Calls
For a advanced document explaining how NPC interactions with calls can differ please go here
SINGLE TARGET DAMAGE CALLS
These calls cause damage as per the Combat Rules.
BLAM
PC: Lose a point of Endurance as you have been shot at with a firearm.
REND
PC: Lose two points of Endurance as you take a blow from a devastating weapon - any limb struck by this is disabled until you or someone else can spend 3s bandaging it - if you are struck in the torso then you cannot move faster than a staggered walk until you have spent 3s tending to the searing wound you’ve taken.
BOLT
PC: Lose two points of Endurance as you are blown backwards by a mass-reactive bolt shell - the searing pain renders you unable to move faster than a staggered walk and unable to fight or focus to use any traits that require you to think until a Medicae can spend time tending to your wound.
SHOCK
PC: Roleplay as if being shocked by a high-voltage current for 5s during which you cannot move.
NULL
PC: You are hit by a blow or bolt, lose one endurance.
WARP
PC: This call demonstrates that a call is coming from a power drawn from the Warp. It is normally attached to another call and is only relevant if you have abilities that tell you you react to calls with Warp attached differently.
SUNDER
PC: You drop to zero endurance becoming Bloodied and Maimed. In addition should someone make a Triage Check to help you recover from this state you should inform them to draw from the Triage Deck directly rather than testing.
I AM A KNIFE IN THE DARK [Optional addition: SUBDUE]
PC: You drop to zero endurance becoming Bloodied and Maimed however you immediately become unconscious and make as little noise as possible. If SUBDUE is included then you become Subdued instead, however unlike normal you can only recover from this state if someone spends 5s waking you up or after ten minutes.
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
PC: This call affects all characters (including friends) 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, you drop to zero endurance becoming Bloodied and Maimed as you are set aflame.
Unlike the normal Bloodied 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 Bloodied' and Maimed 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.
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
Applied to 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
PC: A blastwave hits all characters within five meters of the target or source of this call (if a target isn’t called). Characters have three seconds to dramatically throw themselves prone as best as their mobility allows or place a piece of cover between themselves and the source of the call - if they fail to do this then if they lose three endurance.
If the source of a Boom call is a Grenade (accompanied by a call of Frag Out!), you may throw yourself atop of the phys rep and call Covering Grenade you take a Sunder effect but no one else takes the effect.
BLIND
A flash of light bursts in the eyes of all characters within five meters of the target or source of this call (if a target isn’t called). They must roleplay as if blinded or stunned by it for five seconds.
HAYWIRE
PC: 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.
- Power Armour and any other technological items provided by non-wargear traits or free items such as radios/dataslates they 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’.
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.
GET IT TOGETHER
PC: If you are not Bloodied you regain your Endurance pool.
If you are Bloodied you may get back to your feet with your Endurance to half its maximum (rounding up).
This has no effect if you are Maimed by an 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.
QUAKE
Indicates a powerful earth-shifting disturbance, this call effects anyone who hears it, for the next 10s characters must roleplay as if the earth was shifting beneath them, falling to the ground, or staggering wildly around knocking into objects like the best low-budget sci-fi heroes ever.
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 Bloodied.
[TARGET/MASS] DREAD
You are filled with complete and utter dread as supernatural terror overtakes your mind. You increase your Madness one step, and must either flee or roleplay quaking in terror, so long as you can see the source of the call, you cannot use traits except to call Blam at 1 meter or Die in melee
Characters with traits to resist this call increase their Madness one step but are able to use their traits as normal.
DEFLECT
Called in reaction to a call to indicate that it has been defended against by some form of Defence.
INEFFECTIVE
Indicates that a call did not have its usual effect on the character, perhaps because the foe is immune to the call or simply because of some innate ability.
SCAN [life/heat/material/etc]
If you think this would detect you, respond with PING.
WOULD YOU KINDLY?
PC: You are not aware that this has been used on you unless you resist it. If affected, you must obey the command that will follow this cue either to completion of the task issued or for 30s (whichever is shorter).
COMMAND OVERRIDE
Your mechanical components are being hacked. If affected you must obey the command that will follow this cue as if your interfaced bionics force you to either to completion of the task issued or for 30s (whichever is shorter).
I TEST THEE!
If you have Willpower you must spend a point to resist this, if you do not then your will fails you, you become Subdued and your Corruption/Faith and Fire track increases one step.
[KEYWORD] I BANISH THEE!
By using a keyword associated with a warp entity (such as ‘greed’ for a hoarding demon) or its true name (all of which will be on its NPC sheet) this call does significant damage to warp entities. It has no effect on players, unless they are briefed otherwise. Has no mechanical effect on characters unless stated otherwise in their brief.
AVAUNT!
Only takes effect while brandishing a holy symbol. This causes unholy things to retreat from the bearer of the symbol recoiling in fear of it. In some cases it may have other significant effects. Has no mechanical effect on characters unless stated otherwise in their brief.
I CALL UPON THE LIGHT!
The individual calling this glows briefly with light, this isn’t blinding but it is appropriate for PCs to react to this. It has far more significant effects on unholy things and worshippers of the dark gods.Has no mechanical effect on characters unless stated otherwise in their brief.
THIS IS MY FINAL STAND!
Characters who are hostile to the individual making this call should where possible focus on the individual (or individuals) who have issued it, allowing all other characters friendly to the individual who is challenging with this call to make use of the distraction to escape, accomplish a goal, or whatever they need to do while hostile characters focus on the individual sacrificing their life to make this happen.
This can be multiple individuals at which point hostile characters may split their attention between those two, but they should only pay attention to other characters in situations where they legitimately can't ignore them (such as bodily blocking them from moving towards the individual to attack them in melee) at which point they should fight them only to get them out of they way and pursue the individual who made the call instead. This effect is narrative and as such takes precedent over what characters might logically do.
Unlike in most situations where hostile NPCs will be briefed not to 'finish off' characters, it is encouraged for them to do so here as such challenges are only issued when a protagonist is about to die - especially so if roleplaying out death-blows would only further delay them from stopping the issuing characters allies escaping or achieving their goals.