So I'm having trouble tracking time on mid range scales. For example Sunless Citadel asks you to know every 12 hours within the dungeon! How do you track this?
I assume you mean tracking time exploring a dungeon. The time scale in a dungeon is of minutes. Usually, if the party ask only for perception checks I assume they spent 1 minute in that particular room. For other tasks, I assume 1d4 minutes, or 2d4 depending on what the characters are doing.
More or less the same for the time scale of a city or short travel. 1d4 or 2d4 hours depending on the party necessities.
Time is a flexible thing. If your party is performing a number of activities they can get through them and time passes on a minute by minute scale. Greater exploration or wandering/resting can make large chunks of time pass quickly.
It's all up to you friend! Make it up and make it work for the storytelling at the table.
And don't forget about set time spenders, whether DM-defined or rule-defined.
Such as "You can search this library for the book you're looking for: Each attempt at Investigation will take you 15 minutes," or the one hour Short Rest takes.
Really depends on why the adventure needs you to keep track. Often you can roughly estimate how long it's been. Encounters are usually over within a minute ( 10 rounds! This also means technically help/city guards/etc. Should never arrive during combat).
Beyond that if the party searches use the result to determine how long it took them to search.
Normally a party would finish a dungeon way before 12 hours is up.
I'm curious to know how you would manage time for long debates or discussion within the party on how they are going to move forward or what they are going to do next? The reason I ask, is because of spells such as Hunter's Mark (which at early levels lasts one hour). It seems to me, with this particular spell or Hex for a Warlock, that if you don't manage time then if the Ranger or Warlock in a party does not take any short rests they could essentially go through an entire dungeon with Hunter's Mark or Hex respectively activated. Provided of course they don't break or lose concentration! Thank you in advance on your opinion and thoughts on this!
I'm curious to know how you would manage time for long debates or discussion within the party on how they are going to move forward or what they are going to do next? The reason I ask, is because of spells such as Hunter's Mark (which at early levels lasts one hour). It seems to me, with this particular spell or Hex for a Warlock, that if you don't manage time then if the Ranger or Warlock in a party does not take any short rests they could essentially go through an entire dungeon with Hunter's Mark or Hex respectively activated. Provided of course they don't break or lose concentration! Thank you in advance on your opinion and thoughts on this!
Yes, I am dealing with the same problem, regarding the spell pass without trace. Depending on the discussion, I think it is a matter of minutes. I'd say from 1 minute if the party is talking to decide about just a few possible options they have ahead, to 10 minutes if they are discussing many options, like which paths to take ahead, inventory, spell/abilities economy, checking traps and so on.
Sunless Citadel asks you to know every 12 hours within the dungeon! How do you track this?
Short and long rests are generally the most important consideration here. Other activities tend to be short and not worth tracking in fine detail (a rough estimate is generally fine)
It is usually not that hard to at least roughly estimate time.
First, combat basically doesn't take any time (as counter intuitive as this seems ... most combats are over in 5 rounds or less which takes 30seconds) ... an extremely long fight would be 5 minutes.
So what does take time? Exploring, traveling, resting and for these all you really need is an estimate ... BUT ... you need to share with the players how much time is being used for these tasks so the players decide if they want to try to do them more quickly. For example, moving extremely cautiously and checking for traps might take 1 min/10 feet ... just moving stealthily however is 1 min/200 feet (see below).
TRAVEL PACE (phb p182) Distance Traveled per ... Pace: Minute, Hour, Day, Effect Fast: 400 feet, 4 miles, 30 miles, -5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores Normal: 300 feet, 3 miles, 24 miles Slow: 200 feet, 2 miles, 8 miles, Able to use stealth
In the end, it is a DM judgement call as to how much time is taken by player activities. However, there are three guidelines that make this go easier on everyone :) ..
1) Tell the players the time scale you are using. (e.g. 1min/10 feet, 1min/20 feet or whatever for the specific activity they are performing - e.g. carefully checking for tracks/traps)
2) Give them a warning before just saying that whatever spell effect they have active comes to an end. (e.g. just a heads up but time is passing and your "X" spell will run out) .. this gives them the opportunity to decide on whether the spell effect ends or to change their activity to accommodate the spell - something the character would be well aware of even if the player isn't.
3) Don't bother tracking detailed time unless it is relevant ... much of the time it is just overhead and it is easier to say "30 minutes have passed since you entered the dungeon" or "2 hours" or whatever seems appropriate.
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So I'm having trouble tracking time on mid range scales. For example Sunless Citadel asks you to know every 12 hours within the dungeon! How do you track this?
I assume you mean tracking time exploring a dungeon. The time scale in a dungeon is of minutes. Usually, if the party ask only for perception checks I assume they spent 1 minute in that particular room. For other tasks, I assume 1d4 minutes, or 2d4 depending on what the characters are doing.
More or less the same for the time scale of a city or short travel. 1d4 or 2d4 hours depending on the party necessities.
Time is a flexible thing. If your party is performing a number of activities they can get through them and time passes on a minute by minute scale. Greater exploration or wandering/resting can make large chunks of time pass quickly.
It's all up to you friend! Make it up and make it work for the storytelling at the table.
And don't forget about set time spenders, whether DM-defined or rule-defined.
Such as "You can search this library for the book you're looking for: Each attempt at Investigation will take you 15 minutes," or the one hour Short Rest takes.
Really depends on why the adventure needs you to keep track. Often you can roughly estimate how long it's been. Encounters are usually over within a minute ( 10 rounds! This also means technically help/city guards/etc. Should never arrive during combat).
Beyond that if the party searches use the result to determine how long it took them to search.
Normally a party would finish a dungeon way before 12 hours is up.
Filcat,
I'm curious to know how you would manage time for long debates or discussion within the party on how they are going to move forward or what they are going to do next? The reason I ask, is because of spells such as Hunter's Mark (which at early levels lasts one hour). It seems to me, with this particular spell or Hex for a Warlock, that if you don't manage time then if the Ranger or Warlock in a party does not take any short rests they could essentially go through an entire dungeon with Hunter's Mark or Hex respectively activated. Provided of course they don't break or lose concentration! Thank you in advance on your opinion and thoughts on this!
It is usually not that hard to at least roughly estimate time.
First, combat basically doesn't take any time (as counter intuitive as this seems ... most combats are over in 5 rounds or less which takes 30seconds) ... an extremely long fight would be 5 minutes.
So what does take time? Exploring, traveling, resting and for these all you really need is an estimate ... BUT ... you need to share with the players how much time is being used for these tasks so the players decide if they want to try to do them more quickly. For example, moving extremely cautiously and checking for traps might take 1 min/10 feet ... just moving stealthily however is 1 min/200 feet (see below).
TRAVEL PACE (phb p182)
Distance Traveled per ...
Pace: Minute, Hour, Day, Effect
Fast: 400 feet, 4 miles, 30 miles, -5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores
Normal: 300 feet, 3 miles, 24 miles
Slow: 200 feet, 2 miles, 8 miles, Able to use stealth
In the end, it is a DM judgement call as to how much time is taken by player activities. However, there are three guidelines that make this go easier on everyone :) ..
1) Tell the players the time scale you are using. (e.g. 1min/10 feet, 1min/20 feet or whatever for the specific activity they are performing - e.g. carefully checking for tracks/traps)
2) Give them a warning before just saying that whatever spell effect they have active comes to an end. (e.g. just a heads up but time is passing and your "X" spell will run out) .. this gives them the opportunity to decide on whether the spell effect ends or to change their activity to accommodate the spell - something the character would be well aware of even if the player isn't.
3) Don't bother tracking detailed time unless it is relevant ... much of the time it is just overhead and it is easier to say "30 minutes have passed since you entered the dungeon" or "2 hours" or whatever seems appropriate.