Conditions

Conditions represent the physical, mental, or emotional harm a character may suffer as a negative consequence of a failed action during game play.

When a character suffers a Bane (a negative consequence) from a failed action during game play, the director has the option of assigning stress, or stress with a condition. Conditions represent a lingering harm suffered by the character and should be named and recorded to be appropriate for the type of harm suffered, such as:

• Physical: Poisoned, Cracked Ribs, Broken Leg

• Mental: Concussion

• Emotional: Humiliated, Scared of Heights, Terrified of Dogs

Each condition is associated with a stress point value, which indicates the severity of the harm. There are four levels of conditions:

• Mild (1 point): Represents a minor setback or inconvenience that can hinder the character's performance in subsequent actions.

• Moderate (2 points): Signifies a more substantial injury or affliction that may impair the character's abilities and decision-making.

• Severe (3 points): Indicates a serious and debilitating condition that significantly limits the character's potential in various situations.

• Traumatic (4+ points): Represents a very severe injury that also imposes a lasting trauma on the character. Traumas can have profound effects on a character's behavior and worldview, shaping their personality and interactions.

Conditions are recorded on a character sheet with a descriptive tag indicating the type of harm suffered, and the amount of stress points suffered. If the same condition already exists on a character sheet, the amount of stress points related to the condition is increased by the amount of additional harm received.

Trauma

Trauma is a special condition that represents a particularly devastating injury, or repeated harm to an existing condition. When a condition is 4 or greater, the player should add an appropriate backstory hook to the character sheet representing an appropriate trauma related to the injury suffered. After receiving a trauma, a character's stress is automatically increased to the maximum, and the character is taken out of the scene.