Combat can be one of the most fun parts of the Dungeons & Dragons game, but it can also take a long time. You might have a blast with an hourlong battle or exult in four hours of epic mayhem, but sometimes a fight can drag out longer than you would like.

Over the past few months, we’ve been experimenting with ways to pick up the pace so we can cover more ground and play through the adventure quicker. I’ve found one strategy that works for my game; what works for you will depend upon your group and how much time you have to play. You might find that your game benefits from more than one of the ideas below.