D&D General Ending the Slog

[Reynard]

Just to be clear I wasn't asking anyone to solve a problem for me (especially if that solution is "play another game"). I was just curious what other folks did when it happened. And I'm a little bit circumspect about suggestions that it has never happened. That would be very surprising.

 

[Oofta]

Just to be clear I wasn't asking anyone to solve a problem for me (especially if that solution is "play another game"). I was just curious what other folks did when it happened. And I'm a little bit circumspect about suggestions that it has never happened. That would be very surprising.

I wouldn't say "never", but I can't remember the last time since we switched over to 5E. YMMV of course.

 

[dave2008]

It happens in every edition, though some are more prone to it than others.

What do you do, as DM, when it is clear that a combat has become a slog.Maybe everyone's dice are cold, or maybe the terrain and numbers and types of enemies limit option. or maybe the characters are either out of big hit resources or trying to save them for a future encounter. Whatever the cause, the combat has turned into a boring slog of swings and misses and hit point attrition.

What do you do?

I am generally loathe to just hand wave a victory until it is completely clear the PCs have won, just because dice are swingy and players make strange decisions and in a resource management oriented game what happens in this combat can have a significant impact on what follows. But that said, there is a point when I just "call it" for the PCs. That point is usually later than I should have for all the reasons I just mentioned.

Lots of different options depending on the scenario. I will just point you to: The Monsters Know What Their Doing and The Monsters Know What Their Doing blog , Keith has some good advice about just these type of scenarios. However, his general rule is: monsters don't fight to the death. I've used this for years myself, and it works great IMO - no slogs ever (well almost never). Different types of monsters will retreat or surrender, but very few fight to the death. Keith gives more detailed suggestions are particular HP intervals for some monsters, but that is the general idea.

 

[dave2008]

Older editions had morale checks for the bad guys. This should have been retained, even more so in 5e where the end of the combat (the mop up) can be devoid of excitement.

I would recommend picking up an older monsters manual (the 2nd ed one is splendid) to get morale scores. Roll a dice, is it = or lower than their morale, they fight on. Higher, they run.

I haven't used, but the DMG has a morale / morale check optional rule.

 

[CleverNickName]

I haven't used, but the DMG has a morale / morale check optional rule.

I came here to say this. We use the morale rules at our table, and it works pretty well. I mean, unless the party is fighting mindless opponents, why wouldn't the enemy try to flee, or negotiate, or otherwise end a stalemate? Why does every battle need to be to the death?

 

[coolAlias]

I'm with Oofta - combat in 5e generally has fewer rounds rather than more, but I could see it potentially turning into a slog if one or both sides are very difficult to hit, do insignificant damage on a hit, or both.

For example (albeit an extreme one), if you had a horde of regular zombies with their +3 to hit and 1d6+1 damage, but put them all in plate armor taking their AC from 8 to 18, well that's going to take a while without fireball.

Without knowing anything about your game, here are some suggestions:

• As others have mentioned, consider having enemies prioritize survival over victory, as appropriate
• Review your encounters, especially any that turn into a slog, and see if you're using lots of enemies with high Defense and/or low Attack; if so, try mixing that up a bit
• Use fewer but more dangerous opponents, especially if your PCs have few AoE options
• Add more terrain, obstacles, elevation, etc. to your encounter maps - a knight in full plate falls off a castle wall just as easily as an unarmored peasant
• If your PCs have few or no abilities that target Saves rather than AC, consider giving them some (more)
• Make time more significant once in a while - anything from "the tower is crumbling and you'll be crushed to death if you're still here in 5 rounds!" to "the sounds of combat echo down the hall; unbeknownst to the PCs, in 1d4+1 rounds reinforcements will arrive"

 

[iserith]

Just to be clear I wasn't asking anyone to solve a problem for me (especially if that solution is "play another game"). I was just curious what other folks did when it happened. And I'm a little bit circumspect about suggestions that it has never happened. That would be very surprising.

In the games I've seen this happen in, generally as an observer rather than a participant, I think the following things were going on:

1. The players take a long time on their turns.

2. DMs are not employing the full play loop which would otherwise makes things more engaging.

3. The stakes aren't something the players care about.

Years ago I might have said that this was because the dramatic question was already answered and the rest was clean up, but I'm not so sure that's the issue anymore. I think it has everything to do with table and time management.

 

[Umbran]

If it has been happening in every edition, maybe D&D isn't the game for you?

Way to jump to a conclusion, dude.

A significant pause in combat progress sounds like a movie scene to me: when some/all the combatants stop, look around, catch their breath.

It does seem like that kind of movie scene. However, D&D's combat procedures do not produce pauses.

 

[Zaukrie]

I think most of the time I have the next hit kill every monsters as it is hit. About 20% of the time the bad guys surrender or run away.

 

[Quartz]

What do you do, as DM, when it is clear that a combat has become a slog.

Why has it become a slog? Are the PCs holding back their big guns? Then give them a reason to break out those big guns to end the fight quickly. Perhaps the longer the fight goes on, the greater the chance that something happens. Maybe it's a new critter entering the action, maybe it's reinforcements, maybe it's the BBEG becoming aware of the PCs.