you chaotic and untrustworthy, but you have learned to trust yourself more than anyone else -- and to vindicate that trust.

Resist Domination (Resolve 1+, Self-inflict 2): While you have at least 1 Resolve, you invoke “Endure Domination” immediately when afflicted by a Domination Strike (but not a Wound or Blight). This negates the Control effect but self inflicts 2 damage.

Resist Frenzy (Resolve 1+, Self-inflict 2): This works as above except it works with Frenzy Strikes and is invoked as “Resist Frenzy”

Resist Silence (Resolve 1+, Self-inflict 2): This works as above except it works with Silence Strikes and is invoked as “Resist Silence”

Endure Curse (-Focus): Expend 1 Focus and invoke “Resist Curse” to negate a Blight effect or a Curse that you have received in the last 3 seconds. This cannot negate an Incurable or an Anathemic Curse.

DISTRACTING DEFENSES

(Erudite Masker; Active-Focus, Aug-Defense)

Requires: Any two Basic Masker/Shadower skills and any two Complex Masker/Shadower skills

Your skills at misdirection have been honed to a knife’s edge and applied to your physical defenses.

Veering Parry (-Focus, Skill Aug, Aftereffect)

  • Step 1: Be subject to an attack

  • Step 2: Use the Parry defense to negate melee attacks.

  • Step 3: Augment and invoke it as “Veering Parry”

  • Step 4: As an Aftereffect, make a melee attack against a different creature

  • Step 5: In mid-swing, invoke “Piercing” followed by one of the damage or effects you just negated.

-- This may not target the source of the original attack

-- You may not take more than one step during the Aftereffect.

Fading Parry (-Focus, Skill Aug, Aftereffect): Mitigate another attack afterward.

  • Step 1: Be subject to an attack

  • Step 2: Augment and invoke the defense as ”Fading Parry”

  • Step 3: Aftereffect -- In the next 10 seconds, invoke “Minimal” once and stop forward momentum to reduce the damage of an attack you received to 1 point. It keeps its damage type. This has no effect on Control effects or basic attacks

Effect: This negates the attack unless it is a “Master” or “Ambush” attack.

LORD OF LIES

(Erudite Masker; Active-Long Task/ATN, Bond, Deception)

Requires: Any two Basic Masker and any two Complex Masker skills, including Masked Mind

Your abilities of deception transcend into the supernatural and extraordinary, allowing you to live different identities, forestall incredible pain, and confuse those that would read your mind/past.

  • Double Life (Prop, ATN): If you are wearing a disguise that deviates significantly from your normal dress and covers some of your face, you may invoke “No effect” even against Examine skills that attempt to determine your identity beneath your disguise. This requires either the Lord of Lies ATN or the Veiled Aspect ATN. This cannot be used against a Master Inquiry effect.

  • Double Aspects (ATN): After 1 minute of meditation, you may fool even yourself by diving into two separate identities or mindsets. Dedicate an ATN to this charade, labeled as “Lord of Lies”. This allows you to be attuned to two Aspects. In order to use one Aspect, you must render the other one inert (Long Task, non-combat). This is grueling and prevents you from having more than 5 HP, 3 Aegis, and 3 Resolve while affected by Lord of Lies

  • Imperial Restraint (Resolve): When you use Regal Restraint, you may augment it and invoke it as “Restraint-10”. This allows you to delay a Pain, Stun, Mangle, or Hobble for up to 10 seconds instead of only 5 seconds. This cannot be used with Shared Restraint.

  • Legacy of Lies: Those who are Bound to you by Blood, Oath, or Allegiance are tainted by your cautious and reserved nature. They become able to expand 1 Focus to use the “Poker Face” function of Masked Mind even outside of your presence as long as you are at the same Event.

  • Obscure the Mind: When subjected to an Inquiry effect that asks you multiple questions or a question with multiple answers, you may choose to answer them as normal, except for one of the answers – as part of this skill, inform the inquirer that one of your answers may be a lie. Master-level Inquiries cannot be obscured with this.

SUPREME DECEPTION

(Erudite Masker; Active-Periodic, Defense)

Requires: Any two Basic Masker skills and any two Complex Masker skills

Your skill at misleading others has reached a new apex of potency.

Once per Period, use this Skill as per below. As a Periodic Skill, once this is used, it cannot be used again until the next Period and after you have completed a 10 minute Rest.

-- Option 1: Master of Misdirection — become incredibly elusive for a short time

  • Step 1: Invoke “Supreme Deception”

  • Step 2: Gain the “Mirage” status for 10 seconds.

  • Step 3a: Aftereffect: Invoke and gain “Resolve 5” after you lose “Mirage”. This bypasses any limitations that reduce Resolve but cannot be increased.

  • Step 3b: Aftereffect: Choose one attack that this Skill just negated. Duplicate it and deliver its effects against a different enemy via a Piercing melee attack. This is similar to “Distracting Defenses”

Mirage Status benefits:

  • Duration: This lasts for 10 seconds unless you are Downed/Critical, you move faster than a slow walk, or you expend all of its energies below

  • Defenses x3: Use “Dodge”, “Block”, “Parry”, and/or “Guard” up to 3 times without expending Focus. After the 3rd use of the above defenses, Mirage ends.

  • Master-level: Prefix these defenses with “Master”, allowing them to defend against Master-type attacks.

-- Option 2: Cheat Death — Fool your attackers into thinking you were far more injured.

  • Step 1: Be Downed but not Critical

  • Step 2: Perform First Aid on yourself, up to 3 counts.

  • Step 3: Invoke “Supreme Deception”

  • Step 4: Imbue yourself with Painful Revive.

Aftereffect: Gain “Resolve 3” as an Aftereffect, while still affected by “Pain”.

— Option 3: Blank Slate — Invoke “Supreme Deception, No effect” as a response to an Unveiling, Examine, Inquiry, or a Master Inquiry effect. Furthermore, you can negate such effects until 10 minutes have passed.

VEILED ASPECT 

(Erudite Masker/Shadower; Active-ATN, Aspect)

Requires: Any two Basic Shadower/Masker skills and any two Complex Shadower/Masker skills

You may enter into a mental state that greatly enhances your ability to elude detection and deceive senses at the cost of some vulnerability.

  • Step 1: Have no other Aspect ATNs on your person (see Lord of Lies)

  • Step 2: Write “Veiled Aspect” to two empty ATN slots

  • Step 3: Perform 5+ minutes of meditation in private

  • Step 4: Gain the benefits and limitations below. This Aspect lasts for 1 Event.

After you have completed these requirements above, you gain the following effects below.

Swift Camouflage (Conceal): You may use the Camouflage skill as though you had it. If you actually have Expert Shadower, you can augment Camouflage and invoke it as “Swift Camouflage” to require only a qConc-3 instead of qConc-5.

Veiled Cover (Self-inflict 2): You can use the Shadower’s Duck and Cover as though you had it. If you do have it, you can augment and invoke it as “Veiled Cover” so that it can defend against ranged Piercing and ranged Ambush attacks.

Veiled Essence (Self-inflict 2): When a creature uses Harmonize to synergize with and target your spirit, you can ward it off through strength of will and sheer duplicity. Invoke “Veiled Aspect, negate” as a Reaction to “Harmonize”.

Veiled Exodus (Escape): You may use the Flee the Scene skill as though you had it. If you actually have Fleet of Foot, you can augment Flee the Scene and invoke it as “Veiled Flee the Scene” to waive the Focus cost without the increased Conc count.

Veiled Intent (Deception): You may use the Masked Mind skill as though you had it. If you actually have Veiled Visage, this counts as wearing the necessary props.

Veiled Reversal (-Focus, Self-inflict): You may augment Parry as per the Nimble Defense skill, allowing you to negate an attack and redirect it elsewhere.

  • Nimble Defense or Distracting Defenses: If you have these skills, you can redirect one melee attack into its source, though it is not a Piercing attack. This technique Self-inflicts 2 damage.

Exhausting Presence -- Being able to deceive others with ease leaves you vulnerable. Your maximum HP may not exceed 7 HP.