House Rules for Speeding up Combat [Archive] - Wizards Community

House Rules for Speeding up Combat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Daijaga
06-27-06, 05:29 PM I dunno about anyone else, but If theres one thing that starts to kill the game, it when my players get bored. This generally occurs in an excessivly long combat situation, so here's how we run it in my hood.

House Rule #1 - Bonus xp for multiple rolls.
Eyeball who is rolling damage at the same time as their attack rolls (As I've repeatedly asked my players to do) and tic off xp bonuses for it. When people ask how come so-and-so got more xp then I did, I mention I tic off xp bonuses for RP and following house guidelines, like rolling all yoru stuff at once ^_^

House Rule #2 - Stronger Critical Hits
Ive been doing critical hits this way for years - because I hate thret rolling. If you hit within the threat range, its a crit, no questions asked. I was careful to add in a restriction to the keen effect that only increases a slashing weapon's threat range by one.

If anyone else has any special rules they have or use for speeding up combat, Id sure liek to know about them. Combat can be fun and dynamic, but I want to keep the speed and pace acceptable.
True Cavalier
06-27-06, 06:01 PM Funnily enough, we do not speed up combat.

We do not use miniatures, but instead describe everything, and we roll for initiative every round.

We tried fast paced combat, but it was a mess. People kept losing turns, it was hard to keep track of expendables (who remembers to tick off used arrows in a hurry!), and combat seemed to slow down TOO much every time the wizard would have to roll and keep track of damage, or when dice would fall off the table, etc.

Slow combat isn't so bad :P At least in our campaign where there is roughly 2 fights in each session, three at most, and they usually end fast.
theblindman
06-27-06, 06:13 PM House Rule #2 - Stronger Critical Hits
Ive been doing critical hits this way for years - because I hate thret rolling. If you hit within the threat range, its a crit, no questions asked. I was careful to add in a restriction to the keen effect that only increases a slashing weapon's threat range by one.
Ah critical hits. This is one rule that's so difficult to change.

That doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. Basically what it means is that a level 1 fighter with a longspear gets a critical hit every one in twenty rolls, and a level 20 fighter with a longspear gets a critical every one in twenty rolls. This, somehow, strikes me as unfair to the level 20 fighter.

Though I don't have any problems with you fiddling with the keen or improved critical effects.
Tequila_Sunrise
07-03-06, 05:43 PM I dunno about anyone else, but If theres one thing that starts to kill the game, it when my players get bored. This generally occurs in an excessivly long combat situation, so here's how we run it in my hood.

House Rule #1 - Bonus xp for multiple rolls.
Eyeball who is rolling damage at the same time as their attack rolls (As I've repeatedly asked my players to do) and tic off xp bonuses for it. When people ask how come so-and-so got more xp then I did, I mention I tic off xp bonuses for RP and following house guidelines, like rolling all yoru stuff at once ^_^

House Rule #2 - Stronger Critical Hits
Ive been doing critical hits this way for years - because I hate thret rolling. If you hit within the threat range, its a crit, no questions asked. I was careful to add in a restriction to the keen effect that only increases a slashing weapon's threat range by one.

If anyone else has any special rules they have or use for speeding up combat, Id sure liek to know about them. Combat can be fun and dynamic, but I want to keep the speed and pace acceptable.

I've only ever played with newbies, and I hear ya; combat take tooo long!

About your rule #2, I understand trashing crit confirmation rolls, but why restict a slashing weapons crit range? That makes weapons like picks a whole lot more attractive.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Daijaga 06-27-06, 05:29 PM	I dunno about anyone else, but If theres one thing that starts to kill the game, it when my players get bored. This generally occurs in an excessivly long combat situation, so here's how we run it in my hood. House Rule #1 - Bonus xp for multiple rolls. Eyeball who is rolling damage at the same time as their attack rolls (As I've repeatedly asked my players to do) and tic off xp bonuses for it. When people ask how come so-and-so got more xp then I did, I mention I tic off xp bonuses for RP and following house guidelines, like rolling all yoru stuff at once ^_^ House Rule #2 - Stronger Critical Hits Ive been doing critical hits this way for years - because I hate thret rolling. If you hit within the threat range, its a crit, no questions asked. I was careful to add in a restriction to the keen effect that only increases a slashing weapon's threat range by one. If anyone else has any special rules they have or use for speeding up combat, Id sure liek to know about them. Combat can be fun and dynamic, but I want to keep the speed and pace acceptable.
True Cavalier 06-27-06, 06:01 PM	Funnily enough, we do not speed up combat. We do not use miniatures, but instead describe everything, and we roll for initiative every round. We tried fast paced combat, but it was a mess. People kept losing turns, it was hard to keep track of expendables (who remembers to tick off used arrows in a hurry!), and combat seemed to slow down TOO much every time the wizard would have to roll and keep track of damage, or when dice would fall off the table, etc. Slow combat isn't so bad :P At least in our campaign where there is roughly 2 fights in each session, three at most, and they usually end fast.
theblindman 06-27-06, 06:13 PM	House Rule #2 - Stronger Critical Hits Ive been doing critical hits this way for years - because I hate thret rolling. If you hit within the threat range, its a crit, no questions asked. I was careful to add in a restriction to the keen effect that only increases a slashing weapon's threat range by one. Ah critical hits. This is one rule that's so difficult to change. That doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. Basically what it means is that a level 1 fighter with a longspear gets a critical hit every one in twenty rolls, and a level 20 fighter with a longspear gets a critical every one in twenty rolls. This, somehow, strikes me as unfair to the level 20 fighter. Though I don't have any problems with you fiddling with the keen or improved critical effects.
Tequila_Sunrise 07-03-06, 05:43 PM	I dunno about anyone else, but If theres one thing that starts to kill the game, it when my players get bored. This generally occurs in an excessivly long combat situation, so here's how we run it in my hood. House Rule #1 - Bonus xp for multiple rolls. Eyeball who is rolling damage at the same time as their attack rolls (As I've repeatedly asked my players to do) and tic off xp bonuses for it. When people ask how come so-and-so got more xp then I did, I mention I tic off xp bonuses for RP and following house guidelines, like rolling all yoru stuff at once ^_^ House Rule #2 - Stronger Critical Hits Ive been doing critical hits this way for years - because I hate thret rolling. If you hit within the threat range, its a crit, no questions asked. I was careful to add in a restriction to the keen effect that only increases a slashing weapon's threat range by one. If anyone else has any special rules they have or use for speeding up combat, Id sure liek to know about them. Combat can be fun and dynamic, but I want to keep the speed and pace acceptable. I've only ever played with newbies, and I hear ya; combat take tooo long! About your rule #2, I understand trashing crit confirmation rolls, but why restict a slashing weapons crit range? That makes weapons like picks a whole lot more attractive.