Gunslinger

"A bullet to the front of the head demonstrates good marksmanship. A bullet to the back of the head demonstrates good judgement."

-- John Wesley Hardin

The Gunslinger system is one of two combat systems at Dream Chasers, and is used to simulate individuals or small groups fighting in pitched combat. The other, the Digger system, is used to simulate exploring a dungeon.

Characters may have multiple forms, with their own stat blocks.

Basics

At its core, Gunslinger is comparable to any other player-versus-player combat system you’ve seen on any other MUSH. Characters have resource pools, and the goal is to deplete the opponent's before the opponent depletes yours.

• Hit Points (HP) measure a character’s health. Base maximum HP for all characters is 500; this can be adjusted by certain Personal Skills. At 0 HP, your character is Knocked Out, and is no longer able to fight. Depending on the circumstances, this might mean that your character is unconscious, or simply too wounded to make further combat a wise idea.
• Temporary Hit Points (THP) represent healing from in-combat healing spells, items, and so forth. HP cannot be restored in combat. Instead, attacks with healing flags grant a character a pool of THP, which is capped at half of their current maximum HP. No single healing effect may fill it entirely, and anything in excess of the THP pool's maximum is lost. THP are lost 3 rounds after they're first granted, but any THP-granting flags also renew the duration of the pool. Certain attack flags affect targets with THP differently, providing counters to in-combat healing.
• Force Points (FP) are used to activate higher-level attacks and special commands called Force Actions. Your character begins combat with FP equal to their current spent CP divided by ten, and accrues FP with every combat action. Certain Personal Skills may modify your character's FP gain, or provide them with additional starting CP.
• Combo is a resource pool that is spent automatically to enhance your character's attacks. Many flags have Combo Options, each with its own effects and Combo cost--typically, they provide additional utility, or increase an attack's effectiveness. By default, characters begin combat with 0 Combo, provides an additional benefit to attacks. Characters can have up to 4 Combo at once -- any in excess of this is simply lost. Certain Personal Skills can modify your character's starting Combo, or provide them with ways to gain Combo beyond the ones listed below.

Force Points and Force Actions

Force Points

Force Points are a resource gained with every action and reaction. They fuel attacks, both by unlocking them (as some attacks require a minimum FP) and as a cost to use them, as well as Force Actions.

The following Gunslinger actions grant FP:

• Starting a battle with the +heal/full command grants a character (CP / 10) FP.
• Assigning an Attack with the +attack command grants a character 15 FP.
• Reacting to an attack with the +evade or +guard commands grants a character 15 FP.
  • If a character has PS Force Evade, successfully Evading an attack has a chance to grant them an additional 10 FP, for a total of 25 FP.
  • If a character has PS Force Guard, successfully Guarding an attack has a chance to grant them an additional 10 FP, for a total of 25 FP.
• Charging an Attack grants a character 20 FP.
  • If a character has PS Force Charge, Charging an attack grants an additional 5 FP, for a total of 25 FP.
• Reacting to an attack with the +accept command grants you 5 FP.

Force Actions

Force Actions are general-purpose buffs, which may be used before making an attack, or before reacting to an attack in your character's queue. They do not have to be purchased with CP or AP, but each character may only have four Force Actions per form. Each Force Action costs 25 FP to use, and a player may use as many as they wish, as long as their character has enough FP to pay the cost.

Players may choose their characters' Force Actions from the following list:

• Lock On: The character's attacks this round have a bonus to hit against both Guard and Evade reactions.
• Accelerate: The defender's reactions this round have a bonus to Reflex.
• Full Clip: The character's attacks this round have has a bonus to Power.
• Guard: The defender's reactions this round have a bonus to Vitality.
• Fury Shot: The character's attacks this round temporarily have the Artillery flag.
• Snipe: The character's attacks this round have a bonus to Critical Hit.
• Boost: The character gains 2 Combo.
• Shell: This Force Action has been removed, given the changes introduced to Counter in Gunslinger 1.2. It is retained on this list temporarily for notification purposes.
• Mystic: Increases the duration of Lock State, Hyper, Shield, Quick, and any temporary hit points on its target by 2 rounds (without a maximum). It can be targeted; the syntax is +force Mystic=<target>.
• Protect: This Force Action has been removed, given that it is a universal ability in Gunslinger 1.2. It is retained on this list temporarily for notification purposes.
• Extend: The next attack temporarily has the Area flag.

Condition Green

Whenever a character accumulates 125 or FP, they enter a state called CONDITION GREEN. When entering Condition Green, the durations of all Buffs on a character increase by 1 round, while the Durations of all debuffs on them decrease by 1 round. While in Condition Green, the character receives bonuses to damage, Critical Hit rate, and Reactions. A character remains in CONDITION GREEN as long as they have 125 or more FP, and can reenter the state if their FP total rises to 125 or above. Certain Personal Skills may provide additional benefits when a character enters Condition Green.

Combo

Combo may be earned during combat in a number of ways.

• Any attack has a small chance of granting the attacker 1 Combo.
• Attacks with the Rush flag automatically grant the attacker 1 Combo, regardless of whether or not they're sucessful.
• Attacks with the Chain flag automatically grant the attacker 2 Combo, if successful.
• Attacks with the Inspire flag automatically grant the target 1 Combo.
• The Boost Force Action automatically grants the user 2 Combo, and may be used at any point in combat as long as the character has enough FP to pay for it.

Combo is spent on Combo Options, which modify attack flags in various ways. If an attacker has enough Combo in their pool to pay for a flag's Combo Option, the Combo Option will take effect, and the appropriate amount of Combo is automatically deducted from the attacker's Combo pool.

Since many attacks have more than one flag, Combo is spent according to a priority list. Prioritization starts with the first flag on the list, and moves downward. If your character's Combo is depleted by a higher-priority flag, the Combo Option for any lower-priority flags will not fire. When designing attacks that use Combo Options, it is important to remember this priority list. The priority list, which includes every attack with a Combo Option, is provided below:

1. Headshot
2. Poison
3. Interrupt
4. Link
5. Inspire
6. Reload
7. Gatling

For example: A character with 1 Combo uses an attack with the Inspire flag, which has a Combo Option that costs 1 Combo. 1 Combo is automatically deducted from that character's Combo Pool, and the Combo Option takes effect. Later, that same character has 1 Combo in their pool, and uses an attack with Poison and Interrupt. Poison's Combo Option costs 1 Combo, and Interrupt's Combo Option costs 1 Combo. Since Poison is higher in priority than Interrupt, the character will automatically spend 1 Combo to pay for Poison's Combo Option, and have insufficient Combo to pay for 1 Combo to pay for Interrupt's Combo Option. Poison's Combo Option will take effect, while Interrupt's will not.

Please see the section on attack flags for more information about individual Combo Options.

Combat Reactions and Flow

Coded combat on Dream Chasers MUSH proceeds using the following steps:

Preparation and Setup

Players should ensure that their characters are fully-healed using the +heal/full command. In one-on-one fights, the expected etiquette is for the players of both characters to use this command immediately before combat begins. If several characters are fighting one character, that character's player may use the +heal/boss command to grant their character "Boss HP"--a proportionately-larger or health pool appropriate for fights against multiple opponents at once. Players may also want to represent particularly-difficult fights. The command +heal/optional grants a larger pool of Boss HP, making a boss more difficult to defeat. The player of such a boss should always get the consent of the players of characters fighting them before using this option.

In one-on-one fights, players come to an agreement on who attacks first. In cases of disagreement, a coin flip using the +flip command is appropriate. A boss always has the option to attack first.

Attack

The player of the character making an attack poses their character's attack, and then uses the +attack command to designate both the attack they want to use and the target of that attack. This command places the attack in the target's Attack Queue, a list of all attacks that have been made against them this round. If the attacking character's player wishes to use a Force Action, they must do so before using the +attack command in order for it to take effect.

Reaction

Once one or more attacks have been placed in a character's queue, that character's player must react to them. All characters have access to three general Reactions:

• Charge: The character charges into an attack, taking full damage but receiving more FP than they would from attempting to mitigate it instead.
• Dodge: The character attempts to dodge an attack. This Reaction can produce one of three results:
  • Critical Dodge: The attack misses entirely, inflicting no damage on the character.
  • Partial Dodge: The attack inflicts reduced damage on the character.
  • Failure: The attack scores a solid hit, which inflicts full damage on the character.
• Guard: The character attempts to block an attack. This Reaction can produce one of three results:
  • Critical Guard: The attack inflicts very little damage on the character.
  • Guard: The attack inflicts reduced damage on the character.
  • Failure: The attack inflicts full damage on the character.
• Accept: The character allows the attack to hit, taking full damage, gaining fewer FP than they would have if they'd Charged, and forfeiting all chance of mitigation. This Reaction is intended for use against beneficial attacks, such as Buffs.

In addition to reducing or completely negating damage, achieving a Critical Guard or Critical Evade on a Reaction roll will prevent any Debuffs on the attack from taking effect. It will also cause the attacker to lose 1 Combo, provided they have any to lose.

The defending character's player uses either the +charge, +guard, or +evade command, depending on which Reaction they want their character to perform. They designate the attack they wish to respond to by using its number in their Attack Queue. Once the defending character's player enters their chosen command, the attack resolves and produces a result.

Guard and Dodge offer different defensive strategies to characters. Guard has a higher success rate than Evade, but cannot completely negate an attack's damage. Evade has a lower success rate, but is the only Reaction that can mitigate all of an attack's damage. Charge offers players a way to trade their character's HP for a significant chunk of FP.

If a player wishes to intentionally accept a hit for dramatic purposes, they have three options. The first is to +charge; this is a normal reaction within the rules, but precludes making use of a character's full defenses, as noted in its writeup. If a player would like for their character to specifically fail a reaction, they may use either the +failguard or +failevade commands. Their use is invisible; they present to the room as normal, but failed, reactions of each type, though staff's csys monitoring tools will keep a record of them. These commands are not obligatory in any way, and exist for players who wish to take narrative hits outside the standard combat system procedures while still participating in the fight otherwise.

An additional command exists if a player wishes to emit a KO message regardless of their character's HP total. This command, +selfko, is not binding, and is intended as a convenience for non-standard losses, such as a powerful effect agreed upon in the scene that is not reflected mechanically.

The attack resolution process trades off between players--or, in the case of a boss fight, proceeds in rounds, alternating between the boss and the characters fighting them. Combat proceeds using this series of steps until one party is defeated, typically by being Knocked Out or stopping the fight through narrative means.

Gears

Functionally, combat between Gears--or other, similarly-scaled entities--is almost identical to combat between human-scaled characters. Forms that represent Gear-scaled entities always have PS Gear, which increases that form's base HP to 1000, effectively giving them twice as much health as a human-scaled entity. Additionally, forms with PS Gear should take the Artillery flag on all attacks with a PL greater than 0. Since the Artillery flag doubles the damage an attack inflicts on a target with PS Gear, it enables Gear-scaled opponents to inflict proportionate damage on one another without being overwhelming to targets without PS Gear.

Nevertheless, Gears are narratively powerful, and extremely dangerous to human-scaled opponents. Any player who wishes to deploy their character's Gear against a human-scaled opponent must have that player's consent. Players should not deploy their characters' Gears mid-combat without permission.

The Artillery flag may also be used by forms that don't have PS Gear. Narratively, these attacks represent things that can inflict significant damage on Gear-scale entities, such as massive, devastating attack spells, or large-caliber anti-vehicle ARMs.

Staff will evaluate all requests for PS Gear and the Artillery flag during the application process. They should only be applied to appropriate forms and attacks. If more than half of a character's attacks have the Artiller flag, and that form does not have PS Gear, staff will require them to purchase PS Tankbuster.

Statistics

Gunslinger employs two categories of character statistics: primary and secondary. These statistics, along with Personal Skills, are bought with Character Points (CP). Statistics are purchased with CP at a one-to-one ratio.

Primary Statistics

These statistics affect combat in simple, direct ways. They include:

• Reflex: How capable a character is of avoiding an enemy’s attack. It influences Dodge success/fail rate, and improves the amount of damage reduced by Guard.
• Vitality: How capable a character is of absorbing punishment. It influences Guard success/fail rate, and improves the amount of damage reduced by Dodge.
• Power: How capable a character is of dealing damage. It influences attack damage and nothing else.

Secondary Statistics

These statistics affect every aspect of combat, but are divided into three categories based on the type of combat style being employed.

• ARMs: This governs combat involving weapons based on advanced technology: everything from simple revolvers to wave motion guns.
• Technique: This governs both unarmed combat and armed combat using low-technology weaponry.
• Sorcery: This governs combat involving the various disciplines that allow people to channel natural forces and energies into desired shapes and effects. Sorcery can include both ranged and melee combat, provided it is strictly magical in nature.

ARMs and Technique are separated according to the level of technology being employed by a weapon. Swords, bows and arrows, or telescoping rods use Technique. Photon sabers, revolvers, or stun batons use ARMs.

Secondary statistics affect both a character's attacks and reactions. They not only increase the effectiveness of all attacks of that Type, they increase a character's effectiveness at defending against attacks of that Type. It's important to note that this effectiveness is comparative. If two masters of the blade fight one another, they might find themselves evenly matched--whereas if one of them fought a sorcerer, the fight might look very different.

Boss Fights

We have three kinds of boss fights at Dream Chasers. For most situations, players should use the +heal/boss <x> command. This command sets their character's maximum HP to a much higher value, dependant on the value x--the number of characters their character is fighting. The character's maximum Combo pool and FP pool increase proportionately, as does the minimum FP that the character requires to reach Condition Green. This command This command also replaces the character's limit of one attack per round with Boss Actions. A boss has a number of Boss Actions per round equal to the value x in the command above.

The second form of boss fight uses the command +boss/timed <x>. This sets the boss character's maximum HP to 99,999 and replenishes their HP completely at the end of every round. All other values function identically to +heal/boss. This form of boss fight represents fights where survival is more important than victory. The boss counts down their timer at the end of each of their turns by using the command +boss/turn.

If the situation calls for an especially-difficult boss fight, +heal/optional <x> can be used to give a boss a higher maximum HP. With the exception of admin-run events, the boss character's player should have permission of those they are fighting before using this command.

Bosses always receive a number of actions per turn equal to the number of individuals that they are fighting. Bosses also receive a number of Combo equal to 2 * the number of people they are fighting (plus another 0.5 * the number of people they are fighting, if they have Limit Break) every round. They do not gain Combo during a turn (and can never have more Combo than the amount they begin a round with), but they can lose it when a critical defense occurs.

Bosses are able to cash in their extra actions for powerful effects called Boss Actions. The command for this is +boss/act <Boss Action>. The current available Boss Actions are:

• Extend: Gives the boss the Extend Force Action. This costs 1 action.
• Force: Gives the boss 25 FP. This cost 2 actions.
• Blink: Gives the boss a special Force Action, Blink. Blink provides an extremely large bonus to Reflex for one round. This costs 6 actions.
• Titan: Gives the boss a special Force Action, Titan. Titan provides an extremely large bonus to Vitality for one round. This costs 6 actions.
• Enrage: Gives the boss the Enrage stance. During this turn they have 1.5x as many actions, rounded up, and can attack a given opponent multiple times. At the end of their turn, when they +round, they will have zero actions, all of their buffs will lose 30 turns of duration and usually be cleared, and they will immediately suffer the Shieldbreak and Entangle status effects, greatly limiting their defense.

Personal Skills

Personal Skills are character-specific traits that are always active on your character. Typically, they are referred to as "PS <Personal Skill Name>" in discussion. There are several different categories, including:

• Gear Personal Skills: Characters with PS Gear have access to a Gear or other large vehicle. This category includes that PS and ones related to Gears.
• Condition Green Personal Skills: These provide powerful bonuses that only trigger when your character is in CONDITION GREEN.
• Critical Hit Personal Skills: These provide significant debuffs or other effects when your character gets a Critical Hit.
• Attack Personal Skills: These provide bonuses to attack statistics. Notably, the bonus provided by an Attack Personal Skill scales with your current FP total, meaning players have to consider Force Actions, big attacks, or bigger stat bonuses when spending FP.
• Reaction Personal Skills: These provide small, static bonuses to reactions.
• Form Personal Skills: These change the total number of CP on a form with that PS.

A list of Personal Skills follows. The number in parentheses indicates the Character Points that a Personal Skill costs.

Gear Personal Skills

• Gear: A form with this PS represents a large robot, vehicle, or especially large monster. It starts combat with 1000 HP instead of 500. (0)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same form as PS Tankbuster.
• Tankbuster: All attacks deal additional damage to anything with PS Gear. This is superseded by attacks with the Artillery Flag. (3)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same form as PS Gear.

Resource Personal Skills

• Bad Luck: This character is less likely to score a Critical Hit, or to achieve a Critical Reaction against an attack cargeting them. They gain 1 Combo whenever they are Critically Hit, or whenever the target of one of their attacks achieves a Critical Reaction. (4)
• Finesse: This character starts combat with an additional 1 Combo. (4)
• First Strike: This character gains a bonus to all of their statistics when their current HP is equal to or greater than 75% of their maximum HP. (6)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same form as PS Last Stand.
• Forceful: This character starts combat with an additional 10 FP. (4)
• Green Thumb: Whenever this character uses an attack with the Heal, Hi-Heal or Absorb flags, the target gains more THP than usual. (7)
• Healer: Whenever this character uses an attack with the Heal, Hi-Heal, Absorb, Lock State, Quick, Shield, Hyper, Surge, Burst, or Amplify flags, they gain 1 Combo. (8)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same form as PS Tactician or PS Onslaught.
• Limit Break: This character's maximum Combo is increased by 1. (5)
• Last Stand: This character gains a bonus to all of their statistics when their current HP is equal to or less than 25% of their maximum HP. (6)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same form as PS First Strike.
• Onslaught: Whenever this character makes an attack with a PL of 6+, they gain 1 Combo. This excludes attacks with the Rush, Reserve, and Strike flags, but stacks with all other means of gaining Combo. (8)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same form as PS Healer or PS Tactician.
• Protector: This character gains 1 Combo whenever they use Defend to take on an attack meant for another character. Their Reaction to this transferred attack receives a bonus. (6)
• Saboteur: This character spends 5 fewer FP on attacks with the Slow, Break, Weaken, Jam, Cripple, Mute, or Hex flags. This discount applies once for each of these flags present on the attack. (6)
• SOS Overdrive: This character gains 25 FP when they fall below 25% of their maximum HP. THP does not affect this value. (5)
• Sufferer: At the end of this character's turn, they gain 5 additional FP if they remain afflicted by Poison, Disease, Shieldbreak, Entangle, Cripple, Jam, Mute, Slow, Break, Weaken, or Hex. This bonus caps at 5 FP, regardless of how many of these effects the character suffers from. (4)
• Supply Chain: This character spends 5 fewer FP on attacks with the Quick, Shield, Hyper, Surge, Blast, Amplify, or Lock State flags. This discount applies once for each of these flags present on the attack. (6)
• Tactician: Whenever this character uses an attack with the Poison, Disease, Disrupt, Infect, Hex, Slow, Break, Weaken, Cripple, Jam, or Mute flags, they gain 1 Combo. (8)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same form as PS Healer or PS Onslaught.

Condition Green Personal Skills

• Acrobat: This PS has been removed as of Gunslinger 1.2, on account of changes to Condition Green. It remains on this list temporarily for reference purposes.
• Guerilla: This PS has been removed as of Gunslinger 1.2, on account of changes to Condition Green. It remains on this list temporarily for reference purposes.
• Healthy: Upon reaching Condition Green, the character receives 100 Temporary Hit Points; a character with PS Gear receives 200 THP. (4)
• Master: This PS has been removed as of Gunslinger 1.2, on account of changes to Condition Green. It remains on this list temporarily for reference purposes.
• Ranger: This PS has been removed as of Gunslinger 1.2, on account of changes to Condition Green. It remains on this list temporarily for reference purposes.
• Survivor: This PS has been removed as of Gunslinger 1.2, on account of changes to Condition Green. It remains on this list temporarily for reference purposes.

Critical Hit Personal Skills

• Butcher: This character's Critical Hits do increased damage. (6)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be placed on the same form as PS Sniper.
• Force Critical: When one of the character's attacks scores a Critical Hit, they gain an additional 10 FP. (3)
• Sniper: This character gains a bonus to their Critical Hit roll, but their Critical Hits do less damage. (6)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be placed on the same form as PS Butcher.
• Tough: This character takes reduced damage from Critical Hits. (5)

Attack Personal Skills

• Bulwark: The character's free attacks have a chance to grant them the Shield Buff. When they use an attack with the Shield flag, the duration of the Shield Buff increases by 1 turn. (5)
  • PS Incompatibility: No form may have more than two of the following: PS Gremlins!, PS Dirty Fighter, PS Silencer, PS Venomous, PS Energize, PS Overclock, and PS Bulwark.
• Creative: The character can build Free Attacks using up to 5 AP, and their PL cap increases to PL 5. Artillery, Break, Cancel, Cover, Follow, Formation, Gatling, Heal, Hyper, Infect, Inspire, Interrupt, Mighty, Pierce, Quick, Reload, Reserve, Riposte, Rush, Shield, Slow, Strike, and Weaken become valid flags for Free Attacks. If this mode also has PS Gear, the character may construct Free Attacks using the Artillery flag as well as one other valid flag of their choice. (8)
• Dirty Fighter: The character's offensive Free Attacks have a chance of inflicting the Cripple Debuff on their target. When they use an attack with the Cripple flag, it has an improved chance to hit, and the duration of the Cripple Debuff increases by 1 turn. (4)
  • PS Incompatibility: No form may have more than two of the following: PS Gremlins!, PS Dirty Fighter, PS Silencer, PS Venomous, PS Energize, PS Overclock, and PS Bulwark.
• Energize: The character's free attacks have a chance to grant them the Hyper Buff. When they use an attack with the Hyper flag, the duration of the Hyper Buff increases by 1 turn. (5)
  • PS Incompatibility: No form may have more than two of the following: PS Gremlins!, PS Dirty Fighter, PS Silencer, PS Venomous, PS Energize, PS Overclock, and PS Bulwark.
• Finest Arts: The character inflicts additional damage with Technique attacks as their FP increases. (7)
• Focus: The character's chance to hit with Sorcery attacks increases as their FP increases. (5)
• Gremlins!: The character's offensive Free Attacks have a chance of inflicting the Jam Debuff on their target. When they use an attack with the Jam flag, it has an improved chance to hit, and the duration of the Jam Debuff increases by 1 turn. (4)
  • PS Incompatibility: No form may have more than two of the following: PS Gremlins!, PS Dirty Fighter, PS Silencer, PS Venomous, PS Energize, PS Overclock, and PS Bulwark.
• Gunfighting: The character inflicts additional damage with ARMs attacks as their FP increases. (7)
• Marksmanship: The character's chance to hit with ARMs attacks increases as their FP increases. (5)
• Overclock: The character's free attacks have a chance to grant them the Quick Buff. When they use an attack with the Quick flag, the duration of the Quick Buff increases by 1 turn. (5)
  • PS Incompatibility: No form may have more than two of the following: PS Gremlins!, PS Dirty Fighter, PS Silencer, PS Venomous, PS Energize, PS Overclock, and PS Bulwark.
• Quick Draw: The character's chance to hit with Technique attacks increases as their FP increases. (5)
• Silencer: The character's offensive Free Attacks have a chance of inflicting the Mute Debuff on their target. When they use an attack with the Mute flag, it has an improved chance to hit, and the duration of the Mute Debuff increases by 1 turn. (4)
  • PS Incompatibility: No form may have more than two of the following: PS Gremlins!, PS Dirty Fighter, PS Silencer, PS Venomous, PS Energize, PS Overclock, and PS Bulwark.
• Sorcery: The character inflicts additional damage with Sorceryattacks as their FP increases. (7)
• Venomous: The character's offensive Free Attacks have a chance of inflicting the Poison Debuff on their target. When they use an attack with the Poison flag, it has an improved chance to hit, and the duration of the Poison Debuff increases by 1 turn. (4)
  • PS Incompatibility: No form may have more than two of the following: PS Gremlins!, PS Dirty Fighter, PS Silencer, PS Venomous, PS Energize, PS Overclock, and PS Bulwark.

Reaction Personal Skills

• Barrier: The character gains a bonus to Dodge against Sorcery attacks. (5)
• Combo Breaker: As of Gunslinger 1.2, this PS is deprecated. It is retained here temporarily for reference purposes.
• Defensive Charge: The character has a small chance to reduce incoming damage when they react to an attack using Charge. This is mechanically identical to a Guard. (4)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same mode as PS Reflexive Charge.
• Duck and Cover: The character gains a bonus to Dodge against ARMs attacks. (5)
• Force Charge: The character gains 25 FP when using the Charge reaction instead of 20. (3)
• Force Evade: The character has a chance to gain 10 additional FP when they achieve a Partial Dodge or better using the Evade Reaction. (3)
• Force Guard: The character has a chance to gain 10 additional FP when they achieve a Guard or better using the Guard Reaction. (3)
• Just A Scratch: The character gains a bonus to Guard against ARMs attacks. (5)
• Parry: The character gains a bonus to Dodge against Technique attacks. (5)
• Reflexive Charge: The character has a small chance to reduce incoming damage when they react to an attack using Charge. This is mechanically identical to a Partial Evade. (4)
  • PS Incompatibility: This PS may not be taken on the same mode as PS Defensive Charge.
• Sentinel: The character gains a bonus to Guard against Technique attacks. (5)
• Sound Mind: The character gains a bonus to Guard against Sorcery attacks. (5)

Form Personal Skills

• Access: The character gains an additional 50 CP and 25 AP, which are spent normally. While this mode is active, it imposes a 10 FP surcharge on all of the character's actions. This PS is suitable for temporary transformations that heighten a character's power, at a cost.
• Fiend: The character gains an additional 50 CP and 25 AP, which are spent normally. The maximum PL of their Signatures is PL 9. This PS is suitable for fearsome, experienced Antagonists.
• Nemesis: The character is built using end-of-chapter CP and AP maximums. In the case of Chapter 2, these are 280 CP and 140 AP. This can stack with the CP bonus granted by PS Fiend. This PS is suitable for Antagonists who are effectively the end bosses of a Chapter.
• Rival: The character gains an additional 25 CP and 13 AP, which are spent normally. This PS is a suitable choice for most Antagonists.
• Squad: The character represents a group, squad, or horde instead of a single target. They take 150% normal damage from attacks with the Area flag.

Attacks

There are three types of attacks: Free Attacks, Deathblows, and Signature Attacks.

• Free Attacks do not have to be purchased ahead of time -- they can be built and changed on the fly. They have a limited number of effect flags and a firm limit on power level. Free Attacks, unless boosted by PS Creative, must be built on 4 CP or fewer. They can only use the following flags: Gatling, Reserve, Rush, Strike, Artillery, Pierce, Heal, Reload, Inspire, and Follow. This is improved to include Artillery, Break, Cancel, Cover, Follow, Formation, Gatling, Heal, Hyper, Infect, Inspire, Interrupt, Mighty, Pierce, Quick, Reload, Reserve, Riposte, Rush, Shield, Slow, Strike, and Weaken if the character has PS Creative.
• Deathblows are pre-built attacks that reflect a character's special moves. These must be purchased as part of your application, or through advancement. A character must attain a certain level of Force Points in order to fire upper-tier deathblows. Deathblows have a minimum of 4 AP and a maximum of 8 AP to build the attack.
• Signature Attacks are very powerful pre-built attacks that are unique to a character. They both require and cost Force Points to fire. Signature Attacks have a minimum of 8 AP and a maximum of 14 AP to build the attack. At this time, Signature Attacks must be either PL 0, or PL 7+.

Attacks are scaled according to power levels of 0 to 10, and divided like so:

• 0: Non-damaging attacks, typically buffs and heals. Can be Deathblows, Free Attacks, or Signatures.
• 1-4: Deathblows or Free Attacks.
• 5: Deathblows only; needs 15+ FP to fire.
• 6: Deathblows only; needs 30+ FP to fire.
• 7: Deathblows or Signature Attacks; needs 60+ FP and costs 10 FP to fire.
• 8: Signature Attacks only; needs 75+ FP and costs 25 FP to fire.
• 9: Signature Attacks only; needs 100+ FP and costs 50 FP to fire. PL 9 attacks cannot be purchased at the start of the game, unless the character has PS: Fiend.
• 10: Signature Attacks only; needs 125+ FP and costs 75 FP to fire. PL 10 attacks cannot be purchased at the start of the game.

Attacks also have Flags, which do neat things like provide buffs and debuffs, or other special effects. Attacks are built on Attack Points (AP). For every 2 Character Points a character has, they get 1 Attack Point. Therefore, a starting character would have 100 CP and 50 AP.

Power levels are bought on a one-to-one basis with AP.

Attack Flags

Flags are listed below. The number in parentheses is their AP cost. They can be divided into the following categories:

• Attack Improvement Flags: These improve an attack's capabilities directly, adding bonuses to hit chance, Critical Hit, damage, and other effects.
• Status Effect Flags: These inflict debilitating status effects on the target.
• Healing Flags: These grant temporary HP to the target and mitigate status effects.
• Buff Flags: These grant buffs to the target.
• FP Management Flags: These reduce FP costs, in exchange for having fewer effects on an attack.
• Boss Flags: These are meant to assist in a boss fight. Typically, these should only be purchased by characters who are antagonists.

Attack Improvement Flags

• Accurate: This attack cannot be Critically Dodged. It costs an additional 25 FP, and requires at least 30 FP to use. (5)
• Area: This attack can hit multiple targets, and inflicts additional damage on targets with PS Squad. It costs 10 additional FP for each additional target. (For example, an attack that normally costs 0 FP would cost 30 FP if the attacker wished to attack four targets; an attack that costs 50 FP would instead cost 80 FP if the attacker wished to attack four targets.) (4)
• Artillery: This attack deals double damage to a target that has PS Gear. (0)
• Brutal: This attack cannot be Critically Guarded. It costs an additional 25 FP, and requires at least 30 FP to use. (5)
• Drain: This attack converts grants the attacker a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to half the damage it deals, to a maximum of 100. Attackers with PS Gear gain double that amount of THP, to a maximum of 200. This attack costs an additional 20 FP. (5)
• Formation: When the target of this attack reacts to it, it gains +1 PL for each attack with Formation the target has reacted to this turn, including itself, up to a maximum of 3 PL. It costs an additional 5 FP, and requires a minimum of 30 FP to use. (2)
• Gatling: The attack receives a small boost to damage, and costs an additional 5 FP. (2)
  • Combo Option: Instead of its normal effect, this flag increases the attack's PL by 1 for every Combo spent on on its Combo Option, to a maximum of 3. Increasing an attack's PL this way does not raise its FP cost.
• Headshot: The attack has a higher Critical Hit chance, and costs an additional 15 FP. (3)
  • Combo Option: If the attacker has any Personal Skills that have a chance to inflict a Status Effect on attack, this flag will automatically trigger them. Each PS triggered in this way costs 1 Combo.
• Pierce: This attack deals 150% damage to a target's Temporary Hit Points. If it succeeds in removing all of the target's THP, the remainder of its damage applies to the target's HP at 100%. It costs an additional 10 FP. (3)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Smite.
• Smite: This attack completely ignores a character's Temporary Hit Points, dealing full damage against their Hit Points. It costs an additional 20 FP. (4)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Pierce.
• Sneak: This attack displays in the target's Attack Queue as a Free Attack with PL 4 and the Reserve flag, regardless of its actual attributes. A false name for it may be set using the command +sneak/name, which will cause that name to display in the attacker's Queue instead of the attack's true name. The attack's true name and attributes are revealed during resolution. (3)

Multiple Attack Flags

• Follow: This attack can be used independentely, or immediately after an attack with the Link flag. If used after an attack with the Link flag, the attacker gains the Stagger debuff for four rounds. Stagger disallows the use of the Link flag's effects, and its duration cannot be reduced. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (2)
• Link: This attack allows the use of a second attack this round, which must have the Follow flag. If the attacker opts not to use this flag's effect, they must use the +round command to complete their turn, but suffer no ill effects. This attack costs an additional 15 FP, and requires a minimum of 45 FP to use. (4)
  • Combo Option: This attack grants the attacker 15 FP, refunding its cost. This Combo Option costs 1 Combo.

Status Effect Flags

• Break: This attack inflicts the Break debuff if it hits. Break reduces the target's Vitality for 3 rounds. This attack costs an additional 15 FP. (4)
• Cripple: This attack inflicts the Cripple debuff if it hits. Cripple reduces the target's Technique for 3 rounds. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (3)
• Disease: This attack inflicts the Disease debuff if it hits. Disease prevents a target from gaining Temporary Hit Points for 3 rounds, and reduces the duration of any THP already present by 1 round. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (2)
• Dispel: This attack, if it hits, reduces the duration of all buffs on the target by 3 rounds. It costs an additional 10 FP. (2)
• Disrupt: This attack indlicts the Disrupt debuff if it hits. Disrupt lasts for 3 rounds, prevents the target from gaining additional FP from Charge, and disables the additional FP gain from PS Force Critical, PS Force Guard, and PS Force Evade. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (2)
• Entangle: This attack inflicts the Entangle debuff if it hits. Entangle prevents the target from achieving a Critical Dodge, and lasts for 2 rounds. This attack costs an additional 25 FP, and requires a minimum of 30 FP to use. (5)
• Hex: This attack inflicts the Hex debuff if it hits. Hex prevents all buffs from being applied to the target, but does not remove buffs already present, and lasts 2 rounds. This attack costs an additional 40 FP. (6)
• Infect: This attack increases the duration of all debuffs except Pressure Point, Malfunction, and Silence by 1 round, if it hits. It costs an additional 10 FP. (3)
• Interrupt: This attack reduces the target's Combo by 1 if it hits. It costs an additional 10 FP, and requires a minimum of 15 FP to use. (4)
  • Combo Option: The attack removes 1 additional Combo from the target. This Combo Option costs 1 Combo.
• Jam: This attack inflicts the Jam debuff if it hits. JAM reduces the target's ARMs for 3 rounds. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (3)
• Mute: This attack inflicts the Mute debuff if it hits. Mute reduces the target's Sorcery for 3 rounds. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (3)
• Poison: This attack inflicts the Poison debuff if it hits. Poison inflicts a small amount of damage each time the target acts for the next three rounds. If this attack also has the Artillery flag, and is used against a target with PS Gear, it instead inflicts the Corrode debuff. Corrode inflicts increased damage each time the target acts for the next three rounds. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (2)
  • Combo Option: Instead of its normal effect, this flag inflicts the equivalent of one round's worth of damage from the Poison debuff. If this attack also has the Artillery flag, and is used against a target with PS Gear, this damage is proportionately increased. This Combo Option costs 1 Combo.
• Shieldbreak: This attack inflicts the Shieldbreak debuff if it hits. Shieldbreak prevents the target from achieving a Critical Guard, and lasts for 2 rounds. This attack costs an additional 25 FP, and requires a minimum of 30 FP to use. (5)
• Slow: This attack inflicts the Slow debuff if it hits. Slow reduces the target's Reflex for 3 rounds. This attack costs an additional 15 FP. (4)
• Weaken: This attack inflicts the Weaken debuff if it hits. Weaken reduces the target's Power for 3 rounds. This attack costs an additional 15 FP. (4)

Healing Flags

• Absorb: This attack grants its target Temporary Hit Points, and renews the counter on existing THP to 2 rounds. The amount of THP granted depends on the PL of the last offensive attack the target suffered: PL 0-4 grants 100 THP, PL 5-7 grants 150 THP, and PL 8+ grants 200 THP. If the target hasn't been attacked at all, they gain 100 THP. This attack costs an additional 15 FP, and requires at least 30 FP to use. (3)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Hi-Heal or Heal.
• Heal: The target of this attack gains 100 Temporary Hit Points, to a total maximum of 250. A target with PS Gear instead gains 200 Temporary THP, to a total maximum of 250. THP granted by this flag last 2 rounds unless refreshed by an effect that grants THP or extends their duration. This attack costs an additional 5 FP, and requires a minimum of 10 FP to use. (3)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Hi-Heal or Absorb.
• Hi-Heal: The target of this attack gains 200 Temporary Hit Points, to a total maximum of 250. A target with PS Gear instead gains 400 Temporary THP, to a total maximum of 500. THP granted by this flag last 2 rounds unless refreshed by an effect that grants THP or extends their duration. This attack costs an additional 25 FP, and requires a minimum of 30 FP to use. (5)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Efficient, Refined, Heal, or Absorb.
• Inspire: This attack gives its target 1 Combo, and may not target the attacker themselves. It costs an additional 15 FP. (3)
  • Combo Option: This flag costs 1 Combo instead of 15 FP.
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Efficient or Refined.
• Reload: This attack gives its target 15 FP, and may not target the attacker themselves. It costs an additional 15 FP. (3)
  • Combo Option: This flag costs 1 Combo instead of 15 FP.
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Refined or Efficient.
• Restore: This attack reduces the duration of all debuffs on the target by 3 rounds, with the exception of Silence, Pressure Point, and Malfunction. It costs an additional 10 FP. (2)
  • Flag Incompatibility: Restore cannot be taken with Efficient.

Buff Flags

• Amplify: This attack grants its target the Amplify Buff. Burst increases the target's ARM for 3 rounds, and replaces the Jam debuff, if present. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (3)
• Burst: This attack grants its target the Burst Buff. Burst increases the target's TEC for 3 rounds, and replaces the Cripple debuff, if present. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (3)
• Cover: This attack grants the attacker the Cover Buff, which provides a small bonus to Vitality for two turns. All of its other effects apply to its target. It costs an additional 10 FP to use. (3)
• Hyper: This attack grants its target the Hyper Buff. Hyper increases the target's Power for 3 rounds, and replaces the Weaken debuff, if present. This attack costs an additional 15 FP. (4)
• Lock State: This attack grants its target the Lock State Buff. Lock State lasts for 2 rounds, and prevents new Debuffs from being inflicted on its target. It does not affect Debuffs that the target already suffers from. This attack costs an additional 40 FP. (6)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Refined or Efficient.
• Mighty: This attack grants the attacker the Mighty Buff, which provides a small bonus to Power for two turns. All of its other effects apply to its target. It costs an additional 10 FP to use. (3)
• Quick: This attack grants its target the Quick Buff. Quick increases the target's Reflex for 3 rounds, and replaces the Slow debuff, if present. This attack costs an additional 15 FP. (4)
• Reflect: As of Gunslinger 1.2, this flag is deprecated due to the removal of Reflect Charges. It is retained here temporarily for reference purposes.
• Riposte: This attack grants the attacker the Riposte Buff, which provides a small bonus to Reflex for two turns. All of its other effects apply to its target. It costs an additional 10 FP to use. (3)
• Shield: This attack grants its target the Shield Buff. Shield increases the target's Vitality for 3 rounds, and replaces the Break debuff, if present. This attack costs an additional 15 FP. (4)
• Surge: This attack grants its target the Surge Buff. Surge increases the target's SOR for 3 rounds, and replaces the Mute debuff, if present. This attack costs an additional 10 FP. (3)

Resource Management Flags

• Chain: This generates 2 Combo for the attacker, if successful. It costs an additional 10 FP, and requires a minimum of 30 FP. (5)
• Efficient: This attack's FP cost is reduced by 10. This only applies to the base cost of the attack; it will not provide a discount for Access form surcharges or Area attacks. (2)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Refined, Hi-Heal, Inspire, Restore, or Reload.
• Refined: This attack's base FP cost is reduced by 5. This flag does not apply to surcharges, such as those from PS: Access or the Area flag. (1)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag may not be applied to the same attack as Efficient.

Stance Flags

• Bold: This attack places you in "Avenger" Stance, which grants a bonus to Power, and a commensurate penalty divided between Reflex and Vitality. Avenger Stance lasts until a mutually-exclusive Stance is activated. Avenger Stance is mutually-exclusive with Stoic Stance. This attack costs an additional 5 FP. (1)
• Cancel: This attack removes all Stances except Enrage from you, and grants you 1 Combo. It costs an additional 5 FP. (1)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag is mutually exclusive with any flag that places you in a Stance.
• Counter: This attack places you in "Counter" Stance. The next time that you Charge an attack against you while in Counter Stance, you launch an attack on your attacker. Its PL varies based on the PL of the attack you Charge; 0-4 PL produces a PL 4 counterattack, 5-6 PL produces a PL 5 counterattack, and PL 7+ produces a PL 8 counterattack. The counterattack's Type is based on the Type of the attack that placed you in Counter Stance. Counter Stance lasts two rounds, or until you next Charge, whichever comes first, and stacks with other Stances. This attack costs an additional 15 FP. (4)
• Prudent: This attack places you in "Stoic" Stance, which grants a penalty to Power, and a commensurate bonus divided between Reflex and Vitality. Stoic Stance lasts until a mutually-exclusive Stance is activated. Stoic Stance is mutually-exclusive with Avenger Stance. This attack costs an additional 5 FP. (1)

Zero Cost Flags

• Reserve: This attack generates an additional 5 FP for the attacker. (0)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag is mutually exclusive with all other flags, with the exception of Artillery if PS Gear is present.
• Rush: This attack generates 1 Combo for the attacker. (0)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag is mutually exclusive with all other flags, with the exception of Artillery if PS Gear is present.
• Strike: This attack gains an additional 1 PL, which counts towards PL-related FP requirements. (0)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag is mutually exclusive with all other flags, with the exception of Artillery if PS Gear is present.

Boss Flags

• Crush: This attack, if it hits, deals damage equal to 40% of the character's remaining HP. On a successful Guard, it deals 30% of their remaining HP; on a successful Dodge, it deals 35%; on a successful Critical Guard, it deals 20%. An attack with this flag cannot inflict Knock Out, and grants its targets 15 FP. This attack costs an additional 50 FP. (3)
• Curse: The target is afflicted by Jam, Cripple, Mute, Slow, Break, and Weaken. It costs an additional 50 FP to use this attack. (10)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag is mutually exclusive with all other flags except Area.
• Destroy: This flag reduces the base cost of its attack to 0 (but does not affect its FP minimum). Instead, an attack with this flag costs 3 Boss Actions instead of 1. An attack with this flag grants its targets 30 FP, and removes the Stagger debuff from them, if applicable. (2)
  • Flag Incompatibility: This flag is mutually exclusive with any flag that exclusively grants a Buff or THP, or which reduces the duration of Debuffs on its target.
• Malfunction: Locks down the use of ARMs attacks for two rounds. You can only be afflicted by Silence, Malfunction, or Pressure Point (never two or three) at any given time. Please note that this attack is restricted and cannot be applied for. It is documented here so you will be aware of its existence, if targeted. (4)
• Pressure Point: Locks down the use of Technique attacks for two rounds. You can only be afflicted by Silence, Malfunction, or Pressure Point (never two or three) at any given time. Please note that this attack is restricted and cannot be applied for. It is documented here so you will be aware of its existence, if targeted. (4)
• Reaper: This attack, if it hits, inflicts the Reaper debuff on the target. Reaper lasts for 3 rounds, and inflicts damage on whenever the character suffering from it gains FP (in which case the damage is equal to the gain in FP) or Combo (in which case the damage is equal to the gain in Combo times 10). This attack costs an additional 30 FP to use. (6)
• Ruin: This attack, if it hits, removes all Buffs and Temporary Hit Points from a character. It costs an additional 30 FP. (6)
• Silence: Locks down the use of Sorcery attacks for two rounds. You can only be afflicted by Silence, Malfunction, or Pressure Point (never two or three) at any given time. Please note that this attack is restricted and cannot be applied for. It is documented here so you will be aware of its existence, if targeted. (4)

List of Commands

• +stats/+stats <form>: Stat viewer. +stats displays the form you are currently in; +stats <form> displays <form>.
• +form <form>/+mode <form>: Switches your current form to <form>.
• +health: Displays your personal +health, including form name, a banner announcing special form-defining Personal Skills, HP, FP, Force Level, Status, a banner reporting Boss status and remaining Boss actions, and a short queue.
• +force <Force Action>(=<target>(/<attacker>)): Activates Force Actions. Most Force Actions take no arguments. Mystic requires a target. Protect requires both a target and an attacker.
• +boss/act <Action>: Activates Boss Actions. Currently, no Boss Actions take arguments.
• +heal/<switch>: Full heal command. Takes /full, /boss <x> for boss health, or /optional <x> for optional boss heal. <X> is the number of opponents.
• +freeattack <attack name>|<power level>|<type>|<Flags>|<separated>|<thusly>: Adds a Free attack to your current form.
• +sneak/name <false name>: Sets a false attack name that any Sneak attacks will use.
• +sneak/clear: Clears your false attack name for Sneak attacks. They will use their real names.
• +attacks: Lists your current form's attack list.
• +attack <target>=<attack name>: Attacks a target with an attack from your list on your current form.
• +evade <queue number>: Uses the Evade reaction against an opponent in your queue.
• +guard <queue number>: Uses the Guard reaction against an opponent in your queue.
• +charge <queue number>: Uses the Charge reaction against an opponent in your queue.
• +accept <queue number>: Uses the Accept reaction against an opponent in your queue.
• +failguard <queue number>: Automatically fails your Reaction against an attack, while emitting a failed Guard Reaction.
• +failevade <queue number>: Automatically fails your Reaction against an attack, while emitting a failed Evade reaction.
• +selfko: Transmits the KO message to the room, regardless of your current HP.

Dream Chasers staff have access to reports from the use of csys commands, which are used for bug tracking and balance monitoring purposes.

See also...

• Advancement
• Digger