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Lexicanum

Conditions

The battlefield's grammar: every status a character or enemy can suffer, with one written rule, one duration, and one way out.

Chapter VIIWorking Draft · v0.1

How Conditions Work

Conditions are temporary statuses applied to characters and enemies by attacks, powers, the battlefield, and the GM. They are their own rules category — separate from Corruption, Wounds, Scars, and equipment — though sources may inflict several at once.

  • Applying: A condition states how it is applied: on a hit, on a failed save, by an Order, or by the GM. Unless the source says otherwise, a condition uses the default duration and rules printed here; individual abilities may override duration, potency, or removal.
  • Duration: Durations count in turns of the affected character unless stated otherwise. "Until removed" conditions persist until something ends them. Conditions that damage on a trigger resolve the trigger first, then count down.
  • Stacking: Reapplying a condition follows its stacking rule: most refresh their duration without compounding. Nothing stacks unless its entry says so.
  • Removal: Every condition lists how it ends. Treatment, Orders, abilities, and GM rulings can end conditions early; nothing here overrides the table.

Conditions are their own rules category. Lasting harm lives in Wounds, Scars & Death; spiritual decay lives in Corruption; the powers that inflict many of these live in Psychic Powers & Perils.

The Conditions

22 / 22 Conditions
Category //
ConditionPhysicalmovementpositioningWorking Draft

Prone

Knocked down or deliberately flat against the ground.

A Prone character's Movement costs double while crawling. Melee attacks against them gain Advantage; ranged attacks against them from more than 30 feet away suffer Disadvantage. A Prone character's own attacks suffer Disadvantage unless the weapon is braced.

Duration: Until removed

Stacking: Does not stack — duplicate applications are ignored

Removal: Stand up by spending half your Movement on your turn.

ConditionPhysicaldamage-over-timeWorking Draft

Bleeding

Ongoing blood loss from an untreated wound.

At the start of the Bleeding character's turn, they take the condition's damage (1d4 unless the source states otherwise). Reapplying Bleeding refreshes its duration; it does not increase the damage.

Duration: Turns (default 2)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when treated with a successful Medicae check, removed by an ability, or when its duration expires.

ConditionPhysicaldamage-over-timefireWorking Draft

Burning

On fire — promethium, warpflame, or plain bad luck.

At the start of the Burning character's turn, they take the condition's damage (1d6 fire unless the source states otherwise). Burning ignores cover and worsens morale: while Burning, checks to resist fear suffer Disadvantage.

Duration: Turns (default 2)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when the character or an adjacent ally spends an Action to smother the flames, or when its duration expires.

ConditionPhysicaltoxinattack-modifierWorking Draft

Poisoned

Toxins working through the blood.

A Poisoned character suffers Disadvantage on attack rolls and checks. Potent toxins may also deal damage at the start of the character's turn when the source states so.

Duration: Turns (default 2)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when purged by Medicae treatment, an antidote, an ability, or when its duration expires.

ConditionPhysicalaction-restrictionWorking Draft

Stunned

Rattled senseless — unable to act coherently.

A Stunned character cannot take Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions, and cannot move. Attacks against them gain Advantage.

Duration: Until end of next turn (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends at the end of the character's next turn unless the source states otherwise.

ConditionPhysicalmovement-restrictionaction-restrictionWorking Draft

Restrained

Grappled, netted, webbed, or pinned by wreckage.

A Restrained character's Movement is 0. Their attacks suffer Disadvantage and attacks against them gain Advantage. Escaping requires an Action and a successful Strength or Agility check against the source's DC.

Duration: Until removed

Stacking: Does not stack — duplicate applications are ignored

Removal: Ends when the character escapes, is freed, or the restraint is destroyed.

ConditionPhysicalmovement-restrictionWorking Draft

Slowed

Hampered — mud, wounds, gravitic drag, or clinging filth.

A Slowed character's Movement is halved and they cannot benefit from abilities that grant extra Movement.

Duration: Turns (default 2)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Removed by an ability, treatment, or GM ruling. Otherwise ends when its duration expires.

ConditionPhysicalsensesattack-modifierWorking Draft

Blinded

Sight lost to ash, blood, flash-burn, or darkness.

A Blinded character automatically fails checks that require sight. Their attacks suffer Disadvantage and attacks against them gain Advantage.

Duration: Turns (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when vision is restored or the duration expires.

ConditionPhysicalsensesWorking Draft

Deafened

Hearing lost to concussion, gunfire, or screaming vox.

A Deafened character automatically fails checks that require hearing and cannot benefit from spoken Orders or vox commands until the condition ends.

Duration: Turns (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when hearing recovers or the duration expires.

ConditionCombat & Moralemoraleattack-modifiermovement-restrictionWorking Draft

Frightened

Fear with a source — and the source is winning.

A Frightened character suffers Disadvantage on attack rolls and checks while the source of their fear is visible, and cannot willingly move closer to it.

Duration: Turns (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when the duration expires, the source is destroyed or leaves sight, or a rallying effect removes it.

ConditionMental & Warpmoraleattack-modifiermovement-restrictionWorking Draft

Hesitant

Authority lands harder than fear.

A Hesitant character suffers −1 on their next attack roll and cannot voluntarily move closer to the source of the condition. Hesitant ends after the character makes an attack, or at the start of the source's next turn.

Duration: Turns (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends after the Hesitant character makes an attack, at the start of the source's next turn, or when a rallying effect removes it.

ConditionCombat & Moraleattack-modifiermoraleWorking Draft

Suppressed

Heads down under sustained fire.

A Suppressed character suffers Disadvantage on attack rolls, cannot use Reactions, and treats open ground as dangerous: leaving cover while Suppressed provokes Reactive Fire from the suppressing source.

Duration: Until end of next turn (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends at the end of the character's next turn unless fire is sustained.

ConditionCombat & Moralemovement-restrictionmoraleWorking Draft

Pinned

Locked in place by fire or force — movement means death.

A Pinned character cannot move and suffers Disadvantage on ranged attacks. Breaking the pin requires an Action and a successful Willpower check, or an Order or ability that removes it.

Duration: Until removed

Stacking: Does not stack — duplicate applications are ignored

Removal: Ends when the character breaks the pin or an ally's Order or ability frees them.

ConditionCombat & Moraledefense-modifierpositioningWorking Draft

Exposed

Caught in the open with guns tracking you.

Attacks against an Exposed character gain Advantage. Cover matters in Bolt & Blade — Exposed is what the battlefield does to those who ignore it.

Duration: Until end of next turn (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when the character reaches cover or at the end of their next turn.

ConditionCombat & Moralemarkattack-modifierWorking Draft

Marked

Designated for death — painted, tagged, or sworn against.

The first attack each turn made against a Marked character by the marking side gains +2 to hit. Only one Mark from a given source may be active at a time.

Duration: Turns (default 2)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Removed by an ability, treatment, or GM ruling. Otherwise ends when its duration expires.

ConditionCombat & Moraledefense-modifierbuffWorking Draft

Guarded

A deliberate defensive stance behind blade, shield, or discipline.

A Guarded character gains +2 Defense until the condition ends. Attacking normally ends the stance unless the granting ability states otherwise.

Duration: Until end of next turn (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends at the end of the character's next turn or when they attack.

ConditionCombat & Moralebuffattack-modifierSanctioned

Aiming

Breath held, sight settled, target acquired.

Aim as a Bonus Action if you have not moved this turn: your next ranged attack before the end of your turn gains +2 to hit. Moving ends Aiming immediately.

Duration: Until end of next turn (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends after the aimed attack, when the character moves, or at the end of their turn.

ConditionMental & Warpaction-restrictionWorking Draft

Confused

Senses scrambled — friend, foe, and floor are negotiable.

A Confused character cannot take Reactions, and before acting on their turn must make a Willpower check against the source's DC (or DC 12) — on a failure the GM chooses their movement or their target this turn.

Duration: Turns (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Removed by an ability, treatment, or GM ruling. Otherwise ends when its duration expires.

ConditionMental & WarpwarpcontrolWorking Draft

Compelled

A will not your own steering your hands.

A Compelled character must obey the single instruction placed on them to the best of their ability. They may repeat the resisting save at the end of each of their turns; obviously suicidal instructions grant the save Advantage.

Duration: Turns (default 1)

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends on a successful save, when the instruction is completed, or when the duration expires.

ConditionMental & WarpwarpmoraleWorking Draft

Haunted

Something saw you back — and it lingers.

A Haunted character suffers Disadvantage on Willpower checks and saves, and on checks to rest or recover. The GM may impose visions, whispers, or false readings at dramatic moments while the condition lasts.

Duration: Until removed

Stacking: Reapplying refreshes the duration

Removal: Ends when the haunting is confronted, sanctified away, or resolved at the table — not by waiting.

ConditionMental & WarpwarpdetectionWorking Draft

Warp-Touched

The veil brushed you and left a residue.

A Warp-Touched character registers to witch-sight and daemonic senses, and suffers Disadvantage on saves against psychic powers and daemonic influence. Sanctified places and anti-warp wards may react to them. This is a condition, not Corruption — but sources may inflict both.

Duration: Until removed

Stacking: Does not stack — duplicate applications are ignored

Removal: Ends when cleansed by sanctification, an ability, or the GM's ruling.

ConditionMental & WarpwarpcontrolWorking Draft

Possessed

Something else is wearing them now.

A Possessed character is controlled by the possessing entity: the GM directs their actions. Allies may attempt to restrain rather than kill. Ending a possession is an event — an exorcism, a banishment, a true name — not a round count. See the Daemonology discipline and the Corruption chapter for the rites involved.

Duration: Until removed

Stacking: Does not stack — duplicate applications are ignored

Removal: Ends only through exorcism, banishment, the entity's departure, or death.

For the GM

These definitions are the defaults. A weapon, power, or stat block may override a condition's duration, damage, or removal — the override wins at that table, the definition wins everywhere else. Entries marked Working Draft carry provisional numbers pending final review; run them as written and report what breaks.

Bolt & Blade is fan-made homebrew for private tabletop play and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop.