Action Frame

Action-Frames, or simply Frames, represent a moment in time in which characters in an Encounter can perform actions over the course of their turn, a round. Reaction Frames refers to a bonus moment of time given to characters at the end of their turn to use Reactions, made outside of their turn. Terms & Definitions ♦ Frame: 2 seconds of time within an Encounter in which actions can be performed by a character. ♦ Action: An activity performed with one or more appendages during a Frame. ♦ Reaction Frame: A moment of time given to a character outside their turn, to use Reactions. ♦ Reaction: As Action, except for the purpose of contesting an Action or an Action to avoid its effects. ♦ Turn: A set of three Frames a character receives each round. ♦ Round: A round lasts 6 seconds, the round progresses when all characters and the environment complete their turns. ♦ Appendage: Refers to parts of a character (physical or conceptual) that can be used to take actions. Action Frames Usually, three Action Frames take place during a character's turn, allowing them to move, perform actions and anything else required to participate in an encounter. Since each Frame is approximately 2 seconds of time, Actions are designed to fit within these 2 second moments. Appendages Actions require the use of Appendages in order to affect the world in a meaningful way. Commonly a character's legs allow them to walk or run to move around the environment, and their arms permit them to strike with their fists or swing or fire a weapon. The mind and it's capability of thought can also be considered an appendage for some powers to work. A character with unusual or extra anatomy, like extra arms or a tail, can likewise be used in actions. Each appendage can count, so having two arms and two legs means an action can be taken with each. An important thing to note is that required appendages for an action can only be used once per Frame. So using the legs to walk prevents them from being used for something else on the same Frame. The only exception is when an action is Quickened or Optimized. Through the effects of a power or the Metaphor Feature respectively. Here is a list of common Appendages that can be considered, not an exhaustive list: ♦ Hand/Arm: Each or together. Can be passively hold objects or use them as needed. ♦ Leg/Feet: Each or together. Commonly used to stand, walk, and leap. Also a legitimate attack option. ♦ Mind: Can be used to trigger abilities of the mind, hold concentration for an ability, or command an external limb. ♦ Tail: Can be used as an attack, or for balance. Can be used simultaneously with other appendages but only from behind. ♦ Additional Arms: Functionally identical to Hand/Arms, except a complete pair can perform actions the same as any other pair. ♦ Voice: A character's own vocalisations can be performed independently from their other limbs. Split-Frames Split-Frames occur when Actions are Quickened or Optimized action to take place in less than half a Frame. Not only can those actions take place in the same Frame as another Quickened or Optimized Frame, such actions can also resolve earlier, which helps during Contests. Reactions gain benefits or penalties if they are able to resolve earlier or later than the Action taken by another. Although a Reaction goes uncontested if it resolves a Frame earlier than an Action. Action Speed Normal Speed Actions take place within a Frame, But when an Action is Quickened or Optimised, they can take place in half a Frame or less when stacked. Certain Actions may require multiple Frames to complete, such as a spell with a long casting time, or a character charging up a powerful move that takes more than 2 seconds. Actions that take 2 or more Frames to complete may not be able to be Quickened or Optimised this way, or if they do the Action will reduce it by half a Frame, not half the total Frames taken to resolve. Character using Reaction Frames can take Actions outside their turn to intercept an action taken by another character. This functions like any other Frame, giving 2 seconds to make the necessary steps to protect yourself or anything else. "The Fighter begins to prepare for a Power Attack against an opposing Monk, so they spend a Frame to set up a Special Attack using their Strength, they can choose whether to execute this attack as late as the end of their next turn. During this time, the Fighter can move up to their base movement each Frame so long as their legs (used to move around) are not tied up in any specific action." "The opposing Monk has the opportunity to perform a Reaction during the Frame of the Fighter attacking them. They can spend this Frame moving away from the Fighter to get out their range, since the Monk is moving, the Fighter loses Advantage due to striking a fast moving target." Action Speeds ♦ Normal: Starts and finishes within a Frame (2 seconds) ♦ Quickened: Resolves in half the time an Action normally takes (1 second or less) ♦ Optimized: Resolves half a Frame sooner than normal (1 second) ♦ Long: Starts and finishes in more than one Frame (More than 2 seconds) When a Reaction contests with an Action, the highest result wins, this works only when the Reaction is a roll rather than a bonus or modifier. When both Action and Reaction resolve at the same time, normal results apply. If either side resolves faster than the other (due to faster Action speeds), then the side that is faster gains Advantage (alternatively, the slower side gets Disadvantage, but never both at the same time). "The Fighter goes into strike with a Power Attack, however the Fighter is seasoned enough to have Optimized their Weapon attack action to be half a frame, whereas the Monk opponent attempts to counter with their own strike as a reaction. The Monk did not optimize their unarmed strike attack (or used it already this round), since the Fighter's attack resolves faster, they gain advantage during this Contest to see if they can strike before the Monk does." Optimize Action Optimize Action is a Special Metaphor feature that allows an Action relevant to the Metaphor to be resolved in half a Frame less time than normal. The Experience Cost to 'Optimize <Action>' is usually 5 x the number times per round the character can repeat the Optimized action. Therefore the normal cost is 5XP to Optimize one use of the Action. As this is a special feature, the character's Metaphor needs to be at least half the cost of the feature for its Ability value. This Feature can be improved incrementally, gaining a version that allows 2 uses per round after gaining the version that allows 1. Since the version that allows two uses will cost 10XP, the minimum Metaphor value required to obtain it will increase to +5. This repeats and increments as high as your Game-Master allows, or Experience available. "To gain the special feature 'Optimize Weapon-Attack', the Fighter needed to spend 5XP on the Special Feature, allowing them to attack with their weapon in half a frame's time. To qualify for this, their Combat Metaphor Melee Weapons, needed to be at least +3 to meet Special Feature's requirements (3 * 2 = 6, needed 5)" Optimize <Action> be applied to multiple actions, and in doing so can allow two actions to fit within one Action Frame at a time. Note that some actions naturally take longer than one Frame to complete and Optimize can only reduce the resolution time by half a Frame. The Environment's Turn For the purposes of progressing time, the Environment is treated as a character for managing Encounters. The Environment always goes last and upon ending its turn, the next round starts and time progresses. Most effects caused by characters and creatures have their effects tied to their turn order (such as the end of THEIR turn). Environment turns usually affect how events trigger independent of any one character. One could say that the Environment becomes the main antagonistic force during Special Encounters, as players attempt to achieve the objective or goal before time runs out. "The dungeon began to collapse as the evil spirit disappears, a couple of leftover minions and the treasure the party sought to obtain were still in the room. Dangerous as it was, the battle was not yet over, they would have to all strategise on how to obtain the treasure and get out before it was too late!"