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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Mar 2015 : 17:49:05
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*under 2E rules/guidelines
How do you (or your DM)handle initiative or the attack sequence in general. I know everyone rolls for initiative to establish the attack order, but as a DM do you allow your players as much time as the need to actually decide what action they are going to perform ... or do you give them a brief amount of time (5 real life seconds or less) to decide to help heighten the intensity of the encounter?
I've seen it done both ways and am curious to see how others approach this.
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2015 : 19:06:25
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For me it depends almost entirely on each player's experience in the game, and on the level of attention they're giving to what's going on in-game.
A newcomer: I'll try to convey some pressure by reminding them that they're in combat, with things trying to kill them, and a round is only a few seconds so they have to think quickly... but ultimately I'll give them the time they need. I'm really averse to skipping new players for taking too long to announce their action. I want the player to have as much fun as possible with (1) me and the other players and (2) D&D, so while combat should be stressful and decisions should be split-second things that might be immediately regretted, I would rather ease someone into it rather than steamrolling them, even if it means giving someone preferential treatment for a little while. If the other players have serious problems with that, then they have issues and they can resolve them on their own time.
experienced player: More pressure. You know what weapons you have, you know your spells, you know basically what the monster is... git'r'dun!
experienced players who are spinning their dice, stuffing Doritos in their mouths, guzzling soda, and watching tv: After 6 seconds I'm moving to the next Initiative. If you chime in before the end of the round, I'll consider your action held until the end of the round; otherwise you don't take an action that round.
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2015 : 19:42:11
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Anyone eating during a combat scene should be punished accordingly.  |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1271 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2015 : 22:01:03
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I'm a totally different edition, but it depends on what I want to do with the specific encounter. In general, I give them a reasonable amount of time to decide. I figure most of them are playing characters with an Intelligence score higher than their own, so what would come quickly to their character's mind might take them a minute to come up with. I do keep a 1-minute hour glass behind my screen and when that's up, I start pressuring for a response.
I've never had a problem with a player wanting to read through all their spells on their turn before making a decision, though. If that were to start happening, I'd probably use the hour glass in a more strict manner, skipping a person's turn if they haven't started to describe an action before the sand is gone. |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2015 : 22:27:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
I've never had a problem with a player wanting to read through all their spells on their turn before making a decision, though. If that were to start happening, I'd probably use the hour glass in a more strict manner, skipping a person's turn if they haven't started to describe an action before the sand is gone.
In order to save time on picking spells, I've got a page I typed up that has a 1 line summary of the spell, with damage, and notes on range and duration. If I want more info, I have an app on my tablet (I play Pathfinder, and there is a nifty Pathfinder Spellbook app for Android). |
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DandelionClock
Seeker
67 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2015 : 11:58:10
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quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
For me it depends almost entirely on each player's experience in the game, and on the level of attention they're giving to what's going on in-game.
A newcomer: I'll try to convey some pressure by reminding them that they're in combat, with things trying to kill them, and a round is only a few seconds so they have to think quickly... but ultimately I'll give them the time they need. I'm really averse to skipping new players for taking too long to announce their action. I want the player to have as much fun as possible with (1) me and the other players and (2) D&D, so while combat should be stressful and decisions should be split-second things that might be immediately regretted, I would rather ease someone into it rather than steamrolling them, even if it means giving someone preferential treatment for a little while. If the other players have serious problems with that, then they have issues and they can resolve them on their own time.
experienced player: More pressure. You know what weapons you have, you know your spells, you know basically what the monster is... git'r'dun!
experienced players who are spinning their dice, stuffing Doritos in their mouths, guzzling soda, and watching tv: After 6 seconds I'm moving to the next Initiative. If you chime in before the end of the round, I'll consider your action held until the end of the round; otherwise you don't take an action that round.
This makes the most sense to me. Never frustrate players to prove a point. I've seen this being done by DM's far too often, and if it's a habit, it usually results in camapigns that never reach their full potential, to say the very least. |
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Thoughts on handling initiative, etc
