Combat | D&D 5th Edition (2023)

Table of Contents

How does 5e combat work?

When you hear the word combat, the first thing that comes to mind is bloodshed, clashing of two people, striking of weapons, chaos, and so on. However, combat 5e is slightly different. It’s much more organized and is divided into rounds and turns. Each round is of 6 seconds, during which both the participants get their turns.

How do you do combat in DnD 5e?

The Order of Combat

Step by step procedure

Determine surprise – It’s the DMs’ task to check if any of the participants involved in the combat was caught by surprise.
Establish positions – The DM decides the position of the players and monsters. The knowledge of where the obstacles are is determined by the adventurer’s Marching Order or the location of the players, as stated.
Roll initiative – At the beginning of the combat, everyone involved in the fight has to roll initiative to know the order of the turns.
Take turns – The initiative order is followed when taking turns.
Begin the next round – Once everyone’s turn is complete, the round ends. Keep taking turns until one of the participants is defeated.

Let’s understand these 5e combat steps in a little more detail.

Surprise – It’s up to the DM which side would get surprised based on the Stealth and Wisdom (perception) scores of the opposing monsters hiding. If both sides don’t use their stealth, then they’d notice each other on their own. A player would be surprised if they aren’t aware of the threat surrounding them. The option to move or take action on your first turn is disabled if you’re caught by surprise. You’d have to wait for your turn to end to use a Reaction. It might also happen that instead of the whole group being surprised, only one member is.

Initiative – As mentioned earlier, initiative decides the sequence of turns. A Dexterity check is essential before beginning the combat to know their initiative order positions. Every identical creature acts simultaneously when the DM rolls for the entire group in every round. The initiative order is when the DM ranks the player with the highest Dexterity check and the lowest score. During a tie, the DM chooses the creature’s order under his control, and the players do it for the ones under them. However, the DM has the last say if the tie is between a player character and a monster.

It can use the option of making the player character, and the monster roll a D20, and those with the highest roll go first.

Your turn – During your chance, you can move ahead at your own speed and take action. It’s your decision whether to move first and then take action or vice versa. Your walking speed is visible on your character sheet.

You can find the everyday 5e combat actions you take under the “Actions in Combat” category. You might get additional actions based on other class features and abilities. You can also choose not to do anything on your turn and play defensive with the Dodge and Ready action.

Bonus actions – Some of the class features, abilities, and spells allow you to have a bonus action, for instance, the Cunning Action attribute. Since you can only use one action per turn, you must choose wisely if you have more than one unique action. It’s up to you when to take extraordinary action if the Time isn’t specified. Also, if you’re unable to take steps in Combat 5e, your chance of using a bonus one goes away.

Other activity on your turn – You can use different skills or activities that don’t require action or movement. Your way of communicating can be anything you want, gestures or words. Moreover, you’re free to use one environmental object during your turn. For instance, using a door or taking out your weapon in the same move as your attack.

For using a second object, action is required. However, some magical items or spells always ask for an action, as mentioned in their descriptions.

It also depends on the DM whether something needs action or not. For instance, the DM might ask you to use an action for opening a stuck door, etc.

Reactions 5e

Movement and Positions

In DnD combat, movement and position of the players are of utmost importance as it gives them an upper hand. You can cover distance at your speed during your chance, be it shorter or longer distance.

You can only jump, swim or climb, or couple it with walking as well. As you move, keep deducting the distance you cover from your speed till the Time it’s not entirely used up or until you stop moving.

Breaking up your move – You can break up your movement by using it after or before actions. For instance, if you want to move 30 feet, you can walk 10 feet, use an action, and move the remaining 20 feet.
Moving between attacks – If your action requires more than one weapon, you can move in between those attacks. For example, a player with a speed of 25 feet can attack twice using the Extra Attack feature to move 10 feet, attack, walk another 15 feet, and attack again.
Using different speeds – If you’re lucky, people have two speeds, like flying and walking, then you can alternate between them while moving. As you switch, don’t forget to subtract the distance you already covered from the new speed. If the outcome is 0 or less, then you can’t choose the new rate. For instance, you have a walking speed of 30 and a flying speed of 60. So you could walk 20 feet, fly 30 feet, and walk the remaining 20 feet again.
Difficult terrain – Combats always occur on terrains with dangerous obstacles like boulders, forests, unpredictable staircases, and so on. In such a circumstance, one foot is considered as one extra foot. Rugged terrains can consist of rubble, shallow bogs, steep stairs, etc. Another creature’s lair is also regarded as dangerous.

Being prone

Players are down during combat either because they are knocked down or accept defeat. In D&D combat, this is known as being prone. You might even drop flat before you get a chance to use your speed. Standing back up requires effort, which is equal to half your speed. So if your speed is 30 feet, 15 feet of it is used up in getting up. If you have 0 or less speed left, then you can’t rise again.

However, you can move while prone either by crawling or using teleportation. It costs one extra foot every Time you crawl, so 1 foot in rugged terrain = 3 feet in movement.

Interacting with objects around you

Along with your movement, there are numerous things you can do as well. They are –

Sheathe or draw a sword
Close or open a door
Take out a potion from your bag.
Grab a dropped ax
Acquire a bauble from a table
Take off a ring from your finger.
Shove food into your mouth
Put a banner on the ground.
Take out a few coins from your belt pouch.
Drink all the bottle’s ale
Throw a switch or lever
Remove a torch from a sconce.
Take a book from a reachable shelf.
Douse a small flame
Wear a mask
Pull up your cloak’s hood over the head.
Put your ear to a door.
Kick a small stone
Turn the key in a lock.
Poke the floor with a 10-foot pole
Give an item to another player.

Moving around other creatures

Moving around a non-aggressive creature’s lair is not an issue. However, you can only wander into an aggressive creature’s home if he’s twice as small or large as you since their terrain is a difficult one.

Whether the monster is a friend or an enemy, your move shouldn’t end in their space. Moreover, if you get out of a creature’s space during your activity, you’d acquire an Opportunity Attack.

Flying movement

Having the power of flying is a unique attribute, but the danger of falling is always looming in the air. A player can fall if they are knocked prone, if their speed becomes 0, or they can’t move. This is only possible if they can hover or stay in the air through magic, like the fly spell.

Creature size

Every creature occupies a different space depending on its size, available in “Table: Size Categories.” Some objects might follow the same size categories.

Space

A creature’s space refers to feet that creatures control during 5e combat and not physical. For instance, a medium creature holds a five-foot-wide area, but they aren’t physically that wide. So if a medium Hobgoblin stands in a 5-foot doorway, people can’t enter until he lets them through.

The size of a creature also determines its fighting area. Therefore, only a limited number of people can surround another creature during DnD combat. So in medium combatants, only eight creatures can accommodate into a 5-foot radius around another player. As for prominent players, only a few of them can ambush another small or medium creature. On the other hand, 20 medium-sized creatures can cover a large one.

Squeezing into a smaller space – A creature can squeeze through an ample enough space of a creature that is one size smaller. So a prominent player can get in a 5 feet wide door; however, they’ll have to spend one extra foot every Time they do so. Furthermore, they’d acquire a drawback on Dexterity Saving Throws and Attack Rolls. Attack rolls are advantageous if they are used in a small space.

Actions in combat 5e

Here’s a summary of actions you can take during your turn, the ones that you acquired from a Special feature or your class, or the improvised ones. A few monsters have their own actions mentioned in the stat blocks. If an action isn’t described in the rules, then it’s up to the DM to determine whether you can take that action and what kind of a roll is required to decide your success or failure, if you can.

Attack – Every player’s first action is the “attack” action by using an arrow, swishing a sword, or going for a fistfight. You can make a ranged and melee weapon attack, but read the rules in the “Making an Attack” section before that.

If you have the Fighter’s Extra Attack feature or any similar feature, it gives you the chance to make more than one attack with this action.

Cast a spell – Spellcasters like the Wizards and Clerics, or even Monsters can use spells in D&D 5e combat to their advantage. Depending on the spell’s Casting Time, you’d have to decide whether to take any action, a reaction, minutes, or hours to cast the spell. Most of the spells have a Casting Time of one action, so a player usually uses their action for spellcasting only. As a result, casting isn’t a necessary action.

Ready – There are times when you’d prefer waiting for a specific scenario and catching your opponent by surprise. You can do this by using the Ready action on your turn, enabling you to use Reaction before your next turn starts.

To make it work, you observe the situations that might trigger your Reaction and then choose your action accordingly, or you increase your speed considering the trigger. For instance, if a Cultist steps on a trapdoor, you’d pull the lever, or if a Goblin comes near you, you’d move away.

You have two options: to react after the trigger happens or ignore it entirely. Keep in mind that you can use only one Reaction per round.

For a spell, you cast it but hold its energy to use as a Reaction when the trigger occurs. However, the spell’s Casting Time should be one action, and you’d require concentration to hold on to its energy. If your Concentration wavers, the effect becomes void. For example, if you’re holding on to the Web spell and ready Magic Missile, your web spell would disappear. Also, your concentration would waver if you’re damaged before releasing the Magic Missile through your Reaction.

Search – As is evident by its name, this action would allow you to dedicate your Time to search for something. Based on the nature of your search, the DM would either ask you to make an Intelligence (Investigation) check or a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Use an object – You interact with an object when you engage in other things as well—for example, drawing a sword while making an Attack. So when you need to use an object as an Action, you use an object. You can do so with more than one object as well.

Making an Attack

The structure of an Attack remains the same whether you’re going for a melee weapon, making an attack roll, or firing a weapon at range.

Choose a target – Select a target in your attack’s radius like a creature, a location, or an object.
Determine modifiers – It’s the DM’s decision whether the target has a cover and whether you have an advantage or disadvantage against it. Moreover, Special Abilities, Spells, and other Attacks can either work for or against your Attack roll.
Resolve the attack – When you hit the Attack roll, you roll damage unless stated otherwise in the rules. There are a few attacks that offer Special Effects in addition to or in place of damage.

To clear your dilemma of when it counts as an attack, you’re going for an Attack whenever you make an attack roll.

What can you do in Combat DnD?

Unseen attackers and targets – A few ways opted by the combatants to escape their opponents, such as hiding, invisibility spell or using darkness as a cover. It’s common sense that you get a disadvantage on the Attack roll if you attack someone you can’t see. It’s applicable if you’re guessing your target’s location or attacking a creature just by listening to their voice.

If your guess goes wrong, you automatically miss; however, the DM would only inform you that you missed and not whether the target was at that location or not.

On the other hand, if a creature can’t see you, you have an advantage on Attack rolls against them. If you’re out of sight and unheard, then the moment you make an Attack, your location is revealed to them whether you miss or hit.

Melee attacks – Since it’s used in hand-to-hand combat, your opponent must be within reach for you to attack. You’d need a weapon such as a sword, Warhammer, or ax. In the case of a monster, Melee Attack means using their claws, teeth, tentacles, horn, or other body parts. It’s also possible through a few spells.

Those creatures with a 5-foot reach can Attack enemies within 5 feet of them during a Melee Attack. As explained earlier, the more significant ones than the medium can make a Melee Attack for more than 5 feet of radius.

Unarmed strike

Features of Melee Attacks

Two weapon fighting – If you take an Attack action with a light melee weapon that you possess in one hand, then you gain a bonus action to use another light melee weapon that you have in the other hand. However, don’t add your ability modifier to the bonus attack damage unless it’s negative.

Opportunity attacks

Grappling

Contests in combat – A battle is just pitting your proficiencies against each other, and competition brings forth that challenge. You’d find the most common matches under this that need an action: grappling and shoving a creature. Based on these, the DM can modify others too.

Shoving a creature

Damage and healing – When you’re in a gaming realm, especially one with D&D 5e combat, injury and the risk of death are the only truths. An arrow, a sword, or a flame from a Fireball spell can all be dangerous and life-threatening for even the strongest creatures.

Hit points – Hitpoints combine the will to live, physical and mental strength, and luck. As a result, those with more hit points have a higher chance of survival than those with fewer hit points.

A player’s current HP ranges from the highest number to 0. This number isn’t constant and would keep changing depending on the damage and healing a creature gets. If a creature takes damage, it’d be deducted from their HP. This wouldn’t make a difference on their ability to combat unless it reaches 0.

Damage rolls – Every dangerous monster, weapon, and spell specifies the damage it can deal. So you roll a dice or die, include modifiers, and apply the damage to your opponent. Only Special Abilities, Magic Weapons, and various other aspects can grant a damage bonus. A penalty might lead you to deal 0 damage, but it’d never go into negative.

You also add your Ability Modifier during a weapon attack, like how you use it for the Attack Roll to the damage. The spell would guide you on which dice to roll for damage and whether it’s necessary to add modifiers.

If a spell or any other Effect deals damage to more than one opponent simultaneously, then roll the damage for all of them for once. For instance, if a Cleric uses Flame Strike or a Wizard goes for a Fireball, the spell’s damage is rolled once for all the creatures affected by it.

Damage types – As mentioned earlier, every spell, attack, and harmful effect deals different damages. Although damage types have no clear rules, other rules like Damage Resistance depend on these types.

Acid – The Black Dragon’s breath’s corrosive spray and Black Pudding’s dissolving enzymes deal acid damage.
Bludgeoning – Blunt force attacks like hammers, constriction, falling, etc., are for dealing with this.
Cold – Cold damage is dealt by the Infernal chill from the Ice Devil’s spear and White Dragon’s cold blast of breath.
Fire – Some spells and Red Dragon’s fire breath is all you need to deal with this.
Force – It’s pure magical energy specifically for damaging form. Spells, including Spiritual Weapon and Magic Missile, are enough to deal force.
Lightning – To deal with this, you require a Blue Dragon’s breath and a Lightning Bolt spell.
Necrotic – Spells like the Chill Touch and certain Undead can deal necrotic and harm matter and the soul.
Piercing – Attacks that impale or puncture a creature, such as spears and monster bites, deal with it.
Poison – Toxic gas from Green Dragon’s breath and poisonous stings.
Psychic – Mental prowess like mind flayer’s psionic blast deals this damage.
Radiant – An angel’s smiting weapon or a cleric’s Flame Strike spell can burn the flesh like fire and give abundant power to the spirit.
Slashing – Deal slashing damage with monsters’ claws, axes, and swords.
Thunder – A burst of sound similar to the Effect of Thunderwave Spell.

Critical hits

Damage resistance and vulnerability – There are certain Objects or creatures that can either get easily hurt or with great difficulty due to specific damages. However, if a player has Resistance against certain damage, then its effect is reduced by half. If they are vulnerable to a particular damage type, then their impact is doubled.

Resistance and Vulnerability are added last to damage after all other modifiers. For instance, a creature possesses Resistance to Bludgeon damage. He is attacked by bludgeoning damage of 25, but he’s in a magical shield that reduces the impact by 5, so damage of 25 is first reduced by five and then halved. Therefore, only damage of 10 is taken by the creature.

In case of numerous instances of Resistance or Vulnerability that impact the same damage type would be considered as one instance. For example, if a creature is resistant to fire and non-magical damage, then the damage by non-magical fire automatically reduces by half and not by three quarters.

Healing – Damage isn’t permanent unless it leads to your death. Death can be reversed through powerful magic, though. A creature’s hit points can be revived after rest, or using magical remedies like the potion of Healing or Cure Wounds spell can heal damage within minutes.

The HP regained after healing is added to the player’s current HP. However, their hit points can’t exceed their maximum limit if the regained HP crosses the max. Limit; they are lost. For instance, a Ranger has a maximum limit of 20 hit points, but he has 14 HP currently. He gains eight healing points from a Druid. So the Ranger would only earn six hit points from the Druid instead of 8.

On the other hand, if a creature has died, he can’t restore hit points until they are revived through the Revivify spell.

Dropping to 0 hit points – As you reach 0 hit points, you’d either die instantly or lose consciousness.

Instant death – An enormous damage can lead to your instant death. If you reach 0 hit points, but there’s still damage left, and if that remaining damage equals or exceeds your HP, you die.

For instance, a Cleric has six hit points, but her limit is 12 HP. So if she gets damage of 18 from an Attack, her hit points reach 0, but still, damage of 12 remains. Since this remaining damage is equal to her maximum hit points, the Cleric would die.

Falling unconscious – If the damage reduces your hit points to 0 but doesn’t kill you, you fall out. As soon as you acquire some HP, you’d regain consciousness.

Stabilizing a creature – Healing is the best option to protect a creature with o hit points. However, there might be times when healing isn’t available, so stabilizing them is the priority so they don’t succumb to an unsuccessful death-saving throw.

You can attempt to stabilize the unconscious creature by using first aid as your action, but it needs a victorious DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Once the creature is stable, they don’t make death-saving throws even after 0 HP and remain unconscious. If he takes on any more damage, it’d become unstable and go for death-saving throws again. Moreover, an unhealed stable creature gains one hit point after 1d4 hours.

Monsters and death – Monsters work differently than other creatures as they die as soon as they reach 0 hit points. They don’t lose consciousness or make death-saving throws.

However, the same rules don’t apply to Special NPCs and powerful Villains as the DM might make them fall unconscious and follow the other rules as Player Characters.

Death saving throws

Knocking a creature out – There are times when the opponent would prefer to indispose you than choosing to kill you. So when the creature is brought to 0 hit points by the attacker with a melee weapon, he can knock them out. As soon as the damage is dealt with, the attacker has to make this choice. The creature would become unconscious but stable.

Temporary hit points – Certain Spells and Special Abilities offer temporary hit points. These aren’t real hit points but a barrier against damage to prevent injuries to you.

When you take damage, the temporary HP is deducted first, and then the remaining damage is reduced from your real HP. For instance, if you have five quick hit points and take damage of 7, then the temporary HP is lost first, and then you take two damage.

Temporary HP can go over your maximum limit of normal HP. So a player can have maximum hit points but keep adding more temporary ones. If you already possess temporary hit points but acquire more, then it’s up to you to keep the old ones to get new ones. For example, if you have ten temporary HP and gain 12 new ones, you can either save 10 or 12 of them, not 22.

Furthermore, if your HP is 0 and you acquire temporary hit points, it won’t revive you from unconsciousness or make you stable. It can only absorb further damage to you in that state. Healing is the only way to refresh you. Also, healing can’t restore your temporary HP.

If a temporary hit point doesn’t come with duration, then they’ll be with you till the time you use it or wake up from a long rest.

Conclusion

I hope learning so much about Combat 5e was fun and gave you insight into what is expected from you. There are various features for you to choose from, making it even more difficult, but that’s what makes the game entertaining.

Combat | D&D 5th Edition (2023)

How does 5e combat work?