Supernatural toughness

[Rungok]

If I understand the emphasis in the supernatural toughness trait, it applies 2 armor to all physical stress.

Does that mean I can take up to 2 stress of backlash from using magic for free? (From not rolling high enough on discipline)

I was just trying to figure out if that's what the emphasis on all meant.
I mean just having the 4 extra stress boxes is great, but the armor two part could make a real difference, making you able to be more than just a little reckless with magic power.

[gojj]

I can't find anywhere where is explicitly states that you can't in the book, but it is my understanding that backlash bypasses armor, natural or otherwise.

[TheMouse]

I've just spent some time skimming around, and I can't find anything that says that Toughness wouldn't reduce Backlash. Having it reduce Stress from Backlash does not seem to be against the letter of the rules, although it seems to me that it is against the spirit.

Really, it depends on how legalistically you want to be in your reading and how you want this to interact with the game. Because this does make casting spells a lot more forgiving.

[zenten]

There's a section saying that a hypothetical mental armour would not prevent the mental stress portion of magic.  I don't have my book in front of me to see how that would apply to backlash.

[TheMouse]

There's a section saying that a hypothetical mental armour would not prevent the mental stress portion of magic.  I don't have my book in front of me to see how that would apply to backlash.

Aha! Page 250, in the side notes. In Billy's voice, "Armor just doesn't help against stress you inflict on yourself."

Your actions build the power. Your choice causes them to become Backlash. So in a very real sense, you're inflicting that stress on yourself. At least, that's my interpretation.

Good call.

[Rungok]

But with supernatural recovery I can recover from it better right?
...

In that regard, can someone explain to me how damage works in the game? I've only been in one game session so far and I'm still a little behind on it.

How does damage work? I mean is physical stress like hit points, or health levels? What about consequences? Critical damage?

How does something like recovery powers affect it? Supernatural recovery is more important cause my character has that.

[NicholasQuinn]

How does damage work? I mean is physical stress like hit points, or health levels? What about consequences? Critical damage?

How does something like recovery powers affect it? Supernatural recovery is more important cause my character has that.

Stress is slightly more abstract then 'health' in most games. Taking a hit to stress doesn't necessarily mean your character has 'been hurt' at all. Stress is, at a basic level, stress. The same as in every day life. If someone tries shooting at me, and misses (fluff-wise, not mechanically; I've taken a hit to stress), I'm still likely to get stressed because of it. If they were to actually hit me: that'd be a consequence. Consequences represent actual lasting damage/wounds. However even this system is highly flexible. Someone could shoot at me, but I could dive out the way, resulting in a Twisted Ankle (minor consequence).

Supernatural Recovery allows you to recover from each consequence level quicker, I believe. I also believe it allows you to recover a minor consequence as a supplementary action a limited number of times per scene/day/session. I can't remember the specifics, as I haven't got the book in front of me. 

[zenten]

Mechanically stress is recorded a bit differently.  Say you have four stress boxes.  If you take a 3 stress hit then you fill in the third stress box.  You do *not* fill in the first and second box.  So if you then take a 2 stress hit you fill in the second stress box.  If you then take another 2 stress hit you can't fill in the second, so you upgrade it to the third stress box, which is also full, so you upgrade it to the fourth box.

If you take a hit beyond what you have stress boxes for (either because it's too much or because it upgraded) you're taken out, which is generally bad.  You can lower the amount of stress being done to you by taking a consiquence, you can even take multiple consequences at once.

All stress boxes refresh at the end of the scene, consequences do not (baring recovery powers).

[UmbraLux]

How does damage work? I mean is physical stress like hit points, or health levels?

Stress isn't really damage - it's fatigue, stress (as in tension, pressure, or strain) buildup, and simply the ability to concentrate or jump out of the way.  This is why you recover it once a scene ends. 

What about consequences? Critical damage?

Consequences are damage.  This doesn't mean you're automatically hit by a bullet if you're shot - taking a minor consequence might be a Pulled Hamstring as you dove behind cover as your opponent pulled the trigger.  Of course it might also be a Grazing Flesh Wound.  Whatever makes sense in the narrative you're building. 

How does something like recovery powers affect it? Supernatural recovery is more important cause my character has that.

Recovery powers affect how fast and, in some ways, how many consequences you can take.  Inhuman Recovery allows you to a) recover without medical attention,* b) completely regenerate any damage, c) heal faster than normal (mild heals immediately, moderate as if mild, etc), d) allows more physical endurance, and e) allows you to shrug off a mild consequence in combat.  Do note one limitation, this only applies to physical damage.

*Except extreme consequences.

[Rungok]

Okay one last thing cause I can foresee it becoming a problem.

My character has supernatural recovery and toughness, but under the catch of "Only works when in dim/shadowy/dark places". Basically he's a scion of a shadow demon. Now the thing I'm thinking of is when He's in the dark he had a total of 8 stress boxes, but only 4 when he is under direct bright lights or in sunlight.

What happens if I have some of my 'extra' stress boxes filled and I walk out into sunlight or someone hits me with a spotlight or something? Like if I had my fifth, seventh, and eighth stress boxes filled?

Does the damage disappear? slide down into my others? Turn immediately into consequences? Do I explode? Do they remain, but aren't applicable while im in the light?

[TheMouse]

What happens if I have some of my 'extra' stress boxes filled and I walk out into sunlight or someone hits me with a spotlight or something? Like if I had my fifth, seventh, and eighth stress boxes filled?

Does the damage disappear? slide down into my others? Turn immediately into consequences? Do I explode? Do they remain, but aren't applicable while im in the light?

Those stress boxes don't go away. You just can't add to them if your Catch is met.

The rules don't mention anything about retroactively removing your ability to use those boxes if the Catch is a situation. The most sane way to handle that is once you're in the light, used boxes stay the same but you can't use them for new stress so long as you're in the light.

So if your 5th, 7th, and 8th boxes are filled and someone hits you with a spotlight, the effect is that you don't get the benefits of your Toughness based armour and you can't use your 6th box. You also can't heal any of the damage you take under the purview of your Catch with your Recovery power.

[zenten]

When shapeshifting into a form that has a lower/no Toughness powers the extra boxes and damaged marked off them just sort of go away while in the other form, and then if you shift back in the same scene they're back again.  This power seems like it would work the same way.

[Discipol]

By using a backlash, you sacrifice parts of your flesh to fuel the spell. Thus using armor would mean that you don't accept the consequences of you going above what you could normally do.

Think of it as karma. You get to inflict damage on the enemy only if you inflict it on yourself.

However, the italic "all" does make a good point.