by Mitchel Emley
Combat in D&D 5E is both the biggest part of the game and perhaps the most annoying. If you’re a roleplayer like myself, it can be a chore to drag out the book, scroll through to the one spell that one dude used that does the thing and figure out if you have a counter to the counter. Or perhaps you love combat, you relish the idea of having maximized your characters power to be able to obliterate a boss on a single turn using one of the legendary builds out there. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference (as is no doubt an obvious thing at this point if you’ve read the rest of my work). Still, there are things that pop up from time to time that can make it a chore for the RPer and non-RPer alike.
This Isn’t Skyrim Part 1
I cannot tell you how many times I hear players saying something to the effect of, “But in Skyrim I-”. Let’s stop you right there friend, this isn’t Skyrim. This isn’t a “kill your way out of trouble” simulator and there are so many different approaches to things that don’t involve a knife in some random person's back. D&D is built on the premise of mutual creativity and mutual storytelling, it isn’t a single player story where one person is the hero and everyone else is the supporting cast. We’re all the protagonists, together. For a DM, it can be especially frustrating to encounter a player who has that “video game” mindset, since it has encouraged them to think of things in that one limiting context. Combat can become extremely dull as well, since these tend to be the “I want to do the most damage out of everyone” types since, again, that’s what they know and have experienced in video games. Talk to your players, remind them that it’s okay to not do the maximum amount of DPS every single time. D&D is about failure, about what happens after, and how you learn to grow from it.
This Isn’t Skyrim Part 2
Okay let’s bring up the other big annoying thing that pops up. Stealth: it is not instant, it is not perfect, you can’t just “poof” right in front of an enemy (some spells non-withstanding) and it isn’t something that should be abused just because you have it. There’s been at least a half-dozen times I’ve had players try to stealth in front of the boss. Like, directly in front of the big bad with True Sight and then had to explain both what True Sight is and why stealth is a bad idea. Normally I don’t punish someone for trying that, since it can be a genuine misunderstanding of the concept but repeat offenders get The Doom Hammer. Stealth has its utility, especially in benefit for the group, and it requires a change in a persons thinking to use it appropriately. Gone are the days of the single rogue off scouting ahead - now an artificer can conjure a Homunculus or a Wizard can use the classic find familiar. Stealth functions as an augmentation towards the initial combat encounter, rather than something that is used during combat (again, with some very rare exceptions).
Flanking Is Game Dependent
This is a tough one. Some tables allow flanking rules, others don’t - it again all comes down to DM preference. That said, it can be tricky, especially with new players, to educate the players on how it works if you do choose to use it. Some DM’s I know have had it only work if you’re directly behind the enemy. Others will do diagonal flanking. Still more will have no flanking at all unless they’re knocked prone. Rules as written state, “When a creature and at least one of its allies are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides of the enemy’s space, they flank that enemy, and each of them has advantage on attack rolls against that enemy.” Essentially, this optional rule is supposed to only work when you have two players adjacent to the enemy, but I’ve seen pretty much every scenario except that one. Ask your DM about this rule or, if you are the DM, decide on how you want to execute it. Don’t make it some convoluted confusing thing, take your time to consider it and what it means for your players (and the CR rating of your encounters).
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Literally, in this case. Without your team, you are pretty much guaranteed to die. Even with something like a Sorcadin build that’s notoriously hard hitting and tanky, you can’t possibly survive a Level 5 encounter against four cave trolls alone. Work together, coordinate, talk through things and make sure everyone is on the same page before you decide to roll in and beat up the bad guys. With proper communication, players can navigate extreme situations and pull their butts out of the proverbial fire when otherwise they should have been totally screwed. Conversely, players can be party wiped on encounters that were ridiculously easy given their CR. Exceptions being Tucker’s Kobolds, where its the DM who has to take this lesson into account. NPCs can work together too, they can talk to each other and plan things (yes, I know, you are the NPC’s but still!) in order to defeat the party. Rather than throwing dragon after dragon at the party, consider just using actual teamwork. Have a supported group of archers backed up by a mage who buffs them all protected by flavor-of-the-week’s frontline soldiers. It makes a world of difference and immediately encourages PC cooperation!
Final Thoughts
Combat is both omnipresent in D&D and onerous to occasionally get through. Between players who are new to the game and expect a video game-like experience and people from all walks of life having to learn how to cooperate and navigate a roleplay-oriented adventure, it can be a headache. But, as a DM and as a player, few things can be as rewarding as building that confidence and trust across the group. Having players go from “I cast stealth!” to “I sneak behind the alley of the fort, using the footholds in the wall to perch myself perfectly so I can fire off a quick crossbow bolt at the lone sentry” can be amazing. So too can it be awesome to inspire a bit of fear in the PCs by taking a page from Tucker’s manual! Don’t be afraid to make it hard, just make it hard in the fun way that encourages cooperation and critical thinking!
See Also:
DM Tips for Making Memorable NPCs
About the author:
Hello there! My name is Mitchel and I have been writing for over a decade. With a preference for the 'hard' side of science fiction and fantasy, I pride myself on complex and detailed worlds, characters, and stories. I'm a huge fan of books like Dune, The Culture series, Lord of the Rings, and the Dragonriders of Pern. Games that act as story generators, like Rimworld and Skyrim, are some of my favorites as well. I also have enjoyed roleplay in DnD, Star Wars, Final Fantasy, and Stellaris based settings. I'm located in Portland, Oregon, and have lived here for a decade now.
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