Re: Rules Questions
Stress I handle in a streamlined fashion to help speed the game along.
Normally if you win a contest and your opponent doesn't give in they receive stress.
Under normal non streamlined rules the same dice used in the contest sans complication dice are rolled to see what the stress is. Instead of requiring a totally separate roll I simply look at your last roll the one you won the contest with and look for your highest die roll.
For example you won in an argument with someone with the roll.
D8, D6, D6, and a D10 complication.
Your roll was: 7, 5, 2, 9.
Well I don't use the complication die so the 9 from the D10 is removed. the highest roll was that 7 from the D8 so stress would be D8 Angry or Insecure stress most likely.
Now if you won the contest and BEAT your opponent by 5 or more you could stress them out. They would take the D8 stress and be stressed out of the scene.
Maybe they get pissed and walk off. Or sit there in self doubt and indecision while the rest of the scene goes on around them.
Note you don't always have to stress out an opponent if you don't wish to. Sometimes it makes the game more exciting or fun not too.
Now I know Rory has thought Oh no I can get stressed out easy I am at D8 or D10 stress in some area.
The way stress works is like this.
Say you have D8 Angry from that argument up above.
Then someone else stresses you with angry stress and there high stress die is a D6 the stress die would go from D8 to D10. Rising one step.
Infact any stress D8 or less would push that stress up one die step.
Of course if the stress rolled was D10 then stress would be D10. Or if the highest die in that stress is D12 your stress would go from D8 straight to D12.
Once at D12 in stress in an area if that particular stress is pushed above D12 even a tiny little D4 stress can do this you are stressed out.
Certain distinctions and abilities can modify stress. This is declared after the contest is done.
So Allura with Vicious say did a D8 Afraid stress to someone she could use her D4 trigger for Vicious to raise that D8 to D10.
Likewise when Zoey uses her trident she can use the FX bonus from having the trident to raise the stress she deals. She can raise injured and afraid stress.
While someone like Rory can spend plot points from say his Regeneration Ability special effect to heal up damage, even healing it right up after it was dealt.
Certain Distinctions allow you to lower stress others to raise stress. Just look at your distinctions and special effects from Abilities to see what you can do. While I make suggestions whenever I can. I can't always keep on top of everything your characters can do.