Checking My players take forever to do anything in combat. Whenever I suggest a time limit rule, they don't like it.. I think the main issue is not knowing their characters. Do you have any advice?
When you tell whoever’s turn it is that it is their turn, also tell whoever is next tha they are on deck so they can start planning their turn. Also, get a 1 minute hourglass style egg timer. When they start to dawdle (5+ minutes for one person’s turn), pull it out and threaten to use it. If you need to, use it. (In almost 30 years of TRRPGs, I have only ever had to use mine once. Just knowing that you are willing to flip it and skip someone’s turn if you need to is usually enough.)
Are you starting your characters from 1st level? That is where the players start to learn the abilities of their characters, so it is a gradual learning process as more abilities are added during levelling up.
If your players are newer, you might have them make (or provide them with) little cards that remind them about actions or features they have, such as a rogue's cunning action or a sorcerer's metamagic, or even categories of spells (healing, battlefield control, damage, buffs). A confluence of unfamiliar options and an ever-changing combat environment can be overwhelming for newer players and slow things down significantly.
Another approach you might take is to have a chat with your players along the lines of, "I've noticed you guys struggle with combat decisions. Is there anything I can do to help things move more smoothly?" Who knows, maybe your players have performance anxiety and the stress of making a quick decision could be causing the delays. Open communication will help you understand what adjustments to make and what your players need from you.
I made my wife a flow chart of things her druid could do. It might help your players to do something similar. An example:
Is someone badly hurt or unconscious?
yes, go to 2
no, go to 3
Cast:
Cure Wounds (if close)
Healing Word (if within 60 ft)
Goodberry
Is an enemy up in your face?
yes, go to 4
no, go to 5
And so on. Answer the questions, do the things.
It can also help to list the things you can do by action type, or just review with the players how to look that up on their DDB sheet. A lot of people take way too long to answer "do you do anything with your bonus action?" only to answer "no" after they've read their entire list of class features.
Do they suffer from analysis paralysis (too many choices) or do they suffer from lack of information and engagement? Do they spend extensive time hunting through the spell lists and flipping through their character sheet, or are they seemingly distracted, looking at their phones, talking about something else? Are they asking tons of questions about what they can do? Maybe you find yourself repeating information about the scene or where Monster-A1 is and how far away PC2 is.
Putting a time limit on the group can provide a level of tension to combat, or it can cause an amount of stress that may drive your players away from the combat encounter at hand. I would highly suggest identifying the root of your issue before applying any type of solution. Additionally, if you apply a solution, and it goes south very quickly, you'll certainly know that you don't have the correct solution.
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Do you allow in player conversation during combat? If so I would shut that down first, stop players talking through there actions with each other once combat has started. Also characters in my combat get to shout no more then a short sentence out after all a round is meant to represent 6 seconds so each players turn is a fraction of that.
Either they answer you straight away and know, or they might ask you a question.
If they are just thinking through options, then give them a minute or two, then say "I'm going to have to hurry you."
It's fine for players not to take optimal turns. But I suspect that this issue comes from having started inexperienced players at too high a level, so they don't really know what their character can do. Part of the point of the levelling system is that you learn what you can do and it becomes intuitive as you gain more abilities.
If you use a DM Screen, i suggest using folded over index cards with each PC's name on it to track the turn order in a way that the players can each see whose turn it is and will be at all times. That way, they have no excuse for not knowing it is their turn.
While i don't think skipping player turns is a good motivator when players are fresh to D&D and other combat RPGs, it is a useful tool IF your players are merely distracted by their phones or catching up with each other about non-game stuff. (And rather than have them do absolutely nothing say "You take the dodge action" so that they won't feel as salty about their PC getting sliced because you were rushing them. For new players, some hand holding is expected, at least for the first few games. If you notice one or two particular players holding things up, you might try having a one-on-one conversation with them between games to sound them out and to emphasize that their confusion slows the game down for everybody, not just themselves. Figure out what their issue is and give them the tools to solve it, if possible.
If they're getting a lot of unnecessary advice from other players (EG the group is discussing/arguing over what they should do) then shut that right down - reminders of what they can do are fine, but don't let everyone's turn be a team decision.
+1 for forewarning people - "Grukk, you're up, Flynn, you're after so start thinking what you'll do!". A lot of people seem to only think about these things when it is their turn, whilst they could be ready with a bit of effort.
Ban phones. I won't feel bad about it, when we meet up in person again, I'll let the players know that anyone going on their phones whilst stuff is happening will be considered to be roleplaying, and as such will be surprised in combat (distracted) or considered extremely rude by anyone they're talking to. I might even make it a cursed item which can only be unattuned to by not going on your phone for an hour. Phones in pockets, please, we're playing here.
The assumption people are making that they have been started too high level is well founded on experience. Level 1-2 is a good starting point as players have limited abilities. I started my campaign with everyone at level 2, and leveled them up after a couple of combats (nothing says they started at exactly level 2, they were level 2-and-a-bit) so they could get into the swing of their characters before making the decision at level 3 on what path they wanted to pursue.
If you can elaborate on what is causing the delays, we can offer more specific advice.
are the players distracted, needing a recap before they even start their turn?
are the players reading through their sheets and spells every time, slowing things down?
are the players all discussing the best route to take every time?
Ban phones. I won't feel bad about it, when we meet up in person again, I'll let the players know that anyone going on their phones whilst stuff is happening will be considered to be roleplaying, and as such will be surprised in combat (distracted) or considered extremely rude by anyone they're talking to. I might even make it a cursed item which can only be unattuned to by not going on your phone for an hour. Phones in pockets, please, we're playing here.
I had a couple of players start fiddling on their phones mid-combat in my last session, which to be fair was about 7 hours in and so were starting to flag, but it's also quite disrespectful. I am going to ask people at the start of my next session to only go on their phones if they're doing something game-related, but of course I won't mind if they answer them for work calls and things like that.
Don't be afraid to suggest actions they can take. Normally I don't think that's a good idea, but for players still learning their characters it's not uncommon for them to forget all the actions or bonus actions they can do. If there are three targets on the board you can recommend the most optimal one for htem to aim at. Hopefully over time they won't need that hand holding but if they'r ereally struggling with their character sheet that's always an option.
Little things like planning your turn while someone else is taking theirs can go a LONG way towards cutting down on combat time. I've known some new players who don't do it because it feels inconsiderate to the person taking their turn, but I think it's way more inconsiderate to take an extra 5 minutes on your turn to read through what all your spells do and decide between them on the spot. I've played with that type of player before and it really derails the flow of combat.
Tldr; remind people to read their abilities and plan their turn *before* their turn.
Depends why it's slow, if it's like ThorukDuckSlayer says, don't let them discuss tactics, it's their turn and their decision. I have some leniency on this, if it's about to be a party wipe or something, but each player should decide their own action and play to it, they know their characters personality and what they would do after all!
But if they find it hard to make a decision, I'm personally a fan of applying pressure by threatening to skip turns if they can't decide by way of adding a timer or describing action going on around them, in a fight situation you don't have all day to think about what you want to do.
It's worth a discussion with the players though, are they enjoying a tactical fight and want to plan their turns with time to think, or do they want the pressure of a fast fight?
When you tell whoever’s turn it is that it is their turn, also tell whoever is next tha they are on deck so they can start planning their turn. Also, get a 1 minute hourglass style egg timer. When they start to dawdle (5+ minutes for one person’s turn), pull it out and threaten to use it. If you need to, use it. (In almost 30 years of TRRPGs, I have only ever had to use mine once. Just knowing that you are willing to flip it and skip someone’s turn if you need to is usually enough.)
I do this, it works really well.
GM: Ranger's up, then Fighter. Ranger, go! Ranger's player has their turn. GM: Fighter, then monsters, Fighter, you're on!
As for slow turns, at some point you have to get tough. A turn taking 2 or 3 minutes doesn't sound like much, but at a table with 6 people, that's over a quarter of an hour you can spend waiting to do something. That's just going to lead to bored players disconnecting from the game and checking out facegram or instabook.
Tell the players bluntly - "OK friends, we have two hours here at the table. We can't afford to spend half an hour on one round of one combat. Just do something on your turn. It doesn't matter if it's not 'the optimal' thing, as long as it's 'some thing'. I promise I'm not here to screw you over for a hasty decision."
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Checking My players take forever to do anything in combat. Whenever I suggest a time limit rule, they don't like it.. I think the main issue is not knowing their characters. Do you have any advice?
When you tell whoever’s turn it is that it is their turn, also tell whoever is next tha they are on deck so they can start planning their turn. Also, get a 1 minute hourglass style egg timer. When they start to dawdle (5+ minutes for one person’s turn), pull it out and threaten to use it. If you need to, use it. (In almost 30 years of TRRPGs, I have only ever had to use mine once. Just knowing that you are willing to flip it and skip someone’s turn if you need to is usually enough.)
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Are you starting your characters from 1st level? That is where the players start to learn the abilities of their characters, so it is a gradual learning process as more abilities are added during levelling up.
If your players are newer, you might have them make (or provide them with) little cards that remind them about actions or features they have, such as a rogue's cunning action or a sorcerer's metamagic, or even categories of spells (healing, battlefield control, damage, buffs). A confluence of unfamiliar options and an ever-changing combat environment can be overwhelming for newer players and slow things down significantly.
Another approach you might take is to have a chat with your players along the lines of, "I've noticed you guys struggle with combat decisions. Is there anything I can do to help things move more smoothly?" Who knows, maybe your players have performance anxiety and the stress of making a quick decision could be causing the delays. Open communication will help you understand what adjustments to make and what your players need from you.
Good luck!
I made my wife a flow chart of things her druid could do. It might help your players to do something similar. An example:
And so on. Answer the questions, do the things.
It can also help to list the things you can do by action type, or just review with the players how to look that up on their DDB sheet. A lot of people take way too long to answer "do you do anything with your bonus action?" only to answer "no" after they've read their entire list of class features.
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(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Do they suffer from analysis paralysis (too many choices) or do they suffer from lack of information and engagement? Do they spend extensive time hunting through the spell lists and flipping through their character sheet, or are they seemingly distracted, looking at their phones, talking about something else? Are they asking tons of questions about what they can do? Maybe you find yourself repeating information about the scene or where Monster-A1 is and how far away PC2 is.
Putting a time limit on the group can provide a level of tension to combat, or it can cause an amount of stress that may drive your players away from the combat encounter at hand. I would highly suggest identifying the root of your issue before applying any type of solution. Additionally, if you apply a solution, and it goes south very quickly, you'll certainly know that you don't have the correct solution.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
When combat is to slow it's called a holding action. On a meta level it's succeeding in that the DM is getting worn down.
Sorry, grammarian in me got amused.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Do you allow in player conversation during combat? If so I would shut that down first, stop players talking through there actions with each other once combat has started. Also characters in my combat get to shout no more then a short sentence out after all a round is meant to represent 6 seconds so each players turn is a fraction of that.
Ask the player what they want to do.
Either they answer you straight away and know, or they might ask you a question.
If they are just thinking through options, then give them a minute or two, then say "I'm going to have to hurry you."
It's fine for players not to take optimal turns. But I suspect that this issue comes from having started inexperienced players at too high a level, so they don't really know what their character can do. Part of the point of the levelling system is that you learn what you can do and it becomes intuitive as you gain more abilities.
If you use a DM Screen, i suggest using folded over index cards with each PC's name on it to track the turn order in a way that the players can each see whose turn it is and will be at all times. That way, they have no excuse for not knowing it is their turn.
While i don't think skipping player turns is a good motivator when players are fresh to D&D and other combat RPGs, it is a useful tool IF your players are merely distracted by their phones or catching up with each other about non-game stuff. (And rather than have them do absolutely nothing say "You take the dodge action" so that they won't feel as salty about their PC getting sliced because you were rushing them. For new players, some hand holding is expected, at least for the first few games. If you notice one or two particular players holding things up, you might try having a one-on-one conversation with them between games to sound them out and to emphasize that their confusion slows the game down for everybody, not just themselves. Figure out what their issue is and give them the tools to solve it, if possible.
If they're getting a lot of unnecessary advice from other players (EG the group is discussing/arguing over what they should do) then shut that right down - reminders of what they can do are fine, but don't let everyone's turn be a team decision.
+1 for forewarning people - "Grukk, you're up, Flynn, you're after so start thinking what you'll do!". A lot of people seem to only think about these things when it is their turn, whilst they could be ready with a bit of effort.
Ban phones. I won't feel bad about it, when we meet up in person again, I'll let the players know that anyone going on their phones whilst stuff is happening will be considered to be roleplaying, and as such will be surprised in combat (distracted) or considered extremely rude by anyone they're talking to. I might even make it a cursed item which can only be unattuned to by not going on your phone for an hour. Phones in pockets, please, we're playing here.
The assumption people are making that they have been started too high level is well founded on experience. Level 1-2 is a good starting point as players have limited abilities. I started my campaign with everyone at level 2, and leveled them up after a couple of combats (nothing says they started at exactly level 2, they were level 2-and-a-bit) so they could get into the swing of their characters before making the decision at level 3 on what path they wanted to pursue.
If you can elaborate on what is causing the delays, we can offer more specific advice.
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I had a couple of players start fiddling on their phones mid-combat in my last session, which to be fair was about 7 hours in and so were starting to flag, but it's also quite disrespectful. I am going to ask people at the start of my next session to only go on their phones if they're doing something game-related, but of course I won't mind if they answer them for work calls and things like that.
Don't be afraid to suggest actions they can take. Normally I don't think that's a good idea, but for players still learning their characters it's not uncommon for them to forget all the actions or bonus actions they can do. If there are three targets on the board you can recommend the most optimal one for htem to aim at. Hopefully over time they won't need that hand holding but if they'r ereally struggling with their character sheet that's always an option.
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Little things like planning your turn while someone else is taking theirs can go a LONG way towards cutting down on combat time. I've known some new players who don't do it because it feels inconsiderate to the person taking their turn, but I think it's way more inconsiderate to take an extra 5 minutes on your turn to read through what all your spells do and decide between them on the spot. I've played with that type of player before and it really derails the flow of combat.
Tldr; remind people to read their abilities and plan their turn *before* their turn.
Depends why it's slow, if it's like ThorukDuckSlayer says, don't let them discuss tactics, it's their turn and their decision. I have some leniency on this, if it's about to be a party wipe or something, but each player should decide their own action and play to it, they know their characters personality and what they would do after all!
But if they find it hard to make a decision, I'm personally a fan of applying pressure by threatening to skip turns if they can't decide by way of adding a timer or describing action going on around them, in a fight situation you don't have all day to think about what you want to do.
It's worth a discussion with the players though, are they enjoying a tactical fight and want to plan their turns with time to think, or do they want the pressure of a fast fight?
I do this, it works really well.
GM: Ranger's up, then Fighter. Ranger, go!
Ranger's player has their turn.
GM: Fighter, then monsters, Fighter, you're on!
As for slow turns, at some point you have to get tough. A turn taking 2 or 3 minutes doesn't sound like much, but at a table with 6 people, that's over a quarter of an hour you can spend waiting to do something. That's just going to lead to bored players disconnecting from the game and checking out facegram or instabook.
Tell the players bluntly - "OK friends, we have two hours here at the table. We can't afford to spend half an hour on one round of one combat. Just do something on your turn. It doesn't matter if it's not 'the optimal' thing, as long as it's 'some thing'. I promise I'm not here to screw you over for a hasty decision."