Taking the average instead of rolling many dice

[Darmanicus]

I'm the kind of GM that starts putting up fingers counting to five when somebody is hemming and hawing about a combat decision.
--fje

There's a word for that, oo what was it? Ah yes...........JERK!

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

If I have to roll 10+ dice then I do averages; I just prefer a swift combat tempo to savouring the moment.

 

[The_Gneech]

Pleeeeeeeaaaase let me take the average! For everything! So what if I'd never get a critical hit, I never get one anyway!

I CAN'T ROLL DICE! *sob*

I once rolled 16 on 8d6.

On a d20, out of 100 rolls, maybe fifteen will be higher than 7.

Seriously. I can't roll dice. I want a feat that allows me to "Take 10" for everything, so I could succeed once in a while.

-The Gneech

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

When the players hear me say the enemy wizard is casting a lightning bolt and they look down and realize they are all lined up in perfect order for a total hit they wimper as I select my d6 for the roll, they being to pray to whatever gods they hold dear as I give them a shake and toss them out on the table, then they either curse the heavens or sigh with relief as they tally up the numbers with me.

I love moments like that.

 

[Rel]

When the players hear me say the enemy wizard is casting a lightning bolt and they look down and realize they are all lined up in perfect order for a total hit they wimper as I select my d6 for the roll, they being to pray to whatever gods they hold dear as I give them a shake and toss them out on the table, then they either curse the heavens or sigh with relief as they tally up the numbers with me.

I love moments like that.

Fer serious!

 

[Arnwyn]

How important is the actual rolling of damage like this (by the DM) to the D&D experience? Would you feel jipped? What if it sped up combat?

I prefer the variability in each of the dice rolls, especially in such a small sample size (a single encounter with a dozen goblins, that doesn't occur too often with us).

Also, my particular group and I no where near values "speeding up combat"/gameplay as much as the rest of ENWorld seems to... Way overrated, in our opinion.