Consequences

The following is a list of common consequences referenced by the Saga Machine rules. These can also be used as benchmarks when making up your own consequences.

Bleeding

You are suffering from an ongoing source of damage. This may be literal bleeding from open wounds, but it could also be ongoing damage from other maladies or environmental conditions.

  • Effect: Take 1 damage at the beginning of each round. If you already have a Wound consequence caused by this source of bleeding, increase its value by one instead. This does not cause the Dying consequence unless it causes your Wound Total to meet or exceed a multiple of your Health—for example, 1 × Health.

  • Removal: Lasts until you receive the Stanch Bleeding action (see page xxx).

  • Subject: Always has a particular cause and damage type that is applied.

Bolstered

Your actions are bolstered through expertly directed tactics, improved morale, combat stims or any other number of means.

  • Effect: You may remove this consequence at any time to gain a ⊕ on your next test.

  • Removal: Lasts until you remove the consequence or until a minute passes

Dazed

Your mind is cloudy and you find it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

  • Effect: Imposes ⊖ on all tests.

  • Removal: Lasts until the Focus action is taken (see page xxx).

Desire

You have a strong, deep-seated urge to take a particular action. This might be indulging in alcohol or another drug, making a move on an attractive dancer or punching an annoying corporate representative in the face.

  • Effect: Every time you gain this consequence you must succeed at a Det-10 test or perform the desired action at the next opportunity. This test suffers ⊖ for every additional Desire consequence you possess.

  • Removal: Lasts until the desire is indulged, until you get a good night’s sleep or until a Desire consequence with a different subject is gained.

  • Subject: Always has a particular action which you desire to perform.

Disabled

You begin to lose control of your body. At first it begins to slow down, but gradually you become paralyzed.

  • Effect: You gain one fewer AP each round. This is cumulative with multiple consequences. Once you have three Disabled consequences, you are paralyzed and cannot take actions until either you receive first aid or until a day passes.

  • Removal: Lasts until the Focus action is taken, until you receive first aid or until a day passes (see page xxx).

Dying

You are teetering on the brink of death, and will expire unless you receive immediate healing.

  • Effect: You may not have more than 1 AP. At the beginning of each round you must make an Endurance test with a TN equal to the amount your Wound Total exceeds your Health. On a failure, you gain another Dying consequence. If this gives you a third Dying consequence, you die at the end of the round.

  • Removal: Remove a Dying consequence each time you critically succeed on your Endurance test. Lasts until you die or receive the Stanch Bleeding action (see page xxx).

Fatigue

You are physically exhausted. This might be caused by starvation, strenuous activity, exposure to the elements or any other number of reasons.

  • Effect: If you possess this consequence and your Wound Total is equal to or greater than your Health, halve your Move score and suffer a ⊖ on all physical tests. In addition, any time you gain Fatigue and your Wound Total meets or exceeds your Health, make an Endurance test with a TN equal to your total Fatigue value. On a failure, you fall unconscious for 1d10 hours.

  • Removal: Lasts until you get a good night’s rest, unaffected by a source of fatigue.

  • Subject: The GM may optionally specify a subject, describing the source of fatigue.

  • Value: This consequence always has a value indicating the severity of the fatigue. This value counts towards your Wound Total (see page xxx).

Fear

Something is making you fearful. This reaction can run the gamut from solidly intimidated to sheer, mind-boggling terror.

  • Effect: You may not move closer to the subject of your fear, nor voluntarily take an action that directly affects the subject of your fear, excepting purely defensive reactions.

  • Removal: Lasts until the Focus action is taken (see page xxx).

  • Subject: Always has a particular subject of which you are afraid.

Fixation

There is something on which you are fixated; you find it difficult to focus on anything else. This might include obsession with a failure, a new infatuation or personal issues lingering in the back of your mind.

  • Effect: Imposes ⊖ on all actions not involving the subject of your fixation.

  • Removal: Lasts until the Focus action is taken or until a Fixation consequence with a different subject is gained (see page xxx).

  • Subject: Always has a particular subject with which you are fixated.

Grave Wound

You are severely injured—perhaps you are badly burned, have a broken arm or are terribly bruised all over.

  • Effect: Varies. See the Grave Wounds table on page xxx.

  • Removal: Lasts until healed (see page xxx).

  • Subject: The Grave Wounds table or GM may specify a subject describing the wound.

  • Value: This consequence always has a value indicating the severity of the wound. This value counts towards your Wound Total (see page xxx).

Hidden

You are concealed from sight, perhaps due to darkness, stealth, invisibility or similar circumstances.

  • Effect: Grants ⊕ on attacks and Defense. Targets attacked when you are hidden cannot use defensive reactions.

  • Removal: Lasts until you take a conspicuous action, such as shouting a warning or making an attack, or until the source of concealment is removed.

Hindered

You are physically impeded by circumstances, such as protruding arrows, excessive encumbrance, tangling vines or an adhesive spray.

  • Effect: Imposes ⊖ on all attacks, Dex- and Spd-based tests.

  • Removal: Lasts until an action is successfully taken to remove the source of the hindrance. The nature of this will vary with the cause.

Prone

Your body is not oriented in a way that gives it easy mobility. You might be sitting, lying down or off-balance.

  • Effect: Your Move score is halved and you suffer ⊖ on melee attacks. Melee attacks and point-blank ranged attacks made against you benefit from ⊕, while other ranged attacks suffer ⊖.

  • Removal: Lasts until an action is taken to stand up or regain your balance.

Stressed

You are exceptionally stressed by your current situation, and while at times this may help you focus, you also run the risk of panicking or suffering a mental break.

  • Effect: You may voluntarily take a Stress ⊕ on tests (see page xxx).

  • Removal: Lasts until you get a good night’s rest, unaffected by a source of stress, or until you spend an Edge to remove your final Stressed consequence (see page xxx).

  • Value: This consequence always has a value indicating the severity of the stress.

Stunned

You are stunned due to some effect—perhaps a sudden blow to the head, the concussive blast of an explosion or sudden shock and pain.

  • Effect: You cannot take actions other than to end this consequence. This includes an inability to take reactions.

  • Removal: Lasts until the Focus action is taken (see page xxx).

Wound

You are injured, having received bodily damage of some kind—perhaps you are shot, have experienced blunt trauma or are suffering from blood loss.

  • Effect: The GM may optionally impose a ⊖ on any test that is directly hindered by the wound. If this consequence would cause your Wound Total to meet or exceed your Health, you instead gain a Grave Wound (see page xxx).

  • Removal: Lasts until healed (see page xxx).

  • Subject: The GM may optionally specify a subject, describing the wound.

  • Value: This consequence always has a value indicating the severity of the wound. This value counts towards your Wound Total (see page xxx).