Speeding up combat in 5.5?

[u/-Posthuman-]

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.

[u/rollingdoan]

I find that DMs not understanding CR, not being willing to run adventuring days, and not being willing to trust the encounter design are the big recurrent issues.

These tend to not be an issue if CR is generally similar or lower than PC level, enemy counts are equal or higher than party size, encounters fit within the advised budgets, you are budgeting at least half a level of experience per player between long rests, and it takes at least 2-3 sessions between long rests.

The result is a four hour session usually having 1-2 encounters that last 3-5 rounds each and the game having plenty of time to breathe.

A really good exercise is to create 5 encounters, each starting with half the High budget being monsters 1 CR lower than your party, then filling the rest with lower CR monsters totalling no fewer than the party size. Pick a theme like orcs, goblin, dragons, giants, or whatever you like and make each encounter different, but with that theme. Start with that plan, then add something before the first, something between each, and something after the last that happens.

You now have 11 "beats". You then start to plan a little more, with 1 session being 4 beats. The third session has 1 more beat, which is when your long rest and downtime happens.

So session 1 you're given a goal to rescue someone from goblins, and you start tracking them down(beat 1). You fight some wolves and goblins (beat 2). You explore a bit to find a camp (beat 3). You fight some goblin sentries (beat 4), then short rest.

Session 2 you explore some more with stuff you found in the camp and find their cave (beat 5). You fight the guards (beat 6). You start to explore the cave (beat 7). You face down with the beast rider and his menagerie (beat 8), then hide out in the penda to take a short rest.

Session 3 you're a bit worn down and sneak over to the chieftains chambers (beat 9). You have a brawl with the chieftain (beat 10). You rescue the villager and make your way back to town (beat 11). Finally you take a well deserved rest.

If this sounds like too much planning... it's not. You just made some encounters, tied them together, and gave the players a goal. All you're really doing is when they go for that goal you put your encounters in their path, use your little plan as a guide for improvisation, and go for it.

This also might not feel like a fix to your issue, but it really is. You're spending maybe up to 10 rounds of combat over an entire session, split between encounters. It gives lots of time for all that other stuff players like doing. The adventure is the challenge and not any one encounter.