Initiative is TN 1 Meditation check. If you succeed add + bonus successes to their total initiative.
Void indicates you take a stance that does not commit to any direction or tactic, reading the potential energy of the situation and then acting as a conduit for its release.
After you have rolled initiative in the Void Stance: You do not receive strife from Strife symbols on your kept dice. You can still receive strife from other sources.
You may still receive strife from the Staredown or opponent's techniques.
Void Stance cannot be predicted.
Void indicates you take a stance that does not commit to any direction or tactic, reading the potential energy of the situation and then acting as a conduit for its release.
After you have rolled initiative in the Void Stance: You do not receive strife from Strife symbols on your kept dice. You can still receive strife from other sources.
You may still receive strife from the Staredown or opponent's techniques.
Void Stance cannot be predicted.
Details
In a duel, each character is generally prepared, so the base initiative will be the focus attribute.
For a skirmish, each character makes a TN 1 Meditation check to gain a read on the battlefield conditions and enemy.
Then, if the character succeeded on their Initiative check, they add 1 to their focus, plus an additional amount equal to their bonus successes.
Staredown
After initiative, and at the start of each round, each character simultaneously receives strife equal to the number of the round (1 strife for the first round, 2 for the second, 3 for the third, and so forth).
After receiving this strife, each character who is not Compromised may bid additional strife to increase their initiative value for that round. To bid, each participating character secretly chooses a number between 0 and their focus attribute. Then, all simultaneously reveal their number, and each suffers that amount of strife, and adds it to their initiative for the round.
The character with the higher initiative value takes their turn, followed by the character with the lower value. If they are tied, the one with the lower honor acts first. At the end of the round, each character’s initiative value resets to its value before the staredown.
For a skirmish, each character makes a TN 1 Meditation check to gain a read on the battlefield conditions and enemy.
Then, if the character succeeded on their Initiative check, they add 1 to their focus, plus an additional amount equal to their bonus successes.
Staredown
After initiative, and at the start of each round, each character simultaneously receives strife equal to the number of the round (1 strife for the first round, 2 for the second, 3 for the third, and so forth).
After receiving this strife, each character who is not Compromised may bid additional strife to increase their initiative value for that round. To bid, each participating character secretly chooses a number between 0 and their focus attribute. Then, all simultaneously reveal their number, and each suffers that amount of strife, and adds it to their initiative for the round.
The character with the higher initiative value takes their turn, followed by the character with the lower value. If they are tied, the one with the lower honor acts first. At the end of the round, each character’s initiative value resets to its value before the staredown.
Opportunity Uses |
|
* |
On an Initiative check, sense if there is an Otherworldly being in the scene. |
* |
During the next Attack action check you make before the end of your next turn, ignore one terrain quality of your choice. |
* * |
Ignore the effects of one condition you are suffering until the end of your next turn. |
Opportunity Uses |
|
* |
If you failed, determine the easiest way to accomplish the task you were attempting (skill and approach). |
* + |
Remove 1 strife you gained from this check per * spent this way. |
* |
Choose a ring other than Void. Reduce the TN of your next check by 1 if it uses that ring. |
* + |
Feel a chill down your spine, notice a sudden silence, or detect another sign of the supernatural if there is a spiritual disturbance in the scene. Extra * gives an increasingly precise location for the supernatural occurrence. |
* * |
Gain spiritual insight into the nature of the universe or your own heart. At the GM’s discretion, you may establish a fact about your character that has not been previously revealed but relates to the situation. |
Void Initiative Opportunities
Battle in the Mind (Rank 3 Kata)
Activation: When you make an initiative (Void) check for a duel:
* * You name two rings, then your opponent must name one of those two rings. When your opponent selects their stance during their first turn of the duel, they cannot select the ring they named as their stance.
* + Choose a technique category. Learn one of your opponent’s known techniques of that category (chosen by the opponent) per * spent this way
* * You name two rings, then your opponent must name one of those two rings. When your opponent selects their stance during their first turn of the duel, they cannot select the ring they named as their stance.
* + Choose a technique category. Learn one of your opponent’s known techniques of that category (chosen by the opponent) per * spent this way
Void Embrace Style (Rank 5 Kata)
Activation: When you make an Meditation(Void) check for a duel or skirmish:
* * Choose one character you can perceive, then secretly select a number. The next time you are dealt damage by that character or suffer a critical strike inflicted by that character, reveal the number you chose. If the number is higher than the damage or the severity of the critical strike (before any reductions), you suffer it as normal and this effect ends. If the number is lower than or equal to the damage or the severity of the critical strike, reduce it by that amount, to a minimum of 0. If you reduce it to 0, the character you chose suffers 5 strife. If you reduce the severity of a critical strike to 0 this way, you do not suffer it. This effect persists until the end of your next turn.
* * Choose one character you can perceive, then secretly select a number. The next time you are dealt damage by that character or suffer a critical strike inflicted by that character, reveal the number you chose. If the number is higher than the damage or the severity of the critical strike (before any reductions), you suffer it as normal and this effect ends. If the number is lower than or equal to the damage or the severity of the critical strike, reduce it by that amount, to a minimum of 0. If you reduce it to 0, the character you chose suffers 5 strife. If you reduce the severity of a critical strike to 0 this way, you do not suffer it. This effect persists until the end of your next turn.
Special Circumstance Opportunities
In Shadowlands
** Though Jigoku’s power weighs heavily upon them, you are undeterred. By drawing on memories of the un-Tainted lands north of the wall, you can keep yourself focused and ignore all Strife results on your next check.
Against Tainted Threats
** or *** If the character spends**, they discern that the kami have fled, as well as the type of disturbance (mahō, kansen, or similar). If the character spends ***, they can also determine the total combat Military threat rating of all Tainted beings that caused the kami to flee.
While Tainted
**+ The unnatural insights of the kansen voice themselves wordlessly to you, granting knowledge you could not possibly have known otherwise. You learn something relevant to the current situation, appropriate in scope to the number of * spent. For each * spent in this way, you receive 1 strife due to the unnatural means by which you gained this knowledge.