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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Saeviomagy" data-source="post: 6940801" data-attributes="member: 5890">Flanking is an optional rule, and like many of the DMG optional rules, little to no consideration was actually given to it in terms of balance or the effect on the game.As you are finding out, the rule is thoroughly broken, partially because of the structure of opportunity attacks in this edition. Combatants are free to run in circles around their foe, basically meaning that as soon as you are outnumbered, your opponent will flank you.Since the PCs are almost always outnumbered by foes in general, and more specifically the PCs will almost always have less melee combatants than their foes, this leads to the monsters having perma-advantage.Further to that, I bet your DM is cheating by moving all the monsters at the same time, making them all get advantage.Note - your DM is probably not doing all of this deliberately. He's most likely just used to earlier editions of the game where flanking was not quite such a big deal, and the rules presented inevitably lead to this situation.Finally, I would suggest that if you're never getting surprise rounds against large armed groups that include giants, and combat is always starting at point blank range, your DM is doing something wrong. Part of the advantage of the PCs should be that they are a smaller, better trained group, and occasionally should get the drop on foes. If your DM is ignoring the surprise rules and starting every encounter in melee, he's artificially boosting melee foes significantly.Start by pointing out to him that flanking isa) an optional ruleb) overwhelmingly good for the monstersI would also suggest you head out to a wooded area and get some hands on experience on how easy it is to spot and hear someone 120' away. When they are normal sized. And not decked out in gleaming, noisy armor and waving weapons about.</blockquote>

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