Shortening Play Time and Changing Assistance

[DeadDogg]

I plan on running OOTS at a Con this weekend and wanted some opinions on two ideas for the game. I'm hoping to run two full games in about a six or so hour-period. I've cruised the forum for ideas, and come up with the following:

A) Play time
-Give starting players 4-5 Schticks and 4-5 Loot
-Increasing each level's Battle size by +1 to accomodate the increase in Schticks and Loot
-Having only 3 levels + Xykon's Lair. Each level as a decreasing number of rooms. Thinking 7 - 6 - 5 - 3.
-Having two sets of stairs per level, with ease of finding decreasing and making the stairs automatically found if the last room is explored.
-Having already explored rooms only spawn monsters half the time (1-6 nothing 7-12 spawn) to increase mobility and return to the fight from death.
-Any other simple ideas?

B) Assitance
-Assistance works as usual (must be on level, bonus based on Drool, etc.) but now assisting may have a drawback. If player fails, the assisting player (or NPC, but wouldn't matter) has a 50/50 chance of taking a Wound themselves or any other detrimental effect that the Battling PC takes.
-Perhaps this will create a little less automatic assitance, or at least a little more outside investment in seeing the fight go well and an increase getting the players to help you in a fight and giving MORE loot.
-This idea comes from others' experiences playing Munchkin.

Thanks to anyone with ideas or advice!

[Kletian999]

Interesting idea on shortening. An important key to a reasonable game is to either ban Belker or somehow convert him into PvE viability with higher defense numbers so he can explore and no PvP bonuses. PvP just means everybody loses.

I wouldn't mess with assitance; some of the characters are highly dependant on assists to function for much of the game.

[PePe QuiCoSE]

Well, I was in a similar situation and here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123617) i have written my experience with fiddling with the rules (which you might have read).

From what you posted, i would give an easier stairs roll for the higher levels (5 for level 1, 4 for level 2, 3 for level3) besides the double stairs per level.
From the extra shticks i would give V the stairs shtick and give Durkon dark vision, the others don't affect speed, but wacky hijinks for Elan brings more fun. Of course, you could just go with the boost for their main weapon shtick (not my choice, but may be good since you start with tougher battles).
I never tried it, but extra battles size will probably work fine. The 50-50 chance to have fights again will probably prevent backtracking (which is what drags the game later on).
Another thing i used is less X needed for shticks early on and more for later on which works well (2 shticks up to your 7th sthick, 3 for your 8th-12th... etc).

I don't see who the assistance speeds the game up but i do see how it is more munchkin like.

If there will be mostly new players on the table (and you will be playing) encouraging the players to stick together, ask and give assistance, and go down will help a lot in terms of time. Also pointing out a move that gives them better chances of success helps too (but not pushing it).

[PePe QuiCoSE]

So, how did the Con go DeadDogg? What was your experience?