PDA

View Full Version : Help needed - Simplifying cumbersome combat



Pixiedragon
2012-05-14, 03:57 PM
I haven't posted here in quite a while, but I hoped it might be possible to find some help here. :)

I DM a group of 4 players online (DM+4), we play D&D 3.5 but the combat has always been problematic with all the dice rolls, and it's getting worse now the players are reaching the higher levels. I guess everyone who has played 3.5 knows how long rolls can take. :p

There is also an additional problem of cheating. None of the players has admitted outright they cheat often, but 2 out of the 4 players always seem so get the high roll at just the right time, and the low rolls when it's a 'useless' roll. By now the 3rd player has admitted to fudging his rolls when he feels at a large disatvantage by the other 2 players, and the 4th has proposed to create our own combatsystem because he's getting so tired of being utterly and completely gimped compared to the others, even though he has a legendary (!) weapon.
Yes, I've adressed the problem of cheating more than once, both individually and in the group, and the trouble caused by it, not to mention the immense distrust created between the players. No one can roll a high number without having it questioned, even if the questioning happens offscreen. Still, because we play online it's very difficult to see whether someone is cheating or just is plain lucky. Not to mention the fact that we really are all adults (me being pretty much the youngest even, as DM!) and should know better.

While creating our own combatsystem has the advantage of catering to our every need, it's a lot of work and I don't really feel like doing so if there already is a combatsystem would simplify the combat and reduce cheating by simply requiring less rolls.

I've been looking around a bit, I wouldn't mind switching from 3.5 to a completely different system like GURPS, and I've checked with the group whether they minded (they didn't, but preferably a system with additional sourcebooks or easily adaptable with existing sourcebooks). Though as I've never played it I'm not sure how much better it works compared to 3.5, and I really could use some advice here. :) So are there any game systems that would work better for us than 3.5?

Rallicus
2012-05-14, 04:12 PM
So are you running a play by post campaign? Because I've never had trouble with dice rolls taking too long in a real life game, or even a VTT (especially not the latter in maptool, thanks to macros). Also... cheating, wow.

I wouldn't let my players get away with changing dice rolls like that. Your whole campaign is like... a lie, man. That sucks.

Honestly, though, if you're playing a Play by Post: good luck with any system. PbP only works well in high-roleplay, small "roll play" campaigns, at least in my experience. One of many reasons I refuse to participate or create PbP campaigns.

But maybe 4e might work. Not perfectly, mind you, but it might make the excessive dice rolling a little less intense.

Vladislav
2012-05-14, 04:28 PM
if they cheat, roll for them. It's as simple as that. Players describe actions, DM adjudicates. Or have them use a visible uneditable die roller, such as on this very forum.


Honestly, though, if you're playing a Play by Post: good luck with any system. PbP only works well in high-roleplay, small "roll play" campaigns, at least in my experience.Can't really get behind this comment. I had (and still having) some very good PbP games on this forum, some quite mechanically-based.

Pixiedragon
2012-05-15, 02:08 AM
Ah no, we don't play by post but in chat, on IRC.
And saying my whole campaign is a lie is going a bit too far for me tbh, but it does suck when they suddenly faceroll one of the toughest villains while they have trouble say, climbing a wall.

I don't want to roll for my players, but one of them has suggesting standardizing the attacks. So a 2d6+4 with min6 and max16 would become say... 10. The problem with this is... how much of the randomness should I take away to reduce the amount of rolls?

weenie
2012-05-15, 02:49 AM
Use a program like MapTool or something similar, where players can roll the dice and everyone can see the results. You can also create maps to track combat etc, but if you don't want to, you don't need to, you can just use the chat and dice rolling.

Knaight
2012-05-15, 04:07 AM
Most IRC channels dedicated to gaming will have dice rollers in them. They speed things up, and eliminate the cheating problem, so it's win win. With that said, IRC D&D is going to be pretty slow regardless, mostly due to IRC not being ideal when dealing with anything remotely grid based, and prone to choking up during D&D combat as a result.

Rallicus
2012-05-15, 08:48 AM
And saying my whole campaign is a lie is going a bit too far for me tbh, .

Yeah, I guess that was a little harsh.

But the story progression and, well, any progression in your campaign has the chance of being a lie, simply because the players can cheat their rolls.

As others have suggested: try out Maptool. If you're playing through chat then there's no real reason not to, since it allows macros that can be executed with a click of a button, and since it gives allows for tokens and grid-based maps that make combat pretty smooth and fast. But if you're really intent on playing in IRC, at the very least use the die roller. I wouldn't trust my players to roll dice off screen after they admitted to cheating.

Vladislav
2012-05-15, 12:55 PM
Ah, so it's an IRC game. Well, just google "IRC dice bot", and no more cheating!