Turn Order Turn Order INITIATIVE Shadowdark RPG is played in turn order right from the start. At the beginning of the game, the GM establishes initiative, or the order in which the players act. Everyone rolls a d20 and adds their DEX modifier. The GM adds the highest DEX modifier of any monsters, if relevant. The person who rolled the highest takes the first turn, and the turn order moves clockwise from that individual. FREEFORM MODE Initiative need not be strict; some GMs keep only a loose round-robin, allowing the players to decide their turn order and actions before circling back to the GM's turn. Players might declare their actions as a group or act simultaneously, and the GM will need to adjudicate. A round passes once everyone has acted. PLAYER TURN 1. The player counts down any personal timers for spells and other effects. 2. The player takes an action and may move up to near (split up in any way). The player can move near again if skipping an action. 3. The GM describes what happens as a result of the player's turn. GM TURN 1. The GM counts down any timers not tracked by players. 2. The GM checks for a random encounter, if needed. 3. The GM takes actions and makes movements for any relevant creatures or environmental effects. 4. The GM describes what the characters notice as a result of steps 1-3.

Time REAL TIME Time passes in the game world at the same pace it's passing in the real world. One minute or hour of game time is equal to one minute or hour in real time. This matters for tracking light sources, because most light sources only last for one hour of real time. If you can't track real time in your game, assume one hour is equal to 10 rounds. TURNS AND ROUNDS A turn is a player's moment to describe what their character does to the GM. Players act one by one on each of their turns. Some turns need a bit of room to breathe. A character who is speaking with someone can make a few reasonable exchanges back and forth. A round completes when each person has taken one turn. TIME PASSES Every moment in the game doesn't have to be accounted for in real time. For example, if the characters want to spend 10 minutes examining a room from top to bottom, the GM and players can agree that time passes. When time passes, the GM and players move any timers down by that amount. Minutes Pass. Effects with a duration of rounds expire. The GM rolls one random encounter check that occurs on a 1-3 on a d6 while this time is passing. Hours/Days Pass. Effects with a duration shorter than the time passed expire. The GM uses overland travel rules to check for encounters that occur while this time is passing (see pg. 90). After resolving encounters, the game world fast-forwards to the new point in time.