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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 5805463" data-attributes="member: 67">I do this in my games.  I'm generally pretty good at succinctly describing battlefield positions.  I do generalize when I can.I'm not sure how this would make any significant difference in combat length, but I do see how it would add an element of (perceived) chaos into the skirmish.Now I see why you've dropped initiative.  I pretty much do the same thing with durations, but I haven't dropped the round/initiative structure.  All in all, I don't find cyclical initiative to take that long.I like these ideas a lot, even though I don't think they directly do anything to streamline combat--they still have players looking at their powers and actually add a step to using them.  That said, immersion would certainly help invest players (and DM) in the skirmish.I've decided to incorporate a simple incentive into my combats to help promote improvised options and, hopefully, encourage players to keep their eyes off their character sheets a little more during combat.  The players will still have the option of using any of their powers (certainly, some situations will beg for them), but, should they choose to improvise an option based on the circumstances, they'll get a +2 to any relevant die roll to succeed.Absolutely!  It's also worth noting that Trust starts with the DM, who must foster the atmosphere.  However, a disruptive player who forces the DM to take an adversarial position to keep him in check can easily ruin all such attempts.Yes, and generous helpings of minions, as well.  Halving hit points (and increasing damage by 50%) has worked well for me, as well.  Also, if your players want to make detailed preparations to stack the odds heavily in their favor, don't shut them down!  It's a good thing!That's definitely an ideal for me.Frankly, I've noticed that, even at the most war-gamer, tactics-lovin', D&D-as-boardgame tables I've played at, that can easily happen (once the encounters are out of the way), if the DM lets it, but, as Quickleaf mentioned, that's when the DM should throw in a tactical twist to change things up.That does seem to happen, even to seasoned players.  I'm hoping that the +2 chance to succeed incentive that I mentioned earlier will help this somewhat.  Ultimately, though, I don't think the problem will entirely go away while powers exist in their current form--that is, highly specific game effects that are largely independent from actual in-game circumstances (except for positioning).<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank">Yes, I have.  It is but one part of a comprehensive approach to streamlining the game at all levels--campaign-building, session-preparation, and game-play.</a></blockquote><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank">  It has helped us feel more is accomplished in the game, helped recapture a feel of something we've been missing, and, basically, helped reinvigorate the game.</a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank">I would like to hear more about these.</a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank">I try to do this informally, but rarely spell it out.  It's really the same way I handle skill challenges (which is, pretty much, structureless--just like the good ol' days).</a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/316091-full-time-dm-part-time-prep.html" target="_blank">I'd like to hear more about this, as well.  Specifically, how does your method emulate skill challenges?</a>[/QUOTE]

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