When every second matters - such as combat - players take turns describing their character’s actions. Many actions require a check of some kind (attacking, casting a spell, intimidating an enemy into retreat), each with its own DC and modifiers.

A PC can only take one of each action per round, but might be forced to make checks that don’t count as actions.

• Active: most proactive actions that require a check (stealth, attack, cast).
• Movement: you can move up to your speed (usually 30’). You can split up this distance throughout your turn.
• Quick: brief actions, actions triggered off others, anything that takes a second.

Active actions are driven by the PC’s choices and often require a check. Common active actions: attacking, hiding, casting spells, commanding troops, or similar. An active action can always be “traded down” to a movement or quick action, GM willing.

You can move up to your speed in feet (30’ base, load reduces) for each movement action. You can split up this movement however you’d like, and can take actions in between segments of movement; such as moving, then attacking, then moving again.

Some forms of special movement - swimming, crawling, climbing, or traveling in difficult terrain - force you to move at half speed (a PC with 30’ speed can climb 15’). Each load you carry above your STR score reduces your speed by 5’ and forces disadvantage on all checks.

A 10 STR, 30’ speed PC carrying 11 load would move at 25’ speed. A PC at 0’ speed is completely encumbered and can’t move at all. A movement action can be “traded down” to a quick action.

The most common form of quick action is a readied action, such as when waiting to spring an ambush. Drawing items or weapons, casting certain spells, maintaining concentration, and some class features are quick actions. The GM can rule that certain other basic actions are quick actions.

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