Action Value

The action value is a numerical value used to determine the result of a character’s action during a confrontation. There are several things that can modify the value of an action, and its final value will affect the outcome of the confrontation and determine its winner.

## Skill

The Skill’s value is the initial action value of that character during a confrontation in which he uses that skill for his action. Additionally, if the Skill value of a character is 0, he will suffer one disadvantage.

## Focus

Each Skill has an associated Focus, which determines:

* If the character is a PC, how many cards they can play per action from their hand to add their values to their initial action value set by their Skill.
* For an NPC or TSE, how many cards they can play from the top of the deck to add their values to their initial action value.

Characters can only perform one action each per Round, but they can perform any number of counter-actions.

## Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages (often represented by a “+” symbol) represent having a form of upper hand over an opponent, while disadvantages (often represented by a “-” symbol) represent difficulties or hindrances a character can have when trying to perform an action. PCs, NPCs, TSEs and Checks can be affected by advantages or disadvantages.

**Each advantage adds 3 points to the character’s starting value, and each disadvantage subtracts 3 points to the character’s starting value.**

> *Starting values can be negative after applying the effects of disadvantages.*
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Advantages and disadvantages can be gained through equipment, talents, other abilities that grant them, or through role-playing the situation. A character can gain advantages from several sources at the same time or even several advantages from the same source if the benefit such a source provides is very strong. There are many possibilities, and it is the job of the GM to determine how and when to grant advantages or disadvantages to characters.

Some examples of things that could provide advantages are:

* Standing over a wall to fence off some assaulters.
* Catching someone by surprise.
* Impressing everyone on the table by using all the right words and ideas in a speech before playing to see its result.
* Convincing someone you are speaking with the spirits of their family if you know secret details of their relationship.

Some examples of things that could pro-vide disadvantages are:

* Shooting a character who is behind cover.
* Fighting while having your hands tied.
* Fighting in the dark.
* Trying to impress someone while wearing poorly made or dirty clothes.
* Convincing someone of something when you can only communicate with signs because you don’t speak the same language.

There can be things that are not very clear if they would give an advantage or a disadvantage (you could argue that you have an advantage for dodging while behind cover, or that your opponent suffers one disadvantage to shooting at you while you are behind cover). The effects are the same either way, and it is important not to duplicate the importance of something by applying both solutions.

> *When performing an action, do not simply state what it is that you intend to do, explain how you do it and why in order to gain advantages through role-playing. Look for the best way to perform that action, taking into consideration your surroundings and being creative and fun — make it easy for the GM to grant you that valuable advantage!*
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