Faster/More Efficient Combat?

[Magus Coeruleus]

Things we do...

...include:

1) Roll attack and damage together

2) "6-second rule" If a player seems to be taking too long to decide on an action, I then count to 6, and if they don't choose by then, they're delaying their action. Note that I don't give them only 6 seconds from the start; rather I start the 6 seconds if it seems clear to me that they're bumbling about what to do.

3) Index cards! I used to use a whiteboard matrix and it took too long updating it. Now, I have index cards with combat relevant stats for the PCs, and I make ones for the monsters, too. At the beginning of combat, when initiative is rolled, I write the init number at the upper right of each card. Sometimes, I'll even roll for the bad guys ahead of time so I don't even have to roll for them. Anyway, I then sort the cards by initiative order, and flip through them as the combat progresses. When someone gets attacked, since I have two hands I can easily slip the target's card partway out of the stack to look at info. If I need to take it out, I know where to put it back anyway because the number is on the card. If init changes, I just cross the old number and write the new one. I don't waste time erasing during combat. I clean up the card in that manner later. Characters who are readying, delaying, etc. are taken out of the stack and put aside until they have reason to come back in. I keep spare cards on hand in case I need a new initiative number. For instance, I may roll one initiative for all 3 constrictor snakes, but if one readies and action that later changes its init, I just add a blank card with the new init and just the creature name. If I need its stats, I look at the original card, but I use the name and number one to track separate init. It's amazing how fast rounds can go flipping through cards in this manner.

 

[Xahn'Tyr]

Keeper of the Initiative

We've recently started assinging a player to be the "Initiative Keeper" and this helps speed things along. That person keeps the list of everyone in initiative order (updating as needed). During a fight, they say who is next and who is "on deck" so that they know to get ready. It also takes some work away from the DM so he can concentrate on other stuff.

If everyone has their own set of dice and at least a PHB to share, that will help as well.

When we run into delays it is always someone who isn't ready on their turn, or who doesn't have their stats handy. To avoid this, we have the following rules:

- Be ready when your turn comes up, or you are "delaying". (The Initiaitve Keeper is key to warn people that their turn is coming up.)

- If you are going to cast a spell, have the proper book open to the proper page.

- You cannot summon something unless you have the stats for it written down (or the monster manual open to the poper page).

- Observe "Chess Rules": you cannot give advice to other players (or say anything in-character) unless it is your turn to act. This speeds things up more than you would think.


Othe than that, you just need to make certain that everyone has their statistics pre-calculated so that they aren't flipping through papers every time they roll to hit.

And lastly, you could try to get your players to roll BEFORE they have figured out all of their bonuses. Maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine but I hate it when folks have to figure out exactly what they need to roll before they pick up the dice. Just roll, and if the result is not extremely high or extremely low THEN go do all the math! Half the time you can "ballpark" the DC and get it over with there and then. Even just considering a 1 and 20, you'll get a 10% speed up.

 

[Madfox]

Three pieces of advice to speed up combat:
1) Roll all the dice at the same time (though when PCs get more and more multiple attacks in one round you will need more different coloured dice )
2) Let your players state what AC they hit with only basic modifiers, only when that is close to the needed AC start calculating the actual modifiers. I was surprised how many times the players start with difficult calculations while even with a base attack they had hit more then enough to hit the monster.
3) When the players start long discussion about each action cut them off. A discussion now and then or an offer of advice is not wrong, after all, the player unlike the PC has got no real training with fighting. Too much discussion though slows things down and is unrealistic to boot.

 

[Xahn'Tyr]

Each character rolls Move Silently, Hide, Spot and Listen every round. Plus, they are in Drow controlled territory. Each Drow is also rolling Move Silently, Hide, Spot, Listen.

You might want to note that the DMG says that you should only roll a single d20 in this situation, and then add the individual player's modifiers to that roll to see who is heard and who is not.

So you'd roll one d20 for the party's Move Silently and one d20 for their Hide. Then one d20 for the drwo's Spot and one for their Listen.

This rule is very important with regards to Spot as otherwise a party will pretty much ALWAYS see everything. If you give them 7 rolls, someone is bound to roll well. And when you tell that one person, everyone else at the table can't help but hear.

 

[maddman75]

These are all great suggestions - I think I'll steal the initiative keeper - no sense in me having to keep track of it all.

One that I do is make sure the players aren't moving thier figure, agonizing over every 5' step to maximize your location. As I told one last game "This ain't chess, just show me where your guy wants to move."

 

[Henry]

I use a different system; the Five-Fingered Rule.

If a player is agonizing over his options, I hold up my right hand above the DM screen, where he and all the others can see it.

I lower one finger each 1 1/2 seconds. When it becomes a fist, they spend the turn on the total defensive, right in the same spot.

This also works well when bombs or delayed spells are about to go off.

 

[RedShirtNo5]

I also use the 3x5 notecards. It speeds up play considerably.

I found that another source of delay, particularly with a large number of opponents, was keeping track of hitpoints. Something I've tried is to keep the running track of hitpoints on small post-it notes placed under the minature. No confusion in tracking down the correct index card. Like the initiative keeper, you can have a damage keeper whose job is to mark the post-its. This isn't for all DMs, since many might not want players to know the accumulated damage.

-RedShirt

 

[ashockney]

After becoming more proficient with 3rd Ed, we've been able also, to yank the map, and leave it up to the DM to make the (give or take 5 foot variable) decisions. This did expedite combat for us. As did the initiave keeper.

In addition, when I'm acting as DM, I will even use Excel to create "random" rolls for all my to-hit, damage, and initiative. I build it into separate excel spreadsheets for each monster, so that with one click of the button, everything is rolled for me (I occassionaly have to do some manual adjustment for power attack or cleave, but that's fewer and farther between).

 

[Magic Rub]

For mass rolls I use a home baked Excel program, it works well. If you don't use a computer in your sessions, pre-roll a whack!! of d20's write them down in order or print them off, & then use them in your session in the same order you rolled them (be honest.) this along with what the others have said, initiative sheets, the 6 second rule, ect. should speed your game up.

 

[Chimera]

For my next game, I will definitely be putting my players on a 6-second rule. If you can't tell me where you're going and what you're doing in 6 seconds or less from the time I tell you it's your turn, then you're delaying and doing nothing. After all, it's only a 6-second round, and they actually get far more than that if you figure in everyone elses turns.

This delaying and ofuscating really bothers me. In my last game, the Wizard would stand up with a 4" coaster (conveniently fireball sized on a 10' per inch scale) and spend 20-30 seconds trying to make an "exact placement" on the map. No friggin' way, pal.

The biggest problem I have with 3e combat is that, due to the play dynamics, there is no wasted time. How often do you watch a movie and see people standing around dumfounded or stunned in combat, or uncertain what to do? ALL THE TIME! Every combat! Does this happen in D&D? Nope. Because the players and GM insist in allowing people to take their time to decide what they're doing in a mere 6 seconds.

Stop doing that, and not only will combat speed up, but it will be much more reasonable too, as Mook the Mook stands stunned for 6 seconds, uncertain what to do after Wally the Wizard kills his pal, because the PLAYER was uncertain of what to do.