Actions

Action-Points (AP) are a critically important resource for Adventurers that determines the time and energy cost of actions they take in combat and time-sensitive situations. Actions/Commands often cost a certain amount of Action-Points to execute and recover quickly to allow the character to move and act.

By default, characters have base amount of 100 AP to work with and gain additional MaxAP through character progression. Action-Points are described as being an abstraction of speed, reflexes and skill when an Adventurer performs actions and limits how much they can do on their turn.

Glossary

Action / Command

An Action or Command are interchangeable terms to describe a character skill or ability that has a meaningful effect upon the game environment. Commands are usually called by players to their characters. In Maptool, Commands can usually be used through Programmable Macros that use a token's properties and performs the necessary calculations with the click of a button.

Action Points

Action Points (AP) is the resource Adventurers use to use their commands, actions and abilities in battle and time-sensitive situations. Adventurers start with 100 AP and can increase it by investing in Agility points and other bonuses. AP replenishes at the start and end of each of their turns.

Action Types

Standard Action

A Standard Action usually costs 50 AP to execute. Also known as a basic action, a character may be able to execute multiple standard actions in a turn. Standard actions are the most common type of action performed by a character, and any action not specifically referred to by type will be considered to be a Standard action.

While an Adventurer can use multiple Standard Actions in a turn, most Standard Actions cannot be executed if they lack the necessary AP to do so.

Advanced Action

An Advanced action usually costs 100 AP instead of 50, but could be any other value, as specified. These types are actions are usually longer to execute and more elaborate to perform than Standard Actions. When Advanced Actions use more AP than the Adventurer's maximum AP, Adventurers can be set into a channelling state until they receive enough AP in order to execute the action fully. While channelling, they may have restrictions on what they can do, based on the instruction of the action itself.

Due to the nature of this type of action, the Adventurer cannot use an Advanced Action unless they have at least half of their maximum AP when executing the action. Advanced Actions can be executed earlier if they have more AP.

Full-Round Action

A Full-Round Action has a special cost that is technically all the AP that the Adventurer possesses, or multiple thereof. Full-Round actions may be used for powerful abilities that really do take up entire turns of a Adventurer's and cannot necessarily be sped-up or interleaved with other actions except for special circumstances.

Due to the nature of this type of Action, the Adventurer cannot use this Action unless they have less than half their Maximum AP and cannot use any other Action other than a Full-Round Action.

Quick-Action

A Quick Action usually costs 25 AP and used for actions that do not demand a lot of time or effort to execute.

Free Action

A Free Action costs no AP to execute, but may have severe limitations to how many times this can be performed per round, usually you be only allowed to use each instance of a Free Action once per round. It is more likely a Free Action can be afforded in conjunction with another action that costs AP.

Talking may be considered a Free action with the limitation that one cannot speak longer than the total time taken to perform any and all actions that round, or if the round contains no actions, no more than 6 to 8 seconds of speaking.

Mechanics

AP Recovery: Start and End of Turn

Adventurers usually begin with ALL their Max AP at the beginning of battle. From that point on, characters use commands/actions and spend AP to act. When a character ends their turn, they regain Half of their Max AP, up to their MaxAP stat. The character gains another Half of AP at the start of their next turn.

Advanced / Full-Round Channelling

Because Advanced and Full-Round Actions have very high AP costs to execute, sometimes more than what an Adventurer can physically hold based on their Max AP stat; they must instead Channel their action or ability over a number of turns before they can execute the action fully.

Advanced Actions can have a cost of 100 AP or higher, if the cost is higher than the Adventurer's Max AP, they will begin Channelling all their available AP to the action. While Channelling, the Adventurer cannot take any actions that involve the use of AP, they can choose to dismiss the channelling however the action will be cancelled, and the AP will be lost. When an Adventurer gains enough AP to meet the requirement for the Advanced Action, the action will be executed and its effects will activate.

Advanced Action Demonstration
> An Adventurer has 120 AP, due to having 120 Max AP, they use an Advanced Action that requires 200 AP to execute.
> Adventurer begins channelling their Advanced-Action, expends 120 AP. Action is now 120/200 AP complete.
> Adventurer ends their turn, gains 60 AP, expends 60 AP automatically to their Advanced Action. Action is now 180/200 complete.
! Adventurer cannot use actions that cost AP during this round due to channelling!
> Adventurer's turn begins, gains 60 AP, expends 20 AP automatically. Action is now 200/200 complete.

Adventurer is left with 40 AP, and executes their Advanced Action on this turn.

Full-Round Actions work similarly to Advanced Actions in terms of channelling, however instead of a required amount of AP, the action may require the Adventurer to channel for a certain amount of turns/rounds before it can be executed properly. Whereas Advanced Actions can be sped up by Adventurers with high Agility/Max-AP, Full-Round Actions are strictly time-based and cannot be sped up.

Full-Round Action Demonstration
> An Adventurer has 120 AP, due to having 120 Max AP, they use a Full-Round Action that requires 1 round to execute.
> Adventurer begins channelling their Full-Round Action, expends 120 AP. Action is now 0/1 rounds complete.
> Adventurer ends their turn, gains 60 AP, expends 60 AP automatically to their Full-Round Action. Action is still 0/1 complete.
! Adventurer cannot use actions that cost AP during this round due to channelling!
> Adventurer's turn begins, gains 60 AP, Action is now 1/1 complete.

Adventurer is left with 60 AP, and executes their Full-Round Action on this turn. The Adventurer keeps 60 AP because channelling ceased on the turn the condition was met.