Bosa

Bosa Tamin' and Trainin'

“…They ain’t quite animals but they ain’t monsters neither—folks on the northern islands say Bosa evolved from fragments of the gods. By training and strengthening these creatures, humans aid their return to divinity. Bosa live to challenge one another, honing their power until they vanish back into godhood—carrying legends of honor, partnership, and rich reward for those who guide them.”

Bosa Basics

Intelligent fragments of deities that have taken on a new sentient form, driven to fight peers in pursuit of wholeness.
View humans as partners, not pets; they spar to sharpen their skills.
Never intervene in human conflicts; their sole instinct is to hone power against other Bosa.
Trainers earn honor and treasure by helping Bosa evolve and “go home” to the gods.
Bound Bosa may come and go as they please—summoning does not guarantee obedience.

Bosa Anatomy (SWADE Notes)

Max HP: Roll formula listed in stat block (e.g., 1d6+1).
Catch Rating: Target number to bind Bosa. Roll 1d20 + bracelet modifiers to meet or beat Catch.
Run Rating: After failed catch, roll 1d6. If result ≤ Run Rating, Bosa flees.
EVO/Gift: Number of battles needed to evolve or disappear and leave a gift.
Bond: Unlocks passive ability at 6 Friendship. Friendship increases via victories or meaningful moments. At 0, Soul Bind breaks.
Elemental Type: Determines move access and damage modifiers. Weaknesses increase incoming damage by 50% (rounded up).
Moves: Each Bosa has 2–4 moves. Elemental type in parentheses. Some moves have special effects triggered by specific AR rolls.

Echo Bands

Echo Bands allow one to Soul Bind (Catch) a Bosa, giving its owner the ability to summon the creature at will. Bound Bosa may come and go as they please—summoning does not guarantee obedience.

Only Echo Bands that correspond with a Bosa's Type can be used to Soul Bind that same type (e.g., Water Crest → Water).

Echo Bands have up to 5 slots, which can be fitted with removable gems that make Soul Binding easier. By default only 1 slot is open until upgraded.

Capacity: A bracelet can bind (catch) up to 3 Bosa. You can own many bracelets but only one is worn/active at a time.

Common Echo bands	Form	Binds
Water Crest	Crest	Water
Foresight Band	Band	Psychic
Infernal Bracer	Bracer	Fire
Ghastly Bracelet	Bracelet	Ghost
Earth Band	Band	Earth
Omni Bracelet	Bracelet	Any

Soul Binding

To bind with a wild Bosa, a character must use their action to make an opposed roll.

Declare attempt (Action): If your Bosa is present, it forfeits its action this round.
Opposed roll:
- Bosa rolls an Attribute determined by the Bosa’s type (e.g., a Fire Bosa uses Agility).
- Player rolls the Skill or Attribute called for in the Bind Roll Section.
Modifiers:
- Bosa Shaken: Trainer +2.
- Per Wound on Bosa: Trainer +1 (max +3).
- Prior rapport/quest-tie: Trainer +2.
- Wrong-type bracelet: Turn Skipped.
- Hallowed ground (Bosa’s type): Bosa +2.
Outcomes:
- Success: Bosa binds; add to bracelet.
- Raise: As success; Bosa is Loyal for this scene.
- Failure: Bosa attempts to flee on its action.
- Critical failure: Bosa is Enraged (+2 damage for one round; free Taunt).
Final attempt: If the Bosa is Incapacitated, you may attempt one final free binding. On failure, its fragment dissipates permanently.
Obedience clause: Summoning does not guarantee obedience; see Command and Obedience.

Type	Binding Stance	Typical Trappings and Hooks
Fire	Agility	Bolt/Burst (fire), Fearless; −2 in heavy rain; heat aura vs Grapples
Water	Vigor	Bolt (Push), Cone (ice), Aquatic; ignores wet Difficult Ground; healing on Raise
Earth	Strength	Armor +2, Slam (Burst), Hardy; Slow Pace; +2 vs Push/Knockback
Psychic	Smarts	Bolt (psychic), Puppet, Slumber; Mind Link; Vulnerable to Distract
Ghost	Spirit	Ethereal, Fear (−2), Entangle (spectral); suffers from holy wards

Gems and Ornaments

Gems slot into bracelets to amplify bound Bosa. All require one slot unless noted; some target a single Bosa or the entire group, and some become useless if their chosen Bosa vanishes.

Item	Effect (SWADE)
Soul Gem	Increase max bound Bosa by 1; stacks.
Sooth Gem	Once per encounter, negate one Wound suffered by your active Bosa (after damage is rolled).
Mindful Gem	Increase the Bosa’s move slots by 1 (max 5).
Omni Stone	This bracelet may bind one off-type Bosa.
Bind Stone	+1 to Bonding attempts.
Trap Gem	On a failed bind, target cannot exit the scene this round (movement counts as Entangled).
Prosper Stone	Bound Wild Card Bosa gain +1 Wound capacity.
Quick Stone	Once per encounter, use an item and your Bosa still acts without MAP.
Coercion Gem	Once per encounter, +2 damage on one attack (declare before roll).
Cheap Shot Stone	If you act in Surprise or win first initiative, your Bosa’s first successful attack deals +2 damage.
Hateful Ornament	Attacks in Move Slot 4 gain +1 to hit.
Death Token	Attacks in Move Slot 3 gain +2 damage.
Triumph Token	After your next victorious battle, chosen Bosa gains 2 evolution ticks.
Power Ornament	All bound Bosa gain +1 damage on all attacks (stacks with one other flat bonus).

Consumable Items

Consumable items can be used on a Bosa inside or outside of battle. Unless otherwise stated, effects are instant and bonuses are temporary.

Item	SWADE Effect and Duration
Herb	Immediate Natural Healing attempt at +2 (ignores time). On success, heal 1 Wound (once per Bosa/day).
Soul Strengthen	+2 damage on all attacks for 3 rounds.
Soft Healer	Heal 1 Wound instantly.
Natural Healer	After a full night’s rest, remove all Fatigue and 1 Wound (2 on a Raise with a Healing roll).
Hard Healer	Heal 2 Wounds instantly (GM may limit to once/day).
Purify	Remove one status: Shaken, Fatigue, Entangled, or one ongoing Power effect.
Pseudo Spirit	+2 Toughness for 1 encounter.
Power Pusher	+1 damage on all attacks for 3 rounds (stacks with one other flat bonus).
Smoke Bomb	Act first next round (treat as Delay to top of order) or discard and redraw your Action Card now.
Thick Skin	Armor +2 (doesn’t stack with natural armor) for 3 rounds.

Glow Salts: Learning New Attacks

Glow Salts are crystalline remnants of Bosa energy, each carrying the memory of one potent attack. When consumed, a Bosa permanently learns that attack—either a normal-type move or an elemental ability matching its own type.

Learning Rules

Use time: 1 minute of focused feeding; out of combat.
Guarantee: Learning succeeds automatically; if at 4 moves, forget one.
Type lock: Elemental salts must match the Bosa’s Type; normal salts are universal.
Slotting: Assign learned moves to slots (1–4); some ornaments key off slot numbers.

Sample Salts Mapped to Moves

Salt	Move Taught (SWADE)
Salt of the Howling	Bite: Fighting attack; on Raise, force Vigor or suffer Bleeding Wound (GM variant).
Salt of the Ember	Flame Lash: Bolt (Fire). On Raise, target catches fire.
Salt of the Torrent	Water Jet: Bolt (Water) that Pushes/Knocks back on a Raise.
Salt of the Mind’s Eye	Mind Spike: Bolt (Psychic) that inflicts 1 Fatigue on a Raise.
Salt of the Grave	Ghostly Grasp: Entangle (Ethereal); on Raise, target is Bound.
Salt of the Core	Earth Crush: Burst (Stone) or Strength-based Slam with Knockdown.
Salt of the All-Seeing	Quick Strike: Gain First Strike for one attack this encounter (or Improved for that attack if already owned).

Optional PP model: Give Bosa a small PP pool per Rank (e.g., 10/15/20) and recover 5 with a round of focus or between scenes.ist.

Evolution, Advancement, and Rewards

Evolution Ticks

Earning ticks: Mark 1 on meaningful victories or bond milestones; some trophies (Triumph Token) count as 2.
On evolution (e.g., 3–4 ticks): Choose one:
- Raise edge: Gain a type-appropriate Edge.
- Raise traits: Increase one Attribute by a die type (max d12−1) or two Skills by one step.
- Form gift: Add a new Special Ability (e.g., Immunity [Fire], Flight, Burrow, Hardy).
- Move mastery: Upgrade a known move (e.g., Bolt base damage +1 die type or adds a Raise rider).

Trainer Rewards

Honor and treasure: Keep bracelet slot-upgrade costs; gems, salts, and ornaments are prime hoards.
Legacy boons: When a Bosa “goes home,” the trainer gains a minor permanent boon (e.g., +1 to a themed skill, a once-per-session re-roll for aiding allies, or a type blessing Benny usable to support).

Trainer Edges

Bosa Trainer (Novice): You can attempt Soul Binding and command a bound Bosa. Gain the custom Skill Bonding (Smarts).
Resonant Brace (Seasoned): Swap your active Bosa as a free action once per round (only one may act).
Quick Command (Seasoned): Once per round, grant your active Bosa a +2 Support bonus (no roll).
Soul Shepherd (Veteran): Once per encounter, when your Bosa would be Incapacitated, it instead suffers a Wound and remains Shaken.

Command and Obedience

Default obedience: Bound Bosa act as Allies. If a command opposes nature or honor, roll the Bosa’s Spirit at −2.
- Success: Follows the order.
- Failure: Acts by instinct without betraying the trainer.
- Critical failure: Refuses; resolve with a Test (Bonding vs Spirit) to regain compliance.
Loyal tag: Bosa with Loyal (or on a binding Raise) ignore obedience checks unless the command is self-destructive.