Willpower
Willpower is the mechanical manifestation of a character's force of will, which they can use to push themselves beyond their normal capacity and achieve feats worthy of heroes. Willpower is constantly exchanged during a session, with characters earning it based on their actions or failures in the game, and then spending it to spur themselves toward success.
Any characters can hold up to 5 Willpower at once (barring certain exceptions like Destinies or Paragon features that extend the pool). If they would gain a Willpower when they already are holding their maximum amount, the Willpower must be spent immediately or it is simply wasted.
Gaining Willpower
Willpower can be gained by a character during or after a campaign session, and the Willpower amount is carried from session to session, thus it can be saved over multiple. Gaining Willpower can be done in the following ways:
- A character misses an Attack Roll
- A character fails a Saving Throw
- Another creature succeeds on a Saving Throw against a spell or ability that has no effect on a success
- A character acts toward their Destiny's Source of Willpower (which is listed under each Destiny description)
- Certain roleplaying situations based on DM discretion, such as making choices the player knows has a high likelihood of a negative outcome
- Post-session nominations from their fellow players
A creature can only earn up to two Willpower in a single turn, not including those awarded by Destiny or for roleplaying. In addition, players can only benefit from one Willpower nomination at the end of a session, though players are always encouraged to hype up the acts of their fellows.
Spending Willpower
Willpower can be spent by a character at any point as a Free Action (unless a use, such as a Destiny ability, specifically states it requires an action). Multiple Willpower can be spent at once to achieve stronger boons as follows:
- Force (1 Willpower). Roll 1d4 and add it to the result of the character's D20 Test, potentially turning it into a success.
- Push (1 Willpower). Roll 1d4 and reduce it from the result of a creature's saving throw against on of the character's spells or abilities.
- Willpower Feature. Use the Willpower feature of one of the character's Destinies.
- Miracle (3 Willpower). Reroll the result of the character's D20 test, or a hostile creature's Attack Roll targeting them.
- Limit Break (5 Willpower). Perform a feat of heroic will to turn the tide of a scene. Creative merit is encouraged for what might encompass a Limit Break, but the DM is the final arbiter on whether or not a use is acceptable. Examples of approved Limit Break usages are as follows:
- Using one minor or moderate Metamagic on a spell
- Allowing an ability that targets only one creature to target one additional creature
- Momentarily emulate an ability from a feat (ie. make an attack bypass an elemental resistance such as with Elemental Adept, gain resistance to one source of damage such as from Resilient)
- Cast a spell that you do not have prepared but is on your spell list/in your spellbook of a level you can cast
- Regain your Reaction
- Make one additional Attack
- Perform a Maneuver of a tradition you do not know without spending Focus
