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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Grakarg" data-source="post: 6630998" data-attributes="member: 41096">I use average damage, while my players roll.I find that using average damage speeds up my combat turns significantly, and helps keep the focus on the players and their actions.  I'm usually running lots of creatures at different spots in the initiative order, so anything I can do to get the focus off of me doing everything/taking too long and getting it back over to the players helps.Plus, using the average damage helps me tweak encounters.  For example, using average damage helps me keep an eye on the damage output on special attacks (i.e. dragon breath) so that I don't  accidentally set up something where the attack can wipe everyone out in a single attack.  I'd rather set up an encounter that increases the tension, rather than ensures defeat of the players.Actual example from the last game session:  I'd created a conversion of a Greenspawn Razorfiend for my Red Hand of Doom campaign.  Instead of setting the creature's acid breath at 45 damage, I set it at 35 damage, knowing that 45 damage would have dropped most of the party in one shot.  So in the first round of combat, the creature managed to breathe on the entire party putting them in GREAT danger and allowing them to react, rather than just dropping everyone but the tank.  This allowed the rest of the team to scramble and assist each other, as players began to drop in the subsequent rounds.  As it was, the players manages to squeak out a close win with no deaths.  If I'd rolled damage, a low roll on the breath weapon wouldn't have been as exciting, and a high roll on damage would have just killed everyone (no fun for anyone).I actually like the fact that my players are starting to watch the damage output and metagame the damage on standard creatures (like your average hobgoblin). It allows me another way to surprise them when they think they know what something does, and then I switch it up.  Set up an expectation, then change it.That said, either roll dice or use average damage as you see fit for your table.  Picking up and rolling a big fistfull of dice in front of the players definitely creates a LOT of dramatic tension.As always, try to keep things fun first.  There is nothing quite like having your players high-five each other at the table after they overcome your carefully crafted obstacles.Game on!</blockquote>

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