D&D (2024) Spicy combat

[Dannyalcatraz]

I cast "Magic Red Hot Chili Pepper Missile".

“He cast what? FLEA! FLEA!”

 

[CacklinSlayers]

I try to provide places for each PC to add to something. Something more than just attacking. Maybe the fighter is attacking, but there is also a trap going off that the rogue can disarm to make the rest easier, or it could be locked door that leads to escape or aid somehow. The wizard might be able to aid the rogue or decipher the runes that allow something cool to happen. There is always the option to just attack, but figuring out the other things make the combat easier.

I know may suggest doing this with the Big Bad and search for the McGuffins that allow the PCs to defeat him once you get the kryptonite, but I like to so something at least once per dungeon. If it is each combat, it gets harder to make cool opportunities and the players start to look for them. Which is not a problem at all and rather cool once they are thinking this way.

One of my most spicy, fun combat scenarios involved the party going through a defect teleportation circle, which split the party all over the dungeon map. Two fighter-type PC's were trapped in a chamber filled with respawning skeletons, the rogue had to figure out a button-puzzle in the room next to it to end the respawn magic (pressing the wrong button would turn the trap chamber into an absolute murder pit), while the rest of the party was pondering on a riddle (that required multiple actions to solve) to unlock the door of the trap chamber. That was intense! My players loved it.

 

[Shardstone]

Interesting Reactions allow for combat to feel more like a call-and-response, which can be exciting.

Every 10 minutes of real time that passes, I roll on a table of benefits to make combat more dangerous. This can be anything from modifiers to damage, new types of damage, creatures gaining additional turns, etc. Makes combat feel like it's constantly escalating.

After 3 rounds, I either introduce something exciting or I change the battlefield environment. Gets stale otherwise.

Bosses sometimes have 2, 3, or 4 health bars. Each time a health bar is dropped to 0, the battlefield conditions will also change.

I run a Countdown for bosses as well that has to be decreased to 0 before the monster can take damage. At certain thresholds, the monster will get a special turn suddenly or something else exciting will happen.

I file most of these under "Evolving Combat" rules that make things feel exciting and escalating and without a chance to settle into a rhythm for the players.

 

[CleverNickName]

In the words of Christopher Walken:

Add environmental challenges. This can be mundane, like a wall is rigged to collapse when a giant throws a boulder at it, or a 10' x 10' section of the floor will collapse if more than one character is standing on it. Or make it fancy: a section of the floor is covered in yellow mold, or a nearby fountain is full of flammable liquid. Or make it really exotic: maybe an old wizard's spellbook got thrown into a furnace, and now random spells detonate every turn on Initiative Count 20.

Add interesting terrain. Maybe the floor is sloped 45 degrees, and the characters (and maybe the monsters) have to keep making Dexterity saving throws at the end of all movement or slide down it. Maybe the battle is being fought on a terraced hillside, or a narrow bridge, or in midair while swinging from vines.

Add time pressure. Maybe the room is slowly filling with water and the heroes have to figure out how to open the secret door while getting pounded on by monsters. That last goblin threw a flask of alchemist fire into the rafters as he ran away, and now the whole building is on fire--smoke fills the air, obscuring vision and poisoning you with smoke inhalation, and you have 1d6+6 rounds to find your way out before the whole place collapses.

 

[toucanbuzz]

I've post this before, sniped from ages and years ago from some unknown source. It's 20+ different ways you can make the goal of combat vary.

 

[LordEntrails]

The only thing I will add or expand on the excellent advice from @Incenjucar and @jgsugden is don't let the NPCs be stationary. Sure maybe they will invoke AoO. Maybe it's not the best tactical decision. But don't fight the party when and where the party wants. Don't let the line of combat be static. Threaten the casters and strikers, ignore the tanks. Or dogpile on the tanks. But don't have everyone run up and engage in melee and just grind down.

 

[Stalker0]

One thing to do with "minion" type monsters is rather than attack with them, use them for the help action on your big centerpiece monster. When that monster now has advantage on a lot of attacks, its scarier than just some regular old minion hit.

Lots of good advice already. Another way to shake things up is the "kamikaze kill the player". The idea is that the combat is all about attacking one of the party, even to the monsters detriment. Have them take OAs, run through bad terrain all in the name of getting attacks on one player. It both makes a player the centerpiece, and others have to switch it up because now its about bodyguarding their buddy more than just killing the mobs. The idea I used this on was one player got into an urn that released some dust....effectively a material that made undead frenzy. And so they fought later on a group of undead that just bum rushed that one player.

Another classic, send in the reserves. Rather than starting a fight with everything on the board, start with half, making it look like a relatively easy encounter. Then suddenly the next wave arrives (preferably coming from the back!!!)

 

[Chaltab]

Gosh I have booktuber brain.... I read this as 'combat involving sex' and was kind of concerned.

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

I'm happy I posted. There have been some really good ideas. Already enough to make some chili-grade sessions. Fortunately our group has a SOLID vet who I am relieving of forever DM status for my campaign.

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

One thing to do with "minion" type monsters is rather than attack with them, use them for the help action on your big centerpiece monster. When that monster now has advantage on a lot of attacks, its scarier than just some regular old minion hit.

Lots of good advice already. Another way to shake things up is the "kamikaze kill the player". The idea is that the combat is all about attacking one of the party, even to the monsters detriment. Have them take OAs, run through bad terrain all in the name of getting attacks on one player. It both makes a player the centerpiece, and others have to switch it up because now its about bodyguarding their buddy more than just killing the mobs. The idea I used this on was one player got into an urn that released some dust....effectively a material that made undead frenzy. And so they fought later on a group of undead that just bum rushed that one player.

Another classic, send in the reserves. Rather than starting a fight with everything on the board, start with half, making it look like a relatively easy encounter. Then suddenly the next wave arrives (preferably coming from the back!!!)

I actually used the 'dogpile' strategy last session because the barbarian NPC "does not like vitches". It did exactly what you said, a nice shakeup.