ND1 has two play styles: Scenes and Action Sequences. Scenes are used while role playing to minimize the intrusiveness of game mechanics, focus play on the dialog and narration, and to keep the game moving quickly. Action Sequences erupt from Scenes when when two or more Actors are taking actions that oppose one another, and the sequence of those events is important, as well as budgeting of Stat Point Bids. Combat is an example type of Action Sequence, although they also can be used for chase scenes, a heist, starship maneuvers, etc.

Actions in an Action Sequence take a variable length of time to be resolved that is calculated in Phases. Each Relevant Stat point Bid on an Action increases the time it takes to resolve that action by one Phase. Each Secondary Stat point Bid on the Action reduced the number of Phases it takes to resolve the Action by one, to a minimum of one Phase, although bidding a Secondary Stat is optional. For example, if 3 STR were bid on an action at the beginning of an Action Sequence (Phase 0), it will take place on Phase 3. If the same Action were declared later, perhaps on Phase 5, then it would be resolved on Phase 8 (5+3=8). Actions are resolved in the order of the Phases they take place, from lowest to highest. Actions taking place on the same Phase occur simultaneously. The GM and Players keep a Timeline of Phases, and the Actions which take place on each. The number of Phases on the Timeline keeps increasing until the Action Sequence is resolved.

For play around a table it is recommended that the GM keep record of the current Phase with a numerical counter on the table. This could simply be scratch paper with a number written on it, a phone or calculator displaying the number, a token placed on the Timeline, etc.

This term refers to any Prop that is used to track the current Phase number in an Action Sequence, as well as any declared actions on upcoming Phase numbers. For play around the table with Card Props, it is recommended to use graph paper or a battle mat with ascending numbers on each square, beginning with 1 in the top left corner square, where each square represents a Phase number. That way tokens that match those on an Actor's Action Card Stack can be placed on the corresponding Phase numbers on the Timeline to put declared actions in the right sequence.

A visual example of an Action Sequence Timeline:
(insert picture here of a battle mat with tokens and card stacks)

When playing around a table with Cards & Tokens Props, participants in an Action Sequence follow the steps below until it is resolved.

1. Begin Action Sequence (GM): inform the players that an Action Sequence has begun, and describe the circumstance, environment, NPC Actors involved, and optionally, put figures on a battle mat.
2. Setup the Phase Timeline (GM): place the Action Sequence Timeline prop on the gaming table and provide one or more unique tokens in matching pairs to each player, keeping 1-2 pairs for each NPC Actor involved. These will be used to match the Action card stacks of each Actor to the Phase number when they will be resolved on the Timeline (see below).
3. Draw Actor Card Stacks (Players): draw cards from the various stacks on the table for each Stat, Ability, and Skilled Action on their Actor's sheet, plus one card for each Common Action they may decide to take (if this step wasn't already done at the beginning of the game session). For example, if the Actor has 5 STR, they should draw STR cards totaling 5 in whatever increments they desire. Repeat this for all Stats in The Trine. When done with this step, you should have your Actor's character sheet represented in card piles of different types before you on the table.
4. Plan 1st Actions: Players & GM begin secretly planning the Actions(s) their Actors will take. Remember: actions take place in the order they are declared if an Actor will have more than one Action on the Timeline. The Phase when any subsequent actions will be resolved is counted from whatever the current Phase number is when they are declared, and must be After any actions already declared for the same Actor.
   1. Choose Action: Decide on the first action they will take and draw the corresponding Classification, Action Type, and Specific Action Card secretly to form your hand of cards. Consult that Action description on this wiki or on the corresponding card face to discover what Stat Point Pools are required to use any given Action Card.
   2. Draw Location Card (situational): if the Action is an attack on an opponent, draw a Location card from the community pile into your hand. This represents the location your Actor intends to attack.
   3. Ante Action Points: draw from your character card piles created in Step 3 above the required number of AP (FIT or QUI) into your hand of cards in front of the Specific Action card. Usually this is a 1 point Ante to entitle the Actor to take the chosen action but not always. Consult the Action Card to be sure.
   4. Bid Stat Points: decide how many Stat Points will be bid on the Action. Usually Actions will call for two opposing Stats, like STR that adds damage to a melee attack but makes it take longer, and AGI that offsets STR by making the attack quicker. Decide the right balance for the Actor's strategy and draw that many Stat Point cards from your character card piles into your hand. This is the Actor's Stat Bid and completes the process of secretly planning an action. When done, your hand of cards should be in the exact order shown on the Card Layout page.
   5. Calculate Phase Number: now calculate the Phase number when the action will be resolved. By way of example, let's assume the Action was readying a Dodge, in which case 1 AP(FIT) was bid, and 1 AGI Stat Point, so the Dodge Action will be ready (executed, or adjudicated by the GM) on Phase 2 since combat started on AGI 0.
   6. Place 1st Action Stacks: place your hand of cards face down on the table to make an “Action Stack.” Once Action Stacks are placed face down on the table, no further changes can be made. This is to prevent Actors from changing what they intend to do after they realize what Phase opponent's actions go on. Wait for all other players and the GM to also complete making one Action Stack.
5. Declare NPC Actions (GM): once all participants have completed their Action Stacks, place one of the unique token of a pair on top of the Action Stack of one of the NPC actors the GM is controlling, and it's matching token on the Action Sequence Timeline, thereby revealing the Phase number that NPC Actor's Unknown Action will be resolved. Repeat this step for the first Action Stacks of all NPCs in the combat.
6. Declare PC Actions (Players): in any order declare the Phase their action will go on to the GM by placing one of the tokens of a unique pair on top of their Actor's first Action Stack and it's matching token on the Action Sequence Timeline on the corresponding Phase square (Phase 2 using the Dodge example above).
7. Declare Additional Actions (optional): now that all participants have chosen one Action and the order all actions will be resolved in is visible to all on the Action Sequence Timeline, participants may repeat the steps above to select 2nd actions, 3rd actions, and so on, up to the limit of their Action Point and Stat Point Pools to bid on actions. Each successive action Phase is added to the Phase of the last action an Actor took. So, continuing the example of an Phase 2 Dodge first action, if that same Actor chose to declare a 5 Phase melee attack 2nd Action, and had enough AP & Stat Points to do that, their 2nd Action would be resolved on Phase 7 (2+5)
8. Resolve DBCs (GM): when no one chooses to declare any more Actions the GM begins adjudicating the DBC Outcomes of each Action that has been declared in the order they appear on the Timeline, beginning with the lowest Phase. If two or more Actions take place on the same Phase, the action with the most AGI or QUI points bid on it goes before others with a lower bid of these Stats. If there is still a tie, flip a coin…
   1. Apply Damage: as Actions result in Stat Damage of the Actors involved in combat, effected Actors must immediately remove the corresponding Stat Points from any Point Pools represented by the character card piles created in Step 3 above that weren't bid on Actions (if any). If no points remain in reserve in a character card pile, the player controlling the effected Actor must make a choice immediately: 1) Abort one or more of their upcoming declared actions on the Timeline to recoup those Stat Points as Damage, or 2) remove enough Stat Points from the upcoming declared Action(s) to become Damage points, thereby weakening the Outcome of those Actions accordingly.
9. Declare Additional Actions: at any time after all Actions on the current Phase have been resolved, but before the GM begins to adjudicate Actions already declared on the next consecutive Phase, any participant in the combat may declare one or more new Actions provided that they have the AP & Stat Points to do so, either because:
   1. They held those points in reserve
   2. They resolved a Pause Action
   3. They Aborted Actions as a result of Damage points and now have more AP & Stat Points to bid
10. Continue Repeating Steps 8-9 until combat is resolved

Beginning on Phase 0, after the GM has described the circumstance the Actors find themselves in, and has announced that an Action Sequence has begun, the Players involved secretly choose the Action(s) the Actor they control intends to take, placing Action or Ability cards from their hand face down in an Action Stack, along with the Stat Tokens they Bid on them. They then place a unique token on top of their Action Stack, and a matching token on the appropriate Phase on the Timeline, as determined by how much they Bid on their Relevant and Secondary Stats. Meanwhile the other players are doing the same, perhaps discussing how they will coordinate Actions, while the GM is doing the same for all the NPC's or Environmental Actors involved in the Action Sequence.