Stress is a psychological detriment your mercenaries will build after emotionally challenging events. The opposite of stress is Hype. Hype is a measure of the excitement of a job well done or other particular successes both big and small. Gaining stress can be resisted via the aptly named Stress Resistance.
A Stress roll is a simple % roll to resist Stress (Game Difficulty Stress modifier + Character Stress Res - Heat Stress modifier).
Stress & Hype Generation[edit | edit source]
Stress and Hype can be increased or decreased by various events. Both Stress and Hype cap out at 100%; further increases beyond that have no effect.
Stress can be increased by:
- Mission Failure
- Legwork Failure
- Certain Story Decisions
- Incurring Injury Time
- Incurring Wounds
- Ally dies or nearly dies (i.e. death res save): every merc on the mission rolls for Stress
- Some Intrusion Countermeasures in the Matrix
- Some Quantum Security Escalations in the Matrix
- Dump Shock
- Installing Cyberware
- Use of Simstream Trainer
- Some traits (for example, Bloodthirsty gives a chance of stress if the merc does not kill enough enemies)
- The use of some talents (Healing from the Scourge talent "Reknit" for example.)
Stress can be decreased by:
- Some Story Decisions
- Simstream Detox for stress relief
- Hype Limit Breaks
Hype can be increased by:
- Mission Success
- Legwork Success
- Some Story Decisions
Hype can be decreased by:
- Some Story Decisions
Hype Limit Break[edit | edit source]
Players choose from a semi-random set of bonuses when they reach 80-100% Hype. Limit breaks use a seed. So as soon as the contacts gets the Hype, all options are locked in and will not be changed by reloading. Some results require a high Loyalty to appear. Hype Limit Breaks include but are not limited to:
- Permanent primary attribute increases (up to a cumulative maximum of 16 points)
- Primary attributes cap at +3 each unless Loyalty is particularly high, then they cap at +6 each
- Temporary buffs lasting 30 days:
- Indomitable
- Like Lightning
- Quick Study
- Mastermind
- Data-Inferno
- Data-Fusion
- Temporary buffs for Face:
- High Baller
- Leadership Surge
- Trait level improvements
- Increasing Loyalty
- Resetting Stress to 0%
- Reducing Stress (but not necessarily to 0%)
- Decreasing Payrates (if high Loyalty)
- Add 'Stolen Shadow Site' tag enabling future Shadow Site Raid (PL3+, only for mercs with bad relations with their former corporate Faction)
After spending their Hype, it will decrease down to a value between 10% and 40%. Higher levels of loyalty allow for a higher baseline to return to post-limit break.
| Loyalty | Hype Baseline | Maximum Individual Attribute Increases | Max Overall Attribute Increases | Pay Rate Reduction Option | Temporary Traits | Max Trait Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-50% | 10% | 3 | 6 | No | Some | 2 |
| 60% | 10-20% | 8 | 16 | Yes | All | 4 |
| 70-80% | 10-30% | 8 | 16 | Yes | All | 4 |
| 90-100% | 20-40% | 8 | 16 | Yes | All | 4 |
Stress Limit Break[edit | edit source]
Stress levels reaching 80% or more may get a Stress Limit Break which has a negative impact on characters. Two possible results are offered, allowing limited selection of bad results. Face Talents may allow new choices. Limit breaks use a seed. So as soon as the contacts gets the Stress, all options are locked in and will not be changed by reloading. Some results require a high Discontent to appear. Stress Limit Breaks include but are not limited to:
- Temporary debuffs lasting 30 days
- Backseat: for 30 days the merc suffers +10% Stress when IS sent on a mission
- Cash Grab: for 30 days the merc's Pay Rate is +6%
- Disgruntled
- Checked Out
- Malcontent
- Off-Duty: for 30 days the merc refuses to go on any mission
- Running Empty
- Seeing Red: for 30 days the merc suffers +10% Stress whenever NOT sent on a mission
- Vulnerable: for 30 days the merc suffers -50 HP, -100% Stress Res and -100% Wound Res
- Temporary debuffs for Face:
- Low Baller
- Leadership Slump
- Hype Flush (only at 60% or more Hype)
- Gaining or increasing the severity of a negative Trait
- Decreasing the level of a positive Trait
- Increasing the severity of an acquired Wound
- Increasing Discontent
- Decreasing Loyalty
- Increase pay rate (up to a max of 6%)
After the stress limit break takes effect, the character's stress level will decrease down to a value between 0% and 20%. Particularly low Loyalty and high Discontent can influence the Stress resetting to a higher value, post-penalty. High Discontent can unlock more severe penalties for Stress Limit Breaks.
Stress Limit Breaks and progress toward another such break encompass all gameplay impacts from stress.