Core:Combat

Combat in Teriock Tabletop is broken into rounds and turns.

Rounds

Each round of combat is considered to take 5 seconds.

Initiative

At the start of combat, every participant rolls for initiative (1d20 + MOV + P). This determines the combatants' turn order, with the higher rollers acting first. If another creature joins the combat partway through, they roll initiative as well and can act at times in accordance with their roll.

Surprise Rounds

Sometimes abilities or other circumstances will allow some combatants to get the upper hand on their foes by surprising them at the start of combat. When this happens, everyone still rolls for initiative, but the creatures that benefit from the surprise round are the only ones that get to act. Everyone else has their turns skipped.

Turns

On a creature's turn, they may make up to three actions. Moving, attacking, and so on typically use some number of these actions. Creatures also have one reaction that can, in principle, be use at any time within a round. They regain their reaction at the start of their turn. Creatures cannot "save up" their actions or reactions between rounds or turns. Actions and reactions reset regardless of whether or not they're used.

In addition, some effects may begin, apply, or cease at the start or end of a creature's turn. These are specified within the relevant rules text.

Maneuvers

Everything a creature does in combat turn is codified in terms of abilities. Each ability, in turn, has one of four possible maneuvers that determine when it can be used.

Active Maneuvers

Active maneuvers are done proactively within the time scale of a single turn. On each creature's turn, they may take up to three Actions in total. Every active ability will specify how many of these actions it consumes. They may be single actions, double actions, or triple actions. Some active abilities may also be free actions. These not only don't consume a creature's actions, but can be done at any time (even on other creatures' turns)! However, they cannot be used in reaction to other abilities.

Reactive Maneuvers

Reactive maneuvers can only be done in response to some event that triggers them. Every reactive maneuver will specify what its triggering conditions are. These could be taking damage, hearing another creature speak, another creature moving away from you, or anything else. Each creature has only one reaction per turn. However, some reactive abilities are free reactions. These have no limit on the number of times they can be used, so long as their triggering condition is met every time.

The order of reactive maneuver resolution is determined by a "last in, first out" stack. So if so if a creature casts Fire Ball, and another casts Dispel Magic, and the creature that first cast Fire Ball casts Dispel Magic on the first dispel, then the Fire Ball resolves. A given creature can only use a given reactive ability once within a given stack.

Passive Maneuvers

Passive maneuvers act in the background and don't require any decision to use. passive abilities will always have a duration listed that tell you when they are and aren't in effect.

Note: Passive abilities are in effect whether you like them or not. You can not simply choose to not use them.

Slow Maneuvers

Slow maneuvers are those that take longer than a single turn to execute. Some may be on the scale of a short or long rest, in which case they cannot be used in combat. Other slow abilities, such as most rituals, have a more precise execution time (or casting time) specified in seconds, minutes, hours, or some other defined unit of time. These can be done during combat so long as a round doesn't pass without the creature executing them using Sustain at least once.