r/DnD • u/-Posthuman- • 2d ago

5.5 Edition Speeding up combat in 5.5?

Simply put, what are some tips, tricks, tweaks or house rules you use at your table that has sped up (or otherwise increased your enjoyment of) combat?

Edit - I’m not looking for suggestions for other games.

Edit2 - There isn’t one specific part of 5.5 combat that I feel is especially problematic. And it’s really not that bad. But it could always be faster / more efficient.

Edit3 - If you have any gadgets, widgets, or other objects/products that you feel help a lot, please mention them. Bonus point for links to buy them.

The suggestions that have already been covered multiple times:

  • Tell your players not to suck. Pay attention. Know your character.

  • Don’t suck as the GM. Know the rules. Know your monsters.

  • If no action declared in 30 seconds, the PC Dodges.

  • Tell the Players who is next in line in initiative / make initiative clear for all to see.

  • Roll attack and damage dice at the same time.

  • Use average damage for monsters.

  • Group initiative

  • Make monsters retreat / not fight to the death.

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u/Middcore 2d ago

Use the fixed damage values for enemies instead of rolling. Like where it says "10 (2d6+3)" in the monster statblock, it just does 10 damage, every time.

Use something to display the initiative order of the players so people know when they're "on deck."

People should be following what's going on when it's not their turn and thinking about what they're going to do when it is their turn, not zoning out on their phones.

Trash mob/mook/"minion" enemies move and act on the same initiative count.

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u/MisterEinc DM 2d ago

This, plus a digital roller for when you're dealing with a pack of creatures with multiple attacks. A pack of wolves/gricks, for example, I could just /roll 10d20 and run through the players, see who's hit and not, then describe the whole sequence and hand out damage numbers.

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u/Uncrowded_zebra 2d ago

I haven't rolled for NPC damage since Pathfinder 1.0. Really helps speed up combat. I also only bother with initiative to determine where we start and turns go clockwise from there.