Actions
Developer Notes: While mechanically Actions follow strict rules of function, it is as simple as “I do,” and then resolve the Action as written. If a trigger happens, resolve it as written. The finer dissections here are meant to help understand the mechanics as defined.
Mechanical Notes: Action Dissection
Agility: Our main Attribute influencing Action Slots is Agility.
The base number of Action Slots a Character gains when the Active Phase Cycle begins is (5 +/- Agility).
Enhanced Alacrity: A Character or Unit may only benefit from one source of Enhanced Alacrity, when multiple instances of Enhanced Alacrity are present, the Strongest Source (The one which gives the most Enhanced Alacrity) is used to determine total Enhanced Alacrity.
Bonus Action Slots: In any given Round a Character may only benefit from one source of Bonus Action Slots. Additional Sources simply fail to add more Bonus Action Slots.
Time Dilation: Effects which give Characters or Units additional Action Slots from Time Dilation may be stacked indefinitely. As Temporal Sickness applied by these effects also stack, and Desynchrony is usually Fatal.
Activating, Executing, and Resolving Actions
All Actions have three basic phases; Activation, Execution, and Resolution. Not all Actions will detail each of these phases, usually only showing Cost & Function, it is important to know the basic phases implied in every Action.
Activation: We pay all the up front costs associated with the Action and ensure we meet the requirements to Activate the Action.
Celerity: All Actions have Celerity, this is the default total Time or Action Slots the Action requires to Activate.
Stress: Stronger and Complex Actions often take a toll on our Characters in one way or another.
The Stress of an Effect is also applied during Activation.General: Additional Prerequisites that are part of Activation. This includes determining Range, Area of Effect, and any Conditional Statements, such as choosing multiple Targets, Subjects, or Victims. During this phase of an Action, any Interrupts or Interjections must be declared and resolved.
Notes: Speeding through Activation to prevent Interrupts is generally in bad taste, likewise, waiting until the end of the Activation Phase 1 to state an Interrupt is also considered to be in bad taste.
Execution: During Phase 2: Execution, once we begin this phase, our Action may no longer be Interrupted. During Execution we pay any additional cost associated with description. This may be sacrificing Hit Points, consuming an item, or other components. Then we apply the effects of our Action to its Targets, Subjects, or Victims.
Resolution: In an Actions’ Final Phase, we handle Resolution. While in Execution we see what total damage or effects are applied, during Resolution Mitigation and Responsive Actions are handled.
Responsive Actions: There are multiple Action Types which are reactive to specific triggers and also process through Activation, Execution, and Resolution mechanics. To Activate an Action as a Responsive Action all of its Trigger Conditions must be met.
Triggered Actions: Triggered Actions always pause the ongoing process of an Action, such as movement triggering a trap, and all the effects of the Triggered Action is resolved before the Triggering Action continues.
