Combat in tabletop roleplaying games can be thrilling but, depending on the system, these can result in long and sluggish encounters that drain the energy from the table. If your fights are dragging on longer than you'd like, here are seven easy tricks to keep combat fast-paced and engaging without losing the tactical depth that makes it fun.

One of the biggest culprits of slow combat is player indecision. A quick and easy way to fix this is to implement a combat timer—give each player 30 to 60 seconds to decide their action. If they don’t decide in time, their character defaults to a basic attack or defense. This encourages quick thinking and keeps the action moving.

Encourage your players to roll their attack and damage dice at the same time instead of separately. This small change cuts down on unnecessary pauses.

Roll initiative before the session starts, or have players roll as soon as combat is imminent. Keep the turn order displayed on a whiteboard, digital tool, or index cards so players always know when their turn is coming up.

Instead of rolling damage for every attack from enemies, use the average damage listed in the stat block. This eliminates unnecessary dice rolling while keeping combat fair and balanced. Make sure your players are cool with this though!

Combat slows down when players constantly check the rulebook. Encourage everyone to write down their abilities, spells, and effects before combat starts. Designate a ‘rules expert’ at the table or use quick-reference sheets to minimize interruptions.

You can speed up your side of combat by grouping similar enemies to act at the same time, simplifying enemy tactics, and using pre-rolled dice results. Reducing the complexity of enemy turns further prevents bottlenecks.

Players should think about their actions while others take their turns. Encourage a ‘ready next action’ mindset so when their turn arrives, they can act quickly without hesitation.

I won’t claim these are magic fixes, but I truly believe these seven tricks can help streamline combat in crunchy TTRPG systems. Faster combat keeps players engaged, maintains the intensity, and makes battles feel more exciting.

Give these tips a try in your next session and see the difference for yourself!

What are your go-to strategies for keeping combat fast and fluid? Share your best tips in the comments!