Ascendancy LRP uses a system called Heroic Action Points, or ‘HAP’ for short (to rhyme with ‘cap’). HAP represents the energy required to do things above and beyond that of an everyday person. It is not in itself ‘magic’ although magic and supernatural abilities do require it in order to be used, it is used for many other abilities too.
HAP also represents how resilient someone is, and certain situations such as extremes of temperature or ‘life/energy’ draining attacks will reduce HAP before doing physical damage.
Being reduced to 0 HAP means you are feeling tired and drained. It does not mean you necessarily fall unconscious, however it can if you lose a lot of your energy in one action (roleplay as you see fit) or if a Ref informs you that it does.
Losing HAP when you are already on 0 HAP will generally cause you to lose a Hit Point instead (you can choose a location). Check with a Ref if you are unsure.

Note that HAP (or Heroic Action Points) is an Out of Character game mechanic term only.

Heroic Actions

These represent your character putting everything they have into one significant action. Any ‘Heroic’ call will be far more potent than normal. Ensure there is a Ref available when you make any ‘Heroic’ call.
You can only make one ‘Heroic’ call an Event and it must be on an ‘ability/spell’ that you already possess.
In order to use ‘Heroic’ simply call that before the name of the ability/spell you would normally use.

• You must have at least 6 HAP available to spend in order to call ‘Heroic’.
• You will be reduced to 0 HAP after the call.
• Any maintained abilities or spells you have running will stop working.
• For the next Hour you will not be able to do anything that requires HAP, even if you are given energy – your body is too exhausted to focus properly.
• Until the next day (after a full night’s rest) your HAP Cap is reduced to half what it is normally.

---

HAP cap & HAP regeneration

A character’s HAP cap represents how much of this Energy they can hold. Those who are more used to using it will learn to hold and access more of it. You cannot hold more HAP than your Cap – if you try to then you will start taking physical & possibly mental damage and will potentially lose the HAP. Check with a Ref should this happen.

By default, HAP is regained at the rate of 1 HAP per 30 minutes, up to your character’s maximum, assuming the character is resting during this time and not engaging in Combat or other exertive activities, not moving around faster than a walk and not expending any HAP. If any of these activities occur the ‘clock’ to regain HAP will reset.

Resting overnight, you will normally regain all of your HAP back for when the game starts in the morning.

The above rates require your character to be in proximity to their Focus Item. If you lose your Focus, it is not nearby, or you have chosen to not have a Focus then your HAP recovery takes twice as long, and resting overnight will only recover half of your Maximum HAP.
Note: You cannot say your character wakes up early, casts a number of spells, then regains the HAP again for the start of the game.

Other Realms

Unless you possess a Talent or other ability that says otherwise, you cannot use any abilities that require HAP while in the Astral, Dreaming or Spirit Realms. This does not apply to the Netherworld, though using HAP there carries its own risks.
There are certain methods or helpful entities that may be able to help with this too, but you will need to discover these In Game.

Energy Focus

Please let us know your energy focus or lack of one and add it to your character sheet.

In order to regain energy at the normal rates set out in the main rules players need an Energy Focus or Talisman – this is usually an item which must be named on the character sheet and should ideally be worn or carried.
Those that choose to have an Energy Focus will regain energy at the normal rate during the day, those that choose NOT to have an Energy Focus (or has lost theirs) will only get back ½ their HAP energy after resting overnight and will regain HAP at ½ the normal rate in the day. An Energy Focus is not required to use Energy.
Focuses will help with Rituals and other Skills/Talents (such as True Faith), touching an energy Focus will help in the transfer of power. If you do not have a Focus then being part of Rituals and Energy Transfers will be more difficult. Be careful though as they are linked to you, so could be used against you if stolen by an enemy!
A destroyed or stolen energy Focus can be replaced, however you have to find something that is suitable to be used as a Focus and it takes your character 24 hours to re-attune with any replacement Focus.
Examples of a Focus could be pendants, religious symbols, weapons, hats, anvils, at the extreme you may even choose fingers or tattoos but these may make them impossible to include in a ritual or to transfer Energy. As with some Energy Sources, your Focus is subject to veto by the Refs if deemed inappropriate.
To clarify what can be used as a Focus when it comes to things like ‘Body Parts’. Any Focus must be a specific, constant physical item that can potentially be destroyed or stolen. In terms of connected Body Parts they must be something small that can be removed (such as a tooth, ear, finger, eye, a tattoo, horn etc.), but anything larger or spread around the body (such as organs, limbs, head, blood, skin, hair etc.) are not suitable. Any body part chosen like this MUST be accompanied by a reason why it is significant to your character.

Sources of Energy

Energy Sources represent where a character draws their power from, they are many and varied. Each player character must choose from 1 of the 7 sources of energy listed below. No character can have more than one.
Please let us know your energy source and add it to your character sheet.
Some rituals may require more than one of the energy sources to work, or various mixes to work better. Some may not work at all if one is included that is wrong for the ritual.

The Power of Champions

Those that choose the power of champions will get their energy from deeds. This choice is suited to characters that consider themselves the best at a profession, great warriors, master machine makers, or those that follow a code.
They should name a deed or even a group of linked deeds such as Bravery, Martial Prowess, Kindness, Honour, Chastity, the Cunning of the Thief, the Talented Performance, Constructing Machines etc.
You can get this energy without doing these deeds in game but you should still try to carry them out when you can, the refs may notice if you constantly do the opposite of the picked deed, it may have consequences.

Faith in the Divine

Those who choose faith will get their energy from the god or pantheon of gods they follow, this is suited to any character with religious belief, you do not need to have the skill True Faith. A god or pantheon needs to be named.

Nature in its Splendour

Those that choose nature will get their energy from the wild places, forest, glades, caverns, rivers, etc. This choice is suited to characters that consider themselves defenders of the wild places, spirits of the land, guardians and custodians of nature, elementals, or people such as sailors, trackers and people that live close with nature.
Choose one of the four sub categories below.

• Forest Life (Forests, Jungles, Marsh, Meadows, crawling walking animals, insects, etc.)
• Water Life (Seas, rivers, oasis, wells, fish, sea creatures, water elementals etc.)
• Cavern Life (Rocks, worms, burrowing animals, volcanoes, earth & fire elementals etc.)
• Sky Life (Clouds, snow, wind, flying creatures, birds, air elementals)

The Spirit Path

Those that choose spirit will get their energy from the spirit realms, this choice is suited to characters such as dream realm warriors, necromancers, shamans, spirit speakers or followers of a Totem.
Choose one of the Three sub categories below.

• Ancestry (Your dead ancestors or a spiritual realm tied closely to your character’s heritage)
• Death (The realms of the dead and un-death) Note: This is not a choice to justify killing!
• Spirit Totem (You get your energy from your spirit totem/guide)

The Skein of Fate

Those that choose fates will get their energy from time, change, stability or destiny. This choice is suited to characters such as horologists, seers, fortune tellers, gamblers, the cheaters of destiny, historians or librarians.
Choose one of the four sub categories below.

• The Fates (Probability, luck, fate, destiny)
• Time (The progress of time, ticking clocks, movement, the future)
• Inspiration (Ideas, inspiration, the excitement of youth, the new, discoveries, progress)
• The Quiet (Stasis, stability, wisdom, knowledge, history)

The Essence of Life

Those that choose essence of life will get their energy from the consumption of something – they must choose a substance they regularly consume i.e., animal blood, carrion, an animal part, a particular herb or set of plants, a beverage even.
Note you do not need to phys-rep this, it is assumed it happens unless there is a valid reason for you not to be able to acquire your selected substance.
Eating ‘extra’ of your chosen substance will not get you more energy. This is also not excuse to kill or choose something harmful to other players. The refs may veto any choice we deem inappropriate.

The Raw Essence of Magic

Those that choose raw essence will draw their energy, it will not naturally feed to them like the others. The upside of Raw Essence is it is neutral so will work alongside other sources. It is aimed at characters that are best described as mages, shamans or wizards.
This source of Energy requires the player character to have the Talent Channel Power at level 1 or above, you cannot choose this source without this Talent.
You must spend at least 5 minutes of each 30 minute period, where you would normally regain HAP, conducting some form of ritual/meditation in order to draw energy and regain HAP. You can set up a small ritual area that you re-use throughout the day for this. If you do not complete this meditation you will not regain HAP for that 30 minute time, other rules apply as normal too (no excessive activity or spending HAP).
Overnight the character is considered to have meditated so will gain their energy back naturally like other energy choices.
If you are using the Channel Power 3+ Meditation ability, and spend 15 minutes meditating that time will also count towards your 30 minute requirement. So Meditating for 15 minutes will get you 1 HAP back for the meditation AND you will get another 1 HAP 15 minutes after that for the normal 30 minute regeneration time.
Using the Channel Power 3+ Meditation ability for a full 30 minutes will get you 4 HAP back in total. 1 HAP each for the 15 minute Meditations, 1 HAP for the normal 30 minute Regeneration and a bonus 1 HAP due to the extended Ritual focusing your efforts.