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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zaruthustran" data-source="post: 3595415" data-attributes="member: 1457">Here are my top five tips:1. Pick a combat leader.When it's time to make a decision during combat, someone has to designated as the sole decision maker. Otherwise, you'll waste valuable time debating the issue. 2. Act together, or die alone. This is as true in D&D battle as it is in real life. If you're part of a team, and the team decides on a course of action, you've got to fully commit and give it your all. If the leader yells "Charge!" you've got to charge, right now, no questions asked. If the order for retreat is sounded, you've got to ditch. Any hesitation could kill not only you, but also your companions, or even the entire mission. Corollary to the above is that if you decide to run forward, you should know that you've not only committed yourself but also your companions. The life you lose as a result of rash action may not be your own.3. Come up with standard operating procedures.The entire party should plan for common problems. If, say, the party is ambushed by archers on either side of a road everyone should already know how to react. Otherwise, you'll have the fighter turtling behind his shield, the barbarian running into the weeds,  the wizard buffing the rogue, the rogue running away, etc. etc. Here are some common situations for which you should develop SOPs:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Camping (watches, fire placement, mount placement, sleeper placement, armor worn while sleeping, etc.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Entering doors</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Detecting an unaware enemy (party gets a surprise round)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Encountering an aware enemy (no surprise round)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Getting ambushed (enemy gets surprise round; try to develop SOP for different common ambush setups)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Running away (criteria for retreat, communicating the retreat signal, method of travel, rally points)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dealing with charmed party members</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dealing with casters, big monsters, flyers, mounted enemies, swarms, incorporeals, grapplers, and other specific types of creatures</li> </ul>The important thing is not to follow the plan to the letter, but to have a general plan so everyone can count on everyone else reacting in the same basic way. 4. Know when--and how--to run.Establish criteria for when to throw in the towel during combat. When the cleric goes down? When over half the party has lost over half their hit points? TPK's come from the party not knowing when to run, or when one or two party members run early. The other three tips all mention retreat and moving together but Retreat is worth it's own bullet point. Everyone also needs to know how to run away. Who covers the retreat? Who tosses the smokestick/Obscuring Mist/Solid Fog/Summoned Monster/Caltrops/other obstacle to pursuit? Who decides when to stop the retreat? How do you cover your tracks/prepare for the arrival of pursuers? Where do you run to, and how do you get there? Once there, what do you do? What if you're separated? Again, details are nice but not absolutely needed. This plan could be as simple as "Okay, everyone take a good look at this room and remember how to get back to it. If we need to run, we'll run here. Mysto, you cast some sort of spell that'll slow down pursuit. Johan, you stay put until everyone else has run. Birn, you're fastest so when you get here make sure the room is clear and ready an action to bar the door once Johan comes through. If anyone gets tied down blow your whistle, and we'll come for you. Got it? Okay let's go."5. Equipment.Even mundane equipment can be a lifesaver. Tindertwigs, sunrods, and smokesticks can instantly remedy a disadvantageous situation. Whistles have terrific range, carry over crowds or battlefields, and can even be used by mute characters, trained animal companions, or familiars--a whistle should hang from every neck (no action needed to "draw" it). Rope has a thousand uses. Some monsters (or their effects) are negated by common materials such as soap, oil, alcohol, or lye. Masterwork tools give a sometimes-crucial +2 to key skills.Everyone should carry not only a basic kit, but key redundancies. Have the fighter carry a spare spell component pouch and holy symbol. Give the wizard a cold iron dagger. Give the rogue a copy of the wizard's spellbook. Even the dwarf should have a way to create light. Magic items are needed too, of course. Everyone needs potions of healing, invisibility, and flight (for emergencies). The party should have a stock of critical situational scrolls: remove disease, remove curse, remove blindness, remove paralysis, make whole, waterbreathing, knock, passwall, tongues, see invisibility, stone shape, wizard lock, comprehend languages, detect poison, neutralize poison, gust of wind, lower water, restoration. ---I guess the short version of all of the above is, "Be Prepared." <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />-z</blockquote>

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