Combat
Tension Pool Triggers
Every trigger that adds dice to the Tension Pool, grouped by class. The pool caps at 6 dice; the sixth die forces an immediate roll.
| Class | Trigger | Dice Added | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic | Combat begins | +1 | Violence echoes through the Veil. |
| Automatic | Rank 2+ Psionic cast | +1 | Drawing significant Current. |
| Automatic | Bleed Die shows 1 (The Flicker) | +1 | Direct tear in the fabric. |
| Automatic | Player Fumbles | +1 | Failure invites misfortune. |
| Automatic | Every 10 Ticks of combat | +1 | Sustained violence attracts attention. |
| Automatic | 1 hour in dangerous territory | +1 | Entropy is constant. |
| Automatic | Short Rest | +1 | Staying still in dangerous places. Cannot rest if pool ≥ 4. |
| Situational | Loud explosion or gunfire | +1 | Dynamite, Gatling guns, building collapse. |
| Situational | Entering a Thin Place | +1 | Ojo del Diablo, the Fen, cursed landmarks. |
| Situational | Disturbing the dead | +1 | Grave robbing, desecrating remains. |
| Situational | Breaking a ward | +1 | Crossing salt lines, destroying protective symbols. |
| Situational | Extreme emotional trauma | +1 | Witnessing ally death, Memory burn. |
| Heavy | Rank 4-5 Psionic cast | +2 | Major reality distortion. |
| Heavy | Mass violence | +2 | Massacre, major battle. |
| Heavy | Deliberate Veil contact | +2 | Using artifacts, summoning, opening doors. |
The Tension Pool is the slow horror clock. Players see the dice accumulate; they hear them clatter when they roll. The pool turns casual Psionic use from a tactical choice into a moral one.