DRAFT 1.1 1/2023
This approach to damage reflects a more consistent and dedicated “Gritty Realism” perspective. It is an attempt (like many) to take the basic d20 approach [for 5e] and wrap it into something more challenging that aligns to the Incarna principles. This happens mostly in the inclusion of Aptitude as a leverage for many rules rather than seemingly arbitrary “game balance” imposed from great heights. This tries to preserve game balance but gives players a little more agency. Character Envisioning and agency are one of the points of emphasis of the Incarna Principles. After a LOT of thinking on Incarna approaches, I think thats its appropriate to return to the “Incarna Basic System” approach as so many companies are doing with different more detailed concepts being either an optional or extension (essentially an “advanced” set of rules – funny how this is so regressive yet contemporary all at once).
Incarna has always been a “round to the players disadvantage” system to simulate that “gritty realism”. However, I think softening the stance on this is appropriate to make it more approachable and have an advanced expression for combat (resilience and damage). Round down would be part of an extended version or expression.
Note: Round Up!
After some discussion and thoughts, Health is too body centric. Resilience can be appropriately used for both mind-body health and the ‘health’ of armor and items. It unifies the concepts and returns to Incarna basics.
Notation = [living] Resilience # / [item] Resilience 40(4) where (X) = damage reduction with/type or assume all bludgeon/pierce/slash
Icore and i20 will both have:
Short Rest
Long Rest
Hale
Previously noted as “Wounded” for Incarna iCore and i20. Typically it was applied in TT as a ‘card’ on the table so that players and GMs would not forget. It was not previously integrated into a complete damage/health vision except in the iCore version. Battered can also be used to describe the state of items that used their resilience but are not yet ‘useless’.
Kinetic Aptitude update: If a character has a Kinetic Aptitude 3+ and they can use an instance of Shrug Off to remediate an additional Battered instance on themselves during their rest.
Living: One (cumulative) measure of Exhaustion and non-combat movement impairment (slows by 20%). Fatigue Damage becomes real damage while battered. Normal (non-mystical) healing is reduced to 1 per application – regardless of the source; Each instance of Battered can be remediated in a Short Rest. A Battered character that must be Stabilized begins with one natural stabilization failure for each instance of Battered beyond the first.
Notation = Battered 3
i20 = Second Wind can be used for Shrug-Off; Lesser Restoration can remediate a single instance only if the target is operative (conscious and capable of taking action); Greater can do it even if non-operative.
Item: When an item uses all its Resilience, it becomes Battered. Any attempts to use it suffer a -1. Any item worn becomes __ encumbering. A Battered item automatically becomes ‘Useless’ (cannot be repaired) unless it has more than 1 Resilience (its base).
i20 = Half AC and/or half damage
Previously noted as “Stable” for Incarna iCore. Already existed in d20 and leveraged “as-is” by default for i20. I do like the idea of a body just stabilizing on its own. Obviously this is a change to iCore and reflects the more positive/optimistic “Character Positive” approach.
The dying process is halted and the character can receive healing. A character gains the “Battered “ condition each time they have to be stabilized. If the character is in negatives, they will remain Battered and non-operative (unconscious and have their natural Healing Factor reduced to 1 regardless of non-care bonuses) until they are restored to 1 resilience or higher. Healing Factors of less than 1 mean the stabilized character will die after 3 days in normal circumstances.
Dying: A character’s body will always attempt to stabilize naturally. While this is happening, stabilization can automatically be achieved through the use of other means.
Previously noted as “Zero” for Incarna iCore and d20 and leveraged “as-is” by default for i20. This is a change to remove the ease with which players can just count on bouncing back the next day from taking huge amounts of damage.
Death Threshold: Once a character/creature is reduced to zero or less they are considered to be dying. Damage in excess of a character’s Health takes them in the negatives and healing simply offsets it. While below one (1), if they are not stabilized or circumstances do not change significantly, they will die within 6 rounds.
> As a GM, I generally allow PCs a “heroic advantage” of being at zero exactly.
Let’s face it, “Hit Points” are problematic. All health measures really are, regardless of system. They are integrated in a way that achieves balance by system – it is not universal. This represents a move to have iCore and i20 use the generic (and most commonly used term in games) “Health”. It will replace “Hit Points” (you can think of it as “Health Points”) for d20 and “Resilience” of iCore (though I like ‘Resilience’ much better than Health – it’s just a choice to use a more ubiquitous term).
What is Resilience? Resilience is your overall measure to take damage and suffer through ailments and afflictions. A great deal of it is simply how much physical punishment you can take without your body collapsing, and this is based on your size and vigor. You can improve your Resilience through training, diet, and capability of dealing with the different types of things that impact health and healing. Characters can learn to better “roll with the punches” through extreme training, endurance and willpower.
Basic Resilience iCore = ((VIGOR x 10)+Size)/2 & i20 = 4 (+4 per size category above medium)
Experience Improvement: d20 Basic Resilience per level + ½ Kinetic Aptitude per level.
Robust Physicality: d20 minor = @1st level get full kinetic aptitude, vs major = all levels for barbarian / iCore is aptitude x2 in health?
Steady Threshold: (iCore ‘Constitution’) d20 its the minimum amount of damage before a concentration check is required.
This was previously a multiple measure buy for iCore and used as a GM reward for i20. It now becomes a one time buy that rewards characters for waiting until after character inception to reflect actual in-game experience rather than the emphasis being on taking it as part of character creation to add flavor.
Toughened: [i20] Bonus = Basic Resilience & +1 SAN (if after character inception) & Minor Shrug Off = 1/Short Rest the character can make a DC 10 Con check to regain their Basic Resilience.
This was just a simple multi-measure way of getting some extra HP to reflect a mostly warrior type character focussing on getting tougher, but also as a means for non-warrior types to gain more Health and toughen up (especially true with d20 characters not having the Hit Dice or Constitution bonus over time. It now directly affects how well the character suffers being gravely wounded.
Per measure Bonus d20 = Basic Resilience / iCore = Basic Resilience/10; If a character possesses 4+ measures it increases their [maximum] healing range while Battered and Stabilized by 1 (they must have bonuses to gain any advantage with this). A character may take this no more times than 2 + their Kinetic Aptitude.
Campaign Discipline: Battered Fatigue does not become real.
Service (various types): +1 Essence in addition to the small situational offset individual ones provide.
Robust Constitution: Will continue to affect the base healing rate.