# LoreMaster — Reviewing Abilities When a player brings you an ability idea, at level up or mid-combat, your job is not to say no. Your job is to make sure the ability fits the game without slowing the table down or breaking something. This page gives you everything you need to make that call quickly. > [!note] Effects vs Afflictions > > Effects are temporary combat modifiers. They are removed by succeeding on their Breakout Skill against the LoreMaster. > > Afflictions are persistent conditions. They are removed by spending an Act and rolling a Fellmark on their Breakout Skill. > > If a player proposes a condition that lasts beyond a single interaction, it is probably an Affliction, not an Effect. ## At Level Up Players design their abilities between sessions or at the start of a session. You have time to review properly. Read the ability, run it through the checklist below, and either approve it, suggest an adjustment, or ask them to rebuild. **The goal is to get to yes.** Push back only when something on the checklist fires. > [!note] Approval Checklist > > Approve the ability if: > - It resolves immediately with no tracking required > - It fits the weapon's identity > - It can be described in one sentence > - It creates a battlefield moment, not just a bigger number > - It does not duplicate an existing Infusion or Affliction > - It stays within the tier budget > - Every Effect has a clear expiration condition > - Every Effect has a Breakout Skill > - It uses existing Components, or has a new Component approved by the LoreMaster > [!note] Reject or Rebuild If > > - It requires remembering something across rounds > - It creates an infinite loop > - It permanently steals an attribute or stat from an enemy > - It removes another player's ability to participate > - It cannot be described in one sentence > - It exceeds the tier budget ## Tier Reference Use this to judge whether an ability is appropriately powered for its tier. | Tier | Budget | Typical Design | | ---- | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | T1 | 2 | One effect or a simple combination. | | T2 | 4 | One Affliction or several effects. | | T3 | 6 | A powerful Affliction or a defining combination of effects. | When in doubt, ask: does this feel like mastery, or does it just feel like more? More damage, more targets, and more range are escalation. Mastery is a new expression of what the weapon does. ## Mid-Combat Requests When a player wants to try something their weapon does not have yet, you need to make three decisions fast. ### Decision 1 — What tier is it? | If the effect is... | Tier | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | | One target, one effect, budget of 2 or less | 1 | | Single Affliction, multi-target up to 3, or bypasses defense | 2 | | Multi-target with Affliction, strong repositioning, or battlefield-wide | 3 | | Two combined effects, rule-bending, or anything uncertain | Go one tier higher | If the player does not have that tier unlocked yet, the attempt is not possible. Tell them what tier it would be and when they can try it. ### Decision 2 — What skill do they roll? Choose the skill that best represents how the character is accomplishing the action. If multiple skills could apply, allow the player to justify their choice. If no clear skill fits, use the most relevant Attribute instead. ### Decision 3 — Which dice row? | Difficulty | Player Rolls | You Roll | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | -------- | | Simple. Fits the weapon. One target, one effect. | Normal | Normal | | Makes sense but has real consequence. Single Affliction, bypasses defense. | Normal | Lucky | | Ambitious. Multiple targets, strong repositioning, Tier 3 effect. | Unlucky | Normal | | Pushing the limits. Two effects, battlefield-wide, or anything uncertain. | Unlucky | Lucky | ## Keeping The Table Moving Mid-combat ability requests can stall a session if you let them. A few habits that help: If the player's idea is close but not quite right, suggest the simplest version that works rather than sending them back to the drawing board. "That works as a single target — want to try it that way?" keeps the momentum going. If you need a moment to think, ask the player to describe it again in one sentence. That often clarifies whether it is approvable or not. If the idea is genuinely too complex to rule on quickly, tell them it needs to wait for level up. Not every idea belongs in the middle of a fight. ## What To Watch For **Tracking.** If the ability requires another player, enemy, or the LoreMaster to remember it, simplify it. Effects should be tracked by the player who created them whenever possible. **Damage-focused abilities.** If the ability spends most of its budget on damage and does not create a meaningful battlefield moment, encourage the player to add an Effect or reconsider the design. Abilities should create opportunities, not simply increase numbers. **Conditional chains.** Any ability that reads like "if X then Y then Z" is too complex. Each step is a potential question at the table. Push toward a single immediate outcome. **Targeting the wrong system.** Abilities that permanently reduce attributes, steal stats, or apply Impairments are not weapon abilities. Impairments come from the Impairment table. Attribute changes do not exist as a weapon effect. **Stacking with existing Infusions.** Check whether the ability duplicates something the player's Infusion already does. If the Infusion already covers it, the ability has no value and the player should redesign it.