An encounter is a variable length of time which defines an important or challenging moment in the game.
Encounters usually take place over a few minutes, but may take hours, days, or weeks depending on the setting and the situation. For example, a long journey may form one encounter, whereas a brief fight may form another.
Social Encounters
A social encounter is any encounter where there are no foes present. Nonetheless, social encounters may involve contests of strength, will, and ability, just like combat.
Whenever you change encounter type (from social to rest, combat to social, and so on), you can alter your active memories at the beginning of your first turn. That is, your latent memories can become active, and vice versa.
Turn Order in Social Encounters
Aim Ten uses a turn order in Social encounters to determine who can act first.
- The creature with the memory with the highest speed.
- The creature with the highest Passion roll, followed by, if tied, their next highest Passion roll.
- The roll of a d10 (the higher roll wins).
Once this is determined, each creature in the encounter uses a single slow memory, or any number of fast memories, in turn, in addition to dialogue. You can use fast memories in any order you want, but you must resolve all instincts before the end of your turn.
A round is when everyone has had a turn. If the encounter has not ended once everyone has had a chance to make their turn, another round of turns begins.
Combat Encounters
A combat encounter is any encounter where there are foes present.
Put another way, if you are attacking or if you are being attacked, you are in a combat encounter.
Turn Order in Combat Encounters
Aim Ten uses a turn order in Combat encounters to determine who can act first. This is very similar to the turn order in Social encounters.
- The creature with the memory with the highest speed.
- The creature with the memory with the longest range.
- The creature with the strongest Agility.
- The roll of a d10 (the higher roll wins).
Once this is determined, each creature in the encounter uses a single slow power or instinct, or any number of fast powers, in turn. You can use fast powers and instincts in any order you want, but you must resolve all Instincts before the end of the turn.
If the encounter has not ended once everyone has had a chance to make their turn, another round of turns begins.
📖 In some situations, for example in asynchronous “play-by-post” situations, a DM may wish to dispense with turn order as a means of receiving player actions in a specified order. It will generally be more convenient to receive all player actions (or as many as possible) and then respond to them in bulk. However, attempt rolls for dialogue should always be made, to determine the outcomes of a deceit.
After an Encounter
When you finish an encounter, you normally have the opportunity to change your active memories out for latent memories.
Normally, you will also gain an experience and accrue fatigue.
Rest
Whenever an encounter ends, one of two things may happen:
- A new encounter begins
- You rest
A few memories may have a special function during rest, or only function during rest.
There is no turn order during rest. When you’re resting, none of your instincts trigger – including fight or flight.
Resting may be described as not being in an encounter. However, depending on your setting, sometimes important things may happen during a rest, which may be termed a “Rest encounter”.