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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CharlesRyan" data-source="post: 4529833" data-attributes="member: 5265">First, have one of the players deal with initiative. You have enough on your plate, and the players have free time when it's not actually their turn.Second, don't roll init for each individual monster. A single init roll for each type of monster (all the minions go on 14, or whatever), or even a single init roll for all of the monsters. This makes things easier over the course of combat as well as at the beginning.Third, consider a Paizo Combat Pad, or track init on an unused corner of the battlemat.Get the players to work out their attack bonuses and damage rolls for each power, and write it on the character sheet or power card. For example, instead of (or next to) "STR vs. AC," it should say "+8 vs. AC." Instead of (or next to) "[W] + STR," it should say "1d8 + 3."This won't help indecisive or unprepared players speed up their action choices, but once they've made that choice it can shave off a good 10 or 15 seconds per player per round. That alone can easily shorten combats by 10 minutes.Your players are handing their opponents a huge tactical advantage. Exploit it! One of the great aspects of 4E is that combat can be very tactical--it really makes a difference how characters move and occupy space. Your players will figure it out when you use their immobility against them a few times. Some ideas:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area effects from enemy controllers that get all the players</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If defenders won't move to intercept bad guys, send them around to attack your weak controllers and strikers</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If your players aren't quick to engage, have the bad guys run away--into the next encounter, making your players have to fight two encounters at once</li> </ul>This is just off the top of my head--I'm sure other posters can come up with a few ideas!</blockquote>

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