D&D 5E Another LMoP Question and Speed of Play

[Nebulous]

This is our 3rd session in trying to get through LMoP. At this point, the group has gotten to Phandalin. They went through the Redbrand hideout in the 2nd session and this time were getting through Cragmaw castle. I had read up on the adventure beforehand but as you know, things don't really click until they happen in the game. So they group found the owlbear. A rogue actually climbed up the rubble and discovered him in the room. The book says that as soon as someone opens the door, the owlbear tries to run out of it if he has a clear path. The owlbear is 10 feet wide.. the door is 5 feet wide. How did they even get this creature inside the room?

Also, we played for about 4 hours and that is basically all that happens. The group was heading towards the Old Owl Well, goblins ambushed them and they captured one that knew directino to Cragmaw Castle. They arrived at the castle and cleared out half of it. That's really all that got accomplished in 4 hours. Just seemed to go really slow. I'm going to try to ask for suggestions from them on how to speed up play just a bit.

The owlbear can squeeze through. Doesn't matter what the books says anyway. And did combat go slow? I've found fights in 5e pretty fast actually. Was the party huge?

 

[SilverBulletKY]

The owlbear can squeeze through. Doesn't matter what the books says anyway. And did combat go slow? I've found fights in 5e pretty fast actually. Was the party huge?

There was 6 players so I'm sure that was part of it.

 

[Nebulous]

There was 6 players so I'm sure that was part of it.

Yes, that's a large part. Learning a new system with a large group, that will drag it out. I don't think you're taking *too* long at all though, unless at some point you're feeling bored, or the players are bored. That's the only measurement tool you ever need.

 

[Joddy37]

I have 7 players but combat seems to be incredibly fast, because battle places seem to be small and crowded, giving very few chances for movement. So the group puts 2 fighters ahead and chop their way through rooms. If the PCs get the initiative, 7 early actions more or less means a first round massacre, because I can't put any more monsters to the dungeons, there is simply no space for that. I inflate monster hp though, to make them survive enough to get a shot at the PCs. What I found useful is that I add some serious traps here and there just to catch the PCs off guard and make them spend more resources and time. Our pace is way slow because we lose too much time to irrelevant chatting and eating, being late etc.