# How many combat encounters per session?



## dreaded_beast (Apr 19, 2004)

Last session, I believe I ran only 3 combat encounters for the entire session. The total time for the session was around 4 hours or so. The group consisted of 6 players.

Now, on average, how many combats do you have a session and what would you consider a good amount?

I would have had more combat, but I am currently unused to DMing that size of a group, so I suppose combat could have been much faster.


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## reiella (Apr 19, 2004)

Last session : #1 Combat in a session, of about 5 hours.  3 Players, 1 DM.
And it wasn't entirely because it was an Gargantuan Deep Spawn (Sidenote : add another +1 CR to any creature that gets Heal as an SLA when you advance by HitDie...  ).

Lately, I've been getting near 2 or 3 combats, some more "event to further the plot" than a 'serious threat' however.

I aim around 1 to 3 myself.  Although I don't find a problem with having non or more dependant on the 'time'.  If the party is in "High Density" areas (dungeons, the Isle of Despair, etc), I'd perfer to have around at least 5 in a session, or else it'd probably take too long to get 'through' the high density areas.


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## Piratecat (Apr 19, 2004)

I've had no combat in either of my last two games. We usually average a combat or two every other game.


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## BigFreekinGoblinoid (Apr 19, 2004)

Sometimes none - sometime two, but about one on average per 4hr sessions I'd say. 

Why not create poll?


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## Bendris Noulg (Apr 19, 2004)

Standard play for us is 1 every 2-3 sessions.  Some adventures are more hostile than others, though.


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## Pants (Apr 19, 2004)

Usually 1 per session, though that one is usually pretty darn deadly...

However, there are times when I will string together chains of smaller combats or go whole sessions without combat.  It really depends upon the situation in the game.


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## milotha (Apr 19, 2004)

It depends on the adventure.  Some adventures take multiple sessions without any combat.  Others have 1-2 combats per night.  I would say the we average 1 combat per two 4 hr sessions.


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## I'm A Banana (Apr 19, 2004)

Iffy.

Generally 1-3, but I also just do a "DC Combat" system for a few mook battles. I only play out those significant, small-group conflicts.


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## Li Shenron (Apr 19, 2004)

We are basically playing a classic dungeon-based adventure, but we still don't have more than 3-4 encounters per evening (about 4 hours on average). Combats are handled quite quickly nowadays, and most of the time is spent by the characters in exploration, overcoming static challenges and hazards, or planning what to do to be best prepared for the next threat.


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## DiFier (Apr 19, 2004)

I think that we are averaging about 1 per every 4 sessions.


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## BSF (Apr 19, 2004)

The last two sessions I have run both had a combat in them.  Next session probably will as well.  I'm in a combat heavy phase at the moment.  Sometimes I can get a few combats in in a session.  Sometimes I go a few sessions without a combat.  Whatever works for you and your group to have fun.


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## random user (Apr 19, 2004)

It seems I'm averaging about 1 to 1.5 fights per 3.5 hr session.  However, they generally have more "encounters" per session, though many of these encounters they could fight, but they would either probably lose, or not get information that they need, or otherwise be inefficient.  Luckily my players are smart enough to realize that bloodshed isn't the best way to solve everything.


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## Gothmog (Apr 19, 2004)

We game in whole weekends of about 20-24 hours of gaming, but usually in that time we have 1-3 combats, so I'd say one combat every 6-8 hours of gaming is about what we go for.  Most of my battles tend to be pretty big/tough though, so they usually take 1-2 hours to finish.


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## Herpes Cineplex (Apr 19, 2004)

For D&D and superhero games, we seem to get about 1 per 3 hours of play time, unless we're using a published D&D module...the average for those is closer to 1 per hour or even higher.  Some Feng Shui games are nothing _but_ combat encounters, with a few minutes scattered here and there for in-character plan-making and funny quips.

For most of our non-D&D games, we average about 1 combat encounter in four to eight _sessions_ (something like 1 per 15-30 hours of play).

Not surprising, really; our D&D games tend to be adventure-focused, while the other games we play are heavier on intrigue, investigation, and social interactions.  (Plus, many of the systems we use for those games have really atrocious combat systems, which tends to make us all unwilling to waste time with it.)

So basically, we allocate combat encounters in approximate proportion to how good the system we're using is at handling them.  If getting into fights in the system is fun, we'll play a game where the characters get into fights.  If the combat system blows, we'll make a bunch of pacifists.  

--
not exactly the most startling conclusion, i suppose
ryan


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## Morte (Apr 19, 2004)

About 0.1 to 0.2 for Traveller.

About 10-20 for Neverwinter Nights.

I don't play P&P D&D. If I did, I suspect I'd aim for about one per session.


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## FireLance (Apr 19, 2004)

My group usually runs 2-4 encounters per session per three-hour gaming session, but we favour a combat-heavy style of playing.  We have noticed that combats tend to take longer as you get higher EL encounters.


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## hong (Apr 19, 2004)

If my body count doesn't reach two digits by the end of the session, I've failed as a DM.


Hong "and dead PCs count double" Ooi


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## Crass (Apr 19, 2004)

hong said:
			
		

> If my body count doesn't reach two digits by the end of the session, I've failed as a DM.
> 
> 
> Hong "and dead PCs count double" Ooi




Does that mean that Jubal counts double? I think you had one combat too many yesterday...


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## hong (Apr 19, 2004)

Crass said:
			
		

> Does that mean that Jubal counts double? I think you had one combat too many yesterday...



 Oh, look, I think it's only fair after the 100+ points you've been doing to my poor NPCs.


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## shilsen (Apr 19, 2004)

Never less than 1 per session, since my players couldn't take it otherwise, but rarely more than 2. I don't really do dungeon crawls any more, so that makes the multiple combat a session rare.


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## diaglo (Apr 19, 2004)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I've had no combat in either of my last two games. We usually average a combat or two every other game.





this sounds about right.


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## S'mon (Apr 19, 2004)

My low-level Conan game seems to average 3 fights/session.  My high-level D&D game varies a lot, but 1-2 fights/session is typical.  Certainly the DMG's recommended 4 fights/session would be rare unless several of them were trivial encounters.

The Midnight game I play in rarely has more than 1 fight/session, certainly no more than 2.

edit: I agree that most players get frustrated and antsy if they don't get a fight every session, preferably something quite serious.  Core d20 is very much built around combat, after all.


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## Vrecknidj (Apr 19, 2004)

When I DM, we have between 5 and 11 players, usually 6 or 7.  With 6.5 players as the average, I find it hard to get in many combats because they take so long.

If we play on a Saturday, then the session usually lasts 10+ hours, and we usually squeeze in 2 encounters, with 2 or 3 "wandering monster" encounters too.

If we play on a Sunday, then the session usually lasts 7-ish hours, and we then get in 1 or 2 encounters (usually 1), with 1 or 2 "wandering monster" encounters.

When I play, my DM usually has 5 players, and we usually play for about 8 hours, and the DM usually has one big combat encounter that often takes up the last 4 hours or so of the session.

Dave


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## DragonLancer (Apr 19, 2004)

If I'm using published module then its as many as the characters get through.

If its an adventure I have written it can be anything from none through 3 or 4. Although my players are not happy if they don't get at least one decent combat per session.

I'm curious why so many of you seem to be against combat?


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## DaveMage (Apr 19, 2004)

1-3 combats per 4 hour session.  4 players.


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## Calico_Jack73 (Apr 19, 2004)

I generally go with 2.  A minor battle half way through the session and another more grand battle to end the game with.


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## MonsterMash (Apr 19, 2004)

I get about 1-3 per 3-3.5 hour session, IMC, average is probably 2.3combats/session at the moment, but we've only had 3 sessions so far and there is some less combat intensive stuff coming up now so it'll probably drop to a ratio of nearer 1/1.


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## Oscar carramiñana (Apr 19, 2004)

It depends of the module 1 to 3 for  game session one session may have 3 encounters and the next may don't have any encounter.
One thing is clear at higher level party increases the number of encounters and violence


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## Evilhalfling (Apr 19, 2004)

Lets see, 1-2 per 8hr session.  

The party had its first mass kill - ie 4 3rd lvl pc's killing close to 37 ratmen in about 2 games with a series of running battles.  They then had nightmayers and reactions to baiscally bathing in blood.  Marking the transition from occasional fights with a single opponent to a purposeful slaughter of a declared enemy.  It seems this is a transition that is often forgotten.  RL war vets who are personally responsible for killing frequently have psycholgical damage.   In DnD it is nessary to cross the threshold from normal people to casual killers but it should not slip by without notice.  They have yet to kill their first human, and that won't go unremarked either.  The Barbarian is an exception, he earned his starting levels the hard way, and is less squemish than the others.


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## Evilhalfling (Apr 19, 2004)

Oscar carramiñana said:
			
		

> One thing is clear at higher level party increases the number of encounters and violence




I found just the opposite, in a homebrewed game at least. 12th lvl PC's(the highest I've been) spent more time plotting and running a town then ever fighting, and when they needed to clear up the local bandits (1-4th lvl warriors and thieves) It was handled in roleplaying, actually running the fight would have been a waste of time, sometimes high lvl PC's have low level problems.


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## Djeta Thernadier (Apr 19, 2004)

dreaded_beast said:
			
		

> Last session, I believe I ran only 3 combat encounters for the entire session. The total time for the session was around 4 hours or so. The group consisted of 6 players.
> 
> Now, on average, how many combats do you have a session and what would you consider a good amount?
> 
> I would have had more combat, but I am currently unused to DMing that size of a group, so I suppose combat could have been much faster.





Our 3.5-4.5 hour sessions usually have 1 or 2. More than that might take too long and less than that is okay, as long it's a huge non combat period (like a few sessions) before the next one. I like a good mix of both roleplay and combat.


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## drunkmoogle (Apr 19, 2004)

On average, I plan about 6 combat encounters, but only about 3 or 4 ever take the quantum leap from my notes to the gaming table in an average session. Oh, and I do use rules for wandering encounters; it's a dangerous world my PCs live in.


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## Wombat (Apr 19, 2004)

Battles?  0-2, depending on the session.  One is normal.


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## Breakdaddy (Apr 19, 2004)

We have 4 players atm and we went two sessions recently with no combat at all. The next session had 1 short combat in it. Last session, however was one big combat, the whole session. Of course we normally play D&D but last game was a military based D20 Modern game.


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## Talmun (Apr 19, 2004)

Anywhere from one to as many as four or five, although the average is probably 2.  Last session was one long combat, 5 8th level PCs Vs. roughly 50 orcs...


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## sparxmith (Apr 19, 2004)

*3-4*

In the campaign I'm playing, RttToEE, we average 3-4 per 6 hour session.  It's been fun.

Then last session, we managed to find an area we weren't supposed to get to yet, (I'm meta-gaming here) and we didn't have a single combat encounter.  We were to busy trying to escape from a beholder and a 14th level cleric while we are but 5th level.

Sparxmith


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## kigmatzomat (Apr 19, 2004)

DragonLancer said:
			
		

> If I'm using published module then its as many as the characters get through.
> If its an adventure I have written it can be anything from none through 3 or 4. Although my players are not happy if they don't get at least one decent combat per session.
> I'm curious why so many of you seem to be against combat?




Not against, but for established campaigns (like most of the people here seem to be running) the combats need to be justified.  

IMC the majority of "random" encounters are CR3-8 (animals, bandits, random beasties) for rationality (I hate the games where one year the encounters on a road are rats and wolves and the next are demons & tarrasques).  Since my players have 9 highly recognizable 13-15th level characters including a huge dire wolf mount and an Ogre paladin, most of the humanoid and animal encounters don't even bother.  Only the few non-sentient (and cocky) beasts and aberrations will try.  

The party is well known in most of the game's cities and have ties to church, government, guilds, trade houses, and the black market.  You have to be motivated or ignorant to try anything and few ignorant opponents will be a challenge.  

My game runs ~6 hours and there's roughly 1 combat each session.  At their level and number of characters, the fights take forever or are over in an instant.  More importantly, the party has learned to avoid irrelevant encounters.  I'd planned on having a series of running battles last session but they managed to avoid the trigger events and talked their way out of the unavoidable situation.

Which basically means outside of "dungeons" they don't fight that often.  Of course, the fight last session was 4 max HD elder elementals and 8 frost giant mummies so it was a nifty fight.


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## Janx (Apr 19, 2004)

I think a better question would be, how many combats between "rest" periods.

meaning how many orcs, goblins, etc does the party encounter before you let them rest or heal, rather than the inevitable death to statistics.

Especially important in low level games.  You can't run into too many bands of orcs before they kill you due to attrition.


My games run 4-6 hours.  We had 6 fights in the last game, including a 2-hour ship battle.
Janx


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## Henry (Apr 19, 2004)

All you noncombative wimps step aside - I run about 2 combats per 6 hour session, on average; we chew iron and spit nails, we don't stop 'till the hit points are single-digits, and we like it. 

Ours is a little more social, but we do have sessions with only a single combat, and once in a blue moon (say while solving a mystery, or working out a sticky political situation), we have NO combat that session.


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## Morpheus (Apr 20, 2004)

Usually we have 1 per session...Almost like clockwork


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## Epametheus (Apr 20, 2004)

The normal rate for my group is 1 serious battle a session.


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## megamania (Apr 20, 2004)

4 hours
4 players
2-3 encounters;  1 major and two as random encounters and used more to build XP

Sometimes only 1 but that usually a scarey day as PCs die.


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