Is this question about visualizing combat Stackable?

Question

Can I ask this question without it getting closed? If it will get closed, is there some way to ask the question WITHOUT getting it closed?

How to speed up combat by helping players to visualize the scene?

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We play D&D 5e over Discord, using voice and chat channels, and use D&D Beyond for character sheets and most die-rolling.

It generally works great, but sometimes combats lag, reasons for which the GM and I have discussed privately. There are numerous factors, some of which may be discussed with the group as a whole.

One issue, though, is that players clearly have problems visualizing the combat, with who is where, and frequently ask questions about the general scene. ("How far away did you say they were?") Some of that is probably unavoidable, but perhaps there are ways to help players visualize things that will help speed up combat.

We specifically don't want to get super-tactical. We've tried using Roll20 to host combat maps and icons, and things slow down even more, as we get very fiddly with measurements and such, plus it requires more prep than the GM wants to do.

A possible solution might be some sort of shared electronic whiteboard that would allow the GM quickly draw diagrams, perhaps of the general battlefield. Back when we played in person sometimes sketching on a physical whiteboard was a quick way to communicate without descending into grid-based measurement.

That might not be the only solution, so I want to keep the question open-ended.

My question is, have you had this problem and how did you solve it?

dnd-5ecombatpacinggm-techniquestheatre-of-the-mind

Answer 1

We have handled numerous questions of this type before, and this is a good example of a pacing question.

As I am writing this, the pacing tag has fifty questions in it. Reading through some of those, your question is a actually a good representative of this type of question. First, you present a concrete problem that I'm sure most of us can relate to:

combats lag

Then, you have done the necessary retrospection to identify what the root cause is likely to be:

One issue, though, is that players clearly have problems visualizing the combat, with who is where, and frequently ask questions about the general scene. ("How far away did you say they were?") Some of that is probably unavoidable, but perhaps there are ways to help players visualize things that will help speed up combat.

You provide numerous helpful details, including:

• Medium (Discord voice and text chat, DND Beyond character sheets)
• Play-style ("We specifically don't want to get super-tactical.")
• A potential solution you have considered

All these things together make for a great question. You have a concrete problem, you have made helpful observations about what is causing that problem, and you have thought about how you might solve it, but you have avoided the XY-Problem by describing your concrete problem rather than asking "what's a good online white board".

Finally, to be a bit cheeky, you obviously can ask this question without it getting closed, evidenced by the question being not closed.