Game time in combat?

[Satyrn]

Hard to say. In my recently-ended homebrew campaign, it varied widely. I had some 8-hour sessions that were mostly combate and other sessions that had almost no combat. I like to mix it up and focused on trying new things rather than meeting the DMG's encounters-per-day guidelines.

I'm running Curse of Strahd now, which in seems to have a higher emphasis on social interaction and exploration. But the campagin just begun and the lesser amount of combat may be do to combat avoidance in a sandboxy setting that punishes those who don't avoid and run away from danger. I would say that in CoS it has been about 25% combat--at most.

My next campaign will be Rappan Athuk, which I expect will be 80% combat and 20% rolling up new characters.

You're forgetting that Rappan Athuk's got plenty of exploration, too.

And really, the amount of combat gets reduced considerably more whenever the players explore their way into a one-round bloodbath of a TPK.

 

[Istbor]

I am in with the 40-60% group. I have a larger group currently. A mix of remote and on site players. The onsite ones can get rowdy or distracted which takes up extra time. Also I don't know when by I am rolling on the high side of encounters lately. Not specifically high threat, but the group size of the enemies gets rolled high. So takes more time.

 

[Oofta]

In one group combat probably averaged 30-50% (occasionally significantly more or less) depending on the goals of the party. In other groups it was more like 50-80%.

The differences came down to preference, campaign, level and player speed at resolving combat. One group really enjoyed the exploration and social aspects, the other got bored if they weren't fighting. I enjoy both types of games as long as the combat heavy game doesn't start to feel like whack-a-mole.

<RANT>
Then there's the group that have a couple of people that just took forever to resolve their combat turn. Seriously. Think about what you're going to do, don't stare at the map for 5 minutes silently contemplating all potential options before throwing up your hands and then grumble about how you have no options so you'll just do a cantrip again when you're a 20th level wizard. During the first combat after a long rest. When the DM has broadcast that this is the only fight for the day. Or the dual-weapon high level fighter with flame blades that action surges and then rolls one die at a time while adding up numbers more slowly than a tortoise crosses a road even though we've told them repeatedly that they can just do average damage (rounding up).
</RANT>

 

[rgoodbb]

In one group combat probably averaged 30-50% (occasionally significantly more or less) depending on the goals of the party. In other groups it was more like 50-80%.

The differences came down to preference, campaign, level and player speed at resolving combat. One group really enjoyed the exploration and social aspects, the other got bored if they weren't fighting. I enjoy both types of games as long as the combat heavy game doesn't start to feel like whack-a-mole.

<RANT>
Then there's the group that have a couple of people that just took forever to resolve their combat turn. Seriously. Think about what you're going to do, don't stare at the map for 5 minutes silently contemplating all potential options before throwing up your hands and then grumble about how you have no options so you'll just do a cantrip again when you're a 20th level wizard. During the first combat after a long rest. When the DM has broadcast that this is the only fight for the day. Or the dual-weapon high level fighter with flame blades that action surges and then rolls one die at a time while adding up numbers more slowly than a tortoise crosses a road even though we've told them repeatedly that they can just do average damage (rounding up).
</RANT>

Player - ....So....how many woodland animals is it that I can summon again?
DM - One! only one.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

The game I run is probably about 30-50% combat. We also go entire sessions without a combat, then spend other sessions entirely in combat.

In the game I play in I find it's about 80% combat. I am... less than enthused by that game. But it may be the DM. He seems a bit rigid.

 

[Blue]

How much combat is in a game is entirely dependent on the table. Ignore any numbers that say otherwise. I'm in one group that has about 1 combat ever 3 sessions, and another where there are multiple combats most nights and it's 75% or more of the session regularly.

But there is a grain of truth to this. In terms of /mechanical time spent in a session/, combat is much longer than any other single activity. Let me unpack that. /mechanical time/ is time spent simply on mechanical aspects. For example, 45 minutes of roleplay might have less than a minute of it as mechanical time for a few skill rolls. On the other hand, 45 minutes of combat will probably have 20-35 minutes of rolls, bookkeeping HPs, resolving statuses and the like.

Even in the group that can go sessions between combats, I would say that we spend over 50% of our total mechanical time on combat. For the groups with frequent combat I can see it reaching much higher percentages.

 

[rgoodbb]

The game I run is probably about 30-50% combat. We also go entire sessions without a combat, then spend other sessions entirely in combat.

In the game I play in I find it's about 80% combat. I am... less than enthused by that game. But it may be the DM. He seems a bit rigid.

Full sessions of combat can be a blast. But too many in a row can feel as someone mentioned above whack-a-mole. I guess the same could be said for the other two pillars in extremes. They each provide a break from the other.

 

[Draegn]

If I define combat as anything which advances the story I would estimate that seventy percent of the game is "combat". This includes things such as the thieves in the party stealing resources to better equip their allies, the paladin being diplomatic and winning over new allies to the player's cause, etc....

Using the combat definition of "rolling an attack" the amount of time averages out to around twenty five percent. However, different sessions have varying times. There is a difference between storming a castle and trying to figure out what a NPC's motives are.

 

[jasper]

I do Adventure League a lot. So 50 to 60% with in depending on the game skill level of the players, table chatter, and background noise. Some players already have their first 3 rounds planned out, others can't find their d20 in they dropped into their butt crack and sat on it. Some players need math aids. I do keep a 30 second sand timer and other timers. I will use these if necessary. Sand goes out. Pass the turn.

 

[mvincent]

It was suggested in another thread that combat took up 50-90% of game play. This has certainly not been my experience.

50% (or higher) has been my experience for most groups. I have seen some get closer to 90% in AL/conventions (and Epics are pretty much entirely combat). Still, 4e even had higher percentages.