Calls

Several of these calls allow you (while taking them at ranged) to choose an effect based on the location that you were hit in, where you are dealing with ranged attacks then you may not assign the damage to a limb already effected by a call be it the same one or a different one.

SINGLE TARGET DAMAGE CALLS

These calls cause damage as per the Combat and Injury Section to a single target

BLAM

Lose a point of Endurance as you have been shot at with a firearm.

DRAIN

Lose a point of Endurance as your life force or blood are drawn from your body - you cannot move other than to shudder and convulse on the spot so long as the individual targeting you continues to call Drain and roleplay with you - should they stop then you will recover immediately.

REND

This call has different effects depending on where it lands.

• Limb: Lose 2 points of Endurance. This limb is disabled, it cannot be used until treated by a Medicae or Chirugeon or by a Trait you possess.

• Torso:
  • If you are not Prepared for Combat as per the Heroic Endurance Trait, then drop to 0 Endurance and become Bleeding
  • If you are Prepared for Combat then lose 2 Endurance but must stagger a few steps away from the source of the attack.

BOLT

You have been struck by a high powered explosive projectile. You cannot recover hits until treated by a Medicae or Chirugeon. This call has different effects depending on where it lands.

• Limb: Lose 2 points of Endurance. This limb is disabled, it cannot be used until treated by a Medicae or Chirugeon or restored by a Trait you possess.

• Torso: Drop to 0 Endurance and become Bleeding.

The armour-penetrating nature of Bolt rounds means the ability to effect certain NPCs more effectively.

SHOCK

You are stunned for 5s, during which you cannot move, you cannot be stunned for 3s after you recover.

SUNDER

Drop to 0 Endurance and become Bleeding. You cannot recover hits until treated by a Medicae or Chirugeon. Any Triage Check made on you will automatically fail.

Sunder and its sibling I am a Knife in the Dark are powerful instant-death calls - you may not use more than two of both calls in any combination per combat scene, regardless of how many your traits would allow you to source.

NULL

This call has different effects depending on if the character is a Psyker or not.

• Normal: If unaccompanied by another damaging call lose 1 Endurance but you feel very cold as if something has sapped your soul.

• Psyker: Drop to 0 Endurance and become Bleeding. This manifests as body wracking pain as well as bleeding from multiple sources.

WARP

If unaccompanied by any other call, lose 1 Endurance. This may have other effects, but for most PCs they are simply aware that they have been targeted by a warp power.

I AM A KNIFE IN THE DARK [Optional addition:”I’m taking you in alive”]

You drop to zero endurance and start Bleeding. Your character is also unconscious until treated. If I’m taking you in alive is included then you become Subdued instead.

I am a Knife in the Dark and its sibling Sunder are powerful instant-death calls - you may not use more than two of both calls in any combination per combat scene, regardless of how many your traits would allow you to source.

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CONE DAMAGE CALLS

These calls represent damaging effects that ‘spray’ in a cone from the source of damage affecting all targets within a given distance from the source who are reasonably within a 90 degree cone.

BURN

This call affects all characters (friend or foe) within 5m in a 90 degree cone in front of the user. This call ignores Cover and Shields.

Lose 2 Endurance. If you do not immediately fall back five steps or are unable to, you drop to zero endurance becoming Bleeding as you are set aflame.

Unlike the normal Bleeding roleplay, you should roleplay as if on fire for 10s up to and including (if you choose) running around flailing.

DAKKA

Affects all characters (including friends) within range of hearing in a 90 degree cone in front of the user.

Upon hearing this call you if there is cover within one meter you may dive into it, if there is not then the next time you hear Dakka you drop to zero endurance becoming Bleeding as you are riddled with bullets.

A character forced to take cover or in cover while in the zone of effect of Dakka cannot leave cover including to pop up to shoot, they are pinned down by the withering hail of fire until the calls of Dakka end.

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MASS DAMAGE CALLS

These calls represent those which cause area of effect damage, hitting all foes within 5m of the called target or a specific point.

MASS

Accompanying a Single Target or Cone call this changes the area of effect to ‘hits all characters within five meters of the target or source of this call (if a target isn’t called).’

BOOM

This call hits the called target and all individuals who are within five meters of them, or an explosive phys-rep if one is apparent. It is left to player judgement what effect to take based on their proximity to the target or source;

• Full Force: You are thrown back from the source, and become Bleeding You cannot recover hits until treated by a Medicae or Chirugeon.

• Caught in the Radius: Both limbs on the side of your body closest to the blast are disabled and you cannot recover hits until treated by a Medicae or Chirugeon.

If you are not the called target of this effect you have three seconds to place Cover between you and the source of the call, at which point its effect is negated.

HAYWIRE

A burst of electrostatic energy roils across all characters within five meters of the target or source of this call (if a target isn’t called). All characters experience a painful electrical shock however certain traits and items cease function;

• Wargear Traits including Basic Weapons cease to function for ten seconds before a few seconds should be spent getting them to function again - you can of course continue to make Uncalled Melee blows.

• Characters with traits from the Bionics section of the Traits list suffer ten seconds of painful bionic glitches and spasms before they can recover from the call. Players with costume bionics may choose to take this call. They can keep fighting and using abilities not disablwd by this call, however - this is a roleplaying effect.

• Power Armour and any other technological items provided by non-wargear traits or free items such as radios/dataslates cease to function until attended to by a character with at least Mechanicus Lore or in specific cases (stated in traits) a Tech Priest for a few seconds of roleplaying a ‘rituals of repair’

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CALLS WITH STATUS EFFECTS

These calls do not cause damage but instead force a specific reaction or impose a mechanical or roleplaying effect on the target.

WEAKEN

For ten seconds your character cannot make use of any traits or abilities as your body is wracked by sudden tiredness and overcome by sickness, you cannot move faster than a slow stagger for the duration of this effect.

DRAG

Indicates you have been grasped by a powerful force, you are dragged towards the source for 3s if you hit an object or a person, then roleplay a painful jarring impact and the effect ends. If you are already in melee range of the source then you must remain in melee range of them for 3s.

REPEL

Indicates being hit by a powerful force you move away from the source for 3s if you hit an object or person then roleplay a painful jarring impact and the effect ends.

GET IT TOGETHER

If you are NOT Bleeding you regain your Endurance pool.

If you are Bleeding you may get back to your feet with your Endurance to half its maximum (rounding up).

This has no effect if you were reduced to Zero by Bolt, Boom, Sunder or Null (if you are a psyker).

I WILL NOT DIE!

A character who uses this cue is able to get up again from the Bleeding regain a number of endurance points - usually half their maximum (rounding up) but some especially tough beings in the universe may regain more. A character may only call this Once Per Scene regardless of how many sources of the call they possess from their traits.

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ROLEPLAYING CUES

These calls have no immediate damaging effects but do have a direct influence on a characters roleplay as they cue appropriate reactions to their use.

[TARGET] I’M TAKING YOU, ALIVE!

Indicates that the character is trying to take you alive, if you are reduced to 0 endurance by that character then you become Subdued rather than Bleeding. If this is used while you are Bleeding you become Subdued instead. This cannot be used to ‘heal’ someone (oddly enough) it can only be used on characters who are hostile to the character using it so it is expected of all participants to use it appropriately and not for game advantage.

DREAD

You are overtaken by supernatural fear - becoming Shaken.

While in the presence of an individual or object that has called this you may not make active use of your traits - though still benefit from passive effects such as increased willpower/endurance or effects representing armour or innate toughness that do not require you to make calls or roleplay actions to benefit from - you may still make melee attacks in self defence, but these must be uncalled.

You may not move closer to a source of Dread willingly, and must either cower if it draws nearer to you or attempt to flee - this effect ends after a character spends 1 minute gathering themselves from the shock of what they've seen. If they are attacked during this time, all progress is lost.

DEFLECT/DODGE/INEFFECTIVE

Called in reaction to a call to indicate that it has been defended against by some form of Defence - Deflect and Dodge represent 'limited' effects where the user has a number of them to use before they run out, or has a specific area where the call has no effect (such as forearms for the Duellist trait) - Ineffective is used to signal that calls of that type have no effect on the target.

SCAN [life/heat/material/etc]

If you think this would detect you, respond with PING.

WOULD YOU KINDLY?

You are not aware that this has been used on you unless you resist it. If affected, you must obey the command even if it is fatal to your character that will follow this cue either to completion of the task issued or for 30s (whichever is shorter).

I CALL UPON THE WARP

The individual calling this is summoning forth the power of the warp itself, practically this functions much as Would you Kindly? but whatever is stated after this cue is actually happening to your character rather than being inside of their head. You must roleplay whatever the individual is describing to you - if there is no clear use of a call (such as I call upon the warp to rend your arm) in the verbal but the effect would be damaging to your character then you become Bleeding if the individual is not interrupted within 20s - otherwise you loose 2HP and you cannot recover hits until treated by a Medicae or Chirugeon.

COMMAND OVERRIDE

Your mechanical components and wargear are being hacked. If affected you must obey the command even if it is fatal to your character that will follow this cue as if your interfaced bionics force you to or the item of your wargear targeted has been affected appropriately either to completion of the task issued or for 30s (whichever is shorter).

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MALLEUS CUES

These calls have no immediate damaging effects and have no effect on players under normal circumstances unless stated in their brief or the character is possessed by a daemon.

AVAUNT!

This call causes unholy things to recoil from it in some cases forcing them to retreat, in other, stronger, beings causing them simply to flinch - but it always has an effect meaning it can always be used to detect a warp entity in the flesh of a body.

[KEYWORD/TRUE NAME] I BANISH THEE!

If used in combination with the correct Keyword for a warp entity or its True Name - this call does significant damage to them. In the case of a possession and unless otherwise noted in the effects of that possession this immediately causes it to end.

I CALL UPON THE EMPEROR'S LIGHT!

This is a mass effect affecting NPCs within within 5m of the caller - it has no effect on Players and non-Chaos NPCs - but against Daemons it is treated as a Mass Avaunt! cue - against the worshippers of Chaos it can cause them to flinch or even temporarily blind the most corrupt depending on how far they have fallen.