D&D General I Do Declare! Do you? (POLL)

toucanbuzz · Jan 4, 2020

Over the last 20+ years, I've roughly done 1/2 declaration and 1/2 the random d20. Having engaged in several of these posts, personally my games go faster with a declaration phase. I emphasize the word personally because I use a homebrew that shaves off the nonsense from Greyhawk Initiative, and back in the AD&D days, I had the speed factor tables memorized.

I've posted in detail about the "why" in other conversations and won't repeat, but ultimately to each their own. There's no right or wrong way to go about it, so long as it's working for you, and no need to convince one another how they're fools for using a system that has [insert flaws.]

Mercule · Jan 5, 2020

Stormonu said:
Back in 1E, my group was large enough we used a CALLER who would relay all the party’s actions for the round to me before each round. In 2E, no caller, but actions were declared before initiative was rolled each round. By 3E, everyone was just waiting until their action to declare what they were doing.

I don’t think I’d go back to the old way even if I were to play an old version these days.

Oh, wow. I'd forgotten about the caller. Not sure whether that was part of the core rules or something in a Dragon. Pretty sure that's where some groups ended up having a heavy-handed PC "leader".

Mercule · Jan 5, 2020

Harzel said:
RAW there is not, but some, I among them, are not content with the RAW combat process. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything that I am willing to say is definitively better.

There are so many issues with D&D combat (and the system, in general) that you can't fix them all. It's a large-grain system and you either accept that or wallow in pain.

Stormonu · Jan 6, 2020

Mercule said:
Oh, wow. I'd forgotten about the caller. Not sure whether that was part of the core rules or something in a Dragon. Pretty sure that's where some groups ended up having a heavy-handed PC "leader".

‘It’s actually mentioned in the 1E rules

“1E PHB said:
This aspect of play has three facets. The leader and caller of a party might order one course of action while various players state that their characters do otherwise. Your DM will treat such situations as confused and muddled, being certain to penalize the group accordingly.

Sword of Spirit · Jan 7, 2020

toucanbuzz said:
I've posted in detail about the "why" in other conversations and won't repeat, but ultimately to each their own.

Could you provide a link? I'm sure it does work that way for some people, but the counterintuitive nature of reducing resolution speed by introducing an extra subsystem is something I'd like to see a clear illustration of so I can get it.

D&D General I Do Declare! Do you? (POLL)

Does your table use a declaration phase?

Our table declares actions before each round begins.

Our table didn't before, but now we do declare actions.

Our table declared actions before, but now we don't.

Our table never declares actions until your turn comes.

toucanbuzz

No rule is inviolate

Mercule

Adventurer

Mercule

Adventurer

Stormonu

Legend

Sword of Spirit

Legend

Similar Threads