Do you let your players...?

[thundershot]

Something recently clicked in, and I asked my players to stop doing it, and I didn't get a favorable reaction.

When the combat round comes to your turn, should the other players be allowed to give tactical advice? One of them casts a fireball, and someone else will say "if you put it here, you won't fry any of us". Shouldn't he be able to decide that on his own? If he accidently fries something, I'd much rather them deal with it in character... But am I wrong to not want them to give OOC advice like that?


Thanks
Chris

 

[Angcuru]

I'd consider it advice to let him know what his mage would be most likely to do. Not to control him, but to help out his attack plan so that it's more character-feasible.

 

[Sullaf]

A simular thing happened when my fighter and rogue where both discussing the best way to flank the opponent during a battle. As this was completely OoC I asked them to stop. Although they did not agree a DM should have a final say and I must say that a wizard who is not in control of his own fireball, deserves to hit his comrades...

I think you acted correctly, but maybe you should once again explaint o your players the differance between IC and OoC...

 

[Crothian]

I'm happy when the PCs help each other out, it shows group unity and co operation.

 

[Umbran]

...should the other players be allowed to give tactical advice?

If the character is smarter, quicker of wit, or has greater tactical ability than the player, then some table-talk is allowable. The other players can act as the skills the character has but the player lacks.

If the player is as bright or brighter than the character, I would not usually allow it.

 

[thundershot]

I encourage them to help each other out... ICly. I love it when the roleplaying is so smooth, you barely notice the dice rolling and the damage adding up. But OOC advice.. during combat.. just rubs me the wrong way.

I always enjoy hearing "Breanna and I will flank. Robin, snipe from afar. Zel, back us up with spells. Let's go!" but not "Zel, I'll go over here, and you center your fireball... 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.. on this square, so you don't hit anyone."


Thanks
Chris

 

[thundershot]

Re: Re: Do you let your players...?

If the character is smarter, quicker of wit, or has greater tactical ability than the player, then some table-talk is allowable. The other players can act as the skills the character has but the player lacks.

If the player is as bright or brighter than the character, I would not usually allow it.

Hey, that's a good idea... Since the party wizard has an Int of 22 (with his headband of intellect), he really shouldn't be able to screw up that easily, tactically... Hm...



Thanks
Chris

 

[Angcuru]

!!

hell, my groups make plans to craft a ring of greater elemental resistance fo each of us and let the fire FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sullaf]

THAT is just WRONG

 

[der_kluge]

Ultimately, it's a game, and people are there to have fun. My group does that all the time. Once I got irked at our DM because he made the rogue roll his open locks when he could have just taken 20. The rogue rolled very low, so the DM tried to go all 2nd edition on us "You have to try tomorrow". Actually, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, other than occasionally I might say to another player "hey, just take 20", and obviously that's an OoC thing to say, but the point is, to just have fun, and don't try to force too much realism into it.