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<blockquote data-quote="Patrick McGill" data-source="post: 6781765" data-attributes="member: 6749334">I've found that it is the environment that helps to switch things up when I run. Making sure that you're not fighting in convenient 50 x 50 square battlefields. Use elevations as well as put things in the battlefield a player (or an NPC) might use to their advantage. Lots of cover, maybe a large fiery brazier a player can tip over to spew hot coals over enemies.I've found that grids are helpful if you aren't using those. Also make sure that you as the DM are not stopping your story to do combat. Make combat the story. Fighting should be a very dramatic moment in the game. It's a game of life and death at that point! Avoid speaking in simple game terms (the orc hits, the goblin misses, rolls a one.) Try to use natural story language to describe events. (You parry the orc's blow, the goblin's spear misses wide and he nearly trips, allowing you an opportunity to attack.)Edit: Just to add, one thing I did was print out a list of common actions that players might not think about doing in combat. Things like grappling, pushing, etc that are standard actions. I don't have the books on me or I'd give you a page number, but they're listed in the PHB. If you find your players simply doing basic attacks over and over again, printing out a list of possible actions might inspire them to try them.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Patrick McGill, post: 6781765, member: 6749334"] I've found that it is the environment that helps to switch things up when I run. Making sure that you're not fighting in convenient 50 x 50 square battlefields. Use elevations as well as put things in the battlefield a player (or an NPC) might use to their advantage. Lots of cover, maybe a large fiery brazier a player can tip over to spew hot coals over enemies. I've found that grids are helpful if you aren't using those. Also make sure that you as the DM are not stopping your story to do combat. Make combat the story. Fighting should be a very dramatic moment in the game. It's a game of life and death at that point! Avoid speaking in simple game terms (the orc hits, the goblin misses, rolls a one.) Try to use natural story language to describe events. (You parry the orc's blow, the goblin's spear misses wide and he nearly trips, allowing you an opportunity to attack.) Edit: Just to add, one thing I did was print out a list of common actions that players might not think about doing in combat. Things like grappling, pushing, etc that are standard actions. I don't have the books on me or I'd give you a page number, but they're listed in the PHB. If you find your players simply doing basic attacks over and over again, printing out a list of possible actions might inspire them to try them. [/QUOTE]

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