Open4E:Scenes
Contents
Scenes[edit]
Scenes are periods of improvisational acting and preparation, where second-by-second decisions are less important than maintaining a smooth flow of the dialog and narration. Scenes are divided into minutes, and an average scene should take around five minutes. Most extended actions occur at scene pacing; if an extended action takes longer than five minutes, the DM is allowed to simply say “a few hours later” and skip to the next scene, in which you’ve finished that action or something else interesting happens. Scene-based challenges are typically skill challenges, where your character’s skills determine how well you succeed and what happens next.
Performing Actions in a Scene[edit]
Actions that you take within a scene can take anywhere between a few seconds and several hours. You can always perform any action during a scene; simply declare the action that you want to perform, and the DM will keep track of how long it will take to finish, and may ask you to describe how you’re performing the action. Remember that good descriptions and clever ideas are rewarded, but don’t drag down the game with florid prose that doesn’t advance the story or entertain the other players. Remember that everyone’s first goal is to have fun as a group.
Use Skill[edit]
- (At-Will Extended Action * Basic Skill Utility)
- Effect: You perform any action listed in the Skill section.
Use Weapon[edit]
- (At-Will Extended Action * Basic Weapon Utility)
- Effect: You use a weapon for a non-combat purpose.
Reacting to Actions in a Scene[edit]
If you want to react to an action in a scene, tell the DM that you want to react to it, and then describe the action that you want to perform in response. Within a scene, the precise order that things happen in isn’t usually important; if it is, the DM will likely have you make an Initiative check to determine if you can pull it off fast enough. The rules for initiative, and for other actions, will be given later.
