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<blockquote data-quote="TheCosmicKid" data-source="post: 7410001" data-attributes="member: 6683613">Watch how fight scenes in good action movies play out. They can be quite extended and involved -- not just &quot;a plot beat or a few&quot;. But they're very rarely just the two sides attacking each other until one side dies or runs away. There's almost always some special objective to increase tension, like &quot;get the macguffin&quot; or &quot;hold out for reinforcements&quot; or &quot;don't let them escape&quot;. The environment frequently plays a role, whether it's simple like the placement of light and cover or convoluted like the whole thing taking place inside a giant clock.&nbsp; It often becomes a running battle, with protagonists moving from location to location, varying both the aforementioned environmental effects and just changing the scenery. For further variety, the antagonists often alter their tactics over the course of the battle, deploying secret weapons or specialist mooks or devious traps just when the heroes (and audience) are starting to get used to the situation. And finally, the best fights develop the characters who are participating in them, revealing their values and priorities and hopes and fears through dialogue and decisions.D&amp;D combat rules are calibrated to generate these kinds of big set-piece fights. I can't speak for your players in particular, but it's why a lot of people come to the table in the first place. So I'd recommend embracing it rather than trying to get rid of it. Just be sure to make full use of the playbook that films like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are working from, and you should be able to run battles that are more than just grinds.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="TheCosmicKid, post: 7410001, member: 6683613"] Watch how fight scenes in good action movies play out. They can be quite extended and involved -- not just "a plot beat or a few". But they're very rarely just the two sides attacking each other until one side dies or runs away. There's almost always some special objective to increase tension, like "get the macguffin" or "hold out for reinforcements" or "don't let them escape". The environment frequently plays a role, whether it's simple like the placement of light and cover or convoluted like the whole thing taking place inside a giant clock. It often becomes a running battle, with protagonists moving from location to location, varying both the aforementioned environmental effects and just changing the scenery. For further variety, the antagonists often alter their tactics over the course of the battle, deploying secret weapons or specialist mooks or devious traps just when the heroes (and audience) are starting to get used to the situation. And finally, the best fights develop the characters who are participating in them, revealing their values and priorities and hopes and fears through dialogue and decisions. D&D combat rules are calibrated to generate these kinds of big set-piece fights. I can't speak for your players in particular, but it's why a lot of people come to the table in the first place. So I'd recommend embracing it rather than trying to get rid of it. Just be sure to make full use of the playbook that films like [I]Star Wars[/I] and [I]Lord of the Rings[/I] are working from, and you should be able to run battles that are more than just grinds. [/QUOTE]

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