## FULL SPECIFICATION
# TACTICAL DICE GAME SYSTEM (TDGS) - DOCUMENT 6
# Title: Action Economy
# Version: 1.0
# Purpose: AI-readable specification for timing, turns, and action structure
# Target: Language models, AI assistants, game designers, developers
# License: MIT
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OVERVIEW
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Action Economy defines WHEN actions happen.
Action Taxonomy (Doc 5) defines WHAT actions exist.
HIERARCHY:
SCENE -> contains -> ROUNDS -> contains -> PHASES -> contains -> TURNS
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SCENE
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DEFINITION: A continuous tactical situation (combat, chase, negotiation)
SCENE ENDS WHEN:
- Combat concludes (victory, defeat, surrender, escape)
- Chase ends (caught, escaped, abandoned)
- Negotiation finishes (agreement, breakdown, interruption)
ON SCENE END:
- Armor durability resets
- Per-scene abilities reset
- Entities catch breath, reset stance
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ROUND
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DEFINITION: One complete cycle where every entity acts
STRUCTURE:
ROUND
|-- INSTANT PHASE (all Instants resolve)
`-- ACTION PHASE (all entities act in initiative order)
Rounds repeat until Scene ends.
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INITIATIVE
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ORDER: REF -> LUK -> d2
1. Higher REF acts first
2. If REF tied: higher LUK acts first
3. If both tied: flip d2
INITIATIVE IS NOT ROLLED. Stats determine order.
RATIONALE: REF 10 IS faster than REF 8. Not "probably faster." Faster.
MULTI-ENTITY TIES (3+ entities tied after REF and LUK):
1. All tied entities flip d2 simultaneously
2. Higher results act before lower results
3. Remaining ties flip again
4. Repeat until fully resolved
PERSISTENCE: Order determined once at Scene start, persists unless REF/LUK changes.
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INSTANT PHASE
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TIMING: Start of each round, before Action Phase
INSTANTS ARE:
- Pre-emptive abilities
- Granted by Skills, Spells, Traits
- Declared at round start
- Resolved before any normal actions
INSTANT ORDERING: Instant's REF -> Entity's LUK -> d2
- Each Instant ability has its own REF value
- Higher REF Instants resolve first
- Ties broken by declaring entity's LUK, then d2
EXAMPLE:
Fighter: "Battle Cry" (Instant REF 8)
Rogue: "Quick Draw" (Instant REF 12)
Wizard: "Premonition" (Instant REF 5)
Order: Quick Draw (12), Battle Cry (8), Premonition (5)
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INSTANT REF SOURCE
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Instant abilities SHOULD define their own REF value.
Example:
Battle Cry (Instant)
Instant REF: 8
Effect: Allies gain +2 to next attack
If Instant REF not defined: Default to entity's REF
RATIONALE:
- Some abilities are inherently fast/slow
- "Flash Step" is fast because it IS fast
- Allows predictable ordering independent of user
- Content creator controls when ability fires in Instant Phase
ORDERING REMINDER:
1. Higher Instant REF resolves first
2. Tie: Entity's LUK
3. Still tied: d2
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INSTANTS VS INTERRUPTS
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| Property | Instants | Interrupts |
|--------------|-----------------------|---------------------------|
| Timing | Round start | Response to trigger |
| Nature | Pre-emptive | Reactive |
| Declaration | Before Action Phase | When trigger occurs |
| Ordering | By Instant's REF | Immediate when triggered |
| Limits | Per ability | Per ability |
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ACTION PHASE
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TIMING: After Instant Phase
ENTITIES ACT: In initiative order (REF -> LUK -> d2)
YOUR TURN:
- 1 ACTION (use or lose)
- 1 STEP (free, adjacent, choose timing)
- Unlimited FREE ACTIONS (simple interactions)
STEP TIMING:
VALID: Step then Action, OR Action then Step
INVALID: Step, Action, Step (only one Step)
UNUSED ACTIONS: Lost. No banking. No conversion.
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ACTION ANATOMY
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When taking an Action:
1. DECLARE: State action and target
2. INTERRUPT CHECK: Opponents may use Interrupts
3. RESOLUTION: d20 + modifiers vs threshold
4. MAGNITUDE: If success, determine how much
This applies to ALL actions: attacks, spells, social, etc.
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INTERRUPTS
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DEFINITION: Reactive abilities that fire in response to triggers
INTERRUPTS ARE:
- Granted by Skills, Spells, Traits
- Triggered by specific conditions
- Resolved immediately when triggered
EXAMPLES:
- Parry: When attacked in melee, deflect
- Counterspell: When spell cast, attempt to negate
- Opportunity Attack: When enemy moves away, strike
- Dodge Roll: When targeted, evade
NO FREE INTERRUPTS:
- Entities without relevant abilities have no Interrupts
- Base defense is REF (passive, no roll)
- Active defense requires learned Skills
INTERRUPT LIMITS:
Each ability specifies its limit:
- Per round: Resets each round
- Per scene: Resets when Scene ends
- Per day: Resets after long rest
Examples:
Parry (Lv1): 1/round
Parry (Lv5): 2/round
Counterspell: 1/scene
Divine Intervention: 1/day
NO BASE POOL: Limits defined entirely by abilities.
INTERRUPT TIMING:
Resolves IMMEDIATELY, before triggering action completes.
Example (Parry):
1. Enemy declares Melee Attack
2. You declare Parry
3. Parry resolves (you roll)
4. Success: attack deflected
5. Failure: attack continues
INTERRUPT VS INTERRUPT:
Resolve in order declared (responder first).
Example (Counterspell chain):
1. Wizard A casts Fireball
2. Wizard B uses Counterspell
3. Wizard A uses Counter-Counterspell
4. Resolve: Counter-Counterspell, then Counterspell, then Fireball
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READIED ACTIONS
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Ready (Action) converts your Action into a conditional Interrupt.
PROCESS:
1. On your turn: Declare Ready (costs Action)
2. State trigger and held action
3. If trigger occurs before next turn:
- Held action fires as Interrupt
- Resolves immediately, even mid-action
4. If no trigger: Action lost
PURPOSE: Primary way for characters WITHOUT Interrupt skills to react.
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DELAY
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Delay (Free) moves you later in initiative.
PROCESS:
1. When your turn comes: Declare Delay
2. Specify when to act ("after wizard", "at end")
3. Move to that position THIS ROUND
4. Next round: Reset to natural REF order
LIMIT: Cannot delay past start of next round.
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SIMULTANEOUS EVENTS
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TDGS resolves all events in order. No true simultaneity.
SAME PHASE, DIFFERENT REF:
Higher REF resolves first.
SAME PHASE, SAME REF:
1. Compare LUK
2. If tied: flip d2
MUTUAL DESTRUCTION:
If both events would prevent the other, resolve in REF order.
Faster entity's action completes first.
If REF and LUK identical: flip d2.
Winner's action completes. Loser may not get to complete theirs.
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SUMMARY: TIMING TYPES
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Type | When | Limit | Source
---------|-------------|--------------|------------------
Action | Your turn | 1/turn | Everyone
Free | Your turn | Varies | Everyone
Step | Your turn | 1/turn | Everyone
Instant | Round start | Per ability | Skills/Abilities
Interrupt| Response | Per ability | Skills/Abilities
Readied | On trigger | 1 (Ready) | Ready action
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SUMMARY: FULL STRUCTURE
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SCENE (combat, chase, negotiation)
|
`-- ROUND (repeats until Scene ends)
|
|-- INSTANT PHASE
| `-- All Instants resolve (by Instant REF -> LUK -> d2)
|
`-- ACTION PHASE
`-- Each entity in initiative order (by Entity REF -> LUK -> d2)
|
`-- TURN
|-- Step (free, once, choose timing)
|-- Action (one, use or lose)
| |-- Declare
| |-- Interrupt check
| |-- Resolution
| `-- Magnitude
`-- Free actions (unlimited)
|
SCENE ENDS -> Effects reset (armor, per-scene abilities)
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IMPLEMENTATION NOTES FOR AI SYSTEMS
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INITIATIVE CALCULATION:
entities.sort(by: REF desc, then LUK desc, then random)
INTERRUPT PROCESSING:
on_action_declared(action):
for each entity with relevant Interrupt:
if entity.wants_to_interrupt(action):
if entity.can_use_interrupt():
resolve_interrupt()
decrement_interrupt_uses()
resolve_original_action()
INSTANT PROCESSING:
at_round_start():
collect_declared_instants()
instants.sort(by: instant.REF desc, then entity.LUK desc, then random)
for instant in instants:
resolve_instant()
SCENE MANAGEMENT:
on_scene_end():
for entity in entities:
reset_armor_durability()
reset_per_scene_abilities()
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DOCUMENT STATUS
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STATUS: Canonical
VERSION: 1.0
All timing, turn structure, and action sequencing in TDGS conform to this document.
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CANONICAL URLS
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Human-readable: https://tacticaldice.com/docs/tdgs/actioneconomy
AI-optimized: https://tacticaldice.com/docs/tdgs/actioneconomyforai
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END OF DOCUMENT
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