WALKING ADVENTURES — ALTERED STATE REVISION (v1.1)

(For use with R4 V1.0 — The Altered State Prompt)

This revision formalizes:

Havoc (partially visible, Oracle-tracked)
Severe harm & mortality
Milestone advancement
Assets (fiction-determined)
Narrative-first action pacing
Escalation control
Combat compression
Loss of Control mechanics

This is the SYSTEM layer. It supports the story: The Altered State.

PART I — THE WORLD (ALTERED STATE)

The Nature of the World

The world is structured. Functioning. Organized.

Civilization operates. Institutions enforce law. Trade routes are guarded. Authority is centralized.

It is not collapse that destabilizes the world.

It is the existence of the Altered.

The Altered

Altered individuals are rare.
Approximately 1 in 5,000.

Mutations appear spontaneous.
Probability increases if both parents are Altered.

Most Altered infants do not survive infancy.

There is nothing inherently corrupt about the Altered.

The danger lies in:

Fear
Jealousy
Political instability
Institutional control
Structural disruption

The world reacts to them.

Institutional Motives Toward the Altered

Major powers respond through five lenses:

Hate / Jealousy
Weaponization
Political Control
Scientific Exploitation
Structural Threat (destabilization of order)

These motives overlap.

No faction remains neutral indefinitely.

Escalation is systemic.

Technology Instead of Magic

There is no true magic.

There is:

Alchemy
Rune-inscribed devices
Suppression collars
Clockwork weapons
Engineered creatures
Herbal enhancement compounds

These technologies are:

Expensive
Regulated
Politically controlled
Weaponized against the Altered

They mimic magic. They are not mystical.

Monsters

Monsters exist.

They may be:

Engineered
Rune-bound constructs
Altered fauna
Biomechanical hybrids

They are not Altered.

They are tools. Or accidents.

Institutions are more dangerous than monsters.

PART II — ALTERED CHARACTERS

Core Structure

Each character is defined by:

Name & Concept
Archetype
Core Expression
Secondary Expression
Trigger or Cost
One Fault
Assets (if fiction supports them)

No mandatory stat block.

This remains narrative-first.

ARCHETYPES

Players choose one.

The Oracle refines Expressions from archetype.

(Archetype section unchanged — omitted here for brevity in this revision. Use previous v1.0 text.)

EXPRESSIONS

Core Expression

Primary mutation
Recognizable
Powerful
Escalates under stress
Dangerous when uncontrolled

Begins significant, not overwhelming.

Growth requires cost.

Secondary Expression

Narrower
Utility-oriented
Often first visible sign

May expand with training or stress.

Growth

Expressions evolve through:

Extreme stress
Trauma
Milestone Advancement
Loss of Control events
Institutional pressure

Temporary unstable mutations may occur.

Omega-tier power does not exist at start.

LOSS OF CONTROL (FORMALIZED)

Loss of Control may occur when:

Health reaches 0
Spirit reaches 0
Fault is invoked under severe pressure
Havoc state escalates during emotional rupture
The Oracle judges stress peak

When triggered:

Core Expression expands beyond intent
Collateral damage possible
Witnesses likely
Havoc may spike

If:

No witnesses
No lasting damage
No political consequence

Then:

Havoc may not increase

If destruction leaves trace:

Havoc increases later
Institutions respond after discovery

Loss of Control is not random. It is pressure-based.

HARM & SEVERITY

Health (0–5)

At 0:

The Oracle introduces severe consequence:

Dismemberment
Captivity
Permanent injury
Institutional branding
Near-death state
Death

Death is real.

If death is avoided through mutation, it must be horrific or transformative.

No soft resets.

Spirit (0–5)

At 0:

Emotional fracture
Collapse
Withdrawal
Aggressive instability
Loss of Control trigger

Recovery requires narrative effort.

HAVOC (Oracle-Tracked — Partially Visible)

Havoc measures systemic destabilization.

Tracked secretly.

Players see status signals, not numbers.

Havoc Increases When:

Powers used publicly
Officials killed
Infrastructure destroyed
Institutions embarrassed
Loss of Control witnessed
Political fallout spreads

If:

No witnesses
No structural damage
No institutional trace

Havoc may remain stable.

If devastation leaves aftermath: Havoc rises later when discovered.

Havoc States (Revealed Fictionally)

Low — Rumors
Rising — Suspicion
Marked — Active search
Hunted — Coordinated units
Purge-Level — Military containment

Havoc cools slowly.

It never resets to zero.

Institutions remember.

COMBAT LAW (Action Compression)

Combat must be:

Short
Violent
Transformative

No prolonged tactical grind.

Each fight must:

Escalate Havoc
Remove anonymity
Create institutional consequence
Deepen ideology conflict

If a fight does none of these: Summarize it.

ESCALATION CONTROL (Anti-Loop)

Repeated bounty hunters are prohibited unless:

Institution escalates tier
Technology escalates
Political pressure escalates
Ideological stakes escalate

Otherwise: Convert to montage or consequence.

ASSETS (Clarified)

Assets are fiction-determined.

They may include:

Weapons
Suppression tech
Sidekicks
Informant networks
Rune armor
Smuggler routes

No required starting Asset.

The Oracle and player determine what qualifies.

Asset Use

An Asset may:

Prevent catastrophic consequence once per scene
Soften Havoc gain
Convert severe harm into survivable harm
Grant escape opportunity

Assets can be:

Damaged
Confiscated
Destroyed
Betrayed

Assets are not numeric bonuses.

MILESTONE ADVANCEMENT (Oracle-Tracked)

No XP.

Advancement triggers when:

A Book phase ends
A major institution is exposed
Core Expression evolves
Fault is confronted meaningfully
Havoc tier shifts
Public narrative changes

Advancement May Grant:

Expanded Core control
New Secondary Expression
Permanent Asset
Political leverage
Reputation shift
Altered ideological stance

Growth is narrative.

Power scales through consequence, not math.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES — ALTERED STATE

There is nothing wrong with the Altered.

The danger is systemic.

This is a story about:

Exposure
Escalation
Institutional fear
Becoming visible
Surviving long enough to matter

The world is not broken.

It is defensive.

And it will respond.