D&D 5E My most basic advice for DMs who want more interesting & dynamic combat

[Guest 7034872]

Here's the thing. Not all advice is going to be good for everybody and no advice is every going to be 100% a perfect fit.

For example, while I understand "collaborative improvisational storytelling" is some people's approach to the game, it is not really mine.

Yeah, I was thinking about this very point tonight after I posted. It is my general approach, but it is not everyone's and it probably shouldn't be. The really important thing for me is that it is my players' preferred approach, so I feel honor-bound to give them that.

But in general my advice for a new DM is to just run the game as much as possible and expect things to not always run the way you expect and just roll with mistakes because mistakes and oversights will happen. It is not the end of the world. In fact, they can help a lot in terms of learning what not to do or to try differently. As long as in general you and your players are having fun, that's what matters the most.

Believe me, that's what Ah'm shootin' for. The introductory session went really well, so I'm hopeful, but I'm still nervous just because it's all so new to me.

 

[el-remmen]

For those who are interested, I want to recommend this patreon (and there is an instagram acct too) for a guy calling himself Dungeon Master Dave on tactics for 5E monsters to make combat more interesting. I think it is fantastic stuff of a kind with what I do in my games but have never tried to articulate as well as he seems to do. He shares a lot of this stuff for free on instagram, but I just started supporting the Patreon to. . .well, show my support. At $1 or $3 a month, it is more than worth it, I think. I also think he plans to come out with a book

Patreon

Patreon is empowering a new generation of creators. Support and engage with artists and creators as they live out their passions!

www.patreon.com

 

[nevin]

Or at least "you shouldn't" - especially if there's no bonus if you succeed.

I see a similar dynamic with creative movement: I want to swing on the chandelier to get at the enemy. If I succeed on an acrobatics check, I do so and am standing next to the enemy; if I fail I'm flat on my face in front of the enemy and lose my attack.

Or, I could just walk up to the enemy and attack with the same bonus to hit.

Then the dm wonders why players never do anything creative.

This is most problems in modern RPG's in a nutshell. A rule for everything means everyone stays inside whatever box the DM built

 

[nevin]

I will say as a person who generally plays support classes It's almost impossble and not worth trying to keep up with the melee types unless I don't have initiative and I can see where they end up. Which of course is the last place you want to be in the initiative order as a support class.

 

[jmartkdr2]

This is most problems in modern RPG's in a nutshell. A rule for everything means everyone stays inside whatever box the DM built

There's quite a few games that spell out bonuses for doing bold stuff or interacting with the environment. But DnD ain't one of them, which means that a lot of dm's read the rules and come to the conclusion that there should be a roll to try stuff but don't realize that they need to reward the behavior to make it happen consistently.

 

[MichaelSomething]

There's quite a few games that spell out bonuses for doing bold stuff or interacting with the environment. But DnD ain't one of them, which means that a lot of dm's read the rules and come to the conclusion that there should be a roll to try stuff but don't realize that they need to reward the behavior to make it happen consistently.

4E tried to address the issue with a "Say Yes" policy but lots of people HATED it.

 

[nevin]

True but all design decisions for years have been about making more rules to limit options so everyone is "balanced" more rules create an environment where you go to the rules to decide what to do instead of imagining what to do. I'tll get worse before we get 9th edition that rolls back the other direction.

 

[Maxperson]

For whatever weird reason I have always found that players seem to be more afraid of OAs than any other attack. I've seen players stay in melee combat against creatures with Multiattack, taking multiple attacks on those creature's turns... rather than try and move away from them and possibly taking that one OA. It's almost as though players think that no matter where they move, to the creature will automatically follow and move with them, and thus that OA becomes just one extra attack they weren't ordinarily going to have to absorb. When point of fact, as the DM I'm usually thinking these creatures have much better places to move to themselves, rather than chasing down the PCs (especially when the PCs move towards their back line, because no creature is stupid enough usually to place themselves so far away from their own allies.)

It's very odd.

I've never shied away from an OA unless I'm low enough on hit points that it could put me down. That said, in a 3e game I watched one player have her character charge into a hydra taking 11 OAs. Get attacked on the hydra's turn. Then realizing how bad it had gotten, turned around on her next turn and ran, taking 11 more OAs.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Our List So Far.
1. Monsters Move. Don't have monsters be afraid of suffering an opportunity attack.
2. Secondary Objectives. PC's forced to accomplish tasks during combat, thus forcing movement.
3. Zones. Use of zones as opposed to grid to free up combat and allow for PCs to interact with the environment more easily.
4. You Stay, You Pay. Static PC's suffer attacks with advantage, encouraging movement to avoid penalties.
5. More Carrot, Less Stick. Remove opportunity attacks altogether.
6. Insert Variability. Reroll initiative every round to introduce randomness/chaos to the combat.
7. Multiple Monster Types. Ditch the solo and homogenous threat for a variety of murderous hazards.
8. Monsters Everywhere. Use of multiple locations so as limit ‘mashing up.’.



My idea borrows from no 3 as the terrain (or zone) changes in nature as combat progresses.

Imagine a Stone Giant fighting the PCs in the Aged Pillar Zone.

1ST Round: Zone - Aged Pillar. Creatures of Medium size of less may use the pillar to gain +2 AC against a single melee attack.
2ND Round: Zone - Cracked Pillar. If a creature misses their attack dust and small stones to scatter as the pillar is struck. The creature loses their reaction as they catch their breath and dodge the shooting pebbles.
3RD Round: Zone - Crumbling Pillar. Terrain in this Zone is treated as difficult. A creature starting in this Zone, must make a Dexterity saving throw at the beginning of their turn or take d8 points of bludgeoning damage from the falling debris.

 

[deganawida]

But why is the character wanting to swing on the chandelier? Is it just to look cool, or is it because they are on one gallery and leaping on the chandelier to swing over to the other to back up your ally against a nasty opponent is faster than climbing down and back up the other side and thus worth a risk?

Facetious answer: Yes.

Real answer: Because it's there. If the DM describes something as being in the current environment, I try to find a way to use it. I might be odd, though.