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Rulebookp. 63

Damage and Preventing Damage

Damage Language and Type​

UnitsUnitUnits fall under 2 categories: party and enemy. These 2 categories, in relation to one another, are referred to as opposing units.Rulebook pp. 90–91 and some card effects deal damage to other units by triggering abilities and applying dice. When a unit is dealt damage, it takes the amount of damage that is not prevented, and the unit's HP is reduced by the amount of damage it took.

All damage dealt to a unit during an action is a single instance for the purposes of resolving rules or abilities, such as preventing damage.

There are 2 damage types:

  • Physical Damage: This is referred to simply as "damage" and is the most common type in the game. Damage is physical unless otherwise specified.
  • True DamageTrue DamageTrue damage cannot be prevented or reduced by abilities unless they specifically affect true damage. True damage ignores any bonus HP and reduces the unit's HP instead.Rulebook pp. 20, 63: This type of damage is only dealt by specified effects, such as overfatigue damage (see Fatigue DamageFatigue DamageAt the start of each fatigue round, each adventurer gains 1 overfatigue die. Then, each adventurer is dealt true damage equal to the total number of overfatigue in their cooldown track.Rulebook p. 57). True damage cannot be prevented or reduced by abilities unless they specifically affect true damage. True damage ignores any bonus HPBonus HPBonus HP chips are not added to the stack beneath the adventurer's chip, but instead are placed near their battle form tracker on the adventurer mat.Rulebook pp. 20, 89 and reduces the unit's HP instead.

Preventing Damage​

Units can use many different skills or other abilities to prevent damage they are dealt, including an enemy's DefenseDefenseThe amount of damage prevented each time an engage or ability deals damage to a unit.Rulebook pp. 55, 63. These abilities vary widely and are each described by their specific text. However, they use the common terms below and must follow these rules.

  • If an ability prevents an amount of damage, that amount is subtracted from the amount dealt, 1 point of damage at a time. Any remaining damage is then taken by the affected unit and reduces its HP.
  • Damage that is prevented was still dealt, but it cannot trigger abilities that require damage to be taken.
  • Abilities that prevent damage can only be triggered in battle unless their text specifies otherwise.
  • If multiple abilities can be triggered to prevent damage, the unit's controller chooses the order in which they are triggered.

Example​

Worked example from the rulebook: