MST-1: Initiative The initiative system requires a deck of cards: playing cards, tarot cards, or any other cards that can be shuffled. Each actor in the conflict chooses a card to represent them. One additional card (the delimiter) is also chosen. The cards are shuffled and then drawn one-by-one: * If an actor's card is drawn, they may act. * If the delimiter is drawn, then all cards are shuffled back into the deck. If an actor is not prepared to act when their card is drawn they may hold their action by choosing another actor's cards to act as a trigger. When a trigger card is drawn, they may act immediately, or after the trigger is resolved. However, when the delimiter is drawn any held actions are lost. An actor may be granted additional cards to represent an increased capacity to act. For example: * use 1 card for a heroic character or a dangerous opponent or a handful of flunkies or several slow-moving zombies or a swarm of bees * use 2 cards for a famous duelist or a gang of hooligans or a poltergeist or a pack of wolves or a large group of zombies * use 3 cards for an elder vampire or a fairy queen's unpredictable glamors or a wizard's magical duplicates or a malevolent haunted house or a zombie horde * use 4 cards for a dragon's huge size and fiery breath or a demon prince or an eye tyrant's deadly gaze attacks or a hail of arrows from an enemy army or a kraken's many grasping arms Cards may also be used to represent events, such as a raging inferno, a bomb's timer, or the completion of a dark ritual. Drawing this card may mean that the event occurs, or that it draws closer. For example, a ritual to summon an elder god may require four draws to complete. Initiative ends once there are no more threats, or if there is a significant break in the action. ------------------------------------------------------------ (This initiative system was inspired by Troika.) MST-1: Initiative © 2021 by Eiríkr Åsheim licensed under CC BY 4.0. Questions or comments? Email mst@poly.hedron.club. Back to the index