Demayth

Chapter 7: Status Effects & Ticks

In the heat of battle, magic and items often leave lasting conditions on a Demigod or Minion. When a character is affected by one of these, place a status token or write on their character sheet to track the effect.

Standard Status Effects

  • Blind: Unable to make Battle card attacks or defenses. Spells can only be cast within Melee (or Self) range until removed.
  • Disarmed: Cannot make Battle card attacks. The currently equipped weapon is removed and placed back in your inventory.
  • Feared: Cannot attack or harm the source of the fear.
  • Incorporeal: A ghost-like state. Move through characters and terrain objects. Immune to physical Battle Card attacks (Spells still deal damage).
  • Prone: Cannot use Move Action (MAP). All Battle card attacks and defenses are halved (rounded down). Must spend 1 SAP to "Stand Up" before moving.
  • Rooted: Cannot use Move Action (MAP) or movement-based spells/items. Standard Actions (SAP) remain available.
  • Silence: Cannot cast magical abilities via Demayth cards and cannot benefit from Perks.
  • Slowed: Movement speed is halved (rounded down).
  • Stunned: Incapacitated. Cannot take SAP, MAP, or use Reactions. Defense Value (DV) is treated as 0.
  • Taunt: Can only attack the character who taunted you. If you cannot legally target them, you cannot make an attack at all.
  • Vulnerable: The next time the character takes damage, that damage is doubled. Status is removed once damage is applied.

Unique Status Effects (Ticks)

Unlike standard status effects, Poison and Disease are cumulative and deadly. These are tracked using "Ticks." Ticks do not go away on their own; you must use Restoration magic (like Cure) or consumable items (like Antidotes) to reset your Ticks to zero.

Poison (Toxic Overload)

When a character receives a Poison Tick, mark it on their sheet.

  • The Danger: At the start of every rotation, the character loses 1 HP for every 5 Poison Ticks they have (rounded down).
  • Defeat: If a Demigod reaches 20 Poison Ticks, they are immediately defeated, regardless of their current HP.

Disease (Corruptive Decay)

Disease represents a magical or biological rot that weakens the soul.

  • The Penalty: Every 3 Disease Ticks a character possesses reduces their maximum hand size by 1 (e.g., 3 Ticks = 9 card hand, 6 Ticks = 8 card hand).
  • Defeat: If a Demigod reaches 20 Disease Ticks, they are immediately defeated as their physical form fails.

Glossary & Terminology

Action Economy

  • SAP (Standard Action Point): The primary resource used to play Demayth cards, Battle cards, Inventory cards, or draw/discard cards. Players have 2 SAP per turn.
  • MAP (Move Action Point): The resource used to move your Demigod and ALL friendly Minions up to your Movement Points (MP) rolled for the turn. Players have 1 MAP per turn.
  • RP (Reaction Point): A resource used to play specific "Reaction" type cards or specialized responses (like reactive spellcasting) outside of your normal turn sequence.
  • Free Action (0 SAP): An action or ability that can be performed without spending any Action Points.
  • Rotation: A full cycle of play relative to a specific player, starting the moment their turn begins and ending the moment their next turn begins. Duration for spells and effects is tracked in Rotations.
  • Turn: A single player's opportunity to act, consisting of a Start of Turn Phase, Action Phase, and End of Turn Phase.

Targeting & Attack Ranges

  • Melee Attack / Range: An attack made against a target in an adjacent space (including diagonals). This requires physical contact or close-quarters proximity.
  • Ranged Attack / Line of Sight (LOS): An attack made against a target you can clearly see in a straight, unobstructed line. The attack path is blocked by Terrain Objects.
  • Perception Attack / Range: An attack made against any target you are aware of on the board, even if partially obscured or completely out of Line of Sight, rather than requiring a direct unobstructed visual line.
  • AoE (Area of Effect): The exact shape and size (e.g., Cubes, Spheres, Cones, Cylinders, Lines) of a destructive or supportive zone that affects a broad area rather than a single target.
  • Point of Origin: The specific space (e.g., center of a sphere, start of a cone) that must be targeted via LOS or Perception to place an AoE effect.

Combat & Mechanics

  • HP (Health Points): A Demigod's life force. Reaching 0 HP results in defeat.
  • AP (Armor Points): A protective buffer granted by shields, armor, or spells that absorbs damage before it reaches HP.
  • AV (Attack Value): The total strength of an attack, calculated by combining the base value of a card with bonuses from weapons, trinkets, or spells.
  • DV (Defense Value): The total resistance to an attack, calculated by combining the base value of a defending card with bonuses from shields, armor, or spells.
  • Tick System: A mechanic used to track escalating conditions like Poison or Disease. Accumulating 20 Poison or Disease Ticks results in immediate defeat.
  • Terrain Types: Environmental grid features. Open Terrain (normal), Rough Terrain (costs 2 MP to exit), Terrain Objects (block movement and LOS), and Terrain Pits (block movement, but not LOS).