Actions

THE ACTION ROUND

Six-second or six-minute rounds. Each character has a turn to take actions.

• ONE STANDARD ACTION
• ONE MOVE ACTION
• ONE QUICK ACTIONS
• FREE ACTIONS As many as the GM allows.
• REACTIONS One per turn.
• NO ACTION No Limit

TURNS & ROUNDS
Time is broken down into segments of varying lengths depending on the Encounter Type called rounds. Combat uses six-second rounds, while Conflicts typically use six-minute rounds. A Challenge can use either. A round isn’t really much time. Each character’s portion of the round is called their turn. The things you can do on your turn are broken up into actions. There are standard actions, move actions, quick actions, free actions, and reactions. During a round you can take a standard, a move action (or substitute an additional move action for your standard action), and a quick action (or substitute an additional quick action for your move action), along with as many free actions as you wish and as many reactions as are called for, with a limit of one per Turn. Additionally, you can only use one Area Power per round, regardless of action type used.

STANDARD ACTIONS
A standard action generally involves acting upon something, whether it’s an attack, using a skill, or using a power to affect something. You’re limited to one standard action each round.

MOVE ACTIONS
A move action, like the name implies, usually involves moving. You can take your move action before or after your standard action, so you can attack then move, or move then attack. You cannot, however, normally split up your move action before and after your standard action. Move actions also include things like standing up, escaping a grab, squeezing through tight spaces, cautiously shifting your position, and using a gambit.

QUICK ACTIONS
A quick action, like the name implies, is one that takes very little time to perform, but one that requires more effort than a free action. You can take your quick action at any point during your turn, and may even use it as part of a reaction, so long as you did not use it during your last turn. Quick actions include things like drawing or storing weapons, opening doors, gain information from observation, switching between powers, and picking up or manipulating objects.

FREE ACTIONS
A free action is something so comparatively minor it doesn’t take significant time or effort, so you can perform as many free actions in a round as the GM considers reasonable. Free actions include things like talking (heroes and villains always find time to say a lot in the middle of a fight), dropping prone or dropping something, ending the use of a power, activating or maintaining some other powers, and so forth.

REACTIONS
A reaction is something you do, or that happens, in response to something else. A reaction doesn’t take any significant time, like a free action. The difference is you react in response to something else happening during the round, perhaps not even on your turn. Reactions don’t count against your normal allotment of actions and you can react as often as the circumstances dictate, up to one per turn, but only when they dictate.

NO ACTION
Finally, some things players are called upon to do, certain die rolls like resistance checks, for example, are not considered actions at all, as they involve no action on the part of the characters.

ACTIONS

STANDARD ACTIONS

ATTACK, CLOSE [Standard]
With a standard action, you can make a close attack check against any opponent within the attack’s reach. Attacking an armed opponent while unarmed normally provokes an Opportunity Attack.

ATTACK, COURT [Standard]
With a standard action, you can make a court attack check against any opponent within conversation range.
Attacking an opponent who has ranks in Wits while you do not, normally provokes an Opportunity Attack.

ATTACK, RANGED [Standard, OA]
With a standard action, you can make an attack check against any non-adjacent opponent within the attack’s range.

ATTACK, RUMOR [Standard, OA]
With a standard action, you can make a rumor attack check against any opponent outside conversation range but within communication range.

DEFEND [Standard]
Rather than attacking, you focus on defense. Instead of having a passive defense, where you just add 10, you make a defense check to determine your defense versus each attack made on you until the start of your next turn. When making this check, you also roll the Fortune Die.

RECOVER [Standard]
You take your standard action to try and catch your breath and bounce back a bit. When you use Recover, you gain 1 point of Stress, but remove your highest level of damage or fatigue. Alternately, rather than removing a level of damage or fatigue, you can choose to make a resistance check against an ongoing effect, in addition to the normal resistance check at the end of your turn.

CHARGE [Standard, OA from movement]
You rush forward to attack. You move as if you had taken the move action, but at -1 to your speed rank in a relatively straight line towards your target. At the end of your movement, you can perform an attack against your opponent with a -1 Disadvantage to the attack check. Exiting out of a square threatened by another creature provokes an Opportunity attack from that creature.

READY [Standard]
Readying lets you prepare to take an action later, after you would normally act on your turn, but before your next turn in the turn order. Readying is a standard action, so you can move as well. You can ready a single standard action, which can be exchanged for a move or quick action, as usual. To do so, specify the action you will take and the trigger after which you will take it. Then, any time before your next turn, you may take the readied action as a Reaction to that trigger. However, until you take your readied action, you cannot take any other Reactions as you are concentrating on the trigger for your readied action. Your place in the turn order remains the same.
If you come to your next turn and have not yet performed your readied action, you don’t get to take the readied action, you just lose that action. You can ready the same action again on your next turn, if you wish, continuing to wait for the trigger.

TRICK [Standard]
Make a Skill check of your choice as a standard action opposed by the better of any two skills of your choice so long as each is of a different ability, but all must come from the same ability group. If your check succeeds, your target is afflicted with a lesser condition of your choice, so long as it can be afflicted, until the end of your next round.

STUNT [Standard, OA]
Make an attack check with a -1 Disadvantage to the attack check. If the attack succeeds, make an opposed check of your attack’s damage against the defender’s Fortitude or Reflex resistance for Combat Attacks, or Will or Reflex resistance for Conflict Attacks. If successful choose one of the following benefits instead of doing Damage to the target:

• AFFLICT: You inflict an affliction of your choice on your target instead of damage.
• DISARM: The defender drops a targeted held object. If you made the disarm attempt and you have two hands free, and within in reach, you can grab the dropped object as a free action. If only one hand is free, you can use a Quick action to make a Reaction check with a Moderate DC (DC 10 + Power Level) to grab it instead. If the defender is holding the object in two hands, the attack check penalty is -2 Disadvantage instead.
• GRAB: You inflict a special cumulative sustained affliction (Held, Restrained, Bound) on your target instead of damage. You are hindered and vulnerable while grabbing and holding an opponent, and cannot perform other actions requiring the use of your grabbing limb(s) other than to inflict your attacks damage on subsequent turns after the grab is established. A target can attempt to escape from a grab using the escape move action.
• PULL: You pull your target 5 feet per degree of success.
• PUSH: You push your target 5 feet per degree of success.
• BREAK: You inflict damage on an object carried or worn by your target, rather than the target itself. If the object is held, the attack check penalty is -2 Disadvantage instead.

If you lose the opposed check, the defender may immediately make an attempt to use a Stunt on you as a Reaction; make another opposed damage vs. an appropriate defense check.

ASSIST [Standard]
If you are in position to do so, you can attempt to assist an ally attempting a skill check as a standard action, but must delay to the same point in the initiative order to do so. Make an Easy DC (DC 10) skill check. Success grants your ally +1 Advantage per degree of success. One degree of failure provides no modifier, but two or more degrees impose -1 Disadvantage per additional degree of failure.
If more than one character is attempting to assist an ally on the same skill check the degrees of success (and failure) are added together to achieve the final outcome of the assistance. Instead of assisting on a skill check, you can do one of the following.

• AID: You can make an attack check against a Moderate DC (DC 10 + Power Level) to grant an ally a bonus to Attack against the target until the start of your next turn.
• COORDINATE: You can make an attack check against the target’s defense to grant an ally a bonus to the effect rank of his attack, as long as your attack has the same effect and resistance.
• COMBINE: You can make a Lore check of the appropriate power source against a Hard DC (DC 10 + Power level x 2) to grant an ally a bonus to the effect rank of a power, as long as you have a power with the same effect. If both powers are of the same power source, you can use your primary skill instead of a Lore.
• DISTRACT: You can make an attack check against a Moderate DC (DC 10 + Power Level) to grant an ally a bonus to Defense against the target until the start of your next turn.

ASSESSMENT [Standard, OA]
You can attempt to size up an opponent’s combat capabilities, or find weaknesses in an opponent’s (or group of identical opponents) combat or conflict style (the primary skill used by the opponent for attacks). Choose a target you can accurately perceive and make an Insight, Investigation, or an appropriate Lore check, opposed by the target’s passive Deception check. If successful choose one of the following benefits:

• ANALYZE: You gain a +1 Advantage to Defense per degree of success against the opponent’s attacks that their primary skill until the end of the encounter, gaining up to a maximum bonus of +5 Advantage.
• APPRAISAL: The GM tells you the target’s attack and defense Advantage relative to yours (lower, higher, or equal) as well as what ability scores he favors with each. With each additional degree of success, you learn one of the target’s advantages exactly, or the skill used.

If you fail the roll, you don’t find out anything. With more than one degree of failure, the GM may lie or otherwise exaggerate the target’s bonuses.
The opponent can attempt a Deception or Stealth check as a move action, opposed by Insight or Perception to use the skill without granting the Advantage, or decreasing a higher bonus. You can subtract 1 degree advantage per degrees of success.

MOVE ACTIONS

MOVE [Move, OA from Movement]
You can use a move action to do one of the following. Exiting out of a square threatened by another creature provokes an Opportunity Action from that creature.

• WALK: You can move up to your normal speed rank in any movement mode available to you as a move action. Normally this is a rank 0 ground speed for most people (up to 30 feet).
• RUN: You can also make a Athletics check with a Moderate DC (DC 10 + Power Level) as a free action to run faster: one or more degrees of success increases your speed rank by +1 for one round, but can cause Fatigue. You can make a Moderate DC Endurance check as a free action to resist this Fatigue. Running for successive rounds increases the degrees of success needed to resist the Fatigue by one degree for each successive round.
• SQUEEZE: You can squeeze through tight spaces, half your normal space. You squeeze at your normal speed -1 rank (typically 15 feet).
• CRAWL: While prone, you can only move by crawling. You crawl at your normal speed -3 ranks (typically 5 feet).

STAND [Move, OA]
You stand up from a prone position. You can go from prone to standing as a free action (with no Opportunity Action) by making an Acrobatics check with a Hard DC (DC 10 + Power Level x 2).

ADVANCE [Move, OA from Certain Movement]
You can move up to your normal speed -3 ranks (typically 5 feet). As long as you are moving towards the nearest enemy you do not provoke an OA for leaving a threatened square.

WITHDRAW [Move, OA from Certain Movement]
You can move up to your normal speed -3 ranks (typically 5 feet). As long as you are moving away from the nearest enemy you do not provoke an OA for leaving a threatened square.

ESCAPE [Move, OA from Certain Movement] You attempt to escape from a successful grab. Make a Might or Acrobatics skill check opposed by a Might or Dexterity skill check chosen by your opponent. If you succeed, you end the grab and can move at your normal ground speed -1 rank (or half your normal speed). If you fail, you are still grabbed. You do not provoke an OA from your grabber for leaving their threatened square.

RETRIEVE OR STORE OBJECTS [Move, OA]
Retrieving or putting away a stored object requires a move action. This action includes things like retrieving or storing an object in your pack, filling a bucket, picking up or moving heavy objects, and opening a portcullis.

AIM [Move, OA]
By taking a Move action to aim and line up an attack, you get a +1 Advantage to your next attack check. You can take multiple Aim checks in a row, gaining up to a maximum bonus of +5 Advantage.
However, you are vulnerable while aiming and it requires a free action to maintain your aim before you make your attack. If you are unable to maintain it, you lose its benefit.
Once you aim, your next attack must be to attack the creature you were aiming at. Attacking someone else spoils your aim and you lose the bonus.

GAMBIT [Move, OA]
Sometimes characters want to attempt amazing acts of skill. In this case, the character, as a move action, may attempt a skill check vs a Mod DC (DC 10 + Power Level), or a Passive Reaction or Guile if threatened. Success grants you or an ally +1 Advantage per degree of success until the end of their next turn. One degree of failure provides no modifier, but two or more degrees impose -1 Disadvantage per additional degree of failure. The character can move at his speed -1 rank, by taking a -1 Disadvantage, or at his normal rank by taking a -2 Disadvantage.

COMMAND [Move]
Issuing a command to a character or creature under your control requires a move action. If you want to issue different commands to different characters or groups, each different command requires a move action (so you can issue two commands per round as two move actions).

INFLUENCE [Move, OA]
You can improve others’ attitudes about yourself, other people, or a subject with an opposed Interaction Skill check. Success improves or worsens (your choice) the subject’s attitude by one step, while three degrees of success improves or worsens it by two steps, and five degrees improves or worsens it by three steps. Failure means no change, and failure by two degrees worsens or improves the subject’s attitude by one step, and by two steps at four degrees of failure, whichever is least beneficial to you. In the case of a hostile subject, they may outright attack or otherwise interfere with you if their attitude worsens.
Alternatively instead of improving or worsening the subject’s attitude, you can shift the conversation to a different topic, possibly using the subjects’ attitude about it instead of his attitude about you. Success means you can shift the conversation, with three degrees of success you can also temporarily ignore the subjects negative attitude towards you, and with five degrees you can temporarily gain the benefit of the subjects positive attitude towards the new topic.

QUICK ACTIONS

DRAW OR SHEATHE WEAPONS [Quick]
Drawing and putting weapons away requires a quick action. This action also applies to objects carried in easy reach, such as shields, wands, and potions. If your weapon or object is stored in a pack or otherwise out of easy reach, treat this action as the retrieve or store objects action.

PICK UP OR MANIPULATE OBJECT [Quick]
Picking up or manipulating an object requires a quick action. This action includes things like picking up an item, moving an object, pulling a lever, and opening a door.

STUDY [Quick]
You can learn something useful or interesting about an individual, place, or object with an appropriate opposed Skill check as a quick action.

STANCE [Quick]
Before you make an Attack on your turn, you can take between -1 to -5 Disadvantage on either your attacks, defenses, or effect ranks, and add the same number (+1 to +5) as Advantage to either your attacks, defenses, or effect ranks. The changes are decided before you make your attack check and last until the start of your next turn. The Disadvantage must be applicable to gain the bonus.

SWITCH ALTERNATE EFFECT [Quick]
Switching between Alternate Effects of a power requires a quick action. This action also applies to switching between Alternate Effects a piece of gear might have.

FREE ACTIONS

TALK [Free]
In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn’t your turn. Speaking more than a few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action though.

DROP [Free]
Dropping to a prone position or dropping a held item is a free action (although dropping or throwing an item with the intention of hitting something with it is a standard attack action).

DRAW OR STORE AMMO [Free]
Drawing ammunition for use with a ranged attack or weapon (such as arrows, bolts, sling bullets, throwing daggers, or shuriken) is a free action.

SPEND DESTINY, FATE, OR CORRUPTION [Free]
Unless otherwise noted, spending Destiny, Fate, or Corruption is a free action, taking no time, and you can spend as much Destiny, Fate, or Corruption as you have, at any time. You can spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption for any of the following:

• COUP: You can spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption to increase the Degree of success on a successful check, determined by the number rolled on the die used (half the number, rounded up, for determining Degrees of Success.
• EDIT SCENE: You can spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption to “edit” a scene to benefit your character, influence how the GM spends Treasure Points, or grant him ranks of Advantage by adding or changing certain details. How much players are allowed to “edit” circumstances is determined by the number rolled on the die used (half the number, rounded up, for determining ranks of Advantage), but generally edit scene should not be allowed to change any event that has already occurred or any detail already explained in game. The GM may also veto uses of editing that ruin the adventure or make things too easy on the players.
• IMPROVE ROLL: You can spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption to gain a bonus equal to the number rolled on a failed check or to boost a successful check (Though you might want to use the Coup use instead). You cannot spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption on die rolls made by the GM or other players without the Luck Control effect (see Powers).
• INSPIRATION: You can spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption to get sudden inspiration in the form of a hint, clue, or bit of help from the GM. How much help the players get from inspiration is determined by the number rolled on the die, but how it manifests is determined by the GM.
• RECOVER: You can spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption to immediately use the Recover action without taking an action, but it does still add Stress. Among other things, this option allows you to use a Surge (previously) without suffering any fatigue. If unconscious, or unable to take free actions for some other reason, you can still spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption to attempt to use the Recover action, but must roll a 6 on the die. If you roll 5 or less the die is wasted and discarded. If Dying and you roll a 1, it counts as a failed death save.
• STUNT: You can spend Destiny, Fate, or Corruption to immediately add a Stunt to a successful Attack.

REACTIONS

OPPORTUNITY ATTACK [Reaction]
In Combat, you threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an Opportunity Attack from you. You may make a melee attack as if you had taken the Close Attack action. If you’re unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make Opportunity Attacks. However, if you are in a Conflict or Challenge instead of combat, and have a Wits ranks, you threaten anything within court range, and may make a court attack as if you had taken the Court Attack action.

SURGE [Reaction]
Players can have their heroes use a Surge simply by declaring they are doing so. Using a Surge is a Reaction and can be performed at any time, but is limited to once per turn. A character using a Surge gains one of the following benefits:

• ADDITIONAL ACTION: Gain an additional standard action during your turn, which can be exchanged for a move, quick, or free action, as usual.
• ALTERNATE EFFECT: Temporarily gain and use an Alternate Effect. The Alternate Effect lasts until the end of the Encounter.
• BOOST: Increase one of your character’s Traits by +1 rank until the end of the character’s next turn.
• BURST: Negate Disadvantages or opponents Advantages until the end of the character’s next turn.
• EDGE: Temporarily gain a Rank of an Edge until the end of the Encounter.
• COUNTER: You can attempt to Counter an Effect used against you as part of this Reaction, or instead use an Avert or Deflect effect.
• RESISTANCE: Gain an immediate additional check against an ongoing effect. If you’re compelled or controlled, the fatigue from Surge doesn’t affect you until you’re free of the effect; this is so you can’t resist yourself to exhaustion as a way of avoiding being controlled!
• RETRY: Certain effects or checks require a Surge to retry after a certain degree of failure. The Surge merely permits another attempt to use the effect; it grants no other benefits.

At the start of the turn immediately after using a Surge, the character becomes fatigued. A fatigued character who uses a Surge becomes exhausted and an exhausted character who uses a Surge is incapacitated. If you spend Destiny before the start of the turn following the Surge to remove the fatigue (preemptive Recover), the character suffers no adverse effects. In essence, spending Destiny lets you use a Surge without suffering fatigue. A character who has immunity to Fatigue effects still suffers Fatigue from using a Surge.

SMASH [Reaction]
When you hit with an attack, you focus on the damage or effect rank trying to hit with more power. Instead of having a passive damage or effect rank, where you just add 10, you make a damage or effect rank check to determine your damage or effect rank for this attack.

SLAM [Reaction]
When you move before an attack, you can slam right into your target, using your momentum to strengthen your attack, but potentially receiving some damage from the impact yourself. You gain +1 Advantage per 10’ moved that round before your attack, gaining up to a maximum bonus of +5 Advantage. You suffer some of the impact of slamming into a target; make a Toughness resistance check against the damage of your attack without the bonus gained for using slam. Immunity to slam damage you inflict is a rank 2 Immunity effect, while Immunity to all slam damage is rank 5.

RAISE [Reaction]
When you make a check, but before you roll any dice, you can voluntarily increase the DC by +5. If you succeed, the degree of success is increased by +2 degrees. If you fail, the degree of failure is increased by +1 degree. You can make up to two raises on a single check.

HUNCH [Reaction]
Sometimes characters need a little luck. In this case, the character, as a Reaction before making a skill check, may attempt an Intuition check vs an Easy DC (DC 10). Success grants you +1 Advantage per degree of success on the Skill check that triggered this action. One degree of failure provides no modifier, but two or more degrees impose -1 Disadvantage per additional degree of failure.

NO ACTIONS

DELAY [No action]
When you delay, you choose to take your turn later in the turn order. You must delay your entire turn. You cannot delay if you have already taken an action on your turn, or if you are unable to take actions. At any point after any other character in the conflict has acted, you can choose to take your turn. Your initiative moves into the new place in the order where you act, and you take your normal allocation of actions. If you do not act before your initiative comes up in the next round, your turn ends, you lose your delayed turn, and your initiative remains where it is. Beneficial effects lasting until the end of your turn end when you choose to delay, but harmful effects that last until the end of your turn last until after you act. Likewise, you do not make resistance checks until after you have taken your turn, so delaying can draw out some effects.

VARIABLE ACTIONS

USE POWER, PERSONAL [Varies]
With an action type determined by the power’s effects, you can use a personal power on yourself without provoking an Opportunity Attack.

USE POWER, CLOSE [Varies]
With an action type determined by the power’s effects, you can use a close power against any opponent or ally within the power’s reach and area of effect without provoking an Opportunity Attack.

USE POWER, RANGED [Varies, OA]
With an action type determined by the power’s effects, you can use a ranged power against any non-adjacent opponent or ally within the power’s range and area of effect, but does provoke an Opportunity Attack

USE POWER, COURT [Varies]
With an action type determined by the power’s effects, you can use a court power against any opponent or ally within the power’s range and area of effect without provoking an Opportunity Attack from adjacent or court ranged opponents.

USE POWER, GOSSIP [Varies, OA]
With an action type determined by the power’s effects, you can use a gossip power against any non-court opponent or ally within the power’s range and area of effect, but does provoke an Opportunity Attack from adjacent or court ranged opponents.

USE SKILL [Varies, OA Varies]
What type of action a Skill requires can vary from use to use, unless covered under other actions. Likewise, whether a Skill use provokes an Opportunity Attack also varies. Use GM’s discretion for both.

USE TOOL OR DEVICE [Varies, OA Varies]
What type of action a tool or device requires can vary from item to item, unless covered under other actions. Likewise, whether a tool or device use provokes an Opportunity Attack also varies. Use GM’s discretion for both.

LOAD COMPLEX WEAPONS [VARIES, OA]
What type of action a weapon requires to load can vary from weapon to weapon and should use the GM’s discretion. However, loading a complex weapon always provokes an Opportunity Attack.