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Taking Action

Actions Points

Each time a character has an Activation, they will be given a certain number of Action Points or AP. Action Points are used to Move, Strike, perform Spiritual Effects, and perform other actions. Characters will act with a number of Action Points equal to their Speed throughout each Cycle.

{Ex. Herald has a Speed of 10, and so would have 10 total Action Points during a Cycle.} 

Initiative & Action Point Distribution 

Each Cycle consists of 7 Segments. These Segments are named: 1, 2, 3, 4, A, B, C.

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Character activity will spread out among multiple Segments. Early on, characters will only act during two Segments, but as they increase in Rank, the number will increase. Segments and Activations are tracked using a War Scroll that will look something like this.

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The War Scroll guides the flow of War. To fill out a War Scroll, start by sorting all the characters involved by their Swiftness, highest to lowest. (In the event of a tie, holy elohim go first. It the tie involves elohim of the same allegiance, the Host determines who acts first.) Write these names, in that order, down the leftmost column leaving space for notes between each name.

For each character, you will be looking at their Speed, which determines how many Action Points they will have during one complete Cycle.

All characters should have at least 7 Speed, so write “7” across from each character’s name down the column for Segment 1. This indicates they have an Activation for 7 AP during Segment 1.

AP are assigned to Segments in a pattern alternating between number Segments and letter Segments in this order: 1, A, 2, B, 3, C, 4.

Assign each character’s remaining AP, up to 7, to Segment A. Any characters that have more than 7 AP remaining will act during a third Segment.

Assign any AP remaining, up to 7, to Segment 2. Then, up to 7 AP to Segment B, then Segment 3, Segment C, and finally Segment 4. Follow this pattern until all AP for all characters are assigned to an Activation.

Only the fastest characters at the highest levels or characters benefitting from large bonuses will ever have more than 49 Speed. However, it is possible and will ever happen. When a character's Speed does exceed 49, divide their Speed by 7 and apply the resulting whole number to each Segment adding any remaining unassigned Action Points 1 at a time to Segments in the order of: 1, A, 2, B, 3, C, 4.

No matter how many ways Speed is increased or Actions Points are added to an Activation, a character can never act with more than 12 Action Points during a single Activation. Any AP more than 12 should be spilled over into the next Activation. If the all Activations have 12 AP, the overage is wasted.

Sample Completed War Scroll

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This War Scroll includes the characters’ relative Speed and Swiftness to broaden understanding.

During gameplay, characters only act during Segments where they have Action Points assigned. Many Segments will be skipped, containing no character Activations. In Segments containing character Activations, those characters act starting with the highest Swiftness and working downward. Once all Activations in a Segment are completed, move to the next Segment with Activations.

Example of game flow using the sample War Scroll above:
  1. Echthra would have the first Activation for 7 AP in Segment 1, performing actions such as moving and striking with a weapon.
  2. Next, Tirzaiel would have an Activation for 7 AP, performing similar actions.
  3. Thomas would act next for 7 AP, singing Songs, moving, and possibly striking a foe.
  4. Finally, Kandor’s Activation for 7 AP would end Segment 1.
  5. Moving to Segment 2, Echthra would act for 3 AP, then Tirzaiel for 2 AP, ending Segment 2.
  6. Jumping to Segment A, the next Segment with Activations, Echthra would have an Activation for 7 AP, followed by Tirzaiel for 7 AP.
  7. Thomas would have an Activation for 5 AP, and lastly, Kandor for 4 AP.
  8. This Cycle would conclude, and a new Cycle would begin in Segment 1 with Echthra.

Changes in Swiftness during War are rare, and most often will be due to becoming Weakened. If this happens, do not rearrange the activity order on the War Scroll. Doing so adds too many complications. Action Points and Activations can be changes more easily and are adjusted to reflect changes in Speed.

Carrying Over Action Points

A character may sometimes choose to delay the use of Action Points from an Activation into their next Activation. This is called Carrying Over Action Points and is only allowed if the delayed Action Points will not increase the next Activation above 7 Action Points. If their next Activation is for 7 AP, they should Stand Ready or Rest instead.

Durations

Durations for most effects in the game are figured in Cycles. If something would affect a character for a specified number of Cycles, it begins to affect them immediately and will continue until the same point during the next Cycle reducing the Duration by 1 Cycle at that point until the Duration has expired.