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<blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 4606673" data-attributes="member: 12731">By now, it's well known 4E combats take a long time (measured by in-game rounds, not necessarily in real-life gameplay time).This has some pretty significant implications, regarding how combat interacts with other actions, such as movement.For example, you can't expect to take out a squad of guards before reinforcements arrive at the scene. Not if we compare the exact same scene to 3E, that is. There those guards would have many fewer hit points. (Compared to the minute-long rounds of AD&amp;D, of course, combat might even feel quick, but that's beside the point here)I'm faintly surprised that the DMG does not seem to discuss this. 4E returns to a &quot;story first&quot; approach in so many other areas (like how NPCs don't play by the same rules as PCs does, and how the game can contain more magical effects than what's available to the PCs; just to mention two examples).I would have expected the DMG to say things like &quot;there isn't a hard relation between the number of rounds taken by combat, and the number of seconds that passes outside of combat&quot; or similar.My point is that 4E seems ripe for guidelines that allow the DM to say things like &quot;even though that last combat took 20 rounds, it must have been all the excitement that made it feel long-winded and drawn-out. As the dust settles, you realize it's only been half a minute, and that the alarm has not been sounded yet.&quot;Perhaps even involve skill challenges in such a way as to give the players influence over the passage of time: a successful challenge might mean you knock out the butler before the countess arrives, or the other way around: that your rear-guard action took several minutes allowing the children to safely reach the church, despite how the Orcs all died in just two or three rounds?A penny for your thoughts on this...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CapnZapp, post: 4606673, member: 12731"] By now, it's well known 4E combats take a long time (measured by in-game rounds, not necessarily in real-life gameplay time). This has some pretty significant implications, regarding how combat interacts with other actions, such as movement. For example, you can't expect to take out a squad of guards before reinforcements arrive at the scene. Not if we compare the exact same scene to 3E, that is. There those guards would have many fewer hit points. (Compared to the minute-long rounds of AD&D, of course, combat might even feel quick, but that's beside the point here) I'm faintly surprised that the DMG does not seem to discuss this. 4E returns to a "story first" approach in so many other areas (like how NPCs don't play by the same rules as PCs does, and how the game can contain more magical effects than what's available to the PCs; just to mention two examples). I would have expected the DMG to say things like "there isn't a hard relation between the number of rounds taken by combat, and the number of seconds that passes outside of combat" or similar. My point is that 4E seems ripe for guidelines that allow the DM to say things like "even though that last combat took 20 rounds, it must have been all the excitement that made it feel long-winded and drawn-out. As the dust settles, you realize it's only been half a minute, and that the alarm has not been sounded yet." Perhaps even involve skill challenges in such a way as to give the players influence over the passage of time: a successful challenge might mean you knock out the butler before the countess arrives, or the other way around: that your rear-guard action took several minutes allowing the children to safely reach the church, despite how the Orcs all died in just two or three rounds? A penny for your thoughts on this... [/QUOTE]

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