Conflict is simple and one thing to keep in mind is that we’re calling this Conflict. This isn’t combat or fighting, although it can be used for combat it’s not limited to just that. Conflict is the system used whenever a character (or more than one) faces adversity. It might be between two characters or a character and an enemy, or a character and his environment.
To start a Conflict the Game Master determines the Conflict’s Resonance. The Conflict’s Resonance is the best Memory to use for this conflict, everything else it penalized. If you are part of a conflict with a Memory that doesn’t have the same Resonance as the conflict then all of your rolls are docked two dice. This also goes for any rolls you don’t use Memory for, if you use an Interaction, Investment, or just spend Æther. Thats a two die penalty to the entire pool, add up all the places you gather dice from then drop two of them.
Once the Resonance is determined everyone gathers their dice pool, spends Æther and rolls. Then everyone compares their results. Whoever has the highest result comes out on top and doesn’t lose any Æther. The second highest losses Æther equal to the difference between the highest result and their result. The third highest result loses Æther equal to the difference between the second highest result and their own result. Ties are just that, tied. They fall into order wherever they do and are treated the same.
Conflict goes until either characters run out of Æther and vanish or until someone gives up. The Conflict system can be used for normal fights or it can easy be an argument or debates. Use this whenever a character has to invest themselves into something in order to achieve their goals, when a simple check won’t cut it.
Example: Mike, Art, Elder, and Paul get into a fight. Rob is running the game and since this fight started with general aggravation with each other Rob decides this is an Anger fight. Art looks troubled, since he doesn’t have any Anger Memories. Mike has an Anger of three, Elder has an Anger of 3, Paul has an Anger of 1 and Art will be using his Fear of 4, rolling only 2 because he’s out of Resonance. Mike rolls a 10, Elder rolls a 10, Paul rolls a 1, Art rolls a 7. Since Mike and Elder tied for the highest result they take no Æther loss. Art was second highest with a 7, a difference of 3 between Mike and Elder’s 10, so he takes 3 points of Æther loss. Paul came in dead last with a 1, a difference of 6 between Art’s roll, so he takes 6 points of Æther loss.
Example: Elder and Art are trying to research a recently captured Black. Rob is running the game and decides that this isn’t just a basic check, but a Conflict and that Elder and Art are in conflict with their Research. The Research is Fear based because of how the Black operates. Art has a Fear Memory of 4 that he’ll be using, and he decides to create a cold spot inside the library for a bonus die. Art grabs five dice. Elder has a Fear Memory of 2 but he’s also invested heavily into the library itself, a rating a 5. Elder decides to use his Library Investment instead of a Fear Memory and grabs three dice, two less than his Investment because he’s out of Resonance. Rob thinks about it and decides that this Black is a pretty simple creature, the Fear rating for the Research is only 2 and it has a personal pool of ten Æther. Everyone rolls, Art gets 18, Elder gets 12, and the Research gets 9. Art doesn’t take any Æther lose, Elder loses 6 point and the Research looses 3. So far, it’s not looking good for Elder but luckily he has plenty of Æther to spend. Round two and everyone is using the same die pool, they spend Æther to roll and Art gets 21, Elder gets 7 and Research gets 7. Both Elder and the Research take 14 points of Æther loss, defeating the Research and getting the information they needed.