Mind (Action)

Heroic Action Role-Play

In earlier stages of development, there was a Chi attribute, which has since been merged with Mind. All references to Chi in the rules now applies to Mind instead.

Mind is a measure of your ki, ego, ability to concentrate, and inner strength. It indicates how good a grasp you have of the extraordinary, supernatural,and divine. A high mind score means that you are focused but still mentally agile; hard to persuade yet insightful and able to understand ideas and concepts outside of your fields of expertise.

Fortune

Mind is the basis of Fortune. Whether you wish to express this as the favor of the gods, the ability to go with the flow of ki, or merely foresight and intuition, the fact is that some people have an uncanny ability to put in extra energy just when it matters most.

Your Mind score is an upper limit on your daily expenditure of Fortune points. When you have spent as many Fortune points as your Mind, you cannot spend any more. If your Mind goes up or down for some reason, so does your limit on Fortune, but you should still keep a running total of the number of points you spend. if your Mind changes you can only spend additional Fortune points if your running total is less than your current Mind score. A temporary increase in Mind allows you to continue to spend while reduced Mind might mean your fortune points run out

Fortune Rerolls

Spending a Fortune point allows you to re-roll any Random Roll you just made. You can spend fortune point on any one die roll unless there is some special rule that tells you otherwise. You can spend several Fortune points to reroll several times, the last roll counts. You can always spend more Fortune for more rerolls.

A Fortune reroll on a Standard Roll or Confident Roll becomes a Confident Roll which means the result is almost guaranteed to be positive.

A Fortune reroll of a Stymied roll is a standard roll. If you reroll again, it becomes a Confident Roll.

A fortune roll on a d6 Roll is just a plain reroll.

Defense

Fortune can be spend to improve your defenses, on top of any bonuses gained from other sources. Spend a Fortune point to make a Confident Roll and add to your defense value for a single use - one attack, interaction, or other opposed roll where you are the target.

Improvisation

Sometimes a character manifests an ability once when it is really needed and never again. In a movie we may think this shows poor continuity, but it is acceptable and happens again and again. It is the same in Action. By spending a Fortune point, you gain the use of a single schtick or power for the duration of a single round. Doing costs no shots, and you can do so either at the start of the round, when your shot comes up, or when you are in a position to do a Trigger Action. In order to improvise a power this way, you must know the prerequisite Form. If you like the result, you may decide to later learn the schtick permanently using xp.

Plots

Fortune can also be used to affect the story by introducing plot elements. A player can suggest a new twist to the story. If the GM thinks the plot development sounds interesting, he can tell the player he accepts and introduce it to the story; the player spends a Fortune point. If the gamemaster likes the idea very much, he can just adopt it right away, but this should only rarely be done. Here are some plots that can be introduced this way:

• Romance - an NPC falls for one of the heroes
• Accidental discoveries - the heroes stumble over a clue, secret door, or other plot development that was not there originally. This can help the players get back on track, but should not be over-used.
• Scene change - the foot chase suddenly becomes a car chase, the nightclub is discovered to be an underground fighting ring, the ship is secretly also a submarine.

Gamemaster Plots: The gamemaster can use Fortune to invoke setbacks on the players. At any time, the gamemaster can use fiat to give a player a setback or even have them automatically captured. This is commonly used to pull the plot back on track, but can also be a response to a characters background and/or personality. For example, the GM can make an amorous player fall for an NPC, say that a dependent has been kidnapped, or otherwise present a role-playing complication. Doing this gives the character(s) involved a Fortune point each - this can be the whole group of adventurers. If the plot continues over several scenes or even sessions, multiple Fortune points are in order.

Sometimes the GM might offer the player a choice - do you want to play this subplot or not? - and put in the Fortune reward to sweeten the pot. Other times, a player might suggest a plot to the GM and earn a Fortune point if the GM thinks the plot is interesting.

Schticks

Emergency Power

Limit Break

You can overcome Power Loss. You can immediately (as a part of the Limit Break) do one of these things:

• Use a power that is a basic action.
• Activate one Stance power and then take a Basic Action that is not itself a power, but that benefits from the stance you just adopted.

Genius

Inherent

You are a mental giant among your kin and have an aura of wisdom and power about you. Your Mind can be up to two points higher than the normal racial maximum.

Implemented Will

Inherent

You can use any power that could normally use an Implement bare-handed for Mind +4 damage.

Super Genius

Inherent

You can freely exceed the normal Mind limit based on your race. This schtick is considered a Power even tough it lacks a Form. To take it, you have to have a Tradition, and if the Methods of your tradition or a Power Loss Limitation makes you lose your powers, your attribute is reduced to the normal maximum value until your powers return. Note that this is mainly a problem for Folk - other creatures do not have ability maximums.

Will to Work

Inherent

You can work much longer hours than normal people, adding your Mind to your effective Body for Endurance. This often means you lead a double life, having a full professional career and an adventuring life on the side.