I don't have my books with me and I was trying to think of something. Are there such things as non-combat rounds? I mean for spells that last X rounds. Say a spell lasts 6 rounds. Well in combat each round is only 6 seconds so that is a total of 36 seconds. But say you wanted to cast that same spell out of combat. Would it still only last 36 seconds or is there a difference between combat and non-combat rounds. And what happens if you cast a spell that lasts 6 rounds before you get into combat. I mean before you see the enemy no initiatives have been rolled or anything. Does the spell then switch over to combat rounds or does it stay in non-combat rounds meaning that it isn't going to run out anytime soon? I know I have heard the term non-combat rounds but I can't remember if it is int he actual game or something they were using in Beta that didn't make it to production.
Combat and Non-Combat rounds?
- Thread starter Datt
- Start date
EricNoah
Adventurer
2nd edition Combat & Tactics, I think, introduced the concept you're thinking of -- normal "rounds" were 1 minute, but then if you went into combat a round was something like 10 seconds.
3rd edition does not do anything like that. If something lasts 1 round, it lasts 6 seconds -- whether you're in or out of combat.
3rd edition does not do anything like that. If something lasts 1 round, it lasts 6 seconds -- whether you're in or out of combat.
Murrdox
First Post
A spell that last 6 rounds lasts 36 seconds.
Non-combat rounds are the same things as combat rounds. Sometimes, when characters are in a rush, rolling initiative and keeping track of rounds can be very important.
For example, if your players were stuck in a room, and suddenly the ceiling began decending upon them, and you told them it would be about a minute, until they were crushed, you'd roll initiative and keep track of time in rounds, as the characters scrambled to find a way out of the trap. They'd have 10 rounds to escape.
Sometimes if the party knows they're going to run into trouble, they may cast spells that only last a certain number of rounds before entering combat. In this case, you should keep track of how many rounds they use up before initiative is rolled.
For example, A wizard thinks there are guards on a level of the tower above him... and he wants to be prepared for them, so he casts Haste on himself - which will last for 5 rounds.
His first round is spent climbing to the top of the ladder to the next level of the tower (we'll say it's a long ladder, it uses his partial action and his full move). Then his next round would be to open the door of the room he was in, walk down the hall, and open the door to the guard room. After opening the door on the end of the second round, he'd see the guards, and combat would start. He's lost 2 rounds of his Haste.
Non-combat rounds are the same things as combat rounds. Sometimes, when characters are in a rush, rolling initiative and keeping track of rounds can be very important.
For example, if your players were stuck in a room, and suddenly the ceiling began decending upon them, and you told them it would be about a minute, until they were crushed, you'd roll initiative and keep track of time in rounds, as the characters scrambled to find a way out of the trap. They'd have 10 rounds to escape.
Sometimes if the party knows they're going to run into trouble, they may cast spells that only last a certain number of rounds before entering combat. In this case, you should keep track of how many rounds they use up before initiative is rolled.
For example, A wizard thinks there are guards on a level of the tower above him... and he wants to be prepared for them, so he casts Haste on himself - which will last for 5 rounds.
His first round is spent climbing to the top of the ladder to the next level of the tower (we'll say it's a long ladder, it uses his partial action and his full move). Then his next round would be to open the door of the room he was in, walk down the hall, and open the door to the guard room. After opening the door on the end of the second round, he'd see the guards, and combat would start. He's lost 2 rounds of his Haste.
Spell durations in 3E do not change when you're outside combat. If something lasts 6 rounds (36 seconds) in combat, it does last only 36 seconds outside combat.
I think the "non-combat rounds" thing may have been an optional rule from 2E, but IMO it simply makes no sense. (At least it wasn't as bad as 1E, where spell ranges changed if you went outdoors...)
I think the "non-combat rounds" thing may have been an optional rule from 2E, but IMO it simply makes no sense. (At least it wasn't as bad as 1E, where spell ranges changed if you went outdoors...)
Similar Threads
