Combat is taking a long time. We all know it, and I believe we would all prefer it was faster. So, here is a proposal with that end in mind.

When the GM calls a character’s name for initiative, the player has ten seconds to announce what the character is doing. If the player goes beyond the ten seconds, that character loses his turn that round. The GM will answer a simple question or two about the character’s current status and situation before beginning the count, but he will not be providing a complete description of the scene. Just the obvious things that your character would be aware of.

The players should use the time between their turns to plot out their next move or possible moves and decide which is most beneficial as the situation plays out closer to their turn again. Yes, sometimes things change at the last second, but it’s combat. Snap decisions have to be made in the heat of the moment sometimes.

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