Life Force – Blood, Sweat and Tears

In The Foregone Trail you have 3 life force pools that allow you to take actions and if reduced to zero, will take you down. These pools are Blood, Sweat and Tears. Each pool is used for specific mechanics and can be reduced by player wager or external action resolution.

Blood literally represents the blood in the characters body. If reduced to 0 the character will pass out and if reduced to negative max blood will kill the character.

Blood is typically lost from physical attacks on the character but could also be lost to certain metaphysical attacks. Typically, players cannot expend blood in their own bodies to take actions, but only blood magic usually requires a blood expense.

Sweat represents the energy the character has to take physical actions and their overall health. If a character is reduced to 0 sweat, they pass out and at negative max sweat they die.

Sweat is typically not lost from attacks but is expended through many normal actions. Running, climbing, engaging in melee combat, forcing a door open or traveling a long distance all require the expenditure of sweat. Sweat is also lost if the player has an illness (sickness/infection) or is poisoned.

Tears represent the character’s mental state. Tears are lost to fear affects, failed social interactions or blunt force attacks like a punch to the face. A character passes out or looses the ability to think and function when they reach 0 tears. If they reach negative max tears they will die.

Tears are often used as a wager or expense for mental focus, social interactions or more common magic. Bartering with a vendor will cost you tears as will a good scare from a ghost.