D&D combat doesn’t drag because the rules are complicated - it drags because the table gets bogged down.
Players hesitate.
The DM juggles too much at once.
People forget effects.
Someone argues about whether the cone hits the rogue.

These fixes are practical, table-tested, and actually solve the causes of slow combat without changing how 5E works.

1. Use a Soft Turn Timer (15–30 Seconds Depending on Player Experience)

Nothing slows down combat more than indecision.

A simple, effective house rule is:

Give players about 15–30 seconds to declare their action once their turn begins.
30 seconds for new players, closer to 15 for veterans.

This isn’t about pressure - it’s about helping players stay engaged even when it’s not their turn.
If they’re stuck, they can always Dodge, move, or take a simple action.

If you want to run a tight, high-pace table you can push it even faster, but 15–30 seconds works for almost every group and eliminates the dead time that kills momentum.

2. Pre-Roll Monster Attacks and Damage (A Low-Effort DM Trick)

Rolling every attack, every time, kills momentum - especially for multiattack creatures.

A lot of DMs save time by keeping a short list of pre-rolled attacks and damage values and crossing them off during the fight. The Dungeon Master’s Guide even encourages DMs to streamline dice handling - so pre-rolling attacks and damage is completely in line with 5E’s design philosophy.

Example:

You still use the monster’s stats - you’re just removing the constant dice interruption.
It keeps things clean and flowing, and you’ll spend more time narrating and less time fumbling with dice.

3. Use Visible Condition Markers So Nobody Forgets Effects

In real games, the single biggest drag is forgotten conditions:

• Who’s frightened?
• Who’s hexed?
• Who’s concentrating?
• Who has Bless or Bane?
• Is that enemy stunned or not?

Every time the group has to stop and reconstruct the board state, combat slows.

Physical condition rings solve this pain immediately:

• No rewinding
• No rechecking spell descriptions
• No arguments
• No “Wait, wasn't he grappled last round?”

They keep everyone on the same page and prevent the most common pacing hiccup in D&D combat.

4. Use AoE Templates Instead of Eyeballing Spell Areas

Guessing areas of effect is a guaranteed pace-killer:

• “Does the ogre get clipped?”
• “Is the rogue in the cone?”
• “Where does the sphere actually land?”

Eyeballing slows the table, and arguing slows it even more.

Acrylic AoE templates let you drop the exact shape onto the board:

• instant clarity
• no misinterpretations
• no measuring
• no stopping the flow to draw shapes by hand

They turn AoE spells from a debate into a quick, visual action.

5. Reduce Monster HP by ~25% Once the Outcome is Obvious (Don’t Waste Extra Rounds Mopping Up)

A big hidden time-sink in D&D combat is the last few rounds where everyone knows the party is going to win, but you’re still grinding down some poor bastard. A clean, simple way to improve pacing without changing the feel of D&D is to simply fudge the enemies' HP at that point. 

Cutting monster HP by about 25% when the fight is effectively over:

• shortens fights by a round or two
• keeps the actual danger the same
• prevents combats from dragging
• keeps energy high at the table

Alternatively, you could have the enemies run away. You’re not making the encounters weaker in any meaningful sense - you’re keeping the session moving. It’s widely used among DMs who want tighter pacing but still want the mechanics to feel like 5E. 

Why These Fixes Work

They remove the friction points that slow combat:

• players unsure what to do
• DMs slowed down by dice overhead
• forgotten status effects
• unclear spell ranges
• monsters that overstay their welcome

None of this changes the rules of the game.
It just removes the clutter and lets the action happen at the pace the story deserves.

Implement even two or three of these and your combat becomes:

• faster
• cleaner
• more engaging
• easier to run
• easier for players to follow

That’s how you make combat feel exciting instead of exhausting.