Alternative Turn-Based Action Scenarios

The Turn-Based Action rules can be used for more than combat and are also ideal for most high-octane situations. There are several alternative scenarios where an additional layer of granularity can provide new challenges and strategies for the participants.

Suspended Movement

Adventures can take you under the sea, into the sky, or adrift in the Astral Plane. These scenarios aren't anchored to the ground and expand your movement options to a whole new dimension.

Participants in these Turn-Based Action scenarios are able to move in any direction they choose and have their movement suspended vertically from any ground. The conditions of this suspension depend on the environment.

While participants are suspended in a large body of water:

• Bludgeoning and fire damage are halved.
• Ranged weapon attacks beyond the weapon's normal range automatically miss their target.
• Unless the weapon is thrown, attacks made with ranged weapons have disadvantage .
• Dexterity ability checks and melee weapon attacks have disadvantage unless the attacker has a swim speed.

While participants are aloft in the sky:

• When a creature is knocked prone , restrained , or otherwise has no fly speed it automatically begins to fall.
• Willing movement made vertically downward costs half the distance (in feet) that it normally would. A creature that moves 10 feet downward only spends 5 feet of its movement to do so.

While participants are adrift in an intangible, space-like environment such as the Astral Plane:

• Creatures and objects have vulnerability to psychic damage unless they have proficiency in either Wisdom or Intelligence saving throws .
• A creature's Speed is determined by its thoughts. Each creature gains a fly speed equal to 30 feet + (5 feet × its Intelligence modifier).

Rolling Movement

Races, chases, horseback embraces, action alongside a train car, and falling down the side of a building all come with an assumption that each participant of the Turn-Based Action scenario is moving.

While in a rolling movement scenario:

• The Narrator determines the direction and the base speed of the scene per round, typically either 30 feet or the base Speed of the second slowest active participant.
• The World Actions phase of Turn-Based Action occurs at the start of each participant's turn, affecting only them.
• Participants cannot use their basic movement to move further forward without Dashing or performing an improvised action. They can still move sideways or slow down.
• Participants that become too distant from the action must find a way to return themselves, wait for active participants to move the action back to them, or wait until the end of the scenario.