Time Management In PnP Campaigns

[Dihydrogen Monoxide]

The question I'd like to ask those who have lengthy experience with DM'ing real life PnP campaigns is this:

What is your preferred method for measuring time?

Allow me to clarify - when it comes to spellcasting and buff durations in a PnP campaign when PC's are dungeon-crawling, how do you measure the individual constituents of in-game time compared to real-life time?

Do you accurately measure in-game time as a function of real life time? (1 round is equivalent to 1 real life minute, 1 in-game turn equal to 10 real-life minutes, ect.)

If not, how do you do it? I'm curious as to the different and creative ways this can be pulled off. To be specific, I'm mainly interested in non-arbitrary time (don't take into consideration being in towns, resting, ect. That can all be fast-forwarded with ease.)

[Qinniqtuq Aggaak]

The terminology, in the past was:

1 round = 6 seconds
1 minute = 1 minute
1 turn = ten minutes

I don't think it's changed, but that is one disparity I've always had bug me with 3.x editions. Spells have been shrunken down in duration quite dramatically to where they are pretty much active in one combat encounter only.

If you play the spell durations literally as they are supposed to while dungeon crawling, many of their buffs would be gone after going down a hallway, disarming & unlocking a trapped door, and a quick search of the room beyond. I personally houserule some spells with their old second edition durations, which would last a little bit longer, possibly allowing you to explore beyond that room, have an encounter, explore some other nearby areas, and maybe have enough time for another encounter.


If you really want to keep the durations as printed, you could house-rule that out of combat, the durations go up one step.

So for example, you enter a room, and are ambushed by goblins. The caster casts two spells that lasts 1min/lvl and 1 rd/lvl (he's level 5).

After 3 rounds of combat, it ends.
His 1rd/level spell can last two minutes longer out of combat (just in case goblins made noise and friends come along)
His 1min/level spell now has two turns left (20 min out of combat)

I'd say any spell that's in the hour/level you'd just leave as is.

[Jhickey]

Could not of said it beter than QA. I often allow the hour/level spells to last most of the encounters during the day and make them (party) have to rebuff them during evening encounters.

So basicly I plan my encounters for when they would have the avalible resorces, depending of course on the type of villan or foe.

Remember that everyone is there to have fun, and a DM can crush them at any time. I like to allow the player to have access to what is important to them., just my personal take

[Gamling]

Mainly it'd be your call. Usually if a mage casts an hour per level and he's level 3, I just roughly estimate when it's been three hours. It's not too difficult unless your players are giving you a lot of grief for it or something.

But if you really just want to begone with durations entirely you could make the caster roll a spellcraft check to see if they maintain their spell when you think it's about up if you're not sure, or weren't paying attention. Who's to say magic is always on time with its' dispersal?

[Talleyman99]

Our group is of the mind set of Round per lvl spells active during the battle, and fade soon after (if the battle was short enough) the 10 min per lvl spells while actively working on our goals are treated semi flexibly as long as the group does not stop and reside to strip a room down or do something over time consuming. as hour per lvl spells are mostly left alone after lvl 3 once again as long as we are actively doing something of it's over land travel then they fade as well.

I dont feel bad having people spells fade on them. A party should be ready should have wands should have second castings should have scrolls and potions they should have ways of extending there longevity with out looking to the casters and going "what your out of spells will this is over!"

[Twisted-Indoctrine]

So basicly I plan my encounters for when they would have the avalible resorces, depending of course on the type of villan or foe.

Blah.

Try running an almost rogue-like campaign and spend the whole time trying to kill every damn one of your player's characters in every encounter. Much more satisfying overall.

I miss the call of Cthullu P&P game because it totally encouraged that.