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<blockquote data-quote="Novem5er" data-source="post: 4874479" data-attributes="member: 57859">Agreed - great article!While I've applied several of the tactics in the OP to my game, I've unfortunately had to go a step further. We've reduced monster HP by 50%&nbsp; and I add bonus damage to each monster attack equal to 1/2 level + 1.We've run it this way for 3 sessions now and my players love it! The combats go much quicker, feel more fluid, and we get more out of each session. The only problem I have with it as a DM is that it screws some monsters out of (save ends) affects or special attacks that are intended to use several times a fight. Since the combats last half as long, monsters (and PCs to a point) have half as many rounds to hit.The bonus damage helps keep things pretty deadly. Our level 6 monsters are doing +4 damage with each hit. It doesn't look like a lot on paper, but when a Brute hits you for 2d6 + 11 with a Basic attack, the players take notice... especially when a character is double-tapped in a single round.I'm of the opinion that 4e combat as written is just fine... when you have 5 dedicated players who've memorized their powers, think tactically, and are engaged during everyone else's turn (AKA paying attention!). For my group, though (with 5-7 players per week!) normal combat rules meant that half the group was &quot;done&quot; with the battle 30-45 minutes before it was really over.Mostly, my players kept getting pissed that they could Crit with an Encounter power and not even bloody a dang Gnoll. We went from that, to one-hit killing Wereboar when the dice are with us... and when half the party is down 2-4 healing surges at the end of it, it feels right.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Novem5er, post: 4874479, member: 57859"] Agreed - great article! While I've applied several of the tactics in the OP to my game, I've unfortunately had to go a step further. We've reduced monster HP by 50% and I add bonus damage to each monster attack equal to 1/2 level + 1. We've run it this way for 3 sessions now and my players love it! The combats go much quicker, feel more fluid, and we get more out of each session. The only problem I have with it as a DM is that it screws some monsters out of (save ends) affects or special attacks that are intended to use several times a fight. Since the combats last half as long, monsters (and PCs to a point) have half as many rounds to hit. The bonus damage helps keep things pretty deadly. Our level 6 monsters are doing +4 damage with each hit. It doesn't look like a lot on paper, but when a Brute hits you for 2d6 + 11 with a Basic attack, the players take notice... [I]especially[/I] when a character is double-tapped in a single round. I'm of the opinion that 4e combat [I]as written[/I] is just fine... when you have 5 dedicated players who've memorized their powers, think tactically, and are engaged during everyone else's turn (AKA paying attention!). For my group, though (with 5-7 players per week!) normal combat rules meant that half the group was "done" with the battle 30-45 minutes before it was really over. Mostly, my players kept getting pissed that they could Crit with an Encounter power and not even [I]bloody[/I] a dang Gnoll. We went from [I]that, [/I]to one-hit killing Wereboar when the dice are with us... and when half the party is down 2-4 healing surges at the end of it, it feels right. [/QUOTE]

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