Length of Combat

[KarinsDad]

How long has 4E combats been taking in your game?

I ran the first two encounters of KotS today. The first (which I bumped up in difficulty by 50 XP, 9 opponents) ran about 1.5 hours. the second ran 1 hour 10 minutes (5 opponents). Or, 10 minutes per opponent in a half minion fight and 14 minutes per opponent in a non-minion fight.

We did stop a few times in each combat and looked things up in the rulebooks, but not excessively. Maybe 5 to 10 minutes in each combat total.

I didn't notice that the combats were much faster than 3E. There were quite a few conditions that we had to keep track of (marked, bloodied and slowed) which forced the combat to drag a little bit.

Is anyone seeing real fast combats, or are people getting results similar to what we got?

 

[Festivus]

It was a bit slow for us today but I was teaching 5 people how to play... I expected it to be slow.

Still, the whole thing took me 4 hours to TPK the party... so yeah, a little slow.

Tracking stuff was accomplished with a mix of glass beads, bits of colored wire and my magnetic combat pad.

I do suspect two things.

1. It will get faster as folks learn the rules.

2. It won't get much slower because you aren't adding that much at every level and it's gradual... and has a finite limit to it. Gone are the days of 2 page long stat blocks for monsters... they have a small box with a few options in it. WAAAY faster there at higher levels no doubt.

 

[Piratecat]

With seven 3rd lvl heroes, I ran two combat encounters (lizardman zombies and a young green dragon), plus a skill challenge, in exactly three hours.

 

[Rystil Arden]

How long has 4E combats been taking in your game?

I ran the first two encounters of KotS today. The first (which I bumped up in difficulty by 50 XP, 9 opponents) ran about 1.5 hours. the second ran 1 hour 10 minutes (5 opponents). Or, 10 minutes per opponent in a half minion fight and 14 minutes per opponent in a non-minion fight.

We did stop a few times in each combat and looked things up in the rulebooks, but not excessively. Maybe 5 to 10 minutes in each combat total.

I didn't notice that the combats were much faster than 3E. There were quite a few conditions that we had to keep track of (marked, bloodied and slowed) which forced the combat to drag a little bit.

Is anyone seeing real fast combats, or are people getting results similar to what we got?

Similar results. But remember, there were people out there who weren't running 3.5 that fast. To them, this is a speed increase. From what I've heard of your ability to run large encounter in 3.5 without slowing down, I expect you (like me) would be one of the people who doesn't experience any speed increase. It's more of letting everyone run fast simple combats even if they aren't talented, gifted, experienced, or whatever combination of traits it requires to actually do it successfully in 3.5. There's some minimum of latency that it takes to run a round of combat pretty much no matter what.

 

[hero4hire]

Similar results. But remember, there were people out there who weren't running 3.5 that fast. To them, this is a speed increase. From what I've heard of your ability to run large encounter in 3.5 without slowing down, I expect you (like me) would be one of the people who doesn't experience any speed increase. It's more of letting everyone run fast simple combats even if they aren't talented, gifted, experienced, or whatever combination of traits it requires to actually do it successfully in 3.5. There's some minimum of latency that it takes to run a round of combat pretty much no matter what.

In my FTF game 1st encounter of KotS the group managed to kill all my minions in the 1st round. The slinger and the two dragonshields probably lasted about a half hour of play after that.

With roleplaying plot hooks, set-up and this being my players' first 4e combat it all took 90 minutes.

Though they are now convinced most Kobolds are pushovers....Wait til next encounter...

 

[helium3]

Yep. Were at about an hour for each actual combat encounter. The second was faster than the first so I have high hopes it'll get better.

Oh, and as the DM? Total effing murder. I immediately started telling the players what I was and was no longer responsible for.

 

[Rystil Arden]

In my FTF game 1st encounter of KotS the group managed to kill all my minions in the 1st round. The slinger and the two dragonshields probably lasted about a half hour of play after that.

With roleplaying plot hooks, set-up and this being my players' first 4e combat it all took 90 minutes.

Though they are now convinced most Kobolds are pushovers....Wait til next encounter...

Sounds like good luck and/or tactics, but you'll have to let us know how it works out after a few more encounters and if it keeps being quick. I've seen 3.5 fights that went that quickly too every once in a while. How many rounds was it in total to win it and how many PCs (I guess not that many if the fight only had a slinger, two dragonshields, and minions)?

 

[hero4hire]

Sounds like good luck and/or tactics, but you'll have to let us know how it works out after a few more encounters and if it keeps being quick. I've seen 3.5 fights that went that quickly too every once in a while. How many rounds was it in total to win it and how many PCs (I guess not that many if the fight only had a slinger, two dragonshields, and minions)?

5 PCs. Most gained initiative as no surprise round was stated in set-up.
The Dragonborn Paladin had Enlarged Dragons Breath. (5x5 minor action blast is a minion's nightmare!) He opened with it and easily hit 3 minions and the slinger. The warlock and the rogue polished off the other two minions before the kobolds even acted.