Through the Veil: Another go!

I am revisiting my soulslike game Through the Veil. There are a lot of fun ideas there that I think have legs, but I haven't yet put in the effort to set them on their feet. I won't say too much, but here's to another go!

First, some basic character stat and combat rules. These will grow and evolve a bit as the game is played and as I get to other aspects of the game.

HUMANITY represents the number of times you may die yet live again. Each humanity also represents 1 visceral memory from life. You’ll start with 5. These scraps of remaining humanity describe much of who you are. Treasure them. If you slay a mighty foe, you may graft a bit of their essence into you increasing your humanity and resource pools, but you will become like them. Something similar happens when you make a true friend, but the effect is much less deleterious. When you die, reduce your humanity by 1, erasing the connected memory. Speak the memory aloud as it escapes. It is gone now.

MEMORIES

• Your home, now veiled, where the custom is to… [home before death and custom]

• Your mother, beyond the veil. [describe her]

• Your love, discovered in death. [what keeps you apart?]

• Your heart friend, fighting alongside you but in another place. [where are they?]

• [class memory]

HUMANITY FADES when you die, the trauma rends at your remaining humanity. Reduce your humanity by 1 and erase one of your memories determined at random. Speak your lost memory to the group as you do so. It's lost forever now.

As your human essence is tarnished and compressed into an increasingly violent husk, you grow more deadly. Increase your combat rolls or spell rolls by 1 for each point of humanity you have lost. You also gain a compulsion:

• Pardon me, I was absorbed in thought… Recite one of your memories whenever you meet someone new, or whenever you are first addressed by another player during a session.

• Hmm, I seem to have misplaced it... You forget you have an Estus flask unless another player reminds you to use it.

• Not to worry. Great planning begets great fortune... Your first action in combat is always the same. Write it down and be specific. It's not "wait in the back", either.

• I've just been sitting here, weighing my options… Whenever your stamina reaches 0 you take a knee and catch your breath. +2 damage against you until you stand up.

• Can't even die right… Gives me conniptions. One of your current items disgusts you, discard it immediately. Surely, it caused your last death.

• This is a land of monstrosities. And I am no exception… Always use at least 2 focus dice when casting spells, if possible.

RESOURCES are pools of dice. You start with 4 to spread between these categories:

HP (d8) - roll on level up to determine hp.

STAMINA (d10) - use for attack rolls. Skill checks also use d10. Roll under stat.

MAGIC (d6) - use to cast spells. They return to your pool on a 1-3.

STATS are paired and sum to 10. They start at 5, changing as you level, with certain gear, or with your class.

SMALL/BIG

CONTEMPT/FAITH

LORE/LUCK

COMBAT

-regain 1 stamina dice at turn start

-unengaged ranged attackers go first, then melee, then spells

-if melee is unopposed 

-melee attacker roll stamina resource in an opposed check against their adversary for basic attacks. If rolling multiple dice take the best and compare the final results to this list:

attacker/defender

pass/pass: Deal damage or perform a maneuver. Your adversary has the same choice.

pass/fail: Deal damage and maneuver.

fail/pass: Receive damage and maneuver

fail/fail: Each loses 1 hp as blades clash and faces grimace

If a defender cannot contest an attack if they are taken by surprise, are incapacitated, or other situation as determined by the DM. A defender who does not wish to contest does not expend stamina and takes a fail result. A defender may contest attacks as many times as they wish as long as they have stamina to spend to do so or an ability which allows them to respond otherwise.

Ranged attacks are resolved by the same procedure, but can only be opposed by enemies with a ranged attack. It is difficult to make a ranged attack while engaged in melee.

Spells are resolved last as glog spells are. These are powerful, but esoteric and costly abilities. The weakness of the magician is that their magic may quickly run out. Magic Dice return to your pool on a roll of 1-3.