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 0 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.

Action Sequences begin on Phase 0, unless one or more of the involved Actors has been Surprised.

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). Place a Current Phase counter on Phase 0 of the Timeline.
3. Create Actor Hand (Players): if this step wasn't already done at the beginning of the game session, draw cards and tokens 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 For example, if the Actor has 5 STR, they should draw STR tokens 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 a pile of cards along side a pile of tokens before you on the table.
4. Declare 1st Actions: Players & GM secretly decide the first Action their Actors will take. An Action or Ability card is placed face down on the table in front of them, with their Stat Bid tokens face down on top. Finally, one of a pair of unique tokens the GM provided during the Setup the Phase Timeline step is placed on top of the Action Stack, and its pair on the Timeline Phase corresponding to the Relevant Stat Bid of that Action, minus the Secondary Stat Bid. This to be able to identify which Action Stacks correspond with the many tokens that will appear on the various Phases on the Timeline, and to organize actions into the Phase number on which they will be resolved. Once tokens representing Actions are placed on the Timeline, no further changes can be made to the Declared Action. 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 declaring one Action before proceeding. Actions can be declared in any order, usually beginning with whatever Action during a Scene started the Action Sequence. If it is not clear in what order Players and the GM should declare Actions, or they are reluctant to do so without knowing on what Phase opposing Actions have been declared, the NPC(s) controlled by the GM should declare actions first, followed by the Players clockwise around the table.
5. Declare Additional Actions (optional): now that all participants have declared one Action and the order all actions will be resolved in is visible to all on the Timeline, participants may repeat the step above to select 2nd actions, 3rd actions, and so on, up to the limit of their ability to continue to Bid Stat Points. Each additional Action declared is added to the Timeline starting from whatever Phase that Actor's 1st Action will be resolved. For example, if an Actor's 1st declared Action was put on the Timeline on Phase 3, and their 2nd declared Action will take 2 Phases, it would be placed on Phase 5 on the Timeline.
6. Advance Timeline & Resole Actions (GM): when no one chooses to declare any more Actions, the GM begins adjudicating the outcome of the declared actions in the order they appear on the Timeline, beginning with Phase 1, then moving to Phase 2, and 3, and so on. To resolve each Action, the GM picks up the unique token from the Timeline and matches it to the corresponding Action Stack. The Player whose Actor owns that Action then flips the Action or Ability card face up, along with their Stat Bid, and describes what their Actor is doing, and the Target of their Action. The GM and the Player then resolve the Outcome of that Action. Multiple Actions occurring on the same Phase take place simultaneously and cannot interrupt one another. Once all Actions on a given Phase are resolved, the GM advances the Current Phase Counter on the Timeline to the next Phase in ascending order, and begins resolving the Actions that take place on that Phase, or skips it and moves on to the next Phase on which Actions occur.
7. Declare Additional Actions: whenever the GM advances the Current Phase in the Action Sequence, all Actors have the opportunity to declare additional Actions, provided they are able to Bid the Ante of the Action they intend to take. Repeat this process until all involved Actors choose to take no Actions, or are unable to take Actions, at which point the Action Sequence has ended and reverts to a Scene.

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.