D&D 5E Speeding Up Combat

[Azurewraith]

Yes, but less combat means quicker combats (for example if the monsters are less combatative and give up sooner).

True I wasn't on the same train of thought with you. I was thinking of combat as in encounters as opposed to the combat inside.

 

[robus]

Back on topic, does the OP want less combat or fewer combats? Or that monsters are less monstrous with fewer hit points?

The OP seems to have characters that are plinking at monsters with pea-shooters. A 100 HP monster is taking ages to kill which implies that the characters are doing less than 5 hp of damage each turn? Seems like a mismatch - though how the monster isn't eating the characters for breakfast I don't know. There's a lot more information needed from the OP, TBH.

 

[iserith]

[MENTION=18333]Rhenny[/MENTION] mentioned a simple solution to this upthread: Make winning a factor of something other than (or as an alternative to) reducing Team Monster's hit points to zero.

 

[BoldItalic]

The PCs are killing the monsters gently? Playing with them, like a cat playing with a mouse? That's really evil. If you are going to kill a monster, it's much more humane to grant it a quick and merciful end.

 

[Eejit]

A quicker wombat would be scarily like a drop-bear, I'm opposed.

 

[ProphetSword]

I'm looking for mechanical options that might speed up the time it takes to get through combats. The issue is not how long the players take on their turns. The issue is not looking up rules. The issue is not the battlefield grid we use or the miniatures and how they move. The issue is not tracking initiative. The issue is not the number of combats per game session. I have received lots of advice about these issues. As I stated previously, it's all great advice but doesn't help, as these are all things that have already been streamlined.

I think the issue is that the party (made up of an evocation wizard, a cleric of war, a gnomish warlock and a paladin of vengeance) could be falling behind in their damage dealing somehow. They don't hold back their big attacks, so I know it's not a matter of them only poking enemies with cantrips (though the warlock does use cantrips frequently, but I think that's to be expected). There are plenty of evocation spells flying about, smites going off and the cleric of war splitting his time between cleaving things with his sword and inflicting wounds upon enemies.

A recent battle had them squaring off against two shambling mounds (around 136 hit points apiece) and a cleric of Moander (who had about 70 hit points). This battle somehow took around an hour. This isn't even a big boss battle or anything (the group is attempting to fight their way into the Pit of Moander in the Ruins of Yulash in the Forgotten Realms). And it wasn't due to the fire resistance of the shambling mounds, as the evocation wizard has the ability to bypass it completely. So, I'm just confused.

The battles don't always take forever, though. I threw lower level enemies at them prior to them entering Yulash. They obliterated the opposition in the first round before the enemies even went. Combat over in less than five minutes. So, it's quite jarring to go from five to ten minute combats to things that can take over an hour due to hit point inflation.

I mean, I expect there to be some increase in time, but not that much. So, any mechanical advice on how I can keep things up to speed while still keeping the dangerous enemies deadly?

 

[robus]

A recent battle had them squaring off against two shambling mounds (around 136 hit points apiece) and a cleric of Moander (who had about 70 hit points). This battle somehow took around an hour. This isn't even a big boss battle or anything (the group is attempting to fight their way into the Pit of Moander in the Ruins of Yulash in the Forgotten Realms). And it wasn't due to the fire resistance of the shambling mounds, as the evocation wizard has the ability to bypass it completely. So, I'm just confused.

Can you give us any idea of the average damage per turn being dished out by your PCs? What level are they? What's the CR of the encounter you're giving them? If the rounds are going by quickly how are the PCs avoiding taking a ton of damage from the monsters?

 

[Sacrosanct]

[MENTION=18333]Rhenny[/MENTION] mentioned a simple solution to this upthread: Make winning a factor of something other than (or as an alternative to) reducing Team Monster's hit points to zero.

It usually is. Monsters have a sense of self preservation as well. I would think many monsters wouldn't keep fighting until dead if their allies are dying around them and they have no chance of winning. Having monsters flee or surrender instead of slogging through those few extra rounds for the inevitable would probably speed things up a bit

 

[iserith]

It usually is. Monsters have a sense of self preservation as well. I would think many monsters wouldn't keep fighting until dead if their allies are dying around them and they have no chance of winning. Having monsters flee or surrender instead of slogging through those few extra rounds for the inevitable would probably speed things up a bit

Many players would rather grind it out than take prisoners or let a monster go. These two results often end up being more annoying or harmful than killing them outright. For it to work well, I think the DM needs to make some assurances that it won't go like that. (Or just say "Okay, the fight continues to unfold until the monsters' meet their certain doom. Now what do you do?")

 

[NotActuallyTim]

I think the issue is that the party (made up of an evocation wizard, a cleric of war, a gnomish warlock and a paladin of vengeance) could be falling behind in their damage dealing somehow. They don't hold back their big attacks, so I know it's not a matter of them only poking enemies with cantrips (though the warlock does use cantrips frequently, but I think that's to be expected). There are plenty of evocation spells flying about, smites going off and the cleric of war splitting his time between cleaving things with his sword and inflicting wounds upon enemies.

Huh. So even with a Vengeanceadin and and a Warlock they're not dishing out the deeps?

Try giving them magic items that increase either increase attack damage or have an instant kill effect built in. Or increase the party action economy with a Horn of Valhalla.