This is perhaps a basic question but I can't seem to find an answer elsewhere.
In combat, can all monsters move before attack, or must each monster act individually (moving & attacking) before the next one gets to act?
This is quite relevant for creatures with pack tactics for example; if they can all move first then they can gang-up and all of them would get advantage on the attack roll. If each one acts individually then the first one to move & attack would not get advantage
Monsters (and characters) can move before taking their action, after it, or sometimes even splitting up their action to do move in the middle. The only time this is not the case is when a specific situation says so.
Im reading this as you asking can enemies act simultaneously? Not can they move then attack. One is game mechanics, one is action economy. As a DM you decide how the game is played at your table. Rules book be damned; your table your game.
RAW everyone rolls initiative. Roll a d20 apply the dex modifier and highest number acts first then each pc/creature goes in descending order highest to lowest. One creature acts at a time.
As for flanking it's an optional rule which I see many DMs passing on...but again, you game your rules.
Im reading this as you asking can enemies act simultaneously? Not can they move then attack. One is game mechanics, one is action economy. As a DM you decide how the game is played at your table. Rules book be damned; your table your game.
RAW everyone rolls initiative. Roll a d20 apply the dex modifier and highest number acts first then each pc/creature goes in descending order highest to lowest. One creature acts at a time.
As for flanking it's an optional rule which I see many DMs passing on...but again, you game your rules.
Yes, I guess the question can basically be reduced to whether monsters can act simultaneously. On second thought it is pretty clear that is not allowed by RAW. I'll think about it, but now that I think of it since players can't do it it wouldn't probably feel fair/right
This was really driven home for me in the D&D Beyond encounter builder. When you roll initiative, it puts all monsters of a certain type at the same initiative and I had forgotten that was a thing.
The core rules tell you to roll initiative once for each group of identical monsters as a way to speed things up and reduce context switching for the DM. But even in that case, the combat rules are clear that turns are always taken in sequence; the players and DMs are expected to sort out all the initiative ties immediately and then stick to that turn order. The main exception I make is allowing a creature and their controlled mount go in any order each round, but that's a house rule.
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Hi all,
This is perhaps a basic question but I can't seem to find an answer elsewhere.
In combat, can all monsters move before attack, or must each monster act individually (moving & attacking) before the next one gets to act?
This is quite relevant for creatures with pack tactics for example; if they can all move first then they can gang-up and all of them would get advantage on the attack roll. If each one acts individually then the first one to move & attack would not get advantage
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance
Monsters (and characters) can move before taking their action, after it, or sometimes even splitting up their action to do move in the middle. The only time this is not the case is when a specific situation says so.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Im reading this as you asking can enemies act simultaneously? Not can they move then attack. One is game mechanics, one is action economy. As a DM you decide how the game is played at your table. Rules book be damned; your table your game.
RAW everyone rolls initiative. Roll a d20 apply the dex modifier and highest number acts first then each pc/creature goes in descending order highest to lowest. One creature acts at a time.
As for flanking it's an optional rule which I see many DMs passing on...but again, you game your rules.
Yes, I guess the question can basically be reduced to whether monsters can act simultaneously. On second thought it is pretty clear that is not allowed by RAW. I'll think about it, but now that I think of it since players can't do it it wouldn't probably feel fair/right
Thanks for the help
From the PHB: "The DM makes one roll for an entire group of identical creatures, so each member of the group acts at the same time."
This was really driven home for me in the D&D Beyond encounter builder. When you roll initiative, it puts all monsters of a certain type at the same initiative and I had forgotten that was a thing.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
The core rules tell you to roll initiative once for each group of identical monsters as a way to speed things up and reduce context switching for the DM. But even in that case, the combat rules are clear that turns are always taken in sequence; the players and DMs are expected to sort out all the initiative ties immediately and then stick to that turn order. The main exception I make is allowing a creature and their controlled mount go in any order each round, but that's a house rule.
The Forum Infestation (TM)