this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2024
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I DM'd a group that tried to optimize every situation, and every turn off combat. That's okay as long as it stays fun, but once they start spinning their wheels, or one player turns combat into a slog, then I take measures.
Outside of combat, that means the real world keeps ticking along. Usually that just means NPCs ask the PCs to stop blocking the street, or a beggar starts asking for money, or the person they're chasing fades further into the distance.
Combat in 5e can be a slog (even with the usual DM busywork), so I'll give players a visual countdown and then move their turn to after the next character in initiative order. As soon as they start doing something, I stop, but I want to set the expectation that this is a high stakes scenario and they need to keep up with the pacing.
I've spoken with my players and they're cool with it.
My party tends to try to optimize starting positions, and it makes sessions kinda long. Last session, I decided I would add extras to a boss fight that would aid the players during the fight. The players started debating what the best approach would be after successfully sneaking into an already good position.
Decided right then and there that the extras were red shirts. While the players were debating, I interjected saying that one of the zombies took a chunk out of one of the gunmen (one of the extras). The energy in the call heightened immediately and they started to frantically make a battle plan and triggered the fight quickly.
I'm thinking I'll start doing that more often. Adds narrative weight to their dilly dallying.
I feel like it brings immediacy. The players need to focus and participate because events are coming fast and furious.