Hullo, folks,
I have a really stupid question here…
The game rules state that when a character has taken damage equal to a given Stress track value, they suffer an Affliction. However… Does this mean that the value of that Stress Track resets to its normal value? What am I missing here?
Thanks, in advance. 
JohnK
No, it doesn’t mean the Stress track reverts. If you keep taking damage, your Stress track could fill up, and then you trigger afflictions based on a full stress track.
Hullo, Isaac,
I actually got an answer to this question from Jack Norris in personal talk.
When the Stress track fills up completely, i.e., the character takes 6 Stress and can only take 6 Stress on that track, they take an Affliction. Any further damage taken on that Stress track doesn’t inflict damage, just further Afflictions. Once the Stress track is refreshed, at the end of a scene, for example, damage is taken anew until the conditions for suffering an Affliction are met again.
I like how that works, to be honest, but it could have been better stated in the rules section covering damage and/or Afflictions.
JohnK
Hello JohnK,
I find this subject unclear. I have multiple questions and hope you can help.
Page 65 of the Core book says, “Each damage type has a stress track. Each stress track is related to two of a character’s attributes. The higher of these two attributes is the maximum stress that can be lost from that stress track.”
Is the number 6 the higher of the “two attributes…” in your hypothetical example?
If so, then a character with a Cunning of 8 and a Might of 5 who failed to defend against a successful sword blow would take damage to their “Injury Stress track.” Correct or incorrect?
Unless they suffered “5 or more damage…at once” (65), they would have to accumulate 8 damage—thus filling their stress track—before receiving their first Affliction. Correct or incorrect?
Further, do the four hexagons associated with each Stress Track type on the character sheet represent the number of Afflictions a character can suffer simultaneously before death, madness, or irrevocable loss of confidence perspectively occurs?
Thanks in advance!
Sunwolfe
Hullo, Sunwolfe,
I’m not the game expert on this stuff, but I’ll do my best to answer the questions you’ve got.
Yes, in my hypothetical example, 6 was the higher of the two Attributes in question.
In your example, with Cunning 8 and Might 5, yes if the character defends with those two Attributes, then the character would take damage to their Injury stress track and would have a maximum of 8 on that track. If, however, the character had defended with Daring and Might, the character would be able to split the damage between the Fear and Injury stress tracks.
If the character suffers 5 points of damage in an attack, using the example of the Injury track with a value of 8, the character immediately suffers an Affliction and, as I understand it also takes the 5 points of damage as well. When they take 3 more points of damage to that stress track, they will suffer another Affliction on the same stress track.
As for the four hexagons associated with each Stress Track, every Affliction causes a -1 penalty to the character. As was explained to me, these are cumulative. If the character suffers 4 Afflictions of the same type, the character becomes incapacitated. They can’t take any actions or defend against an attack without spending a point of Luck. 5 or more Afflictions of the same type causes the character to black out. They can’t take any actions at all.
Anyway, there you go. Hope these help.
JohnK
Hiya JohnK,
Thanks for your help. It does help.
Cheers,
Sunwolfe
Hullo, Sunwolfe,
My pleasure.
Any other questions you might have, feel free to ask around here.
JohnK