Encounters are any moment of interaction between the character and their surroundings. Encounters are determined or generated by the narrator as an ongoing part of any campaign. While many encounters that entail regular events in any given day can be mediated between players and the narrator within the general passage of time, some encounters—referred to as conflicts or conflict encounters—are characterized as particularly challenging, frightening, and perilous, where characters must engage directly and make urgent momentary decisions. Conflict encounters are moments in the game where time seems to slow, and where every individual decision the character makes is paramount.
The narrator will initiate entry into a conflict encounter by directing the collective to establish their initiative.
Order and Initiative
Conflict encounters take place in small increments of time called turns. Each turn is considered to last up to 10 seconds of real time, but mediating character decisions will often take the players longer as they narrate and negotiate their character’s actions. At the outset of any conflict encounter, all players must establish initiative.
The narrator will announce entry into a conflict encounter sequence in this way by requesting the initiative test. The narrator will also make initiative rolls for any additional characters engaged in the conflict. All members of the collective must participate in the initiative test at the start of a conflict encounter, even if they intend to perform no actions. Initiative is usually only tested at the start of an encounter, but the narrator may ask for an additional initiative if the circumstances of the encounter shift in some way.
A character’s initiative should be modified by one of the character’s physical attributes, according to the nature of the conflict encounters in a given setting and scenario. Typically, the character’s attributes that correspond to reaction time and speed, such as AGI, serve as the modifier. The Augur determines which of the setting’s four physical attributes should encompass reaction time and speed, and according to the path this is the attribute to modify initiative tests.
Determining Initiative |
[3d6] action roll |
+ Character’s AGI bonus / penalty |
+ Adjustments (such as an initiative bonus), if applicable |
Initiative tests establish the order of turns for each round of a conflict encounter. The highest test score is afforded the first action, and the order proceeds in sequence from highest to lowest initiative scores. Tied scores are considered to be actions that unfold at the same time. It is at the player’s discretion which of the tied characters narrates their action first in the turn order, but the actions must be structured to happen at the same time. Sometimes players will design these moments as collaborative actions.
As each player dictates the decisions, actions, and dialogues of their character, their turn commences and the next turn in initiative order is taken until everyone has committed their movements and actions for the entire round. Rounds continue until the narrator determines the end of the conflict.
Surprise
In conflict encounters, surprise always precedes an initiative roll, and is the purview of the narrator. It is common for the Augur to establish rules for surprise given the setting. In established game compendiums there will be detailed and fleshed out rules determining how surprise will impact the scene, but typically the collective with the element of surprise will received bonuses to their actions for a short duration of rounds.
Readiness
Readiness is a form of character protection and mitigation that is most often employed during conflict encounters. Readiness always functions in the background as the buffer of awareness and protection against perils. During conflict encounters, a character’s readiness will serve as the values to mitigate any damage in dangerous scenarios.
In established game compendiums, the Augur will have outlined how readiness is used by the player’s character. The path intends a character’s readiness to be a score calculated to serve the character as a passive value of protection and mitigation.
As a calculated score, the character’s readiness can be adjusted by various circumstances or altered states during a conflict encounter. These moments should also be outlined by the Augur. As an example, if a character’s mitigation requires speed or focus, then an altered state that would impair a character’s movement or vision must impact their readiness.
Circumstance or Altered State | Readiness Adjustment |
Character is exhausted, ill, or diseased | Impacts protection |
Character is prone, or fallen flat | Impacts mitigation |
Character is kneeling, seated, or surprised | Impacts mitigation |
Character is fatigued or has broken bones | Impacts mitigation |
Character is intimidated or surprised | Impacts focus |
Character has succumbed to fear | Impacts focus |
Players will refer to their character’s readiness values during conflict encounters (and any potentially damaging scenario) and build the story appropriately. When characters experience variable conditions, such as being seated or succumbing to exhaustion, their readiness values must be adjusted accordingly to accommodate the context of the encounter.
Movement During a Conflict Encounter
Time slows and focuses inward during a single turn in any conflict. As such, a character’s movement during a conflict encounter is limited. The Augur should establish the limitations that a character can make within the scope of one turn. As an example, characters can choose to move either at a brisk pace while taking an action, or they can opt to move at a hurried pace and forgo their action. Moving at a brisk or hurried pace can be performed in either standard conditions or limited conditions (see Movement for more details).
Movement rates in one turn of a conflict encounter:
Conditions | Brisk Pace | Hurried Pace |
Standard | Up to 60 ft. + perform 1 action | Up to 120 ft. |
Limited | Up to 30 ft. + perform 1 action | Up to 60 ft. |