This chapter goes over common rules from senses involving the spectrum from seen and heard to invisible, the closely related dying and resting rules, and conditions that apply to creatures or objects. While far from comprehensive on the rules system for playing with the Forge System, this chapter frequently used rules during game play.
Conditions
The following is a list of conditions that can be applied to creatures or objects during game. They describe common collections of benefits and penalties that are applied and what that means in context.
Senses
The Senses spectrum defines the interaction between two creatures if at least one of them is not easily sensed through sight, sound, smell, or other means. The basic entries along this scale are Seen/Heard, Concealed, Sensed, and Invisible, and more details are presented below.
- Seen / Heard. Depending on the primary sense of sight or hearing a creature uses, when you are Seen/Heard another creature can tell exactly where you are. There are no benefits or penalties for being Seen/Heard.
- Concealed. If you have the Concealed condition others know your location but have some slight difficulty targeting you. Those trying to target a Concealed creature take disadvantage to attack rolls.
- Sensed. If you have the Sensed condition, others may know you are in the area but not where. Those trying to target a Sensed creature must make a Perception check against that creature’s Passive Stealth to locate them or fail to know where they are. If the check is a success, the searching creature can target the Sensed creature, treating them as Concealed instead. If the check fails, the searching creature may still know the Sensed creature is present but cannot pinpoint the location well enough to target the Sensed creature and they continue to treat them as Sensed.
- Invisible. If you have the Invisible condition, others do not know you are there. Those trying to determine if there is an Invisible creature present must make a disadvantaged Perception check against the Invisible creature’s Passive Stealth. If the check is a success, the searching creature knows the Invisible creature is in the area and the Invisible creature become Sensed to the searching creature. If the check fails, the searching creature is unaware of the Invisible creature’s presence and cannot make another check unless given cause. Such cause for another check, includes someone pointing out an Invisible creature, the Invisible creature creating a disturbance like noise, or the Invisible creature becoming Sensed for another reason.
Since the spectrum only defines the ability for two creatures to interact with each other, a single creature can be treated differently by multiple opponents. For example, an Invisible creature might be invisible to their first opponent while their second opponent succeeded with the Perception check to realize they are present, so the Invisible creature is treated as Sensed to the second opponent. Likewise, if a third opponent, not only succeeded the Perception check against the Invisibility but also succeeded the Perception check against Sensed, the third creature treats the Invisible creature as Concealed and can make attacks against them. So, the Invisible creature is Invisible to the first opponent, Sensed to the second, and Concealed to the third.
There is another facet of the Senses continuum. That is the Blindsense and Blindsight abilities. These are abilities that effect how a creature interacts with the Senses spectrum as outlined below.
Blindsense and Blindsight. If you have Blindsense or Blindsight, you are aware of your surroundings through means such as ground vibrations. A creature with Blindsense treats all creatures within their range as Concealed, even if they normally would be Sensed or Invisible. A creature with Blindsight treats all creatures who are Invisible, Sensed, or Concealed as Seen/Heard. Neither of these negates penalties imposed by the Cover condition.
Attacking
And what about attacking with Concealed, Sensed, or Invisible Conditions? That depends on which of the three you are considered towards an opponent and what you are doing. When you make a Strike action, you gain the following benefits:
Invisible or Sensed. Attacking a creature which treats you as Invisible or Sensed, you gain advantage on attacks against that creature.
Concealed. Attacking a creature which treats you as Concealed, you gain no benefits to your attacks.
After the Strike:
- If you were Invisible…
- and attacked from melee, you are considered Concealed after the Strike.
- and attacked from ranged, your target can make a Perception check as a free action against your Passive Stealth, or another DC if appropriate.
- If they succeed, they treat you as Sensed.
- If they fail, they treat you as Invisible.
- If you were Sensed…
- and attacked from melee, you are considered Seen/Heard unless the cause of your Sensed condition says otherwise.
- and attacked from ranged, your target can make a Perception check as a free action against your Passive Stealth.
- If they succeed, they treat you as Concealed.
- If they fail, they treat you as Sensed.
- If you were Concealed and attacked from melee or ranged, you are still considered Concealed unless the source of the condition is removed.
Dying Rules
The following are the dying rules by lethal and nonlethal damage, along with the unique situation of instant death from massive damage.
Lethal Damage
If you drop to 0 Hit Points by lethal damage, you gain the Dying 1 and Unconscious conditions, possibly the Prone condition if applicable, and your initiative moves to just before the creature or effect that knocked you to 0 Hit Points. Each turn you must make a Flat check with a DC 10. If your Constitution modifier is positive, subtract it from the Flat DC. If your Constitution modifier is negative, add it to the Flat DC. For example, a Constitution modifier of +3 means the Flat DC is 7.
On the Flat check:
- Critical Success. The Dying value decreases by 1 and you are stable.
- Success. You become stable, and the Dying condition does not increase nor decrease.
- Failure. The Dying value increases by 1.
- Critical Failure. The Dying value increases by 2.
You gain the Dead condition when you reach Dying 4.
You recover if any of the following happen:
- Hit Points. If your Hit Points increase to 1 or above, your Dying condition reduces by one each round and you do not need to roll Flat DC checks. You lose the Unconscious condition when your Dying value is 0 and you still have at least 1 or more Hit Points. If you are reduced to 0 Hit Points before your Dying value reaches 0, you must begin making Flat checks again.
- Dying Condition. If your Dying condition is reduced to 0, you lose the Unconscious condition and regain 1 Hit Point.
- Stable. If you become stable, you gain 1 Hit Point in 1d4+2 hours.
Nonlethal Damage
If you drop to 0 Hit Points by nonlethal damage, you gain the Unconscious condition and possibly the Prone condition if applicable. The Unconscious condition is removed if your Hit Points increase to 1 or more or in 1d4 hours, whichever is first.
Instant Death Rule
You instantly die if you ever take damage equal to or more than double your total hit points. This means you gain the Dead condition.
EXTRA RESOURCE: Dying Rules Flowchart (Digital)
Resting
There are two types of rests, Long Rests which are 8 or more hours and Short Rests which are roughly an hour. Each has benefits befitting the length of time spent to recover. You can gain the benefits of three Short Rests between Long Rests.
Short Rests. You cannot regain hit points. But you do regain the use of some abilities that have points or rounds per 24 hours, which include Bardic Performance, Ki Pool, and Rage. Unless otherwise stated you can regain a quarter of the full number of uses, rounded down with a minimum of 1 for a Short Rest.
Long Rests. During this rest, you regain a number of hit points equal to half your total Hit Points. You also regain full uses for any ability that has a 24-hour limit which you expended, such as Bardic Performance, Ki Pool, and Rage.
Damage Types and Healing
Healing comes in many forms, from resting and recovering naturally over time to remedies in healing kits to supernatural restoratives. These different forms have various benefits, or not, against the different types of damage.
Hit Points, Lethal and Nonlethal
Damage to Hit Points is the most common form of damage; thus, the healing of Hit Points is also extremely common and varied. Hit Points are explained in Character Stats and Character Sheet.
There are two types of Hit Point damage.
- Lethal. Lethal damage is directly subtracted from your Hit Points. If you drop to 0 Hit Points and have sustained only lethal damage, you follow the Lethal Damage under Dying Rules above.
- Nonlethal. Nonlethal damage, which is damage intended to incapacitate without killing a creature, is directly subtracted from your Hit Points. However, unlike lethal damage, if you drop to 0 Hit Points and have sustained any nonlethal damage, you follow the Nonlethal Damage under the Dying Rules above. In this case, you are far less likely to gain the Dead condition.
Damage is assumed to be lethal by default unless it has the nonlethal tag.
Healing Hit Points in any form, heals both lethal and nonlethal damage. If you take both lethal and nonlethal damage, are healed, and then drop to 0 Hit Points, you count as having dropped with nonlethal damage as healing applies first to lethal damage.
Persistent Damage
Persistent Damage is a condition that marks certain damage that continues to bleed out, see Conditions below for more. This damage is applied to your Hit Points as lethal damage and can be healed with a successful Flat DC, a successful Medicine check, or healing that increases your Hit Points.
Curses, Diseases, and Poisons
Curses, diseases, and poisons can be removed through a few means. You can naturally attempt to resist the effect with saves and work to reduce the Stages to 0, others can aide you through applying abilities, remedies, or Medicine checks that grant Counteracts, or the effect runs its duration and fades.
Removing a curse, disease, or poison does not heal the damage or effects that it had, instead it prevents more damage. The effects of a curse, disease, or poison must be treated separately. For example, upon removing Blight Curse you would no longer continue to take Constitution damage however the damage already dealt remains and you must heal it as you would any Ability Damage. Further, removing Arsenic poison still leaves the poison damage and the Sick condition which each must be treated in their own ways. The poison damage can be healed by any affects that treat lethal Hit Point damage and the Sick condition can be healed by taking actions that allow for a Fortitude save, abilities that remove the condition, or time.
Ability Damage
This damage applies directly to one or more of your ability scores, Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. The score is temporarily reduced by the amount of damage dealt. The Ability Score Modifier is temporarily reduced, as necessary, according to the following table.
| Ability Score | Modifier |
| 0-1 | -5 |
| 2-3 | -4 |
| 4-5 | -3 |
| 6-7 | -2 |
| 8-9 | -1 |
| 10-11 | ±0 |
| 12-13 | +1 |
| 14-15 | +2 |
| 16-17 | +3 |
| 18-19 | +4 |
| 20-21 | +5 |
| ⁝ | ⁝ |
If your Ability Score is reduced to 0, you gain the following condition depending on the score affected.
- Strength. You gain the Paralyzed condition. This condition can only be removed by increasing your Strength score to 1 or more.
- Dexterity. You gain the Paralyzed condition. This condition can only be removed by increasing your Dexterity score to 1 or more.
- Constitution. You gain the Dead condition. This condition can only be removed by both increasing your Constitution score to 1 or more and through an affect that removes the Dead condition.
- Intelligence. You gain the Unconscious condition as you fall into a coma. You cannot end the condition with a Will Save as it can only be removed by increasing your Intelligence score to 1 or more.
- Wisdom. You gain the Unconscious condition as you fall into a coma. You cannot end the condition with a Will Save as it can only be removed by increasing your Wisdom score to 1 or more.
- Charisma. You gain the Unconscious condition as you fall into a coma. You cannot end the condition with a Will Save as it can only be removed by increasing your Charisma score to 1 or more.
Ability Damage heals either naturally over time or through abilities that target Ability Damage specifically. After each Long Rest, you can heal 1 point of Ability Damage from each Ability Score.
Conditions
Conditions have various affects, as detailed below, and range in treatments.
- Asleep. This automatically ends if you take damage. Loud noise grants you a Perception check which, on a success, ends the condition. A creature who spends an action to nudge you ends the condition.
- Blinded. The only known treatment are abilities that remove the Blinded condition.
- Confused. This condition ends when its cause’s duration ends.
- Dazzled. Most causes of this condition list a duration, at the end of which the Dazzled condition ends. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Dead. The only known treatment are abilities that restore a creature to life and remove the Dead condition.
- Deafened. The only known treatment are abilities that remove the Deafened condition.
- Drained. This condition slows heals over time with the value reducing by 1 each time you gain Hit Points from a Long Rest. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Dying. Increasing your Hit Points to 1 or higher causes this condition’s value to reduce by 1 every 6 seconds, or one round. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Encumbered. Removing excess weight that you are carrying or increasing your Carrying Capacity removes this condition.
- Enervated. This condition slows heals over time with the value reducing by 1 after a Long Rest and a successful Fortitude save.
- Enfeebled. This condition slows heals over time with the value reducing by 1 each time you gain Hit Points from a Long Rest. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Entangled. You or another creature can attempt an Athletics check or another appropriate roll to remove the cause of this condition.
- Fascinated. This automatically ends if a creature acts in hostile towards you or your allies. Most causes of this condition list a duration, at the end of which the Fascinated condition ends.
- Fatigued. This conditions is removed after a Long Rest, unless it has a different duration. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Fleeing. Most causes of this condition list a duration, at the end of which the Fleeing condition ends. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Frightened. This condition heals over time with the value reducing by 1 every 6 seconds, or one round Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Grabbed. You can attempt an Acrobatics check, an Athletics check or another appropriate roll to remove the cause of this condition. The creature or affect causing this condition ceases to maintain the Grabbed condition also ends it.
- Hampered. Most causes of this condition list a duration, at the end of which the Hampered condition ends. Use of the Accelerated condition counteracts the Hampered condition.
- Immobile. You, or sometimes another creature, can attempt an Athletics check or another appropriate roll to remove the cause of this condition.
- Paralyzed. Most causes of this condition list a duration, at the end of which the Paralyzed condition ends. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Persistent Damage. A successful Flat DC 20, healing which restore Hit Points, or a successful Medicine check against a DC equal to 10 + the Proficiency Score of the creature which caused it or another relevant value removes this condition.
- Petrified. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Prone. You take an action to Stand Up, see Chapter XVIII, Modes of Play.
- Sick. You can take an action to retch which grants you a Fortitude save against a relevant DC. On a successful save, the condition is removed. This condition also slows heals over time with the value reducing by 1 for every 12 hours. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Slowed. Most causes of this condition list a duration, at the end of which the Slowed condition ends. Use of the Quick condition counteracts the Slowed condition. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Sluggish. This condition slows heals over time with the value reducing by 1 each time you gain Hit Points from a Long Rest. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Stunned. Most causes of this condition list a duration, at the end of which the Stunned condition ends. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Stupefied. This condition slows heals over time with the value reducing by 1 each time you gain Hit Points from a Long Rest. Some abilities are able to remove this condition.
- Unconscious. If you do not have the Dying condition and at least 1 Hit Point, a successful Will save against an appropriate DC removes this condition. If you have the Dying condition from Lethal Damage, you lose the Unconscious condition when your Dying value is 0 and you have at least 1 Hit Point. If you have the Dying condition from Nonlethal Damage, you lose the Unconscious condition when you have at least 1 Hit Point or after 1d4 hours, whichever is first.
It should be noted that not all Conditions need to be healed. Methods for healing penalizing Conditions have been detailed here, but beneficial Conditions have not be addressed. Typically, you can choose not to utilize beneficial Conditions.
Conditions Inflicting Conditions. If you have a condition as the result of another, primary condition, removing the primary condition removes all other condition it inflicts. You cannot remove a condition that is inflicted as the result of another condition. For example, you have the Blinded and Deafened conditions as the result of the Unconscious condition. Neither the Blinded nor Deafened conditions can be removed until the Unconscious condition is treated. In this example, since the Blinded and Deafened were the direct result of the Unconscious condition, removing the Unconscious conditions removes both inflicted conditions as well.