This almost never works out because by my next turn, the battlefield is completely different than what it was when I ended my previous turn.

A d20. ‍️

I think it’s a d12 and then some 3rd grad math homework I didn’t do.

That’s if you hit them. You gotta see if you hit them first.

Ohhh, that’s the d20 and then uuhhhhh… proficiency then ummmmmmm. Dose 11 plus 3 plus something else hit?

by level 10 you should already know what spells you took and what they do at minimum

As often as not, the control wizard is trying to figure out if they can drop the AoE template to just hit the bad guys. Blaster Casters tend to have less of a problem because every turn is “Does it have fire resistance? Yes: Magic Missile / No: Scorching Ray”

The really annoying wizards are the Summoners, because “it’s my turn so let me add another 1d4+1 turdlings to the battle field and take 6 attacks with the gumbas currently out here”.

sorcerer DM

I’ll also spot you that turn one is generally basic bitch shit.

It’s turn seven, when the wizard has gone through six prior Save or Sucks only to find out the DM has introduced another creature on which none of them work that they’re fumbling around for options.

your turn should be no more than 1 minute at the longest

“I cast Invisibility”

“You can’t”

“Yes I can”

“No, you can’t, you’re in the Antimagic Field”

“No, I’m not. I’m on the edge of the field. Look at the table.”

“There’s still a corner of the field in the square.”

“Then I don’t stand in that corner.”

“The rules say it doesn’t matter.”

“No they don’t. It has to occupy at least 40% of the square.”

“Yes it does. Look, its right here in the DM’s guide.”

“That’s the 4.32 manual. You need to check the rules updates from 4.71”

“I’m not using 4.71 rules.”

“You referenced a 4.82 rule just a turn ago!”

“No I didn’t, that was a house rule.”

“That’s not anywhere in the house rule guide! I was just reading it before I cast my spell.”

“Well, I sent out an email two months ago.”

“GUYS! Just make a decision and move ON!”

“Okay, fine. I take a five foot step and cast Invisibility.”

“My hydra gets an AoO. I roll a 43 and deal 290 points of damage. Your wizard dies.”

“THIS IS BULLSHIT!”

I tend to find an 2:1 or 3:1 combat/non-combat gives people a good mix of the action/adventure elements and the high drama. Combat just tends to take longer than drama, so even when you try to minimize it, you can often find yourself in a time-suck.

I also tend to feel that any “withering encounter” should resolve as soon as the players are more-or-less assured of victory (like, 2-3 turns, unless things go disastrously wrong for the players). Big center-piece boss battles can take longer, but need some kind of high drama element (exploding volcano, NPC dangling off a cliff, evil wizard powering up a death ray, etc) that (a) gives players a puzzle or drama point to resolve and (b) gives someone an opportunity to do something passionate or wacky (swinging in on a chandelier, flinging themselves on a hand grenade, asking their beau to marry them in the middle of a sword fight).

Any encounter that’s just “roll the dice, pass the turn” is a waste of everyone’s time, IMHO.

Your GM must be some kind of tactical genius then, seeing as how they’re playing all the monsters and probably don’t need to spend all that much time deliberating all their individual turns.

It’s more the sorcerer and warlock using magics that alter the very fabric of reality.

Yeah, I’m sure eldritch blast gets more complicated after the first dozen times.

I know this may be a joke, but I have used timers to great effect in the past. One instance comes to mind:

My players were looking for a missing child. They suspected a kidnapping. The Druid had transformed into a wolf, and was using scent to track the suspected kidnapper. The trail led them to the edge of a lake. In the middle of the lake, they could see a man in a rowboat. He had rowed out to the middle of a lake, and was in the process of dumping a squirming sack overboard. The players heard my description of how the sack hit the water, floated for a few seconds while it thrashed around, then sank below the surface.

The players fell into analysis paralysis. Would it be best to row out and stop the kidnapper? Focus on retrieving the sack that obviously had the kidnapped child in it? Risk splitting the party to do both simultaneously? While they were bickering about what to do, I quietly started a timer and set it in front of my DM screen. It was a not-so-subtle “you’re all wasting time arguing while a child is literally drowning” reminder.

The party saw me set the timer down, a silent beat passed as the realization hit, and then the entire party immediately sprang into action. Everyone piled into the rowboat on shore, while the paladin was asking to make a strength check to shove off and get the boat into the water. He rolled a natural 20, so the boat skipped a few times across the surface before the warrior took over rowing with a constitution check. He rolled a natural 19. They made it to the middle of the lake very quickly. The Druid wildshaped into something aquatic (I think a dolphin?) to go diving for the child, while the warrior and sorcerer piled into the kidnapper’s boat to prevent his escape. While all of that was going on, the paladin was making constitution saving throws to swim out to the middle of the lake (in heavy armor, I might add) to be on standby in case the child needed healing.

I didn’t actually intend on using the timer for anything. But the simple fact that I had it running pushed them into action. It was a powerful reminder that their characters wouldn’t have the time to fully analyze the situation and arrive at a plan of action by committee.

Meanwhile, the necromancer is standing on shore saying, “I really don’t want to get my robes wet. Take your time, bring me the kid, and I’ll take care of it.”

themoken@startrek.website Some want to play XCOM without dice, and get really pissy when the dice say “no”.

Hilarious! Appropriating this for redistribution!

Why are you like this?