Initiative and Persistant Effects

[clark411]

Quick preface: I'm running an APL 13 Eberron game with 5 players, which is leading to some really drawn out, complex fights. I'm looking for a houserule to streamline play a little bit, and would like thoughts on how this could be detrimental mechanically, and if that would outweigh the gameplay slowdown.

House Rule:

"Under standard rules, multiple-round effects are dealt with on the initiative tick of the creator of the effect."
"Under the house rule, multiple-round effects are dealt with on the initiative tick of the subject experiencing the effect."

Under standard rules, a player's turn might sound like this "Okay, I move here, cast this spell, we resolve this effect. Now that's done, remember to have Monster A take 1d4 fire, Monster B and C have to make grapple checks against spell, and Player 2 and 3 have to tick off one round of that beneficial spell I cast."

Under the house rule, all those "remember to do's" fall upon those who really need to care about them, the affected. It now sounds like this. "I tick off a round of this spell, I make my secondary poison damage save. Okay, I move here, cast this spell, and we resolve this effect."


I'll gladly take some wonky side-effects if it allows for faster high level play.

 

[Pyrex]

This isn't a major issue with short-term continuing-damage spells (Acid Arrow), but how do you plan to deal with spells that have effects on both the Caster and the Target's turns? (i.e, Black Tentacles)

 

[the Jester]

I generally do this in my epic game, and it does indeed help speed things up a little.

 

[clark411]

This isn't a major issue with short-term continuing-damage spells (Acid Arrow), but how do you plan to deal with spells that have effects on both the Caster and the Target's turns? (i.e, Black Tentacles)

I'd figure this spell would function more like a summon spell- it's a conjuration that gets attacks on the caster's tick. Should a player move into the space, it resolves immediately per the wording of the spell. The player still gets an opportunity to work against the grapple on his own turn.