12 Easy Ways to Speed Up Combat in Dungeons & Dragons (Without Killing the Fun)

By Luke Hart

Today in the Lair we’re going to talk about something nearly every Dungeon Master has faced at some point: slow combat.

Before we dive in, let me say this clearly—a faster game doesn’t always mean a better game. If your group is having fun, if everyone is engaged, laughing, sweating over dice rolls, and loving every minute of it, then the length of combat doesn’t matter.

But sometimes you can tell when things are dragging. Players start checking their phones. Energy dips. Turns take forever. That’s when you know it’s time to tighten things up.

Here are twelve practical ways to speed up combat in Dungeons & Dragons without stripping out what makes it awesome.

By the way, are you a NEW GAME MASTER feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything involved with running a role-playing game? If so, the Secret Art of Game Mastery can help. Get over 100 years of GM experience distilled into practical, easy-to-read advice.

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1. Incorporate More Roleplaying Into Combat

One of the easiest ways to make combat feel faster is to make it feel less mechanical. If combat is just rolling dice, announcing numbers, and subtracting hit points, it will feel slow—even if it isn’t technically taking that long. Instead, inject narration and personality into every round. Describe how swords clash, armor dents, and arrows splinter shields. Have enemies taunt the players, curse them, beg for mercy, or shout orders. Let the villain monologue mid-fight. Encourage players to describe their attacks instead of just saying, “I hit.” When combat becomes part of the story rather than a math exercise, engagement skyrockets. And when players are engaged, they stop watching the clock. Suddenly, that same six-round fight feels cinematic instead of tedious.

2. Players Must Decide Quickly on Their Turn

The single biggest cause of slow combat is indecision. A player’s turn comes up, and only then do they begin reading their character sheet. That delay compounds over multiple players and rounds. Players should be thinking about their action during other players’ turns so they’re ready when their name is called. Yes, the battlefield may change—but combat rounds represent six seconds happening simultaneously. Initiative is just a resolution mechanic. Some DMs even require players to declare actions at the start of the round to enforce this mindset. If necessary, add gentle pressure. Use a sand timer. Count down silently. Offer a small bonus if they decide within ten seconds. The goal isn’t stress—it’s momentum. Combat should feel urgent and dynamic, not like a committee meeting.

3. Eliminate Tablewide Strategy Sessions Every Turn

If every player’s turn begins with a five-minute strategy debate, combat will crawl. While teamwork is great, endless tactical discussions bog everything down. I allow strategic conversations between rounds, not at the beginning of every turn. That gives players space to coordinate without turning each action into a war council. If they start debating during someone’s turn, I gently cut it off and remind them they’ve already had their planning window. Now it’s time to act. This keeps the rhythm moving and reinforces the idea that combat is chaotic and fast. Characters don’t get to pause time and hold a conference every six seconds. By limiting discussion windows, you maintain tension and keep combat from dissolving into analysis paralysis.

4. Track Hit Points More Efficiently

Tracking exact hit points with constant addition and subtraction eats more time than most DMs realize. A faster method is to track damage in chunks—such as tick marks in multiples of ten. If a monster takes 23 damage, round it to 20. If it takes 17, round to 20 again. Over the course of a battle, it evens out. Not every monster needs perfectly precise accounting. Realistically, creatures wouldn’t all have identical vitality anyway. This approach dramatically reduces arithmetic and speeds up your turns. Another option is pre-calculating damage thresholds ahead of time so you know roughly when a monster will drop. Combat pacing improves when you minimize bookkeeping. Less math means more story, more momentum, and more energy at the table.

5. Players Should Know Their Characters

If a player has been playing for months and still doesn’t understand how their core abilities work, combat will suffer. New players deserve patience and support—that’s part of growing the hobby. But experienced players should know their class features, attack bonuses, spell save DCs, and frequently used abilities. Constantly looking up spells mid-turn grinds combat to a halt. Encourage players to review their character sheets between sessions and perhaps flag commonly used abilities for quick reference. The Dungeon Master should also know the core rules well enough to make fast rulings. The more familiar everyone is with the system, the smoother combat flows. Prepared players make decisive choices. Decisive choices keep the game moving and the excitement high.

6. Make Initiative Visible to Everyone

When players don’t know when their turn is coming up, they mentally check out. Making the initiative order visible keeps everyone engaged and ready. If players can see they’re “on deck,” they begin planning their action before you call on them. This dramatically reduces hesitation. Virtual tabletops often display initiative automatically. In person, you can hang cards over your DM screen, use a whiteboard, or track it with magnets. However you do it, transparency is key. Announce who is up and who is next. Then remind players to be ready. That small structural adjustment creates accountability and anticipation. Combat feels faster when players are mentally prepared rather than surprised by their turn.

7. Use Spellcasters Strategically as a DM

Enemy spellcasters often slow combat because they require decision-making and rule referencing. If your goal is faster pacing, use fewer of them. When you do include spellcasters, plan their first three rounds of spells in advance. Most combats don’t last much longer than that anyway. Start strong—use impactful spells early rather than saving everything for a “perfect” moment that may never come. Having a plan reduces hesitation and prevents mid-combat page flipping. Even if circumstances change, you’ll still have a framework to fall back on. Preparation speeds up your turns significantly. Faster DM turns mean faster rounds overall, and faster rounds keep the table energized and focused.

8. Streamline Dice Rolling

Rolling dice is fun, but it can consume surprising amounts of time—especially when handfuls of dice are involved. Encourage players to roll attack and damage dice simultaneously. This alone saves seconds every turn, which compounds across a session. As a DM, consider using average damage for monsters instead of rolling every time. I’ve done this for years, and it speeds up combat dramatically. Adding damage for multiple enemies every round can become tedious. Virtual tabletops automate much of this, making digital combat inherently faster. While rolling dice is part of the charm, don’t let it become a bottleneck. Efficient dice handling preserves excitement without sacrificing momentum.

9. End Combat Narratively When It’s Decided

Not every fight needs to be played to the last hit point. If the outcome is obvious—two wounded goblins against a full party—drop out of initiative and narrate the conclusion. Invite players to describe how they finish the battle. This turns a potential slog into a cinematic moment. Narration preserves drama without dragging through unnecessary rounds. It also gives players agency in crafting a heroic ending. Combat pacing improves dramatically when you avoid grinding through foregone conclusions. The goal isn’t realism; it’s entertainment. When victory is inevitable, move the spotlight to storytelling instead of mechanics and keep the session’s energy high.

10. Reduce the Number of Combatants

More creatures equal more turns, and more turns equal longer combat. If fights are dragging, reduce enemy count. Instead of eight weak foes, use three stronger ones. Increase their damage output or use higher challenge ratings to maintain threat without increasing complexity. The same logic applies to summons. Large numbers of summoned creatures slow combat to a crawl and often only benefit one player while everyone else waits. Consider house rules that limit summons to maintain pacing. Fewer turns per round keeps momentum strong and reduces downtime. Efficient encounter design is one of the most powerful tools for speeding up combat without sacrificing danger.

11. Lower Hit Points and Increase Damage

A practical way to shorten fights is to slightly lower enemy hit points while increasing their damage output. This makes battles more dangerous but significantly shorter. Enemies hit harder, but they also fall faster. The tension rises because combat feels lethal and urgent rather than drawn out. Careful balance is important—you don’t want accidental total party kills—but this adjustment can dramatically improve pacing. When adjusting encounters mid-session, increase damage rather than padding hit points. More hit points extend combat; more damage heightens stakes. Faster, deadlier rounds create intensity without prolonging the inevitable.

12. Ensure Players Stay Engaged

Combat slows dramatically when players aren’t paying attention. If someone is on their phone and misses key events, you’ll spend time repeating information. That repetition compounds across multiple rounds. Set expectations at your table about engagement during combat. Encourage attentiveness and build encounters that demand focus. If a player consistently checks out, ask why. They may not enjoy the current pacing or encounter style. Addressing engagement improves speed organically. When everyone is invested, turns move faster and decisions come quicker. Momentum thrives in attentive groups. Combat pacing is as much about table culture as it is about mechanics.

100 Years of GM Experience at Your Fingertips!

Are you a NEW GAME MASTER feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything involved with running a role-playing game? Are you a VETERAN GAME MASTER looking for new tips and tricks to take your games to the next level? Look no further than the Secret Art of Game Mastery.

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