High Level Campaign Combat - Secrets to your Success

[Cyri'kazzen the Drow]

Hi all,

Forgive me for bringing up something that seems to be an eternal topic; High-level campaigns. My campaign is reaching the beginning of what I consider high-level with six PCs at 12-13th level. I have no problem coming up with plot ideas to make things interesting from a storyline standpoint.

What I have noticed is that Combat is becoming slower, longer, and more confusing the higher the PCs get. The options for the PCs are endless and they seem to forget all their pluses from spells or magic items as the battle rages on. So they are having a hard time keeping track of all their bonuses. I have also noticed that the creatures have far more abilities and options. Lately, I have forgotten some abilities of the creatures as well, despite preparing beforehand more than I ever have.

So what I am wondering from all of you who are successfully running High-level campaigns is how are you successful in managing combat? Both from a preparation standpoint and during the combat itself. I thought about software programs to help organize all the spell effects and such, but I would rather spend more time interacting and engaging my PCs than looking at a laptop during combat. Thanks.

 

[Piratecat]

1. For spells that affect the whole group, encourage your players to make little tent cards out of index cards and write the bonus and spell on it. Thus, the bard would set out "inspired: +1 morale to hit and damage" when he's singing, and the cleric would do something similar with bless and prayer.

2. Use index cards to track initiative, one person per card, put in order at the start of combat. When announcing who is up, also announce the next two people to go. This lets people prep their actions so they're ready to roll.

3. Require that if someone casts a spell, they should already have the PHB open to that page inc ase there's any questions.

4. Ask summoners to prep summary sheets of their summoned monsters.

5. Have people roll damage at the same time that they roll to hit.

6. For your monster sheets, don't worry about stuff that will never come into play. Non-combat skills are usually not even worth noticing, and I note feats as "active" (I have to worry about them) and "non-active" (they're already built into the beastie's stats.) I also put SR right at the top, near hp and AC, or I always forget it.

7. Remind people that table talk during combat is especially distracting, and to try and avoid it.

 

[Planesdragon]

What I have noticed is that Combat is becoming slower, longer, and more confusing the higher the PCs get. The options for the PCs are endless and they seem to forget all their pluses from spells or magic items as the battle rages on.

"Scrap paper."

Players should have their character sheet and a set of scrap paper. They should write down, on the scrap paper, their hp, spell slots, and what bonuses are used upon them. Writing down their current attack routine can help, too.

I have also noticed that the creatures have far more abilities and options. Lately, I have forgotten some abilities of the creatures as well, despite preparing beforehand more than I ever have.

I do this all the time. In general, the best way to fix it is to write up tactics for the monster ahead of time.

If you run into a snag, have the monster back off. Take a short break and go into another room, where you devise tactics for the monster based on what the PCs have done--and let the players do the same.

 

[Kilamar]

I can only say preparation, preparation and again preparation.

Players should know their Characters and abilties, the DM should know his encounters. Variables should be written down, pencil and paper are your friend.
Play regulary, this reduces preparation time since you do not forget as much from last session and your abilities.

Kilamar

 

[Leopold]

Buy a initiative chart from www.improvedinitiative.com

it will save you at least 1/2 your time right there!

 

[JimAde]

Buy a initiative chart from www.improvedinitiative.com

it will save you at least 1/2 your time right there!

The link just goes to a page that links back to EN World. What's up?

 

[jmucchiello]

1. For spells that affect the whole group, encourage your players to make little tent cards out of index cards and write the bonus and spell on it. Thus, the bard would set out "inspired: +1 morale to hit and damage" when he's singing, and the cleric would do something similar with bless and prayer.

*YOINK*

 

[MerakSpielman]

1. For spells that affect the whole group, encourage your players to make little tent cards out of index cards and write the bonus and spell on it. Thus, the bard would set out "inspired: +1 morale to hit and damage" when he's singing, and the cleric would do something similar with bless and prayer.

Good idea. I've just been scribbling such things on my battle mat with a dry erase, but little tents would make them more visible.

 

[Henry]

For spells that affect the whole group, encourage your players to make little tent cards out of index cards and write the bonus and spell on it.

Recently, I've been doing this, and putting a little inspirational piece of profanity on it. Whatever helps them remember.

Use index cards to track initiative

The Game Mechanics have a set of Initiative Cards that work excellently for this! I also use the same cards to keep track of important PC stats for secret rolls and whatnot.

All the other suggestions are well worth it. I might also add that MAKE SURE your players have all bonuses calculated ahead of time. We have in our group one or two straggler players who recalculate everything every darned time they attack or cast, and it can be rather frustrating. You can obviously tell in the group who's got everything tabulated on their sheet ahead of time, and those who don't.

 

[jmucchiello]

All the other suggestions are well worth it. I might also add that MAKE SURE your players have all bonuses calculated ahead of time. We have in our group one or two straggler players who recalculate everything every darned time they attack or cast, and it can be rather frustrating. You can obviously tell in the group who's got everything tabulated on their sheet ahead of time, and those who don't.

I would not tolerate that at all. As DM I want a completed character sheet and part of "completed" means someone else can take the sheet with no prep time and accurately roll dice in combat for the character without having to piece together modifiers from different sections.

Unless the character was being made up on the spot, I'd evict a player who didn't have a character sheet where all standard bonuses were not tabulated ahead of time.

Heck, our party sorcerer's sheet has a space on it for temporary hit points from false life.