When violence or magical confrontation erupts, the game shifts into structured Conflict Time. Outside of conflict, characters act freeform—describe what you do, and the GM responds.
Turn Order
When conflict begins, turns proceed in this order:
- Fast Players — PCs taking Fast Turns
- Fast Enemies — NPCs/monsters taking Fast Turns
- Slow Players — PCs taking Slow Turns
- Slow Enemies — NPCs/monsters taking Slow Turns
At the start of each round, each participant declares whether they're taking a Fast Turn or a Slow Turn. You cannot change your choice once the round begins.
Fast Turns
Fast Turns are quick, reactive, and limited.
You get:
- 1 Action — Attack, cast a spell, use an ability, move significantly, or perform another major activity
- 1 Minor Action — Can be used to add an Asset or Spell Tag to your Action
Fast Turns are good for: Reacting quickly, striking first, maintaining mobility, simple attacks.
Slow Turns
Slow Turns are deliberate, powerful, and methodical.
You get:
- 1 Action — Same as Fast Turn
- 3 Minor Actions — Add multiple Assets or Spell Tags to your Action, or spend them on small tactical moves
- 1 Focus Action — Choose one:
- Heal: Advance the Healing Meter by one checkbox (see below)
- Guard: Gain 1 point of Guard (absorbs the next point of Stress or Wound you would take this conflict)
- Willpower: Gain 1 point of Willpower (add +1 to your next roll, or spend to resist a mental effect)
Slow Turns are good for: Big spells with multiple Tags, careful positioning, recovering resources, defensive play.
The Healing Meter
Each character has a Healing Meter with 4 checkboxes. When all 4 are filled, you immediately restore 4 Stress and the meter resets.
You can only advance the Healing Meter by taking a Focus Action on a Slow Turn. This means healing in combat requires patience and tactical sacrifice.
After taking 6 Stress in the first two rounds of combat, Roxy takes a Slow Turn and chooses the Heal Focus Action. She marks one checkbox on her Healing Meter (now 1/4 filled). Three rounds later, she takes another Slow Turn and marks the fourth checkbox. Her Healing Meter is now full—she immediately restores 4 Stress and clears the meter.
Guard and Willpower
Guard: Temporary protection. Each point of Guard negates 1 point of Stress or 1 Wound when you would take it. Guard disappears at the end of the conflict.
Willpower: Mental reserves. Each point of Willpower can:
- Add +1 to any single roll
- Be spent to automatically resist one mental influence effect (Authority, Cognition attacks, etc.)
Willpower also disappears at the end of the conflict.
Conflict Summary
| Turn Type | Action | Minor Actions | Focus Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast | 1 | 1 | — |
| Slow | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Focus Action Options:
- Advance Healing Meter (4 checks = restore 4 Stress)
- Gain 1 Guard
- Gain 1 Willpower