Combat Turn Order Clarification

Star Trek Adventures
1

Getting some clarification on the whole “who goes when” question in Combat. Here’s the order of actions as I glean it from the Action Order section on p. 163 of the Core Book:

  1. GM chooses a PC to go first. (There are other special cases outlined here, but ignoring those for now)
  2. PC takes their Turn
  3. Assuming PC doesn’t Keep the Initiative, PC hands control to opponent NPCs
  4. NPC takes a turn
  5. GM chooses a PC to go next, and so on.

Here are the questions:

  • In step #3, does the PC choose a specific NPC to go next, or do they just cede their turn generally to the GM, and then the GM chooses which NPC goes next?
  • Is step #5 correct? Is it the GM’s choice which PC goes next, or does the GM cede their turn generally to the Player Crew, and they decide who goes next?

I ask because it seems unfair (as the GM) that I get the choice of both which enemy NPC to move and also which PC gets to react to it. Is there just a narrative honor code that prevents me from, say, having my Warbird shoot the Player ship, passing the Turn to someone that can’t react well to that like the doctor in Sickbay, shooting again, passing to someone in Main Engineering, etc.?

The structure here seems to want to mimic a “tennis game” where GM makes a initiative choice and then the Players make one. But which choice is up to the Players?

2

#3: The GM determines which of the NPCs acts next

[…] the Player hands the action to the opposing side […], who will choose a single character to act next.

So the “opposing” side chooses. And while not 100% clear, the PCs are the opposing side of the GM, so the rules should be similar, hence:

#5: The Players choose which character acts next

I agree that it would not be fun if the GM chooses in which order the PCs act. In my games, I let the Players decide their turn order. The GM may only choose a PC if they start the the encounter.

1 Like
3

In my opinion, the Players choose for them self who’s turn it is.
There might be situations were I as GM choose, Character X can make his turn based on the actuall circumstances and the other charakters have to wait.

And one basic: The GM plays with the Players not against them. And yes I knew one or two GM for whom that is breaking news.

1 Like
4

Official clarification:

The players hand to the GM, who chooses an NPC (who hasn’t yet acted) to act.

The GM hands initiative to the players as a whole, and the players pick one of their number who hasn’t yet acted to go next.

4 Likes