Vitality, Stress & Renown

Instead of a single health bar, three scores track your body, your nerves and your reputation, and they change how the story is told.

Your condition isn't one health bar. Three core attributes in My Affairs track what your journey has done to you. They change as the story does, every turn.

Vitality: your body

Vitality falls when you're hurt, and the specific injury is recorded: broken ribs, a bleeding wound, a bloodied fist. Injuries have consequences. With broken ribs you can't climb that wall; badly hurt, you may collapse if you try to run.

Stress: your nerves

Being chased, threatened or witnessing horror raises your Stress. As it climbs, the narration becomes more frantic, your character may panic or freeze, and calm, careful plans get harder to pull off.

Renown: your reputation

Renown is how well known (or notorious) you are. Keep a low profile and you can pass unnoticed. Shoot your way out of a tavern and rivals and the police will start to recognise you on sight.

How they work together

The narrator is told all three before it writes each reply. Try to calmly question an informant while you're bleeding and panicking, and you won't come across as the cool detective: expect trembling hands, ragged breath and an informant who notices.

See also The Ledger: Your Condition and Death & Obituaries.

See also

• The Ledger: Your Condition
• Death & Obituaries
• How People Behave

Last updated 2026-10-08