Note: this system works equally well with numbered chits or tokens as with playing cards; I use cards simply because they are easily available. At the moment I favour this method of Phase determination over pure randomization because it allows the player some tactical control over the combat, and guarantees the ratio of Phases to SPDs throughout all the participants in the combat, without the mechanical predictability of the Speed Chart.
This system uses ordinary playing cards, the value of which indicate when the character gets an action. The best cards to use are those designed for playing 6-handed 500, because they include 11 and 12 cards as well as the normal ace to 10 and court cards, but normal cards can be used just as well as long as you remember that a jack counts as 11 and a queen 12.
Each player (and the GM) gets a hand of twelve cards, ace to twelve (or queen). Each Turn, the players reshuffle their hand and deal out to themselves one card per point of SPD. The values of the cards received correspond to Segments.
The GM counts down through the Segments, from 12 to 1, and on those which correspond with the value of one of their cards or any combination of cards held, the characters can act. Once used, action cards are discarded until the next Turn. Once "1" has been reached and played, the Turn ends and it all starts over again.
Calling Forward actions (i.e. aborting to Dodge, Block, Dive For Cover etc.) uses up the players highest card, and he or she makes a DEX roll — the card's face value is increased by +1 for every point the roll succeeds by (a failed roll does not subtract from the card's value).
If the character is Dodging, he or she is assumed to be Dodging until their next available Action Phase.
If the card's value plus the DEX bonus is insufficient to match the Segment number on which the attack occurs then the character does not abort successfully, though the card is still discarded.
Characters don't have to act when their Segment comes up; sometimes it may be better tactically to wait and see what's going to happen. As long as they are holding Action Cards equal to or greater than the Segment number, they can act in that Segment.
The system uses a single randomizer die per player, normally a d12, to indicate whether or not they get an action in the current Phase.
Rolling Character SPD or lower on the die indicates an Action Phase in which the character may act.
If no action is indicated for the player, it becomes a Null Phase and only Aborts may be engaged in. Using an Abort Action during a Null Phase uses up the character's next Action Phase as well.
| NULL PHASE RATIO | |
|---|---|
| Character SPD | Max. Null Phases |
| SPD 1 | 11 |
| SPD 2 | 6 |
| SPD 3 | 4 |
| SPD 4 | 3 |
| SPD 5 | 3 |
| SPD 6 | 2 |
| SPD 7 | 2 |
| SPD 8 | 2 |
| SPD 9 | 1 |
| SPD 10 | 1 |
| SPD 11 | 1 |
| SPD 12 | 0 |
A player always gets an Action Phase after a number of consecutive Null Phases, the exact number depending on the ratio of their SPD to 12 (the number of Phases per Turn), as shown in the table to the right:
Example: Gorto the Muscular, a vicious but fair toll-booth attendant, has a SPD of 3. When attacked by a group of adolescent hooligans the combat begins with Gorto rolling a 2 and getting an immediate Action.
Over the following Phases, his luck turns against him and he rolls in succession 5,7,6,11 and 8.
He can't act on the 5, 7, 6 or 11 but he can act on the 8 because he's had 4 consecutive Null Phases beforehand.
This is the responsibility of the GM, since GMS don't already have enough book-keeping to take care of.
The GM rolls a d12 for every Phase, declaring a new Turn whenever a 1 is shown OR every 12 Phases, whichever comes first.
Turns are important only for tracking Power duration; combat rolls on from beginning to end using Fitz's Action Determination system shown above.
In a situation where every participant in an encounter has a low SPD, using a d12 will tend to result in a large number of Null Phases. In such a case, use a die with fewer faces — as long as everyone is using the same type of die, the system works pretty much the same way.
I would recommend using a die which does allow for some Null Phases, however, so that characters can make use of Held Actions to dash for cover or whatever. If the highest SPD in the encounter is 4, a d6 would be ample. If the highest SPD is 6, a d8 would be better, and so on.
The GM uses the same die type for Turn determination.