Time moves whether the Heroes are ready or not. Weather changes, opportunities appear, threats advance, and distant events continue beyond the Heroes' immediate view.
Rhuna tracks time in two layers. Minor Time covers what the Heroes experience directly during a Scene. Major Time covers larger developments caused by the passage of time.
Together, they give each Scene a rhythm without requiring the group to track every hour.
WEATHER & THE START OF PLAY Copy link
At the beginning of a Session, establish the current weather if it is not already known.
Draw one Weather Token from the appropriate Weather Bag. Use the Overworld Weather Bag beneath open skies and the Underworld Weather Bag in caves, ruins, depths, or other enclosed environments.
The result establishes the current conditions until they change through another Weather result, a significant event, or WorldKeeper discretion.
SCENES & TIME Copy link
Every Scene advances Time.
The Time Board has three broad Scenes: Morning (dawn and early day), Day (late morning and afternoon), and Night (evening and night). Use the active Scene’s spaces for three Minor Time steps. Draw and resolve each Minor Time Token as that step of play unfolds; after the third, draw and resolve one Major Time Token.
After the third Minor Time Token resolves, draw and resolve one Major Time Token.
Minor Time affects the current Scene. Major Time advances the wider world.
MINOR TIME Copy link
Minor Time answers:
What do the Heroes experience during this period?
Minor Time introduces immediate conditions, pressures, opportunities, and developments that affect the current Scene.
SAFE Copy link
No significant complication occurs. Conditions remain stable and the Heroes may continue without additional pressure.
WEATHER Copy link
Environmental conditions change. Rain begins, wind rises, temperatures shift, fog settles, or another change alters the Scene.
The WorldKeeper may draw a new Weather Token or modify the current conditions.
FATIGUE Copy link
A pressure tests discipline, endurance, restraint, or stability.
This may come from exhausting labor, difficult travel, prolonged vigilance, harsh conditions, responsibility, or the effort required to maintain control under pressure.
OPPORTUNITY Copy link
A favorable opening appears.
This may take the form of useful information, advantageous positioning, supplies, assistance, a shortcut, or another chance to gain ground.
EVENT Copy link
A development enters the current Scene.
It may be beneficial, dangerous, strange, or unexpected, but it affects the Heroes directly and immediately.
ESCALATION I Copy link
Pressure increases.
Threats move closer, plans advance, complications grow, or circumstances begin shifting toward greater conflict. Escalation I usually signals approaching trouble rather than immediate crisis.
MAJOR TIME Copy link
Major Time answers:
What changed because time passed?
Major Time tracks developments beyond the Heroes' immediate actions. A faction may advance a plan, a caravan may arrive, reinforcements may move, a ritual may progress, or conditions elsewhere may worsen.
Major Time reflects the consequence of an entire Scene rather than another moment within it.
SAFE Copy link
No significant development occurs. Major forces remain largely unchanged.
OPPORTUNITY Copy link
A larger opening appears.
An ally becomes available, information surfaces, trade arrives, a route opens, or circumstances shift in the Heroes' favor.
EVENT Copy link
A notable development occurs.
Major Events often affect locations, factions, communities, or ongoing storylines rather than only the Heroes themselves.
ESCALATION I Copy link
Existing problems grow.
New obstacles appear, forces begin moving, or pressure becomes harder to ignore.
ESCALATION II Copy link
The situation shifts significantly.
A threat becomes active, a plan advances, conditions worsen, or a new conflict begins.
ESCALATION III Copy link
The situation changes dramatically.
Major threats emerge, important forces collide, or the existing status quo breaks. Escalation III marks a major turning point.
REST Copy link
Rest allows Heroes to recover while Time continues to advance.
When the Heroes Rest, they choose how long to remain at rest. For each Minor Time Token drawn:
Resolve the Time Token normally, then recover 1 Fatigue. Ignore any Fatigue that would be gained from Time during that Rest.
The Heroes may end the Rest after any Minor Time Token resolves.
FULL REST Copy link
A Full Rest is completed after five Minor Time draws.
Upon completing five Minor Time draws of Full Rest, recover all Fatigue or 1 Strain. Keep the ordinary three-Minor-to-one-Major cadence; do not add a duplicate Major draw.
A Full Rest represents proper sleep or an equivalent period of meaningful physical and mental recovery.
SAFE REST Copy link
Safe Rest occurs where the Heroes are reasonably protected from immediate danger, such as a settlement, stronghold, safehouse, trusted vessel, or other secure location.
Time still advances, but recovery is not threatened by the immediate environment.
UNSAFE REST Copy link
Unsafe Rest occurs where danger remains present, such as a wilderness camp, enemy territory, active ruin, war zone, or unsecured location.
Time advances normally and Events may interrupt the Rest. Recovery is possible, but safety is not guaranteed.
TIME OF DAY Copy link
Different periods of the day use different Time Bags, reflecting the kinds of developments most likely to occur.
Morning generally favors stability and opportunity.
Day favors activity, movement, and development.
Night favors uncertainty, danger, and escalation.
The WorldKeeper changes Time Bags as the day progresses.
A Full Rest spans five Minor Time draws. Resting Heroes gain no Fatigue from Time results during those draws. A Hero keeping watch still receives applicable Time Fatigue. Each Hero may rest or keep watch independently.
Keep the ordinary cadence of three Minor Time draws per Major Time draw during Rest. Do not add a second Major draw solely because the fifth Rest draw is complete. On completing Full Rest, each resting Hero recovers all Fatigue or 1 Strain.
USING THE TIME BOARDCopy link
Morning, Day, and Night are broad pacing bands, not fixed hour counts. Keep the active Weather marker in the Weather space. Use the three Minor spaces within the current band and its Major space for the wider-world draw. Continue Morning → Day → Night as the fiction moves through the day; do not reset ongoing effects merely because a conversation or encounter changes.
TEMPORARY TOKENS & TIMECopy link
Purity remains for three resolved Major Time draws, then evaporates from the Astralkin’s bag. Link ends at the next resolved Major Time draw. RESTORE and VIGOR end at the next resolved Minor Time draw, before that step’s Conditions, Nature, and token effects; a Major draw does not independently expire them. A cancelled or failed-to-complete draw does not advance these timers.
If a Purity token has already been drawn into a locked or resolved Performance when its third Major Time expires, finish that Performance and remove it at Reset. Do not alter an already resolved draw.