| Drazulfel |
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It's pretty much a table top RPG cliché that 30 seconds of game-world combat can take up 2 hours of real-life game time. Dragging out turn based combat can really make a session feel dull and mechanical, and kill the excitement of battle.
It's truly a bummer when a player's turn comes up in the initiative and it's a total surprise to him or her, and you have to re-explain the entire scenario because the player hadn't been paying attention.
Several years ago, when DM'ing The Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil with a rather large group of 7 PC's, my threshold for pain was surpassed when players would go on smoke breaks in the middle of combat with a casual "No, don't stop. Just call me if it's my turn." ARGH!
That's when I initiated the 6-Second Rule. A single round in D20 combat represents 6 seconds in the game world. So, in order to make sure my players are paying attention, and in order to make sure that combat is fast paced, chaotic, and visceral, if things start to drag I announce that all players only have 6 seconds to respond when I call out their turn in the initiative, or else they end up losing their turn... essentially the player's indecision results in a Dazed effect for the PC.
Now, I'm not a total jerk. I utilize common sense and extend grace if there is a rules question, or a request for clarification on a circumstance, etc. But I find the 6-Second Rule to be a great cure for "Huh? Oh. Me? What did so-and-so just do?" as a response to "Your turn!"
Inevitably, when I invoke the 6-Second Rule, my players will groan with mock dread. But almost 100% of the time, it adds a tremendous level of fun and excitement to combat. It forces quick and creative thinking, much like a real-life combatant would face. Some of the most epic, most disastrous, and funniest encounter experiences I've witnessed in the past decade of gaming have come about as a result of this rule.