Organizing the Game

DTGS games are organized into slices of time that help manage gameplay and narrative flow. You will see these terms often throughout the rules. It is important to understand what they mean and how they relate to one another.

Session

A session is the actual sit-down time of the players and GM around a table or online. A typical game session lasts 2-4 hours, though it may run shorter or longer with any given day or group. A session is almost always focused on a single scenario.

Scenario

A Scenario is a story, an “adventure”. It generally follows a single storyline which may or may not be directly connected to other scenarios. Scenarios are made up of one or more Scenes. Scenarios may last a single session, or may play out over the course of multiple sessions.

Scene

A Scene is akin to a scene in a movie, show, or book. It has a specific setting and often has multiple bits of action going on. A Scene is made up of one or more Events as well as free-flow narrative.

Event

An Event is made up of one or more Challenges that are closely linked narratively and mechanically. An Event may have traits that affect all Challenges happening as part of the Event.

Challenge / Test

A Challenge is an obstacle or other opposed force that prevents the players from moving forward with a Scene. Any time there is the possibility of failure or other consequences when the characters attempt to do something, a Challenge will arise. The vast majority of the action in DTGS happens within the context of Challenges. A Challenge is organized into a series of Rounds. A Test is a special kind of Challenge that resolves quickly in a single Round. A Test is roughly equivalent to a “check” in other systems.

Round

Each Challenge is made up of an ongoing series of rounds. Rounds continue until a Challenge is resolved. Each round is made up of two or more turns.

Turn

Each round has a minimum of two turns: One turn for the Cohort (PCs) and one turn for the Challenge. In some cases there are multiple Challenges, and sometimes the Cohort will split multiple groups of PCs to face different Challenges. In an Event with multiple Challenges, each Challenge and Cohort group take their turns in alternating order. That is, with multiple Challenges, it will not be all PC group turns then all Challenge turns, but PC group turn - Challenge turn - PC group turn - Challenge turn - and so on.

Steps

Each turn is resolved in a specific series of steps. These steps are similar (but not identical) between Cohort turns and Challenge turns.