Search Results
All Results
Characters
Compendium
Spells
Items
Monsters
Vehicles
Forums
Returning 16 results for 'decide combatants'.
Other Suggestions:
decide combatant
Initiative
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Rules
tied monsters, and the players decide the order among tied characters. The DM decides the order if the tie is between a monster and a player character.Sometimes a DM might have combatants use their
foe who is unaware that combat is starting, that foe is surprised.Initiative Order. A combatant's check total is called their Initiative count, or Initiative for short. The DM ranks the combatants, from
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
roll for an entire group of identical creatures, so each member of the group acts at the same time. The DM ranks the combatants in order from the one with the highest Dexterity check total to the 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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
roll for an entire group of identical creatures, so each member of the group acts at the same time. The DM ranks the combatants in order from the one with the highest Dexterity check total to the 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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Instructor Some fighters are natural-born combatants who have a talent for surviving in battle. Others learned the basics of their combat prowess in their formative years from spending time in a
accomplished veteran of the craft. That instructor was, or perhaps still is, well versed in a certain aspect of combat that relates to the student’s background. If you decide that your character had an
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Morale Some combatants might run away when a fight turns against them. You can use this optional rule to help determine when monsters and NPCs flee. A creature might flee under any of the following
the creature or the group’s leader. If the opposition is overwhelming, the saving throw is made with disadvantage, or you can decide that the save fails automatically. If a group’s leader can’t make the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
adversaries are—how far away and in what direction. Roll Initiative. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls Initiative, determining the order of combatants’ turns. Take Turns. Each participant in the
their Initiative count, or Initiative for short. The DM ranks the combatants, from highest to lowest Initiative. This is the order in which they act during each round. The Initiative order remains the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
adversaries are—how far away and in what direction. Roll Initiative. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls Initiative, determining the order of combatants’ turns. Take Turns. Each participant in the
their Initiative count, or Initiative for short. The DM ranks the combatants, from highest to lowest Initiative. This is the order in which they act during each round. The Initiative order remains the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
their foes, or it might join one side or the other. Each time one or more new combatants join the encounter, roll Initiative for them and weave them into the Initiative order. Change the Terrain Consider
changing a battle’s terrain to introduce a new element and give combatants reasons to move around. Perhaps a powerful attack or an explosive spell topples a column, shatters a wall, or breaks up the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
Assigning Assets When you’ve noted which assets are fighting against the cult, it’s time to decide how those forces of good attack. The characters are key figures in the allied force marching on the
decide that assassins provided by the Zhentarim should counter the sacrificial prisoners by infiltrating the cult complex and escorting those prisoners to freedom. In that case, you might remind the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath
and the followers of Myrkul independently decide they are too big a threat to let live. (If the characters have already dealt with both spies, this encounter doesn’t happen.) Use the Backlot Map to
. Three-sided battles can sometimes take longer because of the number of combatants participating. Use your discretion as the DM to have the excitement of the battle build up rather than fizzle out
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
about the Pudding King until he has secured a meeting with the Diggermattocks. If there is any hint of violence, he calls for help. If the characters decide to fight, all forty svirfneblin wererats in the
melee combatants locked down. He doesn’t kill the characters, but makes sure they are infected with wererat lycanthropy before dumping them in the maze in Outer Blingdenstone (area 3). During any
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
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. A high-level Barbarian can’t just punch their
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 characters, just for monsters, or for both. Initiative
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
decide whether they want to open the engagement at range or close to boarding distance. In either case, the Xaryxian ships are surprised at the beginning of combat. The Xaryxian Armada The enemy armada
the start of the encounter. Given the number of ships and combatants on both sides, it is impractical to track everyone’s movements and actions. Instead, narrow the focus of the conflict to the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Movement and Position On your turn, you can move a distance equal to your Speed or less. Or you can decide not to move. Your movement can include climbing, crawling, jumping, and swimming (each
noted in the monster’s stat block. See the Rules Glossary for more about Speed as well as about special speeds, such as a Climb Speed, Fly Speed, or Swim Speed. Difficult Terrain Combatants are often
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
, you can move a distance equal to your Speed or less. Or you can decide not to move. Your movement can include climbing, crawling, jumping, and swimming (each explained in the rules glossary). These
the rules glossary for more about Speed as well as about special speeds, such as a Climb Speed, Fly Speed, or Swim Speed. Difficult Terrain Combatants are often slowed down by Difficult Terrain. Low
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
enemies deeper in the Underdark and hid it in this enclave until they could decide what to do with it. They never figured out how to activate it. The erratic magic of the nearby Netherese obelisk
combatants. While Qunbraxel fights, the mind flayer telepathically berates the characters with dire warnings and predictions such as the following: “The ritual will devastate Phandalin! You bear witness to