How can I stall combat for a couple rounds?

[Noumenon]

My players don't seem to realize that the average 3.5 combat is supposed to last five rounds, and they keep undertaking things like "sneaking around to the back through the other room" which is tantamount to splitting the party. How can I make the monster team give up whaling on the paladin every round until the other PCs get there?

 

[frankthedm]

Track the time it takes to loop around and let the characters without backup die.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

My players don't seem to realize that the average 3.5 combat is supposed to last five rounds, and they keep undertaking things like "sneaking around to the back through the other room" which is tantamount to splitting the party. How can I make the monster team give up whaling on the paladin every round until the other PCs get there?

Why would you want to? I'd do exactly the opposite: have the monsters redouble their efforts to kill the paladin while he's vulnerable. Let the players figure out what kind of play works and what fails.

 

[Cor_Malek]

Hehe, "don't split the party" is a guideline to players, mate. If they leave one of their own to defend against bigger forces, kill him away, maybe have him half-way roasted by the time they get there. Hell, why not make the door be locked?

Paper soldiers never die. There's no harm in playing rough here, and they have to learn someday.

 

[Asmor]

You may want to ensure that the players are on the same page as you. Explain to them that a round is 6 seconds, every minute is 10 rounds, and if they spend 3 minutes sneaking around for the flank then that's 30 rounds the paladin's going to be by himself against the monsters.

Of course, if this is what the players enjoy doing, you should give them a chance to indulge in it. Let them get the drop on an enemy, either spotting it with ample time to enact their plan or having it be chatty and taunting the decoy while his allies take position.

 

[MortalPlague]

Though tactically questionable (as others have mentioned), there's nothing wrong with trying to explore different strategies. It can get stale if every combat involves two armies running together, meeting, and duking it out on a line for a few rounds. If your players are sneaking around to look for an advantage, maybe you can tweak things so it doesn't take as long, but they still have the option. There are a few ways this could be done.

Firstly, if the area is built to allow sneaking around to flank in a viable way (a balcony that runs the length of the room on one side, a small side corridor that links back up at the back, etc), then the PCs can get around while only missing one, maybe two rounds.

Secondly, the area could include a highly defensible location, where the tank could get a bonus to AC (giving him more staying power). This might help him hold on for a few extra rounds, while the monsters battle against him. Ideally, it'd be something temporary; one monster could be fighting him, while the others tear the defenses apart to get at him.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Three possibilities:

1) The paladin goes total defence.
2) Increase the length of combat rounds, say to 30 seconds or 1 minute.
3) Tell them to stop the sneaking around tactic, it's stupid. At least the way the rules work it is.

Really it's the paladin I feel sorry for. One thing I notice a lot in rpgs is, often those who employ bad tactics are not the ones to suffer for it. Like a PC with a terrible damage ouput will actually benefit, because he won't be attacked by the monsters.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I would like a bit of clarification as to how this specific example happens. Does the party enter the room, roll initiative and then some of the PCs sneak off making all their moves in combat rounds, or do some members sneak off and the paladin walks in, challenges the enemy and then rolls initiative?

In the first case, if the enemies are intelligent, would they have noticed the rest of PCs leaving and be able to deduce they are coming around for a flank and intercept them? In that case you may have two separate combats going on simultaneously - one in the room, another in the corridor leading to the back entrance. The other option is to have the enemy barricade or otherwise prepare to defend the back door while the PCs are sneaking around. Either way you reduce the benefit for the PCs to stretch the combat out doing this.

In the second case, just encourage the paladin to delay his challenge long enough for the other PCs to get into position.

 

[Chainsaw]

My players don't seem to realize that the average 3.5 combat is supposed to last five rounds, and they keep undertaking things like "sneaking around to the back through the other room" which is tantamount to splitting the party. How can I make the monster team give up whaling on the paladin every round until the other PCs get there?

I wouldn't try to dictate the game so strictly.. if they want to split up the party, let them face the consequences, good or bad.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Follow the lead of the classic cartoons... the villian, knowong he can overpower the paladin spends time gloating.... or have the paladin diplomancize a delay, ala Gandolf and the trolls. Use a skill challenge.

Really, sneaking around back should be viable or you will end up with 'beat the door down and attack' players. Encourage the tactics you want, even if the rules seem stacked against it.

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