Glamors

Some abilities modify the statistics of their target. Abilities that increase a target’s statistics are called charms, while abilities that decrease their statistics are called hexes. When a character uses a charm or hex, it does not increase or reduce the statistic directly. Instead, it moves that statistic up and down something called the Bonus Tracker. By default, the bonus to each of a character’s statistics is +0. A single level of charm applied to that statistic gives it a bonus of +1 for the duration of the battle. Another level raises this bonus to +3, and the final level raises it to +7. Subsequent charms do nothing. Likewise, a single level of a hex on a statistic imposes a penalty of -1, a second level imposes a penalty of -3, and a third will impose a penalty of -7. Further hexes do nothing. In addition, glamors are capable of cancelling each other out. One level of charm will cancel out one level of hex, and vice versa.

Another way of putting the above is that each level of charm raises the statistic one level up the Bonus Tracker, and each level of hex lowers the statistic one level down. There are seven levels on the Bonus Tracker in total, corresponding to additive modifiers of -7, -3, -1, +0, +1, +3, and +7. All character statistics start in the middle of the Bonus Tracker at +0, and return to the middle at the end of every battle. Glamors cannot be resisted, although some passive equipment bonuses and abilities will render a character immune to certain charms and/or hexes. Character statistics can be charmed and hexed to any numerical value.