I have found that there are a lot of good ideas and ways to make high level play easier, but those ideas are not circulating very much.
I would like this thread to be ways that players and GMs have found to facilitate high level play.
1: Pay attention. All the players need to pay attention even when it is not their turn. This way, when their turn comes around, they know what is going and have decided on what they are going to do.
2: Have characters automatically delay if the player has not been paying attention or has not decided what they are going to do on their turn.
Variant: Get an egg timer or a stopwatch. Players have a set amount of time to take action or get forced into a Delay.
3: Have the player make a spell book, which has all the spells that their character knows, with the spell descriptions, the variables already worked out for their level, etc… This will have the information handy so that if they need a quick reminder, they don't have to look it up in the Core book.
Variant: The free spell cards that Caedwyr is working on. The mages select the spell cards for the spells that they have memorized and have them in front of them.
4: Those with multiple attacks with variables (power attack, favored enemy, bane weapon, etc...) have all the variables worked out ahead of time, so that in the fight, they only have to add the appropriate number to the attack roll.
Ex: A 9th level ranger with Favored Enemies (Evil Outsiders +4, Aberrations +2 with a Demon Bane Short Bow +3 (composite short bow with evil outsider bane, strength modifier +3)
Ranged Attack
Demon Bane Short Bow +3
Base 9, Dex +3, Magic +3, Misc +1+2, Total +18/+13
Point Blank, Misc +1, Total +19/+14
Rapid Shot, Misc -2, Total +16/+16/+11
PB and RS, Misc +1-2, Total +17/+17/+12
Evil Outsiders +6
Aberrations +2
Damage
Demon Bane Short Bow +3, 1d6+6
Point Blank +1
Evil outsiders +2d6+6
Aberrations +2
5: Group those massive d6 damage rolls into '10s'. 6+4 is a 10, 5+5 another 10, 2+4+4 another 10. Boom. 30 points. Makes the totaling of those Disintegrate spells go amazingly fast. This works for most dice sizes.
6: Roll multiple dice, attack rolls and the damage dice, at once, so that you can determine which hit and for how much damage at a glance. The red D20 and D8 are for the first longsword attack, the orange set the second, the blue set the third, etc.. Keep the same order of colors for all of your attacks from one game session to the next.
Variant: GMs, do the same with monsters. The red dice are for the dragon bite, the 2 orange for the claw attacks, the 2 black for the wing attacks and the green for the tail slap.
Variant: For the technically inclined, have the computer do it for you.
I've got one to add, from the GM's seat.
Be intimately familiar with the creatures your using. Know them inside and out, off the top of your head, or have all their statistics infront of you in a detailed manner (notecards, print and fill out a stack of TheOtherGameCompany's monster cards, an organized notebook page, something) in such a way you instantly know their saves, their skill check modifiers, their attack bonuses and damage amounts, AC, Touch AC, Flatfooted AC, the works.
In short, every NPC or Monster you employ should be just as natural to you as a good Player's single PC is to him.
This is good advice but often unrealistic. Especially if the GM has a life outside D&D.
Is it that difficult to devote a portion of prep time mastering the creatures your using, so over time you build up a deep understanding of them (or pool of organized data) so when the time comes to use them you have it right there in a heartbeat's notice?
Sometimes it is. Especially when you are running your own adventure and using new monsters from the MM combined with selfmade NPCs. NPCs you can learn while creating them and that takes a lot of time.
Usually while I am done creating NPCs I am so tired I just almost randomly pick appropriate CR monster from the MM and then read their special abilities and what their spells do during the session :D
I think part of what Kurt's response is experience. With experience comes a sort of second nature to that sort of thing. Just keep working at it and you'll have no problem with his suggestion. There's nothing wrong with having a life... it gives you more material for the game! :D
a trick i use as a dm is to create a 'roll chart'. I use this any time i need large numbers of d20 rolls (though it could work for say fireball dice). I roll 100 d20's ahead of time and record them in rows of 5. I then have 20 rolls of random 5 d20's. If i need to roll all a dragons attacks, i roll one d20 and use that results roll line. This can also be used for large groups, or multiple monsters. It really speeds up rolling tons of dice. It can work even better for d6 spells like fireball since you can total each line. (10 d6 becomes 2 lines of 5d6 that are already added up).
I also use a similar principal for dm rolled saves/skills for pcs. I have each player roll 20d20 and write out the results on an index card. THen when it comes time for secret spot checks for the whole group, or a mass will save vs an illusion where i dont want the party to know the results, i use their own rolls (from the roll chart) roll 1 d20 and select that value from each roll chart. This is however useful at any level.
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some more points:
Make a decision, and act on it. Don't dither about that fireball clipping an ally, or worry if the baddy gets a cover-save-bonus or the like. Your character is making a snap decision in the middle of a firefight, and doesn't have the luxury of re-evaluating every decision he makes in realtime.
Use initiative cards or a board (for the GM). I prefer the board, as it lets me show everyone where they stand on the order...rogue, cleric, wizard, monster1, monster2, etc... You can base delay, ready, and similar actions more easily then.
have a set "adventuring" Standard Operating Procedure. This will speed up hallway/door/chest time. IE, in our group, its: Rogue Takes 10 search for traps, then locks, then disables device if locked. Then the Ranger or Barbarian opens the door. We do that every time, and have a similar set-up for doors and intersections, so it becomes a LOT faster to just say "26 Search Check" and move from there.
Mages and Clerics: Know your spells. Range, Damage, Save, Sr, all those things should be in front of you, or memorized, when you declare your action. If you don't know off hand, I will decide for you (unless the Page Reference is made immediately) and it will generally be worse for you if I do.
the timer thing, we've tried, but it never sticks. we always forget to switch it on/off, or turn the minute glass back over.
finally, if you're high level and there's an obvious "we can surmount this obstacle immediately" moment, let it happen. Don't force the 15th level party to spend 30 min at the table arguing about how they're going to ascend a 50' cliff. That's silly (in my opinion), and wastes valuable game time. Similarly, don't spend all game buried in the Magic Item Compendium or DMG looking for a magic item to spend your loot on. Pick something that's appropriate, available, and move on, or keep your gold in the bank.
-t
Make a call and move on: If there's a dispute about the rules for grappling, if there are three or four interpretations floating around about how a particular spell or magic item works, make a DM call and move on. You won't always be right, but it keeps the game moving.
That said, don't prevent your rules lawyer friends from poring through their books, looking for the correct rules. After all, that's what they like to do, so let them do it. Just let them know that the correct rules will only apply to future actions, and that the call you just made will stand.
Make a decision, and act on it.
NINJA'D!!!