Actions and Movement

Even the fastest of characters can only do so much in a set period of time. He can only cover so much distance as well. Abilities can only reach so far. Changing location is sometimes necessary in order to reach the target. When these facts are quantified, it is called a tactical movement system.

Haven's tactical movement system (TMS) is discussed below.

An action is any time a character consciously uses an ability on a target, be that target himself or others. It is basically the character actively doing something. Abilities function automatically are not considered actions because they do not require the character to focus to use them. Actions always take place during the character's offensive turn, unless they occur automatically as through Contingency.

There are four kinds of action: automatic, free, move, and standard. Every character starts out with two actions per turn, one standard action and one move action. A character may spend his standard action any number of ways from moving additional number of feet equal to his base speed or using abilities. Certain abilities allow additional actions of various kinds or deny characters their actions. Attack actions cannot be sacrificed for move actions nor to activate abilities.

Automatic actions are things that automatically happen when a triggering event occurs (defensive roll, Contingency). Unless otherwise specified, they do not count towards a character's total actions, though they still gain the cumulative penalty for multiple offensive rolls of the same type in a turn.

Free actions are the activations of abilities that say that they don't take an action to activate. These free activations take place at the start of a character's offensive turn before any other actions are taken. While there is not a maximum limit on free activations, abilities that use this type of action typically cannot be active at the same time as each other.

Move actions are whenever a character moves a number of feet equal or greater to five feet (unless done automatically). The maximum distance that a character may move in a single move action is a number of feet equal to their base speed.

If an ability requires actions to be sacrificed in order to be used, those actions must be in the same turn or in consecutive turns. For example, if an ability required the sacrifice of two actions to activate, a character with that amount may activate the ability that turn (sacrificing two actions to do so) but a character with only one action per turn must wait until his next turn to do so. If an ability says that it takes a cycle (or more) to activate, then all actions, including movement past his base speed, must be sacrificed. Once an action is sacrificed, it cannot be recovered. Unless otherwise specified, sacrificing actions is a free action.

Attack actions are actions that must be used on a offensive roll of some sort. They are typically restricted to specific abilities. Actions of this type cannot be sacrificed to activate abilities or use other abilities unless otherwise specified by an ability or ability path. These actions also may not be use to move under normal conditions, though abilities may allow for that once they are taken.

Using an ability is not the same as activating an ability. Activating an ability refers to initiating said ability's effect, which most likely has an automatic use and has a set duration. Ability use typically refers to a single action taken.

Attack actions used in the same turn gain a cumulative -2 after the first usage. For this purpose, an attack action is defined as any action used offensively against a target. This penalty is tracked separately for Physical Attacks and Magical Attacks. Rolls that are made during the defensive turn never suffer this penalty, even if the roll would normally be considered to be offensive, such as those from Parry Attack or defensive Contingencies.

A character's base speed is equal to ten plus five times his Swiftness score plus five times the total of his Movement Mode-based Swiftness bonus plus any flat bonuses that are gained (10 + [5 x Swiftness] + [5 x Movement Utility-based Swiftness Bonus] + [flat bonus] = Base Speed).

Moving about the battlefield must be done in five foot increments. If something would fraction your base speed, your base speed is rounded down to the nearest number divisible by five, not to go below a base speed of five. Getting up from a prone position takes five feet of movement.

Additionally, certain terrain factors affect how easily a character can move about his environment. What is discussed on the table below is the normal effect that these factors have on movement. A character usually uses Movement Modes in order to lessen or negate these effects, but certain Physical Utilities, Utility Powers, and Supportive Utilities can also be used.

Terrain Factors
Climbing	When climbing something with easily reached hand and foot holds such as a latter, you move at half your base speed. When climbing something with hand and foot holds that might be in awkward places such as rough cliff or a rope, you move at a quarter your base speed. Climbing something without hand and foot holds such as the side of a building or a sheer cliff face is impossible outside of the Movement Mode Climb.
Crowded	Moving through a small crowd causes a character to slow to three-quarters their base speed; a large crowd slows him to half his base speed. A densely packed crowd causes a character to slow to a quarter his base speed and causes him to have to make an Attack roll every time he moves more than five feet as he shoves people out of his way. Bonuses that derive from Swiftness cannot be used on this roll, nor can abilities that require moving or result in movement. The shoved person gains a bonus to his Defense roll equals the number of people within ten feet of him, excepting the character. This bonus is considered to be of the Cooperative subcategory and may be affected by abilities that affect the bonuses of such abilities. The shoved person is automatically considered allies with the people surrounding him.
Darkness	Darkness doesn’t affect how a character can move, but does affect his available actions. A character cannot see a target, and therefore cannot make attacks that require a visible target. He can attempt to locate creatures by sound, making a Defense roll against a difficulty goal that is equal to ten plus the bonus derived from the number of feet that he is from the creature. The difficulty goal increases by +4 per every ten feet that the character is from the target. He adds any modifiers that he has for the Sound-Based subcategory as a whole to this roll as well as his bonus from the ability Awareness. The character can attempt to hit a target that he cannot see but he has located by sound, but doing so causes the character to suffer a penalty equal to the number of feet beyond ten feet on his offensive roll. Additionally, any targets and attackers are considered to be under the effect of Stealth for the purposes of defensive rolls.
Difficult Terrain	Difficult terrain are things that impede movement that don’t fall into other factors, like wading through feathers or pushing through underbrush. Moving through underbrush or bushes causes the character to slow to half his base speed. If the underbrush is made up of vines, an Attack roll is required to break the vines before proceeding further. The difficulty goal of a single vine is ten. This difficulty goal increases by ten for each additional vine. If wading through something solid that is up to his knees, a character is reduced to half his base speed. This increases to a quarter his base speed if the solid substance is up to his waist. If it reaches his neck, he cannot move, causing him to take -4 on defensive rolls as well as be unable to use Movement Utilities and abilities that require or result in movement of any sort. Sand is considered to be solid for the purposes of wading through it. Moving without leaving a trail always slows a character to a quarter his base speed. Doing so causes the character to make a Defense roll to which he adds any bonus from Stealth. Bonuses that derive from Swiftness cannot be used on this roll, nor can abilities that require moving or result in movement. The Defense roll is made every time a character has moved his entire base speed. This is the difficulty goal for someone trying to search for his trail. He may attempt to increase his speed, but doing so causes him to suffer -4 on the Defense roll for every ten feet above a quarter his base speed that he moves in a cycle.
Falling	Falling causes a character to roll a Defense roll when he lands. Bonuses that derive from Swiftness cannot be used on this roll, nor can abilities that require moving or result in movement. The difficulty goal is equal to the number of feet that he fell. He takes damage equal to the difference between his Defense roll and the difficulty goal upon a failure. This damage is increased by +2 for every ten feet he falls. Things like weapons or spikes, such as would be found in pitfall traps, increase the damage that would be dealt by their bonus to Attack rolls. A standard spike grants +8 to damage.
Foggy	Foggy conditions don’t affect how a character can move, but does affect his available actions. A character can only see a target clearly up to half his normal range (minimum of five feet) in fog. He can attempt to hit a target at a distance greater than that, but doing so causes the character to suffer a penalty equal to the number of feet beyond that distance on his offensive roll.
Icy	A character can only move at half his base speed across ground that is covered in ice. If he attempts to move distances greater than that in a single turn, he must make a Defense roll in order to avoid falling prone. The difficulty goal that he must defend against is equal to the total number of feet he tried to move. This is a Defense roll. If he fails his Defense roll by 10 or more, he takes damage equal to half the difference.
Liquid	Moving through liquid or semiliquid up to a character’s knees causes him to move a three-quarters his base speed. A character can wade through liquid up to his hips at half his base speed. Swimming in easy or no currents can be done at three quarters his base speed. Swimming gets progressively harder the stronger the current is and forces the character do make a Defense roll versus the current’s Swiftness roll in order to avoid being swept away. A current’s Swiftness modifier is equal to the number of feet it moves in a single turn. A character must reroll this Defense roll every turn. If you fail this Defense roll by 10 or more, you take damage equal to half the difference, minimum one, as you are dragged under the surface and begin to drown.
Unstable Footing	Unstable footing is where the ground is broken or prone to sliding around underfoot. Moving across minorly unstable ground such as a flat surface covered with a densely packed tiny substance such as sand or powder, does not slow a character, but it does cause him to make a Defense roll for every increment above his base speed that he moves in a cycle. Bonuses that derive from Swiftness cannot be used on this roll, nor can abilities that require moving or result in movement. The difficulty goal is equal to ten plus the number of feet above his base speed that he attempted to move. He does not take damage upon a failure, but does fall prone. This difficulty goal increases for every foot of inclination the surface has by an amount equal to the inclination. If the inclination is ten feet or greater, the character must make a secondary Defense roll against the same difficulty goal or start sliding down the incline to the lowest point. He may reroll the secondary Defense roll once every cycle. He gains a cumulative -2 penalty for every failed roll on the next roll as he picks up momentum. If he slides more than twenty feet when he reaches the bottom, he takes damage equal to the difference between the difficulty goal and his last Defense roll. Moving across a flat surface covered in small things that can move easily such as marbles or smooth pebbles, causes a character to move at half his base speed. He may attempt to move faster than this, but doing so causes him to roll a Defense roll as above for every distance equal to half his base speed that he moves beyond half his base speed in a cycle. Moving across ground with holes or large and jagged pebbles slows a character to a quarter his base speed. He may move attempt to move faster, but doing so causes him to make a Defense roll as above for every increment of a quarter his base speed that he attempts to move in a cycle above a quarter his base speed. He does take damage equal to the difference upon a failed roll. He gains a cumulative -2 penalty for every failed roll on the next roll. This penalty carries over to the secondary Defense roll to stop sliding.
Wind	Moving in an area of wind can potentially be hazardous. At any given time, there is a 50% chance that a wind will shift directions (roll a d% to determine, on a die result of fifty or less, the wind shifts). Wind moves in four categories: gentle (0-10 feet per turn), moderate (11-20 feet per turn), moderately strong (21-40 feet per turn), and strong (41 and more feet per turn). A gentle wind does not impose any penalty and does not require anything special. A moderate wind doesn’t impose any penalty, but requires a Swiftness roll in order to move in the direction from which the wind is coming. The opposing number is equal to half the distance that the wind moves in a turn. A moderately strong wind requires the same roll, but you suffer -4 on all rolls while the wind is present. A strong wind also requires the roll, but your penalty is now -6 on all rolls while the wind is present.