Rules Changelog: Difference between revisions

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'''This is where all rules edits are tracked'''
'''This is where all rules edits are tracked'''
==== 23/02/2020 - Major Rules Updates ====


The best way to comprehend these changes is to re-read the relevant sections of the rules as these bullet points are only summaries.
==== 23/10/2024 - Changes to: Downtimes ====


===== Combat and Endurance Rules =====
The entire [[Downtime]] page has been reworked to work better for the Game Team in terms of the time previously needed to execute a downtime cycle.


* The Combat and Endurance Rules have been updated to remove all wound conditions and create a simpler and more traditional combat flow - you now treat endurance as "hits" in a traditional sense and when you run out of them you become '''Bleeding''' or '''Subdued''' depending on how you are attacked.
==== 21/10/2024 - Changes to: Spymaster, Trader ====


* '''Uncalled Melee''' no longer has a mechanical effect on anyone, you need to purchase the '''Assault Weapons''' trait to be able to inflict damage in a melee or have an artefact.
These traits have been updated to remove their Downtime components, and will henceforth be focused on pre-event resource and intelligence gathering. This is in line with an upcoming update on downtimes.


* '''Reloading''' is now required every time you fire off ten shots with a weapon, it doesn't necessarily need to be 'reloading' but can be cooling a weapon and so on.
==== 20/07/2023 - Changes to: Psykers, Supplies, Ranged Traits and PvP guidelines ====


* Due to some near-misses we have felt it necessary to codify that solid pistols and props should NOT be wielded in melee and that ever effort for safe combat should be taken.
'''[[Resources|MISSION SUPPLIES]]'''


* '''Second Wind''' has been added as an ability that allows you to duck out of a fight to recuperate some hits.
The "Mission Supplies" entry has been updated to divide supplies into: Ammunition/Explosives/Chems/Esoterica following feedback that many enjoyed the flow of these being separated from each other - with the return of Ammunition the "abundant ammo" rule has been removed entirely as all characters with a ranged weapon now start with Ammunition for their ranged weapon.  


* '''Maimed''' has been added as a condition that shuts down effects that get people instantly to their feet.
Traits that previously gave you “access to the mission supplies pool” will now give access to 5 of the appropriate supplies. Multiple choices of the same type of supply do not stack. I recommend checking out Tech Powers and Weapon of Old Night especially as these now represent their unique ammo by relying on Esoterica (of the Machine Cult) to fire.


===== Resources =====
'''Trader''' now gives you access to 5 ADDITIONAL supplies, of any type you like. This does not need to be a type you normally have access to.


All resources bar '''Willpower''' and '''Endurance''' have been merged into the singular abstract '''Supplies''' these can be traded with other characters as well as powering individual abilities. Wanna give your precious chems supplies away to NPC Gangers in order to bribe them Alchemists? Well now you can...
'''[[Starting Stats and Abilities|RESPECTING THE HUMBLE FLASHLIGHT AND BOOMSTICK]]'''


===== Calls =====
The "Starting Stats and Abilites" page has been updated with a few more "selections" of "basic ranged weapon" - this is because the humble lasgun is at risk of becoming extinct in the player party and, as a result has had a bit of a tune up, as have Autoguns, and Stub Guns, Shotguns have returned to the basic ranged weapons but you will notice they have lost being able to fire in melee or do rend in this configuration - this is because if you selected Special Weapon Training you now have access to the superior Combat Shotgun instead.


* A section has been added talking about the difference between PC and NPC reactions to calls in order to allow people to make a better judgement about their trait and weapon choices. Examples have been added to each call for generic NPC types and their reactions to calls.
'''[[Ranged_Combat_Traits#Special_Weapons_Trooper|SPECIAL WEAPONS TROOPER]]'''


* All mentions of previous injury states have been removed.
As well as loosing its expanded ammunition pool. This trait has had a few entries updated:


* '''Bolt''' has returned from the 1.0 rules offering the iconic setting weapon a place above others.
The Hellgun has been brought in line with the new Lasgun as a straight upgrade granting use of '''Rend''' forever as a high-powered las-weapon but also letting you call '''Bolt''' for Ammunition as it did before.


* '''Rend''' now does 2 damage and a crippling effect.
The Combat Shotgun replaces the regular shotgun


* '''Shock''' is no longer nonlethal unless you fight to Subdue someone using the I'm taking you in, alive! cue.
The Crossbow, gains a bit more sanctic, but also a familiar friend returns...


* '''Null''' has had its effect on Psykers ratified.
'''[[Calls#NULL|GUESS WHOSE BACK? BACK AGAIN? NULL IS BACK, TELL A (PSYCHIC) FRIEND]]'''.


* '''Warp Bolt''' has been removed
Yeah the NULL call is back, the crows actually told me to do it. This time it is also not a friend to people using Warp nonsense who aren't psykers - great for disrupting those Sorcerors you keep handwringing about.


* '''Warp''' no longer bypasses Endurance


* '''Dakka''' now refers to being 'one meter' from cover to make it about distance from cover rather than speed of movement which we feel will be better for not penalising players with movement issues.
'''VIGILATOR:'''


* '''I'm taking you, alive!''' has now been added, this triggers a PC or NPC to know they are being struck with nonlethal damage.
* <s>Sharpshooters Rifle</s> '''Sniper''': Following feedback about how restrictive this was to use, this has had a few changes.
** Upgrading to '''Rend''' from your standard call now triggers on 3s standing still and lasts until you move - this removes "Cover" as a requirement for this which did not feel right.
** The sniper shot has been re-written to be more forgiving, taking 10s to wind up and not being spent if the call is missed, and not requiring a second windup if it is - like above it also now only requires you to be static, not need cover.
* '''Master Scout''' has been added, making explicit something I should have made clear that "Vigilator" is a thing we expect to use on relevant Clue Cards for spotting traps, but also that, if in doubt (because we didn't have enough time to prepare clue cards for it for example) you can always ask a ref.


===== Traits =====
'''VERISPEX:'''


'''WARGEAR TRAITS'''
This has had Master Detective added just to clarify this for Verispex's as well


* Wargear Traits have been overhauled to remove the '''Ammo''' resource which no longer exists, this is mostly to accommodate the changes to combat. They now rely more heavily on the '''Ammo Jack''' trait.
'''[[Psychic Powers (Psykers)|PSYKER]]'''


* All traits bar Plasma/Melta and Power Weapons traits have had their pre-requisits removed.
The number of powers this can freely select has been reduced from '''Four''' to '''Three''' - this skill was woefully undercosted in its current state offering an immense amount of freedom and options with minimal risk - this, plus additional changes, are intended to provide some ways to make it feel a bit more focused and costed fairly.


'''ENDURANCE TRAITS'''
'''Psychic Perils'''  


* '''Veteran Warrior''' has had several subtraits updated to correct them to the new combat system
The old guides for testing have been replaced, many powers now have had "push" removed and now mention either spending Will to do higher level abilities, or "opening your mind to the warp" to unlock them.


** '''Grit it Out''' now allows '''bleeding''' characters with the '''Maimed''' condition to remove that condition while bleeding out, enabling them to be affected by calls that will help them recover.
'''Psychic Powers'''


** '''Second Wind''' has become '''True Grit''' and now makes a lovely companion to '''Grit it Out'''
Many powers have been updated in line with the change above to help them flow better.


** '''I Like These Odds''' and '''Victory Momentum''' now trigger a -for the scene- endurance boost if you accomplish their trigger - this means when you trigger them your endurance is boosted by two FOR THE SCENE which means tanks get tankier from hitting things or being outnumbered.
'''[[Player Character Conflict|PVP]]'''


* '''Unnatural''' has had several subtraits updated to correct them to the new combat system as well as;
We've been back and forth with these, in the end I have opted for the more traditional hands off approach to PvP violence by taking away mechanical restraints around it - now this page simply outlines that there are IC risks for doing so due to you having superiors you answer to.


** Ironskin now makes you immune to the RP effect of '''Rend''' (but not '''Bolt''') and grants immunity to '''Maimed''' condition (you're too tough to keep down if someone helps you out).
For players sensitive to this, the page highlights the fact that being murdered by a "friend" who has gone insane is a risk you have to accept as part of DuD gameplay even if you avoid conflict with other players to the greatest of your abilities.


** Supernatural Reflexes has been upped to three times per scene in line with what it offered before.
I've added a welfare note, and an additional note (thanks to Jay) asking people to avoid using violent aggression to win debates and minimise others because this IS something that some of us have to deal with on a daily basis and not something we want to deal with at LRP.


* '''Militant''' has been adjusted to remove previous references to Grisly injuries, it now also confers resistance to Rend.


* '''Power Armour''' has been adjusted to remove old wound state references, it has also been updated to note it is -not- immune to the effects of '''Bolt''' (given these weapons were designed to kill people in power armour and player power armour is the lighter end of the spectrum). And it allows you to do damage with normally ineffective melee weapons as well as carry heavy weapons.
==== 29/02/2023 - Exorcism clarifications ====


'''EXPERTISE TRAITS'''
We've done a series of clarifications that we hope will make Exorcism flow a little easier and be a little less confusing as well as trying to cut down on the wording on the page, there are ostensibly few actual changes to these rules just hopefully they are now better worded.


* '''Chem Trooper''' has been freed from Chems and returned to something closer to what it used to be in 1.0 now requiring you to have a ten minute rest after activating your berserker rages - but also granting you the ability to dodge bullets while in them. You also are just constantly on drugs allowing you to use even the smallest knife to devastating effect, and smash people with Repel
The primary change has been to remove the unnecessary ritual circle rules in the section which were frankly a bit too confusing for their own right and to improve the workflow of the exorcism rituals themselves - combat exorcism has also had the ability to SANCTIC KNOCKBACK added.  


* '''Ammo Jack''' has been updated given its role as a support character for gun users.
Mention of Banishing daemons has been removed as this is more appropriate as a set piece for an event narrative rather than a thing people can do freely.


We also removed the rule temporarily in place to limit these to once-per-day.




----
==== 28/02/2023 - Scan simplified and CLEAVE added ====


==== 01/06/2020 - Major Rules Updates ====
After some Post-E8  analysis the Scanning rules have been reworked again - ultimately after E8 we didn't feel that SCAN was how we wanted it to be offering fine-tuned detection and identification of foes - as such we have removed the section on scanning and reworked the call entirely to function with no further keyword interactions as a 'sonar ping' ability - which achieves our goal in retaining it of giving players a way to notice threats non-visually with auspexes - the new version is designed to represent a more Aliens-like motion-tracker rather than a reliable tricorder-like device. The new call is as follows:


The best way to comprehend these changes is to re-read the relevant sections of the rules as these bullet points are only summaries.
'''SCAN'''
''This call represents someone using an auspex or (if accompanied by WARP) a Psyker using their extrasensory perception to see the unseen.


===== Endurance, Injury and Medicae Rules =====
''If you hear this call and you have either no ability to resist it, or are not behind cover and unmoving when it is called (this cannot be avoided by diving into cover) - you must respond by loudly shouting PING.''


* '''Endurance and Injury''' have been updated with the conditions Staggered and Wounded being removed from the rules entirely - Staggered was intended to provide a ‘video game’ esque moment of being shaken and about to die rather than death but it didn’t work. To this end the state has been merged with Wounded to create a new state Shaken which combines elements of the both of them. Quick Time Moments have been removed.
''If you hear this call as WARP SCAN then you must call PING unless you explicitly have an ability that lets you resist this combination or calls with WARP attached. If you are a Psyker you must respond with PSYKER instead of Ping.''''


* The Largest Update has been to the '''Endurance''' resource, after five years of this being on ‘per scene’ refreshes we have decided it is no longer doing its job and is preventing characters from getting worn down even when players are. You are now required to Recuperate (a ten minute rest) before your Endurance recovers to full, meaning in situations where you are not finding a chance to take a rest you will find yourself losing the ability to recover above half as GiT’s run low.
Due to the nature of how calls were reorganised following E7 "BOLT" represented the highest damage in the system other than SUNDER, this worked well for ranged weaponry as a call but did not represent very well the presence of powerful melee weapons and attacks, as such the call CLEAVE (which is identical to bolt mechanically) has been added for melee. While I appreciate that many people will find it unusual to have two calls for the same thing the impact of appropriate-sounding calls to designate appropriately terrifying different foes audibly has its advantages in combat.  


* '''Grisly Injuries''' have been introduced as a consequence of being struck with the call Rend as part of the general rules update, these are a status condition that makes the character vulnerable - they clear if a character becomes Grievously Wounded, in that they become part of the general mess making you Grievously Wounded.
There are no plans to insert any melee weapons capable of calling CLEAVE outside of Unique Traits at this time.


* '''Grievously Wounded''' has been kept with the same name so it doesn’t cause weird dissonance between people describing themselves as having been wounded, and the mechanical status.
With these edits completed we will be producing a rules feedback form that will go to all E8 players and crew in order to capture areas in which people are not confident they understand the rules and areas where players are finding it confusing.
Scars have been reworked. The reason for requesting them in advance from players was only simply to encourage planning rather than cause stress and confusion but has failed to do so, Scars have been re-written and clarified and will have a separate page of ‘example scars’ so that people have a quick reference list of examples. Otherwise they will be something you agree with a member of the Game Team at an event.


* The condition '''Normal''' has been changed to Fine. This enables characters to respond to IC checks of ‘How are you?’ with ‘I’m Fine/Shaken/Grievously Wounded’ or ‘I’ve got a grisly injury’ without breaking immersion.
==== 10/02/2023 - Rules Clarifications ====


* '''The Medical Rules''' rules have been rewritten to try and get their flow working better ‘Complication Checks’ have been replaced with Triage Checks and the system has been reworked a little (mostly a reskin) to follow a more immersive medical narrative using triage cards as inspiration.
* It has been clarified in [[Corruption and Faith]] that you can -always- skip to Tempted and that it ends '''all''' ongoing negative effects including some Call Effects, Madness, lower levels of Corruption and other dramatic effects - but not '''Bloodied''' or '''Near Death''' or lost Endurance.


* With the introduction of changes to conditions. The time taken (for the added risk of causing a complication) to get someone on their feet who has been Shaken to them has been clarified to 20s making it more efficient to do then letting people recover from Shaken but with the risk of complications to compensate that it is resource-free and unlimited unlike sources of Get it Together.
* All traits that grant '''Sunder''' have had it added to their write-ups that regardless of how many SOURCES of Sunder someone has they can only use it '''once''' per '''recuperation''' not multiple times from multiple sources - this was already in the rules but was missed due to being only in one section so this is just for clear communication


===== Changes to Resources =====
* The order of testing for rituals have changed, now they draw BEFORE the ritual RP rather than midway.


* '''Grenades''' have been removed as a resource, and from basic builds, all characters will now spend Ammunition on these to reduce numbers bloat.  
* '''Moritat''' has added a clarification added that it only effects pistols with its subtraits.


* '''Chems''' have been revised as a resource to make it clear that when you unlock access to chems through an appropriate route you gain Five Chems and these do not stack together you get five to spend to use all your abilities before they run out.
* [[Calls#YOUR_SOUL/SANITY_IS_TESTED!|Your Soul/Sanity is tested]] has been added to the calls, it was found at e8 it was just easier to have a universal cue rather than trying to speak it as refs/crew.


* As a note both Chems and Ammo numbers (5 regardless of what you have) are subject to change and something we are actively playtesting we may change the maximum pool of these resources based on feedback in the future if we feel that players are running out faster than they should..
* [[Your_Character's_Background#Your_Decline|Your Decline]] has been revised with new questions based on our experiences in planning these tracks at E8


* All other resources have been revised mostly in small ways to increase clarity but also to incorporate certain new risks like the chance of getting ‘dodgy ammo’ effects from a ‘bad’ ammo dump.
==== 16/01/2023 - Rules Clarifications ====


* '''Willpower''' has changed as noted beneath in the changes to Willpower traits
All pages are finished


===== Changes to Calls =====
We have clarified because we put it in announcements but not the text that the starting bonus trait "Tough Enough" was intended to represent people recruited for brawn not brains - this was added because players wanted the option to opt out of the lore game and not for people buying lore skills to add an extra endurance to their build. So it has been clarified that for new characters this means it locks you out of gaining lore until you gain lore in game.


* '''Calls''' Because of a huge number of minor (untracked) changes due to the change in the endurance economy and rebalancing other elements, the calls section has had to have extensive reworks.
We removed Would You Kindly from Interrogation effects because it was confusing players as to if it indicated unnatural compulsion to obey or was just a mundane social soft skill call. These skills interact with willpower skills exactly the same just with the confusing use of the cue/call removed. DuD has no social soft skills for uptime play.


* The call '''Rend''' now applies Grisly Injuries
==== 24/10/2022 - Rules Locked In ====
* The call '''Warp''' now cannot be soaked by endurance making it incredibly dangerous to anyone who can’t defend against it (it remains blisteringly rare for NPCs to use)
* The call '''Stun''' now ceases to affect a character if you are not able to hit them with a second stun in a scene.
* '''Null''' has been significantly changed away from what it was doing before, it is no longer “Haywire for Psykers” but has different effects depending on the target, this is more in keeping for how it was intended to appear but does mean that you will need to do your research (hey look Venators) to know what effect it’ll have. Psykers are rare so its way to simply end their threat didn’t fit with what was desired.
* The calls '''Mass''', '''Burn''' and '''Haywire''' have been reworked to read easier, the call Boom and Blind have returned to the game because of the challenges making things work without them. The call Frag Out! Is no longer a call but just a thing people yell. The Calls page has been reworked to make things clearer this and is now at the bottom of this update


* '''Sunder''' no longer causes two wounds when it puts you down, this is to simplify combat flow.
Apart from Minor Typos we will not be making changes to the rules, the following pages:


* [[Your Character's Background]]


===== Changes to Wargear Traits =====
* [[Building a Character]]


* '''Rend Changes''': We were beginning to notice an emerging trend where because we had simplified the ammo rules the call Rend was becoming disturbingly common because of the simplification meaning it was fairly easy to spend a scene emptying your bolter downrange. This did not feel right with the themes of the universe so we have increased the resource cost of doing so which has affected a few traits including Assault Weapons, Purifying Weapons and Heavy Weapons which now pay for a number of calls-per-scene depending on the weapon. This does not apply to melee weapons that require someone to hard-skill strike their foe.
Are not finished yet - I am working hard on them but have been down with Covid-19


* Throwing Grenades now requires at least the Combat Weapons trait to do, and with that trait can only be done once per scene.
==== 24/10/2022 - Cards Updated ====
* The new '''Demolitionist''' trait replaces both Lay Mechanicus (for defusing/setting explosives) and grants the ability to spend as much ammunition as you want on grenades, it also grants incendiary grenades and explosives.
* '''Special Issue Grenades''' as a trait have been removed, Incendiary Grenades are now granted via Demolitionist, Haywire Grenades are now granted via Venator (Xenos specialism) and Null Grenades are now granted via Venator (Mutant Specialisation).
* '''Alternative Firing Mode''' has been renamed Special Issue Ammunition for aesthetic reasons, it’s sync with Vigilator has been removed and now it syncs only with Venator as this more appropriately represents a specialist loading the right ammunition for the job. It can also now access Boom and Blind now to represent underslung grenade launchers or explosive ammunition. It has also had wording tidied up about how many times it can be used per scene. It has lost Haywire as that’s an exotic effect best related to aliens and Techpriests.
* '''Artefact Firearm''' has been updated to remove its ability to call Dakka or Burn as these can be accessed via Special Issue Ammunition however it now grants you one call you can access freely per turn similar to militant. Its Sunder however now requires a short ‘cool down’ in line with other ranged Sunders in the game having RP around them.


We've updated the cards in line with the update [[Rules Downloads]]


===== Changes to Endurance Traits =====
Medicae has also had '''Stimms''' added.


As one might expect given the shifts to the rules for calls and damage a number of traits have had to be rewritten to reflect this.


* The trait '''I Will Not Die!''' Has been removed and its component abilities returned to the Veteran Warrior trait.
==== 15/10/2022 - Scum ====


* '''Supernatural Reflexes''' subtrait of Unnatural Endurance has been reduced to Once per combat scene reflecting the rebalance of other traits in that set.
We've updated Scum as it was seeing some clearly wrong attention for what we wanted it to represent in-game in terms of the social class of characters choosing to take it, I've updated it with a design note as follows:
* '''Hulk Smash''' subtrait of Unnatural Endurance has been renamed Bestial Frenzy and now activates only if the character is reduced to Grievously Wounded.
* Second Wind no longer works if you are Grievously Wounded the condition is rare enough in the game now that the durability it grants no longer makes sense.
* '''Power Armour''' now requires a Tech Priest to help them when they become Grievously Wounded - with all its vulnerabilities if PA armoured characters do enter that state it means they have been Brutalised or hit by Sunder and as such we think they should fear that.


'''Design Note''': If your social status in background is anything other than absolutely lowest of the low scrabbling for survival and despised by all, this trait is not suitable for your social background; people should expect having this trait and being seen to use it to result in significant class prejudice.


===== Changes to Willpower Traits =====
In addition it has had vulture modified to include the fact that you must now do a Power Test (with a 75% chance of failure.


* The big changes here are moving '''Get it Together, Trooper!''' from this section and detaching it from the Willpower economy and the removal of the '''Armour of Contempt''' trait entirely which has been reworked into a new expertise trait.
It has also gained an optional feature;


* As GITT is no longer a source of Willpower, the WP provided by several abilities has been increased so these are the main changes and '''Ritual Sacrifice''' (which was previously under Outsider Traits) and '''Psi-Meditation''' have been changed/introduced to provide alternative routes to gaining WP rather than through Faith and Fire.
'''Mutie (Optional)''': This trait is highly appropriate for characters who are looking to play the lowest of the low in the Imperium - Mutants - you may choose to add cosmetic mutations to your costume - this has no mechanical aspects unless interacting with certain environmental effects.


'''The quick breakdown of the Willpower economy is now:'''
And a new drawback:


* '''Iron Within''' grants +3 WP (up 1)
'''Born at the Bottom''': Due to the environments they grew up in Scum characters are more vulnerable to developing minor mutations at the discretion of the Game Team.
* '''Adamantium Will''' grants +3 WP (up 1)
* '''Faith and Fire''' Grants +1 WP
* '''Ritual Sacrifice''' Grants +2 WP (cannot combine with F&F)
* '''Psi-Meditation''' Grants +2 WP (Characters with Psyker trait package only)


==== 15/10/2022 - A Note on Medical Treatment - Triage ====


===== Changes to Expertise Traits =====
We noted in some feedback it was reported that characters were not attempting the full 30s of medical roleplay during combats at E7 - the Game Team would like to stress that this is ''incredibly disappointing to read'' - the danger of performing medical aid while under fire is a feature rather than a bug of the system.


* '''Loremaster''' has been removed and replaced by '''Lorekeeper''' a very similar trait that also includes the most important power we have ever introduced in DuD...the ability to get your hands on paperwork.
It is not an ''optional'' component of the DuD game to simply ignore it in order to save your own skin and is there to be followed as a rule - we do not like to get in the business of monitoring player adherence of rules but given this was highlighted in a complaint about the length we feel it is important to inform players that we will be monitoring this in future.
* '''Whispers''' has been removed and replaced with '''Spymaster''' a very similar trait...yadah yadah...that now grants the second most powerful ability in the game, the ability to play cluedo with NPC 'sources’ to get info from them.


* The '''Venator''' trait has been introduced replacing the old '''Armour of Contempt''' trait  representing specialist hunters of foes.
Failing to follow treatment times is ''cheating''.  


* The '''Get it Together, Trooper!''' Trait has been moved to this section and reworked to remove its connection to willpower and it has been renamed '''Exhorter'''.


* '''Vigilator''' has also been revisited to put it in line with other changes.
==== 15/10/2022 - Rules Mk.3 ====
With the feedback from E7 we have finalised the Mk.3 (return to Grimdark) rules - these will not be touched after a period of feedback from players ending 25/10/2022 - we strongly recommend re-reading the rules in full during this period as there are many small changes that would be impossible to track here.


* '''Lay Mechanicus''' has been removed from the rules, as it has no longer got a place in the game. If you want to represent the advanced technical knowledge of a member of the laity of the Machine Cult who has been educated in this then you simply need Mechanicus Lore (which you can obtain for free when you create your character). Traits that previously required the aid of someone with Lay Mechanicus now either require the assistance of someone with Mechanicus Lore or a Tech Priest.
The goal has been to iron out some of the overly complicated parts of the game that needed tidying up to make the rules get out of the way of roleplay - especially combat rules.


* The trait '''Alchemist''' has been introduced for all your mad science needs (can also make molotov cocktails and is currently the only trait that lets you get ammo calls by spending chems.
'''All Traits''' have been reworked for balance and consideration


* '''Alchemistry''' has become the ‘powers’ of characters with Medicae, Chirurgeon or Adept Mortis and has different costs depending on what you are trying to achieve, the Alchemist archetype also has access to these.
'''All Calls''' have been reworked for balance and clearer simplified rules.


* '''Chem Trooper''' has been fairly heavily reworked to flow better with various changes to the system it now ignores the Alchemistry system and uses the Chems resource to power its own abilities.  
'''Outsider Traits''' have been removed, playing an abhuman is better done via a unique trait with Game Team approval in order to achieve a high visual standard for these.
* The trait Explicator has been updated to work clearly with the new changes to chems


* The trait '''Savant''' has been introduced offering the ‘Giles’ to the Venator’s ‘Buffy’ a combat scholar who helps in combat by reading books and buffing their friends with what they’ve found in them.
The '''Alchemy''' and '''Interrogations''' sections have been removed as they are now nested under relevant traits.


* The trait '''Info-Executioner''' has been introduced offering the ability to sit back and plug in and help your allies with your L33T H4X0R skills.
'''Scan'''  
There is now a formal [[Scanning]] page covering keywords for this ability as well as constraints on its use this is to;
* Reduce the amount of repeated area-effect SCAN calls and pings in the callspace.
* Spread the jam by making it advantageous for different people to be looking for different things and multiple people to be scanning at once.
* Allow people to still use lots of scans for small, conversation-volume normal roleplay


* The '''Preacher''' trait has been introduced to the game, this allows for another non-combat role to be granted a place in the game without the quite game-breaking ability of the old ‘For the Emperor’ trait - but serves as a spiritual successor.
'''Design Note - Things you cannot do with this, on purpose.'''


* '''Verispex''' though not included beneath, has had the UV torch removed as we have never got this feature functional, we are exploring better options for using tech to give this trait a unique insight.
* '''Scanning for the Noosphere:''' This didn’t work well in practice. If a techpriest wishes to connect to something through the Noosphere to interact with it, they are better off asking the NPC, examining any clue card attached to it, or asking a ref directly. In general, characters can assume there is background noospheric activity - ie, wi-fi, a mobile phone signal, etc - in highly technological places, and less or no activity in remote or low-tech places.


===== Changes to Bionics Traits =====
* '''Scanning for the Undead:''' There are a vast array of things that might cause what is essentially a corpse to be moving around: Servitorisation, possession, telekinesis, and all manner of alien or warp phenomena. There is no unifying feature to categorise them as “undead”.


* '''Scan everything, all the time, as a single character.'''


'''Some tweaks and adjustments to some of the subtraits of Bionic Enhancements have been made.'''
'''Corruption''' has been altered, it now progresses through successive roleplaying effects up to a level of '''Tempted''', where the boons of Chaos are offered, instead of offering benefits at every level.
 
* '''Neural Failsafes''' and '''Volitor Implants''' have been updated to fit with the metaphysic around Will and Martyr’s Gland has been updated to match the wording of similar traits.
 
* '''Inbuilt Sidearm''' and '''Baleful Eye''' have been combined to become Neuro-linked Firearm.
 
* '''Exoskeletal Implant''' and '''Psi Amp''' have been removed.
 
* Enhanced biology has been altered and its endurance benefits baked into the trait.
 
*  Martyr’s Gland no longer works if you are Grievously Wounded the condition is rare enough in the game now that the durability it grants no longer makes sense.
 
'''In addition:'''
 
* '''Servant of the Omnissiah''' has been renamed '''Tech Priest''' for aesthetic reasons in line with the renaming of Mechanicus Protector to Tech Guard. It now has the Secrets of the Machine trait which allow it exclusive action to Tech Puzzles and other ‘high technology’ elements of the game.
 
* The '''Tech Guard''' trait has been updated to bring it in line with various changes and improve it as it’s old main trait has lost meaning.
 
 
===== Changes to Outsider Traits =====
 
* '''Force Weapon''' has been removed from the basic Psyker trait, it is now recommended as an option for Assault Weapons and Power Weapons or just as a plain Relic. It has been replaced in the Sanctioned Psyker trait with the Empyreal Shield ability.
 
* The trait '''Ritual Sacrifice''' has been moved to Willpower Traits.
 
===== Changes to Powers =====
 
* '''Psychic Powers''': As a result of the change to Warp that make it a lot more deadly, we’re making some adjustments to various powers as follows.
 
* '''Divination''': Because of how lethal Warp is now, Guide has some added costs to using it that we think will actually make it more fun to roleplay. Boon of Good Fortune has changed in line with other changes to have a different effect and Unerring Defence has been updated.
 
* '''Telekinesis''': This has been revisited extensively in light of how things have changed with the sections above. Empyreal Blade nowworks for the Psyker and on force weapons only and has been revised in light of changes to Force Weapons. The new major rote Telekinetic Shockwave has been added. Empyreal Conflageration has been removed. Smite has been moved to a Greater Rote and revised in light of how horrific Warp Rend is now...repeat after me...Kameh….hame….
 
* '''Taghmata''' and '''Biologis''' Canticles have been removed as they didn’t really feel ‘right’ in the game and a lot of what they did is replicated by taking Alchemist and Chirugeon in the first place. Taghmata’s power has been replicated in the Tech Priest and Tech Guard abilities to preserve it, it now runs off of Get it Together rather than simply having a group.
 
* The '''Enginseer''' and '''Secutor''' canticles have been reworked to flow better and update them to season 2
 
===== Other Changes: =====
 
* '''Opia’s''' rules have been clarified to state that it is needed for Surgery unless you’re going to restrain someone, or to deal with Complications and effects which have lingering pain roleplay effects.
 
* '''The following line has been added to Investigations rules;''' We encourage you to limit yourself to reading only a few clue cards in a scene, this allows for multiple characters to participate in an investigation scene and creates a more collaborative roleplaying experience for all involved.
 
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==== 29/04/2020 - Changes to Chem Trooper ====
 
The use of GITT has been set to 'once per scene' as it is one of the few risk-free ways to use this call on yourself.
 
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==== 29/04/2020 - Changes to Scum ====
 
In line with the update to '''I Am A Knife In The Dark''' for Adept Mortis, Scum has had its wording changed too;
 
* You may use the cue '''I Am A Knife In The Dark'''. You must be within reach to be able to hit your target with a dagger, you must be behind them and they must be unaware of you, '''this cannot be used on a character already fighting in melee'''. If, you are able to use this call without making hostile NPCs aware of your presence, you may use it again, otherwise you may not use it for the rest of the scene.
 
** '''Physrepping:''' Only reasonably stealthy weapons may be used; knives or pistols with physrepped silencers/flash suppressors are suitable, but bolt pistols are not, you do not need to land a melee blow on the target unless you are using a melee weapon.
 
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==== 29/04/2020 - Changes to Deathtouch ====
 
In line with the removal of Toxic, Deathtouch has a new effect;
 
'''Once Per Scene''' you induce your body or anothers produce toxins, if you are able to get an NPC to willingly enter physical contact with you such as a handshake (do not force physical contact ''ever'') or ingest something within a few seconds of you roleplaying poisoning it with the Warp and ''personally'' handing it to them. You may then, after a while inform them, "Feel the warp poisoning your body, for '''I am a Knife in the Dark'''." - this has the effect of Knife in the Dark however it is important for characters who have Adamantium Will and other traits to mention the warp as it can almost be resisted by this.
 
----
 
==== 29/04/2020 - Changes to Adept Mortis ====
 
In line with changes to '''I Am A Knife In The Dark''' Adept Mortis has had the rules for how it uses that call revised.
 
* You may use the cue '''I Am A Knife In The Dark'''. You must be within reach to be able to hit your target with a dagger, you must be behind them and they must be unaware of you, '''this cannot be used on a character already fighting in melee'''. If, you are able to use this call without making hostile NPCs aware of your presence, you may use it again, otherwise you may not use it for the rest of the scene.
 
** '''Physrepping:''' Only reasonably stealthy weapons may be used; knives or pistols with physrepped silencers/flash suppressors are suitable, but bolt pistols are not, you do not need to land a melee blow on the target unless you are using a melee weapon.
 
I line with the introduction of Toxic Alchemistry (coming soon) to simplify Poisons, Adept Mortis has had its rules changed;
 
* You can carry five '''Chems''' on you at a time, you gain five Chems which you may use to deliver any of the [[Alchemistry (Chems and their Creation)|Toxic Alchemistry]] effects
 
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==== 29/04/2020 - Arch-Chirugeon changed to "Primus Medicae" ====
 
Literally because it's the better IC term for the rank of Chirugeon.
 
----
 
==== 29/04/2020 - Explicator clarified ====
 
Explicator's wording has been updated to clarify how it uses chems.
 
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==== 29/04/2020 - I am a Knife in the Dark altered ====
 
In addition to other rules shifting in anticipation of changes to Adept Mortis; I AM A KNIFE IN THE DARK has been altered.
 
'''I AM A KNIFE IN THE DARK [Optional addition: NONLETHAL]'''
Fall to the ground as silently as possible and become '''<span style="color:#DC143C">Grievously Wounded</span>''' (this usually instantly kills most NPCs). If ‘NONLETHAL’ is tagged on, collapse unconscious to the ground until someone spends 5s bringing you around or the scene ends.
 
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==== 29/04/2020 - Poison Removed from Alchemistry, Toxic removed from calls ====
 
In anticipation of updates to '''Adept Mortis''' (coming soon) Poison has been removed from the general Alchemistry list available to medicae and chirugeons.
 
----
 
==== 28/04/2020 - Aegis Training Clarification ====
 
Two changes:
 
This first covers the fact that people can use people with shields as cover;
 
* '''One individual''' able to hide wholy behind you and your shield may use you as '''Cover''' but they must move away from you to new cover to reset their cover benefits, rather than their cover resetting when you move five long steps.
 
The Second are clarifications regarding Shields vs '''Sunder''' largely to improve the language used;
 
* The call '''Sunder''' will destroy a non-relic shield, but protect the bearer from the call that destroyed it if they take the blow on the shield, or they would have received cover from a ranged '''Sunder''' and were aware of the individual making the call.
 
* You may use smaller shields to defend yourself in melee as well, but these confer none of the above benefits and are not only destroyed by '''Sunder''' but you will take the call as if it hit you.
 
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==== 28/04/2020 - Adamantium Will Clarification ====
 
We have added a line to clarify that Adamantium Will does not allow you to bounce '''Warp Sunder''' as per the '''Sunder''' rules that specify that it can only be defended against by a trait that specifically says it can be defended against..
 
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==== 28/04/2020 - There's no Need for All this Bleeding and Get it Together Clarification ====
 
We have added a line to clarify that you cannot use '''Get it Together''' calls on yourself if they come from this subtrait of '''Get it Together Trooper''' - '''Get it Together''' can be used on yourself via Chems or via Biomancy.
 
There was some question about whether you could use it on yourself while Wounded or Greviously Wounded but as both these states state you cannot use traits while you are in them unless they say otherwise, the answer should be clear.
 
----
 
==== 24/04/2020 - Haywire Clarification ====
 
Clarity has been added to [[Calls#HAYWIRE|Haywire]] to confirm that:
 
All weapons that make calls are considered to be technological items, but '''strike safe''' weapons may continue to be used to perform ''uncalled'' melee attacks while disabled, unless those calls are sourced through supernatural means.
 
----
 
==== 05/04/2020 - Telepathy Changes ====
 
The rote 'Pre-empt' has been removed from [[Psychic_Discipline:_Telepathy|Telepathy]].
 
Divert has had the restriction 'outside of combat' removed
 
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==== 04/04/2020 - Flagellant Change ====
 
[[Willpower_Traits#Flagellant_.28Requires:_Faith_and_Fire.29|Flagellant]] has been reworked to make it less restrictive then it's previous iteration, this is a complete re-work.
 
----
 
==== 04/04/2020 - Biomancy Changes ====
 
Each of the healing powers in the [[Psychic Discipline: Biomancy|Biomancy]] list now requires you to make draws from the Biomantic Healing Perils deck depending on how potent it is.

Latest revision as of 12:57, 23 October 2024

This is where all rules edits are tracked

23/10/2024 - Changes to: Downtimes

The entire Downtime page has been reworked to work better for the Game Team in terms of the time previously needed to execute a downtime cycle.

21/10/2024 - Changes to: Spymaster, Trader

These traits have been updated to remove their Downtime components, and will henceforth be focused on pre-event resource and intelligence gathering. This is in line with an upcoming update on downtimes.

20/07/2023 - Changes to: Psykers, Supplies, Ranged Traits and PvP guidelines

MISSION SUPPLIES

The "Mission Supplies" entry has been updated to divide supplies into: Ammunition/Explosives/Chems/Esoterica following feedback that many enjoyed the flow of these being separated from each other - with the return of Ammunition the "abundant ammo" rule has been removed entirely as all characters with a ranged weapon now start with Ammunition for their ranged weapon.

Traits that previously gave you “access to the mission supplies pool” will now give access to 5 of the appropriate supplies. Multiple choices of the same type of supply do not stack. I recommend checking out Tech Powers and Weapon of Old Night especially as these now represent their unique ammo by relying on Esoterica (of the Machine Cult) to fire.

Trader now gives you access to 5 ADDITIONAL supplies, of any type you like. This does not need to be a type you normally have access to.

RESPECTING THE HUMBLE FLASHLIGHT AND BOOMSTICK

The "Starting Stats and Abilites" page has been updated with a few more "selections" of "basic ranged weapon" - this is because the humble lasgun is at risk of becoming extinct in the player party and, as a result has had a bit of a tune up, as have Autoguns, and Stub Guns, Shotguns have returned to the basic ranged weapons but you will notice they have lost being able to fire in melee or do rend in this configuration - this is because if you selected Special Weapon Training you now have access to the superior Combat Shotgun instead.

SPECIAL WEAPONS TROOPER

As well as loosing its expanded ammunition pool. This trait has had a few entries updated:

The Hellgun has been brought in line with the new Lasgun as a straight upgrade granting use of Rend forever as a high-powered las-weapon but also letting you call Bolt for Ammunition as it did before.

The Combat Shotgun replaces the regular shotgun

The Crossbow, gains a bit more sanctic, but also a familiar friend returns...

GUESS WHOSE BACK? BACK AGAIN? NULL IS BACK, TELL A (PSYCHIC) FRIEND.

Yeah the NULL call is back, the crows actually told me to do it. This time it is also not a friend to people using Warp nonsense who aren't psykers - great for disrupting those Sorcerors you keep handwringing about.


VIGILATOR:

  • Sharpshooters Rifle Sniper: Following feedback about how restrictive this was to use, this has had a few changes.
    • Upgrading to Rend from your standard call now triggers on 3s standing still and lasts until you move - this removes "Cover" as a requirement for this which did not feel right.
    • The sniper shot has been re-written to be more forgiving, taking 10s to wind up and not being spent if the call is missed, and not requiring a second windup if it is - like above it also now only requires you to be static, not need cover.
  • Master Scout has been added, making explicit something I should have made clear that "Vigilator" is a thing we expect to use on relevant Clue Cards for spotting traps, but also that, if in doubt (because we didn't have enough time to prepare clue cards for it for example) you can always ask a ref.

VERISPEX:

This has had Master Detective added just to clarify this for Verispex's as well

PSYKER

The number of powers this can freely select has been reduced from Four to Three - this skill was woefully undercosted in its current state offering an immense amount of freedom and options with minimal risk - this, plus additional changes, are intended to provide some ways to make it feel a bit more focused and costed fairly.

Psychic Perils

The old guides for testing have been replaced, many powers now have had "push" removed and now mention either spending Will to do higher level abilities, or "opening your mind to the warp" to unlock them.

Psychic Powers

Many powers have been updated in line with the change above to help them flow better.

PVP

We've been back and forth with these, in the end I have opted for the more traditional hands off approach to PvP violence by taking away mechanical restraints around it - now this page simply outlines that there are IC risks for doing so due to you having superiors you answer to.

For players sensitive to this, the page highlights the fact that being murdered by a "friend" who has gone insane is a risk you have to accept as part of DuD gameplay even if you avoid conflict with other players to the greatest of your abilities.

I've added a welfare note, and an additional note (thanks to Jay) asking people to avoid using violent aggression to win debates and minimise others because this IS something that some of us have to deal with on a daily basis and not something we want to deal with at LRP.


29/02/2023 - Exorcism clarifications

We've done a series of clarifications that we hope will make Exorcism flow a little easier and be a little less confusing as well as trying to cut down on the wording on the page, there are ostensibly few actual changes to these rules just hopefully they are now better worded.

The primary change has been to remove the unnecessary ritual circle rules in the section which were frankly a bit too confusing for their own right and to improve the workflow of the exorcism rituals themselves - combat exorcism has also had the ability to SANCTIC KNOCKBACK added.

Mention of Banishing daemons has been removed as this is more appropriate as a set piece for an event narrative rather than a thing people can do freely.

We also removed the rule temporarily in place to limit these to once-per-day.


28/02/2023 - Scan simplified and CLEAVE added

After some Post-E8 analysis the Scanning rules have been reworked again - ultimately after E8 we didn't feel that SCAN was how we wanted it to be offering fine-tuned detection and identification of foes - as such we have removed the section on scanning and reworked the call entirely to function with no further keyword interactions as a 'sonar ping' ability - which achieves our goal in retaining it of giving players a way to notice threats non-visually with auspexes - the new version is designed to represent a more Aliens-like motion-tracker rather than a reliable tricorder-like device. The new call is as follows:

SCAN This call represents someone using an auspex or (if accompanied by WARP) a Psyker using their extrasensory perception to see the unseen.

If you hear this call and you have either no ability to resist it, or are not behind cover and unmoving when it is called (this cannot be avoided by diving into cover) - you must respond by loudly shouting PING.

If you hear this call as WARP SCAN then you must call PING unless you explicitly have an ability that lets you resist this combination or calls with WARP attached. If you are a Psyker you must respond with PSYKER instead of Ping.''

Due to the nature of how calls were reorganised following E7 "BOLT" represented the highest damage in the system other than SUNDER, this worked well for ranged weaponry as a call but did not represent very well the presence of powerful melee weapons and attacks, as such the call CLEAVE (which is identical to bolt mechanically) has been added for melee. While I appreciate that many people will find it unusual to have two calls for the same thing the impact of appropriate-sounding calls to designate appropriately terrifying different foes audibly has its advantages in combat.

There are no plans to insert any melee weapons capable of calling CLEAVE outside of Unique Traits at this time.

With these edits completed we will be producing a rules feedback form that will go to all E8 players and crew in order to capture areas in which people are not confident they understand the rules and areas where players are finding it confusing.

10/02/2023 - Rules Clarifications

  • It has been clarified in Corruption and Faith that you can -always- skip to Tempted and that it ends all ongoing negative effects including some Call Effects, Madness, lower levels of Corruption and other dramatic effects - but not Bloodied or Near Death or lost Endurance.
  • All traits that grant Sunder have had it added to their write-ups that regardless of how many SOURCES of Sunder someone has they can only use it once per recuperation not multiple times from multiple sources - this was already in the rules but was missed due to being only in one section so this is just for clear communication
  • The order of testing for rituals have changed, now they draw BEFORE the ritual RP rather than midway.
  • Moritat has added a clarification added that it only effects pistols with its subtraits.
  • Your Soul/Sanity is tested has been added to the calls, it was found at e8 it was just easier to have a universal cue rather than trying to speak it as refs/crew.
  • Your Decline has been revised with new questions based on our experiences in planning these tracks at E8

16/01/2023 - Rules Clarifications

All pages are finished

We have clarified because we put it in announcements but not the text that the starting bonus trait "Tough Enough" was intended to represent people recruited for brawn not brains - this was added because players wanted the option to opt out of the lore game and not for people buying lore skills to add an extra endurance to their build. So it has been clarified that for new characters this means it locks you out of gaining lore until you gain lore in game.

We removed Would You Kindly from Interrogation effects because it was confusing players as to if it indicated unnatural compulsion to obey or was just a mundane social soft skill call. These skills interact with willpower skills exactly the same just with the confusing use of the cue/call removed. DuD has no social soft skills for uptime play.

24/10/2022 - Rules Locked In

Apart from Minor Typos we will not be making changes to the rules, the following pages:

Are not finished yet - I am working hard on them but have been down with Covid-19

24/10/2022 - Cards Updated

We've updated the cards in line with the update Rules Downloads

Medicae has also had Stimms added.


15/10/2022 - Scum

We've updated Scum as it was seeing some clearly wrong attention for what we wanted it to represent in-game in terms of the social class of characters choosing to take it, I've updated it with a design note as follows:

Design Note: If your social status in background is anything other than absolutely lowest of the low scrabbling for survival and despised by all, this trait is not suitable for your social background; people should expect having this trait and being seen to use it to result in significant class prejudice.

In addition it has had vulture modified to include the fact that you must now do a Power Test (with a 75% chance of failure.

It has also gained an optional feature;

Mutie (Optional): This trait is highly appropriate for characters who are looking to play the lowest of the low in the Imperium - Mutants - you may choose to add cosmetic mutations to your costume - this has no mechanical aspects unless interacting with certain environmental effects.

And a new drawback:

Born at the Bottom: Due to the environments they grew up in Scum characters are more vulnerable to developing minor mutations at the discretion of the Game Team.

15/10/2022 - A Note on Medical Treatment - Triage

We noted in some feedback it was reported that characters were not attempting the full 30s of medical roleplay during combats at E7 - the Game Team would like to stress that this is incredibly disappointing to read - the danger of performing medical aid while under fire is a feature rather than a bug of the system.

It is not an optional component of the DuD game to simply ignore it in order to save your own skin and is there to be followed as a rule - we do not like to get in the business of monitoring player adherence of rules but given this was highlighted in a complaint about the length we feel it is important to inform players that we will be monitoring this in future.

Failing to follow treatment times is cheating.


15/10/2022 - Rules Mk.3

With the feedback from E7 we have finalised the Mk.3 (return to Grimdark) rules - these will not be touched after a period of feedback from players ending 25/10/2022 - we strongly recommend re-reading the rules in full during this period as there are many small changes that would be impossible to track here.

The goal has been to iron out some of the overly complicated parts of the game that needed tidying up to make the rules get out of the way of roleplay - especially combat rules.

All Traits have been reworked for balance and consideration

All Calls have been reworked for balance and clearer simplified rules.

Outsider Traits have been removed, playing an abhuman is better done via a unique trait with Game Team approval in order to achieve a high visual standard for these.

The Alchemy and Interrogations sections have been removed as they are now nested under relevant traits.

Scan There is now a formal Scanning page covering keywords for this ability as well as constraints on its use this is to;

  • Reduce the amount of repeated area-effect SCAN calls and pings in the callspace.
  • Spread the jam by making it advantageous for different people to be looking for different things and multiple people to be scanning at once.
  • Allow people to still use lots of scans for small, conversation-volume normal roleplay

Design Note - Things you cannot do with this, on purpose.

  • Scanning for the Noosphere: This didn’t work well in practice. If a techpriest wishes to connect to something through the Noosphere to interact with it, they are better off asking the NPC, examining any clue card attached to it, or asking a ref directly. In general, characters can assume there is background noospheric activity - ie, wi-fi, a mobile phone signal, etc - in highly technological places, and less or no activity in remote or low-tech places.
  • Scanning for the Undead: There are a vast array of things that might cause what is essentially a corpse to be moving around: Servitorisation, possession, telekinesis, and all manner of alien or warp phenomena. There is no unifying feature to categorise them as “undead”.
  • Scan everything, all the time, as a single character.

Corruption has been altered, it now progresses through successive roleplaying effects up to a level of Tempted, where the boons of Chaos are offered, instead of offering benefits at every level.

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