Resistances are ways characters or entities can reduce or mitigate damage and affects dealt to them. From properties of the character or their equipment, to circumstantial effects or Deflections.
Resistance Properties do not stack, always take the highest value of all applicable Resistances that apply. The only exception is the interaction between Deflection and any other form of Resistance X.
Resistance Properties
Resistance X
Resistance reduces the damage and/or magnitude from the specified type/property by half. Whenever Resistance is suffixed with a value, that value denotes the Damage Reduction that is subtracted by the remaining damage/magnitude after halving.
In the event that multiple Resistance Xs apply, you may only take the highest value of the set. Only one stack of Resistance can apply at a time, except for Deflection. When Deflection and another Resistance stacks, you apply the Resistance first (1/4 original value), then subtract the sum of both Reduction values.
"A Fireball is thrown in the direction of the Golem, it would normally deal 14 Fire damage, however the Golem has Resistance 5 to all damage including Fire. After halving the damage to 7, 5 is subtracted from the remaining damage, meaning the Golem only takes 2 Fire damage."
Absorb X
Absorb works similarly to Resistance, except the property always requires a value, Absorb does not work at value 0. Absorb takes damage, up to its value, and heals the user after taking damage. The user will not die or be defeated if their health remains above 0 after Absorb resolves.
"The Fire Elemental is struck with a Fireball, the Fireball deals 13 Fire Damage this time. The Fire Elemental has Absorb 10 to Fire sources. When they take the Fire damage, the first 10 points of damage is negated, the, the remaining 3 damage is dealt to the Fire Elemental, then it heals itself 10 points of damage. The net gain is 7 health gained."
Immunity
Immune makes the character take no damage and no magnitude from the type of damage/effect specified.
Penetration X
Penetration X is a modifier that can be made to certain attacks that can ignore a certain amount of Resistances in order to deal damage or magnitude to the resistant target. Penetration always comes with a value, a value of 0 doesn't work. Unlike Resistances, Penetration doesn't need a specific type to function, if it reduces damage/magnitude of an attack, it bypasses an amount up to X.
As Penetration can be added to attacks, it can have the value of a regular or Meta die. When used against a target with Absorption, it reduces the value of Absorb to make easier calculations, and stop it from healing as much. Penetration has no effect on reductions caused by Deflecting the attack, the Penetration property requires direct hits to work.
"The Master Wizard takes on the Fire Elemental and casts a special Fireball, one that has Penetration 5. It deals 14 damage to the Elemental. Penetration reduces Absorption by 5, down to 5. Fire Damage is reduced to 9, the damage is taken and then the Fire Elemental heals 5 damage, net loss of 4 health."
Deflection
Deflection is a natural defence for most characters to reduce and mitigate damage and effects that hit, but not a direct hit. Deflection grants the defender a special form of Resistance X to all damage (that the user can defend against) where X is equal to their character level. This special form of Resistance X can stack with the highest form of any other Resistance X. Calculate the Deflection Resistance before other forms of Resistance.
The Penetration property to ignore resistances is not effective against the Resistance created by Deflection. Meaning Deflection will always protect the defender whenever it procs.
"The mighty Knight in their heavy armour takes a blow from a Huge Ogre. The Ogre deals 48 damage with their fist. The Knight is wearing armour that grants Resistance 4 to physical damage and is level 4. The attack triggers Deflection upon the Knight. The damage is halved due to Deflection (24), then halved again due to his armour resisting (12), then both Damage reduction values subtract by 8. The Knight only takes 4 damage from this attack, whereas without Deflection they would have taken 20."
Weakness
Weaknesses are types of damage or effects that characters are especially vulnerable to, taking additional damage and magnitude from such sources.