Oct 28, 2025 1:58 am
As the game evolved, both players and the Director gained access to new abilities and effects that can activate throughout a combat round. Managing these through individual standing orders would quickly become overwhelming for me.
Trying to streamline play, I propose a new system of Shared Abilities that replaces the older Standing Orders rules. It allows the group to resolve triggered actions collaboratively and fluidly, keeping the pace of combat steady while preserving tactical choice and teamwork.
I am also introducing Hero Tokens, a shared heroic resource that is part of Draw Steel core rules. The goal is to reinforce the shared, cooperative flow of play that defines this system.
New House Rule: Shared Abilities and Triggered Actions
From now on, allied player characters can share and activate certain triggered actions if they want. This lets players react to events efficiently without waiting for each other’s posts.
Invoking a Shared Triggered Action
Any allied player may declare and resolve another player character’s triggered action, as long as:
1. The triggering condition is met.
2. The ability’s use follows the normal game rules.
3. You have explicit permission from the other player to invoke the triggered action in this or similar circumstances. You can use this thread to coordinate/authorize that!
The player invoking the ability must clearly state which ally’s ability they are using and apply its effects immediately in their post.
The original owner of the ability remains the source for all mechanical purposes (range, line of sight, keywords, resource costs, and targeting). If a triggered ability requires spending a shared heroic resource (such as Piety, Focus, etc), it is spent from the original owner’s pool.
New House Rule: Retroactive Invocation
A player may invoke one of their own triggered actions after the fact, provided they have not yet posted or acted following the triggering event.
Once a player posts another action or the Director resolves the next turn, the chance to retroactively apply that trigger is lost.
New Resources: Hero Tokens
You now have access to Hero Tokens in a shared group pool. These tokens represent the party’s collective luck, resolve, and heroic spirit. Any player may spend Hero Tokens from this shared pool at any time, following the guidelines below.
1 Hero Token: Gain 2 Surges.
1 Hero Token: When you fail a saving throw, you instead succeed on that save.
1 Hero Token: Reroll a test. You must use the new result.
2 Hero Tokens: On your turn, or immediately after taking damage (no action required), regain Stamina equal to your Recovery value.
Trying to streamline play, I propose a new system of Shared Abilities that replaces the older Standing Orders rules. It allows the group to resolve triggered actions collaboratively and fluidly, keeping the pace of combat steady while preserving tactical choice and teamwork.
I am also introducing Hero Tokens, a shared heroic resource that is part of Draw Steel core rules. The goal is to reinforce the shared, cooperative flow of play that defines this system.
New House Rule: Shared Abilities and Triggered Actions
From now on, allied player characters can share and activate certain triggered actions if they want. This lets players react to events efficiently without waiting for each other’s posts.
Invoking a Shared Triggered Action
Any allied player may declare and resolve another player character’s triggered action, as long as:
1. The triggering condition is met.
2. The ability’s use follows the normal game rules.
3. You have explicit permission from the other player to invoke the triggered action in this or similar circumstances. You can use this thread to coordinate/authorize that!
The player invoking the ability must clearly state which ally’s ability they are using and apply its effects immediately in their post.
The original owner of the ability remains the source for all mechanical purposes (range, line of sight, keywords, resource costs, and targeting). If a triggered ability requires spending a shared heroic resource (such as Piety, Focus, etc), it is spent from the original owner’s pool.
New House Rule: Retroactive Invocation
A player may invoke one of their own triggered actions after the fact, provided they have not yet posted or acted following the triggering event.
Once a player posts another action or the Director resolves the next turn, the chance to retroactively apply that trigger is lost.
New Resources: Hero Tokens
You now have access to Hero Tokens in a shared group pool. These tokens represent the party’s collective luck, resolve, and heroic spirit. Any player may spend Hero Tokens from this shared pool at any time, following the guidelines below.
1 Hero Token: Gain 2 Surges.
1 Hero Token: When you fail a saving throw, you instead succeed on that save.
1 Hero Token: Reroll a test. You must use the new result.
2 Hero Tokens: On your turn, or immediately after taking damage (no action required), regain Stamina equal to your Recovery value.
