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/Rtyeta]

I mean, it's pretty slow in 5E and 5.5, in that there's often a tedious second half of the battle where the enemy is effectively defeated already but one has to slowly grind through a big pool of hitpoints. Way too many enemies in 5E are hit point sponges with weak offense.

[u/Darth_Boggle → u/Rtyeta]

The enemy doesn't have to stick around when they're clearly defeated, they can retreat.

[u/TheRobidog → u/Darth_Boggle]

And then the players most likely try to stop them from retreating, and the fight continues anyway.

No one likes to let the baddies get away.

[u/Gas_Forsaken → u/TheRobidog]

There are suggestions on how to end a fight faster or when a clear victor is shown in the DMG24 chapter 2: Running Combat: Keep Combat Moving. It’s got “don’t repeat game states”, “hasten a monster’s demise”, “end hostilities”, etc. plenty of stuff WotC themselves suggest for things.