There are 8 basic responses to being hit with a skill of any type:
1. Taking it:
Far and away the most common response to any skill is to simply take the effect, no fancy response required. That being said if you are being hit with a skill you should try to do a good job role-play taking the effects of that skill. Don’t just take the effect role-play it. For example, if you are hit with a “Maim” in the arm don’t just drop your arm to your side and carry on like nothing has happened, your arm was just broken you should be in some pain and pretty angry.
2. “Resist”:
By stating “Resist” after being hit by a skill you have signified that you had some ability that allowed you to resist the skill you were just hit with. The skill that was resisted is considered consumed, as is the ability or spell that allowed you to resist it. The best example of a skill that allows you to do this is “Spell Shield.” Please note that some creature are “Infinitely Resistant” to certain abilities and will resist them forever unless you have a way to add the tag “Unstoppable” to the ability (see the list of Un-resistible Skills below for more information). Half-Elves and the spell “Sleep” are a great example of this.
3. “Resist, Circle of Protection”:
By stating “Resist, Circle of Protection” you have signified that you have resisted the skill and that you are currently in a Circle of Protection that will continue to keep you safe from harm until the duration expires.
Please note that “Unstoppable” will break through your circle.
4. “Parry”:
Responding with, “Parry” is mechanically identical to responding with “Resist.” The difference is the in-game meaning. By stating “Parry” you are stating that you have deflected the blow away from yourself harmlessly using an instance of the skill Parry. “Parry” is only effective against the following skills: Disarm, Maim, Shield bash, Crushing blow, Cleave, Rend, Stifle, or Stun.
5. “Retreat”:
Responding with “Retreat” is just like responding with “Parry” The only difference is that it works only on the skill Slay it is also important to note that someone who responds with “Retreat” has taken some negative effect from your Slay. Note that Retreat works on both physical and magical Slay calls.
6. “No effect”:
By saying only “No effect” in response to a call, that means you are completely immune to it and that under no circumstances will it EVER work. Additionally, the ability that caused the “No effect” is considered used. If you ever hear this in response to something you do, we strongly recommend a different method of attack.
7. “No effect, Icon of Will” OR “No effect, Berserk”
A slight variation on the “No effect” response, but the immunity is based on a currently active skill. Once the skill effect ends, so will the immunity.
8. “Absorbed”:
This response means that the skill you just used has not only failed to harm your target but has also benefited them in some way (providing healing is a good example of such a benefit). It is important to note that just because a creature Absorbed a skill does not mean that it can do so indefinitely. In some cases adding “Unstoppable” will allow you get around a creature’s resistances. However some creatures Absorb skills that they are immune to and consequently can never be injured buy those skill even if “Unstoppable” is used.