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3E Core Rules
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Specifics on Timing
For much greater durations of time, such as hours, days, or even weeks, players may wish for all of the characters simply to pass time, which means that they declare that they do not wish for their characters to do anything significant, except whatever routine tasks they would normally do. For example, if the players are traveling a great distance across normal terrain, they may wish to pass time just to get to their destination faster. Or, if their companion PC or NPC is tied up doing routine work in a local city, and the others have to wait, everyone may wish to just pass time until they can get on with the adventure again, "fast-forwarding" through the one character's errand. There are a couple of important things to consider when the players wish to pass time from both a Rac's perspective and a player's perspective. First, every character has a Patience Attribute, which can play a critical roll in passing time. Anytime one or more characters is keeping busy doing something while the other characters are passing time, the Rac should require Patience rolls to determine if the others will hang around and wait patiently for the busy character(s). A failed Patience roll most likely means that the character cannot simply wait around for their companions to finish; they are mentally unable to wait around any longer and will have to leave the location. Patience is a very important Attribute from this perspective, because a failed Patience roll in a critical situation can mean detrimental effects for the impatient character or the entire party. Players should consider their character's Patience Attribute heavily before declaring that they wish to pass time. Once passing time is declared, the Patience aspect should be played out. The intervals of time that the Rac decides need Patience rolls from all waiting characters, whether it be in Rounds, minutes, hours, or days, can vary depending on the situation. Also, the environment has a big part to play in it too. For example, the other characters may not be able to wait at all in a dark, dangerous dungeon chamber while their companion meditates, with monsters crawling around on the other side of the doors. Fear, boredom, or excitement would most likely get the best of any character who fails their Patience roll, causing them to disturb the meditating companion in an attempt to gather everyone to leave the room. The other important things to consider when passing time are need and usage of resources, and the possible loss of important knowledge. Depending on the duration of passed time, the characters must have allowable resources or means of having continued resources in order to pass the time. These resources may include food, money, and shelter, among other things. Although, it may not be necessary to pin all these down with great detail, it is something that should be considered and discussed before the Rac allows extensive time to pass. Also, all players should consider the fact that by passing time, the characters could lose out on or delay getting some valuable information or items related to the adventure. The Rac need not be domineering about this, but it is a consideration worthy of attention. If the characters choose to be (relatively) inactive for an extended period, they may simply miss some things that they would not have if they were actively adventuring. Finally, characters gain Experience, which helps them excel and grow, when they are actively adventuring. With few exceptions, characters should not earn Experience while they are passing time. |
