Faster Combat in D&D | 10 Ways to Pick Up the Pace!

[@chrisspray666]

tip to make combat take longer, but...far more exciting. Have the players describe their attacks using the rule of cool. Have the NPCs react to what happens (screams, flailing about if on fire etc). this will help to keep the players from falling asleep during combat.

[@themonkeys96]

I find a shorter, less descriptive combat to be worse and even sometimes feel longer than one painted out beautifully with descriptions, even if it takes some time.

[@nektarioskegeroglou3453]

This is called roleplaying

[@michaelslama6809]

Man I totally agree, I love colorful describing of mere axe swing, putting some flavor in it, not just dull numbers

[@Logan_Baron]

Yeah, not having dragging combat is good. However: "I attack, hit, 5 points of damage, I attack, hit 4 points of damage, I attack, miss, The monster attacks, he hits you. Take 8 points of damage, I attack, hit 7 points of damage, I attack, Miss, I attack, miss, I attack hit 5 points of damage" is worse. But these ideas are good to speed up the boring parts of combat even if you trade it out for longer but exciting things.

[@Piqipeg]

How about a combination? Use the tips to make the boring stuff go faster, then use the time gained for narration?

[@queeniebell7087]

My DM has a spray bottle that she uses when the table talk starts.

[@theDMLair]

Bad kitties! 🙀

[@youcantbeatk7006]

God forbid your players starts friendly communication like actual humans or anything.

[@vikingguy5027]

Good advice, noted

[@jimmeier547]

Lol

[@shealupkes]

@@youcantbeatk7006 that's fair until half an hour goes by without any in game actions

[@togashi_joe]

As a DM for 27 years, lots of good advice here! Subbed and thanks for creating videos!

[@theDMLair]

Thanks, Joe! 😀👊Seriously, it means a lot coming from a veteran DM. And you're welcome. My goal is to pass on the information I got in my head -- and what I learn from other DMs -- to other DMs, to help them run awesome games. I'm really excited that folks are finding my videos useful! 😃

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Joe De Bari 26yr here. Good to see an old book.

[@vikingguy5027]

I’ve only been a DM for like 2 years, and have only been playing for 3, surprisingly 1st edition was my well first edition

[@rodlimadiniz]

One little thing that helped me get combats going faster was allowing players to change turn order between themselves. I rolled initiative for enemies, and players rolled theirs. We had 3 groups: everyone before the monsters, the monsters, and everyone after. This way, whoever is in the same group can have the turn before or after the other person in that group. So, if a player know what he or she will do, and the other doesn't, the one who knows just acts while the other has some time to think. I know this gives players a little more power than the normal initiative rules do, but I think it's worth it.

[@Sharkey007x]

hmmm, i think I might try that one out. It isn't too much stronger than them just readying actions ahead of eachother.

[@elgatochurro]

Might try it Players would have to worry about which enemy will get their turn next

[@nemooh]

Was the rule in some of the early editions. You aren't breaking any religious scriptures. The game is outs, not Wizards of the Left Coast.

[@BLOCKsmithy]

The biggest thing that has helped speed up my games (I usually have 6-7 players) is that I pre-roll combat and damage on a randomly generated excel sheet I also put the HP on there so all I have to do is cross it out. This has significantly sped up combat and it frees me up more to focus on the stories.

[@nemooh]

Fantastic rule. It also means I can fabricate and use averages, which I also have done. Or used a rule like I use the average unless the monster rolls low then it's average -2 or high and it's +2.

[@ArcaneFuror]

Also, basic combat stats for players. AC, HP, and saves already written down for the DM to reference the base stats, and apply whatever changing modifier comes up.

[@momqabt]

@3:20 players not paying attention. If it's something critical like a family member calling for an important matter we stop the game or the player excuses themselves and they ask for a recap ok no problem. But if the player wasn't paying attention for reasons like going through Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or writing their book they want to publish or looking at funny cat vids or something that's just a random distraction: ok you're are stunned for the round. Next player. If the party dies or fail because of that person they will be responsible and the other will make them feel this really hard so next time they won't do it. If they don't know a detail because they were preparing something for their turn they will ask specific question revolving around the action they want to take and describe what they want to do and ask for a ruling if it's unclear so if they ask details on what's happened that could influence their action I almost always allow a general rundown of the situation

[@robertevans3173]

Years ago we started having player jobs. One of them is "Monster admen". We also have "Small mapper", who's job it is to make a map for the PC's. "Large mapper" controls minis and the dungeon fog. "Rules lawyer" a few of my players 'might' be a lawyer. So we made it a job. Not only do they help the DM, but they track and record the Homebrew rules too. Then "Note taker" probably the least favorite job but also the most valuable. This person records major events in the episode. This allows for flavor in RP, as bards tell stories of the characters deeds.

[@nemooh]

rules lawyer, shut up. we can talk rules after the game is over. Nothing is worse than someone opening a book and stopping everything, breaking the moment.

[@robertevans3173]

@@nemooh why not get it right? If you don't have a consistent set of rules, no one not even the DM knows where they stand. Every ruling becomes arbitrary and inconsistent.

[@MagusAgrippa8]

The sheer amount of information in spells is exactly why I design my own character sheets with ample space for my party and for my monsters to list all of the spells they know or use commonly.

[@lucasguerra5641]

Nice video. The fights on my campaign take a whole session sometimes.. 3 sessions to clear a dungeon, i'm not even doing random encounters anymore.

[@Psikerlord]

Average damage sucks imo; it makes 5e even less dangerous than it already is. Hard not to use spellcasters in 5e given magic is hard baked into nearly all subclasses. I like the other tips however - esp squash the committee talk! I like the 5 finger countdown on one hand to get folks moving.

[@theDMLair]

Re: not using magic, I'm not referring to the players, gods no. I'd be run away from the table on rails. 😂 I'm just saying that the DM minimizing using spells will speed things up. But I wouldn't stop. Spells are awesome and make things exciting. They just slow things down, so it's a matter of using them wisely. For average damage, yes you can get much higher if you roll, but you can also get much lower. It definitely hands down speeds up the DM's rounds though. It's up to you to determine if it's a good fit for your table, of course.

[@elgatochurro]

I time players if they're taking too long between rounds, I'll skip their turn if they take too long

[@theDMLair]

Elgatochurro That's what I do too when needed.

[@DetectiveBarricade]

If you feel things need to be more dangerous, you could instead opt to take the maximum damage an attack can inflict. If the attack does 1d8 damage, it does 8 damage. If it seems a little much on huge rolls, maybe only use the highest roll for half and the average for the rest. I think the point is using a set amount of damage for the enemies' attacks can help speed up combat. Though let's face it. It's hard to resist rolling a big handful of dice. xD

[@elgatochurro]

@@DetectiveBarricade the players wont survive that, better to just max health the enemies hit points

[@jimmeier547]

Solid advice that all DM's should listen to. Just recently found your channel while perusing KZbin during this whole pandemic thing. Our weekly game had to switch to a virtual online game, causing me to use KZbin to learn some of the ins and outs of virtual gaming, and as a result, your videos started popping up in my recommended videos. Like you, I've been DM'ng since high school, which for me though began back in 1979. I do much the same, though when a player is not ready on their turn, besides having them dodge or such on their turn, I have them roll a d4 or d6 and they are knocked that number down in the initiative order. So they end up one round plus that modifier before the start of their next turn.

[@atomman13]

The only time I’d really say that #1 isn’t the greatest option is when a player is just starting out, but then again that comes down to the player knowing the pc’s abilities.

[@theDMLair]

Yes, new players are treated differently, for sure. I'm mostly referring to vets who should know better than to daydream when they should be figuring out what they're going to do on their next turn. :)

[@shallendor]

In our Pathfinder game, we get to speak only 10 words per combat round.

[@danieldougherty5381]

I give my players 25, but yeah, the less chatter the better. Good call. :)

[@ArcaneFuror]

thats roughly 6 seconds so yee. Realistic and also helps cut out metagaming/immersion. Doesn't work too well with new people who are excited or have questions that need answers though. Great for veteran groups tho

[@Darth_Pro_x]

per player or for the whole group?

[@elgatochurro]

There shouldn't be time to formulate a complicated or lengthy plan tbh

[@TheKinglaharl]

How long after a new player starts would you recommend turn skipping? I feel as though someone who is relatively new should be given more space and time. Whereas a person who has actively been playing for a year should just know in most situations "I fire an arrow, I have +9 to hit and the Armor class is 15. I gotta get 6 to hurt it". A new player being rushed is more likely to just lose interest as opposed to knowing what they wanna do.

[@theDMLair]

I agree. It depends on the game and the person honestly. I have 1 player whose been playing with me for 1.5 years and she's still shaky with the rules. I'm just patient with her and everyone at the table helps her as needed. We still keep her turn to under a minute. I do pressure her to make a decision, but also offer suggestions as to what she might do. She's quick about picking one. Anyway, use your best judgment is all I can say.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

I might point out that it can be "a job" to introduce a new Player to the Game... It's worth suggesting in the first place (okay, maybe just a reference for future) that you'll want to bring up the idea of a "newbie" and have that discussion with the WHOLE TABLE before you just do so. As a LONG time Player and GM, I rather enjoy bringing "fresh blood" to the carnage of our hobby. At the same time, I can understand there are "Seasoned Vet's" who have trouble with the idea... who don't like (or even resent) the suggestion of showing kindness and patience... Some of them have horror stories already of disruptive and toxic "newbies" or just flat reject the idea. It's okay. What's important is to find at least ONE reasonable veteran of the Table who doesn't mind stepping someone through the processes. You (GM) have enough of your plate in trying to get the combat to go "smoothly" (I know, relative term) and keep up with the math. A second instructor to help the inexperienced Player is great for shortening the amount of time on expositions, suggestions, and scheming or "meta-talk" while everyone is itching to throw dice and insults and battle-cries, and generally raise all manner of hell. Like DM's Lair pointed out, the actual particulars are a little different from one to the next... AND there are newbies who embrace the whole "Combat comes at you FAST" concept with everything they've got. There are quick learners, and there are occasionally those who are more ambitious than is really "good" for them... The struggle is real. BUT you can also "buy a bit of time" in the process with descriptive terms, and atmosphere, letting a little table-chatter go unchecked (even where you might ordinarily curb it)... The only thing worse than a new Player struggling with the choice of "spell or staff" is another Player getting "salty" about a fistful of dice warming in a sweaty palm... in the deathly silence of curbed table-talk. Relax. Don't ever forget to let yourself breathe, and if necessary be silly. The world (especially now?) could use a bit more silly. ;o)

[@Frostrazor]

@@theDMLair I couldn't handle that. Not to sound draconian, but there's an onus for players to take the time to read, research and learn. If you're not willing to put in a little effort when everyone else is, and the DM is putting in weekly time/effort to prepare - it's tough love time if it's been 18 months. We all have learning curves, etc, but my experience is people get lazy and don't take the time to read the rule book or look up things they are unaware of or create cheat-sheets for themselves. There's also thousands of KZbin vids to teach concepts of the game that are hard to grasp. So there's no excuse (aside from a legitimate learning disability and that of course is an outlier to my comment - the assumption is that this person does not) to show up to games unfamiliar with the game or unprepared with your character with all pertinent info documented, or page-numbered for quick reference. And with all books on PDF now, it's a breeze to keyword find just about anything quickly.

[@Ausferius]

For the 'no committee' rule and the 'don't take a long time on your turn' rule, I find one of the easiest things to do is let the players make a plan at the beginning of the battle. There is a metagaming argument to be made here, but I think that since the players are highly trained individuals who go around fighting creatures as a profession, they would likely have a pretty good idea what to do. It's one of those situations where the character would actually know more than the player, so giving them planning time is actually pretty realistic. It also contains the conversation/planning phase to a set time before the battle, so the rest of the battle can go on smoothly.

[@theDMLair]

Agreed! I do something similar. In between each ROUND I give my players 1 minute to discuss tactics. This represents what a highly trained strike force of professional combatants would do out of training/instinct.

[@Ausferius]

@@theDMLair Counter-agree, I do that too, but not on the little encounters. If it isn't difficult or strategy heavy, then run with their plan A to get it done. Otherwise, the round by round plan is probably a good move.

[@ashutoshmohapatra7320]

That last point about not letting the players have a cross table discussion each turn is very crucial. I am a new DM and I find my combats taking a grueling amount of time when they shouldn't. I am thinking of getting more stricter with it because the last few sessions, it has been a real issue. Thanks for all the advice. Subbed.

[@theDMLair]

Yes, not allowing cross table discussions every turn is definitely the number 1 way to make combats go faster. We are going to find is that your players are going to want to do some strategizing and all that good stuff which I think is reasonable. What I do in order to allow them that is in between each round of combat I give him about one minute to discuss strategy that they're going to use during the next round of combat. This prevents them from discussing those tactics during each turn. The next thing that I do in order to enforce the whole no cross table conversations during turns is I have a timer that I use a 30 second timer if I feel that players are talking too much between turns I start using the 30 second timer. If a player doesn't give me what he's going to do within those 30 seconds he was his turn. It has been a long time since I've had to use that timer because all of my players are accustomed to having to tell me what they're going to do at the very beginning of their turn. And if they don't I start putting lots of pressure on them. My theory is that they've had five to ten minutes to think about what they're going to do while everybody else was taking their turn. They should know what they're going to do. They shouldn't be looking up spells or reading how things work at that point. And the key here to is explaining to your players upfront before you start doing this that you're going to be doing it. I would explain why you're going to be doing it as well. This way you set the expectations and there are no surprises when people start losing turns. That's the second key to this is that somebody is going to take too long and you'll have to take away his turn. This will happen guaranteed. This is the moment when you proved your players that you're serious and that it will happen. Don't hesitate in doing this. If you give him a second chance then this may never work because they'll always figure that you're always going to give him another chance and that you're not really serious about enforcing this rule. But was even forced it once or twice and I know you're serious they will speed up and they will give you their actions right away. Because nobody wants to lose his turn in combat nobody. Give me those are some some quick thoughts I had about this cuz I've gone through this a few times in my games so there you go hope that helps man.

[@ashutoshmohapatra7320]

@@theDMLair Thanks mate. That was a really detailed and very practical suggestion. I have been binging your videos these past few days and they have been very helpful to me. I will continue to use your content as reference.

[@elgatochurro]

If it's making combat boring, start counting slowly from 5, if they reach 1 without declaring an action, skip them. Every round is 6 seconds and they just sirent 6 seconds doing nothing.

[@theDMLair]

You're very welcome! Always happy to help.

[@ronniejdio9411]

Lot of good stuff here But words cant explain how I disdain the avg damage thing

[@theDMLair]

I don't really like it myself because it makes things predictable, but it makes things SOOOO much faster. It really does.

[@mads9638]

Well whiteout try it out for my self (yet) I would use ave for normal foes and roll for the boss fights.

[@boianko]

Total necro reply, but it can be good if you put average damage for most attacks and then roll every so often. It makes things somewhat less predictable, with the players not knowing the exact limit of damage the enemies deal.

[@zestyzkingofrandom7700]

As a DM I find this super helpful, especially when most of the players decide they can not make it, or the come in late and expecting to table talk when fighting a dragon..... What do you do... I do x y or z.... Roll..... Result..... Not talk and decide..... It is a dice game...... I have come so close to murdering them and then saying instead of dying they were sent back in time to the spot the messed up. (history repeating itself) I love your Chanel and your videos!

[@Floatingleaves2991]

Love the tips and tricks. I am a new DM, dnd for 6 years and dm for like 6-7 months, not weekly unfortunate, but these are the tips I need to improve!!! Thanks!

[@5oundOfVictory]

I use average damage for things that involve a lot of dice, unless the situation is tense. speedy combat is great, but *dramatic* combat is even better. for things like claw attacks doing 3d6 i just roll the 3d6 and i also have the dice for all attack put aside when an encounter is going on so i don’t have to search through and pick them out. keeping dice sorted helps a TON edit; i also have a stick i beat my players with for taking too long or metagaming. (this is a joke but i do keep a stick at the table as an everlooming threat and an inside joke)

[@kasuscloud4805]

Got a newish player who is really bad at deciding what she wants to do with her turn. I often leave her an offer of "Would you like help?", both to squash the committee talk that occurs around this time and to hint at the fact she's taking too long. Most times she says no, but it usually takes her another 2-4 minutes in the turn to decide. I have told her if this behavior continues into the next campaign her turns will be getting skipped.

[@theDMLair]

Skipping is the best way to make players decide faster. Do it once or twice and you'll see just how fast they decide next time.

[@williamhunter4183]

Remind her when she in next in initiative order to start deciding.

[@seankudes1985]

I was that one guy who played a spellcaster in my first game and memorized the PHB from front to back.

[@geoffreyperrin4347]

One reason I love virtual tabletops is because it does stuff like this for you and in just one, two, or three clicks

[@theDMLair]

Yes, great point. I've never used a virtual tabletop like Roll 20, but I've heard that they are excellent for expediting things that can take up lots of time at the table.

[@geoffreyperrin4347]

the DM Lair they are, but either you or the player or both need to be proficient in the VTT for you to really get fast. If the DM wants you to roll for your weapon, you can set it to roll hit (w/ advantage and you can ignore the 2nd #) and damage in one click, but if the player doesn't know what to do you might waist time explaining it. If the players look at their sheets and know where things are between sessions, it can be much faster. The only thing it is really missing that I want is a timer that the DM can set that shows up on all players' screens

[@theDMLair]

Yes, I can see that. If you don't know how to use the tool, it'll just bog things down. I think what I would miss most about playing VTT is using all of my minis. There's just something really cool about a physical mini that you painted yourself (even if it isn't that good).

[@JoshuaMeehan]

I love the advice for making things faster. At my table we do a lot of these as well. Something I just started doing is have players tally up their damage till they reach their max. Addition on the fly just seems to be faster than adding damage and then finding the difference.

[@theDMLair]

I do the exact same thing for my bad guys hit points. I add up the damage they've taken until they get to their maximum hit points. So much faster than subtraction. One thing I also do that even faster than that is that I estimate damage that an enemy takes in multiples of 10. So if an enemy has 80 hit points he can take eight tally marks against him and damaged. I just round up a damage that a player does or around it down. If a player does 3 damage it doesn't count against the enemy. If the player does 5 damage it counts as 10. It all averages out in the end and takes mathematics completely out of it because all I'm using is tally marks.

[@Cxdfc]

4:00 Legendary Sorcerer bosses are a lot of fun for me to run. They get a ton of action economy so even if they are outplayed, they likely have already done their big bangs and such and did some cool sorcery point use. Then again, I play digitally so a lot of the game is sped up purely by that :)

[@theDMLair]

Yeah totally I love running spellcasters as bosses that's lots of fun. And yes that is one of the benefits for sure of playing digitally, the program takes care of a lot of the stuff that would otherwise take a lot of time at the table.

[@michaelvought4433]

In my third year as being the DM for my group one of the guys complained that combat was starting to bog down too much, I agreed so I set a 30 second time limit on combat turns or your player just couldn't decide and did nothing. As soon as we got into a combat the same player who had wanted to make it go faster immediately asked what everyone thought he should he do. I began counting down, gave him a 10 second warning as he continued to try and debate with the others till I skipped his turn. This repeated for his next two turns before he finally made a decision.

[@nemooh]

30 seconds... for a six second simulataneous combat round.

[@ironjellyfish4476]

I don't think my combat will ever be fast with an eight person party.

[@deanreaver3268]

Dang, at that point turn one of the players into a DM and split the group up. That's just too many people in my opinion.

[@shazadali920]

Apply 5 second rule and prep 30 min in advance if not a hour. Youll be fine

[@crazytaru]

Something I do with a large party is to have them roll initiative, then go clockwise or counterclockwise from highest to second score rolled. It speeds combat up greatly, as the players know exactly who is next because it’s the player to the left or right. Super easy.

[@theDMLair]

I do the same thing Crazy.

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Iron Jellyfish I like two to four person parties and forty to ninety minute sessions. Want more, play more sessions but large parties should split and start a concurrent campaign at the next table, coming together when they are in town at the same time.

[@kazuya1337]

One thing that I found really helps, especially for new players, is have them write out a short version of their prepared spells on a flash card. This way it’s easily accessible, easy to read, and they have their options right in front of them. For me as a DM, I do the same with my monsters. Reusable and easy to use. I know there are monster/spell cards, but I’m cheap...

[@mathebg65]

Combat good practices: When calling a player to take his turn, the DM should also tell the player after that that they are next in line

[@fardreamer1576]

I too use average damage for enemies as soon as there are more than two or three of them. Another thing that helps is reminding players who is next, like "X, what do you do? And Y you're up next." As for spellcasters I totally agree: note down the spells to use in advance - often some few infos are enough (like DC14 WIS, 60 ft. sphere, 4d6 dmg). And don't have them have too many spells.

[@CaptainAstronaut]

At the start of each turn, I'll say the next 2 or 3 players who are next in the initiative order. That way those players will be planning their turn and thinking about their options during the other players' turns, so they'll at least have some idea of what they want to do next as soon as their turn starts. Cuts down a lot on thinking time during their turn, especially with newer players

[@tridan111]

The spellcaster-tips were something I found out pretty early in my time as DM (About 3 or 4 sessions in) and it's helped me out SO MUCH I tend to run campaigns in which magic is considered something important and amazing, true arcane masters such as wizards or sorcerers are a rarity in almost all my worlds, making it logical that the party wouldn't encounter spellcasters left and right. This makes the party a lot less likely to attack random spellcasters on the street, so when a magic user DOES fight the party, it's usually someone with purpose, allowing me to cut out a lot of the raw utility and non-combat spells he might have in his repertoire. The added benefit to me having to do way less work in all of this, is that when the party ends up in combat with a spellcaster, they know it's someone with a lot of power, making it far scarier and more exciting for them!

[@Aranesque]

Really good tips here! I'm a new DM and some of those helped me out. Thanks! A little bit of feedback tho: i feel you remind us too much to subscribe or share. It's okay man, your content it's good. You do these really short, but still distracts a bit of the topic you are talking. Again: your content is really good, that alone makes me subscribe or share. So don't worry! You'll do great!

[@theDMLair]

Thanks! This is an older video of mine. I've reduced the amount of "sub and share" stuff. It annoyed me too. 😁

[@CaptainCaleb100]

I don't usually run D&D, but I play the Star Wars FFG system and one of the best parts about their combat is that rolling your attack does automatically roll their damage since weapons have a base damage and you just add the successes of the hit to that base for the full amount. I do need to learn to squash sidetalk though.

[@thebiggestbigmacever6315]

5:10 you have no idea how many times that exact thought went through my head

[@theDMLair]

Lol

[@psycholocke4090]

depending on the group i used the combination of rule #1 & #2. The so called "3 second rule". i put up three fingers in the air slowly counting down. if the player did not decide what to do his character does nothing .... maybe defend himself... that's it. so practical he is dead standing meat. this is only for experienced players who should know what to do anyway.

[@wewantben]

Great points. Love #1 with player getting dodging if they can't make up their mind.

[@theDMLair]

Thanks, man! I know some DMs who say they'll just skip a player if he can't make up his mind, but that seems a little heavy-handed. So I go with dodging. It still sucks for the player to miss a turn. (Which is the point, of course. Call it an extrinsic motivator.)

[@nickmarple7196]

Very entertaining videos! Average damage was the best improvement to my combat encounters.

[@theDMLair]

Thanks a lot, Nick! 😀👊 I agree 100%. I started doing average damage about 6 months ago or so, and it has been awesome. To be clear, my players still roll dice, but I the DM use average damage. It speeds things up GREATLY and removes the math burden from me. One would think adding not so hard (and it isn't) but over the course of 6 hours (our average game session) the mental burden starts to add up with everything else I'm doing as the DM.

[@jimmeier547]

A recommendation, at least for in-person games, is to use some form of initiative tracker that all players can see, and thus see when their turn is coming up. The online systems pretty much have that covered, but in-person, players can be apt to forget who they follow. Now, there are many types sold, but the easiest, and most cost-effective is a short piece of 1/4" dowel rod glued into a base with a matching hole. Then use wooden clothespin clips with the spring, one for each player, and a few for the monsters/opponents. Have the players write their character's names on both sides of the clothespin. After the initiative roll is made, line up the pins on the dowel rod in descending order. After a player has had their turn, rotate the pin 180 degrees on the rod, and go down the list of pins. The reason I use this (when we can play in person) is I can quickly readjust the player order if someone's initiative has to be changed. Many commercial systems you have to take everyone's pin off of the rod and reorder them to put them back on. Not so with the clothespins.

[@davidstar2686]

@the DM Lair Im not sure if this has been said yet but, I give my monsters a set actions to during its turn. Splitting them apart into, 1d6 Standard actions, 1d4 for Bonus/Movement Actions. Then if its a non minion NPC I have a different chart for if them or an ally is at 50% health. The Idea for these kinds of things is to make a character with depth that makes decisions on the fly and can make bad calls. Again if its a boss type creature I add other charts but lower the die rolls to just D4s, I dont want to have to many notes. This works well with average damage. A chart could look like, Attacks: Sling +3 to hit, Damage 1d6+3 (7) or Dagger +3 to hit, Damage 1d4+3 (6) In combat, !d6 Standard Actions 1: Target creature previously wounded or Bloddied, Roll for target if more than 1, (50% or less HP) Attack roll 2: Take cover and Heal wounds, Medicine check +4, 1d4+1, on 18 remove or lower a critical condition. 3: Target enemy that last struck me, Roll for target if more than 1, Attack roll 4: Take a study or help action. 5: Take a (Skill check) 6: Target a low armored character, Roll for target if more than 1, Attack roll In combat, !d4 Bonus or Movement Actions 1: Do nothing with this action 2: Move away if not in melee, If bloodied Dash for Cover. 3: Use (bonus action ability) 4: Move towards a foe for melee combat/Casting These things make NPC turns faster, I dont need to think of complex scenarios if the creature isnt a boss. I enjoy it alot. What do you think?

[@dorman111]

Great channel, dude! Definitely gonna subscribe. Quick tip that speeds my game up is putting spellcasters on deck.

[@roobs2976]

Thank you for making this video! really help out alot!!

[@theDMLair]

You're very welcome! Glad you found it useful! 😀👊

[@jaredvalkki2957]

Love this! Combat is super fun, but whenever I DM and get to combat, the whole session always seems to get slowed down and the players seem to get a bit distracted after it goes on too long. There are some great tips here.

[@theDMLair]

Yes, keeping combat moving definitley helps keep players from drifting.

[@wolfsorrow100]

very simple one that im surprised isn't here have a standing intinative order so everyone knows when they are next up and can prepare even to the DM saying "billyjoebob you are next"

[@nealpeterson9714]

good video, however, if you are going to reference another video (Matt Colville's have the players track HP) can you please add the link, or at least give quick mention on how to best do it.

[@youtubefuckingsucks]

Neal Peterson all you have to do is tell the party they are going to track HP. as the DM you only have to remember the max HP for the enemy. as soon as they hit or exceed that number you know its dead. this tactic kinda takes some practice, only because you need to 1) know your players/their character and how much damage they are capable of putting out. 2) have an idea of what the enemies are like i.e. how they behave in combat, quirks etc. just talk to your players. i guarantee they wont mind doing this, its actually kinda fun.

[@darbizzlebacon]

The fiery title card makes me think I'm about to watch a video from Napalm Records. But I jest, thank you for taking the time to make these informative videos, I always share various videos with my players to help them, and I will be including your videos in those now.

[@theDMLair]

Ooooooh... Napalm Records. I like the sound of that. 😁 You're very welcome! And thanks for sharing!

[@kriddius]

All very good tips! I do most of these already but totally agree with the #1 as being the main time waster. The default dodge option isn't crippling, but can really motivate people to think ahead. Not allowing a committee for each turn will also stamp out #1 as there's no time to debate. To be fair, I apply the same rules to myself as DM and combat runs very smoothly. The only exception I allow is 10 secs for players and melee NPC's and 15-20 for casters as they admittedly have a lot more to deal with and a far greater potential impact on the battlefield should they miss a turn or cast sub optimally. For really intense moments, I took a brilliant trick from Matt Mercer and slap an hourglass timer down for a timed challenge, sometimes with combat involved. Really makes the players sweat!

[@theDMLair]

I use an hourglass timer at times too! 😁

[@skywardocarina1]

Everything is easier with dndbeyond and the beyond help extension. The extension lets you add monsters to an encounter directly from their statblocks in dndbeyond and track their hitpoints. Keep their statblock open in one tab to easily switch and see what they can do.

[@dmingdad]

One thing I like to do is use the character sheet tents draped over my DM screen in initiative order. Then I move each character's tent from left to right on their turn. With the character stats facing my side of the screen, I can see their stats, HP, AC etc. so I don't have to ask and wait for the player to look it up.

[@BrazenBard]

I don't use average damage for monsters, BUT I have found that setting aside the damage dice the monsters use alongside the monster cards (or other notes on enemies) - a double set, in case of criticals - saves a bit of search time.

[@theDMLair]

Yes, not searching for dice saves time. I've found some players are better at this than others. Rogues and their critical hit sneak attacks can really slow down pacing...

[@BrazenBard]

@@theDMLair Rogues, or gods help us, spellcasters with a wide array of damage-dealing spells...

[@theDMLair]

Yeah especially if its like d6 for one damage type and d8 for another. I think there are a few spells like that.

[@unsutv2021]

@@theDMLair If you don't want to do average damage for the sake of variability. Pre-roll damage and attacks. Just drop the dice but don't add them during the game to keep up the illusion of normal rolls (even though you've legitimately pre-rolled it all). If you really want to freak your players out, roll up the next swing during someone else's turn. DM dice on the board out of the normal order will inspire paranoia and increase the speed of combat. Alternatively, digitally rolling, I find, dramatically speeds up combat. Especially if the roller does the maths for you.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

Good advice I always preplan my spell casters. With 4 newbies and 10 all together it’s tough to run a combat.

[@EtzEchad]

I have been running my games online using DNDBeyond and Roll20. (Thanks Covid! :) ) I also have some Roll20 scripts that I use that runs the Initiative Tracker. One script puts a notice in the chat that tells whose turn it is and has a "Done" button that they can press when they are finished with their turn. Another script allows me to add a bunch of NPCs into the Initiative List in just a couple of clicks. It really speeds things up once the players actually get trained to click Done. :) It doesn't do much to stop the committee talk or people not knowing what they want to do though. BTW, even if you don't play online, DNDBeyond is a great tool to keep track of your skills on your character sheet.

[@theDMLair]

Join the DM Lair on Patreon ▶▶ www.patreon.com/thedmlair Get my D&D adventures ▶▶ www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/11812/Luke-Hart See which D&D products I use ▶▶ www.amazon.com/shop/thedmlair Join a community of dungeon masters who help each other out on my Discord: discord.gg/Msat4NB

[@AgoodITguy]

I have the enemy iniciative rolled before the session starts

[@FarSightStudio]

I host Dark Heresy, and if we have a big encounter planned I use the 5 second rule. If they can’t decide what to do in 5 seasons neither can their characters

[@theDMLair]

Amen. That's my main method of speeding up combat, too. Don't give the players much time to decide once it's their turn.

[@stanbunn1329]

I have a little 30 second hourglass that I flip on everyone's turn. Even my creatures.

[@theDMLair]

@stan And if the hourglass is up what happens?

[@dantesanchez4088]

Personally, I use an online tabletop. I use Roll20 because it keeps track of players’ hit points, enemy’s hit points, and makes a lot of things really fast, not to mention calculating die rolls when necessary. Even when in person, I use roll20 as a visual, and because it keeps track of so much for me.

[@theDMLair]

Yes, that's a HUGE advantage of using an online tabletop, for sure. I'm just a miniature addict that playing in person at least justifies my addiction to some extent. :D

[@soulcrossinc3089]

wow, this has put alot of my concerns to prespective. thank you for this.

[@theDMLair]

No problem! Happy to help. 👊

[@CallMeKes]

My DM is pretty good about this stuff actually. And he's still pretty new at DMing so I'm really proud of him right now.

[@sesimie]

So helpful!! I utilized everything you say here!!

[@nemooh]

Thanks for the video. I agree with all and have grown to appreciate the "everyone (not surprised) attacks at the same time" version. After all, do people really stand around in a fight and wait for the guy in front of them to attack first, then the badguy, OH YEAH ITS MY TURN....

[@adventurersanonymous7571]

I lately have been giving each player 2 mins on a timer or their turn gets skipped. Harsh I know but it works! I also use a sand dial for the effect...it really gets them into the battle.

[@theDMLair]

Not so harsh. 2 minutes is plenty long enough. My players get a few seconds to tell me. I figure they've already had 5 to 10 minutes to think while everyone else was taking their turns. 😀

[@elgatochurro]

2 whole minutes??? I count from 5 once theyre hesitant

[@theDMLair]

Yep. 5 seconds is all they need. They just had at least 5 to 10 minutes to think while everyone else was taking their turns. Lol

[@elgatochurro]

@@theDMLair yeah exactly, and honestly its not like they're playing a brand new class they never played before, theyll definitely have a weapon, or cantrip or some option already available even when something new arises. There shouldn't be much trouble for them to figure out a decent hiding even if something new arises

[@theDMLair]

Totally. Players want to optimize their choice is what it comes down to. I watched an actual play recently (by a BIG channel) where on every players turn the players we discussing tactics for several minutes. I even forgot they were in combat at times. It was painful.

[@davecam4863]

I'm subbing to your channel now man. I really love how you use DM stories and use cases to explain things and help us DMs out in the world!

[@theDMLair]

Aweosme! Welcome aboard. Feel free to join us over on Discord if you haven't already. Link should be down in the description.

[@ogray83]

I recommend using Roll20 for rolling dice. You can have everyone write macros (very easy to do) for their attack and damage rolls and then it's just a click of the button to find out what happens. Saves a lot of time. Even if you don't use the other tools available on Roll20, just using the dice feature alone speeds things up.

[@fig7fig]

I just started using the massive damage rule option in the dmg and that made combats quicker and more exciting too. I play on Fantasy Grounds Unity online so the interface with the right mod does the rolling automatically. Not sure if I’d use it at the table though since it adds math and extra rolling.

[@pinkdestroyer1077]

As a person who has play a spellcaster for the past year, my advice is to make a lost of you most common spells, what dice they use, how lonb casting time is, and how far they can cast. This allows for a single sheet or 2 with everything you need

[@AlternityGM]

I agree with your advice about the difficulty of spellcasters. Depending on their level they could have a lot of spells to choose from. It’s difficult to select which spells to use in combat on the fly. As DM you really have to prepare your spells in advance. The entry on an adventure should recommend which spells the evil mage would use in combat. Some spells on the list have little use in combat. Better to default to their most common & most powerful attacks. Also you mention you’ve been DMing since high school but since we don’t know when that is we can’t know how many years you’ve been talking about.

[@riderroni]

Really good advice, thank you!!

[@theDMLair]

You are very welcome! Happy to help. 😁

[@sidscott6064]

As a player if you have to roll a lot of dice. Roll before your turn and have your dice color coded for mutiple attacks and add up your damage. If your dm tells you the ac that also helps

[@Kttens4ever18]

in our group, it's your movement to roll perception to recap on what just happened. So pay attention or stand there with your ____ in your hands. we also got a 1 minute (hourglass) any player can pick it up and start the timmer, the NPC has that long before their turn ends.

[@daniellugo6461]

Something practical: Use a dice rolling App. I think if it's an important or key roll, and you want the suspense, use real dice. But for most combat rolls, especially at higher levels, just use the app.

[@n.l.g.6401]

Was already considering using average damage. You just sold me on it.

[@lengthylexicons]

do you have a video on filling out your character sheet, i’m new to dnd and even after reading through the player’s handbook thoroughly i still think i missed some stuff

[@theDMLair]

Yes. Look on my videos page. There's a video with the barbarian walking thru filling out a character sheet.

[@VincentBrouillard]

I like that you force the dodge action if they take too long. I've use the 6 second rule at my table for experienced player and if they couldn't say what they wanted to do I just skiped the turn. I though it was a bit harsh at first for inexperienced player. But the making the dodge action the default is actually a good idea, and I may force it for everyone after making sure the new player knew what to do and could ask quick question.

[@jimmeier547]

I also have them roll a D4 or D6 and they are knocked down in the initiative order that amount on the next turn. Being caught flatfooted can suck at times.

[@seraph1644]

Amazing. Thanks. I am learning a lot from you!

[@yaboishrub3916]

"Committee" literally me and my friends every turn 😂

[@polvotierno]

To make players pay attention, I have them roll defense rolls when they are attacked, instead of me rolling NPC attack rolls. I also use an initiative order where a person can choose who goes next, but if someone takes damage they can go next. They have to beat a DC to be able to choose the next person though. Also with average damage, you can adjust the number by 3 up or down depending on how much the AC was beaten by. It is still faster than rolling all of the dice and adding.

[@ChaseLindberg]

I tweak average damage by rolling a D(X) based on the weight of the damage (subjective) and tweaking it up or down. For example if average damage is 7 I will roll a d4. If I roll a 1 it is 7-2, if I roll a 2 it is 7-1, a 3...7+1, a 4..7+2. It still gives damage variation and once you are used to it it is pretty snappy and only requires one die.

[@tonyt6391]

Campaign Labs 5e is fantastic, little work between sessions, your combats are quick as you plug in all the info prior to the game so when you run combat it's fast and easy. Combat tracker in it makes all abilities for monsters, even casters, fast.

[@RottenRogerDM]

7A use average damage on spells too. I Do this occasionally. 2. I agree about the committee talk. 1. Ten count unless the player has learning issues. I don’t agree with the dodge move but do allow a standard attack or their beloved cantrip to be casted.

[@holden426]

One thing that I have started doing is halving the damage of the PC's spells if I have to look them up in the books. Clarifying the specifics of a complicated spell doesn't count of course, but if you don't know how much damage it does or what the range is then I'll cut your damage roll in half.

[@zane9464]

Honestly a lot of these problems are alleviated by online play so would it be too much to just use both? I haven’t had an irl session yet since y’know bad location+corona now. But I feel like the DM using laptops might help a lot even. Gives new meaning to ‘ Dungeon Master’s Screen’

[@max_dotson]

My lord I can’t imagine running combat without average damage for monsters I didn’t know anyone actually bothered rolling for ever freaking goblins damage. I’m sorry I just ran sunken citadel there are way to many goblins in there to bother rolling crap for them.

[@theDMLair]

Amen, Max. Not only does it take the DM a crap ton longer to roll damage for every monster (especially when there are mobs), but doing the math (while simple 1st grade addition) is simply not something my brain wants to deal with on top of everything else I'm doing to run the game. Using average damage has been a game changer for me.

[@aqacefan]

How about this twist on "stacking your rack"; when you write your spellcaster NPC, copy the info for each spell onto its own 3x5 or 4x6 card... then all you have to do is shuffle through your stack for the appropriate card and all the info is right there.

[@ADT1995]

For spellcasters I choose only one or two spells for level, and usually choose ones I know by heart Like an ogre-mage necromancer I had (modified, it was higher level than the oni statblock in the MM), my spells were 5th level: cloudkill 4th level: ice storm, polymorph 3rd level: fear 2nd level: misty step 1st level: shield, absorb elements Technically he is a 9th level wizard, but because I'm using a monster and not a PC I expect to use every session it doesn't matter that he knows way too few spells for a 9th level wizard. He probably won't survive long enough to use all of them anyways, I had one concentration spell, one non-concentration damage spell, one battlefield control spell, one get out of dodge spell, and two defensive spells. I didn't bother with cantrips because he would only ever get a chance to use one if he was bonus action misty stepping away, and well, he's still an ogre, if he's using his bonus action to teleport he's using his action to smack you with his "whacking stick"

[@FF3LockeZ]

Advice is good. Constant requests to comment and thumbs-up are awful.

[@theDMLair]

I agree. I stopped doing that crap in my videos.

[@entropy11]

not planning out your turn when it's not your turn is probably the biggest sin most players make. I mean ok sometimes it's inevitable you'll be thrown a curveball during the round and need to hastily re-evaluate your actions, but you know what? So would your character when such a thing happens. Roll with it and make a decision. I'd probably allow a little more time for characters with higher intelligence scores, while the int-8 character is going to be required to decide right now what they're doing (it's probably going to be "I swing my weapon at the nearest enemy" anyway).

[@theDMLair]

Agreed. Interesting point about characters with high INT scores.

[@TheArakan94]

I use laptop for rolling dice - writing 3d8+3 is lot faster than rolling physical dice. Furthermore, I prepare encounters in advice. I don't like using avg. damage, so I pre-roll their initiative, HP, attacks and their damage. Then I just use those prepared numbers during combat. You can even prepare better descriptions for the attacks and actions of enemies that way, if improvisation isn't your strong suite. I also copy important stats of monsters I used in that encounter to a notepad in my laptop, so I don't have to look into book when something unforeseen happens (like when I have to roll saves, I just look into the file where I listed their bonuses).

[@danielwolfe1587]

When my players are attacking, I have them only call out their lowest attack rolls first, bc of course if a 17 hits so does everything above 17

[@theDMLair]

Sometimes I even just tell my players what the enemies AC is to make it even faster.

[@MostcallmeTim]

What I do 9. I use FG even for my in person games to track hit points and it does all the math for me. 8. Yes 7. All my NPC/Monster attacks are also calculated via FG so I don't do any math. 6. Agree 5. FG knows all the spells and in each NPC has a list of them and I can quickly see them. 4. Use spell cards if you don't have something like FG. 3. If the player doesn't know the spell, neither does their character. 2. If you don't know what you will do on your turn, neither does your character. 1. Redundant. And yes to skipping.

[@HuevoBendito]

I've started doing countdowns out loud to make my players take their turns more quickly. Is it stressful? Yes. Does it keep the game moving? Yes.

[@theDMLair]

Love it. As far as I'm concerned, combats SHOULD be a little stressful. (Things are trying to kill you, after all.) What happens when you finish counting down and a player hasn't declared his action?

[@kennithweber2703]

@@theDMLair They lose their turn. Their character hesitates for those 6 seconds, unsure of what they should do. It's suprising how effective this is at getting the player to be decisive.

[@theDMLair]

That's for sure. I do it the same way. My players are super decisive in combat these days...

[@hambinger]

The committee turns happen most often when their HP get low. Especially when Joe Bob has made two failed death saves, based upon initiative order and who can revive whom...

[@simonburling3762]

A lot of reasonable suggestions, on combining damage dice with the attack roll some other systems specifically disallow this due to their rules.

[@thelasthydra8225]

I find if you have access to a spreadsheet you can easily keep track of HP by using a formula in the cell making it so you don't have to do math and it saves enough time you can easily track PC HP really easily aswell

[@paulcoy9060]

I have 4 players sitting around the table plus me as DM, so the last session, when we rolled for Initiative, whoever got the highest score went first, and then we just went around the table clockwise from there. Super easy, speeds up the whole Initiative Order logistics, pretty fair, I asked them how they felt about about it and they all said yes. I have more monsters that act on my turn, but they have four rolls to my single roll, so it works out.

[@scottburns5049]

I've been playing dnd since the first addition and your advice is spot on. Combat is suppose to be fast and exciting making crazy snap decisions that can lead to hero or zero in 6 seconds 😆 🤣

[@Frostrazor]

I know not necessarily a popular sentiment, but the way I speed up gameplay and combat specifically while still having much more fun is by playing a different game. I first did this by quitting Mathfinder, and switched to 5E, but then I found I can improve that even better by playing games other than D&D (and derivatives) altogether, and have even more creativity, narrative interaction and fun is by playing a different game. Specifically: The One Ring, Blades in the Dark even What is Old / What is New/ What's Old is New is more streamlined. I've enjoyed the hell out of Smallville RPG as well which is super fun and fast-paced. YMMV.

[@SUPERPETRo77]

I remember the first time I skipped a player's turn. Everyone was pretty shocked. It was a distracted player looking at their cellphone. They were playing a wizard, so I role-played it that the wizard was too distracted looking at old notes in their spellbook to cast anything in time.

[@theDMLair]

That's beautiful! Well played. Did they pay more attention going forward? 😁

[@SUPERPETRo77]

@@theDMLair Honestly, their next turn was good: a nice sphere of fire, but they blasted it into the other PCs on the turn after that... Umm lol?

[@Artemisthemp]

When you say Spell casters does you mean Wizard, Sorcerer and Warlock (may have forgotten one) or also class like Cleric, Druid and Bard?

[@Oncus2]

Rushing players to decide in split seconds may work for some, I would hate it and probably look for a different DM. Also it does not make much sense: 1) The combat situation can change drastically until your next turn, therefore planning will get you only so far. Sometime, all it takes is one spell to complete ruin your plan. 2) Spellcasters need more time than non-spellcasters. Not everyone knows every detail of every spell. 3) Players are not characters. Just because the combat happens in 10 seconds, does not mean your players will need to act just as fast. If players enjoy the tactical part of the combat, I say let it run longer and give them time. If your players just want to hit stuff and keep it simple, then sure, rush through combat all the way.

[@kaeldragor]

If the players love dissecting the tactics and thinking things through, then combat isn't "taking too long", so the problem doesn't need to be solved. Unless the GM wants something completely different, there's no conflict. And if they want something so different, you're right; a new table is the answer, not a rule tweak.

[@UrielOmega]

#6. . . I had a guy literally pull out a laptop and controller and played it at the table. I about reached over table to hit him up side the head.

[@shadowheartart3898]

Not really a fan of average damage. Pretty sure my players wouldn't like it much either (but I will check) I ran a campaign in an old sci-fi system, that required endless rolls - not just the d20, but all of them. I printed out pages from a random-number-generator for the different dice, and crossed off one at random when I needed a roll. Different strategy for not rolling dice all the time =) About #6 Make players pay attention & #1 Players must decide quickly... Sometimes it's difficult to do both ;) I know from myself that I can't remember what my spells do, when I'm a spell-caster. Or I get unsure whether I remember something correctly. So I use the other player-turns to consider what to do on my turn. I'd rather have the DM do a 10-20 second-recap of which enemies are still alive, than spend 2 minutes figuring out what to do when it's my turn. Since... well. I want to make some kind of useful contribution. Maybe that makes me selfish. My desire to do this is enhanced by one of the groups I play in, where a particular other player always does this: He pays attention(ish) during our turns, but then takes ages to figure out what he wants to do (looking up rules, comparing spells, finding the stats for the critters he summons/change into, agonizing over fireballs vs some other area-damage spell)... Now, I'd love for our DM to enforce #1, but he doesn't. So this is my way of speeding up combat - making sure I don't do the same. Sure, the situation may have changed by the time it's my turn, but then it's only a few seconds consideration on my part, how to still use the same action on a different target (Example: the harpy entrancing my companion with her song has fled, so I can't target her with my spell. But I can still target the bugbear that's trying to sneak-attack said companion)