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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FireLance" data-source="post: 4883567" data-attributes="member: 3424">For me, I don't mind starting slow, to give the PCs the opportunity to probe the monsters' defences and develop good tactics to use against them, but I want the pace of combat to pick up in the later rounds of a fight. So, I've decided to introduce the following "combat escalation" house rule in the campaign that I will be starting soon:1. After the first round of combat, everyone (PCs and monsters) gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls. This increases by +1 at the start of each subsequent round. 2. After the bonus to damage rolls increases to +2 or more, everyone gains a bonus to attack rolls equal to half the bonus to damage rolls. 3. After the bonus to attack rolls increases to +2 or more, everyone's crit range increases by half the bonus to attack rolls.I'm hoping this will achieve a few things:1. There is a self-correcting anti-dragginess mechanism because the longer the combat lasts, the deadlier it gets: everyone hits and crits more often, and deals more damage. 2. There is a built-in incentive for the PCs to hold on to their more powerful attacks until a few rounds of combat have passed, to increase the chances that they will hit and crit. Hence, there will be a greater chance of spectacular "finishing moves" occurring in-game. 3. Since I personally won't be holding back on the monsters' attacks, combats will be more likely to evoke the feeling that the PCs are hard-pressed at first, before rallying and turning the tide on their opponents.</blockquote>

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