Simultaneous Actions

[Nelijal]

Characters act in phases based on their SPD. Characters who act on the same phase go in order of DEX. Characters with the same SPD and DEX roll to determine who goes first. I have seen threads on these boards which imply that characters acting simultaneously is to be avoided at all costs. What's wrong with same SPD/DEX characters acting at the same time? Would this not happen from time to time in real life?

[JohnTaber]

My group uses a house rule.

 

If two characters act on the same Dex in a given phase both get their actions off but the actions are declared based on the roll of a dice.

 

It sorta resolves this issue and has worked fine over the past 15 years...

[Aroooo]

In Hero terms, I guess its all about cause and effect. Hero generally requires each action be resolved before the next action takes place. Sure, its not very 'real world,' but does show off its superhero origins. Its also easier for newer players and GM's to deal with.

 

In most of our heroic level games, if multiple (identical) DEX/SPD characters roll the same number, we resolve the actions simultaneously.

 

Aroooo

[DrSavant]

Which came first.....?

 

The problem is one of; if one of those who are in combat takes an action that would affect the others choices, which goes first???

Example:

What if you have DESOLID and an RKA, and your opponent decides to go desolid?

1) If the RKA goes off first it hits before the target can go desolid. Thus he is affected.

2) If the target goes Desolid and the RKA hits, it passes right through him as he laughs his head off. He could then turn it off and attack to his hearts content.

3) If he goes desolid first, then you can follow with your

desolid and can attack and affect him.

This is just one small example but it does illustrate the fact that when 2 people react at the same exact time you can have an almost unresolvable paradox.

[JohnTaber]

Hi Savant: In those specific cases we go back to the dice. John T>

[zornwil]

Simultaneous actions is one of my favorite subjects and sometimes one of my players' least favorites. Well, not really, they've seen it work both for and against them.

 

Basically I have ALL actions in a segment be simultaneous, exceptions being "I wait for so-and-so" as a reaction thing. But I do call out in DEX order for convenience as everyone can't talk at once. So basically what this really translates to is that in terms of purely offensive maneuvers, all parties get their's off, even if they were hit, ie, they take their attack as if they were still standing because, in my view, they were still standing when the actions started.

 

People have posted the troubling aspects of this. For defensive manuevers, characters just have to make a DEX roll to get their defense up before an attack comes in. For heroic actions I will allow DEX vs DEX rolls or sometimes just DEX rolls, depending a bit on the opponents' intent. In a situation where a villain is intent on destroying a target and someone wants to shoot the villain before the villain can get a round off, I'd generally go DEX-DEX. However, I bend that for dramatic life-saving purposes and if it comes down to that I will usually just let the PC make a DEX roll period to get their action in "on time". I do rule case by case, weighing both "reality" as well as dramatic/gaming purposes.

 

The other issue of course is decision-making. Usually I'll indicate if someone looks like they're pointing and firing if it helps the PCs make their decision in that game-time split second. I try to plan the villains' actions according to what they perceive/see/hear.

 

Bluff could be very useful and I'll admit until recently when reading M&M I hadn't thought about incorporating that but I intend to, with PER or Combat Sense or some-such being ways to counter bluffs.