My brain just got back from a wander with a possibly interesting idea I want to run by you fine folks.
Timers are an integral part of ICRPG. I had the idea using Hearts as a timer, mind you this isn’t tested at all yet, just a free floating mote in that beam of sunlight through the blinds.
Say there’s 4 characters in a room, it’s quiet and they’ve just started looking around. Curiously the GM has said the room itself has 1 . The first character spies a chest and begins opening it with 3 Effort, the Heart Timer takes 3 Effort too. The next character takes a recovery action for 1 HP, Heart Timer takes 1 more Effort. Third character begins crafting a piece of gear with 5 Effort, and the Heart Timer has only 1 pip left. The GM rolls a d4 Timer Die on their turn and applies that as Effort to the Heart Timer which is now depleted and something happens immediately with no regard to the turn order. Heart Timer resets.
Basically all Effort done by every Character chips away this Heart Timer (every is 10 like normal). The GM always does Basic Effort to the Timer on their turn. The Heart Timer does not hinge on the GM’s turn, but instead on when it’s depleted.
So what’s the verdict? How do you folks see this working at the table? I’d love to read your thoughts.