Who leads in the marching order?

[candidus_cogitens]

How do you determine marching order?

Needless to say, you might have a character that is the stealthiest AND the hardest to hit. . . . but let your answer reflect the MOST IMPORTANT criterion.

 

[MerricB]

Depends a bit...

However often:
* The shortest PC (so others can fire missiles over him)
* The rogue (to check for traps)
* The best fighter (to defend the others!)

Normally we have 2 characters in front: a halfling rogue and a human fighter.

Cheers!

 

[Nifft]

Whichever tank-type has the most HP left.

-- Nifft

 

[the Jester]

Depends a bit...

However often:
* The shortest PC (so others can fire missiles over him)
* The rogue (to check for traps)
* The best fighter (to defend the others!)

This pretty much sums it up for my groups as well. Sometimes in unusual situations it might vary, though.

 

[jdavis]

It depends on if the Halfling has done anything to make the party mad lately, If he's been causing trouble he goes first, If not then it is normally the fighter.

 

[ninthcouncil]

In the current game - none of the above...

It's a strange low magic 2e/3e crossbreed, with no clerics or mages in the party, just rogues, fighters and and a ranger. Two of the PCs are a swashbuckling fighter with Wis 7 and a rogue with Wis 5 (and Int 7). Any attempt to construct and then follow a sensible tactical plan (e.g. party order) founders on the impatience and vanity of the fighter and the chronic brain-cramp of the rogue. They'll just rush on ahead whatever. A typical exploratory situation now goes something like this:

DM: "Ahead you see a huge, finely worked stone door. Projecting from the wall next to it is a slightly rusty iron lever..."

Swashbuckler & Rogue (in unison): "I pull it!"
Everyone Else: "We run away!"

Mad as a bag of ferrets.

 

[National Acrobat]

The biggest tank does, until they see or feel that something just isn't right. Then the rogue is summoned from his usual hiding place at the rear of the order.

 

[Fade]

Either the tank, the rogue, or the new guy, depending on the situation.

 

[BluWolf]

In the current game - none of the above...

It's a strange low magic 2e/3e crossbreed, with no clerics or mages in the party, just rogues, fighters and and a ranger. Two of the PCs are a swashbuckling fighter with Wis 7 and a rogue with Wis 5 (and Int 7). Any attempt to construct and then follow a sensible tactical plan (e.g. party order) founders on the impatience and vanity of the fighter and the chronic brain-cramp of the rogue. They'll just rush on ahead whatever. A typical exploratory situation now goes something like this:

DM: "Ahead you see a huge, finely worked stone door. Projecting from the wall next to it is a slightly rusty iron lever..."

Swashbuckler & Rogue (in unison): "I pull it!"
Everyone Else: "We run away!"

Mad as a bag of ferrets.

This sounds like an awesome session of Monty Python's Flying PCs!!" Fun!

 

[Gospog]

None of the above?

In the groups I gm, there is no marching order. Or at least, very very rarely.

This is probably due to the fact that less than 1% of our games (D&D included) take place in a Dungeon.

I remember my players entering a dungeon last year in our old D&D campaign. They were bored stiff in less than an hour, as was I.

But that's not the point (sorry). "Who is closest to the monster" really depends on the situation and the whims of the players. No game plan for my players.