The Speed System
================ 

In Cthangband, time is measured in 'Rounds'. Each round lasts just under
10 seconds of 'game time' (actually, to be precise, a round is 8.64
seconds because that is exactly 1/10000 of a 24hr day).

Normally, you will get to make one movement or make one attack during a
round. However, sometimes you will speed up or slow down depending on
various factors including weight carried and magical influences.

Each action that you perform (or that a monster performs) is given a
cost, which is measured in a percentage of a round. There are ten clock
ticks (called 'Turns') during a round, and movements are synchronised to
these. Each turn 10% is removed from the cost of everyone's previous
action and when the cost has been paid off, that creature can act again.
Note that there is no rounding of the percentages, so the odd points
will be carried over from turn to turn both within rounds and between
rounds.

For example, if you are performing actions that take 25% of a round
each, then you the sequence of events will go as follows....

Turn  1 - player performs action and then has a 'wait' of 25%
Turn  2 - player now has a 'wait' of 15%
Turn  3 - player now has a 'wait' of 5%
Turn  4 - player performs action again, and has a 'wait' of 20%
Turn  5 - player now has a 'wait' of 10%
Turn  6 - player performs action again, and now has a 'wait' of 25%
Turn  7 - player now has a 'wait' of 15%
Turn  8 - player now has a 'wait' of 5%
Turn  9 - player performs action again, and has a 'wait' of 20%
Turn 10 - player now has a 'wait' of 10%
etc...

Obviously, the sequence gets more complicated when the creature performs
actions that have different costs.

Cost of Various Actions
=======================

Moving one square while 'Slow (-50)' or slower ...................1000%
Moving one square while 'Slow (-40)' ..............................500%
Moving one square while 'Slow (-30)' ..............................500%
Moving one square while 'Slow (-20)' ..............................333%
Moving one square while 'Slow (-10)' ..............................200%
Moving one square at normal speed .................................100%
Moving one square while 'Fast (+10)' ...............................50%
Moving one square while 'Fast (+20)' ...............................33%
Moving one square while 'Fast (+30)' ...............................26%
Moving one square while 'Fast (+40)' ...............................24%
Moving one square while 'Fast (+50)' ...............................22%
Moving one square while 'Fast (+60)' ...............................21%
Moving one square while 'Fast (+70)' or faster .....................20%

(Note that the movement costs are on a scale, so speeds between those
shown will have costs between those shown.)

Making a melee attack .............................(100/(Blows/Round))%
Making a missile attack ...........................(100/(Shots/Round))%
Making a 'Natural' attack ..........................................10%
Throwing an item ..................................................100%

Opening a chest or door ...........................................100%
Closing a door ....................................................100%
Disarming a chest or trap .........................................100%
Tunneling .........................................................100%
Spiking a door closed .............................................100%

Standing still ....................................................100%
Resting ...........................................................100%
Searching .........................................................100%

Wield/wear an item ................................................100%
Take off an item ..................................................100%
Drop an item .......................................................50%
Destroy an item ...................................................100%
Refill a lamp/torch ................................................50%
Eat some food .....................................................100%

Quaff a potion ....................................................100%
Read a scroll .....................................................100%
Use a staff .......................................................100%
Zap a wand ........................................................100%
Use a rod .........................................................100%
Cast a cantrip from a charm .......................................100%
Activate an artifact ...............................................10%

(Note that if a potion, scroll, wand or charm is in a belt pouch then it
only has a cost of 10% to use as it is easily accessible.)

Hermetic spells, shamanic favours, mindcrafting powers and racial
abilities (including activatable chaos features) have their costs
calculated based on the difference between the minimum skill needed and
your actual skill.

(Min > Actual) ..................................(100+((Min-Actual)^2)%
(Min = Actual) ....................................................100%
(Actual-Min) = 1 to 3 .............................................100%
(Actual-Min) = 4 ...................................................75%
(Actual-Min) = 5 ...................................................60%
(Actual-Min) = 6 ...................................................50%
(Actual-Min) = 7 ...................................................42%
(Actual-Min) = 8 ...................................................37%
(Actual-Min) = 9 ...................................................33%
(Actual-Min) = 10 ..................................................30%
(Actual-Min) = 11 ..................................................27%
(Actual-Min) = 12 ..................................................25%
(Actual-Min) = 13 ..................................................23%
(Actual-Min) = 14 ..................................................21%
(Actual-Min) = 15 ..................................................20%
(Actual-Min) = 16 ..................................................18%
(Actual-Min) = 17 ..................................................17%
(Actual-Min) = 18 ..................................................16%
(Actual-Min) = 19 to 20 ............................................15%
(Actual-Min) = 21 ..................................................14%
(Actual-Min) = 22 to 23.............................................13%
(Actual-Min) = 24 to 25.............................................12%
(Actual-Min) = 26 to 27.............................................11%
(Actual-Min) = 28 or more...........................................10%

Monster Actions
===============

Monster movement and attacks have the same costs as those of the player.
However (for simplicities sake) monsters do not have a skill with each
of their spells or spell-like attacks. Therefore the cost of making a
spell attack is assumed to be the same as the cost of making a melee
attack.
