How many combat encounters per session?

[diaglo]

I've had no combat in either of my last two games. We usually average a combat or two every other game.

this sounds about right.

 

[S'mon]

My low-level Conan game seems to average 3 fights/session. My high-level D&D game varies a lot, but 1-2 fights/session is typical. Certainly the DMG's recommended 4 fights/session would be rare unless several of them were trivial encounters.

The Midnight game I play in rarely has more than 1 fight/session, certainly no more than 2.

edit: I agree that most players get frustrated and antsy if they don't get a fight every session, preferably something quite serious. Core d20 is very much built around combat, after all.

 

[Vrecknidj]

When I DM, we have between 5 and 11 players, usually 6 or 7. With 6.5 players as the average, I find it hard to get in many combats because they take so long.

If we play on a Saturday, then the session usually lasts 10+ hours, and we usually squeeze in 2 encounters, with 2 or 3 "wandering monster" encounters too.

If we play on a Sunday, then the session usually lasts 7-ish hours, and we then get in 1 or 2 encounters (usually 1), with 1 or 2 "wandering monster" encounters.

When I play, my DM usually has 5 players, and we usually play for about 8 hours, and the DM usually has one big combat encounter that often takes up the last 4 hours or so of the session.

Dave

 

[DragonLancer]

If I'm using published module then its as many as the characters get through.

If its an adventure I have written it can be anything from none through 3 or 4. Although my players are not happy if they don't get at least one decent combat per session.

I'm curious why so many of you seem to be against combat?

 

[DaveMage]

1-3 combats per 4 hour session. 4 players.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

I generally go with 2. A minor battle half way through the session and another more grand battle to end the game with.

 

[MonsterMash]

I get about 1-3 per 3-3.5 hour session, IMC, average is probably 2.3combats/session at the moment, but we've only had 3 sessions so far and there is some less combat intensive stuff coming up now so it'll probably drop to a ratio of nearer 1/1.

 

[Oscar carramiñana]

It depends of the module 1 to 3 for game session one session may have 3 encounters and the next may don't have any encounter.
One thing is clear at higher level party increases the number of encounters and violence

 

[Evilhalfling]

Lets see, 1-2 per 8hr session.

The party had its first mass kill - ie 4 3rd lvl pc's killing close to 37 ratmen in about 2 games with a series of running battles. They then had nightmayers and reactions to baiscally bathing in blood. Marking the transition from occasional fights with a single opponent to a purposeful slaughter of a declared enemy. It seems this is a transition that is often forgotten. RL war vets who are personally responsible for killing frequently have psycholgical damage. In DnD it is nessary to cross the threshold from normal people to casual killers but it should not slip by without notice. They have yet to kill their first human, and that won't go unremarked either. The Barbarian is an exception, he earned his starting levels the hard way, and is less squemish than the others.

 

[Evilhalfling]

One thing is clear at higher level party increases the number of encounters and violence

I found just the opposite, in a homebrewed game at least. 12th lvl PC's(the highest I've been) spent more time plotting and running a town then ever fighting, and when they needed to clear up the local bandits (1-4th lvl warriors and thieves) It was handled in roleplaying, actually running the fight would have been a waste of time, sometimes high lvl PC's have low level problems.