Calls (Advanced Reference)

DAMAGING CALLS

These calls cause damage as per the Combat Rules.

BLAM

If you have Endurance, spend a point of Endurance to resist this. If you are Staggered, become Wounded.

REND

If you have Endurance, spend a point of Endurance to resist this. If you are Staggered, become Grievously Wounded

SUNDER

Become Grievously Wounded. This ignores Endurance and cannot be resisted unless an item or ability says otherwise.

BURN

Affects all targets in a 90 degree cone 5m in front of the user. If you have Endurance, spend a point of Endurance to resist this and back away from the source, roleplaying patting out fire. Burn ignores cover, and if hit with this call while in cover, you must leave it. If your character cannot back away this ignores Endurance and you become Grievously Wounded, although if the character could escape but you can’t for OC safety, you may spend Endurance as normal. If you are Staggered, become Grievously Wounded.

If Grievously Wounded you do not need to fall to the ground as normal but may instead roleplay as if on fire for ten seconds, up to and including running around, before you collapse.

DAKKA

Affects all targets in a 90 degree cone in front of the user within range of hearing. If you have Endurance, spend a point of Endurance to resist this if you are in the open. Dakka has no effect if you are lying prone or in cover. If you are Staggered become Wounded.

SHOCK

If you have Endurance, spend a point of Endurance to resist this. If this call causes you to become Staggered or leaves you Wounded, then roleplay as stunned for 5 seconds, being totally unable to defend yourself or move (except where you need to for OC safety).

I AM A KNIFE IN THE DARK

Collapse quietly and become Grievously Wounded ; minor NPCs will usually die instantly. The assassin may add quietly if they were using the call nonlethally; in this instance you should roleplay 60s of unconsciousness rather than beginning to bleed.

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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.

DRAG

You have been grasped by a powerful force. Move directly towards the source of the call for three seconds:

• If anyone attempts to grab you, Call Drag on them.

• If you are already in melee with the source of the call, you may not disengage with that melee for the three second duration.

REPEL

You have been hit by a powerful force. Move directly away from the source of the call for three seconds:

• Should you hit a wall or obstacle, roleplay the painful jarring impact.

• If your passage would cause you to hit another player, call Repel to them as they are hit by your flying body.

HAYWIRE

Technological equipment shorts out and ceases functioning. Weapons are non-functional for 10 seconds; Bionic Traits and Power Armour become nonfunctional for 30s and cause their uses seizures and agony or to briefly become trapped within their armour; and other tech items are disabled until repaired by someone with the Lay Mechanicus Trait.

NULL

Psykers and psychic equipment are severed from the warp for ten seconds. Psykers may not use any powers during this period. Psychic entities may be differently affected.

TOXIC

Indicates that the attack was made with a poisoned weapon. If you were Staggered or Wounded or Grievously Wounded from this attack, you have been poisoned and should make a Ref aware after a fight if they do not find you first.

DREAD

Anyone who can see the source of this call is filled with fear. They can choose to cower and not act, or flee in fear from the creature, or stand and fight. If a character chooses to stand and fight then they increase the time taken between calls to 10s and the terror makes it impossible to focus on any complex tasks (anything that requires extended roleplay).

In addition characters that stand and fight become Touched by Madness. Characters that can use willpower to resist this call still become Touched by Madness.

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AUGMENT CALLS

These calls are never used on their own but change the effect of other calls to indicate how they interact with characters and environments.

MASS/FRAG OUT! MASS

Modifies any call to affect all individuals within 5m of the named target. In an enclosed space, eg a small room, Mass calls affect everyone within the space. If accompanied by Frag Out!, this indicates a grenade has been thrown; the grenade physrep becomes the source of the blast and all characters within 5m of the physrep take the call. If you cannot see the physrep, treat it as if the named target or originator of the call is the source, whichever seems more appropriate. A character may throw themselves over the physrep and call Deflect that Grenade! They will immediately be rendered Grievously Wounded.

WARP

Demonstrates a power drawn from the Warp – Indicates how other abilities interact with it.

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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.

DEFLECT

Indicates a call has been defended against by some kind of protection possessed by the character.

NO EFFECT

Indicates that a call did not have its usual effect on the character, perhaps because the foe is immune to the call.

SCAN [life/heat/material/etc]

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

QUAKE

The ground shifts and buckles beneath you, forcing you to stagger around your surroundings unable to do anything but that, until someone calls Quake ENDS.

YOU SHALL KNOW NO FEAR!

If you are allied to the person making the call and are not Grievously Wounded, immediately recover to Normal with fully restored Endurance and Willpower; you may also ignore the effects of Dread for that scene.

GET IT TOGETHER

If you are not Wounded or Grievously Wounded, regain 2 Endurance.

ON YOUR FEET

If you are Wounded, immediately return to Normal and regain 1 Endurance. This has no effect on Grievously Wounded characters.

WOULD YOU KINDLY?

You are not aware this has been used on you unless you resist it. If affected, you must obey the command following this cue either to completion of the task issued or for 30s (whichever is shorter). If you have Willpower, spend 1 Willpower to resist this.

COMMAND OVERRIDE

Your mechanical components are being hacked. If affected you must obey the command as if being forced to by your interfaced bionics either to completion of the task issued or for 30s (whichever is shorter). If you have Willpower, spend 1 Willpower to resist this.

I TEST THEE!

Causes you to increase your Corruption/Faith and Fire level one step; in addition this interrupts any task you were performing that requires concentration to complete (a ritual or rite for example) and prevents you performing such tasks for 30s. If you have Willpower, spend 1 Willpower to resist this entirely.

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NPC CUES

These cues have no real effect on player characters unless they are specifically briefed to take them, and are presented here purely for awareness of their effects for crew and players with access to them.

I NAME THEE [TRUE NAME] AND BANISH YOU FROM THIS PLACE

Used to banish warp beings from the materium. Effect and efficiency varies depending on entity and if you get their true name correct and how complete it is. Has no effect on PCs unless you are told otherwise.

AVAUNT! CREATURE OF THE WARP!

Causes a warp or possessed/corrupted being to recoil from a holy symbol held before the caller. Lesser creatures may be unbound and destroyed if cornered, powerful creatures may flinch and back away.

THIS IS MY FINAL STAND!

The caller has 30s to complete a task. During a final stand they may soak all damage as if they had spent Endurance or Willpower to resist it (and must therefore continue to roleplay as if doing so). All NPCs present should try to direct their attention towards the caller and allow other PCs to escape.

I CALL UPON THE LIGHT OF [ENTITY]!

Invokes the power of a being of order causing the caller to glow like a beacon of light. This makes pure souls feel invigorated while near. Creatures of the Warp, Corrupted Individuals and individuals under the effect of certain Blight cards will react differently.