CHAPTER FIVE: ACTIONS AND TURNS
Tavern Tales is a collaborative storytelling game. In order to stay organized and prevent players from talking over one another, gameplay is divided into turns.
A turn is a period of time when one player gets to act. There’s no strict limit on how long a turn can be. In game time, a turn might last anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. The length of a turn depends largely on the context.
A turn is a period of time when one player gets to act. There’s no strict limit on how long a turn can be. In game time, a turn might last anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. The length of a turn depends largely on the context.
- Combat: A turn typically lasts several seconds.
- Exploration: A turn typically lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours.
- Interaction: A turn usually lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes.
TURN ORDER
Turn order is one of the few places where Multi Roll and Single Roll game modes diverge.
Multi Roll
In Multi Roll games, players and non-players take turns acting. Each character should get to act once before anybody else can act. A period of time where every combatant acts is often called a “round.” It’s entirely up to the GM to decide who acts next in a round.
Single Roll
In Single Roll games, players are the only ones who take turns in a single roll system. As a result, there is no need to keep track of turn order. Whenever a player’s turn ends, the GM can shift to whichever player seems fitting.
Multi Roll
In Multi Roll games, players and non-players take turns acting. Each character should get to act once before anybody else can act. A period of time where every combatant acts is often called a “round.” It’s entirely up to the GM to decide who acts next in a round.
Single Roll
In Single Roll games, players are the only ones who take turns in a single roll system. As a result, there is no need to keep track of turn order. Whenever a player’s turn ends, the GM can shift to whichever player seems fitting.
MULTI ROLL
Dabney (GM): The bandits circle around you, their silver blades gleaming under the pale moonlight. Wesley, you’re closest to them if you want to act first.
Wesley (Warrior): I’m not about to let them surround us. I charge forward and slam into one with my shield. I make a brawn roll and get an 18! Dabney (GM): Nice! What happens? Wesley (Warrior): As I charge forward, the bandit makes a horizontal slash at me. I duck under the swing and rise into an undercut, except I crack his jaw with the edge of my shield instead of my fist. I deal… 11 damage. Dabney (GM): The bandit staggers back from the blow, blood streaming from his mouth. He spits—you hear a bloody tooth clatter across the cobblestone pavements. Enraged, he lunges at you with his dagger and rolls a 3. Wesley (Warrior): Haha! A roll that low means that I get to deal free damage to him, right? Dabney (GM): Yep—and you get to roll 1 extra damage die. Wesley (Warrior): I easily sidestep his clumsy sword strike. As he stumbles past me, I heft by hammer over my head and bring it down with a solid crack onto his skull. 15 damage! Dabney (GM): Ouch… he’s barely hanging in there. Parker or Cory, you can go next. Cory (Wizard): I’ll try to finish him off! I lower my staff at the wounded bandit and speak a few arcane words to conjure a fireball. I roll… uh oh, an 8. Dabney (GM): Too bad, Cory. As soon as you start casting your spell, one of the nearby bandits lunges forward and interrupts you. He cuts at you with his dagger, drawing a fresh line of blood across your arm. You take 8 damage. Unfortunately for you, he takes advantage of his momentum and it’s his turn now. He strikes at your throat with his dagger and rolls a 12. That’s a mixed result, so you two trade blows. Cory, do you want to describe what happens? Cory (Wizard): Yeah, let me think. Hmm… Well, he may have disrupted my fireball spell, but I still have magical energy swirling around my hand. As he stabs me in my shoulder, I grab his arm with my hand and bring forth the remaining energy of my fireball spell. The smell of burnt flesh fills the air as I melt the skin off of his arm. Dabney (GM): Wow, Cory. That’s ruthless. Parker, I know you haven’t acted yet, but there are four bandits and you guys are outnumbered. Another bandit is going to get to act before you. Parker (Rogue): No problem. Dabney (GM): One of the bandits glances between Wesley (who’s covered in bandit blood) and Cory’s (who’s fighting for his life). Easy decision. The bandit moves into a flanking position behind Cory and slashes at his back. Ouch… he rolls an 18. Cory, he gets to roll +1 damage die—he deals 14 damage to you. Cory (Wizard): Ugh, I’m hurting here. Goodbye, cruel world! Parker (Rogue): Don’t sweat it, Cory. I’m up next. Dabney (GM): Yeah. Go for it, Parker. |
SINGLE ROLL
Dabney (GM): The bandits circle around you, their silver blades gleaming under the pale moonlight. Who’s up?
Wesley (Warrior): I’m not about to let them surround us. I charge forward and slam into one with my shield. I make a brawn roll and get an 18! Dabney (GM): Nice! What happens? Wesley (Warrior): As I charge forward, the bandit makes a horizontal slash at me. I duck under the swing and rise into an undercut, except I crack his jaw with the edge of my shield instead of my fist. I deal… 11 damage. Dabney (GM): The bandit staggers back from the blow, blood streaming from his mouth. He spits—you hear a bloody tooth clatter across the cobblestone pavements. Wesley, you rolled so well that the bandit can’t retaliate. He struggles to regain his balance. Who’s next? Cory (Wizard): I’ll try to finish him off! I lower my staff at the wounded bandit and speak a few arcane words to conjure a fireball. I roll… uh oh, an 8. Dabney (GM): Too bad, Cory. Unfortunately that Bad roll result means that he gets a free attack against you. As soon as you start casting your spell, one of the nearby bandits lunges forward and interrupts you. He cuts at you with his dagger, drawing a fresh line of blood across your arm. You take 8 damage. Parker, you’re the only one who hasn’t gone yet. Cory’s in trouble and Wesley is dishing out the pain. What do you want to do? Parker (Rogue): It looks like Cory could use some help. I reach into my cloak and pull forth a poison-coated dagger [a reflavored version of the Thievery trait, Bleed Out]. I flick the dagger at the bandit who’s attacking Cory and roll an 11. That’s not a great roll… Dabney (GM): Hmm, mixed result—looks like he’s going to trade blows. Parker, your dagger hits your target, but the bandit doesn’t seem to notice. Undaunted, he continues to strike at Cory. The bandit slashes across your chest, Cory, and deals another 6 damage to you. Parker (Rogue): Gah! Sorry, Cory. My dagger throw dealt 8 damage to the bandit, and he’s poisoned from my Bleed Out trait. He shouldn’t be alive for much longer! |
As you can see from the above example, Multi Roll combat is a bit longer than Single Roll combat because it includes the turns of the bandits. This is neither a good nor a bad thing—it’s just something to consider as your gaming group considers which gaming style you prefer.
DURATION-BASED EFFECTS
Some effects last for several turns. For example, an effect might read “The target can’t move for 3 turns.” In these cases, “turns” refers to the turns of the affected creature.
For example, the players are fighting orcs, and the group’s wizard steps into a trap and can’t move for 3 turns. That means that the wizard can’t move for the duration of 3 of their turns. The duration of the immobilize doesn’t tick down when the other players or the orcs take their turns; the effect only expires after the wizard takes 3 turns.
For example, the players are fighting orcs, and the group’s wizard steps into a trap and can’t move for 3 turns. That means that the wizard can’t move for the duration of 3 of their turns. The duration of the immobilize doesn’t tick down when the other players or the orcs take their turns; the effect only expires after the wizard takes 3 turns.
TAKING ACTIONS
On your turn, you may move, take one action, and take any logical number of Quick Actions.
An action is an interesting thing that affects the story, so what constitutes an action varies tremendously based on context. For example, you could spend your action to attack in combat, climb a cliff during exploration, or have a conversation with a town guard during interaction.
You perform actions by describing them. If you want pick a lock, for example, you simply describe to the GM and the other players how you go about picking the lock—the more details, the better. The GM tells you the results of the action, and they might call for you to make a roll.
Every Trait in Tavern Tales, and every non-Trait ability people logically have, fits into one of six categories: Actions, Slow Actions, Quick Actions, Passive, Move, or Interrupt.
Actions
Actions are fairly quick. They resolve in a number of seconds. You may use one Action per turn in combat. Out of combat, these are just quick tasks.
Slow Actions
Slow actions take a relatively long time to execute, usually anywhere between 30 seconds to several hours. The duration depends on context and the GM’s ruling. During combat, you would need to devote multiple rounds to complete a slow action.
Quick Actions
Quick actions are things that you can do that take a negligible amount of time. Think of simple actions as things that you do “on the way” to performing your main action. Examples include running across a room, opening a door, and drawing your sword. You can perform Quick Actions before, during, or after performing your action on your turn.
The limit for the number of Quick Actions you can perform each turn is whatever is logically appropriate. For example, suppose that you’re in combat and your turn only lasts a few seconds of game time. You open a door, draw your sword, and shout at your enemy (all Quick Actions) before running into the next room (your Movement for the turn) and attacking a goblin (Action). You can logically do all of those simple actions during a several-second turn. However, you can’t spend your several-second turn to open and close a door 100 times. Even though opening a door is a simple action, it is not logically possible to open and close a door 100 times in just a few seconds.
If you are patrolling your castle your turn represents an hour of game time, it’s perfectly reasonable to open and close 100 doors along your patrol route, because you can logically operate 100 doors over the course of an hour.
Passive
Passive Traits either take place out of game (for example, asking the GM a question), establish facts of the world (you have an animal companion, you are telepathic), or rely on an outside trigger to activate them (do _____ when you pick up an unknown object, do _____ when you defeat an enemy). As such, the question of how long they take is rarely relevant.
If something happens that triggers a passive ability in a time-sensitive context, resolve the passive action as an Interrupt.
Interrupt
These actions can be taken instantaneously, even when it isn't your turn.
Movement
You can move on your turn in addition to an action. Traits marked "Move" replace your movement when used, rather than adding to it.
For more information, see Chapter 7: Spaces and Movement.
An action is an interesting thing that affects the story, so what constitutes an action varies tremendously based on context. For example, you could spend your action to attack in combat, climb a cliff during exploration, or have a conversation with a town guard during interaction.
You perform actions by describing them. If you want pick a lock, for example, you simply describe to the GM and the other players how you go about picking the lock—the more details, the better. The GM tells you the results of the action, and they might call for you to make a roll.
Every Trait in Tavern Tales, and every non-Trait ability people logically have, fits into one of six categories: Actions, Slow Actions, Quick Actions, Passive, Move, or Interrupt.
Actions
Actions are fairly quick. They resolve in a number of seconds. You may use one Action per turn in combat. Out of combat, these are just quick tasks.
Slow Actions
Slow actions take a relatively long time to execute, usually anywhere between 30 seconds to several hours. The duration depends on context and the GM’s ruling. During combat, you would need to devote multiple rounds to complete a slow action.
Quick Actions
Quick actions are things that you can do that take a negligible amount of time. Think of simple actions as things that you do “on the way” to performing your main action. Examples include running across a room, opening a door, and drawing your sword. You can perform Quick Actions before, during, or after performing your action on your turn.
The limit for the number of Quick Actions you can perform each turn is whatever is logically appropriate. For example, suppose that you’re in combat and your turn only lasts a few seconds of game time. You open a door, draw your sword, and shout at your enemy (all Quick Actions) before running into the next room (your Movement for the turn) and attacking a goblin (Action). You can logically do all of those simple actions during a several-second turn. However, you can’t spend your several-second turn to open and close a door 100 times. Even though opening a door is a simple action, it is not logically possible to open and close a door 100 times in just a few seconds.
If you are patrolling your castle your turn represents an hour of game time, it’s perfectly reasonable to open and close 100 doors along your patrol route, because you can logically operate 100 doors over the course of an hour.
Passive
Passive Traits either take place out of game (for example, asking the GM a question), establish facts of the world (you have an animal companion, you are telepathic), or rely on an outside trigger to activate them (do _____ when you pick up an unknown object, do _____ when you defeat an enemy). As such, the question of how long they take is rarely relevant.
If something happens that triggers a passive ability in a time-sensitive context, resolve the passive action as an Interrupt.
Interrupt
These actions can be taken instantaneously, even when it isn't your turn.
Movement
You can move on your turn in addition to an action. Traits marked "Move" replace your movement when used, rather than adding to it.
For more information, see Chapter 7: Spaces and Movement.