Actions and Initiative

A round in combat is about five to ten seconds. The length of time is variable because sometimes one round might be a bit longer than another. You do not need to measure time more precisely than that. You can estimate that on average there are about ten rounds in a minute. In a round, everyone—each character and NPC—gets to take one action.

Initiative

An initiative roll determines who goes first, second, and so on in a round. For PCs, initiative is a Speed roll, and each player makes a roll for their own character. For NPCs, the GM typically uses the NPC's target number (based on their level) to determine their initiative. Like all d20 rolls in Cypher, a higher initiative roll is better, meaning you get to go earlier.

Most of the time, it is only important to know which PCs act before the NPCs and which PCs act after the NPCs. If your initiative roll is equal to or higher than the NPC's initiative, you get to go before they do; if your roll is lower than the NPC's initiative, you go after them.

The order in which the PCs act relative to each other usually isn’t important. You could take your turns in initiative order (highest to lowest), or you could go clockwise around the table (skipping the characters who go after the NPCs), and so on. For example, Charles, Tammie, and Shanna’s characters are in combat with some level 2 guards. The GM has the players make initiative rolls. Charles rolls an 8, Shanna rolls a 15, and Tammie rolls a 4. The target number for a level 2 creature is 6, so each round Charles (8) and Shanna (15) act before the guards, then the guards (6) act, and finally Tammie (4) acts. It doesn’t matter whether Charles acts before or after Shanna, as long as they both think it’s fair. Each character gets to take one action coupled with (optionally) a non-attack activity as part of their turn, such as moving an immediate distance, shutting a door, giving something to another character, drinking a potion or using something they’re holding, or something else minor—as long as it’s not an attack. After everyone—all PCs and NPCs—in the combat has had a turn, the round ends and a new round begins. In that new round and all following rounds, everyone acts in the same initiative order as they did in the first round (although PCs can mix it up a bit if they want to). Since the action moves as a cycle, anything that lasts for a round ends where it started in the cycle. If you use an ability on an opponent that hinders their defenses for one round, the effect lasts until you act on your next turn. The characters cycle through this order until the logical end of the encounter (the end of the fight or the completion of the event).

Easing Initiative Rolls

Initiative can be eased just like any other roll, using skill, Speed Effort, assets, and so on.

First Actions

A small number of options in the game are fast and can be done as a First action instead of an action. With a First action, you have the option to jump ahead to the front of the initiative order, ahead of everyone else. If you do this, you can perform your First action (and only your First action), and the rest of your turn happens later. Once your First action is done, everyone else’s turns happen in the normal initiative order. After everyone else’s turn using their actions are done, you have the option to perform a follow-up non-attack activity such as moving an immediate distance, picking up something off the floor, drawing or putting away a weapon, or something else minor—as long as it’s not an attack. This is referred to as a Follow-up action, and it only comes into play for characters using a First action. If more than one character wants to take a First action, they all happen at the start of the round, in initiative order. For example, if your initiative is 18 and your ninja opponent’s is 15 and you both take a First action, your First action goes first, the ninja’s First action goes second, and then everyone else gets to go in the normal initiative order. On later rounds after the round you used a First action, the initiative order goes back to normal. In other words, just because you took a First action in a round doesn’t mean you get to go first every round after that.

First actions are always optional. Anything labeled as a First action can be used as an action. Just because something is a First action does not mean you have to go first—you always can choose to do it in the normal initiative order, which means you do not have to delay anything else you want to do that round to a Follow-up action.

Last Actions

A small number of actions in the game are slow and have to be done as a Last action. A Last action always happens at the end of the round, after everyone else has acted (even after the Follow-up action of someone who performed a First action this round). If you perform a Last action, on that round you can’t do anything else. Last actions are typically those that take longer than a normal action, such as swinging a heavy greatsword or casting a complicated spell. It’s best to think of a Last action as happening over the course of the round, not just at the end. It’s simply resolved at the end because the action takes a bit longer or happens more slowly than normal. If more than one character takes a Last action, they happen at the end of the round, in initiative order. On later rounds after the round you used a Last action, the initiative order goes back to normal. In other words, just because you took a Last action in a round doesn’t mean you have to go last every round after that.

Delay or “Ready Your Action”

Youcanalwayswaituntillaterintheinitiativeordertotakeyourturn.Forexample,youmaywanta stronger ally to approach a foe before you attack, or you may want an ally to use a healing ability on you before you take your turn. Waiting like this generally changes the initiative order only for that round; at the start of the next round, everyone goes back to the initiative they rolled.

You can also tell the GM that you want to wait until something specific happens, and if that thing happensyougettogorightbeforeit(unlessthatwouldn’tmakesense,likewaitingtoattacksomeone before they walk through a doorway). For example, if a goblin threatens you with a knife, you can tell the GM “If they slash at me, I’m going to hit them with my sword.” On the goblin’s turn, they try to stab you, so you make your sword attack before that happens. This is also a good way to deal with a ranged foe who is using cover to pop up, shoot, and drop down out of view again. You could say, “I wait to see them rise up from behind cover and then I shoot them.” Lastly, any action can be used as a First action if you spend the entire round before it just readying. The best use of this is being on watch (sometimes called “overwatch”), ready for action in response to something specific happening, such as someone coming through a door.

Extra Action on Your Turn

Normally you can only take one action on your turn. But sometimes, the description of an ability, cypher, or other effect says that you can take an extra action on your turn. This extra action is usually very specific, such as making a second attack or attempting a stealth task after attacking a foe. Because it’s a separate action from your normal action on your turn, you can use your full Effort on the extra action, even if you already hit your Effort limit on a different task this round.

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Example Actions

First Action Attack with a light weapon Close or open a door Drop or pick up something Move an immediate distance Fall prone Give something to/take something from an adjacent ally Drink a potion or use a simple item already in hand

Action Attack with a light weapon or medium weapon Use a typical character ability Activate or use a device Move a short distance Use a one-action recovery

Last Action Attack with a heavy weapon Pick a lock Runalongdistance