Difference between revisions of "Basic mechanics"

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In MazeWorld, you are in control of your '''Player Character (PC)''' from the moment you begin your adventure until the very end; whatever that end may be. As a game focused on combat, fighting, and survival, you are responsible for every action necessary to keep your PC alive; fighting, using items, doing jobs, but also eating and drinking, resting, training, and if you have any, healing injuries and fixing problems.
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In MazeWorld, you are in control of your '''Player Character (PC)''' from the moment you begin your adventure, until the very end; whatever that end may be. As a game focused on combat, fighting, and survival, you are responsible for every action necessary to keep your PC alive; fighting, staying alive, doing jobs, but also eating and drinking, resting, training, and if you have any, healing injuries and fixing problems.
+
  
 
This means that at any given moment, you have a certain range of actions and abilities at your disposal. Unless the story demands it or your character is no longer conscious, control of your character should never be taken away from you.  
 
This means that at any given moment, you have a certain range of actions and abilities at your disposal. Unless the story demands it or your character is no longer conscious, control of your character should never be taken away from you.  
  
Often, you will need to roll the dice to resolve certain actions and determine whether you succeed or fail. As explained in the [[Basic concepts]] page, you will usually make use of d6s, d8s, and d100s, with the expectation of rolling any and all kinds of dice; in any quantity and with any amount of sides.
+
Often, you will need to roll the dice to resolve certain actions and determine whether you succeed or fail. As explained in the [[Basic concepts]] page, you will usually make use of d6s, d8s, and d100s, with the expectation that you ''might'' have to roll any and all kinds of dice at any moment.
 +
 
 +
= In and out of combat =
 +
 
 +
When playing MazeWorld, there are two major 'modes' of play; being '''out of combat''' and being '''in combat''' (known as '''[[Combat mode]]'''). The actions available to you differ depending on whether or not you are in combat, though it is possible to shift in and out of combat in an instant.
 +
 
 +
Out of combat is the default mode of play. In this mode, the situation is assumed to be relatively safe and more relaxed, and there is generally no need to keep track of character positioning, time or turns passing, unless specific situations or conditions warrant the need to do so. Normal is the closest there is to freeform roleplaying, and greater leeway and flexibility should be granted to Game Masters (GMs) and players.
 +
 
 +
When in combat, certain information becomes very important: character and item positioning, turns passing, and who does what in which order. Each of these may have an influence on the outcome of the fight. All of the specifics to fighting can be found on the '''[[Combat mode]]''' page.
 +
 
  
 
= Declaring actions =
 
= Declaring actions =
 +
 +
In order to make things happen, characters must do clearly declared '''actions'''.
  
 
Every action you wish your character to make must be declared. That means clearly telling the GM what you intend to do, with as many details as required. It is not strictly necessary to be always in-character when declaring actions, but it is considered good form to weave your intentions into your roleplaying, even if it's just a few words.
 
Every action you wish your character to make must be declared. That means clearly telling the GM what you intend to do, with as many details as required. It is not strictly necessary to be always in-character when declaring actions, but it is considered good form to weave your intentions into your roleplaying, even if it's just a few words.
  
= In and out of combat =
+
Depending on what actions you are declaring, the GM may ask you to roll dice, make choices, or confirm decisions; as necessary and when appropriate.
  
When playing MazeWorld, there are two major 'modes' of play; being '''out of combat''' (what is referred to as '''Normal mode''') and being '''in combat''' (known as '''Combat mode'''). The actions available to you differ depending on whether or not you are in combat, though it is possible to shift in and out of combat in an instant.
+
There are three kinds of actions in MazeWorld: ''Combat actions'', ''Non-combat actions'', and ''Free actions''. Combat and Non-combat actions generally cost at least one turn to perform, whereas Free actions cost nothing to perform.
  
Normal mode (out of combat) is the default mode of play. In this mode, the situation is assumed to be relatively safe and more relaxed, and there is generally no need to keep track of character positioning, time or turns passing, unless specific situations or conditions warrant the need to do so. Normal is the closest there is to freeform roleplaying, and greater leeway and flexibility should be granted to GMs and players.
+
* ''Combat actions'' are every type of action related to using a weapon or an offensive ability of some sort.
 +
* ''Non-combat actions'' are every type of action related to using any items or abilities that do not fall into the category of combat actions.
 +
* ''Free actions'' are relatively non-consequential actions which can be done freely and at no cost.
 +
 
 +
'''Examples:'''
 +
* ''Combat action example: Attacking an enemy'' ;  Private Bowens intends to attack the giant ant by shooting it three times, in semi-auto, with her [[AK-101]].
 +
* ''Non-combat action example: Using an item'' ; Johnny pulls out a syringe of [[Meds|morphine]] from his leg rig, and injecting it into his arm.
 +
* ''Free-action example: Talking'' ; Noriko screaming "I'm going to rip your eyeballs out and make you eat them!" at her opponents on the other side of the room.
 +
 
 +
When outside of combat, most of what your character will do are non-combat and free actions. Combat actions ''can'', in certain circumstances, be performed outside of combat, but generally speaking, if you need to use a weapon of some sort, you're probably fighting or about to fight.
 +
 
 +
Any combat or non-combat action takes '''1 turn''' to perform. If multiple turns are required, then it takes as many actions as turns required.
  
When in combat, character and item positioning, turns passing, and who gets to do what in which order; all of those things become important, as they may have an influence on the outcome of the fight. All of the specifics to fighting can be found on this article: '''[[Combat mode]]'''
 
  
 
= Time =
 
= Time =
''"Time" redirects here.''
+
''"Time" redirects here. For an in-universe explanation on the way people in the Mazes keep track of periods of time, see: [[Calendar]].''
 +
 
 +
A typical MazeWorld session focuses on one or more player characters, living moment to moment, room to room, throughout their adventures. It is not strictly necessary to keep track of the in-game clock down to the exact hours and minutes; the only important elements of time are what day it is and what the current time period is. Most shops and businesses in the Mazes are open 24/7, and all of the elements of the game that do rely on time will use time periods instead of precise hour and minute counts.
  
A typical MazeWorld session focuses on small groups of player characters, living moment to moment, room to room, throughout their adventures. It is customary, but not strictly necessary, to keep track of the in-game clock, and give an idea of how many days the characters have survived. The exact time of the day is generally unimportant, as most shops and businesses in the Mazes are open 24/7. At the minimum, the GM should tell the players what the current time period of the day is, but it is generally not necessary (though possible, see advanced tip below) to keep track of exact hours and minutes.
+
The GM can, of course, surmise and make up an exact hour/minute time corresponding to the current time period (e.g., if the current time period is Dusk, the GM can say something along the lines of "You see the clock on the wall reads 5:30 in the afternoon"), but it should be for flavor purposes only.
  
 
Just like in the real world, one day is made up of 24 hours, one hour is 60 minutes, and one minute is 60 seconds. But since it is a world that is for the most part 'inside', inhabitants of the Mazes regard terms like "sunrise" and "sunset" as unusual and archaic.
 
Just like in the real world, one day is made up of 24 hours, one hour is 60 minutes, and one minute is 60 seconds. But since it is a world that is for the most part 'inside', inhabitants of the Mazes regard terms like "sunrise" and "sunset" as unusual and archaic.
  
Days can be divided into halves and quarters, as follows:
+
Days are divided into six periods of 4 hours each, as follows:
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:9pt; text-align:center" width="400"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:9pt; text-align:center" width="400"
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| ''Hours'' || ''Time period name''
 
| ''Hours'' || ''Time period name''
 
|-
 
|-
| 8 AM to 11:59 AM || '''Morning'''
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| 8 AM to 11:59 AM || <span style="color:#BB7700">'''Morning'''</span>
 
|-
 
|-
| 12:00 PM to 7:59 PM || '''Day'''
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| 12:00 PM to 3:59 PM || <span style="color:#BB7700">'''Afternoon'''</span>
 
|-
 
|-
| 8 PM to 11:59 PM || '''Evening'''
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| 4:00 PM to 7:59 PM || <span style="color:#BB7700">'''Dusk'''</span>
 
|-
 
|-
| 12:00 AM to 7:59 AM || '''Night'''
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| 8 PM to 11:59 PM || <span style="color:#000088">'''Evening'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| 12:00 AM to 3:59 AM || <span style="color:#000088">'''Late night'''</span>
 +
|-
 +
| 4:00 AM to 7:59 AM || <span style="color:#000088">'''Dawn'''</span>
 
|}
 
|}
  
The start of the morning (8 AM) is called the '''daybreak''', and the start of the evening (8 PM) is called the '''eventide'''. Certain places and businesses in the Mazes with concepts of a "day shift" and a "night shift" use these hours as points of reference for when these shifts begin and end; for example, if you're visiting the local diner at 2:30 in the afternoon, you're going to see the employees work the day shift, but if you come back later at 1 AM, you will see the night shift employees instead.
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* Time periods in <span style="color:#BB7700">'''orange'''</span> are collectively referred to as '''daytime''', whereas time periods in <span style="color:#000088">'''blue'''</span> are in the '''nighttime'''.
 +
* The start of the morning, and therefore of daytime, is '''08:00 AM''' and is referred to as the '''daybreak'''. The start of the evening, and thus of nighttime, is '''08:00 PM''' and is referred to as the '''eventide'''.
 +
* Certain places and businesses in the Mazes with concepts of a "day shift" and a "night shift" use these hours as points of reference for when these shifts begin and end; for example, if you're visiting the local diner at 2:30 in the afternoon, you're going to see the employees work the day shift, but if you come back later at 1 AM, you will see the night shift employees instead.
  
{{AdvancedTip
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The passage of time is important for [[Inebriation]] mechanics as well, as eliminating inebriation depends on the amount of day periods that have passed since the last drink.
| tiptext=Game Masters: If you really want to, and if your players have no issue with it, you can keep track of the clock in the game at a more accurate level than simply tracking the current time period, right down to the exact hours and minutes, using these pointers:<br/>
+
'''+5 minutes''' when entering a new UA room<br/>
+
'''+6 minutes''' per turn spent Waiting<br/>
+
'''+6 minutes''' per turn spent Resting<br/>
+
|}}
+
  
== The daily reset ==
 
  
The only important part of time is the amount of days that have passed in the game, and more specifically the moment at which the character enters into a new day. This point is known as the '''daily reset'''. Two important statistics, [[Nutrition]] and [[Hydration]], rely on the daily reset for their significance. Every day at the daily reset, your character will lose a certain amount of nutrition and hydration, roughly corresponding to a day's worth of food and water. The exact amount of nutrition and hydration lost depends on your character's specific attributes; please check the relevant articles for details.
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== Daily Reset ==
 +
 
 +
The most important element of time is the amount of days that have passed in the game, and more specifically the moment at which the character enters into a new day. This point is known as the '''Daily Reset'''. Two important [[statistics]], [[Nutrition]] and [[Hydration]], rely on the Daily Reset for their significance. Every day, your character will lose a certain amount of nutrition and hydration, roughly corresponding to a day's worth of food and water. The exact amount of Nutrition and Hydration lost depends on two factors: your character's Base Limb Health value and constitution.
  
 
The daily reset occurs at '''midnight''', at the start of the Night period.
 
The daily reset occurs at '''midnight''', at the start of the Night period.
 +
 +
The exact amount of nutrition and hydration lost every day is calculated as follows:
 +
* Nutrition lost on Daily Reset = '''30 x Base Limb Health value'''
 +
* Hydration lost on Daily Reset = '''10 x Base Limb Health value'''
 +
** If your character's constitution is Athletic, multiply both values by '''1.25'''. If Muscular, multiply both values by '''1.5'''.
 +
 +
In addition, your character may heal some [[Pain]] (if not 0%) and [[Blood]] (if not at maximum levels and if there are no [[Wounds]]) during Daily Reset. This is referred to as '''natural healing'''; however this healing is not free and will burn extra Nutrition as well as some [[Fatigue]].
 +
* Pain healed on Daily Reset: '''Up to -40%'''. Healing Pain through Daily Reset is subject to the [[Effects#Healing|Pain healing effect]].
 +
* Blood healed on Daily Reset: '''Up to +1.0 unit'''. Healing Blood through Daily Reset is subject to the [[Effects#Healing|Blood healing effect]].
 +
 +
Additional considerations:
 +
* If you have skill levels in [[Healing]], you will receive bonuses to natural healing, which are applied ''before'' the normal effects of natural healing. See [[Healing#Natural healing bonuses|this section]] for more details.
 +
* If your character is [[Addiction|addicted]] to one or more substances before Daily Reset, all active addictions will advance by one level, unless already at level 3.
 +
  
 
= Turns =
 
= Turns =
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Generally speaking, unless the player characters are in combat, or there is some other situation during which the counting of turns would become important, it's not strictly necessary to count down the exact amount of turns that would pass for completing an action. The significance of turns depends on how much changes over each turn, particularly if any effects that work over time are active; virtually all such effects work on a per-turn basis, and all temporary effects last an amount of time expressed in turns.
 
Generally speaking, unless the player characters are in combat, or there is some other situation during which the counting of turns would become important, it's not strictly necessary to count down the exact amount of turns that would pass for completing an action. The significance of turns depends on how much changes over each turn, particularly if any effects that work over time are active; virtually all such effects work on a per-turn basis, and all temporary effects last an amount of time expressed in turns.
  
* '''Example:''' After having successfully eliminated a nasty creature, Sarah notices she sustained a few Wounds during the fight, and is now bleeding. In order to access the bandages inside of her [[Load-bearing equipment|backpack]], Sarah needs to spend a turn to drop her backpack on the ground and make the items accessible. Normally, this would be trivial, but every turn Sarah spends with at least one wound, means she is losing Blood. It will require one turn to drop the backpack, and one turn for every bandage required (one per Wound) in order for her to stop bleeding. Hopefully she is able to patch herself up before all of her red fluids are on the floor...
+
* '''Example:''' During a fight against a nasty creature, Sarah has taken hits and sustained three [[Wounds]], and is now bleeding. In order to access the [[Meds|bandages]] inside of her [[Load-bearing equipment|backpack]], Sarah needs to spend a turn to drop her backpack on the ground and make the items accessible. Normally, this would be trivial, but every turn Sarah spends with at least one wound, means she is losing [[Blood]]. It will require one turn to drop the backpack, and one turn for every bandage required (one per Wound) in order for her to stop bleeding.
 +
 
 +
GMs are, however, encouraged to expedite such processes for the sake of keeping the pace going, especially outside of combat and if players do have the resources on their characters to fix these issues, unless you absolutely want to run an intense, beat-by-beat, every-moment-counts session, it is usually better to simply let player characters heal themselves "for free". GMs and players may discuss about it and decide together how intense, detailed and granular their sessions should be.
 +
 
 +
* '''Example:''' Normally, if Sarah were still in combat and had to heal 3 Wounds using bandages, she would have to spend the first turn dropping the Backpack (-0.3 Blood), use turn 2 to heal the first wound with a bandage (-0.2 Blood), then turn 3 for healing wound 2 (-0.1 Blood), then turn 4 for healing wound 3 (all wounds patched), losing a total of 0.6 Blood and 4 turns. However, the GM decides to let Sarah patch herself up without losing 0.6 Blood because she's no longer in combat, and there's no reason to waste time.
 +
 
  
 
= Movement and traveling =
 
= Movement and traveling =
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When outside of combat and in a Civilized area such as a town, or an intersection, you can travel to nearly any specific room, street, shop, business, or point of interest, simply by declaring an intent to travel to that location, so long as you have access to it. Towns and intersections generally have maps listing the places of interest available, and the preferred method of declaring movement is to simply say something along the lines of, ''"I'm going to the gun shop"'' or ''"Next, I'm going to visit the hospital"''.  
 
When outside of combat and in a Civilized area such as a town, or an intersection, you can travel to nearly any specific room, street, shop, business, or point of interest, simply by declaring an intent to travel to that location, so long as you have access to it. Towns and intersections generally have maps listing the places of interest available, and the preferred method of declaring movement is to simply say something along the lines of, ''"I'm going to the gun shop"'' or ''"Next, I'm going to visit the hospital"''.  
  
You can specify a particular room or area if you know exactly where you're going, and you should be able to request your precise location to the GM whenever you desire.
+
You can specify a particular room or area if you know exactly where you're going. You can also request to the GM your precise location, or the current town or intersection map, whenever you desire.
  
 
In order to leave a Civilized Area, your character must be at a location where it is possible to transition into the UA.
 
In order to leave a Civilized Area, your character must be at a location where it is possible to transition into the UA.
 
* '''Towns''' have a room called the ''Gap corridor'', which represents the very edge of the town. This is where you can choose your next destination. You can only travel to a town or an intersection that is linked to the current town, though you can plot a specific itinerary if you so desire.
 
* '''Towns''' have a room called the ''Gap corridor'', which represents the very edge of the town. This is where you can choose your next destination. You can only travel to a town or an intersection that is linked to the current town, though you can plot a specific itinerary if you so desire.
* '''Intersections''' do not have gap corridors. Instead, as intersections are plus sign-haped ('''+'''), between 2 and 4 of its outermost streets can be connected to the UA, each corresponding to a single destination.
+
* '''Intersections''' do not have gap corridors. Instead, as intersections are plus sign-shaped ('''+'''), 2 to 4 of its outermost rooms may be connected to the UA, each corresponding to a single destination.
  
 
== Uncivilized Area ==
 
== Uncivilized Area ==
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** The ''Code'' is either a letter or a number written between parentheses:
 
** The ''Code'' is either a letter or a number written between parentheses:
 
*** If the code is a '''number''', it is a number representing the room's decay level. Decay level numbers range from 0 to 5.
 
*** If the code is a '''number''', it is a number representing the room's decay level. Decay level numbers range from 0 to 5.
*** If the code is a '''letter''', it may either be S or D. S means the front door in this room is a Shortcut, and D means the front door in this room is a Detour.
+
*** If the code is a '''letter''', it may either be '''(S)''' for Shortcut, or '''(D)''' for Detour. In both cases, the shortcut or detour will be available in the next room, at the front door.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:9pt; text-align:center" width="600"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:9pt; text-align:center" width="600"
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* In rooms with a decay level of at least 2, all electrically-powered furniture (televisions, radios...) will be non-functional.
 
* In rooms with a decay level of at least 2, all electrically-powered furniture (televisions, radios...) will be non-functional.
  
Here is an '''example:''' [Next rooms] Left: Empty bar, abandoned (1) // Front: ('''Shortcut -2''') Empty workshop, disaffected (3) // Right: Featureless room (D)
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'''Example:''' [Next rooms] Left: Empty bar, abandoned (1) // Front: ('''Shortcut -2''') Empty workshop, disaffected (3) // Right: Featureless room (D)
* The first available choice is an abandoned empty bar, the second is a disaffected empty workshop, and the third is a featureless room with a detour inside. Taking the second option (the front door) would make the player character go through a shortcut, and remove 2 rooms on the amount needed to reach the next destination.
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* The left door leads to an abandoned empty bar, the front door leads to a disaffected empty workshop, and the right door leads to a featureless room with a detour inside.
 +
* Taking the front door would make the player character go through a shortcut, and remove 2 rooms on the amount needed to reach the next destination.
 +
* Taking the right door would ''not'' make the player go through a detour, but it would lead to a room where the front door is a detour.
 +
 
 +
=== In short ===
 +
When transitioning from CA to UA, the process is as follows:
 +
* Select destination
 +
* Select traveling style
 +
* Pick your first door
 +
* Enter your first UA room
 +
 
 +
When traveling in the UA:
 +
* Enter UA room
 +
* Deal with any items, furniture, creatures, or happenstances as you need
 +
* Request the next doors
 +
* Pick your next door
 +
* Enter next room
 +
 
 +
Rinse and repeat until you reach the last UA room, in which case, all of the next doors will lead to your destination.
  
 
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
 
[[Category:Game mechanics]]

Revision as of 06:51, 22 February 2020

Navigation: Main Page Game mechanics Basic mechanics




In MazeWorld, you are in control of your Player Character (PC) from the moment you begin your adventure until the very end; whatever that end may be. As a game focused on combat, fighting, and survival, you are responsible for every action necessary to keep your PC alive; fighting, using items, doing jobs, but also eating and drinking, resting, training, and if you have any, healing injuries and fixing problems.

This means that at any given moment, you have a certain range of actions and abilities at your disposal. Unless the story demands it or your character is no longer conscious, control of your character should never be taken away from you.

Often, you will need to roll the dice to resolve certain actions and determine whether you succeed or fail. As explained in the Basic concepts page, you will usually make use of d6s, d8s, and d100s, with the expectation that you might have to roll any and all kinds of dice at any moment.

In and out of combat

When playing MazeWorld, there are two major 'modes' of play; being out of combat and being in combat (known as Combat mode). The actions available to you differ depending on whether or not you are in combat, though it is possible to shift in and out of combat in an instant.

Out of combat is the default mode of play. In this mode, the situation is assumed to be relatively safe and more relaxed, and there is generally no need to keep track of character positioning, time or turns passing, unless specific situations or conditions warrant the need to do so. Normal is the closest there is to freeform roleplaying, and greater leeway and flexibility should be granted to Game Masters (GMs) and players.

When in combat, certain information becomes very important: character and item positioning, turns passing, and who does what in which order. Each of these may have an influence on the outcome of the fight. All of the specifics to fighting can be found on the Combat mode page.


Declaring actions

In order to make things happen, characters must do clearly declared actions.

Every action you wish your character to make must be declared. That means clearly telling the GM what you intend to do, with as many details as required. It is not strictly necessary to be always in-character when declaring actions, but it is considered good form to weave your intentions into your roleplaying, even if it's just a few words.

Depending on what actions you are declaring, the GM may ask you to roll dice, make choices, or confirm decisions; as necessary and when appropriate.

There are three kinds of actions in MazeWorld: Combat actions, Non-combat actions, and Free actions. Combat and Non-combat actions generally cost at least one turn to perform, whereas Free actions cost nothing to perform.

  • Combat actions are every type of action related to using a weapon or an offensive ability of some sort.
  • Non-combat actions are every type of action related to using any items or abilities that do not fall into the category of combat actions.
  • Free actions are relatively non-consequential actions which can be done freely and at no cost.

Examples:

  • Combat action example: Attacking an enemy ; Private Bowens intends to attack the giant ant by shooting it three times, in semi-auto, with her AK-101.
  • Non-combat action example: Using an item ; Johnny pulls out a syringe of morphine from his leg rig, and injecting it into his arm.
  • Free-action example: Talking ; Noriko screaming "I'm going to rip your eyeballs out and make you eat them!" at her opponents on the other side of the room.

When outside of combat, most of what your character will do are non-combat and free actions. Combat actions can, in certain circumstances, be performed outside of combat, but generally speaking, if you need to use a weapon of some sort, you're probably fighting or about to fight.

Any combat or non-combat action takes 1 turn to perform. If multiple turns are required, then it takes as many actions as turns required.


Time

"Time" redirects here. For an in-universe explanation on the way people in the Mazes keep track of periods of time, see: Calendar.

A typical MazeWorld session focuses on one or more player characters, living moment to moment, room to room, throughout their adventures. It is not strictly necessary to keep track of the in-game clock down to the exact hours and minutes; the only important elements of time are what day it is and what the current time period is. Most shops and businesses in the Mazes are open 24/7, and all of the elements of the game that do rely on time will use time periods instead of precise hour and minute counts.

The GM can, of course, surmise and make up an exact hour/minute time corresponding to the current time period (e.g., if the current time period is Dusk, the GM can say something along the lines of "You see the clock on the wall reads 5:30 in the afternoon"), but it should be for flavor purposes only.

Just like in the real world, one day is made up of 24 hours, one hour is 60 minutes, and one minute is 60 seconds. But since it is a world that is for the most part 'inside', inhabitants of the Mazes regard terms like "sunrise" and "sunset" as unusual and archaic.

Days are divided into six periods of 4 hours each, as follows:

Hours Time period name
8 AM to 11:59 AM Morning
12:00 PM to 3:59 PM Afternoon
4:00 PM to 7:59 PM Dusk
8 PM to 11:59 PM Evening
12:00 AM to 3:59 AM Late night
4:00 AM to 7:59 AM Dawn
  • Time periods in orange are collectively referred to as daytime, whereas time periods in blue are in the nighttime.
  • The start of the morning, and therefore of daytime, is 08:00 AM and is referred to as the daybreak. The start of the evening, and thus of nighttime, is 08:00 PM and is referred to as the eventide.
  • Certain places and businesses in the Mazes with concepts of a "day shift" and a "night shift" use these hours as points of reference for when these shifts begin and end; for example, if you're visiting the local diner at 2:30 in the afternoon, you're going to see the employees work the day shift, but if you come back later at 1 AM, you will see the night shift employees instead.

The passage of time is important for Inebriation mechanics as well, as eliminating inebriation depends on the amount of day periods that have passed since the last drink.


Daily Reset

The most important element of time is the amount of days that have passed in the game, and more specifically the moment at which the character enters into a new day. This point is known as the Daily Reset. Two important statistics, Nutrition and Hydration, rely on the Daily Reset for their significance. Every day, your character will lose a certain amount of nutrition and hydration, roughly corresponding to a day's worth of food and water. The exact amount of Nutrition and Hydration lost depends on two factors: your character's Base Limb Health value and constitution.

The daily reset occurs at midnight, at the start of the Night period.

The exact amount of nutrition and hydration lost every day is calculated as follows:

  • Nutrition lost on Daily Reset = 30 x Base Limb Health value
  • Hydration lost on Daily Reset = 10 x Base Limb Health value
    • If your character's constitution is Athletic, multiply both values by 1.25. If Muscular, multiply both values by 1.5.

In addition, your character may heal some Pain (if not 0%) and Blood (if not at maximum levels and if there are no Wounds) during Daily Reset. This is referred to as natural healing; however this healing is not free and will burn extra Nutrition as well as some Fatigue.

  • Pain healed on Daily Reset: Up to -40%. Healing Pain through Daily Reset is subject to the Pain healing effect.
  • Blood healed on Daily Reset: Up to +1.0 unit. Healing Blood through Daily Reset is subject to the Blood healing effect.

Additional considerations:

  • If you have skill levels in Healing, you will receive bonuses to natural healing, which are applied before the normal effects of natural healing. See this section for more details.
  • If your character is addicted to one or more substances before Daily Reset, all active addictions will advance by one level, unless already at level 3.


Turns

"Turn" and "Turns" redirect here.

The turn is the smallest individual unit of time. Although it corresponds to roughly five or six seconds, turns are intended to be abstract short moments. It is highly recommended not to consider turns to have any relevance to the clock, even if you're choosing to track time down to the individual minutes.

Most actions cost one or several turns to complete, and are very important to Combat mode, but a little less important outside of combat.

Generally speaking, unless the player characters are in combat, or there is some other situation during which the counting of turns would become important, it's not strictly necessary to count down the exact amount of turns that would pass for completing an action. The significance of turns depends on how much changes over each turn, particularly if any effects that work over time are active; virtually all such effects work on a per-turn basis, and all temporary effects last an amount of time expressed in turns.

  • Example: During a fight against a nasty creature, Sarah has taken hits and sustained three Wounds, and is now bleeding. In order to access the bandages inside of her backpack, Sarah needs to spend a turn to drop her backpack on the ground and make the items accessible. Normally, this would be trivial, but every turn Sarah spends with at least one wound, means she is losing Blood. It will require one turn to drop the backpack, and one turn for every bandage required (one per Wound) in order for her to stop bleeding.

GMs are, however, encouraged to expedite such processes for the sake of keeping the pace going, especially outside of combat and if players do have the resources on their characters to fix these issues, unless you absolutely want to run an intense, beat-by-beat, every-moment-counts session, it is usually better to simply let player characters heal themselves "for free". GMs and players may discuss about it and decide together how intense, detailed and granular their sessions should be.

  • Example: Normally, if Sarah were still in combat and had to heal 3 Wounds using bandages, she would have to spend the first turn dropping the Backpack (-0.3 Blood), use turn 2 to heal the first wound with a bandage (-0.2 Blood), then turn 3 for healing wound 2 (-0.1 Blood), then turn 4 for healing wound 3 (all wounds patched), losing a total of 0.6 Blood and 4 turns. However, the GM decides to let Sarah patch herself up without losing 0.6 Blood because she's no longer in combat, and there's no reason to waste time.


Movement and traveling

The importance of your character's position in the world (and in turn, what you are allowed to do to move your character) depends on whether or not you are in combat, and on whether you are inside the Uncivilized Area or a Civilized Area. This section will discuss what you can do outside of combat. For movement when in combat, see Combat mode.

Civilized Areas

When outside of combat and in a Civilized area such as a town, or an intersection, you can travel to nearly any specific room, street, shop, business, or point of interest, simply by declaring an intent to travel to that location, so long as you have access to it. Towns and intersections generally have maps listing the places of interest available, and the preferred method of declaring movement is to simply say something along the lines of, "I'm going to the gun shop" or "Next, I'm going to visit the hospital".

You can specify a particular room or area if you know exactly where you're going. You can also request to the GM your precise location, or the current town or intersection map, whenever you desire.

In order to leave a Civilized Area, your character must be at a location where it is possible to transition into the UA.

  • Towns have a room called the Gap corridor, which represents the very edge of the town. This is where you can choose your next destination. You can only travel to a town or an intersection that is linked to the current town, though you can plot a specific itinerary if you so desire.
  • Intersections do not have gap corridors. Instead, as intersections are plus sign-shaped (+), 2 to 4 of its outermost rooms may be connected to the UA, each corresponding to a single destination.

Uncivilized Area

When in the UA, your character will be traveling through a series of randomly generated rooms, going from a starting point to a destination of your choosing, and reaching the next destination only after a set amount of UA rooms have been passed.

When you are in a Civilized Area and ready to transition into the UA, your GM will give you the available destinations, and ask you to choose where you intend to go (unless there is only one available destination, of course).

Once you have selected your destination, you will be asked to pick a traveling style. There are four traveling styles: Fast, Safe, Deep, and Skip. Your chosen style will influence the amount of UA rooms you need to go through to reach the next destination, and the chances of finding loot, monsters, and special areas. Skip is special - it is essentially fast travel. When Skip traveling, your character will travel an amount of rooms equivalent to a Safe travel, but will encounter zero enemies and zero items, essentially trading dangers and loot for saving time and convenience.

  • NOTE: Skip traveling may not always be possible, particularly during certain jobs. The GM can also disallow Skip traveling for any reason they deem necessary.

When traveling in the UA, the three important counters are the amount of UA rooms passed, the amount of UA rooms required to reach the next destination, and what your current destination is. You can also choose to reverse course and begin traveling back to your original starting point; at which point the amount of UA rooms already passed becomes your amount of rooms to pass to reach the next destination. Note that if you have begun reversing course, you shouldn't reverse back again; instead, return to your original starting point, and select a new destination.

Whenever you are ready to move into a new UA room, such as when you are finished visiting, looting, or fighting in the current room, you may "request the next rooms" or "the next doors" to the GM, who will proceed to randomly generate three rooms, and if applicable, extra possibilities. The description of each room follows the same nomenclature:

  • (Left, Front or Right), (If applicable: Shortcut or Detour value) (Roomstyle), (Decay level), (Code)
    • Left, Front or Right is flavor, and simply represents your first, second, and third choice.
    • Shortcut or Detour value indicates the amount of UA rooms you will lose or gain if you take this door. Usually written Shortcut -x or Detour +x, where x represents the amount of rooms skipped (Shortcuts) or gained (Detours).
      • Shortcuts decrease the amount of UA rooms needed to reach the next destination, and should be used to shorten the trip.
      • Detours increase the amount of UA rooms needed to reach the next destination, and should be used if you want to look for more loot (or creatures to fight).
    • Roomstyle is simply the type and style of room that is ahead. The roomstyle determines the presence and type of furniture inside.
    • Decay level indicates the age, level of decay, and damage that the room has sustained over time. Low decay levels generally increase the chances of finding extra loot. High decay levels generally increase the chances of finding mushrooms.
    • The Code is either a letter or a number written between parentheses:
      • If the code is a number, it is a number representing the room's decay level. Decay level numbers range from 0 to 5.
      • If the code is a letter, it may either be (S) for Shortcut, or (D) for Detour. In both cases, the shortcut or detour will be available in the next room, at the front door.
Decay level Code Chances of finding extra loot Chances of finding mushrooms
Deserted (0) 75% 0%
Abandoned (1) 25% 0%
Dark (2) 50% 50%
Disaffected (3) 10% 0%
Forsaken (4) 5% 15%
Overgrown (5) 5% 35%
  • In a room with a decay level of Dark, the lights are broken, plunging the room in total darkness.
  • In rooms with a decay level of at least 2, all electrically-powered furniture (televisions, radios...) will be non-functional.

Example: [Next rooms] Left: Empty bar, abandoned (1) // Front: (Shortcut -2) Empty workshop, disaffected (3) // Right: Featureless room (D)

  • The left door leads to an abandoned empty bar, the front door leads to a disaffected empty workshop, and the right door leads to a featureless room with a detour inside.
  • Taking the front door would make the player character go through a shortcut, and remove 2 rooms on the amount needed to reach the next destination.
  • Taking the right door would not make the player go through a detour, but it would lead to a room where the front door is a detour.

In short

When transitioning from CA to UA, the process is as follows:

  • Select destination
  • Select traveling style
  • Pick your first door
  • Enter your first UA room

When traveling in the UA:

  • Enter UA room
  • Deal with any items, furniture, creatures, or happenstances as you need
  • Request the next doors
  • Pick your next door
  • Enter next room

Rinse and repeat until you reach the last UA room, in which case, all of the next doors will lead to your destination.