Soulstone Energy Tracking

Campaign Resource Management • Version 3.0

Overview

Every Casket is powered by a Soulstone Core containing a bound soul. This soul provides bioelectric energy to drive hydraulics, servos, and weapons. Energy depletes during missions and must be restored through Soulstone refinement.

Important: The Soulstone Core soul is not the pilot. It's a separate trapped consciousness powering the machine. The living pilot operates the casket while the dead soul fuels it.

Quick Reference

Max Energy: 100 (full Soulstone Core)
Starting Energy: 80 (most caskets)
Depletion Rate: -2 to -15 per mission
Restoration: Refine Soulstone Shards between missions
At 0 Energy: Casket inoperable (cannot deploy)

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Energy Pool Tracking

Energy Level	Status	Performance
100/100	Full	Optimal performance, no penalties
60-99/100	Healthy	Normal operation
20-59/100	Depleted	-1 to all Pilot checks, +1 Heat per turn
1-19/100	Critical	-2 to all Pilot checks, +2 Heat per turn, risk of shutdown
0/100	Empty	Casket inoperable (cannot deploy until recharged)

Tracking Energy: Use a d100 (percentile dice) or mark Energy on your character sheet. Adjust after each mission based on activity level.

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Energy Depletion (During Missions)

Per-Mission Energy Costs

Activity	Energy Cost	When It Applies
Standard Deployment	-2 Energy	Normal mission (4-6 combats, moderate activity)
Heavy Combat	-5 Energy	Extended fighting (8+ combats, boss battles)
Overheating	-3 Energy	Each time Heat reaches maximum during mission
Critical Damage	-5 Energy	When reduced to 10 HP or less during mission
Emergency Overcharge	-10 to -15 Energy	Player-activated abilities (Soulstone Surge, etc.)

Example Mission Energy Calculation

Mission Start: Casket has 80/100 Energy
Activity: Heavy combat (-5), Overheated twice (-6), Critical damage once (-5)
Total Depletion: -16 Energy
Mission End: 64/100 Energy (Healthy, but declining)

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Energy Restoration (Between Missions)

Soulstone Refinement Process

To restore Energy, pilots must refine Soulstone Shards into their Casket's Core. This process crushes smaller crystals (containing soul fragments) and feeds them to the Core soul.

Shard Tier	Energy Restored	Taint Gained	Time Required
T1 Shard	+5 Energy	+1 Taint	1 day
T2 Fragment	+15 Energy	+2 Taint	2 days
T3 Crystal	+40 Energy	+5 Taint	5 days
T4 Core (Replacement)	+100 Energy	+10 Taint	2 weeks (requires soul-binding ritual)

Refinement Examples

Example 1: Light Restoration
Casket at 64/100 Energy. Refine 3x T1 Shards.
Result: +15 Energy (79/100), +3 Taint, 3 days downtime

Example 2: Heavy Restoration
Casket at 15/100 Energy (Critical). Refine 1x T3 Crystal + 5x T1 Shards.
Result: +65 Energy (80/100), +10 Taint, 10 days downtime

Warning: Refinement always gains Taint (Void corruption). High Taint = instability, random events, casket going rogue. Manage Taint carefully!

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Soulstone Acquisition

Mission Rewards (Primary Source)

Mission Type	T1 Shards	T2 Fragments	T3 Crystals
Standard Combat	1-2	0	0
Hard Combat	3-5	1	0
Boss Battle	5-8	2-3	1
Failed Mission	0	0	0
Anomalous Event	1d6	1d3	1d2-1

Settlement Trading (The Exchange)

Item	Purchase Price	Sell Price	Stock
T1 Shard	20-30 Credits	10-15 Credits	Common (always available)
T2 Fragment	60-100 Credits	30-50 Credits	Limited (1d6 in stock)
T3 Crystal	200-400 Credits	100-200 Credits	Rare (1d3 in stock)
T4 Core	1,000+ Credits	500+ Credits	Special order (2 weeks lead time)

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Emergency Field Recharge (Mid-Mission)

Once per mission, a pilot can perform an emergency recharge by manually crushing a Shard inside the casket.

Procedure

Requires 1 full turn (no movement, no attacks, vulnerable)
Pilot must have at least 1 Shard in inventory
Pilot manually crushes Shard against Soulstone Core socket
Core absorbs essence immediately (screams audibly through radio)

Risk Table (Roll 1d6)

Roll	Result	Effect
1-3	Success	Restore Energy as normal, gain Taint as normal
4-5	Partial Overload	Restore Energy, +2x Taint (double corruption)
6	Critical Overload	Restore Energy, +3x Taint, immediate Thread Snap (random thread severs)

Narrative: Crystal fragments pierce pilot's hands. Blood mixes with soul essence. Core soul screams so loudly other units hear it through closed caskets. Pilot's neural threads burn from Core overload.

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Core Burnout (End of Lifespan)

Soulstone Cores do not last forever. After 500 total Energy cycled (approximately 20-50 missions), the Core begins terminal degradation.

Burnout Warning Signs

Total Energy Cycled	Symptoms	Effects
0-400	Healthy	Normal operation
401-450	Aging	Energy restoration -10% efficiency
451-480	Declining	Energy restoration -20% efficiency, +1 Taint per refinement
481-495	Failing	Energy restoration -30% efficiency, +2 Taint per refinement, visible cracks
496-500	Critical	Core pulses erratically, imminent failure
500+	Burnout	Core shatters, casket loses all power, pilot must be extracted immediately

Replacement Cost: New T4 Core = 1,000-1,500 Credits (requires fresh soul-binding ritual). Salvage from burned Core = 5-10 T1 Shards (grim recycling).

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Campaign Integration

Energy Management Tips

Track Energy on character sheet: Mark current/max (e.g., 64/100)
Plan refinement during downtime: Budget Shards for long campaigns
Monitor Taint accumulation: Balance Energy restoration vs. corruption risk
Save T3 Crystals for emergencies: Big Energy boost when critically low
Watch for burnout signs: Replace Core before it fails mid-mission

GM Guidelines

Award Shards as loot: Use mission reward table (Standard = 1-2 T1, Boss = 5-8 T1 + 2-3 T2 + 1 T3)
Make refinement scenes meaningful: Describe Core soul screaming, faces appearing in crystal
Use Energy depletion as tension: Low Energy = harder missions, force tough choices
Track total Energy cycled: Warn players when approaching 400+ (Core aging)
Core burnout = campaign event: Make it dramatic (crystal shatters mid-battle, pilot must be rescued)

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Cross-References

Topic	See Also
Soulstone Lore	Soulstone Power System
Taint Corruption	Taint Exploitation
Loot Tables	Campaign Loot Tables
Settlement Phase	Settlement Phase

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