Game Phases

There's no reason each PC can't be in different phases. (right? review design notes)
While the Thaumaturge rests, the Bluemason goes out to entreat with a former captain.

Seeking

This is the investigation & hunting phase.
Rolls can be made for uncertain actions, but when things start to get tense GM escalates into Conflict.

Open, more free-play phase.

Conflict

When tensions rise.

Clash

Physical fighting. Steel, claws, blood.

Chase

Running from a pursuer, or chasing someone down.
Or two parties racing to reach some destination/outcome before the other.

Compel

First and foremost, using persuasion expertise (but also maybe sociability or some other expertise) to get someone else to act the way you want them to.

There should be some reason they are resisting, and some social consequence for bad rolls/bad approaches.

• GM sets a "wrong approach" for each NPC.
• Not everyone can be persuaded.
• GM can set what they can be persuaded on ahead of roll, aka what is on table vs off.
  "They won't be swayed on X, but you could change their mind on Y."

(See design notes, and Draw Steel's Negotiation mechanics. DS is way too clunky but it gets at the right idea.)

Downtime

Each downtime activity the PCs take gives the GM more chances to tick clocks

Instead of being limited to a certain number like in Blades, it becomes a risk-reward situation.

How much research can you afford to take? How much rest? What if a personal issue comes up— do you deal with it fully (losing precious time) or avoid it (and maybe hurt your personal life)?

Preparation

long term projects
training
research
Acquire Asset

Clearing Harm

healing wounds
removing fatigue/fog
leveling up?

Reach a Contact

Deal with personal issues

Obligations
Vices

Travel

Montage type scenes

design notes

Maybe the GM can interrupt certain downtime activities with a GM action from another phase?

What is fun about Respites, and what do players want from that game time?
"monster cooking, fireside hangouts, and finding out what that one weirdo party member does in their leisure time"

Open loops

unresolved problems that can be solved by putting time & attention to them.
Removing heat, following up on a lead, meeting with a potential suspect/interviewee
There's a risk of moving into Conflict if things go poorly

Faction/adversary turns?

This would likely be tied up into Downtime phase, and the GM would make this. While the PCs sleep, the enemies act.

Maybe just ticking clocks, or creating new ones.

Blades

calculating ticks

Assuming 3 Sessions...
with 4 scenes, 45 minutes each
is 12 scenes total
meaning 10 scenes ish not including opening & closing

Based on some clock math...
You want on average 1 Tick per scene per clock
4 clocks, 1 session (4 scenes): 16 ticks
Which is an average of 16 ticks per downtime
I would like roughly 1 Downtime per session

~3 downtime actions per player (5 player group)
means 1 action = 1 tick
Make 3 actions per player NECESSARY, more than that skipable but not ideal (to keep the pressure on).