Keeping Track of Everything

[Nightgaun7]

How do you guys keep track of all the little things in combat, like bonuses from bard songs, raging, charging, stances, spells, items, and so on? How do you keep track of your AoOs and whether or not you took a free action last turn? Rounds of rage left, spell durations, etc?

Right now I'm primarily using the graphite-and-eraser method, with a bit of assistance from my mythweavers character sheet. We also have a bunch of little round glass stones in red and green that get used for all sorts of things, and I was thinking about using them, but it seems like a pain and easy to mess up.

[Yora]

In practice, combats are so short that everything measured in rounds will pretty much last for the entire encounter once you reached 3rd level. However, that is still short enough so that the duration will be over by the time you get into the next encounter.
Similar, everything that lasts for 10 min./level or hours/level will last long enough that it will last until the end of the dungeon.

So in practice, we never keep track of these things. They either last for the entire encounter, the whole dungeon, or the whole day.

[ArcturusV]

I repurpose things like the Energy Allocation Chart from SFB. Lots of boxes already broken into a Per Turn sort of thing. So if I needed to keep track of a short term buff I can just start marking it in a box. And provides a clear, logical progression to show how long it's lasted.

[Greenish]

In practice, combats are so short that everything measured in rounds will pretty much last for the entire encounter once you reached 3rd level. However, that is still short enough so that the duration will be over by the time you get into the next encounter.
Similar, everything that lasts for 10 min./level or hours/level will last long enough that it will last until the end of the dungeon.

So in practice, we never keep track of these things. They either last for the entire encounter, the whole dungeon, or the whole day.Riffing on above, you'd then scratch temporary bonuses and penalties on a scrap of paper, grouped roughly by duration: adventuring day, more than one encounter, one encounter. Because you usually buff as a group (in the morning, before entering hostile territory, just before combat, first round of combat), it's pretty simple for the DM to declare "okay, your 10 min/level buffs you put up before entering the pirates' covey are over". It's not like you know exactly how much time has elapsed unless you're in combat and measuring stuff in rounds.

Stuff that lasts for a round or less it's usually not necessary to mark down, though if it helps you to keep track, go ahead. Similarly, it's usually pretty easy to keep track of AoO, since they happen (mostly) when it's not your turn, so there's not much else to do than keep up what happens and yell* "Attack of Opportunity!" when appropriate.


*Don't try telling me you're not doing this. :smalltongue:

[ArcturusV]

I prefer to yell out:

"C-c-c-c-combo breaker!"

Ah, Killer Instinct memories, back when Rare was cool.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Yora
In practice, combats are so short that everything measured in rounds will pretty much last for the entire encounter once you['ve] reached 3rd level.

I read statements like this a lot, and I have to wonder how universally applicable they really are. Our last major combat took fifteen rounds--and would've taken longer if Nightgaun7's character hadn't rolled a double crit and dealt 100 damage in one mighty strike.

During that combat I was tracking a number of spell effects from the cleric, all of which wore off long before the final blow. In my experience, spells very often only last for a portion of a combat.



Originally Posted by ArcturusV
It's not like you know exactly how much time has elapsed unless you're in combat and measuring stuff in rounds.

Actually, I keep very close track of time for each game day. I gather I'm unusual in that regard, as in so many others. I cherish my oddity. :smalltongue:


Originally Posted by ArcturusV
Ah, Killer Instinct memories, back when Rare was cool.

Umm...Killer Instinct? Rare?

Yet another slice of popular culture I missed. Like Jack Sparrow, I like to wave as they go by.

:smallbiggrin:

[Greenish]

Actually, I keep very close track of time for each game day. I gather I'm unusual in that regard, as in so many others. I cherish my oddity. :smalltongue:I meant "you" as in the player. The DM is the one who decides how much time has elapsed, so obviously he or she would know.

[gallagher]

I like to use note cards, write down the bonus i am getting, from where i am getting it, and how long it lasts, and lay it in front of me on the table so all can see my glorious bonuses

[Alefiend]

Paizo publishes card decks for Pathfinder that cover this sort of thing. I won't link to commercial info, but do a search for Condition Cards and/or Buff Deck to see what I'm talking about. People who have used them tend to love them.

[Callin]

We use a Dry Erase Board with one person designated to keep track of it. By choice or vote. That way someone who does not want to do it does not have to. HOWEVER it is still up to the person who cast the whatever to make sure that the guy has done it right. Usually by stating at the start of their round that ok "Such and Such continues for another round".

Killer Instinct was a great game for the Super Nintendo. They had super combos that you could do. You could get way up there. I knew people that could at the start of the fight if you didnt catch em just right the match was over as they combo'ed you for the next 5 mins for fun.

The sound track is what really made it awesome though. I could still sit down and listen to that thing lol. I used to put it on in my portable CD player and cut the neighbors grass so i could get enough cash saved up to go buy more video games.

[Slipperychicken]

I bring a stack of blank printer-paper, scribble any conditions on that. I also use it for things like summoned monster HP, campaign notes, and durations which are actually going to run out during the fight (i.e. less than 10 rounds).


Charging/flanking are easy to remember -both are +2 melee tohit. I usually don't even need to write this one down. Free actions are easy -you have as many as you like. AoOS are just 1/round.

[Octopusapult]

As a DM, I charge the players with keeping track of their bonuses. And when they use them, if I'm unclear, they just remind me.

It's not asking too much that each person be aware of the effects on their own character. Especially when I'm running a group of monsters and whatever else and have all of my own work to do.

Splitting up all the math and numerical tracking responsibilities keeps the game going well and everyone involved. It's worked well for me.

[Nightgaun7]

I'm a player in Palanan's campaign.

While we could conceivably have multiple encounters in a day, I think so far it's only happened once, and one of them was over fairly swiftly. Also, our combats tend to have rolling for initiative a good bit before combat is actually joined, so things at the very beginning might expire before doing much. On the other hand, if any of us had a character with spells who didn't feel like DMM persist with nightsticks or incantatrix or whatever, they'd be ok since we usually have plenty of time to buff.

We also don't see AoOs too often, but I think one of the other characters may have combat reflexes or something else that works with them.

[Krobar]

As a DM, I charge the players with keeping track of their bonuses. And when they use them, if I'm unclear, they just remind me.

It's not asking too much that each person be aware of the effects on their own character. Especially when I'm running a group of monsters and whatever else and have all of my own work to do.

Splitting up all the math and numerical tracking responsibilities keeps the game going well and everyone involved. It's worked well for me.

This is what we do as well. I have my players keep track of their own bonuses and buffs, etc. Of course the gentlemen's agreement enters into it, and I have to rely on my players being honest, but over the years it has not proven to be a problem.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Nightgaun7
While we could conceivably have multiple encounters in a day, I think so far it's only happened once....

Don't confuse story-driven pacing with overall encounter potential.

:smallamused:

[rot42]

Open Office spread sheet with booleans for common buffs (I get Enlarge Person and Animalistic Power? click, click, go!) and debuffs (negative levels, I am looking at you). This method is probably only worthwhile if you enjoy that sort of thing. I used to use scratch paper with a mini stat block scribbled out for each combat (I am attacking, use this total; Healing Belt down to two charges). For counting rounds I sometimes use a die as a countdown timer and sometimes use tick marks on the game mat to count up to the final round. When I DM, I mark the beginning of each round and note on each monster stat block when effects expire (e.g. no more Haste on round eight). My group tends towards protracted combats with mounting pressure, and rounds/level comes up frequently.

[Nightgaun7]

Don't confuse story-driven pacing with overall encounter potential.

:smallamused:

I have no problem with slicing and dicing. Although Inae might need to step up her healing game if we're fighting 1d3 giant kraken every 1d6 hours.

[Jeff the Green]

I play pretty much exclusively PbP, so this may not be applicable to everyone, but on Myth-Weavers character sheets there's a space for "Conditions and Effects." I put down everything on there with duration. Then after each combat (or round, if it's rounds/level) I deduct the time remaining. If it's a long enough duration buff and there's significant time between encounters, I ask how much time has elapsed.

Sort-duration buffs and debuffs (1-round) and stacking or counteracting ones are a little harder to deal with, and my short-term memory sucks, so for those I have rely on my fellow players and DMs, which I'm sure they love.

[Seharvepernfan]

I use a piece of graph paper with one axis having all the participants of a battle and their current initiatives (with spaces in between in case they go up or down) and the other axis having the number of rounds (with notes for durations).

Players keep track of their HP, ammunition (either with tally marks or by filling in premade squares), and spell points. AoO's are pretty easy for us, for one reason or another.

My players like to use dice to keep track of rounds, but I think it's too easy to forget, so I just keep track of it myself on my graph. They also like to forget their own bonuses and defenses and such, which is Not My Problem.

[Morphie]

We usually write the round-based effects (spells, poisons and such) on an excell spreadsheet. We also use it to keep track of initiative and edit it as the players delay their actions, refocus and stuff.
As to the spells with larger duration, we just ask the DM what time of the day is it and just check if we still have it based on the time we casted it, we're honest about this so it's usually not a problem.

[Immabozo]

I usually find I have a few favorites and routinely use only one (my wildshaping druid had two) per combat that I routinely cast and then lower level ones to fall back on if we had more encounters that day. I wrote all the bonuses and new stats on a separate sheet of paper and just pulled that out when the buff was active. I just put down tally marks each round. Sometimes I us a die, but that usually ends up getting rolled. But my barbarian, whose rage lasts for 13 rounds, I just figure that I am good for the whole encounter.

[Curmudgeon]

When DMing I'll use the edge of the battle mat to mark off combat rounds, one square per round. When somebody (PC or NPC) creates an effect with a duration in rounds, I'll compute the ending round, call that number out if it's a PC effect, and put a tick mark above the box for that round. When (if) we get to that round, I'll call out "Round (#) effects ending". I rely on the PC who creates the effect to update those who were, and no longer are, affected.

Because so much of D&D is focused on combat, I like to make battles long and meaningful. Enemies don't just push forward until they die; instead, they'll run away to hide, drink healing potions, and come back to strike from cover. I play them with the same desire to keep living as the PCs. Spell effects often end before combat is finished, and not just from their duration running out. NPC spellcasters want their side to win just as much as the PCs do, and they understand how much a good area dispel is worth.

[TheDarkSaint]

Herolab by Lone Wolf Studios.

That program has changed the way I run characters and the way I DM. It's got so many neat things on it that I can't even list them, but I can say that is very easy to keep track of bonus's and negatives on the fly, even status effects.

Worth every dime.

[nedz]

Because so much of D&D is focused on combat, I like to make battles long and meaningful. Enemies don't just push forward until they die; instead, they'll run away to hide, drink healing potions, and come back to strike from cover. I play them with the same desire to keep living as the PCs. Spell effects often end before combat is finished, and not just from their duration running out. NPC spellcasters want their side to win just as much as the PCs do, and they understand how much a good area dispel is worth.

Whilst some combats are short I try to make mine a little like this.

Enemies will use delaying tactics sometimes just to run down those early buffs before contact. They may even disengage, heal up, regroup, re-buff and attack again.

This means that there are a lot of buffs, counters, debuffs and status effects to keep track of.

I print out character sheets for the NPCs and track everything on paper. I normally total things up for speed.

I use a rolling initiative deck and so rarely bother keeping track of the rounds. It would be easy to do but I can normally work it out if it becomes important, usually by looking at how many spells the casters have used.

Whilst playing I use a piece of scrap paper if there are a lot of things to track, or just write it on the character sheet — I'll be printing a new one after I level anyway.

[Squirrel_Dude]

I always bring a couple spare sheets of loose leaf paper with me to games. I just mark stuff on there. It's also normally where I write down what spells I memorized for that day and the next day if I'm a cleric/wizard.