Handling actual play: Action frames

Since I started the "When the Earth Growl" campaign with D&D Next on roll20, there are many things I had to remember from a GM perspective (since I hadn't GMed for something like 20 years). One of these was how to handle actual plays during session, how actions from the PCs were declared, happened and the like.

Back then, I had a way of doing it but never really phrased it. Today, especially since we only play using chat over roll20 (no voice whatsoever), I had to actually structure the whole thing to explain it to new (and unknown) players with whom I hadn't played every day for the past 7 years of my life...

Here's how it goes overall, with what I call Action Frames.

Action Frames happen every time multiple PCs are in situations requiring simultaneous action resolutions. Could be exploring a dungeon, browsing around town, whatever.

The duration of each frames can vary depending on the potential urgency of the context. For example, PCs doing various actions in a somewhat safe town would provide 10 to 30 minutes frames. Actively exploring a dungeon (as in moving through it) would give much shorter frames however, ranging from 1 to 5 minutes usually. If the PCs paused in somewhat secured room within that dungeon however would see the duration switched to something like 5 to 10 minutes frames.

When switching to Action Frame, I usually set up PCs in the Initiative Tracker in some random order, then go each frame is structured in turns.

During his turn, each PC declares his intent for the current frame. Can be quite simple if the frames are short, or more complicated if the frames are longer. During this time, the players roll whatever dice the action implies if needed.

For example, while exploring a dungeon, each PC would declare things like "I head over there and check the chest" or "I'll light up a torch and keep watch while the others do their thing". In town, with much longer frames, it could be "I'll go to the barracks, see the commander about the job offer we found" or "I'll head over to the marketplace and try to buy a couple items".

At the end of the current frame, I then resolve all actions as simultaneously as possible, using whatever rolls results were had by the players. For shorter frame, it's quite easy to handle of course. For longer frame, I'll try to balance time between players.

For example, if a couple PCs go talk to someone, and another goes to the market place. I'll handle the discussion for some time (in-game time being relevant here) then switch to the other and advance his in-game time, then switch back to the others. I've handled 3 split simultaneous actions like this once, worked nicely I think.

This allows for dynamic reactions, should something happen that would cut short others frames (ie: after 5 minutes, the PC is attacked and he rushed to find his friends, therefore altering their frame).

This is also during this phase that "events" happen (I actually have a token called "events" in the tracker on roll20, often visible to players to mark a new turn.). Usually, I'll throw in a fluff description during this phase, such as "/desc The hall is buried in deep silence as you investigate the area, only broken here and there by your movements echoing into the darkness" or "/desc The streets are quite busy at this time of the day, a lot of commoners are closing shop and heading home to their family". It's just fluff but it marks time passing, etc.

Other times, "events" are actually reactions to whatever they're doing, which could lead to combat, but usually I still try to balance the in-game time spent by all PCs before this, so that time advances equally for all their actions for the frame.

Once the current frame is over, we repeat the whole process.

The idea here is to separate the intents of the PCs (which can be declared asynchronously) and the actual resolution of the actions (which should happen simultaneously). I find that it also can help nudge forward players who might otherwise stay silent and/or passive, to action, since he/she will have his turn during the frame, no matter what.

I usually do not limit discussion between PCs when using this, as long as they are in range of course. Since the shortest frames are around 1 minute, they can talk somewhat without problems I feel.

I've been using this "technique" for about 2 months now since I started GMing again on roll20 and so far, it seems to go quite nicely. I'm always looking to improve on this but I really like the idea how it feels in game.

Anyway, that's how I handle things, or try to. Of course, in actual play, nothing's ever that clean :)