Beat
Also called: Beats, Red Lines
Mechanic combatthe-countdurationcore-mechanic
Definition: A unit of combat time equal to 10 Ticks, half a turn of The Cylinder. One Beat passes each time The Hammer crosses a Red Line at Tick 0 or Tick 10.
Some effects outlast a single action but end long before the scene does. Those durations are measured in Beats. A Beat is 10 Ticks, half a turn of The Cylinder, and each time The Hammer crosses a Red Line, one Beat has passed. Beats measure time only in combat; outside combat, use minutes, hours, or scenes.
| Situation | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Durations | An effect lasting a number of Beats ends 10 Ticks per Beat after it begins. Drop a marker on the Tick where it ends. |
| Longer Durations | A 2-Beat effect ends on the same Tick it began, one full turn of The Cylinder later. For anything longer, set a die on the marker to count the laps remaining. |
| Every Beat | An effect that happens “each Beat,” or can be used “once per Beat,” resolves or refreshes each time The Hammer crosses a Red Line. |
At Tick 13, a swarm of glittering spores Blinds Caleb for 1 Beat. The GM drops a coin on Tick 3, and when The Hammer reaches it, Caleb can see again.
(See also Tick and Scene.)