Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vadriar" data-source="post: 5164753" data-attributes="member: 89771">So, my players found out about some bandits hiding in a nearby nearly ruined keep. They cleared the place. Since they took a few extended rests during it, the town who sent them sent 6 guards after them to check.Anyway, the guards stumble into 2 returning bandit patrols (and their leader) and luckily run towards the players. They lose 2 on the way, so I had 2 sword and board and 2 crossbow guards survive and come to the keep.Recognising them from the town, they let them in, just closing the drawbridge as the enemies appear while the ranger is raining arrows in their general direction. The melee wait inside the keep. The Dwarven fighter decides it would be cool to wait until half the enemies are across the moat and then lower the drawbridge, run up it while its falling and jump over to attack the weakly armored archers of the enemy party.Great so far. They ran up as it aproached 45 degree angle, and he jumped off. Very cool move. The Paladin faceplanted. The Warlord decided to just ride it out.Anyway, long story short. My point is, the players really liked the Helm's Deep feel of this encounter. I liked what they came up with to defend the keep. I want to do some more larger scale combats. They, however, complained that it took ages for them between turns. Is there any way I can speed up the meaningless combat between say a sword and board guard and a bandit? I liked the concept of the guards myself, but I think it pushed the encounter from fun into tedious.I prefer to not use minions, because my 4-player party has a hand of destroying those in 1 or 2 rounds and leaving a 3 monster encounter.</blockquote>

Verification