before both decide combat resolve - Search

Find Steed

Spells Player’s Handbook

the steed’s creature type—Celestial, Fey, or Fiend—which determines certain traits in the stat block. Combat. The steed is an ally to you and your allies. In combat, it shares your

Initiative count, and it functions as a controlled mount while you ride it (as defined in the rules on mounted combat). If you have the Incapacitated condition, the steed takes its turn immediately

Akroan Hoplite

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

called stratians, number among the fiercest soldiers on Theros. They train relentlessly and possess unflinching resolve. In the annals of Akros, tales abound of squads of stratians that defended a

glorification of the warrior's spirit, the basis of an ethos that forges an unbreakable bond between members of a military unit. In combat, hoplites typically work in groups and use coordinated tactics to

Gavel of the Venn Rune

Magic Items Storm King's Thunder

used as part of rituals to resolve disputes. The gavel has the following properties. Arbiter’s Shield. At the start of every combat, attack rolls against you have disadvantage before the start of

Half-Orc Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

-orcs hear the whispers of Gruumsh in their dreams, calling them to unleash the rage that simmers within them. Others feel Gruumsh’s exultation when they join in melee combat — and either

name for a human name. Some half-orcs with human names decide to adopt a guttural orc name because they think it makes them more intimidating. Male Orc Names: Dench, Feng, Gell, Henk, Holg, Imsh, Keth

Initiative Legacy

Rules

Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant rolls Initiative; they make a Dexterity check that determines their place in the Initiative order. The DM

rolls for monsters.Surprise. If a combatant is surprised by combat starting, that combatant has Disadvantage on their Initiative roll. For example, if an ambusher starts combat while hidden from a

Attack Rolls

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

Attack Rolls In combat, an attack roll is used to determine whether an attack hits. You can also use attack rolls to resolve noncombat activities that are similar to attacks in combat, such as an

archery contest or a game of darts. Assign an Armor Class to the target, decide whether the character is proficient with the weapon used, then have the player make an attack roll. (See also “Degrees of Success” in this chapter.)

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

variety of skills as they do to perfecting their combat abilities, giving them a broad expertise that few other characters can match. Many rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine the

skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks. When it comes to combat, rogues prioritize cunning over brute strength. A rogue

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

coins Feature: Undercity Paths You know hidden, underground pathways that you can use to bypass crowds, obstacles, and observation as you move through the city. When you aren’t in combat, you

of my parents is an elite assassin, a member of the Ochran. 2 I learned combat from a kraul. 3 I know a medusa who is stationed in the guildhall. 4 I had a torrid romance with a

Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

characters don’t need to take turns, but you need to give each player a chance to tell you what their character is doing so you can decide how to resolve everyone’s actions. In combat, everyone takes

chapter 2 offers advice on combat. Spellcasting. If a character casts a spell, you can usually let the player tell you what the spell does and how to resolve it. If questions arise, read the text of

Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

bookshelf. Outside combat, the characters don’t need to take turns, but you need to give each player a chance to tell you what their character is doing so you can decide how to resolve everyone’s

actions. In combat, everyone takes turns in Initiative order. Step 3: Describe What Happens After the players describe their characters’ actions, it’s the DM’s job to resolve those actions, guided by the

Top Card: The Challenge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

road, or a situation the characters are asked to resolve. You decide the scope of the decision the characters must make. You can ask them to make a simple choice (“Do you want to take the path along

small dungeon or an encounter (which might involve multiple ability checks or even combat). Let the character of the player who flipped the card be the focus of the day’s events and make any required

Large Groups

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

know each character’s AC, you don’t need to ask whether a monster’s attack hits. Help Players Keep Up. If a player isn’t sure what to do on their turn in combat, help the player decide by offering a

Large Groups The biggest considerations with large groups are maintaining order at the table and keeping combat from becoming too slow. Structured Turns If you find yourself in a situation where

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

others can be exploited through bribes, favors, or threats. As creatures devoid of emotion, yuan-ti exhibit behavior and use tactics that exemplify that outlook (or lack of one). Whether in combat

the gods or as food. Depend on Deceit Yuan-ti have no sense of honorable combat. They are naturally stealthy, and if they can sneak up on enemies, either in an ambush or to murder them in their sleep

Running Social Interaction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

Running Social Interaction During a social interaction, the adventurers usually have a goal. They want to extract information, secure aid, win someone’s trust, escape punishment, avoid combat

rarely come into play. Other DMs resolve interactions by having characters make Charisma checks. Most games fall somewhere in between, balancing roleplaying with the occasional ability check.

Actions in Exploration

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

in action.) In such situations, have the characters take turns, though it’s usually not necessary to roll Initiative as you would in a combat encounter. Resolve one character’s actions before moving

something during exploration, you decide whether that action requires an ability check to determine success (as described in the earlier “Resolving Outcomes” section). Certain situations might call

Social Interaction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Social Interaction During a social interaction, the adventurers usually have a goal. They want to extract information, secure aid, win someone’s trust, escape punishment, avoid combat, negotiate a

roleplaying exercise, where dice rarely come into play. Other DMs prefer to resolve the outcome of an interaction by having characters make Charisma checks. Either approach works, and most games fall

Interacting with Objects

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

Interacting with Objects A character's interaction with objects in an environment is often simple to resolve in the game. The player tells the DM that his or her character is doing something, such as

moving a lever, and the DM describes what, if anything, happens. For example, a character might decide to pull a lever, which might, in turn, raise a portcullis, cause a room to flood with water, or

Crew in Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Casualties Slaying a ship’s crew reduces the number of actions most ships can take, making the crew a tempting target in combat. Resolve individual attacks as normal, using the guidelines for

Crew in Combat Managing a ship’s entire crew in combat can prove cumbersome, especially as larger ships often host dozens of sailors. Typically the crew is too busy managing the ship to do anything

Initiative

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Initiative Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant makes a Dexterity check to determine their place in the initiative order. The DM makes one

among tied DM-controlled creatures, and the players decide the order among their tied characters. The DM can decide the order if the tie is between a monster and a player character. Optionally, the DM

Initiative

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

Initiative Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant makes a Dexterity check to determine their place in the initiative order. The DM makes one

among tied DM-controlled creatures, and the players decide the order among their tied characters. The DM can decide the order if the tie is between a monster and a player character. Optionally, the DM

Interacting with Objects

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Interacting with Objects A character's interaction with objects in an environment is often simple to resolve in the game. The player tells the DM that his or her character is doing something, such as

moving a lever, and the DM describes what, if anything, happens. For example, a character might decide to pull a lever, which might, in turn, raise a portcullis, cause a room to flood with water, or

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

skills of combat, mastering a variety of weapons and armor. Even so, their martial skills are secondary to the magical power they wield: power to heal the sick and injured, to smite the wicked and the

while you were at prayer? Did another paladin sense the potential within you and decide to train you as a squire? Or did some terrible event—the destruction of your home, perhaps—drive you to

Noncombat Challenges

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Noncombat Challenges You decide whether to award experience to characters for overcoming challenges outside combat. If the adventurers complete a tense negotiation with a baron, forge a trade

agreement with a clan of surly dwarves, or successfully navigate the Chasm of Doom, you might decide that they deserve an XP reward. As a starting point, use the rules for building combat encounters in

Drowned Sailors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

Rest). Runara explains that she heard the sounds of combat and arrived just in time to prevent the zombies from dragging the characters into the sea. Avoiding the Zombies. If the characters decide not

continue up the path and leave the slow, shambling zombies behind. If the characters turn and fight, this is the first combat encounter in the adventure. Here are the steps you should follow to run it

Old Flame

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Old Flame I have a lover in Ten-Towns whom I haven’t seen in years. At any time outside of combat, I can decide who the lover is by choosing an NPC in Ten-Towns that I can see. Once I make this

Preparing for the Drowned Ones

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

to decide on a course of action for when the drowned ones breach the defenses. The survivors do not participate in combat against the drowned ones. Even if they aid in the defensive preparations, come nightfall they retreat to area 25.

Rolling Initiative

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

Rolling Initiative Combat starts when—and only when—you say it does. Some characters have abilities that trigger on an Initiative roll; you, not the players, decide if and when Initiative is rolled

anticipate the spell. Using Initiative Scores You can get to the action of combat more quickly by using Initiative scores instead of rolling. You might decide to use Initiative scores just for

Breaking the Archetypes

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

subtlety and precision over simply busting heads. Add in your knowledge of the more cerebral aspects of combat, including all-important insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, and it’s

look at the balance sheet. But there’s one exception to that nonrule that can make a big difference in the successful operation of a franchise — the focused, no-frills approach to combat of the champion

The Order of Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides: a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes combat into a cycle of rounds

and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of combat when everyone

The Order of Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides: a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes combat into a cycle of rounds

and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of combat when everyone

Awarding XP

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

NPCs made the challenge easier. (See also “Nonplayer Characters” in chapter 3.) Noncombat Challenges You decide whether to award XP to characters for overcoming challenges outside combat. If the

adventurers complete a tense negotiation with a baron, forge a trade agreement with a guild of surly smiths, or safely navigate the Chasm of Doom, you might decide the characters deserve XP. As a starting

Rhythm of Play

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

resolve their activity. In combat, the characters take turns. The DM Narrates the Results of the Adventurers’ Actions. Sometimes resolving a task is easy. If an adventurer walks across a room and

Rhythm of Play The three main pillars of D&D play are social interaction, exploration, and combat. Whichever one you’re experiencing, the game unfolds according to this basic pattern: The Dungeon

Rhythm of Play

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

resolve their activity. In combat, the characters take turns. The DM Narrates the Results of the Adventurers’ Actions. Sometimes resolving a task is easy. If an adventurer walks across a room and

Rhythm of Play The three main pillars of D&D play are social interaction, exploration, and combat. Whichever one you’re experiencing, the game unfolds according to this basic pattern: The Dungeon

Drowned Sailors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Intro to Stormwreck Isle

continue up the path and leave the slow, shambling zombies behind. If the characters turn and fight, this is the first combat encounter in the adventure. Here are the steps you should follow to run it

count, they move toward the characters. If they get close enough, they make melee attacks. The zombies’ stat block contains the information you need to resolve these attacks. On each character’s

Ghost Stories

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

heroes to spirits in ways they won’t predict, such as revealing that a phantasmal villain was a hero’s ancestor. Heroes are pure-hearted or unsuspecting individuals whose resolve is shaken by the story’s

events. Look for ways to test heroes’ psychology with your hauntings. Heroes need agency—a way to put spirits to rest. Once the story is revealed, ensure the way to combat the haunting is clear. Spirits are often evil, but they need not be. A spirit might appear to warn heroes of impending doom.

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