Alternatives to Iterative Attacks

[rogueboy]

Because of how severely combat gets bogged down at higher levels, due in no small part (though not entirely) to iterative attacks, I am looking for alternatives, without drawing out combats unnecessarily (which would happen if iterative attacks were simply removed). This becomes even more pronounced if you have a player (such as several in my normal group) who are a little slow with the math for attacks and/or damage. I am hoping to avoid having to completely rebalance hit points, which is why I was thinking of increasing damage with a successful attack, though I am less sure of how much. A thought that occurred to me recently (I've been thinking about this for a couple days) is to do something with increasing the frequency/effects of critical hits.

Anyone have any thoughts as to how to remove iterative attacks without reducing the power level of physical combatants (melee and/or ranged)? Additionally, it leaves the question of how off-hand attacks and feats like Rapid Shot would play into this new system of attacks...

 

[Raduin711]

I don't know how this compares to iterative attacks, but maybe you could base all iterative attacks off of a single die roll. Figure out the highest attack first, confirm hit, subtract five, confirm hit, subtract five, etc. A natural 20 would be a crit on the first hit only, and just be considered a roll of 20 on the rest.

 

[Andre]

I've seen at least two approaches to this.

The one my own group used was to eliminate iterative attacks altogether, but add BAB to damage. Someone a while back performed a rather detailed analysis that showed that 1/2 BAB actually worked out closer to average damage rates, but I find + BAB to be easier to remember, and a few points of extra damage won't unbalance anything.

We liked that this was very simple, something that could be added to character sheet so no additional math was required at the table, and it eliminated the Full Attack action, which could get pretty boring. Since we also eliminated attacks of opportunity for movement, the two changes combined allowed more mobility in combat.

The other approach was to treat Full Attack more like Flurry of Blows. The character can make one attack at full BAB, as a standard action. Or as a full-round action, the character can make multiple attacks (up to the limit from their BAB), with a negative modifier to all of the attacks. I don't remember what modifier was recommended...-3, -5, something like that. Fairly simple to remember, but it will make those 3rd and 4th iterative attacks more likely to hit, and first attack less likely, so it may skew damage numbers a bit.

 

[GlassEye]

This thread has a very nice alternative to iterative attacks based on the flurry of blows approach that Andre mentioned.