Automating or speeding through NPC actions in the combat tracker

Hi All,

I've searched the forums and also watched a lot of YouTube videos on running combat and haven't found exactly what I'm looking for.


There's a lot of clicking from the DM point of view when NPCs from opposing sides start a fight with each other. Realistically speaking you might have a small number of them within melee range while everyone else is would either stand around or use ranged attacks. Is there a method/strategy/extension to automate targeting and attack rolls for a large number of NPCs? Something that would pick an opposing side from their perspective (hostile vs friendly) randomly, roll an attack, and damage die would be convenient. A good end point would be to have something like the AI in some of the older D&D games like Pool of Radiance or Azure Bonds that gives the NPCs a turn even if it isn't that smart.

Manually I could break encounters up into waves with reinforcements arriving for both sides periodically to keep the combat tracker clean. That's an option, but having more of a video game feel would be kind of cool. It would also have more of a dramatic effect of dropping a lot of NPCs on the players than have several waves. Anyone know of any free or commercial resources that enhance the combat tracker?

There isn't anything that would automate this kind of thing. The best way to handle such combats would be to do it as theatre of the mind and just roll a d6 or something to determine how many of the defenders and/or attackers dies that round.

i like waves because it reduces the wipeout that an AoE spell can cause
players also need to learn to not throw all their limited use powerful attacks out straight away that way
monsters are smart too
wave one attacks
wave two join in from the flank
wave three has something special