Free action speaking during combat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Free action speaking during combat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DMDaddy
03-12-07, 05:18 PM The Cleric goes first and (freeaction speaks), "what should I do?" The other players all offer their input. Then the next player goes and does the same thing.

It seems to border on metagaming or something like that. How do others deal with this?

What I ruled:
1. You can ask a question on your turn, but no one can answer until their turn. But, if you want an answer immedeatly you have to delay until the answerer takes his turn.
DaMullet
03-12-07, 05:27 PM Well, free actions are only available on your turn. If it were an immediate action to speak, you could do this, but it would be really stupid to waste it.
primemover003
03-12-07, 05:36 PM For the most part you characters should be able to speak at anytime on anyone's turn but you as the DM can feel free to limit it to what you think is appropriate. If you want to limit metagaming you should try to have the players speak in character at the table 75% of the time. IMO it helps the roleplaying aspect and it limits metagaming. However you do need to be able to discuss rules and ask for some game advice. This is especially true for players who aren't as experienced or are trying something different, like a new class/PrC or unfamiliar combat option.
Senevri
03-12-07, 08:48 PM Well, since a turn is 6 seconds, I'd say you can speak around 15-20 words per turn, reasonably.
DarkRhystar
03-13-07, 02:42 AM It seems to border on metagaming or something like that. How do others deal with this?

What I ruled:
1. You can ask a question on your turn, but no one can answer until their turn. But, if you want an answer immedeatly you have to delay until the answerer takes his turn.

Now don't be putting the cart before the horse.

Is this really a problem?

Ask yourself, is it fair to penalize someone for something they don't know or understand? Something their character should know that they don't?

If your players are helping each other is that something you really want to discourage?

As for the meta-gaming issue of it... I'm betting that if you were put into life or death situations with a group of folks, you'd learn to work together with them and form strategies. A group of people who come together anywhere from once a month to once a week or so may not have that bonding time but that doesn't mean their characters don't.
Merestil Haye
03-13-07, 07:01 AM Well, free actions are only available on your turn.Except that speaking is a free action that is explicitly allowed at any time, even when flat-footed.
Valk
03-13-07, 07:49 AM However you do need to be able to discuss rules and ask for some game advice. This is especially true for players who aren't as experienced or are trying something different, like a new class/PrC or unfamiliar combat option.
QFT

The greatest part of in-combat chatter is that the NPC's hear it, generally it allows them to fight better but sometimes it even helps their mad schemes (players discussing what they are doing with the artefact they are carrying around when said NPC's are looking for it's whereabouts... priceless)
KingMarl
03-13-07, 09:18 AM I'll typically let a little bit of back and forth go on, but I tend to quickly step in and say "6 seconds guys .. do something". On occasion I'll just move on to the next person as if the person had delayed if they dither around too long before taking their action.

6 seconds is a lot of time when someone's swinging a sword at you, but it's not long enough to have a long rambling discussion on the benefits of casting Protection from Evil vs. Prayer.
mvincent
03-13-07, 01:11 PM speaking is a free action that is explicitly allowed at any timeCorrect. From the rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm):
"Speak
In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn’t your turn. Speaking more than few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action."

Note: the second sentence might be the solution to the OP's problem.

Also note: the players are typically running professional adventurers that put there lives on the line daily. They would have likely trained for such eventualities (much like soldiers, police, emergency workers, etc.), and would likely know what to do without needing to ask their allies (i.e. since they would have likely already asked such questions during their training sessions).

This isn't covered in D&D, but it provides a great excuse for all the table talk and meta-gaming that inadvertently occurs.

Besides: it's a game... a cooperative, social game. Plotting tactics with your friends is part of the fun.
ryryguy
03-13-07, 01:19 PM The content of what they are saying is important... somebody needing clarification of a rule is certainly not something I would try to prohibit (except maybe to move things along if it's starting to drag out).

Last session, the players had a conversation during a fight that didn't bug me at the time, but reflecting on it later, I thought it was a bit lame. One PC was trying to sneak around to the back of a group of enemies to get at the enemy spellcaster. Another PC was engaged from the front with some of the spellcaster's body guards. He was moving back away, and the sneaking PC's player said, "Good, yeah, just keep pulling them away in that direction!"

Not metagaming per se... but how could the sneaking PC offer that advice to the other PC across the battlefield? Obviously if he yelled it out it would give away his plan and position to the enemy.

It wasn't a huge deal really, as the second PC was pretty much going to do what the first advised anyway. I also think the first player was just caught up in the excitement of the moment and didn't really think about the situation clearly.

But anyhow, that sort of thing seems like a no-no. Talking about rules is by definition out-of-character, what you have to watch out for is a conversation that should be in character (including a discussion of tactics divorced from rules)... that requires that the characters actually be able to communicate, and also means that barring special methods of communication like telepathy, the enemies may potentially overhear and be able to react to it.
Behelit
03-13-07, 01:36 PM Here's what I do in my game.

1: I limit to no more than 2 sentences.

2: As 1 round is 6 seconds, I allow only one of the two closest PC's respond the the characters question. I only allow one person to answer because, if two or more people were talking in the midst of swords clanking and monsterous noises, it'd would be nearly impossible to hear both at the same time.

3: If the PC is not asking a question and merely telling info he/she learned from a Knowledge Check, or something from he/she heard, then there is no need for another PC to respond on that players turn.

Metagaming is generally not a good thing for the game itself. The point of gaming is for everyone to have fun. That includes the DM. The DM shoudl be someone all the players trust, and ho knows the rules pretty well. This loss of trust errodes the game itself and makes it not fun to play.

The only time I actually allow metagaming, is when a relatively new player has joined the game, but after about 3-5 sessions, I do not allow this, as this should be enough time to grasp how combat works, and they should've read the combat section in PHB and be relatively familiar with it.

During my sessions, I usually set out time, usually when the whole group is resting to discuss strategies, from battles they fought recently, and how they could've gone better.
The players discuss freely as they wish for 15 or so minutes, while I draw up maps for the next area/encounter. This seems to work out for my group, and they can always discuss things via e-mail too.
LarryMac
03-13-07, 02:38 PM Again, I'll go with it coming down to content. Rules clarifications are different than "which of these spells should I cast" questions, as has been pointed out. My players are notorious for comments like "move over to the next square so we're flanking" or "don't stop there because I can't charge". Yes, allies may have worked out such things beforehand and know how to flank better than a given player does, but depending upon the scope of the suggestions I have had their enemies alter their tactics accordingly, based on one player telling the other how to set him up for a killing blow.
DMDaddy
03-13-07, 03:23 PM FROM SRD
"Speak
In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn’t your turn. Speaking more than few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action."

The PHB adds a few more words on this.
"Some DMs may rule that a character can only speak on his turn, or can't speak while flat footed."
"your DM may require that you take a move action or even a full-round action."

Here's a more detailed description of the problem::::
--Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?"
--Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that."
--Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?"
--Other characters, "the creature is too big."
--Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?"

More than half the encounters involve this type of questioning. The player has been playing for over a year and just isn't good at deciding what to do. I need to put some kind of limit.

I guess one or two questions is my best shot. Anymore will delay their turn until the end of the round. Anymore will cause player to use move action, then full-round action. Not sure if this is the best option.
primemover003
03-13-07, 03:37 PM OK at this point you should put some of this into the Players court. Have the group get together and discuss basic party strategies. Every player has their strengths and weaknesses and the party should already know them. I frequently have OOG discussions with fellow party members during the week between sessions about how we can work better as a group. We put together plans for marching order in various terrain, how to draw enemies into advantageous positions for flanking and how to keep out of each others way in terms of Cover or getting into spell areas.

It shouldn't be all on your shoulders. Tell them to get their act together!
PenderGrass
03-14-07, 02:14 AM Here's a more detailed description of the problem::::
--Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?"
--Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that."
--Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?"
--Other characters, "the creature is too big."
--Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?"
DM: Sorry, Pixie. You just lost your initiative advantage by standing around asking. Next in line goes. You now go after that.

Since Pixie is not a n00b - it can now join the veteran gamers' table.

:dragon:
****
Nom
03-14-07, 07:11 AM The Cleric goes first and (freeaction speaks), "what should I do?" The other players all offer their input. Then the next player goes and does the same thing.

It seems to border on metagaming or something like that. How do others deal with this?You need to distinguish between IC and OOC conversation, and it's not always clear which is which. In some games, a high amount of cooperative OOC chatter is both expected and appreciated. In others, the players are expected to broker as much as possible through their PCs.

As a rule of thumb, the more novice the players the more leeway you need to grant. An experienced group might actually be able to operate as an elite strike force, with only brief "shouts" to work together. In practice, most players spend a few hours a week at most on the game, which is a heck of a lot less time than their characters' spent working together.

Similarly, you need to remember that the DM rarely sees a novel encounter. The DM knows the PCs' capabilities, and he knows the opponents, and he designed the terrain. The only variable for the DM is what each PC chooses to do, and a familiar DM might even be able to predict that. In contrast, the players likely have not been thinking about this encounter for more than a minute or two. It's actually trivially easy for the DM to metagame, moving the opponents as a unified whole with a single mind rather than as a set of individuals. Letting the players have a little metagame conversation merely gives them back a little against a metagame heavily stacked against them.
What I ruled:
1. You can ask a question on your turn, but no one can answer until their turn. But, if you want an answer immedeatly you have to delay until the answerer takes his turn.In general, way to kill the fun. OK, you might occasionally want to pull this if the player is taking an unreasonable amount of time to make a simple decision or the information is truly not available to the PC (like it comes from the guy who is around the corner and has just spotted 3 more foes). But as a general rule, you're telling the player that he has to miss a turn because he's inexperienced. That's not friendly.

Here's a more detailed description of the problem::::
--Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?"
--Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that."
--Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?"
--Other characters, "the creature is too big."
--Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?"To some extent, this is legitimate questioning. D&D has a lot of options, and some things that should be obvious to the PC won't be obvious to the player.

That said ...More than half the encounters involve this type of questioning. The player has been playing for over a year and just isn't good at deciding what to do. I need to put some kind of limit.If it's only half, it's probably not too bad. If it's every second round (or every round), it's a problem. Some tips:

(1) Avoid giving inexperienced players complex characters. IMO, wizards, druids, clerics and bards are the most likely to lead to "analysis paralysis", or "too many options".

(2) It sounds like your player is overly dependent on the other players. She's (guessing from name) trained herself not to think for herself. Normally, I'd encourage players to ask other players for help, but in this case you might need to wean her.

Firstly, allow other PCs to call out suggestions, but only on their turn, and only obvious stuff ("can I have healing?", "prayer would be great?"), not detailed instructions. Don't let her have a tactics discussion on her turn, rather tell her to "try it and see" unless it is something that should be obvious to her character. For fairness, you might want to apply this to the whole group. For the first few weeks, it will hamper the party's effectiveness and you should reduce the encounter difficulty accordingly. But after they get the hang of it things may flow more quickly.
Burgundy Lotus
03-14-07, 08:11 AM Here's a more detailed description of the problem::::
--Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?"
--Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that."
--Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?"
--Other characters, "the creature is too big."
--Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?"

I'd allow this as long as the party saw the monster before combat started. I'd consider it prefight tactics, if the monster ambushed them then no, one question is about it.
PenderGrass
03-14-07, 02:23 PM The player has been playing for over a year and just isn't good at deciding what to do.
This is a huge indication to me that this person is not really motivated to play and is likely there for reasons other than gaming.

:dragon:
****
weasel0
03-14-07, 09:19 PM Heh. it's all free actions huh?

for unlimited free action during 6 seconds, i can't count the number of times my group has spent half an hour on 1 persons "6 seconds"
Lindwyrm
03-16-07, 06:16 PM This is a huge indication to me that this person is not really motivated to play and is likely there for reasons other than gaming.

:dragon:
****

Alternatively they may just be somewhat unsure or insecure. It happens, and even I've had to weigh up options with the party on a few instances....

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DMDaddy 03-12-07, 05:18 PM	The Cleric goes first and (freeaction speaks), "what should I do?" The other players all offer their input. Then the next player goes and does the same thing. It seems to border on metagaming or something like that. How do others deal with this? What I ruled: 1. You can ask a question on your turn, but no one can answer until their turn. But, if you want an answer immedeatly you have to delay until the answerer takes his turn.
DaMullet 03-12-07, 05:27 PM	Well, free actions are only available on your turn. If it were an immediate action to speak, you could do this, but it would be really stupid to waste it.
primemover003 03-12-07, 05:36 PM	For the most part you characters should be able to speak at anytime on anyone's turn but you as the DM can feel free to limit it to what you think is appropriate. If you want to limit metagaming you should try to have the players speak in character at the table 75% of the time. IMO it helps the roleplaying aspect and it limits metagaming. However you do need to be able to discuss rules and ask for some game advice. This is especially true for players who aren't as experienced or are trying something different, like a new class/PrC or unfamiliar combat option.
Senevri 03-12-07, 08:48 PM	Well, since a turn is 6 seconds, I'd say you can speak around 15-20 words per turn, reasonably.
DarkRhystar 03-13-07, 02:42 AM	It seems to border on metagaming or something like that. How do others deal with this? What I ruled: 1. You can ask a question on your turn, but no one can answer until their turn. But, if you want an answer immedeatly you have to delay until the answerer takes his turn. Now don't be putting the cart before the horse. Is this really a problem? Ask yourself, is it fair to penalize someone for something they don't know or understand? Something their character should know that they don't? If your players are helping each other is that something you really want to discourage? As for the meta-gaming issue of it... I'm betting that if you were put into life or death situations with a group of folks, you'd learn to work together with them and form strategies. A group of people who come together anywhere from once a month to once a week or so may not have that bonding time but that doesn't mean their characters don't.
Merestil Haye 03-13-07, 07:01 AM	Well, free actions are only available on your turn.Except that speaking is a free action that is explicitly allowed at any time, even when flat-footed.
Valk 03-13-07, 07:49 AM	However you do need to be able to discuss rules and ask for some game advice. This is especially true for players who aren't as experienced or are trying something different, like a new class/PrC or unfamiliar combat option. QFT The greatest part of in-combat chatter is that the NPC's hear it, generally it allows them to fight better but sometimes it even helps their mad schemes (players discussing what they are doing with the artefact they are carrying around when said NPC's are looking for it's whereabouts... priceless)
KingMarl 03-13-07, 09:18 AM	I'll typically let a little bit of back and forth go on, but I tend to quickly step in and say "6 seconds guys .. do something". On occasion I'll just move on to the next person as if the person had delayed if they dither around too long before taking their action. 6 seconds is a lot of time when someone's swinging a sword at you, but it's not long enough to have a long rambling discussion on the benefits of casting Protection from Evil vs. Prayer.
mvincent 03-13-07, 01:11 PM	speaking is a free action that is explicitly allowed at any timeCorrect. From the rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm): "Speak In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn’t your turn. Speaking more than few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action." Note: the second sentence might be the solution to the OP's problem. Also note: the players are typically running professional adventurers that put there lives on the line daily. They would have likely trained for such eventualities (much like soldiers, police, emergency workers, etc.), and would likely know what to do without needing to ask their allies (i.e. since they would have likely already asked such questions during their training sessions). This isn't covered in D&D, but it provides a great excuse for all the table talk and meta-gaming that inadvertently occurs. Besides: it's a game... a cooperative, social game. Plotting tactics with your friends is part of the fun.
ryryguy 03-13-07, 01:19 PM	The content of what they are saying is important... somebody needing clarification of a rule is certainly not something I would try to prohibit (except maybe to move things along if it's starting to drag out). Last session, the players had a conversation during a fight that didn't bug me at the time, but reflecting on it later, I thought it was a bit lame. One PC was trying to sneak around to the back of a group of enemies to get at the enemy spellcaster. Another PC was engaged from the front with some of the spellcaster's body guards. He was moving back away, and the sneaking PC's player said, "Good, yeah, just keep pulling them away in that direction!" Not metagaming per se... but how could the sneaking PC offer that advice to the other PC across the battlefield? Obviously if he yelled it out it would give away his plan and position to the enemy. It wasn't a huge deal really, as the second PC was pretty much going to do what the first advised anyway. I also think the first player was just caught up in the excitement of the moment and didn't really think about the situation clearly. But anyhow, that sort of thing seems like a no-no. Talking about rules is by definition out-of-character, what you have to watch out for is a conversation that should be in character (including a discussion of tactics divorced from rules)... that requires that the characters actually be able to communicate, and also means that barring special methods of communication like telepathy, the enemies may potentially overhear and be able to react to it.
Behelit 03-13-07, 01:36 PM	Here's what I do in my game. 1: I limit to no more than 2 sentences. 2: As 1 round is 6 seconds, I allow only one of the two closest PC's respond the the characters question. I only allow one person to answer because, if two or more people were talking in the midst of swords clanking and monsterous noises, it'd would be nearly impossible to hear both at the same time. 3: If the PC is not asking a question and merely telling info he/she learned from a Knowledge Check, or something from he/she heard, then there is no need for another PC to respond on that players turn. Metagaming is generally not a good thing for the game itself. The point of gaming is for everyone to have fun. That includes the DM. The DM shoudl be someone all the players trust, and ho knows the rules pretty well. This loss of trust errodes the game itself and makes it not fun to play. The only time I actually allow metagaming, is when a relatively new player has joined the game, but after about 3-5 sessions, I do not allow this, as this should be enough time to grasp how combat works, and they should've read the combat section in PHB and be relatively familiar with it. During my sessions, I usually set out time, usually when the whole group is resting to discuss strategies, from battles they fought recently, and how they could've gone better. The players discuss freely as they wish for 15 or so minutes, while I draw up maps for the next area/encounter. This seems to work out for my group, and they can always discuss things via e-mail too.
LarryMac 03-13-07, 02:38 PM	Again, I'll go with it coming down to content. Rules clarifications are different than "which of these spells should I cast" questions, as has been pointed out. My players are notorious for comments like "move over to the next square so we're flanking" or "don't stop there because I can't charge". Yes, allies may have worked out such things beforehand and know how to flank better than a given player does, but depending upon the scope of the suggestions I have had their enemies alter their tactics accordingly, based on one player telling the other how to set him up for a killing blow.
DMDaddy 03-13-07, 03:23 PM	FROM SRD "Speak In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn’t your turn. Speaking more than few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action." The PHB adds a few more words on this. "Some DMs may rule that a character can only speak on his turn, or can't speak while flat footed." "your DM may require that you take a move action or even a full-round action." Here's a more detailed description of the problem:::: --Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?" --Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that." --Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?" --Other characters, "the creature is too big." --Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?" More than half the encounters involve this type of questioning. The player has been playing for over a year and just isn't good at deciding what to do. I need to put some kind of limit. I guess one or two questions is my best shot. Anymore will delay their turn until the end of the round. Anymore will cause player to use move action, then full-round action. Not sure if this is the best option.
primemover003 03-13-07, 03:37 PM	OK at this point you should put some of this into the Players court. Have the group get together and discuss basic party strategies. Every player has their strengths and weaknesses and the party should already know them. I frequently have OOG discussions with fellow party members during the week between sessions about how we can work better as a group. We put together plans for marching order in various terrain, how to draw enemies into advantageous positions for flanking and how to keep out of each others way in terms of Cover or getting into spell areas. It shouldn't be all on your shoulders. Tell them to get their act together!
PenderGrass 03-14-07, 02:14 AM	Here's a more detailed description of the problem:::: --Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?" --Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that." --Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?" --Other characters, "the creature is too big." --Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?" DM: Sorry, Pixie. You just lost your initiative advantage by standing around asking. Next in line goes. You now go after that. Since Pixie is not a n00b - it can now join the veteran gamers' table. :dragon: ****
Nom 03-14-07, 07:11 AM	The Cleric goes first and (freeaction speaks), "what should I do?" The other players all offer their input. Then the next player goes and does the same thing. It seems to border on metagaming or something like that. How do others deal with this?You need to distinguish between IC and OOC conversation, and it's not always clear which is which. In some games, a high amount of cooperative OOC chatter is both expected and appreciated. In others, the players are expected to broker as much as possible through their PCs. As a rule of thumb, the more novice the players the more leeway you need to grant. An experienced group might actually be able to operate as an elite strike force, with only brief "shouts" to work together. In practice, most players spend a few hours a week at most on the game, which is a heck of a lot less time than their characters' spent working together. Similarly, you need to remember that the DM rarely sees a novel encounter. The DM knows the PCs' capabilities, and he knows the opponents, and he designed the terrain. The only variable for the DM is what each PC chooses to do, and a familiar DM might even be able to predict that. In contrast, the players likely have not been thinking about this encounter for more than a minute or two. It's actually trivially easy for the DM to metagame, moving the opponents as a unified whole with a single mind rather than as a set of individuals. Letting the players have a little metagame conversation merely gives them back a little against a metagame heavily stacked against them. What I ruled: 1. You can ask a question on your turn, but no one can answer until their turn. But, if you want an answer immedeatly you have to delay until the answerer takes his turn.In general, way to kill the fun. OK, you might occasionally want to pull this if the player is taking an unreasonable amount of time to make a simple decision or the information is truly not available to the PC (like it comes from the guy who is around the corner and has just spotted 3 more foes). But as a general rule, you're telling the player that he has to miss a turn because he's inexperienced. That's not friendly. Here's a more detailed description of the problem:::: --Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?" --Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that." --Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?" --Other characters, "the creature is too big." --Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?"To some extent, this is legitimate questioning. D&D has a lot of options, and some things that should be obvious to the PC won't be obvious to the player. That said ...More than half the encounters involve this type of questioning. The player has been playing for over a year and just isn't good at deciding what to do. I need to put some kind of limit.If it's only half, it's probably not too bad. If it's every second round (or every round), it's a problem. Some tips: (1) Avoid giving inexperienced players complex characters. IMO, wizards, druids, clerics and bards are the most likely to lead to "analysis paralysis", or "too many options". (2) It sounds like your player is overly dependent on the other players. She's (guessing from name) trained herself not to think for herself. Normally, I'd encourage players to ask other players for help, but in this case you might need to wean her. Firstly, allow other PCs to call out suggestions, but only on their turn, and only obvious stuff ("can I have healing?", "prayer would be great?"), not detailed instructions. Don't let her have a tactics discussion on her turn, rather tell her to "try it and see" unless it is something that should be obvious to her character. For fairness, you might want to apply this to the whole group. For the first few weeks, it will hamper the party's effectiveness and you should reduce the encounter difficulty accordingly. But after they get the hang of it things may flow more quickly.
Burgundy Lotus 03-14-07, 08:11 AM	Here's a more detailed description of the problem:::: --Pixie wins initiative to fight the monster. Pixie asks other characters, "should I use Stoneshape spell?" --Other characters respond, "no, because of this and that and that." --Pixie then askes another question to characters, "should I use a tanglefoot?" --Other characters, "the creature is too big." --Pixie askes another question, "what about this or that or that?" I'd allow this as long as the party saw the monster before combat started. I'd consider it prefight tactics, if the monster ambushed them then no, one question is about it.
PenderGrass 03-14-07, 02:23 PM	The player has been playing for over a year and just isn't good at deciding what to do. This is a huge indication to me that this person is not really motivated to play and is likely there for reasons other than gaming. :dragon: ****
weasel0 03-14-07, 09:19 PM	Heh. it's all free actions huh? for unlimited free action during 6 seconds, i can't count the number of times my group has spent half an hour on 1 persons "6 seconds"
Lindwyrm 03-16-07, 06:16 PM	This is a huge indication to me that this person is not really motivated to play and is likely there for reasons other than gaming. :dragon: **** Alternatively they may just be somewhat unsure or insecure. It happens, and even I've had to weigh up options with the party on a few instances....