Beginning with the Basics

[Eye Tyrant]

After running a few loose "practice seesions" with my new group for the last few weeks we are starting our "real game" tonight and before the game I wanted to review the basic Combat Actions in 3.5. Now I have reviewed the rules and I am prepared to break it all down to them, but I was curious if anyone out there had a particularly good way to explain the section of the rules to newbs...

Thanks!

 

[welby]

Our DM has a sheet of things that are standard actions, move equivalent actions, and full round actions. Then explains that you can two move actions, 1 standard and 1 move, or 1 full round action.

Of course, this is highly simplified, but our new players most often ask "can I do this and this?" Having the sheet allows them to answer a lot of their own questions.

I bet someone even has a sheet like this made up already. I stole one from someone a long time ago.

 

[Eye Tyrant]

Our DM has a sheet of things that are standard actions, move equivalent actions, and full round actions. Then explains that you can two move actions, 1 standard and 1 move, or 1 full round action.

Of course, this is highly simplified, but our new players most often ask "can I do this and this?" Having the sheet allows them to answer a lot of their own questions.

I bet someone even has a sheet like this made up already. I stole one from someone a long time ago.

Actually I have the same thing... Just remembered I have it! Thanx!

 

[Pielorinho]

Actually I have the same thing... Just remembered I have it! Thanx!

You may want to give them some general idea of the philosophy behind it:
-Doing anything particularly useful,whether it's hitting someone, shooting someone, reading a scroll, drinking a potion, breaking someone's sword, or casting a spell is usually a standard action. Only one standard action per round.
-Doing something less immediately useful, such as moving from point a to point b, or standing up, or getting something ready (a potion from your backpack or a sword from a sheath), is generally a move equivalent action. You can take one of these per round, or two of them if you give up your standard action.
-If you ever get to attack more than once in a round, it's a full attack action, meaning no move action for you.


I think understanding this general idea helps avoid having to memorize a whole list of things you can and can't do. Sure, there are a few exceptions -- getting material components ready is a free action, for instance -- but knowing the basic philosophy means you won't have players trying to drink a potion and shoot someone in the same round.

Daniel

 

[Eye Tyrant]

You may want to give them some general idea of the philosophy behind it:
-Doing anything particularly useful,whether it's hitting someone, shooting someone, reading a scroll, drinking a potion, breaking someone's sword, or casting a spell is usually a standard action. Only one standard action per round.
-Doing something less immediately useful, such as moving from point a to point b, or standing up, or getting something ready (a potion from your backpack or a sword from a sheath), is generally a move equivalent action. You can take one of these per round, or two of them if you give up your standard action.
-If you ever get to attack more than once in a round, it's a full attack action, meaning no move action for you.


I think understanding this general idea helps avoid having to memorize a whole list of things you can and can't do. Sure, there are a few exceptions -- getting material components ready is a free action, for instance -- but knowing the basic philosophy means you won't have players trying to drink a potion and shoot someone in the same round.

Daniel

I agree, good approach... I think I'll use both!