Speech and 6-second rounds?

[Elric]

My character in a PbP game in the in-character forum is currently trying to scare off a dragon with a shouted rhyme. After posting, it occured to me to see about how much time it would take me to say it. The answer was around 20 seconds. Dividing by 6-second rounds, this is 3-4 rounds. I don't think my DM is going to care, but it made me stop to think.

I once jokingly created the "Fast Gloat" feat because I said that one of our enemies should never have been able to get in an entire paragraph of gloating during a single round of combat.

Does a 6-second round (with speech restricted to 6 seconds) discourage roleplaying? I think it does, but I have never seen this restriction in practice. What limitations does everyone place on speech (or think should be placed on speech) during a round?

 

[RangerWickett]

Run it like anime. Each round is 6 seconds long, but there are about 30 seconds between rounds where people react to what just happened and shout insults at each other.

 

[Jeph]

I give all villains a Spell-Like ability that enables them to pack up to 10 minutes of speach into 6 seconds, and still be dramatic about it.

 

[Sanackranib]

speach

it really comes down to your style of play.discussing tactics is out, but sometimes you have to have the NPC/PC say somthing that takes a little longer. I did that in a surprise round last night and my players were'nt upset by the fact that the NPC had to get it all out, it made sense for the flow of the game. they wound up loosing a round to just jocky themselves into position while waiting to see how the NPC who rolled a 1 on init. was going to react. sometimes it's ok to use as a tool but I don't recomend it as an all the time 30 sec. between rounds thing. But, all games are different in my game that wouldn't work, in yours maby it will.

 

[Tonguez]

I give all villains a Spell-Like ability that enables them to pack up to 10 minutes of speach into 6 seconds, and still be dramatic about it.

Nah its a villainous feat

"Enthralling Gloat"
Anyone hearing a villain gloat at a suitably dramatic moment must immediately freeze and allow the villain to take time to gloat properly regardless of how long this happens to take (well a limit of 1 hour perhaps) however as soon as the gloat is completed action resumes as normal and as if the glaot never occured...

This is however matched by the Heroic Feat
"Bonds Reprieve"
the hero may take the time used by the villain to gloat inorder to take 20 on an escape artist check to escape the villains villainous trap and so escape to fight the villainous villain AGAIN and AGAIN! (in D20 Modern this cost 1 action point)

 

[pogre]

I agree it depends on what is being said. One of the games I run involves a lot of young players and they just cannot stop giving each other tactical advice.

I therefore, enforce the rule if you give tactical advice you lose your next action. It has forced them to be more disciplined in formulating plans before engaing in battle.

BTW - this is not my Story Hour group. They are wiley veterans, they just sometimes act like teenagers.

 

[Gizzard]

I've been experimenting with the idea that you can say one sentence every round. It seems generally good.

 

[jdavis]

There is always room for a creative monolog by NPC's. As far as discussing tactics, only on your turn and only in character. If you drag on to much you are ignoring your turn to yell tactics in the middle of the battle, oh yea and don't forget, if you are talking tactics in the middle of the battle then the monster or NPC can hear everything you say. If the PC's come up with a tactic during the battle and the DM blocks it then they have nobody to blame but themselves, they announced what they were going to do.

 

[Celebrim]

In general, I try to limit people to a sentence per round - unless they are also planning on casting a spell with vocal components, singing a song, or some other verbal activity.

I will make exceptions exceptions. In most cases, PC's and major NPC's are entitled to a death solioquy. On the first round of combat, if noone is surprised, and if both PC's and major NPC's are involved, everyone is entitled to a short speech that can run somewhat longer than 6 seconds if doing so furthers interaction between the parties. I try not to penalize my PC's for parleying, trading insults, goading villians, or what not.