In fantasy RPGs where cooperation is critical and death is a real threat, these tactics might save your character’s life.
This advice is for games where there is a real chance that a character might die or be seriously injured. That’s true in some versions of RPGs, not in others. And I’m assuming that co-operation is a vital ingredient of survival; if the game is a matter of one man armies showing off, then co-operation won’t matter much if it all.
These guidelines are derived initially from 1st Edition D&D, but will apply to many other games in many situations. Not all of these tactics will apply to certain rulesets or perhaps even to certain settings; a lot depends on what kind of spells are available.
Your Turn: What combat tactics do you use in your games?
This advice is for games where there is a real chance that a character might die or be seriously injured. That’s true in some versions of RPGs, not in others. And I’m assuming that co-operation is a vital ingredient of survival; if the game is a matter of one man armies showing off, then co-operation won’t matter much if it all.
These guidelines are derived initially from 1st Edition D&D, but will apply to many other games in many situations. Not all of these tactics will apply to certain rulesets or perhaps even to certain settings; a lot depends on what kind of spells are available.
Inventory
Don’t think about only what you can do, consider what everyone can do, both at the start of an adventure and whenever the $#!+ hits the fan. So I ask everyone at start what “artillery” they have, what magic items, even what their AC and hit points are (in D&D). I want everyone to be aware of what solutions are available for combat. This requires a group who trust one another.Combined Arms
Combined arms (integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects) is vital in FRPG combat, or almost any other combat. In FRPGs there are so many different possible capabilities that combined arms is even more important than usual. This is just part of co-operating with your comrades.What’s Your Role?
Ask yourself, what’s your role (in this party at this time)? Your role may change depending on circumstances. If your party members are all trying to fill the same one or two roles, you have failed at combined arms. Here are some common roles:- Artillery: In the World Wars, artillery did the majority of the killing, evidently in Ukraine as well. In D&D certainly, magic often does most of the killing, usually from spellcasters, occasionally from magical devices. Artillery is often the heart of the party’s offense.
- Blocker: Defenders. Protect the “artillery” (spellcasters), make sure no enemy breaks into “the rear.”
- Bulldozer: Something like Blockers, but dedicated to grinding down and breaking through the enemy’s main force. The offensive side of Blockers.
- Commando: A character who slips in behind the enemy, both for morale purposes and to discommode enemy backliners (who may be vulnerable, may even be “artillery”).
- Sniper: Sometimes a character with a ranged weapon can keep the enemy “artillery” or leader/boss in check.
- Scout: “Time spent in recce is never wasted.” Sometimes you need to know what’s ahead, especially outdoors.
- Healer isn’t on this list because I believe it should be everyone’s job to some extent. The object is to not need a specialized Healer.
Play Focused, Stay Focused
You can’t be playing well tactically if you’re not paying attention. Put your phone away. Get your mind straight.Run Away!
Running away IS an option – “he who fights then runs away, lives to fight another day” We could make a case that THE skill most required in combat oriented RPGs is knowing when to run away (in good order, we hope).Protect Your Artillery/Snipers
Depending on the ruleset, there may be characters who provide most of the offensive capability, such as magic users in early D&D. If so, a major tactical objective is to protect those characters. If there are enough of you, assign a bodyguard to your Artillery, if you’ve got an Artillery whose defense is not so good.Take Your Time
Assuming the GM allows it, take your time deciding what to do. Anytime you hurry, you’re more likely to make mistakes (a key to many video games, of course: time stress). To quote myself from 1983: “A simple solution to this is simply to slow down and make sure you look at the tactical situation to choose the best maneuvers before you start the next round of attacks.Consider Your Tactical Style
I discussed this at length in another Worlds of Design article. To quote:This is the Direct Approach and the Indirect Approach. I strongly prefer the Indirect, but Indirect requires more thought and attention than just wading in and whacking the enemy.
Use Stratagems
Stratagems are schemes, trickery, designed to defeat an opponent with little or no risk to yourselves. They usually involve deception or misdirection (see my previous article). The Trojan Horse is an extreme example.Party Size
Lew’s Law of Party Survival: The survivability of the party varies with the square of the number of characters involved. So a party of four is only one quarter as survivable as a party of eight (16 to 64). I could add “character equivalents” as you might have a powerful familiar or similar. When a party is quite small, there’s not much opportunity for actual tactics.Your Turn: What combat tactics do you use in your games?
