D&D 5E Is D&D combat fun?

[ad_hoc]

Works to a point; the fighter needs to be able to hold the monster in place. 5e doesn't do this well.

You need a very careful balance - the effect need to be big enough to care but not so big it can't be powered through, except that it also needs to be hard to power through, but not too hard...

Basically, people need to be constantly arguing whether it matters. That's when you've hit the sweet spot.

Not only does grapple reduce a creature's movement speed to 0 but the grappler can then move that creature around.

 

[Imaro]

*edit: In the past a caster was terrified of being in melee with baddies because they tended to be squishy as hell due to low hp & low ac. 5e casters have much better ac much easier, much better HP, and frankly nobody is in any real danger of being killed due to how damage beyond zero just goes away with a bonus action healing word/healing light or any healing of at least 1hp.

This has definitely not been my experience in 5e, casters are still squishy (Except for clerics/druids which, let's be honest, really have never been) and are easier to take down than the melee classes. The only exception to this I've seen is a caster purposefully built to be less squishy and have better AC... of course this comes with a hit to other areas.

As for no one being killed... purely on the DM, you want a more dangerous & death filled game have opponents finish off characters by attacking downed characters (this plus death saves will usually finish a character off in 1 - 2 rounds, sometimes less). Personally this isn't to my tastes but it's a rule and there to be used if you want.