Rounds

In combat, the action in the game is broken down into short increments of time called rounds. Each round represents three seconds in the game world, and in every round each combatant gets a turn. ​

Beginning of the Round

At the beginning of each round, before combatants take their turns, perform the following steps in order, marking the transition from one round to another.

  • Reset to three Action Points (see Action Points on page XXX).

  • Certain consequences, such as Bleeding and Dying, take effect. These are resolved in whatever order you wish.

  • Make a Defense test. This sets your Defense and Willpower for the round (see page XXX). The GM may make a single test for all enemies or opt to make individual tests for different enemies or groups of enemies.

  • Declare whether you are taking a Fast Turn or a Slow Turn this round (see Turns on page XXX).

Action Points

Most characters will gain three Action Points (AP) each round. These may be spent on your turn to take actions, or they may be spent during other parts of the round to take reactions. Every action or reaction normally costs 1 AP, unless it is specifically described as free.

We recommend tracking these points with physical tokens of some sort. Glass beads work well, as do poker chips.

At the beginning of the next round, all unspent AP are discarded—that is, Action Points do not carry over from round to round.

Turns

Each round, turns are resolved in three phases:

  • Fast Turns: Players who chose to take a fast turn this round resolve their turns first, in whatever order the players decide among themselves.

  • NPC Turns: All NPCs take their turns, in whatever order the GM wishes. Certain enemies may have traits that allow them to take their turns outside of this phase.

  • Slow Turns: Players who chose a slow turn resolve their turns at the end of the round. These, likewise, are resolved in whatever order the players decide.

Surprise

Taking the enemy by surprise gives you an initial advantage. Characters who are surprised begin combat with the Stunned consequence and cannot take a Fast Turn during the first round.

Fast Turns vs. Slow Turns

Both fast turns and slow turns come with their own tactical benefits. Players who take fast turns may act before the enemy does that round. Players who take slow turns, on the other hand, have the benefit of spending AP for defensive reactions before they act in the round. This means they know exactly how many they have left to spend before the round ends.