Speed Factor

Hello,

Paging through the 2014 DMG, I came across the Speed Factor page, an alternate mechanic that always sounded cool to me but that I never got around to implementing. I'm considering trying to use it in my current game, and I wondered if any of you out there have had any personal experience with it or tips that you would consider providing.

Thanks!

I used it back in 1e days, but not this current edition. At the time I found it to be more of a pain in the butt than it was worth. The classic, the amount of extra effort does not equal the amount of extra fun. 
But, of course, for some tables I’m sure they enjoyed the simulationist aspect of it and found it worth the effort. 

As someone who has played since AD&D days, and who's favorite system is RuneQuest, I can honestly say that Speed Factor is not worth dealing with. 

I had to google what this is. I say that makes less sense than the current system for ties, which is that higher initiative/dex goes first (depends on the DM), or the players decide. Length of weapons shouldn’t really come into play.

Speed factor in the 2014 DMG does not seem particularly related to speed factor from AD&D, though it does share the feature of being a system that separates action declaration from action resolution -- rather than you simply picking an action on your turn, everyone picks their action at the start of the round, and then initiative is rolled to determine the order in which those actions are resolved.

It's a concept I've seen a number of games experiment with, but it tends to be bookkeeping hell, and the version in the 2014 DMG would fairly dramatically change game balance because it assigns initiative modifiers to effects that have no such modifier in the base rules and, like any declare first system, significantly increases the (already high) value of initiative bonuses.

Combat already takes long enough. This works better online, but it would be hell to track in person.

Quote from WolfeCriedPup >>

Hello,

Paging through the 2014 DMG, I came across the Speed Factor page, an alternate mechanic that always sounded cool to me but that I never got around to implementing. I'm considering trying to use it in my current game, and I wondered if any of you out there have had any personal experience with it or tips that you would consider providing.

Thanks!

 While i liked the idea on paper as an AD&D throwback, i just used it once and rapidly went back to core rues because it was slowing the game too much to have every combatants declare actions before rolling Initiative for each round. 

Declaring one's intended actions at the start of the round can actually speed up combat. At our table, some players take less than 30 seconds to take their turns. They already know in advance what they plan to do, and even have a backup plan for times when their original plan no longer applies due to changing battlefield conditions.

Then you have the players who take 1-2 minutes to take their turns no matter what. Then you have "that one guy". We've all met that "one guy". The player who announces, "darn, that completely ruined what I had planned" (every turn) then spends the next 5 (or more) minutes hemming and hawing, reading every ability and spell they have, trying to decide what to do [when everyone else at the table already knows what they'll do, because it's what they always do, but for some reason always takes 5 minutes to decide to do it].

Announcing ahead of time eliminates that. You simply do what you originally called out, even if it 'wastes' your turn.

Unfortunatley, that is extremely unpopular with players so few tables use that system for long.

As for weapon speeds, it does make sense, but again is very unpopular and usually results in complaints. It makes sense that someone with a small weapon would be able to wield that weapon faster than someone with a really really big weapon. Again, players don't tend to like those types of systems because some players really really like big weapons, and don't like being disadvantaged becaue of it.

I think it's table dependant. I've seen a huge variety of tables over the last decade alone and played/run a litany of different initiative systems. 

Like so very much in TTRPGs, it is all table dependant. Personally, I've never understood the GMs who claim rolling initiative slows down the game. It really doesn't compared to other systems where you're rolling every round. Speed Factor most definitely slows things down, but that can be minimised if you write down the modifier table on index cards for the players at the table. That way they have a quick reference to what each action is going to cost in initiative modifier.

As a result, my suggestion is always to get to know the table. Observing the table will tell you where the slow-down is. One of my current tables for example when giving them roll-play prompts will often have periods of absolute silence. They're not so great with open ended stuff and so it's a skill we've got to develop. In combat however, they all know the score and combat moves really fast. For a table who like to consider their actions, or like the actions to be dependant on the current situation speed factor denies that style of play to the players. I've seen too many times where a player has clearly had some actions in mind for their turn, then another player does something else that forces them to rethink. For that type of careful and considered player, speed factor can cause some short circuits when they on the fly have to redirect their attacks. Heck, I even once saw a DM rule the wording very literally 'you chose to attack the creature who is now unconscious, you can either do that killing the creature, or you lose you action'. This is a great example of how differently such variant and unusual gameplay options can be ruled.

What goes slowly, or drags for one table will be different at others. 

Where speed factor shines in my opinion is in the hack 'n' slash party. If you're running a mega dungeon where basically it's all combat encounters and wandering monsters, the party aren't going to be doing smart or sneaky actions - speed factor can add a dynamism to the encounters that shakes up the game for players who've been playing the system for a while, it forces them to think differently. It also prevents cheesing of mechanics 'I see the monster running away, so I'm going to employ these features, and this spell to chase them down'. With speed factor monsters and enemies actually stand a chance of escaping.

Where speed factor really doesn't apply is when you have a table who either like to take collaborative actions or utilise the environment, or do unusual and creative things with their actions in combat. It is particularly weak when players are reactive to the action of their fellow players' characters within combat. Speed Factor makes reacting to a fallen comrade really tricky and usually requires waiting until the following turn.

Of course some DMs can make it work or fail in scenarios beyond what I've just mentioned, but  I'd say like so very many of the optional rules in the 5e rulebooks it is more about the table, players, and DM than it is the rules in and of themselves.