Actions outside of combat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Actions outside of combat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shadow080
09-05-04, 03:25 AM Since rounds only apply during a combat encounter, how are turns structured outside combat (while adventuring). Does the rule of 1 Attack Action and 1 Move Action each turn still apply? I would appreciate it if somebody could elaborate on this for me. Thanks. :confused:
Kiri Sittori
09-05-04, 04:47 AM Since rounds only apply during a combat encounter, how are turns structured outside combat (while adventuring). Does the rule of 1 Attack Action and 1 Move Action each turn still apply? I would appreciate it if somebody could elaborate on this for me. Thanks. :confused:

Generally, you don't use "combat time scale" outside of combat. Now, if there's some conflict situation such as:

-Kender: "Ooh, magical fountain in the woods! Let's DRINK THE WATER!" *prepares to drink*
-Sane Cleric: "No, don't!!" *tries to grab Kender*

Then you'd roll initiative, and resolve it as though it were a combat. But you don't need to worry about move, standard, and full-round actions during an eight-hour overland journey. Just let the time pass. :)
Shadow080
09-05-04, 04:54 AM What about when walking down corridors, searching areas, climbing out of pits, etc?
Kiri Sittori
09-05-04, 12:28 PM What about when walking down corridors, searching areas, climbing out of pits, etc?

You can estimate those times in minutes; it's pretty absurd to say "Search is a full-round action, so be sure you don't take more than a 5' step to conduct it." In short, only think in "combat actions" terms when there's a conflict that would potentially require an initiative roll to kick it off (or a surprise or ambush round before initiative.)
Lanoitakude
09-05-04, 03:17 PM The most common time I need to use combat rules outside of combat when I DM is when treasure is found.

DM: "Okay, there's something shiney at the other end of the room."
PC1: "I GRAB IT!"
PC2: "I GRAB IT FIRST!"
DM: "Okay, roll Initiative to see who runs for it first."
PC1: *rolls* "Nuts, I roll a 5, total Initiative 8."
PC2: *rolls* "Sucker, natural 20! The treasure is mine! I go get MY treasure."
DM: "Okay, you walk up to the treasure chest and attempt to open it, reflex save."
PC2: "Aahh nuts!"
PC1: "HAHAHAH!"

I love greed traps.
Starsword
09-05-04, 03:37 PM Yeah, generally, unless something happens that makes it important to keep track of time by rounds, you don't worry about it...

If you're talking from a GM's perspective, I would let rounds slide unless you're in a combat situation or there's a chance your PC's are going to set off a trap by trying to disarm it multiple times.
Thorak
09-05-04, 05:45 PM That said, there are exceptions. Anything given with a duration in rounds, or in actions, for instance, takes place in that same amount of time regardless of combat. The psionic feat Up The Walls, for instance, lets a character move a portion of a Move action along a vertical surface at normal speed, so long as they end on a horizontal surface, otherwise they fall. If your movement is 30', this means that you can at most move 30' per use of the feat, regardless of whether combat's happening, because that's as far as anyone can move in a Move action, in or out of combat.

But as noted, unless it's a specific case like that, or one where people are trying to do something faster than someone else, you can generally avoid getting nitpicky about a few seconds.
primemover003
09-06-04, 04:22 PM Well there are times when you need to know how long the PC's have been doing things in Local time (like local movement). When dealing with spells whose durations are in minutes, hours, etc. An Elixer of Stealth lasts 1 hour. You should be able to determine how long it takes a group to explore an area in a dungeon beyond rounds. How long skills take (especially search or Tracking) will factor in to many dungeon crawls and wilderness forays.
Starsword
09-06-04, 05:49 PM These things are true... However, I've found that the best way to do these things is to handle them as they come... for example, as a DM, you aren't playing AGAINST the PC's... so if someone uses a specific spell or skill for which the duration matters outside of combat, simply ask them why, and abjudicate from there... I usually give the players a head's up if it would be reasonable for their characters to guess that the duration would run out before they finished whatever they were trying to do - ie. water breathing.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shadow080 09-05-04, 03:25 AM	Since rounds only apply during a combat encounter, how are turns structured outside combat (while adventuring). Does the rule of 1 Attack Action and 1 Move Action each turn still apply? I would appreciate it if somebody could elaborate on this for me. Thanks. :confused:
Kiri Sittori 09-05-04, 04:47 AM	Since rounds only apply during a combat encounter, how are turns structured outside combat (while adventuring). Does the rule of 1 Attack Action and 1 Move Action each turn still apply? I would appreciate it if somebody could elaborate on this for me. Thanks. :confused: Generally, you don't use "combat time scale" outside of combat. Now, if there's some conflict situation such as: -Kender: "Ooh, magical fountain in the woods! Let's DRINK THE WATER!" prepares to drink -Sane Cleric: "No, don't!!" tries to grab Kender Then you'd roll initiative, and resolve it as though it were a combat. But you don't need to worry about move, standard, and full-round actions during an eight-hour overland journey. Just let the time pass. :)
Shadow080 09-05-04, 04:54 AM	What about when walking down corridors, searching areas, climbing out of pits, etc?
Kiri Sittori 09-05-04, 12:28 PM	What about when walking down corridors, searching areas, climbing out of pits, etc? You can estimate those times in minutes; it's pretty absurd to say "Search is a full-round action, so be sure you don't take more than a 5' step to conduct it." In short, only think in "combat actions" terms when there's a conflict that would potentially require an initiative roll to kick it off (or a surprise or ambush round before initiative.)
Lanoitakude 09-05-04, 03:17 PM	The most common time I need to use combat rules outside of combat when I DM is when treasure is found. DM: "Okay, there's something shiney at the other end of the room." PC1: "I GRAB IT!" PC2: "I GRAB IT FIRST!" DM: "Okay, roll Initiative to see who runs for it first." PC1: rolls "Nuts, I roll a 5, total Initiative 8." PC2: rolls "Sucker, natural 20! The treasure is mine! I go get MY treasure." DM: "Okay, you walk up to the treasure chest and attempt to open it, reflex save." PC2: "Aahh nuts!" PC1: "HAHAHAH!" I love greed traps.
Starsword 09-05-04, 03:37 PM	Yeah, generally, unless something happens that makes it important to keep track of time by rounds, you don't worry about it... If you're talking from a GM's perspective, I would let rounds slide unless you're in a combat situation or there's a chance your PC's are going to set off a trap by trying to disarm it multiple times.
Thorak 09-05-04, 05:45 PM	That said, there are exceptions. Anything given with a duration in rounds, or in actions, for instance, takes place in that same amount of time regardless of combat. The psionic feat Up The Walls, for instance, lets a character move a portion of a Move action along a vertical surface at normal speed, so long as they end on a horizontal surface, otherwise they fall. If your movement is 30', this means that you can at most move 30' per use of the feat, regardless of whether combat's happening, because that's as far as anyone can move in a Move action, in or out of combat. But as noted, unless it's a specific case like that, or one where people are trying to do something faster than someone else, you can generally avoid getting nitpicky about a few seconds.
primemover003 09-06-04, 04:22 PM	Well there are times when you need to know how long the PC's have been doing things in Local time (like local movement). When dealing with spells whose durations are in minutes, hours, etc. An Elixer of Stealth lasts 1 hour. You should be able to determine how long it takes a group to explore an area in a dungeon beyond rounds. How long skills take (especially search or Tracking) will factor in to many dungeon crawls and wilderness forays.
Starsword 09-06-04, 05:49 PM	These things are true... However, I've found that the best way to do these things is to handle them as they come... for example, as a DM, you aren't playing AGAINST the PC's... so if someone uses a specific spell or skill for which the duration matters outside of combat, simply ask them why, and abjudicate from there... I usually give the players a head's up if it would be reasonable for their characters to guess that the duration would run out before they finished whatever they were trying to do - ie. water breathing.