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Fatigue

10. Fatigue

Fatigue represents physical strain, dwindling stamina, and the limits of endurance.

Fatigue constrains how often a character can push, assist, or act beyond preparation.

Fatigue is affected by carried capacity: • Burden from Pack Cards sets a minimum Fatigue you cannot recover below (Section 9.3.3).

10.1 Fatigue Track

Each character tracks Fatigue from 0 upward.

Fatigue has no numerical maximum, but escalating effects make continued action dangerous.

Fatigue is gained through: • Supporting other players (Sections 7.6 and 8; cost per 10.3) • Forcing Unready actions (Section 7.4) and rebuilding an empty deck (Section 7.5) • Aspect Dice costs (d4 Cost; Section 3) • Conditions and Exposure effects (Sections 11 and 17) • Overstuffing carried Packs (Section 9.3.5) • Phase pressure (Section 14)

10.2 Fatigue Threshold Effects

As Fatigue increases, apply immediately:

• 2 Fatigue – add +1 d4 Cost die to relevant rolls

• 3 Fatigue – gain the Exhausted Condition (Section 11)

• 4 Fatigue – the character cannot perform Support Reactions (Section 8)

10.3 Fatigue & Support by Phase (No Caps; Phase-Weighted Cost)

There are no hard caps on Support. Support is constrained by Fatigue, and costs more as the Cycle darkens.

Default schedule:

• Day: each Support costs +1 Fatigue
• Dusk: each Support costs +2 Fatigue
– Dusk also intensifies escalation pressure (Section 14: Dusk rules)
• Night: proactive support is normally unavailable because proactive action is restricted (Section 14), unless a rule explicitly permits it under shelter.

10.4 Clearing Fatigue

Fatigue cannot be cleared during active Scenes.

Fatigue is cleared only by: • ending a Cycle in a Safe Location (Section 15) • downtime recovery actions (Section 13) • certain Gear/Relics/World effects

Burden Floor (Section 9.3.3): • Fatigue cannot be reduced below total Burden by standard recovery.

If a Cycle ends outside a Safe Location, Fatigue persists and Exposure may apply (Section 17).

Recovery is not Repair: • clearing Fatigue does not remove Broken or restore removed/distorted Gear Tags (Section 9.9).

10.5 Design Intent

Fatigue ensures: • support is powerful but costly • cooperation carries sacrifice • endurance matters across Scenes • the day rhythm shapes behavior • more capacity has lasting pressure (Burden floor)