1.4. Phases of Play

There are two main phases of play: Freeplay and Encounters

You will start most game sessions in Freeplay. During Freeplay, players can roleplay and interact with the world without worrying as much about taking turns. When tense moments arise, the GM may announce the beginning of an Encounter. During an Encounter you will be limited in what you can do. The game will be played with more strict, time-aware rules and every character will take turns.

Freeplay Phase

During the Freeplay portion of the game, the GM will usually lead by describing the scene and the events unfolding around you. Each player can then choose to act on that information to explore and progress the story.

While Freeplay does not have a strict turn-order, the GM may occasionally impose a loose turn-order to ensure that each player gets a chance to act. The GM will also often loose a turn-order to add tension into time-sensitive parts of the story. Generally, these turns should be treated as overlapping, in terms of time.

Novice Note: Getting Involved

A great player will not only find reasons and motivations for their character to get involved, but they will also encourage other player characters to step up to challenges. Situations may arise in which players are hesitant to act. In those moments of indecision you should find a reason to step up or a way to talk another player's character into stepping up for you. This can be particularly helpful to shy or hesitant players that need more "screen time."

For your first few times playing, you should strive to work together with your fellow players and your characters should strive to become a family, of sorts, that watches out for one another and is "in this together!" After you have experience a more cooperative style of play, it will be easier to explore other dynamics while keeping the game fun for everyone.

During Freeplay, you are free to take any actions available to your character. This includes Abilities found on your Character Sheet along with improvised activities that any normal creature could do that may not be covered in this book. Your Abilities may include casting spells or attacking with your weapons.

When you want to improvise something, you will describe what you want to do to the GM and they will describe what, if anything, it would take for that action to take place. For simple tasks like opening a door, the GM will likely not require anything. If the task is more difficult in some way, like if a door was stuck shut, the GM may ask that you perform a Test using one of your Skills. The Score you get will then determine how well you performed the improvised activity.

If a task you want to improvise is not possible or is too difficult, like performing open heart surgery in a swamp with not but a dirty stick, the GM may simply inform you that that task is not possible.

GM Note: Fostering Creativity

When players suggest outlandish improvised actions, try not to punish them for the suggestion, as that can stifle creativity.

At times, players may come up with creative solutions that, if allowed, would quickly become a go-to solution or possibly break the game in some way. In these situations, it can help to be forthright with your concerns. A good way to proceed is to allow the player to do their creative solution once, but express ahead of time that you will expect different solutions in the future. You can even inform the players that future attempt at that solution will be allowed, but at a Disadvantage. This allows the players to exercise their creativity while being up-front about your concerns about the story staying fun and interesting for everyone.

Encounter

When tense moments arise or a fight breaks out, the GM will announce the start of an Encounter. During an Encounter, the game will be played one Round at a time with all players involved taking one Turn per Round. On your turn, you are limited in many ways including the number of things you can do.

An Encounter encompasses the following phases of the game:

Encounter Setup Phase: Determine Turn Order.
Encounter Main Phase: The game proceeds with Players and NPCs taking turns in the Turn Order created in the setup phase. This order repeats in a series of Rounds.
Encounter End Phase: The GM announces the end of the Encounter. Players gain Experience and can recover.
Encounter Paused Phase: An optional phase. This phase is similar to Freeplay, but players cannot use slower Abilities (unless the GM makes an exception.)

Encounter Setup Phases

When the GM announces the start of an Encounter, the Encounter Setup Phase begins. In the Encounter Setup Phase, you will determine the Turn Order for all PCs and NPCs involved in the Encounter.

Turn Order

To determine Turn Order, the GM will first group the list of NPCs by matching Edge Save Modifiers. The GM will then sort each group in descending order of their Edge Save Modifiers. The GM may also choose to divide up a group of like NPCs to ensure that there are at least two or three groups of NPCs. These groups form the skeleton of the Turn order. We will now determine where players fit before, after, or between those groups.

The GM has all PCs involved in the Encounter perform a series of Edge Save Tests, one for each group of NPCs. If a PC gets a Low Score, that PC is added to the Turn Order just after the group of NPCs being rolled against. If more than one PC gets a Low Score for the same Test, they can decide their own order together or compare their Edge Save Scores to determine who goes first. If a PC gets a Mixed Score, they continue on with rolling against the next NPC group. PCs that happen to get a Mixed Score for all NPC groups get to go first in the Turn Order.

If a PC is Sneaky from at least one NPCs in a group of NPCs, that player may make their Edge Save Test with an Advantage against that group.

Example: Setup Phase

The players decide to attack a group of enemies.

There are three types of enemies with the following Edge Save scores: Wolves(2), Goblins(1), and Orcs(0). The GM writes them down in that same order.
The GM asks the players ( #Alice, #Bob, #Carol, and #David ) to roll a Edge Save Test for the first group: the Orcs. The players are Sneaky from the Orcs, so the players can roll their Edge Save with an Advantage.
#Alice rolls an 10, #Bob rolls a 8, #Carol rolls a 12, and #David rolls a 7. All players got a 7 or higher and announce that they "Pass" the Test. The Orcs will go last.
The players are asked to roll again, this time to check if they go after the Goblins.
#Alice rolls a 3, #Bob rolls an 4, #Carol rolls a 9, and #David rolls a 7. #Alice and #Bob announce that they have "Failed" the Test. #Alice and #Bob decide together that #Alice should go first. The GM writes #Alice down just after the Goblins in the Turn Order, then places #Bob after #Alice.
The GM asks for one final roll for the Wolves.
#Carol rolls a 10 and #David rolls a 4. #David announces that he "failed." #David is added to the Turn Order just after the Wolves.
#Carol has passed all Tests and gets added first in the Turn Order.
The GM announces the final Turn Order:
#Carol, Wolves, #David, Goblins, #Alice, #Bob, then the Orcs.

Encounter Main Phase

The Encounter Main Phase proceeds with each character in the Turn Order taking their Turn. Once every character has taken their Turn, the next Round begins and each character takes their Turn again, as before. The Encounter continues, Round after Round, until the GM pauses it using an Encounter Paused Phase or ends it using the Encounter End Phase.

Beats

For each Round of an Encounter, you will have two Beats that can be spent to perform Abilities. This includes abilities performed on your Turn, such as Actions, and those performed at other points in the round, such as Reactions. Your Beats are reset at the end of each of your Turns.

Most Abilities on your Character Sheet will use up only one Beat (though some may take more, as they take more time to execute.) A more detailed overview of Abilities and when you will need to spend Beats is covered in chapter 1.5. Abilities.

Free Actions

Aside from spending your two Beats, you can perform at least three additional Free Actions on your Turn that will not use up your Beats. Free Actions should be simple, fast, or even passive activities that could possibly happen while you use your Beats. Free Actions include things like talking smack to enemies, pushing over small objects, or opening doors. The GM may even approve upwards of 5 or more Free Actions, if all your Free Actions and Actions could reasonably be done together in a 6s span of time. Free Actions are a great way to add flavor to an Encounter without worrying about using up your Beats.

Free Reactions

In the same fashion as Free Actions, you can use Free Reactions without using up a Beat. Any character can use a Free Reaction to briefly respond to what someone else has said. Some Abilities are also Free Reactions or allow you to Prepare a Free Reaction, which will be covered more in chapter 1.5. Abilities.

Turn

Each character's Turn represents 6s of time that overlaps everyone else's Turn (but is staggered, meaning that each entity's Turn starts at a different point in time.) On your Turn, you get a chance to move and act on what's happening around you. Since your Beats reset at the end of your Turn, you should try to use all your remaining Beats on your turn.

Movement

Your Movement determines how far you can walk, run, and jump on your turn.

The default way of measuring distances in The Kleptonomicon relies on the Theater of the Mind. There are five main distances: Swinging Distance, Spitting Distance, Throwing Distance, Shooting Distance, and Sniping Distance.

If you would prefer to use a more detailed map with the usual grid, the following conversion chart can be used:

Swinging Distance	Spitting Distance	Throwing Distance	Shooting Distance	Sniping Distance
1	4	8	16	200

At the start of each of your Turns you gain Movement equal to your highest Movement Range. You can then spend your gained Movement on any of the Movement Ranges. Doing so allows you to move in the way defined by that Movement Range. For example, spending a Swinging Distance of your Movement to Walk lets you walk a Swinging Distance along a walk-able surface. The amount of Movement you can spend into any one Movement Range is limited by that mode's Movement Range. For example, all PCs start with the ability to Walk a Spitting Distance. After reaching the limits of any one Movement Range, you cannot use that Movement Range to move again until your next Turn or until you increase the limit of that Movement Range using an Ability. For example, PCs also begin with the ability to Jump a Swinging Distance, which means you can only spend one Swinging Distance of your Movement to Jump, at which point that mode of travel becomes unavailable to you.

Movement can be divided up, spending it into any Movement Range or combination of Movement Ranges before, after, or between using Abilities on your Turn.

Example: Movement using Units

#Alice has the following speeds listed on her Character Sheet:

Walk Spitting Distance (4 units)
Jump Swinging Distance x2 (2 units)

#Alice's largest Movement Range lets her Walk 4 units. #Alice also has a special Ability that doubles the usual Jump for 2 units of jumping.

#Alice starts her turn. #Alice gains Movement of 4 units (her largest Movement Range) to use this Turn.
#Alice spends 1 unit of Movement to Jump that same distance. #Alice has 3 units of Movement remaining.
#Alice casts a Spell Ability.
#Alice spends another 1 unit of Movement to Jump back to where she was before. Since #Alice has a Jump of 2 units, so she has now used all the Jump Movement Range that she is allowed for this Turn. #Alice has 2 units of Movement remaining.
#Alice spends her remaining 2 units of Movement to Walk. #Alice can Walk up to 4 units, so she is able to walk the full 2 units. #Alice is now out of Movement and cannot move any further.
#Alice heals someone, then ends her Turn.

Each Movement Range type has unique set of rules as to how it works. For example, some Movement Ranges, like Fly, can be Interrupted and lead fall damage or other consequences. Other Movement Ranges, like a Jump or a Levitate can't be Interrupted in the same way, but may have other limitations on how they can be used and what dangers they may incur.

The Movement Range List appendix contains a full list of all the Movement Ranges.

Improvised Movement

If you do not explicitly have a Movement Range listed for your character, that Movement Range defaults to 0. That said, you are not totally barred from attempting to move in that Movement Range's mode of travel.

If ever you want to attempt a mode of travel for which you have a Movement Range of 0, you can do so with Improvised Movement. To use Improvised Movement, first discuss with the GM how you plan to accomplish that mode of travel. The GM may then grant you a temporary Movement Range of the improvised type. Unless the GM says otherwise, when you gain Improvised Movement, you will have a movement penalty of 2 to 1 Movement spent for distance traveled. For example, if you cannot explicitly Climb, but can justify climbing a rocky surface, you will only be able to Climb half the distance of the Movement you spend to Climb. The GM may waive this penalty if your improvisation mitigates any difficulties that Improvised Movement would normally face. For example, if you tip a bed frame up to create a makeshift ladder, the GM may waive the improvised Climb penalty, seeing as how the wall is now easier to climb.

Terrain Zones

Zones are used to represent hazards and rule changes that exist in a given portion of the world. Entering some Zones, like a Fire Zone may require that you perform a Test to avoid taking damaged. Other Zones, like Dark Zones may help by making it harder for people to see and attack you.

Each type of Zone can be applied to a 1u cube of the world multiple times. Each new "stack" of a Zone on the same cube makes the Zone stronger and more pronounced. For example, a Fire Zone with multiple stacks will deal an extra damage for each stack of Fire Zone. Most Zones you encounter will only have one or two Stacks.

Not all the Zones you encounter will be explicitly laid out by the GM, but will logically exist anyway. For example, a dark room will, logically, be a Dark Zone. Similarly, a pond may not explicitly be marked as such, but should be treated as an Airless Zone for any creature that cannot breathe water.

The Zone List appendix contains a full list of all the Zones. The list is split up into the more common Core Zones and the less common Supplemental Zones.

Note: Printing Zone Reference Cards

If you are a GM that is planning to use Zones in an upcoming story arch or if you are a player that just picked up a new Ability, it can be helpful to print out a reference card for the zones you will be using. You can then hand the reference to other players to help them learn or remember how those zones work.

The Dash Ability

If you ever need more Movement on your Turn, you can also use the core Dash Ability. This Ability doubles all your Movement Ranges, meaning your Movement is also doubled for the Turn. For example, using the core Dash Ability would double your Jump, allowing you to Jump twice as far or make twice the number of smaller jumps in a single Turn.

Just be aware that if you use the Dash Ability a second time in the same Round, you will need to Pass an Athletics Skill Test or become Slowed.

Movement Reactions

You will want to take care as you move around a battlefield. Enemies may be able to take Reactions in response to your movement. The most common Reaction you will face will be that of the Melee Attack, which can be used when you move out of Swinging Distance of another creature.

Ending your Turn

You will often acquire Status Conditions during an Encounter, which impose negative or positive effect on you. At the end of each of your Turns, you can erase one stack of each Fleeting Condition on your character sheet, provided that you did not acquire that stack on that same Turn. Erasing Status Condition stacks will lessen or entirely remove the effects of the Status Condition. (For more information on Status Conditions, see the chapter 2.5. Status Conditions and Saving Throws.)

Note: Enemies also erase one stack of each Fleeting Condition at the end of their turn.

Note: At the end of your Turn, you should look to see if the effects of any Abilities have expired. You may need update values on your Character Sheet to reflect those changes.

Running an Encounter

The GM will play all of the NPCs in an Encounter. The GM can also perform #legendary_abilities tied to certain boss-level enemies or the environment itself.

While only a summary is provided in this chapter, a more complete guide on running encounters from the GM's perspective is included in Part 3 Chapter ?? Running Encounters .

NPC Turns

Each NPC Turn proceeds in the same way as a Player's Turn:

On their Turn, an NPC can:
- Use Movement in accordance with their Movement Ranges.
- The NPC can use their two Beats to perform Abilities.
- At the end of their Turn the NPC can clear one stack of each Fleeting Condition that they have.

The NPC can also use their Beats to perform their Reaction Abilities at any other point in the Round, provided that the Reaction Trigger occurs.

Encounter End Phase

When the conflict or tension has been resolved, the GM will announce the end of the Encounter.

When an Encounter has officially ended, the GM will give you Experience Points. You will usually receive only one Experience Point per Encounter, but you may be given a second Experience Point for achieving a secondary goal or a more optimal or amazing outcome. Experience Points are tracked on the Experience Tracker on Page 3 of your Character Sheet. Once you have gained enough Experience Points, you may be able to Level Up. Ask your GM before Leveling Up, as they may want you to wait until the end of the current Episode.

Note: Post-encounter recovery.

If you took damage in an Encounter, you will want to be sure to use your Rest Ability to recover some health and reset your Shield, if it is low. Abilities will be discussed more in the next chapter 1.5. Abilities.

Encounter Paused Phase

At times, the GM may wish to pause an Encounter without officially ending it. This Encounter Paused Phase is used most often for moments when someone calls for a parlay or takes a moment to deliver a monologue. The Encounter Paused Phase works the same as Freeplay, but players are not aloud to use Abilities that require more than 6 seconds (or an Action) to perform without explicit GM approval. For example, the Recover Ability is a Slow Action, meaning it takes a whole Round to take effect. This means you cannot uses it to heal during the Encounter Paused Phase without GM approval.

The Encounter Paused Phase phase usually concludes by transitioning back to the Encounter Main Phase or to the Encounter End Phase.

Note: If you trigger the end of a Encounter Paused Phase by spending a Beats, that Beats will be unavailable on your next Turn of the Encounter.

Next Up: 1.5. Abilities