Movement
Position decides danger before blades do.
In Narateer, motion is intent made visible: closing, peeling off, drawing fire, breaking line. The ground itself is a clock—every meter you take or give changes whose turn the story favours. You press when the field is open, stall when it is not, and pay for either with finite attention and effort. Movement is never background; it is the board.
Tactical power lives in position—but position must be bought. Choose your direction and pay its cost.
What Is Movement?
To move is to choose the terms of the next exchange.
Movement is your deliberate repositioning within the current scene. You express it in meters, zones, or spaces depending on scene mode. On your turn you choose one movement mode (Walk, Run, or Sprint), apply terrain and condition modifiers, and resolve any required checks. Movement interacts with the procedures in Distance & Range (scene modes, zone snapping, space counting).
Ask yourself:
- What do I threaten next? Move to make your next action inevitable.
- What do I deny? Move to erase enemy lines, cover, or angles.
- What do I trade? Speed costs attention; decide if the tempo is worth it.
Calculating Base Movement
Your Base Movement (BM) is the foundation of all movement. It represents your raw movement in metres, which can then be converted into Narrative Distance, Zones, or Spaces depending on the Scene Mode.
BM = (Strength + Agility) + 8
- Record your Base Movement on your Character Sheet.
Tip: If you change STR or AGI, update your BM on your character sheet immediately.
Example: Base Movement
Kael the Ranger has Strength 2 and Agility 4. His Base Movement is calculated as:
- BM = (2 + 4) + 8 = 14 m.
Kael can walk 14 m per 10-second round.
Choose a Movement Mode (One Per Turn)
On your turn, you choose one mode of movement—and pay its cost—that carries you through the entire round.
| Mode | Distance | AD Cost | Roll Required | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk | BM | 0 | — | Free reposition without strain |
| Run | BM × 2 | 1 | — | Rapid, reliable advance or withdrawal |
| Sprint | See Sprint | 1+ | Athletics (STR) or Acrobatics (AGI) Skill Check | All-out burst of speed |
Movement Sequence
Steps:
- You choose one movement mode (Walk, Run, or Sprint) once per turn.
- Calculate your total movement distance using your BM.
- Convert to Zones or Spaces depending on the Scene Mode in play (see Distance & Range, pp xxx).
- You may split your movement before and after an action only if you declare it when you start moving.
Adhere to all terrain and environmental conditions to reposition your character in the scene.
Sprint
Spend at least 1 AD, then make an Athletics (STR) or Acrobatics (AGI) Skill Check. Because Sprint is an action, you may Boost it with extra AD as usual before the roll.
Sprint does not use a normal pass/fail Difficulty Rating. Instead, compare your final total to the Sprint Result Table below.
| Final Total | Result | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 3 | Run: BM × 2 | No surge; AD is spent and you only manage a Run. |
| 4–6 | BM × 3 | Reliable burst most heroes can achieve. |
| 7–9 | BM × 4 | Hard sprint; trained or well-boosted performance. |
| 10–11 | BM × 5 | Heroic dash; peak human burst. |
| ≥ 12 | BM × 6 | Legendary surge. |
Tip: Sprint when a single turn of reach decides initiative order, cover, or escape.
Example: Sprinting
Arlen sees the gap—a few dozen meters to safety. He makes an Athletics Skill Check, Boosting the initial 1 AD with an extra 3 AD. His final total is 7.
With Strength 4 and Agility 3, his Base Movement is 15 m, i.e. 8 + 7. By scoring 7 on the Sprint Result Table, he multiplies his BM × 4, resulting in a Sprint distance of 60 m.
Arlen drives forward, breath ragged, feet hammering dirt—covering the distance to safety in a single, desperate burst.
Apply Terrain & Conditions
These effects change how far you actually get after you pick a movement mode. Apply the single highest category unless a row explicitly says it stacks.
| Condition / State | Effect on Movement |
|---|---|
| Difficult terrain | Double (×2) the movement cost |
| Unfamiliar terrain | Treat as Difficult terrain. |
| Encumbrance | BM –25% (Encumbered), BM –50% (Heavily), BM 0% (Overburdened). |
| Prone | Spend 1 AD to stand; movement begins after you rise. |
| Slowed / Crawling | Treat all movement as Difficult. Stacks with actual Difficult terrain. |
| Swim / Climb | Athletics or Acrobatics required; treat as Difficult unless aided. |
| Grappled / Immobilized / Paralyzed / Restrained / Stunned / Incapacitated | No movement. |
| Exhausted | You cannot Sprint. |
| Magical movement | Follow the effect’s description for magic-based movement. |
Resolution Order (Quick Rule)
- Adjust BM for Encumbrance and speed buffs.
- Choose mode (Walk/Run/Sprint) and apply its multiplier.
- Apply terrain/condition costs and any stacking.
Work With Scene Modes
Pick the precision the scene demands. Scene Mode determines how you measure distance and position—pure narrative, abstracted zones, or exact spaces.
- Story Mode: resolve plausibly; no counting.
- Cinematic Mode (Zones): convert meters to zones via Zone Snapping (round to the nearest 10 m, then ÷ 10).
- Tactical Mode (Spaces): count exact 2 m spaces; positioning, angles, cover, and AoEs matter.
For Scene Mode effects, see Distance & Range.
Example: Cinematic Chase (Zones)
Mira must cross a crowded bazaar and reach the alley mouth before assassins on the rooftops can fire at her.
Setup
- Scene Mode: Cinematic (Zones)
- Mira’s Stats: STR 2, AGI 4 → BM = (2 + 4) + 8 = 14 m; she also has an Acrobatics Skill Level of 4.
- It is 50 m to the alley, but the first 20 m of path is Difficult terrain (dense crowd) → costs double distance. Therefore, the movement cost is (20 × 2) + 30 = 70 m.
- Zone conversion: 70 m → 7 zones (70 / 10)
Mira’s Sprint
- Choose mode: Sprint costs at least 1 AD and uses an Acrobatics (AGI) Skill Check.
- Boost & roll: Mira spends +4 AD to Boost. Her final total is 12 → BM × 6 (Legendary surge).
- Raw Sprint distance: 14 × 6 = 84 m.
- Zone conversion: 84 m → 8 zones (Snap 84 → 80; 80 / 10 = 8).
- Mira had 7 Zones to cover and dashed 8 zones. After terrain, Mira ends 1 zone past the entrance to the alley.
Outcome (Narration)
Mira knifes through the crowd and disappears into the alley mouth before the assassins finish drawing bows.
Example: Tactical Push Under Fire (Spaces)
Dorn is injured and prone behind rubble trying to escape with a chest of treasure. He needs full cover behind a pillar 16 m away while crossing rubble.
Setup
- Scene Mode: Tactical (Spaces)
- Dorn’s Stats: STR 3, AGI 2 → BM = (3 + 2) + 8 = 13 m.
- Encumbered (–25%) → BM = (13 × 0.75) = 10 m.
- Starts Prone and only has 2 AD available.
- It is 16 m to the pillars, but 9 m of the path is Difficult terrain (rubble) → costs double distance.
- Therefore, the movement cost is (9 × 2) + 7 = 25 m.
- Space conversion: 25 m → 12 spaces (25 / 2)
Dorn’s Run
- Stand from Prone: 1 AD.
- Choose mode: Run 1 AD (he lacks the AD to Sprint).
- Raw Run distance: BM (adjusted) 10 × 2 = 20 m.
- Space Conversion: 20 / 2 = 10 spaces.
- Dorn had 12 spaces to cover and ran only 10 spaces.
Outcome (Narration)
Dorn pops up, pounds across uneven stone, but he skids just short of the pillars. The combined effect of his injuries, conditions, and terrain left him short of the pillar.
Summary
- Record BM = 8 + STR + AGI (walking distance in meters per 10-second round).
- Movement uses meters by default; convert to Zones/Spaces by Scene Mode.
- One movement mode per turn (Walk/Run/Sprint); pay AD and resolve checks as needed.
- Sprint is an action: spend at least 1 AD, make an Athletics or Acrobatics Skill Check, and compare the final total to the Sprint Result Table rather than a normal pass/fail DR.
- Because Sprint is an action, it may be Boosted normally before the roll.
- Process: pick mode → get distance → convert → apply terrain/conditions; declare splits up front.
- Use the single highest terrain/condition unless it stacks.
- Scene Modes: Story (no counting), Cinematic (Zones), Tactical (2 m Spaces). See Distance & Range.