Ability Guide

Shifts are unlocked by tier. Below is what each tier unlocks, the form's HP, base attack, and when it unlocks.

Partial shifts are unlocked from Level 1 through Level 7 and let you shift individual body parts rather than fully transforming your character. Each part gives a specific mechanical effect and multiple parts can be active at the same time once you reach higher tiers. These are passives, so they do not cost an action to maintain.

Useful combination examples:

The animals listed below are examples only, so anything within these size tiers are available for use; if you're confused or need ideas, just ask. For most animals use height; for fish and most reptiles use length.

Quick visual reference. Apply the row status first, then hit with the column element.

Burn is a damage over time effect from fire and electrical based abilities.

• Burning targets take d10 damage per turn for 3 turns after the burn is applied.
• After 3 turns the burn fades away.
• Burn can be reapplied after it fades, which will reset the 3 turn duration.
• Multiple burns cannot be stacked on the same target at the same time. Reapplying it only refreshes the counter.

Wildfire (Level 6) causes fire to spread automatically between targets.

• Fire spreads only to targets who are within contact range of or physically touching the original burning target.
• Spread deals 50% of the original hit's damage.
• Spread applies the normal burn effect (d10 per turn for 3 turns) to the new target.

Wounds inflicted by Umbra's decay abilities are resistant to healing. This applies to all abilities in the decay progression tree including Necrotic Touch, Corrosive Spread, construct decay, and Full Necrosis.

• Any healing ability applied to a decay wound restores only 50% of its rolled value for 3 turns after the wound is inflicted.
• After 3 turns, healing returns to full effectiveness on that wound.
• Full Necrosis is the exception - it requires outside intervention to stop entirely. Lumen's full restoration ability counts as valid outside intervention and can prevent Full Necrosis.

Constructs are physical extensions of Umbra's shadow. They can be directed to attack, defend, or act independently depending on their tier.

• Small construct (Level 3) - 30 HP; follows simple direct commands, and cannot act independently.
• Medium construct (Level 4) - 50 HP; follows simple direct commands, and cannot act independently.
• Large construct (Level 5) - 70 HP; can act independently on simple commands, once per fight.
• Dual constructs (Level 6) - Two constructs active at the same time, each with 50 HP, each dealing d60.
• Triple constructs (Level 7) - Three constructs active at the same time, sharing a single 150 HP pool. When the pool reaches 0 all three collapse; once per fight.

Shadow Execution (Level 6) deals different damage depending on whether the player is hidden or visible when it is used.

• If the player is invisible or hidden in shadow when the ability is used, it deals full d60 damage. However, you are revealed immediately after striking and loses your concealment for the remainder of that turn.
• If the player is visible when the ability is used, it deals d30 instead.
• The Level 7 version, Void Execution, deals d100 damage and passes through all barriers. It also hits at full damage if hidden but doesn't have the reveal drawback since it's a higher tier ability.

Lumen and Umbra are natural counters to each other.

• Lumen's Luminous passive (Level 0) and all light abilities that illuminate an area directly counter Umbra's darkness abilities. Umbra players cannot maintain darkness or concealment in an area that a Lumen player is actively brightening up.
• Light constructs passively illuminate a close radius around themselves at all times, which suppress Umbra's shadow-based abilities within that radius.
• Lumen's Purge abilities immediately remove Umbra's decay effects, ignoring the 3 turn healing reduction.
• Lumen's full Restoration counts as the outside intervention required to stop Umbra's Full Necrosis.

Lumen's healing abilities scale in power and become more limited the more powerful they get. Early game healing is unlimited to allow for better builds and easier progression. Stronger healing is sparser to stop Lumen players from making their teams indestructible.

Barriers absorb a flat amount of damage rather than having to roll dice for the amount. This makes them more easy to keep track of and better for team combinations.

• Light Barrier (Level 2) - Absorbs 20 damage within one hit, twice per fight.
• Light Barrier II (Level 3) - Absorbs 30 damage, can protect user and one ally. Twice per fight.
• Light Ward (Level 6) - Absorbs 50 damage. Given to an ally, twice per fight.

Light constructs are physical manifestations of concentrated light energy. Unlike Umbra's shadow constructs, light constructs passively illuminate their surroundings at all times.

• Light Guardian - small construct (Level 4) - 20 HP; follows and shields a single target and can intercept one attack before breaking.
• Light Guardian II - medium construct (Level 5) - 40 HP; acts on simple commands, has a base attack of d50.
• Light Guardian III - large construct (Level 7) - 60 HP; acts on complex commands, has a base attack of d100. Once per fight.

Lumen's purge abilities remove curses, toxins, and decay effects.

• Purge (Level 4) - Removes one curse, toxin, or decay effect; once per fight.
• Purge II (Level 5) - Removes multiple curses, toxins, or decay effects; twice per fight.

Restoration (Level 7) is the most powerful healing ability in the campaign. The following restrictions apply, to keep it balanced:

• Restoration cannot resurrect a dead target. Targets have to be alive for it to work.
• Restoration can fully heal any physical injury no matter how severe, including wounds afflicted by Umbra's Full Necrosis. Lumen's full restoration counts as the outside intervention required to stop necrotic decay.
• Restoration can only be used twice per chapter total, not per fight.
• Each use targets one character only. It cannot be split between multiple targets.

Lumen and Umbra are natural counters to each other.

• Lumen's Luminous passive (Level 0) and all light abilities that illuminate an area counter Umbra's darkness abilities. Umbra players can't maintain darkness or stealth in an area that Lumen is lighting up.
• Light constructs passively illuminate a close radius around themselves at all times, which can suppress Umbra's shadow-based abilities within that area.
• Lumen's Purge abilities remove Umbra's decay effects, removing the 3 turn healing reduction.
• Lumen's full Restoration counts as the outside intervention needed to stop Umbra's Full Necrosis.

Aether's teleportation abilities are movement actions, not main abilities. This means Aether players can teleport and still use a main ability on that same turn.

• Teleportation has no damage component on its own.
• Forced teleportation of another target (Blink at Level 6) counts as a main ability, not a movement action, since it actually affects another player or NPC.
• Forced teleportation is limited to the radius of the current battlefield. Targets cannot be sent outside the combat area.

Aether has two time freeze abilities at different tiers. Both work the same way in that time stops in an area and only the Aether player can move. The difference is the size of the area they're in and the number of free actions they receive.

• Temporal Snare II (Level 3) - Small area freeze in which the player receives 2 free actions before time resumes; once per fight.
• Temporal Snare IV (Level 5) - Moderate area freeze in which the player receives 3 free actions before time resumes; once per fight.

Aether has three probability manipulation abilities that can interact with each other.

• Probability (Level 3) - Reroll any dice result and take the better outcome; applies to player's own rolls. Once per fight.
• Probability II (Level 5) - Force a target to reroll their next dice result and take the worse outcome; once per fight.
• Probability III (Level 7) - Any single dice roll made by a target will automatically result in the worst possible outcome; twice per fight.
• Bad Luck (Level 7) - All of a target's dice rolls are halved for 3 turns. Once per fight.

Rewind II (Level 7) allows Aether players to undo their own personal timeline by up to two full turns.

• Aether chooses specifically what gets rewound.
• Any HP Aether players lost during the rewound turns is restored.
• Everything the Aether player did or was affected by during the rewound turns is undone. Aether chooses what is kept or reverted, including health and damage.
• Other players' actions are completely unaffected. Only the user's personal timeline is rewound.
• This ability cannot be used to undo another player's death or revive a companion.

Erasure (Level 7) removes a target from the current moment in time entirely for one full turn. While active, the target cannot act, be targeted, or be affected by any ability.

• This ability cannot be used on bosses, for obvious reasons.
• This ability cannot be applied to a target who is already trapped by Umbra's Shadow Snare. The first control ability applied takes priority there.
• Shadow Snare and Erasure cannot be applied to the same target at the same time for balancing.