Speed Up Your D&D Game: Don’t Roll Your Dice
There are quicker ways of getting through the dynamics of combat.
I already use average damage for all my monsters, fluxuating it up and down a few points to randomize it. I also will have players roll damage themselves if a monster uses a spell on them, so that I only need to ever have two d20’s at the table and nothing else (this works out really well to make players stress out, and groan when they roll max damage against themselves). But I think I’ve come up with how to really speed up the DM side of combat: Stop rolling dice.
That’s right. Stop it.
Here’s my thought: Before the session, roll a d20 (or use a random number generator online) about 100-200 times, writing down the results right down the line. Then, anytime you would need to roll a d20 in the game, check off the next number on the list. Advantage and disadvantage? Just use the next two numbers.
Here’s an example: In the last session I was a player in, we encountered a whole horde of fire beetles. With nine attacks, each one went like this:
DM: “The first fire beetle… *rolls* … hits? And does… *rolls* 3 damage. (insert description of its attack.)
DM: “The second fire beetle… *rolls* *looks at AC* misses.
ETC.
Now, if you’re using average damage, and are using this list of dice rolls, you’re going to move through combat a lot faster, and have more time for descriptive attacks. You just glance down, do some mental math to add its attack damage, and…
DM: “The first fire beetle swoops in, flames shooting from its mouth dealing 3 damage before it flies up to the low ceiling and attaches on.
DM: The second beetle scuttles forward, but its flames shoot wide, narrowly missing you and impacting on a wall.
There’s no pausing to roll dice at all, you just keep moving.
Now, I know a lot of DMs just like rolling dice, and I don’t fault you for that, but for me, I just like telling the story, and am happy to remove it for myself, while letting the players still enjoy their rolls.
What are your thoughts? Am I the crazy person here?
I’d had a very similar thought recently, though I was also considering rolling d20’s in groups of 6-10, then as the DM picking whichever roll I wanted until the pool was empty. So I could pick a high roll, but might be locking myself into middle/low rolls later on. Seemed like it might be interesting, but this idea wouldn’t drastically speed things up like simply going in order would.
Cool idea! I may have to test this one out.
I’ve thought about the pool before, but instead as a deck of cards. You get a hand of cards with some numbers.
I’m into this idea. I’m going to give it a shot the next time I’m running Pathfinder.
Excellent! Let me know how it goes!
I’ve known some GMs who run this way, but I think I’d be more inclined to do the “players roll all the dice” thing.