BLOW BY BLOW
C
ombat narrative tips and advice for DMs; this
document contains some advice on how to turn
the numbers involved in determining the ebb
and flow of a battle into dramatic effects that
paint bloody pictures in your players' heads.
When you are describing a character’s actions, you are
not simply addressing the person who threw the dice; you
are playing out a scene for everyone around the table.
You should try and make the narrative as smooth,
constant and as fast paced as you can with minimal looking
up of rules, spells, damage types, etc.
This does not mean you need an encyclopaedic
knowledge of everything, just have to hand the numbers
that an NPC might need to roll against and/or spell they
might need to cast.
I would highly recommend outlining to your players that
they are responsible for having their own information to
hand; you have enough to look up and remember.
STORY TELLING
A battle normally will have three scenes;
the setup, the fight, and the aftermath.
Most of your work as a DM and most player interaction is
during the middle fight section, but as a good DM you
should be able to build up the tension prior to the action
and level things out at the end.
During the fight your description of each swing of a sword,
each arrow leashed, and each spell cast should contain
three vital pieces of information:
The location of the impact
The damage result of the impact
The target's reaction to the impact
You can vary this order for each action, but try and
include facts about each:
Location
The location does not need to be precise, does not need to
be as the player intended and could be rolled on a table if
you want a more random feel to the combat.
Your description does not even have to be a Hit on the
target, but it should always be more than just “you hit” or
“you miss”.
Damage
The damage result is the feedback that the player gets of
how successful their impact was. This should give the
players hints of any damage resistance and an indication of
how tough this opponent is.
It should also reflect the skill level and power of the
impact, even if the strike misses.
Reaction
A target's reaction should reflect the opponent's
demeanour and training: A fighter may only grit their teeth
while a peasant rolls on the floor clutching their arm. A
wolf may yelp and flee while a zombie would just ignore it.
Take into account the motivation of the opponent, the
first impression of the player and the damage of the blow.
PACING THE NARRATIVE
Although each action on every initiative should be
described, every blow should not be a page worth of
character soul searching combined with an anatomy class -
as a DM you need to keep the flow going and keep it
interesting. Don't pause between ending your description
and moving onto the next initiative.
To keep the action flowing, pressure your players into
giving snap decisions and immediate responses with the
threat to move on if they aren't quick enough - they can
have their turn after the next player. (Make sure it's not an
idle threat.)
Sounds are important: Practice your swoosh sounds,
cries and grunts to use during your descriptions. It also
adds to the tension if you have some dramatic music
playing in the background during combat.
Try to keep the consulting of notes and writing down of
stuff to a minimum; use the time one of your player is
rolling dice or doing math to catch up on your note taking.
UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBERS
Almost everything in your impending battle is numbers;
how observant the combatants are, when they act, their
skills with their weapons, how hard they are to hit, how far
they can move, … if you know how these numbers were
generated then it really helps with a creative description of
the action.
Is the hit due to skill, talent, enchantment, speed,
opponent ineptitude, or just dumb luck? It helps if you have
a benchmark number of what Normal or Average is. Think
on any number/result on a sliding scale - the further from
'average' it is, then the more emphasis you should give to
the result.
MOVEMENT
It's your story and you are the filter that takes numbers and
converts them into words. Maps are a good way to judge
movement, but like everything in D&D the numbers
describing movement are there as a guideline: as a GM you
can bend the rules to suit the story and provide more
drama.
However don't bend the rules until they break - if one
player can move faster/further than another, then avoid
hobbling the faster one. If a player wants to do something
out with their assigned movement or actions you can use
the power of the DM to allow it (or make them roll for it.)
MAPS & MINI's
Maps are convenient way to describe the area and layout of
the terrain. They give the players an opportunity to plan
tactics and see where each other is on the battlefield. This
can be both a blessing and a curse.
If you use miniatures as place holders for characters &
monsters, then it is better if the map is to scale. But minis
are not necessary: you can use sweets, dice or just draw on
the paper.
You could also use wipeable white-board markers on
polypockets or laminates to show the movement of the
creatures over a map. There are also computer RPG
resources that can be used to both draw maps and move
players about on them.
The map does not need to be detailed, coloured or drawn
with any more skill than it takes to draw a stick-man. The
reason for a map is for spatial awareness and to give the
players something to point at. It is your narrative that
should describe the scene, not the map.
You are the DM: it is your job to tell the players what
their characters can and can't see.
If the players start acting on knowledge from the map
that their character wouldn't have, then you have the power
to say "No - your character wouldn't do that."
INTO COMBAT
The DM's description just before the call to "roll initiative"
should be a prime bit of theatre that sets the scene and
builds the tension:
describe the environment (Jungle clearing, cavern,
tavern, amphitheatre, empty desert, busy street...)
pick out a few points of interest in the scene (a crate
with one bent nail, a slowly dripping stalactite, ...)
describe the target(s)
include some sounds and smells in the description (the
damp smell of a cave, the wind moving through the
grass, ...)
pick a character and describe something physical they
see or feel (wiping a bead of sweat, shrugging out a
muscle kink, adjusting a sword belt...)
If it's a sneaky start to combat, ask the players to roll
initiatives in a stage whisper. If the players are charging in,
shout it like a battle cry.
DURING COMBAT
The most common action on a player's initiative is "I move
up to it and hit it."
As a DM you want to do better than that - wait until you
see if the hit is a success or not and incorporate the
movement into the action:
...screaming and swinging the sword in a wide arc
as you bear down on your foe...
...you snatch the sword from the corpse of your
last victim as you head to your next target...
...you notch an arrow as you run and a single
movement of aim, draw and release is taken as
you slide into cover
If you try and think about the movements in "bullet time" it
can help give some action to a simple number.
Players can [move, act, move] as long as they don't
exceed their movement, but they are not operating binary
commands. You want your description to the players
blending the first movement into the action and blending
the action into the last movement.
Homebrew: actions break movement
A player moving, then taking action will reduce the
remainder of their movement to a maximum of 5ft.
TIME
In D&D, one round of initiative takes approximately 6
seconds. Written like that it sounds like the blink of an eye,
but in a combat situation it’s a long time.
If you have not participated in any sporting combat then I
recommend watching some youtube clips of boxing,
fencing, martial arts, etc. and you will see that 90% of the
time is spent
looking for an opportunity or
trying to create an opportunity
... the actual strikes and ‘action’ take less than a second.
When a player is rolling for an attack during their initiative
they are not rolling to see if their strike connects, they are
rolling to see how much of an opening they can find or
create; to see if they can find a way around their opponents’
defences or manipulate them into giving an open target to
hit.
HITS AND MISSES
Don't just describe every time a combat manoeuvre hits the
target, also describe the misses - your role as a DM is to
dramatise the numbers.
How close was the miss and what effect did it have on
the target? On a miss the target can gloat, taunt, try and
take the opportunity to run, or just ignore the player.
WHEN IS A MISS A MISS?
The target number a player needs to damage an opponent
(AC) is made up of several layers of defence. The player
may not even have found an opportunity to launch an
attack, the blow might be parried or simply side-stepped.
The player quite often will actually hit an opponent,
however the blow does not do any damage. It is much more
engaging for your players if the DM can describe a sword
biting into the armour or whistling sound of an arrow
passing rather than just a "miss".
You should also be aware of the environment when blows
miss; smashing through walls, hitting bystanders, breaking
furniture, cutting ropes, smashing lanterns, making holes
in the floor, ….
The AC can be represented in many different ways
depending on the opponent; as a DM you can simply decide
that it's more dramatic to have the blow parried or to have
the opponent watch the blade pass harmlessly.
Your description of combat can give the players a better
sense of their opponent if they miss because their opponent
dodged or because they have good armour or because they
are skilled with their weapon or have magical defences.
In descriptive terms, you could say that any attack lower
than 5 will have the player unable to find an opening to
strike at the opponent. From 6-10 would simply find air or
scenery rather than the target. Above ten and you can
describe where the blow stopped and/or how it was evaded
by going through the layers of defence.
 Homebrew: armour layers
Not all of the below layers would be applicable, but the
below order can give you an idea of what layer stopped the
blow and prevented damage from being inflicted on the
target:
Layer Description
Dex: A high Dexterity stat that adds to AC
dodge/evade means that the target instinctively
moves out of the way or anticipates the
strike.
Shield Putting something between the
incoming blow and the target that will
both absorb the impact and deflect it.
Dex: An opponent using a Dex based weapon
deflect/parry or defence will try to deflect the
incoming blow.
Armor or The outer layer of armour that absorbs
Hide the impact to prevent damage.
Str: An opponent using a Str based weapon
block/parry or defence would try and meet force
with force to stop the blow
If you prepare monsters, you could write AC numbers
beside each layer to help with the narrative during combat.
Magic can be inserted into any of these layers to boost or
add a layer of defence that would not normally be there.
MAGIC DEFENSE
If a player, NPC or monster has some form of defence that
gives a + to their AC then as a DM you should try and work
out how this is justified: it’s not just a number. Look at the
above layers for an example – Where does it kick in? Are
there any effects that show that it’s been activated? What
happens when it’s breached?
Try and keep a note against this particular magic defence
so that you can keep it consistent in your descriptions.
CLOSE CALLS
Players will always be trying to guess at what number they
need to do damage to their opponent. As a DM you can
simply tell them or let them work it out by what damages
their opponent and what bounces off the armour. It's
normally more fun letting them guess.
To give your players a little bit more drama to the
narration than an average hit or miss, drop hints and clues
to the players about close misses and just hits -
You can describe how the player thought they hit or how
the blow scratched skin but not enough to damage. If they
are spot on with the target number you could have a piece
of armour break or have the opponent doing something
that was just enough to let the attack in.
CRITICAL HITS & FUMBLES
When a player rolls a 1 or a 20 with their attack roll, it
should be special. A roll of 20 should always hit and a 1
should always miss (no matter the target AC)
A way to emphasize special blows could be to have the
character slip into ‘bullet time' within your narrative "...time
seems to slow as..."
This should be spectacular. Your description of this
action should convey the prowess (or ineptitude) of the
actions.
It is up to you as the DM to decide how much of an
advantage a critical hit gives and how crippling a fumble
should be.
Homebrew: roll crits
There are many home-brew critical and fumble tables to
draw inspiration from - but be warned that excessive tables,
looking up results and working out how to incorporate the
results may slow combat down.
You can also find that some results break the game
mechanics or are excessive - having a player decapitate
themselves for simply rolling a 1 may also reduce the
numbers of players around your table.
Homebrew: choose crits
Players can choose the dramatic effect that a critical hit has.
This makes the player more involved and gives the DM an
easy description to pad out and fit with the narrative. (Note
that it is still up to the DM to work game mechanics.)
I give the players a print out with 10 options to choose
from with slightly different effects. You can find this on the
DMs Guild: 5E Player critical hits & fumbles
The tables are set up as a D10 roll so that NPCs and
monsters can have the same results. The players can also roll
their own fumbles.
MULTIPLE ATTACKS
Some players and monsters can attack more than once in a
round of combat.
As a DM, you are creating a story to interpret the
numbers - if hits are consecutive, the weapon does not need
to be withdrawn in between attacks or it can be withdrawn
and plunged in multiple times or it can even be discarded
for an action that is more dramatic if it is in character; the
end result is that the opponent takes x damage.
You sweep the legs and follow your opponent down, using
the added momentum to plunge the blade deep into them
There are three main ways to roll for multiple attacks:
SPLIT ATTACKS
In the event that one combatant wants to attack multiple
foes, the attack can be split along the initiative time-line
with movement or a bonus action between the first attack
and a later one.
This can be very dramatic, but as DM you have to stop
players taking multiple actions rather than multiple attacks;
the attacks should be described as one movement.
INDIVIDUAL ATTACKS
If a player is using a two handed weapon or only has one
weapon to attack with, then the combat should follow a
logical time-line progression with each blow the player
makes rolling to hit, then if applicable rolling the damage.
Each blow is described separately and the follow-up
blows carry on the narrative from the last attack.
I would also encourage dual wielding or other forms of
multiple attacks to use this method as it makes describing
the action flow much easier and the attacker has a chance
to react to every blow.
COMBINED ATTACKS
If a player is using dual weapons or has the option of
another form of attack, then they may makes multiple rolls
to hit before rolling the damage. This means that the player
is trying to land their blows simultaneously.
While technically each blow may be targeting a different
location on their opponent, I would make the narrative deal
both blows on one location. (Depending on the attack form)
This method means that the player may 'waste' an attack
on their opponent and want to change their minds, take
back a roll or change targets after the first blow - as a DM
it's up to you how lenient you are on your players, but it
leads to smoother combat and keeping control of your
game if you let them know what to roll, when.
Homebrew: dual attack
If a player uses a combined attack and hits with both, then
they can add additional damage to the blow: One more dice
or their stat bonus.
Homebrew: split initiatives
If a player has multiple attacks, then they have the first
attack on their initiative and the next one later on in the
initiative order.
either their next attack is (Dex bonus) counts later
or their next attack is on (Half their initiative) later
This gives non-combat classes a chance to do something
before fighters go into blend mode. However it can have
unforeseen complexities that the DM will have to adjudicate
on. (Keep a note on these for consistency later in the game.)
STYLES OF FIGHTING
It adds more colour to your world if different opponents
fight in different ways: A really strong creature is more
likely to simply bash their way past a player's defences
while a nimble creature will use quick darting motions.
Think on the weapons your monsters and NPCs wield
You can take inspiration from millions of martial arts
movies (especially for the Monk class). You should include
acrobatic manoeuvres and flair that go beyond rolling a
dice and reading out a number.
Your description can also contain information on how
proficient the wielder is: the opponent may be coolly toying
with the player or may be flailing with a wild rage.
HIT LOCATIONS
Telling players where they hit the foe adds realism and
makes the fights more memorable. There is a certain
satisfaction as a DM when everyone round the table winces
as you describe how a blow hits the foe between the legs.
Unless drama dictates it, the most damaging blows will
be body shots. You can use your own body to point and reel
with the impact as you describe the wounds inflicted.
However it can get a bit repetitive when every blow is to
the torso and there are only so many times that someone
can take an arrow to the knee. I use the following basic
table as inspiration to describe the blow:
D10 Location
1 Head
2 Top of torso
3 Mid torso
4 Lower torso
5 Groin/hip
6 R-arm
7 L-arm
8 R-leg
9 L-Leg
10 Weapon
SPECIFIC HIT LOCATIONS
Every player wants to go for a head shot. Why? Because in
every FPS a head shot drops the target. This is D&D and
it’s up to you as the DM to decide what called shots do and
if they are even applicable.
Make sure you inform the players how you rule on called
shots that you are consistent between combat scenes &
sessions.
Homebrew: called shots
There are no SE rules for a called shot to an area as they can
slow combat down and cause arguments. However the most
common homebrew rule is a +5 to the target number to hit
a specific area (or +5 AC)
If you make it more difficult for the player to make a
called shot then there must be a positive consequence of
the player hitting: you must decide what game mechanics it
change.
You can rule that specific locations produce special
effects eg:
Head shots and the target has to make a saving throw or
be at disadvantage.
Leg shots could hobble the target.
Weapon shots make them drop item held.
Homebrew: high impact
There are no called shots, but if a player hits a specific
location and the damage done is high enough, these effects
are automatic. eg:
on a natural roll of 20
when the maximum damage is rolled
when the damage inflicted is over 1/2 of their max HP

NPCs & MONSTERS
You should use similar language to describe monster and
NPC strikes as you use to describe player strikes. Let the
players react to blows like your monsters do.
To make combat flow smoothly, you should boil down
your attacks and damage so that you only have one number
to add (or subtract) from your dice rolls.
Keeping track Of how much damage a creature takes
each round is a vital part of being a DM.
counting down
This is normally how players keep count of their
HP, but as a DM you may have several tallies to
keep a track of and it's easy to get mixed up and
miss-count.
For each opponent write their max HP
Subtract the damage as you go until it drops
to zero
counting up
This is lots of adding up and it's quite easy to
make a mistake, however you do have a 'blow by
blow' record of the battle.
For each opponent write their max HP
Add the damage as you go until it
reaches/exceeds this number
five-bar method
I recommend this method; it's easy to tell at a
glance how each opponent is fairing.
On lined paper, create a column for each
opponent and title it.
For every point of damage they take, draw an I
in their column
On every fifth point of damage, stroke
through the bars IIII
Every ten points, start a new line
Before combat starts, draw a thick horizontal
line when the opponent should be dead and
write their max HP on that line.
WHAT ARE HIT POINTS?
Your monster has a hit point total, so do your players, so
does almost everything in your world. After this number
dropped to zero or below then that is dead or destroyed.
But 5 points of damage to a 500 hit point total is just an
annoyance whereas 5 damage to a 10 hit point total is half
their life force. No matter how much damage is dealt, you
must remember to tailor the reaction of the opponent to
account for the maximum total hit points of the target.
PERCENTAGE OF HP IN ONE STRIKE
10% a minor scratch and of little consequence. Unlikely
to break the skin, but may leave a mark.
25% a cut or bruise that will take time to fully heal
50% a major gash that would bleed or broken bones
70% a crippling wound that may take out a limb or
damage a vital organ.
90% removal of a limb, massive internal bleeding
Note that the damage inflicted already takes into account
normal bleeding, blood loss, and trauma from the blow.
WEARING THEM DOWN
WEARING THEM DOWN
An opponent’s current level of damage sustained should
flavour your description of their actions and reactions;
when they still have over then they will be fresh and
react normally.
If they only have a few HP left then their actions be tired
and movements strained. (In description rather than
mechanics: wild parries rather than crisp deflections.)
DAMAGE DESCRIPTIONS
Use the above percentage table to get an idea of how
damaged the target is with the impact, but as a Story teller
you need to flesh it out with some nice descriptive text.
If your descriptions of 'normal' blows are too long it
makes it harder to put emphasis on the special ones - I
recommend only a sentence, but vary what you are
describing each time. For example:
Describe the sounds; weapon impact on armour, blade
on skin, a grunt of pain, a scream of triumph, a witty one
liner. Combat is rarely silent. A silent blow is usually the
most deadly, so use loud clangs and bashes for smaller
impacts and quieter snicks, cracks and gurgles for
larger blows.
Use the armour in your description; does it find a gap,
pop a rivet, break some scales, dent it, force the plate
into the body,... armour is designed to resist and spread
the impact of blows. As a DM you have to describe how
the combatant managed to damage the opponent
through it.
Add some movement; staggering with a blow, missed
footing, reeling with the momentum of the impact,
hitting a wall, catching themselves to avoid falling. Lack
of movement can sometimes be more dramatic.
Use the type of damage; do they burn, freeze, feel the
force, does the tickle of electricity make the hairs stand
up. See the next section for more ideas.
MAGIC WEAPONS
The basic magical weapons in D&D simply have a "+" to hit
and damage. That's an opportunity for a DM to add some
flavour to the weapon:
a magically honed edge,
the spirit of a warrior guiding the wielder's hands,
a dark spirit lusting for the blood Of foes,
a light vibration shimmering the blade, ...
The player should feel that magic while they wield the
weapon and it is your description that should make them
boast about it.
TYPES OF DAMAGE
Most weapons or forms of attack give you an idea of how
the blow will damage the target. This is not just a game
mechanic, it is useful for you describing the combat too.
As a DM you do not need to strictly adhere to the damage
type in your narrative: If you get tired of describing
swinging and slashing blades, then have the combatant do
other stuff eg...
parry and smash the hilt off of the opponent,
force the opponent's blade into themselves,
wedge the blade and drive the opponent onto it,...
Remember that some damage types will have an effect on
the armour as well as the actual HP of the target.
SLASHING
Most bladed things will slash. If enough damage is done
from a slash then it could cut off things and cause bleeding.
BLUDGEONING
Hulk smash. Metal will bend glass will break, wood will
splinter, bodies will bruise and bones will break. If enough
damage is done, then the force will physically move the
target.
PIERCING
This will put holes in things, including armour and bodies.
With enough damage the attack penetrate the target and
continue out the other side.
FIRE
Fire damage is either a flash-fire that explodes and is gone.
Or it's a lingering effect that continue to burn until the fuel
is all used up. Remember that fire is indiscriminate in what
it damages. Enough damage and the result is a pile of ash.
COLD
In game settings, most cold damage is from "freezing".
Cinematically this will result in grey deaden flesh and make
things brittle so that they can be easily shattered. High
levels of damage will literally freeze the target in place.
POISON
In D&D, poisons and toxins damage the target over time
like a really fast acting disease. Pick some nasty symptoms
and apply them to the victim. Try and remember which
symptoms you have applied to which poison/weapon/bite
for continuity through your game. An overdose of poison
normally result in death, but you decide how nasty it is.
The DMG has some good examples of poisons and
advice for creating them.
ACID
You can describe acid in the same way as fire, except that it
dissolve and damage most things. Generic acid in D&D can
be diluted and washed off with water. Enough damage from
acid and the target will be dissolved
PSYCHIC
This is damage to the brain and headaches/migraines are
the easiest way to describe the damage. However some
magic spells can give you a nudge to narrate more
interesting psychological effects. High levels of damage
may simply result in the target just falling over dead
bleeding from the nose, ears, eyes… or with no physical
signs of trauma at all.
NECROTIC
For dramatic effect you can think on this as ageing rapidly
to death, decomposition and dust depending on the amount
RADIANT
The source of radiant damage is normally light, but the
damage can be described like things cooking in a
microwave. High damage could cause blood to boil, flesh to
cook and the target to spontaneously combust.
LIGHTNING
A blinding flash that leaves a scorched impact point and
can leave sparks over metal. It's also nastier for those in
metal armour. Lightning is impressive so try and also
describe it arcing through the surroundings at the end.
Uncontrollable twitching and burnt skin can result from
massive lightning damage.
THUNDER
Think on Marty McFly plugging in his amp. A noise wave
that pulse through the scene and ripple the ground and
surroundings before hitting the target like an anime blast. A
huge amount of damage lift the target and throw them.
FORCE
Similar to Bludgeoning but without a singular point of
impact. This damage is normally a result of magic and
would show impact without moving the target.
MIXED DAMAGE TYPES
A lot of magical weapons do multiple effects. Up to you to
decide how that works; is the additional damage applied
damage after the weapon's primary damage? Does the
additional damage just make the primary damage more
effective? Or perhaps the additional damage opens the way
for the normal damage to be done.
Describing in detail how the magic activates to damages
the target on the first blow makes a magical weapon more
magical in the player's mind. After the first hit with the
weapon, you can assume that the players know how it
works and quickly describe the blow on further impacts.
REACTION & RESPONSE
On the initial impact, the creature's response would
normally depend on the damage taken (see What are hit
points? above) But you also need to take into account the
type of creature taking damage:
Animals will react to the slightest damage and normally
run unless they are protecting their lair and/or young.
Monsters will normally fight and perhaps ignore smaller
amounts of damage (As a DM you could set a threshold)
NPCs have the option to react in the full range of
cowardly to heroic actions depending on what’s
happening.
Dumb, undead or controlled creatures may have no
response at all to damage.
If a creature has taken a massive amount of damage, use
this to flavour the creature's response: The "fight or flight"
response may switch. They may surrender. They may plea
for mercy. They may fake their own death. They may run
and hide. They may try and grab someone as a shield..
This is not a console game where the assailant attacks
until dead: creatures can run, hide, heal and return. With
their friends.
As a GM you may have to remind your players on
occasion that time passes while they rest or loot bodies:
The players are not the only ones who can do that. Having
an escaped monster return or perhaps an enemy of the just
defeated monsters arrive as the bodies are being looted can
keep the players on their toes.
THE ENVIRONMENT
You may be looking at a flat map and the positioning of
combatants might just be dots or minis within squares, but
your description has to give it depth and height.
Remember to talk about what's up and down - describe
height, things to climb on, things to hide behind, things that
obscure, the ground under-foot, ceiling height, ... seldom is
the battlefield flat and level: when it is, your description
should highlight the lack of things to hide behind.
Consider the enclosing space that your scene is set in
and freedom of movement with various weapons, especially
strength based weapons and polearms. Fighting in small
rooms, corridors, tunnels, should have challenges and
penalties to rolls.
If your players can use the environment to their
advantage, they should be able to take down opponents that
they would never be able to survive toe-to-toe with.
Providing them with opportunities beyond hack and
slash/zap and skewer makes for a much more memorable
and fun encounter.
Players are creative if you give them things to work with
curtains, loose chains, hanging ropes, pools of water, empty
crates, broken fence posts, statues,…. they always seem to
pick up on throw-away bits of description you use to paint
the scene that you never intended to be used as props. This
is good: Add them in and run with it when your players are
being creative.
Always reward your players for creativity (in XP, loot
or simply by ending the encounter quickly and
successfully.) However don't leave all the creativity up to the
players; NPCs and monsters can do things like pulling
rugs, extinguishing torches, pouring Oil down stairs,
shoving them off a cliff…
COVER
It is more dramatic to catch sight of bits of your foe through
the undergrowth or gaps in the trees or through a window
or peeking from under a trap door… Let the players build up
a picture. On a similar note, if the players are surprised let
them only catch glimpses of the assailant before the
initiative
It is vital for some characters that you describe where
light falls and how deep shadows are. Think on how your
scene is lit and the vision/senses of the creatures. Try and
use all senses in your description of the scene; remember
that most animals rely on scent before sight.
Dense cover can also make for limited movement;
bushes, vines and grass could tangle feet and weapons.
Knocked over crates, stalls and busy streets can make
combat much more difficult, restrictive and interesting.
TERRAIN
The ground can cause combatants difficulty every turn and
depending on the hazard, damage can be taken every round
or every time a person moves or for every 5ft of movement
(or any combination of these).
The hazardous area does not have to be over the whole
arena; contrast makes for greater interest and a more
exciting opportunities for your players to shine:
paths through a fire,
patches of spikey brambles,
a stream of biting insects,
quick sand … .
You can also decide for your NPCs it may be better to
suffer the environmental damage than face an opponent, or
they may try and get the PCs to harm themselves.
Including opportunity for people to fall off of things or
plummet to their doom is another environmental hazard to
add drama and options to your encounters. It can also be a
way to dispose of difficult opponents or an unexpected
escape plan.
TRAPS
Pits, spikes, pools of stuff, tripwires and pressure plates
can make the battlefield more interesting. However as a
DM you should take these things into account when
balancing the encounter - no trap should be immediately
lethal to a PC an there should always be a way (although
it's perfectly acceptable to kill off NPCs to prove how
dangerous it could be.)
You can also use these mechanisms to give the players a
helping hand if they are in trouble or slow them down if the
tide of battle is getting way too easy for them.
You should never spring a trap on a player without them
rolling a dice to see or avoid it.
For surprise attacks and unexpected damage to the
players, you can have the players roll for the damage
inflicted on their own characters (if they fail a skill check or
saving throw) This can divert any blame you might take as a
DM for placing them into the situation in the first place.
CONTROLLING THE HORDE
When you are a DM running a battle it is advisable to limit
the number of active antagonists so that there is no more
than two per player: The more baddies you have to look
after, the harder it is to keep track of them and the easier it
is to make mistakes.
Although D&D can be played like a table-top war game
with massive battle maps and armies, it should be more
about quests that focus on heroes: One-on-one fights from
the character's point of view, not complex battle strategy
and commanding armies.
MINIONS
If characters have to wade through an endless horde, you
should consider that a person can only have a maximum of
four to six people of a similar size surrounding them at any
one time (and can face only one or two foes) Weaponry and
the environment might change this number, but any more
than this will have opponents stepping into each other's
space.
recording horde damage
When a party faces a horde of minions that are
substantially below the character’s levels, then
you don’t need to be precise about hit points,
there are some quick options:
One hit: every minion has 1 hit point. If a
player hits them, splut.
Luck of the dice: make a roll for the minion
every time they are hit: if it's a success, they
live. If not they are dead. The target number
depends on how tough you want to make
them.
Two hits: same as above, except they are now
at 1 hit point if they succeed.
There is still the opportunity for drama and
cinematic scenes, so keep the players rolling dice
and the corpses piling up.

NPCs
It can be difficult if you have more than one or two NPCs or
allies in combat. Generally their motives are the same as
the players during a fight (kill the baddies) so you could
give control Of the NPC to another player during the battle;
Never give a player an NPC to control who is more
powerful than their own character.
Give them a brief over-view Of any special feats/attacks,
the NPC's armour and weapon Stats.
It is simpler to have the NPC act on the same initiative
as the player (just after them) but you could have them
roll a separate initiative.
Allow the player to decide on the tactics the NPC uses
and the targets they choose.
Make the player roll any combat dice to hit, damage or
perform feats (Players like rolling dice)
You can decide when/if the NPC flees
It might also be the job Of the DM to remind players that
the fleeing could be the best option: A wisdom roll might
tell the character that they can't win, an intelligence roll
might make them question the tactics of a head-on assault,
a charisma roll to think of their colleagues.
… or you can just break the third wall and tell the players
that their best course of action is "run away!".
INITIATIVES
The initiative roll is used to determine order of play at the
Start Of Combat and this order is normally maintained
through the battle. Part Of the role Of a DM is to maintain
this order and make sure things happen with the correct
timing.
Ties Of initiative order should be resolved so that the
character with the quickest reactions (highest Dex) goes
first. If this is a tie then the highest Wis. Or you can just roll
another dice.
If the players outnumber the baddies then each should have
an initiative of their own - it makes things more interesting
during the battle. However if there are a lot of enemies then
it is easier to manage if they all act on the one initiative.
It also takes time to move each of the players' opponents;
if they all go at once and move in different directions it can
be hard to keep track Of which ones have acted and which
are still to go. With lots of antagonists it is better if you split
them into groups.
There are several alternative initiative methods outlined in
the DMG - Even if you have picked one for your game, you
can tell the players you are trying something new to see
how it plays out and consult with them after combat to see
if you keep it.
Homebrew: initiatives every round
The initial preparation of asking each player their initiative
and sorting out the order of play can break the narrative and
slow down the drama of combat.
Using this method, each player keeps track of their own
initiative and as a DM you only need to worry about when
your NPCs & monsters act (Write this initiative at the top of
their relevant hit point trackers.)
After the call to roll initiatives you start counting down
from 30 (or "20 and above") with the players calling out
when you reach their number.
Actions get resolved immediately.
Players who hesitate too much or are indecisive will
cause you to continue the count-down: they will get to
act on the count they interrupt you on or after the next
player.
Every round of combat is punctuated with a new call to
roll initiatives.
Homebrew: split initiatives
See the homebrew outline under Combined attacks
SURPRISE!
If the players manage to surprise their opponents, then they
have a full round of action before their targets get to have
actions of their own.
However they still have the reaction part of their round.
This can be used to raise an alarm, look for more
assailants, take an 'attack of opportunity', ... it's not a video
game where the target just stands and ignores the player or
is oblivious to the sound of their comrade gurgling up blood
and collapsing
If the players fail perception rolls to see a potential
ambush, they should never just see "nothing"; they may
notice a pattern in the rock formation, a poster advertising
Honest John's Emporium, that a peasant just picked their
nose, a crow perched on a rooftop... something minor.
The first a player should know about being surprised is
when they feel the impact of a blow.
RANGED ATTACKS
Ranged attacks could result in it being several rounds
before any melee players actually get a chance to act; try
and arrange circumstances and terrain so that the player's
target is only one or two rounds of movement away.
Similarly, try and give your ranged players a target to
shoot at and/or space to make use of their talents rather
than having every battle toe-to-toe.
TIMER
During combat you can add tension and urgency to the
scene by having events due to happen after X rounds of
combat. For example:
a burning building,
an execution or escape,
the arrival of reinforcements or patrol returning,
a collapsing floor/tunnel,
creeping tidal waters or slowly spreading pool of goo,
a burning fuse or sand timer,
portal closing/opening,
a geyser or volcano erupting,
It is up to you if the players know what's going on; it can
be more exciting to have them discover the impending
event during the combat.
To heighten the experience for the players you can place
a big dice in the middle of the table and reduce the number
by one at the start of each initiative.
At the start of each turn include a reference to the
impending doom in a description of the scene.
If you have multiple terrain events that happen after X
rounds, put a dice on a sticky note behind your screen and
reduce it by 1 every round so that it's easy to keep track of.
BALANCE
A fight scene should be exciting for the players and should
follow a few basic rules;
It should give every member of the party an opportunity
to use their skills.
Combat should not last too long or be over in the first
round.
If there are lots of monsters, then they should be weaker
than one big one.
The opponents should be able to damage the players.
There should be the opportunity to flee for both the
players and monsters.
The scene should have some options for cover
The PHB, DMG, MM and several on-line encounter
tables give good advice on how to find monsters that will be
challenging for the players but not overwhelm them.
Do not be bound by any rule book or to any monster
description; D&D is a multiverse of magic and strange
evolution. Hit points, armour classes, damage rolls,
resistances, etc. are all made-up numbers. As a DM you
have the power to manipulate these numbers and describe
things however you want.
TURNING THE TABLES
Not every battle should be a close run thing and your
players should not have to use every spell and potions
available to get through every encounter.
Several easy, minor skirmishes can give the players a
sense of accomplishment in the lead-up to an epic boss
battle.
If you find that you have miss-judged how much damage
that the players can take or how much damage they can
dish out, you can take Steps to re-balance while combat is
happening:
The action taken does not need to be written down or in
your campaign notes; wing it and make it look planned
Do not have the balancing factor happen immediately
things start to go wrong; have a round or two of
anticipation
Have reinforcements arrive.
Give both sides a chance to notice the cavalry, trap or
impending doom.
Have one side of the combat leave the fray. (This could be
drawing into an ambush, getting reinforcements or
simply fleeing.)
As a DM you can increase/reduce the hit points of various
opponents and change the damage they do. Players
should have no idea if you ever do this. Never. Ever.
Not even in discussions out-with the game.
A lot of characters rely on rest to recuperate their
abilities; one way to re-balance an easy skirmish is to have
another one or a reason to move on quickly without the
chance for them to rest. This should force players to be
more cautious and resourceful, perhaps having to find a
safe haven so they can venture forth again.
WEAPONRY
If a battle involves an opponent wielding a powerful
weapon or having amazing armour, then there is a high
likelihood that the players get it: Do not equip your baddies
with stuff that you don't want the players to have.
If a monster has a cool ability or in-built weapon, then
the corpse could probably be harvested for something that
could imbue another item with this power (even if the
players don't know it or have the means to craft it.)
On a similar note, a good way to get items or information
into the player's hands that they need for their quest is for
them to find it when they loot the bodies. Remember that
this information only exists when the players look for it:
they can find the same thing on another corpse, in a locked
chest, under a stone, gifted to them...
ROLLING DICE
One of the main draws to D&D is that actions are resolved
by rolling dice. While a player may decide what the actions
are, the result is determined by chance.
Players like rolling dice, even when they don't need to.
You don't need to ask for a dice roll for everything and
you don't need to agree with every player's request to roll
for something. If you decide to that there is a skill check
within combat then it should add drama to your Story and
success or failure should have consequences.
If there is a roll that could have serious consequences to
a character (eg life or death), then you should make the
player roll for it. This invests the player in the result and
you as the DM are less likely to get blamed for any negative
result.
A DM's hand should be the subtle guidance of fate; you
should be an unseen narrator for your players' characters.
However tempting direct intervention with a fist of smiting,
acme anvil or stampede of wildebeest may be, a good DM
will try to avoid it.
SCREENS
A DMS screen has three main purposes:
It keeps players from meta-gaming by reading your
notes and looking at monster statistics
You can have tables and quick references to hand so
that they are not cluttering your 'workspace' and you
don't have to keep consulting books.
Players can't see what you roll.
You don't need to roll dice behind the screen; you can
make every roll in front of your players so that they know
their character's fate is in the roll of the dice.
However this negates a useful tool for DMS - the ability
to fudge rolls and move the goalposts to provide a better
story. The players should never know if you do this.
Remember that the monsters you control are facing your
player’s characters as a challenge to them: they are not your
pets and it is not your roll to attempt to annihilate your
players. You are giving them opportunities to be heroes.
COUP DE GRACE
The final blow in a battle should be epic and memorable.
To stand out, try and contrast it with the rest of the battle.
Maybe use the environment. Maybe make the description
longer. No matter what was used to perform the killing
blow, you can use your DM's license to have the player do
something cool and heroic - this may not strictly what the
player intended, but should be cinematic.
Players should always land the killing blow; make the
NPC reduce the target to 1 hit point rather than killing
them so that the next player gets the thrill of the kill.
For the end of level boss battles you can involve your
players and tap into their creativity for the killing blow to
ask "How do you want to do this?" (See Critical Role)
Note that you should still describe the killing blow
adding a bit of drama; talk about the life leaving the foe
with a final gasp or a dulling of the eyes or have them utter
a cryptic comment to the character…
Then make the hero strike a pose or clean their weapon
to bring the action and focus back to the players before the
usual player-vulture action of looting the corpses.
You can also use the end description to underline a
characters traits and tell the players what the character
would be thinking just after an epic battle.
PLAYER DEATH
When a player hits 0 hit points they are unconscious,
defenceless and their fate is in the hands of the dice and
the other members of their party. Any hit to an unconscious
body is an automatic critical that brings the character two
steps closer to true death.
A player in this state should be worried that their
character is about to be written out of the story. It is not fun
to simply role-play an immobile body, so you should try and
encourage other PCs to stabilise or revive them as soon as
they can.
Deliberately leaving another player's character to die, or
being knowingly instrumental in their demise is an evil act
and should swing the character's alignment this way. There
may also be ramifications among your players that bleed
into their characters future actions and it may even lead to
a reduction of the numbers of people willing to play with
that player.
Your players invest a lot of time into their characters. The
longer that they play them, the more invested they become
and the more of a blow it will be if/when they die. If there is
no fear of a player’s death and very little consequence to
them dying, then your game will be lacking in tension,
drama and commitment.
In D& D, “dead” is not always permanent and as a DM
you have influence over the physical and magical world that
your players adventure in. Death might be the start of an
awfully big adventure; finding the components to a
resurrection spell, a magic item to recover the player’s soul,
a healer who is rumoured to be able to bring people back, a
necromancer who can preserve the body,…
TPK
a Total Party Kill will simply end your campaign.
Sometimes it can't be avoided, sometimes only one
character will be able to pull their bleeding body from the
wreckage and is unable to get to the rest of their party.
Encounters and traps that have the threat of wiping out the
party should always contain multiple opportunities to
escape or withdraw, but if players want to test how
invincible their characters are do not be scared of
terminating them.
If a player is really committed to a character, then you can
consider a DM Resurrection that would add to the
narrative:
You are playing in a world of gods and demons – selling
your soul to one of them might work.
Returning with an unquenchable thirst, an aversion to
garlic and sunlight.
Blank spots in memory when the moon is full and
waking with decimated animal corpses.
Waking in a cell with a brand or a collar that can’t be
removed…
Homebrew: scarring
Every time a character reaches 0Hp, they gain a permanent
physical scar or psychological trait.
This gives players (and the GM) a bit more to flesh out a
character with and is a nice memento to remember the
battle.
Homebrew: resurrection
When a priest is calling the character back from “true death”
(three failed death saves) they have to make a basic spell
casting roll with the difficulty being 8 + the dead character’s
level. Settings, aid and circumstances may change this at the
GM’s discretion.
Every time a player is successfully resurrected, it becomes
harder to bring them back again and this number increases
by 1 every time.
If there are family/friends that can provide a tie to the
living realm then they can reduce the target number: They
can roll a specific skill or trait that has meaning for them and
if they meet the GM’s target, it can reduce the number by 5
points. During the resurrection rituals there is normally only
time enough for three of these acts.
If the priest fails, then character has truly passed on and
will never voluntarily come back.
If they succeed, there may be other consequences…
SUMMARY
Set the scene
Describe actions in one sentence, blow by blow
Hit Location
Reaction
Feedback
Make it as fast paced as you can
Encourage creative actions
Describe cool heroic actions in more detail
Have fun
That last point is the most important: if no-one is having
fun then no-one wants to play. Try to describe combat to the
whole table so that your players can close their eyes and
see the fight scene playing out in their heads.
CREDITS
This document pulls from over 30 years of role playing and
DM experience, several youtube channels, some online
documents and is formatted with The Homebrewery.
The cover art was shamelessly borrowed from the
talented http://ukitakumuki.deviantart.com/
For comments, critique or clarification you can get in
touch with the author directly: contact Gadget Blanchard
(Gadget2020@hotmail.com)