howandwhy99
Adventurer
Nice thinking [MENTION=92511]steeldragons[/MENTION]. Here's how I like to do it, which doesn't require socialization to take so long. Plus it includes intraplayer planning.
Standard time units: (excluding stuff like Ranger's surprise and psionic combat)
Segments = fractions of a minute. 1-6, 1-10 or however Round initiative is broken up. I use 1d6 and rarely use segments for more unless the players want to.
Rounds = 1 minute. Combat and tactical actions are usually measured in rounds. Move & attack, double shoot, attempt to unlock a lock, cast a spell, etc.
Turns = 10 minutes. Most dungeon crawling is done in turns as is mass combat. A human's 12 squares = # of 10' squares moved (while mapping). Searching can be shrunk down by 10' cubes / # of searchers for a quick turn (or even round) count.
Hours = a simple measure for daily reference. "It's about 9 in the morning". Some spells may have hourly length. All timed duration spells are a bit tedious to track, but a die can be used to countdown a duration. Just stick these next to the hour die on a standard "die clock". (I go with with the # of when it ends, like 11 for 11 am)
Days (& more) = Normally a night and day cycle. This means recuperation, rest times, spell prep, etc., but could include stuff like sleep deprivation, fatigue, starvation too. Days are a pretty common measure for long term reference. So are weeks, months, years, etc. Each needs a definition relationship to the others (like 7 days in a week), but once determined tracking and balancing become easier.
Simultaneous Time = time passing in the game world at the same rate as we measure it out of game. This means having a stopwatch, wristwatch, or clock handy. This is best used for socialization (NPC negotiation) and intraparty diplomacy (i.e. planning, arguing, shooting the breeze, etc.) Like everything else, when we step out of this measure I add it to the die clock behind the screen.
Standard time units: (excluding stuff like Ranger's surprise and psionic combat)
Segments = fractions of a minute. 1-6, 1-10 or however Round initiative is broken up. I use 1d6 and rarely use segments for more unless the players want to.
Rounds = 1 minute. Combat and tactical actions are usually measured in rounds. Move & attack, double shoot, attempt to unlock a lock, cast a spell, etc.
Turns = 10 minutes. Most dungeon crawling is done in turns as is mass combat. A human's 12 squares = # of 10' squares moved (while mapping). Searching can be shrunk down by 10' cubes / # of searchers for a quick turn (or even round) count.
Hours = a simple measure for daily reference. "It's about 9 in the morning". Some spells may have hourly length. All timed duration spells are a bit tedious to track, but a die can be used to countdown a duration. Just stick these next to the hour die on a standard "die clock". (I go with with the # of when it ends, like 11 for 11 am)
Days (& more) = Normally a night and day cycle. This means recuperation, rest times, spell prep, etc., but could include stuff like sleep deprivation, fatigue, starvation too. Days are a pretty common measure for long term reference. So are weeks, months, years, etc. Each needs a definition relationship to the others (like 7 days in a week), but once determined tracking and balancing become easier.
Simultaneous Time = time passing in the game world at the same rate as we measure it out of game. This means having a stopwatch, wristwatch, or clock handy. This is best used for socialization (NPC negotiation) and intraparty diplomacy (i.e. planning, arguing, shooting the breeze, etc.) Like everything else, when we step out of this measure I add it to the die clock behind the screen.
