How long do your 3E combats last, on average?

[Grog]

I've discussed this with a few other people and I'm curious - how long do your combats usually last? In my experience, 3E is very heavily weighted towards offense, and combats are generally over in 4 rounds or so. At the very least, by round 4, it's usually all over but the mop-up. I'm wondering if my experience is typical or not.

 

[Vivictus]

I can't say for sure really, but I estimate maybe in the 9-12 rounds area only beucase we wind up often having fights where both sides have trouble hitting the other, or due to circumstances that reduce damage, etc. This was in my higher level campaign too (around level 17). In my new lower level one, I'd say combats generally last about 5-6 rounds.

 

[The Lost One]

Combat in my game has typically been around 7-8 rounds.

The first 3-4 rounds the PCs are running scared as my monsters/NPC usually start out hitting pretty hard, then the tide turns in round 5-6.

Only exceptions would be when my NPCs make dedicated attempts to flee... generally they have been unsuccessful (unless using a teleportation effect) but it does drag the mop up phase out a few more rounds.

 

[DragonLancer]

3 to 4 rounds on average. Rarely does it last much longer.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I picked 5.
The game I play in seems to take 6-7 rounds.
The game I DM in seems to take 3-4. I still have problems estimating my players ablities/strengths and dont make the encounters equal enough.

 

[BryonD]

60 to 75% last 4 to 5 rounds.

30% last 8+ up to 12 or so.

A very few only last a round or two.

Obviously 6 and 7 rounds does happen, but there seems to be a funny tendency that if they don't end in 5, they go closer to or past 10.

 

[Blockader7]

Like this:

Roll dice, do damage, etc...

Talk 25 minutes. Usually about EQ when it first started anyhoo.

Continue pattern.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Which is really bizzarre because as long as I've been playing 3e (since it came out), I'm pretty sure I've had only three combats that lasted longer than 8 rounds--in one the module specified that the combat lasted 15 rounds with more bad guys arriving continually until the time ran out; in the other my party basically announced our presence to an entire camp of raiders and killed them to the gnoll (flesh golem, ogre and vampire) in a network of 5' wide tunnels (which helped to protect them from cleaves, etc; and the last was our assault on the main gate to the temple of elemental evil. . . with only three characters (elf Clr 8, half dragon Bbn 4, Tiefling Bbn 1/Rog 5 IIRC).

In the last dozen modules I've played or run, only two battles lasted even four rounds; the majority finished in two.

What on earth do people do to have the majority of battles last that long?

60 to 75% last 4 to 5 rounds.

30% last 8+ up to 12 or so.

A very few only last a round or two.

Obviously 6 and 7 rounds does happen, but there seems to be a funny tendency that if they don't end in 5, they go closer to or past 10.

 

[Fenes 2]

My major battles usually last a couple of rounds, I'd guess 6+, depending on the AC and HP of the enemy. We usually don't roll the mop-up phase - those are handled in narractive.

 

[A'koss]

Depends somewhat on the level of play but on average 3 to 5 rounds. At high levels it tends to be on the faster side because of the proliferation of Save or Die/Nerf stuff and min-maxed types (usually, but not exclusively archers) who can inflict some serious damage / rd.

How the heck some of you guys can get "average" battles lasting 6 or more rounds is beyond me. And Vivictus, you're the only person I've ever heard having battles at 17th level lasting 9-12 rounds. At that level I can't remember a battle lasting more than maybe... 4.

Now that is not to say I don't wish the game were geared more towards longer, more cinematic battles. I'd love if the game allowed you to have the time to really get in the mix and try differently tactics and styles of engagement. And where a single mistake/missed roll wouldn't cost you your life.

Maybe in 4e...


Cheers,

A'koss.