D&D 5E How many rounds of combat is too much?

JeffB · Mar 2, 2017

?

I have found with my group, that even if rounds go by quickly(as they often do in 5e or TSR/OSR versions of the game) around/after the 4th round the players start to get a little annoyed/antsy for the combat to just be over and get on with the adventure.

We played a 5e adventure last Sunday and there was (in their view) a bit of slog through a couple encounters. It was not really the adventure's fault, just a couple situations with creatures with several resistances , and it took a bit longer, but it was lower level, and really didn't take more than 7 or 8 min each. I'm not sure how much quicker they could have been without some serious changes in power level of the characters. After some discussions they all state fun combat is important to them, but so is a fast flow/fast pacing/fast momentum through the adventure/storyline. Too many rounds pulls them out of the flow and getting back into the groove of the adventure can be tough.

:shrug:

Minions...escalation die..exploding dice...all things I have used previously to make combat super quick.. But just wondering if others have had similar issues ,or just general thoughts on combat rounds/pacing.

iserith · Mar 2, 2017

I've had D&D 5e combats last hours and my players act quickly. But they were fun the whole way through because there was never a time until the very end that the PCs were certain of their victory. I think that's the key to this sort of thing - once the outcome is certain, move on.

MNblockhead · Mar 2, 2017

For many players D&D is all about the combat. You have to know your players. If they are not that into combat, after a couple rounds, if it looks pretty clear that they are going to win, just narrate their victory and move on.

That said, role play and narration, much less problem solving, need not stop during combat. The Angry DM's post "How to Manage Combat Like a Motherf$&%ing Dolphin" was very helpful to me (http://theangrygm.com/manage-combat-like-a-dolphin/).

Try to work in other challenges, such as the party has to disable a trab, open a door, stop a ritual, etc., all while combat is going on all around them.

A bad combat encounter is going to be boring even if only one round.

A good combat encounter can keep the players on the edge of their seats for hours.

pdzoch · Mar 2, 2017

I recall a conversation during 4th Edition D&D on their podcast discussing the appropriate length of combat. In general, the length of combat should not exceed the use of their special powers. When the combat devolved into a simply trading of blows (i.e. attrition), then the combat has lasted too long.

I have run long combat encounters before. When there were lots of options during the fight, then the duration did not seem to matter. When the options were limited, then the combat became dull if it lasted too long.

Examples of some long combat that went well -- naval battle at sea; it occurred in several stages: the long range attacks during the chase, the close attacks as the ships closed in, and the on-deck melee when the two ships engaged in boarding each other. Another example was an outdoor scene around the ruins hidden in the woods. Waves of goblins kept coming, but the party had ambushes, traps, fall back positions, etc. Long, but fun fight.

Examples of long combat that went on too long -- A powerful wizard and his powerful body guard (with a few other foes in the room) who had resistances. The encounter was near the end of the dungeon/adventure. The party had spent a lot of the magic slots already, and they were low on other magical aids. The fight eventually became nothing but a trading of blows back and forth. The party was going to eventually win at this point, but the slugfest lasted three extra rounds. I think one extra round would have been fine. Two would have been tolerable, but I was already loosing their interest at this point. So the third round of the same action was indeed boring, for me and them.

pdzoch · Mar 2, 2017

MNblockhead said:
That said, role play and narration, much less problem solving, need not stop during combat. The Angry DM's post "How to Manage Combat Like a Motherf$&%ing Dolphin" was very helpful to me (http://theangrygm.com/manage-combat-like-a-dolphin/).

Nice article -- thanks for the share!

Storyteller Hero · Mar 2, 2017

Good narration and encounter design can turn a meatball-poking fest into attention-sucking fun-town.

I'd found that most people start out running rounds in a very basic manner (mainly just rolls and action declarations) as they get used to the format and learn the rules.

With practice and experience however, combat can evolve at the table into a powerfully immersive aspect of the session.

I think that as long as the DM is willing to try new ways to spice up gameplay, combat never has to be a drag.

steeldragons · Mar 2, 2017

BLASPHEMY!

There is no such thing as "too much" rounds of combat. If it goes quick, great. If it doesn't, the drama/tension ramps up. As the characters begin to drop and the enemies continue to advance, round after round, die roll after die roll. <shivers> OoooOOOooo.

Yeah. A given combat takes as long as it takes and whatever amount that is it's the "right" number of rounds.

LordEntrails · Mar 2, 2017

IMO, it also depends upon how interesting the combat rounds are. If all your players are doing is standing toe to toe and it's just a matter of attrition. That's boring immediately.

But, if the ground shakes, a troll picks up a goblin and throws him at the party wizard, if their is eb and flow and the outcome of just the next round is uncertain (even if the players know they will win in the end), then the combat can go on for hours and days.

Shiroiken · Mar 2, 2017

In addition to how much fun it is, you should vary up the duration for combat based on how important it is. An easy fight against some skirmishers shouldn't be longer than a round or two. A regular battle should probably last 3-5 rounds. An epic battle against the BBEM of your campaign might last 10-20 rounds.

Personally, I let things play out the way the players set them. If they allow for a long battle (especially by chasing down fleeing foes), I let it go. If the battle slogs down, and the enemy doesn't stand a chance, I'll call the battle early. No sense wasting time IRL that could be spent exploring!