talking during combat

[Snowy]

As much IC speech as you want (provided its not excessive, decided by me the DM), as much OOC speech as is needed to help people who arent sure how "this here DnD thingie" works yet, or to point out things people really should remember "No I AM immune to fire, you've been travelling with me for 6 months now and watched em sleep in the campfire, you'd know that".

As quoted above if you can't re create the witty lines from the princess bride its no good for me.

"And if I step thus..."

 

[Pinotage]

I allow alot of talking (within reason), simply because it makes the roleplaying experience more fun. Villains lay out a summary of their plans right before they die, and players argue with each other over tactics (which creatures of the same language can overhear, unintelligent monsters cannot). Limiting speech makes combat faster and more realistic, but I found it too frigid for me. Our gaming table is very social.

Yeah, I agree with this. Generally as much as you want, but I might call a halt to it if it becomes too much. Several sentences at least. Makes the roleplaying bits more fun. I generally only allow one, maybe two, exchanges between characters, players or villians in a round. Player 1 talks, Player 2 answers, Player 1 answers - no more talking allowed.

Pinotage

 

[werk]

I allow up to roughly 6 secs of speech per character per round during initiative.

 

[William_2]

I like lots of talking, as well. To chip in on the 3 to 6 seconds front, I think 6 is indeed a problem. If you let 4 people talk consecutively in initiative order, or ask and answer questions for example, you run up against the fact that everyone’s actions are taking place in the SAME six seconds, not in consecutive ones. Everyone should speak their 6 seconds together, in other words. For two characters to communicate in a round, I agree that things have to be kept very brief indeed. And they have to yell over the villain soliloquy that should always be going on, of course.

 

[LordBOB]

while talking is great outside of battle it is rough during Combat. I dont mind a little talking during combat, but when they dry and discuss stragety DURING combat I wont allow it. If our Wiz/Mage is about to throw an area destructive spell than a simple " MOVE " is all thats needed b/c we know whats happening next.

Your players need to make keywords when in Combat, b/c if somoene yells "FIREBALL" during combat than the enemy might also understand it and try to get away. If someone yells " Hot " for a FIREBALL than your enemy might be stupid as to its meaning. Or "Pink Monkey" for a CONE OF COLD.

whatever words you decide is your choice, I just gave you some of my Ideas.

 

[the Jester]

I restrict talking to on your turn in combat, since it can influence the actions of other, supposedly slower characters if a faster pc cries out a warning or something after their turn and it's too late for them to act themselves. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Bront]

I have to ask, when did the Princess Bride become a benchmark for any rules used in 3.5?

 

[Sil]

I have to ask, when did the Princess Bride become a benchmark for any rules used in 3.5?

it is in the SRD.

 

[Chupacabra]

My former and now-again-current DM restricted talking in combat to 3 words, which I found a little miserly, but I see that more than one person here has the same rule.

When I DM'd my rule was no combat talking out of your character's turn, but that you could say anything you wanted to as long as you got it out within 6 seconds. Yell, whisper, talk in code, heck -- speak in tongues if you wanted to -- as long as you could realistically say it in 6 seconds, your PC was allowed to say it as well.

Of course if you are casting a spell my rule was NO talking if the spell had a V(erbal) component (which IIRC almost all of them do). Its hard to speak the necessary magical incantations for a Fireball while simultaneously saying "Move out of the way gang! I'm about to blast the bad guys!" With this rule in place, the party really had to be a bit more tactically aware of not screwing up the arcane caster's area of fire b/c they would not get advance warning of any incoming artillery. Now there is nothing against the caster saying on round 1 "Watch out guys, I'm about to cast Cone of Cold" and then casting on round 2.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Of course if you are casting a spell my rule was NO talking if the spell had a V(erbal) component (which IIRC almost all of them do). Its hard to speak the necessary magical incantations for a Fireball while simultaneously saying "Move out of the way gang! I'm about to blast the bad guys!"

So, the fighter can't talk while he's moving either then, right? How do you distinguish the move action from the standard action? How about a quickened spell? If you talk during your action (assuming your houserule and the caster doesn't cast a verbal spell), does that mean you can't then cast feather fall when the fighter falls (e.g.)? Basically, if the wizard wants to use featherfall, he can't ever talk, right?

The limit to 6 seconds pretty much sucks for a game mechanic. I can just picture the DM with a stopwatch, "Okay, ready...go!" It becomes an exercise on speaking quickly instead of a an exercise on running your character.

Especially with the limit of only on your turn. That really emphasizes the discretized combat system. Talk about enforcing the lack of realism in the system, ugh.