Edge and Strain

Edge and Strain represent momentary advantage or disadvantage on a single Trial. They are not persistent status effects or tracked conditions — they are determined fresh for each roll based on the circumstances, then forgotten.

Edge

Edge represents favorable positioning, clever setup, tactical advantage, or fortune working in your favor. When you have Edge on a Trial, roll 3d10 and keep the highest two. The additional die should be a different color from your base 2d10, making it easy to identify and discard the lowest result.

At the table: Your base roll is always two d10s. When you have Edge or Strain, pick up a third d10 in a different color. Roll all three, then keep the highest two (Edge) or lowest two (Strain). Then, if you choose to spend Hero Dice, grab your d6s and add them to the total. The different dice make each layer physically distinct and easy to resolve.

Edge comes from many sources: features, spells, status effects, terrain, tactical positioning, and GM adjudication. A character flanking an enemy might gain Edge on their attack. A character firing from elevated ground might gain Edge. The specific sources will be described in the relevant rules for combat, abilities, and conditions.

Strain

Strain represents pressure, fear, poor footing, suppression, or the world working against you. When you suffer Strain on a Trial, roll 3d10 and keep the lowest two.

Like Edge, Strain comes from circumstances: fighting in magical darkness, attacking while Restrained, attempting a skill under duress. Strain makes success harder without making it impossible — a character under Strain can still succeed, they just need to push harder with Hero Dice.

Binary, Not Tiered

Edge and Strain are binary — you either have one or you don’t. There are no tiers. It does not matter whether one source or five sources would grant Edge on a given roll; the result is the same: roll 3d10 and keep the highest two.

If an effect would grant Edge and another would impose Strain on the same Trial, they cancel each other out and you roll 2d10 as normal.

Separate from Hero Dice

Edge and Strain are entirely separate from Hero Dice. A character can benefit from Edge and also spend Hero Dice on the same Trial — they are different layers of the resolution.

• Edge changes which d10s you keep from your base roll.
• Hero Dice add d6s on top of the final total.

A character with Edge who also spends 3 Hero Dice benefits from both: the higher base roll from keeping the best two d10s, plus the additional d6s stacked on top. These are different tools for different decisions — Edge rewards tactical setup, Hero Dice reward commitment of a limited resource.