4 | Life, Death and Naps

Whenever a hero’s Blood or Guts is reduced to zero or less, the hero still stands though the next damage to that stat is applied to Approach Scores instead. Multiple Approach Scores may be damaged at once. If all Approach Scores become zero the hero falls.

If a hero falls you have the option of letting them live or die.

If you choose life… #

Your hero becomes incapacitated and unconscious but fully revives after 5 real-time minutes and one in-story hour. Restore all your hero’s Approach Scores to their last healthy value.

Roll 1d6 for an additional consequence below. Your hero…

1. can no longer verbally or visually communicate but gains telepathy.
2. bears a constantly bleeding wound that deals no damage.
3. gains an unnerving presence; children and animals flee from them.
4. has a prophetic vision of three pale girls clawing their way up from the soil.
5. no longer blinks and must constantly apply water to their eyes.
6. may now speak to the dead.

If you obtain a duplicate consequence, reroll. Whatever the result, narrate its effect on your hero. If a hero suffers all 6 consequences they die—permanently.

If you choose death… #

Every other hero gains experience points (discussed in full next section) equal to thrice their minor levels of Bond with the fallen hero. The Doomsday Clock consumes one Moment and you create a new hero.

※ What happens to inventory?

Items held by a fallen hero remain on their body but all instances of Spells & Techniques are lost.

Rest and Recovery #

Heroes may replenish Blood & Guts by resting in a safe place away from enemies. A short rest (a nap lasting 2 real-time minutes and one in-story hour) recovers 1d6 Blood and 1d6 Guts.

A long rest (5 real-time minutes and 10 in-story hours minus the lowest health modifier) lets you roll new values for Blood & Guts—2d6 plus its modifier. If you reroll, roll both stats.

• If you do not reroll, your hero instead recovers 7 health points you can freely distribute between Blood & Guts.