What's your opinion? Yeah, or nay?
Only in certain games?

Or should someone always get the attack of opportunity any time any fucker starts up with all this exposition crap?

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We've had dying speeches, but never in the middle of combat.

yeah, i'm totally all for it, but absolutely not during combat.  those are the kind of things you hear after the battle when the fallen hero has his head propped up on the cleric/medic's lap and is sputtering blood and gonna-get-his-say.

i think we all know from movies and literature that you DO NOT INTERRUPT A SWEETASS FIGHT for that stuff.

Quote from: RPGPunditWhat's your opinion? Yeah, or nay?
Only in certain games?

Or should someone always get the attack of opportunity any time any fucker starts up with all this exposition crap?

RPGPundit

I can see it working well in supers, and in certain other games*, within reason**. Otherwise, mowing the character - and if necessary the player - down mercilessly may be the kindest option.  

*What comes to mind immediately are Dying Earth and Anime games.

**meaning a sentence or so. If the last word is 'rosebud,' however, I reserve the right to peel off a 1 inch wide strip of skin from the top of the player's head to the soles of his or her feet.

-clash

It depends on the sort of game.  If it's heroic and/or cinematic, then it can add to the fun.

I've also given the recently dead an immediate full round of action to do whatever they want with the limitation that they're still dead at the end of that time - they're beyond the reach of healing potions and the like.  It allows players to do the sort of heroic things that they wouldn't risk when survival is still in question.

But this also depends on how they died.  If a building fell on them and they're now ooze, it's hard to fit in.  But if they've merely been shot a dozen times, then it's ok.

If it's appropriate or necessary to impart information, then yes after combat.  Most of the time, however, I try to keep such scenes to a minimum.

Quote from: kregmosieryeah, i'm totally all for it, but absolutely not during combat.  those are the kind of things you hear after the battle when the fallen hero has his head propped up on the cleric/medic's lap and is sputtering blood and gonna-get-his-say.

i think we all know from movies and literature that you DO NOT INTERRUPT A SWEETASS FIGHT for that stuff.

I heartily endorse this position.

This is weird, but my post assumed artificially pausing the scene as mentioned in the thread title. All the other respondents so far are saying "yes but not during combat." THIS AMOUNTS TO THE SAME THING! It just looks like I'm saying something different.

-clash

I heartily approve, but only in certain situations.

I've only ever done it once during a combat, but the results were worth it as the players were pretty shaken up and jumpy for a couple of sessions afterwards.

They had been tracking down a bad guy for a few game sessions. This guy, although not the big bad or the party nemisis, was of middling importance as a henchman to the big bad, so it was worth the PCs efforts to track him down.

Anyhow, they finally do and a climactic battle takes place where there's a bit of villain/PC savage fighting. It nearly went to the wire and finally the party Priest lands the killing blow. The villain slumps forward into the Priest's arms and mutters "This is just the beginning you know."

The players were agonising over the meaning of that for ages. Was death just the beginning for the baddy? Was the big bad's plan just the beginning? Were the PCs problems just beginning?

Strangely, that had a greater effect on my players than other much more orchestrated efforts by me to spoook them. *shrug*

Um people can talk and fight. Just watch Errol Flynn sometime!

Or the duels in Princess Bride. (Dread Pirate vs Inigo, Inigo vs the 6 fingered Man)


And of course people don't ALWAYS die quickly when they get to "0 Wounds/0 HP/Death Status" equivilents---they will be dead "soon" but short of decapitating them they may talk until they bleed out. (And even decapitating may just stop the sound--not the attempt to speak, for the few moments before the brain dies.)
But for Fantasy games, superhero games, or other "archvillain" capable genres (say James Bondish espionage) then yes of course--not only should the game pause, but it should be mentioned that players WILL* pause for the big speeches--and they can have them too.


* Such as 0 Xp for the scene/adventure because the player VIOLATED their  role as a participent in that particular genre. I would also probably reverse it in a action movie that kicks those cinematic aspects/tropes in the head--a PC who doesn't shoot in the middle of the big bad's monologue. (Example: Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series) I fully feel if (a) player doesn't want to play in genre then they shouldn't participate in the game set in that genre.

Quote from: SilverlionUm people can talk and fight. Just watch Errol Flynn sometime!

Or the duels in Princess Bride. (Dread Pirate vs Inigo, Inigo vs the 6 fingered Man)

Exchanging witty banter and expositional monologuing are hardly the same phenomenon.  I don't disagree with the rest of your post, yet at the same time I can't help but think Tuco's advice applies to most combats: When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

Villains keep diaries so that the PCs can learn all about their plans without enduring a death's bed monologue.

Quote from: mearlsVillains keep diaries so that the PCs can learn all about their plans without enduring a death's bed monologue.

Not all last words are created equal.  The entire denouement of Return of the Jedi was set up by Vader's deathbed speechifying.  Fully one third of Hokuto no Ken's dialog is between a dying villain/hero and the main character.

Anyone who wants to shut up a dying BBEG can just coup de grace the dude.  No biggie.

Dying monologues mostly are boring. I prefer the "Last World Before The Knights Charges Into Glorious Dead" or the "NOOOOOOO" as the evil overlord plummets into the everlasting pit of nefarious doom...

Then again: "More light!", "I love you Hardy", "Either the wallpaper goes or I do", "Friends applaud, the comedy is finished", "Josephine...", "All is lost. Monks, monks, monks!", "Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something." etc.
Much better than long monologues or last wills...

There are two issues with the "dying pause". If you do it in the middle of combat, your less emulation-minded players might say "why can't I just strike him dead while he's standing there talking???".
If it happens after, especially if its to a PC, they'll say "why can't I heal him?".

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