How to Resolve an Asynchronous RPG Round Without Leaving Late Posters Behind
When players post at different times, resolve the round with a clear deadline, a shared action window and a predictable procedure for missing declarations. Tell everyone what the scene demands, let players submit actions without waiting for one another, then resolve the round in the game’s required order. A late post should enter at the next fair decision point, rather than silently changing an outcome already established. This keeps the fiction moving while giving every player a known way to take part.
Why serial turn order can stall a play-by-post round
In a live game, a player may wait a few minutes for their initiative turn. In an asynchronous game, the same sequence can stretch across several days: players wait for other players, then the GM, then the next player in the order. RPG.net’s play-by-post advice describes this bottleneck and compares approaches such as side-based turns, simultaneous declarations, general orders and posting deadlines. It also recommends agreeing on the initiative procedure before play begins, because changing how initiative works can affect players’ expectations and character choices. “Words on a Screen #6: Lights, Camera, Action”
A round procedure should answer three practical questions: what counts as a complete declaration, when the GM resolves it, and what happens if someone misses the window. If players have to guess, the fastest posters may control the scene by default, while slower posters may find their characters’ opportunities have already passed. The procedure below makes those decisions visible ahead of time.
Choose a resolution method that fits the game’s rules
Start with the rules for the system you are playing. If it requires individual initiative and sequential turns, keep the order unless the group agrees to a change. You can reduce waiting by asking everyone to submit a brief action plan before the round begins, then resolving those actions in initiative order once declarations are in. The player does not need to wait for the preceding character’s post to state their intention, but the GM still applies any consequences that change what can happen next.
For a system that permits group or simultaneous actions, use a shared declaration window: each player posts an intention by the deadline, and the GM resolves the actions together or in an announced order. A side-based procedure—players act, then the opposition acts—can shorten waits, but it may change the role of individual initiative bonuses. That is a house procedure, not a universal rule, so explain the trade-off and get agreement before the first round.
A narrative game may already allow the group to shift focus without treating initiative as a queue. For example, the official Ironsworn page describes the game as supporting guided, co-op and solo play, with co-op play designed for friends to overcome challenges without a GM. That description alone does not define a play-by-post procedure; use the game’s rulebook for its actual move and initiative rules, then decide how the group will handle posting windows. Ironsworn by Shawn Tomkin
Set a response window and a clear cutoff
Pick a deadline that fits the group’s agreed pace. It might be a daily check-in, a certain number of hours after the GM posts, or a named calendar time. There is no single best interval: a group spread across time zones or with irregular schedules may need a longer window than a group that checks in several times a day. State the time zone and what counts as the cutoff, such as “by 20:00 UTC on Thursday.”
At the start of a round, post the scene state, the deadline and the information players need to act. For example: “The clockwork heron blocks the bridge while the ferry rope frays. Post one action and any required roll by Thursday 20:00 UTC. You may state a fallback if the rope has already snapped.” A usable declaration says what the character attempts and, when relevant, what they are trying to achieve. D&D Beyond’s play-by-post guide notes that written actions benefit from clear, descriptive language and shows players asking out-of-character questions when they need to check whether an action is acceptable. “Play-by-Post: Playing Dungeons & Dragons in PbP Forums and Discord”
Resolve late posts without rewriting settled events
Use a simple cutoff rule: before the deadline, a player may update their action; after the deadline, the GM resolves the declared actions and advances the fiction. If a player posts after resolution, treat that post as an action for the next decision point, unless the rules or the group’s announced procedure allow the current round to reopen. This prevents a late declaration from retroactively changing another player’s result or an already described event.
Make a limited exception when the player’s action depends on a fact the GM has not yet revealed. The player may have posted on time but need clarification—for instance, whether the bridge is within a character’s reach. Answer the question and give that player a short, consistent opportunity to complete the declaration. Do not treat a request for essential information as a missed turn.
When a player has not posted by the cutoff, use the fallback the group agreed on. Options include having the character hold position, take a simple defensive action if the rules allow it, or remain out of that round’s resolution. Avoid choosing a consequential action on the player’s behalf unless the player has explicitly supplied a standing instruction. A missed post is a scheduling event; the procedure should not invent the character’s intentions.
Use conditional actions to handle changing scenes
Conditional actions are short plans for a likely change in circumstances. They help the GM resolve a round without waiting for every player to react to every other post. Keep them narrow and easy to adjudicate: “If the gate is still open when my turn resolves, I sprint through; otherwise I help Mara brace it.” The GM should honor the stated condition, apply the game’s rules and ask for a new choice when events make the plan unusable.
For example, suppose Niko posts, “I pull the bell rope to distract the griffin; if it has already turned toward the tower, I duck behind the stone trough.” Lysa posts that she is crossing the courtyard, while Oren misses the deadline. If the system uses individual initiative, the GM resolves Niko and Lysa in the required order and applies the scene’s changing facts as they occur. Oren’s character follows the group’s announced fallback for this round. When Oren returns, the GM gives them the current scene and a fresh opportunity to act.
Do not ask for elaborate branching scripts. A player cannot anticipate every possible outcome, and long conditional plans make resolution harder to read. One fallback is usually enough; if the situation changes in a way that demands a genuinely new decision, pause at that decision point and give the affected player a chance to respond.
Keep a compact round record
After resolving the round, post a short record that separates established facts from open choices. Note which actions resolved, what changed in the scene, any relevant resource or condition updates, and the next deadline. In a rules-heavy game, track the mechanical state in the shared character sheets or agreed record as well as in the fiction. In a lighter narrative game, a few sentences may be enough.
For example: “The bell draws the griffin toward the courtyard. Lysa reaches the archway but has not crossed it. The rope is now loose; the bridge remains passable for one more crossing. Oren held position this round. Post the next action by Saturday 20:00 UTC.” This recap gives a player returning late a reliable point to rejoin from, without requiring them to reconstruct the result from a long chain of posts.
Agree on exceptions before a deadline is missed
Before play begins, agree on the normal response window, the resolution method, the missed-post fallback and how players can signal that they need more time. Also decide whether the GM will send reminders, whether a player may nominate a simple default action, and how the group handles a post arriving while the GM is resolving the round. Write the procedure somewhere everyone can find it.
Treat the procedure as adjustable. If the group repeatedly reaches the cutoff with unresolved declarations, lengthen the window or simplify what players need to submit. If the story often pauses while everyone waits, consider collecting actions together and resolving them in batches—provided that suits the system and the players. Play-by-post games commonly run asynchronously, with players contributing on different schedules; a published StartPlaying help article describes that format and its flexible pacing. The exact schedule remains a group decision. “What is Play by Post?”
A fair round is not one in which every player posts at the same speed. It is one in which everyone knows when to act, how the GM will use their declaration, and where a late post fits. Keep the rules intact where timing affects outcomes, collect actions in a predictable window, and make the current scene easy to re-enter. That gives the fiction room to move without making a player’s posting speed the hidden turn mechanic.