Roundtime
Roundtime (RT), measured in seconds, refers to a lockout period when a character cannot perform most combat-related abilities, including movement, attacking, and casting spells.
Almost all offensive combat abilities impose some associated roundtime, as does failing defensive combat maneuver rolls against most maneuvers. Roundtime is also a factor in many other actions such as traversing difficult terrain, using powerful magic, or crafting items.
Hard vs. Soft RT
Normal roundtime is also known as "hard" RT, in contrast with cast roundtime which is known as "soft" roundtime. In most standard game clients, hard RT is shown with a red bar and soft RT with a blue bar. Cast roundtime is incurred after casting a spell, is always 3 seconds, and permits some combat actions such as moving and changing stance.
| Hard RT | Soft RT | |
|---|---|---|
| Speak | Yes | Yes |
| Move/Stand | No | Yes |
| Change Stance | No | Yes |
| Attack | No | No |
| Prepare/Cast Spell | No† | No |
| Use Society Power | No† | No |
† A few specific spells and society powers are usable during roundtime with an associated penalty. For example, Sigil of Escape may be activated, but will drain all stamina and mana and may only be used in such a fashion once per day. It is not possible to activate these powers during cast roundtime.
Factors
One of the most common sources of roundtime is engaging in physical combat. When a character ATTACKs or uses an offensive Combat Maneuver, they incur some amount of roundtime based on the type of weapon or maneuver.
Each weapon has a base weapon speed and minimum weapon speed. Base weapon speed is the standard duration before accounting any factors that may increase or decrease that amount. Minimum weapon speed is the shortest duration to which the attack's roundtime may be reduced by statistic bonuses. (In cases where base weapon speed is less than minimum weapon speed, the minimum speed still takes precedence.)
It is possible to further reduce attack roundtime using the QUICKSTRIKE command at the cost of stamina.
Melee RT
| Agility + Dexterity |
Roundtime reduction |
|---|---|
| 8 - 22 | 1 |
| 23 - 37 | 2 |
| 38 - 52 | 3 |
| 53 - 67 | 4 |
| 68 - 82 | 5 |
| 83 - 97 | 6 |
| 98 - 112 | 7 |
| 113+ | 8 |
| Roundtime reductions above 5 are not achievable without enhancive items. | |
Characters will see an increase to melee roundtime if they are under encumbrance from carrying too many items, or if they are insufficiently trained for their armor. The AMBUSH verb adds 3 seconds to Base RT and 1 second to Minimum RT.
All characters experience a natural reduction in melee roundtime based on the sum of their agility and dexterity bonuses, as indicated to the right. This bonus is sometimes referred to as AGIDEX.
| Race | Max DEX |
Max AGI |
Max sum |
Max RT reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halfling | 25+15 | 25+10 | 75 | 5 |
| Burghal gnome | 25+10 | 25+10 | 70 | 5 |
| Elf | 25+5 | 25+15 | 70 | 5 |
| Aelotoi | 25+5 | 25+10 | 65 | 4 |
| Dark elf | 25+10 | 25+5 | 65 | 4 |
| Forest gnome | 25+5 | 25+10 | 65 | 4 |
| Half-elf | 25+5 | 25+10 | 65 | 4 |
| Sylvankind | 25+10 | 25+5 | 65 | 4 |
| Half-krolvin | 25+0 | 25+5 | 55 | 4 |
| Erithian | 25+0 | 25+0 | 50 | 3 |
| Human | 25+0 | 25+0 | 50 | 3 |
| Dwarf | 25+0 | 25−5 | 45 | 3 |
| Giantman | 25−5 | 25−5 | 40 | 3 |
Ranged RT
When using ranged or thrown weapons, every +10 strength bonus reduces roundtime by 1 second. Crossbows are a special case as they have a fixed roundtime for FIRE, with strength instead being a factor in COCK. The AIM verb for ranged attacks adds 1 second to Base RT.
Creatures
Creatures operate by different rules. They do not take roundtime from their own actions, only from actions imposed upon them. Roundtime from different actions does not stack on creatures.
Creatures act on an action timer, which is a characteristic of the creature rather than the action. A few actions use multiples of the action time (mstrike takes double, prep and cast take half each on many creatures). Haste halves critter action times. A critter with an action timer of 12s or more would normally be considered slow, and 6s or less would normally be considered fast. BCS variants of critters change action time, with the highest level version of the creature being 2s faster than the standard creature, and the lowest 2s slower. Adventurer's Guild dangerous creatures can drop another 2s from their action time, making some of these very fast indeed.
Action time and roundtime are different, while roundtimes do not stack on one another for creatures, roundtime does stack on action time.