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Combat#

Roles#

Via Matt Colville: Tactics and Strategy #70

  • infantry – novice positioning tools (physical blocks)
  • glass cannons – high dmg people protected by infantry
  • brute – low mobility, high damage, low ac, high hp
  • artillery – behind the infantry making hard to get – advanced positioning tools
  • boss – multiple of these together (needs reactions) - lynchpin

where:
- ranged bosses needs to be further away from enemies > 45ft away.
- Brute bosses could spawn closely.
- Use cover better for artillery (split move)
- Infantry 15ft apart – small gap with no attack of opp. 10ft both can take!

Battlefield Design#

Thoughts on what to include in battles. Spice and dynamism.
https://old.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/j7p42l/the_missing_ingredient_some_thoughts_on/

Killing fields#

Large open space without obstructions and cover. Pure test of skill / stat mastery. Long awaited enemy.
Both face off knowing only their skills and wits save them from death. Powerful.
Alternatively; arena flex. Throw low-level monsters at party.

No Man's Land#

Both sides pointing at each other at all times. Graveyard of bodies in the middle.
Ditches / moats / thick brush in center can heighten risk of crossing.
Taxes melee classes. They need ways around / protection from enemy snipers.
Alternate paths can be a den for harvester enemies. Make this exciting.
Once they reach other side, it's mostly over.
Sorcerers / wizards / rangers / monks / ranged will shine. Maybe they are the spotlight clearers.

Choke Point#

Thermopylae. Style.
Players needing to pass it can be limiting. AOE traps? Marching orders. Gas? Rain of arrows?
Enemies forced through chokes are different. Endurance challenge, tanks hold the line. Mages dump into horde behind.
Maybe combine with a skill challenge while they hold the line; pick a lock, activate a shields / mcguffin.

Broken Battlefield#

Cave of stalagmites, decayed skeletons, ob jects from past battles. Chaos battle of ducking, darting and leaping between weird terrain.
Collapsed ruins, large trees, broken sight lines (60ft sight max in any direction).
Make retreating to a better position viable.
Should be horizontal and vertical. Criss-crossing. Atriums to jump up and down to. Parallel height paths. Chandeliers.
Hazards. Enemiers immune to the hazards? Triggerable hazard that PCs can weaponize?

Attack and Defend#

Similar to No Man's Land. But one part is defending with ample cover and lay of the land, time to prepare.
Attackers have to traverse and survive oncoming fire so they can reach the defended point. Asymmetric.
Players as A: constantly under fire. Defenders hold actions. Hazardous terrain. Maybe send combatants, traps to flush them out.
Players as D: send bigger forces at them. give them lay of the land, and let them make preparations.
Best; send your players in as A first to take the point, then have them defend it later. Lets them learn the land first.

Fog of War#

No sight beyond a small radius.
High tension, much fear. Can enemies see them? Good for stealth characters. Ranged characters not so much.

Remind players to retreat#

Even if: it’s never fun, but someone has to take leadership and decide to retreat.

Success Rewards#

Give out lore, but also loot, gold, boons, gifts.

Challenge Ratings#

Can give a quick check on https://koboldplus.club/ , but if players are optimized / have good synergy / have good magic items, then beyond deadly is often the norm.

It's not about CR#

https://old.reddit.com/r/mattcolville/comments/nqc2tw/dm_tip_is_not_about_cr_but_how_you_use_them/
A lower level encounter with extreme cooperation tactics is often more fearsome than dumb + high CR.
Creatures should react realistically