D&D 5E Streams or podcasts where the groups complete a "standard adventuring day" in a 4 hour session?

[Sword of Spirit]

I'd like to have everyone ready on their turn in combat, but I think I'll wait until we do a short theme adventure to try that out, and if it works maybe we can bring it back to the main campaign.

But I think combat is only part of the story. My guess is also that there is a fundamental difference in overall play control needed to get things moving that fast. For instance, I generally have player/PC directed sessions. Once in a blue moon I'm ask the party if they are good if I jump ahead to <fill in the blank> but in general they tell me what they are doing and I present the world accordingly.

@iserith, what's your approach for overall play control? From things you've said before I expect you take a more active hand. Do you present scenes with clear multiple choice options for the next scene during non-combat times, or something like that?

 

[Flamestrike]

Because that's less than 2 minutes per party member turn

Most turns are resolved in seconds.

2 minutes is enough time to resolve entire rounds.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Most turns are resolved in seconds.

2 minutes is enough time to resolve entire rounds.

It absolutely depends. Some players will go into elaborate descriptions of their characters combat moves. Some will make witty asides, etc.

It is certainly possible to resolve a round in a few minutes or less, but if that happens or not depends on the players.

 

[bedir than]

The average person says 3 words a second, or so.

Even if a player is keeping it to the USA today version of DnD their turn will involve a declaration of action, a roll, the result of that roll, possibly another sequence for bonus action, maybe movement, maybe an opportunity attack against them, and maybe something they say.

This abbreviated description would take nearly a minute if executed without any questions and interruptions.

Most turns are resolved in seconds.

2 minutes is enough time to resolve entire rounds.

 

[Flamestrike]

The average person says 3 words a second, or so.

Even if a player is keeping it to the USA today version of DnD their turn will involve a declaration of action, a roll, the result of that roll, possibly another sequence for bonus action, maybe movement, maybe an opportunity attack against them, and maybe something they say.

This abbreviated description would take nearly a minute if executed without any questions and interruptions.

DM: Ok Fighter/ Rogue/ Barbarian/ Ranger/ Paladin - it's your turn.
Player: I attack the Orc Warlord

• (Rolls a 7). I miss; or
• (Rolls a 15) I hit. Rolls damage.

DM: OK Wizard/ Warlock/ Sorcerer/ Cleric/ Druid - it's your turn.
Player: I cast (spell) at the Orc Warlord

• DM/ Player makes attack roll and fails or save and fails, or
• DM/ Player hit with attack roll or creature fails save - rolls damage/ applies effect.

That literally accounts for 50 percent of actions at your average table. A miss/ successful save takes 3-5 seconds. A hit/ failed save takes 20 or so.

The delay in actions comes from Players deciding what to do. IMG I have the players on a strict 6 second timer from the moment I say 'It's now your Turn'. If they havent commenced declaring what they are doing, and targets etc by the end of that 6 seconds, they take the Dodge action, and their turn ends.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

DM: Ok Fighter/ Rogue/ Barbarian/ Ranger/ Paladin - it's your turn.
Player: I attack the Orc Warlord

• (Rolls a 7). I miss; or
• (Rolls a 15) I hit. Rolls damage.

DM: OK Wizard/ Warlock/ Sorcerer/ Cleric/ Druid - it's your turn.
Player: I cast (spell) at the Orc Warlord

• DM/ Player makes attack roll and fails or save and fails, or
• DM/ Player hit with attack roll or creature fails save - rolls damage/ applies effect.

That literally accounts for 50 percent of actions at your average table. A miss/ successful save takes 3-5 seconds. A hit/ failed save takes 20 or so.

The delay in actions comes from Players deciding what to do. IMG I have the players on a strict 6 second timer from the moment I say 'It's now your Turn'. If they havent commenced declaring what they are doing, and targets etc by the end of that 6 seconds, they take the Dodge action, and their turn ends.

That would be a very dull game.

 

[Flamestrike]

That would be a very dull game.

It's the truth though. I mean not everyone engages is long descriptive text narrating each attack they make. In fact few players IME actually do.

 

[Scott Christian]

Most turns are resolved in seconds.

2 minutes is enough time to resolve entire rounds.

Flamestrike, would you film just one combat of yours and place it on here. That is what the OP is asking. I think many of us would appreciate it. For me personally, there is more to it than declaring an action. At the tables I play on there are:

• deciding which action to take (they may have thought about it prior, but the table changed)
• declaring the action (our bard sings his vicious mockery, our rogue talks to the dice, etc...)
• waiting for the dm to declare the results
• sometimes at higher level seeing if there is something that can help such as "lucky" to hit on a miss
• gathering the dice for damage (which includes, "Oh, I have sneak attack or am using the flame on my sword, etc.)
• rolling the dice for damage
• adding the dice up for damage (especially at higher levels)
• If it is a spell, making sure the table understands what happened (Evard's, wall of ice, certain creatures making saving throws to see if they are prone, etc.)
• If it is a spell knocking it off your list or lowering the number you have for the day

This does not include high fives for great results, the players or DM describing killing blows, the DM describing a change to the environment or the opponent's faces, actions, etc. This is why most of us have combat that lasts a half hour for some road bandits. I would appreciate learning from your style of play.

 

[Flamestrike]

Flamestrike, would you film just one combat of yours and place it on here.

For sure mate. Gimme a week or so and I'll do what I can.

deciding which action to take (they may have thought about it prior, but the table changed)

Again, they get a few seconds to declare their action after I tell the player 'it's now your turn' or they take the Dodge action and their turn ends.

I like to keep my combats fast, chaotic and snappy. It has the added benefit of keeping players focused on the action when it's not their turns.

This does not include high fives for great results, the players or DM describing killing blows, the DM describing a change to the environment or the opponent's faces, actions, etc. This is why most of us have combat that lasts a half hour for some road bandits.

A major set piece battle would last around 30 minutes in my games.

A small skirmish against some Orcs, Bandits or whatnot would be over inside around 5 minutes or so.

 

[iserith]

@iserith, what's your approach for overall play control? From things you've said before I expect you take a more active hand. Do you present scenes with clear multiple choice options for the next scene during non-combat times, or something like that?

I don't generally like event-based adventures, preferring location-based. To that end, the players decide what they want to do. So my role in this is to encourage the players to get on the same page quickly with their next course of action and move forward with little or no debate. Here is what our table rules say about that:

Keep Things Moving. We do this by saying "Yes, and..." to our fellow players. When a reasonable idea is proposed, we accept it ("Yes...") and add to it ("and..."). We don't shut down other people's ideas or try to tell other people how to play their characters unless they ask for help. It's discouraging to others and slows the game down.

Occasionally, they'll get into a situation where ideas are proposed but nobody is pushing them forward. So I might say something like, "Okay, I hear a lot of ideas, but no execution. What do you DO?" That prods them to get moving.