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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Glade Riven" data-source="post: 5419727" data-attributes="member: 86468">Okay, let's tackle something specific - the egregious length of battles - first in 3e and 4e. Now, I learned to DM with a large group (8 people), which means battles can get bogged down just because it is a big group. Hence, rule #21 greatly speeds things up. I roll 6 d20s at once. I refined my combat abilities so that I take less time than some players. As a player, I figure out what I am going to do before it comes around to my turn. Now, if victory is largly a matter of time, I'll shorten the HP of a foe or have minions run away. If the battle is too short (which can happen) I have more minions show up who were conveniently nearby or increase the HP of a foe. That doesn't mean that long battles don't exist - the key is to make it so that it 1. it isn't every battle and 2. the entire conflict still remains fun. There was one Saga campaign where the party was doing a smash-&-grab instead of covert ops (like they were suppose to). After a few minor skirmishes, eventually they set off the base alarms and oh shyste now there are stormtroopers everywhere with sith commanders and someone set the frackin' rancor loose and we're pinned down...granted, sometimes the pacing can't be helped...like when the epic moment for the telekineticist Jedi drags out because the player is having poor luck on the D20 rolls to pull down the Star Destroyer (I let him spend a force point for a straight d20 vs d20 roll). Now, if you're a rule's lawyer, you will probably hate my style of DMing - because I'll houserule for the situation (and state such) and look it up later. If it comes up again, I'll probably follow that rule - but I don't want an argument about the rules slowing down the game.</blockquote>

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