Halving Health and Doubling Damage

[Spibb]

I've been looking into ways to speed up encounters and there seems to be some talk about halving the health of NPC's so they go down quicker but doubling their damage so they're still lethal.

Has anyone used this method of making encounters shorter? If so, how well did it work? I'm afraid it might reduce the encounter to a battle of initiative too much in that if the players go first they'll be able to take out at least 1 if not more mobs but if the mobs go first they might be able to take out a player.

 

[OnlineDM]

I've stuck with using monsters from Monster Manual 3 or later books (Dark Sun Creature Catalog, Monster Vault, Monster Vault Threats to the Nentir Value) and other monsters based on the same math, and I've been pretty happy with things.

Literally doubling damage and halving health would certainly speed up combat, but it would be very swingy. If that's what you're looking for in your combats, give it a try! For me, it's too random.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I agree with uysing hte newer books. If I were changing htings move, 50% and doubling is too much. Ass a dice to all damages, and drop hit points by half or so would be as far as I would like to go.

Doubling damage could make a crit very obscene.

And with new monster books it is already pretty easy to kill characters with the right monsters.

I have thought a good way to speed up combat is to drop the number of creatures, but to half the chqaracter's number of surges, or even lower.

 

[S'mon]

I halve all monster hit points, and this works well - if a 'named' NPC works out too weak I can make him an Elite, bumping up his hit points, increasing damage and giving him an AP.

I do not recommend doubling monster damage across the board, this will result in excessively swingy combat and overly frequent PC death. Better alternatives IME are:

1. Be sure to use MM3+ monster damage of 8+Level base, +25% brute, +25% to +50% for limited use attacks, etc. Upgrade underpowered monsters to this standard.

2. Use more monsters; it's better to double the number of monsters than to double the damage output of individual monsters. The more attacks you roll, the less likely it is that they will all hit.

3. If necessary, use more higher level monsters and more elites. Don't go overboard, though.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Another way to quicken combats is to end the fight before the enemies are at zero hit points by having the enemies surrender or flee. Unless the enemies are mindless automatons or fanatical zealots they'll have a desire for self preservation. If the battle has gotten to the point where the outcome has been decided, let the enemies flee or surrender. It's more realistic, it can provide good roleplaying opportunities (if you take prisoners), and it speeds things up considerably.

 

[SpydersWebbing]

I used to use that rule, and boy was it... interesting. The Assassin class all of a sudden became God Incarnate, because most things went down in a single hit, regardless. Of course, the assassin usually went down in one hit as well. Assuming I could find him. Anyway.

Yes, it's a good house rule.

 

[fuzzlewump]

It makes fights feel more realistic and interesting, but I never faced the inherent downside of characters possibly getting killed within a turn from two hits. If that happened, my players probably would have been singing a different tune.

As far as balance, damage seems to be king, but on the other hand if a controller keeps a monster from attacking, that is twice as good as in regular 4e. Leaders can pick up a character who only dropped because of the double damage rule.

I used this rule in a lower level game before mm3 came out, so I'm sure if the double damage on the newly empowered monsters is overpowering or not. Good luck, in any case.

 

[OnlineDM]

Another way to quicken combats is to end the fight before the enemies are at zero hit points by having the enemies surrender or flee. Unless the enemies are mindless automatons or fanatical zealots they'll have a desire for self preservation. If the battle has gotten to the point where the outcome has been decided, let the enemies flee or surrender. It's more realistic, it can provide good roleplaying opportunities (if you take prisoners), and it speeds things up considerably.

I agree that this is a potentially good way to speed up combats. A word of caution, though: In my experience, players are loathe to let enemies escape. If bad guys try to flee, Operation: After Them! begins.

Surrender is better, but then my players have to debate about what to do with the prisoners, and sometimes those debates take longer than the last round or two of combat would have. Sigh.

 

[Klaus]

I've stuck with using monsters from Monster Manual 3 or later books (Dark Sun Creature Catalog, Monster Vault, Monster Vault Threats to the Nentir Value) and other monsters based on the same math, and I've been pretty happy with things.

Literally doubling damage and halving health would certainly speed up combat, but it would be very swingy. If that's what you're looking for in your combats, give it a try! For me, it's too random.

Don't forget that Wizards is putting up Monster Manual Updates for free in the D&D site. Shambling Mounds, Satyrs, Chuuls, Chokers, among others, were already updated.

 

[Klaus]

I've stuck with using monsters from Monster Manual 3 or later books (Dark Sun Creature Catalog, Monster Vault, Monster Vault Threats to the Nentir Value) and other monsters based on the same math, and I've been pretty happy with things.

Literally doubling damage and halving health would certainly speed up combat, but it would be very swingy. If that's what you're looking for in your combats, give it a try! For me, it's too random.

Don't forget that Wizards is putting up Monster Manual Updates for free in the D&D site. Shambling Mounds, Satyrs, Chuuls, Chokers, among others, were already updated.