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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 7989634" data-attributes="member: 2629">It is a very flat bell curve around 5 rounds.  Very low level combats tend to push shorter as well.  However, the combats serve the storyline.  The length is a factor of why there is a combat in front of the PCs.  There are also those lockdown combats (sleep, hypnotic pattern, etc...) where the length is more a factor of the PCs taking their time to finish off foes.A small percentage are 1 round combats.  The challenge in these is for the PCs to do one or more things quickly, such as silence a guard before they raise an alarm or catch a thief before they escape.  I also occasionally through a few goblins at higher level PCs that are in the woods... they never know if it is a cakewalk or a trick.  Hint - it is so rarely a trick.A number are 2 or 3 round combats where the PCs are clearly the superior force, but the enemy is attempting to achieve a task and the PCs need to stop it, or the PCs are the weaker force and need to get in and out of the combat quickly while achieving some goal (push the button, get the treasure, etc...)  This length errrrr … also covers those battles with dragons where they recharge their breath weapon twice in a row.  That does not end as well for the PCs.A number are 4 to 6 rounds of combat and present a reasonable challenge to the PCs, generally.  The PCs should win with no casualties, but will use up significant resources.Then there are the 7 to 10 round combats.  If a combat lasts this long, the enemy either has great defenses, a bag of hit points or the enemies come in waves.  If a combat goes this long, it is often one where PCs need to be efficient to not have any losses.And then we have the epic battles.   These are rarely a surprise to the PCs.  They represent an ongoing battle scenario, such as when two armies collide or the PCs need to rush through a Gauntlet.  The PCs roll initiative once and do not leave initiative until a goal is achieved or they retreat.  One example was a final battle of a campaign where the PCs had to fight their way into a Fortress in Hell in the middle of a Demonic Assault, solve a mystery, and perform a ritual.  63 rounds.  A lot of healing magics, rationing of magic, etc... all went into that battle.  The wizard used all 22 spells, a bunch of spells with the Staff of the Magi, a dozen scrolls, a huge number of potions, a lot of time battling in different forms (polymorph, shapechange), etc....  and died 2 rounds before the end by using the Retributive Strike of the staff and not getting transported elsewhere - at single digit hit points and surrounded, with the only healer performing a ritual, his only hope for surviving the final battle was to get lucky on the Retributive Strike.  Alas...I run those epic battles rarely.  They generally either are: a.) run a gauntlet in a short time (assault or flee), b.) fight your way through warring sides to get to a particular foe, or c.) defend a target from waves of enemy attack.</blockquote>

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