High level 3.5 - tricks for keeping the numbers game quick and easy?

[Crothian]

I've ran the game till artound 25 thelvel and played in another game that went o 24th, I found that the numbers are actually easy for players that keep up with them and are organized. It is the lazy players that aren't paying attention that have disorganized character sheets, who have no idea where all the bonuses come from that cause problems.

 

[Aethelstan]

Enkhidus post sums up everything that bugs me about high level play. The spell prep and bookkeeping slow things to a crawl.

 

[satori01]

A spreadsheet for D&D combat? This is at least one reason I maintain that d20 3.5 is not D&D . . .

Which is why you are wrong wrong wrong ! If I had had a Personal Computer back in the days of ye Mighty 1e I would have made a spreadsheet calculating different weapons versus armor, and number of attacks for speed factor vs differing speed factors likety split.

I remember many a suggestion to the fighter in our 1e "strictly by the rules" game of telling him to just use his longsword against the skeletons rather than his mace because we didnt have the time to figure out all the ramifications before someone had to go home.

As a DM back then I use to have an accounting ledger to keep track of all the spells cast and their durations. Now I use a spreadsheet on my laptop but the effect is the same.

If people keep organizied the issue of buffing and stat adjustment is relatively simple. A piece of paper, a spreadsheet, and accounting journal with columns, a whiteboard all can be used to write the number of rounds a spell lasts and to mark off rounds passed, generally either at the begining of a round,(my favorite), or on a the player's turn that cast the spell.

As a DM the slowest I ever saw was a group of 3 players playing 18th level characters in a one shot adventure 2 being sneak attack fiends, one being a sorc with improved invisibility. Figuring out the damage for the 18th level unfettered,(rogue/fighter variant from AE) when he hit with his 6 attacks,(full attack progression, two weapon fighting, improved two weapon fighting), his crits(improved critical rapier ) and sneak attack damage per attack(3d6) if I remember correctly, was a massive undertaking. I literaly saw smoke come out of the players ears.

Funny thing is, if the player had played that character regularly, figuring out that damage would be routine, and would not take that long.

 

[fett527]

I've ran the game till artound 25 thelvel and played in another game that went o 24th, I found that the numbers are actually easy for players that keep up with them and are organized. It is the lazy players that aren't paying attention that have disorganized character sheets, who have no idea where all the bonuses come from that cause problems.

Enk, this is what I keep saying (Hi, I'm the Weapon Finessing rogue type). All I did was keep track on a scratch paper with a small graph and left room for changes (such as getting hit with a Ray of Enfeeblement) and eliminated others as durations expired. There are some great ideas in here though.

Laptop for SRD access for faster rule look up
DM using cards for NPCs and init
The combat modifier cards being in front of the DM
Decide on PA method (create a spreadsheet or predetermine such as 2,4 or all)

But most of all getting all the players to know what they are doing and make an effort to keep track of their own bonuses. forget having players ask those individuals "did you remember this or that?" the player should apply what he remembers or ask on his/her own. I'm guilty of trying to help other players remember all the bonuses, but it is taking too much time.