Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Coldkilla 06-20-07, 02:12 PM	Do you allow your players to cast spells/prepare buffs before combat actually begins? For example, the party thinks they are about to enter a room and engage in combat, so before they open the door, they buff/cast a bunch of stuff to avoid using valuable actions during combat. If so, how do you handle this? Specifically, the timing and how duration of the effects play out. I'm only talking about effects with durations measured in rounds, not minutes or hours. Do you simply switch into round-by-round tactical mode as soon as they begin taking those kinds of actions? Do you make the BBEG hide until those effects run out and secretly chuckle to yourself that all their prep was wasted? If you don't allow it, why not?
Leilond 06-20-07, 04:58 PM	Do you allow your players to cast spells/prepare buffs before combat actually begins? For example, the party thinks they are about to enter a room and engage in combat, so before they open the door, they buff/cast a bunch of stuff to avoid using valuable actions during combat. If so, how do you handle this? Specifically, the timing and how duration of the effects play out. I'm only talking about effects with durations measured in rounds, not minutes or hours. Do you simply switch into round-by-round tactical mode as soon as they begin taking those kinds of actions? Sure Do you make the BBEG hide until those effects run out and secretly chuckle to yourself that all their prep was wasted? If the spells have somatic components and the enemy behind the door succeds in a listen checks, that enemy will surely prepare himself too... going to hide or buffing itselft with spells too If you don't allow it, why not? Allow it, but use the rules as written. And most of all... do not always enemies behind obvious door with a signs:"Here you'll find the BBEG" Try to surprise your player. Put the big BBEG door without any BBEG behind it... they will learn not to waste spell ;)
Some_call_me_Tim 06-20-07, 05:18 PM	Do you allow your players to cast spells/prepare buffs before combat actually begins?Sure as long as players have a reason for suspecting an encounter is about to begin. In a game this weekend, the players encountered an unnatural fog. I wasn't DM but if I was I would allow any buffs that last for tens or minutes are longer to be pre-cast. Shorter durations could be cast but I would roll randomly to determine the time between the fog appearing and the actual combat encounter (the DM merely allowed longer duration buffs and no buffs with durations in rounds; good enough I suppose). If so, how do you handle this? I wouldn't roll initiative, but I would ask what each player does, assuming they are doing everything simultaneously. If one player needs three rounds, I ask if the other players start when he does or wait so they finish together. Most importantly spell-casting would allow the enemy listen checks. So would discussions of tactics (giving the players the benefit that the PCs are probably whispering). I would start counting rounds after the first buff is cast, so the above caster with three buffs would begin combat with two rounds into the 1st spells duration, one round into the second, and no rounds expired on the third. Do you make the BBEG hide until those effects run out and secretly chuckle to yourself that all their prep was wasted?As a DM I would never ever negate the efforts players make to prepare. That said if the BBEG heard the spellcasting, used spellcraft, and determined they were making short term buffs, that might be an option the BBEG might use, but I would never meta-game the encounter.
Kouk 06-20-07, 08:26 PM	Presumably, with the door example, they probably won't be fiddling with it for very long before they open the door. I would let them cast whatever they wanted, and just determine how many rounds passed until they opened the door. Of course, if there is even anything behind the door is another matter. In general you would know the dimensions of your own dungeon, so you could measure time by how far they travel after casting the spell.
steventirey1985 06-21-07, 01:18 PM	If the spells have somatic components and the enemy behind the door succeds in a listen checks, that enemy will surely prepare himself too... going to hide or buffing itselft with spells too You mean verbal components. Somatic components are hand gestures.
Leilond 06-22-07, 04:03 AM	You mean verbal components. Somatic components are hand gestures. Ouch! Sorry, yes, verbal :D
foxtail 06-22-07, 08:15 AM	For high-level adventurers, preparing buffs beforehand if at all possible becomes a necessity, not something to be penalized for. It's something any smart party will do, especially if they have divination spells handy to know what horrors are in the next room, or coming for them the next day, because it can mean the difference between victory and a TPK.