Advice from GMs Requested

[Daern]

Hey ya'll. I'm a newcomer to Rob's campaign but an old hand at D&D. Rob has some great ideas, and I've definitely been wanting to explore more in his campaign world!
Wolverhampton the 7th Wanderer will regain his keep!

Some of my ideas are summed up in my lil blog: Neradia, where I wrote up some skirmish and combat challenge rules based on inspiration from and ENworld thread.

Other ideas:
Definitely lower HPs/higher dmg
Egg timer/ hourglass: sometimes hard to remember, but it helps. I used to offer 50XP for a less than one minute turn.
Less options: tactically and storywise. This is a conversation we had the other day, but greater speed is possible with less choices. I'll elaborate more later I guess.
oh, and AD&D3

 

[Crazy Jerome]

We use no battlemat more often than we do. We do use it some. My standard answer to how to make it work in any game is to use it some, but when you do, act as if you don't have it.

That is, don't get bogged down in the details of the system mechanics and the grid, but rather focus on what people want to accomplish and how they are going about it. The grid is supposed to be a tool to aid you in telling a good story, not something that imposes its will upon the table. (OTOH, if you really want the details of the system mechanics to impose hoops that people jump through for fun, as with a difficult puzzle, then you want the grid, and shouldn't even think about not using it.)

Grid Tactical Thinking: A fighter uses some power that smacks a goblin and sends it sprawling 2 squares. The player studies the board, and realizes that if he sends the goblin northwest next to the wizard, the rogue will be able to get into a flanking position, and most likely finish the goblin off, given the smack the fighter just gave him, and previous damage. Sure, the wizard might suffer an OA if this gambit doesn't work, but nothing ventured, nothing gained ...

No Grid Tactical Thinking: Player knows (from establish fiction thus far) that there are some injured goblins within reach, the wizard is close, and the rogue is a little further off. He asks if he can smack one to put it into reach of the rogue to set up a flank. The GM thinks about this for 3 seconds, and realizes that this is a reasonable action. The player announces his power use and what he intends ...

All that was really lost was the detail of exactly which goblin, and the risk of the wizard being in the mix. But what exactly was lost? The wizard is established in the midst of some goblins. it's something he has to consider when he goes. As for which goblin, if you are playing this way, the chaotic melee of screaming goblins running around and it being hard to hit the exact one you intend ... is a feature, not a bug.

As for the GM taking 3 seconds to decide this, consider it from a holistic perspective, instead of trying to visualize the grid. Likely, the rogue has decent speed. There are multiple goblins. Can you even set up this situation on a grid such that there is not a single goblin the fighter can hit and send 10 feet, with no location next to the fighter or wizard such that the rogue can easily flank? Maybe, if you really work at it. But the chances of that actually happening in play are remote.

Play this way awhile with a grid, and it will get easy to drop it when you want.

 

[malraux]

In my game a few days ago, the bad guy has a shield of pure ego around him and he can't be damaged until the PCs insult him enough, using diplomacy checks to tear apart his self-image. Meanwhile, they're fighting his minions. That might actually combine all three of your goals.

Why were your characters fighting William Shatner?

 

[BobTheNob]

We have a combat heavy campaign. To those people who knock of combat in an hour, whats your trick? We have a level 21 party defending a castle wall against demons spewing from the abyss. Its taking a while given character sheets are all 4-5 pages long. We have an excellent software setup which speeds things considerably and given pin-point accuracy of what is going on, but still...1 hour for combat? Nah

That said, the interest value for me comes in 2 forms
1) Interesting encounters
2) Storyline

The first is a given.

The second has proven the one that has pushed our campaign into real interest value. This party started at level 1 stomping kobolds. The campaign has evolved for 2 years and now they are, at Pelors behest, defending castle walls of the last stronghold on a fallen world from the chaotic armies of an angel (I know that sounds a little weird, but its an angel that betrayed his former master and switched sides to the primoridals during the dawn war) that has possessed their former apprentice.

The players are epic, and the campaign genuinely reflects that they have a place in the scheme of creation. I treat the experience as their character integration into an unfolding story in which they are the protagonists.

The combat is interesting, but its the story that keeps em coming back.

 

[LostSoul]

I haven't used a battlemap in some time. I have a custom system for dealing with combat that tends to speed things up, but it has some quirks - such as resolving actions round-by-round instead of turn-by-turn.

The last combat we ran through lasted a few hours, but it included 5 PCs + 1 Henchman vs. :
Kalarel (8th level elite controller)
Balgron the Fat (4th level lurker)
2 corruption corpses
1 dark creeper
8 zombies
1 goblin hexer
1 goblin sharpshooter
5 goblin warriors
1 hobgoblin archer
1 hobgoblin warcaster
3 hobgoblin soldiers
5 skeletons
4 gravehounds

40 combatants in a battle that lasted ~3 hours isn't so bad. Combats with fewer combatants tend to go by pretty quickly; the average encounter takes about 10-20 minutes, some being 5 minutes.

The system tends to generate a lot of "RP" based on how players describe their actions. I use a different skill system and allow PCs who draw on their skills to get a bonus to their attack roll, if that skill applies. I also detail some other ways to get bonuses, based on fictional details (being in a shield wall adds to AC, attacking a guy who's bent over at the waist gives a bonus to the attack roll, someone who's out of position and in no way to defend themselves can be maimed - like the dragonborn who got an arrow in the eye last session).

I also reduce HP by ~2.25 and don't use damage rolls.

 

[babinro]

This does seem like an abnormally long time frame to play with only one encounter. Of course, if RP takes up half the session, then 3 hours with one battle is a bit more understandable.

In my experience, I find heroic tier battles to average around 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Paragon tier is closer to 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Epic tier to be about 1-2 hours. Higher epic can really throw off those numbers given the high quantity of daze/stun/restrain conditions potentially negating several turns in a row.

Easily the quickest means of speeding up combat in my experience has been creating a custom quick reference character sheet devoted to combat. Make all powers one to two lines of text at most, and put all the actual numbers in them.

Examples:

At-Will:
Leading Strike (std): Melee: +20 vs AC: 1d12+13. One ally adj to you or the target adds +6 power bonus to dam roll.
Radiant Vengeance (std): Ranged 10: +18 vs Reflex: 1d8+9 radiant and you gain 6 temp hp.

Encounter:
<Chan Divinity> Abjure Undead: (std): Close Burst 5: Target 1 Undead: +18 vs Will: 6d10+12 radiant, pull 7 and Immobile till EomNT - (Short for End of my Next Turn).

Daily:
Soul Lightning: (Std): Ranged 5: +18 vs Will: 3d10+9 psychic and ong 10 lightning (sv end). Miss: 1/2 dam and ong 5 lightning (sv end).
Effect: When target takes ong lightning, enemies within 2 take same amount of damage.


Quick reference common items on the page as well. Example)

AC: 20 Fort: 18 Reflex: 17 (19 if bloodied) Will: 15
HP: 40 (20 Bloodied, 10 Surge): <Resist 5: Fire, Lightning, Acid. Resist 10: Necrotic>

Conditionals: +4 damage to bloodied foes, +2d8 sneak attack vs CA, +1 attack rolls on at-wills when creature is alone.

The purpose of the conditionals section is to quick reference certain combat oriented class traits and magical items without spending the time to read each item individually. In doing a sheet like this, you save a ton of time during combat. You want to keep a formal character builder sheet on hand with the powers in case there's a rules dispute or the like so you can access the formal wording of powers and their kickers.


This combat with other tactics such as reduced enemy hp, or granting PC's encounter powers after accomplishing combat goals help speed up combats particularly when the become at-will oriented. Running monsters of PC level or lower is a great idea. If you want to run higher level monsters, modify their hp to that of the equal level monster, but run damage values and defenses of that larger creature.

 

[Kzach]

After nine-months of playing, I'm guessing you all are very familiar with the rules to the point where you don't need to look most stuff up.

I would suggest using this to your advantage. It sounds as if you do a lot of prep before a game and come to the table with a set encounter and roleplaying opportunity planned out. With such planning comes repetition and a feeling of staleness.

Therefore, I recommend doing what I do before a game. This is sort-of a process that follows the basic guidelines set out below:

1) Think of the players and their characters: I try to think of what each player enjoys in the game and what they get out of it through their character. Sometimes I can't cater to each person every session, but I do try.

2) Think of the story and where it could POSSIBLY go, not where it HAS to go: I try to think up scenarios with multiple possible paths it can follow. I try to put myself in the mind-set of the NPC and think what it is they would do in various situations. These are all very generic thoughts that give me a basic frame-work to draw from at a moment's notice.

3) Think up clues and puzzles and rhymes and riddles and bait to lure the players (and their PC's) through the story and on to the next chapter. Again, I try to think up a bunch of possible hooks without settling on anything in particular. I'm just looking to give myself the basic material I need so that when the time comes, I have something to work with rather than nothing.

These three things help immensely with running sessions 'on the fly'. By giving myself a basis to work from, a frame-work of ideas and images to draw on, I'm rarely left stuck in the moment. The ideas might only be blobs at the time of conception, but at least it's something that when I need it, it's there to shape and coerce into being. This works for everything from traps to NPC catch-phrases.

Another good thing to do is read a lot. Reading lots of RPG material or watching fantasy movies or reading fantasy books, gives you lots of things to draw on when you're stuck. I blatantly rip-off everything I read for my games. After all, originality is unimportant in a game, only fun matters. If a module has an awesome trap in it, or a really cool villain, or some sort of scenario, then why the hell not use it?

The other thing to do is to promote player interaction. There's nothing worse than a group of duds who look to you to move everything forward. You want to reward players who TRY stuff, whether it succeeds or not, the important thing is that they were actively attempting to find a solution to whatever problem existed. I hate, HATE, HATE, players who sit silently in a corner and do nothing all session until poked or prodded. I'm there to play a game with people, not furniture.

If you can react and interact with your players and they do the same with you as the GM, then sessions will never be the same twice. One session might entirely go by as roleplaying, another as skill challenges, another as combat, and another as all three or any combination. In fact, you'll probably forget which they were because the mechanics will take a back-seat to the flow and fun of the game. Running sessions 'on the fly' is all about working with your players to write, produce, act, direct and film the story of your game.

 

[Daern]

I love these threads the most. Theres always some new little bit I glean. The point above about the grid resonates with me. A lot of slow play in combat seems to come not from lack of rules knowledge but too much, with players second guessin each other. No grid eleminates that. My skirmish rules do that. Hopefully they work.

Heres the thread my skirmish rules were inspired by http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan-creations-house-rules/294627-30-minute-skirmish.html

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I've found gridless combat can also end up being slower. Especially in more complicated scenarios each player tends to imagine things somewhat differently. In theory it is faster simply because most tactical considerations are either obvious or not apparent at all, thus choices are often simpler, but then you find out there isn't A map of the situation, but 5 of them, all different. lol.

Make very dynamic encounter areas. You'll be surprised how the PCs take the bait. Make the crazy things they do fun and give them fairly high damage outputs as well. I firmly believe monsters have a good chunk of hit points mainly because if you give the players enough tools, they'll figure out ways to kill them horribly, and fast.

That being said a grid is a waste for a small encounter. I have been a bit remiss lately on this, but putting in a lot of fun little run-ins with a couple monsters is good for creating tension. Just make them weak and don't bother with the grid, they get slaughtered, they do a few points of damage, 5 minutes, you go on. This is great for 'we have to get to the throne room before the sacrifice. Oh no! The Sun is about to set!'

 

[Crazy Jerome]

Another good way to stop "grid think" while still getting a lot of the advantages of it is to use everything you use with a grid--except the grid itself.

Put the minis or tokens or whatever down on the table. Put them in approximate positions. When someone wants to move, ask them to move "about their speed or less". If they want to know if that target is 10 or 11 squares away, eyeball. If its really close, and you don't have too many rules lawyers, ask for opinions. If they guy wanting to know just moved? Let him move a bit more to remove doubt.

If a PC wants to run between two enemies, and it is kind of borderline whether he can make it without an OA, then give him an option: Run right by one, and suffer one OA, or split the difference, make an Athletics or Acrobatics check. Succeed, no OA. Fail, two OAs.

If someone absolutely wants to get picky about distance, whip out a flexible tape--preferably one of those used for sewing, but a carpenter one will do in a pinch. Very deliberately hold it up between you and the table, squint, and say, "look like about 9 inches to me." Then put it up.

I guarantee that if the grid itself is the thing slowing you down, this will speed things up.