How a fight starts
Combat is something the Narrator calls — when a scene tips into violence, it says so and moves the table into turn-by-turn play. Most of the time, outside a fight, anyone can act whenever. In a fight, order matters.
Reaction — the turn order
At the start of a fight, everyone rolls Reaction (a twenty-sided die plus Finesse). Highest goes first, and play proceeds down the order. Reaction is Adventure Engine’s name for who-goes-when.
Strict turns
While a fight is on, only the active character acts. You can still type and plan your move while someone else is resolving theirs — you just do not act until your turn comes round. The Narrator names who is up next at the end of each turn, so you always know when you are on.