Cool Name RPG Adventures consist of a series of interconnected Encounters. Encounters are like the scenes in a movie or the chapters in a book. Each Encounter is a discrete moment in the story with clear objectives, obstacles, and rewards.
Encounter Types #
An Encounter can tell any sort of story you like, but there are three main types of Encounters in the Cool Name RPG Core Rules: Action, Combat, and Social.
Action Encounters #
In an Action Encounter, your character runs, jumps, and swings their way through the world to overcome the Challenges presented by the Gamemaster. Examples of Action Encounters include making your way through a tomb riddled with traps to reach the treasure chamber, sneaking into a well-defended stronghold, or sailing a ship through a terrible storm.
An Action Encounter might have one large Challenge or a series of smaller Challenges. You may face the Challenges all at once, or one at a time. When you overcome all the Challenges in the Encounter, you are victorious.
Combat Encounters #
In a Combat Encounter, the primary activity is combat. These are the scenes where your character battles the goblins who are attacking the village, defeats the horrific troll that has been eating local shepherds, or goes blade to blade with the bandits that will not let anyone use an important bridge without paying an exorbitant toll. Usually, each enemy in a Combat Encounter has their own Challenge Points, and you achieve victory when you reduce the last combatant’s Challenge Points to zero.
Social Encounters #
Social Encounters focus on your character’s interactions with the people who inhabit the game world. A Social Encounter might include the negotiation of a peace treaty between the armies of the King and his rebellious son, a con to make your way into the posh neighborhoods of the noble quarter, or even a heated bargaining match with a local merchant. Like Action Encounters, a Social Encounter might have a single large Challenge or a series of smaller Challenges.
Additional rules for each of the three Encounter Types are provided in Chapter 9: Action Encounters, Chapter 7: Combat Encounters, and Chapter 10: Social Encounters.
Rounds and Turns #
For most Encounters, time is tracked using Rounds. In one Round, each character (a hero controlled by a player) and NPC (a person or creature controlled by the Gamemaster) gets one Turn to act. The characters and NPCs take their Turns in the order of their Initiative. The highest Initiative goes first, the next highest second, and so forth. Turns and Initiative are discussed in greater detail later in this chapter.
Length of a Round #
The length of a Round in game time (that is to say, the length as perceived by your characters) is up to the Gamemaster and depends greatly on what is happening in the Encounter. Combat Encounter Rounds are usually very short, lasting around six seconds per Round. This is because combat is fast and furious, and it is important to track and play out every little change on the battlefield.
For other Encounter Types, each Round might last a minute, an hour, or even a few hours per Round. The Gamemaster will let you know how long a Round is at the beginning of the Encounter.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Cool Name RPG rules are not meant to serve as a mechanism for action simulations, but rather to help you and your friends tell an incredible action-adventure story. The length of the Round is just there to give you a rough sense of what your character can accomplish each Round, not to precisely track the passage of time.
Encounters without Rounds
You don’t need to use Rounds for every Encounter, and some Encounters work better when you don’t. When you’re playing an Encounter without Rounds, players describe what their characters do and the Gamemaster describes the outcomes. Challenges are addressed as they arise, Action Checks are made when and if they are needed, and the players decide when and how their characters act. The story unfolds in a freeform back-and-forth conversation between the Gamemaster and the players. You might also choose to use Rounds for one part of an Encounter but not for another.
Like Action Checks, only use Rounds when they add to the game.
When to Use Rounds
Here are a few reasons you might want to use Rounds:
– To make sure none of the players are getting left out.
– The characters have a limited amount of time to overcome the Challenges.
– The order of the player and NPC Actions has a significant impact on the game
– The Encounter consists primarily of Combat.
Encounter Structure #
Every Encounter, regardless of type, has the same structure. What follows is a high-level overview showing the structure of Encounters followed by detailed descriptions of each part.
Encounter Overview #
- Set the Stage: The Gamemaster describes where the Encounter takes place, tells the players what NPCs are present, identifies the Challenges (at least those the characters are aware of,) and explains the overall goal of the Encounter.
- Declare Starting Positions: The players describe where their characters are when the Encounter begins, what they are doing, and what gear they are carrying. The Gamemaster lets the players know the location of important NPCs.
- Determine Initiative: The players make Initiative Action Checks for their characters and the Gamemaster determines Initiative for the NPCs.
- Round Begins: At the beginning of the Round, the Gamemaster tells the players the Round length or informs them if the Round length is changing.
- Taking Turns: Each character and NPC participating in the Encounter get a Turn to perform one Minor Action and one Major Action. The participants act in the order of their Initiative with the highest Initiative going first.
- Round Ends: The Round ends once every character and NPC have taken a Turn.
- Check for Victory:If the characters have overcome (or been defeated by) all the Challenges, the Encounter ends. Otherwise, continue to Step 8.
- Escalating Challenge Points Increase:If the Encounter has any Escalating Challenges, the Gamemaster increases their Challenge Points
- Trigger Events: The Gamemaster checks the Encounter’s description to see if any events are triggered.
- End of Round Trigger Events: Any End of Round events take place.
- Repeat: Go to Step 4 and repeat until the characters have overcome all the Challenges, have all withdrawn from the Encounter, or are all defeated.
Step 1: Set the Stage #
At the beginning of the Encounter, the Gamemaster sets the stage. To set the stage, the Gamemaster provides a detailed description of the location, describes any NPCs that are present and what they are doing, and identifies possible threats. The Gamemaster’s description both identifies key game elements and brings the world to life for the players.
The Gamemaster does not need to describe everything, but they do need to provide enough information that the players can easily choose relevant Actions for their characters. Examples of details the Gamemaster might want to provide include the time of day, the weather (especially if the Encounter takes place outdoors), what objects are nearby, notable sounds or smells, and the appearance of key NPCs.
The players may ask the Gamemaster to provide more information about a certain element of the scene, such as an NPCs demeanor or details about a particular object. If this goes on for too long, or if discovering the details is the purpose of the Encounter, the Gamemaster may choose to start the Encounter, at which point the characters will take Actions to gather additional information.
The Gamemaster should also describe any obvious Challenges and explain the Encounter’s objectives.
Step 2: Declare Starting Positions #
The players decide where their characters are at the start of the Encounter, what they are doing, and make decisions about what equipment they have at the ready. For many Encounters, the players make this choice, but in some cases, the Encounter dictates where the characters are when the Encounter begins or even what equipment they have available. The Gamemaster also describes where NPCs are located as well as any important equipment the NPCs have.
Step 3: Determine Initiative #
Each player makes an Initiative Action Check for their character. The Action Score for this Action Check is the character’s Initiative Score. Find the appropriate Action Dice and roll. The Initiative Action Check is Difficulty Score 0, although modifiers may apply. The Effect is the character’s Initiative for the Encounter.
The Initiative for NPCs and monsters is already listed in their statblocks. No dice are rolled. It is helpful to write down a list of the participants and their Initiatives, from highest Initiative to lowest, for reference during the Encounter.
Step 4: Round Begins #
The Round begins! If you want to sound a war horn or blow your carnyx or bang a gong to mark the beginning of the Round, we absolutely encourage you to do so, but it is not required. At this step, the Gamemaster declares the Round length. If the Encounter is already underway, at this step the Gamemaster lets the players know if the Round length is changing.
Step 5: Taking Turns #
Each participant in the Encounter takes one Turn in the order of their Initiative, with the highest Initiative acting first. On their Turn, a character or NPC may take one Major Action and one Minor Action in whatever order makes sense to the player.
Minor Actions include Actions such as changing position, drawing a blade, moving a short distance, removing an easily accessible item from your pack, or opening a door.
Major Actions include Actions such as casting a spell, attacking an enemy, or searching for a secret door. As a rule of thumb, if the Action requires an Action Check, it is a Major Action.
Round Length and Actions #
The Major and Minor Action examples provided above are appropriate for an Encounter with short Rounds, like the six second Rounds commonly used during Combat. What constitutes an appropriate Action for an Encounter, however, depends entirely on the length of the Round. For instance, if the Rounds are 1 hour long, traveling to the other side of the city might be a Minor Action, but if the Round is six seconds long, it might take a Minor Action to cross the room.
Choosing Actions #
Your character may take any Action you like. The only limits are your imagination and the Gamemaster’s adjudication. Get creative, have fun, and bring the story to life by having your character act in a way that mirrors what you see in your favorite books, shows, and films.
If you are uncertain about what your character can do, read through the descriptions of your MOs for inspiration, or look at the Action Types described in Chapter 5: Action Types and in the chapters for each of the Encounter Types. Whatever you choose, keep the following in mind: heroes in stories do not “perform an Obstruct Action.” Rather, they “Throw a torch into the pile of broken barrels to set the oil spilling out of them ablaze, distracting the enemies so my friends can escape!”
One other important point to remember is that you can (and should) use Actions that play to your character’s strengths. This is true for any type of Challenge, from climbing a wall to fast-talking a barkeep to defeating an enemy in combat. For instance, a Thief might use their high Coordination Score to creep up on the enemy, but a Wizard is more likely to use their Intellect to cast a spell of silence. When choosing your Action, you are more likely to be successful if you play to your strengths and strive to tell an exciting story.
Step 6: Round Ends #
Once every participant in the Encounter has taken their Turn, the Round ends. As noted earlier for the start of the Round, horns, bells, and gongs are encouraged but not required.
Step 7: Check for Victory #
You will probably know when your characters achieve victory, but just in case, the Gamemaster checks to see if the characters have overcome all the Encounter’s Challenges.
Alternatively, if all the characters are defeated, or if they have all used the Withdraw Action to leave the Encounter and they have not overcome the Challenges, the Encounter ends and the heroes have failed. The Gamemaster will explain what this means and describe the consequences.
One unique trait of RPGs is that failing to achieve an objective does not mean the characters lose the game. As long as the characters are still alive, the story continues. Withdrawing or being defeated just means the story goes in a different direction than if the characters were the victors. Welcome to the low point in your story where the heroes must pull themselves up by their bootstraps and devise a new plan to overcome the forces of evil!
Step 8: Escalating Challenge Points Increase #
If there are any Escalating Challenges in this Encounter, the Gamemaster increases the Challenge Points for those Challenges.
Step 9: Trigger Events #
Trigger Events are special events that occur at certain points in the Encounter. The Trigger for an event might be when the Challenge Points for a Challenge reach a particular number, the passage of a certain number of Rounds, or the completion of one or more of the Encounter’s Challenges. In this step, the Gamemaster checks to see if any Events are triggered.
Step 10: End of Round Trigger Events #
After all other Trigger Events are resolved, End of Round Trigger Events occur.
Step 11: Repeat #
Assuming there are still Challenges to overcome, go back to Step 4: Round Begins and repeat the steps. Repeat this process until either the characters have all Withdrawn from the Encounter, have overcome all the Challenges, or have been defeated.
Mixing Encounter Types #
Every Encounter Type uses the same set of rules, so you can easily mix and match Encounter Types. Want to play a Combat Encounter that takes place in a ruined temple where the characters must climb and jump as in an Action Encounter? That works. Both Encounter Types use the same rules, so you can easily have both types of Challenges. Or maybe your peaceful Social Encounter at the palace has gotten a bit heated for one of the characters, and for that character, the conversation has devolved into a Combat Encounter. You can play out the combat scene for one group of characters at the same time that another group is trying to talk the Duke into loaning them his prize warhorse.
Rounds, Turns, Initiative, Challenge Points, Action Checks, Effects, and all the other elements of the Cool Name RPG rules are handled the same way for every Encounter Type. You can—and should—mix and match as much as you like.
Ending the Encounter #
Once all the Challenges are overcome, the Gamemaster wraps up the Encounter. Typically, this includes a short description of the outcome of your victory (or defeat) and what has changed in the story thanks to your heroic Actions. The wrap-up might also include one or more rewards for the Challenges you have overcome. Finally, the wrap-up will usually include a link to a new Encounter, propelling your heroes along the path of the story and on to the next scene in their epic Adventure.