Table of Contents
Effects and Deliveries
Every call in REFUGE LARP has three parts: a delivery, a qualifier, and an effect. The delivery is how the call is being delivered - is it thrown with a Packet representing some otherworldly effect, or is it swung with a physical Weapon? The qualifier explains how the call is being manifested IG - for example, a physical attack which is imbued with a pure Elemental Force is different from a mundane Weapon swing. Finally, the effect describes exactly what the call will do if it connects - it might heal, it might Paralyze, or it might burn with a mighty flame. In most cases, both the qualifier and the effect must be stated with every call. This helps the recipient understand what defensive abilities they might use and what to do if they get hit.
Note that sometimes you will have the choice to deliver several different effects with a single attack, such as when wielding a sword with several different magical auras. In this case, you may only ever use a single effect with any single attack, although you may be able to change which you choose to use with each attack. No matter what, a single attack can use no more than one qualifier and no more than one effect. Once you have been struck with an effect, it doesn’t matter how it was given to you, it will act the same no matter the original delivery and qualifier.
Effects
Any effect can be combined with any delivery, though some are much rarer than others. For example, it might be uncommon to see an Intoxicate effect channeled through a monster’s Claws, but you will commonly find Intoxicate Alchemy used among the adventuring community. There are many different effects, organized into different Effect Groups. These categorize the effects in two ways: they help describe how they’re defended against, and they give information about how to remove detrimental effects once someone’s been afflicted.
For example, the Weakness effect is in the Curse effect group. A Cleanse effect will remove all other Curse effects, so if you’ve been Weaknessed you might want to drink a Cleanse potion. Alternatively, a Resist Curse Skill will let you prevent the Weakness from affecting you in the first place!
Unless otherwise specified, identical effects do not stack. No person may have a second copy of the same effect active at the same time, whether caused by a spell or Alchemy or any other source. This means one cannot have both a Poison Shield active from a spell and a Poison Shield active from an elixir. If you are struck by an effect that you’re already under, the newest identical effect will always override the older ones. This resets the duration of the effect if it had a timed duration. If you have been under the effect of a Weakness for one minute, and you are struck with a new Weakness, simply reset the timer to its maximum – you don’t have to count or cure the two identical effects separately.
You can, however, have similar effects active at the same time. For example, you might have both an Enhanced Blade and an Earth Blade spell active at the same time, since they are separate effects.
Some effects simply represent various ways to get hurt. For most players, Normal, Silver, Magic, Flame, Lightning, Ice, and Stone will all simply do the stated amount of damage as normal; some monsters might be hurt differently by them (or even healed, such as hitting a Flame Elemental with Flame damage). Massive damage is explained in the Special Abilities section, since it is generally only used by Cast.
Healing, Chaos, and Body are a little different. Healing will normally heal the Body Points of the living and harm the Undead; in both cases it bypasses Armor Points.
Chaos is the opposite - it will heal the Undead while harming the living, its foul energies striking straight past Armor Points directly to Body Points. For both of these, keep in mind the Carrier rules explained in the Calls section a little farther on; you can't get infinite healing for your friends from an Earth Blade spell!
Lastly, the Body damage type simply bypasses Armor Points entirely no matter what the target. It will also work when striking nearly any monster, as very few creatures are Immune to the deadly strikes represented by this damage type.
Deliveries
Packet: All Packet attacks are delivered by throwing a Packet or by touching a Packet to a target. This includes spells, gas globes, and attacks using pure elemental forces. The Packet only needs to touch the target or any possession of the target to take effect.
When using any Packet delivery, the full call must be made before releasing the Packet. “Say, then throw” is a good reminder of the proper order. A Packet must be thrown immediately after finishing the verbal call.
Poison Packet attacks (whether through Alchemy or from a monster) are represented by orange Packets. Arrows and Bolts are represented by blue Packets. Spell Packets may never be orange or blue.
Note that ranged Weapon attacks made via blue Packets act as physical delivery (see below), not Packet delivery.
Physical: This includes all blows from Weapons including Arrows, Bolts, Thrown Weapons, and Claws. A physical attack must connect with a valid target. If you swing with your sword, and your opponent blocks your attack with their own Weapon or Shield, they won’t take the attack. Similarly, if you swing and only hit your opponent’s loose clothing or cloak, you’ve missed. Keep in mind that we play with the Good Sportsmanship rule: If someone intentionally tangles your Weapon with their cloak, but your Weapon swing would have connected with some part of them, they should still take the hit. More details about Weapon combat can be found in the Combat section.
Note that even if an attack is made with an unusual qualifier or effect, as long as it’s made with a physical delivery, it will only connect if it hits you, and not if it’s blocked or only hits garb.
If you hear a physical delivery attack made with the Strike keyword, it will effectively use the Packet targeting rules for that attack only. The Strike keyword can be added to any qualifier attack and is announced directly after the qualifier in an attack verbal. For example, a character may swing a Weapon with the call “Spell Strike Prison” and affect the target with a Spell Prison even if they hit the target’s Shield; the target may of course call any applicable defenses. For clarity, if a Strike attack uses the Weapon qualifier, it must explicitly announce the Weapon qualifier with the attack.
Ingested: All ingested attacks are delivered by placing a potion or elixir physrep next to the mouth of the target or by having the target consume a prepared item. Ingested deliveries always ignore Spell defenses, even if taken while unconscious. Valid defenses include Resists, Cloaks, Banes, <Type> Guard, and Immunities.
Radius: Radius deliveries include traps, contact poisons, and monster abilities such as eye contact or sound of voice. Generally, a Pause Game is called when a radius attack takes place, and everyone partially within the radius is affected.
Note that Radius delivery effects should always include an explicit qualifier and Effect.
Qualifiers
Spell: This qualifier represents attacks that use a refined control of the energies that permeate REFUGE. Any spell cast with an incant uses the Spell qualifier, even if it is not explicitly specified. Any ingested Earth potions are delivered with the Spell qualifier.
Poison: This qualifier represents both virulent poisons and helpful antitoxins. These are often delivered by Alchemical substances such as gas Packets, elixirs, contact poisons, and Weapon coatings, or through monster abilities with the word “Poison” in the verbal. Any ingested Alchemy is delivered with the Poison qualifier.
Elemental: This qualifier represents using the energies that permeate REFUGE in their most raw form.
Arcane: The Arcane qualifier represents the pinnacle of magical might in REFUGE, avoiding most defensive abilities.
Weapon: This is the most common qualifier, representing the solid impact of a Club or the clean cut of a monster’s Claw. When making a physical delivery Weapon qualifier attack with a number, you can omit the “Weapon” qualifier itself in the call. If you are making a Weapon attack without a number, or if you are using the Strike keyword, you must still include “Weapon” as part of the call to make it clear which qualifier is being used.
A character may never heal damage from a Weapon qualifier attack, even when struck by “5 Healing.”
Calls
The Effect and qualifier come together with every call. With a few specific exceptions, all REFUGE LARP calls should follow this pattern: <Number> <Qualifier> <Effect>
For example, a Channeling Packet thrown from a Celestial Source might be thrown with the verbal “10 Elemental Flame!,” where 10 is the amount of damage it will inflict, Elemental is the qualifier, indicating that defenses like Elemental Shield or Resist Element will work, and Flame is the effect, indicating that it might heal a Flame Elemental or do extra damage to an Ice Elemental.
Attacks that don’t do damage simply omit the number. For example, a bewitching siren might throw a Packet for “Elemental Charm!” This won’t inflict any damage, but if it connects the target will think the siren is their best friend for a few minutes.
If a physical delivery attack uses the Strike keyword, it goes in between the qualifier and the Effect. For example, a magically empowered blade might swing for “20 Spell Strike Flame!” Since it has the Strike keyword, the target will take “20 Spell Flame” even if they block the attack with a Weapon or Shield, as though the Weapon impact had come from a Packet.
There are two specific exceptions to this call pattern. First, an incanted spell (like “I Curse you with Paralysis!” or “I Command you to Shun me!”) is always assumed to use the Spell qualifier even though it’s not explicitly stated. Additionally, for a spell that does damage, the number will be part of the incant (e.g. “I Evoke a 20 Flame Bolt!”).
The other exception is basic Weapon attacks. If you’re using the physical delivery and swinging for the Weapon qualifier without the Strike keyword, you can omit the qualifier and just call the number and effect. For example, the full verbal for a regular Weapon attack from a longsword would be “2 Weapon Normal!,” but since it’s using the physical delivery and the Weapon qualifier without the Strike keyword, you only need to call “2 Normal!” without adding the Weapon qualifier. Note that if you use the Strike keyword, you always need to state the qualifier even if it’s Weapon.
Carrier attacks are a special type of Weapon qualifier attack. If a Weapon qualifier attack has a damage number and a special effect, it’s considered a Carrier attack. In this case, the special effect will only work if the damage gets to your Body Points; if the damage only hits your Armor Points, the special effect doesn’t do anything extra. Carrier attacks can never provide a beneficial effect to the target; if you would be healed or otherwise benefited by a Carrier Effect, you instead call “No Effect” as if you were Immune to it.
When making a damaging attack, you can always reduce the damage to a minimum of 0, at player discretion.
Defenses
There are a wide variety of defensive abilities which may be used to stop or mitigate an attack in REFUGE LARP. These may be summed up as four types of defensive calls, each of which has many specific implementations. The source of the defense which is being called must be stated with any defensive verbal, for example “Weapon Shield” or “Resist.”
A given defense can only be used once by a creature against a single attack. Multiple defenses can be triggered by multiple people against a single attack in the right circumstances, such as a Bane effect being Reflected and then the original target expending a Spell Shield.
You must always call a verbal for your defensive abilities immediately when used, and IG, it is obvious to anyone watching which defense was used. You may not call a defense and then have your character pretend to be affected to fool your attackers. Only one defensive ability may be called against a single attack, even if you have multiple defensive abilities which might apply to the attack.
Guard: This type of defense is used to completely block a single attack. These denote expendable Skills, spells, or abilities.
Return: This type of defense is used to send an attack back at the original attacker, who will be automatically struck by the original attack; they may use any applicable defenses they have against the Returned attack as normal. If an attack is Returned, the original attacker is now the target, and the original target is now the attacker. A Return defense will instead act as a Guard defense against any attack originating from an inanimate object, such as by Ingested delivery or a trap.
Reduced: This type of defense indicates the attack was reduced in effectiveness in some way, such as taking a lower amount of damage or reducing the duration of an effect.
No Effect: This type of defense indicates the attack was completely ineffective. In general, if you’re Immune to part of an effect, you’re Immune to all of it. For example, a creature that is Immune to the Spell qualifier will call “No Effect” to “20 Spell Flame!,” but not “20 Elemental Flame!”
Defenses are classified as either Smart or Dumb in their description.
Smart defenses may be used at the discretion of the player against a specific attack, but may only be used when the character is conscious. Examples of Smart defenses are abilities such as Cloak and Resist Binding. Smart defenses other than Resist skills may be used before Dumb defenses, at player discretion.
Dumb defenses will go off against the first attack which they would activate against, even if the character is unconscious. Examples of Dumb defenses are Spell Shield and Weapon Shield.
Resist skills are special Smart defenses; they represent the innate defenses of a creature’s body, not the learned or applied defenses of skills, spells, and Magic Items. Resists may not be used until all applicable Dumb defenses are expended. Unlike most defenses, a Resist can be used against the Ingested delivery.
If a player doesn’t know what a defense does, they can ask a quick OOG question “What type of defense is that?” The person who used the defense can then reply whether it’s e.g. a Smart Guard, a Dumb Return, or whatever accurately describes what the defense does.
Repeated Calls: In general, any response which would be repeated over and over (such as “No Effect” or “Healed”) does not need to be repeated for every attack. It is imperative on the player making this call to ensure that players are aware of this (for example, if a new player enters an ongoing combat where the call has already been announced) or if the effect changes (for example, if a character’s ability to be healed from a specific effect disappears for some reason in the middle of a fight).
Effect Durations
All effects have specific durations. Some are instant, some last 5 minutes, some require a caster to concentrate, and so on. These durations are the same no matter what caused the effect. For instance, the duration of a Weakness is not dependent on whether it was caused by a spell or a gas.
The use of the word caster in the examples that follow includes anyone who caused the effect to come into use; for instance, a monster swinging “3 Web” would be the caster for purposes of the effect.
Concentration: A Concentration effect lasts as long as the caster maintains focus. The recipient of a Concentration spell that requires physical requirements (such as arms crossed or in the air) may choose to decline the effect simply by not applying the physical requirements. All normal spell defenses must be used first.
In no cases can these spells be used to force an unwilling target to break any other spells’ physical requirements.
Instant: An Instant effect has an instantaneous duration, but the effect, such as damage or Purify, may be permanent. Thus, any damage is permanent until cured.
Line of Sight: A Line of Sight effect persists as long as the caster and the target could potentially see each other. If you can draw a straight line between the caster and the target without the line being obscured by any obstacles, then the Line of Sight is still in effect.
The caster or target cannot close their eyes or hide behind another creature to break Line of Sight; they must impose some physical barrier, such as a building or large tree, between them to break it. If the caster or target breaks Line of Sight for longer than five seconds, the effect is broken; if Line of Sight per the rules above is reestablished before the five seconds is up, then the effect continues.
Line of Sight effects end immediately if the caster loses access to Game Abilities.
Storm: A Storm effect allows the caster to throw a specified number and type of Packets, as described in the effect. Unless otherwise specified, the caster may not move their feet during this time without breaking the effect. In all other ways, Storm effects can be treated as Concentration effects.
A Storm effect can be cast only on oneself, and individual Packets granted by the effect count as separate attacks for the purposes of defensive abilities.
A Storm spell may never be absorbed into a Spell Store, but an individual attack may be absorbed into a Spell Store if it exactly mimics an existing spell. For example, a Magic Storm Packet for “10 Spell Flame” can be absorbed into a Spell Store as a 2nd level spell, since it is the same as a second level Evocation Bolt spell; a Mend Armor Storm Packet for “10 Spell Mend Armor” cannot be absorbed, since there is no spell that grants “10 Spell Mend Armor.”
Timed: A Timed effect has a set duration in real time, from five seconds to five days, after which it expires. If hit by two different timed effects, both will run simultaneously ending at the appropriate time for each.
If you’re hit by two identical timed effects, the timer will be reset.
Targets
In the REFUGE LARP world, all player characters have a spirit and a body. These can be separated in some cases, normally via powerful Ritual Magic. At other times you may encounter a body without a spirit; examples would be a permanently dead corpse or a guardian construct.
Most effects target a body specifically. These include everything from Alchemical gasses (which will only affect living creatures in most cases) to Web and Prison spells. In every case, unless stated otherwise, you should expect that all effects target the body only and will go away when someone becomes “dead.” A dead body is generally Immune to any effect which doesn’t explicitly target the spirit.
There are some effects which will specifically work on a dead body; these include Life, Create Undead, and Corrupt. There are some potent formal magic effects which will also target a spirit specifically and will thus work on a live (or dead) body so long as it contains a spirit. If your character is one of the fortunate (or unfortunate) subjects of some method which separates your spirit from your body, a Formal Magic effect which targets your spirit will not affect you if it strikes your body (subject to whatever caveats are on the methods used for separation). For example, a villain who is under a Controlled Spirit Store ritual whose spirit vessel is safely in their lair would call “No Effect” if their body is struck by a spirit-targeting effect like Shatter Spirit. However, they would still be affected by all body-targeting effects such as Sleep and Shackle.
Since a dead body can't be targeted by most effects, if it's being carried by someone it will count as a possession, with all the corresponding rules. Only when an effect explicitly affects a spirit or dead body will a carried dead body take that effect.
Effect Groups
Effect groups are important to understand because certain defenses can block any effect from its related group. For example, a Resist Command can block any effect from the Command group, whereas a Resist Curse couldn’t be used against Command effects (but would work against Curse effects).
A Purify will remove all harmful effects upon the target from the Alteration, Binding, Command, Curse, and Necromancy Effect Groups. It will also remove any Stun Limb effects. It does not cure damage caused by any of these effects.
A Dispel will remove all effects, even beneficial ones, except those in the Greater Command group and the effects Circle of Power and Ward.
Many Effect Groups contain a way to “cure” other effects from that same Group. Antidote removes all effects from the Alteration group; similarly, Cleanse fixes all Curses, Release fixes all Bindings, and Awaken removes all Commands. Other effects need specific fixes—for example, a Corrupt can only be cured via a Life spell, while an Enslavement requires the Enslavement Antidote effect to remove.
Alteration (Antidote, Enfeeble, Hallucinate, Intoxicate, Paranoia)
Eldritch Force (Banish, Circle of Power, Fortress, Lesser Investment, Light, Prison, Solidify, Subjugate, Wall of Force, Ward, Wizard Lock, Disarm, Shatter, Mend Armor, Mend Armor Storm, Repel, Stun Limb)
Evocation (Flame, Ice, Stone, Lightning, Magic, Magic Storm, Lesser Magic Storm)
Greater Command (Amnesia, Enslavement, Euphoria, Enslavement Antidote, Euphoria Antidote)
Earth (Cure Disease, Earth Blade, Healing, Life, Purify, Restore, Sanctuary, Turn Undead, Destroy Undead, Earth Storm, Lesser Earth Storm)
Necromancy (Corrupt, Chaos, Chaos Blade, Control Undead, Create Undead, Desecrate, Disease, Drain, Wither, Chaos Storm, Lesser Chaos Storm)
Protection/Enhancement (Dispel, Elemental Shield, Enhanced Blade, Endow, Weapon Shield, Poison Shield, Reflect Spell, Spell Shield)
Game Room
Some effects target a Game Room. This simply refers to any area that has been defined as a single “room” or “area.” For example, a sleeping cabin or tent is generally a Game Room. Similarly, if you’re using a small clearing on a path to represent a cave during an adventure, the Marshal running the module might say that the clearing counts as a Game Room. It’s also possible for larger areas to be defined as a multiple of several Game Rooms. For example, a tavern might be defined as 3 Game Rooms. A good guideline is that an enclosed area up to about 20' x 20' should probably count as one Game Room, although this is a guideline only and what actually counts will depend on the site being used. If you have any questions, ask a Marshal whether an area counts as one or more Game Rooms.
This comes into play when casting spells like Ward or Wizard Lock that protect a single structure or room, or when using Area Traps that will affect everyone inside a Game Room. If an area is defined as larger than one Game Room—like the tavern example above that counts as 3 Game Rooms’ worth of size—it will require more traps to trap or more Wards to Ward.