Calls
Some characters and monsters have abilities with in-game effects (inflicting damage, disorienting or incapacitating the target, etc.) that need to be immediately and clearly conveyed to the target in combat. These effects are usually communicated through a call, a short (generally one- or two-word) phrase with a specific mechanical effect.
Calls should be given loudly and clearly, and in such a way that listeners can readily distinguish them from in-character dialogue. Where necessary, the speaker should also indicate the intended target, by pointing and if necessary by verbal description (e.g. “The person in the red tabard!”).
Attacks may have multiple calls, which should be given in the order Strength, damage type, damage indicator, effect, poison or disease. In general, participants should avoid using more than three calls on any one attack, even if they are entitled to using more, and may never use more than one damage indicator – try and judge which call or calls are best applied to a given attack.
Arrows and crossbow bolts automatically bypass armour – the attacker does not need to call Through. Aside from this, these weapons cannot be accompanied by any calls.
Calls are an out of character mechanic; the effect conveyed may occur in character, but (with the exception of spellcasting) listeners should assume the call itself is not.
Players must never use a call that they have not been specifically authorised to use (e.g. because they have a relevant skill). Calls are an integral part of the rules, and misusing them can disrupt play and impact other participants’ games.
Strength
Strength should be called first on any attack, before any damage, effect, poison or disease call.
Any blow knocks the target off their feet, causing them to fall to the ground, unless the target is also capable of calling Strength. The knockdown effect (but not any damage) applies even if the attack is blocked or parried, or strikes their weapon or shield.
This call does not have any damaging effect; if it is not paired with other damage indicators, Strength inflicts damage per a standard attack with a mundane weapon.
| Mundane Strike Down vs. Strength
The calls Mundane Strike Down and Strength have substantially the same effect, but with some differences. Any blow with the call Strength knocks the target over, even if parried or blocked, while a blow with the call Mundane Strike Down only knocks the target over if it lands on the target. Characters able to continuously call Strength are themselves unaffected by Strength calls, but are not immune to Mundane Strike Down unless they have a separate relevant ability. Strength always reflects that the attacker is either very large or very physically powerful, while Mundane Strike Down usually represents special training in techniques to trip or overbear the opponent. |
Grappling With Strength
A character able to call Strength continuously for any amount of time can also use this call to grapple a target on their own, without requiring three people. In turn, such a character may only themselves be grappled by three other characters with Strength.
The call may have other effects in play, e.g. a character capable of calling Strength may be able to lift and carry a heavy stone unassisted. Relevant phys reps will either have signs explaining any effects, or will be attended by a referee.
Attacking Weapons With Strength
Anyone using the Strength call is asked not to use the call when aiming for weapons; they must e.g. knock a defender’s weapon aside (carefully) without calling Strength, then step inside the defender’s guard and follow up with a Strength attack aimed at the defender themselves.
For ease of refereeing, however, the target must take the effect of any Strength attack that connects with their weapon or shield, regardless of the attacker’s intention.
A player or monster found repeatedly treating this as a “loophole” – i.e. deliberately attacking weapons with the Strength call knowing the target has to take the effect – may have the privilege of using the call taken away.
Damage Calls
Damage calls indicate that an attack bypasses armour, overcomes damage immunity or causes more damage (or otherwise has a greater impact) than a standard blow.
There are two types of damage calls: damage type and damage indicator. Many special attacks include at least one of each, e.g. a wraith’s enervating touch calls Spirit Through.
Damage calls apply to any successful weapon blow or touch attack. If the attack misses, or is parried or blocked, it has no effect.
| Magical and Mundane Damage Calls
Generally, if a damage call includes a magical damage type (i.e. Corporeal, Elemental, Spiritual or Artefact) and any damage indicator, the damaging effect is assumed to be magical in nature, e.g. an Elemental Crush axe might be wreathed in magical flame that burns as it cleaves, while a wraith touching for Spirit Through reaches through the target’s armour with its ethereal grasp. If a damage call does not include one of those types, then the damage is assumed to be mundane in nature, e.g. a rogue calls Through with a dagger by finding gaps in armour, while a great beast calls Strength Crush due to its sheer brute power. This has no particular mechanical effect, but can inform how to interpret any attack’s effects. |
Damage Type
An attack’s damage type reflects the source of the damage, including the sphere(s) of magic powering it or the material from which the weapon is made. An attack might have multiple damage types, e.g. a spear invested with a bound demon might call Elemental Spirit, while a mace crafted from silver and enchanted to kill ghouls might call Silver Corporeal.
These calls don’t affect how much damage the attack does – the target’s immunities or vulnerabilities, if any, determine how they’re affected. As such, a player character on the receiving end of one of these calls is unlikely to need to account for it.
Note: Weapons with the magical damage calls Corporeal, Elemental, Spiritual and Artefact cannot carry poisons.
| Call | Description |
|---|---|
| Silver | The weapon is made from a silver alloy. These weapons are said to be effective against creatures whose nature is divided or changing, such as shapeshifters. |
| Cold Iron | Weapons fashioned from this rare, costly metal are believed to be effective against very strongly magical creatures, such as fae and magical beasts. |
| Corporeal | Attacks charged with corporeal magic are effective against supernatural creatures such as undead and constructs. |
| Elemental | Attacks charged with elemental magic are treasured by those who fight supernatural creatures such as demons and constructs. |
| Spirit | Attacks are charged with spiritual magic, and can injure even intangible spirits, like ghosts, devils and wraiths. |
| Artefact | The weapon is one of a handful of potent weapons of myth, charged with corporeal, elemental and spiritual magic all at once. It is said that even the gods themselves can be hurt by artefact weapons… |
| Weapons Made of Other Materials
A handful of weapons exist in the game that are made of gold, or the exotic ore known as “star metal”; many, of course, are made of wood or bone. No standard monsters in the Renewal campaign have any specific vulnerability to these weapons, so there is generally no need to call, e.g. Gold or Bone in combat. Any encounter- or event-specific exceptions will be communicated to players ahead of time. |
Damage Indicator
An attack’s damage indicator reflects how harmful it is: depending on the call, an attack might bypass armour, devastate the location struck or merely stun the target without doing lasting hurt. No attack call can include more than one damage indicator.
| Call | Description |
|---|---|
| Through | The attack bypasses any armour and inflicts one physical hit to the location struck, leaving the armour undamaged. Arrows and bolts inflict Through damage by default, and there is no need to make the call when attacking with these weapons. |
| Crush | One blow to any armoured location with this attack instantly reduces it to zero armour hits. One hit to any unarmoured location – or any location with no remaining armour hits – reduces the location to zero physical hits, incapacitating it. |
| Wounding | One blow with this attack bypasses any armour and reduces the location struck to zero physical hits, incapacitating it and leaving the armour undamaged. |
| Smite | One blow with this attack reduces the location to zero armour hits and zero physical hits, incapacitating it. |
| Fatal | One blow with this attack to any location bypasses any armour and reduces all locations to zero physical hits, incapacitating all locations and triggering the target’s death count, and leaving the armour undamaged. This call may be accompanied by Smite (i.e. Fatal Smite) – most often for siege weapons or similarly overwhelming attacks – in which case the attack reduces all locations to zero armour hits and zero physical hits. The attending referee will explain any other effects. |
| Subdual | The target of this attack is dazed or stunned rather than injured; their armour is disarrayed rather than damaged. Effects are as per a normal attack, but all physical hits are recovered automatically after two minutes, and all armour hits may be restored by a few seconds’ roleplaying adjusting and retightening straps. A character whose head or torso location has been incapacitated by Subdual damage is unconscious rather than mortally wounded. Subdual damage can be healed with the Recovery spell. |
Ranged Damage Indicator
These special damage indicators are used at range, to represent offensive spells (e.g. a necromancer’s withering hex) or equivalent magical attacks (e.g. a dragon’s vile breath).
Like spells and other effect calls, a ranged damage call invariably hits its target, as long as it is within range, and cannot be “dodged” or “parried” except by certain special abilities. It can be resisted or countered as appropriate.
Ranged damage calls may be given as area or cone effects.
| Call | Description |
|---|---|
| Bolt | The attack bypasses any armour, inflicts two physical hits to every location, and knocks the target over per Strike Down. It has a range of 30ft/10m. |
| Blast | The attack bypasses any armour, inflicts five physical hits to every location, and knocks the target over per Strike Down. It has a range of 60ft/20m. |
Ranged damage calls will usually be accompanied by a magical damage type (e.g. Spirit Bolt or Elemental Blast). Ranged, non-magical attacks are almost always represented by an actual physical projectile.
Countering Damage Calls
Magical damage calls (i.e. those with the damage types Corporeal, Elemental, Spiritual or Artefact) can be resisted or countered similarly to spells as follows:
- Magical Through, Crush, Wounding and Bolt calls can be resisted with Resist Magic or countered with Greater Countermagic as though they were greater spells.
- Magical Smite, Fatal and Blast can be resisted with Resist Exalted Magic or countered with Nullify as though they were exalted spells.
Countering or resisting the call prevents the special effects of that call from taking place, but (where the call is delivered with a weapon) doesn't stop the weapon blow itself; the target will still sustain one normal hit from the attack.
Mundane damage calls (i.e. those without any of the four magical damage types listed above) cannot be resisted or countered in this way.
Note: This rule will be subject to playtesting and review over the Winter 2024-Spring 2025 season and is subject to change.
Mass Effects
Some powerful effects, accompanied by the call Mass, apply to groups of targets. Mass calls apply to everyone within a radius of the target.
- Mass versions of lesser effects (e.g. Mass Strike Down) affect everyone within 30ft/10m of the target.
- Mass versions of greater effects (e.g. Mass Elemental Bolt) affect everyone within 10ft/3m.
Each character targeted by a mass spell can counter or resist, for themselves only, at the original level of the effect.
- Example
- A character in the area of a Mass Confusion effect can defend themselves with Countermagic or throw it off with the skill Iron Will.
It is not possible to counter the effect for all targets, even with Nullify – this requires a special item or ability.
Effect Calls
Ideally, all players should aim to familiarise themselves with all the spells in the Renewal campaign (see Spell List), but much of the time, the caster or an attending referee can explain any effects the target is unfamiliar with. The exceptions are combat spells, which players should react to without referee intervention, and which use either standard damage calls or the following list of effect calls.
Effect calls may also be used to convey a special ability or supernatural power. These calls are grouped by sphere; effects are assumed to be magical unless accompanied by the call Mundane, or the calls Poison or Disease. Each has a default level (lesser, greater or exalted), indicating how hard they are to counter or resist.
- Examples
- A basilisk’s petrifying attack uses the call Paralysis
- A vampire’s hypnotic gaze uses the Enthral call, or
- A cloud of soporific spores uses Poison Sleep
All effects calls should obey the standard rules for range, duration and maximum size of target. Any exceptions will be communicated along with the call or by an attending referee.
Effects as Weapon or Touch Calls
One special example is calling an effect with a weapon blow or touch (e.g., calling Fumble with a sword blow). In this case, the effect’s usual range obviously doesn’t apply.
An effect call given with a touch or weapon attack only has effect on a successful blow (i.e. not parried or blocked). Effect calls have effect even if the damage is stopped by the target’s armour (unless accompanied by the calls Poison or Disease).
An effect given with a touch or weapon attack only affects the target struck even if the call would normally apply against multiple targets (e.g. Flare).
Fundamental Effects
The following effect is always magical and fundamental in nature.
| Call | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Disenchantment | Exalted | The target magical item is temporarily disenchanted for one minute (unless accompanied by the call Extension, below). This effect does not function on artefacts. |
Corporeal Effects
Unless accompanied by another sphere indicator or the Mundane call, all the following effects are assumed to be magical and corporeal in nature.
| Call | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Blinding | Greater | The target creature is blinded for 30 seconds. Please exercise caution when taking this effect: if it is not safe to close your eyes, just roleplay being unable to see. |
| Fumble | Lesser | The target creature must immediately drop whatever they are holding. |
| Mute | Lesser | The target creature may not make any vocal sounds for 30 seconds. |
| Paralysis | Greater | The target creature cannot move, act or make a noise for 30 seconds, even if attacked. |
| Retribution | Lesser | The target of this spell receives one point of Corporeal Through damage on the equivalent location for every blow they strike upon another creature (even those stopped by armour) for 30 seconds. |
Elemental Effects
Unless accompanied by another sphere indicator or the Mundane call, all the following effects are assumed to be magical and elemental in nature.
| Call | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Disintegrate | Exalted | The target item is destroyed utterly beyond repair. This spell does function on magical items, but not on artefacts. |
| Entangle | Lesser | The target creature is rooted to the spot for 30 seconds. They may take any action that does not require moving their legs. Characters able to continuously call Strength are unaffected. |
| Flare | Greater | Three adjacent target creatures are temporarily blinded (per Blinding) for five seconds. |
| Heat Object | Greater | The target item becomes white hot for 1 minute. Any location in contact with the object suffers 2 physical hits, bypassing armour, as though struck twice by the call Elemental Through, after every ten seconds they remain in contact. This spell does not function on magical items. |
| Magnetise | Greater | The target item is drawn immediately to the ground and cannot be moved for 30 seconds. This spell does not function on magical items. |
| Repel | Lesser | The target creature or object is forced away from the caster in a straight line for 10ft/3m, stopping only if they come into contact with a solid obstacle. |
| Shatter | Lesser | The target item is shattered into several pieces and damaged. The prop must be immediately dropped, or its mechanical effects ignored if not easily dropped. The item may not be used again until repaired. This spell does not function on magical items. |
| Strike Down | Lesser | The target creature is knocked off their feet. Effects are as per the call Strength, except that creatures able to continuously call Strength are not automatically immune to this effect. |
| Replacing Damaged Items
On a battlefield, a player may replace a damaged, broken or destroyed item (e.g. by the spells Shatter or Disintegrate) by “looting a corpse.” This requires around 30 seconds’ roleplay, rummaging around the ground where the corpses of slain monsters are presumably lying, after which the player may resume using their own phys rep. The replacement item is always of standard quality and materials, with no enchantment or other special properties. |
Spiritual Effects
Unless accompanied by another sphere indicator or the Mundane call, all the following effects are assumed to be magical and spiritual in nature.
| Call | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Command | Lesser | The target creature must obey the specified one-word command (which must be a verb, e.g. “run,” “dance,” “kneel”) to the best of their ability for 30 seconds. The target is free to take any other action that doesn’t prevent them obeying the command. Any physical blow or magical attack breaks the spell immediately. |
| Confusion | Lesser | The target creature is disorientated and confused for 30 seconds. They may parry or block attacks, but not attack, cast spells or use any abilities themselves. |
| Enthral | Lesser | The target creature remains enthralled by the caster for as long the caster speaks to the target in meaningful sentences. The target will follow the caster at a normal walk unless they are visibly leading them into danger. Any damage to the caster or target breaks the spell. |
| Fear | Lesser | The target creature must flee from the caster as fast as they can for 30 seconds; if cornered or grappled, the target must cower on the spot. |
| Sleep | Greater | The target creature instantly falls into a deep sleep and remains in this state for 30 seconds. If the target is deliberately awakened or takes any damage, the spell is broken. |
| Suggestion | Greater | As per Command, but the caster can give a command up to eight words in length. |
| Spirit Wrack | Exalted | The target creature’s spirit is attacked, causing them intense suffering for 1 minute. The target may decide how to roleplay this effect – e.g. writhing in screaming agony on the floor, curling up in a silent ball, moaning in dread and horror – but they are unable to speak, act or defend themselves for the duration. |
Possession
Some intangible spirits such as ghosts or familiars are able to step into another creature’s form and take over, supplanting the resident spirit. The staff member playing the spirit will indicate this by placing a hand on (or over) the target’s shoulder and calling Possession.
This can be resisted by the skill Iron Will or countered as if it were a greater spiritual spell; if resisted or countered, the spirit cannot attempt to possess the same target for at least 10 minutes.
While the possessing spirit is in control, they can move the host’s body as if it were their own, but cannot cause it to take any action that will directly harm it – if they attempt to do so, the possession immediately ends. They can use any skill the spirit knows, but cannot access the host’s skills or memories unless the host is willing. The host is conscious throughout the possession and remembers what happened when the possession ends.
While in possession, the spirit is not visible to the spell Detect Spirits, but can be detected by the spells Spirit Reading and Discern Spiritual Nature. They can be targeted by any relevant Banish spell or driven out via Exorcism.
Any attack calling Artefact or Spirit injures the spirit as well as the host. If the host is incapacitated, the possession immediately ends. By default, possession has no time limit; to end the effect, the spirit must be destroyed or driven out.
Note: Constructs, who are normally immune to all spiritual effects, can still be possessed (if anything, their lack of a spirit ensures there is no resistance).
Body Effects, Mind Effects and Fear
These rules sometimes use the terms body effect, mind effect and fear effects. For clarification:
- Mind effects are spells and effects that influence the target’s thoughts or emotions but don’t cause damage, such as Befriend, Command, Confusion, Distract, Enthral, False Memory, Forget, Possession, Sleep and Suggestion. The skill Iron Will can be used to resist any of these effects, whether magical or mundane, unless caused by poison or disease.
- Fear is a special mind effect, which must be resisted with Fearlessness rather than Iron Will.
Effects Without Calls
Not all effects use calls. Many spells, potions, poisons and crafted items have more complex effects that need to be explained to the subject, and event- or plot-specific effects may only appear in the game for a short term, making it impractical to introduce a specific call.
Non-standard effects are described by a referee at the time they are used. Some effects without calls can still be resisted or countered.
- Examples
- “You feel apprehensive and twitchy as long as you are in this shrine” (can be resisted by Iron Will).
- “For ten minutes after touching the tree you feel weak and achy; you can’t run, and can only block or parry in battle” (can be resisted by Iron Body).
Special Modifiers
In general, aside from how the effect should be narrated or roleplayed, the rules for any effect call are exactly the same as the spell, including range, duration, resistance, or any limitations as above. Where it differs from the spell in any way, the person using the effect (or the attending referee) will explain at the time. Some common modifiers are listed below.
- Mundane: The named effect may not be countered by a spellcaster, nor resisted with the skills Resist Magic or Resist Exalted Magic. It can still be resisted with the skills Fearlessness, Iron Body or Iron Will. Relevant immunities work as normal against mundane attacks.
- Extended: The named spell or effect’s duration is increased to ten minutes, or longer as indicated (e.g. Extended Confusion, One Hour).
- Mass: The named effect is applied to every character within a radius around the designated target (generally, a referee will relay the call from the centre of the area). By default, a mass lesser spell applies in a 30ft/10m radius, while a mass greater spell applies in a 10ft/3m radius. See Mass Effects.
| Special Rules for Mundane Effects
The call Mundane indicates that the named effect is non-magical in origin, e.g. a duellist can disarm their opponent with a flick of their sword, calling Mundane Fumble. Some mundane effects impose specific restrictions on the attacker, like a Mundane Strike Down attack that must be aimed at the legs, or a Mundane Shatter ability that only works on shields. It is always up to the attacker to remember and apply these restrictions, never the target: if a character with a Mundane attack unintentionally fails to meet this restriction (e.g. they aim an attack at the target’s leg, but the target moves and takes the blow on their back), the call still takes effect. As with attacking weapons with Strength, any fighter caught treating this as a “loophole” and persistently ignoring the restrictions on a Mundane ability may have it removed. |
Poisons and Diseases
Poison and Disease calls apply to any successful blow to an unarmoured hit location, to any blow to a location with no remaining armour hits, or to any blow that bypasses armour (e.g. with the Through call). Poison attacks that hit an armoured location (with the exception of Acid Kiss), or are blocked or parried, have no effect and waste a dose of poison; attacks that miss altogether have no effect, but the dose of poison is not wasted.
Some poisons, and all diseases, must first be cured or purged, or the wound cleaned, before they can be healed. Rare magical diseases and poisons cannot be cured or purged unless certain special conditions are met. These afflictions can be resisted normally; the restriction only applies to curing them if not resisted. A referee will generally be on hand to administer any effects.
All poisons and diseases can be resisted with the skills Resist Poison and Resist Disease.
Note: Weapons with magical damage calls (i.e. those with the damage types Corporeal, Elemental, Spiritual or Artefact) cannot carry poisons. This restriction doesn’t apply to touch attacks (including the spell Poisoning).
| Poison Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acid Kiss | Poison | This poison inflicts one hit to the location struck every ten seconds for one minute (for a total of six hits), inflicting the first hit ten seconds after contact. Damage applies to armour hits (if any) first, until reduced to zero armour hits, and then to physical hits. If the armour is removed before the acid burns through it, no damage is applied to physical hits. Damage can be healed and repaired as normal. Acid Kiss can be cleaned or cured as per any poison; in addition, if the location is washed with a cupful of water, the venom stops working after thirty seconds (i.e. three hits). |
| Bitter Kiss | Poison | Reduces the location struck to zero physical hits instantly, incapacitating it. The wound can be healed as normal. |
| Corrupted Wound | Disease | The attack inflicts damage as usual, but the wound is now tainted and cannot be healed until the wound is cleaned or the disease is cured. |
| Disease [Effect] | Disease | The attack inflicts a disease that causes the named effect. Diseases can only be resisted by the skill Resist Disease. By default, diseases require curing by the spell Cure Disease or equivalent ability to end the effects. |
| Poison [Effect] | Poison | The attack inflicts a poison that causes the named effect. Poisons can only be resisted by the skill Resist Poison. By default, poisons with effect calls do not require purging, but elapse in the usual timescale for the effect call (although they may be purged to end the effects early). More complex poisons, including those that must be purged, do not use effect calls and will instead be conveyed by the poisoner or attending referee. |
Defence Calls
Certain spells, skills and other abilities allow characters to counter or resist effects, or render them immune, indicated by one of the below calls.
All defence calls must be given during or immediately after the spell or effect to be countered or resisted.
| Name of Defence | Description |
|---|---|
| Countermagic | The indicated lesser or greater spell (or equivalent magical effect) is prevented from occurring. If called against a mass spell or effect, only the character calling this defence is protected. |
| Nullify | The indicated lesser, greater or exalted spell (or equivalent magical effect) is prevented from occurring. If called against a mass spell or effect, only the character calling this defence is protected. |
| Resist | The character calling this defence shrugs off the indicated spell or effect; the defence does not prevent the effect from occurring, but the character calling this defence is unaffected. |
| Defend Others | The character calling this defence, who must be within 5 ft (1.5 m) of the target of the effect, becomes the target in their place. The new target may not counter or resist the effect at all, even if they have the ability to do so. |
| Reflect | The indicated lesser or greater spell (or equivalent magical effect) affects the source (i.e. the caster) instead of the character calling this defence. If called against a mass spell or effect (p. 00), only the effect on the character calling this defence is reflected. |
| No Effect | The character calling this defence is wholly unaffected by the indicated spell or effect; the defence does not prevent the effect from occurring, but the character calling this defence is unaffected. |