Turn
Main Article: Actions
Dungeon Crawl is a turn-based game. There are two, largely distinct definitions of a turn:
- The turn counter: Every command, such as moving, attacking, or waiting, takes one turn. This is separate from time; it doesn't matter how long or short these actions are, they'll increment 1 turn. These are the "turns" stated in at the end of the game, and the turns used for scoring. The Stealth mechanic also checks for raw turns.
- Automatic commands, like resting with 5 or autoexplore, count towards multiple turns, as they are technically multiple actions done for you. Commands you can interrupt (e.g. putting on equipment like armour or amulets) also count as multiple turns.
- In most casual contexts, and in some areas of the game, one 'turn' is equal to one decaAut (10 aut, or arbitrary units of time). This is a relative measure of time: slow actions may take 1.5 'turn' and give you 1.5 'turns' of regeneration, but only count towards 1 turn of the turn counter. Most actions, such as moving or waiting, take 1 decaAut. See the decaAut page for more details.
Character and monster behavior can't be fully explained with the raw turn counter (the first definition). For example: a skilled quickblade lets you attack at 0.3 decaAut. Swinging three times would be three game-turns, but only 0.9 decaAut. An average speed monster would only act once (if that) in that time, but you still swung 3 times total.