BW PDF - Midnight Campaign

Action SpeedsEvery action within the game has a speed rating, todetermine how long it takes. These are: free, instant,very fast, fast, average, slow, or very slow.When the timing indicator reaches any character, it istheir turn. They can take any action, at which point theywill move their timing representation the correct numberof spaces for the action speed of whatever it is that theyjust did, in a clockwise direction. The timing indicatorwill then continue its clockwise path until it arrives atthe next character’s marker.Free action: A free action can be made at any time,and takes no movement on the combat clock. Thingslike shouting a command are free actions, so long asthey are not abused. Shouting a single short phrase is afree action, while reciting a long poem is not.instant action: An instant action must be made on thatcharacter’s turn, but only requires moving one space onthe combat clock. Things such as changing a combatstance or grip are done as an instant action.Standard action speeds: Other action speeds range from5 to 9, very fast to very slow. While there are some wayswithin the game to change these speeds, this is standardenough to be listed on the character sheet.simultaneous actions: Sometimes, characters are ableto take two actions at the same time, such as runningand attacking. When taking two actions at once,always take the slower of the two action speeds.Speed Bonuses & PenaltiesA speed bonus will lower the number of spaces movedon the combat clock, speeding things up, while a speedpenalty will raise that number, slowing them down.Some speed bonuses and penalties, such as the spellspeed increase of a wand, count as equipment bonuses,and thus stack with other bonuses and penalties fromabilities or spells, as in the normal stacking rules.Delaying ActionsA character may choose to delay their action, taking theirtiming indicator off the combat clock. They may putit back on at any time, taking their action normally.A character who is delaying off the combat clockis considered to be focusing on their defenses.They gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Dodge,Parry, Grit and Autonomy.Round-by-Round & Duration EffectsSome effects will have a duration, lasting a set numberof rounds. When an effect’s duration is begun, place adice next to that space on the combat clock, just outsideof where the characters leave their indicators. Set thenumber on that die equal to the total rounds that effectwill last. Every time the timing indicator passes thatpoint on the combat clock set the dice one number lower,until the effect disappears.Initiative DamageIf a character takes initiative damage, they are movedback on the combat clock that number of spaces.combat timing summary & exampleThe following example runs through the whole timingconcept and shows how combat might run. To see itwork, it may help to actually draw out the combat wheeland run through the exercise with the text.Three characters enter combat. Jim the fighter, Mike the Mage,and Raxacoricofallapatorius, the slimy green monster (Rax forshort.) Jim has an agility of 10, Mike has an agility of 7, and Raxhas an agility of 5, all of which are listed next to the combat clock.All three have timing indicators on the 12 spot of the combat clock.Jim, with the highest agility, goes fi rst. He swings his broadswordat Rax, which is an average action, and so his timingindicator movesto the 7 space on the combat clock.Next, Mike casts a very fast fi re spell at Rax, so his timing indicatormoves to the 5 spot on the combat clock. Rax, unhappy with thisturn of events, shouts in frustration, a free action, and then turnsand runs away in a speedy fashion, a very slow action, movinghim to 9.From this point, the ‘now’ point of the combat clock ticks around,skipping empty spaces until it arrives at 5, where it is once againMike’s turn. Mike casts another very fast fi re spell, moving to the10 spot on the combat clock.The next indicator around the circle is Jim, at 7, who gives chaseas a very slow action, and at the same time attacks. He catches upfast enough to charge Rax, attacking with his broadsword, the veryslow move was slower, so Jim moves 9 spaces on the combat wheel,coming back around to 4.Rax is next, still running away, but with less hope this time, afterwhich it is Mike’s turn again. Play continues. as such.It’s easy to see the flexibility in strategy and timing thatthis allows, as well as how important action speeds canbe to the ebb and flow of combat.30