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Has D&D Combat Always Been Slow?
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<blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 8147740" data-attributes="member: 45197"><p>Hiya!</p><p></p><p></p><p>No, D&D combat isn't NECISSARILY slow... let me 'splain. No. It'd take to long. Let me sum up.</p><p></p><p>1e AD&D: Monsters had less HP's and did less damage, overall. Also, Spells, Magic Items and other special abilities (re: A fighter getting a number of attacks per round against opponents with less than 1HD, equal to the fighters LEVEL; e.g., Level 7 fighter gets 7 attacks per round against most commoners, kobolds, goblins, etc).</p><p>..</p><p>Result: Fights not lasting very long...except when you keep adding in more and more baddies. In 1e, a fight against a dozen goblins would be over in between 1 and maybe 7 rounds. What happens in a round? Roll d6 for initiative, high roll's side goes first. Done. Each makes their attack or casts a spell/use magic item. Done. Then other side. Round is now finished. There is usually no "modifiers for Reach", or sifting through class abilities, special racial stuff, continuing "buff" spells, concentration check rolls, or variable saving throw's. E.g., goblins have a Spell save of 19. All of them. Regardless of the Spell or the level of the caster/item, etc. Fast and simple.</p><p>..</p><p>B/X D&D: Pretty much 1e, but usually even MORE simplified (unless you use the "Weapon Mastery" rules; then it gets complicated...but that's optional and many folks don't or use modified versions of it). Basically... each side rolls d6 for initiative; each side makes attacks/saves. Next round.</p><p>..</p><p>Now, and here is the crux of the speed: <em>The VAST majority of "modifiers" during combat are on a case-by-case basis and based on the DM's adjudication of each individual situation/action! </em>I can't stress enough just how FAST this is in play. When a Player says "Fellborn jumps down off the balcony, trying to slice the ogre in two with his two handed sword!" ...the DM just thinks "Ok, that's 10'. You'll take d6 damage. You get +1 to hit from attacking above, and do double damage as if you charged, but if you miss, you will be on the ground and automatically get an attack from the ogre as you stand up". Done. The player accepts it or not. There is no need to flip through books, look up special abilities that might apply, check out the rules for Athletic Skills to see if there is an adjustment/modifier, or anything of the sort. A DM can make a decision on the spot in seconds...not the minutes it may take to flip through 3 books.</p><p>..</p><p>So there you have it. With the more "rules a game gets", the slower it becomes; kinda like Windows OS. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> Go back to earlier editions, with a MUCH greater focus on "Rulings not Rules", and "If it's not there...make it up", and you get a LOT of speed in regards to game-flow.</p><p></p><p>^_^</p><p></p><p>Paul L. Ming</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pming, post: 8147740, member: 45197"] Hiya! No, D&D combat isn't NECISSARILY slow... let me 'splain. No. It'd take to long. Let me sum up. 1e AD&D: Monsters had less HP's and did less damage, overall. Also, Spells, Magic Items and other special abilities (re: A fighter getting a number of attacks per round against opponents with less than 1HD, equal to the fighters LEVEL; e.g., Level 7 fighter gets 7 attacks per round against most commoners, kobolds, goblins, etc). .. Result: Fights not lasting very long...except when you keep adding in more and more baddies. In 1e, a fight against a dozen goblins would be over in between 1 and maybe 7 rounds. What happens in a round? Roll d6 for initiative, high roll's side goes first. Done. Each makes their attack or casts a spell/use magic item. Done. Then other side. Round is now finished. There is usually no "modifiers for Reach", or sifting through class abilities, special racial stuff, continuing "buff" spells, concentration check rolls, or variable saving throw's. E.g., goblins have a Spell save of 19. All of them. Regardless of the Spell or the level of the caster/item, etc. Fast and simple. .. B/X D&D: Pretty much 1e, but usually even MORE simplified (unless you use the "Weapon Mastery" rules; then it gets complicated...but that's optional and many folks don't or use modified versions of it). Basically... each side rolls d6 for initiative; each side makes attacks/saves. Next round. .. Now, and here is the crux of the speed: [I]The VAST majority of "modifiers" during combat are on a case-by-case basis and based on the DM's adjudication of each individual situation/action! [/I]I can't stress enough just how FAST this is in play. When a Player says "Fellborn jumps down off the balcony, trying to slice the ogre in two with his two handed sword!" ...the DM just thinks "Ok, that's 10'. You'll take d6 damage. You get +1 to hit from attacking above, and do double damage as if you charged, but if you miss, you will be on the ground and automatically get an attack from the ogre as you stand up". Done. The player accepts it or not. There is no need to flip through books, look up special abilities that might apply, check out the rules for Athletic Skills to see if there is an adjustment/modifier, or anything of the sort. A DM can make a decision on the spot in seconds...not the minutes it may take to flip through 3 books. .. So there you have it. With the more "rules a game gets", the slower it becomes; kinda like Windows OS. ;) Go back to earlier editions, with a MUCH greater focus on "Rulings not Rules", and "If it's not there...make it up", and you get a LOT of speed in regards to game-flow. ^_^ Paul L. Ming [/QUOTE]
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