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In 8 hours of gaming...
- Thread starter Vhane
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Darklone
Registered User
Hmm
I got several groups .. not much arguing there.
FIrst: I got all the books and know them. Only thing I need to look up is a spell description which I prepare for my NPCs and if a player casts a spell... I got the book next to me. (similar to PC)
Second: My groups spend sooo much time arguing about what they are going to do... not the rules are the problem here
I got several groups .. not much arguing there.
FIrst: I got all the books and know them. Only thing I need to look up is a spell description which I prepare for my NPCs and if a player casts a spell... I got the book next to me. (similar to PC)
Second: My groups spend sooo much time arguing about what they are going to do... not the rules are the problem here
Wow, 8-hour sessions? Dem's marathon sessions compared to mine.
We idealy run from 5-10 every Wednesday, and we probably spend more time eating the pizza when it arrives than we do about the rules. If we have a question, we quickly look it up for clarification (we all have the core rules), and move on with a general consensus as quickly as possible.
If we're still confounded (or an individual is personally confounded), we try to make a ruling and then deal with it later. Our time together is short - no point wasting it reading a book. In the beginning there was more referencing, yes, but now we either know it already, or ignore it completely.
We idealy run from 5-10 every Wednesday, and we probably spend more time eating the pizza when it arrives than we do about the rules. If we have a question, we quickly look it up for clarification (we all have the core rules), and move on with a general consensus as quickly as possible.
If we're still confounded (or an individual is personally confounded), we try to make a ruling and then deal with it later. Our time together is short - no point wasting it reading a book. In the beginning there was more referencing, yes, but now we either know it already, or ignore it completely.
Well, I happen to be the rules lawyer of the group, so it's not a real problem when I run the game. I occasionally muff a call when I don't remember something (I let the mage hit someone with a magic missile once, when that person was inside a darkness spell -- oops...) but I'm the first to correct my mistakes by e-mail or discussion AFTER the session -- bad calls stand for the duration of that game. I'm also the first person to pull the PHB when it comes to grappling or turning, two of the combat actions that I *STILL* don't have memorized.
When I'm playing under one of the other DMs in the group, everyone looks to me if there is a tight rules call. I'll explain to the best of my knowledge, being fair to the rules rather than to my own personal interests. Knowing that, the DM will almost always go with what I say, unless it is a rule that he has changed for his game.
We generally play during the week for four hour sessions. Then we do a Saturday session that runs from 2pm to 1am or so. Out of that time, we lose perhaps 5-10 minutes, generally when I have to look up a rule I don't remember for sure.
When I'm playing under one of the other DMs in the group, everyone looks to me if there is a tight rules call. I'll explain to the best of my knowledge, being fair to the rules rather than to my own personal interests. Knowing that, the DM will almost always go with what I say, unless it is a rule that he has changed for his game.
We generally play during the week for four hour sessions. Then we do a Saturday session that runs from 2pm to 1am or so. Out of that time, we lose perhaps 5-10 minutes, generally when I have to look up a rule I don't remember for sure.
Only 8 hours -- lightweights
My last game was 16 hours - started at 11 in the morning and ended at 3am. I'm going to try to keep them to 12 from now on, I'm gettin too old for that stuff
Anyway, we spend virtually no time arguing. Most of the group doesn't know 3e very well, but even when we were in 2e (and everyone had page numbers memorized) we had a simple way of dealing with rule conflicts.
- State your position to the DM, show him what it says in the book if need be.
- DM decides what to do.
- Everyone goes along with it for time being.
Now if you want to get into a long debate over it, we can do that. Just not while the game is going on. We only get to play about once a month, so my game time is precious. Stealing my game time will tick me off. Rule 1 of being a player: never tick off the DM.
My last game was 16 hours - started at 11 in the morning and ended at 3am. I'm going to try to keep them to 12 from now on, I'm gettin too old for that stuff
Anyway, we spend virtually no time arguing. Most of the group doesn't know 3e very well, but even when we were in 2e (and everyone had page numbers memorized) we had a simple way of dealing with rule conflicts.
- State your position to the DM, show him what it says in the book if need be.
- DM decides what to do.
- Everyone goes along with it for time being.
Now if you want to get into a long debate over it, we can do that. Just not while the game is going on. We only get to play about once a month, so my game time is precious. Stealing my game time will tick me off. Rule 1 of being a player: never tick off the DM.
Henry
Autoexreginated
We usually game for 8 to 9 hours. Of that time, far more of it is spent on other things than rules-arguing. About an hour is spent debating rules, an hour is spent partaking of dinner, and another 2 to 3 hours is spent telling pointless old campaign stories, and laughing and "cutting up" together. It's inevitable when everyone in the group, DM, included, is a "Steve".
Which leaves a little under four hours of actual solid gaming. It's something I'd love to see change, but I don't know if it would be that same group to me, anymore.
Which leaves a little under four hours of actual solid gaming. It's something I'd love to see change, but I don't know if it would be that same group to me, anymore.
green slime
First Post
My problem isn't players being rules lawyers, or arguing over rulings, but one player who just can't seem to read the books completely, and misremembers rules (in his favour, of course).
For instance, trying to get a double move while using expertise. This seemed strange to me (I was the DM), so I asked him if expertise didn't require a melee action. He said no and specifically said it made no mention in the PHB of such.
On a suspicion (I have known him for 16 years) I opened my PHB to the Expertise feat and read:
Benefit: When you use the attack action or full attack action in melee,...
So it wouldn't help having him read the rules, or sit with the book open at the apropriate page, I have to dig out my own book and read it.
It wouldn't be so bad if it was just an isolated incident. At the same time, I know him so well, that I know it isn't on purpose either, he just misses certain facts, and you have to pull out the PHB and point to the page before he'll admit he misread/misunderstood/hadn't read that part. Anyway, he is a good friend, just selectively blind... Thank god its only game!
But all told, even with the above, we spend less than 10 minutes looking up rules each session, and it is getting better. Alot comes down to the time I get to prepare, really. If I have prepared well, I have made notes of all the wierd stuff I might throw at them (nets, grappling, swallowing, swimming while playing the banjo...)
For instance, trying to get a double move while using expertise. This seemed strange to me (I was the DM), so I asked him if expertise didn't require a melee action. He said no and specifically said it made no mention in the PHB of such.
On a suspicion (I have known him for 16 years) I opened my PHB to the Expertise feat and read:
Benefit: When you use the attack action or full attack action in melee,...
So it wouldn't help having him read the rules, or sit with the book open at the apropriate page, I have to dig out my own book and read it.
It wouldn't be so bad if it was just an isolated incident. At the same time, I know him so well, that I know it isn't on purpose either, he just misses certain facts, and you have to pull out the PHB and point to the page before he'll admit he misread/misunderstood/hadn't read that part. Anyway, he is a good friend, just selectively blind... Thank god its only game!
But all told, even with the above, we spend less than 10 minutes looking up rules each session, and it is getting better. Alot comes down to the time I get to prepare, really. If I have prepared well, I have made notes of all the wierd stuff I might throw at them (nets, grappling, swallowing, swimming while playing the banjo...)
SHARK
First Post
Greetings!
Well, in my group, we don't spend any time arguing about stuff. I tend to be a rather impatient bastard, and if I, as DM, can't find the specifics in 1-3 minutes, I make a judgement on the spot and move on. Players can bring something up, or clarify something, but I give them about 1-3 minutes to find it and persuade me, or I make a judgment, and we move on. That's just the way things have to be.
Now, we schedule a bit of time *out of the game* for campaign discussions, rules research, Q&A, and it is at such times that I engage in deeper discussion about this or that. It works well. You have to keep the game moving along. The only time I change this, is if a character's life is at stake--only then is more time taken. Otherwise, there really isn't a decision I can't handle. I should hope I would be pretty good after playing and DM'ing for over twenty years now! Because of this fact, my players have confidence in my judgment, that even if there is some obscure rule in 3E that I'm not familiar with, my judgment will still be reasonable and still fairly accurate. And, if there is a significant mistake or misunderstanding, I'm very fair about correcting or addressing the issue in an appropriate manner.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Well, in my group, we don't spend any time arguing about stuff. I tend to be a rather impatient bastard, and if I, as DM, can't find the specifics in 1-3 minutes, I make a judgement on the spot and move on. Players can bring something up, or clarify something, but I give them about 1-3 minutes to find it and persuade me, or I make a judgment, and we move on. That's just the way things have to be.
Now, we schedule a bit of time *out of the game* for campaign discussions, rules research, Q&A, and it is at such times that I engage in deeper discussion about this or that. It works well. You have to keep the game moving along. The only time I change this, is if a character's life is at stake--only then is more time taken. Otherwise, there really isn't a decision I can't handle. I should hope I would be pretty good after playing and DM'ing for over twenty years now!
Because of this fact, my players have confidence in my judgment, that even if there is some obscure rule in 3E that I'm not familiar with, my judgment will still be reasonable and still fairly accurate. And, if there is a significant mistake or misunderstanding, I'm very fair about correcting or addressing the issue in an appropriate manner.Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
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