(last updated: 03/27/18)SECOND_WIND represents the "dramatic comeback" situation many characters experience in stories. Their opponent pounds them into the dirt, comment on how no one has EVER gotten up from that attack...and the fighter rises to their feet to manage a narrow victory over them anyway.
When your Health falls below [0], there is a chance SECOND_WIND will trigger on your next action (including interrupts). If it does, you immediately gain some Health to keep you in the fight. At higher Ability Ranks, SECOND_WIND provides even more health and even more bonuses to even the score against your opponent.
There is nothing you need to do to activate SECOND_WIND. It has a random chance of triggering automatically once your Health is low enough. Depending on how you've fared during the fight, the chance may vary. SECOND_WIND is intended to help someone when they're getting knocked down "before they're done." If you're fighting someone and they're kicking your ass so hard you're hardly getting your game going, your desire to "play it out" is what gets you up again, to fight longer. If it's a long drawn out fight against someone of similar ability, then you're much less likely to get up again.
Reserve also helps increase your chance to activate SECOND_WIND. Depending on how much you have, SECOND_WIND may trigger automatically and might even give you a bit of health as well. There is a limit to how much influence Reserve has on SECOND_WIND, however. It is not particularly wise to try and keep your reserve high by using normals only. It could result in a loss when using specials perhaps could have brought enough of an advantage for victory.
If for any reason you do not want SECOND_WIND to activate, use the 'pass/nowind' or 'norevive' command for your final action when you are below 0 Health.
Finally, when someone with SECOND_WIND endures into below 0% health, their endure bonus is not cut in half like it is for characters without Second Wind.
SECOND_WIND is a character trait; if you have the STYLE ability, it must exist in both Styles.
Ability Summary
In TOP: Higher chance to trigger SECOND_WIND
D Rank: Maximum of [1] SECOND_WIND that returns health to [0]%. Will take [10]% damage each round until KO'd.
C Rank: Maximum of [1] SECOND_WIND that returns health to [0]%.
B Rank: Unlimited SECOND_WINDs with diminishing chances. Health returned will be a variable amount.
A Rank: Immunity to Fatigue for [1] round after SW Fires.
S Rank: No KO Penalty when you drop below 0% health the first time. [50]% KO Penalty for all future times below 0%.
SIG ABIL: Gain RALLY bonuses at certain health benchmarks.
TOP Mechanic
Characters in TOP have a higher chance to have SECOND_WIND fire when they go below 0% health.
Ability Ranks
D Rank SECOND_WIND represents the earliest concept of getting up to take one last swing before getting KO'd. At this stage of the progression, you will be returned right to 0% health and will take 10 damage each turn, that is intended to take you out 1 round after SW procs. In theory, you could find ways to prolong your collapse if you can get more than 10% health per turn back somehow, but for the most part, D Rank SECOND_WIND procs only give you 1 more round, so give it your best shot!
C Rank will bring you back to 0% health without the guaranteed doom of the 10 damage-over-time. You're still in the fight, but only just barely.
B Rank SECOND_WIND is the take-a-lickin'-and-keep-on-tickin' ability we know and love. Fighters at this rank are much tougher to keep down. Depending on your SW Roll, you might end up with up to almost 30 health and some reserve refunded. You also always get a very large decaying ALERTNESS Bonus and a small, one-round RUSH bonus to help you get back into the fight.
A Rank represents even more vigor in your SW procs. No matter how fatigued or exhausted you were feeling the moment before, when SW procs, you gain immunity to fatigue penalties for one round, as you fight back oblivious to the battle-worn condition you are really in.
S Rank represents that tenacious fighting spirit whether or not SW fires off. Where most fighters are mostly finished by their KO penalties at this point you are able to strike back with almost no noticeable loss in speed, even while on the verge of collapse. Even when you get knocked below 0% health again, you strike back with that determination to give it your all to the bitter end with only 50% of the standard KO penalty to your attack speed.
Signature Ability -- RALLY
For some characters, their ability to bounce back from crushing defeat is legendary. Exhibiting tenacity beyond what almost any fighter can muster, they almost seem to gain strength by virtue of being challenged to the point of near defeat by powerful opponents. Just when the fight seems to be going worse for them, they rally their strength and charge back into the fray. Just because they're looking beat down, it is dangerous to count these stubborn fighters out.
- Gain RALLY bonuses at certain health benchmarks.
- If you hit YELLOW health while your attacker is still in the GREEN, you will gain [6]% health and [10]% super.
- If you hit RED health while your attacker is still in the YELLOW, you will gain [9]% health and [15]% reserve.
- If, instead, you hit RED health while your attacker is still in the GREEN, you will gain [12]% health, [15]% super, and [15]% reserve.
- You can only get one RALLY bonus upon hitting yellow and one upon hitting RED per fight.
- If you hit YELLOW or RED and the criteria do not fit for being granted a RALLY bonus, the bonus for that health range is voided. I.e., if you hit YELLOW after your opponent hits YELLOW, you will never gain a RALLY bonus for hitting YELLOW for the rest of that fight.