Action System

Time System

During one's adventurers on Endeavour you will run into numerous instances where a codified time system for actions and events to play out will make roleplaying the situation easier. The following rules will explain in depth how the action system for Endeavour RPG works.

Time Units

Phase

A phase is a collection of rounds. All actors during a scene, players, NPCs, and environmental factors will play out on sepperate rounds. Once all actors have acted out thier round the phase ends and a new one begins. A phase is considered a full span of 10 Seconds.

Round

Rounds are standard terms for each person's turn in a sequence of play. A round ends after the actor, be it a player, NPC, or environment runs out of actions they wish, or must do, on thier round. Taking actions and updating status effects are the primary interactions that will be made during an actor's round.

Full-Round Actions

Full round actions will take the entire round's worth of actions to complete for a charcater or NPC. Listed below are common full round actions that are available to all;

Charging: Charging is a combined move-and-attack action with unique properties. A creature can declare a charge against a target within their movement range, provided they can move in a straight line to the target. They must travel at least 2 meters toward the target and cannot be hindered by difficult terrain. The target of a charge cannot make a reactionary strike against the charger but may use an overwatch reaction if available. A charge grants a +2 bonus to WDR for all attacks made during the action. The charger may make a full round of attacks as if they had not moved, but these attacks must be directed at the charge's target. A character cannot charge if they begin their turn within an opponent’s melee zone of control.

Skill Checks: Most skill actions, such as making an intimidate action or attempting to pick a lock are typically full round actions, some skill checks may be more complicated and call for multi-phase actions.

Spells: Many spells will call out that they are full round actions

Disengage: A single movement action that can not be interrupted with reactions

Partial Round Actions

At 1st-level all characters get access to 3 partial actions per round. These can be spent on three action categories;

Movement: A movement action is a partial round action that allows you to move up to your movement value

Combat Maneuver: Combat Maneuvers are special actions that all you to do things such as drink a potion, reload a complex weapon, draw or sheath a weapon, or set up an attack.

Reactions: A special type of combat maneuver that grants one held reaction. These typically are used as an overwatch or reactionary strike to interrupt another actor's round. See Reactions Section for more information on the types of reactions one can take.

Attack: An attack action allows you to make a single attack action with a melee, ranged or spell attack. The attack action can also be used to make a grapple or unarmed attack. Doing so allows your opponent to make an opposed melee or unarmed attack unless you are trained in unarmed combat

Minor Actions

Minor actions are half of a partial action. You may convert at any point during a round 1 partial action into two minor actions, usable to do such actions such as;

Reload: Any simple ranged weapon, such as a sling or bow, can be reloaded as a minor action. This allows two arrows to be fired per round by dedicating an 2 partial actions to attack, and converting the last partial action into 2 reload minor actions

Rushed Spell: Some spells allow you to rush them and cast for a lesser effect using a minor action

Passing through: Passing through a space with an ally that shares a size category with you, or passing over a hurdle, such as a fence or rock. This minor action must accompany the move action that takes your movement through such a space.

1 Meter Step: You can make a 1 meter step as a minor action, this action can not be used multiple times in a round. This action does not provoke reactions.

Free actions

Free actions are actions that are considered to take little to no time at all. You may take as many free actions on your turn as you wish. You are also allowed to take 1 free action on each other combatant’s turn (allies or enemies) however, they can only be taken between actions of that player. For example, if a character asks you a question, after their free action of asking you a question you may expend your free action to respond. You cannot use your free action to interrupt a move of another person. Like falling prone after an attack has been declared. You have to wait for the attack to be resolved before your free action takes effect. At the end of the round, all declared free actions resolve highest initiative to lowest initiative.


Types of Free actions typically include;
Short conversation
Hand Signals
Dropping a held item
Falling Prone
Hand or Facial Signals

Multi-Phase Actions

Sometimes a single round is not enough time to complete a task in combat, some interactions take longer than 10 seconds. This leads to multi-phase actions
Picking a complex lock, disarming a trap, casting higher level spells or rituals, unjamming a complex weapon, firing a siege weapon, or crafting an item are all examples of multi-phase actions

Reactions

Through the use of a prepared Combat Maneuver partial action, you can gain access to a reactionary action. Some class, culture or racial abilities may also give reactionary actions.

All creatures get one reactionary strike reaction per phase, resetting at the beginning of their turn.

Attacks of Opportunity

There are three types of attack of opportunity. Reactionary Strike, Overwatch, and Defensive Casting

Reactionary Strike: When a creature moves greater than 1 meter through the melee zone of control of another creature hostile to it, the hostile creature may make a single immediate melee attack against the moving creature. Casting a non-aggressive touch spell or making a ranged attack action within an opponent's melee zone of control also provokes a reactionary strike.   Overwatch: When an opponent moves more than 2 meters within your close range increment, you may expend a held reaction to make a ranged attack against them. Overwatch attacks take a temporary circumstance mod of -9 to ranged attacks. You may also trigger overwatch against opponents that take the attack action. If the target of your overwatch threatens you within melee zone of control, they may use a free action to make a melee attack at you.

Defensive Cast Some spells that specify they can be used as a reaction, these spells may be cast in place of making an Overwatch attack or reactionary attack. A previously cast and held touch spell may be used in place of a reactionary strike. Otherwise defensive casting is functionally identical to reactionary strike.

Other Reactions

Free Action Reaction: You may spend a reaction to commit to any free action that occurs if the proper conditions are met. This can be useful to drop prone when being fired upon, to drop a held item after a certain enemy arrives or shout we surrender when an ally falls.

Minor Action Reaction: You may spend a reaction at the end of another actor's turn to perform one minor action.

Tactical Adjust: You may choose to do up to three free actions at the end of another actors round. These free actions are lost if not performed on that actor's turn.

Long Term Actions

Some actions will require extensive time, typically you don't want these events to play out in phases as they would consume an inordinate amount of play time that way. So to simplify this rules have been drafted to help streamline long-term actions.