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The core mechanic of Abide Asteria is simple: declare an action you wish to perform, determine which skill it most likely relates to, and play a card. The number given, no matter the suit, is your level of success, and general parameters of what a success or failure might look like are found in the skills section. However, advanced play requires increasing your skill level and utilizing techniques.

Techniques are the mechanical way in which skills are applied. Rather than a straight bonus, skills allow you to create longer and more powerful technique chains by matching cards to suit. The length of these chains, the suits available for use, and the origin of the cards you play can all vary based on your level of training in a certain skill.

For example, Unskilled allows only a two-card chain, while Skilled gives you a five-card chain. Elite has no limit at all to the length of chain. Using these same examples, Unskilled chains must play cards that are of the same suit as the skill, and the second must numerically be at or lower than your current level; Skilled must start and continue with the same suit as the skill, but can end with any card. Elite lets you choose a new suit that can count as ‘on suit’ for continuing your chain. Finally, all Unskilled techniques must come from the player’s hand, while Skilled techniques can flip from the top of their deck and hope for luck to continue the chain; this is also true for Elite.

Mastery of Techniques will allow a player to show what their character can really do – with a little luck and planning! Just remember that techniques are locked to skills, and those skills may be locked to level; for example, your character must be level 3 to unlock Skilled Hacking and its accompanying technique for that skill.

Quick Reference

Natural Block – No Technique. Subtract 5 from play.

Unskilled – Max Technique 1 (2 cards in play)
Start technique with: On suit.
End technique with: On suit & out of hand only & at or under level.

Trained – Max Technique 2 (3 cards in play)
Start technique with: On suit.
Continue technique with: On suit & level + 1 or lower (minimum possible of 2), may only flip top card of deck if hand is out of cards.
End technique with: Off suit at level +1 or lower. Deck flip is off suit or over level. (minimum possible of 2)

Advanced Trained – Max Technique 3 (4 cards in play)
Start technique with: On suit.
Continue technique with: On suit, may only deck flip if out of cards in hand.
End technique with: Off suit.

Skilled – Max Technique: 4 (5 cards in play)
Start technique with: On suit.
Continue technique with: On suit, may deck flip instead of playing out of hand. (Including to start a turn.)
End technique: Off suit.
(Unlocks at level 3)

Elite – Max Technique: N/A
Start technique with: On suit or elite suit.
Continue technique with: On suit, elite suit if played from hand only, may deck flip instead of playing from hand
End technique: Off suit
(Unlock 1 purchase of elite at 6, 10, 15)

Natural Block

Once a skill is natural block. You may not unblock this skill. Your guide may give you a mission or task to help you get over your natural block.

You don’t understand how to do this. Fumbling through it in an emergency is the best you could hope for.

Play Action: When playing a naturally blocked action, play a card from your hand and subtract 5. Max cards for 1 action is 1.

Unskilled

You may not understand how to do it. Maybe you’ve seen someone do it once or at least have a gut feeling how it might work.

Play Action: Play a card from your hand and use the total value of the card. If the card is on suit you may play one additional card from your hand valued at or under your level that is on suit. Max cards for 1 action is 2.

Trained

You’ve had basic training even if you trained yourself. You know what this is and how it should work. When you’re desperate, this training may be invaluable.

Play Action: Play a card from your hand. If the card is on suit to the action you’re trying to take, play another card that is valued at one level above your current level or lower. (Minimum of two. Meaning even if you’re level one, you can still play a two from your hand.) If this card is on suit play another card at or under your level. If that was your last card in your hand and less than three total cards are in play then flip the top card of the deck and add to your play. Max cards for 1 action is 3.

Advanced Trained

You’ve had advanced training on the subject. You understand how to do this with ease.

Play Action: Play a card from your hand. If the card is on suit you may play an additional card and repeat until you are out of cards, play a card off suit or have reached the max cards in play of four. If you run out of cards but are still on suit, flip the top card of the deck and continue your technique until it ends.

Skilled

Your training and hard work has blossomed into skill. You have confidence in this skill and your ability to do it without much trouble.

Play Action: Play a card from your hand or flip the top card from your deck. If the card is on suit you may flip the top card of the deck and add to your play or play from your hand. If on suit repeat until off suit or until you reach the max cards in play of five.

Unlock: Your character must be level 3 or greater to purchase any skill as technique, unless specified by a background special ability. Once you’ve unlocked “Skilled” you may purchase it using skill points like normal. There is no limit to how many skilled techniques you may have.

Elite

Elite Suit: Upon reaching elite in any skill you will write next to it a suit that is not on suit for that skill. This will now count as an elite suit for that skill.*

For example if melee is played and the player had the elite suit of diamonds, this skill can now use technique bonuses if a diamond is played.

*(Once picked this may not be changed unless approved by your Guide.)

You understand this in a different way than others do, you’ve exhausted countless hours, days or weeks in learning better ways to do this. You’ve become so adept at your skill that you’ve found other ways to think about it.

Play Action: Play a card from your hand or flip the top card from your deck. If the card is on suit or elite suit you may flip the top card of the deck and add to your play or play from your hand. Note: Only cards played from your hand count towards elite suit. Elite suit cards flipped from the deck count as off suit.

Unlock: You may purchase elite for any one skill of your choosing as normal by spending skill points at levels 6, 10 and 15.