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Core Gameplay Changes

Misc changes

  • Monstrocity creature type is renamed to Youkai, and all Fiend creatures are considered Youkai for effects that require it.

Spell Card Battles

In Gensokyo, Spell Card Battles are a normal way of resolving conflicts. In-universe, they were enacted by Hakurei Reimu (though drafted by some Youkai and enforced by Gensokyo Sages) as a way to make battles more fair even to weak Youkai.

General Rules

Generally, they are in-universe explanation of game mechanics, so they usually follow the normal rules of combat, with some changes, like Armor Class and Dropping to 0 Hit Points.

In-universe, they regulate allowed and disallowed attacks, equipment, though it’s only described vaguely. Breaking Spell Card rules usually means consequences, including others getting permission to hunt you down while disregarding some or all Spell Card rules themselves.

Spell Cards

Originally, Spell Cards were described on a piece of paper and approved by the Shrine Maiden, but it is told that Reimu was overwhelmed so fast she gave up, and now they are mostly just named and predefined special attacks.

Spell Cards are a special named attacks. In-game, they allow to make a spectacle, bypassing limits of attacks made per-turn. In-universe, they are often more of a limit for powerful creatures.

Character Spell Cards. Players may choose one type of spell card they can use once, with use restoring on a Short or Long Rest.

This spell card may be a version of spell they have but cast with higher level (not more than +2) than they can currently cast normally, or a sequence of attacks/spells/movement (not more than 3 turn’s worth of actions) in one turn. Spell Card still spends all resources of Spells and Features.

Player’s Spell Card can be changed on a Long Rest.

Enemy Spell Cards. Enemy spell cards are described in the statblock, and one spell card may be only used once per battle. Unlike Player’s Spell Card, they might have any effect, acting as a custom spell, spanning through several turns, etc.

Adventuring

Short Rest

When you fight a powerful foe, usually a named character, you automatically start Short Rest after it ends. This is done to mimic stage-based gameplay of Touhou Project. This effect is handled by GM, but usually it’s used after any battle with a named character, unless there is next battle planned in the same location.

This short rest may inclide movement to another location and/or be shorter than normal Short Rest, but players still get the effects of a full Short Rest.

Armor Class

A creature’s Armor Class represents how well the creature avoids being wounded in combat.

Calculating AC. All creatures start with the same base AC calculation: Base AC = 10 + two of creature’s Ability modifiers (for example, 10 + Dexterity Modifier + Wisdom Modifier)

A creature’s AC can still be modified by armor, magic items, spells, and more. Only one base calculation can be in effect for a creature.

Dropping to 0 Hit Points

When a creature drops to 0 Hit Points, it either dies outright or falls unconscious, as explained below.

Defeating a Creature

Battling in normal Spell Card Battles, when you would reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points with a melee attack, you instead reduce the creature to 1 Hit Point. You can give it the Unconscious condition, but it can resist, either by making a Constitution Saving Throw againt the DC of remaining damage, or via GM’s decision.

If it did not sucessfully resist, it then starts a Short Rest, at the end of which that condition ends on it. The condition ends early if the creature regains any Hit Points or if someone takes an action to administer first aid to it, making a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Death

Usually, it’s highly unlikely for a creature to die from Spell Card Battles, but the rules don’t completely protect against that.

Hit Point Maximum of 0. A creature dies if its Hit Point maximum reaches 0. Certain effects drain life energy, reducing a creature’s Hit Point maximum.

Massive Damage. When damage reduces a character to 0 Hit Points and damage remains, the character dies if the remainder equals or exceeds their Hit Point maximum. For example, if your character has a Hit Point maximum of 12, currently has 6 Hit Points, and takes 18 damage, the character drops to 0 Hit Points, but 12 damage remains. The character then dies, since 12 equals their Hit Point maximum.

Hazard Death. A creature may die it’s killed by hazards not related to attacks, such as fall damage, old age, etc.

Simple Humans. Humans without training, magic or technology, are not commonly included in Spell Card battles, and they are likely to die from attacks if those were to be directed at them. Instead, normal humans are usually protected politically, ensuring you will have consequences if you try to touch them unprovoked.

Animals and Beast-like Youkai. Creatures that are not considered capable of following spellcard rules, such as most Beasts and Youkai not capable of reasoning, are excluded from Spell Card Battles. If you happen to fight them, they will try to actually kill you, and your attacks may kill them.

Non-Spell Card Battle. When Spell Card Battle rules don’t apply, creatures may die in battle normally.

Depending on story needs, GM may use default rules for Death Saving Throws and Stabilization, or have creature die instantly.

Falling Unconscious

If you reach 0 Hit Points and don’t die instantly, you have the Unconscious condition (see “Rules Glos- sary”) until you regain any Hit Points, and you now face making Death Saving Throws (see below).

Death Saving Throws

Whenever you start your turn with 0 Hit Points, you must make a Death Saving Throw to determine whether you creep closer to death or hang on to life. Unlike other saving throws, this one isn’t tied to an ability score. You’re in the hands of fate now.

Three Successes/Failures. Roll 1d20. If the roll is 10 or higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail. A success or failure has no effect by itself. On your third success, you become Stable (see “Stabilizing a Character” below). On your third failure, you die.

The successes and failures don’t need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three of a kind. The number of both is reset to zero when you regain any Hit Points or become Stable.

Rolling a 1 or 20. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for a Death Saving Throw, you suffer two failures. If you roll a 20 on the d20, you regain 1 Hit Point.

Damage at 0 Hit Points. If you take any damage while you have 0 Hit Points, you suffer a Death Saving Throw failure. If the damage is from a Critical Hit, you suffer two failures instead. If the damage equals or exceeds your Hit Point maximum, you die.

Stabilizing a Character

You can take the Help action to try to stabilize a creature with 0 Hit Points, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

A Stable creature doesn’t make Death Saving Throws even though it has 0 Hit Points, but it still has the Unconscious condition. If the creature takes damage, it stops being Stable and starts making Death Saving Throws again. A Stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 Hit Point after 1d4 hours.

Character Demise

If your character dies, others might find a magical way to revive your character, such as with the Raise Dead spell. Or talk with the GM about making a new character to join the group. “Rules Glossary” has more information on being dead.