Armor Thresholds & Slots

• Armor thresholds start from your armor's base values and rise by your level.
• Armor Score equals the number of armor slots available to mark from that armor.
• Compare each incoming damage roll to the Minor and Major thresholds to determine severity (Minor, Major, Severe).
• You may mark one armor slot per hit to reduce severity by a single step: Severe→Major, Major→Minor, Minor→None.
• Marked slots are spent until repaired or refreshed after a long rest. With no slots remaining you still check thresholds, but mitigation is gone.
• Armor is a limited tactical resource—choose carefully when to spend a slot to blunt a blow.

Wound Severity & Hit Points

HP tracks wounds instead of a running total. Mark boxes based on the wound severity that remains after armor.

Keep a running total of marked HP and note the highest wound state currently suffered. Healing, rest, class features, and medical attention clear HP boxes according to the fiction.

Stress as Pressure

• Stress represents exhaustion, fear, and escalating strain from abilities, near misses, and tense moments.
• Each character has a limited number of Stress slots. Light hits below the Minor threshold mark Stress instead of HP.
• If Stress slots are full when you would mark more, overflow becomes 1 HP marked. Stress can snowball into real harm if ignored.
• Stress clears during rests, downtime scenes, or supportive actions from allies.
• Managing Stress keeps the party ready for the next threat and delays the spiral toward wounds.

Combat Resolution Flow

1. Roll to attack and compare the result to the target's Evasion.
2. If the attack hits, roll damage and apply any modifiers.
3. Add the defender's level to the armor's Minor and Major thresholds, then compare the damage to determine severity.
4. Optionally mark an available armor slot to reduce severity one step.
5. Mark HP according to the final severity (1/2/3 HP) or Stress if damage never reached the Minor threshold.
6. If Stress is already full when you need to mark it, convert the overflow into 1 HP instead.
7. After the fight, repair armor, clear Stress, and heal HP as the fiction allows.

Class Baselines & Equipment Choices

Every class supplies its own starting pool of HP and Stress. Use the class playbooks (or campaign house rules) to set those values on the character sheet. Armor equipment determines threshold bases and the Armor Score you add your level to.

Upgrading to heavier armor raises thresholds or adds extra slots, but may trade off mobility or Evasion. Light armor keeps you fast yet leaves fewer slots to burn. Match armor to the role your class plays and track which pieces you currently have equipped.

Together, class vitality, armor slots, and Stress buffers create the survivability loop: armor protects HP, HP soaks lasting wounds, and Stress acts as the warning light before injuries escalate.