Combat

Combat simulates in world action, and conflict, and the rules that govern combat facilitate this simulation. Combat operates on a different time scale than regular play, and does so with its own specific rules.

Dice, mechanics, keywords and all manner of features combine to create the combat system that you as a player or GM ultimately grapple with.

Each instance of combat is called an encounter. Encounters are broken down into rounds and rounds are broken down further into turns.

A Turnis the opportunity for a single character to perform the actions that they choose to. A round is comprised of every participant in the encounter's turn. A round ends when everyone has taken their turn.

To determine in what order characters take their turns, characters roll initiative. Initiative is rolled by using a d12 then adding a character's initiative stat, with the order determined by the amounts rolled (high to low). Initiative is rolled before the encounter starts.

When it is a player's initiative, they take their turn. A player regains all expended action points at the start of their turn. A player may use their action points to perform actions as they see fit. A turn ends when the current turn taker chooses to end it. All action points remaining are retained when a turn ends. Action points can be used on other people's turns, when provided an opening.

If a player does not have priority it cannot perform actions. A player has priority when it is their turn. Players also gain priority if they are provided an opening. Openings are triggered events which cause priority to temporarily pass to characters whose turn it is not. If multiple creatures gain an opening at the same time, they gain priority in order of their initiative (highest first). Only actions which are marked as being "reactions" can be performed during an opening. Only one action can be performed in any single opening, unless otherwise stated. When an opening is made, priority passes, and once all creatures who chose to perform an action in that opening have done so, and all those who chose not to have passed the priority on, it returns to the current player.

Combat occurs during what is called an encounter. Each time the players enter into conflict with foes that they come across, they enter an encounter. Upon the final blows being dealt, with all combatants rendered unable or unwilling to fight, that encounter ends.

Encounters may also end abruptly when combatants flee through various means, or continuing the fight becomes impossible.

During each encounter, the normal course of play is paused and a new one is instituted in its place. Where previously, time and activity would flow at a GM's pace, and all players may be active and contributing. During combat, this ends and in its place come Rounds, and Turns.

Encounters are broken up into rounds, and can be any number of rounds long.

Each round consists of a turn taken by all participants. One by one in a turn based fashion, every combatant (player and npc) will take a turn within the round.

Rounds represent in real terms (although only loosely), 10 seconds. All actions and movement performed in each round occur over the stretch of 10 seconds.

Whilst rounds consist of each player taking a turn, who goes first?

Initiative is a Stat found on a character sheet which when not being added to by other modifiers is equal to a character's Agility. When players enter an encounter and combat starts, they roll initiative. The value of the initiative roll reflects the quickness to action and general readiness of the player, with a higher value meaning a greater speed.

Rounds proceed through initiative order, starting with the highest and moving down the ladder to the lowest. A player will take their turn when they are the current player in the initiative order.

When it is a character's turn in combat they are able to use the vast majority of their abilities, features and actions, in short, it's their time to play.

It is during your turn that you can use all of your actions, and spend your Action Points. It is also on your turn that your action points reset.

When it is a character's turn, they are the active player, and they have priority. Only creatures with priority can perform actions or use action points. A player is considered the active player when it is their turn, even if they don't have priority.

Priority is a mechanic that applies to combat exclusively.

During combat the active player (the player whose turn it is), has priority. They are given priority once all "at the beginning of the turn" effects have ended, and they lose it when they end their turn.

When it is your turn and you have priority you can perform any action, assuming you meet its other requirements and have the AP available. However when you are provided priority during another player's turn, you can only perform actions which are reactive. Actions performed when it is not your turn are called reactions, and they represent a character's ability to react to circumstances that arise during the battle.

A creature can only react when provided the opportunity to do so; there must be something to react to. When a creature is provided the opportunity to react, it is called an opening.

Openings are brief windows in time in which creatures able to do so, can react. Openings are triggered events typically caused by the active player. Openings can occur for any number of creatures within the encounter, as determined by the specific event and features involved.

When an opening is made for a creature, priority passes to that creature. If multiple creatures all gained an opening as a result of the same event (as would happen when a creature ends its turn), then the creatures who gained the opening will be given priority one after each other in order of their initiative (highest first).

When a creature gains an opening and is passed priority, they can perform one reactive action. Once a creature performs their one action, or chooses not to react, the priority passes to the next creature in the order of those provided openings. If there are no more creatures who can make a reaction, the priority continues its normal flow, passing back to the active player if they previously had it.

Some openings have conditions which apply to what actions can be selected or may modify the reactions made. These additional effects or restrictions will be specified on the feature or rule itself.

Many features, talents and items may specify when openings are made, but excluding those specific ones, there are two primary ways in which an opening is made: ending a turn, and leaving a creature's space.